Victory of the Stars

Chapter 14: Memory Hurts

Sy frowned beneath her mask, running her fingers down the smooth handles of her sabers that fit her hands perfectly.
Sharp, perfect, unforgiving. Exactly what she was supposed to be.
She'd known exactly what was supposed to happen once they found the rebel base, and it had all gone so well at the Galactic Council. Their plan was working and soon the entire galaxy would be under their control. But after she'd heard the girl (Ambassador Victory Lavigne was what they called her in the HR report) singing, she'd remembered things that she'd tried very hard to forget, and suddenly their perfect plan didn't seem so perfect anymore.
It was an old melody with different words than what she remembered, that was meant to be sung loudly and boisterously with a group, and it sounded sweet and sad on its own. When the singing stopped she'd shaken herself.
I am Sy Xian, second-most feared person in the galaxy.
I do NOT get sentimental over a stupid song.
I do not get sentimental at all.
But standing in the throne room looking at the girl, the past forced her to remember what she'd tried so hard to forget.
...
Before Sy Xian existed, there was Sylena.
Sylena lived in a small village on a planet she'd been told was destroyed. Demetrix. It was so small that almost nobody bothered with it, and that was why it was the first place the Dartranian Empire took over. It was fine at first. Sylena and her family lived peacefully, living and working and playing among their small farming community.
Then the war came.
Sylena remembers the fear, as obvious and acrid as the smoke that tainted the air those long months.
Those months they waited for someone, anyone to help them.
One night, her parents told her and her sister to hide in their house and not to come out, no matter what. So Sylena held her sister close and they waited, listening to the sounds of chaos outside. For hours she comforted and quieted her sister as their small, sheltered world collapsed around them. Eventually, they'd fallen asleep, and when they woke up, their old world was gone. By the time they realized that their home was on fire, the only option left was to run. Sylena had pushed her sister out of the house hoping to get her to safety and draw attention
away from her, but they were both spotted by the soldiers destroying their village immediately.
Behind her glasses Sy's eyes were glittering with all the tears of the last fifteen years that she had never shed. She didn't want to remember that day.
She didn't want to remember.
Sylena screamed as the energy bolt hit her little sister like lightning, throwing her small body several yards.
The girl looked so much like her sister had. Wide eyes, round cheeks red from crying.
A flood of rage swept through Sylena, and she pressed it outwards towards everyone who was still alive. She could sense them somehow, but she barely noticed. It was like... trying to describe an activity she'd done a million times. She knew how to do it, but she didn't know
how she knew. She pushed it away and felt a wave of energy and power leave her body. Why did she still feel horrible about that? They deserved to die.
THEY DESERVED IT.
Maybe it was guilt from that day that was weighing her down so much.
Next to her, the girl was putting on a brave face, fiddling with her collar.
Someone put a hand on Sylena's shoulder and helped her up. She looked up and saw a warm, sympathetic smile. She threw her arms around her rescuer, shutting out the crumpled bodies and burning homes around her. Even though she was ten years old and too big for her parents to pick her up any more, he lifted her up easily like she was a little child again and carried her to his ship.
She'd been too distraught and relieved to find a friend to notice that he wore the symbol of the Dartranian Empire, the same as the soldiers.
Sy clenched her fists, white-hot bolts of anger filling her vision.
Why was this something she was remembering?
Why did she have to feel this pain?
Why was her heart breaking if she wasn't supposed to have a heart?
Emperor Vitus was speaking to the girl again; asking her name.
I already know it, she thought triumphantly, That's more than you can say.
It's Victory.
Victory Lavigne.
Victory didn't seem to be falling for Vitus' welcoming facade.
Why am I... relieved?
Sy shifted uncomfortably. Some long-hidden instinct was telling her to get Victory out of the room and away from there and safe.
Shut UP, me. She deserves to be here, otherwise she wouldn't be.
She looked back over at the girl. Victory had backed all the way up to the wall, stray brown curls spilling out of her braid and framing her face. Her nose was quite red, and her cheeks were puffed up like a little kid's farce of anger. Sy's protective instincts kicked in again.
SHUT UP, ME, she thought again. My sister is dead and gone. This girl is nothing. Just a
rebel spy getting what she deserves.
Her traitorous brain said otherwise, though.
But she's so young. Does she really deserve this? Does anyone deserve this?
A growl formed in her throat, bursting out, and she pressed her palms to her head.
Where were these thoughts coming from?
She balled her fists, straightened her back, and turned around. They were both looking at her.
Vitus... no. Emperor Vitus was watching her, a curious expression on his pleasant face. Victory was still backed up against the wall trying to disappear.
Now what?
Think of something, you idiot.
You're a disgrace to the Dartranian Empire.
GOOD.
Sy blinked. She wasn't quite sure where that last thought came from, but she thought she had some semblance of a plan.
"This clearly isn't working," she barked.
Vitus frowned. "Do you have a problem, Xian?"
Sy swallowed. Now or never.
"Actually, I do. We won't learn anything from her like this. Let me handle it. I know better methods of... persuasion." She purposely left her words vague, to cover the fact that she had no idea what she was doing or why she was doing it.
Also, it sounded ominous.
Emperor Vitus narrowed his eyes and for a long, painful moment, Sy thought that he saw right through her. Finally, he relaxed.
"You have my permission to do what needs to be done. Go now."
Sy nodded, grabbed Victory's arm, and pulled her out of the throne room behind her, walking swiftly and angrily towards the elevator so that nobody would stop them; everyone knew what she was like when she was angry.