4

A sharp kick to the gut pulled Saedii from her light sleep.

"On your feet," the First Brother said in that whispery voice of his.

It was pitch black in her cell. Not yet morning. Usually, Krell came for her at first light for their first training session. For the First Brother to be here now, something was different.

She did as he said, climbing stiffly to her feet. The mat she slept on was little more than an inch thick. In the cold and wet, Saedii often woke to stiff limbs and dull pain from the hard ground. It made her first session more difficult.

Without preamble, he stepped forward and clipped binders around her wrists. Saedii had hoped that, now she'd passed initiation, they would forgo the binders. But Krell apparently still wanted her to know where she stood. That even though he called her Sister, she was still very much their prisoner.

As if she could have forgotten.

The First Brother gestured to the hall with a tilt of his head. "Move."

Helmet under her arm, Saedii followed.

At this time of morning, the halls were mostly silent. A single grey-clad figure crossed them at a junction, but he quickly lowered his head and walked off. Eager to get out of their way.

The First Brother was silent as he led her to the lifts. When the doors closed around them, dull red light lit up the elevator, playing along his long skeletal mask. His lightsaber, Saedii noticed, was clipped to his belt.

A burning desire to know what was going on simmered in her throat. But her cheek still throbbed from last night, when she'd accidently spoken out of turn. She wasn't eager to repeat the mistake.

The lift stopped on the ground floor. As the door opened, a sharp wind sliced along Saedii's cheeks like icy knives. Cold mist bit at her nose and stung the cut above her lip. It smelled heavily of brine and rain.

The long stretch of the hangar bay unfolded before them. Saedii had never seen the hangar. Her year of confinement had kept her far below the waves or in her cell. The sudden sight of so much space was overwhelming and she felt herself shiver at the sight.

Several long black ships waited along the edge. Behind them, churning under heavy rain and a powerful wind, the grey ocean beat against the stone walls of the Fortress, sending up fans of water with each wave.

Krell and the Second Sister waited beside one of the crafts. The two were talking quietly, though they fell silent as Saedii approached.

"Brother...Sister," Krell greeted them. The way he said sister sounded mocking.

Saedii lowered her head in greeting.

"Congratulations, Sister. You have your first assignment. We're leaving for the Mid Rim," Krell said.

She was...leaving?

Saedii had been sure that she'd never leave the Fortress again. That her life would end deep in the darkest reaches of the dungeons, body to never be found.

Somehow, the knowledge that she was leaving was worse. Whatever Krell had planned was different than their usual training sessions. The chances of failure would be higher out in the galaxy, on an assignment.

Her stomach rolled uncomfortably as she thought of Jek. As she wondered what else she would be forced to do to prove her loyalty.

"Wait on the ship," Krell ordered. "We'll join you shortly."

She did as he asked.

The ship was an advanced type of TIE attack shuttle that Saedii had never seen before. With a spherical body and two curved wings on each side, it was vastly different than the TIE fighters she'd seen in the Clone Wars. Far bigger, too.

Inside, it was spacious and sleek. The floors, the walls, the seats – everything was the deepest shade of black. Thin red low lights ran along the floors and ceilings, casting a dim glow, and at the very front, from the cockpit, a wall of glass let in grey light from the storm.

A row of flight seats waited in the center of the ship. To her left, the cockpit was empty. Waiting for Krell or one of the others to pilot it off-world. And to her right, a wall lined with tall computer screens and a weapons arsenal sat before a long hallway. When she reached into the Force, Saedii felt three empty cabins – one far larger than the other two.

It was pretty easy to do the math on that one. Saedii wouldn't be getting a cabin for this flight.

Stiffly, she took one of the flight seats, securing the harness across her chest.

In her lap, her helmet stared at her. The faint red lights along the ceiling caught the silver lines along the cheeks, making it look like it wept tears of blood.

Saedii picked it up awkwardly with her bound hands. Taking a moment to pull in long, slow breaths of air. To ready herself for the restricting feel of the helmet cradling her face. Her eyes closed as she savored her last moment of freedom.

She slipped it on.

The inside of the ship lit up in shades of red. Her field of vision, she realized, was wide – wider than she'd thought yesterday. Not nearly as good without the helmet, but better than she'd expected. Cold fresh air filtered in through the mask over her nose and mouth, tasting stale from the internal respirator.

It was lighter than she'd realized yesterday. She gave an experimental turn of her head and was pleasantly surprised that the helmet turned with her. A perfect fit. Soon, she might even get used to the feel of it.

She shuddered at the thought.

As Saedii waited, her eyes trailed over the computer nearest her. The screen was purposefully blank. Krell was always careful to avoid important information around her. To keep all mention of the larger galaxy and the Emperor and other secrets far from her ears. It seemed he had anticipated her curious eyes in his ship.

Beside the computer, the weapons arsenal boasted an impressive display of blades and explosives. Short vibro blades that could be clipped to a thigh or vambrace. Thermal explosives. Shoto-style lightsaber handles. And at least ten standard double-bladed, circular lightsaber hilts.

They were the weapon of choice for the Inquisitors. The very same that Krell had been training Saedii in this past year, even though she had only been allowed a single blade in her initiation. Her hands flexed uncomfortably as she realized that one of those was likely going to be hers.

Briefly, she thought of taking one. Of cutting down Krell and the others – punishment for the torment they'd put her through in the past year. She could take this ship and fly away. Far away.

They weren't even here. Weren't supervising her. She could take them by surprise.

I can do it.

Just as quick as the thought came, Saedii crushed it. If she left, Omega would die. And no matter how terrible things were here, Saedii wouldn't risk her death just for escape.

Perhaps leaving her here in an unsupervised ship with a cache of weapons was Krell's way of testing her. It was like she could hear the taunt.

Go ahead, his voice seemed to echo in her mind. Take it. Leave.

Saedii clasped her hands tightly in her lap. She didn't move.

It was nearly an hour before Krell and the others came on board. Slowly, as if anticipating that Saedii had taken up one of the lightsabers. But when they caught sight of her sitting obediently in the flight seats, a very pleased sort of smile stretched across Krell's ugly face.

"Apologies for the wait," he purred, not sounding sorry at all.

"Of course, Master." Saedii's voice sounded deeper in the mask. Like broken glass. It was nothing at all like her usual voice.

As soon as the exit ramp closed behind him, Krell demanded, "Second Sister, please relieve the Twelfth Sister of her binders. She is among family here. There is no need for them."

Saedii heard the warning there.

You have nowhere to run. Even without the binders, I control you.

The Second Sister unclipped Saedii's binders. Once freed, Saedii flexed her wrists. Grateful at least that the binders were gone.

"You'll be needing your weapon," Krell said lazily.

With a very nonchalant kind of air, he pulled one of the double-bladed lightsabers down and held it out to her. Grinning.

It was another power move. He was quite literally giving her the power to save herself. To fight for her freedom if she wanted.

Challenge us. I dare you, Krell seemed to say.

She wouldn't.

Saedii accepted it, clipping it onto her belt.

Grinning wider at her show of obedience, Krell snapped at the First Brother, "Time for take off. I want to be at our destination by daybreak tomorrow."

The First Brother nodded his assent and slipped into the pilot's seat.

The ship rumbled to life beneath them. It was almost jarring to feel the stabilizers engaging after a whole year of being grounded. Saedii's stomach dipped as the ship lifted slowly off the ground, slipping out of the hangar and into the stormy air.

Turbulence buffeted the ship. Saedii closed her eyes as they bounced in the wind – something she'd been sure she would never feel again. Down below, the black spear-like structure of Fortress Inquisitorious dropped away and the grey, churning waters of the planet stretched across the windshield.

As the ship flew out of the planet's airspace, Saedii took a moment to take in the appearance of the sickly grey-green planet. She had hoped that, seeing it from space, she would recognize where she'd been held. But this planet was unknown to her.

"Do you know where we are, Sister?" Krell asked. He'd taken the seat across from her, observing her with slitted eyes.

"No, Master," Saedii admitted.

"The planet Nur. In the Mustafar system."

Saedii had heard of it. The Mustafar system had been mostly Separatist-controlled territory during the war, so she'd never visited. Plo had told her that the planets there were dangerous. That no civilization could survive.

Apparently, he'd been wrong.

"The Mustafar system is heavily guarded and controlled by the Empire," Krell continued casually. "Several strong holds in addition to our own have grown in this system."

As he said it, the looming shadows of distant Venators appeared hovering around a reddish planet nearby. At least a dozen of them. Even more were clustered around Nur and another massive purple gas giant.

Krell continued, "The Empire's power is unchallenged out here. We are well-protected in our system."

Translation: there was no way Saedii would make it off Nur on her own. No way that any rescue force could ever breach the defenses to set her free.

This was another casual show of power. Another demonstration of just how helpless Saedii was.

"Impressive, is it not?" Krell demanded, irked by her silence.

"Yes, Master," she said at once.

He inclined his head. Pleased.

The Second Sister watched this exchange from the edge of the cockpit. Her eyes – a startling shade of silver – were filled with amusement.

A brief flash of memory came to Saedii as she looked at her.

Trilla, ten years younger – still a teenager. Stopping by the younglings' lesson, Padawan braid hanging over her shoulder. An easy, calming smile stretching across her face.

At her shoulder, the tranquil eyes of Cere Junda – her Master. The two exchanged a soft look as they watched Saedii and the other younglings working through their forms.

Saedii blinked back, grateful that her helmet had hidden her brief lapse of attention. If Trilla remembered her, she had given Saedii no indication. And she had certainly not been kind to her in her time there.

"What will we be doing in the Mid Rim, Grand Inquisitor?" the Second Sister asked.

Krell's eyes flicked to Saedii. There was something in that one glance that made her uneasy. "There is a known Jedi sympathizer there. We are going to see if she can provide us with any leads on rogue Jedi."

"And if she cannot?"

"Then she will be executed for treason. For her past transgressions."

Don't react, that voice in her head urged as the casual mention of execution caused her chest to grow tight.

Saedii hoped that whoever it was that they were tracking down wouldn't be there. That she escaped before the Inquisitors ever arrived.

The Second Sister turned a chilling look in Saedii's direction. "What an honor, Sister. Your first mission is one of importance. Perhaps we will even be led to a Jedi and you can earn your first kill."

"Second," Krell reminded her with glittering eyes. "After Jek Dekkara."

"That's right. I forgot about him."

So casual. Like Jek was nothing more than a minor inconvenience instead of their brother that had been cut down.

At Saedii's silence, the Second Sister's eyes sharpened. "Is it not an honor?"

"Yes, Master."

The Second Sister glared at her. "I am not your Master. The Grand Inquisitor is your Master. You will address me as Sister. As your family."

The thought made Saedii's stomach sour. This woman was not her sister. Saedii had only one sister, who was currently in an Empire prison far away.

But Saedii didn't dare correct her.

"Of course...Sister."

Another piece of Saedii withered inside of her at the flare of triumph in Trilla's eyes. Another piece of herself that she cut off and offered up to the Empire in order to keep Omega alive.

She wondered just how much of herself she had left.