Chapter 5
Cold Blood
Bastila sat on the cold and corroded metallic surface of her and Elena's confines, he head buried against her knees out of despair. The lights above them flickered from time to time, giving them not a light which they could show the slightest appreciation for, but merely served to prevent them from getting what sleep they could due to the incessant noise. Knowing in their hearts that time was running out, both could only hope and pray that Kael, Carth and their new friends would come for them soon.
Wiping a tear which she had shed earlier from the bottom of her chin, Bastila looked across her left shoulder at her friend who still had her head slumped against her arm, light breaths escaping her lips as her eyes remained closed in a restful state. Elena had drifted in and out of consciousness for hours now, telling her what she could in small whispers after making certain that no cameras or other surveillance devices were recording their words. Nothing struck more at Bastila's core than to hear of the man who had accompanied Elena after saving her life aboard the Endar Spire. Even now she shuddered to think what the potential ramifications would be if she were to even look upon him during her quest to stop the relentless campaign of Malak and the Sith.
Shifting slightly, Bastila turned and delicately hooked her left arm across Elena's back, bringing her senior's head down upon her lap. Elena stirred, fatigue evident in her as she slowly opened her eyes to meet Bastila's gaze. The older Jedi smiled weakly, taking what small comfort she could knowing that she was in the company of her dear friend.
"How are you feeling?" Bastila asked softly, brushing aside strands of black hair which lay over Elena's eyes.
"Somewhat better," Elena replied, her dry lips cracked at the bottom after her torture and interrogation at the hands of the Vulkars. Still being able to possess a sense of humor in her current circumstance, she smiled. "You didn't use Force Heal on me, did you?"
Bastila couldn't help but reciprocate Elena's expression. "With this around my neck? I don't think so." She ran her hand against the collar which was forced upon her.
"I'm so sorry, Bastila," Elena apologized, her smile faded and replaced with a sullen frown. "This is all my fault. I was too rash…too desperate to find you. I should have known better. As a Jedi, I shouldn't have done what I had done."
"Even the greatest among us make mistakes," Bastila patted Elena on the shoulder. Her sharp mind then pressing on to different matters, she asked further. "By the way, does he…does he know?" She feared the consequences that would follow if Elena's answer was what she didn't want to hear.
"No, he doesn't," Elena hoarsely replied with a whisper, a worried look on her face as she was filled with uncertainty regarding the future. "Not yet, anyway."
Bastila remained pessimistic. "He may not be aware of just who he is now, but I'm afraid that time may not be as merciful to us as we hope it will be. And if and when he does remember, our fates will forever be tied to his. It is a destiny which we cannot escape from."
Knowing deep down that Bastila's words were true, Elena shuddered in anxiety. She looked sombrely down at the wooden pendent that was still strung around her neck, after having been deemed by the Vulkars to be of no significance. She fondled the object tenderly and closed her eyes, her imagination and memory providing her respite with the soothing words of a close friend she recalled from her past.
-o-
A pang of fear engulfed the heart of Ice, who stood on looking with shock at the small wound on the surface of Kael's left ankle. Her normal cool demeanor befitting her name was completely gone, and her head was visibly shaking as Kael himself stared with disbelief at the site on his flesh which could potentially determine whether he would live or die.
"What's wrong, Ice?" Carth asked after he pulled himself up the drain hole, taking notice of his companion's face which was white as a sheet.
"…He is bitten," Ice exhaled, so mortified that she found it difficult to speak.
"What was that?!" Mission let out a dampened cry from below. She scrambled in a panic up the hole, receiving a boost from Zaalbar. Once she got on her feet, she rushed next to Carth, who also stood on watching in panic at Kael's ankle.
"This can't be…Fuck!" Kael began to breath erratically, scrunching his hair in frustration with both hands.
Her fear overwhelming her, Mission walked over to Ice and grabbed her right forearm imploringly. "Ice, please tell me that you have more of those rakghoul serum syringes on you!"
"I don't!" Ice puffed. "I only had that one syringe on me the whole time I was down here! It's not like I ever get myself bitten!"
"Why did you use it on me, then? I wasn't even bitten – it was only a bruise after falling down the ladder! It's the damned honest truth!" Mission complained.
"And just what the fuck was I supposed to do, then?" Ice snapped back. "Just take my chances with it and see how things go with you?"
Zaalbar let out a worried growl the moment he joined the others and looked down at Kael, who was still in a state of mental shock to get back up on his feet.
"There still may be hope," Ada told them. "Many times when I saw some Vulkars returning from their patrols where they keep an eye on the Gamorreans who occasionally try to launch raids on their base, they were ordered to go to the upper level of the base to administer treatment on themselves. It may be where they keep all the serums stashed for safekeeping and rationing."
"Then that's where we have to go," Ice declared, confidence and leadership brimming in her voice. "Get up, Kael, and strap on a uniform ASAP. I'm not leaving you lying out here like a baby until you turn."
Mission voiced her opinion. "But…I remember Fae telling us before she died that Rano took hours before he succumbed to his wound and turned. Couldn't we possibly leave him here and come back after we—"
"No." Ice cut her off. "Just because he took hours to turn, doesn't mean Kael will. I'm not taking any chances."
"But…what if I turn while we're going through the base? What if it'll be too late?" Kael asked.
Ice looked at him with cold eyes and spoke with just as much heartlessness. "Then I'll kill and put you down myself. I will not let anyone or anything harm Mission. That is final."
"That's…reassuring," Kael remarked sarcastically, then let out a grunt as he rose to his feet.
"We've spoken for too long. Hurry up and follow me to into the bar," Ice said, quickly taking the lead. "Carth and Kael, grab a dead Vulkar each and put their armor on yourselves, and then drag the bodies back in here and dump them in the drain. We can properly dispose of the bodies later."
Kael and Carth followed Ice's instructions, entered the bar and put on the uniforms of the deceased Vulkars who lay motionless on the bar stools. Fortunately for them, the light armor vests they already had on were thin enough to further accommodate the somewhat bulky torso armor, but the leggings left them feeling uncomfortable and restricted in movement. The two men looked with envy at Ice, who found no difficulty at all slipping into her disguise due to the thin dark blue leather pants she wore. Slipping her hand into one of the pockets of her disguise, she took out what appeared to be a key card and observed it before placing it back inside.
Looking with dismay at their prying eyes, Ice sighed and gave new orders. "Look, I'm sexy and I know it, but do get a darned move on. We don't have forever. Especially you." She pointed a finger at Kael, then grabbed the arm of the Vulkar whom she stripped and dragged him back into the kitchen.
Carth and Kael shrugged at each other and followed Ice, dragging the bodies of the three remaining Vulkars. After the corpses were dumped in the sewer, they ensured that all of their weapons were reloaded and their silencers securely put in place. A highly reluctant Zaalbar was forced by Mission to relinquish his bowcaster to Ice, grunting and growling quietly.
"Good luck," Ada murmured, her eyes expressing the fear and concern she held for her friend.
"Hey," Ice said softly and walked up to her, placing her hand on Ada's shoulder. "Don't worry. Things will be alright, I promise. I'm not leaving you here this time, I swear to you."
"Alright. I trust you," Ada nodded with a weak smile. "Make sure to come back here safe, ok?"
"Sure thing, dear," Ice smiled over her shoulder, then proceeded to lead the group back into the bar area while Ada returned to toil in the kitchen.
"So what's the drill?" Carth asked.
"You lot stay here in the bar until I come back," Ice said. "I'm going to have a brief look around. If the coast is as clear as I would like, then we should have no problems whatsoever making our way to the upper level."
"Ice…," Mission stepped forward and gently held her upper arm, feeling concern for her fellow Bek.
"Hey," Ice smiled back at her, "don't worry, kiddo. I'll be back. You can count on that."
Setting forth alone, Ice left the others in the dimly lit darkness of the bar, closing the squeaky door behind her. With every second that passed during her absence, those who remained behind couldn't help but worry for Ice's safety; Mission being shaken most visibly of all as she leaned against the wall with a slight trembling in her knees.
"Mission, are you ok?" Carth questioned, putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," Mission replied with a shrug of her shoulder to push away Carth's hand. The many years she spent as a street urchin in the lower levels of Taris had hardened her considerably, and most attempts by others to reach out to help her were naturally rejected, falsely interpreted by her as a sign that they thought she couldn't take care of herself.
Carth was slightly unsettled by Mission's action, but soon correctly acknowledged inwardly that her action was natural for a child her age who disliked being coddled.
"So you think it'll work? Ice's plan, I mean," Kael asked. "If you ask me, it's considerably risky, and depends on too many variables going in our favor."
"My thoughts are the same, Kael," Carth shook his head in disappointment, "but what choice do we really have? If things go wrong, it's better for us to stick together than have some of us staying down here and the others in the upper level."
"Well, maybe it wouldn't be," Mission disagreed. "Sometimes it's better if people stay apart rather than bunch together as a group."
"What makes you say that, Mission?" Kael said.
"After what happened to Griff, I—" she started, but stopped as soon as she came to mentioning a name that presumably meant much to her.
"Griff? Who's Griff?" Carth asked.
Mission sighed. "Look, I…I don't wanna get into details about that at this point. Maybe after this is over and we're in a safe place, I'll tell you. But just not now. For now, it's time to—"
Her words were cut off by the sound of the door creaking open once again, which drove them all to spring into action and point their weapons at the figure which entered the bar.
"It's time to get a move on, Mish, that's right," Ice stated, and the others immediately lowered their weapons. "Okay, here's how we're going to do it: you have to take the lead," she pointed her finger at Kael.
"Me? Why?" Kael asked.
"Women aren't that prominent among the Vulkars as they are in the Beks, and I'll just leave it at that," Ice explained. "Kael, you and I have to walk in front of Mission and Zaalbar. If and when we need to fight, they can grab out the blaster pistols holstered at the back of our belts. Carth, you follow up at the rear."
"You got it, lead on," Carth nodded.
"We just happen to be in luck," Ice said. "Vulkars are really lax in their inner base security at nighttime. Blame it on them that they overindulge on their female slaves at night. I haven't seen any patrols lurking around who could potentially bust us if they see Mission and Zaalbar coming out of the bar with us. Come with me now, and don't speak a word. Except for you, Kael."
"What do you mean?" Kael scratched his head. "What should I say if a Vulkar asks me what we're doing with these two?" He pointed back at Mission and Zaalbar.
Ice shrugged. "Use your imagination and say things that'll suit the circumstances, I guess? Now come on." She opened the door and walked in front with Kael. After Mission and Zaalbar stepped after them, Carth shut the door as he exited.
Upon stepping out the bar, they could see that they were situated in the middle of a long corridor which led to several adjoining chambers. Unfamiliar with the base's layout, they paid attention to Ice and closely followed her as she led the way, aided by her prior studying of maps she acquired from Vulkars she had killed previously.
His eyes darting side to side, Kael was unspeakably relieved that they had ascended from the sewers when they did. The few Vulkars who came and went in and out of the corridor shot at them eerie glances, among some glares of suspicion. Most of their eyes were fixed upon not just the apparent prisoners, but something else of theirs that caused them to noticeably stare downwards.
Without looking back so as to avoid raising suspicion, Kael thought hard in the sparse time he had remaining while he walked closer and closer to two guards who stood on either side of a large pair of sliding metallic doors, presumably that of the elevator leading one floor above where the garage was located. But no matter how much he tried, he could not identify just what made the Vulkars look at Mission and Zaalbar with such suspicion.
With every suspicious glance shot at his way, Kael found it increasingly difficult to keep his composure as Ice, befitting her name, managed to do. Although he felt real concern at the prospect of failing to rescue Bastila and Elena, he was even more fearful at present of what may happen to Mission if a fight broke out. Regardless of whether or not the young girl could demonstrate that she could fend for herself, she was, to the eyes of him, Carth and Ice, precisely that: a young girl whom they had to protect while she was under their care.
His breathing suddenly growing thin, Kael became increasingly nervous as he realized that the effects of the rakghoul poison were slowly but surely settling in. His head was pounding and he found it difficult to think clearly, and remaining upright, a task that should have posed no problems whatsoever, became a difficult thing to maintain.
Snorting grumpily, a Weequay Vulkar who stood watch in front of the sealed door leading to the garage level elevator stood resolutely in their path and snarled in Basic. "What do you scum want?"
Kael fought the urge to cover his nose to keep out the stench of skooma which came reeking from the alien's mouth as he replied. "Got some punks we snatched from the Lower City. Taking them up to the garage to present them to HQ."
The Weequay was still unconvinced and suspecting. He looked down at the hands of the two 'prisoners' and remarked further. "Their wrists aren't bound. Why aren't they bound?"
Oh shit, Kael thought, barely managing to keep a straight face and keep himself from gulping. So that's why all those Vulkars were staring at us.
He immediately improvised an excuse and hoped for the best. "Do you expect me to walk right up to a damned Wookiee and try to restrain him? You know that Wookiees are some of the most violent dumbasses in the galaxy. I'd rather live by having my weapon aimed at him from a safe distance than have my throat torn out, thank you very much. It'd be impossible to drag, let alone carry, such a huge son of a bitch all the way here, too."
Zaalbar let out a growl the moment he heard those words come out of Kael's mouth. The Republic soldier was concerned that the Wookiee's possible lack of ability to understand the necessity of a convenient lie could come back in the form of an unpleasant fist in his face later when they were out of danger, but was more relieved that Zaalbar was, even if unwittingly, playing along with his ruse.
And, according to the response he gained from the Weequay guard, it seemed to work. "Hmph. Fair enough. After all, trying to subdue a Gamorrean commander in the lower sewers did get a few of our idiots' throats torn out. Go ahead, then." His eyes then darted to Mission, who stood beside Zaalbar with an intimidated look on her face. "Good work in capturing the Twi'lek; I'm sure we can make good use of her. There's not much to do around here, and the boys need their share of fun. That, or we might be able to sell her for a handsome price."
Kael felt a deep sense of disgust striking within him after hearing the Vulkar's sickening words, and didn't doubt that Mission was mortified to think what may happen to her if they failed and became captive.
"Bah," The Vulkar grunted, "we've spoken enough. Just swipe your key card and be on your way."
Following the pointing gesture the Weequay made with the tip of his gun, Ice took out the card from her pocket and ran it against the scanning device that was situated on the wall next to the entrance. A sigh of relief escaped all of their lips when they stepped through the opened sliding doors which quickly closed behind them, and observed that the two rows of deadly sentry turrets which menacingly faced their direction did not open fire. Wasting no further time, they made their way to the elevator and entered, taking a precautionary step of ensuring once again that their blasters had silencers attached and were fully loaded.
The moment the elevator's doors slided shut, Kael was overwhelmed by fatigue and let out a grunt, falling on his hands and knees. His weapon clattered onto the floor and his hair flopped over his face, his vision beginning to fail him and growing blurry.
"Kael! Are you alright?" Mission panicked, immediately crouching down to place an arm around Kael's back. However, she winced when she felt the firm hold of Ice's hand pulling her away from her suffering friend.
"Mission, get away from him," Ice warned, pointing her pistol straight at Kael's head.
Horrified, Mission retorted. "What the hell, Ice?! Can't you see what's happening to him?"
"I do. That's why I'm pulling you away."
"But surely there's still time?" Carth insisted. "Mission, your friend in the Undercity village said that the guy called Rano took hours to turn, but Kael's only been afflicted for a single hour at most!"
"I don't care," Ice coldly stated as she punched in a button to begin the ascent to the garage level. "Whether it is one hour or twelve he is infected, I'm not going to take the risk of having him close to Mission."
"I don't need you fucking babysitting me all the time!" Mission snapped. "I can take care of myself!"
Ice scoffed. "Oh, yeah? And just how would you have led these guys in rescuing your Jedi friends? Try to waltz right up the main entrance from the sewer and alert everyone in the base by fighting a damned rancor?"
Seeing Mission withdraw with a depressed look on her face, Ice softened her tone and placed a gentle hand on the youngster's shoulder. "Look, Mission, I'm sorry if I sound like I doubt your abilities. Don't take this the wrong way, but you're 14; you might be able to take care of yourself, but that doesn't change my determination to protect someone as young as you. Please, just try to understand that I want to see you safe and unhurt. Same goes with Carth."
Mission turned to look at Carth, who stood with a sympathetic expression on his face. Although it irritated her when Carth acted in an overprotective manner towards her, she knew that he meant well and simply cared for her safety.
Feeling the elevator grind to a halt, Ice pressed the button to open the doors again and tilted her head sideways towards the open space, signalling the others to follow her. They reassumed the same order as before: Kael and Ice took the lead, followed by Mission, Zaalbar and Carth.
Fighting back down the sickening feeling that seemed to barely contain itself from erupting within his stomach, Kael continued onward, his ability to think clearly and rationally degrading further by the minute. Looking sideways at Ice, he saw that she was headed straight for what looked to be an open corridor that was flanked on both sides by descending staircases. All around them were several maintenance droids scurrying about several large vehicles, presumably the swoop bikes the Vulkars would be using in the upcoming grand race.
Taking notice of another Vulkar guard who stood in a solitary watch, the group approached him, hopeful that he would be as gullible as the Weequay who had let them pass unhindered to the elevator. The gruff and sneering human looked directly at them, his fingers impatiently twitching against his blaster rifle.
"What do you lot want? Boss ain't expecting no-one at this hour," the guard grunted.
"Got some captured prisoners here to present to Brejik," Kael informed him. "Snatched them from the streets. Probably will be able to sell them to willing bidders or use them well."
"Don't you know the procedure with hostages, you little shit of an inductee?" the guard snarled. "No-one just waltzes into the HQ without first receiving approval from Brejik or Kandon. I'll have to receive clearance from the boss, and—" He paused, his eyes narrowing as he focused his vision on Kael's uniform. "Wait a minute…"
"Something the matter?" Ice put her hands on her hips, her right hand gently beginning to grasp her knife which she kept concealed in its leather strapping within her trousers. Carth took precautionary measures as well, standing just behind Zaalbar as he slowly unholstered his blaster pistol.
"That's Gurku's uniform. I recognize that mark on the right shoulder," the Vulkar pointed. Sure enough, there was what appeared to be a small gash there, presumably from combat with a beast. "What the hell are you doing wearing Gurku's uniform? Who the hell are you?!"
Having lost her patience, Ice shook her head and coldly muttered. "We don't have time for this."
With a swift and decisive throw, she pierced the Vulkar's temple with her hidden knife. The once-threatening man immediately fell silent, having died instantly the moment the dagger became imbedded in his brain.
"Well, there goes our hopes of having the element of surprise for as long as we'd liked," Ice said, pulling the knife out of the man's flesh. "We don't have time to clear the body at all. We should move quickly, get in, and get out."
Without so much as a second thought, the group quickly followed Ice's lead, Mission and Zaalbar now armed once more with blasters that were handed to them by Carth and Kael. Turning left as they came to the end of the corridor, they bounded through another hallway to where the Vulkar headquarters were presumably located. The sheer emptiness of the passageway aroused suspicion in them, as if they were being watched.
"This should be it, according to the Vulkar maps I've collected and studied," Ice said when they came to the end of the wing of the corridor. "This is the HQ, where the base's main terminal is located. We can use it to free your friends, as well as shut down the turrets guarding the elevator."
"Then let's not waste any time," Carth insisted, pointing his blaster at a small security terminal situated against the wall. "Run that card of yours through."
Ice did as Carth suggested with a nod of her head. After successfully gaining clearance by using the key card of the deceased Vulkar from whom she took her disguise, she slowly crept forward with the others into the room that was pitch black with the exception of a computer terminal which illuminated its surroundings with a dim blue glow. Advancing to the terminal which presumably acted as the master control of the entire base's security measures, they kept an ear out for any possible movements from further down the corridor.
But then, just as they thought that no-one was present around them and that they were safe, their hearts sunk when the lights lit up above all around them, revealing eight Vulkars – presumably the leaders of the gang – looking back at them from the far end of the room beyond the terminal with sly smirks on their faces and weapons at the ready.
Standing at the forefront of the group were two Twi'leks – a green-skinned male in a yellow combat suit, and a beautiful yellow-skinned female who wore a dark leather outfit which accentuated her alluring figure. Between them stood a human man of slightly dark complexion, short cropped black hair and dark eyes, garbed in a military style white combat suit. Attached to his utility belt on his right side were both Bastila and Elena's lightsabers which were confiscated after the Jedi were captured.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" the Twi'lek female spoke, her tone elegant yet insidious. "I had a feeling we'd be seeing each other again…Ice."
"You…you bitch," Ice spoke through gritted teeth, the blaster in her hand trembling under the sheer force of her fingers, her knuckles going white under her glove.
"Come now, have you forgotten my name already? It's Nila, remember?" the Twi'lek smugly responded. "And…Ah, you must be Mission, am I correct?" She looked at the young teenager who stared back confusedly.
"How do you know me?" Mission asked.
Nila laughed. "My cousin never told you of me? How typical of Zaerdra to look down upon and patronize the younger members of the gang. No matter: soon your friends will all be dead, and you'll be all alone, toiling your days away here as a slave."
"Wait, Nila," the human held up his right hand, signalling to all of the others to hold their fire. "You speak too quickly. The only one who must die is Ice, for she has caused us far too much trouble over the years. Mission and her Wookiee friend, however, may be spared, and may potentially have a place amongst us. As for the two men who accompany them, I have never seen them before, and they appear to be skilled fighters. We may put them to some use yet."
"How did…how did you know we were coming?" Mission asked.
"The patrol you killed was equipped with a comlink device," the green male Twi'lek explained. "We could hear every word he uttered, right up until you killed him."
"What have you done with our friends?" Kael asked, doing his best to maintain his cool despite seething with anger.
"Ah, your two Jedi friends?" Nila said. "They are our prisoners, and will be put up as a double prize for the winner of the swoop race that will take place in two days' time. Naturally, since the Beks' prototype accelerator is in our hands, there can only be one victor…"
"Release them. Now," Kael ordered with a glare.
"Hah! Or else you'll do what?" the human scoffed. "You are surrounded, outnumbered and with no hope; the Jedi are in our possession and unable to help you; and none of your fates are in your hands. If you are clever, you will submit to me, Brejik, and become loyal members of my gang. Do this, and I will grant Ice a clean, merciful and quick death. Refuse, and you shall know a world of pain before you finally die."
"Funny. I can say the same to you," Ice remarked, preparing to raise her blaster pistol which lay in her right hand while she pretended to place her left against her side. She curled her left hand fingers, imitating the shape of a ball at Zaalbar who immediately understood Ice's intentions and prepared his hand to reach for the fragmentation grenade which was clipped to his belt.
"Are they stupid or recklessly brave in your opinion, Kandon my dear?" Nila looked up at her lover.
"Hah! In your dreams!" Kandon howled. "There are eight of us and only five of you, not to mention that the entire base has been alerted to your presence. Be smart now."
"Correction," Ice grinned, eagerly twitching her fingers. "There's none of you."
A dumbfounded expression stretched across many of the Vulkars' faces, soon replaced by a look of horror as Zaalbar hurled the activated grenade at them. Brejik, Kandon, Nila and the Vulkars who stood beside them quickly dived away to save themselves, but the unfortunate ones who stood behind them and had their view obstructed could only watch on helplessly at the small spherical object which would instantly end their lives.
"Get down!" Ice cried, and the five dropped into a prone position on the floor, preventing themselves from being caught in the blast which riddled their enemies in flames and shrapnel. Taking advantage of their pre-emptive attack, the companions leapt to their feet and gunned down the Vulkars who were still alive and struggled to rise and put up a resistance, including Brejik who was killed by a well-aimed shot to the forehead by Carth.
After ensuring that there was no more movement from the Vulkars, Ice hurriedly gave an order to the others as she looked at the console which fortunately was left relatively undamaged by the shrapnel which flew against it.
"Hurry up and look for that serum; I'll take care of the console."
Keeping in mind that they had no time to lose, the four of them rushed in scouring the entire room to find the serum while Ice worked away on the console, taking steps to disable the turrets guarding the elevator and ensure that all doors and rooms through which Vulkar guards could come out from to confront them were securely locked. Remembering the layout of the base, she kept unlocked the one room which was reserved by the Vulkars as their makeshift prison for captured individuals.
"All of the footlockers and containers – they're locked!" Mission cried.
"Dammit, smash or break them open! Do something!" Ice slammed her fist onto the console in frustration, but then looked up when she heard the soft coughing of Nila, who was still alive. The Twi'lek was terribly wounded, evidently close to death and bleeding from the mouth, with three shrapnel pieces having pierced deep into her stomach.
Ice pulled out her pistol again and walked rapidly over to Nila, then coldly pointed her weapon between the eyes of the woman she despised with burning hatred. "Tell me where the rakghoul serum is kept. Now."
"It…it's kept in that…locker," Nila pointed with a trembling hand at a tall, grey locker with a keypad which Mission quickly walked over to.
"Tell me the passcode and I might let you live," Ice demanded again.
"5..3…1…7," Nila uttered. All traces of her former arrogance was gone, her eyes now filled with sheer terror. "Please…just take what you want…Don't kill me."
"Mission, 5317," Ice repeated in a loud voice.
Inputting the code given to her, Mission successfully pulled open the locker door and grabbed from inside several syringes filled with rakghoul serum. Feeling a sense of urgency, she and Carth took two syringes each and injected all four of Kael's limbs, fearful that the rakghoul plague may have spread far since he was initially wounded.
Looking down at the dying Twi'lek once again after ascertaining that Kael was injected, Ice spoke in a cold and heartless manner, the barrel of her gun pointed straight at Nila's forehead. "After all that you've done to me, you must think that I'm a stupid bitch to let you live. I'll see you in hell someday, you traitorous slut."
Nila blurted helplessly. "No…no, please don't!"
"Ice!" Carth shouted, imploring her to stop.
But it was too late.
Without mercy or a second thought, Ice executed Nila, whose lifeless eyes now stared blankly at the ceiling above and her lips lay agape. The cold-blooded blonde killer turned, a vengeful expression on her face as she gave a flat reply.
"She murdered my boyfriend years ago."
Not looking back, she approached the dead body of Brejik and pulled from his belt the two lightsabers of the Jedi which were remarkably undamaged, the blast of the grenade having solely ravaged the left side of his body.
Feeling the effects of his temporary illness almost immediately decrease following the four doses of rakghoul serum, Kael walked weapon in hand back out into the corridor, feeling confident to take the lead once more.
"Let's go. Destroy the console so that the Vulkars can't access it and follow me; the damsels in distress aren't going to wait for us much longer."
A/N: I was going to put more in this chapter, right up until they escape from the Vulkar base and eventually return to their apartment hideout, but left those parts out to put into the next chapter, otherwise this one would have ballooned up. As I've mentioned in chapter 2, I'm also leaving out the swoop race as I don't see it as being essential for my story.
I'm almost at the end of writing my other KOTOR AU fic, "Heart of a Padawan". I estimate that I have perhaps about three chapters or so until it's completely finished, and I want to wrap it up so I can focus on this fic, so please keep an eye out for it.
Please leave your reviews – every review is greatly appreciated, and it's what keeps us writers going and motivated!