The train flew across the rocky planet of Umbara, the anti-gravity rings keeping it on the right track towards the city. The Alliance ship flew down just above it, the ramp extending out over the top of the train.
"The train is on the move – and the traitor's on board," Lana said as the four of them stepped out onto the ramp.
"Nothing we can't handle," Theron said nonchalantly.
Seyje cast him a suspicious glare, which was noticed by Saiyah.
What is the matter with you Seyje? You've been acting strangely the whole flight here.
Oh, now you're noticing.
Noticing what? What are you talking about?
Nothing, we'll talk about it later after the mission.
Saiyah shook her head with a sigh. With a swift move, she leapt down onto the metal surface of the train, and was soon followed by Seyje, Theron, and Lana. It took less than an hour for them to break inside and make their way up to the engine car.
The metal door opened with a clicking hiss. All four of them had their weapons at the ready. Theron, who was in the lead, waved his free hand to Lana and Seyje on the left, then to Saiyah on the right. The three women moved past him, their eyes focused on the closed door in front of them. Well, Saiyah's and Lana's. Seyje couldn't help but keep her attention towards Theron as she noticed how he was now walking behind the three of them.
"The traitor is on the other side of that door," Lana hissed.
She moved towards the red button on the wall while Seyje remained in place. Saiyah stopped just in front of the door with her twin lightsabers at the ready. Theron remained a few steps back, keeping his gun level with his eyes. Seyje heard Saiyah exhale quietly, and she could feel the nerves radiating off of her. Seyje felt the same, but for a completely different reason.
I don't sense any new presences around us…do they not notice that?
Lana deactived her lightsaber and pressed her hand against the door. Saiyah's and Seyje's lightsabers flew up in front of their chests. It opened with the same clicking hiss to reveal an empty chair.
A stunned silence fell over the group. Lana put her lightsaber back on her belt, her mouth gaping. Saiyah's expression twisted into one of frustration as she did the same with her weapons. Seyje hesitated a moment but resigned to sheath hers as well.
Lana and Saiyah stepped into the small captain's room with Seyje on their heels.
"They're gone…" Saiyah muttered with frustration.
"That's impossible," Lana snapped irritably as she pulled a datapad from her belt. "According to the signal, they're still on the convoy…"
Just before Lana could finish her sentence, Seyje's senses snapped as she heard the reloading of a gun behind her. She whirled around, and her brain went into overdrive as she watched everything unfold. It was like things were moving in slow motion.
The furrow in his brow as he pulled the trigger.
"No!" Lana shouted, leaping in front of Saiyah as a single shot was fired from Theron's gun. Purple electricity danced across her body as she was stunned into unconsciousness.
The guilt in his eyes as he moved the barrel towards the Jedi.
Saiyah froze, unmoving, as her mind struggled to catch up with her eyes. She looked up, confused and uncertain.
"Theron?" Saiyah gasped, his name barely a whisper from her lips.
"It's over, "Commander," Theron snarled.
Saiyah barely had time to duck as two more shots whizzed past her head, shattering the window behind her. Both Davire sisters were forced to dodge as five more rapid-fire shots activated an energy shield around the doorway.
Seyje recovered first, straightening up and looking at a very angry looking Theron. Her sister's voice was barely a whisper in her mind.
This can't be happening…
The telepathic shock from Saiyah stung Seyje to the core. Not because she expected it, but because it meant she had been right all along.
Theron's steely voice pulled Seyje back to reality. "In a few minutes, this train will collide with that mountain range. You'll be disintegrated, and I'll escape with the Adegan crystals."
He sounded so…callous. The SIS spy walked up to the shield generator, and Seyje's blood ran cold at how blank his facial expression was. She couldn't even imagine – well, she didn't need to imagine how Saiyah felt in the moment. She could feel it.
Blinding shock…disbelief…and pain. All colliding into each other with the strength of an angry Gundark.
"Don't worry. You won't feel a thing," Theron stated.
Seyje wanted to be angry. She wanted to threaten Theron and tell him she had the power to rip him to shreds where he stood. But she couldn't. For Saiyah's sake, she couldn't. The feeling of betrayal coursed through her veins like an old enemy, and it was a feeling now replicated in Saiyah's voice.
"Did you ever love me?" she hissed bitterly. "Or was that all part of the act?"
Seyje shut her eyes hard as tightly as she could upon hearing Saiyah. The way her voice trembled as she tried to confirm what was happening before her eyes. Seyje had tried to block out the memories, but a few sentences stood out vividly in her mind.
He forced my hand and I must side with him…I'm sorry it's come to this, my lord.
The Sith inhaled sharply, pushing the image of Quinn in the glowing red light from her mind. Her eyes once again fell on Theron, and she felt a rush of mixed emotions at seeing the guilt in his face.
"You know I love you," Theron admitted sincerely. "But this is bigger than us."
The SIS spy began to pace back and forth across the floor. His voice and body language took on a tone that made Seyje's blood boil. It was the same self-righteous emotion she had sensed inside Quinn during his betrayal, which made Theron's next words feel all too familiar.
"Luring you into that trap on Iokath was just the beginning. Ever since Seyje defeated Valkorion, everything I've done has been towards one goal…the total destruction of the Eternal Alliance," Theron confessed.
Seyje's brow furrowed.
That's not true…he knows that isn't true.
Saiyah bought it, however, and glared at him angrily. "You helped build the Alliance. After everything we've been through, why tear it down now?" she accused.
"What I built was an end to the Eternal Empire, not this," he retorted, though not as aggressively as Seyje expected.
The pacing across the floor began once more, only this time, his gaze shifted to Seyje.
"I followed you because I believed you'd end the cycle of war. I thought we'd finally be free once you took down Valkorion."
"We are free, Theron!" Seyje interjected.
Her statement seemed to startle Saiyah, as if she had momentarily forgotten her sister was still standing there.
"There is no more Eternal Empire! Valkorion and Vaylin are gone, and Arcann joined us as an ally to prove that Zakuul is ready for change."
Theron stopped in the middle of the floor, his expression twisting with…anger? No. No, that was a look of disgust on his face.
Why?
"You're missing the point," Theron growled. "The Alliance outgrew you. Now it's rotting from the inside, the galaxy's fighting back, and you've become a symbol of oppression."
Seyje's jaw dropped. What was he talking about?
This doesn't make any sense.
Theron's gaze shifted to Saiyah. "So much for your dreams of peace," he scoffed.
Was this really happening? Was Theron truly telling them that he never believed in the Eternal Alliance from the start?
No. No, this can't be right. Theron would never turn against us like this. He has to be lying.
I…I don't think he is, Seyje.
The Sith glanced over at her sister in stunned silence. Saiyah bottom lip was trembling, her right hand quivering as her mind starting grasping the reality of the situation they were in. Despite this, Saiyah was still fighting against the truth – or lie, Seyje couldn't decide – that was being laid out in front of her.
"Then let's find a solution together. I want peace as much as you, Theron!" Saiyah begged.
Theron's eyes narrowed. "I believed that…once," he said scornfully.
"If you topple the Alliance, millions will die!"
"If that's the cost of peace, so be it."
He returned to his place in the center of the floor and stood before the two Davire sisters. The energy field wasn't the only barrier between them now.
"Thirty seconds to impact," Theron murmured. "This is goodbye."
Seyje's heart lurched as he turned away to leave. Even the worst spy in the world would've been able to hear the regret in his voice. Her eyes widened slightly as a realization washed over her.
He doesn't want to leave us…leave Saiyah…
"Theron," Seyje said pleadingly.
He paused in his step, locking eyes with the Sith. This was her one chance, maybe her only chance to change his mind. Whatever was going on inside his head was not the Theron that they knew.
"Don't do this. Please don't do this," she begged.
For a brief instant, it seemed like he was listening, but the SIS spy turned his back on them and kept walking away. The shaking of his head didn't go unnoticed by the Sith. Her Jedi sibling didn't see it.
"I'll always love you Theron!" Saiyah called out desperately. "Nothing will ever change that!"
A single tear slipped from her eye, and Seyje knew from experience that it would be the first of many. While Saiyah's gaze remained on the empty doorway, Seyje looked over to see Lana pushing herself to her feet.
"Lana! Theron escaped," Seyje said quickly as she helped her fellow Sith to her feet.
The entire train suddenly shook violently as an automated voice rang out overhead.
"Warning. Collision imminent. Brace for impact."
A few curses slipped through Lana's lips. "We need to survive long enough to make Theron pay," she hissed angrily.
Her and Seyje's eyes shifted to the broken window. Seyje grabbed Saiyah's arm, roughly yanking her from her dazed state.
"Jump!" Lana shouted.
The three of them leapt out the window just as the train fell out of the anti-gravity track. It crashed into the nearby mountain range, the cars all smashing into each other to create a loud, dusty explosion. The front car landed right-side up on one of the ledges, so there would've been a very small chance of survival had they stayed inside.
Seyje rolled to her feet and helped Lana and Saiyah up. Saiyah was in a state of shock, judging by the glazed-over look in her eyes. She yelped in surprise as she was suddenly back-handed across the face.
"What the frack, Seyje?" Saiyah cursed.
"Focus," Seyje snapped. "You can mourn once we're back on Odessan. Right now, we need to stop that shuttle."
She pointed to the top of the mountain where the outline of a ship was hidden in a cloud of dust. Saiyah exhaled quietly, nodding in agreement.
"You're right. Mission first," she breathed.
Seyje placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. The memories of Quinn's betrayal seared through her mind, and she would be hard-pressed to admit that some days it still stung. Not nearly as bad anymore, but back then, she never would've guessed she would end up reliving the entire scenario.
"Lana and I have your back," Seyje confirmed.
Saiyah nodded, inhaling slowly as she refocused her mind. The three of them began making their way across the rocky terrain towards a path that led up the mountain. No one spoke for a long time. They didn't need words to feel the agony radiating off of Saiyah. As they were crossing a deep crevice, Lana reached out a hand towards the Jedi.
"Commander…are you all right?" she asked apologetically. "I know this must be hitting you especially hard."
Saiyah didn't say anything, merely looking over at Lana and giving her a small nod. The two Sith exchanged a worried glance. Whatever the result of this situation led to, it was not going to be good.
The trio reached the top of the first mountain ledge and walked right into the debris of the train crash. Though it had looked like the front car had endured the explosions, Seyje quickly learned otherwise. The entire interior of the car had been tossed about like a salad, leaving wires and metal scattered across the Umbaran landscape. Her gut churned as she realized that had almost been their fate.
A voice overhead startled the three of them. "Not surprised you survived the crash. I didn't think it would be that easy. But it buys me enough time to get off-world."
A grim expression crossed Seyje's face as she listened to the nonchalant tone in Theron's voice. There was something going on that they didn't know about, and whatever it was had turned their best spy against them. What could possibly be such a horrible threat that would cause him to do this?
Saiyah looked around in the air, as if trying to pinpoint the source of her lover's voice. "Theron, come back. We can talk about this," she begged.
"We're long past that," Theron snarled.
A beep indicated he had disconnected the call, and Saiyah sighed in disappointment. Lana shook her head, placing her hands on her hips.
"I don't understand, how did I not see this coming?" Lana lamented. "Was I really that blind?"
Saiyah's gaze fell to the ground. "If anyone was blind, it was me," she murmured. Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. "We were…"
She went silent as a lump formed in her throat. Did Lana even fully understand? She did from a friendship point of view, but Theron was not just a friend to Saiyah. He was the man Saiyah had dedicated herself to after her previous husband disappeared. Seyje already knew exactly how Saiyah felt, and now she was seeing Quinn's betrayal from an entirely new perspective. The pain was so much worse than anything she could've prepared herself for.
"I know," Lana said quickly to fill the silence. "I'm sorry, Commander."
Seyje walked forwards out of the train debris. "Come on. We still have a ways to climb."
The trio resumed their journey upwards. They were close to the top when the roar of engines filled their ears, and hiss of anger slipped past Seyje's lips as she broke out into a run. Saiyah and Lana followed closely behind. As they came upon a flat plateau, they saw a ship lifting off with Theron standing on the exit ramp.
"This isn't over, Theron!" Seyje yelled out angrily.
Theron looked down on them. For just a brief second, he had that familiar sinking feeling in his gut, but was quick to shove it to the back of his mind. "No," he called out. "This is just beginning."