Ana continued to hold her lightsaber pointed towards Talak, shuddering with anxiety as she awaited his next move. What had he been expecting, if not this? This whole test seemed just some cruel way to torment and hurt her, and even the short-lived hunt of tonight had been enough to thoroughly abuse her. What callous tricks and traps did he have for her? His inquisitive evaluation unnerved her, and she could feel his serpent-like eyes studying her through the dim red glow of her lightsaber. She was quickly growing tired of the way he looked at her whenever she said anything like she was some kind of science experiment. She glared back at him and tried to slow her breathing, but the tension of the situation made even that difficult.
Whatever attempts to calm herself failed immediately once he ignited his lightsaber and mused about a duel. Before she had the opportunity to question whether it was a challenge or an assertion, he lunged forward to engage her. Her body’s fight or flight response kicked in and she could feel her muscles tense up, ready to defend herself. He was fast – far faster than she expected, and the dancing shadows did little to help her accurately judge distances.
She swung her lightsaber down perpendicular to his just in time to block his diagonal slash, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold the block. Their crimson blades clashed and cracked together, but he had the advantage in both health and raw strength. She lifted her free hand from her wound and thrust it forward, flicking a few droplets of blood at Talak and repulsing him with a solid shove of Force energy to the chest, hoping to create distance between the two combatants and imbalance him. If her push moved him back, even just a meter or two, she would limp backwards to try and increase the gap. She was in no state to fight, and she knew her death was coming soon. He held all the power here; all she could do now was try and survive the ordeal. She kept her lightsaber low and close to her, ready to block another incoming attack. The surge of adrenaline was coming back to her and helping dull the pain in her leg, but she wondered if it was too late.
What a fool she was to trust this man to not bring her out in the darkness and execute her. She was such a stupid, impetuous child, and now this would be how it ended for her.
Whatever attempts to calm herself failed immediately once he ignited his lightsaber and mused about a duel. Before she had the opportunity to question whether it was a challenge or an assertion, he lunged forward to engage her. Her body’s fight or flight response kicked in and she could feel her muscles tense up, ready to defend herself. He was fast – far faster than she expected, and the dancing shadows did little to help her accurately judge distances.
She swung her lightsaber down perpendicular to his just in time to block his diagonal slash, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold the block. Their crimson blades clashed and cracked together, but he had the advantage in both health and raw strength. She lifted her free hand from her wound and thrust it forward, flicking a few droplets of blood at Talak and repulsing him with a solid shove of Force energy to the chest, hoping to create distance between the two combatants and imbalance him. If her push moved him back, even just a meter or two, she would limp backwards to try and increase the gap. She was in no state to fight, and she knew her death was coming soon. He held all the power here; all she could do now was try and survive the ordeal. She kept her lightsaber low and close to her, ready to block another incoming attack. The surge of adrenaline was coming back to her and helping dull the pain in her leg, but she wondered if it was too late.
What a fool she was to trust this man to not bring her out in the darkness and execute her. She was such a stupid, impetuous child, and now this would be how it ended for her.