Shadow's Odyssey: A Star Wars Story
"Grievous has begun the attack on the clone blockade." The super tactical droid reported.
"Good. Now make sure that Grievous does not survive this battle."
"I do not see the advantage in eliminating our strongest military leader."
"His death will serve as a demonstration of how threatening Shadow and the clone army are."
Dooku ended his transmission. Kalani began thinking about the latest orders he had been given. Killing the Separatist Council and now Grievous, these things did not seem to benefit the Separatists at all. There was something Dooku wasn't telling him. But whatever it was, Kalani was sure it would all make sense in the end.
Kalani contacted Grievous. "New orders from Count Dooku. It is important that the clones desire a war with the Separatists. Cause as much damage as possible. Casualties are not an issue."
"I will make Kamino bleed."
Anakin, Shadow, and Petro entered the command center. Commander Wolffe was already in there, analyzing the enemy's attack.
Anakin fell back into the habit of command. "Wolffe, what's the situation?"
Wolffe responded equally habitually. "Looks like the Separatists brought a massive attack fleet."
"Attacking a neutral system that also has a massive blockade around it? What sense does that make?" Shadow asked.
"The Separatists have a habit of not caring who's neutral." Anakin explained.
"Yeah, but they've already won the war. What do they gain from this?"
"Maybe they found out that the remaining Jedi are hiding here."
"I knew we should have kicked you guys off this planet!" Wolffe snarled.
"Yeah, well, now it looks like you need us."
"We can handle this ourselves." Wolffe then looked back at the holodisplay of the battle and saw multiple Republic ships on fire. "What? How did they punch through our shields that fast?"
He soon got his answer as he saw multiple droid fighters crash into the bridge of another ship. The Separatists were purposely crashing their ships into the enemy in order to bring them down. They had always treated their forces like they were expendable, but never to this extreme.
"We need to take out those fighters." Wolffe stated.
"I'm on it!" Anakin volunteered and promptly ran off.
In the small meeting room the Jedi had claimed, Yoda continued speaking with the others. "Greatly concerned, I am. Pull Petro closer to the Dark Side, he might."
"Well, what else can we really do?" Ahsoka asked. "Besides, Petro has Anakin too."
"In dark times, easily corrupted, people are."
"We should make our decisions carefully." Obi-wan said. "This Shadow does not like us and neither do the clones. If they feel threatened by us, they might decide to try to kill us. We should consider ourselves lucky that they are letting us stay here at all. I think the best course of action is to wait and see what happens."
Outside the room, the younglings were listening to the conversation within.
"What'd he say? What'd he say?" Ganodi whispered excitedly.
"Shh! Quiet!" Zatt shushed her. "I think they're gonna let Shadow keep teaching Petro Dark Side stuff!"
The alarm started wailing. Gungi spoke in his growling, gurgling language.
"How should I know what's going on?"
The door then slid open. Ahsoka sprinted out of the room and past the younglings.
Obi-wan stood in the doorway and looked at the younglings. "If you're going to eavesdrop you might as well come in."
Anakin collected R2 and jumped in the starfighter he used to escape from Coruscant. Above Kamino, the battle was chaotic with thousands of ships blasting away at each other.
Anakin began taking out the enemy fighters as they tried to collide with the cruisers. Despite his efforts, the Separatists managed to create an opening. He then saw multiple Separatist landing ships making their way through the opening in the blockade. One of which seemed to be protected by a squad of vulture droids. Something important must be on that transport. Or maybe, someone important.
"Grievous."
The landers began deploying droids to attack the cloning facility. Ahsoka and the clones rushed out to meet them. The droids and clones opened up a storm of blaster fire, and Ahsoka danced among the droids, slicing through them.
Out of one of transports came General Grievous. He stared at Ahsoka.
"Jedi? Here?"
"What? Didn't you follow us here?" Ahsoka asked, on guard.
Grievous ignored the question and ignited four lightsabers, Mace Windu's purple blade among them. Ahsoka found herself joined by Shadow and Petro, lightsabers ready.
"Go back inside Petro!"
"I can help! You saw what happened last time, I defeated him! Kind of."
Grievous approached, his blades whirling around him. Petro attempted to shoot him with Force Lightning, only for Grievous to block it. He tried again, with the same result.
"That little trick of yours won't work again."
Grievous jumped forward and attacked. His three opponents were forced onto the defensive.
"Get back, Petro!" Shadow ordered. "Wait for an opening!"
Petro obeyed and backed off. Grievous took note of Shadow's improved lightsaber skills. He must have found someone to train him. But Shadow's skills were still no match for his.
Suddenly, Ahsoka's comm started beeping.
"I'm kinda in the middle of something, Anakin!"
"I can see that. I need you to get away from Grievous. Right now."
"Why?"
"Oh, you'll see in a second."
Ahsoka, knowing that Anakin had another crazy stunt in mind, jumped back. Shadow was confused. Why had Ahsoka left him alone with Grievous? Then he saw the starfigher flying directly towards them at full speed. Quickly understanding the plan, he teleported away.
Grievous saw the ship too but didn't have enough time to move.
Anakin's ship hit Grievous and swooped back into the sky.
"That one's for the Jedi Council!"
Anakin's smile quickly faded as he noticed that Grievous's arms were latched onto his ship. He crawled onto the top of it and stared at Anakin through the windshield in shock and anger. Anakin started spinning the ship to try and throw him off. He pulled the ship into crazy loops and turns, showing Grievous why Obi-wan hated to fly with him.
However, Grievous's magnetic feet kept him firmly attached. He slowly started to make his way to the cockpit. Once he got to the cockpit, he ignited one of his four lightsabers and tried to stab Anakin through the windshield. Anakin jerked his head to the side, barely avoiding the blade.
"R2! I'm gonna need you to take the flight controls!"
Anakin then pulled out his lightsaber to block Grievous's second attack. Grievous jabbed at him again and again with Anakin barely blocking each attack. Anakin knew he wouldn't survive like this for long.
"R2, fly over the water and flip the ship upside down!"
Anakin opened the cockpit, which was now full of holes, and unclipped his seatbelt. He dropped out and R2 abandoned ship. The starfighter sailed into the water.
Anakin swam back to the surface and grabbed onto R2 to be towed back to land.
Ahsoka, Petro, and Shadow continued to slice though the droids while the clones picked them off from a distance. Obi-wan and Yoda then came outside to join the fight.
"What took you guys so long?" Ahsoka called to them.
"We had to make sure the younglings stayed out of- what is he doing here?"
"Helping." Petro said exasperated.
"You're not ready for warfare!"
"Sure, I am, watch!" Petro then shot a group of droids with Force Lightning.
"Stop using those powers!" Obi-wan scolded.
"He's using what he learned to his advantage. And yours." Shadow snapped at him.
"Guys, this is not the time!" Ahsoka reminded them.
She turned her attention back to the battlefield to see that the droids were no longer advancing, but instead falling back to their transports. Anakin climbed up the ladder and walked towards them.
Ahsoka ran over to him. "Okay, why were you in the water, where's your ship, and why did you hit Grievous with it instead of just shooting him?"
"Well, my guns overheated and hitting him with my ship seemed like the next best thing. Unfortunately, he hung onto the ship and I couldn't shake him off, so I crashed the ship into the ocean instead."
"So, where's Grievous?"
"Well, I'm sure that metal body of his doesn't float. So hopefully he's at the bottom of the ocean. Where are all the droids going?"
Ahsoka shrugged. "I don't know. It's looks like they just gave up. Kind of like what they did on Coruscant."
"Well that can't be a good sign."
"Wait! I see Grievous!" Ahsoka pointed at one of the pillars supporting a neighboring platform.
Grievous reached the platform and saw all the droids taking off back into space. "I did not order a retreat!" Grievous ran for the last remaining transport but it lifted off before he could get to it. "Get back here!" He pulled out his holoprojector and a hologram of Dooku appeared. "What is the meaning of this?"
"I'm afraid your services are no longer required, General, and the time has come for you to die."
Grievous crushed the holoprojector in rage.
"Looks like you've been left for dead."
Grievous turned around to see Shadow. The Jedi soon joined him. They all ignited their lightsabers.
Grievous quickly looked for a way to escape. There was nowhere but back into the water. He came to terms with the fact that this was the end. This was his final stand. But, before he died, he was going to take one last Jedi with him.
"Surrender, General." Obi-wan ordered. "There's nowhere for you to run this time."
Grievous ignited his four lightsabers. "Never."
He charged at them, engaging all of them in a high-speed duel. Ahsoka sliced off one of Grievous's arms. But he purposely let her do that, as it left her open for him to impale her through the chest.
Ahsoka crumpled. Anakin froze.
Obi-wan and Yoda cut off the other three arms. Shadow sliced off both of his legs. What was left of Grievous fell to the ground.
All eyes turned to Ahsoka. Anakin knelt down beside her.
"Ahsoka?"
Her body didn't move. She was already gone.
"No. No, NO!"
Grievous laughed victoriously on the ground.
Anakin stood up and marched over to him. "You!"
Grievous's laughter was cut off as he began to choke. Anakin raised his body off the ground as he pressed harder.
"Anakin!" Obi-wan said worriedly.
Lost in grief and rage, he kept choking Grievous.
"Anakin, stop!"
Anakin blocked him out, his hatred growing. He hadn't felt this much rage since the sand-people killed his mother.
He started applying pressure to Grievous's chest. His chest plate compressed around his internal organs. Grievous coughed and hacked uncontrollably. Blood started oozing out of the cracks in Grievous's crushed chest plate.
Obi-wan grabbed Anakin's shoulder. "Anakin! A Jedi never kills a defenseless opponent!"
Anakin screamed and clenched his fists. With a screech of metal, Grievous was reduced to a mangled pile of bloody machinery there on the platform.