Star Wars: Daughter of the Dark Force

Chapter 14: Fateful Encounter

As promised!!! Here's Chapter 14! In one week from now I'll upload Chapter 15. :)

Kimmy (AKA DarthKemberli)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER 14: FATEFUL ENCOUNTER

“… judging by his codename, [Starkiller] must be one of Vader’s spies.”

 - Juno Eclipse, pilot of the Rogue Shadow

He couldn't believe it. A figure robed completely in unforgiving black duelled furiously with Shaak Ti down in the very maw of the sarlaac. From his perch in a colossal tree, Starkiller simply could not believe what he was seeing. That small person down there, wielding twin crimson blades and exuding dark side energy... Who was he - or she? Another Sith, that was certain, for none other than the Sith used red lightsabers. But Lord Vader had never mentioned anything about another Sith. Starkiller was sure that his Master would warn him about that... Or maybe Vader hadn't even known? Maybe this person was a self-trained Sith... That was highly unlikely, though.

Starkiller dropped like a stone - a graceful stone - from the tree branch. He needed a closer look. He wasn't sure what he was feeling right now. He was aware of a certain anger at the intruder for stealing his promised match with the Jedi Master, but he also felt a strange curiousity for the stranger. On top of that, something insistent was whispering in the back of his mind that his life was about to change drastically... He wasn't at all convinced that it had nothing to do with the black-clad warrior down in the sarlaac pit.

Hidden from view by some giant ferns, Starkiller crouched at the top of the rise. Directly beneath him was the sarlaac pit. He had a clear, unobstructed view of the desperate duel that chased up and down the sides of the pit. The stranger was a human girl with long black hair and dark skin. She couldn't have been more than nineteen years old. Her eyes, jet-black, squinted with feral aggression. Her robes billowed around her lithe body like stormclouds as she fought, twirling her double lightsabers with undeniable skill. She met Shaak Ti's every blow with an equally powerful one of her own. Starkiller didn't dare try and feel her through the Force, for fear that he drop his concealing technique, but it was clear that she was strong in the Force as well as unbelievably skilled with a blade. With subtle flicks of her wrist, she tore teeth from the walls of the sarlaac pit to hurl at her Jedi opponent. She never broke her pace to concentrate on her Force techniques; no, Starkiller was astounded by her nearly unconscious usage of the Force. It was like the dark side was second nature to her.

Shaak Ti's lips moved, but Starkiller was too far away to hear what she was saying. Then she slid backwards, as if pushed by an invisible hand. Starkiller knew better; the dark-clad girl had pushed her with the Force. Shaak Ti ran forward again. She clashed swords with the girl. Suddenly, the girl slipped on a pool of slimy liquid. Starkiller straightened in surprise. An inexplicable sense of horror spread through him. Surely she couldn't lose so easily? He shook himself. What happened to the girl should mean nothing to him.

Despite that, Starkiller was relieved when the girl halted Shaak Ti in her triumphant charge and leapt back to her feet. A flurry of blows followed, so fast that Starkiller barely made them out. But though they were fast, it was apparent that both sides were tiring. The fight would end soon... For reasons he didn't quite understand, he hoped the Sith girl would win.

Shaak Ti crashed one, two, three jarring blows down on the enigmatic girl. She warded them off, just barely, and on the last one, she lifted her lightsaber. And impaled Shaak Ti clean through the abdomen. The Togruta Master fell back into the jaws of the sarlaac. Even with his concealing technique drawn about him, Starkiller felt the explosion of Force energy rock the air, and he saw the girl fall to the ground. The sarlaac went berserk, waving its massive tentacles threatening through the air. The girl rolled over, just dodging a strike from a tentacle, and began hauling herself out of the pit. He certainly didn't envy her. Those teeth were sharp, and the sarlaac was angry.

Finally the girl made it out of the pit. She lay facedown for some time, obviously out of breath. Starkiller watched as Felucians began to materialize from the shadows. They approached the figure panting in the courtyard, and when she turned over, they spoke some words in their strange grunting language. Starkiller had no idea what they were saying; the look of wary bemusement on the girl's face told him she felt the same way. The Felucians melted away again without harming the girl. It was as if they had never appeared in the first place. Once the last was gone, Starkiller advanced from his hiding place.

He was curious about the girl. He wanted to know who she really was, where she was from. He wanted to fight her, to see how strong she truly was. And if he could kill her... Well, Lord Vader would be pleased to hear that he had defeated someone powerful, wouldn't he? Killing this girl would make up for missing the chance to kill Shaak Ti, right? Starkiller was glad to be presented with the opportunity to prove his worth to Lord Vader.

Confident, Starkiller emerged from the jungle. He ignited his blue lightsaber. Then he walked up to the panting girl, still lying on the stone-paved street.