behind and ahead of him. Malorum was in the next chamber. How odd it was to see your enemy and be unable to move.
He could just make out Malorum’s words.
“You can’t stop me,” Malorum said. “You can only slow me down.”
“Oh, I’ll stop you,” Ferus replied. “Even though I’ll miss our conversations.”
The energy gates sprang open. Ferus jumped forward, swinging his lightsaber. Malorum parried and came a little too close to connecting to Ferus’s shoulder. He had to leap backward, and the
energy gates shut again.
“I’ve learned from the best,” Malorum grunted through his teeth.
“Siri Tachi. Obi-Wan Kenobi. Soara Antana. Yoda himself.” Ferus didn’t know if Malorum could hear him, but he felt the names of his teachers resonate inside him like a powerful
chant. “You don’t know what the best is.”
The energy gates opened again and Ferus surged forward, driving Malorum backward. “Want to be a Sith, Malorum?” he taunted. “Is that it? Palpatine’s puppy is tired of
biting ankles?”
Rage darkened Malorum’s face. Good. Exactly what he’d hoped.
Malorum sprang forward in a fast combination that Ferus had a tough time parrying. The dark side of the Force hummed with him now as his anger grew.
Okay, maybe it was time for a new strategy.
Malorum reversed directions and was able to run out onto a catwalk. Ferus leaped to follow him. He wondered if Malorum was heading for an exit. He knew if Malorum was able to get out of here, he
would lose him. It was almost as if Malorum knew the way and was leading him on. Maybe he was trying to lead him back to the Imperial army, hoping they were still fighting.
They fought furiously now, using every inch of catwalk. They fought around the deep central core, hundreds of meters down. Ferus used his advantage of Force agility to leap and somersault,
giving power to his thrusts. He fought using the lightsaber only, saving another kick or an elbow for when he needed it, when Malorum wouldn’t be looking for it.
He pushed Malorum back, forcing him to rely on balance to avoid falling into the pit below. Malorum twisted and turned, but he was beginning to sweat.
Ferus saw his chance. He left himself slightly open, and Malorum charged. As he came in, Ferus slammed his elbow directly into Malorum’s forehead. It stunned him for a split second, and
Ferus used the hilt of his lightsaber to smash Malorum’s lightsaber out of his hands. The lightsaber shot outward, directly over the pit.
Malorum’s mouth opened in a cry that echoed off the walls. “No!” he shouted. Ferus could feel the Force pulsing as Malorum leaped into the air, straining to catch the
lightsaber as it spun. Straining to harness the Force to push the lightsaber hilt toward him and carry him safely to the next catwalk.
Don’t…strain…
Ferus watched Malorum make the elemental mistake of any early-year Jedi student.
He saw that Malorum was blinded by need. If he lost the lightsaber, he would be disgraced. He would never be a Sith.
Malorum’s lightsaber dropped like a stone. Still in midair, Malorum lost his grip on the Force. His cape flapped around him, and Ferus saw the panic in his eyes.
Then he dropped down, down, down, into the central core. And Obi-Wan’s secret went with him.
The battle was over. Smoldering stormtroopers lay on the streets. Fallen officers were in the building where they’d taken refuge.
Captain Typho strode toward Ferus as he emerged from the Theed generator. “Your friends are all safe,” he said, before Ferus could ask.
Ferus saw a blur of brown and blue, and Trever ran toward him, his blue hair flying, his tunic torn. “Did you get Malorum? Did you stop him?”
“He fell into the central core of the generator.”
“So the secret is safe,” Solace said, coming up to them. “Whatever it is.”
“We’ll clean up quickly,” Captain Typho said. “There will be no trace of battle. We’ve been monitoring the comm system.
He could just make out Malorum’s words.
“You can’t stop me,” Malorum said. “You can only slow me down.”
“Oh, I’ll stop you,” Ferus replied. “Even though I’ll miss our conversations.”
The energy gates sprang open. Ferus jumped forward, swinging his lightsaber. Malorum parried and came a little too close to connecting to Ferus’s shoulder. He had to leap backward, and the
energy gates shut again.
“I’ve learned from the best,” Malorum grunted through his teeth.
“Siri Tachi. Obi-Wan Kenobi. Soara Antana. Yoda himself.” Ferus didn’t know if Malorum could hear him, but he felt the names of his teachers resonate inside him like a powerful
chant. “You don’t know what the best is.”
The energy gates opened again and Ferus surged forward, driving Malorum backward. “Want to be a Sith, Malorum?” he taunted. “Is that it? Palpatine’s puppy is tired of
biting ankles?”
Rage darkened Malorum’s face. Good. Exactly what he’d hoped.
Malorum sprang forward in a fast combination that Ferus had a tough time parrying. The dark side of the Force hummed with him now as his anger grew.
Okay, maybe it was time for a new strategy.
Malorum reversed directions and was able to run out onto a catwalk. Ferus leaped to follow him. He wondered if Malorum was heading for an exit. He knew if Malorum was able to get out of here, he
would lose him. It was almost as if Malorum knew the way and was leading him on. Maybe he was trying to lead him back to the Imperial army, hoping they were still fighting.
They fought furiously now, using every inch of catwalk. They fought around the deep central core, hundreds of meters down. Ferus used his advantage of Force agility to leap and somersault,
giving power to his thrusts. He fought using the lightsaber only, saving another kick or an elbow for when he needed it, when Malorum wouldn’t be looking for it.
He pushed Malorum back, forcing him to rely on balance to avoid falling into the pit below. Malorum twisted and turned, but he was beginning to sweat.
Ferus saw his chance. He left himself slightly open, and Malorum charged. As he came in, Ferus slammed his elbow directly into Malorum’s forehead. It stunned him for a split second, and
Ferus used the hilt of his lightsaber to smash Malorum’s lightsaber out of his hands. The lightsaber shot outward, directly over the pit.
Malorum’s mouth opened in a cry that echoed off the walls. “No!” he shouted. Ferus could feel the Force pulsing as Malorum leaped into the air, straining to catch the
lightsaber as it spun. Straining to harness the Force to push the lightsaber hilt toward him and carry him safely to the next catwalk.
Don’t…strain…
Ferus watched Malorum make the elemental mistake of any early-year Jedi student.
He saw that Malorum was blinded by need. If he lost the lightsaber, he would be disgraced. He would never be a Sith.
Malorum’s lightsaber dropped like a stone. Still in midair, Malorum lost his grip on the Force. His cape flapped around him, and Ferus saw the panic in his eyes.
Then he dropped down, down, down, into the central core. And Obi-Wan’s secret went with him.
The battle was over. Smoldering stormtroopers lay on the streets. Fallen officers were in the building where they’d taken refuge.
Captain Typho strode toward Ferus as he emerged from the Theed generator. “Your friends are all safe,” he said, before Ferus could ask.
Ferus saw a blur of brown and blue, and Trever ran toward him, his blue hair flying, his tunic torn. “Did you get Malorum? Did you stop him?”
“He fell into the central core of the generator.”
“So the secret is safe,” Solace said, coming up to them. “Whatever it is.”
“We’ll clean up quickly,” Captain Typho said. “There will be no trace of battle. We’ve been monitoring the comm system.
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