In this episode of Mark Wooden’s “Star Wars” fanfiction, Jedi Nile Chinelo confronts the murderous Inquisitor Leeta Greyhelm.
Want to read from the beginning? Go to Episode 1.1 here! Go to Episode 2.1 here!
Like much of Peroon’s infrastructure, the quick stop restaurant was constructed not for stability but convenience. It lacked modern fixtures like the standard sliding entrance doors.
Instead, the restaurant’s doors were old school swinging doors.
Leeta Greyhelm nearly threw the doors off their hinges when she pushed them open.
Patrons jumped at the noise, immediately looking to the doors. All were intimidated by the presence of the woman standing there.
She dressed in black leather, her head shaved on one side. A full mane of red hair hung straight to her shoulder on the other side.
The inquisitor held a black cylinder in her hand. Her cold gray eyes scanned the restaurant.
They stopped on Miri Way.
Leeta stalked toward Way. A woman with thinning hair in an olive-hued uniform stood from Way’s table to intercept her.
“Now look here!” the woman began. “We’ve had enough drama —”
A red light ignited from Greyhelm’s cylinder — the blade of her lightsaber.
Said blade cut through the woman before her. Leeta smiled in satisfaction when she saw the look of horror on Miri Way’s face.
The Imperial Inquisitor held the tip of her blade at Way’s throat.
“Now that I have your attention,” Greyhelm said in a voice equally feminine and dangerous. “Where is the Jedi?”
Then Greyhelm heard the unmistakable hiss of a lightsaber’s ignition and release of its blade.
“Everyone who is not holding a lightsaber needs to leave. Now.”
Greyhelm recognized the Jedi’s voice.
The inquisitor allowed herself a smile.
Moments before, Nile slid her commlink back into her pocket. She pushed through the rain and crowds away from the hangar control area.
The dark presence of the inquisitor moved purposefully toward the restaurant. She must have figured out about Miri Way and thought the Jedi would go to her.
What would the inquisitor do if she found Way?
Nile abruptly stopped.
A man walking behind her bumped into her. He said something cruel, but Nile was beyond hearing him. Her thoughts were on Miri Way.
The Jedi immediately returned to the restaurant, entering through the rear service area from whence she’d exited. She realized her worst fear.
The inquisitor had already cut down one of the women seated with Way. The Sith’s red blade was inches from Way’s throat.
Nile ignited her lightsaber, releasing its blue-colored blade.
“Everyone who is not holding a lightsaber needs to leave,” the Jedi said to the restaurant’s patrons. “Now.”
It didn’t take the patrons long to clear the place.
Soon the only ones who remained were Way and her eyewear-clad friend, who had gone into stunned silence as she huddled in her chair.
The inquisitor still had her back to Nile, confident that with her blade so close to Way Nile wouldn’t attack.
“Welcome back, Jedi,” the inquisitor said, with an emphasis of hate on the word “Jedi.”
“I know if I ask you won’t let those women go,” Nile said.
“And you’d be right,” the inquisitor replied.
“Then I’m telling them to leave. And you won’t stop them.” Nile moved so that she was in Way’s line of sight. “Go.”
Way cautiously stood.
The inquisitor tried to strike Way down —
The Dark Force wielder couldn’t move.
Seeing this, Way eased around the inquisitor’s blade and dashed for the exit. Her friend hadn’t moved, too locked in her hysteria.
The Jedi could feel the strain on her Force ability as the inquisitor fought against her. “Get going!” Nile shouted. “I can’t hold her for long!”
Fighting the Light Side of the Force locking her body, the inquisitor slowly turned her head to look at her oppressor.
Her expression was a mask of rage.
“You can’t hold me at all!” the inquisitor shouted.
Nile lost control.
The inquisitor lashed out with her lightsaber, cutting the Way’s friend from shoulder to chest. The inquisitor withdrew her blade and turned to face her nemesis the Jedi.
“You will not bind me again, Jedi.”
Nile readied her lightsaber for the inquisitor’s inevitable attack.
A blaster bolt raced at the inquisitor. She barely raised her lightsaber to deflect the blow.
A second bolt got through the inquisitor’s defenses, striking her side. She stumbled back into Way’s table.
Nile looked to the blaster bolts’ source. Corana and Piani stood at the restaurant’s entrance, weapons trained on the inquisitor.
“I told you to leave!” Nile shouted.
“So you could have a party without us?” Corana asked, her eyes steady on the inquisitor.
Rising from her stumble, the inquisitor glared at Piani and Corana. She moved toward them, physically throwing aside a table and closing the distance between them.
Corana moved to pull the trigger on her blaster carbine — but then her entire body seized. Her shot went wide. She fell to her knees.
“Corana!” Piani yelled before kneeling beside her partner.
Nile used the Force in a leap that closed the distance between her and the inquisitor. She held her lightsaber at the ready as she said, “I will make you release her!”
The Inquisitor smiled revealing teeth as black as her costume. “Please try, Jedi.”
Nile did as asked.
She feinted an attack to the side. The inquisitor fell for the maneuver — or so Nile thought.
The inquisitor deftly brought her blade around to parry Nile’s attack, then launched her own, battering through Nile’s defense.
The red blade cut through Nile’s robe at her stomach, searing the flesh underneath. The inquisitor added to the slashing blow a kick that sent Nile crashing into a table behind her.
Another blaster bolt struck the inquisitor in the chest, knocking her back and sprawling her through some chairs behind her. She quickly recovered but was out of striking range to Nile.
“Let’s get going, Nile!” Piani yelled, her blaster trained on the inquisitor and her other arm helping Corana to her feet.
The Jedi looked to her smuggler companions, particularly Corana. The Pantoran woman put up a decent front, but Nile could see the pain in her expression.
Always one to keep up the fight, Corana fired another blaster bolt at the inquisitor.
It was a credit to her skill that, despite the pain she felt, she was able to score a hit. It would be her last shot, though. Gas escaped from her blaster, denoting an empty energy cell.
Her lightsaber lit and in hand, Nile scrambled to her feet. She heard the inquisitor yell behind her. Nile spun her lightsaber to parry the incoming attack.
The inquisitor battered Nile’s lightsaber away and swung again. Her red blade sliced through Nile’s shoulder.
The Jedi screamed before crashing to the ground unconscious.
A look of evil glee on her face, the inquisitor raised her lightsaber for the killing blow.
To be concluded September 27th!
Like the story so far? Be sure to also check out Mark’s original writing, the “Shadowdance” urban fantasy series!
