Quesh

"What a stroke of luck," Jaesa said. Ishtaa eyed her curiously. "The detonator being broken, I mean," she said. "I sensed their leader's confidence. He wasn't bluffing."

"Perhaps not." Ishtaa glanced about the cave again, even though she had just scanned the area moments ago. "What I want to know is why Baras hasn't sent any backup."

Jaesa frowned, confused. "Do we need backup?"

"No, but that hasn't stopped him in the past. Seems like every time I make some great stride in the Empire's military campaigns, Imperial troops show up just in time to clean up the mess." Her fingers traced the hilt of her lightsaber uneasily. Grimacing, she gestured to her apprentice. "Come on. Let's get off this filthy planet."

"Yes, Master."

The two women moved through the cave warily, neither of them speaking to the other as they watched and listened for any sign of incoming Imperial troops. They passed several minutes in silence before Ishtaa murmured under her breath.

"Where are they?" she wondered aloud.

"Perhaps Baras has caught on to the fact that you don't need reinforcements."

"No, he's always known that," Ishtaa said impatiently, her forehead creased in concentration. "He's Baras. He knows everything. He knows what I'm capable of and what I can do. That's not why he sends reinforcements. It's never been about keeping me safe, it's been about keeping an eye on me." She paled. "But if Baras hasn't sent anyone, that can only mean…"

"He doesn't need to keep an eye on you—"

"—because he already has one."

Jaesa and Ishtaa stared at each other, sensing their mutual bewilderment and foreboding.

Ishtaa's holo beeped, startling her apprentice. She withdrew it from a fold in her robe and answered it. A chill ran down her spine as an uncomfortably familiar voice began to speak.

"Well, well, well. Well done. Mission accomplished, eh?"

Ishtaa narrowed her eyes. Until she knew what he and Baras were playing at, best to feign obliviousness. "The threat is over," she said.

Draahg smirked, obviously relishing the moment. "There was never a threat, friend," he said. "Captain Trey-yen was sent here by one of Baras' Republic moles."

Ishtaa's stomach plummeted. "Run," she muttered to Jaesa out of the corner of her mouth, her eyes never leaving the holo. Her apprentice, transfixed by the image herself, didn't seem to hear her master. But before Ishtaa could discreetly try again, Draahg had continued speaking.

"The explosives he set up were not wired to the Captain's detonator," he explained. "I have the real detonator, an elaborate trap for you."

Ishtaa glowered at him. "So," she said bitterly, "Baras is stabbing me in the back."

"Our master prides himself on being one step ahead of everyone. That includes you. He knew someday you would rise against him. You were his fiercest," Draahg spat, a note of jealousy clear in his tone. "I consider it a privilege that he's allowed me to pull the trigger."

Ishtaa nudged Jaesa. "Run," she mumbled, careful not to move her lips except into what could pass for teeth bared in fury.

"Not without you," Jaesa replied.

Ishtaa shot her a warning look, but then had to return her attention to the holo. "This will be your fate one day, Draahg," she said.

He smiled condescendingly. "You let me worry about that." He arranged his face into a mock-angelic expression. "Baras sends his regards." His eyes hardened. "Goodbye."

He pushed the button.

Ishtaa spun to face Jaesa. "I said run!" she shouted furiously, her voice becoming lost in a growing rumble.

"I'm not leaving without you!"

Ishtaa shot a panicked look at the ceiling as the boulders overhead gave a threatening groan. She was running out of time. Turning to Jaesa, she steeled herself.

"Tell Baras to go to hell." She threw her hands out, closing her eyes as she called on the Force to push with all of her might. She heard Jaesa shriek as she was thrown towards the mouth of the cavern.

"Master, DON'T!"

Ishtaa took a shuddering breath, resigned to her fate. For the first time in her life, she wished the Jedi were right. She didn't care that they had killed her parents, she didn't care that they were hypocrites. She only hoped that, in spite of their wrongdoings, that they could be right about one thing, that what they said was true.

There is no death. Only the Force.

Everything went dark.

AN: More to come! Thanks for reading! Whether you liked the story, loved it, or hated it so much that you're literally vomiting on your keyboard, leave a review and let me know! (Although you might want to deal with the puke first. Yuck.) I love to hear from readers, even if it's to tell me that my writing sucks, because that tells me what to change and how to get better. And if you liked the story, let me know! It'll motivate me to post chapters faster if I know people want to read more.