Star Wars: Starkiller

Once we returned to the ship, the tension in the air was palpable. Kanan, Sabine, Ezra, Zeb, and even Chopper met us at the foot of the ramp with worried faces. But as soon as they saw Hera, exhausted and visibly shaken, Kanan didn't waste a second. He moved quickly, and without hesitation, she collapsed into his arms. No words were needed. The hug said it all.

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew turned toward me, bombarding me with questions. But their voices were a distant echo. My mind was elsewhere, focused on something I couldn't ignore.

Lando.

The smuggler stood off to the side, with that same casual attitude he always wore, though his expression seemed more cautious, as if he sensed something was coming. When I began to move toward him, his face changed.

"Wait, hey, you don't want to do this…" he started, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. But I didn't let him finish.

With a wave of my hand, I felt the Force flow into him, wrapping around his throat with invisible force. Lando stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide open as I lifted him off the ground with a simple motion.

The crew's reaction was immediate. Sabine took a step back, surprised. Zeb and Ezra moved toward me, ready to intervene, but a firm gesture from Kanan stopped them. The Jedi remained where he was, watching Lando with a restrained fury he rarely showed.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?" I said, my voice full of rage. I could feel the tension in the cabin rising with every word. "Because of you, Hera almost…" I stopped, unable to say the word, but the weight of what I implied hit everyone.

The silence was heavy, and I saw the crew's eyes shift toward Hera, processing what had happened.

Lando, for his part, was struggling to breathe, clutching at the invisible chokehold around his neck. "I-I didn't mean to… that wasn't the p-plan…" he managed to stammer between gasps.

"Plan?" I spat, tightening my grip. His face began to turn red. "I don't give a damn about your plan."

"P-please…" he stuttered, his voice barely a whisper. "If you kill me… who's going to p-pay you… for the w-work?"

My anger flared even more at his response. Money? He was seriously talking about money right now?

"Galen, lower him!" Hera's voice cut through the air like a bolt of lightning.

My grip wavered for a moment, and I turned to look at her, surprised. Everyone seemed to freeze, their eyes fixed on the captain.

"What? But he…" I started to protest, still feeling the fury boil inside me.

"I know," Hera's voice was firm but not cold. There was a mix of exhaustion and determination in her tone. "I know what he did. But if you kill him, all this work will have been for nothing. Also, I don't want the crew seeing you do this."

Her words hit me harder than any reproach. I closed my eyes for a moment, fighting the storm within me, and finally loosened my fist.

Lando dropped to the floor with a thud, coughing violently as he clutched at his neck with both hands. I watched him, still feeling a stab of anger, but I stayed where I was.

The room was silent, except for Lando's irregular breathing and Chopper's uncomfortable beeping, as if he too felt the tension.

Hera pulled away from Kanan, her gaze fixed on me. "Thank you," she said simply, though her eyes reflected more exhaustion than gratitude.

I didn't respond. I didn't know what to say.

Lando, still on the floor, was coughing weakly as he tried to regain his composure. His hands were still clutching his neck, and when he finally lifted his gaze to me, the spark of arrogance that usually shone in his eyes had disappeared completely. In its place, there was only fear.

It was a look I had seen before, many times, directed at me by enemies, prisoners… even allies. And every time I saw it, I felt the same: an uncomfortable emptiness that I couldn't fill.

Without saying a word, I turned and began walking toward the exit. Each step echoed down the metal hallway like a reminder of what had just happened. No one stopped me, not even Hera or Kanan. The air was thick with tension, and no one knew how to dissipate it.

When I reached the door, I paused for a moment, not looking back. I could feel the eyes on my back, especially Hera's. But I knew that if I turned around, if I tried to explain anything, it wouldn't make sense.

Without another word, I passed through the door and made my way to my room. The walk was silent, but in my mind, the noise was deafening. Disjointed thoughts, memories of what I had just done, and the way Lando had looked at me swirled like an uncontrolled storm.

When I arrived, I closed the door behind me, leaning against it for a moment as I tried to steady my breath. My room was small, cold, empty… just like always. But now that solitude felt heavier, more real.

I let out a long sigh and sank onto the small cot that served as a bed. My gaze wandered to the ceiling, but the images were still there: Lando's terrified expression, Hera's eyes filled with something I couldn't decipher.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push all of it from my mind. But it was useless. That uncomfortable emptiness kept growing, and for the first time in a long time, I didn't know if I would be able to fill it.