Star Wars: Secret of The Force

Chapter 19

It didn't take long for me to see The Eleventh Sister's Purge Troopers to come in to view. I looked over at Lena, she was nervous. "Czar Daraine!" I heard the Inquisitor shout. "Come out from where you're hiding!" I stayed where I was, hidden and enveloped in shadow. I had taken off my helmet, leaving it somewhere I could grab it. I needed my voice to be clear. "YOU ALWAYS WERE VERY DRAMATIC WEREN'T YOU BARRISS!" I shouted. The Eleventh Sister was clearly trying to find out where my voice was coming from. "Look at us both now Barriss! We're both standing here, I know what you want!" I yelled as my voice echoed. The Eleventh Sister must have found me, because I felt myself get yanked below with the force. I summoned my helmet mid fall and put it on. The whole thing lasted only three seconds. "If you know what I want, then you'll give it to me! You have put a good fight, but unless you surrender, you will die here!" she said. I stared at the Inquisitor as she removed her helmet. "You can't stop us! We'll take the secret your master hid from us and use it to keep the galaxy safe again!" I remove my helmet and let it drop to the floor. I observe the Purge Troopers, making sure I'm boxed in. "Why did you join them?" I ask. The Eleventh Sister's voice filled with venom and hatred. "To prove to the Galaxy that the Jedi were the villains! When my mission is complete, I will have saved them from a jedi threat, I will have destroyed the Jedi Temples across the galaxy and I will have shown that we joined the Dark Side during the Clone Wars!" she spat. My voice filled with sadness. I wasn't going to be able to bring her back to the light. "You can't destroy all of the Temples! They're sacred places!" I said. My old friend laughed. "Why not? And what is this new found love for the Jedi Temples? You, could have walked away from the order so many times if you had chosen to!" I allowed my face to set in a determined expression. "I've changed" I said simply. "So have I" The Eleventh Sister said with mock warmness as she punched me in the face. "Now fight me!" I didn't. she threw backwards with the force, quite far. "I NEVER WANTED THE JEDI ORDER TO BURN!" she yelled stalking closer to me. "I only ever wanted to save us from continuing to fall to the Dark Side!" I stood. "I won't fight you!" I yelled back. "You're a Jedi like me!" I said. The Eleventh Sister ignited her Lightsaber, both blades out. "I'm not a Jedi, I never was!" she said. I sighed, nodded and activated my own Lightsaber. I charged, going straight on the offensive. My plan was working well. The entire point had been to get The Eleventh Sister talking and all her attention on me so Lena could work on getting back to the ship. She would likely be able to fight off the Purge Troopers long enough to get there. I was fighting The Eleventh Sister on my terms for the first time. It was time to go on the offensive. The sabers clashed as we fought, and I made sure that her attention was finally on me. "You've grown stronger! Good, perhaps now you'll be a proper challenge!" she growled. I pushed back with my Saber, hitting quickly and with as much force as I dared. "How long are we going to do this!? I'm not going to kill you Barriss and we both know you can't kill me!" I replied during a saber lock. I stumbled back as The Eleventh Sister forced me off of her. "Just watch me!" she screamed. As she lunged, I grabbed her Lightsaber and pulled it out of her hand. I deactivated it. "I'm not so sure" I said. I threw it back to her. I deactivated my own Lightsaber, and waited for her to make her move. I wasn't disappointed. The Eleventh Sister reactivated her Lightsaber, both blades once again. I closed my eyes before she could strike, and allowed myself to fall into a combat meditation. I dodged every strike that The Eleventh Sister threw at me elegantly. I knew I would panic soon, but I made sure I stayed focused. I kept dodging and catching the strikes with the force. I could sense the Inquisitor was growing frustrated and angry. Eventually, I broke the meditation and reactivated my own Lightsaber, engaging in the duel once again. "What angers you more!? The fact that you helped lead the Jedi Order to death, or that you've fallen so far from the noble goals you once had!?" I asked. The Eleventh Sister screamed and lashed out. I was getting pushed back. "NO! THE JEDI DOOMED THEMSELVES AND I CHOSE SURVIVAL!" screamed The Eleventh Sister. I kept beating back her relentless attack. "NO! you only helped the people of the Galaxy hate us more through your actions!" I said. Eventually I knew that she was finally fighting to kill. I force pushed The Eleventh Sister and her Purge troopers, grabbed my helmet, and leaped towards safety. "We both know you won't win this!" I shouted down from my hiding place. I heard the fast-angry breathing. "Is that why you're running away like a coward!?" she shouted back. I laughed. "No, I'm refusing to kill someone I once considered a friend!" I answered. The Eleventh Sister laughed. "Have you finally become a master to the girl!? I never pictured you as the type!" she answered. I lift part of a pillar with the force and throw it at The Eleventh Sister. I heard it crash and break. "I'm glad to see that you're still aware of your surroundings!" I shouted. I waited for the reply. When none came, I spoke again. "What happened to your fighting spirit barriss?" I asked. "What happened to your resolve! How many were you willing to kill in a bombing just to prove you were right!?" I heard the spinning of her Lightsaber. I ducked and rolled away just as it struck my hiding place. I decided it was time to go. I leaped out of the Temple chamber, and started heading back for my ship. I had done my job.I found Lena back in the common room. The Purge troopers hadn't followed her, it was that The Eleventh Sis was much more interested in me. I placed my helmet in my cabin, and returned. "Nice work in there" I said. Lena nodded. I knew whatever had happened during her meditation had troubled her. "So, was the trip successful?" Kara asked. I nodded. "I suspect my master found something that allowed people to alter time. Key events of it at least. Jedi Seers had been looking into the possibility for centuries, but my master must have found the proof." Kara nodded. "So what now?" she asked. I shrugged. "I think I've learned most of my master did, but hiding this won't be easy..." I said. Kara nodded. Lena shrugged. "Maybe my friends in the rebellion can help?" she asked. I shook my head. "No, too risky, you might trust them, but I've never met them" I replied. Lena gave me a look. I looked to Kara "Is the hold still empty?" I asked. She nodded "Bar a few empty crates." I got up "Follow me Lena" I said. She did as instructed; and I closed the door with the force. "Whats the heaviest object you can lift with the force?" I asked. Lena shrugged. "I mostly push or pull" she replied. I nodded. "Try and lift the smallest crate and hold it in the air for ten seconds" I said. "Picture it in your hand with your mind" I advised. Lena nodded, reached out with her right hand to lift. I watched her as she did it. After ten seconds, she placed it down. "Good start, now, try again, but this time twenty seconds" I instructed. Again, Lena did it. A few hours later, I ended Lena's lesson. She hadn't been able to lift everything, she could probably halt my fall for half a minute if she pushed herself. I returned to my cabin, and found Kara waiting for me. "What happened to her down there?" she asked when I closed the door. I shrugged. "I don't know, I could make very educated guesses, but I don't know. I may never know for sure..." I answered. I sat down. "She's shaken, is that why you were training her in there?" my friend inquired. I sighed. "I think she needs to know how to defend herself, and the force can help her with that. I don't think that she has the patience to go through proper jedi training..." I explained. Kara held up her hands in surrender. "Fine, but if you won't teach her then give her the proper tools to learn" she said. I considered. "There is probably still someone out there more than willing to teach her... my only concern is hiding this holocron, and going into hiding somewhere!" I replied. Kara sighed and sat down on my bunks. I had taken the chair. "Look, I don't know what it is you think will happen at the end of this, but all I want is for you to still be alive..." she said. I nodded. "I know, but I have to see this through" I said. Kara sighed. "Why not just keep it on the ship?" she asked. I shrugged. "Because then they'd know where to find it, and us!" I said. Kara nodded, stood, and left my cabin. I reflected on Lena's words. Loathed as I was to admit it, she was right. I did think that this was a suicide mission.