Ghostly figures drawn the attention altogether. The shadows of the dark side fills the entire council area, watching them marching in sync and in numbers, stepping their boots on the Naboo marble floors. General Hux watched them with authority in his all might and strength, felling the responsibility and power that his arch rival never promised in times.
People of Naboo all lined up in the sidelines, in awe of the arrival of the highest ranking official in the galaxy, since the Republic is dead and gone to ashes and particles. Stormtroopers marching together in beat behind him, and as well as his co officers, all dressed in black and with dependent leadership towards their leader, Hux marched to the Naboo council.
Gurads around the entrance of the council, stands in attention, looking at them strangers as their foe or friend. Marking them in their defensive stance and posture. Hux halted the marching forces in his back, and by his command they all halted, watching Hux pursued his lips and waiting for him to speak.
Crowd of people around them remained in silence and some are whispering words to other people, regarding every dirt the First Order has done towards the galaxy alone, and Hux has no intention in giving those interests to his personal vendettas. "People of Naboo, I am the Supreme Leader of the First Order after the ashes and failures of the two previous Leaders. By power, I have captured power, having the opportunity to seize it."
One of the Royal guards stood in front of him, his voice very deep and strong as it dawns on every living creature. "The King of Naboo has no intention of giving your Military forces some interests after what you did to the Republic."
Hux didn't flinched in every word the Royal guard spoke, instead he stood straight and looked at him like he was three fet taller than the Royal guard. With his stare like a blood gazing hawk, he pierced them in his gaze making the guard to step back. "With due respect, we wanted the full attention of the King of Naboo and hearing me out will ensure the Naboo's future."
The guard stopped in his tracks, turning away from him and summoned a certain servant standing in the entrance of Naboo council. The servant nodded, halting everyone before he ran straight to the entrance. Hux watched him go, patiently waiting for the response, knowing the First Order will gain the upper hand after all of this trials and troubles.
He received certain glares from the people around him, looking like they could have murder him if without the restraints of the Stormtroopers in his arsenal. Hux smiled at the desperation of these people of finding peace that he knew that cannot be achieved through democracy after the Empire fell into the Rebellion's hands.
Seconds turned into minutes, his patience is slowly oozing out of his, the heat of the Naboo weather starting to wear him off, trying to remained focus of all his composure. Ignoring the beads of sweat in his forehead dripping throughout his neck and face, Hux finally relieved to see the servant returing, earning a whisper into the ears of the Royal guard, who sighed after hearing the King's orders. "The King of Naboo has accepted your audience, as long as your troops will be outside, surrendering their weapons to the royal guards, he also spoke to ensure your safety from the Naboo residence."
The crowd jeered loudly in response of hearing their King's accept of audience to the First Order. Hux remained his passive face, ignoring the glares and insults of every Naboo residence in their own language. He turned to his advisors and officers with a clear command coming from his own lips. "Return back to the Supremacy, and I will give orders to others to our plan."
"Yes, Supreme Leader." His advisors bowed in response, turning their heels and as well as dozen of Stormtroopers. The Supreme Leader didn't even looked back and watched them go and marched but the sounds of boots and marching in the ground is still audible, even in greater distances.
Facing his eyes on the entrance, the Royal Guards gestured him to follow. Few guard went behind him, somewhat insulting him as a prisoner rather than a guest. "This is insult for the greater good of the Supreme Leader."
The guard sneered back at him. "You are here at Naboo and you will follow the Naboo rules."
Hux glared at him, with a hawk like stare. He swiftly combing his hair using his right hand, feeling the sensation of the hair in his side burns and his head. Such pride and courage he sought and found, stepping on the Naboo council's steps.
The council palace was much more different than Hux was expecting. He knew that it was the birthplace of their queen and hero of the Clone Wars, Padme Amidala but they rarely recognize her. Poor and foolish choice for them. The grandeur of the Naboo planet awakens through his own soul, like they've been all staring at him.
Stepping closely towards the Royal Guards and following them on the long hallway entrance, with each side were charmed by the bliss of richness and wealth to Naboo. Hux knew he chose the right place, to settle his first conquest or alliance.
A certain man, dressed in robes of red and white, approached them with a welcoming smile glued across his face, watching Hux walking towards him, closer. "Welcome to Naboo Council." He extended his hand, showing a golden ring attached to his ring finger. "I am the King of Naboo, they call me Sorbo."
Hux simply nodded in response, clearly having no idea what to do next. The guard next to him leaned in and whispered quickly. "You must kiss his ring and bow to him, for respect sir."
The new Supreme Leader shook his head but didn't even moved to kiss the ring or even bow to his feet. Instead he took his hand and shook it. "As behalf of the First Order and I, the Supreme Leader, I thank you for your deepest regards and welcome."
Sorbo hesitantly accepted his hand, but shook it in warm welcome. "You honor me much, Supreme Leader of the First Order. What brings you here in Naboo? You haven't been here long to see the beauty of this planet?"
"I am here to talk to you, dear King." Hux replied, with utter respect. Good terms, Hux. When did you learn to respect like your friends and workers don't respect you. He straightened his black uniform in his shoulders, looking at him straight in the eyes. "To talk terms of having the First Order bringing their base here at Naboo."
"An alliance then eh?" Sorbo asked, mocking Hux a little. Hux doesn't seemed to be offended by the King, instead he forced a smile in the corner of his lips, trying to gain the favor.
"No, my dear King." Hux replied, his smile gradually disappears from his face, turs into a passive emotions. "We are in verge of war with the Rebel scums, slowly and strongly they can take our forces one by one. I am just asking to make Naboo as one of our operative bases."
The King of Naboo snickered at his request, slapping Hux in his shoulder playfully like someone he can call a friend. "Look Supreme Leader of the First Order, I am trying my best to protect this planet and this city from any war and chaos. It's been years since our late Queen Padme, took part with the Clone Wars for the safety of Naboo. I am afraid, I cannot ruin the peace in this planet."
"I will guarantee you 100 percent protection from the war, my dear King. You would never hear any attacks from the Resistance ever again, if you had us on our side. With your help we can wipe them out, and will give you favor over the galaxy when the time the First Order rules it." Hux spoke professionally, trying his all might to convince the King for the planet itself.
King Sorbo nodded and smiled back in his generous offer. "That's a tempting offer and probably a good and beneficial one, signifying the favor of the Naboo people, but if you join me to dine to this palace, I can think of it properly. For now, feel free to be our guest."
Hux disappointingly shook his head. "I'm sorry my dear king, like I said we are on the verge of war, time running low the Resistance will find even larger allies, it would be a threat to this galaxy and to your planet as well."
Sorbo listened intently, nodding in return quietly. Hux frustration in his situation is clearly likable for any leader in his shoes. He drew his hand across his beard, turning away from the Supreme Leader, looking out to his palace and all of the people in it. "You were right, they will be a threat to our planet and our galaxy."
"Yes that is why, we need your planet to be one with the First Order, and I will ensure protection for planet alone." Hux patiently and persuasively replied, he knew that he is one step closer to his own goal. "Naboo will be our strongest ally and will help us bring order on the Galaxy."
"You are right, I agree." King Sorbo replied. "That is why I wouldn't grant your request of uniting our planet to the First Order."
"What?" Hux deadpanned, with such surprise and shock clear in his voice and his throat. "You are mistaken for this, once were done we will leave your planet."
Sorbo frowned in Hux's words and scratched his chin for few seconds. "Haven't you heard every word that I said earlier, Supreme Leader?" He asked, his eyes on the entrance of the palace. "I don't want Naboo to be part of the war again, we have maintained peace for years and we are still going to."
"You are saying you don't trust us?" Hux seemingly pissed off from the denial of the King in his request of the planet of Naboo. He took a step back from the king, giving him a glare straight in the eyes, clearly underestimating the power of the First Order.
To his surprise, the King of Naboo turned around angrily, giving Hux fear in his spine but doesn't even contend to his own feelings. "I know you are planning to, I have heard the destruction of the Hosnian system by the hands of the First Order, and I support the Resistance, no matter the cost."
Hux's emotion turned sour and red. He flexed his wrist silently and hearing the King slowly berating the First Order to pieces by his own words. King Sorbo noticed his silence in anger and frustration in his eyes. "You were just some bunch of power hungry maniacs, who did nothing but conquer planets, is that it?"
"Then you are foolish, so kind for a King to be foolish never seeing the opportunity of your planet, in the end you will be the one they'll blame." Hux sneered back, controlling his anger amidst of it all. "Well then, if you don't trust us, I guess I'll be heading for plan B then?"
"What are you going to do? Invade Coruscant then? Eh?" Sorbo sneered back at him, watching Hux turning his back, not even watching the King sneering at his back.
Hux in return took a sideways glance, then smiled. "No I am not leaving. Let's just say we will take our negotiation to the next level shall we?" He turned at him, revealing him smiling at his fullest. Sorbo's expression turned serious, noting that this Supreme Leader is consistent than ever.
"I told you, I would not allow your men or that Order of yours to take place here in my city or in the entire planet. Note that, and now please leave before my guards will arrest you." Hux hums in return, mocking him slowly but savagely.
"No I am not leaving, whether you like it or not, I will stay here." Hux sneered back, watching the King's expression grew sour and shock. Without hesitation, Hux continued his mockery. "As a matter of fact, I might have few arrangements for you."
The king snarled in return, balling his fist his lips shaking in rage and in disrespect. "I suggest you leave here before I punish you. You disrespected me and even mocked me, I hereby to announce that we should not acquire your services."
The Supreme Leader of the First Order silently nodded, began his way to the exit with some guards holding his shoulder. "Well then."
Right on cue, an eruption of flames and palace wall particles blew loudly. Desecrating the wall completely, a large hole welcomes the smoke from the after match of the bomb used, came Stormtroopers more than hundreds of them came marching, and began firing.
Some hits on some Royal guards, dropping their weapons and to the floor, dead. King Sorbo already realized that the First Order already surrounded the palace, and they have caused wreckage already in terms of the kingdom. With disbelief, he watched some Stormtroopers grab his arm, pulling him towards their Supreme Leader, hitting his groin.
He sputtered, in agony, finding his knees kneeling before him, with such cruelty and power. A smile broke his face, slapping the victimized King in the face. He couldn't help but only to watch the Supreme Leader turn to his troopers and giving commands. "I want every square inch of this palace cleared and plundered. If anyone who tries to fight them, kill them all."
"Understood Supreme Leader." A certain trooper replied, walking towards their designated area of chaos and destruction. Few Royal guards of the King of Naboo were found in the floor, lying lifelessly from the attacks of certain Stormtroopers out of surprise.
"You traitorous bastard!" The king spat out, words cold as an ice and deadly as a venom. Hux passively heed those words, punching the King in the face, drawing blood in his lips, shutting the King up.
"Supreme Leader!" A Stormtrooper called, with his hands revealing a squirming being and struggling to get out of the trooper's grasps. A certain girl with no less older than 14, struggling to be released but forced to watch herself being dragged to the ground. "We saw this wench fending off few of your men, we captured her." Without a sound, they placed the girl to the floor, without a sound and to her knees. Tears already formed in her eyes.
Hux sneered and stepped forwards, observing everything the girl has. She has slight tanned skin in her body with long blonde hair and tied up in Naboo braid that reaches to her shoulders. No doubt, she was a royalty, due to the crown in her head. "Well, well, well. Isn't it the Princess of Naboo."
"Let go of me!" The girl threatened, trying to get to her feet, but was restrained by the Stormtrooper who was on guard on her every actions. Hux made no emotion, staring the girl down to her soul, stepping to her closer and closer until he was few inches before her.
Hux grabbed her cheeks altogether, in such force, watching the Princess breathing heavily in his fingers, seeing the fear in her eyes. The King pushed a trooper away, only to be stopped by another, hitting him in the abdomen. "Leave my daughter alone! She has nothing to do with this!"
"As you wish." Hux replied in a sneer, pushing the Princess downwards in aggression, scrambling the young lady to the floor marble of the palace of Naboo. The girl coughed, with her cheek planted in the floor. "I guess this is the real bargain now, isn't it?"
"Please leave her out of it!" The king pleaded, forcefully watching her daughter mistreated by some dogs of war in his own planet. "Take my planet and my kingdom, not my daughter!"
The Supreme leader turned to him, sneering at him. "A little too late for that. Keeping you alive will somewhat endanger the status of the First Order, knowing you had encounter the Resistance before. Taking full control of Naboo is what the First Order need to do."
He turned back to the struggling and fear gripped girl from the Stormtroopers, he watch her leveling her eyes towards him. "Shall we started the initiation, of oath that Naboo now belongs the First Order? With letting you watch in pleasure, the execution of the King."
"NO!" the girl screamed, watching the Stormtroopers, hitting the king in the abdomen, with his face flat on the marble floor. The blasters now aimed at his back and his head taking the readiness and the cue from their Supreme Leader. The girl's eyes were filled with grief and tears, as she scrambles to her feet, with a strong hand pulling her back.
There's nothing she can do.
Hux looking how the scene unfolds, walked away towards the exit, with pile of dead Royal guards on his feet. "Execute him."
Without a word, a blaster bolt flew from the blaster itself, heading straight to the King's head. She closed her eyes, doing all of her might not to watch her father being blown away into shreds by the blaster. The young girl forced herself not burst in tears neither to succumb to her rage.
Now lies her father, lifeless and dead, with the man in black stomping his foot in the head with a sickening crunch in the skull. The girl turned her head away from the scene, not having stomach for the gore and violence.
"Now, the King of Naboo is dead, surrender your arms to us if you don't want to end up like him."
"You're a monster." She breathes, strands of her hair covering her face, still her hands on the grasps of both Stormtroopers on her back. Hux sneered and reduced his distance from the girl and himself. "Is this what you want? Naboo?"
"No." Hux sneered and his voice soft but threatening for a small woman like her. He grabbed both of her cheeks, looking at her pitifully but without emotions. "I would have thousands of options to use you for the First Order."
The girl sneered back, her looks threatening and she would do everything in her power to strike the man who straight up murders her father. "I would rather die."
"Well then." The Supreme Leader nodded, head turning ahead of his comrades. "Take her to the Supremacy. I may use her for the Resistance and wiping them out even more. If she resist, kill her."
Without any words nor hesitation amongst the lower troops who had nothing but to obey, forcefully grabbed her by her shoulder. The girl growled back with urgency and desire burning inside her of revenge for Naboo. "You will never see the end of this day! I will run my city red with your blood as time will come, that is my promise!"
Hux shrugged her curses and words, ignoring the fact that thousands fell and millions will rise against him. With Naboo on his palm, the First Order will constantly and consistently bring forth chaos and destruction through the galaxy. How this makes you envious father? I did something far greater than you could ever dreamed of, spite of your cowardly acts.
"Sir. You are ready to inform the Naboo residents."
He forced a smile, nodding slowly towards an officer. "Put me through hologram. Therefore Naboo serves no one but me."
JEDHA
"We're here."
Rey scrunches her nose from her sleep, hesitation acts upon her lips from her deep slumber. She opened her eyes slowly and suppressed a frown in her eyebrows, realizing that Anakin will never shut up. The Falcon shakes slowly but already disturbing for her to sit up from her bed neither to stand up immediately.
The force ghost looks unaffected by the uncontrollably shaking of the Correllian freighter, rather crossed his arms, eyes fixating for the young Jedi. "Ready yourself, young Jedi. The Wookie already circumnavigated the planet three times."
Rey sighed under her breath, clearly not surprised at all. "Didn't Chewie came here to wake me?'
Anakin smiled, so much for Rey's annoyance. "No."
"Great." She scratches her head, across her scalp and touching her hair. "Anakin? Maybe next time stop watching me sleep or rest. It ticks me out. Does force ghosts go to sleep or get tired at all to leave me here?"
To her surprise, Anakin simply shook his head and no words left his mouth. Instead, he opened the cabin door, and went outside. Rey's stomach is churning from the emotions or the aura of Anakin Skywalker in this freighter today. "Hey, I was just joking."
She went outside, clearly looked worried that she might upset the dead Jedi or Luke's father or whatever he was. He disappeared fast, but the feeling of someone chilled her spine and almost paralyzed her.
The freighter shaking was still present, as she uses her hands to hold the wall to maintain her balance and consciousness from the shaking ship. In her mind, she always imagined of what Jedha could have looked like, especially the stories.
Chewie remains of the cockpit and on the pilot seat, watching the darkness in front of him. Rey supposed that they were on the uppermost part of the planet, but never asked why they never landed. "Chewie, try to land on the surface."
Chewie growled in reply, causing Rey ask back in confusion. "What do you mean that we cannot land in the planet's surface?"
Piloting the Falcon, the Wookie continues his way downwards completely revealing the whole planet. Rey couldn't believe her eyes nor his mind rather the Force. Stories from her past childhood always depicted that Jedha was once a civilized planet or inhabited by few organisms.
She heard of the stories of the brave Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor, during their mission inside the planet of Jedha. Luke once told her in his encounter of the Empire of the ruins of Jedha and Han was forced to do the horrible leadership. But she never expected the planet was already blown to half or to pieces.
No wonder Anakin looks upset even in his ghost form. "What happened here?"
"The Empire's deed." Anakin, from behind, appeared. She turned to him and noticed that the Wookie didn't noticed him even the closest. "This was destroyed by the Death Star to stop the Rebellion from retrieving the Death Star plans."
"Stories of Jyn Erso and her comrades, I've heard of it. Countless of times." Rey replied, reminiscing of her past childhood days back in Jakku. "They were here, but I don't know what the reason is."
Anakin smiled sadly, his eyes clearly looking the damage of the planet from the Empire. One of the planets that haunts him even as Darth Vader. "You wouldn't believe that Jyn Erso's father was the builder of the Death Star, the one that destroyed countless of people and planets, including Alderaan. My daughter's home planet."
Rey gritted her teeth, hearing multiple death and loss of lives nauseates her. "But what about Darth Vader? Didn't he dictated everything for the Empire?"
"The Emperor did." Anakin replied, his eyes scanning the floor. Chewie looked at her with confusion, clearly asking who she was talking to. But Rey's attention went to Anakin, as Chewie glanced where Rey was looking but found none. The force ghost clenches his fists inside his Jedi robes. "I was just a slave for the Emperor, all he asks is all that I will follow. He is the one who manipulated me to the dark side, because of love. I was foolish to believe that love can save me from the dark side."
"You are wrong, love is what gives hope. Hope to bring the spark of determination and strength." Rey heard Chewie moaned in his own language but ignored the confused Wookie at her side. "Didn't you remember that it was your son's love that turned you?"
Anakin shook his head, pressed his lips tightly and felt the regret in his eyes, even for a ghost. "I know, but you didn't know about the fear of losing of someone you love. My love for Padme left openings, for the Emperor to attack me for I was weak."
In turn, Anakin snickered and let out a suppressed laugh, even his eyes glued on the cockpit of the Falcon. "Haven't you heard of the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise?" He turned to Rey, clearly remembering every words from the Chancellor.
Rey shrugged, and Anakin smiled. "My friend, or my former friend once told me about the wisest Sith in the galaxy. He has the power greater than the Jedi or anyone with the Force, escaping death. He could save his friends, his family, and his love ones."
"What happened?"
The Force ghost simply shrugged. "He could save anyone, but not himself." Rey remained silent, hearing the words of Anakin. "Jedi before were forbidden to compromise themselves through love, because they thought love will cause your fall to the dark side. In the end, I saved everyone I loved, except myself."
Rey couldn't help but to feel sad and guilty over Anakin, she thought herself of stepping into Anakin's shoes, being manipulated by the dark side, being the monster that everyone hates and loathes. Being the monster who blindly followed out of love and being fooled. She never found that monster inside Anakin Skywalker, but it was the guilt and shame of the man who regretted everything he had done.
This feeling of change reminds her of someone, or of something. All of this regret or change of view happened before but Rey didn't want to relive if over again. A hand, she was offering her hand for his hand seeing the visions of each other. The face, she always hated or cared for but the souls of a man ruined. "Ben."
"My grandson was just a fragment of evil compared to everything I had done, I am far worse evil than you think, and I am still surprised that you accepted me." Anakin openly admitted.
"He killed his own father." Rey interjected, trying to add her own arguments.
"That was Kylo Ren, not Ben Solo. That grandson of mine was lost and confused, just like me. But I sensed and feared, he was no more." Anakin sadly spoke, with his voice of grief and shame. "He is no more, it is too late for his mother or anyone else to save him. But you can."
Rey stared at him wide eyed. "He is dead? Killed?" She saw Anakin only succumbs to nodding, as Rey sat down to the floor in disbelief or in regret. "How? How can I save him if he is dead?"
"Search your feeling, Rey. It can guide you the truth." Anakin reminded her.
"Well that's the worst part isn't it? Search the truth inside and wait for the truth to reveal. This is the major advantage over the Resistance, hearing that Kylo Ren is no more. He had potential but he blew it, now he is gone." Rey replied, smugly watching Chewie in the cockpit, doing his best to ignore her talking to the unknown.
"Really, so does your friend Rey." Anakin replied.
Rey turned to him, but the presence of Anakin Skywalker left her, leaving her with Chewie and her own. Wiping her head, she stood up and watched Chewbacca carries the freighter to check some landing spots. I should have brought R2-D2 or BB-8. "Chewie can you find some landing spots?"
The Wookie nodded, in affirmative and in positive answer, making Rey to spot any position and locations of Kyber crystals. "Can we land here safely?"
The Wookie nodded.
Sorry for the long wait guys, I've just recently returned from my vacations. Sorry for any grammar issues or spelling errors, English is not my main language but I am trying my best to be better. Reviews are welcome or any criticisms are also welcome.