It's the end of the school year. Finals and projects and unreasonable teachers. Can you really blame me that this took so long to get up? Also, my friend and I relish your reviews. They only help us get better. c: Any feedback is welcomed.

P.S. To you Stargate fans: we have not forgotten that part of the story. I promise you, we will make up for what is lacking now in future chapters. :) Just thought I'd remind you. ;D

Aurora watched Soruto cautiously as he stepped over the dead bodies that were strewn across his path. In her crippled state she knew that believing she could hobble away before he reached her was a utile hope. Better to die defending the base as best she could, no matter how useless the gesture was. Soon the Sith stood before her, his face expressionless.

Soruto spoke.

"I see you're standing in for your little friends now. They appear to be in quite a fix, wouldn't you say?"

"Don't try your tricks on me. I will not move."

"I see. Do you think it wise, Aurora, to stand in my way? Your death would be unnecessary. I'll conquer Earth, whether you move aside or not," he purred, stepping so close their bodies almost touched, staring down at her with his cold eyes.

"I will not let you go through," she answered simply, tightening her grip on the Jaffa staff weapon. Aurora tried to appear calm, but fear had already sunk its fangs into her heart. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

Soruto just eyed her, his head tilted to one side. After a moment, in which the only sound that could be heard was the increasingly distant din of the battle, the Sith took one step around her towards the tunnel. Aurora flung out her left arm to keep him from crossing, and pressed her palm against his chest. Just an arm, made of light, hollow bone, easily broken. It posed no threat to the Sith. But it was her insubordination that set the anger simmering in him.

Moving so fast that if she'd blinked she would've missed his movement altogether, Soruto spun to face Aurora and shoved his palms outward. Bolts of crackling blue energy flowed from his hands and engulfed Aurora. In the next second she was down on the ground, writhing in pain, her mouth open in a silent scream. For half a minute Soruto kept up the steady stream of lightning. Finally, deciding he'd wasted enough time on the Earth Soferian, he stopped. She was unaware he had ceased, though; remnants of the energy still crackled throughout her and sent searing pain all along her body.

But Aurora was as stubborn as her sister, and forced herself to get up, gritting her teeth against the pain. She found the Force lightning had interfered with the regular eletrical impulses from her body and she couldn't manage to move her legs. So she crawled, pulling herself forward by her elbows, in to the Sith's path.

"Haven't you learned your lesson?" Soruto growled.

"I will not let you through." she ground out through her gritted teeth, lifting her head to glare up at him through the dark hair falling past her face..

Soruto didn't hesitate. Once more he raised his hands and sent waves of electricity coursing through the Earth Soferian at his feet. Aurora collapsed, her body jerking wildly on the ground. Without her realizing it, a tortured scream scraped raw the lining of her throat. The lightning ceased. This time, the girl did not get up.

Satisfied, the Sith started once more for the SGC entrance, but stopped. What point was there in entering the labyrinth of corridors? Undoubtedly, his apprentice had joined his forces in the battle. Had there been anyway to disable the planet's defenses inside, she would have. But since the super space station in orbit could not fully lock on the planet, venturing into the mountain was a monumental waste of time. Just like that, Soruto made up his mind then to go after Darth Rane. As he turned for the battle, he stepped over the still twitching body of Aurora.

The scream stabbed at Alana's ears, pounding sharp spikes of pain into her brain. It was a scream that likely only she could hear. It was her sister's scream, worming it's way through the miniscule telepathic bond that existed between the sisters, invading Alana's mind. Aurora's suffering became Alana's, and the effect was instantaneous. Her head exploded, and her stomach twisted into a thousand knots, threatening to bring up whatever she had eaten last. The Ice Soferain fell to her knees, hands pressed to her temples, trying to keep her head from splitting in two. The scream could only mean one thing, as far as Alana was concerned. He was here.

She felt more than heard him approach, a horrible sensation like thick molasses seeping into her body. It filled her mouth, her nows, dripping into her lungs and constricting her chest, making it hard to breathe.

And then he was beside her. The shock from Aurora's agony was still holding Alana's body hostage. She couldn't move away from her old master, couldn't attack him as she wanted to. She was completely defenseless.

A large, rough hand was placed on her shoulder, and immediately the pain stopped as the healing power of the Force flooded her body. Alana began to breathe normally again, though Soruto's presence remained as thick and viscous as sap. So familiar, the sensation. So easy to stand and return to the life she'd lived her life. She was tempted to pretend as though she had never seen her sister, that the memories had not sent her sprawling on the ground. Her resistance to the familiarity was crumbling like old mortar, falling to pieces around her….

There had to be a way to avoid the inevitable. But she couldn't run, she couldn't fight. And suddenly, an idea popped into her mind. Soruto knew nothing of the past couple hours. He didn't know if she was injured or unharmed. For all he knew, she could be mortally wounded. The hand on her shoulder was meant to heal. But he had no idea if he was too late to save her or not. Forcing her already aching body to obey, Alana shuddered and moaned as she had moments ago, remember Aurora's pain. Just the memory sent her into fits. Soruto's surprise rippled through her in waves, followed quickly by a simmering rage. He believed her charade.

Silly Soruto. You've taught me so well. But I don't need you anymore.

What Alana was about to attempt was Sofer's Cosse, or Soferian's Rest. To a human, the proper term would be hibernation. When severely injured or dying, a Soferian could go into Sofer's Cosse, and over time (which passes much differently to the hibernating individual) the body would heal itself. But on the outside, the Soferain would show no signs of life. No pulse, no stirring breath. Similar to bacteria, the individual would form a "endospore" in its mind that would keep it alive, and keep its memories intact, for the duration of the Sofer's Cosse. Measuring brain waves was the only way to tell if one was hibernating or not. But Soruto didn't know any of this. His ignorance of her race would be his downfall.

Slowly, Alana's breathing became non-existent. Her heartbeat slowed considerably. Using the last of her quickly depleting strength, Alana mentally sent a message to Aurora. She had no idea if it would go through or not.

"I will not go back to my old master. I will not die again."

Then all detectable life functions ceased and then Alana was gone, slipping into the blackness of Sofer's Cosse. The last thing she heard was an infuriated cry from the Sith Lord, cut short by an unending ocean of silence.