The doors of the transponder vessel shut behind Lord Charna with a metal clang as she stared at Malavai Quinn with a questioning gaze. He went a few steps ahead of and turned to face her. The warrior looked into Malavai's blue eyes and felt a sudden fit of unbearable migraine come over her. Eyes wide open from the excruciating pain, she grasped her head, as if in an attempt to hold the scull from shattering into pieces as fragmented memories of the past began to flash in front of her eyes.

Here's Malavai, looking as sharp as ever in his Balmorran military gear, kneeling in front of her. The ghostly echo of his silky voice vowing allegiance: "I'm here to pledge myself to you. I'm ready and willing to serve in whatever capacity you see fit." His bright eyes, shining with zealousness are looking up at her. That's how she would call him, teasing, taunting in private. Bright-eyes.

There's him again, drunk with excitement, reporting on the end of agent Voloren's decade of espionage. His proud demeanor and straight posture are emanating the sense of victory, confidence and strength. His soft voice murmuring "Thank you for allowing me to pursue this, my Lord", like a mist, surrounding a weary traveler.

That's Quinn being so unbalanced and out of his comfort zone speaking about his feelings when they were alone on the ship. His sinking voice rustling like leaves, like sand: "What's more I think you're falling in love with me… am I wrong?" His blue eyes are reflecting the inner turmoil and primal fear of rejection that are so masterfully hidden from the surface.

Yes, Charna knew it all this time. The prophecy on Voss, Jaesa too – warned her. Yet she chose not to believe it. Even now, as Malavai tried his best to act out this theatrical role, Charna did not believe all this was happening to her.

With every word he uttered, about the whole scenario being a ruse, about Baras, Charna's migraine increased. She lowered her hands and stared absent-mindedly at Quinn's pretty face, at his lips without actually hearing the contents of his speech. His figure came in and out of focus as she gritted her teeth from pain and anger.

Quinn spoke of himself and Baras planning this for a long time. Yet his voice sounded surprised. Quinn witnessed how his Lord's features changed before him: her dark skin grew pale, even washed-out, dark-blue veins popped up in the corners of her mouth and eyes. Quinn's monologue seemed to Charna never-ending and only increased her throbbing headache. The clanging of the metal doors and droids made the pain debilitating.

- These war droids have been programmed specifically to combat you. I calculated a near zero percent chance of their failure.

She felt nauseous at these words. Quinn noticed how her skin blackened at the corners of her mouth and under her bright red glistening eyes. The Sith Corruption distorted the once-beautiful features of Charna's face. Malavai's betrayal brought out the animal within her; the animal she kept subdued all this time.

- I thought you were smarter than this. – she spew out with disgust as she hastily drew out her lightsaber and readily jumped into battle.

The warrior fought the droids with her usual reckless grace, becoming enraged and infuriated by the noise the droids made more than by their futile attempts to seriously injure her. She dodged the captain's shots skillfully, with a vicious expression she sliced through his flesh and quickly brought him down to his knees. Charna's hunger for blood piqued as she was about to deliver the final blow to the man when Quinn's words broke the spell she was under. She withdrew the weapon, her features becoming less animalistic with every word he said.

- I know it is meaningless to express my deep regret. I don't expect your mercy.

Charna came up to Malavai, savoring his smell of burnt flesh, blood and sweat. She glanced at the wounds she inflicted, imagining the pain he must be going through; it exhilarated her. She marveled his neck and the frantically pulsing artery. Her lustful gaze shifted to his chest, lowering and rising for shortness of breath after the fight. In absolute silence she could faintly hear his throbbing heartbeat. She took off her glove and put her hand on his chest. Malavai relaxed at this familiar gesture. For a while, she reveled in the feeling of his wildly thumping heart with closed eyes, sliding her hand upwards to his moist neck, placing her fingers gently to feel the pulse.

At that moment Charna opened her eyes: they burned even brighter than before with a mad bright red; she closed her hand tight on his neck. She grinned and laughed maliciously at his surprised expression as her grip tightened. The Captain struggled in vain to escape. His last vision before all grew dark was of his Lord's pale face with throbbing veins and bloodthirsty, sadistic eyes, a creature he has never seen before.

Charna channeled all her hatred, pain and disappointment into this deathly grasp, relishing her ultimate power over him. She felt his breath stopping and heart pumping for the last time; yet it was not enough for her. In the maddening ecstasy she gave him a kolto injection that brought Quinn back to life. Charna sat in front of him, a sick smile lingering on her blackened lips as she took in his terrified look, how he gasped for air; just so that as soon as he is stabilized, she could force slam him against a wall and choke him again till his last breath; then she would repeat the procedure over and over again...

By the time Charna was done with Quinn, his neck was dark with bruises. His pretty face was pale and his bright blue eyes were dull. He looked old and lifeless. As he regained consciousness from another injection he found himself lying in Charna's arms. Her washed-out out bare hand was gently stroking his face, tracing down his neck in silent admiration of every bruise.

- P-please.. just.. k-kill me… - Malavai could barely utter this plead, covering her hand with his, shaky and marble-like. He stared into those brightly glowing red eyes that seemed to be looking through him.

Charna did not hear him. She enjoyed how her heartbeat and breathing synchronized with his until the point that it couldn't go any slower without resulting in her death. Suddenly she saw that her puppet was crashing without her initiative. She frowned and yet surveyed him. The enjoyment of seeing him die on his own was not as pleasing as it were her killing him. As Malavai lay breathless on Charna's lap, she leaned to kiss his lips, his neck; she buried her face in his hair. Her edge was wearing off; she was no longer exhilarated.

Charna used all of her the kolto injections to revive the man. This time it was enough to keep him alive. He lay on the floor staring blankly at his changed Lord standing above him.

- The ship is over there. I'll join you shortly. – she spoke, as if nothing happened.