(A/N: I decided to add a title to this chapter. I don't know why, the idea just came to me. Anyway, this chapter is going to be, believe it or not, possibly even darker than the last one. Be warned. HG: It was actually a typo when I said four years, and that isn't just a copout either. I was trying to think of the "Terran Years" system and how they would measure time, so I accidentally put "years". Sorry 'bout that…Anyway, here it is!–s7)

Chapter 6:

"Tom"

The green haze faded, and her eyes slowly opened.

Everything blurred, but one thing that she was sure of was a low buzzing sound and a red haziness.

Blossom Utonium grasped her head, which, incidentally, hurt like hell.

"Hello, Blossom," a voice said. It sounded strangely…degraded, if that was the word for it.

"H…hello…" she murmured.

"My name is Tom."

Tom was wearing an all-tan uniform, a couple rows of square medallions on the side of his chest and a holster to his side. Tom glowed brightly and looked at his holster, noticing Blossom was eyeing it with suspicion. It disappeared in an odd flash of light.

It was beautiful.

"Ask me any question you want," Tom said in his oddly inhuman voice, still glowing brightly.

The surroundings faded into existence. Some kind of small metal chamber. It was painted white, and somehow seemed less menacing than it normally would be.

Blossom smiled. She felt really good inside.

"Where am I?" she asked sleepily.

"It doesn't matter," Tom said quickly.

Tom was quite good-looking for an officer, Blossom thought.

"What DOES matter is that you understand why you're here." The last words were spoken softly, but with an odd type of superiority that Blossom didn't quite understand. After all, he was obviously a friend.

Blossom nodded.

"You're here because we want to help you. You're very confused. So are your sisters, who are in other reeducation rooms."

"That's nice…" Blossom said quietly, still feeling tired and somehow more than a bit giddy.

"The New Order of the Galaxy is a very special thing," Tom said. "You see, before there was the New Order, sometimes called the Empire" (--this struck a note with Blossom, but she was not quite sure which--) "there was an ancient fossil of a government known as the Galactic Republic. It was ridiculous. No one really had any power, and the government was falling apart. So we came in." Another word for "took over", thought a small part of Blossom's dazed mind, but she ignored it.

"Anyway, we decided to intervene. Unfortunately, the Jedi were exterminated in the process, but no one really cared about them. They wielded too much power, anyway."

"Yeah, I agree," Blossom drowsily. She didn't know who these Jedi were, or how they came into existence, but it didn't really matter now, did it? She just needed to listen…or terrible things would happen.

"Sadly, there are those who would like to hurt the New Order, and though they are few and far-between, they are still there. Which is why you and your sisters were created. To hurt the bad guys, which I've heard you commonly do on your home planet."

"Is Professor OK?"

"He's just fine," Tom answered quickly. "You need to help the New Order though."

"How do I help?" she was quick to answer.

"You need to exterminate the rebels. To exterminate them all."

A chill ran down Blossom's spine, though she wasn't exactly sure why.

"Do I have to? Can't I just stay with you?" Blossom pleaded. "You're nice and handsome."

"You need to kill them," Tom said in an almost fatherly way. "It's why you were created."

That struck a chord. "No…it wasn't."

"What?"

"I was created because the Professor loves me."

Tom smiled, an eerie smile that had a menacing quality to it.

"We'll try again tomorrow."

---

Days passed like hours, spinning quickly, and yet, though Blossom could see Tom and talk to him, she had an odd feeling things weren't what they seemed. Like the time she had tried to ask what the Emperor was like.

"Information classified. Enter password," he had said. The voice sounded so…weird. Like it wasn't a voice at all, rather some kind of creature. A creature that wanted to eat her whole and destroy all that she loved…

She didn't know of any password to say, really, so she refrained from talking at all.

"It's alright," Tom had said after gaining his bearings. "I can still be your friend."

And so they were friends. At one point, Blossom almost asked why she couldn't use any of her powers, but she decided not to. Tom might get sad…

---

Blossom awoke with a pain in her head and a loud noise.

For the first time in who-knows-how-long, there was a noise other than Tom talking.

A siren.

It pierced the air, floating through the cell.

"Tom?" Blossom said, barely awake. "Are you there?"

There was no response.

"Tom?"

All the answer that came was a rush of light, blurring her vision.

Random voices came, and someone grabbed her.

"She looks like she's been loaded up on spice, maybe starved too," a female voice whispered. "Cover me." Explosions and shouts of pain filled the area.

"I've got the other one," said a deeper, male voice.

"Get her in the ship."

Blossom's head began to sting and she let out a cry.

"She's in withdrawal," added the man.

Another, familiar shout of pain could be heard.

"Knock her out. We have no choice."

Once again