Title: Guiding Prophet, Silent Enemy
Author: ladyravena
Rating: R, just to be safe. (or PG-16?)
Warnings: Non-explicit death scenes of non-canon characters
Word Count: around 9,000
Betaed by: Curiouskitty, ebonymoonblade
Summary: "Komani is demanding that off-worlders leave, and for the execution of the leaders of the local Imperial garrison and embassy." … And they had an Imperial Grand Admiral missing with an execution happy madman running loose.
A/N: Instant promotion to the first cadet who recognizes who the shuttle party is in tribute to. Hint: think red.
Also, when researching this, I ran across a factiod: the Mayan people, to bring the life giving rain that is represented by the colour blue, would paint their victims blue. Just an FYI.
Prologue: Then
He made every effort not to move anything; each muscle's dull ache needed no helping hand to nova into agony. It was a challenge—not so much the sitting still, but trying not to work at the cords cutting off the feeling in his hands or the coarse cloth making it agony to breathe. The less he moved, the less he hurt, and the more he could overhear and observe his captors.
The resistance leader had spoke to him at great length, preaching of his glorious calling to free his people. How, with the prophet's guidance, he would lead his people to their rightful place as rulers of their world, destroying the plague of Imperials that refused to fight with their soldiers, reducing them cannon fodder. How, at the dawn's cleansing light, he would sacrifice his captive enemy leader to assure victory for his cause. How….
….beneath the rhetoric, there were clues to this leader's tactics and preferences. Dawn attacks, frontal leadership, generals managing in the back…valuable intelligence that could prove useful to defeating them.
Presuming, of course, that he survived the ritual beheading at dawn.