Savage-Time Chapter 27 (Patreon)

[Coruscant, Lower Levels]

General Grievous

Mace Windu advanced on him without hesitation even as Grievous shot the sonic cannon in his direction, the Jedi moved faster than he had anticipated and if he was in his previous body then it could have been dangerous, his arm received the blow from the lightsaber and bounced off it much to Windu’s surprise giving Grievous an opening.

Thrusters ignited behind his other arm and the hand changed back into a fist but just as Grievous was about to impale the Jedi in his arm Shaak Ti pulled him back with the force to a safe distance.

“You need to focus Mace, this is no place to let your anger run wild” the Togruta Jedi scolded her colleague

Mace nodded and the Jedi circled the cyborg general, the more time he let them waste the better for him and if they attacked without a plan then perhaps it would be for the best as Grievous would kill another of their kind.

“Foolish Jedi, your Republic is doomed” with those words Grievous accelerated towards Windu. Like an avalanche of metal, the skeletal frame made with some of the heaviest metals in the galaxy crosses the distance leaving an imprint of his feet in the metal supporting their feet.

His normal hand takes out one of his prized lightsabers and ignites it while the sonic cannon in the other fires shamelessly at some civilians that came close to watch, predictably the Jedi are distracted with protecting them, or rather Shaak Ti and the Rodian Jedi are. Mace Windu ignores the death of a man right beside him to block the cyborg’s downward slash.

Windu grunts as the heavy hit from Grievous pushes his lightsaber closer to the Jedi’s face, the moment of superiority quickly ends when the Jedi Master does the unthinkable and turns off his saber letting Grievous sword pass before he swiftly dodges and nicks the general in one of his legs, the metal resists but there is a clear burn mark that reveals that the legs of his new body are less armored than his torso or arms.

Windu took a moment to concentrate and then like a tornado made of purple energy he advanced on the general, Grievous had been warned by Savage of the power Mace Windu had and the Zabrak had even recommended he retire if he ever got into a fight with him, he understood the wisdom of the words now, but he couldn’t call himself a warrior if he didn’t try to fight Windu.

The sonic cannon in his arm changed focus in one desperate attempt he shot at Windu, the Jedi moved, and as he did the metal frame of Coruscant’s street was left with deep gashes burning orange from the molten metal.

“We need to give him space! If you get in his way he could accidentally hit you” Shaak Ti said as she pulled back the other Jedi that was there, grievous used the time to reform his hand and grab another lightsaber to defend himself, from his torso another pair of reinforced arms emerged and with that the general once more held the advantage.

The lightsabers started spinning faster than ever before, in a way he could see some similarity in the way they attacked but Grievous’s attacks were far less random than Windu’s, experimentally the general tried to block one of Windu’s strikes only to receive a surprise as the human suddenly changed directions and struck his chest, the lightsaber bounced from the metal frame and the general laughed at the Jedi’s naivety.

“This new form has been laced with Beskar, your attacks are as useless as your Republic!” Grievous accelerated and watched as the Jedi rise his guard but instead of coming at Windu the cyborg passed him and swiftly decapitated the Rodian Jedi.

Shaak Ti let out a war cry as she attacked the vulnerable back of Grievous but at the last moment she was blocked by one of the general’s blades

“You have no honor machine” the Togruta sneered as she looked at him but Grievous only laughed at her words.

“The only honor I need is the one granted to me by every death of one of your kind, you Jedi are a plague to the galaxy!” Grievous had more success in his advance against Shaak Ti as the Togruta struggled with deflecting the powerful blows coming from the cyborg but in his haste to kill more Jedi Grievous had stopped paying attention to Windu.

Mace wasn’t attacking the general, not because he believed in fair fights but because the human was gathering a tumultuous amount of energy into his body as he enhanced himself with the force, something that he soon demonstrated to Grievous.

Grievous had only been fighting with Shaak Ti for twenty seconds when a flurry of blows suddenly assaulted his frame, Windu was looking for any weak spots and if the general did nothing the Jedi would discover the only flaw in his design!

Grievous retreated in short order and as he did he grabbed the fallen blades of the Jedi he killed and decided to use the tactic that had been recommended for an escape.

Blowing everything around into bits.

Miniature bombs that had more yield than their little forms would have suggested poured out of his chest, to make sure they wouldn’t be used against him the explosives worked with a movement sensor once they had been activated so if the Jedi tried to turn his weapons on him they would receive a nasty surprise.

The Jedi sensed danger and jumped away and even took the time to get some bystanders away from what the epicenter of the explosion would be, Grievous jumped into the abyss that was Coruscant as the first explosions started.

___________________________________

The Magna Guards had moved far ahead from what he had predicted and they were almost at the designated point where Lama Su would be kept until his death.

As he kept the slow pace toward the next tunnel Grievous was thrown to his back by an invisible force, when he looked behind the form of Windu stood there, his robes were singed and one of his arms was bleeding, but the human looked as determined as ever and even if he didn’t have the Force Grievous could feel that something was different about him.

From the cyborg’s side, two pads launched into the tunnel walls making a web of electricity strong enough to kill any organic or droid dumb enough to try to pass through it.

“You’re too late Jedi, Lama Su will never-“ Grievous words were cut short as he was dragged to Windu and by consequence the dangerous arcs of electricity, the Jedi didn’t say a word as he dangled the cyborg close to his demise. Grievous legs tore through the tunnel as he anchored himself, but it wasn’t enough.

Grievous was still being dragged to his death, so he decided to change the rules.

His legs dislodged from the floor and just when he was about to hit the lightning Grievous turned it off, Mace responded by igniting his lightsaber but instead of aiming for his legs or torso as he expected the Jedi Master pierced the cyborg’s right eye.

Grievous let out a wail that chilled the bones, it was a sound born of anger and pain. The cyborg’s arms turned into their weapon configuration and he blasted randomly at the tunnel sonic waves and fire raged out in the tunnel but as much as he wanted to the destruction he was causing wouldn’t bring his eye back.

“Jedi scum!” with his one remaining eye Grievous saw that Windu was no longer behind him but close to him, the Jedi Master proceeded to try and pull apart the protection of his organs but Grievous was well prepared for that a current of electricity made launched the Jedi backward.

“You will meet your end here general and the galaxy will forget about you in time, the terrible deeds you’ve committed will be erased from history as punishment for your dark ambitions!”

Grievous took out his lightsabers again, and a green glow mixed with blue clashed against the purple of Windu’s blade, Grievous started their deadly dance with two downward slashes that were swiftly parried then the human moved in between the wild swings of the two remaining arms and delivered three hits to the cyborg’s throat, the metal held but the heat of the lightsaber could be felt by Grievous.

Windu retreated as he delivered another strike aiming for the general’s remaining eye but this time Grievous reacted on time and with a jump timed perfectly Grievous made the strike hit one of his shoulders, the general swiped at Windu but he only managed to touch his clothes.

As they took their previous positions Grievous received a message that the Magna Guards had arrived at their objective without further trouble, now he would have to go somewhere else or the Jedi could rescue Lama Su. Grievous clashed with Windu again before they separated and the cyborg general noticed that the Jedi wasn’t as aggressive as before, the tunnel wasn’t letting Windu move properly.

“You’re doomed Jedi!” Grievous laughed before he continued “You can’t use your full power here”

“You overestimate your abilities, you’re a second-rate duelist at best” Windu took another stance as he advanced on the cyborg this time he held his lightsaber close to the ground, and immediately Grievous recognized the stance.

“You think you can defeat me with that stance, I’ve fought against Count Dooku!”

Grievous attacked with quick slashes that were parried with minimal movement, one of the lightsabers was cut in two and once more the Jedi Master tried to take his remaining eye but this time Grievous used the opportunity to kick Windu.

Mace crashed against the wall and gasped as the air was driven out of his lungs but he dodged the next strike that was aiming for his head, in the enclosed space the general was more dangerous than Windu.

Grievous spun the remaining lightsabers in order to make a deadly saw that closed in on Windu’s neck, a sudden push made by the Force saw Grievous backed into the opposite wall and suddenly his arms were no longer in his control.

The cyborg was subjected to the fate that he had wanted for window and even if his arms were reinforced with Beskar they still had a melting point and they would soon reach it if he did nothing.

Desperate to change his fate the general, let out all of his explosives in a last-ditch effort to make Windu fall back.

“You’ve doomed us both!” the Jedi screamed as he remained with his arms stretched out making Grievous hit himself with his own weapons.

“The only one doomed here is you!” a serious coughing fit interrupted the triumphant words of the general but once he composed himself, he continued “I can survive this! I was rebuilt to ensure that I did!”

The beeping had commenced and nothing Windu did would make him stop.

It was then that something unexpected passed the sound of a cane clacking against the ground was heard along with the sounds of the bombs, the ancient leader of the Jedi had arrived.

“To my side come, together face this we will!” Master Yoda, Windu obeyed and the sound of the bombs finally stopped, Grievous moved his head onto his chest curling into a ball and the metal plates of his frame opened up to encase him in their protection.

The last thing Grievous saw before his eyes embraced the darkness of his own being was the sight of Mace Windu and Yoda looking determined at the incoming wave of fire that threatened to consume them both, if he was lucky then they would be dead once the fire passed if not then Grievous would do what was necessary, there was one last surprise that he wasn’t going to use until there was no other option.