Chapter 28: The Battle of Christophsis
It took a long time, the strategy meeting not ending until well into the night, but eventually, the clone leadership and the Jedi Masters managed to fine tune the plan that Anakin and Ahsoka had devised. Quinlan appreciated the boldness of it, and he was always one to spring a trap, if he could. His scouting behind the enemy lines allowed him to happen upon a much larger force than they anticipated, but he saw no sign of the Sith Lord that Organa had spoken of. Adjusting the plan to deal with the superior numbers of the droids, the Jedi readied themselves and their clones for battle the next day.
The clones in the streets would be commanded by Anakin and Qui-Gon, the Master and Padawan leading the diversion that would allow Quinlan and Ahsoka to infiltrate and take the Separatist headquarters when the majority of their forces were fighting the Republic army in the streets. They would be able to draw the droids on to the long boulevard that led up to the massive building that served as the Separatist base, and when the droids were engaged, a secondary force of clones would circle around to cut off their retreat, preventing the droids from returning to aid the base, and allowing the clones to assist Quinlan and Ahsoka, if the need arose.
And early the next morning, they sprung the trap, sending their clones in to ferociously attack the business center where Quinlan had discovered the majority of their troops stationed. The response was immediate and ferocious, the garrison of droids activating and leaving the center in tight formation, only to find the entry rigged to explode.
As the blasts went off, the four Jedi crouched down, looking over the scene from a defended location on the roof of one of the many buildings that lined the boulevard. Anakin rolled his shoulders, watching as smoke rose a little distance away. The droids would be on them soon.
"Remember," Qui-Gon said softly, "if anything goes wrong, you are to contact me immediately, and we'll be with you. Anakin and I will be on the rear guard, so we should get to you quickly."
"Yeah, yeah, I remember the plan..." Quinlan drawled. "Relax, Qui-Gon. Nothing will go wrong."
"I'm not so sure. I feel..." He shook his head. "The Force is muddled and clouded, I can't see anything, but something doesn't feel right here. Just be careful."
"Qui-Gon," the Kiffar gently admonished, a carefree smirk on his face, "when have you ever known me to be anything but careful?"
"Do I need to make you a list..."
"You can after we win this thing." Master Vos nudged his Padawan. "Come on, Ahsoka." The Togruta nodded, and with a quick touch to Anakin's hand, she bid him good luck and went with her Master, the two running low and silent over the rooftops until they disappeared from view behind a towering green crystal that supported several homes below.
"Will they be alright?" Anakin asked softly, and the Master just closed his eyes.
"Quinlan is a rare talent. If there's anything there, he will know. And..." He sighed, rubbing his temple with his finger. "There's a very real possibility Obi-Wan won't try to kill him. When we saw him on Mandalore, he was...cordial with Luminara."
"Master Yoda was there."
"Yes, but..." Qui-Gon sighed heavily. "It's a feeling I got from him. He hates you and me, but there was something else there when he looked at Luminara, and he was even closer to Quinlan. If he's here, Obi-Wan won't kill him, I'm sure of it." His breath hitched, his blue eyes narrowing slightly. "There are things worse than death, though."
"We should have gone with them," Anakin whispered, the large, comforting hand of his Master resting on his shoulder.
"We need to trust in Quinlan. Don't forget, Anakin, there is a battle here as well. If Obi-Wan is here, than he may be on the front lines instead of staying back in the base, and if that's the case and there are no Jedi here, our forces will be crushed. We need to stay."
Skywalker nodded, observing the streets, listening to the sounds of firing blasters and lasers striking stone and metal, the clamor coming closer every moment. He watched clones firing down at droids from the rooftops, saw them running through the streets and ducking into smaller alleyways that shot off from the main roads, helmeted heads ducked as their brothers covered them. Soon, it would be their turn.
Qui-Gon's hand lightly touched Skywalker's, and the Padawan turned attentive blue eyes to his Master's noble face. "Change of plans," he muttered quickly. "We're going to draw them out faster. You're going down to the front line, and I will wait here until we're ready to block them in."
A slow smile spread across Anakin's face. "You trust me to do this?"
"You're younger than me, Anakin, by a great deal. If there's anything I've learned from my fight against the Sith, it's that I don't have the stamina I used to. I've seen you fight, though, and you're better than me on this count." He pointed to the street below as a group of clones ran by to join the larger part of their forces at the end of the long, wide boulevard. "Pick a position and hold it. The troops will cover you, but they won't be able to do it well if you disappear into the thick of it. Remain mindful, and remain cautious. Something's here that we're missing."
"I feel it too." With a cocky smirk on his lips, Anakin stood up and bowed to the older man. "Happy hunting, Master!"
"This isn't a game, Anakin!" Qui-Gon shouted, but he was too late. Anakin had jumped off the roof and landed easily on his feet on the streets below, igniting his blue lightsaber and twirling it around his hand just as the battle droids came into view. With a grin, Anakin assumed Soresu's defensive posture when the droids stopped, unmoving for a moment, before charging at the Jedi at full speed, blasters firing as the Jedi easily deflected the bolts of energy back at the wave of mechanicals. It was true that his defense was weak at best, but Barriss had been privately tutoring him in the form. He knew he would never be good at it, but the younger girl had brought him from hopeless to passable easily enough. She was a skilled teacher, like her Master, and Anakin, when determined, was an apt and attentive student.
Upon seeing the change in plans, Rex waved with his hand at his company, and the clones rushed forward, setting up a temporary barricade just behind the Jedi and covering him as best as they could, though the droids were pressing their advance, despite how many were falling. They simply stepped on or over the destroyed droids, leaving the metal twisted and sparking as they were carelessly destroyed, and as they fell, more and more of the mechanicals began tripping over the debris.
"Sir!" Rex shouted, coming to stand beside the Jedi and firing into the army before them, the Jedi's lightsaber easily deflecting every shot toward the two. "Where is the General?"
"Up there," Anakin said softly, pointing up with his hand at the roof from where he dropped and, with a slow, easy exhale, he brought his hand down, fingers splayed as the Force crashed into the advancing front line of the droid's army, the overwhelming power of it sending the mechanicals flying backwards to disrupt the next several lines behind them.
"Has the plan changed?" Rex lobbed a grenade over his head, the magnetic device landing in the scrambling pile of entangled droids on the ground, and turning away as it detonated, sending pieces and parts into the air.
"Only slightly," He grinned at the clone and pointed to the mess in the boulevard. "I think this tactic is working. Their broken units are creating a barricade for us." Anakin was grinning broadly until three large droid carriers arrived, easily ploughing through the heaps of twisted, sparking metal and letting more droids loose.
"...sir?" Rex said next to him.
"Hmm?"
"You never say things are working until the battle is over."
"Yeah, I'm beginning to realize that." He and Rex fell back to the clone's position behind their makeshift barricade, Skywalker standing and deflecting as many shots as he could, and through the flying lasers and the dust, he watched his Master, blue lightsaber blazing, drop down behind the droid forces, hundreds of clones rushing in to cut off the droid retreat. Within moments, the droids were fighting a two front battle, and they were being destroyed, even when they received additional troops that were dropped from the air. The battle was becoming a route. With their victory assured, Anakin rushed into the fray, swinging his lightsaber and cutting down droids with glee as he cut a path toward his Master.
"This seems like a trap, Master."
Quinlan scoffed. "Of course it's a trap, my young Padawan. I mean, just look at it!" He threw his arms up into the air, indicating to the large, crystalline structure that the Separatists have taken as their base of operations. It was magnificent, and completely unguarded. "No guards? No attempt to keep us out?" he drawled as he waved his hand, the large doors groaning open. "They even left the door open for us! How careless of them." He sauntered toward the door, whistling softly and kicking a rock as he went when Ahsoka's little hand reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Shouldn't we be careful?"
"We are being careful! I mean, we know it's a trap." He paused, thinking for a moment before he activated his comlink. "Qui-Gon, we have a situation I don't like."
Static crackled for a moment before the Master said quietly, "Have you seen the Sith?"
"Not yet. The base is completely undefended."
"...that's not good." The com crackled with the sound of blaster fire. "The droids are here in force. Based on your surveillance, this is the bulk of the force within the city, but a great deal is not accounted for. Be cautious, Quinlan. If there isn't anything there, than they're probably laying in wait, or there's a Sith in the building."
"Have you cut the droids off yet?"
"Not yet."
Quinlan sighed. "Ahsoka and I are going in. If we find anything, I'll let you know."
"May the Force be with you, my friend." The com cut off, and the Kiffar passed through the doors, his Padawan following closely behind, her lightsaber clutched in her hand. The base was enormous, the stone making their footsteps echo loudly, and Master Vos stopped.
"Close your eyes, Ahsoka." The girl was wary, but she did as her Master said.
"What exactly are we doing?" she whispered, and the Master laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Listen to all the noise you're making," he said right in Ahsoka's auditory channel and the Togruta shivered, his breath on her lekku very hot in contrast to the cool of the building. "You're going to meditate. Lose yourself in the Force, become one with it, and when you are focused, you will use the Force to silence the sound of your steps."
She looked at him for a moment, blue eyes wide, but the Master's face was soft, his eyes sincere. She didn't believe such a thing could be done. Ahsoka nodded, closing her eyes and slipping into meditation while the Kiffar paced the room, laying his hand on everything of significance, the ghostly touch of the Force bringing him visions of the recent past, of moments both significant and not.
He saw Bail Organa, frustrated and frantic as he tried to see the city's oligarchical leaders. He saw throngs of busy businessmen rushing about, making deals and negotiations for the shipment of the raw materials that came from the mines. He saw droids, thousands of them as they cleared out the building, forcing workers from their offices as they established their base. And he saw a hooded figure in a dark gray cloak, slight of build and strong in the Force.
Quinlan activated the comlink, and it took much longer for Qui-Gon to answer. When he finally did, the man was breathing heavily, the sounds of combat much closer than before. "Qui-Gon, I don't sense Obi-Wan here."
The aging human groaned on the other end, his lightsaber thrumming in the air, clearly held close to the com. "If your abilities can't pick him up, than he's probably not here."
"I disagree, it means he's absolutely here." There was nothing on the other end but the hum of lightsabers and the distant, gleeful laughing of Anakin Skywalker as he counted, and the Kiffar sighed. "When he and I were exploring Sith Space, we felt nothing out there either. Obi-Wan was certain that the Sith knew of our presence and were concealing themselves. I bet he's doing that now."
"...Master Yoda said he was hiding his presence in the Force. You're right. Be careful, Quinlan. Everything we know about the Negotiator shows he's never alone. On Kabal he was with Grievous, on Geonosis he was with Dooku, and on Mandalore he traveled with another Dark Sider. Ventress, he called her."
Quinlan nodded. "I saw another, yes. That must be her. How's the battle?"
The sound of lightsabers meeting metal and deflecting energy could be heard, before Qui-Gon panted, "Fine, fine. Hectic, but we are doing well. Droid casualties are high. They've called in reenforcements, but the clones are positioned well, and Anakin-" There was silence, followed by Qui-Gon Jinn screaming, "Anakin, don't you dare try to steal that ship!" And then the com cut, leaving Quinlan to chuckle softly, his brown eyes drifting to Ahsoka, who was standing on her feet and testing her newfound abilities, stepping carefully and hearing no footfall, no echo, and she grinned widely at her Master.
"Keep your focus, or you'll lose it," Quinlan drawled, and the Togruta's eyes narrowed in focus, a pout on her lips, and the Kiffar smiled slightly, beaconing her to follow him as they silently made their way up the towering structure.
There was nothing. No droids, no people, no Sith Lords, but as they climbed higher, Quinlan could feel the stirring of the Dark Side, cold and oppressive and much like the feelings he had felt so long ago on the Sith Worlds he had visited with Kenobi. They had entered a large library, the room lit only by a small window on the far wall, and the Kiffar tensed as he entered. Something was there.
"Master?" Ahsoka asked, rubbing her arms as she shivered. "It feels different here, it's-"
He saw her before he felt her, and Quinlan roughly grabbed his Padawan by the arm and threw her to the side just as a red lightsaber slashed at the spot the Togruta previously occupied, the Kiffar's lightsaber flying to his hand and igniting the green blade as a second red saber swung around, the Master swiftly blocking it and returning with his own ferocious offense. The cloaked figure staggered back, growling deeply as if she were unprepared for such an aggressive attack, and she broke off from the Jedi, twin sabers held up crossed before her.
The lithe, athletic warrior threw off the gray cloak, shedding the heavy garment to increase her mobility, and the Kiffar's brown, interested eyes roved over the long, thin limbs, the taunt, strong body, the shorn head and stark, angular face, and he whistled, winking at the woman.
"Well, hello..." he drawled, casually flipping his lightsaber around his hand, an easy smirk on his lips as the pale-eyed woman's face sneered in disgust. "I didn't know the Sith recruited beautiful women."
"You must be Quinlan Vos," she sneered, and the Kiffar grinned in delight.
"Oh, my reputation precedes me?! Sweet Force, I've got to tell Qui-Gon! Hold on, he's never going to believe this!" The Kiffar activated his com, keeping his saber raised toward Ventress and putting himself between his Padawan and the Dark Sider. Ahsoka was on her feet, her own green saber lit, but she warily stayed back, ready to assist her Master, but she could sense the strength of the other woman.
There was static on the other side, and Ventress couldn't wait, with a vicious snarl, she launched herself at the Jedi, red sabers blazing through the air and moving swiftly and athletically, jumping over the Master to engage the Padawan, but the little Togruta was fast, much faster than anticipated, and far, far more aggressive than she could have imagined. But Ventress was better, and she targeted the young Jedi.
"Qui-Gon!" Master Vos said, gripping his saber in both hands and coming quickly between the Dark Sider and his Padawan, allowing the girl to get behind Ventress and attack, forcing the gray-skinned, snarling woman to divide her attentions. "You won't believe what Ahsoka and I found!"
"What is it," the Master on the con responded, his voice worried, and Quinlan cut low, forcing Ventress to jump to avoid the slash, and he angled the blade up high, the tip of his blade touching the woman's leg, and the Nightsister shrieked with rage, the Dark Side swelling around them.
"I found the woman you were looking for and she knows who I am!" Quinlan winked at the raging woman as he spun around, Ahsoka and him moving in perfect tandem as they both struck out against Ventress, their green blades meeting her defensive red and pressing against her, the woman's teeth grit in rage and strain as she fought to keep the deadly sabers from her. "We're going on a date right after the Republic liberates Christophsis!"
"Quinlan, focus!" Qui-Gon growled from the other side of the com.
"I am!" Ventress had swiftly put her foot into Ahsoka's gut, sending the Padawan across the room to the ground, and Ventress focused on the Master, a flurry of vicious slashes and stabs raining down on him that he only just barely managed to defend against. He cut the com, his eyes narrowing as he carefully studied her movements. If Obi-Wan had trained this woman, than the lost Jedi had changed more than the Kiffar was willing to admit. The woman's style was more in line with form two, a style that Count Dooku had been known for. He frowned, easing into a more aggressive push when Ahsoka rejoined the fray. If this woman was trained by Dooku, than what was she? Was she a Sith in training? Was she to be used to help take down the current Lord of the Sith? The Kiffar's eyes narrowed; he supposed it didn't matter. There would be lots of time to ask when he was on their date that evening. Republic prison cells were so romantic.
The longer they fought, the better grasp Quinlan had of his opponent, and as they went on, she got more and more angry, making her strikes faster, harder, more ferocious, but she was also beginning to make mistakes, leave openings. Ahsoka Tano, her Force connection to her Master wide open, picked up on exactly what he was seeing, and suddenly, the two Jedi moved as a single being. The Kiffar's sharp, tracker's eyes saw the opening, and the Togruta acted, the same weakness shown to her through the Force, and her green saber slipped right into the small opening, the tip of the blade sliding effortlessly into the woman's side, deep enough to wound, but not enough to kill.
The Nightsister hissed, dropping one blade and swiftly ducking out of the way as the Jedi pressed their advantage, defending and dodging with one blade for only a moment before she called her lost saber to her hand, and the battle continued, the pain feeding Ventress' anger.
All three combatants stopped suddenly, disengaging quickly as the Kiffar grabbed his Padawan and pulled her behind him, his green lightsaber held up before him and dark eyes roaming the room, keeping a watch on Ventress as she dropped to one knee, her sabers deactivating when cold, amused laughter echoed through the room. Quinlan tensed, holding his breath as his eyes focused on the man in a fine black tunic enter the room, his yellow eyes glowing in the shadows of his face.
"Quinlan Vos..." Obi-Wan purred, his hand held at his side calling his saber to his open palm from his belt.
The Kiffar winked. "Hey there, sexy..."
Kenobi clicked his tongue. "Now, now, Quin, you can't go flirt with me after you've got plans with my friend Ventress." He brought his hand up, shielding his face from the Nightsister's view and pointed at her. "She gets jealous."
"Oh, baby, you know you're the only one for me..."Quinlan drawled, taking a few steps toward the Sith, his blade pointed at the man's chest and Ahsoka secured safely behind him. "But I hear you've taken up with another lover."
"Mm, have I?"
"And at the height of our relationship!" the Kiffar cried, throwing his arm over his face dramatically, and the Sith Lord chuckled. Ahsoka and Ventress, for a moment, locked eyes, and both women shrugged. "How was I supposed to know you were flirting with the Dark Side. And right under my nose." Quinlan's eyes narrowed as Obi-Wan smirked, bringing his saber up and adjusting something on the hilt.
"Sweetheart, it was barely a secret. Shame on you for not noticing."
"Yeah, shame on me..." He looked at his old friend, really looked at him, and Quinlan found Obi-Wan almost exactly the same as when he last saw him. He was relaxed, his entire being intelligent and amused, his face affected with an easy smirk, but those golden eyes were burning with unrestrained passion. Once, long ago, those eyes had been blue, guarded, care and feeling seeming to hide behind a wall of Jedi ice, but this was fire. This was passion, unguarded and wild and free, and it made his old friend powerful. Quinlan tightened his grasp on the saber. Qui-Gon had been right. He couldn't feel the Sith Lord in the Force.
The com on his wrist beeped, and the Kiffar absently answered it. "Quinlan, what's happening?" Qui-Gon's frantic voice buzzed over the com, and the Kiffar watched carefully as the amusement dropped from Obi-Wan's face, only to be replaced by an impassive, expressionless mask.
"Company, that's all," he said softly, his voice choking slightly before he shook his head and cleared his throat. "Catching up with an old friend."
"Obi-Wan..." The com crackled, filled with the sounds of lightsabers and blasters, and the Sith's eye twitched, the corner of his mouth turning up into a repressed, vicious snarl. "Stay there and be careful, Quinlan, I'm on my way." The com went silent, and nobody moved.
"Ventress," Obi-Wan said slowly, and the woman rose to her feet, cautiously keeping an eye on the Jedi as she walked toward the Sith. "Jinn and Skywalker are on the way. Make certain they don't make it here. When I com you, go and ready our ship." She didn't say a word. The woman just nodded and dashed from the room, Ahsoka making to go after her, but was stopped by her Master's strong arm.
"They can handle her. She's good, but not that good." He turned angry brown eyes back to Kenobi, his old friend smirking again, the tension and anger from before faded like it was never there to begin with. "...how could you do this, Obi-Wan?"
"Don't pretend like you don't know, Quin. Out of all the Jedi, you are the one that would understand best."
Quinlan closed his eyes. He was right, of course. Something about all of this just felt right. He wasn't sure why he asked that. He just...didn't know what to say. Regardless, it would be over today. Qui-Gon and Anakin would be here soon, and the four of them should be able to take him. Skywalker would lose another arm, of course, but that was a fair trade. "I...do know why you fell. But I don't understand. I wish you came to me, I could have helped you, we could have done it together."
"I didn't need help, Quin," Obi-Wan said, his voice soft and almost...sad, he thought. "I wanted power, and I wasn't afraid to take it. There wasn't anything you could have done to stop this because I wanted it. I chose this." Ahsoka peeked out at the Sith from under Quinlan's arm, and the Sith brightened immediately, a cruel smirk on his face. "Oh, you brought a Padawan! Dangerous place to bring a student, Quinlan, what exactly did you plan to teach the girl? There aren't many lessons in death, I'm afraid."
"Obi-Wan, as much as I love you, I can't have you talk dirty around younglings!" He smirked, holding the girl back. "You only talk that way to me in private."
"What are you waiting for, Master?!" Ahsoka cried, slipping out from under his arm and raising her green blade at the Sith. "We can take him together!"
"Oh, she is precious," Kenobi cooed, and the Togruta's eyes narrowed.
"I'm not scared of you, Sithkiller."
"Oh, this is priceless, Quin, where did you dig this one up from?"
"Ahsoka, please," the Kiffar hissed, pulling the girl back, and the Sith's golden eyes widened.
"Ahsoka..." he drawled softly, and both Jedi looked curiously to the Sith Lord. "Master Plo's Ahsoka?" The caught breath and the widened eyes of the girl confirmed who she was, and the Sith softened considerably. "I remember you."
"Don't listen, Ahsoka, he's trying to mislead you."
"No, I'm not. Not yet, in any case. I saw her at the Temple after we got back from our mission. She...refocused me on my hunt for the Sith after the Council did everything they could to destroy and discredit me..." For just a moment, Quinlan could feel the Dark Side, rich and powerful and howling around his old friend, and then it was gone. The Kiffar wondered if he had actually seen it at all. "I doubt you remember, but-"
"I remember," the Togruta whispered, the green saber unsteady in her hands as she shook. "You were my hero. You...said you'd protect me. How could you abandon us!? There are thousands of younglings in the Temple, what's going to happen to them if the Sith win?!"
"I don't pretend to know my Master's plans."
Quinlan laughed. "You're just a slave, Kenobi."
"Or I'm just lying." The Sith smirked when the Jedi Master's eyes narrowed, bringing his lightsaber up again. "I'm not stupid enough to share my plans. You know that's always when things go wrong." He closed his eyes, reaching through the Force, and with a slight smile, he held out his hand, fingers splayed, and Ahsoka dropped to her knees, her lightsaber clattering to the ground as she grabbed the small domes of her head, the three points of her lekku twisting and turning as she struggled, and the Kiffar kneeled before her, hand on her head and recoiling suddenly as the Sith's sweet, soft voice echoed in his mind.
"...what have you done?" Quinlan snarled, standing again and swinging his blade around, jaw clenched in cold fury.
"Relax, Quin, I'm keeping her out of the way. I'm sure you don't want her harmed by accident." He laughed, igniting the crimson blade as he did so. "I do tend to have a lot of accidents, it's really unfortunate."
"Why are you doing this?!"
He shrugged. "I'm helping you train her. I think she's going to get this lesson in pain a bit indirectly. And I did say you'd need your weapon when we met." Kenobi turned golden eyes on the Padawan, her teeth clenched tightly as she attempted to resist the voice echoing in her mind. "Would you like that, my dear Ahsoka?"
"Be strong, Ahsoka, you can fight this!"
"...y-yes, Master..." The Kiffar looked back at his Padawan, her face contorted in deep concentration, her resistance strong, her eyes clouded, and Quinlan couldn't be sure who the girl was talking to.
"So, what, are you going to make her watch you kill me?"
Obi-Wan laughed. "I'm not going to kill you, Quin. I even lowered the power settings on my lightsaber just for you. It's not going to kill you but..." Kenobi grinned. "It is going to hurt quite a bit..." He brought the blade behind his shoulder, tip angled down and raised his other hand, pointing at the Jedi. "I do hope you've been training. I've always been better than you."
"Soresu, Kenobi?" Quinlan smirked. "An odd choice, for a Sith Lord."
"A smart choice, Quin. There are no odd choices. Come now. Try to kill me, Jedi. I promise this will only be agonizingly painful."
There wasn't anything left to say, and Quinlan was tired of stalling. Qui-Gon and Anakin would arrive eventually. For now, all that was left to do was to throw himself against Obi-Wan, his green blade arching in the air and beating against the iron defenses of the Sith. The fight was vicious, the Jedi's lightsaber leaving streaks of brilliant green through the air as he flipped over the Sith, slashing down at him and trying to get around him. He was moving so quickly that for a short amount of time, it seemed like Kenobi was being attacked from all sides. But even so, the Sith was exerting hardly any effort at all. He was just as quick as the Kiffar, but while Master Vos' movements were powerful and strong and punctuated with high mobility made impressive by extreme athleticism, Obi-Wan moved his arms only when necessary. Most of the time, the Sith was able to perry the swift, vicious strikes with a slight move of his wrists, the red blade moving slightly to gently push the green blade just out of the way instead of knocking it to the side.
Quinlan wasn't getting anywhere, and when he backed off even slightly, Kenobi pressed forward, slipping out of the defensive Soresu and easing into the swift, deadly efficiency of Dooku's Makashi, and it was during one of Quinlan's retreats that Kenobi touched him for the first time, the red blade pressing into his left shoulder and cutting diagonally across the Kiffar's chest, the green and brown earth tones of his tunic cutting easily and singing the corse fabric. He staggered back, clutching his chest and gasping and shock, and for a moment, Quinlan thought Kenobi lied. His weapon was set to its highest setting, the red blade deadly, and he had just been struck across the chest, a dark, savage burn on his skin to mark the lightsaber's trail. His lungs burned like there were flames within him, and the Kiffar dropped to his knees when he found himself unable to breathe.
"Oh, stop being so dramatic," Kenobi drawled, rolling his eyes. "I told you, I lowered the setting. You're not dying, you're not even injured, it just goes skin deep." The Kiffar's hand clutched around his lightsaber as he looked at Ahsoka, her hazy blue eyes wide, and he could feel her panic and her worry through their bond. Closing his eyes, he sent what comfort he could to her, but their connection was blocked. The Sith stood in the way of it, his own command of the Dark Side stopping the river of the Force that flowed between them.
"If you're going to kill me, do it..." Quinlan gasped, and the Sith Lord just laughed.
"If I was going to kill you, you'd already be dead." He smirked, twirling the red blade easily around his wrist. "Come now, my friend. Don't let that stop you. This is a lower setting than the one my Master uses on me, and I keep fighting."
Quinlan groaned as he got to his feet, his lungs burning with every breath, the rough, seared trail across his chest sending new pain through him each time his chest expanded. With a deep breath, he centered himself through the pain, connecting with the Force and renewing his focus. With a cocky smirk, he raised his lightsaber. "What can I say, you always were better than me."
"I know."
"What's it like being a slave to the Sith? Obviously it hurts." He grinned. "Do you like it, Obi-Wan?"
The taunting didn't work. The Sith Lord just smirked, sauntering closer to the Kiffar. "The Jedi lied to you, you know. Your Code is a collection of half truths meant to keep you complacent. I was freed by the Code of the Sith. And don't give me that nonsense about being a slave to my own desires, it's just more lies from the Jedi, and coming from you, it would be downright hypocritical."
"You don't need to lecture me about the Jedi Code, Obi-Wan, I'm not a youngling." The Master scoffed. "And I don't follow it anyway. Not well, at least."
"...I know." The Sith Lord held out his hand to his old friend. "There's power in the Dark Side, Quin. More than the Jedi tell you about. The Force can truly set you free, if you allow it. You are already walking in the shadows of the Force. Come with me, I'll show you the power of the Dark Side."
"I never wanted that."
"Power and freedom, Quinlan! You've always been a free spirit, you were never meant to walk the path of the Jedi!"
"...I'll decide what path I walk." He raised his green saber and pointed it at the Sith. "We've talked enough. Qui-Gon said words are your weapon, and I'll hear no more from you."
"...that isn't my only weapon, Quin," Kenobi sighed, raising his saber, the red blade humming in the air, and the Kiffar attacked, the furious green blade moving even faster than before, something Kenobi didn't think was possible. This Jedi Master was fully in tune with the Force, his focus absolute, the pain in his body faded into nothing, and Kenobi couldn't help but smile. His friend had become much stronger. It wasn't enough, though, and even in the Jedi's concentration, Kenobi could feel the cracks in his defenses, the slow stream of darkness that lay just below the surface, and if he could just reach out and touch it...
The Sith ducked under a savage strike from the Kiffar, his red blade held at a downward angle just over his head, the green blade connecting and sliding harmlessly off, and when the weapon was free, Kenobi brought the blade up over his head in a wide circle, the red saber passing right through both of the Kiffar's forearms, the armor he wore shattering and falling away, and with a cry of pain, he dropped his lightsaber into the Sith's open, waiting hand.
Quinlan staggered back, clutching the burning rings of skin on his forearms, and he glared at the smirking Obi-Wan, the man teasingly holding his lightsaber in his off-hand. The Kiffar could feel rage building up inside him, a cold fury that made him blind to everything but the Sith before him. Obi-Wan was his friend once, and he did not forget that, but in that moment, he wanted Kenobi dead.
Obi-Wan took a deep breath, his golden eyes drifting the shaking Ahsoka, the girl looking pale and ill under the force of the Dark Side that held her down. "You know, if you stop resisting, it doesn't feel so bad," he drawled, and the Togruta recoiled, strengthening her defenses and looking like she would retch for having done so. "Do you want to see what the Dark Side is like?" he asked softly, pointing to the fuming Kiffar. "I feel like you may see it in your Master. Tell me, if he fell, would you follow? A good Padawan follows their Master without question..."
Quinlan's green lightsaber was torn out of Kenobi's hands and was caught by the charging Kiffar, bringing the weapon down in a furious slash that just missed the Sith, and Kenobi was forced to give ground, quickly dodging out of the way and backing up to avoid the furious assault. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, except maybe once before. Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed, each slash coming closer than the last to fatally striking him, but he had to know. Quinlan was a known practitioner of Ataru, like many Jedi, but when he began this assault, there had been a change, a subtle shift in the way that the Master dueled that left the Force itself raging through his blade, giving him almost supernatural speed and power, and with a smirk, Kenobi felt the stirring of the Dark Side within the Jedi.
Their blades locked, the Kiffar's face contorted in rage, and Kenobi softly drawled, "Quinlan, is that Vaapad you are using? When did Mace teach you that?" The Jedi snarled, renewing his vicious assault, but now, Obi-Wan knew what Quinlan was doing, and with the Dark Side running through his blood, he had a way in. "You're enjoying this, aren't you? The use of Vaapad requires it. That isn't very Jedi, is it?"
"Shut up!" He swung his lightsaber with such speed it seemed as though ribbons of light were surrounding him, his frustrations rising as Kenobi avoided or blocked every single strike. However, he had the Sith on the defensive, and that was good enough for him. He reached out to strike again at his retreating opponent, but this time, the Sith moved in, blades locking at the hilt, red over green, and Quinlan couldn't move his weapon without moving back, allowing the Sith to stop the Jedi's offensive and begin his own. Quinlan wouldn't allow that to happen.
"I can't imagine Mace Windu approving of your use of his style. Did your Masters not tell you how dangerous using the Dark Side is, Quin?" The Sith was smirking, those golden eyes glowing. "Especially against me?"
Quinlan felt anger flash through him, drawing in as much power as he could and he felt strength well within him, but only for a moment. The yellow eyes before him flashed, and the Force within the Jedi, veined with darkness, transformed into agonizing pain, and the red saber slashed up, the tip of the blade cutting a burning trail through the gold band tattoo on the Kiffar's face and next to his right eye. It was over. Quinlan staggered back, dropping his lightsaber and falling to the floor and hand pressed tightly against his face and convulsing as his blood boiled in his veins. He heard the Sith's lightsaber deactivate, the plasma energy shutting off with a hiss, and Kenobi kneeled down next to the Jedi, his long-fingered hand slipping gently into the Kiffar's thick black hair.
"If you just let go, you could be great. Quinlan, we could be great." The Jedi couldn't answer. He could barely move, and he tensed when he heard Ahsoka's strangled gasp, the girl struggling against the powers that held her, but she was just a Padawan. She had little training, and nothing could have prepared her for the power of this Lord of the Sith. He'd be lying to himself he said he wasn't tempted, didn't feel the Dark Side calling to him stronger than it ever had before, but he needed to resist. For Ahsoka.
The timing couldn't have been better for Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin Skywalker to come running into the room, blue sabers blazing and both men out of breath, sweaty and extremely disheveled, positively covered in dust and dirt and oil and lubricant from the droids they had destroyed to get there. Their tunics were singed in several places from too close calls from blaster shots, and the shoulder of Anakin's tunic had been cut nearly all the way through with what had to have been a lightsaber.
Obi-Wan slowly rose, eying the two Jedi cautiously. There were a few reasons as to why Ventress had failed in her task, but Kenobi could only think of one. He closed his eyes, reaching out with the Force as he paged Asajj on the comlink at his wrist. She didn't answer, and she didn't need to. Kenobi could feel her in the Force, her presence frustrated and raging, but she was alive. His eyes narrowed. His time with Quinlan had been enjoyable, but seeing his old Master with the boy that replaced him set the Sith's blood to boiling, the glowing coals of the Dark Side held tightly in his grasp as he readied to stoke it into consuming flames.
"Took you long enough," Quinlan groaned from the ground, slowly pushing himself up and pointing toward Ahsoka. "He's in her mind, we need to get her free."
"Understood," Qui-Gon whispered, slowly advancing on the Sith, and golden eyes narrowed at him. Anakin faded into the shadows behind him, watching the Sith carefully, but Obi-Wan's full attention was on Master Jinn.
"Yoda isn't here to save you this time, Qui-Gon," Kenobi snarled, and the Master glared at his former student.
"He doesn't need to be. You won't kill me, I can feel your hesitation. Like it or not, you and I are connected."
"Underestimating me is a mistake, Master."
"I never would," Qui-Gon said, shaking his head. "But Anakin and I fought your friend Ventress for a very long time, and we come here to find both our friends alive. It's not too late for you."
Kenobi looked over at Quinlan, the tall man gently cupping his Padawan's face in his hands and trying to reach her through the Dark Side, the young Ahsoka groaning as she struggled to tune out the soft, compelling voice that echoed in her head, and Qui-Gon, standing before him with his guard lowered. Obi-Wan brought his lightsaber up and adjusted it, turning the power up to its maximum level, the thrum of the energy increasing in pitch as the blade turned from painful to deadly.
"You're right," he said, closing his eyes and reaching through the Force to sense his surroundings. "You and I are still connected. I won't kill you, Qui-Gon. But I will make you suffer."
"We can-"
"We can't!" Obi-Wan snarled, the yellow eyes blazing as he stoked the flames of the Dark Side, and Ahsoka howled in pain, grasping her head as suffering rushed through her with the increased power of the Force. Quinlan left her side, drawing his saber again and coming to stand before the older Master. Kenobi laughed loudly, his accented voice cold and cruel and bitter, and the Masters slowly moved out to flank him. "You say it's not too late for me, Qui-Gon. You claim to want to bring me back, but you are lying to me. Again. Just as you always have."
"Obi-Wan, I can help you of you'd let me!"
"No, you won't. You can't." The yellow eyes fell on Qui-Gon accusingly. "Tell me where Skywalker is. You walked in with him, and now he's gone so where did you tell him to hide." Qui-Gon said nothing, and the Sith started laughing loudly. "So what's the plan? Did you hide him to ambush me? Are you going to kill me today, or just bring me in?"
"Obi-Wan, if you'd just listen-"
"That's alright. You don't need to tell me." The Sith closed his eyes and reached out with the Force, and watching his only opportunity beginning to slip him by, Anakin dropped down from the ceiling, his blade striking the ground as Kenobi sidestepped it, bringing his own blade around and viciously going after Skywalker as he surrendered to the power and wrath of the Dark Side.
The other two Masters rushed in to help, but Kenobi's splayed hand shot out towards them and sent Quinlan and Qui-Gon flying across the room, striking one of the many bookshelves along the wall and sending books tumbling off the shelves. Like before, Kenobi fought defensively, his sharp yellow eyes carefully watching his opponent's movements, his whole being so lost in the Force that when Anakin reached out to try and gauge his adversary, all he felt was the torrent of the Dark Side, a bright, shining storm in the Force that drowned out all else. His actions were guided by something else, and it allowed the Sith to divide his attention, his body moving nearly automatically, as if something else held control, while Kenobi allowed his eyes to drift to the two Masters now rushing toward him. Once again, he reached out his hand, and pointed toward Ahsoka Tano, and issued one, single command.
"Kill the Jedi."
The voice echoed in her head, soft at first, than louder and louder until her own thoughts began chanting in unison with the voice of the Sith Lord. The girl rose, activated her lightsaber, and rushed at the two Masters, Quinlan and Qui-Gon turning just in time to see the green blade streaking toward them, and the Kiffar staggered back, the older Master locking blades with the Togruta.
"Go help Anakin, I'll help her." With a nod, Quinlan rushed in to aid Skywalker. The boy seemed to be holding his own, but the Kiffar knew that wouldn't last.
When Quinlan joined the fray, Obi-Wan had to divert his full attention to the matter at hand. The Kiffar was already furious, made even more so by worry for his student, and Anakin, for all his brashness and reckless behavior, had learned from their previous encounters, and was a rare, natural talent for lightsaber combat. Kenobi knew he could win with enough time and patience. After all, the Jedi had already been worn down by Ventress. Lightsabers clashed and sparked and filled the air with light, and Kenobi was unable to press any offensive. Anakin and Quinlan worked terribly well together, and when one finished pressing an assault, the other would simply slip in to keep the pressure on the Sith. They worked in tandem, the two Jedi perfectly synched with one another, and this couldn't be allowed to continue. Kenobi shivered when he felt the Force run cold, and, gritting his teeth, he allowed the Dark Side to engulf him, reaching out with his off-hand and sending Quinlan to his knees in clear agony. The Dark Side ran just under the Kiffar's skin, and thought he didn't embrace it, it gave Kenobi an easy way to reach within his old friend.
The moment was enough to stop Skywalker, the teenager lurching forward as his partner fell, and, the Padawan hung back, putting himself between the Kiffar and the Sith. He frowned as the serious, focused expression on Kenobi's face melted back to one of ease and amusement. He was back in control of the situation, and Anakin hated it.
"What's wrong, Skywalker?" Are you afraid?" the Sith purred, taunting the young Jedi, and Anakin grimaced.
"I've never been afraid of you. Let Master Quinlan and Ahsoka go. Now."
"You don't get to make demands of me." The golden eyes narrowed, but Anakin didn't rush in to engage. Obi-Wan did, though, this time on the offensive, and Anakin deftly moved and blocked and parried, feeling the Force fill him and focus him as calm settled over him, keeping himself between Kenobi and the other three Jedi. As long as he had life within him, Skywalker wouldn't let the Sith pass.
But it never came to that. While Kenobi was engaged with Skywalker, Qui-Gon had managed to subdue the rabid Ahsoka, securing her lightsaber to his belt, and rushed to Quinlan, touching him on the shoulder, and within a moment, the Kiffar was breathing deeply and ready again to fight. Anakin grinned as the two Masters joined the fray, and for the first time since he had seen him, Anakin saw concern on Kenobi's face.
It still wasn't an easy fight. Despite Quinlan's fury, Qui-Gon's diverting attacks, and Anakin's powerful strikes, Obi-Wan stayed strong, positioning himself just right to cause the Jedi to get in the way of each other, his defensive Soresu a perfect and energy-preserving shield, and despite the speed of the Jedi, they could never surround him. When his comlink beeped incessantly, the Sith Lord smirked, his golden eyes gleaming with delight.
"It's over, Jedi."
"We're just getting started," Anakin growled, and Obi-Wan laughed when Qui-Gon's own comlink went off. Even Quinlan stopped, pulling back to guard the other Master as he answered it, his own green lightsaber and Anakin's pointed toward the Sith.
The voice on the other end was frantic, panicked, punctuated by the audio cutting and the words blurred by static, but through the audio chaos, the occupants in the room could hear clearly the words, "Everyone is dying! It came out of nowhere!" It was followed by screams and a fearsome, piercing roar, and a distant voice could be heard saying in terror, "It's a rancor." Then the com cut, filling the silence with static.
Kenobi shrugged theatrically, the Jedi frozen in their place. "Oh dear. If you leave now, Jedi, you may be able to save some of them."
"...Master," Anakin whispered. "I can't beat this Sith alone..."
"We can't beat him in pairs either," Qui-Gon said softly, retracting his blade.
Quinlan looked at them in shock. "We can't just let him go, Qui-Gon! Not after all he's done!"
"We can, and we will," he whispered, his dark blue eyes never leaving Obi-Wan's pleased face. "We'll have other chances to deal with the Sith, and this war won't end with his capture. But we only have this chance now to save our men."
"The Senator's there too, Master," Anakin said, switching off his lightsaber and returning it to his belt.
"We need to hurry," Qui-Gon insisted, and the Kiffar snarled, putting away his weapon and running to his Padawan. He scooped the unconscious girl up and held her to him tightly, brown eyes narrowing at the Sith. Kenobi bowed.
"Until next time, Master Vos. I do so look forward to it."
"Oh, I do as well, Obi-Wan." With a last look at his former friend, Quinlan dashed out of the room on the heels of his fellow Jedi, leaving Obi-Wan Kenobi alone in the dark of the room, quietly laughing to himself. The events of the day saw all his plans laid out before him. It wouldn't be long now. The Jedi would be his.