“You’re either imagining things or you‘re sober,” Palin told him, as she hit the button to her door and attempted to shove Seven out. Seven swung his arms out though, and grabbed just enough of the wall to keep himself in.

“I’m not imagining anything, and I’m not sober!” he said. “Have you ever known Jace to help out? With anything? They’re up to something, I tell you!”

“I can’t believe I just wasted five minutes of my life with you,” she dourly mumbled. “I could’ve been doing something productive...like sleeping. Now get out.”

Tired of trying to physically expel him from her room, she grabbed him with her TK and threw him backwards and into the hall. For someone with a stronger than normal danger sense and the ability to see seconds into the future, Seven sure took a lot of beatings from Palin. The unnerving thought occurred to her that maybe he enjoyed them, or took pleasure in them... eww… the thought of Seven taking pleasure in something she did to him sent a disturbing shiver up her spine. She made a silent promise to stop assaulting him so much, on the off chance he was taking pleasure in it.

Palin turned and shut the door to her quarters, leaving an unconscious Seven lying against the wall opposite her room.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Jace calmly strolled onto the bridge, keeping his emotions in check. He was so far in his plans now, that he couldn’t afford to have a slip. One slip around the wrong person would throw all of their planning into the ‘fresher. Everything would be for not. He was not going to allow that to happen.

You’ve hidden your feelings from Reno, you can do it with the rest of these pretenders....

The bridge was quiet. Vanicus was leaning over the shoulder of a young ensign, pointing to the screen. Whatever Vanicus was saying, the ensign was eagerly listening. Jace studied the young ensign for a second. He was young, much younger than anyone else on the bridge. Jace would guess anywhere from fourteen to sixteen. Awfully young to be on the bridge. He would do nicely.

Jace walked over to Vanicus.

“...and here, the....“ Vanicus stopped and his eyes narrowed as Jace approached. “Oh, Lord Sidrona. I wasn’t expecting you on the bridge.”

Jace ignored him, and looked at the kid at the computer terminal.

“Who are you?”

The kid looked at him for the first time, and Jace immediately hated him. He had a youthful face, clean cut and smooth. Jace would be surprised if the kid had even started puberty yet. Before the kid could even utter a word, though, Jace hated him. Something had to be done, and it had to be now.

Jace held up his hand, stopping the ensign from saying anything. “Uh uh. Look, it doesn’t matter what your name is. I have a job for you. There’s a box in docking bay 28, go get it for me. And hurry.”

“Sir, twenty eight is empty...”

Jace let the anger flow through his voice. “Are you questioning me?”

“Of course not, sir!” Despite that, the ensign looked at Vanicus for one final approval. After he got it, he hurried off his chair and scurried off the bridge.

Vanicus gave him an odd stare. “Lord, if I might ask, why did you send Ensign Rehsurc to twenty eight? He’s right, there’s nothing in there.”

Jace sat down in the ensign’s chair and pushed some buttons. One of the computer screens flickered and suddenly showed the inside of docking bay twenty eight. As they said, it was empty... now.

“Captain, I’m going to ask a favor of you. Are you in the mood for doing me a favor?”

“I am at your command.”

“Good,” he said, stretching out the word. “Cut off all transmissions to the ship. I want nothing coming in, and nothing going out. Now.”

Vanicus shook his head. “Only the Lord Baron is authorized to do that. I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

Jace leaned back in his chair and looked at Vanicus, who stood tall and proud with his arms behind his back. “Well now, that’s why I asked for a favor, not an order.”

“Out of the question. Reno would not allow it.”

“Well, we’ll bring it all back online before Reno comes back. He doesn’t need to know.”

“He can check logs. I couldn’t hide it from him.”

Jace sighed. “Vanicus... I want the comm system shut down, and I want it shut down now. This is the last time I ask.”

Despite the threatening tone in his voice, Vanicus stood his ground. “I’m sorry, sir, I cannot allow that. You may be Reno‘s apprentice, but you do not have a military rank here.”

Jace shook his head, but smiled when he looked back at the computer screen showing docking bay twenty eight. “I’d hoped it wouldn’t have to come to this, Captain. No one is to blame but you.”

“What are you talking--?”

Jace cut him off and pointed to the screen. It showed Ensign Rehsurc, desperately running around the docking bay looking for a box that didn’t exist. Vanicus’s eyes narrowed even more, and Jace could tell he hadn‘t figured out what was up yet.

Jace turned slightly and glanced at the second monitor. He pushed a few buttons and brought up the docking bay controls. Immediately, Vanicus realized what he was doing. Without any hesitation, Jace pushed the button and opened the docking bay to cold vacuum. With nothing to grab onto, Ensign Rehsurc was shot out into space. There, Jace knew he would die a slow and painful death. Vanicus knew, too, and it showed by the expression on his face.

“So sad,” Jace muttered. “I’ve been saying those docking bay doors need fixing for a while now. An accident like this was inevitable. After all, accidents happen, right Captain?”

Vanicus weakly nodded and Jace could see comprehension of the threat take effect.

“I’m glad that we agree on that. Now, back to that whole shutting down the comm thing. I trust that will be taken care of... now, right?”

Again, the aging captain nodded.

“Splendid.” There was a brief, but awkward, silence. “Well, get to it. I haven’t got all day. Oh, and I wouldn’t mention this to anyone else. After I leave, seal off the bridge. Don’t let anyone in, excepting me. And that includes the rest of the Siths. Admit no one.”

“Lord, is there something I should know?”

“No,” Jace cut off quickly. “Now run along and do as I said.”

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“You’re wrong,” Reno said sharply, giving Jen a look so harsh that for an instant she regretted bringing this new information to his attention. But the instant passed, and Jen stood her ground in Reno’s verbal assault. The plain and simple fact of the matter was that they had been lied to, betrayed. Narska Plo’kre was no more a loyal member of Sith Squadron than Thunder was a sober, upstanding member of society. But Reno, in his something short of infinite wisdom, was refusing to see this. He was refusing to believe that the Bothan could have deceived him. Refusing to believe, despite the obvious evidence that suggested otherwise, that he had failed.

“Look, I saw him,” Jen adamantly stated. “I even got a visual ID on his six. That’s not something I would mistake.”

“She’s right, Lead,” Thunder put in from her seat in the co-pilot‘s chair of the shuttle. They weren’t in space, though, at least not yet. Not until they could convince Reno that they’d been betrayed, and that the SSD and the Siths might be in trouble. “I fully trust Jen to recognize Wes Janson’s ass.”

Jen smiled. “Isn’t it something?”

“Roger that,” Thunder replied. “I sure wouldn’t mind covering it.”

“Probably not all you’d mind doing to i-”

“Excuse me!” Reno burst in. “Let’s focus on the matter at hand. Jen, are you absolutely sure that was Wes Janson you saw?”

Jen stared back at Reno, wondering if they had actually gotten past his barriers. Silently, she nodded. Then for a moment no one said anything. Reno just lowered his head and stared at the cold, metal deck of the shuttle. He didn’t blink, didn’t move a muscle in his body. He just sat hunched over, his hands folded in his lap while his eyes fixed on the deck. It felt odd to say that Reno seemed lost in thought, but that’s exactly what it was. It was like he wasn’t even with them anymore, he was somewhere else. Where that was though, Jen didn’t want to know. She knew he had been through hell when he was kidnapped by TOS, subjected to torture and interrogation or worse. What she didn’t know was the lasting effect it would have on him. She knew there would be some, but she couldn’t even guess. Each person responded differently to extreme trauma. Some open up to others and let out their grief, some bottle it up inside until it builds to a rage so intense that it eats at your very heart and soul. Jen would bet all the Whyrens she had that in Reno’s case, it would be the latter.

Jen cast a glance at Thunder and could tell that she was pretty much thinking the same thing. Reno was gone. Dead. Whoever this was sitting before them wasn’t the same person from a year ago, or even a few months ago. That good humored, technologically challenged, badass Sith Lord was dead, replaced by a dark, brooding, and psychologically scarred man who suddenly seemed a lot older than his thirty years suggested.

Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, Reno’s head lifted. “Colonel Thunder,” he said, using her rank. Something she earned, of course, but hearing Reno say it put a lot of formality and distance into the conversation. “Get on the Holo-Net and send a message to the SSD. Tell Vanicus to have Narska Plo’kre detained until we get back.”

Thunder silently obliged, and tapped away at the controls.

“So we’re not going right back?” Jen asked.

“We still have a job to do,” Reno said. “There isn’t any hurry. We’ll pick up our mark, get the bounty and return to the SSD as scheduled.”

“Sir,” Thunder interrupted, “I can’t get through to the SSD.”

“We’re being jammed?”

“Not from the planet. I can send messages, I just can’t get through to the SSD. Either they’re purposely not receiving messages, or they’re being jammed from that end.”

Or the SSD was destroyed. The unsaid statement hung in the air for all to hear.

Again Reno seemed to drift off into that dark little corner in the back of his mind, though he caught himself before he fell too far this time. “Thunder, start the engines. Go as soon as they‘re ready.”
Reno stood up and started to walk to the rear cargo hold. As he walked by Jen he shot her another glance. “You’d better be right about this.”

* * * * * * * * * * * *

It was hunting time.

Jace knew that the only way Narska could pull off his plan was if all variables were removed from the equation. There was no chance for the Bothan to succeed with the rest of the squadron hanging around. Despite being drunk off their asses 90% of the time, they were still Sith, still Force strong, and still paranoid. If one of them caught wind that Narska was up to something, the Bothan would be in custody before he knew what hit him.

That meant eliminating the Siths. He wasn’t going to kill them, though, that would be counterproductive to his plan. He just needed to temporarily subdue them, a task which he thought was going to be extremely simple, save for one or two people. He mentally ran through his task list, and the time it would take for him to complete his mission.

Quickly, he thanked a god he didn’t believe in that Reno, Thunder and Jen had gone off on a mission. Though he knew he could best her in a duel with ease, Jen could still manipulate the Force with far more efficiency than Jace. It would be a toss up whether he could take her or not. Thunder he knew he couldn’t, at least not without cheating just a little bit. Not only was her knowledge of the Force superior to Jace’s, but she was the most skilled swordsman they had. Jace knew he couldn’t best her in a duel. And Reno... not yet. Just not yet. But luckily for him, those were things he didn’t have to worry about.

He knew he wouldn’t have any problems taking out Sky. For all her talk and banter, she was relatively new as far as learning to harness her powers goes. A virtual rookie. Jace would be appalled at himself if it took him longer than thirty seconds to subdue her.

Fox was a kid, albeit a very intelligent kid. Although younger than Sky, he knew a little more about The Force than her. However, he wasn’t exactly the most capable fighter. Jace doubted he would be able to sense the attack until it happened. Twenty seconds, tops.

Ryvo was something of an unknown. He’d only recently joined, and hadn’t exactly had time for intense or deep training. Despite that, though, he was a very resourceful and capable fighter. In a fair, one-on-one unarmed combat match, he was sure Ryvo could best him. However, Jace didn’t plan to make it fair, and sure as hell wouldn’t be unarmed. If it lasted longer than a minute, Jace promised to make himself run several laps around the SSD as punishment.

Star, he hated to say, was going to be a pushover. A fine pilot and an expert at medicine; As far as ground combat went, mediocre would be an overstatement. He still didn’t want to hurt her, though. Though he was forced to ignore them, he had on occasion sensed some feelings towards him coming from her. He wasn’t sure why, since he was generally perceived as a cold and emotionless person. Still, though... perhaps under different circumstances... Jace shoved the thought to the back of his mind. Feelings couldn’t get in the way of the mission. He had a job to do. Fifteen seconds, no more.

Skate, he wasn’t going to underestimate. She was a lot tougher than she looked. Coming from Toprawa, you had to be strong. It was either that, or die. When faced with those choices... despite that, though, Jace knew he could handle her, and easily. She was good, and getting better each day, but she just wasn’t a match for him. If he can catch her off guard, around forty five seconds. If she sensed his attack before hand, double that.

Seven was a goofball, there was no two ways about it. Undisciplined, rambunctious and horny, a typical nineteen year old kid. The kid was good, but his lack of focus seriously hurt him in combat. Jace expected no problems from him. The kid would probably be too focused on Palin’s breasts to sense any danger...

And that brought Jace to the only obstacle he could foresee. Palin. She was going to be trouble. A lot of it. Although often overlooked by the older members of the squad when it came time to pick a mission leader, there was no denying just how dangerous Palin was. The diametric opposite of Seven, really. Focused, determined, disciplined... almost a copy of Jace, though surprisingly he had more of a sense of humor. She was an experienced snubfighter pilot, had a very strong grasp on the Force, and was at a level very near Jace as far as handling a lightsaber went. If anyone was going to stop Jace, he knew it would be her. Knew it could only be her.

It would be pointless trying to figure out how long it would take to subdue her. Whether he got the drop on her or not, she was going to put up one hell of a fight. Jace was confident he would win in the end, but it wasn’t exactly going to be a walk in the park. He had to be flawless. One mistake and Palin’s lightsaber would find it’s way into his chest, effectively ending his carefully planned mission and making all his work for not. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

Although tactically it wasn’t the wisest choice, he decided to eliminate them in the order he gauged their threat level. Star, Fox, Sky, Skate, Ryvo, Seven, Palin. He knew he was rating Seven too high, but he figured since the kid would probably be hanging somewhere near Palin, he would be able to get to her quicker. Although the thought occurred that he might have to fight them two-on-one, he stashed it away. He was reasonably sure he could take out any combination of those seven in two-on-one combat. Reasonably sure.

Adding up the total estimated time, rounding a bit, and giving him time to look for his targets and isolate them, Jace figured he should have everything done in 10-20 minutes. Anything past that and he would have to find a way to punish himself. That could come later, though, if it even did. He had business to attend to. First target: Star.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

DING.

Star was so surprised to hear her door chime go off that she lost her train of thought. She squinted at the door in surprise and wondered who it was. She stretched out with the Force to feel a presence, but all she really felt was coldness, darkness. When she walked over and opened the door, she was even more surprised to find Jace Sidrona standing there.

She let herself entertain notions in her head that she knew weren’t going to come true. Jace wasn’t the emotional type, the romantic type. He wasn’t here for her, he was probably here because he wanted something, or needed something.

Yeah, I’ll give him something he needs, a voice in the back of her mind said. Oh, hush you, her more logical thinking voice replied.

“Jace,” she said, her voice registering the genuine surprise she felt. “What an unexpected pleasure. Come in?”

“Yes, but only for a second,” he said.

Star could’ve squealed in excitement, if she hadn’t worked so hard to keep her emotions in check. Maybe her subtle flirts over the last while had gotten through to him. Maybe he was here to see her. She found the prospect so entertaining that she couldn’t really focus on anything else. But then she sighed as reality hit her with a brick and drove her back down into the slums of reality. She was forgetting who Jace was. Reno’s apprentice, 100% loyal to him. His thoughts were of training and serving his Master, nothing else. He didn’t ever allow himself the simplest of pleasures. Star pitied him for that, wondering just how sad it would be to live life without any real joys.

Jace wasn’t here to see her, she knew that. Star cursed herself for even entertaining that notion. Foolish of her. She had to get her emotions in check here.

“I trust you’re not here to see me,” she bluntly stated. Finally, Star pushed back the last remnants of excitement and joy and started to focus her mind. She found a really good way to focus was to recite or catalogue various diseases and their effects on humans and aliens alike. Probably just the doctor in her, but she found it relaxing.

“Actually,” Jace said as she turned her back and led him into her quarters, “I am.”

That’s when she felt two things.

First off was the impending sense of danger. She was sure it was always there, but she had been so focused on Jace she failed to notice it. Again, she cursed herself. The second thing she felt was the hilt of Jace’s lightsaber crashing into the back of her skull, and sending her into darkness.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

That, Jace decided, was even easier than planned. She hadn’t been focused, that much was obvious. Plus he didn’t have to ignite his saber and risk giving her an injury worse than a concussion. Jace pulled out a pair of binders and quickly secured them on Star’s wrists. He picked up her unconscious form and carried her over to her closet, where he shoved her inside and shut the door.

One down, six to go.

DING.

The chime to Star’s quarters went off, and Jace’s hand immediately dropped to his lightsaber hilt. Just as quickly, though, he released it. Once he reached out, he didn’t feel any danger. What he did feel was innocence, frustration, confusion, and youthful naivety. Fox, from the sound of it. Why would he be coming to Star’s quarters? Jace pushed his suspicion back. No need to get unnecessarily paranoid. Fox wasn’t a problem, and as it happened was next on his list. Jace forwent the overused analogy about two mynocks with one stone and pushed the button to open the door to Star’s quarters.

Fox rushed in at full speed, a short blur of fur brushing past him. The kid was... Jace didn’t really know. He had been an experiment--a failed experiment--the product of genetic testing, courtesy of Binring Biomedical. He was something of a mixture of several species: Bothan, Human, and Ryn, if Jace remembered correctly. Possibly even more than the kid wasn’t aware of. He was unique, if nothing else. Jace seriously doubted there was another Human/Bothan/Ryn combination out there.

“I’ve been going over this stuff you gave me, Star, and some of it just doesn’t work out. I mean, how can....” For the first time he looked up and noticed that Jace was the one who let him in, not Star. “Hey, what are you doing here? Where’s Star?”

“She’s in the bedroom,” Jace calmly said, adding, “resting.”

Despite his youth, the kid caught on quick and grinned slyly. “Really?” he asked, dragging out the word as if doing say gave it some extreme importance.

Jace returned the stupid grin, which was something that he was very unaccustomed to doing. Sure he knew how to grin evilly--and sadistically, and even maniacally--but grinning like an idiot wasn’t something he did. Ever. Any other member of the squadron would’ve picked up on that immediately and been suspicious. Fox was too new to pick that up. “Really,” he replied. “You can go see her, though, she won’t mind.”

Fox nodded and walked towards her bedroom, unaware of just how close on his heels Jace was following. When he got there, Fox looked around. “Hey, she’s not h-”.

Another hilt to the back of the head, and suddenly Jace was ahead of the schedule he had set for himself. He binded the kid’s hands together, and was going to shove him in the closet with Star when he realized he didn’t have enough room. Instead, he rolled the kid underneath Star’s bed where he wouldn’t be found.

Two down, five to go. Sky was next on his list.

Continued...