When I felt the hunters approaching, getting you out of the clearing was my only priority. I apologize that you got hurt, although I also know that you've got a solid pighead. The Sith explained to her. Keliana decided to overhear the last part of his explanation. He sounded sincere, but it was still hard trusting him after all that had happened. He did almost kill her on Korriban and led her right into the Emperor's arms, but he also saved Jim and Doc and even Hank back on the space-station. She had to make a decision and her only conclusion was to let the past rest and focus on getting out of this sudden mess, for now. It was pitch black around them and the nocturnal sound of insects was slowly dying away, which meant that a new day was dawning outside. The air around them was thick with the scent of mould and wet earth and as Keliana concentrated she could make out the sound of flowing water in the distance. An underground river... Scourge told her. Keliana became impatient and the closeness of the cave and to him wasn't helping at all. Could you just get out of my head for a moment? It is crowded enough in here! She thought unnerved. You won't need to think now, just follow. You have learned that in your Order on Tython, I assume? His deep voice boomed through her mind. Before Keliana could object he jerked her up to her feet with one hard pull at her right arm. Stay behind me at all times and don't make a sound. He told her. She could feel the Force waves coming from his body and a shiver ran down her spine as she followed him through the dark. He was using the Force to guide them through the labyrinth of caves while she stumbled clumsily behind him. Their height difference made it difficult for Keliana to keep up with the huge Sith without running, which would only make even more noise and she could already feel the annoyance coming from him when she made an unwilling noise with her leathern armor. With each pace she became more unnerved, more infuriated at their situation. Through the Force she could sense the presence of the five Hunters apparently waiting for them to come out of the cave to apprehend them for their constituent. At the mere thought of her violent uncle, fury was rising inside her once again, making her cheeks burn. "You're always so keen on fighting and now we're sneaking around in the bloody dark like mice scurrying away from the cat?!" She asked out loud, fuming with rage. As soon as she had uttered the words the rock around them began to shake dangerously and suddenly it was broad daylight in the darkness as the flash-bang grenade hit the floor right next to them. "We found them, they're in here! Send in the creatures! But don't let them finish her off, the Darth wants this pleasure for himself." a voice sounded hollow through the trembling caverns. Keliana was still blinded by the light as she felt the broad hand dragging her away, where to, she didn't know.
The ground was still shaking underneath her feet as she stumbled blindly through the caves. Scourge's grip around her underarm was tightening by the second as he pulled her along with him. Behind them she could hear the growling and howling of the creatures set upon them and she knew exactly what they were. She had fought them before with Hank at her side on Nal Hutta, where she had met and fought the Zabrak bastard, but hadn't killed him. A new wave of rage washed over her as she thought about it, mixed with fear. What if he was here, on Quooria? Her thoughts were running in circles as she was dragged through the cave system, trying hard not to lose her footing on the wet and slippery ground. He won't get you. Scourge's husky voice sounded in her head, determined. The world around her was still blurry and dark, but Keliana could see the light following them and closing up quickly, while the sound of flowing water was getting louder with each step forward. "How well are you handling water?" Scourge asked and with another strong pull her feet were stepping at nothing.
The gushing water had them in its icy grip, dragging and pushing them where it saw fit. There was such power in it that Keliana had to realize quickly that any resistance was in vain. As they were jumping into the powerful stream Scourge had wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from the worst of the impact with his body, but as soon as they had broken through the surface the current had ripped them apart. Keliana didn't know how long the air she had sucked into her lungs would last, but this was the least of her problems. She had already scratched her arm full-length at a protruding rock while being thrashed aimlessly around the turbulent water and there were sure to be countless more of them projecting into the tunnel. Scourge?! She thought, sending out Force-waves to find the Sith. All of a sudden a warm hand wrapped itself around her arm, but its grip was far too weak. Quickly the young woman pulled her body closer to his, so that the current couldn't tear them apart once more. His Force was weakening and although he was immortal he seemed to need air as much as she did, but she didn't know how long the stream would go on and where it would lead them. However there was one thing she could do. While hanging on tightly to Scourge she let the Force flow through her body. She could feel a part of his Force flowing over to her, giving her strength and the power she needed to erect the thick barrier. The water was being pushed away slowly but steadily, until there was enough room for them to breathe again. They were still being carried away by the powerful stream, but now they were at least able to see where it led them. A look of approval was on Scourge's face as he first looked at the barrier around them and then the young woman wrapped in his arms. He quickly turned his attention to the rocks protruding dangerously into their pathway and with his left arm still wrapped around Keliana's tights he guided them with his right hand through the broadening tunnel.
The power of the current was weakening as the tunnel went on and Keliana could make a light out at a distance as well as an ear-shattering rumbling. Waterfall... was the last thing she thought as the water pushed them out of the rock-formation and into thin air.
The young woman was lying on her back coughing and struggling for air. With the last bit of strength they had dragged themselves to the shore, collapsing on the stony ground. Scourge was lying beside her breathing heavily, his eyes still closed. If they remained out here in the open the Hunters and the mutated creatures would soon find them and they were in no state to fight them. "Get up, we need to return to the ship." she murmured hastily fumbling for her communicator as they stumbled into the green thicket. "Jim, can you hear me?" she spoke agitated. There was no response whatsoever from the other end, which tightened the knot inside her stomach. Scourge was pacing up and down in front of her, sucking in the Force into his body as he did after they had fought the evening before. She understood the stern look upon his face, which meant: prepare yourself, now. Tucking in the communicator, she reached for a Kolto-pack and applied it to her heavily bleeding arm. She knew she needed to meditate to regain her Force, but it would be in vain, like every time since they had fled the Emperor's space-station. So she stood up straight, letting the air flow through her lungs freely while relaxing her tense muscles and nerves for a minute. Then they started to run, light-sabers ignited, to get to the ship before it was too late.
As they drew nearer to the clearing they could already hear the menacing hissing and the growling filling the air. Spurned by the sounds and the thoughts of what might happen if they didn't get there in time Keliana made her body go to its limits using the Force to sprint even faster. Everything was becoming a green blur and from the corner of her eye she could see that Scourge wasn't keeping up with her, but that didn't matter one bit. She would kill them all by herself if they had laid even one finger on her crew. The sound of fired shots went through her bones, making her shiver. She could make out the contours of the star-ship in the distance and the two figures, who were standing on the loading ramp firing at the vicious creatures overrunning them. "Get inside and leave!" Keliana yelled over the noise of the blaster-shots and the ear-shattering growling of the mutations. Her voice seemed to work like a spell on the beasts, for as soon as she had uttered them they turned their ugly heads around to face her and charged immediately with bared teeth. Seeing that Jim and Terya were hurrying back into the ship and closing the hatch, Keliana turned her attention to the mutations attacking her from every side. With a massive Force wave she hurled the creatures several meters away from her making them howl in anger. She felt the fire of rage inside her and she decided to let it burn sky-high, as she charged into the pack, light-sabers raised.
After a few moments the ground beneath her feet was drenched and blood-red. Her body had to be tired after fighting waves and waves of the crazed and vicious beasts, but the young woman felt only the tension in her muscles and the breath-taking power flowing through them. She was so entranced, that she didn't even hear the two star-fighters approaching the clearing, guns ablaze. The sudden impact of Scourge's heavy body against hers woke the young woman up from the trance just in time for her to erect a barrier to shield them from the massive explosion. Pieces of earth and gore were raining down on them while a flood of missiles was chasing them through the clearing. Between the shots and explosions Keliana had just time enough to realize that the people firing at them had to be the hunters that had cornered them inside the cave. All around them was chaos. The few creatures that had survived the fight were now blown to bits by the Darth's Bounty Hunters, while they were still trying to get a piece of Keliana with their bared fangs. The swamp! The deep voice sounded in her mind. Without even getting the input from her brain her feet turned in the direction of the swamp. As they reached the end of the clearing a wall of fire went up in front of them, pushing them back into the open. All of a sudden there was another sound joining the shots fired by the star-ships. The engine of Satele's star-fighter was roaring up as Jim steered it towards the firing vessels at breath-taking speed.
"We need to get those bastards away from them!" Jim shouted at Terya, who was clinging desperately to her seat next to him. "I need you to operate the gun controls!" he added, his teeth clenched. "I am a doctor and not a soldier!" she replied agitated. "I don't need you to be either. Just make their life a living hell, so that they don't blow them to pieces down there!" he stated, accelerating the ship even further. A sudden blast made the whole vessel shake dangerously and a shriek came over the Miraluka's lips as she swayed to the gun control panel. "We're hit! Are we hit?" she panicked, strapping herself to the chair. Jim's agitated laughter filled the cockpit as he flew a tight loop around one of the pursuing ships making it scrape against a nearby rock-face. "Honey, you'd know if we'd been hit. But they won't see what's hitting them!" he yelled over the ear-shattering roaring.
Keliana's sweaty hands were tightening their grip around her lightsabers as she stared at the figure in front of her. No no no no… she went in her brain while her whole body felt as if it would shatter any moment from the unbearable tension. It was as if she stepped from one nightmare into another, more horrid one. The swamp stretched on behind him, dark and intimidating, a growling and snarling coming out of it. A wall of fire burned behind him, sky-high, drenching his body in a dark orange. He wore the mask that had haunted her in her waking and sleeping hours for the last thirteen years. The loud roar of the starship's engines flying dangerously low in the distance made her snap out of her trance. "You!" she hissed through gritted teeth, piercing the Zabrak with her eyes. "It is always me. You should know that by now, little girl." He replied in a low voice, which made her ears ring and her knees weaken. Iarok Kreas took a few slow but determined steps towards her, the outlines of his lips on the black tissue forming a horrific smile. "Not one step closer, bastard!" Scourge's voice growled menacingly right next to her. The Zabrak stopped short, turning his attention to the Sith. "Ah, Lord Scourge. You were a good Wrath once. A good Sith… You followed orders like the loyal dog you were supposed to be. The role of the prince in shining armor isn't really cut out for you, so I think I let you play with my own pets for a while." He snarled arrogantly, whipping his holo-communicator in the direction of the swamp. The howling became almost unbearably loud and the whole swamp seemed to be cracking up as the hordes of mutated beasts swept out of the thicket. Next to Keliana, Scourge let out an infuriated growl as he assumed his fighting stance, shielding her with his broad shoulders, lightsaber raised in front of him. "When I tell you to run, you run, without looking back. Got me? No stupid acts of heroism!" he told her through gritted teeth, his eyes fixed on the charging beasts. The first wave hit them rough, but fangs were no match against three battle-tried lightsabers. The woman and the Sith managed to push the beasts back, making up for lost ground on the blood-red grass; until the first explosion hit them. It came unexpected, too fast, too loud and too heavy, hurling them both off their feet into opposite directions. Her ears were numb and her eyes were burning as Keliana reopened them, struggling to get to her feet again. Three meters in front of her there was a large crater where the mutation had been lying in a pool of its own blood. All of a sudden, realization struck her like lightning. There had been exploding mutated beasts at the lab on Hutta where she had been fighting alongside Hank. Although those had been contained by thick layers of bulletproof glass and weren't roaming freely all around them. "Crap…" she muttered under her breath as she called her dropped lightsaber back into her trembling hand. Scourge was already on his feet again, pushing another charging monster away through a Force wave. Shooting a short glance at him was enough for Keliana to see the signs of wear and tear the last twenty-four hours had left on him. "You know Scourge, I always wondered if the rumors about your immortality were true. But then I had an idea…why not just test it? Let's see if you can survive without your thick head attached to that body of yours!" the Zabrak shouted, laughing manically. An ear-piercing howl, soon accompanied by another, and another, sounded from the swamp as he punched something into his communicator. The sound of branches breaking and whole trees collapsing made Keliana swallow hard as she kept her eyes fixed on the tree line in front of them. Scourge rushed to her side trying to draw himself up to full height again, in vain. Beneath them the ground was shaking, and a sound like battle drums was coming out of the swamp accompanied by the manic laughter of the Zabrak. All of a sudden the uproar of an engine behind them made the young woman jump. "What the…" she exclaimed as the black speeder-bike passed her at breathtaking speed. Everything became a colored blur as the figure jumped down from the bike right in front of her, pushing her to the knees, while the bike drove on, crashing into the tree next to where the Zabrak was standing. Keliana could feel the warmth of the explosion on her face, even though the body in front of her shielded her from the blast. "Hank…" she muttered under her breath as she recognized the Hunter's blue armor. "What mess have you gotten yourself into again?" his voice sounded through his helmet as he readied his pistols. A loud yell of fury turned their attention back to the Agent, standing in front of the wall of fire Hank had created. The smell of burnt vegetation filled the air, while the drumming and growling sounds became louder by the second. The Zabrak stomped his foot on the ground like a child who wasn't allowed to have any more of that sweet, sweet candy it craved so much. "You again! I should have killed you when I had the chance! It's always work and more work while all I want is a little play…" he hissed and vanished into thin air. "A stealth generator… Man I hate the sneaky types!" Hank growled. At the same time the trees reluctantly gave way to a creature, which appeared to have sprung directly out of a horrific nightmare. It was five meters tall and just as broad. Keliana couldn't determine which species the thing had spawned from or even if it had been amphibian, reptilian or avian for it seemed to combine most anatomical features into one horrid fucked-up image. As the stomach-turning stench reached her nostrils the young woman had to think involuntarily of the Garblog she had to fight on Nar Shaddaa. Unlike the Hutt's creature this one didn't seem to be in pain as it stood before them, growling out of the depth of its massive scaly body, but simply enraged and thirsting for fresh blood. The thick yellow saliva was flowing out of its huge fang-filled mouth, while the green snake-like eyes studied them intently. It almost seemed to be thinking as it scraped its long claws on the bloody earthen ground. "What the fuck is that?" Hank's voice sounded incredulous beside her. He drew himself to full height beside the Sith and in front of Keliana, readying his weapons. All three of them were so enthralled by the image in front of them that they had forgotten about the Imperial agent. Out of the corner of her eye Keliana saw a light shimmer, too late. His filthy lips seemed to be right at her ear. "Your friends will soon be dead and then there will be just you and me…" he hissed. Images of burning trees, darkness and his horrific grinning lips filled up her mind, eradicating every other thought and emotion and making way for the rage. Only one though was left in the redness of the woman's brain: Kill.
He hadn't been prepared for a Force Wave of this magnitude and especially not from behind. The Sith tried to control his flight in vain, as he was hurled several meters into the air. The Chiss on his right didn't seem to fare much better as he dropped out of the air twenty meters away from him. An ear-shattering cry made Scourge's head hurt and he felt the sensation of rage and fury burning around them. Normally this would stir a kind of warm feeling inside his otherwise numb body, but this time it wasn't pleasant at all. "Keliana!" he shouted out, almost fearful. Her brown locks were covering her green eyes but he could still see the fire burning inside them, speaking of death. The young woman seemed to be staring at the empty ground in front of her, both hands tightened around the lightsabers. All of a sudden her whole body began shaking uncontrollably as if struck by lightning. That was when Scourge realized what was happening. The Zabrak exited his stealth mode and used his power generator to stun her. Just as the Sith was about to attack the agent, he was swept off his feet once more. The massive scaled paw hit him right in the chest, squeezing the air out of his lung.
Trying to stand up again without throwing up was hard work, Hank realized. The push had been so unexpected and massive that his whole body was still trembling after the fall. His eyes were searching desperately for the cause of it and fell on Keliana. He hadn't seen her like this, not even the last time they had fought the Zabrak. She seemed to be completely unaware of her surroundings, eyes ablaze with fury. Fear struck the hunter as he watched her staring at the bloodied ground unmoving. A loud growl followed by a nerve-racking cry turned his attention the Sith who's limp body was flying over the ground. Up close the beast looked even more deadly, if that was even possible. "Damned shit!" the Chiss hissed through gritted teeth, his heart beating against his chest as he unleashed a hail of blaster shots on the enraged creature to lure it away from the Sith, who seemed to be unable to get up. The shots left blackened scorch-marks in the green and scaly flesh. Slowly the monstrosity turned its head around, fixing the hunter with its malicious eyes and letting out a roar which pierced marrow and bone. Out of the corner of his eye Keliana was twitching as the agent stunned her with his generator. Without so much as looking he took a shot at him without averting his glance from the charging beast. His mind was racing but he couldn't think of any scenario in which he could win this kind of fight all by himself. He heard her cry out, her voice shaking with fury "NO! You won't get away this time you fucking coward!" The Force wave that followed made the beast stumble and turn its attention towards the source of the ruckus. The woman became a black blur as she raced into the direction of the swamp, apparently following the Zabrak, who had entered stealth mode once more. "Keliana, don't!" the voice of the Sith sounded through the air desperately.
He wouldn't get away. Not this time. It would end here and today. The one thought was spreading through Keliana's brain like a virus killing every opposition in its way. Her whole body was aching terribly from the electric shocks he had inflicted on her but there still was enough adrenalin holding her together and pushing her forward. Around her night seemed to be falling once more as she raced through the thick and dark swamp following his presence, which he couldn't hide from her with a stealth generator. Not that she needed the Force to follow him through the marsh. He wasn't exactly subtle, as he was leaving a path of trodden vegetation behind him. The strong branches were cutting into the skin on her arms as she pushed further into the thicket, but she didn't even feel the pain. "Where are you running little girl? Don't you know we'll find you wherever you are?" the voice from her past sounded inside her head. This time I am the hunter, not the prey… she thought to herself as she ran into the clearing. She could sense his intentions and unsheathed her lightsabers just in time to absorb the electricity aiming for her heart. "Are you done running, bastard?!" she shouted at him as he revealed himself. "You really think I ran away from you, do you?" he scoffed into her face taking a step towards her, pistol locked on her body. "I just wanted some time alone with you, far away from your worrying friends. Although I hadn't though that it would be that easy to lure you here." All of a sudden the ground gave a heavy shake and a loud buzz filled the air. Both her lightsabers went out simultaneously leaving her standing in a dimmed blue lighting. Fuck… she thought trying to wrap her mind around the situation. The Zabrak laughed at the puzzled look on her face. "I don't suppose you have noticed the shield generators surrounding the clearing… They interfere with the resonance of your lightsabers' crystals making them completely useless. You won't be getting out of here unless I give the direct order. Which won't happen, unless you give me what I want; and I've surely waited long enough now." He added, his voice dripping with lust.
"That damned thing is regenerating faster than I can shoot it!" Hank shouted over the growling and roaring. "Everything dies once you relieve it of its head!" the Sith's voice boomed. "Then why don't you use your bloody lightsaber for something useful for a change?" the Chiss shouted back unnerved while ducking under the creature's massive claw. "If you'd actually use those eyes in your head for a change, you would have noticed the massive plates protecting it's torso and neck. It takes a greater force to break through those." Scourge explained, pushing himself away from the charging creature by Force. "Whatever we do we have to do it soon. I am afraid that Zabrak has led the Jedi into a trap. And she will kill him if we're too late." He added. Inside the helmet the hunter furrowed his brow in incomprehension. "That would be a good thing, wouldn't it?" he muttered mostly to himself as he rolled into safety from the deadly claws. "No we need information and he is our best source. He might lead us to Rhagos and the last artifact and finally to the real enemy. If the Jedi succumbs to the rage inside her now I think we'll see the universe come to a pretty quick ending." Hank didn't understand a word the Sith spoke. Especially because their prospects of living long enough to see the universe come to an end seemed rather slim considering the fact that they were facing an almost immortal monstrosity with no means to terminate it any time soon. The Sith's powers and stamina seemed to be draining as quickly as his own, while the beast didn't seem to be bothered at all by the blaster shots and laser cuts they inflicted on it. They needed more firepower if they wanted to penetrate its armored plates. The ship! Hank thought. At that moment the creature leaped into the air leaving both of them just enough time to retreat far enough not to be knocked out by the force of the earthquake it generated with its immense body. His hands were shaking madly as the Chiss punched the numbers into his holo-communicator. "Jim, do you hear me?" he shouted frantically. There was no reaction from the other side of the communicator. "They may be dead by now. Those were experienced hunters flying after them." The Sith said, trying to gather his strength while keeping an eye on the creature. "You might be surprised of what that guy can do!" Hank replied unnerved and shocked at himself for defending the smuggler. There was a crackling sound from the communicator as it lit up. "Hank…. What….status?" Jim's voice sounded. "We're up shit's creek and need more firepower. Get a lock on our location and get here as fast as you can!" The chiss shouted into the communicator. "What about Lia?" Jim's voice sounded clearer now. Next to him the Sith got caught by a sweep of the beast's claw and was hurled several meters into the air. "Damn it!" Hank shouted, igniting his rocket backpack to get next to the Scourge who was holding his injured arm. All of a sudden the night sky lit up in a blissfully and bright orange. "Artillery has arrived. Get as far away from it as you can boys!" Jim's voice sounded over the star-ships loud-speakers. The chiss didn't need to be told twice. Hurling the Sith's uninjured arm around his neck he ignited the backpack once more, praying to every god in the universe who was willing to listen that it had enough fuel to carry them both away from the howling nightmare behind them. The sound of the star-ships guns was like music to his ears. The backpack had carried them several meters away from the explosion and the following blast wave pushed them away even further. A smell of sulfur rose up his nose as the hunter lay flat on the earthen ground, unwilling to lift his head just yet. The Sith Lord beside him was already stirring and trying to get up to his feet. "No time… only hope." He muttered out of breath. Hank looked up at the slouching figure above him. He was in no shape to fight, yet to rescue anybody, that was clear. Nor was he himself as he looked at his dented and heavily damaged armor. They both were beyond the point of fatigue and unfit for any action that involved anything else than a bed. Fumbling through his pockets he found what he sought. Without a word he rammed the syringe Scourge's unarmored leg, earning an accusing growl while driving another into his own leg. "What are you doing?!" the Sith yelled infuriated his crimson eyes burning. "Giving us an actual edge!" he replied, getting to his feet. The warm feeling was spreading through his whole body, sweeping away any feelings of weariness. His muscles were tensing as blood pumped faster through his veins. "Adrenalin…" the Sith concluded as he stretched his damaged arm. "Not bad, Chiss. Now let's do this!" he added as they began to race into the direction the woman had vanished.
The taste of metal was spreading through her mouth, making her gag as she lay panting on the soft and marshy ground. A twitch ran through her body as the after-effects of the electric shocks took their course. Without her lightsabers she had no way of avoiding his generator attacks and he surely knew that. Her eyes were hurting madly and she kept them closed to stop the unbearable burn. Fear was spreading through her body, immobilizing her even further. She could hear his slow footsteps getting closer as she was desperately trying to regain control over her numb limbs. A horrific sense of déjà vu hit her as she felt him stepping over her damaged body. Opening her eyes she could see his black figure enlightened by the blue force-field surrounding them. She could feel his weight, as he lowered his body onto hers. She wanted to move, to push him away from her, but she was unable to lift a single finger. He had her locked into the force field of his stealth generator, making her body totally numb and unable to respond to the desperate impulses coming from her brain. As he lowered his face to her ear, his smell rose up her nose making her cry out inside. "I think I do like the new you even more…so docile and timid…" he hissed, while pulling the mask over his face, revealing his scarred mouth. It was even more horrid than Keliana had remembered it. His weight upon her, while she was unable to move or use the Force, his smell rising up her nose making her brain scream in agony and the scar she had inflicted upon him, which he seemed to be wearing like a trophy. A sudden pain shot through her head, as he grabbed her by the hair lifting her head up to his nose, inhaling her scent deeply. A moan came over his lips as he brushed his face with her locks and she could feel his whole body tensing. "This was worth the wait." He exhaled with a terrible grin on his face. Her thoughts were running haywire, as she lay on the ground, completely at the Zabrak's nonexistent mercy. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the flashing blade of the dagger, tucked into his bootleg. If she had just one second, free from his generator's grip… As she felt his gloved hand at the lacing of her leathern armor a cry escaped her trembling lips. Her limbs were still heavy as lead as she desperately tried to escape the field of the generator he still aimed at her heart. A loud crack made him look up suddenly; making his hand stop dead at the laces at her chest. "Let go of her. NOW!" Scourge's deep voice boomed through the clearing. Keliana was still unable to turn her head, but she could feel the rage burning inside him, and Hank right next to him. The Zabrak's laugh filled the air. "You won't be able to stop me. But you can watch, if you're into that sort of thing." he replied, continuing to unclasp Keliana's armor. An ear-shattering growl came from the Sith as he slashed relentlessly at one of the shield pylons next to him. The second of distraction was enough. As the Zabrak had his attention turned towards the two infuriated men on the other side of the thick barrier, his dagger escaped the hilt, digging itself deeply into his thigh and making him scream in agony. In this other moment of distraction, his biggest mistake was to let go of his generator. With a quick use of the Force, Keliana smashed it against the barrier, making the device go up in flames. He dragged himself over the ground, away from the woman, who's stare was fixed on him, while she was slowly getting back to her feet. Cursing and swearing he tried reaching for his hidden gun, which joined the generator only one second later. Using the Force, Keliana pulled his dagger out of his heavily bleeding tight, while he was screaming in agony. The shouts from the Sith and Chiss were only muffled and made no sense to her. Were they telling her to stop? To let go of the dagger?! No most definitely not. There was only one way this would end. With another wave of the hand the blade was digging another hole into the bastards soft and bloody flesh, only centimeters away from his manhood. She could feel the horror radiating from him as he realized what she was about to do. His lips formed the word "No." As she pulled the blade out once more. She heard the sound of the explosion from far away as the barrier surrounding them was slowly fading away. The Sith was trying to get into her head once more, but she wouldn't let him. Let him live… He couldn't be serious! As she aimed the dagger with her mind the heavy push against her body made her lose her footing. She could feel strong arms wrapping themselves around her body, lifting her off the ground. His musky smell reached her nostrils, calming her mind, while her body was still trying to struggle out of his grip. "Keliana…" the husky voice sounded at her ear. "We need his information. He can lead us to Rhagos and the last artifact. He's currently out only lead." Scourge explained slowly, still not easing his grip on her. Hank was nodding at them, while tying up the Zabrak against a nearby tree. Just looking at the bastard was enough to make the fires of fury flare up inside her. "I…need to kill him!" she hissed, breathing heavily. The Zabrak began to laugh manically: "But you can't stupid girl… you need me!" With a growl Hank punched him right into the face making his nose crack. "Not in one piece!" the chiss replied, massaging his knuckles.
The young woman was still fighting his grip with all her strength. He could feel her heart race against her heaving chest as he had his arms wrapped tightly around her. The rage was burning inside her and he knew exactly how she felt. She must loathe him for taking the opportunity of vengeance from her, but there was no other choice. Slowly her breathing became more calm and her attempts to flee his grasp stopped. "I'm alright, you can let me down." She told him, her voice a whisper. The laces on her armor were still undone, making it hang loosely around her battered body. There still was a purple bruise where her head had hit the hard rock-face yesterday, which he regretted deeply. Although compared to the state of the rest of her trembling body it was barely perceptible. The Sith let out a heavy breath. "No you're not." He replied, nodding towards the Chiss. "Bring her to the ship. I will take care of the scum." He added determined. With a last, but heavy kick in the gut the Hunter turned his attention away from the Zabrak. Scourge didn't understand why a part of him struggled as the Chiss reached out for the woman in his arms, but he reluctantly let go of her. Hank wrapped his arms around her, leading her out of the darkening clearing. "And don't turn back…" Scourge told them as he turned his attention towards the grinning Zabrak on the ground. "You'll soon be laughing on the other side of your face, bastard." He hissed at him. "Your threats ring hollow, Wrath. I'd rather die before I tell you anything." The Zabrak replied spitting at him. "I've had my share of fun with her, when she was still unaware and innocent like the morning dew… but I may have spoiled her for other men…like you?" he added grinning. His whole body seemed to freeze as he heard the words. Unable to move the Sith simply glared at the thing in front of him, eyes ablaze with fury. The Agent's maniacal laughter sounded through the clearing. "I know obsession when I see it; maybe because I'm not any different?" The bloodied dagger was still sticking out of the ground where Keliana had dropped it. "Oh my it will by bloody hard not to kill you…" the Sith hissed through gritted teeth, pulling the dagger out of the ground with his mind. "I've told you that I'd rather die than tell you anything!" the Zabrak replied baring his teeth. "When I'm done with you, you'll be pleading for death…" Scourge growled, taking a step towards the disgusting figure on the ground, the blade hovering slowly towards its aim. The smug look on the agent's face passed as soon as he realized where the dagger was heading.
The ear-piercing cry made them look back into the direction of the clearing. "I thought he wanted to interrogate and not kill him." Hank stated, still pushing them forward through the thicket. "He's not killing him…yet." Keliana replied. He's just finishing what I started… she added in her thoughts, almost satisfied. They were slower than usual; and as they made their way through the swamp it was quickly getting dark again. Neither one of them uttered another word as they went on and she was rather thankful for it. As they reached the edge of the swamp she could recognize the outlines of the starship in the distance. It had a few new scratches and dents here and there, but was still in one piece, which made her heart almost leap with joy. As they reached the open loading ramp she let out a heavy breath. All of a sudden she was swept off her feet once more as Jim pulled her out of Hank's arms, embracing her tightly. "Damn it I cannot take this anymore! Stop disappearing all the time, Lia!" he yelled at her, squeezing the air out of her lungs. "Even if it's just for one day, just don't!" "Sorry." She muttered, as he let go of her. Rolling his eyes, the smuggler took a step back looking at her from top to bottom his eyes lingering at the undone laces "This is the most remote system I could think of… what has happened to you down there? And where did those hunters come from?" he asked her. Unable and unwilling to explain it to him she simply shrugged her shoulders. "I need to rest and sleep, so would you mind…" she began, trying to make her way past him. However the young man shook his head. "Forget it, first let Terry take a look at you. You look like shit and that's putting it mildly." Out of the corner of her eye, Keliana could see the Miraluka's benevolent face smiling at her. "I am fine…just let me rest." She replied, starting to get unnerved quickly. "You're not fine." The Sith's husky voice sounded behind her. A shudder ran down her spine as she heard him approach. "Scourge…" she muttered. "Have you?" she asked as she turned around to face him. His face was stern as always, but there was something different in his eyes as he looked back at her. "We can speak about this another time. Let the healer take a look at your wounds and then rest." He told her. Something in his voice was different too, making her knees give in and her head nod. "If you insist." She replied, with the last bit of defiance she could find, as she walked with Terya to her right towards the Med-bay. Thank you… she thought, knowing that he would hear it.