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Star Wars - Fruits of Betrayal Episode Eleven: Dueling the General

By

Celgress

19 BBY

Office of the Supreme Chancellor on Coruscant, evening

"Leave us," Palpatine said as he dismissed the six Red Guards who currently occupied the office sensing through the Force his apprentice's distressed state. "I sense great unease in you. What's troubles you Lady Cyrin?" He said once they were alone.

"Quinlan Vos, that's who troubles me." Darth Cyrin said with her words tinged with a mixture deep disgust and shimmering resentment.

"What about him?" Darth Sidious said from behind his ornate desk where he sat calmly hands folded across his lap.

"Somehow he knows I've used the Dark Side, possibly that I'm still using the Dark Side." Cyrin said scowling.

"Impossible," Darth Sidious said dismissively waving a hand at his young apprentice.

"He told me so not half an hour ago." Cyrin countered. "He knows. Question is, what are we going to about it?"

"At present, nothing," Sidious said bluntly.

"We must take action." Cyrin said in disbelief at her master's flippant attitude. "Vos' suspicions jeopardize everything we've worked for. If he proves my connection to the Dark Side it won't be long before the Jedi Council figures out whom my master is, Darth Sidious." She added the last bit to further emphasis her point.

"They'll be long dead before it ever comes to such. Once Order Sixty-Six is given the clones will wipe them out along with the rest of their long obsolete order."" Sidious said his words had an air of perfect certainty. "Our end game rapidly approaches. Soon oh so very soon the galaxy shall be ours."

"I wish I shared your confidence master." Cyrin said crossing her arms over her chest and pouting like a naughty child.

Sidious couldn't help but laugh at his apprentice's juvenile actions. "In good time you will see things will the same clarity I do. Until then prepare I sense a crucial moment is nearly upon on us. By tomorrow night our destiny is decided, for good or ill, the time of endings and new beginnings will soon be here my apprentice. We must remain vigilant crucial events lay around, events whose ramifications shall echoe down through ages yet to come."

"What of Quinlan Vos?" Cyrin asked she remained troubled by her earlier encounter with the newly promoted Jedi Master.

"Quinlan Vos is but a speck of dust before the oncoming maelstrom of the Dark Side." Sidious declared. "He is of no concern. He cannot impede our plans, it is far too late. Do not waste your time thinking about him Lady Cyrin."

"I hope you are correct master about Vos." Cyrin grumbled in resignation.

"I assure you I am." Sidious said. "Worry not I have everything firmly in hand."

For the first time since officially accepting her apprentice and fully embracing the Dark Side Cyrin doubted her master's abilities of precognition. She couldn't understand why he had failed to perceive Vos as a threat until she'd mentioned it. What was happening? Had she grown paranoid or was the old man slipping? She didn't know what to believe anymore. She only hoped Sidious was correct and everything would work out in the end.

One of many Massive Sinkholes on Utapau, afternoon

"Kenobi, what a pleasant surprise," General Grievous said eyeing his Jedi adversary with something approaching contempt. He and the Jedi slime stood alone in a large hanger bay craved into the rock wall of the sinkhole.

"Where are Separatist Leaders?" Obi-wan Kenobi asked drawing and igniting his blue bladed lightsaber in a single elegant motion. Tracing Grievous here had proven laughably easy for Republic intelligence, too easy in fact. Obi-wan hoped he hadn't walked into a trap of some sort, it wouldn't be the first time he had done so over the course of the war.

Obi-wan assumed the standard opening stance of Soresu, his preferred form of saber combat. Obi-wan knew his unique mastery of the all-defensive form was likely why he'd be chosen by the Council to confront Grievous. He silently prayed to the Force it would be enough.

"Gone," Grievous said with a nasty chuckle hands clasped behind his clocked back.

Grievous computer added yellow eyes regarded his foe with what appeared to the uneducated observer as nothing more that mild curiosity. Obi-wan however knew better. Grievous was toying with him. Stalking him slowly, methodically like a cat would a mouse. It was apparent the General was waiting, but for what?

Obi-wan blinked a few drops of sweat from his eyes. Clearing his vision he said with authority. "Where have they fled? Tell me and I may go easy on you." He added with a lopsided grin.

Grievous unclasped his hands and deftly unclipped his grey cape form his body tossing it aside. It fluttered away on the little breeze which had started up shortly before Obi-wan and Grievous had faced off. Two lightsaber hilts were in his forward facing hands.

"Tell me Jedi it is said your kind welcomes death? Is there any truth to this rumor, or are Jedi unnerved by the prospect of his or her own demise in battle or otherwise?" Grievous said. He ignited his right blade, which lite a pale green shaft of light, and then his left blade, which lite up a vibrant golden shaft.

"We do not fear death, nor do we seek it out." Obi-wan answered keeping a close eye on Grievous' every movement, no matter how slight or inconsequential they may appear. "We believe those who die join the Force, become one with it. We do not mourn them. Rather we celebrate their lives and honor their sacrifice. We rejoice that they have earned a place in the Force for all eternity."

"Interesting," Grievous said slowly circling Obi-wan's position. "I under my masters among the Sith hold a different view regarding death. They wish to avoid it or even bypass it by any means necessary. I much prefer their philosophy to that of the Jedi."

"Sith only hold such views out of ignorance because they fear death, as the fear loss of power in general." Obi-wan said. "It is a sign of their weakness, not of their strength as they would lead others to believe."

"I disagree." Grievous said inching closer. "Lord Sidious has promised me resurrection should I be struck down today. Has your Jedi Order done the same?"

Temporarily taken aback by Grievous' claim Obi-wan almost didn't parry the incoming stabbing strikes in time. With great effort he deflected first the golden blade followed by its pale green counterpart. Grievous' upper began body rotated around like a top on the axis of his waist. The horizontally whirling blades nearly sliced Obi-wan in half several times as his rapidly rotating adversary literally chased him around the hanger. Obi-wan blocked a fifth and sixth strike only to be booted hard in his midsection by one if Grievous' durasteel legs.

Obi-wan felt rather than heard a quick secession of sickening crack-snaps as several ribs broke. Obi-wan flew through the air landing in a heap on the opposite side of the huge chamber. He'd been knocked roughly six hundred feet away by the General's powerful blow. Rolling onto his stomach Obi-wan sucked in a couple deep and painful breathes before he got up from his hands and knees with great effort. Distantly a rhythmic dull clanking sound could be heard, which grew more distinct as time wore on. It took Obi-wan only a short time to realize what it was. Grievous was bounding towards him at a terribly high speed. Obi-wan barely rolled out of the way in time to avoid fresh contact with one of Grievous' legs.

Somehow back on his feet Obi-wan summoned his lost lightsaber back to his right hand and activated it once more. Pain spiked through his battered and bruised body such as he had seldom felt before. The only frame of reference he had for this kind of all-consuming agony was when Ventress had tortured him with that blasted Sith mask, back at the start of the war. Shaking away the disconcerting thoughts he was now determined to continue this dual and to win it no matter the cost.

"I believe it is my move General." Obi-wan slurred wobbling on his feet, his vision periodically blurring. If not for help from the Force he'd have been out on his feet.

"Go ahead," Grievous said in unexpectedly gracious fashion before adding in a taunting manner "Show me what you've got, that is if you have anything left after the thorough trouncing you've received at my hands Kenobi." The monstrous cyborg then added as if it were a second thought. "I think I'll go after your pet Skywalker once I add your lightsaber to my collection. Wait I can't."

"Anakin will destroy you General no matter what happens here today." Obi-wan slurred with confidence.

"No that isn't the reason the so called 'Hero without Fear' is off limits to me." Grievous laughed. "He's Lord Sidious' future plaything."

"What do you mean?" Obi-wan slurred a shiver running down his spine.

"Lord Sidious will soon turn Skywalker to the Dark Side and there will be nothing you can do to stop it, because you'll be dead Kenobi." Grievous said taking great glee in his pronouncement.

"Anakin no, no, no I won't allow it!" Obi-wan said rage boiling in his veins like molten lava. "I'll kill you and your filthy Sith masters before I'll let any of you touch a single hair on his head!"

With energy reserves in the Force he didn't know he possessed Obi-wan fought through what had been, until mere seconds ago, debilitating pain. Obi-wan unleashed an intense flurry of Ataru maneuvers that would have put Grandmaster Yoda on his best day to shame. Totally unprepared for his opponent's latest unexpected strategy Grievous rapidly lost ground. Soon Grievous was forced to split his arms so he could utilize four blades simultaneously instead of two. It was either that or be bested by Obi-wan in short order. However in spite of his superior number of lightsabers Grievous was only stalemating Obi-wan. Try as he might Grievous couldn't regain the lost advantage over his badly injured foe.

Snarling like a cornered animal when Obi-wan amputated Grievous' upper left hand the General lashed out with great violence. Grievous punched Obi-wan squarely in the latter's jaw, which snapped in two under the pressure, with his lower right hand, which Obi-wan then reflexively served with his own weapon. Reduced to two lightsabers and facing a seemingly super human duelist, who somehow remained upright following their latest exchange, Grievous did what he did best he beat a hasty retreat from the scene.

"I have more pressing matters which demand my attention Jedi scum. I'll allow my droids to pick your bones Kenobi." Grievous roared before scurrying off on what was left of his four limbs.

Unable to stand any longer Obi-wan collapsed onto the chamber floor with a thud. Last thing he remembered hearing was the shouts of approaching clone troopers. Blissful blackness then sized him.

General Grievous' Personal Shuttle in Hyperspace

It took two hours of travel via the secret hyperspace routes before Darth Sidious answered the General's holo call. "What is it General? I am an exceedingly busy being. I do not have the time or inclination to constantly hold your hand during every assignment." The small hooded hologram of Sidious hissed after materializing in front of Grievous' medical bed where his personal droid doctor, the master of back bedside manner EV-A4-D, worked away repairing the damage Obi-wan had inflicted.

"My sincerest apologises Lord Sidious." Grievous said from his strapped down position. "I regret to inform you that Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi yet lives."

"I see." Sidious said. "I am most displeased by this news General."

"I am sorry Lord Sidious. I promise to do better next time." Grievous said.

"That you will, or suffer my wrath." Sidious said then paused as if considering some point of contention. After a long while he resumed his speech. "General Grievous you have proven yourself of great use to my cause. I think I may have found the perfect position for you to fill in the new order I and Lady Cyrin are about to establish. Report to Coruscant at once, where I shall supply you with further details"

"Coruscant," Grievous said in disbelief.

"All will be made clear once we again meet there." Sidious said. "Farewell General, I hope to see you soon." Sidious' hologram blinked out of existence leaving behind a very confused Grievous.

Office of the Supreme Chancellor on Coruscant, night

Darth Sidious deactivated his clandestine holo emitter and threw back his cowl. While both Grievous and Obi-wan surviving what should have been their mutually destructive encounter on Utapau was unforeseen, it did have a silver lining. Sidious had little doubt Jedi would manage to survive the execution of Order Sixty-Six. As a result an Inquisition of sorts would have to be setup tasked with tracking down those renegade Jedi and anyone force sensitives they might foolishly attempt to train against the Sith Order and Empire. His own time along with that of his apprentices, assuming he could still turn Anakin in time, would be far too valuable to be wasted on chasing ragtag Jedi knights & padawans across the galaxy. General Grievous on the other hand, with his superior dueling skills and burning hatred of all things Jedi, would be perfectly suited to the task of not only hunting down the rabble but also imparting the basics of Jedi hunting on others who had the Force and who didn't. The best part being because of his total lack of Force aptitude and the chips implanted in his scarred brain Grievous would never possess the skills nor have the motivated to betray Sidious and his direct students, in particularly if they kept him happy. Yes Grievous would make the perfect Grand Inquisitor the Supreme Dark Lord thought as he leaned back in his comfortable chair. Sidious loved when things fell neatly into place.

Mustafar, morning

The Separatist Council sat clustered around an long oval table. In the center of which stood a miniature flickering blue hologram of the hooded Darth Sidious, to his right side and slightly behind stood a similar hologram of his hooded & masked apprentice Darth Cyrin. Nute Gunray, Archduke Poggle the Lesser, Wat Tambor of the Techno Union, Banking Clan Chairman San Hill and the others groveled shamelessly before the pair of powerful Dark Siders. Sidious found their sycophantic devotion amusing if annoying at times Cyrin simply viewed them as revolting bottom feeding parasites. Weak willed beings who didn't deserve their ill-gotten gain and the power in granted them. She couldn't wait until they were gone.

"We have done everything you've asked Lord Sidious." Nute Gunray said. "When can we expect our rewards, as you promised us?" Gunray's words brought a chorus of agreement from the others. They wanted the rewards Sidious had long ago promised for their pledges of cooperation.

"Soon Viceroy the war shall end," Sidious said in a soft, soothing tone of voice. "Expect my apprentice Darth Cyrin to arrive within the next standard solar day. She'll may sure you get what you deserve." Cyrin nodded at mention of her name and took a step forward to stand directly at Sidious' right hand, but said not a word.

"We look forward to meeting Lady Cyrin again in person." Nute Gunray said.

"I'm sure, and I you." Cyrin said her voice carried not a hint of malice she felt towards the bottm feeders in fact it sounded rather friendly. "Prepare the two smaller packages for travel." Cyrin continued. "I'll be taking them with me when I leave Mustafar."

"Understood, we guarantee the preparations will be made." Nute Gunray said. He then hesitated before adding. "What of the largest of the three packages Lady Cyrin?"

"Don't worry Viceroy I'll tie up that loose end upon my arrival." Cyrin said her voice turning cold.

"Good all is settled, farewell my friends," Sidious said an instant before the holograms winked away leaving the bickering horde (they were soon fighting who had done the most for the Sith over the years and thus deserved the biggest reward) once more to its own devices.

To Be Continued