Reality Changer

Chapter 10 - Reunited

Author's Note: Enjoy the pain and angst. :):):)

~ Amina Gila

Ahsoka's heart is practically pounding in her throat as she, Harmony, and Cassie are led by the clone troopers through the halls of the former Jedi Temple, now the Imperial Palace. If this is a mistake, they won't live to regret it. She knows that. If they leave this building alive, it will be because the Emperor is dead. She almost wishes they could have thought of any plan other than this now, but it's too late.

As they walk, she glances around the halls, trying to focus on anything else to help tamp down her ever-growing fear, and on the unbearable feel of the Dark Side in the air. It doesn't help that she can acutely feel Harmony and Cassie's panic as well.

The interior of the Temple seems to have been remodeled a fair amount, or at least all traces of it having once been a Temple have been stripped away. If anything, it looks more like a shrine to the Emperor, considering the statues of him that are all over the place in the halls.

She can feel the darkness steadily growing as they approach the throne room. Somehow, she thinks the only reason he's agreeing to see them in the first place – especially on such short notice – is because he wonders how they had the audacity to ask in the first place. The door to what was once the Council room slides open in front of them, and the clone troopers stop outside the door, letting the three of them enter alone.

Ahsoka's gaze darts briefly around the room, finally focusing on the figure sitting at the throne in front. He's dressed entirely in black. He turns to look at them, his glowing red eyes regarding them with interest. There's an aura of arrogance around him that makes her despise him more, if that's even possible.

The three of them step a little further into the room before they kneel on the floor. She hates this position, more than anything.

"We come to you with urgent news, my Lord," begins Cassie. The title makes Ahsoka's skin crawl.

"Is that so?" he asks, and she can feel his gaze lingering on her for a moment. Probably wondering why a Jedi would dare to show up here like this.

Both the other girls' heads snap up, a mixture of shock and horror flickering across their face at the sound of his voice, the weird echo in it. Likely, they just realized what it means. Ahsoka already knew, considering that she's heard him on the Holonews before, though she has no idea how such Force abilities are even possible.

Great. Time for her to talk now. "I sensed a disturbance in the Force," Ahsoka declares, "As I'm sure all trained Force sensitives have. I believe I've found the source of it." Well, she's pretty sure that got his attention. Likely he's been quite interested in whatever's been behind this disturbance ever since it started.

"There was once another Chosen One," Harmony speaks up.

They always say the Dark Side is cold, and Ahsoka really understands why now. The temperature in the room seems to drop, and she can feel the sudden anger swirling around the Sith. "What are you talking about?"

"In an ancient Temple," Cassie replies hastily, "There's a device capable of altering the flow of time." Well, at least that explanation makes a little more sense than what she was spewing out when Ahsoka first appeared on Earth. Hopefully the Emperor will agree and not decide to promptly kill them on the spot for telling him tall tales. "It was used to rewrite the past several decades. Before, someone else was supposed to have been the Chosen One."

"We believe he is the presence that we're sensing," Harmony adds.

"How do you know of this?" he demands. Apparently, he hasn't decided if they're pranking him yet. To be fair, he likely can feel the truth in the Force, even if it's completely outlandish.