Chapter XVI
The Seventh Sister swings her lightsaber at the Grand Inquisitor's legs before spinning the blades in front of her and forcing him to step back. She spins the double blades level with his head, her opponent bends backwards to dodge the blow before swiftly swiping at her legs, she fumbles backwards but regains her footing.
"Sloppy." Grand Inquisitor taunts, "If your going to prove yourself worthy to the ranks of the Inquisitors and before Lord Vader, you must push yourself harder!"
The Grand Inquisitor goes on the offense and attacks the Seventh Sister. She counters his blow to her legs, then upper body, and finally her head. Grand Inquisitor rears back before taking a jab at her middle, she throws herself to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow.
Grand Inquisitor sinisterly grins, "The Jedi were trained and perfected in a magnitude of forms, forms that are all too common to them. Mimicking their techniques is pointless as they will already know your every move. Learn their forms, then modify them to remain unpredictable to your opponent."
Seventh Sister nods, "Yes, Grand Inquisitor."
"You are particularly favorable of Form Four. Your agility and movement with a lightsaber is admirable, but you must sharpen your reflexes when on the defensive."
The door to the Chimaera's recreation room opens and Grand Admiral Thrawn walks in to watch the Inquisitors training. Thrawn humbly nods towards the Grand Inquisitor, signifying to not let him interrupt his teaching.
Grand Inquisitor looks back at the Seventh Sister, "Again."
The Seventh Sister raises her blades before quickly calling onto the Force to throw a chair sitting to the side of the room at her opponent. The Grand Inquisitor reacts by slicing the chair in two, preventing it from hitting him. Seventh Sister charges and swings at his neck only to have her blade knocked aside when the Grand Inquisitor spins his blades. She attempts to kick his legs out from under him, but to no avail, he simply stands his ground and uses the Force to violently throw her back into the wall.
The trainee crumples to the floor with the wind knocked out of her, she gets back on her feet and approaches the Grand Inquisitor again.
He puts away his lightsaber, "Learn to recover quickly, hesitate, and it will prove fatal."
"Yes, Grand Inquisitor."
Thrawn slowly moves behind the Seventh Sister and reaches for his blaster, which is holstered at his hip. He raises it and opens fire onto the Inquisitor. The Seventh Sister instantly opens her lightsaber again and deflects the shots back at Thrawn.
Thrawn quickly moves to avoid being hit. The Inquisitor performs a roundhouse kick and knocks the blaster out of Thrawn's hand. Thrawn ducks as she swings her blade at his head, she throws a punch but Thrawn is able to block her.
She wraps her right leg behind his left before hitting him hard in the chest with her elbow and pushing him to the ground. Thrawn lets out a small groan as he falls, he looks up to see the Inquisitor standing overtop him with her blade hovering over his neck.
She breathes hard and stares angrily at the Grand Admiral, "Yield!"
Thrawn shakes his head, "You're mistaken, Inquisitor. It is you who should yield, for you have overlooked your footing."
In the rush, the Seventh Sister hadn't even notice that she is standing over Thrawn's legs, and not his waist. Before she could correct herself, Thrawn hooks his right foot around her left foot and rests the bottom of his left boot on the knee of her left leg. With a small push - and a slight pop in her knee - she falls hard onto her side and drops her lightsaber, which retracts the moment she lets go of it.
Her lightsaber rests not far from her, she reaches out to try and grab it. Thrawn, however, gets back on his feet and rests his foot onto the lightsabers hilt, keeping her from retrieving it. The beaten Inquisitor looks up to see Thrawn standing over her, and she stares down the barrel of his blaster.
At times, Thrawn would show his slight witt to minor mistakes made among his officers, however when it comes to close combatives, to Thrawn, minor mistakes are no laughing matter. The Grand Admiral furrows his eyebrows and clenches his teeth in his frustration with the Seventh Sister mediocre performance.
"Your footing is essential in close combat! If you do not pay attention the finer details, your opponent will use your failure to their advantage!"
The Seventh Sister looks to the Grand Inquisitor.
By the look on his face, he is not pleased, "Mitth'raw'nuruodo is right."
Thrawn doesn't show it, but he is surprised that the Grand Inquisitor pronounced his name right, without Thrawn even having to say his name.
"An opponent doesn't have to be a Jedi to be skilled in close combat, your enemy will never be certain."
The Seventh Sister gets back on her feet, shrugging off the pain in her leg, "Yes, Grand Inquisitor."
"Now leave us."
The Seventh Sister nods and leaves the recreation room in compliance, only with a slight limp in her left and the Grand Inquisitor watch as the door shuts behind her.
"I take it you have information for me, Grand Admiral?"
"Yes, Inquisitor. I have organized for a ground assault force to be on standby until my order is given to execute an attack on these rebels. They have revealed their position west of Tunka City in the mountain ridges. Once their friends return we will call on the assault."
The Grand Inquisitor nods, "You and your Stormtroopers will handle their troops, while I take care of the Jedi."
Thrawn bows his head in agreement.
The Grand Inquisitor turns and uses the Force to clear the destroyed chair from the center of the floor and says, "But there is another reason for your visit, is there?"
"Yes. The bridge has received a transmission from the Executor, Lord Vader requests your presence in private, immediately."
"Clear the bridge." the Grand Inquisitor demands as he steps onto the bridge.
Officers at their post and Stormtroopers standing guard do as the Inquisitor orders, and in no time, the bridge is cleared of Imperial troops. The doors seel behind them, leaving the bridge quiet from the noise on the control deck.
The Grand Inquisitor walks up to the holotable, located in the middle of the bridge. The tables incoming transmission light flashes, the Inquisitor activates the table and allows the feed to come through.
The holotable comes to life and an image of Darth Vader appears atop the table. The Grand Inquisitor kneels to the Sith Lords presence.
"You wish to see me, my Master?"
Lord Vader stares down at the Inquisitor, "Grand Inquisitor, in your search for the Jedi believed to be the once apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, you are to bring her before me, alive. These are my Master's orders."
"As you wish, Lord Vader."
"If Ahsoka Tano is not the last of the Jedi, then she may have information concerning the location to other survivors of Order 66. Perhaps even to the whereabouts of Barriss Offee since her vanquish of the Jedi Order. Do not fail me, Grand Inquisitor."
"Yes, my Master."