Warning: This chapter contains graphic depiction of torture and interrogation. It's a dark one, and one of the reasons for this fic's M rating so I feel compelled to give you this heads up. Content may be triggering to some. Those of you who wish to continue on, enjoy this sojourn into the darkest side of the human condition.
Ensign Thorne walked into Rallis' office as she did every morning, expecting much of the same duties and treatment as she had experienced every day for the last couple of months. Captain Raliss sat at her desk, although this morning, the captain seemed in an oddly good mood, and watched the ensign enter with an unusual smile.
"How lovely of you to finally decide to join us, Ensign." Captain Rallis purred. She slowly walked to Thorne, her head cocked slightly, a devious look on her face. Thorne stood at attention; her eyes locked forward. "You did say that you wanted more responsibility, didn't you?"
"Yes ma'am." Thorne replied.
"You still believe you can prove yourself as a useful officer, don't you, Thorne?" The captain cooed, her ice-blue eyes narrowing menacingly. Freya refused to be intimidated. It almost seemed as if Rallis was offering her a new or more important duty, even if she were being threatening about it. Either that, or the cruel captain had something terrible up her sleeve. Thorne swallowed, and took a gamble.
"Yes ma'am. I do." She returned, trying to sound as confident as possible. Rallis gave a satisfied but conspiratorial grin.
"Well, I think you may be ready to assist me with some of my more important work today, ensign." Captain Rallis said with a nod. "Perhaps we'll see if you really are prepared for life as an Imperial officer." Was this it? Had the last two months just been some kind of test to see if she could handle stress and hardship, Freya thought to herself. She was apprehensive, but willing to do anything to prove herself, and perhaps earn a little more respect, and a little less punishment, from her commander. "What do you think, ensign?"
"Aye! I am ready to do anything to serve the Empire, ma'am." Freya shot back.
"Good. I have a…meeting with one of the prisoners captured onboard the rebel ship yesterday morning." Raliss explained. "I want you to accompany me to the interrogation room and assist with questioning." Thorne was shocked. She felt completely unready for such a duty. She'd never been taught how to question an enemy prisoner, and wondered why Captain Raliss was giving her such an important assignment.
"I…I understand ma'am." She finally said, "But I want to inform you that I've never been…"
"Oh, don't worry about it, Thorne…" Raliss interrupted. "I know that like with most simple duties, you have no idea what you're doing. But trust me, you will be able to assist me greatly, and play an…important part in interrogating this murderous traitor." Raliss fell silent, and in her periphery, Thorne swore she saw the captain gently bite her lower lip for a moment. "Go change into your more outlandish clothes. I simply want…hmm…I want the prisoner to see a more exotic officer, and not know what to think. May help intimidate the filthy rebel." As odd as it sounded, Ensign Thorne thought that it may have made sense in a way.
"Yes ma'am." Freya said. "Thank you for the opportunity, ma'am."
"Thank me once we see how you do." Raliss said in a low voice. "Now go change!"
"Yes ma'am!" Thorne ran to her room, and quickly returned, dressed in her skirt, Beohan sandals, and her best pair of leather gloves. She came to attention, and Raliss smirked.
"Excellent, ensign." The captain commented, looking Thorne up and down. "Yes, perfect. Now with me. We have work to attend to. Come, ensign."
As soon as Thorne had entered the large, stark white room, she regretted having agreed to accompany Raliss. She even began to regret ever having joined the Empire. Thorne didn't know what a rebel would be like. She had only seen the dead bodies aboard the captured ship, and they were incapable of doing anything but being killed enemy insurgents. She'd imagined up to now that they were all rude, hate-filled men and women, cowardly assassins who would cut her throat if they had the chance. She'd pictured wild-eyed fanatics who only wanted chaos and war. What sat before her, bound to a chair, was anything but what Freya had envisioned.
A girl, probably not more than three or four years younger than Thorne, was held by the blue energy of the chair's retention arcs. The young rebel wore a light blue shirt, tan pants and calf-high black boots, her clothes already smudged with black. Her blue eyes were wide and full of fear and darted about the room. At Rallis. At her. The girl's blonde hair was tousled and wild. Gagged, the rebel girl made a few fruitless attempts to speak at them. Thorne didn't even have to guess what the teenage prisoner was trying to say. Pleading is almost universal.
"Now, rebel scum…" Raliss began, closing the hatch to the interrogation room with a push of a button. Another button locked the door, preventing any interruption. She turned back into the room. "…shall we discuss all the little secrets I'm sure are locked inside that pretty little head of yours?" She marched to the girl and forcefully tore the gag from her mouth, eliciting a sharp cry.
"Please…" The rebel began. "I don't know anything. I was just on the ship. Nobody told me…"
"Enough!" Captain Raliss shouted, smacking the girl hard across the face. Thorne winced. "Who sent your crew of traitorous barbarians to Scariff? Speak, girl!" The captain gave the prisoner another hard slap. Thorne was frozen where she stood. Her emotions were conflicted. This wasn't some enemy officer or even soldier. It was just a girl, younger than she was. How could the rebel know anything? On the other hand, Freya knew little about the rebels. Children on her planet were taught to fight from the age of six. Maybe this girl was similar. Maybe she'd killed imperial soldiers or even been somehow responsible for what had happened on Scariff. Maybe she had been the one to kill Commander Tharcourt's stormtrooper.
"I…don't…know…" The girl sobbed. "I don't know! I don't….know…" Raliss had had enough of the rebel's lies, and clenched her right hand into fist. She rammed her fist into the stomach of the young prisoner, and Thorne could hear the air escaping from her lungs in a violent wheeze. The rebel shook, trying desperately to catch her breath.
"Who…do you call…your superior, girl?" Raliss said slowly and threateningly. The prisoner coughed a few times, and started forcing herself to breathe. She didn't even look up.
"Everyone was…my…superior…" She strained out. "I…I didn't kill anyone…please…" Raliss drew back for another punch, then stopped. A cruel smile cut across her face as she looked to Freya.
"Ensign Thorne."
"Yes…ma'am…" Thorne answered shakily. Raliss made her way to Freya, and took her to the far corner of the room. She leaned in and spoke quietly
"I reviewed your file and academy records carefully. You are supposed to be quite proficient in unarmed combat. Is this true, ensign?"
"I…I've been trained, yes ma'am."
"Well…I would like you to have a go at this. It's all quite simple. You ask a question. If she doesn't answer, you hit her." The captain explained as if it were merely an academic procedure. "Continue until we get some useful information. You need not worry…this method is officially sanctioned." She grinned. "And ensign?"
"Yes, ma'am?" Thorne squeaked, feeling a knot form in her stomach.
"I need not tell you that if you do not hit her as hard as you can, expect the punishment to be…severe."
"I don't know if I can…"
"Do you wish to look weak in front of the enemy?!" Captain Raliss shot back. "Do you want to fail the Empire by making it…by making our beloved Emperor look weak?" Freya felt tears forming in her eyes. Raliss pointed toward the girl. "They have killed countless of our soldiers and officers. They've destroyed millions…billions of credits worth of buildings and property. Assassinated trusted and loved politicians. You know that." Thorne nodded. "Do it. Make yourself proud today."
Thorne looked back at the girl on the other side of the room. She slowly walked toward the chair, her hands trembling. She tried to maintain a rigid, stern expression. She finally stood before the rebel, the prisoner staring up at her with questioning eyes. This was it. She didn't know if she had it in her to do this, but Thorne knew she had to find the resolve somewhere. She thought about all of the dead stormtroopers she had seen. Thorne looked back to Captain Raliss, who gave her a gentle nod, a small smile on the older woman's face.
"May I…use whatever…method I want?" Thorne asked.
"Within the parameters of the orders I gave you, ensign? Yes, you may." Raliss returned coldly. Thorne swallowed, and turned back to the girl as Raliss began to speak loudly. "This is Ensign Thorne of my staff. Notice her rather…wild and primitive appearance, girl. Ensign Thorne grew up on a desolate…uncivilized planet far off in wild space. Her people don't have the restraint, the learning…or the ethics of cultured humans like me…or even you. She learned to fight and to kill when she was just a small…little…baby." Freya felt stung by those comments. Is this what the captain really thought of her, or was she just making this up to frighten the rebel prisoner? "I would answer her if I were you. Otherwise, I may just let her cook you and eat you for dinner. You may begin, Ensign Thorne." She stared at the girl, and the rebel stared back, gasping frantically, as her eyes pleaded with Freya.
"You doon't want ta' be 'urt, do you?" Thorne asked, then realized how intimidating that must have sounded. The young rebel squeaked and shook her head from side to side. "Then answer me questions." The prisoner shrank in the chair fearfully. Thorne thought for a moment. "What is yer name?"
"K…K…Kasa Hayd…darch." The girl stammered. "Of…of Alderaan
"Okay, Kasa…we wan't t' know…who gave you orders on th' ship?"
"I…I don't know…everyone?"
"Do it." Raliss stated. Freya made a fist with her right hand. She pulled back, and hesitated. "Thorne…" Raliss shot disappointedly. Freya let out a scream of anguish, and punched the girl hard in the face. She felt a crack, and was sure it wasn't her knuckles. When she refocused on the girl, she realized that she had broken the rebel's nose. It sat crooked on the girl's face, and blood ran from her nostrils, down past the corners of her mouth, and dripped onto her blue shirt. Thorne felt queasy. Part of her wanted to beg the girl's forgiveness.
"Breaking things already, ensign…my, my…" Captain Raliss commented proudly. "You really are a savage." This felt awful. Was she really here right now? Torturing some young girl, while her commanding officer fawned on her for being some violent beast? She tried to put herself far away, back home, away from all of this... "Ask again, ensign." Raliss spoke, tearing Thorne back into reality. Freya sighed, and tried to compose herself.
"Yer c'mmander…" She began. "Th' person cullin' all th' shots. Yer leader. That's what we want t' know."
"C…Captain Ant….t…tilles?" Kasa asked. "H…he was the…the captain."
"Good. Let us climb the ladder. And who gave Antilles orders?" Captain Raliss demanded.
"I…" The young rebel began. She began to shake. "Nonono…Oh stars…Oh no…I don't know…I don't know…" Freya felt a tinge of fear.
"Ensign."
"Answer the question…I beg o' ye." Freya stated, her voice quavering.
"I…" The girl looked straight into Thorne's eyes, and her lip shook. "I can't." Thorne's breathing became harder, and she felt her heart pounding in her chest.
"Thorne." Freya made a fist, and without hesitating, brought it against the left side of the girl's face.
"I begged you to answer!" Freya cried, and punched the girl again. "Why didn't you answer?!"
"Ensign…that is enough." Raliss stated harshy. "Heel." Thorne stopped and staggered back, away from the rebel prisoner, gasping for air. Tears ran down her cheeks. She looked pleadingly at Rallis, who just gave a satisfied leer. "Good girl." Rallis stepped toward the prisoner now. She paused for a moment near Freya. "You are obeying well. I'm somewhat proud of you. Good girl." The compliment hurt more than any insult. Captain Raliss stepped around the chair, to a small tray of instruments. Freya wanted this to be over.
"Thorne…here." Raliss stated, snapping her fingers. Freya nodded and walked to the back of the chair, joining the captain. "Remove your tunic."
"Ma'am?" Thorne questioned. Raliss clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes.
"And you were doing so well. I said…remove your tunic and belt, ensign." Freya was confused, but complied, unfastening her belt and laying it on a nearby table. She nervously unsnapped her top's closure, and slid it off, folding it and laying it with her belt. Captain Raliss stared at her for a moment, now dressed only in her skirt, black tight-fitting tank top, officer's cap and gloves. The captain noted the girl's athletic physique, her large breasts, and smiled unkindly.
"Hm. The reduced rations are doing you well, Thorne." She stated. "You are becoming quite the specimen."
"Um…thank you, ma'am." Freya responded, feeling even more uncomfortable than she already was.
"Now, take the prisoner's head, and tilt it back." Freya was now too afraid to question the captain's strange orders. She gently took the girl's head in her gloved hands, and forced it back. The young prisoner stared at her a moment.
"Don't hurt me again." The rebel whispered. Freya felt like her heart had broken. She knew she couldn't stop this, but she was trapped in it, like her body was being forced to do these things, while her mind was outside of it all somewhere, watching it like a holovid horror with her playing the killer.
"Now…" Raliss began, turning to the chair with a pair of silver medical pliers. "To sate my curiosity, how many of our people have you murdered, you filth?" Thorne saw the girl's eyes go wide and fill with tears again.
"No…I didn't kill anyone…I didn't…"
"That is what you say." The captain answered, looking studiously at the medical tool. "I well intend to find out the truth. How old are you, rebel whore?" The girl tried to answer between sobs.
"Six….sixteen…."
"Hmm…sixteen…third molar….about 18 or so…" Raliss muttered to herself. "So, I am going to give my aide here a guess. Ensign? I think this girl has killed between one and thirty Imperial citizens. What do you think?" Freya couldn't think. Why was she being asked this? And what would her answer mean? If she gave a high number, it would certainly cause more agony to the rebel girl.
"Uh…uh…one, ma'am?" She finally answered. Raliss sighed, and lowered the tool.
"That is a disappointment. Why do you think one? And it had better be a good answer."
"Well ma'am…" Freya began, trying to concoct anything. She looked at Kasa, and she didn't have to try to think anymore. "Look at 'er, ma'am. She's scared t' death. She's cryin' an' beggin', ma'am. If she be a big, mean rebel soldier, she wouldn't be, would she? She's maybe killed one person, an' I give ye that ma'am, because you gave me that option."
"Well…I did." Raliss replied, sounding almost hurt. "But you took some of the fun out of it." She sighed. "Anyway, my ensign says you killed one of our people."
"No…no, I didn't…" The rebel begged. She closed her eyes and sobbed.
"And our people are valuable property of the Empire." Raliss continued, unperturbed. "So, we must take something from you in recompense." She held up the pliers. "Ensign! Hold her head steady!" Freya grasped the girl's head, frightened and unsure of what was about to happen. Suddenly, her captain had plunged the pliers into the girl's mouth, and clamped down onto a tooth. The Alderaanian rebel's eyes shot wide open, and muffled screams filled the room as Raliss pulled and twisted the instrument. Freya clamped her eyes shut, but couldn't block out the screaming. There was a crack, and the girl shrieked in pain.
"Let go, ensign." Thorne heard Raliss command. She released the girl's head, and stepped back, opening her eyes. The captain held the pliers up, a tooth locked inside the jaws of the tool. She tossed the bloody pliers into a washbasin, and motioned for Thorne to follow her. They walked around the chair to where the young rebel was bawling ceaselessly, blood pouring from her mouth.
"Would you like to be released?" Captain Raliss asked. The girl nodded, still sobbing uncontrollably. "Oh stop blubbering, you wretched girl. I asked you if you want to be released." The prisoner tried hard to get control of herself, and breathe. She looked up, and Freya thought she was going to pass out. The young rebel had once been a rather pretty teenage girl. Now she was almost unrecognizable. Blood ran from her contorted nose, and gushed from her mouth and from her upper lip, no doubt damaged by Raliss' dental torture. The flesh around both of her eyes was turning purple and swelling, and her eyes were bloodshot from her continuous screaming and crying.
"I want to go home…" Kasa whimpered. "I'll I'll do anything…I'll join the Empire…I will…" Raliss flew into a rage at this, and struck the girl in the face.
"A rebel bitch!" She screamed. Another punch. "In the Empire?!" A third. "We would be dead before we saw someone like you in our ranks!" She punched Kasa in the stomach hard, and stepped back, staring at the barely-moving prisoner. The captain scoffed. "Don't worry, ensign. I'm indignant for the both of us." Freya felt bile rising in her throat. This wasn't even interrogation. It was torment for the sake of torment. What was the point of all this, and why was Captain Raliss doing it? There was a beep on the communications unit on the wall near the door. Raliss made her way over, casually wiping her gloves off with a rag. She pushed the button on the interface.
"Captain Raliss." She stated calmly.
"Captain, you're needed for about five minutes in briefing room seven." A voice spoke.
"Understood." Raliss answered. She turned to Freya.
"I unfortunately have to take this. Do entertain our guest while I am gone. See if you can't get anything out of her in the meantime." With that, the captain left the room, locking the door behind her. Freya turned to Kasa, and broke down.
"I'm sorry!" She whimpered, letting tears fall freely now. "I'm so sorry…" She grabbed a sponge and a bowl of water, and rushed to the girl's side. Freya began gently dabbing Kasa's face with the moist sponge. "I didn't…I didn't mean to…but I did…" She tried to wipe the blood off of the girl's mouth, only to have it return again.
"Don't…don't…hurt me anymore…" The battered girl pleaded in a hoarse whisper.
"No…no…I'm not…" Freya panted. "I won't…I don't want to."
"I…I don't…know…any…thing…" The girl whispered.
"I know…" Freya whispered back, and gently wiped Kasa's forehead with the sponge.
"I swear…" The girl squeaked. "I jus…I wanted to…fly…in space…" Freya let out a few quiet sobs and fell to her knees. She tried to brush the girl's tangled hair back a little.
"Shhh…shhh…" Thorne shushed. "Try an' rest, okay?"
"I was only…an ensign…" Kasa whimpered.
"Wh…what…" Freya gasped. Just then, her commlink beeped. She half-stood/half-stumbled to the table where her effects lay, and grabbed it off her belt.
"Y…yes?" She answered into the small microphone of the device.
"Thorne…good news." Raliss said on the other end. "Alderaan has just been destroyed. The entire planet. Please relate this to our guest. It may help. I will be there in a couple minutes. Out." Freya dropped the commlink on the table and staggered back to Kasa, dropping to the floor next to the chair. She looked at the prisoner she was supposed to be interrogating. She wasn't moving.
"Kasa?" Thorne spoke. "Kasa?" The rebel girl whimpered and her head moved. "Cap'n Raliss is coming back soon. I…I don't…" She let tears fall again, knowing she would soon have to hide them away from Captain Raliss. "Alderaan…that's where you said you were from…"
"Huh…home…" The girl sighed. Thorne swallowed.
"They…we…the Empire…" She stammered. "Alderaan is…gone. They…destroyed it…I don't know how…oh kriff, I'm so sorry." Kasa let out a whimper. "I don't know what to do. I'm sorry…I can't stop this. I can't…" Kasa's head moved slightly toward her.
"Youph…a…k…kill me…" The rebel breathed incoherently.
"What?" Freya asked, trying to hold the girl's head up. Kasa's left eye opened slightly and looked at the young officer.
"You…kill me?" She muttered tiredly. Freya let out a sob, and shook her head.
"No…I'm not going to kill you…" She said, trying to comfort the scared rebel prisoner.
"No…" The girl whimpered. "Kill me…please…" Freya broke. She stood and paced back and forth.
"I can't…I can't!" She cried. "I ne'er killed anyone…an' I can't kill you…" She stopped, and tried to think of a way through this. Freya grabbed Kasa's hands in hers, and leaned in. "When Raliss gets back…" She felt choked up. The words didn't want to come. "Jus' let go, okay? Don't speak. Don't think a' what she's doin' t' ye. Try and drift off, an' think a' somethin' pretty. I don't mean nothin' I might say or do. I'll try an' make it quick for ye', I swear. But I can't kill ye. I won't. I promise." She felt the girl squeeze her hands.
"Thank you…" Kasa whispered. She managed a small, tragic smile. "It'll be…over soon?" Freya turned away, holding a hand over her mouth, wanting to scream out so bad. She let out a strained whine.
"Aye…it will…" She hid the evidence, dumping the bowl of bloody water out, and wringing out the sponge. She waited by Kasa's chair until she heard the familiar beep of the door opening, then grabbed the poor rebel by the shirt. She knew she had to make this look convincing, and to hold it all together till the end.
"Ye murderin' rebel hoor!" Thorne yelled at the girl. "Ain't ye nothin' t' tell us?!" She pretended to just notice Raliss entering the room, and let go of Kasa. "Oh, ma'am. I'm sorry. I didn't hear you come in." Captain Raliss raised an eyebrow and gave her a pleased nod.
"Oh, don't let me interrupt, ensign." Raliss said back. "I am pleased with your work. All rebels should look like that, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes ma'am."
"I was concerned, but It looks like you had things well under control."
"Well, no ma'am." Thorne said with a sigh. "I told her about Alderaan an' everything, but she won't talk. I think she don't know anything, or if she does, she won't give it up."
"Well…aren't you becoming a natural interrogator?" The captain mused. "So, what do you think we should do with her, Thorne?"
"I don't know, ma'am." Freya responded.
"If she's a waste of our time and energy, perhaps we should dispose of her." The captain suggested. Thorne swallowed.
"If…if you think so, ma'am." Freya answered. Rallis drew nearer.
Standard procedure, ensign." She said matter-of-factly. The older officer looked down on the broken form in the chair. "Pity. I'd hoped to get somewhere with this one. She was weak. Usually the weak ones break." Raliss turned her gaze toward Freya. "Isn't that right, Ensign Thorne?" Freya felt a cold chill wash over her. Is that what all of this was? Was she being broken like the young rebel in the chair? She forced herself to answer in a way that would please the captain.
"Yes ma'am."
"Good girl." Raliss said condescendingly, and patted Freya on the head. She turned back to her prisoner. "Still…a pity. One must respect and understand the one in the chair." She cocked her head. "I bet this poor girl has never been kissed. What do you think?"
"I don't know, ma'am."
"And we may never…unless…" Raliss looked at Thorne, and the young ensign's blood ran cold. No. There was no way her commander could be this sadistic. "Kiss her, ensign."
"I…ma'am…" Thorne stammered. Raliss walked across the room, and withdrew a blaster pistol from a locker. She walked back, disengaging the safety. "You do so well with obeying orders, then have those stupid little slip-ups. Will you disobey a direct order?" Freya looked at the blaster, then at her captain. Would Raliss actually shoot her, Freya wondered fearfully. She imagined that the woman would have no problem killing both of them, then going for a light snack.
"No…ma'am." She whimpered.
"Then kiss her." Raliss stated. "Quickly, before she expires." Freya didn't know what to do. She couldn't stop the tears as she edged closer and closer to Kasa, who watched her sadly with her one good eye. Thorne moved in close, eye to eye with the doomed rebel.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered. Kasa gently nodded, and Freya pressed her lips into the Alderaanean girl's. At least she would have some kind of positive human contact before she died, Freya thought. She broke the kiss, and felt something being shoved into her right hand. She found it to be the blaster pistol, and Captain Raliss was suddenly standing right beside her, blushing.
"Now do it." Raliss breathed. Freya felt light-headed.
"N…no…I can't!" She gasped. Raliss grabbed Thorne's hand in both of hers, and jammed the muzzle of the blaster against Kasa's forehead. Raliss forced herself against Freya, her head inches from the ensign's
"Do it, Thorne…do it!" Raliss hissed. "You wanted to be a good officer. You wanted to serve. Kill the rebel. Kill her!"
"I don't want to…I can't…" Freya sobbed.
"Here!" Raliss spat, forcing Freya's right index finger onto the trigger. Thorne felt pressure on her finger, and the trigger starting to work rearward. She tried to pull the blaster away, but the captain's grip was like iron. She clamped her eyes shut. She'd promised Kasa she wouldn't kill her. Now she was being forced to in every way.
"Please! Please! Please!" Freya screamed. She didn't even hear the blast. She knew the weapon had fired. She felt it recoil in her hand. Captain Raliss tore the blaster from her grip, and let Freya fall to her back on the floor. Thorne didn't want to look. She didn't want to know. She forced herself to open her eyes against her own will. She looked up to see Kasa's head nearly obliterated. Freya stumbled to her feet and rushed to a sink basin, where she violently threw up. Her legs were shaking, and her mind was somehow racing and blank at the same time. She was barely aware of Captain Raliss behind her. She gasped when she realized that Raliss' head was terrifyingly close to hers.
"This is your lesson for the day, ensign." Raliss whispered in her ear. "In this life…you can either be the one in the chair, or the one with the vibroblade." The captain sighed contentedly. "It's all…up to you." Freya heard the sound of the captain's boots on the hard floor as she walked away. "Get cleaned up. Take the rest of the day off. And remember, this was all classified." Thorne slowly turned, her mind full of hatred for her commander, and for herself. Raliss was smiling. "I can be generous. You earned it, ensign." With that, Captain Raliss exited the room.
This was it. This was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. She couldn't even allow herself the guilt of feeling that, knowing that Kasa Haydarch had just experienced worse. At Freya's hands. Thorne wanted to run. She wanted to cry and scream and break things. Raliss' words haunted her. Kasa had been the one in the chair today, and Freya had been the one holding the vibroknife. Just to survive. But she realized something horrifying…every single day, she was still the one in the chair, and Raliss held the knife. She felt sick again. She was on a ship larger than a city, and she needed help. There was only one person she could trust, only one person who wouldn't turn her away. At least she hoped that he wouldn't…
No, I have nothing to really say about it. No gibes, no funny little remarks. I warned you. This was hard to write, but we all know what some people in the Empire are capable of, how wicked some people really are, in fiction, and in real life. If Raliss wasn't cemented into villainy before, she certainly is now. Think there's any redemption, any absolution for someone like her? What will Thorne do now? Leave your comments and reviews, and I will try to get the next chapter up soon. Until then, Cheerio friends. -Drake