The Children of the Stars

The Executioner

Nellith never surrendered in the week that had passed since she'd been marked for death. Try as Darth Thea might, she could not recover the information of where Nellith had found the Jedi, or where Allana had been all those years.

In fact, Nellith had been defiant, spitting in the face of her captor, taunting her. For all her efforts, she'd been slapped and shocked with more lightning— but what did it matter?

Nellith was going to die anyway.

It was a surprise to her when on the morning of her scheduled execution, Darth Keera entered. She looked almost herself again.

"Wake up, sister," she cried in sing-song. "We have to get you ready for today."

Nellith felt the shackles on the wall. She rubbed her wrists, letting circulation flow back in. They'd been on and off throughout the week— but more often on than off.

She stared daggers up at her sister. "What do you want? Why don't you just kill me here, if you're going to do it?"

"You never did understand politics." Darth Keera rolled her eyes. "Come on, we need to pick out your dress!"

Her sister then giddily pulled Nellith up by the wrist and into her private bedroom. She practically threw Nellith down on her large bed, holding her there with the Force as she flung open the doors to her ginormous closet.

"I think blue would suit you well— but white looks so much better on the HoloNet, wouldn't you agree?"

"What?" Nellith couldn't hide her surprise or disgust. "You're murdering me in front of the galaxy— this isn't some gala or ball? You do know that, don't you?"

Darth Keera stopped. Her breathing became rapid, and she turned.

Just for a second, her eyes were no longer— rather the same hazel as their mother's—-

But as soon as it came, it was gone. Darth Keera lifted Nellith up with the Force into the air, and slammed her down onto the floor, before the paralysis set in again.

"I think the blue would be right, after all."

She then pulled out a simpler gown than the rest of what was in that wardrobe.

What ensued was perhaps one of the most normal things to happen since Nellith had awoken from the box, from the Second Purge.

Darth Keera styled her hair to allow an exposed neck, did her makeup, and helped her into her dress. If Nellith tried, she could block out all else and pretend it was the old days.

But now she was certain— Thea Organa was never coming back.

She was more certain of the fact when her hands were cuffed behind her back and Darth Keera looked her over one last time.

"You'll look beautiful," Darth Keera said as she touched Nellith's face.

Nellith shuddered under her sister's gloved hands.

"It truly is a pity you couldn't return to my side." Darth Keera sighed. "But your old self— she would appreciate that you were able to help me advance my empire."

What sort of monster had Nellith been?

But she was out of time to wonder these sorts of things. Darth Keera, surrounded by elite stormtroopers in scarlet armor, was the first to emerge on the balcony.

Crowded into the large stone courtyard were all of the inhabitants of the Royal City who could be there. Elsewhere under the Remnant's rule, the HoloNet provided a livestream.