The Last Masters

Obi-Wan made fast approach to the Senate Building on Coruscant. A few light interceptors followed him through the lower atmosphere but he had lost them between buildings with minor damage. He wished he still had his Jedi starfighter right now. The wounded craft lurched to a halt and dumped itself on the ground. Obi-Wan looked through the cockpit window to see a squad clone troopers rush over to investigate. He waited anxiously for the troopers to close in on the landing hatch. There were more of them than he thought, maybe around eight. As soon as one knocked on the door he force pushed the ramp off its hinges, sending it flying outwards into the group of troopers, knocking them out like pins on a bowling alley. Without hesitation, he rushed out to deal with the three stragglers. One. Two. Their blast bolts pinged off of his saber and caught one shooter. He managed to toss one trooper to the ground and dashed forward to slice the last one from shoulder to hip. He then made a fast run towards the senate building. Approaching the stairs, he encountered a few senate guards that Yoda must have left behind and dealt with them. Some were still dragging their fallen comrades away when Obi-Wan encountered them, burn marks on their amour still fresh. This was a good sign, hopefully he wouldn't be too late.

He travels into the belly of the building, and as he does, the environment around him resembles a ruined battlefield more and more. It slowly goes from a few chairs and electronics being strewn about to entire rooms decimated by some kind of struggle. Saber marks litter the corridors, providing the only source of light as the power dwindles. A young Rodian male is seen laying in the middle of the corridor, unmoving. Obi-Wan approaches cautiously, holding his blue saber out for light. He is well dressed in a red robe with gold inlays. His green reptilian skin appears undamaged. Obi-Wan places his hand upon the Rodian and induces consciousness. He squeals for a moment, startled.

Obi-Wan moves his saber away. "I'm here to help."

The Rodian shakes his head, disoriented. "T-There was fighting, I saw flashes of lightning…Inside the building…I couldn't understand it…and the power went out…I was so afraid, I…"

Obi-Wan shushes him. "It's okay, I'm not going to harm you. You must get out of here, you can take the exit-"

A large boom erupted from very close, followed by another flickering of the lights. Obi-Wan instinctively adopted his stance - Form III, Soresu. The Rodian senator limped away as fast as he could back the way Obi-Wan came. He navigated towards the sounds. Master Yoda must have already engaged Sidious. He made his way outside of the main senate room, where representatives of all Republic planets would hold their seats in hearing. It was a little lighter here, with emergency power being conserved for the most important facilities.

A ghoulish scream erupted from the massive senate room. It was infinitely loud, and there was something debilitating about it. Terrifying. Something cold and malevolent.

The wall next to the entrance, next to Kenobi, exploded outwards. Debris was shot everywhere, causing Obi-Wan to shield his face and look away. At the end of it, a small green alien lay there, struggling to get to a knee. He looked weak and tired. Obi-Wan has never seen Master Yoda like this before. He was the best of them. And now he joined Obi-Wan in diving for cover as a storm of lightning followed them through the corridor. They managed to lose Palpatine for just a moment.

Yoda looked glad to see his old friend, but his welcoming look quickly turned to concern.

"Skywalker…" He said.

"It's a long story Master…It's best we keep our concentration here and now."

"Agreed. Discuss this matter after, we will."

A morale boosted Yoda and Kenobi ran across to the other entrance to the senate room. There the dark lord waited now, sitting comfortably on a floating senate pod, as though nothing had occurred.

"How good of you to join us, Kenobi. I'm surprised to still see you alive." Palpatine said.

"Your apprentice has failed you, Darth Sidious." Obi-Wan goaded.

"You are quite mistaken. I sense he is alive…More alive than ever before." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "In fact, I sense a new resolve in him. You are both doomed." He cackles.

Yoda looked to Obi-Wan, a face that seemed surprised, perhaps even betrayed. He looked back at Palpatine, and spoke.

"You dark machinations, at an end, they are."

"Master Jedi, you are no match for me, or do I need to teach you another lesson!?" From nowhere, Palpatine unleashed a barrage of force lightning which was scarcely avoided by Yoda, who cartwheeled out of the way. Obi-Wan moved to flank. Palpatine let his hands go to work, scorching everything in front of him, reducing lesser materials to embers in an instant. Palpatine cackled again, but Obi-Wan and Yoda drew closer to him, who stood slightly elevated upon his pod in the middle of the room. They flanked both sides, so that Palpatine had to choose a target. He did so easily. He sent a blast towards a fatigued Yoda, who caught his lightning in both hands. Sweat poured from Yoda's shrivelled face after just a few seconds of holding it. He eyed Kenobi to make a dive for Palpatine. Kenobi did so, leaping to Palpatine's position. Obi-Wan struck his saber towards Palpatine in-air. Palpatine used his free hand to reveal a saber from under his sleeve. It whipped out and the crimson blade caught Obi-Wan in a bind. This took some pressure off of Yoda, who hurled the lightning back at Palpatine. It dissipated before it could reach Palpatine, but the wave of air still blew him off of the platform. Obi-Wan struck out but missed Palpatine as he flew backwards onto the floor below. It was a hard fall, one completely undefended, but Palpatine still seemed unstoppable. Yoda and Obi-Wan recouped on the high ground, challenging Palpatine to rise and meet them. Palpatine obliged, in his own way. He threw out both his hands and crushed the platform's underside hover projectors. He brought the platform down to his level, obliterating it with the force. Yoda and Obi-Wan had acted fast by jumping off just before it came down. They all stood on the same level now, toe to toe. Palpatine finally turned his saber back on.

"Now…You will die." Palpatine smirked, blackened lips curling.

This is it. This is it. Obi-Wan thought. Yoda eyed Obi-Wan, their minds were connected. This could be their last battle together. Obi-Wan and Yoda lunged forward in a synchronised attack, something they had drilled together many times. Obi-Wan chopped at the midsection whilst Yoda flung his body high for the killshot. Palpatine, like a spectre, disappeared. Both Jedi spun around sensing danger, locking their sabers against Palpatine's. He held them both in place. He bore his teeth, spinning out of the lock and bringing the giant senate chairs down upon them with the force. They sidestepped. Palpatine kept dashing left and right, up and down unnaturally…Both Masters followed, exchanging quick blows with the Sith. Whenever Obi-Wan and Yoda started syncing their attacks, with some success, Palpatine found a way to separate or evade them. Obi-Wan circled Palpatine as he fought Yoda, but the Sith Lord twirled around fast with his saber, using this momentum to force leap into the air and hail lightning down upon them. They both blocked, no time to get out of the way. Palpatine landed safely next to them, regaining advantage. Yoda quickly replied by throwing a nearby table at him before his balance could return. But Palpatine's feet hadn't touched the floor for more than a second. To Yoda's surprise, Palpatine flew through the table, saber first, cutting the thing in two. Yoda was forced out of Palpatine's path, revealing Obi-Wan, whose eyes were wide with bewilderment. Just as a bullet is parallel to the ground on course to its target, Palpatine had fired himself through the table, through Yoda's guard and into Obi-Wan's body. Obi-Wan, a master in defense, managed to save his heart with an instinctive parry. Palpatine's saber licked past the right side of Kenobi, cutting him deep and singeing his ribs. The sheer impact and pain caused him to double over and before he could process what had happened, Palpatine blasted a downed Obi-Wan with lightning, dragging him across the floor in agony. Yoda intervened, and he once again dueled Palpatine alone. It was more fierce than before and wouldn't last nearly as long.

After a moment, Obi-Wan got to his feet, and tried to get back into the fight. Despite their injuries, Yoda and Obi-Wan managed to get some licks in, cornering him. Palpatine was rocked by a force push from Yoda, which was followed up by a strike from Kenobi. His blade missed, but his hands around the hilt followed through, connecting with Palpatine's face. His nose ruptured. Dark red, almost black liquid spilled out of his nose onto his pale, wrinkled skin. He did bleed, like everybody else.

Despite their new confidence, it was all in vain. Palpatine's pain seemed to fuel him. They couldn't keep Palpatine cornered for long…One minute he would duel them, the next he would blast lightning or hurl the senate room at them…Once one Jedi was stunned or distracted, he would go to work on the other. He stunned Yoda with a flurry of vicious attacks, and held Kenobi at bay with lightning from his other hand. When Obi-Wan closed in, blocking lightning, Palpatine backflipped out of the way, sending both warriors, saber first into each other. The middle of the room flashed green and blue as their blades touched, and they both stumbled trying to avoid one another. They looked back at Palpatine, exhausted and broken. He had almost made them kill each-other just now, and although Palpatine was not as bold as he was, he certainly wasn't losing - and worst of all, he was still enjoying every minute of it. The utter devastation of the battle eluded them entirely - it wasn't important anymore. The battle started at the main entrance, and ended where they stand now, by the exit. Like an unstoppable flood, wherever they moved a wave of destruction followed. They were running out of space altogether. The room around them had been obliterated, crushed metallic chunks of decor ceiling lay around, bare walls revealed frayed wiring and mangled panels. Torn planetary banners hang from them, some still alight in flame, most unrecognisable. Out of the hundreds of senate pods that once seated every member of the Republic Council, only a handful remained undamaged, most used as stones to be thrown by Palpatine and Yoda.

All of them stood there, some worse for wear than others. Palpatine sported a bloody mouth and nose, he too seemed to show signs of fatigue but was otherwise unphased. Obi-Wan looked half dead, he was covered in cuts from glancing blows and scorchmarks from the lightning. His side still pained him, making it hard to breathe. Yoda's robe was in tatters, some from Palpatine's saber, some from his own. All three stood off, Palpatine smiled again, eyes glowing yellow. The two Jedi Masters slow their breathing, drawing on what's left of the force before it slips entirely from them.

This is it, history will be decided by the next few seconds. This was to be their final attack, win or lose. In unison, they both move in on Palpatine.