Jaina-Elessar: next chapter is reunion time. ;) I'm afraid Zekk isn't going to have an easy time of it, though…

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Five: Tired Enough to Believe

x-x-x-x-x

Sanar was trying to ignore him, but when he began to wander around her room, poking things and making those "huh…hm…" sounds every other second, she gave up. "I didn't know you were interested in dolls, Devy-boy," she remarked dryly.

He looked up from the wood-and-cloth doll Clayra had given her. "To retain childhood's simplicity is to remain ever pure and ever sharp," he replied sweetly.

The corners of her mouth pointed to the ground, and she snapped her book closed. "You can stop talking like a poet now," she snapped. If there was one thing Sanar hated, it was when Devnos acted like…well, like her brother. "Just say what you came to say and get it over with it. I'm at the good part."

He leaned over to see the title, then raised an eyebrow. "'Soul: A Collection of Triumph'?" Before he could remember who had written it, she shoved the book under her jacket, which she had laid across her bed. Instead of replying to his sneer, she raised her dark eyes to his, daring him to continue stalling. "You know, that really sets our conversation up nicely," Devnos started. She gave him a look. "Really." "Sanar, what was it Jarran used to tell you about your Force talents?" Her hands snapped into fists and she glared at Devnos until her eyes hurt. "You mean," she said through clenched teeth, "what did Father used to say?" She searched for – and found – the tiniest flinch in his eyes. "He said I was empathetic in the Force."

Devnos twisted and then straightened his jaw. It was a childhood habit that he displayed whenever he was uncertain.

Sanar felt definite pleasure at the thought.

"You always bonded easily with others," Devnos said finally.

Her mind shut down. Of course. "And?" she said flatly, turning away to look for a different book.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around. "Don't be stupid; you're many disgraceful things, but you've never been that. You spent sufficient time around that Solo girl; you're going to find her."

Sanar snorted, and pried his fingers off her shoulders, one by one. "First of all – don't touch me. You do enough damage already. Second – I avoided bonding with Solo as if she was Horaire incarnate."

He growled, and then he was right in her face.

She really, really hated it when he did that.

"Why is that?" he demanded.

Her eyes flew to the side as her jewellery shook on the dresser. He was getting too angry.

She'd seen Angry Devnos before, and it was enough to make her up the bravado. "Because I didn't like her; she got in the way, you know. Plus, she was whiny and so self-righteous. The last thing I needed was a spoiled wannabe-hero in my head."

Devnos cursed so hard Sanar's ears burned. "I should have chained you to the floor of Horaire's worship chamber! The priests would have made something of you," he spat, pushing her back on the bed as he straightened and stomped to the other side of the room.

Fury and icy terror erupted in her at the idea. Being left alone with the priests, and the worshipping men, even if Horaire would not be among their number… It made the idea of physical torture bliss. "I would have killed myself first," she told him, quiet but deadly serious.

A ripple ran through his body, and his head whipped around to stare at her.

It was not the reaction she had expected, and she started.

"No, you wouldn't have," he said finally. "I wouldn't have let you."

She shifted so that she was lying on the bed properly, and curled her legs up under her. Her eyes drifted closed for a soft, swift moment. "Then I would have taken you with me to the River," she whispered.

Sanar didn't even look for his reaction; whatever oddity had invaded his nature had disappeared, and she was too tired to look for exposed weaknesses.

Devnos was silent for several minutes before she felt him straighten with mental illumination. "Onyx."

She sighed. "What about him?"

The cunning was back in Devnos' voice. "You bonded with him. I suggest you follow that bond as quickly as you are capable, before I regain my sane mind and ship you back to Na'Lein'yhpaon."

She chuckled. "You just never give up."

A yelp of surprise escaped her as he used the Force to lift her clear off her bed and shake her. "No, I don't. Now get to work, niftyax."

He dropped her – half on the floor, half over the raised bed – with a painful thud, as he slammed the door behind him. "Soul: A Collection of Triumph" slid off the bed and onto her knees; she only just caught it. Feeling like a hypocrite, she traced the gold letters on the cover. Her fingers skimmed down to the bottom where it said:

written by Devnos Klis

Her head hit the book with a plop. "I hate you, Devnos," she whispered.

But Sanar was too tired to believe her own lie.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"We should just get rid of her," Falat hissed when Devnos stalked into the lounging area. "She's a pleasure slave – drop her off on Ord Mantell or something." Devnos' glare zeroed in on the other Dark Jedi, and Falat stumbled. "She'll only slow us down. Besides, I thought you didn't think women – "

"May I remind you," Devnos growled, "that she is my sister?"

Bzz-click. Pause. Click-clik-clk-ck-k…

Falat swung his legs down from the coffee table and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "And? C'mon, everyone this side of the Imperial Palace knows you hate her, and she hates you."

"She is still useful," Devnos replied calmly, though steel was creeping into his voice. "Very useful – particularly for finding someone."

"A woman? Useful? Huh," the other snorted. Falat eyed Devnos for a moment, then lowered his eyes to the deck of cards that lay where his feet had been moments before. He picked them up and, slowly, began shuffling them. "How so?"

Devnos poured himself a glass of water and swallowed half of it quickly. How much to tell? "Sanar possesses unique abilities when it comes to the Force," he said finally, "so she will be remaining with us for a while longer." Dark eyes glared over the water glass. "Leave it at that, Falat."

Falat held his hands up in mock-surrender. "Sorry. Sunrider, I thought you were just waiting for the opportunity to get rid of her."

The Na'Lein'yhpaon native turned away from his colleague. "Well, that moment hasn't come yet."

Bzzzzssss… Silence.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Sanar's feet dragged as she entered the kitchen, but her triumph kept her from collapsing. For four and a half hours she had searched for Onyx in the Force – unsuccessfully. Poor Devnos – you didn't say anything about finding Zekk, now, did you? No wonder you're falling out of favour…

A hand reached out and bruised her arm. "Where is he?" Devnos demanded, not wasting any time.

She studied her brother for a moment. He had always been dark – both on the outside and within. Her father had said he was just going through a brooding stage (it was an "artist/teenager thing"), but she had nearly always been aware of it, although perhaps her perception had been aided by his appearance.

His black hair, thick eyebrows and onyx eyes had caught female attention even before the Klis family was shipped to Quatroc. But it had been his aristocratic features that won him a place in the Imperial Palace, and which led others to believe his intelligence without question. His ruthlessness, they discovered in minutes, if they didn't notice it in his hawk-like eyes. His bravery – well, he had certainly proved that, even if his moral compass was messed up.

But Devnos found his match in his sister, even if she didn't have his charisma.

"Sorry," she yawned, "couldn't find him. Is there anything good to eat?"

The Force swelled in fury, and then Devnos slapped her so hard she stumbled into the cooler-unit. "I give you a chance to redeem yourself, and then you come and lie?" he demanded.

For a moment, she leaned against the cooler-unit's frigid metal, hoping to assuage the burning on her cheek. "Onyx," she told him succinctly, "is gone. It's not my fault I couldn't find him."

"I beg your pardon?" Devnos jeered. "I'm supposed to believe that a powerful Sith apprentice betrayed his emperor and then just up and disappeared?"

"Well, it seems to be the case," she retorted, standing.

His expression imploded with wrath, and she didn't have time to duck before he grabbed her neck, only just avoiding a grip that would knock her out. Her hands went up in an attempt to pry his fingers from her throat, but he was too strong. He always had been, physically. "Where – is – Onyx?" he demanded, his voice lathered in the Force.

"He's gone," she croaked, tears springing to her eyes.

His grip loosened momentarily, and something happened in his eyes (what was that expression?), and she kicked him where she knew it would hurt most, then ran from the room. She tripped once, and she knew her ankle was twisted, but Sanar only continued on. When she had escaped to her bedroom, she only just slammed and locked the door before Devnos could enter, and even so he was almost attacking her door.

"You'll find him!" she could hear him scream. "Or I'll drag you into the Temple myself!"

Sanar curled herself into a ball, covered her ears, and tried to hum loud enough to block her brother out.

This time, when she whispered, "I hate you, Devnos," she believed it.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Please R&R!

.Tjz