Chapter Text
She doesn't even know how Syril took her out of that building. There was no time to think. Dedra followed his orders as he painfully dragged her through the deadly crowd, with Syril's coat covering her imperial uniform.
Screams of the Ghor filled her ears, stopping one by one after the sound of a blaster. The panic rose in Dedra's chest, feeling like she was reliving Ferrix again.
A blaster shot flew an inch away from her head, leaving a burning smudge on her cheek. There was no time for reaction, as Syril didn’t stop going forward. If he wants her dead, why wouldn't he do it himself? It would be fair. For everything she did to him. To them.
The biggest miscalculation in her entire life was thinking that Syril would be okay with her lies. He loved her, but his love didn't blind him as much as her devotion to the Empire blinded her.
As Dedra followed Syril through the massacre, she understood that the reason why he was mad at her was the same as why he loved her. Empathy. Something she will never understand. All she knows is that there's no empathy for her anymore. She doesn't deserve it.
Syril stopped walking. He squeezed Dedra's arm even harder as he made her look at the plaza.
“Look! What have you done!?”
She looked at the terror the Empire brought. At the people lifelessly falling to the ground. Deep down, Dedra knows how bad it is. She didn't want it, everything fell apart when the Empire sent the military...
No, that was just another lie she told herself.
Her head turned to Syril. All she wanted was for them to be together, to protect him from the truth. Yet, the range behind his eyes told another story. One of betrayal, hurt, and losing control. Losing him. In his eyes, Dedra was the terror. Dedra was the Empire.
Both of them were silent, Syril's grip only tightened with every passing second. The world seemed to slow down, all the shots and screams were distant in Dedra’s head, but Syril's words were ringing so loudly. She did this. All of it. That's why she lost him.
Dedra didn't even realize tears were dropping from her eyes until they made her cheek burn even more, reminding her of the blaster burn. She only wanted to be with him. She wanted them to be together.
An explosion away made them lose their balance. The next thing she knew was being dragged again. Syril took her to one of the buildings where a small group of people was hiding, she recognized most of them from her files.
“I've got her!” Syril screamed into her ear.
With these words, one more man got out from behind the wall. Someone, Dedra knew very well. Someone she's been hunting for years.
“She's more valuable alive.”
She heard Syril saying it in a lower tone. Dedra, on the other hand, couldn't make a sound. She just stood by his side, petrified.
“Is this enough to gain your trust?”
She's being used, but to Dedra, it was fine. She deserved it. For Syril.
The man in front of them looked carefully, as if he tried to penetrate souls with his stare. But Dedra didn't care anymore. She lost. Everything.
“Welcome to the Rebellion.”