LUX BONTERI

Lux walked slowly over towards Barriss, who stood up, rubbing her head. "Ooh. What...?" She turned and saw Lux. "You!"

Her eyes were a fiery yellow-and-red, and her two red lightsabers flashed on. "You'll pay for this!" she yelled, and rushed at him.

As he raised his grey-blue lightsaber for the first blow, he felt something in him shift. It was like Ahsoka was guiding his actions, for they weren't any of the Jedi forms that he knew. They were extremely advanced, and with them, he could win.

Barriss jumped mid-run, and flew through the air towards him. At the last second, he moved quickly to the side, and she sailed right past him, landing a few feet away. She stumbled as she hit the ground, not anticipation the move.

"You were saying?" Lux said, a taunting smile on his face. She rushed at him again, trying to land a blow, but he kept on dodging and weaving between her lightsabers.

He would swing his lightsaber at her where she least expected it, throwing her off-balance and dancing away before she could take a swipe at him. It was amazing, and somehow, he got the feeling that these lessons in spirit would stay with him.

But eventually, Barriss slowed to a stop a few meters away, breathing heavily from the useless running around. "This isn't possible! You don't know moves like these, and you don't even have a lightsaber! I've seen you!"

"Well, maybe you don't know as much about me as you think you do." Lux waved his lightsaber around a bit, listening to the whoom sound it made each time with satisfaction.

"You are going to die tonight!" she said, along with a couple of curses.

She ran at him, and this time, she had the upper hand. She was using forms and methods of attack that even Ahsoka, whom he was certain was directing his laser sword, apparently didn't know.

Eventually, Barriss managed to get him on the ground, and aimed blows at him that he countered, but just barely. He could feel Ahsoka's spirit next to him, guiding his hand, but even she was starting to wane at the face of such evil.

Suddenly, his lightsaber was knocked from his grasp, and he was left with no other options. Hoping that Ahsoka would forgive him, he pulled her lightsaber from beside her using the Force and used it to block her blows, and was able to stand.

The fight went on. Lux felt that he was getting the upper hand, but then his rival kicked out and he fell, hitting his head. "Ugh!" he gasped, rubbing his head as he tried to sit up. But the Dark Jedi brought her boot was down on his neck, suffocating him and cutting off his blood circulation.

As he struggled to breathe, she said, "You're that last step, Lux Bonteri. When you're dead, I'll be much better off: both financially and spiritually."

"You... don't have... to do this," Lux gasped, trying to stall for time. "I... thought you felt... something for me!"

"I lied. It's as simple as that. I knew that this would be the perfect way to take Ahsoka Tano down from the inside. And so, when I saw you looking at me, I seized the opportunity."

"You... used... me...?" Lux was starting to feel dizzy from the lack of air.

"Yes, you silly politician." She flashed a sinister smile, complete with yellow-rimmed-with-red eyes, in his direction.

Then he noticed something behind her. On silent feet, even holding his breath so to make no noise, Darth Vader was approaching them. His lightsaber was pointed at Barriss.

Hope rekindled in Lux's mind. "You know, you... won't... live to see the... end of this," Lux said, without even a glance in Darth Vader's direction, so that he wouldn't miss his sole chance of surviving death at Barriss's hands.

"Oh, so now the little Senator is making up stories to frighten me off! Well it isn't going to–" She broke off as the Sith Lord's lightsaber pierced her chest.

She fell down. Coughing blood, she managed to mutter, "I... will... have my... revenge... You'll see... I will..." Then she slumped, dead.