STAR WARS: Fugitive

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Almost there... thought Peri as he watched from his hiding place as the generator hovered high over the heads of Thera and the Togruta while they danced with the brilliant red light changing shapes between them with rapid clashing sounds.

“Now, Teethree! Now!” shouted Peri into his comlink.

In the control room, T3-D4 twirled the data uplink beeping wildly.

Syriu’us batted away Thera’s lightsaber blade with his, then kicked her in her side sending her stumbling to the floor. He felt the danger above his head immediately and leaped straight up into the air. T3-D4 had managed to crane a large generator from a upper story landing in an effort to help Thera. Syriu’us stretched out his feelings with the Force. He had done this before, and each time marveled at how more easily and more creative he could make time seem to slow down and control his adrenaline and strength, and ultimately control the danger that threatened his life.

He felt the falling machine in the Force as he accelerated toward it, a combination of its falling and his Force jump. He raised his arms and began spinning, building the dark side of the Force into his body, until he impacted the generator. His lightsaber bored into the machine first and he discharged his Force energy causing the parts closest to his body to molecularly explode, the remaining fragments further from his body to buckle uncontrollably in a fraction of a second and turning into odd-shaped projectiles that, in the next instant, ricocheted away from him in a loud blast. As he fell, he stretched out into the Force again reaching after the shards of the generator and directed their momentum toward Thera.

Peri watched as it all happened in amazement and awe having never witnessed so much use of the Force. He began to forget that he as hiding, and seeing Thera in danger of the barrage of shrapnel he yelled, “Thera! Look out!”

Thera cursed in her mind that Peri had exposed himself. Feeling the accelerating projectiles in the Force, she waved a hand using the Force to redirect their path harmlessly to the side. She also felt Syriu’us train his attention on Peri. Immediately, she risked turning from her opponent and Force shoved Peri back into the corridor where he must have been hiding originally. An instant later, a large bin crashed into where Peri had been standing, tools and other odd-shaped contents from the bin splattering in all directions. Then several crates began slamming into the bin pushing the growing mass of odd metallic shapes into the corridor where Peri had just disappeared.

Thera reached out for one of the flying crates and swung its momentum back toward Syriu’us. He easily redirected the crate aside and stepped back a pace as Thera leaped toward him. She landed and swung her lightsaber to slice him in half. He deflected her swing and they traded feints ending in their blades held together as they slowly circled each other. They glared into each other’s eyes, both exerting themselves to breathe evenly as there worn bodies recuperated from their duel. Thera felt Syriu’us in the Force probing her mind. She focused her will into the Force and let her mental anger drive his influence away from her. He smiled at her and spoke.

“He’s not dead, not yet,” he said sounding reassuring. They continued to circle slowly. Then Syriu’us withdrew his lightsaber and extinguished it, and faced her squarely.

“And I promise not to kill him as long as you are alive.”

She lowered her weapon, but left her magenta blade glowing brightly, eyes silently fixed on his, mind gradually expanding within the Force. They stood motionless facing each other, Thera’s blade humming, and faint blaster fire with random explosion punctuations.

“I can see your destiny, and I am not who you’re after,” said Syriu’us. Thera searched for signs of deceit in the Force, but found none.

He spoke in gentle tones, “You’ve been mentored well,” he continued, “you are strong in the Force, but you’re not a Sith yet. Come with me, and I will teach you the full power of the dark side of the Force.” He turned and started pacing in a circle again as he continued, “And you will become one of the greatest Sith Lords of all time, and together we could bring peace and justice and order to the galaxy.”