Author's Note: This is not the kind of story that I have been intending to do on this site. AU has never really been my thing, but the idea I got just really excited me. The first few chapters might be a bit boring, as they are very similar to events from Revenge of the Sith. However, things should start to get very interesting later on. A plan this to be a novel sized thing, about 100,000 words. After that, I will start the second book. The series will be at least three books when it is finished. Please provide feedback, as I have no experience writing something this long, and no experience with AU. I hope it turns out well, and that you all like it!

Second Author's note: In terms of canon (since that is a big deal for me) this includes a few references to Legends canon. These are minor things, like Kit Fisto's troops being aqua colored (From TCW web comic "Hunting the Hunters II"), the existence of the planet Botajef (From "Star Wars Legacy 41: Rogue's End"), and even the Tactical Droid TR-86 (Easter egg from my other, in progress story, "The Tibanna Crisis"). However, it doesn't really fit into either canon, since Grievous dies earlier, and all sorts of interesting things happen as a result.

Bridge of the Invisible Hand, Coruscant airspace

Status: Chaotic

General Grievous leaps onto the lower part of the bridge, attempting to make his escape. His plans have failed miserably. The Chancellor has been saved, Dooku is dead, and now his own life is in danger. Of course, he can still escape. All he has to do is get off the bridge, and into an escape pod. Suddenly, Kenobi jumps down in front of him.

He turns to go the other way, only to see Skywalker directly in front of him. If both Jedi are focusing on him, it would be logical to conclude that the magnaguards are destroyed. But Grievous can get away. The Jedi cannot survive in a vacuum, unlike him. From the exterior of the ship, he could reach the escape pod bay. Using an electrostaff that he picked up at some point, he smashes the transparisteel viewport.

Nothing happens. He looks at his staff, from its cylindrical durasteel handle, where his hands are, to the long shaft that connects to its tip, to the sparkling purple tip at the end, only to see Kenobi's lightsaber, pushing against the tip, blocking the strike. "You won't get away this time, General!" The bold Jedi says, practically spitting the words out.

Grievous takes a step back, getting into a ready stance. His two arms split to four, and each one grabs one of the lightsabers magnetically attached to his durasteel waist. All four activate at the same time, two going for Kenobi, two for Skywalker.

Kenobi blocks both of the attacks, his blade wasting no time in deflecting. His younger counterpart blocks both attacks as well, holding Grievous in a blade lock. The cybernetic warlord steps toward Kenobi in a way that, as Skywalker pursues, both Jedi stand in front of him, side-by-side. From this position, Grievous makes both the Jedi work against each other, each getting in the way of the other.

The only problem is that this doesn't work. They act as a team, as if they spent years training together. They don't get in each other's way at all, and they know exactly what their ally will do next.

When Kenobi goes vertical, Skywalker goes horizontal, and vise versa. The two Jedi fight like nothing that Grievous has ever seen before. Hours upon hours of analyzation, and Grievous cannot predict Kenobi one bit. Skywalker knows Kenobi's moves instinctively.

It is only a matter of time before Skywalker comes in at a weird angle, severing both of his left arms. In his shock of how bad things are going, he barely dodges Skywalker's follow-up strike at the head.

As he moves back, he literally trips over Kenobi's blade. His legs are cut off at the knees, so he falls on his back, both the Jedi standing over him. He can see Skywalker's grim smile, and the equally annoying casual face that Obi-Wan puts on, almost looking disinterested.

He desperately swings up at Kenobi, but the experienced Jedi dodges back, then cuts off the arm, as it extending too far. Grievous would never try such a foolish move, as extending his arm that far ruined his defensive coverage. Still it was his only shot. A similar move done to Skywalker is met with the same result, and the defeated general, who now has no intact limbs accepts that he has been defeated. Both Jedi point their lightsabers down at his neck, preventing him from moving.

A grim smile appears behind his mask at the humor when he tells himself that it will never happen again.

"You have won, Jedi! I admit it. Still, not even you could save all of the Jedi that I killed. Consider the purpose in my life fulfilled. You can end it now, Jedi, but know that I shall die successful," Grievous says. He considers begging for mercy, slightly increasing his chances of being taken alive, instead of being killed. Normally, he would fight to stay alive, hope for a rescue. But now, it is too late. The CIS has lost. Dooku is dead, they are relentlessly driven back on all fronts, and the only warrior powerful enough to save him is himself.

If he were not captive, he might be able to turn the tide, and save prisoners such as himself. But he cannot do anything until he is freed. And he cannot be freed. It is over. So, he decides it is best to make sure that he doesn't die begging for mercy. Perhaps, though, he might have been able to fight long enough to prevent the Jedi from surviving. His fighting, he realizes, will buy time for the ship to be damaged, and the Jedi will go down with the ship.

"Do it, Anakin," he hears Palpatine say from somewhere else.

"You did it to Dooku, you can do it to Grievous. Think of all the Jedi he has killed," Palpatine says, while Kenobi urges him not to take another life.

Grievous sees the evil in the Jedi's eyes, and he knows that Skywalker will obey. He remembers the names, the faces too, all that he killed and he knows that so many of them anger Skywalker. He thinks of the time he choked his padawan, Ahsoka, or left Kenobi with painful injuries. The time he tortured Eeth Koth. He regrets none of it.

He wishes that the Jedi standing before him could reach the same fate, and it isn't unlikely that his efforts will cause it. Even if they don't die in the crash, one day, he knows, the corrupt, pitiful, Jedi Order will fall, or at least take a major beating. He wishes that he could see it, or even do it. He wishes he could see old, corrupt Jedi Master Yoda finally die, or Mace Windu finally meet a fury greater than his own.

He knows he never will. He sees the look in Skywalker's face. He can almost imagine the Jedi thinking of his friends. The Jedi that he killed. Grievous feels pride come over him as he thinks about it.

Then, he knows that his time is up. He sees it in Anakin, he sees the regret of Obi-Wan as the Jedi Master considers the monster he created. "Do. It. Now," Palpatine says.

Then, it all ends for Grievous.

Bridge of the Invisible Hand, Coruscant atmosphere

Status: Releived

His durasteel head falls to the ground, and Anakin smiles. "We did it, master."

"He would have made an unarmed prisoner," Obi-Wan says, not knowing that he was echoing Anakin's own words from just a few minutes earlier.

Then they look out the viewport, and see that the ship is falling through the atmosphere, only a fourth of the doomed vessel remaining. "Well, too late to land this thing. To the escape pods!"

"There's very little time, and given our previous experience with turbolifts..." Obi-Wan points out.

"Well, then. You wanna go Grievous style," he asks, pointing to the viewport.

"We'll die out there. It's not a vacuum, but with air resistance, we'll burn up."

Both Jedi frown at their rather anticlimactic situation.

"I... might have an idea," Palpatine says quietly.

"Can you use the Force to stabilize the ship and slow our descent?" he asks, already knowing the answer that the Jedi will give.

"We can, but I sincerely doubt that we are powerful enough to do it," Obi-Wan says. Palpatine thinks. He knows that he can do it, and give the Jedi enough aid to pull it off. He will definitely have to be careful, though.

"Well, it is our only shot. I will once again, put my faith in you, Master Jedi," he says. After a long pause, the Jedi agree. "We will do our best, Palpatine, but I can guarantee nothing," Obi-Wan says, and Palpatine smiles. The two Jedi open themselves to the Force, and try to do their best. "I'll do my best with the controls," Palpatine says, as he moves into the seat and begins to work on stabilizing and slowing down the ship.

Of course, it isn't the only thing he does. Ever so slightly, he nudges in the Force, helping steer the ship. He mainly focuses on hiding the effort, clouding himself in the Force. Obi-Wan and Anakin show no signs of surprise, and from what he can tell, they both are unaware of his aid.

He continues to steer the ship, and it soon looks like they will make it.

He transmits a code saying that they are Republic, and soon, Fire Control ships start spraying the fire off of the ship. With a painful screech, they finally come to a stop on the landing strip. "We did it," is all that a surprised Anakin can say.

About 10 minutes later

Galactic Senate, Landing platform

Status: Happy

Anakin is overjoyed, to say the least. Grievous is dead, Dooku is dead, and they have almost won. He, Palpatine, and Obi-Wan step off of the shuttle as heroes as they arrive at the Senate. Almost all of the Senators have come to greet them, and it is what Obi-Wan describes as "A glorious day with the politicians."

The Chancellor comes out first, followed by both him and Obi-Wan. In addition to the senators, Mace Windu has come out to greet the Jedi. With a smile, Palpatine says, "Senators, I am happy to say that CIS leaders Count Dooku and General Grievous have both been killed."

The greeting party erupts in applause, some even yelling triumphant cries at the news.

Palpatine steps into the crowd of people, joining his senatorial peers. Mace is the first to calm down and speak. "We have struck a critical blow to the CIS, but they won't surrender easily. We will need to track down the Separatist leaders and the droid shutdown codes before this war can truly end."

Anakin and Obi-Wan step off the shuttle, followed by his faithful astromech R2-D2. Obi-Wan quietly says to Anakin, "I need to deliver the report to the council. You can stay here and enjoy this day with the politicians."

"You can stay here. We both defeated General Grievous," Anakin says.

"Well, someone has to deliver the report to the Council, and you were the one who defeated Count Dooku," is Obi-Wan's response, and Anakin can feel the tone that tells him that the decision is final.

"Just know that I still have saved your life for the ninth time, even if you don't count Cato Neimoidia," Anakin says, smiling. Obi-Wan only sighs as he heads back to the shuttle.

Anakin steps into the crowd, and Bail Organa, the senator from Alderaan, is the first to greet him."How long do you think it will be until the war ends?" Bail asks him.

"I think the Separatist leaders will retreat, cower and hide, in the Outer Rim. As soon as they are found, they should be brought down fairly easily, but the war will continue in full force until they are captured, and we receive the droid deactivation codes," Anakin says, Bail Organa nodding through his explanation.

"Well, may the Force be with our intelligence forces," Bail Organa says, laughing.

"Yes, indeed." It is then when Anakin sees Padmé, standing off to the side. "Excuse me Senator," he says, already walking off towards Padmé. They are somewhat away from the crowd, and actually have bit of peace.

As soon as Anakin reaches her, they hug, kiss, and after that, she finally says, "Oh, Anakin. It is so good having you back. They were whispers... that you'd been killed."

"No, I'm fine Padmé. The CIS has yet to bring me down, and by the looks of it, they aren't going to do to much more ever," Anakin says, happy and confident.

Then, Anakin sees it in her face. He sees that something has changed. He senses it in the Force. Something has changed. He hears it in her voice. Something has changed. "Padmé. Something... Something is different. What is going on? What's troubling you?"

"Anakin, I... I... Fine, there is something that I have to tell you. Something that I have hidden for about eight months now. Hidden it from you, from the Senate, and from everyone else. Anakin... I'm pregnant."

Both of them simply stand still, for the next few seconds. In midst of all the thoughts swirling in his head, all the joy, all fear, even all of the confusion, he says, "That... that's wonderful!"

"You know what this means, don't you? Things are going to be exposed. We can have a secret marriage, but not a secret baby," she says, knowing Anakin is thinking the same exact thing.

"We can think about this later," she finally says, and a worried, confused, and happy at the same time Anakin leaves, considering what will happen next.