The black had faded, and his eyes had reverted back to their natural sage green when he died, the pheromonic bond broken in death. The Oroboro hive would retain his memories, but the song had changed, turned melancholy, when the Dawn Herald had passed on. That sage green had been reserved for her, and her alone, he kept this ability for special occasions, it was a gift he gave her, for she loved those eyes, and she was a selfish woman, who did not want to share their beauty with the greater Galaxy. Her voice had gone hoarse with screams beseeching anyone to let him live, let him stay with her. He was the good, the calming force in her turbulent world, he had seen her through so much, and he was stolen away, never to return on the whim of a Sith.
When Shiloh ran, the brute thought it was from him, that she ran out of fear, she did not fear his fists, or boots or any other depraved punishment he had formed in his mind. She ran to Vector, to close his eyes, those sage green eyes that belonged to her. He would not stare blankly and reveal their beauty to anyone else. She reached his lifeless form, his skin still warm, and delicately closed his unseeing eyes, she caressed his hair, and laid him down gently, careful not to jostle or hurt him, even as the Brute pulled her by her hair, pulled her away from her beloved. As the door closed behind them, she let out a desperate scream, there was no pain like this, knowing she would never see him again, nothing she had ever experienced hurt so much as that moment.
She lay on the cold concrete, staring at a wall, staring at nothing, her voice gone, but the tears had not let up, they spilled out of her eyes, forming a puddle under her now bald head. Her thick navy hair had been shorn off, four neat stitches now graced the base of her skull. She blinked, more tear spilled out. She hugged the floor, her hands making a loose fist, she thought she could smell him. Time passed, seconds, minutes, hours, days, Shiloh didn't know, she didn't care, if she waited long enough, she might die, she blinked again, when her eyes opened, pale sage green stared back at her. He was laying on the floor beside her.
"They shaved your head." Vector stated to her, informing her.
"You're not real." Shiloh whispered back, informing him.
"I know, but you need me right now, so I'm here." He spoke softly, his voice was still melodic and calming.
Shiloh found it odd to hear him speak in singular first person, using I and me instead of us or we, but then his eyes were no longer black.
"I lost my connection to the hive when I died." Explaining what she already knew, but speaking to the thought that was in her mind. "I can switch, appear to you as you used to know me, if it would help you?"
"No, I like you like this."
Vector smiled at her, caressing her cheek, she could almost feel him.
"So what are you going to do now?" He asked her, Shiloh could see other boots in her peripheral vision, but she didn't dare look away from those sage green eyes, lest she lose them again.
"Die" She whispered, matter of factly.
Vector's smile faded, he shook his head.
"No, it's not your time." He said soberly.
Shiloh blinked, he was gone again, tears spilled out of her eyes, adding to the puddle.
Quinn sat at the spare metal desk that had been provided to him, he ran his hands over his bald head again, he absently touched the stitches at the base of his skull, and closed his eyes. Life had been a mercy when Ardyth had spared him after trying to kill her. Death would have been a mercy this time, he was in purgatory, or hell, he hadn't been here long enough to determine which.
He and the Chiss shared a small cell, no more than 100 square feet, two metal cots, with thin scratchy blankets, a refresher with no door. Not that the Chiss was even using it at the moment, she had not moved from her spot on the floor in the week they had been there. At least he thought it was a week, there was no day or night where they were, the florescent lights blinked maddeningly, in the hallway beyond their cell, there was no light other then the data pad that had been provided to him, and it only contained a list. There were no clocks, they had taken his watch, they had fed them seven meals so far, seven bland meals that had been an odd grey colour, and weak luke warm tea to wash it down with. He shifted in the clothes that had been provided. Malavai Quinn, was used to tailored, well fitting clothes made from luxurious fabrics, he and the Chiss wore matching orange tunics, and drawstring pants. The shoes were no more than thin slippers, no socks, no laces. So far they had been given one change of clothes. Malavai had changed the Chiss himself, braving the stench that had started coming off of her, washed away her filth, her eyes had been wet, and blank, not aware, not seeing anything, not feeling as his cold hands handled her roughly as he changed her like a child. The small had abated some.
He had been given two responsibilities, one would keep his youngest daughter alive, the other would kill his eldest, but would also mercifully kill him. In order to keep Oriah alive, he had to keep Shiloh alive. So far that had been easy, he had pulled the drawstrings from her pants, lest she decided to finally move and hang herself. He had managed to spoon feed her some of the weak tea, and some spoon fulls of the mystery grey mush. Still he had been provided a basic med kit that he kept on a tall shelf in the refresher.
His second responsibility was to locate Mitka, and supply that location to Ardyth, so that she might kill her. He had not been provided the tools with which to do that yet, he would need a holonet link, but that would also mean more light, giving him the time, the date, allowing him access to information. He imagined his wife wanted him broken, or half mad, so that the idea of killing his daughter would seem more palatable, make him desperate for death. It was a sound plan, something he himself would have suggested doing. He rubbed his bald head, and shivered.
Shiloh had gradually become aware of another presence, a real presence, not a ghost. It was a man, he seemed vaguely familiar, he would feed her and bath her, she hated him. If he would just leave her alone, her body would wither away, and she would die, and then she could be with Vector again.
"What makes you think we will be together in death, sweet love?" Vector asked her.
Shiloh's eyes narrowed, "How could we not be?"
Chance, stepped forward then, "You really don't know?"
Watcher X kneeled into her view, "Good people are rewarded in death."
Then Hunter, beautiful dead Hunter purred to her, "You are not a good person."
Vector smiled sadly at her, "You have a good heart, it just took you too long to find it." Trying to soften the blow.
"Weigh your sins against your good deeds Shiloh, You were delightfully evil." Winked Hunter, who circled the familiar man.
"Then how, Vector how?" Shiloh was desperate, terrified of the thought at having truly lost him forever.
"Redeem yourself."
It was around meal eleven while Quinn attempted to feed Shiloh that the isolation of their cell was broken. Two guards entered , one subduing Quinn, the other hefting Shiloh over his shoulder. He carried her out, and the energy shield that served at the fourth wall of their cell blinked back on, Quinn hurried and followed the Guards form down the corridor, at the end of the hallway stood a figure. A figure he knew. The Sith lord met Quinns eyes, and smiled, then turned to follow the guards. Quinn knew then why he had been given a med kit. Suicide wasn't the only thing that threatened her life.
