Behind him, the gravelly arena floor shifted as Cade's energy began to hum faintly. Heissman's eyes flicked to the side, catching the faint glow of Cade's power coalescing into a spiraling vortex. Cade hurled it with precision, the crackling energy arcing toward Heissman like a meteor. The lieutenant twisted, his saber slashing downward to absorb the brunt of the attack, but the explosion sent him skidding back, dust and debris scattering around him.
"You're slipping," Osalf said, his blade steady as he advanced. "Still trying to prove something. Still failing."
"Shut up!" Heissman spat, his voice trembling with fury as he charged again. His strikes came faster now, his saber cutting through the air with reckless abandon. But for all his speed and ferocity, his movements were sloppy, his swings wild and uncoordinated. Osalf deflected each strike with practiced ease, his blade moving like a whisper against Heissman's increasingly desperate attacks.
