007. THE FACE OF EVIL

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CAPTAIN FAUST WAS NOT A MAN THAT WAS EASILY INTIMIDATED. Yet as he stood within the communications chamber, it took every ounce of willpower to refrain from quaking in his boots. He'd arrived later than the dark apprentice and had missed some of the earlier conversation; however, he understood Kiya Reo was similarly anxious to be in the presence of the Supreme Leader as her tense posture had ceased to ease for even a second.

The Supreme Leader was nothing like he'd been expecting. From the whispers that echoed down the halls of Starkiller Base during the days of its construction, he'd created a mental picture of mad power. A larger than life figure with manic glowing eyes and electricity sparking from their fingertips. The cloaked figure seated on a throne before them was certainly larger than life, but only because the holo projector created the illusion that the being was nearly twenty-five feet tall. And yet despite the magnanimous proportions of the Supreme Leader, their identity remained concealed. Not a single feature was exposed beneath the hood of the cloak.

It was the hostile calm environment of the room that Faust found most unnerving. There was an illusion of peace that if provoked would snap in an instant. Like standing at the edge of a cliff, waiting for the slightest breeze to test one's balance.

"The droid will soon be delivered to the Resistance," the Supreme Leader announced. Even their voice was distorted, echoing through the chamber at several pitches which resembled a chorus of chanting. It was a voice that was everyone and no one at the same time—a being effortlessly in control of the power they possessed. "Leading them to the agent hiding behind the alias of Fulcrum. If Fulcrum returns, so do the last of the Jedi. And a new generation of light will rise."

Captain Faust swallowed and took a breath, then took a step forward as he assumed a posture of faux confidence that had gotten him so far in his career. "Supreme Leader, I take full responsibility for the General's betrayal. I should have anticipated his traitorous decision—"

"Captain," the Supreme Leader interrupted. There was no wrath or frustration detected in their voice, only an odd whisper of opportunity. "Our strategy must now change. How do you propose we act?"

Faust had been caught off guard once more. He hadn't expected his perspective to be considered on the matter. He'd assumed that he'd be given orders and he'd follow them to perfection, surpassing whatever expectations had been placed before him. However, this opportunity was more than intriguing, it was the culminating moment of his climb. No longer would he need to claw his way past those unworthy of their status and power if he played his cards right. "The weapon. It is ready. I believe the time has come to use it. We shall destroy the government that supports the Resistance, the Republic. Without their allies to protect them, the Resistance will be vulnerable, and we will stop them before they reach Fulcrum."

The Supreme Leader was silent and still. Faust almost believed the holo was experiencing technical difficulties and considered calling for maintenance before the Supreme Leader finally took a breath and nodded. "Go. Oversee preparations."

Faust quickly placed his metallic helmet over his head to conceal the way his expression brightened and the greedy width of his grin. He straightened and saluted. "Yes, Supreme Leader."

From beside him, Kiya Reo discreetly rolled her eyes once the captain's back had turned while he marched from the chamber at a steady stride. She'd never been fond of sniveling creatures that bowed and kissed the feet of beings possessing unfathomable power. There was a difference between true reverence and acting out of self-preservation. It was the groveling and whining of the latter that instigated migraines.

As the doors to the chamber closed, the Supreme Leader's gaze focused solely on their apprentice. "There's been an awakening. Have you felt it?"

Kiya Reo solemnly nodded her head. "Yes."

"The balance of the force sways toward the light," the Supreme Leader added. "There's something more. The droid
we seek is aboard the Millennium Falcon. A vessel directly tied back to the General of the Resistance. The Bendu fights by his side, a being a power which prevents one side of the force from overpowering the other."

"I do not fear this Bendu," Kiya Reo nearly spat. "I do not fear the light."

The Supreme Leader scoffed. The first sign of emotion expressed since their initial conversation began. "Even you, master of the Knights of Reo, have never faced such a test."

Kiya Reo expression neutralized to one of a steely resolve. "By the grace of your training, I will not be seduced."

"We shall see..." The Supreme Leader agreed, but did not sound convinced. "The next trial which shall prove your worth to the claim of heir. The Darkness awaits, but it will not remain patient for eternity."

The hologram flickered and disappeared as the transmission ended. The dark apprentice did not remain within the chamber another moment. She swiftly turned on her heels and exited the room, proceeding into the first lift she came across. Only once alone did Kiya Reo's steely resolve fall. She finally exhaled and allowed the tension from her shoulders to ease with exhaustion.

"Forgive me," she apologized to the air around her, speaking aloud but not directly to anyone. "I feel it again. The pull to the light. The desire for answers which tempts me to turn my back on the shadows. The Supreme Leader senses it. Show me again, the power of the darkness, and I will let nothing stand in our way. Show me, Grandfather, and I will finish what you started."

The moment of reverence ended and she slowly released the clasp of her cloak that she'd subconsciously clutched in the palm of her hand. It had been a gift from the Supreme Leader once she'd finished the first stage of her training. A token of success and a reminder of her unknown legacy as she took the next step toward the trials which would allow her to embrace the dark power of those that came before her.

The metallic clasp had belonged to her Grandfather—an emperor of a previous era whose name was too feared to be mentioned. Yet that was the only answer she'd ever received. She had no memories of her youth prior to her training. No mother to speak of and no father to claim as her own. She'd been alone to wander through the dark and would remain alone until she passed the final stage of her trial.

The first test was one of strength. To prove she was capable of carrying the legacy and shrouding the galaxy in darkness, she would need to upset the balance which meant facing not only the light but the incarnation of balance herself. And as fate would have it, the Millenium Falcon was the unwitting guide toward her destiny.

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