Chapter 15 – A Conversation Between Sisters (The Smuggler)
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I saw Mekethia's eyes move when Lancoro took off. She was so easy to read. I brought her attention back to me quick when I turned my stance and fired my blaster into Aric's back. It didn't breech his armor but it stunned him and gave Akaavi an all too easy advantage. She slammed her techstaff into Aric's stomach, his head, and then knocked his leg out from underneath him. She added insult and more pain when she brought her fist into his chest while he was still slightly mid-air, drilling him into the ground.

Mekethia wasn't easy to anger – except when it came to Laresa and me. My sources told me she and Aric had a thing going which made attacking something she loved all too easy to pass up.

Mekethia shot her hand and the force wave she sent at me knocked me right onto my back. Pain shot through me, pulling the laughter from my mouth. "Nice to see you too, sis." Provoking her wasn't always a good thing.

I spun to my feet, and fired about six rounds in her direction as I came up. She dodged them, moving sideways and somersaulted for her gun. I wiped a grenade from my belt, yanked the pin out with my pinky, and tossed it. It hit the ground next to her weapon a second before she arrived. The explosion knocked her violently backwards. She was a quick bugger, so it didn't hurt her that much; she got her hands up and used the force to send the majority of the blast away from her face.

I leaped and landed right on her, my knee in her chest my blaster pointed right in her face. "Move and I'll let Akaavi kill Jorgan. You know she's dying too." She went still and I could feel the force of Mekethia's anger and wondered for the thousandth time why she didn't just give into the darkside . She'd have had a heck of a lot more fun. "You know why I think Laresa won't let me kill you?" My sister said nothing, but I didn't expect her too. It was a rhetorical question anyway. "Because you look like Vanceto. I think that's the only reason. And I think, after telling her what you did to her boy, she's gonna get real tired of you."

"Oh, just do it. You backseat lackey," Mekethia hissed, and lifted her head, pressing her forehead right into my blaster. She shot her hand up, curling her fingers around the barrel. "Make your own decisions for once. Pull the trigger. Do it."

"Mekethia!" Jorgan growled out. "Don't!" He was on his knees, his helmet off, his face bruised and a little bit bloody. Akaavi had her arm around his neck, her staff in his back, keeping him place.

I glanced over at Jorgan's direction. A cold smile slide over my face. I looked back down at my sister, leaned a little closer and whispered, "He's not family. That means I get to kill him first. And no, you don't get to watch. Just wonder how I did it. Where I did it. If it hurt him or not. Did he turn coward in the end?" I could feel her anger surge through her and I knew she was close to her snapping point. I smirked. My sister was kidding herself, pretending to be all light side Zen like Xerrin. "Don't worry, you've got some time. Enjoy him." Before she exploded and gave me more of a fight then I felt like dealing with just then, I slammed the butt of my blaster into her temple and put her out. I glanced over at Akaavi and nodded. She did the same to Jorgan.

I holstered my gun, climbing off my sister. Akaavi came up to me. "What are we to do with them?"

"Take them to the coordinators programmed into my speeder. Tell Bodwaar to lead rest of Havoc Squad there and then get out," I said.

Akaavi nodded and began securing Mekethia and Jorgan's hands and legs. "He is a good warrior. I should kill him."

"I agree with you. Soon, just not now. But hey," I gave her a playful punch in the shoulder. "This means you get to beat him down again."

Akaavi gave me a very tolerant expression but followed orders. My holocom beeped and I answered it. I wasn't surprised to see my sister.

"Is he all right?" She didn't waste any time, and I adored that about her.

"Took a few licks. Good for him though. They're on their way. Rystaan cleared the path."

"And Mekethia?"

"She's still alive if that's what you're asking." I watched Akaavi drive away with both of them. "I'm a killer, not a rabid murderer."

"You left her alive because you love her," Laresa said.

My lips quirked. "If you say so, sis. Your boys little girlfriend got hurt. He stayed focused."

I could hear the pride in my sister's voice. "Of course he did."

"I'm on my way to meet them," I said, walking over to my speeder.

"Thank you Reide."

"Stop it. It's ridiculous to thank me. We're family." I straddled the bike. Paused. There was no sarcasm in my voice for once, when I told her; "They knew about Quinn. Monitored his communications."

I could feel, even from the distance, the slow boil of my sister's anger at that news. "My second biggest failure, laid bare for her to mock."

"The first wasn't your fault," I said, and I meant it.

She didn't believe me and I knew it. It was the reason for everything we were doing and a lot more than she owed in my opinion. Mekethia and Xerrin owed their lives and their success to my sister so many times over. And I always made sure they knew it every chance I got.

"Let me know when you have it," Laresa finally said.

"I will. See on Dubrillion."

"Good Hunting."