Duel of Fates: Prison Break - KESSEL

[Estelle Russard]

Fort Desolate - Garrison Plateau, KESSEL


The collar chafed, but Russard did her best to ignore the discomfort as she waited at the Facilitiy's main admissions station. The uniform of the Federation of Intergalictic Corrections Officer's was not a bad fit, even if it was a tad snug. The boys down in Rebel Intel's covert disguises lab insisted it was either this size, or one designed to fit a gamorrean, which simply wouldnt do. Estelle hadn't quite believed them, but had no option to quibble. Maybe they knew something about Prison officials that she didn't. Kessel was fairly isolated, being located on the Outer Rim, and a fresh-faced, fresh-pressed officer like herself would find less interest given to her bogus papers and more on what her plans may be after work if her shirt was closely fitted to her form. Russard was guessing female prison guards were not in high abundance at Fort Desolate, or, at least ones that bathed regularly.

And so, here she stood, smiling awkwardly and feeling much like a sajoi at a Cizerack convention might. The officer on duty handed back the transfer papers with a gnarled hand, his bumpy arthritic knuckles scraping against the wiremesh of the communication window as he slid the forms through the absurdly small slot. Russard took them back and folded them into her shirt pocket.

"All is in order then?" she asked.

"Seems t'be" said the officer, revealing a total of eight teeth behind cracked, full lips. "Yarron 'ere will take y'through." A buzzer sounded and a rotating flashing light lit up the corridor beyond, casting orange shadows along its length. "Keep yer hands off th'walls" he advised as Estelle passed from the freedom of the admissions foyer and into the captivity of the prison's main structure, "you'll get a nasty zap as a reminder if'n you dont"

Yarron, an enormous Trandoshan, moved to step just slightly abrest of her, leading her along a hallway that soon branched off into a labyrnth of conjoining tunnels, which made up the majority of the facility. Many unfortunate souls had passed through the same gate Estelle just had, but very few ever exited Fort Desolate, probably as good a name as any for a place like this. But for one inmate - a Rutian Twi'lek named Avo'wanande (or, as he was known among Imperial circles "Avow") - Russard was here to bring him hope. Or rather, the Alliance was.

Avow had, like most Twi'leks had a natural propensity for learning alien languages. It had been discovered by Rebel Intelligence, that he had spent some time on an Imperial Base on Naalol and that locked inside that lekku brain of his was a decryption code that could be of great benefit to the Alliance. So, a jail-break had been ordered, and Estelle was here to do just that. Bogus uniform, bogus papers, bogus transfer to an alternate facility on Garrison Moon. Pretty routine. Thats what Russard thought. Thats what they all thought.

"So" Yarron asked casually, "What are you doing after work?"

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas Codrey arrived on Kessel stowed aboard a ship meant to take spice from the prison world and deliver it out into the universe. It was no accident that he was here; he had deliberately chosen the vessel after months of jumping about at random. Zenas had finally found a goal for his life after his fight with the human Force-user who captained the Curvy Lady.

"I will find my mother."

The last place he'd ever seen her was on Naalol, when he was a child. It had been a long, arduous process, looking for officers who had been garrisoned at their base. At last, he'd struck gold; a Twi'lek officer called Avow was imprisoned on Kessel. He recalled the man clearly once he'd seen his picture. Zenas had bitten him once when he'd tried to come onto his mother. Surely this stalker would know where she was.

He hid in a maintenance shaft over one of the many hallways, listening intently for activity in the hall. The Togrutan had been ready to make his move when a gruff voice echoed up to him.

"So, what are you doing after work?" Zenas bit back a Togrutan curse and watched a Trandoshan male and Human female pass beneath him.

[Estelle Russard]

Estelle ignored the guard's flirtation and responded instead with a question of her own, "Is it much farther, Im on a tight schedule"

"Scumbag's in D sector, with all the other tweakers" he replied, accepting her silent rebuttle with, for a Trannie, uncharacteristic aplomb.

"Tweakers?" Estelle couldn't hide that this was news to her.

"Glit-biters - Stim addicts" Yarron explained. "We allow a good amount of it to slip through to the inmates - keeps 'em well behaved. Saves bustin' heads so often, though I never minded bustin' heads" he smiled darkly. She bet he didn't. One good club from her enormous guide beside her could well kill a man. Though, that didn't help her much.

If it was just a matter of a skip over a black hole or two to the Garrison Moon, there would be no cause for concern. But Alliance Base, their real destination, was a long, long way from Kessel and a jonesing glitterstim abuser was not a complication she'd prepared for.

"Here we are" Yarron broke into her thoughts, forcing her to push the unwelcome development temporarily from her mind. "You got your shock-stick handy?"

Estelle uncliped the standard-issue electrified baton as Yarron pulled a pair of stun-cuffs from his utility belt, prefering to use his own as he'd been caught once before when the transferring officer's cuffs were defective. That episode hadn't ended so great for the inmate. Then, pressing his massive hand against a panel lock, his huge body filling the frame of the doorway, Yarron unlocked and opened the cell of Prisoner - TZ-NO25468.120, Avo'wanande.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas stayed in the shaft, hanging upside-down to see down the hall. The two guards had stopped at a cell 30 meters away. The Togrutan hauled himself back up to wait.

Avow wasn't on spice at the moment, and withdrawal was showing all over the man's body. He was sweating profusely, face twisted in pain, hands jittering and legs wobbling as he rose to approach the guards.

"H...hey. Hey. You...spice? You got spice, right?" he whimpered. "I gotta..." he stopped, swallowing hard and shutting his eyes. "I'm dyin' here. The others got it, why...what about me?"

Yarron cuffed the Twi'lek with a smooth, effortless motion. "You'll get your fix once we're done. Come on, won't be long now." He shoved Avow into the hall a little rougher than was necessary, and the trio made their way back up the hall. Avow looked up with a pained expression as he moved under Zenas's hiding spot, and the two non-humans locked eyes for the briefest of moments.

"Oh, hi," he mumbled. Yarron shoved him ahead, and Zenas dropped out of the shaft behind the three, drawing and igniting his lightsaber as his boots hit the floor.

"This one is mine," he snarled, stabbing up at the Trandoshan's heart.

[Estelle Russard]

The Togrutan's appearance surprised them all, causing all three to round instantly at the sound of his thudding boots on the corridor floor accompanied by the unmistakeable sound of the igniting blade.

Estelle's eyes widened in shock, and Yarron instinctively lunged toward the intruder. The effort availed nothing, though, as the Trandoshan was quickly run through by the attacker's light saber.

"Run!" Estelle yelled to Avow, who had the same thought himself a second or two earlier and was already bolting down the corridor. Yarron had fallen forward, slumping his considerable bulk onto the Togrutan and for a few life-saving moments, tangled the assailant up under his cumbersom weight.

Russard drew her blaster, and she too ran, catching up with Avow as he entered an adjoining hallway, and pulled him across into yet another corridor, which looked exactly like the last one.

"Keep moving!" she hissed as the Twi'lek prisoner showed signs of slowing, "We cant let that thing catch us" She pulled them yet into another corridor.

"How the frell do we get outta here?" she asked, more of herself and the walls around her, than of Avow, who was sweating by the bucketloads. "Where's an exit?" she repeated, her adrenalin was pumping, her heart pounding, it showed in her voice, and in her eyes. What was that back there? She was still reeling from the sight of the lightsaber and the being weilding it with such malevolence.

"There's the kitchen to the left" Avow suggested, trying to be helpful, "food deliveries are made at a service bay there. Or, if we go the other way its the latrine block...there's a processing tunnel that a few 'great escapes' have been attempted..." Avow shrugged, either one was a long shot. "Some transfer this is" he sniped, barely keeping his composure. Russard shot him a glare. "Just sayin" Avow added, defensively.

They heard a noise echo behind them, and, reminded of the danger, Russard propelled herself and the Twi'lek forward and took the first turn.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas stagged under Yarron's considerable bulk. Zenas cut his blade out of the hulking corpse, disengaging and dropping the blade so he could use both arms to throw the burden off. By the time he'd done it and picked his weapon back up, the two were gone. Naturally, it was her fault. Telling the Twi'lek to run...dirty scut, he'd have her head for it.

Zenas ran to catch up, slowing and turning as he reached the fork where they'd turned off. Now, he was beginning to find the beehive of corridors to be an obstacle, where earlier they had helped him so well to avoid detection. He stifled the urge to scream and took the nearest door to him, snapping his lightsaber back on. Ahead, he heard the sudden noise of scuffling boots.

"Found you!" he roared, breaking into a run, letting the tip of his lightsaber mark the ground behind him.

[Estelle Russard]

"Outta the way! Get out of the WAY!" Estelle shouted as the pair burst through the double doors and into an industrial-size kitchen. The walls were lined with big ovens, and hot-plate nooks on one side, walk-in fridges and freezers along the other. In between were several islands where the prep work was done and dotted in between these were stacker carts loaded with pots and pans, cookware and utensils, as well as drygoods - flour, rice, oil, vegetables etc etc, for easy access of the chow-makers.

Estelle rounded on Avow, "I thought you said the kitchen to the left?"
She had hoped to avoid any further personell, knowing that they would be immediately at risk from their pursuer, Yarrons fate still fresh in her mindseye. The washroom block would likely have been much less populated. But instead, they'd stumbled right into the kitchen and it was a hive of activity.

"I-I got mixed up. Not like I get the run o'the place every day y'know"

"Someone sound the alarm" she shouted, not wasting more time on the Twi'lek. But no one moved - they instead stood blinking at her, surprised at this unusual interruption.

She brandished her blaster, threateningly, "SOUND THE DAMN ALARM!"

The kitchen door burst open behind them, and Russard turned to shoot.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas parried the blasterbolt at the very last second, flinching and sliding to a stop against one of the middle workstations as the errant projectile dissipated into the door of a walk-in freezer.

"Das't it! Let him go, human! That stalker has information I need. Don't think I won't kill you over it."

The kitchen workers were galvanized into panicked action, escaping out the door opposite of the one Zenas had just knocked off it's hinges with his entrance. Some fled into the walk-in freezers and coolers. Avow was with the group that wanted the door. Zenas screamed a threat in Togruti and tore around the cooking stations after him.

[Estelle Russard]

Estelle crowded over to keep a grip on the Twi'lek, firing off blaster bolts to keep the Togrutan at bay. It obviously wasnt a long-term solution and she tried to think quick.

Avow was hammering on the backs of the kitchen workers infront of him, pushing and shoving to make them move faster outside, adding to the panic that had already seized hold of them. Estelle had one hand on him, the other trying to bee-line their aggressor with her blaster, who was coming around from behind one of the island work stations.

Then, she spied the pipe leading off the first oven. Gas. One well placed shot, just as Avow and she spilled through the outer door, and the kitchen exploded into a billowing fireball.

Running from the loading bay dock, prison kitchen staff fleeing in all directions, a claxon belted out above them. Someone, finally, had tripped the alarm.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas handily deflected her blasterfire, though his lack of practice in this area meant more fire was being put into the fleeing civilians than either Avow or Estelle. And Zenas really wanted to bounce one back into her face. He decided to settle for severing her head when she suddenly pointed her blaster away, and saw all too late what her goal was. He quickly kicked over a prep table and ducked behind it, but the meager cover was barely a defense.

Zenas stalked out of the burning kitchen, his skin now a deeper red from burns inflicted by the heat. His loose, flowing half-robe had mostly burned away to reveal loose, grey pants and black combat boots. His eyes scanned through the crowd, and at last he spotted the two he wanted across the way. "Is it my turn to damage you?" he hissed savagely, charging through the crowd as he killed to clear his path.

[Estelle Russard]

The fierceness of the Togrutan's eyes riveted Estelle momentarily in place, her feet planted like rocks on the duracrete. Beside her, she could hear Avow fretting, twisting in his collar like a leaf in the wind as she held him in check with a clenched fist. He was speaking rapid-fire, frantic as to what were they gonna do next? Where's her ship? Why dont the guards shoot?

"He wants you" she screamed at Avow, "WHY?"

"Where's your ship? Where's the ship?" The Twi'lek was worse than useless.

The Togrutan was killing anyone within his reach and Estelle felt sick as she watched on. He moved relentlessly forward, seemingly oblivious to the painful burns he had endured.

Guards ran along the upper frame of the walls, positioning themselves to best advantage. The loading-bay quadrant fence was closing automatically, the hum of the mechanisms blending in with the screams of those who were dying and the racket of the blasting claxon.

The aggressor was yelling threats to her, his seething hate incomprehensible to Russard, who had never encountered anything like it before. Sure, the Albino crimelord, Kimiki Crei had spat venom her way, but this was something else entirely. An unnatural spite, a darkness that she could actually feel physically assulting her.

Avow pulled desparately, almost breaking her grip and Estelle spun on her heels, spurred again to action and they passed through the closing gate to the parking lot beyond. The guards opened fire, targeting the Togrutan below them.

She raced for the prisoner transfer vehicle - PTV - and hoped that the rifle fire she could hear was at least slowing that creature down.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas had finally cleared the way with his brutality, only to find his window of opportunity closing once again. He was getting sick of this chase, and decided to stop playing around. He drew a hissing breath as he began to run, speed boosted by the Force, towards the rapidly closing gate. Zenas heard the distinctive sounds of blasterfire scoring metal behind him as the guards tried hopelessly to track him with their weapons. Their shouted curses and awestruck cries bolstered Zenas's confidence and pride, and the man narrowly slipped through the gate.

He tripped as the door tried to close around his left boot, lightly tossing his lightsaber aside so as not to hurt himself on it. By the time he'd regained his footing he'd lost sight of Estelle again, and in the night it was difficult to see, though the area was mostly clear of obstruction. Several large vehicles were lined up to his right, slightly illuminated by lampposts, but they did little to show him where his quarry had run to.

"I know you're out here!" he bellowed, stalking into the yard as he snatched up his lightsaber. "You can't run! If you take a vehicle I will know it's you! Give me the stalker, human, and you can live." Maybe, he added mentally.

[Estelle Russard]

Avow was dancing in place as Russard was fumbling with the entry code to the PTV. She'd suddenly become all thumbs and the Twi'lek's bobing up and down beside her repeating "hurry, hurry" was NOT helping.

She allowed herself a quick glance over her shoulder and, dismayed, turned back to the task at hand. The Togrutan had escaped the fire from the guards and had gotten through the fence, leaving nothing between him and them but a few hundred feet and an assortment of transport craft.

"Hurrr-eeee"

"I AM hurrying!" she hissed, but the pressure was mounting as Zenas reignited his lightsaber and called to her again in that awful, menacing voice.

At last, success - the PTV door slid open, but moving steadily toward them was Zenas. He hadn't seen them yet, but he surely would at any moment. "Get in and get down low" she told Avow, and slid the door back to almost closed, but not completely.

Moving at a crouch, she then sidled around, weaving between vehicles while keeping the Togrutan in her sight. As expected, their attacker spotted the PTV and was moving quickly towards it, surely having noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Estelle remained on the Togrutan's blindside and positioned just a little behind him, while poor Avow crouched shivering with fright, alone, inside the craft.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas made a predatory smile as he noticed the door ajar on the PTV, moving quickly to take advantage of whatever surprise he could affect on Estelle and Avow. Inside, the Twi'lek was nervously licking his lips and mumbling something like prayers. Outside, Estelle was completely lost to Zenas.

He threw the door open, relishing Avow's effeminate shriek of terror, and put one booted foot up into the vehicle, leaning his elbow on it and lazily pointing his lightsaber at the blue-skinned humanoid's throat.

"I remember that sound. You did that when I bit you back on Naalol. Surely you remember me? I was knee-high, and you were trying to take my world from me." Avow shook his head, staring with wide eyes, blankly trying to recall the monster before him. "Come now!" Zenas said with mock friendliness that was almost more intimidating than all the shouting and growling he'd done that day. "You mean to tell me that with all that Twi'lek brainpower you don't remember? My name is Zenas Cotri, and you stalked my mother, Tala."

Avow shook his head. "I...I don't remember any Zenas or Tala Codrey! You..." He gulped twice and shut his eyes, scuttling backward on hands and feet into the PTV. "You're psycho."

Zenas chuckled low in his throat. "I'll never understand why non-Togrutans can't manage that das't trill..." he muttered.

[Estelle Russard]

Zenas felt a blunt jab in between his shoulder blades and twisted his head around to see the reason. Estelle stood looking at him, her eyes wide, blinking in trepidation and, quite frankly, disbelief that the shock-stick had done nothing but alert the Togrutan to her presence behind him.

For the briefest second, which seemed a lifetime, the world stood still, as the two shared the enormity of Estelle's miscalculatioin - who'd have thought the baton would mis-fire? And then, like a bolt of lightening, the circuits engaged and the shock-stick sent a wave of electric current surging into Zenas' body.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas stood to his full height upon feeling the pressure of the shock-stick on his back, hissing as it irritated his burns, spun to face Estelle. The poor woman looked confused, almost betrayed at the lack of the weapon's effect. He started to smile, unable to restrain the mocking she had coming, when the weapon suddenly discharged, forcefully throwing Zenas into the PTV. He screamed and felt his body crumple as the electricity overrode his control of his muscles. His lightsaber clattered to the floor and shut itself off, rolling to a stop against his knee.

[Estelle Russard]

Avow changed from a quaking, timid victim almost instantly he saw Zenas was out cold and seized the opportunity to launch forward and pound with handcuffed-fists onto the Togrutan's chest.

"Back off!" Estelle yelled and the Twi'lek jumped back with a start.

"You should shoot him now, quick, while he's out" Avow advised. "A laserbolt through the head should do the trick." The Twi'lek indicated with a pointed finger, "Just through the temple there" he suggested, encroaching forward again, eager to have the fiend dispatched.

"I said, back-off" she repeated harshly.

Estelle was uncertain what to do. Zenas was a very real threat. He'd boldly displayed that he was a ruthless and blatant killer. Yet, to kill him while he was unconcious like this went against her grain.

She couldn't take him with them as a prisoner -- he was far too dangerous for that. He was a user of the darkside of the force and she was no match for him, even under the best of circumstances. However, how could she, in all moral conscience, leave him behind to wreak more chaos?

As in all tough decisions, Estelle referred to her training and in this situation, as in all other tough spots, the training came through. The mission must be protected, completed. Her duty was to get Avow back safely. Kessell would have to deal with this problem themselves.

"Give me your hands, Avow"

The Twi'lek obeyed and Estelle removed the stun-cuffs from him in order to bind Zenas. No sooner were Avow's hands free, than he was getting them into mischeif. He picked up the deactivated light-saber, fascinated.

Estelle was trying to get the cuffs on, managing to get the Togrutan's one hand secured, when she realised to her great alarm what her stim-twitching friend was doing.

"Mynock's teeth! Drop that right now, Avow! You'll likely cut us all in half with that thing if you activate it!"

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas stirred slowly awake as Estelle clamped on the other binder, blinking as his view of the PTV interior went from hazy to clear. Adrenaline jerked him into sudden alertness as Avow activated his lightsaber. He spun on his rear, wrenching his wrist as he broke Estelle's grip, and kicked out at Avow with both feet, launching him out of the vehicle and scoring a short trench in it's ceiling with the laser-sword. He coiled his body and with a snapping motion was on his feet, crouching slightly to keep his montrals from scraping the ceiling. Outside, he heard his lightsaber deactivate for the umpteenth time.

"I'll cut off his lekku for that," Zenas vowed, moving for the door.

[Estelle Russard]

Estelle knit her fingers together and brought both hands down in a vertical chop to the base of the Togrutan's neck as hard as she could "oomf".

Avow was scrambling away from them as best he could, and Estelle followed up her hit with an elbow thrown into Zenas' side.

[Zenas Codrey]

One of the things that made Zenas so exceptionally deadly and gifted in combat were his montrals, the hollow horns atop his head that allowed him to sense his surroundings through form of passive echolocation. Often they were a great help to him, but this time, he found them a nuisance.

Shut UP, montrals. Daddy's busy.

He bent to lift Avow by the collar, and Estelle showed him that she was not to be ignored. The vertical blow was heavier than he would've thought she could manage, driving him almost to his knees. Her elbow strike failed to live up to the success of her axehandle smash, as he caught her arm and pulled her forward, trapping it between his ribcage and arm. He stepped on Avow to keep him pinned, and found himself facing a conundrum.

He couldn't reach his lightsaber without giving her an advantage. If he bent to retrieve it, she would easily shove him off balance. Avow, reaching desperately, found the saber quite beyond his grasp. Estelle could get it if she broke his hold, and so he held her fast, gripping her hard with Force-enhanced strength.

"You can't win," he grunted, putting more pressure on Avow as he tried to sit up. "I have you both at my mercy."

[Estelle Russard]

"I have you both at my mercy."

Wrong thing to say.

Estelle had been at the mercy of dangerous men before, (http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?t=15524) and the taunting words Zenas said struck a nerve. A very tender nerve.

"Aaaaaaaaahhh!" It was as close to a rebel yell as Estelle would ever get, and it preceded a solid headbutt into the Togrutan's face. She would not be victimised by evil men ever again, and her sudden fury showed it.

Clearly, Zenas had not expected the hit, as he loosened his hold enough for Russard to yank him from the PTV and haul him bodily out of the vehicle, so that he thudded roughly to the ground.

"Get in Avow, we're outta here!" she shouted as she clambered inside, the Twi'lek clumsily stepping on one of Zenas montrals in his haste to obey her.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas couldn't stop the surprised cry as Estelle steeled herself and threw him to the ground with surprising strength. Could she have the Force!? Any further thought along this line was cut off and the Twi'lek trampled his head, giving Zenas a dull, throbbing feeling all through his montrals and lekku. He sat up to see the prisoner section of the PTV seal up, as Estelle hopped in the driver's seat. He lifted his weapon and stood, holding it in a two-handed grip as he ignited it and drove it into the heavy durasteel plating of the vehicle. The metal resisted, melting slowly, then sparking heavily onto his arms as Estelle drove off in it. He showed his pointed teeth in a determined snarl and ran after them, boosted by the Force.

[Estelle Russard]

Avow had been screaming, high-pitched and deafening, so much so that Russard thought he'd been skewered by the lightsaber. A panicked twist of her head to check behind assured her the Twi'lek was very much in one peice, just frightened out of his mind. He'd pressed himself as far back into a corner of the transport and was actually on his toes, flattened against the frame, his eyes as big as saucers.

Estelle picked up speed and the glowing saber was forced to be withdrawn. Facing the front again, the young rebel looked into the rearview and saw Zenas charging after them. A leap, then a THUD on the vehicle's roof. Both occupants looked up, it could only mean one thing.

"Find something to hold onto Avow, we're going over!"

Russard accellerated and then pulled hard to the left...way too hard to keep the PTV level. The bottom lifted alarmingly and within seconds, the transport was flipping over into a chaotic roll.

Avow started screaming again.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas strode powerfully, long legs clearing the distance twice as fast as the PTV could go. He drew alongside, flashing his slasher-smile at Estelle before leaping to the roof. He stabbed down with the saber, feeling the metal resist again, watching it slowly melt away. Inside, he imagined the occupants could feel the heat of the metal, grinning as it warned them of his inevitable entrance to the vehicle, when the whole ruttin' thing flipped over.

Zenas was hurled from the roof to the durracrete, landing painfully on his feet. The vehicle continued to roll as repulsorlifts fought to right it, and those same lifts blew the Togrutan away, sending him skidding on his feet across the ground. At last the vehicle righted itself and continued on, and the implacable darksider moved to follow.

[Estelle Russard]

Pulling out of a side-ways, upside-down airborne skid is much easier said than done. Not, that it's really very easy to say in the first place.

The momentum hurled the craft along at alarming speed and it was only the barreness of the planet's landscape that spared the vehicle an abrupt collision into eternal oblivion.

Estelle had given up calling out to Avow to gain some sense that the Twi'lek was still alive, or even aboard for that matter. The massive gash in the roof of the PTV was ample space for her charge to be catapulted out of. At least the Togrutan had parted ways from them, a welcome reprieve.

Russard punched the controls and did her best to turn into the spin, and a hard right managed to only brush them against a rocky pinacle, one of the few peppering the landscape and which effectively bounced them onto an easterly trajectory.

Time and Estelle's determination to keep the craft under control saw the PTV eventually plane out to level again and eventually deccellerate. Settling into a somewhat smooth ride once more, Estelle stole a glance into the rear of the vehicle. Avow was still there, his arm jammed through the frame of one of the seats where he was content to remain.

"We will head for Kessendra (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kessendra)" she announced to her companion. "There's no way we'd make the Garrison Moon, or any place else off-planet in this vehicle."

"Kessendra's a ghost town" Avow lamented, "We aint gonna find much there"

"We'll find better air" she encouraged, though she feigned more confidence than she felt. Kessel had a very thin atmosphere and the mines and prisons paid factories to generate breathable air. The further from Fort Desolate they got, the worse the air would become until they hit another center. Kessendra was abandoned. Russard was rolling the dice in hopes that it was not completely void of life and therefore had some running factories. She had no choice really. To leave the planet required a space-worthy ship. Behind them was that maniacal force user, ahead was Kessendra and hopefully, a viable transport. Avow's condition was worsening, even one not familiar with the ravages of stim abuse could see it.

"Dont worry Avow" she said, forcing a smile, "the worst is over now"

Her smile faded, and in the rearview mirror, Avow read the worry clearly readable in her reflection.

[Zenas Codrey]

He was beginning to have a hard time.

While the air surrounding Fort Desolate was more than enough to power his Force-born abilities, the farther they got from it, the more he was struggling. He could breathe, but he'd never keep up with Estelle. She'd get away for sure, and that simply wasn't acceptable.

He heard a familiar noise; overhead, two TIE fighters were flying out from Fort Desolate. They flew low and slow, clearly looking for the PTV. Somehow, they missed him. He coiled his legs and jumped, soaring up to land near one of the solar-paneled wings. He balanced carefully on the wing pylon and tried to catch his breath. Inside, the pilot commed his wingman.

"You catching any turbulence?" His wingman answered in the negative, so he shrugged it off and switched a general frequency the PTV pilot was likely to pick up. "Attention damaged PTV, this is Sever 11 and 12 of Sever Squadron. Base apologizes for it's slow response to the problem you're having with...what is it? A super-powered intruder? Is that correct?" He shook his head and made an incredulous noise. "Anyway, we're here to help. What's your plan, PTV?"

[Estelle Russard]

"Appreciate you guys showing up" Estelle replied, a smile in her voice. The TIE officers were occupied with the intruder and Russard was eager to keep it that way, however, they might be useful to smooth her exit from the planet.

"My transport has suffered too much damage to continue my original flight plan. I am heading to Kessendra to an old fleet yard held by our security company in order to exchange vehicles" she explained. "Id appreciate it if you could gain clearance for my new course departing from Kessendra - that psycho back there has set me seriously behind schedule. Im already gonna catch heck for the shape this truck's in"

"We're on it PTV" Sever 11 responded crisply.

"You guys are great" she replied with enthusiasm, pushing from her mind that she had danger now from her left and right with the TIE fighters, as well as from the Sith somewhere behind them.

[Zenas Codrey]

Sever 11 opened a channel to base and relayed the request. Moments later he had an answer, but his wingmate chimed in, eager for a chance to talk to the PTV driver and be helpful, too.

"You're good to go, PTV. Base wishes you luck. We'll escort you to Kessendra; unless your bogey can fly and survive exiting the atmosphere, you'll be safe in the air."

On Sever 11's wing, Zenas had stood to his full height, braced against the wing, breathing steadily once again. He had his plan; he only needed a bit more patience. The TIEs paced the PTV to an abandoned shipyard and began to circle it as Estelle and Avow got out. Unfortunately, Sever 12 finally got a three-quarters view of his wingman, shouting in surprise at the sight over an open frequency.

"Oh my God, he's on your fighter!"

Sever 11 snap-rolled, forcing Zenas to leap off at an angle that took him away from his targets. He pulled on the Force, using his pyrokinetic rocket technique that he'd recently invented to slow his fall and direct him toward Estelle.

[Estelle Russard]

With difficulty Estelle navigated Avow towards the open air 'shed' that housed what remained of the abandoned security fleet. The Twi'lek's progress was haphazard and quite trying as for every step forward, Estelle's charge would semi-trip two or three to the side, necessitating the rebel agent to act as rudder and attempt to steer him aright.

Out of the eight transports housed within the hangar, none of them looked too promising. Locals had graffitied colourful designs (which had decidedly more colourful meanings, if Estelle's interpretations were correct) all over their frames and many of the windows were smashed in with what appeared to be randomised vandalism.

Above them, Sever 11 and 12 opened fire on the descending form of the Sith attacker as he resumed his pursuit against them.

Pulling more than leading, Avow towards the vehicles, Estelle became aware of a new problem. Not all the ships had suffered abuse and the reason for it was snarling and salivating its way from out of the shadowed interior in a definte predatorial stalk. A Razorwolf - a jacked-up, genetically manipulated junk yard guard dog, stronger and meaner than any of his viscious canine cousins with an intelligence that was almost empathic - raised his hackles and shivering his coarse fur in coiled expectation of aggression, prowelled forward.

He knew Estelle and the Twi'lek were heading into his territory. And he was eager for them to come.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas stopped his "rockets" and dropped like a stone, avoiding the superheated lasers from the TIEs. The heat from their passing aggravated his burns so terribly that he hesitated using his pyrokinesis, landing painfully atop a ruined craft. He stood carefully, favoring his right leg, and as gently as he could jumped down to give himself some cover from the TIEs.

Before him and to his left, his targets were wobbling towards the least battered PTV in the yard. Before him and to his right, a predatory, monstrous dog had picked them out as intruders. It spotted him, snuffling the air and trying to determine if Zenas was a threat. Zenas didn't move, and showed no fear of the dog. It turned back to Avow, it's tongue dangling a long line of spittle that dragged the ground.

[Estelle Russard]

Contrary to what seemed like common sense to the Twi'lek, Estelle did not slow down their pace. Instead, she seemed to spur them even quicker forward. She had her sights on the PTV and nothing was getting in her way.

She had the shock-stick in hand again, and her eyes flicked from the Razorwolf who was growling low in his throat at them to the Togrutan who's eyes gleamed darkly at their approach. Having learned from her previous mistake, Estelle made sure the baton crackled with power, ready for use, as she led Avow forward to the transport. Whoever came at her first would feel the full delivery of the weapons charge.

Buzzing in repeated passes were the two TIEs, searching for the Sith, eager to gain their target once more.

[Zenas Codrey]

The razorwolf and Zenas both decided that Avow was the weakest link. For Zenas, that meant a momentary truce with Estelle. For the razorwolf, that meant a sudden, giant leap that swung both paws down on the Twi'lek's head.

Zenas burst from cover, ankle screaming in protest at the sudden, harsh activity, drawing his lightsaber and bearing down on the ensuing melee. The TIE pilots snapped around to him, but didn't fire; they risked hitting the target PTV or their own people. One began to set down, perching the TIE precariously on it's hexagon wings. He activated his lightsaber and kicked the monstrous dog.

[Estelle Russard]

As Zenas kicked the Razorwolf, Estelle drove the shock-stick hard against the beast's hide while Avow did his best not to get his head torn off.

Grasping jaws snapped repeatedly as the wolf swung its head from the Twi'lek and around in the rebel's direction in response to her attack. The animal's powerful frame absorbed the baton's current and Estelle was astounded that it still remained upright and determined to tear them to peices.

Giving up on the shock-stick, she let it fall and, taking a pace or two back, pulled her blaster once again and shot a bolt into the razorwolf's head. A breif second passed and the beast blinked at her as if his thoughts were momentarily confused, and then he dropped his 300 lb bulk dead atop the desperately scrambling Avow.

As a curl of smoke and the smell of burnt flesh wafted up to abuse Estelle's senses, she found herself in a standoff with the Sith, his lightsaber poised ready and the carcass-draped Twi'lek between them.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas regretted kicking the beast; it was like putting his foot into a durasteel wall, and his injured ankle didn't take well to the fresh stress. He flicked the blade of his lightsaber through it's back, severing the spinal column so that when Estelle dealt the killing blow, it's hind end fell against Avow before it's front. Now he stood with the tip of it directed at Estelle. The spice-addicted Twi'lek whimpered in his futile struggle to get out from under the dead Razorwolf, and Zenas ignored him for the moment.

"Don't come any closer," he said, as much to Estelle as to the Sever 12, who had finally emerged from his TIE. "If you shoot me, I will turn your fire against you and kill this man. You know I can, human, you saw me do it in the kitchens."

[Estelle Russard]

"You're not taking him"

Estelle held her ground, the blaster trained steady on Zenas now while forcing herself to not look at the lightsaber poised so close to her.

Avow's fingers crept on the ground toward the discarded shock-stick, the Twi'lek praying the Sith would not notice.

[Zenas Codrey]

"I can do as I please."

Zenas bent and lifted the carcass with one hand, throwing the heavy thing onto Sever 12 like it were a child's toy. Avow made his move, snatching the stick and bringing it up towards Zenas, who stepped back smoothly and hacked off the man's hand at the wrist.

[Estelle Russard]

Avow's screams were fever pitched and jarred through Estelle's very core.
She stood rooted where she was, shocked beyond belief at the Sith's unconscionable disregard for another being and the sheer speed with which he had acted.

"My god.." was all she could manage, sickened by the Togrutan's brutality and her own helplessness to stop it.

And still Avow screamed on.

[Zenas Codrey]

"I will hack him into pieces!" Zenas shouted to make himself heard over Avow, and his eyes and smile showed Estelle that he would even enjoy making good on his threat. "I can always find other sources for my information! Can you stand to lose him?"

Avow gritted his teeth, bringing his screaming down to a whimper. He cradled the stump of his wrist in his armpit, squinting pleadingly, fearfully at Estelle through tears in his eyes. He felt the heat of the lightsaber as Zenas held the tip mere centimeters from the man's lekku.

[Estelle Russard]

"Dont!" Estelle shouted, tipping her blaster to point skyward and holding her hands in the yeild position. "Please, just dont" she was pleading to Zenas, she knew, but there was nothing else at this point she could do. She couldnt stand by and watch the Sith dismantle poor Avow peice by peice in front of her. The Togrutan's smile broadened with satisfaction as the power tilted even further in his favor.

"Perhaps..." Estelle tried to think quickly, "...perhaps we can strike a deal? Something better than slicing up the Twi'lek for kicks...? I know people" she promised, sounding disturbingly like Kazaar's creepy little friend Cyrus. And she didn't think she could feel much lower than she already did.

"You might want to play things a little smarter" she added, leadingly.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas sneered. "Heh. A deal. Okay, I've got one for you." He hauled Avow to his feet, holding the lightsaber under the Twi'lek's chin. "We'll get in that vehicle, and you will fly it away from this planet. I will interrogate our mutual friend, and if he's alive when I'm done, and you land me safely on another planet, you can have him and your pathetic life."

[Estelle Russard]

It wasn't much of a deal, at least from Avow's perspective, but Estelle saw there was little choice. Her presence could just be the difference between life and death for the poor Twi'lek. Plus, if Zenas held to his word, Estelle would still get to bring Avow back to Rebel Base. Her target would be delivered, her mission accomplished. It was a bloody cold way to look at it.

"Deal" she said, deliberately avoiding Avow's frightened eyes. "However, you will not kill the prisoner or render him so damaged as to be useless, or there will be no such thing as a 'safe landing' for you. Though you see only me before you, I am not alone."

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas spat contemptuously.

"As if any allies of yours could stop me." He jerked his head towards the target vehicle. "Get us going, human. We haven't got all day." He pushed the sobbing Twi'lek before him, throwing him on the ground in the passenger area of the vessel while Estelle moved up to the cockpit.

"Now," he said as he felt the repulsors kick the vehicle up towards the atmosphere. "Let's talk about my mother, Tala. A head shorter than me, red spots above her eyes within the white patches, eyes that are--were--a match for mine..."

Avow shook his head, his eyes locked on Zenas's. The Togruta's eyes were a window into his inner self, pulsing and swirling with the poisonous orange color of the dark side. "I...I don't know! I DON'T!" His screams rang through ship as Zenas burned him.

[Estelle Russard]

Estelle steeled herself against Avow's screams as she navigated the craft spaceward. She didn't think the Twi'lek would be up for too much torture before he fainted, giving him some small reprieve.

She felt real hatred for Zenas rise up within her own emotions and it was a startling thing to hear the Sith chuckle lowly to himself. Her instincts told her that somehow, she was the reason for his mirth.

[Zenas Codrey]

The torture went for an hour. Zenas screamed threats and questions, Avow begged for mercy and insisted he knew nothing. He called out to Estelle for help several times, and each time Zenas cut him off mid-sentence with an attack on her character.

"She cannot help you! That human woman would as soon see you die than live. They only care about using people and causing betrayal!" he hissed as he ended his interrogation, finally content that Avow did indeed recall nothing of Tala. "When she's done, you will wish I'd killed you here, that I promise."

[Estelle Russard]

Russard had looked back to the Twi'lek many times during the course of the journey, each time more dismayed than the last at her inability to stop the Sith's brutality. It was with great relieve when atlast she realised that the rear compartment had become quiet for some time, Avow whimpering only occasionally to let her know he still lived.

Apparently satisfied that he could get no further information from Avow, Zenas sat in bemused silence, his thoughtful eyes remaining settled on the object of his questioning - a smouldering air of disdain reeking from his every pore.

"Where shall I set you down?" Estelle asked, forcing her voice to remain neutral and nonconfrontational. She had atleast bought the Twi'lek's life, the wounds inflicted upon him would heal. Eventually, maybe too, the terror would subside. She could only hope for Avow's sake that would be so. Russard took small comfort in that hope.

"The sooner we part company, the better all around, I think" she added levelly.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas sneered as Estelle asked the question, coming forward to the cockpit to see what was going on. The planet they were approaching was mostly green, and Zenas could see on the scanners a number of large cities.

"Set down on the outskirts of any city you choose," he commanded, not caring in particular what happened now that his plan had fallen through. The vehicle set down safely and Zenas stepped out into the fresh air and fading sunset. He'd have looked almost noble, standing straight-backed with his eyes focused on the horizon, if it weren't for the contempt hanging palpably in the air around him.

Avow and Estelle came out after, the latter helping the former to step onto the grass and breathe the scent of the grass under their feet. Avow took deep, gasping breaths, grateful to be away from the stench of his own sweat, vomit, and blood. He collapsed to his knees as Zenas began to walk away, feeling a swell of hope now that the villainous Togrutan was leaving his life. He laughed once, a loud, barking sound that was a pure expression of relief and nothing more.

Zenas rounded on the man, his intolerance having finally hit the ceiling with this perceived act of defiance. His eyes flared wide, a death glare that would wither anybody, and Avow began to clutch at his neck and collar. "Think it's funny that you've kept me from my goals, have you? Think you're free from me, do you!?" Zenas bore down on Avow, flame creeping along the grass in his wake. "It's too bad then that you won't get to enjoy that freedom!" Avow's arms fell to his side and he ollapsed, dead of asphyxiation and the stress of his torture.

[Estelle Russard]

Estelle couldn't believe it. It was impossible to comprehend that what had atlast seemed a reprive from this terrible ordeal had been overturned in a heartbeat and into an irrevocable loss. The smothering helpless feeling was like a wall of water breaching a dyke and swirling over her to drown her whole. She found it hard to breathe.

Avow had gripped her hand, stricken and terrified at what was happening to him and then had just...let go. Cradling the lifeless Twi'lek against her chest, she could not help the tortured, frustrated tears from falling.

"You gave your word!" she screamed to Codrey. "He couldn't tell you anything more, you'd won. Why did you have to do that?" Her voice trailed off in bitterness.

Russard pulled out her blaster, intending to keep shooting at the Togrutan until one of them was dead. But she never got the chance. Zenas pulled the weapon from her with no more effort than he'd take to swat at a fly, and flung it so far as to be lost to sight. Zenas stood over her and Estelle turned sorrowful eyes down once more to Avow. Her head bent, shoulders slumped in defeat and an infinite sadness in her voice, she said reprovingly, "You gave your word..."

[Zenas Codrey]

The wiry Togruta hauled Estelle up by her collar, letting her go briefly before catching her again under the chin, holding her in the air by the neck.

"I'm going to teach you a life lesson," he snarled, smashing her against the hull of the ship. "One's word is easily broken. A simple promise is meaningless, do you hear me? Meaningless until acted upon. Promises are fragile. People break their word, or are forced to break their word, or more often, manipulated into breaking their word." If the pain and anger in his tone were venom, both of them would have dropped dead instantly from the poison.

"Do not ever, ever trust anyone's word. Not your friends, because they won't love you enough to keep it. Not your lovers, because they're only using you. Not your mentors, they're leading you astray. Do not even trust your ruttin' mother. She'll be weak-willed, manipulated into betraying you by your enemies." Zenas let her go and raised his voice to be heard over her choking, gasping breaths. "Learn this one well, and if you survive to have another encounter with me, I'll give you a chance to have your vengeance. Now go and tell your masters, your co-conspirators, that if they resist me as you and this Twi'lek have, I will kill them without mercy." And he was gone, carried away with speed like the wind.

[Estelle Russard]

Epilogue

SpecOps Report, Case # 00-198.693BclassificationC: Retrieval Mission: Inmate Fort Desolate,Garrison Plateau, Kessell - Rutian Twi'lek "Avo'wanande"

Purpose of Retrival: Classified.
Date of Operation: Classified.
Operative: Ophelia (solo).
Outcome: Failed.
Remarks: Subject "Avow" lost/deceased. Third party - Zenas Codrey subject of interest, dark force user. Writer convinced-Sith.
Pending Action: None.
File Status: Closed.


Estelle hit the file button and watched her report transmit and the screen fold into blackness. The clinical coldness of those few lines could not possibly convey the emotion with which her communique was sent. As was the design of such reports. They wanted facts, not feelings. Clinical, cold and indisputable facts.

Avow was dead, murdered.
Estelle had failed her mission, but more devastatingly, she had failed the Twi'lek and it had cost him his life.
She had failed to defeat Codrey, a Sith - a being she almost did not really believe could exist. Boy, he'd ripped that delusion from her in short, violent order.
She tried not to think of it. Of him. His snarling, hateful face pushed close to hers, spitting his invective all over her, the darkness that consumed him engulfing her in an almost physical, suffocating embrace.

Mission - Failed.
Lesson - Learned. A deal with the devil will never be kept. It was a high price to pay for something she should have already known.