Chapter 50 : Duels


Author Notes : Hello every one, I know it's been a long time since I posted a chapter, but I was working with lawyers and all, for my studies. Anyway, I have more time now so stay tuned ;)
And I deeply, truly, want to thank you the TEN people who reviewed the last chapter. I mean, TEN, that is awesome. Thank you so much !


Being Grievous' flagship, the entire cruiser was more than heavily guarded by droids in every kind, from the useless skinny battledroids, to the lethal destroyers with their impenetrable shields. But Obi-wan finally made it to the elevator Arfour had located, leading to the upper level of the tower, to the General's Quarter. Taking the little red astromech was a practical choice, because if everything was to repeat, then the elevator would stop without reason. Obi-wan could have required Artoo's help, but he was needed by Anakin and Ahsoka, and Arfour was more than capable. The Jedi allowed himself to smile, noticing how much his droid had improved comparing to the one in his previous life.

"My droid," Obi-wan said out loud, and chuckled. He clearly had spent too much time with Anakin and Ahsoka. "Stay behind Arfour, the elevator is not empty." The red droid biped knowingly, surely his sensors had told him droids were awaiting them in the lobby. As the Jedi master used the Force to open the doors, twelves droids appeared, but they were the only ones surprised to find an enemy in front of them.

"Drop your weapons," the first skinny droid ordered.

"Drop your weapons," another one repeated, "roger, roger."

Obi-wan sighed, they were still as useless as he remembered, but he would not complain : better fight those droids than destroyers. In a quick move, the man leapt inside the lobby, igniting his blue blade in the same time, and slained the mechanical soldiers in a breath : those who weren't destroyed by the air attack, lost their head in the small elevator, giving them no angle to shoot at the Jedi who ultimately neutralised them all. Then, Arfour, still behind, made a terrified sound, and hurried inside next to his master : destroyers had come to meet them. But Obi-wan wasn't impressed at all, he was barely sweating as he was demonstrating his perfect mastery of Soresu to deflect every bolt back to the bronzite droids. It didn't matter if they had their shields up, Kenobi hadn't any intention to stay any longer in this corridor, Dooku and Padme were waiting for them. He knew it because he coul feel next to the Dark Lord's presence, the tiny Force signatures of Luke and Leia. Neither Anakin nor Ahsoka would have thought checking those presences, and the Master doubted they could have sensed them anyway. The duo was too preoccupied to run after Grievous and Malorum, the one who had captured Padme... When the doors of the elevator finally closed, and feeling going up, Obi-wan readjusted his sleeveless robe, and laid a hand on Arfour's dome.

"I guess we will have the easy part," the man tried to calm the anxious little droid next to him. R4 biped hesitantly, half believing what his owner was claiming. "Do not worry, you will stay in the elevator. It will be too dangerous for a droid inside." Of course the companion was relieved he didn't have to run away from droids, or dodge like an amator the bullets that were not intentionally aimed at him. Firing at Obi-wan Kenobi was a foolish move, surely a droid could understand it. But being behind that Jedi could also be dangerous, whenever the Master was dodging, a bullet was threatening to destroy the astromech red droid. So he would not certainly not complain, specially when he saw, when the doors of the lobby slowly opened, four large grey superbattledroids firing at them immediately. Obi-wan had interposed himself at the entrance, protecting his friend by using Soresu, sending every laser fired at him back at the imposing droids, who ultimately felt in pieces.

Arfour made a nervous sound, probably asking his master if it was really safe for him to go alone in the General's Quarter.

"Do not worry, my little friend," Obi-wan smiled warmly. "Do you have the handcuffs ?" The small droid opened one of his container, and took a glowing blue pair of handcuffs. They were supposed to be Force-suppressing, but R4 doubted Count Dooku's power could be supressed by such mere tool. So if he understood correctly, he would soon be in the elevator with Senator Amidala, an almost free Count Dooku, and the Jedi. Perhaps it would be better to kill Dooku, but Obi-wan would never be a murderer, Arfour's system was sure of it.

The Jedi Master stepped out of the lobby, after casting a reassuring grin to the red droid, and headed to the heavy doors, a huge oval of opalescent iridiite chased with gold, at the end of the corridor, accessing to Padme's "prison". He stared into the door, and through the door, searching in its shimmering depths for a hint of an unguessable future. He couldn't imagine not being at war, it was all he knew after all, despite the small years in exile in Tatooine watching over Luke.

As the doors opened, he found himself once again on the entrance balcony, and took a look at the chair at the end of the room. He couldn't see Padme, as the chair was turned back at him, but he knew she was there. She seemed beyond anxious and desperate, waiting for an unknown fate, and he could almost feel her unborn children trying to comfort her, but without success. Obi-wan then cautiously picked his way down the curvy stairs and slid along the bank of chairs on one side of the immense situation table that dominated the center of the General's Quarters' main room. Like in his past, the room was simply empty, Dooku probably watching him carefully, so Obi-wan with his customary courtesy arrived next to the black chair, who turned in the same time. Padme seemed to have old ten years since he saw her, but he knew it was the simple effect of rightful fear. She was crying, and she looked more than tired. But she was also surprised to see him standing alone, wearing that reassuring smile that had seduced so many women in the galaxy. She immediately understood he was hiding his worries for her behind that smile, so she would do the same. Even if somehow, she knew she would be alright, she still didn't know what Dooku planned to do with that Jedi Master. At least, Anakin didn't come here, so she would not be killed … for now.

"Are you alright Padme ?" Obi-wan asked, studying her reactions carefully.

"Dooku," she whispered. She was sure she didn't have to tell him the Sith was here, obviously he had sensed him coming.

"Do not worry," he was still smiling at her. Did that man ever truly worried for him ?

"General Kenobi," The voice that spoke from the entrance balcony was an elegant basso with undertones of oily resonance like a kriin-oak cavernhorn. Count Dooku's voice. "You are my prisoner." Dooku, flanked by two superbattledroids, leapt over the fence, and landed graciously. But the Count wasn't looking at the Jedi with a strong and severe face, Padme could be mistaken, but she thought seeing pride in his black eyes.

"Count Dooku," Obi-wan bowed his head. That surprised the two other humans, but it was simply respect for the man who had trained Qui-Gon Jinn. Not respect for the Sith Lord he had become.

"Your sword please," Dooku had drown his weapon, the famous curvy hilt shone in his white hand. "We don't want to make a mess of this in front of the Senator."

Obi-wan's replied was a simple smile, and then, ignited his blue lightsaber and lifted it above his head, the other arm extended straight : the usual stance for Soresu. Dooku smiled, it was time to test the limit of his nearly grandson's mastery. "You won't escape this time, Dooku."

"Escape you? Please, Obi-wan." Dooku allowed his customary mild smile to spread. "Do you think I orchestrated this entire operation with the intent to escape? I could have taken the Senator outsystem hours ago. But I have better things to do with my life than to babysit her while I wait for you to attempt a rescue."

"This is a little more than an attempt."

"And a little less than a rescue." With a flourish move, Dooku cast his cloak back from his right shoulder, clearing his sword arm—which he used to gesture idly at the pair of super battle droids still on the entrance balcony above. "Now please, Master Jedi. Must I order the droids to open fire? That becomes so untidy, what with blaster bolts bouncing about at random. Little danger to the two of us, of course, but I should certainly hate for any harm to come to the Senator. What would Skywalker say if he knew you let droids hurt her ?"

Kenobi moved toward him with a slow, hypnotic grace, as though he floated on an invisible repulsor plate. "Why do I find that difficult to believe?"

Dooku waved this aside. "I bear Senator Amidala no ill will. She is neither soldier nor spy, whereas you are both. It is only an unfortunate accident of history that she has chosen to defend a corrupt Republic against my endeavor to reform it."

"I don't recall such mercy for the Senator on Geonosis."

Dooku chuckled, the Jedi certainly knew how to use his words. "The Senator is a civilian. You, General Kenobi, on the other hand, are a legitimate military target. It is up to you whether you will accompany me as captive—" its brilliant scarlet blade appeared, angled downward at his side. "—or as corpse.''

"Now, there's a coincidence," Kenobi replied dryly as he swung around Dooku to place the Count away from Padme. "You face the identical choice." Dooku regarded him with impregnable calm. He lifted his blade in the Makashi salute and swept it again to a low guard. "Just because you nearly defeat me last time, do not presume you have the advantage."

"Oh, I know," Obi-wan said. "Because there are two of you." Dooku barely managed to restrain a jolt of surprise.

"Or maybe I should say, were two of you," the Jedi went on. "We're on to your partner Sidious; we tracked him all over the galaxy. He's probably in Jedi custody right now." Obi-wan lied, but he didn't care. He didn't have to tell everything he knew to Dooku.

"Is he ?" The Force crackled between them, and the ship pitched and bucked under a new turbolaser barrage, and Dooku decided that the time had come.
Then he took two steps forward, meeting immediately the blazing blue blade of his grand-padawan who effortlessly pushed back the Count and waited for another swing. As a user of Makashi, Dooku was a natural fencer, precision and swiftness was as easy as to breath for him, but as he clashed once again his red lightsaber against the other one, he realised how much difficult it would be to find an opening. Yet Obi-wan seemed not ready to attack him, perhaps was he hopelessly planning to tire the Sith, but the darkside was his ally. He was filling his own physic gaps with the Force that he was commanding. There was the real difference between he and Obi-wan : the Jedi was serving the Force, while Dooku was ordering it. Dooku tried to press Obi-Wan away with a succession of weaving, flourishing thrusts that would have driven the Jedi's blade out of line, but with no success. The blue sword was there every time Dooku wanted to slash, to cut a limb or to impale the Jedi. So Tyrannus would have to change his strategy. While effortlessly deflecting a rain of red-streaking cuts from Dooku, Obi-wan felt the Force shove the situation table away from the wall and send it hurtling toward his back with astonishing speed; but such trick would not work, even at his back. And the elder man watched in astonishment the table fell as a rock two meters before it could reach the Jedi. How could he break Obi-wan's defense without playing dirty ? Dooku sighed.

"Tired already, Count ?" Obi-wan teased, parrying another blow aimed for his legs, and another who came immediately for his left arm.

" I sense Qui-Gon's defiance in you," Dooku stated, "Too bad your master isn't here with us."

The young Jedi froze, blocking the red blade with his own in a contest of strength, "Qui-Gon would have felt ashamed. Seeing his own master causing the death of millions, and now fighting his apprentice …" Then Obi-wan violently Forcepushed Dooku on the stairs. The Sith, caught off guard by such power, motioned the two superbattledroids to attack the Jedi. Instantly the two droids sprang forward and lifted their hands. Energy hammered out from the heavy blasters built into their arms; Obi-wan whirled and his blade batted every blast back at the droids, whose mirror-polished carapace armor deflected the bolts again. Galvened particle beams screeched through the room in blinding ricochets. Kenobi reached the top of the stairs and a single slash of his lightsaber dismantled both droids. Dooku had taken the opportunity to catch his breath and to gather more dark power within him. He was ready to fight again, as he held his red blade at the Jedi who had taken the final steps to the balcony where the Count was a moment ago.

"This war is necessary," the Count tried to persuade the Jedi, perhaps there was still time for Obi-wan to join him in his quest. If only he had Obi-wan at his side, everything would have been so easy. "Qui-Gon would have understood that."

The Jedi Master didn't reply, it was no use. And talking about his dead master was painful both for him and Dooku, even if he would never truly admit it. Yet he had sensed the conflict in the Sith, he wasn't sure if Dooku really wanted to kill him, now that Sidious wasn't in the same place than them. But time was running out, he had to find out now. So the Jedi Master changed his fighting stance, holding the lightsaber into a balanced two-handed guard.

"Ataru …" Dooku praised, "so now the Soresu's master will attack."


Anakin was tired to run in those corridors that looked exactly the same for him, and if he hadn't the Force to guide him, he would have gone crazy. At his feet, metallic limbs of droids who thought they could have stopped him and his apprentice were laying on the cold floor, deformed by the lightsabers marks that had destroyed any forces. Usually, he eyed his padawan, the skilled Togruta Ahsoka Tano, slicing battledroids in many pieces, just to make sure she was alright, that she was still with him. A year ago, he nearly lost her, when Bariss Offee had attacked the Jedi Temple, many believed Ahsoka guilty, and he had thought never see her again.

"Master !" she called, deactivating her lightsabers, "Palpatine's signal comes from there," she showed him large closed blast doors. Not Surprisingly, they were sealed diagonally, not like the all other doors in this ship, as he recalled the many he passed with Ahsoka during their run.

"I can sense a dark Force inside that room," Anakin warned, clenching his fits in anger. So the one called Malorum was still inside.

"Too bad Artoo is not with us," Ahsoka sighed, "he could have open the do-" But she didn't have to finish her sentence, her master had already extended both his arms, and tried to open the seal with his Force powers. It felt like the whole ship was about to crumble, the floor was vibrating, and the corridor was turning in ashes. "Master ?"

Eventually, the doors didn't opened, but Anakin had literally bented the left part of the doors, creating a hole big enough for them to pass through. "Let's save the Chancellor," he said, his voice sounding more like a beast than a human.

"Watch over him, for me" Obi-wan had told her. Perhaps he had been right after all, she always thought he was worrying for nothing, concerning Anakin's control, but right now, her master was … frightening. How could she control him ? Why Obi-wan didn't come with them, to keep Anakin at bay ? She knew why, he had to save Padme because Anakin couldn't go there. It would have been worse. "Yes, master."

The two Jedi entered a rather dark room, only enlightened by the fire of the ships they could see through the curved transpiristel wall at the end of the room. But Anakin could see the Chancellor, above them, strapped in a black chair, at the top of what he guessed large stairs. Palpatine looked bad. The Chancellor looked beyond old, looked ancient like Yoda was ancient: possessed of incomprehensible age. And exhausted, and in pain. And worse— Anakin saw in the Chancellor's face something he'd never dreamed he'd find there, and it squeezed breath from his lungs and wiped words from his brain. Palpatine looked frightened. Anakin didn't know what to say. He couldn't imagine what to say. All he could imagine was what Grievous and Malorum must have done to put fear on the face of this brave good man— And that imagining ignited a sizzle in his blood that drew his face tight and clouded his heart and started again the low roll of thunder in his ears: thunder from Aargonar. From Jabiim.

Then the lights turned on, emerging from the durasteel black floor to the stairs leading to Palpatine … next were Grievous and the man Malorum at each side. Anakin had already seen the cyborg, yet curiously never fought him nor talk with : but he was tall as the holopictures had shown, his mysterious cape floating behind him, the famous holder of Grievous' trophies. But since when Grievous was coughing ? Obi-wan never mentionned that so it had to be quite recent. And then, there was the man. Malorum. Apprently, Ferus warned the Jedi that this man was very trained in the Sith ways, perhaps even capable of holding Palpatine's bodyguard. So Malorum was strong, Anakin would not underestimate him, but there was a problem : Grievous was here too. If the Jedi Knight was glad to have his padawan next to him, he knew he couldn't let her fight Grievous alone, but he was clearly against the idea of her going after Malorum …

"General Skywalker, Commander Tan" Malorum greeted, coming on the last march and opening his hands to welcome them warmly, "we've been expecting you." Then the cyborg and the young human took the stairs down, slowly observing the two Jedi. Anakin could now see what did Malorum look like. He wasn't that young at all, only a few years younger than him, but still older than Ahsoka. The man was about nineteen, and next to him, much to his disappointment, Grievous didn't look that tall.

Grievous narrowed his reptilian eyes at him, "Anakin Skywalker. I expected someone with your reputation to be a little... older."

"General Grievous," Anakin breathed, "You are shorter than I've expected."

Grievous made a sound between chuckling and coughing, "Jedi scum !"

"We have a job to do, Master," Ahsoka grinned, taking her lightsabers in her hand, "please don't anger him."

Malorum chuckled darkly as he stared at the Togruta, his eyes dancing of her body but Ahsoka only smiled at him, trying to lose his concentration by a simple flirt. Strangely, her trick seemed to worked, the man in front of her had taken his eyes off her, reaching a silver hilt in his black gloved hand. The padawan sighed, the man could have been a great Jedi if Dooku hadn't found him, but Malorum didn't seem like Ventress or Savage Oppress, he looked much more dangerous, supported by the darkside of the Force to his very core. The only thing she smelt from him was a burning darkness, a clear warning to his opponent.

"Ahsoka, I'm taking Grievous down," Anakin ordered. She thought better than argue, she had fought against the cyborg three times, she had been nearly killed every time, but Malorum's presence was intoxicating. She struggled to breath, and she was sweating, but before she realised she was afraid, she had jumped at him, her blades coming to life went to clash against a red lightsaber : the weapon of the Sith. The opponent was stronger than her, she understood it quickly when he broke the saber-lock but kicking her chest, and leapt at her. But she was more agile than him, her body was slimmer so she could dodge easier, and with a roll, she was behind him, ready to pierce his wide-open back. She extended both arms, trying to make him jump over her so she would sliced his weapon, she was surprised to see him hitting her wrists, and moved the red blade to her head. She had avoided the death blow by mere inch, but she was still very close to him, at his mercy, and soon she felt the hard fist striking her cheekbone.

"I am so disappointed," Malorum said in a breath as he grabbed her lekkus and threw her into the stairs. "Your reputation is based on lies. So, Commander Tano, allow me to end your carrier." He raised an arm, but he didn't see Anakin throwing Grievous at him and both of them crashed violently on a wall.

"Are you okay Snips ?" Anakin called from his position. He wanted to go next to her, but she raised a hand to stop him. They had a mission !

Grievous was the first to raise, more enraged than ever. The general's wide-spread arms now split along their lengths, dividing in half—even his hands split in half— Now he had four arms. And four hands. And each hand took a lightsaber as his cloak dropped to the floor. They snarled to life and Grievous spun all four of them in a flourishing velocity so fast and so seamlessly integrated that he seemed to stand within a pulsing sphere of blue and green energy.

"Come on, then, Skywalker ! Come for me!" he said. "I have been trained in your Jedi arts by Lord Tyrannus himself!"

"Do you mean Count Dooku? What a curious coincidence," Anakin said with a deceptively pleasant smile. "I was trained by the man who will kill him." With a convulsive snarl, Grievous lunged. The sphere of blue lightsaber energy around him bulged toward Anakin and opened like a mouth to bite him in half. Anakin stood his ground, his blade still. And then, the Jedi was gone, leaping high and turning a somersault to land right behind the cyborg, striking as hard as he could. But the droid had anticipated the move and intercept the blow with his four blades. With a growl, Anakin disengaged and attacked again, clashing with the four blades in front of him every time, and suddenly, the Force urged him to roll on his side : Malorum had attacked him from behind and had barely missed him. But Ahsoka had come to rescue him, blocking the red lightsaber with her green and yellow, and sent her feet in the Sith's face. She then attacked Grievous, as she knew her master would help. And he did, of course. Anakin had leapt at the cyborg a sudden and devastating trust, but one that never got close to hitting. In response, Grievous went into a wild flurry, the likes of which he had shown against Ferus Ollin hours ago. Soon Malorum came again to fight the duo, his red blade coming much closer every time he stroke. He was a fencer, a brilliant swordsman who had incorporate Juyo in his Makashi. Then, the young man laughed evilly, one of those laugh that could froze your body out of fear. He was enjoying this fight …But because of this, he had dropped his guard a second, enough time for Ahsoka to hit him soundly in the pectoral muscle, making him twirling before crashing on the black cold floor. She had rushed at him, and she was now on top of him, her lightsabers like scissors coming dangerously at his throat but the red blade appeared to intercept the lethal blow. He smirked at her and sent his knees in her abdomen, caughting her off guard and at his mercy. But he didn't want to kill her right now, he forcepushed her as hard as he was capable off, but realised that perhaps, he had used to much power. The Togruta padawan went flying extremely fast, passing in front of her master, and then hit violently a pillar in the back of the room. After the impact, her body landed in a sickening way.

"Ahsoka !" Anakin yelled as he felt his padawan fading away. The entire room was shaking, and both Grievous and Malorum knew it wasn't dued to the battle raging in space. The Chosen One was enraged. But all the Sith could do was laughing, reveling in the new emotion of that particular Jedi. Now it was time to push Skywalker to his limits, and then, to kill him.


Dooku couldn't believe what he was seeing. Or couldn't understand. Only he could see was a blue blur moving in a tremendous speed, jumping from everywhere and attacking him in every angle. He was used to fight against an Ataru fighter, he had trained Qui-Gon Jinn in this form, he knew every lack of it. The only one he never managed to beat was Yoda, and now Obi-wan, too. He never thought he would compare Yoda to Obi-wan but the teachings of the small Jedi were clearly noticeable. Again, Kenobi flipped in the air, his blue blade leaving a burning slash on the ground, an inch next to Dooku's feet, and landed behind the Count and Forcepushed him out of the balcony where they were fighting. The Jedi leapt at the Count who was prepared for another terrible dance, but as soon as Obi-wan had put his foot on the ground, he rolled and then aimed from below Dooku's right arm. If the Sith wasn't probably the best user of Makashi, he would have lost here and now. But he had caught the blue blade, stopping the Jedi's moves. This was the first weakness of Ataru, it need large moves, and speed, unlike Soresu where the user wasn't pratically moving. So Dooku whirled to attack this time, but Obi-wan blocked the red blade easily. And then, after releasing the red lightsaber, the blue one became blur again, nearly creating an opaque blue barrier all around Obi-wan : not only Kenobi was incorporating Soresu in his Ataru for defense, but also Niman for the problem of space. Dooku allowed himself to smile, proud to be the grand-master of that man, but quickly focused again on this fight. The Count realised he had jumped in reflex on the last table, in the middle of the room under the worried eyes of Senator Amidala, but again, Obi-wan had joined him, releasing a powerful blast in the Force as he landed, crushing the table in piece under his boots. The Jedi had planned to make Dooku lost his balance, it was nearly enough. Quickly regaining his balance, the Count dodged in the last moment the foot of Obi-wan that was aiming for his head : the brown sleeveless Jedi robe followed the movement, blinding the Sith for a half of second. Dooku took two steps back in order to prepare for the incoming blow, but the brown shadow had disappeared again, jumping on the left and with a almost perfect demonstration of Niman, Obi-wan made Dooku falling on the step just behind him.

"It's over, Count" Obi-wan said, his lightsaber held as Dooku's throat. "You are beaten."

Tyrannus stared sternly at the young Jedi in front of him. How could he claim victory with a simple fall ? Though last time, he had the droids to help him, now, the Sith would use his last tool. He drew from a hidden pocket a round silver holoprojector, and he already heard the sob of the Senator, watching behind him on the chair.

"Don't watch Obi-wan !" She yelled with tears in her voice. Honestly, Dooku didn't want to use such a low trick, it was so uncivilised, so unlike him. If he were to win, he had to do it because of his strength and power. But Obi-wan Kenobi had proven his superiority, it was the only choice left for Dooku. And soon, a magenta starfighter appeared on the round device, specially created to show the color of its record, only to be shot in the left wing and falling down on the Coruscant streets. Every person present in this room knew whose starfighter it was, Malorum had confirmed it since he was the one who had shot Siri Tachi.

"Her death was unnecessary Obi-wan," Dooku informed, still panting of the floor. "But it would not be vain. We can avenge her death, and Qui-Gon's too ! Join me Obi-wan and together, we will destroy Sidious, and end this madness."

Kenobi were studying the small picture flying above the projector, on the ground, his eyes no longer focused on his foe but on the ship of his wife. He knew how it felt in the Force when Siri Tachi passed away, he had been there in his previous life on Azure, holding her as she confessed her love for him once last time and kissing him with a mouth full of blood. The Force had been as chaotic as the death of the one Obi-wan loved : it usually felt like a limitless ocean of power, calm and serene but then, it had turned into a tremendous storm. He had been so closed to fall to the darkside that day, nearly killing the murderer of Siri, but he had remained a Jedi until the very end, for her. So he knew, without checking the Force, he knew deep in his heart that Siri Tachi wasn't dead. She was hurt, he could feel her pain from here, but she was not dead.

"I'm afraid we both know my wife isn't dead, Count," Obi-wan stated, looking now into Dooku's eyes, the Sith rising slowly and painfully.

"Your wife ?" Dooku stepped back. "You have violated the first rule of the Jedi Code ? You, Obi-wan Kenobi ? I know you two love each other, I always felt it, even when Qui-Gon and Master Gallia told you two to stop. I've watched you struggling with your feelings every time she was nearby. But you have disobeyed ? You have married her ?"

"What about you, Count Dooku ? Haven't you left the Jedi Order because you wanted revenge for Qui-Gon's death ? Isn't it also a violation of the Code ?"

"I am no longer a Jedi," Tyrannus shot back.

"But you can become one again," Obi-wan proposed, "our Temple is still opened for you. You don't have to protect Sidious any longer, and we can help each other in defeating him."

"Obi-wan you can't be serious ! He is a Sith ! A murderer," Padmé yelled, from behind. "He must be judged and put in jail. You can't let him come back with the Jedi and forget what he did !"

"Every one deserves redemption," Obi-wan replied, without even looking at the Senator.

"You are lying to yourself, my young Jedi Master," Dooku ignited his scarlet blade again, for the last time, "The Republic won't allow it, and you know it. Death is my only reward."
And then, he leaned forward, demonstrating all of his perfected skills in Makashi, slashing with an inhuman accuracy at the Jedi, the blue blade always here to interrupt the red one, to push it back, but never attacked yet. The offensive brought the brunt of his first attack to the Jedi's left side, seeking that advantage… but Kenobi held fast against the onslaught with only a single sidestep, deflecting every blow, repelling any advance, eventually taking the initiative and pushing Dooku back five hasty paces before he disengaged and stepped beyond the Sith's reach, freshly wary. The Sith came quickly forward, batting Obi-wan's blade up and to the side and at the same time the Jedi Master threw out a Force-blow which landed to Dooku's midsection knocking the air from his lungs with enough force to send him staggering back a step, winded. Seeing the opportunity, Obi-wan stepped, this time, quickly inside the old man's defences… But Dooku held him back, using all of his fear and anger to fill his power, and leaned his lightsaber forward, straight to Obi-wan's chest. Rather than try to bring his own blade up to hook the incoming blade away Obi-wan arched backwards. He'd already released his blade into his right hand as Dooku had swept it aside so that now as he arched back, he dropped onto his left hand, springing away from Dooku in a tight backflip, his blade arching round behind him to hold his opponent at bay, a solid wall of blue light so fast was the motion. Momentarily the Sith paused, uncertain whether the young man realized how close to the edge of the raised dais he was, but Kenobi made a nimble, unexpected flip-and-half-twist backward which took him safely over the drop to land soundly on both feet, dropping into a crouch to absorb the impact.

The half-twist had left him facing away from Dooku and the Sith hurried forward with a long step-and-jump to push the seeming advantage home. But as Kenobi landed he'd used the momentum of the high flip to spin himself about on the balls of his feet, half-crouching to avoid what should have been the Sith's incoming blade, his own saber brought in tight to his body then whipping up in a massively powerful roundhouse blow as he stood- Ironically it was Dooku's relative slowness to react and step into the feint which saved his life, leaving him that vital half-step away when Obi-wan's blade came up in a slice which would have cleaved him from hip to shoulder. As it was, it sliced through the cloth of his cloak as he backpedalled wildly, a vivid revelation of their relative dexterity. And then, Dooku watched in awe the Jedi in front of him becoming nothing more than a brown and blue blur, hurling at him with the same speed as Yoda, and suddenly, something grabbed his wrists. In reflex, the Sith flipped backward, believing his hands had been severed by the very man in front of him, but not quite so. He dared to stare at his now empty hands, no more lightsaber carefully held by his white fingers, replaced by vulgare glowing handcuffs around his forearms. The Sith would have laughed at the Jedi for using so simple tools, but Obi-wan was in front of him, the red blade ignited in his hand crossing the blue one, forming a scissor around Dooku's neck. Astonishment was obviously read on Dooku's face, who knew the Jedi had only toyed with him, always holding back. How could that be possible ? Dooku was more powerful than every Jedi, perhaps stronger than Yoda, so how could Obi-wan, or had he dared holding back ? How much power had that young Jedi Master ?

"Lord Tyrannus, Count Dooku of Sorenno and Leader of the Separatist," Obi-wan named respectfully, even for the first title, "you are my prisonner."

Dooku now remembered how much he never wanted to be captured. First Palpatine had ordered him to be capture by Skywalker, so he had changed this plan, creating his own one, where Sidious would have no influence on him, or on Skywalker. But had he thought him as Obi-wan's prisonner ? He had too much pride for that : a true warrior would lose a fight by his death, nor like this, not on his knees in front of the victorious one. He had wanted Obi-wan to kill him, oh how much he had wanted it. But now ? Between his blade and Obi-wan's ? He wasn't sure anymore, surely the Jedi's promises were true : the Council member had offered him redemption, as Yoda did on Vijun months ago. Would it be a shame to accept it ? By doing so, he would help taking Sidious down, and earned his peaceful retreat far away from the Republic, and the war. Wasn't what he had always craved for ? It was, and he knew it. But coming with Obi-wan implied facing the Jedi, and that he couldn't allowed.

"I understand you fear to come home," Obi-wan smiled gently at him. Dooku didn't fail to hear the precious word of the young Jedi. Was the Jedi Temple still Dooku's home ? Yes it was Dooku's home, but not Tyrannus'. "Give it up, walk away from the darkside, Master Dooku. Come back with me, for Yoda, for Qui-Gon..."

"I can't," Dooku finally said, his voice almost sounding like a plea, "I've done things you can't forget, nor you can forgive."

"I already have," Obi-wan deactivated both the lightsaber and offered the curved hilt to its owner, "The Republic has no words in it. Everything would be fine, if you helped me bringing Sidious down."

Dooku almost said Obi-wan hadn't the power to, almost said it. But then, he couldn't because Obi-wan had such power. He suddenly understood it, the revelation now crystal-clear brought by the Force itself. By the Force, not by the darkside. How could the Force welcome him so soon, and so easily ? He looked in the man's eyes, staring at the passionate grey-blue eyes. He was welcoming him home, the Force was encouraging that Jedi. As if it lent its own power to that single man … Not if, Dooku realised it, the Force was touching Obi-wan Kenobi more than the so-called Chosen One, more than Yoda, more than any Jedi Dooku ever knew. Who was really Obi-wan Kenobi ? It didn't matter to Dooku, and to Tyrannus, if Obi-wan could defeat Sidious, then he would help him. Treachery is the way of the Sith, and justice was the way of the Jedi. By accepting Obi-wan's offer, Dooku would achieve both goals. He then felt pride, honored, and powerful in the same time so he rose, slowly reaching for the curved hilt but never took it in his hand. He simply waved his white aged fingers above him, above Obi-wan and then a quite click was heard, followed by the huge surprise of the Senator who ran at her friend.

"I accept your offer, Master Kenobi," Dooku bowed his head, "I will help you. Keep my lightsaber,I don't need it anymore, and it will reassured the Senator."

"You won't be so generous once you face your trial on Coruscant," Padme said, her voice filled with poisoned. Something Obi-wan never thought he would hear from her. But of course, she didnt' know the real monster behind all of this was Palpatine, not Dooku, not the mere pawn in this war, not the once great Jedi Master turning into a pet of darkness.

"Padme...," Obi-wan shook his head, "we need to leave. The ship won't resist any longer, we need to find Anakin and Ahsoka." He was already reaching the stairs as he was instructing the two other humans. Then they passed the doors, staring at a small red astromech biping in what sounded like relief in front of the main elevator's door. The Jedi patted his red head, knowingly. "I told you everything would be fine Arfour."


He gathered the Force once more in a single in drawn breath that summoned power from throughout the universe; the slightest whipcrack of that power, negligent as a flick of his wrist, sent Tano flying backward to crash hard against the pillar, but Malorum didn't have time to enjoy it. Skywalker was all over him. The shining blue lightsaber whirled and spat and every overhand chop crashed against Malorum's defense with the unstoppable power a meteor strike; the Sith spent lavishly of his reserve of the Force merely to meet these attacks without being cut in half, and Skywalker. Skywalker was getting stronger. Each parry cost Malorum more power than he'd used to throw Ahsoka Tano across the room; each block aged him a decade. He decided he'd best revise his strategy once again. He no longer even tried to strike back. Force exhaustion began close down his perceptions, drawing his consciousness back down to his physical form, trapping him within his own skull until could barely even feel the contours of the room around him; he dimly sensed stairs at his back, stairs that led up to Palpatine. He retreated up them, using the higher ground for leverage, but Skywalker just kept on coming, tirelessly ferocious. That blue blade was everywhere, flashing and whirling faster and faster until the young Sith saw the room through an electric haze and now. But he wasn't afraid, only Skywalker war.

"I can sense a great darkness in you Skywaker," Malorum licked his lips as he pushed the Jedi back on the ground, at the end of the stairs, "You have anger, hate but you don't use them." The man looked at Grievous discretly who had let him assault the Jedi Knight, he knew Malorum could win, he always knew. "General, you may return to the bridge, I sense Lord Tyrannus is in danger. We have to stop Kenobi."

"And Skywalker ?" Grievous narrowed his eyes, watching the two Force-sensitives stared at each other, in a duel of will.

"Go," Malorum simply ordered as he hurled at Anakin, letting his rage flowed within him. Finally, he would prove Sidious how much powerful Malorum was. How much he was wrong to hand him over Dooku, because after killing Skywalker, Malorum would kill Sidious, Dooku, and then … Nothing would stop him. He would Emperor ! Grievous had ordered, he had left in seconds, but before he did, he allowed himself something Dooku would not have tolerated, but Malorum would only encourage it. The cyborg General came near the limp body of Ahsoka Tano, and threw her against another wall. When nothing came out of the Togruta's mouth, he chuckled and left, believing the padawan dead or if not, unable to fight for a very long time. How sweet was the revenge after all. Dooku had warned him revenge could blind him, twist his mind and goals, but Malorum had pressed Grievous, offering him what he already wished : a revenge against the Jedi. And today, Anakin Skywalker would die.

By the time Malorum's attention returned to the Jedi, his vision was rather completely obstructed by the sole of a boot approaching his face with something resembling terminal velocity. The impact was a blast of white fire, and then the room turned upside down and he fell toward the ceiling, but not really, of course: it only felt that way because he had flipped over the rail and he was falling headfirst toward the floor, and neither his arms nor his legs were paying any attention to what he was trying to make them do. The Force seemed to be busy elsewhere, and really, the whole process was entirely mortifying. He was barely able to summon a last surge of dark power before what would have been a disabling impact. The Force cradled him, cushioning his fall and setting him on his feet. He dusted himself off and fixed a supercilious gaze on Skywalker. There was something troublingly appropriate about it. Seeing Skywalker standing where Malorum himself had stood only moments ago... it was as though he was trying to remember a dream he'd never actually had... He pushed this aside, drawing once more upon the certain knowledge of his personal invincibility to open a channel to the Force. Power flowed into him, and the weight of his years dropped away. He lifted his blade, and beckoned. Skywalker leapt at him. Even as the man hurtled forward, Malorum felt a new twist in the currents of the Force between them, and he finally understood. He understood how Skywalker was getting stronger. Why he no longer spoke. How he had become a machine of battle. He understood why Sidious had been so interested in him for so long. Skywalker was a natural. There was a thermonuclear furnace where his heart should be, and it was burning through the firewalls of his Jedi training. He held the Force in the clench of a white-hot fist. He was half Sith already, and he didn't even know it. This man had the gift of fury. And even now, he was holding himself back; even now, as he landed at Malorum's flank and rained blows upon the Sith's defenses, even as he drove the Sith backward step after step, Malorum could feel how Skywalker kept his fury banked behind walls of will: walls that were hardened by some uncontrollable dread. Dread, the dark warrior surmised, of himself. Of what might happen if he should ever allow that furnace he used for a heart to go supercritical. He slipped aside from an overhand chop and sprang backward.

"I sense great fear in you. You are consumed by it. Hero With No Fear, indeed. You're a fraud, Skywalker. You are nothing but a posturing man." He pointed his lightsaber at the Jedi like an accusing finger. "Aren't you a little old to be afraid of the dark?"

Skywalker leapt for him again, and this time Malorum met the man's charge easily. They stood nearly toe-to-toe, blades flashing faster than the eye could see, but Skywalker had lost his edge: a simple taunt was all that had been required to shift the focus of his attention from winning the fight to controlling his own emotions. The angrier he got, the more afraid he became, and the fear fed his anger in turn; like the proverbial Corellian multipede, now that he had started thinking about what he was doing, he could no longer walk. Malorum allowed himself to relax; he felt that spirit of playfulness coming over him again as he and Skywalker spun 'round each other in their lethal dance. Whatever fun was to be had, he should enjoy while he could.

Then Sidious, who Malorum realised was just meters behind him, decided to intervene. The warrior hadn't noticed how much the Jedi had drown him that close to the Sith Lord, the one who had stolen him from his family to become a simple Inquisitor, no more, no less. Only a pawn, but Malorum had risen with Dooku, becoming something he couldn't have been by staying in Byss. He never accepted being only an Inquisitor, even if he was in charge of the others inquisitors, it wasn't enough. He wanted so much more, and right now, he wanted Skywalker's head. "Don't fear what you're feeling, Anakin, use it!" Sidious barked in Palpatine's voice. "Call upon your fury. Focus it, and he cannot stand against you. Rage is your weapon. Strike now! Strike! Kill him!"

Malorum thought blankly, "Kill me?" He and Skywalker paused for one single, final instant, blades

locked together, staring at each other past a sizzling cross of scarlet against blue, and in that instant Malorum found himself at ease, in peace with himself. If Sidious knew he was a threat, then he would become such : Skywalker would never been able to kill him, and he would die because of this weakness. But Palpatine's words rage is your weapon had given Anakin permission to unseal the shielding around his furnace heart, and all his fears and all his doubts shriveled in its flame. When with all the power that the dark side could draw from throughout the universe, Malorum hurled a jagged fragment of the durasteel table. But Anakin's head had been filled with the smoke from his smothered heart for far too long; it had been the thunder that darkens his mind. On Aargonar, on Jabiim, on Coruscant against Bariss Offee, that smoke had clouded his mind, had blinded him and left him flailing in the dark, a mindless machine of slaughter; but here now, within this ship, this microscopic cell of life in the infinite sterile desert of space, his firewalls had opened so that the terror and the rage were out there, in the fight instead of in his head, and Anakin's mind was clear as a crystal bell. In that pristine clarity, there was only one thing he must do. Decide. So he did. He decided to win. He decided that Malorum should be hurt the same way he hurt Padme. Decision was reality, here: his blade moved simultaneously with his will and blue fire vaporizes black Corellian nanosilk and disintegrates flesh and sheers bone, and away fell a Sith's right arm, trailing smoke that tastes of charred meat and burned hair. The arm fell with a bar of scarlet blaze still extending from its spastic death grip, and Anakin's heart song for the fall of that red blade. And then Anakin takes Malorum's other arm as well. The warrior crumpled to his knees, but stared intensly at the Jedi before him. Blue lightsaber was in his hand, closing dangerously the gape between the blade on Malorum's abdomen. Then the blade entered his body, burning his internal organ, but Malorum would not scream. He would give that to Sidious or to Skywalker. Perhaps he hoped Grievous or Dooku would come here to stop all of this. Perhaps it wasn't the time for dying, he still hoped.

Until he heard "Good, Anakin! Good! I knew you could do it!" and registered this is Palpatine's voice and felt within the darkest depths of all he was the approach of the words that were to come next. "Kill him," Palpatine said. "Kill him now."

In Skywalker's eyes Malorum saw only flames, and the smile that had appeared on his lips was similar to his own. Clearly the Jedi was enjoying seeing his blade burning the body of his enemy. Though Anakin hadn't still killed him ... Years of Jedi training made Anakin hesitate; but then he looked down upon Malorum and saw only the Sith. The mad twisted young man who had captured Padme, his wife, his angel, and had held Palpatine, his mentor, almost a father. "I shouldn't—" He said, even if he couldn't resist make that man suffering. The blue blade went up a bit, burning another rib in the process. But Malorum still didn't yell, still hadn't shown any signs of suffering. It was infuriating the Jedi, seeing how much the dark man was that strong.

But when Palpatine barks, "Do it! Now!" Anakin realizes that this isn't actually an order. That it is, in fact, nothing more than what he's been waiting for his whole life. Permission. And Malorum realized that as well.

"Go on Jedi," Malorum provoked, knowing that his time had come. He wouldn't die without torturing the Jedi one last time. "Savour my death, Skywalker, because you will have to remember my face in your dreams. Remember that face, who had killed your padawan, and ... who had raped your wife !" He laughed, evilly, a twisted snigger. It was his victory over the Jedi, pushing him over the edge to his unlimited downfall. And then, the blue blade came out of his body, and Malorum knew he had lost his head to be the victim of Anakin Skywalker's first cold-blooded murder. First but not, he knew, the last.

"He lied," Palpatine stated simply, "That man had been watching me since I was in that seat, and Padme was with Dooku all that time. He never touched her."

"I—I couldn't stop myself..." And before the words left his lips he heard how hollow and obvious was the lie.

"You did well, Anakin." Palpatine's voice was warm as an arm around Anakin's shoulders. "You did not only well, but right. He was too dangerous to leave alive. Remember what he had done at the Senate. Not only did he capture Padme, but he had slaughtered dozens of citizens. Innocent citizens." From the Chancellor this sounded true, but when Anakin repeated it inside his head he knew that Palpatine's truth would be one he could never make himself believe. A tremor that began between his shoulder blades threatened to expand into a full case of the shakes.

"He was an unarmed prisoner..." That, now—that simple unbearable fact—that was truth. Though it burned him like his own lightsaber, truth was some- thing he could hang on to. And somehow it made him feel a little better. A little stronger. He tried another truth: not that he couldn't have stopped himself, but—

"I shouldn't have done that," he said, and now his voice came out solid, and simple, and final. Now he could look down at the corpse at his feet. He could look at the severed head. He could see them for what they were. A crime. He'd become a war criminal. Guilt hit him like a fist. He felt it—a punch to his heart that smacked breath from his lungs and buckled his knees. It hung on his shoulders like a yoke of collapsium: an invisible weight beyond his mortal strength, crushing his life. There were no words in him for this. All he could say was, "It was wrong." And that was the sum of it, right there. It was wrong.

"Nonsense. Disarming him was nothing; he had powers beyond your imagination."

Anakin shook his head. "That doesn't matter. It's not the Jedi way." The ship shuddered again, and the lights went out.

"Have you never noticed that the Jedi way," Palpatine said, invisible now within the stark shadow of the black seat, "is not always the right way?"

Anakin looked toward the shadow. "You don't understand. You're not a Jedi. You can't understand."

"Anakin, listen to me. How many lives have you just saved with this stroke of a lightsaber? Can you count them?"

"But—"

"It wasn't wrong, Anakin. It may be not the Jedi way, but it was right. Perfectly natural—he captured your wife; you wanted revenge. And your revenge was justice."

"Revenge is never just. It can't be—"

"Don't be childish, Anakin. Revenge is the foundation of justice. Justice began with revenge, and revenge is still the only justice some beings can ever hope for."

Anakin remembered the time he had been in the Tusken Camp, when he had saved his mother. He knew that if they had killed her, he would have slaughtered them, and he had wanted to. Oh how much he had wanted to go back the next morning, to kill those creature who had hurt Shmi Skywalker. But today was different, he had done it. Malorum had been murdered. By him. On purpose. Here in this black wide circular room, he had looked into the eyes of a living being and coldly decided to end that life. He could have chosen the right way. He could have chosen the Jedi way. But instead— He stared down at Malorum's severed head. He could never unchoose this choice. He could never take it back. As Master Windu liked to say, there was no such thing as a second chance. And he wasn't even sure he wanted one. He couldn't let himself about this. Just as he didn't let himself think about the dead on Tatooine. He put his hand to his eyes, trying to rub away the memory. "Promise we would never talk about today again."

"We won't." It was as though the shadow itself spoke kindly. "I have always kept your secrets, have I not?"

"Yes—yes, of course, Chancellor, but—" Anakin wanted to crawl away into a corner somewhere; he felt sure that if things would just stop for a while—an hour, a minute—he could pull himself together and find some way to keep moving forward. He had to keep moving forward. Moving forward was all he could do. Especially when he couldn't stand to look back. The view wall behind the seat blossomed with looping ion spirals of inbound missiles. The shuddering of the ship built itself into a continuous quake, gathering magnitude with each hit.

"Anakin, my restraints, please," the shadow said. "I'm afraid this ship is breaking up. I don't think we should be aboard when it does." In the Force, the field-signatures of the magnetic locks on the Chancellor's shackles were as clear as text saying UNLOCK ME LIKE THIS; a simple twist of Anakin's mind popped them open. The shadow grew a head, then shoulders, then underwent a sudden mitosis that left the Black Chair standing behind and turned its other half into the Supreme Chancellor. Palpatine picked his way through the debris that littered the gloom-shrouded room, moving surprisingly quickly toward the stairs. "Come along, Anakin. There is very little time."

The view wall flared white with the missiles' impacts, and one of them must have damaged the gravity generators: the ship seemed to heel over, forcing Palpatine to clutch desperately at the banister and sending Anakin skidding down a floor that had suddenly become a forty-five-degree ramp. He rolled hard into a pile of rubble: shattered permacrete, hydrofoamed to reduce weight.

"Ahsoka—!" He sprang to his feet and waved away the debris that had buried the body of his apprentice. Ahsoka laid entirely still, eyes closed. Bad as Ahsoka looked, Anakin had stood over the bodies of too many friends on too many battlefields to be panicked by a little blood. One touch to Ahsoka's throat confirmed the strength of her pulse, and that touch also let Anakin's Force perception flew through the whole body of his padawan. Her breathing was weak,bones could be broken, she was barely alive. She wasn't dead ! But for how long ?

"Leave her, Anakin. There is no time." Palpatine was half hanging from the banister, both arms wrapped around a stanchion. "This whole spire may be about to break free—"

"Then we'll all be adrift together." Anakin glanced up at the Supreme Chancellor and for that instant he didn't like the man at all—but then he reminded himself that brave as Palpatine was, this was the courage of conviction; the man was no soldier. He had no way of truly comprehending what he was asking Anakin to do. "Her fate," he said in case Palpatine had not understood, "will be the same as ours."


Author Notes : There is it ! Dooku is captured, Malorum is unfortunately dead, in a very hard way, I think :D
I hesitated a lot about killing Malorum or not, but I have no further use for him. The plot will more focus around Anakin, Palpatine and what Ferus will do, because he still has something to accomplish, a certain planet to go, a certain place where he would finally have his answers.
Anyway, next time, the Jedi would land on Coruscant, every one would reflect on Coruscant's siege, and I want to write about Anteres and his parents. They deserved some peace, before Obi-wan is going back to war. And of course, you will know what Ferus is preparing.

Until then, please review again, critics are always most welcome ! :)
( next chapter probably in three or four days )