Disclaimer: I do not own any of Star Wars, the right of ownership of Star Wars belong to Lucasfilm and I guess Disney too. The only thing I own is the character you do not notice and the plot.
Chapter 10: Battle of Mandalore
Republic Attack Cruisers was in the skies of Mandalore. Hatches from the Hanger Bay compartments open up and bunch of LAAT came flying down to the surface of the planet. It has been exactly one hour since the battle in the space above Mandalore had ended. Mark had watched as ships of droids being transport down to the surface of the planet. He had a feeling that Count Dooku would do something like this.
Mark and Rachelle are on one of the first ones that lands. "Keep the ship airborne, we may need air support." say Mark as Clones got off before him and Rachelle. The captain of the ship nods to that command. Mark look at Rachelle.
"This is no training exercise back at the temple. This is real, so stand under control and do not get ahead of yourself. Think quickly before you do something." say Mark lowly to her.
Mark got off the ship with Rachelle. The LAAT went back up in the sky to fly around looking for trouble. Captain Kia was standing up on a hill with Electrobinoculars looking in the city of Keldabe, which was the capital of the planet before the formation of the new government on Mandalore. Mark senses that this city is where Dooku is.
"I see hoards of Battle Droids within the city. The civilians seem to be locked in buildings. There are also tanks along the road. I think they were there before we give them the hour." say Captain Kia as he looks down from his spot. "What kinds of tanks are we against, Captain?" ask Rachelle.
"Let me check again." say Kia as he looks through the Electrobinoculars once more to make sure. He sees ATT, which are Armored Assault Tank and some Super Tanks. He addresses this to the two Jedi as he sees them through the Electrobinoculars.
"It would be foolish go in their without any machinery backup. Those tanks could kill off a lot of troops in one blast." say Mark as he crosses his arms. "They also have some Proton Cannons." say Captain Kia. "Captain get our man some tanks now, I am going after Dooku." say Mark.
"Yes Sir, do not worry we can handle things here." say Captain Kia. Mark nods as he runs to a speeder bike that that have put there. "Master I am coming with you." say Rachelle. "Than get on, but hold on tight." say Mark. Rachelle got onto the back of the Speeder Bike, and Mark take off cranking the engine very loud.
He speeds into the city and use the Force to guide him passes the tanks before they shoot at him. To avoid one tank he blasted through the glass doors of a building and out the rear. The Force is guiding him to the location where Dooku is.
All of a sudden, a web of light activates and disables the controls of on the Speeder Bike. The Speeder Bike falls hard onto the ground and Mark falls off it along with Rachelle.
"Jedi Scum!" says a raspy deep voice. Mark look over and saw a being that is more machine than creature. It was General Grievous of the Separatist's Droid Army. Mark only faces him a couple times during the Clone Wars back in his universe. He is a tough person to beat.
"Count Dooku had sent me to stop you. What an honor would it be to have the famous Jedi Master Zane's Lightsaber to add to my collection." say Grievous as he approaches Mark with two activate Lightsabers. Rachelle got up, activates her Lightsaber, and blocks it. "YOU WILL NOT!" snap Rachelle with anger. Mark uses the Force to push her out of the way. He stands up and throws off his robe. Instead of a tunic, Mark had on tank top with light brown pants.
Rachelle notice that there are slight scars on her mentor arms from where Lightsabers nail him before. She never knew he had those scars. "You want me, come and get me Grievous. Leave the girl out of this." say Mark as he throws off his Lightsaber. "Won't matter who I kill first, she will end up in the same place." say Grievous.
Mark has to get him to focus on him. "Why attack a Padawan, aren't you one of the greatest Jedi Hunters in the world. Why focus on someone weak, when you got me. Wouldn't you want a challenge? You manage to defeat me that is something. You manage to kill me, would that be more awarding." say Mark.
Rachelle looks at her mentor try to figure out what he is doing. It sounds like he is mocking Grievous. "Fine you so impatient to die, I will kill you first!" shout Grievous as he lunges at Mark.
Mark quickly blocks both Lightsabers with ease. Grievous tries to kicks Mark hard with his right feet. Mark dodges and uses the Force to send Grievous crashing down hard on the ground.
Grievous cough as he got up and try to stab Mark with a Lightsaber. Mark use the Force to pushes him back. Grievous was prepared this time his mechanical feet clawed into the ground as his arms split into twos and he grabs two more Lightsabers. "You die!" shout Grievous as two of the blades spins at sides and the other spins at top at an angle.
Mark runs at him quickly with the aid of the Force to fight the spinning blades. Mark blocks most of them with the various styles and angles, but a green Lightsaber from Grievous nails his arms a bit burning slightly. Mark stumbles backwards and falls.
Grievous try to stomps on Mark but he rolls out of the way and activate his Lightsaber again. The electricity blue light slash through Grievous right leg. Mark than slam him into a wall with a powerful Force Push. Grievous went through the wall hard.
Mark then watches as Grievous crawls up the building. Then Mark sense something was wrong. There was a loud explosion and the buildings around the exploded.
"COWARD!" shouts Rachelle as she use the Force to jump from falling building pieces to the next. She got up on the building that Grievous was on. She sees him getting to his ship. She runs at him activating her Lightsaber.
Grievous pulls out a blaster out from his ship and fires at Rachelle. Rachelle blocks the attack with her Lightsaber. Grievous got into his ship and took off right before Rachelle a Proton Missile hit the building she was on.
She was blasted off the roof by the force of the impact. Mark leap from a broken building with ease and catch her in the arms. He lands down softly on the rubble of an old building.
He hears clamping from somewhere. "You are just amazing Mark to be able to fight Grievous like that." say Count Dooku standing on a part of the road that is not damage. The Force let him know the Rachelle would be okay. He lay her down on the ground, stands up, and looks at Dooku.
"DON'T YOU CARE FOR ALL THE LIVES THAT MONSTER HAS COST JUST TO TRY TO KILL ME? THOSE WERE INNOCENT PEOPLE INTO THOSE BUILDINGS!" shout Mark.
"Sometimes sacrifices have to be made in the grand scheme." say Count Dooku. "You were once a Jedi! How can you condone this!" say Mark. "The Jedi were wrong, the things they did! You Republic did nothing good! I am here to change that!" shout Count Dooku.
Mark uses the Force to summon his Lightsaber from the rubble. As soon as it touches his palm, the blade activates. "I can sense my troops are beating yours, it time to give up." say Mark. Mark holds the Lightsaber out so it was parallel to the ground. He looks at Count Dooku.
"You senses with the Force are great." say Dooku as he draws his red bladed Lightsaber with curved hilts. They launch into battle with Mark standing on a piece of building. Lightsabers moves in a blur when these two great swordsman's duel. They are moving at speeds that are hard for a human naked eye to see.
Mark leaps over Count Dooku and Count Dooku quickly turns around to counter a blow. "Try to kill me now. Seem like you are turning into a Sith." say Count Dooku. "Oh no, I am not. I just think you are too far gone!" say Mark as he blocks a rapid attack from Count Dooku by holding his blade in front of his with the hilt to his side.
Count Dooku then shower Mark in Force Lightning. Mark uses the Force to make and summon Fire through the ability of Pyrokinesis. A wall of flames snake around Mark and to blocks the Force Lightning. Mark than use the Force to push the wall toward Count Dooku who leap over it and swings his Lightsaber. Mark blocks the attack with his Lightsaber. Count Dooku lands on his feet as their Lightsabers are locked together.
"You offer more of a challenge than the one I know, but not enough!" shout Count Dooku as he slams Mark with a powerful Force Push that was mixed with Force Lightning. Mark was sent flying backwards.
Mark lands on his feet with the Force guiding him and begins to use Force Repulse, which is an advance Force Push. Loose objects around Mark begin to spiral as Mark was engulfed in a clear orb. More Mark focus the stronger the attraction is to objects.
Count Dooku looks amazed as he tried to fire a Force Lightning but the lightning just went off course. "Let me show that I am more than a match for you!" shout Mark and then he lunge forward. Everything that was spinning around was push forward in a powerful Force Push.
Dooku was thrown backwards and over the pile of rubble that Rachelle was laying on. Mark walks over the rubble and look at Dooku as he hears Clone Troopers marching over to them. "Sir we took out all the Droids." say Captain Kia.
"That's good, please get Rachelle some medical attention." say Mark looking over at the beaten but very alive Count Dooku. "Yes Sir." say Captain Kia as he walks over to Rachelle. Mark walks over to Count Dooku.
Mark looks at the activate Lightsaber in his hand. With a sigh he deactivates hit Lightsaber. "Should have killed me." say Count Dooku. "It is not the Jedi way. You like everyone else is being deceive by a Sith Lord. That does not earn me the right to kill you. You are unarmed, you are beaten. This battle is over, you have lost. You are under arrest for treason against the Republic." say Mark.
"I am not going in!" say Count Dooku as he sent out a powerful wave of Force Lightning that caught Mark by surprise. Mark fall down to the ground as his Lightsaber fall from his grips. Count Dooku stops using the Force Lightning. "We will meet again." say Dooku tired as he walks off, leaving Mark catch his breath and overcome the effects of the Force Lightning.
Captain Kia arrives back from the LAAT. He notice Mark is on the ground and in pain. "Here let me help you out General." say Captain Kia. Captain Kia throws Mark arm around his shoulders as the walk Captain Kia also picks up Mark's Lightsaber.
At Naboo, Palpatine got a surprise. He heard from Count Dooku they have lost Mandalore to the Republic. "Who did it!" snaps Palpatine glaring at the hologram image of Count Dooku on the Hologram pod in his shuttle. "Master Zane, I think he is more powerful than we have expected. He fought Grievous greatly, and battle me." say Count Dooku.
How did the Republic even found out about them being on Mandalore? He made sure to prevent any of that information getting out in the Senate or the public. "You beat him before! Next time you better not fail me!" snaps Palpatine as he turn off the pod. How hard can it to kill one Jedi.
Master Zane is going to be a big problem. He is just glad that he has his back up plan on Kamino. As soon as it is done cloning it will be time for him to train it more in the ways of the Dark Side.
On a Republic Attack Cruiser, Mark sits down in front of the Hologram projection pod. He was talking to the Grand Council. "The mission was a success. We are still getting the total amount of death on our side. I know there were some innocent lives were lost because of Grievous." say Mark.
"Where is Rachelle?" ask Shaak Ti. "She was injured from a proton missile that was launched. She is alive and well." say Mark as he look at the Hologram projection of Shaak Ti.
"Late to Naboo, Senator Amidala had found out that Palpatine was." say Yoda as another Hologram appears with information from a spaceport at Naboo. "Hmm, I wonder where he went instead. It does not take that long to get from Coruscant to Naboo with the usage of Hyperspace." say Mark leaning back into his chair.
"So what are you planning on doing, Mark?" ask Mace. "The Death Watch is still a problem here. We going to stay here for a bit longer to make sure that they do not do anymore damage that has already been done. Unless you have another mission for me to go on, we should be back to Coruscant by the end of this week or next. I will have better information about this battle sent to you as I get it. May the Force be with you." say Mark.
The High Council repeat Mark farewell before the Hologram faded. Mark throws his head back with a long sigh. Fighting Droids, Dueling Grievous and Count Dooku in the same day is sure tiring.
"Keep up with the security, I need a shower. Let me know if anything important is needed." say Mark to a group of Clones. They nod as he walks past them. They all need a long rest after this day.