Power

08.

"Today we begin the attack on Yavin 4." Vader says to me as we walk to the command bridge of the death star. "When we arrive, I want you personally in charge of my Star Destroyer. You will head there when we exit hyperspace."

"Yes, Lord Vader." I say, turning to walk towards the hanger bay. My crew and soldiers gather with me and enter my ship. "Today we head to Darth Vader's Star Destroyer. I want you men with me, we cannot allow the rebels to even attempt to take control of the ship." The purge soldiers nod at me as we lift off, I turn to the pilots and gunners. "As for all of you, after the soldiers and I arrive on the Star Destroyer, you all head into the fight. Take down the rebel X-Wings, and attempt to damage their fleet in anyway."

"Yes, Grand Inquisitor." They say. Shortly after, the rebel fleet arrives. I stand within the walls of the command bridge, watching as their X-Wings race toward the death star. Maro takes his place beside me, watching as the battle rages on.

"So much chaos, yet there is beauty in it." He says, I look over at him.

"The rebels will falter after a battle this size, and so will the galaxy's faith in them." I tell him, he meets my gaze.

"I don't doubt you for a moment, Commander." I allow myself to smile under my mask before looking back at the battle.

"Send out all squadrons, kill them all." I tell the crew. Everyone within the ship scrambles in a mad fury as the fight progresses.

"I'm going after them myself." Lord Vader says through my comms. I turn to face my crew.

"The Dark Lord has joined the fight, this is no ordinary battle men. We will go on till we destroy them." They all nod and rush to their stations. Only a few moments after, it feels as though my heart drops to my stomach. A shift in the force, I look up at the Death Star.

"I told you, Darth Verloren. I will become even more powerful if you killed me." I hear Obi-Wan's voice say in my ear. Not a moment after he finishes his sentence, the Death Star is obliterated. I remove my helmet and walk toward the window, watching the wreckage fall with wide eyes. I glance at the officer to my right, he stares at me with the same look of horror.

"Bring the ship back here." I say to my crew aboard my ship.

"Grand Inquisitor, did we just lose?" The officer asks me. I meet his eyes and for a moment before I'm able to produce an answer.

"No." This answer is very quiet. I turn to the rest of our soldiers in the room, watching as the crew from my own ship and all who remains enters the control room. This time, my voice is heard across all of them. "We did not lose today. The rebels may have taken down our battle station, but they have not won the war. They will never win! If the Emperor perished within those walls today, our great Lord Vader will rise up and lead us to victory. They may have taken the Death Star from us, but this only builds on the opportunity for us to create something stronger. The rebels have only done us a favor in revealing a small weakness, one we can now eradicate. The rebels will never win, we will triumph!" The men and women inside cheer, some extending a fist in the air in support, Maro nods at me. "Now back to your stations! We await Lord Vader's orders."

I spin back around to the window as the rebels retreat. What little is left of them runs from our fleet, taking every ally they can with them. The pieces of the Death Star float into the space around them, a once beautiful battle station fallen to ruin. I feel a hand come to rest on my shoulder, I look to my right to see Lord Vader.

"Well done, Lyra. Your father would be proud of you." He tells me. "Return to your quarters and rest, I will call for you when need be." I walk out of the control room and head to my living chambers. Once inside, I pull apart the pieces of my Inquisitor armor and exchange it for tight black pants and robes I would use for sleeping. Once ready, I glance at my father's lightsaber sitting beside my own on the table. For the first time since I left the Jedi temple, I allow myself to feel. To truly feel everything, and to mourn it.

I collapse to my knees and hold my chest as it burns with emotion. Tears fall down my face as I relive the memory of my father's lifeless body in my arms. I mourn for the little girl he rescued so many years ago, I cry for the life she lost.

I reach into the bag from the Jedi Temple I keep hidden beneath my bed. Inside sits a photo of Master Windu and I, laughing mid photograph snap. From time to time, I wonder what my life would have been like if not for Order 66, my life as a Jedi Master. Would I have been able to help those around me, rather than destroy them? This is a foolish way to think, Lord Vader would likely punish me for holding on to such ideals. But I cannot help but wonder what might have been.

"There is still time, Lyra." I hear a voice say in front of me. I look up to see the ghost of Master Windu standing before me. He comes to sit in front of me, looking down at the photograph. "This is not the life I had hoped for you."

"It is the only life I was meant for, Master Maul said himself." I say, he shakes his head.

"Darth Maul cared very much for you, and I believe in his last moments he had realized what he had truly done. What he did when he took that young girl from the temple and turned her to this life of darkness. This life of evil is not fit for anyone, Lyra. You know this." I shake my head and press my palms to my temples. I quickly relax my face and stand up, staring straight back at him

"You're wrong master. This," I say, motioning to the room around me. "This is what I was made for. I will be the greatest Sith Lord this galaxy has ever seen!" I walk inches from his ghost, clenching my teeth as my eyes turn yellow. He places his hand on my shoulder.

"There will always still be time for you." He slowly fades away, I collapse on the floor of the chambers, breathing heavily. I slowly climb into the bed as my mind races, succumbing to exhaustion the moment my head hits the pillow.