Into the Darkness

24

The battle rages on outside my ship. Explosions shake around me, sending debris flying through the sky. Only weeks ago was I on the other side of this battle, trying to stop the Resistance and destroy their fleet. Now, I soar along with them, aiming at Final Order Star Destroyers in an attempt to avenge my love. Oh how things have changed.

Suddenly, five TIE fighters appear behind me. I fly unpredictability in an effort to lose them but they stay right on my tail, firing at me. I take a moment to assess the situation, then look down at the lightsaber on my hilt.

"Poe, I'm going to do something you don't like." I say into the comms. Before he has a chance to answer, I switch my droid to autopilot mode. The glass above me opens slowly, I gain my balance on the seat and unclip my lightsaber.

"Eira, what are you doing?" Poe asks, I can see him attempting to catch up in the distance. I close my eyes and breathe in, letting the power of the force flow through me.

Eira, we will guide you.

With the voice of the Jedi before me in my mind, I breathe out and open my eyes. I step onto the back of my ship and jump, soaring through the air over top of the first TIE fighter. I ignite my saber and thrust down, the blade digging into the wing and slicing it clean off. I land on the top of the TIE fighter behind it, watching the wingless one crash into the ground. I raise my hand and take the fighter in front of me into my grasp with the force. As I begin to squeeze my hand into a fist, the ship crumbles into a ball and slams into the TIE fighter to its right.

I then spin around to look at the TIE fighter flying closely behind me, making desperate attempts to shoot me without damaging his ally's ship. I simply throw my saber at him and watch it slice through both wings before flying back to my hand. Calmly, I place both hands on the hilt and stab the blade through the roof of the TIE fighter, maneuvering myself to slice it clean in half. I then fall through the air onto the roof of my own ship, climbing back inside.

"Eira, that was incredible. But please, never do it again." Poe says to me. I smile and buckle myself back in, taking back control of my ship.

The battle rages on and I watch as more and more of our fleet is destroyed. X-Wings crash to the ground around me, their pilots falling along with them.

"We're never going to do this." I say over the comms. "There's too many of them." Before Poe has a chance to answer, another voice comes over the comms.

"But there are more of us, Eira." Lando says. I look up to the sky to see a fleet of thousands of ships enter the atmosphere. A smile spreads across my face as the ships begin to fire at the Final Order fleet. We just might have a shot at this.

I turn my ship around and race back into the fight, taking down TIE fighters soaring through the sky. The Resistance begins to take back the fight in this now level battlefield.

"Finn, how's it going down there?" Poe asks. I look over at the command ship to see it still standing.

"I don't think we're gonna make it to the command bridge Poe. There's too many troopers and too many cannons. There's only a few of us left." Finn says, completely out of breath. I can see the few soldiers remaining cowering behind what little cover they have left. If that ship isn't taken down, this battle will be for nothing.

In that moment, I put the fate of the galaxy before my own. Everything around me seems to slow, like I'm floating in place. Realization floods my mind, I know now what I must do. The command bridge of the Star Destroyer comes into my view.

This is the moment you were meant for, granddaughter.

This is the moment where I right my wrongs. After everything I've done, after the pain and terror I've caused. After the people I've slaughtered, the ones I've tortured. After every evil thing I've done to this galaxy, it is now my time to save it. This is my redemption, and may it give this Resistance hope again.

"Finn, take your men and have them retreat." I say over the comms. "And do it now." Without question, they all begin to run back to their ship.

"Eira what are you doing?" Poe says to me. I take a deep breath in, then smile.

I'll see you soon, my love.

"Poe?" I pause, flipping a switch that will send my ship to full speed when I push the handle forward. My droid deploys and flies to a Resistance command ship. "I forgive you."

With one push, my ship soars full speed into the bridge of the commanding Star Destroyer.

There's no pain, no shock. Only light, then darkness.