Blood of Heroes, Part V
Posted: 2004-03-26 08:12pm
Her friends called her Mouse. She was small and could squeeze into the tiniest of places, and when she ran, there was little more than a quiet scurrying sound. When it came to slipping into the out of the way, the inaccessible, the well guarded, few could compare to Mouse. When Ben Skywalker had brought the Mistryl the details for his ambitious plans, Mouse was the only one considered for this assignment.
It had taken her hours to work her way up the vents, pipes and shafts into the access junction. After all that, it took her only two minutes to install the remote scrambler that would cut the power along the one line she’d selected out of the dozens in the room. Without a second’s delay she was back on her way out. As Mouse was known to say, it’s the little things you have to watch out for.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The door to the cell opened, and Garak sat up. “Mr. Terraine,” he said with the faintest of smiles.
“On your feet, Garak,” Volgo Terraine remarked. “Then slowly hold out your hands in front of you.” Garak did as instructed, and one of the guards stepped forward and locked a pair of binders on him. Garak noticed the other still had his blaster pointed at him, and he offered him the same grating smile.
“I take it the moment for what passes for Imperial justice is at hand,” Garak remarked as the guard ran a scanner over him just to be safe. It turned up two keycards, a shiv, and Terraine’s watch.
“You will remain silent throughout the proceedings,” Terraine said as he slipped the timepiece back into his pocket. “Do not speak unless the Emperor asks you a question. If the sentence is death, you will be allowed final words. Please do us all a favor and keep them brief.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of boring you, minister. I wouldn’t want to detract from your celebration of the moment.”
Terraine took the lead and the guards led Garak from the cell and out of the cellblock. An Imperial officer was waiting; he looked uncomfortable. “Orders, sir,” he said as the entourage drew to a halt.
Terraine took them, gave them a glance, and then glared at the officer. “This is a mistake,” he said.
“Sir,” the officer said, no doubt undeserving of being the messenger in this particular instance, “those are orders from the Emperor himself.”
“Indeed,” but there was a rumbling of resentment under his tone. “You’ll understand if I want confirmation.”
The officer nodded and gestured to the terminal. Terraine entered his code cylinder and entered his code to contact the Imperial Palace. The small screen revealed Leia Solo. “Minister,” she said, “can I help you with something.”
“Is his highness available?” Terraine asked. “I’m afraid it’s rather urgent.”
“He’s already left for the High Court,” Leia answered. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“These orders,” he said, sending the information from the datapad to her, “are they genuine?”
Leia took a look. “Yes, these are correct. You need to report to the Devastator immediately to debrief one of our operatives.”
“Now? Right before Garak is brought to trial?”
“I understand, I was a little confused too, but the Emperor was quite insistent that there was no time for delay.”
“This doesn’t feel right,” was all Terraine could say.
“I agree, but the Emperor has spoken and we cannot question him.”
Terraine held her gaze. “You’ll understand if I ask for your authorization code.”
Leia gave a lopsided grin. “Of course.” She pulled out her datapad. “I authorize Bravo Golf 127.”
Terraine said nothing as he gave a nod of acknowledgement and punched the kill switch. He hit the comm. “I want a squad brought up to escort him from here into the room. If he escapes before he enters that room every one of them will wish the Vong had them instead of me, understand?” The sergeant on the other end acknowledged. “You two,” he said to the remaining guards, “stay here.” He turned and headed for the exit.
“Not even a ‘good luck?’” Garak asked. Terraine slowed near the door, then stomped through it.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Capt. Ilbin was exhuasted, but there was no sign of it as he inspected the security arrangements for the sentencing. Any time the Emperor made a personal appearance security needed to be tight, especially with Garak involved. His capture had only made him slightly less dangerous, although Ilbin was of the opinion that his execution wouldn't go much further in diminishing it. If you could unmake Garak there was a chance he'd stop being a danger, but only just.
Iblin slipped from his determined stride to a jog as he noticed some trouble near one of the entry points. There was the sound of quiet argument but the stormtroopers were visibly uneasy, and Iblin could tell why. "Jedi Skywalker," he said as he drew to a halt. "What seems to be the problem?"
"Your men don't seem to want to let me in," Sebastian Skywalker said darkly.
"He refuses to relinquish his weapon, sir," the corporal informed him.
Iblin sighed inwardly; he didn't need this. "I'm sorry, sir, but everyone besides the official guards must be unarmed without exception."
"It's not a blaster, captain," Skywalker said irritably, "it's a lightsaber. It's my badge of office."
And it kills people, Iblin added in his own mind. "I'm sorry sir, but no exceptions are allowed."
"But a Jedi without a lightsaber is no Jedi."
"But a Jedi without a lightsaber is no Jedi," Iblin admitted. It was a badge of office, after all, and there was no chance Sebastian Skywalker could be on Garak's side. "Let him in."
"Sir," the corporal said, signaling to the others to stand aside for Skywalker and his alien companion.
"Carry on, corporal," Iblin said, heading for the next entry point. He tapped the butt of his blaster pistol as he walked, then stopped and looked back at the door. His head told him to get on with things, but his guts were telling him that something was wrong.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Under the circumstances, the High Court was ill-equipped for the task at hand. That's not to say there was anything wrong with it, per se, but clearly the architects didn't have a case of this magnitude in mind, or else it would not have been limited to a mere ten thousand observers. But the word that the Emperor was about to pass final judgment on the most famous criminal of the era had drawn in crowds like a major sporting event. Ben Skywalker and Molly O'Brien, however, had taken a seat in the front row; it was the influence of the Skywalker name even in times of turmoil.
The crowds all faced down onto the small area where decisions were made and sentences handed down. Under the circumstances, the platform of the five High Judges had been removed and replaced with a single throne for the Emperor. Only he had the authority to overrule the Five, although it was a power he scarcely used.
For security sake a forcefield was kept between the crowds and the actual court, but that didn't stop the Imperials from keeping stormtrooper patrols visible as a reminder to the crowd. For added security, a large blaster-proof box was firmly secured to the floor in the center of the court. Inside the box was a transport scrambler, operating on an independent power source and separate from the network. It operated on time controls only, except for a code chosen random every day and known only to the head of security. It was also designed so that, if anyone tried simply blasting the one control panel, the field would stay on, not off. In the highest court, no precaution was too great.
"Are you sure they can do this?" Molly whispered to Ben. "With that shield in place we don't have a chance."
"The Mistryl are nothing if not resourceful," Ben answered. "How else could they have fanned a tiny revolt on some insignificant planet into a force to be reckoned with?"
The noise of the crowd died down as Elim Garak was led into the court. Stormtroopers flanked him as he was brought behind the defendants table, where they remained standing. A few seconds later one of the two rear doors opened.
For a time the Emperor had employed genetically engineered creatures to serve as his guards, but after they were all destroyed in the Bastion holocaust he returned to the traditional red-robed guards. Still, while times may have changed, standards hadn't; these remained the finest hand-to-hand combatants in the Emperor's armies. Their dedication bordered on fanatical, despite the fact that no one had gotten even close to attacking the Emperor since the establishment of the capital on Chandrilla.
Six guards filed out, then stood to attention as the Emperor followed, then another six guards. A squad of stormtroopers then followed, taking up positions around the room. Despite the seriousness, this was rather routine. The Emperor took his seat; Garak remained standing. The protocol droid that had been standing in silence now stepped forward. "Here ye, here ye," it said, "the High Court is now in session. His highness, Emperor Palpatine, presiding. Come forth and you shall be heard."
"Present the details of the case," the Emperor said to the droid.
"The defendant, Elim Garak, was found guilty of treason by the High Court in a unanimous decision. The sentence imposed for this crime was death, also by unanimous decision. Elim Garak appealed the decision to your highness. The basis for his appeal: that he is not an Imperial citizen, and thus incapable of treason. Your highness chose to reserve judgment of appeal." The droid stepped back.
The Emperor cleared his throat. "It is quite clear that I have given this case considerable thought. Mr. Garak, the basis of your appeal is baseless. It is a matter of record that you were a prime agent under Gul Tulvek. It is also a matter of record that that same Gul Tulvek surrendered to the Imperial military and pledged to the Empire 'all territory, ships, industrial capacity, material wealth, and citizenry' under his control. Therefore, your claim to non-citizenship is a transparent falsehood."
There was a gasp of shock as the forcefield dropped. The droid stepped forward and called for order even while more stormtroopers poured into the auditorium. Ben's eyes remained on the Emperor as one of his guards stepped over, no doubt advising him to exit. The Emperor, however, merely held up his hand, and the guard returned to his position. The droid called for quiet, and order was restored. Another squad of stormtroopers entered the rear doors while the Emperor continued. There was no doubt that security sensors were checking for any possible snipers in the crowd; to Ben’s knowledge, they would find none.
"The reason for my delay, Mr. Garak, is not because of legalities, but because of a firm hope that you might be of some use to the society you have so brazenly resisted. Yet you have offered no help in restoring peace, made no effort in bringing your allies in terror to justice, or shown any real remorse for the lives destroyed by your shameless behavior. You could have been an invaluable ally, Mr. Garak, but you are an intolerable enemy. For this reason, I cannot and will not overturn the verdict of the High Court. The sentence of death stands."
Noise broke out throughout the crowd and the droid again called for order. Unobserved, Ben Skywalker reached into the depths of his robe and pulled out the mask. No one noticed as he slipped it onto his face, but Molly sensed it was about to happen. As one person they both pulled their lightsabers out; the sound of the ignition was like a crack of thunder at a funeral. The troopers were still pulling their weapons into position while the two leapt through the air, cutting down the guards that surrounded Garak. The screams had already begun, and blaster fire echoed, but Molly quickly moved to protect Garak while he dropped down and undid the binders.
"I thought you'd never arrive," he remarked as he dropped the binders to the floor. Molly said nothing; she didn't care for Garak in the least, but she had every faith in Ben. If he thought the Cardassian could be put to use in their cause, then that was good enough for her.
Ben, in the meantime, had raced up to the transport scrambler and pierced the blaster-proof casing with his saber. The moment he did Garak shimmered and vanished. As he did there was the further sound of transporters as dozens of Mistryl warriors appeared blocking the exits. As planned each group activated their own transport scrambler to effectively reverse the situation; now no one came in or out unless they allowed it. The Emperor's personal guards were at a loss; the two emergency exits were blocked, and now transporting was out of the question. They formed a tight ring around him as they tried to hold the terrorists off.
The tide, for the moment, may have been in their favor, but Molly knew that they were still heavily outnumbered once the Imperials got more troops inside. She hopped up onto the table, caught three blaster bursts with her blade, then jumped, catching two more before beheading the first trooper. Instinctively she stayed in motion, catching another shot she couldn't dodge on the backswing and brought the lightsaber around to finish off two more troopers. She ducked and reversed the swing, finishing off the last two, then moved on to the next group.
While Molly and the Mistryl concentrated on the troopers, Ben went straight to the Emperor himself. The guards fired as he approached. At one point he had to actually stop because they were working together so effectively. But far sooner than anyone could have guessed he had struck down the first. As one they leapt at him, trying to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. A rifle butt struck the side of his head, and the mask was thrown off, revealing the burning anger on Ben's face. As if filled with new strength by the blow he dispatched the remaining guards with three quick slices of his saber. He turned and looked towards the Emperor, still seated on his throne. He spun the blade, brought it up, and as he swung, time stood still.
This was not poetic license.
The Emperor stood up amongst the frozen forms. The Sith was still locked in mid-swing, even the energy of his blade was still. Beyond him, the stormtroopers and Mistryls were exchanging weapons fire, and Molly O’Brien was just about in position to wipe out another group of troopers. Further up were the panicking crowds and the reinforcements on their way to rescue him. He sighed, then turned his attention back to Ben Skywalker. Casually, he reached out and pushed the center of the Sith’s chest until he fell over backwards. As he hit the floor his lightsaber rolled away and time started moving forward for him once again. He looked up at the Emperor with confusion and an edge of fear. The Emperor was changing before him, growing taller, his skin richer, his features smoothing, his voice deepening. “Did you think,” he said as he towered over the fallen Sith, “that I was some helpless old man for you to assassinate?” He pulled back the hood of his cloak, revealing the face of Ben Sisko. “That I would be a ‘disappointment’ like Kyp, or Miko, or any of the others you’ve been casually murdering? Be very careful, Mr. Skywalker,” he said, as the walls seemed to press in around him and the man’s tone became harsher, “the universe sometimes gives us the things we ask for.”
Ben jumped back to his feet, backing away. With a gritting of teeth, force lightning jumped from his fingers and struck Sisko in the chest; he didn’t seem to notice. “Is there something wrong?” Sisko asked. “I’m here. What are you waiting for?”
“This isn’t possible!” Ben shouted in frustration. “No Sith can manipulate time itself!”
Sisko’s small grin sent a chill down Ben’s spine. “Can’t they?”
Ben called upon all his strength, sending so much raw power through the air it started to grow thick with smoke. Sisko took a brief interest in his fingernails as the air screamed with unfettered Force energy. Ben dropped his arms, collapsing in exhaustion. Sisko looked up at him. “Oh, finished yet?”
“You’re not real,” Ben said desperately. “This isn’t real...”
“Real?” Sisko snapped, and his rebuke was like the cracking of a thousand whips. “It was real when you killed twenty-seven potential Jedi on the orders of Kathryn Janeway! It was real when you took a lost and confused girl and twisted her soul down the path of the dark side! It was real when you took that blade and killed your own father, just like you killed your mother, and all the members of your family!” Sisko glared down at him like the judgment of the Almighty. “And this moment, boy, is just as real as that.” Ben trembled under his stare. “You think your Oracle can see? I know it all boy, everything! Every secret deed, every dirty thought, every whispered betrayal, every senseless murder, YOU HAVE NO SECRETS FROM ME!!!” And Ben saw in Sisko’s eyes that they were true, that his every shame was on display, that in the scale of things, he was found wanting. In his glare he felt the consequence of his every sin, each one dropping on his mind like the blow of a hammer. He sank back, the weight of his guilt more than he could bear.
“I was your best friend! How could you betray me?”
“I gave you a place in my home when everyone turned you away...”
“I only wanted to help...
“Why did you do it Ben?”
“I loved you like a brother...”
“There were other ways...”
“Didn’t I mean anything to you...”
“...didn’t it count for something...”
“...couldn’t think of anyone but yourself...”
“...why Ben...”
“...we loved you...”
“...the darkness will consume you...”
“...don’t do it, Ben...”
“...why didn’t you stop them...”
“...it’s not worth it...”
“...please spare the children...”
“...we just want to help you...”
“...I’m scared, Ben...”
“...you’ll never forgive yourself...”
“...I don’t want to die...”
Sisko held out his hand, and Ben’s lightsaber flew into it. “You deserve to die for what you have done... isn’t that right?”
Ben screwed his eyes shut, trying to hold it in. Fear and guilt had wrung him out; his Sith pride turned to dust. “Yes,” he said as a sob escaped his throat.
“And so you shall,” Sisko said. Then he shut down the lightsaber and tossed it on the floor next to Ben. “But not today.” He turned and walked back towards the Emperor’s throne. “My work is done,” he said, although whether he was speaking to himself or Ben was unclear. “The galaxies will have to face this on their own. Unity can only exist if it comes from within.” He turned and faced towards Ben. “And I too must pay for my crimes... for allowing all the suffering and dying because it was for the greater good, because necessity is a reason, not a justification. This day is about my judgment; yours will come soon enough.” He smoothed his cloak out as he took a deep breath. “Pick up your saber.” Ben still lay on the floor, panting. “Pick up your saber!” Sisko said with a tone of divine command. “You are a Skywalker, and for once in your twisted life, you will act like one! Pick up your saber and execute me... know in your shriveled heart what you do this day, boy, and maybe there will be salvation even for you.” Ben took the saber handle and got shakily to his feet. Sisko dropped into the throne; he looked weary, but the aura of power still surrounded him. Ben hesitated, then plunged the lightsaber through his chest.
An empty robe was all that remained.
It had taken her hours to work her way up the vents, pipes and shafts into the access junction. After all that, it took her only two minutes to install the remote scrambler that would cut the power along the one line she’d selected out of the dozens in the room. Without a second’s delay she was back on her way out. As Mouse was known to say, it’s the little things you have to watch out for.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The door to the cell opened, and Garak sat up. “Mr. Terraine,” he said with the faintest of smiles.
“On your feet, Garak,” Volgo Terraine remarked. “Then slowly hold out your hands in front of you.” Garak did as instructed, and one of the guards stepped forward and locked a pair of binders on him. Garak noticed the other still had his blaster pointed at him, and he offered him the same grating smile.
“I take it the moment for what passes for Imperial justice is at hand,” Garak remarked as the guard ran a scanner over him just to be safe. It turned up two keycards, a shiv, and Terraine’s watch.
“You will remain silent throughout the proceedings,” Terraine said as he slipped the timepiece back into his pocket. “Do not speak unless the Emperor asks you a question. If the sentence is death, you will be allowed final words. Please do us all a favor and keep them brief.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of boring you, minister. I wouldn’t want to detract from your celebration of the moment.”
Terraine took the lead and the guards led Garak from the cell and out of the cellblock. An Imperial officer was waiting; he looked uncomfortable. “Orders, sir,” he said as the entourage drew to a halt.
Terraine took them, gave them a glance, and then glared at the officer. “This is a mistake,” he said.
“Sir,” the officer said, no doubt undeserving of being the messenger in this particular instance, “those are orders from the Emperor himself.”
“Indeed,” but there was a rumbling of resentment under his tone. “You’ll understand if I want confirmation.”
The officer nodded and gestured to the terminal. Terraine entered his code cylinder and entered his code to contact the Imperial Palace. The small screen revealed Leia Solo. “Minister,” she said, “can I help you with something.”
“Is his highness available?” Terraine asked. “I’m afraid it’s rather urgent.”
“He’s already left for the High Court,” Leia answered. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“These orders,” he said, sending the information from the datapad to her, “are they genuine?”
Leia took a look. “Yes, these are correct. You need to report to the Devastator immediately to debrief one of our operatives.”
“Now? Right before Garak is brought to trial?”
“I understand, I was a little confused too, but the Emperor was quite insistent that there was no time for delay.”
“This doesn’t feel right,” was all Terraine could say.
“I agree, but the Emperor has spoken and we cannot question him.”
Terraine held her gaze. “You’ll understand if I ask for your authorization code.”
Leia gave a lopsided grin. “Of course.” She pulled out her datapad. “I authorize Bravo Golf 127.”
Terraine said nothing as he gave a nod of acknowledgement and punched the kill switch. He hit the comm. “I want a squad brought up to escort him from here into the room. If he escapes before he enters that room every one of them will wish the Vong had them instead of me, understand?” The sergeant on the other end acknowledged. “You two,” he said to the remaining guards, “stay here.” He turned and headed for the exit.
“Not even a ‘good luck?’” Garak asked. Terraine slowed near the door, then stomped through it.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Capt. Ilbin was exhuasted, but there was no sign of it as he inspected the security arrangements for the sentencing. Any time the Emperor made a personal appearance security needed to be tight, especially with Garak involved. His capture had only made him slightly less dangerous, although Ilbin was of the opinion that his execution wouldn't go much further in diminishing it. If you could unmake Garak there was a chance he'd stop being a danger, but only just.
Iblin slipped from his determined stride to a jog as he noticed some trouble near one of the entry points. There was the sound of quiet argument but the stormtroopers were visibly uneasy, and Iblin could tell why. "Jedi Skywalker," he said as he drew to a halt. "What seems to be the problem?"
"Your men don't seem to want to let me in," Sebastian Skywalker said darkly.
"He refuses to relinquish his weapon, sir," the corporal informed him.
Iblin sighed inwardly; he didn't need this. "I'm sorry, sir, but everyone besides the official guards must be unarmed without exception."
"It's not a blaster, captain," Skywalker said irritably, "it's a lightsaber. It's my badge of office."
And it kills people, Iblin added in his own mind. "I'm sorry sir, but no exceptions are allowed."
"But a Jedi without a lightsaber is no Jedi."
"But a Jedi without a lightsaber is no Jedi," Iblin admitted. It was a badge of office, after all, and there was no chance Sebastian Skywalker could be on Garak's side. "Let him in."
"Sir," the corporal said, signaling to the others to stand aside for Skywalker and his alien companion.
"Carry on, corporal," Iblin said, heading for the next entry point. He tapped the butt of his blaster pistol as he walked, then stopped and looked back at the door. His head told him to get on with things, but his guts were telling him that something was wrong.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Under the circumstances, the High Court was ill-equipped for the task at hand. That's not to say there was anything wrong with it, per se, but clearly the architects didn't have a case of this magnitude in mind, or else it would not have been limited to a mere ten thousand observers. But the word that the Emperor was about to pass final judgment on the most famous criminal of the era had drawn in crowds like a major sporting event. Ben Skywalker and Molly O'Brien, however, had taken a seat in the front row; it was the influence of the Skywalker name even in times of turmoil.
The crowds all faced down onto the small area where decisions were made and sentences handed down. Under the circumstances, the platform of the five High Judges had been removed and replaced with a single throne for the Emperor. Only he had the authority to overrule the Five, although it was a power he scarcely used.
For security sake a forcefield was kept between the crowds and the actual court, but that didn't stop the Imperials from keeping stormtrooper patrols visible as a reminder to the crowd. For added security, a large blaster-proof box was firmly secured to the floor in the center of the court. Inside the box was a transport scrambler, operating on an independent power source and separate from the network. It operated on time controls only, except for a code chosen random every day and known only to the head of security. It was also designed so that, if anyone tried simply blasting the one control panel, the field would stay on, not off. In the highest court, no precaution was too great.
"Are you sure they can do this?" Molly whispered to Ben. "With that shield in place we don't have a chance."
"The Mistryl are nothing if not resourceful," Ben answered. "How else could they have fanned a tiny revolt on some insignificant planet into a force to be reckoned with?"
The noise of the crowd died down as Elim Garak was led into the court. Stormtroopers flanked him as he was brought behind the defendants table, where they remained standing. A few seconds later one of the two rear doors opened.
For a time the Emperor had employed genetically engineered creatures to serve as his guards, but after they were all destroyed in the Bastion holocaust he returned to the traditional red-robed guards. Still, while times may have changed, standards hadn't; these remained the finest hand-to-hand combatants in the Emperor's armies. Their dedication bordered on fanatical, despite the fact that no one had gotten even close to attacking the Emperor since the establishment of the capital on Chandrilla.
Six guards filed out, then stood to attention as the Emperor followed, then another six guards. A squad of stormtroopers then followed, taking up positions around the room. Despite the seriousness, this was rather routine. The Emperor took his seat; Garak remained standing. The protocol droid that had been standing in silence now stepped forward. "Here ye, here ye," it said, "the High Court is now in session. His highness, Emperor Palpatine, presiding. Come forth and you shall be heard."
"Present the details of the case," the Emperor said to the droid.
"The defendant, Elim Garak, was found guilty of treason by the High Court in a unanimous decision. The sentence imposed for this crime was death, also by unanimous decision. Elim Garak appealed the decision to your highness. The basis for his appeal: that he is not an Imperial citizen, and thus incapable of treason. Your highness chose to reserve judgment of appeal." The droid stepped back.
The Emperor cleared his throat. "It is quite clear that I have given this case considerable thought. Mr. Garak, the basis of your appeal is baseless. It is a matter of record that you were a prime agent under Gul Tulvek. It is also a matter of record that that same Gul Tulvek surrendered to the Imperial military and pledged to the Empire 'all territory, ships, industrial capacity, material wealth, and citizenry' under his control. Therefore, your claim to non-citizenship is a transparent falsehood."
There was a gasp of shock as the forcefield dropped. The droid stepped forward and called for order even while more stormtroopers poured into the auditorium. Ben's eyes remained on the Emperor as one of his guards stepped over, no doubt advising him to exit. The Emperor, however, merely held up his hand, and the guard returned to his position. The droid called for quiet, and order was restored. Another squad of stormtroopers entered the rear doors while the Emperor continued. There was no doubt that security sensors were checking for any possible snipers in the crowd; to Ben’s knowledge, they would find none.
"The reason for my delay, Mr. Garak, is not because of legalities, but because of a firm hope that you might be of some use to the society you have so brazenly resisted. Yet you have offered no help in restoring peace, made no effort in bringing your allies in terror to justice, or shown any real remorse for the lives destroyed by your shameless behavior. You could have been an invaluable ally, Mr. Garak, but you are an intolerable enemy. For this reason, I cannot and will not overturn the verdict of the High Court. The sentence of death stands."
Noise broke out throughout the crowd and the droid again called for order. Unobserved, Ben Skywalker reached into the depths of his robe and pulled out the mask. No one noticed as he slipped it onto his face, but Molly sensed it was about to happen. As one person they both pulled their lightsabers out; the sound of the ignition was like a crack of thunder at a funeral. The troopers were still pulling their weapons into position while the two leapt through the air, cutting down the guards that surrounded Garak. The screams had already begun, and blaster fire echoed, but Molly quickly moved to protect Garak while he dropped down and undid the binders.
"I thought you'd never arrive," he remarked as he dropped the binders to the floor. Molly said nothing; she didn't care for Garak in the least, but she had every faith in Ben. If he thought the Cardassian could be put to use in their cause, then that was good enough for her.
Ben, in the meantime, had raced up to the transport scrambler and pierced the blaster-proof casing with his saber. The moment he did Garak shimmered and vanished. As he did there was the further sound of transporters as dozens of Mistryl warriors appeared blocking the exits. As planned each group activated their own transport scrambler to effectively reverse the situation; now no one came in or out unless they allowed it. The Emperor's personal guards were at a loss; the two emergency exits were blocked, and now transporting was out of the question. They formed a tight ring around him as they tried to hold the terrorists off.
The tide, for the moment, may have been in their favor, but Molly knew that they were still heavily outnumbered once the Imperials got more troops inside. She hopped up onto the table, caught three blaster bursts with her blade, then jumped, catching two more before beheading the first trooper. Instinctively she stayed in motion, catching another shot she couldn't dodge on the backswing and brought the lightsaber around to finish off two more troopers. She ducked and reversed the swing, finishing off the last two, then moved on to the next group.
While Molly and the Mistryl concentrated on the troopers, Ben went straight to the Emperor himself. The guards fired as he approached. At one point he had to actually stop because they were working together so effectively. But far sooner than anyone could have guessed he had struck down the first. As one they leapt at him, trying to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. A rifle butt struck the side of his head, and the mask was thrown off, revealing the burning anger on Ben's face. As if filled with new strength by the blow he dispatched the remaining guards with three quick slices of his saber. He turned and looked towards the Emperor, still seated on his throne. He spun the blade, brought it up, and as he swung, time stood still.
This was not poetic license.
The Emperor stood up amongst the frozen forms. The Sith was still locked in mid-swing, even the energy of his blade was still. Beyond him, the stormtroopers and Mistryls were exchanging weapons fire, and Molly O’Brien was just about in position to wipe out another group of troopers. Further up were the panicking crowds and the reinforcements on their way to rescue him. He sighed, then turned his attention back to Ben Skywalker. Casually, he reached out and pushed the center of the Sith’s chest until he fell over backwards. As he hit the floor his lightsaber rolled away and time started moving forward for him once again. He looked up at the Emperor with confusion and an edge of fear. The Emperor was changing before him, growing taller, his skin richer, his features smoothing, his voice deepening. “Did you think,” he said as he towered over the fallen Sith, “that I was some helpless old man for you to assassinate?” He pulled back the hood of his cloak, revealing the face of Ben Sisko. “That I would be a ‘disappointment’ like Kyp, or Miko, or any of the others you’ve been casually murdering? Be very careful, Mr. Skywalker,” he said, as the walls seemed to press in around him and the man’s tone became harsher, “the universe sometimes gives us the things we ask for.”
Ben jumped back to his feet, backing away. With a gritting of teeth, force lightning jumped from his fingers and struck Sisko in the chest; he didn’t seem to notice. “Is there something wrong?” Sisko asked. “I’m here. What are you waiting for?”
“This isn’t possible!” Ben shouted in frustration. “No Sith can manipulate time itself!”
Sisko’s small grin sent a chill down Ben’s spine. “Can’t they?”
Ben called upon all his strength, sending so much raw power through the air it started to grow thick with smoke. Sisko took a brief interest in his fingernails as the air screamed with unfettered Force energy. Ben dropped his arms, collapsing in exhaustion. Sisko looked up at him. “Oh, finished yet?”
“You’re not real,” Ben said desperately. “This isn’t real...”
“Real?” Sisko snapped, and his rebuke was like the cracking of a thousand whips. “It was real when you killed twenty-seven potential Jedi on the orders of Kathryn Janeway! It was real when you took a lost and confused girl and twisted her soul down the path of the dark side! It was real when you took that blade and killed your own father, just like you killed your mother, and all the members of your family!” Sisko glared down at him like the judgment of the Almighty. “And this moment, boy, is just as real as that.” Ben trembled under his stare. “You think your Oracle can see? I know it all boy, everything! Every secret deed, every dirty thought, every whispered betrayal, every senseless murder, YOU HAVE NO SECRETS FROM ME!!!” And Ben saw in Sisko’s eyes that they were true, that his every shame was on display, that in the scale of things, he was found wanting. In his glare he felt the consequence of his every sin, each one dropping on his mind like the blow of a hammer. He sank back, the weight of his guilt more than he could bear.
“I was your best friend! How could you betray me?”
“I gave you a place in my home when everyone turned you away...”
“I only wanted to help...
“Why did you do it Ben?”
“I loved you like a brother...”
“There were other ways...”
“Didn’t I mean anything to you...”
“...didn’t it count for something...”
“...couldn’t think of anyone but yourself...”
“...why Ben...”
“...we loved you...”
“...the darkness will consume you...”
“...don’t do it, Ben...”
“...why didn’t you stop them...”
“...it’s not worth it...”
“...please spare the children...”
“...we just want to help you...”
“...I’m scared, Ben...”
“...you’ll never forgive yourself...”
“...I don’t want to die...”
Sisko held out his hand, and Ben’s lightsaber flew into it. “You deserve to die for what you have done... isn’t that right?”
Ben screwed his eyes shut, trying to hold it in. Fear and guilt had wrung him out; his Sith pride turned to dust. “Yes,” he said as a sob escaped his throat.
“And so you shall,” Sisko said. Then he shut down the lightsaber and tossed it on the floor next to Ben. “But not today.” He turned and walked back towards the Emperor’s throne. “My work is done,” he said, although whether he was speaking to himself or Ben was unclear. “The galaxies will have to face this on their own. Unity can only exist if it comes from within.” He turned and faced towards Ben. “And I too must pay for my crimes... for allowing all the suffering and dying because it was for the greater good, because necessity is a reason, not a justification. This day is about my judgment; yours will come soon enough.” He smoothed his cloak out as he took a deep breath. “Pick up your saber.” Ben still lay on the floor, panting. “Pick up your saber!” Sisko said with a tone of divine command. “You are a Skywalker, and for once in your twisted life, you will act like one! Pick up your saber and execute me... know in your shriveled heart what you do this day, boy, and maybe there will be salvation even for you.” Ben took the saber handle and got shakily to his feet. Sisko dropped into the throne; he looked weary, but the aura of power still surrounded him. Ben hesitated, then plunged the lightsaber through his chest.
An empty robe was all that remained.
