CHAPTER 2: Sight of Flames

All Rex could do was stare. That's all rest of the squad could do either. Star shot across the simulator field, destroying droids as she went. Turns out she had customized blaster pistols, and she was shooting down almost every droid in sight. When the blaster was out of charges, Rex thought she was in for it. But then she reached down and pulled a dagger from her boot. It was a good ten inches long, with an intricately carved ivory handle and shining blade.

"What is she doing?" Bly said. "She's gonna get herself killed."

"Have patience Bly." Skywalker said. Everyone continued to watch as Star darted around the droids. Rex had to admit, she was really fast. He turned his head away to look at the other recruits on the various viewing platforms. Then he heard Cody shout, "Fierfek, she's good."

Rex snapped his head back to the field. Star was plunging her knife straight into the center of the nearest clanker's chest. Rex was completely shocked, and for two reasons. One, there was no way a knife should even be able to dent a droids armor. Second, you had to be crazy to get that close to a droid, even the regular battle droids. But she was doing it, and she already was halfway through the simulator with a time of two minutes so far.

Suddenly, an SBD managed to get a shot at Star's hand, sending her knife flying across the field. Star held her ground and her body shuddered. Rex looked at the console below him to see what the close-up screens were seeing. What he saw surprised him. Star's eyes were gold, instead of the fierce sapphire blue that they were earlier. Rex looked back through the window to see the battle droids crowding around Star while she did nothing.

"Oh no." Fox breathed. The simulator couldn't kill you, but you walk away with some near death injuries if you didn't know what you were doing.

But as the super battle droids moved into kill position, some regular battle droids came flying out of the center with their limbs flying in different directions and their chests torn open. Soon more droids were cleared and Star was visible again, but shockingly different. She had four inch claws on the ends of each of her fingers, and that's what she was using to tear the droids apart. Her arms were bare; there weren't any visible contraptions that the claws could have come from. Star continued to move through the field. This was the part of the simulator where the droids started getting more relentless. However, as the commando droids started to close in, something completely unbelievable happened.

The whole squad watched in awe as Star, still running, crouched down and turned into a wolf right before their eyes. Rex's jaw dropped. This wasn't possible, he must be dreaming. This just couldn't happen, unless you were a witch or something. Was that what Star was, some sort of sorceress?

"No Rex, she's not a witch," Skywalker said. Rex forgot Jedi could read minds.

Rex looked at the other viewers in the other platforms. Some of them looked impressed, some of them looked shocked, and some had a look that Rex could only place as something like envy. Rex directed his attention back to the simulation. Star was back in human form, with her clothes intact. Rex guessed they had fused with her fur when she had transformed, but that wasn't important. She was almost to the end of the simulator, all she had to do was get to the top of the tower and grab the pole.

Star let out a sound that was something between a scream and a howl. A commando droid had shot her left shoulder. It didn't seem to leave a mark on her, but she was obviously mad. Star turned to face the commando droids.

"Get ready for a show boys," Skywalker said. Everyone had their eyes on Star.

Star raised her arms slightly above her shoulders. Her eyelids fluttered, and then she thrust her hands forward. Jets of fire burst from her palms. The flames totaled the first wave of droids. She put her left hand up and the remaining flames came back to her, which she absorbed in her palm. She released it again, but differently. This time she sent flung her whole arm outward which sent the flames out in longer strands. She continued to send the flame out until every droid was destroyed. All that was left was Star, the buildings, and smoking ruins where droids used to stand.

Star turned around slowly, brought her claws out, and used her claws to scale the wall. Once at the top she grabbed the pole and held it aloft like a spear. There was a moment's pause before everybody burst into thunderous applause.

Rex turned to General Skywalker in the main booth. "You picked a good one sir," he said.

The General turned to him and smiled. "Only the best, Rex; for both your squad, and the Republic.