Sarah pressed her fingers to the marflyn's neck, and she fell. The two padawans at the back drew their sabers. Dorimy pointed his blaster at Obi-Wan's still form.
"Hand them over." he said.
Sarah met them halfway to collect their little weapons, rendering them motionless the same way she had the marflyn. She switched on one of the sabers, and started carving the lock out of the tan door.
"Come on." said Sarah. "They'll have called their Masters telepathically."
Dorimy had bent over Obi-Wan to check if he was still breathing.
"You don't do things by halves, do you?" he said.
"He was mean to me." she said, simply.
Ducking past the orange sparks spitting out of the charred door, they entered the Hall. It was built in much the same style as the rest of the Temple, but with a stronger sense of enclosed security. Each curiousity had its own nook, and the slight buzz in the air told her that each were guarded by lasers. Sarah slowed her gait slightly to admire the items- aliens guns, history artifacts, a random wardrobe-
"We should look through some of this stuff." said Dorimy. "It could be useful."
"I'm a violent escapee, not a thief." said Sarah. "Ahhh. Hello, old boy."
They'd stopped in front of what Dorimy presumed was her Tardis. It looked similar to a mark 42 Horizon, save that there was so much exposed wiring, and alien bits welded on that it was a naked mess.
"Don't look at him like that." said Sarah. "I had to make him without the tools of my people."
"It's laced with motion detectors." said Dorimy.
"Baby," Sarah called, "time to show off."
The naked ship rumbled, and sparks flew from the corners of the nook it lay in. A ramp lowered from it. Sarah gave him a friendly shove that made him stagger, and they clambered inside. It was a little too cramped for his liking. In the soft, rubber walls there was one door that led to the bathroom, and two chairs at the console in front of a large screen. It would have to do. Sarah plopped into the black, leather pilot's chair, spun once, and attended to the controls. The ramp rose, and a strange image came onto the screen- a vortex, looking similar to a yellow wormhole.
"And now comes the dematerializing, yeah?" said Dorimy.
"Don't be nervous. You won't feel it."
She flipped some switches, and waited. There was no discernible change, save for the vortex fading slowly to stars.
Dorimy relaxed. He felt much better, now that they weren't surrounded by Jedi.
"Smooth." he said, approvingly.
She winked. "Always. Now, you going to tell me about this mystical acceptance club, or shall I drop you off somewhere?"
"Fuck no! Don't leave me partnerless now that I've found you! Even adventures can start dragging if you don't have someone to laugh about them with."
"I agree. Come now, the pitch."
"Okay, here we go. Simple, no bull. We're a tiny club- in fact, so far as your concerned, there's only me and my boss- and we'd love to have you help shape our future. Our aims are the same as yours- find a safe place to bunk down, and ultimately free the 'verse from the Jedi's brainwashing. We work with the Force in a way that doesn't, like, turn you into a sheep. Instead of repressing your emotions, you use them to-"
"Are you the Sith?" Sarah asked.
"Yeah, but we're awesome!" said Darth Runner.
Sarah smiled. "So, what was the whole Darth Rot fiasco?"
"Clumsy, for one thing. The man was a nut-job! By the time we found out, it was too late."
"And I'll be able to talk to your boss before I make my final decision?"
"Of course. Wouldn't want you to take my word for it."
"Now, Dorimy, don't be hurt."
"It's Runner, now. Darth Runner."
"And my name is Spaulding, Captain Spaulding." she said, shaking his hand. "Well, Runner, which way?"
"Aye-ee-uh," said Dorimy, the universal noise for awkward, "I'll have to do the actual flying. Can't have you know how to get there until you're officially a Sith."
"Fair enough." she said. "But before I hand over the controls to my beloved ship, answer me a thing."
"Any-thing."
"Why did you join the Sith?"
She sensed the same mix of emotions she read on him at their first meeting.
"Well," he said, casually, "it may come as a surprise to you, but I wasn't always the reputable, classy, well-hung figure you see before you. I was a thief, in fact. So when the boss told me he had a much more profitable line of work for my talents-"
"Liar." she said.
"Alright." he admitted, "Actually, I've had this deep seated hatred of the Jedi ever since-"
"Liar." she repeated, calmly.
"Okay, he's my grandfather, and couldn't have him doing this alone-"
"Liar!"
"Fine!" he snapped.
She could practically feel his hammering heart.
"Maybe- maybe I was unwilling at first, but only because I was scared, and I wasn't used to- to doing anything to get what you want, but now I see that's the only way." He hit his palm three times. There was something manic in his eyes. "Don't you see how perfect this is for you? You already do that- smashing Kenobi's head! You're powerful, passionate, fierce, angry, and everything a Sith should be! Don't you see?"
He searched her eyes. They were sharp, and dark, but he caught a glimmer of sympathy.
"Yes," she said, "I do."
He relaxed.
"Okay, Jinny!" she called.
She didn't touch a thing, yet the ramp lowered, and the screen flickered from stars to the interior of the Hall. Obi-Wan stood at the bottom with a remote, and six Masters in front of him. Their lightsabers hummed into existence. Dorimy fumbled for his own ruby blade that lay concealed within his clothes.
"Ahem." said Sarah.
He turned, and saw her holding it. Something inside him wilted.
She shook her head.
"Nope," she told herself, "nope, I do not give a hoot."
As he was led away by four of the Jedi, Obi-Wan came up to retrieve the Sith blade.
"Remarkable performance, Ben." she said.
Her smash had been a theatre trick. Push lightly, and let the victim do the work. His head had received no more than a bump, while his hands had slapped against the door-frame, making the sound.
"Thank you." said Obi-Wan.
She brightened at this reply. It seemed she'd risen a step in his esteem by giving up a shot at freedom to turn in a Sith.
Dooku stormed up to her, in so much as a dignified Jedi could storm.
"You were to extract the confession, then give the signal," he said, "not dawdle to satisfy your own petty curiousity. And you unnecessarily vandalized the door."
She met gaze, blank faced.
"Oops." she said.
Qui-Gon stepped forward to retrieve her before she could feed Dooku's grudge further.
"Come along, Sarah. You and this room are an unsafe mix."
When they were out of the ship, Qui-Gon said(not without sympathy), "You know that the fact the boy was threatened will not save him from judgment."
"I know." she said. "Like Dooku said, to satisfy my own petty curiousity."
When they neared the wardrobe, Sarah slowed to breathe in its sight. It was right there. The Tardis. Her Tardis.
And she had to keep walking.
"Finish your training, Sarah," said Qui-Gon, "The quicker you do so, the quicker you'll have it."
Author's note: Look up FlooFloo on 8tracks to find a playlist I made for this story!
