SKILLS HONED AND TESTED

(PART 3: MEETING AGAIN)

THIRD PERSON-VILLERIA, BAISA, AND MARIDA

As Villeria and Braisa were preparing for the assault General Nolek sensed was soon to come, they both felt that this was going to be more of, what many would say, a true test. The thought that a test in a life-or-death situation was something Villeria, Braisa, and Marida could understand since, when you spar with a friend, you can go again and again and again until you win. Unfortunately, fighting a real battle was different. On the battlefield, you live if you win but, you either die or get captured if you lose.

Eight days later, the general, commander, and colonel heard the sound of turret fire from the north side of their base.

Villeria, Marida, and Braisa looked at each other with the same thought: they're back.

The moment the three officers joined the fight, Braisa set her launcher to 300 meters and fired three proton grenades. As soon as Braisa launched her fourth mortar, Villeria also threw a grenade as well.

As the Imperials attempted to close in on the rebel position, Braisa ordered what mortar units they had to form a firing line and gave the order fire a mortar barrage into the enemy forces. Villeria and Braisa soon had the rest of their troops fire rockets and blaster bolts into the enemy columns, downing them by the hundreds.

The moment the Imperials got within a dozen feet, Villeria, Braisa, Marida, and their men charged.

The moment the enemy got within charging distance, Villeria holstered her rifle and drew her electrostaff as Braisa swapped her shotgun for her own melee weapon and unsheathed her vibrosword. As soon as the troops activated the saberblades on their rifles, Marida ordered the charge.

The instant the fighting got hand-to-hand, Braisa began to hack and slash at the Imperials as Villeria dodged enemy attacks and electrocuted them. Although Marida didn't have a melee weapon of her own, she drew her pistol so as to fire at close range.

Eventually, Marida shot a Stormtrooper and used another as a human shield to intercept to blaster shots that were aimed at her after twisting his arm back. As Marida was gunning down enemies with her pistol, was electrocuting enemies with her electrostaff, and Braisa was hacking down enemy after enemy with her vibrosword.

Seventy minutes later, Villeria heard the unmistakable whooshing of a lightsaber and ducked before she was decapitated.

When Villeria saw the Inquisitor pull his hand back, she rolled aside before he mimed a push and sent a column of dust flying towards her. Before the Inquisitor could try again, a mortar flew his way.

Unfortunately, the Inquisitor was ready this time. The second the Zabrak caught the mortar midair, he redirected it back towards Braisa who jumped out of the way. Before the Inquisitor turned his attention towards Braisa however, Marida began firing her pistol at him to provide a distraction. The distraction was successful as the Inquisitor began to turn his attention to Marida, thus allowing Braisa and Villeria to ready themselves to engage the Inquisitor again, this time using the lessons they learned from General Nolek.

With Marida having the Inquisitor's full attention, Villeria and Braisa were able to advance behind him almost unnoticed. Finally, when they got within striking distance, the Inquisitor turned around, fast as lightning. Just before the Inquisitor took both their heads off at the same time, Villeria and Braisa duck and the lightsaber passed a centimeter over their heads.

Villeria then went for his head as Braisa went for his abdomen, though the Inquisitor blocked both blows and sent both of them flying back with a Force push. Before the Inquisitor could kill the two dazed officers one by one, Marida fired three shots at him, all of which were deflected.

Braisa then attempted to fire her shotgun at him, though he again blocked every shot.

The moment Marida began to shoot at the Inquisitor non-stop, Braisa and Villeria fired a mortar and threw a grenade respectively. Due to the fact that Marida had the Inquisitor's full attention yet again, he was unaware of Braisa's mortar and Villeria's grenade and was both blown off his feet and temporarily dazed him.

The dark warrior then let out a snarl of rage and attacked with fury.

Ironically, his being blinded by rage provided the chance for a turning point. That turning point came when Marida scored two shots, both on his left arm. The first shot hit the Inquisitor just above the elbow while the second hit his wrist.

Now forced to fight one-handed, the Inquisitor consistently kept his lightsaber spinning to ensure that he wasn't open for an attack. Braisa soon aimed low and caught him off-guard once again. Villeria then engaged him and he was forced to parry her strike, though the fact that she repeatedly swung at him prevented him from spinning his lightsaber. The tide of contest was without any doubt in , Marida, and Braisa's favor when Braisa blocked a strike at the same time Marida shot at him again and hit his left arm a third time, this one to the elbow. With his left arm now thoroughly incapacitated, the Inquisitor knew that he was in a desperate situation.

When Marida shot at him again, he knew he was finished. As the Inquisitor blocked shot after shot, now fighting for his life, Villeria dealt him a devastating shock to the back. As he was about to turn to face her, Braisa swung at him three more times and with a grunt of effort, knocked the Inquisitor's lightsaber out of his hand on the fourth strike.

As Villeria, Braisa, and Marida got over the fact that they'd just defeated and exceptionally powerful adversary, they began to notice that the fighting had begun to die down.

As the three commanding officers looked around the battlefield, they saw hundreds of Imperials drop their weapons.

Although the battle was an Alliance victory, the casualties were still heavy.

The only thing Villeria, Braisa, and Marida knew was that they'd not only defeated an Imperial army, but also, against almost impossible odds, defeated a warrior with knowledge of the Force.

After the report of 2,189 dead, 791 mortally wounded, 820 critically injured, and 1,000 minorly injured, Villeria, Marida, and Braisa decided to contact General Nolek and tell him of their accomplishment.

When Villeria activated the transmitter, Marida said, "We did it."

The broad grin on the Jedi's face conveyed the obvious message of, "Well done".

"I sense you feel as though me training you allowed you to accomplish what you have," Nolek said, "but training you is all I did. The credit of this feat goes to you three since it was the three of you who defeated your Inquisitor adversary, not me. May the Force be with you."

With that, General Nolek ended the transmission.

"Well ladies," Marida said, "today we have just defeated our first Inquisitor."

With the knowledge of their success, Villeria Fraes, Marida Micraden, and Braisa Nilun felt as though if they could defeat an Inquisitor without the Force at their side, they could triumph over any adversary.