GALAXY'S HEAVEN

twenty-seven

NUR
FORTRESS INQUISITORIUS

Diane, Cal, and BD-1 forced their way through the Prison Blocks within the Fortress. Somewhere on the other side, Cere was waiting for them to open the door so she could continue down her path.

Cere did not want them to get distracted; and told Diane to stay with Cal at all times. The angel obeyed as the older woman sent the map to BD-1. The Holocron was in the interrogation chamber. The same place Trilla was tortured and where Cere had touched the dark side.

Diane did not like this place. At all.

The trio pushed forward. They walked into another room and Diane saw nothing but a walkway and a pad toward the end of the wall with pads pointing upward.

"Must be a turbolift. Could be how we'll get across."

Diane felt his mood shift as he pressed the button for the bridge to extend to their end.

"Hey BD-1," he spoke softly.

"Boop?"

"Thanks for being my friend."

"Boo-woop."

He continued walking and Diane caught up to walk alongside him.

"Diane?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being my Guardian Angel for the time being."

She laughed.

"Thank you, Cal."

"For what?"

"Welcoming me into the mortal world."

She looked down at BD.

"Thank you for being an absolutely amazing friend. And for teaching me sarcasm."

"I knew it."

"Bee-booo!"

On the other side of this door was the interrogation chamber. Was the Holocron that they'd been searching for since Cal and Diane first arrived on the Mantis. This very moment would change the course of history.

They were terrified and that was okay.

BD sliced the door panel to force it open. In the room was a torture seat that was mounted on a small circle in the middle which was surrounded by nothing. One slip and you could tumble to your death. There was very little room to move around on the floating floor. But that didn't matter.

Or so they thought.

Just as Cal went to press the buttons, Diane felt a presence.

"Cal."

"ARGH!!!"

A red lightsaber ignited and Cal ignited his new lightsaber to block the hit.

It was Trilla. She used the force to push him back to where Diane was.

She ignited her second saber. And so did he.

"Cal?"

He shook his head and placed BD on her shoulder, before turning his attention back to the Inquisitor.

Cal ran toward her and the two battled it out. As they fought, Diane felt another presence.

She turned and saw Michael.

"Michael, what do you want? I'm busy."

To any other angel, this would've been an offense. Telling an Archangel that you cannot attend to the duty they are there to assign you for? That's like asking for death. But Michael knew Diane.

"I understand," he said, glancing at the two Force-sensitives. "But I've heard rumors that Archon has made contact with you?"

"He has."

"Diane... There's something you need to know."

"What?"

"...Archon. He's... He's your replacement."

"My replacement?"

"You see, back then—"

"You were a Strategist," a new voice pitched in.

They turned their heads to see Gabriel standing behind them.

"Look, I don't particularly like you but I hate that Archangel more than you. So, I'm here to help."

"How did you know?"

"You're not exactly subtle, Brother."

"What is a Strategist?!"

Michael sighed.

"Remember how I told you that Heaven uses planets for battle?"

She nodded her head.

"Well, you used to coordinate attacks on Demon's armies and always had access to the layout of the lands. One day you got really curious and decided to see where exactly it was."

"In doing so," Gabriel continued, "you set off the alarm in Building Four."

"So they decided to make a replacement."

"Is that why I can't remember any of this?"

They nodded.

"Diane... They wiped your memories."

"...How?"

"There's a—"

"I don't care about the method. I mean, how many years?"

Michael sighed. This was the moment he dreaded. Gabriel looked at his brother before facing the other angel.

"Two thousand and one hundred and forty-four."

With mortals, when they come to a realization, they describe it as a weight off their shoulders. Diane did not feel that. It felt like a boulder had dropped and landed in the ocean to soon be covered with moss and other things. No one would be able to tell that it'd once laid on the surface before.

The current Diane felt like the one in the ocean, unable to remember what it was like to look out into the sunset. Two thousand and one hundred and forty-four years gone. Little snippets were all the angel had. All she would ever have.

"What?"

"Now that you know the truth, we need your help," Gabriel said. "If you help us rid of that parasite, I can and my brother, personally guarantee that you will not be bothered for the rest of your eternity in the mortal world."

Michael looked over at his brother in disbelief.

"You want me...to kill an Archangel...and my reward...is eternity here?" she said, slowly as if trying to comprehend his words.

"Yes."

"You erase over two thousand years of memory, then tell me about the person I was. About the truth that you've so desperately kept hidden from me that you hunted me down and kept trying to take me back to Heaven. THEN, you ask me to do your bidding...and my reward is eternity?!"

Michael felt something rush through his very being. He recognized this. It was what he felt when he first led an army through the legions of Hell and what he saw on Gabriel, not too many cycles ago.

Fear.

"No," Diane said. "No, I've been through enough. I'm done. You want to kill an Archangel, you do it yourself."

This time, Michael risked glancing at his brother's reaction. Gabriel's jaw twitched and Michael did not like the look in his eyes.

"I will give you twenty-four mortal hours to make the right decision or," he glanced as the two lightsabers clashed, "Cal Kestis dies."

Then, he snapped his fingers.