Cyel let out a high, warbling call to her youngest child, telling her to be strong, that she would be coming to help. Rehn squealed angrily, lashing out at the stormtroopers and it took three of them to finally force her to her knees before they tried to get the restraints on her. Cyel dodged Drakahn's emerald blade nimbly, her golden coat reflecting her sabre's violet blade. Drakahn snarled and slashed at her legs with his spur, trying to knock her down. She felt a sudden flash of agony through the Force and heard her daughter scream. The sudden jolt of deep and empty desolation filled her as she looked to where her mater Seph had been fighting Vader. He was now on his hands and knees on the hangar deck, and he was dying. Her concentration broken and desperate to help her mate, Drakahn's lashed out with a massive foot, knocking the gold and white mare off balance as she tried to dodge Drakahn's downward strike. His sabre thrust propelled the blade through the base of her long neck and out between her shoulder blades. Cyel fell to the deck not ten feet from Rehn, her mother's clear blue eyes open and staring into hers as Vader's blade came down over her father's outstretched neck, the blow taking Seph's head off at the shoulders.
Rehn screamed in grief and felt something dark well up inside her, something she had never felt before. It was dark and whispered to her, telling her to take control of the anger and fear within her and make the people who had killed her parents pay. She latched onto the power, knowing it was wrong but not knowing what else to do. Eyes squeezed shut, she jerked her hands free from the troopers' grasp and threw them into the air and made a wild throwing gesture. The three troopers trying to put binders on her were picked up off the deck as though by an invisible hand and thrown screaming through the hangar's atmosphere containment field - out into the vacuum of space. She vaguely heard Barryk's battle cry and heard his lightsabre slashing through the hangar bay doors. Rehn opened her eyes to find herself in the shadow of a massive, cloaked shape and Drakahn's emerald eyes betrayed his surprise as he looked down at her, but an evil smile twisted his hansom face.
Rehn awoke with a ragged, hoarse scream, her eyes wide and grief stricken. She sat blot upright in bed, her chest heaving as she struggled to breath through her bruised throat. She felt hollow, the same feeling that Gellan's loss had caused, only deeper and more emotionally painful.
"Easy, my love." His voice was soothing, almost kind. Rehn's head ached fiercely and her throat was raw and painful. As Drakahn's giant arms slid around her, holding her tight she dry heaved, her body convulsing slightly. The stallion nuzzled her neck and it was all Rehn could do not to let her skin crawl.
This dream was different this time. This time she remembered. Everything. The Messenger's presence in the Force only enhanced the memories making them even more painfully clear. Drakahn ran his hand along her neck gently, trying to calm her, resting his head on hers, and it took ever ounce of control she had to bury her feelings deep. Her parents had die trying to protect her from this monster, and it was only Barryk's heroic rescue that day that had gotten her off the Morning Star. Gade choked back on her hate and fear, but only with supreme effort and let Drakahn hold her. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. That's it you bastard, keep thinking you're safe. It'll make the moment I kill you more enjoyable.
*********
The Arcapus rocketed toward the planet, trailing a tail of flame that began at the ship's nose and ended a ten kilometres behind it. The twilight sky was alight with similar flaming debris, so the battered ship did not stand out as unusual. Gade and Draven had ridden the tail of the comet through the system, avoiding detection by the two Victory - Class Star Destroyers on station in the system. Barryk had taken over the piloting duties during the manoeuvre, relaxing deep into the Force and using it to guide him through the mass of debris that followed in the comet's wake. Kren was now at the controls, as Barryk was certain Drakahn would detect him if he stayed deeply attuned to the Force any longer than necessary.
Terra Firma was beginning to loom large in the facetted transparisteel canopy, and Barryk's knuckles where white under his fur as his hands constricted around the armrests of the co-pilot's seat. Kren looked sidelong at his friend and smiled. "What's the matter Barryk? Re-entries make you nervous?"
"No." Barryk said, flicking an ear back in annoyance "You make me nervous." Kren laughed, letting out an enthusiastic whoop as he pulled the nose of the freighter up, 300 meters from the ground.
"Hang on Barryk, this flight is gonna suck, and there's no in-flight holo." They had entered the planet's atmosphere above the northern pole, where most of the meteors were falling. Kren made all speed, at treetop level, for the Carthpak mountain chain that ran north to south down the western side of the largest continent. Kren became strangely silent, and Barryk looked over at his friend.
"Can you feel her?" Draven asked, concerned. Barryk closed his eyes and shivered before nodding. He didn't touch her - he didn't need to. Anger, frustration and hate radiated off his sister like the radiation from a reactor leak. Barryk's eyes opened and turned steely. Kren swallowed audibly and his gaze shifted back to the Arcapus's controls, and he rammed the throttles to maximum.