The villa was cloaked in the deep silence of night. Outside, the distant lights of the city blinked beneath the darkened sky, but here, within the cold, stone walls, everything felt still. Too still.

  Cassandra stood alone in her private quarters, staring out at the skyline of Kal'Sarha. The rebels had been broken under her hand, but their final words still echoed in her mind, mocking her. The smell of blood lingered in her thoughts, mixing with something far more unsettling—doubt. She couldn’t shake the sensation that something was wrong. Not just with the city, or the insurgency, but within her. She could feel the Force pulling at her, like the distant roll of thunder just before the storm hit.

  You control the Force. The Force does not control you.

  The words of her master played on a loop in her mind, an iron mantra that had guided her through every trial, every moment of weakness. But now, that very foundation felt as though it were cracking.

  She clenched her fists, breathing slowly, forcing calm. The vision of the girl—the pale face, the white hair, those glowing eyes—hovered at the edges of her mind like a ghost she couldn’t banish. Every time she closed her eyes, the girl was there, watching her, silent and waiting. The Force wasn’t supposed to haunt her. She was supposed to wield it. To command it.

  But now…it felt as though the Dark Side had begun to work against her, and that terrified her more than she would ever admit.

  A soft chime from the door broke the silence, pulling her from her thoughts. The twins entered the room without a word, their synchronized steps barely making a sound as they crossed the threshold. Their faces were as unreadable as ever, those same eerie smiles playing on their lips. There was something different about them tonight, though—something darker, more dangerous.

  Cassandra turned slowly to face them, her eyes narrowing as they approached. Her hand slithered to her saber's hilt, she had tolerated their presence thus far, she knew that they would prove useful for information. And now, with the tension in the Force wrapping tighter around her, she could feel their subtle threat more acutely than ever.

  "You’ve come uninvited," Cassandra said softly, her voice calm but carrying the weight of a veiled threat. "You should know better by now."

  The twin on the left, her black hair slicked back into a tight braid, spoke first, her voice soft and melodic. "We came because there are truths you must hear, Lady Cassandra."

  Her sister, standing just beside her, nodded, her smile widening ever so slightly. "Truths about the forces moving around you. About fate."

  Cassandra’s eyes flashed with irritation, her patience thinning. "Fate?" she scoffed. "Fate is something manifested. And you, however, are dangerously close to creating your own demise."

  She stepped closer to the twins, her presence looming over them, the Dark Side rippling through the room like an invisible tide. But they did not flinch. If anything, their smiles grew wider, as though they were entertained by her threat.

  "You cannot stop what is already set in motion," the second twin whispered, her voice barely above a breath. "The plans have already been laid. What’s coming… even you cannot prevent it."

  Cassandra’s temper flared, the tight control she had maintained for years beginning to slip. In a flash, her hand shot out, wrapping around both twins' throats with an iron grip. Their bodies were lifted off the ground, their feet dangling helplessly as Cassandra squeezed. The faint crack of bones straining under pressure echoed through the room.

  "And what, exactly, do you think is coming?" she asked, her voice dangerously low, her lips curling into a snarl.

  The twins struggled, their faces contorted in pain, yet their eyes remained locked on Cassandra, filled not with fear, but with something far more unnerving: certainty. Even as their breaths grew ragged, they smiled—small, eerie smiles that seemed to suggest they knew something she did not.

  "You cannot kill fate," one twin whispered, gasping as Cassandra’s grip tightened. "What’s coming…has already begun."

  Cassandra’s grip hardened, her fury seething beneath the surface. She could feel the bones in their necks straining, ready to snap. "I control my fate," she hissed. "And I will crush anything that stands in the way of that."

  But as she prepared to end their lives, their bodies began to dissolve, fading into thin tendrils of smoke that slipped through her fingers. The pressure against the wall vanished, leaving only the faint crack in the stone where their bodies had been moments ago. Cassandra stood there, her hand still outstretched, her breath coming in short, sharp bursts.

  The twins were gone. They had been illusions—nothing more than phantoms. And yet, their words still echoed in the silence, leaving a hollow pit in her chest.

  Cassandra’s heart raced, her mind swirling with anger and disbelief. How? How had they fooled her? She never lost control like this. Never. And yet, she had felt the Force betray her in that moment, had felt it slip from her grasp.

  Her vision flickered. The girl was there again, standing just behind her, her white hair flowing like mist, her eyes glowing with that strange, distant light.

  "Get out of my mind!" Cassandra growled, her hand trembling as she tried to force the vision away. The image of the girl flickered, but remained, her pale eyes staring straight through Cassandra, unmoving.

  Cassandra’s breathing grew erratic as the Force pulled at her, tugging her deeper into the vision. She could feel herself slipping, her grip on reality weakening.

  You control the Force. The Force does not control you.

  With a snarl of pure rage, Cassandra slammed her mind shut, forcing the vision back, banishing the girl from her thoughts. Her breathing slowed, her hands clenched into fists as she regained control.

  For now.

  The door to the chamber slid open, and Na'la stepped inside, her expression hesitant. She could feel the waves of tension radiating from Cassandra, the energy in the room crackling like a storm just waiting to break.

  "My Lady," Na'la began carefully, her voice quiet, "I’ve uncovered something. Something about the senator."

  Cassandra turned slowly, her gaze locking onto Na'la with cold intensity. "What is it?" she asked, her tone sharp, though the fury from the illusion still lingered beneath the surface.

  Na'la stepped closer, her datapad clutched tightly in her hands. "Senator Yama'ii has been working with the insurgents more directly than we thought. She’s been feeding them information, playing both sides. It appears she’s been making deals with the Rebellion behind the scenes to maintain her control."

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  Cassandra’s eyes darkened, her lips curling into a dangerous smile. "I knew she was weak," she said softly, her voice laced with venom. "But I didn’t realize she was a fool as well."

  The tension in the room shifted, the storm brewing inside Cassandra beginning to build again. Na’la could sense the shift, the quiet danger that always preceded Cassandra’s worst fury.

  "My Lady…" Na'la hesitated, her voice trailing off, unsure whether to continue.

  Cassandra waved a hand dismissively. "Go. Prepare the men. I will deal with the senator myself."

  Na’la bowed slightly and left the room, leaving Cassandra alone once more. The silence was suffocating. Every breath felt heavy with anger, with the gnawing presence of the Dark Side, pulling her deeper into its grip.

  Control the Force. Control yourself.

  But Cassandra was past the point of restraint. The senator’s betrayal had pushed her to the edge, and the flickering visions of the girl had unsettled her more than she would admit. She needed to release the building pressure, and she knew exactly where to begin.

  Cassandra entered Yama'ii’s private quarters with a cold, measured calm, her steps silent against the polished marble floor. The senator's chambers were bathed in the dim glow of soft lights, casting flickering shadows against the walls. Yama'ii was waiting—her back stiff, her posture tense, dressed in her usual opulent silks that now seemed more like a mockery of her failing power. Her dark eyes widened with fear the moment Cassandra stepped through the threshold, her hands clenching the fabric of her robe as if it would somehow protect her.

  Cassandra did not speak at first. She simply watched, relishing the quiet terror that rippled through the air, letting it sink in, letting Yama'ii feel every moment of it. She wanted her to know—to understand the depth of her failure before the end came.

  "My Lady," Yama'ii finally managed, her voice shaky, betraying the calm fa?ade she was trying so desperately to maintain. "Please, allow me to explain. I—"

  Cassandra raised a hand, silencing her. "Explain?" Her voice was soft, almost amused, but there was no warmth in it. Only the cold edge of a blade. "What is there to explain, Senator? Your treachery is known. Your weakness is exposed."

  Yama'ii swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest as she took a step backward. "I did what I had to," she said quickly, her voice trembling. "To protect Kal'Sarha. To maintain peace. The Rebellion was growing, and I had to make deals—deals to keep the city from falling into chaos."

  "Deals with the very people trying to destroy you." Cassandra took a slow step forward, her eyes locked on Yama'ii like a predator sizing up its prey. "How noble of you."

  "I—" Yama'ii hesitated, her breath catching. She felt the weight of Cassandra's presence, the oppressive force that made the air in the room seem too thick to breathe. "The Rebellion is larger than you think. If I hadn’t intervened, it would have consumed the planet already. I was trying to buy time, to prevent bloodshed."

  Cassandra’s lips curled into a dangerous smile, though it never reached her eyes. "How admirable. But you’ve made a grave mistake." She stepped closer still, looming over Yama'ii, her voice dropping to a low, threatening whisper. "The Emperor does not reward cowards. And neither do I."

  Yama'ii’s legs trembled, and she sank to her knees, her pride stripped away, leaving only desperation. She looked up at Cassandra, her dark eyes wide with fear, pleading. "Please, Lady Cassandra. I’ve served the Empire faithfully for years. I’ve only ever wanted what was best for Kal'Sarha. You must understand—I had no choice. They would have torn the city apart if I hadn't made those alliances."

  "No choice?" Cassandra scoffed, the amusement fading from her tone, replaced by something darker. "You always had a choice, Yama'ii. You could have crushed them. You could have ruled with an iron fist, as the Empire commands. But you chose compromise. You chose weakness."

  Yama'ii flinched at the words, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I... I was trying to prevent unnecessary suffering," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn’t want to see my people slaughtered."

  Cassandra circled her slowly, like a predator savoring the final moments before the kill. "Your people," she repeated, her tone mocking. "You were trying to protect yourself, Senator. Your position, your comfort. The moment you made a deal with the rebels, you sealed your fate. You align yourself with the very thing that threatens the Empire."

  Tears welled in Yama'ii’s eyes, though she tried to blink them away, her pride still clinging to some semblance of control. "I... I made a mistake," she admitted, her voice cracking. "But I can still fix it. I can still be of use to the Emperor. Please, just give me another chance. I beg you."

  Cassandra stopped in front of her, staring down at the crumbling figure before her. Yama'ii—once powerful, once proud—was now nothing more than a sniveling, broken creature, kneeling at her feet. And yet, even in her defeat, there was a strange glimmer in the senator's eyes—something Cassandra hadn’t expected.

  "You beg?" Cassandra asked, her voice dropping lower, becoming almost a whisper. "For mercy? For forgiveness?"

  Yama'ii nodded, tears now streaming down her face. "Yes, my Lady. I beg you... spare me. Let me prove my loyalty. I can make things right. I swear it."

  For a moment, Cassandra stood in silence, her amber eyes cold and unfeeling. Yama'ii was groveling, pleading, and yet—beneath the fear, there was a flicker of something more. Defiance, hidden deep within the layers of her terror. She was afraid, yes, but not completely broken. Not yet.

  Cassandra leaned down slowly, bringing her face close to Yama'ii’s, her voice soft but deadly. "Do you think I’m a fool, Yama'ii?"

  The senator’s breath caught, her tears falling freely now as she shook her head. "No, my Lady. Of course not. I—"

  "You think I can’t see through you? You think I can’t see the truth behind your lies?" Cassandra’s eyes burned with dark intensity, her words like poison. "You’ve been feeding the Rebellion for months. You’ve been making your little alliances, whispering in the shadows, hoping no one would notice. You were trying to save yourself, not this city. You thought you could escape judgment. You thought you could win."

  Yama'ii’s face crumpled, her last shreds of composure breaking apart. "I— I didn’t... I never meant to—"

  "Enough." Cassandra’s voice sliced through the air like a knife. She straightened, her eyes cold and merciless as she looked down at Yama'ii. "I don’t care about your excuses. You are a traitor. A failure. And you will pay the price."

  She raised her hand, calling her lightsaber into her grasp. The red blade ignited with a low hum, casting an ominous glow across the room. Yama'ii let out a sob, her body shaking with fear.

  "Please!" Yama'ii screamed, her voice raw, desperation spilling from her lips. "Please! I’ll do anything! I can still serve—"

  But before she could finish, the vision came again.

  The white-haired girl appeared in the periphery of Cassandra’s mind, closer now, her glowing eyes piercing through the darkness like twin beacons. Her presence flooded Cassandra’s thoughts, pulling her away from the moment, clouding her vision, making her hands tremble. The lightsaber felt heavy in her grasp, the weight of it unbearable.

  The girl’s voice whispered softly, echoing in the depths of her mind. Stop.

  Cassandra froze, her breath hitching as the Force wrapped around her, dragging her deeper into the vision. The girl stood there, unmoving, her white eyes locked onto Cassandra’s, filled with something Cassandra couldn’t name—something like pity. She could feel the pull, the sickening tug of the Force, trying to wrest control from her hands, trying to lead her away from her path.

  For a moment, Cassandra’s grip on the lightsaber faltered. The vision consumed her, pulling her further into the void. The girl’s eyes burned into her mind, her voice a whisper that echoed and grew louder. Stop. This is not your path.

  You control the Force. The Force does not control you.

  With a roar of fury, Cassandra ripped herself out of the vision, her mind snapping back into focus. The girl’s image flickered and faded, her voice silenced as Cassandra forced her from her thoughts. The weight lifted, and the air in the room cleared, leaving only the cold reality of the moment before her.

  Yama'ii knelt at her feet, sobbing, her body trembling, broken and helpless.

  Cassandra’s eyes burned with fury, her control restored, her anger fueling her as she looked down at the senator. "You were a fool to think you could escape judgment."

  Without another word, Cassandra brought her lightsaber down in one swift, brutal strike. The red blade cut through Yama'ii’s body with cold precision, silencing her screams forever.

  The senator’s body crumpled to the floor, lifeless, the scent of burning flesh filling the air. Cassandra stood over her, breathing heavily, her grip on the lightsaber tight as the last remnants of the vision faded from her mind.

  Control had returned. But for how long, she couldn’t say.