The Final Battle: Part 14
The blast doors that led to the bridge were closed, but did little to stop the droids advance. Ahsoka, Barriss, Tanya, Master Li, and the remainder of the clones on the bridge held position as the sounds of the droids came closer and closer. They heard the door to the lift open through the blast doors and before any one could move, two scarlet lightsabers pierced the door and began cutting a huge hole into the metal.
"Ventress!" Ahsoka exclaimed, her face darkening. The clones, temporarily shocked from the sudden break in, raised their weapons and trained them at the hole.
Master Li looked grimly at Ventress's lightsabers before telling the padawans, "Listen to me young ones; when I give you the signal, I want you to run."
"What!"
"What for?"
"Padawans, I promised your masters that I would protect you with my life and I don't want to take any chances with Ventress. Ahsoka, you know how dangerous she is from personal experience."
"But I've never taken her on with so many other well-trained Jedi. Master, we can take her together," Ahsoka argued.
"Also, Master Li, I'm fairly certain that Zana would never forgive me if we left you behind," Tanya added.
"What happens to me is my responsibility, not yours and not Zana's. You will escape to the hanger on my mark. And that is an order, by the way, not a request. Do I make my self clear?" Master Li asked. Ahsoka, Barriss, and Tanya looked to each other, frowning but finally nodding their heads, just as Ventress's lightsabers finished cutting. The four Jedi returned their attention to the hole, waiting for the droids to make a move. However, all they could hear from the other side was the sound of metal claws on metal.
Metal claws?
"DUCK!" Tanya shouted as the door went flying across the bridge. The four Jedi ducked while the nearest clones threw themselves out of the way. The metal door hit the glass with an ear splitting CRACK! and the Jedi were just able to get back into position to see their enemies walk onto the bridge. Asajj Ventress and General Grievous glided into the room, a dark, cold feeling following them into the room.
I admit I certainly wasn't expecting that, Tanya thought to herself.
"General Grievous and Asajj Ventress, working together? I'm surprised that the ship hasn't blown up," Master Li taunted.
"Jedi scum, you are outnumbered and outgunned. Return the information you stole and we will make your deaths quick and painless," Grievous demanded.
"Why? Why is the information so important?" Tanya inquired. Grievous glared at her.
"It is of no importance, youngling."
"Then why are you trying so hard to get it back?"
"Enough talk," snarled Ventress. "Give us the information, Jedi filth!"
"We'll all die before we give it to you, and even if you kill us you'll never find it," Tanya stated.
"We'll see about that," Grievous said, activating his lightsabers. Ventress did the same with hers and together, they attacked.
"Tanya, you help me with Grievous. Ahsoka, Barriss take care of Ventress," Master Li instructed. She and Tanya deflected Grievous' onslaught of strokes, Tanya playing offensive while Master Li deflected Grievous's attacks. Ahsoka and Barriss, in the mean time, were using a similar strategy, Ahsoka attacking here and there, trying to find an opening while Barriss harmonized Ahsoka's attacks with her defensive blocks. Grievous's onslaught of stolen lightsabers, however, proved a difficult challenge to find a weak point in, without getting cut to pieces, as did Ventress's fury of lightsabers. Master Li motioned for the padawans to move toward the exit, and as soon as they did, Master Li shouted, "NOW!" and Ahsoka, Barriss, and Tanya pulled away from Grievous and Ventress, running into the corridor. They looked back to Master Li, who was preoccupied holding back Grievous. "RUN PADAWANS!" Master Li ordered, just as two, crimson lightsaber blades were plunged into her back.
"Master Li, NO!" Tanya screamed, almost running back onto the bridge, as Master Li's body fell to the floor. Grievous and Ventress looked from the dead Jedi Master's body to the padawans shocked faces, before grinning evilly and laughing their cold, cruel laughs that made the padawans blood run cold. Barriss grabbed Tanya's arm, nodding softly down the hall. Tanya took one last glance at Master Li's corpse, before turning and running away, the villain's evil laughter still ringing in their ears.