Episode I Journal_ Anakin Skywalker Part 6

I swung the starfighter around and stole a glance at the rest of the Naboo craft. They were taking shots at the Control Ship, but nothing was getting through the deflector shield.

This was bad. Unless they disabled that ship, the Gungan troops on the ground would be slaughtered. Artoo beeped again. Another Trade Federation fighter was on our tail!

Once again we were being chased back toward the Control Ship. I guess Artoo didn't approve of the way I was handling the starfighter because he kept beeping that this wasn't the same as Podracing.

As if I couldn't figure that out on my own!

Thw.a.n.k! Something hit us from behind! It must have been a shot from the Trade Federation fighter. Artoo screeched as smoky sparks flew and lights flickered in the c.o.c.kpit. Our starfighter went into an uncontrollable spin.

We were going to crash into the Control Ship!

By the time I got control of the starfighter, it was too late to avoid the giant ship. I had no choice but to steer toward the only open s.p.a.ce ahead: a huge open hangar.

Suddenly we were inside the hangar, inside the Trade Federation Control Ship, still going much too fast. I was busy dodging transports, fighters, I and other ships on the hangar deck.

Jamming my hand down on the reverse thrusters, I managed to stall the engines and bring the starfighter to a stop just before we hit the hangar wall.

For a second, everything was silent. Artoo gave me a low, worried whistle. Here we were dead center in the middle of enemy territory! I tried to restart the engines, but the whole instrument panel went red with warning lights.

I knew I must've blown something during the emergency landing. Or we'd just plain overheated.

But now we were surrounded by Trade Federation battle droids.

Not knowing what else to do, I ducked down in the c.o.c.kpit. A battle droid captain came forward. He demanded to know who the pilot of our starfighter was. Artoo whistled back that he was the pilot. The battle droid appeared confused and asked to see identification.

Just then the lights on the c.o.c.kpit control panel went from red to green!

I jumped up in the pilot's seat and flicked on the ignition. The starfighter powered up instantly.

The battle droid captain saw me in the c.o.c.kpit and ordered that I come out or they'd shoot.

I answered by switching on the fighter's deflector shield. We started to rise and I swung the fighter around, knocking over the battle droid captain. The other droids were firing, but their shots were all deflected by the shield.

I aimed and fired at the droids. But I pressed the wrong b.u.t.ton and set off two torpedoes!

The fighter recoiled as the torpedoes launched. With a jolt I realized it was too much and too close. My torpedoes missed the droids and shot down a hallway. I had a feeling once those torpedoes made contact, things were going to get very, very messy.

It was definitely time to say good-bye.

I swung the starfighter around and hit the thrusters. Unfortunately the hangar was full of droids by now and I had to knock a lot of them over. The funny thing was, it was just like Podracing!

KA-BOOM! As we reached the mouth of the hangar, a huge explosion erupted behind us.

Whoosh! The force of the blast pushed our starfighter right out of the hangar. I twisted around in my seat and watched as the Control Ship disappeared inside a huge ball of yellow and orange flame. Giant chunks of red-hot burning debris were shooting out into s.p.a.ce in all directions.

We'd done it! We'd disabled the Trade Federation's Droid Control Ship!

Gripping the fighter's controls, I expected to feel a surge of happiness as I steered the starfighter away. But I was suddenly overcome by a dark wave of pain and sadness.

At that moment I didn't know what had caused it. I only knew that something terrible was happening nearby.

Fourteenth Entry

A Bitter Triumph

When the Control Ship blew up, the yellow Naboo starfighters regrouped and headed back to Naboo. I wanted to speak to them via comlink, but my communications were dead. All I could do was limp back to Naboo behind them in my damaged fighter.

A little while later we skidded to a stop inside the palace hangar. A bunch of pilots and ground crew surrounded my fighter. When I opened the c.o.c.kpit and stood up, their mouths dropped open. I could just about read their minds. How in the world had a kid my age managed to get into the Droid Control Ship and blow it up?

The funny thing was, I was asking myself the same question.

They helped me down from the starfighter and, told me the good news. When the ship exploded, all the Trade Federation battle droids on Naboo froze up, and the Queen was able to capture the viceroy. Together, the Gungans and the people of Naboo had won the battle. Their planet was free!

It should have been one of the happiest days of my life.

But just then a grim-faced guard entered the hangar. He'd heard that the Jedi Knights had defeated the Sith Lord. But in the battle, the older Jedi had been killed....

I felt a terrible pang in my heart. Qui-Gon, my hero, my guardian, the one person who really understood... was gone. Suddenly I knew that the terrible, dark feeling I'd had in the starfighter was his death. I'd felt him go.

I closed my eyes and opened my mind, just as I had that night on Coruscant when Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon spoke. I could feel something. Qui-Gon was still there somehow. It was a shadow of what I'd felt before, but it was still there.

The funeral took place on the temple steps in the central plaza of Theed. It was sunset and the orange sun was dipping down toward the horizon. A large crowd was there: Queen Amidala and her handmaidens, the Jedi Council and other Jedi Knights who had known Qui-Gon Jinn personally, the troops of the Naboo, and the Gungan forces.

And, of course, Obi-Wan and me. Qui-Gon's body was placed on a funeral pyre. We watched in silence as Qui-Gon Jinn disappeared in flames. Then white doves were released.

It was hard for me to watch. In the short time I'd known him, Qui-Gon had been more of a father to me than anyone I'd ever known. I thought back to the day I'd first met him on Tatooine. How we'd gone to my home to get out of the sandstorm. How I'd told him I suspected he was a Jedi Knight because of the lightsaber he carried. How he pretended maybe he'd simply killed a Jedi and taken the lightsaber. How I said no one could kill a Jedi Knight.

And how clearly I remembered that sad moment when he sighed and said, "I wish that were so. "

As if even then he'd suspected...

I used the cuff of my uniform to wipe away tears. I felt Obi-Wan's hand on my shoulder.

"He is one with the Force, Anakin, " he said softly. "You must let go. "

I looked up into Obi-Wan's face and was surprised by what I saw. His expression was open and concerned. I could feel his caring as we shared the loss of someone we had both admired so much. With Qui-Gon's pa.s.sing, something had changed between us.

I asked him what would happen to me now.

Nothing could have prepared me for Obi-Wan's answer.

"I am your Master now, " he said, tightening his grip on my shoulder. "You will become a Jedi. I promise. "

Time to Go Obi-Wan just stuck his head in the doorway and said that we are leaving in five minutes. It's time for this journal to end.

So much has happened. I will never be the same as I was on Tatooine. It is clear that my life will be different from Kitster's, different from my mother's, different from anyone's that I've known before. I have faith in Obi-Wan's promise: My training will begin soon.

My travels will continue. I will go to planets and have experiences I cannot begin to imagine. I am both frightened and excited.

Wherever the path leads, I am ready.