The slums were long behind them, the dark, tangled forest now silent as the rebels and Jedi pressed onward through the underbrush. The villa loomed ahead, a shadowy fortress shrouded in mist, its walls towering over the treeline. The air grew colder, heavier, as if the darkness itself thickened the closer they came. For Adri'anna, the pressure behind her eyes pulsed with each step, a dull ache that warned of something deeper—something more dangerous than she had prepared for.

  Her team split, as planned. The rebels darted toward the side of the villa, slipping into the shadows as they made their way toward the guarded entry points. Harro and the other Jedi girl, Mara, moved alongside Adri'anna. Their mission was clear: lure out the Emperor’s Hand, the Empire’s most feared enforcer, away from the villa so the others could complete their objective. Codename Destroyer—they didn’t know what it was, but they knew it could turn the tide in the Empire’s favor if they failed.

  The forest thinned as they approached the main entrance, its great iron doors standing silent and still. Harro, always eager to lighten the tension, nudged Mara, offering her a grin. “You think she’ll be as scary as they say? The Hand, I mean. Maybe she’s just a tall stormtrooper in a cape.”

  Mara gave a weak smile but said nothing, her hands twitching nervously near the hilt of her lightsaber. Adri'anna, sensing their growing fear, spoke up, her voice low and steady. “This is no laughing matter, Harro. We’re up against something far worse than any stormtrooper.”

  Harro’s smile faded, and he nodded, though the nervous energy in him never fully disappeared. Adri'anna kept her eyes fixed on the villa, her hand tightening around her lightsaber. The pressure in her head grew sharper, and with it, a sense of impending doom.

  As they reached the outer gate, a sudden gust of wind blew through the courtyard, and the lamps lining the walls flickered—one by one, they snuffed out, plunging the area into darkness. The three Jedi stopped in their tracks, eyes darting around the shadows as a chill ran down their spines. The air became thick, the hairs on the back of their necks standing on end.

  “She’s here,” Adri'anna whispered, her voice barely audible over the deafening silence.

  The darkness stirred.

  Inside the villa, Cassandra stood tall, still dripping from the bath. She moved with the deliberate grace of a predator, her long cloak fluttering behind her as she strode through the halls. Her dark hair, damp and loose, framed her sharp, flawless features, but her expression was cold, focused. The disturbance in the Force was unmistakable—Jedi. They had come for her.

  “Na’la, stay here,” Cassandra ordered as she passed her assistant in the hall, who had just finished getting dressed. “Secure the villa.”

  “Yes, my Lord,” Na’la replied, her voice steady. She had sensed the danger too, but there was no fear in her now. She had trained for this moment—fighting at Cassandra’s side had sharpened her into something far more dangerous than any assistant. She turned on her heel and made her way toward the courtyard, her blaster ready at her side.

  The large double doors of the villa creaked open with a deafening groan, and the oppressive silence thickened as Cassandra stepped into the courtyard. The Jedi were waiting. Harro and Mara stood side by side, their lightsabers already ignited, their eyes wide as they beheld her. Cassandra’s presence was suffocating—her aura, her sheer power, seemed to consume the very air around them.

  She didn’t ignite her lightsaber yet. She didn’t need to.

  “Children,” Cassandra said softly, her voice laced with mockery, “did you really think you could sneak into my domain unnoticed?”

  Mara shifted nervously, her blue lightsaber shaking slightly in her hands. Harro, trying to mask his fear, stepped forward, his own green blade held high. “You’re the Emperor’s Hand?” he asked, his voice cracking. “We’re taking you down.”

  Cassandra smiled, a slow, menacing curl of her lips. “Oh, are you?” She took a single step forward, and the pressure in the air seemed to intensify, crushing down on the two Jedi. “And what makes you think you stand a chance against me?”

  Harro gritted his teeth, trying to shake off the oppressive weight bearing down on him. “Because there are two of us,” he said, his voice firming with defiance. He lunged forward, his lightsaber swinging in a wide arc aimed at Cassandra’s side.

  Cassandra didn’t flinch. In an instant, her crimson blade hissed to life, catching Harro’s strike mid-swing. The force of her parry sent him stumbling back, his arms vibrating from the impact.

  Mara leapt forward, her blade flashing toward Cassandra’s neck. But Cassandra moved faster—far faster than either of them had anticipated. She twisted out of the way, her lightsaber a red blur as she slashed upward. Mara barely managed to block, the power behind Cassandra’s strike forcing her backward.

  Cassandra’s eyes gleamed with dark amusement as she advanced on the two Jedi. “Is this all the Rebellion has to offer?” she taunted, her voice filled with contempt. “Two frightened children swinging their toys?”

  Harro, regaining his footing, charged at her again, his strikes wild but powerful. Cassandra parried each blow with ease, her movements fluid and precise. She barely exerted any effort, while Harro’s breath came in ragged gasps, his attacks becoming more desperate.

  “Come now,” Cassandra said, her voice almost playful. “Surely you can do better than that.”

  Mara tried to flank her, aiming for her legs, but Cassandra spun on her heel, her lightsaber slashing upward and catching Mara’s blade with a shower of sparks. The young Jedi cried out as the force of the blow knocked her to the ground.

  Harro roared in anger, lunging at Cassandra with all his might, but Cassandra caught his blade again, this time twisting her wrist and disarming him with a flick of her saber. His lightsaber clattered to the ground, leaving him defenseless.

  “Pathetic,” Cassandra whispered, her voice low and dangerous.

  In one fluid motion, she drove her lightsaber through Harro’s chest, the crimson blade piercing his body with a sickening hiss. Harro’s eyes widened in shock, a pained gasp escaping his lips as he crumpled to the ground.

  Mara, still on the ground, stared in horror as Harro’s body hit the floor. “No!” she screamed, scrambling to her feet, her blue lightsaber blazing as she charged at Cassandra in a desperate attempt to avenge her friend.

  But it was too late. Cassandra sidestepped her attack with ease, her lightsaber slicing through Mara’s side in a flash of red. Mara collapsed, clutching her wound, her breath shallow and pained.

  Cassandra stood over them, barely a scratch on her. She twirled her lightsaber, the crimson blade casting an ominous glow on the bloodied bodies of the fallen Jedi.

  “You were weak,” she said coldly, looking down at Mara as the girl struggled to breathe. “A waste of effort.”

  Mara gasped for air, her eyes filled with pain and fear as she looked up at Cassandra. “You…won’t win,” she whispered, her voice weak.

  Cassandra knelt down beside her, leaning in close, her voice a low whisper. “I already have.”

  Na’la led the stormtroopers and Officer Kaldana down into the villa’s courtyard, their footsteps echoing in the narrow corridors. Her blaster was at the ready, her mind sharp and focused. There would be no mistakes tonight.

  As they reached the base of operations, Na’la motioned for her troops to fan out, her eyes scanning the area for any sign of the intruders. The courtyard was eerily quiet, the only sound the faint hum of the villa’s security systems.

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  “They’ll come for the comms next,” Na’la said quietly, her voice firm. “We hold this position.”

  Officer Kaldana nodded, his hand resting on the hilt of his blaster. “We’re ready.”

  Suddenly, a shot rang out, and one of the rebels broke from the shadows, rushing toward the comms center. Without hesitation, Na’la fired, her blaster bolt striking the rebel in the leg. The man collapsed, screaming in pain, his weapon falling from his hands.

  Na’la stepped forward, her expression cold as she stood over the fallen rebel. “You’re not getting away that easily.”

  The rebel groaned, clutching his leg as blood seeped through his clothes. “We just need the data,” he gasped, his voice filled with desperation. “We need—”

  Na’la shot him again, silencing his pleas with a point-blank shot to the chest. The other rebels, hidden among the crates and machinery, scurried for cover as Na’la’s troops opened fire, the air filling with the sound of blaster bolts and screams.

  “Hold this position!” Na’la shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. “Do not let them get near the comms!”

  The remaining rebels scrambled, ducking behind crates and machinery as they tried to return fire. One of them, a woman with a blaster rifle, managed to get a shot off, hitting one of Na’la’s troopers in the shoulder. The man cried out, stumbling backward as Na’la fired back, her bolt striking the woman in the arm.

  Suddenly, a low rumble filled the air, and Na’la’s eyes widened as a large ship descended from the sky, its engines roaring as it hovered above the courtyard. The wind whipped through the area, scattering debris and sending the troopers into disarray.

  The twins dropped from the ship, their landing silent and graceful as they hit the ground. Na’la raised her blaster, firing at them, but the bolts passed through their bodies like smoke. The twins moved with inhuman speed, their forms shifting as they weaved between the blaster fire, their eyes gleaming with cold amusement.

  One by one, the stormtroopers fell, their bodies crumpling as the twins dispatched them with ease. Na’la’s heart raced as she watched her troops fall, her mind scrambling for a plan. She turned to Officer Kaldana, but her breath caught in her throat.

  Kaldana was already dead, his body split in half, his lifeless eyes staring blankly ahead.

  Na’la cursed under her breath, stepping back as the twins turned their attention to her. “Kaldana…” she whispered, her hands shaking as she gripped her blaster tighter.

  The twins giggled, their voices eerie and childlike as they moved toward her, their forms still shifting, still untouchable. “You’re different,” one of them said, her voice soft and sweet. “Stronger than the others.”

  Na’la gritted her teeth, raising her blaster again, but this time, she didn’t fire. She slid her weapon back into its holster and took a deep breath, steadying herself.

  “I don’t need a blaster to deal with you,” Na’la said, her voice firm. She dropped into a fighting stance, her body tense and ready, her mind flashing back to the countless hours of training she had spent with Cassandra.

  To be an assistant to the most powerful person in the galaxy, she had to be more than just an aide. She had to be able to defend herself, to fight, to kill.

  The twins exchanged amused glances, their eyes gleaming with excitement. “Oh? You wish to play with us?” one of them asked, her voice teasing. “Let’s see what you can do.”

  They lunged at her, their movements impossibly fast, but Na’la was ready. She dodged their strikes, her body moving with fluid precision, her fists and legs striking out with calculated force. She landed a punch to one twin’s face, sending her reeling back, but before she could follow through, the other twin was on her, swiping at her with a blade that seemed to materialize out of the smoke.

  Na’la blocked the strike with her arm, grunting as the blade cut into her skin, but she didn’t falter. She spun, delivering a swift kick to the twin’s side, sending her crashing into a nearby crate.

  The twins recovered quickly, their smiles fading as they realized Na’la was no ordinary opponent. They exchanged a quick glance, their forms shifting again as they began to circle her.

  “You’re strong,” one twin said, her voice low. “Stronger than we thought.”

  Na’la didn’t reply. She kept her focus, her eyes tracking their movements, her muscles coiled and ready. But before she could strike again, the twins moved in unison, their hands outstretched as they called on the Force.

  Na’la barely had time to react before she was hit by an invisible wave of power, the Force slamming into her with the force of a speeder. Her body flew backward, crashing into the stone wall of the courtyard with a sickening thud. Pain exploded through her back, and the world blurred as she slumped to the ground, consciousness slipping away.

  The last thing she heard was the twins’ eerie laughter, echoing in the distance.

  The fight was over.

  Cassandra stood tall in the grand hall, her lightsaber still ignited, its crimson glow casting long shadows on the cold stone floor. Harro and Mara lay at her feet, their bodies still, their lightsabers dimmed.

  She barely had a scratch on her.

  Cassandra looked down at Mara, her expression cold and detached. “To think the rebellion would send padawans,” she said softly, almost to herself. “You were never more than children playing at war.”

  Her commlink beeped, pulling her attention away from the fallen Jedi. She activated it, and Na’la’s voice crackled through the speaker. “My Lord… the courtyard… they’ve taken the data.”

  Cassandra’s eyes narrowed, her grip tightening on her lightsaber. “I’m on my way.”

  She moved quickly, her form a blur as she raced through the halls, her mind focused, her anger simmering beneath the surface. The courtyard came into view, and as she stepped outside, her gaze locked onto the twins standing near the communications center.

  They were waiting for her, their expressions calm, their hands still stained with the blood of her troopers.

  “We meet once more,” one of the twins said, her voice soft and lilting.

  Cassandra didn’t reply. She advanced on them, her lightsaber raised, her eyes burning with fury. “You took the data,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. “You think you can escape with it?”

  The other twin smiled, picking up a small rock from the ground. “Oh, we don’t need to escape.” With a flick of her wrist, she hurled the rock toward the group of rebels standing nearby. The rock moved at an impossible speed, striking one of the rebels in the head with a sickening crunch.

  The man crumpled to the ground, blood pouring from the hole in his skull. The others barely had time to react before another rock followed, killing them instantly. They touched the holes in their heads, eyes wide with shock, before collapsing lifeless to the floor.

  Cassandra’s eyes widened in surprise, but before she could react, one of the twins spoke again, her voice soft but filled with an unsettling certainty. “You cannot stop fate, Lord Cassandra. Everything is already in motion.”

  The twins turned, their forms flickering like smoke as they began to move toward the forest.

  “Stop!” Cassandra roared, her voice echoing through the courtyard. She shot forward, using the Force to propel her body with inhuman speed. But the twins vanished into the trees, their laughter echoing in the night.

  Cassandra cursed under her breath, her anger boiling over as she gave chase. The forest was thick, the trees twisting and gnarled, but she moved through them with deadly precision. The twins were fast, but she was faster.

  The chase led her deeper into the woods, the darkness pressing in around her. But then, a flicker in the Force made her pause. She turned, her eyes narrowing as she sensed a presence—familiar yet foreign.

  There, stumbling through the trees, was Adri’anna.

  The white-haired Jedi girl clutched her head, her face contorted in pain as she tried to reach her communicator. She hadn’t sensed Cassandra’s approach yet, but the moment she did, she froze.

  Cassandra stepped out from the shadows, her presence like a storm descending upon the forest. Adri’anna’s eyes widened in horror as she looked up, her hand shaking as she reached for her lightsaber.

  “You…” Cassandra whispered, her voice filled with cold realization. “You’re Her.”

  Adri’anna’s breath caught in her throat, her mind reeling from the revelation. She stared at Cassandra, unable to move, unable to think. For a moment, the two of them stood frozen in the darkness, the weight of their shared visions pressing down on them both.

  But then, Adri’anna turned and ran.

  Cassandra’s eyes burned with fury as she gave chase, her lightsaber igniting once again as she pursued the fleeing Jedi. Adri’anna’s heart raced, her body trembling with fear as she sprinted through the forest, her mind screaming at her to escape.

  The cliff came into view, and without thinking, Adri’anna slid down the embankment, her feet skidding on the loose soil. She reached the bottom, panting heavily, her eyes darting upward as she saw Cassandra standing at the top of the cliff, her lightsaber glowing ominously in the night.

  For a moment, their eyes met—Cassandra’s filled with rage, Adri’anna’s with fear.

  But then, a sharp pain shot through both of their heads, and they collapsed to their knees, clutching their temples in agony. The Force surged between them, crackling with power, binding them together in a way neither of them could explain.

  Cassandra stared down at Adri’anna, her mind reeling as the truth slowly dawned on her.

  She’s the one.

  The ship appeared overhead, its engines roaring as it descended toward Adri’anna. She scrambled to her feet, her body shaking as she ran toward it, the ramp still hovering just above the ground.

  Cassandra watched, fury and shock warring within her as Adri’anna leaped onto the ramp, the ship rising into the sky. Their eyes met one last time, a silent exchange of disbelief and anger, before the ship sped off into the night, leaving Cassandra standing alone in the forest.

  Her hands trembled as she deactivated her lightsaber, the red glow fading into the darkness.

  Fate was not something she could control after all.