Dicing with Darkness

Chapter 25 - Kongō

Hyperspace

Leo sits in his new Beskar'gam. Aria sleeps at the back of the ship on one of two slim fitted beds that oppose each other. The argument between him and Nelani plays through his head. "...Don't split up our family." Replayed the most.

"I have to do this." Leo reminds himself, attempting the dissolve the doubt in his mind. But, he couldn't shake it. "I-I have to do this. It's too late to turn back, I have to commit."

Leo started to feel anxiety set in, causing his hands to start lightly shaking. He clenches his fists and closes his eyes, taking in a breath.

I have to. Leo reminds. I have to kill him no matter the cost. He exhales. The shaking doesn't stop and only increases, making its way up his arms and down to his legs. A retched, hesitant feeling started to appear in his stomach.

Leo takes in another breath. He exhales... nothing changes. "Aria!" he yelps, wanting the need for company. She doesn't wake up. "Aria! Wake up!"

'Leo.' A forgotten voice annunciates with Force telepathy. 'Grab my sabre.'

Leo does as the voice instructs, he grabs the hilt of Ahsoka's lightsabre off his belt and places it on his chest.

'Ahsoka?' he inquires.

'It's been a while.' Ahsoka relays with a cheery tone. 'Now, what's wrong?'

The question jerked tears from Leo's eyes. He hugs the sabre, squeezing it like he was hugging Ahsoka. The red starts to fade from his eyes. 'You'd be disgusted in me if I told you.'

'Come on, you can tell your first love.'

'I'm...' Leo pauses, his eyes widen before they narrow. 'You're not Ahsoka!'

'What are you talking about? It's me.' Ahsoka retorts, trying calm Leo's rage.

'She wasn't my first love! She was my first kiss, SIDIOUS!' Leo scowls at the counterfeit.

The droning, laughing voice of the Dark Lords returned the red into Leo's eyes.

'How perceptive, boy. You truly are one with the darkness. I can feel it.' Sheev praises before tuning out of Leo's head with bellowing laughter being the residue of the encounter.

"I'm gonna SLAUGHTER HIM!" Leo exclaims augmenting his voice to deepen, sending a typhoon of emotion through the Force. His grip tightens on the hilt, breaking it seconds later. Metal falls from his hands, the green Kyber Crystal rolls to the floor and is stopped by Leo's helmet sitting underneath his seat.

Leo feels for the crystal. When in his grasp, he raises it to eye height and stares into the hue. The green colouration bounces back and forth between his eyes and the crystal.

"Master?" Aria yawns from behind Leo. "What happened to your hilt?"

"I broke it." Leo replies, keeping his gaze on the crystal while he talks with a distraught, clear tone.

"I have spare parts for you to make another one?"

"Thank you."

Aria walks over to a box underneath the bed she slept in and brings it over to Leo. He takes the box and sits down cross legged on the Durasteel floor between the two beds. Leaving Aria to pilot the ship. Ignoring the box for now. He keeps his attention on Ahsoka's Kyber Crystal.

I'm sorry, Ahsoka. Leo thinks to himself, sending an apologetic notion through the Force to his favourite Togruta, hoping she is still alive. Clenching the crystal with his hands he begins to impose all his being onto the crystal.