The Slaver King's ship landed on one of the Massive Battlecruisers many docking hangars. The tiny vessel seemingly swallowed up by the much larger ship. From the viewing window the girls were all treated to the sight of several ships, many of a similar class as the Slaver King's, docked alongside theirs. Droids and engineers dressed in sith uniforms darted about the hangar, performing scheduled maintenance and service work on the crafts. They were in total awe of the spectacle.
"It's huge! I've never seen a ship this big in my life!" Ana exclaimed.
"It's not that big…." Skelton muttered under his breath.
No sooner had they landed than the viewing glass gave way as the docking ramp extended out in front of them and touched down on the hangar floor below. The girls fears had returned. From behind the glass they felt safe, without it they now felt vulnerable again. Four soldiers approached the ramp, clad from head to toe in red armor. Their uniforms were in stark contrast to some of the chrome colored sets of the other nearby soldiers running around the hangar. From this, Alia gathered that these four approaching the ramp must have been some sort of elite unit.
"Ah good, our escort has arrived." Taiget exclaimed.
"Excellent, my men are ready to go when you are, my good Moff." Skelton was flanked by four of his own mercenaries, each one carrying blaster rifles same as the escorts.
"I'm afraid, Slaver King, that this is where you and I part ways. Return to your ship."
"Wh...what?"
"And take your men with you."
"But...but I'm supposed to make the exchange. You said that the Dark Lord…"
"The Dark Lord's instructions to us were clear. He will see the girls, and no one else."
"You can't do this to me! These slaves are my property! I demand to…"
"You don't get to make demands Slaver. Not here." Raina growled.
"I should have known this would be a waste of time! We're leaving!" Herrod turned to reenter his ship, taking his slaves with him.
"His lordship knew you would react this way. Which is why he asked me to convey a personal message to you."
The Slaver King stopped, turning around.
"A...a personal message? To me, from the Dark Lord?"
"Yes, he asked me to convey these exact words to you. Play by my rules and I will make you the richest man in this sector. Break them, and you will walk away with nothing. that is his message. Take it or leave it."
Herrod thought for a moment, he wasn't sure what to make of this. On the one hand, he did not like the idea of his five best being in the company of another man without him, on the other, the potential payday he was about to face could be worth any inconvenience he would have to endure. Finally the Slaver King relented.
"Very well Grand Moff...I will play along for now. But know this, I am a member of the Exchange. If you double cross me, you double cross them. I don't care how powerful your Lord thinks he is, without us he is NOTHING."
"We are well aware of your connections with our benefactors Slaver King. I assure you that the Dark Lord is a man of his word."
"He had better be….Let's go." He motioned for his men to follow him back to the ship.
As the blast door shut behind them the girls found themselves in the rare position of being away from the eyes of the Master for the first time in years.
"I could just stab him in the back. No one would ever have to know. No one…" Raina seethed.
"Save your energy Raina. You'll need it for the next campaign."
"Hmmph, whatever you say Taiget, I assume we're done here?"
"For now. I'll contact you if you're needed again."
"Thank the force. I'll be in the barracks, hopefully Brom's men have something a little stiffer to drink than that frilly wine." As Raina exited the Ramp she gave one last suggestive look to Pix, grinning at him wickedly. "Catch you later sweetie. I'm sure we'll get a chance to talk again reaaal soon." She snickered and left, leaving Pix hiding behind his sisters.
"Now then, if you five will please follow me, I will take you to where you shall meet the next ruler of the Galaxy."
The girls followed the soldiers and the Grand Moff down a series of long corridors, keeping their heads down to the ground as they did so. None of them spoke a word to each other, nor did they dare move their gaze beyond the metallic floor they now walked across. They had never left the Master's ship before. This was unknown territory for all of them. After walking for what seemed like an eternity the group finally arrived at a small, well furnished room, which looked to be a waiting area of some sort. Finally, as the doors shut behind them the girls raised their heads to look about the small room they had just entered.
"Now then, before you meet the Dark Lord there are a few things you all must know. Firstly, do not speak unless directly spoken to. Secondly, you will address him as my Lord only, unless he says otherwise. And finally, you will answer any question he asks you honestly and without hesitation. Is that clear?"
"Yes Master." They all said in unison.
"I can't stress that last part enough. Whatever you do, be sure you are honest. He will know if you are lying to him." There was menace in his words. Not so much as a threat, but as a warning. The girls understood this well. "Very well then, I shall let him know you're here. Wait patiently until I return."
With that, Taiget left them there in the small room. Pix immediately ran to the nearby refresher and began to vomit.
"Would you get that idiot under control! He's going to get us all killed!" Saphira growled. The moment Taiget left she had gotten to work hiding the welt left on her face from the Master's strike with makeup.
"He can't help it sister, he's terrified." Taya said, rubbing her brothers back gently as he continued to puke.
"We all are sister. But for once Saphira has a point. He needs to get himself under control before they come back." Ana said sternly.
Taya continued to rub Pix's back.
"There there brother, it's okay. Please try to calm down."
"I can't do this sister...I...I want to go back to the ship." He was trying his best to stop heaving.
"We all do. But please, you have to be strong. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for your sisters. We're scared too, and we need you to be brave for us."
"R...really?"
"Yes really. I'm terrified Pix, and so is Ana and Alia, and Saphira too even if she won't admit it. We need you to be brave and strong for us, can you do that?"
Pix took a few deep breaths, calming himself down. He wiped the mucus and bile off of his face.
"O...okay sister. I will try."
As Taya and Pix continued to reassure each other Ana and Alia snuck off to the corner to talk amongst themselves.
"What do you think?" Ana asked.
"What does it matter? There's not much we could do about it either way. We're stuck here until, you know who, arrives."
"I still have a hard time believing it's actually him. Maybe Mother Nali got it wrong?"
"Maybe...but I doubt it. A ship this size...no mere man could boast this as their own."
"Dammit! I hate this! Were things not bad enough as it was?" Ana said half angry and half frightened.
"What else did you expect? When have things ever gotten easier for us."
"Alia...if he takes you I...I don't know...I don't think I could bare that."
"Me neither...we've seen too many of our friends get taken away from us, never to be heard from again. We've always had each other…." Alia fought back the tears already beginning to form. Ana did the same.
"No matter what...we stay together. Alive or...not. Agreed?"
"Agreed…we won't let this…"
Alia suddenly became aware of a strange sound that rung in the back of her head. From what she could tell it sounded like a pair of large boots hitting the metal floor in perfect rhythm. Slowly the sound grew louder and louder in her ears, a feeling of severe dread looming over her as it did so.
"Alia? Alia snap out of it!" Ana shook Alia gently, waking her from her stupor.
"Sorry...I was just…"
"Are you okay? You kind of spaced out for a second." She asked with concern.
"Don't you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"That noise."
"What noise sister?"
"Those footsteps, they're getting closer."
Ana gave Alia a weird look.
"Sister...I don't hear anything."
"You really can't hear it? It's getting closer…" A sudden realization came over Alia, her eyes went wide with terror. "I...I think he's coming!"
"What? Who?" Ana asked nervously.
"Him….Revan."
Ana paled, she looked to the door and then back at her sister.
"Alia...you're scaring me. I don't hear anything." She said, very worried now.
"Seriously, none of you can hear that?!" Alia asked insistently, pointing towards the door.
"N...no sister." Pix answered nervously.
"I can't hear anything…" Taya said shaking her head, just as scared as Pix was.
"Sister...are you sure you're ok…"
"I'm telling you Ana, it's getting louder!" Alia was frantic now.
"Please...just try to calm down okay?" Ana said, putting her arms on Alia's shoulders.
"You've finally lost it Sister." Saphira snidely remarked. "No one's coming down the ha…"
At that moment the sound of several pairs of boots could be heard coming down the hallway. The girls each took turns sharing looks of horror with one another.
"Places everyone! PLACES!" Alia implored.
The girls moved into position as if the very ground they walked upon had suddenly caught fire. Each one of them getting in line on their knees with their thighs spread loosely open, their eyes locked to the floor. Alia's breathe caught itself as she heard the sound of the automatic door opening behind her. She could see out of the corners of her eyes a pair of gray leather boots she instantly recognized as the Moffs move to the center of the room. This was followed by two pairs of red armored boots which took position right next to him. And finally...from the corner of her eye she saw it. Two pairs of massive black armored boots slowly walked in front of the group and turned to face the five slaves. The presence she felt at that moment was beyond anything she had ever felt before, like a dark shroud that had slowly began to envelope her senses. A deathly chill ran down the back of her spine. She wanted to look at Ana to see how she was faring but she dared not turn her neck, no matter how stiff it got she dared not move, not even an inch.
"My lord, as you have requested, I bring before you five candidates who meet your requirements." Taiget spoke softly but with confidence.
"Why are they staring at my feet?"
His voice, while powerful and commanding, was higher than she anticipated, and possessed a metallic drone she didn't expect.
"It is a common practice of slavers to teach their servants not to look a superior in the eye unless instructed to do so." Taiget explained.
"Of what possible use could that be I wonder...Tell them they may stop."
"It's alright girls, you may raise your heads." he spoke in huttese.
It took a minute, but slowly they each one by one reluctantly lifted their heads to gaze upon the figure whose voice had commanded them. At that moment Alia was made aware of how completely wrong her depiction of him truly was. His armor was not brown, but a deep onyx, which matched the cape that clung to him like a shroud crafted from the void of space itself. His hood covering the black and red mask that covered his face completely. The one detail that Alia had managed to get right was the lightsaber that dangled loosely from his belt. He was flanked by two soldiers wearing similar armor to the men who escorted them in. However they too, wore capes similar to Revan's, only red in color. And in place of blasters, they each carried a massive staff. Alia deduced that these two must have been some form of personal guard for the Dark Lord.
"I will address you each individually, answer my questions as best you can. Do you understand?" His voice, while commanding, lacked the harsh bite that Alia was accustomed to hearing from the Slaver King.
They nodded their heads timidly. Too petrified to answer directly. Revan approached Ana first, looking down at her through his tinted visor. Alia held her breath.
"Name please."
Ana quickly dropped to the floor, her face touching the ground, her arms crossed out in front of her in submission.
"My name is Ana my Lord. It is an honor to kneel in your presence." She said without hesitation. She had been rehearsing.
"Ana what?"
"J...just Ana, my Lord." She answered shakily.
"Slaves are not permitted to keep their last names your Lordship." Taiget explained.
"Very well, Ana. Tell me, what skillsets do you possess, if any?"
"Well...my Lord, I can clean. I know a few cooking recipes...and…"
"Holocron Encryption?"
"J..just the basics...my Lord."
"Honesty? Admirable...if somewhat self sacrificing." He remarked.
"We were...told to be honest with you my lord."
"Wise advice when speaking to a Sith Lord. You may be seated."
Ana visibly relaxed as she raised her head and cast her gaze back down to the floor. Alia breathed a sigh of relief as Revan approached Taya next.
"State your name, and skip the bowing this time."
Taya was already half way down to the floor when he stopped her. Slowly she craned her head back up to meet his gaze.
"M...my name is Taya my Lord. It is an honor to kneel in your…"
"So I've been told." He interjected. "That shade of green is quite rare for your species is it not?"
"I...I suppose so my Lord." She answered nervously.
"Stand for me please."
Taya shot up like a rocket, standing straight with her legs spread slightly open, her arms crossed behind her head.
"What is she doing?" He asked Taiget.
"I believe sir, she thought that you desired to inspect her." He replied.
"I see…." There was a hint of disgust in his voice. "Put your arms down please."
"Have I displeased you my Lord? If so I humbly…"
"You have done nothing you were not trained to do. Now lower your arms."
Taya slowly lowered her arms back down to her sides.
"Tell me, while your Master was training you in these nonsensical postures did he happen to teach you anything useful?"
This wasn't good, Alia could clearly hear the irritation in his voice.
"I...I'm sorry. I don't understand my Lord." Taya's body was trembling.
"Clearly. You may be seated." He waved her off, moving on to Saphira.
Taya fell back into a kneeling position, her body finally untensing.
"Your name?"
Saphira did not bow, but rather she craned her neck just enough to lower her head respectfully to him, her chest pressed out to show off her full figure.
"My name is Saphira my Lord. It is my greatest honor to behold you." She spoke with the same false sincerity she used on the Master. Only this time it didn't sound quite as false.
"This one came especially recommended by the Slaver, my Lord. He has asked for triple the starting offer in exchange for her."
"Tell me, what exactly makes you worth triple of my money?"
"Well my Lord, in addition to being the best cook, cleaner, and servant on the ship, I know 23 different massage techniques as well as ways to satisfy your more...base desires." She swayed her chest from side to side as she spoke. "I also am the only one on the ship that is qualified to call themselves a dancer."
"And your holocron encryption?" He asked impatiently.
"I assure you my Lord, I am the very best at everything that I do." She bragged.
"If what you're saying is true then you may very well be my best option."
"Your praise brings joy to me I could never express in words alone my Lord." Little fake tears formed in her eyes as she spoke. "And may I just say, the holovids truly do not do you justice. I am in awe of your imposing form and…."
"Your obsequious groveling is insincere and ultimately meaningless. It is merely a manifestation of your expectancy of future praise and favors." He stated bluntly.
"Oh...well umm...if I offended you in any way my Lord I sincerely…"
"You needn't bother, you may be silent now."
"But…"
"I said be silent." His voice was more biting this time.
"I...yes my Lord. Sorry my Lord." Saphira dropped her head in disbelief. Even she, it seemed, was not infallible.
Alia couldn't help but smirk, it was rare to see Saphira shaken up like this. Her smile quickly faded however, as she realized who was next.
"Name?"
"Um….I….uhh." Pix stared up at the imposing Revan, completely petrified.
"Well? Speak up."
"I….I…" His body started to shake violently.
This was bad, Alia could see he was on the verge of a full blown panic attack. Ana shared a look with her sister as if to say what the heck are we gonna do? Revan continued to stare the poor boy down.
"Will you answer me, or not?" He asked coldly.
Pix opened his mouth to talk, but no words came out, tears began to form in his eyes, the trembling worsened still.
"It's Pix!"
Ana, Taya, and Saphira shared the same look of wide eyed horror. Even Taiget could not believe Alia's sudden outburst. At that moment she became very aware of just how small the room felt, the walls seemed to close in around her as Revan quietly walked over to her and knelt down on one knee to meet her gaze. His cold, blank mask which hid not only his face, but whatever emotions he may have been conveying at the time was mere inches away from her face. Alia steadied herself, making sure to keep her breathing even.
"Forgive me. I didn't catch that." No signs of anger were in his voice.
"I said...It's Pix, my Lord. His name is Pix. I beg you, forgive him for not answering. He's very frightened. We all are."
"You needn't tell me what I already know. I can hear their hearts beating out of their chests as if they were drums in my ears." He observed. "It's strange though, yours was just as quick a moment ago, and yet now it seems so slow. You care for the safety of your brother and sisters, and yet you do not seem to care for your own. Why is that?"
Alia wasn't sure how to respond to this. She thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully.
"I...I care deeply for what happens to them. But I care little for what happens to myself." She explained.
Revan chuckled, a dry empty tone that seemed more indifferent than intrigued.
"And who are you that would speak so boldly on behalf of your sibling?"
"My name is Alia, my Lord."
"Just Alia I take it?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Well, just Alia, you did not answer my question. I asked you WHO you are. Not WHAT you are. So I will ask again. Who are you, that would speak out of turn to a Sith Lord, in order to defend your friends."
Again, Alia thought very carefully before speaking.
"I am...no one my Lord. No one at all."
"A statement which possess more wisdom than it implies. I see through you, little Alia. You are a blank slate, beaten down by time, and ready to be molded into something useful."
She didn't respond.
"Tell me, did you by chance learn to speak Mandoa while you were their captive?"
There was visible shock on her face.
"H...how did you? Y...yes, yes I speak Mandoa, in fact…"
"Show me." He interjected.
Alia paused for a moment, looking to Ana for comfort, who had been watching her sister intently, fear etched deeply onto her face. Alia took another breath to calm herself before speaking.
"It is an honor to behold you, Tautunga. Your presence brings awe to your kin, and fear to your enemies." As Alia spoke in Mandoa so too did Revan.
"I hear the pain in your words small thing. You have been through much, and have suffered greatly by those who call this their tongue."
Alia fought back tears, no weakness, not right now. She wouldn't allow it.
"You will speak to me only in this language from this moment forward, is that clear?"
"Yes, Tautunga."
"Good. The blonde one who speaks with honeyed words claims she is the most adept among you in Holocron Transcription. Is this true?"
"No, Tautunga. What she speaks is not truth."
"So she has lied? Strange that I sensed no deception in her words."
"She speaks out of ignorance, not deceit. Her arrogance blinds her to her own shortcomings."
Revan chuckled.
"So I see. But if she is not the best among you, then who is?" He enquired. Alia, who had been treading carefully every time she spoke up until this point, had no trouble finding the words this time.
"I am."
Revan lead Alia down the small corridor away from the others, his two guards flanking them both. Alia's nerves had calmed enough to allow her to glimpse around the ship as she walked. Despite its massive size the corridors of the ship were narrow and dimly lit, occasionally a soldier would pass by nearly bumping into her as they passed, giving the Dark Lord a wide berth. They made their way down the corridor, walking for only a few minutes before they reached another small room. Upon entering Alia was greeted by the sight of rows upon rows of blank holocrons of various shapes encased in a large plexiglass dispenser.
"Leave us." He ordered.
The guards gave a respectful bow and silently exited the room, shutting the automatic door behind them.
"I'll need a demonstration of your capabilities, I'm sure you understand."
"I...Yes my Lord. I understand." She said nervously.
"Good."
Revan approached the dispenser and pressed a button on the small console, the sound of air zooming through the tubelike containment system that housed the holocrons could be heard as a single unit was dispensed.
"Please have a seat over there." He said, pointing to a small workstation in the corner of the room. Alia quickly made her way over where she found an encryption tool ready and a stand to hold the holocron she was to work on. Her heart sunk, however, upon Revan placing the holocron in question onto the stand. It was a double pyramid type, popular among the Sith, and extremely fragile. She had only ever worked on one of these twice.
"What would you like encrypted, my Lord?" She could already feel her palm begin to sweat as she took the tool in hand.
"Just a few lines of spoken word, nothing too terribly intricate."
"Very well…" She did her best to stop the shaking in her wrist.
Revan took a moment to collect his thoughts before he began, pacing about the small room as he spoke.
"On continuing with my memos in regards to the nature of the Dark Side, and how it differs in such great contrast from the light, I will now clarify my original thoughts, as was stated in my previous work." Alia carefully began the encryption sequence, the small electrically charged drill whirring to life as she worked.
"Let me first begin by restating what I previously mentioned. The force will change you, no matter your path. It will transform you into something different, something more. Many fear this aspect of the force. The jedi, in their narrow minded scope of thinking, would seek to limit such change. Or failing that, to control it. Which is why those who serve the light will always remain limited in their accomplishments. True power only comes to those who embrace this natural evolution. Mercy, compassion, loyalty, fidelity, all of these are hindrances on the path to true power. Those who follow the path of the Dark Side must cast aside such conceits. There can be no compromise in this. Those who try to walk the path of moderation will be doomed to fail. Dragged down into subservience by their own pathetic weakness."
Alia's hand began to cramp up, he was talking too fast but she dared not say anything.
"Those who fully accept the nature of the Dark Side, however, will find themselves saddled with the challenge of holding onto their power. By its very being the Dark Side invites rivalry and confrontation into the hearts of those who wield it. It is a philosophy that culls the weak from our order and ensures the strongest shall always remain in power. However, what is our greatest strength can also be a weakness for our order. The strong must be careful lest they be overwhelmed by the ambitions of the weak masses. Any Master who would take on more than one apprentice is a fool. In time the apprentices will simply unite their power and overthrow the much stronger Master. It is an axiomatic process that has seen the fall of far too many strong leaders among our ranks. The strong are meant to rule, the weak are meant to serve. This is how it has always been, and must always be. Which is why I am proposing a rule of two in regards to the training of new Sith. It is the duty of the Master to train the Apprentice in everything they know of the force. It is the duty of the Apprentice to one day surpass the Master and slay him, becoming the new Master. This system shall ensure that only the strongest among us shall lead. Let there be two and only two from this moment forward, that of the Master and the Appren…."
CRACK!
Alia sat petrified in front of the work station. She had let herself get careless and made a fatal mistake. Her whole body went numb as she dropped the encryption tool. Holocrons, in addition to being fragile, were incredibly expensive to manufacture. She had witnessed, many times, a slave beaten to death over damaging even the cheaper models. She held her breath at the sound of Revan's boots clanking towards her. He picked up the holocron and twirled it around in his fingers. It was no use. The thing was ruined and they both knew it. Slowly he crushed the glass structure in the palm of his hand with an ugly crunching sound. Alia trembled violently. Perhaps, if she was lucky, her death would be quick. Revan calmly walked over to the dispenser and retrieved a fresh holocron, placing it on the stand.
"We will start again. Do be more careful this time." He said without any signs of anger.
Alia, realizing she was on the verge of passing out, quietly gasped for air.
Revan did not follow her back to the small waiting room where the others were located. After the demonstration was complete he simply instructed his guards to take her back and remained in the holocron room. As the doors opened Alia saw that Taiget had left. Upon seeing her enter Ana gave her a huge, relieved smile and rushed over to hug her. The guards, having done their job, left the room. Shutting the automatic door behind them.
"You're back! Thank the force!" She said, clutching Alia tight.
"Is everyone okay?"
"I should be asking you that. What happened?"
"He needed to test me." She said wearily.
Ana frowned.
"He didn't...you know…."
"No, nothing like that. He just wanted to see my encryption abilities."
"Well...how did it go?"
"Fine all things considered."
"All things considered?" Taya asked.
"Well...I broke the first one."
"YOU WHAT?!" The girls all shouted in unison.
"It's okay! He didn't seem to mind….at least….I don't think he did." She sounded unsure.
The girls gave her a concerned look.
"Well, we started over and I got it right that time. So it should be okay."
Ana, Taya, and Pix all let out sighs of relief.
"That was careless of you!" Saphira sneered. "You should have been more careful! We could all be in trouble now."
"You don't know that sister." Ana said, glaring at her.
"Don't I? Since when do the Sith ever show mercy for mistakes?"
"He's not like ordinary Sith." Alia explained.
"What do you mean sister?"
"I...I don't know how to describe it. Just trust me, something's different about him."
"Earlier, when you spoke to him in Mandoa, you called him Tautunga. Why?"
"I'm not sure. It just seemed appropriate."
"But...that word sister. You know what it means."
"I know…"
It didn't take long for the guards to return and take the girls back to their ship. While they were relieved that the ordeal was over none of them could rest easy. The fact that Revan sent them back without any explanation or instructions did not bode well for the Slaver King, and whatever did not bode well for him did not bode well for them either. Needless to say, upon returning, none of them were particularly thrilled about explaining to the Master why they were back so early.
"And that's all that happened?" He asked, his voice already sounding agitated.
"I'm afraid so Master. He sent us back as soon as he was done with Alia." Ana said, keeping her head down.
"But what of my deal?! Surely he must have sent you back with a message, or something! Anything!"
"I'm sorry Master, he sent us back with nothing. I wish that…"
"Piss on your wishes, girl! I was promised a fortune! I warned all of you what would happen if you didn't deliver, didn't I?! Why yes...I believe I did." He pulled a familiar black remote from his robes.
"But...but Master, perhaps all is not lost. I mean...he did seem interested in Alia after all." Taya stammered.
"Y...yes! I mean, he took her away to test her and everything."
"Test her?" He glared at Alia. "You dare hook up a power coupling without getting my pay first you slut?!"
"Master, no! It's not like that, I swear! I just wrote a few lines of code for him, that's all!" Skelton was silent for a moment, finally, he leaned back in his chair.
"Very well then. Tell me how it went."
Alia let out a small sigh of relief.
"Of course, Master. It wasn't anything terribly advanced. Just some basic word code. We spent about 20 minutes encrypting when he told me I was done and sent me back to the others. I swear that's all."
Skelton seemed thoughtful for a minute. The girls anxiously awaited his response.
"Saphira. Is this all true?"
They held their breath, their eyes fixed on their blonde sister, who up until now had been completely silent. Alia and Ana both gave her a pleading look, as if begging her to help them.
Please Saphira, please...
"Yes Master. Everything they have said is correct."
Alia relaxed. Relief washing over her.
"It's just too bad…she broke the first one."
The Slaver King lept from his seat, knocking over his ale.
"WHAT?!"
"YOU DAMN RAT!" Ana charged at her, knocking her to the ground.
"ANA DON'T!" Alia yelled.
Too late.
Ana's collar switched on, sending a charge of electricity surging through her tiny body. Saphira knocked Ana away as she toppled onto the floor in a series of violent seizures.
"NO!"
Alia rushed over to her sister, whose eyes had begun to roll into the back her head.
"Turn if off! Please! I'll do anything!" Tears streamed down her face.
"I warned you, you little Schutta! I told you what would happen if you made me look a fool!"
"Please! I'm begging you! Her heart will give out! This is my fault! Not hers! Punish me! PUNISH ME!" Her voice cracked. She couldn't see through the tears. The Slaver King grinned menacingly at her.
"So be it…"
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he deactivated the collar. Ana didn't move.
"Sister! Sister! Please, speak to me! Open your eyes!" Alia shook her hysterically before being suddenly pulled away by two scaly paws. "Let me go!" She shrieked.
"Let the Taskmaster know she's a blank slate. Tell him to do whatever he will. But do not touch her face! I may need her later." The Trandoshians, with monstrous strength, dragged Alia away kicking and screaming from the room. The last noises she heard, being the tiny cries of Pix weeping over Ana's body.