War. Violence. Anger. Nix focused her mind on scenes of previous battles, feeling the cold seep into her bones. She replayed scenarios over and over, considering all of the possible outcomes. She enjoyed performing this mental exercise before every battle or skirmish she entered, as it made her more perceptive in combat.
She opened her silver eyes, the only physical trait she received from her Mother. The rest of her resembled her Father: shoulder length black hair and olive toned skin. Nix looked around at her environment. She sat next to a small fire she built, amongst a barren and rocky landscape. The atmosphere was very thin, and she wore her helmet because of it. As the sun was setting, her clansmen were readying for a night mission on this uncharted moon along the Kessel Run.
Her Father's clan had been hired on for what seemed like a basic mercenary job. This was the only reason her clan would be halfway across the galaxy, away from Concordia-their home moon. Her Father was a member of the Death Watch and was one of the top contenders for a future Mandalore. Her clan was one that supported the Old ways-not the new Pacifist government that had been instated by Duchess Satine Kryze and her posse of do-gooders.
As her Father's right hand, she went into battle whenever he did, and frequently took on her own Mercenary contracts. However, they were here on orders from Pre Visla-leader of the Death Watch. He made a deal to assassinate and subsequently retrieve someone for a man named Count Dooku.
They were almost ten miles outside the holding facility on the moon. Nix and her team had already memorized the plans of the facility down to every door and hallway. They had an access and egress planned along with a plan B and C. They were to enter swiftly, assassinate a well guarded prisoner and leave before anyone realized they were there. They were only waiting for the go ahead from her Father, who would be taking out a sentry of guards at a key point in the perimeter. He reveled in hand to hand combat.
He came back with his scouting group about an hour after nightfall. He walked right into their makeshift camp with his command presence and air of authority.
"We move now. Quietly and efficiently. Do not hesitate, and stick to your training. We'll be home in no time with enough money to feed our clan for the entire year."
Nix made eye contact with her Father and in that moment they understood each other. There was no time for sentiment. She had a job to do. They both nodded at each other and that was the end of it.
She looked at her handful of warriors-the best three they had at the art of stealth. She knew them from their training, as she usually sparred with them and often won. But she never went out of her way to become friends with them. They were her brothers-in-arms, and it was better not to form those kind of attachments.
"You heard him." They gave her a nod of respect, snuffed the fire and followed her. It was a little over nine miles to the entry point. She took off running at a decent pace, and kept that pace for an hour until they reached their destination. They were at the bottom of a cliff side, one that led up to the southern wall of the prison. It was an easy climb-one they did bare handed with no equipment. No sense in bringing extra gear and leaving evidence they were there.
When they reached the top of the cliff side, she signaled to her Father over her comm link to engage the sentries. Right above them was the grated cover to the ventilation system, which they removed easily with a compact welding tool. They didn't have to worry about alarms or cameras, they hired an inside man for that. Some poor soul with a gambling problem.
As soon as they were in, they temporarily secured the grate for a quick egress if needed. They quickly maneuvered their way through the ventilation pathways that they memorized. As they moved past the guards right outside the holding cell, the four of them were stopped by another grated cover. Nix took the opportunity to instruct one of her men to kill the two guards inside the room with poisonous darts. They made quick work of removing the second grate.
As the four warriors lowered themselves down into the room, Nix could sense uneasiness. The man they were sent to assassinate and retrieve was restrained to a medical bed and had electrodes on his temples-with wires attached between them and a computer. He seemed to be unconscious. Count Dooku made no mention of any possible medical condition or ailment-and the situation suddenly began to feel off.
Nix took out her dagger and prepared to make a clean and quick death, when she was suddenly frozen in place. The only movement she could manage was to look to her left and right, and her comrades were frozen in place beside her. It felt like ages that she was standing there, posed to strike and nothing to do but become lost in her own mind.
"Outlying Sentry has been taken care of, report status." Her Father's voice came over the comm link. Unable to reply, her rising anxiety multiplied ten fold. Minutes went by.
"REPORT STATUS." The command was suddenly much more urgent.
You thought you could assassinate me, SITH. If those words were spoken aloud, they would have been full of crazed anger. How was this man-whatever he was-speaking to them?
What a coward-striking a man in a comatose state. I will keep you frozen here as long as either of us live!
This man was completely insane.
She did a second hand assessment of her target. He was dressed in a gray tattered robe, and looked entirely hopeless. But he had the power to hold them there, for as long as he wanted. The thought of her suffering a fate worse than death-being trapped inside her own unmoving body-overwhelmed her.
Fear, born from her anxiety, started to take hold of her.
Now you know the prison I've experienced for years. YEARS! And now someone wants me dead? For what? Because there are things I know, I know...how to create an ARMY born of one man! One man. I was the catalyst of that monstrous creation. A weapon to rid the universe of all you SITH, he spat, or at least that was the impression Nix had gotten.
Sith. There was that word again. She had never heard anything remotely like it. An Army built from one man? That didn't make any sense at all.
He was insane.
She needed to get free, she would not let herself suffer the same fate. But how was she going to get free? Maybe her Father would come for them. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she felt like a child in need of saving. She did not need his help. This man will not keep her here, and Nix was determined to be the Master of her own Fate.
Don't be foolish, your efforts are futile.
She tried mustering all the strength inside her, but to what end? Her fear and anger kept rising, until her familiar terrifying cold swept over her. It rose within her, overwhelming her as much as the thought of being imprisoned for eternity. She hated this man, hated him for thinking he could control her. He was wrong, and she was going to enjoy taking his life from him. She felt movement in her right arm, she was able to lift it ever so slightly and she reached out to him. She could not reach him.
STOP!
She felt him fight back, mentally. He was trying his hardest to keep her paralyzed, but there was no use. She was completely infused with power from the Dark Side of the Force.
She didn't know this fact, all she knew is that she was desperate to get out. She felt his neck in the grip of her right hand, although she was not touching him. With all her might, she crushed his throat with her overwhelming rage. His body seized in protest. This was her only chance to break free, and she was going to take it. She felt his pulse slowly lowering, and felt him take his last breath under her fingers.
He was dead. She and her team mates were suddenly released from their invisible chains, and it felt good. It felt even better to know that she won.
What just happened?
She snapped back to what her mind was on before-the mission.
"Nix, come in. We're at the rendezvous point. You have five minutes before the entire base is alerted to our presence. REPORT STATUS."
Her Father hadn't left, yet. She realized in that moment the amount of faith he had in her abilities.
"Target is neutralized, heading to rendezvous point." She kept it short and direct-they had to move now if they wanted to make it on time.
"Grab him, we're dragging his dead body back through the ventilation system with us." As she looked at her team mates, they nodded obediently, not saying a word. The three of them were quiet and looked toward each other uneasily-she could tell they were utterly afraid of her.
Good, she thought to herself. They know who's boss.
They made their way back through the ventilation as easily as they came in. Their preparations created a quick and efficient egress. Her Father's shuttle was hovering at the entrance on the cliff side.
Nix and her men entered the shuttle, setting down the limp body of her target inside a cryo pod. The door shut behind them and she removed her helmet. Her Father was standing in the bay of the shuttle. He took one inquisitive look at the body and one stern look at Nix that said, 'explain.'
"I'm not quite sure what exactly happened."
"There is no puncture wound or kill mark. How is he dead?"
"I choked him." Her father took a look at the man's neck in disbelief. "I-didn't touch him. I choked him...with my mind." Nix sounded like she didn't even believe herself.
Her Father wore an expressionless stare on his face, and looked beyond her as if remembering something from a lifetime ago. "When we arrive onboard the Malevolence, I'm taking you to see Count Dooku."
