She killed him.

She rammed a bar through his throat and stabbed him to make sure he was dead.

There were some people she didn't want to kill. This wasn't one of them.

He thudded to the ground. Her feet were warm and wet.

She didn't want him to die so quickly. But she didn't have much time.

Down below she could hear her friend's breathing. Different. Hurt.

She could tell it was Ezor by the pitch of her heart.

She could hear how afraid she was even though she said nothing.

Narti knelt down and reached out to her.

"Narti…"

Barely a whisper.

She'd have killed him all over again.

She hoped Ezor had watched him die.

There was a piece of cloth on the floor. Narti gave it back to her.

She'd have killed him again and again.

She hated herself.

She hated the universe.

She hated the Empire and the Galra and men.

She loved Ezor.

She wasn't going to let her hold onto this.

"Don't touch me," Ezor said.

She was sorry.

Her hand came down over Ezor's eyes.

She could feel where the pain was.

And Ezor's last thought before Narti took over. I'm just glad she can't see me.

She was glad of that, too.

Narti loved Ezor. She loved the way she laughed. That she found joy in things Narti used to like.

She wasn't going to let Ezor be broken.

The universe was terrible but Narti loved Ezor and she was going to give her something better.

She pulled Ezor's head into her lap and concentrated on making her forget.

"You're gonna be okay," Ezor said. "I won't let them hurt you again."

It wasn't Ezor saying that.

"It happened to me too," Ezor's voice said. "They liked that I couldn't scream. They tried to make me…"

It had been a long time ago now.

She thought about it all the time.

She wondered if those men were still alive. If they remembered her.

She would never let Ezor remember something like this.

On her knees, beneath her hand, Ezor lay quiet. Her heart began to slow. Narti could hear it. She could feel it as if it were her own.

Some hearts beat heavier than others. Some were grinding, some echoed within themselves.

Ezor's was taut like a string. Like something that made music.

Narti loved the way she laughed, and she loved the sound of her heart.

She was nearly done pulling the memory.

"All done. I love you."

Ezor went limp when she let go. She lay her down gently, trying to figure out their next course of action.

They were going to be late back to the meeting point.

She wasn't going to tell anyone why. Not Lotor. Not Ezor.

This was going to be hers alone.