The extremely large Space Grazer-class warship exited hyperspace approximately twenty-eight klicks away from the shuttle that Xanthis was piloting. He wasn't reading these numbers off of the targeting computer screen in front of him, of course, but the nearest mind, excluding the people aboard his shuttle, was about twenty-eight kilometers away. Xanthis reached over and flicked the comm switch.
"Terror of Space, this is the Shuttle Ojeda, respond," Xanthis said sternly.
"This is the Terror of Space, go ahead Ojeda." The voice was Eidomond Lenora, captain of the Terror.
"Captain Lenora, inform Lord Zarin of our impending arrival, and have two more cells ready in the prison complex."
"Yes, Lord Xanthis," Lenora said. "It shall be done."
"Also," Xanthis continued, "Have the current prisoners moved out of the primary prison complex and into the one furthest away from it."
"Of course, My Lord. Anything else?"
"Yes..." He gave a slight pause. "Have the Research Department prep the examination room. I will be bringing with me some very interesting devices for them to play with."
"At once, My Lord."
Without another word Xanthis cut off the transmission and stood up. Turning his head to face the co-pilot he said, "Take us in, Captain."
The smaller man nodded and weakly said, "As you command, Lord Xanthis."
Xanthis exited the small cabin and made his way to the cells located near the rear of the shuttle. The shuttle actually had four isolated cells, each a good distance from the others. Jace Sidrona was in the first cell, while the other prisoner occupied the fourth.
Xanthis sensed the anger boiling in Jace Sidrona as he approached him. Xanthis smiled inwardly. "Hello, Jace," he said.
"Xanthis...you're looking well," Sidrona said back.
"I'd say the same to you, Jace, but I can't really tell if you're looking well or not. You see...some years ago an eager young Sith apprentice got extremely jealous that I bested him in a lightsaber duel and...do you know what he did, Jace?"
"I think I can guess," Sidrona sardonically said.
"That young apprentice, instead of accepting his fate as a failure, betrayed me and used the tip of his lightsaber to slowly burn out my eyes, leaving me completely blind. A cowardly act, was it not?"
Jace didn't answer.
Xanthis hadn't expected him to.
"How have you been all these years, Jace?" Xanthis asked him. "It's been...what, almost four years now since we last saw each other...four years since I last saw anything. How is life treating you? And where did you pick up that nice stealth shuttle we took from you? Something you stole, or did Reno make it? Oh, speak of the devil...How is old Reno? How is it being Reno's apprentice?
"You would know better than I about that, Xanthis, wouldn't you? How IS Reno?"
"Alive...that's all you need to know right now. Now you didn't answer my question, Jace...how is it being Reno's apprentice? Was it worth it? Was betraying me and blinding me all that important in your crusade to kill Reno...?"
"I'm no longer driven by my rage to kill Reno, Xanthis. He is my Master..."
"Ha!" Xanthis bellowed. "Don't think you can hide things from me, Jace. I know you far too well. You may think you've abandoned your cause, but Reno destroyed your life and your family, as he did mine, you cannot possibly forget or forgive that...or maybe you haven't, maybe you're just biding your time...waiting for the time when you can hurt Reno the most..."
"No," Sidrona adamantly stated.
"Your mouth says no, Jace, and perhaps your mind does too. But your heart, your soul says that Reno will die for what he did to you, what he did to me...It is really to bad, Jace...you want Reno to die, I want Reno to die...had you not forever blinded me we could kill him together as we had planned to do so many years ago, we could have once again teamed up...but you had to betray me. You had to burn out my eyes and leave me to die in the darkness..."
"Lord Xanthis," the voice said over the intercom. "Docking procedure is complete."
Xanthis turned away from Jace but kept talking. "I cannot figure out what was your bigger mistake, Jace Sidrona, betraying and blinding me...or leaving me alive. Either way, you shall die for what you have done." With those final words Xanthis stalked out of the cell area and made his way to the hatch.
"Yes, whatever," Zarin said, waving it away. "At this rate we shall have enough of their squad captive that they will have no other choice but to hand over their Super Star Destroyer in return for their friends lives."
Xanthis stirred uncomfortably and Zarin immediately picked up on it.
"Something wrong, Xanthis?" he asked. "Do you still doubt my plan?"
"Yes, Master, I do. That ship is what is keeping them alive, it's what is keeping the New Republic and Empire from just forming a task force and hunting them down. Without it they'd just become targets of anyone and everyone. None of the people we have hostage is worth enough for the Siths to give up their SSD."
"Ah, you are forgetting about Reno."
"No, Master, I am not. It is obvious that the Siths can function without Reno. He may be their leader, but even he is not worth more than that ship. Sidrona definitely isn't, and the others...heh! Vanicus is an old war veteran who by all rights should be retired. Gimmer is a grouchy old mechanic who the Siths are probably better without. And Nuprin...I don't even know what the hell Nuprin is! I've never seen anything like him before. What I'm trying to say, Master, is that while some of them might be important, none of them are more important that their SSD."
He expected Zarin to be angry at hi, but the Sith Lord merely chuckled.
"That is where you are wrong. They will give in...they must. That ship will be mine, just like it should have been years ago."
Xanthis bowed his head slightly. "If you say so, Master." Xanthis let that last comment linger in his mind. He had never gotten the full story, but from what he pieced together somewhere in the past Reno and Zarin had been a team of some sort, or at the least loose allies. Somewhere along the lines, though Reno had betrayed him and somehow taken the SSD. That would explain Zarin's apparent obsession with the ship and Reno. Still, though, Zarin thought it odd that while they had capture Reno over two weeks ago, Zarin had still not gone and seen him. Reno was still unaware of Zarin's presence, in fact. They had kept him in a prison cell that contained a ysalamiri hanging above it. It effectively kept Reno in the dark as to who was behind his capture. Reno had gone about two weeks now without sensing anything...
And speaking of not sensing anything...
Picking up on his new thought Zarin questioned him. "Now what of this other prisoner you picked up?" he asked. "Have you made any progress on interrogating him?"
"No, Master," Xanthis sadly reported. "We briefly interrogated him on the shuttle ride over, but he refuses to speak. And interrogation is beginning to seem pointless because it appears that he enjoys the pain. He wants to feel pain... I don't understand it."
"And you still cannot feel him through the Force?" Zarin asked.
"No, Master, I cannot. It is as if the Force simply does not exist within him. I have never seen such a being."
"Is it possible he is a droid of some sort?" Zarin asked. "Human Replica Droids are surprisingly realistic, and you wouldn't be able to sense one."
Xanthis shook his head. "He registers on life scans, Master Zarin, I just can't sense him."
"Very interesting...continue working on him, Xanthis. I must know where he got those weapons. If we can get our hands on weapons like that...using outdated battle droids would be something we would never do again. Now go..."
Xanthis bowed. "Yes, Master." Turning around Xanthis strode out of his Master's chambers. He still didn't like Zarin's plan, but it wasn't his place to approve or disapprove of his Master's plans. Stretching out with the Force he sensed someone approaching. It was Captain Lenora again.
"Yes, Captain?" he asked, even before Lenora could announce his presence. Xanthis could feel the shock emanating from him, and the fear. To his favor, though, Lenora was good at covering it up.
"My Lord, one of the new prisoners is causing problems in his cell. When we attempted to take him down to Interrogation he resisted and attacked us, killing two guards in the process."
"Sidrona?"
"No sir, the other one. The nameless one."
"Has he been subdued?"
"Yes, but barely. We had to shoot him over five times with stun bolts. And even then he wasn't fully unconscious. We have him back in his cell now..."
"No," Xanthis cut him off. "Move him in with Sidrona. If this man is half as aggressive as you suggest then the two should get along nicely." Assuming they don't kill each other...
"Yes, My Lord."
"And Lenora..."
"Yes?"
"I want Reno and the others moved off of this ship. Transfer then to our prison facility on Zhar Delba. And don't put them all on one shuttle, do each of them separately. If we lose that shuttle we lose all of our bargaining chips...Zarin would be most displeased. I want that taken care of immediately after you switch the prisoners cells. Understood?"
"Yes, My Lord. I assume Lord Zarin gave you permission for a transfer to Zhar Delba."
Xanthis turned his head sharply and faced Lenora. "Of course," he lied. "Now do as I order and do not mention this to anyone except those who need to know. Do not contact Lord Zarin. Understood?"
"Yes, My Lord," Lenora echoed. "I shall tell no one except for those who need to know and I will not contact Lord Zarin."
Xanthis smiled. "Good. Now run along and do your jobs. Report in when you're done." Lenora nodded , did a quick salute, a 180, and soon he was out of sight.
Off to run his little errands...
Xanthis would have loved to have seen Jace Sidrona fight this unnamed prisoner they had picked up. It would prove to be a glorious fight, no doubt. This prisoner was very large and fierce, but Sidrona was a quick and very talented warrior...
Which was the real reason for transferring Reno and the others. If Sidrona escaped then his main priority would be to find Reno, though whether he was going to kill him or rescue him Xanthis didn't really know. Jace's second priority would be escape. But if Reno wasn't here...
Xanthis chuckled as he walked down the corridors of the Terror of Space, or T.O.S. for short. He had come a long way since scrounging and assassinating on Tatooine...and probably had even more yet. But for now he needed to go down to the Research Lab and look at those strange weapons the prisoner had been caught with. Weapons such as these could tip the balance in a war...and soon the warriors of the T.O.S. Force would be neck deep in war...
The first thing that Xanthis did when his shuttle docked on the Terror of Space was go and report to his Master. It wouldn't be the worst report he had ever given, but nor would it be the best.
At least I didn't lose any limbs...
Darth Zarin's meditation chamber was directly above the main bridge of the Terror. Not far from the hanger, but an annoying trip because he would have to talk near the bridge. He could feel each crew member staring at his as he walked by them. He didn't need eyesight to know that they despised him, they loathed him, they feared him...yet ultimately they served him. They might hate it, they might even deny it, but it was true.
Xanthis had never actually seen Darth Zarin's chambers because he had met the Sith Lord after Jace Sidrona had burned his eyes out. He assumed the quarters were bare, though, with only the essentials present. Well, perhaps not even those...
Xanthis was a rarity among Siths, or even Force-strong people in general, because he relied completely on the Force to guide his every action. From little things like not bumping into objects as he walked, to major things like duels and piloting a starship, he had to rely completely on the Force to accomplish these tasks. And because of this reliance there were few people as tuned into the Force as Xanthis was.
When he reached the door to Darth Zarin's quarters he reached out to touch the chime, but as he did he heard Zarin call out through the Force.
Enter...
The door hissed open and Xanthis strode through.
"Welcome back, young Xanthis. I trust everything went according to plan?"
Xanthis nodded. "It did, Master. Jace Sidrona is in our custody now."
"Good, good," Zarin whispered softly. "That now makes Sidrona, Reno, Vanicus, and that little, yellow alien..."
"Nuprin, Master Zarin," Xanthis finished for him.
Jace Sidrona was instantly on guard the second the door to his cell hissed open. He expected Xanthis to come waltzing in...instead, though, two guards stood in the doorway holding a man. A very large man. Several more guards stood at the rear of the formation, guns drawn and pointed at the prisoner. Using all the force they could muster they hurled the man into Jace's cell. Backing away carefully they shut the door and left the new prisoners to...mingle.
Jace looked at the man they had thrown into his cell. He was taller than an average human, much taller than Jace, and had a broad and muscular physique. His hair, what little of it he had, was cut very close to his head. His facial skin was flawless...no scars, tattoos, or facial hair. He looked mean, though. Vicious, violent, and mean.
Closing his eyes Jace stretched out with the Force to get an idea of the prisoners frame of mind...mainly to see whether or not he was going to attack Jace. But to Jace's surprise, and horror, he realized that he couldn't sense the man...he couldn't sense him at all! He was standing right in front of Jace...but it was as if he didn't even exist!
His first thought was another HRD like the one that Darth Ane had created to look his Master, Reno. Could this be another one of Ane's tricks? Maybe Ane IS Xanthis's Master....no, Ane would not the same trick twice, especially when he knew it didn't work the first time. Then what...?
Jace tried again to get a feeling from the man, but to no avail. What...? Ysalamiri, maybe? No, Jace could sense the guards presence outside of his cell. Then the large man let out a bark of laughter.
"What is the matter, Jeedai?," he spat, saying Jedi like it was the worst word ever created. "Having problems sensing me?"
Jace shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Hmph...Do not play dumb with me, Jeedai. I know what you are. Your feeble tricks do not work on me."
Jace nodded. "And who...or what...are you?"
"My name is Jeminn Carr. That is all you need to know, Jeedai."
"Stop calling me a Jedi...I'm not one. I'm a Sith, and my name is Jace Sidrona."
"...Jeedai....Seeth...same difference. You rely on "the Force"...you are all the same, whether you acknowledge it or not." Jeminn Carr took a few steps backward until he backed into the door of the cell. Jeminn Carr crouched down and started to study the door. He ran his fingers along the bottom of the durasteel door, eying each hole and crevice.
"That's a waste of time, Carr. That door is locked from a panel on the other side. The only other way to get past that door is to cut a hole in it with my lightsaber...which unfortunately I don't have with me."
Jeminn Carr let out a deep bellow. "Jeedai! Always so dependent on technology...machines...abominations. One would think a culture so in sync with life would appreciate it more...use it...harness it's powers. Instead you toss it aside in favor of durasteel and wires."
"The Jedi, perhaps," Jace responded. "Siths are different."
"Please, Jeedai, elaborate for me," Jeminn Carr challenged as he continued to study the door.
"Well, Siths...you know, the Jedi don't...well, that is to say, um..." Truth was that Jace couldn't find one difference between the Jedi and Sith as far as technology was concerned. Both used lightsabers, comlinks, spaceships...
"Exactly," Jeminn Carr shot back. "Technology is the base of even your life. Your weapons, your ships, your lightsabers..."
"Yeah, well if I had my lightsaber on me we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. We would be out of this cell and off of this ship."
"And what makes you think I'd want to escape with a Jeedai, anyway?" Jeminn Carr asked. "Maybe I do not need your assistance. Maybe I do not want your assistance."
This time it was Jace's turn to laugh. "What, you think you're so good? You think you are so great? Then get us out of this cell, hot shot."
Jeminn Carr didn't answer, he just smiled evilly and reached down and plucked something from his arm. No, not off of his arm...a piece of his skin! For a second it just hung there like the dead skin Jace thought it should be...then it started to wiggle! Jeminn Carr let it drop to the ground and slither away. The little...skin?...wiggled it's way over to a small crack in the door, which the creature used to escape.
After about a minute of silence the door to the cell hissed open. Jeminn Carr wasted no time. He strode through the door and quickly scanned the area for guards. Bending down Jeminn Carr snatched up the little piece of skin, which was still alive and squirming. He dropped it onto his arm and let it wiggle it's way back into place. The skin merged seamlessly back into it's original place...if Jace hadn't seen it with his own eyes he would never have believed it. Jeminn Carr glanced harshly at Jace. "Are you coming, Jeedai, or would you rather sit and rot in your cell? It makes no difference to me. I merely have to collect what belongs to me and leave. Your presence is not needed for that."
Jace walked forward and pushed himself past the burly Jeminn Carr. "The first thing we need to do is get a blaster. Then we'll..."
"No," Jeminn Carr interrupted. "I do not need a blaster. My hands shall suffice until I get my amphistaff back."
Amphi-what?
"Fine. I also need to locate the Prison Directory. My Master is also being held somewhere. I need to find them."
"Very well. When I was brought here I let them drag me past a computer center. It would be a logical choice to check for a directory." Jace followed Jeminn Carr as the large man strode down the hallway.
"Any guards?"
Jeminn Carr searched his memory. "Four. One on each corner of the room. Humans, not droids."
"Not bad. Two for each of us. On three. One...two..."
Jeminn Carr suddenly sprung into action. He bolted into the room with the speed of a supercharged swoop and grabbed the neck of the first guard. With a violent twist he snapped the man's neck and dropped his lifeless body to the ground.
The second guard charged at him, his blaster aimed and ready to fire, when Jeminn Carr caught his in a snap drop toe hold. The guard's face slammed against the metal deck with such force that it knocked him out. Jeminn Carr reached over and snapped his neck too, just for good measure.
Five seconds after Jeminn Carr started his attack, Jace Sidrona burst almost clumsily into the room.. He swung out his right hand and sent the guard closest to him hurtling through the air and into the wall behind him.
The final guard had his blaster leveled at Jeminn Carr's back when Jace used the Force to yank the blaster out of the guard's hands and into his. Jace smiled at the guard's shocked face, then repressed the firing stud and shot him.
Jace shot a cocky grin at Jeminn Carr. "What do you think of technology now? Keep in mind that it just saved your life."
Jeminn Carr didn't seem too impressed. "I think that if you hadn't used that cursed machine then the entire ship would not have been alerted to our presence, or do you not notice the sirens going off? More troops shall come soon. Hurry and find your Master."
Jace set the blaster aside and hopped into the chair of the nearest datapad. He quickly got to work. "Let's see...Reno......Reno...oh stang! Reno and the others are being shipped out."
"It is too late, then. Where is the Research Area, that is where they will have taken my possessions."
"Wait!" Jace yelled as he continued to scroll down the screen. "...the transfer isn't complete yet. For security reasons they shipped them out in separate shuttles. Reno: Departed. Vanicus: Departed. Gimmer: Departed. Nuprin: Aha! Nuprin's shuttle doesn't leave for another thirty minutes. There's still a chance I can save him!"
"Fine, just tell me where the Research area is," Jeminn Carr ordered.
Jace hit several keys on the datapad. "Take the lift behind us up four floors and go down the corridor and make a left. It'll be marked so it should be easy to find."
Jeminn Carr nodded and turned away towards the lift, leaving behind a surprised Sith apprentice. "So that's it?" Jace called out. "No goodbyes, no thanks yous, no good lucks? You're just going to leave?"
Jeminn Carr stopped dead in his tracks and turned his neck ever so slightly to the right. "You are a Jeedai...I was raised to despise and hate your kind. You are lucky, Jeedai, that I am leaving you alive to rescue your friend. Now leave, and do not bother me again or else you shall regret it most severely." With those final words Jeminn Carr disappeared into the life.
What an odd person...
But Jace still wasn't too sure that Jeminn Carr even was human, or fully human. But he didn't think that the man was a droid of some sort. He was alive, he just didn't register in the Force. What in Sadow's name was he!? Jeminn Carr appeared to despise technology of all kind...it was probably killing him to be forced to use a life.
Nuprin!
Jace dropped into a dead sprint as he remembered his little alien friend, who was probably getting pretty close to the shuttle by now. Maybe I can sense him...get a fix on where he is...
Then he felt it...a dark presence...a powerful presence...heading where?...Prison complex....no, up a level...the Research lab! Jeminn Carr was in trouble. But...so was Nuprin! What to do? Nuprin was a friend...the squadron quartermaster. Jeminn Carr was a...what was he!? Jace didn't think he was human. He hated anything mechanical, and Jedi and Sith alike...
But there was something about Jeminn Carr that fascinated Jace. His outlook on life and the Force, maybe...or perhaps he was just curious about a creature that he couldn't sense through the Force. And then there was that creature Jeminn Carr had pulled off of his arm...
Either way Jace knew he had to hurry. He had about twenty-seven minutes to help Jeminn Carr, then hurry back and save Nuprin.