From Darkness, I Rise

by Kurenaino

The Jedi are thrust into a war that threatens to tear the galaxy apart, and prospects are bleak when the fearsome Sith Negotiator begins to win key victories against the Republic. Sequel to From Grace, I Fall. Also, more Sith!Obi keeps the sadness away. Search your feelings. You know it to be true.

8. The Kabal Riots

Chapter 8: The Kabal Riots

"I'm telling you, I'm not going to be any help here."

The blue hologram of Count Dooku crossed his arms, glaring at the younger Sith, and Kenobi did likewise. He could be obstinate too. "Our Master gave you this mission, Kenobi, not me. If he needed my aid, he would have asked for me."

"I've been studying the situation, Dooku, and there is nothing for me to do there. The people are in open rebellion against their Republic-aligned government. The Senate is almost certainly going to send aid, but if we send aid to them first, we're going to be hailed as heroes. Kabal will come to us without any effort at all."

The Count sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Where are you now?"

"We're in orbit around Kabal."

"We?"

"Yes, Grievous is with me. A small Republic cruiser entered the planet's atmosphere about fifteen minutes ago, which is why I contacted you." Dooku was just staring at him, mouth parted and eyes narrowed in confusion. "...what?!"

"Grievous is with you?"

"Yes, he is. Is that a problem?"

Dooku relaxed, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Not at all. What aid do you need?"

"Food and medical supplies. The riots are due to a Trade Federation strike on the nearby trade corridor. How quickly can you be here?"

Dooku brought up his maps, looking over the sector routes and locating his nearby allies. "Sluis Van is the closest Separatist world capable of lending significant aid. They can be there within an hour, but I doubt it will be useful if the Republic is there already."

"You leave that to me," Kenobi drawled, leaning back in his seat and entering the coordinates for Shoribus, the planet's capital city. "I can make certain that the riots become violent. If it's a political delegation, they won't be making it back to Coruscant."

"And if it's not political?"

Obi-Wan grinned wickedly. "That's why I brought Grievous. It's open season on Jedi." Kenobi cut the com and guided the ship toward the planet, the sleek black ship cutting easily through space and entering the atmosphere with ease. Kabal was beautiful, a planet covered in clear oceans spotted with large, forested islands. Shoribus was a city populated mostly by humans and colonists from other worlds, and despite the size of the oceans, the life that lived within them was primarily inedible. The planet relied on trade, and without traffic along the trade corridor, the major city could not support itself for long, even with their meager fishing.

Obi-Wan set his ship down in the hanger where he was directed, respectfully complying with ground control. He didn't want to make a scene, at least not yet. Kenobi left the cockpit and went to find Grievous, the cyborg pacing restlessly up and down the halls, his clawed, metallic feet clacking against the ground.

"You know, you could have stayed in the cockpit with me."

"You wouldn't let me fly!"

"Hey, she's my ship!"

"I am a superior piolet!"

Kenobi scoffed. "Oh, I sincerely doubt it. And it's not like we're doing anything complicated. I could have left her on autopilot and not had an incident." The cyborg snarled and continued his pacing. "Listen, here's the plan. The Republic ship we saw was almost certainly not political. Kabal is beyond political intervention on the part of the Republic. There were Jedi on that cruiser, and I'm almost certain of it."

Grievous' yellow eyes snapped to the Sith, and he growled viciously. "I'll kill them!"

"We'll capture them, if we can, if I say we can. Not all Jedi are worth engaging. If they sent a Master, than it shouldn't be a problem, but if they sent someone like Mace Windu-"

"I'll kill him if you're afraid, Kenobi."

Obi-Wan laughed. "Oh, you poor idiot, you can't fight Mace Windu and come out alive." Grievous drew up to his full height, his organic lungs making his chest expand and his breath coming out in short, angry bursts. "No, you can't, not yet. Let's throw you against some Jedi Knights first and see how you do, hmm?" That seemed to placate the cyborg, and he slowly lowered himself into a relaxed posture.

"What will we do, my Lord?"

Kenobi smiled slyly when the cyborg complied. "When we landed, there was a large military presence here, which wasn't in my report. The Jedi may have instituted martial law here, which won't sit well, I imagine. People have died in the riots, which is why the Jedi were called in, and they will do what they must to keep the peace. We're going to observe the Jedi, assess the situation, and decide on a plan when we have the information we need. You, Grievous, need to stick by me and let me do the talking." The cyborg nodded, and Kenobi pulled his hood over his head and walked off the ship, Grievous following closely behind.

They were met immediately by a heavily armed soldier, the towering man standing directly in their path. "Return to your ship, citizens," the soldier commanded, and the Sith and the cyborg stopped. "There is a riot in the city. We ask you wait patiently until the Jedi put an end to the violence."

"Oh no, violence?" Kenobi said, shocked and concerned and one hand out before him. "That's terrible! It's a good thing you're here to take us to the city safely!"

The soldier nodded. "Of course. Follow me." He turned on his heel and marched swiftly out of the hanger, Kenobi and his cyborg companion close on his heels

Grievous leaned in close to the Sith, and as quietly as he could, he whispered, "How did you do that?"

"I'm the Negotiator, how do you think I do it?" Kenobi smirked, wiggling his fingers at the cyborg. "Mind control. I'm very good at it." With a growl, Grievous straightened up, and Kenobi felt how impressed his companion was.

The soldier hadn't been lying. When the three got to the city, there was violence in the streets, an angry mob pressing against the military presence as they struggled to stop the rioters. The soldiers were trying not to injure anyone, but the people were, several of them wielding weapons and taking shots at the forces trying to keep the peace. Kenobi took a deep breath in, chuckling deeply as the fear and rage of the people left him feeling empowered. Grievous growled next to him, reaching for his lightsaber, but Kenobi quickly shot his hand out, grabbing the metallic wrist.

"Not yet. We need to locate the Jedi." The cyborg nodded, leaving his weapon tucked safely away, and the Sith reached his hand out before him, the people in his path, soldiers and rioters both, slowly cleared a path, allowing the two Separatists to pass by completely unharmed. Obi-Wan led them through the violent mob, the rioters shooting at soldiers and looting storefronts and attacking each other in the chaos, but when the Sith came near, they cleared the way, unconsciously following the silent command to let their betters pass by unharmed.

Obi-Wan heard the hum of lightsabers before he saw them, and he grabbed his companion and ducked behind a home, kicking the door down and coldly observing the terrified, shaking family of Squibs huddled together in a corner. They said nothing when the intruders stood before them, simply bowed their heads and whimpered. Kenobi's sharp eyes darted around the small house, finding a staircase and quickly strode to it, taking the steps two at a time to come to a small loft, and he pushed through a door on the closest wall, leading out to a dusty balcony overlooking the plaza.

There were five of them down below, green and blue lightsabers swinging to deflect blaster bolts, the Jedi doing all they could to avoid hurting the populace, but violence had become unavoidable. There were several dead civilians surrounding them, the Jedi standing in a circle, their blades pointed out toward the raging crowed, and Kenobi couldn't help but smile. Grievous crawled out next to the Sith on all fours, keeping hidden by the small ledge that circled the balcony. He rose up to see over the edge.

"Jedi. Only five. We can take them."

"Not so fast." His sharp yellow eyes ran over the Jedi, taking them in as they moved, observing their style, their technique, their skill level, and the Sith frowned. "One is a Padawan, three are Knights. I've never seen them before."

"And you know all Jedi?"

"I know the ones that matter. Those four should be easy. The Padawan can die, but I want the Knights alive, if possible."

"And the fifth?"

Obi-Wan's golden eyes narrowed, watching the last Jedi carelessly, effortlessly spin his green blade, deflecting blaster fire and using the Force with his outstretched hand to push the crowd back when they edged too close. It was the work of a Jedi Master, calm, collected, and completely in control, and Obi-Wan recognized him.

"That's Eeth Koth," the Sith muttered softly, and Grievous looked over at the cloaked man beside him, eyes narrowed.

"You know him?"

"I do. That's a Jedi Master, and not just any Master, he sits on the High Council." His yellow eyes followed the Zabrak, and he could feel the anger rise in him. Master Koth had been there when Obi-Wan was struggling to get Jedi support to go after the Sith, which made him partially responsible for all that had happened. He took a deep breath, commanding the Dark Side to heed him, and he felt his anger blazing, but controlled.

"So we take him first," Grievous snarled, and Obi-Wan reached out to lay a gentle, calming hand on his armored shoulder.

"I'm considering leaving."

"You can't be-"

"Hush." It was a command, and despite his strong will, Grievous obeyed, growling in frustration when he found himself unable to answer. Kenobi kept his eyes locked on the Master, watching how he moved, how he fought, taking note of his dominant hand, observing how he channeled the Force. The Zabrak was careful, cautious, his use of the Force channeled into calming energy as he tried to manage the rioting civilians. Like all Jedi, the Master was trying to establish peace, taking great care to avoid harming the people around him.

Kenobi stood. "They are distracted by the riot. We couldn't ask for a more ideal time to fight a member of the Jedi High Council." Grievous' eyes lit up, and he growled in sinister delight, and Kenobi couldn't help but smiling, feeling the rush of the Dark Side within him. "Engage the Knights first, but try not to kill them. We want the Master alone, and I want him alive at all costs. If the Knights must die so I may take the Master alive, so be it, but if Koth dies, I'm going to be very angry."

"It will be done, my Lord." Grievous started to rise, reaching for his sabers, but Kenobi stopped him once again.

"I don't care if the civilians die, Grievous, but Separatist aid will be coming shortly. Do try and keep death to a minimum so we can look as good as possible." The cyborg nodded, grabbing his green and blue sabers and igniting them, the blades humming to life, and the cyborg's harsh, metallic laugh rang as he dropped to the ground, the crowed scattering as the towering creature landed before them, the Jedi drawing up their weapons and ready to engage.

Obi-Wan's golden eyes glowed in the shadows of his hood as he observed the scene below him. Fighting Grievous and watching him fight were two completely different things. Fighting him had been exhilarating, easily the most fun that the Sith Lord had in a very long time, but watching him was awe-inspiring. Grievous was magnificent. His skill with a lightsaber bordered on masterful, and as soon as he engaged the Jedi, he took command of the battle, quickly assessing his opponent's strength and setting to picking it apart. It didn't take long for Grievous to plunge his green saber through the chest of the Padawan, the young human gasping as he dropped to the ground, the life draining from him quickly as two of the Knights surrounded him, Master Koth's eyes narrowing in focus as he felt the Padawan's presence in the Force fade to nothing.

The Padawan's fallen saber was called into the outstretched hand of one of the Knights, the blue blade igniting and the woman, her entire being focused on the cyborg, ran in to engage, twin blades twirling and the other three Jedi coming to flank Grievous and prepared to support their fellow Jedi. The death of the Padawan made the rioting crowd creep back in, their initial fear waning when they saw that the towering cyborg wasn't there to help the imposing Jedi. Slowly, they began to bring up their weapons, keeping clear of the swiftly moving lightsabers, but quickly working themselves up into a frenzy once again, shouting and shooting at the Jedi, and the Knights were forced to divide their attention between the mob and the dangerous combatant.

The dual-wielding Knight, her focus on the cyborg, was too slow to stop a blaster bolt from shooting through her shoulder, the woman screaming in pain for just a moment before Grievous' saber cut up in a swift, wicked arc, the tip digging into her stomach and slashing up the length of her body and up her face, and Grievous howled in fury; the blaster had pushed the Jedi forward, and his strike had turned from debilitating to instantly fatal. The remaining three Jedi backed up, taking a defensive position as Grievous' arms split, the mechanics whirling and setting into place as he crouched down, his two extra arms grabbing the sabers out of the dead Jedi's hands. With a vicious snarl, the blades began spinning on his rotating mechanical wrists, and the cyborg advanced on the Jedi.

The remaining Jedi had a moment to regroup, but it wasn't enough, their attention constantly divided by the mechanical warrior and the vicious crowed that was growing more frenzied as the moments passed. Eeth Koth took the point position, the other two Jedi at his side, and the Master rushed in to attack the cyborg, hand held out in front of him and blasting Grievous back with the Force, and the assailant was pushed back, claws leaving long, deep gouges in the ground and snarling as he was forced to take a moment to recover. That moment was enough for Master Koth to pull one of the sabers out of Grievous' hand, and without wasting a second, he began a furious assault on the cyborg.

Obi-Wan watched the battle play out, the tide momentarily turning in favor of the Jedi as Grievous struggled to recover under the relentless assault of the Jedi. They pressed their advantage as best they could, but the opportunity was wasted when one of the Knights stepped in, his blade coming in a swift, downward strike, and Grievous darted toward him, his clawed hand shooting out and grabbing the Jedi's wrist in a crushing grasp, and the man dropped the saber as his wrist was shattered. Grievous brought up one of his clawed legs and swiftly kicked it into the Jedi's gut, his mechanical arm wrenching backwards as he did so, and the Knight flew back, his arm torn from his body with a wet snap, and the Knight struck one of the surrounding buildings, sliding down the wall in a trail of blood.

The last knight cried in rage, raising his saber and ignoring the commands of the Master, and he rushed the cyborg, lightsaber swinging wildly, and the mechanical warrior effortlessly blocked with his three sabers, tossing the dismembered arm to the ground and striking the Jedi across his head with a heavy, clawed hand. The Knight dropped his saber and fell to the ground laying still in the dust. Grievous' yellow reptilian eyes fell on the Jedi Master and narrowed, Koth holding the two sabers crossed out in front of him, breath even and demeanor calm, and Kenobi could feel the Force swirl around him, moving with his every breath as if it was a part of the Jedi Master. Grievous was good, yes, as the fallen Jedi around him were evidence of, but this was a member of the Jedi High Council, a Jedi Master fully in tune with the Force, which made him exceptionally dangerous. Kenobi stood and walked off the balcony.

The raging mob scattered again, and Eeth Koth's eyes darted off to his side to see a figure in a black cloak crouched on the ground, slowly rising to his full height, and from under his hood, he could see glowing yellow eyes. Grievous stopped his advance when the man slowly walked forward, and Master Koth turned to face him, one blade pointed at the figure in black, the other trained on Grievous.

The Zabrak breathed deeply, centering himself in the Force when he felt the tremendous pressure of the Dark Side fall upon him. He was too short to be the towering Count Dooku, which meant there was only one person the man could be. "You're the Negotiator."

His mouth turned up into a cruel smirk. "Yes."

"The Jedi knew you'd be here," Koth growled, raising his weapon and ready to engage. "You're becoming predictable."

"Am I?" He laughed, cold and harsh, and Koth felt a shiver go up his spine. "If they knew I would be here, they would have sent a better swordsman than you."

"I'm more than enough for you, Sith."

Kenobi held his hands up, his eyes glinting with sinister delight. "Are you? You couldn't save your friends, what makes you think you can save yourself?" The Zabrak said nothing, he just clutched the weapons tighter. "Put your weapons away, Master Koth, I'm unarmed."

The Zabrak sucked in a sharp breath of air, his grip on the sabers loosening for a moment before he gripped them tightly again. "How do you know me?"

"Oh, my dear, I have taken the time to get to know my enemy." Kenobi smiled wickedly. "Haven't you?"

"You've made that a bit difficult, Negotiator, why don't we get to know each other? I'm sure it will be enlightening."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what I am." Kenobi smirked, reaching out with the Dark Side and touching the Zabrak Master, and for a moment, something flashed in the Jedi's eyes.

"I..." He shook his head, trying to clear the feeling, but it was no good. He gripped his saber tighter. "I...know your voice."

"Do you..." Kenobi purred, watching the Master struggle to recall the memories he was searching for, growling in frustration when he found nothing.

"The Dark Side clouds everything, but not for long. When I have ended you, the Force will show me the truth."

Obi-Wan laughed loudly. "Ended me? Oh, Master Koth, that's not the way of the Jedi, now is it?"

"You don't have the right to lecture me on my own Code, Sith." The Master didn't waste another moment. The Negotiator's words were poison, and he wouldn't listen to them any longer. Sabers raised, he rushed the unarmed man, his blades striking down and clashing against the swiftly drawn deep red blade of the Sith Lord, those golden eyes blazing and amused. He swung again, his green blade arching upwards through the air and missing the Sith completely, and the Negotiator slipped within his guard, the long red blade thrusting into the Zabrak's right shoulder. Hissing in pain, Koth's left handed weapon covered his retreat, his right hand tightening around the lightsaber, refusing to allow the burning sensation to force him to drop the blade.

Obi-Wan was relaxed, his weapon resting easily in his hand. The battle with Grievous had left the Jedi fatigued, and even with enough time to center himself, the Master's body was growing tired, his connection to the Force disturbed as he tried to puzzle out where he knew the man from. Kenobi's own Master fought with two lightsabers, so he had ample practice in slipping within the fragile guard of the highly offensive dual-wielders. As good as this Jedi Master was, he was nothing when compared to the Dark Side might of Darth Sidious.

As Eeth stood back from the Sith, silently trying to refocus, he swung his blade up backwards, sensing an attack from Grievous, the cyborg bearing his full weight down on the hapless Jedi, the Master having to drop his second blade to grasp his own saber with both hands. The wound to his shoulder was sapping his strength and sending pain shooting through his arm, and fighting with his fellow's blade in hand was becoming a hindrance. Swiftly dodging out of the way, Koth backed away from the cyborg, blade raised as he fell back on the defensive Soresu. Grievous laughed loudly, recognizing that the Master was on his last leg, buying time to recenter and find a way to overcome the odds.

Kenobi whistled, the piercing sound getting the attention of the Jedi Master, the Zabrak's eyes falling on the Sith. "Come now, Jedi, you have no friends left. It's alright to let go." Koth pointed his weapon at Obi-Wan, the tip of the green blade wavering in his fatigue, and Kenobi smirked. "The Dark Side can give you the power you need to prevail, and nobody will ever know! You can return to your seat on the Council and you will be a hero!"

"Shut up!" The Sith chuckled, the sinister chill making Koth shiver, and Kenobi could feel the Master centering himself, resisting the pull to the Dark Side that surrounded the Jedi like a torrent.

"It's alright," Kenobi soothed. "I feel it too..."

It was enough for Eeth Koth, and the Master once again engaged with the Sith Lord, his furious offense driven from a place within the Force that Kenobi hadn't seen since he left the Jedi. Koth was impressive, a worthy Jedi, and Obi-Wan had to center himself in the Dark Side, red blade moving so fast it left deep, red trails through the air as he parried and blocked each vicious strike and stab. He fell into the Dark Side, and the Force itself took over his movements, his saber moving without his direction to block the flurry from the Jedi Master, and with his attention focused, Obi-Wan reached out, channeling the Dark Side through his fingers, and grasped the Master around the neck. Koth was pulled back just as he tried to lunge forward, lifted into the air and dropping his green blade as his hands shot to his throat, clawing at the invisible force. The Zabrak struggled to breathe, but could bring no air into his burning lungs, his legs kicking as if the force of it could free him, but the Sith did not lose his focus.

Obi-Wan only let go when Grievous grabbed each of the Master's limbs in one of his four arms and slammed the man down on the ground, the hard earth splattering with blood as skin split under the weight of the cyborg. He held the Jedi up, and threw him down again, repeating until the Zabrak went limp, breathing slow and shallow as the Master was forced into unconsciousness. The Sith's blade retracted, and Kenobi clipped the weapon back on his belt. The sound of ships could be heard overhead, and they were drawing closer.

"Just in time," Kenobi muttered, looking around at the town square they stood in. The mob had dispersed, only a few straggling looters left behind to rob open storefronts and homes. The bodies of rioters and the Jedi lay scattered about the ground, blood splattered on the side of the building above one of the dead Knights, a pool of blood surrounding him that poured from the wound left by his missing arm. The female Knight lay in blood soaked dust, the wound up her body too wide and too deep to cauterize completely, and the Padawan had been trampled by the vicious mob. But the last Knight and the Master were alive.

Grievous laughed gleefully as he picked up the five sabers on the ground, looking them over and igniting them in turn, getting the feel for them in his clawed hands. Obi-Wan reached out with the Force and pulled the five sabers to him, Grievous reeling on him with a vicious, possessive snarl. "Those are mine, Kenobi!"

"Yes, and those two Jedi are mine." The Sith pointed to the Master and the living Knight. "Pick them up and bring them to the ship. You'll have your sabers when your hands aren't full." Grievous glared at him as Sith clipped the sabers onto his belt. "...Grievous. I'm a man of my word. Come now, what use do I have for Jedi weapons?"

Obi-Wan felt when the cyborg accepted that, felt resignation and the beginnings of trust and respect in the other warrior, and Grievous picked up the two Jedi, quietly following behind Obi-Wan as they made their way to the hanger. The streets were nearly empty, so much different from the large, rioting mob that ran rampant through the streets when they arrived. They could hear cheering from the central plaza, large supply ships in the air above the tall government building, and Kenobi could see small transport hoverships delivering large crates of food and medical supplies. He could hear anti-Republic sentiments being shouted over large loudhailers mounted on the hulls of the ships, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but roll his eyes; this is what needed to be done, but the lack of subtlety was distasteful. Hopefully his Master would keep him from these noisy, uncivilized affairs in the future.

They passed by the armed guards in the hanger just as easily as when they arrived, and Kenobi and Grievous entered the sleek black ship, bringing the Jedi to the hold where they were carefully secured and imprisoned. Kenobi left for the cockpit, dropping into the pilot's seat and setting the coordinates for Serenno. He had just hit the hyperspace route when Grievous entered the control deck, carefully lowering himself into the copilot's seat.

"How did we do?" the cyborg asked, and Kenobi didn't even need to look at him to know he was pleased.

"Well enough...hardly perfect, but it will do." He smiled softly, thinking of the prize he had waiting in the hold. "The mission was successful, at the very least. By tomorrow, the Separatists will hold Kabal."

"Do you even care about that?"

"No, I don't." Kenobi could feel Grievous' eyes on him. He chose to ignore him.

"The Jedi called you Sith."

Obi-Wan nodded, leaning back in his chair and running his fingers through his hair. "You're right, he did."

"What is a Sith."

The young lord took a deep breath, holding it until his lungs burned, and exhaled slowly. "Think of the Sith," he said softly, "as the Jedi's natural predator."

Grievous seemed pleased by this. "You are Sith."

"I am."

"Can I be Sith?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Not without the Force. Not without the Dark Side." The cyborg growled next to him, his clawed hands tightly gripping the chair's armrests. "You leave so much as a scratch in my upholstery and I'll make you replace the entire interior of my ship." Grievous glared at him, but let go of the chair, tightly grasping his clawed hands together. "You don't need to be Sith to be a Jedi hunter. You can be something new. Something different. And that is far more dangerous."

Kenobi finally looked at his companion, his reptilian eyes glee ming with delight, and Obi-Wan closed his eyes in satisfaction. Above all else, Grievous was going to be a powerful ally as they moved forward. The warrior had gotten his first taste of Jedi blood, and the Sith could feel that it had become a hunger within the cyborg. His hatred for the Jedi burned just as bright as any Sith, and Kenobi wasn't going to let that go.