Sarcasm is the best Medicine (Palinsa)

[Alexia Sturkov]

"And you expect me to do what with her exactly?"

"Show her the ropes. She's green. Very green. Hammer her into something with value."

"But why Corellia? This is a warzone."

"What better a place to test the mettle of a new warrior than war? I hope there will be no real objections."

"No, of course not. I will see to her."

"And Sturkov, she better not die while she's there. I will find out if you kill her."

---

The Imperial Coronet Headquarters was a constant buzz of activity. Soldiers coming in the front door to deliver reports, and officers running all around trying to put together intel, communicate with their legions, and otherwise facilitate the massive war effort that was mobilizing across the surface Corellia, and it's system beyond. Every day more supplies and soldiers arrived. Like feeding a giant, the Imperial war machine was growing bigger and stronger with the hopes of finally crushing the persistent rebellion.

All efforts to repair the city were grinding to a halt as Imperial forces were constantly ambushed and assassinated in the fields. The rebellion was forcing their hands, making them fire back. Forcing them to search the city home to home until the rebellion, like a cancer, was found and rooted out. They hid in plain clothes, waiting for a moment of weakness to strike. Cowards. They grew in power alongside the Empire. They recruited more to their cause every day, and no doubt have help from outside the system from the Alliance and others. There were others in the streets. Dangerous forces that wanted only chaos.

And now, despite all those incredible obstacles and dangers, she had a green recruit to babysit. Atrapes was punishing her. He must be. First he sent her to this horrible planet to wage an unwinnable war, was constantly calling Vissica back to the Core, and now was saddling her with a runt. It was infuriating. More so because Atrapes knew that she would try to get the runt killed one way or another. She wouldn't do it herself, but she was not beyond tossing her into a foxhole full of enemy combatants. Now she was stuck with the rookie, and there was no way out but to swallow the pill she had been given.

The landing pad on top of the Headquarters was large enough to permit a Lambda. The rooftop had been reinforced, was surrounded by sandbag and durasteel barriers, and had snipers and watchmen on constant watch. The Empress forbid an enemy sniper get in a position to threaten them. The day that happened was the day this war was lost. Standing at the edge of the pad, arms crossed against her black armor and blue robes, Imperial Knight Alexia Sturkov waited for her charge to arrive.

Her boot tapped impatiently.

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa sighed as the ship touched down and she rose. Straightening her new uniform and making sure her hair was perfectly in place, the braided coif secured to her head with enough practice she could get in a major scuffle and it wouldn't fallout or become something the opponent could grab, the woman straightened her shoulders and headed out.

She stepped to the door and headed down the steps as her eyes adjusted to the planet's natural light versus the ship's artificial illumination she had dealt with the last several days.

She glanced with sapphire blue eyes around her new surroundings. The red hair framing her pale features seemed to be set afire from the sun as she stepped onto the platform top and glanced for the woman she was to meet. As the new Knight's eyes met Alexia's, she knew she wasn't any more welcome here as she was desirous of being here. She had hoped to be trained back where things weren't so chaotic.

But Alexia was her new mentor and, like it or not, she was here till the powers that be chose otherwise. She just wanted to learn really quickly how to stay on her new teacher's good side and make the stay here a learning experience she benefited from, even if she didn't make a friend while doing it.

She stopped before the Knight and nodded. “I'm Palinsa Donar. I am here to report to Alexia Sturkov.” She would read the initial 'knee jerk' mental thought Alexia had eeing her, but nothing more. And if Alexia shielded, Palinsa wouldn't even read that much.

[Alexia Sturkov]

Like a powerful bird of prey, the Lambda landing craft came soaring from the sky. It stopped in the air above the platform and descended to it's deck as it's wings folded back. Months ago Alexia had arrived in a similar fashion, although it had been with Vissica at her side.

Without the Selonian warrior she could not help but feel alone and vulnerable, like her breastplate had been torn away leaving her open to attack. Vissica commanded respect through her acts of heroism and fear from the might of her blade. They saw Alexia has a hackface witch with no reputation other than the complete destruction of every battlefield she ever set foot on. They did not respect or fear her, instead they plotted against her and kept their eyes on her lest she destroy them with a flick of her hand. Perhaps this rookie would be the opportunity to finally carve out a new reputation. She was the Knight in Command now. It was time to act like it.

The landing gear touched down, and with it the loading ramp extended and the hull opened wide to permit the fresh faced Imperial Knight exit. Alexia tightened up, nodding her head toward the other redhead. She looked unremarkable, and timid. Not unexpected. Someone as new as she was to the Imperial Knights had no reason to be comfortable here in a warzone. Perhaps in another place, somewhere safer and more comfortable, she would be more at ease. She would get no such treatment. Coronet had no luxuries left. This was war.

"Cadet Donar. I am Knight Sturkov." A fist was raised and pressed to her chest and her head nodding forward into a minimalist bow. As she made the movement, she felt something brush against her conscience. A weak, shaking hand that accomplish nothing except to rub against the barriers that protected her mind from intrusion. It had been some time since she had felt such a influence. Vissica had no need for such. Her defenses had grown weak from lack of use, but were immediately restored to full strength before the probe could get far. A gifted telepath herself, Alexia was tempted to return the offer, but held back. There was a code to uphold.

"While I understand the curiosity to pry more than most, please refrain from using your powers on your fellow Knights, Cadet. Some would accept that as an act of aggression and reply in kind. Others carry burdens and secrets that could corrupt you. Not all Knights were born into the Truth. Some had to be forced to see it. Come." She gestured across the rooftop and turned away. She walked slow enough for the Cadet to fall into line at her side. "I'm afraid I was only just briefed of your arrival, and no further details were given. If you would, please tell me the extent of your training so far."

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa nodded and smiled politely as the Knight introduced herself. But when the reprimand came for the mind touch, the Cadet bit her lip and shook her head slightly. “Forgive me, it is habit and not intentional. I've always just heard the initial thoughts of people. But you...” For a second the girl's head tilted slightly like a curious bird and her eyes furrowed a little. She didn't probe but her eyes looked seriously at Alexia as if suddenly seeing her for the first time.

“How did you do that?” She asked with the curiosity of a child and the seriousness of someone who wanted a real answer. “I have always heard others thoughts whether I wanted to or not. Yet you... it was as if you were on the edge of sleeping. That moment when real life ceases to run through your mind yet dreams have yet to begin. I've never felt that in someone awake.”

She righted her head and shook herself a moment as if clearing cobwebs. “Forgive me, Knight Sturkov. I didn't mean to begin our meeting with such a terrible impression. I will try harder to keep my senses turned inward when I am around you.” And she added, “And other Knights. Unless you tell me otherwise.” She knew there would be a time someone would ask her to do what she did as natural as breathing. But to be honest, at this moment, forcing herself to remain inwardly turned was actually a nice change.

[Alexia Sturkov]

Nearing the edge of the rooftop, Alexia traded a glance to one of the Imperial Troopers stationed at the edge. Not just some Army peon, but a tried and true Stormtrooper, sniper rifle cradled in his arms. He met her gaze, his plastoid face impassive, and nodded his helmet. The coast was clear. For now. Stepping up to the edge Alexia tucked her arms behind her back and clasped her hands together. Beyond them was the city of Coronet. A bustling metropolis befit for a planet sitting on the crossroads of the Corellian Run and Corellian Trade Spine. If you could not see the entire swath of the city that was a crumbling ruin, and the parts of the crashed Star Destroyer sticking from the earth like a mountain, you would have a hard time imaging that this planet was so embroiled in a civil war.

"One of the important things you will learn during your force training is how to defend against it. The force is often employed as a sword, but it can also be a shield. No doubt you will learn that first hand from Knight Vale, who specializes in the defensive arts. The mind can be as much a weapon as your body. However, it is just as vulnerable. It is easy to become lax when you only deal with the forceless. Another force user could attack your mind, either slipping inside silently and stealing your thoughts, or forcing themselves in and scorching your synapses to ash. We must be ever vigilant. As Knights of her Imperial Majesty, The Empress, we are often in possession of vital information that would be disastrous if it fell into the enemy hands. As the vanguard of the Imperial war machine and the Empress' greatest soldiers we are often the target of the enemy. The rebels here, and the Alliance beyond, would love nothing more than to capture or kill us. There are other forces out there as well that are coming for us. As I said, we must stay vigilant. I can show you how to guard your mind and hone your telepathy, when you are ready."

"Tell me, what do you think of this city?"

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa had seen the Imperial white soldiers in her travels. But in her mind she admitted it hadn't been this up close and personal. The closeness took none of its foreboding away. Sometimes seeing something in detail could remove it from the category of ghostly or awe-like. But in this case, it merely added to it. Being able to see the detail of the weapons, gear and stillness of the white killer up close gave it more solidity in her mind. It was, indeed, a formidable character.

Stepping to the edge to stand beside her Knight mentor, Palinsa felt no fear of the height or distance they were above the ravaged city. In fact, if she squinted her eyes just so, the detritus strewn and occupied city looked almost normal, except of course for the large star destroyer still protruding from her heart.

She listened sharply as Alexia told her about learning to guard her thoughts. To not allow things like passive scanning become her undoing. She understood the need to protect the thoughts and knowledge she would soon have tucked away in the molten mass of her skull, but it eluded her how she would do it.

When her guide mentioned those who would want to capture them, the Cadet Knight frowned and looked at their attire. “Doesn't wearing the uniform so brazenly mark us as targets then? Would it not be better to blend in with the populace rather than scream who we were to those others who had blended in for the purpose of stalking us?” She didn't mention that she had no idea what other forces the woman eluded to.

As Alexia offered to teach her to shield, a breath and tension inside her she wasn't aware of, uncurled itself and released a small, barely audible sigh of relief. If there was a way to keep everyone's thoughts from invading her mind whenever she heard conversations, it would be worth whatever headaches and pains she had to endure. A never ending cycle of needles behind her eyes would be prefereable to listening to the cacophany of ever mind battering at her skull. “I would like that lesson at your soonest convenience, Knight.” She admitted the desire with enough inflection that, if she were listening, the Knight would know it was something that, till now, the newcomer hadn't even thought possible.

When the question of her opinion of the city was asked for, Palinsa took a half step forward, setting her booted feet a few scant breaths from the edge of the building. With her eyes half shaded and unfocused, it was beautiful. Streets and buildings laid out as if there were purpose in it. And the aching spire in the middle could almost be dismissed as a taller cluster of buildings like the castle clusters of Naboo.

But then she focused. She saw the debris, the rubble, the fact that those buildings closest to the nose downship were not just destroyed but obliterated. She saw rubble and chaos, a myriad of scurrying people who seemed less like citizens of a city, and more like the scurrying workers of a slaver world. “If chaos had beauty, I imagine this is how it would look. But I only see despair and ruin. Was it truly beautiful, once? Or is that my mind wishing more from this ruin than what I see?”

She tilted her head once more, like the curious bird she was often compared to, and really looked. “I see pain, despair and hope. But I also see treachery and defiance.” She glanced over her shoulder at Alexia to see her reaction to her words. “How do we find them? Those we are meant to root out, I mean. Surely they don't wear their colors as brazenly as we do.” She knew they wouldn't, but other than walking the streets letting the mental voices bombard her, she could think of no other way besides waiting for something amiss to happen. Her question held no attitude, it was sincere. She didn't bother with sarcasm when a lesson could be learned from a query. There was no point. And here, there was no time.

[Alexia Sturkov]

"Before I was a Knight of the Imperial Throne I was an Inquisitor in it's waning days. We did not wear uniforms in the field. We skulked and stabbed at the enemy from the dark, and because of it we were feared. Not just by the enemy, but by everyone. Even our own citizens feared the Inquisition. They were afraid that anyone on the street could be one and that their simplest infraction could cause us to sneak into their homes at night and force screws under their fingernails. There is a reason the Inquisition was disbanded. It fed on fear and produced only distrust.

As Imperials Knights we are so much more than just soldiers, Cadet. We are symbols of not just the Empress' will but also as guardians of the realm. We wear our uniforms proudly so that our citizens might see us and be made to feel safe. If we hide what we are, and hide in the shadows, than we are no better than our enemies who do the same. If we fall than we will die knowing that we stuck our virtues and our unwavering loyalty will live on in our fellow Knights and the citizens we have inspired. When I first arrived on Corellia alongside the formidable Knight Vissica, we took to the street immediately to bolster morale. We did not drive straight into the enemy. There is more to a war than inflicting casualties."

It was so strange to hear these words coming from her own mouth. Usually she was sarcastic to a fault, but she was also never the senior Knight. While she had been a Knight for longer than most of the others, Alexia could not help but feel inferior before the likes of Vissica and Palara, who seemed to resemble the image of the Imperial Knight so much more than Alexia. They were strong and supportive, brave and relentless. Alexia was often made second fiddle to another Knight. Her power was undeniable, but The Knight General still did not trust her entirely. Her past was a curse that would follow her forever and always poison how others viewed her. That was fine. She didn't need their approval to be a good soldier. Being a good Knight was an entirely different challenge that she still strove to grasp.

"The city was beautiful, and most if it still is. The Destroyer fell into the Industrial sector. Casualties were very low considering. A lot of factories and businesses were destroyed. Historical sites. Entire families gone. The crew of the Destroyer did not fare much better. A thousand lives scarred, mangled, or lost. And yet was continue on. Massive projects to restore the city and remove the destroyer are ongoing. Production is halted constantly by the threat of attack. The so called Corellian Resistance is cruel and merciless. They care not who they attack as long as Imperial soldiers are among the casualties. They destroy their own homes and kill their fellow citizens in the act. Do not be deceived. They are terrorists using a feud with the Empire to act out their violent and sociopathic tendencies. We must stop them before they destroy the city, and the rest of the planet beyond.

Rooting them out is very difficult. They have an impressive network already with many independent cells. You find one and you are no closer to the next. The intricacy of the network implies outside help. The Alliance, no doubt. Too subtle to be the Sons of Coruscant or criminal organizations. Another benefit of our uniforms, brazen as you say, is that they will come for us eventually. That can be guaranteed. When they do will will strike back harder, take prisoners, and interrogate them until they give up their cause or secrets; whichever cracks first. Vigilance, Cadet Donar. We will win this war eventually. It is inevitable.

Have you received any Lightsabre training?"

[Palinsa Donar]

Listening to her mentor explain the reason for the uniforms, it made sense. A formidable presence was often as good a deterrent, if not better, than the mere thread of law enforcement. “I understand the need to let the populace know there are people on their side out here. I can imagine a time like this is uneasy for everyone. And of course, in uniform, the enemy also is aware there are probably twice as many of us as they can count. Surely there are soldiers in plain clothes along with those of us in uniform and the obvious military presence.” It would make sense to pad the visual numbers with those in local garb. Sometimes too big of an obvious presence could be a bad thing as well.

She watched the city as Alexia spoke, imagining how it used to look. She also could nearly picture it being rebuilt stone by stone till it was nothing but a memory of what was now. Would generations down the line think of this time as a long tail? Something made up to make their grandparents feel superior?

Polinsa shook herself from the thought as Alexia asked about the saber. “I was given one with my uniforms and several of us spent a day in basic training with the saber, hand to hand and weapons training. I am fair enough with it not to hack off my own limb. But against a formidable enemy, I have not the confidence to say I wouldn't need help.” She hated admitting weakness, but if she didn't tell the truth this time, her lie may cost others their lives. And the thought of losing her mentor the first time in the field had absolutely no appeal to the young Cadet. “I am fairly good at small pistol shooting if I have a moment to sight. And I am capable enough to hold my own in most hand to hand situations, or even with a small blade at my hand. It was one of the few things I was good at before being recruited.”

Against Alexia or another seasoned Knight she wasn't sure how she would do. But amongst her peers in the group on training day, she had definitely been far above the average.

[Alexia Sturkov]

"Good."

It was all she said for a moment. Her green eyes continued to scan the city below. She liked to imagine that from up here she would be able to spot would be traitors and rebels. They were simply too high to see anything with any clarity without the augmentation of binoculars or a scope. Chances are there was someone out there, in one of the neighboring windows or rooftops, who was looking back at them without their knowledge. Someone with a comm to their mouth whispering that another Imperial Knight had arrived. Alexia hoped that was the case. It would strike fear in their hearts.

"I would hope that the Knight General would not send someone defenseless to the heart of a war. Stay alert and you may just survive until tomorrow."

A light hearted smile crested her face, but only for a moment before it disappeared. Turning from the edge she lead the way to the roof access. A turbolift shot them straight down, past a hundred floors of Imperial Operations, down to the ground floor and the city street beyond. The lobby of the Headquarters was an insane bustle as bodies moved in and out, side to side. Everyone was busy. Everyone had a purpose. And yet, even with their mind focused and eyes ahead they managed to notice the Imperial Knights enter, and stepped aside to allow the blue robed figures to pass through. Hands hanging at her sides, empty and grasping, Alexia slipped through the opening with Palinsa on her heels.

The street beyond was reinforced with barriers, sandbags, and numerous soldiers on patrol. The Green-gray uniforms of the Imperial Army intermingled with the emotionless purity of the Stormtrooper white. As she stepped out of the doorway a few such Stormtroopers detached themselves from where they had been lounging around the building and fell in step. A single squad that seemed no different than the others except for the black falcons adorning their shoulder paldrons. Beneath layers of polish could be seen the scars of battle. Their weapons were in good repair but worn around the edges. Some had notches or markings on the sides to indicate kill counts. The counts were high.

"The Raven Guard is my personal attachment." Alexia explained as the troopers fanned out around them without so much as a word of instruction. Some took point, others guarded the sides, and a few kept a watchful eye on the rear. One in particular kept his eyes up, checking windows and rooftops. Their weapons were shouldered and their walk tall. However, it was clear they were tense. Ready for action at the first sign of danger. "They have been briefed of your arrival. They will listen to your orders should I be absent, incapacitated, or dead. Should that ever happen your mission is to return to HQ as quickly as possible. Your life is inherently more valuable than most others in the Imperium. Although you are not fully trained yet, in time you will achieve your full potential and become one of the greatest forces in the Empress' arsenal. For none other can repel the threat of the Jedi and the Sith as greatly as us."

"There is one such Jedi reported here on Corellia. Knight Vissica encountered him a month ago, and further reports suggest he has been helping the rebels. There is also a Sith cultist on the loose. We had him in chains but he escaped. He is a sneaky bastard. Don't trust anything he says. He's as ruthless as he is cunning.

Are you feeling overwhelmed, Cadet?"

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa watched the woman as she stared at the city below them. There was a difference to this woman that made Palinsa realize, perhaps for the first time, that her lifereally had changed. “And if I survive till tomorrow, would you be unpleased?” She laughed softly to ease the comment. She was not casting rude jibes at her new Master, merely trying to assess with conversation what she was so used to summoning at a whim. But while her own shields were so forcefully slammed down that the tension was almost palatable, she also knew that the Knight guarded her own thoughts as well. It suited Palinsa just fine, as long as she didn't have to shield like this forever. “And here I thought you were growing fond of me.” She laughed and followed the Knight to the lift.

As they went down and headed outside,the guard falling in merely peaked the Cadet's interest. At the explanation, she nodded. “I am used to the guards of those I …helped. I am aware of such formation and if you will kindly tell me whose boots I am to keep in sight if something happens, I give my word I will not hinder or get in the way.” She didn't think it pertinent to those around her to know what she is or used to do. If Alexia told them, then that was up to her. But on her own, the fewer who knew, in her mind, anyway, the better.

As she also heard that the guards would see to her orders if Alexia wasn't able to give them, for one reason or another, she nodded. It was a good thing. Nothing like the Commander laying bleeding to death and no one being willing to fetch help cause he couldn't give the order. But as the Knight went on to say she was a valuable asset, and her life wasn't worth risking, something in her tugged hard. “If it doesn't mean leaving you behind when you can be saved as well, I will do as you command, Ma'am.” She replied. If there was even a slim chance of Alexia being removed from whatever rhetorical situation they were discussing, Palinsa knew she would risk the wrath of her mentor to see it done. She braced herself for the argument but hurriedly changed the subject to hopefully avoid it.

“Hmmm,” the Cadet mused as her new Master told her of the Jedi here helping the Rebellion. “You say Knight Vissica encountered him? Was it an acknowledgment of one another, or did the white robed one somehow escape?” Realizing it might be misconstrued, she quickly added. “I am curious to know if subterfuge and wily ways were used and he escaped, thus meaning we must keep a better eye on him when we catch him next. Or was it a chance meeting meaning we truly aren't sure of his capabilities yet when cornered or captured?” And as she heard about the Sith, it didn't surprise her. Sith were unpredictable. Because the Code they followed was one of their own making, and twisted for convenience, t least in her eyes, it was often a contradiction of actions and words when they were involved. The fact he was Sith, ruthless, and cunning, seemed almost a redundant statement. Though when it came to the Sith, nothing was beyond them, so the reminder was nothing to scoff at. “I will remember, Knight.” She nodded.

As the voice of Alexia came once more to her ear and asked if she was overwhelmed yet, she shook her head. “The planet is new to me. And I am sure getting to know it will be no small task. But the life it seems I will live is no different than the one I have always lived. The difference is that now my employer is someone TRULY worthy of serving. She is no war monger seeking to best his enemy, nor a merchant looking to line his pockets. So while I will have many thing to learn,” she smiled without adding AND UNLEARN, “I know that it will be worth every headache and scar I receive. I look forward to it.”

While many who listened may consider it prideful, her remarks, to her it was merely spoken as a statement of fact. She had been doing this job, protecting and acting for the betterment of, a client, for many years now. The difference this time was her client was the Imperial Empress. And that made all the difference in the galaxy.

[Alexia Sturkov]

"We encountered both in the same day. I had existing knowledge of the Sith and his cult. We allowed him to exist so that we could interrogate him for information when the time was right. It was him who facilitated the encounter with the Jedi, but he did so in the form of a joke; giving us two potential locations for the Jedi to arrive at, thus forcing Vissica and myself to split our forces and rush to those locations. Mine was the decoy and Vissica encountered the Jedi alone. After a lengthy duel that destroyed a steelyard the Jedi ran and disappeared into the city. While we were gone the Sith and his cult managed to overthrow the two squads of Stormtroopers we left to handle his incarceration. an almost complete failure, but we did gather valuable intel. We know there is a Jedi and a Sith running amok on the planet. Without that knowledge they may have been able to stage a surprise attack."

As they walked their path encountered fewer and fewer uniformed soldiers. Defenses and reinforced checkpoints became more scarce. Ahead of them, between the buildings, the skyline disappeared abruptly. They were headed for the Scar; the ruins left behind in the Star Destroyer's fall. From windows and doorways regular people watched. All sorts, some dirty and others lavishly adorned. All kinds made up this city, and the disaster that had fallen upon them had forced them to band together like family. It was the only way survive calamity. Social lines blurred and broke as they all struggled to get by. They were as much afraid of the Empire as they were of the Rebels. It could be their business that gets blown up today. Their homes that get caught in the crossfire. Their relatives that gets their family dragged from their warm beds in the middle of the night and executed in the streets for unknowingly harboring a Rebel.

"Your mission is, as always, to defend the Imperium and carry out the Empress' will. How you choose to interpret the law is for you to decide. I am not one to tell you how to think. I would recommend that if I should be incapacitated or killed that you immediately retreat and comm the Knight General for new orders. He would agree with me, my life is not worth the dozens of casualties it may take to rescue me from enemy hands. In the end I suggest you follow your own heart and decide what is the best course of action. We have almost infinite freedom of action. The Imperial Knights report to no one but the Knight General and the Empress. However, that is no excuse to fall into hubris or abuse our power. Imperial Knights have fallen before, and when that happens it is your brother and sister Knights that come for your head.

Don't be fooled. It is not as dark and terrifying as I make it out to be. Your brother and sister Knights will be there to help you along the way. We have great paragons of the Order to draw inspiration from. Knights like Atrapes, Vissica, and Iscandar." It hurt to say that last part. There were few in the Knights Order that Alexia despised as much as Atrapes, but Palara was a close second. The Twi'lek had been the one that captured Alexia back before she became enlightened by the truth. Her "goodness" for lack of a better turn was a constant annoyance and made Alexia's stomach churn. Vissica was the true example of a perfect Knight. Unattached, unemotional. She only existed to uphold the law and cut down those who break it. She was the one all Knights should emulate.

The street ended abruptly. A ten foot drop into a craggy maelstrom of twisted metal and stone stretched out before them. The area was full of Imperial personnel. Many stood guard while others shifted through the debris that had once been businesses, homes, and skyscrapers. They had all equally been ground down beneath the weight of the falling Destroyer and twisted into this ugly scar through the city. Nothing had survived, and it would take years to repair all the damage. It would take longer with the constant threat of attack looming at all times. It would seem the city did not want them to right the wrong they had brought on themselves.

"I wanted you to see this. This is why we are here, why we fight. During a parade flotilla one of our Star Destroyers was hit with an explosive device that knocked out it's engines, causing it to plummet to the ground. It crashed into the city and caused this swath of destruction. The rebels claimed responsibility. They blamed the Empire for occupying their world, but they threw the first stone. They killed thousands. That is why we are here, Cadet Donar. To make sure this never happens again. We will defend the people at any cost."

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa listened. The idea of a Jedi and a Sith both running rampant was enough to make her frown. Were they working together by choice, or was the Force playing a hand at this?

“I will remember to not underestimate anyone, Ma'am.” She contemplated the idea of them working together as the warrior continued. As she mentioned the Jedi and Sith had plans to meet, and one had actually shown, it troubled Palinsa as much as she sensed it troubled the woman at her side. The idea of those two complete opposites having the same goal that would allow for such an alliance, no matter how short lived or tentative, didn't sit well at all in the pit of her stomach.

Alexia went on to speak of orders, missions and the Empress' will. “I will not let you down if that is what it comes to, Knight,” she nodded solemnly. While Palinsa knew she would leave Alexia behind if there was no other way, she made a silent promise to herself to see to it that, to the best of her ability, she never had to make that call. She wasn't delusional enough to think it would never happen, just hopeful that she could stave it off for a long time.

She was grateful that the mentor mentioned other Knights would have Palinsa's back as well. Sometimes elitists worked in such tight cells that no one knew of others outside their particular small cell. The fact that wasn't the case with the Knights made Palinsa feel much better. She knew, now, that if something did happen, she wouldn't have to figure it out alone. “I am glad to hear that. I thought perhaps small groups worked in autonomy. It's good to know that isn't so.”

As they reached the edge of the scar, there was no way Palinsa could catch the gasp of surprise that fell from her lips. She thought she had been prepared for the gaping hole. But there was no way to be prepared for this. “I had no idea...” The whisper was all she could manage. The devastation and destruction was beyond anything she had imagined, or could have imagined. Seeing this settled the final piece of doubt into a slot of assuredness in her mind. If she had any lingering hesitations about why she was here, this sight erased every hint of shadow that oversaw that. The scar, despite its devastation, was a crystal beacon giving her drive and purpose. She didn't realize her shoulders had squared slightly and her chin tightened in resolve. As the woman's words fell silent, Palinsa said the only thing she could think of. “I understand.” Those two words were like an oath, a promise and an understanding all rolled into one.

[Alexia Sturkov]

Alexia turned her head, saw the determination and fire in the eye of her new ward, and knew she had done the right thing to bring her here. Everyone was dragged before the scar to pay witness to the atrocity. This was the first stop for every fresh soldier deployed, and the last stop for every traitor caught. Public executions were not common, but when they happened it was here, at the edge of the horrible suffering they had inflicted on their own city, that the rebels met their end. Usually after weeks of torture and intelligence gathering.

One day she hoped to place both the Sith Priest and the Jedi Knight on the edge of the scar, force them to see the horror that their movement had caused, and then execute them right then so that their shame was the last thing they would see in this world. In a perfect world she would be allowed to drag them down in the debris and throw them through the wreckage until their bodies were broken.

"This is wh-, get down!" A glint of reflected light caught Alexia's eye as she looked over Palinsa's shoulder. Reaching out she grabbed the woman's shoulder and dropped down, pulling the woman with her. Something flashed by overhead. A blaster round, thin and deadly. Almost invisible to the naked eye. The Raven Guard turned, weapons raised, moving toward protected placements; behind debris, speeders, the remains of buildings. Whatever they could find to offer themselves protection. Alexia moved around Palinsa, standing up as she did so. The sniper was hiding, but she could feel a mind. Nestled in the remains of a building, third story. Fifty feet away. Too close for a good shot. Amateur.

Lifting her hand, Alexia summoned the full strength of her force abilities and ripped the space where the mind was and pulled everything from the building. The remains of the hollow office building shot into the open air; flimsi, file cabinets, and furniture were sucked into the air as if by vacuum. Among them was a humanoid shape, flailing in the air. Another pull separated the individual from the airborne debris field and pulled him down to the ground, where he hit and slid across the broken street to their feet. He struggled to his feet, but the Ravens were on top of him in an instant. Kicking his weapon away and wrestling him back to the ground. They bound him with stun cuffs and searched him for weapons. When they finally stoop back they revealed a human man; his hair cut short, his clothing pseudo-military. A fanatic, in other terms.

Real rebels hid themselves. This man was a hotshot. Alexia had killed many of them. Potentially a lone wolf but there was always the chance that he belonged to something greater than himself.

"An opportunity has presented itself." Alexia said at last, her heavy breathing evening out as the adrenaline started to bleed out of her system. "Keep an eye out for others." She instructed the Ravens before picking the man up with the force and moving into the shadow of the same broken building he had shot at them from. This would afford them some cover and keep prying eyes from spying. Setting the man down she pulled him up on his knee and pulled his body back, clutching his neck and shoulder. His face was one of defiance, and he had yet to speak a word. His face was bloody from the fall. Alexia could feel his mind going a mile a minute inside his head. He was not going to give up anything willingly. She could read it in his mind.

"A chance to hone your skill, Cadet Donar. An enemy combatant, captured and defiant. He will not tell us anything, will you worm? Of course not. I want you to reach into his mind, find anything that mind be of use. Think of the mind as... an onion. It has many layers, each one must be penetrated to delve deeper. At the top you have base emotions. What he's feeling. Beneath that is surface thoughts. This layer is loud and noisy, which makes it harder to delve down deeper. Even a non-force user can learn to defeat a telepath at this level with confusing thought patterns and gibberish. Beneath that you have a vault where they keep their most guarded thoughts and emotions. He's trying really hard to hide his fear, but it's not working. He also cannot help but think you are very pretty. Isn't that right worm? He hates your guts, but he is only a man. At the very bottom is memories. These are tricky and you can get lost in there. It's a maze of twists and turns that can be difficult to navigate without experience, and getting out can be just as difficult.

As you did down you must be careful. You can force your way in, but you could irreversibly damage his mind and likely gain nothing. It's a covert operation, slipping past the defenses, disarming the guards, and then getting the prize. Do not push yourself too hard. You are just beginning and we do not want to kill him or lose you inside his head. What a scrapper this worm. He actually thinks he can escape, that a headbutt would disable me and he could run. Silly boy." She laughed, a cackling thing that was nonetheless full of a joy that she had not possessed before this brush with death. His fingers tightened around his throat, pulling him against her own body so that he had no room to move. No room for heroics.

"Begin, Cadet."

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa was no fool. When Alexia tookher to the ground, she went without hesitation. The weapon's firingwas a signal that set the young girl's hair on end and set the Knighton her feet between her and the shooter. With a simple quarter turnswivel on her heel, Pali was able to watch as Alexia routed out thesniper and brought him down. She watched with a tilted head incurious silent query as to how the woman was doing what she did. Sheknew of Force Users, of course, but had never been privy to the actsof them, short of healers. To see the trained precision that theKnight removed a chunk of the building, then extrapolated the manfrom the rubble and transported him to her very grasp was nothingshort of amazing in the new recruit's eyes.


When Alexia cleared then and nodded forthe woman to stand, she stood up and faced her mentor. The words anddirections filling her mind. Peel away the man till you got to theanimal. But don't get lost lest you become the same.


Palinsa began by clearing her mind. Itwas a simple exercise and she had done it a million times. And whileshe wasn't as adept at probing, she knew how to get surface thoughts.That, perhaps, was the place to start.


Stepping closer to the prisoner, hercloak pressed over her shoulders, out of his reach should he lunge,she remained on guard as she looked at him. “You find me pretty?”


*Pretty, the things I would do to you.*His thoughts rose easily. “No, you are a Knight, nothing more thananimals to be slain!” His words spat from his choked voice.


Palinsa licked her lips, ever lookingseductive as she went a bit deeper. “You are scared and won't tellme anything, will you?”


*The others, can't tell about them. *His surface thought clear, but his voice lied once more. “No, Inever will.”


“You won't tell me how close theyare, will you?” She was pressing now, her brow furrowing slightlyand she could feel the press of his own mind against hers. She wasn'tused to prying, so keeping each thought loud was a bit more difficultthat she thought. “You won't say how many there are.”


* No.. they are close. Can't... * Hesmiled and shook his head thinking he was winning. “Nope. You willnever know!” He spat at her and it landed on her lapel.


She pressed hard this time. She couldhear a million thoughts, jumbled at once. Alexia was right. It waslike trying to pick out a single voice in a crowd. “I... There arefour...”


*HA! She has no idea, there are six...amateur. * His mental laughter grated on her. It was hard to presspast it.


She smiled inside and tried to act likeshe wasn't hearing anything. “They are still very far away. He cameto scout alone.”


*Boy will she be surprised, the twooutside the alley, waiting for them... * She pressed harder but thewalls were thick. She could feel a headache starting.


“We are ….” She closed her eyesand shook her head, her breathing coming in gasps. “I can't... Ican't keep them separated, his thoughts, I mean.” She stepped backas if mere distance would ease the pain starting to build in herhead. She shook her head as if trying to silence the maniacallaughter she thought only she heard.


“There are six... very close...”She watched his reaction as she gave up his thoughts. “Two wait forus outside the alley we came in. To ambush from the buildings likehim, if he failed.” She shook her head and one hand rose to hertemple in a mild, useless attempt to stop the pounding. She had neverpressed. It was like trying to hold too many doors open at once. Eachone's weight compounded by the weight of the next. “That's all Igot.” She wasn't going to apologize, not in front of him anyway. Soshe merely let her eyes say it to Alexia.


She knew she had found some things out,but was it enough? Were the informative bits anything more thansurface thoughts that the Knight could have gotten herself? Shedaren't ask in front of the prisoner, and she wasn't confident enoughwith the Raven to speak openly in front of them, either. She wouldhave to wait till they were alone to see how she truly did.

[Alexia Sturkov]

Alexia turned her head, but did not take her eyes off of Palinsa. "Captain, search the alley." Half of the Raven Guard stepped away and headed down the nearby alley. Palinsa had done well for a beginner, but she had much to learn about the complexity of the sentient mind. It was an ever evolving puzzle. Even the same mind, conquered before, could be new and alien on a subsequent visit. It was a different battlefield fought with misinformation and manipulation. One wrong step could leave you or them comatose. It was brain surgery but your mind was the knife, and breaking it inside was deadly for both.

"Remember this, Cadet. You managed to find impressions and thoughts, but those can be easily manipulated to deceive. It is better to wait until you have gathered for details before making any judgement based on what you find in a mind. You could get nothing but fragments, scattered and disjointed. Like the pieces of a puzzle you may get the pieces to fit together by forcing them but you end up with the wrong picture. Sometimes the hardest obstacle is tricking ourselves into a unreal conclusion. You will only get stronger, and there are plenty of worms like this one to practice on. Eventually you will learn to dismantle defenses effortlessly and pry open the deepest secrets of the mind. There are advance techniques also, such as controlling the very mind you are infiltrating, as well as implanting thoughts and false memories.

For now, I want you to focus on detecting intense emotions, like the hate and fear he feels. It should be as if a beacon was lit. It makes him stand out from everyone else. Most people do not live in constant states of intense emotion. This is one of our greatest tools in routing the insurgents. They are on edge, afraid, or cannot hide their hate when they see us. It gives them away and gives us an edge. There are other things you can pick up on, such as pain." And with that said she grabbed a piece of metal debris and used the sharp edge to cut into the man's arm. He flinched but kept his face straight. Pain was more manifested in the body and nervous system, but the mind reflected it. "Can you feel that? It's not the pain itself but the warning signals in the brain and the heightened emotional state. You'll learn to associate it with pain."

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa glanced over as the Raven wentoff to investigate. The words of her new mentor resonated harshly inher head. She knew that memories could be faked. She had guessed thatsurface, knee jerk thoughts were sincere. But in listening, her mindwent back to several things. “So even surface thoughts might betrained?” The idea that some of her previous business dealings werefalsely led made her angry. She didn't like the idea of having beenduped.


When Alexia spoke of high emotionsmaking someone appear as a beacon, she moved her head slightly tolook at the others around them. She tried to concentrate on what hermind saw rather than merely heard. Tilting her head slightly, shethen looked at the prisoner and her eyes visibly widened. The factshe couldn't see it before upset her, but now that she could...


Anger seemed the most prevalent of whatshe felt rolling off him. It was like a warm wind pulsing off him.Taking a deep breath she pressed through the overly intense emotion.The next thing she found was fear. He was scared and was using angerto mask it.


Other emotions seemed to mingle. Heflared with occassional lust for her. But the base feeling wastainted, like the emotion was twisted. She could only guess that whatmost people found as lust in their mind, this one was wrapped up inpossession and destruction. She felt it pushing in on her to thepoint she felt herself swimming in his touch. The saying of someonebeing undressed with another's eyes was almost true. She felt himlooking her up and down and and he was crawling over her like amadman.


Gasping and blinking, Palinsa actuallyrubbed her arms as if to wipe him off. “I... I see what you mean.”She dare not say more in front of the worm in her mentor's hands.Suddenly, in looking away from the man's eyes, she noticed somethingon his neck. She wouldn't have caught it if she had merely lookedaway.


Taking a step forward, her hand risingonly to hesitate a moment before tugging back the collar of hisjacket. There was ink there, a badly done tattoo. A sun with rays upand down as if incomplete on the sides. “Alexia... is thissignificant?” She tilted her head and frowned. “It's a sunburst.But it's not complete. The rays only come off the top and bottom.”


She shrugged and let the collar flapback. It was probably nothing. Lots of folks inked their body. Shehad entertained the idea herself on more than one occasion.

[Alexia Sturkov]

"The mind is a complex and mysterious thing." Alexia tapped the side of the captive's head with a finger. "It is amazing the lies we can fabricate. The strongest of which are the ones we tell ourselves. With these rebel types it's jarring to get to the chocolately center of their minds and find that, deep down, they really do believe in their cause. They really think that they are in the right. To them they are the good guys, the saviors, and the underdogs who will prevail against the Empire. They have tricked themselves into thinking that the massacre of thousands of lives was a necessary and calculated loss. They have let themselves become monsters hiding behind self made masks."

She did not go into just how unsettling it can be to get inside the mind of a believer and see the shining purity of their belief. You knew that it was wrong, but through the mirror of their perspective it was the opposite. It was a dissonance between what you knew and what they believed. It had a way of sticking with you, echoing in your own thoughts, haunting your dreams. There were depths of the mind too deep to return from in the same shape you entered. There were even levels were your minds exchanged, and you took as much with you as you left behind. It was a dangerous link, and against another force user could result in them gleaming information from your mind in the exchange.

"An incomplete sunburst?" She asked as the slight smile faded from her face and in it's place a sinking, icy feeling dropping down her spine. Grabbing the man's head she pulled it over her shoulder so she could look down the front of his body, and see the marking Palinsa had just pointed out. There it was. The mark of the Sith. Her eyes went wide and unblinking as she quickly looked up, his sight darting back and fourth as she scanned the area. "Captain, bring your men back. This is not a rebel." She shoved him to the ground and stood up, her hand drawing her lightsabre from her belt and thumbing the activation plate. The silver blade sprung to life.

"He's a cultist!" her free hand grab his hair and pulled him back on to the blade, the beam spearing straight through his back and out his chest. The blade illuminated the shadowy ruins. Letting go of the lifeless body it fell to the ground clumsily. Dead. She motioned for Palinsa and headed out of the hollowed structure only to have her movement silenced as an explosion detonated in the center of the remaining Raven Guard; scattering them as they fell or dove for cover. From rooftops, doorways, and rubble men suddenly appeared. Some of them wore black robes, some were dressed like thugs. An orchestra of noise sounded as blasters began firing and red crackling lightsabres sprung to life.

"Get down Cadet!" Alexia screamed as she threw the Cadet into a corner before running out into the mix. Her lightsabre deflected the odd blaster shot while her free hand waved through the air, moving this way and that, making pinched or crushing motions. The world around her responded in kind as cultists were thrown off their feet, tossed into the air, or slammed into the ground. The Raven Guard detachment had returned and was turning the tide with their steady staccato of blaster fire.

[Alexander Bane]

The trap was sprung. The Knights were pinned and their troopers displaced. The battle was going as expected. While the main attack party drew the attention of the vanguard a second party moved in from behind. The small group positioned themselves behind the hollowed out structure the Knights had been using as cover. They looked each other in the eye and nodded. One of them swung a powered mining pick and struck the wall, blowing a huge hole through the wall; showering the Cadet on the other side with debris. A grenade was tossed through, cooked and ready to blow immediately. The stun grenade went off, tossing the Cadet to the ground. They wasted no time slipping in through the hole, grabbing the onconscious Cadet and slipping back out without the Imperial pigs noticing.

The plan was a success. Those who gave their lives would never be remembered. They were but pawns to be sacrificed to the Dark.

---

"Waaaaaake up little Knight."

A metal hand came up to smack the Cadet across the face, jarring her from her slumber. She woke to find herself in a dank room, a basement in fact. Her arms were bound and a chain held her suspended from the ceiling. Her feet barely touched the ground, her armor and weapons had been stripped off and she was left in her robes. Several men stood around the room, but the one who slapped her stood right in front of her. His skin was a sickly pale but there was a twisted light in his eyes that made him look very much alive. He was wearing a band shirt and his arms were covered in a surplus of bangles and bracelets.

There was a big smile on his face.

[Palinsa Donar]

Alexia had shoved Palinsa back and ran out into the fray. A small growl fell from the Cadet's lips as she once more was left feeling helpless as something went on around her. Then she remembered that she wasn't useless. She was an Imperial Knight. Perhaps only a Cadet, but she was one just the same. Pali grabbed for her weapon and was just about to rise to the aid of her mentor when the world around her erupted in chaos. A blast behind her left her half crouched as she threw her arm up to protect her head. But just as she turned, the stun of the grenade's blast exploded a moment before her world rocked once more, sending her to her knees just before blackness overcame her.

**
The first thing that registered was pain on her cheek. Why did people hit so hard to wake someone who was unconscious? She made a mental note to not be so rough if she ever had to check someone's consciousness. But then as her eyes opened and she was about to tell Alexia she was fine, the blinding light made her blink a moment. Reaching to cover her eyes, her mind suddenly began registering other things as well. First of all, her arms wouldn't move. They were strung above her, bound at the wrists over her head. She found her tip toes barely able to keep her from replying on the strength of her shoulders alone. As her eyes blinked and blue green orbs gazed at the person before her, she registered something else. This wasn't the alleyway, and he wasn't Alexia!

She felt her heart begin to race as she twisted, fruitlessly, to see if her bonds would give. The man before her was tainted. She wasn't sure how, but it didn't take a telepath to sense the malevolence rolling off him in waves. The fact she was gifted, merely amplified it. Biting her lip a moment in nervous unconscious habit, she blinked again to take in the dingy room. "Where am I? And who are you?" With luck, and the pain in her head not outweighing her ability to hear his thoughts, she could figure a way out of this.

[Alexander Bane]

"Hi, I'm Alex." His response was simple, childish even. The smile on his face was so big and so full of joy that it was discomforting. More of his appearance came into focus. Homemade tattoos dominated his body, including the Mark of the Sith adorning the underside of his forearm, at the end of which was a silver hand, mechanical, that started at his wrist. There was no synth-flesh hiding. The servos whirled and clicked as his fingers twitched and flexed; like a child excited to get his hands on a new toy. His cheeks were hollow and his body skinny. He looked half starved.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you? I was afraid you wouldn't wake up. You slept for so long. What's your name?"

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa's head was pounding. Having never experienced a stun grenade before now, she could only imagine how much worse a real one would have felt, had she managed to live through it of course. As Alex beamed in front of her, her skin crawled. There was nothing innocent in his look and the concern was like a man about to ask how death had felt and would she share the experience. It wasn't in any way polite, but a masochistic pleasure.

Defiance welled up in her and she felt herself squirming. "Actually, unhooking me would be great. I'm awake now and appreciate you holding me up till I was conscious. I must have been really tired." She tried to mimic his ridiculously misplaced glee. It was more oozing with sarcasm than pleasure and she didn't care. Her mind reached for his to see what gut reactions and thoughts he was having. It wasn't overly invasive and she only hoped he would think her too amateur to do better.

Her eyes scanned his body and noticed the same Sith tatt the prisoner had been sporting. That made her wonder about Alexia and wondered if the woman had been harmed, or killed, in the ambush.

[Alexander Bane]

There was no change in his facial expression as his hand came shooting up from his side and grabbed her by the throat. The pressure was just enough to make breathing difficult. He held this for a moment before shifting his grip from pushing to pulling, dragging her closer to him by her neck until their faces were touching. The chains overhead creaked with the shift. His breath was rancid and smelled of greasy food and... blood?

"What. Is. Your. Name? We can't be friends if I don't know your name."

Bright smile. Wide eyed wonder. It never faded from his face for even a moment.

[Palinsa Donar]

She gasped as his hand shot out to grab her. Palinsa felt her throat being choked and tried to pull away. But with no way to plant her feet for purchase, she had no way of removing herself from his grip. When he pulled her closer, the sides tightened but her windpipe was given half a moment's reprieve.

Her arms were suddenly stretched not just up, because of the chains, but now back at an angle that was more than unpleasant. It hurt like hell and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. His face pulled closer and she turned her head to the side and whispered. "Pali... my name is Pali...." She tried to stabilize herself, but once more, because of her tip toes, she was balanced even more precariously now and her heart raced with the strain of not whimpering.

[Alexander Bane]

"It's nice to meet you, Pali." his grip softened and then released, letting her fall back to her place directly underneath the hang point of her chain. He dusted his hands against each other and then stuffed them back into the pockets of his designer pants, complete with intentional wear and stylish rips. The other men in the room, inconsequential scene decorations, stood still, leaning against walls, lodged in the corners of the small room, or standing in both of the doorways. One held a staircase that lead toward sunlight, and the other behind the Knight lead deeper into the basement.

"Don't be afraid. You're safe now. The bad woman is gone. That mother of sin, and lies, will never find you here."

[Palinsa Donar]

When she was released, the pain as she swung back under the chain hook was nearly as painful as the pulling had been. His lack of any real emotion was a bit disturbing, to say the least.

As Alex mentioned that she was safe now, safe from the bad woman, Palinsa frowned. "The bad woman? Who do you mean, Alexa?" She was scared, though she dampened it as well as she was able. "Who did you save me from? Maybe I don't remember 'cause of the hit on my head." She tilted her head slightly and smiled to him sweetly. She noticed a couple men in the room, unaware who was still behind her. "And can we speak alone? Those other men don't seem very friendly." She knew she was released, she couldn't handle him, even slightly. But if given the chance, she didn't want to have to contend with anyone but him.

One psycho was enough. A psycho with fans was a bit out of her mind's reality as to a fair fight.

[Alexander Bane]

"No. They're cool. They're my friends. There's George, Hat, Franchie, Benneroo, Svart, and Mud. That one there doesn't have a name. He murdered his own name, and all the nicknames we gave him. Really nice guy. Does charity work down at the soup kitchen." He pointed a finger at each thug in turn as he called their names. They did little in response. One stuck his hand in his pants and gave himself a scratch and the name murderer spit on the filthy durocrete floor. They were all a grungy, dirty sort compared to the soft purity of Alex's mannerisms and clean demeanor.

"I hope you aren't too rattled, otherwise you won't be of any use to me. I don't like broken friends. Friends help friends. That's why I rescued you from the bad woman. You call her Alexia, but I remember her as my Pontifex. We called her the unholy Trinity. She's not like that anymore. No sirree. She's a liar who hides her darkness from the galaxy and plays pretend. Pretends to be a Knight when she's always been a Witch. She's a very. Bad. Woman."

[Palinsa Donar]

Seven thugs plus him. She mentally sighed and bit her lip. She had guessed maybe two behind her to mirror the two she could see. The fact there were so many, and they weren't leaving, wasn't a good thing.

"I..." she was going to tell him she was fine, but then something made her change her mind. "I am kind of rattled. I mean, you did set off a stun grenade in my face." She smiled sweetly. "And I am hurting up here. Perhaps you could let me sit down?" She was hoping to find out more. What did he mean about Alexia being a liar?

"You said the woman is a liar? What kinds of lies would she tell me?" She bit her lip and smiled at him slightly. "So I know what was real and what wasn't. If she was that good, I may not know." If he could play happy go lucky psycho, she could play innocent child being led around by a professional liar.

[Alexander Bane]

"Sorry Pali. I can't let you down. You bad woman may have brainwashed you." He took a step back, distancing himself from her as if suddenly realized that she could be a threat. A quick mind changed and he moved back in, getting close to her face again with his. His smile was gone and in it's place an image of concern.

"Do you really want to see what she is? I can show you." With one hand pressed on the back of her head, pushing it to look down, his other grabbed the hem of his shirt and began lifting it to reveal an equally pale stomach and showing just how low his pants were riding. He then stepped back, continuing to lift his shirt until it was up and over his head. The front of his body had more poor quality tattoos. Most looked like he had drawn them himself. Some were facing the wrong way, or upside down. Lifting his arms he slowly turned around to show his back, where in stark contrast, was tattooed very well the words of the Sith Code.

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion.Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall set me free."

"Ta-da! Do you see? Do. You. See? The bad woman wrote these words on me. It is the Code of the Sith. Once upon a time she was my Goddess. She began this so called Cult of the Dark Ascension"

[Palinsa Donar]

"Oh, no!" She tried to reassure him. "I wasn't with her long. You took me from her before I had been with her a few hours. I am not brainwashed." She tried to think of how to convince him when he suddenly came back to her and gripped her neck. The forced look down prompted a small gasp from her before she bit it back into silence. She felt her body respond to him and quickly refocused on the ink, rather than the flesh it was drawn on. She set to memory as many of the items and pictograms as she could. Especially their relationship to one another. Perhaps Alexia would want to know.

As Palinsa realized he was lifting his shirt, she let a small exhale of held breath release itself from her lungs. She didn't realize she had been holding her breath. How could she be thinking he was a sexy when she was chained up and treated like this? The words on his back made her read them under her breath. The Sith Code? She had no idea they had a Code, much less what it was. "Please, Alex... will you let me down? I can see she did so wrong to you. Let me touch you..." She swallowed and tried to relax. This wasn't going to be easy, but the sincerity was there, she just directed it over the words. "You lift your shirt and think hate... let me run a hand over it and when you lift your hand you can think of that instead." She had no idea where the idea came from. "Then you can tell me about her. Warn me so I can decide lie from fact from what she's told me."

Once more she knew she needed her arms released. She couldn't see her weapons, but she didn't need them. At least, she hoped she wasn't going to need them.

[Alexander Bane]

There was silence between them for a moment. It was uncomfortable. Down here there was little sound. The occassional sound of a speeder passing by on the street above, or breathing from one of the many people in the room, but beyond that there was little to hear. A sound bubbled up through the silence. It started low, almost a whisper. It was impossible to tell what it was until it grew louder. It was laughter. Alex turned around slowly, his mouth moving in time with the laugh. It was his own. It grew louder, shaking his entire body with it's growing ferocity. It was full of mischievous joy.

Hah. Hah. Hah. Hoo. Ha!

"Did, did you really think that was what this was all about? Did you, did you think that you could warm up to me and buy your freedom?" The curious, happy child was gone. Now he stalked toward her, his body hunched ever so slightly, his head cocked, one eye narrowed. It was a mask of confusion and insult. "What were you going to offer me next? Promises, allegiance, your body?" His hand shot out and grabbed the sides of her jaw, silencing her. "I can take that whenever I want. You have no power here. No leverage. There is not a thing I want from you. All of this." He let go and gestured around the cell. "All of this was an act for you. A performance to show you before you die the kind of monster you called your superior.

Alexia Sturkov..." he turned his head and spit. "...is a charlatan. A wolf in sheep's clothing. She started this. All this. This cult was her creation. She didn't hurt me. She empowered me. I am the High Priest. All of these men are my servants. They worship the Dark just like I do, just like Pontifex Sturkov taught us. She abandoned us and became one of you. A slave to the Empire. She calls herself a Knight but I can feel the darkness inside her. She denies what she is in order to live. She is a coward and a liar, and you trusted her with your life. This is my gift to you blasphemer. A gift of truth before you die.

All. Heretics. Will. Burn."

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa's own smile died as his did. She had gone too far, too fast, too soon to help her. His approach this time made her skin crawl, not just shudder. Whatever childlike glee had been in his eyes and voice before, was certainly gone. When he stalked her she thought he would strike her hard enough to knock her out again, and she was bracing her body trying to make sure she remained conscious. But when he snaked out to grab her jaw, this time the whimper wasn't bitten back, wasn't swallowed. It rolled up her throat full of fear and pain, unhindered.

It scared her, the idea that went through her mind. But this was her only shot. She looked into his eyes, which suddenly struck her as being vibrant and beautiful, and reached for his mind as she had the prisoner earlier. She wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for, but she tried to whisper to his mind as if it was his own thought. *Don't hurt her... she could be of use...* She tried to keep her own eyes glazed with fear, which wasn't overly hard, as she whispered to his mind. She had never tried to plant a thought before, and she could only hope it was working. *The witch will come for her... use her...* She whimpered once more as she felt her own head begin to hurt from the force of trying to plant the subtle hint. Her own voice whimpered once more, realizing she was too silent. "Please... don't.... What do you want from me?"

[Alexander Bane]

He felt it, the influence. The intrusion. A violation of his very mind as words not his own filtered through, mingled among his own thoughts. The only reward for her efforts was a solid jab to her stomach. It sent her off her feet and rolling about at the whim of the chain she hung from. When she bounced back he grabbed her throat again. Not squeezing, not pulling, just holding it. "You've met Sturkov. She was my master. I've had my mind fucked by her more times than I can remember. Don't even try. Or do. Yes. Do try. Get in there, wiggle around, and tell me what you can see. I'm going to think of all the fun times I've had. See if you can find what I want from you in there? Yes. Tell me what I want."

His hand lowered from her throat and grabbed the collar of her robe and bunched it up between his fingers. His other hand came into view. It was holding a chef knife.

[Palinsa Donar]

She was so busy concentrating that she missed the swing of his fist into her gut. She broke the connection and tried to double over. But the chains and lack of ability made it worse. She cried out in pain and fought to bite her lip through the pain and find her toes on solid ground once more. Stretching back out made the pain worse, but lifting her knees, to scrunch against the bruise she knew was now near her ribs, was worse on her shoulders.

As he told her to stay away, her murmurs were all he'd hear as she fought the tears. "I.. won't..." But then as he invited her in, the thought scared her even more. Alexia had warned her of becoming trapped in someone's mind. Of dragging yourself into the madness. This was something she didn't want to experience. "Noooo...." She gasped and tried to hold very still as the knife joined his balled up fist on her collar. "Don't... please..." Seduction hadn't worked, nor had subtlety. All she could do now was try and cooperate. But delving into his mind wasn't something she wanted to do. The very idea actually terrified her more than dying at the moment.

[Alexander Bane]

"Take a look. I want you to see what your mentor created. All the things I've done, all the things I've become, are all because of her. I was rightfully rotting away in a cell for countless charges of murder and rape. My own father wouldn't even come to my cell anymore. I would have either been executed or spent the rest of my life there, and what did she do? She broke me out. She set me free. Aha, ha, haha! It's such a strange irony that the creator of so much wrong is pretending to be a champion of the right.

Now I'm thinking of a particularly juicy memory, and you are going to look or I'm going to start cutting..." His knife bit into the fabric of her robe and began cutting downward. "...and when I reach the bottom that's when this chapter takes a darker turn. For you. I'll be just fine. In fact." He leaned his head forward the small distance between them and ran his tongue up the side of her face. He smacked his lips a little like he was contemplating the flavor. Judging it. "Hmm, yes. I think you'll do just fine. Tell me what you see?"

He didn't have a particular memory. He left his mind bare with all the many lives he had taken; each knife stab, close and personal the way he liked it, and every soul he had tortured and violated. Sometimes death was not even enough to save his victims. Sometimes the punishment continued after their light was extinguished. Until the very dust of their bodies was beyond recognition or salvation.

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa shivered. The man was mad. Beyond crazy, beyond psychotic, he was mad! As he came closer and licked her cheek she turned her head, squeezed her eyes closed and bit her lip. The closeness of him invading her space left her with a desire to shower till her top layers of skin were removed. Something told her it would be a long time before she allowed someone to kiss her again.

The sound of tearing fabric as he cut down the front of her robe made her shake. "Pleeaseee.... nooooo...." But with the threat of him hurting her worse than cutting her up, she looked at him, eyes wide in obvious stress and anxiety. When her eyes looked at his, she was trapped. Unable to look away as if he held her there, though she knew he wasn't.

**
Images flooded her mind. She saw through his eyes several scenes that at first made no sense to her. Blood, gaping mouths screaming, bodies... then it began to make sense.

Her eyes widened as tears fell down her cheeks. She closed her eyes but it was too late. That simple measure did nothing to stop the macabre massacre playing out before her. There was no reprieve as one body after another was tormented, tortured, killed and in some cases, tormented more. She heard screaming and crying and never realized it was her own voice she was hearing, superimposed over the scenes. Between cries of dismay, whimpers of helplessness and pleads to make it stop, she tried to pull her mind away, to backpedal from what she was seeing, to try and stop it.

Palinsa opened bloodshot sea green eyes, now looking more ill than lovely, and tried to focus on Alex's face. Because she was looking in his mind, through his eyes, she knew if she could back out enough to focus on him, she would be back in her own head.

[Alexander Bane]

"It's... beautiful." He said, his eyes unblinking as he looked back into her's. The smile was creeping back on his face. "Can you see it? The art I have created? I should have been an artist. Mother used to say that. I never believed her then. How could I? Ha. She would be really surprised if she knew I was using blood and sinew, souls and flesh as my tapestry. I should make her something nice. Do you think she would like that? I might send her your body, but it's not right yet. We have a lot of work to do first before you're ready."

With that said he dragged his knife down, cutting neatly through her entire robe and let it fall from around her body; leaving her in nothing but her Imperial issue undergarments; compression shorts and athletic support. The smile disappeared from his face and a look of disgust registered. "The robes make you look so much... thicker. I can't do anything with this. Oh no, no, no. My art can only be as good as the tapestry, and you fail to meet my standards. However, you'll meet their standards just fine." he said, pointing around the room at the collection of assembled men. Grabbing his shirt from the floor he slipped it back on.

"Do what you want, just make sure she's dead when you're done. Oh, little Knight. When you reach hell say hello to the real Alexia Sturkov. I'm sure she's there. Can't say for sure. I never met her. Ta!" And with that he headed up the stairs and out of sight.

The men began to amble forward, finally leaving their stationary positions to form a tight knit circle around the Imperial Knight. There was plenty of chuckling and fist bumping as their hands reached out tentatively, stroking the exposed flesh found on legs and arms of the chained woman. The name killer assumed Alex's position in front of the Knight and grabbed her by the sides of her mouth and spoke three words. "Scream for me."

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa could feel her head pounding. The images she was still trying to forget were etched in her mind like acid had been spilled on her skin. When the words sank in that he was leaving her at the mercy of the other men, real fear set in. Till then, she had lied to herself she could take anything he could dish out to her. But this... this wasn't something she was prepared for. She was no virgin, but the idea of what was about to transpire scared her to the core. "No..." she whispered softly as he left as if the simple half breathy pleas would make everything better.

Her first thought, without even realizing she was doing it, was to mentally scream for Alexia. She tried to focus on the woman's face and where she had seen her last. She had no idea how long ago that had been. And with the debris caused by the exploding wall and the stun grenade, it was even possible the mentor had already written off her student and moved on. But she hollered none the less. *AAAAALLLLEEEXXXIIAAAAAAAA!!!*

The other thing she realized, as the hands on her flesh brought her back to the moment, was that no name was in front of her begging her to scream. It was certainly not going to happen voluntarily so she did the only thing she could think of. She opened her mind, thought of the worst image she had seen in Alex's head and thought it hard, fast, and sharp into the man's head before her. It would, in her opinion, be like a scream and horror holovid all at once. She knew what her head felt like and she tried to force that on him. A mental scream and the view of Alex's eyes going down on the woman who was already dead but still at his mercy. She tried to make it seem like he was the girl on the ground, but all she could do was hope she was doing it right. Otherwise, placing him in Alex's shoes, as she had been, might be worse for her if he enjoyed such things.

[Alexia Sturkov]

All around the room the thugs stopped, something doubling over while others merely held the sides of their heads. Some grumbled and some growled. The images were not overly disturbing to them, they had already been desensitized under the rule of the dark prophet Alexander Bane. It was the intensity and the flood of images that overran their minds, threatening to break the capacity of the human brain. All except for the name killer. He stood defiant, his hand still holding her mouth. A smug little grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. The images, in their terrible depravity, only served to excite him more.

His little eyes looked around the room at his stunned companions. "I'll go first." He pushed his way through the others to get behind the Cadet. His breath was warm on her neck as his hands seized her hips on either side.

There was a sound. A commotion of footsteps and voices raining down from the ground floor above. The Name Killer paused, his eyes looking up, one finger hooked in the hem of the Cadet's shorts. The rest snapped out of their stupor and followed suit looking heavenward. The blap of blaster fire was unmistakable as it filtered down through the floorboards. One of them called out in alarm and began looking around for a weapon while others drew what they had, but no sooner had they drawn than the door metal door down into the basement creaked loudly and then blew off it's hingers, traveling down the stairwell while remaining upright. The thugs opened fire, but their blaster pistols could not penetrate the door.

The door gained speed and shot through the room, slamming into several of the thugs and sending them out of Palinsa's sight and revealed Alexia in it's place, her silver lightsabre blazing in the dim light. There was a furiousity in her eyes, a focus that was not just in her eyes but in her stance. Shoulders hunched, head down, knees bend, and the fingers on her free hand bent like twisting daggers. Blasters ripped out of hands, men were thrown like ragdolls, and the Name Killer, who charged the Imperial Knight, was thrown into the ceiling, his upper body punching through the floor boards were it became lodged. One by one the remaining thugs met the same fate as they were thrown into walls and the floor, their bodies breaking loudly and their heads smashed open. Several times the thugs tried to strike out at the defenseless Cadet, and each time the door lifted up and moved in between them and the Cadet, protecting her from harm.

The last of the goons were pulled through the door, dragged before Alexia, and she asked one thing. "Where is Bane?" When the man did not squeak out an immediate answer his head was severed from his shoulders. Kicking the bodies aside Alexia stepped up to Palinsa and cut her chains and caught her body as she came down, wrapping a hand around her waist to steady her descent. Alexia gave her a quick look over. She looked unhurt beyond some bruising to her stomach. Words failed her. She was not the type to reassure someone with lies about how it will all be okay. She fell back on her training instead.

"Report, Cadet."

[Palinsa Donar]

Pali watched helplessly as bodies went from attackers to targets, then to nothing but so much debris as Alexia powered through the room as if nothing but children stood before her. The door constantly seemed to block her as a pistol, blade or even a body came at her. When the fighting stopped, bodies, if that's what you could call them, were strewn around the room like party poppers gone awry.

Next thing she knew, her arms went slack and she fell into Alexia's embrace. Unable to move, and barely able to keep her feet flat, she managed to find her voice. "Alexander... Alexander Bane... This was him." She tried to stand but her legs wouldn't hold her. It angered her more than the abuse. It was set in her mind, if she could stand on her own, walk out of there, straighten her cloak, she would be fine. "He said you weren't what you seemed. Said you were a liar, and would see me in hell." She tried to lift her arm but they wouldn't respond either. All she could think to say was, "I'm sorry. I should have been better against him." Her mind flashed a moment with what she had seen, what he had flooded her mind with, and she bit her lip to keep from gasping, her head shaking a moment to try and shake the images from her mind. "He... He wanted me to scream." Her voice was shaking and her body shuddered as well.

[Alexia Sturkov]

"Forgive me." Alexia raised her hand, pressed her fingertip to the Cadet's forehead and put her to sleep. The process was not difficult on an unshielded mind, and more so on one so frazzled. While she was in there, in that brief moment, she revisited the horrors Palinsa had endured, and the images she had pulled from Alexander's mind. Everything was jumbled and a mess. There was no order, no direction. Just flashes, hot and blinding until it suddenly went dark as her mind was persuaded to take a break. It took to the suggested like one would expect an exhausted mind. Her's was frayed thin and in far worse condition than her physical form.

Alex had gone from being the puppet to being the puppet master.

Dragging her unconscious body from the basement, Alexia carried the Cadet to the surface and into the waiting speeder. All around bodies littered the home and the Raven Guard stood watch. Every cupboard and room had been ripped open and rummaged through until every conspirator was detained or destroyed. Chain gangs of survivors were escorted to meat wagons. Any shred of information, bits of flimsi, datapads, even scribbles on the walls were photographed. Alexander had been here. Alexia could feel his stain on this place. It was imperative that they found him. Every moment he was free was time for him to pull another string. He had been alone with his machinations in the underworld of this planet for so long. It would seem that he was more the ruler than the Empire or the Resistance.

The speeder took them straight back to Headquarters. During the ride Alexia kept an eye on her ward, and wondered just what direction the following conversation between them was going to go. Alex had evidently revealed secrets best left buried and Alexia was not mentally equipped to deal with that. Not now. Perhaps never. It would seem that she did not have that option anymore. She had hid what she was from the others, from Vissica, but her past was coming knocking now. Perhaps it would be best to head it off now, reduce the damage, and swallow the bitter pill presented.

Back inside Headquarters, Alexia personally escorted Palinsa's unconscious form to the medical ward, where they were promptly left alone; much to the complains of the physicians. Laid down in a bed in a sterile room, she almost looked at peace. Pity that would soon disappear. Repeating her motion from before, Alexia placed finger to forehead again and looked inside the mind. This was not sleep. There were no dreams to feel. Nothing. It was almost like reading a corpse, only there was the faintest something deep within. Like a slumbering presence waiting to wake. And awaken it she did. The Cadet woke immediately, panicked and confused. Alexia, sitting on the edge of the bed, grabbed her by the shoulders and held her down.

"Calm yourself Cadet. You are safe."

[Palinsa Donar]

"ALEXIA! It's Alexander... he..." She heard Alexia's voice and managed to finally focus. The moment she stopped, her body reminded her how sore and abused she felt and it didn't take much to prompt her to lay back once more on the bed. A shiver went through her as she closed her eyes a moment and covered them with her hand. She was shaking. She removed her hand and balled it into a fist at her side as she opened her eyes to look at her mentor. "Alexander did this. He has a hatred for you unlike anything I have ever felt before." She said, though as it left her mouth, she was sure Alexia already knew.

She slowed her breathing and tried to calm the slamming in her chest as her heart ran over the day before coming here to this state of mess and confusion. Slowly Palinsa's mind began to clear enough to speak. The images she had been forced to endure were still flashing like half forgotten nightmare pictures on her skull, but she needed to find out what was real and what wasn't. "He said you were a charlatan. A liar who began a cult of darkness... There was a poem, a Code, inked upon his back. He said you placed it there." She let the words stop. She wanted to close her eyes, sleep, forget it all. But she couldn't. There was something here, like the pieces of a puzzle. And something told her she was missing several key pieces to it. "What did he mean?"

[Alexia Sturkov]

Standing up, Alexia stepped over to the window. Through the reinforced crossbars she could see the city beyond. The sun was beginning to dip behind the horizon. The day was ending, and with the night would come the terror. Both the Cultists and the Rebels were more active at night, using darkness to hide their clandestine actions. Already forces were pulling back inside where it was safe, or only venturing out in heavily armed convoys to maintain was little peace there was. Curfew would see the streets emptied. Any good and loyal citizens will be barricading themselves inside their homes. It was an unfortunate, but necessary precaution to keep them safe. When the new day came every heart still beating was a victory.

"I know all about Alexander, Cadet. We are very familiar with him. I must apologize for what happened to you. I did not see the trap until it was too late. The Cultists do not usually operate in broad daylight. They prefer the darkness. I can only imagine he has something particularly horrible planned for tonight. That's how he operates. A big show, all at once. Ambushing us and taking you was only the first part, no doubt. More will come, and it always gets worse as it goes until it ends in some grand spectacle. I have little doubt that grand spectacle would have involved hanging your body from somewhere up high like some kind of symbol."

She turned her head, looking over at the bedridden Cadet. "But you're safe now. With his centerpiece gone he may abandon his plot, or he will find a new victim to string up. It will have to be someone important, someone of value. That is why I need to know if you picked up anything, anything at all, while you were in his head. I've seen some of what he showed you. It's disjointed and chaotic. Impossible to tell what is past, present, or imaginary. Alex is a psychopath and he is in love with the idea of being caught. He intentionally leaves flaws, lets secrets fly, because to him it's about the game and he wants to keep it going as long as he can. He may have showed you something, his next target, or a hint. Is there anything you can rememeber?"

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa tried to sit up against the thin frame headboard. But the best she could manage without making her head and vision swim was a bit more propped up on the pillows. As Alexia mentioned knowing Alexander, Pali got the feeling there was as much there, if not more, than even the madman had hinted at. There was something between these two. That's why Alex wanted the woman dead so badly. And Palinsa had nearly been the bait. Well, she had been the bait, but the trap had been strung prematurely and for that Pali would owe the Knight a debt she doubted she could ever get a chance to repay.

"I don't know, Knight." She decided the best thing was to fall back to training and orders. Sift thru the memories like a picture book and not a holo on scramble. Closing her eyes a moment to calm herself, Plainsa began to try and imagine what she saw and try and put order to it. "There were women. Lots of women. Some men, too. But he took his time with them." She shivered and bit her lip wanting to both focus and shut it out at the same time. But she bit back the scream she wanted to let loose and tried anyway. "There was a place... like a palisade. But it's not quite cleared..." She tried to focus on the place she had seen flickering in the memories. It was between the visions he had given her. Or rather, it was mingled with the visions she had had thrust into her mind like a punch to her mind.

"There is debris on the edges. I can barely see it... stones from fist to man size..." She could see herself and frowned. "I'm there... He..." She realized that mixed in with his pleasures of the past, were his desires of the future. "He's standing before me. I can see him looking down an alley. There is a building to my left... a large black symbol painted on it... I can't... can't make it out..." She tried to turn her head but she was bound. She whimpered trying to turn her head. "Alexia!" She saw the woman coming down the alley. She didn't see Alex, he had moved just out of sight, into the shadows. Without realizing it, she opened her mind for her mentor and tried to warn her mentally, forgetting for a moment the woman was mere feet away.

[Alexia Sturkov]

Closing the distance between them, Alexia stood beside her bedridden comrade and reached out with the force. It took almost no effort to join with Palinsa's mind as she began flipping back through the images. It was like her mind was desperate to share. She followed along as Palinsa put images together, tried to find a chronological order, and find the memory that did not belong. She mentioned a walled structure with stones, and an alley leading to a building with a black symbol on it. The place was alien to her, but the symbol seemed important. It was the key.

Sudden feedback from Palinsa panicking severed their link and sent Alexia stumbling backwards, holding her own head. It passed as quickly as it came. "Calm yourself Palinsa. Take a breather." Whipping out her comm unit Alexia tapped in a few quick channel codes and then lifted it to her lips. "Sergeant, I'm looking for a building near a walled stone merchant. It has a black symbol on it's door, like intersection crescents with dots, or stars, at the edges."

"That matches the description of the Tabarnak. It used to be a brothel. Now it's abandoned. Corellian Security has been out to the building many times in the past to clear out squatters."

"Send the coordinates to my holo." Alexia replied as she pulled out the disc shaped hologram projector with her other hand and held it upright. Blue light emitted from the top and formed a map of the city. It zoomed it until it was focused on a single city block. The building in question flashed red. It did not seem out of the ordinary or special in any way. Something caught her eye. "What is the building three doors down? It looks Imperial."

"It's an old financial building that we have been using to store supplies. Captain Toth runs logistics out of it."

"Thank you Sergeant." She silenced the comm and held it pensively near her face before turning her eyes back to the Cadet. "It's not much, but it is a viable target. I presume the cultists are using the Tabarnak as a launching point. Your abduction was likely a distraction. If we move now we may yet crush them before they ever begin. Are you feeling up to it, Cadet?"

[Palinsa Donar]

Polinsa bit her lip when the connection severed and she realized what she'd done. "It's a trap, you know..." She couldn't help voicing the warning as Alexia spoke.

A flood of relief went over her as she was asked to go. "Yes, ma'am." She answered without hesitating. And had a whopper of a headache but she wasn't going to let her mentor go alone and was grateful she didn't need ask, or convince the Knight she was capable.

"I think if we circle round and come the other direction, we can surprise him." As she stood up and followed Alexia, something else came to mind. Is there someone who can put your cloak on? Maybe come down the alley we saw him in. If he mistakes the person for you, he may make himself known and we can lure him out."

It seemed ridiculous when said it loud. But the Knight cloak hood could hide a face for just looking enough to work. Her voice remained steady as she continued without missing a beat. "Or can go out in the open... He won't expect me. I can move like I fought and escaped. He may even think I'm alone, at least long enough to make himself known so you can get him."

She wasn't crazy about being bait. Definitely not an adrenalin junky. But she knew Alexia wad the stronger of the two of them. Suggesting she do it herself was out of the question in Pali's mind.

[Alexia Sturkov]

"It's good to think outside the box, Cadet. However, your tactics are those of an ant trying to best a giant. Do not forget that on this world we are the dominant force. We do not need to bait or trap our opponents. If we so desired we could destroy the Tabarnak from space with a turbolaser. Think like an Imperial Knight, Cadet. That building is abandoned and condemned. That means anyone found inside is breaking our law. The have forfeited their own lives. We can hit it fast and hard and not worry about collateral. Demolishing that structure would benefit the city.

If there is one thing you need to know about Alexander, is that he's a coward. He will not be there. He will be nearby, watching from afar, but he will not get directly involved. Our priority is crushing this attack before it happens and maintaining the peace and safety of our protected citizens. You, I, and the Raven Guard will be more than enough to handle a few cultists. We have the whole garrison at our disposal. As an Imperial Knight I act in the name of the Empress and can command all but the most senior of officers to do my bidding. We will attack in force. Whatever trap they think they have will fall flat and be their undoing. While our troops surround them from the outside we shall infiltrate from above. Head to the armory and get fresh robes and armor, and a lightsabre. I have an extra set. It should fit. Get a battle stimulant from the medic. It'll wake you up. I want you battle ready.

Report to the landing pad on the roof when you are ready."

With that Alexia swished out of the room, her comm coming back up to her mouth as she began to send orders to the Garrison Commander. Troops were relocated, plans were set, and Alexia and her Raven Guard headed for the rooftop, where a Lambda was being prepped and made ready.

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa listened as the woman spoke. She was right, the woman admitted silently to herself. She didn't know their target as the Knight did. She had been thinking of them on him. The fact that his machinations were on a larger scale was something Palinsa hadn't taken into account. While it was true he was after Alexia, there was a grander plan in motion.

"Yes, Ma'am." She responded to the orders to get cleaned and refitted and on the roof. Getting the stimulant from the Doc, she took it first to give it a chance to kick in and run off its leading edge of sharpness while she went to the armory and gained clothes, robes and armor and a light saber. Once she was satisfied with her hair up out of the way and the new clothes on, she gave one more wash to her face and headed for the roof.

Less than half an hour after departing in the infirmary, the woman strode across the roof towards her mentor. Seeing the woman, Palinsa realized she had far more to learn than merely shielding her mind from psychopaths and raping murderers. She would have to take time, if there was any later, to study tactics and more self defense in a more in depth mode. She was feeling half a turn behind her mentor and not quite sure how to catch up.

Stepping up towards Alexia, Pali finally spoke up so not to sneak up on her mentor. "Knight, I am ready."

[Alexia Sturkov]

"You look ready." She replied after turning around to face the Cadet. There was a firmness in her stance that betrayed the weak form she had arrived in. "Try not to lose your sabre again. The requisition forms are a nightmare."

Behind her the rooftop landing pad was occupied with a single Lambda shuttle. It's gray hull was marked with the same black bird that adorned the shoulders of the Raven Guard. Inside the stormtroopers were strapped into place. Every seat was taken. Alexia nodded her head toward the ramp and then headed up. Once inside she grabbed hold of a hanging tether and stood in the center. She motioned for Palinsa to do the same. The shuttle rose into the air, it's ramp still lowered, and shot off over the city. Through the opened ramp they could see the Headquarters building fall away and skyscrapers pass by on the sides.

"Arriving at destination in fifteen seconds. Hold on."

Alexia's grip tightened as the buckling shuttle tried to dislodge her. She kept an eye on Palinsa, in case the Cadet's grip failed and needed to be held in place. The shuttle banked hard, decelerating at an incredible rate as it swooped into position.

"Green to go."

"With me Cadet." She yelled over the howl of the air and engines. Around them the Raven Guard were getting out of their seats, grabbing their blaster carbines, and attaching their own tether lines to the ceiling rail. Alexia abandoned her own tether and grabbed Palinsa by the arm and escorted her to the edge of the ramp. Down below they could see a building, the Tabarnak. A commotion was already building below, as a lone man on the rooftop was looking up at the shuttle with a comm to his mouth. There was no time to waste. Alexia hooked an arm around Palinsa's waist and pushed off the edge, ignoring any protest.

The pair plummeted toward the Earth. The man below on the roof dropped his comm and pulled out a blaster from his waistband. He began firing. A report of gunfire above their heads signalled the descent of the Raven Guard, who plummeted off the ramp two at time, their tether lines slowing their descent toward the ground. Their gunfire pocketed across the surface of the rooftop until it trailed into the gunman's body, ripping his body apart with the smaller, tight carbine fire. With the force as her ally Alexia slowed her own descend and together the two Imperial Knights hit the rooftop at the same time as the now dead gunman.

Nodding to her student, Alexia pulled her lightsabre free and activated the silver beam. The door to the rooftop sprung open, and three men stepped out, blasters raised and firing. The falling Raven Guard fired from above while Alexia moved forward, her lightsabre a spinning whirl as she deflected enemy fire. A pulling motion of her free hand sent a cultist tumbling forward, hitting the rooftop and skittering forward to Palinsa's feet. Confident in the Cadet's ability to dispose of a prone guard, Alexia focused on the remaining gunmen. The Raven Guard removed one and Alexia cut down the second.

As the last fell the Raven Guard landed, detaching their tethers and stepping out of the way so the next wave could drop. "Alpha team with me, Bravo team with Cadet Donar. Cadet, take the stairs. Kill everyone you find." And with that said she stepped away from the rooftop access door and to the edge of the three story structure's rooftop.

[Palinsa Donar]

"Thank you, Ma'am." Pali responded to the compliment on her look. She wanted to be sure she never embarrassed or made her mentor look bad. She was a Knight in training, and impression meant a lot to her. Not necessarily in looks, but in presentation. A mess of a Knight didn't invoke confidence in those who looked to them.

Grateful her balance was not a thing she had to work on, Pali managed to maintain herself on the ship as they sped for the location in question.

When Alexia grasped Palinsa and jumped from the ship, the young student tensed for a moment, then merely allowed gravity to do its work and Alexia to guide them. Her heart jumped to her throat, but she was smart enough to know that if she paniced in her mentor's arm, she could kill them both. She also managed not to flinch, much, as the weapons firing down from above came close to their descending bodies.

Hitting the rooftop, Pali drew her weapon as Alexia did. Nodding to her orders, she moved with the group of Ravens with her and began her descent into the building.

**
Between the body guard's weapons and her own blade, Palinsa managed to clear the stairs of the five enemy there, with deflection of a couple blaster fires and the guard raining death from just behind her shoulders, and opened the door to the next floor. She cut down a surprised man standing there on guard, apparently just about to open the door himself, and the killing blow, from her own hand, was the first she struck up close. The feeling and realization she had taken a life had two fold affect on her. On the one hand, the young woman realized what she was capable of and a renewed sense of power made her almost grin. The other affect was one she quickly pressed down and ignored, that she had the ability to take life, and could do it without remorse in the line of duty.

Holding up her hand as they came to a corner, Pali crouched down and glanced around the corner. There were four men, poised to fire at anything coming around the corner. Giving the four fingers signal to those behind her, she made a fist to tell them to hold a moment. Glancing back around the corner at her low angle, she managed to see one of the men just enough to concentrate on his face. She squinted her eyes with the effort and tried to shove a feeling of needles into his mind. She hadn't tried it before, not without closer contact, but it worked. While her own headache itched a moment wanting to hit her, she got the guard distracted enough to drop his weapon and go to his knees screaming. Lack of training had made the invasion a full on assault.

In the momentary confusion, she and the guards came around the corner and fired at the 3 who were distracted by their comrade's screams. They took out all four in a moment and then proceeded down the hall to the next corner.

[Alexia Sturkov]

Alpha team followed her to the edge of the building and attached new tethers to the edge. Once everyone was in place they jumped off the side, and Alexia was right behind them. Up above the shuttle continued to play Overwatch, watching for fleeing cultists. The tether lines dropped them down to the second story, where they positioned themselves along the windows. Some still stood in place, but like many abandoned buildings, several were broken or boarded up. No matter. While everyone else got in position, one Raven Guard too up position next to a broken window and peered inside, keeping watch.

Giving the go signal, the team exploded into action, kicking off the rooftop and then slamming back down into the windows, blowing through them and into the room. They came up firing, as cultists responded to the crash. Alexia was right behind them, using her powers to rip open the window rather than slam into it. As she exploded through the other side, she caught the falling glass shards and carried them through the air, and with her mind redirected them across the room and into the soft bodies of those firing on them. The glass embedded in their flesh, tore clothing, and shredded their bodies.

Unlike the Rebels, the cultists were undisciplined thugs. They were the rejects that the Rebels did not want. The crazy, the violent, and the defective. Alex did not care who he got his hands on provided they were willing to die for him.

With the room secured they began moving through the rest of the second floor, executing the cultists that they found. Alexia could hear the sound of combat coming from the floor above; which Team Bravo was clearing.

[Alexander Bane]

On the third floor a bathroom door was kicked open, and from the smelly depths emerged another cultist. This one was shirtless, dressed in leather pants, and covered in tattoos depicting horrible images of slaughter, torture, and rape. He carried something the other cultists did not; a lightsabre. Sliding his finger over the activation stud, the weapon shot to life. The blade was red and crackling, the result of a cracked synthetic crystal. He raised a finger and pointed at the Imperial Cadet. "You and me, poppit."

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa spun as the door crashed against the wall behind her. A small gasp and a look of fear and surprise washed over her face before she was able to steel her expression. Her saber already up, she stepped back to put room between her and the man. Weapons firing around the corner made her realize the rest had moved on to clear a path for her, unaware she was behind them with her adversary. Her mind reached for Alexia, unsure where the woman was or what she was wrapped up in herself. The message was short and simple. *He's here!*

She took a couple steps to her left as she looked at the man who she knew would already haunt her dreams for nights to come. If she could lure him around the corner, catch the attention of the guards not twenty yards away, she would have a chance. As her mind reeled with thoughts of what to say back to his goading, she said the only thing that actually rolled off her tongue. "I am not your poppit."

[Alexia Sturkov]

The telepathic message hit her with all the subtly of a hammer made of bees. She stopped in her tracks, stepping into cover so she could take the required moment to decipher the message that had crashed against her mental barriers on a ship on the reefs and put it all back together into something coherent. The deciphered message sent chills down her spine. "Bravo team engage target and protect Cadet Donar!" She shouted into her comm as her eyes raised to look up through the ceiling, trying to find just where Palinsa was on the level above.

---

Several Raven Guards turned in place and headed back for the Cadet. They burst into the room and opened fire upon the lightsabre wielding maniac. To his own credit, and astonishment, he managed to deflect the first few shots into the floor and and ceiling, but then the Stormtroopers began firing as fast as their blasters could cycle and the uncoordinated cultist was cut down where he stood. He remained defiant, shrieking curses and promises of violence upon them even as his body was being evaporated. A final stand on his knees was made, his body blackened and crisp. He threw his lightsabre at them even as the last of his strength faded and he collapsed into a heap of ashes. The weapon bounced off the floor and went no where.

A burning red blade scorching the floor boards.

---

"Donar, report!" Alexia called out of the melee on her own floor. Cultists were purged without hesitation, like the wrath of god poured out upon the sinners.

[Palinsa Donar]

Despite her lack of perfected training in the more intricate details of proper form, survival have Polinsa the few seconds of edge to deflect the maniac's saber swings before the troops returned to open fire.

When the first blasts hit him, Polinsa managed to use the Force just for a moment to deflect one of the large chunks of debris Alex tried to fling at the young Knight before he dropped his saber and was felled. In hindsight, the fledgling supposed that sheer survival instinct and reflex had done more to keep the deadly chunk from hitting her than speed and skill.

As the his of his saber burning the floor became the only sound, Polinsa responded to Alexia's shout as she leaned down to turn off the saber and clip it on her belt. "He's dead, moving on."

She shouted her response over the phaser rifle fire that now moved before her as they moved down the hall, once more moving to clear the building. Her own slices and slashes taking down a few enemy as well.

[Alexia Sturkov]

"Ground floor is clear." The call came through but there was no fanfare for victory screams. Instead the Raven Guard settled their wounded and took up positions at the doors and windows; keeping an ever stoic eye out for the chance of a counter attack. The dead were left where they fell, the cultists' bodies littering the ground. Their soft and fragile bodies standing in hard contrast to the heavily armored stormtroopers.

"Come downstairs when you've cleared your level, Cadet. Your training continues."

In her hands a cultist squirmed. The last one. Alexia had already probed his mind. He knew nothing worth knowing. He was a rat who had fallen in with the bad crowd and was very much regretting his life choices. His blubbering and begging had been silenced by repeated blows to the mouth. Now he kept his bloody mouth shut. His spirit was as broken as his teeth. He will be the perfect candidate for what Alexia wanted to teach next.

[Palinsa Donar]

In less than ten minutes, the floor was clear and Palinsa came down the hall flanked by the guard who had accompanied her. They were short a few, as was Alexia, but Pali was firm in her gait. It had been brutal, Palinsa wouldn't deny that. And perhaps tonight, alone in her quarters, hindsight would drudge up the visions and replay them often enough to deprive her of sleep. But right now, the young woman brushed a length of loosed hair behind her ear and lifted her chin. "It's clear." She said in a voice that was firm and sure.

Glancing to the beaten lump of a man in Alexia's grasp, a single eyebrow rose in curiosity. "Did he give you anything useful?" She was certain there was a reason for the man still being alive, but it escaped her what the reason would be since no one else was spared.

[Alexia Sturkov]

"No."

That was the straight answer. The man had nothing. Was nothing. This was a worthless creature, not even worthy to be called human. This was the trash that Bane attracted; garbage people who have thrown their lives away with poor decisions; gambling, drugs, stealing, and murder. In all the confrontations with this Doomsday cult Alexia had never once found a good person among them, not a speck of decency or self awareness. Nobody who was roped in by a friend, who felt bad at what they had done, who had second thoughts and acted on them. Instead the ranks of the Cult of Dark Ascension was filled with the scraps that society threw away and boasted a foundation built on the corpses of aimless simpletons and bloodthirsty thugs who thought they were signing up for fame or fortune.

And at the top of the heap sat Bane upon a throne built from the twisted and deformed bodies of those whom he had tricked into following his path to madness.

"But he can yet serve a purpose to us; to further your training. I want you to enter his mind. I will guide you."

Moving to the other side of the man, Alexia set her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to stay on his knees while also establishing a necessary physical connection.

"Let us begin at the top. Tell me how what he is feeling."

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa watched as Alexia set the man before her like an offering to be slaughtered and sacrificed. She had no delusions that that was exactly what would happen eventually. Till then, she listened and obeyed.

Concentrating on the man before her, Palinsa took a deep breath and opened her mind to the energy around her. Using it like a caressing hand, she stroked the man's cheek mentally and slowly envisioned his mind opening to her. "Fear..." was the first word out of her mouth. As soon as she said it there was a wave of images, feelings, and a jumble that took her by storm. A small gasp and her fists balled as she regained control and tried to shove back the wave and filter it for clarification. When the mind bombarding her was once more netted and controlled with her own mind, she glanced at her mentor. "He is afraid you are going to kill him." The clarity of that specific statement surprised her. She hadn't just felt a raw emotion... fear... but she had known his exact thoughts. "He's mentally pleading for his life." The words were spoken in amusement as if it were a humorous idea.

[Alexia Sturkov]

"Good. He should be afraid. He has committed quite a few crimes today, haven't you?" She grabbed the man by the back of his head and wretched it back so she could look straight down into his face; tearful eyes and slack jaw. "Attempted murder of an Imperial Knight is a death sentence in of itself, but let us not forget about the acts of terrorism, murder, assault, the list goes on. Even if you do not die today you would be spending the rest of your life in an isolation cell."

"Go deeper Cadet Donar. You've seen his emotions, and his surface thoughts that he's wearing on his sleeve. Let's look for simple memories. Not secrets. Does he have a family?"

[Palinsa Donar]

She had been about to muster the Force to her to read his mind when the scream of his mental plea flooded over her and caused her to catch her breath. "A wife, and two children. Aiden and Nadia." Her eyes widened as the mewling noise from the prisoner became a near cry. "His scream to leave them be was almost palpable." The smile that filled her features made Palinsa almost giddy.

Suddenly she lost all her inhibitions. She stepped closer, her hand moving to hover just over his cheek as if to caress but fearing to touch. Something told her if her skin touched his, she would be lost in his mind. His thoughts were screams, his barriers were no longer even attempted as he tried to scream blindly in his mind to clear his thoughts. But the more he tried to think of less, the more the young woman saw. Her voice came as if remembering a dream. She was wading through the screams, the pleas, the hesitations... and her body shivered as she tried to maintain her own control and make sense of it. "He was supposed to lay in wait. Killing the Knights, killing us, was supposed to be his Master's joy. But he wanted the honor. He thought if he could kill one of us, he would be praised."

She tilted her head as his eyes widened. "There is another plan. One that would occur if they failed. It's... it's at the docks..." she said the words though they made no sense to her. She wasn't familiar with the area. She could pick up flicks, images, fleeting words. Her eyes locked onto his and she tried to hold him mentally as she attempted to make sense of the mess. "More, of them... a shuttle... " she looked up at Alexia with a confused look on her face as she gave the rest. "I see images of Knights, or guards, of the shuttle we came in on. But it's blurry, like it's not quite clear who is who. And he's scared of burning."

Her mind was racing as she tried to take a few deep breaths to calm herself. Once she had started looking deeper, the images became erratic and jumbled. It was as if he was rushing thru them or something.

[Alexia Sturkov]

Another plot? If this was but a diversion that Alex was proving to be a far better tactician that she had planned. No. Perhaps not a diversion. Perhaps just a fool throwing all his darts wildly at the board and hoping that maybe just one will stick. Good. Play your hand Alex. We will thwart every attempt, every push, and when the smoke clears all of your darts will be in the wall, and you will have none left in hand. This could be the end of the Cult of Dark Ascension, or whatever he was calling it these days. That, at least, was what it had been called when she had created it.

With a snap of her finger, the Raven Guard captain straightened up and began barking orders to his troopers, who began to fan out, preparing the wounded for medvac and the rest for the next leg of the journey. No doubt already establishing communications with Control to try and lock down this Dock and Shuttle that may be the key to the next target.

"Dig deeper, Palinsa. Find his every secret, explore his deepest desires, and uncover his greatest fears. Uncover this new plot. He is a ball of yarn waiting to be unraveled. Do not be afraid. I am protecting you."

There was a smile upon her scarred lips. She did not even realize it, within this moment, just how much she was enjoying watching Palinsa tear this man's psyche apart like an child with a napkin; unclear of the damage she was doing.

[Palinsa Donar]

Pali brushed her hair behind her ears as she watched the reactions to her information. After things settled, she turned back to Alexia. "Yes, Ma'am," she responded to the order to dig deeper. Grabbing the man's shoulder and pushing him gently to his knees, she stared into his upturned face.

This time his mental pleas went unheeded. Palinsa pushed them aside and listened deeper. It never occurred to her, as it did her mentor, that she was enjoying this. The heady rush of power was washing away her doubts in her abilities and her fear of the consequences of her actions. In that moment, she wasn't paying attention to the ramblings, mentally and verbally, slowing and becoming less coherent. She was listening to the prompts, the echoes of orders received, and other chaos that minds spit out on a regular basis.

Tilting her head down, she pressed deeper. Soon the oral rantings ceased and his eyes glazed over. But Palinsa didn't notice, and didn't stop. Her whole interrogation was going on silently in his mind. The question and answer session turning the man's senses to mush.

Once it was done, she pulled back with an audible gasp. Her face was flushed and sweat beaded her temples. She felt like she had been swimming under water without coming up for air. As she slowly tried to refocus on Alexia, she kept her hands on the man's shoulders. But this time it wasn't to control him, it was to balance her. "I..." she shook her head trying to organize her thoughts. "He, he said that there is another attack. One that I mentioned before. The other one, the other attack." She realized the words before she spoke them and suddenly her vision, her demeanor, her thoughts... they were all so crystal clear.

"He knows I'm your apprentice. He's planning to, was planning, to take me to get to you." She frowned as she realized the plot was known but not the actions. "This one didn't have the details, only knew the vagueness of what the four groups were going to be doing." Her mind ticked off the groups and she frowned as she let go of the man's shoulders and straightened up. "If this was group one, and the shuttle is two, taking me is three.... what is group four doing?" She didn't like where this was going. "He really doesn't, didn't, like you... did he? Do you think the plans will stop because he's dead?"

[Alexia Sturkov]

The cadet came out out of the cultists mind like a rising phoenix; in flight and on fire. She did not even notice as the cultist crumpled to her feet, the damage to his psyche too much for his weak mind to bear. He was not dead, not yet, but there was little hope that he would ever emerge from the coma his mind had slipped into. Nothing of worth was lost. Alexia was with her apprentice the entire way, seeing what she saw, while also skipping around to a few deeper corners. He knew nothing. Nothing at all. Just another piece of meat in Alex's war of chaos.

"Careful, Cadet. Temper your expectations. Keep in mind that all you can find is what the individual believes is true. Alex is well aware of my powers of telepathy and he will no doubt seed misdirection and falsehoods even in his own men so that in the event that they are captured they have little to offer to me but deceit. This was good practice, all the same, but I fear I have pushed you too far. You are standing on a precipice and it is time to come back from the ledge. You may need time to recuperate and sort what is your mind and what you took from the minds of others. Alex was not here, he is not among the dead. Come, we will rendezvous back at headquarters. The garrison can handle any other threats. You did well, Cadet Donar."

The shuttle had landed in the street outside, the folding wings of the iconic Lambda folding up neatly to allow it room to perch. New shuttles were arriving by the minute, disgorging additional troopers to assist the Raven Guard, see to the wounded, and take away any survivors to prison and their eventual execution. It had been a very trying day for both of them, and the Cadet had earned a little rest. There was not much of it these days. There was little time to sleep while the city burned.

[Palinsa Donar]

"Not here? But he... I thought they..." she pointed to the Ravens around them. "I thought they killed him." She shook her head in disbelief as they headed for the transport. Her mind replayed the scene over and over. Alex, Bane, in her face... taunting... then...

She shook her head and a smile lit her features as the transport took off with her and Alexia in it. She looked to her mentor and cocked her head slightly. "We didn't kill him, did we? He clouded my mind, maybe the guard as well, to make us think we did." It wasn't a question. She could feel, just on the fringes of her mind, a caress she was starting to find familiar. It was dissipating, slowly, as if it had pulled a cover over her mind and then slowly released it so she could come back to herself. She looked at Alexia and sighed. "Was that why I believed he was dead and the two Raven with me, yet his remains weren't found?" The sense of failure tinted her words. Had she been stronger, not panicked. Perhaps if she hadn't shifted her concentration to holler for her mentor. All those things went thru her mind and made her wonder what else she had missed because of his skill... and her lack of it.

[Alexia Sturkov]

Alexia gave her student a sideways glance before returning her eyesight to the landscape as it passed by underneath their shuttle.

"I don't know what you think you saw, Cadet. You have had a very trying day. Bane would never be present at a battle where his victory was not assured. He is a coward that hides behind a bulwark of flesh. He is a great manipulator. He may have played a part in the raid. Perhaps he is trying to finish what he started with you. Stay vigilant. What I know about Alexander Bane is that he fixates and obsesses, and unfortunately you have drawn his eye. We may have to move you off planet for your safety. We cannot risk the levels he will go to if he chooses to continue to harass you."

[Palinsa Donar]

Palinsa replayed the scene in the building over and over. Alex had been in the room... she had seen him. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. "It wasn't him. But he had been close." She looked at Alexia and suddenly felt very foolish. "Close enough to cloud my mind. I'm sorry, Ma'am. I hollered that it was him, but it was merely one of the others. He made me think it was him so I would react." She felt very stupid and vulnerable suddenly.

When her mentor mentioned moving her off planet, she shook her head. "No, don't send me away. If he has a fixation on me, then let's use it. We know he'll come for me, right? So let's use that to our advantage." Her normally nearly peaceful face was suddenly looking very cold and menacing... as well as calculating. "We can use me as bait." She knew those final words wouldn't sit well with Alexia. But something told her they didn't have a choice. "If I leave the planet, we may lose our chance. There's no telling if he will follow me or choose another target. This may be the only way."

[Alexia Sturkov]

"The decision is not mine to make. I will send my report and we will follow whatever orders that follow. Until I am told otherwise, you are still assigned to this post and you will continue to serve under me. I will make a Knight of you yet, Cadet Donar. When we return to headquarters you are to eat a hot meal and rest. Your training will continue tomorrow at dawn. If this rebellion escalates any further there will soon be no time for food and rest. Enjoy it while you can. Tomorrow is a new day."



- end -