Chapter 53 - Shatterpoints (2/2)

- ”It is ready”- said Phasma ordering the stormtroopers who were with her to move the surviving ones to the transports.

Finn, Celine and Rey also helped to take the prisoners to the shuttle, placing a lot of attention into the paralized Knight of Ren who could still be considered a threat.

- ”There is also the other thing I must confirm”- said Leia and Finn noticed that her expression hardened a little.

- ”Of course”- said Phasma and she waved her hand so they could go to a more private place.

- ”Phoenix, come with me- said Leia and then looked at the three young ones- ”make sure to put them on safe places.

- ”Yes”- said the young padawans who could not hide their curious expressions.

They went out of sight. I took just 5 minutes, but something had changed. Leia had a different stance and somehow looked weaker than before, but at the same time more hopeful for some reason. Mara had a shocked expression and seemed to be thinking about something.

- ”There is another thing, though. My culture forbids surrendering without a fight, so I'll ask those three to accompany me in a duel.”

- ”Is it really necessary?- and Leia looked extremely worried.

- ”My law compels it”- said firmly Phasma but then reassured Leia- ”and don't worry, I will not hurt the little ones.”

Leia looked at Phasma with a frown as if deciding what to do and weighing the risk she would be putting all the people involved.

- ”Are you willing?”- Leia asked finally to the padawans. However, the three of them had a different reaction.

Rey seemed to be still out of place due to what had happened before. Celine looked at her master for permission but Mara continued distracted for some reason and did not even look at her. However, Finn advanced with determination looking at Phasma with years of resentment rising on his ċhėst.

- ”I'll do it”- said Finn ready for the second round with his lightsaber in hand.

- ”FN-2187”- said Phasma advancing to him with glee- ”I hope you don't dissapoint me.”

- ”I've become stronger that you can imagine”- said Finn who could not hold back anymore.

- ”Show me”- said Phasma grabbing her baton and showing a fierce bloodlust.

They both meet in powerful blows once again. Since Phasma's baton was made specially for close quarter combat agaisnt any enemy including Force users, it was very obvious it resisted lightsabers. Phasma could feel Finn's growth and she could see how he had been able to fight a knight of Ren. However, she also could feel his anger and impatience. She had after all sparred with Kylo Ren, the most powerful dark side user, many times.

- ”Dissapointing”- said Phasma who used a combo so fast that Finn had no time to react.

Finn received three blows on his arm, belly and face which had disarmed him and had sent him to the floor in pain. Finn fought to stand up and felt even more enraged at her words feeling shewas mocking him.

- ”I thought Jedi did not use anger and blind rage to fight, FN-2187”- said Phasma who looked confused- ”This is not how you fought your previous opponent...”

The words of Phasma had an effect of Finn who was still fighting to recover from her previous attack. Phasma semeed to be waiting patiently so he used that time to to put his emotions in order.

- ”It is true, this is not my style which was given Master Luke and Master Windu”- he thought and then he breathed profoundly and calmed down while extending his arm and making his lightsaber fly back to his hand- ”This is the way of Vaapad... it accepts and uses every emotion.”

He was not supposed to blindly attack like a charging Rancor. His style was to create openings using his opponent's emotions. He advanced again but this time he was focused. Phasma felt the change in the young man and waited expectingly. Finn attacked once again but each blow had a much more powerful weight.

- ”Much better”- said Phasma who seemed to be extremely pleased by the improvement.

The fight was now like a dance in which neither side had the advantage but for some reason they could see Finn was growing stronger and firmer as time passed. Phasma then became more serious and once more put Finn on the edge. She started to easily supress Finn who started to show a very unbalanced and kind of confusing stance. He looked like an amateur swinging a wooden stick which confused Phasma tremendously. However, Celine and Rey did not fall for this. This was the way of Vaapad, he looked like doing bad moves but in reality he was baiting the opponent to create openings.

-”I suppose I overestimate you”- said Phasma dissapointed and ready to end the fight. Finn could feel the dissapointment in her voice but he did not care at all. He was expecting the moment she would lower her guard and create an opportunity for him to use.

Shing!

It was in that moment of maximum concentration that Finn could see it... At the beginning, he thought it was imagining things, but then he saw it again.

Shing! Shing! Shing!

it was like a small fracture in the space, like lines connecting with one another presenting multiple lines of action and some of them were more clear and visible than others. The effect rteminded him of a Corusca gem. If he hadn't been studying Vaapad using the holocron Master Windu had left, he would have thought he had become crazy. However, that was not the case, he immediately knew what those fractures were...

- ”Shatterpoints...”- Finn said and knwing how rare this ocurrence was, he took action letting the Force guide his movementswithout a doubt pointing to the most visible shatterpoint in the baton of Phasma.

Crack!

- ”Eh?”- Phasma saw in disbelief how his baton which had constantly repelled the powerful blows of dozens of Force users, was broken in a single move by the ex-stormtrooper who hadbeen stuggling to catch up with her just moments ago.

Finn did not stop to celebrate but he continued the movement he had started in a fluid motion connecting to the next shatterpoint which was in the helmet of phasma which exploded with such power that was torn into pieces in the cheek side making phasma fall to the ground in complete shock.

- ”Impossible”- she said and everyone could finally hear her real voice since the modulator of the helmet had been destroyed.

The armor of Phasma was made of refined Mandalorian iron which was considered the hardest material in the galaxy. It was simply unthinkable that Finn could break it with a lightsaber. However, Finn who had studied the holocron with Windu understood how it was possible.

- ”The Force allow to some talented users to see ”fractures” or ”critical points” in things, actions, and movements. Some people can even detect these shatterpoints in sentient beings and even the future. Some are said to be able to detect shatterpoints in the flow of space-time continuum and create changes in the future and even the past. Every thing has shatterpoints. There is nothing you can't destroy if you find its shatterpoints...”

- ”Like weak points...”

- ”Yes, as you can imagine, everyone tries to hide their weaknesses so others cannot mke use of them, but the Force allows you to find these points and if you use them well you can destroy anything you want.”

Luke Skywalker had also told him that every force user could detect shatterpoints at some level, but some people were more talented than others. Windu had been recognised as the only master who could literally see the shatterpoints. Even Luke could only ”feel” them and by allowing the Force to guide his movements instinctively find them. He told them a time when he could slice dozens of ”darktroopers” droids who were made of the hardest material as if he was slicing tofu. Luke had told him that there was nothing he could not slice through, but his abailities on the shatterpoint were nothing in comparison with what Master Mace Windu could do.

- ”Was there any other force user who was as powerful in shatterpoint?”- had Finn asked Luke.

Luke showed sadness and worry and finn could feel the answer wuld not be of his liking

- ”Only one...”- said Luke looking at the distance in sorrow- ”Ben Solo... now known as Kylo Ren.”

(...)

PLANET PHINDAR - SITH TEMPLE

The Bacta machine stopped working and immediately let the fluid from the tube escape. Immediately water cleaned the user and he went out of the machine. His body exuberated great power and unstoppable energy. He passed his hands for his hair which was very long now and then he touched the place where his eye was supposed to be. He only felt the inorganic sensation of his cybernetic eye. After the battle for Starkiller base, his wounds had been severe and now he had many parts of his body replaced by cybernetics especially his face which was now just a monstrous shadow of his former fair and handsome self. He had to thank that to the lucky hit of certain traitor and to his ex mentor who had ruined his face and eye to the point that it was better to get a new one. His face was monstrous and the irony of now becoming closer to that of his idol Darth Vader was something that Snoke used constantly to mock him. This only feed him with rage which he would happily direct to his target.

- ”I made you wait enough, Skywalker”- he said while donning the new armor he had gotten from the training which was an ancient relic of the Galatic wars.

This armor was made not only with materials of the best kind but also refined using lost Sith magic which made it perfect to battle light side users. He finally donned his helmet and robe over the armor and he started to walk to the entrance.

(...)

Not so far away from that place, Luke was commanding the troops on land when he had this suffocating feeling and he immediately looked to the direction it come from feeling a terrible presence which had grown much stronger than the last time he had felt it.

- ”Ben...”