Thanks folks for reading. This is the final chapter.
"Alright men" Rex calls out, "Remember there are slaves in there! Watch your aim!"
Anakin stops and turns to his Padawan. "Ahsoka take Cody and get the slaves to safety. I'll find Grievous and let me know if you find Obi-Wan or Dooku."
Ashoka nods. "Come on Cody." She runs down towards the holding cells with Cody and a squad of troopers close at her heels.
She can't help but have a feeling of déjà vu as she heads down the corridor aside from the battle droids this is almost exactly like last time. She had hoped never to return to Kadavo and she had certainly hoped that the Zygerrian slaver Empire was finished for good.
Dooku heads down the corridor reaching out to locate Obi-Wan and he detects the shock and grief. Clenching his teeth he stalks down the corridor after Grievous.
Obi-Wan struggles against Grievous to no avail but he spots something. It's Anakin, he is trying to sneak up behind the General. Obi-Wan keeps struggling trying not to let on he has seen anything. He is suddenly brought round in front of Grievous a clawed hand around his neck tight. He gasps trying to breath.
"Back down, Dooku or I will kill Kenobi." Grievous rasps.
Obi-Wan then spots Dooku stepping out in front of him.
"You will not escape this place General. Surrender and you will leave alive. Harm him and I can assure you I will kill you." Dooku doesn't move his gaze from the Generals eyes, every word delicately articulated so the General does not miss the sincerity of them.
Grievous laughs then coughs. "You are old Count, I don't think..."
"You don't think full stop General." Ahsoka appears down the side corridor. Both her lightsabers ignite.
Seezing his moment Anakin comes from behind. Grievous hearing the movement roars out tossing Obi-Wan hard towards Ahsoka causing her to drop her lightsabers in order to catch him. Stumbling back she only just managed to duck out the way as Grievous charges past her. "Obi-Wan?" She looks him over seeing the marks on his neck. His eyes roll about in his head. "Come on stay with me." She lightly taps him on the face.
Anakin runs towards her, "Get him out of here!" He runs a few steps before slowing, "Dooku with me!" Surprised Dooku follows Anakin as they pursue Grievous.
Anakin frowns, Grievous is not getting away not this time. This ends now. "He will be heading for an escape ship." Dooku calls to him.
Anakin takes it in. It's the Generals usual strategy. If he can't fight he makes an escape. Lifting his wrist activating his comlink. "Rex, I need you to locate and secure any and all landing pads. Grievous is attempting to escape."
"On it General." Rex answers and Anakin knows he will get it done.
Anakin ducks as Grievous tosses a droid at him in order to slow them down. The droid squeals as it flies past.
Rex hears a the thudding from the Generals droid legs impacting on the metal floor. "Get ready men! Lets make sure that this clanker doesn't make another escape!"
The men shout out encouragement to each other as they ready their weapons and finally the end of the war was in sight.
The thudding gets closer and finally bursting through crates that the clones had used to try and slow down the General, Grievous bursts into the landing bay with a roar. He stops surveying the clones he turns to find Anakin and Dooku behind him.
He laughs drawing 3 lightsabers. "So it is to end here." He coughs.
"Surrender Grievous, you can't win." Anakin steps forward bringing up his own saber.
Dooku stands appearing to be relaxed but Anakin knows better from having fought the old Count before. "It is over General."
Grievous snarls filled with rage. He will not surrender to this Jedi filth! Launching himself towards them sending the lightsabers spinning.
Anakin and Dooku split moving to ether side of the General lightsabers up and ready. Dooku makes a move towards Grievous only to move back allowing Anakin to go for Grievous's side where he was missing an arm.
Anakin was stunned for a brief moment Dooku had just used a move that he had seen Obi-Wan use. But then Dooku had trained Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan's former Master. Taking advantage of Grievous distraction Anakin makes a move which Grievous detects and moves back only for Dooku to move back towards him and take another hand from him.
Roaring he backs up away from his attackers. He has nowhere to go, nowhere to run this time and no allies nearby to assist him. If he is going to go out, then he might as well take one of them with him. He decides on Dooku, the old Count had betrayed him and it's because of him that he is suffering this downfall. He throws himself at Dooku both sabers aiming for the old Count.
Anakin didn't expect Grievous to attack like that and he runs towards Dooku as the 2 fall to the floor. As he reaches the unmoving mound, he spots a lightsaber blade through the middle of Grievous just before it deactivates.
Rex joins him and helps him lift the body of Grievous off of Dooku. Underneath lies Dooku a lightsaber wound in his shoulder and one in his abdomen.
"It...is...done." Dooku looks vaguely at Anakin before his eyes close and darkness takes him.
Arriving back on Coruscant a day later Anakin and Obi-Wan find Senator Amidala, Master Yoda and Master Windu waiting on the landing pad.
Master Yoda steps forward as clone medics bring a stretcher out with an unconscious Dooku.
"He was badly wounded Sir and we need to get him into a Bacta tank as soon as possible." The clone medic informs Yoda.
The wizened old Jedi nods, "To the Temple take him. Care for him our healers will."
The clone nods, "Yes Sir."
Yoda watches for a moment as his old padawan is loaded onto a shuttle and it takes off heading for the Jedi Temple. He turns his attention to Anakin.
"He killed Grievous." Anakin informs the 2 council members. "As much as I hate to say it, he was a great help. We wouldn't have been able to get the shield down as quickly as we had."
Yoda, "Hmm, different he is."
"You will report to the council in 2 hours." Mace looks at Anakin before his eyes fall on Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan want's to sink into the floor beneath the elder Jedi's steely gaze.
"And you. Will attend and we will decide what to do with you."
Obi-Wan bows slightly, he knew he would be punished for his actions. "Yes Master."
Mace turns and heads towards the shuttle. Yoda lingers for a moment looking at Obi-Wan with amusement before turning to follow Mace.
"Well you knew that was coming. I wonder what they will do this time." Anakin looks down to Obi-Wan.
Before Obi-Wan can say anything he is wrapped in arms and cloth. Padme embraces him tightly. "Oh Obi-Wan I was so worried."
Anakin can't help but snigger but after releasing Obi-Wan she hugs him tightly.
Obi-Wan looks up as Anakin embraces her warmly and moves to kiss her before clearly remembering they were not alone. Obi-Wan chuckles, "You are aware that I know."
Anakin frowns as he lets Padme go. "Know? Know about what?"
Cocking and eyebrow Obi-Wan folds his arms. "I had my suspicions before that you had feelings for each other, that you may have had a...fling...but oddly enough people tend to forget children are there and they see things. I have seen you both."
Padme pales as does Anakin and he stutters trying to think of something to say Obi-Wan is mistaken.
"Don't worry." Obi-Wan uncrosses his arms. "Your secret is safe with me."
Anakin is stunned. "Obi-Wan...we...I..."
Obi-Wan smiles kindly, "Being like this has given me a different perspective. Like most Jedi I vaguely remember my mother, but in times of difficulty you have been there for me Padme when I could not speak with another Jedi as simply being in the Temple or with another Jedi reminded me of what I lost. You would listen or let me stay, it's what I imagine my mother would do."
"Oh Obi-Wan of course I'll always be there for you." She engulfs him in another hug before letting him go.
"Jedi are taught not to have attachments, but we do with each other and with the friendships we make. You and Padme have been together for sometime and it has not impacted on your abilities as a Jedi. Yes attachments can have dangers...Dooku was attached to Qui-Gon and it partly lead to his downfall. But then so was I and I did not turn to the darkside." Obi-Wan pauses for a moment before taking a deep breath. "I will not tell anyone of your relationship but it may come out at some point in the future."
"We will deal with that when the time comes." Anakin smiles at his former Master and charge. "Come on, we better get you into some new robes before facing the council."
Dooku did not expect to wake up. He had thought he was dead, the light had startled him when he woke up and then to find he was in the halls of healing in the Jedi Temple. Again the thought crossed his mind he was dead, there was no other reason he would be here and not the prison hospital.
"Dooku!"
He's turns to see Obi-Wan enter the room with Anakin close behind. He can see Skywalkers arm twitch as he wants to stop his young charge from getting too close to him but he allows the boy to come over to the bed.
Looking closely at him he can see a bruise healing on his face. Giving him some idea of how much time has passed. "I can only assume that Grievous is dead?"
Obi-Wan nods, "and you almost joined him. You've been out for a week and half of that you spent in a bacta tank." His nose wrinkles and Dooku can't help but smirk at the obvious distaste Obi-Wan has for the bacta tanks.
"Ventress is also dead." Anakin steps closer.
"She died trying to stop Grievous." Obi-Wan softly. If not for him she wouldn't have been there. A hand falls on his shoulder.
Anakin looks down to him, "She chose to stay and help you. She could have left but in the end she did what was right."
Obi-Wan smiles slightly at Anakin but still feels her death on him.
"And speaking of doing what is right." Anakin looks to Dooku, "the council have petitioned the Senate so you will be moved to a prison here on Coruscant. It's lighter security so you will have more freedom and the Senate will look into you being released in a year or so to Jedi custody and you will remain in the Temple." He pauses, "I have also allowed for Obi-Wan to visit you in prison, however for the moment he is under curfew as part of his punishment from the council."
Obi-Wan groans internally although the council had been quite lenient with him. He has a curfew to be back in the Temple he can't go out the Temple without a Jedi and he has to see a mind healer again. Normally for younglings another punishment would be to work in the archives but considering Obi-Wan's interest in that area it's not really a punishment. However, Anakin mentioned how Senator Amidala had been looking for an assistant in the Senate. So for the past week he had been with Padme for a few hours a day finding data files, taking messages and even sitting in on a senate meeting. Politics is not something he enjoys.
Dooku chuckles a little before stopping due to the pain in his chest. "I am certain it cannot be that bad Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan's eyes roll up to Dooku. "I can assure you that politics and sitting through meetings where they discuss legislation in nothing but abreviations is worse than any prison."
Dooku chuckles again. "That is something you and your former Master have in common." He pauses, "but you need to stay here. I'm getting too old to come and rescue you." He smiles slightly, "Although it will be nice to have you visit."
From the door Master Yoda watches as the last thread of darkness leaves his former apprentice. He smiles there may have been a lot of pain in this journey but the end has restored the light to the dark. He only hopes it will not return for another thousand years.
