Chapter 6
A Hollow Victory
ONDERON
Rebel Stronghold
Back at the rebel base, the remaining rebels who could stand were in attendance for Tandin's funeral. The man's body had been laid on top of the funeral pyre a fresh shroud laid on top cleaned of any blood. Ahsoka was wearing her robe, hood drawn over her lekku in respect next to Lux and Saw.
Dendup was standing beside them while Steela approached the pyre and lit it, the flames spread across the dried wood, sending Tandin's soul to the next place when Steela turned around "General Tandin was a true son of Onderon, a patriot and a brother to us all." She said loudly addressing the army as their last General.
"I will do my best to follow his example, and while the sacrifices we faced today are the first of many we know that the force is with us, for Onderon!" She shouted, raising her torch.
"FOR ONDERON" everyone shouted except Ahsoka and Dendup.
The crowd stood there looking at the pyre burn, Tandin's body being burned brightly into the night. One by one the rebels filed out back to their tents or posts till only a handful remained when the pyre caved in on itself sending up a fountain of sparks and ashes the rest departed till only Steela, Saw, Dendup, Lux and Ahsoka remained.
"Come your majesty I'll escort you back to your quarters." Saw said letting the King take his arm.
When Dendup and Saw left, Ahsoka looked over to Lux "I'm sorry for your loss, Tandin seemed a good man."
"My father would tell me stories of Tandin when I was a boy." Lux said looking at Steela in the light of the fire "I can only imagine what Steela must be going through to follow in his footsteps." Lux said. Ahsoka looked at Lux and saw it clear from the flames, Lux's eyes were looking at Steela only at her. Not at Ahsoka, in a way Lux would never look at her because she was a Jedi and Steela was Onderon.
Lux turned away "We should give her some time." Lux said walking away then, Ahsoka followed him back into the ruins where the men were resting.
There were a few fires lit inside, men sleeping or sitting around them "How many do you think we'll lose tomorrow?" one rebel asked, Ahsoka and Lux overhearing them as they walked in.
The two pressed on till they found an empty fire they could rest by "How you holding up?" Lux asked.
"Me, what about you?" she asked "I'm fine, I know it's hard doing whats your duty and what you think is right." Lux said softly looking into the embers. He took out a stick and prodded it to try and get the coles to reignite.
He took the stick out and turned to her "Tell me about him."
"Who?" she asked.
"You know who, Primus, Leo, what was he like before he was… you know?" Lux asked her.
Ahsoka's smile disappeared "Leo was… complicated, he didn't have a kind Master like I did when he was trained."
"And where's he, his Master?" Lux asked her "Leo cut off his head before he joined the Separatists, the report said Leo turned on his men and sent them into ambushes against one another." Ahsoka told him recounting the 'events' on Leo's time on the Shadow Planet even if she didn't know the full story.
"I thought I knew him, I thought he was my best friend. We used to be able to talk about anything, share our secrets… guess I never really knew him." she said picking up the stick and poking the fire to make it burn again.
Just then a rebel came into the hall "Lux, the General wants to see you."
"I'm on my way, till tomorrow Ahsoka." Lux said getting up and walking out of the hall.
After leaving the ruin behind, Lux approached Steela tent deep in the heart of the rebel encampment, there were no guards at her post and Lux reached for his blaster seeing something was amiss. He walked into the tent "Steela where are your guards they should be… outside?"
Inside Steela was looking over a holotable without her goggles and scarf on, her blaster rifle leaned up on the edge of the tent. a small lantern was on the table giving her extra light "I've asked them to be on lookout with Saw." she told him as Lux walked up to her. He noticed her boots were off too, it seemed as if she was ready to turn in for tonight making Lux more confused.
"What's our next offensive?" he asked "We'll have to slow down their advance, I'm thinking we give the men before sunrise then we strike from the road when they're on the move again?" he heard her say before she stepped away for Lux too look at her map for the ambush location.
Leaning over the table Lux didn't notice Steela move behind him in front of her bed, "We can draw in those gunships, ambush them on their first pass." he said as she let her hair fall down around her shoulders, "What do you think….?" Lux turned around to see Steela had removed the last piece of her apparel baring all before Lux's pale blue eyes wide with awe at her au natural form.
"I think I don't want to wait for tomorrow to think of what might have been." she said walking toward Lux and embracing him like she had when she was promoted with all the passion she had for Onderon's freedom into one kiss. Such emotion and feeling was reciprocated by Lux who loosened his collar and armor, outside the tent the only person who could feel that same emotion rippling in the force was face was blank at what she was feeling, it wasn't the flames of her fire but she could feel the heat and warmth just as much. But what she couldn't feel was the imminent threat scaling the cliffside straight toward Steela and Lux, was a Sith and twenty of his best warriors.
CORUSCANT
Jedi Council Chamber
Obi-Wan and Anakin were standing before the Council reporting in "The situation on Onderon is deteriorating rapidly, while most of the fighting has been situated on the highlands skirmishes between the rebel loyalists and the Separatist Militia are breaking out across the planet." Obi-Wan informed them.
"Can the rebel forces win, Skywalker what does your padawan make of the situation?" Windu asked him.
"My padawan believes we must intervene and I agree, the rebels need our help." Anakin expressed to them.
"Master Kenobi, your former Padawan, the traitor, Leo Rock is leading the Separatist forces do you believe they'll be a match for him?" Master Mundi asked him.
Obi-Wan felt Anakin look at him uneasy, "Master Kenobi?" Yoda asked him.
The Jedi Master raised his head "In the time I was Leo's padawan, fighting by his side in our Outer Rim campaigns, never once did he falter, never once did he retreat or fallback, until the battle was won… no, if Leo is there fighting the rebels can't win."
"Hmmm the choice to be made is a difficult one." Master Windu said from his chair "Master Skywalker, leave us while we deliberate." Windu ordered him, Anakin was glaring daggers into Obi-Wan before he left the chamber.
Later, when they emerged one by one Anakin apporached Obi-Wan "You really think Ahsoka can't do it, that she can't win against your padawan?" he snarled.
Obi-Wan stopped and turned quickly "Ahsoka, yes, it's the rebels who won't be able to beat him and that's why we made our choice."
"You did?" Anakin asked "It was a close vote, Windu was the deciding vote." Obi-Wan said sternly before walking off "Force be with us all we made the right choice."
ONDERON
Highlands
The night air was fading, a cool morning dew covered the rebel camp with nearly everyone asleep except for a few sentires. Inside Steela's tent she laid up against Lux under a thick warm fur blanket and their own body heat. Lux had both arms around her his head planted into the sea of black hair, the gentle feeling of his breath tickling down her bare neck.
Outside at the entrance to their stronghold, Ahsoka approached Saw on the lookout "Anything?" She asked him, the rebel base entrance had sandbags with a turret and at least a dozen guards at the mountain step.
"Nothing, not even birds." He said looking into the treeline.
Saw looked back at her "I don't like it."
Up in the tents, the sentries posted outside near Steela's tent had their throats cut, down below Ahsoka could sense something was out there in the darkness "Neither do I." She said when she felt it, the threat.
"Fire a flare, now." She ordered.
Saw took out a flare gun and sent one sailing into the night sky, a pale white light shinned down on the jungle below and in the very edge of the woods Saw and Ahsoka witnessed the Militia had advanced to their very doorstep. "OPEN FIRE!" Saw shouted running to the nearest gun turret. Blue and red lasers flew the sound of fighting waking up all the rebels who weren't already dead to see the interior of the rebel base had been infiltrated by Leo's Militia, their knives and swords already caked with blood standing over the sleeping rebels.
Both Lux and Steela awoke "We're under attack." Steela said springing out of her bed blaster in hand without grabbing her clothes, running to the tent exit right into Leo's waiting grip.
"You." Steela growled seeing him "Am I interrupting?" he asked when Lux got to his feet "Let her go." he rushed Leo before one of Leo's men came in and smashed Lux in the face with the but of his blaster knocking him out "Lux-aaah!" the Militia stabbed Steela with a taser, knocking her out cold.
"Let's go, we have what we came for." Leo told his men "What about Bonteri?"
"Leave him, what can they do now without their General, now where is his majesty." Leo said.
Out front Ahsoka couldn't take it any longer, she'd drawn both her lightsabers and held her ground with Saw and his men who were overwhelmingly outnumbered. Up in the heart of their base the Militia forces who had scaled the cliff with Leo made short work of Dendup's remaining guards cornering the King like a rat.
Dendup looked at the faceless soldiers eyes hidden behind their droid-like helmets masks, they parted revealing Leo "Dendup."
"Primus, killing me won't stop what's begun one day Onderon will be free." Dendup said boldly as Leo didn't say a word he just held out his hand to one of his men who handed him a knife "Maybe, but all of this could have been avoided if you'd never returned." he said looking at the blade. It was a curved edged blade with a golden handle and jeweled pommel, a blade fit for a king.
Then he did the last thing Dendup expected, he offered the hilt to Dendup "Safe us the trouble from imprisoning you again, you're weak just like those who follow you, and Onderon has outgrown you old man." Leo said, dropping the blade at Dendups feet and turning around "Order the withdraw." Leo ordered
The militia slowly started to recede out of the stronghold leaving Dendup to pick up the blade looking at the sharp edge and pressing it to his neck.
"They're falling back!" Saw shouted when he saw the Militia slowly withdrawing back into the forest, Ahsoka lowered her guard seeing it wasn't a retreat but a tactical withdrawal.
"Lux, Steela the enemy is withdrawing where are you?" but when no answer came she looked back up the mountain side and said, "Saw, it's a trick."
Saw looked back at her in horror knowing the attack had been a distraction the second Ahsoka saidit. Both of them rushed back up the mountain side, above them they saw the Rogue Shadow flying away back to the city seeing everyone was either dead or wounded inside the main hall of the ruins. Worst of all they found Lux barely clothed in gray pants and a white undershirt holding the corpse of King Dendup, the man's neck cut open and the blade clutched firmly in his old hand.
"Where's Steela, where's my sister?" Saw demanded falling to his knees grabbing Lux "They… they took her." Lux stammered laying the king down.
"First Tandin, then his Majesty now Steela…. Onderon is lost." Saw said looking at the handful of fighters they had left, all of them looked as disheartened as Saw.
Their allies were dead, the King they had fought for had taken his own life and now their leader was captured there was no hope "No." said Lux then. He took the knife out of Dendup's cold hands.
Rising to his feet he pointed the knife to the remaining rebels less than a dozen not counting Ahsoka "Steela wouldn't want us to quit now or ever, if this is the end I'd rather go down fighting for Onderon, no for Steela she'd do the same for any of us."
"But how, they'll be halfway to Iziz by now?" one of the rebels asked, Lux looked over at some of the remaining ruping "Then we don't have a minute to loose, listen I know it sounds crazy but the Militia and Primus think we're beat this will be the last thing we expect, the people of Iziz out number the droids three to one it'll be enough time before the Militia returns." Lux said his words reaching down to the broken Saw.
"Who's with me?" Lux asked them
Nobody answered "I am." Ahsoka said firmly "Small chance of success, certainty of doom, I was right you aren't a soldier you're crazy, hell I'm in." Saw said smiling rising to his feet.
The other rebels voiced their willingness to "Alright then let's go."
Dawn was breaking when the Rogue Shadow landed in the royal courtyard, Steela was in chains wrapped in a poncho to cover her naked body, so she could have some decency at least before they could take her away. General Kalani was waiting for them when they landed. "Welcome back Governor, I see your adventure was frutifull." Kalani gloated, grabbing Steela by the chin "Take this terrorist to the dungeons to be processed." Kalani ordered.
"The Tandin and the king are gone, without a clear leader the rebels are finished." Leo said walking beside Kalani who followed him from behind "Count Dooku will be most pleased with these results, we should contact him immediately." Kalani suggested.
"We'll do it in the throne room." Leo replied walking into the palace.
Meanwhile far above in the clouds a flock rupings were soaring high, Saw was on the back of one while Lux flew one with Ahsoka and the rest were all mounted by rebels one flying the other with a blaster and rocket launcher on their backs. "We're above Iziz, now what?" Saw asked Lux, he had thrown a pack over his shoulders with Steela's sniper rifle strung across his back.
"We need a distraction so Ahsoka and I can get into the palace, think you can make some noise?" Lux asked Saw.
"I can do more than that." Saw said looking to the rebels "Men, dive!" Saw ordered sending his ruping down straight toward the city, down in the city those outside started to see something flicker against the crowd. Then they saw it, a flying V formation like an arrow pointing straight down made entirely of rebels on the backs of their flying warbirds. Saw let out a rebel howl so loud everyone in the city heard him when he saw a droid patrol going down an empty street he pulled out a rocket launcher from his back and sent a rocket sailing into the tank. The other rebels followed soot reigning down rockets and grenades on the droids.
When explosions reached the palace walls Leo was in the middle of his report to Count Dooku "Apprentice, what was that, I thought you said this planet was secure?"
"It is Master, this is just some last act of defiance, I'll deal with it personally." Leo said back to the hologram "See that you do." Count Dooku said before he cut the transmission "Send out gunships into the air, I've had enough of this no prisoners this time." Leo ordered Kalani.
"And what of you Governor, where are you going?" Kalani asked him.
"The rebels are here for their leader, I'm going to make sure they don't get our prize." Leo said walking out of the throne room.
Outside, Ahsoka and Lux watched from the clouds to see Saw and his men take on the gunships that started to chase them around the city "You got your distraction." Ahsoka said "Then let's not waste it." he replied.
They flew down into the city dodging past the gunships and others fighters, droids tried to shoot up at them but when the people of Onderon saw the rebels fighting so desperately against such odds. Inspiration took hold and the fires of rebellion were rekindled "I can't shoot them there too fast." One droid said "Well shoot where there going not where they've-zzzt." the other was suddenly grabbed by the arms of five people and torn apart.
Across the city people were rising up everywhere attacking the droids from everywhere, Lux and Ahsoka saw the people from above pulling up to the palace walls they jumped off their Ruping to see the revolution underway "The people are rallying." Ahsoka said, seeing it.
"Come on we have to move." Lux said drawing his blaster pistol "They've taken Steela to the dungeon by now." He said running into the palace, outside they could see Saw and his wingmen in the fight for their lives.
Saw was being chased by a gunship when he flew around a tall tower banking hard into a full one eighty to shoot a rocket right into the gunships face taking it out. He cheered alongside his wingmen when suddenly a swarm of vulture droids swooped down on them taking out half his squadron in a single pass.
"There's too many of them." One of the rebels said before they too were shot down, in less than ten seconds Saw was all alone "Saw." Lux gasped seeing him surrounded up in front of a window. Then the unthinkable happened, the swarm of Vulture droids turned skyward and started to make for the clouds firing into the air, even the tanks on the ground were ignoring Saw in favor of some new target. "What are they shooting at?" Lux asked Ahsoka his face filled with dread while Ahsoka's was filled with a smug grin.
"I only know one person who can tick droids off that much." she said back to him.
Breaking through the clouds to wash the city in a glow of radiant sunlight was Anakin Skywalker in his Jedi starfighter followed closely by the Republic Navy starfighter corp. "All fighters follow my lead, keep the fighting above the city and shoot the droids down on the outskirts if you can help it."
"Sir yes sir." the starfighters replied engaging the droids in a dogfight, while a small fleet of gunships flew in behind them "Snips report in where are you?" Anakin asked.
"I'm in the palace Master, we're going to rescue Steela, brought the cavalry I see?" she asked him "Better, I brought the marines."
The gunship doors opened and leaping out of them were the Republic's galactic Marine corps, they wore a unique variant of clone armor with red on the torso and black trousers with kamas around them. Their helmets were red too with face shields covering them, the backpacks they wore were filled with every armament imaginable for such a close quarter fight.
Among them was Obi-Wan and Mundi "Droid poppers and stun blasts only, we're here to take out the droids only." Obi-Wan ordered "Yes Generals."
Leo had stopped in his own tracks to see the Republic attacking his city with the full force of their army and navy, he was panting hard, threw his nose squeezing his hand through his fist when he heard his comlink go off "Report."
"The Republic has invaded the Governor, from my calculations we cannot withstand their assault for long, we must withdraw if we are to save our forces." Kalani told him while he activated the rayshield around the palace protecting it from harm, while the palace shook "Can the Militia forces make it here in time?" Leo asked.
"Negative." Kalani replied.
Leo looked out at the droid ships falling into the city, the overwhelming force of the Republic made their victory inevitable. Leo cut his comlink and held up a holodevice to contact Count Dooku, it only took a matter of seconds before the hologram of the Count appeared "Apprentice?"
"The Republic has attacked my lord, my army is scattered; they will take the city by nightfall unless reinforcements can arrive." Leo reported "Hmmm, I have no desire for a prolonged struggle to withdraw your forces and return to Raxus."
Leo squeezed the holopad tightly "But my lord… the people of Onderon trusted us, trusted me to lead them, we can't just abandon them can we?"
"Do not question my authority apprentice, leave Onderon immediately." Leo gritted his teeth behind closed lips "My lord." he replied bowing before he turned off the communication.
He held up his other comlink to Kalani "Order the droids to hold their ground in the city, they'll cover the rest of our retreat." Leo ordered begrudgingly.
"What of the rebel leader?" Kalani asked "Leave her." he said changing the channel "Proxy get the Rogue Shadow ready to go, we're leaving." he said before he hurried on to the dungeon.
Ahsoka and Lux were almost there too, the only danger was the wave of droids they had to fight through. Lux was running head first into blaster fire while Ahsoka cut the droids down with her lightsaber drawing most of the flak "We have to hurry."
"Lux slow down." Ahsoka called out as he rounded a corner.
He dove back behind when he came face to face with a group of commando droids shooting at them, when they pressed their advance they came face to face with a very pissed off Ahsoka. Her green and yellow blades were faster than light, cutting them down one was able to dodge three strikes and grab her by the neck before Lux shot its head off with its own blaster.
"Thanks for the save." Ahsoka said as he helped her up "Steela!" Lux called out running down the hall.
Down the hallway near a flight of stairs Steela heard him "LUX!" she shouted when the droids guarding her were distracted Steela broke free wrestling one of the droids blasters away from it she opened fire on her guards. She was able to take out one when another grabbed her by the shoulders and chucked her into a wall. It drew back a large metal fist ready to terminate her before a green lightsaber belonging to Ahsoka cut off its head.
"Took you long enough." Steela said when the two helped her up, Lux hugged her tightly "I thought we lost you, that I lost you."
"Almost did, what's all that noise out there?" Steela asked them, cutting the reunion short "The Republic, they've joined us."
"I knew the jedi couldn't stay on the sidelines for long." she said, picking up the keys from one of her guards, taking off the cuffs "Let's go."
"Um Steela, you sure you want to go out like that?" Ahsoka asked, gesturing to Steela's appearance of lack there off, her poncho left little to the imagination from how torn it was from her recent scuffle with the droid.
"Oh." Steela said as Lux pulled off the pack from his shoulders handing it to her when she opened it up she saw her goggles and clothes inside "Thought you may need these." he said letting her take them.
Back outside, the Republic forces were locked in firefights above and around the city, the droid army was in full assault against the Republic invaders who were using stun blasts to try and quell the collateral damage but the droids didn't seem to mind unleashing the full fury of their tanks. Obi-Wan and Ki-Adi were at the forefront deflecting blaster shots alongside the clones "Kenobi go to the palace, I can manage here."
"Understood my friend." Obi-Wan said before he broke off from the fight and ran toward the palace, dipping into alleyways and through crowded streets of fleeing civilians trying to stay out of the fighting. But it wasn't any safer in buildings, as starfighters of both sides crashed in from above the entire city was in chaos worse than the uprising before.
"Anakin, I'm going into the palace. I may be able to stop Leo from escaping." Obi-Wan said using the force to jump up onto a building, when he saw the shield he heard Anakin "Not with that Shield up, I'll see what I can do." Anakin replied by flying over to the nearby city generator and taking it out with a set of torpedoes.
The explosion sent the entire city into a tremble but the palace shield held strong "It didn't work." Obi-Wan said.
"I can see that they must have their own generator, I'll contact Ahsoka to take it out."
"Ahsoka is inside?" Obi-Wan gasped.
Within the very palace the Republic was trying to break into, Ahsoka, Lux and Steela were fighting their way through the palace garrison but had been stopped in a hallway in a standoff "Ahsoka come in." Anakin blared through her coms.
"I'm here Master, we've rescued Steela trying to find a way out." she replied.
Anakin continued to fly and talk at the same time "How ironic, we're trying to get in, try to find the palace shield Generator and destroy it." Anakin ordered.
"Yes Master." she relayed to the others "The Generator will be located in the heart of the palace, I know the way." Lux said smiling "You do?" both girls asked.
He gave a firm nod "My family came here many times when I was younger, I remember the tour." he said with a wink.
"Ahsoka go with him, I'll hold the droids off here." Steela ordered them "You sure you'll be alright, I can't lose you again." Lux said cupping her cheek "You won't." Steela said kissing him firmly while Ahsoka rolled her eyes.
He broke the kiss and looked at Ahsoka "Come on, we need to double back through the dungeon." he said running off with Ahsoka "Ahsoka." Steela called out.
"Keep him safe." she asked "I promise I will." Ahsoka said before following Lux.
Steela turned back around the hall shooting, all her shots found their mark taking the heads off each droid or right in the chest when at the back of the hallway she saw Leo pass by. He saw her free and fighting for her home again, "Primus." she hissed.
"RAAAAH!" Steela ran out from cover shooting down the droids till only a few remained, she took her rifle barrel her hands and swung the but like a club braining in two droids before she rushed Leo, but the Sith Apprentice stood his ground and when she swung her rifle but back ready to cave his head in Leo held up his hand grabbing her by the neck "You're kind never learn do you." he said as the palace shook again "Hmm I might as well leave this world with something to show for it." he said before he electrocuted her with force lighting knocking her out.
Down below Lux and Ahsoka passed through the dungeon and into the lower levels, before they came into an elevator to catch their breath "This lift should take us to the generator room below."
"Can we deactivate it?" Ahsoka asked him "Actually I was just going to blow it up?" Lux replied.
Ahsoka smiled "I think Steela's rubbed off on you more ways than one."
Lux blushed a bit "Oh I didn't mean… I mean- you two are good together." Ahsoka said scratching her arm "You-you think so?" he asked.
"Of-of course, you two are perfect for one another." Ahsoka said avoiding his eyes, Lux smiled at the floor "She truly is amazing, I'm glad you two could become friends."
"Why wouldn't we be?" Ahsoka asked him "Is this really the best place to ask that?" he asked her.
"You're the one who started it?" Ahsoka asked him when the elevator opened to the generator room, a massive electric filled room with a boulder sized generator in the center sending charges into the palace's mainframe, powering the shield. The generator was on the other side of the room with a long walkway and deep chasm between the elevator and the machine "Well now I'm ending it, come on." Lux said running out.
Ahsoka looked at the massive machine which had two droids at it "Hey you're not supposed to be in here-" Lux shot them down without a second thought.
"So what now?" Ahsoka asked Lux "Um… this?" Lux said holding up his blaster and shooting into the machine's pylons. It only took two a few shots to cause it to short circuit and catch fire before starting to explode "So what happens now?" Ahsoka asked him.
"One of two things, either the shield should be going down or the palace explodes?" Lux said backing up to the elevator "You didn't think to mention that?" Ahsoka asked before she ran back to the elevator with him as the generator's compromised state was turning more and more explosive.
They sprinted back down the walkway while the ceiling started to fall in on them, the walls exploding from either side. A chunk of ceiling loosened and began to fall right above where Ahsoka was running in time for Lux to see, "Look out!" He yelled shoving her forward making her stumble into the elevator "GYAAAH!" Lux's scream roused Ahsoka to look back to see he was pinned under the fallen ceiling.
"Hold on!" She cried but Lux saw the explosions were moving too fast "Ahsoka- Tell Steela- tell her-." Lux started to say reaching for his blaster "I wish we had more time." He said before shooting the door controls shutting them tight and sending it up leaving himself behind to embrace oblivion "LUUUUUUUX!" Ahsoka screamed feeling the explosions beneath her.
Outside the palace's interior, Leo was approaching the Rogue Shadow, Steela over his shoulder when Proxy approached her "Lock her in the ship somewhere, time to leave this place behind." Leo told the droid.
"Yes Master and none too soon I'd say." The droid said, taking her aboard the vessel when the shield flickered, Leo looked up to see the shield had completely deactivated, leaving the palace exposed to attack. In less than ten seconds clone troopers with jet packs swarmed the tops of the towers and walls, landing on the ledges of each building till Leo was all but surrounded with a hundred blasters trained on him, but that wasn't the worst of it. Leaping in from somewhere Obi-Wan landed ten feet across from Leo and drew his lightsaber "In the name of the Galactic Senate, you are under arrest." He said to Leo when Proxy activated the Rogue Shadow shields.
Leo looked at the clones with a tucked in lip, slowly nodding his head "Just like Geonosis Master..." he grumbled looking at the courtyard "Only difference is, I'm on the right side this time."
The white haired youth reached for his blade and held it up, "Surrender Leo, you're surrounded."
"Am I- PROXY!" Leo shouted the droid smashed every weapon button, bright lights and exhaust dispersal button he could find blinding the clone troopers. Leo turned on one end of his right lightsaber and attacked, Obi-Wan was ready blocking his first move and countering with a sudden strike that Leo parried to the right. Obi-Wan tried to kick at his feet but Leo flipped away and the dance began.
Obi-Wan and Leo locked swords "Leo please stop this madness." Obi-Wan begged.
"Is it, IS IT?" Leo shouted using the force to blast him away "You are not a Sith, you're a Jedi one I trained I know who you are." Obi-Wan pleaded.
"You don't know anything about Master Kenobi." Leo snapped through the smoke of the exhaust, around them the clone troopers tried to take out the Rogue Shadow shield that was shooting out from its cannons to keep the clones away from Leo. "I've grown so much more powerful than any of you could ever imagine in fact… let me show you." Leo said spinning his blade around as if to attack again.
Obi-Wan got ready but Leo flung his open hand out and force lighting burst from his fingertips against Obi-Wan's blade "Now do you see Master, this is my true potential, this is what I was made for!" Leo shouted again using his other hand to press his attack.
"This is wrong Leo, hate is wrong, the darkness is wrong you are a child of light." Obi-wan said through the lighting, Leo shook his head "I am Sith- I AM DARTH PRIMUS!" Leo thundered, focusing more on his hatred of the Jedi.
Obi-Wan pressed his lightsaber forward in a bid to redirect some of the lighting making random sparks fly out as he took a step, shocking Leo. "NO!" Obi-Wan shouted "You are Leo Rock, you are a Jedi and I am your Master- AND I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON YOU!" Obi-Wan shouted at him, forcing his way into the storm till it knocked the jedi's lightsaber from his hand.
Obi-Wan took the full force of the lighting but he didn't shout or scream in pain, he just kept walking toward Leo. The Sith's once fierce face began to go paler than usual, even forcing him to take as tep back as Obi-Wan kept walking toward him "What… what are you doing you fool- you'll die' Leo snapped at him.
"There is no death padawan…" Obi-Wan grunted out through the pain getting closer.
"There is only the force…" Obi-Wan said in another step.
Leo backed away, keeping his force lighting attack up trying to stop Obi-Wan "St-stay away or I'll kill you." Leo yelped.
"Aaaahh-rrr no you won't-" Obi-Wan's body burned in the lighting, his robes becoming charred as he got closer "You can't."
He was only four feet from Leo now "Try as you might." Obi-Wan said, taking another step and stopping "Believe in it all you want- aahh… your power, your force has never come from your anger Leo." The lighting continued to torment Obi-Wan and just as he took one more step, Mundi and Anakin arrived on the top of the tower to see it. Anakin was about to jump in to save him But Mund grabbed him by the shoulder "Old your fire, this is Obi-Wan's fight, not ours."
"But look at him." Anakin protested
"I am Skywalker, you should too." Mundi said.
Leo let out a weak yell of anger but his sith eyes had nothing but confusion, sadness, longing, fear, turmoil seeing Obi-wan suffer at his hands "My power… my power is my own-" Leo snapped a tear rolling down his left cheek
"It always has been Leo." Obi-Wan said still in great pain now just a foot away from Leo "You are its master, you always have been but it's not hatred or fear that gives you this power-" Obi-Wan held up his hand reaching for Leo's cheek "It's Love Leo, do you hear me, Love is your greatest strength the love in your heart that makes you who you are not the anger that the Sith draw from you- aaaah." Obi-Wan closed his eyes, reeling back a bit but pushing onward to grab Leo while he was still being electrocuted, the lighting staying only in Obi-Wan not harming Leo.
The Jedi watched in amazement "He's holding in the lighting… stopping it from passing into Leo?" Anakin gasped "Kenobi is truly amazing." Mundi said
"Love Leo- that is your power—" Obi-Wan shouted, pulling Leo into a tight hug "NOW USE IT TO BREAK FREE!". Just then Ahsoka came out of the palace interior a bright flash like on Maridun erupted from the courtyard engulfing everyone in it.
When the light died down Leo was on his knees in Obi-Wan's arms, the lighting was gone and so was the storm it had caused both of them were breathing hard when Obi-Wan pushed away his hands still on Leo's trembling arms "I knew you were still there." Obi-Wan gasped when he saw Leo was crying.
"It's too late for me Master…" Leo weeped "They'll never take me back, not after all I've done" Leo's tears dripped onto the courtyard "All can be forgiven." Obi-Wan said, picking up Exar Kun's lightsaber and pushing it onto Leo's chest "By finishing what we started."
Leo's jaw dropped seeing Obi-Wan hand him the lightsaber "Go, we don't have much time."
"Master?" Leo asked him confused, looking up at Obi-Wan's smiling warm face.
No more words were said, nothing needed to be said Leo's face filled with resolve when he clutched the saber "Yes Master, we'll finish it."
"Good, now hit me and make it look good." Obi-Wan said smiling.
The Jedi looked down from above when they saw Leo suddenly force push Obi-Wan away "FOOLISH JEDI!" He shouted, getting to his feet "You will never stop us!" Leo shouted running back into the ship "SHOOT HIM DOWN, I WANT THAT SHIP SCRAPED!" Anakin shouted into his coms as the Rogue Shadow took off.
Leo ran into the cockpit and got in the ships "Get us out of here Proxy." Leo said getting into his seat and piloting the Rogue Shadow skyward with a hundred starfighters behind him.
Back in the courtyard The jedi came to pick Obi-Wan up off the ground "Master Kenobi are you alright?" Mundi asked him as he leaned on Anakin "No worse for wear." Obi-Wan replied.
"Master what were you thinking, he could have killed you." Anakin berated "Yes… he could have." Obi-Wan said when they saw Ahsoka approaching them and some clones rushing past her "The remaining droids are scattering sir, the city is ours." One of the clones said to Mundi.
Mundi knodded "Very good Captain, what of the rebel leaders?"
"Steela was on that ship." Obi-Wan said "Her brother Saw is nowhere to be found, what of Bonteri?" Anakin asked Ahsoka "He… he didn't make it."
"Hmm troubling but their sacrifice gave Onderon its freedom." Anakin said as the Jedi walked over to the edge of the palace walls looking at the burning city, screams and cries of terror still filled the air as the droid army was replaced by clones "Did it?" Ahsoka asked, looking at the hollow victory.
MARIDUN
The Rogue Shadow landed on the grassy world of Leo's past, in the dusk of night before its ramp lowered. Leo shoved Steela off the ramp and into the dirt where she stumbled before he threw her a survival pack and her blaster "There's a Republic outpost ten miles from here, if you get walking now you can avoid the mastiffs." Leo said as Steela got to her knees then feet, her hands still shackled
"So your leaving me here to die?" She spat at him.
"If I wanted you dead I'd have killed you on the ship." He said arms crossed.
She still glared at him "So why the change of heart."
Leo didn't answer "... you know, in another life I think you, your brother maybe even Lux and I could have been friends."
"Never, after everything you did to Onderon I will never forgive you." She said coldly to him when Leo held up a device to uncuff her wrists "Doesn't matter now does it, Onderon is under Republic occupation, your brother is missing, your king is dead and Lux… seemed like he was a good man." Leo said seeing Steela's face fall.
She looked at him "What… what do you mean was?"
Leo was about to leave "Reports are saying he died to get the Republic forces into the palace, destroying the shield generator still trapped inside." Leo said turning around.
Steela screamed scrambling for her blaster ready to shoot him but she couldn't, her hands were frozen around the trigger and Leo was waiting "Killing me won't bring them back, killing you won't get me Onderon back all this… senseless death, Sith, Jedi, Republic, Separatists I went on a journey to find out why and got lost on your world bringing it nothing but death and destruction…."
She fought back tears desperate to want to end him, to avenger her comrades but instead she dropped the blaster and buried her face in her hands weeping, he looked over his shoulder with green eyes "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
"Heheh.. hehehe… HAHAHA You're sorry?" Steela laughed out lifting her tearfilled eyes "Your destroy my world, my family, kill the only man I ever loved and you're sorry, hahaha isn't that convenient, so if you're so sorry what am I supposed to do now?" She snickered trying to wipe the tears.
Leo turned away "We live, we go on and live for those who died that's something I should have been doing from the start." He said as the ship's exhaust started to spray around them getting ready to take off "May the force be with you Steela Gererra." The Rogue Shadow took off and Leo walked into the bridge "Shall I set a course for Raxus Master?" Proxy asked.
"No, we're going to Serenno. It's time the Count and I had a long overdue talk." Leo said sitting down watching Steela pick up her rifle and pack, starting to walk toward the Republic outpost, while Leo went deeper into the darkness but this time he wouldn't be alone.