(L,F&E 71) Darkened Relations

[kalenath]

It was quiet in the meeting chamber. The master refused to call it a throne room, even if that was really what it was. He had been known to punish apprentices for calling it that however, so they called it what he wanted. Of course, when it had a throne in it, it was technically a throne room, but no one dared to say that as the Master of the facility swept in. All of the beings in the hall knelt as he passed, lowering their heads in a sign of submission. He sat without a word and his hands activated a control panel beside his chair. A screen shimmered to life, but the angle was bad. No one could read it from where they were. His voice was quiet. “Report.”

 

The highest rank of the minions raised her head slowly, and spoke. “No incidents during your absence Milord. Training continues, three candidates in the infirmary.”

 

The man on the throne nodded. “None dead?” If so, that was first. Their training regime was as harsh as any in the galaxy.

 

The woman nodded. “One may not survive. He was placed in stasis until the chief healer returned.”

 

“What happened?” The man on the throne asked quietly.

 

The woman nodded. “He lowered his guard before our duel was done. He believed the battle over, but it was not.”

 

The Master looked at her. His voice when he spoke was noncommittal. “And you did not kill him?” Again, that would be a first. She spared no punches in training. She had killed students before for the exact same lapse.

 

The woman did not raise her eyes. “He parried my attack, and fought even when wounded sorely. If he survives, he will not make the same mistake again. I believe he has what it takes, if he survives.”

 

The man stiffened. “Mercy, Cina?”

 

The woman stiffened as well. “No Milord. Pragmatism. He will strengthen the kin. He fought, hard and well. One mistake is normally all that we get. But he is good, the best of the candidates.”

 

The man on the throne nodded. “Beware mercy, my students. It can leave you open to attack from any angle. Cina, look at me.” The woman raised her eyes and met his. “You did your best to kill him, until he was down?” The woman, Cina, nodded without speaking. “I trust your feelings on this matter are clear.”

 

Cina nodded. “They are clear, my master.”

 

The master nodded. “Good, return to your duties, all of you. We must maintain our edge, so we will continue sparring as previously scheduled. Cina… Stay.” He said as the group rose and dispersed. The girl knelt again and the man on the throne waited until the room was clear before speaking. “Rise. What is wrong?”

 

Cina stood, but would not meet the man’s eyes. “Master… I…I do not know.”

 

The man on the throne shook his head. “Don’t give me that, daughter. What is wrong?” His voice was gentle now. “I can feel your disquiet, although you hide it well.” Cina shook her head, but stiffened as the man on the throne rose and stepped forward. “Don’t give me that, Cina. What is wrong?”

 

Cina shook her head harder. “I don’t know. Am I…? Am I weak now that I know my elder sister lives, and is an enemy? Is the Jedi corrupting me? I feel…odd. I have never felt this way, not before you found me, and not since. I don’t know.”

 

The man sighed. “Cina Darkstorm, listen to me. We don’t know if your sister is an enemy now.” He reached out slowly and pulled the girl into an embrace. She stiffened but then relaxed. “You need to focus. I can help.” The woman nodded and the man laid a gentle hand on her temple. Her eyes rolled back up into her head for a moment, but then they snapped open as he removed his hand. “Better?”

 

Cina nodded, and her face held a grin. “Yes, Milord. I think I need to train some now.”

 

Bob, master of this sect of the Bladeborn, patted his daughter’s shoulder. “Good girl. Go, teach the initiates what it is to fight. And don’t hold back. They have to learn sometime. Not that you ever do. Hold back that is.”

 

The girl nodded, bowed and then strode quickly from the room. By her stance, she was going to pummel some students and Bob smiled thinly. She was a far cry from what she had been. She had fought so hard to keep from being taken. It had cost them five brethren to capture and hold her. Admittedly, he had brought all but one of them back, but still. She was worth it though. As trainers went, she was incredible. She was utterly devoted to the kin and to her master. Part of that was the mental programming he had done, but part of it was the way of the Sith. And she was still, at heart, a Sith. The strong took from the weak, and gathered whatever power they could by learning from those more powerful. Until they could take the power for themselves, and replace the master. That was the way of the Sith. Ever since she had woken in captivity, she had been dedicated to learning how Bob did what he did. Not that she could, but he wouldn’t tell her that. She had suffered enough to his way of thinking. He really didn’t like hurting people.

 

Recently, the girl had taken several serious emotional shocks however. Any lesser being might have just given up on learning that of her three remaining kin, her brother was dead and her elder sister was an enemy. IF Jina really was an enemy. He wasn’t sure. He shook his head, this wool gathering was pointless. He strode confidently from the throne room. It was time to check up on their newest guest.

 

A few minutes later, Bob watched through an observation window as Samuel finished up with his newest patient. He healer was taking numerous precautions. Reekia was a MasterBlade of what had been Trugoy’s Bladeborn. That meant she was the single most dangerous being, barring himself, on the base at the moment. Even if she hadn’t been a MasterBlade, the Wookiee was massive and strong, strong in both mind and body. She had been posted to the Dark Council, as a logistics being of all things. But mainly the Emperor had wanted someone on the Council whose loyalty he could utterly guarantee. Until the debacle, until Trugoy had died.

 

Bob bowed his head. Trugoy had been an enemy, but a worthy one. Always one step ahead, always with contingency plans, plots, and backups. He didn’t know what was going to happen now. Most of Trugoy’s Bladeborn had simply vanished. The Empire was hunting them, but didn’t seem to be having much luck. It had taken a great deal of effort and some not very small risks to get Reekia out of the Imperial prison on Drumond Kaas. He hoped it was worth it.

 

He felt a presence approach and spoke quietly. “You are unsettling my kin.” He didn’t need to turn to know that Jedi Master Ashla Ti stood behind him.

 

The Togruta Jedi Seer spoke evenly. “Where is Diseree’s real body?”

 

Bob smiled mirthlessly. He had known that the two Jedi ‘guests’, Ashla Ti the Togruta Master and Diseree the Kel-Dor Padawan, would figure out eventually that he had transferred the mind of the Padawan into another body. He had told them that her body had been altered by microscopic machines that had been injected into her. And it wasn’t totally a lie. Her body HAD been changing. As far as he knew it still was, slowly. He spoke without turning. “It is safe.”

 

Ashla Ti sighed. “You hold us here. Jen needs my help, but then you’re an off with her. And…” The Jedi broke off as she looked through the window. “Oh… Dear…” Bob turned to face her and the Togruta was frowning. “No. I will not allow you to put Diseree in danger. Greater danger.” She qualified. Being here was dangerous enough.

 

Bob shook his head. Trust a Jedi to figure it out. “She is the only person on base who Reekia will not kill on waking. She and Jen will handle the Wookiee.”

 

The Togruta was shaking her head. “I cannot allow that. She has been hurt and shocked enough. She nearly went mad when she woke up in a human body. You know this.”

 

Bob nodded. “I do. Think, Seer. What do Trugoy’s Bladeborn revere more than any other? Who do they recruit? How do they recruit them?”

 

The Togruta froze. Trugoy’s Bladeborn recruited broken, hurting children. The nurse Jen was both, even at twenty one, she was both broken and still a child at heart. And Diseree was as well now. The Padawan had been nine, and now she was in a teenaged human body. “You… You planned this. From the beginning. This whole thing was to…” She broke off as Bob shook his head.

 

“No I didn’t, not that I expect you to believe me.” The man in black’s voice was soft. “Did you know Trugoy was dead?” The Togruta looked at him and he had his answer. “Tell Jainine…” Bob broke off and snorted at the Togruta’s expression. “You think I didn’t know about that? Ah, for a seer, you can be so blind sometimes, Jedi.” The Togruta was blank faced, but he could sense her shock. She had thought her conversations with the spirit of Jainine Korr, former seer of the Bladeborn, had been private. Bob sighed. “We are not enemies, Jedi. Tell her that. Tell her, we will treat Reekia as best we can. I just hope the Wookiee doesn’t rip too much of medical up before she wakes up completely.” With that, he was gone, leaving the Togruta to stare after him.

 

After a moment, the Jedi Seer shook her head and turned back to watch the work in the medical bay. After a few minutes, she spoke softly. “I may be blind, but I know where this is heading. And nothing but pain will result.”

[kalenath]

Jen Ojul was conflicted. On one hand she was scared out of her mind. Being locked in a room with a Wookiee that might or might not be sane was not a thing to generate good feelings. On the other hand, she was angry with her companion. When the master had told her about this, she had wanted to complain, to scream, to yell, to do something. But when the master gave a command, even veiled s a ‘request’, it was meant to be obeyed. The punishments for disobeying orders were harsh. Jen had never actually disobeyed one, but she had helped her boss put trainees back together who had on occasion. She was a nurse and a very good one. She had a patient to tend. What did she know about the Force?

 

"Jen..." Her companion spoke from where she sat. “You should relax.”

 

"You..." Jen looked at the sleeping Wookiee in the hospital bed and then snarled quietly at the young looking human. “You relax!” It wasn’t the words that infuriated Jen. It wasn’t really the situation. It was the fact that the other girl had her face!

 

Diseree Mak sighed. She had known this was going to be a problem ever since her master had told her. When she had woken in a human body, she hadn’t expected it to be real. She certainly hadn’t expected to wake up in a body cloned from a Force sensitive nurse.

 

“We need to work this out.” Diseree said evenly.

 

"Well..." Jen snarled again. “I have nothing to say to you, Jedi.”

 

Diseree shook her head and was obviously trying not to get annoyed. “Look, it wasn’t my choice. From what I understand, I was dying, so I guess I should be grateful for that. But…” She made a face and shook her head. “I am a hostage for my Master’s good behavior. While my real body is locked up somewhere, she has to protect me. I just wish that when your master did this to me, he had cut me off from being a Seer. It sucks…” Jen sniffed derisively and Diseree shook her head violently, auburn strands flying. “Look, I didn’t choose this. I didn’t want this. I want to be learning, I want to be studying. I do not want to be stuck here in a body that looks like yours.”

 

Grudgingly, Jen had to admit that point was valid. She had studied the records the Master had given Samuel, her boss. Diseree Mak had been born a Kel-Dor. Her species hailed from a planet where the atmosphere was very different from most. To survive in what most beings considered normal atmospheres, Kel Dor required breath masks, and to see in the same atmospheres they needed goggles that filtered the light to wavelengths they could comprehend. Diseree though, had been born off of Dorin. Her parents had been in the Republic Military, her grandfather a respected general in the Republic Special Forces. She had been born at a Republic Military base on Alderaan and had actually never been to Dorin.

 

Through a series of adventures, she had wound up here. Between being kidnapped by a splinter group of Republic Intelligence, finding out her grandfather was actually a mass murderer and terrorist, studying to be a Jedi and a seer, and then being infected with microscopic droids, it was a wonder that the girl was sane. Jen felt her empathy kick in and tried hard to squelch it. She detested the girl, she had from the moment she had been told by her boss what had happened. She had to keep her distance.

 

Jen shook her head, it was downright eerie how closely the two acted at times. “I don’t care!” She declared softly s as not to disturb her patient. “You are not me!”

 

Diseree sighed. “I know that. But I have no wish to cut myself up, or wear a mask.” She brushed the Jedi robes she wore. “I wish I could use the Force to disguise my face but…” She broke off. “Jen…?”

 

Jen couldn’t answer. She was trembling, trying hard to deny what was happening to her. Not that it ever worked. Then suddenly the Force flew through her. It was flashes, images, bolts of clarity mixed with shadow, darkness and light all jumbled together. She was aware on some level that she was screaming. That she was being held as she sobbed, but most of her attention was on the visions that flew through her mind. She couldn’t look away. She saw herself, wearing black, striking down people with a red bladed lightsaber. She saw herself in brown, using a blue lightsaber to fight endless waves of…something. She saw herself strapped to a table as a giggling man reached for her again. She saw… The visions went on and on. Eventually they ended and she was cast back into her body. She was trembling, shivering with more than cold, more than fear. She felt wetness on her cheeks as the arms that held her gave her a gentle squeeze.

 

“Jen?” Diseree’s voice was quiet. But the voice was not from behind her and Diseree sounded worried.

 

"Fracking Force visions..." Jen shook her head slowly. “I wanna die… I don’t want this… All I wanted to do was help people… I just wanted to help…Why didn’t he kill me with the others? Why…?” She was sobbing now.

 

A gentle hand stroked her head. “It is all right, Jen.” Diseree’s voice was quiet and calm as always. How Jen hated that Padawan for her control. She was always so calm.

 

Jen lashed out without thought, her hand flying Force quickly. “You shut up! You know…”

 

Her hand was suddenly caught in a vise like grip and Jen froze. The hand was furred. She turned her head slowly, and fear was oozing from every pore as she saw what held her. The Wookiee she and Diseree had been sent to tend was sitting on the floor behind her and she was sitting in the Wookiee’s lap. The arms that had held her had been the Wookiee’s. She could see many spots on the fur where tears had streaked the tawny color dark. The Wookiee shook her head, made a huffing noise and slowly put Jen’s hand back in her lap. Jen didn’t dare move. This being defined dangerous.

 

The Wookiee looked at her, smiled a bit sadly and then slowly and carefully, lifted Jen off her lap and placed her on the floor. Then the Wookiee rose to her impressive full height and walked to a corner where she sat in a meditative posture and closed her eyes.

 

Jen stared at the Wookiee and then at the Jedi Padawan. “I…”

 

"Jen..." Diseree made a face. “I don’t suppose you understand Shirwook, do you?”

 

"Uh." Jen blinked. But then she grimaced. “No… You don’t?”

 

"Not enough." Diseree slumped. “I know enough to understand the answer when I ask where the spaceport and bathrooms are. That’s about it.”

 

Jen shook her head. “Joy…” She looked at the Wookiee. "You understand us though." The Wookiee nodded. "I am to tend your injuries. They are healing, but you will need more care." The Wookiee looked at her and Jen slowly rose to her feet. "My orders are clear, Masterblade." She said slowly.

 

The Wookiee looked at her, made a hruff-ing noise, rose and moved back to the bed she had been laying on. She lay down slowly, her eyes never leaving Jen.

 

"I will be quick." Jen said quietly as she moved to the side of the bed. She pulled out a portable scanner and ran it over the female Wookiee who did not move. Jen smiled a bit sadly. "I wish all of my patients were so well behaved." What had to be a smile crossed the Wookiee's features and then was gone. For her part, Jen focused on her work.

[kalenath]

Jen had finished her treatment and was packing up her kit when the door behind her hissed open. Before she could turn, she felt strong hands grab her and shove her down. She heard a rumbling roar followed by Diseree screaming.

 

The Jedi Padawan sounded terrified, a new sound for her in Jen’s experience. “No!”

 

Jen looked up to see the Wookiee standing over her in a ready stance, and a large black chitined form standing motionless by the door. The insect’s stance spoke of readiness. She inhaled sharply as she recognized Grun’das, leader of the swarm of insects that served her master.

 

"What the...?" Jen blanched. “Grun’das… what are you doing here?”

 

Instead of speaking to her, the bug…howled…at the Wookiee. Jen watched in amazement as the Wookiee stiffened. Jen shook her head, but didn’t move from the floor as the bug spoke some more. It was recognizable as Shirwook from what little Jen knew. The Wookiee looked from the black and evil looking bug to the girl on the floor and then spoke slowly. Again, Jen had no idea what was being said, but the bug didn’t move. Back and forth the two spoke, the bug totally impassive as always and the tawny furred Wookiee speaking emphatically at times, and at other times quietly. Finally the Wookiee snarled something that sounded decidedly rude and moved to the corner. She sat down slowly, but didn’t take her eyes off the bug. The bug also did not take his eye off the Wookiee, which was wise.

 

"Jen, Diseree..." The bug spoke to Jen. “I apologize for startling you all. You needed a translator.”

 

"Grun'Das." Jen shook her head as she stood up slowly. She hurt in a couple of places from her abrupt contact with the floor, but nothing seemed to be broken. “Why not a droid? You are upsetting my patient.” Her voice was flat and the Wookiee looked at her with an unreadable expression before returning its fulminating gaze to the bug.

 

"Ah..." For the first time since she had met the huge bug, Grun’das sounded sheepish. “None of the droids we have are programmed with Shirwook. We have never needed it. It is being addressed, but you needed a translator now.”

 

Diseree spoke softly from where she sat in a meditative stance near one wall of the room. “Why you? You had to know how she was going to react.”

 

"I was available." Grun’das made a remarkably human sounding sigh. “Samuel wanted to come, but the master forbade him. Said he was ‘too valuable’. I am expendable.” The words were tinged with sadness, but clear.

 

"What?" Jen stared at the bug and then was on her feet. Before anyone could react she was hugging the huge insect. “No, you are not!” All eyes were on her as she squeezed the carapace. “You didn’t have to be nice to me. I was broken, weak and in pain. You didn’t have to help me. If you had devoured me, no one besides Samuel would have minded. You could have remained professional. You should have remained professional. You didn’t. You were nice to me. I know you held me through a couple of my nightmares. I felt compassion and understanding from you a couple of times.” She hugged the bug again. “You are not expendable.” She turned to look at the Wookiee. “You have no reason to trust any of us. We say we are trying to help, but that could be a lie. I could say anything, but be programmed to do so. I…” She broke off, unsure of what to say.

 

The silence that descended was uncomfortable. But finally the Wookiee sighed loudly and spoke. Her eyes were still on the bug, but her voice was pitched at Jen.

 

Grun’das translated. “Masterblade Reekia stays that either you are the best liar she has ever seen, which is saying something since she dealt with the Dark Council, or you do not lie well at all.” The Wookiee made a noise somewhere between a groan and a small laugh. Grun’das translated when she spoke again. “She says you are too boneheaded to be anything but a healer. She also says you have no feeling of compulsion about you. Unlike me.” The bug nodded to Reekia as Jen stepped back and stared at her unlikely friend.

 

The nurse’s voice was small. “What?”

 

Grun’das swiveled an antenna her way, but all of his eyes were still on the Wookiee. “Jen, think. How does the Master keep us in line? Our very being was to reproduce, to fight, to kill and eat. Not necessarily in that order. There was nothing in our makeup then about compassion, about talking to people. Samuel is still trying to undo what that Jedi did so long ago. So why did I not kill the master when he first found me and my swarm? The simple answer is, I couldn’t. We couldn’t. He took control of us, body, mind and spirit. He owns us, body and soul. We cannot disobey his orders. At times we can…interpret those orders differently to suit situations, but we cannot disobey.”

 

Jen was shaking her head. “No…” Her voice was horrified. She felt someone come up beside her and for the very first time, did not flinch as Diseree touched her.

 

The Jedi’s touch was gentle. “Jen… It’s okay. It will be okay.”

 

"Even a seer can't know that." Jen was shaking her head. “You don’t know that.”

 

"No." Diseree shook her head. “No I don’t, but I can hope. I don’t know what is going on here. Every time I think I have your master figured out, he does something out of character.”

 

Grun’das made a noise that sounded remarkably like a human snort. “Oh yes. He does it intentionally I believe.” Now he spoke to Reekia again. “Masterblade, I was told to tell you this. ‘Once you injuries have been healed, you are free to go’. We will provide you a small ship and any supplies you may need.” The Wookiee in the corner stiffened in what was obviously shock before resuming her impassive expression. Diseree and Jen both stared at Grun’das, who shrugged with all four of his shoulders. The bug’s voice was quiet. “Holding her would be next to impossible. How many of our kin must die for something that we wouldn’t be able to do anyway?”

 

Reekia looked at him and spoke softly. But the bug recoiled in surprise. “Uh… I don’t think so…” Now the Wookiee roared. Quietly for a Wookiee, but emphatically and Grun’Das shook his head slowly. “I…don’t…” Reekia snarled at him and Grun’das sighed. “I will tell the master that, but…I don’t expect him to agree.” The Masterblade made a dismissive sound, crossed her arms and closed her eyes. The bug sighed. “Oh…dear…”

 

Jen looked at her friend. “What?”

 

Grun’das shook his head. “She won’t leave you and the young Jedi seer in danger. She says you are going with her, or she is going nowhere.”

 

"Huh?" Jen blinked, dumbfounded. “Uh… Why?”

 

Diseree answered that. “Uh oh… I’m a child, and so are you, Jen. Right, Grun’das?” Trugoy’s Bladeborn felt VERY strongly about children in danger. Protecting children when possible was in fact part of their code.

 

"What?" Jen shook her head. “I am an adult.”

 

Grun’das sighed again and sat, folding his legs up underneath his body. “Not according to her.” He waved a slow claw at the Wookiee who sniffed loudly and went back to her meditation.

 

Jen shook her head. “Oh joy… Just when I think I have seen it all. I get a mother Wookiee…”

[kalenath]

Grun’das was gone. The kin had finally managed to get a droid programmed with the Wookiee language so the bug had left. Diseree was sitting near the wall, her eyes closed as she meditated. But Jen was left to her own devices. The Wookiee didn’t really need her healing ability. Wookiees healed very quickly naturally, and the repairs that Samuel and Jen had done before had been more than enough. She sighed as she sat quietly, watching her patient. The Wookiee was doing cautious exercises, slow and careful to avoid tearing the wounds that the Imperial torturers had given her open. Jen watched for a few moments before smiling and then slowly emulating the Wookiee. Reekia stopped in the middle of a slow stretch, smiled at Jen and continued.

 

The two of them did various exercises and Jen felt herself relaxing for the first time in…well…a long time. Finally, the Wookiee stopped, grunted and sat down carefully. Jen looked at her and the Wookiee made a small grin. Jen shook her head and grabbed her scanner. She was sighing as she ran the scanner over the Wookiee who didn’t move.

 

The nurse shook her head again. “I know you won’t stop. That you can’t stop. You have to keep pushing yourself.” The huge Bladeborn looked at her and Jen sighed before pushing her sleeve back. Reekia froze on seeing the brand on the nurse’s arm. “I… I know… They… He…” The nurse broke off as she saw the look on the Wookiee’s face. Consternation? Fear? But not for herself? Pity?

 

The Wookiee spoke softly and the modified astromech droid that sat nearby translated. “The Masterblade asks you to explain. She says you are not an initiate. You have no training. Yet you bear a brand? How did this happen?”

 

Jen sat in a meditative position she had been taught and nodded. She swallowed audibly and spoke slowly. This hurt her, to remember. “I was a nurse. I had been to my way to my first vacation in two years when my ship was attacked. I found out later that the people who attacked my ship had done so without orders, actually against orders. But then again, Ravishaw never…” She broke off as a look of pure rage crossed the Wookiee’s face. She remained still until the Wookiee calmed slightly. She remained totally still as Reekia reached out, but the Wookiee laid a gentle hand on the nurse’s shoulder and gave a squeeze.

 

The Wookiee spoke again and the droid translated again. “The MasterBlade feels very strongly about the one you called Ravishaw, but she will not call him by that name. That being no longer exists.”

 

Jen blinked. “He is dead?”

 

The Wookiee spoke softly, and the droid seemed unsure now. “That does not compute.” Reekia snarled softly and the droid made a metallic sounding sigh. “Very well. She says ‘No, he is not dead. But yes he is.’”

 

Jen stared at the Bladeborn and then at the brand on her arm. “I understand.” She smiled a bit at the thought of the man who had hurt her being punished, but then she tensed. She heard laughter in the recesses of her mind. She was cold…so cold… Suddenly, she was warm. It felt good, it felt comforting, it felt soothing and caring and… She looked up into the worried eyes of the Wookiee and smiled just a little. She was sitting on the floor. Reekia was embracing her, holding the human woman’s fear and pain at bay through sheer force of will. “Thank you… I…”

 

The Masterblade spoke again and the droid translated. “You were hurt by him?”

 

Jen nodded slowly. “He killed all the others on the ship. I thought he was going to kill me. But what he did…was worse…” Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move, or speak. All she could see was the man’s face as he leaned over her again with a hand outstretched. Was it her imagination that’s he saw energy crackling on his fingertips? But then something odd happened. She heard singing. Not harsh, not loud, just melodious and soft. It wasn’t in a language that she knew, but at the same time, somehow she did. She found herself singing along, even though she was sure she didn’t know the words. And just like that, the dark presence in her mind vanished as if it had never been.

 

Jen opened her eyes to find both Reekia and Diseree staring at her. She looked around and found herself standing near the door, her posture one of flight. But her face was smiling. “I…” She shook her head, trying with all her might to recall the words, the music that had suffused her just the moment before. She felt bereft. “What happened?”

 

Diseree shook her head. “You got up and ran from the Masterblade. But then you reached that spot and froze as if hit by carbonite. Are you all right?”

 

Jen shook her head. “How can you possibly ask that, Jedi? I am not in control of my own mind. I can’t keep him out of my mind. I keep seeing and hearing him. I…” Jen was shaking in reaction now.

 

The Wookiee rose from her spot on the floor, but didn’t approach. When she spoke it was soft. The droid translated. “What did you sense?”

 

Jen shook her head. “This makes no sense. I heard him laughing. I saw his face. But then… I heard singing. But it wasn’t a voice I knew. She had such a lovely voice though. It was so…” She closed her eyes, trying to recall the words, but they wouldn’t come. “It was so beautiful. Sad, and proud at the same time.”

 

Reekia nodded slowly and looked at Diseree who flushed. The Jedi Padawan shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I may be a seer, but I have no idea at all.”

 

Reekia nodded slowly and then sat. She patted the floor beside her on either side and after a moment, Jen mustered her courage to walk over to the Wookiee and sit beside her. Diseree, after a moment, nodded and sat on the other side. The Masterblade smiled encouragingly and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and then held it, slowly letting it out. Jen blinked and then followed suit, beginning the basic meditation. She felt a furred hand take hers and she felt comforted. She also felt safe for the first time in a long, long time. She relaxed into the meditation. Once she nearly lost it, starting and almost speaking, but a furred finger tapped her lips and she relaxed slowly back into the bliss that beckoned to her.

 

***

 

Samuel watched through the observation port and he was smiling. “She is a natural teacher. Too bad we can’t keep her.”

 

Bob shook his head from his spot beside the healer. “She won’t leave Jen. Especially not now. Do you think we could make it work? Keeping Reekia here?”

 

Samuel thought about that for a moment. “Possible. You will not be able to control her the way you usually do. But any deception will result in lots of bloodshed. Thing is… If you were to tell her the truth… She might choose to aid us.”

 

Bob snorted. “Or kill us all.”

 

Samuel shivered slightly. “Yeah, or that.”

[kalenath]

Jen wasn’t sure what to make of this. The Wookiee flatly refused to leave her side. So here she was walking beside the Masterblade along with Diseree, being led by her boss Samuel into the deepest part of the underground base that served her Master was a home. But whatever she might have expected, she did not expect to see Grun’das waiting for them ahead, near a closed door. Her intake of breath had Diseree looking at her, but Reekia and Samuel didn’t slow and the two girls had to keep up. Grun’Das fell into place beside them and spoke to Samuel.

 

“It’s confirmed.” The bug’s voice was odd and Jen looked at him.

 

The nurse’s voice was quiet. “What is?” She asked.

 

Grun’das looked at her and then sighed deeply. He sounded so human on occasion. “Cota is molting.”

 

Jen stiffened, but didn’t stop moving. “I thought Cota was sterile?” Sterile members of Grun’das’ species, the Sitolon, did not molt, did not change.

 

Grun’das shook his head. “She is.”

 

Samuel bit his lip for a moment before speaking. “Grun’das. I hate to say this. But I think she was.” He put great emphasis on the final word and Grun’das sighed again.

 

The bug sounded…sad. “I know. We know. I…”

 

"Oh." Jen was overcome with joy. “Grun’das, that is wonderful news.” She looked from her unlikely friend to her boss. Neither looked at her and she stiffened. “Isn’t it?” She asked quietly. Samuel would not meet her eyes, he just kept walking. Grun’Das likewise. Jen persisted. “What is wrong? If your people are not going to die…out…” Her voice trailed off as her mind worked its way around what had been said and then she blanched. “Oh no…” Reekia and Diseree looked at her but her eyes were on the large black bug.

 

Grun’das nodded and his voice was sad. “Our children will be slaves Diseree. The master is not evil for the sake of being evil, but we are tools, no more, no less. As will any eggs that Cota lays become.”

 

All of them stopped in their tracks as a voice came from nearby. “You are wrong, Grun’das.” Jen and Samuel stiffened as Bob stepped from the shadows. Reekia had somehow placed herself between Jen and the dark figure and she growled. Bob nodded to her and opened a door nearby. “Come on in, we have been talking.”

 

Jen exhaled a breath she hadn’t known she had been holding and followed the group into the room. It was a standard briefing room. A large table dominated the room, and around it, chairs were placed. In one of them the impassive form of the Jedi Seer Ashla Ti nodded to each as they entered. Diseree sat beside her master and Samuel sat beside her. Jen looked at Reekia , who shrugged. The nurse found a seat of her own and the Wookiee sat beside her. Jen shook her head, the overprotective furred female was getting on her nerves, but there was no way to convince the Wookiee not to do it. She smiled a bit forlornly at the Wookiee and focused on her master, who strode around the table before taking a seat.

 

Bob sighed before speaking. “We are all here.”

 

Jen stiffened as a holo screen on the wall that she hadn’t seen blinked to life. For a moment, it was dark, and then it showed a scene of horror. A large cavern filled with writhing forms, and what had to be eggs in the foreground. Over them all was the largest Sitolon Jen had ever seen. The nurse inhaled sharply. This had to be…

 

"Greetings." The huge bug spoke. It was soft and gentle, but commanding. “I am Majistrona, eldest queen of the Sitilon. I am pleased to meet you all.” Grun’das genuflected and the humongous bug sighed. “Stop that!” She commanded.

 

Grun’das recoiled, just a little and then spoke softly. “Yes, my queen.”

 

"I am not your queen." Majistrona spoke softly. “Grun’das, this will not be easy for you. I wish Cota could be here; I wish I could hold her and explain while soothing her body, what is going to happen and why. But I can’t.”

 

Bob shook his head. “I can send her…” He broke off as the ancient being turned her gaze to him.

 

Majistrona’s voice was tart now. “Yeah, like we are going to trust you. We know what you are. What you serve.”

 

"No." Bob shook his head. “You are wrong. I did serve it. I do not anymore.” Everyone in the room stared at him. Bob shrugged. “I don’t the galaxy consumed any more than the rest of you. Maybe I have been contaminated, but if so, I don’t care. If I were still…serving… I would not have rescued Reekia from Drumond Kaas. If I were still serving, I would have destroyed Will when we trapped him on Shili. You know I could have.”

 

The Wookiee snorted, but her disdain was clear. Bob nodded to her. “Yes, it could be a deception plan. I could be lying right now. I could be laying the seeds of trust only to betray it later. That is what Sith do, right?” The Wookiee looked at him and Bob shrugged. “I was never a Sith. I play it well, but I was never a Sith. I never served the Dark Side of the Force. I can’t feel the Force.”

 

Jen felt her mouth fall open. “But…” She cut herself off. Who was she to speak here and now?

 

"It's easy." Bob smiled a bit sadly. “I am not human, Jen.”

 

Jen stiffened. “I don’t understand.” She knew her voice was plaintive and she fought to control it. A large hand found her shoulder and squeezed. She took comfort from that gentle touch.

 

Bob sighed. “I know. And there is a lot I can’t speak of. I don’t know it all myself. But you, masterblade, need to know… You all…” He waved a slow hand around the table. “…need to know…”

 

Diseree spoke from where she sat, her face white. “You… Wait…”

 

"Diseree..." Bob shook his head. “You have no reason at all to trust me. But I will not hurt you again. I will allow no harm to come to you now. You are under my protection here.”

 

Diseree was shaking. “I… I have been through it once, please… don’t…”

 

"Please..." Bob shook his head. “Diseree… Look at me…” His voice was gentle. The Jedi seer in the human body looked at him and he bowed his head before meeting her eyes “I regret what happened to you. It was the only way to save your life. Your Kel Dor body is still changing, slowly. The change would have killed you. I don’t think whoever did that to you intended it that way. I think they just intended to make you sick. Easier to snatch that way. Ravishaw intended to take you to his true master. I thought he was my servant, I thought I could turn him, use him. I was wrong.” More than one set of eyes went wide as Bob admitted that. “I just wish Trugoy had managed to kill him. I will not hurt you Diseree, you have my word.”

 

Diseree was staring at him, her eyes wide. “Wait… if you can’t feel the Force… how…?”

 

Ashla Ti nodded to her Padawan and then to Bob. “Show them.”

 

All eyes turned to the figure at the head of the table and all of them went wide as the form that was bob…discorporated. No other word came close. One moment he was sitting there, a physical presence, the next, a cloud of small, silvery particles hung in the air where he had been sitting. Diseree screamed and recoiled falling out of her chair. Ashla Ti caught her and held her close, crooning. The Jedi Master held her in gentle arms as the Padawan flailed. Jen sat, unable to move as a tendril of those silver particles extended towards her. She tried to move, tried to scream, tried to fight, but her body wouldn’t move. Then it touched her on the brow. She felt… Sadness, fear, loneliness, anger, worry, love, hate, all of these and more. She felt things she had no words for. She saw other tendrils touching all of the others. She felt compassion from the other mind that touched her and she felt comforted. She wasn’t afraid now. She knew she should be, but she wasn’t afraid. When the feeling vanished she felt bereft. She looked at Samuel and Reekia, both of whom had identical expressions. Disbelief. Diseree quieted after a few moments, her breathing relaxing as she did.

 

The cloud reformed at the end of the table, and then suddenly, the black robed form of Bob appeared again. “I won’t hurt you Diseree." He said sadly. "I regret what happened to you. No one else will harm you if I have anything at all to say about it.”

 

Jen forced her tongue to move and it obeyed, slowly. “How…?”

 

Bob sighed. “I don’t know. I just sort of… woke up one day…”

 

Samuel spoke now, slowly. “Are you one being, or many?” He asked carefully.

 

"Me?" Bob shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t feel the bits that are me any more than a non-force user can feel his or her intestines, or arteries.”

 

Reekia spoke and Jen started, she understood the Wookiee! Reekia was speaking Shirwook, and Jen understood it. From the look on Diseree’s face, so did she. <You say you do not use the Force. Yet you do.>

 

Bob snorted. “I fake it well.”

 

"What the...?" Jen touched her head, nothing felt out of place. “What have you done to me? I… I understood her…I never learned Shirwook.” Reekia stared at her and then glowered at Bob.

 

The Masterblade’s voice was cold. <What have you done?>

 

"AS always, I do what is needed." Bob sighed. “She needed to understand you, and she didn’t have time to learn. For the insult, Jen, I apologize, but you needed to understand the Masterblade.”

 

"I don't understand." Jen was shaking her head. “How can you do that? Implant a language?”

 

"Ah..." Bob shook his head and his face was sick. “You don’t want to know, Jen.”

 

Jen shook herself and turned to the Masterblade. “I… I don’t…” She froze as a large furred hand patted her on the shoulder.

 

Reekia snorted sourly. <It’s okay, Jen Ojul, we shall see how this plays out.> She turned back to Bob. <If you control her or place her in danger…> She trailed off. The threat didn’t need to be spoken.

 

Bob nodded. “Fair enough. Majistrona?” He turned back to the screen and the silent bug that had been watching.

 

Majistrona shook her head. “You could be controlling everyone there.”

 

Bob sighed. “I know. How can I prove I am not?”

 

The huge bug’s voice was cold. “You can’t.” And then the connection went black.

 

"Geez..." Bob stared at it for a moment before groaning. “You know, every so often, I wish I were a bad guy. They don’t have to put up with this kind of crap.” All of the others stared at him and he shrugged. “I said I wish it, not that I would do it. I find I like helping people.”

 

Jen shook her head slowly. “Can you… elaborate?” She asked very carefully.

 

"Yes." Bob smiled at her. “I can. Get comfortable, this is a long story. Even by Sitolon standards.” He smiled at Grun’das who nodded and folded his legs underneath himself. The other sat easily, waiting. Bob sighed. “it began a long time ago, on a planet that no longer exists…”

[kalenath]

<A long, long time in the past>

 

Tuo Braksin was scared. This was nothing new. It was sort of funny, in an ironic way. He had always thought that being a Jedi Knight meant that one never had fear. Looking back on that, he scoffed at the sheer silliness of such a thought. Anything alive felt fear. A fish felt fear when confronted by a larger fish. A nerf felt fear when confronted by a Nexu. Any sentient, even a Miraluka Jedi like Tuo, would feel fear when confronted by a Rancor. And even a Jedi could feel fear when bound and gagged while denied the Force. Without the Force, he couldn’t see!

 

It had been a simple mission, or so his master had said. Get in, find out information, and get out. Simple. Yeah right. The pirate band that he had been observing had not been rookies but he had managed to get into their base undetected. Then it had all gone to pieces. They had prisoners. And what the scum were doing to them… Mission be damned, he couldn’t just walk on by. He had managed to get the information that his master had requested sent off, but then he had turned and gone back to the detention area. He had known that it was a bad idea, that the mission as more important that a few hostages that the pirates were unlikely to kill, but he couldn’t just leave. He cursed his stupidity again. He had marched in, declared to the pirates who he was and called on them to surrender. They of course, had laughed at him. When he had drawn his lightsaber, they had retreated for a moment. And like a complete idiot, he had followed them. He remembered sensing the floor change and then nothing. They had probably electrified it.

 

He had woken here, unable to see, unable to move, and unable to feel the Force. So yes, he was scared out of his mind. He tried to focus, tried to keep his mind clear, but the fear kept slipping through the cracks. His master would be so disappointed with him. Then he felt it, something was touching him. Something hard, but gentle.

 

A quiet, concerned voice came to his ears. “By the maker, what happened to this one?” The voice sounded female.

 

Another voice answered, and this one was older, harder. “Leave it, Gin, that one is beyond hope.”

 

"No, he is not." The first voice, Gin, spoke again. “He is alive, Juolihn. Would you leave any for the… What?” A commotion sounded nearby and Tuo stretched out, trying to feel the Force, but it wouldn’t answer him. Gin’s voice was quiet now. “Oh… Can you hear me, young sir?”

 

"Oh for the love of..." The harsh voice of the second voice was even harsher now. “Gin, leave him, he is a Jedi. You know what they are like.”

 

"No, I won't." A gentle touch on his arm had Tuo stiffening. Gin’s voice was calm and gentle. “You can hear us, can’t you, Jedi? It’s okay. It will be okay.” A sharp pain had Tuo gasping, but then waves of lethargy swept though his body and he could have sworn he heard singing as unconsciousness took him.

 

***

 

When Jedi Knight Tuo woke again, he was amazed that he had. He hurt in a number of places. The Force answered him sluggishly, something was wrong, something was off, but he managed to scan himself and felt intense fear at what he could sense now. There were…things…attached to his body, things he had no names for. Things that felt alive when he looked at them through the Force. Not that he could look at them any other way. Miraluka did not have functional eyes after all. He felt blurry. He knew he was drugged and tried to focus as he had been taught, tried to cleanse his system of the impurities, but it didn’t work. A sudden presence made itself felt in the Force and Tuo recoiled as much as he could as he realized it was not human. He didn’t know the species, but it was large.

 

A soft and gentle voice spoke. “Jedi, it’s okay.” Tuo relaxed a bit. He remembered the voice from before. A feeling of compassion came from the being. “My name is Gin, what is yours?”

 

"Greetings." Tuo took a moment to compose himself and spoke evenly. “I am Tuo Braksin, Ma’am. What happened?”

 

"What happened?" Gin’s presence came a bit closer and he heard the air move as she, yes, definitely a she, sat nearby. “You very nearly died is what happened. What you did was very brave, and very dumb.” Her voice was sad.

 

"Yes." Tuo sighed. “I know. But I couldn’t just let those pirate scum hurt that woman again. I couldn’t.” Even now, just the memories of what he had seen made Tuo wince.

 

"Like I said, brave and dumb." Gin snorted. “Well, she is alive, and in better shape than you are at the moment. I am not going to ask why you were on that pirate ship, or where you were going after. What I will ask is that you not fight while we try and heal the damage your body took.”

 

"What?" Tuo would have blinked if he had possessed eyes. That made no sense. “Why would I?” He asked carefully.

 

"Well." Gin’s voice was soft still. “We are going to have to do some fairly elaborate repairs to your body. They messed you up spectacularly when they crucified you. I think you made them angry.”

 

"Ugh." Tuo would have nodded, but his head didn’t move. He tried to move his hand to see what was holding it, but his hand didn’t move! “What…?” He asked, trying to keep a note of fear from his voice and failing.

 

"Do not move to sharply." Gin’s voice was soft. “Tuo Braksin, your body was badly damaged. At the moment, you are floating in a tank filled with Kolto. Do not struggle, please.” The worry in the voice shook the Jedi.

 

"Then..." Tuo shook his head. “Then why am I awake?” He asked carefully. What he could sense around him was odd. It didn’t feel like Republic technology at all. In fact, most of it felt alive to his senses.

 

"Why are you awake?" Gin snorted sourly. “Because we know better than to try and keep a Jedi unconscious. And I wanted to talk to you.”

 

"Talk?" Tuo relaxed as best he could. “What about? You seem to have a captive audience at the moment.”

 

"The future." Gin’s voice was sad now. “Do you know a Jedi named Jolaban?”

 

"Jolaban?" Tuo stiffened. “Yes. I heard about what he did.” His voice was flat. It wasn’t every day a Jedi was accused of such crimes after all. Jolaban had taken a sentient species and turned them into weapons, using genetic engineering and brainwashing to make a peaceful race into monsters. The human had confessed, and was now striving to undo what he had done in his madness, but with little success.

 

"Good, then I do not have to explain that." Gin’s voice was soft. “Do you know what he did?”

 

"Not much." Tuo sighed. “Only the basics. You are of the Sitolon, are you not? I am surprised you didn’t kill me.”

 

"I wouldn't." Gin’s voice was quiet. “Many want to. Others want to drop you off somewhere. But your injuries are too severe. You would not survive. You are my responsibility until you are healed, so no funny business, okay?”

 

"Of course not." Tuo had to laugh a bit sourly at that. “I don’t know what I would be able to do, but fine.”

 

"Good." Gin’s voice was kind and Tuo felt a gentle touch on his forehead. “We have a job to do, and then I will take you back to our people. The healers there will see you mobile again. But I need your oath, Jedi. My people are in hiding due to what Jolaban did. We have to stop our dark cousins, we want to help them, but every time we get close, they attack.”

 

"I understand." Tuo exhaled. “If I can help, I will. The entire Jedi Order is stained by this… this abomination. You have my oath, I will not speak of what you say, or of what I sense.” He had never felt as strongly as he did right now. The Order needed to undo what one of its less than sane members had done.

 

Gin touched his forehead again. “Sleep Tuo, rest. I will be back shortly. We just have to stop this Firdlump guy from opening a door.”

 

"Um... I feel... darkness close by." Tuo was weaving now, on the edge of sleep. But the Force was screaming at him. “Be… careful…” Then he was asleep.

 

***

 

Something was wrong. Something was off. Tuo couldn’t feel anything now. He had heard a scream, had it been audible, or just in his mind? It had sounded like Gin. Then something had happened. He couldn’t feel anything. It was so strange, nothing hurt. But… He scanned around himself with the Force and what he saw made him shiver. The organic membranes that surrounded him were disappearing as if being eaten! He couldn’t see what was doing it.

 

Tuo’s voice was scared now as he saw the destruction coming closer. “No… Please…” Then it touched him and all he could do was scream.

 

***

 

He blinked. What had just happened? This was weird. Wait a moment, where was he? And who…? Nothing seemed to be wrong. The last thing he remembered… Wait a moment… what was going on? He stared at the form that lay at his feet, quivering. He touched it gently on the shoulder, the female human screamed and then was still.

 

He shook his head. “What the hell?” He was looking around, trying to figure out what had happened when something struck him. From within his mind.

 

Obey

 

The thought was not a word, it was more a feeling. A compulsion. He shook his head savagely, trying to get the order out of his head.

 

Obey, consume

 

"No." The man in black shook his head. “I don’t know who you are, but flarg you.” Through sheer force of will, he forced the voice in his mind to retreat. He knelt down beside the woman. She wore black and her face was slack. But she was not breathing! He touched her on the head, drawn by an impulse he couldn’t define. She coughed and looked up into his eyes.

 

"I..." She spoke softly. “What do I call you, Master?”

 

The man shook his head. Did he have a name? He chose one at random. “Call me Bob.”

[kalenath]

<The present>

 

The being who called himself Bob finished speaking and for along moment, there was silence. Finally, Diseree broke the quiet. “So you are this… Tuo person?” Her voice held disbelief.

 

"Ah..." Bob shook his head. “No, I have… images from his life. Snapshots of emotion, feelings and such. But I am not him. I cannot use the Force. And I am no Jedi.”

 

"So..." Ashla Ti was shaking her head. “Why?”

 

"Hmmm?" Bob looked at the Togruta Jedi seer. “Why what?”

 

"This makes no sense." Ashla Ti shook her head again. “Why tell us this? Why act like this? Why have you done what you have?”

 

"What have I done?" Bob shook his head. “I have tried to stop the disaster I see coming. I have tried to keep the horrors that I have seen from claiming any more of the galaxy. My methods have been extreme.” He admitted quietly. “The end does justify the means in this case; I have to keep reminding myself that.”

 

"Yeah." Samuel spoke for the first time since his master had started his tale. “I’ll say. I am just a puppet then?” The voice was cool, too cool, as if the healer were fighting for control.

 

"Ah Samuel..." Bob shook his head. “No… And yes, Samuel.” The dark haired human looked at the figure in black and Bob sighed. “Samuel, I found you on a ship that belonged to my enemies. You were a mess.” Bob looked away. “It took a great deal of time and effort to put you back together from what the idiots in Republic Intelligence had done to you. But I couldn’t know if they had programmed you to serve them. I had to keep you under control. For my safety and the safety of everyone else here.”

 

"Right." Samuel looked at the man he served and his face was harsh. “And my son has nothing at all to do with it?” All eyes turned to Bob who shook his head.

 

"No." The master’s words were quiet. “He potentially has a lot to do with it. His ability to control machinery is a potent tool in dealing with machines, even microscopic ones. But no, I did not bring you here, heal you, train you and teach you what I could simply because of Will Kalenath.”

 

Samuel Kalenath did not take his eyes from the dark robed form. “Then why?”

 

Instead of answering, Bob turned to the silent black scaled form that sat nearby. “Grun’das? Is Cota fertile?”

 

Grun’das nodded. “Yes. Why…? No… No you won’t use our hatchlings!” Suddenly the bug was on all four of his feet. No weapons were visible, but danger hovered close.

 

"No I won't." Bob didn’t move. “Grun’das. Please be calm.”

 

"What?" The bug stared at him. “You… You could compel me, control us… Why are you not?”

 

"Could I?" Bob smiled, just a little sadly. “Could I indeed now?”

 

Compound eyes did not widen, but the bug’s entire stance was shocked now. “What… the…?”

 

"Grun'Das." Bob’s voice was sad. “I have not compelled you since the first time I found you. I can’t.”

 

Grun’das’ voice was stunned now. “But…”

 

"Let me explain." Bob smiled wistfully. “Grun’das. I have part of Tuo Braksin in me. I also have part of Juolimnashertigin, the one the Jedi called Gin. I can hear you mental speech. You are kin to me, sort of anyway. It is enough for me that you and the others of your swarm are kin. If you wish to leave, to return to your people now that you can hear them again, I will not stop you.”

 

A pin dropping in the room would have been a thunderous noise in the silence that prevailed now. All of the room’s occupants looked at each other and then at Bob and Grun’das. Jen shook her head as she looked at her boss. Samuel shook his head as he looked from the table to Grun’das and then back to the table.

 

For his part, the large black bug could have been carved from stone. When he spoke, his voice was dubious. “You could still compel us.”

 

"Yes." Bob nodded. “I could. But I won’t. I never intended to found an order and certainly not of Bladeborn.” Reekia tensed, but then relaxed as Bob continued. “When Youna was healed, I found she needed stability, and with her aid I could do things that were not possible for me alone. I never intended to have slaves. I have treated you, Grun’das, you, Samuel, and you, Jen, as slaves on occasion. And it hurts me. But the end is what matters, not the means. The end I wish is to stop the galaxy from being consumed. If people call me evil for my actions, so be it. I will do what has to be done. I will take evil people and use them to control others to keep the nastiness from spreading as best I can.”

 

"Yes." Diseree shook her head. “You used Ravishaw. His methods were evil. Assassins with explosives inside them, poisons, mind control, he has done it all, not to mention what he did to Will’s wife.”

 

Bob nodded. “I did. I knew what he was when I snatched him from my enemies. The end always justifies the means.” Bob looked at the table now and his face was sad. “I have to keep telling myself that. And when dealing with Sith, I had to be more powerful than any of them. I had to be willing to do whatever it took, however it took. I am glad I do not sleep, that I do not dream. Because I know what they would be like.”

 

Jedi Master Ashla Ti shook her head slowly. “And you attacked Trugoy’s Bladeborn…why?”

 

"I was trying to keep Nia out of the hands of my enemies." Bob shook his head. “I needed a seer. I needed information I could not get any other way. Do I regret taking you and Jainine the way I did? Yes. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. The information she and you have given me has been invaluable.”

 

Ashla Ti froze. “What?” All eyes turned to Bob now. The Jedi Seer’s voice was quiet. “I never told you anything.”

 

"Jedi." Bob shook his head. “Yes, you did. You and her both. You don’t remember. I made sure you wouldn’t remember what you saw. It would have driven you mad. As it was, I could not do it to either of you very often, or for long. But now I know what has to be done, and why. Which is why we are here. I have finally figured out how to stop the spread of the machines. It will take a life freely given however. And a massive change to that life, one that will not be without pain or loss. But life is what is needed, new life.”

 

Ashla Ti shook her head slowly. “This is…” She broke off as Samuel exclaimed in shock.

 

“Oh my god…” The healer’s face was pure white. “You are not serious.”

 

Bob sighed “Trust a healer to figure it out. Yes Samuel, it is the only way.”

 

Samuel jumped to his feet. “If you think I am going to sit here and let you hurt my family again…” The tension in the room skyrocketed, but everything stopped as the sole person who hadn’t spoken yet howled.

 

MasterBlade Reekia of the Bladeborn kept up her howl for a full minute before closing her mouth with a click. She glared at Samuel, who sat, reluctantly. She glared at Grun’das who also sat. Finally, she looked at Bob who nodded to her.

 

Her voice was flat. <No. The Kalenath family has been hurt enough.>

 

"I don't see any other way. Not in any of the visions I have recorded or anything." Bob shook his head. “It is the only way to beat this. But we don’t just need the Kalenath Family. We need all of the Seven to be working together, in concert. Six are accounted for as of now.” Bob shook his head slowly. “Our enemies have been working to reduce the threat the Seven pose, and now, they have several of them identified. I have spent a great deal of time and effort trying to keep them from finding out.”

 

Grun’Das shook his head. “Only one is unaccounted for. Nia Korr, the daughter of Jainine and Will Kalenath.”

 

Bob sighed. “That is the problem. If we know where they are, likely our enemies do as well.”

All eyes around the table went wide and finally Jen of all people spoke.

 

“Oh… dear…”

[kalenath]

Jen, Samuel and Grun’das walked silently away from the briefing room, each lost in their own thoughts. So many surprises, and not all of them pleasant. The Jedi master, Padawan and masterblade had remained to speak with the master of this sect, but the other three had been excused. They had something important to take care of. The odd trio remained silent as they passed through the bowels of the underground complex, heading for a specific place. The passed many dark shadows, some of which nodded to them, others just watched, or continued doing whatever they were doing. Finally, they reached their destination.

 

It was very quiet in the dark room. It was empty except for a single large object in the middle of it. The room was a comfortable temperature, and had been stripped specifically for this. Anyone simply looking in would never have guessed that the large rock like object in the middle of the room contained a very irate Sitolon. Until it spoke.

 

“Now you three show up!” Cota’s voice was sour. “Of all the lousy timing!”

 

Grun’das looked at Samuel. He didn’t physically wince, but the feeling was there. “Cota, how is it?”

 

The rock that was a female Sitolon snarled at him. “How is it? How is it? No one told me I was going to itch! You… You…” The voice broke off, and now it was sad and scared. “What is happening? I wasn’t supposed to be changing. I was just supposed to molt, right? Drop dead skin and grow new? This is not molting.”

 

Samuel shook his head. “No it’s not, Cota. May I touch you?” Grun’das looked at him and Samuel shrugged. “This is not the first time I have dealt with a female who is going through this.”

 

Cota snarled again. “Going through what? Nothing you taught me covers this kind of feeling, Samuel! I studied healing for years. This is nothing like the molting you and the others go through, is it, Grun’das?”

 

Grun’das shook his head. “No, Cota. It isn’t. None of us are fertile females.”

 

For a long moment, there was silence in the dark room. When Cota spoke, the female Sitolon’s voice was small. “What…? I am not… I…”

 

Samuel sighed. “I need to touch you, Cota. May I?”

 

Cota’s voice was terrified now. “I… Samuel… I can’t be… I…”

 

Jen shook her head. “Men.” She growled under her breath and walked up to the rock and touched it with a gentle hand. It was soft to the touch, more like a new egg than a rock. Because it wasn’t a rock. It was a cocoon. “Cota, it’s okay.”

 

"Jen?" Cota’s voice was shaking now and the chrysalis was as well. “What is wrong with me? I feel so…weird.” The young Sitolon asked plaintively.

 

Jen put her arms around the cocoon and squeezed gently. “Nothing is wrong with you. Something has come right after a long, long time.”

 

Cota’s voice was stunned. “Jen, I… I…” There were tears in her voice now, and Jen was crying quietly as well.

 

Jen’s voice was proud now. “You are going to be a mother, Cota. A queen.”

 

"But..." Cota’s voice was stunned, shocked to her core. “That is… That is impossible. I am sterile. I can’t reproduce. I can’t…”

 

"Ah..." Samuel came up and there was a tender expression on his face as he touched the cocoon on aside away from Jen. He smiled slightly. “You were, Cota. You are not anymore.”

 

"No." Cota’s voice was small again. “That is impossible. I… I have never… No… I don’t want this…”

 

Grun’das’ voice was gentle as well now. “Cota, what we want rarely impacts what happens. None of us thought about this aspect of it, when Samuel offered to aid us, to try to undo what that Jedi did to our people so long ago.”

 

A rogue Jedi had tampered with his people more than fifteen thousand years in the past. The genetic manipulation had driven an entire sect of his people mad. Of course, that had been the Jedi’s intention, to make living breathing weapons who ate their enemies and grew stronger, what better weapon against a horde of Sith than a larger, more terrifying horde?

 

Cota’s voice was thoughtful now as she processed that. “I… Okay, our people did not need intercourse to procreate. Am I…? Am I pregnant?” Her voice was scared again.

 

"Let me see." Samuel laid his hands on different parts of the cocoon and concentrated. Then he smiled and nodded. ‘Yes, Cota. You are.”

 

"No." Cota’s voice was soft now. “I… I can’t… The master will own them.” Her voice hardened. “I… Kill me Grun’das, please kill me now. I can’t bear to have any more of us slaves, Grun’das I can’t bear larvae only to have them taken from me. I can't.” The outright fear in her voice shook the listeners.

 

Jen and Samuel both froze at that. They looked at Grun’das and waited. Grun’das didn’t move and his voice was soft. “Jen, Samuel… I need to ask you both to leave.”

 

Jen hugged the cocoon tighter.”NO! I won’t let you kill her! She is my friend!” A feeling of fear and compassion swept through her from the being inside the chrysalis.

 

"Jen, my friend." Cota’s voice was gentle now. “Jen, please… Go… I… I don’t want you to see this. I… Just remember me.”

 

"No." Grun’das didn’t move. “I am not going to kill you, Cota. But I cannot do what has to be done while you and Samuel remain here, Jen. Please… Go.”

 

Samuel took Jen in a gentle but irresistible grip. The nurse burst into tears as soon as she was drawn, unresisting, from the cocoon that contained her friend. As she was led by Grun’das, the insect reached out and touched her gently on the arm with a delicate claw.

 

"It will be all right, Jen." The large black bug’s voice was gentle. “I will tell you both when it is safe to come back. Until then, I think you have patients.” Jen broke from Samuel's light grip and rushed back to the cocoon. She hugged it tight once more before rising and striding back to where Samuel waited. They both left without another word.

 

"I am ready." Cota’s voice was small. “Do it, Grun’das. Don’t let me bear children to be slaves.”

 

"It is not needed." Grun’das sighed, a remarkably human sounding noise. When he touched the cocoon, it was not with a claw, but with an antenna. “You need to talk to someone. You cannot talk to her directly, yet. But I am betting it won’t be long until you can. Cota, meet Majistrona.”

 

Hello child. The voice was kind and gentle. It felt old and powerful. A gasp came from the cocoon, but then silence descended. But only in audible ranges.

 

No... Cota’s mind voice was scared now, terrified even. This is a trick. Some kind of ploy.

 

Easy Cota. Grun’das mental voice was just as gentle as Majistrona’s. No it’s not. I can’t help you. She can. Listen to her, Cota. My queen.

 

But… Cota’s voice was stunned now. But you lead the swarm…

 

No I don't. Grun’das had a smile in his mental voice now. Not anymore. Queens lead, not soldiers.

 

Indeed. Majistrona’s voice was quiet. Come, Cota, is it? Let us discuss what is happening and why. We have many plans to make.

 

I... Cota’s mind voice was tiny now. As you command, queen.

 

No Majistrona’s voice was quiet. I do not command you, young queen. I will not command you. As of old, swarms are autonomous. I can advise, I can suggest. But it is your decisions now that matter.

 

I... Cota’s vocie was stunned now. I don’t want this.

 

Oh? Majistrona’s voice was tart. You think ‘I’ did? Come on, buck up, young one. It is not all bad. Things have changed.

 

Yes. Cota sighed. What is going to happen now? Why do I itch?

 

Oh Cota... Majistrona sighed sadly. Oh, child, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Edited August 8, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

As luck, or the Force, would have it, Jen was the one sitting with Cota’s cocoon when it happened. Since none of the non-Sitolon on base really had a clue what was going to happen, Bob had decreed that a medic be on site or close by at all times, just in case. He didn’t want to take any chances, and truth be told, Jen didn’t mind. She genuinely liked Cota. The bug was downright scary at times, true, but she was also good company, funny, smart and wise for her youth. Jen was smiling to herself as she worked on a bit of homework she had given herself. Cota was younger than Jen. Actually, the bug was less than year old. But it didn’t matter. Sitolon grew fast and they matured fast. They also learned fast, due in no small part to their ability to share information mind to mind with each other.

 

Jen was a bit envious of that as she focused on the text she was studying. There were times when she truly wished she could simply absorb the information on things like calcification and… Her thoughts abruptly came to a halt as something changed. Cota had gone to sleep, after reassuring the nurse that things were proceeding ‘as expected’. Jen wasn’t sure what was expected, she figured it was some kind of secret bug thing. But Cota was a friend, a colleague, a confidante and a more than once had been a shoulder to cry on. Jen’s experiences here had been, in a word, horrific. Cota had helped, once the nurse had gotten over the initial horror of the bug’s appearance, the two found they shared a number of things in common. So she stayed where she was while the cocoon that held her friend shuddered.

 

Jen wanted to help, but she couldn’t. Grun’das had been clear. A Sitolon had to do this for him or herself. This was not tradition, but pure natural selection. If a being was too weak to get out of the cocoon, the being was too weak to survive. But Cota was anything but weak. A few moments after the cocoon started shuddering, a rip appeared in the outer skin and something showed. Jen stiffened as she saw a scaled claw. But it wasn’t black! She couldn’t tell what color it was, but it certainly wasn’t black.

 

She couldn’t help physically, but nothing had been said about encouragement. “I was wondering if you were going to sleep in there all day.” Jen put just the right tone of insolence into her voice.

 

The cocoon stopped and then it shook as the occupant laughed. “Oh, you silly human. Remind me to do something icky to you when I get out of here. I know… How would you like to clean up refuse?”

 

"Yeah right." Jen shook her head as the cocoon started moving again. “You may be hard pressed to find something more gross than what I do regularly. I clean bedpans, Cota… Um… No… That isn’t your name anymore is it?”

 

"Not anymore." The cocoon shuddered harder and the bug inside spoke quietly, but with the sound of effort as it tried to get through the tough protective membrane. “My name is Kicota now, Jen, but you can still call me Cota. We add syllables with each molting so the name will grow as I do, but friends can call me what they wish. Ah!” The voice crowed triumphantly. “Got it!”

 

A ripping sound was heard and Jen stiffened as a tear showed in the large object in front of her. It quickly went from one end of the cocoon to the other and in moments a form was emerging. In shape, it was similar to the Sitolon that Jen knew, but in color… Jen’s mouth fell open as she saw the silver hide, even coated with slime and nastiness of the cocoon, the bug was dazzling.

 

"Jen?" Kicota pulled herself from the cocoon and turned to look at Jen. The bug’s voice was quiet. “What?”

 

"Kicota." Jen’s voice was hushed, awed. “You… You are beautiful. I…” She shook her head and turned away, suddenly feeling rude and ugly.

 

The newest Sitolon queen’s voice was gentle as she cleaned herself off. “Jen, what is wrong?”

 

"Nothing." Jen shook her head, but she stiffened as a gentle touch on her arm pulled her attention to the bug who now stood nearby in all her splendor. The nurse shook her head again. “I…”

 

Kicota sighed. “Come here, girl…” She pulled the nurse’s unresisting form into an embrace and hugged the human lightly. A strong Sitolon hug could crack armor, but all of them were generally careful about their physical strength. “It’s okay, Jen. It’s still me.” Tears were falling as the nurse tried to speak and couldn’t. Kicota rocked Jen gently. “It’s okay, Jen, it’s okay.”

 

It took several minutes for the nurse to regain her control. Finally, she looked at her friend through puffy eyes and smiled. “Thank you, Co… I mean Kicota… This is going to take some getting used to.”

 

"Right." The bug sighed, a remarkably human sound. “You are telling me. You are not pregnant.”

 

Jen stiffened and then fell back on her training. Nurses were generally nurses no matter the species. “And you are. How do you feel?”

 

"Me?" Kicota snorted. “Hungry. I am going to be eating for many for a while, or so I am told. Let’s get the obligatory stuff out of the way, hmm? At least you don’t have to worry about unclothing me, right?” There was a wicked lilt in the bug’s voice and Jen was blushing as she used her portable scanner to sweep the bug’s body.

 

"Kicota, you are bad." The nurse’s voice was calm as she worked. “Physical changes are minimal, barring the skin color…” She broke off as Kicota stiffened.

 

The bug stared at herself. “Wha…?” She stared at the silver that now colored her skin where it had before been pure black. “How the flarg…?”

 

"Hey!" Jen laughed at the dumbfounded tone. “Watch the language Cota, you don’t want your kids picking up bad habits, do you?” She snickered as the bug made a decidedly rude gesture at her with two of her four hands. “Come on, let’s get you some breakfast.”

 

"Yeah." Kicota shook her head. “Now that you mention it, I could eat a Ronto, tusks and all.”

 

"Well..." Jen grinned. “Well, no Rontos on the menu that I know of, but we could probably…”

 

"Jen." Kicota snarled at her halfheartedly. “It was a joke!”

 

Jen shook her head. “For now. I just hope you don’t start craving living flesh again.” That was no joke, her people had preferred living food until the changes Samuel had done had wended their way through. “Just, as far as I know this has never happened before, so we want to keep ahead of any problems. So after eating, you have an appointment with Samuel.” Jen stared at the floor for a moment as she walked.

 

"Oh..." Kicota was not stupid. “You start training today, don’t you?”

 

Jen’s voice was small and scared. “Yeah.”

 

"Jen." Kicota patted Jen’s shoulder. “You survived everything else, girl. A crazy trainer is not going to stop you. And if she tries to kill you, well… I don’t think the masterblade would approve.”

 

Jen shook her head. “That is just it. You were asleep I think. Reekia is training me.”

 

Kicota froze in midstride. “She what?”

 

"Yeah. She insisted."Jen sighed. ”She is not happy with the master making me one of the kin without training me first. She was… um… very vocal about it.”

 

Kicota sighed. “I bet. Okay, Jen. We will be watching.” Jen looked at the bug and Kicota laid an antenna on Jen’s head. No harm will come to you, Jen. It was an oath.

 

Jen smiled a bit forlornly and then nodded and the unlikely friends started off again, in search of food.

[kalenath]

No harm… Jen tasted blood as she landed again, this time on her rear end. But she knew what she had to do.

 

Jen Ojul shook her head, trying to get the ringing out of it and rolled quickly to her feet. As she rolled, her hand licked out and grabbed the hilt of her blade from where it had fallen. Her teacher watched impassive as the nurse resumed her stance. She set herself and nodded. Without warning, the Wookiee was in motion again, this time the attack came from the left. Jen managed to parry the lightning fast blow, and THIS time, she dodged the kick that followed the sword swing. She struck out with her blade and her arms were slammed by the impact as her blade impacted the Masterblade’s. But she kept her cool, attacking again and again as the Masterblade retreated slightly.

 

Jen knew she was totally overmatched in every respect. Speed, strength, experience, all of these the Wookiee had and the nurse did not. But she could not stop a small grin from forming as she beat the Wookiee back. Reekia looked at her and all of the sudden, stopped moving. Jen’s attacks were deflected as if every blow was nothing more than air. She tried everything she had been taught so far, nothing moved the Wookiee. Finally, she jumped back out of her reach. She lowered her sword and bowed her head, waiting for a blow. She had disrespected her teacher, hadn’t she? She bit back a scream as the flat of the Wookiee’s huge warblade impacted her rear end. It was the flat of the blade, but it still hurt! Jen waited, unsure of what to do and a soft sound came from the Wookiee.

 

<Look at me, Jen Ojul.> Reekia’s voice was soft, but commanding. Jen looked up into the Wookiee’s eyes and Reekia spoke again, just as softly. <Do not, ever, lower your guard to an enemy.>

 

The nurse had just a moment to see the Wookiee’s blade in motion before it hit. The flat of the blade impacted her forearm. The training armor she wore could blunt the blow, but no armor in the galaxy likely could have stopped it. She bit back another scream as she heard at least one of the bones in her sword arm break. The pain was excruciating. But she had been ordered not to speak, so she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t cry out. Jen went to one knee for just a moment before rising quickly with the hilt of her training blade in her good hand, the broken arm hanging limp. She was shivering slightly in pain and fear as she readied herself. She wouldn’t let a small thing like a broken arm stop her. She was better than this. The Wookiee watched impassive.

 

<Good.> Reekia’s voice was soft but almost complimentary. Blows came again, alternating from either side and Jen was hard pressed to deflect them. Then one got through. The tip of Reekia’s sword touched the broken arm. Jen gritted her teeth, struggling to keep her focus as the pain from her arm redoubled. The nurse fought, as hard as she could, until suddenly shefelt something change. She was turning to face the new threat when something hit her on the head and darkness took her.

 

She came awake suddenly, confused. “Wha…?” She was lying on the floor, her arm pillowed on her chest as recognizable sounds of fighting came from behind her. A hand touched her shoulder and she looked up into the worried eyes of another trainee. Jen bit her lip and shook her head, trying to figure out what had happened. The trainee, a young Mon Calamari named Quis, shook his head and held her down gently.

 

"Jen." Quis’ voice was soft. “No, don’t move. You have a concussion. We are waiting for…” The student stiffened as a loud voice sounded.

 

“Stop!” Jen tried to rise as she heard Samuel’s voice but Quis held her down easily. “What is going on here?”

 

A snarl from nearby had Jen looking. What she saw made her go pale. Reekia stood there, her blades at the ready. In front of the totally impassive Wookiee stood another form in black. The woman in black held a lightsaber at the ready, and Reekia’s training sword had scorch marks on it, as if it had been used to parry the lightsaber. Jen struggled, trying to rise. Quis held her down.

 

"No." The Mon Calamari’s voice was soft as Samuel strode forward. “No, Jen don’t move.” Quis stiffened as Samuel walked up, the healer’s face an impassive mask.

 

The healer’s voice was quiet. “What happened?” He knelt down beside Jen and something in his eyes made the nurse slump. Something was very wrong, but Jen could not figure out what it was. She didn’t move as he started examining her, careful not to move the broken arm.

 

<This arrogant fool transgressed.> Reekia snarled something that Jen was fairly sure would not have translated well, if at all. <She attacked my student.>

 

"So?" The woman in black laughed scornfully. “Your student is sloppy. She would not last a day as my student.” Jen stiffened as she recognized the voice. Cina Darkstorm was not a nice woman, not by anyone’s standards. The woman routinely put trainees in medical, and more than once had put them in the morgue. While Bob could bring back the dead on occasion, the way that Cina went about it was…disturbing. She didn’t care.

 

Reekia didn’t move. <That does not give you the right to attack my student while I am training her.>

 

"Her?" Cina sniffed derisively. “She is weak. Pathetic. Soft. She will weaken us.”

 

<Indeed?> Reekia looked at the woman in front of her and spoke softly. <Will she? Jen. Get up.>

 

Samuel and Quis both stared in shock as Jen rolled to her feet, her pain, fear and other emotions forgotten in the need to obey her teacher. Reekia had spent the entire morning drilling obedience into her. The need to be silent when the teacher was speaking, the absolute obedience that was needed for Bladeborn. Jen grabbed her blade in her good hand and resumed a ready position before anyone else could move.

 

"Jen, no." Samuel snarled quietly. “Jen, you need to lie down.” But she ignored him, all of her focus was on Reekia who…smiled. It had taken the Wookiee a while to get Jen’s undivided attention, but eventually the nurse had become tired of the stinging slaps that the Wookiee had administered and buckled down to obey.

 

<She will soften your sect?> Reekia nodded to Cina. <She is weak? She is pathetic? She is soft?> The Wookiee snorted. <You are a fool. Sith are so shortsighted on occasion.> Cina bristled at the insult but then stiffened as Reekia spoke again. <Jen, perform Kata three.>

 

Inside, Jen quailed. Kata three was one Reekia had shown her in the morning before they started sparring. It was one that required prefect balance, and both arms. But her body obeyed the masterblade, starting the movements. She was doing it right. Which was odd, since her right arm did not work as it should. The nurse gritted her teeth as searing pain flared through her arm. But she managed the form properly then bowed to the masterblade.

 

"What?" Cina looked nonplussed for a moment before snarling. “You are helping her somehow.”

 

<Am I?> Reekia looked at Jen and shook her head. <Am I indeed? Student, this woman has insulted you. She has behaved dishonorably. What will you do? You may speak.>

 

"For such a dishonorable tactic..." Jen opened her mouth as was amazed at how clear her voice was. The pain was not bothering her as it should have been. Was the Wookiee doing something? Or had the training she had been given allow her to move past the pain? “Honor demands blood, Teacher.”

 

Reekia nodded. <First blood then.> She made a gesture and a training sword hovered to where Cina was standing, open mouthed. Then the black robed woman smiled, an evil expression. Samuel opened his mouth but then shut it with a click. He glared at the Wookiee and then at Cine before retreating a bit to where the students were now forming a circle. He didn’t speak, simply glared. But his glare held worry to Jen’s experienced eye. Reekia took a place in the circle as well and then it was just Cina and Jen facing each other. Jen brought her sword up in a salute. Cina just snorted and charged.

 

It was not a fair fight. Cina had years of experience in fighting and using the Force. Jen did not. Cina’s blows hit like sledgehammers while Jen’s blows, although precise, did not have the strength necessary to penetrate Cina’s defense. Again and again, the black robed woman pushed Jen back across the ring, the nurse trying with all her skill to evade the sword strikes and kicks that Cina sent her way. It was obvious even to Jen that Cina was playing with her. Jen felt anger and Cina had a feral smile on her face as she pressed her attack, but suddenly, Jen understood.

 

The training that Reekia had given her had been brutal and unrelenting, true, but also… it had been kind and gentle in its own way. One moment Reekia was harsh and demanding, the next soft and gentle. Jen hadn’t understood at all why the Masterblade had acted that way, but now she did. Aggression was not the answer, anger was not the answer. Prowess was the answer. She knew what to do.

 

Jen shook her head and planted her feet. Suddenly, none of Cina’s attacks came anywhere close to Jen. Jen felt fear, she felt pain, she felt all kinds of things, but none of them touched her through the armor that Reekia had forged around her mind. She smiled, sadly, as Cina attacked again, furious at having her attacks deflected so easily. Jen waited until she had the perfect opportunity and the she moved. Everything was in perfect balance as she struck. Her blade snapped out, its tip raking the other woman’s arm before she jumped back. She landed perfectly balanced as Cina stared at her and then at the long rip on the sleeve of her robe and the drops of blood that fell from it to color the deck.

 

Cina blinked, and then to Jen’s absolute amazement, bowed to the nurse. “For the insult, I apologize. You are not weak. Bladeborn. Sister.” The woman was smiling!

 

Jen stared at Cina, but then something was wrong. Darkness was crowding her vision and her sword was heavy. So heavy. She fought hard to keep it up, to keep her guard up, but it was no use, she couldn’t. She was shaking so hard, she couldn’t move, all she could do was try and stay upright. Finally, she knelt slowly and laid the sword on the deck, unwilling to allow such a beautiful and deadly thing to be marred by dropping it. Respect for her blade had been drilled into her by the Masterblade as well. Then darkness claimed her.

 

***

 

When Jen woke, she hurt, but she was smiling. Someone was singing nearby, and she heard other things around her. She opened her eyes, and she wasn’t in Medical. She stared at the dormitory ceiling, not really seeing it. A voice from nearby had her stiffening.

 

“Good morning sleepy head.” Jen stared as Cina sat down beside the bunk she was lying on. But the nurse clamped her tongue on all the questions she had. She nodded respectfully to the instructor who smiled. “You may speak.”

 

"Ah, Bladeborn Cina?" Jen’s voice was soft. “What… what happened?”

 

"You won the duel." Cina sighed. “Masterblade Reekia is one heck of a teacher, far better than I am. Maybe someday I will be as good. She taught you more in a day than I can teach in a year. You already had the basics, you needed the motivation. You needed the experience of fighting for your life. You have never been able to fight for yourself. Ever.”

 

Jen stared at the other woman. Of all the tones she might have expected from Cina, compassion as not one she had ever expected to hear. Jen struggled to sit up, noticing that her arm was in a cast and bound to her chest. “I don’t understand, Bladeborn Cina.”

 

"You don't have to be so formal. I was rude because I did not understand." Cina sighed. “Sister Jen. What Ravishaw did to you…It turns my stomach.” Jen stared at the other woman, her mouth agape now. Cina smiled gently. “You are not weak. To survive what he did to you took strength far beyond what normal humans have. You lack great power with the Force, but… We do not care. You are a sister now, in every way that matters. Anyone threatening you will have to get through all of us.”

 

"But..." Jen shook her head slowly. “I am not… really…a sister… ”

 

"Jen." Cina took Jen’s good hand in both of hers and gave it a squeeze. “Yes you are.”

 

"I..." Jen was shaking her head. “What happened? I… I don’t know what happened.”

 

"We were all being taught." Cina grinned. “Like I said, Reekia is one heck of a teacher. She was teaching all of us, not just you. Come on, we don’t want to be late.” She reached out to help Jen sit up.

 

"Um." Jen shook her head as she rose, stumbling just a little. “For what?”

 

Cina grinned as she steadied the younger woman. “Breakfast. You slept all night. We have calisthenics planned but you are excused them due to your arm. Then we have classes. You are not excused them.”

 

"Uh..." Jen goggled at the Bladeborn but then nodded slowly. “I have duties in Medical.”

 

Cina nodded, and her grin was vicious. “Yep. I think you can kiss sleep goodbye for a while.”

 

"Cina..." Jen snorted. “I am a nurse, we don’t sleep.”

 

"Good." Cina smiled, a more friendly smile. “I want to see that lunge you did again. I think we can improve it, especially when you have both arms functional again…” Jen shook her head. Her world had just shifted yet again. Maybe this time, for the better.

[kalenath]

Samuel, healer for this particular sect of weirdos, watched as Jen sat and listened to the teacher in class. He smiled as he watched the girl he had put back together from a shivering wreck nod and answer intelligently when called upon. Her arm would take at least a week to heal properly. Reekia hadn’t pulled her strike, had broken both forearm bones. But Jen was highly unlikely to ever lower her guard again, and that was the point. Cina would have just killed the girl. Samuel sighed silently as he looked at the cast that Jen would be wearing for awhile. The nurse had managed to wrench the broken arm severely as well while she fought. Samuel had completely immobilized it to keep Jen from hurting herself further. But now…

 

He shook his head. Cina Darkstorm was an excellent teacher, but in her mind, there were only two kinds of students. Those who survived and those who didn’t. She knew she wasn’t a Sith anymore, but the training she had endured before she had been essentially kidnapped to join this group had been unrelenting and harsh. It had left its mark on her, no matter how anyone tried, they couldn’t get the woman to stop being that way. And truth be told, Samuel understood. He disagreed, vehemently, with her methods, but her results were exceptional to say the least. She trained people to survive, and not just the force wielders. The troops that the master had managed to ‘acquire’ also benefited from her training. Cina was totally impartial, totally fair and totally merciless. If you could do the job, she would support you one hundred percent. If not, she would kill you and leave your body to be disposed of. But he had always seen glimpses of another side of Cina as well, one that was just now peeking through the cracks in the woman’s shell. A kinder, gentler side, more Jedi than Sith. Her ‘test’ of Jen had been totally in character. The way she had tended her new sister while Jen had slept and even helped her dress and eat had not been. Now Cina was lecturing the class on proper battlefield communication techniques and Samuel noted that all of the students were paying very close attention. He wished his own classes boasted such attentiveness. Of course, he never killed his students if they answered a question wrong…

 

The healer smiled and made his exit quietly. He had a lot to do. A lot more now that his best assistant had other duties as well. But just outside the door, he saw a dark form waiting for him. He stiffened as Bob, the master of this sect, nodded to him.

 

“Samuel.” The quiet voice hadn’t changed. Nothing had really changed, but everything had. Now Samuel knew what his master was. He still couldn’t disobey, he couldn’t.

 

Samuel nodded in return. “Master?”

 

"I don't want this, but I need it." Bob shook his head. “I need you to contact Maria.”

 

"Ah..." Samuel felt all the breath leave his body. “Master…” He began. His wife did not trust him. After all, as far as she knew, her husband had been killed in a horrific experiment designed to turn her children into living weapons. Actually ‘did not trust’ was a massive understatement. Maria Kalenath likely would gun him down, fry whatever was left and then defecate on the remnants. She detested Sith as well, having fought them in her career in the Republic military, and as far as she knew, Samuel was a Sith now. He wasn’t sure himself how to say what he was, besides confused.

 

"Yeah." Bob nodded. “I can’t use Grun’das or Kicota. The other Sitolon likely will not trust them.”

 

"No they won't." Samuel looked at the other black robed figure. “Can you blame them?”

 

"No." Bob shook his head. “But Jainine just saw something. Our enemies are going to move on the Sitolon.”

 

"What?" Samuel snorted. “I wish them good luck finding them, those beings can hide like nobody’s business. Wait a sec…? Jainine had a vision?”

 

"Yes." Bob nodded. “She woke up screaming about being eaten alive, Samuel. We have to contact them. We have to prove our bona-fides.”

 

"Master." Samuel shook his head. “They are not going to trust us. Not after everything that has happened. And they will not trust me for the same reason.”

 

"I... I know." Bob nodded. Then the being who looked human slumped. “What would they do if they could talk to Diseree and Jen?”

 

Samuel froze. Diseree was a Kel Dor padawan, currently inhabiting a cloned human body. Jen of course was his head nurse. “You are not serious. Reekia would kill anyone and everyone if…” He broke off as the being’s expression registered. Resignation.

 

"Samuel..." Bob’s voice was quiet. “We cannot do this alone. I thought we could, but we can’t. From what Jainine ‘saw’ if we don’t we are going to fail. We are going to lose and the galaxy will be consumed by those machines.”

 

"I..." Samuel had never heard that tone from his master before. “Master… I…”

 

"They are starting to move." Bob’s voice was quiet. “They went after Trugoy. They are going to attack the Sitolon next. And we have to stop them, warn them. We are likely the only ones who can.”

 

"I don't understand." Samuel shook his head slowly. “You want us to come out of hiding?”

 

"No." Bob shook his head. “We are not ready. Despite Cina’s best efforts, we are not ready. We have seventy six total off the sick roll. Twenty brothers and sisters, fifty six troops. Whatever attack they make will likely be the same way they attacked Trugoy. I haven’t been able to find out a lot about what happened. But we have to make contact. And not just in dream visions.”

 

"Uh..." Samuel shook his head slowly. This was bad. He slumped. “I… might know a way…”

 

Bob looked at him. “Samuel?”

 

"Well... I know what to do, but..." Samuel shook his head. “You won’t like it.”

 

***

 

Samuel recoiled again as something else slammed into him. He had been strapped to this chair with a device on his head that negated the Force, for who knew how long. He was blindfolded of course. He had known this was going to be bad, but he really hadn’t counted on the fact that Cranna the Hutt’s people had a history of dealing with unfriendly Force users. The moment he had shown his face in her clinic on Tattooine, three stunners had hit him from three different angles. When he had woken, he had been strapped to this chair and people had been hitting him. He tried to speak, but something was in his mouth, he couldn’t even scream as the pain continued.

 

After an interminable time, the pain ended, he was unceremoniously yanked from eth chair, dragged a ways and thrown into a cell. As cells went this one wasn’t too bad. Then he heard it.

 

A sweet voice sounded from somewhere very nearby. “Ooo.. What have we here?” A soft furred hand touched his face, and for a moment, he hoped for sight or release from the gag at least, but then it traced down his body and he shivered as it touched him. Apparently while he had been unconscious, he had been stripped. The voice spoke again as the hands caressed. “Don’t worry, mister. Mama Meliee will take good care of you…”

 

He shivered as the hands caressed, gently and not so gently. He was screaming into his gag when another voice, this one sharp, spoke.

 

”Meliee, stop.” The female voice said sharply.

 

The sweet voice sighed. “Aw Katherine, you never let me have any fun at all…” But the hands that had been touching him withdrew.

 

The blindfold was removed and Samuel looked up into the eyes of a Cathar wearing a medical tunic. Her face was hard. “You call yourself Samuel Kalenath.” He nodded, there was nothing else he could do. “The boss has sent for you.” A hypo glinted in her hand and Samuel tried not to flinch as she injected him, this was what he wanted. Right? To talk to Cranna the Hutt. The somewhat odd Hutt who worked with Will Kalenath, the Stormhawk and others. He just hoped she would, indeed, talk.

[kalenath]

Samuel Kalenath had been through a lot in his life. He had been a soldier, a father, a guinea pig, and then a sort of Sith. But this was probably the worst. He shivered slightly in his bonds. He had not been unfettered and his eyes were still bound, so he had no idea at all how long he had been in this… thing. He was pretty sure he had never completely lost consciousness but it was hard to tell, being in the dark as he was. Everything was muted. He was floating in haze of endorphins as his body tried to adjust to the lack of pain. He could hear things around him, but nothing made any sense. He sighed and tried to relax. This was what he wanted. He had to keep telling himself that. Even if his master hadn’t wanted to talk to the Sitolon, he truly did want to see his wife, his son, and his daughter again. Even if all three of them were likely to kill him on sight, he did want to see them again. He shook his head as far as it would move in the bonds that held it and tried to think of happier times.

 

The last time he and his wife had seen each other in the flesh, not as prisoner and guinea pigs, he had taken her on a tour of various places around the Republic. They had wanted another child and, after several attempts, they had managed to get the timing right. Both of them had retired, having spent far too much time fighting for either of their tastes and Samuel had been wanting to see various religious sites around the Republic so Maria had accompanied him. She hadn’t really enjoyed it, he had know that. But she had relaxed for the first time in years. But then…

 

Samuel forced his mind away from the horrors that he recalled so vividly, the cells, the experiments, the sight of his wife and their little girl in another cell, or being experimented on and nothing at all he could do about it. He had prayed, so hard, for deliverance, and then… He had woken in the care of the being called Bob. He had no idea if he was a clone or not. But he remembered. He had to make contact somehow. He couldn’t talk, but… He started to sing under his breath.

 

***

 

“What the hell is he doing?” Cranna the Hutt’s voice was sour as she scrutinized the readouts that monitored her latest ‘guest’. Her hand, as always, hovered over her remote, ready to kill everything in the detention bay in case of trouble. Her whole operation as based on this ship now, since she was technically at war with another Hutt, she could not take any chances. Admittedly, Magga had not reacted to the ‘gift’ she had sent him on Republic Day, but sooner or later the punk would. He had to; one did not just shrug off losing thirty agents. The Hutt knew, deep in her heart, that she did not have the resources to beat the punk, but she didn’t really care. His minions had threatened her friend, and they had infiltrated her businesses, trying to gain leverage over her. Her response was characteristic for her. As well as brutal. None of the agents that had ‘donated’ the eyeballs she had sent to Magga would be missing them. But now she had another problem.

 

The other occupant of the surveillance room sighed. “He is singing.”

 

Cranna looked at Will Kalenath and she noted his face was under tight control. He was a friend, a good one. He had pulled her out of several rough spots, and she had returned the favor. He was a totally atypical Republic soldier, but then again, she was not a normal Hutt, if there was such a thing.

 

"Singing?" Cranna stared at her friend and then at the screen. Indeed, the man’s grunts were rhythmical. And… “Is he crying?” There were tears falling down the prisoner’s face now.

 

"I don't believe it." Will’s control cracked for just a moment as he stared at the screen, but then his face smoothed. “It’s a trick. It has to be a trick.”

 

"Will." Cranna looked at the man she admired more than any human she had ever met and her voice was quiet. “Your dad did that, when he was stressed, didn’t he? Sing that is?”

 

"He did, but..." Will was shaking his head. “It has to be a trick of some kind.”

 

"A trick we cannot discern." Cranna sighed. “Will. You didn’t detect any sign of those machines. None of the scans I have run have shown anything. Will…” The soldier was shaking now. “We need more information.”

 

"Then..." Will shook his head. “I will get it.”

 

"No Will." Cranna shook her head. “No. You go in there and you will shoot him. I don’t blame you for your reaction. But we need information now, not death.”

 

"Cranna..." Will shook his head again very slowly. “Who then? Istara can’t, her sect and the one he served have been enemies for years. Cole likewise, even if you let him out of the secure areas, which you won’t.” Istara company had been given quarters on Cranna’s ship, but were under close surveillance, even for the Hutt.

 

"Someone different." Cranna thought for a moment before smiling. “Someone who likes to sing.”

 

"What?" Will stared at her and his face went white as he took her meaning. “Not a chance Cranna. She has been hurt enough. She has gone through enough emotional upheavals for a lifetime.”

 

Cranna sighed. “Will, think…” She waved a hand at the screen. “Who else does not have a history with him? He attacked my clinic. Yes, no one was killed, but he attacked our friends, our family. Any of my people will overreact. The Bladeborn likewise. You and L’Trask are not rational about this. The Mandos… well…”

 

Will snorted. “Yeah, bad idea…” Mandalorians had no use for people who betrayed their family and lots of methods of showing their disapproval. Will shook his head slowly before sighing. “I can see your point. I will ask her.”

 

***

 

Something changed. Something happened, but Samuel was not sure what. Suddenly, the bonds that held him loosened. They didn’t release, but they loosened. The object that held his mouth shut fell off as well and a round object found its way into his mouth.

 

A soft female voice spoke from nearby. “Straw.” Samuel smiled and sucked on the straw. The water that came through it was clean and pure. He smiled his thanks as he drank. It had been a while since he had taken liquids. He drank slowly, carefully. It wouldn’t do to vomit here and now, he likely would aspirate the stuff and that would be bad. The soft voice was back. “Good. Drink all you want.”

 

Samuel drank as much as he felt he could hold and then released the straw. He spoke softly. “I… Thank you.”

 

The soft female voice had a frown in it now. “Don’t thank me. Why are you here? You had to know how Cranna would react.”

 

"Yeah I did." Samuel slumped in his bonds before replying. “I came for a number of reasons. My master told me to talk to the Sitolon. To warn them.”

 

Now the voice was sharp. “Warn them?”

 

Samuel would have nodded, but his head was still strapped down. “They are going to be attacked. But they will not listen to us. Maybe they will listen to Will or Cranna.”

 

"Oh?" Something hard traced his cheek. A claw? “That wasn’t the only reason was it?”

 

"I just..." Samuel tried not to shiver. “I wanted to see my kids again. I wanted to hold Sara… just once… Before Maria kills me. I wanted… to ask Maria’s forgiveness.”

 

"Huh?" The voice was confused now. “What for?”

 

Samuel was shaking hard now. Was he drugged? He couldn’t tell. Probably. “That stupid tour, the one where we were taken, was my idea. I should have done something, anything else. Everything that happened was all my fault… If only we had stayed on the grid, maybe the scum wouldn’t have been able to take us.” He was shaking hard now so he started humming a tune he remembered. He stiffened as the soft female voice started singing along, but the harmony was nice. Her voice was well pitched to match with his.

 

 

Samuel smiled as they sang. Maybe this would work. Maybe…

[kalenath]

Samuel was completely unaware of the heated debate that raged around him now. As he slept, he had no idea that the guards that blocked access to the room that he occupied were changed twice. Or that finally, he was moved from that room to a more secure location. Cranna the Hutt was not amused. And the commander in chief of the starship ‘Poke in the Eye’ finally had taken enough.

 

“Enough!” The Hutt said flatly. “I won’t have you all doing this kind of thing on my ship.”

 

Will Kalenath stood in the corner, silent as Maria, Sara and Sarai Kalenath all stared dumbfounded at Cranna.

 

Maria spoke for all of them. “Cranna… What…?”

 

Cranna’s patience had been exhausted however. “If you are going to kill him, then kill him. But stop debating about it for the Force’s sake. This petty bickering is pointless. You, Maria, want to flay him. Sara wants to burn him alive slowly and Sarai… I don’t know where you found the flesh eating beetles and, frankly, I don’t want to know…” The Hutt shuddered a bit. She had done all that in her life and more to enemies. But that was the point. was Samuel Kalenath an enemy? “I mean it. Calm down, all of you!” The Hutt bit the words out. “I can’t believe I am the most rational person here. Me, the crazy Hutt. Yes, he hurt you, Sarai, so I can understand your hate.” She waved a pudgy fist at the newest member of the family. “but you Sara and you, Maria… Calm the flarg down!” The Hutt ended the sentence with the distinct aura of threat to her words. “I can and will spank the lot of you.”

 

A snicker came from the corner and all eyes turned to Will who was smiling. “Don’t try it, Mom, Sara, Sarai… She will…”

 

"Uh?" Maria stared first at her son and then at the Hutt. “Do I want to know?”

 

"No." Cranna smirked. “Let’s just say when I met Will I was a bit stressed.”

 

"Okay..." Maria stared at her son who was trying hard to keep from laughing and finally cracked a smile. “I think I will ask about that. Later.” Sara and Sarai both had curious expressions on their faces, but sighed in unison and nodded. Maria shook her head. “Now that is creepy…” The two girls looked almost exactly alike still. Sarai was undergoing genetic changes, trying to reverse the changes that had been done to her, but so far the only easily discernable difference between the two girls was the color of hair. Sara’s was cut short and was still her natural black. Sarai’s was more a dark blonde and was growing out.

 

Sara flinched. “Sorry, Mom. We just… Well…” She shrugged.

 

Sarai nodded and continued. “We do think alike. Part is what he did to me. Part is… I don’t know… Maybe something else. We all feel the anger though, right? Could he be controlling us, even now?”

 

The single person who had not spoken before piped up. Istara’s face was thoughtful from where she sat near the door. She had led her friends into this room and essentially barred the door until they could come to some kind of agreement. “We don’t know.” The grandmaster of the Bladeborn said quietly. “We don’t know exactly what they did to you. We know, mostly, what they did to Will, but the records of what they did to you and Sara, Maria… Most of those were lost when I… um…” She broke off and shrugged helplessly.

 

"Istara..." Maria snorted. “Saved my shebs is what you did.” Maria sighed and sat down. The table was laid out, but no one was sitting at it. Everyone had jumped up from their chairs during the rather heated discussion. She looked at her son. “Will… What did you feel when you were in the room with him?” He had snuck in at one point until Cranna had caught him and tossed him out.

 

"I..." Will didn’t meet her eyes. “Nothing. I… I tried to feel angry, to feel fear, to feel anything… And I couldn’t. It was like I was there, but… not…”

 

All of the others in the room shared a worried glance. Cranna finally broke the uncomfortable silence. “So… Istara’s surmise that he may be another control unit…” She broke off and looked at Sara who looked decidedly uncomfortable. “Could he be?”

 

"Look." Sara sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t know how I do what I do. It’s kind of like breathing. I just do it.” For just a moment, she looked her actual age, fifteen. Most of the time she was so self assured, so confident, that it was impossible for people to equate the cold blooded killer she was with the young woman she appeared.

 

"No." Will shook his head. “It wasn’t like what I feel from Sara.” All of the others stared at him and Will shrugged. “Yes, I can feel your control, Sara. That is one reason we can’t stand each other for very long, I think.”

 

Maria snorted. “If siblings loved each other all the time, I would wonder at their sanity.” A soft laugh swept the room. Technically all of them were family. Will and Sara were Maria’s natural born children, Saria, Maria had adopted, and Will and Cranna had sworn kinship long ago. Truth be told, Maria didn’t mind Will having adopted a bunch of people. The problem was sheer pain the man was enduring now that some had been killed and others hurt was heart wrenching to say the least, but, Maria herself understood all about pain.

 

Sara chortled just a little at that. But her face was serious as she turned to look her brother in the eye. “Will… It’s okay… We can handle this.”

 

Will didn’t meet her eyes. “Can we? Sara… If I lose it again… I could kill all of you…” Sara scoffed, but Will wasn’t reassured. “Sara… Think…” When his eyes came up the young girl recoiled. His eyes were red with unshed tears. “Sara, could you gun me down in cold blood? Really? Standing up and fighting me when I get like that won’t work. You know that. The only way you are going to be able to take me out is with snipers or heavy weapons. And expect to lose a lot of people.”

 

"No." Maria sighed. “It won’t come to that, Will.” But her eyes were worried despite her calm tone.

 

"Mom, don't be stupid about this, please." Will shook his head. “Istara…” He turned to face Istara who flinched. “Tell me you have safeguards.” He was almost begging the Bladeborn and her face was a study of shock. Then it smoothed into her habitual mask of indifference, all except her eyes which were wary.

 

"Will..." Istara just sat there. When she spoke her voice was tautly controlled. “I do. But it won’t come to that. Will… We know what happened to you because of the Bladeborn records.” She looked from the soldier to the two young looking girls with old eyes to the older woman. “Are you sure you want to do this, Maria? Talk to him?”

 

Maria nodded and spoke quietly. “I have to. And I have to do it alone.”

 

The room was dead quiet for a moment and then it exploded in a storm of denials and protests. Maria shook her head. This would be a pain, but she would do as she said. She would talk to her husband alone. She had to.

[kalenath]

Samuel Kalenath was aware of her as soon as he woke. He had always been able to tell, before the nastiness that they had been ensnared by, where Maria was and generally what she was feeling. It wasn’t the Force, he had been reassured by Jedi acquaintances, more an empathic ability that was like and unlike the use of power that was called that by Jedi and Sith alike. He didn’t move, didn’t dare breath hard actually. Maria Kalenath was far, far more dangerous than Samuel ever had been, even with him having the Force now. The woman had been a combat engineer, with the emphasis on ‘combat’. Before that, she had been a farmer and a daughter of farmers, so the strength of her body was part genetic, and part training. But her physical strength was only matched by her mental toughness.

 

Her voice was soft, but held emotion, which was a good sign. When she got angry, she sounded calm. It was when she sounded totally calm and controlled that she was the most dangerous. Her voice held fear, worry, sorrow, anger and other emotions now.

 

“I know you are awake.” Maria Kalenath said quietly.

 

"Yeah." Samuel sighed. “Never could fool you.” He opened his eyes can froze. He wasn’t blindfolded. He wasn’t even bound! He was wearing a shipsuit, he must have been dressed in it while unconscious. Cranna’s people hadn’t bothered, not with someone they were very likely to kill. He was lying on a bunk in a comfortable looking stateroom. And he could feel the Force! It was muted, but it was screaming at him. ‘Danger! Danger!’ He sighed again. Like he didn’t know that with his wife in the room?

 

"Hello Maria." The man looked to the side and there she was, sitting in a chair near the hatch. Her armor was unfamiliar. Not Republic, not Mandalorian, but something in between. A blaster pistol sat on the table near her hand and he didn’t need to see its readouts to know it was off safe and ready to fire. Samuel slumped back on the bed and smiled sadly. “I halfway expected not to wake up at all. Or wake up in pieces.”

 

"Well." Maria looked at the man who so resembled her husband and shook her head minutely. “We need answers.”

 

"Yeah." Samuel shrugged. “I can tell you what I know, which isn’t much. Then I guess…” He looked at the blaster and shook his head slowly. “At least you can make it quick.”

 

"Yes." Maria tapped the pistol with a finger, a chilling smile on her face now. “I can. The question is ‘Why should I?’ You are a Sith.”

 

"Uh..." Samuel shook his head. “No I am not, but I don’t expect to be able to convince you of that. Go ahead, ask your questions.”

 

Maria shrugged. “Semantics. You serve a being who has hurt people I love. Sarai is a good kid. She was a good kid, even before you transformed her.”

 

"Yes." Samuel slumped, his eyes closing in remembered pain. “Yes she was.”

 

"Yet you did." Maria didn’t change inflection. “Why?”

 

"To get to you." Samuel took a deep breath. “We needed to talk to you.”

 

"Idiot." Maria shook her head. “You of all people, if you really were my Samuel, would know that I wouldn’t have talked. I would have just blasted you.” Now two fingers were tapping the blaster.

 

"Yeah." Samuel didn’t open his eyes. “Yes, I know.”

 

"Make sense." Maria’s voice was sharp now. “I know where I can find some flesh eating beetles.”

 

Samuel didn’t flinched as Maria’s anger swept the room. He could feel her confusion, her pain and her anger all warring within her. But he didn’t move. He had to be under observation. He had to be covered by weapons other than the one Maria had. Nothing else made any sense.

 

“I was ordered to capture Will, by any means necessary. To try and help him.” A scoff came from Maria, but Samuel didn’t stop speaking. “Bob, the being I serve now, knew that Will had been… well, ‘adjusted’ was the term he used. Turned into a weapon, a living breathing weapon, by the same scum who had us. But before.” Samuel bowed his head. “I didn’t understand until I saw Will on Shili, exactly what Bob meant. Now I do…” Samuel felt his eyes burn and he fought to keep the tears from falling. “They did it to him, he was the prototype, I think. They did it to us. I think they did it to Sara. Do you know what they did?”

 

"Sure." Maria sniffed. “Yeah, like I am going to tell you.”

 

"Look..." Samuel shook his head. “Maria… It’s important. More than you know. No matter what happens, protect Sara. She won’t like it, she won’t understand it. She will probably actively fight it, but you have to protect her.”

 

"Huh?" Maria’s voice held scorn now. “Why do you care?” She recoiled as Samuel sat up. He didn’t move from the bed and her hand slowly released the blaster that it had grabbed in reflex, returning it to the table. “Don’t move.” She warned unnecessarily.

 

"Look." Samuel sighed but didn’t lie back down. “Maria... Please listen to me.” His voice held entreaty, but no compulsion in the Force, not that it likely would have worked on such a strong willed woman. “I don’t know if I am a clone or not. I don’t know if I am really your husband, Sara’s father, or not. But I remember being him. I remember being helpless while they held you down… While you went through labor in that cell. While they took Sara from you and did… things to her…” He was crying now. “I remember. They wouldn’t let me touch her. I don’t know why and I don’t care. You are my wife and she is my daughter no matter what else may come. I failed both of you. I deserve your hate, all that and more. I caused all of this. That damned tour…”

 

"I..." Maria shook her head, but her hand left the blaster. “I remember…” She broke off, unsure.

 

"Look." Samuel did not move from his sitting position. “If shooting me helps you. Or Sara, or Sarai… Do it. I regret what I did to her the most. She was an innocent. And I used her to try and get to you. I do regret that. But it was that or kill her.”

 

"Kill her?" Maria snorted. “She would have preferred to die.” The woman said coldly.

 

"Yeah." Samuel nodded. “I know. I have done some awful things at my master’s command, Maria… I killed padawans to snatch a seer Jedi for him. I could have killed Jina, by accident…” Samuel shook his head. Now his voice held pure sorrow. “What have I become, Maria? What kind of monster am I? I wanted to be a surgeon, not a murderer.”

 

Maria sighed and relaxed, for the first time since Samuel had woken, she pulled her hand from the gun on the table. An expression that might have been a ghost of a grin flew across her face and was gone. “Wasn’t it you who always said ‘we can’t always get what we want’?”

 

"Doesn't matter now." Samuel didn’t crack a smile. “I am evil, Maria. Do what you have to.”

 

Maria shook her head. “Are you?” Samuel stared at her. “I remember the dreams. You saved Sara after that mess on Raltiir, she was clinically dead and came back. She told me you sat with her in that dream place, convinced her to return. You saved me, after I got drunk. You comforted Will when he was so lost after the horrible thing he did to Raven.”

 

"I..." Samuel gulped. Just the memory of what his son had been forced to do to sever a former Sith’s connection to the mad Bladeborn Ravishaw turned Samuels’s stomach. The torture had been the least of it. “I hurt Sarai.” His voice was small.

 

"Did you?" Maria shook her head. “Did you really? Or did you do the best you could to make her safe? You lied to her, but then again, you didn’t always tell me the truth, did you?” She asked sharply.

 

"Ah." Samuel flushed slightly at that. No, he hadn’t always been completely honest with Maria in the past. He slumped. “No, I wasn’t. I was young and stupid, but that is no excuse for infidelity. ‘Until death do us part’, and I failed you. Like I have again, and again. I never deserved you, Maria. You were always so much better than me, in so many ways. Tougher, stronger, faster…”

 

“Drunker, crazier, angrier…" Maria replied with a snort. "I always knew it was a good thing I didn’t have the Force, I would have fallen to the Dark Side for sure. I was faithful, but I never held your infidelity against you. I know you didn’t mean it to hurt me. We were apart so often, and we never knew if the next time either of us went out would be the last time we saw one another. I am not going to say I am not angry, even now, about it. But I can forgive you.”

 

"I can't." Samuel shook his head. “Every single test I have been faced with, I have failed you. I don’t…” He broke off as Maria rose. But instead of picking up the gun or moving to the door, she strode to the bed. “Maria… no…”

 

"Well." Maria shook her head as she looked down at him. “You are either the best actor I have ever met. Better than senators, Jedi, Sith, smugglers and Mandalorians. Or you really are my Samuel. And if you are not, I find I don’t care anymore.”

 

"No." Samuel recoiled as far as he could on the bed. “Maria… No… Think… I am a danger. To you, to Sara, to Will… Maria… Don’t…” He was begging her.

 

"Easy..." Maria shook her head as she sat down on the bed. “Shhh, Sam.” She pulled him into an embrace. “It will be all right. It wasn’t your fault.”

 

"Yes it was." Samuel was crying now. “I couldn’t fight. I wasn’t strong enough to protect you or Sara. I couldn’t do anything!” But he knew better than to try and fend off his wife hand to hand. She could wad him up and throw him out with yesterday’s garbage.

 

"Sam..." Maria simply pulled the man close and kissed his cheek. “They had plans within plans, Sam. Nothing you or I could have done might have stopped them. But now, I think they have met their match. Because now, we are together again, somehow. And I think the galaxy will tremble.”

 

"No." Samuel stared at Maria as if seeing her for the first time. “Oh no… Maria… Oh god… no…”

 

"Be at ease." Maria just smiled. “It’s okay Sam.”

 

"No." Samuel was crying as he tried to recoil, but Maria would not let go. “Maria, you don’t understand. I can have those machines in me, dormant. They can lie in wait, transfer to other people. Maria, for the love of the Force, get back!”

 

"No." Maria sighed and hugged the man tight. “No, Sam, it is you that does not understand. They can’t affect me now.”

 

Samuel stared at her. “What?”

 

"Sam." Maria smiled grimly. “You didn’t think the Sitolon just sat on their scaly buts all this time did you? Since they discovered the threat?”

 

Samuel stared at the woman he loved. “What?” He repeated.” He knew he sounded stupid, but it didn’t matter.

 

Maria smiled, a gentler smile now. “Come on Sam. We have a lot to talk about.”

[kalenath]

To say his reception as chilly would have been a massive understatement. When Maria escorted Samuel into the room, both Will and Sara had hands on their blasters and Sarai had a hand in her pocket. Samuel didn’t need the Force to know that whatever she had in there was dangerous. But everything stopped as Samuel sank to the floor. Maria turned to look at him and then stepped away as Samuel nodded to her.

 

"I..." Samuel’s voice was soft and filled with remembered pain. “I hurt you Sarai, I am sorry.”

 

"Sorry?" Sarai shook her head. “You are sorry? You kidnapped me, your allies killed all my friends, transformed my body to look like your daughter, and then programmed me to obey you and you are sorry?” Her voice was a rising crescendo now and she took a step forward, only to stop and grimace. “I don’t want you dead, I want you screaming for weeks!”

 

"I know." Samuel shook his head slowly, but didn’t move otherwise. “I didn’t have a choice. If I had been alone I would have had a choice, but I wasn’t. You remember…?” His voice held worry now.

 

"Not all." Sarai snarled at him. “I can’t remember my family, my life before. All I can remember is red. And black bugs. Pain and you.”

 

"Yeah." Samuel shook his head again. “Jainine hurt you. I tried not to.” Will stiffened and Samuel spoke to him without moving. “Yes, the personality that grew the first time was… unstable.”

 

"I'll say." Sarai snorted. “She enjoyed causing me pain!”

 

"It wasn't you." Samuel shrugged slightly. “She thought you were my lover Sarai. She was jealous.” All eyes were on him now, but Samuel turned to face Maria. “I have been faithful. Since our… talk after your last mission. I will not break that vow.” His voice was quiet, but held total sincerity. “I can’t lie to you, Maria. I have never been able to.”

 

The other black haired young girl spoke up. Sara still had her hand on her blaster. “You could be manipulating all of us now.”

 

"Well." Samuel sighed. “I could be, yes. I cannot prove that I am not.”

 

"Sam?" Maria shook her head and found a seat, the sole person in the room to do so. “What happened? When you found Sarai?”

 

Samuel took along breath before replying. “I had been sent to find out information on Will.” He nodded to his son who didn’t respond in any way. The younger man’s eyes bored into his father like a pair of mining lasers. “Track him if possible, or you.” He nodded to Maria. “The obvious point of contact was Cranna’s clinic.”

 

"You were so lucky." Will snorted in dark amusement. “If she had been there, you never would have made it past the entrance.”

 

"Well." Samuel sighed. “Probably not, but I wasn’t planning to fight. I figured I could talk to her, explain… If I wasn’t wearing black or carrying a lightsaber, she would at least listen, right?” Will nodded, but was obviously reluctant to do so. “I wanted to go alone, I figured if I was less of a threat, if they threw me out, I could handle that. But the master wouldn’t let me go alone. He sent Jainine with me. You know what happened when we faced Jina.” Two of Troguy’s Bladeborn had accompanied the former Jedi Jina Darkstorm and Samuel had been forced to flee with Jainine bleeding in his arms.

 

"So..." Maria shook her head slowly. “Let me get this straight. Your master can imprison people in those crystals? And then another personality grows?”

 

"I think so." Samuel shrugged. “I don’t know for sure what they do. But I know it works. They pull the memories of the being into a… well, it’s supposed to be a sort of stasis, restful. But it isn’t. I don’t know why.” He shivered a bit. He had used the crystals a few times and each time they left him feeling soiled, dirty. “Another personality either grows on its own or is encouraged to do so.”

 

"Then..." Sarai stared at him. “Why didn’t you do that to me?”

 

"Well..." Samuel slumped. “Several reasons. First and foremost, the result is clear on any Force scan. A simple look by any Force user and the deception I was ordered to do would have been…” He broke off as Sarai inhaled sharply.

 

The girl was shaking her head. “You… were… ordered…?”

 

"Yes, Sarai, I was ordered." Samuel nodded. “I was ordered to use you to impersonate a clone of Sara Kalenath. Initially, I expected to be able to use you, maybe change you cosmetically. Those changes would have been simple to undo.” He licked his lips. “I… I argued… The master doesn’t like it when people argue with him though.” He shivered just a bit in memory. “I didn’t have a choice, Sarai. I had to obey my master. Jainine hurt you, twice that I know of before that. I was trying not to. I was trying so hard not to. And then Bob ordered me to give you to Grun’Das. Grun’das argued as well, and what the master did to him…” Samuel grimaced.

 

Sarai’s eyes were wide now. “What?”

 

"Sarai." Samuel sighed. “I don’t blame you for being angry with me, Sarai. But tell me, did Grun’Das ever hurt you? Did he or his people ever do anything that might hurt you?”

 

"i..." Sarai paused, obviously trying to think. When she spoke it was bemused. “No. He was kind to me. Why?”

 

"Well..." Samuel shrugged. “I don’t know for sure. A lot of what goes on… What went on…” He corrected himself. “...in their makeup was instinctive. There were two basic kinds of things in their experience.” He broke off as Will spoke softly.

 

The soldier’s voice was quiet and filled with remembered pain. “Food and not-food.”

 

"Yes." Samuel nodded. “You were ‘not-food’ to them. Anyway, Sarai, I was ordered to change you genetically into a copy of Sara. You slept through it, didn’t you?”

 

"I..." Sarai shook her head. “I remember… flashes of red… and…” She paused. “Singing…?”

 

"What?" Samuel stiffened. “Singing?”

 

Sarai shook her head again, savagely. “That makes no sense. Why can’t you just be evil? I want you to be evil! I want to hate you!” Her voice was sharp now.

 

"I wouldn't blame you." Samuel sighed. “Sarai, what I did to you is unforgivable. On so many levels. I hope the Sitolon can undo what Grun’das was forced to do. And yes, he was forced to do it. He fought, harder than I have ever seen him fight, to disobey. But he had no choice. The master may say he doesn’t compel, but it sure seems like it.” Now Samuel’s voice held hate as well and all eyes in the room were on him. But then his eyes met Sarai’s and held hers. “If you want to hurt me, Sarai, go right ahead. I hurt you. I took you from your life, I changed you against your will, I used you and then I threw you away. I didn’t have a choice, but that doesn’t make it right. I want to make it right and I can’t.”

 

Sarai stared at him and her eyes were glistening. Sara came up and, putting an arm around her genetic twin, pulled the unresisting form to a chair. As soon as Sarai sat, she buried her face in her hands and soft sobs were heard. Sara hugged the other girl tight but the black haired girl’s eyes were still on Samuel.

 

"Okay." Will spoke now, and his voice was quiet. But there was something under it. A hate as deep as space itself. Samuel found himself shivering. “You said that your master was not behind Naj Orh? Do you have proof?”

 

"Uh..." Samuel shook his head. “None you would accept. Much of what I have is surmises, guesses… But it feels right as silly as that sounds.”

 

"Well." Will snorted, darkly mused. “Yeah, I remember you telling me to ‘trust my instincts’. Kept me alive a while lot before I found out I have the Force.”

 

Samuel froze. “You… What…?” Everyone in the room stiffened at his quiet, incredulous words.

 

Will stared at man who appeared to be his father. “I have the Force, not a lot, not enough to…” He broke off as Samuels’s expression darkened.

 

"You... No..." Samuel’s voice was angry when he spoke. Quiet, but very, very angry. “That son of a barve! I will kill him! I swear I will find a way to kill him!”

 

Maria stared at her husband. “What?” She asked quietly.

 

"Will..." Samuel bit his lip and shook himself, trying to calm down. “You didn’t Will. Not before. The Jedi I talked to was quite clear. You had the same amount that all beings have, but no more. It shouldn’t have been enough for you to use in any way. Or… You didn’t before… you joined up…” Samuel’s voice broke off and his face was study of shock. “Oh my god… That is where Bob got the tech… What he did to me…”

 

Will stared at him. “What?”

 

Samuel shook his head. “I need to know exactly what happened to you. Will. It’s important. More important than ever.” The urgency in his voice was easy to hear. But this was different Samuel. Not the worried penitent, but the dedicated healer.

 

Will looked from the man kneeling on the floor to his mother. Maria sighed. “I think it may be time for you to come clean, son.”

 

Will stared at his armored boots. “It’s not a fun tale, Mom.”

 

"Duh." Maria sighed as she rose. She walked to her son and embraced him. “I knew that the moment I saw the scars that were left. Come on, let’s everyone get comfortable. This may take a while…” She led her unresisting son to the table and sat him down, sitting beside him. Samuel waited until she nodded to him before rising slowly and taking a seat at the other end of the table. Maria patted her son on the head. “Okay, Will, let’s start at the beginning…”

 

"I set everything up as best I could." Will’s voice was a monotone. “I had left you a note. I had left everything as tidy as I could…”

[kalenath]

<A memory>

 

He wanted this to be a dream. He so wanted this to be a dream, a bad, horrific dream. But since he wasn’t sleeping, that was impossible. It had started so well. The recruiter had promised him the chance to fly, and even if the first sergeant said that the chances were slim to none, he had been in the Forces, so he had figured to work hard, study as much as he could and then try out when he got the chance. He never expected this. The archaic binders bit deep into his flesh as he turned just a little on his side to try and get comfortable. Not that he could.

 

He had worked so hard in basic training, trying to do the best he could while at the same time not too well. His mother and father had taught him well how to handle military types. Never volunteer, don’t catch the sergeant’s eye, all kinds of small things that he had been told and never appreciated until he had actually joined. The training battalion had been full of raw recruits, and they had been shipped out packed into a small transport like canned fish. They had been told that their destination was Onderon, to help with a planet wide cleanup after a massive disaster a few years ago.

 

Onderon had not had a peaceful history. Between Sith Lords, spirits of Sith lords, beastriders, civil wars and other problems, it was a wonder that the population managed to stay sane. But they did, and they were tough, but… When the Sith had returned, Onderon had fought hard. The defenses had held off even the most determined attackers. Everyone knew that sooner or later the Sith would mass enough forces to crush all resistance, but until then, the inhabitants of Onderon were fighting hard. The Sith did not appreciate it. For some reason, the means by which the Sith Empire had subverted other star systems to serve them hadn’t worked on that planet. At least, not totally. The few supports that the Sith had apparently found themselves cast out to be fodder for drexl. So some crazy Sith sahd dropped an asteroid on the planet, missing all the cities, but making an awful mess nonetheless.

 

The transport had never made it to Onderon. He had been asleep in his bunk with the rest of his platoon when the ship had shuddered. The attackers had been in full armor, none of his compatriots had a chance. The heaviest weapon that any of them had possessed had been the sergeant’s blaster rifle, and she had gone down in moments to a torrent of heavy fire from two assault droids. Will had been trying to get an EMP charge to the droids when he had heard stunners whine and he had blacked out. When he had woken, he had been here.

 

“Will?” A soft voice pulled him out of his revere. Will smiled slightly as he turned his head, grimacing at the sheer pain that small act caused.

 

Will managed to croak out words. It hurt to speak, to move, even to breath. “Saj…” The female Mon Calamari occupied a cell next to his. Her quiet, calm and gentle voice helped keep him sane with all the punishment he was taking. Every so often, she would manage somehow to get into his cell. She was a healer, her skill at tending the various wounds that his captors left on his body was nothing short of incredible.

 

"Will." Saj’s voice was quiet. “Will… Talk to me. You have to talk to me.” The urgency in the female being’s voice had him trying to move again. “Come on, boy… Talk…”

 

"I..." Will tasted copper, he must have bitten his lip or something. “Saj, I… Why are they doing this?” Every day, he thought it was days, time got funny in a cell. Even without the wounds that his captors gave him. Even without the other brutality that the scum visited on him. He could hear screaming every so often, and he assumed that the rest of his battalion was being treated as badly as him. “They did… something new…” His head was so heavy.

 

"No!" Saj’s voice was sharp now. “Will… Will! You have to focus! Will, stay with me. Do not sleep. If you sleep, you will die!”

 

Will was fading though. Suddenly, somehow the healer was holding him. “Will, stay with me! Stay with me…” Her voice was gentle as she held him. “I don’t know how they did this to you. But you have to stay awake.”

 

"saj..." Will’s voice was soft, almost inaudible. “They… put something in me…”

 

Saj eased his limbs into less painful places. He hadn’t been able to summon the energy to move his limbs. The torture that had been done to him had been bad enough, but then they had injected him with…something. He felt both heavy and light at the same time. Drugged? Saj’s voice was angry and scared now. “Will… come on boy. Stay with me…”

 

"I just..." Will slumped, spent. “I just… I want this to be a bad dream…” To his horror, he was crying. Nothing in his sixteen years had prepared him for this.

 

Saj’s voice was gentle. “I know. I know. Its okay, Will. Tears are not weakness.” Her hands were gentle as they cleaned his wounds as best she could with what she had. He never had found out how she managed to have medical supplies. For a time he had thought that she was a trick of some kind, a means to get him to spill information. But his captors hurt her as often as they hurt him. He could see barely healed wounds on her face and scalp even now.

 

"I don't understand." Will was sobbing now. “They keep yelling about a treasure. I don’t know what they are talking about. If there was a treasure, no one would have told me.” The cool and slightly slick arms gave him a hug.

 

"I know." Saj sighed. “I know, Will. It certainly isn’t your fault. I don’t know who is running this madhouse now. I… I have been here so long. I lost track.”

 

Will sighed, trying to move past the pain in his body. Suddenly, it muted. “What the…?”

 

"Will?" Saj looked at him as he stared at her. “What?”

 

"I..." Will’s face was scared. “I wanted the pain to stop, and it did. I…” He was breathing fast now, almost hyperventilating.

 

"Easy..." Saj stared at him and then gathered him up in her arms again. “It’s okay Will. It’s okay.”

 

“I can’t do things like that. It isn’t possible for me. I am no Jedi.” Will was shaking. “They cut my hair off and did something to my head, didn’t they?”

 

Saj didn’t want to answer, but eventually she spoke. “You have marks of surgery on your skull Will. I don’t know what they did, or why. But I will help as I can.” Suddenly, something poured from Saj into Will. It felt…good. He had never felt anything like that before.

 

"Uh." Will stared at the female Mon Calamari. “Are you a Jedi, Saj?”

 

Saj sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.” Something about her reply rang false to him, but then the pain eroded past whatever had happened and he stiffened as it ate away at his reserve.

 

Will slumped, his energy spent. “Saj… I…”

 

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by a harsh voice from outside the cell. “Get away from him.” Will managed to look up into the armored form of one of the guards. He hated that woman. She enjoyed hurting him, mentally and physically.

 

Saj didn’t move. “Go away, you evil witch. You have done enough.”

 

The woman in armor laughed. “Have I?” Pain erupted from the collar Will wore and the cuff as well, sending him convulsing off the small bunk and onto the deck. All he could do was writhe in agony. He was unaware of anything but the pain for a long moment. Then…

 

Saj’s voice was sharp now. “Stop this! You will not get whatever you want if you kill him.”

 

The armored form laughed again, and Will turned his hate filled eyes towards the bars that held him in. Will’s voice was calm, cool and collected when he spoke. “I am going to kill you, lady.”

 

"No!" Saj was lying nearby. Apparently the guard had triggered the Mon Calamari’s own cuffs as well. “Will… No… Don’t give in. Stay calm. Don’t give in to…AHHH!!” The Mon Calamari screamed and convulsed as the guard hit a control again.

 

The guard snickered. “Shut it, you idiot. Time for another treatment boy.” Two more armored forms appeared behind the evil woman but Will didn’t take his eyes off of her. He didn’t move or look away as the bars retracted, as the troopers moved forward to pick him up.

 

His voice was quiet. “I will kill you.”

 

Saj’s voice was hoarse and weak, but she managed to croak out words. “Leave him alone. Haven’t you…” Her voice cut off as one of the guards kicked her.

 

The female guard laughed at Will. “Oh I have no doubt you will try, eventually. But right now, the Boss wants you. Come along…” Her voice was sickly sweet as she motioned and the two troopers picked Will’s unresisting form up and carried him from the cell. As they did, he caught a glimpse of something in a cross corridor. Brown robes?

[kalenath]

He was barely aware of anything now. The guards and their sadistic ‘Boss’, whoever that was, had spent quite a bit of time working him over. The voice over the speakers was female, but even Will knew that could be faked. He knew he had blacked out at least three times during the ordeal. Each time, he had been awakened by a spray of cold water. But the last time he had woken, he hadn’t been in the torture chamber. Instead, he had been in a bed, and something had been over his head. He had seen green light before someone had exclaimed and he had fallen asleep again.

 

He landed on the floor of his cell, perversely grateful for once. No one around to see him cry, no one to humiliate him further. No one to hurt him… he froze as something touched him. It felt damp.

 

"Will?" Saj’s voice was sad. “Oh Will… Oh… What did they do to you, boy?” She cleaned his burned and other wounds gently. He never had managed to get a straight answer as to how she had medical supplies in her cell. But right now he couldn’t have cared less. The soothing of his wounds calmed him slightly, but it was several minutes before he was able to speak.

 

"Saj..." When he managed to speak, he was utterly amazed at how calm his voice was. “I don’t know what they are doing. But it isn’t just torture.”

 

"I know." Saj’s voice was sad now. “If they were actually torturing you, they wouldn’t have stopped. This makes no sense.” The boy didn’t move or flinch as the Mon Calamari healer cleaned a particularly deep wound. “Why would they hurt you so badly?”

 

"Saj?" Will thought for a moment. “What does green light on the face mean? Do you know?” He felt the healer stiffen. “Saj?”

 

"Will?" Saj’s voice was quiet. “What do you remember? Exactly.”

 

Will bit his lip for a moment and then started reciting what he remembered being done to him. A week, a month ago, he would have been sickened by the dry, factual account, even if it hadn’t all been done to him. Now, he was just…empty. But he did remember more. “When I woke the last time, I was in a bed, not on the table. It felt… comfortable. But when I opened my eyes, I was blinded by green light. I heard someone say “flarg he’s awake’. I tried to stay awake, but I couldn’t. Next thing I knew, I was being carried back here. I think I heard one of the guards ask ‘Is he dangerous yet?’ What does that mean Saj? What are they doing to me?”

 

For a long moment, the Mon Calamari healer did not respond. When she did it was quiet and in his ear. “We are under observation, Will. Don’t respond.” The boy didn’t do anything. He had known for some time that he and the healer were closely monitored. Now the healer’s voice held worry. “Will, they are programming you.”

 

Will stiffened, but didn’t speak. He cracked his eyes for the first time and winced as the harsh light of the cell hurt them. He groaned aloud, that was in character. But when Saj leaned close to examine him, he spoke softly, too softly for any microphone to pick up. “Why?” He asked quickly.

 

"Will..." The healer’s voice was also quiet. “I don’t know.” Now her voice was louder. “Come on, boy, let’s get you up. I want to see your back.”

 

Will bit back a scream as he managed to sit up with the Mon Calamari’s help. The healer’s voice was disapproving, he had never heard or seen her actually hating. Angry, disapproving, uncomfortable, sure, but never hating. She was never really angry, he realized, more just strongly disapproving. She was almost always calm and gentle with him. She was… He stiffened. Was she a Jedi? She always managed to avoid the question. Had those been brown robes he had seen in the corridor? What was going on? He focused on the healer’s voice again. “…must be idiots. Come on, how much can one human male take before going mad? Will, you need sleep.”

 

"No." Will shook his head. “Saj, I am dangerous. They are doing something to me.”

 

"Idiot boy." The healer sighed. “Will, its okay. I will take precautions. But you need real sleep, not nightmares. And if you have a seizure, which is totally possible given what they have done to you, I need to be close.”

 

Will was nodding off now as the healer lifted him easily and carried him to the bed. But his voice was still concerned. “Saj… Something is wrong. I can feel something wrong. Please… No…” His eyes were so heavy as she laid him down. A touch on his head and he was falling.

 

Saj’s voice was quiet. “I will always be with you, Will.”

 

***

 

When Will woke. His first thought was that he didn’t hurt. The second thought was how had he managed to stand up in his sleep? He opened his eyes and looked around. He was still in Saj’s cell. But… he froze solid as he stared at his feet. The kind Mon Calamari healer lay at his feet, her neck twisted at an odd angle. He knelt beside her and saw the marks of hands on her head and neck. He stared at his hands and they were coated with Mon Calamari blood.

 

“No…” Will’s voice was horrified. He stiffened as a loudspeaker came to life.

 

The voice of the human female the guards called ‘Boss’ came over the box. “Well done, slave. You are mine, and revenge will be mine very soon.”

 

Will spoke softly, and the depths of space sounded from his voice. “Like hell I am. Soon I will be dead and you with me.”

 

The voice laughed. “Ah, so very confident. Just like your mother. Ah well…Sleep now slave. You will be given more training and your first real targets when you wake.” He heard a hissing, but his focus was elsewhere. Something was happening. Something big. He was grinning in anticipation as he lost consciousness.

 

He could not have been unconscious for long. He was still in Saj’s cell, lying beside her cold, still form. But something had awoken him. Singing? It had sounded almost like singing. But when he tried to focus on it, it faded from his mind. Then the deck under him lurched. He stared at it. The last time he had felt such a feeling was when the enemy who had attacked the transport had been firing at it. Then his attention was drawn to the bars of his cell. They were retracting! He didn’t move, or even change his breathing as the female guard who had made his life so miserable came into view.

 

"Dang it!" She was muttering. “Of all the stupid things. An enemy ship showing up. This system is supposed to be off the charts.” She scrutinized Will and sighed. “Nothing for it. Got to get you to the doc so we can get off this tub…”

 

She picked him up and then stiffened as his hands flew. He had seen the knife at her belt many times, she had used the small, deadly blade on him a number of times, but had never been able to get his hands on it. Before she could react, he had it in hand and it danced, almost of its own regard, into her neck. She stared at him, eyes wide in shock as he stabbed her again and again. Her eyes were glassy and distant when he finally stopped, leaving the knife in her neck.

 

He started off, aware, for the first time, of his nakedness. He hadn’t really been aware of the fact that he hadn’t been clothed after the first session of brutalization with the woman he had just killed. He stared at the forcefield that barred entry and exit from this bay of horrors and snarled. As he passed other cells, he breathed harder. They were all full. None of the occupants moved, most were still as if in death. He knew the occupants. Not all by name, but they were all members of his training battalion. All were naked, and all had been tortured. He was shaking with rage as he found a locker and, opening it, found a jump suit that was only slightly too big for him. He didn’t have boots, but it didn’t matter, he would find some. Then the ship rocked again and this time the forcefield barring the door flickered. And died!

 

He was in motion before thought caught up with sight. He was past the barrier and heading into the ship. He tried several doors, finally finding one that opened. He was ready for a fight, but the stateroom was empty. He checked the locker and found a pair of boots that were too small, but better than nothing. He was surprised to find a terminal that worked and after a moment, keyed up a deck plan of this ship. He grinned ferally as he saw a hangar bay listed. Time to get out of here.

[kalenath]

<The present>

 

Will’s dry, emotionless recital concluded. “I managed to get to a ship, blew as much of the inside of the hangar bay away as I could, then got out. I was shot down by Bladeborn fighters apparently, crashed on Kuria…” He broke off and bowed his head. “And met Jainine. The rest you know.”

 

"Those Special Branch bastards!" Samuel was shaking his head. He looked as if he wanted to embrace Will, but didn’t dare. Sara and Maria had no such compunctions and both were holding the soldier. The patriarch of the Kalenath clan‘s voice was soft and very angry still. “They did it to you. Those bastards did the same thing to you that they did to us!”

 

Sarai looked from one to the other, lost. Them Maria held out a hand and Sarai snuggled close. Will didn’t react, his face was totally impassive as if a droid were inhabiting his body.

 

Maria’s voice was sad. “Will… Talk to me.”

 

"Mom." Will was shaking now. “I… I can’t… mom… Help… I… I am losing it.”

 

Sarai looked form Will to Samuel. “You can help him.” Seh said slowly.

 

"Maybe." Samuel shook his head. “But I would have to touch him. He won’t let me.”

 

"Hmmm." Maria looked from her son to her husband and back again. “Will… Do you trust me?”

 

"Mom?" Will actually managed to force a grin onto his face. “What a silly thing to say, mom. Yes, I trust you. Or you would spank me.”

 

Maria snickered a bit at her son’s tone and then, without a word, held out the hand that was snuggling Sarai to Samuel. Sarai stiffened, but didn’t protest. Samuel stared at the hand as he were drowning and the hand was an offered life preserver. Will bowed his head. Samuel rose from his seat and slowly, very slowly, approached the group. When he was in reach, Maria grabbed his wrist and pulled him close. Samuel didn’t move as Sara and Sarai both stiffened, but then both relaxed.

 

"Okay." Maria spoke softly.”Samuel, help your son.”

 

"I... Okay." Samuel looked at Will and his face was bleak. “This will hurt.” Will didn’t move, didn’t react. Samuel reached out a slow hand to touch Will on the skull and then he blinked as energy flared before he commanded it to. But instead of the sickly purple energy that was the hallmark of the Dark Side, or the clean blue energy that was the sign of the Light Side, this was different, something in between. More a silver than a blue. Or a gray. Samuel stared at his hand as the energy poured into his son and the soldier relaxed. It felt pure to Samuel’s senses, none of the strictures that dominated the light or the shadow that dominated the dark.

 

"Dad..." Will looked up and met his father’s eyes. Then he was embracing the man. “Thank you.”

 

"I..." Samuel flinched slightly. “I don’t know what just happened. This is…weird.”

 

"Weird?" Maria snorted. “That defines our entire life, Sam. But we need more answers. We need to know exactly what Naj Orh did.”

 

"Well." Sara spoke up from her place in the group hug that now enfolded them all. “Only one person knows that.”

 

Maria smiled grimly. “I know. But Naj Orh will be persuaded to answer us.” More than one of the others shivered at the cold in her voice, before the reformed family hugged each other again.

[kalenath]

It was very quiet in the small room. The only sounds were the beeping of the various pieces of medical equipment that were keeping the sorely hurt girl in the bed alive. Samuels topped a t the threshold as the man who was sitting beside the bed stiffened, but then relaxed as he saw Will and Maria with the man. Samuel did note however, that the man’s hand did not leave his blaster. Not that he blamed Cole Shanas at all for being paranoid. Not now.

 

Maria spoke first. “Cole? Any change?” The former smuggler turned agent for the Bladeborn shook his head silently.

 

Will moved forward slowly, hands in plain sight. “Cole, I want you to meet someone.”

 

Cole’s voice was quiet, but filled with hate. “I know who he is.” Indeed, the former smuggler’s eyes were hard, and his posture stiff. Samuel wondered exactly what Trugoy had told the man.

 

"Sam?" Maria sighed and looked at her husband. “Is there anyone in the galaxy who isn’t angry with you?”

 

"Well..." Samuel shrugged. ‘You, at the moment.”

 

Maria laughed softly and then sighed again. “The day is young.” She looked at the man beside the bed. “Cole, I think we can help her.”

 

Cole was shaking his head. “If Cranna’s people can’t, what makes you think you can?” He was trying to sound angry, but his voice came out tired, scared and sick.

 

Will took another step and was beside the bed now. He stared at the bed and small, still form that lay on it. His face was sad. Juli Shana Kalenath’s normally active, intelligent face was slack in sleep, but pale and drawn as well. She had been hurt by a crazy woman, basically for no reason other than the woman wanted others to feel her own pain. The energy that had killed two of Will’s other fosterlings had hurt Juli severely.

 

“Ah Juli…” Will smoothed a lock of hair from the girl’s forehead and looked at Cole. “ Cole. I think we can help her. She has retreated a long way, a very long way.”

 

Cole slumped. “So again, you save her and me… I can do nothing…” His face was melancholy now as he remembered the death of his son and the enslavement of his wife and daughter. If not for Trugoy’s Bladeborn, he would be dead too.

 

"Not true." Samuel shook his head. “We need you too. As well as one other, who should be arriving, right…about…now.” The door behind them hissed open and Istara came in. Her red hair was a soggy mess and her face was red as if freshly scrubbed.

 

"Gah!" Istara was grimacing. “Of all the times to call me. I had just stepped into the shower. Oh…” Her voice changed immediately. “I…see…” Her entire demeanor changed as she took in the scene. Cole sitting beside the bed, Will standing beside it, Maria and Samuel standing by the door. Her gaze turned to Samuel. “Can you help her?” She asked as she mopped her head with a towel she was carrying.

 

"I don't know." Samuel sighed. “I just don’t know. But I have to try.”

 

"Why?" Istara looked at him. “You are an agent of the being who calls himself Bob. An efficient and merciless one by all accounts. Why help this girl?”

 

"Because I can try." Samuel shook his head. “I have done horrible things, Istara Sharlina Andal. What is worse, I do not know if I was in control of myself or not. I never wanted to hurt people. I wanted to heal, not kill.”

 

"Fair enough." Istara looked at him for a long moment and then nodded. “If you can help Juli, go ahead. But I am watching you.”

 

"I need to know." Samuel nodded. “What did you try? When you did?”

 

"I looked in her mind." Istara bit her lip and nodded slowly. “I thought to find her unconscious mind and pull it out. But I couldn’t go deep enough…” She broke off and blanched. “Oh no… No… if you do that…”

 

Samuel sighed. “It is her only chance.” All eyes were on him now. He turned to Cole and spoke. “Your daughter has lost her way. I will help her find it. But I need your help.”

 

Cole stared at the healer and then at Istara, who nodded minutely. Istara’s voice was cool now. “I won’t let him do anything else Cole. You have my word.” The Bladeborn drew her sword.

 

"My help?" Cole stared back at Samuel. “What… What do I do? I don’t have the Force.”

 

"No." Samuel smiled a bit wistfully. “No, you have something far more powerful. You have the love of your daughter. You and Will. I need both of you to touch her. Anywhere. And then I need to touch you both.”

 

Cole was obviously wrestling with that. His distrust of Force users was magnified by his hatred of the being who Samuel served. He looked at his daughter and shuddered. Then he sighed and laid his hands on her flesh and blood shoulder. Her other shoulder as well as her arms were gone. They had been mangled when a set of slaver mines had gone off. Mines he had set off to kill the slavers who had been holding Juli and other hostage. He hadn’t known she was there. He had done that to her. Will nodded to him and laid a hand on Juli’s abdomen and the other on the girl’s brow.

 

Samuel moved slowly to stand beside both men and then stretched out both hands. He laid one over Will’s left hand, which lay on Juli’s brow. He laid his other on Cole’s pair that were on Juli’s shoulder. He took a deep breath and nodded to both men. “Ready?” He asked.

 

Both men nodded and didn’t speak. Samuel closed his eyes and Will and Cole followed suit. For a long moment, nothing seemed to happen. But then Juli’s body shuddered. She convulsed, almost as if she were being electrocuted again. Her face grimaced and a croak sounded that might have been a scream, but weak, so very weak. Istara was at her side in an eyeblink, but didn’t touch the trio. Maria watched in awe and fear as the girl she didn’t know suffered anew.

 

After an eternity, perhaps five minutes, Samuel released his hands and staggered back a pace. Istara held him upright and he nodded his thanks to her as he found a chair nearby.

 

Cole was the first to open his eyes. “What was that?” The usually unflappable smuggler sounded shaken.

 

Will answered before Samuel could. “He took us…somewhere. That was Juli’s mind wasn’t it?”

 

Samuel sighed. “What is left of it.” His voice was sad. Istara and Maria both stared at him. “I am sorry.” Istara and Maria both stared at him. “Even with the Force there are limits. She…” he broke off, unable to continue.

 

Cole turned to Will’s father “She is alive. Is there… Any chance?”

 

"I..." Samuel shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe the Sitolon can do something. They have mind techniques that the rest of the galaxy only dreams of. But... she was shattered.”

 

"Juli?" Istara blanched pure white. “Oh my god. No…”

 

Maria stared from the men to Istara. “What? What has happened?”

 

"Her mind..." Samuel bowed his head. “The torture she was underwent… She was reliving it in her mind, it should have killed her.” His voice was thoughtful but sad. “Her mind has fragmented.”

 

"I don't..." Maria stared her husband. “Fragmented? As in multiple personalities?”

 

"No." Samuel shook his head. “Fragmented as in shattered. As in blown completely to pieces. I don’t know of any way to put them back together.” His voice cracked as he fought tears.

 

Cole and Will were both crying as they held the still form in the bed. Maria finally spoke. “Would it be more merciful then…” She broke off as both men drew their blasters. Everyone else in the room froze.

 

Will and Cole chorused. “No one touches her!” They stared at each other and then at the blasters they both held. They both smiled a bit sadly and put their weapons away. But the aura of threat didn’t disappear.

 

"Wait..." Istara spoke softly, but her blade vanished back into its sheath. “Will, Cole, think. Would she want to live like that? A vegetable?” Cole shook his head and with an inarticulate cry, pulled his daughter up and hugged her tight.

 

Will was pondering something and then he nodded slowly. “I may know a way.” All eyes in the room turned to him. Istara, Maria and Samuel all shared looked of disbelief. Cole had a look of hope and fear on his face. “But it means we have to go to the Sitolon homeship.”

 

Istara was shaking her head. “Will, they under threat of attack. They won’t come out of hiding.”

 

“They don’t have to. That attack is going to get squashed.” Will said grimly. There was a feral gleam in the man’s eyes now and against his will, Samuel shuddered. Will was utterly merciless when those he loved were in danger.

 

"While I agree with the sentiment..." Istara shook her head. “Will, they will have a fleet. Probably Republic ships.”

 

Will shrugged. “So?” He was perfectly capable of destroying a fleet when he got going and everyone knew it. Some people asked how he did things like that, and it was simple. He didn’t fight fair. Nuclear mines might have been outlawed by the Republic, but he had access to such things. Istara and other wondered all the time WHERE he got his munitions from. But he never spoke of it.

 

Istara stared at him. “And if Captain Brun is commanding one of the ships?” She knew for a fact that the Republic captain still loved Will. And she was fairly sure he had feelings for Captain Mercedes Brun, Republic Navy.

 

Will sighed. “You fight dirty, Istara.” But then he shook his head. “If she is there and I show up, she is going to run away, orders or no orders. She knows better.”

 

Samuel sighed. “Will…”

 

Will shook his head again, but then he stiffened. An odd look, almost predatory, came over his face. “I think we can do this.”

 

Maria was shaking her head. “It has to be a trap. For you, for the Sitolon. For us… This is exactly the kind of thing they did to Trugoy’s Bladeborn. Probably to draw you and Istara, maybe Jina as well, out.”

 

Will was grinning widely now. “I know.” The sheer malice in his tone had everyone shivering. Family he might be, but the darkness was strong in him.

 

Samuel’s voice was neutral now. “If they are simply following orders, will you slaughter them?”

 

Will shook his head. “No. But if this goes as I think, I won’t have to.” All of them stared at him. “Look, they want to control me, right? But Istara and the Sitolon trashed the obedience protocols.”

 

"Uh..." Istara was shaking her head. “Will, we think we got them all. We don’t know for sure. Hell, we don’t know if I am clean.”

 

Will was grinning wider. “Trust me, Istara.”

 

Samuel was shaking his head. “Why do I know I am going to regret this…”

[kalenath]

"Reversion in 15 minutes." Will's quiet voice sounded on the intercom of the small transport.

 

Samuel hadn't really known what to expect when he had boarded the ship. It looked on the outside like a standard design Republic shuttlecraft that had been converted to a gunship, a fairly normal modification. Two gun turrets covering dorsal and ventral quadrants were typical for such ships. Nothing about the inside was normal. At first glance it seemed that way. Several small compartments, set up either as cabins, storage rooms, or whatever, adjoined the large main compartment that would have held troops for a military shuttle, or passengers. The small medical ward was taken with Juli. Her father had not left her side since she had been carried aboard. Maria, Sara and Sarai had taken another compartment. Istara yet another, and that had left Samuel with the final small compartment. But when he had opened it... He had come face to face with a man frozen in carbonite.

 

Samuel hadn't been sure about this whole trip, but having a being in hibernation along for the ride kind of... Well... It bothered him. He had spent the trip meditating, of course. The last thing he wanted to do was get in anyone's way in the close confines of the ship. But he had to know, so he made his way to the bridge.

 

"Will?" He asked softly, so as not to interrupt anything important.

 

"What?" Will's voice wasn't hostile, but it wasn't friendly either.

 

"Who is the man in carbonite?" Samuel asked slowly.

 

"Oh him?" Will sniffed derisively. "I forgot all about him. Never did offload the Jedi-cicle, did we?"

 

"You have a Jedi in carbonite aboard?" Samuel asked carefully. "Do I want to know?"

 

"No, you don't." Will said soberly. "Ten minutes to reversion."

 

"How long has he been in there?" Samuel asked after a few minutes. Will didn't respond and Samuel pressed gently. "Will..."

 

"A while." Will said absently. "His name is Markus Sigmundson, if that means anything to you." Samuel stiffened and Will nodded. "I see it does."

 

"I uh... I kept up with what I could about what you were up to." Samuel said soberly. "How did you catch him? I know he was involved with what happened at Tython when the Stormhawk surrendered."

 

"I ran into him later. He surrendered." Will said with a shrug. "Seemed to want absolution. Said he would stand trial aboard the 'Hawk."

 

"You are kidding..." Samuel said with a hiss of disbelief. "He sets foot on that ship and he is a dead man. I know some of what he did..." He could not keep a tingle of anger from his voice. Just the thought of someone hounding his son for something Will hadn't done was... He stopped himself. Anger wouldn't help.

 

"His choice." Will said with a shrug. "Five minutes to reversion. Why do you ask?"

 

"I don't know." Samuel said with a shrug of his own. "Maybe I just enjoy being a healer instead of a killer. You mind if I check him out?"

 

"Nah." Will replied absently as he fiddled with controls. "Have at."

 

"Thanks." Samuel said with a sigh. "What are you going to do?" He asked after a moment.

 

"Scare people." Will said with a grin in his tone. "It is usually easier than actually fighting them."

 

"Indeed?" Samuel asked. Then he thought about that. "Yeah. I can actually see that. But if they don't scare?" Will didn't answer and Samuel had his. "You don't bluff much, do you?"

 

"No." Will said with a sigh. "No point in it usually."

 

"Ah..." Samuel sighed. "I have no right to judge. I left you all."

 

"You didn't leave." Will said softly. "You were taken. And... Time..." He hit the intercom. "Reversion in one minute, everyone ready?"

 

Samuel didn't flinch as the small bridge of the gunship suddenly filled to overflowing. Maria, Sara and Sarai all crowded in. He did find a jump seat and strap himself in as the others did. None of them talked as Will counted down and then hit the controls that deactivated the hyperdrive. The blue tunnel of hyperspace suddenly vanished, replaced by streaks that quickly became pinpoints as the ship slowed to normal space speeds. But Will did not kick in the sublight drives. Instead he perused the scanners. Samuel smiled thinly. Sublight drives glowed on most sensors. Without them, the small ship might well be invisible.

 

"Hmmm.,.." Will said softly. "Republic battleship group. Flagship is the Courageous. Not Mercedes' ship."

 

"Will..." Maria said slowly.

 

"I am not going to kill anyone, mom." Will said with a shrug. "Unless this doesn't work, and it should. I have current Republic codes, and they seem to still be using RD-6 90 sensors as the standard."

 

"What is going to work?" Sara asked. "Whoa!" She said as Will hit a series of controls and the plot changed. On the screens, a dozen ships suddenly decelerated from hyperspace. IMPERIAL ships! Two battleship groups! They turned onto an intercept vector with the Republic ships. Will grinned at his sister and keyed his com. When he spoke it was in a clipped Imperial accent.

 

"Republic vessels, you are in violation of the Treaty of Coruscant." He said with an arrogant sneer. All four of the others stared at him and he grinned before sneering again. "Identify yourselves. Now." The Republic ships, instead of doing as instructed, turned and fled. Will spoke again, this time angry. "Republic vessels, heave to or be fired upon. You have one minute to comply. If you refuse or attempt to flee, we will hunt you down and destroy you cowardly scum no matter where you hide."

 

The Republic ships, far from cowed, simply jumped into hyperspace. Will shrugged.

 

"Problem solved." He said with a grin.

 

"Dang Will." Maria said with a smile. 'You do a better Imperial accent than some Imperials I have met."

 

"What was that?" Sara asked, awed. "Sensor ghosts?"

 

"Yeah." Will said with a shrug. "I sent fake info to their sensors, and since none of those Imperial ships were actually in visual range of the Republic vessels, as far as they could tell, the Imps were real."

 

"Slick." Sara said with a grin. "I have to remember that one."

 

"Won't always work." Will cautioned her. "This time I had the proper sensor info. If they had upgraded their systems, or changed the codes, well..." He hit the intercom. "Istara? Can we land?"

 

"Are we clear?" Istara asked, then she snorted. "Never mind. Nana says we are. Medics are standing by. Course... 315.9 They say we are twenty minutes out at our current speed."

 

"Roger that. Okay, I will get us there." Will said with a grin. "Mom? Can you check on Juli?"

 

"I will check your 'guest', Will." Samuel said as he rose. "Wouldn't do for him to expire early now would it?"

 

Sara stared at Samuel and then turned to Will as Samuel left the bridge. "'Guest'?"

 

"Long story." Will said with a sigh, but then Samuel was out of earshot.

Edited August 9, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

Samuel Kalenath walked, his face composed, but his heart was worried. The healer had been busy at the carbonite slab containing the Jedi while the gunship had landed. The readouts were clear, but he was dubious about waking the Jedi in such a hostile environment. So he had decided not to until after he was sure no one would slice the Jedi up while the man was vulnerable. He was safer in the carbonite sheathe for now. Now Samuel followed Istara beside his wife and daughter down the ramp of the gunship and paused. Samuel had been in a number of places in his life, active warzones, peaceful temples and everything in between. But nothing he had ever encountered had prepared him for his first sight, and smell, of the hangar bay on the Sitolon homeship. Everything was…alive.

 

He looked at his feet and the deck surface that they stood on was not durasteel. It looked like some kind of clay. He bent down slowly to touch it, and his face broke out in a smile. It WAS clay. He stared around. The surface looked like it had seen some hard use, but it also looked in fine shape. He shook his head, someone with more time on their hands than anyone he had ever met had gone completely nuts in this bay. Along both walls, green plants were growing, including, if Samuel was not mistaken, two fruit trees. He shook his head, dumbfounded. Hangar bays were supposed to be sterile, clean, not… growing with plants.

 

Then Samuel stiffened. Will and Cole were leading a hover gurney out of the ship. On it, Juli’s slack form lay as it had since Samuel had first seen her. If she had moved at all, it was unapparent. Samuel reached out a slow hand and bowed his head when he felt no change at all in the girl.

 

The healer sighed. “You think they can help her, Will?”

 

Will’s face was remote. Not scary, just… aloof. As if he feared to let his emotions show. “I hope so. Ah, here we are…”

 

Samuel froze as a part of the wall came alive and several large forms out of a nightmare strode toward the group. The healer had to force himself to breath as he took in the large, three sectioned bodies and the eight limbs. Sitolon did not fall directly into any classification Samuel was familiar with. They were not spiders, although they had eight legs. They were not insects, although they had compound eyes, six of them, and three segmented bodies.

 

Istara let out a cry and was in motion. All the others stared at her as she darted up tone of the bugs and threw her arms around it. “Nana!” The Bladeborn said. “I have missed you.”

 

Will shook his shock off first and advanced a step. “Holianahyatoujikaimnana…” Samuel stared at his son as the younger man put voice to the full Sitolon name in a formal tone. “I crave a boon.”

 

The large, bronze skinned insect looked at Will and then at the hover gurney with its sad cargo. “Do you know what you ask, Will? Even if we can do what you think we can, she may never be the same.”

 

Will turned to Cole and bowed his head. “Cole…?” The soldier’s voice was quiet, not inflected at all.

 

Cole stared from Will to the large bug. “I… What do you mean? How?” He stuttered, the usually imperturbable smuggler turned agent stressed beyond belief by what had occurred to his beloved daughter.

 

"Its not guaranteed." Will sighed. “They may be able to put her mind back together, Cole. They did it for me.” Nana stared at him, and Will grinned slightly. “Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out?” Everything in the hangar bay seemed to come to a grinding halt as Will’s quiet words rang out.

 

Maria and Sara froze in place. Istara and Samuel both shared a look of non-comprehension. The bugs, in turn were frozen in place. Nana’s voice was as stunned as Samuel felt. “What did you say?”

 

Will sighed and to everyone’s amazement, sat down on the ramp and started removing hardware from his person. “Nana, I remember your… mind voice I think is the term. Not yours per say, but your people’s.” He finished piling his hardware and it was sizeable pile. But he didn’t move. “Once on Naj Orh’s ship, when I was a teenager. I was young and dumb, but I know I heard a voice telling me when to hide, when to run, what buttons to push at times. Once after a mission had gone completely south and the team was captured by Sith. I was… I was a mess after that. They messed me up badly. I was the only survivor. I froze to death while escaping, I know I did. But then I woke up warm and dry and clean. And alone. I thought I had imagined it for the longest time, until the last time with Juli. Thank you.” Will said quietly.

 

Maria was shaking her head “What do you mean they ‘put you back together’?”

 

Istara was staring from Nana to Will and back again. Then her face hardened. “The Seven. You were safeguarding the Seven. Wait a minute…”

 

Will shook his head and walked to Istara. “Istara… Think… They are safeguarding their own future the same as you and I would.” Istara looked at him and flinched. Then her face fell.

 

"I..." Istara shook her head, dazed.”Are you why I was sane after Amirg? Why I couldn’t kill my mother?” That incident had started the young Istara on the long, hard road to becoming a Bladeborn.

 

"No, Sister Istara." Nana shook her head. “You did that on your own. But we were observing. Remotely. Carefully.” The insect didn’t move and the other three that accompanied Nana stepped back a pace, giving the elder bug room. “Istara… You have looked in my mind. We did not deceive you. You never asked. We would not have lied to you, even if we could have.”

 

"Oh." Istara was shaking now, her years of control and formidable ability undone by the genuine concern, indeed, the love that poured from the bug. She darted forward and threw her arms around Nana again. Tears were falling. “Nana. I am sorry. I am so… So sorry…”

 

"Oh Istara." Nana laid her two smaller arms over Istara’s shoulders, and her larger arms enfolded the woman in a gentle hug. “It is not your fault, Istara. Nothing that has happened has been your fault. Come. Come, all of you. You all need to eat.” Nana let Istara go and backed up a step.

 

Cole didn’t move from his spot by the gurney. He looked from Will to Istara and then to the bugs. “Can you help her?” He asked Nana quietly.

 

"We... We do not know." Nana looked at the small sad form that lay on the gurney and those who could feel the Force felt her sadness. “But you have our word that anything we can do, we will.”

 

Will nodded and something seemed to pass between him and Istara. Maybe it was just their gazes. But Istara flinched. Then she nodded slowly. She turned to face the bronze bug called Nana and the two of them locked eyes for a moment.

 

Samuel stared at the strange scene that was unfolding in front of him. Were they communicating? And if so, how? There was no hint of the Force.

 

"Right." Finally Istara nodded. “We all need rest and food. And I am sure that Will would like to see Sharra.” She was grinning at Will’s expression now.

 

Cole stiffened as two of the insect beings walked forward towards the gurney. Istara laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Cole, it’s okay.”

 

"No." Cole was shaking his head. “I have failed her too many times for it ever to be okay again.”

 

"Twit." Istara sighed and pulled the smuggler into a rough embrace. “Cole, she wouldn’t want you beating yourself up. But you do not want to watch this. They will not hurt her.” Cole stared at her and then, with a wrench, pulled himself from the gurney and took a step. Then a look of confusion came over his face and he fell. Istara caught him. The Bladeborn’s voice was tart. “Idiot, how long has it been since you ate?”

 

Cole opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Istara lowered him to the ground slowly and Samuel moved to kneel beside the odd pair. He didn’t need to look to know that Maria had a weapon out, just in case. The healer touched the smuggler on the shoulder and winced at what he felt.

 

"Exhaustion." Samuel sighed. “You need food and rest, Cole Shanas. And I need to talk to the healers here. If they will let me.”

 

The bronze bug that Istara called Nana spoke. “Let you talk to the healers, yes. Trust you at all? No.”

 

A swift movement and something stung his arm. He looked down to see a dart of some kind embedded there. He grimaced, but then nodded. The world was quickly becoming fuzzy as whatever was on the dart worked its way through his system. He felt strong arms grab him and keep him from falling.

 

He heard Maria’s voice was if from a great distance. “Was that necessary?” She sounded upset. He wanted to comfort her, but he was being pulled under too fast.

 

Nana’s voice answered his wife. “Yes.”And then he knew no more.

[kalenath]

Samuel hurt when he woke. Pain was nothing new to him at all, not after years of being as a guinea pig for Republic scientists, and then being an agent of sorts for a being who he had just recently found out was even scarier than he had imagined possible. He tried moving his arms and legs and they didn’t move. He was restrained to whatever surface he was lying on. At least it was soft. But then he tensed, it was moving underneath him! The surface he was lying on was alive! He cracked his eyes open, er, he tried to, they wouldn’t. He took a deep breath and spoke.

 

“Hello?” The restrained healer asked carefully.

 

“Hello, Samuel.” Maria’s voice came from nearby. Samuel smiled, just a little in relief. But then he was aware of something that was over his nose and mouth. It was a mask of some kind, probably for oxygen or something similar, possibly for anesthesia. Maria’s voice was careful now. “Don’t struggle.”

 

Samuel sighed. “Where would I go?” He asked with a slightly humorous lilt to his voice. “I am sort of tied up, aren’t I?”

 

Maria laughed. “You and your jokes. You are one heck of a copy.”

 

Samuel froze in place. “They… They can tell…?” Bob either hadn’t been able to or had never wanted to tell Samuel if he was the real Samuel Kalenath or not.

 

Maria’s voice was sad now. “Yes. You are a clone.”

 

Samuel sighed and relaxed as best he could in his bonds. When he spoke it was even. “Then do what you have to do to protect our… I mean… your family. I…” He broke off as something traced his cheek. It felt like a finger, but it was slick as if gloved. The touch was gentle.

 

Maria’s voice was choked, as if she was fighting back tears. “I don’t care if you are really my Samuel or not. I should, but I can’t. You…”

 

Samuel felt a leaden weight settle in his gut. “Maria… No… Sara, Will, they need you. Do not… No…”

 

Now a hand was tracing his face. “I won’t lose you again.” Maria’s voice was quiet and fervent.

 

Samuel however, was not mollified. “Maria, if I am not really your husband, I am a trap. For you, for Will, for Sara.”

 

Something wet found his lips and he was shaking as the wife of the man he had been cloned from kissed him. Maria’s voice was quiet. “I don’t care. All my life, I was told I couldn’t have what I wanted. That I had to make do with what I could get. But I don’t care anymore!” Whatever held his wrists and ankles released them.

 

A soft, but commanding voice sounded nearby. “Maria…”

 

Maria snarled at the other voice. “Kiss off, Maji. I won’t… I can’t let you kill him.”

 

Samuel hadn’t thought he could get that stiff, but somehow he managed as warm arms pulled him into an embrace. He managed to croak out words. “Maria… No… Just…”

 

The voice that Maria had called Maji spoke again, this time gently. “Maria, we won’t kill him. You know this.”

 

Samuel felt wetness on his cheek. He tasted it and flinched anew. It was salty. It was human tears. “Maria… No… Don’t cry, doll… It’s okay.”

 

Maria was shaking as she held the blind healer in her arms. He slowly put his own arms around her. The warrior woman’s voice was husky when she spoke. “Five years. I didn’t know for some time that the scum had killed you. I was… loopy. They just wouldn’t stop those Force be damned experiments.” Her head pillowed on Samuel’s shoulder and she was crying hard now. “We were just things to them. Numbers. The only thing that mattered at all to them was Sara.”

 

"Oh Maria..." Samuel slowly stroked his wife’s short hair. She never had liked it grown out. She had always preferred short hair to wear under a helmet. Samuel’s voice was soft. “I… I remember…” He shook his head slowly to keep from dislodging Maria. “But, Maria… Think… I am a threat. To you, to Sara, to Will.”

 

The voice of the being called Maji spoke again. “Are you?”

 

Samuel sighed. “You know who I am in servitude to.”

 

Maji’s voice was curious. “Are you?” She repeated.

 

Samuel froze. “What?”

 

Maria sighed and hugged him again. “Samuel, you have no trace of the microscopic machines inside you. The Sitolon can find them. You are clean.”

 

Samuel shook his head dumbfounded. “That is… That is impossible.”

 

Maria snickered. “Weren’t you the one who kept saying that nothing was impossible?”

 

"But..." Samuel was shaking his head. “Maria… He did something to me. He has to have done something to me. He would not have just let me go.”

 

Maji’s voice heaved a great sigh. “No, he wouldn’t. Why did he send you?”

 

Samuel grimaced. “To make contact with the Sitolon… I… wait…” He stiffened again in Maria’s embrace. “Maji… Majistrona?”

 

The voice of the queen of the Sitolon hive was sharp now. “Maria can call me that short name. No one else. Clear?” There was a distinct aura of threat to the bug’s words now.

 

Samuel gulped. “Clear, queen. I wanted to speak to your healers, I don’t know what I did. If I did anything. I don’t know if it will…” He broke off as Majistrona laughed merrily.

 

Majistrona’s voice was solemn now. “You did a wondrous thing, Samuel. My people have been trying to undo the genetic damage in our kin for millennia. Of course, the few of our Dark Cousins that we managed to recover were… damaged in some way. We tried, you succeeded.”

 

"No." Samuel shook his head. “Don’t make me out to be a hero, Majistrona. I was just trying to help my friend and his group. I don’t know if the treatment I did would work on any other swarms.”

 

Majistrona’s voice was soft now. “There are no other swarms.”

 

"What?" Samuel went rigid in shock and he felt Maria also stiffen. The healer’s voice was stunned. “What did you say?”

 

Majistrona’s voice was soft and filled with remembered pain when she spoke again. “Kicota’s and Grun’Das’ swarm is the only one left outside of this ship. All the others were on Tralus, or are accounted for.”

 

Maria was shaking her head, Samuel could feel that. Her voice was stunned. “Maji…How many…?”

 

Samuel raised a hand to Maria’s head again and stroked gently. “Maria… No… That is not information we need, or want.” She shuddered. But quieted under his gentle touch. “It s none of our business. But… my master sent me with a message.”

 

Majistrona’s voice was hard now. “I know.”

 

Maria was obviously confused. “What message? Samuel? Maji?”

 

Majistrona didn’t respond and after a few minutes Samuel spoke slowly. “My master wants an alliance with the Sitolon. I assume they found that when they parsed through my mind. I should rephrase, he doesn’t want an alliance, he needs one. Especially since Ravishaw has been taken back by our enemies.”

 

Maria was utterly dumbfounded by this news. Her body was shaking. “You want us to do what?”

 

Samuel shook his head. Silently he was cursing the fact that he couldn’t see. But he didn’t dare to try and remove what was blinding him. “I myself don’t want it. He may not be evil for the sake of being evil, but…” He shook his head slowly again. “He thinks nothing of removing pieces. I bet that was why he let me go. A chance to strengthen his position. And if he loses a pawn… Well… Pity, but he has more.”

 

Maria hugged him again. “You are not a pawn, Samuel. A bishop maybe, but certainly not a pawn. Maji…?” This last was in a concerned tone.

 

"Things have become even ore complicated." Majistrona’s reply was long in coming. “We just had a squad of Republic Special Forces impact the hull. They knew where we were, even through our stealth. That… changes things…We must confer. Sleep Samuel.”

 

Samuel felt the world slipping away from him again. “Wait… I… Maria… Please…” He begged as he tried to hold onto the woman who had been the wife of the man he had been cloned from. A pair of warm arms lowered him back to the yielding surface he had woken on. A kiss touched his cheek as he lost consciousness. He was grumbling as he did. “Always have to knock me out, don’t you…”

[kalenath]

Samuel came awake fast. Hearing a child screaming in pain was never a good sound. It cut directly into his heart and soul. At heart, he was and always had been a healer. He sat up, barely aware of the bed he lay in, of the clothes he was wearing. He stared around. The room looked like a normal shipboard stateroom, barring the fact that the light came from something that glowed in phosphoresce instead of glowlamps. It was a medical bay, he had been in enough and worked in enough that the sights and smells were immediately recognizable.

 

A soft voice came from nearby. “Good morning.” Samuel turned his head to see Maria sitting in a chair beside his bed.

 

Samuel relaxed slightly, but then stiffened again as another scream was heard. He turned and traced the source to an air vent. “What…?” He asked as he checked himself. If Maria was sitting here and not jumping up to help, then whatever was going on was something she knew about.

 

Maria took one of Samuel’s hands in hers. “That is Cili Sandskimmer. She is… a mess. She is going through physical therapy at the moment. Special Branch had her.”

 

Samuel swallowed convulsively. Just the thought of a child undergoing what he and his family had sickened him. Even if they were not really his family. He was just a copy, right? He finished his fast check and nodded to Maria. The Force answered his call, but he knew better than to try anything at all, he had to be under observation. “What is going on?” He asked quietly as he sat back.

 

Maria grimaced. “They are working on Juli. They say it will be a while before they know either way. You are a healer by trade and training, we can use your help.”

 

Samuel nodded. “Anything I can do to help. But… Don’t take chances.”

 

Maria looked away for a moment. “They are not. Feel your stomach.”

 

Samuel, mystified, did as instructed. He pressed deeper than he had on his fast check and then froze as he felt something hard. He let go immediately and looked at Maria. “Grenade?” He asked quietly.

 

Maria nodded, her face working. “Grenade. I argued, but…” She slumped. “Maji has all the give of a clump of rock.”

 

Samuel sighed. “Maria… This is for the best. I am dangerous. My master has to have a plan for this. He has to have some plan for using me.” He sat up slowly. “How can I help?”

 

Maria smiled. “We can use another medical person, but… Someone wants to talk to you first.” Samuel stared at her and Maria hit a button on a concealed panel nearby. She spoke evenly. “He is awake.”

 

The hatch hissed open and Samuel felt his eyes go very wide as a figure walked in. Well, waddled in was a better word. Sharra Kalenath’s normal lithe frame was ungainly now and she wore a long skirt instead of her normal pants. But she had reason, she was pregnant. His training said she was probably no more than a week or two from delivery. He sat up straight, wanting to go to her assistance, but not daring to. She smiled and sat in a chair near the wall, one that Samuel realized was designed for her or other human women who were pregnant. It’s lumbar back and leg supports were distinctive.

 

Samuel’s voice was soft, amazed. “Sharra.”

 

Sharra smiled as she sighed and relaxed into her chair. “Hello, Samuel.”

 

Samuel bowed his head. “I didn’t know, Sharra. They didn’t tell me. They didn’t trust me enough to tell me. I would never have let him do that to you. I swear…” His eyes were burning and he fought to stay on control.

 

Sharra sighed sadly. “I know. For what it is worth, I think it was a long laid plot. I mean, the Sith hit the Enclave on Dantooine, and I got snatched by a rogue droid. I don’t think that was planned though.”

 

Samuel blinked.”What makes you say that?”

 

Sharra shrugged. “Feelings mostly. Whatever the Sith did to me, besides putting those nasty implants in, it messed me up in the head. I have been working with the Sitolon to figure out what happened and why. I know Ravishaw was involved both times I was taken.”

 

Samuel was shaking his head. “He wasn’t supposed to hurt you. He wasn’t supposed to brainwash you. The master said that he was supposed to…” He trailed off as Sharra nodded. Bob’s interpretation of the prophesy of the Seven was that a child was needed. But for what? And why a child of Sharra and Will?

 

Sharra’s voice was quiet and calm. “I know. I am pretty sure I was rescued before they could finish whatever they were doing the first time. Or maybe that is an implanted memory? I don’t know.” Sharra’s normally confident voice was sad, sick and scared now.

 

Samuel moved his legs off the bed and stood up slowly. “May I approach?” He asked Sharra carefully.

 

Sharra smiled. “It is your grandson. You have a right.”

 

Samuel smiled as he walked towards Sharra, aware of Maria’s intense scrutiny. It hurt, even now, but he actually did feel a little better that they were not trusting him. He knelt down beside her chair and reached for her hands. She didn’t flinch as he took her hands in his and gave a gentle squeeze.

 

Samuel called on his training. It had been a long time since he had practiced OB-GYN, but some things you just did not forget. “Ok, let’s see how you look…”

 

Sharra was a model patient. Aside from a few hisses, she didn’t make a sound while Samuel’s gentle hands checked her. She didn’t move from her spot either. It didn’t take long. When he was done, Samuel flipped her skirt back over her abdomen and smiled. “There you go. You and your little one are in fine form.”

 

"Oh?" Sharra snorted. “Do I get a lollipop?”

 

"Silly girl." Samuel snickered at her tone. But then he became serious. “Sharra, it can be any time now. Have you been practicing your breathing?”

 

"Yeah." Sharra mock snarled at him. “That is all they will let me practice. Oh, I can’t wait until I can get back in armor and heft a blaster again. This mother stuff is for the birds.”

 

Maria chimed in from where she had been watching silently and there was a wide smile on her face. “You think that now, girl. You will change your mind.”

 

"Well..." Sharra slumped. “If it had been my choice, maybe I would feel different. But it wasn’t. This was done to me.”

 

Samuel stiffened and then embraced the sitting girl carefully. “I am sorry, Sharra. This… This violation was almost as bad as what Special Branch did to Maria, Sara and me. I don’t understand what they were thinking. There was simply no way Will would have anything to do…” He broke off, thinking hard.

 

Maria prompted him when he didn’t speak. “Anything to do with what?”

 

Samuel’s voice was soft and filled with hate when he did speak. “Son of a barve…” He retreated from Sharra’s uncomprehending form and staggered back towards one wall. “That son of a Barve…” he repeated, awe, incredulity and hate all mixed together in his tone.

 

Maria sighed. “Samuel… make sense.”

 

Samuel shook himself, trying with all his skill to calm himself. When he looked up, Maria actually recoiled from the look in his eyes. When Samuel spoke it was calm, matter of fact, but under it lay anger, lots of anger. “Maria, Sharra… What is the absolute worst way to tick Will off? Sith he hates, pirates and slavers, he hates, but what makes him madder than anything else?”

 

Maria stared at the clone of her husband, not understanding. But Sharra drew in deep breath. “Oh my god…”

 

Samuel was shaking his head, awed by the simplicity and the sheer evil of what he saw now. “They took you, probably on Kuat when you and Will split up. If they had brought you to me… I wouldn’t… I couldn’t…” He shook his head.

 

"Yeah, Sam." Maria’s voice was quiet as she rose to walk to him. “You would have fought. And likely died.”

 

"You..." Sharra was staring at Samuel now. “You truly didn’t know.”

 

"No." Samuel shook his head. “I found out when we cornered Will on Shili, or he cornered us, it was complicated. I was… surprised.” He said in a tone of massive understatement. “Nothing could have possibly angered Will more than Ravishaw impregnating you against your will, Sharra. Nothing. Even with Will’s seed, maybe especially with his seed.”

 

Maria was shaking her head. “That is suicidal. Will said you nearly got him, but the Bladeborn arrived. And even if you had, he likely had other backup plans.”

 

Samuel shook his head, still parsing things out in his head. “Think, Maria. If a Sith were to do something like that, and then be thrown to Will’s ‘justice’...” Samuel was shaking his head, torn between admiration and anger. “How would Will react to the one who threw the scum to him? Would he shoot or talk?”

 

Maria stared at Samuel. “My god… He would have likely talked. He would have talked.” She repeated softly, incredulously.

 

Samuel nodded. “And that would have doomed him. It was all planned, down to my reaction when I found out.”

 

Maria made a soft noise of disbelief. “And this…this thing wants an alliance?”

 

Samuel sighed. “I don’t know. I can’t believe anything that he says…” He broke off as something changed. He spun to where Sharra was sitting, her face going white. His voice was gentle now. “Sharra?”

 

"I..." Sharra’s voice was soft, muted and full of pain when she spoke. “I think… I think it’s time…”

 

Samuel smiled suddenly. Hate, evil plots, devious machinations, all of these could take a back seat. He wanted to do what he had been trained to do. Help others. He knelt beside her chair and his gentle hands on her abdomen felt what he had expected. The contraction did not last long, but it confirmed his suspicion. Samuel’s voice was soft and loving as he helped her stand. “It is. Let’s get you to a proper facility. Maria…?”

 

Maria, way ahead, keyed the door open and waited while Samuel assisted Sharra on stumbly feet towards her future. Samuel stopped momentarily on seeing the fully laid out medical bay just outside the door, but then he smiled as a pair of females garbed as nurses came up and assisted Sharra.

 

Samuel’s voice was quiet. “Do you want me here, Sharra?”

 

Sharra snarled at him, her face contorting in pain. “You go anywhere, Samuel Kalenath, and I will hunt you down and hurt you when I can move again.”

 

One of the nurses smiled and nodded towards a changing room. Samuel moved that way, and then paused. Maria was following. Maria embraced the man who was a copy of her husband. “This is our moment, Samuel. Come, let’s help Sharra. And I bet Will is going to need help as well.”

 

Samuel snickered. “Well, Istara and them can handle him for now. Isn’t that what families are for?”

 

Maria smiled as she started washing her hands. “Yep, that is exactly what families are for.”

[kalenath]

It was finally quiet in the medical ward. Sharra was asleep after her exertions. Despite everything modern medicine could do to dull pain, the sheer effort that Sharra had put out to give birth had completely worn the tough woman out. Will sat beside her bed, his eyes on the small bundle that lay in her arms. The nurses finished their tasks in silence and left the room. Samuel and Maria both finished cleaning up in silence and stepped quietly from the room. Outside, they found a group waiting for their news. Istara, Sara and Sarai sat with a number of other people that Samuel did not know. But from the bandages on the youngest one, she was the Sandskimmer girl that Maria had spoken of. Another pregnant woman sat near the door, her face turned away from the door, but her throat was covered something odd, something Samuel didn’t recognize. Another dark haired girl with old eyes sat near a terminal. They all looked up as Maria and Samuel entered, but didn’t speak. Samuel nodded to Maria who smiled.

 

Maria’s voice was tired, but happy. “Sara, Sarai, you have a nephew.” Both of the girl’s faces lit up.

 

Istara looked from Maria to Samuel and smiled. She loved kids. “No complications?”

 

Samuel shook his head. “Nope. If I didn’t know better I would have said this wasn’t her first kid. But there is no doubt. She is a primapara. And she and Will have a son…” Samuel knew he was grinning foolishly, but he didn’t seem able to stop.

 

Sara stood up and walked to her mom. She hugged the older woman tight. “What are they going to call him?” Sara asked quietly.

 

Maria snickered. The sheer incongruity of the sound had all eyes turn to her. She had a goofy grin on her face as she turned to Samuel. “Well, Will wanted to name him after the family tradition. So he would have been Samuel Junior.” More than one jaw dropped at that.

 

Samuel shook his head. “That son of mine has some sense at least. He knows when to give up. Sharra put her feet down hard.” Samuel was sure his own smile was more than a bit ludicrous, but for now, he didn’t think anyone would mind. And if they did, tough.

 

Istara shook her head. “So what are they going to call him if not Sammy Jr?” Her grin was wicked and a laugh spread around the room.

 

Maria smiled and nodded to the Bladeborn. “James Tylor Kalenath.”

 

Sara smiled at her mother and then beckoned to her, leading Maria and Samuel towards the table where light refreshments were laid out. “Come on, you both look tired.”

 

"We are." Samuel sighed. “Childbirth is hard on humans. Even those who are just helping. Sharra is going to need a lot of sleep, and a lot of help over the next several months.”

 

"True." Maria sighed. “Part and parcel of being a grandmother. And you young ladies as well just volunteered.”

 

All of the girls looked at Maria as if she had grown two heads, but Maria just smiled. Istara, for her part and the pregnant woman both nodded.

 

Of all the people who might have spoken up, Cili Sandskimmer spoke first. Her voice was hoarse from pain, but she spoke clearly. “Should one of us stay with her?”

 

Maria sighed. “Not you Cili, you need sleep too. And you as well, Kirina. Both of you should be asleep.” She glared at them, and then nodded. “I understand you wanted to be awake for this, but neither of you is robust. How are you Mira?” She asked the other dark haired girl.

 

The dark haired girl by the terminal nodded to Maria. When she spoke it was in a monotone. “I am… undamaged. I will…” She slapped herself hard across the upper arm. When she spoke again, it was exasperated. “GAH! I hate that…”

 

Samuel was frozen in place, unsure of what to do. But Sara and Sarai both moved to sit beside the dark haired girl called Mira and hugged her. Sara spoke. “Mira, it’s okay. Come on, we all need sleep.”

 

En masse, the group rose, all but Istara who waited while the rest of the group helped each other from the room. In just a few minutes, only Istara, Samuel and Maria were left. She indicated the chair near her and Maria sat. Samuel sat as well. Istara blew out a breath and nodded to Samuel. “The swarm has reached a consensus.”

 

Samuel froze, his hand outstretched for a cup of water. “So soon?”

 

"Yeah." Istara smiled a bit sadly. “One of the benefits of communicating mind to mind is speed. The answer is a qualified yes.”

 

"Qualified?" Samuel forced himself to take a long drink of water before responding. “Qualified how?”

 

Istara nodded. “There are many kinds of alliance. Everything from a non-aggression pact to a mutual defense treaty. We all agree that complete sharing is out of the question. Even if we could trust your master, which would be stupid of us to do, we have a non-aggression pact with the Empire. After what you did on Druumond Kaas, you and your master, to get Reekia out of the prison there… well...” She grimaced.

 

Samuel grimaced as well. “Point taken.” The Empire would not take that lying down.

 

"Yes." Istara nodded. “They will discover that base sooner or later and no matter how powerful or sneaky you all are, a few fleets dropping in on you will seriously cramp your style.”

 

Samuel winced. That was putting it mildly. While it may or may not have been possible to destroy his master with conventional weapons, the base and all the people in it would be vulnerable to an orbital bombardment. “So what do you propose?”

 

Istara nodded. “Whatever happens, we have to keep it very quiet. Essentially, we have two problems, and both are related. Your group and mine share an enemy. But we also share an unfortunate history. Both with the Empire and each other. None of my people will trust any of yours and I doubt strongly any of yours would trust any of mine. The swarm under Kicota is autonomous. None of the Sitolon here will want to go, even if they could, which they can’t. It’s genetic, they serve Majistrona.”

 

Maria stared at the woman she called friend. “So what does that leave?”

 

Istara looked away for a moment before replying. “I don’t want to ask this of you, Maria. You and your family have paid enough.”

 

Samuel felt his face go slack as Maria looked at Istara and neither woman moved. His voice was faint. “No…”

 

"Samuel..." Istara sighed. “Give me an alternative. You know they need you. Kicota and her people need you and so does your sect. This Jen of yours, yes, I know of her, we went deep to see if you spoke the truth…” She nodded as Samuel flushed. “She is good, but she is not good enough. They need you. But you need someone who can contact us, a way that cannot be tapped or jammed. Someone we trust.”

 

Samuel was shaking his head. “No. You cannot be serious. You put her in there and he will use her, he will…” The healer was shaking as he tried to put words to his fear. But then he froze as Maria placed a hand on his arm.

 

Maria’s voice was gentle. “Sam, hush. Are you sure about this, Istara?”

 

Istara nodded, her face sad. “Yes. The information he sent in Samuel’s mind is clear.”

 

Samuel hadn’t thought he could get any stiffer. He would have been wrong. “He… What?”

 

Istara sighed. “He used you as a courier. He knew we would wring you out. He knew we would find the information he put in your mind. But what he doesn’t know… Is what is going to happen now.” Samuel stared at her. Was that glee in her voice now?

 

Samuel found his voice. “What?”

 

Istara smiled as she laid a hand on Maria’s shoulder. “This will sting.” She said to Maria. The Force erupted around Maria for just a moment, but it felt odd. Maria hissed slightly, but then relaxed.

 

Samuel blinked and then smiled ferally. “You marked her.”

 

Istara smiled just as wickedly. “Yep. She is a protected one now. You tell your master that. You tell him that if he does hurt her, control her or abuse her in any way, he will answer to me.”

 

Samuel stared from Istara to Maria who was looking a bit poleaxed. Samuel sighed. “If you can… He isn’t human.”

 

"Yep." Istara nodded. “I know. But another thing? I know what he is.”

 

Samuel stared at her and then a smile spread across his face. This would be hard, but nothing worthwhile was ever easy. And if there was one thing his sect did know about it was dealing with family.

[kalenath]

((Did anyone else just feel a tremor in the Force? Will and Sharra have a son, and Maria is going to go work for Bob... Oh...dear... Comments or suggestions always appreciated. Flames might have to help clean up the mess that the party is going to leave. What party? Do you REALLY think Will is NOT going to celebrate? Or the Mandos? Or the Bladeborn?))