18. Nightmares That Scar (1/2)

ruhlsar000 here! and life is a pain. nothing to do with my personal life, but politics are worrying right now with darth carrot in the white house. i apologize for errors, delays, and long-winded author's notes. i don't own rebels. i think that would be obvious by now.

i'm not supposed to be here, i think to myself as i look around the dark room. the only lights are red as if the walls are bleeding from past mistakes. the markings… this is a sith temple. "so, what's next, love?" donny's voice comes from beside me. her voice warps around the "love" in a way the just feels sadistic.

i feel like stiffening but instead, i turn to her, easily and not of my own accord. she's young, no more than twenty. this isn't real. this already happened. "it should be close." my voice says, lacking any emotion.

"i still say we should just sell it." donny rolls her eyes. "we could get enough credits to buy a fleet."

"we'd have the empire on our backs before we'd even line up a buyer. besides, those secrets are mine. i won't have them used against me." i growl, frustration humming around my mind like a swarm of bees.

donny glares at me. "you just being too much of an idiot to see what an opportunity this is. or maybe you're hoping that if you manage to destroy these whatevers, that crew of yours will take you back."

no, they will never. the lie flashes through my mind like it had when i believed it to be true. she misinterprets my silence. "unbelievable, you do." she grabs my face hard, her black nails digging into my skin. "they never will, love. they see you as nothing but a power hungry narcissist. they don't care about you. they threw you out. they'd be happy to never see you again. best to move on."

the words pierce my heart as a sick feeling settles on me, knowing. my feelings from the time surface. i felt like i knew that was true. that they must surely hate me. that they had replaced me with that new son of theirs. kemen… but it's not. it never was. "i know." i turn away, placing my hand on the wall as i turn the corner. but i see the last obstacle as i do.

donny approaches and begins examining it. something is off… about that approach. this temple was… older than the previous ones, a temple for something i didn't know at the time before becoming a sith temple. i glance around a see a small crack of clean light on the other side of the hall. i approach confusion washing over me. i turn to the mural, the lock i realize. it is a twenty meter scrambled version of the symbol of the sith, with pillars further scrambling it. i smirk; the founder had been very different than other sithes. this requires finesse as well as power. i reach out with the force, twist columns, moving stones. when the mural forms the symbol, i pull it apart.

there it is sitting on a pedestal, all those fake promises. a sith holocron. donny goes up and grabs it. it's coming. "ezra…"

donny steps back into the main area and i release the lock. and, of course, the ground begins to shake. donny… concern fills me immediately, despite knowing what is coming. "ezra." the need to get her out fills me. the pain of electricity pulses through my veins. i collapse to the ground. "sorry, love. but you know how it is. or you knew. money comes first. hope you get out, love." she turns and leaves. the ceiling begins to collapse. betrayal fills me once again. pain beyond the physical fills me. the anger of the moment swarms around me, trying to return.

"ezra!" i wake up gasping. where am i? i need to get up. clear your mind. focus- "ezra!" nuha's voice cuts through my rant of trying to regain control of my legs. i turn my head to the source, as i am pulled into her arms. "you are safe." she whispers into my ears. "you are here. surrounded by people who you love and loves you."

"nuha," i gasp out, hugging her. one of us is shaking. it pretty obvious which, even if i can't tell.

"it was about david's mother wasn't it?"

"i-" i stammer only for the door to slam open.

"uncle!" kemen rushes in, flipping on the light. nuha jumps, pulling the sheet up. why? i push myself up higher onto the pillow, not bothering to pull myself up. i am going to head back to sleep soon, anyway. "i felt your fear in the force. are you alright?"