Hi, people! I'm back! I hope you all had a good New Year (that's so late of me to say that, I know) but yeah, I had my first college exam recently and man was I freaking out so that hindered me from this, as is life atm with coursework, essays and much, much more. But enough about me and my excuses! Seriously, people... do you have a thrill for action, suspense and extreme awesomeness? I hope you do cos in this chapter there is a ton of action! You know which two Jedi get themselves into this kind of stuff all of the time. No, not Anakin and Obi-Wan! Not this time. But A&S do! Hope you enjoy! :D Oh, and I believe my review rate per chapter has been going down. I guess this is disappointment for my lack of fast updates. I do hope this makes it up to you all in some form. :)

Chapter 31. Deadly confrontation.

Anakin's black gloved hand clenched irrevocably tightly as his frustration literally bubbled to flood over whatever Jedi stoic calmness he had tried to preserve. 'One. Month,' the Jedi growled mentally, sapphire eyes narrowing slowly to slits. 'One month this sleemo has evaded us. Where are you Vizsla?'

Perched on a thick branch high up in the woodland trees Anakin gazed out across the green-capped landscape towards the rocky grey mountains that appeared so out of contrast to the beauty of the lush area the two Jedi were currently scoping through.

"Master, are you coming?" his apprentice called out to him, distracting him from his reverie. The older Jedi turned his head to stare down at his waiting apprentice. Her eyes were wide and bright, dancing with curiosity and a need to keep moving.

Without a verbal answer, Anakin dropped down from the high vantage point and landed in a small crouch beside his eager apprentice. "C'mon, Ahsoka. We're heading towards the mountains in that direction." He pointed his flesh hand out towards the distance.

Ahsoka looked confused. "Are you sure there are mountains out here? We've trekked through this forest for three weeks, going in circles. I don't think there are any mountains nearby."

"Don't you trust my instincts?" Anakin asked wryly.

The padawan blushed scarlet and hid her face sheepishly in embarrassment and a non-verbal response of "Yes."

The two journey further through the brush until they came out in a clearing a few hours afterwards.

"So you were right about the mountains then…" Ahsoka deadpanned as she cast her cerulean gaze along the misty peaked mountains.

"I'm never wrong, Snips."

Ahsoka flashed Anakin a knowing look. "Right…."

The older Jedi folded his arms over his lean torso and looked amusedly at the Togruta. "You have got to be kidding."

They scaled down the sheer dip in the ground towards the mountains where a clearing was and walked carefully along it.

"Something doesn't feel right," Ahsoka murmured.

"I know," Anakin replied in a low voice, eyes narrowing and brow furrowing. His senses were on high alter and blearing like alarms inside his head. "It's Dooku."

"Perceptive you have grown, Skywalker," the deep voice echoed across the plain. The two Jedi whirled on their feet to face Dooku who stood in his elegant manner behind them, a satisfied smirk crossing his aged face.

Immediately the two Jedi ignited their blades and held them in a defensive stance. Blue and emerald green shone brilliantly against the hazy dark that was surrounding them.

"What are you doing here?" Anakin growled furiously.

Dooku's smirk grew larger. He snorted. "My boy, I would have thought that you would have realised sooner that the Sith have become powerful allies with the Death Watch. The Jedi do not let you use your full potential. If they had, you surely would have sensed it."

Anakin hesitated, his face relaxing for one moment in questioning and doubt before he swiftly replaced it with a filthy look towards the Sith Lord. "Your foul stench has been the cause of the Jedi's lack of insight!" he growled in denial.

"Should've known big old time here would need a time out from all the action. Get his little slaves to do all the work for him," snorted Ahsoka.

Dooku glowered at her.

"Getting too old for all of this action clearly."

"You will pay for that, impudent brat!" Dooku seethed as he sent a powerful Force push to the padawan who crossed her saber and shoto in front of her and supressed the powerful attack.

"Grown more powerful you have, young one."

Anakin smirked triumphantly. "Both of our powers have doubled since the last time we met, Count."

"Good, twice the pride, double the fall!"

In a quick flash Dooku was upon them both, crimson blade touching Anakin's blue and parrying Ahsoka's shoto before hopping over the sweep to the legs her shoto took.

The Sith Lord flipped backwards, boot connecting solidly with Ahsoka's chin and knocking her down as Dooku landed a fair distance away from them and regained his balance just in time to see the flash of a blue blade fly towards his face. His arm rose in time to meet the Jedi's deadly strike as the sabers clashed and locked.

Anakin gritted his teeth as he pushed down harder on the Sith Lord's blade. The master of Makashi wouldn't relent however, and continued to hold off the two sabers that were approaching his face. In a bout of frustration, Anakin lashed out with his mechanical hand and wrapped his fingers tightly around the Count's neck and squeezed.

Dooku gasped as he felt his airway cut off by the crushing blow Anakin was inflicting. He looked into the Jedi's eyes and saw an unbelievable anger in them. He felt the hate swell off of the boy in enormous waves as the boy continued to squeeze.

The former Jedi burrowed his black boot into the Jedi's stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs and loosening the vicious grip he held his throat in before launching him over himself and flipping the Jedi onto his back.

Dooku approached the stunned Jedi and with an outstretched hand pinned him down to the dirt floor with the Force.

Anakin was utterly helpless as he felt all of his limbs be clamped down onto the ground as if a massive weight had been planted on his arms and legs. His eyes sparkled with alarm as he knew what would come next, however, he dampened the expression in his eyes when he saw Dooku's smug face hover over his.

"This is where it ends, Skywalker," the older man said with no remorse as he held his blade high above his head.

A memory flashed across Skywalker's mind as he was taken back to the day this man stole his arm from him. Obi-Wan had been in exactly the same position as he was now, only with slashes on his left arm and thigh. He remembered how that if he hadn't recovered in time to intercept the former Jedi's blade, his brother would not be alive now and with him during this dark time.

Anakin stared at the crimson hue that burnt across the Sith's smug face as he drove his blade down upon Anakin.

Time slowed for the young Jedi as he took in his final thoughts.

'I'm sorry, master. I failed you.'

'Padme, my angel. I love you.'

'I'll see you again, mom.'

He slowed his breathing down and waited for the comforting embrace the Force would bring.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Only he did not feel such things. All he acknowledged was the grunt of surprise from Dooku and a loud thud accompanied by a softer landing of feet and the resounding rapid steps dissipating in the distance.

The weight had been removed from his limbs and Anakin opened his eyes and sat up to see Ahsoka duelling the Sith Lord, a burning determination in her eyes as the two wildly continued their deadly dance.

Ahsoka swung her blade over her head and stabbed viciously with her shoto as she spied an opening in Dooku's defence. The man had no choice but to block the saber and side step the shoto, though it still hit its mark around his abdomen for he hissed in pain as the scorching blade grazed along the tender skin, lacerating him slightly.

The wounded man jumped back and staggered slightly, surprised at the padawans skill. He had clearly underestimated her. It was not common for a mere padawan to expose and score through his weak spots.

Eyes blazing, Dooku hastily called in a small army of super battle and commando droids before diving into the shrubbery and fleeing in his speeder.

"Saving your life again, master!" Ahsoka yelled over the blaster fire as her blades whirled in a beautiful motion of skill.

"Great, Snips, don't get cocky!" Anakin quipped as he stood up and leapt behind the commando droids and sliced three of them in half with a simple spin and slash.

Ahsoka leapt on top one of the battle droids before impaling its central system with her shoto, and then continued to leap atop each of them as she threw her saber at two who were about to fire on her, effectively slicing through their weapon arms and Force pushing them before finally lifting the other one with the Force and hurling it towards a tree, smashing its inside circuits and chips to pieces as it smacked the solid oak bark.

Anakin pushed one of the commandos with the Force but to no avail as it stood erect once more. "They're magnetised! Again!"

Ahsoka impaled one in the back and sliced another's head off whilst Anakin blocked his blade against the commandos counter attack with its vibro-blade before cutting its legs off so it was a stump on the ground, pivoting on his feet and twisting his light saber into a Shien grip and impaling it through the chest.

The two Jedi extinguished their weapons and stood in the smocking debris of battle they had just endured, thoroughly exhausted.

"We continue tomorrow," Anakin announced suddenly, a growl forming in his throat. "We camp just a few miles away from this scene and then find Vizsla tomorrow."

Looking confused Ahsoka questioned, "Would it not be better to continue now, master? What if Vizsla puts even further distance between us?"

"With our encounter just now with Dooku and some of his friends," Anakin commented as he staggered exhaustively ahead and glanced over his shoulder to the equally exhausted Togruta. "he's likely still nearby. He'll think Dooku would have taken care of us."

"Are you sure?" Ahsoka gazed up at her master worriedly as she jogged and quickly fell into step beside him.

Anakin nodded, sure of his assumption. "He's a proud, arrogant Mandalorian warrior. He'll believe we're finished. His overconfidence is his weakness and will be his downfall."

Tadaa! Epic lightsbaer action! :D Hope you enjoyed and please leave a comment saying what you liked! :D