When You Give a Man Power 
Chapter 53

Bane clued me in on what he wanted me to do after we discussed what time we had to prepare and what the game plan was now. The main plan had already been disclosed to me during our first powwow.

Looking further along I could see the explosives placed along the tower and other buildings kept hidden well enough that most people wouldn’t see them or know they were there. The tower in particular had quite a few more placed on it in areas that would allow it to fall on the road.

Several of the criminals around us looked around when they thought Bane and I weren’t paying attention to the ice formed from the rainwater giving us mostly solid ground to walk on but it also served another purpose. 

The sloshing of water and the dulled thuds of metal feet against the ground submerged under the water told me they were here. A nod towards Bane told him it was time.

“They’re here!” Bane yelled to the several dozen gathered criminals. The ice gave several a slight vantage point keeping the water below and off the chunk of ice we used as both a platform and cover.

The droids soon came into view for the others with them not wasting any time opening fire. The gathered criminals fired in return, taking down numerous droids and despite the number advantage they were being kept in a stalemate. One that was slowly turning into them getting pushed back.

Red lances flew forth, each one sent up sparks with droids tumbling down unmoving in the water. Both on the street and atop the buildings they worked tirelessly trying to keep the droids at bay. Pulse grenades were occasionally sent flying out from the grenade launchers from those further back. Electricity arced out in the water taking hordes of the droids easily doing the work of what would have taken at least thirty seconds’ worth of work from all those beside me.

Then the hum of a repulsor told me it was time for the big guns. Taking a blaster cannon sat beside me with what was becoming a staple of mine. Lifting it one-handed with a few of the criminals glancing at me with mild surprise before redoubling their effort to shoot at the coming wave of droids.

The tank's main cannon appeared first from around the bend in the street. Before it could even line up a shot three different ion cannons from atop the buildings on either side of the street and our ice barricade opened fire taking it out and frying it and any droids near it.

The crackle of the electricity frying its internals was like music to everyone’s ears as the blue dancing bolts swiftly swam through the water towards the ice before it was blocked by the solid chunk with only the thin layer of rain pouring down from it letting some up.

A few criminals cursed with the static-like pops heard faintly amongst all of us. A few winced but shrugged it off. With a quick gesture of my raised hand a golden translucent barrier formed above our heads stopping the rain from pouring over us and the giant block of ice.

Another gesture had the ice that was slowly melting again with the rainwater replacing what was lost. Bane didn’t say a word but he couldn’t hide the interest he had in my power. Everyone was easier to read since they didn’t even hide the shock and awe of watching me fling spells around like it was going out of style.

“The next wave is coming in,” Bane said making everyone focus back onto the task at hand.

More droids marched up already shooting at us instead of trying to get halfway to us. Blaster bolts hit the ice taking chunks out of it but the shields and barriers it was frozen around took the brunt of the blasts. 

Heavy blaster cannons, blasters of all shapes and sizes, along with a few grenades lobbed over when the droids had begun to get a little too close for our liking hit wave after wave. 

The bodies piled up with the droids’ never ending tide moving forward then pushed back like water on a beach. I hadn’t been idle during the time spent holding this road. Bane and I had made a little competition on who could get more droid kills and this time we were keeping count. Currently, I was slightly ahead of him with him and his droid not far behind racking up his kill count.

An hour went by with the droids being stalled and kept at bay with two more tanks sunk into the water like sunken ships jutting out. Then the figures further back caught my eye. They dashed behind the next line of droids, the brown cloaks obscuring their faces and bodies but anyone who saw them would know who they were.

“We got Jedi! Slugthrowers, and launchers at the ready.” Bane ordered with the numerous people around us with only two injured and they were still fine after two stimpacks were used. They would likely have scars but they would live.

The Jedi kept their distance with the droids taking the brunt of the damage. It wasn’t until the tide of droids had been pushed back enough that they instead of coming directly for us ran into the alleys of the street.

“They are coming in to flank us. Focus on the droids but keep your eyes peeled in case they come from the sides or above us.” I ordered with many of the criminals who looked ready to retreat, hesitating for a moment before following the order.
 
Bane grimaced a frown on his face. It wasn’t about me, but the various people we were commanding. He couldn’t stand that they were a part of what was supposed to be the better forces of the Hutt's army if you could call it that. He was annoyed at having such cowards working with us.

I, on the other hand, was more understanding. Not just anyone can take on a Jedi-- even an average knight was not something so easily handled. 

But they at least knew that they weren’t invincible. That idea had died when this conflict broke out and they all had seen on the holonet that Jedi could be killed, without using extreme means at that. 

The Hutts had employed it as a means to get those who fought for them to perform better. Like what Mike Tyson said back in an interview. If you make your enemy invincible in your mind then you will never defeat them because you believe it so.

But if you think you can beat them it makes things far easier. It was the idea of invincibility that needed to be torn down for them to realize they can be killed. If it bleeds and feels pain then it can die like everything else.

“Corvo, run interference,” Bane said, patting me on my shoulder while he activated rocket boots that made him hover off the ground. “I’ll be joining you. You've got to kill some Jedi so it’s my turn now.”

I shook my head chuckling before leaping over various things that jutted out of the buildings with Bane looking down at the others. “Remember your orders. Hold the droids back, we will handle the Jedi.”

He didn’t even give them a chance to respond or nod at his words as he flew up and over the building, his boots shutting off, pistol drawn with his droid hovering by his side.

A flutter of a piece of cloth in the wind was all I needed to hear before a hiss and a hum followed it. Raising my hand with a spout of fire coming out forcing the Jedi that came in from the side to back off incapable of blocking that with their blade.

Bane didn’t hesitate to open fire alongside his eye droid. The droid's rapid firing forced the Jedi to prioritize the droid with Bane aiming for any openings created.

That was until two more Jedi leaped behind us at the edge of the building. Bane and his droid turned opening fire with the pair deflecting the bolts with far more ease than most of the other Jedi I had seen up until this point. Even deflected the blaster shots fired from the others along the various rooftops.

The one I was dealing with seemed to have had enough of my flames as his hand was raised in the iconic force push gesture. A quick draw sent three red bolts flying right for him only for the guy to deflect all three while his hand pushed forward.

Cutting off the flames both hands raised with a translucent barrier forming with it immediately cracking and nearly shattering under the force of the push. The roof cracked and almost felt like it would collapse from the power it was being subjected to.

“Tch. Watch where you're shooting Corvo!” Bane yelled in annoyance sounding like he was not having as good a time as he expected to.

I didn’t even have the time to look back with the Jedi rushing right towards me, his blue blade hissing from the drops of rain rushing for me. Holstering my pistol and drawing a lightsaber in one hand and a vibro blade in the other.

His first blow sent me skidding back along the slick roof from the powerful two-handed strike. Not even a second later he was already hitting me with the next attack. Both blades crossed taking the blow making me grit my teeth.

Instead of letting him push me back I went for a leg sweep with him jumping over it flipping with the blade coming down only to stop it with the lightsaber as the vibrosword lashed out managing to nick his cheek.

He landed between Bane and me bringing a hand up wiping at the blood coming from the shallow cut on his cheek. He looked at his hand before his eyes narrowed at me. Before he could attack as he intended to he tilted his head to the side avoiding a blaster shot before turning and charging at Bane.

“Get airborne!” I yelled to Bane who had tried to sneak in an attack on the Jedi with the other two coming closer while his droid tried to keep them at bay. The others on the rooftops hadn’t stopped shooting at the Jedi but their efforts may as well have been for nothing when they either dodged or blocked and they were hesitating fearing they would hit Bane or me.

Bane hovered up into the air just in time with the two Jedi slicing through his droid, sending it tumbling over the roof in a sparking heap with the third Jedi nearly upon him. He leaped up blade ready to bisect him at the waist. Bane desperately fired his pistol but the man either adjusted his angle enough to avoid them or deflect them.

Hand raised, the Jedi turned his blade blocking the lightning heading right towards him, sending him off course. Bane flew up and further away, opening fire with two pistols in each hand having swapped over to burst fire. “Stop shooting you're going to hit us.” He ordered the others who hesitantly complied.

One of them pulled their hand closer to themselves tugging on Bane as he got closer, his boots straining to keep him in the air away from them. Firing two fireballs that instantly evaporated the nearby water on the roofs the Jedi wide-eyed dived to the side with the two balls impacting buildings across the street with none of our people on them outright destroying them with the structures turning into flaming rubble.

I rushed in with a lightsaber held at the ready going on the offensive against the one who had attacked me. He was a capable duelist compared to the others with the other two being not bad but nowhere near his level.

“To think the Sith had survived all this time…” He said glaring at me like I was the most putrid scum he had the misfortune to encounter.

I just smiled at him, “I’m no Sith, but you certainly act like one more than a Jedi.” 

The man’s expression swiftly changed to an apocalyptic one. He remained on the defensive with the screech of both lightsabers meeting one another. He moved around intercepting slashes, redirecting thrusts, just when he blocked an overhead strike my other hand pulled out my vibrosword lashing out with it.

We were both constantly on the move; each attack or movement was always followed by another neither stopping. Like the wind, we moved onwards and never stopped. Leaning back from a counterattack when he parried a blow that would have taken his left arm at the shoulder.

His blade hissed against the rain where it would have taken my throat out. “Don’t ever compare me to you and your kind.” He snarled in indignation.

“Last I checked, killing people wasn’t the Jedi way.” I snapped back.

The man was getting faster the longer the fight dragged on with Bane trying to shoot his blasters when he could but he couldn’t do it nearly enough when the Jedi knew he wasn’t willing to risk hitting me with a stray shot. So Bane prioritized the other two Jedi slowing them down from supporting the man who was currently giving me a run for my money.

“You gave us no choice,” He said sternly while he regained the offensive, becoming far more agile and lighter on his feet instead of the Conan the Barbarian impersonation he was doing a moment prior. “When you killed the civilians we had to otherwise who knows how many more you would kill.”

I scoffed once I realized what he had said. The other two Jedi had split up one of them focused on Bane while the other went for me. Bane aimed for both his arms in different directions yet despite his attention being split between them he was far more accurate with his shots than I would have expected.

The man was moving far faster and leaping over me with his lightsaber trying to find any openings that he could find. His blade came far closer than I would like to admit to taking off a hand or melting a hole through my head. But I managed to block or evade in the duel that was quickly growing in intensity. Before he was like a juggernaut hitting like a semi truck mixed with a tank blocking any attack.

Now he was like an acrobatic monkey with such balance and control over himself it was at odds with what I had witnessed and felt a moment ago. One of the Jedi finally had enough and went to help the one keeping me busy while the other intercepted all of Bane's shots and moved their body preemptively avoiding where they would have landed.

“Not exactly being fair about this with your numbers,” I said in between blows snapping a quick counter after blocking a particularly nasty strike that would have taken an arm off at the elbow.

“You’re a Sith surrounded by criminals. No fairness will be given to you. That time has come and gone quite some time ago.” He said with the utmost seriousness while looking at me with an expression of pure contempt. “I don’t know how you can hide your usage of the force from us,” He batted aside a few bolts that Bane managed to sneak past the one keeping him occupied without even looking.

“But it doesn’t matter since this ends now.” The other Jedi stood beside him lightsaber ready with the two now flanking me on either side. 

Not giving them a chance I dashed back with both of them giving chase. A quick usage of frost had the rooftop turned into an ice skating rink with me fully prepared for it. The older of the two was more prepared, stumbling at first before he regained his balance and ducked under a lightsaber that would have clotheslined him and taken his upper torso off.

The other Jedi was shoved out of the way by the other one which helped him survive a vibroblade that would have skewered his heart. Moving along the ice switching to my fencer pose with the sole man standing while his compatriot tried to get to his feet only to constantly embarrass himself.

Any attempt to take the downed man out had the other move between him and me as we clashed. Before he held an advantage however slim it was but without him being capable of using his full strength without his balance being lost he was at a disadvantage. Using awkward angles and thrusts forced him on the defensive while pushing him to be further out of position so I could swiftly eliminate him.

Having had enough and noticing Bane getting more desperate, palming a grenade told me that the others below may not be faring as well as they should be especially when I noticed the dulled metal thuds had gotten far too close.

Before either of us could end this fight several blaster shots whizzed past Bane who went through an impressive maneuver with many Republic forces in the distance shooting at him with several more at me.

Deflecting a few back at the Jedi who deflected them whether standing or lying on the sheet of ice. The various Republic soldiers and our own forces had been battling one another across the various rooftops with the Republic troopers leaping between the closer rooftops trying to get closer.

Raising a hand with the older Jedi raising his blade thinking it was an attack like all the others. “Bane, close your eyes!” Was all I said before an eye-searing bright light illuminated the various rooftops accompanied by the clap of thunder making everyone’s ears ring.

Bane, despite having his ears ring like everyone else, took advantage of the Jedi who had been keeping him busy who was stunned long enough for him to wing them in the arm after firing several bursts that they managed to deflect the majority of. They stumbled back cradling the arm before Bane fired another shot at the prone one who was finally getting up.

“No!” The man who had proven to be the most dangerous one of the bunch yelled out despite his eyes being closed shut. 

The downed Jedi dived back down to the ice with my lightsaber aimed for the man’s throat but he blocked it and he did exactly what I wanted him to. My blade remained locked with his keeping it angled further away. Taking my other hand I tossed the vibrosword at the Jedi lying on the ice only for the blade to stop mere inches from spearing him.

The injured one had his hand out keeping the blade frozen mid air before a squeeze of a trigger and a gasp had them fall to the ground lifeless. The blade clattered against the ice before I unleashed a torrent of ice that impacted the second one who tried to use the force to part it.

It worked for a moment before I put more magicka into it overcharging the spell before the frost broke through his barrier. He didn’t even get a chance to scream before the ice flash froze him his face a rictus of horror and dread, his hand outstretched as if to ward off death itself.

“May the force be with you all…” The Jedi said sadly breaking the blade lock as Bane turned opening fire on his exposed back. I lashed out staying out of the way of Bane's shots while the Jedi evaded them and blocked my strikes before his hand raised as one of the lightsabers rattled on the ice.

When it rose from the rooftop and flew towards his hand just when he was about to grab it electricity surged from my hand hitting the metal cylinder and knocking it off the rooftop as it smoked and sparked.

“Ah ah ah, you just need the one. Unless you feel like compensating.” I waggled my brows at him before he met me blow for blow. He was careful not to put too much force into his strike unless he wanted to fall and be picked off like his two friends.

“Corvo we need to hurry, they are about to be overrun,” Bane said as he looked down at the horde of droids while taking the occasional shot against the troopers when they felt brave or stupid enough to poke their heads out only to get a blaster to the head for their troubles.

“Kinda difficult since this guy isn’t nearly as bad with a lightsaber as the others,” I responded after going through several strikes and thrusts angling for any kind of attack that would land as I skated circles around the man. 

The man’s style had shifted again going from highly mobile and offensive to purely defensive. Any angle or method of attack he blocked while using the least effort needed. I recognized the three forms he used having not expected a Jedi after so many to finally show some competency.

“You're pretty good.” 

The man paused waiting for the next attack instead he saw me backing away. “Bane get away from the building and keep him from running.”

Turning and leaping off the building while Bane fired away keeping the man pinned as best he could. It couldn’t stop him but slowed him enough before his eyes widened now knowing what I aimed to do. Both hands clasped together mid-air.

At first a small marble-sized ember. The next second it grew into the size of a basketball with far more power and potency packed into it than its appearance would suggest. The orb sailed forth towards the building as I was ready to see the fireworks.

The man had a look of concentration as he pushed his hand out as the orb slowed down the flames wanting to leave the confined form with it looking close to veering off to the side. My blaster was drawn in one smooth seamless transition before an overcharged shot was fired at the orb.

The man wide-eyed leaped back just when the bolt hit the orb detonating it mid-air close to the roof's edge. The already unstable fireball had all but turned into a miniature sun when the blaster bolt exploded on contact. 

The night sky and the rain above had instantly evaporated, and the building itself shook, cracked, and then broke apart from the force behind the explosion. Fire then engulfed what was left of the building and those near it collapsed from the blast.

Bane struggled to stay airborne before regaining his balance and hovering over the street. I was sent flying back from the blast clear across the street. Smacking back first into the rooftop before rolling to bleed off my momentum before digging my heels in and finally slowing to a stop.

The various droids that marched along had been knocked over and those defending were scrambling to get out of the water that steamed on the surface. I looked to Bane who nodded at me.

Despite the numerous piles of droids that had accumulated and the Republic forces getting stalled from our people atop the various roofs who thankfully were not a part of that light show the droids were still marching along about to overrun our position.

Bane reached into his coat pulling out a detonator. A press of the button had the various charges go off. The blasts knocked droids off their feet, ripped metal limbs from chassis, tanks sputtered and knocked over before the rubble of the buildings rushed into them embracing them like a flood greeting the land.

Like fireworks at a concert, the best was yet to come with each blast delayed until the next. It dominoed before reaching the massive tower with each blast taking out small chunks yet the building groaned like a great beast nearing the end as it was slowly eaten away by parasites that took their share of its flesh.

The temperature after three overcharged fireballs had become incredibly hot and nearly uncomfortable. Letting out a sigh where I leaped down and started helping those still alive which was mostly everyone on the street besides two who got unlucky when a tank managed to get a shot off from its main gun.

The tower finally had enough after a couple more charges detonated, sending it slowly toppling to the side before it began to pick up speed and momentum. The droids and tanks that hadn’t been crushed yet that marched along paused when the shadow of the looming colossus fell over them.

The rush of air that knocked several people off their feet with various pieces of glass across the city rattled and shattered. The water surged becoming a violent wave that would have carried off the others had they not gotten to higher ground or cover.

The water swept up the chunks of ice that had cracked and half melted carrying them away with whatever else was on the streets. Bane stepped near me before he looked at me frowning. “A shame I didn’t get to kill another one.” He said, shaking his head in disappointment.

“You’ll get your chance Bane since I doubt they are going to let that roadblock stop them.” I pointed at the tower obscured by a cloud of dirt, dust, and other debris that covered it from view.

“Hopefully. Regardless, we need to pull back while leaving some parting gifts.” Bane said, tossing a small device up and down in his hand.