"Get them off us, Wrecker!" Hunter shouted from the front seat of their speeder as he gunned the engines, twisting the wheel as he swerved in an effort to shake off the Pike fighters behind them.
"I'm trying!" Wrecker shouted back, his body shaking in the wind as he tried to take aim with his rifle. He squeezed his trigger, only for his rounds to fly wide as he sprayed into the open air.
Tech rolled his eyes at Hunter, his body bent just below the headrest of his seat in an effort to avoid laser fire dashing over their heads. A moment later he felt the entire vehicle shake when a round struck the left propulsor, and stuck his head out over the edge of the headrest to assess the damage. "You're not going to like this," he remarked, his goggles quickly analyzing what components of their vessel had been hit.
"Try me," Hunter replied. "At this point I doubt things could get worse."
"Left propulsor's down. We'll be dropping out of the sky any minute," Tech reported with a matter-of-fact tone, his pistols up as he took aim at the enemy alongside Wrecker, who had yet to land a hit.
In the seat beside Hunter, Obi-Wan allowed his lightsaber to illuminate the bleak landscape. "Flip the ship."
"Flip the ship?!" Wrecker asked, his eye wide when he turned to look at the general. It was only then that he noticed how high up they were. "Uhhh… I don't think I like this plan." Another round smacked against the rear of their speeder, and Wrecker shook violently in the wind as the vessel rocked from side to side. "Flip the ship! Flip the ship!" he called out, his rifle spraying plasma toward the Pike ships while he awaited the risky maneuver.
Hunter pulled back on the shift gear and jerked at the wheel, cutting what engine power they had left for the briefest of moments, and allowing the Pike fighters to close the distance between them. Once above the fighters, Obi-Wan pushed himself out of his seat and freefell to the nearest one below while the Hunter righted the speeder. Landing on the fighter, he was quick to slash away at the barrels of the ship's weaponry, then turned toward the cockpit. He pointed the palm of his hand toward the canopy and pulled it open, then sent the pilot over the edge of the vessel before turning to where the Bad Batch had been. He spotted their speeder soaring alongside his fighter, its engines trailing smoke despite it somehow keeping them afloat in the sky. He then leaped across the gap between their vessels and landed back in his sit as the enemy fighter dipped into a steep dive out of the sky.
With that, they were behind the other Pike vessels. Wrecker and Tech took aim and fired over the heads of the others, both landing hits to the engines of starfighters. The two fighters dropped out of the sky, but the rest arced their vessels and began to circle around while the clones continued firing into the open air. The fighters had nearly come full circle when heavy lasers from beyond suddenly plowed through their armor, sending them up in smoke as blue fire danced across their hulls. Looking out in surprise, Obi-Wan spotted a squadron of ARC-170s shooting past them.
"Reinforcements?" Tech questioned.
Hunter had the faintest of grins beneath his helmet. "Looks like Echo got through to Bacara after all."
Another explosion rocked their speeder, and the group looked out toward the Senate Offices where they saw super commandos flying out to greet them. Kom'rk-class fighters wearing the red and black markings of their master launched from the platforms of the Senate Offices in order to reinforce their allies, while the Mandalorians moved to ensure Obi-Wan would never reach his target.
"At least they're shooting the front of the ship now," Wrecker remarked as he took aim, nailing a super commando in the chest that had attempted to fly toward them.
"Prefer if they weren't shooting us at all," Hunter grumbled as he twisted the steering wheel in an effort to swerve past the Mandalorians. As the vessel tipped to the left, they managed to evade the missiles of several super commandos before tipping to the right, which allowed them to bypass several soldiers blocking their path. It was only when they were making their final approach to the landing platforms that a super commando was able to board them. Seeing the soldier about to touch down on their windshield, Hunter looked back at Tech. "Toss it!" he shouted as he held out his hand. Tech threw one of his pistols forward, with the blaster falling into Hunter's hand as the Mandalorian touched down. The sergeant fired three rounds through the windshield of their speeder, with the first two cracking open the commando's armor and the third opening up his chest. The body flew off the edge of the vehicle, and they continued toward the nearest landing platform while they descended through the air. As they came within a hundred feet of the platform, the engines of their speeder finally gave way.
Obi-Wan pushed off his seat and soared through the air like a god, spiraling forward as he brought his lightsaber about. His saber firmly in his hands, he slashed across the chest of a super commando midflight before somersaulting onto his feet once he reached the platform.
The Bad Batch jumped from their seats when the speeder was close to its destination, and watched it skid into the ranks of several commandos before unveiling their firearms. Hunter returned Tech's pistol to him as he lifted his rifle the enemy, and opened fire. They moved toward their Jedi general as a handful of super commandos attempted to mount a defense of the platform, but they were too few in number. Hunter lead his squad through the ruins of once prominent starfighters, with Tech following close behind and Wrecker taking up the rear. Their lasers flew with precision, striking down three soldiers ahead of them that had dared to stand in their way. By the time they reached Obi-Wan's position at the entrance to the building, only one super commando remained, who made a foolhardy rush toward Wrecker. The commando fired with his gauntlets as he ran, but Wrecker simply extended his arms and allowed his thick armor to absorb the blasts. Once the commando was a foot from him, he outstretched a hand and grabbed the man by his throat. Wrecker lifted the super commando over his head and whipped around, throwing the man to the ground behind him.
"They're not so tough," Wrecker remarked as he cracked his knuckles
By then, the others noticed Obi-Wan gesturing for them to join him at the door. "Cover me while I get this open," he said to them before thrusting his lightsaber into the sealed doorway. He began to draw a circular hole in the wall, large enough for them to step through, but the door was made of dense metal, and as such hampered his progress because of it. While he put all his effort into gaining access, the three commandos hunkered down at his back so as to keep him defended, when a strange noise suddenly filled their ears.
It was that of a holoscreen coming online, which caught Tech's attention. While the general continued to cut at the door, Tech peered around the corner of their position and saw a large holoscreen along the wall of the landing platform come to life. What displayed sent a chill down his spine, as he already had the displeasure of seeing such a figure in person.
"What is it, Tech?" Hunter said when he turned toward his comrade.
The clone stood motionless, his thoughts going to what Maul did to their comrade as he watched the screen. "Maul's putting himself on display." He then looked out toward the city, and realized every holoscreen on the planet was being filled with the visuals of a dark room, with the shadowy presence of Maul at the forefront of it.
The display of the sinister man began to speak. "People of the Republic… for too long you have lived under the fruitless oppression of the Jedi Order. For too long you have forced your pitiful ways upon others, and began the Clone Wars with the sole intent of seizing authority over the galaxy." His gaze was that of a murderer, cold and heartless, yet a fraction of a smile was on his face. "I shall show you what true power is… starting with the annihilation of the Jedi Order." From behind him came a pair of super commandos, their helmets each adorned in a crown of horns.
"What's he talking about?" Tech wondered.
"He's just talking to talk," Obi-Wan replied. "It's the only thing he's good at."
Then, the displayed visual continued to speak. "Look to their precious temple, where so many young warriors train from birth to become killers." He then stretched his arms out toward the ceiling. "Many have tried to destroy their order, from the Sith of old to my own master, but all have failed until now." It was then that the super commandos revealed detonators in their hands.
Tech's eyes went wide. "He has detonators."
"What good they'll do," Obi-Wan huffed. "The Temple's been bombed before. Nothing could destroy it." He continued to cut, his mind focused solely on getting inside to defeat Maul.
The display continued to run. "Watch, one and all, as the greatest threat to peace finally crumbles!" The super commandos pressed their detonators.
Obi-Wan heard the explosions, and his eyes went wide. He turned back toward where the Jedi Temple laid, and at first saw nothing. Maul had been lying again, as he always did. He nearly turned back to the door, when he sensed thousands of people suddenly cry out, all at once, and then he caught sight of something. Explosions, not from the Jedi Temple, but from levels far below it, which were erupting in flames. The levels crumbled, and only then did Obi-Wan realize what Maul had done. "No…" He heard the sudden shouts and screams of terror ripple through the Force as those within the Temple felt the ground beneath them quake, and then it was over. The entire section of the district collapsed under its own weight, sending the temple and all those beneath it crumbling as millions of tons of metal snapped like twigs, plummeting into the massive sinkholes of levels around them in the span of a minute.
"He…" Hunter began to say, but he was so shocked by what had transpired that he found himself at a loss for words. "He hit the structural supports."
Coruscant's planetwide city was built layer by layer, one on top of the other, with core structural beams maintaining composure even as thousands of levels continued to stack up. With the city being so large, and there being millions of structural beams, it was nearly impossible to cause a cataclysmic chain reaction. Yet, somehow, Maul had done it. The entire region where once the Jedi Temple had sat, proudly looking out on Coruscant as it crowned defender, had fallen to ash and rubble, with a hundred layers shredding through one another as they tore into levels below them, before ultimately plummeting through the sinkholes.
Obi-Wan's mind was a wreck of emotions, unable to comprehend the world around him, when Maul spoke once again.
"This is the fate that awaits all who stand in my way! The Republic dies on this day, and Coruscant will share its destruction if it does not submit!" Maul bellowed, his hateful gaze shown via holoscreen to the entirety of the world. "The only way to prevent your annihilation is to give up the Jedi. Give up their precious armies, and concede to your new ruler."
#
Their gunship had just arrived when they saw it. Ahsoka watched with her jaw agape as the Jedi Temple tore itself apart when its supports came out from beneath it, along with a hundred levels below it. The woman fell to her knees, her only thoughts on all those still in the temple when it collapsed, and all those who had perished in the levels below. "So many Jedi…" she uttered, eyes wider than ever before. "So many younglings…"
Much of Doom's unit stopped advancing when they heard the explosion, and even Doom found himself struck with surprise. "What just… how did that happen?"
Anakin's arms were crossed over his chest, his gaze sorrowful yet stern while he looked out on the crumbling structures far beyond their position. "There was a bomb Admiral Trench once tried to use on Anaxes. If detonated, it could have taken half the planet with it. Maul must be using similar weapons to blow through millions of tons of steel," he theorized. Then the group heard Maul's announcement.
The only way to prevent your annihilation is to give up the Jedi. Give up their precious armies, and concede to your new ruler.
The people in the streets looked toward the Jedi, and Ahsoka felt her body tensing. Whispers began to spread, with condescending looks gracing Ahsoka and her master as Doom stepped between them and the people. Then, someone spoke up.
"First they start the war, and now they can't even protect our homes," a young man said from amongst the masses.
"They're just as bad as the Separatists," another spoke out. The masses took a step toward the pair, when Doom raised his blasters to them.
"They've got our own army under their thumbs!" another shouted. "If we let that Zabrak take them, we might be better off."
Ahsoka was unsure of how to react. They could try and defend themselves with words, but it seemed the people had already made up their minds. Some spat harsh words at them, and others simply looked the other way.
It was then a family carrying a young girl and her pet Loth-cat approached the front of the crowd. The girl was pointing to Ahsoka. "That's her, mom. That's the lady that saved me."
The husband and wife smiled. "You have our everlasting gratitude, Master Jedi," they said to Ahsoka.
A Quarren from the rear of the pack spoke up. "The Jedi are heroes, not the devils so many of you make them out to be!"
Ahsoka glanced back and forth amongst the citizens congregating around them, and caught sight of a peculiar figure leering in the background. It was a Trandoshan, wearing a bright yellow pilot's suit. "Let the Jedi do their job," he hissed.
Then a woman pointed to Anakin. "I recognize him. That's General Skywalker!"
Whispers spread, as many knew him to be the greatest hero of the war, and others thought him the only righteous Jedi left. Those who had been silent for so long finally spoke up, and others began to throw their fists up in the air.
"Stop that monster, Jedi!" a Twi'lek shouted. Others began to cry out, and before either of the Jedi knew it, the people were chanting for them.
"Save us!" The voices continued to grow louder. "Save us!"
Doom then turned to the generals. "My men will get the streets clear while you handle Maul," he said before returning to the civilians.
A small squad of clones were waiting for the Jedi on their gunship when they boarded. "Generals," one of the troopers greeted them. The insignia of an arrow was on his chest plate.
"Sergeant Aang," Anakin nodded to the trooper as he and Ahsoka stepped inside. They felt the vibrations of the gunship lift off toward the Senate Offices a moment later.
All the while, Ahsoka's mind was filled with concern. "Anakin," she addressed her friend when she turned to meet his gaze. "How many of those bombs do you think Maul has?"
"Not sure, but from the way he was talking, it sounds like he has plenty more to spare," Anakin answered. "Doom will have his hands full reclaiming the city, so it's best if you have your boyfriend search out the bombs."
"Right," Ahsoka nodded as she looked to her comlink, not yet having registered what Anakin said. When she finally did, her head shot back toward him. "Wait, he's not my…"
"Whatever you say, Snips," Anakin said with a shrug, rolling his eyes at her when he smiled.
#
The hole in the doorway was sent flying inward, crushing a pair of super commandos as the Bad Batch rushed in. With Wrecker and Tech at his flanks, Hunter led them further in, gunning down a warrior at the base of the staircase ahead of them as they advanced. Once the corridor had been cleared, Hunter turned back toward the doorway they had come from. Through it came Obi-Wan, who sprinted past them toward the stairway. Haste was all the Jedi could think about as he raced onward, fearing what else Maul could destroy if given the chance. He tried not to let his mind linger on all those who had died in the span of seconds; there were far too many to count. Every second they stood about without Maul in their grasp was another moment he had to kill, and the thought only managed to fill Obi-Wan with rage as he pushed off the floor, allowing him to scale the stairway in a single bound.
He arrived at a dimly lit corridor; the entire building appeared as if its lights had gone out, but whereas the other hallways had their red emergency lights, this one only had lights near Obi-Wan's position. The man noticed a body on the ground as he took a step forward, and after squinting in its direction, realized he was looking at the body of a Senate Commando. It was already clear to Obi-Wan what had happened: the guards had given their lives to defend those within, and failed.
"General!" Hunter called out a moment later while he climbed the stairs to reach Obi-Wan, with Wrecker and Tech covering him as he ran. "We've got company!" Super commandos were at the base of the steps by then, firing on the Bad Batch with all the ordnance at their disposal.
Wrecker unloaded a cartridge on the soldiers below, holes of boiling plasma filling three of them when Tech sent a thermal detonator into the ranks of the remaining men, killing them in the ensuing explosion.
Obi-Wan nearly turned to assist the clones, when he felt his body go cold. A hand went to his face when he felt the presence of the Dark Side all around them, and looked down the dark hallway where he heard footsteps approaching. The footsteps were loud, metal-like in nature, and after a moment of staring into the void, Obi-Wan watched Maul step into the light.
"Ah, Kenobi," Maul sneered. "Always so persistent."
By then, Hunter and Wrecker were by the general's side, with Tech holding position at the staircase. Obi-Wan felt his mind flood with anger as he stared at the bleak eyes of Maul, the thoughts of so many innocent deaths infuriating him beyond reason. "You're a monster," he uttered, but little emphasis was behind his words. He was filled to the brim with hatred that he could hardly speak.
"At least I act like one!" Maul snapped, jabbing a thumb at himself as he broadened his chest. "You and I , the Sith and Jedi, are all the same. We kill one another, and slaughter those who get in our way; but, at least I can admit I'm a murderer."
"We are nothing alike," Obi-Wan growled as he ripped his lightsaber from his hip.
"Right," Maul sighed, a brief chuckle emitting from his mouth as his arms fell to his sides. "Unlike you, I will not sink to obscurity along with the rest of my dead order."
Obi-Wan lowered his stance, Hunter and Wrecker on either side of him with their rifles raised to the Sith.
Maul chuckled. "Surely you've realized, Kenobi…" he began to say, when the silhouettes of figures appeared from behind him. Stepping into the light, Obi-Wan watched a pair of super commandos step to Maul's flanks, their helmets adorned with a dozen horns. "You are no match for me," Maul snarled.
Obi-Wan eyed the Sith, then looked to Maul's hip. He quickly outstretched his left hand, allowing the Force to pull at the late Savage's lightsaber. He pulled his arm back, and allowed the weapon's hilt to fall within his grasp. He then extended his arms in front of him, his right above his left as his vision narrowed. "You are mistaken." The bright blue blade of his lightsaber shot out, as did the front end of Savage's. Before any of the others could act, he lunged forward, spiraling backward through the air with his lightsabers coming about to strike diagonally through Maul's body. By the time he came about, his sabers collided with Maul's as he returned to the ground. Around them, blaster fire rang out as the Bad Batch opened up, only to have their weapons knocked from their grips when the super commandos came in close. Obi-Wan paid his men little attention, as his rage centered his mind solely on Maul. He brought both his sabers down with all the might at his disposal, and briefly forced Maul to arch his back in order to avoid the blades, though a moment later Maul struck back. The Sith shoved Obi-Wan away with ease, and swung at him with the rear end of his saber. He lunged forward like an animal, bringing his weapon about to strike through Obi-Wan, when the Jedi brought his sabers into contact with Maul's. He quickly reversed his motion, this time aiming for Kenobi's neck, but the Jedi ducked beneath the blow, and returned to interlock sabers with him.
While Obi-Wan clashed with Maul, Tech found himself being overwhelmed by super commandos funneling up the staircase to meet them. Over near the duel, Wrecker's fists were interwoven with the crowned commando's as they traded blows, with the Mandalorian sending a fist toward Wrecker's face faster than the man could have predicted. The fist struck home, forcing Wrecker to stagger a step away from him. The crowned commando then extended his right arm and pressed a button on his gauntlet, allowing fire to spew out the end of it. Wrecker rolled backward, his body beneath the scorching flames as he attempted to escape the inferno. When he returned to his feet, the commando activated his grappling hook. It wound tightly around Wrecker's left arm, and once the commando felt he had subdued his adversary, extended his left gauntlet to fire on him. Wrecker sidestepped the blast, then pulled his grappled arm back, causing the commando to be yanked toward him. Wrecker turned his arm to the side and swung when the commando reached striking distance, and with a clean blow to the helmet, knocked the Mandalorian onto his back.
Across the way, Hunter blocked a fist that came his direction, only to take a leg to the gut. He was sent rolling along the ground near Tech's crossfire, and was beginning to recover when he noticed the crowned commando turn on Obi-Wan.
The Jedi had just struck a blow to Maul's knee with his foot, and reeled back his right arm for a decisive swing when he felt a cable wrap around it. He turned to his right and spotted one of the crowned commandos hovering above the ground, using his jetpack as leverage to help pull Obi-Wan to the ground. As Kenobi tugged at the grapple, he noticed Maul stepping toward him, his lightsaber raised. Obi-Wan brought Savage's saber into contact with Maul's when he swung, but without his other arm, he knew he could not last long against the Sith. As he prepared to bat away another blow, he spotted a vibroblade out the corner of his eye coming toward him. The blade sliced through the grappling hook on his arm, allowing him to continue his duel with Maul while Hunter stepped toward the crowned commando.
Hunter wagged a finger at the Mandalorian before throwing himself upon the warrior, his right arm reeled back for a clean blow against the warrior's skull. Upon collision, he sent the commando crashing against the wall behind them. As the Mandalorian attempted to recover, he grabbed the man by his throat and sent another fist crashing against the man's skull. His right hand came to bear on the man again and again, until on his final swing, the Mandalorian caught his hand with his own. The crowned commando then put his other hand on Hunter's hip and threw him to the ground. Once on the floor, Hunter rolled away from the commando, who brought his foot down in an attempt to knock the wind out of him, and once back on his feet, unsheathed a vibroblade from his boot. He lunged at the man like a gundark, his blade coming within inches of the man's throat, when his opponent blocked the motion of his arm with his own. The commando then swung with his opposing arm, landing a blow to the side of Hunter's helmet. The clone's vision became blurred, and in the midst of trying to recover, the Mandalorian surged forward, grabbing onto his throat with both hands. The commando forced all his weight down on Hunter, knocking the both of them to the ground in his fit of rage. There, Hunter felt his life being squeezed out of him, when he pulled back his right arm. As he prepared to gasp his final breath, he sent the blade forward, allowing it to imbed itself within the Mandalorian's throat. The commando's body jerked for a moment, then fell limp, allowing Hunter to push the corpse off him. He then looked over to his squadmates, and found Wrecker had crushed the head of his adversary with his foot.
"Sergeant!" Tech called out. "I can't hold them forever!" A dozen super commandos were climbing the stairs to meet them when Wrecker recovered his blaster.
Hunter wanted to help his squad, but found his gaze returning to Obi-Wan. He watched the Jedi and his Sith counterpart exchange blows, with Maul continually backing away down the hall as Obi-Wan continued to pour on his assault. "The general will be fine," Hunter told himself when he retrieved his blaster, and moved to help his squad.
While the clones stemmed the tide of super commandos encroaching on their position, Obi-Wan pushed Maul further down the blackened hallway, his arms striking out at his adversary in alternating directions so as to keep Maul on his toes. Yet, despite his ferocity, Maul appeared unfazed. If anything, the constant clashing of their sabers put a smile on his face. Maul took another step away from his opponent and spiraled his lightsaber on the end of his fingertips, bringing it back toward Obi-Wan when it had come full circle. Their sabers interlocked, with neither opponent wanting to back down. Obi-Wan forced all his weight upon the Zabrak, pushing against his saber as he gritted his teeth.
Maul laughed. "You have so much anger, but without the Dark Side, you have no avenue with which to channel it." He then threw his arms forward, shoving his opponent away as he stepped toward the doorway behind him. He outstretched a hand to a blaster lying on the ground near the corpse of a Senate Commando and lifted it with the Force, sending it into the doorway's control panel a moment later. The blaster crashed against the activation switch, causing the door behind Maul to slide open while he pulled away from Obi-Wan.
The chamber he retreated to was a large, circular room with a massive pit at its center, which lead to the facility's primary generator below. Maul stepped onto a singular catwalk, wide enough for one person, that went across the pit, and waited for his opponent to arrive. He sneered in Obi-Wan's direction when the man finally entered the chamber. "So much rage surrounds you, Kenobi. Anger, frustration, and a thirst for vengeance. Yet, so long as you harbor the Light, your rage shall be your weakness."
It was then that Obi-Wan slowed, stopping just before the catwalk Maul stood on. He took a deep breath, and shut his eyes for a moment. "Only the weak embrace the Dark Side."
"By that notion, you are a prime candidate," Maul replied, the rear end of his lightsaber disengaging as he put a hand behind his back, like that of an elegant fencer.
Obi-Wan calmed his mind, and his eyes shot open when he finally leaped to Maul, his lightsabers over his head as he climbed through the air. He spiraled around midflight, his feet landing on the rickety catwalk moments later as he swung his sabers. Maul sidestepped his swipe, and when Obi-Wan brought his blades for a diagonal uppercut to his chest, Maul arched his back around the sabers. Obi-Wan reversed his swing as he took another step toward the Sith, but Maul ducked beneath his blow.
Obi-Wan was reeling his arms back when Maul brought his saber out in front of him, its rear end extending as he brought his other hand out from behind him to grab hold of the weapon when Obi-Wan came crashing down on his saber. In a single, swift motion, Maul extended his fingertips and lashed out with the Force, sending Obi-Wan several paces back along the catwalk. As Obi-Wan fumbled with his balance on the platform, Maul was quick to outstretch his left hand and pull at Savage's lightsaber, ripping it from Obi-Wan's grip.
"I would love to continue this fight," Maul began to say, "but I have a city to burn." With that, he slashed through the midsection of the catwalk, pushing off its falling platform as he backflipped to safety at the other end.
Obi-Wan barely managed to lift himself off the platform when it fell, and reached the opposite end of the structure just as Maul landed on the other side. Obi-Wan was forced to watch the malicious grin on Maul's face as he took off down another corridor, where he vanished from view a moment later.
Obi-Wan stood there dumbfounded. He had Maul within his grasp, yet the criminal always managed to escape. He was about to turn back the way he came in order to find another way around, when the memory of thousands dying in an instant caused him to act drastically. There was no time to find another way around.
Obi-Wan took a step away from the edge of the pit, inhaled, and threw himself forward. He shot off the solid surface a moment later, catapulting himself to the other side of the chamber in a matter of seconds. He somersaulted in midair as if he were a circus trapeze, landed on his feet a moment later, and exhaled. When he looked up to where Maul had disappeared, he felt himself become reinvigorated by the notion of finally catching such a monster, and sprinted after him.
#
From his position on the battlefield, Rex had seen the destruction of the Jedi Temple, as everyone had. He wondered what else Maul could be capable of if he was able to bring about the end of such a prominent structure so easily, but his mind was not allowed to linger far, as the battle forced him to stay focused on the struggle at hand. He knew the others would do their job, and that he had to do his.
From the western front, Bacara and Ki-Adi-Mundi continued to flood the enemy ranks with troops of their own, and it seemed they were only minutes from victory. The shock troopers were crumbling, and Crimson Dawn only had a few thousand soldiers left.
"One last push!" Rex shouted at he pointed a pistol to the sky, when he suddenly felt weight crash against his shoulders.
Katooni leaped on top of Rex's back for an extra push, and shot off his body like a cannonball, her body twisting in midair as she came down on a shock trooper, her lightsaber gliding diagonally across his body as she came down. When her feet touched against the ground, she found Petro standing beside her, their backs to one another while they worked to deflect oncoming laser fire. Their fellow younglings pushed past the 332nd to join them, with Rex and Hondo at their backs as allies surged forward. Ahead of them, Mace Windu cut through shock troopers and Dawn soldiers as if they were little more than butter, with clones following in his wake of death to join him.
Rex squeezed the triggers of his pistols, blasting through half a dozen intermixed Dawn soldiers in quick succession, when he realized too late that a shock trooper was taking aim at him from his right flank. Just when he was beginning to turn, however, the trooper's head erupted in blue fire. Rex turned to see Cody at his side, with Jesse at their backs a moment later. He then heard the sound of thrusters igniting, and looked over their heads to see Ursa and her Mandalorians shooting over the battlefield, their pistols gunning down dozens of distracted hostiles with ease before they turned toward the surrounding streets of Coruscant.
Out on the varying levels of intertwined streets and roads that made up Coruscant's residential circus of a city, Commander Doom and his men were crisscrossing over one another as they wound around the roads, gunning down every criminal enforcer they came across. Shield-bearers led the way, with riflemen and heavies clumping up behind them as they surged forward, determined to take back their capital. Over their heads screamed the Mandalorians, their rockets obliterating pockets of enemy resistance as they moved.
Seeing the crumbling enemy resistance from his position on the plaza, Rex knew the battle was nearly won. It had to be… unless Maul ignited a bomb beneath their feet.
#
Hunter and his squad managed to push the super commandos back down the stairs, and were engaged in a firefight with the survivors in an adjacent corridor. Lasers whipped about in the air within the corridor, with a round straying from its target to crash through the glass windowing on the righthand side of the hall.
More super commandos appeared to be coming around the bend at the other end of the hall, which caused Hunter to groan in frustration. "We could sure use a Jedi about now," he remarked as he positioned himself behind a pile of rubble on the left side of the hall, with his squadmates forming up on the right.
As if answering his request, Hunter heard the roar of engines approaching the outer window of their corridor, and watched as blaster fire tore through the exposed hallway, leaving a dozen dead Mandalorians in their wake. He turned to the window and saw a gunship hovering alongside the building. Two figures leaped into the hallway, and Hunter stood at attention when he realized he was looking at General Skywalker and his padawan.
"What's the situation?" Anakin asked as he approached the sergeant.
"Super commandos are all over the complex. We've been trying to keep them distracted while Obi-Wan chases down Maul," Hunter informed him.
"Do you know where they went?"
Hunter pointed back toward the stairs. "They headed for the main generator."
Ahsoka stepped past the pair. "Let's get going then."
"No, not that way," Anakin was quick to halt her momentum. "I know a shortcut." He then turned toward the direction the super commandos had come from and raced down the hall, with Ahsoka close behind.
Hunter watched the Jedi disappear around the corner before turning to the gunship, where he saw Sergeant Aang and his squad departing to provide assistance. "Alright men!" Hunter barked at the troops before him. "Let's give the generals a hand and clear this building."
"Sir, yessir," Aang's squad replied in unison as they lifted their blasters to their chests. With that, the clones began their hunt for the super commandos.
#
Awaiting Maul at the end of an inner corridor was the finest of his crowned commandos. "My lord, here's the detonator to the final bomb," the Mandalorian said as he handed Maul the device. "However, there's been no confirmation of its status from Krim, nor has there been any word from my brother."
"Not to worry, Tiber," Maul replied, his gaze to the detonator as he spoke. "I am sure all is going according to plan. When chaos abounds, the Jedi are at their weakest," he continued to say.
"Are you sure we can still win?" Tiber Saxon asked, a discouraged look residing beneath his horned helmet.
Maul chuckled to himself. "When the plaza crumbles, the Republic's armies will be no more. Victory will be assured." He then pointed toward the end of the hallway. "Now go, and lead your men to victory."
Tiber gave a slight bow before turning to sprint down the hallway.
Maul smiled inward at how far he had come, from the lowest of wastelanders on a desolate world to conqueror of Coruscant. Victory was so near, so close he could feel it in his bones, when a voice called out to him from behind.
"Maul!" Obi-Wan roared at the top of his lungs as he came toward the Sith from the opposite end of the hallway. He stopped mere feet from his enemy when he noticed the detonator the Zabrak held within his grasp. His heart nearly stopped beating when Maul turned to face him.
"Kenobi," Maul smiled. "I'm so glad you could be here in person to see this." The Sith's grin went ear to ear, his eyes feeding off the look of helplessness on Obi-Wan's face. "Today, your armies die," he whispered, before his tone suddenly changed to a shout of sheer madness. "Today, the Republic dies!" His thumb came down on the detonator, only to touch open air. A look of shock crossed his face as he turned to his left, and watched a blue lightsaber slash across the detonator's midsection. His eyes filled with rage when he saw Ahsoka standing before him, with Anakin by her side.
"You're finished," Ahsoka said, her lightsaber pointing in Maul's direction as she spoke.
Maul's eyes went wide as he realized his predicament. The Chosen One stood before him, having killed his master, it appeared. "Sidious is dead then…" he uttered, his arms drooping to his sides as he spoke.
"And you're lucky you're still standing," Anakin remarked, drawing nearer to the Sith with each word he spoke. "You'll pay for everything you've done here, Maul."
Maul began to cave inward on himself, his eyes pointed to the floor in defeat. Yet, in the back of his mind, he realized he was the last Sith. The thought began to build on itself, coming to the forefront of Maul's mind as he began to understand the true gravity of his situation. There was no longer a contender to the throne. After all these years, he was finally master of his own fate, without having to fear the wrath of Sidious. A snarl emerged on his face as the Jedi drew nearer to him, their lightsabers ready to cut him in half if he dared move. "It's Darth…" Maul suddenly uttered, his teeth grinding against one another as he looked up at the Jedi. In one swift move, he threw his arms up, calling upon the Dark Side to throw his adversaries from their positions.
Only Ahsoka was keen enough to spot his movement in time, and outstretched her own hands to counter his push, when she heard Anakin crash against the floor behind her. She whipped around to check on him, to see if he was alright, when she heard a lightsaber ignite behind her. She turned back toward Maul, only to hear her heart stop beating. A piercing sensation struck her like a dagger, and she looked down to find the red blade of a lightsaber imbedded in her abdomen. Air escaped out her lungs, but none came back in as she dropped her sabers, their metallic bodies clanking along the ground as her eyes went wide.
With the other Jedi stunned, Maul leaned in so that only Ahsoka could hear him. "We could have ruled the galaxy together," he whispered in her ear. "Now, instead you will die here, along with the rest of your cult." He then ripped his lightsaber from her, allowing Ahsoka to fall on her knees before him. He reeled back his lightsaber to remove her head, when he felt his body come off the ground.
"Nooo!" Anakin roared as he lashed out with the Force, throwing Maul's helpless body against the far wall while his emotions overflowed. However, he paid the Sith little more attention, as his focus went to his former padawan. He slid to her side just as she collapsed, and watched with tears in his eyes as she fell into his arms, gasping at life while attempting to cover the hole in her side.
By then Maul had recovered, but after seeing Obi-Wan back on his feet, chose to turn toward the nearest turbolift. Obi-Wan was about to give chase when he heard the tears of his padawan, and turned to see Anakin holding on tightly to Ahsoka. "Anakin…" Obi-Wan began to say, when the man snapped.
"Go!" Anakin shouted. "Get him!"
Obi-Wan gave the gentlest of nods before racing after Maul, leaving the pair to themselves in the silent, empty hallway.
"Ahsoka…" Anakin uttered, his jaw shaking as he looked into the eyes of a woman he had watched go from a young, naïve little girl, to a true Jedi over the span of three years.
"I… I'm sorry, Master," Ahsoka said, a hand raised to cling onto Anakin's as she felt herself fading. "I… should've been… more careful. I…" She coughed, her lungs attempting to scrape together enough oxygen to keep her going a moment more. As her life began to flash before her eyes, she thought back on all the two had been through together. All the times they had been by each other's side, all the times they had saved one another from certain doom. No matter how frustrated or angry Anakin appeared about the war, she had always been there to comfort him. Now, it seemed only fitting he would be there for her at the end. "I…" Ahsoka felt tears well up in her eyes. "I know I failed you… when I left the order. I know I failed you… when I didn't stay—"
"No," Anakin was quick to reply, tears dripping down his cheeks as he stopped Ahsoka dead in her tracks. "No, Ahsoka. You could never fail me. It's I who failed you when it really mattered, over and over again." His head slumped over her; all he wanted was to save her. "I'm so sorry, Ahsoka."
#
Rex stopped firing. Even as his troops poured past him in the final stages of the battle, he found himself being overcome with pain. He was no Force sensitive, as no clone was, and yet there was an uncontrollable sorrow that filled him, even when their battle seemed won.
Cody was the only one to notice. "Rex, what's wrong?"
The man tilted his head from side to side. "Something terrible has happened."
#
He had failed his wife. Anakin had tried with everything in him to save her, but he was not strong enough. He refused to let the same happen to Ahsoka. He would not allow it, and yet there was nothing he could do. He felt her grip loosen on his hand, and watched Ahsoka's arm go limp at her side as her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
"There has to be a way," Anakin uttered to himself, but as he looked to the woman in his arms, he found there was little to be done. Yet, a hand still went to her side all the same, right where Maul had plunged his blade through her.
All around us, is that which we need to prevail.
Anakin held his hand firmly in place over the hole in Ahsoka's side, and slowly inhaled.
The Force resides in all lifeforms. Use it you can, to quiet your mind.
Anakin exhaled, his mind relaxing as he allowed his emotions to go numb. He felt it, the Light Side, flowing through him. He felt it in the world around him, and he felt it in Ahsoka. He pressed his hand against her wound, took another deep breath, and exhaled.
For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.
Anakin felt his lifeforce fading, not by much, but by enough. He channeled the Light Side not out of passion, not out of lust for strength, power, or victory. Instead, he channeled the Force out of love for a young girl he had practically raised. A young girl who had become the finest Jedi he had ever known. A young girl whose life as a hero was stripped from her when the world turned its back on her, though he had always been by her side. His selfless compassion drove him to call upon the Light with all he had left, and he nearly passed out from exhaustion.
Anakin's vision went blurry, and his head drooped over his padawan as he felt his body weaken. Yet the young woman did not stir; there was no motion from her body in the slightest. Anakin found himself too tired to cry as he looked upon the limp body of his friend. He shut his eyes, and conceded defeat. He laid there, his padawan's body in his arms as he tried to come to terms with everything, when he heard a voice speak.
"Master."
Anakin's eyes burst open, and in his arms he found Ahsoka lifting her head off his arm. "What… how… how am I alive?"
Anakin's jaw was left agape as he looked on with surprise, tears returning to his eyes from overflowing joy within his heart. He wanted to jump for joy, to cry out to the universe and thank it for not taking away everything he loved. Then he removed his hand from Ahsoka's side, and to his astonishment, found her wound mended.
Ahsoka looked to her side, eyes wide in shock at the miraculous healing that had taken place. "I'm healed," were the only words she could utter, as she was stunned to silence with joy.
"The Force can save people from death," Anakin said in amazement, a smile finally piercing his face as he embraced Ahsoka in a hug. "I won't fail you again, Ahsoka."
"Master," Ahsoka found herself smiling. "Because of you, I'm alive."
Anakin tilted his head at her, his tears drying as he came to understand there was goodness in him after all. "Glad I finally did something right by you, Snips." Their celebration was cut to an end, however, when a signal pinged on Anakin's comlink. He answered to find Hunter's voice on the other end.
"General, Tiber Saxon's sweeping the building with all the Mandalorians at his disposal. My squad's good, but we're not this good. We could use backup as soon as possible," the sergeant reported, gunfire filling his end of the channel as he spoke.
"We'll be there in a minute," Anakin replied before deactivating his comlink. He then looked back at Ahsoka. "You alright to move, or should we wait."
Ahsoka diverted her gaze from her master as she thought about all that had happened. She thought about the clones in danger, she thought of Obi-Wan and his struggle with Maul, and she thought of how the Sith alluded her on Mandalore. "I'm fine, Anakin," she said when her gaze returned to the man. "You need to help our men out."
"But you're…"
Ahsoka pushed away from him, her eyes going toward the hallway Maul and Obi-Wan had disappeared down. "I know what I have to do, Anakin."
The man followed her gaze toward where the others had run, and sighed. "I know," he replied, his voice soft while he conceded to let Ahsoka follow her own destiny. The pair rose from their positions on the ground, their backs to one another as they prepared to finish what they had started. "Good luck," Anakin said as he took a step away from her.
Ahsoka looked back at him for a fraction of a second. "May the Force be with you." With that, she took off toward where her fate laid beyond.
#
Maul sidestepped his adversary's swing with ease. He could tell Obi-Wan's emotions were ruining his focus. "I grow tired of your persistence," he growled before sliding away from his opponent, and outstretched a hand to the side paneling of the hallway. He ripped a section free with the Force, and sent it flying toward Obi-Wan.
The Jedi swung like a savage, chopping the steel in half as if it were paper. He leaped toward Maul, ready to strike, when he noticed another panel come loose from the wall and shoot toward him. He cut vertically across it, but before he could return his gaze to Maul, he felt metal crash against his shoulder. He staggered backwards before looking toward his adversary, and then his mind went blank. Another panel had struck him across the face, knocking him to the ground while Maul continued to pull away.
"This should hold you," Maul hissed as he lifted his hands to the walls of the hallway, and called upon the Dark Side in order to tear at their integrity. He heard the creaks of metal, the bending of steel, and threw his arms toward the ground, where the walls finally snapped. They crumbled like twigs, and collapsed on Obi-Wan a moment later. Maul took a deep breath while he watched the Jedi struggle. "I will deal with you after I watch Coruscant fall," he said before finally abandoning Obi-Wan to his own vices.
Left to his lonesome, Obi-Wan was forced to reflect on all that Maul had done to him, and to others. He knew the Sith was a monster, yet every time they dueled, he always seemed to find himself on the losing side. He wanted to weep for Ahsoka, but found that no tears could come. Perhaps that was his greatest burden: to feel so much sorrow and yet have no method by which to convey it. As he laid there amongst the rubble and ruins, he felt himself giving up. "I can't beat him," he finally conceded. "He's too strong."
"That never stopped you before."
Obi-Wan blinked, thinking for a moment he had gone crazy when he heard a voice call out to him. The voice of his master. He looked out into the dark room, but saw nothing. He wondered if he was hallucinating the voice, and when no further sound followed, he settled on that theory. He was about to return to his remorseful state when the voice returned to his ears.
"Obi-Wan, I've never known you to be one who gives up."
"Qui-Gon?" he blurted out, but still he saw nothing. "Master… I hear you, but I do not know what I can do."
"You must do as all Jedi must," the ghostly, yet comforting voice continued to say. "You must stand against this darkness that threatens to consume everything you love."
"Jedi do not form attachments," Obi-Wan found himself correcting his late master.
"Love and passion are not one in the same, my padawan. We must love, for how else can we care?"
Obi-Wan looked to the ground, his mind hard at work. He felt truly helpless, smushed amongst rubble in an empty corridor, with no one around to help him. "How can I defeat Maul?"
"By believing you can, for believing is half the battle. Without faith, nothing can be accomplished."
Obi-Wan looked out on the empty, dark hall, and still, despite his master's words, found himself doubting. "Is it my destiny to defeat Maul?"
"It is your destiny to do what is right," Qui-Gon answered.
Obi-Wan had his answer, and dropped his lightsaber as he flexed his fingers. For too long he had harbored feelings of anger and emotion; now he let everything go. His rage, his fury, his sadness, his sorrow; everything flowed out of him like water pouring out over a waterfall. He then heard the walls around him begin to creak, and felt weight being pushed off his body. He continued to draw from the Light Side, and after moving the paneling away from him enough so sit up, he sent his arms flying out to his sides. The metal and steel was launched away from him, and crashed against the edges of the hallway a moment later.
Obi-Wan retrieved his lightsaber, and looked at it as sincerely as a parent would a child. His gaze then went to where Maul had escaped, and took a step toward fate when he heard Qui-Gon call out, one last time.
"Never forget who you are."
#
Tiber Saxon watched the clones begin to pull back as he men crowded the hall, thirty in all. While they advanced, he turned to his lieutenant and asked, "Have the traps been laid where I specified?"
"Yes sir," the Mandalorian nodded.
"Good," Tiber smiled, his vicious gaze toward the retreating clones. "Blow it."
Hunter, his squadmates, and Aang's men were slowly retreating down the corridor, away from the super commandos, when they heard an explosion come from above. Aang was quick to look up, and saw the ceiling shattering before his eyes. Acting on instinct, he shoved one of his troopers away from the rupture, and closed his eyes as the ceiling caved in on top of him.
"Aang!" Hunter called out, fearing the worst had happened, when his eyes went wide.
The sergeant did not die. Instead, after a moment of squeezing his eyes shut, Aang opened them to see General Skywalker by his side, arms raised to the fragments of metal tiling above them. "Forward!" Anakin shouted to the clones, his teeth clenched as he attempted to hold back the ruined ceiling. He felt the heat of blaster fire zip past him, and looked toward the super commandos with eyes of fire. He then tilted his arms in the direction of the enemy, moving the ceiling fragments as he went. Once the sheets of metal were between him and the Mandalorians, he shoved his body forward with all his might, and allowed the Force to propel the hunks of metal on from there.
Tiber's eyes went dead as metal shredded through his men, with the final sheet crashing against his body a moment later. The force of impact was enough to send him flying backward, where he smashed through the glass window at the end of the hallway and fell over the edge of the building.
With the bulk of super commandos defeated, Anakin watched as Hunter and Aang rushed forward, their men at their backs as they dealt with the few remaining stragglers. He then went to his comlink and called for a gunship, as time was of the essence.
#
Alone atop the Senate Building, Maul felt himself at peace as he watched violence occur all around him. Republic and Collective starfighters whipped about in all directions, tearing into one another as armies converged on the ground, spreading fires and mayhem everywhere they clashed.
"Ah, so beautiful," Maul remarked as he outstretched his arms to the thunderous world around him. "Chaos. This is when the Force is truly in balance." His fists balled as he felt the end drawing near, and believed in his heart that victory was assured with a single detonation. Torrential rain was flooding the region, dousing his body in water as he watched the world burn. However, his moment was spoiled by the sound of footsteps trudging through the rain.
"It seems you're not the only one whose difficult to kill."
Maul glanced back to see Ahsoka standing before him, her lightsabers held in reverse as they jutted out behind her, their blades shimmering against the droplets of water that pounded against the roof of the building.
"You truly believe you can best me?" Maul laughed in her face as he turned. "You're not even a real Jedi."
"This coming from half a Sith," Ahsoka smugly remarked, her stance lowering as she brought her righthanded blade out in front of her.
Maul cocked an eyebrow in the woman's direction. "Clever." He heard wind snap further beyond their position, and glanced past Ahsoka to see his longtime rival spiraling through the air.
Obi-Wan's feet slammed against the roof, his lightsaber falling into his hand when he landed. "Do you count me?" he asked in rhetorical fashion as he leaned back on his right leg, his right arm coming over his head as he reeled it back. He then extended two of the fingers on his left hand as he pointed them toward Maul.
The Sith huffed, his hands going to his waist a moment later. "This time…" he uttered while his fingers wrapped around his sabers. "I'll make sure you both die." His right arm went out in front of him as he lowered his body toward the ground, and watched both ends of his lightsaber ignite horizontally. At his back, his brother's saber illuminated the night sky in the same fashion, and he held position a moment longer while he waited for his enemies to approach.
Across the way, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan looked to one another for confirmation of their next move. In unison, they nodded to each other, and shot forward.
Maul dashed toward the pair, a snarl on his face as he raced to meet them. The pair of Jedi stepped to either side of him as they approached, and Maul raised his arms to meet them when they made their move. His double-bladed lightsabers collided with theirs, and he held them on either side of him for a moment before batting both away, and pushed off the ground as he somersaulted at a diagonal toward Ahsoka. He aimed to defeat her quickly and then turn on Kenobi, but found Ahsoka to be more of a handful than he had anticipated. He lashed out at her with his sabers, swinging backhanded, parrying a strike from her, and then spiraling around to take her head off at the neck. Each time he swung, Ahsoka blocked. Just when he thought he had her on the ropes, Obi-Wan was on his flank, taking jabs at his hind quarters while he tried to finish off the padawan. He then whipped around and swung at a diagonal toward Obi-Wan, but the man arched his back as he moved into a sidestep, and avoided Maul's deadly blade.
By then, the Jedi had him trapped between them, causing Maul's rage to grow as he looked for a way to turn the tide. He slashed at Ahsoka, causing her to stagger away from him, but Obi-Wan was on him in a heartbeat, swinging with focus and determination rather than rage. As Maul deflected and parried the swings of such a Jedi Master, he caught sight of a sinkhole in the roofing behind Kenobi, and assumed it to be a maintenance shaft of some sort. If he could knock one of his opponents down it, he could eliminate the other before they had time to recover. When Ahsoka returned to face him, he believed he had an opportunity. Maul channeled all his might into the Dark Side, and began to spiral back and forth between his adversaries. His lightsabers twisted and turned as he rotated them on the edge of his fingertips, before they fell firmly into his hands when he collided with the enemy. Then, using his weight to his advantage, he shoved against Obi-Wan, and sent him staggering backward. He then sent his lightsabers toward Ahsoka, causing the less experienced fighter to pull away from him several paces. Once she had backed down, he turned toward Obi-Wan and the maintenance shaft he stood above. Maul threw his arms out ahead of him, and sent the Force crashing against Obi-Wan, who countered by throwing up his own arms. Maul then launched toward the Jedi, and allowed the hilt of his lightsaber to slam against Obi-Wan's skull. The man stumbled, and Maul arched his body toward the Jedi with both his arms extended. He Force pushed Obi-Wan again, and this time found success. Obi-Wan was sent flying through the air, only to crash against the bottom of the maintenance shaft far below.
Maul then turned on Ahsoka, his sabers colliding with hers and causing sparks to shoot out in all directions, only to fizzle out because of the rain. Yet, despite their collisions, he was stronger, and found himself pushing Ahsoka back with each impact. Then, when he realized Ahsoka was several paces away, he reeled back his left arm to finish her off. In one swift move, he sent his arm forward, and allowed Savage's lightsaber to fly free of his grip. The lightsaber spiraled through the air on a collision course with Ahsoka's midsection, when the woman dove beneath the blade. She bent her spine backwards when her knees touched the ground, its slippery surface allowing her to slide toward her opponent with ease. Once she was past the spiraling saber, she pushed off the ground and twisted through the air before coming back down on top of Maul.
The Sith gripped his remaining saber with both hands as he fenced with the young Togruta, batting away each strike that came his way with ease. He then parried a swing from her, causing both her sabers to fall to her right side while he reversed his motion. He then swung for her neck from the left, but Ahsoka ducked beneath the maneuver. She then threw her arms toward Maul's chest, calling upon the Light Side to shove him over the edge of the platform.
Obi-Wan was just beginning to recover when he saw a figure tip over the edge of the roof above him. When he realized it was Maul, he ignited his lightsaber.
The Sith Lord gasped when he struck the maintenance shaft, as he felt a body beneath him, and an object through his chest. He looked down to find the blue hue of a lightsaber coming out through his upper body, and groaned.
Obi-Wan was panting from the duel, but felt satisfaction in his voice when he finally spoke. "It's over now," he said.
Maul gasped for air, his eyes wide when he realized he was at death's gates. "When… that bomb goes off… your armies are doomed."
Obi-Wan sighed, his body feeling the full weight of another press against it on the surface of the maintenance shaft. "If only you could've changed."
Maul snarled, his teeth clenching one last time as he growled, "I always hated you, Ken…obi." His head then slumped backwards, knocking against Obi-Wan's, who tried to remove his body from him.
Once the corpse was off him, Obi-Wan fell back onto the drenched maintenance surface and felt his body relax. He took a deep breath, and exhaled, relief pouring over him like a tidal wave when he realized it was finished.