Danni groaned and rubbed her temples, trying to will the pain to leave. It didn't work. She never liked being stunned; it gave an awful headache afterwards. Kyp Durron had once made the comment that stun bolts left one feeling worse than a hangover did. She didn't ask the unsavory question as to how he knew that.
Resigned to the pounding, she glanced around the room. It was bare and empty save for a single table, a small wooden stool, and a door. She had already found this to be locked, and even with the proper tools she wouldn't have been able to pick it. She had little skill at that sort of thing.
Danni stood with a sigh and walked over to the door. A small panel allowed her to speak to the guard without. "You know you want to let us out of here," she said, making a small waving motion. The guard only snorted. She tried again, to no avail.
"No matter how many times you do that he is never going to let you out," a slightly muffled voice said from the corner. Danni ignored Jag's pessimistic remark. "You want to open the door," she murmured. "You want to let us out."
"You've been doing that for three hours. Don't you know when to give up? It will never work. There are more useful things you could be doing with your time."
"Such as wallowing in self-pity?" she asked with a smirk.
"I am not 'wallowing', as you say. Just because I choose not to move doesn't mean I'm not trying to think of a way out."
"And a lot of good it has done us."
"It has done as much good as your trying to control the guard's mind."
"You have your methods; I have mine."
"I'd thank you to go about your methods silently. There are two of us in here, in case you hadn't noticed."
She threw him a rude hand gesture, but he wasn't watching. She returned to her attempts.
Suddenly, the door swung open. Danni gave Jag a superior smile. It disappeared when the guard began speaking. "You done been summoned. Follow me." He led them down a labyrinth of corridors so twisted Danni completely lost her sense of direction. He stopped by an open door and gestured for them to enter.
Immediately, Danni felt a chill pass through her. This room was so cold it was hard to believe she was still on the desert planet of Tatooine. "Spice needs to be kept at a temperature near the freezing point of water," Jag commented softly.
"Strange that they would choose to put a facility like this in a desert baking under two suns, if that is the case," Danni answered. "Shh." A tall woman with dark hair and brown eyes that seemed almost too large was walking towards them. Danni frowned. That was a symptom of spice addiction. Then again, the thought shouldn't have been all that surprising.
"I suppose I should welcome you," she said.
"Who are you?" Jag demanded.
"I don't think you're in a position to be asking the questions, Colonel Jagged Fel." Jag's already pale face became a shade paler. She smiled wickedly and held of a flat, square object about the size of her fist. "Recognize this?"
"My wallet..."
Her smile widened as she continued, "You currently fly with the Twin Suns Squadron, are originally from Chiss space, and are twenty-three."
"Good work, you memorized part of my military ID. Now tell me, what was the name of the building I lived in between the ages of seven and twelve?"
"You're mocking me. I advise you to stop."
"Really? Or else what? You pretend to know much about me, but such an empty threat implies you don't. Also, you seem not to know that I am acquainted with several Jedi on this planet."
"If you mean her," she gestured to Danni, "then you have forgotten how little of a fight she put up on the surface."
"She is one, but I know others."
"Such as who?"
"Perhaps I wish to keep you in suspense."
"Trust me, you don't. Tell me who."
"Solo."
The woman gaped at him. She mouthed soundlessly for a few seconds before stammering, "Which one?"
"Jaina."
She narrowed her eyes slightly, frowning in thought. "Really."
"I take it you know her?" Danni asked, mind already racing to find a way to push this to their advantage.
"We have met." She gestured to one of the guards and muttered in a voice too low for Danni to hear. The guard nodded and barked an order to the others to escort Jag and Danni back to their cell. "Hardly a polite introduction," Danni said grimly.
* * * * * * *
The woman with the dark hair watched them go. If they were telling the truth, if Jaina actually was here, that would mean one of two things. She had no doubt that the younger woman would find this place; she was very resourceful. If and when Jaina arrived, she would either grant some form of mercy to an old friend, or she would come down on them so hard it made their eyes spin. The woman grimaced. It would probably be the latter. Jaina's anger at her one-time friend's involvement would undoubtedly seal the group's fate.
She shook her head and left the room, heading for her quarters to think. "Anja will not be caught with her eyes and ears closed," she hissed.
Resigned to the pounding, she glanced around the room. It was bare and empty save for a single table, a small wooden stool, and a door. She had already found this to be locked, and even with the proper tools she wouldn't have been able to pick it. She had little skill at that sort of thing.
Danni stood with a sigh and walked over to the door. A small panel allowed her to speak to the guard without. "You know you want to let us out of here," she said, making a small waving motion. The guard only snorted. She tried again, to no avail.
"No matter how many times you do that he is never going to let you out," a slightly muffled voice said from the corner. Danni ignored Jag's pessimistic remark. "You want to open the door," she murmured. "You want to let us out."
"You've been doing that for three hours. Don't you know when to give up? It will never work. There are more useful things you could be doing with your time."
"Such as wallowing in self-pity?" she asked with a smirk.
"I am not 'wallowing', as you say. Just because I choose not to move doesn't mean I'm not trying to think of a way out."
"And a lot of good it has done us."
"It has done as much good as your trying to control the guard's mind."
"You have your methods; I have mine."
"I'd thank you to go about your methods silently. There are two of us in here, in case you hadn't noticed."
She threw him a rude hand gesture, but he wasn't watching. She returned to her attempts.
Suddenly, the door swung open. Danni gave Jag a superior smile. It disappeared when the guard began speaking. "You done been summoned. Follow me." He led them down a labyrinth of corridors so twisted Danni completely lost her sense of direction. He stopped by an open door and gestured for them to enter.
Immediately, Danni felt a chill pass through her. This room was so cold it was hard to believe she was still on the desert planet of Tatooine. "Spice needs to be kept at a temperature near the freezing point of water," Jag commented softly.
"Strange that they would choose to put a facility like this in a desert baking under two suns, if that is the case," Danni answered. "Shh." A tall woman with dark hair and brown eyes that seemed almost too large was walking towards them. Danni frowned. That was a symptom of spice addiction. Then again, the thought shouldn't have been all that surprising.
"I suppose I should welcome you," she said.
"Who are you?" Jag demanded.
"I don't think you're in a position to be asking the questions, Colonel Jagged Fel." Jag's already pale face became a shade paler. She smiled wickedly and held of a flat, square object about the size of her fist. "Recognize this?"
"My wallet..."
Her smile widened as she continued, "You currently fly with the Twin Suns Squadron, are originally from Chiss space, and are twenty-three."
"Good work, you memorized part of my military ID. Now tell me, what was the name of the building I lived in between the ages of seven and twelve?"
"You're mocking me. I advise you to stop."
"Really? Or else what? You pretend to know much about me, but such an empty threat implies you don't. Also, you seem not to know that I am acquainted with several Jedi on this planet."
"If you mean her," she gestured to Danni, "then you have forgotten how little of a fight she put up on the surface."
"She is one, but I know others."
"Such as who?"
"Perhaps I wish to keep you in suspense."
"Trust me, you don't. Tell me who."
"Solo."
The woman gaped at him. She mouthed soundlessly for a few seconds before stammering, "Which one?"
"Jaina."
She narrowed her eyes slightly, frowning in thought. "Really."
"I take it you know her?" Danni asked, mind already racing to find a way to push this to their advantage.
"We have met." She gestured to one of the guards and muttered in a voice too low for Danni to hear. The guard nodded and barked an order to the others to escort Jag and Danni back to their cell. "Hardly a polite introduction," Danni said grimly.
* * * * * * *
The woman with the dark hair watched them go. If they were telling the truth, if Jaina actually was here, that would mean one of two things. She had no doubt that the younger woman would find this place; she was very resourceful. If and when Jaina arrived, she would either grant some form of mercy to an old friend, or she would come down on them so hard it made their eyes spin. The woman grimaced. It would probably be the latter. Jaina's anger at her one-time friend's involvement would undoubtedly seal the group's fate.
She shook her head and left the room, heading for her quarters to think. "Anja will not be caught with her eyes and ears closed," she hissed.