Herding Nexu
By Andrew J Talon
A brief flashback...
2 ABY
Mustafar, Darth Vader's Castle
The Eleventh Sister knew she had had a name once. Perhaps even a family, back on her homeworld of Aruza. All of this was meaningless to her: Her duty was to serve the Emperor, and to hunt down and destroy threats to him and the Empire.
Mustafar was hot, arid, and uncomfortable. The vast fields of lava left the air parched at best, burning at worst. Yet it was meant to forge the would be Inquisitors into a strong force for the Empire. And so, Eleventh Sister persevered.
She had earned her lightsaber. She would not falter. Not with so many hungry eyes on her position as she strode into the common eating area, a plate of food in front of her. She paused as she sensed a newcomer to the rabble of potential Inquisitors.
It was a human woman, with long, reddish hair, pale skin, and an athletic figure. She had an artificial leg and arm, and had scars across her lower face. She wore the simple uniform of a potential Inquisitor. She was eating at a table all by herself.
And she was smiling. Her Force Presence was... Content? Unbothered?!
The Eleventh Sister knew confidence like this was just begging to be shattered. She grinned as she sauntered over to the human woman. She looked up, popping some nerf steak into her mouth. She chewed, swallowed, and then smiled broadly.
"Hello! I'm Shira Brie, what's your name?" She asked.
The Eleventh Sister could not believe the gall of this recruit. She flipped the woman's tray of food off the table, and onto the floor. It splattered, a few fruit rolling away. Shira looked down, and then back up at the Eleventh Sister in confusion.
Yet that smile remained. A smile that was truly starting to kriff the Eleventh Sister right off.
"You made a mess," the Eleventh Sister hissed, "pick it up."
Shira tilted her head curiously.
"You made the mess," she said calmly, "you should clean it up."
The Eleventh Sister lost her patience, which had never been a common resource to begin with.
"Who do you think you are?! I'm an Inquisitor! I earned my lightsaber, by killing my competition! You are beneath me!"
She waved her hand, and used the Force to send Shira flying into the nearby wall. She sent her plate right after, the heavy metallic tray landing on her head. The other Inquisitors and candidates laughed and jeered, as the Eleventh Sister sneered down at Shira.
"So you clean it up, weakling," the Eleventh Sister hissed.
Shira slowly looked up. The Eleventh Sister expected tears, rage filled eyes...
But instead... Shira's smile had just grown. Her eyes narrowed. Her presence in the Force was unleashed, and the Eleventh Sister nearly trembled at the power and fury behind it.
It was a brief hesitation. A split second of doubt.
Shira Brie used it to its fullest-Rising with inhuman speed, and ramming her metal tray into the Eleventh Sister's throat.
"HURK!"
Her windpipe collapsed, the Eleventh Sister tried to lash out with the Force as Shira drove her to the hard, metal floor. Yet she didn't get the chance-Shira began bashing her face with the heavy metal tray, over and over. She was blinded-She lashed out in panic, trying to drive the madwoman off her, but the human's own Force strength slammed right back. She was pinned!
She tried to pull her lightsaber-She got it into her hand-!
She felt a strong hand grip her wrist, and snap it. She wheezed, her vision going dark. A bright red blade snapped into existence, humming brightly in her fading vision. She saw a broad, bright grin as the blade came down-
And she knew no more.
Shira stood up, the odd half-crescent lightsaber still burning in her hand. She called upon the Force, focusing on the rudimentary lessons Lord Vader had drilled into her.
The corpse of the Eleventh Sister floated up. With some great struggle, she kept the corpse floating as she went over to one of the windows. She opened it... And chucked the body out onto the barren volcanic landscape outside the castle.
She shut the window, and slowly turned back to the silent Inquisitors and Acolytes. She grinned broadly, covered in food and blood.
"So I guess that means I'm an Inquisitor too, huh?" She asked, holding up her new lightsaber. She pointed the burning blade at some Acolyte.
"You. Get me more food."
"Y-Yes, Inquisitor," he stammered, getting up and hurrying to the kitchens. Shira pointed to another Acolyte.
"You. Get me a towel. I wanna clean up."
"Right," he managed, quickly heading out. Shira smiled, and sat back down at her lonely table. She began to toss the lightsaber up and down, as she breathed in the fear and respect of the others present in the room.
Lord Vader was right. She was going to like it here.
Say hello to the future Darth Lumiya...