Obi-Wan walked down the tunnel. He was reassured by the presence of his lightsaber on his waist. Walking a few steps in front of him was Serra lighting the way with a glowstick. Behind him were a group of four clones. The scouting party wound its way deeper into the tunnels on its way to the droid base.
At the next branch Serra took the left passage and Obi-Wan followed. Serra still confused him, but he understood her better now that he knew she was Force-sensitive. That was why she had been so wary around the Jedi. Yet, he couldn't forget how the girl had managed to escape the falling building. Skill of that caliber took training. Only, who had trained her?
After more walking, they reached a dead end. Overhead was a crack in the ceiling. "That's it," Serra waved her blaster at it. "You go up through there and you'll be in sight of the droids base."
"Right," Obi-Wan said. He stepped back and jumped up through the gap. There were no droids in sight. Serra jumped up after him, as graceful as any Force user. Obi-Wan turned back to help the clones up.
"This is odd," Obi-Wan noted after the clones were on stable ground and he turned to look at the building. "It looks abandoned." He glanced at Serra, but her emotions were unreadable. Soundlessly, she started towards the base and Obi Wan followed.
They approached the base unchallenged and walked through its gates. Inside were the ruins of old gear and battle droids, but nothing moved. The group walked in front of a building by an entryway which might have once led to a beautiful mannor. Two staircases rose off of the ground to reach the second floor on either side of the main path.
"it's quiet," one of the clones noted.
"Da-na, da-na," another clone muttered the theme song for an old movie. Just watch, there's going to be a shark around here.
"Would you stop that Jack," another clone snapped at him.
"Just trying to lighten the mood," Jack shrugged.
Obi-Wan ignored the clones although agreed that it was too quiet for his liking. Dust had begun to gather, and the entire building had a feeling of emptiness as if no one had been here for weeks. Despite the apparent emptiness, Obi Wan was sure he felt shadows. His sense of the world around him was muddled as if it were being… masked by something.
"I thought it was possible that they cleared out," Serra's voice broke the silence. "It seems we've missed our opportunity."
"Sir," the lead clone addressed Kenobi. "Should we spread out and search?"
Obi-Wan nodded and the clones slowly spread out. Serra started to as well, but Kenobi spoke up. "It appears these droids have been cleared out for weeks," Obi Wan offered. "Are you sure this is the correct base?"
"Yes, Jedai, I think I can tell that much," Serra slurred the word Jedi much as Ventress, Dooku, or other Separatists might. She reached out with her own senses. Kenobi had walked right into the trap, and now to claim his lightsaber as my prize.
Kenobi had his eyes closed, obviously trying to sense something. That won't work, Serra sang to herself. You Jedai are helpless now. She pooled her power and then leaped up into the air, landing on one of the staircases.
Kenobi sensed her power spike, but it was too little too late for the clones.
Serra raised her right hand and all four of the clones were suddenly dragged into the air by her Force choke. Most would feel the strain of levitating two, but Serra did four with ease. She had surprised them to, they were scared. Their fear fanned her power as she drank it in. It was sweet.
Obi-Wan grabbed his lightsaber and activated it. He had been caught completely off guard by Serra's actions. One thing he could sense through the muddle was the aura of shadows that surrounded Serra and gave her strength – the power of the Dark Side. "Release them!"
The clones struggled to breathe and Jack managed to raise his rifle at her and pull the trigger. Serra wasn't looking his way. The bolt stopped about two feet from her face.
"Feisty, aren't you," Serra addressed Jack. She flicked one of the fingers of her right hand and the bolt shot back towards Jack, solidly connecting with his visor and smashing the faceplate. Jack went limp and Serra dropped him to the ground, keeping a tight grip on the other three.
"Now you're down to three Jedai," Serra purred. She tightened the fingers of her right hand into a fist and twisted it.
Obi-Wan cringed internally as he heard the snaps. The other three clones stopped struggling and Serra loosened her right hand. They fell to the ground just as Jack had, heads twisted at a bad angle from where their necks had been snapped.
"Now none," Serra drank in the remains of the Clones' fear, using it to strengthen herself. She was going to need it in a moment.
Kenobi looked at the clones and then at her. "You're going to regret that."
"No," Serra countered. "You're going to regret being as stupid as to walk into my trap."
Trap? Obi-Wan threw out his senses instinctively and was met with blurriness, unable to focus.
The targeting lines in a scope narrowed onto him and the sniper pulled the trigger.
With the world so off kilter, Obi-Wan was not able to sense the shot until it had already hit his hand and knocked his lightsaber away.
Serra smiled as she Force-pulled Kenobi's lightsaber to her hand and activated it. "I congratulate you, General Kenobi. My master's tales of your skills were not exaggerated."
Obi-Wan pushed the throbbing in his hand out of his mind. "Who are you?"
"I already told you, Jedai scum. My name is Serra," Serra repeated, "Serra Winters."
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them the blue color was replaced by the crimson and gold of a Sith. "And Ventress isn't here. She's a traitor that's tried to kill Dooku. Even if she did appear, she'd never be welcomed. Besides, I'm Dooku's apprentice now and there are only room for two Sith."
"Winters?" Kenobi suddenly realized why Serra had looked so familiar. "Heather Winters, the Jedi hunter."
"And my mother," Serra smiled. She brushed a lock of her bangs out of her face. "As for your missing child, I didn't take her on Dooku's orders. That was my own initiative."
Her smile sent a strike of cold down Obi-Wan's spine. "You're a Sith. Where is she? Roo Roo Page, where is she?"
"She's safe," Serra promised with a smile. "You should be glad I took her Jedai," Serra promised him. "I intended to kill her and rid you of a future recruit. She's strong though, so I took her instead. She'll make a fine Sith when she grows up."
Obi-Wan didn't dare move, but he clenched a hand into a fist. He had just lost his lightsaber and there was still the sniper to handle.
"Dooku was not pleased with my… initiative," Serra sighed. "So I made him a wager. If I could lure you here and kill you, then he would admit that I was strong enough to keep her. So far I've done well. Now I just have to kill you." Serra smiled and raised her right hand again. Obi-Wan's blue lightsaber glowed in her other hand.
"How do you intend to do that?" Obi-Wan asked, "With your sniper friend?"
"No, she'll stay out of it," Serra told him. "I'll kill you on my own."
Obi-Wan didn't think for a minute that the second Sith would really stay put and watch. Sith didn't have enough honor for a fair fight.
Then Serra saluted him with his lightsaber and jumped down from the stairs towards the Jedi Master. Obi-Wan's lightsaber sang as she raised it above her head to bring it in a downward stroke.
A little short i suppose, but nice and dramatic. I know you realized that Serra was a bad guy, but did you guess Sith? Nicely done if you did.
Remember Heather Winters. her story is going to have a lot to do with her daughter's.