35 Crisis 4 (1/2)
Holding cells, Jedi Temple, Coruscant
The melted remains of the armored door barring Dooku's cell were hauled out with the Force and the aging Sith saw a brown skinned Zabrak woman on the other side. She gave him once over and looked him in the eyes critically.
”Kadrian. It's nice to see you again.”
The woman bowed to her master and walked towards him. He waved with the stump of his left arm at the metal belt to which his remaining hand was chained and his part-time bodyguard cut through his bindings with her blade.
Dooku stood up and stretched. Once the artifact binding his powers was sliced open he could again bathe in the full presence of the Force. Suddenly he looked a decade younger.
Kadrian retrieved a curved lightsaber from her belt and respectfully presented it to his master who gave her an approving nod and retrieved the weapon. It was one of his spare sabers which he kept in his various strongholds.
”We need to leave, master. Unfortunately we do not have the forces at hand to deal with the Jedi today.”
”Indeed. We'll have our vengeance another day.”
They hurried away escorted by four bounty hunters wearing mandalorian style armors and two squads of commando droids. However when they exited the prison wing the Separatists ran headlong into a single man.
The vanguard which consisted by six droids opened fire. Their shots were intercepted by purple lightsaber blade which reflected them back at them. The man threw his cloak at a pair of the commandos obscuring their vision for a moment. He moved much faster than a human should be able to and cut off the heads of two machines with single sweeping strike. The Jedi used telekinesis to hurl another pair at nearby wall from which they bounced with godawful clatter.
In the next moment he was upon the last two droids which were still trying to shoot him. He deflected a blaster bolt at the weapon of the one that was further away and slashed through the chest of the closer robot. He pulled the second one to him and impaled it on his saber. The Jedi discarded the destroyed droid and turned to the Sith and his Acolyte.
”Count Dooku.” the black man hissed the Sith's name. ”You won't escape.”
”Is that so, Master Windu? Your anger is plain for all to see. That's not the Jedi way, is it?” taunted Dooku.
The Count and Say activated their crimson blades and charged the Jedi Master.
=RK=
East Ball Room, Senate Building, Coruscant
Anakin came back to the land of the living feeling cramps all over his body. He blinked owlishly trying to figure out where he was. On the bright side he found out that his head was in Padme's lap. That was the only good news. He looked around and saw a bunch of Senators with few aides. They were all gathered in the center of a large, round room. Around them he could see a cage made of visible laser beams which emanated from charges placed on the walls around them.
”What did I miss?” he quipped at his wife who looked at him with relief in her eyes.
”That your Chancellor does not value your lives.” Bane deadpanned.
The bounty hunter had tried to contact the droid he sent to retrieve Grievous but for the last few minutes that was unsuccessful. He drew one of his blaster pistols and shot couple of senators in the head. The rest of the politicians huddled together like a herd of scared cattle. All but that pretty senator from Naboo who was tending to Skywalker. Bane smirked and aimed his gun between the woman's eyes.
The Jedi jumped on his feet and shielded her with his body. Bane's hand twitched and he pressed the trigger.
”Anakin!” shouted Padme.
=RK=
LAAT en route to the Jedi Temple/ Great Hall, Jedi Temple, Coruscant
We were minutes away from the battle and I was treated with something I dreaded. It was a surreal experience – like being in two places at the same time. On one hand I was in the hold of the gunship and was looking outside at the space-scrapers flashing by us. Yet, through my connection with Ahsoka, I perceived what was happening in the Temple. It was like the nightmarish memories of Veil on Shili. I could only helplessly watch what was happening.
In the Great Hall Rex opened fire on the advancing Magna Guards as the Jedi charged them. He was able to hit few times the rightmost droid in the head but that only slowed it down.
The Mon Calamari Jedi twirled his saber in his hands and struck it in the ground. A wave of telekinetic energy flew from his blade and moved under the droids then exploded upwards. The Magna Guards were thrown straight in the air.
Ahsoka and Barriss jumped at the momentarily helpless droids but were intercepted by the two Acolytes. Nahdar let the Padawan to face the Dark Jedi for the time being and he jumped at the closest airborne robot. He sliced the machine in two and before landing threw his lightsaber at another.
Rex used this opportunity to unload shot after shot at the momentarily disabled Magna Guards and managed to take out one of the droids.
The machines crashed on the ground and before they could recover, Vebb and Rex were upon them. Concentrated blaster fire destroyed another droid leaving the last two to face the male Jedi. They were behind the rest of the combatants so the clone commander did not have a good shot at them.
Barriss was holding her own against the male Acolyte but Ahsoka was not so fortunate. The woman she was facing was something else. There was no sight of the furious attacks which the Padawan had expected thanks to her encounters with Ventress. Instead she was facing cold and calculated precision. Every movement the female she was fighting with made was measured and economic. The only reason why Tano was not falling back in front of the woman was because the Dark Jedi was not advancing but content to probe Asoka's defenses and take her measure.
The woman was using a Makashi form which she had modified to suit her own mindset.