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Chapter Ten
Nikita rolled out of the way just before a crimson beam sliced through the air where she had been seconds ago. She was on her feet in an instant, igniting her own lightsaber in time to block another strike. She couldn't see much about her opponent, only that it was a small figure clad in black robes. What she did notice was that they were using a saberstaff, common of assassins. The figure spun around, twisting away from her lightsaber and swinging the other end of their saberstaff at her midsection in an attempt to cut her in half. The knight leapt back and threw the attacker backwards with a force push. The assassin landed roughly in the sand several yards away, their hood falling back to reveal a woman with pale white skin, dark hair plaited in two long braided buns, and orange eyes.
The woman hopped to her feet in one fluid motion and snarled at Nikita. She held out a hand and her saberstaff flew to her from where it had landed. With her weapon in hand once again the Sith charged forward, leaping onto one of the nearby boulders and launching herself at Nikita. The Jedi sidestepped her attack and blocked the swing that followed, pushing the saberstaff around in an arc and throwing the Sith off. The woman staggered back, her guard broken, and Nikita punched her in the jaw. The blow caught the assassin by surprise and she stumbled and fell on her butt in a daze. She moved to get up but froze when Nikita placed the tip of her lightsaber at the woman's throat.
"Who are you," the knight demanded.
The woman sneered at her. "Typical Jedi, always wanting to talk instead of act." She spoke in a crisp accent, and even with her on the ground and Nikita standing over her she still somehow managed to look down her nose at the Jedi. "Very well, I will grant you the mercy of knowing the name of your final opponent. I am known as Sister Tanali."
"Those are bold words for someone with a lightsaber at their throat," Nikita said in an even tone.
"You won't kill me, Jedi. Your kind are too disgustingly honorable to kill a foe at your mercy," Tanali spat.
Nikita quirked an eyebrow as she responded, "Oh, you misjudge me, Tanali. I've cut down Sith that make you look like a child with a training staff."
Tanali faltered a bit at the Jedi's words, seeing the gold flecks in her eyes glint in a dangerous unspoken promise.
A small gleam from the top of the cliff across from Nikita caught her attention and her eyes flicked upward for a split second. That was all the time Tanali needed. The assassin ducked away from the lightsaber at her throat and kicked Nikita in the stomach. The Jedi staggered in surprise and was thrown back before she could recover. She slammed into the canyon wall behind her, knocking all the breath from her lungs and dazing her. She pushed away from the rock wall, shaking her head in an attempt to reorient herself. A large shadow moving across the ground caused her to look up to see one of the huge boulders hurtling through the air toward her.
Nikita managed to jump out of the way and the rock crashed into the cliff wall, causing huge shards of stone to come loose and fall to the ground around her. She dodged out of the way of several of the falling stones until she was in the middle of the makeshift circle. Tanali jumped over one of the stones in a surprise attack and Nikita ducked under her swing, hearing the hum of the saberstaff as it flew over her head. The knight swung her leg around, knocking Tanali's feet out from under her. The assassin fell flat of her back with a grunt, but as Nikita started forward the woman rolled over with a sudden fury and kicked her leg up, catching the Jedi in the jaw.
Pain exploded along the side of Nikita's face as she fell back from the force of the kick. Her vision went white for several seconds and when it came back she saw Tanali about to run her through. She brought her saber up, managing to block the strike and deflect it to the side. This only made the Sith more angry and she gave a scream of frustration as she lifted the Jedi up in a force choke and threw her into the far wall.
The knight slammed into the wall, causing a fresh wave of pain to blossom across her skull. She tried to suck in a breath but Tanali was still choking her. The Sith walked forward and squeezed her hand tighter, enjoying watching the Jedi struggle to get air.
"My calling is greater than you could ever hope to understand, Jedi! Lord Vader has personally tasked me with disposing of the last residual scum of the Republic; A task I take great pleasure in."
Nikita was beginning to see spots dancing in front of her eyes but she forced herself to stay conscious and look for something in range to break Tanali's grip on her neck.
"You were a hard one to find, Jedi," the assassin continued. "You hid your force signature so well it took me months to track you down. How fitting it is that I find you on this backwater cesspool of a planet. Once scum always scum, hm?"
Nikita narrowed her eyes and flicked her right index finger outward. Tanali was suddenly struck by one of the smaller boulders, sending the Sith flying into the back wall of the canyon and breaking her grip on the Jedi. Nikita fell to the ground, which was a good twelve foot drop, and felt a sharp pain shoot through her foot and ankle as she landed. She collapsed to her hands and knees, coughing and gasping for air. The sound of shifting rock came from her left where Tanali had been thrown and the Jedi struggled to get to her feet. Pain shot through her foot again, almost causing her to fall back down, but she managed to stay upright.
The knight spotted her lightsaber glinting in the moonlight a few feet away and pulled it to her, assuming her preferred Niman style and silently thanking the powers that be that Obi-Wan had insisted she learn all of the saber fighting styles during her training. She waited for the assassin to come flying out of the dark at her, but the entire area had gone eerily silent. A noise behind her caused her to spin around in time to get struck by a large, heavy object. The impact of the blow sent the Jedi hurtling into a nearby boulder and she let out a cry of pain as her head struck the rock. She grabbed her head and felt a cut running across the top right of her scalp. As with most head wounds it was already bleeding like crazy, the blood running down the side of her face and into her eye.
Nikita heard uneven footsteps and looked up to see Tanali staggering toward her. The Sith looked just as rough, having a nasty head injury of her own. Tanali fixed Nikita with a murderous gaze and ignited her saberstaff as she continued her uneven shuffle toward the knight. Nikita wiped the blood from her brow and attempted to push herself off the boulder only to fall back against it when a wave of dizzying pain swept through her skull. She ignited her lightsaber and held it in front of her in a weak defense attempt. There was no way she would be able to hold up against the assassin now with both a head and foot injury. She could barely move without having to hold onto something for support and that spelled death in her current situation.
Tanali closed the last few feet between them and easily knocked Nikita's saber to the side. Just as she was about to start the downward swing that would finish the Jedi several loud cracks rang out and blaster fire rained down around the Sith, causing her to jump back to a safe position several yards away.
"What is this," the Sith snarled, focusing on something above them. Before Nikita had the chance to look up she heard the sound of a jetpack and the answer landed several feet in front of her. Even with blood obscuring part of her vision she recognized the white and green clad figure in an instant.
"Boba Fett."
She saw his cape shift as he turned slightly at the sound of his name, but he never took his attention off of the assassin in front of him.
"Bounty hunter scum," Tanali spat. "You dare interrupt me!"
"The Jedi is my bounty," Fett responded in a calm, dangerous tone. "Your master should never have sent you after her."
"You dare oppose Lord Vader's direct orders," the Sith replied in shock and aggravation. "You have no claim to this Jedi, but if you refuse to back down I will have no choice but to eliminate you as well!"
Tanali lunged at the bounty hunter with renewed energy and the two became engaged in a very heated battle. As he moved Nikita saw the moonlight glint off of Fett's rifle and her eyes widened when she remembered seeing the same gleam earlier from the top of the cliff.
Fett had been following her. That knowledge unnerved her more than the fact that the Sith had sent an assassin after her. She looked up in time to see a wall of fire erupt in the middle of the stone circle, Tanali barely managing to avoid it and coming up with smoke rising from her robes.
Nikita pulled the sleeve of her jacket back and typed in a quick code on the remote ship communicator strapped to her wrist. She had no idea where she would go, all she knew was that she couldn't stay and wait to see who won. She was in no shape to fight and her options with either Fett or Tanali weren't ideal.
The sound of a ship approaching pulled the Jedi's attention away from the fight and she pushed off of the rock behind her. Dizziness swept over her once again but she ignored it and braced herself to jump. A red and white Eta-2 Actis-class Interceptor came roaring through the canyon and made a tight turn over where she was standing. Nikita jumped, landing on the wing and falling to her knees when her foot refused to support her. She heard several rifle shots bounce off the ships shields as she scrambled over to the cockpit. Once inside she typed in coordinates for the first place she could think of and didn't relax until she was in hyperspace.
Tanali fell to the ground with a pained grunt. Her saberstaff lay a few feet away, broken in half and no longer activating on one end. Smoke curled off of her clothes in several places and parts of her robes had been burned away completely.
Boba stood in front of her, victory evident even in his stoic demeanor. A sudden ping caused him to glance down at his wrist before turning his attention back to the Sith in front of him.
"You've lost. Go back to your master and tell him to let me handle this Jedi."
"Don't you dare give me orders, scum," Tanali snarled. "You had no right to interfere in official Imperial business!"
Boba lifted his rifle and aimed it at her head, watching her eyes go wide.
"The Jedi is gone. She's out of your reach and no longer any of your concern. I should kill you here and now for interfering in my hunt and allowing her to escape. Now, go back to Vader and tell him to leave her to me." He pulled the blaster rifle back and rested it on his shoulder. "Before I change my mind."
Tanali glared at him and reached to collect the broken remains of her saberstaff. A blaster bolt buried itself in the sand near her outstretched hand, almost taking one of her fingers off.
"Leave it," came the cold command.
The assassin slowly got up and backed away from him, never turning her back to the hunter. When she thought she was a safe enough distance she called back with one last threat.
"Lord Vader will hear of this, bounty hunter!"
With that said she turned and ran out of the canyon.
Boba ignored her and looked back down at the miniature datapad on his wrist. The tracking device he'd placed on the Jedi's ship earlier was functioning properly, allowing him to get a good idea of where she was headed.
Nar Shaddaa.