Chapter 2: The Message

Iz'phal awoke as the morning dawned, the events of the night and the previous day swimming in her head awash with pleasant emotions and memories. Sighing in contentment she rolled in the bedsheets, turning over to slip an arm around the man who should've been at her side but she opened her eyes and her smile faded to realise she was all alone. She sat up slightly and rubbed her eyes, her clothes scattered across the room as she looked around for any evidence that he was still there but everything that was his was gone: His jacket, his coat, his boots, his belongings. Everything was gone. Still not letting that bother her she remembered the happiness of the night before as she slipped on her shapely leggings and tank top before going to the bathroom to wash. Having searched the suite to find she was still on her own after calling his name a few times she activated her holo for an audio call.

Maybe he had to leave early. I'll give him a call…Iz'phal thought, the moments of her and him spinning merrily around in her mind as she awaited his voice on the other end of the reception but merely got a static crackle as the call was cut from its connection. Puzzled but shrugging it away she tried again but got the same result. Her confusion heightening she tried a third time and realised the red receiving light on her comm was flashing which meant a message had been left. Excitement gripping her she clicked the playback button but wished she had never activated it. It was his voice to her happiness but it sounded different, short, militant and flat as if he wanted nothing more to do with her and after all those things he'd said to her, after all she thought she'd meant to him it hurt her deep down, caused a cavern to appear in her heart.

Iz'phal you're probably hearing this wondering where I am. My duties have called me off world and I shall be away for quite some time. I realise one thing and that was the mistake I made. My feelings were misplaced and I did not express them at the right time. All those things I said were a little glossed over and we never should have slept together. I can't speak to you Iz'phal and it may take some time to get over the mistake I made but maybe with time we both can. You may have believed what I said but you were naïve enough to. You are close to me but are not more important than my work. I regret many things but last night was one of them. I cannot say for sure when I will see Ord Mantell or you again but don't try to contact me or seek me out. I may see you in the future but for now this is left just between us.

I'm sure your family will want to see you.

Lieutenant Quinn

Feeling slightly nauseous and sick to her stomach she tried to play the message again but all she got was static and nothing else. His voice sounded harsh and cold, a world away from what it was the other night. He had said all those things, as she stood there seething in fury, the hand which held the comm unit squeezing it even tighter with a bitter realisation that he had left her, had lied to her, had used her and then left her with nothing. All those things, all those words of love and devotion he'd whispered into her ear to gain her physically, nothing more than a whole damn lie just so he could sate himself and then dump her on the wayside when he was done. It hurt her even more as he was also her best friend and he had just simply used her like a piece of meat before throwing her away. Hot tears stung the backs of her eyes as in a gesture of rage she threw the comm against the wall, seeing it smash into the mirror before she tiraded around the room in rage, shouting at the top of her lungs until she could say no more before she slumped with an empty feeling onto the bed and wept bitterly to know that she had been used, not just by any man but by her closest friend and it made her physically ill to think he could've done that to her.

He lied to me! After all those things he said he meant nothing of it! How could he?! I trusted him! I loved him and he meant not a word! You hear me Malavai?! I love you and you go and do this to me. What have I ever done to you than be there for you? You are yet another man who has used me for their own personal gains! Well I tell you what I'm not going to be used by you or another one of your species ever again! I will find you Malavai mark my words and when I do I'm going to get some answers from you. You lied to me, after all we meant to each other. Why… Iz'phal choked on her sadness as she bunched the sheet into her fists and cried and cried. She thought at least if he had made a mistake they'd still be friends but he'd realised he'd expressed his feelings for her earlier than he would've liked, called it a mistake and left her to pick up the pieces. Something was not right here. He had not sounded on the comm like the friendly man she knew and what was this about her being less important than his duty? What was he up to? Who was he really working for? Where was he? Utterly crestfallen and still shaking she made her way from the bed, the many questions reeling frantically in her mind as she found the shattered comm unit she'd thrown in her fury and attempted to activate it but she'd snapped the vital link in two as she slammed it to the floor and gathered her belongings against her chest, her face still pallid and sickly looking. Not wanting to stick around this place as the hurtful message was still ringing in her head she pushed her way to the door, heart still stinging from the recent events. One moment she was in heaven the next she was in some form of torture. What was this? One of her closest friends had used her and it tore her apart to think he had done it on purpose.

I will find you Malavai and when I do you've got some explaining to do. You've hurt me and you better apologise to me before I think about forgiving you…She retorted fiercely in her mind as she made her way along the swamp tracks of Ord Mantell's lower forest trails to her home, setting about using her own comm to contact him. Eventually she seemed to get through, hearing his voice through the static but again it was the same as it had been in the message, unempathetic with a cold streak embedded within it. Tears sprung up to the surface of her eyes as she relieved to speak with him but when he sounded angry at her, the rage flared up within her again. She thought he loved her, truly cared and it turned out it had all been lies.

"Iz'phal I thought I told you specifically not to contact me!" Quinn hissed sharply as her voice was a burst of anger down the connection, wiping tears from her eyes, by the wavering of her voice she hoped he could hear she was upset and then maybe would realise his mistake.

"What ever happened to Izzy or Iz. Quinn where are you? What's going on?!" Iz'phal demanded, her lekku trembling with unwanted twitches meaning her rage was ever growing as she gripped the comm tighter and held it to her ear as she stopped in the middle of the path, her breathing ragged and high in her chest.

"I don't need to answer to you Iz'phal or anyone else. Can't you see I'm busy?!" he shouted crossly losing his temper with her and at this she snapped, the usual kindness she possessed melting into something monstrous as if Quinn could've seen her eyes through the comm link he would think twice before calling them beautiful. They were slits of hatred and her jaw was tensed in anger, the ire spiralling through her chest.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Iz'phal retorted, her voice protesting, obviously wanting answers as she raged at him, tears still falling over her cheeks. "You owe me an explanation as to why you left me. You lied to me, told me all those things and never meant any of it. How could you do this to me?!" she wailed, letting her emotions get the better of her as he merely shut off her words and ended the call as she sunk to her knees in the dirt and just continued to cry, sobbing silently as her chest shook with the nature of her feelings. All that time she had felt special, knew he cared for her now to having lost a loving friend and a partner. She wanted to keep him close, wanted him there but if he couldn't seem to care or want to talk to her then why should she do the same. Feeling a hatred creep up inside her for the first time in years she tried to get her feet then retreated back to the floor as a familiar engine whine above her told her the Empire was patrolling this planet and that any beings who looked like rebels or hostiles would be brought to heel. In fright she lowered herself to the floor, keeping her breathing quiet as a couple of warning shots were fired from the ship's mounted lasers but she kept quiet and low until she was sure they were gone. By the sound of their engines she knew they were Tie Interceptors and some of the most advanced technology in the Empire's arsenal so she decided better than to take them on. Feeling truly frightened now that the Empire could be on this world and knew Ord Mantell, her home was going to be the latest jewel in their crown she brushed away her tears and ran for home but knew she should've stayed low. Three death troopers who had been watching her every move honed in closer to her as through their years of training at one of the Empire's finest war academies their stealth was impeccable, almost rivaling that of a Cipher or a Sniper. Her keen senses told her she was being watched as her run broke into a sprint but without seeing the danger a black armoured clad foot caught her in mid run taking her legs from underneath her as the young twi'lek girl sprawled to the ground, groaning as she clutched at her stomach, the wind having been knocked out of her. As she tried to get to her feet but was still grounded from the shock she saw a pair of neatly black polished boots before her and knew who was here. The people from her worst nightmare: The Sith Empire.