Chapter 1
What do they want with me? Callista implored the void around her for the thousandth time. What have I done? Every inch of her body hurt. Her head was pounding and she could still hear the metallic shriek of the interrogation droid.
Why won't they just let me die?
Because he isn't done with you yet.
Callista jumped at the voice. Had she really just heard that? Was there someone in the room with her? Where was the voice coming from?
He needs something. Someone.
Though her body was too weak to move, Callista was sure there was no one in the room with her. She would have seen or heard them before now. The voice must be in her head. Generated by her own mind or something else, she didn't know. She couldn't recall exactly what she'd been through the last few days, but it wouldn't surprise her at all to discover she'd been given something that caused her to hallucinate.
You have to fight.
Callista was blinded as a bright light poured into the dark room. She heard someone enter, turn on the overhead lights. The light was painful, but she tried to open her eyes enough to see who had come in.
"Are you awake?" His voice was gentle, almost soothing. Callista could make out only a dark silhouette. She squeezed her eyes shut again, willing them to adjust to the light.
Callista could sense the man as he knelt beside her. He stroked her hair and she forced her eyes open. The light was not quite so blinding now and she looked up at him. And into his yellow-red Sith Lord eyes.
She could do nothing but stare into them. When she was young she had heard horror stories of the Sith, always including a reference to their mark of evil—the unnatural contrast of red and yellow corrupting the very windows to their souls.
"Do you remember me?" he asked. His tone was calm, as though they were long parted friends just getting re-acquainted.
She managed to break her stare from his eyes and take in the rest of his features. As horrifyingly unfamiliar as his eyes were, the rest of his face was easily recognized.
"Because I remember you," he continued. "I was afraid you would steal my uncle away." He smiled at that, with the slightly lopsided smile of his father. "Who would have thought it would be just the opposite?" The smile faded from his face and it occurred to Callista that she ought to be afraid. But she was too exhausted to be afraid. She drifted into unconsciousness, hoping she wouldn't wake up again.