Chapter Five - Fellowship of the Staff

Louise arrived for her training in a rustic outfit, a loose fitting shirt and trousers. "So what're we doing today? And why's Louise dressed like a traveling hobo?" asked Derflinger from Louise's back.

"Hey! Siesta bought me this outfit! Be nice," said a stern Louise. "Besides, it's all I have that isn't a skirt."

Calista eyed her over, particularly her shoes, she was still wearing the same impractical shoes which caused her to sigh. "Don't you have anything practical to wear on your feet?"

Louise looked down at her shoes, "Errr, not really no."

Calista gave a small shrug, "Very well. I've given you the introduction to meditation. Now it's time to introduce you to just what the Force can do for you. We're going for a run," said Calista.

"A run?" asked Louise and Derflinger.

"Indeed. I told you that Curato techniques can help you stay fit and increase your endurance. You won't be able to understand just what that means until you hit your limits and discover that letting the Force flow through you can revitalize you."

Louise looked confused, "And I'm going to accomplish this by... Running?"

Calista nodded, "Yes. It comes from instinct. Now get started."

Louise looked around in confusion. "Alright, where should I go?"

Calista went to stand behind her. "Just follow your instincts, nothing else matters."

Louise started with a light jog, but Calista yelled for her to pick up the pace. Every time she started slowing down, Calista would yell more forcefully for her to keep moving. The pinkette ran back towards the academy and started going around the outer walls.

"Good! Keep moving! A Sith's power flows from the Force. Ambition, anger, fear, aggression, these are the tools with which you'll forge your weapons. Always remember that a Sith who is the master of their feelings will become the master of their own destiny, but a Sith who is a controlled by their emotions will be a slave to them."

"And how is running around in a big circle suppose to teach me any of that?" asked a winded Louise.

"Because all your life you've been a pampered and spoiled brat who's never had a truly hard day in her life. We have to break you and reforge you into something useful!"

"I am not a spoiled brat! And I've never been pampered!"

"Have I hit a nerve? You're a silver spoon fed princess Louise, and don't allow yourself any delusions to the contrary! Accept your reality. That's the only way to change it."

"Don't talk like you know me! All my life I've been bullied by my parents and my big sister for my lack of magic... The whole time I've been in school... It was the same thing... My mother started grooming me to be a housewife instead of a mage!"

"At least she tried to make you useful in some way!"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I even failed at that! I can't cook! I can't even knit! My mother is the leader of the Manticore Knights! She is the single most powerful Wind Mage in the history of Tristain! She hated that I'm so useless! I don't want to be worthless! I want her to be proud of me! I don't want to be a wife to some older man no matter how good looking or distinguished he is! I want to be the one with the power! I want to be someone people look up to! I want to be the one people go to for help with their problems!"

"Good! Good! Tell me more! Tell me what you most desire, so I'll know what to deny you! Tell me what you're most afraid of, so I'll know what to make you face! Tell me what you're most proud of so I know how best to undermine you! Tell me what you love the most so I know what to take away from you!"

"Umm, Louise. This scary lady is starting to scare me," said Derflinger.

"Me too…" answered Louise.

"Good! Use your fear! Run away from me! Faster!"

And so she did. Louise found a second wind and completed the lap around the academy without faltering in her pace even once more. When they reached the front gate Louise's clothes were soaked in sweat and sticking to her.

"I don't get it. Why aren't I tried? I feel so full of energy, like I could do ten more laps?"

Calista pat her on the shoulder and smiled proudly. "Well done Louise. You used your fear of me to grow stronger. You've taken your first tangible step."

Louise smiled, she accomplished something. It may have been a small step but now she felt the power. The limitless potential waiting just out of her reach. But it was power that was coming closer to her grasp with each passing day.

She looked over her shoulder at Derflinger, "Say, Calista. When will you start teaching me how to use Derf?"

Derflinger popped out of his scabbard slightly to speak, "Oh Louise! I love it when ya talk dirty!"

Louise rolled her eyes, "Oh, quiet you!"

Calista couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the two. "Soon Louise. very soon. But for now, I can show you one thing to do with your free time." Calista held out her hand, "Give him here for a moment."

Louise nodded and unsheathed the sword, "No! Louise! Don't! She'll kill me!"

Calista shook her head, she wasn't amused. When she took the sword she showed Louise an exercise to do with it. With one arm she swung the sword behind her back and then brought it forward in a motion that used every muscle in her arm. "Do this, all day, every day. Whenever you can. Do equal repetitions with each arm. Get used to the weight, until your arms build up enough strength that you can do this with ease. And Derflinger, your job is to remind her to do this every chance she gets."

After a quick bath and a change, Louise brought Calista to class only to find that it was made into a study hall while all the staff were meeting with the Headmaster about the theft. Calista sat beside Louise and kept her eyes closed and her breathing steady, Louise figured she was meditating. Meanwhile, Kirche decided to entertain herself by shrugging off the affections of one of her recent lovers and walking over to Calista. "So, your first class and it turns out like this. They're usually a lot more interesting, especially when Louise blows the classroom to smithereens."

Louise glared at Kirche with fire in her eyes. "Stop embarrassing me in front of her Kirche!"

The buxom redhead laughed, "I don't have to, Louise the Zero, you're perfectly capable of embarrassing yourself without my help!"

Louise stood up and glared at Kirche with clenched teeth and a low growl. Kirche returned the gesture and the two had an angry staring contest.

Calista sighed at them. "I wish Colbert would hurry up. He runs like old people kriff."

Kirche turned to Calista and blinked her eye. "What are you talking about? And what's 'kriff' suppose to mean? Fuck?"

Calista shrugged. "If fuck means sex. Then yes."

Kirche smirked at Calista. "One of these days I'm going to have to teach you all our naughty words."

Calista didn't give any reaction to that, except a hmm. "Hmm, fuck. I like that word. Has an aggressive quality to it. Like a curse should have."

Kirche stood up proudly with a hand on her hip, "It's Germanian." Kirche adjusted her posture to give Calista an eyeful of her assets, "All the best curses, food, wines, and women are from there."

Louise rolled her eyes, "Kirche, you're so completely shameless. Are you seriously flirting with Calista?"

Kirche laughed, "Don't be such a prude Louise. Life's too short. Live it to the fullest, or stop wasting that air you're breathing!"

Calista opened her eyes and rolled them, "While my ways are very different... I have to agree with you Kirche. Life is for living."

Calista held up her hand and started counting down on her fingers. Louise and Kirche both raised an eyebrow at that. When she subtracted the last finger the door slammed open.

"Miss Valliere, Miss Zarkot, and Miss Tabitha! Please come to the Headmaster's office immediately!"

Louise and Kirche looked at Calista incredulously, "How did you-?"

Calista stood up and sighed while tucking her hands into the sleeves of her robes in her usual sagely manner. "Finally." when she passed by Colbert she didn't spare him a glance, but she still had to say it, "You know Professor, you run like old people fuck."

Many of the students started snickering at his expense, but his angry scowl silenced them very quickly.

Colbert and the girls were now in the Headmaster's office with the entire faculty all gathered around the Headmaster's desk while the young girls and Calista stood a distance away from them in curious anticipation of what they'd all been called in for.

"Kirche, what are you even doing here? They didn't ask for you," barked an angry Louise.

"I don't know. I was bored and it sounded fun. By the way, what's with Cali?"

Kirche looked at Calista who had her eyes locked with Miss Longueville, the Headmaster's secretary, she in turn was also engaged in the staring contest, but both had the most subtle of smiles on their lips.

"I have no idea," answered Louise.

"Looks like love at first sight to me."

"Oh shut up!"

"Jealous?"

"Never. It's obscene and sinful, and I'd never-"

The headmaster interrupted by clearing his throat loudly. "From our vault, a very important artifact was stolen. The Staff of Destruction. My secretary here went out to investigate yesterday. Would you please share your findings Miss Longueville?"

The green haired bespectacled woman nodded, "Yes sir. I made some inquiries and managed to make this sketch of a suspicious person wandering around the nearby town. The Thieves Guild apparently don't much care for her and were only too happy to give this description."

The secretary unrolled some paper and displayed a sketch of a hooded woman that looked more like Calista than the woman she fought.

The Sith chuckled in amusement when the Headmaster asked if that was Fouquet. "You got my hair wrong... Miss Longueville."

The secretary chuckled at her comment, "Yes, I had wondered about that. It seems you don't have many friends in town."

Kirche chuckled at that, "Probably because of that fight Tabitha and I bailed her out of. I guess they're sore losers."

"Suffice it to say, I got nothing useful out of the town. Fouquet is probably long gone by now, she'll be impossible to track down," concluded Longueville.

Calista stepped forward between her group and the headmaster, she looked around at all the staff gathered. "Impossible for you maybe. But not for a Sith. I'll go and bring back what was taken from you."

The Headmaster peered at her curiously, "You shouldn't speak here. You're only a Familiar, and you already lost one fight to Fouquet, what makes you think you'll do any better next time? You also can't go without your Master, and your Master isn't exactly up to the task of tracking a down a-ah, gah!"

The Headmaster held his hands to his throat while everyone rushed to his side to check his health but stopped themselves and each other when they noticed Calista's hand directed at the Headmaster, a pinching gesture being made with her fingers and thumb.

"I find your lack of faith... Disturbing. I also, strongly dislike, being addressed as if I'm beneath some, primitive, Force blind, nerfherder. Like you!"

Louise and Kirche rushed up to Calista's side and started pleading for the Headmaster's life while the rest of the staff drew out their wands and staves and directed them at Calista. The Sith then released the Headmaster and held out her other hand, suddenly all the wands and staves found their way to her feet, all that is, except for Colbert's, who to Calista's pleasure, had learned his lesson and managed to hold on somehow. The Headmaster gasped for air and looked at the collection of magical implements at Calista's feet.

Meanwhile the Sith tucked her hands back into her sleeves and addressed the group once more; "Understand that Fouquet managed to go toe to toe with me, and come out even. What chance do any of you think you have?"

All the Professors with the exception of Colbert nodded at her and stepped back.

The Headmaster looked around with disgust, "Is this what our staff are? Cowards? Will none of you go forth and seek out this thief to restore honor to this institution?"

One of the instructors shrugged, "We don't even know where to look. That crazy little girl thinks she can find her, I say let her go and hope she doesn't come back!"

One of the other professors, a large woman in purple robes with a matching pointy hat also spoke up, "She can take explosion girl with her! I don't care if they don't come back either!"

Louise balled her fists and glared angrily at the professor who dared to say that and yelled at her with her signature petulance, "Hey! I'm standing right here you fat ugly bitch!"

Kirche chuckled at that, "You're certainly popular Louise."

Louise turned to glare at Kirche, "You wanna take this outside Zerbst?!"

It was Longueville who'd finally had enough of the situation and yelled, "Silence! I've had enough of this, you're all behaving like children," she said while also stomping her foot and narrowly missing the Headmaster's rodent familiar who screeched and ran up it's Master's robe onto his shoulder. "One of the town's people mentioned there's an abandoned cabin in the woods outside the town that some hooded person has been coming and going from. It's a small lead, but it's something to go on! Will any of you cowards go check it out?" she asked while looking around the room.

Louise stepped forward from Calista's side and raised her wand. "I'll go!"

Calista shrugged, pulled out her Lightsaber hilt and held it up in a similar fashion to Louise. "As will I."

Then Kirche stepped up and raised her wand as well, Louise widened her eyes at the redhead, "Kirche? Why?"

The buxom redhead shrugged, "It sounds fun, and I won't be outdone by a Valliere."

Tabitha then came in and raised her staff.

"Tabitha? Why? This is between me and Louise, you don't have to get mixed up in it," stated Kirche.

Tabitha turned her head towards them and answered the question, "I'm worried about both of you."

Kirche smiled sincerely at her small friend, "Thank you."

Louise smiled as well, "Thank you Tabitha."

Calista chuckled, "Well Colbert. Looks like we're going after all."

The secretary then joined the line of young women and held up her polished metallic wand. "I'm going too. They'll need a guide, and if I don't come back, at least I won't have to worry about a mouse trying to peek up my skirt ever again!"

The Headmaster rubbed his sore throat and nodded at them. "Very well. If my staff are too afraid, I suppose it falls to all of you. Miss Zerbst over there is the daughter of an established military family in Germania, and I hear her fire magic is of the very finest quality."

Kirche put a hand on her hip and smiled smugly.

"Miss Tabitha over there is a Chevalier of Gallia."

Kirche and Louise both turned to the little bluenette with their jaws agape. "A Knight? You Tabitha?" asked Kirche with surprise.

Tabitha nodded at them.

"For a variety of reasons, I can't go into Miss Longueville's origins, but suffice it to say she may well be one of the single most powerful Earth mages. I'm sure Fouquet's golem will be no match for anything she can create. And Miss Valliere… well.. err…"

Louise had a proud smile at the mention of her name but it quickly vanished when the Headmaster struggled for words. "Miss Valliere is the daughter of the famous Valliere Family. Her mother is the leader of Tristain's Manticore Knights, one of our most distinguished graduates, and the most powerful Wind user to ever live. So I'm sure we can expect great things from her in the future… Oh, and her familiar is certainly an interesting one. She overpowered Guiche de Gramont, son of General Gramont. And managed to successfully humiliate the entire staff of this academy," he said while gesturing to the pile of wands and staves at Calista's feet.

Louise rolled her eyes, not only was she being measured against her mother and being found wanting but she was being handed Calista's accomplishments as if they were her own.

The secretary arranged a wagon and horses to carry them all on the road for the trip into the town. Calista sat up front with Longueville while Louise was making conversation with Derflinger. Tabitha was busy reading and Kirche sighed loudly in boredom.

"Will you two be quiet," demanded Kirche to Louise and her sword.

"How about no?" stated Derflinger with a dismissive tone.

"How can you be so rude?!"

"How can ya have such ginormous boobies and still have a straight back? Things just are what they are," answered Derflinger while Louise smiled and chuckled in amusement.

"This is why I love you so much Derf. You don't take crap, you dish it out," said a doting Louise.

Derflinger chuckled while Kirche narrowed her eye in irritation.

"For you beautiful, I can dish it out with the best of 'em!"

"Daww. You're too good to me," Louise said as she rubbed the side of Derflinger's scabbard.

"Your sword is flirting with you Louise, and you're flirting back, what is the matter with you?!"

Louise ignored her and kept stroking Derflinger, "Bah! Just ignore her Louise. She's just jealous of our love!"

Louise nodded and smiled happily. "Of course she is."

Kirche started yelling at Louise again, and Louise and Derflinger teamed up to yell back before Calista and Longueville turned back to yell in unison "Shut up!"

"If you girls keep this up, you're walking the rest of the way," said Longueville with a tone that sounded like she really meant it.

"Yes ma'am," the three said to her fearfully.

The Sith and the secretary both turned to look forward again. "I'm thankful for some more adult supervision on this trip. I find the lack of it around the academy very tiresome," remarked an irritated Calista.

Longueville chuckled, "Mhmm, I can't help but agree."

"We're probably going to have a big fight once we get there. So this might be our only chance to talk like this. Do you mind if I ask what your story is? How does a noble mage end up being a lowly secretary?" asked Calista with polite curiosity.

Longueville chuckled at the question while gathering her thoughts, "Not much escapes your notice I see."

"Nothing escapes my notice."

"I noticed. To answer your question. I'm not actually a noble. I'm from Albion you see."

"I don't see. That you'll have to explain."

"I see. Albion is my homeland. It's currently in a state of civil war. Many of the nobility have turned against the King. My family opposed them. The revolutionary army took our town, and, well, that was that. No land, no wealth, no nothing. All I have now is my adopted younger sister to support."

"Is she here with you?"

"No. She's still in Albion."

"Why would she still be there?"

"Hostage. As long as she's there, the revolutionary forces ensure I don't try to do anything against them."

"Interesting. Cowardly. But interesting."

"How is that Interesting?" interjected Kirche.

"Yeah, that's horrible," added Louise.

"It's interesting because it means Miss Longueville here has some serious power. So much that they need strong leverage to ensure she doesn't turn that power against them. There's a lesson to be learned from that."

"And what lesson would that be?" asked Louise.

"Attachments are a weakness. Don't let yourself care for anything you aren't strong enough to protect," said Calista sternly.

"This time last year I might have wholeheartedly agreed with you. But there's an argument to be made for the inverse as well. Because I love my sister, I've been able to accomplish things that I never would have been able to otherwise," said Longueville.

"Was that because of love, or fear? Love leads to mercy. Because you love your sister, you have mercy on your enemies. But out of fear for your sister, you accomplish the impossible. Fear leads to anger. Anger, leads to hate, and hatred grants strength. Strength leads to power. Are you more powerful because of your fear, or because of your love Miss Longueville?" asked Calista with a hint of passion behind her stoic tone.

"I've never thought about it that way…" she said softly.

"Neither have I," said Tabitha which got everyone's attention.

"Tabitha?"

Tabitha shook her head. She wouldn't be saying anymore and Kirche knew it.

"Well Mr. Gramont. I'm giving you a clean bill of health. You should praise the Founder for your miracle," said the nurse as she signed the discharge papers.

"It wasn't the Founder who did this. It was my dear Montmorency's love for me lead her to create her own miracle for me," said the young mage with exaggerated flamboyance.

"Careful young man. Don't tempt fate with such blasphemy. What God gives, he can take away," said the nurse as she handed him a copy of his discharge papers. "That being said. Don't overexert yourself for a while. We still don't know if that healing bath you were put in has any unintended side effects."

Guiche nodded with a bright smile, "Thank you my lady. I bid you a fond farewell."

Guiche de Gramont left the infirmary and casually strolled through the halls with a happy smile. He was immensely relieved and knew what his first order of business should be: He had to find Montmorency and thank her properly for what she did for him. His first stop was the dining hall, where he was certain to find her.

The young man entered the dining hall to enormous fanfare. Once his friends saw him they stood up to applaud his recovery, once the rest of the students and staff realized what was happening they joined in. Guiche took a deep bow for his audience and felt as if he were walking upon the clouds. After his defeat at the Sith's hands his ego needed this boost. One of the students vacated Guiche's usual seat at the table and invited him to sit down in his place, Guiche accepted with a grateful smile.

"Has anyone seen Montmorency? I must find her and thank her for what she did for me," he said with resolved passion.

"You mean no one told you Guiche?" asked the obese boy beside him.

"What? What is it that I haven't been told?"

"You're not going to like it Guiche," he said.

"I didn't ask if I would like it Malicorne! Just tell me what it is!"

The fat boy, Malicorne, gave a long sigh while the other students looked away, they didn't want to see his reaction. "Montmorency's been confined to her room. They confiscated all her potions and reagents. They're probably going to expel her for what she did."

Guiche stood up in a hurry and looked down the hall at where the academy staff were eating their lunches. "Unacceptable! I refuse to allow this," he declared while turning his back towards them and heading out.

"Guiche? Where're you going?" asked Malicorne.

"I'm going to see the woman I love!"

Malicorne went up to him and grabbed his arm. "But Guiche! She's not allowed to have visitors!"

Guiche shrugged his friend off him, "I dare anyone to stop me! The pain Louise's wretched familiar put me through will be visited upon them ten fold," he said while walking at a furious pace out of the dining hall which fell silent at his outburst.

Montmorency sat on her bed, she looked around her room in boredom and frustration. Everything had been taken. Her potions, her reagents, her books, all she had to keep her company was her familiar and her violin. The Frog jumped off her bed and onto the table, then onto the violin which lay beside a half eaten meal. The little amphibian jumped up and down upon the instrument.

"I'm sorry Robin, my heart's just not in it."

The Frog stopped jumping and croaked sadly at her. "Oh alright Robin, I'll play you a song… You're really learning how to manipulate me…"

She picked up her instrument and tucked it under her chin, but she couldn't decide what to play, so she picked a random chord and held it, she drew her bow across the strings very gently to see how it would sound, as she pulled the bow back she swapped chords. She didn't know what she was playing, she was just making it up as she went along. But the tune had passion behind it, it was an expression of her inner most feelings; confusion, hopelessness, turmoil, boredom, love, disappointment, it all came out in the notes she played. Angry staccatos and sad overtures echoed out of her room, the guard outside her door turned to face the room and listened with a small smile on his face, the music she played was beautiful, it gave some pleasure to an otherwise dull assignment of making sure she stays in her room and doesn't get any visitors.

As he approached her room, Guiche stopped dead in his tracks as the music filled his ears. He knew it was her playing, it couldn't possibly have been anyone else. No other could speak to his soul the way she could.

"Guiche," came a voice from behind him.

He turned around and saw the other point of his triangle, "Katie?"

She gave him a kind smile, "I heard you made a full recovery. I'm so happy for you."

Guiche nodded, "It was all thanks to Montmorency. She saved my life."

Katie nodded, "It must have been terrible."

Guiche gave a long sigh, "I'd rather not think about it my lady."

She looked up at him with sad eyes, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you relive the painful memories."

Guiche shook his head, "It's not your fault."

Katie walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm so sorry. If I hadn't overreacted the way I did, if I had stayed instead of ran off, maybe that would never have happened to you."

Guiche smiled down at the girl, "You shouldn't think like that. There was nothing you could have done. Louise's familiar was a formidable beast. I fear the same fate could have befallen you, and I wouldn't have been able to live with that. No, better that I should have had to suffer, and not you. Besides, I never did get to sample your souffle."

Katie gave him a skeptical eye, "After all that's happened, you still want to? What about Montmorency?"

Guiche gave her his sincerest smile, "I've wronged you terribly, Katie. If I am to make amends, perhaps I could start by simply being your friend?"

Katie gave him a sweet and sincere smile, "I think I'd like that. Guiche."

Arm in arm, the two walked back down the hall while Montmorency's soulful music filled the hall, but his ears couldn't hear it anymore. He only had eyes and ears for the girl beside him at that moment. Something inside told him that before he'd even have a chance to prove worthy of Montmorency, he'd have to prove himself to this girl first.

The wagon pulled up a safe distance from the abandoned cabin outside the town. The party then got off and took a look at the objective.

"It looks completely abandoned. Are we sure this is the right place," asked Louise.

"I'm certain this is this right place. You three girls go check out the house. Longueville and I will check the perimeter."

The Sith was giving an order and not a request. By her tone the girls knew compliance was by far the best option.

The bespectacled woman nodded with a bright smile at Calista while Kirche spoke, "Are you sure that's a good idea? What if she's in there?"

Calista turned to look up at the taller redhead, "She isn't. But she is close by. So get to it. Find the stolen goods, and get it back here."

Kirche shrugged and the three girls headed off to the cabin. Once they were long out of earshot, Longueville turned her head to Calista and looked down at the shorter snowy haired girl.

"So," started Longueville.

"How do we do this," finished Calista.

Longueville walked out a few paces while removing her hair tie, freeing her long grassy hair and fluffing it out with her fingers. "So you really did know." she stated.

"Nothing escapes my notice," said a stoic Calista.

"I noticed," replied an equally stoic Longueville.

"You knew I knew."

"I suppose I did. So why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I respect you. I want to fight you properly. Out here, where you have a chance of victory. If I'd challenged you back at the academy, even if you won, you wouldn't be able to beat everyone there. Out here, if you win, you win. You can go back to the academy and tell them whatever you want, those bumbling idiots won't be the wiser."

"And if I lose?"

"Losing isn't an option for you. Is it? That's what makes this fight so exciting. You can't lose. I won't lose either. For a Sith, when we meet a strong opponent, there are only two acceptable outcomes. Victory, or death."

Calista drew her Lightsaber staff and held it at the ready. Meanwhile, Longueville, or rather, Fouquet, pulled out her metallic wand and pointed it to the ground, conjuring her Rapier. Calista eyed the weapon with a smile, it was so unlike anything she'd ever seen. It wasn't ornamental in any way, it was practical, functional. It was the weapon of someone who used it to kill and not to show off.

"It's a pity. In another life. We could have been great friends. I like you. I like how you think. You're vicious, ruthless, merciless. But you have honor. Real honor. You know what it means to live by the sword. It's something our world's slowly losing. All the nobility make games out of these concepts and only a few loosely cling to the true noble ideals."

"Before we begin. May I have your real name? It isn't Fouquet, or Longueville."

"Matilda. Matilda de Saxe-Gotha. I'm also known as Matilda the Adamant."

Matilda held her wand out behind her and her sword out in front of her in a classical fencing stance, "Nyd gyfu feoh… strength of the Earth!" she chanted while her wand started to glow, the light washed over her body and she charged forward. Calista activated her Lightsaber on both ends and started meeting her blow for blow. She wanted to set the tone for this fight, she wanted nothing held back this time, Calista wanted to experience Matilda's full power, in turn, she herself would hold nothing back. Mathilde was using her Earth magic to increase her strength, which is how she could match and exceed Calista's Force imbued strength, this battle would be between strength and agility. Matilda was using a thin, light and fast weapon to compensate for her lack of agility, it was crude, but it was effective. With her posture she reduced her profile to Calista, and she had excellent defensive coverage with her fast sword, and she could leverage her parries into attacks with it as well. Her posture also had the effect of reducing the target zones Calista's arts were designed to attack. She wasn't sure if Matilda figured this out from their previous fight or if this was just how her art was meant to be.

Calista wanted to hold nothing back, "I wanted to experience the full power of your magic. Now you will experience the full power of the Dark Side of the Force..." said Calista stoically, she twirled her staff with one hand in an elaborate Ataru flourish while leaping in a forward somersault to drive Matilda back, once she landed on her feet, she brought her free hand forward and used the Force to push Matilda away. Matilda had no defense against the Force and was flung backwards a fair distance.

The Earth power surging through her made her body like a rock and was enough to dampen the impact to negligibility. She knew that power focused on her would end the fight, she had to give Calista more targets. One big golem wasn't enough, she needed more. With her wand she touched the ground in front of her after she righted herself and raised several golems. Each golem was a claymore wielding armored knight. Unlike Guiche's Valkyries, these were constructs designed for war and not play.

Calista embraced her fear, and let the excitement wash over her, she adjusted her stance to the Third Form and rushed into the fray, now she was fighting eight competent combatants and loving every moment of it.

Matilda was shocked to say the least. This small girl was fending off all seven of her golems, and herself, at the same time. Nothing could land a blow on her. She also wasn't counter attacking, but there was simply no recourse against this impenetrable defense. This turned into a battle of attrition. Soon enough her causes for concern tripled as the three girls came rushing out of the cabin to see what all the commotion was.

"Why are those two fighting," asked Kirche with trepidation.

Louise started running for them, "Stop fighting you two! We're suppose to be on the same side!"

Matilda had no choice, she directed one of her golems to disengage and attack Louise. She also sent two more for Kirche and Tabitha.

"Louise! She's Fouquet! And stay out of this! It's my fight! No! Don't you dare drag them into this," yelled Calista.

Calista mustered her inner anger and channeled the Force through her staff, electrifying it, the Lightning crackled off the blades menacingly as the power surged forth into the Golems. The power was causing them to crumble around her and Matilde decided to sacrifice them to bolster her own magical defenses against this electrical attack rather than preserve her constructs.

"What happens when you shoot lightning at the ground Calista? Nothing. You're fighting the Earth itself here!"

Meanwhile, Louise was frozen in terror. The menacing golem was coming for her and showed no signs that it would take any pity upon her. She remembered only too well he defeat at the hands of Guiche's golem and she could fully appreciate the difference in utility between the Brass Valkyries and this silver knight coming for her.

"Louise! Draw me," yelled Derflinger.

Louise nodded and pulled the sword, she held him up and swung him with all the strength she could muster to deflect an attack from the Golem's claymore. The construct was sluggish with its master so heavily distracted by Calista, but it wasn't harmless.

"Louise! Try to stab me into that thing's chest between the armor plates! Then I'll be able to suck out its magic!"

Louise ran backwards to evade the golems heavy handed counter attack and stopped to question her sword. "What? You can do that?" she asked while she readied herself for another attack from the Golem.

"If you don't wanna die, stop asking questions and start following directions," he scolded her while she was struggling to swing him at the next incoming attack and deflect it.

"Tabitha! These golems are made of adamantium! There's no fire I can make that'll melt that," yelled Kirche.

Tabitha was meanwhile nimbly avoiding blow after blow from the large Golem attacking her while she went through her options in her mind.

"Thermodynamics," stated Tabitha loudly.

"What?"

"Make it hot. Then I'll freeze it."

"Right," she said with a sadistic smile while getting distance from the sluggish Golem. "In Ex Bet… FLAME!" the redhead channeled her fire into the Golem like a flamethrower from the tip of her wand. The Golem's chest slowly started turning red as it approached her, but she needed more, she couldn't melt it, but she was a girl who prided herself on making anything hot! With both hands on her wand she focused all her will into her wand and intensified the flame to her maximum potential. The Adamantium Knight turned red hot from head to toe.

"Tabitha! You're on," yelled Kirche as she ran away from the red hot claymore that tried to slice her in half.

Tabitha ducked under her golem's attack and started running away from it while directing her staff at the glowing golem, "Nied Iss Har…" she chanted while on the run and unleashed a tunnel of cold wind at it, upon the spell's conclusion the golem exploded, shrapnel flying in all directions, Tabitha ran up to Kirche and tackled her to the ground before she was struck by the debris.

"Thanks Tabitha!"

The small Bluenette stood up and nodded. "Again," she said while pointing to the golem she was fighting earlier.

"I don't think I can… I used up too much power on that first one. We need another solution."

Meanwhile, Calista was locked in mortal combat with Matilda, her Force Lightning wasn't having the desired effect, she was grounding herself and negating the power. "So this is the power of a proper mage. I'm deeply impressed," said Calista while swinging her saber in a Djem-so attack sequence, surging into the offensive like a tidal wave of light to test her opponent's defense.

Matilda was about to give her another demonstration. She brought out her wand, keeping it behind her in the hopes that Calista wouldn't be able to rip it out of her hand that way. But Calista saw the action. She backed off and reached out with her hand, she didn't need to see the wand to get to it. Matilda felt the wand slipping out of her grip and knew she had to act fast. She tightened her grip and chanted her spell in haste. Calista felt the ground beneath her soften and try to swallow her up. She redirected her Force power from pulling at the wand and channeled it back into herself to leap up off the ground before it could fully dissolve.

"I seem to have found your weakness now! You can only channel your power into one ability at a time. You can't reinforce your strength or agility while channeling that electricity, and you can't pull my wand when you need your focus elsewhere!"

Calista smiled and resumed her attack on Matilda with a staccato of high energy attacks from her primary form of combat, Juyo. Matilda was almost completely overpowered by the sheer ferocity of the attacks but against all odds, she held out. The two were at an impasse.

"You're an incredible fighter Calista. So far I've seen five completely different martial arts from you. But it's useless, I've already told you, you're fighting against the Earth itself here."

Calista smiled at her, "You don't know how incomprehensible it is, for a Force blind to stand up against a Sith in a fair fight. If you only understood the depth of my power, you'd be even more proud of yourself. But as I said, you don't know the power I wield…"

Calista twirled her staff until it was behind her in a ready stance and held out her left hand to Matilda and mustered her full power into a chain of Force Lightning. Matilda held out her sword to the energy and brought it in like a Lightning rod, allowing the power to flow through her and into the Earth beneath her. She wasn't being hurt by it, but she wasn't able to do anything else but defend herself against the attack.

Louise meanwhile was beginning to tire, it took all her strength to be able to swing the weighty Derflinger and knock away the Adamantium Knight's claymore.

"Louise! Ya gotta get me into that thing or it'll eventually get ya! You're getting tired! Just focus and get me in there," yelled Derflinger.

"I'm trying! But I'm scared," yelled Louise.

"Try harder! I don't wanna lose you like this!"

Louise blinked at the sword, "Nobody's ever cared about me like that before…" she said while running out of the golem's killzone and evading another of it's attacks.

"Oh shut it Louise! Plenty of people care about ya! Ya got Siesta, you got Calista, you got that busty redhead, and that little blue mopped girl too. They all care about ya! Even if some don't show it as much as others. They're all here because o' ya! Right now, they're all counting on ya! I'm counting on ya too! Without ya, I'm just a bargin bin rust rod! So pull it together and stab that metal motherfucker!"

Louise tightened her grip, "Right!"

Resolve gathered, and with all her strength she lifted the sword and watched the golem carefully as she approached it. The Knight raised its sword, she readied herself and and two charged, one ready for a downward slash, one ready for an upwards impale, she put it all on the line for this one attack...

"Derf, my life's in your hands. I'm happy I met you!"

Louise closed her eyes and followed her instincts, she didn't understand why, but it felt like the right thing to do. She ducked under the golem's decapitation swing, she felt the blade pass over her hair, slicing a few loose strands off the top and brought Derflinger back and then jumped forward throwing her entire body weight into the motion and plunged him straight up into the golem's chest. The target was a small space between the breast plates, just wide enough for Derflinger to penetrate with enough force behind him. Once she had him inside, she heard him yell ecstatically, "Come to papa! Om nom nom!" followed by a loud chomping noise he made for emphasis. Then there was a loud cracking sound, Louise opened her eyes to see the golem crumpling up and being absorbed by Derflinger. Her eyes widened in shock at what she was seeing.

Once the golem was fully absorbed Derflinger made a burping noise, "Oh! How rude of me to belch before a beautiful young woman. Please excuse me!"

Louise started chuckling before she was surprised once again, Derflinger's rust coating suddenly vanished, the sword started shaking in her hand as it repaired itself. The rust was absorbed back into the blade, and a light washed over it, restoring it to the prime of its life.

"Yeah! I'm back baby! Woo," declared an enthusiastic Derflinger.

Louise blinked at the sword.

"Derf? What just happened? You're so light all of a sudden!"

Derflinger laughed maniacally, "This is my power Louise! I eat magic! My hilt's solid Orichalcum, and my blade is an alloy of Sky Iron and Elementium. With magic flowing in me, I'm light enough to be wielded by the woman who made me. She was a lot like you. Now, I know I'm very sexy right now, but ya need to keep your head in the game and back up your friends!"

Louise picked her head up and saw Tabitha and Kirche running around the last golem casting spells and trying to figure a way of defeating it.

"You're right. I still owe them for saving me the other day. It's funny though. I never would have imagined myself fighting like this. All my life I thought I'd be a mage. But something about this just feels right. I think I understand what Calista means by feeling the Force flow. And what she must be feeling right now fighting Fouquet. One thing's for sure though, nobody will ever make fun of me again after this!"

Derflinger chuckled at her, "You're learning Louise. This is what it means to live by the sword. Kill or be killed, and I'm with you, all the way! I'm your sword, and your shield!"

"You still hungry Derf?" she asked while looking at the last Knight.

Derflinger laughed, "Oh yes! Very!"

Louise ran into the melee and intercepted the golem's next strike intended for Tabitha. The small girl ducked down and rolled out of the way. She stopped to aim her staff and widened her eyes slightly at Louise and the newly restored Derflinger. Kirche's jaw was suddenly agape as well. "Louise the Zero?!" she asked incredulously.

"Less gawking more helping Kirche!"

Louise's attempt to impale was deflected by the golem. It reared up it's sword and tried to bring it down on Louise but she sidestepped it at Derflinger's behest. The golem brought its sword back and adjusted for a horizontal slash against her. She felt instincts she never knew she had scream at her. Thanks to her low height she was able to block it by driving Derflinger into the soil and allowed the claymore to strike him.

"Never thought being so short would come in handy!" declared Louise.

"That's the spirit Louise! If you got it flaunt it! Show that big bully that petite doesn't mean powerless!" cheered Derflinger.

She pulled the sword up out of the ground and backed away from the golem.

"Hey boobs and brains! She's tankin' this thing, so how about spankin' it some?" yelled Derflinger to the two other girls.

Kirche grinned, "Tabitha, let's try to combine a spell. If I can't muster enough power on my own, then maybe together we can do some damage?"

Tabitha nodded at her, "Air fuels fire," she said while directing her staff at the Golem. Kirche put the tip of her wand against the end of Tabitha's staff and the two chanted together.

"Louise, get clear now!" yelled Derflinger as the two girls finished their chant and unleashed their spell. Louise turned around and started running as fast as her legs could carry her while the firestorm engulfed the golem, combined with the powerful wind tunnel, the seams in the armor heated up, expanded, and burst, blowing it apart.

With all her golems destroyed, Matilda felt her power return to her, she brought out her wand and directed it at Calista. The Sith immediately ceased her lightning and redirected her Force power. She turned her hand palm up and levitated her opponent who started screaming and cursing while in the air, she tried to point her wand back at Calista but Calista lifted her fingers and started making a gesture with her hand as if screwing in a lightbulb, Matilda started spinning in the air and then Calista swatted her hand towards the building, sending her flying into the log cabin. Thanks to the spell hardening her body she slammed through the walls and collapsed the entire structure on top of her.

The three girls then ran up to her. "Cali! You beat her!" declared Kirche.

"The three of you did good as well. I don't suppose by any chance you found what we were looking for in there?"

"No. We didn't," said Louise with disappointment.

Calista shrugged, "That was to be expected. There was no way she'd lead us to where she actually hid it."

Matilda wasn't done yet. Under the debris she touched her wand to the ground and raised her mightiest rock golem which burst out of the collapsed structure with her on its head. "I've never felt this alive before! You fight an amazing fight Calista! Truly! But I'm done holding back! Now you'll experience my full power!"

Calista grinned, at last, she was back to where they left off. Calista passed between the girls and started running towards the golem while activating one end of her Lightsaber.

"Louise! Toss me to Calista! She can use me against that thing!"

Louise nodded, "Right! Calista! Catch," she yelled while throwing Derflinger to her. "Stab him into the golem! He'll take care of it!"

Calista jumped, turned around, and used the Force to pull the sword into her free hand, when she landed she was facing the golem again and used the Force to leap up high towards the monstrosity and threw Derflinger into the golem's chest while she herself landed in front of Matilda and engaged her in combat.

Calista held nothing back and started a vicious staccato burst of an attack sequence against her, making sure she wouldn't interrupt Derflinger while he absorbed the golem. Matilda fought back with everything she had but it wasn't enough. At the end of the sequence, Calista threw one more trick into the mix, she started adding kicks and punches into the sequences. They hardly had any appreciable impact on the woman who was indeed rock hard, but it was enough to distract her while she finished her flurry and held out her hand to Force push Matilda. The Earth mage was sent flying off her golem as it crumbled under them. Calista leaped up off the golem as it fell out from under her feet, she deactivated the reverse side of her Lightsaber and landed on top of Matilda with her blade pointed down and impaled her through the shoulder of her sword arm, rendering her immobile, and in agony.

Matilda had her wand ready in her off hand and pointed it at the Sith but Calista simply snatched it out of her hand with her own and suddenly all the magical power flowing through her vanished leaving her in even more pain.

Calista deactivated her Lightsaber and stood up, she pulled Matilda up off the ground before she was more badly hurt, the Earth behind her shoulder was molten and turning to glass. The Sith clipped her Lightsaber back to her belt and supported the thief by her opposite arm.

"You won. Why don't you finish me off?"

Calista shrugged, "I don't want to. I got what I wanted."

Matilda chuckled at her, "So all you really wanted was to just test yourself against me?"

Calista smiled back at her, "Yes. Exactly. I wasn't disappointed. You have great power."

Matilda sighed while Calista sat her down. The three other girls rushed to their side in the meanwhile. "It's not that simple Calista. If I fail my mission, they'll kill my sister."

Calista nodded, "I understand that. I have no intention of interfering in your mission."

Louise and Kirche widened their eyes at Calista, "Wait, what?!"

"You heard me."

Louise and Kirche were stunned speechless.

"You promised." said Tabitha to Calista.

"Indeed I did Tabitha. But what's the point of returning the staff of destruction when they'll just send someone else to steal it again?"

Tabitha blinked, "I don't understand."

Calista smiled at her, "I'm going to break this woman's chains. Obviously since the staff isn't here, it's hidden somewhere else waiting to be picked up or delivered. Am I right," she said while looking back to Matilda.

"Yes, that's right," she answered while wincing in pain.

"Since I'm disinclined to hand Mati… Miss Longueville over to what I'll laughingly refer to as the 'authorities' we're going to ambush the people coming to take delivery, and hand them over. That way, it isn't Miss Longueville who failed in her mission, but those fools. That way, her employers can't place the blame on her."

Louise nodded, now understanding her reasoning.

"Why do you want to help her," asked Kirche.

Calista shrugged, "Because I foresee a need for powerful allies. She certainly qualifies."

Matilda laughed at Calista, "Are you so certain I'll agree to any of this?"

Calista knelt down and looked her in the eyes. "I have an offer you can't refuse. With our combined power. Do you honestly believe we'd be incapable of saving your sister?"

Matilda widened her eyes at Calista, "Why would you want to help me? I don't understand! I thought mercy was a weakness!"

Calista shrugged, "This isn't mercy, or charity. This is me doing you a favor, and you doing me a favor. That's how you make allies, and friends."

Matilda still looked at her questioningly, "Why me?"

Calista smiled, she stood up and offered her hand down to help her up. "If I'm going to be stuck on this world, I'll need allies. Powerful allies. You qualify. I want to earn your friendship."

Matilda nodded and pulled herself up with the offered hand. "If you help me with my problem, you'll have it."

Kirche clapped her hands, "Now that we've settled that. Let's go ambush some scumbags!"

Matilda shook her head. "Not yet. I'm suppose to keep the staff hidden until I receive instructions on where and when to deliver it. That could be a problem when we get back. So we'll need a plan."

Calista nodded at her and then looked at the three younger girls, "Are you three alright with this? We'll need you in on it if any plan is going to work."

The three looked at each other and silently debated.

Finally Tabitha was the first to throw in, "I agree."

Kirche nodded as well, if Tabitha was in, so was she, no questions asked. Louise finally nodded in agreement as well, if Calista thought this was a good idea, she wouldn't argue.

A/N: Edited 6/8/2015
Corrected mechanical errors.