Chapter XXXVI - The White Maw
While Ashara recovered in the wrecked ship's bridge, I went to the hangar and retrieved our medical kit. On the way back to the bridge, I approached the pirate leader and offered him pain relief in exchange for the base's security codes. He was confused by pain and anger, and I had to ignite my lightsaber to give his mind some clarity before he gave up his datapad and password. With the datapad, Pez could access the base computer system and lock everything down as I instructed. I also told him to scan the base for other life forms and monitor the hangar bay so that no one messed with our speeder. Then, I used the hypospray to give the pirate leader and the groaning Trandoshan a sedative to knock them out. Pez chirped that he found other life forms, but I wanted to get back to Ashara, so I told him to stay in the corridor and monitor the base for movement. Back at the bridge, I assessed our injuries. My thermal suit had a crinkled patch of burned material where the blaster bolt grazed my thigh, but my cloak helped protect the shoulder area of my suit. Ashara had a hole in her suit at her side and her dark skin was black and purple with blisters. I helped remove her coverall to the waist before spraying the injured area with analgesic and then applying a bacta patch. Then I doffed my suit to treat my shoulder and thigh.
Ashara was still withdrawn and a little shaky, so I helped her put her coverall back on and then dressed myself, making small talk to try and distract her from her disturbing thoughts. Pez had chimed my com while I was treating our wounds and let me know that he had found some active maintenance droids while scanning the hideout. I had him clean up the mess in the corridors so that Ashara was not further traumatized. Concern for our security was beginning to outweigh anything else in my mind, and I called Pez to us so that we could analyze the pirate base more thoroughly. The floating orb produced a data whip from his smooth surface and plugged into the main computer, lighting up the largest monitor to show me what he was accessing in the computer systems. A map of the base appeared, showing it was significantly larger than it appeared. The map then lit up with a group of blinking green dots in a far corner away from us. Pez chirped at me, and I assumed that the dots indicated lifeforms. I would need to check them out and inspect the whole base to make sure we were safe, and it did not seem right to leave Ashara alone, so she would have to come with me.
When Ashara finally seemed up to the task, we began to explore with Pez in the lead using his sensors. I knew the docking bay and bridge areas were clear, so we turned right off the main corridor and down the hallway opposite the docking bay. It led to a section of the ship that was broken down and non-functional. Pez's scanner and my Force sense both indicated that the dilapidated part of the ship was clear so we returned to the main corridor and followed it away from the bridge. Two more crossing hallways went to more broken-down parts of the wrecked ship; one ending with an airlock door. I took a moment to look out the exterior door window and noticed two sets of footprints leading away from the hideout. Bandits had escaped during the fighting. Pez had locked the doors, so there was no way for them to get back in, but they could double back to the docking bay and steal a vehicle.
"Pez," I called. "Go back to the hangar and keep watch on the speeder. Shoot anything that moves."
"Zweep-duooh," he responded mutedly, seeming to want to stay with us.
"Go on," I urged, "the pirates that escaped could double back and steal our stuff.
"Beep," he answered and puffed his thrusters to drift down the corridor, tuning his eye back several times to look at us.
Ashara was gazing out at the tracks in the snow and gave a sad sigh. "They'll never survive out there."
"They don't deserve your pity," I stated coldly.
"So much death," she mourned. "You killed even the unconscious ones." Her eyes searched mine with a deep sense of regret.
"I did what I had to do," I said defensively. "They would have woken up and attacked us."
"We could have just run away from them," she added.
"No, we couldn't. Don't blame me for what happened." I walked away from her, not wanting to argue. It seemed like she was overcoming the shock and horror of what had happened and was now beginning to question her actions, and by extension, mine. Turning down the main corridor, I headed toward the remaining unchecked areas where the life signs were. I drew my lightsaber and ignited the blade, unsure what we would find. A set of large blast doors were half open and looked broken at the back of the main corridor. Beyond them was the engine and mechanical room. The area was dim and cold with parts of the room non-functional. In the corner where the map showed the green dots, there were cells containing prisoners. There were six of them; humans and aliens. They looked at me with fear as I approached, their gazes weak and desperate.
Ashara stepped up next to me, her face filled with compassion. "We need to help them," she stated.
"Quiet," I told her sharply, not wanting her to divulge anything about us to the prisoners. She gave me a surprised look in response.
"Layza?" a soft voice called out from a dark recess of one of the cages.
A human man shifted and leaned forward. "You are a Sith," he muttered weakly, eyes focused on my weapon. In the dim lighting, I could see his clothes were brown and blue, possibly a Republic uniform. "I heard fighting," he added. "Are you with the pirates or did you kill them?"
"We . . ." Ashara started to answer but I raised my hand to cut her off.
"Layza," the weak voice called out again desperately.
Frustrated with Ashara and unsure how to deal with the prisoners, I took her by the arm and began walking back toward the main corridor.
"You could use my help," the man called after us. "You're not safe here . . . others will come."
Back out in the main corridor, I took a deep breath and tried to collect myself before glaring at Ashara. "I don't want you just blurting things out. This place isn't secure yet, and we have no way of knowing who we can trust."
"They're prisoners, not pirates," Ashara argued.
"We don't know why they're locked up," I snapped back. "Maybe they did something to deserve their punishment."
"They look so hopeless," she mumbled, "I . . . I think I'm going to be sick again." She doubled over and took a few deep breaths.
"We can't care for prisoners at the moment. They are safer where they are until we get a better grip on the situation. Let's go back to the bridge and finish securing the base. The pirates lived here . . ." I paused to look back into the engine room. "We must be missing something. Where is the crew quarters, kitchen, and other facilities?" Not waiting for an answer, I turned and headed back to the bridge.
On the way, I noticed the maintenance droids had moved the pirate leader and Trandoshan into the cross corridor where they lay unconscious from the sedative I had given them. I called Pez to join us so that he could help me access the base computer again. He chirped his affirmation through the com, turning on our speeder's cameras so that we could monitor the docking bay remotely before joining us as we walked to the bridge. Pez had accessed the computer system earlier, but when he plugged into the main computer again, I asked him to perform a deeper analysis. It took some time for him to work through the interface and start getting additional information out of the system because it was a mash-up of hardware and software. The outlaws had managed to get the ship's computer systems partially working again and then added on new systems of their own from the equipment they had stolen. Once he gained full access, I had him activate the exterior sensors and cameras. Images of the security cameras began to light up on the displays around the bridge, and we spent some time looking over the snowy landscape for possible threats. Nothing was moving, and the weather seemed to be worsening.
I was still worried about the pirates that got away and suddenly had an idea. "Pez, can you control the sled droid the pirate leader used this morning?"
"Beep-click-tweep," he nodded.
"Send it around to the back door and have it follow the footprints. I want to know where the escaped pirates went."
"Why?" Ashara asked. "They can't survive for long without equipment and supplies."
"If it was me, I wouldn't have run out into the frozen wastes to certain death, even if I was panicked and afraid. They seem to have been running somewhere, possibly an outbuilding or something." As I was speaking, a new camera image with the sled droid's point of view appeared on the large control screen as it exited the speeder truck and started moving out of the docking bay.
Now that we had ensured we were not in imminent danger, we focused on trying to find the habitation systems of the base. Pez searched through many menus and data folders before discovering some encrypted menus. Thankfully, the leader's tablet had the decryption, and Pez updated the map of the base with new, hidden compartments. The crew quarters, kitchen, and infirmary were behind a concealed panel in the main corridor, and there were large storage compartments off of the mechanical room at the back of the base. To our surprise, green dots appeared in the crew quarters. People were hiding in there.
"Pez, see if there are interior cameras," I asked sharply, concerned that more pirates were free and possibly dangerous.
"Dweep," Pez nodded and worked through more command lines. An additional camera image appeared on the screen, flicking through interior views until it displayed the crew quarters. I caught my breath when my mind registered what I was seeing. The green dots were not pirates - but female prisoners. I recognized the shock collars on their necks and the languid way they moved and realized that the bandits had been using them as slaves. There were seven women, three Twi'leks, three humans, and a Chiss.
"Oh no," Ashara gasped next to me as she began to understand what she was seeing. "We need to help them. How do we get to them?" she asked, looking back at the camera feed.
"Hold on. We can't just free them."
"Why?" she asked, as she watched one of the girls stumble while getting up and almost fall over. "What's wrong with them?"
"Pacification drugs," I sighed. "The shock collars give them a consistent dose. They're likely out of it and won't understand that we are trying to help."
"How horrible," she gasped.
"Pez, can you find the shock collar controls?"
"Zwip-beep," Pez nodded before starting to scan the computer again.
After a moment a list of names appeared on the screen, along with basic information and controls. Scanning the list, I saw Republic and Imperial designations, as well as several unknown affiliations. The pirates seemed to be abductors of opportunity. On the list was the name, Layza, the name spoken by one of the male prisoners. She was listed as a Republic surveyor and had a shock collar number.
"Layza!" Ashara gasped when she noticed the name as well.
"Pez, cut the dosage of the collars in half," I stated.
"Dweep," the droid confirmed.
"Why not all the way?" Ashara asked.
"Because it would cause a lot of confusion and anxiety and maybe even cause withdrawal symptoms. They've been in an altered state for who knows how long. Coming out of that and returning to normal is going to be a long and difficult journey. Some of them will probably never recover."
Ashara's eyes studied me, but she did not ask any more questions. Before I could focus on the list of names further, Pez chirped and drew our attention to the screen where the sled droid's camera had stopped. The image was focused on the footprints ending at an access door where the snowdrifts looked freshly cleared. There must have been an outbuilding, and two of the pirates had escaped to it.
"Can you scan for life readings?" I asked Pez, hopeful that the hideout's computer might be linked.
"Zweep-boop," Pez shook his head.
"What should we do?" Ashara asked.
"The door looks big enough to allow a vehicle. My guess is they took off to go get help."
"The male prisoner said others would come."
"Yes, it appears this base is part of a pirate network. It'll only be a matter of time before they bring reinforcements. We need to get control of this base and find a way to establish communications with the Imperial positions."
I ordered Pez to make a deeper scan of the computer system while Ashara and I checked out the living area. We left the sleeping quarters alone where the female prisoners were because I did not want to deal with that complex issue yet. The lounge area outside was messy, cramped, and smelled like a men's locker room. The kitchen and infirmary were almost as bad, but they were functional and stocked with canned and frozen foods, medicine, and a medical droid. There was a second room that seemed to be another lounge area with entertainment, and it looked to be a good place to house the prisoners if we chose to move them. Once comfortable that there were no surprises in the living area, we walked back to the bridge. After further scanning, Pez had found some smuggler's compartments under the metal decking in several places. I wanted to check out the compartments and talk to the prisoners again, but first, I asked Pez to use the medical droid to stabilize the two injured pirates so they did not die. Having prisoners of our own might come in handy if we needed to negotiate. I also instructed Pez to try and establish communications with Dorn Base after he stabilized the prisoners, and then Ashara and I walked toward the back of the hideout.
"Don't say anything," I told her as we approached the mechanical room. "Let me handle this." I made my way to the cages with Ashara following. "You . . . Republic man," I stated. Several of the prisoners shifted and looked my way, including the man from earlier. I pointed at him. "Come forward."
He struggled to his feet, favoring his left leg badly as he shuffled to the bars close to me. "Are the pirates dead?" he asked bitterly.
"Most of them," I answered. "I kept their leader alive, and a Trandoshan is without his legs." The prisoner eyed me coldly, not showing me what he was thinking. "Two of them escaped out the back and fled. I'm assuming they found a vehicle."
"They will try to reach the Frozen River Camp. It's in the Highmount Ridge region to the east of here, the closest White Maw outpost."
"White Maw?" I asked.
"It's a pirate group on Hoth, an affiliation of smaller gangs."
"And you think they'll come here and attack me?"
"A supply team comes to the base every couple of weeks, a pretty good size group. I'd say twenty to thirty armed men. They are past due by my reckoning."
"How long will it take the escapees to reach this Frozen River camp?"
"A day - maybe a day and a half."
"There has been a strong storm affecting the area for over a week," I said thoughtfully. "Would that slow the supply caravan down?"
"Possibly," the man answered. "You can expect them to show up in force though - soon." He looked between Ashara and me with dark eyes. "My name's Jivv, by the way . . . what are you going to do with us?"
I glanced at Ashara before answering. "I don't know yet. I did not intend to be here and cannot afford the delay it's caused."
"Layza?" the weak voice called out from behind the man again.
"Set us free," another prisoner stated.
"I don't think so," I responded. "We're still securing this base, and I don't know if I can trust you."
"So, you're just going to leave us to die in these cages?" Jivv asked flatly.
Ashara shifted next to me at the prisoner's words, and I noticed her emotional eyes were on me when I glanced her way. "We found the pirate's crew quarters and medical bay. I'll send the medical droid back here to check on you, and I can have the maintenance droid bring you some food and drinks, but for now, you'll stay put."
I turned to walk away, but the prisoner shifted to get closer. "Have you found any other prisoners?" he asked with a hint of desperation in his voice.
"We haven't finished scouting the base yet," I lied. After that, I moved out of the maintenance room and back into the main corridor, heading to the bridge with Ashara on my heels.
"Why didn't you tell them about the female prisoners?" she asked me as we walked.
"I don't know," I answered truthfully. "I don't want to complicate things at the moment." Back at the bridge, Pez was communicating with the main computer through clicks and beeps. He displayed the communications capabilities of the hideout on the monitors, showing a map of the region with the communication radius for the base. Frustratingly, the map indicated that we were too far away from the forward outpost to make contact. Fatigue was beginning to weigh me down. It had only been about three hours since we were awakened by the bandits out on the frozen plains, but the intensity of events and the use of the Force had drained my energy and frayed my focus. I needed a moment to sit and think, but Ashara caught her breath next to me and then began to cry softly.
When I glanced over at her, her body was shaking, her eyes staring at the spot on the floor where one of the bandits had fallen. "Ashara," I urged softly, "why don't you and Pez go out to our speeder and bring our things here? We'll set up in the bridge and use the blast doors for security."
She looked over at me with teary eyes. "I'm . . . having trouble," she admitted.
"I know, but we need to stay focused for a little longer. Can you help?"
She nodded.
"Pez, go with her and keep an eye out for trouble."
"Beep-boop," he chirped and puffed eagerly out of the bridge into the main corridor before turning back to wait for Ashara.
After they left, I went and sat down at one of the bridge seats to rest and think. Everything was a mess. We had lost half a day of travel, been accosted by pirates, fought a violent and deadly battle of survival, and were now struggling to make sense of where we were and how to deal with a still potentially dangerous situation. My cyber arm ached, from stress or overuse I was not sure, but I had to numb the hand which cut off the cybernetics. As I began to relax, I realized in frustration that we were going to lose more than a day of travel. Neither Ashara nor I were fit to head back out into the storm and would need rest, and there would be lost time searching for the beacon trail that the bandits had disturbed. We would be several days behind by the time we got back on track. Frustrated with that train of thought, I decided to help with our things to distract my mind as well.
The rest of the afternoon passed slowly. Pez discovered a functional Zero-G cart in the computer's inventory and activated it to help us. I went with Ashara to load the cart, and back in the derelict bridge, we organized our things to keep our minds occupied. Afterward, we went about searching the storage areas and smugglers' compartments. It took time to go through everything, and we found stashes of credits and valuables, personal effects, sophisticated electronics equipment, along with the usual supplies and weapons. Then, we looked for something to eat in the pirate's messy personal quarters. We managed to find something more appetizing than our cold rations or MREs, but being surrounded by the personal effects of the men we just fought and killed was unnerving, so we took our meal back to the bridge. After eating, it seemed that a rest would do us both good. Ashara's mood had darkened, her heart weighed down by taking the life of several brigands, and I was fatigued and achy. I suggested that we turn in even though it was only early evening, and Ashara did not argue. Unfortunately, falling asleep seemed like it would be a struggle.
I closed the blast doors for security and we lay quietly for a while, with only the soft electrical sounds of the command room and the occasional beep of a console filling the silence. Pez had gained control of the entire pirate base and was monitoring the security systems for any change. When I last looked over the monitors, all I could see was swirling whiteness. The blizzard was still going strong. Ashara was lying quiet and very still which worried me. She had cried out what emotions she had some time ago, and before I turned down the light, she was staring blankly up at the ceiling with distant, empty eyes.
I stripped off my thermal suit, which was too warm in the climate-controlled base, and slipped into my bedroll. For some time, I lay on my side and tried to encourage sleep to come, but the events of the day had my mind swirling too much. I was also concerned for Ashara, who was clearly still distraught about killing someone. Frustrated with my own jumbled thoughts and wanting sleep to come, I fought the urge to say something.
"How's your side," I asked after concern overtook fatigue.
"It aches a little," she replied, her voice level and quiet.
"Let me get some meds." I shifted to sit up.
"It's okay," she added. "It's not that bad."
I sat up and looked at her in the dim light. "You're lying there as stiff as a board," I observed aloud, noticing her eyes were avoiding mine.
"It's not my side," she answered.
"Oh . . ." I replied, not knowing what to say to help her. I shifted and laid back down, scrunching the small travel pillow up to hold my head higher. It seemed like that would be it as a silent moment followed.
"I can't do it," Ashara stated to break the silence.
"Can't do what?"
"Be a Jedi." She answered with a stronger voice but then went silent. I waited, wondering if she wanted me to reply. "I feel sick inside."
"Look," I sighed, "I know how you feel, but neither one of us is in the right frame of mind to discuss profound subjects right now . . ."
"I know . . ." Her voice was becoming emotional again. "My mind won't let it go though. Their faces flash into my mind and . . ."
"Ashara," I cut her off, sensing she was spiraling emotionally. Shimmying out of my covers I moved toward the med kit to get the hypo spray. Soothing Ashara's wound would put her more at ease, and my thigh and shoulder needed it as well. I had to rummage in the kit to find the analgesic, and my fingers picked up a vial of sedative instead. The thought of taking a drug unsettled me, but the idea of rolling around for hours fighting to sleep was worse. Besides, we needed to be prepared for anything in the morning. Conflicted, I picked up the hypo syringe and loaded the analgesic before turning and walking toward Ashara. "it's going to be okay," I assured her. "Why don't we both take a sedative so that we can sleep?"
"You don't like to take drugs," she reminded me unnecessarily.
"At the moment, I need it, and so do you. We've got to get some sleep so that we are ready for what might happen tomorrow, and I can see that neither of us is going to fall asleep easily."
"You are having trouble too?" she asked thoughtfully.
I sat down on the floor next to her. "My mind won't settle down - between the delay in trying to find the reclamation team, the conflict with the pirates, and what to do with the prisoners." While talking, I put a shot in my thigh and shoulder to ease the ache from the blaster wounds. Then, I tugged her cover aside to reveal her side, giving her a dose just above the bacta patch. After treating us with a pain reliever, I quickly switched to the hypo syringe and gave her the minimal sedative dose in her arm. She looked at me in surprise and was about to complain but held her words as she saw me give myself a dose too.
"There," I sighed, rising to put the items back in the med kit. "That should soothe the pain and calm our nerves so that we can get to sleep."
"I don't think anything will help," she moaned.
"It will get better," I replied as I crawled back into my covers. "Time heals all wounds."
"That a platitude," she complained. "I feel so bad," she added, "like I'm broken on the inside."
"In a way you are," I answered. "You had to do something that your good nature cannot accept, so you are changing . . . becoming something new."
"I don't want to change," she answered, her voice breaking.
"It's too late for that."
The whirling and soft beeping of electronics filled the quiet pause between us.
"I can't be a Jedi if this is what it means. I hate feeling this way."
"You did the right thing, and tomorrow I will prove it to you."
"How?" she asked with a flicker of hope.
"I will show you what it means to be a Jedi." She was silent after that, and the sedative worked pretty fast. Soon, sleep enveloped us both.
I rolled awake in my bedroll and stared at a strange ceiling for a moment before I remembered where I was. Then, the events of yesterday flooded in. My body ached and my right arm throbbed just above the cybernetic glove, causing me to moan softly as I shifted to an elbow to look around. Besides the few duels I'd had with Ashara and Lord Vashcar, yesterday's fight was the first time since losing my hand that I had battled in the Force, and though it was nice to know that I could fight if pushed, my body was a long way from what it used to be.
"Bleep-blip," Pez sounded as his red eye focused on me.
Ashara was sitting in one of the bridge chairs looking at her tablet and glanced my way after Pez made a noise. "Why didn't you wake me?" I complained while looking at my wrist com. I had slept almost eight hours, though I did not feel very rested.
"I didn't want to disturb you," she replied. "I've only been up for a little while."
"What's the status?" I asked Pez while wiggling out of the bedroll and standing up. "Has anything changed?" The security camera screens showed blowing snow when I looked them over, indicating the storm was still going strong.
"Dweep," he replied with a slow shake of his frame. "Duooh?" he added, drifting closer and narrowing his eye at me.
"I'm okay," I answered the droid's question. "how 'bout you?" I asked Ashara while stepping over to her.
"Okay," she answered, but her expression did not agree with her words.
I took some time to wake up and think, pulling on my thermal suit and working with Pez to scan the base with cameras and sensors to make sure everything was safe. The hangar bay looked the same as it did yesterday, and the exterior surrounding the base was so blanketed by blowing snow it seemed improbable that anyone could find us. There were no functional cameras in the engine room where the prisoner cages were, but the base map showed the green dots still in the back corner. The female prisoners were still lounging in the sleeping area, and the pirate leader and his Trandoshan accomplice were lying in medical beds in the infirmary. To my surprise, the medical droid had re-attached the Trandoshan's legs. It looked as though the two pirates were still sedated. After satisfying myself that there was no imminent danger, I looked over at Ashara to see how she was doing.
"You're still brooding," I assessed out loud. She looked down at the floor as a response. "Okay," I stated, stepping over to my things and grabbing my satchel. "It's time you see things more clearly." I opened the blast doors. "Come on," I urged her. "I want to show you what you've done."
Ashara hesitated, looking at me like she feared what I would reveal. It took me waving my hand toward her to get her moving, and she followed me down the main corridor to the living quarters, Pez following close behind. The hidden panel swept aside when we approached, reprogrammed to our IDs by Pez the day before. Once inside the main area, I walked up to the sleeping quarters where the female prisoners were.
"Open the door Pez," I stated, looking at Ashara. Pez chirped and the metal panel clicked and then slid open to reveal the sleeping quarters beyond. I stepped just inside the doorway and motioned for Ashara to join me. Figures were lying on some of the beds, and the Chiss girl was sitting with a human woman at a small table. It was the human woman who noticed us first, but through unfocused eyes.
"Barth, is that you?" she said with a heavy, slurring voice as she stood up and sauntered toward us with a sexy sway of her hips. "Where have you been," she continued. "It's been forever . . ." her voice cut off as her eyes focused better. "You're not Barth."
Heads turned toward us and scantily clad bodies came more into view. A human woman with dark hair like mine stepped out of an adjoining bedroom to eye us nervously. I scanned the room to determine if the women needed anything. There was a small cooler with drinks in it and an attached bathroom. They might be hungry, but at least they should not be dehydrated. The Chiss girl got up and walked after her friend, and one of the Twi'lek girls rolled from the bed and fell awkwardly to the floor topless. Ashara caught her breath next to me.
"Who are you?" the human woman who first noticed us asked, her face twisting up with confusion and concern.
"New girls to join the party?" the floored Twi'lek offered in a sweet yet loopy voice.
"We are here to make sure you are okay," I stated flatly.
"Okay?" the Chiss girl asked with a tilt of her head.
"Why wouldn't we be?" the human woman asked. "Where are Barth and the others?"
I realized she was asking about the pirates. "They're busy," I answered. "We were sent to check on you."
The Twi'lek got up from the floor, and several others sat up in their beds to look at us. "We've been bored stiff," the Twi'lek complained. "It's been too long since we partied."
"You'll have to wait a little longer," I replied. "I'll have a droid bring you a food cart in a bit. You must be hungry."
"We are hungry," a second human girl sighed as she rubbed her hand down her belly to her lap, "for food and companionship."
"Send the men to us," the first human woman said. "I want to see Barth."
"I will tell him." I motioned Pez and Ashara to back up out of the doorway. "The food will be sent shortly." Still facing the slave girls, I backed up until the door could be closed in front of me.
"Lock the door, Pez," I stated sadly. After I heard the door click, I turned to face Ashara. Her eyes were wide and full of confusion. "Do you remember what I told you about the shock collars?" I asked.
"About the drugs?"
"Yes," I nodded. "The female prisoners were treated differently from the men. Instead of being caged up like animals, the women were being used as playthings."
Ashara's face twisted with disgust and puzzlement. "That's horrible," she gasped as the realization of what she saw sank in.
"It is," I nodded again, "and the monsters that would do something like that deserved what they got."
Ashara's conflicted gaze held mine, and I began to see anger spark within her dark pupils. "Why would they be so willing?" she asked, her features pinching with confusion.
"They aren't," I answered, "at least not consciously. The drug has intended side effects as I told you yesterday. Those girls are not in the real world right now, and it's going to take a lot of time and counseling to bring them back - if they can return to reality. Some might not want to."
"How horrible," Ashara gasped again, her eyes looking past me to the closed door and the girls beyond. "Why would anyone do that to another person?" she wondered aloud.
"Selfish desire," I offered. "It's pure evil to display such callous behavior. Ashara," I said her name to get her to look back at me. "You and I would be in there with them right now if you hadn't stood guard over me while their foul drug incapacitated me. Your Jedi training saved us and those girls from untold horrors."
She stiffened and blinked hard at my words. I could sense the conflict within her, the good and conscientious person struggling with the justice she'd had to mete out.
"Now let's do what your Jedi sensibilities should be more comfortable with. Let's help the male prisoners."
"Pez, have the maintenance droids clean up this living space." I waved my hand around the lounge area and pointed to the kitchen. "I want all the personal effects bagged up and taken to the maintenance room. Then I want the place swept and scrubbed. We'll move the prisoners into the lounge area there," I pointed to the side room with the entertainment in it. "That way they should be more comfortable."
The droids took time to clean, and Ashara and I ate breakfast and showered while we waited. It was nice to freshen up after days of traveling through the storm. I brushed my unruly hair and braided it into a tail, and then helped Ashara put lotion on her dry skin. When the living quarters had been cleared and refreshed, we went back to the prisoner cages to begin the move.
Jivv responded to our approach, getting slowly to his feet while favoring his injured leg. "What's happening?" he asked with a hint of concern.
"We cleaned the kitchen and infirmary," I stated. "I will transfer you to better quarters and have your medical conditions better treated."
"We could use that," the man agreed.
I told Pez to open the cages. Several of the prisoners could not walk, so I had the maintenance droids come with a zero-G cart to move them. Once they were settled in the lounge room, Ashara set about distributing food and drinks and assessing medical needs. The infirmary was still occupied by the pirates, and I thought their current state was too good for them, so I told Pez to move them to the now unoccupied cages and lock them up. Before that, I made sure they were still sedated and found some unused shock collars to put on them. The maintenance droids rolled in with the zero-G cart and unceremoniously loaded them up before trundling off. Time passed as we worked to settle the prisoners and part of me resented the delay, but the hollow look in Ashara's eyes was gone. She seemed intent on caring for the unfortunate men.
The medical droid was busy diagnosing and addressing problems with the prisoners, and Jivv was the last to be scanned. His left leg was infected with a deep gash in the calf, making him limp painfully. Two other men were sick due to undernourishment and worn-down immune systems, and another had a broken hand. While we were focused on the prisoners, I sent Pez to the bridge to reassess our communications capabilities. Making contact with Dorn Base was my highest priority, and I was hoping that Pez would find something we missed yesterday. Once the men were fed and examined, most of them wanted to lie down on comfortable couches or cushioned benches, having slept on hard floors for who knows how long. Jivv seemed to hover near me, however, and got my attention when things grew calmer.
"Can we talk a moment?" he asked me.
I looked around and noticed the kitchen was empty, so I motioned for him to follow me. There was a row of plastic tables and chairs along one side, and I gestured for him to sit because of how uncomfortable he looked standing on his leg.
"I need to know what your intentions are," he stated after settling into the chair.
I sat across from him. "Why?"
"It's been months . . ." he paused to keep control, "I don't want to grow hopeful, only to have that expectation dashed again." He looked down at his shaking hands. "Are you going to take us as Imperial prisoners?"
"I have no desire or intention to do such a thing," I answered calmly.
"Then let us go," he urged.
"Go where? Send you out into a snowstorm malnourished and ill? That doesn't make much sense."
"You haven't been kept in a cage for three months," he muttered bitterly.
Ashara took that moment to step in, her eyes looking between the two of us. She could sense that a difficult conversation was underway but still chose to step over and sit next to me. I frowned at her, feeling like her presence was going to complicate things.
"You know that there are Imperial personnel out there." Jivv nodded toward the lounge where the other prisoners were.
"I am aware of that," I stated.
"So, take them with you and let the Republic ones go. We can find our way back to our people." Jivv's eyes stared at me weakly. It was clear that he did not trust me, and Ashara was watching me intently as well, concerned about what I was thinking too.
"You asked about female prisoners," I stated to change the subject.
"Yes," Jivv responded, his eyes shifting emotionally.
"There are seven of them, three Twi'leks, three humans, and a Chiss."
"Oh my God," he choked out. "Emby," he whispered hoarsely. "Where . . . where are they?"
"They are in the sleeping quarters just opposite the lounge." I pointed beyond the kitchen doorway. Jivv lurched from the chair and took a step toward the sleeping quarters. "The door is locked, and I won't open it."
"You must let me see her!" he hissed, showing more emotion and energy in that moment than he had displayed before as he spun back to look at me.
"Sit down," I ordered strongly. "I must explain something to you." He hesitated, looking at me and Ashara with frustrated eyes. "Please, it is necessary that you understand."
It was uncomfortable, but I explained to him what the women had endured and that they were still affected by the slave drugs. Exposure to the male prisoners and the girls' former lives could have detrimental effects on their psyche. Reality would be hard to understand and accept after living in a drug-induced alternate world. It pained Jivv to hear their plight, and though he was too broken to cry outwardly, I could see his soul weeping. The males had suffered their captivity differently from the females, but all of them were broken, physically and mentally, and would need significant help to recover.
"Let us go," Jivv asked again when I was finished. "Please end our misery."
Ashara shifted next to me and made me glance over. Her eyes pleaded with me as strongly as Jivv's words. "I will do what I can," I answered.
While I was trying to extract myself from the awkward conversation, Pez contacted me, chirping excitedly while displaying a schematic of a communication antenna in the holo above my wrist. I noticed the broken symbol on the status report and saw Pez shaking his frame before I dismissed the call, but Jivv had seen the holo-image.
"You can contact the Republic with that transmitter," he said, "I can provide you with the frequency."
"Why would I call down the Republic on my position?" I asked incredulously. "According to you, I've already got a pirate counter-attack to worry about. Besides, the com doesn't work."
"I believe the pirates were using it," he added.
"My droid analyzed the available com systems, and that antenna wasn't working. Either the pirates disabled it intentionally or it got damaged in the storm."
Jivv looked at me thoughtfully, his hollowed-out cheeks and ragged appearance harsher in the brighter lighting of the kitchen. "I can fix it for you."
"You can barely walk," I countered.
"I was a coms engineer for the Republic. That's why the pirates captured me, I was out in the Highmount Ridge trying to establish a scanning array with my partner when they overwhelmed us."
"Was Emby your partner?" Ashara asked. Jivv nodded sorrowfully.
I shot her a look of frustration, not wanting her to get too attached to the prisoners. "It doesn't matter," I protested. "The storm has reduced the effective range to the point where we can't make contact anyway."
"I can," he countered.
"What makes you so sure?"
"We've been using an ultra-high frequency carrier wave specifically attuned to penetrate the ionic disruptions in Hoth's atmosphere. I can get that transmitter working and give you plenty of range to contact whoever you want - if you let me and my people go."
"You're in no position to dictate to me," I muttered before getting up.
Ashara caught up with me as I was walking to the bridge. "Why can't you let them go?" she asked.
"I don't even want to think about it at the moment," I answered harshly. "If you haven't noticed, we're still stuck in the middle of nowhere without the ability to call for help!"
"Let him help us," she urged.
I frowned in thought. "I want to talk to Pez and go over our options before making a decision."
Back at the bridge, I tried to think about what we should do. Establishing contact with Dorn Base was a must, so I was considering the Republic prisoner's offer. If the Republic had a better way of communicating, then it would be of great help to the Imperial efforts on Hoth. What to do with the prisoners and how to find the IRS team were more complicated matters. I could not simply contact the Republic as Jivv wanted me to because it would put Ashara and me in more danger than we already were. First, we needed to get reinforcements to this position or have a way to abandon it before trouble arrived. Reinforcements sounded unlikely, based on the situation Commander Tritan was dealing with, and abandoning the hideout meant either leaving the prisoners or trying to caravan everyone overland in the storm. None of the ideas I came up with sounded good, and I tried to clear my thoughts for a moment and just relax. Ashara left me to go help the prisoners, and I paced around the bridge while trying to formulate a plan.
Pez had sent me the holo-image of the com antenna because the hideout computer system had determined that it was repairable, though he was unsure about what was wrong or how to fix it. Worse, the antenna was on top of the shipwreck, covered with snow and ice. There was a maintenance hatch nearby through the ceiling, but it too was covered with ice and snow. I realized that establishing communications was the most important step, though, and decided to accept Jivv's help to get the antenna working. The effort took all afternoon and into the evening as we first had to clear a path before working on the equipment. Jivv had the technical know-how but was limited physically due to his leg, which left me doing the majority of the labor. Ashara and Pez helped us from the bridge controls, but the storm had intensified again. Working out in the driving snow and strong winds in bulky winter gear was slow and tedious. Finally, using my lightsaber, ice saws, and picks, we cleared the coms equipment, and Jivv was able to get it working. Back on the bridge, after removing the heavy thermal gear and taking a break, I tried to raise the Icefall Plains Forward Bunker through the boosted coms relay beacon we had planted days ago. It took Jivv and Pez fiddling with the com controls to tweak the carrier signal before we finally got an answer.
"Hello," a female voice echoed through the bridge, "this is forward bunker . . . Hello?"
"Can you hear me?" I asked, leaning toward the holo-com for some reason.
"Yes, who are you?"
"I'm Lord Kallig. We came through several days ago on our way south to find the reclamation team."
"Yes, of course," the female voice answered. "You set up the new relay for us."
"Are you able to contact Dorn Base?" I asked.
"Yes, the relay is working well, thank you."
"We're in a bit of a situation, and I need to be patched through to Commander Tritan."
"Of course, hold on."
I was surprised that the com worked so easily after so much struggle and effort, and I looked around at Ashara and Jivv while waiting for us to get patched through.
"You promised to let us go," Jivv said when my eyes caught his.
"I didn't promise anything," I countered, "but let's find out what options are available."
"Contact the nearest Republic position; I've got their call signature," he pressed.
"I won't risk myself like that," I glanced at Ashara while speaking. "I'm not a hero."
"They won't attack you," he replied.
"I have to assume they will."
The com passed through, and the wavy, staticky images of Commander Tritan and Captain Yudrass appeared over the holo-terminal. "My Lord," Commander Tritan said, "we lost contact with you and were worried. What is your status?"
"We've run into some trouble. Pirates waylaid us about two days south of the forward outpost."
"Pirates?" Captain Yudrass questioned. "We didn't expect trouble in that area."
"Where are you broadcasting from?" the commander asked. "I don't recognize the transmission signature?"
"When the pirates attacked us, we fought back and took over their hideout. They had converted an old Republic wreck."
"Damn!" Commander Tritan exclaimed. "How many were there?"
"Were you injured?" Captain Yudrass asked quickly after the commander.
"Ashara and I are all right, but we have been informed by a prisoner that pirates will likely try to retake our position soon."
"Prisoner?" Commander Tritan asked in surprise.
"Yes," I answered, looking over at Jivv. "The pirates were abducting people - Republic, Imperial, and some unaffiliated. We have almost twenty freed prisoners, two captured pirates, numerous vehicles, and lots of weapons and equipment."
"Good God," the commander exclaimed again. "How big was the hideout?"
"Fairly good size," I answered. "Our position could be compromised within a day, and I need to decide what to do."
"Of course," Captain Yudrass nodded. "What are you considering?"
"The safest decision would be to pack up what we can in the vehicles and head back to the forward outpost, though that is a two-day trip in a rejuvenated storm with suspect equipment, and we would have to leave much of the base's supplies and weapons behind. The vehicles may not even fit all of the prisoners."
Captain Yudrass' eyes scanned the bridge. "It would be a shame to lose such an asset. If I'm not mistaken, you're in a heated environment."
"The pirates managed to get some of the ship's life support systems running again."
"They've got a better set-up than we do," Commander Tritan complained.
"In some ways," I agreed, "they also have some technological advancements that could be useful, like the communications transmitter we are using."
"We should take advantage of your efforts," Captain Yudrass commented. "Is the pirate base defensible?"
"I have not made that assessment yet," I answered with a shake of my head.
"How could we possibly take control of that base when we can barely keep this one operational?" Commander Tritan wondered. "There's only a little more than a squad available at the forward outpost, and they are two days away."
I looked over at the Republic prisoner, not liking the fact that he was hearing tactical and logistic information that could be used against us. "Ground transportation is not the answer," I countered. "The pirates will get here before any help arrives that way."
"What are you suggesting?" Commander Tritan asked.
Jivv motioned to me that he wanted to speak. "Hold on a minute," I urged the commander before turning to the Republic prisoner.
"If you let me contact the Republic base where I was stationed, they could get a Republic ship here in a few hours," he said, his eyes searching mine hopefully.
"Who is that?" Commander Tritan asked.
I turned back to the holo-terminal. "He is one of the Republic prisoners. I would not have been able to establish communications without him."
Commander Tritan seemed to give the captain a frustrated look. "How can any ship travel in such a storm, and where would it land?"
Glancing back at Jivv, I found myself again frustrated that the Republic might have better technology than us. "The pirates managed to open one of the wreck's docking bays. It's large enough to fit several ships, but I don't believe the doors or shielding are working and there are no atmospheric controls in the hangar."
While I was talking, Pez was searching through the computer system to verify my assessment and turned his red eye toward me. "Dwoop," he sounded with a shake of his floating frame to confirm my words.
"Still," Captain Yudrass replied thoughtfully, "the bay would block the majority of snow and ice from affecting the ship, and we have some portable shield generators that may be able to cover the bay's opening."
"We don't have a ship," the commander complained.
"Mine can fly," I answered.
"I can bring it to you, my Lord," Captain Yudrass stated confidently. "I am a skilled pilot with some experience flying through Hoth's atmosphere. If you'll let me, I can bring an engineering team to assess the hideout's defenses and establish a shield over the docking bay. We could even perform a second trip to bring in reinforcements."
"I don't know," Commander Tritan replied nervously. "This feels reckless . . . and it will stretch our personnel too far."
"But look at the potential," Captain Yudrass countered, "a fully functional, atmospherically controlled base with an active docking bay."
"The storm is intensifying," the commander went on, "it was reckless for the IRS team to leave Dorn Base, and for Lord Kallig to follow after them. Now, you want me to send half of my team out there as well?"
I shared some of the commander's concerns. Not wanting the Skirr to be damaged was at the top of the list, nor did I like the idea of someone else flying it, but it made the most sense and would provide us with the quickest extraction. "If you would be willing, Captain, I would like you to bring me my ship."
"Of course, my lord," he nodded. "I will prepare to leave right away."
"I'll send you the access code for the ship," I replied. "I agree with the commander's concerns," I added after noticing his deep frown, "and don't want to endanger anyone unnecessarily. If you bring anyone else, it should be volunteers only."
"Very well," he nodded. "I'm sure that people will want to help us capitalize on this find, despite the risks."
"Let us know when you are ready to leave."
The com went silent, and Jivv shifted heavily against the panel he was leaning against. "You're not going to let us go," he huffed bitterly. "You ended months of horrible captivity only to turn us over to other captors."
"I've done no such thing . . ." I protested.
"You're just as bad as the pirates," he spat.
Anger flashed through me, and my hand reflexively reached for my lightsaber as I spun on him. "I am nothing like those vile creatures!" I snapped at him harshly.
"You promised to let us go," he continued, "I helped you . . . and you used me to get the com link working."
"I made no such promise . . ."
"You accepted my help - that was the deal."
"I made no deal; you only presumed so. I've shown nothing but kindness to you and really don't appreciate being equated to feral, lawless pirates."
"You're acting like them, like you own us."
"I do own you!" I yelled, feeling my anger swell upward from my core. Ashara stepped hesitantly toward me, and I sensed her Force aura reach out to me. "From the moment I let you out of your cage, I took responsibility for you. I didn't want to . . . hell, I didn't want any of this! But I'm here, and I'm dealing with it." I took a strong step toward him. "I killed the pirates, I have control of this base, and I'll decide what will happen to you."
Fear shrouded Jivv's features as he grimaced at my words. His body shuddered, and he had to brace himself with a hand to keep his bad leg from giving way. My words silenced him, and that was partly as intended. Ashara gave me a concerned and conflicted look when I glanced over at her.
"Take him back to the living quarters," I told her before turning away and walking over to the main console.
There was some shuffling before Jivv spoke again. "I'm sorry," he said weakly, "this ordeal has made me bitter and suspicious."
I turned to see him looking at me near the blast doors. Ashara was holding his arm for support. "I'm not the monster you think I am, and though I can understand your reluctance to trust me, you're going to have to." He nodded his head before I turned away.
"Duooh," Pez sounded uneasily.
"I don't need you questioning me too," I muttered. "I know what I'm doing."
The afternoon wore on while we waited for Captain Yudrass to call back. Ashara stayed with the prisoners, and I began to worry that she was forming attachments. Not that relationships were bad, but the prisoners had just suffered a traumatic experience and were in many cases broken people. No matter what Ashara or I did to help them, recovery was going to be long and difficult, and we did not have the time or energy to spend helping them heal. We had our own difficulties to worry about, and our own mission, one that at the moment seemed to be slipping away.
When Ashara did return to the bridge she walked right up to me, her eyes missing the hollow, forlorn look they had yesterday. "You were right," she said calmly.
"Of course, I was," I replied with a slight grin. "About what?"
"About what a Jedi would do." She seemed to be processing something profound. "I didn't want to hurt them . . . the pirates, but they forced me to, and the things they did to innocent people, it's just unfair."
"Yes," I agreed, "they were brutes and got what they deserved."
"They deserved a fair trial and proper punishment. That would have been the right process."
I shook my head slowly. "Out here? There is no such thing. You were the judge, jury, and executioner, and they got as fair a trial as they deserved."
"But it isn't the right way, the peaceful way," she said sadly.
"Ashara, look at me." Our eyes met. "This is what you were trained for. To go into wild and chaotic situations and bring justice and peace. Your lightsabers and Force powers give you great power, and you must use it to do what's right. Search your feelings - you know what you did was right and had to be done."
She nodded to me, her eyes still glowing with deep insight. "A Jedi might be called upon to carry out justice in the spur of the moment." I sensed a weight lifting from her shoulders as she spoke - as if she was allowing herself clemency for the violence she committed. The moment got uncomfortable for me so I looked away at my tablet.
"You know," she went on, "I don't sense that you feel the same way."
"I don't," I replied flatly.
"Why not? Shouldn't you want justice?"
"I am not encumbered by your Jedi teachings."
Ashara eyed me curiously. "I sense that, which is why I didn't believe that you could teach me how to be a Jedi."
"I got that impression."
"You are a Sith, and I didn't think I could learn anything from you, but you helped me through what happened . . . helped me deal with my feelings."
"Yes, well," I replied awkwardly.
She shifted next to me. "The prisoners mean a lot to me," she said in a different tone. "I need to see this through . . . need to complete their rescue. It's important."
"We have our own mission," I answered, bristling at her suggestion.
"I know, but I'm changing, just like you said. If I'm going to be a Jedi . . . if I'm going to use my weapons like I did yesterday, then it must be for good. A Jedi needs to follow through until the situation is resolved. Those innocent prisoners need to have their lives back."
"That's all well and good . . ." I tried to say before Ashara cut me off.
"Why did you yell at Jivv?" she challenged me. "Why did you say that you owned him? Can't you see how much that upset him?"
Anger prickled up my spine at her words, and I glared at her, but her green eyes made me pause. "He needed to know his place," I replied as calmly as possible. "We can't have the prisoners dictating to us. I meant what I said, Ashara. I feel responsible for them and you. We aren't in a safe place, and danger can show up at any moment. Are you willing to stand and fight to protect prisoners, strangers that you don't even know, even if it means your life? I'm not willing to put us in that situation."
"Not even to help innocent people?"
"It's not that simple," I grumbled. "Costs and benefits need to be weighed. Someone has to make difficult decisions, and I'm certainly not going to leave it up to the prisoners."
"You could have at least reassured him . . ."
I waved my hand at her and turned away in frustration. "You're not listening. There are no assurances, for any of us. I can't promise myself anything, let alone you or the prisoners."
Ashara looked at me solemnly when I glanced back at her. "Okay," she replied, "but you don't want to hand them over to the Imperials, do you?" Her gentle nature was pleading with me through her eyes.
"Of course not," I answered. "Don't forget that I was a slave once myself. I would never willingly put that burden on another person."
"You didn't tell Jivv that you would free him . . . didn't react as if you wanted to."
"Because I don't know the future. I can't promise him something that I might not control." I stepped closer to her. "Look, I don't think Commander Tritan or Captain Yudrass want anything to do with Republic prisoners, and they certainly aren't going to challenge me for them. They are as safe as they can be with us at the moment, especially with your bleeding heart on their side. Let's worry about the logistics of prisoner swaps when the time comes."
She smiled at me then, with yet more weight seeming to lift from her. "It was just hard for me to know what you were thinking," she muttered. "Sometimes you can sound pretty mean."
"Mean?" I bristled again. Suddenly, the reconnaissance lieutenant from Hoth's 'hothead' label echoed in my mind.
Ashara shrugged as her reply.
"I'm not as bad as you think I am," I added before turning back to the main console. "Why has the captain not called back?" I wondered out loud to change the subject. "Pez," I called out, "is the com link still active?"
"Dweep," the droid responded affirmatively.
"Raise the Commander, I want to know what's going on."
Pez activated the com and in a few moments Commander Tritan's top half lit up in the halo. "Lord Kallig," he stated curtly. "Captain Yudrass is preparing his team and loading equipment on your ship, but he isn't ready to leave yet and darkness is falling. I recommend that we postpone the flight until morning. The storm forecast indicates that it will weaken overnight and there will be better visibility in daylight."
I was frustrated by the delay but could not argue with his logic. "Very well, have the captain contact us when he leaves so that we can prepare for his arrival."
"Of course, my lord. We will contact you as soon as dawn breaks."
Pez cut the comm after the commander's image disappeared, and I paced away from the console in frustration. "It looks like we're going to have to spend another night holed up in this bridge," I sighed. Ashara was watching me thoughtfully. "My plans are a mess," I added. "Two more days will have been wasted before we can get back on the trail of the reclamation team. Even that could be a pointless effort if the storm overwhelmed them."
"We'll find them," Ashara said in an attempt to lighten my mood.
I shook my head slowly. "I don't know," I muttered.
"You seemed to have handled the Force well when fighting the pirates earlier. Maybe you are healing on your own?"
Looking down at my cybernetic glove, I shook my head again. "The ghosts helped me fight the pirates, and not because they cared for us, but for anger and blood lust." I paused to think about the sickening feeling of Darth Andru's presence filling me during the battle. "My control of the Force is not as precise as it was, and using my Force abilities causes fatigue and a strange soreness in my body. I need the archaeologist - the quicker the better."
"We'll find him," Ashara replied confidently. "Maybe we can fly the Skirr in the direction of the nav buoys, or use the comm system that Jivv helped us set up."
"Look at you - suddenly Miss Confident. What makes you so certain?"
"We've come this far, and we seem to make a good team."
"Our time together has been one disaster after another. Not hardly the kind of record that should instill confidence in anyone, though I will agree that we are starting to work well together."
Ashara got a soft grin on her lips. "Do you think that my battle with the pirates can count as my padawan trial?"
I shook my head and noticed her grin flatten. "It was a good test of your abilities, but I don't think it rose to the level of a completion trial. For a Sith, one must defeat a Force user of equal or greater skill, preferably in mortal combat. I can imagine Jedi trials to be similar. Since none of the pirates were Force users, fighting them would not count. Besides, there are things you need to learn yet before I would consider you ready to bear the title of Jedi Knight. Strengthening your Force ward to protect yourself from Force attacks first and foremost."
"And you want to train me to be a Jedi?"
"That is what I promised you, isn't it?"
Ashara stepped close to me. "I accept you as my master," she said calmly.
"Oh?" I replied, glancing sideways at her. "I thought that was already established."
"My heart wasn't in it," she admitted, "and I'm still worried about the whole Sith thing . . . but you've been a good teacher the last few days, and a friend."
I felt uncomfortable with the emotional energy between us and had to fight the impulse to yell I told you so! "You've been a big help to me too," I mumbled after feeling like I needed to say something. "I could not imagine the past week without you."
Ashara smiled and then leaned in to hug me. I patted her upper arm with my good hand and then she let me go. We went back to normal things after that, eating dinner and meditating in the Force for a while. I was relieved that she had processed the violent events of yesterday and recovered her soul. Others had struggled with that experience, and they ended up broken people. The first day we were together on the Skirr, after the awkward night up in a tree on Taris, I had asked Ashara if she had ever killed anyone, and this was the reason why. Now, she appeared to have passed that trial. Glancing quickly at my apprentice, I sensed that our bond was deepening. That I found someone I could trust, or even be close with. I wondered if it was fair to drag her through my coming trials. I still had a bum hand and a Force sickness that needed curing. We had been on a journey just to find the Archeologist to help me, and there were many more obstacles to defeating Darth Thanaton and finding peace. Still, I did not have to face those challenges alone, and that was a start.
To Be Continued . . .
A/N: I really didn't want to end this book on a cliffhanger, but the story just kept getting longer. I had no idea how difficult the video game plot would be to translate into a novel. It turns out there is a very dense plot packed into SWTOR. Also, I wanted to weave the Jedi Knight and Sith Inquisitor stories together, and that added lots of chapters to an already dense story. According to my layout, there are another twenty-seven chapters to complete the story, which is another book in length. I have almost eight of those chapters written and could make a second book to finish the story if there is enough interest on my part and that of the readers. I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I did writing it. Comments are welcome.