𝕧𝕠𝕚𝕕 | 𝔸. 𝕊𝕂𝕐𝕎𝔸𝕃𝕂𝔼ℝ ₁

» 16

Well that wasn't comforting. She looked into the crowd too, hoping to find Olek. There were too many people. If he was there, she'd never spot him.

"Bring out the traitors!" Aerol's voice boomed, frightening Venus. Her breaths became shallow, her body began trembling.

He'd won. Aerol had actually won.

She watched in terror. Aurelia and Aelia were brought out and taken over to the elctro-guillotines, each put into position.

"Stop!' Venus screamed. "This isn't right! They're innocent! They didn't do anything! It was Aerol and Sterling! They killed my father! They killed him and framed us!"

But it was no use. Nobody listened.

"Look away." Obi-Wan told her. "You... don't want this to be your last memory of them."

He was right. She needed to look away. She looked to him, eyes begging him to do something. Deep down, she knew he couldn't. Any sudden move and the sith apprentice behind them would act quickly.

"Mama I'm scared!" Aurelia sobbed. "I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die—"

"I know baby." Her mother tried to calm her down. "J-just close your eyes. It'll be over soon. Just close your eyes baby—"

Venus could hear their every word. A cry came from her mouth, eyes squeezing shut. "Aerol, please!" She begged for the final time. "Let them go!"

"Now!" He ordered the guards.

"We're innocent!" Aurelia screamed. "We're inno—"

Silence.

Not another sound came from her mouth. The deed was done. They were dead.

Aerol couldn't look at the severed limbs— he was squeamish. In fact, he gagged when he heard the heads hit the ground.

Venus screamed at the top of her lungs.

The crowd was almost completely silent— they were most likely in shock. The remaining princess' cries were all thy could hear.

"This shall be a warning to those who might think about running to the Republic. Betray Chrysós and you will suffer the consequences!" Aerol announced. "Take the prisoners away!"

The two were pulled to their feet, Venus struggling to stay up. Her legs were like jelly underneath her— she wouldn't make it far.

Obi-Wan saw how rough the guard was with her when she wouldn't take a legit step, it made him angry. "The girl just lost her family— show some respect!" He snapped, only for Ventress to shove him forward. "Quiet, Kenobi." He was taken away from the princess but her cries were still in ear range.

He felt guilty, so guilty. He had failed. He'd failed to save innocent lives.

»—»«—«

Sterling had a good pokerface, perhaps the best in the galaxy. He could hide any secret, he could get away with the worst crime possible if given the opportunity to commit it. He was a master manipulator— he could get almost anyone to do anything he wanted them to do.

But how did he get away with it? How couldn't anyone see that they were being manipulated by such an evil person?

Because he made it look like they had the power, like they were the one in control.

That's the exact situation he was in with Aerol. Sure, the two had grown up together, they were like brothers, but they both wanted the same things. Power and to make D'Or pay for his past. Aerol had succeeded in both of those things for now,  yet, he had no idea what was to come from Sterling. Unfortunately, power was not something that Sterling wanted to share— the power belonged to only one person and that person was going to be him.