Answers to reviews:
Guest: Damn, that's a lot. Of course, being taught by Dooku, he'll have learned the same form as Dooku, but Jayden will also want to study Revan's Lightsaber stance, which was holding the hilt with both hands beside the head from what I've seen in the Star Wars: KOTOR cutscene when Revan's captured by the Jedi. I don't know what form that is though.
Darth krayt1: Thanks.
Arch-Angel-Writer: I may go with the Legends one.
Spectacular Webhead 11: Yep. As for Jayden's voice actor, it's Benedict Cumberbatch, hell Jayden's appearance, despite being young, is based off Khan from Star trek into Darkness. I think Benedict would've made one hell of a actor for a Sith Lord, especially with how terrifying he can sound as a villain. Just look at him when he plays Khan in Star Trek, then Shere Khan in Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, and of course as Smaug the dragon from The Hobbit.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I only own the OC Jayden Shan.
The Separatist ship Malevolence advances unopposed in Republic space. destroying any Republic ship unfortunate to get in it's way. However, thanks to the narrow escape from the ship, the Republic now knows of this deadly superweapon and the Jedi know it must be dealt with or this war is over for them. So thanks to the information supplied by Anakin and Plo Koon on the ship, a cover attack has been granted by the Senate and the Jedi Council, an attack led by Anakin Skywalker.
Right now, in one of the Republic cruisers, Anakin stood beside Admiral Yularen before two rows of Clones. R2 had a display of the enemy ship for them to look at.
"This strike force has been commissioned by the Senate to hunt down the enemy's new battleship." Admiral Yularen told the Clone pilots as Ahsoka and Plo Koon walked over to join them. "As the bulk of our fleets are engaged on the front lines, we'll be on our own. General Skywalker has prepared our attack strategy."
"Thank you, Admiral." Anakin stepped forward. "While our capital ships are vulnerable to the enemy's attack, I believe a squad of bombers can outmanoeuvre their ion weapon." he pointed to the bridge of the ship. "Our target will be the bridge and General Grievous."
'And Khan if what I sensed was true.' Ahsoka thought, remembering the feelings eh got when she sensed the Sith Apprentice that she encountered on Tatooine. She still remembered their duel, the first on Teth, the other on Tatooine. Ahsoka knew from then that Khan was skilled, trained very well by Dooku. Khan could've very well killed her had she not managed to get a strike and knock him out.
And she also knew what he looked like underneath that mask he wore.
"Our bombers will attack at high speed to evade the enemy's ion weapon." Anakin continued, snapping Ahsoka from her thoughts. "We'll concentrate our firepower on the bridge super structure, here." he pointed to the bridge where a display of bomber ships struck. "We destroy Grievous and the ship will fall with him. Any questions?
A Clone stood. "Just tell us where that metalhead is, sir."
Another stood. "Yeah, we've been waiting for a chance to take him out."
Sounds of agreement came from the other pilots.
Anakin chuckled. "Settle down, men. This is an important mission. If we destroy Grievous, we'll be a step closer to ending this war. Pilots, prepare your bombers."
The Clones grabbed their helmets and went to go to their bomber ships. "Skywalker." Plo Koon said, getting Anakin's attention. "This is an aggressive plan. Are you sure your squadron can complete this mission?"
"Let's ask them." Anakin smirked before calling to one of the pilots. "Matchstick! You think our boys can pull it off?"
"Yes sir." Matchstick said with determination. "There hasn't been a mission Shadow Squadron couldn't complete."
"That's right." Another pilot said in agreement. "Minimum casualties, maximum effectiveness, that's us."
"I admire your confidence, pilot." Plo Koon said, but there was no hiding the worry in his voice. He's seen what the enemy ship can do. "Even so, minimal casualties may be enough to prevent you from breaking Grievous' defences."
"Master Plo is right." Ahsoka spoke up in agreement. "With Grievous on that ship's bridge, it's bound to be well protected."
"Don't worry, Ahsoka, we'll destroy that bridge and Grievous along with it." Anakin vowed before walking away with Yularen.
"Master Skywalker seems to inspired great confidence in his men." Plo Koon noted.
Ahsoka giggled a bit. "He does lead by example."
The Malevolence...
Another Republic cruiser was destroyed by the Separatist ship after being struck with the ion cannon, leaving it vulnerable like all the others who have been unfortunate to meet the ship in battle. It's been like this for several days since the Republic managed to get away with news on the superweapon, and the Malevolence has been busy in the days since then, hunting and tearing apart Republic cruisers.
Jayden stood on the bridge beside the hologram of his Master. Dooku had told Jayden to remain on the ship and continue observing, as well as report anything to him if it must be reported. Jayden obeyed as usual and had been here since his arrival on the ship.
Grievous chuckled as he watched another couple of Republic ships be destroyed by his own. "So much for the Jedi escort." He said mockingly.
"The last transport is fleeing, General. You've got them on the run." A droid pilot reported.
"They won't get far, charge the plasma rotors." Grievous ordered. The droids immediately obeyed and got to work on doing so, activating and charging up the ion cannon. "Fire ion weapon!"
The ion weapon was then fired and the energy field went right for the transport, disabling it's power and leaving it vulnerable. The Malevolence the started firing upon the transport and destroyed it.
"Boy, this is a lot more fun when they're not shooting back." A droid said, causing Jayden to raise an eyebrow under his mask.
"I still can't seem to hit anything." The droid beside it added before it's head was ripped off by an irritated Grievous who didn't exactly tolerate this kind of chatter from droids when they are supposed to be doing their work.
Dooku was not amused at the General's display. "Grievous, those battle droids are expensive. The Jedi are never that harsh with their Clones."
"Ha!" Grievous scoffed as he turned to the hologram of Dooku. "The care these Jedi show for their troops is a weakness."
"A weakness we shall continue to exploit." Dooku smirked. "I have the coordinates for a new target." he held his hand up and a hologram appeared of a station. "the Republic's secret Outer Rim medical station. It is unprotected and treating over 60,000 wounded Clones. We will do them a favour and put them out of their misery. Once you have destroyed it, then the Jedi will have nowhere to send their wounded and they will die."
"It will be a pleasure, my Lord." Grievous said darkly and maliciously.
"I feel very confident leaving this ship under your command, General." Dooku said. "But be warned, my Apprentice will report everything to me."
Dooku's hologram then disappeared as the connection was cut. Jayden was looking out at the view as Grievous walked up to him, standing beside him and looking at the view as well.
"The days of the Republic are drawing to an end." Grievous said.
"We haven't won yet. The Jedi are stubborn when it comes to defeat." Jayden said, crossing his arms. "To fully win this war... we'll need to exterminate all Jedi in the Galaxy."
Grievous chuckled darkly. "And we shall indeed kill every last one."
"General! Lord Khan!" A droid said, getting their attention and they walked over to see escape pods were shooting out of the transport as it was blowing up.
Grievous growled. "Target those pods. I have a reputation to uphold."
Later...
A squadron of newly-minted long-range Y-Wing bombers, piloted by the daring Shadow Squadron and led by the joint command of Anakin Skywalker, Plo Koon and Ahsoka Tano, launched a surprise attack on the Malevolence and intercepted the dreadnought before it could destroy the Outer Rim medical station. Suddenly besieged by the Republic from all sides, and severely crippled by the Y-Wings, the Malevolence turned tail and fled with the enemy hot on its heels.
And now the cruiser was a mere shadow of its former self.
Flames erupting across the hull, sprouting from heavily-damaged sections of hull that had been ripped asunder by non-stop turbolaser fire. The shield generator was gone, the ion cannon was a smoldering ruin, the dreadnought now more closely resembled a fiery husk than its former glory.
Once feared by the Republic, the super-ship was now fleeing for its life as a trio Venator-class cruisers chased the vessel into the Prindaar System, shelling it at point-blank range.
Aboard the bridge of the leading Resolute, Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Wullf Yularen. "Commander, what is the damage level to the enemy ship?" Obi-Wan inquired of the bridge crew.
"She's lost her primary shields and stabilizers, but the ship is so massive it can take all the fire our cannons can give it." A Clone announced from the bridge pit.
"We must summon reinforcements." Plo urged. "The destruction of this vessel cannot wait if we are to ensure the safety of our fleets."
"That's why I'm here, Master Plo." A familiar voice called out. The two Masters turned to see Anakin arriving on the bridge with Ahsoka in tow, the access doors sliding shut behind them.
"Anakin. Were you able to contact Master Luminara?" Kenobi queried.
"Yes, Master. She's busy with a fleet of Separatist reinforcements near by. She won't be able to give us support until she's turned them away." Anakin responded in precise, clipped tone.
"Then we'll have to make do with what we have." His friend mused, stroking his beard as he returned to staring out the viewport at Malevolence's hulking engines, the dozens of illuminated pinpoints now surrounded by a cloud of smoke and flame…
Alarms were blaring, sparks erupting from panels and terminals, smoke clouding the bridge viewscreen and filling the halls as the battle droids struggled to keep Malevolence functional. Aboard the bridge, the constant shuddering from cannon impacts was so bad, neither Grievous nor Wraith could stand up properly, the two clinging to consoles for support as the bridge crew continued to analyze the situation.
"We've lost our primary weapons… uh, the hyperdrive has been disabled too." A droid reported, scratching its head as Grievous loosed an irritated growl.
"G-General! The forward engines are shutting down!" Another suddenly cried.
"Impossible…!" Grievous gasped. "That cannot be! The barrage is so intense, it is too much for our armor…"
Jayden was at a terminal, pushing a few buttons to display the ship's systems. "it appears the ship's core functions are now offline, but the communication array is still operational." Jayden said pointedly with an equally pointed look to Grievous despite the mask hiding his expression.
Grievous paused but knew he'd have to tell Dooku about this. He nodded. "Droid! Connect me to Count Dooku." He ordered gruffly. The B1 one obediently did so, and soon a holorender of Count Dooku stood before the pair.
"General. I am getting reports that your assault on the Outer Rim medical station has failed. Explain yourself." Clearly the Count was in no mood for further setbacks and Grievous set about posturing himself appropriately.
"I apologize, my lord," he answered with a cough, "the Jedi ambushed us en route to the facility. They are making use of new long-range bombers. We were unprepared for the assault." He coughed again, attempting to put emphasis on his ragged state. Dooku stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"So the Jedi have chosen craftiness as their path," he mused, "how fares the Malevolence?"
"It has-augh!" The General spluttered, his body rocked by another shuddering impact and nearly flung Wraith from his feet, "…sustained substantial damage."
"Can it be returned to our secret base in Sector Four?" Dooku queried, his voice sinking to a grave and gravelly tone.
"We still have engine momentum. Once the hyperdrive is back online, yes, it is possible we can make it." Grievous answered and Dooku nodded in affirmation.
"General, we have arranged a trap that will give you an advantage over the Jedi." He began.
"I assure you," Grievous interrupted, "that is unnecessary-"
"Do not compound your failure this day by allowing our prized warship to fall." Dooku firmly retorted, speaking sharply and sternly.
"My lord, they will never capture me or this ship!" Grievous refuted defiantly. Taking his words in stride, Dooku's hardened expression softened somewhat.
"Heading towards you is a very important galactic senator." He continued. "With her as your hostage, the Republic will call off their attack and grant you an opportunity to escape them."
"As you wish, my lord." Grievous relented with a bow. The transmission snapped out and the General promptly turned to Jayden. "Khan, go to the lower hangar and await the arrival of our… 'esteemed guest'. We cannot afford a pointless struggle right now."
Jayden nodded and left, least he now had something to do.
Meanwhile, in Hyperspace…
The H-type Nubian Yacht was a sleek and stately vessel designed by the Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps to be the pinnacle of luxury travel for Naboo royalty. Constructed on Naboo out of regal chromium plating, its shimmering gleam was only ever affiliated with the ruler of the world.
So beloved was Padmé Amidala by her people and her planet that they allowed her to continue to make use of such exclusive vehicles and vessels after her term as Queen had ended.
And now she was putting the regal vessel to good use, streaking through hyperspace towards what she believed was a mission of great diplomatic importance to the Republic's war effort, and Padme was determined to pull out all the stops to ensure its success. "My lady, are you sure that the information from Chancellor Palpatine is… reliable?" C-3PO inquired.
"Yes, Threepio. It was secretly given to him by the Supreme Executive of the Banking Clan himself." Padme responded, prepping her vessel to drop out of hyperspace. "If they leave the Separatist Alliance, it will go a long way to shortening this war." Her console blinked, an impending alert from the navcomputer. "We're arriving in the system now." Easing off the throttle, the stars receded to pinpricks of light as her yacht dropped out of space. Padme was anticipating a small flotilla of banking clan executive ships, carrying San Hill with whom she would be having allegiance discussions…
What she got instead, was the burning nose of the Confederate dreadnought bearing down on her at full speed.
"Ah AH! Oh my goodness!" Threepio squealed, clearly frightened as Padme jerked the controls hard to the left and veering her yacht out of the way with mere seconds to spare.
"This isn't right!" She cried out, adrenaline still pumping hard and fast. "That's a droid warship! We're in the middle of a battle!" Nudging the stick forward, the thrusters hummed heartily as she skirted around the Malevolence; which resembled a burning pyre more than a fearsome battlecruiser.
Back on the Resolute…
"Master! I'm picking up a signal near the enemy vessel!" Ahsoka suddenly cried from the central console. "Something just came out of hyperspace."
Anakin arched a brow. "Enemy reinforcements?"
"No. It looks like a…" she paused, eyes narrowed in discernment as she studied the available readings, "Naboo ship?"
Anakin's eyes widened a little. The words Naboo and ship always connected him to the one person he cared for the most in the galaxy, the one person he hoped wasn't on that Naboo ship.
"Gunners, stand down!" Obi-Wan quickly ordered, fearing a stray salvo might destroy the wayward vessel. "What in blazes are they doing out here?!"
"Ahsoka , contact that ship!" Anakin said, really hoping it wasn't who he thought it was.
Ahsoka nodded and managed to establish a connection. "Naboo cruiser, please identify yourself." The holocom flickered, and soon a very familiar figure appeared before them.
"This is Senator Amidala of the Galactic Senate." Padme responded as her face flickered into being.
"Padme?!" Anakin exclaimed, now worried that his wife was caught in the middle of this battle. "What are you doing out here?!"
"I was sent on a special mission, the Senate was told the Banking Clan wanted to negotiate a treaty!" She earnestly replied. Anakin could sense her feelings through the Force, shock, fear, confusion, concern. Her story checked out as far as he was concerned. Right now, all Anakin wanted was her out of the battle and onboard the ship so she was safe.
"Get out of there as fast as you can!" He quickly told her. All at once, Padme's image shuddered, her body shaking as she struggled with the controls.
"Have we been hit?" Threepio queried.
"I'm afraid it's much worse than that." Padme replied.
"Padme, what's happening?" Anakin asked with growing fear.
"I'm being pulled inside the droid cruiser by a tractor beam!" Padme replied in a frightened tone, confirming his worst fear. She struggled for a moment longer, loosing a frustrated groan when she realized how hopeless the endeavour was. "I will not be made a Separatist bargaining chip, continue your attack! You must destroy this monstrous ship!"
Anakin closed his eyes, grappling with his orders and his desires. Mechanics whirred as his right fist clenched tight, his expression grim and closed off as his apprentice acutely felt his turmoil in the Force.
"Admiral, order our ships to stop firing." He ordered after a moment. Yularen moved to comply as Anakin found a seat, rubbed his temples and planned what he was going to do.
The Malevolence hanger bay...
Pulled into one of the port-side hangars, Padme had no choice but to land her ship once the reverse-polarity field was in place. The Senator fought back panic, determined to find a way out of this situation. She glanced outside, studying a scarce few battle droids scurrying about as they picked their way through debris and rubble. For the interior of a ship, this looked much more like a battlefield.
"It does not look safe out there, my lady." Threepio cautioned in a worried tone.
"I see now that this whole thing was a trap… and I walked right into it." Padme muttered. She then pressed a few buttons to overload the ship's power system. She turned to 3PO. "Come on, I've overloaded the power system."
Going to the rear of the ship, Padme opened a grate that would allow them to drop down to the legs of the ship and climb down. Padme went first and looked around, potting no droids which was a good thing... for now. She then looked up.
"Hurry up Threepio. Hurry!" Padme hissed quietly, not wanting to shout in case there was droids nearby.
"Hurrying, my lady…" the protocol droid responded as he awkwardly attempted to shuffle down the gear, "I'm not sure this is a good idea… oh, my servos were not built for this kind of intensive maneuvering." He groaned.
"Just get down here as soon as you can, we haven't much time before-" Padme cut herself off as she froze at the sound of a Lightsaber activating and she gulped as a red Lightsaber was lined with her neck from behind, the red blade illuminating her face.
"Going somewhere, Senator?" Khan asked as he walked around to face her, still keeping his Lightsaber close to her neck, making sure she made no sudden moves.
'Oh no...' Padme thought with growing fear. She had heard of this masked Sith, Dooku's Apprentice or assassin, he tried to kill Jabba the Hutt's son on Tatooine but was stopped by Ahsoka, Anakin's Padawan. She's heard many rumours of this man since then, that he was merciless, remorseless, and has killed a couple of Jedi.
"M-My lady, I think-… woAHH!" Threepio cried out as he tumbled from the access ledge, bounced off the landing gear and landed in a heap on the ground. Kahan's attention went to him, and Padme sprung into action as she wrapped her arms around Khan's right arm, trying to get him to drip the Lightsaber.
Khan was unamused as he easily overpowered her and used the Force to slam her into the ground before grabbing her by the throat and picking her up with ease.
"If you want to live, I suggest you don't try that." Khan warned before he pointed his Lightsaber at Threepio. "No sudden moves, droid... or she dies. Now move."
Khan used the Force to move the protocol droid forward, making sure to keep Padme close by the throat so she didn't make any more sudden moves. He brought them down a hall, towards a hyperrail system that ran the length of the dreadnought. At that moment, the access doors slid open and General Grievous stepped out, flanked by a pair of B1 battle droids.
"Ah, Senator Amidala. So nice of you to drop by." He greeted as Padme shot him a glare despite the arm wrapped tightly against her throat and keeping her still.
"You will release me, General! I am a member of the Galactic Senate! The Republic will not stand for this kidnapping!" She retorted. The cyborg merely laughed.
"In case you haven't noticed, the Republic guns have fallen silent. Jedi are so predictable." Grievous responded.
"This will not go unnoticed, I will be rescued." Padme vehemently swore.
"Aboard this ship, there is no Galactic Senate. We do not recognize the Republic here." Grievous stated, leaning down until his face was inches from Padme's. "You have no power, no say, no status among us. You are nothing but a bargaining chip."
"I refuse!" Padme stated indignantly. Grievous chuckled.
"Perhaps you are hard of hearing, Senator. Let me say it again," a six-fingered hand grabbed her shoulder painfully, "you have no say in this, you are whatever I want you to be." A dull explosion from behind the sealed door, the demise of Padme's yacht, emphasized the sinister nature behind his words…
"Master! We're being hailed by the enemy ship!" Ahsoka suddenly announced. Bolting up from his seat with a sick feeling in his gut, Anakin moved towards the holocom.
"Answer it, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan said and the Togruta did so, the result being an image that struck a nerve with the Jedi.
General Grievous stood before the com, Khan beside him with Padme firmly in his grip and his Lightsaber at Padme's neck.
Next to them, C-3PO was guarded by a pair of armed battle droids, the pair completely subdued by the Separatists. Anakin suppressed a gasp, following by a vain attempt to suppress his fury and dismay.
"We're going to make this very simple for you." Khan growled as he tightened his grip on Padme, causing her to wince. Anakin's brows furrowed as he clenched his fists tightly in fury. "The Senator... in exchange for letting this ship go."
"Let me go! Release me this instant!" Padme cried, thrashing hard. In response, Jayden landed a blow into her stomach, causing her to lurch with a gasp and cough.
Grievous chuckled. "Jedi, Senator Admidala is a guest aboard this ship. Abdnond your assault and she will be returned unharmed. Continue your pursuit... and her blood will be on your hands."
"The choice is yours, Jedi." Khan said, the transmission cutting out moments later.
"They ended it from their side, I can't get it back." Ahsoka told them all. Silence hung in the air, Plo tapping his respirator and Kenobi stroking his beard in thought. "What are we going to do?"
No one answered the Togruta. Not even Anakin, who was already aiming to leave the bridge.
"And where do you think you're going?" Obi-Wan called after him.
"Somebody has to save her skin." Anakin answered, an angry growl in his voice.
"I… thought you might say that." Obi-Wan mused and chose to pursue him. The two masters left and Plo exhaled loudly.
"There he goes again… craving adventure and excitement." He muttered.
"You get used to it." Ahsoka remarked.
Stalking onto the bridge, Grievous strode towards the centre console as the droids fearfully went about their tasks. A ruthless commander, Grievous tolerated nothing less than perfection and many a droid had suffered as a result. They all focused on their assigned duties, none of them daring to make eye contact.
Padme was still held in Jayden's grip, the Sith Apprentice having lowered his Lightsaber but still kept it on to make sure she understands what will happen if she tries to escape him.
Grievous walked over and chuckled. "Comfortable, Senator?" He asked mockingly.
"You would be wise to release me, General. I'm sure the Jedi would only send half of you to the scrap heap if you did." Padme retorted with a glare and partial growl. The cyborg cackled.
"They are welcome to try. They will suffer the same fate as the other Jedi who have come across me." Grievous said darkly.
"General, we just detected an unauthorized use of the lower data grid, near the emergency airlocks." A B1 suddenly piped up. Grievous turned, tromping over to his station to study it.
"Did you acquire a trace code?"
"Part of one, sir. We think it belonged to an astromech." The droid answered, typing away. Astromechs were seldom used by the Confederacy, and the General had a pretty good idea where one had come from and who it belonged to.
"Jedi…!" Grievous growled, clenching a fist. "Monitor all internal communications! If there are Jedi on my ship, I want to know exactly where they are!"
The droids hastily resumed their work, fretting every second the General loomed over them. "Sir, we're picking up unauthorized comm-chatter within the ship. It's moving fast… like, really fast." Another B1 reported moments later. Grievous was soon bent over his console, studying the data.
"Isolate which deck they're on and intercept." He ordered with a growl.
"Roger roger." The droid moved quickly, drawing up the schematics for the Malevolence before highlighting the incoming feed location.
"…Artoo, if you can, try to delay the repair teams working on the hyperdrive. Anything we can do to slow them down, the better. I'm on my way there now via the rail-jet." Hearing the familiar voice, Grievous chuckled.
"Kenobi… Slow us down, will you? We'll see about that, Jedi!" He determined. "Jam their transmissions. Then, all of you, come with me! Khan, keep the Senator here. Ensure she remains within our grasp."
Jayden nodded once as the droids followed him out, collecting blasters as they did. Soon the bridge was almost empty, save for Jayden, Padme and Threepio. The senator eyed the Sith Apprentice warily, plotting a possible escape.
"I... I will tell the Jedi you let me go, they may show you leniency." Padme offered, hoping he can be reasoned with.
Jayden scoffed. "You don't know Jedi, Senator. If I did take you up on that offer, I'd be just thrown away into a dark cell and left to rot. That is how Jedi handle people like me, and they call themselves the good guys. the keepers of peace, now the Jedi are reduced to lapdogs for greedy politicians and Senators, the very reason several systems joined the Separatists in the first place. Besides... I have no desire to give myself up to the Jedi, only to ensure their complete and total destruction."
Jayden then paused as he sensed something in the Force and briefly glanced at the turbo lift. He smirked underneath his mask before he released Padme and ducked into the shadows.
"Wha-Where did he go?" Threepio asked.
"I don't..." Padme heard the lift open and turned to see her husband step out. "Anakin!"
"Padme!" Anakin started towards her when Padme noticed something behind him.
"Anakin, look out!" Padme shouted.
Anakin turned only to be blasted with Force lightning, sending him flying and hitting the controls. Anakin groaned before he heard a Lightsaber activate and looked to see Khan standing there, Lightsaber in hand.
"Anakin Skywalker... we meet at last." Khan said.
"Khan." Anakin growled as he stood, activating his own Lightsaber. "been a while since we lasts aw each other, when was it? Oh yeah, when my Padawan slashed that mask of yours from what she told me!"
Anakin lunged for a strike but Jayden blocked it, their respective blue and red sabers clashing in a saber lock. Jayden chuckled. "And where is your Padawan? I am looking forward to the rematch from Tatooine. Maybe when I'm done with her, I'll leave her rotting corpse on Tatooine for the filth there to devour."
Anakin got angry at those words and started fighting with more aggression as Khan parried blocked, ducked and doged easily before he kneed Anakin in the stomach, then brought his elbow down on his back, sending Anakin to his hands and knees. Jayden raised his Lightsaber and brought it down but Anakin rolled out the way and swung, the blue blade knocking the red one aside and Anakin lunged for an impale attack only for that to be quickly parried and the two entered another saber lock, glaring at one another. Well, Anakin glared at Jayden, who's expression was hidden due to the mask.
Anakin pushed back and the two clashed sabers, parrying and blocking each other's strikes, sabers flashing back and forth with equal amounts of skill. Anakin ducked a swing and landed a hit at Khan's shoulder, causing him to growl in pain before he swung hard, nearly taking Anakin's head off had he not ducked down and tried another attack but Khan blasted Anakin with Force lightning from his free hand, taking delight in Anakin's screams. Khan then stopped and backhanded Anakin hard enough to send him flying across the room. Padme and Threepio recoiled as he slammed into the bridge terminal.
Jayden walked forward before he leaped with a yell and brought his Lightsaber down but Anakin blocked it and threw him off, but Jayden landed on his feet, twirling his Lightsaber around as Anakin got to his feet only to roll out the way to avoid being slashed by Jayden's Lightsaber. They clashed again and Jayden forced Anakin back several steps as he pressed his attack, then spun around for a swinging attack but Anakin ducked it and blocked two more attacks.
The two then clashed in a saber lock and Anakin called over his shoulder to his wife. "Padme! Hail the fleet! We have to warn them about the Hyperdrive!"
"I know! I heard all about it while I was being kept here!" Padme replied as she rushed to the comms console. The urgency was evident in her voice.
"I'll keep Khan busy." Anakin said and started going on the offensive, resulting in Jayden going on the defensive. Padme quickly started keying up the comm channels, the unsettling sounds of renewed combat resounding behind her, lightsabers swing and clashing with each other...
Aboard the Resolute…
While waiting around for news from Anakin and Obi-Wan, Plo Koon and Ahsoka found themselves in conference with Luminara Unduli as they filled the Mirialan Jedi in on recent events. "Another bold strategy from Skywalker, I presume?" She questioned at length.
"That's my Master." Ahsoka mused, a measure of pride in her young voice. Luminara shook her head slowly, the ever-prudish Master silently disapproving of the reckless youths.
"Once they make it off that ship, we'll need reinforcements to finish off the enemy." The Kel Dor continued.
"The Separatist fleet we encountered has been dispatched. I'm on my way, Master Plo." Luminara promised. The transmission cut out and the two turned to face each other.
"I meant to tell you before Master Unduli called, our ships are still in attack position, ready to fire again." Ahsoka reported.
"That is good."
"Any word from Master Skywalker?"
"I'm afraid not, 'lil 'Soka. I think the droids are jamming their transmissions." Plo watched as her gaze fell, the brilliant blues of her eyes losing their sparkle.
"We need to give him more time." She urged, pleading with him. Plo loosed a regretful sigh.
"I'm not sure we can. Every moment we wait is another moment the Malevolence remains intact. I'm sorry, 'Soka, but we may be forced to-"
"General Koon, I'm sorry to interrupt but we're receiving a transmission from inside the Malevolence." Admiral Yularen called to them from the forward bridge. The Jedi exchanged looks of welcome surprise.
"We better see what it is, right Master? It could be Skyguy." Ahsoka proffered, her eyes nice and bright again.
"Indeed, little one." Koon agreed. "I sincerely doubt it's General Grievous calling to gloat." The pair quickly returned to the bridge console where a holorender quickly sprouted before them.
"Senator Amidala, are you alright?" Koon inquired of the human lady.
"Yes, I've been better but I'm fine." Padme replied. She sounded out of breath, through the Force the two Jedi could tell she was worried. In the backgrund, Ahsoka could hear lightsabers clashing and leaned closer, scrunching up her face as she strained to listen. She looked up again and caught a flash of movement as the robed form of her Master scurried across the background with an masked foe behind him, the two exchanging blows with their weapons, Ahsok recognized Anakin's lightsaber... and recognized the crossguard lightsaber
"Is that…?" She trailed off, searching for an answer.
"I'm afraid Master Skywalker is… preoccupied at the moment." Padme finished for her. Tilting his head, Plo leaned forward.
"Anakin, what is your status?" He called loudly. Anakin reentered the frame, facing the opposite direction as he struggled against Khan, the Sith pressing his attack on Anakin.
"Give me a moment!" Anakin called to them before before tackled out of view by Khan. There was the sound of something colliding with metal hard. Anakin then came back into frame, panting. "Just encountered Khan, he's really angry at what happened on Tatooine, Ahsoka."
"Oh, maybe I sure should him a card as an apology." Ahsoka said sarcastically. Anakin caught his breath, lightsaber deactivating as he leaned over the comms.
"Ahsoka, Master Plo, listen to what Padme has to say." He urged. "It's cru-WOAH!" Anakin was then pulled right out of frame, most likely by the Force. Padme jolted, startled by the sudden move, but resumed speaking as the sound of lightsabers clashing flared up again behind her.
"I overheard General Grievous discussing the state of the hyperdrive with the repair teams. It was damaged but it's nearly fully repaired now." She informed them. Plo's relaxed posture fell, the Kel Dor now quite vexed as he leaned closer, Ahsoka could sense his worry as it deepened.
"If they manage to escape, we may never get another chance to destroy this weapon." He realized. Behind Padme, Anakin went hurtling through the air, Khan charging after him and leaping across the remaining gap as they clashed off-screen. The Senator continued, sounding vexed by the fight but nonetheless determined to do her job. Ahsoka had to give her credit for her determination.
"The fleet must resume-" Interrupted yet again, Anakin and Khan flew into the background.
"Why. Don't. You. Stand still and die?!" Khan growled.
"Oh yeah, like I'm that stupid!" Anakin retorted before being thrown out of view by Khan with the Force push, the Sith Apprentice leaping after Anakin.
"The fleet must resume its attack!" Padme insisted, regaining her composure.
"We cannot open fire while the three of you are still onboard." Plo responded.
"Could we launch another strike team? I think the Y-Wings might be replenished by now." Ahsoka queried.
"It's too risky with the guns still operational, not to mention the chance for us to kill one of them in the process." The Kel Dor responded negatively. Behind Padme, the lightsaber duel continued, sabers clashing, red and blue illuminating the room.
"Obi-Wan's… trying to… slow them… down…" He called out to the others as he struggled, "haven't… heard from him… since he went… after the hyperdrive!" With a hearty shove, amplified by the Force, Anakin had Khan staggering before he lashed out with a Force push that drove the Sith Apprentice into a console, smashing right through it, a shower of sparks filling the air as glowing terminal screens winked out. "I think the droids are jamming our comm signals." Anakin finally continued.
That is what we assumed. If you have the Senator in good hands, you had better leave the ship so that we might continue the assault." Plo responded. "Reconnect with Obi-Wan and then return to the fleet as soon as you can."
"Understood, Master Plo-oof!" The air rushed from Anakin's lungs as Khan tackled him, driving him clear across the bridge and slamming him down into the console next to Padme. The Senator recoiled with a cry as Khan bashed Anakin into the terminal, shorting out the communication.
The feed flickered until it was lost, Ahsoka and Plo standing still in a moment of shocked surprise. "Anakin? Anakin, are you there?" Plo requested, met only with silence. "I certainly hope he has an easier time getting out of there."
"With Khan around, nothing's ever easy, Master." Ahsoka added worriedly.
The Malevolence...
Jayden panted a little but didn't let exhaustion weaken him as he continued fighting Skywalker. he was now resorting to hand-to-hand combat since their lightsabers had dropped when Jayden tackled Skywalker. But Anakin resorted to using the Force to slam Jayden into another terminal, causing him to grunt at the impact.
With a crushing grip on the Sith Apprentice through the Force, Anakin plowed Jayden deep into a terminal before he flexed his abilities and sent half a dozen shattered machines crashing on top of him, burying the Sith Apprentice beneath an implosion of metal.
The battle over, Anakin stopped to breathe for a moment, wavering a little as he recovered. The brawl had been intense, about as severe as his duel with Ventress on Yavin 4 had been.
Bracing himself against the bridge, Anakin caught his breath as Padme approached. "Do you think that will stop him?" She wondered, laying a hand on his cut shoulder.
"I hope so." Anakin muttered, casting a glance at the mound of rubble he'd buried Khan beneath.
No being he knew of could've withstood that. Surely the same could be said of the super-soldier.
Sparks erupting next to him grabbed his attention. He realized the bridge had been trashed by the fight, the heated back and forth combat enough to ruin virtually every terminal and console in sight.
"Are you okay?" He asked softly, turning to his wife.
"Better now." She whispered in response, pressing up against him. Anakin chuckled.
"Oh the things you do to get me alone." He cheekily teased. Padme shook her head in mock admonishment, brushing several loose strands of hair out of his dirtied face.
"Stop talking." She ordered, reaching up on the tips of her toes to press her lips to his. Anakin reciprocated, husband and wife holding one another in an intimate embrace.
"Mistress Padme, may we please depart this wretched place now? I've had enough of Separatists for one day." Threepio innocently interrupted. Anakin and Padme released each other reluctantly, both of them inwardly admitting the droid had a point.
"I think that goes for all of us, Threepio." Anakin concurred. "Come on, let's get you both back to the Twilight."
With that, they ran off as Jayden groaned under the wreckage. he knew he had to get out of here and fast.
'This is not over, Skywalker. Not by a long shot...'
And that's it for this chapter everyone and the end of the Malevolence arc.