Shadows of our Past

XIV

Anakin's POV

"How the hell is a Zilo beast here!" I yelled as we ran through the hallways.

An alarm sounded overhead and red lights flashed and blared, scared Padawans and Younglings were being escorted by Jedi Knights out of the Temple and to another safe place in ships. Some younglings were crying and the Padawans were trying to put on brave faces but I could sense the amount of fear in them.

"Master!" I heard Ahsoka shout.

Obi-wan and I stopped and I turned around to see Ahsoka running back through the crowd towards me. 

"What's going on?" she asked fearfully.

She was trying to hide her fear for the Younglings sake but right now it was getting the better of her. 

"There's a Zilo beast at Coruscant, we have no idea how it got here but you need to go with the others now," I explained quickly.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I have to go to try and stop it from going anywhere else, protect the Younglings and stay with the group," 

"Anakin, the gunship is here!" Obi-wan called.

I could sense Ahsoka's fear for me and everyone around her.

"I'll be fine, stay safe Ahsoka," I quickly tried to reassure her.

I turned around and sprinted towards the gunship jumping on as it lifted into the air, I saw Ahsoka turn around and run back to the group and usher some Younglings along. We flew towards the Zilo beast who was causing havoc amongst the city, alarms were blaring out telling people to move away if there near that area. 

We landed a safe distance away from it where Yoda, Windu and Aayla Secura were already waiting. 

"I'm guessing we don't have any Malastare fuel gas?" Obi-wan asked.

"We have people working on it now but it'll take time, time we don't have," Windu replied.

"This particular Zilo beast looks fairly young and has a weak spot on its neck where a lightsaber could penetrate, however, the zilo beast doesn't lift its head that often and it'll be dangerous trying to hit that spot. We don't even know how much force is required to penetrate the skin," Aayla explained.

Gunships were flying around the air firing bullets at it and dropped bombs trying to get it to lift it's head so they could hit the weak spot but the bullets weren't forceful enough to penetrate the skin. 

A storm rumbled overhead in the night sky and lightning flashed across the clouds, rain began spitting down on us and I sighed internally. This was just great. An idea came to me but it was risky, something Windu or any Jedi Master would agree with. The Zilo beast started storming its way towards us and gunships began taking off, Windu and Aayla began moving towards a gunship and I looked up at the thunder and the lightning flashing across the sky.

"I'm going to regret this," I muttered. 

I ran forward towards the beast using the force to make me go faster.

"Anakin!" Obi-wan shouted. 

I kept running, my feet slipping slightly on the wet concrete. The rain began beating down harder and thunder boomed as the lightning crackled overhead. The Zilo beast slammed a foot down and broke the concrete under it, I used the force to leap onto the Zilo beasts foot and used its armour to climb my way onto it's back. I used the spikes on it's back to swing upwards until I was on its neck, the gunships were firing at it halting its movement and I took that opportunity. I took a deep breath and ran forward on its neck, I used the force to jump through the air and land on a tall building diagonal from the beast. I did a forward roll to stop my feet from breaking and quickly jumped back onto my feet. I moved to the back edge of the building and looked up at the sky taking a deep breath and calming myself as I focused. A lightning bolt flashed across the sky and I quickly used the force to grab onto it, I pulled it down and the lightning crackled as it struck the Zilo beasts head. The lightning ran over its whole body and it threw its head back and shrieked in agony, the ground trembled and the gunships had to veer out of the way of the flailing Zilo beast. I ignited Kol's lightsaber and gripped it tightly in my hand, I sprinted across the roof building the force up behind me and in the lightsaber just like Cala Brin did when she fought Rajivari. 

My lightsaber started off with a deep sound and got higher as more power built up behind it, I leapt off the roof and soared through the air. I brought my lightsaber above my head and brought it down on the Zilo beast's weak spot in its neck puncturing the skin, my lightsaber stayed in the mark and I clung on to the hilt as the Zilo beast shrieked and screamed. 

"I didn't think this through," I muttered to myself as I hung on. 

The Zilo beast hissed and began aiming for the gunships and trying to hit them out of the air, the gunships had no defence against the Zilo beast and they couldn't fly away otherwise the beast would chase them and more people would be in danger. I began swinging on the hilt of the lightsaber using the force to help me and once I had swung enough I released. I went flying up into the air and onto the Zilo beast neck, I grabbed onto one of its large spikes to stop myself from falling back. 

"Skywalker, aim for its eyes!" Windu screamed over the roar of battle.

I nodded and moved towards the side of its neck using the spikes and grips so I wouldn't fall down. I saw the massive green eyes on the side of its head and tried to think of a way to stab it, I looked down at the ground and my stomach churned, it was a lot farther down than I was expecting but now wasn't the time to think about that. I looked at one of my lightsabers still protruding from the Zilo beasts neck and then glanced at its eye, I took a deep breath and jumped, grabbing onto one of its spikes closest to the eye. There was no spike underneath me, just the ground many meters below me, I began swinging on the spike and quickly let go, I grabbed my other lightsaber that was on my belt and ignited the dark blue blade mid-air. I slashed the beasts eye and fell down I reached out and grabbed onto my lightsaber that was in the beast's neck already. 

My shoulder screaming in pain and I grimaced but ignored it for now. 

"Anakin!" Obi-wan shouted.

I spotted Obi-wan in a gunship and he threw something towards me, I used the force to levitate it into my hand and frowned when I realised it was a bag of detonators.

"Place it in there!" Obi-wan screamed.

I looked at the weak spot next to me and understood what Obi-wan was trying to say, I clipped the bag onto my belt and grabbed my lightsaber and plunged it into the Zilo beasts neck. I cut a hole in the Zilo beasts neck and managed to hold on as it continued to shriek in pain, I grabbed the bag of detonators and placed it in its neck where it disappeared. I placed both my feet on its neck and pulled my lightsaber out. I began to fall just as the detonators went off. I didn't really see what happened since I hit my shoulder on the corner of a building as I was falling. I used the force to slow down my fall and landed lightly on the ground. The Zilo beasts remaining eye rolled to the back of its head and it fell forwards cracking the concrete and making the ground tremble. 

The gunships landed around it and the three Jedi Masters went to see if the beast was dead while Obi-wan came over to me.

"That was by far the stupidest thing you've ever done and that I've ever seen," he scolded. 

"I know, I must say I agree with you," I replied.

"Are you okay though?" Obi-wan asked.

"I think so."

Obi-wan gave me a searching look and quickly reached out through our force bond before I could even think about putting my shields up.

"Your shoulders injured, you're going to the med bay as soon as we get back to the Temple. If you don't I swear I'll sedate you and drag you down there myself," he threatened.

"Okay, okay, I'll go," I replied struggling not to smile.

"I'll be making sure that you go and stay there."