A Path Less Taken

Chapter 45 - Order 66, Part 2

"No!" the Brute said with a growl before moving forward and, with a power not unlike Savage Opress, slammed his saber into his hard enough to launch him straight into a wall. Though this time, he managed to keep his saber in his hand.

The Brute soon became distracted by many of the clone troopers that started to fire on him once Dooku was out of the line of fire, deflecting each of the bolts and mowing them down with the forceful efficiency his title implied. Though when Dooku raised himself up, he hit the Jedi with a torrent of lightning that quickly forced the Brute into a kneel. Then the clone troopers quickly finished him off with several shots.

"My Lord, the Jedi are trying to destroy the library's holobooks," a clone trooper said as he approached him.

"Have you begun the scan process?" Dooku questioned.

"Yes, but a few of the cases have to remain intact for us to complete the process," the clone told him.

"Very well then," Dooku said, running off towards the library, and sure enough, the Jedi were doing everything they could to destroy the bookcases. Even the librarian, Madam Jocasta Nu was helping defend by fighting off clones. But all Dooku did was raise a hand to close her throat off, making her drop her lightsaber. Then he pulled her towards his lightsaber, his eyes closed as he didn't exactly want to witness the act.

Moving quickly, he approached one of the Jedi watching the back of one of his allies, who was hacking away at one the bookcases. His eyes narrowed upon spotting Dooku, raising his saber in front of his face before blocking the Lightning Dooku sent at him. He was an Ataru user, so he quickly flipped his way over Dooku when he got close and caught the Count in the side with a kick.

Though when Dooku batted his next attack away, the Count grabbed the hand he was using to hold the saber and sent a torrent of Lightning through him before impaling him in the chest. Then he immediately tossed his saber in the back of the Jedi who was about to turn to face Dooku, falling without a word. Though his style was not exactly meant for powerful, brute efficiency, he needed to do the best he could in this situation.

With some effort, the Sith Lord managed to hold the Jedi back long enough to preserve the information on the bookcases. Though there were still many more Jedi. And even more Temple ground to cover.

So far, Sidious only observed with his hands behind his back. The Jedi were falling even more quickly than the clones, and there were more of those to go around. Still, no one had shown up that he could even consider wasting his time on. Though he suppose he was left without a choice when a saber was tossed his way, which he easily jumped over.

"Master Drallig," Sidious said with a small smirk as he saw the Jedi Master approach the Sith Lord, calling his saber back to his hand.

"You," Cin said with conviction in his voice, tightening his grip on his saber.

"I assume you wish to duel?" Sidious questioned idly.

"Duel is a kind word for what I'm going to do to you," Cin said before advancing on the Sith Lord. The Jedi Master was quick. Quick enough to where Sidious needed to draw one of his sabers to deflect the oncoming slices. Drallig was the finest swordsman on the Council. Which is why Sidious was eager to duel him.

Locking sabers with the Jedi Master, Sidious had a smile on his face even as Drallig's expression was one of cool fury. Sidious was the one to force the Jedi Master back, immediately forcing him on the defensive with fast, aggressive strikes that were easily aiming to maim or kill. But the Jedi held his ground.

Locking his feet in place as well as their sabers, Cin lashed out with a foot to hit the Sith Lord in the knee, but he simply raised his leg. Within the same second, Drallig went for a side kick, which Sidious also deflected with a foot. So he flipped back while firing out a ball of Force energy. Sidious swiftly sidestepped it, and noticed that the ball exploded in a small radius where he stood. If he tried to deflect that, it would've scorched his fingers at the least.