For four days Altharya watched Boba and Monts trying to piece together the events. Who was involved, who could know what…. Questions that brought back the burning bile, the dizziness, whenever Boba and Monts discussed their theories too loudly. Far too exhausting to listen, or even think about. Though, sometimes she was asked what she thought, or more… what she sensed in the Force. Only Monts dared to ask her directly with what he wanted to know. Every time he did, Boba would always look into a far corner, avoiding looking at her. She could not blame him… no, but… it hurt still. After the talk they had had, she had hoped - thought- he'd have eased into being less uncomfortable hearing about her sensitivity….

Not that she could really say anything helpful to them. Nothing had changed in the pricking feeling of danger on her skin, out of her reach, lurking on the edge of town. Crawling and waiting for her. It left her jerking awake in the night, drenched in cold sweat as ghostly fingers drew down from her neck down her back. Useless for the whole situation they were in. It only served to deepen the underlying worry in Boba's presence. Why Monts bothered to keep asking her over and over again, escaped her. Nothing had changed, or ever would, in her answers.

Sensing danger meant nothing! With whatever was going on here, it was like saying the water was wet. At least, the two of them worked mostly with their heads down and away from her. Time she spent pouring over the textbook he had gotten her, sometimes with Kihroya keeping her company. Unless Boba and Monts left the house, then she'd be sent to shadow Tehra at her work. "Safety" they told her when she had first protested as she had been in the middle of reading up on a more complex surgical technique. A cantina was not a place she wanted to study in!

At least Boba and Monts did their sweeps through the forest during the mornings. When the cantina was rather empty with the only few patrons clinging to their decaf mugs. Calm and nothing was hurried, as if not a week ago a shuttle had crashed into the nearby cliffside. Maybe this was what came with being a bounty hunter: being unaffected by strangers' deaths. She let out a long sigh as she put the tray she had been carrying down.

"Altharya," Tehra rounded the counter, waving her over.

"Is something?" Altharya frowned at the Togruta who looked more tired these days.

"Maybe," Tehra nodded towards a large pile of dirty dishes near the sink and then lowered her voice. "We are doing this the old way so we can talk."

Eyebrow raised, Altharya followed Tehra over to the sink. As soon as Tehra had turned on the water, Altharya took a plate and started to pile them all in. Usually, their dishwasher could take care of all the dirt, but the faucet had this loud rumbling that drowned out anyone's voice. Though, the cantina was practically empty, no one was even near the bar. There would always be ears, Boba had drilled into her one day.

"I might have found a clue," Tehra said, squeezing soap into the water.

"Why are you telling me and not Boba?"

"You are the only one right now who I trust to be able to pull my plan off."

"Not sure I like the sound of that."

Tehra looked down with a heavy sigh. "I would not ask you if I had any other options."

There was a sombre seriousness gathering between them. Chewing on her lower lip, Altharya regarded Tehra for a moment before asking: "What is going on?"

"Lyude, you know the temporary waitress I hired, witnessed a fight," Tehra dropped her voice even lower and Altharya had to strain her ears to even hear. "Between the guy who was arrested and Emmet, you have met him right?"

"I have briefly," Altharya replied just as quietly. "You see a connection?"

"Yes," Tehra looked way more tired, more uncomfortable than before and Altharya worried for a moment that Tehra had not slept. "This is also why I need you to do me a favour. Yesterday, you told me you can become consciously invisible now?"

With a frown, Altharya squeezed the sponge in her hand tightly as she regarded Tehra through narrowed eyes. It had gotten easier to control this newfound power, yes. But… there was a sinking feeling settling down from the Force she could not shake off. A favour where she'd have to pry for secrets best kept away.

"You want me to spy?"

Tehra grimaced. "Crudely put. Emmet owns a house that lies isolated and he won't be home for a while. The Arion investigators want him around, so this is the perfect window for you to slip in."

"What if he comes back earlier?"

"I or Fett will provide a distraction so you can get out as fast as possible," Tehra replied seriously leveling her with a hard stare.

"Boba?" Altharya frowned. "Isn't he with Monts?"

"Still around," Tehra huffed dismissively. "Believe me, that boy is attracted to any trouble brewing."

"Not comforting at all," Altharya remarked drily, scrubbing at a particularly stubborn spot on a plate. "Do you truly think Emmet would go against the Arions? He is employed by them after all."

"Has Fett never told you why Emmet was assigned here?"

"No? Why should he have?"

"Suppose he did not anticipate Emmet being relevant," Tehra shrugged. "Emmet used to be a high ranking risk analyst in one of Arion's fusion reactor factories. As it turned out however, he had taken bribed and when an inspector died to electrocution because Emmet had fudged a safety report, he was re-assigned. His mother is a distant relative to the Arions and only because of her he is here in exile now and not in jail."

"He could be after money again? Revenge?" Altharya put forth.

"Both, more likely," Tehra pulled a sour face. "If he is, it would explain how the Brent agents have gone unnoticed for so long. The one they had arrested used to be a regular patron of mine."

"I see…," Altharya pulled her mouth into a tight line before asking. "When should I go?"

"Not now!" Tehra immediately insisted, rubbing her nose with her forearm, hands dripping with soap water. "Once we are done with this chore. That is where I usually take my lunch break."

"Do you have a plan?"

"I do," Tehra grinned viciously. "In fact, I know his security system's password."

"How?" Altharya could not prevent her jaw from dropping.

"A favour there… another one here… at some point they all slip up when typing in their code," Tehra shrugged again. "Standard infiltration tactics."

"I hesitate to ask how often you have done this."

"My friend used to joke that if they ever forgot theirs, they just had to ask me."

"Pragmatic," Altharya snorted.

Tehra winced slightly. "In a way maybe. It did save them once or twice… until I was too far away and the Empire got to them."

"I am so sorry," Altharya sent her a soft smile, the sour taste of grief filling her mouth when Tehra's face fell briefly.

Then she huffed resolutely, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "They wouldn't want us to be sad. Anyhow," She smiled brightly then, and Altharya winced at the jarring contrast. "Anyhow, as far as I know, Arions always take hours."

"Should we at least tell Boba? Just in case?" Altharya asked cautiously.

"Might not be for the best," Tehra mused. "Scouting out a spot held in potential enemy's hands requires no contact. They won't be back until late evening if not early morning."

"So long?" Altharya stilled in her movements, surprised.

"If they are observing it, then they might not be back for a few days."

"Well, Boba told me that he'd see me tonight."

This time Tehra pulled one of her facial markings up. "Hm. Guess they are just setting up motion sensors and cameras then."

"Do those take long to install?"

"Depends on the tech, the gear and the perimeter that is being observed. The parameters for the tech to send signals and then there is the feedback loop."

"Sounds…" Altharya put a plate on the growing pile of dishes on the side. "Complicated?"

"Once you have the hang of it, it is not really," Tehra chuckled. "I could show you some basics later?"

"Oh sure," Altharya grinned. "Might even surprise Boba with that."

"Fett and surprised? That I do wish to see," Tehra snorted. "Anyways," she nudged Altharya with her elbow. "Whoever does the most dishes gets dibs on the lemon bites."

Emmet's house was, like Boba's and Monts', in the outskirts of the village, surrounded by high white stone walls where only the roof peeked out at the top. In front of it, was a little park like area. Mostly plants and benches with tables for gatherings where Tehra led her to sit down. Lanters still hung from the wall, above the locked gate leading into the closed off courtyard.

"So, tell me what you see," Tehra said, fishing out a lemon bite out of the bag she had won first dibs on.

"What do you mean?" Altharya asked, crossing her arms.

"Tell me what you see. Since this is your first time infiltrating, we will need to cover the base before I let you go at it."

"Why just before I am going in?"

"Cantina is out of the question. Too little time to train you and your sensitivity will be what will get us the most information."

Altharya shook her head in response. Her sensitivity? What did Tehra want to know what she could not find out herself? Why did she not go herself? Though, she squinted her eyes at the too blue sky and the blinding sun, maybe she sought impressions, thoughts shimmering in the air inside? Fine, she could humour this.

"A locked gate?" She finally replied.

"Good. There is more."

"Uhm… high walls?"

"Also good," Tehra's grin had widened a bit. "More."

"Eh…" Altharya frowned, biting on the tip of her tongue.

These were the only ones she could see from here. At least… the ones relevant to them? Sighing, she pointed at the lanterns.

"Do you mean the lanterns? They are decorative, right?"

"Are they?" Tehra prodded. "What do you think it could happen with them?"

Altharya scrunched up her nose. "I guess I could… disturb them?"

"Exactly," Tehra fished for another lemon bite. "Lanterns can be disturbed if you are careless, especially since there is no wind going today. Anything else?"

"The houses behind us? If I climbed her the wall, someone might notice that."

"Good!" Tehra nodded, a smug air around her.

"I do hope that walking through the gate is not truly your plan?" Altharya asked, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at Tehra.

Tehra burst out into a short laughing fit. "Do you see the small bush that is between Emmet's house and his left neighbor? Behind it is a small crack in the wall. You can easily slip in if you are invisible. I will keep an eye out."

"How will I know if Emmet is returning?"

Tehra smiled, pointing at the comlink. "I know your frequency, if someone is approaching there will be one beep."

"What if I need help?"

"You will need to beep me," Tehra held out her wrist, the buttons blinking as it synchronized with hers.

"And you would just stroll in?"

Tehra grew serious then. "Between me and Emmet, I have the better reputation. If I were to go inside to investigate, no one would dare to question it. Should you find proof that he is in cahoots with the Brents, then there will be other agents around. The one caught could have impossibly the only one."

"Boba thought as much," Altharya shrugged.

"I do not want to know what he thinks," Tehra immediately cut in. "What do you think?"

"Boba is…"

"Do you truly want to rely on him more?"

Altharya snapped her mouth shut. Reliant on Boba? Of course she was! He was the one who had gotten her in this mess to begin with! No matter what they all pretended… she would always be kidnapped. Waiting and dreading when Vader demanded her release and…. To hope that Boba would not deliver her was foolish.

Yet… the tendril of this foolish hope would not go away. It gnawed at her thoughts, during the nights when she wanted to fall asleep or whenever he smirked in her direction.

"See what I mean?" Tehra poked her upper thigh. "One day he will not be around and you will need to be able to do these things alone."

"I have only been here for a few months!" Altharya protested, swatting the hand away. "What chance do I stand against fully trained agents?"

"Do you forget the little edge you have over anyone here?" Tehra carefully reminded her. "Use it and there will be nothing for you to worry about."

"You sound so sure?"

"I have seen the power of the Force," Tehra admitted reverently. "Terrifying when wielded by a Master and you… at some point nothing will be able to stop you."

"I hope so," Altharya huffed. "One day I need to escape."

Tehra sighed, avoiding to look in her direction. "I am sure that…" she stopped herself. "Nevermind."

Sure of what? That Boba would let her? Or stop her? Or that she could escape Vader on her own?

"Tehra…," she started to prod.

"I won't say anything," Tehra waved her off.

Altharya sighed, giving her an insistent look.

"Don't worry about it," Tehra insisted for firmly. "You are ready."

Tehra shoved another lemon bite into her hands, shooting her a look that told her not to press the matter. Just what was she hesitant to tell her? Then she frowned.

"You planned this whole thing way before!"

"There is always a plan in case someone becomes a liability," Tehra's tone had grown ice cold. "Remember this, especially if you wish to survive the Empire."

Altharya could only swallow. That… sounded… she shivered at the underlying doom latching onto her stomach.

"I suggest you sneak in now," Tehra whispered suddenly, urgency evident in her tone leaving no room to protest. "No one is watching us, go!"

A ripple… it was all it took for her to disappear from sight. No more pulling on her forehead, to a blinding pain. Nothing. Getting up, she slowly staggered over to the bush. She bit the inside of her cheek. Why do those two felt like ordering her around?! Thorns and large leaves as far as she could see, not even a single glimpse wall peeking out. Briefly she turned to look to Tehra, who was inspecting another lemon bite with interest. Determined, she stuck her hand in, thorns pricking and scratching along her skin. The sting wavered her focus, the pricking and scratching. Gritting her teeth, she pushed her whole arm through. More thorns digging in, arms, her cheeks… This bush looked far smaller outside… She drew in a big breath, gripping the branches in front of her in the Force, stilling them. By the Force, by the time she emerged, she would be covered over with bloody scratches. Those two… she wanted to just read her medical texts!

Her hand hit rough edges of crumbled stone walls. Frantically, she patted around the area, her fingers slipping into a large gap. Large enough for her to... the thorns trying to keep her back as she tried to move.

With a quiet rip, she fell through with a surprised yelp, the thorns finally letting her go. With her breath knocked out, ribcage screaming in pain, she curled into a ball. Coughing, she let her grasp on the Force go, dropping the shroud around her. What was she even doing here? Doing the bidding of a bounty hunter? Breaking and entering… she squeezed her eyes shut. What would Struhn think of her? He'd throw a fit… that mush she knew.

They were doing this for Rion… find out who had killed him and the others. Remember why she was doing this… Groaning she sat up on her knees and looked around. A small courtyard that led up to the house. Two stories, larger than she would have thought a single person would need. On her feet, she crossed her arms, icy chills coating her arms.

Deserted… it felt dead, deserted, unloved. No flicker of life in this little closed off space, in the middle of a fairly lively town. The hair on her arms stood on end, her eyes were drawn to a window on the second floor closed off with heavy shutters. Something was waiting for her behind it, deep in her bones. Darkness, the same darkness that had been pressing on her shields, she could sense it swirling there.

A key? To solve this whole… she took a shuddering breath. How would she get in? Door was closed, the windows too. Not that Tehra could have given her the codes, but she frowned seeing no keypad next to the door. Hadn't Boba mentioned something the other day? When he had to repair their window as its locking mechanism had jammed and he had explained how these worked. Emmet might have the same design… after all, the village was comprised of houses that had been pre-built by the Arions with their rumoured tight regulations. This window began just below her chest, its sill small and narrow. Hesitantly, she touched the metal frame encasing the glass. Somewhere… she squinted to see clearer. Small lever… it would release the window for it to swing inside.

Found it… the small, delicate lever was locked tightly in its mold. She pressed her right hand flatly against the glass, reaching out into the Force. Cool, smooth against her fingers and in the Force. Little tendrils flowed out from her fingers, glowing behind her eyelids, until cold metal hit her fingertips through them. She flicked a finger.

The lever moved out, several clicks until the window swung inwards. Sun light fell into a large room, with desk, chairs… an office? It looked similar to what Struhn had in his little medical station, shelves laden with boxes and records. Stemming her hands on the sill, she hauled herself inside, her feet land landed silently on a carpet muffling the impact. Now, she would have to… No, not yet. She closed the window, clicking it back into its lock. No one could see there was someone here.

Heart pounding in her throat, she turned back. The desk was bare of any paper, only held a large screen and a box with pens. Yet, at the top of the wall, where the shelves ended, hung certifications of a Business Administrator. Some were half hidden behind boxes that looked dusty, open shame and fury clinging to them. Their sour taste left the room feeling empty, strings pulling her away, out of the room. Yet, she could not bring herself to move away. In here, there was something she needed to see, know. The Force squirmed uneasily here, making cold sweat break out on the back of her neck. As if in a dream, she moved towards the desk and shelves. She sank deeper into the Force, where the singularity of her unease crystallised through.

Shining, oozing with death, threads in the Force pressed into one large… she winced at the searing screams careening and echoing in them. Ripping her eyes open, ears ringing, she saw that she had wandered over to the shelf on the right behind the desk and chair. Her hand was outstretched, hovering over a box. Small, inconspicuous, brown plastic and looked as if it had seen better days. Its edges were dented, with a thick layer of dust on the lid.

Carefully, she pulled it out of the shelf, making its contents rattle. By the sound of it metallic. Lifting the lid, she put the box on the desk before truly looking at the contents. On top of everything lay a badge, its symbol glaring up to her. Arion. He had been a higher ranking officer for them before, only to be re-assigned in dishonor to this post. She ghosted her fingers over the badge, bitter memories singing in the grooves that twisted into the Arion symbol. Disgrace, she took the badge out holding it out into the sun light. Dull silver, black veins snaking through it with chinks around the top edge. It had been handled roughly and neglected. Shaking her head, she put it back looking at the rest. Folded papers, some yellowed and edges fraying and others still in their envelopes, a small book and a ring.

Worn, the metal still shining where it probably had been twisted and held. Loved, it looked well-loved. Curious, she reached out. As soon as her fingertips touched it, cold disgusted snapped in making her twitch away. Loss… tears were glinting in the light reflected on the metal.

Throat tight, she stared at the papers, the letters, the badge and the ring. This… these were the shards of a destroyed life in front of her. Numbly, she unfolded the letter at the very top.

A demand of resignation with the offer of re-assignment to this town on the next page.

'I am sorry, Emmet. The culprits are far too entrenched to be punished publicly, the blow-out would be catastrophic and we cannot afford this with the Brents aggressively trying to get a foothold in our market. For your sake, I am asking you to hand in your resignation so I can soften the blow. I know you were not involved, but you were the only one where the evidence was planted. The Arions need someone to take the fall and the people here need someone to blame.'

Taking the fall… innocent? Blinking, she set the letter down, feeling less sure about the unease still crawling at her hands. The other letter, one carefully folded, was more worn, its handwriting faded to a pale gray from what she assumed had once been pure black ink.

'I no longer love you, you disgust me. What you have done is unforgivable. I am returning my wedding band… I never ever want to see you again.'

Round blotches of water blurred the rest of the flowing, faded script out. Tears, the sorrow heavy and excruciating. Her heart sank into her gut, just as her fingers felt leaden as she kept holding on this letter. The hit that had shattered Emmet, leaving the shards lying in one small box. Nothing else was left. All the resentment on the badge, the bitter tears on the letter, the disgust on the ring… Exile, Emmet was an exile, discarded to save face. Releasing a breath, she pinched the bridge of her nose. Pity, she felt pity for a man she subconsciously went invisible around. In her chest a dull ache bloomed. Emmet must have watched his life fall apart, powerless to stop the loss the respect, his family and home.

All because someone decided he had to take the blame for their actions. Feeling powerless, she knew how crippling and paralyzing it was going through it. Once it stopped, everything was over. Like her finding herself on Teth in hiding, and Emmet finding himself in this town, with no voice and shunned by everyone.

No, she slammed the lid back on it, cutting off the last squirm in the Force and shoved the box where she had taken it out from. Why were the screams of the dead people wrapped around this? What had Emmet to do with all of this?

How were they connected?

A chill raced up her back and she took a step back. Those were Rion's and Lireth's screams and more, more to come too. More to come? Mouth dry, she stumbled backwards, until her back hit the door. Emmet was involved… no question about that. Their deaths and those to come would be all on him.

She would have to tell… Who would believe her though? Tehra, Boba and Monts would without question, they knew what she could sense. Without evidence however, no one else would. She would have to keep looking, there must be something that would incriminate him. That was when the Force tugged at her again, insistent, desperately for her to listen. With trembling hands, she opened the door she had been pressed against and stepped into a small corridor that led straight towards, what she presumed to be, the main entrance.

Slowly, she inched her way towards where the corridor opened into an area looking like a waiting area. Seats and a few turned off screens were there. Wasn't this where the bounty hunters here got their bounties? Seemed like she had broken into the space where Emmet was doing his job. There must be a way upstairs…. She closed her eyes, searching for those shimmering threads again. Hidden in the far wall, behind two heavy shelves separating the screens from the seats glimmered the outline of a door set into the wall itself.

Without seeing this through the Force, this was an ordinary wall, no bumps no apparent seams in the wall paintings. She stepped closer, searching for something. Tehra had mentioned a code, so an electronic lock must be around and accessible. Frowning, she inspected the two consoles with the screens. Electronic lock hidden between two consoles… she huffed. Right, this would take her too long.

"Tehra?" She lifted her com link up to her mouth. "I cannot find the lock to his living space."

"Where are you?" Tehra's voice crackled.

"Where the consoles are in the waiting area."

"Ah, if you are facing the wall, your left console has a detachable keyboard, under that is the electronic lock."

Altharya walked over to the console, hooking her fingers underneath the keys. It flipped up, revealing a small keypad with numbers and letters. "What is the code?"

"Combination is a date as far as I am aware. Fourteen, ten, three hundred seventy and then…" Altharya hastily pushed the buttons as Tehra listed off. "The letters are OPL."

Once she pressed the last button, the pad flashed up green three times. Silent, metallic clicks echoed in the empty room. She looked in the direction of the door, leaving the keyboard to fall back into its place. After the third loud click, the door slid sideward. A staircase leading up was revealed, like a gaping hole that was sucking out the heat from the room. Whatever she was searching for… it was up there.

"Got in," she mouthed into the comm and shut it off.

Shaking, she stepped towards the stairs, letting the door slide shut. Suddenly, the pricking sense of danger was back in her gut. As if something or someone was watching her. Had to keep going, the sooner she got out of here, the better. Upstairs looked smaller than from the outside. Three rooms cramped around the small living space that began at the end of the stairs. Two large couches forming a semi-circle around the holo-vision, the rest of the room was bare. Unused, just a prop, with dust coating the ports and projection boards.

The entire apartment felt dead, unlived in. No decorations on the wall, patchy white where Altharya presumed the pervious owners' ones had been. She looked to the other doors. Unused too, unlike… one, the metal was shinier. The shaking grew as she approached it and she pushed it open, revealing a pitch black room. Goosebumps raised on her arms and neck. Instinctively, she reached for the wall to her side. Patting it down for a light switch. Her fingers slipped over the switch. Weak, yellow light flickered up from a lamp that dangled from the ceiling.

Heart thundering in her throat, she took in the room. Unlike the other rooms, this one felt more lived in. Numbness spread from her fingertips. Here, the hatred simmering in the shadows was far stronger. A malevolent current that strung up her nerves, every fiber in her being screaming to run. Staggering over to the desk, she bit her tongue to not whimper in her discomfort. Two set of drawers under the desk, shelves decking out the right side and the window with heavy shutters closed in front of it. More boxes, datapads and even a safe.

The drawers were locked, a resistance keeping them from being pulled out. Frowning, she listened again. Heavy, it clinked as if made of metal. She reached out in the Force, pulling at the heavy bolt that locked the drawer into place. Hinges creaked, the hooks screeching as they forcefully were pushed back.

It snapped open, its contents jumbled and scattered. Surprised, Altharya blinked. Had she truly tagged that hard? She looked down to her hands, flexing her fingers. Maybe a one-off, after all she was weak in the Force. Focus on the task! She shook her head, sifting through the contents. Dataspikes, many of them, far too many for one person to use. Who needed so many?

Her fingers hit the bottom… a hollow sound rang out. False bottom? Boba had told her one night about a mission he had once found what he was contracted to find in one of these. She knocked on it again. Hollow again… definitely a false bottom. Neither seemed there to be a mechanism to pull it out.

There was no other option. She held her hand out over the drawer, spreading her fingers out, summoning the Force… and pulled at the drawer. It jerked violently… more resistance. Damn this… she grunted and knelt down to look at the drawer from underneath. On it were four places where the metal seemed worn down. Regular wear, four places… hooks?

Just how? How did Emmet, who was not force-sensitive, open this drawer? Did he use a key? But then there would have to be a lock… or a remote? Or… she turned to look at the shelves, pursing her lips. Failing now was out of question.

In that moment, the air shifted. Little electric charges shocking her spine making her straighten up. In her ears a whirring arose, crawling over her temples to her forehead. A warning. She had run out of time…. No time… she thrust both of her hands over the drawer. Fingers cramped apart and she tore at the bottom. Again it refused…

Her mouth drew into a snarl. Open! By the stars, she would…. Gritting her teeth, she yanked again, pushing more into this one last attempt.

With a loud metallic shriek, the hinges and hooks broke. The bottom split, hovering out with its edges jagged and broken. She flicked her hand to fling the part to the floor. Her eyes were drawn to what was lying inside. A tool she immediately recognized. Two-pronged hyperspanner, used to work with a shuttle's engine. The Force had wanted her to find this….

Lifting her fingers, she made the tool float out to her waiting hand.

Her heart shuttered.

Footsteps….

Not her own. Paralysed, she stared at the wall where the stairs would be leading up to this floor would be. Tool in hand, the footsteps pounded below her rapid heartbeat drawing ever closer.

Stars, she had to get out. Yet, her muscles would not let her move. Frozen, she was forced to listen as the footsteps came closer. Too late to run, shivering she threw herself underneath the desk, making herself melt into the desk's shadows. Knees digging painfully into the scratchy carpet, she waited.

Where could she get out even? The windows were closed, the shutters were barred shut. Right now, she was trapped. She would have to wait for the other to leave and hope to the Stars that they did not find her. The footsteps had gotten so close, she could hear the floorboards creaking slightly just outside the room. Her heart thundered so loudly, she was sure the other intruder would hear her through the wall.

The handle was turned down, slowly and in a smooth motion. Her breathing stopped, leaving only the pounding of her heart in her ears. Time had stopped and she watched from beneath the desk as the door opened. Instinctively, she pressed herself against the wall, her breath stuck in her chest. Still and silently pressing the tool against her chest, her hands cramping at how strongly she was clutching at it.

"What…?" was whispered horrified.

A tall man whipped around the door, holding a blaster out. She had to hold a hand in front of her mouth to not let a gargled scream escape her. Frantically, the man jerked around, blaster pointing at various points in the room. Searching for someone, his mind sharply roaming around. However, there was strained fear underneath it all. He hesitated, frowning in confusion and then relaxed his stance slightly. The same stance Boba had drilled into her before even letting her touch a rifle.

For a long moment, he stood there. His fear soured suddenly, his feet shifting into a rapid movement to look for… someone. She looked closer at him. The uniform he wore was bland bearing no symbols, grey, disguising his form. Not someone she recognized, or had been in their vicinity. Who was he? What was he doing in Emmet's house?

Was he looking for the tool in her hand too?

"How….?" He sounded simultaneously awed, stunned and full of horror.

The drawer… she glanced to where she had discarded the false bottom with its jagged edges.

"I know you are in here!" He suddenly yelled.

She bit into her hand hard, as not to yelp in shock.

"Reveal yourself!"

He sounded like someone who was used to giving orders… the tool weighing heavily in her hands. Only once had she heard this way of talking before. Back on Teth, when a fleeing Imperial officer had to have his bionic eye replaced. What was an Imperial doing here? Here in the Drog system, in Emmet's house? In the middle of the corporate sector!

Tehra… the comm! How could she forget? Hand shaking, she took it from her mouth, fumbling for the little button on her wrist.

The click was too loud. Everything froze for a long moment, not even a heartbeat could be heard. The man stood stock still just in front of the desk. Definitely must have heard it…. Stars, please.

"I heard you," his voice shook. "Drop the stealth… I have detection goggles on me. I will shoot to kill if you do not show yourself!"

Goggles? Mouth dry, she simply stared. Ones used to detect people using stealth generators? What should she do? What could she do?! Tehra, please hurry!

"I will count to five!"

Five?! Her eyes flitted to the still open door. If she bolted now, she'd run straight into the solid steel door. The only way would be right through the man. Trapped, she was trapped…. Could he even see her with those goggles? She did not know how this power worked!

"One…," she heard him swallow.

She could not prevent the gasp escape anymore.

"Two!" He dropped into a crouch, blaster aiming directly into her face, yet his eyes seemed unfocused, unseeing.

His finger was very still on the trigger. Only a twitch, and a blaster bolt would bury itself right into her head.

"Three…." He drew out the number, frowning and stood up.

Now or never. Her only chance to flee! If she dropped her invisibility, he'd kill her. She felt bile pressing back up. Imperials… her head swam.

"Four!" He called out coldly.

She thrust her hand out, gripping his arm in the Force. Propelling her forward, she swiped through the air yanking his arm to the side. A bang exploded in her ears, but she had already shoved the man aside. Ripples shot over her skin, a surprised yell already fading away. Her invisibility had dropped, but she was already out of the door.

"Hey!"

She could barely hear his shout as she crashed into the outer wall. Another flicking of her fingers, the force of the movement leaving them numb, she made the door slam shut on the man. Shock turned into a flare of panicked anger, an outraged yell punching into her. But, she was already flying towards the staircase. Please, please… let the door still be open.

She crashed around the corner to the stairs. Her wrists screamed in pain when she caught herself from slamming into the wall again. Closed…, no….Stumbling, she came to a halt, nearly falling down. Closed? Oh no. Whirling around, she feverishly looked around…. Where was Tehra? Metal banged against a wall making her flinch. She froze. Opening the door below would take too long. Where else… The window! If she could break it… she thrust out her hand, palm facing upward toward the glass. Cracks appeared, spider web white, yet too thin, not interconnected enough for the glass to break.

"You! Turn around! Slowly and keep your hands where I can see them!" The man growled behind her, safety on his blaster clicking off. "What is your business here?"

Stars… too late. The shivering was back, she could barely lift her hands, her strength fleeing her body. Force, think, think! What had Boba told her? Slowly she turned around. Assess first, then when they least expect it, incapacitate.

In front of her stood the human man, small and stout. He felt foreign in this moment, out of place even in the town. Eyes shifting, never at rest. Experienced, the blaster in his hands steady as it directly at her chest.

"Answer me!" He demanded loudly, face twisted into a snarl that showed his teeth.

Answers? He wanted answers? After threatening to kill her?

"I…," she blurted out, not sure what to say.

"What is Fett's part in all of this?" He hissed, not letting her finish. "What are his plans?"

"What?" She spluttered in surprise, eyes wide.

The man frowned deeply then. "You are his partner, are you not? What are you doing here?"

"I am here on my own terms." She winced at the nervous titter that snuck into her last word.

"Lie!" He growled back, tightening his grip on the blaster. "What is Fett's game in this?"

"Two people die in a freak accident," Altharya snapped back, watching the man's jaw fall open in surprise. "A shuttle nearly crashes into this town and you wonder why I am here investigating?"

For a moment, the man simply stared at her, jaw slack. Though, he caught himself quickly. "You? Alone? No…" he shook his head. "You are far too green for this. Someone put you up to this. Who? And what are you doing with this tool?"

She tilted her head to look at the tool she was still holding. Would he even listen to her if she told him? There was no space to reason with him. Yet….

"And who are you to make demands of me?" She snapped back, still keeping her hands up. "You are an intruder here too!"

"I am the one with a weapon," the man taunted with a short laugh.

Where was Tehra? Inhaling, she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart, tried to dispel the electricity charging the hair on her forearm. Cruel flashes glimmered in his eyes, determined, hateful. Hiding something… her fingers twitched. Air rushed into her lungs, cold stabbing her chest that sent a manic prickling over her face.

Out of time.

"You will not shoot me," she spoke, summoning the Force into her voice, pushing them into the man's mind.

His mind was open, vulnerable. Like pressing down on cloth, she slipped in with ease.

"I…," the man scrunched up his face, confused as the words forced themselves into his head and out of his mouth. "Will… not shoot you."

Eyes grew blank, a misty veil falling over them as his limbs relaxed. The blaster was lowered, pointing to the floor. Nothing moved, she did not dare to even twitch a muscle. Watching him blink into the sun light that fell through the window. Slowly, deliberately so, she placed one foot to the side, towards the stairs. If she could… if there was enough time…

"What…"

Her hand shot back out. Winds howled in her ears, rushing over her arm and over her fingertips. A pained gasp and the blaster cluttered to the floor.

"You will not shoot me," she repeated frantically, the prickling now down in her throat. "You will let me go!"

He convulsed, hands shaking, the veins in his neck and face started to throb visibly. Confusion mixed with hatred and the overwhelming need to do what she had said. Let her go… she curled her fingers in, pulling her command back to the forefront of his mind. The rushing in her ears grew, her blood bubbled just as her heart slowed finally. Everything grew calm then, still while the pressure in her ears reached the edge of popping.

She uncurled her fingers, pressing against the man's will. Easily as blowing a feather away, his mind gave away. Blood shot eyes sought hers out, gargled chokes escaping him. Instinctive pleas, begging her for… mercy? The muscles in her finger cramped up, mercy? Mercy… could she give it? His hands were shaking, twisting as they clamped around his skull, fingers drilling into the skin of his temples.

Release him…

Yet, she would not move. Watched the agony writhing in front of her grow. She had to turn her head away. Boiling needles stabbed into the back of her eyes… If she hadn't stopped him, he would have killed her. Without remorse, without second thoughts. Why should she grant him mercy? Clarity slowly sunk into her heart and her head back around, she stared blankly back.

Without remorse… without mercy…. Once she let go, he'd kill her.

'Your safety comes first, always' Boba had drilled into her, made her recite it even while half-asleep.

In her skull, a crack resounded in her skull. Streaking pain lashed out at the back of her head… she whimpered and stumbled backwards. A scream ripped from the man's mouth as he collapsed into a heap on the floor. One hand slapped near his dropped blaster, blood from where had dug into his skin dripped down. The Force was reeling, leaving her head spinning and stomach turning on itself. Weak, all her strength had seeped out. Through her half-hooded eyes, she could only watch him writhe. Like waves of a disturbed lake, the fractured thoughts crashed against hers, despair and pain echoing in each of them. The imprint she had left was like a raging fire eating up water.

What had she done?

Wet gargles, weak coughing… fingers nearest to the blaster twitched, reached out for it. Paralysed, she watching him grab at it. More than once, it slipped through his hands. Horrified, she slipped sidewards, scrambling away. He pulled it towards him… intent on…

Too late… she realized too late. The blaster was jammed into his mouth…

"No!" She shot forward, the Force crashing back to her command.

Too late… the bang from the recoil froze her mid-motion. Blood coated the wall and floor, while smoke rose from the back of his skull. Amongst the blood, she swore she saw brain matter slip down. Her eyes started to burn with how wide she had ripped them open. Had to get out… she jerked up, flying down the stairs. All was a blur until she reached the window she had come in.

"Altharya?" Tehra's voice made her jump.

The door to the office, the one she had just run through to get here… there stood Tehra, rifle in hands.

"I heard a blaster shot!" Tehra lowered the rifle, eyes flying to every corner.

"We need to get out!" Altharya slammed against the window, her voice high and shrill. "Where were you?!"

"Boba arrived," Tehra held up a hand. "He is distracting everyone right now for us."

"We have to get out," Altharya yelled, trying to open the window with her shaking hands. "There is… was… there was someone and…"

"Later," Tehra grasped her forearm, yanking her away from the window. "Come!"

Smoothly, Tehra whirled around, pulling her forcefully towards the entrance. With the tool clutched to her chest, Altharya stumbled after Tehra who kept her yanking mercilessly her away. Like a blur, Tehra flung her out of the open door. She sailed through the air, unable to breathe, before landing on her stomach. All breath was knocked out, she could not move…. Yet, she was not given a moment to catch one when Tehra pulled her up and towards the crack in the wall.

"No one will be looking," Tehra hissed into her ear, pushing her through the biting thorns. "Fett's distraction should give us enough time to get out of here!"

She stumbled out, nearly faltering in her steps unable to lift her feet anymore. But Tehra's grip returned on her forearm immediately, forcing her to keep moving. Like a blur, she was pulled through the deserted roads. Unusual, the thought came and fled as soon as it came. What was Boba doing? As soon as she was yanked around a bend in the road, Boba's and Monts' house coming into view, Tehra slowed down.

"No one should have seen us," Tehra muttered, throwing a brief look over her shoulder. "You can catch a breath now."

Altharya leaned against Tehra, rubbing her temples where a headache was slowly growing.

"I will signal Fett that we are out," Tehra pressed several buttons on her com. "Let's get you inside."

"Where was he?" Altharya asked, straightening out.

"Following a trail," Tehra replied. "Apparently, there were footprints leading back to town."

"I… see," Altharya rubbed her forearms. "I just… need to sit down."

The house was eerily quiet, once Altharya wandered inside. No Kihroya bouncing around, Boba had taken her with him, no Monts nor Kertan. Quiet and still, as if death hung in the corners and little nooks. She had killed someone… again with the Force. Second time. Second time a murderer, yet somehow… she felt nothing. That man there, she did not even know his name, he would have killed her if she hadn't…. Hadn't what? Mind tricked him? Shudders started shaking through her, teeth chattering against each other.

She had just wanted him to let her go…. How had it all gone so wrong?

"Now, what happened in there?" Tehra asked while pushing her into the couch.

"I would like to know as well!" Boba's voice suddenly rang out and Altharya could not prevent the flinch jerking her away from Tehra.

"I came as fast as I could," Boba muttered to Tehra sliding up beside her.

"Your distraction was good enough," Tehra whispered back. "There were no witnesses to our escape."

"I saw to that," Boba retorted drily, but his shoulders tensed up. "Now… what happened?"

Altharya tightened her hand around the tool. How had neither of them seen it yet?

"I…," she started, yet no words formed and she choked.

A frown appeared on his face. Concerned he slowly knelt down in front of her. Slow and careful movements. She could not rip her eyes away from each little motion he made.

"Fett, I asked her to investigate Emmet's house," Tehra quietly explained. "I called you as soon as her distress signal came."

His eyes darkened just as his mouth drew into a very thin line. "That was dangerous."

"She is capable," Tehra argued sharply.

"Well, something went wrong!" Boba griped back.

"There was someone else in that house," Altharya finally found her voice, even if watery and small. "Not Emmet… someone else, he was searching for something, I think."

Boba's frown deepened. "What happened then? Where is this man?"

"Dead," she breathed out, feeling herself deflate as tears came back. "I killed him."

Boba jolted, shocked almost. "Are you…?"

Fine? Alright? She tilted her head to observe him from underneath her eyelashes. By now he should know, more tears collected in her eyes and everything blurred.

"It was either me or him," she simply answered.

It was… or maybe she was just lying to herself again. Who knew? Not her.

"You do not sound fine," Boba's hand curled around hers that held the tool. He must have seen it. Why hasn't he asked yet? "Was it an accident?"

His concern broke through the haze, steady and warm. It released the tension pinching at her shoulders.

Shaking her head, she repeated what he had taught her: "My safety first."

He opened his mouth, surprise at hearing his own line quoted back at him just as understanding dawned on his face. "Self-defense."

"He pointed a blaster in my face," Altharya swallowed heavily. "I… I… tried to…"

"You tried what?" Boba prodded.

Tehra understood first. From the corner of her eyes, Altharya saw the Togruta's body go rigid with her eyes widening in terror.

"I told him to let me go," Altharya finally felt the blockage lift from her mind. "I… I don't know, my will was stronger. I told him to just let me go… but he… he killed himself."

"What are you saying?" Boba asked harshly, his grip on her hand had grown so tight, she nearly yelped from the pain flaring up.

The metal from the tool stabbed into her finger, liquid seeping in. She winced, drawing in a hissing breath. Brown eyes softened and he loosened his grip.

"I used the Force," she confessed. "The only way…"

"The only way to get out," Tehra finished for her, horror sneaking through her usual calm tone. "Fett," she turned to look to Boba who turned his head to look at her. "I have seen this happen once. Altharya's will was far stronger than the man's and his mind could not cope with it."

"What do you mean?" Boba exchanged suspicious glances between them.

"You were too powerful," Tehra spoke directly to Altharya then. "His mind…" she scrunched up her nose in obvious discomfort. "His mind shattered."

"Too powerful?" Boba's question seemed far away again.

"Maybe I shouldn't use that term. Too strong perhaps. Does not matter, right now," Tehra shrugged.

Did not matter anymore, Altharya looked to her clenched fists, where the tool she had stolen was still hiding. Did not matter. A life did not matter… no, that was not what Tehra had meant. No, stop thinking. She took a deep breath. What was meant that it was done, in the past, she could not undo anything.

"She needs some space," Boba said then, squeezing her hand he was still holding slightly.

"Alright, before I go, however," Tehra seemed hesitant then. "Have you found anything? I can take it from here with Monts if you had."

Altharya pried open the hand Boba was holding revealing the tool. Little bit of blood stuck on her fingers where the two prongs had pricked them.

"A hyperspace voltage spanner," Tehra gasped, reaching for the tool. "Let me…," she fell quiet suddenly, pensive… a dark tint growing in her presence, a foreboding sense of doom. "Oh no."

"They are used for working on ship engines," Boba explained then. "If something goes wrong in the voltage fields, the entire engine can blow up in an instant while mid-flight."

"What happened to that shuttle," Altharya realized, growing ice-cold down to her fingertips.

"Fett," Tehra muttered and turned the tool around, so the bottom of it faced them. "This is Imperial-issued. Ones you can only find in the Imperial star fleets."

Boba frowned, inspecting the tiny engraved star. "Could have been traded? Handed down as a second-hand? There are a lot of bounty hunters here who do jobs for the Empire."

"I sensed it being connected to the events," Altharya grabbed his hand, tugging on him.

Please listen to her! Believe her on this!

He snapped his head around to her, eyes seeking out answers in hers. Silently, she begged him to believe her. For a long moment, he stared into her eyes, searching them as if wishing this to not be true. Not wishing this to be the truth. His fingers stroked over her wrist. An assurance, something for her to focus on while her thoughts finally settled.

He dropped his head briefly. "I believe you," he said then. "How are you feeling now?"

"I am fine," she tried to assure him, even if a numb feeling had taken root in her stomach. "I am not hurt nor do I feel like I am disassociating."

"You are not though," he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Just did not expect him to…," she shook her head unable to repeat it.

Sympathy shone from his face then, his thumb brushed briefly over her palm. "A lot of things do not go as we would like them to."

"Still…," she closed her mouth, unable to say more.

That she had forced him to kill himself, no longer felt right to say. It felt wrong, gut-wrenchingly sickening, to speak the words. What she had done was unforgiveable.

"I did not…," she swallowed. "It was either me or him, and I chose myself."

Boba chewed on his bottom lip, hesitant before saying: "You feel bad for choosing your own life?"

"My second," she whispered. "I was taught all my life to another's life before mine…."

A knowing look passed on his face, as he regarded her silently. Two, he remembered as wall. One, the first, to save him and now to save herself. Too strong, too forceful, too unrelenting… someone had died while losing their mind as she had forced her will on theirs. Did this make her a monster? Had she always been one?

"I need to go back," Tehra said then. "Otherwise people will be suspicious."

"Alright," Boba replied, not bothering to turn to look at Tehra. "I will keep you updated."

With that, Altharya could hear the door click shut… letting some calm wash over her as only her and Boba remained in this space. Only them, she was safe.

"What are you feeling?" Boba broke the silence.

"Scared," she confessed. "I sensed his pain, what I had done to his mind and I did not stop."

"We all were in this situation before," Boba started slowly, measuredly turning the words over in his head. "You do not wish for them to die and they do."

"You too?"

"Yes," Boba straightened out to sit down next to her. "So has Tehra, Monts… all bounty hunters learn this lesson. To be honest, I didn't think yours would happen as soon as it did." His face darkened then. "I am not happy that Tehra threw you into danger like that."

"I survived though," she pointed out, feeling her weight tilting towards him almost instinctively.

"Still," he growled. "This could have gone so many ways…" he shook his head. "It was risky and you are lucky you were able to save yourself." His mouth twisted as if he had tasted something bitter. "I am glad you were able to do what you did."

Altharya blinked in his direction and this once he returned her stare. An understanding lay there, his attempt to try to approach that part of her. To open up.

"I feel like I should not feel how I am right now," she voiced. "I feel dirty, like a monster…. On Teth, I had plenty of patients who died away even when I tried everything. This should be no different. But it doesn't…."

"It is different," Boba gently interjected. "You are directly responsible, even if you had not intended it."

She breathed out, shakily and a sob was working its way up. Quickly, she pressed a hand in front of her mouth to prevent it from escaping.

"If you hadn't, you'd be dead," Boba spoke again. "Your safety comes first, just as you said. Either way," he raised his voice. "Emmet will discover the body very soon, if not now should some of the neighbours have heard the blaster go off. Best if we are not around for that."

"What do you mean? Go away?"

"Yes," Boba stood up. "Not to draw immediate suspicion to us since we were away."

"Weren't you nearly in town?" She frowned up at him.

"I wasn't," he smiled sheepishly at her. "My distraction didn't need me in sight of others."

She looked down to where the tool had been in her hand, the two pricks had stopped bleeding. Yet…

"Boba," she called and he looked at her questioningly. "They will know there was a force sensitive."

He immediately stiffened. "How?"

"I tore a metal drawer out," she winced slightly. "I was in a panic and…"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No one outside us, Monts and Tehra know you are force sensitive. If we leave now, no one will suspect you."

Numbly, she stood up so she stood face to face to him. "I trust you in this."

She offered her hand to him, his eyes immediately drawn to the motion and then fixated on the dried blood on her fingertips. A whirlwind of emotions raged behind his shields, too slippery for her grasp, but she was not trying to sense. Confusion, surprise and… she'd know the distinct bell sound of joy anywhere. Strangely there was no shaking in his fingers when they gripped hers, firm and warm. What she didn't expect… what made her mouth open slightly in surprise, was him pressing her hand to his forehead. Head bowed, with the back of her hand pressed to his skin. Within the blink of an eye, he had dropped her hand, already turning away to march up the stairs towards the roof. She had to hurry to catch up with him at the bottom of the ladder that led up to the roof.

"Where are we going exactly?" She asked as he pushed against the hatch.

"There is a lake not too far away from here," he explained, pushing the hatch to the side, opening the access to the roof. "At this point in the year it is really shallow…. It is something you will have to see to know what I mean."

"We are not taking the ship, are we?" She questioned, already knowing that she'd be carried there.

"Flying would waste too much fuel and draw unwanted attention," he replied. "Jetpack is easier."

Once she stood next to him on the roof, with the hatch closed, he stepped towards its edge. There he extended a hand out to her, waiting for her to accept. Nervous flitters raced all around him when she stopped in her tracks. Was this his way of giving her a choice?

With an exhale, she took his hand. "Not that I have much of a choice," she tried to joke, forcing a small smile to her face.

He flinched, a sad sheen appearing in his eyes. "I…," he shut his mouth tightly before pressing forth. "Nevermind."

Sad… and there was nothing he could do about. Almost… almost she said the plea for freedom again. The one way to ensure that he no longer held this power over her would end. That they had the option to… whatever this all meant, just discuss and sort it out. Almost… It didn't feel right. Not now, not here.

That moment was gone as soon as it came. She was pulled forward and hoisted up with his arms securely gripping around her waist underneath her arms. Even though she was closer, he felt distant, far away as a star in the sky.

She barely noticed him stepping off the ledge, the roar of the jetpack drowning everything out. Eyes burning, the only sound louder was the wind howling cruelly in her ears, eyes and face. Singing of… doom, death… and grief to come.

AN: Sorry for the long wait. Lots of rejections happening lately, so I was not in the right headspace to write and edit (my other stories had been finished for updates months ago). I won't lie by saying that I will try and get the next chapter out soon. The next chapter might take this long as well, even though I have most of it already written down.

This is solely my fault and I apologise.
I am asking you guys not to give me concrit for this chapter. I hope you understand.