Chapter 4: Once a Duellist, Always a Duellist
Hanger B:
It was strange, Ahsoka thought to herself, how much things could change in twenty four hours, yesterday she'd been a commander in the 501st, a regiment of clones that was now out for her blood, and the padawan of a Jedi who was now a Sith lord. Ahsoka put on a spurt of speed so that she was running alongside Neimoidian Captain Fahar "so ok, what's the deal, who's in command of this force then?" Fahar didn't answer "I mean" she added mischievously "I'm a commander and a Jedi, you're a captain, so I out rank you right?"
"You have no experience of commanding droids in battle" said Fahar shortly "therefore youngster I'm in charge".
Ahsoka grinned "you know, you remind me of someone, I just wish I could remember who?"
The moment the Togrutan and the Neimoidian arrived in Hanger B Fahar began to issue orders to the droids pouring into the landing area from every direction. "Set up a defensive position in each corner of the hanger" he bellowed over the pounding of metal feet on metal flooring "I want four heavy gun emplacements to lay down a crossfire". Turning to the rank upon rank of battle droids and supers he shouted "line the walls; keep out of the centre, that's where they'll land. You stray out there and your spare parts!"
"What about the droidekas and the commandos?" asked Ahsoka eying the droids as yet not given their battle orders.
Fahar considered "we'll disperse the droidekas amongst the battle droids, with the exception of two which can remain at the main hanger exit, to cover our line of retreat if we need one. As for the commandos, they will be under your command Jedi".
"I thought you said I had no experience ordering clankers about?" asked Ahsoka raising one of the white markings over her eyes.
Fahar nodded "so I did, but with commando droids, you don't need to be a good officer, just point them in the right direction and they'll tear whatever you happen to be pointing at to bits".
"Hmm, I could get them to follow me, go where I go, if they could stay close and watch my back it would help me out a bit I guess" said Ahsoka thoughtfully.
Captain Fahar smiled "don't worry, these droids are designed to keep up with a Jedi" his smile broadened into a grin "naturally for the purpose of killing them of course, no offence meant".
"None taken" said Ahsoka "I just hope that this lot of walking scrap will be enough to stop the 501st, no offence".
"None taken" answered Fahar.
Hanger A:
Upon entering Hanger A Admiral Mar Tuuk immediately inclined his head towards General Loathsom and Captain Rex "my expertise, gentlemen, are in space, so I shall leave the fine details of the defence of this position entirely in your hands" but never the less added as an afterthought "although if I was taking a hand in the battle strategy I would recommend that you use the element of surprise to the best of your advantage".
Whorm found this particularly irritating because he knew it to be a good idea "yer reelly anoyin wheen ya doo theet" grumbled the general sotto voce, before turning his attention to the matter at hand. With almost all the droids defending Hanger B with Ahsoka and Captain Fahar, Whorm had at his disposal only a small force, the remaining nineteen members of the Neimoidian Gunnery Battalion, a handful of battle droids, one clone captain, one old admiral and last, but by no means least (in his own mind at any rate), himself. If the clones did attack this Hanger As well, then the element of surprise would indeed be essential in evening up the odds. "Oolreet laddies, ay woont a booracade oover een thee coonoor, thaat'll bee weer wee meeke oor leest stoond, ay shooner bee surpriseed".
Captain Rex stepped forward "I reckon we should also set up cover around the landing site" he pointed "those crates ought to do, but we need to make sure it looks natural. If we don't, the moment the...the clones land, they'll know it's a trap". It was even stranger for Rex than watching the space battle had been, the prospect that the enemy that was about to board this ship were his own brothers. It could be any of them, thought Rex; Cody, Echo, Fives, Waxer, Boil, or any of his former friends and comrades.
The Neimoidians and battle droids got into position behind the various packing cases and crates they would be using as cover in the coming fire-fight, three of them, with Mar Tuuk and Whorm retreated to the fortified corral that was to be their final bastion of defence. General Loathsom had placed the large Neimoidian sergeant Basar in command of the firing line "noo effence Capin Reex" he said clapping Rex on the shoulder with enough force to knock over a Zillo Beast "boot ay woont mee booys uunder the coomand of woon of theer oown". "None taken" said Rex whilst trying to massage some feeling back into his shoulder.As the armada of clone troop transports and gunships moved towards Hanger A, Rex was far from complacent, it was standard Republic boarding procedure to change destination at the last moment to wrong foot the defender, but if it was known that he was onboard, then this could be a double bluff. If the Republic ships really did land in Hanger A then they were all dead.
The droid monitoring the advancing fleet suddenly exclaimed "the clone was right; they're turning towards the other hanger!" Rex let out a sigh of relief, which quickly proved to be premature "wait a minute; some of the ships are holding their course".
Rex peered over the battle droids shoulder, sure enough about a fifth of all the incoming shuttles were still heading for their original destination. He recognised the tactic, but had almost never seen it used; the majority of the attacking forces would land where the enemy didn't expect them, whilst a smaller force attacked the enemy's primary position, holding them in place to prevent them aiding their comrades. The strategy was rarely used however because it was so dangerous for the small number of clones who would be landing in what would most likely be a heavily defended hanger. Whoever was commanding the Republic forces in this battle, Rex realized, apparently didn't care about that.
"Alright gentlemen" Sergeant Basar bellowed "get ya heads down and get ready to blast some Reps!" The Neimoidians, droids and Rex all took cover behind their makeshift barricades, and waited. They didn't have long to wait, soon the hum of engines could be heard, and not long after that ten clone troops carriers flew ponderously into the Hanger And landed. Rex glanced to his right at the big Neimoidian, waiting for the order to fire, but it didn't come. The clones disembarked and started to fan out across the hanger, on their guard, but completely unaware of the impending ambush.
"Sarge?" whispered the Neimoidian guardsmen named Plyth "now?"
"Not yet" rasped Basar "wait til ya see the whites of their eyes".
Plyth peered very cautiously around the side of the packing case he was using as cover "I can only see the black slits of their helmets, will that do?"
Basar grinned manically "yeah, open fire!" he roared at the top of his lungs.
Rex had to admit that it was as neat an ambush as he had ever seen sprung, the clones were taken utterly unprepared and within the first few seconds at least twenty lay dead. The Republic forces were soon in retreat, using their gunships and transports as cover. Admiral Tuuk and General Loathsom also joined the fray from behind their corral of crates, in typically dissimilar styles. Mar Tuuk was taking carful aim with his blaster pistol, firing only the occasional shot, but hitting his target each and every time. Whorm had produced a Geonosian sonic blaster, a gift from Poggle the Lesser, from somewhere about his person and was merrily blazing away at the retreating clone troopers.
Rex couldn't bring himself to shoot to kill, they were still his brothers after all, and was therefore aiming for either the clone's limbs or blasters, seeking to disarm or disable. Sergeant Basar had no such misgivings; he had set his long barrelled blaster musket to full-auto, and was limberly hosing down a whole squad of Republic soldiers with every sign of enjoyment. "I wonder if Captain Fahar and Commander Tano's lot are having such an easy time of it as we are!" the Neimoidian NCO shouted to Rex.
Rex felt his heart lurch "I hope so" he whispered.
Hanger B:
Ahsoka and Captain Fahar's forces were having a far from easy time of it as it happened; for once it was the droids which were outnumbered ten to one and were being forced back by a tidal wave of clone troopers. The battle droids were falling like wheat before the farmer's scythe, whilst the super battle droids, who stood firm when their smaller brothers had been destroyed, were felled one by one like great trees to the forester's axe. Even the droidekas were being surrounded and overwhelmed, their mighty shields flickering and dying under the weight of the incoming fire. Only the commandos seemed to be making any kind of headway, leaping and pirouetting to avoid the blaster bolts of the clones, whilst hacking off limbs and blazing away with their own blasters; but even they eventually succumbed before the Republic onslaught and fell. Ahsoka found herself being forced back towards the hanger exit, her lightsabrer moving so fast it was a blur as she blocked the hailstorm of blaster fire targeted at her. On either side of the exit still stood the two droidekas that Fahar had designated to guard it, whilst the Neimoidian himself took cover behind a fallen super, steadying his blaster on the metal giants chest and firing for all he was worth.
"We can't hold them!" shouted Fahar to Ahsoka as loud as he could "they'll overrun us any second now, we need to pull back!" Ahsoka couldn't spare even a second to answer the captain, simply nodding to confirm that she'd heard him. Fahar turned to the droideka on his right "hold them for as long as possible" he yelled before jumping to his feet and sprinting towards the exit.
Ahsoka turned and ran as fast as she could, expecting at any moment to feel the burning shock of a blaster bolt between her shoulders, but the droidekas must have been doing their job because she reached the relative safety of the corridor beyond the main hangers exit in one piece. The moment that she dived into the hallway Fahar sealed the door, and then promptly blasted the doors access controls. "That won't hold them for long" Ahsoka gasped as she tried to get her breath back.
Fahar shook his head "true, but it might buy us a few seconds, now run like hell!"
Ahsoka sprinted after the fleeing Neimoidian, activating her comm-link as she ran "Rex, it's me, they've over run our position, the captain and I are retreating to Hanger A now. How's it going there?"
"We've pushed them back into their transports, we must have killed a hundred at least but they still have us outnumbered".
"Rex" asked Ahsoka hesitantly "have you killed any of them yourself?"
There was silence, broken only by the pounding of her own feet and heart, and the sounds of battle through Rex's comm. Then he said quietly "no, I've been wounding them".
"So have I" answered Ahsoka "I've just been disabling them, with a light slash to an arm or leg".
Ahsoka was suddenly drowned out by a thunderous explosion behind her, without slowing, she glanced over her shoulder and confirmed her fears; the distant hanger door had a great jagged whole blasted clean through its centre. "What was that?" asked Rex alarmed.
"The clones are forcing the door, they'll be through any second" answered Ahsoka, quickening her pace. With a strange feeling of deja vu she found herself catching up with Fahar and running alongside him "how close are we?" she shouted.
Fahar pointed ahead of them "we're here" he said simply, and so they were. The Unendurable's twin hangers were connected by a long corridor, spanning the width of the ship. Ahsoka found herself approaching an identical door to the one that was even now being breached behind them by a horde of murderous clones.
As they reached it the door flew open, Captain Rex stood beyond it waving them in "come on, we're pulling back, looks like it's time for a last stand!"
Hanger A:
"Hoold yer groond!" roared General Loathsom, blazing away at the encircling clones with his sonic blaster "dee leek Neemooden sooldiers!"
Mar Tuuk's bodyguard of Neimoidian guardsmen had been whittled down to less than half its original strength, but the remaining nine soldiers, many sporting blaster burns, obeyed their commander and continued to pour fire into the overwhelming clone force that surrounded them. Rex and Ahsoka too were firing on the clone horde from behind the barricade, Rex using his trusty pistols, whilst Ahsoka had picked up a Neimoidian blaster musket, as her own lightsaber was useless as long as the clones kept their distance. Mar Tuuk appeared to be as calm and collected as he ever was, still calmly targeting the clones as though he was on the firing range, once again only Ahsoka could sense the growing fear in the admiral; fear not of death, she realized, but of defeat.
Suddenly, just as had been the case after the Unendurable's fighters, guns and shields had been destroyed, the clone forces ceased firing. Without Mar Tuuk or Whorm ordering them to do so, the Neimoidians, Rex and Ahsoka instinctively followed suite, and an eerie quiet fell over the hanger, disturbed only by groans and cries of the wounded and the dying. Mar Tuuk realized what was about to happen, the clones were about to demand a surrender, an offer he was determined to refuse. Mar Tuuk was almost right, but not entirely so, for it was no clone that stepped forward to demand that the last Separatists laid down their arms. The surrounding crowd of Republic troopers parted, creating an avenue down which marched a figure that struck terror into every heart. A great black cloak swirled behind him as he came, at almost seven feet tall, towering above the clones he commanded, each deep rasping breaths shattered the silence, and sightless, merciless eyes staring forth from beneath his helmet, like black holes.
Ahsoka felt tears streaming down her cheeks once more, for she knew who this monstrous apparition was, her master, her teacher, her friend, Anakin Skywalker. "Skyguy" she whispered.
Whether Anakin did not hear his former apprentice or chose to ignore her, he showed no sign of recognition. The man who had been Anakin Skywalker halted ten feet from the barricade and in a terrible, pitiless voice said "you will surrender now or be destroyed".
Mar Tuuk was silent for a moment before answering "Sith Lord, you have been instructed to return to your master the clone who would not obey order 66, the Jedi that he helped to escape and the Separatist leaders who survived your purge, is that not so, master Skywalker?"
The expressionless mask turned its black eyes upon the Neimoidian admiral "you are correct".
"Would it not be possible" stated Mar Tuuk politely "for you to bring before the chancellor the clone, the Jedi and but one of the Separatist"?
Darth Vader took a step nearer "you imagine Neimoidian that I will let you go free, that I will be satisfied to merely take the Kerkoiden? You are both a coward and a fool!"
Mar Tuuk smiled, though there was no humour in it "you misunderstand me Sith, I wish to challenge you to a duel. If, as I surely will, die at your hands, you will still have a Separatist commander to present to your master".
"You overestimate your abilities Separatist" rasped Darth Vader "do you seriously believe that your blaster would have a chance against by lightsaber?"
Mar Tuuk inclined his head, ceding the point "you are quite correct my lord, I should stand no chance without a blade of my own". He smiled "it is therefore fortunate that I carry one" and so saying he drew forth from his robe a lightsaber. It had been a gift from General Grievous, as a reward for a crushing defeat of a Republic armada over Yarvin.
Darth Vader seemed for the first time to look closely at Mar Tuuk "I remember you, the captain from Ryloth" he made a noise that might have been a short laugh, but sounded more like a harsh burst of static on a communicator "I see no reason to deprive myself of a little sport. I was wrong about you Neimoidian, you are no coward, but you are most certainly a fool".
As the clones in the hanger drew back to allow room for the duel and Darth Vader drew and activated his new red lightsaber, Captain Rex, Ahsoka and Whorm gathered round Mar Tuuk. "Are you crazy?" hissed Ahsoka "you don't stand a chance against him!"
"Ay" exclaimed Whorm "thee gerly is reet, thaat greet Seeth moonster weel coot ye ta reebens!"
Rex nodded "and even if you did beat him, it wouldn't make any difference".
"Perhaps" said Mar Tuuk smiling slightly "we shall have to see".
Ahsoka shook her head in despair "well if you're really going to fight Skyg...the Sith lord, then Rex and I can give you a little help. He likes to attack, defence isn't his strong point, if you can force him onto the defensive then you'll have a better chance".
"He's younger and stronger than you" pointed out Rex "so try to get the fight over quickly; you'll tire before he does".
Rex and Ahsoka both turned to Whorm, who shrugged and said "Ay Mar, yer doomed ay tell ye, boot dee weel".
Mar Tuuk smiled again, this time it was one of honest amusement rather than the usual expression of sardonic cynicism "Thank you old friend for those encouraging words" and then turning to face Rex, Ahsoka and what remained of his Neimoidian bodyguard he said "well gentleman, lady, I shall endeavour to do my best".
It seemed to the watching clones, Rex, Ahsoka, Whorm, the Neimoidian guardsmen and most of all to Darth Vader himself, that this duel was a ludicrous farce. On the one hand stood the towering Sith lord, on the other the old Neimoidian admiral, who had no doubt never held a lightsaber in his life before. The watching crowd and the menacing opponent were at the same time quite right and entirely mistaken; Mar Tuuk had indeed never used a lightsaber before, but he had great experience with a blade. In his youth Mar Tuuk had been a master swordsman, using the traditional Neimoidian steel sabre; although the weapons were different, he felt sure that he would be able to transfer over his old skills and techniques. However, Mar Tuuk did feel a sense of foreboding as he approached Darth Vader and took up his position before him; it had been fifty years since he had fought his last duel. The corner of the old admiral's mouth twitched slightly, he'd won that duel, hands down.
Typically Darth Vader made the first move, making a lightning fast thrust towards the Neimoidian's chest, fully expecting no resistance at all. It was therefore something of a surprise when Mar Tuuk matched his speed, performed a complicated parry the Sith lord had never encountered before and then brought his lightsaber hissing up towards Darth Vader's throat. Darth Vader was forced to block and take a hasty step backwards, very embarrassing for a Sith lord who had recently bested many of the finest Jedi swordsmen in the galaxy. Enraged Vader lunged again, his humming lightsaber once more skilfully deflected. From this moment on the Sith lord ceased to perform rash attacks, instead behaving as if the Neimoidian facing him was a skilled opponent, rather than little more than sabre practice. Careful testing of Mar Tuuk's defences revealed that he was indeed a worthy advisory, quick, but more importantly he seemed to be employing a style that the former Jedi had never before encountered. It was this unknown technique that had wrong footed him, Lord Vader realized; it was simply a matter of studying the admiral's method, discovering its strengths and weaknesses, and then moving in for the kill.
Mar Tuuk was relived to discover that swordsmanship was something that one never truly forgot, finding the old tactics and techniques rushing back to him. However he was less pleased to note that although his mind and his fingers remembered the duelling skills of his youth, his body seemed much less inclined for the activity than it had once been. It would seem that the clone Rex was correct, damn him, soon the Sith would not have to defeat him, he could simply cut him to bits as he lay on the deck having a heart attack. Mar Tuuk performed a lunge, which Vader blocked, using the moment to gain ground.
"Separatist filth!" growled Darth Vader "I defeated you before when I was a Jedi cur, do you really believe that you can best me now, now that I am an almighty Sith?"
Mar Tuuk felt an uncharacteristic surge of anger, and for a moment his icy composure cracked "you ignored the rules of war, you cheated!"
Darth Vader laughed, taking another step forward "There is only one rule of war that I accept Neimoidian, and that is to win, at any cost". Darth Vader was one of the most skilled masters of the lightsaber in the galaxy, and he had now sufficiently studied Mar Tuuk's technique to know exactly how to defeat him.
Mar Tuuk found himself driven back, step by step, before the Sith lord's onslaught, his red lightsaber thrusting and slashing, faster and faster, and it was all that he could do to parry them. Before long the old Neimoidian found himself entirely on the defensive and being forced to perform the Neimoidian duellist's last resort, the Star of the Viceroy; a four pointed pattern which is impossible to pass, until the swordsmen performing it gets tired, which Mar Tuuk was painfully aware would not be long. After thirty seconds of performing the lightning fast block his arm felt like lead and it was then that Vader saw his chance; raising his lightsaber high above his head in both hands he brought it down with all his might upon the blue blade of the old admiral. This time it was no glancing blow, the blades met and remained together, the Sith lord pushed down on Mar Tuuk, forcing him onto one knee.
"So easy" snarled Darth Vader "Die now, Neimoidian vermin". Suddenly, as the Jedi who had been Anakin Skywalker starred down at his defeated enemy, he became aware that something was subtly wrong. Although the Neimoidian's life depended on how long he could hold up Vader's lightsaber, and prevent it from cleaving him in two, he was doing so with only his right hand. Secondly Vader noticed a very slight pressure against his new metallic chest; he glanced down and felt a dull feeling of horror spread through him like poison, Mar Tuuk's left hand was clutching a blaster pistol, and it was this that the admiral was pressing against the Sith lord's body.
The first shot hit Darth Vader like a blow from a sledge hammer, sending him staggering backwards and forcing him to drop his lightsaber. Mar Tuuk swiftly followed his first shot with a further two, each blaster bolt smashing into the former Jedi's chest, making him stagger and then slowly fall to his knees. As Mar Tuuk climbed to his feet and walked towards the stricken Sith, Darth Vader lifted a black clad hand to his eyes and starred in disbelief at the blood coating his fingers, his blood. The artificial eyes looked up into the face of the old Neimoidian who now stood over him "impossible" he croaked "I can't be defeated it, it was written, I am the chosen one!".
Mar Tuuk gazed down into the helmeted face of Lord Vader "prophesies do not always come true young Skywalker" he inclined his head towards the crumpled Sith "round two to me I think?" and in one swift movement slashed off Darth Vader's head.
The crowd that had surrounded the duelling pair stood rooted to the spot, not one of them able to believe what they had just witnessed; there had not been a doubt in any of their minds that it would be the old admiral who would be cut down. But now Vader lay dead and his conqueror slowly holstered his blaster and replaced his lightsaber within the folds of his dark blue robe. Mar Tuuk surveyed the silent crowd, observing the hundreds upon hundreds of stunned clones and his own small group of companions, all of whom were equally as astonished as the Republic troopers surrounding them. Raising his voice Mar Tuuk addressed the noiseless crowd "Lord Vader is dead, slain by my hand. The apprentice to the evil Darth Sidious has fallen. Darth Sidious created this terrible civil war that has claimed countless lives, on the one hand he commanded the Separatist forces in the guise of a Sith lord, on the other he led the Republic, under the name Chancellor Palpatine! You have been trained to believe that you must serve the Republic, second only to serving the chancellor, because he embodies the Republic. But what if that chancellor was a foul dark traitor, who has lied and murdered, who has betrayed every man, woman and child in this galaxy! I say then that the only way that you can truly serve democracy and the Republic is if you remove the traitor immediately!"
"I hope" Mar Tuuk thought in the privacy of his own head "that they're swallowing this bilge about the rights of man", being a committed oligarch he personally didn't give a damn about saving democracy, but was hopeful that it would strike the right note with his audience.
Ahsoka stood, gritting her teeth, waiting for the moment when the spell would be broken and the surrounding clones would blast the Neimoidian admiral from every side, reducing him to an ugly stain on the deck plates. She knew that it would happen any second, knew that the killing of Anakin wouldn't change anything, knew that...
"Initiate order 65" came the voice of Commander Cody, stepping forth from the crowd of clones "if the chancellor is unfit for the position, he must be removed". Turning to face Admiral Tuuk he saluted "thank you sir for opening my eyes to the truth".
It was as if a great ripple passed along the silent ranks of clones, every man seemed to be shaking his head and looking around him as if waking from sleep. Ahsoka knew what had happened, for she could sense it instantly, the cold hard emotions of hate and the burning desire to kill were instantly replaced by the feelings she knew so well; Darth Sidious' hold over them was broken.
No one was certain afterwards who was the first to start clapping; some said it was Fives, others Sergeant Basar, whoever it was, it was not long before the entire hanger was shaking with thunderous applause and deafening cheering. Suddenly Mar Tuuk found himself charged by a horde of clones, but the first to reach him were his own small group of allies. Captain Rex proceeded to crush his hand in a vice like grip, whilst pumping his arm so hard it felt as if it was being wrenched from its socket, whilst bellowing "not bad for a Sep!"
Whorm was next, thumping Mar Tuuk on the back like an amiable Wampa "ay, didn't ay a'say yeer weer gonna ween? Ay din'a doobt ya far ay mooment!"
In years to come, Mar Tuuk would often look back on the events in Hanger A of the CNS Unendurable; he would remember his duel with Darth Vader, making his speech to that vast crowd of silent clones, the moment of relief when Commander Cody had stepped forward, the mad cheering and the well meant assaults of Whorm and Rex. All these things he remembered clearly, as if they were yesterday, but he sometimes thought that his old memory must be playing him false, for after General Loathsom had finished breaking his Neimoidian friend's back, Ahsoka was suddenly on him; throwing her arms around his thin neck, laughing and crying with joy and relief, the beautiful Jedi kissed him on the cheek and said grinning "now that was cheating!"
And that is essentially the end of our story, afterword spread of the death of Lord Vader, the defection of a dozen clone legions, including the 501st, that Chancellor Palpatine and Darth Sidious were one and the same, and that it was he who had been behind the clone wars, the new emperors days were numbered. Before the Unendurable had even reached Coruscant a popular uprising of clones and civilians had stormed the senate and captured the chancellor; who was consequently tried and executed for murder, treason and crimes against humanity. The Jedi order had been horrifically damaged, but not destroyed, and it was slowly rebuilt to its former glory; the Orders rules forbidding attachment were withdrawn, as it was decided that although attachment was dangerous, forbidding it could be even more so. Rex was promoted commander of the 501st, whilst Ahsoka became a Jedi knight; they were married a few months after the events told here and, well to cut a long story short, lived happily ever after. Captain Fahar and Sergeant Basar became the first non-human soldiers in the Republic Commandos and gained galaxy wide fame for their foiling of a plot by bounty hunter Cad Bane to blow up the Senate Building. General Whorm Loathsom went on to become one of the most respected and successful generals in the Grand Army of the Republic and would for the rest of his days tell anyone who would listen about his time aboard the Unendurable, and that "eef eet wharen't foor me, Mar wound'na had'a chaance!"
And what of Mar Tuuk, the Separatist admiral who had fought against the Republic for so many years, the Separatist admiral who had saved the Republic in its hour of greatest need? Well, Palpatine was dead, someone had to be chancellor didn't they?