"By the fucking starlights!" muttered Vette under her breath as she looked at the man who she thought mere moments ago to be the most dangerous being in the galaxy. She hadn't even tried to imagine what he would look like, but anything she would've come up with would have been very far away from this old, spent and mutilated human being. Deep wrinkles had buried themselves into his face and his long, shaggy grey hair only added to the impression that he not only was a prisoner but also a badly treated one.

"What an anticlimactic development," Nox sounded disappointed.

"Indeed," added Badesh. "But it is fascinating, even though he is but a shell of his former self he still emanating so much power."

"So much… time… and no Jedi?" mumbled Revan.

Vette allowed herself to relax – it seemed that the old man didn't pose any threat anymore. But it was worrying anyway… who had freed Revan from the maelstrom prison only to maim him and let him vegetate here?

"Of course not, Jedi are as weak as spineless," scoffed Nox and crossed his arms.

"…at least one is… here… someone of my own kin."

He was talking about Theron! This was bad, if Nox learned that… Vette stopped her train of though. Someone of his own kin?

Badesh turned to Theron and glared at him. "Are you related to Revan?"

Nox jerked his head towards Theron but remained silent.

"No! I mean… I don't know…" retorted Theron and took a step back, away from Badesh.

"My Lord… the records mentioned that Revan travelled with the Jedi Bastila Shan." Quinn pulled a med scanner from his utility belt and begun to scan Revan. "Darth Revan was apparently the forefather of Satele Shan and therefore Agent Heian."

"Interesting company you keep, Darth Tenebra," remarked Nox dryly. "Oh, I am looking forward to have a word with you… Agent."

Vette felt sorry for Theron, she actually believed that he hadn't known about his heritage. He looked very distressed and exchanged glances with Kalda.

"Who imprisoned you, Darth Revan?" asked Badesh calmly.

"… someone of my own kin… at least … someone of my own kin," slurred Revan, then he blinked a few times. "… I was imprisoned by the Sith Emperor."

Next to Vette Badesh took a deep breath while Nox started to giggle. She looked at Quinn who had a harrowed expression on his face; Vette stepped forward and grabbed his arm. Quinn stared at her, he looked nauseous.

"Why?" Badesh clasped his hands behind his back.

"... harnessing my power… making everything dark…"

"That is impossible, nobody can harness the force," replied Badesh. "It flows through everything and cannot be bound, only bent."

"And yet you were drawn by his power and came before him," said Nox. "Perhaps that was all that was needed? A rallying point for the discontent people on both sides… an ancient legend who had been Sith as well as a Jedi."

"You mean… everything was orchestrated by the Sith Emperor?" asked Kalda disbelievingly. "Why in the galaxy would he do that? What would he gain?"

"Is it possible that Revan is simply rambling or even lying?" Theron had regained his composure and had stepped closer to his ancestor.

"No," replied Badesh. "Quinn and Vette had already found cues that pointed in the same direction."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nox didn't sound angry, only less cheerful than before.

"Because it's high treason to even question the action of the Emperor and we didn't have concrete proof."

"The question remains… what would the Emperor gain?" Kalda rubbed her temples and stared at Revan.

"Quinn – do you have any thoughts on that matter?" asked Badesh.

"My Lord… I… I can't think of anything," stammered Quinn, sounding insecure. Vette felt a stab in her heart, it was unsettling to see Quinn in such a disarray.

"I have a suspicion," Nox slowly began. "But I need to confirm it first, otherwise it could lead us astray. I will have to return to Korriban and talk to my old master." Then he simply turned around and left the chambers, his robe billowing behind him. Xalek followed him.

Badesh stared for a while at Revan, then he pulled his holocommunicator from his pocket. The small bluish figure of Grand Moff Kilran appeared.

"Grand Moff, the operation was a success. We have Revan, or what's left of him."

"Splendid, my Lord. How shall we proceed?" Kilran sounded as blithely as always.

"I will question Revan personally, it may take some time. Leave a detachment of your most loyal men with me and return to the Imperial Fleet. Surely you absence has been noted, but there is no need to arouse further suspicion. The conspiracy is not over yet."

"I trust you will inform me as soon you know something substantial?" inquired Kilran.

"Of course," Badesh ended the call and turned to Vette and Quinn. "You may return to the Fury… you should get some rest."

"I guess the same goes for us, huh?" asked Kalda. "Or are we free to leave?"

"No," replied Badesh curtly. "Return to the Fury as well."

Vette was a little surprised that Badesh didn't simply let the former SIS-agents be thrown into prison. As far as she could see the matter had become an imperial one, it made no sense to involve them further. At the same time she was relieved that their fellowship hadn't come to an end – even though it wasn't voluntary.

ooOOoo

"So, what happens next?" Theron let himself fall on the lounge next to the commstation in the middle of the ship.

"Our next destination will be concluded as soon as Darth Tenebra has finished his interrogation," replied Quinn while checking for holo-messages.

Kalda stood next to Theron with crossed arms. "I think our co-operation has reached its end. I suggest you leave the Fury and we… well, we get out of here."

Vette put her right hand on her blaster and scanned Theron and Kalda with her eyes. They weren't armed anymore; what were they planning? "Guys… don't do it… whatever you are up to."

"I'm sorry Vette, but this is probably the best chance we have," Theron smiled sadly.

"I assume you have manipulated something to force us off the Fury? May I inquire what it is?" asked Quinn coolly.

"The Glowfly carries an active bomb – and its yield is enough to blow a nice hole on whatever docking bay it is. And since you brought it to the Imperial Fleet I assume that the damage would be rather big. And before you think to pull your weapons…" Theron showed that he held a small device in his palm. "I just have to press the button."

"You could be lying," retorted Quinn. He still stood unmoved at the commstation.

"I could be – but I am not. And you wouldn't take the risk, right Quinn? Step away from that console."

Quinn did as he was told. Kalda made a step towards Vette, but before she could reach her Theron groaned and lost consciousness. As he fell on the floor Vette drew her blasters and pointed them at Kalda.

"I am sorry too," she said. "Down on the ground, hands behind your head."

"What the fuck did you do to Theron?" Kalda yelled.

Quinn also drew his blaster and trained it at Kalda. "It's not permanent – when I treated him after Alderaan I also scanned his implants. Vette designed a nano-virus that I inserted during the next routine check that would shut down his neural pathways through the implants. I simply set a timer as soon as it became clear that you are attempting to flee."

Kalda glared at them and finally lay down and put her hands behind her head. "What if I had been the one to hold the detonator?"

"We will never know, won't we?" retorted Quinn smoothly.

Vette cuffed Kalda and Theron. Then she helped Kalda on the lounge and together with Quinn they put Theron also on it. Then she picked up the detonator and handed it to Quinn. He had a quick look at it and activated the holocommstation.

"Imperial Fleet, this is Major Quinn from the Fury. There is a bomb aboard the starship Glowfly – search it and report back to me."

"Yes, sir," came the reply.

Quinn turned to face Kalda. "I am impressed, Agent Biss. It seems that we got careless around you."

"Stop patronizing me!" replied Kalda angry.

"It wasn't my intention to insult you," stated Quinn calmly.

Theron groaned. "What… what happened?"

"We sliced your implant," said Vette and helped Theron to sit up. "The bomb is being disarmed as we speak."

"You mean you can shut me down anytime?"

"Yes," replied Quinn curtly.

"Crap…" Theron looked dejected. Vette felt sorry for him and Kalda; after this attempted escape they would probably be sent into an imperial prison.

ooOOoo

To her surprise Badesh didn't even bat an eye at the news that Theron and Kalda had tried to blow up the Imperial Fleet.

"Of course they tried to escape. Quinn, plot a course to Dromund Kaas; Vette secure the agents in the cargo bay."

"If you have any respect for us… let us go," said Kalda with a firm voice. "I don't want to croak in an imperial interrogation cell."

Vette remembered her promise, but as things were she couldn't simply kill them in cold blood.

Badesh removed his mask and put it on the lounge table, then he sat down across from Kalda. "If you were in my place, would you let your prisoners go?"

"Yes," replied Theron with a frown.

"No," answered Kalda, "but you are a member of the Dark Council and we are only simple agents. That is hardly the same."

Theron leaned forward. "I would let you go, Sith or not. And I think that we earned our freedom. You gain nothing by taking us to Dromund Kaas, we don't have useful intel anymore."

Vette decided to speak up. "Boss, I think we should let them go… they helped us and we could repay them by letting them free. They would surely end up in a horrible place and I… like them too much to let that happen." She knew that her opinion wouldn't change Badesh's decision, but at the same time she felt that she owed it to Theron and Kalda to try at least.

"I concur with Vette, my Lord," said Quinn stiffly. "It would be … honourable."

Vette was taken aback. The way Theron and Kalda stared disbelievingly at Quinn probably mirrored her own facial expression.

"You surprise me, Quinn," remarked Badesh. "But I…"

Before he could finish his sentence a shrill beeping rang through the room. Vette checked the commstation and saw that it was an incoming call… on Theron's line.

"Caller ID unknown, but somebody to trying to reach Theron."

"Quinn, uncuff him – take the call, Agent Heian. But don't say anything about your location."

As soon as he was free, Theron stepped to the commstation and pushed the receive button. The look on his face was tense, Vette suspected that he already knew that the call wouldn't be pleasant.

The picture of the caller materialised: It was the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Satele Shan.

"Theron," she said calmly. Satele's voice expressed authority and self-confidence.

"Grand Master," Theron replied with an unusual serious expression on his face.

"I am relieved to see you well. I apologize for not calling sooner, but I was on an important mission."

"I understand. The well-being of many is more important than the well-being of an individual."

Vette felt sad for Theron, he seemed calm and collected but he was… different than is usual self. It was like he was trying to imitate his mother's detached speech.

"Indeed it is. I seem to feel a powerful presence through the holo; who is with you?"

So Badesh had decided not to hide his force signature. Vette glanced at him, Badesh put his mask back on and stepped next to Theron. She was certain that he enjoyed Theron's discomfort and hoped to rile up Satele.