Last Shot - A Star Wars Story

Chapter 7

Kaia Kestis

As Kaia closed the door to Lyra and Kelsa's screams, she pulled out her lightsaber, which she had kept concealed on her belt and tossed Cora hers. They activated them in unison as Kylo Ren approached and activated his own, the raw and angry red blade crackling ominously.

"I thought I sensed something familiar," he remarked, his lightsaber hissing by his side. Kaia and Cora both braced themselves, their lightsabers positioned defensively.

"I hope you're not disappointed," Kaia retorted. Beside her, Cora shifted her weight slightly, preparing to lunge.

Kylo Ren spun his blade slowly, coming closer. "Killing you and the rest of the rebels on this ship will be far from disappointing."

"You can try," Kaia shot back. With a yell, Cora suddenly threw herself at him, swinging her bright lightsaber viciously. Even though he was caught a little off guard, Kylo Ren managed to block her fairly easily.

He swung back in retaliation, and Kaia lunged to block his strike. She pushed upward, knocking him off balance, and took her chance to swing back at him. Still, he prevented the blow and she staggered backwards.

Kaia was able to recover her balance in time to defend against another slash from Kylo Ren's lightsaber, and Cora moved to attack him at the same time.

Somehow, Ren handled them both, and they dueled with fierce intensity until he was able to knock Cora off-balance, and because of her heavy armor, she wasn't able to recover fast enough to avoid being slashed in the back. She collapsed onto the ground, dropping her lightsaber.

"No!" Kaia cried, taking a ferocious swing at Kylo Ren in an effort to keep him away from her gravely injured friend. He dodged around the blow and brought his crackling blade up to meet hers once more. "How could you? You were one of us!"

"The Jedi are weak," Kylo Ren responded, pushing her back. Kaia stumbled, but managed to deflect another stab. "Surely you can see it."

"I can see that you're delusional," Kaia shot back before striking back, then dodging an attempted blow.

Kylo Ren was an aggressive fighter, and he was very skilled, which made him very dangerous. Even though Kaia had experience fighting him before, when they had both been training at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Temple, that still didn't prepare her for the even more untamed and violent form he now used.

She fought hard, trying desperately to force him backwards, but he still seemed to have the upper hand. Every time she got him to move back, even just a little, he had a counterattack that practically reversed her efforts.

She refused to give up, and she kept fighting until Kylo Ren managed to slice her leg, and when she stumbled, he stabbed her where her shoulder met her arm and she collapsed with a gasp, pressing her hand against her shoulder wound and trying desperately to push herself backwards with her good leg, away from her attacker, even though she knew her efforts were futile.

Kylo Ren raised his lightsaber as he advanced, as if to strike, but right before he did, the door behind them opened, and before Kaia knew what was going on, Ersela darted forward, grabbed Cora's lightsaber, and activated it just in time to block the blow.

Taking advantage of the moment, Kaia pushes herself back towards the wall, looking briefly at Cora, who remained unconscious on the ground, and heaved herself to her feet, favoring her uninjured leg.

She watched as Ersela dueled Kylo Ren with skill she hadn't known the general had possessed. It almost looked as if she had carried a lightsaber her entire life. Still, Kaia didn't want to leave her friend to fight the Supreme Leader of the First Order on her own.