Star Wars - The Gray Jedi - Chapter 16 - Faced with Brute Force...

[Chapter Size: 2200 Words.]
Third Person POV
Zeffo.
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"What do you mean by that?" Cal commented as he took a step to the side, looking inquisitively while walking calmly, seeming to enjoy the situation.

This appeared to frustrate her. She narrowed her eyes and said, "How do you have so much power? You were a scrapper for five years. I read your report after an investigation on Bracca and the records of the old Jedi Order. You were nothing special. Just an ordinary Padawan who got lucky and escaped thanks to your master's sacrifice to save you."

The next moment, she felt herself being pushed backward as the ground cracked in every direction in the room. She raised her hand to protect herself, using the Force to try and calm its advance, but continued to be dragged back several meters.

When she stopped, Trilla Suduri observed Cal with narrowed eyes as he stood in the center of the now completely destroyed area, having unleashed a surge of Force energy through telekinesis.

He kept a serious gaze on her but sighed shortly afterward, looking around and noticing all the cracks he had caused. "Sorry about that. I still can't control this power, and I got a little angry hearing that..." he said calmly, making her raise an eyebrow with a look of displeasure, almost believing he was mocking her.

"But it's true. I really was never anything special. I'm still not special..." Cal continued, his tone calm, though it slightly rose when she mentioned his master. Something inside Cal still blamed himself for that.

She clearly did not believe his words. "That's impossible. I feel the dark side in you, but at the same time, you're not one of us. That shouldn't be possible," she insisted.

"I don't think all Sith are like you. You naturally crave more power. Vader, your master, would never have given so much power to anyone, which is why he never truly taught you. He preferred to mutilate and weaken you while allowing you to have control over the dark side... much less would Darth Sidious, the Emperor, allow something like that. You're just tools used until you become obsolete," Cal replied, his voice carrying a cold tone toward her.

Ignoring this part, she continued with a firm look. "Who is your master? You must have one," she practically demanded.

"I didn't spend five years on Bracca for nothing, you fool. You already know everything I did on that planet, so don't ask stupid questions," he retorted, looking at her as if she were an idiot.

"You're lying! That's impossible. You must have gotten this power from someone!" she insisted, her voice filled with frustration.

"I don't think we're going to get anywhere this time. So, let's end this once and for all," Cal said, determined.

He acted quickly, raising his right hand while channeling Force lightning. The energy was launched directly at her in the next moment. The Second Sister barely had time to raise her weapon between herself and the attack. She was quickly pushed back but managed to hold off the lightning with her red saber, preventing the energy from advancing directly toward her.

"How...?" she murmured, incredulous, as she was continuously pushed backward.

However, Cal could press her against the wall but began to lose control of his attack. While he could concentrate the Force on a specific point, as he was doing against her, the magnitude of the power was beyond what he could control. The lightning began to split and spread in all directions, discharging electricity throughout the environment. This gave the Second Sister some relief, as the centralized attack began to weaken, and she managed to stop being pushed back while focusing only on protecting her body from the electricity.

The lightning finally ceased when Cal stopped releasing it. "Well... I guess I still have a long way to go," he murmured, not seeming very pleased with his current level of control.

BD-1 looked at him, worried, as he glanced at the droid and then back at the inquisitor a moment later.

He placed his hand on his waist and drew his lightsaber before activating it. Trilla watched him, frustrated, as she raised her own lightsaber, assuming a stance as she began to approach. There would be no more talking between them. Now, it would be an all-out battle.

Cal looked at her calmly but knew he would have difficulty facing her. After all, her stance was more refined than his, not to mention her experience. His only advantage was the uncontrolled power within him—something he could use to his favor.

Trilla continued walking toward Cal, moving sideways as she approached, while he mirrored her movements. The two began circling each other in the middle of the field, destroyed by Cal's earlier surge.

In the next instant, both charged at each other. Cal's blue lightsaber clashed with the inquisitor's red saber, erupting in a deafening sound and an intense flash of light on impact.

They separated briefly and then lunged again, colliding with force. Trilla gritted her teeth, holding her ground with a serious expression. Cal, for his part, remained focused as they exchanged blows. The battle was intense—a clash between the stance Cal had learned from his master and the technique Trilla had mastered through her training with Vader as an inquisitor.

The fight unfolded between the beams of light, deep within the mountain. No one outside knew what was happening. Only they and BD-1 bore witness to the clash of sabers and the movements each used to create an opening to defeat the other.

The fight raged on for a time, their weapons repeatedly striking against one another.

"You’re full of yourself, but your stance is weak," Trilla observed disdainfully, not overlooking Cal’s technique.

"You’re right," Cal admitted openly, pressing his saber against hers as she advanced. "But even so, you can't beat me."

"That’s what we’ll see, Cal Kestis," she replied, pulling back quickly and attempting an attack from the right. Cal dodged and took the opportunity to strike a lateral blow, but Trilla, with a swift motion, managed to block it. She immediately saw a small opening in Cal’s defense and moved to exploit it.

It was then that Cal used one of his unique Force abilities: slow. Time around Trilla seemed to decelerate, causing her to lose only a few crucial milliseconds. As a dark side user, the effects on her—like anyone who could shield themselves with the Force—were not as pronounced, and in some cases, they could even be negligible depending on the individual.

Still, it was enough for Cal to counter her, deflecting her lightsaber. But Trilla was relentless, delivering another lateral strike. Just as she attempted to attack again, Cal released another Force blast, this time in all directions. The wave of energy threw the inquisitor to the opposite side, causing her to hit the ground and roll. She deactivated her lightsaber mid-fall to avoid injuring herself.

She rose, clearly frustrated, glaring at Cal with anger. Even so, she recognized that his power might be something she couldn’t overcome. Something about him reminded Trilla of someone else.

"You remind me of him... You’re his apprentice, aren’t you? Very weak, but I can still feel his dark side signature in your Force. You learned from Lord Vader, didn’t you?" she said, now surprised, unable to hide the stunned look on her face as she realized this.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Cal replied, shrugging. Despite that, he knew she wasn't wrong. The abilities he possessed had their origins in Vader, obviously. Vader's presence was embedded in them, just as it would be in the apprentices trained by any master of the Force. Every foundation they built carried a touch of their teacher.

"You should be careful with yourself and not worry about such things," Cal said, turning off the blue lightsaber and placing it back on his belt. He then took a step back, as if preparing something, while Trilla watched him, uncertain of what he would do next.

Cal wanted to test something. They were alone in an entirely empty place. He could try to use a bit more of the power within him. Clenching his fists, lightning began to form in both hands, shining intensely and glowing brighter as the electricity around his arms grew increasingly violent, charging his attack. Trilla immediately felt the danger.

There was a unique ability in Galen Marek that was extremely terrifying. He had the potential to disintegrate matter with a Force surge that radiated outward. But Cal knew he had to be very careful with this. After all, it was dangerous both for his target and for himself. Of course, he didn’t intend to unleash that full power but rather release a focused attack of pure electricity. However, he needed to be cautious. If he lost control, he could even cause permanent damage to his own hands, as he was nearing that threshold.

Concentrating energy in his hands, almost like two reactors, he finally pointed them forward when he was ready. In an instant, he unleashed uncontrolled lightning. An explosion erupted, spreading destruction across the entire area. Trilla barely had time to react, being thrown backward by the lightning. She screamed in pain, her voice fading as the explosion enveloped the area, obscuring vision with the light of the lightning and the smoke rising from the destruction.

The echo of the explosion seemed to shake even the mountain. Cal watched the smoke spreading as everything around trembled. The deafening sound of electricity lingered in the air for a few seconds, and the attack left sparks crackling through the dust and smoke created by the devastation, with chunks of stone from the walls and ceiling falling around him.

Keeping his gaze fixed ahead, his arms still emitted faint electrical discharges. He let out a tired sigh. He had used a lot of power this time, which drained his mental energy as he struggled to maintain control over the attack. Cal was visibly exhausted.

"Beep-beep!" BD-1 seemed extremely frightened, emitting frantic sounds on his shoulder as he tried to get Cal's attention.

"It's okay, BD-1," Cal said, trying to calm the droid. "Remind me never to do that again... at least not until I have complete control." His expression was serious, acknowledging the risk he had taken.

BD-1 continued making worried sounds while Cal looked forward. "I don't know what happened to her... But we'll find out soon enough," he replied, already imagining the state of the Inquisitor who had been hit by the attack. He knew she couldn’t be in good shape at that moment, though he was still too drained to sense her presence through the Force.

As he had said, the smoke began to dissipate, revealing the area utterly destroyed. The walls and floor were devastated, with massive holes exposing even the lower layers of the mountain's structure.

His eyes focused on the presence that finally reappeared. Trilla's presence was now weak. He found her collapsed on her back against a wall. She was clutching her face with one hand, groaning in pain, unable to stand but keeping her eyes fixed on Cal with an expression that mixed surprise and frustration, blood dripping from her mouth.

But the most visible emotion in her was fear. She looked at Cal with trembling eyes. She had never seen anything like it. She had never imagined that anyone could possess such power in the Force, not even Vader.

"It's over, Trilla," Cal stated calmly, starting to walk toward her.

"Beep-beep!" BD-1 made a comment, but Cal seemed determined to ignore him.

She had killed all kinds of people with her power, serving the Empire. There was no salvation for her. "She committed countless crimes. She must pay with her life," Cal replied to BD-1. He would not be a hypocrite and try to bring her back to the light side of the Force.

Besides, Cal had another interest. He needed another lightsaber. With this thought, he approached her, determined. In a matter of seconds, he had made his decision. However, as he advanced, Trilla raised her hand, pointing to the other side, gathering all the energy she still had in an act of desperation, knowing she wouldn’t survive if Cal got any closer.

There were some rocks that had not yet collapsed in the area. She pulled one of them, nearly loose, with the Force and hurled it directly to the ground near her. Cal stopped instantly as the stone fell rapidly. Not even his slowing ability could help her at such close range.

The ground beside Trilla began to give way under the impact of the rock. The section she was on collapsed as cracks spread, opening a hole to the lower floor. Trilla looked at Cal for a brief moment before falling into the darkness, vanishing beneath the room.

"She seems to have escaped," Cal murmured, as BD-1 made some nervous comments.

"We don’t have time to chase her. Let’s get back to the Mantis and leave this planet before Imperial reinforcements arrive," Cal said, shaking his head. "If she’s alive, this won’t be the last chance to take her saber," he added, turning his back on the ruined site.

He began walking toward the elevator, leaving behind the devastated room.