Damn, I'm so tired. This short fight wore me out, forcing me to use everything I knew from the previous owner of this body—and everything I managed to learn over the past month. Oh yes, if it weren't for the sleepless nights and dailysparring with Ahsoka, I'd have been finished. But even so, my knowledge was clearly not enoughagainst the power of this witch.
Yes, the Center of Being—the technique I had spent all my energy mastering—helped me almost unconsciously defend against the smoothest, most random attacks and lunges Ventress threw at me. But now I understand why all the Sith boast of the power of the Dark Side… It really is impressive.
A massive storm cloud, blotting out the light—and this creature is born for it, like all Dathomiri. She controls it perfectly. Shit…
At the edge of perception, dulled by meditation, the pain from numerous burns all over my body was barely noticeable. The impact with the wall knocked the breath out of me. The auto-doctor built into the armor screeched hysterically, reporting that the supplies of painkillers and bacta were running low. At this rate, that witch will tear me apart piece by piece…
Damn it, when will those idiots finally reach the ship so I can get the hell away from this psychopath?
***
The farce she had been playing unexpectedly and inexplicably turned from amusing to deadlyserious—and quickly, to terrifying.
A wall of Darkness rose within Ventress's mind, but she quickly reined it in, freezing in an attempt to rush to the Jedi and seek revenge. There was no point in taking reckless risks; even her Master would have agreed. Ventress gathered the Darkness into her fist again, drawing on the energy of the universe. The blow she aimed at the disoriented Jedi missed its mark—he managed to dodge it.
The two opponents froze, facing each other.
Raising her sabers, Ventress gestured mockingly for the Jedi to come.
He leapt forward—and as the Jedi flew toward her, Ventress suddenly realized what had been bothering her all this time, what had made her uneasy.
This Jedi was not of the Light.
No, at first, he had radiated that disgusting, blinding Light typical of his kind. But now, in the heat of battle, she sensed a shadow within it—a faint trace of Darkness. The Jedi himself probably didn't even notice, but to her eyes, his aura shimmered with both Light and Dark.
"I sense great fear in you," she hissed with satisfaction. "Soon it will consume you. And then, then you will lose."
She pointed one of her blades at the Jedi, as if accusing him.
"Will you deny that the power of the Dark Side is limitless?"
"I will not," Vikt replied, to her surprise. "That's why I'm afraid. But you, it seems, haven't fully understood what the Dark Side really is."
They stood still, almost touching, their blades locked.
"What can a Jedi possibly know about the Dark Side?" the witch scoffed.
"That it's not something out there—coming and going," Vikt said, tapping the side of his helmet with a gloved finger. "It's always here." He tapped again. "Inside. But somehow everyone keeps forgetting that—both the Jedi and the Sith."
Ventress, channeling the Force, accelerated sharply and surged forward, letting herself flow at the command of Dark Side. The moment to end the fight had come.
The blue blade of the Jedi's lightsaber was forced aside by one of her red blades, and the second saber drove forward with crushing force, stabbing between the plates of his chest armor. For a moment, the fabric lining resisted—but only for a moment. The red plasma hissed as it sank into the Jedi's body up to the hilt.
It was a perfect Shiak —one beloved by the Sith, as it nearly always ensured the enemy's death.
Ventress exhaled in satisfaction—
—and the next instant, the Jedi's gauntleted hand clamped around her wrist, the one holding the saber.
"You know," he rasped, "I think I'm going to have to let go of some of my prejudices."
Assaj looked in disbelief straight into the visor of his helmet, unable to comprehend how he could still be speaking after such a wound.
A heartbeat later, the man's fist slammed into her face with full force, hurling her backward.
***
Ahsoka was the first to rush into the hangar. There were scorch marks on the walls, and dozens of bodies in orange and yellow uniforms lay motionless on the floor.
"Commander Tano," the sergeant of the troopers reported with a sharp nod. "The enemy attack has been repelled. The droids are clearing the approaches."
"Excellent! Hold the perimeter until my Master arrives!"
Turning to the bewildered senators, Ahsoka barked, "Quick—get to the ship!" She was the first to sprint up the ramp.
Bursting into the ship's bridge, the Togruta shouted, "Attention! Send a signal to my Master—he may be leaving already!"
"Impossible! The enemy is jamming our transmissions!"
"Hutt! Find him, quickly!"
Ahsoka stood behind midshipman Mirro, gripping his shoulder as he tapped furiously on the communications console.
"Hurry up!"
"Commander, I'm doing everything I can! Just a moment… hacking into the palace network… entering the system… searching… connecting to the cameras—"
"Don't you think your actions are somewhat illegal?" Orgna asked dryly as he entered the bridge, but everyone ignored him.
Several images flickered across the large screen before the assembled group. Hundreds of droids were scattered throughout the palace, battling the local guards—but finally, the midshipman found the right feed.
The screen showed a corridor where two figures were locked in combat: the plastic and agile figure of the woman surrounded the motionless and monolithic figure in armor with bright red flashes.
Ahsoka gasped. It's a Sith! And Master's there! And she's here!
Her internal groans was drowned by the Zeltron horrified exclamation—the Sith's blade had pierced the Jedi's chest.
"Master!!!" the Togruta screamed, clutching the midshipman's shoulder so hard that he winced, but she didn't notice—her eyes were fixed on the screen.
However, he was in no hurry to die. Ahsoka didn't sense his death—and the next instant, the Sith was sent flying backward by a powerful blow. The Jedi straightened and reignited his saber.
Ahsoka turned and sprinted toward the ship's exit.
"RK-00-0173! Chuck!"
"Yes, Commander?" The clone commander turned to her immediately.
"Take Drew and Ex—go, now! Help Master!"
"Where is he?"
"Northwest corridor, near the main atrium—about three hundred meters from here!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The clones dashed out through the hangar doors.
Hutt, Hutt, Hutt! Ahsoka cursed under her breath. She wanted to follow them—but at the same time, she didn't want to let her Master down by disobeying his orders again.