Josephine had expected no less than a beating, but instead received a mildly amused look from master Kenobi.

"Let's find you some real clothes now, shall we?" he asked in an almost pleasant manner. But he did not let go of her arm.

"That is not necessary Master. I have clothing back in my quarters," Obi-wan stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"We can't have you wearing it if it looks anything like what you a wearing now. Besides," he shrugged and let go of her. "I think you'll find it appropriate to appear before the senate in. Josephine just nodded adrenalin from earlier having faded. Exhaustion swept over her in comforting waves as she trudged behind the Jedi master. Her will to argue had left her with her last breath and she feared her will to walk would be next. In a quiet voice that was more for her than he who discovered her she intoned,

"I didn't do it for myself. If I was selfish I would have stayed in my quarters and slept or maybe gotten something to eat. I did it for men who have never seen a woman." Josephine jolted when Obi-wan's burr replied,

"I know. That is why you are not locked in the detention block right now." And nothing more was said between them on the matter and it was put from the minds of everyone, never to surface again.

After what felt like miles of walking Josephine practically bumped into the broad and heavily muscled back before her. Only some quick reflexes saved her nose from an unpleasant fate as a pancake. The Jedi master ruffled through the closet until he appeared again with a long white dress and gilt gloves in his hands.

"I found these on Anakin's ship a year ago. I didn't really think they were his style so I took the liberty of borrowing them. With your skills at sewing you could probably fix the tear in the seam," there was a small smirk on his face as he tossed the clothes to her.

"I will,"

"Good night Josephine Dethkilr. May the force be with you," and he was gone, leaving her no time to reply. So instead she spoke to the air, to the walls, and to the dress she clutched like gold in her hands.

"It already is. The question is whether I want it to be," then she was off too, running. The wind flew through her hair and she let her muscles stretch. It felt so good to be free even if it was only for a few moments. Her impeccable memory led her back to her quarters, where she carefully slipped into the compact room. Immediately she got to work on the dress, which was actually quite pretty. It had obviously been Senator Amidala's at one point but discarded and forgotten after the seam had ripped. It was simple, ankle length and sweet. It came up under her chin and was tightened with a small gold clasp. There were no sleeves and a fine lace around the edges on both the bottom at the top. The torso was meant to be comfortable and the skirts extremely loose and flowing probably to make it look like you were floating. Josephine glanced at the corset that had been returned to her room, and faintly wondered if the glittering object was meant to accompany the dress and gloves. On a whim she stood, peeling off her cloak and pulling the dress on. She clipped the corset around her waist and pulled the gloves over her hands and lower arms. With deft movements she twirled her hair into a bun and smiled at herself in the mirror, then frowned when she realized she looked like a princess. With a sigh she turned to remove the clothing, accepting her fate to wear it. Obi-wan was pushed pretty far and she didn't want to topple him over. If it took looking like a medieval cheer leader to do it, then she would. Her fingers were twirled in her hair when she heard the voice the first time.

"Empress," it whispered like wind through desert sand. Josephine froze as fear trilled up her spine.

"Who goes there?" she questioned and span about her room. It was as empty as it had been a few moments before. "Do not hide from me!" she shouted. She was used to voices in her head, not outside it.

"It is I Empress. Do you not recognize your own?" her eyes flew to the mirror. Multiple voices spoke at once now bouncing through the room and resonating. There beside her stood two people cloaked in withering white and black shadow. One of the voices had disappeared when the two people spoke exactly at once.

"Reveal your selves!" she screamed again and looked to her sides, but there was nothing there. She was alone in the room. She faced the apparitions again.

"We are your past Empress, your beginning, your creators," the voices spoke in eerie monotone.

"We are your parents."

Josephine stood in shock as two pale ovals revealed their faces from the swirling colors. Both had eyes closed as if in sleep, the female in the darkness and the male in the light.

"I have no parents!" she screeched and wildly looked around her again. Still there was nothing but the thrumming in the air.

"Oh but you do Empress. You killed us," the faces eyes flicked open at the same time and she screamed out right. Her father's eyes were totally black with only a red ring where the iris should be. He had no whites. Her mother's eyes were totally white with a green ring. She had no pupils.

"Leave me!" she cried horror causing her voice to sound as if she was weeping.

"We will leave you Empress," and their images faded into the darkness. "We will." Josephine stood their shaking in utter terror praying to the force it was over.

It wasn't.

The footsteps seemed to come from within her mind as a figure approached through the mirror. Its gate was slow, almost limping. The breathing was heavy and mechanical. Like Darth Vader, she thought to herself. This wasn't Darth Vader. The creature paused when it equaled her reflection in size, though her reflection had long disappeared. It was shrouded in a black cloak and not an inch of skin could be seen. That was until it lifted its head, shifting the fabric revealing an entirely robotic left arm and leg and part of now obviously her chest. Josephine wasn't focused on that at all. Her eyes were riveted on the face. Half was a smooth metal plate where a glowing red eye glittered in the socket. The second side was what had stopped her own lungs and drained the blood from her face.

It was her own.

She looked a few years older, but what was worse was the pain in her eyes and the blood on her mouth. "Who are you?" Josephine uttered, reaching her fingers to the glass. They just slid down the surface and did not change the appearance of the wraith on the other side. Her lips pulled into a painful smile.

"I am your future, your end, your destiny," she spits the last word like a poisoned mushroom.

"Who!" she orders, fist slamming into the glass causing into the bend and vibrate like the woman's voices.

"I am Empress Zhosephi leader of the Geia Empire, ruler of Earth and nearby systems," she smiled again. "I am you." Then she was gone. Her final word reverberated through the walls and floor and amplified itself until Josephine's entire being was shaking with it. She screamed as her brain seemed to expand like a water balloon inside her skull. Then it was over. No pain, no voices. Just her in her pretty princess dress. She sighed with relief until she took in her reflection. Her normally black eyes glowed a dark red and her skin was gray and sick. Josephine had no time to ask questions to this entity.

"And I Josephine," she cackled wickedly. "I am you, your reflection, and your truth. The dark side is strong within you, let it grow and you could rule the entire galaxy!" she throws her arms into the air and laughs again, meeting her doppelganger's eyes. "Just kill-"and with a bone jarring crash the mirror shatters. Josephine's breath comes in quick gasps as the pieces fall in a pleasant twinkle to the floor. One piece hangs on by a strand of glue glinting in the half light. Two red eyes stare back from it.

"We could," and with a crack it meets the floor.

Josephine jolts awake from the same sound, room swimming around her for a moment before her eyes adjust. She sighs in utter relief, lifting her head from where it had collapsed on top of her borrowed materials. She must have fallen asleep while working. In a scanning glance she looks at the wall, and her eyes go wide in horror.

The mirror was shattered.

Finally a new chapter! I'm so excited! A LOT less racy than last chapter, and no fears, no more of that I don't think. This is a T rated story, so it was perfectly legal, I'm just more used to writing to audiences that crave that kinda stuff like air. I'll stop though. Next chapter we will reach Corasant and meet Padme! As you might be able to tell, I took inspiration for this chapter from yesterday's new episode, Overlords. I thought it was fitting for this place in the story.

Thanks to all my devoted readers, but special thanks to

mrs skywalker987

and onixeyes!

Review or you cannot be mentioned! I'm not Josephine, I can't read minds!