Stunned, I started at Rhea as she carefully lowered Geir. “Upon consideration, I think it would be better to go further back.”

Grabbing him under his arms she dragged him backwards.

“What are you doing?

“I'm sure he will recover quickly, so there is not much time.”

Soon the corridor turned a corner and she stopped. “As long as you are behind the wall, I believe it will be safe.”

Rhea took the detonator from Geir’s hand.

“You can't do this,” I pleaded. “Give me time. I’ll find whatever's creating the dampening field!”

Her gloved hand brushed my cheek. “He is correct. This is the time to strike, there will not be another chance.”

“But what about Vicki?” I cried.

“I am confident you will save her.” Her tone was unmoved, implacable as ever. “I will not doom you to live the rest of your life without your love. Besides, I have seen the stars. Together we will destroy Father. All of us will strike through your hands.”

A final hug, then she pushed me away. “I will always protect you.”

And she disappeared around the corner.

“Rhea!” I chased after her.

“Go back, Valrea. This last time, do as I tell you.” And she sealed the door to the hall leading to the dome control behind her.

“What the hell happened? When did we get back here?” Geir moved behind me.

“Rhea, she-”

I couldn’t move, just stared where Rhea had gone.

Geir looked between me and the door, put the pieces together, and grabbed me dragging me kicking and screaming back around the corner.

“No! She’s going to-”

The explosion cut me off, and I fell weeping into his arms.

* * *

“Don’t you think we should head back to the warehouse first?” Geir watched me warily.

“No.” I strode down the maintenance tubes, waited for him to follow me or not.

“Rhea said to get Vicki. I’m getting her now.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“Does kill them all count?”

“Works for a short term one, sure.” He walked beside me. “But we might want something more concrete soon.”

“We’ll call it plan A, then.”

The fire that raged through my limbs when the pills failed, when withdrawal racked and tortured me, filled my mind.

Fury and destruction.

Retribution.

There had been love, even after years of pain and torment. How many sisters had Rhea been forced to watch over? How much of their hatred had she endured, without the ability to explain?

It was time for a reckoning, for everything. For all of us.

Distracted by my black mood, when we turned a corner and ran into a pair of cadre members, we were all surprised.

They fell back, raised their weapons. “Halt! Identify yourselves!”

“Plan A?” Geir asked.

“No quarter.”

Another day, another time, I might regret their deaths. But not now, with the explosion of Rhea’s death knell still ringing in my ears.

Geir sliced through them before they had a chance to question us again.

Detached, it was easy to see how his moves were like a dance. But with very sloppy partners.

“Onward?” He asked.

“Just a minute.” I took the blaster and sidearm from one of the dead men.

“I'm tired of being defenseless.”

He looked over his shoulder at the bodies.”I'm not sure if that's actually the case, as long as I'm around.” But he took a blaster for himself.

“I need to look after myself.” Too many people had looked after me, to control me, protect me.

No more.

As we advanced up the levels towards the surface, people ran by, but no one challenged us.

“How long do you think it is been since most of these people saw the dome down,” Geir asked.

“Most never have.”

When we emerged to ground level the sky above the compound blazed, deep cobalt, covered with stars.

“It worked,” Geir said. “The Compound is open, vulnerable.”

I nodded, throat tight. I wasn't sure what our plan could have been if Rhea’s sacrifice had been for nothing. “Let's finish this.”

Side-by-side we strode towards the hall. Not the side door, not this time. Up the front stairs, through father's gaudy, tasteless waiting room, and into the inner chamber where he held court in his perpetual half-life.

Stanton stood by father’s bed, the two of them planning, conspiring, as always.

“Where is Vicki?” I demanded.

Stanton glanced over, shrugged as if our presence, armed and in the inner sanctum was nothing to be worried about

“The child? Right here,” he gestured.

In the depths of the tubes and wires that ran in and out of father’s medchamber, I could see a dark shape.

“What have you done to her?” .

“Nothing, for now. She's just taking a little nap.” Stanton pulled her small form out, letting her droop over his arm.

Limp, lifeless.

No. She twitched in whatever drugged sleep they had sent her to. Kicked against him.

Good girl. Keep fighting.

“This insurrection will not stop my destiny,” Father brayed.

“No? It seems to be doing a fine job of putting your loyal followers into disarray.” I looked at him, the shriveled skeleton who had run my life. “Without them, how exactly are you planning to retake the Empire?”

“My will is unstoppable, ungrateful wretch. You had the chance to stand by my side, but like all of your blood, you refused it.”

“And always will,” I spat back

Stanton snagged the long handle of a carrying case by his feet, slid it over his head so it hung across his body leaving one hand free to pull out a handheld blaster, holding it to Vicki's small head. “If nobody minds, I think I'll be leaving now.”

Moving backward, not moving his eyes from us, he exited the dais with his hostage.

My heart tore in two. Father had to be stopped, but would Vicki pay the price?

“Geir, please,” I begged. “Get her.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“I promise, I am. I will be.”

Without another word he sprinted out of the room after Stanton.

“Whatever you’re planning, none of us will be your tools anymore.” I approached the steps, crossed the line beyond which I’d never been allowed.

One step up. One step closer. “Whatever your plan is, you’re finished.”

“Stupid girl. My will is carried out by stronger hands than yours.”His eyes blazed with fanatical fury as he pulled himself upright from the treatment bed. “The Empire will fall and I will be the cause of its destruction.”

“The Empire you fought for? The Empire you hated? And it changed without you, old man, left you behind and in the dust.”

“Never!” He raged. “I will not be forgotten.” He glared at me and the blaster in my hand. “And you will not be the cause of anything. You are nothing without me.”

He tore at the tubing running into his arms, pulled the wiring from his legs. Alarms squealed, lights flashed as all of the delicate work of the med chamber was wrecked by his desperate thrashing.

“You just need someone to teach you how to behave.” He snarled, ripped more of the bands away. “Should've left you with your mother, at that backwater spaceport. She wailed and whined when I took you, just like you always have.”

“No more than trash.” He lurched up from the pallet, wild eyes unseeing. “I will not be held back by the likes of you.”

He lunged towards me, hands curved into claws, ready to fight.

And fell, tumbling down the steps until his shattered body lay still on the floor.

No one came in response to the alarms of the medchamber. No loyal attendant. No faithful cadre.

I walked back down the stairs, stood over his body, flecks of spittle running down his withered chin.

And stepped over his corpse on the way out the door to meet my future.