Serbris Ren had not questioned his instinct to return to Net Station after letting the girl fall into the thug's hands. That had seemed like a reunion to him, just as personally meeting them all again would be a reunion, too. He'd parked his bike just outside the complex, waving his lightsaber to indicate who he was.

Overhead, there seemed to be some clouds brewing. Blasters could really upset the natural climate of this place. No matter. He would have his prey soon enough, and he would be the one to claim them.

Then Kylo Ren had shown up, just like that. The kid had taken the other speederbike and somehow known to come here, perhaps following the same Scent he had. But that was unlikely. Still, it didn't change that the Knight was here. He even stopped his bike next to Serbris' own.

"Why are you here?"

Through that stupid mask of his: "Followed the same instinct you did."

Serbris didn't really believe it. Kylo was merely the Interrogator. Voskr was the Executioner. He was the Hunter. They had their titles for a reason.

Kylo earned his.

"Don't forget: we serve one Master." Serbris' eyebrows narrowed under his mask. And Kylo's own mask seemed to reflect that. For now, they would just have to do the same job.

Neither needed to say that that meant waiting. Wait, they did.

The storm clouds overhead only seemed to grow darker and darker. His lightsaber twitched in his hand, tugging him like some insolent child. He kept his thumb on the igniter and his finger on the trigger.

He sensed the girl first. And then followed with his eyes to see the droid dome she cradled in her arms.

(Had he Kylo's abilities, he would've felt some unease in the kid himself. But alas, he felt none.)

She disappeared behind the hill again—she'd seen them. No matter. At least one droid was with them. But he couldn't tell where the other one was until she got closer. She would have to go through them or else not get through at all.

Emerge she did. Alone. She still had her electrostaff. Serbris could Smell the blood on her. There'd been some before, but not like this. And he was sure Kylo had some different readings entirely.

They let her approach, and she did so gladly. The Sense of Feeling was not his strong point, but Serbris could tell there was Darkness in her. That, and there seemed to be some negative force keeping him from seeing into her. He wondered if Kylo could see through that, or if he too now believed theories about those who survived as junkers.

He began his approach. Kylo followed close behind. Both ignited their lightsabers. Kylo's was, he again remarked silently, not only loud but obnoxious overall. Might as well have taken a light-club, Serbris found it so offensive.

She kept advancing slowly towards them. That was odd. He upped his pace, doing what some would call a power-walk. Kylo followed suit, stomping his boyish little stomps. The girl just kept approaching. He tried peering into her mind, finding something—anything—that he could use, but nothing. At all. She was either sealed or empty. Both ideas puzzled him.

He made a verbal attack as well:

"What are you doing, junker? Long way from your cave, don't you think?"

No reply. So far, so good. But it didn't change that she was a Black Hole: nothing in, nothing out.

Then all at once, it all went to Hel.

Two lightsabers met an electrostaff. Serbris shot his Third Eye over to Kylo, saw that his blade might as well have paralyzed the girl's staff. He could also feel that Kylo was doing his trick, trying to reach into her mind as well…

And his lightsaber did not budge. Not backward, not forward. It seemed that he'd paralyzed the girl as well. Her electrostaff crackled and he could smell the blood pumping through her, heard the slightest twitch of her fingers, but no more. Now was his chance, but… even he had the honor not to kill a docile animal.

Then again, orders are orders. His Father would want it of him.

His lightsaber came up.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!" What? The reaction was beyond instantaneous. Kylo's mental concentration broke, but he must've found what he needed. He raised his flaming crossguard like an axe over his head, ready to become the guilotern and relieve Serbris Ren of his proud head.

Whatever this was, the Hunter would meet it with equal aggression. He would strike down this prepubescent failure.

Strike. Block. Parry. Slash. Kylo switched his grip to backhand, swiping up like the world's angriest—and least competent—butcher. Serbris fired from the hilt several times, but each time the blade ate them.

The junker was helping him, too. He turned his attention to keeping the cross guard away from him, while also firing in the girl's direction. His theory was undoubtedly correct, judging by her reflexes, but even she couldn't keep up. Kylo didn't take long to catch on, turning briefly while letting his blade block Serbris as he went.

Now's my chance. He fired at Kylo one more time. The bolt struck him in the side and he fell. Briefly, at least. Serbris attempted to get a killing slash in, but the other Ren was not a bruised animal just hoping to get away. And the junker was already on the run. He was about to turn his blaster to her when Kylo knocked the blade out of his hand. He fell.

"You're a traitor." Kylo held his blade there a moment longer. Then he made an excuse.

"Are we're losing the battle up top. This does nothing." And there were things he did not reveal, which he would bring directly to His Supremacy. Snoke. Father. He sensed the wounded pride in Serbris, and decided he liked it. He let his blade hang there, ready to plunge straight down into the Hunter's chest, before deactivating the blade. As he'd intended, She had gotten away.

It can't be her. Yet I know it is. Either way, he'll know I acted on impulse. I'm conflicted.

As the saying goes, "the universe is smaller than we can ever know."

A/N:

"Obviously, the whole finale is taking a bit longer than I expected. I just hope every chapter leading up to it is as entertaining as possible.

In the real world, it's been a tiring few days, I s'pose. Started another project or two on impulse; can't keep up with the homework being thrown at me, a good chunk of it stuff I'm already confident on. Honestly can't remember the last time I had a good, meaningful conversation with... well, anybody.

Fanfiction is, in a way, the thing that gets one through it, bad as that sounds. Not really sure what a micro-rant does, but it's something to bump up the word count, at least.

Enjoy your day, enjoy your life, know that each and every one of you is part of the reason a writer's standards exist. Thanks."

- The Toa of Science Fiction :-{ )