Rage sat in the middle of the floor in her stateroom. All of the furniture had been moved to an adjoining room and only one overhead light source remained on. She breathed silently and looked to be made of stone, a sculpture cast from angelic flesh. Regera stepped into the room and looked around at the various art paintings on the walls and ceiling. Usually they were shown with their own light source, but Rage had turned them all off.

During their trip in hyperspace on their return from Tatooine, she had suddenly stepped off the bridge of her Star Destroyer and retired to her quarters. Reg had been curious though had said nothing, but after four hours had come down to see what she was doing. Her meditation was deep and he could see her eyes moving under her thin, delicate lids. They came out of hyperspace just outside of the Cey'lon system and suddenly her eyes opened and stared right at him.

"What's the matter?" he asked, his face uncertain.

A smile touched her lips. "Nothing....just a shift in the force. Drakahn has had his hands full." She easily rose to her feet without using her hands for support and headed towards the door. Regera fell in step beside her as she stepped form her cabin and headed towards the hangar.

********

Rage stood in front of the bacta tank that held Rehn. She had only been submerged for a day and Rage looked at the screens that showed the injuries that were quickly healing. Reg laid his palm on the glass. "He loose it you think?"

Rage's finger tapped at the screen. She should have seen this coming. The Emperor's order forbidding Drakahn to do more than just touch her was making him incredibly frustrated. "Well this is a bit far to prove a point. I'd say she threw a fit and he got carried away. Either that or this is some kind of training technique that I haven't seen before."

Reg stood considering something, then spoke up quietly. "Kinda like when you came back from Nar Shadaa after your little stint with the Rebellion? But he didn't go as far as Vader."

He could almost sense her bristle. The anger and fear flowed into her eyes but she held her temper, for his sake. "No, Vader didn't want to turn me. I was already his. That was completely different. Drop it."

He nodded without turning to look at her or dropping his hand from the clear plastic. "The Emperor will be interested in this. If she's too much for Drakahn to handle, she's a threat."

"I've already spoken with the Emperor. He has plans for Rehn, though his main concern now is Barryk. Rehn is merely the bait." She sighed and rubbed her neck. "I guess he saw all of this coming a while ago. He has begun to think that Drakahn may be a little too distracted by his own personal agenda concerning the filly. He has commanded me to test the Messenger's loyalty."

Reg finally turned and looked at her. "That certainly doesn't sound very safe."

Rage turned and motioned for him to stay there. "Not in the least.."

********

Rage stood in the garden, the three moons set high above creating a silver, eerie half light. She bent at the waist and pulled a delicate night blooming iris to her nose and inhaled it's scent, taking the sweet smell deep into her scarred lungs. She sensed him behind her, though Drakahn hadn't made a sound.

"I noticed your student at the medical facilities again. Keep it up and they're going to start charging her rent. What happened?" She slowly turned around and looked up at the huge Thalcein. "She run into a door?"

Drakahn crossed his huge arms and blew a deep breath from his nostrils "It is none of your concern."

Rage touched the force and felt it at her side. It was pulsing and alive, ready to be bent to her will. "She's too much for you isn't she?" Drakahn only glared at her. "I thought she would be. You've underestimated her, haven't you? Perhaps it is time we implement plan 'B' then... maybe even plan 'C'."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Drakahn snapped. He wanted the complete mind wipe done only as a last resort, and destroying Rehn would mean he had failed. He would do it if he had to, but not until all other options were exhausted. "What do you know about her or her abilities? That she's too powerful? For you maybe, but she will learn who her master is." He stomped a foot but controlled his temper.

"She will? How?" Rage asked in reply. "Beating her to the point of death will solve nothing."

"She respects strength." he growled "She will accept me and bend to my will. I could have her any time I wish, and she would not spurn my advances."

Rage smiled, her Sith armor squeaking slightly as she shifted her weight. "Seems you're the one doing the bending." Rage slide a gloved finger over her own face, using the gesture to indicate the scar Rehn had left on his hansom face "She make you grab your ankles with that one did she?"

Rage wanted to step back, but the trigger had been pulled and now she had to face the consequences. He took two strides and was on her, striking out with his foot. She dodged nimbly, feeling his anger, and blocked the punch that came after the strike, deflecting his big fist into the stone wall behind her. A large piece of the masonry broke away and fell to the ground from the power of his blow. She picked up the large chunk of rock with the Force and sent it into his chest. He held his ground but took the hard hit and he heard his ribs snap. The stone fell and Rage stood at a crouch, one finger touching the ground, her eyes watching him. He was powerful but his size slowed him down, she was quicker.

"What's the matter, lover boy? The big bad, female have you on the ropes?"

"Hardly, child." He let loose with a force blast that she blocked crossing her arms before her in an X and forcing the blast to either side of her. It was powerful enough to make the joints in her shoulders ache.

"Admit it Drakahn, She's become too much." Rage replied "I was expecting as much the way you were fawning over her. You're afraid to turn her by force because you know it will unlock her repressed memories and she'll destroy you. She will soon be to powerful for a mind wipe. It's time to end this and kill her while you still can, fool. It is the will of the Emperor." Rage watched as Drakahn turned this over in his head. He had never let himself truly consider that he might not be able to control her, but the actions of the other night had worried him. Too bad for Rage she had brought these doubts to light. She never saw the chunk of stone that she had thrown earlier rise, then bear down on her from behind. She was hit in the back and her scapula was crushed, her face driven into the soft soil and the taste of grass filled her mouth. She was just able to pick herself up with her good arm when she felt a tug in the force and was able to turn her face, missing a good part of the downward strike, but not all of it. Drakahn's fist caught her ear and tore the cartilage making her ears ring painfully. She threw herself to one side but didn't get her arm out of the way quick enough as he kicked. Her upper arm snapped and dislocated and would have torn completely off her body had she not been wearing her light armor. She fell back and kicked up at him, catching him in the thigh. The thick bone held, so she slid her feet up the inside of his inner thigh and jammed her heals into his groin. The Thalcein bellowed with anger and pain. He picked her off the ground by her leg and slammed her face first into the stone wall, shattering her jaw, the force of the blow making her bite off a piece of her tongue. She swallowed back the lump of flesh and blood as he snapped her lower leg like a twig, driving the bones out of the skin.

Rage sucked in a mouth full of air as the pain hit her and tore off her glove, her eyes flashing red in the moonlight. Drakahn realized what she was about to do and raised a forearm, but it was too late as the lightening danced from her fingers and sliced into his body. He staggered back with a grunt as it interrupted his nervous system and ran it's course up his spine, dropping him to his knees. Exhausted and in agony, Rage curled into a defensive ball and looked up at him. He snorted and shook his head. "Impressive." His chest heaved and his voice was raspy "If the child is too much for me then she will be destroyed, as is her destiny." He slowly rose and staggered away without another word. Rage looked up at the moon and blinked slowly before closing her eyes, blood running from her mouth and nose. She touched the Force and gently brushed Reg's mind, a signal for him to inform the garrison med facilities to come for her.

Drakahn had answered the question, truthfully and with no room for doubt. Quite a painful way to find out were one's loyalties lie, but it had worked. She closed her eyes and let the Force sweep her away in a dark tide of pain.

-Kelly Black-