Chapter 22

Nerca felt Rix's presence long before he came into view. He blended in to the green forest well, even his tan tunic blended in.

He looked exactly the same as he had eight years ago, only a little taller. He was tall, thin, those same large yellow eyes, green-scaled, fanged and clawed. He was the same Rix she had known, only evil.

And as Nerca had thought, a lightsaber dangled at his belt.

"Rix," Nerca hissed as she came within earshot of him.

"SsNercasss," he hissed back. It was easy for her to understand his hissing because she had known him, but she could see that for Keldu it was not. "I've waited years for this day: the day we fought again. Now I'll prove to you, as to the rest of the Jedi, who's the better fighter, who has what it takes to come out on top. Who is the better Jedi, the stronger fighter," he said with a great amount of hissing that Nerca ignored. "That Rix still has what it takes to be on top, that he can defeat Nerca Beyul. And that after he defeats Nerca he can defeat all of her friends that once defeated him."

"Rix, it doesn't have to be this way," Nerca soothed. "We can put the past behind us and live the future instead of living the past. We can put aside old grievances and form new friendships. You can return to Coruscant with us and continue your training," she offered. "What do you say?"

"Never," Rix hissed. "I was undefeated! Then you came along. You ruined my life. Do you know how they laughed when you won, healer?" he hissed at Oliso. "'Rix lost to a healer who's not even fit to carry a saber!' they taunted. You ruined my life, you Nerca, you, Healer and your friend Pupal! Do you have any idea how those taunts hurt?"

"They only hurt because you let them hurt," Oliso accused. "If you would have put them aside, they wouldn't have hurt. Now, you have a second chance to put them aside and you're denying it?"

"For this," he hissed violently, "there is no second chance! No second chance for me to fix this and no second chance for you to make it right!"

"But there is," Keldu spoke up for the first time. "There is a second chance. Two second chances. You just don't see them. You don't want to see them. Why?"

"I told you!" he shouted. "They ruined my life! Now, it's my right to ruin theirs."

Rix lunged for Nerca first, almost as if he were intent on ruining their lives in the sequence that they supposedly ruined his life. He would attack Nerca, find Jesbra, take care of her then finish the 'healer' then finally take care of their friends Lexoc and Keldu. Rix's lightsaber ignited into a fiery red blade, as Nerca had suspected, and sliced for Nerca's left shoulder. She blocked with the bluish-red blade, pushing with all of her strength.

Rix's reptilian muscles had grown considerably stronger.

Nerca freed her saber from the lock and sliced to divide Rix in half by separating his legs from his torso. He blocked. She tried a couple more slices at Rix and he blocked every one. His fighting skills had increased greatly.

You're not letting the Force flow through you, completely, something in her head warned. If you do not let it flow, you are destined to fail.

Nerca knew the voice was right. If she did not let go she would fail. And failure could mean her death, Oliso's death, Keldu's death, Jesbra's discovery and death and Lexoc's death. Five lives hanging in the balance of this fight, resting at the moment in Nerca's hands.

And her mastery of the Force.

Let go. You must let go.

And in submission to the voice, she let go.

Nerca saw his moves before they were made, saw the best way to attack, saw the ways to keep him from getting near to Oliso and Keldu. It was like slowing down time, having all-seeing eyes and being only sub-conscious.

The Force guided her every move.

Then Oliso joined in the battle.

Rix deflected both of their lightsabers, Nerca's violet blade and Oliso's emerald blade. He battled against them both with his single saber for long moments against the odds of two to one, then gained another ruby blade in his other hand. The two red blades connected with the violet and emerald blades in brilliant flashes.

Nerca felt Keldu move swiftly for the entrance to the fortress. She was headed for Lexoc.

But Rix wasn't about to give up his prize.

He triple back-flipped toward Keldu, his ruby sabers still drawn and rotating with his flips. Rix struck out at Keldu but her sapphire blade rose to block.

Nerca leaped to follow, pushing with the Force and propelling herself a good ten meters to stand before Rix. Oliso did the same off to her left side. Nerca pushed with her violet blade against Rix's blade, driving it back to give Keldu a chance to run. Rix swung his other red lightsaber, identical to the first, toward Nerca but the emerald blade blocked.

Go! Nerca mentally shouted at Keldu.

Keldu wasted no time bolting toward the entrance to the Mettranaloovye's fortress. Only to stop short as Lexoc emerged carrying some sort of weapon …

But with Llanef and forty attack droids in tow.