Disclaimer- As much as I wish I owned Star Wars I do not. It belongs to Mr. Lucas. I do however own some invented characters that have already or will appear.
Thank-you for all your reviews, they are excellent. Please, continue reviewing.
Side note- It is highly unlikely that I will post the next chapter until sometime next weekend, so I have made this one a little longer.
Chapter 4- Silence
The dueling combatants assailed each other. The woman's dual blades met the red of the towering male's. The women began to slowly lose ground, until the sith lord forcefully pushed her back. His red mask gleamed; the eyes behind the mask glowed with malice. With two well-aimed strokes, he destroyed her violet lightsaber, and then her silver blade. She toppled to the ground, fatigue raking her body. Her eyes gradually moved to meet his. She imagined the smile that had to be forming underneath the mask. In his mind, he would think he only had Revan left to deal with, but he was ignorant. The resistance would continue even with its leaders gone.
Obi-wan frowned. He could feel her thoughts and it frightened him. He watched helplessly as the sith lord raised his sanguine blade. In the hours that seemed to pass as the blade fell, the Exile's eyes met those of Obi-wan. A silent understanding passed between them, though Obi-wan did not know what. He just knew that she had seen him. Her eyes closed as the red light entered her chest.
"Beeep-oopp."
Obi-wan jerked awake. His breath ragged. "Sorry, Ar-Four." Obi-wan apologized to the droid, who he had left piloting the Jedi star fighter. He looked out the cockpit window. "So this is Utapau."
The destroyer would be minutes behind, giving Obi-wan time to survey the situation on Utapau. The planet was green with life. The data given to him described that Utapau was marked craters.
'Finding Grievous on this rock should be interesting.' Obi-wan thought. He turned to the droid. "Ar-Four, see if Utapau has any registered landing pads."
The droid began to beep loudly signify that he had discovered a listing. "Take us in."
The droid piloted the star fighter downward to what appeared to be a large crater. Obi-wan wondered how deep it was. His eyes made out a landing dock, and then caught sight of a group of small life forms waiting for him to land. 'So I get a welcoming committee.' Ar-four expertly landed the fighter. Obi-wan opened the hatch and slowly climbed down to the platform. The apparent leader moved nervously away from the group, and slowly approached Obi-wan. He looked like the rest with slanted teeth and red around the eyes. His black eyes evaluated Obi-wan.
"I need to refuel my craft." Obi-wan said loudly.
The Pau'an nodded and workers moved to fill the fighter. Obi-wan moved steadily toward him.
"I'm Prime Minister Tion Medon ," Medon said in a hushed tone. "The Separatists are holding us hostage. They are on the tenth level."
Obi-wan gave a slight nod of his head. "Thank-you."
He walked to the now filled fighter, and began to climb into the cockpit. "Ar-Four, take the ship back to Commander Cody. Tell him that Grievous is here." Obi-wan paused. "Tell him, I'll try to save him some of the action."
Ar-Four beeped. Obi-wan nodded his head, and in a blur, he was gone. 'Hopefully, if the Separatists are watching, they'll think I'm still in the ship.' He thought, as he watched his star fighter take off into the atmosphere.
Pulling his hood into place, he turned to an Utai, who had been told to provide a ride for the Jedi master. He did not speak Basic and motioned for Obi-wan to follow him, which he did without question. The Utai's stalk eyes shifted nervously around. They entered what appeared to be a stable that housed lizard like creatures. His companion started to talk; the only word Obi-wan caught was the word 'Boga'. He moved toward the creature, admiring its glistening bluish-green scales. He gently stroked its plumed head.
"I'll take her."
Obi-wan mounted the Boga, and grabbing her reins, he beckoned for the creature to go. They traveled through tunnels and over catwalks. At times, he was certain the creature would give his presence away, because of its braying call. The Force told him that Grievous was near. Sending quieting thoughts to the beast, Obi-wan was able to achieve silence. Below him, he could see Grievous addressing the Separatist leaders, but his words were muffled by the distance.
'The Separatist leaders are here. We could very well end the war.' The Leaders rose and shuffled out of the room. At that moment Obi-wan did one of the most foolish moves, he had ever made. Obi-wan hit the ground nimbly, just behind General Grievous, who had his back turned to him.
"Hello, there." Obi-wan said as the immense droid army raised their weapons, pointing them straight at him. 'What was I thinking?'
General Grievous's robotic laughter filled the room. "General Kenobi, how nice of you to drop by." He waved four of his personal bodyguards forward.
Using the Force, Obi-wan grasped at an object that was attached to the ceiling. The object gave way and fell, crushing the droids. One of the bodyguard droids still moved, but Obi-wan quickly dispatched it with his lightsaber. He cast Grievous an apologetic smile.
"I will take care of this one myself." Grievous's extractable lower arms appeared grabbing lightsabers as they did. All four of his mismatched lightsabers blazed to life.
Obi-wan also ignited his weapon and assumed the opening position of Soresu. His eyes timed the movements of Grievous's arms, as the General plowed toward him. Obi-wan allowed the force to move through him, and waited for the precise moment to strike. The Force worked through him and guided his strokes. Two of Grievous's hands fell uselessly to floor. Anger burned in the yellow eyes of the droid general. Grievous's crossed his two remaining lightsabers. He easily dodged the force push that Obi-wan aimed in his direction, though he missed the first, the second burst he could not avoid. He dug his clawed feet into the ground, only sliding back a little. His lightsabers, however, went out through the opening in the wall.
And it was at this at moment, as Obi-wan waited for General Grievous's next move, the grand army of the Republic made its appearance. The room filled with chaos, and the droid General decided to take his leave. He climbed into his wheel bike and drove off.
Seeing this, Obi-wan whistled shrilling, and his Boga immediately answered. He vaulted on to the creature, and together they continued their pursuit of General Grievous. They sped through the narrow tunnels, ultimately coming beside the fleeing general's wheel bike. Using an electrostaff, General Grievous pounded at Obi-wan, causing his lightsaber to drop. Obi-wan grabbed on to the staff and managed to wrest it from the General's grasp. However, that too was soon lost to him, as the fighting pair came to the General's private dock and a sudden cliff. Grievous's wheel bike slid off the ledge. Grievous, himself, landed hard on the stone surface and grabbed a blaster.
Obi-wan cleared his Boga, and the shots that the droid general aimed in his direction. Obi-wan expertly knocked the blaster out of Grievous's hand and aimed a well-placed kick, only to buckle in pain. 'Smart idea, Kenobi, kicking a being made of durasteel,' Obi-wan thought feverishly.
Grievous unscathed knocked the breath out of Obi-wan and then lifted him off his feet. Desperate, Obi-wan grabbed on to Grievous's steel ribs and pulled, using the Force as an aid. In doing so, he revealed Grievous's vital organs. The droid general's eyes widened in alarm and then fury. With one toss, he threw Obi-wan over the ledge. Obi-wan grasped frantically at lip of the platform, and watched with increasing dread as Grievous approached him.
Suddenly, Obi-wan's eyes caught the gleam of the blaster pistol. He felt it through the Force and furtively called the pistol to him. The first shot hit its mark and Grievous stopped in pain. Obi-wan fired the blaster pistol two more times, and watched as Grievous's vital organs caught ablaze.
With a sigh, Obi-wan leapt back on to the sturdy platform and approached the charred remains of General Grievous. He stood silently peering down at his vanquished foe.
"How uncivilized," Obi-wan said as he tossed the blaster pistol to the ground beside Grievous. He then turned and moved to where his Boga waited.
Darth Nebulous awoke from his meditation. His eyes smoldered a deep red for a few moments, before returning to their normal dark blue. His blood burned through his veins as if it were fire. "Apprentice."
Darth Detritus knelt beside him. "Yes, my master."
"Send out the orders that our fleet is to attack that of the Republics. You and I will then take care of all the troops that are below."
"Will this technique work against the droids-." Detritus broke off, as an invisible hand grasped his throat, gagging him.
"We have little time, Apprentice." Nebulous hissed, as he released his grasp on Detritus's throat. "Send out the orders and then return. At your return, we will begin the meditation… and all existence, on Utapau, touched by the Force will die."
Obi-wan entered the command post and was immediately greeted by Commander Cody. Cody like all clone troopers was unquestionably loyal to the Republic. Obi-wan trusted the trooper with his life.
"Commander Cody, how are things preceding?"
The trooper's face, identical to those of his brothers, broke into a grin. "I believe this belongs to you." Cody handed Obi-wan his lightsaber.
"Not a word of this to Anakin," Obi-wan said in a hushed-tone. He recalled the time on Geonosis when he had given his would-be rescuer a speech regarding how the lightsaber was a Jedi's life.
Cody smirked. "I take your fight with Grievous was a success." At Obi-wan's nod, Cody continued. "Should I relay that information back to Coruscant?"
Obi-wan silently nodded his head.
Another clone trooper moved forward. "General, that message is going to have to wait. We are picking up a message from our flagship. I'm patching it through now."
A hologram of a clone trooper appeared. "General Kenobi- we're under attack-."
"By Separatists," Obi-wan asked confused.
"- ships look- like ours, but not-. We're sustain- damage." The hologram evaporated.
Obi-wan's face furrowed deeply. 'Who would have ships like ours? Could it be a misunderstanding?' "Cody, get the fleet's location-."
Obi-wan fell to his knees in pain, as did all those surrounding him. The pain that filled his mind was unbelievable. 'The visions,' his mind managed to grasp. His body withered in the pain… the torment. The screams of death surrounded him. The screams of his comrades' deaths haunted his hurt mind. 'Make it stop,' he wanted to scream.
Under the torture, his body completely collapsed to stone floor. He begged for death, but none came. In his mind, the screams echoed still. He felt his life force gradually ebbing away.
Above the screams of death and the pain, a familiar voice calmly called to him /Let go/.
And then there was nothing but complete and utter silence.
The deaths on Utapau echoed through the force; Jedi and force sensitives felt the tidal waves, many fell to their knees in shock at the echoes ferocity.
Qui-Gon collapsed when he felt the seer pain that seeped through the bond he shared with Obi-wan. He quickly moved to protect the bond he shared with Anakin from the unbearable pain that Obi-wan felt. Qui-Gon tried to send reassuring thoughts to Obi-wan, but they never made there destination. Qui-Gon sobbed uncontrollably when he suddenly felt his bond with Obi-wan shatter.
As warm tears fell down his checks, he moaned to himself. 'Not my Obi-wan… not my son."