"Captain! We are outnumbered five to one and our guns are no match! We must call back our ground troops and retreat!" An officer warned Captain Phasma who observed the Republic ships from the Finalizer's viewport. Phasma clenched her fist tightly. That traitor will not get away again.

"We will leave once Kylo Ren returns with the map, Corporal." Phasma stated.

"But we are outnumbered, ma'am!" The nervous corporal said.

"I will hear no further arguments. Once Kylo Ren's ship returns, we shall leave." Phasma ordered. No one on this ship was brave enough to stand their ground in the face of such an overwhelming threat. It was almost pathetic really. None of them could ever compare to the loyalty of the soldiers under her command. That is, until Finn came along. It was disgusting to see someone she trained defect. The urge to go down there and kill him herself remained present in her mind. His defection humiliated her. What will others in the First Order think when word gets out about this incident? Will she be respected less? Will she be demoted for her failure in producing a loyal trooper?

No! He would be punished before that happened. Her reputation as a trainer of loyal stormtroopers would not be tarnished by one lonely defector.

"Captain!" The officer's aggravating voice caught her attention. She looked out the window to see Y-Wing bombers closing in on the Finalizer.

Oh-

She nearly fell to the floor from the force of the impact of a dozen proton torpedoes tearing through the ship's hull. She regained her balance and looked out the window towards the cruisers with clenched fists. They were trying to push them to retreat. Phasma seethed as she knew they were outgunned and their single Star Destroyer wouldn't withstand the Y-Wing bombardments for long. Sure, it was very durable, but if the ship got destroyed, then the ground forces wouldn't be able to retreat and they wouldn't get the map anyway. Phasma had no other choice now, but to call off the attack and retreat. The New Republic may have won for now. That much was certain to Phasma, but she was already aware that Nova Base had begun charging for its usage on Coruscant. Once the weapon was fully operational, it would be over. In the end, they did their best to buy what little time they could to keep the Republic from getting the map. Phasma only hopes it was enough time.

***

The air got heavy as the two stared each other down. Like two wary animals circling each other, neither one knowing which one was predator or prey. Kylo was the one who struck first, rushing straight forwards and swinging for Jaina's head, but she blocked the blow and kicked him square in the gut, making him cough and stumble back. Jaina pointed her lightsaber at his face, the purple light emanating from it illuminating it and casting shadows all across it.

"You're not killing me... and you're not getting that map." Jaina said, firmly.

"That remains to be seen, Jedi. My determination won't fail me." Kylo said.

Jaina narrowed her eyes at him. "Determination? Or desperation?"

Kylo was caught off guard by that, loosening his stance ever so slightly. Jaina still noticed it. Good, she thought. If this works, I can get him to let his guard down enough for me to subdue him.

"You're afraid. I couldn't sense it before. Your anger was overpowering my senses. But, now I can look past all that rage... and I just see fear. What are you afraid of?" Jaina asked with a smirk.

Kylo yelled and charged at her, swinging wildly. His blows were still heavy as ever, but Jaina could defend better against them now. His rage was taking over, making his attacks easier to defend against. He's getting sloppy.

She sidestepped and hit him in the back of the head with the end of her lightsaber hilt. "I really was foolish to think you were my brother. The way you fight is not his style at all."

Kylo swung at her again and missed. He then went in for a thrust, but Jaina parried the blow and elbowed Kylo in the face. Kylo stepped back and reached his hand up to where he could feel blood coming down from his face.

"He had control over his emotions. You clearly don't. I've never met a Knight of Ren, but I doubt you can even hardly be called one." Jaina taunted. From what she observed, Kylo was someone who could be angered easily. His temper was small and could scare many beings. Not her. Not anymore. To her, he was just a child holding a lightsaber, a poorly made one at that.

Kylo screamed and gripped his lightsaber harder as he ran back and struck at Jaina again, pushing her back. "I AM a Knight of Ren! I am worthy of that title!" He shouts as he strikes at her from her right, but she blocks the strike. Her arms were starting to hurt from blocking so many heavy strikes, but she just had to endure and remember her training.

"I WILL PROVE THAT I'M WORTHY! YOU'RE NOTHING, SOLO! JUST ANOTHER WEAKLING! A weakling... that must be destroyed." Kylo said as he swung at her again. This time, Jaina flipped over the blade and swung at Kylo again, only for Kylo to backflip out of the blade's reach, his legs coming up to kick Jaina's arms. Her lightsaber flew into the air and as she tried to call it back, Kylo swung at her again, nearly taking her head off. She dodged his next several swings before ducking low and sweeping his legs. Once he was off balance, she force pushed him away from herself. She first retrieves the lightsaber and then leaps at Kylo while he's down.

A simmering rage that could never be calmed. In that moment, that rage inside Kylo had begun to boil. He had not worked so hard just for a padawan to kill him! He roared in anger as a great shockwave of energy rippled away from him and out into the surrounding area, knocking over the nearby trees and sending Jaina right into one. Her back collided with the hard trunk and she cried out in pain as she fell to the ground. Her vision was blurry, her ears were ringing, and it felt like she was going to cough up her lungs.

Kylo breathed heavily as his attention became completely focused on Jaina. Her guard is down! Now! Do it now!

Kylo picked up his lightsaber and ran at Jaina while she was too winded to properly recover. He pointed the blade right at her, ready to plunge it through her back.

END OF CHAPTER 41