Chapter 45: How Heroes are Born
Without even thinking, Rey rushed forward and intercepted the sith-lightsaber wielder. She could not confirm if he was a true Sith or a cultist pretending, but it was clear from his movement that he was very skilled with the weapon in his hands. Just before he could strike down another representative from the Corporate Alliance, she drew her own saber to meet him.
In a moment, her natural reflex to engage in battle meditation kicked in, though she resisted the urge with all her might. With her current condition, it would do more harm than good; her fighting ability would decrease drastically, but the alternative was certain death. This moment of reflex almost cost Rey her life as their blades barely met before the man drew back and attacked from another angle. He managed to cut the sleeve of her ornate robe but missed her flesh as she leaped back and took a defensive stance.
Rey heard blaster fire and managed to see guards swarm toward the radical cultists. Rey heard the familiar and unique sound of Minvera's sized blaster from behind her, and to her right, she saw Admiral Primidian with his energy shield and a blaster of his own. She didn't have time to think about this as her enemy lurched at her. The man had a wolf-like mask that covered his face and even black gloves on his hands; none of his skin was visible. His only visible feature was a pair of yellow piercing eyes. He wasted no breath on words and simply tried to attack her.
He attacked high, and Rey blocked. Pulling back, he fainted left with his shoulder and struck towards her right. Rey didn't have time to block and jumped down, trying to sweep his legs. The man performed a backflip while slashing at her head. She intercepted his blade and pushed forward to counter him, but he thrust forth his other arm and pushed her back with the Force. Rey was off balance when she landed and barely managed to put up a guard to her left as her instinctual affinity for Battle Meditation took over. After three quick exchanges, she managed to push him on the defensive but then had to retreat several steps as the pain from maintaining Force Ability caused black spots to dance across her vision.
Her attacker sensed her weakness like a shark-smelling blood. The floating old man called merily, “See here, see here. Look how the Jedi is powerless before the might of the Dark Side. Heed not the lie she tells of our great and merciful Emperor; his return is nye.”
The Darkside user before her tried to overwhelm her with a sudden burst of attacks; however, Rey managed to fend off the swift, subtle attacks. She felt lucky that the Lightsaber Forums taught by the Jedi focused primarily on defense as, in her current situation, she couldn't even attack if she wanted. However, her defense could become an offense. Rather than looking for chances to attack, Rey focused solely on her defense, and with each blow she blocked, she aimed to do so with as much speed as possible. This tactic quickly accelerated the speed of the battle as heavy lightsaber clashes were replaced by swift yet deadly tapes of the blade. They dance around the room, ducking, leaping, and rolling around the scrambling delegates as they mutually draw each other in more rapid combat. Rey was now counting on her reflex being better than this wolf-masked man. Normally, this would be a matter left up to chance, but her midichlorian count was much higher than the average Force user, granting her reflex superior to most Force Wielders. She was so sensitive she had even pioneered Lightspeed. Skipping through, her friends would at times try and boldly imitate her, thus putting their lives in grave peril.
After a minute like this, her opponent seemed to realize he was losing his initiative and, at the same time, was now in a very dangerous position. With a sudden shout, a wave of Force Energy radiated from his body, forcing Rey to do her own backflip and then slide several feet on the smooth marble floor. While Rey was still recovering from this blast, the man lunged towards a new target, Admiral Sveck. In a panic, Rey leaped forward and barely blocked the attack but then got slugged hard in the stomach. She managed to fend off two more sudden attacks before her defense crumbled.
The old man seemed giddy and called out, “Good, finish her, Luca.”
The wolf-masked man pulled back, ready to land the killing blow, when simultaneous blaster fire sounded behind her. Her opponent blocked the blast aimed at his liver but was hit by the other in his shoulder. He let out a grunt, and Rey saw him perform a hasty calculator in his eyes before he snarled, “This is not the last you’ve heard of us!”
He swiftly leaped back while tossing out a smoke bomb. The surviving cultists did the same and retreated the way they came as their apparent leader cried out, slightly frustrated, “Today you have witnessed our power. I will only say this once more: submit or perish. We will return soon to purge any non-believers.”
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Rey got up shackly at this, coughing due to the smoke before retreating to the location of friendly fire while holding onto Admiral Sveck’s collar. The man seemed to be in shock at the moment, and it was clear he was a target of this attack. The Jedi was alive to find the two blasts that had severed her had come from Minerva and Admiral Primidian. Her godfather placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her with a concerned expression. He then smiled and nodded before kneeling down to check on Sveck. As he descended, he whispered to her, “Congratulations, you're a hero now.”
Rey resisted the urge to lie down on the floor and shout out her frustration of having not been able to capture her attacker. He had been very skilled, but with battle meditation, she could out-duel nearly any opponent. If she had her powers, he would have been easy to capture, and then they could have interrogated him. Now, all she could do was recover her breath and regret her rashness. In a quiet voice, she grumbled, “I'm not a hero.”
Minerva glazed around cautiously before putting her weapon into a hidden pocket and hugging the Jedi wordily, “Oh Rey, but you are.” She pulled away and brushed back the young woman's hair before going on, “You risked your life to save not only your friends but well…” She stopped herself, remembering they were at a diplomatic event, and then continued swiftly, “But total stranger as well. Who knows how many people would have died if you hadn't been here to stop that monster.” The woman froze and then blurted with increasing worry in her voice, “Don't tell me it's like this on all your missions.”
Rey laughed at this, happy to be hugged and cared for before responding, “No, usually it's much easier; I'm a bit under the weather right now.”
Minerva blinked, looking faint, then hugged Rey again tightly, “Oh, you're going to worry me to death at this rate.”
At this point, Admiral Sveck Rose, to his feet, shackled and adjusted his uniform. He turned to Rey and cleared his throat, looking embarrassed but earnest. He held out his hand as Minerva released the Jedi and moved aside. In a shaky voice, he said, “Rey Skywalker, today you saved my life by risking your own. I'm eternally grateful and in awe of your selfless heroism. I don't know how I can repay you.”
Rey smiled and took the man's hand, not sure why he was behaving so earnestly; then again, different people respond to trauma in different ways. Meeting his gaze, she responded, “It's what a Jedi is supposed to do. No need to repay me.” She was ready to leave her response at this but, after a moment of contemplation, added, “ If anything, just do your best during the Concord and don't be afraid. We will catch these villains, and we will have peace.”
The man seemed relieved and let out a sigh as his fellow Admiral supported him with an arm. In a commanding voice, Primidian let out a shout like a commander on a chaotic battlefield. His words spread throughout the hall, drawing out the sirens and screaming, “Everyone, the attackers are gone. Do not panic.” Calmness began to return to the nearest people as he roared once more, “Do not be afraid. We are representative of our species and homelands. We will remain composed even in the face of death and tragedy. Everyone, do not panic!``
Near complete silence fell over the vast crowd, aside from some alarms and sobbing in the distance. The Admiral let out a breath and continued, “Security is securing our location as we speak, and medics are on the way. Another attack will be impossible. These are trying times, but I assure you these terrorists will be investigated and caught. I beseech you all to support us with this process with your testimony and insights.” He paused as his voice grew raw from shouting; after a moment of recovery, the man continued to address the captivated room. In an earnest and passionate tone, he went on, “My fellow representative, please have courage. We must not yield in the face of evil. I assure you, these radicals do not speak for the citizens of the Old Empire or any legitimate government. They are terrorists driven by fanatism, greed, and anger. We have all struggled for so long and sacrificed so much…” His voice cracked with emotion as he bellowed, “We mustn’t give up. For our future, for our children's future, we can't give up on this Concord.” His voice deflated and took on a more solemn tone, “I know many of you must be angry, furious, even outraged. Many of you are grieving. Tonight, more than a few good people have died. These people will be mourned…” With a sudden burst, fiery emotion returned to his outcry, “But we can not let them die in vain. We must stand up to these villains and not give up. Let those who died today be the last who die in the name of us achieving peace through the galaxy once more. United, we can do it; let us fight for this dream. Let us fight for peace.”
A silent stillness overcame the room, and Rey could hear her heart beating. In the wake of the Admiral’s voice, the world now seemed eerily silent. The grey-haired man was like a sun, and everyone in the room was merely satellites orbiting his first will. Confidence, strength, and resolve radiated from him, dissolving the oppressive feeling of fear and darkness that had been left by the Dark Apostoles.
The Jedi didn't know how long the silence might have lasted if not for the sound of clapping that came from beside her. Minerva was the one who began this trend, looking nervous but resolved, and soon, the entire room had joined together in solidarity. The sound of applause grew defining, and a few shouts could be heard as well. It was at this point that a bustle of medics and security agents arrived and began to organize the crowd.
An important-looking Mon Calamari in an ornate uniform flanked by two rows of security arrived at the center of the room. Using a handheld amplifier, she announced, “Everyone, please remain calm and comply with the investigation. Medical staff is available for all injured people. Once you have been cleared by security, please exit the premises and return to your lodging.”