[ WP ] The protagonist finds out that they 've been the villain all along .

The weapon's casing was warm in her hands. The gun was designed to keep cool, venting the excess heat from plasma discharge along its long barrel, away from her body. She'd fired the thing so many times in the last two hours however that it was taking its toll. She was sure that the overheat warning sounds would ring her dreams for weeks after this. 
 
 She took a moment to slow her breathing and focus. With no sound than the slide of her boots on the metal floor she spun her body around the corner of the wall and through the opened door. She proceeded slowly, sweeping her gaze and her weapon from side to side. At her feet were at least a dozen Imperial soldiers, the plasma burns still causing smoke to waft from their wounds. They did n't move, they did n't bleed - the heat of the plasma melted and cauterized flesh and bone on impact. 
 
 To her surprise no one got up, no one appeared from around a corner. She was able to walk right up to the command console in the back of the room, and the massive window overlooking the city beyond it. She allowed herself a small sigh of relief. There were ten of them when they stormed the facility. Some had been lost along the way, others pinned down and had to escape. She was the only one who made it this far. She would succeed. She would succeed to avenge him. 
 
 She took her left hand off her rifle and pulled the necklace over her head. Dangling in place of a charm was a device given to her by the resistance. On the console in front of her, next to the hologram emitters that displayed information, was an data jack that fit the device perfectly. 
 
 At her moment of triumph she hesitated briefly. She remembered her brother's corpse. She remembered how it looked having had its head severed. She remembered when Zaren, the resistance leader, sent her the photos and told her what the Imperial Security had done to her poor little brother. He was always an idealist, susceptible to these kind of fast talkers, manipulators. He did n't do anything to warrant a beheading, and she was off-world when it all happened. Today she would avenge the little brother she could n't protect. This device would steal millions of credits from the Imperial offices, and make those in charge of his executioners lose their jobs and reputation. 
 
 `` For you Aiden'' she said aloud. Her heart swelled with pride as she thrust the device into the port. 
 
 She tapped her left ear once. The micro-transmitter implanted here gave her a short chime to indicate the channel was open. `` The device is inserted,'' she reported. `` Proceed with the upload.'' 
 
 As she waited for the program to do its job, she looked at the hologram screens emitted by the console. That was when she noticed a picture of herself. It displayed her service record with the Imperial Military. Next to her image was her brothers'. The occupation, his marital status, address all seemed accurate. Her pulse quickened as she kept reading. He had a criminal record. An unbelievably large number of homicides. Millions in property damage. Arson. Kidnapping. Treason. A bounty exceeding a million on his head, cashed in by a bounty hunter. 
 
 Her plasma rifle hit the ground with an audible crash. He was the New Fairfax Bomber. His organization, The Pure Front, were there terrorists behind the bombing of the Imperial embassy that killed 200. She never new. She had no idea. He'd always kept to himself after he left home and she'd gone into the service. She'd always thought him the naive one, and yet here she was. Her mind raced as she realized all she'd ruined for this organization taking advantage of her love for a brother she hardly knew. 
 
 Then there was a loud explosion. She looked out the window and watched in horror as the planetary defense missiles stream into the air. Her eyes followed them as their assent ended prematurely and they turned their warheads downwards. With a bright flash, they reduced the Imperial government buildings downtown to utter rubble. She covered her mouth with her hands as she thought about all the people working and living in that area. It would be this moment, not the overheat warning of the stolen plasma rifle that would haunt her. 
 
 She heard the sound of armored boots on the floor behind her. She turned around and faced the Imperial soldiers as they raised her rifles. She put her hands up. She cleared her throat and filled herself up with a new conviction. `` I'm Corporal Sara Morrison,'' she told the soldiers. `` I surrender. I can tell you how to get the bastards responsible for this.''
