Chapter 2
Now we return to the scene after that in the prologue, where we return to the present-day Grievous entering the bunker. It was now years after his first lessons with Tyranus. He had now been professionally trained in the arts of the lightsaber and was now a master of this weapon. He had only one, which was the one that his master had given him.
Grievous entered the bunker and approached the communications console, where a call had been hailing for him for the past minute now. Grievous answered the transmission and a large blue picture of San Hill appeared. The picture flickered a little, but Chairman Hill's voice was perfectly clear.
"Ah, General Grievous," San Hill said in his strange aristocratic voice.
"Chairman Hill," Grievous recognized the former.
"I trust you disposed of the 462nd legion of clones?"
"Every last clone is dead, chairman."
"Very good," San Hill praised in a voice only a bit different from his former voice. This seemed better than his nose less-sounding voice. "By any chance, were you able to save any of the battle droids?"
"No, chairman," Grievous answered. "The clones fought me after they beat your army."
San Hill gave a sort of sigh, and then spoke again, "Well, we all do our best, now don't we?"
Grievous was silent.
"Anyway, let's move to business now," Hill resumed. "You have a new mission. It's probably the biggest one you're about to have. It might catch the eye of our benefactor and allow him to reveal himself."
"I'm listening," Grievous said.
"It concerns Kalee," Hill suddenly said.
Grievous was shocked. His eyes grew wider than before. Was it possible? A chance to return to Kalee presented right here, right now?
"I see you are obviously interested."
But no, Grievous was more than interested. He was dying to have this mission. He would do anything to return to Kalee. He would even agree to be executed on Kalee. Grievous wanted only to return home to see his family once more.
"But there will be a bit of tragedy for you, general," Hill then brought up.
What could he possibly mean? What sort of tragedy?
"It seems that in your absence from the planet, a group of Kaleesh decided to rebel against us and to return to the Republic. They destroyed a base northwest of your hometown and are requesting for a peace treaty to return to the Republic and have peace with the Huks."
Betrayal was what this mission was all about. It was betrayal that was what would bring Grievous back home. He couldn't wait get his hands on the traitors. He couldn't wait to ring their necks and slaughter the rest of the lot.
"Here's where the tragedy arrives, general," Hill finished. His picture then disappeared and was replaced by a picture dated not long ago. It was a picture of a group of Kaleesh surrounding a pile of droid parts. On top of the mound was a Kaleesh who looked much stronger than the others. It was only the look of this Kaleesh that disturbed Grievous. This traitor had a missing finger and scarred chest… just like his own son. No! It could not be! Grievous would agree to die on Kalee, but he would never fight his own son.
"I'm sorry, general," Hill began again. "It seems that in your absence, your sons and wives thought that we had killed you and they did not approve. So they began a rebellion."
"No…" Grievous trailed off. "Why, Katakas? I am alive and breathing."
"Your objectives," Hill paused as if he did not want to continue. But Grievous knew that a banker like Hill obviously had no respect for family and honor. "Your objectives are as follows: defeat the Republic armies; eliminate the rebel leader."
"No!" Grievous barked at Hill. "I will not slay my eldest son on the battlefield!"
"I'm sorry, general, but it's either that or your support systems are to be deactivated and the contract is broken."
Grievous looked puzzled for a moment. "I… I don't understand."
"The terms of our agreement was that we rebuild you a body and put the Kaleesh under our protection. In return, you agreed to be our droid general," Hill took another pause to let the general process the information. "Now, if you refuse a mission such as what you may do now, you are therefore abandoning your post as general and such actions will lead to the destruction of your contract. Your life support systems will be deactivated and we will send the entire Separatist fleet to bombard, decimate, and reduce the Kaleesh cities to rubble. It is your choice."
Truly, a tragedy this was. If he chose not to kill his own son, he would end up causing the extermination of the Kaleesh race and eventually his own life. If he chose to kill him, however, he would end up saving his own life and that of billions of Kaleesh. The only problem in the latter would be that he would have to kill his firstborn.
The choice of the death of his son or the death of many began to clear up a little as he considered that in both options, his son would die anyway. But if Grievous chose to let him die in execution, Grievous would not die a warrior's death as he swore to his ancestors.
Grievous gave his answer and closed the console. He turned and let his dark blue cape fly in the wind that entered the bunker. He made his way to the exit and out towards the viewing station to take a look at Mygeeto's scenery.
As he stood on the round viewing platform leveled with the bridge, he tried his best to reminisce his fond memories of fighting the Huks alongside Katakas. Such honor was loved by Grievous only.
He went back to the days when it was he and Katakas as father and son. He went back to the days when they built their homes together. He returned to the nights they fought alongside each other. He ventured back to those precious years of watching over his son and the pleasure of calling him just that.
And then, he went to something entirely different. He returned to his first lesson with Tyranus. He remembered the fears he had proclaimed to Tyranus, and his feelings about them.
The first fear that came into his head was the one that was always there ever since the beginning. "My greatest darkest fear is the death of my sons, especially my eldest… by my own hand." It was agreeable. Doing so would only make him look like a cold-blooded murderer.
"That is one of the most common fears of the galaxy," Tyranus had answered him. "It is usually the fear of those who stand for immortality and honor. Now, you must use that fear to your advantage. You must turn that fear into anger and then, bind together all the threats to your offspring in your fist. When you finally do, crush them with the utmost hatred that lies in the deepest chambers of your soul. It is only then that you will obtain… power."
Grievous returned to the present day. His greatest fear was being presented to him on a silver platter. His only choice was to devour and take action on this fear, or to just leave it sitting there until it rusted or decayed. It would only be sooner or later that Grievous would become paranoid about his fear and would later on take action on it.
After taking so many moments of thinking, Grievous looked up at the sky to see a Separatist craft hovering above the landing pad over the bunker. Grievous made his way to the pad and waited for the craft's ramp to lower.
He entered the craft and waited for the ship to leave Mygeeto's atmosphere and to jump into hyperspace.
Grievous' next destination: Kalee.
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