Star Wars: A Resistance Story. Book 3

Chapter 32: The Emperor Sheev Palpatine.

As they were stepping out of the transport, Ly'ra, still handcuffed, looked up and studied the full of ships sky a minute. How the Resistance would be able to stop such a threat? It looked simply impossible. Even now that Leïa was not with them anymore. Completely helpless and dejected, the young woman followed the Knights of Ren towards the inside of the Temple, herself followed by Galen.

They started by crossing a long and dark corridor before reaching a large round stone on which they had to step on. The young woman looked around and was slightly surprised when the stone started moving down, slowly revealing high statues of old Sith Masters, all around them. The lightnings kept striking the Temple and they were all silent until the stone stopped, almost softly. Ly'ra then followed the Knights and started hearing a light hubbub further in front of her. She frowned, glancing behind her at her brother who, oddly enough, didn't seem quite confident. She could even feel his fear.

Once again, there was another corridor and at the end, a door giving access to a room so much vaster than all the ones they had crossed until now. Several hundred feet high and with the same size wide, it looked more like a show room than a Great Sith Temple. As the group was stepping inside, Ly'ra looked up and suddenly understood where the noise she heard was coming from. On her right, a complete part of the hall was crowded with thousands of people, hidden under hoods. Dark Side partisans of course, slaves of Palpatine and the Last Order. Settled on several levels, each of them above the others, they observed and greeted the arrival of the Knights and Galen. As well as the return of their Emperor.

"Galen! Finally I can see you with my own eyes."

When she heard the voice from beyond the grave of the Emperor, Ly'ra quickly turned on her heels and a cuss escaped her lips seeing the Sith Lord. Hooked above the ground, just few feet away from the floor, Palpatine's body was obviously mouldering. He was completely gaunt and literally cadaverous. A cold shiver ran in her back as the Knights and her brother were kneeling down in front of the Emperor.

"My Lord!"

The machine on which Palpatine was hooked started moving. Usually, Ly'ra would have laughed out loud seeing that old man fixed on a hanger and refusing to die. But it was not a usual time and the old man was not at all harmless. The young woman started stepping back when she noticed he was coming dangerously closer to her, but she was stopped by Ushar who rose up and kept her on her spot.

"So this is the one a lot of people are talking about lately. Ly'ra... Daughter of the famous Jedi Dante Erso and obvious heiress of your family. Half Jedi, half Nightsister. Trained by Ben Solo."

Trying her best to deeply hide her fears, the young pilot glared coldly at the Sith Lord.

"Forgive me to tell you this but, you look quite sick... My Lord."

A creepy laugh escaped the gaunt body of Palpatine and he looked down on her. The sight of his white-ish eyes, made her nauseous and looked away.

"Your grandparents and your aunt gave me a lot of troubles several years ago sweet child. Luckily, your brother is going to change that bad habit of your family and will restore the justice...

"Justice? I don't see how destroying millions of lives could be a justice for anyone! You're just an old and embittered man who's holding so much onto his power that he refuses to die! You prefer sending your apprentices to their death more than doing the job yourself! You're pitiful!"

The next second seemed long. Very long. So long that Ly'ra was starting to wonder if she had a good idea by telling him what she was thinking, instead of just shutting her mouth up. After a very long moment, the Emperor started smiling and even laughed.