Assasin

                                    

                                          
I listened carefully as the droids buzzed around my head. All I saw was blackness as the blindfold pressed gently against my eyes. I spun, deflecting a shot from one of the droids, then another, and another. I panted as I awaited the next string of blasts. My stomach growled. I hadn't eaten since the morning before. Dozens of strange noises were echoing through the room vying for my attention. I closed my eyes beneath the blind fold and took a deep breath. 
                          
The noise seemed to fade into the background. I heard the slightest click from on of the droids and I lifted my blade, redirecting the blast back into the droid. I darted across the room to where a box was resting. Kicking off the box, I flipped backwards and sliced two more droids out of the air. Their pieces clattered to the floor. One left. 
                          
I turned my head to listen for the droid's approach. There was a subtle buzzing sound coming towards me. At the last second, I jumped, spinning through the air and slicing through the top of the spherical droid. I landed on one knee, my right hand against the cool floor. Reaching up, I pulled off the blindfold and walked over to where Master Yoda and the Council stood observing me. 
                          
"Well done, padawan." Master Yoda tapped the floor with his cane. "Passed the Trial of Skill, you have." 
                          
I suppressed my excitement and simply nodded my thanks. 
————
"This is so weird." Jarris walked beside me down the temple corridor. 
                          
I shrugged. "It wasn't my idea to start the Trials. Master Yoda and Obi wan thought I was ready. Don't ask me why, I have no idea, but..." 
                          
As if he knew we were talking about him, Obi wan appeared farther up the hallway, walking towards us. "Lianna." He met us in the middle of the hall. "Come with me."
                          
"Why?" I wondered. 
                          
He gave Jarris a quick, sidelong glance. "You have a new mission... with Anakin." He hid it well, but I could feel his disgust and horror. 
                          
I nodded. "I'm sorry Jarris. Talk to you later?"
                          
He nodded, but I knew he was hurt. We didn't get to talk that much lately. We both missed it. 
                          
Obi wan led me to the briefing room. Anakin was waiting for us with Master Yoda and Master Windu. 
                          
"What happened?" I stood between Anakin and Obi wan by the holotable. 
                          
Master Yoda looked away. That wasn't a good sign. 
                          
Master Windu finally explained. "There's a new threat that needs to be dealt with."
                          
"What kind of threat?" Anakin looked quizzically at Master Windu. 
                          
The dark-skinned Jedi sighed. "An assassin. But not like any other you have faced, Skywalker." He clenched his fists. "Whoever this is, they don't just kill their target, they mutilated them."
                          
My mind flashed to the raid on my village, the death, the gore, the fire. 
                          
"They've found bodies... in pieces." Master Windu could not mask his pure disgust. 
                          
I looked at Anakin. He was trying, and failing, to hide his anger. 
                          
"We'll find him." I swore, meeting Master Yoda's gaze. 
                          
The old master nodded. "Careful, you must be.  Strange, this matter is. Clouded by the Dark Side, this assassin is." 
                          
I nodded before following Anakin out of the briefing room. 
————
Anakin pulled the speeder to a stop as we reached the site of the assassin's last strike. We walked into the now abandoned building. 
                          
I gagged. In the middle of the floor, the diced corpse lay in a pile, in full view of anyone who entered the building. 
                          
I looked away, my eyes squeezed shut. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Kickback - the heavyset Clone I had met while chasing Ashoka - standing beside me. 
                          
"How could anyone do this?" He muttered. 
                          
"I don't know." I clenched my fists. "And I don't think I want to." 
                          
Anakin knelt by the body. "These look like lightsaber wounds." 
                          
I walked around the perimeter of the room to look for more clues. 
                          
Kickback approached the only open door in the room. A thin wire hooked to the door caught my notice. 
                          
"Kickback!" I rushed across the room and shoved him to the ground with the Force. An explosion, tripped by the wire, shattered the ceiling above the door. 
                          
The shockwave threw me back through the door against the wall and the rubble piled up in front of the door, cutting me off from the others.