Jaden squared his shoulders, gripping Zule's lightsaber as the blue blade hummed in his hands, facing the robed figure stepping forward on the creaking bridge. The Sith tilted her head, her voice cutting through the air with a low rasp. "I've been waiting for this moment." She walked toward him slowly, letting her twin red lightsabers drag against the metal railing, sparks flying as the blades melted thin lines into the durasteel, leaving molten streaks behind her. She stopped a few feet away, raising her weapons. "Finally done running."
Jaden smirked, twirling the lightsaber casually. "I'm a busy man—can't make time for everyone who wants a piece of me." He shifted his stance, bouncing on his toes, and lunged forward, swinging the blue blade in a wide arc at her chest.
The Sith parried with one saber, deflecting his strike upward, and thrust the other at his stomach—Jaden twisted aside, flipping backward onto the bridge railing, balancing there for a split second before leaping off with a Force-enhanced somersault, landing behind her. He slashed at her back, but she spun, blocking with both blades, and unleashed a burst of lightning from her fingertips. Jaden dove to the side, rolling across the planks as electricity crackled where he'd stood, charring the wood. He sprang up, swinging the lightsaber at her shoulder—she ducked, slashing upward with one saber while jabbing the other at his thigh. Jaden cartwheeled over the strike, landing on one hand, and kicked out, aiming for her wrist—she sidestepped, and he flipped back to his feet, grinning.
She charged, spinning both sabers in a blur—Jaden met her, blocking the first with a two-handed grip, then twisting to deflect the second, sparks flying as the blades clashed. He pushed off, jumping onto the skiff parked mid-bridge, and swung down at her head—she crossed her sabers overhead, catching his strike, and shoved back, sending him stumbling onto the planks. She raised a hand, fingers curling, and Jaden felt his throat tighten as she gripped him with the Force—he gasped, swinging the lightsaber at her arm to break her focus. She released him, dodging the blade, and he sucked in air, diving forward with a thrust at her chest—she batted it aside, countering with a slash at his ribs. Jaden twisted, taking the hit on his shoulder guard, and rolled off the bridge's edge, grabbing a cable to swing down to a lower platform.
He landed in a crouch on a walkway lined with stalls his lightsaber ready as the Sith leapt after him, dropping from above with both blades aimed at his head. Jaden rolled forward, springing up to slash at her legs—she flipped over him, landing on a stall table, and kicked it forward, sending it sliding toward him. He jumped onto the table mid-slide, running up its length, and launched off with a spinning strike at her neck—she ducked, slashing at his ankles, but he vaulted over her, landing behind and swinging at her back. She spun, blocking with one saber, and shot lightning at him with her free hand—Jaden jumped back and raised his lightsaber, absorbing the bolts into the blade, and charged, forcing her to leap off the walkway onto a hanging cable.
She swung across to a higher platform, and Jaden followed, using the Force to propel himself up, landing on a stall roof that buckled under his weight. He steadied himself, blocking a downward strike as she dropped from above, then flipped backward, kicking a crate of droid parts at her—she sliced it apart mid-air, debris scattering, and lunged, thrusting one saber at his chest. Jaden sidestepped, grabbing her wrist with his free hand, and twisted, forcing her to drop one lightsaber—it clattered off the platform into the chasm below. She snarled, wrenching free, and swung her remaining saber at his head—he ducked, slashing at her side, but she leapt back, landing on a railing and balancing there.
Jaden ran at her, jumping onto the railing and swinging the lightsaber in a wide arc—she blocked, teetering, and grabbed his arm with the Force, yanking him toward her. He twisted mid-pull, landing on her side of the railing, and kicked at her knee—she stumbled, catching herself, and slashed at his legs. He vaulted over the blade, landing on the platform, and she leapt after him, raising her hand to crush his chest with the Force—he felt his ribs tighten, dropping to one knee, and rolled aside as she swung down, the saber scorching the duracrete where he'd been. He sprang up, swinging at her arm—she deflected, countering with a thrust, and he spun behind her, aiming for her back—she turned, blocking just in time.
They moved deeper into the market, Jaden leaping onto a stack of crates and running across them as she chased, slashing at his heels—he jumped off, grabbing a cable, and swung to a higher walkway, landing near a row of food stalls. She followed, dropping from above with her saber aimed at his head—he rolled under a table, popping up on the other side, and swung at her waist—she parried, kicking the table at him. He jumped over it, landing in a spin, and slashed at her legs—she leapt back, landing on a stall awning, and shot lightning down at him. Jaden dove behind a cart, the bolts frying its burner, and pushed it forward, ramming it into her perch—she jumped off as the awning collapsed, landing on the walkway.
Jaden charged, swinging the lightsaber in a flurry of strikes—she blocked each one, countering with a slash at his chest—he twisted, taking it on his arm, and grabbed a skewer from the cart, jabbing it at her face with his off hand. She swatted it away, swinging at his neck—he ducked, rolling forward, and sprang up behind her, slashing at her shoulder—she spun, blocking, and gripped him with the Force, lifting him off the ground. He flailed, swinging the lightsaber at her arm—she dropped him, dodging, and he landed hard, rolling to his feet. She lunged, slashing downward—he blocked, locking blades, and pushed off, flipping backward onto a hanging platform.
He ran across it, leaping to a lower level as she pursued, landing on a stall roof and slashing down at him—he rolled aside, swinging up at her legs—she jumped over the blade, landing on the ground, and thrust at his chest. Jaden sidestepped, grabbing a cable and swinging around her, landing on her opposite side, and slashed at her back—she spun, blocking, and shot lightning at him—he raised the lightsaber, absorbing it again, and charged, forcing her to retreat toward a cluster of stalls. He leapt onto a table, running across it, and jumped off with a spinning strike at her head—she ducked, slashing at his legs mid-air—he twisted, landing awkwardly, and rolled behind a crate as she swung again.
Jaden popped up, swinging the lightsaber at her arm—she parried, countering with a thrust—he dodged, grabbing her wrist and twisting it, forcing her to drop the second saber—it fell, and he kicked it off the platform, though before it could fall she grabbed it with the force and summoned it back to her hand. She then snarled, raising both hands, and crushed his chest with the Force—he gasped, dropping to his knees, and swung the lightsaber at her legs to break her grip—she leapt back, releasing him, and he sucked in air, springing up. She charged, fists clenched, and he swung the lightsaber in a wide arc—she ducked, tackling him into a stall, wood splintering as they crashed through.
They rolled apart, Jaden scrambling to his feet and swinging at her head—she rolled under the strike, grabbing a metal rod with the force from the debris and swinging it at his ribs—he blocked with the lightsaber, cutting it in half, and kicked at her chest—she caught his leg, twisting it, and he fell, rolling away as she stomped at his head. He sprang up, swinging the lightsaber at her shoulder—she ducked, grabbing his arm with the Force and yanking him forward—he stumbled, swinging at her side—she sidestepped, kicking him in the stomach. He doubled over, gasping, and she raised her hand for another crush—he swung the lightsaber up, forcing her to dodge, and rolled off the platform, grabbing a cable to swing down to a lower walkway.
Jaden stood on the lower walkway, panting and clutching Zule's lightsaber as the Sith landed a few feet away, hands crackling with lightning, red blades humming at her sides. He grinned and wiped blood from his nose. "Gotta admit, you're good, but I was honestly expecting more." She charged, and he swung the blue blade to meet her attack as they moved deeper into the market.
"I've just been playing around," she said, stepping back and tilting her head. "I Wanted to take the measure of the man who's caused my master so many problems."
Jaden wiped sweat from his brow and smirked. "Oh yeah? How do I measure up?"
"I find you lacking," she said, twirling her sabers and staring at him.
He chuckled nervously and shifted his grip. "I'll have you know you're not the first Sith I've beaten."
"To compare me to the acolytes let loose is a grave mistake," she said, stepping closer and lowering her sabers slightly. "Let me show you." She thrust both hands forward and unleashed a massive Force push that sent Jaden and everything in front of her flying—stalls shattered, crates tumbled, people scattered, and metal bent as the blast ripped through the walkway. Jaden flipped mid-air, using the Force to steady himself, and skidded across the duracrete with boots scraping as he landed, straining his senses to guess where debris would fall, ducking a plank, slicing a crate in half with his lightsaber, and leaping over a droid tumbling toward him as chaos erupted around him.
She pressed him hard and swung one saber at his chest—he blocked, but she kicked his stomach and sent him crashing through a stall where wood splintered as he rolled across the floor. She walked forward, raised a hand, and gripped the air—Jaden felt his body lift and ribs creak as she tried to crush him with the Force, but he pushed back with his own power, breaking free with a grunt, and landed on his feet, though he noticed how much harder it was to break free from her hold. She laughed and slashed both sabers down—he dove aside as the blades scorched the ground, scrambled up, and swung at her legs, prompting her to leap over him and land on a table where she unleashed lightning in a wide arc. Jaden dove behind a cart as lightning fried it, rolled out, and swung at her chest—she parried and kicked the table at him, forcing him to jump over it and land swinging at her waist, which she blocked with both sabers.
People screamed and ran from the collapsing stalls—Jaden flipped onto a railing, balanced there, and swung at her head, which she blocked with one saber before thrusting the other at his thigh, making him twist off the railing and land on a stall roof that buckled under him. He steadied himself and blocked her downward strike as she leapt after him, then flipped backward and kicked a crate of droid parts at her—she sliced it apart mid-air with debris scattering and lunged with a thrust at his chest, prompting him to sidestep and swing at her side, which she blocked before leaping back, landing on a railing, and balancing there.
Jaden ran at her, jumped onto the railing, and swung the lightsaber in a wide arc—she blocked, teetered, and grabbed his arm and twisting it, yanking him toward her, though he twisted mid-pull, landed on her side of the railing, and kicked at her knee, causing her to stumble and catch herself before slashing at his legs. He vaulted over the blade, landed on the platform, and watched her leap after him while she raised her hand and crushed his chest with the Force—he dropped to one knee we he felt the pressure build up, she grinned maliciously as she yanked her fist back throwing Jaden through multiple stalls and even slamming him through a bridge and then back down on the ground, making him gasp out as he spat up blood.
She spoke while stepping closer. "This is your weakness, potential wasted by clinging to the light." She raised a hand, lifted a stack of crates with the Force, and hurled them at him—he barely got up in time, but he managed to slice one apart, dodge another, leap over a third, and land near a walkway edge where she charged and swung a saber strike so hard that he stumbled back, blocking with both hands while his knees buckled under the force.
She kicked him again and sent him smashing through two stalls—metal and wood flew as he skidded across the floor, gasped, and rolled to his feet to swing at her chest, which she parried before spinning to slash at his back, forcing him to duck, flip forward, and land on a cable that he used to swing to a higher platform. She followed and landed with a thrust at his head—he sidestepped, slashed at her arm, and watched her block while she raised her hand and gripped him with the Force, lifting him off the ground until he strained, Jaden felt his throat close and his body start to compress he fought against it but she pushed aback this time and only when he released a huge amount of raw power did she let go as he dropped to the ground.
She continued talking as she stepped closer. "This is real power, yours is unrefined, weak." He pushed himself up, swung at her legs—she leapt back and hurled a massive Force push that sent him tumbling across the platform and crashing into a railing.
Jaden flipped up, charged her, and thrust the lightsaber at her chest—she parried, countered with a slash at his neck that he ducked, swung at her side which she blocked, and locked blades with her as they pushed against each other until he shoved with the Force—she matched him, their powers clashed in a burst that threw them both back, and he skidded across the platform while rolling to his feet as she landed steady and laughed. She rushed him with sabers spinning—he blocked one strike, dodged another, swung at her arm that she parried, and slashed at her legs in a quick flurry where she leapt over the blade, landed, and thrust at his chest, forcing him to sidestep before she spun and flicked her wrist, sending Zule's lightsaber flying from his hand to clatter away.
He dodged her next swing, leapt back as she slashed again with both sabers, caught one arm mid-strike, pivoted to avoid her second saber, and shoved his hand into her side to unleash a Force push that sent her skidding back with boots scraping while she threw one lightsaber at him as she slid. Jaden dove for his own saber and reached out—but her blade pierced his shoulder, pinning him to the ground, and he cried out while gripping the hilt as pain shot through him. She grinned and stepped closer. "Such sweet cries." She yanked the saber free with the Force—he stumbled back, clutched his cauterized shoulder with no blood flowing since lightsabers sealed wounds, and staggered away.
She walked toward him with sabers dragging and sparks flying as she scraped them against the duracrete—Jaden lifted a crate with the Force, hurled it at her which she sliced apart, and threw a metal sheet next that she batted aside while laughing and closing the gap. "Pointless, your death is my master's will." He retreated onto a platform jutting over a chasm with nothing below but a drop stretching miles down and edges crumbling slightly, panting "I'm in a real bad spot," he thought as she approached with sabers sparking against the floor.
Satele's words flashed in his mind—focus, embrace the Force.
"What kind of stupid advice is that in a time like this..." he muttered to himself but considering the fact it was either that or jump he'd the it. Breathing deep, closing his eyes, and sinking into the Force around him while feeling it flow.
She laughed and stepped closer. "The force won't save you." He opened his eyes, sensed her next move as if he could guess it a moment before she acted, and saw strange things in the world around him like faint cracks glowing in his vision, clearest on the platform beneath her feet, breathing hard and gripping the lightsaber tighter while getting ready to fight.
She charged and swung both sabers at his head—he channeled the Force into his foot, slammed it down onto the crack, and used the momentum to leap over her while flipping mid-air as she slashed up at him, but the platform cracked under her with duracrete giving way and planks snapping, plunging her into the chasm with sabers spinning as she fell and her scream echoed up. Jaden landed on the walkway's edge, stumbled with his shoulder throbbing and chest heaving, watched her vanish into the depths, and grinned while panting. "Guess I measured up after all!"
He turned around, wincing as pain shot through his body, and saw the gang members closing in—eight of them fanning out across the platform with blasters and vibroblades drawn—while Darren stormed forward from behind them, his cracked helmet glinting under the market lights. "Ah kriff..." Jaden swore under his breath, staggered to his feet, and clenched his fists, shifting his weight to brace for another fight despite his legs trembling and vision blurring.
A loud bang erupted beneath them—a large panel on the platform exploded upward in a shower of sparks and smoke, sending gang members stumbling as the ground shook, and Jaden glanced back to see Velea on a distant balcony, hands moving fast over a scavenged terminal she'd hacked to trigger a feedback loop in the market's power grid.
Zule's lightsaber shook on the floor for a moment and then flew past the gang from behind, spinning through the air, and Zule leapt into view through the smoke, catching it with the Force mid-stride, igniting the blue blade as she charged the men with a roar, slashing at the nearest one and cutting him down before he could raise his blaster. Velea aimed a sniper rifle she'd pieced together from stall scraps, firing shots from the balcony—her first bolt hit a gang member in the chest, dropping him instantly, and her second grazed another's arm, making him drop his vibroblade as he scrambled for cover.
Jaden grinned, adrenaline kicking in, and whipped his hand out, using the Force to grab a pile of jagged debris from a shattered stall—bits of durasteel and broken circuits—and launched it at a cluster of three gang members, the sharp edges tearing through their jackets and knocking them off the platform as they screamed and fell into the abyss below. Zule spun through the remaining men, slicing one across the back with her lightsaber, then pivoted and fired a blaster built into her cybernetic arm, hitting another in the leg—he dropped, clutching the wound, and she deflected a blaster shot from a third with her lightsaber, redirecting it into his shoulder before finishing him with a quick thrust of her blade. The last two gang members backed off, one shouting, "Fuck this!" as they turned and ran, disappearing into the market's shadows.
Jaden exhaled, relief washing over him, but froze when he heard Darren yelling, "I'm going to kill you, Jaden—to hell with what Collan wants!" Darren flew at him with jet boots roaring, drawing a blade from his gauntlet as he closed the distance, his face twisted with rage under the cracked visor. Zule spun to intercept, leaping forward, but Darren flicked his wrist and threw an impact detonator at her feet—it exploded on contact, sending her tumbling back across the platform before she could jump clear, crashing into a crate with a grunt. Jaden stood at the edge with the chasm behind him, no room to jump back or dodge sideways, Darren's blade gleaming as he barreled closer.
Jaden breathed deep, calming himself as his mind slowed like it had before, exhaustion fading into focus while he opened his eyes and felt the world sharpen—every move Darren might make flickered in his head a split second ahead, and faint cracks glowed along the blade and armor like weak spots waiting to break. "Feel the flow," he whispered to himself, stepping forward as Darren roared and thrust the blade at his chest. Jaden reached out, touched the blade's edge with his fingertips, and channeled the Force into it—the metal shattered into fragments that scattered across the platform; then he pivoted on his feet, ducked under Darren's outstretched arm as he flew overhead, and slammed his palm into the center of Darren's chest armor where another crack glowed, pushing the Force through his hand. The armor cracked apart, splitting down the middle, and the jet boots sparked and died, sending Darren plummeting into the abyss below, his scream echoing as he fell out of sight.
Jaden stumbled, breathing heavily, and dropped to his knees while holding his head as dizziness hit him hard, pain throbbing in his skull and ears ringing. Zule ran to his side, dropping her lightsaber, and grabbed his shoulders while asking, "Are you okay? You're bleeding!" Blood trickled from his nostrils and dripped onto the duracrete, and he waved a hand weakly. "I'm fine," he said, then leaned forward and threw up, retching onto the platform as his stomach churned.
Zule knelt beside him, wiping his face with her sleeve, and shook her head while saying, "No, you're not—should I get a healer? Should I call Aubrie?" Jaden coughed, spitting to clear his mouth, and looked up at her. "No, I'm fine, just overworked myself—give me a minute." She frowned and pressed a hand to his forehead. "You look like you're suffering from Force recoil."
He squinted at her, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "What the fuck is that?"
Zule sat back on her heels and explained, "It's when you manipulate the Force more than you've trained yourself to handle. The Force flows through you like a river, and most Jedi increase the size of that river over time, though they're limited by how many midichlorians they have, which sets how big it can get. Expanding it is slow, and rushing it can hurt your body."
Jaden pushed himself up, stumbling as Zule grabbed his arm to steady him, and leaned against a crate while she handed him a canteen from her belt—he took it, drank a long gulp, and wiped his mouth before saying, "So I did too much? That can't be right, I felt fine before." Zule crossed her arms and tilted her head. "What did you do before you felt sick?"
He breathed deep and leaned against the crate. "I closed my eyes, focused, let the Force flow through me—when I opened them and looked at that mercenary, I saw small cracks like glass panes along him. I've seen it before, mostly when I've healed others."
Zule widened her eyes and leaned closer. "Are you sure?"
He nodded and shrugged. "Pretty sure—why?"
"It makes sense now," she said, stepping back and looking him over. "You seem to have a rare and powerful ability, one you share with Aubrie."
He raised a brow and tilted his head for her to go on.
"It's called Shatterpoint," Zule explained. "It lets a Force wielder see cracks in reality—convergence points, weak spots, connections. When Aubrie and I first met you, she saw a Shatterpoint around you involving our deaths—I thought it meant you'd kill us, but it meant we'd have died without you."
Jaden stared at her, mouth open slightly, and rubbed his neck while processing it. "Huh, that's wild."
"So why am I feeling this shitty?" he asked, slumping against the crate. "I only used it three times."
Zule snorted and crossed her arms. "You're lucky you didn't collapse after the first one—seeing Shatterpoints and interacting with them are different. Interacting with one is touching reality itself, changing it or undoing it like you did, and that takes serious effort."
Jaden sighed and nodded. "Guess so—pretty cool though," he said with a chuckle, which made Zule tut and shake her head.
Velea interrupted them, hopping over debris and bodies scattered across the platform, running toward Jaden and throwing her arms around him while asking, "Are you okay?" She pulled back, hands patting his chest and arms, checking for wounds as she turned him side to side. Jaden grabbed her shoulders and held her still. "I'm fine, Velea—stop fussing."
She ignored him, lifting his arm to inspect his shoulder where the lightsaber had pierced him, and frowned while running her fingers over the cauterized mark. He grabbed her cheeks with both hands and looked her in the eyes. "I'm fine, really—we need to get out of here though."
"That would be a good idea," Zule said, picking up her lightsaber and clipping it to her belt.
"Yeah, something that mercenary said bothered me," Jaden said, his smile fading and a frown forming as he let go of Velea and straightened up.
"What?" They both aske.
"He let his employer's name slip," Jaden said, crossing his arms and leaning against the crate again.
"So what, you want to go after him?" Velea asked, shrugging and glancing at Zule.
"It's the same guy who was the lead prosecutor in my case," Jaden said, looking between them. "Collan Eislo—also my top suspect for who attacked Padmè in the courtroom."
He paused for a moment as he took a second to think.
"I was willing to chalk it up to circumstance," Jaden said, pushing off the crate and pacing a few steps despite the ache in his legs, "but now it seems Collan Eislo needs some investigating."
(AN: Soon is the Gala which will be a pretty big chapter. But yeah some build up needs to happen before then. Like sex. Did you think I'd forget. Nah man. That's what this whole thing is about, fuck the story. It's about the aliens... alien women.
Slid off the ramp with a drink in hand,
Boots on fire from that Martian sand.
She had curves that bent light, eyes that purred,
Said, "I speak six tongues—only two use words.
Yeah man tbh I'm grateful for Star Wars because it's kept my childhood dream of banging Twi'leks, Zeltrons. Togruta. Sny Snootles. I'm just saying that mouth has a purpose beyond singing. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter.)
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