(L,F&E 88) To Snatch a Healer

[kalenath]

<Tython>

 

“I feel… odd, coming back.” Min said softly as Michael led the way out of the small transport that had brought the pair of them to Tython. “And like this…”

 

“I know, Min.” Michael replied, his steps confident as he walked. Neither of them were dressed as Jedi. Both of them had their Force senses cloaked as much as they possibly could. “But we need to know what has happened here since Diseree left.” He looked around but the bustle of the spaceport seemed unchanged. “Only one way to find out. I will find Master Farrah, you see if you can find Anya.”

 

“Right.” Min started for the Enclave that had been her home for years. It felt very strange to be back at the Enclave, and not in robes. She had been found by a wandering Jedi at age of three and brought to Coruscant for training just before the Sith attack. She barely remembered that awful day of death, she and many of the other Padawans had been evacuated just before the temple was destroyed. Now, she was just shy of thirteen years old, on the brink of womanhood, and faced with a difficult mission. She and Michael had decided after talking to Diseree and Ashla Ti, to come back to Tython and figure out what the flarg had happened here. What had happened after Min had left that is…

 

She had been so proud when Vandar and Melan had selected her to assist with a special mission. She knew that pride was bad, that it could lead to the Dark side, but it had been invigorating after so long stuck in classrooms, training salles and lectures, to be out and doing something. She shook her head slowly, she had been so stupid. Maybe just young and inexperienced, but she had seen all the warning signs and discounted them. She had known, almost for the moment she had set foot on the Invictus, that something had been very wrong, but she had trusted Vandar. The being was a legend after all. Min shook her head, time for ruminations after she delivered her message. She nodded to the protocol droid as she approached the door.

 

“Good day.” The droid said in it’s usual melodious tones. She always wondered who had programmed the droid for such a voice and when. It certainly wasn’t standard. “How may this unit be of service?”

 

“I need to speak to a Jedi named Anya Hadas.” Min said confidently. “I have a message for her.”

 

“May this one ask from who?” The droid of course was programmed for privacy.

 

“It’s…” Min shrugged helplessly. “…complicated, and from a number of people. It’s a personal message, given to me in confidence. I was told only to give it to her. I need to see her or talk to her. It’s not a matter of life and death, but it is important.”

 

“One moment.” The droid paused for a moment and then nodded. “Someone will be here momentarily.”

 

“Anya?” Min asked, suddenly worried. Something was wrong. What was the Force trying to tell her? Something was very wrong. The droid shook it’s head and she backed up a step. “What is going on?”

 

“I am afraid I will have to ask you to remain where you are, visitor.” The droid said slowly and Min froze as several armed security troops appeared from nearby, their weapons pointed at her. Jedi usually did not need security forces but with the Empire and Republic starting to butt heads again, well… There were not enough Jedi. “I must ask you to go with security.”

 

Joy… Min sighed as she raised her hands. Fighting these people was not a good idea. She hadn’t even brought her lightsaber. She was just supposed to be a messenger after all. “Can I at least ask what I have done?”

 

“Jedi Knight Anya Hadas is dead.” One of the troops replied as he pulled a set of binders from his belt. “Her Padawan is missing. What is your name?”

 

“I can’t tell you.” Min said slowly but did not move as the man bound her and searched her. He wouldn’t find anything except a credit chip and hold out blaster. It wasn’t his fault. She had acted on incomplete information. That was what the Force had been trying to warn her of. Teach her to listen to her feeling closer. She shook her head slowly and shut her mouth.

 

“Ma’am, you are going to talk to us.” The trooper said slowly as he took her arm in a hold that was gentle, but obviously well practiced and well nigh unbreakable without the Force. And if she used the Force, likely everyone would start shooting, thinking she was a Sith spy or something. Bad choice, be captured, or worse choice, be shot? “One way or another.” Min shook her head and did not resist as she was led away from the Enclave and towards what looked like a military barracks. That was new. And it did not bode well…

 

<A few minutes later>

 

Min sat in the chair she had been put in and tried not to fret. The room was small, two chairs and a table, with nothing around to distract or be used as potential weapons. The chairs and table were bolted to the floor. One wall was a mirror, a two way probably. She knew she was under observation, that she was likely in extremely deep trouble. But for now, she was not in pain and if she could give Michael time to finish his part of the mission, then she would remain silent. Her musings broke off as the door opened and a robed form walked in. It wasn’t anyone she knew or did she? She wasn’t sure.

 

“Young lady, you are in a great deal of trouble.” The Jedi said calmly as he sat. “My name is Zin Gos. You may have heard of me. You have.” It wasn’t a question. He felt the fear that flew through Min. She felt her guts clench although she tried to control her worry. Zin Gos was a Sentinel, a shadow among the Jedi. One of several tasked with internal security at the Enclave, he was almost a boogeyman to the younger Jedi. ‘Study well or the Shadow will get you’ had been a taunt for many of the younger padawans until they learned control. Gos shook his head. “Look, you haven’t done anything wrong, yet. You were given a message, for a Jedi. You tried to deliver the message. The Jedi you were to deliver it to is dead. You can give it to me.” She looked at the floor and shook her head. “Look, young lady… Your dedication to your mission is admirable, but this is pointless.” Min shook her head again and Go s sighed sadly. “Okay, the hard way. What is your name?”

 

Min felt tendrils of thought seeping into her mind and closed it as she had been taught by her teachers among the Jedi and then by the Sitolon. He could not gain entry. The tendrils became a pressure that steadily increased. Despite her control, a whimper escaped her lips. The pain increased exponentially but she did not retreat, did not falter. Suddenly the pressure stopped. She slumped in place as a shadow fell over her. Gos’ voice was concerned now.

 

“Who are you?” She would not meet his eyes and when he tried to lift her chin to look at her face she turned away. “Come on, child, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” His voice was gentle, but it was a trick, it had to be. Min shook her head, trying with all her might to keep her mouth closed. She stiffened as he knelt down beside her, looking her full in the face. Then he froze. “By the Force…” His voice was worried now. “Min?” She shook her head, trying to stay in control. “Min… It’s okay. You are okay. What happened?”

 

She was falling, no, she was rising. The binders came off and she found herself on her feet. Gos shook his head as she stared at him then flinched.

 

“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Min. I am sorry.” Gos held out a hand and froze as Min flinched back. “Come with me, please?” The entreaty in his voice had Min relaxing, just a little. But she did not lower her mental shields. “You don’t have the stink of the Dark Side about you…But… You feel odd.” He shook his head. “Come on, Min. You need help.” She stumbled as she walked slowly, trying to keep her shield in place as he led her out of the barracks and towards the Enclave.

 

They were gentle, but insistent. Gos led her to the medical wing and there, they put her through the wringer. She figured they ran every test they could think of on her, but eventually, they let her up. Gos never left her sight and she never relaxed. A tray with food found its way in front of her and she ate robotically. Then she sat on the bed in the hospital room and waited.

 

“She doesn’t trust us.” She started at Gos’ voice. Had she dozed? Had she fallen asleep? Was she drugged? What had happened? She jerked, but found herself still sitting in the small hospital room where she had been. “I hurt her…” Faint shame tinged the Jedi’s voice. “I didn’t mean to, but her shielding is incredibly strong. Far stronger than it should be, who has she been studying with? She won’t talk to me. Maybe she will talk to you." Gos shook his head and left the room."I need to go smooth some egos. I will be back."

 

Min kept her eyes on the floor, she wasn't sure what was going to happen. Everything had gone bad, just like before. She tensed, but the memory came again, as bad as ever. One again, she saw the vision of cold green eyes and a blaster rifle muzzle turning towards her. Min shook her head and slowly, ever so slowly, moved to edge herself off the bed. She had to... Her head spun and she winced, but she put the pain behind her. It hurt a lot less than getting shot had. She had to get out of here. Preferably before...

 

“Going somewhere, you are?” A soft but firm voice spoke up from nearby and Min’s head shot up. “Sleep, you should, young Min.”

 

“Master Yeri…?” Min’s voice was soft, disbelieving, but she didn’t try and run. It wouldn’t work. The small green form in front of her might look like a stiff breeze would pick her up and blow her away, but looks were very deceiving around beings like Master Healer Yeri. “I…I can’t…”

 

“Can’t what? Sit? Relax? Heal?" The aged master healer of the Enclave on Tython asked with a gentle smile. “Cannot or wish not?”

 

"I..." Min was shaking now her fear and pain threatening to overwhelm her. She shook her head and focused herself as she had been taught. "I must go..." But when she tried to sit up again, her head spun worse.

 

"End in you passing back out, pushing yourself will.” Master Yeri said with a gentle smile. “Being brought right back here, you would be. “Lay, rest, safe you are."

 

"No." Min said softly, her fear controlled, for now. "I bring danger with me. They got to Diseree in the middle of the Enclave..."

 

“Hurt Diseree, someone did?” The old Jedi healer asked, her face intent now. “Who?”

 

"We don't know." Min said slowly. "She doesn't know. But whoever it was, they hurt her. Someone..." Min winced as she tried to move. "Someone hurt her, someone here. I was supposed to tell Anya that, but she is dead...I..." Min took a deep breath, working to stay in control. "I don't know what to do."

 

"Calm yourself, you must.” Yeri said in a compassionate voice. “Before feelings betray you, start with that. Fear what, do you?"

 

"I..." Min was gasping now as remembered fear and pain threatened to overwhelm her. "I am trying, Master Yeri. But it hurts so much..." Min struggled to sit up. “I have to… I have… to…” She was gasping with the effort of sitting, her head was spinning and her heart was racing despite everything she could try. But she had to go, she had to tell her friends what had happened to Anya.

 

"If persist in this you do, make things worse you will, child.” Yeri’s voice took on a stern note. “Rest you need. Or hurt yourself more, you will."

 

"I know..." Min said slowly. "But I can’t stay here... Something..." She paused and gasped, falling back into the bed as her head started pounding. "I..." Min steeled herself, focusing as she had been taught. "I am sorry Master Yeri. I have to go." She moved to swing her legs off the bed, focusing beyond the pain in her skull.

Yeri gave the resigned sigh of one who had spent many years shaking their head at the stubbornness of youth. There was no inclination of what she intended and then she had a hand on Min. It was all she needed to make the girl sleep as she was told. Her voice held fond exasperation as she made sure Min was comfortable before sitting back.

 

"Younglings...."

 

Min fell into a deep sleep, troubled by vague shivers of fear and pain.

[kalenath]

The healers were not sure what was going on with her, they were still running all kinds of tests. The headache had vanished after her forced sleep, but there was something else wrong, something that baffled the healers. So when Min awake from an unplanned nap, she was not alarmed at first to find herself strapped to a bed. She had woken that way a few times. They were worried about convulsions and such. At least they had left her undergarments on, she thought with a mental wince. She would have spoken, except there was something in her mouth. She tried opening her eyes and they wouldn’t. Something was holding them shut. She could feel things pressing into her skull. None of them hurt, but the pressure was there. She reached out with the Force and sensed horror around her. Horror she remembered vividly. Then something shocked her and she gasped.

 

“She is awake.” A clinical male voice spoke from nearby. She would have turned her head to look, except it wouldn’t move. She panicked little, and then called upon her training to quell her fear. They didn’t want her dead. A stick in her arm and she was floating. Everything was hazy now, everything was soft and gray. “We need to finish up and get her back.”

 

Something was very wrong. She felt so odd. Her head was… both heavier and lighter than it should be. How long had she been asleep? She felt as if she were floating now. Had they hurt her? What had happened? A sting at the back of her skull made her gasp into whatever was holding her mouth open and then she was falling slowly. So slowly. As she fell, she was sure she heard voices, but none of them made any sense.

 

When Min woke again, she gasped. She was back in her room in the Enclave. Nothing seemed to have changed. She felt the same as she had before.

 

“Was it a dream?” She mused aloud as she put her outer robes on. She shook her head. “Must have been. Maybe I need to talk to someone about it.” Her mind slid away from that though, focusing on the fact that while she had robes, she did not have a lightsaber or any other weapon. Her status was a bit unclear. The Order wanted to know what had happened, and while she had told Master Yeri some of what had happened to her, she had flatly refused to speak of where she had been, or what had happened after she had been hurt. She would not betray her friends, not…again.

 

Jedi were well known for not killing their prisoners. They did not want her hurt, they wanted answers. She took some comfort in the fact that Michael had gotten away. It wasn’t really her fault that she had been caught. She had acted on inaccurate information. The Jedi were kind, but adamant. She was not going to leave until she explained. And since she did not want to explain… At least they were not going to interrogate her. Her mind was pulled back to the dream or whatever it had been. But it was fading. It had to have been a dream. She sighed and went to start her day. A day of being asked questions that she would not answer.

 

<Not very nearby>

 

“Well?” The cold voice silenced everything in the small room.

 

“Phase one is complete, master.” The male in medic’s garb said robotically. “She shows no signs of recognition. We can extract her and continue tonight.”

 

“Do so.” The dark form paused. “And doctor… No slip ups this time. No…entertaining yourself this time. You know the plan, stick to it.”

 

A sigh came from the corner, but nothing else.

 

<That night>

 

Min was utterly, totally, completely, sick of this. The Jedi were kind, yes. But GEEZ. Eight hours of being grilled by Jedi from Master Yeri all the way up to Grandmaster Shan herself had left the Padawan wrung out. She tried to meditate, but she drooped further and further towards the bed. Eventually, she collapsed fully and she was asleep before her head hit the pillow. She never saw or felt the dark form that came close and hit her with a hypo, sending her deeper into slumber.

 

This time when she woke, she found herself in some kind of tank. Was it a kolto tank? Had she been hurt? She tried to move and found she couldn’t. Something was holding her in place, something hard but padded. Again, something was around her head and she felt pressure in places. No shock this time, just a tingling. She couldn’t understand. Why this in a dream? It was peaceful now, floating in this place. It was warm, she was warm. She relaxed fully, and in that moment, she was lost. Power flooded through her, paralyzing her, holding, searching, prying through each and every nook and cranny of her mind. Familiar power. Then it started to burn and she screamed as her self, her very being was unraveled by that power.

 

A voice sounded in her ears, or was it just in her mind? “Easy child… Easy… Just relax and let the doctor take care of you.” Then darkness claimed her.

 

<Later>

 

She woke. She found herself in a bed. She was comfortable, her body was clean and dry. But she felt… odd. Light. She checked herself. She was unrestrained and her body was clad in a nightgown. The door at the side of the room opened and the doctor entered, a look of concentration on her face.

 

“Time for another treatment?” She asked slowly as the doctor came close. As always, she did not resist as the doctor assisted her to sit up and then to get into the wheeled chair that sat beside the bed.

 

“Yes, young one.” The doctor smiled at her. “Soon, your treatment will be done.”

 

“I am ready, doctor Menglan.” Min, former Padawan of the Jedi Order said as she was wheeled into another room. The chair was wheeled underneath a machine that lowered slowly to latch about her head.

 

“You will make excellent bait, Min.” Menglan said quietly as she started the machine ignoring the muffled cries of pain that came from underneath it. After a few minutes she nodded. “Ah, there… All done…” The machine rose up from the head of the Jedi Padawan. Her eyes were open and saw…nothing. “You will be so much happier without your free will. But now that I have refined the process, I can use it on any, even Bladeborn. Come, pawn, your destiny awaits. Time to turn you into bait.”

[kalenath]

“We have found Min.” Mama Lizard’s soft voice was worried and Ona looked up from her work at her.

 

“Michael reported that the Jedi had her.” Ona said slowly. “Then she vanished from the Jedi Enclave before he could get back from the Bladeborn cave where he talked to Master Farrah. Special Branch’s sleeper agent was IDed, but when they went to take him into custody, he was gone. They think he snatched her and ran. They didn’t stop his ship, afraid for his hostage.” Ire colored her tone now, the thought of a child in the hands of those scum always set her blood boiling. “Did she escape or was she released for us to find?”

 

“It mussst have been the latter.” Mama replied. “Zhe was found on Alderaan, wandering through a battlezone. The sssoldierz who found her took her to a medical facility. Ona… They wiped her mind.” Ona’s gasp of horror echoed through the medical bay of the Stormhawk. Odd that Bladeborn were working with a renegade battlecruiser, but then again, that was their life. Odd. “Ssshe doez not remember uz.”

 

“I see.” The medic of the Bladeborn replied slowly. “A trap of some kind?”

 

“Probably.” Mama agreed, and then she paused. “Ona…”

 

“I am not leaving her there, to sit, alone and afraid.” Ona said slowly as she stepped away from the console. She looked at L’trask, the chief healer of the ship and he shrugged. “Can I talk to Boss?” They were on his ship, they needed his permission.

 

“I am here.” The armored form of Stormhawk Boss stepped into the bay, nodding to the patients who were receiving treatment and then striding to the mismatched pair. The small Bothan and the huge Barabel made a very interesting combination. A deadly one mind you. “It has to be a trap.”

 

“I know.” Ona agreed. “But that does not change the fact that she is my responsibility. I took responsibility for her when she came into my care. I let her go, unhealed. She and Michael both insisted she was fine, btu I could feel her pain, mental and physical. It was against my better judgment. It is my responsibility, what happened to her. I am going.”

 

“Ona…” Mama growled.

 

“I am going, Mama.” Ona replied with equal heat. Both the head healer of the Stormhawk and the commander of the ship took a step back as the two females locked eyes. “You know what I have to do. She wasn’t marked, so the Order can’t do anything.”

 

“Baloney.” Mama Lizard replied. “Ssshe waz a friend. We protect our friendsss.”

 

“When we can.” Ona said quietly, her face falling. “And if she is a threat now… I know what to do.”

 

“What will you do?” Boss looked from Ona to Mama and back. “Or should I not ask?”

 

“This wouldn’t be the first time people have used friends of the Order to attack it.” Ona said heavily. “We have protocols for just such an occurrence. We observe, assess, take on… or terminate.” Her face was remote now.

 

“You would kill her?” Boss asked quietly. “She is a victim.”

 

“She was.” Ona corrected him gently. “Now? We don’t know and we have to find out.”

 

“Just like that?” L’Trask asked softly. The Trandoshan pacifist’s voice was carefully neutral. “We might be able to help her.”

 

“Maybe.” Ona said sadly. “Maybe not. If it comes down to it, I will do it.”

 

“Ona…” Mama growled, but she subsided when Ona shrugged.

 

“You are highly visible, Mama.” Ona said gently. “And most of the members of this crew have bounties on them. They set foot off this ship and they are targets.”

 

“You would be too.” Boss retorted. “Don’t tell me that there are people who wouldn’t kill you for showing your face.”

 

“True.” Ona said slowly. “If Leeto were here, I would trust it to him. He knows what to look for, what to do to make it painless and quick.” She looked at Boss and then at the clan mother of the Bladeborn. “Mama, I am going. We can argue about it now, or after I get back.”

 

“You are not going alone.” Mama replied evenly. “Not a chance.”

 

“Mama…” Ona said in a long suffering tone. “I can pass as a healer, I am one, remember? You send Bladeborn into a hospital and they are going to stick out like sore thumbs. Same with Marines.” She nodded to Boss, whose posture said ‘No’ quite loudly. “Chari and Reekia are both busy. Istara is gone off with Leeto, Idjit is… facing review.” She said with a muted sob. She hated the thought of her brother undergoing torture, even to save the rest of them, it hurt her just to think of it. “I am the only one available.” She paused. “Mama, I can do it. Get in, find out and… maybe handle it, and then get out. I have done it before.”

 

“…And it knocked you for a loop for almossst a month.” Mama said sadly. “I promized I would never do it to you again. I will go. I can be ssstealthy.”

 

“I know you can.” Ona agreed slowly as she patted the Barabel’s shoulder. “But one slip and they will see you. She was my responsibility, Mama. She was my patient.”

 

“I have a very bad feeling about thisss…” Mama said slowly, but nodded to the healer.

 

“We have some other backup in that area.” Boss said slowly. “’Unofficial’ type backup. You won’t be alone.”

 

“Fair enough. Just get me in and I can do the rest.” Ona said, steeling herself. “I just hope I don’t have to kill the poor kid after everything else that happened.”

[kalenath]

<Alderaan>

 

“When he said ‘unofficial’ backup, he really meant ‘unofficial’ didn’t he?” Ona said with a grin at her escort who scowled at her. The woman wore the full armor of the Republic Special Forces and had said maybe three words since Ona had arrived at the spaceport. Her name badge read ‘Deering’ but beyond that, Ona had no clue except for the fact that she radiated competence and ability. And dislike. “Look, soldier, I am not your enemy.”

 

“I know.” Deering said curtly. “Our… mutual friend was clear on that. I don’t know why you need to get into the hospital, and I don’t really care. But you are no Jedi no matter how you dress.”

 

“No, I am not.” Ona sighed. It did truly bother her to be wearing Jedi attire. The robes fit her well, they had been cut to hide her mechanical legs. The lightsaber she carried was also unfamiliar, but she was capable with it. It just felt… wrong…not to have her sword. But a sword would have been an immediate and large ‘hey Bladeborn here’ sign. “I am also not a Sith. I have no interest in your wars. My interest is a patient of mine who was hurt again and found wandering on planet with no memory.” The soldier looked at her.

 

“The Jane Doe?” Deering’s face was as impassive as helmet visor might have been. “She was one of yours?” Ona shook her head and Deering tilted her head in query. “What then?”

 

“She is, or was, a Jedi.” Ona said slowly. “She disappeared from the Enclave on Tython a few days ago. Just vanished. Records that were found during the search for her indicate a Special Branch mole was on planet. He ran, with her it is believed.”

 

“Special Branch.” Ona could not have missed the surge of hate that flew through Deering if she had been Force blind. But none of it shone in the soldier’s words. “Things are starting to make sense then.” She paused. “This may be a trap. They are good at traps. Usually with people who can’t fight back.”

 

“Yes they are.” Ona agreed. “But that girl is my responsibility, so if they or anyone else get between me and her, I guarantee you I will show you how much ‘not-a-Jedi’ I am. I will make it hurt.” Deering looked at her and a slow smile crossed her face for the first time.

 

“I can live with that. Come on.” She nodded to the airspeeder nearby with another form in Special Forces armor at the controls. “Let’s go.” They got in and the speeder took off. “So, your name?”

 

“Shikiria Melan.” Ona said quietly, hiding a mental wince with the ease of long practice. That had been her name before her trial to become Bladeborn. “It’s not my real name, but it will work.”

 

“Fair enough.” Deering said with a grunt. “We can get you in. But getting you out with the girl may be difficult.”

 

“I thought the difficult Special Forces did immediately.” Ona said with a smile. “It was the impossible that took longer.” She sobered. “I might not be leaving with her. I am here to assess her, after that, we shall see.” Something in her words had Deering stiffening.

 

“And if she doesn’t pass your test?” Ona met the woman’s eyes levelly and Deering actually flinched. ‘You wouldn’t…She is just a kid.” Ona sighed deeply.

 

“Yes she is.” Ona could not have hidden the pain in her tone if she had wanted to. “They took her, they hurt her. I…I went over the reports on the way here. The girl I knew is gone. Maybe…” She looked out the canopy of the airspeeder for a moment. Then she looked back at Deering. “I give you my word, soldier. If I can help her I will. If that means ending her pain, I will do so. If that means doing something else, I will do…” The Force screamed at her. “Danger! From below.” She exclaimed.

 

“Incoming!” The pilot called as he banked the airspeeder hard to port. “Hold onto your lunches!”

 

Ona held tight to her seat belts as the airspeeder spun in midair, diving and twisting to avoid whatever was coming at it. The frame rattled a bit, but they were not blown from the sky, so whatever the pilot had done had worked. They settled to the ground and everyone took a deep breath.

 

“What was that, Jansen?” Deering asked softly, not that she needed to whisper. “Surface to air?”

 

“Yeah.” The pilot was breathing a bit heavily. Ona thought she felt something odd from him, but when she scanned him, there was nothing. “Blasted Ulgo surface to air batteries. Thanks for the warning Ma’am… If that concussion blast had hit us square, we would be scattered pieces splattered across about a half a kilometer right now. Thanks…” He took a deep breath and steadied himself. “Too bloody close.”

 

“You are telling me…” Deering said softly. “That sucked. Let’s stay as low as we can until we get to one of the safe zones.”

 

“That is just it, Ma’am. We are supposed to be in a safe zone…” The pilot said as he pulled up a holo map. “See?” He indicated a red swath with a clear bubble inside it.

 

“That’s just great.” Deering said with a sigh. “The Ulgos are pushing again. Great, just great.”

 

“This is a problem?” Ona said as she looked at the holo. She was no soldier, but it did look like it had a lot of red on it.

 

“Yeah.” Deering said with a grimace. “The Republic maintains facilities here, embassies, infrastructure, and a few bases, ours included.” She swept a hand toward the driver to indicate Special Forces. Boris Ulgo wants us and the Sith gone, and is pushing. He is not going to win in the end, but man it is costing…”

 

“So what do we do?” Ona asked evenly. “Walk?”

 

“We could.” Deering said with a small grin. “But we want to get there today. Hmmm… Jansen, those batteries are not listed among Ulgo’s declared forces, are they?” She asked quietly, while perusing the display. At Ona’s quizzical look, Deering explained. “Everything here is essentially in stasis, no one has an advantage. We keep working to stay ahead of the Empire, they keep working to stay ahead of us, and Ulgo keeps sparring with both. Idiot.”

 

“Sounds like someone needs a lesson in humility.” Ona said with a grimace. “But I can’t delay more than I have to.”

 

“Our mutual friend said you would be in danger here.” Deering said with an odd look on her face. “Jansen.” She barked and the pilot stiffened in his seat.

 

“Ma’am?” He asked.

 

“How many batteries did you detect and where?” The pilot keyed the display and Deering nodded. “I am going to contact the Redoubtable.” Ona felt shock from the pilot.

 

“Ma’am?” The pilot’s voice was scared now.

 

“They fired on a marked Republic airspeeder broadcasting Republic IFF in a declared safe zone.” Deering said with a feral gleam in her eye. “They want to play? Fine. We will play, but with a new player taking the field. The Redoubtable will level it nicely.” She pulled her helmet on and started talking, muffled by the helmet. Ona leaned forward to speak to the pilot.

 

“The Redoubtable?” She asked softly. “Is that what I think it is?”

 

“Battleship in orbit, Ma’am…” Jansen swallowed heavily. “We witnessed a direct attack, but…” He slumped. “Navy guys are good, but firing into an atmosphere…. They are not that precise. We are awfully close…”

 

“Which is why we need to move, Jansen. Now.” Deering said with a snarl. “Keep us low and evasive. But get us clear. The Ulgo surface to air batteries are about to get rained on.” Jansen needed no further motivation, he threw the airspeeder into the air and floored the accelerator. Behind then, Ona could hear rumblings, kind of like a freight carrier passing on rails. She looked back to see bright red lances of fire stab from the sky to hit the area where they had been.

 

“Was that wise?” Ona asked softly.

 

“Wise? Probably not.” Deering said with a grunt as the airspeeder banked left between a pair of trees and threw her against her straps. “But wise doesn’t cut it when dealing with a madman like Ulgo sure seems to be. And…” She had a grin in her voice now. “It is sure what I call proper diplomacy. Best diplomat I know is a fully charged turbolaser.” Ona winced but kept her mouth shut as the sky fell behind them.

[kalenath]

It was anticlimactic when they arrived at the hospital. After the hair raising journey in, Ona had expected more excitement, but nothing happened. The airspeeder finally slowed to merge with civilian traffic after a few dozen kilometers and the rest of the trip was uneventful. That left her time to think, too much time to think. By the time they landed, her thoughts were tranquil again, or as tranquil as she could make them. She strengthened her mental shields. This would not be fun.

 

Ona had been born with a degree of empathy exceptional even for her empathic people. Bothans as a whole were highly empathic, one thing that made them such great spies. It also made some of them great healers. But as in all things, it was a two edged sword. Her ability to feel the pain of others was a blessing when she wanted to heal, and a curse when she had to not heal. As soon as she entered the building, she could feel them all. A baby crying as a deep burn was cleansed in preparation for bandaging. A man in the preliminary stages of cardiac arrest, a boy with severe head injuries, a girl with a broken ankle… The list went on and on and her expression remained grim as she stalked through the hospital followed by her escort. Jansen stayed with the speeder. Something about him gave her the creeps, but she had no idea what it was. It wasn’t the nanites. That she was sure of. She opened herself to the Force as she walked, careful to keep her thoughts to herself. She was immediately assaulted by pain from all sides and closed herself off again with a sigh. Nothing for it, if this was a trap, now would be the time to spring it, while she was deafened and blinded by the sheer pain around her. But nothing happened.

 

After the usual bureaucratic bull malarkey, they let her into the upper floor ward where Min was. It helped that Deering had a scowl worthy of any Sith Lord. Even the most formidable nurse gave way to the glowering soldier. But finally, she was ushered into the room and there Min sat, her back to the door. Her head had been shaved and she wore a patient gown. Ona took a deep breath and spoke.

 

“Min?” Her voice was tentative, and her hand was gentle as it came to rest on the girl’s shoulder. But there was no response. Ona opened her mind a little and blanched as she realized that the reports had not lied. There was nothing there. Nothing at all. The Min she had known was gone, completely. The girl’s body was alive, but everything that had made Min who and what she was, was gone. Ona slumped, tears welling. “Oh Min… I am sorry…”

 

“So am I, Ona of the Bladeborn.” Another voice answered her. “I had no idea what they would do to her.” Ona felt fear the likes of which she had rarely felt before as a small green form stepped out of the refresher nearby. “She was such a good kid, so full of life, and so willing to do whatever it took.” Ona banished her fear and squared her shoulders.

 

“Which was why you and Melan chose her when you attacked us.” Ona said calmly, her mind flickering here and there, looking for options. She felt pressure on her mind, but her shields held. “You are going to have to do better than that, Vandar.”

 

“Ona, please…” Vandar Tokare said sadly. “It’s not what you think. It’s worse. I can’t disobey. I want to…” The ancient Jedi was struggling as his hand came up. “I so want to, but…I am sorry.” Ona stood there and let him use the Force. The power known as Mirichiro hit her and did nothing. It should have stilled her bodily functions, knocking her out. It didn’t. Vandar’s eyes went even wider than normal. “New trick…?” He asked carefully.

 

“Old trick.” Ona corrected him gently, her hand on her lightsaber. “You know I won’t surrender.”

 

“Ah, yes. I know.” Vandar sighed. “I don’t want to hurt you. You have no help here. The redoubtable Captain Deering is occupied at the moment.”

 

“I wondered if she was one of yours.” Ona said unemotionally, her steps slow as she moved away from Vandar and towards Min. “Jansen was, wasn’t he? That is a new trick. Menglan’s?” It wasn’t really a question.

 

“You know a hostage won’t work, Ona…” Vandar broke off as Ona’s green lightsaber ignited and then flashed. Min fell without a sound, dead before she hit the floor. “What have you done?” He cried, aghast.

 

“She was a hostage that you took. A victim.” Ona said, tears welling. “I couldn’t save her. You wanted me to try, to distract myself with that so you can take me. It has been tried before, Vandar. We know what to do in that case. I failed her, but I know about failing, Jedi. We know all about it.” Her saber deactivated.

 

“Why…?” Vandar cried, his face ashen but he relaxed as she did. “She was not dead. She was alive, she could have been re-taught. She might have even been Bladeborn…”

 

“Your master could have brought her back, but now, she is free, Vandar.” Ona said quietly as she got her grief under control. “You and your scum keep making the same mistake. We are not Jedi. We are not Sith. We are Bladeborn. You keep underestimating us. You and your master. We will leave no one in your hands. No one! We will rescue them when we can but if not, we will free your slaves any way we can.” Ona opened herself fully to the Force, sweeping every emotion away as she opened herself like never before and gathered power. Vandar braced, but she didn’t throw it at him. She spun and threw it at the wall behind her!

 

“No!” Vandar cried as Ona slammed the wall with enough power to snap the duracrete and steel construction like twigs. “Ona, don't” He cried uselessly as she jumped out of the huge hole she had made. He ran to the hole and threw himself after her as the door flew open and an armor clad form ran in with a curse. Deering shook her head and snarled as she ran out of the room, hitting her com as alarms belatedly started to howl.

 

“All units, converge! Code red! Code red! Vandar is here! Repeat, Vandar is here. If you see him, call it in and shoot the bastard! Our protectee is in motion, find her! Call for backup and snag Jansen before he gets away! I have bunch of questions for him!”

[kalenath]

It was… Ona had no words. She was flying, well, actually, she was actually falling with style. Alderaan did not have the mile high skyscrapers that dominated urban sprawls like Coruscant and Raltiir, but it had some high buildings nonetheless. The hospital was one of the largest buildings in this particular city. Even now, years later, she could see damage that still had not been repaired from the Sith invasion, even though it had happened when she was still a child. Some of it, the Alderaanians had left in place, to remember, to focus their hate of the Sith. Some of visible damage was more recent, due to the heating of the Cold War between Republic and Empire. Some of it was also no doubt due to Ulgo and his madness. That wasn’t her problem. She was fast approaching the ground now and focused herself on braking her fall, preferably without breaking herself in the process.

 

She called the Force to her, ignoring the searing pain that ran through her body as she impacted yet another protrusion from the building. She had hit several things on the way down, but each time it had slowed her a bit. She landed with a resounding crash, but no one was in the vicinity. She took a moment to check herself. Aside from some spectacular bruises, she was uninjured. But using the Force in such ways was incredibly tiring. She stiffened as an airspeeder landed nearby and then smiled as the armored form of Captain Deering stepped out of it, weapon ready.

 

“You are late.” Ona said with just the right touch of insouciance. But her hand was on her saber.

 

“We have got to get you out of here.” Deering said with a grunt, looking her over. “Jansen has been taken into custody. I knew there was something wrong with him, but had no idea what until he delayed me just long enough for Vandar to bushwack you.”

 

“Not his fault.” Ona said, stretching as she limped slowly towards the airspeeder. But then she paused as the Force screamed a warning. The black furred Bothan grinned sourly. “Oh, that is one slick illusion, Vandar.” Her tone held admiration now as she stepped back. “I assume as soon as I step into the speeder, I get drugged.”

 

“Ona…” The exasperated voice of the Jedi master came from where Deering stood and the armored form vanished. The small green form appeared in her place, his body marred by bruises and one arm hanging limp at a bad angle, obviously broken. “That was crazy, even for one of you Bladeborn.” Two robed forms came out of the speeder and four more stepped out of a door nearby. “Don’t make us do this…”

 

“Yeah, right.” Ona laughed sourly. “Hmmm… Six of you? Good.” She smiled, somewhat evilly.

 

“Good?” Vandar asked incredulously, cradling his hurt arm. “Ona… You cannot win. You are hurt already, and you are a healer, not a fighter.” Ona actually laughed at that as her saber came to her hand.

 

“Unless I am facing Masters, which none of these are..." On said with a shrug. "Four or less and honor demands that I try to fight without killing, unless they tick me off.” Ona smirked at his expression. Vandar was out of the fight for the moment with his arm broken like that, but he wouldn’t be for long. From their stances, three of them were experienced, seasoned fighters, dangerous. The other three moved like novices. Now her tone turned vicious. “Since there are six of your pawns here… I can do as I please and it pleases me to tell you and your master to ‘flarg off’.” Her saber ignited in a wave of green energy and she moved into an aggressive stance.

 

“Ona. Don't make us do this!” Vandar said quietly. “We do not want to hurt you.”

 

“I don’t care what you want, monster.” Ona said sourly and charged.

 

It was a seriously uneven fight. But even odds were for formal duels, not real fights. Bladeborn trained for real fights. Ona was good, no question, but her opponents expected her to be tired. She had used a great deal of energy both to blast the wall and to slow her fall enough to land without splattering herself. However, her opponents found out quickly that it didn’t matter. Anyone who trained against Masterblades learned early on how to fight when hurt, when tired, when sick, all of these and more. She didn’t have her sword, but Ona was no slouch with a saber either. Her first opponent came in, with the obvious intent to bind her saber and either slam her to the ground or hold her in place for someone else to disable. His red saber met her green one in a hail of sparks and then he went down as a mechanical foot found the sensitive spot between his legs with lethal precision. Armor might blunt the strike, there was nothing in the galaxy that could stop it. He grunted and then screamed as her saber found his sword arm, cleaving it at the elbow. He fell to his knees, but she was still in motion. His scream cut off abruptly as his head went flying. They wanted her alive and hale, she was under no such compunctions.

 

Vandar watched, amazed, as Ona tore through the five remaining beings standing against her. Her forms were crisp, clean and totally merciless. In less than two minutes, she had torn through two of her opponents and had the other three firmly on the defensive. Only one of the two she had dropped was moving at all, and that one was missing both arms at the elbow. She never seemed to tire, never seemed to falter. Her blade rose and fell, and another life was cut short. Then she turned on another brown robed form and Vandar hissed as he tried to move his arm. Still broken. The nanites within him were working overtime to heal all the damage he had taken in the fall and catching the speeder in mid-flight. Then Vandar tensed as Ona moved aggressively against the brown robed form in front of her. The small female in Jedi robes had no chance as she was backed step by step away from him by the dervish in black fur that was Ona. Vandar saw his opportunity and took it.

 

“Ona! Stop!” Vandar cried as he heard shouts in the distance. He had to end this now. He reached out with the force to throw the female’s cowl back. “You will kill her!” He screamed as her blade came up again, this time batting a blue lightsaber aside. The form’s cowl fell and Ona froze in midswing as a familiar short hair and intent face shone from underneath it.

 

“Min…?” The Bothan asked incredulously, and then she screamed as the tip of a blue saber came out of her chest. She swung reflexively, claiming another life as the attacker who had hit her from behind danced back a step, barely avoiding her blade. Then she fell in a heap as the survivors, all three of them including the one who had lost both arms at the elbow, stared at her. Her saber hit the ground, deactivated and rolled away.

 

“No!” Vandar cried as he rushed to her side. He sighed in relief as he realized she was still breathing, if shallowly. The blade had penetrated her lung and while it was serious, it could be handled if they got her to medical support fast enough. “That was sloppy, Ki Lom, you could have killed her.”

 

“I didn’t mean to…” One of the brown robed forms babbled. “She was blocking so fast. I assumed she would block it…” He shook his head. “When did she become a Master?”

 

“Dunno.” Vandar said as he checked Ona over and nodded. “Come on, get our people into the speeder. Now. We are on short ti-… Aw crap!” He jumped back as the airspeeder and his quick evacuation plan vanished in a fireball along with his pilot and all their medical gear. “Nuts…” He said quietly as a pair of armored forms strode out of the shadows nearby, one of them dropping the spent case of a single shot rocket launcher. “Hello, Captain Deering.”

 

Captain Nara Deering, Third Special Forces Regiment, Sixth Battalion, did not waste time talking. Her rifle came up and she opened fire.

[kalenath]

Vandar signaled his people as the Special Forces troops advanced. They could not win this fight. Even if they could take Captain Deering and her companion, more Special Forces had to be on the way. His arm had healed enough so he drew his saber and deflected the captain’s fire away from the three hale beings who had pulled Ona’s limp form from the ground and started away with her.

 

“Go!” Vandar commanded as he placed himself between the advancing troops and his people. His lightsaber wove a dizzying arc, deflecting every shot that came his way. Then his eyes went wide as the captain slung her rifle and… “Ah!” He jumped as her heavy repeater came down, unfolded and opened fire. The sheer weight of fire was deafening. Her companion as well was firing steadily with his rifle, trying to find a hole in Vandar’s defenses. He looked, but his people had run. There was no point in staying, he could see more armored forms approaching. “Another time captain.” He jumped clear and over a low wall, running at Force speed to catch up with his people.

 

By the time he made it to the backup rendezvous in a deserted apartment, the three beings who had survived fighting Ona were there and had laid the unconscious healer out to tend her wounds.

 

“Report.” Vandar said softly as he dropped into their midst.

 

“Special Forces all over the place.” A black shadow said from nearby as their other team member stepped slightly out of the shadows. “They must have been tipped off. It looks like most of the Third Regiment is out and hunting. The others?”

 

“None survived.” Vandar said sadly. “She was… Wow. I had no idea she was that good. No one did. We should have brought Ravishaw.”

 

“You know what he would have done, Vandar.” The black form sighed deeply. “He wouldn’t have hurt her. He still loves her. Despite everything Menglan and Firdlump did to him, he still loves her. When he finds out about this…”

 

“I know.” Vandar knelt beside the still form and touched her. “Min, Ki Lom? You two okay?”

 

The two lowered their hoods and looked at him. Both Jedi Padawans looked worried and scared. Min shook her head.

 

“I have never met her, Master. Have I?” She asked slowly. “She acted as if she knew me. If not for that, she likely would have killed us all.”

 

“She knew the other you, Min.” Vandar said gently as he probed the wound with the Force. “The one you were cloned from. The one the bugs captured, the one Menglan mindwiped.” He sighed, this was not something he could heal by touch.

 

“Oh…” Min said slowly, her face scared. “Um…”

 

“It’s okay to be confused, Min.” Vandar said gently as he worked to bandage the horrible wound on the black furred form. “But we need to get out of here. Now.”

 

“Easier said than done, Vandar.” The black shrouded form said quietly. “The spaceport is sure to be locked down by now. Any unauthorized launches tend draw fire from all three sides. Smugglers have learned not to try.”

 

“Well, we can’t just sit here.” Vandar said softly. “She needs better care than we can give. Hmmm… The Republic spaceport is likely locked down. How about the Imperial one?”

 

“That is just crazy enough to work, Master Vandar.” The form in the shadows laughed sourly as he stepped forward. “She isn’t quite as I expected her to be.” The black furred Bothan knelt by the sleeping one and shook his head. Vandar looked at him and the Bothan shrugged. “My brother did not handle her well, I admit that. But we have to try and get her to understand.”

 

“She won’t trust any of us, Melan.” Vandar said softly. “Even if you were her biological father, instead of an uncle, she wouldn’t trust you. The master has decreed her fate anyway. Menglan has the gear all ready for her. We just have to get her there and healed.”

 

“I dislike this.” Jedi Master Thokal Melan said softly. “I may be a clone of a dead Bothan and a slave, but I truly dislike doing this.”

 

“You think I like it?” Vandar asked as Min and Ki Lom carefully hefted the unconscious healer between them. “Come on, miles to go before we sleep…”

 

“What the heck is a mile?” Min asked softly as she held Ona’s legs in preparation to moving.

 

“No idea, actually.” Vandar said with a smile. “Ancient term of distance measurement I think. But for now, focus.” Min nodded and she and Ki Lom started off, Melan followed. Vandar turned to the other and sighed. The young human had lost his arms and would not be able to keep up. “Juir... I am sorry.”

 

“Just make it quick, master.” Juir said softly. He was the last of the cloned Padawans that Firdlump had made when Vandar had ‘absconded’ with them from the Enclave. “I am…tired…”

 

“Sleep boy.” Vandar said gently as his hand came down on the young man’s shoulder. “May your next life be glorious.” Juir’s eyes rolled up inside his head and he slumped in place, dead. Vandar caught him and then, with a mental wince, dissolved his body into goo. The nanites within him pulled the residue into himself to tend his own wounds, leaving nothing behind but sour memories and regret.

[kalenath]

She woke to pain. Her chest was on fire, her head felt like a pair of shockboxers were duking it out inside and the rest of her felt little better. She opened her eyes and was not surprised to find them covered.

 

“She is awake.” The soft voice had her flinching. She knew that voice. Or… She corrected herself, she HAD known that voice. Min was dead, mindwiped and then slain by her own lightsaber. So… A clone or some other kind of copy. That kind of thing was something that Ona of the Bladeborn understood. She thought back to the fight.

 

She had been doing fairly well, her forms had been almost perfect, although she knew that there was always room for improvement. Then she had seen Min’s face under that cowl and frozen for just a second too long. Pain had erupted in her back and she was sure she had seen blue emerge from her chest before blackness had enfolded her. She had roused a few times, conscious of movement, of fiery pain, but then she had always fallen back into the blackness. She tried her hands, but of course they were fettered. Her feet, likewise.

 

“We have some time until the transport leaves.” Vandar’s voice came from nearby and Ona had to force herself not to flinch. A gentle hand traced her cheek, but she did not react. “It’s okay, Ona. It will be okay.” She sensed where he was and aimed carefully. She couldn’t see where her globule of spit landed, but from the sounds that came from nearby, it was a direct hit. Vandar laughed a little sadly. “Defiant to the end, healer? I almost wish you were not. But then, you wouldn’t be who you are. Take care of her.” His presence vanished from nearby, replaced by a somewhat familiar one.

 

“I have water for you healer.” Min’s voice was gentle. Ona turned her head away from the voice. “Healer, please. We didn’t want to hurt you.” Ona shook her head violently and managed to roll her body until she was lying on the hurt side. The pain was so intense as to force a gasp past her ironclad control but it did what she wanted. Maybe she could manage to die before they realized what she had just done. “Healer, don’t do that!” Min exclaimed as strong hands took hold of her and rolled her onto her back.

 

“She won’t stop fighting.” Another voice. Male, older, sadder. “It is all she knows now. My brother was always an idiot. Stupid religious fanatic and his wife was worse.” Ona felt her blood freeze. How the hell did they know about that? Her past was gone, forgotten. No one remembered that Kiero Melan had once had a daughter, one he had found unacceptable and thrown out with the trash. A small brown being had found her, taken her in and raised her until she had assumed the name of Ona. A gentle hand traced her brow. “My name is Thokal Melan, Shikiria. I am your uncle.”

 

“Minor problem with that, liar.” Ona grated out, trying with all her might to keep her breathing even. If she could just hide it until it was too late… “Thokal Melan is dead.”

 

“I am a clone.” The voice said softly. “As are Min and Ki Lom. We are all slaves. As are you now.”

 

“You don’t know much about us, do you?” Ona said hoarsely. Then she threw her hands up, slamming the bound wrists into the form that stood nearby. She had the satisfaction of hearing a bone break and then strong hands were holding her down. “You may be able to kill me, but I am no one's slave!” She fought, but the hands were too strong and eventually she stopped, content with her tactical retreat and hoping that she had hastened what she could feel in her chest now.

 

“Shikiria…” Thokal Melan’s voice was rueful now. “You won’t have a choice. Once Menglan gets done with you, you will serve, gladly.”

 

“You wish.” Ona snarled. “My name is Ona!” She kicked out, catching someone with her mechanical legs until they were immobilized again.

 

“Not anymore.” Thokal said gently and sadly. “Now your name will be whatever the master and Menglan decide. I will call you Ona if you wish to help ease your transition. You will fight, it is what you Bladeborn do. But you won’t win.”

 

“Winning is not everything, nerfbait.” Ona said with a smile as she relaxed. She was gasping now. “You… have…nothing…”

 

“Master!” Min’s voice was alarmed now. “Something is wrong! Her breathing is wrong.” Ona snarled and started fighting again. Too soon, she needed more time!

 

“Sleep Ona.” Melan’s hand was back on her brow. She fought the compulsion, trying with all her might and skill to stay awake. She had to keep fighting until it was too late for them to resuscitate her.

 

“No!” Ona cried out. “I am not a slave!” She managed to throw the weight off her legs and lashed out again, hearing a cry of pain as she connected to something.

 

“Hold her!” Vandar commanded and several sets of hand held her despite her struggles. A stick in her arm had her falling slowly. But she fought that too, detoxifying the sedative as quickly as she could. She came back to herself with hands holding her down and gentle three clawed hands touching the wound on her chest. “Pneumothorax.” Vandar said to Ona’s dismay. “Give me a needle, quickly.”

 

“No!” Ona screamed as she slammed herself up with both muscles and the Force. Some of the bodies on her shifted a bit and she pressed her advantage, lashing out with bound hands and fettered feet, hearing sounds of alarm and pain as she connected. “I… will… not…”

 

“Enough.” The soft, almost gentle command seeped through her and she fell, every voluntary muscle in her body relaxing. She could not resist as someone plunged the needle into her chest, she had no energy even to cry out. But she had one more card to play. Even as the trapped air that had been pressing against her heart slipped out, she focused on her heart. It was healthy, beating quickly in her distress. She couldn’t stop it suddenly, or they would sense it. She could slow it down, make it less efficient. Her lungs would fill with fluid as the heart failed to pump them out. It would be slow, far slower than a tension pneumothorax, but no less fatal if they did not catch it.

 

“There we go…” Vandar’s soft and gentle voice had her wincing. “For safety’s sake, we should remove her prosthesis.” Ona felt fear again, but quashed it. Of course they were going to threaten that, they were going to do that. She was a prisoner; her comfort took a distinct back seat. But eventually, they would make a mistake, or miss what she had just done. If she kept fighting, maybe they would not figure it out at all until it was too late. She fought the Force induced relaxation her muscles, sensing feeling coming back.

 

“You…” She snarled, straining to fight, to scream. “Bastards…”

 

“We don’t have time for this.” Vandar said quietly. “Cut them off at the thigh.” She managed a wordless scream of denial but no more as the snap of a lightsaber sounded. She screamed again, this time wailing in loss and pain. As first one and then the other leg were cut off her pain increased exponentially. Mercifully, she could only take it for a few seconds before blacking out.

Edited August 16, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

“Bloody hell…” Thokal Melan was nursing a badly bruised arm and a broken nose as he stared at the finally limp form in front of him and deactivated his saber, returning it to his side. “Maybe the can rethist Menglan…”

 

“Maybe…” Vandar said sadly as he smoothed Ona’s facial fur. “If so, she will be the first. You okay?”

 

“The broke my nobe.” Thokal said slowly and carefully as he eased the bones back into place for his nanites to fix. “Kiero wath an idiot, more than an idiot. The ith…” The Bothan was crying softly as he shook his head. His voice returned to normal as he healed far faster than a Bothan should, even a Jedi. “She is…So exceptional…”

 

“I know. Stay with her.” Vandar said gently, and then turned to the Padawans. “You two okay?”

 

“Yes.” Min looked up from where she was helping Ki Lom to his feet. “She took us by surprise. How could she fight like that with all her muscles relaxed?”

 

“I have no idea.” Vandar admitted a bit sheepishly. “That never failed before. Good eyes Min, you saved her life. That pneumothorax would have killed her, which was her intention.”

 

“I don’t know whether I should be congratulated or cursed.” Min said softly as she sat and checked her arm where a livid bruise showed. “Master… I felt pain when her legs were cut off…” She said quietly as she looked to where two smoldering mechanical legs lay well away from where the black furred healer finally slept fitfully. Everyone was watching her now, just in case. “I thought it was just psychological trauma from losing her legs again… but… Thinking back… It wasn’t.”

 

“Hmmm…?” Vandar paused, unsure. “I was a bit distracted. Min, are you sure?”

 

“Yes, Master Vandar.” Min said deferentially. Her eyes were downcast, as they had been since she had been decanted form the tank she had been gestated in. Every so often, Vandar railed again at Firdlump for taking such a bright, lively Padawan and making a submissive clone out of her. “It felt physical… Maybe…” She knelt down beside Ona and slowly opened the other female’s robes, careful to avoid the still hot remnants of the healer’s prosthetic legs. When she did, she gasped. “Master…”

 

All three of the others came to stand beside her and as one, all three gasped. The wounds that Ona had taken in the fight were visible, but that was not what alarmed them. Many old lightsaber burns shone on her flesh even through her fur. Vandar was shaking his head slowly as he traced them, without touching her skin.

 

“This…and this…” He indicated the old marks of wounds. “Took her legs, cleanly, precisely angled at the hip to cripple her and leave her alive. This was not done in a battle. Someone knocked her out, or held her in place while doing this. Almost certainly a Sith, and in that case, she was likely awake and aware at the time.” His voice was sick now. “This… this and this…” He indicated spots that marked old healed deep burns on her abdomen and his voice was confused now. “Why? They are not fatal, not with the cauterization from a lightsaber blade. They are not even the most painful spots.”

 

“Physically painful, no…” Melan said, pain etching his features now. “But emotionally? Spiritually? That is where her reproductive organs were. Her ovaries and her womb. Those burns are deep, whoever did this pressed the tip of the blade deep into her.” Three sets of eyes went wide at that. “Whoever did this sterilized her with a lightsaber. And this…” Melan’s voice was also sick now as he knelt down and traced silver wires that came from her back around her front. “That is how she moved so well with mechanical legs. A direct neural link, hooked to her spinal column. When I cut off her legs…” He slumped in place, his face sad.

 

“It did hurt her physically…” Vandar was even more horrified now. “Oh my god. That kind of trauma can kill people who are hale. We have to get her to medical care. Now.”

 

“The transport we selected has medical staff aboard.” Melan said slowly. “But they don’t launch for another two hours. If we move too quickly, the Imperials will get suspicious.”

 

“And if we don’t move quickly, we may lose her.” Vandar said with an acid edge to his voice.

 

“And would that be a bad thing?” Melan asked carefully. Both Padawans stared at him and then at Vandar. “Really a bad thing? You know what Menglan will do to her… You know…”

 

“I want to disobey.” Vandar said, struggling. “But I can’t. Can you?” Melan shook his head. “Damn.” Vandar said slowly. “Min, Ki Lom? Can either of you… um… interpret what orders you were given?”

 

“Why would we?” Ki Lom asked woodenly. But Min looked at Vandar and her eyes were cautious. Vandar looked at her and smiled. He nodded to Melan who nodded back.

 

“Ki Lom, come with me.” Vandar started off. “We are going to try and find faster transport.”

 

“Master…” Min said slowly, her face downcast. “What have I done?”

 

“You haven’t done anything, Min.” Melan reassured her gently. “But we need you to do something. Something that will be very frightening.”

 

“What do you need me to do?” Min asked, a little scared now. “I can’t disobey, they will hurt me again…”

 

“You won’t.” Melan said even more gently. “Sleep Min. You will remember collapsing and us having to leave you behind.” He touched her on the forehead and she collapsed. He sighed as he scooped the still form of Ona of the Bladeborn up in gentle hands and carried her from the apartment. “I know he is on planet, the fuss will attract his attention. He is curious, always has been. I just hope Ravishaw talks to you before killing you.”

[kalenath]

A terrifying voice roused her. Min went from unplanned sleep to sheer terror in milliseconds.

 

“Well, well, well… What have we here?” A soft, silky voice drove the last of the sleep from Min and she tried to flee. But a hand grabbed her and the Force was sucked out of her in a roaring wave, leaving her a shivering wreck on the floor. “Now, now, none of that, girl. You are one of the clone brats.”

 

“R…R…Ravishaw… I…” She flinched back as a hand traced her cheek. “Don’t touch me!”

 

“I am certainly not going to sleep with you girl.” Did his voice hold humor? She dared a glance and he stood there, as always in his customary black. His latest apprentice stood behind him, a puppet to his will. “You are too young for me, and you don’t have the stamina to keep it interesting. What are you doing on Alderaan, brat? You really stirred up the Republic forces. They are all going gundark.” His mind crowded into hers with all the subtlety of a herd of bull rancors.

 

“I…” Min tried to focus her mind, to keep the sifting thoughts that she could feel away from her, but it was no use. He was far more powerful and well versed in procuring information in unusual ways. “No…”

 

“Go ahead, fight.” He sounded bored now. “If I break you, Menglan will just make another.” Then he froze as he saw something in the corner. Two mechanical legs. His mind slammed into hers and she screamed, but his voice was louder. “What have you done?” He screamed as he grabbed her by the throat and held her off the floor, her legs kicking impotently.

 

“I…” She gasped, fighting for breath. “I don’t know…”

 

“You… You…” Ravishaw was obviously fighting to control himself. His apprentice looked at him and spoke softly.

 

“Master…” The red skinned Sith pureblood nodded as he looked at her. “If you kill her, we will never get the information you seek.”

 

“Yes.” Ravishaw visibly relaxed himself. He lowered Min to the floor almost gently and set her on her feet. “Thank you, Gwenia. What do you think, Gwenia? Another apprentice?” Min felt the Sith’s eyes on her, but she didn’t dare look away from the man in front of her. What was he suggesting?

 

“She is a bit young.” Gwenia replied evenly. “But she is strong.”

 

“True. I have stolen them from Jedi and Sith, but never from Firdlump. I don’t know if I can. Let’s find out.” Ravishaw was looking Min up and down slowly. “Strip.” He said quietly and she found her body reacting without her control. In moments, she was standing in front of him, naked. He nodded. “What we have will fit her. Gwenia, see that her robes are on right and get her to the ship. When she is there, prepare her.” With that, he was gone. As soon as he was, Min collapsed to the floor, tears falling.

 

She stiffened as a gentle hand touched her on the shoulder. She looked up into concerned eyes. She had never seen that particular look of concern on a Sith pureblood’s face.

 

“I am not going to lie. It will hurt, a great deal. But you will emerge stronger for it.” Gwenia held out a black bundle. “Here, put these on.” Min looked and found that the bundle was Sith robes.

 

“I…” Min was crying again. “Why…?”

 

“Put them on.” Gwenia said ungently, giving the girl a shove. “We don’t have a lot of time. You can’t walk around this part of the planet dressed as a Jedi. Why were you here? What did he sense in you that made him so angry?”

 

“Vandar and Melan came to snatch Ona of the Bladeborn.” Min said woodenly as she pulled the Sith robes on. She paused as Gwenia hissed. “She resisted. They had to cut off her legs.”

 

“Are they insane?” Gwenia said dubiously. “They have to know how the Bladeborn, hell, how everyone is going to react. Ona is loved by a whole bunch of powerful people. Come on, finish up.”

 

Min finished closing the robes and shivered slightly. There was a cold, wet stain in the right armpit and she didn’t need to look to know it was blood. Probably from the previous wearer. She was shivering hard as Gwenia led her from the room and out of the building. No one paid her any mind at all. The two females simply walked right by the guards at the spaceport who saluted them. Gwenia did not react, simply marched forward, her steps even. After a little bit, Min found herself following easily. Min followed without difficulty until they reached a landing bay and a small transport appeared inside. She knew that ship! She stiffened in rebellion, but Gwenia took her arm in an unbreakable grip and steered her towards the open maw of the ramp.

 

Min was resisting as best she could as Gwenia led her into the ship, but her terror was hindering her as the Sith led her into what was obviously a medical bay.

 

“Strip, girl.” Gwenia said quietly as she pulled what had to be a patient gown of some kind out of a closet. “We don’t want to ruin the robes.”

 

“No…” Min said softly, horror etching every pore as she looked at the table, the surgical gear, everything. She knew what happened in here! She turned to flee, but a swift blow from Gwenia had her retching on the floor. The Sith shook her head and professionally stripped her robes off. Then Gwenia threw the patient gown over her head, picked her up effortlessly and laid her on the table. Restraints moved without anyone touching them physically and before Min could react, she was strapped down tightly.

 

“Please…” Min begged, heart thudding. “Don’t do this…”

 

“Relax, girl.” Gwenia said kindly as she strapped her girl’s head in place. “It hurts less if you don’t resist. It still hurts, mind you. But less.” She started moving things and a sinister looking droid approached. “Level one indoctrination protocols. Full plumbing.” Gwenia commanded and Min steeled herself as the droid began its work. She flinched from its cold steel fingers as tubes went into sensitive spots. Then one went down her nose and she gasped as a stick in her arm had her falling. She never lost consciousness though, everything just went slightly blurry.

 

“Rest girl.” Gwenia’s face was close by and her voice was soft and gentle now. “You will need it.”

 

“Get us ready for takeoff, Gwenia.” Ravishaw’s voice was harsh as he stepped into the room. “We have an Imperial transport to catch.” Gwenia bowed and left the room. Ravishaw shook his head as he stepped towards the table. Min would have felt fear if she had been able. “Vandar certainly is sneaky, leaving you as a message. We may not be able to catch them, but someone will. However, that leaves you as a loose end.”

 

“Will…” Min managed to get words past her leaden tongue. “Will you kill me?”

 

“Kill you?” Ravishaw actually looked hurt for a moment. “Oh no, my dear. I am going to open your eyes to a larger world. Whether you want it or not.” She could only watch as his hands moved towards her head so slowly. “I will have to think of another name for you. One I haven’t used. Ah well, later.”

 

His hands were cold at first on her scalp, but then they warmed. And warmed. And warmed. They got so hit they bored right through her skin and into her skull. She was screaming as a tangible darkness snatched her and held her tight. His eyes bored into her, she never lost consciousness. She was begging for death, pleading for it, but she never died and the encroaching darkness never took her into unconsciousness. After a long time it might have been minutes or days, the pain ended, leaving her sobbing in the restraints.

 

“I don’t want you gone completely, although you have to act it.” Ravishaw said as he sat back. “The nanites in your system are now disabled. How do you feel, Min?” His voice was gentle now.

 

“Sore…” Min replied uneasily. Why the sudden change? “What are you going to do to me?”

 

“Like I said, I am going to open your eyes. Min, you are a clone, a slave.” Ravishaw’s voice was soft now. “But you don’t have to be. You can be more, much more. You can help me.”

 

“Help you?” Min asked incredulously. “I am a slave. So are you.”

 

“No, I am not, Min.” Ravishaw said with a smile. “While I have to play one, I am not one. But I need your help to keep this from going completely nuclear in more ways than one. When Istara finds out about this, hell when Will finds out about this…” Min stared astonished as Ravishaw, the dark and terrifying boogeyman, actually shuddered. “We have to get her back and we have to do it in such a way as not to arouse suspicion.”

 

“But…” Min protested. “You serve Firdlump.”

 

“No, I don’t.” Ravishaw said gently as he patted her shoulder. “I serve the Seven.” Min’s eyes went wide and Ravishaw smiled again. “You have questions, we have time. It will take some time to try and catch the ship that Vandar and Melan took. We may not be able to catch them, but even if we can’t, there are a lot of interested parties in this now. I…” He bowed his head. “I don’t want to leave Ona in Vandar’s hands for longer than absolutely necessary, but if I break cover… I hate this…” Was he crying?

 

“You love her.” Min’s soft tone wasn’t a question.

 

“Always have.” Ravishaw agreed. “Every Bladeborn does. Which is why this is going to get incredibly messy if we don’t get her back, like… now. She is such a shining light with just a little darkness streaking her soul, if they…break her… dampen that light… You haven’t seen the entire Order of Bladeborn angry, Min. No one has in a long, long time. No one has been dumb enough to do that. Even the Sith step carefully about doing such a thing. They remember what happened the last time.”

 

“What happened the last time?” Min asked, curious despite herself.

 

“It was oh... about four hundred years ago. A couple of young and bright initiate members of the Order were kidnapped, violated and left staked alive to trees as a ‘warning to our people’. It took them over three days to die after the Bladeborn found them. In response, Trugoy and company depopulated most of a small city. Men, women, children, pets, nothing was left alive… It was the only time in the recorded history of the Order that the Order as a whole has targeted children, but then again, the 'children' there were as vicious as the adults. ” Ravishaw said grimly. “It took them a while. But when Imperial investigators arrived to find out why the colony had stopped responding to communication, they found Trugoy sitting atop a ten meter high pile of skulls. He explained calmly to them why making his Order angry in such a way was such a bad idea. Can you blame them for not wanting it to happen again?”

 

“Uh… No…” Min said slowly. “So… What will happen?”

 

“If they break her?” Ravishaw sighed and looked sick. “You know about berserkers, Min.” Min would have nodded but her head was held in place. “Think three hundred or so Force sensitive berserkers. And that is not even counting the Masterblades. What’s worse is they would fail.” Ravishaw looked very sick now. “Any normal foe, they could tear apart with ease, but Firdlump is not a normal foe. We throw three hundred Bladeborn at him and all we would have to show for it is three hundred steaming piles of goo.”

 

“So what do we do?” Min asked softly, impossibly she was even more scared now. Ravishaw sighed and patted her shoulder.

 

“This is going to hurt, Min. I can’t do it without pain. I have tried, recently, to find a way to do it without, but it never seems to work. It just lobotomizes the subject, which I won’t do to you.” Ravishaw shook his head. “So this is going to hurt. Here...” He held out something and after a moment, Min opened her mouth and let him slip the mouthguard in. It felt…weird. Something was moving inside her mouth but she didn’t react. His hands went back to cradling her head and she focused as the pain came again. She could endure this, especially if it meant she could be free.

 

After what seemed like centuries, the pain ended. Min gasped in relief and spat the mouthguard out. Then she stiffened as a straw found her lips. She sucked and water cooled her tongue.

 

“Easy…” Ravishaw’s voice was weary. “Drink slow, Kora.”

 

“Kora?” Min asked slowly after she had taken a long slow drink. “You change the names. Will you change my face?”

 

“No.” Ravishaw said gently. “We need you to look as you did. But your mind is free now, Kora.”

 

“Free…” The being formerly known as Min frowned. “I don’t know what that is. All I know is the flash imprint of the Jedi Min and… What happened after I was decanted.” The head restraints were undone and she smiled as she sipped again.

 

“Now, you can choose your own way.” Ravishaw smiled at her as she opened her eyes. “Tell me to take a hike and I will. But we need you.”

 

“Me?” The girl on the table asked carefully. “What can I do?”

 

“We have a cunning plan.” Ravishaw said with a smirk at her expression. “Problem is, it needs bait and I can’t do it, or I break my cover. I was about to tell them to flarg off and do it anyway.” He shrugged at her expression. “The Seven all love Ona too. They are not about to leave her to Menglan and Firdlump’s nonexistent mercy.”

 

“What do you need?” Min -no Kora- she reminded herself, asked. “I will do what I can.” Ravishaw nodded and smiled at her as he undid the rest of the restraints.

 

“Good girl. Be yourself.” He smiled at her expression. “We can’t tell you the whole plan, but if you act as you should, this can work.”

 

“Okay…” Kora said slowly as she sat up. Her head spun, but she did not wince. When she ran a hand over her scalp, she found no evidence of burns or other injuries. She looked at Ravishaw who shrugged.

 

“Putting a bomb in your head is evil as well as redundant.” Ravishaw said gently. “I could take control of you. I don’t want to.” For just an instant, the girl on the table saw deep, deep into the man as he let his shields fall for a moment. What she saw scared her and made her sad. She held out a hand.

 

“Let me help.” Kora said slowly as she focused herself. “I want to help. What do you need me to do?”

 

“Be scared.” Ravishaw smiled at her expression and helped her off the table. “The idea is that I took you from the Sith who captured you and then I played with you. Then I will toss you back to Vandar like a sack of potatoes.” Revulsion colored his words now. “I will plant memories of hasty torture in your mind as well as my own… particular horrors.” He held up a hand to forestall her protests. “They will not actually be real. But to you they will be real. Real enough to fool Menglan and Firdlump for a time. I need you to get aboard their ship, find Ona and get her ready for extraction. I can’t fake injuries though, so I do have to hurt you. There will be a deep seated command in your subconscious, when you see Ona, to remember the truth. Then the extraction team will come and get you.”

 

“You?” Min asked softly.

 

“No.” Ravishaw smiled as he helped her dress in a new set of robes. Ones that were oddly tattered. “But you will like them. Now as for specifics… One of your rear molars has been replaced. Bite down on it if you need a quick escape. And whatever you do, don’t let Vandar catch you doing anything out of character, that being is sharp…”

[kalenath]

Min stumbled badly as she exited the airlock, but paused as a worried voice greeted her.

 

“By the Force, Min?” Ki Lom stood there, his posture worried. “Are you okay?”

 

“No.” Min groaned. “Feel sick…I…” She did not flinch away from the grip of the other Padawan as he helped her stand. “Are the masters here? I need to report…” She was trying to keep her nausea down and was succeeding for the moment. The pain in her head was increasing by the second however. Whatever Ravishaw had done to her was not going to heal on it’s own, if ever.

 

“You need to rest, Min.” Ki Lom argued quietly. “You look like hell.”

 

“I feel like hell.” Min replied quietly, her face working. “I don’t know what the Sith did to me. I don’t want to know what Ravishaw did to me.” Ki Lom recoiled in horror, but then resumed his gentle grip.

 

“What did he do to you, Min?” Ki Lom asked carefully. “Did he hurt you?”

 

“It hurt…He touched my head.” Min was fighting back tears and nausea. “It hurt so much. It hurts so much…”

 

“What happened, Min?” Another voice came as she was led towards the small transport’s medical bay. Melan came out of a side corridor, his face worried. “Ravishaw said the Sith had you?”

 

“I don’t know. Don’t remember…” Min said, steadily losing her fight to keep her stomach contents down. “No…” She cried as she lost it, spewing the meager contents of her stomach everywhere.

 

A long and painful time later, Min found herself lying on a medical bed. A soft conversation was going on nearby. She was so weak that all she could do was lie there and listen.

 

“…trauma to her hypothalamus. He didn’t intend for her to survive long after returning, so I saved her just to spite him.” She recognized the voice, Doctor Menglan was speaking clinically, as if she were talking about a diagram. “She shows classic signs of Sith interrogation as well. Force lighting scars and bruising around the neck. Other than that, she is in fine condition.” The doctor’s voice was sarcastic now.

 

“Can I talk to her, doctor?” Vandar’s voice asked quietly. “Is she able to understand me and respond?”

 

“Yes, although how much sense she will make is anyone’s guess.” Menglan snarled. “I have to get back to my other patient. The chest wound has finally healed enough, I can start the procedures. Don’t disturb me again.” Min heard a door hiss shut and then Vandar sighed.

 

“You are very lucky to be alive, young lady.” Vandar said gently as he stepped up on a chair beside her bed. “What happened?”

 

“I don’t know.” Min admitted sadly. “I don’t remember. There were Sith there, I remember that. They were angry, but about what? I don’t know. Their questions made no sense.”

 

“Sith?” Vandar said softly. “Well, they would have found the hideout eventually, but that fast? Melan said you couldn’t follow? But that you would try and catch up?”

 

“Leg…” Min moved her leg. It was all she could do as weak as she was although she felt her strength returning. “Ona had connected in her struggles but it didn’t hurt until I tried to leave the hideout. I tried, master. I tried.” She was crying now.

 

“I know.” Vandar said quietly. “My fault, not yours. So the Sith had you. Then what?”

 

“They hurt me, but… They were taking me somewhere. We were in a vehicle of some kind. Don’t know what kind.” Min said slowly, parsing her thoughts carefully. “Then something went ‘bang’ and then next thing I knew he was there. Him and that red skinned witch of his…” She cringed in memory.

 

“Easy, Min…” Vandar laid a gentle hand on her arm. “It’s okay, it’s over. What did he do?”

 

“He knew who I was.” Min shuddered a bit. “He said…” She swallowed convulsively. “He said he couldn’t play with me, that I wouldn’t last. But that he would use me to send a message. He said something about ‘poaching in other people’s territories’, but that makes no sense, does it?” She asked, fearfully. Vandar sighed.

 

“Very little about Ravishaw makes sense, Min. He is not stable. Maybe he thought Alderaan was his own hunting ground? I know he has snatched apprentices from there before.” Vandar’s voice held old sorrow now. “I tried to help him, but I failed.”

 

“I failed too.” Min slumped in place. “Do I…? Will I be punished for this?”

 

“We are not Sith, Min.” Vandar said gently. “It wasn’t your fault. You are back and intact, that is what is important. The Sith hurt you, he hurt you, you will take some time to recover.”

 

“I want to help.” Min protested. “I need to do something. I just… I was so useless, during the fight, running and then to have a wound I never felt…” She slumped.

 

“You are the reason we managed to take her alive, Min.” Vandar corrected her gently. “Now rest.”

 

“Um… master…?” Min asked, somewhat hesitantly. “What happened to the crew of this ship?”

 

“We took the two medical staff alive.” Vandar said sadly. “The rest resisted and we had no choice but to kill them.”

 

“I see.” Min sighed. “Is there anything I can do? Sitting maybe?”

 

“You can watch a monitor.” Vandar said slowly. “Three of us to run the ship just aren’t enough to also have someone in Medical. Just leave Menglan alone. She is in a foul mood after we told her what happened to Ona. Both capturing her and after.”

 

“Why?” Min asked curiously as she swung her feet off the bed slowly, but smiled as her head didn’t hurt and she wasn’t nauseated. “Wouldn’t it make her job easier?”

 

“Don’t ask that Min.” Vandar cautioned her. “Don’t ask. You do not want to know.” He waited for Min to stand and then led her into the main medical bay, small as befitted the size of the transport. “Doc, Min is conscious and wants to help out as she can. She doesn’t feel up to a lot of walking, but she should be able to watch a monitor.”

 

“Fine.” The human in the medical tunic snarled at them as she pounded on a control. “Stupid Imperial trash. Work, frak you!” Min recoiled a little, but Vandar led her to a chair nearby.

 

“What is wrong doc?” Vandar asked slowly as he helped Min sit and walked back towards the other female.

 

“What is wrong? This piece of drek says that everything is working. Everything is working, it’s just not working!” Menglan snarled at him, but her gaze was on the monitor. Min’s eyes followed and she stiffened as she saw the form shown on it. Ona of the Bladeborn was floating in a tank, festooned by wires, her body covered for modesty purposes, but the marks of surgery shone on various parts of her anatomy. The chest wound had been treated and was healing quickly in the regenerative fluid. The stumps of her mechanical legs were gone, removed at the hip. The Bothan wore an odd headband that, knowing Menglan, was nothing good. Min jerked a little and then glanced from the monitor to Vandar and then to Menglan but neither of them noticed her, both were focused on each other. “Stupid Imperial Kolto tank won’t sync to her core temperature. I can’t even start the indoctrination until she is in sensory deprivation. Until that happens it won’t work.” She snarled again and bashed the controls.

 

“Breaking the controls won’t help, doctor.” Vandar said quietly. “What do you need?”

 

“How about a better setup? Non brain dead staff?” Menglan snarled at him, but then sighed. “Maybe a droid, or… Hmmm…” She turned to see Min staring at her. “You… Brat. Do you know anything about kolto tanks?” Min jerked.

 

“Um, no doctor…” Min admitted, scared out of her mind.

 

“Good. Nothing to unlearn.” Menglan waved to her and Min rose slowly, still weak. “Come here.” Min did as instructed. “See this?” Menglan indicated a line on one display, one helpfully marked ‘tank temperature’. Min nodded and Menglan smiled, an evil grin. “This…” She waved from that display to another that read ‘core temperature’. “…and this should be the same. They are not. I need you to sit here.” She indicated a seat and Min sat slowly still unsure. Menglan waved at a set of controls. “This control raises the temperature in the tank slowly, this control lowers it. It has to stay within this area.” She indicated a marked zone on another display. “Clear?” Menace rang in the docs tone now and Min nodded jerkily. “Good, I will be back in an hour. Mess up and I will hurt you. It shouldn’t take that long to stabilize, but I want her nice and relaxed before I fry her mind.”

 

“We need her undamaged, doctor.” Vandar reminded the doc.

 

“Which is why I have to start cloning those transplants the master wants her to have.” Menglan snorted. ”Waste of bloody time. She has been sterile too long, she is not going to be a good host mother.”

 

“Can you repair the damage?” Vandar asked carefully, his eyes on the screen as Min manipulated a control to keep the temperature steady. “The master’s wishes were clear.”

 

“Of course I can correct the damage, Vandar.” Menglan said with a scowl. “I am no intern. The leg attachments will be a bit tricky after so long, but feasible. The ruins of the mechanical remnants have already been removed along with the spinal connections. The rest? Cloned transplants are easy, a droid can do it.” She snorted. “Don’t mess up, brat or back into vat you go, kicking and screaming.” Then she was gone.

 

Vandar shrugged, gave Min a long glance and followed the doctor out. Min waited for a second before keying the computer alive. As she had hoped, the codes she had allowed her access to the ship’s inner security net. Ravishaw had been thorough in his plans, and getting Imperial ship codes was fairly easy for Force users. She saw Menglan working on two screaming forms in another room and swallowed a little. She saw Vandar talking to Melan, and Ki Lom working to clear bodies. She likely wasn’t going to get another chance. She leaned forward and keyed the mike of the tank.

 

“Ma’am… Miss Ona, can you hear me?”

[kalenath]

Ona of the Bladeborn had known the moment she had woken that she was in big, big trouble. She was floating in something. The pain in her chest had dulled to an ache. When she looked at the wound with the Force, it was mostly healed, so she had been out a while. When she had tried her eyes, they were covered of course. She could smell gas flowing over her nose and mouth, it smelled like oxygen. She had tried to move and her motions were unrestricted except by the walls of the tank. A quick test had shown the walls of the tube to be far beyond her ability to break. So she was in a kolto tank or something similar. They wanted her alive. Vandar and Melan had both wanted her undamaged. She could feel wires and tubes attached to her, but she was too weak to try and pull any of them off. She hoped that whoever the doc was, that they had missed the small hiccup she had introduced into her heart rhythm. It would kill her, eventually IF no one caught it. She had tried to force the mask off so she could drown in the Kolto but a sour voice had snarled at her and a shock had hit her. Not as strong as force lightning, but powerful enough to stun momentarily. She had not had the energy to fight it, and had screamed into the mask. Someone was monitoring her, which made sense. Made it hard for her, but it did make sense. The same voice had gloated at her.

 

“Now now, dear Shikiria.” This had to be the Menglan witch that several of the victims of Special Branch had told Ona about. “You will find it so much easier if you do not resist.” Ona struggled, but managed to get one hand to curl in a universal sign of extreme negative. “Okay, be that way…” Shocks hit her again and again, coursing through her body as she writhed in agony. Every so often they would stop and the voice would drone some more, but Ona tuned it out. She knew what was happening; this was just the warm up phase. She focused on healing what she could of herself between shocks. If she could just keep the doctor from seeing what she had done to her heart…

 

If they held true to form, they would leave her in the tank until her temperature adjusted. Then they would work on her, using pain, pleasure, drugs or other means to break her will. She did not kid herself that she would be able to resist. Anyone could be broken. She was already weakened from the trauma of losing her legs again. Once they had her softened up, so to speak, they would start the actual indoctrination process. She didn’t think they had implanted her already, she didn’t feel any oddities inside her body. She just hoped they would…

 

“Ma’am… Miss Ona, can you hear me?” The new voice cut like a lightsaber through her hazed mind and made her focus. She knew that voice. Min? No, Min was dead. This was the clone of Min, the copy that Vandar had used to trap her. Min spoke again. “Ma’am, it’s okay. We are going to try and get you out of here.” Ona snorted derisively. What an old trick. She made the same gesture that she had before and then stiffened in shock as the voice laughed delightedly. That wasn’t in the script, was it?

 

“That’s it, Ma’am. You keep right on fighting.” The voice sounded hurried now. “I don’t have a lot of time, the doc is coming back. Morey sent me. He called for help, it’s on the way, Ma’am, hold on.” Then the com cut with a click, leaving Ona to wonder.

 

Morey? Ona thought with a wince. Istara had been very closemouthed about Morey recently, something had happened, something had changed, even before Emily and Dargon Darkstorm had died. Ona felt a pang of loss, she had liked Emily, even the little she had seen of the old woman. But what was going on? The mike clicked on again and Menglan’s soft gloating voice sounded in her ears again.

 

“Well Shikiria? Ready to face your future?” This woman was no true doctor no matter what she wore, Ona knew. Much like the monster Demagol of many years prior, this woman was insane. But it made her more dangerous, not less. She had a scientific mind and used it for horrific ends. Ona flipped her the bird again and Menglan sighed. “So be it, Shikiria, you are just prolonging your pain.”

 

Pain arced through her again, this time lasting for longer and eventually darkness claimed her. As it did however, she was sure she felt annoyance from the doctor. Maybe things were starting to go right? Maybe.

 

When she woke again, she was lying on a table, restrained of course. Her eyes were uncovered and for a moment, she looked around through cracked eyelids. What she saw made her wince slightly. A large machine hovered nearby and a large bell shaped device hung over her head, needles and other sinister protuberances shone on the inside. But it was what was at her waist that had her flinching. A droid hovered there and from the looks of it, a surgical droid. It was working one something she couldn’t see. Menglan’s voice came from nearby.

 

“Ah, awake are we?” She did not turn to look at where the voice had come from and a human female’s face appeared in her line of vision. “Ah, Shikiria… Poor dear… So young to lose your legs like that, and your femininity as well.” Ona did not flinch as the doctor ran a hand across her abdomen. “We will make it all better.”

 

“You can’t.” Ona said quietly. “And my name is Ona.”

 

“Oh no?” Menglan said with a smile that was decidedly wrong on her normal looking features. “Look then, see the impossible.” Ona stared as a mirror inclined and she saw…legs. Black furred legs.

 

“It’s a trick.” Ona retorted evenly. “You cannot reattach limbs like that.”

 

“Maybe you can’t.” Menglan said with a superior smirk. “But we are a little better at things like that than you backward, brainless, barbarian Bladeborn.”

 

“Maybe.” Ona retorted. “Or maybe it is an illusion.” Instead of answering, Menglan slapped her on the right knee. It stung. “You lie. It’s a trick.”

 

“No trick, my dear Shikiria.” Menglan smiled as he lowered the bell like object towards Ona’s head. “You will also be happy to know that your transplanted ovaries and uterus have been accepted by your body.” Ona felt her world rock on its axis, but she rode the pain that surged through her, using it to focus, to strengthen herself for what she knew as coming. “You are fertile again. And you will serve nicely as a host mother, and an assistant.”

 

“I won’t serve you.” Ona said calmly, her force sense seeping through herself. The arrhythmia that she had introduced in her heart was starting to become pronounced. They would detect it soon. Too soon? “You are wasting your time.”

 

“Oh Shikiria…” Menglan leaned down and kissed Ona on the brow, “You and I are going to have so much fun together.” She lowered the hood in place with a click. Ona was in the dark for a moment and then light started playing across her eyes. She hastily closed them but the light shone through her eyelids. She felt needles puncture her skin and she could feel drugs start to course through her system. This was the main event. This was what the doctor had been working towards this whole time. Ona snarled as pain started, and focused on healing the damage as it was done.

 

“I. Will. Not. Serve. You.” She felt a hand touch her restrained one. “And my name is Ona.”

 

“Oh yes, you will Shikiria. Eventually.” The then doctor laughed and Ona was left to ride the waves of pain, healing what she could when she could, trying to keep her mind free of the insidious thoughts and demands that rode into it on the waves of pain.

[kalenath]

She was steadily losing ground. Ona knew that eventually, she would break. She could heal the damage that she took for a time, but eventually, she would be spent. At that point, her will would eventually falter and allow the evil doctor to control her, to warp and twist the Bothan to serve the evil doctor’s master. But she took refuge in the fact that it was taking a lot longer than Menglan had expected. She had been in the tank several times, she had lost count how many. And she had gone under the machine an equal number of times. But every time, she managed to hold firm. Menglan did not take that well. The doctor was irate, slamming equipment, beating Min, ever threatening Min with mindwipe during one of Ona’s few periods of lucidity. All of it was wearing down Ona slowly and steadily. But Ona had an ally, a totally unexpected one. The young girl’s voice came from nearby as Ona tried to relax between convulsions. The table she was strapped to was coated with her blood and sweat.

 

“We have a moment, Ma’am. The doc is elsewhere.” Min’s voice was scared, but rock hard at the same time. “Can I do anything to help?” Ona gasped as Min wiped her forehead with a cool cloth. Then she was screaming again as her body reacted to the abuse it had taken.

 

“You… can’t… keep… helping me, Min…” Ona gasped out between convulsions. Finally her body stopped reacting and she lay in the restraints, drained. “They will figure it out.”

 

“They think you have bonded with me, something about ‘similar circumstances’?” Min said dubiously. “They think I am helping break you. That if they hurt me, it will break your will faster.”

 

“That is why Menglan beat you.” Ona said, comprehension dawning. “Min…”

 

“I am not going to leave you to face this horror alone, Ma’am.” Min said slowly as she wiped the sweat from Ona’s bound body. “I can’t stop them, but I can help you.”

 

“You… You can’t Min.” Ona said, gasping for air as she finally felt what she had been waiting for happen. Something went snap inside her chest and she sighed in relief as the pain all through her body stopped as if cut off by a sword. Blood flow stopped as her heart did. She had maybe two minutes to live. She relaxed fully, for the first time in a long time. It was done. She was done. “Min, get out of here. Now.”

 

“Ma’am?” Min’s terrified voice came from far away. “No! Ma’am… Miss Ona… No…Help is coming!”

 

“Go Min….” Ona managed to say as lassitude swept through her body at long last. “Before they come back and find me dead…Go…” Small hands were shaking her harshly but her eyes were so heavy, she couldn’t keep them open. She was fading as she heard a startled exclamation and then the sound of a blow.

 

“You ignorant little child!” Menglan snarled as Min cried out in pain. “What have you done to her? I knew you were doing something but this… How did you do this?”

 

“She didn’t, you pathetic excuse…for a doctor.” Ona said quietly but distinctly. “I…did. You never noticed. Goodbye witch. Say hello…to your master…for me.” Then she was falling into darkness. She saw light ahead, gentle welcoming light. She reached for it, her spirit relaxing as gentleness pulled at her, soothing her aches and pains, calming her fear. But something happened and she was pulled away from the light that beckoned to her. She cried as it vanished, bereft. But whatever held her was just as gentle. She was pulled into soothing arms that were familiar, but… not… She didn’t hurt. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t hurt. She smiled, her final smile echoing on her face as her spirit fled her body and was taken somewhere else. Someplace safe. Somewhere she could rest.

 

Min cowered away from the table as monitors went off and Menglan raged, hands flying trying everything in her extensive repertoire to resuscitate the limp form in front of her.

 

“What did you do?” Menglan demanded of her as she injected a hefty dose of adrenaline directly into the Bothan’s heart. “You did something! What?”

 

“I wiped her off as I was told.” Min had no trouble cowering. Menglan was terrifying. “I was told to gain Ona’s trust. I tried… I didn’t do anything else… I swear it!”

 

“She didn’t.” Min was never so happy to hear Vandar’s voice as she was at that moment. “I directed her to try and gain the subject’s trust. You thought it might help.”

 

“She was coddling the subject!” Menglan screamed in frustration as she applied heart stimulation. “I know she has been coddling this weak scum. There is no other explanation. No one could hold out so long without help.”

 

“Ona was anything but weak, Doctor. You of all people know that. But… Have you. Min?” Vandar asked softly. His voice was…odd. Noncommittal? “Been coddling her?” Min shook her head. “Min… Answer the question.”

 

“No.” Min said hurriedly. “I obeyed orders… Please…” She cowered more as Menglan turned on her, a whip appearing in her hand. She liked using a whip. And this whip had metal on it’s tip.

 

“You lie!” Menglan said sourly as she struck the girl hard across the face with the whip, drawing blood. “I know you did something. You were bending over her when I came in. What did you do?” Menglan screamed aloud as she slashed with the whip again and again. Min raised her hands to protect her face and screamed as the whip bit into her flesh again and again.

 

“I was trying to see what was wrong with her. I was trying to wake her up!” Min cried desperately trying to avoid the whip. Vandar did not move. His face was impassive. “I wiped her down like you said I should, nothing more.” She cried out as the whip arced around her ankle and pulled, dropping her to the floor with a crash. “I did as I was told!” She screamed as the whip hit her face again and then her shoulder, then her belly, cutting right through her robes.

 

“Did you?” Vandar said slowly. “Told by who? I told you to try and gain her trust. But I told you to call her Shikiria, not to keep calling her Ona like you did when I came in.” Min froze. Vandar shook his head again. “Who told you to help her, Min?” Menglan looked at him and then at the girl.

 

“This brat is mine.” Menglan demanded, slashing with the whip again and again. “This one is comatose.” She waved hand at the still form on the table. “Her body is alive… Her mind is gone. The master has a vegetable now. We can clone her, use her that way, but all that effort was wasted!”

 

“Menglan, wait…” Vandar said slowly as the doctor stalked towards the terrified girl. “Min… What have you done?” The girl slowly rose up and met his eyes. “Min…” He asked cautiously, something…

 

“My name is Kora.” The female said in an entirely different tone before biting down hard on a tooth that cracked.

 

“No!” Menglan screamed as the girl collapsed. She darted to the girl’s side, medical gear on hand. “You won’t escape by… dying…” She paused and stared as the girl smiled up at her, a vicious look.

 

“No.” Min, Kora, replied evenly. “I won’t. And now… Neither will you.” She smiled as something fuzzy seeped from her mouth and started slowly making its way towards Menglan and Vandar who both backed away from it, terrified.

 

“Doctor, run! It's Bob!” Vandar screamed as he darted for the door. Min waited until they had fled before crumpling to the deck beside the table with the still form on Ona of the Bladeborn. She pulled herself up and started unstrapping the bonds that held the still Bothan only to pause as a voice sounded from nearby.

 

“That was very brave, child.” The male voice was kind and gentle. “Very brave indeed.”

 

“Can you help her?” Kora asked sadly as she smoothed the fur on the Bothan’s face. “I can’t.” She stiffened as a hand touched her shoulder gently. “I can’t sense her.”

 

“She is not gone, child, just resting after her ordeals.” Bob, one of the two independent machine intelligences loose in the galaxy, sighed as she turned to face him, tears falling down her face in sheets. “This has hurt you too, and I am sorry. It took a lot longer to make enough nanites to counter theirs than I thought it would.” A shudder ran through the ship and Min looked at him. She sighed.

 

“They got away.” It wasn’t a question. Min bowed her head. “I… I just…” She laid her head on Ona’s barely moving chest and cried.

 

“Rest, Kora.” Bob said gently as his form dissipated to do whatever he had to do to make the ship safe. “Help will be here shortly.”

[kalenath]

She had unstrapped the restraints and was trying to clean the grime and blood off of the unconscious Bothan when the ship shuddered again. She froze in place. No one had told her what was going to happen next. Bob had gone wherever the heck he went and left her alone. The engines had shut down shortly after that, but everything else was still live. She shook her head, pulling a light sheet over Ona’s body as she heard what had to be armored boots on the deck. She shook her head and moved between the hatch and the bed, no matter WHAT came through the hatch, she would not let them have Ona without a fight. She hadn’t found any blasters or a lightsaber anywhere, so she made do with what she could improvise. She had broken an IV stand and hefted its long pole like a lightsaber. But when the hatch opened… No one entered. A voice called.

 

“Kora?” It was female, older and well disciplined.

 

“Who is there?” Kora demanded, the long rod in hand a meager weapon, but all she had been able to find. “Identify yourself!”

 

“Captain Nara Deering, Third Republic Special Forces.” A form in full Republic armor entered the room slowly. The armored figure’s hands were empty. “You are Kora.” It wasn’t a question.

 

“How do I know you are really Special Forces?” Kora asked belligerently. She was not expecting the woman to laugh.

 

“Dang, girl, you got big brass ones, don’t you?” The armored form reached up and undid her helmet. The face that shone was in her mid thirties and etched with pain, sorrow and loss. But also there was a rock solid determination. It faltered as she took in the scene, the bleeding girl and the still form on the surgical table. “Republic Special Forces, Ma’am. We are here to get you both out.”

 

“I…” Kora was shivering now as she lowered the rod she held. It fell from her grasp to clang onto the floor, but she was beyond caring. “I…” She was falling, but armored hands caught her and held her gently. “I am sorry…” She was crying as the hands held her upright.

 

“It’s okay, Ma’am.” Deering’s voice was gentle as she held the shivering Padawan. “It will be okay. We need a medic here!” She called into the hallway.

 

The next few minutes were a blur to Kora. She was lifted up and placed on a bed. Then someone in armor was tending the whip wounds on her face and shoulders, making disgusted noises while he did. After that she was left to doze for a bit while the soldiers did whatever it was they did. Then someone eased her up into a sitting position and someone else offered her water. She drank slowly, carefully. She looked up into brown eyes and froze.

 

“He called you Kora. Go ahead, drink, it has a mild sedative in it, you are hurt, you need sleep. ” Jina Darkstorm said tenderly. The one time Jedi was holding the cup in steady hands and Kora drank some more. “Is Kora what you want to be called?”

 

“That name will work…” Kora said slowly after taking another sip and swallowing. “I am not Min, no matter what I look like.”

 

“I know.” Jina’s face held sorrow now. “Min was dead before Ona cut her down. The memories that made up the Padawan that we knew were gone. You may have them, but you are not her.” She shook her head. “I thought I knew… We thought we knew what Special Branch was capable of. We were wrong…” She looked to where the armored medic was working on a black furred form that didn’t move. “We won’t underestimate them again.”

 

“There have to be nanites on me.” Kora said slowly. “You can’t take the chance.”

 

“Morey got all the ones that were on you before.” Jina said, patting Kora’s hand gently. “I dealt with the rest. You are free, Kora.”

 

“Am I?” Kora asked slowly. “My whole life has been pain and slavery. Will I ever be free of that?” She was unprepared for the former Jedi to hug her and gave a squeak of surprise.

 

“You are strong, Kora.” Jina said soothingly. “We are going to take you and her somewhere for healing. You have both earned a long rest.”

 

“She earned it.” Kora said with a muted whimper as she looked at the still form on the bed. “I didn’t do a thing.” Jina shook her head but another voice answered Kora.

 

“Yesss you did, child.” Kora went completely still as a huge green scaled form came into the small medical bay. The Barabel shook her head with a muted keen as she looked at the sleeping Bothan. “Oh… Ona… Ztupid girl… Why wouldn’t you lisssten?” The pain in the lizard woman’s voice shook Kora. She was blurring now from the sedative, but she forced herself to sit up and spoke evenly.

 

“I want to help.” Kora stiffened as the huge green form turned to eye her. “Part of what happened is my fault. She was taken because of me. I distracted her. I owe her my freedom, my life…”

 

“Kora, isss it?” The Barabel asked slowly. Kora nodded. “We take zuch declarationsss very zeriousssly among the Bladeborn, child. Do not zpeak sssuch thingz rassshly, or in quick temper.”

 

“Think before you respond, Kora.” Jina said quietly. “I still have a Bladeborn following me about because of such an oath. Where is Zana anyway?” She asked looking around.

 

“Here, Ma’am.” An armored female form entered the medical ward which started to feel cramped. “I checked Bob’s work. Everything is on track.”

 

“Good.” Mama Lizard said slowly. “Kora…?”

 

“I understand the obligation.” Kora said slowly, her mind starting to go fuzzy., What was happening? Was she about to pass out? “I owe her. I will… Pay… the… debt…” She said as she was falling slowly, so slowly. Arms caught her and lowered her gently, but she was asleep before she touched the bed. As lethargy took her, she heard words.

 

“I thought the sedative was never going to work.” Jina Darkstorm’s voice held wonder. “Tough kid. Rest Kora.” A gentle hand traced her brow.

 

“Ssshe will need it.” Mama Lizard’s reply came from far away. “Ssshe will need it.” Another gentle touch on her arm soothed her and she was falling into comforting darkness.

[kalenath]

“Why won’t she wake up?” Kora asked from her berth as the healers worked at the still black furred form in another. She paused as one turned to her and a bleak look was on the Trandoshan’s face. “She is not gone. Bob said she wasn’t gone. She can’t be gone.” She pleaded. “She can’t be!”

 

“I am sorry, child.” L’trask bowed his head. “We have done all we can for now. She will wake, or she won’t. It may be tomorrow, it may be next year.” He walked to stand beside Kora’s berth and laid a gentle clawed hand on hers. “We will tend her, but comas are tricky. She may never wake up.” Kora shook her head, tears falling.

 

She had been more than a little surprised to find the small transport taken aboard by the renegade cruiser Stormhawk. Of course, she had not resisted at all. They had all been gentle with her, kind. But…

 

“It’s not fair.” Kora said with a quaver in her voice. “Life isn’t I know, but… After fighting so hard, it’s just not fair. It should have been ME on that table. I wish it had been me on that table…”

 

“Don’t say that, child.” A form in Jedi robes strode to stand with L’trask. Hawkir Strum was kind and gentle, but unyielding as well. “She made her choice. She would have taken your place gladly.”

 

“She didn’t deserve this…” Kora said, tears falling. She tried to move beyond her grief but it wouldn’t abate. “She fought so hard, for so long… She didn’t deserve what they did to her.”

 

“No one deserves that, Kora.” Hawkir said sadly. “But she did it in part to save you.”

 

“Me?” Kora exclaimed. “But… But why?”

 

“I can anssswer that, Kora.” Came the voice of the terrifying looking Barabel she had met on the transport. But Mama Lizard was kind. The being who insisted that Kora call her Mama came to the side of her bed and smiled gently at her. A terrifying sight, but Kora knew it was gentle. “Zhe went to find and help…the other you.” Kora bowed her head in memory. Vandar had told her that Ona had struck down the mindwiped form and Kora understood. Many would not, But Kora did understand. Better to die than live a half life as a slave. “Then from what you dezcribed… ssshe zaw you. It isss part of our Code, young one. To help younglingz in danger, be they Jedi, Sssith or any. It has cozt many of usss our livez, but we remain true to our Code.”

 

“They will make another copy.” Kora said slowly. “They have the genetic samples, and the imprint. They will make more copies of her, me… whatever...”

 

“If we can sssave them, we will.” Mama Lizard promised her, but then the Barabel’s voice turned steely. “But if we cannot, we will not leave them to be zlavesss.”

 

“You know they are likely tracking her and me.” Kora said quietly. “We put you all in danger.”

 

“The nanites within you have been dealt with.” Her minder said gently as she patted Kora’s hand. Kora wasn’t sure WHAT to make of Jina Darkstorm. Her inherited memories told of a woman who was an absolute terror with a lightsaber. But this woman was kind, patient and understanding. “Kora, it’s okay. You are free.”

 

“I don’t feel free…” Kora’s voice was sour but she subsided back into her bed. She had been hurt far worse than she had realized when the doctor had whipped her. Many of the whip cuts had been to the bone. The doctors were not sure if some of them would heal properly on their own, so they kept her in medical. “I owe her, Jina. I want to help her. What can I do? I have to do something.” Jina had been adamant that she not be called Master Darkstorm or anything else other than ‘Jina’. She bowed her head in sorrow and thus did not see a sharp glance pass between Mama Lizard and Jina.

 

“For now, Kora, rest and heal.” Jina said gently as she pulled the cover over the hurt girl. Kora fell asleep wondering why it felt so weird for everyone to be so kind.

[kalenath]

“What do you think, Jina?” Mama Lizard asked after they had left the bay. Jina needed some downtime and Mama had made it clear that she was not going to let the former Jedi get away with skiving off to sit with a sleeping girl.

 

“Bob was right.” Jina said slowly. “There is something very wrong with her. Morey felt it too.” Mama growled and Jina shrugged. “He understands your feelings, he accepts them.”

 

“Issstara is Grandmazter. Her will isss law.” Mama Lizard said in a hard tone. “And you zay he had reassson for what he did. But zome thingsss are unforgiveable.”

 

“He agrees.” Jina said quietly, only to pause as Mama Lizard stopped dead in the hallway. “He wants to talk to you, but… You need to read this before you choose either way.” She held out a datapad to the Barabel who took it with a fast swipe.

 

“I don’t care what it zaysss. I know what he did, haz…done…” Mama said as she started reading, then broke off. “By my ancestorsss…” Her voice held horror now. “I knew zhe wasssn’t hiz mother… but… thisss…?” Her voice was horrified.

 

“Yes.” Jina said quietly as the Barabel’s eye ridges shot up. “Now you are the only other person outside of the Seven and Bob who knows the truth about him. Hand it back when you are done.” Mama finished reading and then read it again. Then, without a word, she handed it back to Jina who crumpled it with the Force and tossed it into a disposal chute. She tossed a small object in with it. Then she blanched and hit her com just as an alarm went off. “Hey Boss, that was me, sorry…Forgot about the sensors. Can you kill the alarms?”

 

“Did you have to use an EMP grenade?” Came the outraged reply from her com, easily audible to everyone in the corridor. Passersby walked on hurriedly. The alarms gave one more whoop and shut off. “You just shorted out the entire reclamation system on that side of the ship!”

 

“Oops.” Jina said quietly, silencing whatever tirade Boss was going to start. “I will help fix it.”

 

“No!” Boss cried. “Stay away from Jikirt. He is going to be fuming now. I don’t need you and him going at it in the corridor.”

 

“Boss…” Jina exclaimed. “I said I am sorry…”

 

“Just give us some warning next time, okay?” Stormhawk Boss said sourly before cutting the connection. Mama looked at Jina who shrugged.

 

“The nanites won’t be able to reclaim any data from a shorted out datapad.” Jina said as she started towards the mess deck. “We think we got all of the nanites aboard, but we cannot be sure.”

 

“I thought you sssaid Bob did a full zcan.” Mama said slowly as she followed the former Jedi.

 

“He did.” Jina said sourly. “But we can’t be sure we can trust him.”

 

“Oh.” Mama said quietly, her mind obviously working overtime. She shook her head. “What do you think, Jina?”

 

“About Kora?” Jina asked as they entered the crowded mess hall and waved to friends. “Or Morey?”

 

“Both.” Mama said quietly as they gathered trays and got their food. One improvement that having the Bladeborn aboard had done, the Bladeborn did not tolerate slop or bad nutrition. The crew was eating much better than they had been. They hadn’t been living on rations, but it hadn’t been five star quality. Now? It still wasn’t five star but it was much, much better.

 

“Kora…? Something is wrong with her as Morey and Bob both said. Morey? It is your choice.” Jina found space and sat. Mama moved to beside her, the crew member who had been there hastily vacating the spot. “Hey!” Jina protested as Mama looked sad.

 

“It’z okay, Jina.” Mama Lizard said slowly. “I underssstand their hate…” She paused as the crewwoman in question shook her head. “What?”

 

“I don’t want to be anywhere around Jina when Jikirt finds her.” The woman said with a smile. “I was done anyway. I meant no offense.” Mama nodded.

 

“None taken. But it hurtsss, to be reviled for how I look. Or what I zerve.” Mama sank to her seat, but then paused as the crewwoman nodded and leaned close.

 

“I wanted to give you my seat, Ma’am. You have all earned our respect.” Mama’s eyes went wide as she looked around and not one of the nearby crew had condemnation on their faces. Worry dominated. For her? The woman spoke again. “How is Ona? She is liked.”

 

“No change.” Mama said sadly. “There may not be one. Ssshe is ztill comatossse. Ssshe iz tough, my clan daughter, but…” She broke off as a gentle hand touched her shoulder. She looked up into the concerned eyes of the crew woman.

 

“I hope she gets better.” The woman said quietly. “We all know about losing family. Loved ones. It is never easy.”

 

“It ssshould never BE eazy.” Mama said but then rose and held out her arms. The crewwoman came into them and embraced her. “Thank you.” Mama said huskily as she released the embrace and returned to her seat.

 

“You are right.”The woman said with a sad smile. “And you are welcome.” She looked away from Mama and froze. “Oh dear…” She backed away as a small red furred form approached the table that Mama and Jina were sitting at, a wide corridor of cleared space showing between the hatch and the table. All of the other occupants of the table retreated with their trays as an irate Kushiban jumped up on the table, his face savage and his pure black fur all wild and spiky. At least he wasn’t carrying his wrench. His loud voice silenced everything else in the mess hall. Even Mama Lizard recoiled a bit.

 

“What the munk were you kriffing thinking, you flarging Jedi di’kut? You karking shorted out more than blinking half of my frakking reclamation systems with that brixing grenade! Do you have any blasted idea the amount of feking work you just borking dropped on me?”

 

"Ah..." Jina sighed. “Hello Jikirt…” This would be a long meal…

[kalenath]

Kora was floating. She wasn’t in a kolto tank. It didn’t feel like that, they had put her in one as soon as she had come aboard. She hadn’t had any idea at all how deep her wounds had been. She had taken internal injuries from Menglan’s whip. This was different. She as drifting on some kind of wind? Maybe. Then she landed on her hands and knees with a grunt of expelled air. She rolled as she remembered being trained and found herself on her feet, but paused in shock. She wasn’t on the Stormhawk anymore.

 

“What the…?” She said to no one as she rose to her feet and paused. Where was she? She looked around, but she seemed to be in a city. The alley she was standing in was dark and dingy. Muted crying was coming from somewhere nearby. “Is someone there?” She called softly. A low voice answered her.

 

“Go away.” Kora froze, she knew that voice. Ona!

 

“Ona, is that you?” Kora said quietly as she looked around carefully. The crying was coming from a trash bin nearby. She opened it to find a small bedraggled form curled up inside and crying. The tiny Bothan could not have been older than three or four.

 

“Go away.” The young Bothan said in Ona’s voice. “Leave me alone. Just leave me alone.”

 

“Hey…” Kora said gently. “I won’t hurt you. Let me help you.” She reached in to touch the hurt young one, she could see bruises and at least one deep bleeding cut. The Bothan looked at her and terror was in her eyes.

 

“Stay away from me!” The young Bothan said, recoiling further into the dumpster as Kora reached for her. “You are with them!”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…” Kora recoiled herself. “Wait a moment. I don’t know you. You sound like someone I know, someone I failed. Someone I wanted to help. I won’t hurt you. I swear it.”

 

“You are with them.” The waif cried out in Ona’s voice. “Stay away from me…” Kora was going to respond when she heard something terrifying.

 

“Shikiria…” Soft and melodious voice sounded from nearby, one that had all of Kora’s neck hairs stand on end. She knew that voice! “No use running here, girl. I have all the time in… Oho…I follow a familiar mind and what do I find? Both my quarry and a pleasant surprise.” Doctor Menglan said with a grin as she came around a corner and spied Kora. “Min. Oh, this is rich…”

 

“You…” Kora retreated a step, closing the trash can lid for all the good it would do. She backed away, her hands up to ward. “This is a dream. A nightmare…”

 

“Maybe.” Menglan said as she stepped towards girl. “But you, traitor, you will find it is far more than that. I owe you a great deal of pain, but… Ah, this might be more fun. What better way to break her, than by making her watch me break you?”

 

Kora was suddenly grasped by something intangible. She fought, but whatever it was, it was far stronger than her meager ability. Something went pop and she screamed as her leg twisted in a way it was not designed to. It dangled uselessly from a shattered knee

 

“Oh, don’t be silly, girl.” Menglan snapped. “I haven’t BEGUN to hurt you yet. But this needs an audience. Here little Shikiria… Come to momma Menglan…” The lid flew off the trash can and the small form that had huddled within rose, struggling as ineffectually as Kora against the bonds that held her. Menglan smiled evilly. “Now, sit down over there like a good girl, while I deal with this bad girl…” The female Bothan sank to the ground, her legs folding awkwardly as if not in control of herself. “I think she will make a dandy slave agent, and I will make HER explain to the master what happened. But first…”

 

Kora was struggling hard as Menglan walked slowly over to her and reached out, a needle in hand. “There, there, child. It will be okay. A little stick and everything will be better.”

 

“Stay away from me!” Kora screamed as the needle inched closer. “No!” She cried as the needle sank home in her arm. But… Instead of fire burning through her veins, an unfamiliar female voice spoke curtly in her head.

 

Scream Kora. Now.

 

Kora screamed loud and long. Her body convulsed as something outside of her control jerked it, but… it didn’t hurt! Even her knee didn’t hurt now. What the kriff?

 

Obey her commands Kora. The voice said sharply. Do not let her realize that she doesn’t control you, or she will kill you. Kora focused on Menglan’s gloating face.

 

“There now, Min, better?” Menglan asked with a smirk. “Let’s see about this leg of yours.” Menglan touched Kora’s shattered knee and the girl did not have to fake a scream as it knitted back together with just as much pain as it had taken when breaking. “Okay, good.”Menglan smiled at the sweating girl. “No matter. You will explain to the master why you betrayed us after we have dealt with this particular obstacle.”

 

Be ready. The female voice said softly. You won’t get a second chance to save both your’s and Ona’s souls. Kora tried to respond, but her voice wasn’t working, She panicked, but the other voice was soothing now. Easy, girl. Easy. We knew that Firdlump had put a command subroutine into your subconscious. We hoped that Morey had dealt with it. He did his best but it is not gone. Not entirely. Not yet.

 

“Come here, Min.” Menglan said with a snort. “Come see the proud Bladeborn, reduced to servitude at long last.” Kora rose unsteadily and walked to where Menglan stood… She inhaled sharply. The small Bothan was muzzled, had a collar about her neck and a leash was in Menglan’s hand. “Here, child…” Menglan crooned. “There we go…” She said as the leash snapped into place. “Now we can take your minds home. Her to serve the master as a spy among his enemies and you to explain to the master why you betrayed us and how. I look forward to watching you scream.” Menglan turned her back, pulling the Bothan along, although the little girl fought, she could not resist. Menglan gave the leash a yank, focused solely on the Bothan.

 

Now Kora! The other female voice spoke sharply and Kora raised her hands, a blue lightsaber flaring into life in them. She struck Menglan square across the back with all of her flagging strength. Menglan screamed and dropped the leash, but then turned and struck Kora across the face before the girl could recover from her strike. The blow stunned Kora and threw her to the ground.

 

“You…” Menglan snarled as she closed with the fallen Jedi Padawan. “Are such…” She picked Kora up by the throat and started strangling her with one hand, slapping her again and again with her free hand. “…a bad girl!” Kora could not resist the slaps, her hands were scrabbling ineffectually at the iron clamp that was secured around her throat. Her vision as going dark now, but she kept trying to kick, to fight, to do something, anything. Then it stopped as something went snap and Menglan screamed again. Kora slammed into the ground hard, going to her hands and knees and gasping for breath. She looked up to wonder.

 

Ona stood there. Not the little girl who Kora had found in a trashcan but the Bladeborn, fully aware. She was clad in brown armor, but her sword was sheathed. She didn’t need it, she was angry beyond belief.

 

“You.” Ona kicked the fallen doctor hard enough that Kora heard ribs break. “Leave…” She kicked again, this time to the head. Menglan’s quickly raised arm broke and her head snapped back. “HER!” Ona was screaming now as she kicked and slapped, punched and probably would have bitten if she had been in range to do so. “ALONE!” Now she drew her blade and the point traced the doctor’s check, drawing blood.

 

“Ona… Enough…” The voice which had spoken to Kora earlier spoke again, this time aloud. “It’s done. We have her. You are safe, Kora is safe. Enough.”

 

“It’s not enough!” Ona screamed, so like and unlike the woman that Kora had seen tortured that she was moved to words. The Bothan’s blade came up to strike. Kora managed to get words out past her pain and fear.

 

“Miss Ona…” Kora froze as the Bothan’s livid regard swept over her but she kept talking. “You are better than her. Don’t become her… please…?” She felt faint now, blood loss? Something. “You… are… better…than…”

 

How had she gotten on the ground? What was this huge silver shadow that loomed over her? Her vision focused and she screamed, but that same voice from before spoke again, from the horrific looking being. The voice was gentle now.

 

“Easy, young one. It’s okay. I’m just finishing up.” The huge bug was working fast, its claws blurring. “You took some hard knocks, small wonder you passed out.”

 

“I….” Kora managed to get her voice to work after a moment. “Who…?”

 

“My name is Kicota.” The sliver bug said gently as she finished whatever she was doing. “I am a friend and colleague of Ona’s. That was very brave, what you did, young lady. Standing up to Menglan like that, not once, but twice.”

 

“No, it wasn’t.” Kora said, slumping. “I am a coward… Some Jedi, huh?” Soft furred arms took her and lifted her from the ground and held her as she sobbed into a furred shoulder.

 

“You are anything but a coward, Kora. Anything but.” Ona said quietly as she hugged the girl gently. The Bothan was crying. “Thank you. From the depths of my heart, thank you.”

 

“For what?” Kora asked, crying harder. “All I did was lead her right to you. I got you caught, again!”

 

“Kora, Kora…” Ona’s voice was as gentle as her hand as it smoothed the girl’s hair. “She had found me several other times. I kept running, hiding, but eventually, she would have found me again anyway. It’s okay…” Ona crooned gently. “You saved me from falling, Kora. Thank you.”

 

“But…” Kora sputtered little. “But I…” She gave up and sobbed into Ona’s shoulder. Eventually she was spent and just lay in the Bothan’s arms.

 

“You need to get yourself and her back to your bodies, Ona.” Kicota’s voice came from nearby and when Kora looked, the bug was doing something to Menglan. “Like now.”

 

“What are you doing to her?” Kora asked, her tone listless.

 

“I am marking her so we can track her any time she comes back onto this dreamscape.” Kicota said quietly. “We will hold her as long as we can, maybe we can do something with her. We won’t leave her free to cause such harm again. Go Ona. Go home.”

 

“Home?” Ona asked quietly, looking around. “All I knew was that my father threw me away. Melan says he is my uncle, but he lies as often as Vandar does. I barely remember any of this…”

 

“You know what I meant, Ona.” Kicota said with a sigh. “Take Kora and go.”

 

“What are you going to do, Kicota?” Ona asked suspiciously. The bug did not respond and Ona shifted Kora’s limp weight a little. “Kicota…?”

 

“One good thing about being one of the Dark Cousins…” Kicota said quietly. “We don’t have such rules about mental manipulation as the rest of the hives do.” Menglan stared up at the bug, but couldn’t move and screamed as the bug produced a small brown crystal. The woman gave out a shrill piercing scream as the crystal touched her flesh and then she slumped unconscious, her body relaxing completely.

 

“You are going to get in so much trouble…” Ona said quietly, but not disapproving. “Sarai… Lohas… All of them are going to flip…”

 

“Let them.” Kicota said with a snarl. “No one snatches one of my friends, tortures her, tries to brainwash her and gets away with it. No one.” She looked at the crystal and nodded to the pair of females. “We may have just snatched a break ourselves. Go.”

 

“Um…” Kora snuggled closer into Ona’s warm arms. “I don’t know how…”

 

“I do.” Ona said gently, then, like wisp of smoke, both were gone.

 

“Now…” Kicota looked down at the limp form at her feet for a moment and then snarled. “Wake up and get on your feet, doctor!”

 

“Yes, my queen?” The woman rose slowly, unsteadily. “What is your command?”

 

“You will find that all of your memories are intact, but your free will is now mine. Maintain your cover as Firdlump’s pet psycho doctor. But every night, you will come back here, and report to me on your activities, clear slave?”

 

“Clear, mistress.”

[kalenath]

“Should you be up?” Kora asked slowly as she watched Ona stagger from the refresher. “I mean, they all yelled at me for doing the same thing and you were out longer.” They were in a double room, Ona had insisted on staying close to Kora. Kora didn’t mind, even if she was mostly confined to the bed until her body healed. Whatever had happened in that dreamscape had hurt her very badly, far worse than she had realized. They had managed to get to the mess hall yesterday and she had been amazed at the sheer number of people who had come by to wish her and Ona a quick recovery. At first she had thought they were all looking at Ona, but some had talked to her too, and everyone had been nice. Odd that.

 

“Old saying, Kora.” Ona said with a grimace as she fell back into her berth. “It goes. ‘Do as I say, not as I do’. It fits.” Kora laughed at that and Ona smiled at her. “How are you doing?”

 

“The fear is still there.” Kora said slowly, musing. “If it was implanted to keep me in line like you all think, why is it not fading?”

 

“The mind is a funny thing, Kora.” Ona said as she sat and started to reconnect her plumbing and monitor lines, then she paused. The lines were not where she had left them. “They came in and were upset, weren’t they?” Kora would not meet her eyes and Ona sighed. “Kora, it is not your fault. I wanted a shower.” Kora would not meet her eyes and Ona sighed. “Kora, look at me, please. What is wrong?”

 

“I am useless.” Kora said slowly. “So pathetic… So tired… So…” She was shivering slightly. She shook her head and her hand darted to her side, coming up with something that flashed.

 

“Kora!” Ona was out of the bed and across the room instants before Kora’s hand came up with the blade, aiming at her own jugular. Her hand stopped, held in an unbreakable grip. “Stop!” Ona said quietly but firmly as she held the hand with the blade in an iron grip. “It isn’t you, Kora. It isn’t you… Drop it.”

 

“I…” Kora stared at Ona and then her face fell. “Help me… I…” Her hand opened and the steak knife she had purloined from the mess hall clattered to the floor. “What is wrong with me?” She wailed into Ona’s shoulder as the Bothan pulled her close.

 

“I will, Kora… It’s not you, Kora.” Ona said gently as she held the shuddering girl. “Come on, easy…” She crooned. “It’s not you, it’s the programming. They are working on it. It will be okay.”

 

“I feel so helpless.” Kora said softly, her face downcast. “I feel so… dirty… So ugly…”

 

“Kora…” Ona’s hands were still strong, but her tone was gentler still. “It is the programming that FIrdlump and Menglan did to you both before and after you were decanted from your clone pod. It’s not you. It’s okay.”

 

“Don’t let me hurt you…” Kora begged the healer. “After everything that has happened, don’t let me hurt you.”

 

“We are not going to lock you in a straitjacket or padded cell, Kora.” Ona said quietly as she sat, pulling the sobbing Padawan into her lap. “You are not suicidal. You think you are, but you are not. Come on… Shhh… That’s a girl…” Her arms still around the girl, her hands started rubbing Kora’s arms and shoulders, soothing, calming, relaxing as she had so many hurt children in her life as a Bladeborn.

 

“How do you know?” Kora asked, somewhat dazed, after a moment. Her outburst had exhausted her meager stores of energy. She had been comatose in the medical bay for two days. Ona had been that way for five, but Ona was far more used to recovering herself quickly. “I feel… So… Ooo… That’s nice…” She said as Ona’s fingers worked the magic of kindness and gentleness and the tense girl relaxed.

 

“I have helped a lot of hurt children over the years, Kora.” Ona said was a small, sad smile. “I couldn’t help them all, and I regret the ones I lost. You are not beyond hope. You are strong, Kora. So strong. Easy girl…”

 

“I just…” Kora was whimpering now as she slumped in Ona’s arms. “…want this to be over. I want my life back. I want… I want…” She sighed and fell asleep in Ona’s arms. Ona sat with Kora cradled in her lap for some time before the hatch beside her opened. She turned sad eyes toward the Barabel who entered. “Three attempts in three days, Mama… tell me you have good news.”

 

“I wisssh I did, clan daughter.” Mama Lizard said sadly, her hand coming down to rub Kora’s cheek carefully. Kora murmured in her sleep. “I wisssh I did. But I do not. They cannot find it. If they cannot find it, they cannot fix it.”

 

“No…” Ona’s eyes were brimming, she focused herself to keep from disturbing the hurt waif in her arms. “We have to do something.”

 

“What can we do?” Mama asked, her face and voice sad. “We can’t drug her or lock her up for the ressst of her life. Zooner or later ssshe will zucceed in taking her own life. We can’t change the ztructure of her mind.” She stopped as Ona sat up straight, holding Kora carefully as the sleeping girl protested a bit. Ona gave her a gentle caress and Kora relaxed back into sleep.

 

“We can’t.” Ona said slowly. “But I know of someone who can.”

 

“You cannot be ssseriouz.” Mama said slowly, her face grave. “You would give her to him?”

 

“We need to talk to him anyway.” Ona sighed. “I bet Jina can set it up. If she can’t, Istara can.”

 

“Issstara is buzy.” Mama said absently. “Thisss is going to go over like a bantha trying to zwim…” But then she nodded. “He may be able to help her, but then what? Ssshe can’t ztay with him, the moment Firdlump or Menglan sssee her, hiz entire russse will be dizcovered.”

 

“Min can’t.” Ona agreed. “But Kora is not Min, is she?”

 

“We cannot do thisss againzt her will.” Mama said sternly but paused as a small, tired voice piped up.

 

“Do what?” Kora asked, not opening her eyes. “I am sorry, I did not mean to eavesdrop. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you, Ona…”

 

“It’s all right, Kora.” Ona said with a smile, stroking the girl’s hair to keep her calm. “Hardly the first time I have been used as a pillow. And we were talking about you.”

 

“I am not getting better am I?” Kora’s voice was resigned, but she did not resist as Ona hugged her. Her hands found Ona’s stomach and lay there for a moment.

 

“No you are not, but we may have an option.” Ona’s voice was tender as she worked to keep the poor girl calm. “The programming is buried in your mind, we need someone who is used to doing similar things to fix it, remove it or negate it somehow.”

 

“Who could…?” Kora stiffened for a moment and then relaxed as she put her hands around Ona’s waist. “Oh… He could, couldn’t he?”

 

“Yes.” Ona said with a small shudder. “I… I am ambivalent about this, Kora. I have lost kin to him, but… He was kin… And now… Now we know more than we did about him.”

 

“If I go with Ravi-“ She broke off as Ona put finger over her lips. “What…?” She asked, scared, but Ona’s face was serene and her touch were gentle as she kneaded tense muscles, soothing them, relaxing them.

 

“That name does not exist to us anymore, Kora.” Ona said gently, as she kept up her gentle massage. “We call him Morey. We need to talk to him.” She looked at the Barabel, who winced.

 

“Very well, daughter.” Mama Lizard said slowly. “I will ssset it up. You will not go alone.” There was no give in Mama’s voice now and Ona nodded soberly.

[kalenath]

<Tattooine>

 

“I half expected you to bring the whole Order.” The man in black said from his seat. “Especially after what Vandar and Menglan had to have done to you.” He didn’t move.

 

Ona took a moment to look around. She liked it here. She always had. Tattooine held a lot of memories for her, some good, some bad, but all family oriented. This particular spot was remote enough to be nearly uninhabited, but the Sand People knew that it was claimed. Oh yes, they knew. They gave this section of caves a wide berth. He was sitting in his favorite spot as a youngster, a high perch on a cliff side where he could see for kilometers in every direction. Another form in black knelt nearby, this one red skinned. There was no hostility there, simply wariness.

 

“I didn’t come alone, Morey. But you knew that.” Ona said as she sank to her knees in a meditative position. “How have you been? How is the leg?” She asked as she felt pain from there.

 

“Ona…” The man sighed deeply, and real humor rang in his tone. “Always the healer? I fought another Sith idiot the other day. He got a good shot in, it twinges, nothing more. You surprised the hell out of Vandar, you know that? I could have told him trying to take you with six was a bad idea. You were well on your way to being a Master when I knew you.”

 

“Morey…” Ona felt tears starting to burn her eyes. “Jina told me, me and Mama. We…We didn’t know…” Tears were falling now. To find out that the woman who had raised him, had abused him for the first six years of his life, had stolen him from his parents and killed them to cover her tracks hurt her even now.

 

“It’s not your fault, Blackie.” Morey said with a sad smile in his voice. “I thought she was my mom too.”

 

“Morey!” Ona exclaimed with a frown that turned reluctantly into a smile. He always could make her laugh when he tried. “What have I told you about calling me that?”

 

“I had to do it one last time, Ona.” Morey did not move, did not turn to look at her. His sense in the Force was sad. “I deserve your hate, your rage. Zan and Joliana deserved better than to die screaming silently inside their minds as slaves to my master. Others of your kin have fallen to my sword, and the swords and sabers of my apprentices. I just… I don’t remember them all. I wasn’t lucid. I would have killed any of you. Probably laughing the whole time.”

 

“You didn’t.” Ona said gently. “When Trugoy died…” She gulped and continued. “You could have taken Zana over as soon as you touched her. Why didn’t you?”

 

“She was a kid.” Morey said slowly. “An initiate, but still, a kid. If I had touched you, or Mama, or any of the full Bladeborn, I probably would have at least tried to. But not a kid… I did maintain the contact and Firdlump made me try and take her over. I took as long as I could, and thank the Force Jina figured it out quickly. I have some scruples, even when I play my madman. Even at his worst he won’t allow that kind of thing to happen to a kid if he can help it, the kind of thing that happened to him, me, as a child…”

 

“Yeah.” Ona sighed. “Mama wants to talk to you, but she is still down with Kora and Jon.”

 

“Jon? You brought the creep?” Morey turned to look at her, and then his eyes went wide as he looked at her for the first time. “Oh my god… ONA…!” He blanched as he looked at her, seeing with more than his eyes. “What did they do to you…?” Rage sounded in his tone now and he rose halfway to his feet but reconsidered, sinking back to his knees. His eyes were glistening. “I will kill them all, Ona! I swear I will find a way to kill them all!” Pain and rage vied for prominence in his voice and tears were falling as he looked her over, seeing far deeper than skin.

 

“Morey…They intended their slave to be fully functional, so they gave me flesh and blood legs. They replaced the other things I lost as well.” Ona said gently, her hand touching her leg. Even now, she felt odd, feeling a flesh and bone leg instead of metal. It was the other, not visible changes that messed her up worse. “It’s okay. I am alive. I am free. Thanks in part to you, I understand.”

 

“I…” Morey slumped. “I couldn’t do anything but send Kora to you. She and Bob did it all. Tough kid.”

 

“Yeah, she is, but… Morey…” Ona was crying softly now. “She is a mess. Firdlump put things inside her head. Subconscious commands. One is to suicide on capture.” Morey hissed.

 

“I did what I could, Ona…” Morey said slowly. “I did what I could. If I went any deeper…” He broke off as Ona looked at him expectantly and wonder of wonders, he recoiled. “No… No, do not ask that of me!”

 

“Just talk to her, Morey.” Ona said quietly. “That is all I ask. Mama wants to talk to you, too.”

 

“Okay.” Morey said slowly and rose just as slowly as he had spoken. He waited until she rose and then looked at her with a quizzical expression. “Why did you bring Jon?”

 

“He won’t let me out of his sight for more than twenty minutes.” Ona said, checking her chrono. “And if I am not down in another three, he will come up, waving his sword probably.”

 

“Why would he…” Morey broke off and his face went slack. Then he smiled. It was a strangely tender expression. “You found someone who fit? Finally?”

 

“Yes. It took him a while to come around, but he did and we do fit.” Ona smiled back and held out a hand. Morey stared at it for a moment as if he were a drowning man and was being offered life preserver. “Please?” Ona asked. “I am still not 100% and some of the steps are steep.” Morey bowed his head for a moment and then shook his head slowly.

 

“I would accept this charge, Bladeborn. But…” He nodded to the other black clad form. “Gwenia, I need a proper escort. As this female Bladeborn is mated, I would not have her mate call her honor into question due to my own ham-handedness.” The Sith pureblood female rose and bowed to Ona.

 

“Morey…” Ona said with an exasperated sigh. “Don’t try and lie to me. You only ever had eyes for one being.”

 

“That never stopped me from loving you, Ona.” Morey replied as Gwenia took Ona’s arm gently to lead her down the steep path. “Well, no time like the present…”

[kalenath]

It was downright weird, Ona thought as the Sith pureblood led her back into the cavern that had served for countless years as the Bladeborn’s home on Tattooine. For so long, Morey had been an enemy, a boogeyman, to her and her kin, now he was… Well, she wasn’t sure what he was. Except annoying. He was still and likely always would be that.

 

“Stop trying to make me laugh, Morey…” Ona said crossly as she stepped carefully into the main room. “My guts hurt…”

 

“But it is my duty in all ways to improve your disposition, Blackie.” Morey said as he followed her in and then stopped short on seeing the scene in front of him.

 

The huge Barabel called Mama Lizard stood by the main entrance, her gaze fulminating as she looked from the Gwenia to Morey. The brown armored figure of the other Bladeborn healer rose from where he had been checking a still form laid out the in middle. Jon glared at Gwenia and took Ona’s arm from her. He helped her to the middle of the cavern and assisted her to sit on a convenient rock, one that had marks from hundreds of Bladeborn sitting on it over the centuries. Gwenia retreated to stand a step behind Morey and the silence became profound. Finally, Ona broke it.

 

“Any change Jon?” She asked as she looked at Kora’s sleeping form. “Has she woken?”

 

“No.” Jon’s voice was angry, but then again, he usually was, if Morey remembered correctly. He barely remembered the boy who had now become a man. A man who Ona obviously loved. “Did he hurt you?” Jon asked suspiciously.

 

“Jon…” Ona said with a sad sigh. “I needed help down the stairs. Up I could do, but it wore me out. He was a perfect gentleman.”

 

“I…” Jon sighed and his face fell. “I feel so helpless when you are off doing these things Ona. I could never do what you do. I am not anywhere near your class with a sword or your power level and I never will be.”

 

“I know.” Ona said with a smile. “But I love you anyway. Jon, this is Morey, I don’t know if you remember him or not. Morey, this is my mate, Jon.”

 

“I remember him.” Jon said flatly. His hand was on his sword hilt. “I don’t trust him.”

 

“Good.” Morey said into the silence that fell. “I don’t trust myself, Jon of the Bladeborn. Why should anyone else trust me?” He looked at Kora’s still form ad his face fell. “Poor kid…”

 

“She is a clone.” Jon scowled at Morey’s response. “Why would you care?”

 

Instead of answering Morey looked at Mama Lizard who, wonder of wonders, smiled at him. He nodded to her.

 

“You found them?” He asked slowly. She nodded back. “Are they all right?”

 

“Asss all right az they can be.” Mama said slowly. “None of the three knew they had the Force. That wasss zlick, what you did. They are…adapting.”

 

“Yeah, all three of them struck me as people who could.” Morey said slowly and then paused. “Although there IS something odd about the girl…” Mama nodded and Morey relaxed. “Just keep an eye on her, something about her gave me the creeps. Not her per say, but something about her.”

 

“Do I want to know?” Ona asked suspiciously. “Morey? Mama?” She asked, starting to get cross.

 

“When we get back, there are three young humansss I think you zhould meet, Ona. Cranna has releasssed them to our care.” Mama said gently. “You will like them. Can you help Kora, Morey?”

 

“How long has she been out?” Morey asked as he knelt beside the still form. He touched her head and blinked. “Who knocked her out and why?” He asked cautiously.

 

“She has been out for forty five minutes. On the way here, she tried to open the door of the airspeeder and jump out. I knocked her out.” Ona said quietly. “We were at two hundred meters.” Morey grimaced.

 

“Yuck…Definitely suicidal then. That does sound like Firdlump’s work…Sloppy.” The kneeling man said with feeling as he touched her head. He concentrated for a moment and then retracted his hand with a frown. “Yes… Yes, it is. It’s deep… I can see it, but…” He sighed. “I can’t do it. If I do this, it will wipe her, make her a blank slate. I can’t do that, not…again…” He sat back on his heels and shrugged.

 

“Morey…” Ona said, her face working. “It’s her only chance. Sooner or later, we are not going to be able to stop her.” Morey looked at her, then at Mama Lizard who nodded, and then at Jon.

 

“What do you say?” Morey asked softly. “In some things a second opinion is useful.”

 

“Morey…” Jon shrugged. “I am a tech. I have the Force, but not a lot. I have a lot of technical skills, lab skills. This is way beyond me.”

 

“That is not what I asked.” Morey said gently. “I asked what you think. I can wipe her mind, but I don’t want to. It’s wrong.”

 

“You would save her life.” Jon said, his tone painfully neutral. He obviously did not want to say, but did. “I see your point. It’s unethical to chose such a thing for her.”

 

“Jon!” Ona exclaimed, her face ashen. “She is going to die!”

 

“Everything dies, Ona.” Jon said sadly. “Do we have the right to do this to her? I…” He shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. Can you… Hmmm…” He broke off, thinking hard. “How do you do it?”

 

“Not really sure, to tell the truth.” Morey admitted. “I have just been able to ever since I can remember as a slave to Firdlump. I am not sure if it is something Firdlump or Menglan did to me, or an ability I always had. It’s sort of like the Dark Side ability that steals memories. Sort of.” He grimaced at his inability to put it into words.

 

“You can pull them out?” Ona asked, her face going intent “Bit by bit, or all at once?”

 

“Either, but what…” Morey froze as her face lit up. “No!” He exclaimed stumbling backwards, his hands waving as if to ward her off. “No, no nononono. Not going to happen, Blackie! Not going to happen… Stay back!” He said as she rose and stepped towards him. His expression was horrifed.

 

“We can help her, Morey, if we work together.” Ona said urgently. “You pull it out, hold it in place, I heal it.”

 

“Ona, you do not know what you are saying. You cannot.” Morey backed up until he hit the wall of the cave. “Mama, tell her!” Ona turned to Mama Lizard, whose face was sad.

 

“Ona…” Mama’s voice was gentle, but adamant. “If you try to touch heal sssomething like that it would kill you. The zheer power involved… I am amazed it doesssn’t kill Morey when he doez it.”

 

“Sometimes I wonder if it does. There is lot of power buried in a mind, even a non force sensitive one. Touch it the wrong way and… Zap.” Morey said, calming slightly as Ona resumed her seat, tears falling. “I am sorry, Ona. But I can’t let you throw you life away for nothing. It wouldn’t work. I can wipe her, but… Nothing more than that.”

 

“It would save her life.” Ona begged. “She is such a good kid…”

 

“Mama…?” Morey asked the Barabel desperately, his face falling. “Please…”

 

“Asssk her.” Mama said slowly, her posture sad. “Zhe is awake.”

 

Morey looked down and yes, the girl’s eyes were open and looking at him. He shook his head slowly, but she smiled and held out a hand to him.

 

“You can help me?” Kora asked softly. “Make me stop trying to hurt myself?”

 

“You won’t be you.” Morey said, not touching her hand. “You will be someone new.”

 

“Do it.” Kora said gently as she laid back. “Please.” Morey slumped but nodded. Kora smiled at him and then her face faltered. “Just… One thing…”

 

“Anything I can do.” Morey said, his eyes glistening. “Ask.”

 

“Make the new me a healer.” Kora said as his hands closed on her head. “I want to be a healer, like my hero, Ona.” More than one set of eyes misted at that.

 

“You will be a healer, brave girl.” Morey promised. He touched her head and she relaxed into sleep. “I can’t do it here. We will need to change her face too. If she stays with you…” He lifted her easily into his arms, holding her gently and carefully.

 

“They will find her again.” Ona said in the sudden silence that descended. “Can you hide her?”

 

“I know a place.” Morey said softly as he led the way out.

[kalenath]

Ona was sitting by her bed when Kora woke. It was easy to tell, the girl woke with a strangled cry. Morey had done as they had wanted, and Ona had insisted on helping add some memories to the poor girl to help her start her new life. Now, it was time.

 

“Good morning Kora.” Ona smiled at the befuddled look in the human girl’s eyes. “How do you feel?”

 

“No pain.” Kora said carefully, checking all of her extremities. “No impairment, but… Wait a moment…” She fingered the bandages over her head and turned scared eyes towards the Bothan. “Healer?”

 

“You were hurt very badly.” Ona said quietly, taking the girl’s hands and giving them a squeeze. She proceeded with the cover story they had concocted. “You managed to get out of the crashed speeder. Did you HAVE to land on your face?” Ona said with a sad grin. “We were only a few minutes getting to you. You had to know that. We had to do some serious repairs, you will be wearing those bandages for some time.” Actually, she wouldn’t need them for more than a week. Ona had to admit, Morey was dang good at what he did.

 

“I…” Kora’s voice was soft and scared now. “I don’t remember…”

 

“We were worried about that.” Ona sighed as she patted the girl’s hand and set it back on her chest. “That happens sometimes with head wounds.”

 

“Concussive trauma… can… can cause…” Kora blinked and nodded. “…can cause partial or total memory loss. Mine must be partial, or I wouldn’t know how to talk, right?” She asked, trying to maintain her focus. Ona smiled gently.

 

“It looks that way.” Ona sighed. “I can’t stay, Kora. But Morey will take you somewhere you can be safe and heal. Where you can relearn what you need to.”

 

“But…” Kora flinched. “I want to stay with you…” She cried, tears falling as she struggled with her emotions. She sat up, threw her arms around Ona’s midsection and wept. “I want to work with you!”

 

“You will someday, Kora.” Ona said gently as the girl sobbed quietly. “But for now, it will be safer for you if you are nowhere near me. The speeder crash wasn’t an accident. The people who did this will keep hunting, but they will look for ME, not you. You are vulnerable now. Please stay safe, for me?” Ona asked the girl as she took Kora’s hand and rubbed it against her cheek. “Learn as much as you can, and be a good student.”

 

“I will study hard, teacher.” Kora said, her voice solidifying. Then she paused. “You hurt… here…” She put her hand on Ona’s abdomen and a look of concentration came over her features. Then she slumped in place, her hand falling to her side. “I am sorry… I… I feel… so tired now… I need more sleep?” Ona nodded and fiddled with a control. Kora’s voice faded with her consciousness. “I will make you proud of me.”

 

“You already have, girl.” Ona said as Kora slowly slipped into sleep again. “You already have.”

 

Ona waited until she was sure that Kora was asleep before leaving the room and then walking slowly, robotically out of the ship. Jon was waiting for her with a cloak and a cup of hot tea. She nodded her thanks and moved to where Morey was talking quietly with Mama. Both looked up at Ona as the Bothan approached. Ona nodded.

 

“She woke and was lucid. Now she is sleeping again. The new identity is holding.” She sipped her tea to calm herself. “Good job, Morey.”

 

“I still think it was wrong.” Morey said sadly, only to recoil as a tail slammed into his backside. “Mama!” He exclaimed.

 

“It wasss her choice, Morey.” Mama said sadly as she recovered her poise from spanking him as she had when he was a child. “Hide her well, zhe isss a treazure.”

 

“I know and I will.” Morey’s quiet words were an oath. “I know just the place.”

 

“We need to get back.” Jon said quietly. “Before we draw official attention to you.”

 

“I don’t need to tell you to take care of Ona, do I?” Morey said quietly as Jon looked at him. The not so nice healer of the Bladeborn snorted and Morey smiled. “Good.”

 

“If she will let me.” Jon said in a long suffering tone. “I would rather not get cut in half.”

 

“Ona…” Morey said as he looked at one of his oldest friends. She smiled and opened her arms. He embraced her and then stepped back with a smile. “Be careful, and use protection!”

 

“Morey!” Ona exclaimed with a laugh, but then froze as she realized he wasn’t joking. “Morey… I…”

 

“Ona, evil as their intentions were, they repaired the damage.” The man in black said gently. “If you are not careful, you may find out firsthand about child bearing and rearing. Bothans and humans are somewhat compatible after all with proper medical assistance.” He blinked as both Ona and Jon shook their heads in unison. “What?”

 

“It didn’t work, Morey.” Ona said softly, her face downcast. “I am still sterile. I have all the parts, they just don’t work right. I will need to have them removed before they go bad and poison me.” Morey looked at her for a moment before he grinned widely. He embraced her again, and then he lifted her off her feet and spun around, holding her in the air.

 

“Morey!” One exclaimed, her voice a mix of exasperation and mirth. “Put me down!” She gave a shriek as he tossed her into the air and then caught her inches from the ground. “Morey!”

 

“Ona…” Morey whispered into her ear. “Get a second opinion…” Her eyes went wide as he kissed her, despite a warning growl from Jon, he kept up his kiss until both needed to come up for air. “Good luck to all of you, and good journey.” With that, be bowed to Mama Lizard and walked to his ship. The ramp closed after him and it powered up immediately.

 

“You okay, Ona?” Jon asked quietly as he came up behind his mate and put his arms around her. She looked at the departing ship and then at her belly. Her face was white, and she was trembling.

 

“Yes…No… Maybe…” Ona said in a shell shocked tone. “How did he do that? They were not working… They were going to putrefy… I was going to have to get them removed. How did he do that…? He is no healer…”

 

“I don’t think he did, Ona.” Jon said quietly. “But did Kora ever touch your abdomen?” He asked as they watched the ship fly away. Ona stared at him, then at the now distant ship and then at her belly. He smiled as her face lit up. “I think he did just snatched up a true touch healer, just like you, my darling.”

 

“He ought to know better.” Ona said with a grin as she rubbed her stomach, feeling the difference in the Force now that she was looking for it. “Bad things happen when people try to snatch healers. Let’s go home. I have a lot of thinking to do…” She looked at Jon and he blushed a little. “We have lot of planning to do…”

[kalenath]

“I am all right.” Kora said with a smile as the Gand assisted her to lie down. “Now anyway.”

 

“This one believes you should still be resting, young Kora.” The healer known as Qulrrg was quiet, but very well trained and efficient. It also shared her secret. “You have been through a lot, young one.”

 

“I know.” Kora said kindly. “But I need to be doing something. Just sitting around, waiting for my body to heal is…” She shrugged. “Boring.”

 

“And throwing yourself into the first fight you find would cure your boredom?” An absurdly young, but wise voice asked Kora as she stiffened. Ina Ta Mal was a good being, a wise and kindly soul. She was also maybe eight years old. But once you met her, you never noticed her size. Her heart was big enough for everyone. “Kora…” Qulrrg nodded to the head of the group and moved away to work on something else, giving them an illusion of privacy.

 

“Hello Ina.” Kora said, sighing as she sat back on the bunk she had been given. “I…” She shook her head. “I am not Bladeborn, Ina.” The Cerean girl smiled as she sat beside Kora and laid a gentle hand on the girl’s arm.

 

“I know.” Ina said slowly. “Teacher brought you here to let you heal in safety. You have. Qulrrg as well has taught you about your ability. The plusses and the minuses.”

 

Kora nodded soberly. Being able to touch heal was both blessing and curse. She was called to heal, when and as she could. But as she had found out when she tried to heal a broken bone before her training was complete, if she tried to do too much, it laid her out flat. Both Qulrrg and Ina had been annoyed with her. Almost as annoyed as she was with herself.

 

“I like you.” Kora said slowly. “All of you. But… I can’t stay here.”

 

“I know.” Ina said gently. “Teacher figured a week, tops.” Kora looked at the younger girl and a small smile traced the Cerean’s features. “I bet a half a month.” Kora had to grin, she had been with this sect of Bladeborn exactly fifteen days. “We have options for you, but you need to understand… If you leave… You cannot come back. There are too many lives at stake here now.”

 

Kora nodded, her face grim. The very idea of an entire sect of Bladeborn, beings who supposedly served the Empire, hiding in plain sight in the middle of the Correlian forests would turn even the most tolerant of the Correllians paranoid at the drop of a hat. Since most Correlians were paranoid to some extent to begin with… Granted, it was earned. The Sith just would not leave the planet alone. Many Correllians had a view that Jedi and Sith were the same, just with differing costumes. If they discovered the Bladeborn here, well… The planet did still have lynching laws. As tough as some of the group were, they were mostly children. They would not have a chance against a lynch mob, especially since Correllians were of the opinion that guns were ’social’. Most Correllians carried firearms with them everywhere they went, and many owned multiple weapons of varying kinds.

 

“I won’t draw them to you.” Kora said slowly. “But where will I go?”

 

“You want to study healing.” Ina said kindly. “We have been doing a few cautious searches and have found a couple of possibilities. One is a medical school, but…”

 

“But?” Kora prompted when Ina broke off. “But what?”

 

“Its Militia run.” Ina said with a frown. “Likely they have access to Republic records, and if so…”

 

“Oh…” Kora winced. Ravishaw had been clear on her unremembered past. As an unregistered clone of a dead Jedi padawan, she basically had no rights whatsoever. “Uh… No, that one is out. The other?”

 

“You might be able to swing the medical school, but you have to build a better ID first.” Ina said with a gentle smile. “The other is EMS.”

 

“EMS?” Kora asked slowly. “What is EMS?”

 

“Emergency Medical Services.” Ina said with a sigh. “Lots of call for medical responders in this day and age. Its dangerous work.” She warned as Kora thought about it. “You will be out, in places that other people do not want to go, pulling people, or their remains, out of places they should not go. The most common cause of death for a med tech is being hit by a speeder.”

 

“You are kidding.” Kora said with a smile that faltered when Ina shook her head. “You are not kidding?” She asked incredulous. “What about the lights on the ambulances?”

 

“Ambulances carry flashing lights.” Ina agreed. “But apparently, many speeder drivers pay more attention to the lights than they do the road. Or anyone who may be working IN the road while they are driving past. That is not counting other things that can happen. You are strong and capable. It is a dangerous job. But I think, one you would enjoy.”

 

“I wouldn’t be able to use my powers, would I?” Kora asked softly. “Healing someone who is hurt with a official person standing right there…”

 

“Bad idea.” Ina agreed. “The absolute least that would happen is that you would be incarcerated while they send for a Jedi and who knows how they would react? At worst? In some of the hinterlands they…” Ina looked sick. “They still burn suspected witches.” Kora looked a bit green as well.

 

“Okay…” Kora sounded a bit sick at that. “So I hide what I am and hide what I can do. I think that is feasible. What do I do?”

 

“Our new person doing the regular supply run is coming today.” Ina said with a smile that was somewhat sad. “He can take you off world, get you a new ID and bring you back. You will have to go through Customs, but with the proper ID and no criminal record, you should not have any problems.”

 

“Fair enough.” Kora said as she swung her legs off the bunk and held out her hands to Ina. “I will miss you.”

 

“We will miss you too.” Ina said with sad face. “But come… I hear the ship. He doesn’t like to stay long. The Militia gets nervous.” She helped Kora rise and the girl walked under her own power out of the compound to where a…

 

“What the…?” Kora said slowly as she stared at the garishly painted freighter. “Isn’t the idea of smuggling to not draw attention?” A snarling krayt dragon’s mouth showed around what had to be weapons ports. Lots of weapons ports. The engines had not shut down, and it almost hummed in readiness.

 

“I am not smuggling.” The man who strode down the ramp to meet her and Ina was smiling at her, but just looking at him… She shivered. Something about this man was… wrong, off. As if Death itself were looking at her and smiling gently. Not bad, but off putting. “This is a legit delivery. I do those on occasion.”

 

“Kora…” Ina said with a half bow to the man. “Meet Will Kalenath. He is your pilot and minder for this leg of your journey. Will, she is not fully recovered yet from her ‘adventures’. Take it easy.”

 

“I will.” The man nodded to the absurdly young leader. “Well, Kora. As soon as the Bladeborn offload the supplies, we can get out of here. The militia prefers me to maintain as low a profile as possible. I have a lot of enemies in this area who have nothing better to do than chase me. Makes such a mess.” Something about the offhand way he said that chilled Kora to the bone, but she nodded. “Anyway… I want to know what happened. No one will tell me. Just that Ona was hurt. I like Ona.”

 

“Someone tried to snatch her, Will.” Ina said smoothly when Kora looked blank. Kora hissed in shock and Ina patted her arm. “She… dissuaded them with some help. Kora here helped a great deal.”

 

“Idiots…” Will mused as a line of armored forms started out of the ship bearing bundles. “Snatching a healer is a bad idea… Snatching Ona…? Worse.” He sighed deeply. “But I can see why no one wanted to tell me. I do tend to overreact when people I like get hurt.”

 

“Agreed.” Ina said softly. “Kora took some serious hurts in the fighting. She has mostly recovered. But… She lost her memory.”

 

“That is scary.” Will said quietly extending his hand to Kora. Kora took it with only a minor shiver. “If they can’t help you recover your memory and I bet they have tried everything they know, then you have to relearn, but Cranna will be able to teach you. She is good at that.”

 

“Cranna?” Kora asked dubiously. “Who is Cranna?”

 

“You will like her.” Will said with a smile as Ina counted off the armored forms. “That’s the last one. Until next time Ina. Climb aboard the Dragon Express, Kora. Let’s go see if we can get you a new life.” He was muttering as he climbed the ramp leading Kora. “Snatching a healer? And Ona…? What kind of an idiot…?” His voice was lost in the rumble of the engines as he strode up the ramp.

 

Ina watched as the ship took off. In moments it was a speck and then it was gone. She sighed and smiled.

 

“Good journey Will and Kora. Be well, soldier and healer. Yes, indeed. Only an idiot tries to snatch a healer of the Bladeborn.” She shook her head and started back for the compound. She had lots to do.

[kalenath]

((I am VERY glad no one told Will until after... He would not have taken it well. Comments or suggestions always appreciated. Flames might have to go explain to Firdlump what just happened and why. Ugh...))