Phoenix - Ghosts of the Past

Prologue

21st, Month Jenth, 5 AFGE

As the poncho-wearing-Jedi-wannabe strolled into the interrogation chamber like he owned the place, dropping yet another purge trooper into the proverbial dirt, I was perched in the rafters, sabre in hand, cape fluttering and patiently waiting, like a hawk on the hunt. Well, I was indeed a hawk on the hunt, but instead of the small mammals, my prey was much, much larger – a specific homo sapient – the one below me.

The last trooper didn't even know he was coming. He only had time for one pained scream as that cyan blade tore through his armour before he slumped to the ground with a soft thud. Pathetic. With the danger seemingly neutralised, the figure deactivated his sabre. Perfect, and now the fly has come into my parlour. With a yell, I sprung the trap.

My crimson blades came into existence as I sail through the air, its brilliance piercing through the darkness, and I brought it to strike overhead at the boy. As predicted, he rolls away at the last second, and I followed up with a slash. The front blade missed, but the rear one was on course to cut that scrapper in half – until he ignites his sabre, statically blocked my strike. The boy's reflex and skills are getting better, this fight's gonna be interesting... He'll finally be a worthy fight, but surely, he'll still lose. Too bad.

With a bit of the Force's help, I knocked his blade aside, but also due to the Force infused motion, I overswung and left myself quite vulnerable, so I immediately performed another slash, forcing him to respond rather than take advantage of my weakness. The rear blade, again, was the one that made contact, glancing off his sabre. With that done, I took a step back, facing his with my right shoulder, and pointing the rear blade at the scrapper boy.

The boy then lunges at me with a thrust, and in one smooth motion, I sidestepped, switching to face him with my left shoulder, change to holding my lightsabre with one hand and force pushed him away with the other hand. He fell on his derrière then flip over his head to a kneeling position a few meters away, and he slowly stands back up. I smirked under my helmet as I twirl my crimson blades, then I brought the sabre forward and into a guard position, holding it steady, and ready.

The boy ignites his sabre again and steadily advanced towards me. Cere certainly did a decent job training this one in the ways of the sabre, look at how fast this boy improved! It's impressive, to say at least. He came at me with a slash from my upper right, which I responded with a block, deflecting the blow, and spin my sabre to strike his head with the other blade, which he also blocked with his own second blade. He then ducked and thrusted at my foot, while my blade, being knocked off course by his secondary blade, went sailing far above his head. I wanted to bring my sabre down to strike again but doing so would leave me completely exposed to his attack. Instead, I back paddled out of his reach, before circling him, forcing his to adjust to my movements.

But nope. He decided to go on the offensive, bring his sabre to his left and in a big telegraphic move, attempted to strike me in a double slash. The first slash missed wildly, but the second one was on course, so I simply moved my sabre to the right place to block it. Okay, this one still needs a bit more training. I sensed his want to speak, so I waited in the bind.

And so his speaks, of his great wisdom.

'Trilla,' So he stares into my visor and began his speech. 'I saw what you've been through. You've experienced great suffering.' No shit, Captain Obvious. 'It's not too late to let it go.'

'Let go?' I scoffed. 'I'm stronger now because of the pain.' With that, I knocked his blade away, but also unbalanced myself, oops. I took a step back and decided to taunt him a little bit just so I could recompose myself. I reached behind me to where my clock had conveniently covered my belt and brought the holocron out.

'Is this what you're looking for?' I asked, 'I knew you'd came back for this. I even brought it here for you, where's my thank you?' Silence greeted me. 'No thank you? Alright, then you'll never make it out of this place alive!'

I presented my left shoulder to him, held my sabre ready and so he came at me once more, this time with more strength and power behind his strikes. He's getting frustrated. I mentally facepalmed at his attempt at brute-forcing this. Seriously, did he forgot that he's using a kriffing plasma weapon that parts durasteel like butter? He's going to tire himself out real quick.

Mr. Jedi-wannabe started using his sabre like a bat. 'Good grief, even the army troopers could handle a vibrosword with more grace than this.' I muttered under my breath, all the while dodging his strikes. On one particular slash, he overextended too far, leaving his torso completely exposed. It's too great of an opportunity to not take advantage of. Like a coiled snake, I snapped a thrust at his direction, unfortunately for me, he still processed sufficient reflexes to dodge out of the way, but yet, not enough to completely steer clear of my strike. He cried out in pain when my blade connects with his flesh, leaving a perfect cylindrical hole on his chest, and staggered a few steps. Now I'm on the offensive, throwing strikes after strikes at the scrapper, victory was at hand, I could fell it.

I made a mistake then and there. I let the seemingly at hand victory blinded me and became sloppy at my blade work. I forgot my opponent was still a formidable fencer. I was a fool, and I paid the price. It was me that overextended this time with a downward slash, the scrapper then pushed at my blade to further knock me off balance. I followed my momentum and spun around, hoping to regain my footing, only to find his blade in a thrust waiting for me. The thrust went straight in my shoulder. With a scream of pain, I dropped my sabre and fell to my knees, holding my shoulder. Well, maybe this is where my road ends, at the hands of another one of Cere's padawan. Oh well, so be it.

The boy summoned the holocron to his hands, took a step back and shut his sabre off. He then promptly returned his sabre to his belt.

'Cal!' Cere rushed to the boy's side, looking over her latest padawan, ignoring me.

'I have the holocron.' The boy replies, also ignoring the inquisitor in front of him.

Cere glanced at me, and told him, 'I need to do this.' She picked up my lightsabre, walked in front of me, and knelt in front of me. 'It's over, Trilla.' She said.

'Nothing is truly over.' I sneered. Yeah, I might just come back to life after you 'put me out of my misery.'

'This fight is over.' Well, that's very obvious, isn't it? 'I know the darkness that's eating you up inside and every day we choose to either feed it...' I sighed and shook my head, reaching up to remove my helmet with my one good hand. I wanted to see eye to eye with Cere. '...or fight it.' She finishes.

'It's too late Cere.' The words tumble out of my mouth, pain – both physical and emotional – laced my words.

'No.' Cere shook her head. 'It's not.' She sighed. 'I know the choices that I made took away all your choices, and I have failed you, Trilla.' No no no I can't cry now, not now. 'I failed you, and I'm so very sorry.'

I gritted my teeth and attempted to stand, turning my face away. Once I was shakily on my feet, Cere held out a hand, 'Come with us, Trilla, I doesn't have to be that way.'

I shook my head and said, 'I've carried so much hate for you.' Hot tears teased the rim of my eyes. Damnit, I nearly can't hold them back anymore. Suddenly I heard the distinctive heavy breathing through a respirator and the thuds of boots. Fear coursed through my mind, and my eyes widened. My body was held in place by a force bind, but I didn't struggle, for the end is near, and I will soon be free.

A loud thud of a body dropping behind me echoed through the chamber, Cere and her padawan ignited their lightsabres in response.

'You have failed me, inquisitor.' He said, a lightsabre ignites behind me.

'Avenge us!' I shouted. The next moment, an agonising pain rips through my back, and I felt my body fail. I fell to the floor and gave in to the darkness.

I was gone.