The Tragic Jedi | Anakin Skywalker

𝓢𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓮 𝟗𝟓

She heard the skidding of rocks and shifting sand behind her as the other three quickly followed after her. It took five minutes for them to reach the bottom of the canyon, and Obi-Wan and Anakin lingered at the canyon wall as Astrid and Ahsoka walked out into the center of the canyon carved through the brown-rock mountains.

The sandy dirt ground was hard as rock underneath Astrid's feet. Thin spiderweb cracks snaked along the ground from the eternal Tatooine drought.

Astrid walked a few steps forward before she turned to where Ahsoka had already stopped ten feet away. Gripped in each of Ahsoka's hands were her ignited white lightsabers, both of which protruded behind Ahsoka's body due to her unique reverse grip. Astrid grabbed her lightsaber from where it was clipped on her belt at her waist.

Astrid shifted into a defensive stance, ignoring the mild, dull throb of pain in her healing legs. She would prove to the three of them that she could fight so they would stop questioning her abilities at every little movement she made. They'd been watching her discreetly for the past two days, their doubt and worry clear as day through the Force. Anakin had been the worst out of the three of them. Of course, Anakin hadn't voiced his doubts to her, himself, but Astrid could sense it through the Force, all right.

But if Astrid won this fight against Ahsoka Tano, then it should put an end to this silent argument.

Ahsoka mirrored Astrid as she shifted her feet into a fighting stance and brought one of her white lightsabers horizontally in front of her. Astrid lunged forward at the same time she ignited her blue lightsaber, and her weapon was meet with two vertical facing white lightsabers.

The two of them grunted at the impact of their weapons, and Astrid swiftly disengaged with a whirl of her lightsaber.

Ahsoka swung one of her lightsabers at Astrid's lightsaber at the same time she swept her other lightsaber towards Astrid's exposed left side. Astrid managed to whip her lightsaber around in time to block Ahsoka's second lightsaber at the same time ducking low to avoid the first lightsaber that swept above her head with a hiss.

Astrid had barely straightened when Ahsoka attacked her with a flurry of assaults that Astrid was only barely able to block with her one lightsaber. Astrid sidled in close to Ahsoka and kneed her in the stomach before sweeping her foot across Ahsoka's ankles to trip her. Ahsoka stumbled but didn't lose her balance.

Jedi agility, Astrid thought with irritation.

While Ahsoka was caught momentarily off balance, Astrid lunged towards her with her lightsaber. Ahsoka had just enough balance, though, to flip over Astrid's head to avoid her lightsaber, and Astrid whirled around in time to block the two lightsabers that Ahsoka swung at her in parallel.

Astrid strained against Ahsoka's lightsabers, and she felt herself beginning to cave downwards with the strength against which Ahsoka pressed down on Astrid's lightsaber. As Astrid strained to keep herself upright with both of her hands now gripping her lightsaber hilt, she was forced to use the muscles in her legs. Surprisingly, the strain on her leg muscles didn't hurt too much, but she could feel a building dull ache.

Astrid sensed something being thrown at her at the same time she heard Anakin yell, "Here! Catch!"

Astrid let go of her lightsaber with one of her hands to catch whatever was being thrown at her, but that meant she was using less strength to keep Ahsoka at bay. Seizing her opportunity, Ahsoka shoved down harder on Astrid's lightsaber.

As Astrid's strength gave way underneath Ahsoka's lightsabers, she swiftly dodged to the side, at the same time flinging a hand up to catch the object arcing down towards her in the air. Her hand was met with cool metal, and she instinctively knew Anakin had thrown her an additional lightsaber to level the playing field a bit.