CHAPTER 10
Shaak Ti soon realized that the way they were going was not the way to the hanger where the General's escape cruiser was still waiting. They were going right when they should have been going left through the caves. It unsettled her a little and she had to voice her concerns. "Where are we going?" she asked General Grievous who was still carrying her on is back.
The General gave no immediate replies but when they arrived at their destination the Togruta gasped once she realized where they were. "Your room?" she asked totally confused. "Why did you come here?"
Grievous set her down. "There are a few things I need to get," he replied. He turned toward the door. "I'll be back." The door opened when he got near it and he disappeared inside without another word.
Shaak Ti leaned against the wall by the door, holding her wounded shoulder. It had opened again and was bleeding but not too much so she could ignore it for the time being. She had other things on her mind as she scanned the area with her eyes for more clone troopers. Things just didn't add up. Why were they trying to kill her? What had she done?
Why did they try to kill me? What is going on? Did something happen while I was here? She wondered. I hope Grievous gets out here soon. One of those troopers could pass by here any minute.
Just then the door opened back up. Shaak Ti was brought out of her thoughts as she turned to the cyborg as he rejoined her in the hall. She saw he looked bigger again. Probably because he was wearing another cape. "Is that all?" she asked when she saw he was empty handed aside from the new cape.
Did he really take them all the way here, risking them both being spotted by their enemies, just so he could get another cape? She knew he was crazy but she didn't think he was vain.
"No," he replied, as if reading her mind. "There were other things I needed to get as well."
"Like?"
The General still refused to tell her anything. Instead he grabbed her arm and began rushing her deeper into the caves before she could ask anymore questions. "We'd better keep moving," he advised. "It's not safe here."
Shaak Ti couldn't agree more but didn't say anything. She could tell Grievous was in a hurry and didn't want to chat, which would have unwelcome at the time anyway. It would slow them down. It wasn't long before they reached the hanger which, after a quick once over, proved to be almost completely empty.
"I don't see any ships," she said, looking around.
Grievous still said nothing. His golden eyes also scanned the hanger for anything useful. He could have taken her to where his escape cruiser had been, but he was certain somebody had probably stolen it by now. He knew there had to be at least one ship in the main hanger somewhere. Even if it was old and no longer in use.
"I see one," he said after a minute.
"Where?" she asked, looking around.
He took her hand. "Come with me," he said, walking forward before she knew what he was doing.
The Togruta staggered a bit then caught her balance as she let Grievous lead her toward the edge of the hanger. As they got closer to the spot Grievous was heading to, Shaak Ti caught sight of a small black and silver colored ship. It was quite small and didn't look like it had much room in it. Maybe not enough for her and Grievous but given the fact that Grievous and her were both now fugitives one couldn't be too picky.
When they reached the ship, Grievous said. "Wait here a second."
Before she could ask what he was doing the General walked over to where he'd dropped his first cape which was still there right where he'd left it surprisingly, and picked it up. Reaching into his new cape he pulled out Shaak Ti's bloody, ripped cloak. Then, without pausing and to the total confusion of the female Jedi Master, he threw both pieces of cloth over the ledge.
"Why did you do that?" she asked as he turned back to her.
"If they see those maybe they'll think we're dead," he said logically. "especially since yours is covered in blood stains" He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the ship rather roughly. "Let's get out of here before they find us."
"Uh huh," she said still staring at the ledge.
They got off the planet a few minutes later without incident. "So," Shaak Ti said from her seat behind Grievous, who was piloting. "What are you going to do to Sidious when you get to Coruscant?" Since they were both going to the same place anyway she felt it was her right to know his intentions.
"It's simple," he said as if the answer was obvious. "Once I get my grip around that lying Sith's neck I'm going to squeeze the life out of him!"
Shaak Ti was silent for a moment, digesting his answer. She could think of nothing to say to him. She knew if she were in his place and, in some way she was, she'd act the same way so she couldn't judge him for saying what he did. In fact she did feel the same way but she wasn't about to tell Grievous that.
"But you don't have to worry," he said suddenly, almost as an after thought. "If you don't betray me you'll never find yourself in my grip."
"What?" she asked, totally taken by surprise at these words. "What do you mean?"
But once again Grievous was ignoring her. He refused to explain. Shaak Ti didn't push it. She didn't want him yelling at her, though she couldn't help wondering why he was suddenly willing the trust her. Maybe it was because she'd saved his life when she didn't have to. Who knew?
It was dark in Coruscant by the time the two fugitives' ship entered the city/planet's atmosphere. Shaak Ti got up and rested her arms over Grievous chair so she could get a better look at the city. When she did this her hand touched one of his antenna things on his mask but neither noticed. Coruscant... she thought, her eyes locked on the planet wide city below. I'm home... Just then she spotted the Jedi Temple off in the distance. The Temple... something black was rising from it. Dark clouds. Is that smoke?
"Looks like the Jedi Temple has fallen," Grievous commented in an emotionless voice.
"We have to go there!" she said suddenly, realizing something horrible was happening. "I have to find out what's going on!"
They're probably all dead, he thought then realized something. If the Jedi were dead they wouldn't need their lightsabers anymore. They would be up for grabs for anyone who wanted one. The very thought of all those lightsabers made him make a decision he wouldn't have made otherwise, even for her.
"Fine," he agreed. "We'll go there first."
She looked down at him surprised and relieved. "Thank you, General," she said softly. "I appreciate it."
If only she knew his real motive.
Lucky for them, Anakin had already finished his deed at the Temple by the time their ship landed inside the Temple hanger. Shaak Ti immediately climbed out of the ship and dashed into the Temple feeling anguish in the Force coming from that place. Grievous was right behind her but at a slightly slower pace. It wasn't his home and he didn't really care about it. But he began to get a feeling of doom from in there and the feeling unsettled him. They were both going to have to finish up their tasks there as quickly as possible.
When he and the Jedi woman entered the Temple they stood and stared in shock at what they saw. The Togruta put a hand over her mouth and said without thinking. "Oh my goodness!"
Grievous said nothing. Even though he'd expected the Jedi to be dead he hadn't expected this! It was a slaughter house! Jedi bodies lay everywhere and not just the adults either. Padawans. Padawans and Younglings. For a minute Grievous felt a boiling rage. In the time he'd killed Jedi he hadn't attempted to end the lives of the most innocent of them. What if these had been his own children?
Shaak Ti was totally unaware of his thoughts. She walked swiftly down the corridor, leaning down to examine a body here and there to see if they were really dead. Grievous followed, also leaning down, but only to collect those lightsabers. His Jedi maiden didn't notice. She was too busy being upset to worry about what he was up to.
"Who would do this?" she asked out loud. "Who would be so heartless to kill Younglings?"
Grievous looked up. He noticed Shaak Ti was doing something he never thought he'd ever see any Jedi do, ever. Cry. He'd always thought they were incapable of crying.
"We promised these children's parents that we would keep them safe," she went, on wiping her eyes. "We promised we would take care of them but... now this..."
Grievous watched her a moment then stuffed those lightsabers into his cape pockets and walked up to her. "Why did you take these children from their parents anyway?" he wanted to know.
"The Force," she replied.
"The Force." He should have known. That seemed to be their answer for everything.
"Whenever we sensed the Force in a child we'd sit the parents down and talk to them about it," she explained. "We'd tell them taking the child to the Temple would be the best place for them. Sometimes the parents would refuse and sometimes the parents were happy to give them up." she shook her head. "I never did that. I never understood why those parents who refused finally gave in. I guess I'll never know. But this... What am I going to tell their parents?"
Shaak Ti felt someone's hand rest on her shoulder. She looked at the hand then up. Grievous stared down at her. "I'm sorry," he said and he found he meant it.
"It's not your fault," she said, closing her eyes as she turned her head away. "But if you had had the chance would you have done the same thing?"
"No."
"No?"
"I may hate Jedi but I would never be heartless enough to kill a three year old child," he told her, sounding offended that she would think such a thing. "I had children once too you know. When they were killed right in front of me that was the worst thing ever. I still remember their screams." She thought she saw him shiver. "Anyone who kills a child deserves to be killed themselves."
The Jedi woman said nothing. She hadn't expected something like that to ever come out of the General's mouth but it had. She stared at the child who lay before her a little longer then stood. Without saying anything or looking back at Grievous she walked further down the hall.
"Where are you going?" he asked, following after her.
"I'm going to find out who did this," she replied with determination.
"How?"
She looked back at him and replied. "If you want to find out you'll have to come with me."
He needed no second bidding. Grievous followed her into the room with the security probes. He watched the Jedi woman turn it on and fast forward it until she reached a certain part. As she let it play from there she gasped in surprise at what she saw.
"I can't believe this!" she exclaimed.
She saw Anakin Skywalker, the supposed Chosen One, killing the Jedi. Near the end of the recording she saw him talking to a dark figure.
"Sidious," Grievous said, glaring at the image. He'd seen enough holograms of the Sith Lord to recognize him anywhere. "So that's who he was talking about."
Shaak Ti looked at the cyborg and opened her mouth to say something. Before she could say one word she was interrupted by a noise in the hall.
A/N
I don't know. I never saw him killing children so I guess he never did. If he has please do not correct me about it. It would make me feel totally stupid.