The Children of the Stars

Dark Journey

They had entered the upper level of some kind of old temple. With pillars throughout the room, it was made from cool white stone and was immeasurably old. Pools and fountains, still propelled by the nature that had provided it, were scattered around the room.

Darth Keera was flanked by other Acolytes and apprentices from her Shadow Academy. Keera herself was clad in a black lace gown, her hair in a curled version of their mother's signature style as an adult.

It had been a trap— somehow.

Jacen was pale, but resolute. He summoned his lightsaber back to his hand but did not ignite it. Allana noticed how Tahiri placed a hand over the small of his back, an invisible and reassuring gesture.

"What are you doing here?" Nellith demanded, holding Jaina's lightsaber up.

"I'm afraid that the path to our mother was gone a long time ago," Darth Keera drawled. Before Allana could tighten her grip, the holocron flew to Darth Keera's hand like a well-trained kath-hound. Then she shattered it.

"No!" Allana blurted out.

"I'm afraid that you were not following Mother's holocrons, as I found the one on Jakku and corrupted it when I could not discover its secrets," Darth Keera explained. "It was easy to fabricate the rest and send you into my little trap."

It had all been for nothing. Allana felt numb. It really had been a nerf-chase in the end. She'd let Valin's condition deteriorate for nothing.

"Well, now you've got us," Jacen finally said. "What are you going to do about it, Thea?"

He sounded so tired, so resigned. But her name was like Luke Skywalker's famous shot at the Death Star— perfect in timing and impeccably precise.

She seethed, baring teeth that seemed unnaturally sharp. Her apprentices behind her ignited their variety of red lightsabers.

"I am no longer that foolish queen!" Darth Keera snarled, although there was a strange vulnerability in her features. "I am the Empress of the Imperial Remnant! I conquered that which Sidious and Snoke and even our puny father could not— Alderaan!"

"And at what cost?" Jacen, to his credit, still spoke as calmly and coolly as one would to a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. "Zekk left you. Your family no longer stands beside you. How much longer are you going to let Darth Plagueis stay in your head?"

"Don't you see?" Darth Keera spun her dual blade casually. "He and I have become one. The girl you once knew it dead. She was a fool, who did not understand the power the dark side brings."

Allana couldn't help it, she shook her head. This isn't happening. This isn't happening.

Was that it all along? Had her sister simply been power-hungry? Her sister never seemed the type.

"No one is gone forever," Jacen said. "And I believe that if our father could fight Snoke, if our mother could fight Sidious, and so could Vader, my sister can fight Plagueis."

For a moment, Darth Keera faltered. Her golden eyes turned hazel, she seemed smaller— more frightened— she opened her red lips to speak—

But before she could cry for help, the facade of Darth Keera returned.

"This is no fairytale," Darth Keera sneered, her voice returning to a similar sound to Thea's. "Mummy and Daddy won't save you. Love won't save that girl I left behind."

Jacen shook his head. "I don't believe that. No matter how much you hurt me, Thea, I never believed that you couldn't be saved. I've found it in myself to forgive you. Come with us. We can help you. We can stop this before it's too late."

He offered his hand out.

Darth Keera seemed frozen, struggling as she reached out— only to then swipe with her saber.

Jacen quickly retracted his hand and ignited his saber.

"I'm afraid that won't be happening," Darth Keera declared. "I need your power, your life-forces. Now that I can no longer force you to do Battle Mediation for me, dear Jacen, and I no longer have my most accomplished Hand, I must take new cautions to maintain my new Empire."

"Then come and take it from us!" Nellith taunted. "You can't face all of us and win!"

"Actually, I can." Right as they were abut to attempt an attack, the Jedi crew was lifted into the air, tendrils of energy going to Darth Keera.

Allana gasped— she could feel her consciousness fading, and was so tired. Any attempt to look to the Force for help was just like when she had cut herself off from it.

Darth Keera's very coloring was more vivid, and she seemed to be glowing. As Allana felt herself from fading from her own body, she realized that Darth Keera was becoming immortal— cheating death in the step that Plagueis had never discovered, but Sidious had.

Was this the end?

"Stop!"

The Jedi fell to the ground. Allana managed to get the strength to prop herself up on her elbows. At the entrance of the temple stood the silhouette of Valin. He did not have his lightsaber, as they had confiscated that back when they first put him in the cargo-hold. He looked disheveled, as if he'd fought a thousand rancors to get here.

"What are you doing?" Allana screamed.

"I knew Rey wouldn't say what she did in the holocron," Valin panted. "And I won't let you hurt my friends."

"You don't have the power to oppose me." Darth Keera and the other apprentices laughed.

Valin looked straight to Allana. "I'm sorry."

Allana shook her head, desperately trying to gather enough strength to stand. "Don't try it— don't let it take you— you have to fight it, the power isn't worth it!"

She knew what he was going to do— as did Darth Keera.

"You think a disease I unleashed will save you?" Keera laughed.

"It can't hurt." Valin's eyes turned Sith yellow. In a flash of light, the ceiling of the temple began to crack.

"Valin, stop, you're going to kill us!" Jysella yelled.

Darth Keera merely laughed. She then stretched out her hand, pointing at the Jedi crew. Suddenly, Allana couldn't move— she was frozen. "You can die here."

The cracks in the ceiling started to converge.

"Let's get out of here," Darth Keera said, and she and her apprentices scattered out.

That was when the pieces of the ceiling fell.

It took all of Allana's strength to break free and summon her lightsaber. She ignited it, making a hole in the floor big enough for them all to go through.

Valin's eyes were hazel again as he tried to catch the roof. But it was too much for him— they had seconds, Allana knew it.

She finished tracing the saber in the floor, and pulled everyone close to her, and then pushed them all away as the temple caved in completely.