The Sith Empress
by AJ Marks
Part 21
Luke sat meditating when he felt a sudden lose though the Force and had to try to figure out what had happened. The only thing he could really recall was when he was on board the Millennium Falcon so long ago and before he was trained in the Force. He had felt the destruction of Alderaan but was too inexperienced to understand what had happened. This time he felt it but wasn’t sure what it was.
Getting up and heading out of the room he wondered if anyone else had felt it as well. HE needed to know if it really was something though the Force, or had it been associated with his meditation. If many had felt it then whatever had happened was bigger than he thought and it also meant the problem was larger than he expected.
“Master Skywalker, some students were wondering if you felt something in the Force as well,” Fie-Tel said walking up to him along with Kyle. Both of them appeared anxious over what happened.
“Yeah, I was wondering how many others also felt it,” Luke replied back to them.
“It interrupted some of the training, especially those who are better in tune with the Force,” Kyle said. “You know, it felt like,” he paused looking at them both, “like a lot of people were killed suddenly.”
Luke only nodded knowing that’s probably what it was, but had no idea exactly what had happened.
“I need to speak with my sister,” Luke said, making his way to the communications room. A bit later he sighed learning she was in a meeting with the senate. He could only hope she was aware of what was going on, and that it appeared something had happened.
*****
Leia listened in as it seemed everyone walked to talk and no one wanted to listen. Since she started the meeting it had devolved into a shouting match between different groups. People were complaining why they should have to defend others and some were saying Leia was trying to take after Senator Palpatine who turned into the Emperor. One Senator was still trying to rally support to his cause and meeting this group called Rizonians.”
She was about to intervene when she felt a powerful presence from the Force. She knew something had gone wrong and wondered what it might have been to cause such a disturbance. She needed to speak with her brother about this and find out what happened seeing a brief pause in all groups.
“I suggest a brief recess so tempers may cool down and we can look at the objective with a clearer head,” Leia said to the group watching as several others agreed with her. The council was paused as people started to leave.
Leia quickly went to her office and was informed by her secretary that Luke had tried to call her not that long ago. The news didn’t calm Leia one bit considering he called her and had a feeling something had happened. She thanked her secretary and asked if she would call him back.
Getting thought to the Jedi Academy didn’t take long and Luke’s face appeared on the screen.
“Leia,” he said. “Glad you called me back.”
“Does this have anything to do with what I felt in the Force not long ago?” Leia asked him.
“Yeah, I figured you would feel it. I was wondering if Republic Intelligence had discovered anything out of the ordinary which might account for what we felt. Some sort of attack?” Luke asked her.
“Not that I’m aware of, only that Frasis was attacked, but it’s out on the rim,” Leia replied back to him. “We were actually arguing about it in the council before you called and when this happened.”
“I have no idea if its connected to that or something else,” Luke replied to her. “Only that there is a growing presence within the Force.”
“We should be careful then,” Leia said.
“Yes.”
“I’ll have intelligence keep an eye out for anything else,” Leia said as she ended the conversation with Luke’s thanks.
She gathered what she knew and sent off a report to intelligence while looking at her own reports hoping something in them would tell her what might have happened.
*****
Jessica stood in full Darth Rizon mode waiting for the government of Frasis to respond to her demands. So far she had leveled one city with no remorse of ordering a second city destroyed if her demands were not met. Growing impatient she looked over at Tyi.
“Anything yet?” she asked him as he looked on.
“Nothing yet my lord,” he replied back to her. “Perhaps they are still stunned and trying to figure out what is going on.”
“Or perhaps they are too stupid to know to surrender,” Jessica replied back taking another look at the planet in question. “Tell them they have ten minutes to meet my demands or another city will be destroyed.”
“Yes my lord,” Tyi replied heading off to carry out the order leaving Jessica standing next to Gaia. He then left the room to see some others to make sure her orders were carried out.
“You do no approve,” Jessica whispered to the small Jedi.
“No,” the honest reply came back. “I don’t like seeing anyone hurt.”
“Is that so?” Jessica replied as another idea came to her. “We shall see then.”
It was like she had been given a new weapon to use against the Jedi. She would explore this side as well in her attempt to bring the Jedi over to the Dark Side. The game was becoming interesting, yet there was a smaller part other still warring for something else, something more that it craved from the blonde-haired Jedi. For now she was able to ignore it, but it appeared to gaining strength.
*****
“I can’t believe she has that tiny, weak Jedi standing beside her, but it’s true, some on the bridge said its true,” one of the trainees in the hangar said speaking up to the others.
“Be quiet you fool, or you’ll get us all killed,” another one said eyeing a tall blonde who walked into the room. She was Katie, Darth Rizon’s right hand when it came to training her Sith warriors and she was deadly efficient at it as well.
“Eh, I don’t care. It’s a sign of weakness to be for her to have that Jedi with her.” The man said spitting out Jedi as if it might contaminate him by saying it. He was suddenly very still as the hum of a lightsaber sliced through the air and pointed right at his throat. He had to fight the urge to counter it knowing he wasn’t powerful enough yet to challenge her.
“I suggest you be careful what you say, Darth Rizon has ears everywhere,” the tall blonde aid to him. No one had seen her move and she looked as if she was ready to kill any of them.
The entire room stopped and watched to see what was going to happened. They all appeared waiting if she would kill him or not. The lightsaber clicked off and she lowered her arm as people knew there would be no bloodshed yet, but knew to remain quiet and focused on their training.
“Everyone get back to your practice,” Katie said in a growl before looking at the trainee in question. “You come with me.”
“Yes ma’am,” the man said.
He walked out of the hangar with her and into a more secluded spot away from the others making him wonder what might be going on and if she was going to kill him, or some sort of other torture and prepared himself. She turned to him looking him over for a few seconds.
“Tell me what you know of the Sith doctrine?” she asked him shocking him a bit.
“The strong survive,” he answered.
“Right, and part of the Sith way is to overthrow their masters,” she said to him watching as realization sunk in with him. “I think together we can overthrow Darth Rizon and become Sith lords ourselves.”
“Is that possible,” the man asked. Despite what he said he had seen how powerful Darth Rizon was and what she was capable of.
“Its always possible, and that puny Jedi is the key,” she said back to him. “What do you say?”
“I think you can count on me my lord,” he said with a slight smile.
“Excellent,” she replied. “For now, continue to train and get stronger, and keep your mouth shut.”
“Of course,” he said, walking out of the room and back to the hangar leaving her alone.
“The fool doesn’t know what he’s in for,” another figure said emerging from the shadows.
“No he doesn’t my master,” she replied back to him.
“Soon they will all know,” he said, then left her.
*****
Jessica continued to watch the planet, but also watching the small Jedi as well. Tyi came back on the bridge and went back over the communications officer before making his way over to her with a grim look on his face.
“My lord, there is still no word from the surface,” he told her. Her anger flared at this, she would not be ignored.
“Do they take me for a fool,” she finally said. “They will feel the full power of the Sith.”
She turned to her captain and paused thinking about the idea she had earlier. Now would be the perfect opportunity to implement her plan and turned to where Gaia was standing. She could see the questioning look returned to her as Jessica looked down at her.
“I have a proposition for you,” Jessica said to her. “I’ll space the planet if you order the destruction of one of the cities.”
Jessica saw the conflict in the Jedi’s eyes right away as she warred with herself. It was exactly what she wanted a way to push the Jedi into something she didn’t want to do. She would either order a large group to die, or be responsible for even more to die.
“And how do I know that you won’t go ahead and order the entire surface destroyed anyways?” Gaia countered back to her.
“You don’t,” Jessica replied honestly. “It all depends on them and their answer. Pick a good target and they might come around, if not, then they’ll need more persuasion.”
She watched the Jedi look at her, then back at the planet before back at her. There was something else in her eyes as she looked on and for a brief second she reconsidered but stopped herself.
“Why don’t you just threaten them again,” Gaia replied back making Jessica mentally roll her eyes at the naive attempt to deflect the decision.
“Been there, tried that, didn’t work,” Jessica said with a smile thinking this game was fun. “Pick a target, I don’t have a lot of patience.”
She watched as the small Jedi continued to think of perhaps a way out of the situation. For Jessica there were only two ways, unless somehow the planet regained their senses and surrendered to her which she didn’t see happening anytime soon.
“Hurry up,” Jessica said pushing the smaller woman to make a decision, giving her less time to come up with some other plan.
She watched as finally the small Jedi after several more seconds of inner turmoil finally pointed at a spot on the planet’s surface with shaky finger.
“Here,” she said.
“Well, you heard the lady, open fire there,” Jessica said pulling Gaia with her. The Jedi offered no resistance as they turned to look out the window.
They could make out the turbolaser turrets on the Sith battleship next to them as they swiveled down planetside. In seconds the ships opened fire releasing a rain of turbo lasers down onto the planet’s surface. They would lay death and destruction to the spot on the planet. It would be in ruins for years to come and a reminder to the people on the planet not to test her or they would feel her wrath.
Things were coming together as she had foreseen. It wouldn’t be long before the people bowed to her as Empress.
End part 21