"They'd beat me all night long." The broken man announced, the one I had promised myself I would never face again, the one I wished I had killed on the Leviathan. He sounded so pathetic. Curled up, with Carth's jacket covering his entire back, that I knew was cruelly lacerated. I didn't know what had happened to him yet, but I couldn't help but feel a deep satisfaction at seeing him like that.
As we flew in the direction of the Star Forge, the Ebon Hawk was caught in the net of a disruptive field from the neighbouring planet Lehon, forcing us to land, or rather to crash there. The ship had suffered extensive damage and was not likely to get back into service any time soon. Anyway, we had to identify the source of the field that was dragging all unwary ships to itself, and preventing them from getting off the planet.
The area we were in was a luxuriant territory. The geographical features included some moderate relief, running from the ocean and mostly ending in huge plateaus. The climate, for a leisurely stay, might be described as idyllic; but in our case, it was extremely challenging: the tropical dampness greatly affected our ability to travel through the land. But there was no option. The disruptive field had to be disabled, and the ship had to be repaired. The misfortune of other travellers like us would make things easier for us. Lehon was a complete graveyard filled with ships of all kinds. Near the Ebon Hawk, partially submerged in the ocean, lay what must once have been a massive Republican cruiser, easily recognisable by its hammered cockpit and a remnant of orange colouring on the dilapidated hulls. Exploring the nearby area, we had come across countless pieces of smaller ships, often small individual fighters. We would most likely find something to replace some of the Ebon Hawk's components. But we had to find them and spend some time reinstalling everything.
Jolee, Juhani, Carth and I had formed a small group to explore the area. We had walked for hours in the heavy tropical atmosphere before we came upon what we thought was an ancient temple in the middle of a plateau. Jolee had told us that it was a place of worship for the Rakatan, the fascinating people to whom we owed the existence of the Star Forge. According to the old Jedi, there were still a few small patches of Rakatan people on Lehon. But we were a long way from the empire they once ruled millennia ago. We couldn't spend much time around the temple as it seemed to be sealed by a strangely mystical mechanism. However, Jolee, Juhani and I suspected that the building was going to be crucial to our quest at the time. It was very likely that the force field was of Rakatan origin, and that it was even possible to partially control it from that location. However, there was nothing we could do at the moment. So we resumed our semblance of an expedition. Another hour had passed and we had reached one of the many beaches in the area. As we crossed it, Carth had noticed a curious shape in the distance, ready to be swallowed by the ocean. We decided to investigate, and as we got closer we could see more clearly that it was a man, clinging to a large pillar of solid wood. His hands and wrists, brought above his head, were joined and tied to a metal ring. His feet, also tied together, were fixed to a support that had been roughly nailed to the pillar, allowing him to stand minimally on his feet. He was partially unclothed: he wore only a very simple pair of male underwear and a black cloth bag that covered his entire head. His torso, showing wounds and bruises, had obviously been the scene of some kind of torture, and was being abused by the salt of the ocean, cruelly projecting onto the fresh cuts. At this point, the water had reached the beginning of his thighs. He still had several hours to go before it would drown him completely. It was obvious that we could not leave this poor soul in this situation. So we all set to work to free this man from his fate. After untying him, we took him down, away from the water, and finally undid his restraints and removed the bag that covered up his identity.
Him again.
How the hell did I ever run into that guy again? What was he doing on the planet? Who had done this to him?
When the man realised who he was dealing with again, he threw up his hands urgently and moaned pitifully, like a frightened beast. Juhani, Carth and Jolee had given me a questioning look. They didn't know what had happened on Karath's cruiser. Mission had obviously kept the sight of Bastila in the white room to herself. She did well, there was no need to release such news to everyone without the consent of the person involved. In an attempt to calm the man down, while avoiding the embarrassment of explanations to my companions, I had encouraged him to speak, in a non aggressive voice. So he finally quieted down and described what he had experienced.
"I was being punished." He went on in a rambling speech.
"Punished for what? And by whom?" Juhani asked softly.
The man was gasping for breath. He gave me worried looks, while I remained static, arms crossed, waiting for him to resume his tale. There was no way I was going to address him at all. He let out a deep breath, straightened up a little, and then seemed to go into a more structured tirade.
"After what happened on the Leviathan, I simply returned to my duties. Malak had taken over the cruiser and stayed there for several weeks. There was nothing to report. I was on duty. Full stop. But one day the Dark Lord decided to leave the Leviathan for a destination I didn't know about. I'm just a lower class. I hardly know anything. Several days passed, and eventually I received a new assignment. I had been sent to one of the ship's landing bay areas. This seemed rather odd to me. Usually, the lower classes are not allowed to manage the comings and goings of foreign vehicles. I thought for a moment that I had been promoted. So I 'moved' to this new position. When I took up the assignment, I introduced myself to the officer in charge. And everything did not go as I expected. In a split second, I saw my hands tied and I was forced to kneel in front of my superior. I was freaked out. I had no idea what was going on. The referring officer looked at me coldly. Then he brandished a stick and was about to beat me with it. Just before I lost consciousness, I could see a figure draped in black walk past me and join the officer. Then he knocked me out."
I still wasn't sure, but I could gradually picture the scenario of that story taking shape. My friends listened attentively, and occasionally gave each other shocked glances, and occasionally sympathetic looks. If only they knew who they were dealing with... The man continued:
"When I woke up, I was in a small, damp room. Everything was made of old stone, probably hand carved. I had no idea where I was. I was in the dark, there was no opening to the outside. I had no facilities, nothing to sleep in, nothing to wash in and nothing for... for 'basic' needs."
I saw Juhani raise his eyebrows at this.
"I was left to rot in there for days. I think. No. I don't know, actually. I was going crazy. I could barely tell if it was night or day. The only clue I had was the temperature. I imagined that it was daytime when the stone was soaking up heat."
"Well, why don't you stop wasting our time with useless details?" I finally vocalised out of impatience. Jolee, Juhani and Carth all glared at me. They must have thought I was being cruel and lacking in empathy right now. I huffed briefly and looked away from the group.
"Of course, of course, sorry." The man replied, probably not wanting to offend me.
"One day I was taken away and put in another room, where I was tortured. For a very long time. Then I was thrown back into my cell, which had been previously cleaned with ice-cold water, making the room even more unbearable. Even later, I was taken away again. I was stripped of most of my clothes, tied up, had this bag put over my head, and was brought here. Everything had been done so that I could not see what was happening, what was planned for me. But I eventually realised that I was being tied securely to a wooden structure. Once I was settled, the bag was removed. I was completely dazzled, it was painful. But eventually I got used to the ambient light, and was able to look at my condition. At this point, the ocean was barely reaching the bottom of the pillar. About ten metres ahead, with my back to it, I could see that black figure again, which had appeared before I was knocked out on the Leviathan."
The man was silent for a moment. He looked lost in his own mind. I remained in the same closed attitude, but deep inside me, a terrifying fear was taking root and slowly spreading throughout my being. He resumed his speech, his gaze unfocused and awkwardly absent.
"The bottom of the boots in the sea. A long, dark robe flapping in the wind. Just like that brown hair..."
I could not contain a defeated breath. It was very clear. But I dreaded to hear the rest. I sensed the beginning of some tension among my companions, especially from Carth and Juhani. Jolee, on the other hand, appeared more composed. As if he had known for a long time. As if he had always known. Which was actually true. He was fully aware that the tragic events of the Leviathan were going to be just what the devastated man was describing. Suddenly the man seemed to regain some liveliness and leave the hypnotic state he had been in just before. He stared at me and said:
"That's her." He said to me, careful not to name her.
"When she turned around, I realised who I had been dealing with all along. She then walked the short distance between me and her. She stopped a few steps away from me and looked at me for a long time. Right in the eyes, never wavering. I was terrified. She had orchestrated all this. She wanted revenge. After many long seconds of her icy stare, I couldn't hold back the tears. I cried. I cried like a prostrate child in front of this person I had hurt."
The man seemed to be drowning in the fear that had just gripped him. As if he was replaying the scene. I swallowed back my saliva. I felt somehow conflicted: one part of me, highly amoral, was pleased to know that Bastila had been given the opportunity to strike back at this guy; the other part of me seemed to be dying of grief at the idea that the woman had ultimately fallen, and had been capable of such acts, even against that man. Jolee breathed out painfully. Juhani was shaking her head from side to side in disbelief. Carth waved his fingers nervously.
"I begged her to forgive me." The man continued in a tormented voice. "But she never said a word to me. She just kept looking at me for several minutes. Then she finally looked away, nodded, and brushed past me to the beach. I couldn't stop crying. I was going to die, I knew it. She wanted to kill me, but without having to lay a hand on me. Without having to talk to me. A few seconds later, the black bag was put over my head, and I waited for my death for many hours. My wounds burned in the sun, and burned as the water came closer and the salt from the wind stuck to them. Then you arrived, may the gods be thanked."
"Don't get too excited." I replied sharply, which drew my companions' attention to me. "You are alive, but we are not letting you go free". I said. The man looked at me with a look that betrayed both fear and a certain understanding. "You will stay with us. But you are a prisoner, to be tried by the Republic."
The man nodded knowingly. Carth gave me an inquisitive glance. They all knew that the Sith had something to be ashamed of. They knew it had something to do with Bastila, but none of them really had an idea of the crime he had committed. And they had the decency not to ask for more. I swallowed my resentment the best I could and urged my friends as properly as possible before we resumed our expedition:
"Please tie him up again. He is not a regular survivor, he is not worthy of any special treatment."
Juhani gazed at me in some confusion, but didn't say anything. Carth took hold of the bindings that restrained the man before he was released, and clasped his wrists firmly together.
"I forbid you to speak without our permission." I concluded. The soldier replied with a knowing frown. Then I took the lead of our group, and engaged the walk.
"Come on, let's get back to work."
