"They made it through the sewers, but the creatures we planted in there, they killed everyone else".

"Good" Maul said, pacing up and down once again "Tell me commander, he's here isn't he? The one with blue lightsabre?"

"Yes and there's another Jedi with him, a female togruta..."

"So she survived the sewer trap, that's unfortunate"

"Yes it is"

"This is the last push then" Maul snarled "But first, bring the traitor in, if you would so kindly..."

The commander obeyed as two other Death-watch soldiers entered the throne room, each of them carrying, the burnt, battered, bruised and bleeding body of Prime Minister Almec, he'd been pulled from his ship by the death-watch soldiers, they'd also been the one's to shoot him out of the sky.

"Excellent work men" Maul complimented them, as they dropped Almec to the floor, the barely living elderly man managed to look up and simply spat at Maul, under his murderous gaze.

"Desertion!?" he snarled at the cowardly man.

"We're outnumbered and outgunned!" the prime minister snapped back "What else do you expect us to do!?"

"Die, like true Mandalorians, fighting for freedom!" Maul exclaimed "You bring shame to that name! You... like so many politicians, spoke about things but never acted upon them yourself, I should have known, that's why I used you as a puppet, at least the late Satine stood true to her value's whereas you..."

"Do you honestly think I signed up for certain death!?" Almec inquired sharply of him "You're sending us to die! Killing us! We could easily feign a surrender, live to fight another day and..."

"Face imprisonment and humiliation!" Maul roared, losing whatever little control he had left, "AFTER WHAT I WENT THROUGH! AFTER HE KILLED MY BROTHER... AFTER...!"

"You and your brother...it's all I've heard!" Almec snapped back "We know what your former master did too you. For weeks you were nothing but a slave, weak, powerless, tortured and imprisoned, he set you up to die. But it doesn't mean the rest of Mandalore agrees with you, especially not me! I follow warriors into battle, not suicidal, freak-ish monsters like yourself and that thick-skulled brother of yours!".

"You dare insult him" Maul asked dangerously, flickering his double-bladed lightsabre to life, as he approached Almec, "You dare insist that I face imprisonment, humiliation and... defeat, once again!"

"WE'VE ALREADY LOST!" Almec screamed "IT'S OVER MAUL, WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT!?"

"Death is something I've been awaiting" Maul said, remembering his pleas for mercy to his master "But for me, I'll die no matter what happens, but whether I've won or lost..." he laughed bitterly there "There's still a chance I will win".

Almec sneered at him.

"You're insane" he snapped "Something bred for war and nothing more, an animal...!"

Rage overcame Maul in those moments and a second later Almec's head bounced off the carpeted floor, just as Pre Vizsla's had done months beforehand, but he wasn't done there, the night-brother blindly sliced into the body, imagining it too be Obi-Wan, it made him feel better. Obi-Wan that had ruined everything for him, he could have been Palpatine's apprentice, he could have been by his side now, he could have been doing so much more...

He didn't realise he was crying until a teardrop hit Almec's mutilated corpse, he felt shame and wiped his eyes, looking up to see his men gawking at him like idiots. They were dead seconds later as well, necks snapped in a sudden movement, as Maul paced up and down once again.

"They will not see me weak, they will not..." he thought to himself harshly.

"and neither will he, the time is almost upon us once again Kenobi!"

"Come on, come on, you're going to be alright..." Obi-Wan told Korkie, his robes were drenched with the young man's blood, as well as the black blood from those creatures, his own shoulder ached, but he ignored it as he set Korkie onto the ground, his comm had smashed in the chaos, meaning there was no way for him or Obi-Wan to contact Bo.

"MEDIC!" He called blindly into the army "I NEED A MEDIC!"

One appeared instantly, he kneeled beside Korkie, took one look at his wound and shook his head.

"No, there has to be something that can be done!" Obi-Wan told him desperately.

"Master... Jedi... it's... it's okay..." Korkie told him weakly, coughing up blood.

"No, it's not!" Obi-Wan insisted, "You... saved me..."

"and you did the same for me" Korkie said, "It could have been you that got stabbed by those things, but it was me, I was just... unlucky".

"You can't die" Obi-Wan pleaded desperately "Korkie, this planet needs you..."

"You loved her too didn't you?"

Obi-Wan blinked.

"It's okay, I understand" the young blonde told him with a small smile "Auntie Satine, the way she spoke about you Master Jedi, I knew she felt the same and if she was here now, she'd be proud of you"

"Proud!?" Obi-Wan snapped at himself, feeling his eyes water up "I've brought war here, I've killed so many..."

"As have I" the native Mandalorian muttered "But you didn't bring the war here, the republic did".

"Things aren't going to be the same here, when this is over, the republic will ruin this planet" Obi-Wan admitted, the first tear fell from his eye, yet he quickly wiped it away, as Korkie gazed at him "That's why I need you alive, you're the future of this planet".

"I was" Korkie said, correcting him "But... I understand you. When I asked about the clones, I was horrified by what I learned, the republic will ruin this planet, but you... you won't".

There was a short silence, Korkie's eyes fluttered slightly, his breath grew weaker.

"Korkie!" Obi-Wan begged, shaking him.

"Tell Aunt Bo I'm sorry"

"No, Korkie! Stay with me! KORKIE!" Obi-Wan begged, shaking him harder as the young man closed his eyes for the final time, his skin was deathly cold to the touch, his chest had stopped moving, Obi-Wan had shaken him further but he knew it was useless, the clone next to him muttered "Sir, he's gone" Obi-Wan had to accept this truth. He released the body and left it lying there, safe in cover. So they could bury him later, but for now Obi-Wan couldn't hesitate, because the endgame was right in front of him.

It was time to end this.

"All units have liberated the city!" Yularen informed Shaak Ti through her comm "and slowly the main palace's defences are crumbling, the young one's are mostly leading the charge, through... some daring methods from what has been reported to me".

"Yes" Shaak muttered "Next time you here from us Admiral, I assure you Maul will be dead and this city freed".

"Indeed" he muttered, before he disappeared, leaving Obi-Wan and Shaak Ti to face one another, she was bleeding from the arms and stomach, slashes in her robe confirmed this, she was kneeling over a recently deceased clone. Obi-Wan had his wound patched up by the medic who had watched over Korkie as he died, although his arm felt a bit stiff, the bleeding had stopped and he was fit enough to fight.

"Shaak I know you want too, but I won't allow it" Obi-Wan said "You're in no fit state to fight, stay with the men here and I'll deal with Maul".

"But, Obi-Wan..." she began her eyes full of fear for him "He'll be stronger than he was before, he'll have his sights sent on you!".

"Yes, of course he will" Obi-Wan said "That's what this has all been about. That's all it's ever been about, it has to be just me and him, Shaak..."

"and what about Savage Opress, have you forgotten about him!?"

"I haven't felt his presence, neither have you and no reports have seen him in battle, where I imagine he would be, I believe he has already been dealt with and if not I'll find out".

"But Obi-Wan..."

"Your place is here with the men, I know you don't want to leave them here".

Shaak Ti faced the ground once again, before she looked up at Obi-Wan.

"I don't want to leave them, you're right" she said "I left them on Kamino and look what happens, look what gets sent to us, brainwashed children, ready to blow themselves up in the name of the republic, I tried to save so many of them down in the sewers, but we still lost Hap and so many men".

"You got injured for them, they'll forever be grateful for you and will be happy to fight alongside you" Obi-Wan told her "Never feel guilty Shaak, it's not your fault, none of this is, watch them, look out for them, because no one else seems to be".

"You're right, that's my job and it's what I'll continue to do" she said to him "As for what happens now, we'll create a distraction and begin the main assault, allowing you time to sneak into the palace and face Maul".

"Thank you" Obi-Wan said, "I know this mission hasn't been easy for you..."

"For me!?" Shaak said "What about you!? Despite everything Obi-Wan, here you are, still fighting and it's not over yet".

"No" Obi-Wan said, facing the palace.

"But it will be".

They charged forwards.

Shaak Ti ignored her injures and joined the hordes of clones shooting away at the last of the Mandalorians defences, the natives fought bravely and fearlessly, but they simply didn't have the numbers to hold back the republican armies, while this was occurring Obi-Wan prepared himself to enter the palace through a rarely used (and fairly unknown) side entrance that he and Satine knew so much about, he sighed and willed himself to go before a small voice caught his attention.

"Sir"

He looked down at Boil who was unmoving, still coated in blood and his dark eyes still widened.

"Why did you save me?"

Obi-Wan blinked.

"I wasn't going to leave you Boil" he said simply.

"But I... just froze" he said simply "I saw those things ripping the men apart, I was reminded of Umbara and all the creatures on Felucia and... Sir, I think I might be defective, I didn't even try to fight, I just froze up after a short while, waiting to die..."

"Boil"

"Even now, I can't move..."

"Because your helmet is gone and you were disarmed and you're injured" Obi-Wan pointed out, "Stay here Boil and watch over the other wounded men".

"What about you sir?" Boil inquired "How will you...?"

"Like I said before Boil, I really don't want to do this, I don't want to be here, but..."

"...quite simply this has to be done".