Chapter 2 Old Friends

Kitch piloted the fighter expertly over to the flagship while Kimmy checked in with the support crew.

"Did you reach Obi-Wan?" she asked.

"Affirmative. They've got the shields down and alerts off. You shouldn't have too much trouble boarding so long as you remain undetected."

"Roger. Out."

Kitch looked around. So far so good. He thought as he landed inside the flagship. Kimmy jumped and landed lightly on the ground as soon as he opened the hatch.

"Well?" Kitch asked, landing next to her.

Kimmy put a finger to her lips. "This way." She whispered, leading the way through the corridor. She could feel Shaak Ti's Force presence as clearly as if they were standing next to each other.

She paused outside a cabin and nodded to Kitch. Kitch stepped forward and kicked the door in.

"After you." He said.

As they entered the cabin, Kimmy and Kitch froze at the sight that met them. Shaak Ti sat on a chair, behind which stood General Grevious himself.

"Master." Kimmy started forward. She still slipped into old habits when she was startled.

"Well, if it isn't the rescue team." General Grevious paused to cough. "Two young knights scarcely out of padawanhood."

"Let her go." Kitch tried to sound authoritative, but he suspected he failed miserably.

"Master." Kimmy whispered.

"I'm sorry, Kimmy." Her eyes said.

"You don't have to be." Kimmy murmured, her eyes filling with tears.

"Let her go?" Grevious asked. "Very well, you can have her." A lightsaber blade appeared in Shaak Ti's chest and she slumped to the floor.

Kimmy gasped and jumped forward, drawing her saber.

"Kimmy!" Kitch yelled as a sweeping blow from Grevious sent her crumpling to the floor.

Kitch activated his lightsaber and stepped forward not with the recklessness of Kimmy's first assault, but with the cool composure he'd learned to use as a shield. In the meantime Kimmy staggered to her feet, feeling slightly dizzy from the blow. A look at Shaak Ti cleared her head in half a second and she stepped to Kitch's side.

"That was a bad mistake." She said in a low tone, surprising even herself. It normally wasn't easy to get her riled up; unless it came to people she cared about. Then she was a tigress.

"Oh?" Grevious seemed to be enjoying the game as they circled. He had yet to reach for a weapon. "And what are you going to do about it?"

Kimmy bit her lip to control her feelings. He had enjoyed killing her former master; she could read it in his yellow eyes.

"I'm going to kill you." She muttered through clenched teeth.

"Kimmy." Kitch said, aware of her dangerous emotions.

Kimmy leaped forward again, this time with the precision and skill of a well-trained fighter. Grevious had a saber in each of his mechanical hands in a split second and met her attack. Kitch had no choice but to follow Kimmy into the battle, after all, he didn't want her to get hurt.

Grevious stood at least two feet taller than them, giving him the advantage as he rained down blows on the two Jedi. Kitch tried to reach Kimmy with the Force to get her to calm down, but she would have none of it. At least she wasn't accessing the Force to its full potential while she was still unsteady in her feelings.

Grevious once more swung with his mechanical arm, this time at Kitch. Kitch used a Force leap to avoid it, but Grevious kicked out his foot at Kitch as he landed, sending him crashing into the floor.

Stupid… insane… ouch. Kitch mentally muttered. His head felt like it was about to split in two, and the room spun. Where was his lightsaber?

Kimmy matched Grevious blow for blow for a while, but she was getting tired and his energy was endless. She tried not to pant, but she knew he could tell. Finally he sent her flying with a blow she could avoid. He stood over her as she panted, too exhausted to get up, glorying in his victory.

"You should have stayed out of this, little Jedi." He said, raising his saber.

"No, you should have, Grevious." A calm voice came from behind.

Grevious spun to see who his adversary was, but Kimmy had already recognized the voice. She raised her head. It was impossible, it couldn't be, but it was.

"Jesse!"

Jesse walked casually toward Grevious, not looking away but steadily meeting the hate filled eyes. Kimmy was struck by how different he was. The last time she'd seen him he was twenty-one, full of youth and energy. Now energy was transformed into strength and endurance, and youth was gone, replaced by a deep maturity from three years of fieldwork and never ending life or death situations.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the one who has been a thorn under my foot for so long." Grevious paid no more heed to Kimmy and turned all his attention to the intruder.

"I doubt it, considering your feet are mechanical." Jesse didn't twitch a finger toward either of the two blasters at his side.

"You have quite a sense of humor for someone I have vowed to kill several times." Grevious growled.

"Several times? What are you going to do, Grevious? Shoot me, stab me, and then run me over with your speeder? Oh wait, you can't. I blew it up, didn't I?" Jesse didn't drop the calm façade for an instant.

"No. I will just multiply the weapons." Grevious pulled out four lightsaber, one for each arm and advanced.

"Jesse!" Kimmy struggled to her feet and tossed him the lightsaber that had always been at her side- his old one.

Jesse caught it and turned it on, not hesitating a second. It was too familiar for that. Kitch stood, swaying slightly and turned on his. If the room would quit spinning he might be able to see which direction to walk in.

Jesse didn't bother trying to block most of the blows, staying out of reach by quick leaps and jumps. He slammed several buttons in lightning fast strokes and opened a door.

"Get out of here." He told them.

"Not without you." Kimmy called from Ktich's side. Force, her head hurt, and she was having a hard time catching her breath.

"Go!" for an instant impatience flickered in Jesse's voice.

Kimmy and Kitch made their way out, and the door shut behind them. Kimmy prayed Jesse had a plan. General Grevious was not one to fight alone.

Inside Jesse was using his saber to melt the locks and keypads on every door and opening he could see. Kimmy and Kitch weren't leaving without him, and he had to get them to safety, but he wasn't leaving Grevious for another time. He would be back. He resolved as he darted out the remaining door and sealed it shut. Kimmy and Kitch were waiting for him.

"Come on." He said. "I'll get you to the escape pods."

"Then what?" Kimmy asked.

"Then you can go back to Coruscant while I finish up business here."

"I'm not leaving." Kimmy said.

"You can't face Grevious alone." Kitch added.

"Why not?" Jesse asked in a way that made them ask themselves why not. Something in his voice told them he could, and that he would win.

"It's too much of a risk." Kitch insisted.

"Maybe for you." Jesse opened the hatch to a pod.

"How did you know we were here?" Kimmy asked.

"I've been following Grevious Dooku and trying to locate the Sith lord for a while now as well as keeping an eye on the Trade Federation. When I found out Grevious had captured Shaak Ti I figured you would ask for the rescue mission. So I stuck around. Besides, I have a score to settle with our beloved General."

"And he with you." Kimmy remembered the look in Grevious' eyes as he'd fought Jesse.

Jesse shrugged it off. "I'll be fine. Now go."

"But…"

Jesse closed the hatch and quickly entered the code to release the pod. He took a deep breath as ghosts from the past rose up after years of suppression.

Shut up." He muttered and went to find Grevious.

Yay! My character is back! I love my character, he's so cool!