Darkest Hour [Satkia, Open to Jedi]

[Masiri]

The darkness had become a friend to Masiri and her twin sister who's head now lay on the stronger of the two's right thigh. Their bodies beaten and bloodied, the pair had endured seeing their parents murdered before their eyes and then becoming toys to the dozen murderers having kidnapped them and flown the two fledgling Force users to some unknown location. Heat became a constant companion in this small room, devoid of any furniture or fresher, only a single door and a stone floor for a bed. Though they remained close to one another, Masiri guessed that they had been enduring this hell now for at least two months straight. Her nose having become blind to their dark closet, the reek would have been nearly unbearable to anyone else. Her one hope was that somehow, some way the Force would guide someone to them and rescue the twins.

Her right hand thoughtlessly caressed Lurianne's right shoulder and arm, thinking on the life they had before this nightmare began. Growing up running in the forest and exploring life in it's natural state as their parents taught them about the Force and it's beauty and purity allowed the two to see the galaxy with rose colored glasses. A fantasy that endured for many years until they grew up and began to see their home of Jyvestikk for what it truly was. Questions always gained a pragmatic, but hopeful answer from one of the two parents who believed there was good in everyone, you just had to sit back and put yourself in their shoes. Unfortunately, Masiri now was trying her best not to wish all of these men a gruesome and very slow death, especially for what her sister had endured. The one that was now giving up on life itself, the very thought breaking through Masiri's tough exterior as she couldn't imagine life without her best friend.

There had to be another way.

Tears burning her eyes, she glanced down to the dim silhouette, her head lying quietly on her lap as Lurianne's hands gripped to her leg as if afraid to let go, even in her slumber. Leaning over, Masiri laid her own head upon her twin's shoulder and closed her eyes. "It's going to be alright, you'll see," she forced out, wanting to believe it too.

Sniffing, her twin was awake after all. "Wish they'd kill me now."

A statement that broke Masiri's heart as she began to sob. "No. You live," chin quivering, Masiri turned her gaze to the twin that she couldn't see, but felt as her heart hurt now even more than her body did. "You can't give up."

Lurianne now sobbing as well, "I... can't."

Now almost to the point of being angry, Masiri grew desperate. "Go to that place that dad told us about. Peace. Hope. It's there, just like it's always been," she sniffed, tears streaming down her dirty and bruised cheeks. "The pond in the woods. Remember the bird's singing in the forest?"

The door burst open, shocking both as they jumped, looking up to the pair of males now rushing in, bright light now nearly blinding the two girls as Lurianne sat up, scurrying backwards to the wall to try and escape. "Come on," the lieutenant yelled, grabbing her sister's arm as Masiri tried to hold on to her twin. Yanking the brunette up by the arm, his cold, green eyes glared at Masiri as his companion, the main antagonist when they came as a group, grabbed her as well, dragging her to her feet.

Both girls now more defiant than ever, the lieutenant shoved Lurianne out through the door, then turned and punched Masiri in the face as the girl desperately tried to stay close to her sister. Brilliant flash was soon followed by darkness as Msairi went limp, falling into the arms of the criminal who threw the seventeen year old over his shoulder, laughing.

[Satkia Beltrak]

Tatooine always looked the same: hot, desertic, dry, annoying. Satkia hadn't planned to come back there any time soon, but she had received a message from one of her late master's friends, another survivor from the purge, who lived deep in the dune sea. The elderly man felt his days come closer to an end and he wished to see her and Cordelia again. So Satkia and her heart sister had made sure to head there to pay him one last visit before he returned to the Force.

The Nar Shaddaan born redhead was used to hives of criminality, and she had no problem looking like a pirate herself, with her brown spacer outfit under her beige cloak, looking like so many other visitors and locals on the remote planet. She and Cordelia had got a rental speeder to make her journey to the dune sea easier, so Amaranth could be refueled in Mos Etir in the meantime.

It didn't take them more than two hours to get to their destination. They found Joros Akar in his humble home. While some survivors of the purge had kept traveling and tried to stick together, even maybe coming to the new enclave on Ossus, Joros had chosen to stay on his own. He was already aging when it had happened and it was a miracle he was still alive for a human. He had prefered keeping to himself but was always a welcoming host.

He served them some tea as they talked to him about their latest visit to Felucia as well as the enclave on Ossus, for he wanted to know about how both women had been doing, as well as whether they might have run into old acquaintances of his, which they hadn't.

"What is it?" Satkia inquired as she suddenly saw Joros freeze on the spot. "Are you all right?"

The elderly Master's shoulders slumped and he sighed. "I have felt a tremor in the Force, so much pain, sadness, violence in the past couple of months. I am too old to travel and save for your visits, I only see the little jawas who provide me with some food. There is a new hide of criminals, I don't know where in the dune seas, but they have Force sensitive prisoners. I think they are young women. Hard to tell, but I have seen them in my nightmares. It was also why I contacted you, not only because I will soon returned to my friends. Will you indulge an old man, my children, and investigate this for me? I am worried for these two."

The redhead remembered the brief tremor she had sensed on her way to his place, and while she hadn't spoken about it with Cordelia, she was fairly certain her pupil had sensed it too. And neither of them were likely to turn their back on people who could use their help.

"You don't need to ask. Please show us what you have seen," she said, resting one of her hands over the other Master's, knowing that physical connection would help, especially with how easily tired he could be now.

[Masiri]

Unceremoniously tossing the girl into the open shower, Masiri's head hitting the dirty, tile wall on the far side as she settled into a heap, Rory turned to his companions as he opened the door to the refrigeration unit and grabbed a lum. "These two smell like bantha shit," the large, dark haired thug shook his head as he walked toward the counter, some cleaning weapons while others sat at a long workbench, mixing ryll and other chemicals for their stash as well as what was sold in Mos Etir.

"Leave them in that box like that, whaddya expect," a younger, blonde male in leather vest open down to his belt, seated at a small table with the barrel of his rifle in one hand, the cleaning rod in the other. "Like their company though," he smiled, yellowed, broken teeth gleaming in the muted sunlight pouring through the nearby doorway.

"Should have her clean herself before the next round," Rory stated, his large, muscled frame vainly covered in a close fitting, grey shirt and black pants, as he sat on the edge of the counter that lined the far wall, bottle of lum in his hand. "She don't need clothes anyway, probably should just burn those."

"What's Mory going to do with the other one," one of the alchemists turned from atop his stool, the spectacled, older man had been one of the few that hadn't indulged with the twins.

Rory chuckled, "Probably wanted to keep her for himself. At least until he sells her," he took a sip of his lum. "He and Magnus are headed to Nar Shaddaa in a bit, so hurry up with that batch," he motioned to the assembly line on the workbench. "Magnus ain't gonna wait too long."

Nodding, Paulus agreed and turned back to his work.

As they spoke, Masiri remained still and did her best to push out the headache that she now had to go along with everything else, though tears still streamed at the thought that her sister was going to be taken far away and she had no way of getting to her. Even if she could, there was nowhere to run and neither could fly anyway. Resolved to her fate, she kept her eyes closed. Papa, Mama, watch over Lurianne for me until I can get to her and we can be free again.

[Cordelia Morgance]

Cordelia would not go so far as to say she hated any place they had traveled, but..she really did not appreciate Tatooine. At all. It was so hot. So unforgivably dry. The amphibious Jedi much preferred their visits to water worlds, but she also understood the gravity of the situation. This would be their last visit with Joros Akar, in life anyway. Only the Force knew if they would encounter his spirit again. It made the uncomfortable surroundings easier to bear. She sipped her tea, grateful for the moisture in this land starved for it..

She exchanged a look with her master, able to say much without uttering a single word. Such was their connection to each other. The Dune Sea was a vast place. It was no small task that their friend asked of them, but it was also one they could not refuse. That was for her master to determine though. As the student, she kept her silence, but nodded quiet agreement. She had felt the negative stain spreading outward as they had approached.

Something awful was happening if it had given Joros nightmares that woke his otherwise disciplined mind.

While her master remained behind for a few more minutes with Master Akar, imprinting his awareness of the girls onto Satkia's thoughts, Cordelia jumped into the speeder. In the back seat they had blankets and extra bottles of water. Best to be prepared when you went into the wilds of Tatooine in search of Jedi that did not exist. They might need the supplies yet, if they had two injured young women to transport..

"Ready, master.", she called out. There was no time to waste.

[Satkia Beltrak]

Master Akar's fragmented memories of his nightmares were confusing to Satkia as he shared them. She frowned, her eyes closed, as she tried to make sense of them. There was fear and violence permeating everything. It was hard to decipher anything useful but she did her best. She heard screams that she knew belonged to a woman, but her age or background was impossible to tell. She fell foul breath for weird reasons and heard male laughters that reeked of evil. Pursing her lips, she kept going as the older Jedi held onto her for a longer moment.

Then she saw it.

She recognized the area, although it didn't give her a special location.

"Master Akar, I know where to go," she said as they both returned to the present moment. The other Master's expression brightened so slightly. He looked exhausted by the effort he had just given.

"I will go there at once with Cordelia. Please get some rest. We will return as soon as we can. Hang in there." She placed a reverent peck on top of the elderly man's head and put her cloak back on, heading outside to the speeder.

As expected, Cordi was already there, ready to leave. She knew that the dry planet was no good place for her pupil but she appreciated she had come with her on this difficult journey.

"Their lair, whoever they are, is close to the Kray Dragon Graveyard. It's about an hour drive, less if I push the engines."

[Cordelia Morgance]

In the passenger seat, Cordelia turned and arched a golden brow at Satkia. "There is another way you drive, master?"

Smirking, the blonde buckled and double checked her seat restraints. She knew exactly how her master drove when time was of the essence.

Cordelia turned her attention to the task ahead, rescuing two girls, potentially force users themselves, from the hands of the wicked.

[Satkia Beltrak]

"Let me think," Satkia replied with a smirk as she brought the engines to life and the speeder zoomed into the dune sea. "No, there isn't."

While it might have sounded as a joke, it wasn't for she indeed drove or flew like the craziest pilot under the thousand suns of the galaxy. It was one of the earliest ways her Force gift had manifested itself and she had honed it over the years.

"I could barely feel the two girls. We'll have a bunch of opponents against us, but actual details about layout, weaponry or even what the prisoners looked like didn't appear. It's a miracle Master Akar could find out about them." The elderly man had an uncanny affinity for his surrounding and was a strong empath, which was likely why he had sensed their distress.

[Masiri]

Packing up the remaining, tightly wrapped drugs, the large crew carried their money maker to the awaiting freighter whose engines now hummed lightly. Three already aboard with Lurianne, Rory glared at those sweating in the heat of the afternoon, "Move it! Let's go!" Helping occasionally, the lieutenant also knew he would be remaining behind to continue harvesting in the caves below their small outpost, tucked into the side of a canyon wall which allowed them some respite from the heat of the afternoon and evening. Moisture vaporators worked overtime as they did across the unforgiving world, tended to by several droids of various types.

Soon, they were finished and backed as the freighter lifted off, spreading a cloud of dust and biting sand across the compound until the ship banked to port and headed west toward their first stop before leaving Tatooine altogether. Slapping Mario on the back, "Need to get that perimeter sensor up before it gets dark. Any more Tusken raids and I'm going to feed you to the vornskr, hear me?"

"Yeah," the technician and mercenary nodded. "Almost done."

"Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining. I know you."

Mario grinned, shaking his head as they parted ways, the lieutenant now heading into the main building along with the other twelve men and aliens.

[Cordelia Morgance]

"Perfect." Cordelia muttered.

A little more to go on would have been nice, but it was fortunate that Master Akar had known as much as he had. It certainly given Satkia a direction. The rest they would deal with together. They could wait until they were a bit closer to hash out the details. The priority was the girls.

They had been traveling in silence for some time when Cordelia felt her gaze drawn upward. In the distance she could make out several shapes moving slowly across the sands. "Master." She pointed out what she had seen. "Bantha."

She did not need to elaborate on the meaning. Satkia knew as well as she did, where there were Bantha, there were Tuskens not far away. They might encounter more than one challenge on their way to the rescue..

[Satkia Beltrak]

Satkia was trying to make the best she could from what Master Ankar had said, as well as letting her perceptions blend with the web of the desert and few life forms present in the area. She was careful to remain open to everything that could give them more information about where they were heading and who they were up against.

When Cordelia pointed out that there were Bantha, she pursed her lips. "I don't believe these are the people we are looking for but I'm not sure we can afford much of a detour."

She would speed up as much as she could at the edge of what looked like Tusken territory, but there was a chance they came for the two women. They had the speed advantage. If it wasn't enough, they would stand their ground.

[Masiri]

The slam of metal on metal shocked Masiri awake as brown eyes focused on the quartet of aliens now entering the lab. Sandy floor mixed with the metal grate that had been laid down and seemed typical for the desert world, she still had no idea what planet she was on as the Nikto glanced to her, sneering. Sitting up, she drew in her knees and watched each one tentatively as the other three, a Weequay and two Gamorreans headed toward the kitchenette.

"Think about running," the Nikto's dark orbs glared at her. "And I'll feed you to them," he motioned to the pair of green, porcine aliens. "They like human flesh."

Eyes shooting to the green skinned, lightly armored aliens, she wasn't sure if that was true or not, but didn't want to find out. As the Weequay removed his meal, the muscled, chocolate skinned mercenary tossed her a bit of meat as he walked by, taking a seat at the small table. Grabbing the morsel, she hungrily ate it, brushing off the bits of sand and ignoring the rest as treats such as this were rare. Recalling now that her sister was on her way to some other far off world, Masiri's demeanor began to melt a bit once more, ignoring the snorting Gamorreans now seated and eating like animals.

"Why'd you give her that," the Nikto shot to the Weequay.

"She needs to eat to be worth anything later, idiot." Rising, the large mercenary moved toward Masiri who recoiled as if she could go inside the wall, and handed her a cup of water. "Drink." Turning back toward the table, he moved back to his seat.

"Rory finds out you're treating her this way, he's not going to be as kind as I am."

"Bite me."