Before we start, a disclaimer. I do not know how to write fighting scenes, much less lightsaber duels. I'm trying to learn, and I've watched more videos on the subject than I care to count. Still, any duels that may happen in the near future are likely to be on the mediocre side of the spectrum. If you have any tips at all, I would love to hear them! Now, let's catch back up with Ahsoka and Lara.
Ahsoka was humble, but not stupid. Her abilities were on par or perhaps superior in comparison with a Master's - the only reason she wasn't one yet was Leia. Ahsoka was devoted to finishing her training before thinking about taking on the new role. And, if she was totally honest, the far more diplomatic practices of Jedi Masters were usually nowhere near as exciting as the life of a Knight usually was.
Exhibit A: their charge on the Imperator's bridge.
Jaina's assumption had been correct. The Star Destroyer was filled to the brim with soldiers, almost identical in design and weaponry. Even in the narrow corridors leading up to the bridge, squads waited at every chokepoint.
The soldiers themselves were tough, wearing heavy, full-body, white plastoid armor, and hefting powerful blasters. Sergeant Zuelch had immediately grabbed one, allegedly for evidence purposes. Considering they planned to take the entire warship in, Ahsoka was not fooled in the least. According to the older human, their blasters did not require replacing the tibanna gas cartridges, merely requiring a cooldown period after fully-automatic firing.
This, in conjunction with the seemingly overzealous desire the enemy had for eliminating her as soon as they saw her lightsabers, had given them an advantage. Every time their weapons overheated, Ahsoka charged, expertly bisecting their weapons, severing their hands, or flat-out skewering them so they posed no threat. Not exactly the most Jedi-like behavior, perhaps, but Ahsoka hadn't been a Jedi for years.
Whoever was in command was wisening up, though, closing blast doors and hampering their progress. Only Lara's advanced slicing programs kept them on schedule, as the enemy seemed to have little to no concept of cyber warfare.
Which brought them to their present situation: still one level below the bridge, defending Lara while she slowly opened yet another blast door.
Ahsoka was front and center, deflecting the sheer volume of blaster fire headed their way. Deflecting blaster bolts was fairly simple, even though it looked extremely complicated. There were many, many techniques taught to all Jedi for keeping the deadly bolts away, but in the end, it was all about trusting the Force. Much like meditating, Ahsoka cleared her head, kept her body loose, and placed her fate in the hands of the Light.
"This one's taking longer." -Ahsoka shouted over the zooms and sparks.
Lara gave a frustrated grunt. "Second to last, ma'am. It's bound to be better secured."
The Togruta saw a chance and deflected a scarlet bolt back towards a trooper's unprotected knee joint, making him fall. "Oh, no hurry. With the Hyperdrive sabotaged, this thing's going nowhere."
Jaina had commed them earlier, reporting the reactor was too large and complicated to disable without destabilizing it, so she and her partner had opted to shoot the Hyperdrive to pieces instead.
"Neither are we if this kr- er, damnedest door doesn't open soon. A-ha! Got'cha." -she said triumphantly as the door unlocked.
Ahsoka felt a spike of danger behind her, and turned to see a tall, pale figure in heavy black armor regard them with sickly yellow eyes.
"Well. It's so good to finally meet the stowaways. Some of them, at least." -the man said casually. Ahsoka noticed the troopers behind them had stopped firing. She also noticed the hallway seemed to be slightly colder. Ahsoka had been in enough duels to know what that meant.
Wait. "Some of them?" -Lara said, rising and pointing her rifle at the ridged and tattooed face of the man, marking him as a member of the Pau'an species, from Utapau.
The man smirked, revealing his pointed, crooked teeth. "Yes. Friends of yours, I assume, since they came out of Hyperspace with you on that pitiful freighter."
Ari's lips thinned to a line, which the man took as confirmation. "It seems my assumptions are correct. Do not worry, my newfound friends. You'll see them, soon enough."
Ahsoka walked forward, keeping her form loose and ready to react to an attack. "You say we're friends, yet we don't know each other. I believe presentations are in order."
The Pau'an shook his head slightly. "Oh, but I do know you, Ahsoka Tano. I'll admit, your Commando friends I know little about, and I'm disappointed you did not bring your Padawan, but you...I am overjoyed about meeting you. I am the Grand Inquisitor, and I look forward to testing your abilities."
The Inquisitor produced a hilt surrounded by a semi-circular guard from his back and ignited it, a crimson blade leaping out, eager for blood. He opened up by swiping diagonally with great strength - an easy move to misdirect for Ahsoka. He was not unbalanced, but he was forced to shift to a different stance, stabbing twice then slicing upwards, all of which the Togruta dodged.
Ahsoka brought her yellow shoto to bear, swiping the strange red saber aside and going in for a heavy strike with her green blade. The Inquisitor hastily turned, presenting his sword and forcing a saber lock.
"Not a bad start, Grand Inquisitor. Your form is sorely lacking, but…" -Ahsoka said smirking that predatory smile only Togruta could truly pull off.
The Inquisitor purred angrily. "Your capture would please my Lord, but I'm sure he won't mind if a few pieces are missing!" -he bellowed, drawing on the Force and pushing her back, then swiping horizontally. Ahsoka used her shoto and the swipe's momentum to turn on her axis, bringing her lightsaber down upon his neck. The Inquisitor held against her strike, but was forced to take a step back. Ahsoka ran to him, kicking his face and going for a vertical finishing strike, which the Pau'an briefly caught, threw back, and retaliated with a series of complicated slashes that actually managed to make the Jedi back down a few feet.
Ahsoka was the more talented and experienced though. Feeling the rage and frustration power her opponent's strikes, she played the part of being defeated, slowly taking away the fuel from his attack. Before he realized what was happening, and drunk on his seeming victory, the Inquisitor was on the receiving end of a withering flurry of twirling slashes, barely holding them off. The Jedi brought her saber down vertically on the Pau'an's horizontal block, and forced the second saber lock of the fight.
Pau'an were taller than most humanoids, but the predatory lifestyle of the carnivorous Togruta had led them to evolve with a considerable strength hidden beneath their wiry frames. As such, neither could capitalize on the saber lock, and broke it off. Ahsoka, however, had the advantage of her shoto, and used the momentum of the lock break to turn and slice horizontally at the Inquisitor's chest plate.
Thanks to the shoto's reduced length, it was only a shallow cut, but a cut nonetheless. The Inquisitor looked shocked at the rapidly cooling yet still glowing metal. Then he cocked his head as if listening to something, and his expression returned to a sneer.
"First round goes to you Knight Tano. Well fought. My Lord sends his regards." -he said, bowing, then he sent a powerful Force push in their direction. Ahsoka shielded them from the worst of it, but the troopers started shooting again, covering the Inquisitor's escape.
The Jedi Knight went back to deflecting, and the Commando jogged behind her. "Everything alright, Ma'am?" -asked Lara, kneeling to shoot again.
"A little surprised, perhaps." -the Jedi admitted, bringing her lightsabers to bear in twirling defense once again.
The dying scream of an enemy soldier complemented Lara's grimace. "So the Sith truly are back, then."
Ahsoka threw her shoto at the last trooper of this particular bunch, who was trying to rush them with an electro-staff. The short, yellow blade buried itself deeply into the man's chest, killing him. "I do not think they ever truly left." -she said grimly, recalling the weapon and sheathing her sabers. "Though if he were a Sith, I'd certainly be disappointed. We have five minutes. Rest and heal, before we make our final charge." -she advised.
The Commando nodded, checking her armor and weapons. Ahsoka's comlink blinked, making her frown. "Ahsoka here, come in."
Sounds of blaster fire and the distorted hum of a lightsaber could be heard. "This is Specter One! Ahsoka, we got caught in a tractor beam and had to board the Destroyer, too. We're holding our own, but they're too many and their dead...well, they're not exactly staying down. Any chance of assistance?" -came the voice of Hera.
The Jedi Knight frowned. "We're almost to the bridge, Specter One. But what do you mean, about the dead?"
"I...I think I know, Commander…" -said Lara, with a shocked voice.
Ahsoka didn't need to look, feeling the abominable disturbance in the Force, but she turned anyway. The soldier she'd slain by throwing her shoto was rising, uncaring of the gaping hole in his chest. Behind him, the troopers they'd left behind on their mad rush were marching, some still clutching their rifles, others simply quickly shambling towards them.
Her comlink blinked again. "Yeah...I'm not sure what we're dealing with, but we have to get out of here, fast."
As her swords blazed to life for the umpteenth time, Ahsoka thought grimly she could not agree more.
Close quarters shootouts, Inquisitors, lightsaber duels, reanimated troopers, oh my! What did you think? The Inquisitor is...rather low, on the Imperial food chain. Don't let his ways fool you, he was just as surprised as Ahsoka to find a Jedi on the Imperator, let alone one as talented as Ahsoka, and he's not as close to this "Master" as he wishes he were. He's basically a giant try-hard, as demonstrated by his getting very quickly defeated by an experienced Knight. On the other hand, simply being a Darksider is a significant power boost, as shown by his brief upper hand against 'Soka.
Anyway, next chapter...SPACE BATTLE HYPE!