A:N: You all know who the Zabrak is it's Maul, so for the fact that I already fucked up and this chapter is long just enjoy it.
The battle had become two.
Separated by layers of the Theed Power Generator Complex, two duels now raged simultaneously. Though divided by distance, both would shape the fate of the galaxy.
Above, Master Yoda and Master Dooku pursued the Sith Master deeper into the immense network of generators and maintenance platforms.
Below, Khan Kage stood alone against Darth Maul.
Neither battle could be lost.
The Sith Master struck first.
His crimson blade swept in a wide horizontal arc before instantly changing direction, becoming a precise thrust aimed directly at Dooku's chest.
Dooku's Makashi met the attack with elegant precision.
Steel-like focus filled his eyes.
He redirected the blade away by mere centimeters.
Before he could counter—
The Sith Master had already moved.
His stance changed seamlessly.
The measured elegance of Makashi disappeared, replaced by the overwhelming momentum of Djem So.
The next strike landed with enough force to shake the entire platform.
Dooku absorbed the blow, boots sliding across the metal floor.
A green flash interrupted the exchange.
Yoda descended from above.
His lightsaber became a spinning circle of emerald light as he unleashed a relentless combination of strikes from every imaginable angle.
The Sith Master answered each one.
Perfectly.
His movements flowed without hesitation.
One moment his blade mirrored Ataru's speed.
The next, it transformed into Soresu's impenetrable defense.
Then came Makashi.
Then Shien.
Each transition happened so naturally that it seemed impossible to identify where one form ended and another began.
Dooku's eyes narrowed.
"He's mastered them..."
Not one.
Not two.
Many.
The Sith fought without preference.
Every lightsaber form became another weapon to draw upon exactly when needed.
No movement was wasted.
No strike unnecessary.
Yoda launched himself once more.
His acrobatics pushed the limits of what even a Jedi Grand Master could achieve.
He attacked from above.
From below.
From impossible angles.
Yet every time—
The crimson blade was already waiting.
The Sith Master neither hurried nor slowed.
He simply adapted.
Yoda could feel it.
Each passing exchange revealed another layer of the Sith's mastery.
For perhaps the first time in centuries...
Yoda found himself forced to adjust during a duel.
His opponent was unlike anything he had ever encountered.
Not because the Sith was faster.
Nor stronger.
But because every answer Yoda discovered was immediately met with another question.
Every opening disappeared before it truly existed.
Every advantage lasted only moments.
Dooku entered again.
Master and Grand Master fought as one.
Yoda created movement.
Dooku sought precision.
Together they should have overwhelmed nearly any opponent.
Yet the Sith Master calmly yielded ground.
Not retreating.
Leading.
Every clash carried them deeper into the enormous power generator.
The hum of Naboo's plasma reactors grew louder.
Blue energy surged through towering conduits stretching endlessly above and below.
Catwalks crossed impossible distances.
Massive turbines rotated beneath transparent platforms.
The very heart of Naboo's energy grid surrounded them.
Finally—
The Sith Master stepped backward.
For the first time since the battle began...
No blade moved.
Silence.
Only the deep vibration of the plasma generators filled the chamber.
Yoda lowered his stance slightly.
His breathing remained steady.
Dooku rolled one shoulder.
The repeated impacts had begun taking their toll.
Across from them, the Sith Master stood perfectly still.
His crimson blade remained ignited.
Not a single sign of fatigue marked his face.
His yellow eyes calmly observed the two Jedi before him.
As though measuring them.
Studying them.
Waiting.
Yoda's ears lowered ever so slightly.
The Sith had yet to reveal the limits of his strength.
That troubled him.
Far below...
Blue and crimson collided once again.
Khan and Darth Maul had long abandoned testing one another.
Now every strike sought victory.
Every exchange carried lethal intent.
Their lightsabers blurred through the narrow maintenance bridge.
Metal screamed as blades carved into railings and support beams.
Neither warrior gave an inch.
Khan had entered a state unlike anything he had experienced before.
The world around him faded.
The humming generators.
The collapsing machinery.
Even the constant danger beneath his feet.
None of it reached him.
There was only—
The Force.
His opponent.
And himself.
Nothing else existed.
No fear.
No regret.
No hesitation.
His body moved before conscious thought formed.
Makashi remained the foundation.
Elegant.
Precise.
Every thrust searched for the smallest weakness.
The instant Maul answered with overwhelming aggression—
Shien emerged naturally.
Power replaced finesse.
Heavy deflections became crushing counterattacks.
Then—
Makashi again.
Then Shien.
Then Makashi.
The transitions became effortless.
Like breathing.
Maul attacked relentlessly.
Twin crimson blades spun through impossible combinations.
Every strike flowed into another without pause.
The Sith Apprentice pressed forward like a storm determined to consume everything before it.
Khan answered with something entirely different.
Flow.
Instead of resisting Maul's momentum...
He redirected it.
Every movement borrowed the Sith's strength before returning it from another angle.
Maul swung low.
Khan stepped aside.
A precise thrust forced Maul to rotate.
The instant he recovered—
A powerful Shien strike crashed against the center of the double-bladed saber.
The impact echoed throughout the bridge.
Maul's eyes narrowed.
The Padawan was changing.
Again.
Khan no longer relied solely upon his lightsaber.
The Force itself had become part of every exchange.
He stepped forward.
His downward strike fell like a mountain.
Not because of muscle.
Because the Force strengthened it.
Maul caught the blow—
Yet both of his boots slid backward across the bridge.
Before Maul regained his footing—
Khan vanished.
Not truly.
Only faster.
The Force surged through his legs.
His next strike appeared from Maul's left.
Then above.
Then directly ahead.
Blue became a blur.
Maul answered in kind.
The Sith Apprentice's own speed increased dramatically.
Red and blue disappeared into streaks of light.
Clash.
Parry.
Counter.
Clash.
Strike.
Block.
The rhythm became almost impossible to follow.
Khan reached out with the Force.
A loose maintenance panel ripped free from the wall.
It hurtled toward Maul.
Without looking away from Khan—
Maul extended one hand.
The panel exploded into fragments.
Khan was already there.
His lightsaber descended through the shower of debris.
Maul barely intercepted the attack.
The Force erupted again.
This time from Maul.
An invisible blast struck Khan squarely.
Khan answered instinctively.
His own Force collided against it.
The two waves met between them.
For a heartbeat—
Nothing moved.
The bridge groaned beneath the pressure.
Then both attacks shattered simultaneously.
The resulting shockwave blasted loose cables and metal debris in every direction.
Neither combatant moved.
Neither blinked.
They simply charged again.
Blue met crimson.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The duel had become something more than skill.
More than strength.
It was now a battle of will.
Neither intended to yield.
Neither intended to survive by retreating.
Only one would walk away victorious.
And somewhere within the Force...
Destiny watched in silence.
_______________________________________________________
Elsewhere within the Royal Palace...
The sound of lightsabers had long faded into the distance.
Even so, Padmé could still feel their echoes.
She knew Khan and the Jedi were buying them precious time.
Time she could not afford to waste.
The narrow palace corridors gradually opened into the administrative wing of the Royal Palace. Marble pillars lined the hallways, while elegant murals depicting Naboo's history decorated the walls. Once a place of diplomacy and peace, it now stood occupied by battle droids.
Padmé raised a clenched fist.
The Naboo soldiers immediately halted.
Everyone dropped into cover.
One of the soldiers quietly moved beside her.
"Your Majesty."
Padmé carefully peered around the corner.
Several battle droids stood guard outside a large set of ornate doors.
Beyond them...
She could just make out a familiar Neimoidian.
Gunray.
The Viceroy.
He stood before a large holographic display issuing orders to his commanders.
"We've found him," Padmé whispered.
The captain beside her nodded.
"What are your orders?"
Padmé studied the room carefully.
Nearly twenty battle droids.
Too many for a direct assault.
Gunray was nervous.
She could tell by the way he constantly glanced toward the exits.
He was expecting trouble.
Then she noticed something.
Large windows.
The eastern wall overlooked one of Theed's grand plazas.
An idea formed.
Padmé smiled.
"I have a plan."
The captain leaned closer.
Padmé quietly explained her thoughts.
By the time she finished...
The soldiers exchanged confident grins.
"I like it."
Padmé nodded.
"On my signal."
The soldiers quietly split into two groups.
One remained with Padmé outside the main entrance.
The second disappeared down a side corridor.
Several tense moments passed.
Then—
A sharp explosion echoed from somewhere deeper inside the palace.
Every battle droid turned toward the sound.
Gunray jumped.
"What was that?"
One battle droid answered immediately.
"Unknown disturbance detected."
Gunray waved frantically.
"Go! Investigate!"
Half the droids hurried toward the opposite hallway.
Padmé smiled.
"Now."
The palace doors burst open.
"Move!"
Blaster fire erupted instantly.
Blue plasma bolts streaked across the room as Naboo soldiers rushed inside.
The remaining battle droids reacted immediately.
"Destroy them!"
The room descended into chaos.
Padmé advanced alongside her guards.
Her blaster fired with calm precision.
Each shot disabled another battle droid.
A pair of droids attempted to flank her.
One Naboo soldier stepped forward, dropping both before they could fire.
Gunray stared in horror.
"The Queen!"
His eyes widened.
"She's here!"
He turned and fled toward the eastern exit.
"Protect the Viceroy!" one battle droid ordered.
Several droids immediately moved to block Padmé's advance.
Blaster fire forced the Naboo soldiers behind cover.
The path was cut off.
Gunray was escaping.
Padmé glanced toward the towering windows lining the chamber.
Then toward the soldiers she had sent around earlier.
Perfect.
She raised one hand.
"Fire!"
Outside—
The sound of engines roared.
A pair of Naboo security speeders burst into view.
Without slowing—
They smashed straight through the palace windows.
Glass exploded inward.
The speeders skidded across the polished floor before coming to a stop directly in front of the eastern exit.
Gunray froze.
His escape route was gone.
Before he could turn—
Naboo soldiers leapt from the speeders, blasters already trained on him.
"Don't move!"
Gunray slowly raised both hands.
His eyes darted desperately around the room.
Every exit was covered.
Padmé calmly approached.
The last battle droid guarding the Viceroy raised its blaster.
A single shot from Captain Panaka disabled it instantly.
Silence settled over the chamber.
Padmé stopped only a few steps from Gunray.
The Neimoidian swallowed nervously.
"You..."
Padmé met his eyes.
"The occupation of Naboo is over."
Gunray forced an uneasy smile.
"I believe... perhaps we can negotiate?"
Padmé's expression never changed.
"You had your chance to negotiate."
She looked toward her soldiers.
"Take him into custody."
Two Naboo guards stepped forward, securing binders around the Viceroy's wrists.
Gunray offered no resistance.
For the first time since the invasion had begun...
The Queen of Naboo had reclaimed her palace.
Now only one battle remained.
Somewhere deep within the power generators, the fate of the Jedi—and perhaps the Republic itself—was still being decided.
______________________________________________________
Deep within the lower maintenance levels...
Silence.
For the first time since their duel had begun, neither lightsaber moved.
The only sound was the endless hum of Naboo's plasma generators echoing through the vast chamber.
Khan and Darth Maul stood several meters apart.
Both breathed heavily.
Both bore the marks of battle.
Khan's robes were torn in several places, scorched where Maul's lightsaber had come dangerously close. Sweat rolled down his brow, his breathing slow but labored.
Across from him, Maul looked no better.
Several cuts marked his black robes, one sleeve nearly severed completely. His chest rose and fell with controlled, deliberate breaths.
Neither had escaped untouched.
The duel had pushed them both to their limits.
The bridge between them had become scarred beyond recognition.
Deep lightsaber cuts covered the metal beneath their feet.
Support rails had been sheared away.
Scattered debris still smoldered from the Force attacks they had exchanged.
For several long moments...
Neither advanced.
Maul slowly lowered into a familiar stance.
Khan recognized it immediately.
His heartbeat slowed.
He had seen that stance before.
On Naboo.
Qui-Gon's final battle.
Maul's feet shifted.
One hand slid farther down the center of his double-bladed lightsaber.
His body angled slightly sideways.
The same preparation.
The same deceptive opening.
Khan's eyes narrowed.
He's going to do it again.
The image returned with painful clarity.
Qui-Gon pressing forward.
The sudden opening.
The hilt striking upward.
The momentary stun.
The killing blow.
Khan had replayed that memory countless times since escaping Naboo.
Every detail.
Every mistake.
He would not allow history to repeat itself.
Maul smiled.
He saw recognition in the young Jedi's eyes.
Good.
Fear made opponents predictable.
The Sith ignited both ends of his saber once more.
The crimson staff spun into motion.
Khan slowly exhaled.
Everything around him disappeared once again.
There was no bridge.
No generators.
No battle above.
Only...
The Force.
His breathing became steady.
His grip relaxed.
He did not search for victory.
He simply allowed the Force to guide him.
Across from him—
Maul moved.
An explosion of speed.
The Sith crossed the distance in an instant.
His lightsaber spun into the exact sequence Khan remembered.
One strike.
Two.
Three.
Each attack herded Khan backward exactly where Maul wanted him.
Then—
The opening appeared.
Maul's eyes flashed.
Now.
The hilt shot forward toward Khan's face.
Exactly as it had against Qui-Gon.
But this time—
Khan was already gone.
Instead of retreating...
He stepped inside.
His body twisted with the motion.
The spinning hilt passed harmlessly over his shoulder.
Maul's expression changed.
For the first time...
Surprise.
Khan continued the movement without interruption.
His entire body rotated.
The Force flowed through every muscle.
Every step.
Every breath.
The spin carried his lightsaber in one perfectly controlled arc.
Blue light flashed once.
Clean.
Precise.
Effortless.
Maul froze.
Silence filled the bridge.
The Sith looked down.
A thin line stretched across his waist.
His yellow eyes slowly widened.
He understood.
His body separated cleanly in two.
The upper half slipped one direction.
The lower half the other.
Both disappeared into the endless depths of the generator complex below.
The crimson lightsaber tumbled after him before vanishing into darkness.
Silence returned.
Khan remained motionless.
His blue lightsaber still hummed softly in his hand.
He stared into the abyss for several seconds.
There was no triumph.
No satisfaction.
Only quiet acceptance.
Another life had ended.
Another servant of the dark side had fallen.
Slowly...
Khan deactivated his lightsaber.
The familiar snap-hiss echoed across the empty bridge.
He closed his eyes.
May the Force be with you.
Then, sensing the tremendous clash of power still raging far above, Khan opened his eyes once more.
The battle was not over.
The true enemy still remained.
Without another moment's hesitation, he turned and sprinted toward the upper levels of the power generator, racing to aid Masters Yoda and Dooku.
High above the lower maintenance levels, the duel between the Jedi Masters and the Sith Lord continued.
The immense plasma reactor roared around them. Rivers of brilliant blue energy surged through enormous conduits beneath the transparent walkways, while towering generators hummed with enough power to light the entire planet of Naboo.
The three combatants had pushed each other farther into the heart of the reactor than any of them had intended.
Yoda stood before the Sith Lord, green blade held low.
Beside him, Dooku steadied his breathing.
Neither Jedi looked untouched.
Yoda's robes bore several scorched marks where the crimson blade had narrowly missed him.
Dooku's elegant tunic had been torn across the shoulder, a thin cut along his cheek allowing a trail of blood to run down toward his jaw.
Across from them...
The Sith Lord remained composed.
Though a few shallow cuts marked his robes—including one along his upper arm—his posture never faltered.
His yellow eyes calmly studied the two Jedi.
Then...
He moved.
The crimson blade came alive once more.
Its speed exceeded anything from earlier in the battle.
Dooku barely managed to intercept the opening strike.
The impact reverberated through his arms.
"He's become faster..."
The Sith Lord pressed forward relentlessly.
His lightsaber shifted seamlessly between forms.
A crushing overhead strike gave way to a precise Makashi thrust.
Without pause, he spun into Ataru before flowing effortlessly into the defensive circles of Soresu.
Each transition forced the Jedi to readjust.
Yoda leapt high into the air.
His small frame became a blur of green as he descended from above.
The Sith Lord turned just enough to catch the attack before immediately driving Dooku backward with another overwhelming exchange.
The duel became a dance.
One Jedi attacked.
The other defended.
Then they switched.
Again.
And again.
Only together could they prevent themselves from being overwhelmed.
Even then...
The Sith Lord continued pressing them backward.
His expression never changed.
Almost...
As though he expected this outcome.
Dooku saw a brief opening.
The Sith Lord's attention had shifted toward Yoda for the smallest fraction of a second.
Now.
Makashi answered.
Dooku stepped forward.
His blue blade slipped between the Sith Lord's defenses with surgical precision.
The strike carved across the Sith Lord's shoulder.
Not deep.
But enough.
For the first time...
Blood stained the Sith's robes.
Silence lasted only an instant.
Then the chamber trembled.
The temperature itself seemed to drop.
The Sith Lord slowly looked toward the wound.
His yellow eyes burned brighter.
The calm had vanished.
Only fury remained.
"You dare..."
The Force erupted.
A violent shockwave exploded outward.
Dooku crossed his arms instinctively.
Too late.
The blast struck him like a crashing starship.
His body flew across the platform before slamming violently into one of the reactor walls.
The durasteel buckled.
Dooku collapsed onto one knee.
His lightsaber nearly slipped from his grasp.
Pain shot through his ribs with every breath.
He tried to stand.
His legs refused.
"Master Dooku!" Yoda called.
But the Sith Lord was already moving.
His crimson blade descended upon Yoda with terrifying speed.
No longer measured.
No longer restrained.
Every strike carried enough strength to split durasteel.
Yoda met him head-on.
The Grand Master disappeared into motion.
He leapt over one strike.
Twisted beneath another.
His small body became impossible to follow.
Green and crimson blurred together.
Yoda's lightsaber landed several precise cuts across the Sith Lord's robes.
One grazed his side.
Another sliced across his forearm.
The Sith Lord snarled.
His attacks became even more savage.
Yoda continued spinning through the air, using every ounce of his speed and centuries of experience.
But even he could feel it.
This opponent...
Was stronger.
One clash.
Two.
Three.
The Sith Lord suddenly changed rhythm.
He parried Yoda's blade aside.
His free hand shot forward.
Blue lightning exploded from his fingertips.
The chamber filled with thunder.
Yoda immediately thrust out his own hand.
The Force answered.
The lightning met an invisible wall.
Energy surged between them.
The reactor chamber trembled beneath the collision.
Yoda's feet dug into the platform.
His face tightened with effort.
The lightning refused to yield.
Neither did he.
Across the room...
Dooku forced himself back onto his feet.
Every muscle screamed in protest.
His breathing had become ragged.
But he ignored the pain.
His eyes fixed upon the Sith Lord.
The dark warrior's back was completely exposed.
This...
Was their chance.
Yoda was holding him in place.
If Dooku struck now—
The battle would end.
He tightened his grip.
Then lunged.
Makashi carried him forward with perfect precision.
Everything depended upon this one strike.
The Sith Lord smiled.
Without turning.
He already knew.
The smile sent a chill through Dooku.
Too late.
With a subtle movement of his free hand—
Yoda's body was violently pulled forward by the Force.
Directly into Dooku's attack.
"No!"
Dooku tried to stop.
His body had already committed.
Makashi demanded complete commitment to every thrust.
His lightsaber pierced cleanly through Yoda's side.
Time froze.
Dooku's eyes widened.
"Master..."
Before either Jedi could react—
The Sith Lord unleashed the full fury of his lightning.
Blue currents engulfed Yoda completely.
The Grand Master's body convulsed beneath the torrent.
His green lightsaber slipped from his grasp.
The Force barrier shattered.
Yoda looked once toward Dooku.
There was no anger.
Only sadness.
And acceptance.
Then...
The light faded from his eyes.
The lightning ceased.
Yoda's small body collapsed onto the platform.
Silent.
Still.
The galaxy had lost its greatest Jedi.
Dooku stumbled backward.
His lightsaber slipped from trembling fingers.
"No..."
His knees struck the floor.
"No..."
His voice broke.
"I..."
The realization crushed him.
His own blade...
His own hand...
He had failed the man who had raised him.
The man who had believed in him.
The Sith Lord slowly approached.
"There it is."
His voice echoed through the chamber.
"Grief."
He stopped before Dooku.
"Anger."
Dooku slowly lifted his head.
Tears mixed with blood upon his face.
"You..."
Darkness surged within him.
For the first time in his life...
He did not resist it.
His lightsaber flew back into his hand.
With a furious roar, Dooku charged.
His Makashi became something else entirely.
Faster.
Stronger.
Fueled by rage instead of discipline.
The Sith Lord chuckled.
"So easily..."
Their blades met once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then—
One effortless movement.
The crimson blade flashed.
Dooku cried out.
His right hand, still clutching his lightsaber, spun through the air before disappearing into the reactor below.
Dooku collapsed.
Clutching the bleeding stump.
The Sith Lord stood over him.
Disappointed.
"So much potential..."
A new voice echoed across the chamber.
"Master!"
Khan burst into the reactor room.
His footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
His breathing stopped.
Master Yoda...
Lay motionless upon the floor.
His green lightsaber rested beside him.
Further ahead...
Master Dooku knelt in agony as blue lightning engulfed his body.
"Master!"
Khan ran forward.
The Sith Lord looked toward him.
Then smiled.
With another wave of his hand, the lightning intensified.
Dooku screamed.
His body lifted into the air.
Still trapped within the torrent of electricity.
Then—
The Sith Lord cast him aside.
Dooku's body flew helplessly across the chamber.
Straight into the open reactor shaft.
"MASTER!"
Khan reached out instinctively.
Too far.
Dooku disappeared into the endless blue abyss below.
For a single heartbeat...
Everything inside Khan broke.
The Force around him exploded.
His sorrow became anger.
His anger became fury.
His blue lightsaber ignited.
With a cry unlike anything he had ever uttered, Khan charged.
He no longer fought like a Jedi.
He simply attacked.
The Sith Lord met him without effort.
One strike.
Khan's guard shattered.
A second.
His lightsaber flew from his hand.
A third.
The Force itself crushed into Khan's chest.
He was hurled across the platform.
His body slammed against the durasteel wall before collapsing onto the floor.
His vision blurred.
The last thing he saw...
Was the Sith Lord standing over Yoda's fallen body.
Chuckling softly.
Then...
He turned.
And walked away.
Darkness consumed Khan's vision.
Everything became black.