Ra'al found himself in his derelict apartment, a desolate room with a grease stained window, scavenged pieces of scrap were scattered about to serve as furniture. As meagre as it was, it was enough to serve his purposes, not like he planned on playing host to any of the other inhabitants of this cesspit called a planet. Doing so was an invitation to a concealed knife in the gut, both members as entrusting as the other, which was not at all.

A filtered light shone through the stained window above, giving off just enough light for him to be able to charge his most prized possession, a holo-book with the recorded data of his species, a relic that he had been lucky enough to smuggle through the Ebolorian searches. It was a small metallic disk that could fit quite snugly in the palm of ones hand, with a dull, glowing, blue light in the centre that once pressed expanded the disc into a thin template that emitted an interactive 3D projection. Once again, as was his daily ritual when he had the time, he flicked through the topographic maps of his homeland. As to what purpose he did this, as all it caused was a longing so painful he felt as if core was hollow, he did not know. Perhaps it was the brief joy at the thought of one day escaping this place and banding together what was left of his race to re inhabit Sarak.

Anger flooded him as he thought of the Rhevarian he had seen today, her race had been his undoing, the destroyer of his chance at a life he never knew. Sullenly he closed the holo-book and hid it in the compartment under his makeshift desk. It did note bode well for him to allow his emotions to overwhelm him in a place like this. No, there has been rioting in this sector due to her, no doubt the Ebolorians would arrange a bloody massacre for many of their number in the arena soon and he would be there to meet that Rhevarian in honourable combat. [i]What if she runs?[/i] A voice whispered in the back of his mind. There's no honour in killing a fleeing opponent. [i]She won't.[/i] He thought solemnly. [i]But what if she runs?[/i] It echoed. Doubt nibbled at his conscious as he sat contemplating a way to force her to fight, for when the time came, she would have to and he would have her head.