Star Wars X - The Phantom Rises

Energy

Quin didn't know how she knew, but she knew someone was coming. As her brother ranted on, she felt anger. But it wasn't her own. It was frightening. She felt that anger as if it was like heat waves in the air. She could feel it... in the force.

Determined not let her first real interaction with the force slip away she tried to dig deeper but she felt herself hit some kind of invisible wall and she could go no further. She pushed but whatever or whoever the anger was coming from was too powerful for her to investigate.

Suddenly the door to her room open and Reuven jumped. As soon at High General Koraben entered Quin knew it was her anger she was feeling and could still feel. Her heart raced as the waves of anger flushed over her. She looked at Reuven and could see he wasn't sensing anything.

"General Q." Koraben's midnight eyes looked at the two Phantom Guards, one of which ahd his helmet off. "What's going on here?"

"These two were just giving me a report." Quin took the lead and Reuven slowly put his helmet back on. Grimacing at the stench of his own sweat. "What kind of report?" Koraben asked both hands behind her back.

"I wanted to check security, make sure everything's how it should be."

"And?"

"And everything's fine." She lied and Koraben walked outside the doorway.

"Come." She ordered and Quin shuffled after the red skinned woman. As the two walked silently down the endless hallway, for whatever reason, Quin glanced up at her. She noticed that he face had been painted with white patterns. She couldn't help but wonder if they meant something. "Wait, we're heading towards the cells?" She said once she realized where they were going.

"Yes." Koraben said quickly. "I have unfinished business with one of the prisoners."

"Which one?" She dreaded the answer.

"Ben Solo." Koraben said and Quin's stomach felt like a pit.

"What are you going to do?"

"Ask questions. But this time with a little more force."

"What type of force?" This time Koraben didn't answer and the spy felt like she was going to faint.

"You okay?" The High General asked noticing her pale complexion.

"Yeah, just a little nervous I haven't really seen the Force in action. Why are you bringing me?" Koraben looked straight ahead before replying.

"Your a General-in-training. It's about time you got some real experience. Plus I need someone to try and stop me if I decide to kill him." Quin went even paler at those last terrifying words. Koraben reached a cell door and began to put in a code. 

28-09-05

Quin eyed it silently. Before following her inside. The room was dark except for a few lights shining from the ceiling. In the far corner, her father laid against the wall. Quin to stop her hand from covering her mouth in shock. He was chained to the wall like some animal. His exhausted eyes slowly drifted up to meet theirs.

"Ready to talk?" Koraben asked, not the slightest int of mercy in her voice. Quin walked forward with so that her face was now in the light. Ben's eyes widened for a second. He couldn't believe it.

His daughter was standing opposite from him in a General's uniform. He must be undercover. She must be. She wouldn't ever follow the Phantom, he knew her.

But then again, so had his father...

"I'd like to introduce to you our newest intern from one of the farthest fleets. General Que." Koraben said and Ben sighed. So she was undercover. But his time of reassurance was cut short as he felt a force wrap around his throat causing him to choke. After a few seconds of strangling Koraben let go and watched him sink further to the ground, gasping.

"The lightsaber... where is it?"

"I can't tell you." He groaned.

"It's your lightsaber!"

"No it's not. Not anymore. I share no more connection with that thing, only memories." He could sense Koraben's fury and she glared at him. Once again she began to choke the prisoner, but this time she didn't stop. Ben tried to fight back but he'd lost all his energy days ago. Instead his slid to his sides and he looked like he was about to give up.

But then he saw his daughter standing behind his torturer. Her expression was one of pure horror. And he felt a sudden strength. He couldn't die. No. He hadn't been there for his children once. He wasn't going to leave them again. He raised his hands clawing at his neck trying to do anything he could to stop his approaching death.

But nothing changed.

He didn't want to look at his daughter. He didn't want to see the look of horror and fear he could sense coming from her direction. Instead his eyes rested on his executor, she was gritting her teeth as she tightened her grip.

But then, it loosened. Had she had second thoughts? Was she sparing him? No. She was still trying her hardest but although her grip didn't loosen completely it didn't get any tighter. Ben took a few quick gasps of air.

He felt a newer and stronger presence in the room, in the force. The prisoner glanced at Quin.

Quin had been standing there, unsure what to do. Her father was being choked to death by a trained Sith. She could see the life fading from his eyes as Koraben gave few enraged grunts as she tried harder and harder to choke the life out of him.

She couldn't give away her position. But what else could she do?

Quin didn't even notice as she closed her eyes. The world around went silent and she felt a familiar strength. It was the kind of strength she had whenever she experienced a vision. This time she didn't try to hold on to it or push it away. Instead, she let the energy fill her on its own.

She could feel Koraben's anger, mixed with her father's fear and guilt. Her hands relaxed as she reopened her eyes. The world went back to normal and she was no longer in the quiet void she had felt before.

Looking straight at her father she pushed away her fear and channeled the energy. Commanding it to loosen the dark force that had wrapped itself around Ben's throat. It worked. Koraben looked puzzled and she fought, raising her hand.

Quin could feel her pushing against the barrier she had put up. She held her ground, both hands at her side as she tried not to show how much of her strength was burning away. Finally the High General yanked her hand away in fury and panted.

Quin had to force herself to not do the pain and instead tried taking small silent breaths. She glanced at her father's eyes which only watched her for a second. They were full of many emotions. Happiness, pride, sadness, loss and curiosity. "Enough!" Koraben shouted glaring at Ben.

"You can't fight me off forever." She hissed leaving with Quin hurrying after her. She wished she could give him a sign, saying everything would be fine but she couldn't.

She fiddled nervously with her gloves, one of which was covering her tattoo of the Jedi symbol. "Something's not right. He shouldn't have been that strong."

"He's a legend. He'd be harder to kill than most." Quin replied.

"Well if there's one thing I've learnt about legends. Is that eventually, they all fall."