STAR WARS: CONFLICTED

CHAPTER IX - THE COUNT

Nathan instantly spun, drawing his hilt from his belt.
"Ahsoka?" He called down the hallway. No response.
"Karabast." Nathan muttered under his breath, switching his saber on. As the blade hummed into motion, there was a clattering in the distance. Rounding the corner were five B1 droids and two droidekas, making their way towards Nathan at a frightening pace. He had never encountered one of these before, not even a training version.

He took stance, shifting one foot behind the other, and holding the blade by his side. He locked "eyes" with the rolling machines, as they came to a halt and produced a blue forcefield around it's frame, cocking their blasters at the padawan. Without hesitation, they began to unload fire, causing Nathan to react as quickly as he could. He began twirling his saber in front of his body, spinning it so fast the light was like a blur. It didn't take long for every B1 droid to be downed, but the droideka's forcefield were too powerful. Nathan had to think fast. For all he knew, Ahsoka was dead.

He reached out with the force and pulled one of the droidekas towards him, before jumping out of its way, sending it past the jagged door and into the pit below in the factory room.

The other droideka went back on the move, wheeling closer to Nathan as he tried to deflect its blaster fire back onto it, and then he realised something.

When the droidekas rolled, their forcefield shut down. He had to use that window to attack them, otherwise he wouldn't last much longer. He waited patiently, calmly deflecting each blaster bolt into the ceiling or floor. Finally the droideka moved, and Nathan seized his chance.

Pulling back first, he launched his saber right into the centre of the droid, causing it to stutter with static, and stop moving. Nathan walked up to it, summoned his blade back into his hand, and slashed across the already damaged droid, slicing it in half. He kicked the remaining pieces aside.

He continued on in the direction of the scream he had, trying to sense where it had come from. It couldn't have been far. He passed an open window, where he saw the front lines below. He could make out the two blurs of Ki Adi Mundi and Skywalker, both moving as fast as they could, ducking and diving inbetween lines.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Not a droid this time, he knew that.

He turned to face the footsteps, and there stood Count Dooku.

"Two Jedi in one day?" Dooku said in a sinister tone. "My master will be pleased."
"What have you done with her?" Nathan demanded, clutching his saber in front of him, ignited and ready.
"I can take you to her, if you like." The Count sneered, unhooking his curved saber.
Nathan noticed this, and didn't hesitate. In pure desperation he swung at the Sith Lord, attempting to catch him off guard. But it was no use. He was too quick, too powerful.
"Nice try, padawan." Dooku spat, flicking his attack away with ease before advancing with his own combination, striking high and low at the padawan. But Nathan's defence was far from weak, as he showed here. Each move was blocked quite easily. However, he knew Dooku wasn't even trying. If he wanted to, he could kill Nathan right now.
"I give you one last chance to come peacefully." Dooku said. "Fail to comply, and I will have both you and your friend executed by my hand."
"We'll see." Nathan said, slightly too confident for his own good by this point.
Dooku continued to press on, his attacks outmatching Nathan but not quite fatal enough to finish him off.

Out of sheer chance, Nathan caught Dooku off guard with a kick to the midsection, similar to the one Ahsoka pulled on him not so long ago. Sensing his chance, he flipped over the Sith Lord, trying to use the move he had seen Caleb practice.

All it took was a flick of Dooku's wrist, and Nathan was shocked by a ferocious wave of force lightning, in mid-air. This bolt continued for about 10 seconds, to fully knock Nathan out cold, before he dropped the padawan, and his limp body hit the floor with a thud.
"All too easy." was the last thing Nathan hear Dooku say, before he was unconscious.

A pair of droids rounded the corner upon hearing the thud, rushing to assist Dooku.

"Take him to his friend." He ordered, sheathing his crimson lightsaber.

Nathan's comlink suddenly went off. The outline of Shaak Ti appeared, saber in hand.

"Nathan, I've managed to...Nathan?" She said, confused.
"Blast it." Dooku demanded, and the droids didn't hesitate, opening up on the comlink to disable any communication.