Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 307-309 - The Sith's Trap

The corridors of the Republic Building No. 500 were filled with an overwhelming aura of death.

Iscart Akari stood in the center of the turbine elevator lobby, flicked his fingers lightly, and shook the drop of blood from his fingertip onto the ground.

She could no longer tell whose blood it was.

Was it seeping from the wound on my own arm, or from the remains of dozens of corpses in the hall?

She stood amidst the pile of corpses, her chest heaving violently.

The continuous sound of lightsabers clashing came from behind.

Iscart cursed under his breath, turned abruptly, and rushed back down the corridor to the blood-soaked penthouse.

The velvet carpet in the apartment was soaked with blood and bodily fluids, making it sticky and slippery underfoot, and you could feel the discomfort with every step.

Her gaze froze instantly in the center of the living room.

That was a scene she would never forget.

Master Shakti's body passed through the shattered reinforced glass, red liquid seeping from the wound on her chest sliding down her Togruta-like markings. Her head and horns thrashed violently in the night wind outside the window before she plummeted into the abyss below like a kite with a broken string.

In that instant of falling, their eyes met briefly, and the shock and resentment in Shakty's eyes were etched into Iscart's mind like a brand.

Then, the figure completely disappeared into the night of Coruscant.

The mastermind behind all this, the Supreme Chancellor, Darth Sidious, stood by the broken window, his black robes fluttering in the night wind.

His withered fingers remained poised to deliver the fatal blow, the one that used the Force to send Master Shakti to his death.

But he had already turned around quickly, so fast that Iscart barely had time to blink. His red lightsaber hissed and precisely collided with Master Yoda's dazzling green lightsaber, barely blocking the fatal slash aimed straight at his head.

The clash of Force between the two powerful individuals was like an invisible storm, roaring and filling the entire apartment.

Even without seeing it with the naked eye, one can clearly perceive the existence of that power.

The shaking caused the marble floor to crack continuously, the ceiling lights to flicker wildly, and the eerie wind that swept through the hall made it almost impossible to breathe.

The red lightsaber and the green lightsaber clashed violently once again, sparks flying everywhere.

Master Yoda, like a ball of emerald flame, nimbly leaped and bounded among the walls, floors, pillars, and broken furniture, each attack precise and ruthless.

Iscart's heart clenched. She had witnessed the peak power of the Jedi Masters and the Dark Lord of the Sith effortlessly parried each attack. He barely moved his feet as he neutralized Yoda's relentless offensive.

There was chaos all around.

The once opulent red and gold decorations in Palpatine's apartment are now covered in black soot and dark red bloodstains, showing no trace of their former luxury.

Several corpses lay by the wall, some clone soldiers in white armor, others warriors in Jedi robes. At this moment, there was no distinction between them; they were all just cold corpses.

Master Adi Gallia lay quietly in the corner, her eyes wide open. The tendrils on her head had lost their former luster and drooped listlessly on the carpet. The screen of the communicator she clutched in her hand was now black and would never be used by anyone again.

Iscart leaped into the air, over the corpses and ruins beneath his feet, activating his lightsabers with both hands simultaneously.

One green, one gold, two beams of light shone in mid-air, like sharp blades slicing through the darkness.

She landed behind Darth Sidious, her lightsaber slashing down with all her might at the crimson lightsaber.

"Om-"

The violent impact left her arms numb and her bones trembling, but Iscart gritted her teeth and pressed forward, channeling her Force into Master Yoda's attack in an attempt to buy him a moment's respite.

Master Yoda immediately seized this fleeting opening, and with lightning speed swung his sword straight at the Sith's head. The light from the green lightsaber was almost blinding.

Darth Sidious reacted swiftly, retreating quickly to break free from contact with Iscart's lightsaber. At the same time, he freed his left hand and struck Master Yoda in the chest, sending him flying.

The Sith Lord's lips curled into a sinister grin, and his free hand suddenly reached towards the other end of the room.

A small metal object was pulled by the Force and instantly flew into his hand.

"Buzz!"

The second red lightsaber suddenly lit up, drawing a deadly arc in his hand.

Iscart Akari inhaled slowly, his feet shoulder-width apart, assuming a stance to confront the Sith Lord. His two lightsabers crossed in front of him, forming a defensive barrier.

Master Yoda got up from the ground, dusted off his robe, glanced at Iskar, and said nothing.

But within the Force's connection, the two had already completed a silent dialogue.

Iscat knew very well that even seven hundred years from now, he would not be able to keep up with Yoda’s speed and fighting rhythm. Joining rashly would only be a hindrance, and might even cause the two of them to die due to a miscoordination.

However, Yoda was able to temporarily adjust her rhythm and coordinate with her attack frequency to launch a surprise attack on the Sith Lord at the most opportune moment.

Therefore, all Iscat had to do was hold his ground and hold out until Yoda found an opportunity to attack.

The problem is... this means that Iscart will become the main force drawing Sith fire, and will have to fight alone against the first Sith Dark Lord in a thousand years.

Darth Sidious was clearly aware of this as well. He made no attempt to conceal his malice within the Force, allowing the heavy, scorching power to probe every weakness in Iscarth, like a viper slithering past its prey.

I will die.

Fear, like a cold, venomous snake, crept up my spine and into my heart.

But the next second, Iscart suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh filled with a desperate resolve. She completely embraced the Force, letting that power flow freely within her: "I will not die!" It was anger, anger at the Sith's slaughter, anger at her own weakness.

She knew exactly what was going to happen next.

It's the same as always, the familiar battle melody, the familiar offensive and defensive moves, the familiar life-or-death rhythm.

"I'm going to kill him!"

That was fury, burning fighting spirit, and an unwavering determination.

Iscart launched the first attack, slashing at Darth Sidious with his twin swords, leaving afterimages in the air as green and gold light flashed.

Master Yoda's presence quietly settled behind her, both in physical space and in her consciousness.

She charged at the Sith Lord, her lightsaber attacks ruthless, but he easily parried them all.

Darth Sidious is stronger... both in terms of physical strength and control of the Force, far exceeding Iscart's imagination.

What made her heart sink even more was that she keenly realized that the Sith Lord had not used his full strength at all, but was just toying with her.

A sliver of fear crept up my spine again… Every precise parry, every perfectly timed dodge, was executed with the composure of someone patiently instructing a young apprentice, as if I were nothing more than a laughable toy in his eyes.

Iscart took a deep breath, transforming the fear in his heart into rage.

Then let the anger ignite into rage, allowing that power to fill every part of your body.

A surge of rage welled up in her chest, like a burning flame that urged her to launch an even stronger attack.

She once again opened her arms to the Force, touching that power hidden deep within... It was always by her side, like a loyal dog that would come at her beck and call in times of crisis, never failing her call.

A thunderous power surged through her veins, and her attacks grew increasingly fierce.

Slash, block, spin, roll, thrust, slash again, and slash once more!
The same rhythm of combat, the deadly rate of attack, ecstasy surged through my veins, burning away all thoughts and fears, leaving only the instinct to fight.

The Force is like a drug, like strong liquor; as long as she doesn't stop, as long as she keeps fighting, it will never bring her down.

Iscart grinned, and the lightsaber in his hand sped up again, forcing the Sith Lord to retreat repeatedly.

Just then, she seized a fleeting opportunity... Darth Sidious stumbled!

Although it was only for a second, it was enough for her to seize the moment.

She clearly saw his shift in balance, the subtle flicker in his expression, and a genuine look of surprise beneath his pale, sickly skin.

Then, Darth Sidious laughed.

His smile was sinister and twisted, his eyes gleaming with excitement, as if he had discovered something interesting within her that brought him great pleasure.

"Is this all you're capable of, darling?" His voice was full of mockery, yet possessed a strange magnetism, as smooth as silk coated with poison. "Don't be like that. I know you can... do better."

Iscart was gasping for breath and couldn't speak; his lungs felt like they were about to explode.

But she dared not relax in the slightest, focusing all her attention on the battle before her. Her twin swords created layers of afterimages in her hands, spinning and flashing, pressing Darth Sidious closer and closer, giving him no chance to breathe.

"There's still a lot more..."

Darth Sidious wanted to say something more, but Iscart didn't let him finish.

With a slight twitch of her fingers, she used the Force to pull Darth Sidious toward herself, an invisible force drawing him towards her.

The Sith Lord's body lunged at her uncontrollably, the two red lightsabers in his hands flashing coldly, as if he wanted to cleave her in two.

But Iscart had already moved ahead of him, and the moment his body swept towards her, she curled up and rolled quickly on the carpet, avoiding the fatal blow.

Master Yoda was already waiting in ambush behind her.

The green lightsaber thrust upwards with lightning speed, aiming straight for the exposed skin between the Sith Lord's ribs.

That's where the armor's gaps are, and also its most vulnerable spot.

Darth Sidious reacted quickly, twisting his body to dodge and barely managing to block Yoda's attack with one of his red lightsabers. The ear-piercing sound of metal clashing filled the entire apartment.

Iscart seized the opportunity, quickly turned around, and thrust his lightsaber straight at Darth Sidious's back.

"Uh!"

A short, startled cry came from the Sith Lord.

With a flick of his wrist, another red lightsaber rose back, catching Iscart's blade before it could cut too deep.

Immediately afterwards, he exerted his strength, and a powerful surge of primal force erupted, causing the two Jedi to be simultaneously forced to retreat, their boots scraping against the floor with a piercing sound.

“You…you’re not Palpatine…no, you’re a clone of Palpatine…yet another Sith…”

Yoda was surprised by this discovery.

"You're still as perceptive as ever, but... so what? What can you change? You can't change anything!"

……

Meanwhile, Palpatine had finished his speech and returned to the Speaker's office.

(End of this chapter)