Obi-Wan Kenobi zoomed through hyperspace in his Jedi starfighter, accompanied by his faithful astromech R4. As the flares of blue flames and nebulae flew by, anticipation built within him who he was about to meet again, the same evil being he'd encountered half a dozen times already and narrowly escaped each time. He was heading for Utapau to confirm Grievous was there, and provide a distraction to the honor combat-obsessed General for the Clone Army to arrive and capture the planet. He flexed his hands to relieve the tension. The opportunity to end the war was upon the Republic, but he had better not let his guard down. Grievous was a monster above all else, but he was also cunning, and Kenobi suspected he had a few tricks left up his bionic sleeve.
Coming out of hyperspace, he saw the dusty planet and a few Separatist ships in sight. The ships were near the planet's north pole, almost out of sight as if hiding from the impending fleet. He changed course to fly toward the planet's lower hemisphere to dodge the frigates. He would change trajectory again once in the atmosphere to reach Pau City, leaving none of the Separatists the wiser about his arrival. R4 chittered worriedly as one of the frigates turned, but it was merely shifting its position to align with the rest.
"Don't worry, R4, they're not our real enemies here." R4 calmed down, though Kenobi suspected the little droid doubted his words. As they flew towards Utapau's equator the Separatist ships stayed where they were, albeit shifting and changing their order periodically. It was relieving, but too convenient. Kenobi suspected through the Force that something was luring him here, something that wanted him down on Utapau to face him head-on. Not doubt Grievous was behind it, he relished every opportunity to attack and kill Jedi one-on-one. It was quite uncivilized of him, and even thousands of kilometers above the surface he felt his bloodthirsty mind below, endlessly plotting conquest and slaughter.
The starfighter began its descent for the surface, and Kenobi checked the navcomputer for Pau City's coordinates. He turned to go north, passing a few sinkhole cities on the way. He checked the ground, asking R4 to do so as well for any divisions of battle droids. R4 ran a scan, then began beeping hurriedly.
"You're seeing hailfires?" Kenobi asked in surprise. He leaned over to look out his cockpit, and he saw orange and gray dots walking or rolling on the ground. There were spider droids and patches of super battle droids marching in the sand. They were marching north like him in long and wide formations that kicked up clouds of dust and sand high enough to reach his starfighter.
"Looks like more firepower than I thought. R4, send a coded message that the Separatists have a stronger military presence than we expected. Commander Cody will want more men for this."
Awhile after he passed the army of steel, the ground gave way to a massive sinkhole, much wider than the others he'd seen. It was surely Pau City, and the starfighter descended into its depths. As he did so, he saw a few native Utapauns watching and pointing at the strange newcomer, but they seemed to forget him once he passed and went back to their tasks. He also saw many metal buildings and outcroppings on the walls of the sinkhole that looked conspicuously new and out of place. Once or twice he saw figures making repairs or adjustments to them, but they were too thin and shiny to be Utapauns.
After descending halfway into the sinkhole, Kenobi touched down at an inviting platform, where two Utai were waiting nearby, hoping the ship needed repairs so they could earn a few quick credits. He ordered R4 to stay with the ship and keep watch in case they had to leave suddenly, then he hooded himself and started toward the sinkhole walls holding the platform in place. Walking solemnly toward his ship from within the walls was a group of Utapauns, their long velvet coats fluttering with each step. Kenobi stopped and bowed in greeting once they were close enough to speak quietly to each other.
"Master Jedi," the head Utapaun said, bowing as well, "welcome to our world. I am Tion Medon, administrator of this city. To what do we owe the honor?"
"Unfortunately, the war," Kenobi said. "I'm told General Grievous is in this sector."
Medon shook his head. "There's no war here, Master Jedi, unless you brought it with you."
A hundred meters up in the distance, unbeknownst to Jedi or Utapaun, a squad of Magna-guards moved into position to watch, one of whom activated a recorder in its photoreceptors, implanted by Grievous just an hour prior. Another chittered in droid speak to a squad elsewhere, confirming what they had seen.
"I understand," Kenobi said. "I just need my ship refueled and I'll be on my way, though I may return while searching for Grievous, if you don't mind."
"Not at all, Master Jedi, we are most welcoming to visitors." Medon gestured to the waiting Utai, and they ran over to Kenobi's ship. Medon looked back at Kenobi, and his friendliness evaporated as he stepped closer, his expression turning grave. "Grievous is here, he's watching us," he whispered to the Jedi. "We are being held hostage. Thousands of battle droids are on every level. He's hiding, but I don't know where exactly."
Kenobi nodded, feigning amiableness to pretend he had not been warned. "Tell your people to take shelter," he whispered back, "and if you have any warriors, now is the time."
"Thank you," Medon said, and he stepped back, his geniality returning as quickly as it vanished. "Until we meet again, Master Jedi!" He spoke the words louder and dramatically, and Kenobi bowed in respect, then he turned and departed with his entourage. Kenobi walked back to his starfighter and jumped inside. The starfighter lifted off, much to R4's relief, and left Pau City.
Or so any naïve onlooker thought. On the left end of the platform, crouched under a few shipping crates carelessly placed by an Utai, Kenobi lay, having hidden as his starfighter lifted off. The Magna-guards watching did not notice this at all, and reported to their commander that the Jedi was gone. Just as they turned to leave the scene, Kenobi got up and ran off the platform into the city, his robe masking his identity and making him appear like a ghost. No one except the Utai workers noticed, but they knew better than to gossip about a Jedi's exploits.
XXXXX
At long last, the final Council member, Wat Tambor, arrived in his shuttle and joined the displeased group of executives and tradesmen gathered before General Grievous in Pau City's main hangar. Grievous gestured curtly to the councilman to take his seat, which he did so, not wanting to upset the General and prolong another tiring meeting. Tambor assumed it would be a short one, perhaps negotiations with the Republic were in order already. The Techno Union had a poor quarter, and he wasn't keen on continuing a futile war when better opportunities to profit existed.
"Councilmen," Grievous began, "by now I'm sure you all know of the fate of Count Dooku. While this is an unfortunate setback for our cause, I assure you all my resolve has never been stronger to fight for the CIS and all it stands for."
"How do you expect to lead the Confederacy?" Nut Gunray demanded, rising out of his seat. "Dooku knew how to negotiate and bring us new allies, you are a military man and nothing more."
Grievous remained calm, though Tambor thought he internally wanted to cut the Viceroy in half with his lightsaber. "Need I remind you, Viceroy, that the Republic has suffered an even worse setback? Their precious Chancellor is dead, killed by Dooku's own hand. Many citizens of the Republic looked up to him but no one else. Now that he is gone, countless worlds will see the Republic for the pile of filthy corruption that it is. New allies, Viceroy, we will receive many, more than you care to know! More allies, more cannon fodder to protect all your riches!"
"And where will we meet?" Tambor asked. "Where will the Senate meet? This world is hardly ideal, and I'm sure the Republic knows of it by now."
"Our defenses are flawless," Grievous bragged, "but to feel secure the Council will be stationed on the Mustafar system. It is a volcanic planet in the Outer Rim, well and far away from prying eyes. It has a base prepared by Dooku for you, you all will be safe there. The Senate is still safe where they are on Raxus Secundus, but should that world be attacked too, they will be brought to Mustafar as well."
"And what of you and the Droid Army?" asked San Hill. "Since you so insist you can lead the entire Separatist cause and the Droid Army at the same time, how will you carry on this war?"
"Have I steered you wrong before?" Grievous nearly shouted. "If anyone wishes to advise me on how to lead an army, stand right up!" He patted a lightsaber on his belt, and none of the councilmen dared stand. "I've been a warrior since childhood. I've led armies and crushed countless upstarts and enemies, and none will escape me! You cannot defeat the Republic without me, and you cannot lead the Separatists on your own without Dooku. You all need me, you need me to fight this war and keep your petty disagreements from destroying each other!"
Tambor shivered nervously. When Grievous got angry, it was easy for an unlucky droid to lose its head. Under Dooku, Grievous wouldn't dare attack a councilman or a Separatist senator, but who knew if he would keep his control now? He didn't want to be around when Grievous was pushed too far, either from a battlefield loss or Gunray's insults. At least he was concentrated on him and Hill instead of the others. Tambor was also on the table's far side, allowing him a few seconds of escape if Grievous attacked to his shuttle just a stone's throw away.
"When will we go to Mustafar, then?" Gunray asked, quieter and less aggressive.
"Your ship is waiting, and you all must leave now. I anticipate an attack from the Republic very soon, unless you want to be here when the clones come for us." That remark made Gunray walk just a tad faster as the councilmen gathered their belongings and headed for a giant Nemoidian shuttle awaiting them, with a squadron of trifighters and gunships to escort. Tambor followed the group, glad he was away from that biodroid again, a being he detested yet relied upon to advance their cause.
The departure was quick and orderly, and as the shuttle lifted off and out of the sinkhole the meeting table was removed and defense preparation resumed. The shuttle and squadron would be travelling alone through the cosmos to reach Mustafar, but Loathsom anticipated nothing amiss would happen during the journey. Attack by the Republic was highly unlikely given their concentration on Utapau and the ongoing fallout on their political front, and having an extra frigate could make all the difference in the impending battle.
Once the Council was gone, Grievous went back to giving orders and checking defenses in each hangar. He congratulated himself on the meeting, it had gone well enough, despite letting his temper get the better of him. Despite receiving a safe haven, they would be back again to bicker and complain. They still didn't trust his leadership, and they never would. The Senate was even worse, they had hung on Dooku's every word and feared every one of Grievous's. Challenges to his leadership would come, but a victory on Utapau could buy him some time.
Loathsom approached him, breaking his thoughts. "General, the Republic's here. Battlecruisers are approaching the planet. The tactical droid commanding our fleet requests permission to engage before they can land."
"Engage, but not wholesale," said Grievous. "Tell them to retreat if the enemy is too strong. We must lure them in, then we will annihilate them!"
"Yes, sir." Loathsom went away, and Wedd approached to take his place.
"The city defenses are ready, General," the insectoid said, "and we have armies on the surface."
"Excellent. You and Loathsom, go to the command headquarters in Hangar 2E. I will deal with any Jedi that show up." Wedd hurried away, and the preparations continued with more divisions of droids rotating and taking positions. It was so satisfying to watch when every subordinate did as was told and moved like clockwork. There was a Jedi among the army, there always was in one this large. He wasn't afraid, he was elated another lightsaber would soon be in his collection.
XXXXX
Up and over a hanger leapt a giant, dragon-like creature with green feathers, bellowing in a high-pitched call that sent Utai workers fleeing else be crushed under its massive paws. It charged down a hall, goaded on by its rider, the mighty Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi had made many animal friends from planet to planet across the Galaxy, and this varactyl was another for the list. These friends had saved his life more than once, and his mount would probably do it today when he confronted the Grievous, wherever he was hiding in Pau City.
The varactyl skidded to a stop in a rocky alcove, and Kenobi pulled out his transmitter. "Cody, where are your men?"
"We're still engaging the Separatist fleet, sir. There's more ships than we expected. We should still be able to get through, we'll be in Pau City in an hour."
"Understood, good luck." Kenobi was about to strike the varactyl into running again when a column of commando droids marched past on the catwalk below. Kenobi quickly commanded the varactyl through to hold still, and he watched the column make its way down the hall toward Hangar 2E. It was a smaller hangar, but it was near Hangar 10, the largest of the city, and the one where most of the droid forces were gathering. Grievous was never far from the action, and Kenobi sensed he was there.
Hangar 2E was almost deserted except for a platoon of B1 droids patrolling in the middle of it. There were almost in plain sight, a rookie mistake for whoever was coordinating and placing them. Were the Separatists really this disorganized without Dooku? Kenobi ignored the platoon and the varactyl resumed running, too fast for them to notice. However, Kenobi did notice their back power packs were bulkier than usual, perhaps they were there for some kind of upkeep instead.
Kenobi brought his mount to rest as he saw the ceiling of Hangar 10. He was hundreds of feet up over the whole hangar, where he could see droid ships, fighters, and column after column of battle droids of almost every type. At the far end of the hangar he spotted a short alien with green skin and a wide, black outfit entering a chamber, but it was too far away for him to tell who it was. It wasn't any Separatist commander he recognized, and the way it had briefly addressed a tactical droid before leaving indicated it had some seniority.
He brought out his commlink. "Cody, I've spotted a Separatist commander, identity unknown. Be on the lookout, Grievous has more help than we anticipated."
"Roger, we're almost there."
Kenobi looked down at the hangar's center. There lay a semicircle of desks and comfortable chairs that some labor droids were picking up and moving away. It looked very similar to the Separatist Council chamber he saw on Geonosis three years ago. They must have just wrapped up a meeting, if they knew the Republic was coming they either fled or went into hiding in the city's depths.
"I suspect the Separatist Council is here, Cody, move to capture if you find them."
Next to the Council seats was a squad of Magna-guards, their staffs at the ready and formed around a figure in their center. That figure was Grievous, whom Kenobi instantly recognized from any angle. The biodroid was giving orders to the guards, pointing and turning in a lively fashion. Kenobi could not make out what Grievous was saying, but his tone indicated neither fear nor anger, instead he exuded confidence. The general was prepared, this would not be an easy battle.
"Cody, where are you?" Kenobi asked into his comlink. He was ready to engage the General, but he wanted to make sure backup was behind. Squadrons of droid trifighters and gunships began lifting off and flying out the hangar, and platoons of droids below left hurriedly in each direction. Had they spotted Cody's men? Grievous remained at his position to give more orders, but if his forces were mobilizing, he might soon move too. Kenobi reached out through the Force, trying to get a sense of the Separatists' strategy, and he sensed three beings in the city. Grievous was one of them, and the other two were likely Separatist commanders, but they were hidden away somewhere far from the hangar, too far for him to go looking for them while Grievous was in his sights.
"We're almost there, General," Cody replied. "Droid resistance on the surface has been put down, but we took some casualties."
"Cody, the droid forces are mobilizing and taking defensive positions. Expect heavy resistance, I'm making my move on Grievous."
"Understood General, be careful."
Kenobi dismounted from the varactyl, and told it to get out of sight until he needed him again, and the beast dutifully obeyed, crawling away into an alcove and out of sight. Kenobi spread his arms, took a deep breath, and leapt down into the hangar, using the Force to slow his descent and lessen the impact so he landed nimbly on the metal floor hundreds of feet down, just a stone's throw away from Grievous.
"Hello there!" Kenobi called to the general as he rose from his landing.
Grievous and his Magna-guards turned to face the Jedi, and Grievous savored this moment. At last the Jedi was here, which meant the Republic wasn't far behind, and about to fall into their trap. Another warrior's duel awaited him, what could be better?
"General Kenobi, we've been expecting you," Grievous said regally as he pointed to his Magna-guards to advance on Kenobi. Dozens of platoons of droids had already seen Kenobi and were surrounding him, their blasted locked and loaded. Grievous raised his hand to hold their fire, he would destroy this Jedi slime himself, once the Magna-guards softened him up first.
"Kill him," Grievous said with diabolical glee, and the Magna-guards marched toward Kenobi, their phrik staffs sparkling with electric discharge. Kenobi grabbed a row of super battle droids behind him with the Force, and sent it flying toward the guards, knocking a few down while the others caught the droids on their staffs and tossed them aside. Kenobi drew his lightsaber to parry a blow from one of them, and he looked for another blunt object to defeat the guards with. There was a generator on the roof over them. With an effort that sapped some of his strength, he snapped the generator off its bolts, and it came crashing down. It struck all but one of the Magna-guards and crushed them flat, and Kenobi went to work on the last one, nearly getting zapped by the guard's staff. The guard swung at his legs, and Kenobi jumped onto the droid's back and beheaded it, then impaled his lightsaber through its chest to finish it off.
Kenobi stood up and beheld Grievous as if nothing major had happened, staring at his handiwork. "Shall we?" Kenobi dared, raising his lightsaber and pointing his two fingers at the General in his defensive stance.
"You're not getting away this time, Kenobi!" Grievous said as he undid his cloak and drew four green and blue lightsabers. He bent his knees, and his lower arms began spinning, and he brought the lightsabers low enough to slash the floor, leaving burnt, orange streaks as he stepped toward Kenobi. His arms beat faster and faster like windmills, while his upper arms poised their lightsabers ready to strike. He growled and coughed as his arms beat faster still, yearning for the sabers to sink into flesh.
Kenobi took a step back, readying himself to intercept Grievous's signature move. As the general closed the gap between them, the lightsabers suddenly stopped spinning, and he leapt forward with all four pointed at Kenobi's chest. Kenobi parried the blow as he stepped back again, then gave an uppercut toward Grievous, which the general caught with his right sabers. Grievous swiped with his left arms at Kenobi, and the Jedi jumped back again, then he went on the offensive, slashing at Grievous's torso from side to side. Grievous's drivers in his arms failed him for just a millisecond, but it was enough for Kenobi's lightsaber to cleanly sever his lower left hand, sending it and its lightsaber falling down into another chamber below. Grievous briefly stared at the smoldering stump, then grunted and charged again, slashing and attacking savagely.
Grievous savored the duel, he had spent too long in the conference room planning this planet's defenses. He was about to land a blow on Kenobi's head when the shouts of clones in the distance caught his and Kenobi's attention. The Republic was here at last, but those shouts of clones didn't sound orderly or confident as they usually did. A quick glance to the sinkhole's entrance revealed why. A Republic gunship that just entered the sinkhole was lit up by Wedd's turrets placed just below, and its hull blew apart into flaming chunks. It fell into the depths below, taking all its warriors with it. Some gunships got lucky and escaped the onslaught to drop their clones off, and these were in the catwalks over the hangar he was in. Squads of droids moved to engage them. An explosion went off in another hangar, meaning Wedd's booby traps were already being used.
Grievous ignored the attacking clones for now, his defenses would hold, and he attacked Kenobi again with slashes from above and below. Kenobi leapt over Grievous in-between his arms to dodge him, landing behind the General and swinging at his torso. Grievous jumped back and blocked him, then stabbed at his torso, which Kenobi stepped back from just in time. Grievous prepared to stab at the Jedi again when a volley of blaster bolts from the clones struck at his clawed feet, nearly hitting him. The General was caught off guard, and he blocked bolt after bolt as more clones spotted him and opened fire. Kenobi surged forward and swept at his right side, cutting off another hand, leaving Grievous with only two lightsabers remaining.
A heavy shell struck the hangar floor, knocking both Jedi and General off their feet. Grievous got down to all fours and crawled away, stashing his lightsabers on his waist as he did so. He had lost the advantage, best to retreat and find a better position to take out Kenobi. The droids would take care of the clones, but he didn't want any interfering with his duel.
To the right edge of the hangar waited his latest and favorite vehicle: his wheelbike. It was just completed by Baktoid for him a month ago, though he hadn't had the chance to take it with him when he attacked Coruscant. With Kenobi here, he had a perfect opportunity to test his new toy. He crawled along the floor speedily, then stood up as he reached its pad, slapping a clumsy B1 aside as he did so. He run a hand over the wheelbike's armor, letting one of his fingers make an evil hiss as it ran along the smooth steel. He hoped inside and the mechanical monster sprang to life. Its wheel spun faster and faster until it was a dizzying blur within the vehicle, then it shot away from the hangar like an overloaded rocket, obliterating any friend or foe in its path.
As the wheelbike made its way into the cavernous halls above the hangar, Grievous took the opportunity to survey the rest of the battle in the city. The main hangars were holding out against the clones, but more were arriving rapidly. The guns at the sinkhole's entrance had shot down at least half the gunships, but many more got through and took their revenge. Only a few guns remained, but each hit they scored was worth the cost. A hundred kilometers overhead a Republic cruiser fired down at any droids left on the surface. Those droids had no chance of surviving, but they were a vital distraction to the cruiser.
A hangar to his left went up in flames, taking two gunships with it and at least a whole platoon of clones. Wedd's tactic was working, the clones were losing places to land and losing greater numbers. As he neared the city's south side, Grievous took the respite to issue more orders to battalions of commando droids scattered through the city, telling them which area needed them to fend off the swarm of clones and where they had to retreat. B1 squads were told to stay put, letting their bombs detonate when overwhelmed. Super battle droids were kept in reserve at these hangars to pick off stragglers or guard halls, catwalks, and other vantage points the clones may target.
Grievous contacted his subordinates next. "Loathsom, give me an update."
"The major hangars are holding, General. We've lost several minor hangars that Wedd booby-trapped, and the Republic forces are taking heavy casualties. Hangar 10 is bearing the brunt of their assault, I don't anticipate it holding out much longer."
"Hold it as long as possible, and divert as many clones as you can. I'm hunting the Jedi, he'll be taken care of." Another gunship fell into the depths next to him, struck down by the last of Wedd's turrets. If the Republic kept sending clones in like this, they would soon be depleted. Time was on his side, which just left the Jedi to deal with, and now that he'd put some distance between himself and the hangar he could turn back to ambush Kenobi.
Grievous was just about to spin his wheelbike around when he heard a high-pitched bellow above him. He looked up, and Kenobi was atop a green, feathered reptile that loyally followed his command. He must be puppeteering it through the Force, but whatever idiotic wizardry the Jedi was doing was inferior to Griveous's raw power.
Grievous pulled out a phrik staff stashed inside his cockpit and got ready to knock the Jedi off the varactyl as it got closer to run beside him. He lunged it at the beast, shocking it and making it jump away with a yelp, but Kenobi steered it back. The Jedi drew his lightsaber and slashed at the wheel, which Grievous quickly turned away to avoid being struck. He lunged again, and Kenobi slashed again in a vicious stalemate.
Grievous looked ahead and saw he was running out of road; the platform they were on ended abruptly at the southernmost end of the sinkhole. He turned the wheelbike to the right, knocking over the varactyl and its rider, but they recovered quickly and continued the chase. Grievous stopped the wheelbike at another corner and activated its legs to leap over the platform onto another at a small hangar. A token squad of B1s were there wearing oversized packs. Kenobi was right behind him and seconds away from making the leap himself, right into the squad of droids.
"Loathsom, detonate all droids in Hangar 8X in five seconds," Grievous said into his comms, then he leapt off the hangar onto another straightaway.
"All droids?" a B1 just next to the wheelbike asked. "Does that include us?" His question went unanswered as he and his companions saw a Jedi riding a varactyl jump on them, which triggered an unstable reaction in his chest that made the entire platform go up in flames.
Grievous looked behind him to see the ball of fire consume the platform, killing the Jedi and his annoying mount. All too easy, he thought.
And it was, for just as he turned back and thought of returning to Hangar 10 to command the forces from there, something jumped on his wheelbike's top and a blue sword stabbed through it, nearly hitting his face. The lightsaber's impact made the wheel's chain fold in on itself, and the entire vehicle flipped over. Grievous grabbed onto anything he could as the wheelbike flipped again and spun and broke off pieces of itself. Grievous jumped off as the wheelbike tumbled into another platform, knocking off chunks of its frame as it did so, then it careened over the edge into the sinkhole's depths. He readied his lightsabers, two would have to be enough against Kenobi.
Kenobi had leapt off the wheelbike as well, and he was nimble enough to land on his feet and somersault away to slow his momentum and prevent any injury. He looked up and saw he was in another small hangar off and away from the rest of the city. It was empty except for a particular bio-droid standing in the middle of it holding two lightsabers.
Grievous chuckled and coughed as he advanced on Kenobi, who got to his feet and pulled out his lightsaber to intercept the General. Grievous was really starting to like that sheen of Kenobi's blue saber, it seemed just a little brighter and shone a bit stronger than the others he had collected.
"You must realize, Kenobi, you are doomed." Grievous gave an opening swing at Kenobi, who blocked it, but the General could feel his strength was waning.
"You'd have more success if you weren't so impulsive," Kenobi taunted as he swiped at Grievous's legs, and Grievous jumped to the side to dodge him. The Jedi too knew he would not last much longer if Grievous kept this up, and he looked out the corner of his eye to find a way out. The clones still hadn't taken Hangar 10, and others were self-destructing or putting up fierce resistance. This offensive was going too slowly to his liking. He tried to contact Cody, but Grievous went on the offensive again with a combo of uppercuts and downward slashes, preventing him from touching his wrist comm. Grievous pressed his attack and swung again and again, using every technique Kenobi knew and then some that he had learned from Dooku.
"Cody, I could use some help soon," Kenobi said into his comms as he briefly forced Grievous back with a retaliatory sweep. Grievous rebounded and leaped at the Jedi and swung both lightsabers at him from his left and right flank simultaneously, and one sliced off his comms in a puff of smoke and singed the hairs on his wrist.
Kenobi brought his lightsaber back for a forward lunge, and Grievous saw his chance. He lunged his left arm up from below, the pistons in his duranium arms working double-time to blinding speed, and the blade caught Kenobi across the torso. Kenobi was too far away for it to be fatal, but it cut a long, slender gash in his chest, burning and fusing skin and robe together. Kenobi screamed in pain, and he fell to the ground. He barely held his lightsaber aloft to block another blow that was surely coming.
Grievous stepped closer to Kenobi, savoring his victory. He raised his lightsabers and poised them to impale the Jedi through the rest of his chest. No more would this Jedi trouble him, and his lightsaber was a perfect addition to his collection.
But his victory was cut short, as he heard blaster fire behind him. A bolt struck his left shoulder blade, denting it slightly but causing no real damage. Grievous jumped over Kenobi, turning around in the process to keep the Jedi in his sights as he beheld his new attacker. It was a platoon of clones firing at him with dozens of blasters and miniguns, and dozens more fired rockets and lobbed grenades. A ruined squad of B1s and B2s lay at their feet.
Grievous quickly blocked another volley of fire with his lightsabers, then he crouched and retreated backward as more clones unleashed an onslaught of fire. One rocket blew up at his feet, knocking him back, and he got down to his hands and feet to be a smaller target. Some of his deflected bolts killed a few clones, but more entered the fray to take their place. He slashed at Kenobi once more with a lightsaber to try to kill the Jedi before he retreated any further, but Kenobi was back on his feet and dodged the blow. Jedi always recovered quickly, but that meant he could look forward to another warrior's duel with Kenobi, as long as the clones didn't blast him into scrap first.
Grievous reached the hangar's edge. The clones pressed on as Kenobi joined the clones for protection. A squad of them took him by his arms and led him away from the platform. No, not when he was so close! He saw the clone commander next to Kenobi urging his men on, shooting at him with his pistols, and even more blaster fire was coming on him while he dodged three to four grenade blasts at once.
Grievous was starting to get worried as his duranium feet clenched the rim of the hangar when he noticed a B1 droid's body at a clone's feet. Its head had been cleanly shot off, leaving the rest of the body intact, and a bulging gray pack was attached to its back.
"Loathsom, detonate all droids in Hangar 8Y," Grievous said cooly into his comms, then his feet gripped the hangar rim with maximum pressure. He leaned back and let gravity swing his body downward and into the platform's underside.
"Right away, General." A blast cut off Loathsom's affirmation, and Grievous saw two clones fly over the edge into the abyss. Another blast rocked the platform, then another, and the entire hangar violently shifted, raising the platform and the General higher into the air. He looked back over the edge and saw the rest of the clones running for their lives or falling into the collapsing platform before him. Unfortunately, Kenobi had escaped the worst of the blasts, and he and the clone commander were running back to escape.
Grievous let the turning platform carry him upward to the hangar's ceiling built into the wall of the sinkhole, and he climbed onto the rocky wall, finding purchase with his fingers digging in and securing himself. The rest of the hangar collapsed and fell in a flaming mass of metal and rock, taking more clones with it. He looked across the sinkhole and saw further carnage, the smaller hangars going up in flames but the larger ones holding out. The Republic cruiser still loomed overhead, but no more gunships were descending from it.
"Loathsom, give me an update," Grievous said into his comms.
"Republic reinforcements are depleted," Loathsom said. "We just have some stragglers left in the city to deal with."
"We've lost many minor hangars and major hangars 11 and 103," said Wedd, "but the rest are holding, including Hangar 10. The clones have lost all offensive momentum. I suggest we stay our current course, and this battle will be won."
"Send our remaining frigates to attack that cruiser overhead," Grievous ordered. "Don't let any clones escape!" He climbed further up the wall, eyeing a catwalk a hundred meters above where he could get back inside the city. A few potshots struck the wall, but he deflected any that would have hit him.
"They're en route now, sir."
XXXXX
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Commander Cody sprinted through the dark corridors of Pau City, passing wayward droids that spontaneously blew up in front of them. Squads of clones and confused Utapauns joined them and stayed or turned down other corridors. Most didn't make it very far before another droid blew up in their faces. One unfortunate squad was crushed under an avalanche of rocks triggered by a barrage of artillery, and Kenobi and Cody barely dodged it before it killed them too. Kenobi was doing his best to keep up, but the scar on his chest sapped his strength, and he stumbled several times making his way through the chaos.
"Our entire attack's unravelling, sir, we need to retreat!" Cody shouted as they dodged another shell that struck the corridor's wall, nearly shredding them to pieces. Kenobi ducked under a flying chunk of debris, then Force pushed away a super battle droid that opened fire on him, and they emerged in Hangar 10, back where the battle had started. Their army still held the left flank of the hangar, but their numbers were fast shrinking as more droids descended on their positions.
"This battle is lost, tell your men to retreat," Kenobi said, as they ran to meet the clones and rally a defense. A squad of Magna-guards closed in on Kenobi, and he met them head-on, lightsaber swinging, clones behind blasting. Injured or not, the Magna-guards would pulverize his comrades if he didn't stop them. He decapitated the first, and a volley of bolts shorted destroyed the secondary brain in its chest. He dueled with the second while a squad fired rockets at the third, keeping both occupied and away from their lines. The second went down after Kenobi scored a lucky hit on its legs, making it the droid fall forward, and he finished it off before it could attack him again.
"We've lost half our men," said a clone sergeant to Cody as he and Kenobi retreated back to take cover behind a wrecked AAT, "no reinforcements are left!"
"I'm radioing the fleet to get us out of here," Cody reassured, "we just need to hold off the clankers a bit longer!"
Kenobi heard the cruiser's engines groan as it loomed closer over the city, and clusters gunships and clone fighters descended from it to start the evacuation. There were much fewer than when the battle started. More Magna-guards and commando droids joined the fray, advancing on the clones; one squad mobbed an AT-TE and killed the crew, then set charges on its side and blew off its legs. The agile commando droids dodged shot after shot as they closed in and hacked clones to chunks with their vibroswords. Kenobi beheaded one that nearly killed Cody, then Force pushed away a duo after they forced themselves over a barricade sheltering them.
"Evacuate the wounded first," Kenobi ordered, "then start with our outermost positions. We'll maintain our defense here." He stood up on a pile of debris and drew droids' fire, deflecting every bolt to keep them off the clones. "Over there, fire!" he yelled at an AT-TE and pointed at another squad of commando droids leaving the wrecked tank and coming for them. The AT-TE fired and blew the squad to flaming pieces. The clones took the advantage to move out from their cover and expand their position, allowing space for the wounded to congregate as the gunships landed. More droids were coming, but for now they had a respite to start the evacuation.
Cody escorted a batch of wounded to the first gunship at the hangar's rear behind their lines. In just a few seconds the gunship lifted off, and another took its place for more. "Evacuation's a-go, General. Be ready to run for it!"
Another squad of Magna-guards attacked their lines, targeting Kenobi. Legions of B1s and B2s were behind them, lighting the clones up with waves of blaster fire. Kenobi scrapped one Magna-guard, then stepped back from the rest to lure them away from the clones and the heart of their defenses. Two more gunships arrived, and the last of the wounded from their position came aboard, along with a few extra lucky clones. Kenobi, seeing the wounded were away and safe, circled around their position leading the Magna-guards to the hangar's rear. The gunships saw the droids attacking their General, and opened fire, destroying the rest of the squad in seconds.
Kenobi came back to their center line and ordered the two farthest positions they still held, one a burning gunship and the other a half of a tank, to fall back with him. Cody and his lieutenants followed suit, slowly letting their lines shrink as the droids marched on toward them. Many clones had been saved through the effort, but almost as many had perished from the droids' merciless onslaught.
Three more gunships arrived, and they had just enough room for the last of the clones in the hangar. Kenobi ordered them back further and further, strategically holding each position until it was overrun. Casualties were minimal, but the droids' steady marching made each retreat faster and hastier than the last.
"Start the boarding!" Kenobi yelled at Cody as a squad of B1s climbed over a comms booth he was sheltering in. He took them out with a few swings of his lightsaber, but another squad took the B1s' place. He too slashed that squad to flaming scrap, but another came, then another.
"General, we need to leave now!" Cody shouted as he brought a clone who had his leg blown off onto a gunship. A tank shell hit the hangar ceiling, making chunks of debris fall around them, crushing a couple clones and droids and nearly taking out the gunships. AATs were behind the mass of droids, and more shells shot over Kenobi's head, nearly hitting the gunships. Any further delay and one of them would get lucky.
"Get the men out of here, I'm right behind!" Kenobi haggardly ordered as he cut off the arm of a super battle droid before it could fire a rocket at the gunships. He jumped back to dodge another salvo of blaster bolts, and he saw one gunship left waiting for him. He sprinted the last distance to the gunship, where Cody had his arm extended toward him. Kenobi took it and hoisted himself aboard, then the gunship started ascending away from the hangar and the vicious fire from the droids.
"Watch out!" a clone yelled as a B1 fired a rocket at the gunship, and they swerved out of the way just in time, but another rocket was fired from an AAT, and it struck the gunship's side, making it spin out of control. Kenobi grabbed the side of the gunship, grabbed the nearest clone's arm next to him to hold him up, and he looked in the second the ship spun and neared the hangar to find a way out. The nearest gunship was maybe ten meters away, he could jump there and take a clone with him, but only one. Where was Cody? In the next second as the ship turned further away from the neighboring gunship, Kenobi saw him about to fall over the edge as the ship listed to its burning side. He reached out with the force and grabbed the commander, pushed him away toward the nearest gunship, and jumped himself.
Kenobi caught the gunship's edge, and he grasped its floor with his right hand as he was buffeted by the motion of the ship and the explosion behind him. A hand from above grabbed his left hand and pulled him up, and he saw familiar armor with yellow markings.
"Let me return the favor, General, you saved my hide back there."
"Anytime, Cody," Kenobi said. "Get us out of here," he said to the pilot, "we've failed."
The gunship ascended to the sky out of Pau City with the surviving clones in tow, and into the Republic cruiser overhead, harassed all the way by droid fighters and potshots from battle droids on the surface. A few more gunships and clone fighters didn't finish the journey back as the Droid Army struck back with a vengeance on its retreating foe, shooting down stragglers and lobbing shells at the cruiser's underbelly. Barely any fire was returned, concerned as the clones and commanders were with ensuring every gunship and fighter made it back aboard. Once each cruiser was full, they ascended above the atmosphere and flew into hyperspace as quickly as possible. With that the Grand Army of the Republic fled Utapau, bloodied and humbled by the Separatists.
XXXXX
Back in Hangar 10, General Grievous strode forward to the hangar's edge to see the Republic ships disappear over the horizon, and Separatist frigates took their place to secure their ground. He felt a smug satisfaction seeing the pathetic clones and Jedi flee before his droid army's might.
"They've only prolonged the inevitable," he said solemnly to himself. "I'll be back soon, Jedi, and I will show you no mercy."
Loathsom and Wedd walked up behind him, finally emerged from their underground sanctuary. Both generals watched the Republic ships go, and the Separatist frigates take potshots at them as they fled the atmosphere to jump into hyperspace back to whatever infernal world they crawled forth from.
"They're in full retreat," Wedd said with slight surprise and full satisfaction, "should our fleet engage them?"
"Negative, we aren't ready to pursue. Regroup all forces, and get me a damage assessment. I want all defenses ready in case the Republic launches another attack."
"Yes, General," Wedd said, and he left them to begin his task.
"Loathsom," Grievous said, tapping the vocabulator in his mask and scanning the sinkhole city and its numerous open hangars and habitations that the Republic had generously hollowed out for him, "how soon can we establish droid factories in this city?"
"We don't have enough resources to build any yet," said Loathsom, "but once we reconnect with the Council we will have plenty. It could bolster this world's defenses and leave it better off in the future."
"Start building when resources arrive, I want new droids manufactured on this world within two months. And put the Utapauns to work, the busier they are the less likely they'll think about resisting us." Grievous turned back to the hangar, where battle droids were reconvening into formation, and labor droids were dousing fires and gathering destroyed droids and debris to make way for repairs. Commando droids and Magna-guards stood tall among them, checking their weapons and bodies in preparation for their next assignment. They would get one very soon, but not from Grievous. "I need to leave to meet with the Separatist Senate on Raxus Secundus and announce our victory, you'll be in charge while I'm gone."
"I expect more systems will defect to our cause, sir," said Loathsom, "now that we've humbled the Republic."
"And they need to know their new leader," said Grievous, his eyes widening at the thought of the power being bestowed upon him. If he could sway a flock of new systems to join the CIS, then they would be loyal to him and him alone, not the Council. It could give him leverage over the megacorps to make them more compliant, but the droids' power switches still belonged to them. That problem had to be rectified, and this world was a perfect start.
"I want a tour of the factories once they're ready. Do not tell the Council about any of this. They should know only that Utapau remains in Separatist hands and has adequate defenses. If they offer to send more droids, let it be so."
"But they could help with the building, General, they are far more knowledgeable of the ins and outs of droid manufacturing," Loathsom protested.
"Keep them out of it!" Grievous yelled, his two remaining claws opening as if they wanted to grab Loathsom's throat. "Do you think it's a good idea to let them know every fine detail of our plans? They're businessmen and know nothing of how to wage a war! And if the Republic captures them they'll tell everything to save their filthy hides!"
"Point taken, General," Loathsom said, stepping back to get out of arm's reach of the biodroid.
"And find me the rest of these," Grievous growled and gestured to the stump on his lower right arm. He then turned and stalked away from the hangar and burning caverns of the sinkhole city, passing Loathsom without another word. "Prepare my ship," he barked to a squad of commando droids, and he walked toward the hangar's center. Here was where the battle started, and pride swelled within him at another battle fit for a warrior like him.
He found his cloak between some fallen catwalks and piles of droid husks mixed with clone corpses. It was in a neat pile just as he left it when he confronted Kenobi. He picked it up and pinned it on his back, letting it flutter gently down to his legs. A cloak with a symbol of his people would be formal enough for the Senate on Raxus Secundus. They were already fearful of his appearance, they need not see his entire cyborg form.
He resumed his pace toward the hangar's other end where the commando droids were preparing another shuttle. A squad of Magna-guards stood at attention as Grievous approached, and their ranks parted to let him board the shuttle, giving a salute by stamping their staffs into the hangar floor as he passed. Grievous boarded the shuttle without any words at his loyal warriors, and the vessel quietly lifted off. Another busy day lay ahead of him.
Author's Note:
Thank you to everyone who's read, followed, and left reviews of this story so far, sorry there was a long delay. I've getting through the last parts of the shows and films that are relevant to this story, then it will be deviating from the canon timeline entirely. Stay tuned!