AN: Alright, guys, I did it. This was going to come to you in two parts, but it broke up the flow, so here it is, in it's unholy, massive glory. Might not get a chapter tomorrow since, you know, this is actually two, and I sort of have only a slight idea of what comes next before the shit goes down, but I'll do my best. Again, let me know in comments or PM if you have ideas or want to see something. Your ideas help my ideas. Also, um...new Pokemon game comes out on Friday, so...Gotta Catch Them All, kids!

Chapter 54: The Battle of Kamino

It took less than five minutes for his team to arrive, and less than that for the three Jedi and the Captain to clear the hanger of the droids within. Clone soldiers were in cover behind walls and crates and railings, and when the last of the droids had been destroyed, the clones rushed to fortify the defense of the secured hanger. Far up on the massive dome of the city, they could see the sharp, twisting mechanical links that served as the long arms of a droid shaped like an arrow, a spinning drill puncturing the dome and releasing droids within. Two others like it did similar work on the domes on either side of them, and without saying a word, the three Jedi and the Captain rushed into the city, the hallways lit with eerie red emergency lighting.

"Do we have a plan?" Quinlan asked as they skidded around a corner, his green saber slashing through a rogue droid in the hall.

"You're the Master here, that puts you in charge!" Anakin huffed, using the Force to push fallen droids out of the way, but Tarkin quickly grabbed his arm.

"Don't!" the Captain hissed, dragging Skywalker to a swift and sudden halt, and Quinlan and Ahsoka ran past them, only realizing a few seconds later that the other were lagging behind. "We have a trail of destroyed droids and dead clones, and it will lead us directly to General Grievous. Don't disrupt it!"

Quinlan pointed to the Captain with his thumb. "He's right. You a tracker, Tarkin?"

The man scoffed. "I hardly think this is the time for-"

"You're a tracker, right?"

Tarkin sighed. "Every summer since I was twelve on Eriadu's Carrion Platteau."

Quinlan winked at his Padawan, leaning in close to her. "Told you so." Ahsoka quietly cursed under her breath.

"This entire mission has felt wrong since the beginning!" Anakin shouted, taking a few deep, calming breaths before he began to run down the halls, the others following closely behind. This time, he followed the trail of bodies and debris, carefully avoiding them as they made their way through the facility. "The attacking force is too small, something's not right."

Ahsoka nodded. "I agree. If destroying the cloning facility is the task, they aren't being very smart about it, and we know Grievous is smarter than this." Again, they skidded to a stop when the hallway emptied into a circular room, several corridors leading in different directions shooting off from the domed room. The trail led down only one of the hallways, but before Anakin could take off again, Quinlan grabbed his arm, Skywalker looking down curiously at the kneeling Master, the Kiffar's eyes closed and his hand upon the body of a dead clone commander, his armor pierced by a burning hole that could only have been left by a lightsaber.

"Ventress is here," Quinlan said softly, and Anakin inhaled sharply, holding his breath for a moment before he exhaled and began to pace.

"General Grievous, Asajj Ventress, Obi-Wan Kenobi..." he muttered under his breath looking down the halls and reading the signs that described where the corridors led. "Grievous is heading to the barracks. The clones there will put up a fight, but we need Jedi there. Quinlan, Ahsoka, you two go lend aid to the clones and stop Grievous."

Quinlan grinned. "Been wanting to take on that scrap heap for a while now. This should be fun."

"Tarkin, you make your way to the central command area. Master Shaak Ti should be there, lend her what aid you can. I'll go with you until we can find a company of clones to support you, and then I'm heading to the labs. I...have this feeling."

Ahsoka smirked. "You sure do have a lot of those."

"And my hunches are usually right. To maximize damage to us, they would need to compromise our ability to create more clones, which means the labs will be a target." Anakin paused for a moment, then groaned loudly. "This is exactly what we did to them on Geonosis! Kriffing Hell, this isn't just an attack, it's a message!" Anakin steeled himself as he looked down the hallways, the red warning lights flashing. "Everyone stay alert. Ventress is here, and it's possible that Kenobi is as well."

"General, I dislike that we're splitting up," Tarkin said swiftly, stepping forwards to be closer to the Jedi. "Surrendering group integrity for twice as many possible problems isn't a sound strategy."

"How are we supposed to accomplish all we need to if we stay together, Tarkin? They are almost certainly divided as well. We need to be able to be two places at once."

"If we remain together, we can tackle one problem at a time, and do it in half the time it would take were we divided. I do not think this is wise. Grievous' meager assault is clearly a distraction. We should all head for the cloning laboratories. That is where the Separatist objective will lie, that is where their key players will be."

"You want us to leave Grievous alone?" Ahsoka asked, appalled. "He will kill hundreds of clones!"

"Acceptable losses. There are always more to replace them," Tarkin said calmly, drawing to his full height. "But there won't be if we don't save the laboratories." His cool blue eyes looked the angry Padawan over and sighed. "You are selling your troops short. They are clever, and this is their home. They will defend it, and when tasked to, they will bring General Grievous to heel."

"We're wasting time discussing this!" Anakin snapped, grabbing hold of an irritated Tarkin's arm. "We have a plan, and we're going to stick to it. There are too many dangerous people running around, and we need to get in their way before they cause too much damage." Not another word was said as Quinlan and Ahsoka sprinted down the hall littered with bodies and sparking, broken droids, and Anakin pulled Tarkin down the corridor leading toward the laboratories, the Captain fuming as he followed, but he stayed silent.

It didn't take long for Anakin to find a squad of clones rushing down the hallways, and quickly explaining the situation, they gladly took Tarkin on as their commanding officer and doubled back down the halls toward the command center. Finally alone, Anakin stopped and knelt, eyes closed as he reached out with the Force to feel the presence of all of those around him. The intense fury of the clones as they defended their home drowned out nearly all else, the fear and anger driving the Force toward the Dark Side, but through it all, he saw the current gently flowing in one direction, as if it were called to a singular source, as if it demanded that the Force obey, and the Dark Side answered in languid response. His course clear, he followed the pull, the Force guiding him to where he was headed all along.

Anakin arrived soon after, his speed augmented by the Force, and the doors of the laboratory opened with a soft hiss and closed nearly silently behind him, and awe nearly took his breath away. He had never been to Kamino, and it was nothing like he imagined. The room was bright, blindingly so, everything a brilliant shade of stark white that only seemed to draw attention to the enormous compartmented vats that reached from ground to enormous domed ceiling. Within all of them were clones, hundreds of thousands of them all in their developmental stages. From tiny cylinders filled with blue-green fluid to nearly formed infant humans, the laboratories were nothing more than technologically advanced hatcheries for the Grand Army of the Republic. This room had to be defended at all costs. Anakin frowned. Tarkin may have been right about maintaining group integrity. Strength in numbers would have been helpful in defending such a vast area.

He was about to contact his captain and tell him so when the Force seemed to pull at him, snapping his attention to a place deeper inside the lab, and Anakin ran, allowing his feelings to guide him. Someone was here, and he was beginning to wonder just how many entrances to the lab there were. Driving himself to run faster, he found the source of the pull on the Force that he had been feeling, and the intruder straightened at his approach and the hissing snap of his igniting lightsaber, giving Skywalker a clear view of the thin, dark gray tattoos on her smooth, hairless head.

"And here I thought this would be easy..." Ventress said as she turned around, Anakin's eyes drifting to a thin tube she clutched in her hand. That was what they were there for...whatever it was.

"Think you're going somewhere with that?" Skywalker asked, pointing with his lightsaber at the object, and with a cocky smirk, Ventress attached it to the thick belt she wore around her, calling her twin lightsabers to her hand and lighting the weapons, and without a word, the Nightsister lunged forward, her strikes unbelievably fast as she forced the usually offensive Anakin into a defensive stance, and Skywalker quietly thanked Luminara for her stubborn commitment to his training. Ventress was greatly improved since the last time they fought, and Anakin briefly wondered if this was the same woman. Ventress was faster, stronger, far more aggressive and much, much more angry, the Dark Side pulled to her as she allowed it to consume her, the Force itself seeming to burn with her rage.

Centering himself, Anakin thrust his blade forward when she brought one blade down upon him, the momentum of her saber circling Anakin's around, and in an instant, Skywalker's blade slid up hers, and Ventress was forced to bring her other weapon around to block its advance, and suddenly, Skywalker had the upper hand. He kept his movements small, slight flicks of his wrist directing his weapon exactly where it needed to be to send the Nightsister off-balance, retreating as she struggled to avoid the swiftly moving blade, and with a growl of frustration, Ventress slashed one of her blades across one of the massive vats, the thick transparisteel turning a molten red as it superheated. Anakin felt his chest tighten when the long slash quickly cooled, sending long cracks up the length of the tube. He needed to bring the fight out of the laboratory, or the wild swings of lightsabers would be the death of thousands of clones in their infancy.

Apparently, Ventress agreed. Anakin lunged forward, stabbing straight at her chest, and as he moved, Ventress jumped, flipping over him with ease, and Anakin wasn't fast enough to bring his blade around to catch her in the air. She had hardly hit the ground before she had taken off running, the Force lending her speed as she slid under work stations, vaulted over data terminals and jumped between closely lined vats, Anakin close in pursuit, but losing ground, the assassin proving to be the lither, more athletic of the two. Centering himself, Anakin redoubled his efforts just in time to see Ventress disappear behind one of the vats, and reaching out with his mechanical hand, he gripped the glass tube and used it to quickly round the corner. He just barely caught sight of the bald head disappearing through a doorway. Drawing on the Force for speed, Anakin chased after Ventress, and when he entered the hallways outside the laboratories, Skywalker got her in his sights and gave chase. He wouldn't lose sight of her again.


Obi-Wan didn't have to do a thing as he calmly walked the halls of the cloning facility. Periodically, he'd have to bring up his lightsaber to deflect a bolt away from himself, but it was an effortless affair. Cody was doing all the work. The clone at his side was positively brimming with hatred, something in his mind snapping and filling him with a burning rage for the place where he was born and raised by creatures that enslaved him for a singular purpose. He was a clone, bred for war and nothing else, and that's what Cody was intent to bring upon them all.

Protected by the Sith's lightsaber, Cody was able to focus his attentions on shooting down every clone they came across, from the soldiers who were awaiting deployment, to the young cadets returning from combat training, to seasoned veterans returning home to re-equip themselves. He knew all their tactics, all their strategies, all the weaknesses in their armor, and without regret or remorse, he killed them all. With Grievous serving as the distraction in the barracks, reenforcements came in a thin stream, never getting to the point where they faced a terrible amount of resistance, but never running out of targets either, and when one plasma rifle had been depleted of charges, there was always another to be taken off the dead. Just as they were trained to do.

As they approached the command center, the resistence they encountered was greater, the corridor heavily fortified, and several clones were equipt with the rapidly firing Z-6 rotary blaster cannons, and Obi-Wan centered himself in the Force and assumed Soresu's defensive posture, moving his blade so quickly and efficiently that hardly a bolt got past him. He kept up the swift defensive long enough for Cody to kill the heavy troopers, and with the rate of fire slowed significantly without the semi-automatic weapons in use, the Sith was free to rush in with his clone right behind him, Cody's blue lightsaber hissing to life as the two made short work of the clones at close range.

When the clones lay dead, the hall was silent, and Obi-Wan held up a hand, his finger drawing a large, looping circle above his head, and Cody took off, rushing down the halls that branched off the main corridor, and Kenobi knelt, his lightsaber humming in his hand as he reached out to the Force, felt the life forces beyond the door, the corner of his mouth tugging up into a delighted smirk when he felt only three, and one of those was a Jedi. Shaak Ti.

Periodically, he could hear the sound of a blaster discharging echoing down the halls, felt as another life was snuffed out, felt the shock and confusion of the identical as they died at the hands of what looked like, felt like one of their own, and when silence fell, Cody returned.

"All clear, sir."

"Well done, my friend," the Sith whispered. "Your part here is done. Go and ready the ship. We will leave as soon as I return."

"How long do you suppose it will take to subdue the Jedi?" he asked softly, kneeling beside his Master, and Kenobi closed his eyes and breathed deep.

"As long as it takes. She is a Jedi Master of the High Council. She did not get there by being weak. She is strong in the Force, uniquely gifted with telekinesis, and her abilities as a duelist are singular."

"...and you want to capture this Jedi?"

"I will capture this Jedi."

"Alone?"

Opening his eyes, Obi-Wan looked at his clone and smiled gently. "If I bring you with me, you will die. I did not come unprepared, and I have a plan. Her strengths will become her weaknesses. The Force itself will turn on her, if I will it so."

"Well, may the Force be with you then, my Lord."

"It always is, may it also be with you, Cody. Be cautious on your way back."

Cody didn't say another word as he got up and left the Sith Lord, rushing back down the hall and following the trail of dead clones to take him back to the ship. Every now and again, he'd duck into a hallway, hiding himself from view as a company ran past, carrying weapons and explosives on their way to the barracks to deal with Grievous. Occasionally, a group would venture down the hallway, drawn in by the bodies of their fellows, but they mostly went unnoticed. Dead clones were something they were trained to ignore in favor of completing their mission objective, and those that didn't head straight for the barracks were quickly struck down. Cody knew his Master could handle a few clones, but if he could make the Sith's difficult task easier by eliminating possible distractions, he would do it. After all, it wouldn't do to have the clones alerted to a direct attack on their leaders.

A red light on the com on his wrist began flashing, static filtering through the speakers in his helmet as he was tuned into the correct channel, and Cody rolled his eyes when he heard the hard, labored breathing of Asajj Ventress. He could practically hear her sneer when she heard she had been connected, and he wondered why she had even bothered contacting him if she was so bothered by it.

"Clone," Ventress growled, and Cody ducked into a hallway when he thought he heard swift footfalls echoing down the hallway.

"Witch," he growled in return, and he smiled when he heard the woman grumble in irritation.

"Where are you!" she snarled, and Cody could hear the thrum of her lightsabers. If she was running, she must have met the Jedi.

"I'm headed back to the Umbra. What's your location?"

"Kamino," was the disaffected answer, and Cody had half a mind to cut the call. The footfalls became louder as nearly two dozen clones rushed past, and when he could hear them rushing quickly away, Cody slipped out of the hallway and back down the long corridor toward the landing platform where the stealth ship stood waiting. "Why haven't you contacted me, what's taking you so long!"

"The command center is in the heart of the city, it took a while to get there. And Lord Lumis didn't want to make a bigger commotion by tearing through the place. That's Grievous' job."

"Excuses!" the woman hissed. "I'm ready to leave, get to the ship!"

"I'm working on it, you banshee. Patience."

"Patience!" Ventress cried, outraged. "I ought to gut you, clone. I'm being pursued by Anakin Skywalker, we need to leave now."

"Haven't you bragged in the past about killing Jedi?" Cody asked lazily, leaning around a corner and, finding it clear, he rounded it, his blaster rifle in hand as he jogged down the corridor. "Just kill him."

"So help me, clone-"

"Call me clone again and I'm going to leave you in this kriffing city when we leave. I am not like them. If you can't kill him, lose him. I don't want you to drag him back to the ship." Ventress began a volley of violently colorful cursing, and Cody cut the communications between them just as he turned a corner and he immediately took a step back. In the middle of the corridor was a squad of clones led by a Republic officer with brown hair and sharp, severe features. It was too late to retreat. They had seen him. Calm settled over Cody as he stood up tall, blaster tucked under his arm as he saluted. The clones and their commander slowed as they approached.

"State your name and rank, soldier," the officer calmly demanded, and Cody relaxed, the rifle resting easily in his hands and his lightsaber safely secured behind him.

"CT-411, Clone Commander, Lightning Squadron, sir." It had been practiced so many times before that Cody almost believed it himself. The actual clone he was impersonating he had killed himself on Haruun Kal. Even if it was a commander, nobody missed a clone.

"I heard only fifty of your squadron survived some Separatist massacre in the Outer Rim," Tarkin said softly, and Cody could feel the man appraising him. This man was...dangerous.

"Yes, sir, but we can discuss that after we press these clankers into the ocean," Cody said quickly, pressing past them with urgency. "Come on, our brothers need our help."

For a moment, the clones began to follow him, but the officer quickly said, "Not so fast," and the squad stopped. "Our objective is to give support to General Shaak Ti in the command center, if she is still there. General Skywalker seems to believe that the focus of this attack isn't what it appears. We could use your help, Commander."

Cody nodded and stepped into line behind the squad. There were eight clones. He could easily take eight, though not quickly, but he didn't need to be fast. He just needed to get them away from their course. He reached behind him and took his lightsaber in his hand, lightly jogging behind the group as he placed the end of it on the back of the nearest clone and activated the weapon, the blue blade shooting through the unaware clone's chest. Cody quickly withdrew the blade and with a swift, sweeping slash, he cut through two more before they could realize what was happening. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the remaining five clones raise their blasters, and Cody took off running down the hall, blaster fire following him as the Republic officer commanded them to disable their assailant.

Tarkin was stunned, but only for a moment, and his swift mind began quickly attempting to discern what it was he was dealing with. The lightsaber denoted a Jedi, but his actions were not in line with one who could use the Force, or they would all be dead right now. He had heard about an entire clone battalion that had gone bad and defected to the Separatists early in the war, but reports of the missing battalion were few and far between, and they were always confused and chaotic, the rogue clones usually appearing to sweep through battlefields like a fatal wind, only to go to ground immediately after. They were said to be vicious and without remorse or mercy, and they never left survivors.

The stories were, of course, ridiculous, a terrible truth that passed into legend within the span of a year, but when Tarkin looked at the clone in red and black armor, he knew he was dealing with one of the Lost Legion. How true the stories were had yet to be seen, and Tarkin was intent on his capture so he could find out exactly how much was fact and how much was fable. Faced with superior numbers, the clone had been forced to retreat, which put Tarkin in a position that he was intimately familiar with, and that was the business of stalking prey. His adolescence had forged him into an apex predator, and a mere clone, no matter how legendary, would not best Wilhuff Tarkin.

They darted around a corner as they chased the man, but the rogue clone had seemed more intent on escape than on killing his pursuers. When he had a fair lead, he had planted his feet and swiftly turned to face them, two rapid shots fired from his weapon striking one of the clones as he rushed for cover, and without looking to confirm the kill, the rogue clone took off again. The chase lasted far longer than Tarkin would have liked, and he had lost two more of the clones with him when they went skidding around a corner and began to run in the direction opposite from where the traitor had stood waiting, rapidly opening fire on them as they scrambled for cover. When they had finally recovered enough to return the volley, the red and black clone was already sprinting down yet another hallway, and Tarkin gathered his remaining two clones and went after him in swift pursuit. They were not gaining on him, and the sound of his own heavy breathing was keeping Tarkin from hearing the footsteps of the escaping clone. Every now and then, he caught a glimpse of his black and red armor flashing around a corner, or turning down another hall, and the Captain discerned that he was making his way for the main hangar. There must have been a ship the Separatists had come in, and the man was clearly trying to make his escape.

He quickly tapped on his comlink as they ran into the hanger, breathing heavily and listening for the location of the rogue clone or the ship, both of which he couldn't see. Skywalker answer with an equally out of breath, "What is it, Tarkin? I'm very busy."

"Sir, we intercepted an enemy clone commander on the way to the command center."

"A what? How could...oh, Sith hells!" A loud crashing could be heard on the other end that sounded like stacks of shipping crates toppling to the ground after being hit by a quickly moving heavy object. A moment later, Tarkin heard the General groaning. "Did you get him?"

"No, sir, he's escaped to the main hangar. I lost him, but I'll find him." The sharp whine of a powerful engine engaging erupted through the hanger, drowning out any response that the General may have said. It wasn't in the hangar, it was just outside of it, and Tarkin and the clones sprinted to the semi-circular landing pad just outside the covered dome, and the Captain looked up in the sky just in time to see a sleek black and red ship rise above the dome of the city, only to vanish from sight a moment later.

The General on the com was frantically asking what had happened, what that noise was, if everyone was alright, but Tarkin ignored him, opting instead to stare at the spot in the sky where the ship was only a moment ago. The clone had beaten him. For now. Finally letting go of a breath he didn't know he was holding, he brought up the comlink in his hand and said, "General, the clone has escaped on a ship. And it's utilizing a cloaking device. It's gone."


When Quinlan and Ahsoka arrived in the barracks, the clones had just begun to drive the droid forces back, and with a clever use of the droids they had destroyed, they had managed to construct a barrier between them and the incredibly dangerous General Grievous, blue and green lightsabers in his rapidly rotating hands, sparks flying as the plasma blades struck the walls and the barricade the clones had built. Hundreds of clones were dead, but the living were undaunted and angry, bending to the task of repelling the intruders from their homes with a dangerous ferocity. Grenades were launched from over their cover, exploding among the droids with a shower of sparks and detached limbs, and the clones vaulted over their barricade and rushed forward, only to set up a new one with the parts of the newly fallen. That, combined with continuous fire, was proving to be a dangerous battleground for the Separatist forces, and they were slowly driving the General out of the barracks.

Quinlan laid his hand on the shoulder of the clone that he identified as the one who had taken charge of the defense and subsequent counterattack and, flashing him a cocky smile, the Jedi and his Padawan vaulted over the wall, landing directly in the sights of General Grievous. The organic yellow eyes behind the steel, skull-like mask narrowed in what Quinlan identified as anger, or delight, or both, and the low, metallic sound of a harsh laugh rang out over the sound of blasters firing and the humming of lightsabers.

"Jedi," he snarled, his wrists locking back into place as he held the blades poised over his head. "I knew you would come to defend your clones!"

"And you still started the party without us?" Quinlan asked in disbelief, shaking his head and turning to his Padawan. "I don't believe this. Can you believe this?" He smirked and looked back to the cyborg. "Really, that's very rude."

"Joke all you want!" Grievous snapped, his clawed feet clanking against the ground as he slowly advanced. "This is where it ends for you!"

"They always say stuff like that, don't they Ahsoka?" The Togruta nodded, catching her lightsaber in the backhanded grip she used for combat, breathing deep and opening herself to the Force bond she shared with her Master. The two had become more than adept at communicating through the Force, becoming nearly as one on the battlefield, and now was no different. When Grievous crouched down and lunged at them with incredible speed, lightsabers held dangerously out before him, the Jedi acted, Quinlan flipping high above the General, and Ahsoka sliding effortlessly underneath him, both of them meeting behind him and, reaching through the Force, they pushed the cyborg with such power that he went flying through the air, slamming unceremoniously into one of the barricades, sending clones scrambling to take position behind their previous cover, and they immediately opened fire.

Under furious assault, it took Grievous a moment to recover, long enough for the clones to hit critical components of the cybernetic body, and while it didn't harm the General, it was a hindrance, his shoulder joints sparking as damaged gears ground together. The effects on his dangerous combat prowess had yet to be seen, but the immediate effect was a blind, seething rage toward the Jedi that caused this. With a rattling, metallic howl, the cyborg pulled himself up, lightsabers in hand, and rushed at the Jedi, Master and Padawan immediately turning and running as fast as they could down the long, wide corridor.

"Do we have a plan, Master?" Ahsoka asked, looking over her shoulder at the cyborg that was charging at them in a blind rage, furious cries of outrage coming from behind the sinister mask. Quinlan simply smiled at her.

"Don't I always have a plan?"

"Yes, but your plan is usually to not have a plan."

"The Kiffar rolled his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, Ahsoka, deciding to not have a plan is a plan. It's how you stay flexible when things go wrong!" Another howl of rage came from the cyborg behind them as the creature slowly gained on them, and Quinlan cringed. "Like now. Now is a great time to remain flexible."

"I disagree, Master!"

"Alright, alright, alright..." the Kiffar said softly as the Jedi jumped off walls to turn corners faster, making sharp turns and ducking into random, smaller passages, the cyborg striking nearly every wall as he failed to slow his momentum enough to make the quick corners the Jedi cut, each time snarling in anger, each time slowing him just enough for the Jedi to keep their lead. "Alright, we got him away from the clones, so we technically succeeded in our mission!"

Ahsoka nodded. "Remaining optimistic is important. I wonder if Skyguy will see it that way."

"Lives saved, Padawan, lives saved! That's a victory!" The comlink on his wrist began beeping, and Quinlan answered it by tapping the earpiece he wore , listening intently as he allowed Ahsoka to take the lead, the Togruta leading them in an erratic pattern through the city. "That was Tarkin. He says there's an invisible ship in the mix."

"...like the one we used on Christophsis?"

"From the sound of it."

Ahsoka frowned. "That explains how they passed through the blockade." The corridor they ran out of led to a large, circular room, the red warning lights seeming brighter and more menacing here than they did in the cramped corridors. Tano immediately made for another corridor that led away from the wide open space, but Quinlan stood his ground, his lightsaber extended before him. "Master, come on!"

"We need to face him at some point, Ahsoka. We can't run forever." As if on cue, General Grievous came thundering into the room, his breath heavy and wheezing behind his respirator, his eyes narrowed and angry, the gears of his shoulders still sparking, but not seeming to hinder his movement. With a deep laugh, his wrists unlocked and they began to spin, the lightsabers he grabbed rotating rapidly as he approached the two Jedi, Master and Padawan sharing the flow of the Force as they moved forward to meet him.

The second the blades connected in a flash of light and sparks, the fight began at a furious pace, the Master drawing the cyborg's attention with swift, powerful slashes, and the Padawan moving athletically around him and striking at any opening she could find when Grievous was forced to block Quinlan's strikes. Despite the rapid pace the spinning blades afforded him, the cyborg found that they were not working on the two Jedi. Both Master and Padawan preferred to fight in very close quarters and when he moved to strike at the swiftly dodging girl, she had darted under him, and the spinning blades nearly cut off his own leg. The evasive movement didn't give Tano the time to strike out against the cyborg while she was underneath the hulking mechanical creature, but she did manage to avoid the heavy cleaves that would have easily bisected her.

With an outraged cry, Grievous locked his wrists and the lightsabers stilled, giving up the rapid rotations for more control. However, two highly in tune Jedi were becoming a problem, and despite his best efforts to divide them, their tandem combat proved to be effective regardless of their positioning. For half a second, the Jedi and the cyborg hesitated in their movements when an incessant beeping from within Grievous sounded, echoing in the large domed room, and a deep, irritated growl formed in the General's chest, reverberating metallically through the chest plate. Grievous' movements quickened, maneuvering himself to place both Jedi in front of him before he quickly dropped to the ground, scuttling along it on four swift limbs. His retreat signal had been received. It was time to go.

"Keep him from the hallways, Ahsoka, don't let him get away!" Quinlan said quickly as he rushed to block Grievous' path, his green saber poised before him as the General rose to his feet and resumed his assault, now frantic to get away and becoming all the more vicious for it. The Jedi had been on the offensive nearly the entire fight, but now the Kiffar was forced to retreat, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he whipped his blade around as quickly as he could. With the cyborg's full attention on Quinlan, Ahsoka rushed in, her blade poised high, and she jumped, her green weapon aiming for the cyborg's mechanical spine, but before she struck, Grievous had jolted to the side, the lightsaber digging instead into the already sparking shoulder joint.

Grievous screamed, from pain or from anger, Ahsoka didn't know, but the strike had seemed to only serve to make the cyborg furious. A large, taloned claw lifted up to kick Quinlan square in the chest, and the Jedi went flying backwards, striking the nearby wall with such force that it dented, thick blood splattered upon white walls bathed in red lighting from where his forehead had struck and split. Grievous dropped one lightsaber and shot a hand behind him to grab at the Padawan just as Ahsoka jumped away, but she wasn't fast enough to get away as the mechanical hand grabbed her leg, the claws piercing her skin and muscle, and for just a moment, fear gripped her as Grievous held her up before him, his lightsaber poised to strike.

As Quinlan looked on, his vision out of focus as he recovered from the strike to his head, the Force seemed to freeze time. As his eyes sharpened, he saw his Padawan dangling upside down by the leg in Grievous' grasp, blood from the talons dripping down her body, her blue eyes wide with fear as a blue lightsaber cut toward her. For a moment, Quinlan didn't understand what he was seeing. He wasn't unconscious, he was simply dazed, and not for long, things couldn't have gone that bad that quickly. Then there was disbelief, his heart beating faster in his chest until it was nearly humming, and he felt fear rush through him. He couldn't make it to her in time. He wouldn't be able to sever the cyborg's arm fast enough for the saber to drop uselessly to the ground, and what was more, his own lightsaber had flown from his hands when he had hit the wall, and he'd have to call it back to him to attack the General, and by then, it would be too late. He felt helpless as he saw what was happening before him

And that made him furious.

Hot, searing wrath exploded within him and he felt a rush of power that came from flames of rage consuming him completely. In the back of his mind, he could hear Obi-Wan's voice, remembered back to their time on Florrum when that smooth, cultured accent reminded him of a singular truth: You can feel the power around you, just reach out and take it. The Force was burning with the power of the Dark Side, and in his fear, in his unquenchable, frantic rage, Quinlan Vos reached out and took it deep within him.

Grievous' arm swung the saber, the thrumming blue blade stopping mere inches from Ahsoka when the cyborg's arm was pulled back with such force he was ripped off balance, dropping the captive Jedi when his other arm was suddenly crushed, the hissing of hydraulics releasing as Grievous' hand uselessly fell open. The cyborg growled in outrage, but was silenced a moment later when he was lifted high into the air, his arms pulled out to his sides, and the narrowed yellow eyes widened with fear as he gazed upon Quinlan Vos, his hands held out before him as if he were grasping something, his arms shaking with strain, and the tanned, tattooed face contorted in rage. With a feral yell, Quinlan swiftly made a tearing motion in the air as one of Grievous' arms was ripped from his body, the shoulder joint leaking oil and hydraulic fluid and sparking, and finally, the cyborg howled in pain.

"Master!" Quinlan's focus shot to his Padawan, and his eyes widened as he watched the girl struggle to stand, slipping in her own blood that ran quickly from three deep punctures in her thigh. His anger forgotten, he threw Grievous against the wall with as much power as he could muster, and he ran to the Togruta, shrugging off the top layer of his robes and immediately setting to tightly wrapping her leg to staunch the bleeding. With a shaking hand, she pointed over the Kiffar's shoulder. "Master, he's getting away!"

"Let him..." he mumbled, pulling the girl to her feet, and she winced when she put weight on the leg. With a sigh, he picked her up, cradling her in his arms, and he called the fallen lightsabers to him, Ahsoka taking them out of the air and carefully holding them. He started running down the corridor Grievous had disappeared down, but slowed to a jog when the Togruta winced with every step. "You did well, Ahsoka," he said quietly. "I'm proud of you."

She smiled gently. "Where did you learn how to do that back there, Master? I haven't seen anything like it. You certainly haven't taught me how to do that."

Thoughts and feelings suddenly crouded his mind, but he gave voice to none of them. Not about the sinister delight he had taken in tearing the limbs off a fearful, screaming creature. Not about how he was filled with the desire to do it again and put those powers to use in any way he desired. Something inside him had broken, and he was both saddened and delighted at being free of what had shackled him, and through it all, deep in the back of his mind, he could have sworn he heard Obi-Wan's deep, amused chuckle and that smooth, easy voice saying, "Wonoksh Qyâsik nun. The Force shall set you free."


Lock downs had never stopped Obi-Wan from going where he wanted. The Force cared nothing for restrictions such as those, so he cared nothing for them either. With the Force, he pulled the sealed doors open, and was immediately fired upon, blue plasma rounds shooting past him as he dove into the room, the doors slamming closed and locking back into place as he let go of them, and he ignited his saber, deflecting the rounds back at the two shooters and hitting them both. The were not fatal wounds, but they did encourage the men to drop their weapons and grasp their wounds in pain, one in the leg, and one bleeding profusely from the side. Obi-Wan looked closer. On second glance, the abdomen wound may have been fatal after all.

Golden eyes lazily drifted over the room and took stock of what he was dealing with. It was large, filled with expensive monitoring systems and displays, and in the center of the room stood a large holotable. The shooters had both been male, one a Siniteen, his large, oversized head resembled a human brain and denoted the characteristic high intelligence of his species, and the other a green, triangular headed Arcona, the fatal wound in his side now being attended by the room's third occupant, the Togruta Jedi Master Shaak Ti.

He silently watched the Jedi Master as she worked, using the Force to heal the wounded men, and he couldn't help but be impressed. The Togruta was known for her deep connection with the Force, so such a skill should not come as a surprise, but Obi-Wan still found himself raptly watching. He looked down at the comlink on his wrist when it pinged with a left message, and he groaned when he saw the chrono he had set. It was well beyond his hour time limit and quickly approaching the second. Time was tight before, but now it was urgent.

"Shaak Ti." He felt the woman tense, but her presence in the Force was calm and focused.

"Obi-Wan." She stood, facing the Sith and putting herself between him and the injured men. "The word in the Council is that you can be reasoned with."

"The Council says a lot of stupid things."

"And yet both Quinlan Vos and Qui-Gon Jinn have been peacefully in your presence."

He shrugged. "I like a good conversation."

The Togruta, smiled gently, but her hand rested on her lightsaber. "As do I. Let us talk, Negotiator."

Obi-Wan chuckled deeply, the red blade gently held in his hand as he walked forward and sunk the lightsaber into the holotable, the device sparking as it flickered, the electronics within whining for a moment before the holographic and communications interface powered down. "I'd love to, but not today. I'm already pressed for time, and it seems like I've already gotten my retreat signal. I do like drawing these things out, but I need to work quickly. I hope you understand."

The Master's saber ignited with a sharp hiss, the blue blade thrumming in the air as she held it before her, saying nothing at all as she reached out with the Force and cloaked herself within it. With a sinister grin, Obi-Wan lifted the two gunmen into the air, the Force about their throats, and the Jedi's attention was diverted to her struggling companions. She shot an icy glare to the Sith Lord. "Release them!"

"Surrender and I will." The Jedi's eyes narrowed in defiance, and Kenobi laughed lightly. "How long do you suppose your friends will last? The sooner you submit to me, the more likely they will live." The Jedi Master was not swayed, and tightening her grip on her lightsaber, she rushed Kenobi, her swift, precise strikes reminding him of Dooku's style. He slid into an easy defense, watching in fascination as the Jedi Master beat against his perfect defenses, delighting in every flawless strike, every elegant move, a combination of stunning blade work and light, easy steps made her seem as if she were dancing, her body moved by the Force itself. She was, without question, the most perfect duelist he had faced so far.

Kenobi growled slightly when the Dark Side pulled urgently at his mind, snapping his attention back to reality to block a flurry of quick stabs and swift, small cuts, followed by wide, arching slashes that beat heavy against his blade. The comlink on his wrist continued to flash, and he was reminded of the urgency of the mission. Any longer, and he would be faced with more Republic reenforcements than he could handle. When Shaak Ti cut down with her weapon, he slid under it, red blade angled down over his head to cause the blade to slide harmlessly away from him, and with his other hand, he pulled the black hilt off his belt, angling it toward the Jedi as he ignited it, and the darksaber slid through the Togruta's leg. With a gasp of pain, the Jedi staggered, one hand coming to rest on the wound when the Sith circled away, shaking as she watched the menacing man reach out with the Dark Side to close around her mind.

"Now we can talk," Kenobi said quickly, putting the lightsabers back on his belt and holding his hand up toward the gunmen that remained suspended in the air, gasping thinly for air they struggled to inhale. Tightening the hand, the Arcona's head suddenly snapped back, and he fell still. The Jedi shuddered, keenly feeling the loss, and Obi-Wan tightened his grasp on her mind.

"I will not break, Sith," she growled between clenched teeth, and Obi-Wan smiled almost kindly at her.

"Not today. Today, my dear, you will obey."

"I will do no such thing!"

"You will. You have no choice." He flicked his wrist, and the Siniteen gasped, a strangled scream catching in his throat as his face turned red, the bulging blood vessels in his oversized head thickening before they ruptured, blood flowing down his face as he died. Looking on in horror, the Jedi felt her chest tighten at the gruesome scene, the senseless violence, and Kenobi felt the cracks form in her walls. He tightened his grip, but the Jedi resisted, her eyes narrowing in anger as she stood, fighting through the pain in her leg and throwing herself at the Sith once again, the breath of the Force renewing her strength.

Obi-Wan hissed in frustration as he activated his sabers and brought them up to defend himself against the arching blade. He didn't have time for this, but he couldn't simply end the Jedi. That would defeat the entire purpose of being here. Pain slowly caused the Jedi to move away from the smaller, faster movements of before in favor of powerful slashes and a relentless assault. When the Sith Lord stepped in to change the flow of the fight, she rapidly cut up, and Obi-Wan just barely stepped out of the way in time to avoid it, his own red blade following hers upwards, and when she next moved the blade, the weapon went flying out of her hands, the Sith Lord slamming the hilt of the darksaber against the wound he previously inflicted, and the Jedi fell to the ground, teeth clenched against the agonizing pain and tightly gripping the wound.

He quickly wrapped the Dark Side around the Jedi, but again, her walls stood strong despite the cracks that pain was forming. It wasn't enough. He sighed, checking his comlink and looking at the chrono. They were just over two hours now. With a groan, Kenobi strode away from the Jedi, deactivating his weapons again and putting them in their place on his belt, and reaching out with the Force, he called Shaak Ti's saber to his hand as he contacted Cody.

"Sir, are you on the way?" the clone asked.

"I will be in a moment. How long ago did you give the retreat signal?"

"Over fifteen minutes ago, sir. I was starting to worry about you."

Kenobi chuckled softly, keeping his eyes fixed on the Jedi when she stopped gasping in pain. "Is everyone there?"

Cody seemed to groan in frustration. "Grievous is on board and in bad shape. I have yet to hear from Ventress, and I had to change plans. I had to take off, I was pursued by some Republic officer that was headed toward you."

Obi-Wan tapped his finger against his cheek. "Did he see you take off?"

"Yes, and I suspect he saw me enter stealth as well."

Obi-Wan hissed and paced the length of the room, kicking one of the bodies on the ground in frustration. "...it doesn't matter," he growled. "Lock on to my location, I'm heading out now."

"The main hangar is fully fortified, sir, you're going to want to find another way out."

"Pick me off on the lower levels, I'll find my way down. Tell Ventress."

Again, Cody groaned in irritation. "She won't answer the com. When I spoke to her last, she was being chased by Skywalker."

Obi-Wan felt himself burn, the Dark Side roaring to life around him, and he felt his control rapidly slipping. "Just be ready to extract us," he growled into the com, not waiting for the clone's response to cut the connection, and he turned on the Jedi, now staggering back to her feet.

"You cannot win, Sith," she panted. "The Jedi will prevail, we always prevail."

"The Jedi have already lost, you just don't know it yet," he said cooly, voice devoid of emotion as he extended his hand, fingers splayed, and bright blue lightning arched toward the Jedi, lifting her in the air as it surrounded her, and Shaak Ti screamed in agony. Kenobi stayed connected to her presence in the Force, monitoring her suffering and releasing her when the Togruta drifted on the edge of consciousness. Still, Shaak Ti, tried to struggle to her feet, but it was a reflex, the Force moving her more than her own will. This time, when he extended the Dark Side toward the Jedi, he easily entered her mind, gripping hard and the Togruta tensed, shuddering at the intrusion, than slumping to her knees.

Obi-Wan knelt in front of her, a focused expression on his face as he examined the woman's features, a smile on his lips when he found the Togruta's black eyes distant and vacant. The Jedi was not broken, but the pain had sent her consciousness to the deepest part of her mind to recover, leaving the Togruta open to the Sith's will. Igniting her lightsaber, he drove it into the ground, cutting a large circle in the metallic floor, and the cut away piece dropped with a large clang into a hallway beneath them. Standing, he pointed toward the hole.

"You first, Jedi." Without a word, the Togruta rose and dropped down the hole without hesitation, the Sith following closely behind. As soon as he hit the ground, he reached out to the Dark Side, surrounding himself in its power, its insight, and, pulling on Shaak Ti's mind as if it were a leash, he sprinted down the halls, Shaak Ti running dutifully behind him, the floor largely vacant as the clones had been called above to deal with the droids and Grievous. Using the Force to guide him, Obi-Wan quickly found his way to a thin ramp encased in transparisteel that extended underneath the dome, running along its length and leading directly to the other city rotundas. Directly underneath them, the Umbra was waiting, the boarding ramp extended, the entry hatch wide open. Obi-Wan cut a hole in the floor by his feet just large enough to fit through, and he dropped down, the ramp shaking as he landed squarely upon it. He closed his eyes and commanded Shaak Ti to do the same, and a moment later, he had grabbed her with the Force and pulled her into the ship with him.

Grievous sat in the hallway to the cockpit, coughing uncontrollably and sulking, looking away when Obi-Wan approached, and the Sith Lord threw the Jedi at him. "Take that to the brig and lock it up." Kenobi slammed his hand on the console on the wall and the boarding ramp withdrew as the airlock tightly shut. "There's a containment field on one of them, make certain you activate it. She shouldn't be a problem, but I don't want to take any chances." Without a word, Grievous nodded, poking at the Jedi with the useless hand of his one remaining arm and leading her down below. Kenobi quickly made his way to the cockpit, hand on the back of the pilot's seat where Cody sat. The clone moved to get up, but the Sith put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back into the seat.

"Where is Ventress?"

"The main hangar, sir. She must not have gotten my message."

Kenobi growled in frustration. "Well, let's not keep her waiting. When we get there and you see I have Ventress, open fire and destroy the hangar, I don't want to make it easy for them to follow us."

Cody snickered as he banked the ship around. "You got it, my Lord."

Patting the clone on the shoulder, he rushed down the hall back to the airlock, tapping the console to open the hatch and extending the boarding ramp. He hung in the doorway, watching closely as Cody brought the ship around the city, and than made a slow approach to the main hangar, the external landing pad alight with blaster fire and the bright flashes of clashing lightsabers. His eyes narrowed when he felt the tremendous Force pull of Anakin Skywalker, the young Jedi Knight fighting ferociously with Ventress, who was impressively holding her own, but defeating the Nightsister didn't seem to be the Jedi's goal. Extending his hand, something on Ventress' belt flew to Skywalker, and Kenobi could hear Asajj's outrage over the sound of his ship's humming engines.

As the Umbra drew closer, Obi-Wan ran out onto the ramp, calling to Ventress through the Force, and with a snarl, the woman turned and jumped high up to the ship, carried the rest of the way by Obi-Wan, the Sith glaring viciously at Skywalker. Blaster fire was turned on the ship, the shields absorbing the meager shots without any effort at all, and Kenobi deflecting the rest away from him as Ventress ran inside. A moment later, the ship turned, Skywalker's eyes widening in panic as he quickly ordered the troops to retreat when the Umbra's forward cannons released a barrage of plasma charges, the entire hangar shuddering and the landing pad breaking away from the domed city as the ships exploded in balls of smoke and flames. With all passengers aboard, airlock sealed and the boarding ramp retracted, the ship screeched toward the atmosphere and disappeared as the cloaking drive was engaged.

This time, Cody surrendered the pilot's seat when the Sith approached and took the seat beside him for himself. Settling into the chair, his hands on the yoke and the accelerator, Obi-Wan pulled the former back and the latter forward, sending the Umbra on a steep angle toward space. Kenobi closed his eyes, feeling the planet below him through the Force, and frowned when he felt Skywalker's presence. He didn't expect him to die in such a way, but he had hoped. Behind him, Ventress shuffled in, quietly strapping herself into one of the passenger seats, and Obi-Wan didn't need to ask her if her part of the mission was a success. Dooku wasn't going to be happy.

When they reached space, the battle had taken a turn for the worse for the Separatist fleet. One Republic Star Destroyer lay burning in space, but it had been replaced by five more, and they were now advancing on the Invisible Hand and the Negotiator, and a preliminary scan showed that not only were the shields dangerously low, but Republic starfighters and heavy cruisers were making attack runs. Kenobi took a deep breath, hands clutching the controls tightly, and he flew full speed through the battlefield, the way toward his ship significantly smoother than when they breeched the blockade.

"This is my fault," Kenobi said under his breath. "It took so much longer than I anticipated. I didn't realize how quickly time flows on the battlefield." He ran a hand down his face, sharp gold eyes looking out the viewport at the swarming starfighters, and his breath caught in his chest as he looked through the Force and found another Jedi leading the attack run on the Negotiator. This wasn't just a Jedi, this was a distressingly talented pilot, and if Kenobi didn't know better, he'd think this prodigious pilot was Anakin Skywalker himself. Jaw tightly clenched and wrapping himself in the Dark Side, he flew toward the attacking starships, weaving out of the way of stray fire, but all focus was on the dreadnaughts.

"Cody, contact Longshot on the Negotiator, tell him to open the hangar bay."

"...open it, sir?"

"You heard me, do as I command!" the Sith shouted, much harsher than he intended, and the clone swiftly nodded to do as he was asked. "Contact the Liberator next. Tell them to come out of cover and begin an attack on those heavy cruisers. We want to divert attention away from the dreadnaughts as they jump."

Nodding, Cody patched through to the Star Destroyer. "Anything else?"

"Yes, recall any manned starfighters we have and prepare to jump on my command," the Sith said, his voice distant as the Dark Side took him, his eyes focused on the Jedi's starfighter. When the clone did as he asked, Kenobi banked hard right and circled around, bringing the cloaked ship just behind and underneath the Jedi's fighter as he flipped around and angled for another attack run. Obi-Wan didn't lose his position for a moment as the starfighter sped toward the Negotiator's open hangar, the Jedi preparing plasma torpedoes and Obi-Wan sensed his intentions through the Force. Locking the accelerator, Kenobi moved his hand to the forward cannons, and when the Jedi began to angle his ship up in preparation to launch the torpedoes, he fired, the Umbra coming out of it's cloaked state as a beam of plasma energy cut through the rear left of the ship's wing, the engines smoking as the starfighter cut down and left, sending the Jedi craft crashing into the Negotiator's hangar. All attention was now on the Umbra.

Kenobi pulled back on the yoke, sending the sleek ship straight up along the side of the dreadnaught in a tight loop, running upside down under the shadowing belly of the Invisible Hand, grinning as several pursuing clones crashed into Grievous' mighty dreadnaught. Circling around, he evened out the Umbra and pointed its nose right at the open hangar, shooting any stray starfighters in the way, and the ship screeched into the wide, expansive bay, pulling back hard on the accelerator and bringing it to a sudden, jolting stop in the air just above the wrecked Jedi starfighter. Kenobi quickly commanded Cody to relay orders to shut the hangar doors and make the jump to hyperspace as he got out of the pilot's seat, striding quickly to the airlock and slamming his fist on the console, the hatch hissing as it opened, and the Sith stepped out, landing on the ground before the burning ship and grinning in delight as the Iktotchi Jedi Master scrambled out of the cockpit.

"This really is my lucky day, isn't it!" Obi-Wan said excitedly. "Saesee Tiin, you are a legend!" The Jedi reached for his lightsaber, but never got a chance to ignite it as blue lightning struck him in the chest, the Jedi lifted into the air as he was electrocuted and was unceremoniously thrown against a nearby wall. The hangar shuddered as the doors closed, and Kenobi could hear the high-pitched whine as the hyperdrive powered up. Within one minute, the remainder of the fleet would be in hyperspace and headed toward Separatist territory, and there was nothing the Republic could do to follow them.

Groaning, the Jedi rose to his feet, the Master shaking his head to clear the haze and the pain, and laughing, Kenobi lifted him into the air, his other hand extended to channel more electricity into the writhing Iktotchi. Cody slowly came to stand by the Sith's side, the Umbra set down nearby, and the Sith could feel Grievous and Asajj hanging back and watching. He threw the Jedi again, the horned man sliding across the floor, his breathing ragged and labored, and Obi-Wan laughed in excitement as he sauntered toward the fallen Saesee Tiin.

"What's wrong, Jedi? Get up and fight, come now!" The ship shuddered, a low thrumming reverberating in the air as the Negotiator entered hyperspace, and the Dark Side firmly gripped Kenobi. "Two Jedi Masters in one day, two members of the High Council!" He laughed maniacally, the Dark Side raging through him completely uncontrolled, and Saesee shivered under the intense pressure of being so close to a nexus of the Dark Side. Slowly, the Iktotchi rose to shaking feet, only to have the Sith grab his mind, and he staggered forward, reaching for the comfort of the Force but finding only the Dark Side.

The Sith Lord drew closer, hand extended, and golden eyes blazing in sinister delight, and when he commanded the Jedi to kneel, he had no choice to obey, Kenobi laughing loudly as the Master prostrated himself before him. "Oh, this is the best day of my life!" he said breathlessly. "I'm on fire, nothing can touch me today!" Laughing, Obi-Wan draped his arm over Cody's shoulder. "If ever you needed proof that the Force is with us, here it is."

The clone smiled. "I never doubted it, sir."

"Bad day for Ventress, bad day for Grievous, but excellent day for Obi-Wan Kenobi!" He patted the clone's chest and let go, gripping the Jedi's mind and forcing him to crawl after him as he sauntered toward an angry Ventress. "Don't be upset, sweetheart, I can fix this for you."

"How," she snarled, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the carefree Sith Lord. "Dooku is going to-"

"Dooku is nothing," Kenobi snarled, his temper flaring dangerously for a moment before it smoothed back into relaxed ease, and Ventress recoiled slightly at the rapidly shifting emotions of the Sith Lord. "I own Dooku, my dear..." he drawled softly, laying a comforting hand on the Nightsister's shoulder. "Don't you worry about a thing, I'll fix whatever trouble you have with him. But now!" Kenobi patted Asajj on the back. "We're going to lock up my prisoners, and then we're going to spend tonight celebrating by drinking ourselves into a stupor! Gods of the Sith, let's make a week of it! Cody can vacation on Mandalore, and I'll expend myself to exhaustion inside Satine!"

Cody snickered. "Keep at it like that and you'll put a child in her."

"Oh, I certainly hope so. And after that..." He took a deep breath, his entire being relaxing into the embrace of the Dark Side. "Grievous can get repaired, I'll fix Asajj's troubles with Dooku..." Golden eyes fell to the pale, shaking Jedi on the floor, and a sinister grin crossed Kenobi's face. "And then I return to the art of breaking Jedi to my will. The Dark Side is rising. We cannot deny its call."