The march towards the capital city was a grueling twelve hour trek through a dense bioluminescent jungle. The landings had to be a great distance from the city as it housed powerful anti-aircraft defenses that could have shot down even a Venator-class Star Destroyer. Master Krell hadn't allowed the men any respite marching through Umbara's hostile terrain. They weren't happy but the morale of the battalion was not an issue and time was. They needed to reinforce Master Kenobi's troops or the entire campaign to take the capital city would fail.
The army came to a halt a few miles from the city near the main road. Krell had assembled Varra and Captain Rex to discuss his attack strategy.
"Sir we're ready to bring our forward platoons in for a surgical strike on the city's defenses," reported Rex.
"There won't be any need Captain," replied Krell. "All platoons will execute a forward assault along the main route to the city."
Varra and Rex stared at the Jedi Master in disbelief. The Umbarans would have heavily fortified troops and traps all along that path. To just rush in would be difficult to breach through and it would sustain heavy casualties.
"But sir General Skywalker's plan was to surprise them with multiple attacks. If we come in from the main route, they're likely to engage us in full frontal assault," protested Rex.
"Change of plans Captain. I'm in command now," Krell sternly reminded the clone.
"Master allow me to take a few Arc Troopers and scout ahead. Give us a few hours and we can report back the enemy positions along the main road and any traps they might have set up," Varra suggested.
"We don't have time for that," Krell shook his head. "General Kenobi is already engaging the enemy forces protecting the city. If we don't reinforce him, the entire invasion will be in jeopardy."
"With all due respect General we don't know what we're up against. I agree with the Commander. A small scout force could..." Rex tried to explain.
"Are you questioning my order?" Krell snapped. "This battalion will take the main road straight to the capital. You will not stop and you will not turn back regardless of the resistance you meet. We will attack them with all of our troops, not some sneak attack with a few men. That is my order you will follow it explicitly. Do I make myself clear CT-7565?"
"Yes General," Rex sighed though there was a tone of anger in his voice.
"Varra you will command the reserves and you will only engage when I give the command," Krell said.
"Yes Master," Varra bowed her head.
"Now assume your positions," Krell ordered.
An hour later, Varra was waiting along a ridge line waiting with hundreds of Clone Troopers for her Master's signal. They could hear a firefight in the jungle but they remained at their posts.
"Commander shouldn't we be moving to assist Captain Rex?" A clone named Burns asked. He was getting antsy along with the rest of the troops. They didn't like the fact that their brothers were fighting and dying while they just sat on their butts doing nothing.
"We move the second my master gives us the signal," Varra assured him.
"And when is that?" another trooper named Que asked.
"When he gives the signal," Varra answered though it wasn't what anyone wanted to hear. The Padawan couldn't blame them as she didn't like this either.
Her Master had always been more aggressive than the other Jedi Masters Varra had encountered but he had his reasons. His training was harsh but Varra quickly understood the benefits of it when during a sparring tournament among dozens of Padawans. She wiped the floor with her first several opponents and then eventually worn down or overpowered the later opponents. While the other Masters had practically coddled their students, Krell had shown his Padawan no leniency and the results spoke for themselves when Varra won the tournament. She was certain her Master had some strategy in all of this fighting, she just didn't understand yet.
Rex's platoon came rushing back through the forest, trying their best to fall back tactically but they were getting decimated by the Umbaran onslaught. Varra could make out Captain Rex as one of the survivors and he was soon met up with a furious Master Krell. The two shouted at one another though she couldn't tell what they were saying. Finally Krell said something and walked away before Rex rejoined his men to hold off the Umbarans.
"Varra move your men up and engage the enemy," Krell's voice came through the com.
"Let's go!" Varra shouted. The rest of her men all cheered as they rushed into battle.
Sister's eyes opened as she awakened from her slumber, exposing them to the medical liquid she was currently submerged in. A belt was wrapped around her chest which was hooked onto a crane that moved people in and out of the cylindrical tank she was floating inside of. A breathing mask providing her oxygen was strapped onto her face. Bacta tank treatments were never a pleasant experience but they did wonders to injuries and diseases. It was because of Bacta's healing properties, the Republic had garrisoned Thyferra during the Clone Wars. The planet's flora was essential in developing Bacta and because of its importance Thyferra was the most heavily guarded world apart from Coruscant. After the war, the Empire immediately occupied and set up a puppet regime.
Sister had spent the past week recovering on the planet Dantooine, a small agricultural world in the Outer Rim. The rebels knew a doctor willing to help and thankfully this was her final treatment. Now all Sister had to do was spill the Nysillin seeds on every little bit of information she had on the Empire to the Rebels and help a certain Jedi wannabe into actually standing a chance against the Grand Inquisitor. She could have simply bolted once she was full health and leave the Rebels with nothing but aiding them could make them a bigger nuisance to the Empire and it would focus more on them then a certain fugitive.
Sister's body was hauled slowly up and out of the tank. She shivered as the liquid was kept as a temperature warmer then the room. Nearby a Quarren Doctor named Szon was working the controls the Bacta tank. He was a rebel sympathizer whom Sister suspected had assisted numerous different insurgent groups though he wouldn't admit it. Not that it really mattered as all Sister cared about was that was healed.
The crane slowly lowered to her to the ground. Szon handed her a towel then unhooked her from the machinery. "Scans indicate your wounds have fully healed," he explained as Sister dried herself off.
"Then we're done here," remarked the former Inquisitor. She was about to head to the locker room and get changed back into her normal clothing when the doctor stepped into her path.
"There is however one problem I found on the deep scans," Szon said.
Sister raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?" she asked.
"Scans around your heart indicated a small void that couldn't be identified. It's not a tumor or anything cancerous otherwise it would have been picked up but I would prefer another set of tests to…" Szon explained.
"No," Sister said.
"But…"
"I said no!" snapped Sister. She got into the Quarren's face, making sure to he was intimidated before saying, "And you won't mention a word about this to my hosts. Am I clear?"
The Quarren sighed, knowing this wasn't an argument he could win so he simply nodded. Sister turned and headed to the locker room.
Kanan came crashing to the ground, trying to roll to absorb the impact. His opponent lunged at him swinging at her double-bladed energy weapon. He jumped out of the way then parried a strike at his shoulder. She was incredibly fast, often trying to attack the upper body then switching her attack to the lower half almost in the blink of an eye. Kanan was barely able to keep up with her, let alone have a chance to counterattack. Finally his attacker threw out on her hands and Kanan felt himself flying through the air, landing on his back. Before he could recover, she was already above him holding the energy blade. She struck down stabbing him in the chest. Pain shot through his body as the former Jedi groaned in pain.
"That hurt," Kanan grumbled.
"Consider it motivation to not let it happen again," Sister remarked, stepped away from him and deactivating her lightsaber which had been on its stun setting.
Kanan was glad this was just a practice spar and not a real fight otherwise Second Sister would have killed him. The two had been practicing for an hour and this was the first time the former Inquisitor really put some effort into it. She had acted slowly at first, getting a feel for Kanan's style and examining both his strengths and weaknesses. She would instruct him to grip his handle slightly different, bend his knees before certain strikes, use punches, kicks, and takedowns to defeat a lightsaber opponent. Her style was completely different Master Depa Billapa who was more defense based. Second Sister used Ataru which utilized Force-assisted acrobatics and quick strikes from multiple directions. Although she specialized in one style, she was clearly knowledgeable in other lightsaber forms specifically their strengths and weaknesses.
Sister had also mastered the art of utilizing Force based attacks into her fighting style. With simple gestures, she could summon objects to pelt Kanan's body. Sometimes they were simple distractions which were often all you needed to give yourself an edge in the fight. Other times she'd hurled massive nearby boulders, forcing Kanan on the defensive. One time she summoned up grains of sand into the air and threw them into Kanan's face. His temporary blindness ended up with him on the ground and getting a shock after another stab by Sister's training saber.
Nearby Ezra and Zeb watched the sparring, occasionally taking bets. Kanan was a little surprised to hear that Ezra had betted against him. Though the kid had a point that Kanan himself admitted that Sister was the one teaching him, not the other way around. They soon stopped their little betting pool because the Inquisitor won every single time. Kanan might get a few good strikes but not once did he ever feel that he was true threat to her. He could parry and block most if not all of her strikes but he could do nothing to counter attack or capitalize on Sister's mistakes.
"Stop focusing so much on my lightsaber," Sister ordered as she struck at him again then kicked him on the ribs.
Kanan staggered back but stayed on his feet. "Yeah well that's the thing that's going to kill me," he protested.
"No whoever's holding the lightsaber will kill you. Focus on the user not the weapon. Look at their technique and examine their every movement. Find their weak point, the spot that that is unintentionally exposed," Sister explained.
"We've been going at this for an hour and I haven't seen anything like that on you with you constantly spinning that thing around," Kanan sighed, referring to Sister's crescent-shaped lightsaber. She repeatedly used its spin function to either block Kanan's attacks or unleash a ruthless barrage of strikes back at him.
"Because you're not looking. You think my lightsaber is giving me an advantage? In your mind you are trying to keep track of both blades as if they are separate but the truth is they are connected. If you know where one is, you should automatically know where the second is. A dual-bladed lightsaber has advantages over a single lightsaber but also disadvantages. It requires sweeping movements to gain momentum and the user must be cautious not to accidently injure himself with his own weapon. And there is always one weak point with such a lightsaber," Sister lectured.
Kanan examined Sister as she spun around her weapon and realized the answer. "It's the hilt!" he said.
Sister nodded, "There are only a limited number of movements with dual blades and everyone potentially leaves the weapon's hilt exposed. However don't for a second think that you are now capable of beating me. Remember my lightsaber isn't even my greatest weapon."
With a thrust of her hand, Sister sent out a wave of telekinetic energy that knocked Kanan right off his feet. The former Jedi Padawan groaned as he got back to his feet, understanding the Inquisitor's harsh lesson.
"Now we'll run five miles and we'll try this again," Sister commanded as she tossed her lightsaber over to Ezra.
Kanan grumbled as he deactivated his weapon and chased after his instructor who had a head start. Second Sister insisted he start putting more effort into increasing his endurance and cardio. Such things were paramount in a lightsaber fight as you could only rely on the Force to give you strength for so long. She was certainly nothing like Master Billapa that's for sure. Still Kanan couldn't be picky. If anyone could teach him to fight Inquisitors it was Sister. He wasn't sure how much of these training sessions he'd have to endure but it would all be worth it if he can defeat the Grand Inquisitor.
Ezra was on his knees in his room, eyes closed as he tried to levitate a cup off the floor using nothing but the Force. With Kanan preoccupied with getting his own training from Second Sister, he gave his Padawan specific assignments to do on his own for the past few days. For the moment Ezra's priority was levitating multiple objects with the Force. Considering a few months ago just lifting up a single cup was hard enough, this was actually a difficult challenge. He using cups and plates for the exercise but it was a lot harder than it looked. Ironically sending out a Force Wave to knock down Agent Kallus as he was about to kill Zeb was somehow easier than this. Kanan and Sister could levitate Stormtroopers and even large boulders and yet they somehow made it look easy.
After repeated failures, Ezra finally gave up. Even if Kanan was here to give encouragement, it wouldn't make any difference. Ezra's thoughts returned to some of his Master's sparring lessons with Sister and how she was able to use telekinesis almost effortlessly. She was even more skilled in the ability then Kanan was. Perhaps she might have some insight but the Inquisitor was off limits for now.
As part of their deal, Second Sister wasn't allowed to be move about the Ghost unsupervised nor allowed to have her lightsaber except during practice spars. Kanan kept it under lock and key when they weren't and he had Chopper modify the Inquisitor's weapon to be locked onto its stun mode. Whenever she wasn't debriefing Hera on various bits of information or training Kanan, she was usually locked in the spare quarters that were designed not to open from the inside. It was a makeshift holding cell but surprisingly, Sister hadn't raised much of a fuss over it. For someone Kanan warned was of the dark side, she showed such calm for her present situation. Maybe she saw it as the best option for her or maybe she didn't have any other options.
Still even though Kanan and Hera didn't want Ezra to speak to her alone, he saw it more as a suggestion. After all if he didn't disregard their orders about leaving Second Sister to fend for herself, she wouldn't be here aiding the crew. So maybe a short conversation might offer some insight on how to improve his connection with the Force.
Ezra climbed up to the vent near the ceiling of his room and unlocked the cover. He'd use the airshaft to get into Sister's room without being seen. The vent in her room wouldn't be thoroughly secured as it was too small for her to fit through. Ezra however could just fit through to move around in it. He didn't enjoy traversing the small enclosed passages but he'd endure them. Ezra crawled his way to a vent cover overlooking the makeshift cell.
Second Sister was seated on the floor, legs crossed and hands stretched out with her eyes closed as if meditating. There wasn't anything else in the room aside from the bunk and that was intentional. Kanan and Hera were worried their new friend could potentially use anything to create a makeshift weapon but there was no denying that she was dangerous even without a lightsaber. Yet she remained calm and collected as if she was in complete control of this entire situation. Truthfully maybe Sister was.
"Are you just going to keep staring at me?" Sister asked, her eyes opened as she glanced up at the vent. It was somewhat unnerving how easily she seemed to be able to sense things without using her eyes.
"Uhh no…because that would just be creepy," Ezra chuckled.
"So ask your questions then," remarked Sister.
"Kanan wants me to lift things with the Force and I can do it on a single object but not multiple things at once," explained Ezra.
"Practice," said Sister.
"Tried that. Isn't working out well," replied Ezra.
"Practice harder," Sister said. Ezra groaned silently, this wasn't helping at all. "Is that irritation I sense?"
"Do you have invisible Gizka spies everywhere reporting to you?" Ezra muttered, getting a little annoyed at how aware the Inquisitor always seemed.
"If it's advice you want then try this. Focus on what makes you angry and what frustrates you. Imagine the worst things you've ever seen. Things that revolt you and infuriate you. Keep those images in your mind the next time you try to lift those objects," advised Sister.
"Kanan says I'm supposed to do it with a clear mind," Ezra stated.
"And if you always did whatever he says, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Sister pointed out. "Take my advice or don't," she added almost in a way that either option didn't really matter to her.
Ezra decided to change the topic. "Isn't it a little cramped in there?" he asked.
"It has more then what I need. This might seem like a cell to you but to me it might as well be a lounge," Sister spoke.
"A bunk bed in a holding cell is paradise to you?" frowned Ezra.
"Cell would imply I could not escape if I wished," Sister said with a smile that spoke volumes.
Ezra gulped, "Then why don't you?"
"What good would escape do for me? Everything that has happened is actually how I wanted to transpire. Hera will distribute the information I provide to other cells which will make them a greater nuisance to the Empire. She can deny it all she wants but she knows more insurgents then she's letting on. Also by helping Kanan become stronger, he becomes a more important target to the Grand Inquisitor and the rest of my former order. They'll focus more on him then coming after me," explained Sister.
"You've got everything figured out haven't you?" Ezra muttered. He was a little disappointed that was her only reason for helping them but why should he be surprised at all? It wasn't like they actually knew her and she was supposed to be a master of the dark side.
"I know you're wasting your time trying to become a Jedi. Kanan might have filled your head with stories of bravery and valor but the real Jedi were nothing but a bunch of egotistical monks speaking worthless platitudes. It was because of their inability to get anything done that led to the decadence of the Republic which led to the Clone Wars which led to the rise of the Empire. The Outer Rim may hate Palpatine but most of the Core Worlds love him. Why do you think they're so happy living under a tyrannical government? It's because Palpatine had given them the kind of safety that the Republic and the Jedi never could," Sister mocked.
"And how do you know so much about them?" grumbled Ezra, her words hitting a nerve.
"I was once like you. Young and head filled with dreams. I thought the Jedi were end all be all of the galaxy until I saw them for who they really were. They deserved to die and their order deserved to stay dead along with them," Sister hissed, showing anger for the first time in this entire conversation. There was definitely more to what she was saying. You don't get this angry at someone from just hearing about them.
"And what did they do to you?" Ezra asked.
"Showed me what they really were," Sister answered.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Ezra inquired. The Inquisitor didn't answer him, she simply closed her eyes and went back to meditating. Ezra took the hint and was about to crawl back to his room.
"By the way, since I've done you a favor with my advice perhaps you can do the same. There's a small device in my armor. I would like it back," Sister spoke up.
"You mean the blood scanner. Why would you want it?" asked Ezra.
"I want to make sure my cholesterol is down," Sister quipped. She was definitely hiding something but Chopper confirmed that the device didn't have a transmitter of any kind. It should safe enough to give back to her though. Sister's eyes closed again and Ezra crawled back to his room.