A/N: As always, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited or followed so far. I wouldn't be writing this without you. This is also officially my most popular story, so I'm super stoked.

Anyway, here's another chapter. Enjoy!


Chapter 7: Battle on Utapau


Anakin watched from the shadows, itching to drop down and fight at Obi-Wan's side. General Grievous was between him and Obi-Wan now, brandishing two of the lightsabers he apparently not only collected, but knew how to use, with an intimidating speed thanks to his mechanical arms. Absently, Anakin wondered if he should get an arm that did that. He could almost picture it, spinning his blade at such a speed it became an impregnable blur. Grievous was doing just that, blades skimming the floor and scarring it with an angry molten orange glow, marking his path on either side.

Obi-Wan had yet to make a move, mirroring Grievous's advance by backing up away from the onslaught. Anakin wasn't too worried - yet - deciding Obi-Wan's move would be his signal. As soon as he dropped down from his hiding place, the droids would see him and start shooting, potentially distracting Grievous enough that it could work in their favour or... well, not.

The gap between Grievous and Obi-Wan was closing fast. Anakin tensed, waiting...

Obi-Wan's blue blade was thrust forward, meeting Grievous's and ceasing their screeching arcs through the air.

Anakin dropped down, divesting himself of his robes as he fell and landing lightly and silently on his feet behind a group of battle droids. They didn't have the opportunity to turn to face him before they were decommissioned by his lightsaber. Blaster bolts flew in his direction, but they were brushed aside by a sweep of his blade as Anakin ran towards the real battle. Grievous was already missing one hand - and consequently, one lightsaber - and though it didn't slow him down, it evened the odds a little. Anakin leaped high in the air, a deadly arc of black and glowing blue and landed behind Grievous, blade raised for a killing blow, but at the last second, Grievous spun, parrying Anakin's strike easily and pushing him back.

Anakin couldn't have that.

Grievous and Obi-Wan were exchanging blows again and Obi-Wan was being forced back a little.

Anakin jumped again, high and fast, turning in mid air so he could land a blow on Grievous as he passed over him, but again Grievous parried. At the same time, Obi-Wan attacked, and another one of Grievous's mechanical hands clattered down the gangway they had found themselves on to the stone floor meters below.

In unison, and now side-by-side, Anakin and Obi-Wan went on the offensive, forcing Grievous to parry their considerable combined strength. Grievous did so, but it didn't last long, the cyborg just managing to push them off him, far enough they could all straighten and regroup.

The blaster fire began again, and Anakin and Obi-Wan shared almost identical smirks as Grievous was distracted by the sudden turn of events. Or, more accurately, the Republic ships that had descended on the hangar, clone troopers cascading down in a flurry of red and blue bolts. Commander Cody had arrived.

Grievous swiftly returned his attention to the two Jedi, glaring at them with loathing. 'Army or not, you must realise, you are doomed.'

Anakin sent an incredulous look in Obi-Wan's direction. Obi-Wan, to his credit, didn't return his gaze, completely focused on his adversary. Still, the confidence remained, and the arrival of the clones had definitely swung the mood of the battle in their favour.

'Oh, I don't think so,' Obi-Wan replied and sent Grievous flying up and into the rafters before he plummeted to the ground.

Obi-Wan ran after him, jumping down as Grievous scuttled, insect like, towards a transport. They had him on the run.

Anakin followed without hesitation, though he and Obi-Wan were nearly plowed down by Grievous as he attempted to escape. They jumped down to the gangway below and Obi-Wan whistled.

With a screech a varactyl skidded to a halt below them. 'Come on, Anakin!' Obi-Wan yelled and dropped down into the saddle.

'Yes Master!' Anakin dropped down behind him and they jerked forward in pursuit of Grievous. They were heading towards a dangerous looking drop. Somehow, Grievous had accomplished it, because he was now speeding down the very sheer roof some fifty meters below. It was a huge drop, but the varactyl managed it, Anakin and Obi-Wan leaning back so far they were practically standing upright to compensate for the angle as they slid down after Grievous. A jolt from the creature below them wrenched Obi-Wan's lightsaber out of his hand as it flung out for balance, and neither Jedi could do anything about it as it plummeted out of sight.

'Master! Obi-Wan!' Anakin yelled as Grievous's transport leaped through the air and landed on an earthy opening in the circular cliff face.

'I'm alright!' Obi-Wan yelled back as he directed the varactyl into a sharp turn so they could follow. 'I see him!'

They skidded onto the dirt of the opening and plunged into the rock, hot on the general's tail. The path was winding and allowed them to catch up until they were neck and neck. Obi-Wan pulled them in close and, now they were on flat ground, Anakin began pulling himself up so he could balance himself on the varactyl's hindquarters and draw his lightsaber.

'What are you doing?' Obi-Wan screamed. 'Don't be an idiot!'

'Have you got a better idea?' Anakin replied, overbalancing a little, but managing to right himself. Grievous, armed with a MagnaGuard's staff, brandished it at them.

Obi-Wan cursed and transferred the reins to his left hand, leaving his right free to reach out and grab the staff from Grievous on his next try at hitting either of them. After the second attempt, he managed it, and began pulling at it, wrestling with Grievous for the weapon. A particularly large jolt sent Anakin back to a seated position again with a wince, and he hurriedly sheathed his lightsaber before he could cut Obi-Wan's outstretched arm off. Grievous pulled harder and Obi-Wan, realising he couldn't stop it, jumped instead, landing on the transport with Grievous.

'Obi-Wan!' Anakin yelled. The varactyl slowed abruptly, the force of it shoving Anakin forward in his seat.

'Take the reins!' Obi-Wan called. Anakin did as he was bidden and set out after the two again. Grievous pulled out a blaster and tried shooting at Obi-Wan over his shoulder, but missed, nearly hitting Anakin instead. The Jedi Master ducked and drew his lightsaber to deflect more shots, but he couldn't aim them properly with Obi-Wan in the way.

They were heading towards another drop, one of the landing platforms Anakin had seen on his arrival. They were all moving so fast, a trickle of fear that they would plummet to their deaths wormed into Anakin's mind and he slowed, hoping that if he wasn't falling, then at least he could save Obi-Wan.

As it turned out, he didn't need to. With a final shot, Grievous's transport toppled over and spilled its passengers out onto the floor, Obi-Wan scrambling to get the staff. Grievous raised his weapon and shot, but it missed as Obi-Wan swept it out of the general's hand with the staff, completing the move with a solid blow to Grievous's chest that only seemed to make him angry. Anakin leaped from the back of his steed, lightsaber raised and landed a few meters away from the fight as Obi-Wan came at Grievous again, this time sending the droid general onto his back. Obi-Wan took advantage, plunging the staff into Grievous's chest, but the general just kicked Obi-Wan away. The Jedi Master landed on his back with a crunch, the staff flying from his grip. Grievous was on his feet in an instant, and Anakin leaped again, blade raised, but the general just spun and one of his metal arms impacted with Anakin's chest, sending him flying into a docked ship.

It bought Obi-Wan the time he needed, though. As Anakin tried to get his lungs to work again, Obi-wan called the staff back into his hand. It lit up at his touch and Grievous took a swing at Obi-Wan's head, now unarmed, but not much less deadly. Obi-Wan ducked the first blow and parried the second, returning with an attack of his own.

Anakin managed to scramble into a standing position as Grievous went down again. As the cyborg fell, his legs swept under Obi-Wan's ankles, too quick to dodge, and Obi-Wan was sent sprawling too. Grievous recovered quicker and kicked the staff away and over the edge, moving towards Anakin with malice in his eyes.

Anakin drew his weapon and made to charge as Grievous closed the gap with a hand grabbing a fistfull of Anakin's tunic and raising him in the air. Anakin dropped his lightsaber in favour of using both hands to push Grievous off him, due to the proximity and the angle of the cyborg general's attack. For grip, he grabbed part of Grievous' chestplate in each hand as Grievous reacquainted the back of Anakin's head with the hull of the ship he still had his back to. Anakin blinked stars out of his eyes and wrenched his hands apart, still holding on to Grievous. The cyborg yelled in pain as what was probably the only thing organic left in him was exposed. Furious, Grievous, whose hands were still fisted in Anakin's tunic, threw him towards the edge of the platform. As Anakin tumbled over, Obi-Wan appeared behind Grievous.

'Anakin!' Obi-Wan yelled as Anakin disappeared. Thinking fast, Anakin thrust his right hand out and grabbed hold of the edge before he could fall, still recovering from the pounding his head had received from the ship. He swung his left hand up and gripped the ledge, ignoring the yawning space between him and the shimmering blue lake far, far below.

Obi-Wan was taking on Grievous by himself, both of them were unarmed.

'Obi-Wan!' Anakin yelled and risked letting go of the ledge to point towards the ship and what lay on the floor beneath it. His lightsaber. Obi-Wan understood and it had flown into his hand within moments, the blue blade erupting from the hilt between Obi-Wan and Grievous.

Obi-Wan swung at the cyborg, forcing him back towards the edge, where Anakin was still hanging, struggling to climb back up onto solid ground. Grievous ducked another of Obi-Wan's swings and looked around for the MagnaGuard's staff, before he seemed to remember that it was gone. Obi-Wan stabbed forward and the general staggered back a little, but all three of them could see that Obi-Wan was suddenly holding back.

Something black and at eye-level caught Anakin's attention.

'You wouldn't kill an unarmed man, would you?' Grievous sneered, sidestepping slightly and turning them back away from the edge. Obi-Wan followed, weapon raised, but made no move to disprove the cyborg general.

'No,' Anakin said from behind Obi-Wan and Grievous' eyes widened in fear. 'But I would.'

Too late, the General realised his mistake in turning away from Anakin. The Jedi had the perfect shot. Obi-Wan leaped backwards and Anakin, armed with the blaster previously forgotten in the heat of the battle, shot once, twice, three times at Grievous's chest.

The droid General howled, chest aflame, as his body was consumed. Everything organic was burning up; his organs a charred mess, his eyes burning out of their sockets as he screamed and finally fell, first to his knees and then all the way down, where he moved no more.


A/N: Sorry, Obi-Wan for taking the glory from you, but at least you still have a soul. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter - I seem to alternate between loving and hating it with each read, but oh well. It gets the point across, I hope.