Part 3
The Grey Jedi and the Invincible Machine
With the group of the remaining men and Pawn long gone, Listorm was left alone with the hulking mass of metal known as Rhen. The large mechanical killer held his three meter long black blade with ease. The weight of such a blade would cripple any who attempted to wield it let alone go against it. The blade was dull at the tip, the only sharp part was along the edge of the blade facing away from Rhen. The hilt of the giant blade was another two meters, allowing the giant hands of its wielder to wrap both around. There was three holes evenly dispersed within the blade and the guard of the sword was non existent. The thickness of the blade was longer than Listorm's palm, and the blade itself was almost half a meter wide.
"Impressive blade," Listorm said while fidgeting his fingers over his own hilts. "Such a blade deserves a name correct?" Listorm was just trying to stall, to further increase the distance Pawn and the others could gain, but he also was a little interested in the name of the mighty blade.
"I suppose I shall give it a strong name, something that rolls of the tongue," Rhen explained while lowering into a crouch. "I shall name it SoulShifter." Rhen stepped closer with SoulShifter leading his way. "I suppose you have named your sabers as well?"
"I have not put much thought into the names, but I do know what they respond to." Listorm lifted the blade is his left hand. "This is MistSlayer, while this one," he lifts his right saber, "is named FogBringer, and know that introductions are out of the way what do you suppose we do?"
Rhen answered with a charge followed by an overhead slash. Listorm responded by blocking it like he did before, but this time the force behind the blow was much more. Listorm felt his teeth rattle, and his knees crack under the force of the blow. He shrugged it off and felt the force fix his legs. He could not control when the healing wave released, but he trusted in the force to keep him alive for this fight.
Rhen stepped back a few steps and awaited for Listorm's reaction, and Listorm responded in just the way Rhen wished. Listorm hurled himself at the massive droid with sabers spinning all the way. The Jedi turned into a drill mid air. The two blade's tips came together and slammed into the massive droid's chest, but if Rhen felt it he did not show it. Listorm landed on his feet and slashed at the monstrously thick leg, but that also had no effect. He attempted to leap back, but once he jumped he felt his head crash into the awaiting hand of Rhen, where he was held fast. Rhen enclosed the Jedi into his huge paw and brought the Jedi up to his face.
"Do you believe that those puny weapons will do anything against a God-like being?" Rhen's voice dripped with more venom than before, and the voice was no longer mechanical. He sounded much more like a regular person than ever before, but there was no humanity in this titan's mind. Listorm tried to break free of the gripp, but only felt the grip tighten and some of his ribs cracked and he could feel one of the now free bones puncture his lung. He gasped for air but found nothing.
"Can't fight back now can you, no wise words or insults, or are you to full of fear to speak?" Rhen loosened his grip on Listorm, but still held him fast in his fist.
"I think you are confusing fear with blood Rhen, but luckily for you I have plenty of blood to bleed, and I will gladly lose it all to destroy you." Listorm felt his bones knit back together and the hole is his lung close. Rhen laughed and threw the Jedi up and placed both hands on his massive blade to cleave Listorm on his way down.
Listorm flew up several meters before starting his descent, but once his fall started he reignited his blades and somersaulted towards the ground. He brought up his Blades just in time to intercept Rhen's Swing, but the force of the blow threw the Jedi much farther than he anticipated. Rhen watched as the Jedi sored through the air, and when he hit his maximum height the tree like legs pushed him fast in the direction the Jedi was traveling.
Listorm saw the Droid was already standing where he would land, but Listorm could not let the droid use him for juggling practice. He turned to face the sky and force pushed with all his might to throw himself down immediately. Listorm flipped in the same moment he released the push and felt his feet slam into the ground. Rhen was already charging forward with the giant blade raised again. Listorm sidestepped away from the chop, but could not stop the flat of SoulShifter. He felt the several tons slam into his face and felt several more of his bones break from the hit, but before he even hit the ground the force repaired each of them.
Listorm coughed up the blood clot in his throat and turned once more to face Rhen. The massive droid was not even trying. Luckily Listorm was also holding back several amounts of his power. Rhen stepped up with the large blade resting on his shoulder.
"Ready to face oblivion Jedi, or will I have to kill your friends first?" Rhen threatened with a smile in his voice.
Even if he could beat him what would this beast do to get out of losing, Listorm thought. He could feel the warmth of his own blood dripping out of his knees, the force was patching up the serious injuries at least, But how long would that last him.
"Did you hear me, or are you stuck in your own thoughts?" Rhen said while reading his blade yet again. Listorm stood straight with eyes burning red.
"I will never let you hurt them again, if I have to die to see to their safety then my life was well worth it, just know that i will not die easily." Listorm felt no fear, he still only felt the white hot rage in his chest, and that feeling will never fade as long as this being still stood.
"Well then, as a Jedi you have to live up to your promises, start taking this seriously and then maybe I won't be able to turn this planet into your friend's graves." The massive legs propelled the droid forward with blade carving through the soil as he went. Listorm called upon the force to increase the strength in his arms, much more than he has ever done, and even then he did not know if it was enough. The large blade left the soil swinging straight for the Jedi's neck, but the agile Jedi turned to face the blade head on with sabers rose. The blade smashed into the sabers and the blast of air that it pulled with it blew back the hood on Listorms's head. His hair had stripps of dark grey mixed with the silver.
Listorm felt himself skidd back from the blow, but he still stood straight with the blade caught in his blades. Listorm started to push the blade back, and to both his and Rhen's great surprise the blade was being pushed far faster than expected. Rhen pulled the blade back and a dark red glow began to illuminate below the dark plates that covered the droid's body.
"I have yet to even cross half my potential, and you should be proud because my designers are the only ones to even know this to exist." Rhen explained to the Jedi who was still in awe with his own ability. Rhen exploded in rage and started the onslaught once again. "You listen to those of higher ranking boy!"
Listorm snapped his blades to the right to block the first strike, this collision was even more violent than before, and that blow was still not half of Rhen's true strength. Listorm knew that his chance of success was slim and would be getting thinner if he could not go on the offense. The next blow was another overhead chop which Listorm sidestepped and then he kicked the blade with force fueling his powerful legs. The blade was knocked back and was only away for a second before Rhen could get it back in the fight, but that was plenty of time for Listorm to propel himself under the legs of Rhen and pop up on the other side. Listorm swung both blades with force infused arms. His sabers brought sparks up and dug deep into the armored plates, but the attack never phased Rhen.
The massive droid leapt up into the air, turning while doing so, and once he landed the ground shook under his weight. The droid then swept out his left hand and Listorm tried to dodge the massive hand but was caught in the grasp once again. The grip tightened quickly and Listorm soon felt his spine snap and his whole body went numb and unresponsive. He was paralyzed.
"I don't think you will be coming back from that one as easily, and what was it you said about as long as you live your friends would be safe?" Rhen screeched his laughter once more and Listorm could only stare at the droid as it turned to leave. He could feel the force working vigorously to patch him back together, but he knew it would take some time, he only hopped that Pawn and the others are already off this rock, but Listorm know the few survivors were not even halfway to the ship before the unstoppable machine closed in on them.
Almost twenty minute has gone by, his friends were probably dead by now, but Listorm knew that not to be true. He knew that some make it onto the ship with one wounded, and that wounded was probably Pawn. The thought of her lying broken at Rhen's feet enraged Listorm more than he could currently let on. He felt feeling return to his neck as the force finally repaired his brain stem, he could move his mouth and soon his arms and hands, and when his feet responded he leaped up with blades in hand. Listorm drew as much power from the force as he could and started to run in the direction of the ship.
"I have to get there, I can't let them die, I have to save them," Listorm repeated tis over and over out loud as he ran. The landscape around him become a blur once more as his speed increased exponentially as he ran. The large black form of Rhen could be seen and the sound of blade crashing against metal rang through the air. Listorm knew who Rhen now fought.
Rhen brought his blade up once more before letting gravity bring it down against Pawn's power armor. The phrik metal never even dented from the blows, but the woman inside was severely beaten and broken from the blows the large droid. Her eyes were starting to fade, and the filters in her suit were damaged. She was running out of air. Listorm could sense her life force leaving her and that only drove him on more. He let out a cry of anger as he saw her twisted body under Rhen's massive blade. Rhen heard this and turned with fire in his eyes.
"Why, won't, you, die?" Rhen shouted, and he turned to face the Jedi who already had his blades imbedded in the thick plates around Rhen's neck. The sight of his armor being damaged startled the droid and he could not even grab at the Jedi because he was already gone. Listorm walked up to Pawn who lied still on the ground. Her armor protected her from being torn in half from the blade, but she most likely had internal bleeding and broken bones. Listorm tuned to the few men who still stood.
"I will have a word with her and then you shall take her to the ship, but for now go grab the stretcher from the medic," Listorm explained to the soldiers who nodded and scrambled for the deployable stretcher.
"You don't get to do anything!" Rhen shouted at the men and a large cannon spouted from his shoulder. He aimed it at the man near the medic.
"Stop it Rhen, if you let them do it then you can fight me at full power, and if you kill them then you will never see the fight you wish to have." Listorm had no way to carry this out, but it seemed to convince the bloodthirsty droid.
"Very well you have three minutes, but any longer then you all die." Listorm nodded to Rhen and then turned to Pawn and he removed her mask and took out his own. The visor was cracked, but at least the filters worked. He placed the mask over Pawn's delicate features and then saw her open her dark green eyes.
"I thought you were dead, that was why that thing caught us," she said softly. Listorm shook his head and felt tears fill his eyes. He could only imagine what he would have felt if this planet did not put a cap on his emotions. He brushed back her dark hair and lifted her in his arms.
"Look at your robe, I had it custom made and now it is destroyed," Pawn joked softly, her voice was fading. Listorm looked at his attire and did notice the fabric was torn to pieces and his force markings beneath the robes could be seen clearly, and they were much darker than before. The two sons now developed color, one red and one blue. He even saw a thin grey line separating them.
"This bastard did it, and I will make sure he pays for the," Listorm said, and if the tone of his voice was not filled with rage it might have been a joke. The soldiers came back with the stretcher once more and Listorm placed Pawn onto the soft cloth and then saw her eyes close.
"Take her away, and don't wait for me, just leave as soon as you get to the ship." Listorm felt his throat tighten around his tears. "Go now, don't wait," he said once more and then he turned to Rhen who had the sword out once more.
Listorm heard the men leaving and the sabers leapt back into their master's hands where they ignited with a hiss of protest. The lense was cracked from their last fight, but Listorm won't let anything else happen, he will destroy this beast and join them at the ship, or he will hold Rhen off for long enough for them to escape.
Listorm chuckled when he thought of his escape, he knew that he would never be able to leave this hellish planet, but he knew now why the force brought him here. To destroy a being that could shift the galaxy into darkness without any assistance. Listorm was here to kill Rhen and Rhen was here to kill him. Listorm laughed once more and tore of the top of his torn robes.
"Take a good look Rhen, I am your end, I am the one who shall kill you, I am Listorm Hail the force's catalyst of balance, and I seen the future you never get to see," Listorm said to the still counting Rhen. "You will be lying in a pile of scrap at my feet."
"One hundred eighty, and we shall see Listorm the Jedi," Rhen lifted his blade and the red glow beneath his armor shined bright. The hum of the unstable lightsabers crackled and sparked.
Listorm led the first charge, he swung his both of the blades at Rhen's right thigh, and the large sword went to counter the strike, but Listorm expected this defense and jumped straight up and over his slower opponent to land behind and thrust up at the groin of the armored giant. His strike bit deep into the inner thigh and Listorm heard some wiring and tubes spitting out their contents.
Rhen cried in anger and pain and then collapsed to his knees. Listorm rolling out of the crash of metal barely escaping the several tones of steel crashing down. He turned around to see Rhen slowing getting back up, his auto repair systems already had the damage fixed. The Grey Jedi then went back into Rhen's range to try to land another blow, but the hungry blade of SoulShifter was already there to protect against the silver sabers. The two sabers slammed against the metal blade only to bounce back leaving the Jedi off balance. Rhen tried to take this opportunity to land a powerful kick, but was surprised to see the quick footed Jedi already shuffling backwards far out of range for Rhen to hit.
"You're quite quick for someone who has been torn to shreds," Rhen yelled while lifting his blade. His grip tightened on the handle and the metal creaked in protest of the mighty grip. Listorm gritted his teeth in anger and only stared at his opponent. He saw no fatal flaws in this machine, the only damage he could do would be fixed in a matter of seconds and even that damage was minute in the long run. He would have to risk more than before if he wanted to kill this thing.
"You're pretty confident for a pile of scrap," Listorm replied. Rhen sighed loudly.
"Jedi aren't the most quick witted are they?" Rhen said while quickly closing the distance with a lightning fast dash forward. The massive blade swept for Listorm's neck only to be blocked by MistSlayer. Listorm brought Forbringer over with a downward thrust to land in the top hole of the blade. Rhen tried to lift the blade with Listorm connected to it, but found it difficult to lift the blade. The puny Jedi was holding his blade down. Rhen laughed with surprise.
Listorm felt his muscles tearing and repairing all at once while he held the colossal blade down. The force was supplying him with strength far beyond his body could handle, and yet the powerful arms of the blade's wielder still pulled the blade away from Listorm. The Grey Jedi then decided to call upon the force to manipulate the static electricity around them. Listorm felt his hair start to stand up and saw the hair along his arms straighten, this was going to hurt he thought. Lightning emanating from the blades as well as the atmosphere surged up the blade to Rhen's awaiting arms. The burst of electricity caused a scream of pain to erupt from the large machine. Rhen's grip tightened from the electrical surge and the hilt of the massive blade snapped in his grasp. The lightning stopped and the blade hit the ground with a massive thud. Listorm backed away lightsabers spinning in his grasp. Rhen stared at the Jedi with his murderous red eyes.
"How could someone like you exist?" Rhen cried at Listorm while deploying more blades hidden in his wrists. Listorm felt a smile form on his lips and then he darted forward with sabers hissing in protest.
The blade along Rhen's left arm came crashing down atop of Listorm, but the Jedi rolled forward narrowly dodging the meter long blade. He saw the massive right fist coming down from above baring a matching blade to the left. The man jumped back and then pushed out with the force behind him so he slammed right into Rhen's face. The silver sabers slammed into the droid's eyes causing yet another scream, filled with both anger and pain, to escape from Rhen. Listorm continued to dig in his blades until their tips could be seen from the other side of Rhen's head. The massive droid screamed once more and reached up to grab the Jedi, but his hands were held away as Listorm called upon the force to keep them at bay until his attack was finished, but before he could finish his carving the lenses in the light sabers cracked apart and the blades of energy exploded. Listorm was sent flying back with the hilts still in hand. The crater that was once Rhen's head was smoking and sparks flew droid's body fell to its knees and a final curse flew through the air.
"I shall send for you in Hell Listorm!" The droid shouted and then the glow flickered and faded from under the armored plates of Rhen's massive body. Listorm suddenly felt exhausted and collapsed to the ground.
"I know its not over, but the force did all it could for now." Listorm felt his muscles tense up and the pain settled in. His breathing was long and exaggerated. He thanked the force for not allowing him to run out of oxygen and for it keeping him alive as long as it did. Then he heard a voice tell him to close his eyes and let the darkness overtake him. He gladly listened.
Rhen slowly stood to his feet and reflexively went to touch his head only to find most of it gone. He looked at the body of Listorm and felt a sudden urge to completely obliterate the fool Jedi, but decided against it and then he tilted his head up to see a ship flying high above him.
"It appears your friends will soon be joining you Listorm," the massive droid said while deploying his cannon. The barrel glowed green and it charged with a low hum.
"I don't think I will ever meet an opponent like you again Listorm, and as much as I hate you for damaging me so, I must say that I respect you." He turned his head to the still corpse of Listorm, his cannon still charging, and he noticed that only one of his optical sensors was working. The parts would be near impossible to find on this planet, but he knew of where another ship rested and it would not be hard to find. The massive partial head turned back to the ship with cannon fully charged. The barrel released a massive green blast and at the same time the cannon was separated from his shoulder by a dark grey haired man who had no blade in hand.
"How?" was all the massive contraption could say.
Listorm opened his eyes to show a deep red eye and the whites of his eyes turned a pale grey. His new eyes saw the massive cannon release a large green blast at a ship in the sky. Listorm felt himself reach into the force to rip the gun off the giant droid's shoulder and redirect the blast at the same time. He did not even now he got to his feet, or felt the jump as he was already on Rhen's chest. His hands and feet were both imbedded deep into the metal chassis. He felt a sudden burst of lightning given off from him, one even more powerful than before, and then he felt the red hot pain of Rhen's blade slicing off his left arm and leg. The pain did not stop the lightning Listorm gave off, in fact it only increased its intensity. The ground around the two split and cracked from the massive power surge, soil lifted up into the lightning filled air and then clung to both Listorm and Rhen.
Listorm felt the lightning cauterize his wounds and then he heard the giant knees buckle and crash to the earth. The giant form of Rhen leaned back and then the massive fingers blew apart into shrapnel then the for arms and finally the shoulders. Rhen screamed all the way, and that death shriek brought a sick smile onto Listorm's face.
When the scream finally stopped Listorm still had his right arm and foot stuck inside Rhen and could hear the final beats of Rhen's mechanical heart. He ripped his hand and foot free only to fall to the ground and pass out once more.