Trial of the Times

Chapter 41 - Duel of the Fates - Rewritten

Obi-Wan spins his lightsaber as he approaches Grievous, sensing Anakin and Ahsoka engaging Maul behind him while Sidious watches with a grin that puts the word wicked to shame. "General Kenobi, you are a bold one," sneers Grievous. "Surely you realize you are doomed."

"Your move," Obi-Wan retorts coolly.

"You fool," growls Grievous, as he throws off his cape. His arms split as he withdraws and activates four lightsabers. "I have been trained in your Jedi arts by Darth Sidious himself. Attack, Kenobi."

So be it. Obi-Wan spins his blade again, pointing towards Grievous with the hint of a smirk on his face. The droid general snarls, eyes narrowing to slits as he begins dramatically and rapidly spinning his lightsabers. They cut into the floor, causing sparks to fly, as he stalks closer. Obi-Wan slowly backs away from the seemingly crazed cyborg until they're standing in the middle of the room. If they move any further, they'll risk running into Maul, and Obi-Wan really doesn't want to get a lightsaber stuck through his spine. Even while in control of himself, Maul would do that, and now – well, he doesn't even want to know.

Obi-Wan lunges forward, swinging his lightsaber at the top two which Grievous doesn't have stuck in the floor. Grievous yanks the others free, spinning them towards him, so he leaps over the cyborg's head, attacking him from behind. Grievous whirls around, lightsabers flailing wildly as he tries to decapitate Obi-Wan. He draws on the Force, ducking skillfully and blocking the blows as they come. Grievous has had little training and seems to rely on the number of lightsabers which he possesses. He's not even Force sensitive, which means that he can't protect himself from Force-based attacks.

Wait. He can't protect himself, but he can also be more easily influenced by the Force... right? Reaching out Obi-Wan, nudges against the cyborg's mind, slamming against shields which shouldn't be so strong. Sidious. It would be helpful if Grievous could be freed to help them against Sidious, but Obi-Wan isn't planning to risk himself unnecessarily to free him. If they can knock him unconscious, that would be best, but he isn't going to count on it. As far as he knows, Grievous can't be knocked out like that. Well, there was that one time on Naboo when the Gungans electrocuted him, but that was only one time.

As the duel progresses, Obi-Wan finds himself being challenged, as he ducks, blocks, and evades, but he isn't known as the master of Soresu for nothing. Defense is his specialty, and if he can't defeat Grievous alone, he can hold him off until someone can help him. Obi-Wan feints to one side, and as a green lightsaber is turned to block him, he changes direction, slicing off one of Grievous' hands.

The cyborg stares in horror at his missing hand, before charging forward with a roar of rage, lightsabers flailing wildly in every direction, forcing Obi-Wan to make some rather unconventional moves to about them. Grievous is only dangerous because he has so many lightsabers and towers over most of his adversaries. Falling back to the defensive, Obi-Wan slowly backs away, parrying any strikes which come to close to his body. Part of his focus is turned on the cyborg's mind as he tries to shake loose the mind control.

They're caught in a saberlock, as Grievous tries to overpower him, failing when Obi-Wan cuts off a second hand, sending the lightsaber clattering to the ground. Raving mad, Grievous slashes at him with the two remaining lightsabers, a strike which Obi-Wan hastily blocks. Again, and again, the droid general attacks, raining blows towards his chest, legs, arms, any body part which is open, but Obi-Wan's blade is there every single time as he backs away.

Grievous pulls back for another strike, giving Obi-Wan the opening he was looking for. Drawing on the Force, he throws him backwards, sending him skidding across the floor. He doesn't realize until a second too late that it was a mistake. With one final snarl, Grievous turns and runs away on four of his limbs like the coward he is. Obi-Wan lunges after him, silently cursing his mistake. Anakin and Ahsoka are already busy with Maul, and they can't hold off him and Grievous at once.