Chapter 48 - A Delightful Meeting (2/2)

- ”Swift Flank!”- Finn moved at an incredible speed and he seemed to have dissapeared in the eyes of his opponent who had just time to react by reflex and blocking the blow from the side.

However, blocking the attack was not enough and broke her defense and managing to make a lock and use the hilt of his lightsaber to hit his enemy on the plexus which made her lower her guard and immediately kicked her head sending her to the wall.

- ”Use your darkness to gain physical power and use it explosively to gain advantage over your enemies”- thought Finn dashing agaisnt the other robed person who had not ignited any lightsaber and was pressing Rey against the wall- ”Vornskr's ferocity!”

He used the technique which made it look like he was wielding two lightsabers at the same time by increasing the speed of his attacks by using the Force in an explosive way. However, in contrast to the other enemy, this robed person evaded the slashes with such ease that Finn thought his lightsaber had pass through her like a phantom.

- ”Not enough”- said a voice under the hood and immediately Finn felt a strong push that threatened to make him have the same fate as Rey, the young man tried to counter the Force push preparing to resist it but almost a second later he felt a powerful pull which made him lose his footing.

The enemy had anticipated his plan and it was too late for Finn to react when he felt a powerful pressure that made his body being pushed upwards and hit on the roof of the ship making him see stars. and then he almost fainted when the pressure dissapeared and he hit the cold and metallic floor of the Falcon. He then felt that someone was on him immobilising him and sensing a lightsaber on the nape of his head. He saw that Rey had her own lightsaber to some centimeters from her throat.

- ”You're still too green”- said the enemy making it very clear that if she had wanted, they would be dead by now- ”if I had wanted to kill Leia, you would have not even noticed... You're lacking training. It seems Luke has rusted as a master.”

- ”He's a great master and were he here, you would be sliced in a thousand pieces already”- said Finn trying to make her show any opening- ”Contrary to you, he doesn't need petty tricks like ambushes and always fights head on.

Finn had his head hit on the hard and cold floor and the lightsaber of the person restraining him now was next to his face. He could feel a murdering aura on the person behind him.

- ”Stop Celina”- said the figure with a voice that denoted that she was very amused- ”We need the boy and he definitiely doesn't know how of a trickster Luke can be. Believe me, boy. Luke can pull off tricks so dirty they would make mine look like the work of a pious saint.”

- ”I think it was enough, Phoenix”- said Leia who had seen the scene with absolute calm and feeling no threatened at all- ”I dont want the Falcon to explode again...”

- ”That time was not my fault”- said the woman known as Phoenix.

- ”If you said so...”- retorted Leia with a smug smile.

- ”Anyways...”- said Pheonix and both padawan felt the powerful pressure on their bodies dissapear and they could move again but something told them not to make any fast moves in front of these two opponents- ”I accept that you have guts, child but you know nothing... your vision of Luke is too idealistic. About your skills, I must repeat myself... you're weak and unable to be a decent escort much less a Jedi.”

- ”Give them a break, Phoenix”- said Leia with an impatient expression that showed she thought all this was silly- ”they have been training for just 3 years... it's impossible to reach your level. Even Luke would have problems detecting you, why are you lashing on the poor kids?”

- ”So they can see their weakness and work on it...”- said Phoenix with a tone that commanded respect and as if she was saying something very obvious- ”the Sith will not wait until they are fully developed in ten or twenty years... they need to be strong now.”

- ”Sorry for the late introduction”- said Leia advancing while shaking her head in sighing at her words- ”these two are also coming with us as bodyguards. They are Phoenix and Celina and as you could see, they are also Force users.”

They revealed their faces and they saw that phoenix was a beautiful woman who looked in her forties with a fiery red hair with some parts already toned in grey which made her appearance even more imposing since she showed to be a woman who was extremely secure of herself even accepting the past of the time without any problem. Her emerald green eyes also showed a sharpness and depth so intense that made Rey and Finn feel that they were in the presence of a monster which would have no problem in destroying them with a mere move.

- ”Celine”- said Phoenix looking at the other figure- ”come here and let them see you.”

Her apprentice, who moved to be next to her master while unveiling the hood, looked at them with a hardened expression which was the result of Finn's previous words. She was a young woman probably in her eary twenties with asian features and short dark hair which reminded Finn and Rey of certain friend of theirs.

- ”Are they Jedi?”- asked Rey looking at both newcxomers with suspicion.

- ”I wouldn't categorize myself as a Jedi in the full sense of the word...”- said Phoenix with a confident smile- but I'm not a Sith either. Not all the will of the Force is being dealt in the light. Sometimes you must work in the dark to serve the light.

- ”Grrraaarrreeeooorr!”- shouted Chewee very angrily with a tool in his hand.

- ”I'm sorry, Chewee”- said Phoenix who hugged the wookie while apologizing- ”however, no big damage was done.”

Chewee patted her head and then made more noises with impatience and called Finn and Rey to help him and they followed him to finish the maintenance work.

- ”Celina... go and help”- said Phoenix and the asian girl nodded while bowing.

- ”Yes, master”- the young girl said before taking off her robe and going in direction of the wookie.

The maintenance work was done very fast with the help of the three young people and they finally could lift off after 30 minutes. Rey and Finn wanted to ask her some things, but she seemed to be very cautious of them and did not talk very much which made the mood very weird. Chewee came to the rescue telling them that they would get out of Hyperspace and he needed them in their positions. Rey went to the ċȯċkpit to help Chewee while Finn and Celina manned the guns to protect them.

- ”Well, that was delightful”- mentioned Leia teasing her friend- ”I had forgotten how much you loved this kind of over the top introductions”

- ”Not as delightful as the one we shared”- replied Mara laughing while sitting down on the coach.

- ”I don't want to remember that”- said Leria sitting down next to her- ”however, I heard your meeting with Luke was even more intense...”

- ”Ok... let's stop...”- said Mara with a firm tone, but Leia could see a small tone of red on her ears- ”he must be on Phindar by now, right?”

- ”Mmm... yeah and knowing him, he must be causing a mess for the enemy”- said Leia praying for eveything going well on their end- ”but now we must focus in opur own mission.”

(...)

Meanwhile in Phindar where a massive space battle was taking place, a humongous Star Destroyer once known as the Black Star was falling on the planet being torn into pieces due to the atmosphere after being gunned down by the New Republic forces. And while most of Forces were cheering and celebrating, a mon calamari veteran who also could see this scene did not participate of the celebration and seemed very worried.

- ”I don't like this”- he said surprising the people around him- ”this is too easy!”

- ”Is that bad, Grand Admiral?”- an officer asked.

- ”When things go too well, it means something is wrong”- said Ackbar remembering certain battle many years ago where they had fallen for the enemy's trap- this is especially true when you are talking about Hux as the enemy's commander”

Ackbar stood up from his post while looking at the battle movements with that lingering feeling of uneasiness and wondering what the enemy could be planning.

- ”What are you after, Hux?”- he wondered looking in direction of the flagship of his enemy with whom he had crossed swords so many times these years- ”what's your end game?”