Power

01.

"Lyra, you need to run." Master Yoda tells me as we rush through the halls of the temple.

"Where is Master Windu? Where is my Master?" I frantically ask him. Yoda stops to turn and look at me.

"No where to be found your master is, padawan. Run, you must. Your only way to survive, it is. Order 66 has begun, destruction of the Jedi." I search his face and try not to let the panic set in, like Master Windu had taught me. "Find you, a Jedi Master will. Now go, young one." I take off running to my room, quickly shoving in a bag all the money I have and a few extra valuables.

I sling the bag over my back and run through the halls of the temple, trying to search for any way out. I quickly stop and peak around a corner when I hear voices.

"We have their locations, Lord Vader. The Chancellor requests that you return to him." A clone soldier says. I watch in horror as Master Skywalker nods at him and turns to walk towards the Chancellor's chambers.

"Master Skywalker?" I whisper to myself. My mind races, how could this happen? I run to the door to outside and begin the race to the city.

"There! Stop her!" I hear a group of soldiers yell. I quickly ignite my blazing blue saber as they begin to fire at me. I try to deflect the blaster shots, one passes through and strikes me in the side. I cry out and grab the wound, using my other hand to deflect incoming blaster fire. Another shot hits me and I fall to one knee. The clones surround me as I fall to my side, they all aim their blasters at me.

"Stand down." A deep voice says. Fighting for consciousness, I look up to a man with a red face, covered in black markings.  A Darthomirian, what is he doing? "I'll take her." He holds a hand out over me, then clenches it into a fist. I finally fall into unconsciousness.

...

My eyes flutter open, a soft light sits on the table beside me. I look down to see the top half of my robes gone, my stomach and chest is wrapped in bandages. The memories come flooding back to me, I frantically look around. I'm on a ship, who's ship? Is it the man from the temple?

I slowly swing my legs over the side of the bed, clenching my teeth in pain from my wounds. My robes lay on a chair across the room, I put them on without tying them, leaving them to lie loosely on my arms. Slowly, I lean on the wall and limp into the main chamber of the ship. A booth sits to my right, along with a holotable. To my left is a locked vault of Sith weapons. I continue to limp towards the cockpit, inside sits the man from the temple. He appears to be the only one on the ship. His head perks up, he spins around to look at me.

"You're awake." He says, standing to walk toward me. He towers above me, looking down to meet my gaze. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to wake up." I watch him carefully.

"Why did you save me? I thought Order 66 was meant to kill the Jedi." I say, he stares at me for a moment.

"The new Empire will be in need of Inquisitors, I have already been informed that I will be in charge of finding and training them." He pauses for a moment. "I'm going to train you. You will join me in my service to the Empire."

"I will not train in the ways of the Dark Side." He studies me carefully.

"Either you train with me, or you join the dead. It is your choice. Now sit, before you injure yourself even more." He walks back to the cockpit just as we come out of hyperspace.

Ahead of us is a cruiser unlike anything I've ever seen, it's heavily modified from a Jedi Cruiser. I walk into the cockpit to look at it, the man watches me carefully.

"Darth Vader's Cruiser." He tells me.

"It's terrifying." I say, he grins.

"It's incredible." He reaches up to examine the braid in my hair. "You're a padawan, that will make this easier. I will train you to be more powerful than any Master at the temple ever could have."

"Who are you?" He flips a few switches, preparing us for landing in the ship's hangers.

"Maul. Darth Maul. And you, Lyra, have just become my apprentice."

...

Maul prepares his things within the ship, I carefully tie my robes around my wounds. When Maul is ready, I struggle to stand from the booth I was sitting on. The walk across the ship to him takes me a moment, he watches me and then sighs. He holds out his arm to me, I hesitate but cautiously take it.

This man, he looks to be the same age as Master Windu. And a Sith Lord, why would he spare my life? I believe there is more to this than he is telling me.

He walks with me slowly down the ramp as I heavily lean on his arm. We exit into the hanger, I look around with wide eyes. I've never seen a ship like this, it is pristine and highly advanced. Troops roam every corner, readying ships or giving orders.

"This way." Maul says, heading for a door to the left. We walk through many different hallways until we reach the sleeping chambers. "These are my quarters, you will have the ones beside it. If you try to run, I will know it." He opens the door to my room, shutting and locking it behind me when I walk inside. I set my bag down and look around, this room is larger than my room at the temple. Everything is brand new; the bed, the chairs, the closet, the bathroom. It is beautiful in a way, it is just as pristine as everything else on this ship.

On the bed sits black tight pants, a long sleeved black shirt, a black leather belt, and black gloves. I look down at my tattered robes and decide to change. I slip on the knee high black boots, they're covered in straps. The belt holds a spot for my lightsaber, which I find in my bag of personal belongings. I clip it to my waist and look in the mirror. The shirt has a Imperial insignia on both shoulders. I tie my hair into a ponytail and use the sink in the bathroom to wash any remaining dirt from my face. I look at the tiny cuts on my face and stare into my own eyes.

I will be trained by a Sith, there's no avoiding it. Is this truly what I've become? A pawn in the Empire's game? I look down at my gloved hands, then back up at the mirror. If there is anything life has taught me, it is to adapt, survive, and conquer. If this is truly what my fate is, then I will be the best Inquisitor this Empire has ever seen.

...

for context, shes the same age as Cal Kestis when Order 66 commences