Dicing with Darkness

Chapter 24 - Kudarizaka

"So, you want a name?" Leo finally replies, deducing the reasoning for the mental intrusion. Imposter Aayla nods with joy, broadening her smile. "Why do you want me to do it? Couldn't you just think of one yourself?"

Imposter Aayla pauses from Leo's response, dropping the smile. She doesn't say anything and attempts to run off, but is stopped by Leo grabbing her left to return to him. She faces him again with a tear halfway down her face.

"Why? You didn't hesitate for the other two, but you do for me. Why?" Imposter Aayla looks distraughtly into Leo's eyes, choking up in her words as she begins to tear up even more.

"I don't know?" Leo replies, looking down to her hand in his grasp and placing his left hand on top of hers. "But, I just want to know... why me?" he looks back up to her with a soothing aura invested into his stare.

Imposter Aayla places her right hand onto Leo's face, placing the truth into her eyes before speaking it, "Because, I'm here to be your servant."

Nelani teleports to a crippled Vader's side, his head escaped the fate of his body. The rubble kept his chest under consistent pressure threatening to squash him for good if he ever moved.

Their eyes meet. Vader tilts his head the slightest to be able to fully see the Force Ghost.

"Have you come to finish the deed?" Vader asks, under his dominating respirator.

"No, I have come to correct the future." Nelani answers, lifting the boulders of Vader as she does. She gestures out her hands to spread a healing aurora around him.

Leo notices the healing light of Nelani hovering above Vader, breaking the stare between him and Imposter Aayla.

"Kill him!" She encourages, turning blunt as she moves away from Leo, leaving him to end it.

Leo stands ups, gripping his sabre he flings himself at the Sith Lord. Igniting his blade on the way down.

"Leo!" Nelani shouts, frozen stiff as her lover plunges Ahsoka's green blade into the chest of Vader, killing him instantly. The gasping end of the Sith Lord signalled the end of the chosen one.

Leo deactivates the blade as it still sits in Vader's body. He looks to Nelani, his eyes have become a dark red, his full conversion to the darkness complete.

"Well down, Master." Imposter Aayla praises walking to Leo's side, sounding seductive as she places her left hand around his waist, glaring Nelani a to-late-he-is-mine face. "Now all that's left is Sidious."

"Leo, h-how could you?" Nelani sobs, looking down to Vader devastated. She returns her gaze back to Leo before speaking again. "Don't kill Sidious! This is what he wants you to do, so he can manipulate you. She i-"

"No, Nelani!" Leo shouts, interrupting her last sentence. "I must kill him, if there is to be any hope of a stable future for the galaxy!" he looks to Imposter Aayla, "Down you know where he is?"

"Yes, Master." Imposter Aayla replies with a cheery tone. Giving Leo a wink as she starts to guide him out the city. And staring down Nelani on the way out.

"You're just going leave the people who need you the most behind?! Just like that! You're just going to trust this clone an-"

"I HAVE TO!" Leo turns around and rudely shouts cutting off Nelani's sentence, outraged in tone he continues, "I have to! I have to do this, why can't you understand this!?"

"Because we LOVE YOU!" Nelani retorts, feeling anxiety set in. "Me, Jezebel and Eva we all love you! And we don't want to lose you, we already lost one, but I saved her and I'm trying to save you! Please, don't do this to us, don't split our family up!"