Project Boussh: Duel of the Cats
by Vickie Boyd

The guards led me down many hallways. I was totally lost and confused.
"Where are you taking me," I asked for a fourth time.

"You'll know soon enough," he replied as they rounded another corner.
They came to a halt in front of a doorway. "In you go. You will find
everything you need in there."

I looked at him curiously.

He grinned menacingly. "It will make sense when you go in." He removed
the stun-cuffs and pushed me through.

I stumbled and caught myself on a bench. Looking around, I noticed I was
in a locker room. "What is going on?" A lone light illuminated two
racks. One held clothes meant for doing strenuous activities. The other
held weapons. I sat on the bench that faced the racks. "Oh great. Erisi
really is an idiot." I rubbed my eyes and yawned. "The bitch probably
knows I didn't sleep and hopes that..." I stopped as I felt a familiar
tingle at the back of my neck.

I reached out carefully with the Force. Yes, it was there. Only a small
bit, but enough to regenerate myself. I closed my eyes and allowed it to
flow through me. It felt so refreshing.

Feeling alive again, I stood to choose my clothes... and sat down
quickly. I was not prepared for loosing the Force so quickly. "Ok, no
projecting the Force." I felt that my reserves were still full and
thought that maybe I could use it internally, not externally. "I guess
Thrawn wants this to be a fair fight."

I closed myself off before standing this time. Pulling the outfit I had
chosen off the rack, I began to change. The ensemble consisted of a
black Lycra sport top and matching shorts. I slipped an oversized cutoff
t-shirt over the top and pulled on a pair of black combat boots to
finish it off. Looking down at myself, I thought I looked like Chyna of
the WWF.

Moving to the weapons rack, I looked it over. I smiled and thought of
Alison. "She would go nuts over this stuff." Selecting a pair of
daggers, I slipped one into each boot. I then noticed the sign that said

"take one weapon only." I snorted, "Oh, like Erisi is going to abide by
that."

I ran my hand across the pommels of the swords, searching for one that
"felt" right. There were swords of every description and size, from
short swords to a claymore. I stopped on a hilt that could be used one
or two-handed. It reminded me of my lightsaber. I removed it from the
rack and took the sheath off.  The blade reflected the light into my
eyes and I smiled. "Perfect." Returning the blade to its sheath, I moved
towards a lighted tunnel. This was going to be quite a show.




Thrawn sat smiling smugly as he watched Erisi enter the arena. She was
dressed in a full leather suit. A long blade with an odd handle was
strapped to her back. She strode in purposefully and the crowd cheered
her on.

From the other side of the arena, Vickie walked out of the tunnel and
looked around. The floor was multi-leveled with many obstacles. She
carried the sword in her hand and moved towards where she saw Erisi. She
tried to remain impassive as she walked through another patch of the
Force.

Thrawn saw her stumble and smiled. She had found one. Her recovery from
the shock was quick. That impressed him. Now to see how she would use
it. He turned his attention back to Erisi. She had seen nothing. She was
still playing to the crowd.

Vickie stepped up beside her opponent. "So, I understand this was all
your idea."

Erisi turned to look at the Terran. She barely suppressed a grin. She
had known what the Jedi would choose to wear and the weapon as well.
This witch was going to get the surprise of her life soon enough. She
ignored the woman and turned to face Thrawn.

The arena fell silent as the Chiss stood. He looked down at the two
women. Erisi took a step forward and began to speak. "Thank you, Grand
Admiral for giving me the opportunity to issue this challenge." She
raised her voice and turned towards the audience. "I hereby challenge
Jedi Boyd to a duel. We will use the Noghrian rules for combat."

The crowd erupted. I raised an eyebrow and stepped forward. "Excuse my
ignorance, Admiral, but what exactly are the Noghrian rules?"

Erisi turned to me and smiled smugly. "It is pretty much everything
goes."

I rolled my eyes, "Could you _be_ a bit more vague? There are obvious
rules here. What are they."

The General fumed. "How dare you," she growled through her teeth.

I put my hands on my hips and looked at Dlarit. "I dare very well,
bitch. Look, if you are going to make me do this ridiculous fight that
has obvious rules, I would like to know what they are." I turned back to
face Thrawn. "I would also like to complain that I was not offered armor
like the General here is wearing."

Erisi was taken aback. "This is not armor."

I sighed. "Leather is made from the hide of an animal and dried. When
made into clothing, it provides a hell of a lot more protection than the
crap I'm wearing."

Without warning, Erisi kicked me in the back of the knee. I pitched
backwards and fell to the floor. Erisi pulled the two-handed sword from
her back and brought it down. I rolled to my left under the blade.

Scrambling to my feet, I pulled the blade I had chosen, a katana much
like Duncan MacLeod's from Highlander the Series, from its sheath. The
sound it made caused Erisi to step back. I grinned and whipped it
through the air, finishing with a flourish. I held it up in a defensive
position before me, the sheath still in my left hand. "What? No 'it has
begun' or 'ready, fight'?"

Erisi growled and attacked. She leapt at me, swinging her sword
vertically.

I put the sword between myself and the other blade and moved my legs
further apart. My crouch made it easy for me to swing out the sheath
towards Erisi's legs. It connected and the other woman lost her balance.

Erisi stumbled, falling forwards. She stuck the tip of her blade into
the floor and pushed herself up and over it.

I watched my opponent flip with ease. Turning around, I saw Dlarit land
and pull her sword up. I flicked the sheath out towards the woman,
hoping to distract her.

Erisi reached out and batted the sheath away. This little woman was
annoying. She was going to have to do something about that. Looking up,
she didn't see her opponent anywhere. She narrowed her eyes and looked
at the crowd. They gave away the location of her nemesis. She grinned
and moved slowly in the Jedi's direction.

I maneuvered around a tall box. I had used some of my reserves to boost
my speed. Sliding to my left along the box, I stepped into a patch of
Force. I barely had enough time to refill before I heard Erisi jump on
top of the box.

"You do know they are all against you," Erisi said with a grin.

I turned and looked up. Erisi was looking out at the crowd smiling. "No
kidding. And here I thought they were all pulling _for_ me." I was still
in the Force patch, so focusing the energy on the box, I pushed it a
short distance away. It was enough to make the General lose her balance.

Erisi screamed as the box moved. *How the hell did she do that,* she
thought angrily. She dropped to her knees and looked at Thrawn. He was
smiling. "THRAWN!" She was angry. This was supposed to be a fair fight.
Fair for her! She growled and stood. Jumping down, she came face-to-face
with her opponent. "You both will pay."

Metal clashed as the two women attacked. Erisi quickly gained the upper
hand. She pushed Vickie back, swinging wildly with her sword. The swipes
were blocked weakly. Grinning madly, she pushed harder.

I stumbled back, holding the katana two-handed to block the swipes.
Dlarit was stronger and pushed me further towards the wall. I risked a
glance back.

Erisi's sword connected with flesh. Evil laughter poured from her lips.
"That is for the fork." She swiped again and caught my other arm. "And
that is for making me have to cut it out of my hair."

I winced as I felt the blade dig into my left arm. I noticed I was close
to the wall. Turning my attention back forward, I was unable to block
the next attack. My right arm took the next hit. I hissed this time and
almost dropped the sword.

Erisi swung at me again, hoping to get another bit of flesh.
Unfortunately for her, I turned and pulled the katana around to trap
Erisi's blade against the wall. I kicked Erisi in the back of the knee.
It buckled and she fell heavily against the wall. A quick knee to the
stomach and she dropped.

I stepped back and caught my breath. I wiped away the blood that was
running down my arms. "You are _so_ gonna pay for that." I tried to kick
Erisi, but the woman caught my foot and dropped me to the floor.

"Am I now," Erisi asked as she held on to the boot. She twisted it to
the left and was pleased to hear the Jedi scream in pain. "I think _you_
are the one who will be paying."

I felt something pop in my ankle. It hurt like hell and I screamed. My
eyes watered as I twisted my body. I brought my left foot around to kick
Erisi in the head. The woman floundered to the floor and I was freed.
"Boot to the head." I scrambled away from the General.

Erisi's head was thrown to the side and she hit the floor. Her
consciousness drifted in and out for a moment. Shaking her head, she
came to and looked around. She had to blink a few times before seeing
things clearly. Her opponent had moved back towards where Thrawn's box
was.

I limped towards the "royal" box and whistled up to Wedge. "Can you give
me some cloth or something? I need to staunch these wounds." I cut my
eyes to Thrawn. "This is 'anything goes,' right? Well, I need bandages."

The Chiss raised an eyebrow before nodding to Wedge. Dorset dropped
down two strips torn from the arms of Quiara's flightsuit. I grabbed
them and quickly tied up the wounds. "Thank you," I told Thrawn
honestly.

Erisi charged me, screaming at the top of her lungs.

I ducked, having heard the stupid woman from halfway across the arena. I
turned and watched with glee as Erisi bounced off the wall after
slamming into it.



Dorset jumped up and looked down at the combatants. She smiled as
Dlarit ran into the wall. The Terran was doing well for herself,
especially for not being experienced in fighting. She turned to Thrawn,
"What constitutes a winner?"

"Last one standing," he said matter-of-factly.

She nodded. Vickie seemed to have a good chance of winning. However,
"What if neither can continue to fight?"

The Chiss turned to look at her, a slightly puzzled look on his face.
"You expect that to happen?"

"Having observed both their styles of fighting, I find it highly
possible. They are very evenly matched." She looked at Wedge who nodded
his agreement.

Thrawn thought on this for a moment. She had a point. The Terran was
sticking with Dlarit. He watched as the combatants fought across the
arena. The length of the General's blade was what made the Jedi
continually move. He made his decision. "I will decide who wins."

"How fair would that be," Dorset asked angrily. "Dlarit is your
General. You would surely vote for her."

Thrawn looked from her to Wedge and back. "You do not know me very well.
Despite what you may think. I am a fair man. You will be assured the
vote will be for whomever is the best."

"How about if you and I both vote," Wedge suggested. "If that is a tie,
then neither wins."

Dorset nodded in agreement. "That would be acceptable. Do you agree?"

Thrawn nodded. "Yes, that would work." He turned his attention back to
the match.



I skidded to a halt after gaining distance on Erisi. I turned to hold my
ground.

Erisi charged forward and swiped down with her double-edged blade. I was
able to block it and the return swing opened my opponent up. I flicked
my blade out towards her face and was rewarded with a line of blood
across her cheek.

She hissed and wiped the blood.

"Oooh, that's going to leave a scar," I replied with a grin. "Guess
that's payback for the arms. Much more noticeable."

She growled and swung towards me. I parried each shot, maneuvering
around the arena floor. "I have a question for you," I said as we
fought.

"What," she hissed, swinging at me again.

"Why? Why do you want to fight?"

She grunted and swiped at my head. I danced out of the way. "Because of
all the lies."

I decided to try an attack, sweeping low at her legs. I cut across,
putting a tear in the leather. She kicked out and batted my sword away
from her other leg. "What lies are you talking about," I asked as I
jumped over her sword. I backflipped off the higher platform we were on
and landed on a box below me.

Erisi did an aerial down to land in front of me. "In the books. They are
all lies."

I swung at her legs again, which she jumped over, then came up towards
her chest. Our blades clashed as she pulled her sword to block mine.
"And what do I have to do with that? I didn't write the books."

She growled and pushed me off her blade. I stumbled and fell off the
box. She jumped down beside me, swinging wildly. I rolled away from her
and pulled myself up. "You are a Terran. You believe these lies and
therefore are a threat."

"A threat to what," I asked exasperated, throwing my arms open. As she
punched forward, I did a standing backflip, my left boot blocking the
blade and my right boot catching her chin. She fell backwards. "The only
threat I am to you is that I'm going to kick your butt."

Erisi was stunned as she watched me climb the scaffolding that was
beside me. The fall had knocked her breath away, but it was returning
slowly. She attempted to pull herself to her feet.

I climbed up the scaffold about twenty feet and looked down. Vertigo
kicked in immediately. I swallowed hard and jumped, keeping my body
straight.

Erisi screamed and pulled her arm up in a futile attempt to cover
herself. I reached out with the force and stopped myself just above my
opponent. "Psyche."

She howled and grabbed my legs. My reserves were already draining
quickly, so I dropped my telekinesis and fell on top of her. We wrestled
across the floor, neither gaining the upper hand.

Dorset watched them fight. She leaned forward and felt her leg where
Vickie's lightsaber had been since the night before. Vickie had given it
to her when she ducked under the table to get away from Erisi. She
thought about pulling it out and throwing it to the Terran. A nudge from
Wedge made her sit back up.

I finally ended up on top and punched her in the chin. Unfortunately,
that left her arm open to punch me in the stomach. With an "oof", I fell
to the side and clutched my stomach.

She scrambled to her feet and began kicking me. I curled up in a ball in
an attempt to cover myself. Each kick hurt. I could feel my bones
weakening with each blow. Soon they would break.

I pushed back the tears and took a sharp breath. Voices began to speak
in my head. *Don't just lay there,* came Alison's voice. *Get up and
kick her scrawny bacta bitch butt.*

*Ok Wannabe,* Corran's voice said. *Here is your chance. You know what
she did to me.*

I thought back to the books and what Erisi had said. What if she was
right? What if they were all lies?

Corran's voice berated me. *To her deranged point of view she is right.
But you know the whole story. Now get up.*

I felt another boot in my side. A bone snapped and my eyes watered.

*You can't let her do that to you. Get up! Prove to her and Thrawn that
a Terran is much stronger than they are.*

*GET UP!* Everyone's voice echoed in my head. I screamed like a banshee
and caught Erisi's foot as she kicked it out. With all my strength, I
flipped her over me. She skidded about ten feet away.

My sides hurt as I pulled myself up. I stumbled over to where my sword
was and picked it up. All I could think of was how that bitch had
treated Corran. She used him and the rest of the Rogues to better her
own position.

Erisi shook her head and pushed herself up with her sword. She looked up
in time to see me charging right at her. I held the katana behind me in
dramatic anime style, screaming. I did the dramatic jump
before swinging.

She brought up her sword to block mine, but I was relentless. My swipes
were quick and furious. She had barely enough time to block them.
Several times I scored hits on her arms. I backed her up further and
further.

Erisi was in shock. She had no idea from where this sudden burst of
energy and enthusiasm had come. All she could do was block.

I backed her all the way up to the wall. She was shocked when she bumped
into it. I took that opportunity to slip my blade under the guard of her
sword and disarm her.

She watched her sword clatter to the side. It hadn't gone far, but she
now had a blade at her throat with nowhere to go.

I stepped up to her, my blade nicking her throat. "To your point of
view, the 'stories' we have read may be false. But I know for a fact
what you did to Corran Horn. I should kill you for that."

Her eyes were impassive. That was the look of someone who was prepared
to die. I gripped the sword tighter, trying to prevent it from shaking.
I couldn't do it. Slowly, I pulled the sword from her throat. "But I'm
not going to do that. That would only make me as low as you."

I backed up two steps and turned around. As I walked away, I felt the
Force open to me completely. It was as if something suddenly had
happened to the ysalamiri. Quickly, I opened my senses. She was moving.

Erisi quietly moved to her sword. She picked it up by the hilt and
pressed the hidden button. The hilt opened and dropped a holdout blaster
into her hand. She aimed and fired.

I heard the whine of the blaster and turned, throwing my sword as I did.
The bolt bounced off my Force shield. Then the katana hit home. It
buried itself into Erisi's leg. She screamed and the crowd erupted.



Grand Admiral Thrawn was impressed. The Terran had held up longer than
he expected. However, the General was now beating her senseless. An aid
walked up and whispered something in his ear. His eyes watched the Jedi
throw the General then begin to beat her down. He heard the aid and
waved him away.

He saw Erisi pull the blaster from her sword and fire. Everyone around
him stood. He smiled, knowing what would happen. He predicted the
shield, but did not predict the sword. His eyebrows rose as he saw it
pierce the General's leg.

When the crowd erupted he stood. Another aid came to his side. "Admiral,
you have an emergency signal from Mendellia."

He raised his arms and his voice. "ENOUGH!"

The entire arena fell silent. I walked towards Erisi to help her.

"Step back, Jedi Boyd," Thrawn said.

I stopped. "I was only going to help the General."

The Admiral waved guards out to assist both the Jedi and the General.
"Take them to the medlab. Put them both in bacta."

Wedge turned to Thrawn. "What is going on?"

"There seems to be a problem on Mendelia. Now if you will excuse me, you
will be escorted back to your quarters."

"Our cell, you mean," Dorset snorted.

"As you wish," he replied as he turned and walked from the balcony.