When they landed on the uniformly brown planet of Sleheyron, Vren split them into teams. He left T3 on the ship and, to no one's great surprise, went alone. He, of course, knew exactly where Xor was, and briskly pointed the others in the wrong way. Free from meddling, Vren tracked Xor to a penthouse and entered the building.

A Twi'lek guard stood at the turbolift and Vren choked him before getting on. On the top floor he took the compound completely by surprise. There were a few guards; Rodians and Twi'leks and the lot, but mostly just slave girls who cowered as he walked by. Then, as he entered the main room, Xor appeared.

"You! What are you doing here? We had a perfectly good deal!"

Vren paid the man no heed. He carefully choked him into a long unconscious and walked by, continuing his search for Juhani. Eventually, once he'd crushed all resistance, he found a heavy durasteel door. Reasoning that nowhere else would be able to contain Juhani's wrath, he forced the door open.


Juhani sat naked and huddled in a corner with her back to the door. Her eyes were red from crying. Never had she imagined that such pain and misery and fear were possible. She couldn't accept that what had happened wasn real, it couldn't be, it just couldn't. Everything in her mind told her that it wasn't real.

She heard the door open and cringed. This would be a repeat of the unreal horror.

"Juhani."

Oh, now the galaxy's betrayal of her was complete, even her own sanity had abandoned her, taunting her with delusions of Vren's voice. A gloved hand fell on her shoulder, Xor's, surely. She turned, and she saw Vren. Desperate hope flared in her chest. Never did she think she would be so happy to see that joy killing face.

"Vren? Please… let it be you Vren!"

"You are safe now Juhani," he waved a hand before her, "Sleep," and she saw no more.


Vren addressed the others on his comlink.

"I have Juhani. Repeat: I have Juhani. The search is successful, everyone return to the ship."

He switched it off, and then back on to contact T3-M4.

"As soon as all Ebon Hawk crewmembers, save Juhani and Vren Arlad, are back onboard, initiate the plan. Once it is complete, contact me."

The droid beeped its confirmation.

Vren sat before the unconscious Cathar, and probed her mind, trying to ascertain what had befallen her. It was as he'd thought. Xor had slandered her, humiliated her, and raped her. Juhani was shocked and terrified into submission, but that wouldn't last long. As soon as she had a little time to collect herself, the fearless Cathar warrior would thirst for Xor's blood. She would be putty in his hands.

The comlink beeped. It was T3 reporting that the deed was done. Vren loaded Xor and Juhani into Xor's airspeeder and returned to the ship. T3 awaited him.

"Are they anesthetized?"

It beeped an affirmative.

"Has the air been cleared?"

It beeped again.

"Move them into the port dormitory, along with the Twi'lek. Keep them all under anesthesia until we reach our destination."


Juhani awoke to the hum of the Ebon Hawk'shyperdrive, and the soft lighting of the port dormitory.

Xor! Xor? For a split second, her thoughts contained nothing but that accursed beast. Then the image of Vren standing before her returned. She was free! She was safe! She cautiously stood. She was in the woman's dormitory. She slowly moved towards her bunk. On it laid the neatly folded combat robe of a dark jedi.

Strange, but she was happy to have something to cover her nudity. She felt very exposed, too exposed, even in private. She felt better after putting the black robes on, still uncomfortable, but at least she could hold her head up. She looked longingly at her bunk. Dare she sleep, lest this be but a dream? Taking a deep breath, she decided she would. She wrapped herself up in blankets, covering her head and curling into a ball. She felt safer, more secure, protected. Her last waking thoughts were of qualified content.


Juhani stood in darkness, endless darkness. She heard laughing.

She turned, it was Malak, pointing at her, splitting his sides.

More laughing.

Behind her, it was Canderous.

Still more.

Master Vandar, croaking in hideous mirth and thrusting a clawed finger at her.

Again more.

She whirled, it was Vrook, doubled over laughing so hard, pointing at her.

More and more!

Cassus Fett this time, laughing, laughing!

Still more!

Zhar Lestin, his lekku disheveled by his vocifity, as he pointed as well.

Again and again!

Turning, it was Bastila, snootily aiming her finger at her as she laughed.

Who else?!

She turned, turned again, looked around franticly. Where was the other voice?!

She looked down. Looming huge and terrible below, coughing out hoarse, withered laughter, was Xor. The unseen ground gave out and she fell, tumbling, down, down, into that terrible maw, between the sharp Twi'lek teeth. She entered complete darkness, but still the laughter continued, growing louder, louder, louder!

"Stop! Make it stop!" she screamed, squeezing her skull at the ears. It kept growing and growing, then, it stopped. She was alone for a moment.

Then a hand, a skeletal hand, grabbed her from the darkness, its touch was colder than ice. Another grabbed her, and another, another, another, again and again and again! The hands slammed her down naked onto a bed. Before her was Xor. And Malak, and Canderous and Vandar and Vrook and Fett and Zhar and Bastila. Each cast aside a gleaming knife, and in unison spoke that evil command:

"Spread her legs."

"No! No!" she pleaded desperately as they approached. They only grinned.

Then past them, she saw a lone figure, her face hidden under a cloak. Time slowed as she removed her hood. It was Juhani. She looked older, her fur was going grey and there were lines in her face. Her pupils were rimmed in blood red and her cheeks were sunken. The woman wore a look of grim determination.

"Help! Please help! Don't let them do this to me!"

"You must help yourself. There is no other way, Juhani. No. Other. Way."

"How?!"

"You know how, you have the power locked in your Cathar blood, and you know the code," then the dark Juhani put up her hood and stepped into the shadows. Time resumed its normal pace.

She is right, there is no other way, I have no choice. And she spoke the words she swore she would never speak again:

"Peace is… a lie.

There is only… passion.

Through passion I gain strength.

Through strength I gain power!

Through power I gain victory!

Through victory my chains are broken!" and so they were; the bone hands felt to dust. And Juhani rose, fully clothed in black, a crimson saber in her hand.

"The Force… shall free me…"

She struck. She struck all, Jedi and Sith, Mandalore and slaver. She slashed and cut and stabbed, and none withstood her.

"Juhani."

She looked to her left… Xor!

Xor still lived!

"Juhani."

She looked to her right…

Again he was there!

"Juhani!"

Behind her!

The man she hated!

"I will be your doom!" and she swung for his throat.