AN- Hey, another chapter! I'm so proud of myself! By the way, the reason my chapter are so short is that this is just a small fic on the side of my others. If you would like to know how I work when it comes to updating, please read my profile! Thank you!
Disclaimer- If I owned it, Anakin Solo would still live, he'd marry Tahiri, and they'd have a bunch of rambunctious Force-sensitive kids to give Luke a headache at the Academy.
And now, without further ado,
THE DUEL
Jacen was starting to get a little nervous. His brother had been with the Vong for a little over a year. Who knew what he could have learned?
He gripped his amphistaff, and the unfamiliar weapon stiffened in his hands, surprising him. He loosened his grip, and the staff went slack. Okay, now I know how it works…sort of. He eyed Anakin's face warily. It was disturbing. The good-natured ferocity of his old gaze had been replaced by hatred and a cold, calculating fire. His grin, which had once been handsome and straight, was now flayed like a side of meat at a fancy dinner.
Jacen stiffened his staff and charged his opponent, hoping to catch him off guard, but Anakin merely sidestepped and parried the blow. Jacen kept his weapon stiff. It felt more like a twisted version of his own lightsaber that way. He tried a couple more attacks, only to have them dodged or deflected with impossible ease.
It went on for an exhausting eternity. Charge. Block. Attack. Parry.
Jacen was getting tired.
He thought back to his old duals with Anakin, back at the Acadamy. He could always taunt his little brother into making a mistake. Words had always been a good weapon then, so why not now?
"So, is this what you've come to, Anakin?" he said. "Trying to best your older brother only while he's injured and in an unfamiliar place? I expected a great warrior to engage in a fair fight."
Anakin merely sneered. "First, my name is Vangoren, as I have said. You would do well to remember that." He tuck-and-rolled to a position behind Jacen and caused his staff to bite deeply into his left shoulder. White-hot fire blazed in the injury,making him stumble. When he regained his balance, Anakin was in front of him again. "And second, if it weren't for my little Ysalamiri, you wouldn't have a problem with injury and environment. You rely far too much on the Force, jeedai. You must learn to fight."
Ana—Vangoren—slipped suddenly to the left, bringing his rigid staff up in an underhand stroke, catching Jacen under his right arm. In an instant, the staff slackened, wrapped itself around Jacen's bicep, and squeezed. Pain shot up through his shoulder, and down to his fingers, and he cried out in pain. Vangoren's grin became even more predatory as he gave the staff a sharp yank, forcing Jacen's arm out of joint with a loud pop!
From his new position on the ground—how did that happen?—Jacen saw his brother release the staff from around his arm, grab Jacen's own from his useless right hand, and coil them both around his own arm. He walked toward Jacen, squatted in front of him and hissed into his face. "Make no mistake, jeedai. If you will not break, you will die."
The last thing Jacen remembered was a boney, tattooed fist flying at his face.
Then, there was only blackness.
AN- Don't worry, there'll be more on the way! PLEASE REVIEW! I'm not sure how good I am at writing action scenes, so any constructive criticism would be much adored and valued!