| abstract
| - From where they were in the Temple Memorial Room, Artoo, Threepio and the younglings could hear the crackle of the lightsabers clashing as well as rather disturbing vocal sounds. “I don’t like the sounds of this,” said the protocol droid. Artoo beeped encouragingly. Yoda’s style was firm yet forceful, quick and sharp yet phenomenally powerful. This more than made up for his small size, in fact his size was more of a disadvantage to Nju. The taller Jedi Master constantly had to stoop to attack or parry, either that or dodge when Yoda sprang from the ground towards him. In spite of—or perhaps because of—his style of lightsaber combat, Nju found it increasingly harder to attack. Every lunge he made was blocked, every time he tried to follow through with a feint or parry Yoda quickly intercepted it. Yet it was to be expected, as the one who had first taught Renust Nju how to use a lightsaber was Yoda himself. He knew every move that Nju was about to make, and then some. This incensed Nju and made him attack with a new viciousness. Yoda sensed this and he circled at Nju’s feet, his lightsaber a blur as the green blade forced him backwards. Suddenly Nju made a low double-attack, their blades crossed, crackling menacingly. “Win this you cannot,” Yoda said in a low voice, “lost already you did before you began to fight.” “It is you who are the one that has lost, Master Yoda,” Nju snarled, he disentangled his blades and flipped backwards down the corridor. He landed some distance from Yoda, his lightsabers aligned perpendicular to each other. Then he started to turn, slowly at first, then faster and faster until he was a whirl of blue motion, the blade snaking dangerously around as he closed in on Yoda. Yoda made a daring leap towards him, somersaulting through the air and stopping Nju’s attack with one single blow. “Arrogant, you always have been,” Yoda observed dryly. Nju made an inhumane roar and jumped further away, sinking into an aggressive position. Yoda followed him. “Anakin, what are you doing?” For a moment they stood there, the blue and green blades crossed over Sidious’ face. Padmé then swung her blade back, yet Anakin stepped close to her and blocked her blow. “Anakin, stand back!” Her voice had the authority of an order. “I can’t let you do this, Padmé,” Anakin said, his voice ringing with a sharp warning. “You don’t understand.” Padmé span away from him and circled back towards Sidious. “I do understand!” Anakin flashed, putting his body between her and Sidious. “I thought you were different! But you’re not, you’re just like the rest of them!” He attacked her now, forcing her to the back of the room and towards the door. “He’s right, you don’t feel anything for me and you never did!” “That’s not true!” Padmé made an attack so close to him that their faces were almost touching, she could see the green of her weapon reflected in his face. Suddenly her vision became clearer, her anger fell away like a garment and she realised what she was doing. “Anakin…” She stepped back for a moment, her lightsaber held loosely in one hand. “Anakin, I don’t want to fight you.” “I’m not listening to your Jedi lies, Padmé,” Anakin snarled, “not anymore.” Yet he made no move to attack her. “Jedi lies?” Padmé repeated. “Anakin this is me, I’m talking to you as a person.” “No, you’re not,” Anakin barked. “What you’re doing is trying to get me on your side so I can help you do something I’ll regret.” He brought his lightsaber towards her, stepping close as Padmé stepped back. “You can’t make me do something I know is wrong.” Padmé could see the anger in his eyes, raw, menacing like the front of a breaking storm. They were not the eyes of the Anakin she knew, but Padmé recognised them all the same. This was not Anakin, but this was who he could become. In spite of her feelings for him could she let that happen? Could she make the ultimate Jedi choice? Could she put aside her personal feelings for the greater good as all Jedi were required by the code to do? I know I can, Padmé thought as she circled Anakin, her blade held in a low defence. But do I want to? Because if I do I have no chance of having Anakin on my side again, the thought opened up a hole in her stomach, if I turn against him, that’s it. “So what will it be, Padmé?” Anakin asked her, his eyes watching her every move. “What matters to you the most? Me? Or the Jedi?” For a moment Padmé remembered the nine-year-old boy she had held in her arms as he cried on Queen Nalanda’s starship. The same boy who had grown into a young man and had confessed his undying love for her without words and in a way that could not be revoked. And she had responded in kind, she had given her love as readily as he had given her his. Even if only for a moment as brief as a raindrop hitting a pool of water. Then she compared him with the man that stood before her. He was a stranger; someone else’s eyes were peering out of his face. And then she knew. “I’m sorry, Anakin,” she said as she brought her lightsaber higher, “I love you, and I tried to save you,”—she met Anakin’s gaze directly—“but I won’t let you destroy yourself.” Padmé then opened herself up to the Force. “Padmé?” Anakin had not moved his blade from the guard position. With a light in her eyes that was almost blinding, Padmé attacked. At the entrance to the Temple Memorial room, Yoda sprung forward powered by the Force. He landed in front of Renust Nju and took a defensive position in the doorway. “Good, but not good enough,” Nju said, making a low slashing attack that sent Yoda into the room. They continued to fight until they were both inside the vast room, Yoda retreating until he was against the wall. Then the little Jedi Master ran up the wall, jumped over Nju and had the taller Jedi on the defensive. Their blades crossed again, and this time Nju was forced back against the wall, losing his footing and almost falling over. Yoda used this moment of hesitation to its full advantage, attacking Nju’s left weapon which was hanging uselessly at one side. The green blade sliced through the barrel of the lightsaber, taking half of Nju’s hand with it. Nju gave a loud yell, examining his mangled hand in astonishment and staring at Yoda incredulously. Yoda’s gaze was measured and firm. “Stand down now will you?” Nju gave another shout, attacking with his remaining weapon, Yoda blocked the blow and forced Nju back into a corner. Nju jumped over him into the middle of the room, slashing his blue lightsaber on the floor as he landed. “I’ll never give in,” he declared. “And you’re too weak to destroy me even if you think you have won.” “Destroy you I need not,” Yoda chided gently. “Destroy itself darkness always does. Never learned that lesson you did.” Yoda stretched out his free left hand, reaching into the Force. “Did you hear that?” Threepio said. “It sounded like…” “A lightsaber,” said one of the younglings. “Master Yoda and the Sith are in the room.” R2-D2 muttered something rather nervously. “Artoo says there are quite a number of lightsabers igniting,” Threepio translated. “Yet he says he can only detect two lifeforms aside from us.” He stared at the astromech droid. “What are you talking about? Surely not two lifeforms could use all those lightsabers?” Artoo beeped in astonishment but didn’t retract his findings. Circling towards him in a devastating circle were lightsabers that Yoda had summoned with the Force from the niches in the wall. Blue and green and sometimes even colours like orange or turquoise. Yoda closed his eyes and brought the lightsabers together in a line, the blades all vertical. The line started to turn, it started to turn around where Renust Nju was standing. “What in the—” He started to attack the blades that were coming towards him but Yoda was ready for this, for within seconds Nju was completely surrounded. He stared around him, through the bars of his lightsaber cage, there was no way out as the handles were above his head and at his feet, no room to move either way. Yoda came forward and stood in front of him, his eyes were opened but the strain from holding the lightsabers there was apparent in his face. He said nothing; he didn’t need to, the object lesson he had shown Nju spoke for itself.
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