Chapter 21: Siege of Mandalore

After about an hour, Ahsoka and I just lay there the furnished room, enjoying the moment of peace we had. In this war, there wasn't peace. There was utter chaos. There was death, but there was life too. There was life in the bonds the Jedi had made since the end of the Clone Wars, and now another war was threatening to snuff that life out.

That made it my job to save that life.

My earpiece buzzed to life on the side-table beside me. Groaning slightly, I threw my legs over the side of the bed, taking the device and putting it in my ear, "Hello?"

"General Marko, this is Bronston." The accented voice echoed through the transmitter.

"What do you need, Bronston?" I asked, my body numb from relaxation.

"First, the Harbinger has arrived in the system and the other General is on a transport to your location as we speak."

I nodded to myself more than anything, "Duly noted. Next?"

"Well, sir, I just wanted to inform you that I've been monitoring the hyperspace lanes that lead to Mandalore from several sectors and I've picked up something strange." The clone's voice held suspicion that wasn't lost on me.

I sat up straight, "That isn't good. What did you find?"

"Everything ok?" Ahsoka's voice asked within my mind as her arms draped around my neck from behind me.

"I don't think so." I responded, waiting for an answer.

"There are some inconsistencies in the lanes mass. With our tech, we can monitor if something is traveling in the lanes from up to a parsec away."

"Yeah. That's common knowledge. Obi Wan told me that a long time ago." I said, trying not to be rude but trying to rush to his point, "Bronston, tell me what you've found."

"It's not good sir."

"Go on." I urged.

There was a sigh, "About twenty minutes ago, I scanned the lanes and there is one coming from the southern sector that is reading a lot of mass. In fact, there are several masses heading this way."

"What do they look like?" I asked, hoping to be wrong. That might be the Shadow Brigade. But, how would they know we were here?

"I can't make them out exactly, but I'd be willing to bet it's the Shadow Brigade, sir." Bronston said gravely. "And, if that is them, then they are packing some serious firepower, sir."

I frowned, "Damn it."

"What are your orders, sir?"

For a moment, I was silent. Thoughts raced through my brain and my blood. I was thinking with everything I had. "Gather the men, launch a ground defense force to land outside of the city. Set up barricade in front of the entrance."

"Understood, sir. How much artillery should we bring?"

"A lot. Bring all the tanks aboard the Sirius." I said gravely, getting to my feet and putting my uniform back on, adjusting the light chest-plate and wrapping my wrists and my forearms with the gray cloth. I adjusted my boots and stood firm, "Bronston."

"Yes, sir?"

"The Mandalorian Defense Force will also be down here." I said, "It'll take you at least twenty minutes to get down to the entrance, so I'm going to try to get you the clearance you need."

Ahsoka leaped off the bed and her clothes were on in a flash. "Ready whenever, because it sounds bad."

I gave her a nod as Bronston replied, "Ok. I'll assemble the men!"

I cut off the frequency and turned to Ahsoka, "Yeah, it's bad. Bronston's pretty sure we have Shadow Brigade ships entering the sector soon."

"We have to warn Satine." Ahsoka said quickly, hooking her lightsabers to her belt.

"Obviously." I nodded, pulling my lightsabers off the nightstand and hooking them to my own belt, "Ahsoka."

She looked dead into my eyes, "What is it?"

I sighed, "The Shadow Brigade is bringing a lot more heat to this party than we have. The other Jedi Knight is one their way down here now, but I feel something else. This attack," I paused, "it's too focused. How would the Shadow Brigade know about us going here?"

"I don't know." Ahsoka whispered, then her eyes sharpened with realization, "You think it's Wrath?"

"If it is him, then he's come for me." I said, taking a hold of the sides of her arms, melding my presence with hers. For a moment, just a moment, I felt something else within her. I felt her life force blip erratically and strangely. Pushing it off as my own awareness, I refocused myself, "I need you to stay here on the ground and help the clones and Mandalorians."

"You want me to stay here? That means you'll be leaving?" Ahsoka asked firmly.

I nodded, "Wrath wants me. That's exactly what he's gonna get."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Ahsoka questioned, her piercing blue eyes trying to get anything out of me. She was always good at getting her way with those eyes.

Taking a deep breath, I spoke, "I'm going to board his ship and finish this fight with him."

"You don't know if you can take him alone! And he might not even be alone!" Ahsoka argued, her voice raising sharply. "I have to go with you."

"No." I said sternly, "You'll stay with the squads and protect the city."

"To hell with the city if it means leaving you." Ahsoka broke away from my grasp to hold her own, her hands on my cheeks. "I can't lose you, Blaze."

"And you won't." I said softly, "You think I'd just leave you hanging after I just proposed? Come on! That's not me."

"Blaze, you don't understand." Ahsoka whispered, her hands slipping from my face to rest on my shoulders, her eyes leaning downward with her head as she pressed her forehead to my chest. "I can't lose you."

"What's with this talk about losing me?" I asked gently, stroking her lekku gently. "I'm not easy to kill."

"But you aren't invincible." The quip came back.

"Maybe not, but I wouldn't go alone if I didn't have to." I rationalized as best as I could, "Wrath is coming for me and is bringing his forces to deal with mine. This is a simple game of cancelling out everything to get to the final picture: me and him." I shrugged, "And, hey, it might not even be Wrath. It could be Cultrous and I can take him for sure this time. The point is that you don't have to worry about whether or not I'll come back because I will come back to you."

"You are such a dork." Ahsoka laughed against me, gripping my shoulders.

"It's one of my many charms." I laughed back. Have faith in me, Ahsoka.

"Ok." She mumbled, taking a small step back to stare back up into my eyes. "I'll stay. But, when everything here is finished, we are gonna talk."

"Uh oh." I closed my mouth quickly after, letting out one more comment, "That doesn't sound good."

Ahsoka laughed, "It'll be good. I promise you."

I smiled, "Good." I laced my fingers through hers, "Let's go win this fight."

"Just, one more thing." Ahsoka stopped me as I took a single step to the door.

"Yeah?" I asked.

She sighed, "Promise me that if Wrath is on the lead ship, you'll give it everything you've got and won't hold back for any reason."

"As much as Yoda would hate me for saying this." I muttered before taking a firm stance, "He is the reason my family is dead. My mom will never get to see me get married and my dad won't be at my bachelor party. If Wrath is up there, I'm going to kill him."

Ahsoka nodded, "That's all I needed to hear." She took me by the face and kissed me deeply, pressing her presence through our bond in the same moment. As I pushed back against her, I deepened the kiss. After a minute, we broke away, silent, and walked out of the room, our spirits still as one.

As we approached the crossways that lead to the throne room, I felt the Dark Side ping to life. There were four sources of darkness that I could make out, and they were all aboard one ship.

I let go of Ahsoka's hand, "Go to Satine."

She nodded in understanding, "Go."

I smiled gently before sprinting in the opposite direction. Once outside of the palace entirely, my feet carried me to the landing platforms where the Beast was.

"No. It's too slow for this." I said softly to myself, lowering the ramp and calling out, "R9! Let's go."

He wheeled down the ramp and said something, but I didn't read what he said. I frowned, "I don't have time to talk, just follow." He complied.

Thinking quickly, I saw one of the other starships in the hangar and jumped atop of it. After bypassing the security codes, I hopped into the cockpit and opened up the astromech port. R9 placed himself in and the engines blasted to life as we soared out of the hangar, exhaust in our wake.

Once in space, I took a deep breath as I observed the situation. There were three of our cruisers engaging their cruisers, but their numbers outweighed ours. We had three and they had four, plus two frigates. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the transports already breaking through to the surface, both friend and foe.

The battle on the ground was about to begin.

But, my focus was the battleship ahead of me. Immediately, I recognized the star cruiser as Wrath's flagship, Bastion. That meant he was here. However, the shields were up and the blast doors were closed behind that. I hit my earpiece, "R9. You see that ship in front of us?"

R9 whirled dejectedly. [Yes, Master. You are talking about the one that is ray shielded, correct?]

I angled the ship as starfighters started to pour out, raining fire down on Republic ARCs and on myself as well. "Yeah, that one." I flipped on a stabilizer and went into a spin, firing off the twin cannons, striking and destroying multiple targets.

[What do you need me to do?]

"Can you remotely bypass the doors behind the shield?" I asked, nearly shouting. Damn, he's pulling out all the stops.

R9 beeped loudly. [Possibly. If you can stay alive long enough.]

"That I can do." I smirked, diving down, letting two chasing TIEs come together letting them explode on impact. They may have TIEs but they don't have the pilots to go along with them. Cultrous needed to think about that before he brought them into the picture.

Two more TIEs took their place behind me, green lasers flashing right above my cockpit. As the distances started to close, I broke away, shoving the controls as far to the right as they would go, causing the ship to buck and sway. The distance suddenly became more favorable.

This is Anakin's influence on me. I thought with a smile before cutting off the engines and flipping the ship backwards, pointing right at the TIEs. With my thumbs right above the buttons, I smiled, "See ya later, fellas." I mumbled with confidence as I opened fire, blue plasma striking their targets head on, blasting the two followers to oblivion.

I turned the engines back on and resumed my dash towards the Bastion. I pressed a few buttons and the manifest came up. After scrolling through several functions, I found what I was looking for. I pressed the nearest button and the ship shuddered, then blasted off faster than it had before. That would cut time in half.

"R9!" I couldn't help but laugh, "Give me feedback! Can you get the doors open or not?!"

R9 responded instantaneously. [They are down…now! You are clear, Master, but what are you going to do about the shields?]

I smirked, taking the controls with a rough grip, "You're about to see." I hit the small button on the side of the controls and a missile leaped out from under the ship, soaring off and striking the side of the cruiser, exploding on contact in a vibrant display of colors. The shields shrank back until only the primary shields were left. That allowed any craft to slip past into their hangar without any type of repercussion such as a scan or an incineration.

[That's quite an entrance, Master.] My astromech whistled out.

I laughed, "For me it's only fair to give myself an entrance like that."

[That means that whoever is onboard will know you are there.] R9 tried to argue.

My smile faded into a deep frown, "I know. I'm counting on that."

[May I ask why?] R9 inquired.

I shook my head as my speed slowed, "Nope. Best that you don't." We approached the hangar and I set the ship down, leaping out of the cockpit, my senses on alert. "Also, it would be best if you stayed here."

[Master.] My faithful droid started.

I cut him off, "No. Beyond this is dangers that you won't survive. Stay here, be quiet, and bolt if need be." I said sternly, snapping my head to the hangar entrance doors as a squad of Shadow Troopers filed in, twenty in all. They were slowly moving forward towards me, but they all stayed as a group.

"And watch the show." I smirked before taking a few steps forward, "Thanks for staying in a group. Makes this much easier." So much easier.

Confusion spread through the Force for all of two seconds before it turned into realization. It wasn't realization of what was going to happen. It wasn't realization of what would happen. It was realization of who I was. Once that spread through every member present, I made my move.

Gathering the Force into my hand, I concentrated it into my fist, faint blue wisps flying into the air. Once fully concentrated, I punched into the metal flooring, denting it and sending a shockwave throughout the entire hangar. It was mainly directed at the squad though. Within a millisecond, it reached them. The force of the shockwave sent them all into the air, their weapons falling to the ground away from their hands.

Holding them up with my left hand, I reached out my right hand, fingers curled slightly as if I was gripping something circular. White hot lightning circulated around my wrist before transferring into my palm, then traveling through my hand to my fingertips, where the energy shot out in a torrent of streaking light.

The lightning raced across the air, crackling every so often until it met its opponents. The Shadow Troopers yelled in agony as their bodies were cloaked in the devastating attack. Soon, I felt each of them blip out in the Force. Without missing a beat, I dropped them from the air to fall to the ground, lifeless husks.

I unclipped my blue lightsaber and ignited the blade, walking through the doors to the next room. The next room was down a small hallway with no adjoining doors. It was the perfect place to rest. Knowing that there were only two ways in or out was a good thing considering that the entire ship was filled with unfriendlies.

But, there was no time to rest. There was no need to rest. It was time to put the Shadow Brigade to rest.

He's here. I can sense him. If I can kill him here, this war will end even faster. He's top dog, but Cultrous has fed him all the information and that's how this war got started. But, I still need to know when Windu turned into Wrath. My thoughts buzzed in my head with every step I took. That's the key to blowing this entire war apart. Then I'll know about everything. But, since Cultrous is from Earth, he might have the same notions as me. He might know everything. He might be thinking that I'd be thinking this exact thought.

Shaking my head, I continued on, feeling out through the Force as I opened the next door, walking through, then moving on to the next after finding nothing of interest. Soon, I was clearing floor by floor. Shadow Troopers met their end from my blade and the Force.

As I moved on to the next room, I flipped the lights on. As they flashed to life, I felt the Dark Side swell. In only the few seconds, I knew where I was. It was a training room. In the corner of the room were several deactivated training droids with lightsaber-resistant staffs next to them. The room itself was ginormous. The amount of space in the room was unbelievable. There could be nearly a hundred people and the room wouldn't be filled yet. But, there weren't a hundred people to deal with. I could only feel three.

The sound of a lightsaber activating made me leap forward. Tucking my shoulder down, I rolled across the ground before kicking upward, dodging another red lightsaber as it came to slice me in half. As my foot touched the ground again, a third lightsaber streaked towards my head. Thinking on the fly, I dropped to my knees, sliding under the slash. Turning on my heel, I ignited my black lightsaber in my other hand as well as getting a good look at my attackers.

"Offee." My lip curled in disgust, my eyes going around to the next two people, "And Kanos and Vexin."

"Marko." Barriss smiled evilly, her eyes flashing with yellow hatred, "Oh, finally. We can settle everything with your death."

"It's nice to know the Sith let you out of the Barracks, Offee." I replied snidely responded, taking a step forward and feeling pride when each of the three combatants took a tentative step backwards, cautiousness in their every move.

"Maltus may have freed me and given me a purpose, but Wrath has given me new life." Offee echoed.

"You're crazier than last time." I chuckled, "Last time at least you didn't look like you'd foam at the mouth."

"Bastard!" She screamed, leaping at me, slashing her red lightsaber down at me. I easily caught the blow and swiped at her head with my black saber, but was surprised when she disengaged the sweep and blocked the next strike with relative ease.

"That's new." I grunted, putting more pressure on the lightsaber lock.

"I've improved since we last met." She snarled, a feral smile adorning her lips.

Damn. She literally just might foam. I thought with an inward chuckle as I pressed forward suddenly, breaking the lock and forcing both blades to rise into the air. I reared my foot back and slammed it into her stomach, sending her flying backwards, her lightsaber shutting off in a flash of red light.

Vexin screamed and charged next, bringing her blade down quickly in an overhead slash. Sidestepping the attack, I took hold of her shoulder and threw her to the ground. Kanos was on the attack now, swinging at me wildly, something driving her. It felt like it was trying to be anger but it was failing and it was just false bravado.

As I disarmed her, I sighed, "You know, I feel that same reluctance that you had on Tatooine, Kanos."

"Shut your mouth!" She screamed, her weapon igniting and flying through the air behind me. I back flipped over the flying weapon and took a stance as she regained her weapon, leaping at me and crossing blades once again.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Barriss get back to her feet and leap at me. It was two on one now. Each of their attacks had massive strength behind it, but it was misguided and therefore easily repelled. As I ducked under Offee's next strike, I blocked Kanos's red blade and then kicked my leg out, hitting the top of her shoulder and sending her to the side. She collapsed against the wall.

Unconscious. I thought to myself as I focused on Offee, now going into an offensive stance. I brought my blades down all around her, clashing again and again, breaking through her defenses. As she brought her blade up to counter my blue arc, another red blade caught the attack. There was only a split second, but I knew it was Vexin.

"Nice." I muttered, taking my knee and ramming it into Offee's gut, knocking the wind out of her. Then, as I pushed off Vexin's block, I took the butt of my hilt and knocked Offee to the ground. Vexin took advantage of that momentary lapse in my defenses and stabbed forward.

Crimson nearly struck my exposed side, but my reflexes were faster. A long time ago, an attack like that would have ended me because of my lack of experience fighting such an aggressive style, but now it was favorable. I knew the tricks and moves of anything she could throw at me. That meant that this three-on-one thing they had going on wasn't going to help them much unless they did something drastic.

But, I was counting on them not to think that far ahead.

With the Force flowing through my entire body, I merely shimmied out of the way of her stab and drove my elbow into the nape of her neck, sending her to the ground. I rose my blade above my head for the final blow, but suddenly I found myself tumbling across the ground.

"Damn." I grumbled, getting to my feet, only to see both Offee and Vexin leaping through the air, blades poised for my heart.

Without much choice, I fell on my back, watching as they soared over my head. I kicked back up onto my feet and held my blade up, "So, you girls have improved."

"Your doubt in us hurts, Marko." Vexin smiled way too sweetly, her black hair draping over her left shoulder.

Offee smiled sweetly, matching the sickly feeling Vexin's smile gave, "You shouldn't underestimate us. That's rude."

I smirked, shutting off my blades and fastening them to my belt. Then, I took off my blue lightsaber, the same saber I built after Maltus's death on Mustafar, and ignited the dark blue blade, letting the silence droll on, "This ends now."

"By losing one saber you lose your advantage." Vexin said, frowning at me suspiciously.

"What game are you playing?" Offee spat.

"You said don't underestimate you two, so I won't." I said simply, "It's always been known that I'm better with one lightsaber than with two unless my opponent is dual wielding as well."

"So, you're finally going to show us what you've been hiding?" Vexin scoffed. "You honestly think we are going to fall for that? We've studied your fighting techniques. You were the model for the Shadow Apprentices' fighting forms. The forms of lightsaber combat were essential, but your own spin on things made you unpredictable and that was exactly what we needed. That is what Wrath taught us. The way to use your forms and the forms of old to make us what we are: the end of the Republic and the Jedi."

Go ahead and don't believe me. In spite of all of that information, I merely chuckled, "It's nice to know that I'm appreciated even by the likes of you." My chuckle died out and I slid my right foot forward, bending my knees slightly as my blue blade cascaded downward, pointing towards the ground, "Now, can we get this over with. I won't hold back. But, I warn you. Attack me again and I'm out to kill."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Marko!" Offee snarled, launching herself forward again, "Stay back, Vexin!" She screamed. "He's mine!"

"Then come on!" I shouted, leaping forward to meet her attack, crossing blades with her.

I had to admit that Offee had become very coordinated in her attacks. Now, it was just me and her. One-on-one. A true duel to the death.

She swung for my head and I brought my blade up to counter the strike, swatting her blade away like it was a mere fly. After the attack threw her off balance, I stalked forward, intentionally not attacking her.

When fighting an opponent that hates your very existence, your main advantage is that very hate. If you can control that hate – cause it to grow inside – then you can control the person who harbors it. You make them attack, make them miss, make them angry. Then, that anger and hate will blind them. It'll make their moves sloppy and make them make mistakes they never thought possible. And, the best part, they'll just ignore their mistakes, only to realize their folly as it's too late to take it back.

That's common sense for those who want to control the fight.

Offee slashed at me again, but I merely ducked under the blade and took a step forward, putting my foot in between hers and pushing her backwards, onto her backside. She quickly got back to her feet and rushed me, stabbing forward. With the tip of my blade as my only defense, I skirted her crimson blade across mine, only to grab her shoulder and throw her to the wall.

She slunk out of the wall, her teeth bared and her tempers flaring in the Force, "You bastard!"

"What's wrong?" I sneered, "I thought you'd be more of a challenge."

"Do not toy with me, Marko!" Offee's eyes flashed with undisputed rage as she charged me once again, her blade high in the air. I brought my blue blade up to counter, locking blades once again.

"Why?" I grunted. "I don't see anything worth fighting for real!"

Offee's eyes watered, anger overflowing as she screamed, "I WILL KILL YOU!"

"I've heard that before." I said, catching her wrist and twisting it, letting her lightsaber fall to the ground before I kicked it away. Offee fell to her knees, pain flaring in her senses. "But," I continued, raising my blade above my head, "you won't be the one to do it."

The Force alerted me seconds before the attack hit. I let go of Offee's wrist and leaped into the air as a red blade slashed through the air where I had once been.

It's a damn trick! I realized the movements as I eyed, Vexin, her hands empty but pushed outwards. My feet hit the ground and I ran at Offee as she regained her blade and acquired Vexin's own weapon. My black blade leaped into my waiting left hand as I struck, on full offensive now. No holding back. No bars held.

The battle would end.

Offee stood her ground as I attack, my blades coming all around her at different angles. Her defenses were fantastic and well refined, something I didn't expect her to be. Then, I remembered that she was fluent in Jar'Kai and it wouldn't be an easy task for anybody to just take her down. But, I wasn't just anybody. And I had fought her before.

I hooked her left saber with mine and swung it in a circle as I deflected a strike from her other saber. Dropping to my knees and blocking another strike, I flipped my black saber around, shutting it off and turning my own body backwards as Offee brought both her blades down toward my head. My blue blade caught the attack and the frown that adorned my face was for my next move.

Offee couldn't react. She couldn't dodge my next attack. With my darksaber directly inactive on her chest, all she could do was realize she was done for. Once again, I had won.

The saber ignited, but I did not watch as it entered her body nor as it exited. All I heard was the thump of her corpse hitting the ground and the sabers rolling across the floor, inactive. Then, the darkness I was sensing became a little lighter.

One down. I thought, walking towards Vexin with the same intent: to end the fighting. My vision flicked to Kanos, but she was till unconscious. Good. One less fighter.

"You…" Vexin echoed, her voice quivering slightly, "You killed her! Damn it! NO!"

"Pissed that your plans didn't work out?" I asked, taking small steps, my blades running across the ground, sparks flying behind me. "That sucks doesn't it?"

"You bastard." She muttered, her own red lightsaber flying aback into her hand.

I sighed, stopping my walk, "I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told her: if you fight me I will end it."

"You would kill me no matter what?" Vexin shouted. "Even if I was defenseless!?"

"A Sith is never defenseless." I barked, reaching into the Force and feeling out her presence, "They always have the Dark Side. Plus, I don't even sense that you'll make a move. I sense only fear now."

"I don't fear you!" She took a step forward.

I shook my head, "Yeah you do. You know what I'm capable of and you know that you'll die if you face me. I'm no pushover."

"I thought that if we all attacked you, then you would die!" She screamed.

"Well, you were wrong." I said, shutting off my blades, "Here's my offer: run or die with the Shadow Brigade."

The Dark Side was strong and potent. In that moment, I knew that there was no turning back for Vexin. Her eyes blazed with such hatred that I wondered if there was a person running that body anymore. There was so much concentrated anger that fueled her next move.

"NO! YOU DIE HERE TRAITOROUS JEDI!" She screamed, leaping high into the air and bringing her blade down.

The attack was violent and stupid and uncoordinated in every sense of the word. It was dangerous, but not thought out.

Taking my darksaber and igniting the blade quickly, I ducked under her strike and slashed at her waist, cleaving through in a nice cut. She landed on her feet, her body intact for the moment. Her head turned to me before the fatality of the wound kicked in. Her eyes locked with mine and they burned out with yellow fire before she fell to the ground, a death rattle echoing into the training room. I leaned down, plucking a lightsaber off her belt that wasn't hers. It was the lightsaber of the Jedi Padawan that had died at our first loss of the war. I knew that the emerald blade would want to be taken back to the Jedi.

"I'm sorry, Vexin." I muttered, closing her open eyes with my hand. "I gave you a choice."

"V-Vexin!"

I turned my head to Kanos, "Kanos. They're dead and you aren't. I feel something in you and I need you to listen to me and not fight me."

Kanos looked up at me, her violet eyes hard but cracking slightly under what I was saying. Then, her hand came up, Vexin's weapon flying into her palm, inactive. Both my blades were inactive.

I had to find a way to get to her, even if it meant fighting her again.

Somehow, I've got to get through to her. I feel the light in her. Damn it!