The Legend of the Jedi Queen

55. Vader's Legacy

When she opened her eyes, it was like a jolt of energy, and it would have propelled her forward, if she hadn't hit the restraints first. Her arm felt vaguely numb. She looked to it, confused as she saw her hand still there— but it didn't feel like her hand. Someone had also changed her clothes— she now was wearing a white hospital-issue gown.

Nellith craned her neck around the room. The walls were gray, with no viewports to the outside, and one visible door that had no way to open from the inside. There was an open closet with clothes hanging up, including the clothes she had been wearing before the Jedi had taken her. The bed she was restrained to and the closet were the only things in the room.

She strained to remember what Jaina had done to release her restraints six months prior in an interrogation bed— some sort of lightning. She wondered how she would even go at unlocking the restraints, or even the door.

One thing was for sure. Nellith needed to escape wherever in the nine hells she was, and get back to Uphatu.

Before she could weigh her options more carefully, the door slid open to reveal Kiernan, backed up by two Jedi.

"I apologize for the restraints," Kiernan said, reaching out and tracing the one around Nellith's hand. "Unfortunately, you are a bit of a wildcard, and we needed to make sure you wouldn't attack us when you woke up."

Nellith struggled against the restraints again, but still no avail.

"Now, now,"'Kiernan chided. "No need to behave like a child. Especially if you're going to be deciding the balance of the Force."

"That's what this is about," Nellith realized.

"Among other things," Kiernan admitted.

"Where am I?" Nellith asked.

"I'm afraid that information's on a need-to-know basis," Kiernan said. "You might get ideas if you know where you are."

"The First Order and the New Republic won't stand for this," Nellith said, hating his angular face, his amber eyes, his fancy accent. "Once they hear I'm being held against my will, they'll blow this place up just like Scarif."

"That assumes they find out," Kiernan said. "You are going to help us, and tell them you willingly came with us."

"Interesting assumption," Nellith said. "I won't."

Kiernan extended his hand. "You will tell the New Republic you went with us of your own free will—"

"I'm a Skywalker," Nellith protested. "Mum is the best at mind-tricks— you think I can be tricked so easily?"

Kiernan clenched his fist before one of the other Jedi placed a soothing hand on his arm.

"She's not going to help us," the Jedi said. "Not unless we hurt her to do it."

Nellith's heart pounded against her chest as Kiernan reconsidered her, amber eyes piercing.

"No food until she helps us," he declared. "Turn the room's temperature down as far as settings will allow. Take away her other clothes. And leave me in here."

Nellith met his eyes. She refused to let him know her heart was pounding against her chest, how cold her veins felt. She had faced down entities more powerful than he could ever be. She could face him.

The reassurances still failed in accomplishing anything.

The two Jedi pulled her clothes out of her closet, and then left her and Kiernan alone in the room. Nellith heard beeping from outside, and she knew that they were changing the temperature of her cell room.

Kiernan extended his hand, hovering inches over Nellith's forehead.

"Let's see what secrets you have to hide," Kiernan murmured. "Let's see your worst nightmares."

Immediately, Nellith was no longer in the room. Instead she was underneath the conference room, in the Rainbow Palace.

"No," she said, even though the words didn't feel like they were coming out of her mouth. She was vaguely aware that this wasn't how it actually went down as she tugged at the white pajama shirt he wore underneath his jacket. "Don't leave me, please."

She knew now, what his fate was, and there was the feeling of dreadful anticipation clustered in her stomach as she knew what would happen next, and she was afraid for him. He smiled sadly and kissed her, this time taking so much longer than the first, original kiss.

When they broke away, she entwined her fingers tighter into his shirt, wanting to stop time right then and there.

"I love you," he said. "I need to do this, so you can save the galaxy."

Then he vanished completely, and Nellith felt all the grief and fear and anger all over again, threatening to explode out of her.

Then she was dangling in handcuffs, struggling in and out of consciousness, knowing she had failed to hold off Snoke, that she had failed her friends. Then she screamed that horrible scream, and she felt the self-hatred as she relived it again, for letting herself go, for giving into the darkness.

Then it switched one final time. It was the vision, more real than any of the other scenes Kiernan forced her to relive.

It was raining now, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Rain and blood blended together on Tallis's spiky crown. On the red end of his lightsaber, the only part ignited, it sizzled as the rain hit it.

Ben and Rey wore even more chains than last time, and had some sort of glowing chip on their neck putting them both in extreme pain.

Nellith tried to move to stop it, but the throne had curled tree roots around her legs and arms, and even her neck.

"Don't fight it," Tallis said, turning to her. "You know you can't."

He turned back to her crying, whimpering parents. "They were holding you back."

Then in one clean swoop, her parents were decapitated. Nellith couldn't close her eyes, couldn't look away.

"NO!" she screamed, her voice turning to her mother's when Han Solo died, Luke's when Darth Vader revealed to him the truth, then Vader's when he discovered Padmé's death, and finally Obi-Wan's, at Qui-Gon Jinn's death.

Tallis turned off his lightsaber, and turned back to Nellith, and knelt before her, kissing her hand. She wanted to pull away, but she couldn't.

Tallis then stood, and turned to the crowd of people in front of her.

"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!" he shouted. A sea of red lightsabers and an echoing roar was the response.

That was when Kiernan withdrew from her mind, looking greatly shaken.

Already, the room was colder, and Nellith was shaking, from her mind being invaded so forcibly.

"I was right about the boy," Kiernan whispered. "He will go on to be the greatest evil the galaxy will ever know!"

"You're wrong," Nellith snapped, and she realized he'd taken off her restraints. She sat up and leapt at him— only to feel herself levitate into the air.

"I see we'll have to break you the hard way," Kiernan said, his voice sounding falsely sorrowful. Nellith could sense his true intentions. He threw her against the wall, then back again in the air, three times, before letting her fall to the ground in a heap.

"I'll see you when you've decided to come to your senses," Kiernan said before storming out, leaving Nellith to cry.