Chapter One - Game Over

The blue lightsabers were a blur. The orange skinned togruta in front of me doing her best to keep Maul off of my men. The company was locked in combat with the Death Watch. An infamous mercenary group that had taken over Mandalore a couple months ago, once led by the Mandalorian, Pre Vizsla, and now, age old enemy of General Kenobi, Maul was the leader.

A laserbolt sliced through the air, scorching the top of my right pauldron. My comm system crackled to life,

"Sir, taking heavy casualties in the courtyard, requesting backup!"

Cueing my comms open, I looked around at the frenzy, ducking as a stray Death Watch aimed for my head. The bolt hit the ground behind where I had been.

"No support from here. We're pinned down between Maul and some Death Watch."

Gritting my teeth, I glanced upwards as a Mandalorian with a jetpack landed in between me and my commanding officer.

"Face me, Republic dog!"

He pulled out a short vibrosword and leveled it at me. Ahsoka Tano, my commanding officer and my closest friend, seemed to sense the impending danger.

"Rex!"

Her shoto came flying through the air, arced well above the expansive reach of my opponent. I snatched it out of the air and hit the button to open the laser sword. The lightsaber sprang to life, blue like the color of my 501st armor glowed out at me. The Death Watch officer in front of me balked.

"Bring it on, scum."

The Death Watch sprang at me, vibroblade swinging violently. I moved Ahsoka's saber forward as I'd seen her do, slicing through the vibroblade easily. Turning with the momentum, I slashed through the Death Watch and looked over my shoulder, all of the company seemed to be handling themselves. I closed Ahsoka's shoto and latched it next to my kama. Unholstering my twin pistols, I took a few potshots at retreating Death Watch, while Ahsoka fought Maul in front of me. I realized, giving me her shoto had given the odds a shift. Maul was winning. I looked for an opening to give it back to her. Maul noticed and growled at me, he sent a force push my way that sent me colliding backwards. Having been trained by Skywalker what to do when this happened, I let the momentum carry me, and started running with the push. I arced towards the duelists, holstering the dual pistols as I ran, and unclipping Ahsoka's shoto. Igniting it I jumped, the last of the momentum propelling me forward. I brought the blade down, only to be met with Maul's red blade. Maul retaliated, and I barely managed to block each strike. Ahsoka switched me out and pressed on Maul. Seeing an opening, I swung, and it grazed Maul. Letting out a quite feral growl, Maul force pushed Ahsoka so hard she flew out of an already broken window. Sparing only a glance to make sure she was okay, I had no doubt she would be okay, but nevertheless the glance was enough to ascertain my fears before Maul came down on me with the saber. Left, right, up, down, up. I was reduced quickly from giving Ahsoka an edge to fighting for my life. Maul's red saber slid through my rapid blocking and cut my arm. The one the saber held. The saber fell away as I responded to the pain. I cried out and grasped at my forearm, only to hiss as my gloved hand made contact with a deep burn. My right hand wouldn't respond to my thoughts. I moved my left hand, blood pounding in my head, and grasped my pistol. I swiftly unholstered it and bought myself time and put Maul on the defense, I fired off two quick shots that Maul was forced to put distance between us to accurately deflect, giving me enough time to reholster my weapon and get Ahsoka's shoto. It had closed upon being dropped, and I reignited it, and settled into a defensive position. Maul didn't wait and charged me. I let him get me in a bladelock and kneed him in the stomach. His grip on his lightsaber slackened and I shoved it, losing Ahsoka's shoto as a result. Both sabers were flung away from us, and I settled into a wrestling crouch as Maul recovered from the dirty move.

"You'll pay for that, clone!"

He snarled, baring his yellow teeth at me, eyes glinting in the flickering of broken lights.

"I know. But it'll be worth it."

I sneered back.

Maul charged me again, and it fell to a contest of strength. Punch, deflect, punch, kick. One swift, cybernetic aided kick and my helmet went clattering to the floor behind us, the sound grating as durasteel and the hard crystal Mandalorians used to build with shattered on impact. I moved in to get a hold on Maul, and found myself underneath Maul. He used his knees to hold my arms, and I cried out in pain as he put pressure on my injured arm. I could see Ahsoka leaping up onto the sill of the window. Just as I saw the metal cylinder fly into Maul's outstretched hand. I struggled to throw Maul off and didn't succeed. Maul leaned in close, so close I could smell his breath.

"This is where you die."

He hissed, and I didn't doubt him, a flash of red and all I knew was pain. I could barely hear Ahsoka crying out in anguish, barely feel Maul being pushed off of me with such force as to shatter the far wall and all the remaining windows. The only thing I could feel was the burning pain in my chest. My vision dotted red and black and cleared. Ahsoka was not holding back. Armed with both of her lightsabers now, she swung them in perfect tandem. With such force, that even I, a non force sensitive person, could feel it, Ahsoka force pushed Maul right out of the side of the building. My breath was coming in shallow gasps now. Ahsoka seemed to sense what I felt. I was dying.

"No, no no no no!"

Her blue lightsabers disappeared and the next thing I was aware of was her. Tears streaming down her face.