A/n: I should be wrapping it up soon, I'm just playing it by ear. Maybe even this chappie. Who knows?
Chapter 10:
"Back for more are we, Master? So soon? That's good because I have a bone to pick with you." She turned around with the others to see their quarry standing behind them.
The offending Dark Jedi ignited the lightsaber he held in his right hand with a snap-hiss. His left leg was awkwardly positioned, and all his weight was held on his right. "You did this to me. You in your little escape attempt. Only to come back here."
She fixed him with her coldest stare as she responded. "What's the matter? The Dark Side all powerful except when it comes to healing yourself? Did you forget that this world was having a shortage on bacta?"
He growled and lunged at her, but first he threw a powerful telekinetic attack at the other three members of her party. She drew her lightsaber and prepared for the battle of her life.
He lunged, barely missing her chest as she parried; it grazed her arm instead and she hissed in pain, switching her 'saber to the other hand. Not a great way to start. She thought to herself. She didn't have much time to think, however, as he attacked again, this time swiping at her legs as he brought the saber around for a more powerful attack, a sweeping attack that, if it connected, would sever her from shoulder to hip. She met the attacks, blow for blow, parrying as she dodged the powerful swings and lightning fast lunges.
They met in a stand off, his lightsaber bearing down ever so slowly, its progress stopped by the determined Jedi as sweat poured down her forehead and dripped onto the pavement at her feet. I can't take this for long. I'm still not at top strength. I need help.
Letting out a cry of pain for her straining muscles she forced his blade up and made a quick, sloppy strike of her own, aimed at his stomach.
He saw his opportunity and brought his blade around for a sudden swipe at her legs. She brought her lightsaber around to block as she leapt out of the way.
Xanatos let out an inhuman growl as he lunged at her once again, lightning fast as his eyes turned black. Luminara gasped, loosing focus in the battle for just long enough for the Dark Jedi to bring his lightsaber down in a long arc and graze her left leg. It collapsed under her as she let out a loud grunt of pain.
On her knees she stared into the face of evil as it laughed. "You could have joined me. I gave the choice to become powerful, truly powerful, and you refused. You have brought this upon yourself. Now you shall die." He brought his saber above his head once again, slowly, revering the fear that resonated off of her being.
Readying herself for the deathblow, she closed her eyes, trying to let go of the fear. She had not wasted her life, and she would die as a Jedi.
That, however, was not to be the case, as Anakin, Obi Wan and Bariss leapt into the fray, their healthy bodies much faster than hers. After the psychotic madman had been forced away from her, Bariss left the battle and knelt at her side. "Master, Master can you hear me?" Luminara had passed out from the stress on her still healing body and the pain of the new wounds.
Bariss let the Force work through her as she set about alleviating her pain. After that had been done, she spoke to her unconscious master, "I'm sorry but I must go help Obi Wan and Anakin. We need to deal with Xanatos once and for all."
Bariss stood with a hard look in her eyes. She reignited her lightsaber and strode purposefully toward the battle that was being waged between the two Jedi and the evil ghost of the past.
Quickening her pace, she let out a war cry as she leapt into the conflict; a downward swing was rewarded with the smell of singed flesh. Xanatos dropped his lightsaber in pain and held up his hands in surrender. "Alright. You've got me. Now what are you going to do? It's against the Jedi way to kill me. And you know you can't hold me."
His smug voice filled the streets, and Bariss seethed with fury; not at his words but at the fact she knew them to be true. Obi Wan had stopped attacking and was eyeing his foe with suspicion. Bariss stood her ground, lightsaber still raised but not attacking.
Anakin looked from his master to the evil former padawan of his idol and let his anger take over, sweeping his blade down upon the unsuspecting Dark Jedi, even as Obi Wan screamed for him to stop. The dark energy pent up in his body exploded outwards in a concussive wave that knocked them all off of their feet.
Bariss awoke to see a concerned, bearded Jedi Master standing over her, shaking her by the shoulders. "Uhh… what happened?"
Obi Wan helped her to her feet even as Anakin cradled Luminara in his arms and walked over to them. "When Anakin killed Xanatos all the dark energy that had been stored over the years found an outlet… a rather explosive outlet."
She nodded, wincing at the movement, and raised a hand to the back of her head. Feeling something sticky, she brought her hand around and saw a red substance. Screwing up her face in disgust she wiped her hand on her robes as she looked at her master with concern. Anakin saw the look on her face and was quick to reassure her. "Don't worry, she was far enough away from the explosion that it didn't affect her. She's just in a healing trance."
Bariss let out a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding.
Obi Wan rubbed his neck as he turned around. "Lets get back to the ship. We need to get Luminara some medical treatment, and yourself Bariss, and make our report to the Council." He turned to Anakin. "You, my young padawan, have a lot to answer to. You killed an unarmed man, deliberately disobeying my orders."
Anakin had the decency to look apologetic. "I'm sorry Master… I'm not sure what came over me. I… I know I'll have a lot to explain. I thought that was our mission here, to make sure he never caused more pain like this again."
Obi Wan sighed even as he started walking in the general vicinity of the ship. "There are ways Anakin. You didn't need to kill him."
Anakin looked properly chastised by now. "I know Master. And I'm sorry. I'll listen to you next time."
Luminara groaned as Anakin turned to follow his master, and Bariss stroked the hair out of her eyes, gently sending out calming waves of the Force.
That decided Obi Wan. "We'll talk about this later. Right now we should focus on the task at hand."
Fin.
Wow… its finally done. Thank god I was getting bored of this story. Lol. I'm kinda gearing away from the Star Wars stories now… more into the InuYasha, Tortall, that kind of thing. I'm thinking of writing a Matthew Reilly one… but the idea could just as easily be used in an original story, so I might do that instead. Oooh, and Justice League. I'm writing a challenge for jlaunlimited… or is it jlauniverse. I don't know. Either way its almost, almost done and will be up soon. So read, review or the evil sprites will find their way into your work places and mess them up. Really, in papers will be in the out papers draws and everything. I swear.
J anyway,
'Chance