Down the Dark Path

Deckard was torn between hiding herself behind her two colleagues as they entered Vaders domain, or standing abreast of them, determined not to be seen as inferior in any way.

She forced herself to stand shoulder to shoulder with Xinn and was relieved when Mattesta stepped forward, looking comparatively unruffled after his knock down the ramp.

'My Lord' he greeted Vader evenly. Deckard had been counselling him every chance she got him away from Xinn's earshot. Appear calm and efficient at all costs. Their plan had been on track to capture the rebels, they had only needed time to succeed. They could still be valuable to Vader. She was all too keenly aware he was undergoing a rather more rapid advancement than even he had hoped to. Ever since she found the Shadowdancer-Kraken, and this whirlwind journey under the watchful eye of Vader had started, it had been a whirlwind of promotions and betrayal. Their former Admiral, Lockee had had far too high an opinion of himself ,and had paid the price at Vaders hand when he failed. Now Deckard couldn't afford for Mattesta to harbour any self-doubt. If he failed and was killed, that put her squarely in the limelight, and she couldn't afford that. So she had guided him through the turbulent last few weeks, and she intended to keep on doing so. As long as Xinn didn't try to interfere with her plan, they should get through this alive, and with any luck, manage to lower their profile a little.

Vader was stood gazing out of a view port as they entered the conference room. Why did the man always seem to be standing? Deckard wondered to herself, did that suit even bend in the middle?

She bit her lip, now was not the time to be having catty thoughts, now was the time to shield her mind as much as she could.

'Commander' Vader's greeting was seductive. Mattesta remembered the drill and bowed low. 'My Lord'.

'Be seated'

Mattesta sat, and Deckard took Vader's sweeping gesture to include her, so she sat too. Xinn, for once not looking at all cocky, sat meekly next to her, eyes down.

'I am sure you are aware, the reach of the Empire is….broad.'

'Yes, my Lord?'

'Admiral Lockee ran only one of our intelligence arms. We had in play others, one of which was controlled by a Commander Fry. He ran an undercover operation, setting up a resistance movement that spanned several planets, trying to get an agent into one of the rising insurgent groups. One we believe may have links to Mon Mothma….

'Mon Mothma?' choked Deckard before she could stop herself.

Vader's mask turned and she felt his gaze upon her. 'Chandrila was my home world. I had no idea she…' Deckard paused, judging Vader's intentions. He must know where she was from, it would have been foolish not to react to such astonishing news.

'Do you doubt my words?'

Deckard tried not to blanch, this was a tricky situation, she could hardly say she doubted him, any more than she could admit she had thought such a thing of her worlds Senate Representative.

'Of course I do not doubt you my Lord, I am just shocked and embarrassed that someone from my planet could tolerate such a thing.'

Vader seemed satisfied. After a moment he continued.

'The ship you so skilfully placed your agent upon, ironically belonged to Fry's fake rebellion and not either of the two main groups that we are aware of at the moment.' His gaze fell again upon Deckard for a moment more than she felt comfortable with. 'But ultimately that turned out to our advantage as Commander Fry was able to retrieve the Jedi prisoner and use his team to contact the real rebellion. For this success he is being promoted into Admiral Lockee's role, and you are here to meet your new Admiral and escort him to his flag ship.

You will support him with as much innovation and dedication as you supported Lockee. Combined with Fry's expertise, I am sure you will have great success. There is still much work to be done, and what is more, I still do not have my Defel. Consider his retrieval your secondary mission'.

Deckard got the strong impression he cared far more about his Defel than the petty efforts of any ridiculous rebellion.

'Yes my Lord' said Mattesta seriously. As much as he had craved promotion, since meeting Vader, he had an over whelming sense of relief that he hadn't been granted the position of Admiral. It certainly seemed to shorten your life expectancy. He was keen to meet Admiral Fry, and see if he would out last his predecessor.

At that moment there was a chime at the door. Vader motioned with his fingers and the door flew open. To the three officer's astonishment, a clone strolled in. Clones were considered the lowest of the low nowadays, but this specimen was well dressed and clearly used to having authority. He bowed smartly to Vader and then turned to survey his new team members critically.

'My Lord, if you will excuse me, we have work to do.' Fry didn't bother with platitudes but got straight to the point. He didn't seem in the least bit cowed by the presence of a Sith Lord. But then Deckard knew full well that the clones were used to working alongside force users.

Vader nodded and Fry ordered Mattesta to take him to his ship. The clone ignored Deckard and Xinn, who despite their differences, shared an impromptu look. Fry was going to be in for a shock if he thought he could ignore them.

Rune was sprawled in the grass, ignoring the droid hovering nearby so it could rake the lawn back into a seemly order the moment she moved. Her chest was still heaving after her run, sweat trickling from her forehead into her hair. Ugh.

Calar had gone off to shower straight after their run, getting ready to go on duty. He was already forgotten and she was thinking about Vader - she spent too much time thinking about him. Thinking about killing him. Thinking about teaming up with him to kill the Emperor. Trying to understand him.

Lessons continued daily with him on board the Devastator, and since her little field test, maybe he had unbent just a little. He seemed as if he was trying to help her, in his own, damaged way. He wasn't solely focused on her sabre skills any more, and he was proving an effective teacher. He had helped her to recover her flow and now they were honing her new hybrid defensive combat style. He seemed to enjoy the challenge of developing a new fighting style and would show her different ways to use her force push, how to pull, how to fight with the force, and she was learning how to evade him. She had even managed to give him a force shove that morning that had knocked him slightly off balance for may be a quarter of a second. He had seemed pleased.

He was quite comfortable using any and all of the seven styles, and he was clearly disappointed that she had no interest in learning more of them. She thought, a little tartly perhaps, that since he had wiped out all the Jedi, he probably didn't have that many worthy opponents to keep his own skills sharp.

She certainly didn't intend to get good enough to present him with a real challenge, but he kept her on her toes, for she never knew what style or combination of styles he was going to use to attack her and she was forced to focus. At least until such time as he became bored, at which point she was dismissed, and he stalked out of the room without another word.

Still, it was a strange situation….As a youngling, her favourite topic was the history of the Jedi. Through reading about ancient deeds, she had read of strange and forgotten powers that force users had wielded, things that weren't taught to the students in the temple, but that had fascinated her. Through her studies she had also, inadvertently, learnt a little about the Sith.

Just as the Jedi had their holocrons and tomes of ancient knowledge, it was said that the Sith did too. But the Sith didn't believe in collaboration. They thought of no-one but themselves and their own power - and how to get more.

Rune had discovered very little practical information about the Sith, but the old stories were all consistent in two things: a Sith apprentice would always be seeking opportunities to kill their Master, and all Sith abided by the Rule of Two.

Well right here, right now, there were definitely three. And that wasn't the only puzzle. It was expected that in time the apprentice would kill the master and take on an apprentice of his own. But what kind of relationship was that? Why would any Sith teach another his hard-won knowledge if the reward was death? What was in it for them?

Vader was the Emperors right hand; he had brought many planets into unwilling subjection under the tyranny of the Empire. He had consistently enforced and consolidated Palpatine's rule. And now, Palpatine had implied that Vader's training was complete for he was taking on a new apprentice. So why hadn't Vader killed his master? Or had he tried and failed? Unlikely as the Emperor didn't tolerate failure - and Vader noticeably wasn't dead.

The simple facts were, Vader may have completed his own training, but he was still in subjection to Palpatine. And she was utterly certain the wily old Sith would never give up the dominion he had worked so long and so hard to bring about. A dominion that, from her studies, exceeded anything any other Sith had achieved before him. But such was the breadth of his rule, did he need more than just Vader to keep the galaxy in subjection? Was she part of that plan? She and Vader were complete opposites. She had skills Vader did not have, and she knew she didn't have the skills that Vader did. She had heard the rumours about Anakin's injuries, before her capture. Injuries that he kept hidden under that black suit. Did they prevent him developing the skills he needed to accede his master, or was Palpatine deliberately spreading his knowledge across more than one apprentice to keep them weak? That was a thought that resonated.

Who knew? By helping her, did Vader see it as a way of helping himself – two against one?

But when she thought about it, she wasn't entirely sure Vader did have an ambition to rule. He didn't seem given to plotting, preferring an open fight. She couldn't imagine him loving the intrigue of politics in the way the Emperor revelled in it. It crossed her mind he was training her so that the Emperor would choose her as his successor, the responsibility to kill him would fall her on her shoulders and he would be left to his own devices. Left to brood most likely….

Vader's was a complicated relationship with Palpatine. Did he blame or thank the Emperor for his current situation? He was maimed and alone, but he held the galaxy in the palm of his hand, he could go anywhere, crush planets under his heel. Yes, he had to do the Emperors will, but with the Empire well established, she imagined that to be much less restrictive than the Jedi Order, who her former Master had said were suspicious of Anakin and who he had chafed against.

So where did he direct his anger? Where did he seek revenge? Because if there was one thing that she had already learned about becoming a Sith, it was that the things that gave you your power was your anger – and your desire for more power. There was something fuelling Vader, she felt certain he was very very angry about something.

She slipped into a light sleep on the grass, all these thoughts whirling around her brain.

Deckard reported for duty thirty minutes before she was due to start that morning. She remembered clones from her past life. They were military through and through. Punctuality was bred into them, alongside all their other traits such as agility, speed, strength.

She switched on her computer and then headed to her beloved coffee machine. Her own drink was pouring as the clone stepped in. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his brow raise as he caught sight of her.

'Morning Admiral Fry, how do you take your coffee?'

'Black'

If she'd had to guess, that would have been it. She hit the button for a second cup.

'Where do I sit?'

'Well sir, Lockee had his own office. He didn't sit here in Ops with us.'

Fry surveyed the room. Ops here on the Wreck, was a long way from her old office back at the base. This was a spacious open plan office area overlooking the Bridge. There were banks of consoles with the latest data screens, nearly all unused. Mattesta of course, had the best seat; he could see the bridge and his three officers, plus see into the window on the opposite side of the bridge, which was currently shielded.

'Lockee's office, is right there'. Deckard pointed at the shielding.

Fry snorted rudely. 'I will sit here' he said pointing at Mattesta's desk. Don't see any reason to work away from my officers.'

Deckard nodded approvingly and hurriedly moved Mattesta's things to an empty console nearer to her than Xinn. She was pleased with the way things were progressing, she was now closer to Fry than both Mattesta and Xinn, while also managing to keep that pair away from each other.

Fry muttered into his commlink and a few moments later a droid appeared at the door hoisting a box of Fry's possessions. Which turned out to be some sort of commemorative plaque and a plant. Deckard was astonished, she hadn't been expecting that.

She poured a third cup of coffee and put it on Mattesta's new desk ready for him, as was her custom. Then she settled at her own desk and started work. She didn't want to give Mattesta an opportunity to order her to move and put himself in her desk if she could help it.

Mattesta, when he arrived on the dot of the hour, seemed unnerved by the presence of Fry and apparently more than happy not to be sat too close to the clone. Deckard found that interesting. Was it prejudice or nerves?

Xinn as usual arrived at a few minutes past the hour.

Fry was on her the moment she entered the door. 'Where have you been officer?' His voice was smooth, but Deckard sensed the danger and was pleased.

Xinn shrugged nonchalantly 'One of your new officers needed directions to engineering, I thought it better to take him than tell him, given the size of the ship.'

Fry studied her. She was now projecting calm innocence and eagerness to serve. Deckard tried not to scowl but she could feel her face flushing with fury. The slacker always saved herself. Both she and Fry knew that if officer in question actually existed he had only had to consult his own datapad to get directions anywhere he chose. They both also knew that it was completely possible that said officer took one look at Xinn, a vision of beauty, and made an excuse to talk to her.

Fry let it pass although he didn't look impressed. 'Do not be late again. No matter who asks you for directions.'

'Yes Sir' said Xinn smartly and wisely sat at her station without loitering to make her usual, well-stewed tea.

Fry watched her settle and then gathered them for their first briefing.

'So I understand that you have been monitoring my ship, the Kraken, for quite some time, and that Xinn here, actually spent over 6 months on board. Impressive. The crew on board genuinely believe that they are fighting against the Empire, and so did you until recently. That's good, it shows our cover is strong.

Right now, they have made contact with and are travelling to meet up with a real rebellion. The one we believe has links to Mon Mothma, as Lord Vader told you yesterday. However, you need to be on the alert. It could be the other large group and if so it is absolutely imperative that we find out who is leading them.

The crew on the Kraken have some credits and supplies now, but they need to change the ships ID before they can move freely. It may be the rebels will do this for them. If not, I gave them enough credits to buy two new ships IDs and some personal IDs. We have a feed on their ship so when they get new transponder codes we will know and we can track exactly who they meet and where they go.

Our mission is simple – we continue to manage the team, and ensure they remain unaware they are reporting back to an Imperial Officer, while we map out this new rebellion. We need to find out how they manage their cells and work our way up the structure until we get to the leaders. Crucially, we also need to map which planets are involved in this conspiracy. Once we know the extent of their treachery we can excise the cancerous cells from the senate and make an example of them to the rest of the galaxy so no one dares to defy the might of the Emperor again.

Deckard was impressed, this clone was clever, and possibly a little crazed judging from his rant. She was going to have to watch him like a hawk.

Rune awoke on the grass as the sun began to slide below the skyscrapers. She wandered back to her room and was surprised to see a gift-wrapped box on her table, where usually her food was placed. The paper was jet black with a huge bow. A black oily substance glistened on its surface like a frost.

She stood and stared at it for an age as if she thought it might be an illusion, or alive. But after a while, when its only sign of life were the tiny blooms of liquid that grew and rolled down the curves and swells of the ribbon she took a hesitant step forward.

Slowly, slowly she reached out and touched it, mesmerised by the evil that rolled off it in waves. There was a note, but she already knew that this was a gift from the Emperor himself. The note was not signed, but simply read, 'complete lesson one and then attend me.'

Her first lesson then.

The present was icy cold to the touch. Tentatively she grasped the two ends of the ribbon and pulled. The bow came apart like well-oiled wheels. The black paper had no other fastener, and the paper cracked revealing a glimpse of jet-black inside.

Taking a breath, she eased the edges apart and looked inside.

It was a book, something ancient and evil. The dark force roiled off it in waves, sickening her to her stomach, but she couldn't take her eyes away from the cover. It looked like it was covered in tanned leather, but all her instincts screamed that this was leather made from humanoid flesh. A red symbol had been branded into the skin but it writhed under her gaze, twisting and melting so that she couldn't recognise it or even pinpoint its shape.

Almost unaware of what she was doing she reached out and touched the book with the tips of her fingers. The jolt of electric ice that shot up her arms shook her to her core. She whipped her hand back instantly; but she felt a ripping sensation as she left the pads of her fingertips stuck to the cover. She watched in disbelief as the book greedily sucked her skin into itself.

From a safe distance, she examined the tips of her fingers. They were red and sore, but only the surface layers had been ripped away. Another half a second and she knew she might have lost her finger prints permanently.

She pondered. She was determined to get at that book. This was a Sith book. It was the start of her journey to knowledge she was sure. But she needed to be able to touch it. Gloves – maybe gloves would work!

She hurried to her bedroom and started rifling through the clothes that were hung there. She had an entire wardrobe, although she had never worn more than a few of the items. After a lot of rifling through drawers she found one that contained cold weather clothing, vests, scarves and multiple pairs of gloves – all different. She lay them out on the floor. It was like a part of a test. Which sort should she try? There were woollen pairs, several pairs of thick snow mittens, and right at the back of the drawer, one pair of tight leather gloves in a soft purple kidskin. It had to be those. Had to be. She pulled them on carefully and flexed her fingers. The gloves were thin and moulded delicately to her slim fingers, but they were well stitched and made to last.

Leaving drawers full of clothes and accessories all over the floor she rushed back to the book. It still sat there, nestling amongst the shiny, crisp paper like a worm in a rosy apple.

Tentatively, ready to snatch her arm back in a split second, she touched her begloved fingers to the oily surface of the book.

She felt nothing, but she pulled back her fingers all the same and checked the tips of the gloves suspiciously. The gloves were intact, not a mark upon them. She breathed and picked up the book in one hand, swiping the paper and bow to the side and then placing the book squarely in front of her. Then she sat at the table and looked once more at the symbol on the front.

It still writhed and twisted like a live thing, refusing to be identified or held in place. She stared at it harder, though it made her eyes water. How could she open the cover if she couldn't even comprehend its identity or fix it to the cover.

She stared at it harder, she longed to open the book. But she needed to do this. The symbol flopped and rolled under her gaze, but it wouldn't stay still.

She scowled and really focused, but still it darted about, a corner in one place would shoot to a curve elsewhere, an oval shape here would become a star. The symbol had a wet look as if it squelched and thrashed and turned in a pit of blood. Blood….. she had a vision of the Jedi dying on the mountain and for a split second the symbol was pinned out before her like a dead butterfly, but then in a flash it was gone again. She blinked and hit the table with the flat of her palm, but it gleefully danced out from under her glare.

With a start she heard a knock at the door and looked around her. The sun was coming up and Calar was at her door, carrying breakfast.

She glanced into her bedroom, the droid had put away all her discarded clothes and she hadn't even noticed.

What happened to dinner? What happened to the night?

She indicated that he put the breakfast over near the soft chairs by the window.

Calar glanced at the book on the table where they usually ate breakfast together and raised an eyebrow.

'What's that?'

Rune found after a night of staring at a book, she had trouble getting her voice to work. She quickly took off her gloves before his observant gaze noticed those as well. 'It's a gift. From the Emperor'. She realised the wrapping paper and bow had been removed from the floor. The droid had been moving all around her and she hadn't noticed it at all?

That didn't seem right.

'I don't want it disturbed, so let's eat over here'.

'Sure' Calar cast a doubtful eye over her. 'I don't mind waiting while you take a shower.'

Rune was horrified -she was still in all her sweaty clothes from yesterdays run. She hurried to the fresher and stripped off in record time, somewhat revolted at her own state.

She returned a few minutes later to find Calar gazing out the window, bathing in the warm morning sun and ignoring his huge breakfast with an iron will. Still he looked relieved that she was back, and was quick to dig in to his food. Rune looked at her own breakfast as he uncovered it for her. It was much larger than usual. She imagined her dinner last night - being delivered and later, taken away untouched. She bit resolutely into the pastry. It oozed with sweet, dark fruits. She kept eating, aware she had a lesson with Vader and a long run to get through today. She needed her strength. And then she could get back to her book. And she would most definitely need her strength for that.

She had a sudden fear it could be taken away as easily as it had suddenly appeared. She pushed that thought to one side. No, it was her book now. She remembered her finger prints on the book. It was hers. Not even Palpatine could take it from her now he had given it to her. Not until she had read the last page. She felt the truth of it as she crunched her pastry.

Calar left as he always did now, with a promise to see her later on the running track they had beaten out, Vader's lesson permitting.

She dressed for training, remembering her haphazard appearance. What must have Calar thought of her? She realised she had no idea. She still didn't know why he came every day to see her. And she found she no longer cared. She only cared about reading that book.

She entered Vader's training room cautiously. But he wasn't waiting to knock her down. He took her through her forms, but her mind wasn't on his guidance and when they started to spar he beat her easily. After five minutes he dismissed her in disgust and told her not to come back til she could concentrate. She had expected some kind of punishment for inattention, but he merely stalked out. He knew about the book then….. but felt in her bones that he hadn't ever read it. This knowledge was just for her.

It was nice to take the shuttle back down to the palace without any injury. She dozed a little, her lack of sleeping catching up to her. She dreamed of a black surface with a thrashing red line that wouldn't stay still long enough for her to catch it.

Out in the garden she ran as hard and as fast as she could, but it was no challenge for Calar who kept pace with her easily, offering encouragement and occasionally commentary on the latest galactic events. Every week it seemed that another planet accepted the Empires 'protective' forces on its surfaces.

Even though the book was calling to her, this time when she got back to her rooms she made herself shower and change before she donned her gloves and sat in front of it once again.

She cleared her mind and looked hard at the symbol on the Sith artefact. It thrashed in front of her, but she pinned it with her gaze, she would not be defeated. She widened her vision to take in every part of it. The blooded background boiled and spat as it tried to evade her. She remembered the feeling of Jedi blood on her hands and held the book more firmly, allowing no evasion. It would bend to her will. She needed to know the cover that she might gain entry to the knowledge contained inside. She would not be denied; the blood granted her entry and she would have it.

The symbol suddenly stilled beneath her stare, globules of oily blood froze on the surface of the leather, and then sank beneath its surface. She was looking at a red diamond shape with cut outs, laying across a red circle. She did not know what it meant. And yet she did. It meant she had been accepted and granted access. She had passed the first level of the test. She could forcibly exert her will over another being.

She gathered herself to open the cover and was startled by the door access chime. The next moment the droid entered carry her evening meal. She couldn't believe that it was that time already. It seemed to have been only minutes that she had fought with the book, and yet several hours must have passed.

She blinked, her eyes were dry and sore. The droid took one assessing look and took the food over to the window where she had eaten breakfast with Calar. She waited while it set up the table, laid her place, and retreated. She was torn, did she have to stop and eat when she had finally gained access to the book?

She glanced at the symbol, it was writhing nastily, but was essentially compliant. She knew she had to eat. The next step would not be conquered so quickly.

She ate quickly, not pausing and tasting, not wondering how many mouthfuls she should eat before it would be considered enough and she could stop. The substance on the plate in front of her was fuel, it would help her to keep reading the book through the night and then complete the training she was to undertake the next day. She forced it down though it made her feel sick, and when she had cleared the plate she could not have said what she had eaten.

Now, finally, she could go back to the book.

She held the artefact firmly in her gloved hands and stared at the symbol. It put up a token resistance, but she skewered it with her gaze, the oily writhing stilled and she opened the cover slowly, eager to see the secrets inside.

The cover was stiff leather and inside she could see a pattern of scarring and tattoos, vibrant and vivid, that had once been worn proudly by their living owner and now pulsated with the evil that had killed them.

The front page contained only the symbol again, but this was blackest black. Rune felt like she could fall into it and travel into time and deepest space. But she didn't. She sensed that this was a snare, not a test.

She turned the cover page quickly. Her first thought was that the paper was old manuscript, but a closer examination showed the whorls and patterns of humanoid skin. The paper may be a lot thinner, but it was essentially the same as the cover, just a lighter skinned creature had been used, or the skin had been bleached.

At first glance, the first page contained a snippet of knowledge and an exercise of sorts. But as soon as she tried to focus on the lettering it danced away from her vision like droplets of blood floating crazily in vacuum.

She gripped the book more firmly, and tried to fasten the droplet-letters to the page with her gimlet gaze. But this was not a single large symbol as the cover had held, these were a collection of letters that must be skewered into a pre-ordained order. As fast as she was able to secure one to the page, the others would skip away and jumble up with each other into nonsense globules of blood and tears.

She tried to widen her vision, but still it wasn't enough to take in even the letters of one word and make them still – which even were the letters that made up the first word? The task seemed impossible, she could feel a fury building in side of her, a frustration that had no outlet, other than chasing after these leaping, looping letters. Her ire grew hotter and hotter until she half expected flame to shoot from her eyes and scorch the letters into the page, but still they didn't obey her. They shone and rolled away from her gaze like bubbles in a liquid. They wouldn't and couldn't be pinned down.

She began to feel a hatred for the book, it was here to teach her, and yet it had not yet taught her the simplest thing. It owed her a lesson, it should make it easy for her to read it. She contemplated throwing the thing out of the window. It made her feel better for a few moments to think like a spoilt brat. She smiled, but there was no humour in it. Then she turned her eyes back to the page, her teeth bared in a snarl. Maybe brute force was not the way forward. That was the way of Vader. It was not her way. The Emperor wanted her because she was different to Vader, she brought some other ability to his little team of slaves. Cunning, maybe that was what she needed now.

Maybe she could far-see. Maybe she could look back into the past, at the last time someone read this exercise. Maybe if they had been successful at sticking the words to the pages she could read them in that way. For a second the letters stilled, as if in anticipation or fear, and she got the tiniest glimpse of their true form. The terrible beauty of the authors penmanship.

In that moment, she stabbed every droplet with her gaze, pinned each one to the board of the leather page as if they were part of some terrible butterfly. The letters writhed and burned, each trying at last to get to its proper position but she wouldn't let them, there was no mercy in her for them. The order of the universe dictated they appear on the page in the order they were written but she refused to let them move. Her pupils dilated, as her gaze took in every part of the page. She could feel the darkside in her gaze in the cruelty she exerted over them , as they cried out in their dimension and tried to wrench themselves into their proper place, but she kept them stretched out in front of her, their underbelly exposed to her, at her mercy. And she had none.

And then suddenly, without warning she released them and they snapped into position, taking up their orderly places, cringing away from her, too terrified to move less she freeze them in that unnatural position for eternity, or until the book was passed to the next apprentice, and who knew what millenia that might be?

And now at last she could drink in the words that were formed. It was unlike any reading she had done before, she could not look away from any part of the page, she couldn't read side to side, she had to absorb the page in its entirety.

The message, as it lay before her was concise. You cannot conquer the dimensions of time without first conquering the dimensions of space.

She didn't feel very enlightened but still, it must be an important lesson, and may be one that would come to mean more in time. She tucked the snippet of information away for some future consideration.

Hesitantly she closed the book and rose shakily from the table. She stretched and blinked, her eyes burning and watering. She was conscious of an incredible hunger. Her stomach hadn't ached for food like this since her time as a prisoner of the Inquisitors.

'Droid, bring me food, but first – how long was I reading the book for?

The droid squawked: '3 days'

3 days? No wonder she felt wobbly.

'I will bring you food, but you must attend the Emperor within the hour.'

Rune sat back down again abruptly. She suddenly felt a lot shakier.

'And what lesson did you learn my child?' enquired the Emperor sounding like a kindly uncle enquiring of his favourite niece.

Rune gleaned that each apprentice might learn a different lesson from each exercise according to what they needed.

'I learnt to show no mercy, to make those who are my inferior do exactly as I say.'

'Good, good' chuckled the Emperor. He pierced her with his evil gaze and she felt a little like the letters she had skewered to the page. Stripped naked and at his mercy, she felt he could read the words of the page like they were imprinted on her bones 'An important lesson my young apprentice….. And now we shall test how well you learnt that lesson.'

'You will go to Ord Mantell and find the cell that your former friends set up, so that Lord Vader may destroy it.'

'As you wish, My Master.' She bowed low.

'You will not take the book with you. This will give you additional inspiration I am sure in finding the traitors quickly. When you return you will study lesson 2, and when you have completed it you will return to me.'

Rune found that her words stuck in her throat. She did not want to leave the book behind, she was desperate to start lesson 2, greedy for more knowledge. After a significant pause, she was able to force herself to nod, and bow out.

Suspicion

Within a few minutes of arriving on board the Periwinkle Six found himself locked into a small cell, barren beige walls, one table and two chairs. He sat patiently on one of the uncomfortable chairs, his hands folded in front of him on the table, and waited. This wasn't the way you greeted your friend or ally, so clearly all was not well. He wondered what the problem was, what they were thinking right now. As it turned out he didn't have to wait long to find out.

A tall man, an officer from his insignia and bearing, strode into the room a few minutes later, followed by a soldier. The officer sat down while the soldier took up position by the door, standing at ease. The officer offered Six a glass of water. Six politely declined. An exchange of names would have been a nicer start.

'So, I understand you are the leader of your crew.'

Six nodded.

'Just for the sake of clarity, would you explain why you wanted this meeting, and how you came by our contact details?'

Six sighed internally. He had no fear these people were undercover imps, everything about them screamed under-funding. But he had hoped not to be met with such outright suspicion and hostility.

'I run a small crew. We are a cell, if you like, part of a group that supports native resistance on imp-controlled worlds. In other word's we are trying to fight back against the Empire. We are only a small group – we heard rumours about your resistance movement. We wanted to see if you would be interested in joining together. We recognise we are a smaller group, but we think we can help you, and we can achieve more ourselves by working with you.

'So what skills do you have to offer?'

Six tried to keep his expression neutral at the terse tone of the officer. He listed some of the missions he had carried out with his crew, noting skills as he went through them. When the officer seemed satisfied, he resumed his story.

So, we had intel leading us to your agent on the Trielle Space Station-'

'-How did you hear that?' interrupted the officer.

Six shrugged. 'my handler told me, and no, I don't know how he knew and I did not ask. To be honest I thought it was a long shot, although I could see how a set up like that could work – ships in and out all day long, easy to meet contacts and pass on information I guess. If this works out I am sure my handler will be glad to share that information with you.'

The officer seemed dissatisfied but didn't press. He gestured with his hand. 'Go on'

When we arrived we set out to look for station dwellers who might fit the bill. It could have taken days to find your man, if at all, but we were lucky. We found Tia by accident really, and Inez figured out she was searching for the same person we were. She convinced her we could help each other out. And we did. Through her, we have been able to contact you. And now I can offer you our services.

'So that's the full story is it?'

Six sighed. 'No that's the short version. We had our difficulties on the way here – we had a traitor on board who was imp. She has gone…but our cover was blown. We kind of need to start again with new IDs. But we have skills and a good ship. We can help you in your mission.'

The officer smiled, but no warmth reached his eyes. 'So we should be grateful you returned our people to us, and welcome you with open arms?'

Six decided it was time to get down to the nitty gritty. 'I don't understand why you have this hostility towards us: we want to help you. We want the same thing – the destruction of the imps.'

The officer bristled, and sneered: 'Well you see, I happen to know you are imps. I know you are here to infiltrate our ranks, spy on us and ultimately destroy us from the inside.'

'That's nonsense' stated Six firmly. 'How can you possibly know such a ridiculous thing?'

'Well you see, we have a spy well placed in Imperial Military Intelligence. They have stated unequivocally that the imps are desperate to infiltrate us and they have been setting the Kraken up for nearly two years to be a way in. Your ship is under surveillance at all times and-.'

'-Wait' interrupted Six, astonished. 'You cannot be serious – the imps have been pursuing us from one side of the galaxy to the other. They planted a spy on board. They killed – killed one of my crew. Why would they waste their time if they owned us already?'

'You have to make it look good, convincing. They know we're on the alert. In the past when they've tried something we've spotted their agents easily. This time they're playing the long game. The stuff with Tia was a lucky coincidence, she played right into your hands.'

'We were under surveillance for a very short time, but my handler has debugged the ship. We're clean now.' muttered Six trying to make sense of everything the officer was saying. Frag. None of this sounded very good.

'They are tracking your ship right now.'

'Your agent is wrong. Why would he say that?' Six tried to keep the hint of panic out of his voice.

'Maybe we could believe that the crew don't know you're imps – but you know, you have to know.'

'What are you talking about? This is crazy. We have saved many groups of insurgents on many different planets. Why would we do that if we were really imps?'

'Don't pretend you don't get it. You had to set up a front, you had to convince us. If it wasn't for our agent in intelligence, we might have believed you.'

Six's mouth formed a little 'o' of surprise. There was a kind of logic in what the officer was saying. A little niggle of doubt clutched at his heart.

'It can't be true' Six reiterated with more doggedness than conviction.

'Maybe if you admit your involvement, you crew can be exonerated. Maybe they can work for us, can go on without you. You could save their lives at least. Like you say, they have skills we could use.'

Six laughed without humour. 'So I can lie and say I knew, and then just trust that you won't kill my crew anyway? But why should I trust you? The truth is, myself and my crew have been earnestly trying to save lives and fight back against the Empire. They know my only goal is to destroy the Empire. Same as theirs. I am not sure they will want to work with you if you can't see that. I don't know why your agent is saying these things. But if it were really true, then…I haven't been let in on the secret either.'

'So you admit it's a possibility that you are working for the imps.'

'No of course not'

'Well I'm telling you, our intel is absolute – your crew is being used to infiltrate us. Our agent didn't dig this up in secret, they were there at a briefing where it was made quite clear what was going on'

Six put his head in his hands. 'You have got to give me more than that. Just saying it doesn't make it true.' But his head was spinning. If the rebels really thought they were imps then they would never admit they had an agent in imp intelligence – unless they intended to kill him. And if they were going to kill him, they would have to kill his crew. He looked thoughtfully at the officer and the soldier. How to knock them out and then find Inez and Vail and get out of here?

The officer was nodding thoughtfully, but a slight twitch gave him away. Someone was talking into his ear, giving information. The guy in front of him wasn't in charge here.

'Your handler. He's a clone isn't he. We know him as Admiral Fry.'

Despite his military training, Six visibly flinched, and the colour drained from his face.

Inez was feeling crotchety. The woman in front of her had been pleasant to start with, brought her a glass of water, asked her questions gently. Inez had told her the story of how she and Six had spent several years finding ways to undermine the imps, gradually picking up like minded waifs and strays, before Sixes friend had recruited them to become a cell in his resistance operation. For the past couple of years, they had been the ones recruiting cells to fight back against the imps. Now they wanted to join with the larger group so they could do more – be even more effective.

But now the woman was essentially trying to get her to say Six might be a traitor. Inez wouldn't entertain it, not for a second. She had seen Six in the depths of despair about the things he had done in the clone army. He would never betray them, he cared about bringing the imps down more than anything else in the world – except maybe his crew.

Now the woman was pacing about the cell, angry, shouting. She knew they were here to infiltrate the rebellion and destroy it, why couldn't she, Inez, just accept they knew it? And admit it?

Inez scowled and bit her lip. They were going in circles. 'I don't understand why you are saying this nonsense. What proof do you have that your crackbrained theory is true?'

The two women glared at each other. Then the rebel officer sat back down. 'We have an agent who has infiltrated the Imperial military intelligence. They are watching the Kraken right now. They know exactly what you are doing and who you are meeting. We know it, why don't you?'

Inez was ashen. 'That cannot be' she whispered. 'Why should I believe you?'

The officer was watching her closely. 'They are led by an Admiral Fry'

Inez waited. 'And?'

The officer blew between her teeth thoughtfully. Then she left.

Vail was lounging in his chair, about as comfortable as a large man could get in a small metal chair. The officer had been kind, got him a drink of water, chatted pleasantly while it was delivered, and asked his questions in a friendly way. Vail had volunteered in a slow drawl that he and his brother had joined the crew of the Kraken to get vengeance on the imps after they murdered their father. In his experience, talking in a slow country bumpkin drawl was the best way to get people to underestimate you and tell you things they didn't mean to. One of the reasons he had agreed to join Six and Inez was that they had never fallen for that particular trick, he and Dan held them both in high regard.

Vail went on to tell the rebel officer in front of him, that when Six had suggested they joined with an established group trying to sabotage the imps and so take a more effective role in a coordinated effort to get rid of the Empire, he and his brother had been all for it. Since then they had set up several new cells of resistance on different planets and no, he had never for a second had any reason to believe they were working for the imps. He would have shot Six himself if he had.

Then the elderly officer who was grilling him had spent a fervent half an hour trying to get Vail to admit they did in fact work for the imps and Vail had said less and less until he had reached the point where he hadn't spoken at all for the last fifteen minutes. In fact he was beginning to feel very bored by this blathering idiot. Up until the point a medical droid entered the room.

He raised an eyebrow.

'Well if you're so sure, then you won't have any problem with us giving you a shot of truth serum.'

Vail shrugged. He really didn't care. 'Do what'cha want, if it means I can git outta here a bit quicker.'

The officer looked a bit disconcerted at this lack of concern, but recovered enough to say 'I don't know what makes you think you'll be able to leave.'

Vail shot him a piercing look. 'You're tellin' me, that's how you treat yer guests? We came here willingly, right enough. Met all your terms without complaint - even tho it put us at the disadvantage. We're highly considered in our organisation, we don't have to kow tow to you. We chose to come here.'

The officer had the good grace to look a trifle uncomfortable. 'How would you treat a guest you knew was an imp?'

'I'd kill him. But thing is – you don't know we're imps – because we're fragging not. I am more than happy for you to use truth serum on me. In fact using truth serum is a well-known Imp tactic, so I'm startin' t' think it's you who're the imps – mask-erading as rebels.'

The officer hustled the droid back out of the room without administering any kind of injection and locked the door, leaving Vail alone with his thoughts. He gave it a minute but no one else came. He lay down carefully on the floor and took a nap, unperturbed by the hard floor. Might as well conserve strength for whatever was to come, be it good or bad.

The officers in the observation room stared at Vail on screen, with half amusement, half exasperation. 'Well we didn't exactly strike terror into him did we?' grinned the elderly officer. His colleagues laughed and they sat around their round table and pondered.

'Our Agent was right, they really don't know. But I think the clone is starting to wonder now. When he heard Fry's name he went pale. Right now, he's sat there, going through his memories, trying to find some reason to think that Admiral Fry isn't his old friend from his clone army days. And I don't think he's going to find that reason, because Fry is exactly who he says he is. Its just one clone went with the new Empire and one rebelled.

The other officers shook their heads. The other two both drank the water, they're telling the truth. The clone didn't drink – but, I still think he's telling the truth. He wouldn't have fooled his crew for all that time, and you could see the hatred in his eyes when he spoke about the imps. Clones aren't good liars, not designed for it. I think we might as well proceed with the next stage. All agreed?

The others nodded and returned to their prisoners.

Six looked up slowly as his interrogator re-entered the room. The man set up a datapad and screen and set it squarely in front of Six. Then he left. Six watched him with a feeling of dread.

The screen fizzed to life and he saw Inez in a room tied to a chair. Out of her vision, but in sight of the camera was a table filled with needles of various sizes, each one larger than the last. Six stiffened. Inez didn't look concerned as yet, she clearly didn't know what was coming.

The officer re-entered the room. 'This is your last chance to save your crew. Admit what you know and your crew live to tell the tale.'

'Why are you hurting them, surely it's me you should be hurting if you think I know something.'

The officer sighed patiently. 'You know that's not how it works. You clones are trained to resist torture. But you are not trained how to deal with emotional attachment. Seems to us, it will hurt you more if we hurt your friends than if we hurt you.'

'That's true I guess, but I don't have anything I can tell you. I have no way of saving her, unless I lie and make something up. Is that what you really want? I am here to work for you and to put you in direct contact with my handler, I don't know what else to say'.

'Your handler, tell me about him. I saw you react when we said Admiral Fry.'

Six put his head in his hands. 'Yes, my handler, the person who runs this little set up and funds it through his business dealings, is a clone like me. And-.'

Six paused. He didn't know what to do. Could there really be any truth in what they were saying? And even if there wasn't, there shouldn't be an issue in giving away his handlers identity if they were truly going to work together with this group…?'

'I reacted when you said Admiral Fry, because, well….in the army his call name was eggs, short for fried eggs...'

The officer nodded. 'Hmm, quite a coincidence wouldn't you say?'

Six bit his lip. 'That's the problem isn't it. A clone called Fry. How would you know to make that up? I can't see any reason for you to accuse us of being imps, unless what you are saying is true. But two years of lies…. All that good work we have done. How do I tell my team that it meant nothing?'

The officer stood abruptly as another, higher ranked officer entered the room.

Six stood respectfully and bowed, the officer gestured for him to sit and took the other seat for herself.

'If it's true, and you really don't know, that two years may still not be a waste.' She said seriously.

Six sighed, 'How so?'

'They spent two years setting you up to infiltrate us, knowing that you absolutely believe in your mission and have no suspicions about them. Now we control the flow of information going back to them, we can get them where we want them. Do you see?'

Six nodded, suddenly more hopeful –revenge may yet be within his grasp. 'Yes, eggs has no reason to doubt anything I tell him….'

The officer nodded, pleased. 'Exactly. But before we start doing that, I have a mission for you. Consider it a test of your capabilities as an infilitration team, and a show of good will. You can tell your handler you have a mission – a test to pass - and you will be travelling on a rebel ship.'

Six nodded curiously. 'Go on'

'You will be on your ship, but we don't want Fry to know that. It's an extraction most likely. Will you do it?'

Six nodded. 'Yes, but you said he was tracking us?'

The officer nodded. Yes, but we will find the bug and that will stay here until you return, transmitting that the Kraken hasn't moved.

'Ok'. Six was eager to be out of here, keen for a chance to prove himself and his crew but even more importantly, keen to think about how he could get his revenge on eggs. But then his heart nearly stopped. If this was true, he had given Rune to the imps and he couldn't even ask for her back…..

His panic-stricken thoughts were interrupted by the officer asking that he stand and go with his guard. He was taken to a much larger room, a briefing room from the look of it. He was relieved to see his crew members already there, and an abundance of chairs. Even so, the room was filling up, as more officers, technicians and other staff poured. A few came up and introduced themselves and shook hands. Someone brought in tea, and Inez immediately brightened and went off to help pour, coincidentally taking herself away from Vail, who she had been sat next to.

The senior officer entered, and the room quietened immediately, as she surveyed the twenty or so people in front of her.

'First of all, thank you to everyone for dropping everything and gathering together so promptly and welcome to our new members, and apologies that there is no time for a longer induction into the organisation. A serious situation has arisen, and we have lost contact with two of our diplomats out on a critical mission. We need to send a crew out to find them, and retrieve them if necessary.

As you know, all of our crews trained in deep cover are mid-assignment, and I am sorry to report we have lost a further two trying to infiltrate Geonosis. That's where Commander Six and his crew on board the Kraken come in. They are deep cover, infiltration and combat trained. We have a few tasks to get them ready, and we need to move fast. All your other tasks are to be put to one side until the Kraken is ready to leave.

Kehl piloted the Kraken expertly into the docking bay on the rebel ship and set down. He had been relieved to hear Sixes voice. He hadn't had a bad feeling, but they had been gone a much longer time with no contact than he had expected. Six had told him to expect new transponder codes, and that had made him feel even better. He set down and headed out to greet the approaching technicians, yelling for Star as he went.

Quite a few people were crowding into the docking bay, but it was a simple matter to pick the techies out – they would be holding atleast one of the following, a clip board, a container of tools, or possibly, a mug of some steaming hot drink.

In no time at all Star was deep in discussion with the two techies and leading them on board as they discussed unintelligible starship innards with their heads together. She stopped for moment at the top of the ramp at a shout, and Haben belted across the docking bay. She welcomed him with a big hug and the four disappeared into the depths of the ship. Kehl followed at a discreet distance, mainly because he wanted to be involved in the renaming of his ship.

Sure enough, when it came to programming the new transponder with names, there was much discussion and no decisions being made.

'Leviathan' said Kehl over the top of them.

And so Leviathan was born. But Kehl made a silent vow to himself, one day she would fly as Kraken again.

It was 12 hours later when Leviathan launched from the Periwinkle and Six sent a packet to Contact. He gave little detail, not saying much more than they had a test to complete and were being shipped off on a rebel craft. He asked after Rune and said he would send more detail when he got back. Six knew eggs well enough to know he would want plenty of detail when they got back. That was fine.

Once the data packet was dispatched Kehl programmed in the coordinates Tia gave him and the Leviathan launched itself into hyperspace.

As soon as the stars of space smeared into the streaked lights of hyperspace Tia sat them down in the antechamber to lay out their mission. She and Harben were back on board as permanent crew members. Harben as trainee technician, Tia their rebel representative on board. The Rebels had insisted she be given a rank just below Inez, third in command. They wanted one of their own in a position of influence, and if the crew wanted Harben back then Tia was that representative. Tia had had the good grace to look uncomfortable, knowing full well she was not even remotely qualified to be a senior leader on a star ship, and had never delivered a briefing in her life. But needs must, and the rebels were stretched incredibly thin. It was time for her to step up and do her duty. She thought of her husband, she hadn't even had time to grieve and here she was field-promoted nearly to his rank and given a few hours training. Even a few days ago she wouldn't have believed it was possible, wouldn't have believed that she had the courage to stand here in front of these near strangers and do this. But Six and Inez had been so very accepting, and the things she had been through in the last days – she owed her life and that of her sons to them. If she could survive that she could survive this, she owed it to them to help them however she could. Although, as she whispered to Inez later, she had no intention of exerting any authority over any one, she hoped she would be a help and not a hindrance.

Inez had, hidden her reservations well, smiled and told her, she would be just fine.

Right now though, Tia had important information to impart and she was keen to get it imparted so the responsibility left her shoulders. Everyone was there, even Harben, now a fully-fledged member of the team.

She set off in her best professional voice and hoped it wouldn't wobble too much. 'The coordinates, as I am Kehl realised, are taking us to the Unknown Regions'.

Dan and Vail sat forward, interested. This was new territory, fresh hunting.

'We are heading to the Kehan sector. Its quite some way in to the Unknown Regions, and we will be travelling for some days, even with your modified hyperdrive.

In fact, your hyperdrive was one of the reasons that made you prime candidates for this role. Kraken will get us to Kehan twice as fast as any other available – and suitable - ship in our fleet. And this is almost certainly a rescue mission. The faster we get there, the better chance we have of finding our people alive.'

Tia took a steadying breath and glanced around. The crew were watching her entranced. She didn't remember ever having so many people hanging on her every word. She wasn't sure she liked it, but she guessed she had better toughen up and get used to it. Life as a rebel meant getting used to whatever you had to. For now at least, this was what she needed to do for the cause, and she would give it her best shot.

Intelligence has been aware for some time that the imps have been stepping up their searches for Kyber crystals. It's said, they have completely taken over the Ilum sector which is rich in the crystals. But it seems Ilum isn't enough, we got word the imps have been employing teams of geological experts and started searching deeper into the Unknown Reaches for other, similar planets'.

'What do they need so much of the stuff for any way?' said Vail incredulously.

'That's what we're trying to find out. But we don't think it can be anything good when you consider that the only known use is for weapons. And despite the fact they are shipping so much of the stuff out of Ilum and Jedha, we still can't find where they are shipping it to'.

'So we sent a couple of agents out to the Unknown Reaches, thinking they may be able to dig up more information from the groups of geologists than Ilum which is in complete lockdown – no civilians in or out.

The last we heard, they had landed on a planet called Kehan in a sector deeper into the Unknown Regions, but same vector. There was a geologist team on the ground and they had been there for several weeks. The agents were convinced the imps thought they had found something. They were going to pose as diplomats and approach the government of the planet to warn them against making any deals with the imps. Using Ilum as an example, what better warning could there be?

They arrived a week ago. They are supposed to send a data packet every day and we received two – and then nothing – that was the last we heard from the agents.'

Six pondered the situation. The rebels must be desperate to send them on this mission. From his time with a Jedi Master he knew there was a Kyber crystal in each lightsabre, to give it an unrivalled, controlled power source. If the imps were hoovering up Kyber crystals then it had to be for some sort of weapon or weapons. It was critical the rebels tried to stop the empire getting even more powerful before it was too late – they were overwhelmed already, imps with even better weaponry didn't bear thinking about. Rebels and civilians alike would be massacred in even larger numbers no doubt. The agents had to be retrieved to see what they had learnt. If they had found where those crystals were going, it could be crucial to the rebel attack strategy and make the difference between winning and being wiped out. There was no wonder the rebel commander had insisted the mission briefing wasn't happening until they were in hyperspace and couldn't possibly get a message to Fry. No wonder speed, knowledge of imp battle tactics and combat experience was so crucial they were prepared to risk everything to send them.

'Ok, what do we know about Kehan?' It was time to take command.

Tia brought up the data file on her new data pad. There wasn't much, but there were basic cultural and tech level details at least, coordinates for the city and maps of the district where the agents were basing themselves.

'Ok, read up people. Familiarise yourself with the lie of the land. Its an urban mission, we will need to carry out recon, and plug into the planetary newsnet pretty quickly – what-ever that turns out to be. We need a two-prong approach – try and find where the agents have been taken and by whom – plus try and find the geologists ourselves. See if we can figure out what they are up to. If the agents have been killed we are starting from scratch, so no time to lose.

'Inez you take the geologists, Tia you take the hunt for the agents – pick your teams.'

He stood back, and Tia got the sense she was being scrutinised. Everyone on board, herself included, wanted to know if she was up to her newly appointed role.

Inez was flushed with excitement, she cleared her throat. 'I request Dan comes with me, that will be enough to start with'. It felt good to plan a mission as a team.

TIa nodded, 'well I' she faltered and looked at Six nervously. 'Vail and Torri? Plus, Harben to start with? Then we'll see?'

Six nodded, satisfied. 'Ok jump to it'. He pulled Tia to one side as everyone trooped out 'Tia, no suggestions, say what you need firmly, you are a leader now. If I disagree I will tell you so.'

Tia nodded and felt a flush start to creep up her neck. She hurried out, leaving the clone to consider. If she got it really wrong he was confident Vail would steer her in the right direction. And Torri was the ace up their sleeve. The little party should be as safe as you could be heading into unknown, possibly imp infested territory.

Over the next few days Tia set to studying the information about the culture and government the missing agents had sent back. She needed to form some sort of cover, and eventually decided on posing as a merchant travelling with her son and body guards. While they were out in the open it would just be Vail, with Torri shadowing them at a distance. If they needed to though, they would take a cloak that covered him head to toe so he could put that on and accompany them if they needed him to.

Inez and Dan didn't bother too much with a disguise, they looked like crew and that was probably their best disguise until they knew more about what was going on.

By the time the party emerged from hyperspace they were ready for action, and keen to be off the ship and into the open air – whatever its composition.

Six spent the days in despair. He couldn't get thoughts of Rune out of his head. What must she have thought when she woke up alone and in the hands of the imps? Maybe she didn't yet know she was with the imps – or maybe she a prisoner. Was she on her way to Vader? Was she even alive? What if she resisted the Sith Lord and he just killed her? There were so many possibilities whirring around in his brain Six couldn't bear to be with anyone else, he mostly stayed locked in his berth until the familiar beeping announced ship wide they were ready to drop out of hyperspace…

Time to act.

Hi everyone, I hope you are enjoying Runes transformation! I would love to hear any constructive comments and thoughts if you have a few minutes to spare, thank you.

Stay safe dear readers