Hi guys thank you for the reviews/follow/fave! Luckily, I'm rather merciful for now since this chapter is considerably shorter than the previous one. I decided to have things move along at a quicker pace yet again but that's mainly so I could get to some more significant and interesting moments rather than some buildup. If this chapter seems too short or a tad bit rushed, my apologies. Regardless, I thought this was still a fun portion to write and I hope you enjoy it! I think you've all been waiting for this particular scenario for a long time! Also, Happy Easter to everyone who will be celebrating it on Sunday!
Chapter 10 The Second Coming
It took her a minute to realize he was most likely referring to the chaos that was brewing in Sauza. She looked back at the colony, seeing that he could see it as clearly as she could from their position on the mountain. Her gaze then refocused on him and she took a step closer to Grievous. Celia restrained the urge to reach up and place her hands on his mask so she could see if he really was alive and she wasn't hallucinating.
"I wish I could see you on lighter terms, believe me," she said.
"How long have you been here?" he asked.
"Only two days. How is my son?"
"He is fine. He is quite excited to be reunited with his mother."
"You know that this happened… There is more I must talk to you about."
"The colony can manage, if that is what you are insinuating." He folded his arms across his chest and he straightened his posture. "They've lived in peace for so long, it was almost inevitable that someone would come to try to attack it. I'm surprised it wasn't attacked earlier. They are strong and they will prevail."
Celia blinked as her mouth hung slightly agape by his reply. She wanted to outright scold him and tell him he was wrong but she knew that was most likely a bad choice to make at the moment.
"But people are dying already," she said. "For as long as the pirates keep attacking, more lives will be lost and I fear the colonists might not survive this unexpected attack. My husband is also down there, helping them out in whatever way he can!"
"This can wait," the cyborg retorted. "Do you want to see Alaric or not?"
"Of course I do..!"
As soon as those words left her mouth she felt one of his arms lasso around her waist. She watched as his arms split, resulting in four limbs being sprouted. One of the arms held her tightly to his frame while the other three would assist him in scaling the sheer cliffs so he could reach his abode. He held her closely to his side and with his available hands and his feet, Grievous started to scale up the side of the mountain.
Instinctually, Celia clung to his frame, fearing that she would slip from him and plummet to the base of the mountain below. She never had a sense of vertigo slam into her before but this time, it was different. Feeling a little sick, she shut her eyes and craned her head upwards so she wouldn't be looking down at the ground below. There was certainly no way she was going to argue with him at this point in time considering he literally held her life in his claws.
"Who are amongst the deceased?" he asked as he still continued to climb.
Celia's head was starting to spin and she pressed her face into his side to try to stop herself from becoming sicker. She hardly paid attention to his question for the first few seconds until it registered to her that he did indeed speak. She shook her head and tried to clear her foggy mind. The woman still kept her eyes closed and her face hidden.
"I don't know," she said. "Byle's apprentice, Les, said that a few colonists died. He said that a few children were slain by the attackers."
She wasn't expecting a furious snarl to be emitted from his vocabulator. For an instant, she clung to dear life, fearing she might've said something wrong to earn his ire. Celia's heart raced quicker and she dared to look at him with fearful eyes. To her relief, he was still focused on climbing and he didn't bother to maintain eye contact with her.
Grievous was livid with her news. A part of him hoped that these invaders would at least have some sort of code of honor and leave the younglings out of this fight but when he heard some had been killed by them, he felt himself being consumed by anger. To him, they were scum who most likely didn't differentiate between legitimate threats and collateral damage. Anyone and everyone was fair game and all would receive equal treatment in the hands of death.
He found himself imagining who had already died and he was becoming increasingly infuriated as he pictured who had passed thus far. The cyborg was familiar with their faces and he knew he would feel saddened if he never saw their curious, bright and playful expressions again. A part of him felt disgusted with this sentimentality he was experiencing but he truly did enjoy his self appointed task of keeping watch over them if they wandered off. It was something he took pride in and looked forward to as it dispelled the loneliness and despondency of his exile. It gave him a bit of purpose in his life.
As much as he desired to sit down and chat with Celia to discuss what had transpired over the past few decades, Grievous saw that perhaps such pleasantries would have to be postponed for now. His impulses urged him to leave the mountain, slaughter the attackers, avenge the deceased colonists and then melt away back into the shadows once again. However, he chose to ignore that compulsion as he reasoned to himself it would most likely be a foolish and ill thought out choice. For now, he only hoped that the residents of Sauza would capable enough to defend their home against these ruffians.
"Cowards," he stated. "They are cowards if they prey on the weak and young like that. If they prey on the defenseless, innocent and young hearts, then they deserve no mercy."
"They're pirates," Celia further explained. "It was a surprise attack and they came out with their weapons blazing. The colonists were unprepared."
"Then it is their plight for being unprepared. If they survive and win, they will learn from this tragedy and be better prepared for the future."
"You cannot be serious!" Celia's uneasiness and vertigo was being overridden by shock and anger at his apparent carelessness and indifference. "You have to help them! What don't you understand about that?!"
He glanced at her briefly and a chill ran down her spine at his glare. Celia swallowed roughly and clung to him tightly.
"My livelihood is at stake," he went on. "You should be thankful that you escaped just in time. You might've joined the dead. You will be safe on the mountain and you will see your son. This is my choice. I'm sure the Neimoidian filled you in on my tenure on this planet when you answered the riddle correctly."
"Byle will die as well if you don't do anything!"
"Then so be it. He didn't die in vain as he gave his life to preserve the lives of his neighbors and safeguard his home. I wouldn't mourn his death. Instead, I would rejoice in it since I view such a sacrificial death as an honor and a good way to die."
After he said those words, there was a silence between them. Celia could only remain quiet as she absorbed his words and evaluated them. In all honesty, she was surprised with his reasoning and to her, it felt as if he was running from the challenge. Byle had attested that he had changed but it seemed to her that he had become something akin to a wild beast that fled from the concept of civilization. To her, it seemed as if he had degenerated into a shadowy figure that shunned the light and discovery. More than anything else, it disturbed her and she wondered what had happened to him during all those years.
It was all so unusual to her…
(…)
"Alaric!"
The boy's eyes shot open as soon as he heard the voice call out to him. He quickly jumped to his feet, abandoning his slouched position he was in at the edge of the fire pit. The voice was all too familiar to him and he could easily pick it out from any other. His eyes lit up and he looked forward, seeing nothing but darkness.
"Mom?" he answered.
He slowly walked past the fire, being careful as to not trip over anything as he made his way over to the cave's entrance. Alaric listened closely as he waited for Celia's voice to reply to him.
As he listened, he could hear Grievous' footfalls approaching his spot and he could hear a second set of feet alongside the Kaleesh's. His heart soared with glee and happiness as he knew that the cyborg kept his promise and that he really was going to be reunited with his mother. A huge smile spread across his face and he fidgeted anxiously at the edge of the darkness for her.
"Alaric!" Celia said as he could hear her pick up her pace.
Before he knew it, she emerged from the shadows of the corridor and she wrapped her arms around her son. The boy's arms encircled around her shape as well and the two were locked in a tight and joyous embrace. They stood together, happy to be in each other's arms and touch their family member with their own hands once more.
Celia ran one of her hands through his hair and she knelt down to look him directly in his eyes. Then she bestowed a kiss to his forehead and hugged him once more. Joyful tears were at the cusp of her eyelids and she was simply elated that he was alive and well.
"Oh, my little boy," she smiled. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you… I thought I lost you for good a few times."
"Nope!" Alaric beamed as he wiped some of her tears away. "Don't cry, Mom, I'm alive and safe! Grievous saved me! It was kind of scary to watch him kill the animal and there was a lot of blood but it was still cool!"
"Something smells good in here… Is that fish I smell?"
"He got me fish for dinner! It was amazing!"
"You better have showed your manners and thanked your host for being so generous."
"I did! I wasn't rude." Alaric looked over his mother's shoulder, seeing that Grievous was standing behind her. He looked up at the tall half-droid and flashed him a smile. "Thanks for brining my mom to me!"
Grievous only walked to the other side of the fire, distancing himself from the reunited parent and child. He stared into the fire, deep in thought and pondering over the situation that was at hand. Currently, two were at hand but he saw that he'd have to work with both instead of the one he initially thought he'd have to deal with.
"When can you let us go now?" Alaric pressed. "We have to go back and meet Dad before he gets upset!"
Both Celia and Grievous were quiet and that unsettled the ten year old a bit. The silence and lack of communication made him suspicious and he wondered if something had happened during the climb back up to the cave. He shifted his gaze back and forth to the two adults, waiting for either of them to give an answer of some sort.
"Alaric," Celia said as she took a deep breath, "something happened before I came up here."
"What, Mom?" the child pressed. He was hungry for some answers and his voice was quiet and earnest.
"The colony is under attack by pirates. I managed to escape in enough time so I could come meet Grievous but your father stayed behind to help the colonists defend Sauza."
Instantly, his jaw dropped and his complexion became pale and his face contorted into an expression of shock and dread. The news made his heart skip his heart a few beats and for a few fleeting seconds, Alaric feared that perhaps his father had died. His stomach dropped and he fumbled to speak but he was so astonished all he could do was remain silent for a few seconds.
"You have to go help my dad!" Alaric spoke up as he directed his attention to Grievous. He broke away from his mother and approached the former droid general. "Please, you have to go save them and him! They'll die if you don't go! You're huge, strong and you're an amazing fighter! They'll run away as soon as they see you!"
"Boy, do you remember the conversation we had earlier?" he retorted gruffly. "Do you recall what I said about how I can't go back?"
"Because you were afraid?"
"That's not what I said!" He growled in an exasperated manner and balled his hands into fists. He then roughly tossed a piece of wood into the fire, dispersing some wayward embers through the air.
"But if I were stuck on this planet for all those years, I'd want to go back home and see everyone again." His eyes lit up as an idea suddenly occurred to him. "Mom, can Grievous come live with us if he doesn't want to go to Kalee?! I can share my room with him, I don't care!"
"Absolutely not, I refuse! Enough of this!"
"Your father would have roggwarts if I told him he was going to live with us," Celia said tiredly. "And from what he just said, if he doesn't want to live with us, we're not going to make him."
There was simply no way he'd even entertain the thought of going to live with Celia on Coruscant. Very easily, he'd be found out and there'd be no place to hide on that densely populated planetary metropolis. Bounty hunters would be on his tail and anyone who found out about his existence might target his family for blackmail use or some other insidious purpose. His place was on Hyleea although Kalee still called for him loudly within his heart. He desired to see his homeworld one last time and look upon the faces of his family members. Yet he reminded himself that it would be much too risky.
"Please, can you help my dad?" the boy begged. "I don't want him to die!"
Celia took a few steps closer, ready to pull her son away from Grievous' side in case if the cyborg had an outburst. Though it was obvious her son hadn't been harmed by him during his stay in the cave, she still didn't necessarily trust his volatile temper. As far as she was concerned, it was still more than likely that he could lash out if he was angered or provoked enough.
"Do either of you understand what possible repercussions could come about if I make a move such as this?" he said. "I will be discovered! Is it not obvious to you?"
"It might be a risk you must take," Celia admitted. "I saw how angry you were when I said some of the children had already been killed."
"I pity them because they cannot defend themselves! They do not deserve to be cut down at such a young age!"
"Then do something about it!"
The Human woman walked closer and delicately pushed her son behind her. She stopped when she was mere inches away from Grievous. Relentlessly, she stared at him while his reptilian eyes remained glued to the dancing, orange flames. He stood unwavering and it looked as if he was going to ignore her completely.
"What are you so afraid of?" she pressed.
"I told him and I will tell you this," he hissed. At last, he turned his head to face her. His eyes were fierce and unblinking. "I fear nothing! I fear no man! I fear no beast! I am Grievous!"
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"Child, do not goad me…"
"I'm not a child anymore. I'm fifty and I'm an adult like you now."
"You are still a child to me and you cannot change that! I am old enough to be your father!"
"But I haven't lived in seclusion and loneliness for forty years!"
"It was a necessary choice and sacrifice I made! This is my penance for my time serving the Sith and being their unwitting puppet! I suffer and pay for my mistakes each and every day! I have forsaken my honor, my purpose, my destiny, my family and my life! My years of isolation and reflection in the wilderness made me realize many things and I have transformed! I am no longer the loathsome, dishonorable wretch I was during the Clone Wars… I am the man I was before I was rebuilt into the thing you see now!"
"Are you really Qymaen jai Sheelal?"
Grievous wasn't expecting her to say his old name that he was born with. Sometimes he often forgot that was once his name. He growled at the challenging inflection in her voice. Grievous bristled at her growing boldness and he had to admit he was a bit proud and impressed by her confrontational stance. He knew that not many people could stand before him so boldly and yet here she was, questioning him and accusing him of being a coward.
"Of course I am…" his words were icy and he had countered with an equally assertive tone as she had.
"I am begging you from the bottom of my heart and I am baring it to you, Grievous," she said. Her tone was unwavering and she refused to show weakness in front of him. "Please, save them. Save my husband. Avenge those who had been slain and stop any more colonists from dying. You have the power to end this. You still are a force to be reckoned with. I have never forgotten you and our few days together on Borealia. I have held you in the highest regard and I have tried my best over the years to show you in a different light before the galaxy. I have been persecuted, mocked and threatened for taking a stance and I still will not recant. I have tried to show you in a light that your family and your people agree with and see you as. They even built a temple for you! That is how much you mean to them and how much they revere you! They worship you! Is their god a coward who hides in a mountain around a fire? Is Kalee's worthiest and noblest son really one who runs from a challenge?"
Grievous was simply floored by Celia's reveal that his people had dedicated a temple to him and added him to their pantheon of gods. He felt some shame overcome him as he knew that only the dead could be declared as deities. He knew that he had done all that he could to avenge his homeworld and bring it the justice it had been denied during the Huk War but he felt as if he had done the exact opposite. Very truly, he deeply believed he didn't deserve such an honor.
"You are a prisoner to yourself and no one else," she continued. "There were some things you had done during the Clone Wars which were less than acceptable but you realize you had done wrong and you changed yourself. I forgive you for conquering my homeworld." She briefly reflected on her that day and the subsequent deaths of her birth parents. It was still a painful memory but she still had the locket at her home to help remember them and the few years they had together. "It was war and wars happen. People die. But the survivors move on and adapt from there. That's the way it's always been and will always be. Now you've claimed you've become someone else. Prove it to me."
She grasped one of his clawed hands and held it in her own. Grievous blinked slowly at the action, a little surprised that she did such a thing but besides that, he didn't react much. Her other hand came around it and she lightly squeezed his hand between both of hers.
"You were born and raised in strife, hardship and war and you fought to free yourself and your people from oppressors," Celia went on. She knew she was going on this motivational tirade but she couldn't stop and she felt the deep need to make an impression on the stubborn warrior. "You were a hero and an inspiration and you still are. You know what it feels like to be denied justice and assistance that should've been yours. Those pirates are probably going to enslave or kill everyone in that colony. Those colonists are on this planet to live their lives in peace and solitude. They haven't asked for any trouble or conflict. Their numbers are few and women and children live there. You may think that they don't need the help but I can assure you that they were afraid and scrambling about when I left to go see you. They need someone to help them fight back from this unwanted surprise. You need to prove to them that the Skeleton is more than just a myth and is not an evil demon that lurks under the cover of moonlight and shadows. They need a hero. I believe that is you."
Grievous could only look back at her as he took in her monologue and carefully considered each and every single one of the words she uttered. He was deathly quiet as he pondered over it all and he felt an odd amalgamation of conflicting feelings and thoughts run through him. He also wasn't expecting her to sound so eloquent and for a moment, he believed she would've made a fine politician (and possibly one of the very few he would be able to tolerate). While she was certainly no warrior or soldier, she certainly did make an impression enough on him to make him think about what she said.
This was definitely a challenge and his competitive and headstrong side wanted to answer the call so desperately and accept it. However, the continual struggle persisted within him as to whether to stay hidden and resume his exile or make a reemergence and prove to himself that he had really changed. If he remained inactive, then the colonists would possibly be wiped out or enslaved and he would fail in his duties to at least safeguard the young and helpless. The more he thought about that, the more disgusted he felt if that scenario came to be.
If he decided to stand up and help the colony out in its time of greatest alarm, then the pirates would be eliminated. He would spare the colonists from eradication and they would learn of his existence. At last, they would know who had been living on the planet alongside them. He knew all would be rocked to their core by his reveal but it was a gamble he would need to take. It was also possible some might try to turn him in to the New Republic authorities. Yet their plight was similar to the one his people had been accustomed to before he was even born.
Also, as far as he knew, he wasn't a coward. He was tactical and cautious at times but he was no flighty or feeble individual. He already eliminated the Imperial presence on the planet when they attempted to create a small outpost. Indeed, he did enjoy a challenge and he had been a warrior his whole life. Nothing could ever change that. It was something he was born and bred to do. Why stop now?
His people and his family never forgot him and they continued to hold him in the highest reverence. They now worshipped him, thinking he was dead and in the company of their ancestors of yore. Now, he felt obligated that he had live up to that respect that they had for him. He was a warrior and son of Kalee and he would always be that. There would never be a time where he would cease brandishing such a label.
But perhaps what shocked him most of all was that this woman had such faith in him. She expected so much of him and she admired him when she had virtually no obligation or right to do so. He had once subdued her planet and his forces had caused the deaths of her mother and father. Yet here she was, forgiving him for the past evil he had committed and calling upon him to make a change and forsake his years of exile. She displayed no fear and she stood before him with firm conviction. This child he had spared and allowed another chance at life returned to his side all these years later and now had another favor to ask of him.
Another thought then crossed his mind. What would the two separate women named Ronderu want him to do? What would they expect him to do? Would he disappoint them?
Grievous looked at Celia contemplatively for a few moments. He then pulled his hand out of her grip and turned his back on her, making his way into the dank and inner depths of his rocky abode.
"What're you doing?" Celia asked, taking a few steps after him.
He made no reply and he disappeared into the back rooms. When he didn't answer her, her heart fell and she realized he had declined her plea.
"I don't believe this!" she said, disbelief and despair heavy in her voice. "How could you do this to yourself? What's happened to you? Are you really so selfish and cowardly?!"
Alaric could scarcely believe it as well. The boy hung his head low and shook his head, finding himself utterly disappointed with Grievous' decline to help the colonists in their time of need. He wanted the cyborg to step up and do something as he was the only one who had the power and now it seemed as if he was abandoning everyone.
"Mom…" he said with evident sadness. "What about Dad?"
The professor could hardly even speak as she stared at the darkness which swallowed up Grievous. She was at a complete loss for words and she simply couldn't believe that he had done this. Truly, she felt as if she had been betrayed by him and had felt as if she wasted so much of her time and life with defending him.
Not even a minute passed and they could hear him approaching them again. The boy and his mother peered into the darkness again and as they did that, they could see two blue and green, glowing beams of light advancing towards them. The beams cast off a glow, partially illuminating the figure of Grievous as he walked closer.
Finally, he made it out of the darkness and entered the perimeter of light that the fire created. Now that he was fully visible, they could see that he was brandishing a lightsaber in each of his hands. His posture was straight and proud and his head was held up high as he stood before his guests. Though only his eyes were visible, they radiated confidence and eagerness. His whole appearance displayed one of readiness and determination.
"Celia," he said, "you and your son must remain here while I go and sort things out. I will return in time. Stay in this place for your own safety."
Both of the Humans' hearts lifted and soared when they realized what he was about to do. Celia rushed to his side and threw her arms around his torso, hugging him and silently thanking him for making that choice. She gazed up at him, her eyes watering and she smiled thankfully at the cyborg.
"Thank you…" she uttered. "Thank you so much. I'm glad that you listened and made the right choice. I don't think you'll regret it."
"Since I am doing this, you must help me with something in return," he said. He allowed her to cling to him, not minding it. "I do not believe my eldest child had committed suicide. I want you to help me investigate her death. I will go to Kalee and you will accompany me. Your son told me about her demise and I want to get to the bottom of this."
Questioningly, she looked back at Alaric and the boy nodded at his mother.
"I'll explain it to you," he said. The child then looked to Grievous. "Go make them pay!"
"If I am to reemerge, it will be on my own terms and fashion," the Kaleesh stated. "I will paint the colony with their blood and I will not give them enough time for them to regret coming here." He sheathed his lightsabers and placed them around his waist. At last, he paid heed to Celia and her grip on him. He set one of his clawed hands on her head, prompting her to listen to him. "It appears you have never forgotten about me. I have not forgotten you either, child. We will talk more when this is done and over with."
"We will happily take you to Kalee so that you may see your family again," Celia nodded as she released him. "I'll do my best to keep it as secretive as possible so no outsiders will know about your survival. Be careful."
"They won't stand a chance. Unless if they have a Sith lord or some venerable and experienced Jedi Master, they will not survive my wrath."
Grievous then left their side and began to make his exit out of his abode. As he began to walk further down the dark hallway, he hurried his pace and began to run, realizing that the colonists most likely didn't have a lot of time left. Time was of the essence and he would have to make haste if he wanted to prevent anymore innocents from becoming casualties.
(one hour later)
The battle was swift, efficient and brief. There were casualties on both sides but in the end, the rogue raiders had claimed victory due to their surprise attack on the unwitting settlers. The pirates had only lost about fifteen of their forces while the colonists had lost a quarter of their population in the fighting. The combination of the surprise attack and the small population of able bodied and combat hardened individuals had cost the residents the battle. Within an hour of the attack first occurring, they surrendered and laid down their arms. The lives of the elderly, defenseless and youthful were of the main concern to the defenders and gave up the fight in the hopes it would give them some safety rather than fighting to the bitter end.
While the invaders celebrated their victory and takeover of Sauza, the remaining colonists were rounded up into a warehouse at the airfield and stored in that building until the pirates' leader decided what to do with them. Some of the pirates stood guard at the warehouse to make sure the colonists wouldn't try to rebel and take back their home, the remaining forces went about drinking and pillaging the colonists' homes to celebrate their victory.
The colonists were disheartened and overwhelmed by this sudden turn of events and while some were more than eager to step up and reclaim their livelihood, they remained quiet and cooperative for the moment until they could somehow formulate a plan to avenge themselves and take back what was theirs. The men, women and children all remained together, huddled into a large group as they sat on the floor in the warehouse. It took no time for them to realize that some of their children, neighbors, husbands, wives and friends were absent and were most likely casualties from the assault. Their hearts were broken over these revelations and all they could do was mourn and silently comply with their conquerors for the time being.
"Looks like Captain Ivar got his wish and we took it before the sunrise," one man chuckled and playfully jabbed his comrade in the ribs with his elbow.
The fellow pirate nodded his head as the duo began to walk through the colony. They were tasked with going through the buildings to make sure all of the residents had been rounded up and there weren't any stragglers left behind during the chaos of combat. The colony was dark except for a few lamp posts and the occasional light that shone in a house's window. It was very quiet and the light from the moon guided them as they moved along.
"It was almost too easy," the other stated. "I was hoping we'd have a bit of a challenge. But we killed a lot of them! We lost a few of our mates but it's no problem."
"We'll drink to our boys tonight when we get done with our job!" his companion grinned.
"I almost hope there's no one else around here, I just want to drink and let loose a little… This place is so small, it kinda gives me the creeps in a way. Know what I mean?"
"I guess. It's just creepy because it's the only settlement on this planet too. There's nothing but woods all around this place."
"What kind of animals do you think in there?"
"Not rancors, I hope. I hate those nasty things."
"I hope there are no gundarks on this planet. They always gave me nightmares even when I was a kid."
One of the men stopped, prompting the other to follow suit a moment later. He looked at his companion, wondering why he might've done that. Initially, he assumed that perhaps he managed to hear or see a straggling colonist. He traced his field of vision, seeing that he was looking off into a darkened space between two houses.
"Oi, what did you hear?" he asked. "Kesk, don't tell me you're a big wimp!"
"Shut up, Avo!" the other sneered. "I thought I heard something!"
"What did you hear?"
"It sounded like…skittering?"
"What?"
Kesk rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, deciding his mind was most likely playing tricks on him. He ignored Avo's stifled laughter and turned his back on him, deciding to resume his work and stay on task. The pirate tersely began to walk away, shaking his head as his irritation grew.
"Shut up, would you?" he scolded his friend. "Let's keep moving or the Captain will have a fit if we end up missing someone!"
However, he didn't hear Avo accompany him and that prompted him to halt in his footsteps. Kesk turned around, seeing that the other man was completely out of sight. His eyes perused the area, trying to figure out where his friend had gone off to in that small span of a few seconds. Avo was nowhere to be seen however and he knew he couldn't have gotten so far so in that time frame.
"Alright, enough with the childish games, Avo!" he called out. "We got a job to do, stop messing around!"
Silence was all he was answered with. Kesk couldn't quite put his finger on it but he started to feel as if he was in danger. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he kept his head on a swivel as he looked about frequently to see if his comrade or anyone else was nearby.
"I'm gonna count to three and you better answer me!" he raised his voice even louder. "One!"
He paused for a few seconds to see if there was any sort of reaction he'd get out from this countdown. Again, he was met with the quiet and uneasy calm of the night. Now it almost seemed too silent for him to be bear and he was starting to fidget in place as he started to feel uncomfortable. His feelings of uneasiness swelled and he was becoming convinced that he was being hunted or stalked.
"Two! Don't make me say three because I will!"
His heart nearly leapt out of his chest when he heard the skittering noise he swore he heard before. Kesk turned in the direction where he heard the noise coming from and he what he saw made the blood in his veins almost freeze into ice.
Something looked like as if it was crawling towards him like a spider at a rapid pace. At first he couldn't identify it as he was so shocked by the way it was moving about and making its way directly to him. It was large from what he could tell and it appeared to be skeletal yet had a metallic, inorganic look to it at the same time. It was also very quick and it was moving closer to him at a frightening pace.
"What in the name of holy..!" he gasped, his eyes widening.
He refused to stand by any longer and see what would unfold. The pirate turned tail and began to run away from the creature at full speed. He forgot he had his pistol at his waist and his primary concern was getting away from whatever it was as quickly as possible.
Behind him, he could hear that the skittering seemed to stop suddenly but no more than a second later, he could hear another set of footprints pounding off the ground beneath his feet. Kesk pushed himself to go faster and he panted harder as he realized he was truly in a life or death situation. The footsteps he heard sounded much larger and heavier than his but they also sounded fleet and swift. He felt the compulsion to turn around but he refused to do so.
Then he heard something behind him that reminded him of something activating or turning on. He could see a blue glow being cast on his shape and at last, he turned his head to the side so he could look over his shoulder.
The very last thing he saw was something straight out of a nightmare. All he had seen were a pair of golden eyes peering out from a mask as a blue lightsaber swung out and then decapitated him. He didn't even have a chance to scream or change his facial expression as it all registered to him.
The corpse collapsed onto the as soon as the head was severed from its body. The head rolled a little off to the side for a few feet but the assailant paid no mind to the disembodied part.
Grievous sheathed his weapon and took a huge leap towards the building closest to him. He clung to the side of the structure for a moment before he used his claws to expertly scale the rest of the obstacle within no time at all. He perched himself on the roof, surveying the streets below and planning his next move from there.
It all felt so invigorating. To be able to use his lightsabers again and put them to good use allowed some joy tp wedge its way into his heart. The fact that he could instill terror into the hearts of his enemies was something he relished and he knew he would take delight in liberating the colony. He felt a bit shameful that he felt sadistic like this but he assured himself like scum such as these would face the cruel, strong and fair hand of justice. He was more than willing to be judge, jury and executioner.