Chapter 18: Destiny Arrives

                                    

                                          


                          
Lux stood ready to receive a blow from the Inquisitor, but he had to make no mistakes. If she sliced anything other than the two ends of the electrostaff, it would cut right through.
                          
The two paced around each other, waiting to see who would strike first. Or at least, that was what Lux was doing. He knew very well he was just being toyed with.
                          
"I thought you just said you weren't afraid of me?" The Inquisitor asked.
                          
"I thought... I thought I knew who you were behind the mask, but it's impossible," Lux said. "Ahsoka could never be as vile as you!"
                          
"Ahsoka Tano was weak!" said the Inquisitor. "I destroyed her!"
                          
"Then I will avenge her death," Lux replied.
                          
"Heh," the Inquisitor sneered, "Good luck with that."
                          
Finally, Lux decided there was no playing around anymore, and he charged at the Inquisitor.
                          
She easily blocked his blow and tried to deal several herself, but all of them were blocked. She force-pushed Lux into the cave wall in anger, but he quickly got back up and prepared for another blow.
                          
"I must say I'm impressed," the Inquisitor said. "By all means, you should already be dead."
                          
"What, do you think I'm just gonna lay down and let you stab me?" Lux replied. "Yeah, no thanks."
                          
The Inquisitor charged at him again, but he managed to block both of her sabers with his electrostaff and shove her backwards. He tried to land a blow himself, but failed to do so and was blocked and pushed back. She tried to land another blow, but he blocked that too.
                          
"Ugh, how are you still alive!?" the Inquisitor yelled.
                          
"I gotta be honest with you," Lux replied. "I have no idea,"
                          
The Inquisitor yelled in anger and charged at him again, but he slid over to the side and she slashed at nothing but the wall of a cavern.
                          
"Your rebel friends are doomed to extinction at the hands of the Empire," the Inquisitor shouted. "why not just lay down your arms and accept the peace and stability we've brought to the galaxy? The peace and stability that you're trying to ruin!!"
                          
"It's a lie, it's all a lie!" Lux yelled. "You do nothing but oppress us for your own gain, just like the Separatists did!"
                          
She tried to land a blow, and her blades locked with his electrostaff.
                          
"The war is over, Lux." the Inquisitor said. "Don't you want to live the normal life you always wanted?"
                          
She called him by his first name. Only good friends did that. To all of the Imperials it was just "Bonteri." It jabbed him like a dagger and it definitely felt personal.
                          
"If I have to give my own life so the Galaxy may be free, then so be it!" Lux yelled, pushing the Inquisitor back.
                          
She let out a giggle.
                          
"Oh, Lux, you sound like a Jedi," she remarked in a way that almost sounded flirtatious, like some screwed-up villain from a holoreel.
                          
"What the kriff is wrong with you!" Lux yelled.
                          
Finally, he ran and charged at the Inquisitor in rage and let loose a flurry of blows. The Inquisitor had to perform block after  block after block.
                          
Finally, she force-pushed him away, but before he could regain his bearings again, she held him in a force-choke hold and then brought him forward and grabbed him into an actual choke hold.
                          
"You're an annoying brat," the Inquisitor said. "With you gone, I'll only need to kill that old man Tendin and it's over. You should have never helped bring War back to Onderon.
                          
Lux reached for his electrostaff, but it was just outside of his grabbing distance. If only he could...
                          
The Inquisitor pinned him to the wall. there was no way he could reach it now.
                          
He couldn't breathe. He felt like his lungs were about to become thermal detonators.
                          
"I won't miss you," the Inquisitor said.
                          
Lux resorted to punching her in the face. The mask absorbed most of the hit, but she flinched, and Lux managed to flail out of her grasp.
                          
"Seriously!?!?" The Inquisitor yelled. "JUST DIE!!!"
                          
She charged at him, and without his staff, his options were limited.
                          
In a last-ditch attempt, he slid under the Inquisitor and pulled one of her legs, knocking her over and sending her sabers out of her hands.
                          
She was now beyond infuriated.
                          
Lux charged at her. He tried to punch her, she tried to punch him.
                          
Then, Lux managed to punch her so hard that the mask flew off. His fingers felt like they were probably broken.
                          
But that didn't matter.
                          
They looked each other dead in the eyes.
                          
It was her. It was really her.
                          
And in that very moment, he wished that she could just kill him right there. That it would all end.
                          
"No!" he yelled. 
                          
He couldn't take it, and he passed out.
                          
"What a fool," she said.
                          
She used the force to grab one of her lightsabers and turn it on.
                          
"Goodbye, Lux,"she said as she raised hersaber.
                          
"Wait!"
                          
She turned around.
                          
"Commander Rubal?" She seethed. "You're interrupting something!"
                          
"Keep him alive," Rubal said slowly. "We... don't know where Tandin and a few of the rebels are. They might have escaped after the initial explosion. Plus, there are other rebel cells on the planet he can lead us to."
                          
There was no response from her.
                          
"I'm telling you, drop your personal vendetta," Rubal continued. "Right now, it's about strategy. You want to win, don't you?"
                          
"Fine," she replied, reluctantly and turning off her sabers.
                          
"And what happened to your mask?" Rubal continued.
                          
She used the force to grab it and put it back on.
                          
"That's not something I'd like to talk about," she replied. "Pick him up and we'll bring him to the Dominix."
                          
"Yes, ma'am," Rubal replied.