The laser blast had seared her flesh, leaving a cauterised wound that stopped her from bleeding. Despite her determination, the intense, burning pain proved too much, and her leg buckled beneath her, sending her crumpling to the ground.

  She dragged herself across the floor, each movement sending waves of agony through her body. Glancing back, she saw the Terminator climbing through the window. It moved closer to her, blaster drawn. Shmi braced herself for the inevitable.

  Seeing his mum in danger, Anakin screamed ,“Mom!”. The Terminator spun around abruptly, its optical sensors locking onto the small child—its primary target. Disregarding Shmi entirely, the machine swiftly advanced toward Anakin.

  ““No!” Shmi shouted, her heart racing. “Annie! Run! Get out of here!”

  The Terminator’s red cross-hair focused on the boy's head, its blaster aimed and ready to fire. Anakin froze in fear. Without warning, a thunderous barrage of blasts rang out, as a dark-cloaked figure on a speeder unleashed fire upon the Terminator. Each hit sent the machine reeling violently.

  The relentless bombardment finally toppled the Terminator, sending it crashing to the ground. Smoke began to rise from its damaged frame. A wave of relief washed over Shmi; the cyborg seemed destroyed. However, her relief was short-lived. To her horror, the Terminator suddenly sat up again, its red eye flickering back to life.

  The Sith-speeder swooped around, its engines roaring as it prepared for another deadly assault, but this time the Terminator was prepared. As the speeder unleashed more shots, the machine rolled out of the way and seized a rusty engine from the ground. With super strength, it hurled the engine at the approaching vehicle. The projectile struck its target, forcing Maul to abandon the speeder. He executed a flawless somersault through the air, landing gracefully on his feet.

  The Terminator picked up a large steel rod, and swung it at Maul, sending the Sith sprawling against a nearby metal wall. Stunned, Maul struggled to regain his senses. The cyborg followed up with a powerful kick, launching Maul across the scrapyard where he hit the dusty ground hard near Anakin.

  Turning its attention to the boy, the Terminator opened fire. Anakin reflexively dodged the laser blasts with surprising speed. Maul watched, astonished by the boy's agility. He sensed Anakin's strength in the Force and began to wonder about the child's significance and why Palpatine had sent him to protect him.

  The Terminator locked onto Anakin, its target acquired. As it prepared to fire, a lightsaber swiftly descended, severing the Terminator's arm at the elbow. The dismembered metalic limb fell with a thud, its hand still clutching the blaster.

  The machine pivoted to face Darth Maul, who was poised to strike again. With lightning speed, the Terminator's undamaged arm seized Maul and hurled him across the yard. Maul quickly regained his footing, but the cyborg delivered another swift, powerful blow sending Maul flying once more. His lightsaber spun through the air, showering sparks as it struck a nearby wall before clattering to the ground.

  Anakin, heart racing, darted behind a massive Tank filled with volatile liquid. The Terminator's mechanical eyes scanned the area, searching for its target. As the boy peered out from his hiding spot, the machine spotted him and began to advance.

  Shmi struggled to stand, desperate to reach her son, but searing pain overwhelmed her. She lost her balance and collapsed, watching helplessly as the Terminator neared Anakin's hiding spot.

  Maul, regaining his senses, quickly assessed the situation. Spotting the Terminator advancing towards Anakin, he leaped high into the air, summoning his lightsaber with the Force. Landing between the machine and its target, Maul attempted to ignite his weapon. However, only sparks flickered from the hilt as the realisation struck him—the kyber crystals had been damaged.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Acting quickly as the Terminator swung a punch, Maul ducked and executed a spinning kick, connecting with the machine's metal head. The impact sent a jolt of pain through his foot, reminding him of his disadvantage. Without his lightsaber, he realised he needed to change his strategy for this hand-to-hand combat.

  As the fierce battle raged on, Anakin glanced at his mother, who was struggling to rise from the floor. "Mom!" he shouted, starting to sprint toward her from behind the large container. However, he halted abruptly as Maul and the Terminator suddenly blocked his path, still locked in combat.

  The Terminator threw another punch, but Maul, strong with the dark side of the Force, was too quick. He executed a back-flip, putting himself out of the machine's reach. As the Terminator charged headlong at him, the athletic Sith leapt high into the air, sailing over his opponent.

  Unable to halt its momentum, the Terminator crashed head-first into a large tank containing the highly flammable liquid. The impact of its metal skull against the tank's surface created a spark, triggering a massive explosion that hurled Maul and Anakin through the air.

  Maul slammed into the ground hard but quickly used the Force to cushion Anakin's fall. Despite this effort, the boy still struck the ground with enough impact to knock him out cold. Shrapnel rained down as the aftermath of the explosion showered the area. A large metal beam crashed down onto Maul, pinning him to the ground and sending a surge of pain through his body.

  Shmi struggled to move away from the intense heat of the flames. Through the scorching fire, she spotted a figure moving in the inferno. To her horror, the Terminator emerged from the blaze, its metal face contorted into a menacing grimace as it dragged its damaged legless body toward Anakin's unconscious form.

  Maul watched helplessly as the Terminator advanced toward Anakin. Trapped beneath the crushing weight of metal debris, he struggled to free himself from the prison that held him to the ground.

  Shmi watched in horror as the Terminator crawled closer to her son. She frantically looked around for a weapon, her gaze fell on the cyborg's detached hand lying on the floor, still clutching a blaster. Summoning every ounce of strength, she forced herself to move, pushing through the searing pain in her leg.

  Thick smoke filled the air, causing her to cough and her eyes to burn. The acrid fumes enveloped her, forcing her eyes shut against the irritation. Despite the challenging conditions, she reached for the severed hand, struggling to pry the weapon from its unyielding grip.

  The Terminator, now just inches away from Anakin, moved with terrifying speed. Its trembling metallic hand reached for the boy's ankle, glowing red eyes gleaming as its metal skull contorted into a sinister scowl.

  As a breeze momentarily cleared the smoke, Shmi rubbed her eyes and opened them to see the Terminator grasping Anakin's ankle. She screamed and fired the blaster, but it was out of charge. "No!" she cried.

  Suddenly, the metallic beam that had trapped Maul hurtled through the air, slamming into the Terminator and pinning it beneath its heavy weight. Maul, having grown more powerful in the dark side, had channelled his anger into focus. This new-found strength allowed him to lift and throw the metallic scrap at the cyborg.

  Maul struggled to his feet, using a steel rod as a makeshift cane, and began limping towards them. The Terminator squirmed beneath the wreckage, still determined to reach Anakin.

  Maul, now towering over the Terminator, channelled his dark power as he raised the rod high above his head. With a tremendous display of strength, he brought it crashing down upon the machine's skull. The impact sent shock-waves through the air, accompanied by a cacophony of screeching metal and a dazzling shower of sparks.

  The Terminator's systems faltered under the devastating blow, its once-smooth movements becoming erratic and jerky as its menacing red eyes flickered. The advanced processor struggled to cope with the extensive damage, causing its motions to stutter. As the red eyes dimmed to darkness, the machine was no more; its outstretched hand, mere inches from Anakin, slowly lowered. The metallic fingers that had once been poised to seize the boy now hung lifelessly at its side.

  The smoke rose from the Terminator's damaged frame, accompanied by the occasional flash, and spark. Maul stood poised, ready for any sudden movement, but the danger had passed; the machine was terminated.

  "Anakin!" Shmi yelled, dragging herself closer to her unmoving son. Maul looked down at her with narrow, angry eyes, his hatred intense.

  Shmi stared at the fearsome figure above her, his striking red skin and black markings accentuated by the crown of small horns adorning his head. His fierce yellow eyes and menacing demeanour filled her with dread, leaving her uncertain if he would now turn on her son.

  Swallowing her fear, she managed a faint "Thank you."

  Maul's response was a sneer as he pulled up his hood, shrouding his face in shadow. "He'll live," he snarled, before limping away beyond the dying flames.