Tempting Twi'lek

Author’s note: Heh, more reviews! Awesome stuff. To Rogue_Flamer, thank you very much for your insightful review and the point you made about Grievous. I have actually seen the first series of Clone Wars, and I’m eagerly awaiting the second DVD, which I’m told is even better.

I did actually know that Grievous was crushed by Windu’s Force powers, and that made him choke for the rest of his reasonably short life. However, as I am accelerating the time line for this story a little, I don’t think it disrupts the story too much. For instance, Grievous was not made into a cyborg until the Separatist Union was formed, which is a long way away from Episode I, unlike my story. But as I needed villains, for the sake of exciting story telling I tweaked with the time line a little. Hope it doesn’t ruin things too much for anyone who reads it. ^^


The platform shook as the five figures landed before them with a mighty pound. Obi-Wan stared. Four fearsome looking droids flanked one larger one, a crooked looking robot with long limbs and a fierce, war-mask like head.

The Jedi looked at them, slightly bemused by the sight. The flanking droids suddenly activated electrostaffs, and they pulsated with purple electric energy. They stepped in front of the lead droid warningly.

Obi-Wan shook his head, “A droid with bodyguards? How charming”.

The larger robot stood up, as if angry, and pointed at Obi-Wan, “He’s mine. But as for the rest…kill them”.

Instantly the bodyguard droids lunged at the Jedi, twirling their weapons with near-Jedi grace. At the same moment, the battle droids and droidekas opened fire. Plo Koon leapt forward and engaged two of the MagnaGuards, striking at their impenetrable staffs with his lightsaber. Despite his prowess, they soon forced him back, and he back flipped away to engage them on wider ground, landing ten meters away on a different platform. With a mighty leap, the two guards followed him. They resumed their battle, staffs striking saber at high speed.

Whison Puroth, Salus Cross and Reaz Thrush turned to deflect the laser bolts back at the battle droids and their more sinister larger cousins. Aayla suddenly found herself being attacked by the other two guards, and she found herself hard-pressed to fend off their lightning fast blows.

Obi-Wan was suddenly bowled off his platform by what seemed to be a blur of movement and a heavy thud. He fell tens of meters, stunned for a moment, then reached out for the Force and slowed his descent just in time before he would have landed fatally on a huge metal pipe that stretched the length of the factory.

He looked up and rolled aside just before his assailant landed where he had been. It looked at him and growled.

Obi-Wan shook his head. How could a droid growl? Or laugh like it had earlier for that matter. It was then that he looked at the eyes and started. It had brilliant reptilian eyes, transfixing and blazing with hatred.

“I am no droid!” it roared, rearing to its full height, “I am General Grievous! And soon all the galaxy shall know that name and tremble!”

A cyborg, Obi-Wan realized. That explains a lot. Still, no match for a Jedi. He swung his lightsaber in a gesture of defiance as he got to his feet.

Grievous sneered and reached into pockets in his cloaks and produced two items. With a sudden flick of the wrists, there was a burst of green and blue plasma energy and Obi-Wan realized with shock that it was wielding two lightsabers.

He raised his own saber just in time to parry several hammer-hard blows that rained down from Grievous. The monstrosity was forcing him back, striking home at all angles. Obi-Wan struggled to parry as he stumbled backwards across the pipe, watching with disbelief as the cyborg attacked with unrelenting ferocity.

Several levels above, Aayla gasped as one of the droids shunted her over with one brutal push of its staff. She fell to the floor and rolled aside just as the other guard plunged its weapon towards her. How did they know how to fight like this? They must have been trained and not programmed.

Plo Koon was calmly attempting to overcome his two foes, parrying and attempting to find a moment of weakness in their attacks. He found none. One of them suddenly aimed a high kick at him and it caught him in the chest. He staggered and only just maintained balance. Already, he had discovered their staffs were resistant to lightsaber blows.

The other three Jedi were deflecting laser bolts from the battle and destroyer droids. They were beginning to struggle, being forced back by the barrage of raw firepower. Salus Cross the Padawan was beginning to panic. The droidekas intensified their attack.

Obi-Wan ducked a mighty swing by General Grievous. He backed out of range from his madly swinging sabers and aimed a wave of the Force at him to knock him back. The huge cyborg dug his talons into the metal pipe and moved a few inches at best, then angrily resumed striking at Kenobi.

Suddenly, one of the battles above took a turn for the better. Plo Koon swung his saber upwards, and it swept through the arms of one of his bodyguard foes. The MagnaGuard looked in surprised at the smoking remnants of its arms, and then was suddenly hacked in two by a mighty stroke of Koon’s blade.

The other guard stepped closer, twirling its staff in an aggressive gesture. Plo Koon knocked it flat with a surge of the Force, then glanced over the ledge of the platform to see below. Kenobi was struggling to fend off the attacks of the cyborg, who was wielding twin lightsabers. He needed help.

A quiet, stifled scream stopped him in his tracks. Aayla Secura was flung to the floor by her two guard opponents. She might not last much longer. But then, Kenobi might not either.

He raced forward, ignoring the MagnaGuard that was clambering to its feet. With one leap, he landed between Aayla and her opponents, startling them all.

“Go!” he yelled to her, “Help Kenobi! He needs you. I’ll deal with these droids”.

She looked at him, then looked down and saw Obi-Wan’s situation. Nodding once, she turned and leaped down, using the Force to guide her ascent.

Plo Koon was left facing the two guards, and already the one he had flattened was approaching. He sighed and raised his saber. He was in for a hard time.

Grievous aimed his sabers at Obi-Wan’s head from above, bringing them down with great power. Obi-Wan blocked, but the weight behind the blow was crushingly powerful, and the General began forcing his blade down.

At the same moment, the taloned foot of Grievous reached out and seized him. The claws sunk into his tunic and ripped several holes in it, then threw him away with great force. One hundred meters away, the Jedi crashed in a crumpled heap on the pipe, blood streaking down his forehead and blurring his vision. He could hear the horrible cackle of Grievous.

“Hahahaha! And now, another lightsaber for my collection. Here is where you meet your end”.

He charged at blinding speed, aiming his blades for the kill.

At the last second, a comparatively small figure leapt between them and blocked Grievous’ saber strikes. Shocked, the cyborg backed up and stared angrily.

Aayla spun her saber and assumed a defensive pose, waiting for the inevitable assault. For a few seconds they stared at each other. Still no attack. The humming of their lightsabers seemed to grow louder and louder in the foundry as time stretched on. Far away, they could hear the clash of saber against electrostaff and laser fire.

Aayla began to feel uncomfortable like he was looking her up and down. He was just staring at her, his breathing ragged and heavy. Eventually, he spoke.

“My, my. Aren’t you a pretty one, my dear?”

She blinked in disbelief, “What?”

He chuckled hoarsely, and without warning leapt at her. She blocked and blocked over and over, but could tell already he was the superior swordsman. How did he know the Jedi arts?

Obi-Wan struggled to his feet and ignited his own lightsaber. He walked over in a daze to help Aayla, desperate to protect her.

The end came quickly. Aayla thrust at Grievous’ right hand, and he hurled his lightsaber into the air to avoid it being slashed by her. As he parried with the other blade, he swung a blow with his right arm. He smacked her across the face and she went down instantly.

“No!” Obi-Wan exclaimed. He tried to shake himself clear and rushed to protect her.

Grievous snatched the lightsaber he had hurled out of the air and turned to face Kenobi. As the Jedi approached, he swept it through the pipe they were standing on. The section Obi-Wan was on tumbled away, taking the heart stricken Jedi with it.

The manic cyborg laughed again, enjoying the spectacle. Then he deactivated his own sabers and pocketed them, along with Aayla’s own weapon. He reached down with his mighty robotic arms and seized her, flinging her over his shoulder. Then he turned away and left the droid foundry at a slow, confident pace, pleased with his day’s work.

The foundry echoed with his cruel, sadistic laughter.