Star Wars: Hidden Fates

Chapter 4: A Challenging Conflict

  "Can anyone else feel a disturbance in the force?" Bastila was warming up by a heater.

Leilani was meditating, "I sense five Sith soldiers in the undercity and... a deep aura of anger nearby. It feels so cold and shocking. It is coming from a singular being." She shivered.

Trinity-Sky helped Leilani up. "We need to get out. The problem is we stick out in the undercity with our Jedi outfits and the same for the upper city, plus with Leilani with us."

Bastila gently pressed two fingers on her upper lip. "It's got to be Thoro. She must want to make an example out of us or if she knows we have a Padawan, she will try to squeeze information out. It will be easy for her because Leilani has only been a Padawan for what? Ten months?"

"If it makes anyone feel better, I excel at lightsaber combat and running long distances." Leilani reached for her utility belt to grab something to distract the Sith troops."

Trinity Sky nodded, "That will help all of us escape until we have a full plan to free this planet."

Leilani infused a small device with the force to trick the army and the being that they assumed was Thoro. "The supposed Darth Thoro should hopefully detect the light side of the force and assume it is us. It should buy us some time. Hopefully, it is strong enough for her to believe it." She hid it under a bed.

The three female Jedi rushed out of the room and to the elevator in the opposite direction of the troopers. Once they got to the surface, Bastila and Trinity-Sky thought it would be for the best to get out of the capital and escape into the patch of open area to reach a smaller city that has an undercity they could hide in.

After a few minutes of running in the open space, they saw Thoro in front of a starship.

"Damn, she got her fast. She probably knew we tried to trick her and knew where we would try to go." Bastila ignited her lightsaber.

Trinity-Sky saw that Leilani did the same as Bastila but her hands were shaking. She sensed that she was shaking out of fear and not because it was freezing. "I heard she once took out five Jedi at once. She can average taking down two in the span of one battle."

Bastila was waiting for Thoro to make the first move. "If I recall looking at a map on my way to this planet, the next city we are heading towards has smugglers. If Leilani can find something to secretly send a message to Coruscant, we have a chance at saving this planet."

"Master, must I leave you both?"

"This mission will fail if all three of us are dead. In life-and-death scenarios, a Master has an obligation to sacrifice themself for the life of their Padawan. That is an important lesson to remember."

"Two Jedi Masters and one Padawan, with one Master being the famous Bastila Shan. Bringing her head to Moroband will make me the most feared Sith in the world. I shall outrank Malak." Thoro quietly had a plan to take Leilani prisoner, she wanted to confirm if she was her long-lost child.

"Trinity-Sky, attack from behind. Leilani, do your best to run off."

"Bastila, I actually want Leilani to stay. We have a chance to take Thoro down with good with the three of us working together."

Leilani nodded, "I will stay by your side."

Trinity-Sky nodded back, "and try to control your fear. I know this is scary and I can't blame you."

Thoro took a step forward. The Jedi knew that was their cue to begin attacking. Leilani realized she was not told what to do and did not want to rush in to attack in case she accidentally hit either Bastila or Trinity-Sky.

Trinity-Sky flipped over Thoro while Bastila clashed with her. Thoro was well-skilled to keep up with both of them. Her goal was to tire them out to make their deaths easier. Leilani had an idea to use the surrounding snow to her advantage, so she used the force to make a giant snowball.

It was taking a long time for her to make it big, as the snow was only an inch or two deep. Thoro thought that Leilani was building a snowman as something on a bucket list. Nevertheless, she used force lightning on her when she moved out of the way of Bastila and Trinity-Sky who were having a hard time battling Thoro.

"Ah..ungh." Leilani was gasping for air as she was pushed back a few feet. "The pain... it's so much... help...me."

"What a coward to use that on a newbie Padawan!" Bastila jumped in the air and kicked Thoro in the face.

Thoro wiped the dirt from Bastila's boot. "Nice shot, Jedi scum."

Trinity-Sky quickly rushed to Leilani to make sure she was okay. She helped Leilani sit up and Thoro tried to use force lightning again as she fought Bastila. Trinity-Sky knew how to absorb it with her blade.

It did not take the Jedi Masters long to start getting tired. Thoro had plenty of energy since she used the dark side of the force to replenish. Leilani recovered and finished her giant snowball. "Masters, watch out!" Leilani used the force to hurl it at Thoro with a harsh velocity.

Bastila and Trinity got out of the way. The snowball appeared to kill Thoro. Bastila deactivated her lightsaber and placed her right hand over her mouth and her left hand over her right hand to hide her laughter.

Trinity-Sky bent her upper body forward and slightly bent her knees. She hit her left thigh with her left hand with her activated lightsaber in her right hand. She started laughing. "That is the most hilarious way to take down a powerful Sith lord... I... can't stop laughing."

Leilani giggled. "I can imagine the story passing down to generations. The Padawan who took down one of the most powerful Sith Lords... with a snowball."

"Well, that mission was accomplished fast. This planet is now safe once the news spreads she is dead. Let's go back to Coruscant. Trinity-Bay, a drink is on me and blue milk is on me for Leilani."

As they started walking away, they heard a noise.

"Uh... did anyone remember to check if Thoro was dead?" Bastila stopped walking.

"You're kidding me. She played dead." Trinity-Sky turned around.

Leilani turned around and activated her lightsaber. She quickly rushed at Thoro, hoping to slide under her and speedily turn around to cut off her legs. In that split second of Leilani running, Trinity-Sky knew Leilani had a clever plan.

However, after Leilani took two steps, Thoro was moving faster than her. She used the force to temporarily severe her ability to use the force. Leilani was frozen. She tried using the force to break free or to quickly act to attack but it was useless. Thoro harshly threw Leilani back and she hit the ground, knocking her unconscious and deactivating her lightsaber that fell from her hand upon impact as she was rolling away on her side about thirty feet away.

"Trinity-Sky, we are too tired to fight her. We need to escape to make a new plan. We have to leave Leilani here."

Convinced that Thoro was going to kill Leilani, she consented to her idea. While Thoro was distracted looking at Leilani, the Jedi Masters used the force to speed far and headed to the next city to enter that one's undercity.