Why Did Desmond Stab Lucy?

Desmond was forced to fatally stab Lucy Stillman in Assassin‘s Creed: Brotherhood to prevent her imminent betrayal of the Assassins. This tragedy was orchestrated behind the scenes by Juno – a god-like member of the first civilization. She took control of Desmond‘s body to eliminate Lucy, who would have handed the Apple of Eden over to the Templars. This would have derailed Juno‘s own long-term plans. Desmond stabbed his ally Lucy against his will, severing their bond.

Lucy Was Secretly Planning to Betray the Assassins

Throughout Desmond‘s story arc, Lucy Stillman acts an Assassin ally who protects Desmond from the Bleeding Effect. However, revelations in later games confirmed Lucy was secretly planning to double-cross the Assassins once they had the Apple of Eden. Specifically, files in Assassin‘s Creed IV: Black Flag show Lucy made a deal with Templar leader Warren Vidic to hand over the Apple in exchange for power.

This betrayal would have allowed the Templars to create a New World Order and disrupted Juno‘s plan to eventually resurface in the physical world. As an elite member of the First Civilization, Juno likely leveraged her advanced awareness to foresee Lucy‘s betrayal even before it happened. This leads into Juno‘s key motivation for possessing Desmond to stop Lucy at all costs.

Juno Was Determined to Safeguard Her Own Goals

Juno‘s backstory provides critical context. She was part of the First Civilization and fought in a war against humanity that led to the downfall of her people. For ages, Juno‘s consciousness was trapped in the digital prison of the Eye Abstergo. She eventually resolved to one day return and reshape humanity according to her vision.

However, Lucy‘s planned betrayal jeopardizes Juno‘s core objectives:

• Escaping the digital realm into the physical world
• Bending humanity to her will

Based the table below, it‘s evident how Lucy giving the Apple to Templars represents a catastrophic failure scenario for Juno:

So in summary, Juno hijacked Desmond‘s body because she desperately needed to prevent Lucy from disrupting her intricate schemes.

Revisiting the Shocking Murder Scene

Armed with deeper insight into what‘s at stake for Juno, let‘s re-examine the tragic scene where Desmond stabbed Lucy in vivid detail:

As Desmond places his hand on the Apple of Eden, his mind gets flooded with new revelations. Lost in a trance, he turns abruptly from the Apple as Juno‘s possession takes hold. Meanwhile, Lucy looks on worriedly while calling Desmond‘s name.

Desmond slowly lifts his head, but his eyes now glow with a supernatural haze. He starts lumbering towards Lucy almost robotically – no longer in control of his body. Lucy senses something is horribly wrong and urges Desmond to resist Juno‘s manipulation.

But Desmond continues shambling ahead in a trance. He reaches to his belt languidly and draws out the Hidden Blade. Lucy‘s eyes go wide with sudden realization. She pleads desperately with Desmond, but the controlled Assassin is too far gone.

With his last ounce of inner resistance fading, Desmond raises his Blade reluctantly to Lucy‘s abdomen. We see a brief flash of two people who cared deeply for each other. Then the Hidden Blade plunges into Lucy as she gasps her final breaths. Desmond regains clarity just in time to catch Lucy‘s falling body. He can only look on powerlessly, cradling his dying ally in disbelief and sorrow.

This dramatic scene illustrates Juno‘s callous ruthlessness in pursuing her obsessive goals. She coldly ended Lucy‘s life against Desmond‘s will, while destroying a meaningful bond in the process. This tragedy also pivoted the entire Assassin‘s Creed arc toward Desmond‘s later sacrifice.

Lasting Impact on Desmond and the Assassin-Templar War

In the aftermath, Desmond falls into a coma from the combined trauma and Juno‘s possession. He awakens later as a broken man, now knowing he was forced to take Lucy‘s life. This takes severe psychological toll along with spurring Desmond towards his ultimate fate.

Meanwhile, contemporary Assassins investigate Lucy‘s data and uncover her secret plan to betray the Brotherhood. This knowledge, combined with Desmond eliminating the turncoat, helped safeguard the Assassins moving forward.

So in essence, Juno secured a strategic victory by using Desmond as her instrument. She removed a high-level insider threat while accelerating the path towards her endgame. However, Desmond himself paid the steepest personal price by being stripped of security and free will.

Key Takeaways on This Turning Point

• Lucy secretly negotiated with Templars to acquire the Apple for them
• This betrayal conflicted with Juno‘s goals to control humanity
• Juno took over Desmond and forced him to fatally wound Lucy
• The tragedy impacted Desmond and Assassin/Templar power dynamics

In closing, while despicable, Juno‘s preemptive strike to remove Lucy setwheels spinning for fate‘s endgame. It robbed Desmond of a cherished relationship, while dealing emotional trauma that ultimately sends him towards self sacrifice. For Lucy herself, it represented the somber ending to her arc as a conflicted double agent. Her demise left behind remorse and unintended consequences for the Brotherhood she betrayed.

So in Juno‘s cold calculations, murdering Lucy Stillman was merely a strategic gambit. But for Desmond, it became a life-altering calamity intertwined with destiny‘s call. Their poignant last moment symbolized innocence lost at the hands of unseen forces beyond control.