Necessary Evils

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Valrayne"]​

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"... A new power is rising.​

Its victory will soon be at hand..."​

• Desolation Moon
  Asteroid Base, Unknown Regions

The Empire's time had come... Those words hung in the air like a heavy cloud of smoke. They were on the lips of the people in the corridors, whispered quietly in cantinas, spoken carefully, as if to avoid awakening the wrath of a vengeful god. On the harsh, nightmarish world of Kalidan, a silent, stalking wolf was gathering its forces, raising armies and building fleets. Its patience was infinite. Its resolve, unbreaking. Slowly, gradually, it was reaching out, expanding its influence, infiltrating and undermining local governments, buying up officials, assassinating politicians who stood in the way, slowly and surely laying the foundations for things to come. Soon, very soon, the Unknown Regions would once again come under the rule of an Imperial power.

For the small asteroid colony known as Desolation Moon, these things couldn't be more clear. Located just a few lightyears from the Velestria system where the Empire's base of operations was, its rulers and its people could see the writing on the wall. Whether they liked it or not, the Empire would inevitably sweep right over their little rock and there was absolutely nothing they could do to stop it. And so, the governor of the small colony, chose appeasement and cooperation, just as he did during the days when the First Order had come to demand submission.

The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a vibroknife. People hurried about, speaking in hushed tones, looking suspiciously around as if in wary of some hidden predator. They all remembered how the First Order dealt with people they saw as beneath their standards. And from all accounts, this new Eternal Empire was even worse, not even bothering to hide the atrocities it committed against those whom they saw as being in the way. So, they tried their best to make themselves 'acceptable' in the eyes of this rising regime.

Security was tightened, crime was cracked down on and new laws were passed, to bring the small asteroid more closely in line with the policies of the government on Kalidan. Some grumbled, but what else could the governor had done?

When the Empire finally came, there was no warning. No message had been sent, no request for permission, absolutely nothing that could have given the local authorities any time to prepare.

Outside of the station, space warped and twisted, as if straining against a terrible weight, until finally, it could hold itself together no more and tore itself apart. A great ship tore a hole through reality as it emerged from hyperspace and slowly lined itself up to face the station, like a lazy predator eyeing its next meal. In the middle of what locally stood for night, a terrified secretary barged into the governor's bedroom and woke him up.

---

---

"The Empire... appreciates your hard work, here, governor," the silver-haired man said to the wide-eyed politician sitting across from him. Although this man was a guest here, his presence commanded obedience the moment he set foot in the small office. "Our sources have been informing us about the reforms you have been implementing and we are pleased to see that your colony is coming around to our way of thinking."

They had sources? Of course they had sources, the governor thought. "I appreciate the compliment, my lord," the governor answered, pausing as the secretary whispered something in his ear. "What? Oh, right. Sorry, your highness," he corrected, eyes growing wide. "I am hoping we can establish good working relations with your government. So, what can our little colony do for the Eternal Empire?"

---

---

The small door to the interrogation room swung open, letting in a visibly shaken investigator who showed no signs of his earlier calm, confident demeanor. Four soldiers marched into the room, heavily armed and wearing wolf cloaks over their armored helms, followed by a man who was clearly their leader. He wasn't particularly tall, only slightly above average, but he held himself in a way which exuded authority and a vast, suffocating dark power radiated from him. He wore a white uniform with some kind of trappings of rank, which were unlike any insignia worn by the asteroid colony's security forces. Silver haired, his harsh, scarred visage bore eyes that were golden and slitted, like a cat's. His fingers ended in sharp, deadly talons and a longsword hung from his belt.

"Release her," he commanded in a voice which sounded like weathered gravel and the investigator scurried across the room to obey, trembling fingers fumbling with the controls of the girl's handcuffs, until they finally opened with an audible click. "Good. Now, leave us," the silver-haired man ordered again again, waiting impassively as the investigator left the small room almost at a run.

He pulled up a chair and sat down, facing the young Felacatian woman across from him. One of the soldiers handed him a datapad, which he proceeded to study for a few moments, before looking up at her. "This report says you murdered someone," he said absentmindedly, his eyes regarding her with a kind of skeptical curiosity. "But you don't strike me like the type who would be capable of hurting a fly. So, tell me. What exactly happened?"

 

[Faegard]

I could keep my eyes pointedly on the recorder in the middle of the room all I liked (and I did), but my ears were forever my betrayers, swiveling around to the door to listen as our interview session was interrupted. Interview? Interrogation? I felt my tail flick behind me with agitation as I shifted in my seat with a sigh. It was embarrassing to sit there, my hands cuffed to the table. The cold metal bracelets glinted in the harsh light, seemingly to mock me.

However, the men who marched into the room stole my breath from my lungs in a sharp gasp, a far cry from the station officers that had picked me up.

Instantly, I felt my heart leap in my chest, my fur bristling and my every muscle pulled taut, coiled as if to spring away and flee. I couldn't, of course, and the cuffs jangled slightly as I shifted, to remind me of such. I swallowed, desperately wishing I could retreat from them. Oh no... had that man been some kind of diplomat or something? Had I... had the accident somehow been worse than I'd imagined?

The eyes of the man who clearly led them grabbed me. They were... like mine almost. But clearly he was no felacatian, farghul or cathar. For a moment I felt the trepidation melt away as the questions began to rise to the front of my mind. He gave a command, his voice showing the weathered signs of a commander burdened with age and wisdom. As the cuffs were removed I sighed with relief, immediately pulling my arms up to my chest and rubbing my wrists.

I watched enviously as the investigator scurried out of the room. Way to leave me with the big bad wolf, officer.

The man himself spoke again, those intriguing eyes studying me. I studied him right back, watching how he moved, how the guards reacted to him.

"A bit late to bring in the dogs," I quipped in response, nodding to the lupine uniform of the soldiers, "the cat's already been cornered."

What had been a wavering smirk at best fell away and I felt another sigh uncoil from my chest. Averting my gaze, I bit my bottom lip, feeling my mind travel back to those awful moments several hours ago.

"I was just waiting to hear back about passage on a cargo ship, about six hours ago, now." I began, placing my hand on the table and staring at my claws. It was easier to speak to them than to the foreboding man in front of me, "I... I don't know. I felt like, a tingling, at the base of my skull. It was sharp - kind of like a headache. Then, I just saw him. My whole world seemed to shrink down to just... him, and..."

I trailed off, my brow furrowed as I shuddered off the rest of that thought.

"It doesn't normally happen like that." I explained, "when I shift, I mean. Not like that at all."

My heart began to race as I dared to lift my gaze up to the silver-haired man in the chair across from me.

"What's going to happen to me?"





[member="Darth Tacitus"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Valrayne"]​

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• Desolation Moon
  Asteroid Base, Unknown Regions

In response to the girl's quip about dogs, one of the guards took a step forward, but stopped when the leader raised one of his clawed hands. Settling back in his chair as she explained her version of events, the silver-haired man listened intently, a blank expression on his face hiding the inner workings of his vast intellect, which took in every detail and dissected every word a thousand times over.

There were tell-tale signs that he could pick up out of what she said. Sharp and sudden pain in the back of her skull? Loss of control during what should have been a completely normal transformation for her kind? And she was an untrained, or barely trained Force sensitive, he could sense that much about her. It was just a theory, but when also taking into account the reports local security and his own agents amongst them had given, things kind of fell into place to form a picture he didn't like.

Her bravado seemed to melt as she spoke, like layers peeling away, revealing a frightened girl who was in way over her head. No, he didn't think she did it at all. At least, not voluntarily. But there were ways to make someone do things involuntarily, ways that a lot of Force wielders knew.

"The thing is, girl, you did kill someone. Though I don't believe you did that of your own free will," he finally answered. "You know, for what its worth, I don't believe you are guilty of anything, here. I think you were just an unwitting pawn in someone else's game, the murder weapon in an assassination. Clever and difficult to trace back to the actual killer."

Unfortunately, the very thing he was worried about, seemed to be confirmed. There was a Force-wielding assassin operating close to the Empire's borders. And such a thing just couldn't be allowed to go on. This assassin had to be tracked down and dealt with. Fortunately, there were always methods to track down even the untraceable.

"What I wonder, though, is why would anyone go through all this trouble to kill that particular individual. There is nothing in the files to suggest that the murder victim was anything more than an ordinary person, though our intel could be wrong," he said.

Standing up, he signaled his guards with a hand gesture. "We're taking you back to the ship, girl. I'm afraid this place isn't safe for you," the man said to her, worried that whoever was behind this strange murder, might try to cover his or her tracks by disposing of the Felacatian.

 

[Faegard]

It's strange how they way someone looks at you can make you feel.

Admittedly, I wasn't exactly clad in armor - just a small top and pants - but I was adequately dressed for the station. However, the way this... commander? Stared at me made me feel utterly naked, and somewhat vulnerable. It was uncomfortable, however, the way he raised a hand to stay the guard I'd offended, I didn't feel like I was in immediate danger.

At first, when he spoke, my heart sank. He was right, I had killed someone. Well, my claws had. I dropped my head, ears tilting back in shame. What he said next came as a comfort - if, a small one. A sigh of relief uncoiled from my chest. My conscience might never be able to make peace with what had happened, but with a little luck, perhaps the law would. I lifted my eyes hopefully, keenly turning my attention to the questions he raised. Someone had used me as a weapon? Had it been simple circumstance, had they maneuvered me into their victim's path? Or him into mine?

The man stood, gesturing to the guards. I flickered a glance to the one that had reacted to my initial comment, fearful but brief. Glancing back to the silver-haired man, I figured that if I wanted to voice my fears, it was now or never.

"Not safe?" I asked, "you think whoever did this..."

I shook my head, abandoning that line of thinking,

"This ship... Which one exactly is it? What's your authority here?"

I felt my cheeks grow warm, blushing under my fur. I'm sure there was a more polite way to ask that, but this was all new to me.

"This is quite a lot to go through just to acquire a ship's cat. I could recommend a shelter instead, you know."

A wink was thrown to the soldiers, as I sensed that the silver-haired man was not as receptive to wit. I hadn't yet stood, but I did shift in my chair, ready to put weight on my legs again as soon as I was told to stand. These strangers were unsettling and foreboding, and who knew what awaited me on their ship... but right now it was preferable to staying here in this tiny room.




[member="Darth Tacitus"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Valrayne"]​

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• Desolation Moon
  Asteroid Base, Unknown Regions

Despite her earlier quips, the silver-haired Sith Lord could see the girl's fear. He could read it plainly in her small movements, the way she hesitated when she spoke, how she left things unfinished. But he was not one to sugarcoat things, or treat people with silk gloves. Life was hard and the galaxy wasn't fair. Coddling people only made them weak and unprepared to face the cruel reality, better to just say things like they were. "If I were an assassin who mind-tricked someone to do the job for me, I'd be looking to dispose of that person in order to cover up my tracks," he said. It was the smart thing to do, the logical thing for any assassin worth his credits to do.

She asked him about his ship, but before he could answer, the governor's voice echoed across the station's public announcement system, giving the small asteroid colony's inhabitants some foreboding news. "Attention, citizens of Desolation Moon. This is governor Sloane speaking. Our new friends from the Eternal Empire have agreed to lend us help with cracking down on our colony's crime problem. Also, in the interest of defending the social order from those who would see our recent and much-needed reforms thrown out and our colony descended into anarchy, the Eternal Empire has graciously agreed to help our authorities deal with the reactionary elements which have been causing this station so much trouble in recent weeks. From now on, Jedi anarchism and demagogy will no longer be tolerated. Let this be the final warning to those who would defy the law," the governor explained, his voice strained and shaking.

As soon as the announcement ended, a visibly frightened secretary all but barged into the interrogation room, stopped, hesitating for a moment, unsure of how she should behave. In the end, she decided to bow. "...Your highness," she spoke, her voice hesitant. "I'm afraid one of the leaders of the pro-Jedi movement is a high-ranking official in the main opposition party. His followers have gathered in front of his home and are... not letting our security personnel arrest him," the secretary said, hesitating to inform him about the next part. "Our... security personnel... don't know how to react," she said in a meek, half-whispered voice.

"Its fine," the Emperor responded. "I'll have Blackwatch send a death squad to assist you," he said to the short, pudgy woman. The secretary's eyes widened. "D... d... Death squad?"

"Yes," Tacitus replied nonchalantly. "I did promise your governor that the Eternal Empire will help your government with these matters, didn't I? Please see to it that the governor is informed."

"I... Of course, your highness," the woman blurted, bowing so quickly that she almost lost her balance and fell on her face, before scurrying out of the room as fast as possible, datapad hugged closely against her chest.

Turning back to face the Felacatian girl, the Emperor ignored her latest quip and beckoned her to follow him with a wave of his hand, stepping into the corridor outside of the interrogation room. A viewport showed the empty vacuum outside. Except, it wasn't empty, or lit by the small plumes of the engines of freighter. A massive, three kilometer-long Battlecruiser, its hull dark and sleek and studded with weapons, hung there menacingly.

Eyes fixed on the ship's triangular form, the Emperor addressed the Felacatian. "No assassin in this galaxy will be able to get close to you while you're on my flagship," he said.

 

[Faegard]

Our conversation (if that's what you could call it) was interrupted soon as the speakers crackled to life and a very strained and worried governor came on with an announcement. I couldn't hide the shudder that racked my shoulders. Sure, I'm no Jedi myself, in fact I've dabbled with the dark side of the force once or twice. But... the way the announcement spoke, seemingly vilifying the order, it felt as though the room had just gotten a little colder. The man in front of me and his terrifying guards had offered me a lifeline, so naturally I'd assumed they were the 'good guys'. But... what if he wasn't?

I sensed my ears tilting back in uncertainty, but before I could even rectify it, we were interrupted by a secretary.

Your highness

She referred to the silver-haired man as your highness. What's more... he didn't correct her. I turned a stunned expression to the man, watching the exchange with the secretary but not really hearing it. My mind was reeling, and as the man stood and beckoned for me to follow, I felt myself numbly obey, standing up to follow him. It was a relief to be out of the tiny interrogation room, honestly, but it was small comfort as I still struggled with the realization of who the silver haired man might be.

My eyes followed his to the infinite expanse beyond the station. There, lurking in the vacuum like a great hulking predator, rested an enormous battlecruiser. It was massive, its sleek, sharp edges seemed to gleam menacingly. I felt my blood run cold.

The man spoke again, mentioning how no assassin would be able to get to me on his vessel. My heart skipped a beat, only a single thought ringing in my mind. No potential rescuer would, either.

I swallowed,

"Who... are you?"

My voice was shaking, not unlike the secretary's earlier. I turned to face him, tilting my head up to stare in shock at him. My feet took a step in retreat. I had more questions, what's going to happen to me? Would I go onto that ship and disappear forever? Would they try to indoctrinate me? Who were they?

What had I gotten myself into?




[member="Darth Tacitus"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Valrayne"]​

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• Desolation Moon
  Asteroid Base, Unknown Regions

He could sense her fears, her worries. He could read the million questions in her eyes as plainly as day and her panicked thoughts were like an open book when he probed them telepathically. Ironically, it would be her mind that gave him an idea for what to do with her. The Eternal Empire could certainly use another assassin, especially one that no one, not even herself, would see coming. Afterall, the Empire did save her life. She owed the nation a debt of blood. But it would take time and hard work.

He led her down the corridors towards he hangar, walking silently for a time, before choosing to answer her. Around them on the asteroid, there was a flurry of activity as station security, accompanied by a squad of foreign soldiers, were hurrying towards some destination, the death squads that the Sith Lord had mentioned earlier. When they were within reach of the hangar, squadron of dropships in plain view, waiting, that was when he chose to answer. "You are now under the protection of the Eternal Empire," he said, his tone cold and businesslike. "And I am Darth Tacitus, the Emperor."

"You will be given sanctuary, though it will not be free and paying back this debt, will not be easy. But nothing worthwhile in life is ever easy and there is no worthier cause in the entire galaxy, than the Empire's," the Sith Lord explained, ominously.

"Come, now. We have a lot of work to do," he said, leading the way towards the hangar, where more squads of soldiers saluted in Imperial fashion, fist-over-heart. With a wave of his hand, he indicated that she was to board one of the dropships. The look in his eyes made it clear that he would tolerate no disobedience.

 

[Faegard]

I could not - for all my trying - shake the growing sensation that some sort of net was rapidly closing around me.

Rather than swoop in gallantly to my rescue, some shining knight to pluck me from this mess and set me free, I began to feel more like prey, cornered in a trap and set upon by a hunter. For a time, the silver-haired man chose not to answer me, instead leading me silently through the station. I wondered in the quiet if this might have been a demonstration of power; a reminder of which of us was in charge. He was not obligated to answer me, or indeed acknowledge my question at all. I was simply to follow and wait, and nothing else.

Eventually, however, we came to a large hangar. The area bustled with organised chaos, squads of soldiers making their way to wherever they'd been ordered to go. It was here that the man finally stopped, telling me plainly who he was.

My stomach flipped. The words echoed in my head, my heart beginning to race madly against my ribs. I could feel the trepidation melting into almost panic.

"E-Emperor?" I repeated softly, my voice hushed with disbelief.

As I reeled from the sudden revelation, he continued to speak. Not only an emperor, but a Darth. I'd never met a sith before, only having read about them in the holocrons from my home. But a Darth? Their power was meant to be legendary. How could I have ended up standing next to one such as this? I swallowed, trying to quell the rising panic.

But as he went on, the trap seemed to snap shut. I owed them a debt for this apparent sanctuary they were granting, and to pay it back would not be easy. The words rung in my mind with warning. Had he... already decided my fate? What did he mean by not easy? One did not become a darth without cruelty, No Val! I scolded myself, Don't think like that! Just... just see what they're offering. You can always go back and take your chances with the officers.

... Right?

The Emperor led the way to one of the dropships, indicating that I was to board. I hesitated, glancing up into his eyes. They were stern, staring back at me with a gaze that implied that I was expected to obey. My tail had begun to swish behind me, agitated and unsettled. My ears perked up, scanning and scrutinizing my surroundings. What would happen to me if I boarded? What would happen if I didn't?

"I... think I'd like to take my chances with the officers"

The words were quiet, wavering and uncertain, but my legs remained stubbornly where they were. Going up against a Darth? Are you mad?! Maybe, but I knew that if I didn't at least try, I'd regret it for however long the rest of my life would be.




[member="Darth Tacitus"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Valrayne"]​

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• Desolation Moon
  Asteroid Base, Unknown Regions

Immediately, the Wolfguards closed ranks, two of them seizing the Felacatian girl by her arms, gauntleted hands closing in a vice-like grip. "The transfer has already been arranged," the Emperor said. "If we hadn't intervened, they'd have thrown you out the airlock."

He could see the hesitation in her eyes. Extending his senses through the Force, he could sense her panicked thoughts. "You are right," he chose to answer her unspoken thoughts, knowing what it would reveal about his power and abilities. "You shouldn't go up against a Darth."

"But alas, I am not needlessly cruel. In an ideal galaxy, I would have rescued you from your captors and let you go," he said, his tone grave and serious, as if to underline the severity of his words. "But we do not live in an ideal galaxy. In this galaxy, we can't afford to do what's right. We must do what is necessary and that is exactly what I intend to do. It is my duty to do so."

He made a gesture with his hand and immediately, the Wolfguards that were holding her, shoved her forward, towards the dropship, while two more pointed their rifles at her.

"I am sorry, miss Valrayne. I wish I didn't have to do this to you, but what I want and what I must do, are two very different things and the latter will always win in the end. There is a storm brewing on the horizon, one more terrible than anything you can imagine. And in this day and age, we must all make sacrifices. I certainly must. So do you," the Sith Lord spoke, the words apologetic, but firm.

"Console yourself with the knowledge that your sacrifices will be made in the service of a higher purpose. And there is no cause that is higher, or more just, than that of the Eternal Empire. This knowledge will give you comfort, it will help you endure in the days and weeks to come."

 

[Faegard]

My tail swished back and forth behind me, my ears half-folded down. Even if I had wanted to, hiding my discomfort is never an option.

But suddenly I let out a yelp as suddenly the armored guards moved in, two of them grabbing my arms. The involuntary squeal had been from the shock, but their grip was tight, hard, and bordering on painful. My heart hammered wildly in my chest, my fur bristling and terrified butterflies fluttered madly in my stomach. I could hear my own breaths becoming rapid and shallow as I fought to swallow back the panic. Wide eyes turned up to his, staring up at him as he spoke.

He read my mind, confirming that I had made a horrible mistake.

I swallowed. Never before had I felt... so utterly vulnerable. Trapped between two of his wolf-guard, effectively pinned, even my own mind was not safe anymore. It was as if a layer of myself had been stripped away, and it was on merely the whim of the Emperor that we continued to speak.

"You make it sound almost noble. Uh... your highness."

But, there was more to it than that.The sith could be cruel, legendarily so. However, I didn't feel hatred or malice from this one in particular. Harsh? Yes absolutely, but there was no sadism to the way his spoke. I shuddered, my shoulders quivering as I realized; I almost felt sad for him. For just a moment, it was not some cruel heartless Emperor towering over me, it was... just a man, toiling at the same wheel he was set to chain me to. It was noble, and tragic, to glimpse a man that had sacrificed everything to build something he might not even see.

Oof!

The moment passed as suddenly I was shoved forwards with a slight grunt, maneuvered towards the ship. I winced as I caught sight of the rifles aimed at my direction. Once again, that crushing sense of vulnerability took over. The Sith continued to speak, that tiny glimpse of a lonely warrior striving for peace was shattered. A knot of dread secured itself firmly in my gut. My limbs went cold. I felt as if someone had dunked a bucket of iced water over me.

"... the days and weeks to come?" I whimpered, my voice strained with worry, "what's happening? What are you going to do? What 'sacrifice' am I supposed to be making?"





[member="Darth Tacitus"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Valrayne"]​

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• Desolation Moon
  Asteroid Base, Unknown Regions

The Emperor stood silently as the Felacatian girl was unceremoniously shoved into the dropship, climbing onboard only after the last of his guards did. As always, he was the first to step forward and the last to withdraw. He sat opposite from the girl, regarding her with expressionless eyes, the eyes of a cold, analytical mastermind who planned every action he took and never let himself be ruled by emotion or impulse. All of his decisions were governed by a cold, mathematical logic which lacked any regard for compassion or feeling.

"Noble? No, little Felacatian. It isn't noble," he finally responded just as the dropship's doors slid shut, engines revving up for takeoff. "The Imperial path is difficult, the road ahead fraught with danger and hardship. And yet, struggle is the father of all things," he said, quoting a proverb that was common amongst his people.

"What we do here, isn't noble. It is necessary. The Eternal Empire is all that stands against those things which would push the galaxy to the brink of calamity. Peace, stagnation, selfish, hedonistic indulgence. All of these things are the enemies of life, poisoned lies which the corrupt, deluded worshipers of the Light, brainwash the masses with. All so that they could pat themselves on the back and feel good that they did their good deed for the day, all so that the galaxy would remain weak and stagnant, because they do not wish to look at the bigger picture and lack the strength of will to make the hard decisions that the continuation of civilization, requires."

"Do you know what makes our cause just? What makes the Empire the greatest nation there has ever been?" the Sith Lord asked her. "It isn't power, or righteousness. The former is a tool and the latter is a delusion. Look at the history of this galaxy, at how many calamities have occurred because of the meddling of the Force and the short-sighted, selfish actions of the Jedi and the Sith alike. The New Sith Wars, the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, the Gulag plague, all of these things could have been averted if the people in charge had made the hard, necessary decisions, instead of the selfish, shortsighted ones."

"The Jedi do what feels right. The Sith do what they want. We Imperials do what is necessary, even when that means committing horrible acts, because we look at the bigger picture, we understand the true nature of life, we make the hard choices that no one else is willing to do. That is what makes our cause just. That is what makes the Imperial culture superior to all others. We understand the fundamental truth of the galaxy, that in order for civilization to survive and grow, the strong must rise and the weak must perish. It is natural selection, the most immovable and fundamental law of all existence."

"For too long, this galaxy has been governed by those too shortsighted and weak willed to do what is necessary. And now, civilization once again stands on the brink of collapse. To prevent another disaster that would set us back thousands of years, we all must do our part. We all must make sacrifices. I make sacrifices. So must you," he said. "You will become an agent of the Empire. The perfect assassin, capable of removing threats silently and efficiently, unseen and unexpected," the Emperor explained what was to be her fate. "In order to insure that you remain undetected, we will have to erase your memories, which will only be reactivated when it is time for you to carry out your duty."

"It will be hard, painful and traumatic. I am sorry to put you through this, but time is short. The enemies of war are gathering, threatening to once again smother this galaxy in a thousand years of corrupt peace. And so, we are forced to act. It is the only way to insure that life, civilized life, continues to exist. The only way to avert the disaster that the pacifists would bring."

Just as his words fell like a heavy, final sentence, the dropship lurched as it took off, detaching itself from the hangar bay and gliding forward, towards the forcefield that was the boundary between the asteroid station and the cold, dark void beyond. Ahead, lay the Emperor's flagship and the dark, difficult fate which awaited his new prisoner.

 

[Faegard]

I could feel the tips of my ears and my cheeks burning as I was shoved onto the ship.

There was something... almost uniquely humiliating about being manhandled this way. My jaw clenched, my tail twitching with agitation and discomfort. Although, I wasn't to be left to wallow in my thoughts and self-pity. The Emperor himself followed, moving to sit across from me. He regarded me with those strange, feline eyes, however, even as he did, whatever thoughts or feelings he might have had were thoroughly hidden, leaving me forced to guess and wonder at what he might have thought of me.

Then he spoke.

Honestly? I expected it to go in one ear and out the other. I had no love for this man or his cause, I was an opportunity that had been snatched up, with no regard for what I wanted. But... his words about selfishness, indulgence, those stung. I didn't care for his empire or their motives, I just wanted to get me out of this mess. But, that was exactly what he seemed to say was wrong with the galaxy.

My ears flattened against my head, my gaze falling downwards to the floor. A tiny part of me wondered if maybe he was right. If we - I - were part of the problem. But even still, I didn't want any part of this. I just wanted to get out of there.

"... I make sacrifices. So must you"

My eyes snapped back up to his, my fur instantly standing on end.

As the Darth spoke, I could feel the panic rising in my gut, a horrible, tingling of pure fear and dread that seeped into my limbs. I shook my head, my heart racing in my chest as I refused to believe it. The more he talked, explaining that what was to come would be traumatic... painful, the more I felt my mind reeling in terror. I squeezed my eyes shut, pushing myself as far back into my seat away from him as possible.

By now, my breaths were ragged and shallow, panicked and quick. Once more opening my eyes, I gazed at him, feeling them burned by hot tears but no longer caring,

"Please... please no"

I whimpered, cut off by a choked sob. No, no that wouldn't do. I looked away from him, biting my lip and staring at one of the fixtures on the far wall behind him.

"I won't serve your empire." I whispered, more to myself than the Sith, really, "you can't make me do it."

A shiver raced down my spine, knowing in my heart that yes... he probably could.





[member="Darth Tacitus"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Valrayne"]​

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• Desolation Moon
  Asteroid Base, Unknown Regions

Tacitus slowly shook his head, an almost mournful look in his eyes, as he let out a heavy breath. "I wish there was another way, little Felacatian. A better way, like in the stories. But there isn't one," he said, his golden, cat-like eyes fixing upon hers. He knew what she was feeling, understood the horrors she would endure, but sacrifices had to be made, just like he made sacrifices when they were required of him. One by one, he gave everything, his hopes and dreams, the eternal rest of death, even his humanity. He did all that because it was necessary, because this was a time of hard choices and struggle. "There is a storm brewing on the horizon," he said to her. "We stand against an enemy more powerful and horrible, than anything else in all of existence. An enemy so insidious, that it has managed to usurp this galaxy for its own ends."

"We are at war. A war greater and more important than any other conflict in all of history, a war to decide the fate of life itself. On one side, lies eternal war and the continuation of civilization. On the other side, lies peace and the extinction of all living things," the Sith Lord explained. "That is what we face. And we are running out of time."

"Whether you want to or not, you are part of this battle. Everyone is. But, through service to the Empire, you might survive it. Because while I can not save everyone, I will ensure the Empire's survival, at any cost and by any means necessary. And in the Empire, those who serve well, who do their duty, are rewarded."

"You will learn the ways of the assassins," he said to her. "You will be our secret weapon, one of many. You will be the precise scalpel which eliminates the leadership of the Empire's enemies, silent, efficient and undetected. The perfect sleeper agent, one who can not be detected even by mind-reading techniques, as you yourself will not know what you are, until called upon to carry out your mission."

"You will also learn our ways, the Empire's ways. You will learn the value of hardship, the blessing of struggle and through it, you will grow stronger. Your training will be difficult and the road which lies ahead of you, will be a hard one, but at the end of it, you will emerge an Imperial, ready to take your place at the end of the evolutionary line. And years from now, you will look back at this moment, at the frightened little girl that you are and you will be grateful for all of it," the Emperor spoke as the dropship shook with the familiar jolt which reverberated through it as the landing gear connected with the hard surface of the battlecruiser's hangar. The doors slid open, engineers and deck crews rushing forward to perform the routine maintenance procedures that followed each flight. As always, Tacitus was the first to step out.

Turning around, the Sith Lord fixed his hard gaze upon Valrayne. "Come, little Felacatian. Your new life awaits."

 

[Faegard]

I felt my shoulders slumping, sitting helplessly between the soldiers, gaze held by the Emperor with the catlike eyes.

There was something about that, about the way he spoke, the way he looked at me. A part of me truly believed that he was sorry, that he wasn't doing this to be cruel, that - in his mind at least - it was absolutely necessary. But that didn't sit well with me. It was harder to be angry at him, harder to hate him, when he didn't hate me back. We weren't enemies in his mind, just two souls caught up by the cruel, twisted galaxy and forced into this relationship.

He spoke about what specifically I would be used for. An assassin. That... that made sense, I suppose. That was the whole reason I was here, after all.

A violent shudder racked my shoulders and my gaze averted for a moment as the memory hit me like a speeder. Whether I was ready to admit it or not... even untrained, I could be a brutal killer to the unprepared.

"You're going to turn me into the very thing that mystery assassin did." I whimpered in response.

But... something tugged at the back of my mind. I wished more than anything that I hadn't done that, that I had been prepared for that mind trick (if that is indeed what it was), that I had been strong enough to overcome it. I was so caught up in not wanting to be made into a puppet I hadn't yet considered...

You will learn the value of hardship, the blessing of struggle and through it, you will grow stronger.

I would become stronger. In exchange for becoming the Emperor's weapon, I would gain the ability to defend myself.

The ship landed with a jolt, causing me to sway slightly into the soldier that sat on one side of me. Blushing, I turned my attention to the Darth as he stood to exit first. He turned, once again holding me firmly in his gaze.

Come, little Felacatian. Your new life awaits.

My heart raced madly against my ribs, my breaths quick and shallow. I swallowed, slowly standing and taking a step towards him. My fur bristled, the fear that coursed through me no doubt so powerful in the force that any force sensitives in the area could probably sense it. I still didn't know exactly what was ahead, only that it was going to be brutal, and painful, and even perhaps traumatic. But... Tacitus had promised that I'd emerge alive, and with the ability to defend him, defend myself.

"I'm ready."





[member="Darth Tacitus"]