Star Wars | Episode X: The Edge of Destiny

Chapter 25: The Truth

I sense him.

"You think that you can land on Coruscant and I wouldn't know about it!" I round the corner. Igniting the Dark saber and dropping my drunken act. The connection in the Force I felt disappears. I know his presence is still out there---somewhere near.

A spiteful laugh echoes in the alleyway ahead. "Aren't you a little intoxicated to be picking a fight with me tonight?" he says.

I round the corner and can see my foe at the end of the alleyway with his red saber ignited. The glow of the red blade illuminates his face and I can see a new feature---cybernetics on the left side of his face.

"Pathetic clones. You all fall so easily for mind-tricks. It's not the first time you've witnessed me making the water look like alcohol," I laugh. "Wait, what was your name again? I know you aren't the clone I encountered on Hutta!" I say menacingly to him as I walk towards him.

The cybernetics in his eye refocuses and his mouth moves to a snarl. I can tell that I just pushed a very hot button with him.

"Give me that saber!" he screams.

"Why? So you can bring that failure Palpatine back for me to kill---again."

He tilts his head back and laughs. "Why in the world would we do that?"

I lift the saber and pretend to be intrigued by its hilt design---just to irritate him. "Interesting." Force jump into the air---somersaulting and crash the Dark saber against his red blade. He deflects the block, and we begin sparring.

He's trying to gain the advantage and corner me against a wall. I'm not trying to disarm or kill him this time---I'm intrigued. His combat skills have sharpened slightly with the cybernetics. Using the Force and artificial intelligence he's even more skilled in melee combat than the clone I faced on the mysterious planet. But something does not seem consistent.

I Force punch him in the gut. He misses the moment to block it and his body smashes against the alley wall. Realizing he doesn't have the sober advantage now---he tries to escape.

Using a nearby wall, he runs against the side and tries to flee my offensive attack. I use the Force and grab a nearby bin and chuck it at where he's trying to flee. Turning around quickly from his near fall, he lunges and tries one last attempt to strike me down.

"When will you finally see...you will never beat me," I say to him as I use the Force and wrap a chokehold around his neck and chest.

I lift him off the ground and watch as his saber falls with a thud on the pavement. Darkness feeds off my actions inside of me. How I would love to just drain the life from his pathetic clone body---slowly.

Using the Force, I bring him closer to where I stand and examine him. His legs dangle and kick in the empty air below his feet. Breathing in, I search his mind. Images flash in my mind's eye.

I let him drop to the ground. He hacks and chokes as he tries to catch his breath. Willing his saber to my hand I grab it and lower down to him on the ground. The hilt is identical to the ones the other clones have been using but this crystal is artificial. My intrigue grows.

"Interesting indeed." My eyes turn down to the clone. "It seems that you aren't as Force-sensitive as the other ones have been. And just look at you, they even gave you cybernetics to try to make you feel powerful like them. But even you know that you are a defect in the cloning process!" I laugh at him.

His face turns angry---he knows I'm not lying.

"Oh, hurts, doesn't it? To realize you're nothing special. Tell me, where is the one in control hiding? You know who I'm referring to. I sense him, where is he!"

The clone laughs at me. "Hiding? You mean like his power inside you right now, Rey."

My face turns stern and darkness clouds my vision. I feel like the light is draining from me.

"No matter how hard you try...he'll always be there," a grin spreads across his beaten face.

"He knows. How!"

I lay a hard blow with my left fist against his cheek. The momentum pushes the clone's face hard against the ground. Blood pours out his nose and mouth as he spits out a large amount of bloody fluid.

"Tell me," a grin grows across my face. "What do you plan on doing with this saber then? So, you don't want Palpatine back. What else could you possibly want it for?" I grab the now deactivated Dark saber and spitefully move it towards the clone's hand. He tries to grab at it and I use the Force to go inside his mind---causing a burning fire to course through his body. He screams out in agony. I know that no other being will hear him in this busy area of the city.

I release the pain, and he flops hard on the ground. "You know, much like him, I can take whatever I want."

He gasps for air and rolls to his side. I Force kick him in the stomach and all the air he collected drains from his lungs. "Tell me!" I scream.

The clone catches his breath a little. Just enough to get a few words out slowly. "A beacon of light that will expand. Entering it, you enter yourself. The world connects and closes like a ring. We will go back to the galaxy from whence we all came, Rey. You won't be able to stop us," he laughs.

I rise to my feet in anger. Darkness clouds my vision. My right-hand thrusts forward and begins choking the clone at my feet. I watch in pleasure as blood drips from the corners of his eyes as my pressure increases. "Wonderful sight, isn't it?" a voice whispers in my mind.

"Rey!" Finn's voice screams in the distance.

"Enough!" I reply in my head. I release my hold on the clone and watch as he flops on the pavement---losing consciousness completely.

"I'm sorry," I tremble softly out loud to the clone. I turn to look up and see Finn closing in.

Finn crashes into me and grabs my shoulders. "Why did you leave like that?" Finn Screams. I can smell the drink and noodles on his breath.

"Our enemy made their presence known," I look from Finn to the ground below.

"Oh man, Rey, what did you do to him?" Finn slurs as he looks down at the defeated clone.

"Nothing he didn't deserve. Call security. I want this clone under arrest and taken in for interrogation."

***

After several minutes, dispatched security arrives to arrest the clone---who is still unconscious. Placing cuffs on his wrists they lift his limp body and escort him to a capitol police cruiser.

"Rey, I was so worried. I couldn't find you. I tried to find you with the Force but felt like something was blocking me. What happened?"

"I'm not sure," I stare at him with concern. If something was blocking him; then someone didn't want him to find me right away. That means he is close and watching.

Beeping sounds from Finn's commlink go off. He reaches his belt and lifts the communication device. Poe's voice sounds off on the other end. "You guys need to get back here right now! We have an incredibly big problem on our hands!"

"We'll be right there," Finn responds as he turns off the commlink and looks back to me.

"Let's go. Something tells me that the enemy is now revealing their real wild card in this game.