A Hero Lost: A Star Wars AU

Chapter 23: Pressure

Lux sat in his jail cell. He hadn't had visitors in hours. He desperately craved any sort of interaction at this point, as the isolation was starting to get to him. Well, that was probably the point of it all, wasn't it?

He was certain that Ahsoka was eager to come back to him, albeit probably just to slam his face into the wall again. Why she was taking so long?

Finally, after hours, she came back into the cell. However, while she was still accompanied by Rubal and two other purge troopers, there was a man behind her wearing an Imperial navy uniform, with a badge that showed the rank of Admiral.

"Who is this?" Lux asked.

First Sister opened her mouth to talk, but was interrupted by the Admiral.

"I am Admiral Corleque," he said. "I am here to ensure everything runs smoothly."

"Ahsoka, why do you have that guy tagging alo-"

As expected, she grabbed him and slammed his head against the wall.

"Nyerghh..." He groaned from the pain.

"How many times do I have to drill it into your head to never call me that!?"She replied.

Admiral Corleque looked pleased for some reason.

"I have already told you why I am here," Corleque said, "to ensure this operation goes as smoothly as possible. First Sister's task force was far too small to deal with the mess that you and your friends have created. Now, speaking of your friends, where are they?"

"You mean you didn't kill them all in the cave?" Lux asked.

"You sound genuine in that response, so I'll assume you don't know," the Admiral replied. "Okay then... so, how about King Dendup? Do you know of his whereabouts?"

"Hey, how about you get out of here and stand on the bridge and do nothing like all the other Admirals do?"

There was dead silence. His head wasn't even being slammed into the wall.

"First Sister, are you deaf to what this boy has just said?" Corleque asked. "Slam him!"

She grabbed him, a bit more reluctantly, and slammed him into the wall.

Corleque was not as pleased this time.

"First Sister, I would request you treat an insult towards me, or any insult towards anyone in the Empire, as equally as you would treat an insult towards yourself."

"Yes," She replied.

"What is going on here?" Lux said. "Ahsoka, don't you and your red-blade friends have authority over these guys?"

She grabbed him and slammed him against the wall again, but Lux could tell she was getting anxious from the look on her face.

It was then that Lux knew that there was something going on behind the scenes. Someone with a higher rank must have sent the Admiral. The only people that he knew had that kind of power was the Emperor, as well as the enigmatic Lord Vader. Maybe that old man Tarkin, too.

"Who the kriff put you up to this, Corleque?" Lux asked.

Both First Sister and Admiral Corleque were in visible shock, Rubal would have been two, had it not been for the Purge Trooper mask. The other two Purge Troopers looked at each other nervously.

First Sister's expression quickly morphed from surprise to desperation and anger as she grabbed one of the Purge Troopers' electrostaffs and stabbed him with it, sending shocks through his body.

"Ghuuuuh-" He mumbled in pain.

Corleque was watching very carefully as the situation unfolded.

"I knew it," Lux said. "Someone's watching you, Ahsoka. They don't think you're loyal. You aren't loyal aren't you?"

She grunted and stabbed him with the staff again.

"That's enough," Corleque said. "First Sister, leave. Now. Unless you want Lord Vader to think you are disobeying him."

She hesitated, but she knew very well she couldn't speak up, or she was dead meat.

"Ahsoka, don't listen to him! You don't want to do this!"

But she gave the staff back to the trooper and walked out either way, trying her best not to show any emotion. But Lux knew all too well that she wanted to stay.

There was a few minutes of silence between them. Lux looked at him anxiously, and the Admiral looked like he was pondering.

It felt like hours passed.

Finally, the Admiral spoke.

"Commander Rubal, kill him."

Lux's eyes widened. Okay, now he was going to die.

Rubal got out his blasters. Lux closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

The blasters went off.

He opened his eyes.

Two dead purge troopers were beside him, and Rubal's weapons were pointed at the Admiral.

"Wha- what is the meaning of this!?" Corleque said. "Rubal, you are to be charged with treason, and have your rank of-"

The blasters went off, and Corleque dropped dead to the floor.

"Wha-what the hell!?" Lux said.

"What does it look like, kid?" Rubal said, turning back to him. "I'm getting you out of here, now let's go!"