The Unchronicled Adventures of Ahsoka Tano, Book Eight

Chapter Fifty-Nine: The General's Next Journey

PADME AMIDALA

Padme's lightwhips clashed with the General's four lightsabers, halting the blades before they could come close enough to hit her. The whips seemed to move with her, staying rigid when she needed them to, and striking out at just the right distance or time. For that, she offered silent thanks to her superiors and guardians.

Finally, she managed to wind the tip of one of her lightwips around one of Grievous's lesser mechanical arms. She pulled the whip's handle back towards her, hard, and sheared the metal hand right off. Then, diving to the side, she kicked the fallen lightsaber away, so that the General wouldn't be able to use it again.

She had heard somewhere that he had been able to fight with a fifth lightsaber in the one of the hands that most often served as feet as well as all of the others, and didn't want to take any chances.

He let out a roar of anger, executing an incredible jump towards her. He lashed out, kicking her a few meters away before she had the chance to block. One of her whips slid away, its two-meter-long glow disappearing into a thin electrum cable as it left her hand.

It was too far away to reach, so she made the decision to continue the fight relying solely on her remaining lightwhip.

"Fool!" Grievous cackled, one of his lightsabers grazing her shoulder. "You cannot win against me! Do you not know death when you see it? I am General Grievous! You must realize, Jedi, that I am your doom."

"We'll see," she muttered, biting back the pain. More blows were exchanged, but neither force seemed to be able to gain any ground. As the two opponents found themselves a few meters apart after having to recoil from one another's blows, catching their breath, Padme allowed herself a quick glance in Anakin's direction.

He and Vader seemed to be evenly matched as well. Vader had new skills thanks to his allegiance to the Dark Side, but the suit made him slower and less agile. Anakin had retained his athletic abilities, and also had new powers, but Vader had more fighting experience – particularly against Jedi, as he had been in command of the majority of operations concerning the Great Jedi Purge. Not to mention that the Sith Lord also knew the majority of Anakin's battle strategies and fighting tactics.

However, Anakin possessed something Vader lacked, something he had lost when he had become the apprentice of Darth Sidious. The young Jedi Knight thought far more creatively than Vader did. The Sith Lord's thoughts had been carefully controlled, nearly to the point of brainwashing, but the Emperor, while Anakin had far more creative and innovative ways of thinking.

She flew forward, whipping the laser whip at Grievous's new and improved charcoal-grey chest plate with deadly force and accuracy, slicing it open. A few moments later, she managed to land another hit, and a gap between the protective casing and the General's vital organs became large enough to exploit opened up.

But she realized that tactic was too straightforward to work. She darted away from the remaining crimson blades, and the whip danced towards a second arm. The vibrant white beam of flexible plasma wrapped around Grievous's other arm at the shoulder joint, which still had a working superior and inferior member attached. A sharp tug tightened the hold, and then pulled the whole thing off entirely.

Padme smiled. Her plan had worked. Some of the stuff Anakin had told her about fighting and mechanics was finally starting to rub off, she guessed. It had only been reasonable to assume that there would be a chink in the armor on the greater arm to allow for easier movement. She had been correct in her hypothesis, and was now only fighting a single lightsaber.

Even so, it was one too many.

But Padme could feel her strength beginning to go. Grievous's cybernetic implants didn't need a recharge, or wouldn't for a while still, but she was too tired to continue fighting for much longer.

Please, Mother Goddess, give me strength to win! She pleaded, hoping that her superiors would hear her.

A moment later, her plea was answered. She could feel the spirit of the Mother-Queen flowing through her veins, showing her the path to victory.

She jumped, preforming an axel in mid-air, and landed just behind the Kaleesh cyborg. Trusting the Queen to guide her, she flicked her whip backwards, so that it wrapped loosely around Grievous's neck.

He went perfectly still, quietly growling, "Ahk'hun ya'anar, ya'eesh!"

Padme didn't know what it meant, but she was certain that there was no fowler curse in his native language.

"Jedi scum," he hissed, before she pulled the noose of light tight. There was a sickening thud as the General's head hit the cold, icy ground, then another, this one louder as his body followed. His lightsaber deactivated and rolled a few inches away.

She refused to look at the body. From what she knew of Kaleesh customs, it was forbidden to look upon the remnant of a fallen soldier, as if would prevent their warrior spirit from leaving this plane of existence and moving on to the next. And, in an interest of respect, she intended to follow his customs to the letter.

"Rise, Qymaen jai Sheelal, warrior son of Kalee," she said, turning off her lightwhip and placing it back on her belt. "Rise towards the heavens and your forever home. The Force and the spirits of your ancestors go with you as you begin the next journey."

For a moment, she stood in respectful silence. But that was cut off by a horrible yell of agony. She whipped around, and was greeted by an equally horrifying sight. It was Anakin.

And he had a red lightsaber embedded in his stomach.

*Padme has defeated the infamous General Grievous once and for all. But at what cost? What has become of Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One and her beloved husband? And what of Lux? Will Ahsoka, who drifts further and further towards madness and the Dark Side, be able to save him? Or is it too late? You'll find out in the next brilliant chapter of The Unchronicled Adventures Of Ahsoka Tano!

Ehhh... Sorry. I think some of you might have just dies with the last three or four lines. But I'M HAPPY with the way this chapter turned out. At first, I couldn't find the necessary creative power to write a lightsaber vs. lightship battle, but then I just told myself to lay off the description and go with it. And yeah.

As a side note, I'd like to say that I read on Wookieepedia that the Kaleesh are true warriors and deeply spiritual. The little death ritual for Grievous in there was a credit to that, even though I'm sure it's not even remotely canon. But I think it conveyed the feeling pretty well... according to my standards, at least.

So, anyways, another update is coming soon. Tell me whose POV you're more desperate to hear (meaning which storyline, the Padme/Anakin/Darth Vader or the Ahsoka/Lux/Maul one) in the comments section below! I don't really care which one is resolved next, I already know where each one is gonna go... So bye!

Marry the love of your life even though it's breaking the Jedi Code and everything you stand for and may the Force be with you,

Sharron