039 - Week 3, Day 5: Fates Intertwining Amidst the War

If there was one thing Kayda had come to detest, then it was being locked up. This time, she had not only been physically locked up but mentally as well through the use of those foul drugs. Not that that criminal scum could hold her once she realized what was going on. No, they proved woefully inept at that.

Now justice had been served and the criminals would prey on innocents no more. Had she not accessed their computers, she would neither have known where she was, nor how long they had kept her locked up. However, she had. So she knew both of those. And she had figured out that they had speeder bikes.

Piloting her new speeder bike, Kayda traveled rapidly through the Rylothian wasteland, heading for the Jungle where the other Jedi had previously been based. It would take her some time, but that was of little importance. She needed to find them, to warn them of the danger they were in.

~| several hours later |~

Kayda should’ve realized that the Jedi would’ve abandoned their hideout after the imperial attack. Even more annoying, they had left no clear clues as to their new base of operations. Sure, she had seen that they had clearly left in a certain direction… But the jungle quickly obscured the path beyond any hope of detection by anyone with her skills.

Instead, she found herself once more traveling by speeder, this time far less methodically, using her Force-attuned senses to their fullest in the hopes of finding any trace of her quarry. Without much in the way of luck, truth be told. But then, luck had not exactly been with her of late. There was the incarceration… the imperial attack… those other foolish Jedi going on a mercy mission to a Hutt-controlled world… Even now she struggled to wrap her head around what had compelled them to do that. Particularly given where Ryloth lay in relation to imperial-controlled space.

Even worse, the Sith had found them, and they had brought a member of the High Council out here. No, luck was not on her side. Sure, there was a peace treaty, but she trusted the Sith to keep to that about as far as a child could throw a full-grown Hutt. She needed to find the other Jedi.


Lo sat quietly with her back against the cold durasteel of the ship. The chill spread across her fur-covered skin and fueled the settling numbness, the only evidence of her current predicament. She was free, but it didn’t feel real. She inhaled softly as she leaned farther back into the hard surface. The padawan’s fingers intertwined endlessly with each other as time on the chrono ticked by, a dark taunt at her impatience. Meanwhile, she felt Saynx’s eyes fasten onto her pitiful form. She turned to face him with a sour question.

“What?”

The old Cather was silent in his moment’s pause then shifted in his seat. The tingling in his legs faded with a dull ache spread across its muscles. He clicked the blaster’s powercell back into place before he answered her, his eyes still sized her traumatized form up.

“Nothing. You look more skittish than a scurrier being hunted by womp rats.”

Lo bowed her head. “I’m just… not sure this is real.”

“Don’t worry, Kass should be here with your friends and we’ll work on getting that collar off you.” Saynx rose onto his feet, his voice added a question.

“Are you hungry?”

“A little bit.” Lo stated as she wrapped her arms around her midriff. She barely managed to muffle the sounds of growling and hunger emitted from it.

A small smile cracked across the Cathar’s muzzle while he walked toward the food unit for some meat.

~| In the Sith Compound |~

Upon reading the instructions from her mistress, Helia Javik muttered to herself, “What are you up to now? And why did you not instruct me earlier?” she really preferred it if she at least had some idea of what the game was, but anyone with a modicum of experience in Imperial Intelligence knew that the Sith rarely let anyone in on their games. “First you choose to release her… then you want her tracked… and now you want a missile launcher fired near but not at her? Such a waste of ammunition when there is a perfectly good target nearby…” She shook her head, trying unsuccessfully to figure out her mistress’ logic, “Oh well, orders are orders.”

Ignoring the chaos that had risen from the recent bombings, Helia entered one of the rooms that had been repurposed to serve for directing imperial forces on the planet. There was a corporal currently managing it. “You. Out.” She stated, brooking no questions as she pressed a code cylinder into the terminal, identifying her as Watcher 473 and providing verification of her authority.

The corporal pulled his own code cylinder out of the terminal and left the room, leaving Helia alone in the room. She sat down, looking over the terminal. Even though it had been years since she had any lessons on running overwatch on operations using a terminal like this one, it was not difficult to figure out how this model worked. In less than a minute she had it tuned to take in the signals she needed and had sealed off the appropriate communications channels.

Tying the terminal into the sensor feeds of the Hâsk, she smiled to herself. “So that’s why you had these orders… Your pet has found someone to play with…”

She opened the comms channel to the current team that was instructed to monitor her mistress’ pet. “Corporal Rumen. This is Watcher 473. You are to take your team and reposition yourself to the transmitted coordinates. Once there, fire a missile or detonate a similar explosive device near the ship. Do not destroy the ship. Mistress Denia’s pet is inside.”

Drey’s finger paused midway to his helmet when the woman identified herself as a Watcher, the hounds, and teeth of Imperial Intelligence. He silently cursed in the radio silence then immediately pressed the communicator. A short, obedient reply came in his deep voice.

“Yes, Ma’am.” He gritted his teeth in frustration.

It was rare for a Watcher to oversee a small operation like this and her words indicated she worked directly for Apprentice Deenia. The hairs on the back of his neck rose in wariness and discomfort. An emotion that he pushed through for now as he made a few quick and sharpish hand gestures. With a subtle nod, his team moved silently into the foliage then disappeared from sight.

Helia remained at the station, monitoring the various feeds at her disposal. While she was ready to arrange for interventions such as aerial support, she did not believe she would have to. Corporal Rumen’s record implied that he was adequately competent to complete the task at hand. She did not know the identities of the individual or individuals currently with her mistress’ pet, but she was reasonably certain that they were not aligned with the Empire. Had they been, they would undoubtedly have established contact to hand off the Jedi.

---

Slowly Kayda unbent her legs. After she had spent considerable time fruitlessly searching the jungle, she had come to the conclusion that she would not simply randomly run across anyone of relevance without proper guidance from the Force. Thus she had found a suitable location, powered down the speeder, and gone into a deep state of meditation in order to see if the Force had any advice.

It had not been the most fruitful of mediations, but she did gain a vague sense of direction, roughly north-west from her current position. Unfortunately, she had not trained in any forms of Force-assisted tracking, so she had no true sense of distance. It could be an hour, it could be a day and a half and the direction was not exactly precise either, but considering the alternative was aimless meandering, she figured it was better than that.

Not in a hurry, she checked over the speeder before powering it back up, cleaning away a few pieces of foliage that had gotten lodged in the machinery. None of them were in locations that she thought would have been likely to put her in any danger, but better safe than sorry.

When they were over 900 meters from their destination, Drey glanced up from his tracker and raised his hand. His men stopped in their tracks as he took out his macrobinoculars then took a closer look. At the center of the jungle’s clearing was an aged, but well-kept starship suitable for a crew of four or six. He could not note any indications of Republic or Empire design within its structure. A sour frown marred the Corporal's stoic expression, his wariness building slightly. As far as he could note, no signs of life other than the scavengers picking at the carcass's meager remains. He lowered his macrobinoculars then gestured for the missile launcher.

From this distance, no one could identify the attackers or the attack’s exact origins. On the safe side, Drey decided to aim to the outskirts and a direction vacant of life. He took a knee then titled the nuzzle upward, his eye placed into the scope. It measured the distance as he leveled it, his finger pulled the trigger at just the right position.

Lo glanced up when she heard Saynx stroll in. For a feline species, his footsteps were heavy and louder than Tooka. It drew a fleeting amusement to her expression as she continued to watch him draw closer. He handed her pre-packaged meat, the top ripped open for her convenience. The seasonings flooded her nostrils causing her to inhale deeply as her mouth salivated in hunger. Timidly she took it from him, pausing for a moment.

“Thank you.”

“Not an issue. Go ahead, you look starving. When you’re done, I’ll clean it up.” He gruffly commented then moved to the nearest bench.

Without any more encouragement, Lo tore into the waxy texture and swallowed down the chunks. The meal didn’t last very long as she folded up the wrapper and set it to the side. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand when she noticed Saynx’s patiently waiting for her to finish up. Her hand reached for the water canister while she asked a burning question.
“How long do you think it will be before Kass gets back?”

“Not sure, it depends on if your friends are going to draw things out with a conversation or not. I say likely no longer than another hour at least.” He rose back onto his feet to move the trash into the nearest incinerator.

A voom sound echoed when the trash fell into the slot, followed by a flash of heat and smoke.

Lo pressed her back against the metal wall and absorbed Saynx’s words, her legs folded against her. Saynx noticed as his bright eyes narrowed onto her.

“What’s the matter?”

Lo let a pause of silence rest between them before she answered.

“I don’t know, but… I’m worried.”

“About what?”

“What if they don’t want me back? What if they don’t trust me? I did let myself become captured by a Sith.”

Saynx’s sudden scoff caused the young Bothan to jump and her head snapped toward him. “What? It’s true isn’t it?”

The Cathar shook his head. “No, it’s not. Sometimes in life, you are put in a situation that no matter what you try, it won’t change anything. This is one of those occasions. Sith are deceitful and cruel individuals, especially to the weak. Blaming yourself doesn’t change what happened, but you can learn from it.”

“How?”

Before Saynx could answer, his ears caught a familiar sound. His body stalled for a fraction of a second then he rushed forward. He grabbed Lo’s arm and jerked her down. She began to cry out, but her voice became drowned out by the explosion outside. Fear entered her mind as she froze underneath him, pinned by both Saynx and her fear.

However, the Cathar muttered a curse as the missiles impacted on the ground a far distance from the ship. The force rippled outward and shook the ground. His claws dug into whatever niches he could to keep himself positioned between the threat and Lo. When it finally died, the Mandalorian pushed himself upright. He reached for his blaster as he peered out of the nearest porthole. Slitted eyes glanced through the dense cover of the jungle to locate the source, but he saw nothing. Silence penetrated the surroundings forcing him into making a decision he hated.

He turned back to Lo who also began to shift to her legs in a slower fashion.

Saynx growled then rushed for the cockpit, “Come on, we’re moving!”

Aside from volcanic worlds, Kayda knew of no planet where explosions were naturally occurring events, so when the unmistakable sound of one reached her ears from some distant location, she was certain that she was heading in the right direction. She stopped the speeder immediately and used the Force to rapidly climb one of the taller trees nearby, pushing through the upper foliage to look in the direction from which she thought it had come.

There was no ball of fire or anything like that, but she saw the tell-tale signs of creatures leaving the vicinity, leaving no doubt in her mind about the origin of the explosion. However, just as she was about to climb down a small ship broke through the canopy.

Given how it was not an imperial vessel, she could only presume that it belonged to someone else. Likely someone not associated with the Empire. Once above the canopy, it spun around in a lazy circle, heading Northeast. Muttering to herself she said, “why couldn’t it for once had headed towards me?”

Only delaying long enough to confirm that it was not turning again, she jumped back down, twisting mid-air to land on her speeder, twisting the throttle to full power and heading in the direction the ship had gone, just east of north. She would not let it get away. Hopefully, it would not go into orbit or across the world. The speeder still had plenty of fuel, but it would not have enough to cross the entire planet.

Drey watched the ship lift and race away, the object became a dot in a short time. When it finally departed, he tapped his commlink to contact the command center.

“Corporal Rumen, the target has relocated northward. Should we pursue it?” Though he could guess the answer, the Imperial didn’t pay him to think above his station.

“Negative, Corporal.” Helia answered. “The prey has been flushed. Others will take it from here. Return to base.”

The Corporal nodded then gestured his squadron to fall out, their figures disappeared into the lush surroundings. In the back of his mind, Drey was glad to be relieved from this mission and its bitter goal. He paused a moment to glance into the skies as Tish brushed his thoughts. A longing entered his soul before he pushed it away and looked forward to upcoming leave scheduled on his payroll.

The starship's engines began to dull to a low rumble as Saynx guided it down, landing it about twenty clicks from its original position. Too far for the attackers to stumble upon the craft, but close enough Kass could easily locate it. As the Cathar cautiously put it into idle, his felinoid eyes narrowed on the Bothan girl. Her form had shrunk down to lessen her surface area while her chest gradually inhaled in then out. Seeing her discomfort stirred the hardened Mandolorian's compassion.

"We'll be safe here for a little bit. I'm going to check the perimeter to ensure no one gave chase and maybe get a warning shot off. It was likely some slavers looking for easy marks." He didn't believe his own words, but considering Lo's trauma he suspected it was better to avoid the obvious answer.

With a soft groan, he moved out of the cockpit seat and into the cargo bay. His furred hand pressed the button to release the doors then exited, letting them seal behind.

The first thing Kayda did was to find where the ship had blasted out of. That wasn’t too difficult. Sure, it took a bit of time, but there weren’t that many clearings large enough for starships in this area. Only one of those had recently seen traffic. The blaster scars, explosive debris and engine scorch marks made it blatantly obvious to her that the ship had been attacked. The lack of signs of lightsaber damage implied no saber duels. The lack of corpses meant the hutts hadn’t been here. She didn’t know what to make of it. Had someone successfully tried to flush the ship out? If so, who?

She sat down to meditate for a few minutes, so as to see if the Force could give her any answers. It was immediately clear to her that the bothan Jedi padawan had been here. The telltale signs of her presence in the Force had not yet faded. If anything was to become clearer, Kayda decided she would have to find the girl. In other words, a pursuit was in order. Fortunately, she knew exactly what direction the ship had flown, so she jumped back on the speeder and set off in a north-easterly direction.

~| Roughly one hour later |~

While on a speeder bike and not needing to constantly search, Kayda’s pace was fairly decent. With her quarry being a ship, she had no reason to stop frequently to scan for clues. Instead she simply sped through the jungle, her Jedi senses letting her weave between the trees and at times thick underbrush with ease at a speed someone without the Force could never have managed. Slowly the forest began to thin, not quite being cleared completely, but there were more clearings and open areas. That did mean more places it could have landed, but it also meant being able to see considerably further.

Eventually, she spotted a ship in one such clearing and slowed the speeder down. She had no interest in being shot down today or any other day. Or for that matter any interest in being shot at either.

Saynx had been standing outside for a while now. His eyes focused intently on the close-by flora for signs of troopers, slavers, or even predators. With how dangerous Ryloth was, he didn't put it past the planet's fauna to tramp across the horizon any moment now. He tightened his grip on one of his handheld blasters when his ears caught the familiar roar of a speeder.

When it came into view, his gravelly voice barked out a warning. "Stay where you are or you're going to get shot."

Kayda slowed the speeder further, answering casually. “You could certainly try, but why would you? I come in peace.”

"So says a slaver scouting for new marks." Saynx retorted in disgust as he took in the woman's image, his weapon held at his side.

"Stay right there. State your name, business, then take your leave."

“A slaver does say that, I suppose.” Kayda mused. “Kayda Guerrin, Jedi Knight. My business concerns the Padawan on your ship.”

The Mandalorian’s lips curled back to reveal a fang, his eyes narrowed, and his stance fell into an aggressive one. Kass was nowhere in sight or even mentioned. So many things about the situation rippled his instinct in a negative fashion. For all he knew, the force user could've been a disguised Sith aiming to hurt the young Bothan.

"I don't know what you're talking about, now get lost or I will not hesitate to shoot your ass. Last warning."

“If you don’t know about her, then I suspect you have a stowaway. I can sense her proximity, so either you are a nerf-herder disguised as a mandalorian warrior, or you’re trying to protect her. I wouldn’t object to either, but the clans probably would object to the former.” Kayda paused for a second then added, “I need her aid with finding and getting back to the other Jedi.”

Saynx didn't justify her insult with another, his attention still tracked the woman’s position. He didn’t appear ready to yield on his position when it came to her offer.

"If there's a stowaway on my ship, I will deal with it and I don't need some 'jetii' helping. I thought they traveled in pairs, not alone..."

“Not all Jedi keep padawans around. I myself do not consider it safe to keep one while stationed in hutt space.” She thought for a moment. “That brings to mind a different question. You are a Mandalorian, you haven’t attacked me and you keep a Jedi Padawan on your ship. That doesn’t add up. Aren’t your clans all allied with the Empire?”

Saynx snorted, his teeth gritted silently against his lower jaw. "If you keep standing there, the fact I haven't attacked might quickly change. And I never said there was a Jetti on my ship."

Taking a small breath to finish his reply. "It's also a little suspicious that you acknowledge these facts yet you still approached, revealed yourself, and accused me of holding a Jedi on my ship. Not very smart from my position. Now... ba'slanar or I will blast you."

“I thought as much. However, your lack of acknowledgement doesn’t change the facts, Mandalorian. There is a Jedi on that ship. Right about . . . There.” Kayda said, pointing towards the middle of the ship. “Besides, if you had been like your typical brethren, blaster bolts and the like would have been flying already. I suppose we could fight, but wouldn’t it be less painful for us both to simply ask her if she knows me? I did meet her a while back, before I got separated from her and got knocked out by a falling branch and ended up imprisoned by some criminal scum.”

"You don't know much about Mandolorians, Jetti." He spat the last word as he aimed his blaster, his finger hovered near the trigger.

"Since you're convinced I'm harboring this Jetti, didn't you consider bring a possible threat to her might put her within range to be killed or captured? I do know Sith often follow the ends justify the means method for their goals. I wouldn’t put one above pretending to be a Jetti just to get close to their target." Saynx's hostility in his voice rose a bit as he recalled the very lesson he learned and forced him to rely on another clan.

“Dead criminal scum don’t pose much of a threat last time I checked. When I finally managed to escape, I expressed a certain dislike with what they had done to me. Would you mind asking Padawan Lo Lyra'Tre if she knows me? Use the comlink built into your armor’s left wrist and connect with the ship’s internal comm system. That way you can keep your eyes on the big bad Jedi Knight.”

"If she was a stowaway... Do you really believe she would answer or have one? You’re making assumptions I want or harboring her on my ship." Saynx growled, still debating on shooting first and getting confirmation later to a mistake.

“Though young, she isn’t that stupid. Fortunately, we both know that she’s there, even if you refuse to acknowledge it openly. If she knows me, she might choose to emerge. If she doesn’t answer, then I am full of bantha poodoo and you can attempt to kill me or whatever else you have in mind.”

Saynx mumbled something in Mandolorian underneath his breath. His left wrist came closer and he pressed the button, accessing the cockpit's systems. With some luck, Lo would be smart not to answer. He didn't like this Kayda character especially since she showed up looking for the padawan and without Kass. The odds were impossible to be comfortable with.

"There's a Jedi Knight, Kayda Guerrin here. Respond if someone knows her and is there."

He waited several moments before the hiss of a reply came through. A curse stopped itself in his mouth when Lo's timid voice came on.

"I know her. Saynx, can you bring her in. Please?"

The Cathar sighed then holstered his blaster. He paused long enough to glance over his shoulder and ensure the woman was following him.

After climbing off the speeder and setting it in parking mode, Kayda dragged it with her to the ship as she followed the Mandalorian. Just by the hatch she pulled the activator, pocketing it, then followed him inside.

Saynx moved to the side and closed up the cargo bay doors after Kayda. The mandalorian showed signs of exhaustion at the spiraling situation, but he kept his thoughts silent. Close to the entrance, the young Bothan appeared. She shifted into place as she watched the pair enter. When her sight rested on Kayda, she froze in place then cautiously stepped forward. Her arm stretched out to touch the woman's sleeve, disbelief on her muzzle and eyes.

"How...?" Slipped the simple, most pressing question from the padawan's lips.

“It’s a long story…” Kayda answered. “But not as long as yours, I sense? And who put that thing around your neck?”

Lo's hands immediately jerked to her collar, forgetting it was there since her time with the Mandolorians. It didn't even really hurt anymore and felt like a part of her.

"After I ran, a Sith tracked and captured me. She had me locked up in a ship I think for several days. I don't know her name, but she put this on me."

"Lo," Saynx's rumbling voice interrupted," Don't touch it too much. We don't know if that thing will explode and I think your fellow Jedi prefer you were alive when they arrive."

The padawan nodded as she looked to Saynx, the Cathar gradually making his way to the cockpit.

"You two have some catching up to do. I'm going to inform them of the new location before I forget."

"Okay, thank you for protecting me."

He shrugged off the thanks, his figure vanished behind the sealed door.

Kayda found somewhere to sit down with Lo, then started on her own story. “The problem started shortly after we got separated. Of all things, it was a branch…” she continued the story, telling it as best as she could, including about how their bond had helped her eventually escape. “Now you know how I got here. Do you want to speak of what happened to you?”

Lo bit her lip at the question. She lowered her eyes to the ground and felt anxiety brush its fluttering wingtips against her chest. The heart jumped to a new level causing the pain to bud as she tried to ignore it.

"Aside from what I told you, I'm not sure where to start. It's still painful to think about. I'm still scared I will look in a dark corner and find that horrible woman there, ready to... hurt me again."

“Then do not think about it. She won’t find you here.” Kayda tried to be soothing in her tone, but she had never been the best at that. “We should try to remove this thing, though. There’s no telling what she put into it.”

"Saynx said removing it without the proper tools was ill-advised. He also mentioned we should be careful how far we move since he doesn't know the range. Too far, it might blow my head off." Lo almost mumbled the last part as the image sent her nerves into a frenzy.

"Right now, I'm more worried about Master Rothul. The Sith told me she poisoned him and there were times he was in incredible pain. I couldn't help him. I'm useless..."

“Explosive collar? That definitely sounds like something a Sith would use. Same goes for poison. Have they taken him offworld yet? I vaguely recall that some of those Sith poisons are quite virulent. If you were a prisoner, you couldn’t have protected or helped him. But you’re not a prisoner now, are you? You are helping him just by surviving.”

Kayda's words struck a chord within the Bothan causing her to snap, her eyes shot up and anger filled them. "That's not an excuse! I should've never gotten captured in the first place."

“You at least got captured by a Sith. I got knocked out by a burning tree branch! Which is most shameful, you think?”

"I don't know. There's a lot of things I don't know right now. They should've taken Master Rothul off the planet back to Rothul, not linger here. It's obvious I was captured and am a lost cause."

Still angry, the young Bothan began to pace in front of Kayda. Her hands fisted up while she fought not to toss them about in a fit.

“You are not a lost cause. You survived Sith captivity without dying or falling to the dark side, which is more than what most Jedi they capture can say . . . Relax. Breathe slowly. Think about it like this: they knew your strength and refused to abandon you to whatever dark fate that Sith had in mind for you. Do not let her win.”

"It doesn't feel that way. I still feel trapped, helpless, and angry. Violated in a way I can't explain or even understand. According to the Sith, I gave Master Rothul the poison and I'm responsible if he dies." Lo stopped herself from screaming.

“Did you harvest the materials for the poison, mix them together and intentionally give it to him, knowing it was poisonous?” Kayda stated this in a calm, logical tone.

"No, but it was my salve that delivered it. I put it on him and he trusted me." A small sob broke out in Lo's voice against her will.

Everything she knew appeared to spiral down before her. The guilt of her master possibly dying, the Sith's accusation being true, the pain she endured, and the heartbreak that she failed as a Jedi. It all appeared to rush on her as desperately tried to push them with no success. Her hands couldn't stop trembling now, fixed to her side.

“If you did not intend to poison him, then you cannot be blamed for it. Somehow the Sith managed to sabotage your salve. Or she lied to you. Sith are known to lie, we both know that.” Kayda noticed that she wasn’t yet managing to calm the young padawan. “If you need to punch something, I suggest punching that bulkhead section, rather than the ship frame.” she pointed to a bulkhead plate that was padded, likely for events when the artificial gravity wasn’t operating.

"I don't know what I want to do. There are so many emotions going through my head that I can't think clearly or even calm down." In her frustration, Lo plopped down and pressed her back against the indicated spot. Her eyes noted the missing finger on her hand before she curled in and pressed her fists against her temple.

"I can't even meditate to clear my head without remembering the shocks."

“You will get through this, but it will take time. I know it did for me back in the day. It took me a long time to get over the death of my master at the hands of the Sith. I lost my home at the same time I lost my master. Though the latter is threatened, you have lost neither of them, young padawan. Take it one step at a time.”

“It’s hard to believe that, Kayda. It really is.”

“I know, I know. That does not make it any less true, though.” She looked at the young bothan, noting the lack of a lightsaber on her belt.

“I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that the Sith stole your lightsaber?”

“Used the force to take it out of my hands when she found me. I couldn’t stop her.”

“I can’t retrieve it for you, but I can help you make a new lightsaber.” She looked towards the ship’s cockpit and spoke slightly louder. “Mandalorian? Do you happen to have any broken lightsabers on hand or a collection of assorted spare parts?”

Saynx tilted back to observe what the Jedi were up to. He frowned then hauled himself back onto his feet and entered into his small quarters. A small sack was brought out then tossed onto the bench.

“It’s not much, but there might be some salvageable parts in there.”

“Thank you.” Kayda answered, taking the bag and looking into it. It didn’t take her long to figure out that while most of the parts they would need were present, there were no intact lightsaber crystals. She wouldn’t ask him how he came to possess several cracked ones, though she was curious.

“Come, Lo. Let us build you a new lightsaber. Or at least, most of one.”

Lo’s brown eyes looked at Kayda, uncertain of the success of this sudden plan. She swallowed her hesitation then pulled herself upright and sat beside the Knight. Minutes melted into hours as they worked on sorting the pieces. Some were damaged beyond repair, scorched into melted metal by intense flame. Others were blasted through the core leaving a hole in the framework and rendering it useless.

“Uh, Kayda… we don’t have a crystal. The frame also looks…” She presented the haphazardly mix-match of parts floating in her hand to Kayda. At this point, the lightsaber reminded her more of metal scraps than a means to protect herself with.

“We don’t have a crystal… yet.” Kayda corrected. “As for the frame? That can be polished up a little more, yes. Maybe use this instead of that piece there?” she pointed to one part unused and to one area on the frame. Given the limited materials, it wasn’t the prettiest lightsaber, but it would work once equipped with a crystal.

"Umm, Kayda. Ryloth is not known to have any crystal caves suitable for lightsabers. I doubt any old pretty rock will do." Lo hovered the piece toward the lightsaber, her force gently removed the unnecessary and attempted to place it on.

“You are right about that, but that does not mean you cannot find suitable crystals here.” She helped the padawan make the part adjustment as she spoke. “Ryloth is a hutt world. Trade and profit is at the core of everything they do. This might not be anywhere near the galactic core, but you would be surprised at how many different things you can buy here in the hutt-controlled parts of the outer rim. If there’s profit to be had, someone will sell it, either openly or discreetly. Then there’s the option of acquiring or building a geological compressor and making your own crystal. Think about solutions, not problems.”

Lo frowned. In all her youngling training, she had never heard of using a crystal not specifically used for a lightsaber to power one. It sounded ridiculous at first. Her eyes turned back to the hovering lightsaber, speaking the words on her mind.

"I don't think Master Rothul will last long enough for us to explore those two options. He needs to get off the planet sooner than later or he might not make it."

"How is the project?" The words rumbled through a gruff voice.

Lo jumped in her seat and snapped her head to the source, immediately relaxing at the sight of Saynx. The old Cathar had drifted from the cockpit to check on them. With his helmet off, his reddish eyes studied her then broke eye-contact to take a seat.

“Going well, except for the lack of a suitable crystal. All the ones in the bag were broken or cracked. A lightsaber is not much use without a crystal to generate the blade.”

“Just a crystal or does it need to be a specific type?”

“Ideally of Aurek-grade or better, but a besh-grade crystal can be used with some tweaking.”

“I might have a spare or two for my blasters.” Saynx grumbled then rose back to his paws, heading to his quarters to retrieve the items.

Lo tilted her head, unsure about his blaster crystals working in a lightsaber. The two items appeared so drastically different from each other. Her eyes turned to Kayda with a puzzling expression.

“Decent-quality blaster crystals can be used in a pinch. Using the Force to adjust them will make them work fairly well.” She shrugged. “Sometimes you have to work with what is available.”

Saynx arrived back in a short time with two of his smallest crystals and a grinder in hand. “I’m not sure the dimensions of your lightsaber, but I brought a grinder to help resize it to fit better. If it’s needed. Just press the button there, and the tool will do the rest.”

“Thanks” Lo reached for the tool and the crystals, observing their size compared to the chamber.

“I think this one needs a bit of grinding to fit better and it might polish out the imperfections. What do you think, Kayda?” She held the crystal with her force to show the Jedi Knight.

“Recall when you first made your lightsaber, young padawan. Surface imperfection matters far less than internal ones.”

“It also needs to fit too. The imperfections were a second thought and can help me find the internal ones. If a crack isn’t polished out, it might go deeper than the surface and that gives me one problem I can immediately fix.” Lo felt a bit proud for using some logic in her reasoning.

“It does need to fit, but the Force is more precise than any tool for handling flaws.”

“Just give the little Bothan some credit with her logic… Especially since she’s working with what she has.” Saynx interrupted the lesson briefly.

Kayda largely ignored the mandalorian’s chastisement, focusing instead on the lesson. “You are correct in that surface flaws need to be dealt with as well. We can have neither surface nor deep flaws if the blade is to be reliable.”

“I also don’t think the size itself matters, so if we have to make it smaller it should still work. As long as it can hold energy and channel it.” Lo began to grow uncomfortable when Kayda mentioned using the force to repair the crystal. That meant mediation and mediation brought back memories she rather not remember.

“I’m… I’m not sure I can fix it with the force. I hope none of them have issues under the surface.” She bit her lip as she continued to examine the crystal, her eyes attempted to see through it and into the center.

“Well, you can either use the Force to realign it, or you can gamble that it won’t sputter out in the midst of a duel.”

Saynx shook his head, but said nothing. “It’s been a while since you last ate, Lo. How about I grab some rations for your friend and you, then maybe you can try to realign it with the Force. I doubt there’s much wrong on the inside or my blasters wouldn’t work properly.”

Lo nodded watching him walk away. “Sounds… like a plan.”

A few minutes later, the Cathar returned with two wrapped jerk packs and canisters of water. “Here, should help.”

The young padawan reached and ripped open the package. Preserving liquid within it sloshed then spilled onto her hand, pressing her fur against her skin. She flashed him a guilty, apologetic smile. Saynx chuckled then shook his head.

"Easy there, or you will lose your meal." He idly watched the two females dig into the rations.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"Nope, my first task is to ensure you're well fed, watered, and safe." Saynx commented as he leaned against the ship's hull, his arms loosely crossed over his chest.

Lo continued to dig into the meat, the texture still tough and juicy. A bit of fluid dripped down her lips onto her lap causing her to wipe it away. By the time she stopped, the ration was half gone and set down beside her. Her eyes glanced at the two crystals sitting on a cloth in front of her folded legs. They had been ground to near smooth perfection on the outside. Anxiety snaked its way into her chest then began to coil in, pressing on her calm until it threatened to burst.

She inhaled then closed her eyes. Her breath suddenly quickened when darkness overtook her vision, the haunting sounds of a ship's thrumming and sensation of eyes watching her empowered her fear. The weight of the collar pushed itself into her forethoughts. For a moment, she swore she heard the cracking start.

Impulsively she stretched her hand up to her burden. Nothing happened causing her to gradually relax. Once more she lowered her hand down to her knee. In and out, she paced her breathing to fall into a familiar, comforting trance.

Both crystals began to rise from their position into the air. Their surface glowed at their cores, the cracks within began to condense and fuse together to mend the imperfections. It ended when the crystals dulled then gently fell back into their original position. Though Lo had pushed back her fear, her body still reacted and a small tremble had rippled across her surface. It stopped when Saynx crouched down then placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not an expert on this, but I think you did a good job. Now, it might be a good idea to finish more of your meal."

Kayda had meditated at the same time, using her Force senses to observe the process without interfering. She nodded. “It isn’t quite complete, but you have done a very good job so far. But do eat some. Aligning a crystal should never be rushed.”

“It’s not easy to meditate. I keep thinking the collar will shock me over and over.” Lo’s arms wrapped about herself in hopes to keep the memories at bay.

“So, this Sith… She programmed it to shock you if you meditated? That’s rather cruel, even for a Sith.”

“It’s actually the mildest she’s done to me.” Lo’s tone quieted down, not comfortable with the subject she put on the table.

“To her, I was nothing more than a pet. Something she enjoyed torturing and toying with. She tried to teach me Sith Alchemy basics, but… I was a terrible student and I think she wanted to turn me to the dark side.”

Saynx snorted. “You get all types among the Sith. Most of them have no honor and those that do, I hear they never survive. It doesn’t surprise me what you went through.”

“From what I’ve seen, I can’t disagree. If they have any honor, it is twisted and evil. And of course she wanted to turn you. I believe they find turning Jedi amusing.” Kayda looked at the mandalorian. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“As I told Lo, nope. I’m not hungry yet. I will also point out, you haven’t touched yours either.”

“I already ate, right before I left that criminal den. They didn’t need their food any longer.”

Saynx didn’t say a word, his red eyes studied the woman for a moment. As if doing so would reveal a lie or misstep. A moment passed before he nodded.

“All right. I’m still surprised you managed to free yourself and locate us, looking for Lo when you knew nothing about what happened to her. At least, that’s the impression I’m getting.”

“Truthfully? I wasn’t looking for Lo specifically. I was searching for any Jedi. I would probably still have been searching the jungle randomly if I hadn’t seen your ship rise out of the jungle.” It was pretty obvious to her that he did not trust her, and unless Lo was completely blind, she would have noticed it as well.

“Saynx, what are you saying exactly?” On cue, Lo asked the question putting Saynx on the spot.

“I’m sorry kid, but I don’t trust her. Her story is hard to believe and the odds aren’t exactly in her favor for the outcome. If the Hutts held a Jedi captured, they would likely turn her over to the Sith as a bargaining chip. Yet, from what it sounds like… she was captured around the same time as you. That means Sith were in the area for a while now…” He trailed off to let Lo’s gears shift.

The young girl turned to Kayda to explain.

“If the hutts had held me, I would’ve been sold to the highest bidder. You’re right about that. It wasn’t the hutts, though. It was a local gang. Twi’leks. Clearly outside the hutt hierarchy.”

“Then why follow a random ship that could’ve possibly gotten you caught or in trouble again? Why take the risk?”

“Heard of the Force, mando? It guided me.” she answered, slightly sarcastically.

“And with that, you couldn’t locate the others?” He growled back.

“If it had had the range of starship sensors, I could maybe have found them, but it doesn’t work like that. I sensed young Lo’s presence after I located the clearing you had blasted your way from. Other than the remains of an explosion and some weapons fire, it was empty. Whomever attacked you wasn’t there. I was lucky that I even sensed a trace of her.”

"Yes, which reminds me. You risked her life by blurting out she was onboard to someone that might've been ignorant of it. If she had been a stowaway, you had no idea what I might've done or the danger you could've put her in. A bit reckless for a Jedi, don't you think?" His teeth became bared as his tail slashed at the air, irritation clear on his body language.

"Why didn't you head back to camp where the other Jedi or any known locations they might've been?"

"Okay, that's enough from you two." Lo uttered, sensing the growing tension between the two. By now, she was up on her feet and facing them with an intent glare.

"Saynx, if you don't trust Kayda then trust me. I believe her because she helped during the Sith's torture. If she aligned with the Sith or a hidden one, I don't think she would help me." Her attention toward Kayda next.

"I do see his point and the fact I still have a collar, which might have a tracker, explains his overcautious behavior. The odds of us encountering you just after we moved is... odd. I will admit that. If you were in his position, wouldn't you feel the same?"

Lo let the words hang in the air.

“Oh, I do not blame him for his caution. It is better to be cautious than to be careless. As for blurting it out, as you phrased it? Had you been hostile to her, you would have had to take me out before you could harm her. I judged it a reasonable distraction, had that been the case. Fortunately, it wasn’t.”

"I seriously considered it when I spotted you. I just didn't want to draw the attention of whoever attacked us." Saynx mumbled, drawing a chiding look from the padawan.

“I liked the odds of a Jedi Knight versus a lone, momentarily distracted mandalorian warrior. Granted, I would have liked the odds better if it had been Jedi Knight versus nerf herder in stolen mandalorian armor.”

A predatory hardness darted across Saynx's eyes, the Cathar rose from his seat and leaned into the Jedi's personal space. His muzzle paused an inch from her nose. In a quiet tone, he uttered a warning.

"Keep in mind, those lightsabers had honorable owners." Though he couldn't predict the Jedi's reaction, he turned back to the front of the ship and disappeared.

"The other Jetti should be here soon. If you need me, call. I'll be in the cockpit monitoring the sensors and communications."

“Mandalorians…” Kayda muttered, “So easily riled up about lost suits of armor.”

“The same could be said about stolen lightsabers with Jedi.” Lo stated, being close enough to overhear, recalling her own upset feelings about the Sith keeping hers.

“I can’t disagree about that.” She answered, not mentioning her curiosity about the source of the lightsaber parts.

“So why rile him up or dismiss his anger over something we do with lightsabers?”

“I was tired of him asking the same questions he asked me outside the ship again. I am also not much of a people-person.”

“And if someone answered the same questions differently? What do you think of that individual? I don’t know much about him, but they did help me and didn’t return me to the Empire. They could’ve, but they didn’t.” Lo asked, her attention still focused on Kayda.

“From my observations, he has serious unfinished business with some Sith. I don’t think he trusts anyone in the Empire.”

“You could just ask him about it.”

“I don’t think he would share it with a relative stranger. Do you?”

“I don’t think you made it any better.”

“Probably not. But I don’t need him to be fond of me.”

“No, we don’t. However, if you two keep bickering and jabbing at each other… It makes working together much harder. And even if we get back to the other Jedi, we still need help getting off the planet. It means that we’ll need their help.” Lo had moved from her position on the floor to sit beside Kayda. One of the crystals hovered in her palm and the lightsaber in her other, both ready to be put together.

“You should finish realigning its structure before you install it.”

“Right. Maybe you should apologize later. It can’t hurt.” The young Bothan started to twist the containment cell’s components one by one, gradually letting the force guide her into the correct position. Once completed, she then floated the crystal into the center.

“I need to test this to see if it works or not.”

“And risk breaking it? Rushing the process will not give you the result you desire.”

“And if it doesn’t work at all, how will that benefit me? We’re not even sure if it can hold up against a single swing of a lightsaber and I would rather not find out in a life or death situation. Do you?”

“If you want to burn out the energy modulation circuits, go ahead and fire it up.”

“We don’t have replacement parts. So what do you suggest I do then?” A little bit of snippiness edged into Lo’s voice.

“Finish the realignment, and you won’t need a replacement.”

“Fine, but you need to try and come to a truce with the mandalorian while I do that.”

“I will talk with him.” Kayda answered, not promising anything.

“Good. Oh… one more thing.” Without warning, Lo leaned in and hugged Kayda.

“Thank you for helping me. I wouldn’t have been able to stay together without your aid.”

The hug surprised Kayda. She didn’t really know how to respond to it. When the hug ended, she gently disentangled herself and moved towards the cockpit, gently knocking on the bulkhead door.

“What?” Saynx’s irritated voice rang out, followed by a short stream of mumble in Mandalorian.

“Lo needs some time to focus on her own. Might I speak with you?”

Silence stretched for several moments before the bulkhead’s door hissed open, allowing Kayda inside. A nonverbal yes to her request.

Kayda stepped inside and waited for him to shut the door behind her before speaking.

“So. The padawan wants us to mend fences, apparently.”

“Really, I don’t think it’s as simple as an exchange of words and agreement to be allies. Especially since it wasn’t your idea.” The Cathar, despite his size, half curled in his seat with an arcanic datapad in hand. His large fingers danced upon to collect and organize data at a decent pace. Occasionally, he paused to examine a chunk then shift it to the side bar or back into the stream of information.

“I don’t either. Nor did I think you would believe so.”

“So aiming to just stay in here, wait until the adiik is done, and say it didn’t work?” He didn’t even look her way as he assumed the Jedi’s plan.

“That is one option. It is not as if I need you to trust or like me. I doubt we’ll be working together that long. Or do you plan on sticking around in this sector?”

“That depends on what is decided. According to the adiik, the Jetti aren’t in the best of positions. This was a hunting trip that bagged more than fresh meat to sell.” The Cathar set his pad to the side, his task done for the moment.

“This whole mission here wasn’t my idea. I simply stepped in to keep it from going completely wrong.”

“Yet, you and a… you called her a padawan, both got captured. I would say that’s something which went wrong. It doesn’t prevent you from being involved in this mission by choice.”

“I didn’t plan on that. Or on an imperial destroyer parking in orbit. But at least the hutts must’ve put some rules in place, since there’s been none of their usual heavy bombardment.”

Saynx chuckled. “The Empire—including the Sith—would be fools to upset the Hutts. They have their slimy tails in everything and could make things more difficult in certain situations. I don’t think the Empire would want to waste resources trying to work around their sabotage attempts.”

“Probably not. They’ll invest a bare minimum of resources here and pull out if it starts to get expensive. Just like the Republic does in other theaters.”

“Yep. I would like a word with Lo’s Master. Damn foolish Jetti, bring an adiik into hostile territory without any proper training. He’s lucky she didn’t end up dead.”

“Yes. We need to get her out of here. And if what that Sith told her has any root in the truth, get her master out as well.” A bit nervously, Kayda fiddled with some of the items on her belt, though she naturally didn’t do more than push her lightsaber around a little.

Though Saynx didn’t twitch, he watched the corner of his vision for a moment. “At least we found some common ground. It’s pretty clear the Sith has done some damage and will likely be coming to retrieve their toy when they are bored. That’s something the Jedi will need to prepare for. It will take time to get the tools we need to remove the collar.”

“I can’t say for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if those criminals that held me captive had such tools. If not, there’s surely others that do. We just need to figure out what they want in payment.” She continued fiddling, using it to occupy her hands, not really thinking about it.

"The sooner we get the equipment, the better. Do you remember where the den is or have you forgotten?" He reached once more for his datapad to pull up a 3D model of the local area.

Kayda studied the map, taking the controls and quickly moving through it, identifying the right settlement and zooming into it. “That’s the exit I used.” she said, pointing at a doorway in a narrow back alley.

“I’ll mark that for later, it looks like a trading hub. Even if we don’t find it, we can likely find a slaver we can trade with for the tools. So kill two mynocks with one blaster shot.” He made quick gestures that pinned the location for later.

“I got that impression too. Not exactly a major trade hub, and well distanced from the residence of the local hutts.”

He glanced back to the door. “How long does the adiik need to herself?”

“She should be done soon now, I think. Hopefully she has not rushed the job like she first wanted to. I would rather the lightsaber not fizz out on her due to a rushed job.”

“Good.” Saynx didn’t say, but his behavior gave a hint he expected her to depart. Though they had found common ground, his suspicions and anger at her insult refused to let go so easily.

“You know… I didn’t actually call you a nerf-herder earlier. I only said it would have been easier if you had been one. Since that would’ve meant a severely inept combatant.”

“It would be the same if I compared you to a Sith because I saw one with a green or blue blade. I doubt you would’ve taken that comparison well. Most Jedi don’t.”

“Not quite the same, I think. But I can see how calling you an armored nerf-herder would be perceived as an insult, just like you calling us Jedi Sith would be one. Not sure how a Sith would take to be called a Jedi, but I presume it is much the same.”

Saynx just rumbled, his muzzle pressed tightly together. “Go check on Lo before I think shooting you was a better option.”

It wasn’t hard to tell that he was bluffing, but it did provide Kayda with an excuse, so she did not mind accepting the suggested action. “Do think about it, at least.” she said after pressing the door control and moving back out to check on Lo’s progress. She had given it a try, at least. Time would tell if it had any effect.

Lo was locked in a meditative state. Her eyes closed, her fingers gripped her knees, and her legs folded underneath her. The crystal hovered in front of her as it rotated in place. She hadn’t noticed Kayda enter at all.

Gently probing with her senses, Kayda observed how the realignment was progressing. Fortunately, she had stopped rushing the process. It was clear she was struggling a little, but Kayda did not interfere, letting her figure it out for herself right now. She was not in any danger.

Occasionally during the next half hour, the young Bothan’s fingers tightened and pulled at her pants for comfort. Gradually her eyes opened to break the continual attempt. The crystal drifted back to the cloth as she exhaled, forcing breath through her chest. A harsh cough followed causing her to tense.

“I think I need a break…” Lo’s voice sounded weaker than before.

“Very well. Do you need anything? Food, drink?” Kayda asked.

"I think I just need... some fresh air. When the Sith originally captured me, I am pretty sure I was on a ship for a few days. I should tell Saynx and ask about some dates off his data logs." With those words urging her on, Lo began to push up onto her feet.

“Very well.”

As Lo tapped the bulkhead, no answer came. “Saynx? Can I come in?”

Still no answer. Worry began to creep into her soul as she knocked harder, her hand now stung from the impact. Her voice cried out louder hoping her cries might get his attention. “Saynx? Is everything all right? Open this door, I need to ask something. Saynx?”

“He looked a bit tired earlier on, didn’t he?” Kayda queried after hearing Lo ask multiple times. “But you could just use the door control and look?”

"I don't know. I guess he could've been." Not satisfied with the logic, she pressed the door control and it hissed open. In a determination to discover the cause of his silence, she stepped in.

The large Cathar was slumped over and deep in slumber. Lo paused, feeling ashamed for her misguided assumptions. Quietly she crept back into the hallway then turned to Kayda.

"I guess you were right." The doors closed shortly behind her.

“I would have expected him to stay awake longer, though. It was not as if he expressed much more trust in me at the end of the talk I had with him.”

Lo reached to put an appreciative hand on the Knight’s shoulder and gave a small smile. “I’m glad you tried, even if it didn’t work.”

She sighed then walked around Kayda toward the bench. Her figure dropped down, her head tilted back and propped against the hull.

Kayda moved over to the table, seating herself there. “You should relax, Lo. Twitching won’t help you any.”

“It’s easier said than done. I’m honestly surprised I managed to remain still for meditation.” Lo’s leg refused to stop bouncing in place. A restless energy filled her, both fueled by youth and nerves.

“Think about something peaceful. Like the academy you trained at.” As she said this, she pulled a small box off her belt, fiddling with it out of boredom.

“It’s not just nerves. It’s also because I have a lot of energy. The masters at H’Ratth told me it was because I was still young and I would eventually outgrow it.” By now, she noticed the box that Kayda had.

“What’s that?”

“This?” she answered, holding out the box for Lo to see. “I snagged it off one of those criminals. I thought it might contain something valuable, but all it had was some credit sticks. For some strange reason, the guy kept his credits in a padded box.”

“Guess that’s one way to keep your valuables safe.” Lo sized it then looked over at the cargo bay door, but thought better of it. Instead she got up to roam the room they were currently in. It was better than letting her energy drive her nuts.

“Indeed.” Kayda answered, rising to her feet again.

She walked up beside the padawan, then shook her head, as if clearing away some errant thought.

With a precise move, Nimm slid the capsule into a small receptacle on the bothan’s shock collar, which would see to it that the drug would get injected directly into the girl’s spinal cord, then she placed her arm over the girl’s shoulder to conceal what she had just done.

Lo appreciated the gesture, feeling less nervous.

When the pain rippled through her spine, Lo jerked away from the arm and twisted about. Her eyes widened in surprise at Kayda. Her hand had reached up to touch her collar where the pain had happened. She tried to register exactly what happened. It wasn't a bug or any function of the collar she had felt before.

"Ow... what the...?"

It reminded her of the needles that the Sith had injected her with.

“What happened?” Nimm asked, still using the same tone of voice as her Kayda overlay.

“I swore.. Something pricked me. Like a needle.” Her breath was becoming rapid and her voice higher pitch, indicating panic.

“Where?” Nimm answered fighting not to smile, since she didn’t have any actual needles on her right now. It wouldn’t take long now.

“Near my neck. I need to get the collar off.” At this point, Lo began to move toward the cockpit in order to wake Saynx and ask him to try to remove it.

Before Lo got more than a few steps, Nimm reached out with the Force and put the padawan in stasis. “There is no need to wake him.” she whispered, her voice suddenly taking on a completely different tone. A tone that would be chillingly familiar to Lo. “The collar won’t do anything more right now… my little pet.”

Lo's heart stopped then dropped into her stomach, her hand frozen in mid-reach for the door. Her mouth became dry as she muffled a whimper. She couldn't speak, her body disobedient to her whims. Her eyes scanned the room for anything to use against the Sith.

Unable to keep her calm, Lo screamed at the top of her lungs.

"SAYNX, HELP! HELP, PLEASE."

No answer like before.

“Do not worry. He is only sleeping. Unharmed. Like you, I do not need him dead, my pet.” Nimm casually sidled around Lo, stopping right in front of the girl. “The time has come to finish the job with you.”

"What did you do?" Her voice cracked with the demand.

Seeing her captor dressed in Kayda's clothes, things clicked into place and her horror fused with anger. She trusted the Knight and the whole time, Kayda was a Sith toying with her. The mention of finishing the job spiked her fear again.

Already her vision began to darken and blur. "What do you mean, finish the job? What did you do to me, Kayda?"

“I gave him a slow-acting sedative, my pet.” Nimm answered. “As for you? As we speak, you are being fully inducted into Imperial Intelligence Program twenty-eight.” She smiled maliciously. “And Kayda is naught but a simple overlay personality I use when I need to, my pet.”

“Then I’ve been bonded to…” All the color drained from Lo’s fur.

“Kayda is a Jedi Knight. Of sorts. So you might say it is complicated what exactly the bond is with, except that it is all me. Isn’t that fun?” She laughed a little, then pulled back the robes, revealing her wrist unit. There were numbers displayed there, rapidly counting down. “When this reaches zero, I will begin programming you, my pet.”

"No, I won't let you. I'm not some toy or pet you can train. I'm a Jedi." Lo growled as she pushed back, her body trying to move through the force trap. She had to get loose and away.

“The moment I gave you the serum, you lost any choice in the matter.”

"And what happens if you're not around to 'program' me when that timer stops?" The padawan snapped her question, still struggling against the stasis.

“Oh. You die. Painfully.” Nimm lied.

“Sounds better than being your pet.” Lo spat.

“Now now… No need to spit.” Nimm chastised as she moved out of the way. “I have every intention of letting you go after this. You will not, after all, remember anything of this conversation.”

“And I suppose ‘Kayda’ will simply disappear without a trace? Sounds a little strange especially since I’ll want to find her and ruin your plans to let me go.”

“Eventually, she will. Don’t worry. She will still be here when you wake back up.”

“Dank Farrik, you won’t get away with this.” Lo cursed as she closed her eyes and strained against the stasis. Her mind was now desperate for options, but coming up empty.

A tingling stretched across her skin then faded into a numbness. Every inch of her muscles began to cease their response to her.

“I already have.” Nimm answered as the countdown reached zero and Lo’s face grew slack. Nimm pressed a few other buttons and the display changed, showing her the exact instructions for programming the subject, instructions which Helia Javik had provided her with shortly before she arrived at this ship. She followed them exactly, not deviating at any point. It took a good seven minutes to take care of it all, at which point she replaced the capsule in Lo’s collar with the other one she had hidden away, removing it after its payload had been delivered.

The second capsule sealed the programming and would wipe away the last fifteen minutes. Then she carefully maneuvered Lo over to the bench on one side of the hold, seating herself beside the girl, even as she reactivated the Kayda overlay.

It didn’t take long for Lo to jerk awake, her figure pulled away from the hull and bolted upright. A grogginess swarmed her focus causing her head to hurt and eyes to cringe at the interior light. Her hand rose to shield her vision from the intruding pain. She felt like Rancor shat.

“Are you ok, Lo?” Kayda asked, concern clear in her voice. “You said you suddenly felt woozy and after I guided you over here you seemed to black out?”

“Did I?” Lo was confused, her memory hazy and fractured.

“I’m not fully sure what happened. Can you bring me the med kit? It’s on the hull near the cockpit.” Her throat felt hoarse for some reason, likely dried during her unconsciousness. She fought curling into a pitiful ball as she waited for Kayda to bring the kit.

Kayda glanced at the girl as she got up, then walked over to grab the med kit. On the way she also filled up a cup of water. “Drink this first.”

“Thank you.” Obediently, Lo wets her throat before she opens the metal case.

Still squinting against the light, she checks her pulse then counts quietly. Though a little fast, it appeared normal. Her blood cells count and blood pressure followed after she injected herself with a scanner. It read normal through her adrenaline levels had spiked then fallen down. Gradually the pain in her head began to settle then fade.

“I don’t know what it was. Everything appears normal from what I can tell. Can you remember anything else?” Lo tried not to let her fear crack into her voice.

Having seen Lo take the readings, she tried to make them add up. “You looked really frightened for a moment. I would guess something reminded you of your captivity?”

“I guess. It would have been pretty bad if I fainted.” Lo recalled having reminders all day, yet nothing made her that scared. Her hand had drifted down to rub her forearm to calm herself.

“There’s no telling what that Sith did to you back when she held you imprisoned. And I think I wouldn’t want to remember either were I in your situation.”

“So how do I stop it from happening again?”

“I know a thing or two about treating simple injuries. The mind is anything but simple. I suggest getting yourself to a healer. And out of range of all Sith.”

“Healing a body is easier in most cases, I should know. I helped the masters on H’Ratth plenty of times to treat the patients. We did struggle with those suffering from mental ailments. I hope it can be helped… else I’ll be reassigned to the Service Corps.” At the thought of her dream being unachievable, Lo leaned back against the hull. Her eyes had found the metal ground and depression threatened to drown her.

“Don’t be a defeatist. You are not the first to escape Sith torture and captivity, so they know how to treat this.”

Lo inhaled, her shoulders relaxed and she tried to push the dark thoughts down. “You’re right. We’ll all get off Ryloth and things will get better.”