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The Emperor has commanded we stay in the temple, and we obey his orders. I'm curled against the furthest wall from Palpatine, and the throne he hovers so reverently over. Hux leans against my side, with my secondary wing draped over him for warmth. I am not cold, for I have been in total absence of heat. But Hux is human, and his breath fogs when he exhales.
He is the only spot of color in the temple, perhaps the realm. The grey air sucks all light from everything except him. His eyes, his hair. He does not sleep, but keeps an alert watch.
I lay my head on my paws, and close my eyes. I do not intend to sleep, but hope to see something. Anything. I relax, stepping away from the sounds and smells of the Sith temple, and take a deep breath.
It is like the Force takes my hand and pulls me into a river. All at once images swim before my eyes, each one from the same scenes but frozen seconds apart like a glitched hologram. I see Poe Dameron, speaking with a crowd of people. He turns, gestures to someone, and it pauses for a moment on the genuine passion and joy on his face.
Rey, and she speaks with Luke Skywalker's ghost. In her hands is a lightsaber handle, and she stares down at it in reverence.
Finn... staring at a screen as a dotted line marks a path through the void.
Then it's an X-Wing, soaring through the nebula gateway to Exegol, flashing through holes and tunnels in the glowing red barrier.
I lift my head, the images vanishing, and Hux stirs, stretching out his legs sleepily.
"She's coming." I lower my head to his height, and he comes awake, stilling with alertness.
"The plan... do we have a plan?"
"Kill the Emperor." I say.
"Then the Final Order comes for us." He looks to me, hands in his lap. He's armed with only a blaster.
"I figure I can make a dent in the fleet before I die." I shrug my wings, the tone lighthearted, but Hux shakes his head, just slightly.
"We need a better option." Hux says.
"I saw her." I tell him. "And she comes alone. No Rebellion fleet, no hidden armada. The damage may be done. It may just be the two of us."
"What of Finn? Of Poe?"
"Away. The group is small. They watch her fly, and do not follow." For a moment it flashes before my eyes... the size of the fleet... and one final Jedi come to defeat it. So lonely. I wonder if she knows she dies today.
"She's coming." Palpatine announces, and from all the far away stands, figures rise. I snarl as they straighten up. They'd been kneeling, kneeling for hours. Not one had ever moved.
"You knew before he did."
Oh no, oh no. Seeing the thousands of figures become present has rattled me. I don't- I don't want to see this.
