Author's Note: Good news, everyone! Kathleen Kennedy is to step down at Lucasfilm! It's as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in joy…and weren't silenced! I also hear Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith is to be rereleased in theaters again on 25th April since it will be its 20th Anniversary this year! Furthermore, with exams coming up, I am going to spend my time revising and likely return in April.
I don't own Star Wars or its characters, but Nadia Aomori and my OCs I own only.
Enjoy!
Fire of the Rebellion
Chapter 44: Galen's Sacrifice
An 11 year old Nadia Aomori couldn't help but smile anxiously as Master Yoda brought her to the Galactic Republic Senate to meet Chancellor Palpatine in his office.
"Chancellor."Master Yoda greeted.
Nadia watched as Chancellor Palpatine stood up from the seat near his desk after closing a secret file that had information of the new youngling that had arrived to the Jedi Temple.
"Master Yoda. An honour to see you again."Chancellor Palpatine declared and noticed Nadia next to the Grand Jedi Master."And this must be the new youngling."
Master Yoda looked at Nadia.
"Nadia Aomori, her name is."Master Yoda said.
Nadia gave Chancellor Palpatine a small yet bright smile.
"H-Hello, Chancellor Palpatine."Nadia stated with a bow."It's nice to meet you."
"The same with you, my dear."Chancellor Palpatine responded."I expect great things from you and I hope I won't be disappointed."
"I hope not as well, Chancellor."Nadia remarked.
Sweat poured down Nadia's as she refused to look up at the menacing being that looked down at her, Ferus, General Kota, Bail, Mon Mothma and Garm in the throne room of the Death Star.
"I am most displeased that you chose to follow the path of the Jedi, Nadia."Darth Sidious informed with a sadistic tone."I thought their blindness and arrogant ways would've waken you up."
On heading this, a scoff escaped from Nadia's mouth beside her anger silently boiled.
"Don't think you have power over me."Nadia retorted coldly."I am no longer that naïve young teenager that listened to your manipulating words of wisdom. Never thought we would meet like this."
This caused Darth Sidious to chuckle in respond.
"These are troubling times."Darth Sidious declared."Consider serving us permanently."
Despite her anger and fear towards the Emperor, Nadia looked up at Darth Sidious' menacing yellow eyes with a sharp glare.
"And become one of your chained puppets like your twisted second-in-command over there?"Nadia scoffed with sarcasm, gesturing towards Darth Vader."No, thank you."
Nadia yelled out in pain as Darth Sidious unleashed his Force Lightning at her, sending her away from her husband and companions.
Despite being sent to slam against one of the nearby walls, the raven haired woman growled silently as smoke emerged from her clothes.
Ferus glared at the Emperor in anger at hurting his wife before glancing at Darth Vader, disgusted that his former brother-in-law was standing by doing nothing.
"You're a real fool, Aomori."Darth Sidious declared cruelly."Your mind is too squabbled by the ways of the Jedi to really see the power of the Dark Side."
Nadia simply squabbled to her knees a bit to glare back at Darth Sidious even if her hands were chained.
"You're wrong, Sidious. I actually don't see myself neither a Jedi or Sith."Nadia informed sternly."I am only myself."
From behind his mask, Darth Vader simply glared at Nadia.
His former friend was an utter fool to think she can defy the Emperor as all those in the Rebellion.
Darth Sidious brought his attention on Ferus, General Kota, Bail, Mon Mothma and Garm.
"You are all traitors to the Empire."Darth Sidious stated sinisterly."You will be interrogated. Tortured. You will give me the names of your friends and allies. And then you will die."
Ferus, General Kota, Bail, Mon Mothma and Garm all glared at Darth Sidious.
"Our deaths will only rally others."Bail warned.
"Your very public and painful executions will serve as an example to the rest of the galaxy."Darth Sidious sneered.
Suddenly, an alarm goes off throughout the Death Star which earned everyone's attention.
"There may be a rebellion yet."General Kota remarked.
Ferus didn't say anything and just smirked in silence.
A display screen showed a holographic image of Galen approaching the observation dome.
Darth Sidious glanced at Darth Vader.
"Lord Vader, deal with the boy."Darth Sidious ordered.
Darth Vader headed out of the throne room, fully intended to complete what he had failed to finish on Corellia.
Starkiller runs down a corridor.
The doors to the throne room of the Dearh Star opened and Darth Vader stepped out to confront Galen.
The Sith Lord had his blood red lightsaber ready while his former apprentice was ready to fight him with his pure blood blade.
"I've trained you well, but you still have much to learn."Darth Vader stated.
"You have nothing left to teach me."Galen snarled.
The two opponents then began battling each other.
Nadia felt herself slowly recovering despite being hit by Darth Sidious' Force Lightning.
It seemed her body had devoured some of the energy attack of the Emperor just like what happened with Count Dooku's Force Lightning during the day after the Festival of Light on Naboo.
Darth Nihilus had an endless hunger that would lead him to consume entire worlds just to survive.
She was his descendant.
But she was nothing like him.
Not even Zachary and Gwendolyn.
Nadia's ruby red eyes silently looked at the Death Star's layout.
"I guess this explains what the Empire wants with all those Wookiee slaves for."Nadia thought with a deep frown."Droids alone couldn't build this abomination. Not in a thousand years. Nor could the scum you'd usually find in an Imperial prison."
The raven haired woman felt the Emperor approaching her, but refused to look scared in front of him.
"I feel disgusted with myself that I failed miserably of unmasking behind your mask of the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic was a tyrannical mastermind."Nadia muttered coldly."You played me for a fool just like the rest of the Jedi Order."
"Spare me your pointless spats, Nadia."Darth Sidious responded."The Jedi had what was coming for them. They would've gotten rid of you regardless for all the many battles you fought for them."
Nadia gave Darth Sidious a hateful glare.
"And you wouldn't, coward?"Nadia questioned."You sit on a throne carved by the corpses of your pawns. The Jedi Order. The Separatists. All of them were just chess pieces in a game that you were playing both sides."
An amused chuckle escaped from Darth Sidious' mouth.
"Nadia. There's so much anger in you."Darth Sidious complemented."Instead of using it, you chain it deep inside you. But it's actually slowly breaking free to unleash the beast hidden inside it."
Nadia became silent at the declaration from the Empire.
"Lord Vader is a broken shadow of his former self."Darth Sidious sneered."I know that one day, you will replace him. Destroy your ties to the Jedi and at last you will be a Sith."
On hearing this, Nadia became more angry deep down and bowed her head in silence.
The Dark Side of the Force was too strong in her.
It wanted to swallow her.
The anger in her was deepening more of her hatred for Sidious and all the lives he destroyed.
Espeically, those that have been close to her.
"Yes. Your emotions betray you. Your fear."Darth Sidious continued as he felt the darkness within Nadia."Ah, yes. Your anger. Let your anger deepen your hatred."
Ferus gazed at Nadia with a worried expression.
"Don't fall for Sidious' words like Dooku and Anakin did, Nadia."Ferus thought with a pleading look."I love you too much and no woman could ever replace you."
Nadia closed her eyes as she suddenly felt four ghostly hands press gently onto her shoulders.
It was like they were signalling her not to fall for Darth Sidious' manipulation.
They felt familiar…and feeling their presences' after such a long time was like a dream.
Rostek.
Her father.
Freya.
Her mother.
Jayden.
Her older brother.
Bridget.
Her sister-in-law.
They were always with her to protect her no matter what.
Even if they were no longer among the living.
"I am Nadia Aomori. A descendant of Darth Nihilus. The Lord of Hunger. The Leader of the Sith Triumvirate after Kreia's exile."Nadia informed firmly."I am a blessed…and cursed being. I always will be. Regardless, if any action I take."
Nadia then snapped her head up with an utterly brave look, not wanting the light within her to be consumed by the overwhelming darkness in front of her.
"But I rather die as a wielder of the light than serve a deceitful manipulative coward snake like you!"Nadia shouted with a stern tone.
Darth Sidious gave Nadia a grim look, disapproved that she resisted from falling for his manipulation while Ferus, General Kota, Bail, Mon Mothma and Garm silently looked on with approved smiles.
"Poor deluded fool."Darth Sidious informed with a grim look."You shall die for your ignorance."
Just before Darth Sidious could kill Nadia, Darth Vader got telekinetically thrown into the throne room with his armour and respirator severely damaged.
Most of the Dark Lord's mask and helmet was destroyed as well.
Galen emerged into the throne room victoriously, making everyone realise he defeated the Emperor's second-in-command.
As Galen approached his former master, intending to finish him, he saw Vader's face uncovered for the first time.
Darth Vader, much to the shock and surprise of Galen, was a terribly scarred old man in whose deadly yellow eyes showed only pain and exhaustion.
Both Ferus and Nadia were all silently shocked how unrecognisable their former friend looked from the damage his body got from losing his battle with Obi-Wan in Mustafar.
"Yes! Kill him! He was weak! Broken!"Emperor Sidious insisted evilly."Kill him and you can take your rightful place at my side!"
"NO!"General Kota yelled out.
General Kota, sensing Galen's indecision, intervened and telekinetically snatched Palpatine's lightsaber, using it to kill his guards before rushing the Emperor himself.
Darth Sidious easily fended off General Kota with a blast of Force lightning.
Bail, Ferus and Nadia looked at Galen.
"Help him!"Bail protested.
"Galen! Leave An, Vader, be!"Ferus demanded."Help Kento! Stop Sidious or you'll be just another of his pawns!"
"Do it for the Rebellion!"Nadia admitted."Do it for Kento and Mallie! Your parents!"
Hearing those words snapped Galen back to reality and he realised that he didn't want to go back to what he once was.
Not after seeing what it did to people.
He came to understand that executing Vader would accomplish nothing, whereas saving the Rebels could change the course of history.
With his final decision made, Galen resisted the urge to kill the being that twisted his destiny and instead attacked Darth Sidious.
The Emperor managed to pull out his other lightsaber before Galen could attack him. Marek and Palpatine at last began an intensely ferocious duel.
Seeing Galen fighting Darth Sidious, Nadia stood up from feet before using the Force to summon her lightsabers that were on the Emperor's chair back to her.
The raven haired woman used her blades to remove the binders that chained her hands.
Nadia then carefully made her way over to Ferus and the three Senators to release them from their binders as well.
With his wrists released, Ferus summoned his own lightsaber back to him as well from the Emperor's chair.
Both Nadia and Ferus became alarmed when they noticed intervening Royal guardsmen arriving to engage Galen.
The Jedi couple immediately went to fight the Emperor's Royal Guards as Galen kept fighting against the Emperor.
Nadia used the art of Jar'Kai, a lightsaber combat form designed for the use of dual blades, to kill two of the Royal Guards that attempted to hit her with their force pikes.
Ferus fought in the Shien lightsaber form with his blue blade, easily disarming the Royal Guard that attempted to stab him with his vibroblade before smashing him down.
With the Royal Guards out of the way, Ferus and Nadia watched as Galen bravely fought against Darth Sidious.
They seemed to be at a standstill.
With both Galen and Darth Sidious proving to be just equally relentless and matched in all fields they fought with such as Telekinesis, Force Lightning and Lightsaber Combat, neither managing to hit one another.
Nadia went to removed the binders on General Kota's wrists while Ferus simply made his way over to Darth Vader to look down at him.
There was no words to describe the Jedi Knight's pain of seeing his former brother-in-law in such a damaged and scarred form.
"Are you going to kill me, Ferus?"Darth Vader questioned.
"No. I am only checking if you had open your eyes to the truth."Ferus answered with a sad look."But also to see if there's still a glimpse of my older brother figure in this damaged dark armour."
"The man you're looking for is dead."Darth Vader retorted.
"Anakin, can't you see that you're nothing but another of Sidious' tools?"Ferus questioned."He will discard you immediately if he found a new apprentice."
"You or Nadia cannot make me betray my master."Darth Vader informed coldly."The Emperor had freed me from all weaknesses."
Ferus simply shook his head with a disappointed look on his face.
"Then my close friend is really dead."Ferus muttered.
Ferus walked away from Darth Vader's damaged body to join his wife and the three Senators.
Galen drew substantially greater ferocity and strength from the rage he felt and quickly seized the offensive by further pressing his attack against the Emperor.
Dodging Palpatine's Force lightning strikes or channeling them into his lightsaber, Galen closed the distance.
Throwing Darth Sidious off of his feet with a telekinetic shockwave, Galen then blasted the Dark Lord of the Sith against the ceiling of the dome with a Force push before slamming him against the ground.
"You were destined to destroy me! Do it!"Darth Sidious cackled."Give in to your hatred!"
Galen ignited his lightsaber, ready to finish off Sidious once and for all.
But then General Kota placed his hand on Galen's shoulder.
"He's beaten."General Kota declared in a calm tone."Let it go."
"It's a trick! He's more powerful than you know!"Galen argued angrily."And he deserves to die for what he's done to me! To everyone!"
"Maybe so."General Kota replied."But, if you kill him now, out of hatred, then you will be right back where you started."
Hesitating, Galen finally agreed and stand down by deactivating his lightsaber.
"Get Bail and the others out of here."Galen insisted."I'll be right behind you."
Snarling at Kota that neither the Rebels or the Jedi could ever have Galen, the Emperor roared to his feet and fired a blast of lightning into the Jedi Master's back.
Without hesitation, Galen immediately stepped into the stream, taking the full brunt of it himself.
The pain was unlike anything he had ever endured under the years of Darth Vader's tutelage.
The sheer and overwhelming power of the Emperor's lightning caused Galen to feel as though a star was igniting within his chest.
Overcoming the pain just enough to absorb and gather the energy, Galen advanced on the Emperor as the two remained locked in the chain of lightning.
Nadia became horrified at seeing Galen face off against Darth Sidious again.
"Galen!"Nadia shouted.
Ferus and General Kota led Bail, Mon Mothma and Garm out of the throne room.
"Nadia!"Ferus yelled out."We need to go!"
"I am not leaving without Galen!"Nadia snapped.
At the same time, Nadia noticed that a squadron of stormtroopers had entered the chamber, with Darth Vader limping behind them, in pursuit of the fleeing Rebel leaders.
The raven haired woman activated her lightsabers to deflect the stormtroopers' blaster attacks.
"Nadia! Forget about me!"Galen demanded."Go! Hurry! Protect the Senators!"
With no other option left, Galen grabbed the Emperor's shoulders and redirected the lightning into the Dark Lord causing Palpatine to share in the agonising pain of his own power.
A small tear fell down from Nadia's cheek as she glanced at Galen one more time before fleeing the throne room to join her husband and their allies in the Rogue Shadow.
Driven by concern for his friends, Galen embraced the Force completely and released all of the pent up energy, resulting in a massive shock wave that killed the stormtroopers and destroyed much of the dome.
In the last moments of his life, Galen felt himself leaving his body as death took hold of him.
With his final thought centered on Juno Eclipse, Galen whispered his birth name for the last time and died.
Although he ultimately perished as a result of the explosion of Force energy, he transcended physical existence and became one with the Force.
The Rogue Shadow was flying away from the Death Star, where a small fiery explosion had been created in it's crater.
Inside the Emperor's observation dome, Darth Sidious was far from pleased with the results of the battle on the Death Star.
Not only was he robbed of an extremely powerful new apprentice and still burdened with the diminished Vader, but the prisoners had escaped and would go on to lead a rebellion that had inadvertently been created by the two Sith Lords themselves.
Darth Vader walked over to Galen's motionless body.
"He is dead."Darth Vader declared.
Darth Sidious went up to his apprentice and glared down at the lifeless young man that risked his life to defend his comrades.
"Then he is now more powerful than ever."Darth Sidious snarled."He was meant to root out the Rebels. His sacrifice will only inspire them."
"But now we know who they are."Darth Vader informed."I will hunt them down and destroy them, as you always intended, master. The same with Aomori and Olin."
Darth Sidious glared at Darth Vader.
"You must be relentless, Lord Vader."Darth Sidious ordered."If even a single Rebel survives, this alliance that we have unwittingly created will be our undoing."
At Kashyyyk, Bail, Mon Mothma and Garm gathered for a nighttime meeting with Leia and Maybelline accompanying them.
Nadia was silently hurt over not protecting Galen since she wanted to make it up for Kento and Mallie.
Ferus went over to Nadia and pressed a kiss gently on her forehead.
"I am proud of you, Nadia."Ferus assured.
"What for, Ferus?"Nadia questioned with a small frown."I failed to save Galen."
"But you stood up to Darth Sidious when he attempted to pull you away from the light and make you Vader's replacement."Ferus informed."That takes someone with real guts to ever do that. And…"
"What?"Nadia questioned.
"Galen is with his parents now and freed from the darkness that shrouded him."Ferus stated, placing his hand over Nadia's."His bravery will also show others that there is hope for the galaxy. So the mission was not a failure."
Nadia gave Ferus a fragile smile before the two of them went to join Bail, Mon Mothma, Garm, Leia and Maybelline.
"Are we ready to finish what he started?"Bail suggested."Then at last, the Rebel Alliance is born. Here, tonight."
"We need a flag to rally behind."Leia remarked."A symbol. A symbol of hope."
Leia wiped dust off the table, revealing the Kento and Galen's family symbol.
The Princess of Alderaan proposed that the Rebels use the Marek family crest as a symbol of hope to rally behind with which all agreed.
Meanwhile, Juno gazed out at the night sky as General Kota approached her.
"He's at last one with the Force."General Kota informed.
"You always knew who he was, didn't you?"Juno asked.
"I suspected, yes."General Kota responded.
Juno glanced at General Kota.
"Then why did you help him?"Juno questioned."After all the things he had done?"
"When he came to me in the bar, among all his dark thoughts, I glimpsed one bright spot."General Kota stated."One beautiful thing he held onto. Even at the end."
"What?"Juno questioned.
General Kota smiled. "You."
See you all in the next chapter and have a wonderful day!