Star Wars_ The Old Republic_ Revan - Drew Karpyshyn [49]
The female was the more dangerous opponent, but she obviously cared for her partner. She was willing to put herself in harm’s way to defend him—a flaw Scourge could easily exploit.
He abruptly changed tactics, shifting from the conventional defensive positions of the Soresu form to the acrobatic attack sequences of Ataru. Taking two quick steps to gain speed, Scourge leapt at the nearby cavern wall, planted both feet on its vertical surface, then pushed off hard to launch himself in a spinning flip over the man’s head.
His opponent tried to turn and pivot to keep Scourge in front of him, but the furious burst of action was too fast for his lightsaber to track. He was late bringing his blade up to protect his head, once again exposing himself to a lethal strike.
This time when the woman moved in to protect her partner, Scourge was ready. He had purposefully directed his leap so that he came in at a sharper angle than necessary, leaving barely enough room for the female to come between him and his supposed target. When Scourge suddenly redirected his blade mid-leap to strike at her instead, she instinctively stepped back to absorb the impact with her own weapon. But with her partner crowded directly behind her, there was no room. Their bodies collided and their feet tangled together, sending both of them crashing awkwardly to the ground.
Scourge landed beside their prone forms. He brought his heavy boot crashing down on his fallen foe’s face, relishing the wet crunch of cartilage and bone beneath his heel. Her body spasmed, the muscles locked in the seizures of her death throes.
The man had scrambled to his feet, but instead of throwing himself at Scourge, he only stared at the woman’s twitching corpse. Scourge could taste his horror and fear; they gave him a fresh burst of energy. He lashed out with the Force, striking the man in the chest hard enough to send him stumbling back several steps into the cavern wall.
The man struck the rough-hewn rock hard enough to knock the lightsaber from his hand, leaving him unarmed. With a casual flick of his wrist, Scourge sent his own lightsaber spiraling toward his defenseless foe. At the last second, the man threw up his hands in a vain effort to protect himself, but the glowing blade easily sliced through his palms and throat before ricocheting back to Scourge’s waiting grasp.
As the human’s corpse crumpled to the ground, Scourge was already turning to face his last remaining foe. Darth Xedrix was standing motionless in the center of the cavern, watching the action with a cool, detached reserve. His lightsaber was still drawn, but he held it casually at his side, the blade pointed toward the floor.
“I know you,” he said, his voice echoing off the chamber’s stone walls. “Nyriss’s new pet. Lord Scourge.” He wrinkled his features in distaste. “Why do you purebloods always choose such ludicrous names for yourselves? Do you think it’s intimidating?”
Scourge didn’t reply. Instead he raised his blade and began a slow, cautious advance.
Xedrix laughed. “Are you really that stupid, Scourge? Has Nyriss actually convinced you that you have the strength to stand against a member of the Dark Council? Has she promised you riches and power if you defeat me?”
“She didn’t need to promise me anything,” Scourge answered. “You are a traitor to the Empire. It is my honor and duty to kill you.”
“Ah, now I understand,” Xedrix said with a smile, twirling his lightsaber at his side. “She played on your loyalty to our glorious Emperor. How quaint.”
Scourge stopped, suddenly aware that he didn’t feel any fear emanating from his foe. There was no anger, either. He didn’t get any sense of emotion coming from Darth Xedrix at all, and he realized the old man was consciously shielding himself from Scourge’s awareness.
Scourge