A curious thing happens to Collan. The words he spoke, while intending to deceive, seem to have a certain appeal. In spite of himself, he feels a certain pleasure in feeling the fear of the Imperial Guards as they carefully secure him with binders. He can almost feel the whisper of breath against his ear, speaking of power and glory. It would be a simple thing to make this ruse a reality. There is only the thinnest of veils between the lie and a potential reality.
Watched carefully, Collan proceeds down the corridor, losing sight of his friends who now glare at him with open hatred. Trax had been very close to trading his life for a shot at Collan, and he had heard Trax's pledge. Perhaps his speech had been too convincing? Collan even wonders himself for a moment if the words were actually true...
A second blast door opens, and Collan enters a large open space. Large viewports reveal the stars in space, and the curve of Horuz below them. To his left, some distance away, Collan spots several holding cells. Those within - he recognizes Bail Organa among them - rise and step to the edge of the energy field. He can feel the fear radiating from them. Except for one - a grey-haired man with a bandage over his eyes radiates only calm. That man turns sightless eyes on Collan, but seems to see him - look through him.
At length, the group halts, and the dark figure kneels, his head bowed. Above you is a raised dias. As you look, the chair slowly turns, and you see a pale face shrouded in the depths of a black cloak.
"What is this." The voice feels like ice.
The kneeling figure in black armour says, without lifting his head, "One of the Jedi invaders, my lord." The black figure pauses. "He claims to be the son of Lord Banen."
Collan's breath catches in his throat as he feels the full attention of the figure on the dias focus on him. Unbidden, memories flash through his inner eye, and he can feel icy fingers in his mind.
A moment later, the figure on the dias rises, and that act alone fills Collan with dread. Without any act of will, Collan drops to his knees and bows his head, fear gripping his heart.
"So, the son of Rostiern has been found at last. Long has my chief inquisitor been searching for you, my boy."
Collan is barely able to breathe. He feels completely naked and exposed.
"You have done well, Commander. Leave us."
Without a word, the black armoured figure rises and salutes. He and the guards turn and march away quickly.
Collan squeezes his eyes in an attempt to control his fear, but his heart is racing.
"I see through your lies, boy. But I also see the truth you hide from yourself." He chuckles, and the sound freezes Collan's blood.
Then, Collan feels something else, like a tiny thought blooming in the back of his mind. That thought blooms into a fully formed idea: Trust in the Force.
