"Wait!" Iisska yelled at the group as they ran, "We left Zen!"

Quin risked just a few seconds to slow and turn toward him with a frown and a raised brow. Iisska made a confused face in return and then sighed and shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah, okay, let's go. He's fine," he said.

They continued to haul ass out of the building as it slowly came down on their heads. Behind them the debris was already starting to fall and the flames from the fight with the assault droids was consuming the way back. The alarms were ever blaring, keeping the crew from even hearing their own frantic and sparse thoughts, but the screeching from the structure tearing itself apart drowned even those out.

Quin yelled back, "We're almost out! It's just up--"


[hr]


Everything warped and disappeared. The world was replaced by the void. Blinding pain which fills the skull to the point of cracking. Nothing but darkness with twisting stabs of flashing red. Weightlessness. Nausea. A surgical separation of the self from the body.

"I wonder. How long do you think you can ignore me?" the voice was quiet and yet it was everything, "I call for you time and time again yet you never return. You never respond."

A faceless woman wreathed in power stood before Nyrette in the darkness. For a moment the pain ebbed and her surroundings became frantic calling voices and fire. She could hear her name and feel herself being pulled along. The woman, whom was fading in and out of her vision, raised her hand with fingers outstretched. She slowly clenched her fist. There was an intense tension in her head and the flames and voices were strangled out. The pain returned tenfold.

"You will listen to me. Despite your best efforts, your mind has been of some use to me since you deserted. However, I have need of you elsewhere. Return willingly and be punished for your insolence. Or I will drag you back by force and you will beg and pray for death. You cannot run. You cannot fight. You cannot stop us. I know where you are."

As suddenly as she was overtaken, Nyrette was released.


[hr]


Sol'tzyri exhaled slowly and opened her eyes. She sat cross-legged on the floor of a dim, sealed off chamber with her hands in her lap. The only noise was the timid flickering of candles in four sconces on the walls and her own breath and long, slow heartbeat. She was mildly tired after the exercise and yet somehow calm and rather pleased with herself. There was something mentally rejuvenating about it.

A knock on the chamber door brought her awareness forth but did not startle her.

"Enter," she commanded.

The door opened, letting in more light and a human figure stood there.

"You summoned me, My Lord," he stated.

"I have an errand for you, Apprentice. Our stray agent is currently in Hutt space. She refuses to come to her senses and I feel it is time her little romp around the galaxy was over. Fetch her for me," the Sith said.

"It will be done, My Lord," the man bowed slightly.

"Her companions will more than likely make obstacles of themselves. If it is not a detriment to your task, please destroy them."

"Do you think the corpses could be useful?"

"Indeed."


[hr]


"Just get her into the ship..." someone whispered.

"What about the power core?" the voices were so distant, "How did we fuck this up so bad? Marquis is gonna shit embers."

"Not exactly our priority right now. Cheshik, be careful with her."

"Not a priority!? Did you see that mess we made? Even for Zen that fireball would have been a deathtrap. We all nearly died, for all we know he [i]is[/i] dead, and we have nothing! Just because your girlfriend goes and has an episode nothing else matters!?"

"You shut your fucking mouth."

"No. It's obvious you don't give two shits about anybody else in this crew."

"What the hell do you know?"

"Enough to tell that you're nothing but poison! Don't you fucking shh me! This isn't over! We should have killed you along with all your stupid Republic friends! You're probably some fucking spy! I'll throw her in the swamp and leave her ass on this rotting planet I swear to--"

A door slammed loudly. Quinn flopped down in the chair next to the semi-conscious Nyrette and the bed where Cheshik had lay her down before dragging Iisska off to who knows where. Her launcher and other gear hit the ground. She put her face in her hands and took a long ragged breath. She was covered in scorch marks, scrapes, bruises and the stench of failure. Nyrette wasn't any better off. Gently, Quin made sure she was still breathing and waited for her to snap out of it.