Chapter 4: A Battle and a Demon

And as they got closer, they saw they had company. Battle droids and of course, Darth Tyranus and Asajj Ventress. They were crowded around the old temple. Tyranus was busy talking to Ventress about something. The two of them had braved the traps and depths of the ancient Sith Lords and had found their prize. They were alive and victorious, so confident in fact that they seemed completely oblivious to the Jedi party.

“Give me the word sir,” Rex said to Obi-Wan, pointing the barrel of his blaster at Tyranus’ head.

“Do it,” Anakin said, balling his mechanical hand into a fist and thinking nothing of Jedi honor.

Rex fired. The blast moved quickly through the air, and none of the Separatists showed any reaction. Then in one sudden move, Tyranus drew his lightsaber from his hip and igniting the blade, made a quick and graceful arcing swing even with his back turned as he looked back at his pursuers. He instantly hit the blast, knocking it back at the Republic forces, who were all so stunned that they all had to duck their heads from the suddenness of the blast zapping back at them.

By now Ventress and the battle droids had also turned in their direction.

“I see my enemies are clever enough to have tracked me here,” Tyranus said loudly, his voice deep and dripping with wickedness and reverberating through the stone chamber even so far away that they could all hear it in all directions like he was some sort of cruel deity. “But still far too dull witted to come close to taking my life.”

“Fire!” Rex said. The clone troopers followed that order and shot at the battle droids. The Jedi ignited their blades instantly and charged to the forefront, cutting down as many battle droids as they could and reflecting the blaster fire at their enemies. It wasn’t long before they were past them and right at the edges of the temple, looking right at their enemies. Ventress smiled, drawing her own sabers, as Tyranus patiently waited with his weapon by his side.

“Not so fast Jedi,” Ventress said, getting in their way with both of her blades ignited.

“I’ll take her, Skyguy!” Ahsoka said, running to the forefront with no weakness in her voice this time.

“Go get her Snips!” Ventress simply gave a defeated smile at having to spare with a mere Padawan while an actual knight and master were escaping her grasp. She longed to avenge her honor against Skywalker.

“Be patient boys,” she said as they ran past her up the stone steps. “Once I’m done babysitting this little girl, I’ll join the two of you soon enough.”

“Keep on dreaming,” Ahsoka said, drawing her weapon.

“You’ve looked better,” Ventress said as she descended the stone steps to the ground. In that strange haze of light and shadow and with all the noisy tumult around them, she could still tell how winded the Togrutan was. “Still, it’s not so bad. At least you’re pleasing to the eyes, Tano. I wonder how many Jedi you’ve seduced to get where you are.” She laughed and licked her lips. “If you ever do decide to wise up and join the winning side, just know that I don’t hold any grudges. But you’ll have to do a little something extra for me when nobody else is looking if you want to get in anywhere.” Then she actually winked.

Ahsoka actually blushed in surprise at having Ventress come onto her like that. She knew she should have been angry from that earlier insult, but it still took her off guard. Yet she ignored it. “I learned something new about you today.” She lunged at Ventress, who easily blocked the blow with one of the lightsabers and pushed her back.

“Did you now?” Ventress said, still. “Well I know plenty about you already. Like how you’re a good for nothing hanging out with the wrong crowd.”

Ahsoka struck again. This time the strike was so fierce that Ventress had to use both of her lightsabers to block that hit. Ahsoka wasn’t so easily thrown back this time when Ventress pushed back and locked her blade against her opponent’s weapons.

“You sure you’re not talking about yourself?” Ahsoka said, looking right into Ventress’ eyes. “You act all tough like you’re some badass warrior only out for herself, but you follow Dooku’s every step like you’re his little pet, leashed right at his boot. Once he’s done with you, he’ll toss you away like a piece of trash. The only thing he sees you as is a mangy animal that’s good for getting kicked around. I wonder how long it’ll be before you feel his foot on your backside?”

That triggered something inside of Ventress. Her face twisted with rage, gritting her teeth as she suddenly knocked back her opponent. She used both of her sabers on Ahsoka in her next strike with such speed and strength that Ahsoka barely parried the blow. “I am a warrior of the Sith and a champion of the dark side! And you are just a Padawan who would have been dead many times over without your precious master’s protection!”

Ahsoka was being pushed down from the force of Ventress’ hold. Her feet could give way at any moment. Taking a chance, she gripped the hilt of her lightsaber and sacrificed the strength of her holding that guard to make a spinning motion. The speed and suddenness of it forced Ventress back that even with her advantage she had no choice but to move back. That only allowed Ahsoka to make a direct strike which would have directly hit Ventress. But she was still feeling her weakness and the attack was slower than she wanted, allowing Ventress to dodge at the last minute.

There was now a good distance between her and Ventress. The aspirant Sith cracked her neck. She wasn’t afraid but she realized how close a call that was. Ahsoka still smiled. “At least Skyguy looks out for me. When was the last time Dooku cared about you?”

Ventress glared at her and pointing her blades at Ahsoka, held them up in a crossing motion as if she intended to cleave her head. “Then let me give cause to make your master weep!”
----

Anakin smiled at seeing Ahsoka deflect Ventress’ attack just then. He was worried about her, but relieved to see her so confidently disarming that situation. He knew he had taught her well.

But then he turned back at his current enemy. He knew he should have felt confident with Obi-Wan at his side, and fighting Tyranus as he was with no real great army or reinforcements, instead just a small party of battle droids backing him up who were busy fighting their clone squadron. Yet he felt a great unease.

“Do you sense that master?” Anakin said.

“Yes, it feels like it’s coming from Dooku. I’ve never sensed such a terrible darkness from him before before.”

“Darkness. There’s something else there too.” It was the strange feeling he had felt since he landed upon this planet. He could never begin to imagine it would be coming from him. Whatever weird serenity he felt at that signature in the force was marred from the knowledge that it’s source was this Sith Lord.

Tyranus only smiled. It struck a primal terror in the hearts of Anakin and Obi-Wan. Even in all their clashes with him, there was something different about him now. His mouth was open in a terrifying grin lined with too many teeth, like a monstrous mask one would wear at some festival made to scare children as opposed to a face anyone would naturally make, and there was a queer vitality in his very being even as his old body much like Palpatine was Yoda were fueled by the force to limits they normally would have been incapable of. But more than that, it felt like what they were looking at was just a thing, some perverse mannequin made of flesh, a necrotic thing imitating the movements of being alive. That there was something else guiding every one of his small movements. Even after witnessing so many strange wildlife out and about in their bizarre mannerisms and alien faces, he was the only one to strike cold terror into their hearts. In those wretched shades of light surrounded by the great darkness in this cave, he looked like the undead ruler of a heathen kingdom they should have never dared trespass upon.

They were about to think twice about fighting him this time. He was standing on a temple story above them. Before either of them could react, he held up his hand and emitted a powerful blast of force lightning from his fingertips. Both Jedi held up their lightsabers to repel the attack. But their footing was already precarious on even steps as large as these, and they felt like they were both ready to fall at any moment.

Anakin and Obi-Wan both knew they were in trouble. They could hear the fierce scuffle of Ahsoka and Ventress close behind them and could very easily fall into the middle of that duel with so many adverse consequences. In this position, they were also in greater danger of suddenly being sniped from behind by one of the battle droids.

They both looked at each other. Even without saying anything, they had an inkling on what to do next. They sprang away from each other down a story and were now upon the ramparts below with each of them behind one of the strange effigies. Now they were no longer on the unsteady footing of the steps. But the Sith Lord was quick, descending to their level and activated another round of dark side energy in both of their directions. That arc of lightning blew the monstrous statues into rubble and smoke and hit both Jedi. Fortunately they caught the attack with their lightsabers.

They were pushed back but still standing. Still holding back the count’s barrage of lightning with their weapons, they both momentarily sacrificed their holds to make striking motions with their lightsabers against the torrential blast. Anakin proficient with Djem So made a strong overhand movement with his blade while Obi-Wan favoring Soresu, made a low underhand strike against it. Tyranus was stronger than ever, but that dual motion from the both of them was enough to dispel his vicious onslaught of power.

But they were in no position to get cocky. They knew they had to close the distance if they didn’t want to be vulnerable like that again. They both rushed at him in a pincer strike without a moment’s hesitation.

He was faster still, sidestepping away from where he was. They could barely see him move, it was like he was in one place and then suddenly in another. That alone was enough to keep them from making the joint attack they needed to. In their haste the two Jedi almost clashed their blue blades together.

He was right behind Anakin. Even with his newfound source of power, it would have taken several seconds longer to strike the Jedi Knight with his lightsaber. Enough for him to respond and have a proper lightsaber duel. This Sith Lord was a genius in the art of dueling well before he turned to the dark side and had fine tuned the form of Makashi to deadly perfection, but this Jedi Knight whose arm he severed years ago had surpassed his expectations and had shown no shortage of martial brilliance in the brutality of Djem So. Obi-Wan was not lacking in talent with Soresu either. The wild power he felt ever since retrieving the treasure from this temple was intoxicating and he felt more alive than ever, but this particular thorn in his side had surprised him more times that he cared to admit. If the boy submitted to his darkness, perhaps then he might fulfill that prophecy of the Chosen One after all. So instead he grabbed his opponent’s stomach and electrocuted him with force lightning so harsh that he drove Anakin to scream deeply in pain.

Those cries of agony were enough to drive a pause to Ahsoka and Ventress’ duel. “No!” she said, rushing up towards Anakin. But she felt Ventress coming at her from behind. She realized she wasn’t fast enough to save her master. With her opponent close behind, she turned around to just barely block what would have been a killing blow.

Obi-Wan lunged into the fray and made such a strike at the Sith Lord himself. But Tyranus simply flicked his lightsaber up to parry the strike as if he was dealing with a distraction. All the while he kept torturing Anakin with his lightning.

Obi-Wan remembered Maul killing his own master well over a decade ago. So very similar to this point in time. Just like then, he wasn’t driven to powerlessness but instead to rage. He moved his weapon further to try and push past his guard. It wasn’t just his technique, it was his strength, he had no idea that the fight would turn out this way. In a last ditch move, he freed one of his hands from his saber as it was locked with the Sith Lord’s and lunged past the blade, decking Tyranus in the face as hard as he could.

He punched hard, intending to kill him. He knew that strike wasn’t as strong as Anakin’s artificial hand, which he had enhanced so much that sometimes he wondered if his apprentice could break the metal carapace of General Grievous with it. Yet it was enough to knock his head back to the side like his neck had been broken. His whole body went slack and forced to contend with Kenobi, he stopped electrocuting Anakin, who fell down the parapets below. Obi-Wan forgot about the Sith Lord, rushing to his pupil’s aid. Too late, his fall escaped his grasp. But then Tyranus simply moved his head back to where it was as if he were simply adjusting a crink in his neck. He looked at Obi-Wan, his irises shining pure gold and glowing like some warlock that preyed on children in the night.

“Well done Kenobi. But you are nothing compared to what I am now!”

Tyranus made a sudden strike with his lightsaber. Obi-Wan was barely in time to catch that blow. With each clash it was like that, the Jedi struggling to match the Sith Lord’s strikes. No longer able to rely on the defensive power of Soresu, he pushed forward, making movements that would have been clumsy on their own but fueled by his determination, were accurate enough to give him an equal foothold with his enemy.
----

Anakin would have died if it wasn’t for Ahsoka sprinting to catch him during his fall. His breaths were ragged and he was spitting up blood. She had pushed her enemy back and this time sprung forward to rescue Anakin and succeeded, holding him in her arms. He looked bad but he was alive.

But she barely had time to register her master’s injuries when Ventress lunged forth with each of her weapons pointing at both of them. Ahsoka let out a battle cry and made a strike that would have killed Ventress at the same time she would have killed the both of them, forcing her to give up that advantageous position. Yet she still stood over the both of them. Ahsoka’s weapon was on guard.

“How sweet,” she said. “You two are inseparable and now you get to be together in death. But I’ll send one of you to the other side before the other. I wonder how the other one will wail when I take that life.” She grit her teeth and raised her sabers. “I’ll just have to find out!”

Anakin suddenly moved his head up and raised his arm at Ventress, holding off that attack with a powerful force push that sent her crashing onto her back upon the stone floor. His eyes were whited over and his breaths were ragged. But he was still alert, holding off Ventress purely with the power of the force.

He had intended only to hold her off. But he was using so much power that she felt like her spine was going to snap in two. She pushed forward against this display of strength with all her power in the force, yet he did not waver.
**
Rex had been keeping an eye on the fight between the Jedi and Sith above him as he exchanged fire with the battle droids. He had sworn to provide backup. But the fighting had become so fast and vicious that he couldn’t be sure he might attack one of his commanders if he fired at the wrong time. For that reason alone he could only provide backup to his clone brothers against the battle droids.
**
Just then, Tyranus made a lucky strike. He cut past Obi-Wan’s offensive, hitting his sides and knocking Obi-Wan’s lightsaber from his hands and sending it down the stairs. Not willing to waste anytime like back on Geonosis, he moved fast, ready to cut Obi-Wan’s life short. He would have too if not for Anakin.

He leapt back up in a state of pure instinct. Not yet aware, he caught Obi-Wan’s lightsaber with the force and stood in front of Tyranus. His eyes still weren’t all there, but even in that sort of half consciousness, his gaze was fixed right at the Sith Lord.

“Master,” Anakin said. It was more of a growl than a word.

“Thank you Anakin,” Obi-Wan said.

Anakin spat. “There is no second Sith Lord. I’m convinced of it now ... there is only him!”

Tyranus only smiled. To be addressed as such filled him with pride. When he slew these Jedi and returned to Sidious, he would kill him as all Sith apprentices did to their masters. Then he alone would rule the galaxy.

Obi-Wan didn’t know what to believe of such speculation. It didn’t matter for what Anakin said to Tyranus next. “One of us is going to die before you take his life,” he hissed.

The sight of Skywalker in such a state under that trinity of alien lights raging in the force would have terrified him in ordinary circumstances. This boy was not the braggart whose hand he had taken, who had clashed with him time and time again only to leave Anakin painful reminders of his inferiority. He felt as if he were looking what a Jedi should be, warrior, sage and mystic.

But now Tyranus simply felt himself rising to the challenge, as if the foe before him was his mortal enemy. “Yes, let us find out which!” Tyranus said. “You should feel honored Skywalker. To face off with the avatar of the dark side!” With both weapons at the ready, Anakin went at him hard and fast. When they fought on Geonosis, Anakin went dual-handed at him just like now, sacrificing the brute strength of going two-handed with Djem So for the versality of a dual wielding fencer in Jar’Kai. But Tyranus was ready, catching each move with speed, having enough power to catch those strikes which would have broken many Sith before him. Still, things were different now and Anakin had become much stronger now. He endured, wielding his blades and parrying and striking with each weapon as if he were holding one two-handed.
----

Ahsoka was momentarily distracted by the frenzy even in the initial moments, it was like watching two forces of nature. Not that she had much time to think on it. Ventress was also there, and she resolved to strike before her foe had any ideas. The Dathomirian was surprised by Ahsoka and in a rare moment had to defend herself.

Still she was no less arrogant. “Your master left you vulnerable,” Ventress said through their hold. Her cocky pale face was lit up by the piss colored shine of both moons and this close to the dual lightsaber shine of red and green, her pale face was also colored in a dark foreboding shade. “Can you still say he really cares for you? And I felt the bloodlust in him. He’s one of us now. When he’s through with Dooku, he’ll come for you next.”

“Liar!” In any other state of mind, Ahsoka would have never given heed to that taunt. But in the heat of the moment, it was enough to drive her wild. Yet she was young and unused to being so close to the dark side. Instead of making her stronger, it made her weaker against this gladiatrix of evil.
----

Obi-Wan looked up. He could barely comprehend what was happening around him. But while the fighting was fierce between Ahsoka and Ventress, it was nothing compared to the fury between Anakin and Tyranus. A Jedi Master stunned by this atavistic dance and without his weapon he never felt more powerless. Yet he still had the force.

The fighting between Ahsoka and Ventress was close, neither of them having an edge over the other. But it was like him just now. One wrong step and Ahsoka would be finished. He couldn’t possibly snatch her weapon in time to defend himself from Ventress. Or she would jump in between the fierce fight before him, resembling nothing like a duel, and even the odds. So he sat down and shut his eyes, taking in the power of the force.

Ahsoka knew she was losing this fight and that only made her angrier. Yet in that battle haze, she swiftly felt something like instinct directing her every movement past the bounds of her sickness and her stamina. She was stilll unsure of herself, knowing she could be killed at any instant. But there wasn’t any fear anymore, instead there was a delicate calmness to her mind which she couldn’t fathom. She simply followed it and let it direct her every move, even when it seemed foolish to do so.

Ventress sensed it too. She didn’t know what changed about Ahsoka. She could feel it coming from behind her, something to do with the fighting behind her higher in the parapets of the temple. In the back of her mind, she thought it was Kenobi, but that seemed absurd to her. But she wouldn’t dare turn her face, not when the consequences were that great.
----

Even at this new height of his power, Tyranus also felt on edge. He had never felt so challenged by Skywalker before. There were plenty of opportunities when he knew he should have had the advantage and killed him with speed and technique. But he felt the power from the Jedi Knight both from his being and in his strikes, and his newfound strength contending against two blades at once from this berserker was not enough. Once he even felt like Anakin was about to cleave his head from his neck.

This battle frenzy in Skywalker was not something borne of the dark side. But it was something close to it, perhaps even beyond it. The old legend of the Chosen One hailed by the Jedi and all those rumors that Anakin was that prophecy come to life even whispered in his ear by his own master Sidious, tales of the Sith’ari, they were all racing through his mind then. Tyranus had thought of this Jedi Knight as a nuisance at best ever since he took his arm and survived so many encounters. Now he was turning into a believer.

There were still other uses of the force. His lightning would not do him any good this time, not against the flurry of sapphire blades. Tapping into his new strength, he abruptly made a strong force push on the stone floor Anakin was standing upon, shattering it into pieces under him. The Jedi Knight had become so accustomed to using the lightsabers almost as if they were an extension of his being that this brutal shockwave caught him off guard. If he had not leapt forward to engage closer with the Sith Lord, he would have fallen deep into the depths of the temple never to emerge again.