NOTE: This is the second update today, so if you haven't read the Garik/Jaina conversation…go back a click ;)

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

Chapter Thirteen: Cerasy

Sanar could have warned him, but that would have taken all the fun out of seeing Devnos' jaw drop. Falat, apparently, had not thought to say anything, either, so Devnos' reaction would be priceless – Sanar didn't need the Strings to tell her that. Thus it was that she sprawled against a corner, smirking as the bounty hunter waited impatiently.

The hunter had a nice cape, Sanar mused; maybe she should buy one and just disappear under it. She savoured that concept – being hidden under the darkness rather than being it – then tucked it away for later as the hunter spoke.

"Where is he? I don't have time for this."

Sanar restrained a snicker. "Oh, he'll be along. Don't worry. What did you say your name was, again?"

The bounty hunter seemed to notice Sanar for the first time. "Cerasy," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Who are you?"

The slave grinned mirthlessly. "I'm nobody."

Cerasy stepped further into the light, bright blue hair momentarily obscuring her face. "You're marked as a slave," she remarked.

Sanar shrugged. "I've been marked as worse."

The bounty hunter appeared to be considering her options. "What keeps you here?"

Misguided loyalty. Fear. Hatred. "Enough," she replied.

The bounty hunter's lips twisted in a scowl, and Sanar detected traces of disapproval in the Force. Before the hunter could say anything further, however, Devnos stormed into the quarters. "You are the one Falat called?" he demanded shortly.

Cerasy stepped forward, pulling back her hood to reveal her blue hair and angular features. "You are Devnos Klis?" she retorted, raising her chin.

Devnos' face twisted even further into a scowl when he realized the hunter's gender. "Obviously."

Sanar smirked and kicked her feet out in front of her. Her brother was already at boiling point without having to deal with the inferior gender. She might receive a smack for being nearby, but seeing Devnos spill over would be worth it.

"I haven't all day," Cerasy said briskly, now fully in the light. "What is the bounty?"

Devnos' teeth gritted as he held out a datapad. "I want Lord Onyx – alive or dead. If he is brought alive, however, your pay will double."

Cerasy's eyebrow raised, and Sanar thought she saw hatred flare in the hunter's eyes, but her gaze dropped to the paper before Sanar could be sure. "Is this sanctioned by the Empire?" Cerasy queried indifferently.

"I am working directly under the Emperor's commands, hunter," Devnos snapped. "If I was looking for an assassination, I wouldn't deal with potential screw-ups such as yourself."

Cerasy's eyes blazed as they shot up. " 'Screw ups'?" she repeated dangerously, her hand caressing the hilt of her blaster.

Devnos ignored her. "I demand that Onyx be brought only to me. If I find that you have turned your back on our deal, and sent him to another client, you will be better treated by your worst enemy. Do we understand each other?"

Eyes narrowed into slits, Cerasy slipped the datapad into a pocket on her belt. "Perfectly," she purred. "What is Onyx's crime?"

The Force flew toward the bounty hunter, and Cerasy gasped, raising a hand to her neck. Just as quickly, Devnos released her throat. "That is none of your concern."

Cerasy, however, refused to quit. "But it is," she insisted, her voice made out of nails. "I need to know with what I'm dealing."

Sanar thought he wouldn't reply, but Devnos surprised her. "The Empire is keeping this quiet," he began, as if it was being dragged out of him, "but you are dealing with a traitor. Onyx attempted to murder the Emperor before disappearing. It is suspected that he escaped with Jaina Solo – a Rebel that seduced him, before or during her enslavement."

Cerasy stilled for the briefest of moments, then smirked. "You want me to take down someone who tried to do the galaxy a favour? Your false Emperor has killed too many friends for me to do anything but laugh at his incompetence," she scoffed. "So, even Onyx has turned on him? Well, it won't be long now…"

Devnos' lightsaber buzzed to life in his hands, making Sanar raise an eyebrow. "Well, then, it will be my pleasure to add you to your fallen friends' numbers."

So fast she was a blur, Cerasy drew two high-power blasters and aimed them straight at Devnos' chest. "Like hell you will."

Sanar couldn't restrain her laughter. It just got better and better. Devnos was being humiliated – and by a woman, no less! Wait until I tell…the ceiling. But even the reminder of her isolation couldn't get her down.

To Sanar's delight, Devnos stepped back, eyeing Cerasy with caution. "I wouldn't advise that."

"Good thing I don't listen to Imperials," Cerasy retorted. "I've taken down my share of Dark Jedi, Devnos Klis; try to stop me and you'll become a statistic."

Truth rang through Cerasy's words, and Devnos lowered his blade with a snarl. "I can describe you," he warned, trying to recover his dignity. "The Empire will track you down."

Cerasy only laughed mockingly. "Right. Onyx and all his top-secret information are on the loose…and the Empire will worry about one, little Rebel sympathizer? I don't think so. Now, drop your lightsaber and roll it over to the slave. If you even think of giving it to him, Missy," she added in Sanar's direction, "I'll put a hole through his chest."

Sanar considered throwing the lightsaber back at Devnos. Which would be better: humiliated Devnos, or dead Devnos?

"You may as well shoot now and save yourself the quick movement, then," Devnos said, voice dripping with disdain. "Sanar would like nothing less than to see me dead. Niftyax."

Cerasy grinned. "I'm just waiting for the take-advantage situation, you slimy, pus-filled Imp. Tell me, who does your hair? Or do you even need a hair stylist? Maybe you anger Brakiss so much that he just electrocutes you until your hair falls out in clumps…"

Devnos looked thrown for a second before he made a scornful expression. "Only Rebel dreamers believe that the Emperor is not Palpatine."

The bounty hunter chuckled softly as she backed toward the door. "Better a dreamer than a moron. Better a dreamer than a doomed man." Then, completely out of the blue, Cerasy demanded, "Is Jaina Solo alive?"

Sanar's eyes narrowed and, despite herself, she replied before her brother could. "Why?"

Cerasy's head whipped over to the slave, but her weapons did not waver. "You know something?"

"I used to belong to Onyx."

Comprehension dawned in Cerasy's eyes, quickly followed by calculation. "Part of his harem, were you? Disgusting business," she added under her breath. "Poor Jay."

Sanar's curiosity peaked until she almost forgot her brother. "Jaina changed him," she told the other woman, as meaningfully as she could. An unacknowledged part of her hoped this woman was a friend of Jaina's; if Cerasy knew Jaina, after all…

What? She might be a friend for Sanar? The slave rolled her eyes. Whatever was possessing her to think of Jaina as a…friend or, worse, a sister was becoming increasingly annoying.

Cerasy lowered one of her weapons and methodically unlocked the door behind her. "Is she alive?"

"The Emperor saw her as a threat," Sanar continued, speeding up her message as Devnos' glare intensified. "He captured and wounded Jaina. I've never seen anyone survive that kind of head trauma, no matter how strong or how smart they are."

Devnos' left eye twitched, just a little.

Just to spite him, Sanar projected her thoughts loudly in the woman's mind. /She is alive. Zekk turned back and saved her. They returned to her family./ Quickly, she reached out and listened carefully for a response. Hopefully, even if the woman wasn't Force sensitive, she would think loud enough for Sanar to hear.

Cerasy's face was impassive, but her eye twitched, and Sanar knew her message had been received. Thank you, the bounty hunter put forth clumsily. I won't forget this.

Even before the words finished echoing in Sanar's mind, Cerasy turned away, as if in pain. "Very well, then. She won't be the last fighter to fall, thanks to the Hutt slime." Her eyes flashed up to glower at Devnos.

Devnos' hand had begun moving slowly down to his belt, and Sanar sent as much warning to Cerasy through the Force as she could manage. Her brother wasn't slithering out of this one!

Cerasy aimed and fired, the laser just whispering past Devnos' neck. "Don't even think about it," she warned, stepping forward, all business again. "I'm going to leave alive, and I have never been reluctant to take out an enemy."

Her eyes slid over to Sanar, and the corner of her mouth quirked upwards for a second. "But thanks for reminding me." She whammed her blaster down on Devnos' head, causing him to sprawl against the wall, unconscious.

Spitting a curse at the fallen Dark Jedi, Cerasy kicked him in the side once, then glanced up at Sanar. "Sanar, right?" The slave nodded. "Well, are you coming?

Sanar's mind slowed down. Cerasy wanted to take her along? What? It was more than tempting. Escaping Devnos promised something she had given up on: freedom. Larifx, with that, she might even have a prayer for redemption. Away from her brother. She might be able to heal.

But…

But what? Every instinct Sanar possessed ordered her to stay put.

You are still needed. You cannot run. He will only bring you back. Do not assume you know everything.

"I need to stay – for now." Each word was a bushel of thorns, clawing their way through her throat.

Cerasy gave her a disbelieving look. "Stay? Are you insane?" Her face darkened. "You aren't his…"

Sanar interrupted before the bounty hunter could voice her gruesome thought. "No. He's my brother."

"In war, blood means nothing more than victory." Despite her words, Cerasy seemed to understand – just a little.

"I will escape him," Sanar replied defiantly. "But…not yet. I don't know why, but I need to stay here. There's something…" She shrugged.

The bounty hunter nodded slowly, then threw her a dagger. Sanar ducked with a soft exclamation, then picked the blade up where it fell. "For insurance," Cerasy explained, flipping her blue hair. "For telling me about Jaina, however, I am indebted to you. I know people who will survive on that information." She bobbed her head. "If you ever need harbour, go to Gali on the planet Upiac. My name will lend you help."

Sanar blinked and slowly stood. How, she wondered, was she supposed to react to that? "I don't need your pity," she spat.

Cerasy smirked. "Whatever you say, Blue."

Sanar's eyebrow lifted. How did she receive the nickname "Blue" when Cerasy…? Whatever.

"Last chance," Cerasy offered.

Damning herself for turning down the opportunity, Sanar shook her head.

Cerasy's eyes lingered on Sanar, but then the bounty hunter shrugged and threw open the door she had left behind. "He'll have a headache when he wakes up. Get out of the way while he stumbles around. Guys are such babies," Sanar heard her finish sourly as she hopped back into her ship.

Even Sanar had to smile a little at that.

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

Please R&R!

.Tjz