Rehn sat in an undignified heap at Drakahn's feet, looking up at him, mouth open in what might have been shock. Drakahn was huge, at least seven feet tall, boasting muscles human power lifters would envy. He looked down at her with a malevolent green-eyed stare, a cruel smile touching his lips. Rehn shook off her shock and scrambled backwards away form him, but still trapped between him and the Sith. Something about him was familiar, but any memory of him eluded her. The lower left side of her rib cage ached fiercely, but she ignored it. You know the best part about pain?... lets you know you aren't dead yet.. How many times had she heard that in training? If you are alive, you can still fight.. pain makes you angry.. Get angry, get mad, it will help you survive.
Drakahn's face betrayed no emotion as he watched her get to her feet. She doesn't recognize me.. he realized. If she had, she was hiding it well and hiding body language was not a Thalcein strong suit. The huge stallion stepped arrogantly down the shuttle's ramp, his head high, neck arched. His flaxen mane was short and stood in a neat, upright crest along his thick bright chestnut neck, his huge spurs clicking on the deck as he moved. In normal Thalcein society, Rehn would be considered a child, while Drakahn would be just entering his prime.
She had heard stories of the Lakeeta, the clan that had collaborated with the Empire and where hated by the rest of their species as traitors. Lakeeta males were generally larger than average and were considered dishonourable barbarians by warriors of other Clans. Something about him seemed to call her to him. Granted he was not unpleasant to look at, for a traitor, but something invisible called to her, cajoled her, told her to quit fighting and just accept her fate.
Gade snorted, her face uncertain. Rage felt a strong disturbance in the Force, like the one she had experienced when Rehn's mind had angrily severed their contact back in the cell. She looked sidelong at Drakahn, expecting him to be struck by the same invisible force she had. If he had been, he didn't show it.
"Who are you, traitor." they were the first words the young Thalcein had spoken since Rage had first laid eyes on her. It was not a question, it was a demand. There was no confusion in her voice, only hatred and suspicion- Gade was regaining her composure.
Drakahn did not answer at first. He had wondered why she had not instantly recognised him. She should have. He had driven his lightsabre through her mother's body as a young Rehn had been forced to watch. It wasn't something one typically forgot. Now he found his answer. Barryk, you surprise me. Drakahn thought with actual surprise. Maybe you are more skilled than I gave you credit for... Her memories of the event had been forced deep into a dark, barricaded corner of her mind. The moment he had touched it, he had been hit with a Force blow that, had he not been ready, could have done him some serious damage. Only a fully trained Jedi could have done something so complicated as specific memory suppression. Had Barryk not done it properly, it could have done irreparable damage to her mind, causing psychosis or even death.
"I am the one who will show you your true path, child." He said evenly, challenging her with a glance.
"The only thing you are going to show me is what you look like as a corpse." Gade snarled in reply, her bravado returning.
"What I will show you is that your mouth will cause you much trouble, brat. Disrespect for your superiors will not be tolerated." The Dark Jedi said, his voice deathly cold. Drakahn made a slow gesture with his hand, as if he where holding something and was every so slowly tightening his grip on it. Rage knew the gesture well, and watched as first Gade's nostrils started to flare as she began to find it harder to breath, then as she clawed desperately at her throat as she fell to her knees. The young Thalcein gaped like a stranded fish, her eyes wide, legs kicking out weakly as she dropped to the floor. Drakahn closed the distance between them and stood over her. He knelt on one knee and spoke softly, his lips brushing her ear gently.
"The second thing I will show you is that resistance is pointless. Disobedience will not be tolerated, little one. Punishment will be swift and harsh. Know this - you are mine to do with as I please until I turn you over to Lord Vader." he finished, his eyes narrowing, his lips twisting into a frightening smirk. It was the last thing Rehn heard before the world around her faded to black.
********
Rage walked at his shoulder as the she escorted him to his quarters. Huge as he was, Drakahn moved almost silently, save for the 'click' of his large spurs on the deck plates. He moved with athletic and fluid grace, his emerald green eyes alert and intelligent. His whole demenor oozed arrogance and control. Stormtroopers had taken Gade to the ship's medical facilities, where she had been heavily sedated and treated for dehydration and the three cracked ribs she had sustained from Drakahn's kick.
"It was an impressive speech Drakahn, but I don't think tell her 'resistance is pointless' is going to work. I've rarely seen such defiance in one so young." Rage said, her voice somewhat thoughtful . Drakahn turned his head slightly to look down at her as he spoke.
"She will learn. Lady Vader, or she will suffer. Once she has learned her place, once she has been mentally and physically beaten into submission, it will be a simple matter to turn her to the Dark Side." The bright chestnut furred Thalcein said. From the tone of his voice, Rage could tell he enjoyed thinking about it.
"The Lakeeta don't have much use for female warriors, Do they?" Rage said with a smirk, a black eyebrow raised questioningly. Drakahn's impressive teeth shone in a predatory smile.
"Oh, females have their uses. Most female Thalcein make poor warriors m'Lady, though Rehn is an exception." Drakahn replies thoughtfully "She seems to have been well schooled, though I look forward to continuing her education..." The look that came into his eyes sent a shiver up Rage's back.
********
Davin Felth dried himself thoroughly, taking great pains not to drip water on the floor of the refresher. The regimental Sargent-Major had given his whole section a royal ass-chewing over not keeping their squad bay squared away, even though it had been impeccably clean when the inspection had taken place. Just one more tactic to keep them in line, disciplined and confused, he supposed. Wrapping the towel around him, he padded across the cool deck plates from the 'fresher to his bunk. The only thing that separated the two what about half a bulkhead. Throwing on some 'off-duty' clothes, Felth made his way to the rec area. Other than a large Holovid screen and some card tables and chairs, there was little in the room - stormtroopers rarely had much leisure time. A group of a dozen corporals-and-under sat around one of the tables. One of the men waved Felth over.
"I've never seen anything like it. Cut right through his armour and gutted him like a Corellian bloat fish. They say the Guardsmen are the best of the best, but I'm tellin you, he didn't have time to blink before his lunch and what had been holding it inside him was lying on the floor." Felth recognized the man who was speaking. He was a trooper from 12th Squad. He thought the man's name may have been Kual.
"What's going on?" ask Felth as he sat in an empty chair next to Brend, the trooper who had waved him over.
"Some of the guys got a look at the prisoner that we picked up a couple of days ago. Fett supposedly brought it in."
"It?" Felth asked questioningly, though by the way 'it' was referred to, he already knew the prisoner wasn't human.
"It's a shrag." Kual answered. Felth still looked confused.
"Damn boy, didn't you learn anything at the Academy?" Kual asked, shaking his head in mock sadness.
"He means a Thalcein." Brend said, solving the mystery.
"I've never seen one before."
"Not many people have. They're pretty rare. This one killed a Royal Guardsman, assaulted Lady Vader and was running loose for about a half hour. Supposedly she's got a wrap sheet half as long as this ship." Brend explained.
"Kriff! Did you it was a female?" another trooper asked.
"Oh yeah" another trooper nodded with a smile. "it's a female. Greffis in 9th Squad supposedly got a good look at her. Said she looked as good coming as going. All muscle and moves like a cat. Course, none of us has seen a female in how long? Anything starts to look good after a while." No one mentioned Rage, not that her nocturnal habits were any kind of secret, and not that she wasn't beautiful, they just never talked about her in any other context besides professional.
"I heard from a couple of guys that Lord Drakahn got here on a VIP shuttle this afternoon." another trooper added. Some of the troopers shivered at the mention of the dark Jedi's name. Everyone in the Empire knew of the Death's Messenger, the Emperor's other enforcer, the one Palpatine usually used to convey his displeasure with any of his senior military staff.
"It's a bloody infestation!" They all laughed.
"She's supposedly got a bit of an attitude to.. damn near ripped Capt. Corliss's legs off when they first brought her on board." another man interjected.
"They should turn her over to us for a couple hours, then see how energetic she is." Kual said with a sadistic smile. They all laughed