Star Wars: Life During Wartime

Trust, part 6

The birdman swung the black sword in a wide circle, which Thallian parried easily. The lightsaber did not slice the stone, but merely sparked and deflected the blow.

Pride sounded in the Governor's voice. "The sword is an heirloom. They say it is made from the stone of the Sith world."

Thallian's lips twisted into a bitter smirk. Of course. The blade was formed of the same rock as Raena's tomb. It would be impervious to his lightsaber.

Thallian relegated levitating to a back corner of his mind. He hovered in one place, forcing the governor to expend his strength in swooping attacks. The duel carried them beyond the edge of the terrace.

Like a machine, the Imperial assassin's body parried Acir's blows. Thallian concentrated on finding the governor's thought patterns. As Acir expended his strength, exhaustion would also strike his thoughts. Thallian wanted to be ready to take sword away from him when the time arrived.

Acir brought the sword down at an angle that would open Thallian's skull. Thallian parried, but the stone sword skipped off his blade toward his unprotected shoulder. Thallian twisted away as the sword sheared a swatch from his sleeve. He commanded himself to be more careful, to concen­trate on the present.

Thallian's saber flashed, as bright as the Eberechukan moon as he pressed the attack. The birdman guarded himself just as furiously, but more and more often he allowed Thallian's blade to slip off his, instead of engaging it. He was tiring.

Nearly time to pounce. Thallian opened himself to the Force, seeking the essence of the black Sith blade.

A blast of white electricity flashed through Thallian's mind, disconnecting thoughts at their source. A spasm shook his whole body so that his fingers released his lightsaber. Its blade flickered out as it fell.

Thallian plummeted after it. The slight gravity sucked at him. Although he was not falling quickly, it was an extremely long drop.

His eyes were frozen open as he watched another body fall, pinwheeling slightly. He saw the Emperor strike the power core of the Death Star, throwing off waves and waves of energy. Thallian jerked as if he had been shocked himself.

When his vision focused again, he realized what had happened and where he was. His mind groped after the sustaining Force, but in its familiar place lay a void. As if the Emperor's death had imploded all other evil.

Thallian resigned himself to death. He wished he could close his eyes.

*

Acir stared after his opponent, stunned and panting. The Imperial assassin had all the advantage, and now this inexplicable behavior. Acir tossed the stone sword toward his daughter, then swooped after Thallian.

It surprised Acir to find Thallian alert but passive. He circled the human in his arms, wings flailing against gravity. Finally he maneuvered them into an updraft and returned to the palace's terrace.

Faiya rushed forward with his sword. "Finish him off, Father."

Acir stared at her with saddened eyes. "That is the way of the Empire. We do not murder an unarmed man."

He gently rolled Thallian onto his back. "What has happened, my friend?"

Thallian managed to croak, "The Emperor is dead."