Drakahn sat at Rehn's bedside when the sedative wore off. Her eyes fluttered as she slowly began to come around and he reached to touch her cheek, but she gave a frightened snort and shrank away. Rehn trembled visibly, her breathing harsh through distended nostrils. The bed was against a wall and she could not get away. Her eyes squeezed shut as he gently stroked her cheek.
"I told you the price of disobedience when we first met, little one." his voice was soft but reproachful, his eyes concerned. He looked her in the eye, keeping his posture dominant. She had to know he was her master, and that she must obey or the consequences would be severe "It hurt me more than you will know to have to punish you in such a way. You forced me to take action against you, Rehn. I warned you that disobedience would not be tolerated." He slowly pulled her to him, painfully aware that she was covered only by a bed sheet. Rehn didn't resist him, but did not stop trembling. He touched her with the dark side of the Force, making his words sound much more sincere than they actually were. It seemed like forever, but she stopped trembling, and began to cry. "There is no escape from the Empire, Rehn. The sooner you accept your fate, the happier you will be, my love." she choked off a sob and looked up at him almost timidly. He looked down at her with soft, caring eyes that looked hurt by her 'betrayal'. It was a truly award winning performance. He leaned in slowly, his lips brushing hers before he kissed her. She began to tremble again as he held her to him, though she did not pull away.
He broke the kiss first, resting his forehead on hers, his eyes closed. "I have grown very fond of you Rehn, making what you did even more painful." his voice was heavy. "I love you, Rehn. Please, I beg you, accept the Emperor's offer. Accept your destiny, so that you may be treated like the princess you are. You have the potential to be so much more than the cannon fodder the Rebellion has used you for, my love." Rehn was silent for a long moment. She had nothing left. No defiance, no will to resist, no hope of escape. She was broken.
"Forgive me, my Lord." her head bowed submissively. "What I did was inexcusable." She did not see the sadistic, triumphant smile that flashed across the huge stallion's face. He pulled her head to his chest with his chin.
"You are forgiven, my angel." he replied. "Tomorrow, we will begin again. Today, you will rest."
"Thank you, m'Lord." her voice was small, contrite, and utterly beaten.
*********
"I've got a question for you, old buddy." Kren Draven said, his feet propped up on the Arcapus' control panel, his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
"Huh?" Barryk asked, his concentration broken. They had just entered hyperspace, and were on the last leg of their route to Cey'lon. It would be another five days until they arrived. Five more days that Drakahn had to break Rehn, if he had not already done so.
"Not that I doubt our ability to kick ass or anything, but unless you have a bunch of Mon Cal cruisers stuffed in your pocket, how do you plan on getting close to the planet, let alone land on it?" He asked, no sarcasm in his voice, just curiosity. "Last I heard the Empire had two Vics and an Imp Star D patrolling the system"
Barryk's face was a study in desolation, as though he were giving up hope, his eyes staring blankly as though looking at something far off in the distance. "Rehn has changed Kren, I can feel it. She hasn't been completely turned to the dark side-yet, but I think Drakahn has broken her, and if he has it's only a matter of time before she's so far gone that I cannot help her. If that happens, there is no way I can beat both of them." Kren sat up in his seat and looked at his friend.
"If you're trying to scare me off this mission, it's not working, Gade. You're stuck with me, so live with it. I owe your family more than I can repay in this lifetime." He said, his voice low and serious, his happy go lucky demeanour suddenly replaced by the look that Barryk had only rarely seen. Kren's eyes were cold, the eyes of a trained killer, and one who was very good at his job. Barryk looked into his now frigid eyes and saw only steely resolve.
"Ok, but if you die don't bitch at me, 'cause I'm just going to say 'I told you so'." he said shaking his head. "I talked to Craken before we left Dantooine."
"How long did the Old Man yell at you before you got to speak." Kren asked, his face wincing in sympathy. He could just imagine how steamed Craken had been. Two of his most dependable officers desert, steal equipment and then asks for help on a mission that he had not authorized. It must not have been pretty. Barryk's grimaced at the memory.
"Only ten minutes. The time just seemed to fly right by." he rolled his eyes and waved a hand theatrically "Like being skinned alive with a rusty spoon."
Kren snorted in amusement. "Well, I'm glad he isn't mad then."
"He was even less impressed when I asked for Intel's reports from the Cey'lon sector for the last five months, most of it being in the highly classified category."
"So what's he got for us?" Kren asked, his eyes where closed and he looked as though he were asleep. He knew Craken felt bad about not being able to get the resources together for a rescue, and that he was deeply concerned for one of his brightest 'Brats'.
Barryk flashed a grin that was all teeth "Troop movements, strengths and weapons emplacements, plus access codes and the number of Imp ships in the area.." Kren threw back his head and laughed.
"Well, Hell! We may just survive this."
********
The helmet Rehn wore obscured her eyes, making it impossible to see. Her ears flicked back and forth, intent and alert, her nostrils testing the air. She stood in the same exercise yard where her training session with the wooden staff had taken place. She shifted from foot to foot uneasily, her senses acute. She could feel Drakahn's presence to her left as he approached her. Her head came up a little, wary.
"I have a gift for you, my love." He said, his voice was low in her ear and made her jump slightly. She felt the cold metal slide into her hand. She knew what it was even without seeing at it It felt very familiar somehow and found the lightsabre a little large for her hands as she gripped in the traditional two handed style. It was like an old friend, but one that had absent for so long that their name was forgotten. She knew she had held this weapon before, but could not recall when, or to whom it had belonged. She hit the activation switch and the deep violet blade sprang to life.
Drakahn had no fear that she would turn on him. She was beyond that now, her will to resist him completely broken. Her fighting spirit had been dampened somewhat, but he knew she would find it again and put it to use against the rebellion this time, when Vader took over and completed her training. And then she would be his. His anticipation was tangible as he pulled a training remote from a pouch on his belt. He thumbed the activation button and the remote came to life, its repulsors whirring as it lifted from his palm and he stepped out of the field of the oncoming battle.
"Concentrate your negative feelings Rehn. See the remote and deflect it's attacks." Drakahn said as he watched her ears flick nervously, listening to the remote as it began to move evasively. She stood at a relaxed ready position, her body slightly turned to offer less of a target, feet spread, one slightly in front of the other for balance. Her toes kneaded the earth under them as she mentally prepared herself. A snarl slowly wrinkled her lips, her ears working. The remote fired a crimson bolt of energy, enough to hurt, but not enough to cause actual physical injury. Rehn side stepped the bolt, her ears locked on the remote. This will not do.. Drakahn thought. Rage stepped into the yard and stood a few meters from the door, keeping her distance from him. She had spent the night in one on of the medial ward's bacta tanks, and while not happy about it, she watched silently and did not try to interfere. Reg stood by her side.
Rehn gave a surprised snort as the world around her became deathly silent, the only thing she could hear was the pounding of her own heart. It was as though someone had hit a switch, and shut down all outside audio stimuli. She was jolted painfully back to the business at hand when the remote nailed her in the thigh with a crimson lance of energy. She squealed angrily, a sound reminiscent of a whomprat being skinned alive. The anger at being bested by the little device, especially in front of Drakahn began to swell. Then, as though it were emerging from the depths of a dark room, the remote came into focus until it was as though she were looking right at it. It fired another bolt, and Rehn parried it easily, deflecting it into the ground. They circled each other for a long moment, Gade ready and light on her feet, before the remote fired again, three bolts in rapid succession and from varying heights. Gade snarled, deflecting each bolt. She prepared herself for the next attack just as something she could not explain tugged at her consciousness. She snorted and dove to her left, doing a combat roll and coming back up to her feet in an effortless, graceful move as the second remote fired, the bolt lancing through the empty space her body had just occupied.
Drakahn was impressed. He had not expected her to be quite this effective against two remotes, fighting them for over an hour and only being hit twice. The sun was growing hot, and her exertions had made her golden coat patchy with sweat, and her chest heaved as she breathed. She had done well, and he did not want to overexert her. He called back the remotes and let her hear the world around her again. Her hearing was too accurate and acute and she would naturally rely on it had he not used the Force to interfere. She stood, in an aggressive ready position, the handle of her sabre held horizontally near the right side of her face. Her breath left her nostrils noisily as she breathed hard, her blood up. She heard Rage clap before she actually felt her presence draw near, her concentration the remotes had been so intense she only now realized that the Sith was there at all.
"Oh very good. Well done! You're braver than I thought Drakahn, giving her a weapon after that last little incident." Rage said, her eyes narrowed, a nasty smile twisting her dark lips. Rehn bristled at the comment, a jab at her earlier betrayal. She snarled at the slight to both her and Drakahn and pulled off her helmet, throwing it to the ground as she turned to face Rage. She drew herself to her full height, which was not nearly as tall as she felt at the moment, and spitted Rage with her deathly cold, mismatched eyes. Her neck arched, giving her the appearance of a snake ready to strike. She drew a deep breath and screamed her challenge in her native language, her ears flattened so tightly to her head it looked as though they had been removed. She snorted arrogantly, shaking her head in aggression and showing her teeth, her eyes fierce and her foot gouged the ground in an exaggerated motion, her sabre ready. Drakahn could see what was going to happen and stepped in front of Rehn protectively, his back to her, his huge body separating her and Rage.