A Reluctant Sith

Prologue

The plasma cannon roared again and the purplish humanoid at the far end of the ravine, cut through solid rock, became a mist which was blown away in the cutting wind.

"What's the wind speed at?" Commander Dower asked into the microphone in his enclosed helmet.

"Three fifty," was the response.

"How are they able to stand in that," asked Prickly. "Wearing next to nothing in that cold is one thing, but sheesh. We would have frostbite in less than two seconds."

"Tabot? Tell me again how many you saw step off that ship?"

"Four, Commander," was the reply over the radio. "We had a perfect view from that camera in the rock cluster."

"Commander Dower, Tever," said a new voice over the radio "We found the ship. It's sitting on a small orbiting rock on the other side of the planet. Sent a few droids in to attempt to gain access."

"Tever, if it lifts off of that rock, annihilate it."

"Yes, sir."

Dower lifted the binoculars to his eyes and peered out the thick window as the plasma canon roared.

"That's number three," said Thax.

"How much time for the winds to die out," asked Dower.

"Any moment."

"Everyone to the hangar door with full kit. We have a missing Sith. Thax, if you see it, vaporize it."

"Yes, sir," Thax replied.

"We have received a notification that the battle has begun," came a voice over the loud speakers. It echoed through the chiseled out voids of the single crystal of Thomarium that made up the planetoid. Shouts quickly filled the growing silence.

"About time," Thax said from his position behind the controls of the plasma canon.

"Well, everyone," Dower said as he started for the hangar. "We will soon know if we are finally able to return to our homes. Our families. Or if we will spend the rest of our lives as scoundrels. Pirates. Smugglers. In constant flight from the Empire."

---

The hangar door slid up as the cold wind blew the now growing snow drifts onto the deck plates.

"Check your neighbor's kit," Dower said to several dozen of his soldiers as they stood in small groups on the empty hangar deck. All protected by environmental isolation suits. "Make sure everything is sealed up tight. Check your weapons. There will be no room for error on this. How we looking, Thax?"

"Still clear, sir."

"Commander Dower, Tever. We have made entry on the ship. No traps. No explosives. Other than the access encrypted Imperial communication and data systems, the ship is flyable."

"Tever, confirm there are no threats, then fly it into Delta hangar. We'll let HQ tell us what they want to do with it."

"Yes, sir."

"Let's go," Dower said to his soldiers as he led a small squad down the left wall of the channel. Another small group proceeded along the other wall. As they walked further into the channel, the remaining squads followed.

After several minutes of walking, Dower's squad approached an outcropping, suspicious that their fourth target had taken shelter there. A sudden scream came from behind it. Dower and his soldiers froze in their tracks.

Dower looked across the narrow channel to the squad on the other side. He motioned with his hand for them to cut around the corner of the outcropping from their position to confirm what's behind it. With his weapon up and ready to fire, Dower slid around the outcropping, intent on not having his orbit interfere with shots from the other squad.

"Sir, it looks female," said Eoyer from the lead position of the other squad. "She's on her knees. Her face is in her hands. She ... uh, she looks like she's crying. Sir."

Dower continued to move around the rock as the rest of his squad fell in line behind him. As the Sith came into view, Eoyer was right in her description. Her purplish skin had a sheen to it. The reflection of the light moved as Dower walked around.

The rest of Dower's squad slid in behind him, everyone with their weapons pointed at the purplish female. Sith. That's what they had been told would be coming.

Eoyer's squad fell in behind.

"Eoyer stay with me," Dower said. "Other squads proceed down the ravine. Don't assume there's no one there. Bring back anything you find. And Baoth! If you find one, don't stick a lightsaber through your face. Please!"

"Yes, sir," was the response as the other squads proceeded on.

As Dower and the two squads stood there, pointing their weapons, the apparent female lifted her face from her hands. She was crying.

Her eyes were matte black with red irises. Her ears were slightly elongated compared to humans. With a slight point at the top. She had black hair tied into a long ponytail that hung down her back.

"Kill me," she said as tears ran down her face. She had the teeth of a vicious Utoth.

Dower had heard stories of those who had crossed paths with others like her and survived. They all referred to them as demons. That Palpatine and Vader had summoned up a demonic horde and bound them to their will. They were devastating, everywhere they had appeared. He could not allow her to threaten his people.

"Stack, you heard her," Dower said.

"What?" Stack replied from the other end of the squad.

"You heard her," said Dower. "Do it."

"No. I haven't spent the last fifteen years of my life fighting these bastards to become them."

Dower sighed. "I'm sorry. You're right. Set for max stun."

"That, I can do."

The woman looked up at Dower.

"Kill ... ," her plea was cut off by Stack's stun blast. She fell on her side, where Dower noticed two lightsabers in the growing pile of snow in front of her.

"Hopper! Do we have a functioning stasis chamber?" Dower asked into the radio.

"We do, sir."

"Get it to Delta hangar. We'll put her in it, in that ship, and HQ can come get all of it."

"Yes, sir."

"Stack, can you carry her to Delta?"

"Yes, sir," Stack said as he stepped forward, letting his weapon hang from the sling on his right side. He picked up the Sith and walked towards the open hangar door.

Dower bent down and picked up the pair of lightsabers, being sure to keep the saber ends pointed down. And away from his feet. Then started walking toward the hangar with the rest of the squads.

"Commander Dower, this is Comms. Fleet Command reports that the Death Star has been destroyed. Both Vader and Palpatine are dead, sir. We have won."

Dower stopped. His mind raced. The faces of his family flashed before him. Tears rolled down his cheeks. The speakers in his helmet were filled with shouts of joy. And victory. And relief.

But Dower knew, it wasn't entirely over. They hadn't fully won. Yet.