Disclaimer: Characters are not the property of the author but of George Lucas.
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Chapter 10: The Ruse
"Strong point Alpha please respond," the communications officer called for the fifteenth time.
He turned around to look at Jordo, "It is not jamming sir," he said, "Our message is definitely getting through, there's nobody on the other end to receive it."
"But how could they have broken through?" a soldier asked, "Strong Point Alpha was sealed with blast doors. Nothing can get through those."
"Except for a lightsaber," Jordo replied.
"Vader and Traya?" the com officer asked.
"At least one of them," Jordo answered.
"We're doomed," someone said.
"We're not doomed," Jordo said, "We're going to keep fighting until they've captured every single one of us."
"Sir we've just lost contact with strong point Beta," one of the communications engineers said.
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Padme's lightsaber was cutting through the blast door of the strong point with ease.
"Which strong point is this?" she asked one of the clone trooper commanders.
"Strong point Epsilon," he replied.
"How many more strong points?" Padme inquired.
"Only the final strong point, Omega," he answered.
Padme's lightsaber sliced through the blast door which the clone troopers then kicked in. They began pouring through the hole, guns blazing. By the time Padme stepped through the whole most of the rebel soldiers in the strong point were already dead. There was a separate command section that was now being escorted back to a shuttle. Padme's communicator beeped signify a private message. She found a private corner.
"Having fun down their?" Anakin asked.
"Not nearly as fun as I would have liked," Padme said, "I've barely had a chance to kill anything."
"Well intelligence reports that there is at least one Jedi here," Anakin replied, "He's probably in the final strong point."
"I would predict as much from a coward." Padme scoffed.
"Anyway, I have received word of an attack against Corellia by the Rebel forces. It appears that this was all a ruse to divert our forces." Anakin informed her, "I will take most of the fleet with me to Corellia to deal with this. I'll see you when I get back to Coruscant."
The comlink then shut off.
"What are your orders Lady Traya?" the clone trooper commander asked.
"Let's regroup here before we move on the final strong point," Padme replied, "There's probably a much larger and more capable fighting force there."
"Very well," the clone trooper said.
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"We've received reports of contact at the north east blast door," the communications officer said.
"How are they fairing?" Jordo asked.
"There's a large mass of troops attacking, but we're holding position." The communications officer said.
"Any sign of Vader or Traya?" Jordo asked.
"Nothing yet." The communications officer said.
Suddenly the entire room began to shake.
"What was that?" Jordo asked.
"Explosives," the communications officer said, "The blast door is still sealed but all our troops outside it are dead."
"What about them?" Jordo asked.
"I don't know, no reports yet." The communications officer said.
"I'm going to reinforce the door," Jordo said, "You've got command here."
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Padme removed her lightsaber from the blast door. The clone troopers kicked in the hole she had just made and began pouring through.
"Jedi!" came the yell in unison from inside the door.
Padme cut into the line of troopers filing through the whole and pushed her way in. Standing in the middle of a circle of dead clone troopers stood a lone human male Jedi brandishing a blue lightsaber. His face was utterly unremarkable and there seemed to be nothing distinct about him that allowed Padme to recall just who this Jedi was. The only thing distinct was that he appeared to be rather young, almost Padawan age.
"So," the Jedi said, "Come to kill us all Darth Traya?"
"While I would love too," Padme sneered, "I have been required to take prisoners."
"You won't get any information out of us," the Jedi said defiantly.
"Oh I don't know about that," Padme said self-assuredly, "My master can be very persuasive."
"I guess," the Jedi agreed weakly. "It worked on you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Padme snapped.
Around them a battle between rebels and clone troopers was waging with bodies falling everywhere.
"It means that I used to respect you," the Jedi replied, "I thought you were a Senator of great character. A person committed to helping people. But now all I see is a self-interested over powered bully."
Padme was infuriated. How dare this pitiful nobody call her a bully.
"The Republic was broken," Padme said. "It was full of corruption, enough so that a Sith could become Supreme Chancellor."
"That doesn't explain your actions," the Jedi said, "Why would some one who fought to keep the Republic together in the war against the Separatists suddenly decide to kill the Republic in favour of creating an Empire under Palpatine?"
"It's rather simple," Padme answered. ""The Republic was weak and at war with itself. Palpatine's empire will be strong and united."
"Even if that unity means the eradication of different species, or the destruction of entire planets?" The Jedi asked.
"I've come to realize that actions will always speak louder than words. And to get what you want you to be loud." Padme replied, "Now let's allow our own actions decide our fate."
The Jedi raised his lightsaber, "Very well," he said jadedly.
Padme pulled her own lightsaber off her belt with the force and activated both ends. She leapt at the Jedi, swinging towards his head. He raised his lightsaber and blocked her blow and swung for her legs but Padme cut off his attack before it could get started with the other blade. She once again swung for the Jedi's head but he blocked again. Their blades locked and they stared at each other.
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Jordo stared into the eyes of the now infamous Senator Padme Amidaala. She did not seem anything at all like the first time he had met her, back when he was a Padawan. Her skin seemed to have become paler and her hair darker. Her brown eyes now had a reddish tint to them. It was a change that frightened Jordo. He tried to push her lightsaber back, but she was stronger than she appeared to be. Suddenly she pulled back and delivered a side kick to his chest. Jordo fell backwards but quickly turned it into a roll up to his feet.
Jordo felt his face, it was dripping with sweat, he was also panting, but he didn't know if it was from exhaustion or from fear. Perhaps it was a combination of the two.
"Yield Jedi," Darth Traya said to him.
"Not gonna happen," Jordo replied defiantly.
Jordo sprang forward bring lightsaber towards her head. She blocked it and caught him in the face with the hilt of her double lightsaber. Jordo nearly dropped his lightsaber as he staggered back. He then felt a strange sensation in his chest. He looked down to see Traya's lightsaber stabbing through him. She pulled it out and Jordo stared at her with a contemplative look on his face. Then he began to fall to the ground as the world around him became black. The last thing he saw was the cruel grin on Traya's face as she looked down at him.
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So I threw in an interesting perspective shift at the end of the chapter. I just want to get some feed back about it, whether you felt it worked or not. The reasoning behind it is that I felt the fight scene worked best if you got the perspective of both characters. Anyway like always, please review. I love 'em much. More reviews more chapters.