Chapter 15
Force Fury
OPEN CIRCLE FLEET
The Republic fleet was on guard in the border regions Republic space, the cerean Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, was standing in Anakin's place aboard his flagship the Resolute II, beside him was the stoic Admiral Yuralen looking out at the two men had been through many battles but something about this one felt different they were unsure if the storm would head for them or they for it, for now all they could do was wait like the stars around them.
A bridge officer approached the two of them "General, Admiral a message from Coruscant."
The two of them walked back following the bridge officer up to the holotable in the back to see Windu and Yoda "Have you heard any word from them Master Mundi?" Mace Windu asked him, the tall bald headed Master was stern in his questioning straight to the point as always.
"Nothing yet I'm afraid." Mundi replied back dismayed.
"A report, the Chancellor demands." Yoda insisted to Mundi "Then we will have to report nothing, there's been no word from the strike team or anything intercepted on Separatist channels." Mundi explained.
"Keep your fleet on standby Master Mundi, I sense something… something in the force." Mundi said looking down "I sense it too, the balance is at a tipping point light or dark, it could go either way." Windu added.
They looked to the bottom of the table where Master Yoda was standing "Hmm entangled the light and the dark sides of the force are, in the middle I sense… death."
MALEVOLENCE II
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"Ahsoka… Ahsoka get up!" Rex shouted as he pushed off a piece of metal off her, Ahsoka had woken up after briefly passing out from Leo's sudden attack. The mega ion cannon chamber was in near ruins. The controls for firing the weapon had been totaled along with the platform that hung around them in a sea of flaming wreckage and twisted metal. Rex now uncuffed pulled the young torgurtan to her feet, where she could see she'd landed with the other Jedi and clones. "Hold still sir." Wolffe said over Plo Koon shooting the cuffs off him with a stolen E-5 blaster.
Luminara and Aayla were on their feet helping Barris out of some rubble with the clones.
Plo Koon immediately stood up using the force to lift off a pile of rubble of an unconscious Anakin in Obi-Wan's arms "Master!" Ahsoka shouted, sprinting over to him.
She slid down to her knees looking over him, Obi-Wan had pulled him close when they fell "Let me take him." Rex said, picking up Anakin with Fives to aid him.
"He's alive, just unconscious." Obi-Wan said getting up for Cody to shoot his cufflinks off.
"What about Selene, we can't leave her body here." Ahsoka protested looking around.
But the need to seek out the dead was second to saving the living "No time to waste, we should look for an exit and hurry to rescue the younglings, they won't last much longer." Luminara said, proposing a plan "What about Leo, what about Count Dooku?" Ahsoka asked.
"I'd worry less about them and more about me." A voice said over them, the Jedi and clones looked up to see General Grievous smash right in the middle of them lightsabers at the ready.
Without hesitating the Jedi tore off the additional lightsabers off his belt surrounding him, even Ahsoka was able to summon her own from torn Grievous's cloak, "Finally a contest." Grievous said looking at them all. The Jedi all struck at once and Grievous was waiting, his lightsabers spun like rotating fans catching all the blades and weapons of his enemies to protect himself and counter in a ferocity now legendary among their order.
Across the wreckage Count Dooku hurled a large chunk of metal across the air at Leo, who jumped out of the way twisting in the air to avoid the jagged metal. When he landed Count Dooku was standing over him with his lightsaber swinging at the right, then left and from above. Leo dodged all of his strikes before catching the Count's arms; he tried to twist the lightsaber out of Count Dooku's hands but despite his age. The Sith Lord was far stronger then he appeared up against him. Leo could feel that under the black robes the Count had the strength of a man twice his younger and he felt it when Count Dooku threw him off.
Leo grabbed a rogue piece of metal and launched it at the Count, the Sith Lord sliced it in half straight down the middle "Continue this resistance all you wish, you are no match against me without your lightsaber."
"I don't need a lightsaber to kill you." Leo said holding up both hands, unleashing a force lighting. Enguard, Count Dooku caught the surge in his lightsaber, wild streaks bounced off against the metal and back into the blade.
"We shall see." The Sith Lord replied.
Back with the Jedi and Grievous, Ahsoka had both her lightsaber and Shoto up against the cyborg's four lightsaber arms, she evaded his attacks before she felt his clamp down on her left boot making her fall back. Utterly vulnerable Grievous prepared to kill her before both Obi-Wan and Plo Koon leapt over her to engage Grievous.
Luminara and Aayla came over to help her up "Padawan Tano, you Padawan Barriss and the men take Skywalker with you and find a way off this ship." Luminara ordered the two of them.
"What about you Masters?" Barriss asked.
"If anyone is to survive it must be the younglings." Aayla ordered them before turning around to see Grievous kick Plo Koon away and face Kenobi alone.
They parried and crossed swords left and right "I wonder Kenobi did you know, know what apprentice was?"
"I've always known just as I've always known you or Dooku will never win." Obi-Wan said when the three other jedi masters surrounded Grievous.
"Just like in the Stark Hyperspace War, when the Jedi took everything from us when we wanted nothing- nothing but our freedom so you brought us death and destruction- NOW I RETURN THE FAVOR!" Grievous howled forming his arms into rotating blades before the four Jedi caught his arms all at once. Seeing he was outnumbered but not out armed, raising the lightsabers at all four of them when they moved In a circle each time the Jedi moved to a different form Grievous raised his blade in mirror. Obi-Wan had a low guard so Grievous was high, Aayla was posed to strike from the behind and the cyborg was guarding his flank from her, to the left and right were Koon and Unduli each of them moving clockwise like the others. They attacked all at once, the four arms moved all on their own the cybernetic parts of Grievous brains doing double the work he would have had to do with his old body play. Now a cybernetic monstrosity he was able to counter the four Jedi masters before locking all blades at once.
Away from them both Barris and Ahsoka pulled Anakin up a small mountain of rubble with Ahsoka carrying her Masters heavy torso while Barris carried his legs when Ahsoka stopped when she saw the other duel taking place.
"Ahsoka what is it?" Barris asked her as the clones took Anakin from them.
"Leo." She said pointing to the battle.
Barris looked back and didn't see Leo fighting Count Dooku, she saw two Sith trying to kill each other.
Dooku was right about one thing, without a lightsaber Leo wasn't half as formidable as he usually was. Throwing derby and wreckage at Count Dooku who either cut in half, dodged or threw it back at Leo who somersaulted away from a piece of the platform he'd tried to take out Dooku with.
Getting to his feet, Leo ran around the every growing arena of shredded metal and held out his hand summoning up shards and fractals of shattered metal starting as a handful, getting larger and larger circling Count Dooku before he had hundreds of small metal shards around his right arm "Cut these." Leo said before he drew back his arm and sent the shards at Count Dooku. It left his hand like a grape shot of blades slicing and cutting into Count Dooku's robes, cutting his arms and legs when he wasn't able to dodge them or evade them. Before any of the smaller, more lethal pieces could reach him the Sith Lord unleashed all of his power repulsing the air around him with the force. It was so strong the air rippled and cracked like a thunderstorm letting the shards rain down around them.
Winded Count Dooku saw Leo wasn't out of tricks yet, he was climbing the rubble in great bounds as if fleeing but he was testing the pieces of metal. Seeing which ones were large enough for what he had in store, when he landed on the tallest piece he flipped using the force to grab the metal where his feet was for a split second the metal lurched and groaned before Dooku watched in astonishment Leo pulled out a massive boulder of metal the size of a tank and flipping forward to his feet holding it over his head for a moment locking eyes with a stunned Dooku.
That piece of the platform just so happens to be the dividing piece of the rubble that separated the Jedi and Grievous from Leo and Dooku. When he brought the full force of his power down on Count Dooku the entire chamber shook, the lights flickered snapping Ahsoka back to reality carrying her Master's unconscious body.
"Ahsoka we have to move." Barris told her.
They carried Anakin up to the hole in the wall that Leo had made pulling him out before they both got up to carry him on their shoulders "Which way to the brig?" Barris asked.
"This ship is massive." Cody gasped "It's not the size of the dog that matters it's the fight in the dog." Rex said next to him and the others, Bly and Wolffe had picked up droid blasters while Alpha was holding a magna guards staff and a blaster.
"I… I don't know?" Ahsoka said when they saw something poking out of the corner.
To Ahsoka and Barris' surprise, it was Leo's probe droid Oculus "A probe droid?" Barris asked.
"Oculus?" Ahsoka gasped "What?" Barris asked.
"It's Leo's probe droid, kind of like Artoo?" Barris explained walking up to the droid who scanned their faces.
It beeped at them a few times "Leo's fine, but the younglings do you know where the fastest way to the brig is?" Ahsoka asked.
Oculus gave a positive beep in confirmation and started to fly down the hallway with the two padawans following, dragging Anakin with them. They followed the droid down the hallway and around a corner to some elevators, when it came up with the doors opening they followed Oculus inside.
"Can we really trust this droid?" Barris asked Ahsoka "One way to find out." Ahsoka replied looking up to Oculus "Can you send a transmission to the Admiral, to anyone in the Republic?" She asked.
OPEN CIRCLE FLEET
Resolute II
"General Mundi, Admiral Yuralen we're receiving a coded transmission from Serenno." A bridge officer aboard the Open Circle fleet's flagship, Anakin's flagship, said up to the two commanding officers. The cerean and human turned around immediately when they heard which planet it was coming from.
They shared a brief exchange before Mundi answered "Put it through."
Hurrying up to the holotable, the hologram of Ahsoka and Barriss appeared before them "Commander Tano?" Yuralen gasped seeing her "Padawans whats the situation?" Mundi asked getting straight to the point when he saw Anakin out cold on their arms.
"Master, Admiral, we're in trouble, we're aboard the Malevolence II and have disabled their Ion Cannon but I'm not sure if we can get off this ship without help." Ahsoka reported in "Admiral without their Ion Cannon that the class of ship is vulnerable to attack." Mundi said next to Yuralen.
The Admiral scratched his chin "Even so, that ship is a monster unlike anything we've faced."
"We will need time to gather the ships necessary to launch this assault." Yuralen replied to her "I'm not sure how much time we have Admiral." Ahsoka said back to him "We'll be there Commander, just be ready."
The transmission ended and the two men went to work sending out a signal "This is General Mundi of the Open Circle fleet broadcasting on all channels to any available ships near the Sertar system, we are in need of immediate assistance the Separatists have acquired a new Malevolence but it's ion cannon has been disabled aboard it are a strike team of Jedi who attempted to save a class of Jedi younglings who are in dire need of our help." Mundi said over the transmission.
"General, with the Sertar overrun by the Separatists we may not be able to mount a sound force to combat a ship of this size." Admiral Yuralen voice to him.
Mundi looked at the table then to him "And still we will go all the same Admiral."
MALEVOLENCE II
Anakin started to come too seeing a metal floor in front of him, his head bobbing up and down he looked to his left then his right to see Barris and Ahsoka carrying him down the hallway with Oculus leading them to the bridge "Ahsoka, Barriss what happened?" He asked.
"Leo came back, you hit your head and now we're trying to save you and the younglings so…?" Ahsoka trailed off "Business as usual being crazy." Anakin said, stopping them both.
"Pretty much Master. "Ahsoka said with a smirk.
He looked back to the others, pushing up to his feet standing on his own, Oculus spun around beeping at them to hurry up "Wait he what?" Anakin asked.
"What's it saying?" Barris asked "The brig isn't far but it's guarded by battle droids and magna guards"
Anakin smirked over to Ahsoka "Ahsoka ready for another round?" He asked her to reach for his lightsaber, noticing it was gone "My-" "Lightsaber is your life Ahsoka, never lose it." Ahsoka said, holding up his weapon for him to take.
"I leave you alone for a few missions and you're teaching me." Anakin said rolling his eyes as he looked at the clones, "Rex, you and the other clones go secure us a ride out of here in the hangar we'll get the younglings." Anakin ordered them.
"Yes General." Rex replied "You heard him men." He said back to the others, arming their weapons "Uh which way to the hanger?" Alpha asked.
Oculus answered them "He said-" "I know, I know, I've broken enough droids to understand them come on kids." Alpha grunted at his brothers leaving the Jedi behind.
The jedi sprinted in the other direction to where Plo Koon and his strike team had Back in the ion cannon chamber, Obi-Wan were facing off against General Grievous who was a wild storm of white metal and lightsabers, across from them Obi-Wan spotted Leo fighting Count Dooku with all of his rage.
Count Dooku had tried to take Leo out with a swing of his laser sword but Leo continued to dodge him so the Count switched tactics, holding his hand out to the metal fragments around him, he grabbed inside of the metal. Piercing out of the metal a web of metal wires and cords moved like shapes in the air toward Leo, seeing the wires heading his way Leo ran away from them jumping over metal and bouncing off the wreckage when one of them coiled around his ankle.
Another on his wrist, then around his chest and the rest of his limbs, like an animal caught in a net Count Dooku dragged him toward the Sith Lord and his lightsaber. Struggling with everything he had Leo started to feel the heat of the red lightsaber.
"Leo!" Obi-Wan shouted, reaching into his robe and throwing something at him, Leo saw the glint of whatever it was and held out an open palm. In a flash of severed wires, Count Dooku's lightsaber was stopped dead in its tracks by Leo holding his very own lightsaber. The once double bladed hinge lightsaber had returned to a single white blade but with a melted end where the hinge had been forever damaged.
Leo parried the Count's weapon cutting himself free and getting to his feet clutching both hands on the hilt "What was it you said, you didn't need a lightsaber to kill me hmm?" Count Dooku asked.
"You're old Count, you need a handicap." He shot back at the Count striking him, the Sith Lord caught his blade and slashed back across his left. Dooku slid his blade across the boy's defense with one hand using the force to knock Leo off his feet.
Flipping back onto them, Count Dooku came at him again, the lightsabers danced across one another in flashes of crimson and cloud.
The swords locked, face to face with the Sith Lord and former apprentice burrowed eyes of pure hatred into one another and what was really firefighting was Count Dooku's grin. His teeth were white like a dragon and the golden eyes of a Sith Lord made him only more terrifying "Perhaps my teachings were not such a waste after all, I may break a sweat in destroying you."
"It will be your last Count, I vow it" Leo growled back from the other side.
In the upper levels Anakin and the two padawans finished up the droids guarding the brig and burst into the brig opening up the torture chamber each of them rushed in cutting the younglings free. Ahsoka used the force to tear off the small doors of Katooni's cell before she fell out onto the floor "Katooni, Katooni!" Ahsoka shook her but she was lying still if almost dead.
Anakin cut open the door to Zatt's cell and sliced the cord around his neck off and then his shackles "It's alright youngling your safe." Anakin said catching him, when Barriss came into the room holding Byph she saw a holographic rancor roaring at her, taken back a bit she saw Byph still strapped to the chair. She cut his bindings and gently took the clips on his eyelids out "It's okay, it's okay you're okay." She said carrying him out.
"The others." Anakin said carrying out Zatt and laying him at the other's feet.
Anakin stormed off to the nearest cell opening it only to be pounced on by Hondo Ohnaka and what remained of his crew, the Weequays packed onto Anakin wrangling him like a wild dog. Anakin kicked and punched the other pirates grabbing him "Hold him hold him- wait STOP!" Hondo shouted, his fist already drawn. All his men halted "Hondo?" Anakin said, seeing him.
"Drop him." Ahsoka said holding her lightsaber up to the pirates neck, Hondo looked back and saw Katooni on the ground being held by Barris "Let him go men, we're all friends here." Hondo ordered.
Anakin was released picking up his lightsaber. He suddenly grabbed Hondo by the neck and slammed him into the wall "This is all your fault." Anakin growled.
"You attack a Jedi ship, children and kidnap my Padawan. I should kill you here and now."
"Captain." One of Hondo's men said about the attack Anakin force pushed them onto their backs "But that wouldn't help you- eh Skywalker?" Hondo asked.
Anakin squeezed his grip around the man's neck "Help us what?" He asked Hondo.
Ahsoka seemed not even to care what happened to the pirate but Barris watched with horror "Master Skywalker what are you doing?" She asked.
"Be silent." Anakin snapped at her "What could you help us with?" Anakin asked Hondo.
Hondo smiled crookedly "Why-ack- helping you carry the little ones even the clones there, fighting droids and carrying children could be trickyeeeee." Hondo felt Anakin squeeze Hondo's neck even tighter thinking it over "Free the others." Anakin told Ahsoka and Barris before he let go of Hondo's neck, the clones and pirates eyeing each other with some distrust.
"If you even think of betraying us I'll-" "Kill me, please there are far worse things than death Jedi." Hondo said, walking over to his men helping them up "Are you alright my friends?" Hondo asked them.
The weequay gave a weak knod there were only three of them in all making four with Hondo "Check the cells for our brothers if there are any."
"Aye captain." The pirate said hurrying down the cells while Ahsoka and Barris brought Ganodi and Petro out laying them next to the others, Hondo walked over to the others and knelt down reaching into his coat he took out a small capsule "What is that?" Ahsoka asked.
"My emergency batch of bacta gel, here it will help ease their pain for now." Hondo said as the Captains crew came running down the hallways.
"We checked their cells Captain, they're all empty." Hondo let out a heavy sigh "Like I said Skywalker there are worse things than death." Hondo said remorsefully.
He picked up Katooni holding her in his arms "Pick up the other children, we're getting out of here men."
The pirates looked at one another uneasy "But what about the crew?"
"Our brothers are gone men, the droids and Grievous have taken our home so we must find a new one, but first we must get out of here and without the Jedi I doubt we can do that can you?" Hondo asked, stomping up to them. The pirates walked up to the children, one of the bigger weequay pirates, up both Byph and Gungi, the others grabbing Petro and Ganodi while Anakin picked up Petro.
He walked over to Ahsoka handing him to her "Ahsoka lead them to the hanger."
"What about you Master?" She quickly asked him.
"Someone needs to sabotage this ship's command system, I'm the only one who knows the fastest way to the bridge." Anakin said back to her, walking down the halls of the brig Anakin stopped. He clutched his side catching himself on the wall "Master." Ahsoka gave the boy in her arms to Barris rushing up to him.
Anakin took his hand away and his glove was stained with blood, there was a piece of metal sticking out of his robe lodged in Anakin's side "You're injured, why didn't you say anything."
"I'm fine." Anakin argued getting up again "No you're not, you can't get to the bridge and make it back to the hanger." Ahsoka pointed out.
"Get the younglings to the ship Padawan, that's an order." Anakin spat, but Ahsoka ran across the hallway and got in front of him "No Master, you need to get these younglings out of here let me go to the bridge." Anakin looked at her stunned at her sudden outburst of defiance.
"The younglings need you more than do, the Republic needs you more, it needs you alive." She told him Anakin looked back at the children then his padawan. Closing his eyes in concession he knew she was right "The bridge is in the rear of the ship, at the end of the tram system they use to send shells to the ships cannons, top floor- but don't be late when we leave." He reminded her by putting his hand on her shoulder. Ahsoka smiled cupping his hand "I will Master." Then she moved away heading for the bridge.
Across the ship the battle inside the ion cannon chamber was becoming even deadlier, with such minimal ventilation from the fires raging in the ship. Smoke began to fill the huge chamber making it hard to see and harder to fight. Grievous was coughing with every swing and slash he made at the Jedi, even Aayla, Luminara and Obi-Wan coughed while Plo Koon's mask kept him safe from the smoke.
"We can't keep this up much longer, not here at least." Plo said next to Obi-Wan who was panting eyes watering from the increasing smoke.
"Agre- agreed." Obi-Wan coughed at him while they kept trying to get the upper hand on Grievous, Ayala ran in suddenly and brought her lightsaber down on Grievous blindspot, taking out his lower left arm. The loss of one of his four arms made Grievous turn like a tornado and slam his leg into Aayla's stomach "GYAAAH!" She screamed, feeling his clawed feet skewer her stomach, Grievous lifted her up standing on one leg "Grievous!" Luminara appeared out from the black smoke cutting off Grievous' leg before he could hurt Aayla anymore.
Off balance Grievous fell backwards before coiling around like a metal spider, Obi-Wan and Plo Koon stormed in between the women and Grievous who growled low before taking a moment to assess his situation. Disarmed and short a leg his cybernetic breathing system put to the limit there was only one course of action for the cyborg.
A strategic withdrawal, Grievous leapt off the ground vanishing into the black smoke fleeing a fight he may not win. With the current danger passed Obi-Wan and Plo Koon turned off their lightsaber sensing Grievous was running with his tail between his legs again.
"He'll be back, he always is." Obi-Wan said turning around to look at Aayla, green blood was seeping from three claw marks in her stomach down her navel onto the floor "How is she?" Plo asked.
"Bad, losing a lot of blood we need to get her out of here." Luminara said tearing off her own head dress to make a bandage around Aayla's wound, when it ran out she tore off her long skirt exposing her green legs to try and stop Aayla from bleeding to death.
Plo Koon knelt down after Luminara dressed the wound "Obi-Wan helped me with her." But Obi-Wan wasn't paying attention, he was looking into the smoke, in the distance of the roaring flames and black fog he could hear the sound of a duel still being fought. The sound of a Sith Lord and a lone warrior fighting for not just his life but theirs.
"Obi-Wan we need to go, now." Plo Koon said grabbing the beige robes on Obi-Wan's sleeve.
His blue eyes snapped to the Kel Dor's goggles "Leo's fate is now his own." Obi-Wan tore his arm away "Not if I have anything to say about it." Obi-Wan said running into the smoke. Somewhere in all that twisted metal, fire and smoke Leo and Dooku were locked in fierce fighting climbing up a part of the platform that stuck up over the flames. Dooku's cloak was in tatters. HIs arm moved like a serpent with one long crimson fang striking at him over and over pushing up into an even narrow piece of metal.
Throwing his red lightsaber down on Leo's white lightsaber, Leo parried him and tried to cut upwards but it just bounced off Count Dooku's defense. The Count swung his shredded cloak up at Leo who cut through it. But when it fell into pieces he saw Count Dooku was gone. Leo's eyes shot skyward, raining down on him was the Count who'd taken to the air with a hammering strike that forced Leo onto his knee. Dooku leaned in to his strike pushing against Leo who was at the disadvantage, nowhere to run but into the flames, but the other option was the dragonesque fury of the Sith Lord.
"There it is." Count Dooku said, showing his malicious smile "The fear that's controlled you your whole life."
The boys golden pupils started to bleed into the whites of his eyes "How quickly our fear turns to rage." Count Dooku said "We choose to flee or to hold our ground-and-FIGHT!" Count Dooku broke the blade lock when Leo pushed him back and struck at the Count. "So fight me apprentice, FIGHT ME!" Dooku dodged before Leo flipped over him hacking down while he was in the air. Count Dooku parried moving under Leo to draw back his right arm and punch Leo in the gut.
Leo pushed off his arm back onto the platform, with an opening Count Dooku stabbed his lightsaber down onto Leo who dodged just in time for it to miss his chest in between his arm and the armpit. The traitor grabbed the Count's tunic by the collar and pulled him down into Leo's waiting boot kicking him back tearing the collar
Stumbling back Leo's boot print in his tunic and collar torn, Leo stood up blood seeping from his arms. The wounds he'd sustained against Ahsoka during his fight with her were reopening from lack of attention "And now the pain, the pain only Sith know that reminds us that life is pain and to live is to suffer." Count Dooku and Leo rushed one another lightsabers sparking off one another, the narrow stage they dueled on them was perfect for Count Dooku's single grip style already making himself a small target he could side step past Leo and slice him across the back in a thick strike.
"Rrrr… almost felt that old man." Leo said turning around this time he was smiling.
"You're going to have to be better than that." Leo came at him again to slash across his left Count Dooku got ready to counter but Leo deactivated his lightsaber at the last second "Predictabl-" bam, right in the face Leo had deactivated his lightsaber not to reactivate it but to throw a right hook across Count Dooku's jaw before flipping his grip into reverse and turning on the blade to resume the melee "RAAH!"
Meanwhile up on the bridge, the ships command crew of droids were watching the hologram recordings of what was all happening from the brig, to the hallways where Plo Koon and Luminara were carrying Aayla and even in the ion cannon chamber "Well that doesn't look good?" One of the battle droids asked looking back to a Commander Droid sitting in the commander's chair
"Send reinforcements to kill the jedi in the corridors and seal the hanger." The Commander ordered them when the elevator door opened. A commando droid head rolled out bouncing over to the droids when they looked into the elevator they saw an entire pile of scrap up to Ahsoka's knees, she was panting hard holding one lightsaber "Blast'em." The commander ordered.
Ahsoka jumped out of the elevator slicing off the commando droid's head, the entire bridge turned away from their consoles with their blasters trained on Ahsoka. Summoning her shoto from her hip she started to deflect the blaster shots back into the droids before there were none left.
When they were all destroyed Ahsoka fell back into the commander's chair exhausted, like Leo her wounds had reopened and she struggled to fight through the pain. But unlike Leo she wasn't Sith so she fought against the urge to focus on it. Taking deep breaths she got out of the chair leaning on it, using her green lightsaber she breathed in deeply at a quickened past pressing the laser on her hip to seal the wound 'hnnnnAAAAH!" Ahsoka let out yell almost keeling over before she heard one of the consoles going crazy with alarms.
Looking out the windows Ahsoka saw the entire Open Circle fleet dropping out of hyperspace with more Republic cruisers joining "Attention Separatists ships, this is Jedi General Ki-Adi-Mundi in the name of the Republic you are ordered to surrender or be destroyed." The incoming signal from the flagship informing them. Aboard them were Jedi Generals Windu, Yoda, Kit Fitso and Master Koth and even Shaak Ti from Kamino.
Ahsoka pressed the signal button on the commander's chair "Master Mundi, Admiral good to see you."
"Commander Tano, is that you- on the bridge?" Admiral Yuralen asked on his own ship.
She replied quickly "Not for long, I'm going to sabotage the ship defenses from here you need to attack now."
"But you and the other Jedi are still onboard?" Yuralen replied "Not for long, this is our best chance to end this battle before it begins." Ahsoka told him as the other Separatist ships started to engage the Republic fleet, blue and red cannon fire streaking back and forth between the ships.
"Very well Commander, but hurry." Yuralen cut the transmission, when Ahsoka went to work. She ran up to the console controlling the ship's cannons, shields and turned them off. Unsheathing both her lightsabers Ahsoka cut the commander chairs controls followed by the other consoles cutting the computers and instruments of every part of the bridge till they were just like the droids. Seeing her work was done she walked over to the elevator catching herself on the elevator door waiting for it to open. Closing her eyes she summoned the force to her trying to reach some inner peace to manage her exhausted state and her pain.
Something else happened "Keep going." She heard a voice and looked around but nobody was on the bridge. "He needs you." The voice said when the elevator opened. Ahsoka got inside and thought she saw someone standing on the other end of the bridge, a child with blue and white hair.
While the battle raged outside the ship, Anakin and Hondo had reached the hangar with the younglings. Anakin ran out of lightsabers drawn where he saw Rex and the other clones were around the Rogue Shadow with a small army of hanger droids blasting at them "Follow me." Anakin said flanking the droids.
When the droids turned around to try and stop Anakin the clones came out of cover shooting them.
After Anakin and Barris cut down the last one Rex approached him "This is the only ship big enough to fit all of us sir, we've received word from General Koon, General Secura is wounded and Unduli are bringing her here now and Admiral Yuralen's dropped out of hyperspace and has engaged the enemy."
"And Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked.
"They said he stayed behind to try and get Commander Rock." Rex told him.
Anakin scowled hearing that he held up his communicator "Ahsoka what's your status?" He asked as the pirates started to carry the younglings into the ship.
No answer came "Ahsoka come in."
"I'm here Master, on my way… on my way to the hanger." Ahsoka said jogging through the metal hallways while the ship was rocked with cannon fire. While she kept up her jog something in the force trembled reaching every Jedi onboard, from her to Plo Koon, Aayla, Luminara, Barris and Obi-Wan who was still in the chamber where it happened.
The real fight between the Sith was about to begin.
"Yes, yes that's it draw on that fear don't run from it, embrace it let it give you power." Count Dooku said as the fires around the two of them were mixing with the force seething out of them. The flames moved like great waves of heat devouring the metal beneath the burning riptide, the narrow walkway Leo and the Count was collapsing in the fires forcing them both to jump off. They both landed on other tall pieces of metal when they spotted the other; it wasn't long before they leapt into the lunging at one another.
Amongst the wreckage and flames Obi-Wan had reached his own vantage point inside the ion chamber watching Leo and Count Dooku battle.
"Leo!" Obi-Wan shouted after him.
Leo had landed on a large broken pylon looking back to see Obi-Wan "We have to go." Distracted Count Dooku almost took Leo's head off before he caught the incoming laser sword. Count Dooku grabbed him by the robe knocking him off the pillar he was on into the flames below. Obi-Wan jumped after them and saw Leo and the Count wrestling in the around flames with their lightsabers weakened pieces of metal fell around them burning rubber coated wires were everywhere while Obi-Wan tried to get close. But a falling piece of wreckage cut him off, when Obi-Wan dodged it he looked up to see Leo was on his feet looking around. Count Dooku had disappeared into the flames again "Leo, the Republic is attacking the ship it won't last long."
Leo was still looking, seeking out Count Dooku; he cut through the metal or kicked it over "Leo forget about the Count, the younglings are safe we have to go-."
"He's mine!" Leo shouted his head snapping toward Obi-Wan, Leo's eyes were no longer gold instead they had turned glowing blood red. The darkness within Leo, a darkness he had tried to reject had taken hold of him once more for the Jedi Master to see.
"Do you see Kenobi!" Count Dooku had aspirated behind Obi-Wan still holding his lightsaber "Look at him, he's magnificent." Count Dooku added when Obi-Wan looked back at the Count then at Leo who was tearing through the metal walking toward him, teeth gritted eyes red and to Obi-Wan's surprise, storming. Surges of red lighting were sparking around Leo coming from the dark force around him.
Count Dooku spoke then "The Jedi failed to see the potential of his battle meditation, Krell corrupted it and now… perfected into a long forgotten Sith Art."
"Force Fury." Count Dooku said when Obi-Wan turned around ripping out his lightsaber "I won't let you do this, I won't let you take him from me, I won't let you destroy him." Obi-Wan declared up to him.
Count Dooku let out a burst of laughter "Destroy him, I created him you failed to unlock his potential, failed to train him and now Master Jedi you will see how a Sith Lord is born the force will drain all the life around him giving him power, it may even kill him but there's nothing stopping the Berserker now." Count Dooku said holding up his lightsaber "Come Primus, FACE ME!" Count Dooku said as Leo cut down the last barrier between him and the other men.
Obi-Wan turned around and reached out to him "Leo, please hear me, stop, don't do this don't give into your hatred." The Berserker wasn't Obi-Wan and wasn't in front of him, not the kind Master who was like a father to him, not the man who showed more patience and compassion to him then any Jedi ever had. All he was was something in his way so Leo drew back his lightsaber and Obi-Wan prepared to catch Leo's attack. But Obi-Wan sensed it coming from behind and not from Leo, but Count Dooku.
The Sith Lord had driven his lightsaber right through Obi-Wan's left side, the Count grabbed Obi-Wan with the force and flung him into the black clouds of smoke. In that moment Leo's rage vanished into shock "NOOOOOO!"
Leo dropped his lightsaber catching Obi-Wan "Master- Master no, Obi-Wan." He cried out, running after him but a rogue chunk of metal crashed down in front of Leo blocking his way.
"It is as I said Primus." Count Dooku said behind him. "You kill all you touch, you are the seed of destruction sowed in the Jedi and the Republic, why fight it?"
"Come, return as my apprentice and I will complete your training where he failed." Leo squeezed dug his nails into his fists cutting his palms "HE NEVER FAILED!" Leo howled. Leo dropped his lightsaber he lunged at the Count with his bare hands, Count Dooku drew back his lightsaber but Leo grabbed the Sith Lords wrists squeezing them. Count Dooku's arms were spread and he couldn't hold onto his lightsaber at Leo's iron grip, it felt like the old man was about to falter but Dooku suddenly came up like a viper smashing his head into Leo's.
Losing his grip Leo felt his nose break, blood gushing out and saw Count Dooku was just like him, eyes red, red sith lighting crackling in the air "Impotent whelp, did you think I would not know how to summon the full force of the dark side, to channel my rage, hatred and pain into my own fury?"
The boy attacked again trying to punch the Count in the face but his fist was blocked by the old man's hand catching his fist "Let me show you how a true Sith uses his power." Count Dooku drew back his fist and like a hammer of a god on the anvil of creation clocked Leo in the face, but it didn't just knock him back it sent him flying across the chamber through the metal wall of ion cannon chamber and into one of the hallways where Leo was finally stopped by hitting the the metal ceiling leaving a dent.
Somehow he was alive, Leo coughed up blood pushing himself to get back to his feet when he saw Count Dooku standing over him. His eyes were red like the fires of hell, blood red lighting coursed up and down his body, his face white like his hair veins blacker than the night.
Leo pounced but Count Dooku caught him by the neck smashing him into the metal shattering the floorboards before he struck him again and again. Picking Leo up by his neck he threw him down the hallway before he flitted after him. The Count was a blur moving with speed ten times that of his age a blur of black and red after Leo's tumbling body. The padawan caught himself mid flight landing on his hands and knees getting up with boots skidded across the metal to block Count Dooku's incoming Count came back around with another strike Leo blocked it and grabbed his arm throwing him over his shoulder into the left side hallway wall. Leo used his own force furr to move like the Count, a storm of rage and pain tackling the Count through the metal walls into access corridors and through smaller storage rooms another access corridor before Count Dooku smashed Leo in the back with both fists clapped together breaking Leo's attack.
He kneed the boy in the head, hit him with two punches from each arm before spinning around to grab him by the face and ram him through another wall into the outermost interior of the ship at the gun decks. The battle droids were taken completely by surprise when the two of them came crashing through the area. Count Dooku and Leo were moving at tumultuous speeds fighting with nothing but their bare hands.
The young man felt his torn robes get grabbed by Count Dooku who threw him in top a pile of canisters and then hurled a bolt of force lightning at them.
Leo jumped out of the way at the last second, the explosion starting a chain reaction across the gun deck taking out the Counts' own forces. Leo could see the other flaming canisters colliding into other others and started to run. Outside the ship the clone Starfighter in their ships could see the explosions hurting apart the ship but it was so massive it barely did any damage. When Leo cleared the gun deck he had a moment to catch his breath, but the force would never allow it to be that easy. The metal Leo was leaning on gave way and Count Dooku appeared in the tear "Going somewhere?"
Dooku seized him again pulling him through the wall back into the flaming parts of the ship, his force fury making every punch, kick and knee delivered ten times worse. Knocked back down to the floor the Count picked Lep up with the force just to send him through another part of the ship. He fell through it into the heart of the ship landing on one of the platforms on the ram trail.
Ahead of him on another platform was Ahsoka, she witnessed Dooku land down on the same platform laughing as he picked up Leo by his hair dragging him to the side. He pushed him down on the edge trying to take his head off with the passing support beams flying past them. Leo grabbed the edge of the platform pushing himself back only half a meter separating his head from decapitation.
"Is that all boy, is that all the fury you have?" The Count laughed pushing him closer and closer to the end. But before he could push him to the brink the Count sensed Ahsoka appear behind him, lightsabers in hand, he let go of Leo to dodge her incoming lightsaber strikes giving Leo time to recover. Moving gracefully out of the way of her barrage of slashes, Count Dooku backed away and sent force lightning at Ahsoka. She crossed her lightsabers to deflect the lighting but it wasn't enough, his force lighting pushed Ahsoka back down the platform her red boots skidding back
She felt something prop her up, looking back over her shoulder she saw Leo holding his back up against hers. "Obi-Wan's hurt, he's in the ion cannon chamber if he's… if he's gone don't leave his body here." Leo told her.
"What how did-" the Count amplified the lighting attack making Ahsoka concentrate on him "What about you?" She asked as he held up his hands forming a ball of flighting in his hands.
"I'll hold the Count for as long as I can but once you have Obi-Wan get off the ship and go." Leo told her "Half the Republic fleet is out there, they're going to destroy the ship you won't make it to the ship in time."
"I'm not coming back." He said he stuck his leg under his own tripping her and rolled over her back to send force lightning back into Count Dooku knocking him off the platform down into the empty chasm holding up the tram system. Ahsoka watched them shrink in the distance as it took her back to the ion chamber.
Back in that very chamber, even with a hole in his chest Obi-Wan crawled, Leo's lightsaber and his own in the other hand, moving his way toward a piece of metal. Lifting it with the force he saw Selene's lifeless body, it had been left behind to give Aayla and the others a better chance to escape. He propped himself up against the nearest piece of metal and took her body close holding it even if she was dead she wouldn't be alone for long, the ship shook hard and violently from the Republic cruisers attack.
The Jedi Master rested head up against the metal "... I'm ready, Master Qui-Gonn, I've done the best I could, it'll have to be enough." He wheezed when he saw a light.
Turning toward it he could feel the call of the living force beckoning him toward it, he raised up one hand and saw them, Master Qui-Gon Jinn in white robes standing beside Selene both smiling toward him. Reaching for them Qui-Gon and Selene held out their hands "Master Kenobi!"
Obi-Wan turned his head and saw Ahsoka jumping down from the metal toward him "... Ahsoka." He said holding his side he looked back for his Master and Selene but the ghosts were gone and so was the light.
When Ahsoka saw him clutching Selene she looked up to him "We have to go."
"We can't leave her like this." Obi-Wan said, mimicking Ahsoka's own request looking down at the fallen knight, even in death she remained beautiful.
"I don't think we have a choice, she deserved better." Ahsoka said, putting her hand on his. "Come on." She helped get him to his feet, they laid Selene's body flat lightsabers over her chest before they started to leave. The fires ready to give her a funeral fit for a Jedi Knight.
Back in the hanger, Anakin, the other Jedi and clones were holding off incoming droids who were pouring into the hanger. Hondo's crew had joined them while Hondo was trying to get the ships on systems up "Come on, come on, come on hello, hello can anyone hear me we could use some help here!?" Hondo shouted into the ship's communication system.
Across the battlefield to the Resolute II, Admiral Yuralen and Mundi were watching alongside holograms of Yoda, Windu, Koth and Shaak Ti the battle unfold when one of their crew reported receiving Hondo's signal "Admiral, General we're getting a transmission from inside the enemy command ship."
"Put it on." Mundi ordered.
The transmission of Hondo appeared "Who on earth is that?" Yuralen asked.
"Hondo Ohnaka a pirate." Windu said with disdain "Ah Master Jedi so good to see you again, I'd love to discuss the pleasantries about your wounded Jedi younglings with you but I'd prefer not to do it when I'M BLASTED INTO OBLIVION!" Hondo shouted.
"You have the younglings?" Shaak ti asked "Yes, yes, yes, Skywalker- Kenobi his cones etc, even the pretty little Ahsoka and Leo are somewhere but we're about to be dead if you don't stop hitting the blasted hanger while we're in it." Hondo said just as the ship shook again.
The Jedi looked at one another before Windu replied "We'll focus our fire somewhere, how long till you're off that ship?"
"Oh geez let me go ask ALL THE BATTLE DROIDS SHOOTING AT US!" Hondo shouted cutting the transmission when a battle droid hit the ship's communication antenna at the front of the ship. Hondo popped his head up to look out and saw Anakin leading the Jedi against the droids, he and Plo Koon were covering the right while Luminara and Barris held the left.
Anakin cut a droid in half before force pushing a super battle droid into eight smaller droids "The others should be here." Anakin.
"Well they aren't and we can't stay much longer." Plo Koon told him "We're not leaving without Ahsoka and Obi-Wan." Anakin snapped.
"General, There!" Rex shouted pointing to an entrance of the hanger Ahsoka and Obi-Wan came running out, Obi-Wan was holding his side and in the other his lightsaber while Ahsoka covered them from a group of battle droids chasing them. "Rex, cover me." Anakin ordered him and the clones.
Anakin looked up to the ship "Hondo prep the engines." Anakin said into his coms running head first into the sea of battle droids, cutting his way toward his master and his apprentice. Cutting battle droids down or crushing them with the force just in time to catch Obi-Wan before he lost his balance, letting him lean on him Anakin started to carry him back to the ship
"How many times do I have to save you old man." Anakin said classically joking in the middle of a battle, Ahsoka force pushed the droids back into the access hall before she sliced the door controls shutting them. Inside the Rogue Shadow Hondo was getting the ship ready turning on the engines and weapon systems. "My turn Grievous, droid, makes it hurt." Hondo said over to Oculus opening fire on the hanger. The Rogue Shadows weapons came alive with ion torpedoes, rapid fire lasers and ballistic missiles taking out the rest of the droids in the hangar.
"How is this ship not dead yet!" Hondo shouted while he held onto the controls.
With Hondo covering them, the clones and Jedi began to board the ship with, Jedi went in first except for Anakin followed by the Clones who covered them. Ahsoka was about to get on but she stopped instead.
"Snips what are you doing?" Anakin asked, his padawan looking back into the wrecked hanger "We aren't all here." She said back to him Anakin didn't need to ask, he already knew who she was thinking about.
"Padawan, no." He said, shaking his head, she was already backing up "Ahsoka stop- leave him or we'll never make it." He shouted after her before she broke off to run back into the burning inferno for him. The battle between former Master and former apprentice hadn't left the tram system and their force rage was transforming the tram into much of the rest of the ship, a flaming wreck of destruction. Because Count Dooku and Leo were ricocheting on and off the walls.
Leo had pinned Dooku on one of the walls and struck him over and over "You can't keep this up forever, this ship will fall apart and we'll both die." Count Dooku said kicking off the wall and ramming Leo into another one.
"Rrrgaah-." Leo used the Counts own move smashing him into another wall "Live, die, doesn't matter long as I take you with me."
Just then outside the ship the Malevolence II's shield generator erupted from Republic cannon fire. The war ship was exposed on all sides, its metal haul exploding from Republic cannon fire "All ships, the shields are down, focus fire on the main ship." Admiral Yuralen ordered.
"Padawan Tano, Skywalker- Ohnaka anyone who can hear me you need to get off that ship now." Master Mundi said into the communicator. Ohnaka who had been knocked from his chair from the sudden new level of bombardment climbed to the console "Just a moment Master Jedi… SKYWALKER, CHECK PLEASE!" Hondo shouted frantically ready to leave
Anakin was still out in the hanger looking at the entrance, Obi-Wan with bandages around his waist leaned on the Rogue Shadows walls "Anakin."
"No- No I am not leaving her behind." He argued not even considering it "I don't want to leave Ahsoka here either, or Leo."
Anakin spun around grabbing his Master by his robes "It's Leo's fault we're here, it's both of your fault we're in this mess-." Obi-Wan suddenly slapped Anakin across the face "Enough." Obi-Wan barked "You're not a padawan anymore, your a Jedi Knight we have our duty, we have the younglings Leo is fighting- fighting for us, for you Anakin, for the Republic, everyone because he chose to, Ahsoka can take whatever the galaxy throws at them because she chose to carry those burdens."
"How do you know?" Obi-Wan asked as the Malevolence II began to lose its integrity, cracking at its support the interior wrecked beyond repair by Leo and Count Dooku. They'd broken a part, each of them panting hard the young man charged with rage and fury. "Because they've faced dangers and threats that we could never imagine when we were their age, they've overcome every one of them." The old sage of the sith years of experience and training tested to its limit, they started running at one another force lighting charging out of their hands. Each of their arms moved forward, the lighting colliding.
Thunder burst from each end, cracking the walls across the tram system one of the larger bolts hit a support beam bringing the entire tram system down on them.
In the hanger Obi-Wan answered Anakin, while Ahsoka ran across the collapsing ship alarms of the ship's imminent demise screaming into her ears "Because they're our padawans."
The collapse of the tram system on the two fighters, the floor gave out sending Leo into another hallway, only a few lights lit, with a cracked window. The panels on the floors and walls were open with pipes and cords hanging out. Spark spat out onto his back while he knelt there looking out the window at the flashes of red and blue cannon fire caught his eye. He could see the full force of the Republic fleet bearing down on them, cruisers of both Republic and Separaitst were locked in epic combat then he saw it, the Rogue Shadow flying to the nearest Republic cruiser making him smile. Vulture droids and clone Starfighter tore into one another from every side; one Republic cruiser was already going down along with two of the Separatists frigates.
"I see you've managed to contact the Republic fleet no matter even without the super ion cannon this ship is more than a match for the Republic." The Sith berated coming out from the wreckage holding himself up on a fallen beam.
The tram system had hallowed the belly of the ship, open hallways stacked on top of one another with ventilation shafts in between them were severed and impaled on the tram systems with crates and broken systems everywhere. Giving Ahsoka a direct path to them, she arrived in one of the higher hallways just close enough to see Count Dooku and Leo. The old was just as bad as Leo, his tunic had been torn down the middle exposing his bloodied and beaten chest, his trousers ripped similar to the boys "See how hopelessly they fight for somethings should that died long ago, it's sickening, perverted even."
Leo climbed to his feet looking out the window "You're wrong Count..." Leo said, turning around leaning on the wall.
"I started to see it that way too you even made me believe it was true, the Jedi, the Republic even the war all of it a hypocritical mess but look at everything…" he said back to Count Dooku "Even after everything I've done, you've done the Jedi are still here, the Republic is still here..." Leo got off the glass leaving some of his blood on it "One thousand years the Sith have been trying to destroy the Jedi and the Republic and for one thousand years you've sent armies and whatever you could think of to destroy them and you know what..." Leo said back to him as a Republic warship crashed into a Separaitst dreadnought exploding behind him "It's all still here."
Ahsoka had started to climb down when she heard Leo speak those words, she was lodged between a tight space of a ventilation shaft and a fallen platform trying to find a way around.
"The Republic may be corrupt, the Jedi may be blinded by tradition but the promise of freedom, justice and the force are still there in the embers." Leo added "And they may be fools trying to keep that fire alive, but the real fools like you… are the ones who give up."
"It's why you, why the Sith will never-win, why the Republic will-never-fall!" Leo barked, limping toward before he tried to attack him. But he was slow, spent to the end so the Count was easily able to block his punch and hit him with a strong haymaker.
Leo went down again but rose once more "You failed as Jedi and the Republic." Leo stammered even as Count Dooku kicked him in the jaw "You took the cowards path abandoning them- when you could have saved us all."
Leo stumbled back when the ship shook again "Silence." Count Dooku growled at Leo who hit him with a back fist strike, Leo twisted coming back around hitting Count Dooku again "I have perfected myself in the force, I chose my own fate in taking the title of Dark Lord for myself and no other!" Count Dooku started to shoot force lighting at Leo making him writhe in pain.
"What do I have to be afraid of, when I bear witness to the destruction of the Jedi, of the Republic of thousands of years of inaction and ignorance?" He asked stopping the attack.
Still smoking the padawan coughed while Ahsoka tried to reach him through the metal "Even if they do, even if the Jedi and the Republic fall to ruin their memory and sacrifice will live on they'll be remembered forever for what they stood, fought and died for." Leo said through hollow punch after hollow punch. His arms were at his sides like anchors on ship dragging him down, he fell forward into Count Dooku's Chest the two of them propping each other up too tired to continue to stubbornly quit.
The Count pushed him off and hit Leo once more making him split blood, it dribbled out of the boy's mouth before he grabbed onto Count Dooku's torn tunic pulling himself up "But not you Count…." That's when Leo did the most dishonorable, unknightly, dirtiest attack he could think of and kneed Count Dooku directly between his legs.
Count Dooku hurled up a scream before Leo wrestled him to the ground "But not you my Lord." Said sarcastically climbing on top of him. He took the Count by the neck, pulled him up and dropped his fist into the Counts jaw "No one." Leo hit him again "Will-" Punch "Remember" Punch "You." Leo said on top of him.
"Just another Sith Lord who thought he'd be the one to defeat the Jedi in your insane Sith Crusade." Leo said while breaking the Count's face "Do it then." The Count spat blood on Leo's face.
Leo didn't reply looking at him confused, was this it, was the Count giving up, "End me Primus, you've made me proud." The Count told him.
Holding his arms out showing Leo he had no intention of resisting anymore "Complete the cycle two there are- a master and an apprentice, one to teach one to learn, one to die one to kill." The Count said smiling, Leo's arm began to move back "Take your rightful place as my successor and you will be a TRUE SITH LORD!"
And there it is, Leo was back in that tomb on Naboo when Count Dooku sent him there to retrieve the cursed kyber crystal. His first lesson in the dark side, when the Revenant forced him to harness the dark side or die, but that was then this was now. "Fulfill your destiny." Dooku ordered looking into Leo's golden eyes, fist trembling tightly one more punch would do it then the trembling stopped with horror in his eyes Count Dooku saw Leo's blackened veins fade. The color of his face returned, the gold and red of his eyes were green once more.
"My destiny is my own." Leo replied climbing off him, the Count leaned up "If you don't kill me now the war goes on, it will never end."
Leo didn't even look back "And the Jedi will be waiting." Count Dooku looked over to a sharpened piece of metal, at his whim with the force it started to move slowly poking in the direction of Leo but when the Count launched it at him he unknowingly took out the only piece of metal keeping the condemned ceiling from collapsing down on top of him. Leo spun around just in time to see Ahsoka had caught the metal millimeters from his face. She tossed it away looking back at Count Dooku pinned under the mountain of metal grunting and groaning trying to move it.
"You came back" Ahsoka said hugging him, but the ship had one more tremor in it, this one was its last in the hall they had ended their fight in split apart, the ship was breaking in two. Count Dooku on one side with the two Jedi on the other, the floor shifting up and down, the padawans watched Count Dooku sink beneath them.
"Run?" He asked her.
She looked back at him "Run." She echoed, Leo and Ahsoka left the doomed Count behind the ship splitting with every inch the vacuum of space would take them all soon. Count Dooku focused his anger to make part of the metal rise but it was too much and he was too tired that only made the looser parts start to crush him even more. Then a shadow cast itself over him, the angel of mercy for the Sith Lord, General Grievous.
"Gr-Grievous get me off this ship." The General looked at him even with the ship falling apart around them "What are you waiting for?" The Count spat "Yes my lord." Grievous said, pulling the metal off and the Count out from under it.
Above them Leo and Ahsoka were running between flaming explosions at front and behind, Leo could barely stand let alone run when he started to lag behind Ahsoka grabbed him "Oh no you don't." She said, grabbing him "Leave me or we're both dead"
"Shut up, we're going to live, and we'll do it together." She said pulling him up through his arrest around her shoulder "Together." He replied remembering what she told him when they broke free of their cells. So they did it together, they leaned on one another to strengthen their legs carrying them down the dying behemoth's body.
In the void outside, the battle was won the Separatist fleet was all but destroyed with every ship near the Malevolence II trying to escape the blast zone "All ships break off." Admiral Yuralen ordered seeing the Malevolence was coming apart, exploding from the inside. The Rogue Shadow had made it to the Resolute medical teams carrying the younglings and Aayla to the med bay while Anakin and Obi-Wan watched the giant subjugator class ship implode. Even Master Yoda looked with despair not knowing if the last two Jedi would make it out.
Leaping over breaking chasms and screaming droids unsure how to handle the inevitable Ahsoka and Leo came to crossroad in the hallways "Which way?" Ahsoka asked.
"Left, to the escape pods." He said.
Following his instructions Ahsoka helped carry him across the ship rounding another coroner to a parsley cracked metal door with only one escape pod left. "You first." Ahsoka said pushing him through another tremor the ship had broken in half the vacuum of space moved swiftly and without mercy sucking out droids and wreckage.
"Ahsoka!" Leo grabbed her forearm before she could get sucked out, he pulled her in with all the strength he had in his weakened state. When she was through they locked their arms around each other's waist and shoulder, clawing their way up toward it. The frozen claws of a death in space were already freezing the air around them, the metal becoming iced over they were almost there when the ship exploded.
Two hours later, the Republic fleet was scouring the wreckage of the Malevolence II, the front subjugator had flung itself out into wild space while the back half had fallen back onto the planet it had hovered over. The Republic fleet had sent out scavenging ships and Anakin was leading the search in the Rogue Shadow with Hondo and Obi-Wan, "Any sign?" Anakin asked the other ships.
"Nothing so far, we've been trying to scan for life forms but certain parts of the ship still have fires in them, it was so damaged on the inside air pockets are still operating making it hard for our scanners to pin anything down." Admiral Yuralen replied.
"Keep searching." Anakin ordered.
"Skywalker maybe you should-" "Not another word Hondo." Obi-Wan said behind him.
The Jedi scanned the wreckage, even Plo Koon and his men were looking in the field cracking open another escape pod with nothing but droids in it.
"This is the forty eighth escape pod General." Commander Wolffe said, starting to lose hope "We will not give up on them." Plo Koon replied.
On the medical section of the flagship, Master Yoda was looking over the younglings each of them under intense medical care when a clone trooper came up behind him "Master Yoda, the Chancellor is ordering we call off the search. He's worried our ships are too exposed this deep in enemy space." Said the clone.
"The message, relay to Skywalker and Kenobi." The old Master said, looking at a screen.
When the information came through Anakin's face went pale "... we have our orders." Anakin said heeding the Chancellor's wishes "Yes, Anakin." Obi-Wan replied without any hope.
Even Hondo was looking blue when he saw something "Jedi look!" He pointed out to the wreckage seeing a single escape pod. Flying toward it Anakin pulled the Rogue Shadow up next to its entrance and locked the stealth ship's port side next to it. Anakin and Obi-Wan hurried to the door opening it, inside on the floor hands wrapped in each other were Leo and Ahsoka, lying still, motionless, asleep but alive.
A/N: And there we go, to all those who barred us during this dark arc as I'm calling it, worry no longer or worry some more. The point is stories don't have depth or character growth unless our heroes go through some turmoil. And the greatest pain isn't force lighting, it's not betraying our friends, it's how much pain we let hurt us. Either way Leo has broken free from the Sith apprenticeship of Count Dooku, but will the call of the light take him home to Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka or will he forge his own destiny into the galaxy.
PS: Bare in mind, if Leo doesn't return to the Jedi, he won't be part of the Temple Bombing Arc