STAR WARS: CONFLICTED

CHAPTER XI - LOSING IT

Being the only of the Jedi with a lightsaber, Anakin stepped in front of the padawans, blue blade outstretched. His scowl remained on his face as both Jedi and former Jedi advanced towards one another. Ahsoka looked over at Nathan who watched on, the cogs in his brain whirring, trying to figure something out.

Finally, the two in the centre met, blades clashing one another heavily. Nathan had never seen Anakin in action, only heard stories. But he could see why people called him The Chosen One.

His blue lightsaber moved with rapid pace and fatal power, smashing against the neat, red blade of Dooku's. Instantly, he noticed the Count having to really try to even contain the Jedi Knight. But Anakin was not giving up or letting down. He hammered away at him, using his younger, quicker body to his advantage. He spun his saber in a circlular motion, flicking Dooku's away each time he tried to attack him.

Nathan went to look back to Ahsoka, but she had disappeared. His face went from mesmerised to confused.

Anakin's overpowering fighting style could not last forever. Dooku knew this. The aggressive style Anakin used was effective only for a short period of time. All he had to do was wait for the Jedi to run out of steam, and then counter. Whether he could hold him off for long enough, well that was a different story.

Just as Anakin looked as if he was going to get the upper hand, Dooku ducked under a sideways swing and used the force to choke the Jedi, holding him up above him.

"Your anger could be put to much better use, young Skywalker." Dooku snarled.

Anakin began to fade, and Dooku shot a bolt of lightning at him, keeping him awake.
Dooku turned to face Nathan, who was now running straight at the Sith Lord, without a lightsaber. Anakin fell in a heap behind Dooku, and he outstretched his hand, attempting to send another wave of lightning, this time at the padawan. But as he shot it out of his fingertips, it was met by the screeching of two lightsabers of green and yellow.

Ahsoka had flipped in front of her friend, and was now pushing back the force lightning with all of her strength. She noticed the body of Anakin behind Dooku, laying motionless, and this fuelled her intent even more.

"Would you look at this," Dooku said quietly, in an upbeat tone, "Skywalker's loathsome padawan, here to save him once more."
"If you try to keep us here, or kill us, the entire Jedi Order will be sent to wipe you out." Ahsoka said, with a cold tone in her voice, one Nathan had never heard before.

"I've heard so much about you, from General Grievous. I'm sure he exaggerated your abilities, but we shall soon see." Dooku ignored her threat, stopping his lightning wave and igniting his lightsaber once more.

"Ahsoka, I-" Nathan started, before Ahsoka passed her shorter, yellow saber to him. He smiled, igniting it.
Dooku gave them no time. His red saber was on top of the green blade straight away, overpowering the small Togruta. Nathan swung with his saber, which Dooku dodged with ease, pushing him back with the force. Both Ahsoka and Dooku moved and swayed, bouncing each blade against the other, Dooku always being a millisecond ahead. He managed to get the upper hand fully, shocking Ahsoka with that same lightning, making her cry out in pain, as she fell to the floor, unconscious.

Nathan, upon hearing Ahsoka's cry, snapped.

He rose from where he had been pushed, with a different light in his eyes. If looks could kill, Dooku would have been dead.

Dooku's lightning finally stopped, with both master and student unconscious beside him. He looked up towards Nathan, who was almost marching towards the Count, with a completely different look in his face. He looked like a man possessed. Summoning Anakin's lightsaber to his hand, he stabbed it into life, emitting a dark blue beam from its hilt. It seemed the cry out from his friend had sparked life into him.
Dooku smiled at the padawan.

"Finally, a challenge."

Nathan didn't give him the satisfaction of a response. Instead of using the saber, he pushed the Count back into the wall, holding him there. Dooku looked at him with fear in his eyes, unable to move fully.

He curled his fingers in his outstretched hand, forcing Dooku into a chokehold. He had never used this power, only read about it in texts at the Temple. But now, he wasn't about to hold back.

He could feel his anger, through the force. It was making him stronger, it was allowing him to overpower Dooku, one of the galaxy's most dangerous beings.

Nathan was probably moments away from killing Count Dooku, before he heard the hum of a spinning lightsaber behind him, and then the screech as it cut through Nathan's right outstretched arm, searing through at his shoulder. He screamed in pain, falling back, letting go of the grip Dooku was held in. He got up, holding his throat, and Ahsoka's green saber, which he had used to cut Nathan's arm off, with the force. He smiled cunningly, and walked towards Nathan. He was clutching his arm, or what was left of it, and he looked up in fear at the Sith Lord, who now stood over him.

"Feeble." Dooku spat, holding the saber over his head, ready to strike Nathan down and finish him off.

And as the blade came down towards him, it was met with a blade of blue.