A friend is hard to define. In my case, I only have a definition of a non-friend: Someone who is of no use to me.

Tanya Asteron

:_:

She didn't know when exactly she fell asleep.

Just that when she woke up, she felt even worse than before.

Her tongue was swollen and numb with thirst, all her muscles were aching and convulsing.

She squinted against the bright light of the glow rods attached to the ceiling above her.

She was surprised Ben didn't send any of his friends to pay her a visit, at least not the same day as he did.

She could distinct day and night just because the lights in her cell went off for some time.

Now they were on.

Good morning, Ves.

She blinked furiously to adjust her eyes.

She wasn't alone.

There was a humanoid shape in front of her, a dark blur contrasting with the light blur if its surroundings.

She stared on the floor below her until she could finally recognize little notches in off-white flooring.

Then she looked up.

It wasn't Ben; this one was too tall and lacked Ben's sinewy build.

Its garments were loose and dark, hiding every hint of its gender or species.

But it looked quite humanoid.

Its head was raised. Most of it was skillfully masked under its robes, but its eyes were still visible. Dark brown, soft, but confident.

Her eyes?

No; they didn't have the perfect almond shape her had.

Pair of gloved hands drew a cylindrical container from the depths of a black cloak.

It stood up and walked few long paces to her.

"Drink."

It was a male; that was without question.

He had an unobtrusive Coruscanti accent.

So not a Sith.

Or a very well trained one.

He held up the container to her lips.

Little lines appeared in corner of his eyes indicating a little smile. "I really suggest you should drink."

The voice was almost exactly like his eyes. Soft, pleasant, but with a stone of self-confidence in its core.

She drank.

The water was cool and fresh, which made the drinking almost intoxicating experience.

She suddenly felt embarrassed that she showed that to him.

Her lips reluctantly left the container's mouth.

He set it aside on the table behind him.

"Who are you?" she asked.

He shrugged. "A friend."

If you were a friend, I would not be handcuffed by now, don't you think?

"Ah." She felt her hair sticking to her face, matted with sweat. She didn't want to look like that.

A weak voice sounded inside her head, the venomous voice that always tried to make her think. The voice of a Sith in her.

Why? Because of his pretty eyes?

Fine. Let's take it easy. This may be a game. But Vestara was a good player herself.

"Ben's trying to pull another trick?" she asked the man.

"Ben?" he sounded genuinely surprised. "He's not a tricky one. He's pretty much outright. Maybe for his own harm."

"Not when he's with me."

"Then you must be a bad influence."

Vestara realized that she didn't feel him in the Force. He had to be hiding. Or he was just one of Ben's illusions.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"I've heard about you, Vestara Khai. And I think we two can cooperate."

She raised her brow. "Cooperate on what?"

He shrugged again. "I have certain plans with this galaxy," he said and crossed his arms. "I can use your help."

"Oh." She considered it. If he wasn't an illusion, this may prove a very interesting conversation. If he was… he let her drink and he can be a good debater. Why was she even deciding? "First off, what would be in this for me?"

His eyes connected with hers. There was the smile in them again. "Depends on," he said softly. "What do you want, lady Khai?"

That was a question. What does she want?

We want power, her Sith part yelled.

We want Ben. We want his love, the silly, girlish part of her whined.

And the basic, animalistic part of her said: We want our revenge – for anything anyone did to us.

But what did her logic part want?

All we want is to get out of those chains, get our lightsaber and drink some more. And then have a nap.

And she wanted very badly to know whether this was an illusion or not. And to know who he was. And stop herself from feeling so helpless in his presence. And a sanisteam.

Oh boy, what stupid question this was?

"I want everything."

The answer didn't seem to shake him. "I can't give you that much. There are things I have to keep to myself."

"But I want everything."

He waved his hand. "That's a very simplified answer, lady Khai. It's easy to say that you want everything. Do you want to possess everything? To know everything? To have everything under your control? To have every man you desire? To kill everyone? To destroy everything?" he looked at her, frowning visibly even under his cover. "I've heard you Sith are pragmatic."

"And what do you want?"

His eyes narrowed. "I want peace and order for the galaxy. I want greater good."

Her eyes narrowed, too. "That's a very Jedi statement. Know what? You can shove your greater good…"

He grasped her chin. "Silence. I thought you could be a useful ally, Vestara Khai, but it seems you are as blind as your Masters are."

His grip of her jaw was almost painful. She resisted an urge to spit into his face. "Jedi are the blind ones here. Sith have no…"

"Sith don't see the forest for the trees. At least your Tribe does not. There is more to life than your pitiful struggles with Jedi."

She tried to jerk her jaw out of his hand, but he held her too tightly. "Jedi are not important," she hissed. "They are nothing but an obstruction in our way to galactic dominance."

"So you are going to conquer the galaxy."

"Yes."

"And what then?"

Huh?

"What are you talking about?"

"What are you going to do with the galaxy after it's yours?"

"Aside of wiping the Jedi and all our enemies from its face?"

"Yes."

She considered it. "Bring the eternal darkness to the world? Rule it forevermore?"

"You don't know."

"I'm not in charge of this crusade."

"I can put you in charge. What would you do then?"

She frowned. Their plans seemed to leave out the possibility of winning. What would they do then?

The man seemed disappointed. He let go of her mouth – she let a sigh of relief escape her lips when she moved her jaw back and forth to ease the pain – and shook his head.

"That's a pity, lady Khai," he said darkly. "I thought you are capable of becoming my associate, but it seems you are useful just as a blaster fodder." He patted her cheek. "I don't need pawns. I need queens."

She didn't answer, perplexed and offended. He was dismissive? No one ever treated her with such a disregard!

"I'm powerful, resourceful…"

Why am I defending myself?

"I don't need those qualities, lady Khai. I have all this myself. If you don't have anything else you can offer me…" he let the rest fade off.

He neatened his robes and gave her a nod. "It was a pleasure to meet you, lady Khai." He gave her a brief, satirical bow. "And don't bother to tell about my visit to Jedi Skywalker. He will not believe you anyway." He glanced at her arm. "They will think it was just a hallucination caused by your anesthetics."

They drugged me? Oh, this is getting better every minute.

"Goodbye."

He started to march to the door.

"Before you will leave…" she said.

He turned to her. That was something Ben didn't bother to do.

Ves, I doubt this is a boy for you. Jedi was a bad idea, but this guy is barvy.

He's like Abeloth.

She trembled. "I want to know who you are," she said.

He seemed pleased. "Oh, do you?"

Please, don't be Abeloth.

Please, don't be Abeloth.

He nodded. "I can tell you, I suppose. Or show you."

He stepped back in front of her and took off the scarf hiding his face.

He was faintly familiar.

Then it struck her.

Hello, illusory boy.

"Jacen Solo," she said sourly.

Jacen Solo's face – perfect to every line in the matter of likeness – was mostly expressionless. "Colonel Jacen Solo," he corrected her.

She viewed him without a hint of embarrassment. "They say you were handsome," she said.

He gave her the slightest of smiles. "Thank you."

"I didn't say I agree." She glanced into his eyes and found it hard to do it. "Not even that it's a compliment."

"But you do think that, right?" he shook his head. "I'm wasting my time here." He saluted. "Later, lady Khai."

Sure, illusion, anything you say.

She wanted to answer his salute mockingly, but she realized she was still chained to the wall. So she just gave him a mocking grimace. "Later, Colonel Solo."

Oh, how I would love to stab my lightsaber into your heart!

Jacen strode away from the room.

Well, she faced another illusion.

At least she still kept her dignity.

But this scared her to bones.

If it was Abeloth…

She didn't want to think about that.

She tried to relax her muscles again, lolling, trying to stretch her neck muscles with moving of her head.

Now I'll just wait for Ben to come and taunt me because he thinks I got my lumps.

Come, Jedi boy.

Just come.

He didn't. No one did.

Not this day.

At least she still had the water container.