((ooc: This is a fanfic between Kalenath and myself following Setsuna Andal and her sister Sharlina of the Bladeborn after the events of the Infinium Conflict.

During the conflict Setsuna (Setie) sustained heavy injuries due to using her own life force to power a Force Sever against Zelkin Infinium who was also her lover Marik Fatir. She has been clinging to life by a thread while her sister Sharlina recovered her and got them both off Zelkin's monstrous ship called the Fate Shatter. Sharlina has sent out a transmission for help from some nearby 'friends' who owed her a favor and now the pair can start healing more then just the physical wounds.

However some wounds run far deeper then heart and can leave a soul completely shattered with the owner picking up the pieces.))

((Posted by Setie))

The battle of the Fate Shatter was over. Zelkin Infinium had been stopped. But the cost was only beginning to be counted...

<In an escape pod>

Sharlina of the Bladeborn was not used to feeling this. Despair. She knew her sister was hurt, she knew that Setie needed more help than Shar could provide. And there was nothing she could do except watch as Setie’s chest rose and fell slowly.

“Come on girl, stay with me. You never backed away from anything in your life, stay with me…” She prayed silently.

There was literally no way at all she could have known that her prayers were about to be answered.

<In cosmic terms, within spitting distance>

“Another one.” The bridge crewman on the Sith cruiser smiled. Another of the dimwitted fools who had followed Zelkin Infinium for the slammer. All it would take was a moment to cycle the tractor beam… He froze. “What the…!?!” He stared at his screen before hitting a general alert button, something that would get him in trouble. But how many times did one see a Republic battlecruiser simply appear within tractor beam range?

<Very close by>

Shar felt the escape pod lurch as a tractor beam grabbed it, but had no way of knowing it wasn’t a Sith ship that had grabbed her, but the renegade cruiser Stormhawk.

“Got it!” The commander of the ship snarled to his XO.

“Get us out of here.” The XO started barking orders as fire started coming in from the Sith ships nearby, but it was uncoordinated, and the Stormhawk’s shields were strong. If not as strong as normal then strong enough. But within moments, the pinpoints of stars shifted to lines as the ship outsped light and made it into hyperspace.

<Hangar bay>

Guards and medics stood wary as the escape pod was lowered into position. The hatch opened and more than one person flinched as Sharlina of the Bladeborn strode out, an unconscious form in her arms. She looked around, smiled, and collapsed. As the medics came up she was heard to speak.

“Took you long enough…” But then she was out cold.

<Medical>

"Who is this girl and what the flarg happened to her? I mean, Sharlina we know..." The Trandoshan's hands were gentle as he worked on the younger girl's injuries in preparation to putting her in kolto. His colleague stood by, with a worried look on his face.

"I don't know L'trask. But those marks... She had to use a lot of dark side energy to get those... We better..." He froze, and the doctor did as well. Sharlina was sitting up in the bed she was in, the medical gear attached to her beeping, but her gaze was strong as she locked eyes on the Jedi and the doctor.

"Her name is Setsuna Andal. She is my charge." The Bladeborn said slowly. Both healers froze. The Jedi finally spoke.

"Bladeborn, your charge is badly hurt. The physical injuries we can heal. As for the rest?" He shrugged.

"Be gentle with her." Sharlina's voice cracked, just a bit. "She went through hell for her love. And he... He almost destroyed her. If you hurt her, you will answer to me, Jedi." The man in Jedi robes bowed to her.

"My name is Hawkir Strum and I swear to you I will help as I can, Bladeborn." Sharlina stared at him and he went to her bedside. "Her personal effects and yours are here. You need to rest to recover Bladeborn. Even Sith know that." Sharlian stared at him, but then, reassured by something she couldn't really define, she laid her head back down and in moments she was asleep.

Thw two healers exchanged another glance and then continued working on Setsuna, preparing her for a dip in kolto to cure most of her more grievous wounds. Of course, no medical care in the universe could heal a shattered spirit.

Setie was slow to come to. She had always thought it annoying since she got knocked around so often that she wasn't quicker snapping awake. Still she gave a small moan as green eyes cracked open slowly. She at least knew better then to open them wide and get blinded by the light. "...Marik..?"

Shar shifted in her seat at Setie's soft words before she spoke in a soothing voice. "No, Setie, he isn't here. You are safe. You will be fine."

Setie blinked and managed to look over at her sister. "Shar? Where...?" She looked about as well as she could without moving to much. Her memory was fuzzy at best but she remembered thinking she was going to die. Jan and Marik had been glaring at each other as if they would pull their sabers on each other any second. Since she wasn't dead she assumed someone had gotten her medical help and she didn't want to pull open any wounds by twisting around. She was obviously in an infirmary on a ship though she could tell little else about the place.

Sharlina reached over and took Setie's hands in hers. "We are on a ship called the Stormhawk. They picked us up when I... Well..." She looked bit sheepish then, "There were Sith troops who had boarded the Fate Shatter, to take possession of it for the Empire. And they had orders for your arrest and mine. I... um... Well... I argued the point with them and took off. The Stormhawk picked us up."

Now there was fear in Setie's eyes as she gripped Shar's hand. "Where's Jan? Where's Marik?" she whispered. Maker after everything they couldn't have ran each other through anyway could they?

Shar bowed her head. "I am pretty sure Jan got away. The troops that wanted to arrest us left her alone, told her to leave. She was a mess, but she was alive when I saw her last and moving under her own power. Marik..." She sighed. "I don't know what happened to him."

Setie blinked as this information found it's way through her brain. If Marik was missing she'd just have to find him. The thought had her starting to try and get up. "I'm sorry...for earlier Shar," she said, remembering the mess she had left her sister. She couldn't remember what she had done to Sharlina very clearly but she remembered her sister laying at her feet.

Shar held her down gently. "None of that, girl. You are a mess. Earlier... it wasn't your fault. Although you fought very well. I am proud of your progress. I knew it wasn't you in charge, but your 'darker side' to be cliche. It's okay Setsuna. No Autopsy, no foul."

Setie scowled and tried to get up only to have her sister apply more muscle. She decided that last bit about autopsies was Sharlina's version of a joke. Still she didn't think Sharlina understood the situation like Setie did. After all, a 'darker side' of a person was still part of said person. "I'm fine," she said though it was unconvincing with all the bandages wrapped around her smaller frame as she tried to combat the stronger woman.

Shar sighed, "Setie... Look at yourself with the Force and tell me that. With a straight face..." Her brown eyes were glistening now.

"I'll be fine Shar," Setie said looking annoyed. "I'm hardly made of glass."

Shar sighed and then summoned a mirror with the Force and held it in front of Setie's face, just out of reach. "Look at yourself, Setie. And then tell me you are fine...."

Setie blinked at herself with an oddly unemotional look. Habit had her running fingers through her copper colored hair to cover the bandaged scar and dark colored veins. Hiding them like she had for so long. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before," she stated. Part of her cringed that she was right back physically to where she had started when she had fled from Korriban.

Shar nodded, "I know. But you were in a bacta tank for almost eight hours. You nearly died Setie. Please... Let me take care of you." She shook her head. This wasn't what she was trained for. "I know you are hurting, and not just physical. I do know. You are one of three people outside my kin who know about... what happened to me..."

Setie sighed a bit and reminded herself that Sharlina meant well. She sincerely hoped her sister settled her past before she drove Setie demented. "I know your worried Shar but I'll be fine, honest. I promise to take it slow here."

Shar nodded her red haired head, "That is all I ask. And I will be here for you."

The hatch hissed open and a fully armored form walked in. He stood near the door for a moment and then nodded to Sharlina, "Bladeborn. You look pretty good for someone who supposedly died when her ship exploded."

Sharlian smiled at the armored form, but there was no friendship there. "Setsuna Andal meet Stormhawk Boss. The commander of this ship." The newcomer nodded to Setie.

"Nice to meet you ..uh...sir," Setie said and tried to give a respectful bow only to hiss a bit as some of her wounds protested.

Boss raised a hand in a a placating gesture. "No, no, don't move too much. The body tends to get annoyed with you when that happens, then you have all kinds of problems. I need to talk to you Sharlina. Hawkir will be in in a moment." His words had Sharlina freezing in instant rebellion.

Setie resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the older woman. By the Maker she was hardly a puppy that was going to run out into the street and get ran over by a speeder here. "I promise I won't leave the infirmary without you Shar," she stated in a long suffering tone.

Sharlina snorted,"You better not. But... here is what you had on you. I am afraid your clothes and armor were... not salvageable. We will get you something to wear." She placed a small box in easy reach and stood up stiffly to walk to the door. Boss preceded her out and Shar, with one last glance back, followed.

“Finally,” Setie muttered irritably. Sharlina's hovering had started to grate on her nerves. While Setie was trying to be an understanding soul there was only so much smothering she could take.

Shaking her head about her sister's weird ways Setie snatched the small box of her things. They would hardly be much but she would likely at least need her lightsaber in finding...

Hands froze and green eyes were wide as she blinked down into the bin. Her saber rested inside of course, along with the knife Sharlina had given her, and the blood red crystal that her mother's spirit was connected to.

It was the last thing that had Setie's eyes going wide as they slowly started to fill with tears.

Carefully, as if worried they would shatter into dust any second, she lifted two pendants out of the box. One she knew had been around her neck since Marik had given it back to her on Dantooine after repairing it.

It was Marik's half that had her chest feeling as if a great weight was crushing in on it. He had said...that he would never leave...

He would not have given her the other half of the pendant though if he had thought they would meet again, if he had intended on them meeting again...

“Marik...no...” she choked out with a sob as she hugged the two halves to her chest. She couldn't seem to breath and the pain was just ripping into every bit of her. Loose things rattled and started floating around without her really paying attention to them. A metal chair start to crinkle like someone wading up a piece of paper.

She couldn't take it, couldn't keep it in as she finally just let it go and screamed. Tears ran down her face and the jagged edges of the pendants in her hands bite into the flesh of her hands like a cruel beast. Thing zipped around the room unheeded to crash into other things while some simply bend under an unseen hand.

The whole time Setie screamed again and again for someone she'd never see again.

((Posted by Setie))

<In the hall>

"We do owe you Sharlina of the Bladeborn, but you can't stay here." Sharlina nodded to the armored form's matter of fact tone. She knew how the Stormhawk crew felt about Sith and could sympathize. She didn't like Sith much most of the time either. And she was one. The Stormhawk had spent more than ten years fighting the Sith so a little thing like cooperating against the nutcase Zelkin Infinium was unlikely to have changed their attitudes overnight.

"I know. As soon as Setie is stable, we are gone." Sharlina said soberly. Boss shook his head.

"That may be a while, and we are not going to just throw you out. But don't draw your weapons on this ship. Ah,Hawkir..." Sharlina turned to see the Jedi she had spoken too coming down the hall with what looked like robes in his hand. Sharlina smiled and would have spoken, except for the horrid outpouring of emotion that came from behind her. She spun to the door and froze as the feelings started making sense.

"Oh no... Setie..." She felt Boss and the Jedi come up and she held up a hand. "Wait..."

She turned back to Boss and Hawkir stared at her, dumbfounded. When he spoke, it was strained.

"She is in pain." The Jedi winced at the torrent of emotion that came through the Force. "She needs help." Sharlina shook her head slowly.

"Right now, she is really dangerous." Sharlina knew that better than many, she had fought Setie's dark side on the Fate Shatter and nearly died doing it. "She has lost most of her control. That is why her face is the way it is. You go in there and she is likely to kill you without realizing it. And that would just make her feel worse. I have been where she is. She needs time." A loud noise came from beyond the door and Sharlina winced. Boss spoke.

"Can you keep her under control?" Sharlina nodded. "Then she is your responsibility. Don't let her kill anyone and don't let her break too much. The stuff in the med bays is expensive..." With that, he was gone. Hawkir turned to Sharlina with an odd look on his face.

"She is grieving... isn't she?" The Jedi asked. Sharlina nodded. "So are you." Now Sharlina shrugged.

"I don't know the whole story." Sharlina sighed. "All I know is that my orders are to protect her. Even from herself. And if she ticks Boss off too much, he will have us both tossed out an airlock, so... I better go in." Hawkir nodded and handed Sharlina the bundle of robes.

"One set should fit you." Hawkir smiled at her expression. "The others will fit her, if a bit big. Be careful." Sharlina smirked. Like that was a problem at the moment. Hawkir smiled at her and stepped back.

"Give me five minutes. That should be enough time I think." The Bladeborn squared her shoulders and opened the door. Inside was a scene of destruction. Setie sat on her bed, crying. All around her, pieces of medical gear lay strewn around the room. the girl stammered something that was probably an apology as she tried to fit pieces of a medical monitor back together. But there was no way at all that piece of equipment was ever going to be anything but scrap. Sharlina laid the robes on the side of Setie's bed and climbed up beside her sister. Setie stammered an apology, but Shar just shook her head and enfolded her sister in gentle arms.

"It's all right Setie. I am here and I won't let anyone hurt you again."

She held the younger girl as Setie sobbed, trying to keep herself calm, trying to help. trying to lay aside her rage at the universe for hurting the one thing in it she loved. But it was so hard with Setie sobbing uncontrollably now. Sharlina held her sister and murmured soft words to her, nothing important, it was mainly the tone that mattered. if there was one thing Sharlina did know about, it was grief. Sadness, fear, anger: all these she knew. But the main emotion that fueled her rages was grief. it always had been, ever since she could remember. So she did what others had done for her once. She sat quietly and held on, trying to give strength by osmosis, simply by being there and holding Setie.

Oh Setie, oh my sister... It will be all right...

It took ten minutes just for Setie to calm herself. Though she felt somewhat better after things, she reminded herself that control was important when one had...well her abilities. It took ten more minutes to convince Sharlina she was truly alright and to prod the Bladeborn into leaving the room for five minutes so she could get clothes on. It didn't matter if Sharlina was her sister or not, Setie was not about to be naked in front of anyone short of a doctor when it was required and...

Marik...

The thought had tears burning anew in her eyes as she looked out at the stars. She was decent enough in trousers and a sleeveless tunic, though both were obviously meant for someone who was taller and had more muscle mass then her. Her feet were bare and the odd gray over robe lay over the bed she had been resting on as she crossed to the view port. So many unanswered questions plagued her. She reached out a hand as if to shifted through the stars and find them.

She should just forget them, put them out of her mind for there was no one to answer them. Just let go of him. Yet how could she when there was so much of him that had been a part of her?

She heard the door open and felt Sharlina walk back in. Exactly five minutes after she had left. She could feel her sister's concern, both over her own well being and how the older woman would handle her.

Sometimes being an empathic person had it's bonuses.

“You don't have to fret you know,” Setie said with a sigh, finally breaking the silence that had been stretching painfully.

Shar sighed, "I know but... I don't know what else to do Setie. Except be here for you. I... I don't mean to be overpowering but... I know you are hurting and it tears me up that I can't help you."

When has anyone ever been able to help me? Setie asked mentally thought she painted a smile onto her face as she turned. It was still sad but as reassuring as she could manage. “Hey, I've taken hits before. I'll be fine,” she pointed out.

Sharlina gave her a smile back though her heart was not in it. “Yes you have,” she said before seeming to close her emotions off. Apparently she had forgotten Setie's empathic nature for a few moments there.

"See," the green eyed girl said, sounding almost like a child displaying an accomplishment. "I'll be fine. I'm hardly the first to lose people in life. I get to learn to deal with it like everyone else." Her tone sounded bitter at the thought. It was simply wrong to her that she often got to share the tragedies of being mortal but not the happier parts.

After all, she'd never asked to be born different.

Shar stepped over and set a gentle hand on her shoulder. Setie almost sneered at it but contained herself, knowing her sister was just trying to comfort her. “No, no you are not. Yes you get to learn like everyone else, you are not however alone. You don't have to face this alone.”

“I'm always alone,” Setie thought as she felt the weight of things seem to press in on her. Once she had thought that wasn't true. That she had found someone who could understand. She had tried to explain it to Marik. Deciding for once to be selfish and take something for herself.

Look where that had gotten her.

She pushed the loneliness back for now and gave a grin. “Still no need to be a mother hen there Shar. Doubt you'll let me wallow in misery long before wiping the floor with me anyways.”

Shar stared for a moment before sighing, “I could, and I might if it comes to that but...”

Whatever Sharlina was going to say was cut off by the door chime. The older woman was between Setie and the door in a flash prompting a long suffering sigh from the younger one. She was tempted to remind Shar that she had taken on the man that almost destroyed existence, this made her quite capable of defending herself from someone buzzing at the door.

The door hissed open and a middle aged man in Jedi robes with a medic's pouch at his waist stood there. He took in Shar's defensive stance and Setie's reaction before giving a smile."Hello. Miss Sharlina, Miss Setsuna. I am glad to see you awake and looking so much better. Miss Sharlina, I need to check again, do you wish to watch?" There was a slight undercurrent to the Jedi's tone, that suggested he thought Shar might profit from being elsewhere.

"Jedi." Sharlina predictably bristled before answering in a matter of fact tone that slid off the man like oil. “You lay one hand out of place and I will cut it off, healer or no.”

The Jedi simply looked at Setie with an apologetic smile. “Miss? I need to do a final check of your injuries before they release you from medical.”

“Of course,” Setie replied as she went back to where she had been laying down earlier. She knew all about final checks and the like after all. Granted when she had worked in a clinic the patients had been rude, mean, threatened her with force lightning, and otherwise had not been inclined to listen to her about limitations. She gave Shar a look then. "Go on, you know I can handle myself. I probably know where he should poke better then you after all."

Shar was staring at the jedi, who had not moved yet for obvious reasons of tempting dismemberment from the Bladeborn. "You... Do you want me to stay?"

Setie almost threw her hands up in frustration. When had she turned into some glass doll for Shar to hover over like a dog over a prized bone? “What did I just say about fretting Shar? I'll be fine,” she replied, her voice holding a bit of steel in it.

Shar growled one final time at the man in Jedi robes before striding to the hatch and closing it with a slam. The Jedi gave an exasperated grin. "Is she always like that?" he asked as he moved a bit closer, but still far enough away not to be a threat.

"More so now I think," Setie commented with a sigh as she laid down. "It's like everything just...made it worse."

The jedi simply nodded with a sad look on his face. "I understand. My name is Hawkir Strum, Jedi Consular and currently half of the professional medical people on this crazy ship."

Setie grinned a bit thinking of Damaya suddenly. She hoped he had survived matters well though she had no idea who to ask about the miraluka. She didn't think it likely that he or Puk would be dead, Damaya at least had things to do while Puk had things to fix. “I'm Setsuna Andal but everyone just calls me Setie."

“Sharlina has dropped a few hints that you have some medical training? Not that she said much. Getting information out of her is like getting water from a rock,” Hawkir stated with a soft laugh.

Setie nodded her copper colored head. “It's one of my few strong points actually.”

“Then you know how this works,” Hawkir said with a nod as he came to the side of the table and set his bag down. “I will be as fast and gentle as I can.”

Setie raised a brow at that. While his tone was warm and the smile genuine there was an undercurrent of worry, the kind of worry reserved for those those cut too close to death. “It was that bad huh?” she asked curiously though she knew the answer already.

Hawkir nodded to her but as he promised, he kept matters quick, gentle, and professional as he checked all of her injuries.

"It's ok. I know I got lucky. I rather though, I would never wake up," she stated flatly. Part of her truly wished she never had woken up. That everything now was just a bad dream.

The jedi froze then, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder though he said nothing. She sensed compassion and understanding before he removed his hand and started packing his pouch up again. “You'll need to take it easy for the next few days and you should be fine. You're in excellent shape obviously...given the thrashing you have given this place.”

Setie cringed at that. The room was still in shambles from her earlier tantrum. “I'm sorry. I'm usually much better about...things. I'll help clean it up and I'm sure I can help out to pay for it around here.”

The older man shook his head then. “Things, Setsuna, these are things. Things can be replaced. Lives are harder. Besides this is only a drop in the bucket as far as the crew is concerned with Sharlina. Not everyone would die to save the mother of a member of this crew. Even if she didn't actually die. Don't worry about this mess just...be careful. If you want to talk about anything, I'm here or can be found easily.”

Setie simply nodded but she wanted to laugh at the man. How could he possibly understand her situation? Sure he might understand losing someone, but to know that you could have saved them if you had just been better, smarter, quicker, or maybe stronger. The though hung around her like shadows, crushing the brightness she had been trying to keep up, like a mask she could hide behind from the universe.

Hawkir shook his head and went to the door, which opened just as he reached it. Sharlina stood glaring at the older man as he simply bowed to her and Setie before leaving.

“Fracking Jedi...” Shar muttered in a disgruntled way as she came over.

“They aren't that bad,” Setie commented finally pulling on her boots. At least these were the right size for her. “Then again I'm likely biased. You know since I have a father who is one and all that.”

She pondered for a moment if maybe, finding her father would help with this aching hole in her that Marik's departure had ripped in her. Somehow she doubted that but it was a nice hope.

Shar looked Setie over and gave a small smile, “Are you hungry? I know I am hungry enough to eat a ronto, tusks and all.”

While the thought of food did not really appeal to Setie she knew that her system likely needed something resembling fuel. “I'm a little peckish,” she stated only to have her stomach growl loudly. “Or maybe a lot...”

((Posted by Setie))

Shar laughed and then froze as the door chimed again.

She didn't move between it and Setie, although it was obvious she wanted to. "Yes?" She called.

"Dinner." Came the response and Shar looked at Setie.

"Well isn't that handy," Setie commented.

Shar didn't move and her hands were on her sabers. "Did you order dinner? I didn't..."

"No but since Master Hawkir likely can put two and two together to figure I hadn't eaten and mentioned going to the mess is a bad idea. He likely thought to send for something." She sighed then in annoyance, "Maker Shar who would want to risk you loping off their head which I'm sure most of the crew knows you do well."

Shar looked at Setie and then sighed. "Enter."

The door opened and a droid carrying trays entered followed by a woman with black hair. Sharlina froze. "Maria...?'

Setie gave the woman a curious look before looking over at Sharlina. "I take it you two know each other?"

For the first time since Setie had woken up, Sharlina smiled. "Yes, yes I do."

Maria stood and waited as Shar walked towards her, then the older woman seemed at a loss as Shar threw her arms around the black haired woman and gave her a hug. "I thought you had died." Maria smiled as she returned the hug.

"Same here. They told me The Rancor's Bite blew up... I..."

Shar turned to Setie. "Setsuna Andal meet Maria Kalenath, one of the reasons we... er... met... the way we did."

"Pleased to meet you," Setie said giving a nod. She would have bowed but decided not to aggravate her wounds more.

Maria nodded to the younger girl and smiled at Sharlina, who backed away. When the black haired woman spoke, it was quiet and sad. "I am sorry, Sharlina, I had no idea we were going to cause you such trouble..." But Sharlina was shaking her head.

"It wasn't your fault." The Bladeborn waved to dismiss the concern. "I knew going in that I would pay for what I planned. And I did. But now, I need to eat and so does Setsuna. Have you eaten?"

"Not yet." Maria smiled and waved towards the droid that had three covered trays on it. "Like I was going to let them get away with feeding you recyclo-spam."

Setie grinned a bit at the pair. "Could be worse," she pointed out thinking of the slop from her days in a sith academy. She swore that stuff had been engineered to make students try and steal real food from the kitchen.

"Yes, it could be. It could be her cooking." Maria glared at Setsuna but there was a grin on her face that spoiled it. "Maybe, But I have my standards, I will be darned if I will let her eat badly. I didn't before..." Sharlina laughed, an almost normal sound.

"Yep, you have all the subtlety of a bull rancor Maria, you know that?" Maria grinned as she pulled trays off the droid for the others before getting her own. Setsuna said something under her breath that sounded like 'Pot meet Kettle'

"Well thank you for thinking of me in there," Setie said politely though the word rang off key. "Did you need a hand with those?"

"You are a guest and you were injured not too long ago. I may be old, but I ain't dead yet." Her grin belied the sharp tone as she lay a tray with utensils close to Setie. Sharlina took another and Maria stood, looking from one to the other.

When she spoke, it was quiet. "if you don't want me here, I will leave. I had to say thank you. 'Mistress'." At that word, Sharlina recoiled as if slapped.

Shar shook her head. "Don't call me that, please..." Her face was...sad.

Setie raised a curious brow at that but said nothing as she murmured thanks for the food and started digging in, she was hungry after all.

Sharlina spoke quietly. "I don't have a problem with you staying. Setie?"

The younger Andal shook her head. "No qualms here. Visit with your friend Shar, I promise to behave."

Maria looked at the younger girl and while it was obvious she didn't have the Force, it was as if she could see far far down and what she saw made her sad. "Oh... I would call you child, but you are not one, are you? I should go..." Whatever feelings she might have felt suddenly disappeared behind some kind of wall.

Sharlina froze, looking from Maria to Setie, unsure of what to say or do.

"Do any children exist in this day and age?" Setie asked, sounding like an old woman pondering the universe. "Please, sit. It'll be good to have company."

Maria looked at her for a moment, and then she did as instructed, as she did, some of her wall cracked and a bit of who and what she was peeked out. Sharlina winced at the sheer torrent of pain and it quickly vanished. "Sorry..." Maria said quickly. "My control is usually better... I..." She shut up and her force sense... vanished. Shar looked at Setie with worried eyes.

Setie said nothing, seeming oddly distant. "Visits with friends are never to be passed up. You never know...when they won't be there anymore." She looked unbearably sad then, thinking of at least one friend she would never see again.

Maria nodded. "Oh yeah." For a moment, the two women, older and younger, shared a remarkable similarity. Both survivors who hadn't wanted to. Sharlina ate quickly, her gaze darting between the two.

Setie grinned a bit at Sharlina then. "Geez Shar I don't think the food will jump and run there. Oxygen is good for you too." It was an obvious attempt to lighten the mood.

Maria stared at the woman she almost called friend and then sighed. When she spoke it was careful. "Do you trust me Sharlina?" The Bladeborn stared at her.

Now Maria looked at Setie. "Sharlina has never worked well unless she is able to burn off stress every so often. Problem is that when she does that, things usually break or go boom." Sharlina rolled her eyes, but didn't speak. Her glare said it all.

Setie looked from one older woman to the other. "Well we'll have to see if we can borrow a room for her to do drills or something then, if for nothing more then to keep from breaking the ship."

"We can do better than that. IF she trusts me not to do anything to you. There is a training room on this ship, set up for just such things. They have never had many Sith aboard and never for long but Jedi train hard too." Sharlina immediately set her tray down and stood. Refusal came out of every pore.

"Sounds like a good idea really," Setie stated. "As long as the doctors say she's ok that is."

Shar turned a disbelieving face towards Setie. Maria nodded to the younger girl. "They have cleared her. You they would like to stay resting for a day or so, but she is good to go. If she will."

"Maria..." Sharlina's voice was low and dangerous, but Maria's was just as low and just as dangerous.

"I am no threat to her. And you know what I do to people who hurt my family, or my friends." Sharlina winced just a bit at that. Yes, she remembered the picture of the Stormhawk with the gruesome figurehead on it. That Jedi had taken hours to die, and then they had tossed him into space to make a trophy for the ship.

Setie's mouth twitched in a scowl before she sighed. "I'm hardly an invalid Shar. It'll do you good here and I can manage."

Sharlina stared at her sister, and then at Maria, but then she slumped. Maria was right, she hadn't relaxed in a while. Maria waved towards the door.

"Third corridor on the right. Second blast door. Code N-K-O-R-R. That will give you any level of training you want. Be warned, Nia believed in pushing herself beyond her abilities." Sharlina snorted and Maria nodded. With a long look at Setie, Shar left the room.

Maria bowed her head and spoke to Setie now. "I am not going to insult you by saying 'I know what you are feeling' or any such dreck." She sighed. "I am not you. And you are not me." Setie said nothing, simply blinking and waiting for whatever Maria had to say.

Maria sighed. "Sharlina has a good heart, if a dark soul. She means well, but she has no idea at all what she is doing. She has no idea that she is suffocating you under her... well.. her mothering..." Maria shook her head and met Setie's eyes. "Speaking as a mother of two myself, I can feel a bit less hypocritical in saying that what she is doing is excessive."

Setie smiled with no humor. "If you are worried I'll suddenly fall into a homicidal rage on her...there's no need to anymore."

Maria snorted, darkly amused. "If you do, then she will no doubt deserve it. But what I am saying, in my own obtuse way, is that you are the only person right now that she is likely to listen to." maria bit her lip, then spoke again. "You are in pain. I do know what that feels like, even thought mine is almost seven years in the past. And I was chained and drugged in a cell at the time. I don't know what happened on the Fate Shatter, and it is none of my business." She was going to say something then froze. "Boss give us privacy." The camera above the door stopped turning.

Maria looked at Setsuna and there was something, something deep in her eyes now. "You and Sharlina are not safe on this ship. Once they release you from here, all you have to do is ask and I can get a ride anywhere you wish. My ship is too small for passengers. But all you have to do is ask." Maria waited for the girl's response and prayed she hadn't just made a huge mistake.

Setie's jaw clenched and for a moment looked rather like Maria had slapped her across the face. "Because...I'm a Sith?" she bit out the word sith like it tasted bad to her.

Maria snorted. "That is part of it. But not nearly the biggest part. Not even close. It was Jedi who took me, experimented on me and killed my husband. It was Jedi who outlawed this ship for its commander following his heart instead of his orders. It is Jedi who have hunted this ship and her crew across the galaxy. Yes, they have fought Sith, hard and long but its Force users of ANY stripe they distrust. They don't even like Hawkir. And he is fairly nice, for a Jedi.' The last word was bitten out as if Maria was in physical pain.

There's a flash of pain across Setie's face before she closes her eyes and takes a breath before letting it out on a sigh. The air around her seems to get oddly colder for a moment as her face seems to go blank. "We'll leave when it's ok for me to travel," she says simply.

Maria sighed. "Your pain calls to me, Setsuna Andal, even though I don't have the Force. I don't need it. I have kids. I want to help you, but I know I can't. All that can help you is time. If you ever want to talk, I am not affiliated with the Sith, the Jedi, or even the Stormhawk really. And I owe Sharlina."

Setie said nothing. Something dark and cold twisting in her eyes for a moment before disappearing, leaving just a girl in mourning.

Maria nodded, but didn't move. Her hand rested on her blaster as her other keyed in a command and the camera started again. Her focus was on the door and anyone coming through without permission wouldn't get a step. After a long time, maybe ten minutes, Maria spoke again.

“You are hurting now. You feel as if the universe has taken everything and given you nothing.” The old woman’s words were matter of fact. But they did hold something, not pity, not condescension… Something else. Something deep, warm and wide. “You have been hammered, hard. I don’t know who you lost, but I know what I felt when it happened to me. Nothing I say or do can help you now. Time. Time is the only thing that can help you. Sharlina can give you that time. I hope... I hope your life turns out better than mine has." The older woman shook her head and focused on the door again.

Setie had barely let the door to her and Shar's quarters open before she stopped it and stepped out. Her footfalls were silent and she managed to get the door closed just as quietly. Her sister needed sleep after everything and Setie was willing to bet the Bladeborn hadn't slept a wink since the whole mess on the Shatter. Besides, Shar and everyone else's hovering was driving Setie up a wall. A little exercise in an empty training room would do her sanity a world of good.

She did her best thinking when she was alone after all, and the exercise would help her vent various frustrations and anger. At Sharlina, at the crew that hated her for being born, at the universe for taking Marik from her.

"Training rooms...training rooms..." Setie muttered to herself as she roamed the halls. She thought she had known where exactly she was going but she must have missed a turn as she looked around.

"Miss?" A startled voice came from nearby as a human in a coveral straightened from a panel he had been working on.

"Oh thank the Maker," Setie said with obvious relief. "I'm sorry to bother you but I was hoping to find a room out of the way where I might get a little exercise in?" Her voice was timid and almost submissive. She remembered that she was an uninvited guest on this ship and was weary just in case this guy proved unfriendly.

The tech stared at the girl who had just appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Then he looked at her face and froze. the dark veining said Sith, but the manner and well, the niceness threw him off completely. "Uh... sure Miss. Um... yeah. What kind of exercise?" He wondered briefly who she was, but they had taken a bunch of people aboard during the battle. "You shouldn't be out here alone Miss. The ship took a lot of hits. We have damage all over the place but I can get you to an exercise area."

Setie blinked a bit at the odd look before realizing the black veins on her face were showing. She cringed and combed at her hair, trying to hide them and shame screaming from her actions. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be a bother. Just needing some room for basic stretches and some moving. Figure the doctors won't lecture me to bad for that." She gave a small apologetic smile then feeling some nervousness from the man. Likely he was thinking her some sith marauder training to slaughter them all, so she tried to put him at ease. "Pretty sure I'm not up for combat training. Whole nearly dying thing will put a cramp in that."

The man shook his head. "It's okay Miss. There is one nearby, just... please ask for an escort next time? You step in the wrong place at the wrong time and well..." He indicated a hole in the deck that had obviously live power cables arcing through it. "We like our guests to stay in one piece."

Those you like. Setie immediately snapped in her mind. Her face twitched a bit from it but she nodded her acceptance of the rules. “I'm sorry. I'll remember that for the future. Uh...the room please?”

The tech nodded, “Follow me, and stay close..uh please." He started off, threading his way through areas that had obvious damage until they reached a spot that was less so.

Setie looked around as they walked, getting lost in her surroundings for a moment. While the bodies of the dead had been taken away there was still blood splattered here and there. She could hear the whispers of the dead and dying. The cries of the wounded like a constant moan in the echoing footsteps of the living. These were just things, like Hawkir had said yesterday to her. She wondered though how many friends and loved ones had the crew on this ship lost? How many of them had suffered. “I'm sorry?” she said when she realized the tech had said something during their stroll.

Apparently the tech had not been paying much attention either because he started. “Sorry, just...I live on this ship. She's my home. To see her so messed up because of one ignorant fool... I ever catch that dikut Zelkin Infinium alone, I'll show that cowardly little hutt wanna- be what I think of him. If he's lucky he might actually be dead before I impale him on a strut.”

Setie went pale and had to squash the immediate urge to snap at the man. She twitched some from the temptation though. “I'm sure he thought his reasons were justified,” she said carefully. Honestly she could not blame Marik's...Zelkin's hate of the Force. Being different, as it was, was something all jedi of either philosophy had to deal with. Sometimes it lead to a hate of things, like with the sith, and sometimes it lead to an acceptance of it just being how things were. "Most crusaders do."

"Crusaders? Nutballs... What do they ever do for us except use us and then throw us away when they don't need us any more?" It was obvious the tech wasn't looking at Setie. "He was no different from any of the others. Only good thing about him is that he is dead. Hope so anyway. Can't have been slow enough in my opinion."

Setie ground her teeth together and did her best to resist the urge to clench her fists. "I think the term you are looking for is idealist. He very likely thought he was doing something good for everyone. Besides who are any of us to say he should die or live or how?" Her tone had a slight edge to it but with her efforts concentrating more on her temper there was little she could do.

The tech snorted. "Idealism is for jedi. Most of us prefer to live in the real world. Action begets reaction. Someone tries to kill my family, then yes I want his shebs dead. Someone tries to kill the universe? I am just glad the fool failed. To bad so many good people had to die for his stupidity..."

Setie carefully folded her hands in the sleeves of the robe then. The better to resist the urge to slap the man. "He had family too you know, and loved ones. He just wanted the best for them I'm sure."

The tech shook his head. "Most of the ones I have seen were only in love with their power. They lived to hurt other people. Who cared if they hurt, maimed, killed, or destroyed as long as they got whet they wanted?W ell, he got what he wanted. He got the whole fraking galaxy up in arms. Well done I say to him. Well done indeed. May he roast in hell."

Now Setie snarled and the air seem to plummet in temperature. "And what would you know about it?" she snapped giving the man a shove. "What have you ever been in charge in aside from keeping your little world up and running?" She scowled then, "Yet you people judge everyone else that wants to try and change things. What the hell right do you have to do that?"

The tech snarled right back. "Why should I care? All Force users care about is how much they can hurt people like me. Oh, sure take my family away, make me work in a mine all my life and if I speak out, well just fry me with the Force beause I don't matter. After all, I am just another weak Forceless peon. All I am here for is for people like him to step on. Well I am glad someone finally stepped on him."

"You think none of us go through hard times?" Setie yelled back and shoved harder. Her fingers jabbing into a nerve without thought on the shoulder that had the tech's arm going numb. "That man you hate so much went through hell himself. Watched his family get butchered at age five and then was dragged off and treated like an animal! Got hate shoved in his face and down his throat till it twisted him and that was all he could do. All because of a talent he had, one he never asked for and certainly never wanted! We never want to have these fancy powers! We want nothing more then to live our lives like everyone else. Who the hell are you to judge all of us trash just because some of them are? We're not different then normal people you know!"

The tech responded with just as much heat. "Oh yeah, of course. he had it so bad. Poor little force prince. Did he ever have to work his fingers to the bone? Or gnaw them off when they got gangrene?" His hand shoved Setsuna away and now it was obvious it was mechanical. "Oh, yeah, he had it so bad. I am sure" The scorn in the tech's voice could have peeled paint. "Let him work in a mine for a day or so without the Force and see how long his lousy shebs lasts." The tech was just as angry as Setie now and his voice was cold, “You are one of them ain't you? Gonna fry me for getting uppity now?”

"No," Setie said before grabbing the tech and throwing him into a wall. Her wounds protested but she ignored them as she spun and planted a foot on the man's neck. A bit more pressure and he'd have issues breathing or a twist of the foot she could snap his neck. Instead she used it just to hold him there and keep him silent as she held up two fingers towards his face and just let a bit of blue energy dance there like fire. "I'm going to explain something and you are going to listen you ungrateful little huttspawn," she said in a tone that froze the blood.

"I am not belittling your life or saying you haven't had a terrible time in it. Neither do I support what Ma...Zelkin did. However I am going to tell you the same thing I told him before I..." She stopped and shook her head then, not wanting to remember the screams. "You can sneer and spit at us Force users or wackos or whatever you want to call us. We are no different then you are. We love, we hate, we bleed, and...we die." She jerked her fingers in front of the tech to pull his attention to teh little blue flame. "This is the only difference. That we're a bit more connected to that which granted us life in the first place. In some cases it's so much...that all it takes for us to painful or peacefully END a person, is a touch."

Green eyes were flat and narrowed at the tech. “Maybe I should be just as judgemental as you and the rest of the galaxy huh? With all that power how about I judge if you are worthy to live or die?”

"Setie..." The soft voice came from down the corridor. Shar stood, half clothed, her sabers were in hand, but not ignited. All around, blasters were trained on the copper headed girl. Twenty men and women, all in full armor, stood ready. Shar put her sabers back on her belt as she approached slowly. Her voice was calm and gentle as she spoke. "Setie, let him go..."

Green eyes blinked over at Shar as if not quite seeing her before blinking at the blasters trained on her. Even then she didn't seem quite as worried about them as she should have been. Then she looked back at the tech and tilted her head, as if debating the issue.

"Setie..." Shar moved step closer. "He isn't worth killing and he isn't worth dying for. Come on girl... talk to me..." The Bladeborn took another careful step.

"And yet...he seems to think he knows what is and isn't worth dying for," Setie said quietly before finally removing her foot from the guy's throat.

"Part of you wants them to fire, doesn't it? Part of you figures the pain will end then, doesn't it?" Shar took another step. "I don't know what he said and I don't care." The glint in her eyes gave that away as an obvious lie. That she wanted nothing more at this moment that to tear the hapless tech limb from limb. "He is a fool and I couldn't care less about him. I care about you. Come on Setie... You want to work out?"

Would the pain end if she died? For some reason Setie doubted that. She wondered for a moment if she would become a ghost like her mother. Trapped in some inanimate object with only centuries of misery to look forward to.

Setie folded her hands in the robe's sleeves again and seemed to slump, as if gravity was crushing down on her more then everyone else as she took two steps back. She certainly did not feel like working out anymore. "No...I just...wanna be alone for a little while now," she whispered. She looked about at the armed soldiers before looking at Sharlina. Her eyes once again seeming far to old for one so young. "I think...people are going to be demanding to talk to you anyway."

((posted by Setie))

"I am not going anywhere Setie.' Shar stood beside her sister. She didn't offer comfort now, just stood between the blasters, which still hadn't moved and her sister. A familiar voice came.

"Weapons down. Now." The armored figure of Boss strode to the fore and he shook his head at the two women as the soldier’s blasters pointed at the deck. “You were provoked Setsuna Andal. But..." He broke off as Sharlina snarled at him and the tension seemed to go through the roof. Another figure came close. A figure in Jedi robes. Hawkir sighed.

"I think it might be best if we did let Miss Setsuna have some time alone, Boss?" Boss stared at the Jedi, and then nodded. He looked at Sharlina.

"We need to talk. Now." Then he was striding away.

Sharlina didn't move from Setie's side and Hawkir sighed. "Miss Sharlina. I will take up the guardianship while you talk to Boss." He said something in a language that made no sense. To everyone but Sharlina. She staggered as if slapped. She nodded to him, but then turned to Setie.

"He will take you somewhere you can be alone for a while. He will stay close, but he will allow you privacy. I'm sorry Setie. I... I failed you again..." Hawkir looked at Sharlina and his face was worried now.

Setie’s head was low as she spoke slowly. "Failure would imply that I'm a bloodstain on the floor," Setie said in a flat monotone. "Go talk, I'll be fine."

Sharlina stared at her sister once more before nodding to the Jedi and starting off after Boss. Hawkir waited until she was gone before his glare had the soldiers moving. He waved for Setie to follow him and she did, silently.

< A few minutes later, in compartment nearby>

“I don’t care who she is. I don’t care if she was provoked. She threatened one of my crew with the Force. If she wasn’t your charge, she would be out the airlock already.” The conversational tone did nothing to hide the bite in Boss’ voice. Sharlina didn’t miss that his hands were resting on the remote built into his armor. Sharlina nodded. Her tone was just as conversational. And no less biting.

“Fair enough. As soon as we can we are gone. The atmosphere on this ship is not conducive for recovery anyway. I do know a little bit about hate after all…” Boss nodded.

“Next stop is Tattooine. We will be picking up more medics to help with the casualties. We can put you off at the same time. Get her off my ship. “Sharlina bristled. But her voice was still cool.

“I know you don’t care for my kind Stormhawk Boss. I don’t care for your piratical ways myself. But you will leave her alone. She has been hurt enough.” Boss laughed a cold sound.

“A Sith who cares, will wonders never cease? We are five hours out from Tattooine. You and she will be on the first transport going down. And I hope we never meet again. This squares the debt we owed you.” Sharlina nodded. Boss nodded and left the room. After a moment, Sharlina followed. The two techs who had been working in the room when Boss had entered stared at each other and nodded. Both headed out, first to the refresher, then to their quarters to get clean ship suits. Those two people were scary…

Setie followed Hawkir through the ship as silent as a ghost. It did not take much mental power to figure out that she had done something very bad and not just because she had almost killed a guy for his insults to force users everywhere and Marik in particular.

The Jedi opened up a hatch and waved Setie through. He kept studying her making Setie feel like she was some kind of puzzle he was trying to figure out, or a piece of one he was trying to place.

The room she entered was simply windows. Aside from the blank wall that held the hatch and the small space of floor there was just the view of stars shooting by as the ship moved. “Pretty,” she commented before sitting down.

Hawkir nodded, "Yeah, there is something about space that draws me. Something about being small. It should make me feel insignificant, but it really makes everything else insignificant. It helps me keep my perspective. Sometimes. When I am not dealing with fools, like Jaken."

Setie cringed a bit as she crossed her legs and set her elbow on her knee. Resting her cheek on her fist she stared out at the vastness of little lights as a brooding air wrapped around her. She pondered for a moment about it. Her mother never brooded, she raged and pitched fits the likes of which had people scrambling for cover. It must have been a trait she inherited from her father then, though she had no idea herself that her father often would take the same position she currently did. “Most people are fools...at least at some point in time. It's the question of if they survive said foolishness,” she replied to Hawkir's statement.

The Jedi gave Setie an odd look, but his voice was calm, "Indeed. None of us are wise at all times." His eyes swept the expanse before returning to Setie, "Is there anything you wish to ask? Is there anything you wish to know I might be able to answer? I can't wave my hands and make your pain vanish, but I would like to try and help any way I can. Its my calling, and my curse at times."

It occurred to Setie right then that Hawkir was likely an empathic person, like she was. It was a useful tool in healing but not so great to have at other times. She cringed at the thought of what he might have felt from her in the hall with the tech. “How do you handle everyone hating you?” she asked bluntly.

The Jedi nodded as if he knew she was pondering that. “It is hard. When I came on this ship I had five people try and kill me.” He held up his hands then like a pair of scales weighing things. “On one hand, these people have been outlaws for years. Hunted by the Republic, the Sith, and others. On the other hand, a young member of this crew was tortured and nearly killed by...my brother, who was also a Jedi.”

Setie could feel the admission hurt him but couldn't help her frown. “No offense meant, but I'd say your brother wasn't a Jedi anymore at that point.” She sighed then and shrugged, “Then again what do I know? Not like I know many jedi. Minute I mention being born on Korriban is usually when people pull blasters screaming that I'm a sith. Though if you ask them, I'm a failure.” She gave an aggravated snorted then in disgust. Hated by both sides of a coin where did one reside if not on the edges.

"I don't know." Hawkir shrugged. "He thought he was doing good. I believe he was doing evil. Your training is what you fall back on in most situations. Mine is as a healer and a scholar. I don't know what yours is, but I don't see you as a failure. In all things, it boils down, in the end, to our own point of view? Are you evil because you were born on Korriban? Am I good because I wear Jedi robes and carry a blue bladed lightsaber?"

Setie got a rueful smile then, after all it was other people's perspectives of things from their experiences that had them dubbing people good or evil. "Maybe if I start mentioning my father's a Jedi people won't shoot at me so much. Then again I doubt that will help in most cases," she commented planting her chin in her hand again. "I'm afraid I'm not sure what my mother was trying to train me as. I just...kinda fell into what few things I was good at."

“Your father is a jedi?” Hawkir asked in a tone of disbelief.

Maybe she shouldn't have mentioned that part of her history...

"Well..." Setie started looking nervous. "I think so. I mean, I never met him myself. Just...see I had a couple ghosts tell me he's alive and a jedi. I mean I guess my mother could have been lying. She's...a bit weird in the ghost department but the jedi one...I would think he was being truthful...a little bit at least? Maybe?”

Hawkir blinked as something seemed to click in his mind and he smiled slightly at Setie. “By the Force...you're Rio's kid,” He shook his head then as if making sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. “I should have realized...The way you sit, the way you stand, its Rio...” The stunned looked stayed as the Jedi seemed to answer some long puzzling question, “No wonder he kept his mouth shut...oh man.”

Setie blinked some in surprise before she jumped up and latched onto Hawkir's robes like a life line. She remembered that Torim's ghost had also call her father 'Rio', but that was not an uncommon name. “Rio? Full name?”

Hawkir took her hands in his gently, least the girl rip the robes. “Riorden Delmon. I can see him in your face now. Not the eyes or the hair but definitely the face,” He looked caught in the sadness of his friend not knowing he had a daughter but was controlling himself.

"Where is he? What's he doing? Is he ok? What he look like? Hell what's he like in general?" Setie asked in rapid fire doing her best to resist the urge to shake the man for answers, like a child did to a present try and figure out what was inside.

Hawkir shook his head, "I don't know. He disappeared almost a year ago. I was one of the healers assigned to his case. I thought he was dead. You say... a ghost says he isn't?" There was no disbelief to his tone, rather more like talking to the dead was a common thing for him.

"Two actually,” Setie confided. “Granted one was a...I guess they are called shades? Dead sith...thing. The other was...a bit more worried about impending doom from the Force being destroyed. It wasn't that long ago though."

"Well, okay then." The Jedi nodded, "I don't know where Riorden is now. I hope he is okay. He is a good man, and I like to think a friend. But..." He broke off then, pondering something again.

“But?” Setie prompted out of curiosity.

"But." Hawkir stated. "Rio was under suspicion, for a long time, of taint. By the Dark Side. You know how insidious it can be. I treated the man, I talked to him. I like to think he and I became friends. He was hard to know though."

“Why would they...” Setie started to ask before stopping. Of course the jedi would have suspected something when her father was found. Likely they did a full investigation into things and collected enough information to have at least an abbreviated story before them. “Er...nevermind. You said he wouldn't talk? Was it about something that happened to him?”

"He can't talk, not verbally." Hawkir sighed then, “There is a lot I don't know. What I can tell you is Riorden was found with his throat cut. He can't talk anymore but that never stopped him. He's very good at telepathy. Likely your tendencies towards empathy come from him, as well as your skill in healing. You would do well though to keep that to yourself. If you have the power I think you do... You should keep that information close. A healer with that power... A worse curse I cannot imagine. And I would not wish it on you for all the good in the galaxy."

Setie was taken aback by that but then slumped, "However bad you imagine it is...it's far worse." She sat silent for a moment then before speaking. “You going to report my existence to your council now let them know why my father refused to talk and the rest of his...well I guess crimes?”

"For love?" Hawkir sounded as if he were fighting back tears. "Even if it is technically against the Code to attach so strongly... I couldn't. He was, is, my friend and you are his daughter." He held his arms out, not crowding, not threatening, just there.

Setie took the hug carefully, rather like a beaten dog taking a treat from a concerned citizen. "Think he'll like me if I ever do manage to hunt him down?"

"Ah Setsuna..." Hawkir's embrace was gentle, as if he knew how skittish she was still as he sighed. "I gave up trying to figure other people out a long time ago, Setsuna. I don't know how he will react. What I do know is that he is a good man who was stuck in a bad position. Worse now than I ever knew. I can't see him not loving you." He shook his head and grinned a bit then, "Know that you have one friend on this ship. Which is more than I had when I got here. Now I think Sharlina is looking for us, and I don't think she is happy..."

Setie snorted then wiping at her eyes. “It's Sharlina. When is she ever happy?"

((Posted by Setie))

<Six hours later>

Sharlina wasn't tense per say. She was relaxed. But... Maybe too relaxed. Ready to move at a moment’s notice. She had let herself fall asleep and Setie had gone out and nearly gotten killed. But now, they were landing. And it couldn't be soon enough. The Stormhawk was rife with hate, and it pervaded the shuttle too. Of course the two guards who had come with them probably were the cause. She still wished she could have hit that dratted Jedi. But Setie had improved a bit after talking with him, and that was what was important, right? She shook her head and smiled to her charge who hadn’t moved since the shuttle had launched.

"Setie, we are here..."

Setie looked up and seemed to be trying to see out through the wall for a moment. "Never been here before," she commented.

Sharlina shook her head. "Not much to see. Lots of sand, not much else..."

"Been here before huh?" Setie asked with a curious look.

"Yeah. "Sharlina nodded. "A bunch of times. We will need to get something to eat. Then I can access the nets, try and see where to go from here." The hatch opened and a wave of hot, sandy air came in. Shar sighed. "Welcome to Tattooine..."

The view out of the back hatch was of a landing pad, a blue sly and two suns blazing. Shar nodded to the guards, who didn't respond. "Come on Setie, let’s get out of here..." Sharlina led the way to the hatch and then paused to put up her hood.

It took Setie ten steps to realize there was a rather bad wind and pull her own hood up. Even then she almost lost Shar five different times because she was looking at something. On Coruscant she hadn't really gotten to look around much, but since she didn't have to worry to much about getting caught by Sith this time she was indulging herself a bit.

Shar slowed her pace. "Setie..." But her voice was teasing. She remembered her own first time on a new world. Of course it had been an ice ball… "Food, we need food. Come on..." Neither of them saw a figure in the near distance that did what seemed like a double take on seeing Sharlina's face under her hood. But then that figure vanished.

"Maker I would kill for a crop circle," Setie muttered as she followed Sharlina. The mental picture of Sparky's culinary and sugary treat dancing in her head as they headed for the cantina.

"True." Sharlina sighed. "None of those here unfortunately. But most cantinas have decent food at least. If not Maria's grade." Sharlina led the way towards the cantina. The few beings that might have gotten in her way took one look at her face and found other things to do.

"Still better then some slop I've eaten," Setie commented. "Cafeteria food in the academies for instance."

Sharlina had to laugh at that. "True. At least you have never had trooper rations, at least I hope you haven't... The stuff they call 'monkey lizard on a stick'..."

"Nope, we had cheese and mush, which was basically an orange glop of...something. It was supposed to be edible but Jan, Marik, and I..." Setie trailed off at the memory looking sad.

"I know, Setie... I know..." Shar sighed and led the way into the cantina and it got dark quickly. But she kept her hood up and motioned for Setie to do the same. She led the way to a booth near the back and waved to a serving droid. "Keep your hood up, we don't want any problems if we can help it. These places can get rough. And a brawl is the last thing we need right now..." The droid came up and she ordered two meals. Shar motioned Setie to one of the seats and she took another. One that gave her a good view of the bar and the door.

"Who would be stupid enough to go picking a fight with...well folks like us?" Setie asked, the comment could have meant Sith or force users.

Shar's voice was low. "Don't ever assume that just because we have advantages, that other people don't as well. Cantinas like this attract trouble. Luckily we are here for the lunch crowd, not the evening. I wouldn't bring you in here during the evening shift. Here comes our food..." The droid brought two trays. Sharlina handed it a credchip and it flew off. Sharlina ate carefully, her gaze never leaving the area around them.

"That's true I suppose. We all bleed red," Setie commented as she dug into her own food.

Sharlina snorted. "Most oxygen breathing races, yeah." The older woman ate some more, but her gaze was still sweeping the room.

Setie gave a mock glare. "Alright alright we all bleed Ms. Picky." Shar snorted and had to take a drink to keep from coughing.

But then she froze. A form had started towards their booth from the bar. In from, a human male. By his gait, he had polished a few drinks. Maybe a few too many. "Flarg..." Shar said under her breath.

The human staggered close. "Hey gals, you want a good time?" he hiccupped. "I can show you a real good time..."

Shar glared at him. "Go away."

The human laughed. "Don't be like that darling. I can show you a great time..." The he stopped. The point of Shar's right hand blade was at his throat. Shar spoke quietly in the hush that the cantina had become.

"I said 'Go Away.'"

Setie seemed to cringe a bit at Shar grabbing her blade. Soft hearted as ever she gave the man a polite smile. "Really that's a...lovely offer but I'm afraid we're not staying long."

The drunk stared at her, and then looked at Setie. “You gonna be mean to me too Hon…” He broke off, his face contorting. “Sith!” At that call everything in the bar stopped.

"Of all the..." Shar reached out, grabbed the man and effortlessly tossed him back to land by the bar. She stood up and her other blade was out now. "Ok... Who wants to dance?" Setie was already ducking down and yanking her hood as far down around her face as she could while cursing.

Several forms started converging on Shar. A couple of humans, a Trandoshan and something that was covered in a long cloak. Shar just grinned and twirled her blades in hand. "Bring it on, osiks for brains..." Her almost merry tone had several of the bar patrons scrambling for cover.

"Shar...just..." Setie struggled to think of a nice, peaceful way out of this mess and was failing.

The ring was closing in on Sharlina, who obviously couldn’t have cared less, when a sound came from near the entrance. A clang of metal on metal. Everything stopped again as the huge blonde haired mountain of muscle with the hideous face tapped the end of his axe on the floor again. The Cathar beside him who wasn't small -she just seemed that way standing beside her huge companion- smiled as she hefted a force pike. It was not friendly smile. "You all might want to go back to your drinks. Now. She is with us."

"Huh...?" Sharlina shook her head. "Thanks, but I can take these wimps, Atara… "

All of the cantina patrons, realizing that the newcomers were on Shar's side, found other things to do. Shar pouted as the ring around her dissolved. Then she slumped and spoke quietly. "Come on Setie, let’s go..." Her voice held disappointment.

Setie carefully uncoiled from her spot looking at Shar with an apologetic look. "Sorry..." she said quietly. "Did I...get us in trouble again?"

Sharlina sighed. "I don't know." She glowered around the room and everybody found other things to do as she sheathed her blades. She nodded to Setsuna and started towards the entrance, careful to stay between Setsuna and any possible aggressor. "Maybe, but a bar brawl would have been fun..."

Setie groaned a bit then. "We need to work on your definition of the word fun." Setie frowned, "I believe the term you looking for is mass slaughter there."

Just outside two figures were waiting. Both bowed to Sharlina. The Cathar spoke. "I apologize for interrupting your battle Masterblade."

"Come off it, Atara." Shar snorted. "Thank you. And this must be...Wow..." She looked up, and up, and up. The huge human smiled. A fairly gruesome sight. "Blondie...? Wow you have grown..." Feelings swept over both of the women. Excitement, approval, love... for Shar? And worry. And... curiosity. This last directed at Setie.

Setie blinked at the rather odd pair in front of her before looking at her sister. "More old friends?"

"Yes." Shar spoke. "Setsuna Andal be known to Atara..." The Cathar bowed. "...And Blondie.” Now the human mountain bowed. “Both of the Bladeborn." Shar spoke to Atara. "I assume since you are here, the rest are as well?" Atara nodded and Shar sighed in relief. "Well, that is a world of stress off my back. I need to see the Master as soon as possible and Setsuna needs to rest and see the healers."

"We understand." Atara nodded. "We have a airspeeder nearby. It is good to see you again. Battlesister."

Setie looked nervously at the lot before glancing at Sharlina. "Uh, Shar, is this a good idea?"

Shar grinned at her blood sister. "Yes. You will be safe with the Bladeborn, Setsuna. And our healers are first rate. You have nothing to fear now." Setie frowned but nodded, not quite as comfortable with matters as Sharlina was but had nothing to gainsay her sister's faith.

The airspeeder lurched and stopped as Sharlina turned and grinned at Setie,"We are here."

Blondie opened up the rear hatch and exited first, as his bulk wouldn't allow anyone else to get around him. Sharlina smiled as she looked around the the bay. Setie couldn't know that it hadn’t changed in years but she could feel emotions rippling off Sharlina. A large cave set up as a garage. All around were vehicles of various kinds, in various states of repair, and no people except...

Shar blinked but the image in front of her didn't go away.

"Mama!" Sharlina dashed to the huge reptilian form and threw herself high into the air. The Barabel caught her easily and drew her into a hug.

As Setie climbed carefully out of the speeder she felt a small sad smile creep across her face. She'd never seen Sharlina so animated and happy, even in a bloody mess of a fight. Then again, what did the green eyed girl know of homecomings? She herself had never left Korriban till her mother had died. She could remember a handful of times, waiting excitedly for Jan and Marik to finish reporting on whatever business they had been sent out on. She had always been thrilled to see them and perhaps a little lonely being left behind.

The memories hurt enough to wipe the smile from her face. She swallowed tears against the pain of grief, knowing if she started blubbering Shar would get all protective again. She didn't need to be fretting over Setie when she was finally home after who knew how long.

"Sssharlina... Alwayz the sssily girl," The lizard woman was saying with obvious affection.

Blondie stood beside the airspeeder and Atara moved to stand as well. The Cathar had a small smile on her face as she spoke softly to Setie. "She doesn't bite..."

"More I don't want to intrude." It didn't occur to Setie that most people ran in fear of the barabel or that her unique abilities made her somewhat immune to the thought. After all, what was there to fear if you killed something with a touch?

The lizard woman had seen Setie as she set Shar on her feet and walked towards the airspeeder. "And who iz thisss? Oh..." The huge lizard bowed, formally. "You muzt be Sssetzuna Andal. Welcome to our clan cave."

Setie simply gave a bow, though she had to grind her teeth some as her wounds protested. "Nice to meet you..um...Ma'am."

"I apologize, Mama. I should have introduced you..." Shar's voice was small and apologetic.

The barabel just snorted. "Unlessss Sssetzuna hasss taken offenze, I have not. Be more consssciouz of your feelingsss girl. Duty first." Shar nodded at the slight rebuke.

Setie simply gave a reassuring smile. "Running off all excited is hardly an adverse reaction when a girl sees family after a long time away," she said. There was no truer statement for the situation to her. Though she and Shar were related by blood, this was the family at Sharlina's heart. It made her happy for Shar, if more then a little envious that she did not have that for herself.

"My name iz Brathanoraulrauglothcagor, Sssetzuna Andal. Which isss why theze missscreantz call me Mama Lizard. Asss you may if you wish," the Barabel said grinning widely.

Shar had to laugh, making Setie try to remember when she had heard such a carefree thing from her, "She is our Mama Lizard."

"Indeed but...” The barabel looked at Setie and shook her huge head. “Oh, Sssahr... How long have you been dragging thisss youngling through the galaxy behind you?" Mama's voice was worried now. "I can sssee that you have been hurt, young one. Even without the Force." Mama's voice was gentle and kind without pity.

Setie scowled as she looked down and about. "Oh drats did I rip one of them again?" she asked as she did her best to inspect her own wounds.

"No, I jussst... I am acting mother to all thessse... So I ... fret. Pleassse do not take offenssse."

"Oh, uh, no offense taken. I was just worried from...er...the excitement," Setie stated, not being sure what to call that time in the cantina...or her frightening of the tech.

"You look like you could ussse some ssseriousss ssleep, young one. Ssshar, take her to medical. By then I ssshould have some quartersss ready for her. I look forward to talking to you when you have resssted Sssetsuna Andal." The Barabel gave Shar a hug that had the woman grunting, and then strode away.

Shar grinned, a young look, a happy look. It looked out of place on her face, much more accustomed to frowns. "Well, Mama has spoken..."

Setie nodded, letting Shar tote her off as she seem to slowly absorb this different side of her sister. "So...all your Bladeborn friends are here?

Shar blinked. "Well, I don't know how many are actually here. If Mama is here, then the healers are here and ..." Her voice trailed off as they passed a cross corridor. A man stood there, his face shadowed by the hood of his cloak.

Setie blinked from one form to the other. One did not need an empathic nature to feel something bouncing in the air back and forth between her sister and the cloaked one. For a moment Setie felt kindred souls, ones that knew the pains of losing someone they cared about.

The difference is...both of them are still here, She thought to herself thinking of Marik again. Well...maybe they can salvage things. Shar deserves to be happy after all.

((Posted by Setie))

"Hello Shar."

The voice was quiet but Shar tensed. She turned to face him and her face was a stone mask as she nodded. Her face was a mask, but her heart... Her heart, hidden behind years of training, discipline, horror and war, that was breaking all over again. Once more she was nineteen. Once more she felt the hollowness in her belly, the blank spot where something she hadn't known was there had died. Again, she felt his rage, his pain, his own horror at what had happened. And her heart shattered into a thousand pieces all over again as she saw his face beneath his cowl. But she was a Bladeborn, born to duty, trained to serve. She controlled her pain and her loss with the skill of long practice and when she spoke, her vice was just as unemotional as his.

“Hello, Idjit.”

She didn't really have a clue what to say. Did she still love him? She didn't know. Was she still angry? She didn't know. The man nodded to Setsuna, and then he was gone. Shar slumped, just a bit. Then she shook herself and moved on. She hadn't expected to see him. He was always off doing what needed to be done. But then again, what did she know? She moved on.

Setie blinked and tilted her head curiously looking back and forth. Shar spoke quietly as she waved towards sections of the huge cavern complex the Bladeborn called home. "Not a lot to see right here. Mess hall there." She waved. "Archives over there... Masters quarters that way... Ah, here we are... Medical..." She broke off as Setie spoke in a halting voice as if worried for her.

"Shar...who was that? The Idjit guy," Setie asked.

"Oh, yeah..." Shar froze. Then she slumped. It wouldn't do to hide it and there really wasn't any reason, now. "I told you... On that Yinran cruiser. What happened to me... The miscarriage. He... He was the father...He got in trouble for it. Hell, so did I... But he wasn't to blame... I was... It was my own stupid fault, fighting without trying to figure out why I felt so weird."

Setie's face showed she felt horrible for asking then but then she frowned "You got in trouble for being in love and creating something between the two of you?"

Sharlina sighed. If only it had been that simple. "No. He got in trouble for letting me fight with a pain we couldn't identify. And he got in trouble for letting me out of the restraints when I wanted to die. Both of which were my fault. And of course, he blamed himself." She shuddered. Just remembering those times sent a chill right through her that the Dark Side thrived on. She forced the feelings back with the skill won from hard practice.

Setie stood silent for a time. "I don't see any fault here. Just two people who were young and had something tragic happen."

"No, no fault." Shar nodded. "Stupid and tragic, that was us..." Whatever she was going to say was cut off by an irate voice.

"Okay, who is polluting my medical area with negative waves...?" The female voice came from inside the door, which slammed open to show a furred figure. "Oh, its you..." Shar seemed at a loss for words. The figure, which seemed to be a black furred Bothan, snarled. But there was something... off about it. "Almost twenty years it’s been and you come back and you are still throwing negative waves all over the place..." The door slammed shut.

Shar shook her head. Then her hands came up, almost on their own, in a warding gesture. "Don't you start with that wave nonsense...” Setie would have said something but Shar shook her head and hid a grin behind her hand. The voice continued from inside the door..

"Everywhere you go, it’s oh gloom, oh doom, oh zoom, oh boom... Why can’t we all just get along?” This last was in a plaintive voice that was somehow... mocking?

The door opened and the Bothan was crying. "You crazy good for nothing bloodthirsty witch. Come here..." Shar stepped forward and embraced the Bothan. Then they were both laughing and crying in equal measure.

Setie sighed and settled to watch again. She would just learn to sit and be quiet for right now with everyone so happy to see Sharlina. It made her feel somewhat sad since she only had one memory of someone being happy to see her even if she had been sitting in a cell.

Shar stepped back after a moment and turned to Setie. "Setsuna Andal, be known to Ona, healer of the Bladeborn." Ona bowed formally, but when she rose, her legs made a squeaking nose and the healer looked sheepish.

"Sorry, I got behind on the maintenance..."

"Ona..." Sharlina said with a long suffering groan.

Setie grinned a bit at the pair's antics as the dark furred bothan focused on Setie. Ona's eyes went wide and she burst into tears before she shook her head trying to control herself.

"Oh my god I’m sorry, I am so, so sorry..." Ona said as Setie frowned. The human automatically prodding at the force in concern and getting something of a surprise. Everyone else in the area had the strong taint of the Dark side about them. In contrast the Bothan seemed… remarkably pure, if very sad at the moment. There were tendrils though of the dark side, for no one was perfect. Setie had a feeling that given the right situation, Ona could and would be just as dark as the others. A kind of ferocious wolverine that was peaceful enough until needs required otherwise and turned it into something vicious.

Setie gave a reassuring smile for now, "For what? Being happy to see your sister again? What's to be sorry for?"

"Setie..." Sharlina tensed and spoke softly, "Ona is an empath, like you. She feels what you feel..."

"I..." Ona winced, "Shar, uh..." Shar hit her on the shoulder a soft strike on soft tissue. It seemed to get the Bothan's mind to focus as Ona blinked and stopped crying, "Thanks..." The Bothan turned her eyes on Setie. Though they were brimming with tears she was more in control now. "You have been through hell, Setsuna Andal."

The younger girl simply shrugged, "That does happen to people from time to time."

Ona nodded and reached for Setie's hand. Shar grabbed the Bothan's wrist before she could touch. "Don't you dare. You will kill yourself trying to heal her pain, and you know it." The statement had Setie blinking in mild confusion and looking at Shar curiously.

"I... Yes..." Ona met Setsuna's eyes, "I can feel your pain. It calls to me. I..." She slumped and then she tensed in thought. "Hold on..." She motioned Setie to a chair.

"It makes you want to fix it," Setie said in perfect understanding as she settled into the chair. "That doesn't mean...you should.” She could hardly yell at the bothan for a tendency she shared. That empathic need to fix everything and everyone around you till you could feel for yourself again.

"I just... Yeah... " Ona nodded as she sat near Setie's feet, "You are right. Your lower left leg is bleeding again. I can help that." Shar looked at the Bothan with a worried look but Ona just snorted. "If she wanted me dead, I would be from what little I have heard about her. Back off Shar." There was the bite of command in the Bothan’s voice and Sharlina did as ordered.

Setie blinked in mild surprise at the exchange, it had never occurred to her Shar might be trying to protect everyone else from her. Then again it might just be that Sharlina had the same protective attitude towards her sister of the heart as she did for her blood sister. "If you just give me some bandages I can handle it," she said trying to be helpful.

"What? And put me out of a job?" Ona smiled, "I have no doubt you can. But…" She laid her hands on either side of Setie's leg and an instant later the pain that had barely registered was gone. "…For something this small, there is no need."

Setie raised her leg and started inspecting it curiously. She could see a scar where the flesh had pulled together again so it wasn't exactly like her own power, but interesting none the less as she saw it through different eyes then others would. The red lines that had been weak from the wound having been reinforced and accelerated in the natural process. This left the wound still around and the lines still weaker then before, instead of how Setie healed, which seemed to make it as if the wound had never even existed.

"You are a mess, Setsuna." Ona sighed, "I need to do a full exam and I think she would be more comfortable if you were elsewhere, Shar." The elder human instantly bristled, but Ona shook her head. "You need to report to the Master. She will be safe here. Go."

Setie simply looked up at Shar with an amused look. "You really think your sister here will hurt me?

Shar snorted, "I am more worried about what deviltry the two of you will get up to while I am not here to chaperone."

"Who me?" Ona put an innocent expression on her face and then sighed. "Shar, go. You don't keep the Grandmaster waiting..."

Setie looked curious now remember her brief meeting with the odd little alien, "What does he do when people keep him waiting?"

Both Ona and Shar flinched as one at her question, "You don't want to know," they chorused. Shar groaned in resignation and shook her head but she stepped to the door and was gone in moments.

Setie sighed wearily, "Is she always so stubborn about leaving people alone?"

"Well..." Ona sighed just as wearily. "With Shar, her duty is really all she has. Her duty now is to protect you and she feels protective of me." The furry head shook in annoyance, "It's not like I can't defend myself, but..." She stood up and her legs whined again. "I do need to do a full workup, scans and all. Would you like to sleep here tonight? We have private rooms for patients and it might be easier if you didn't have to go anywhere afterward."

Now it was Setie's turn to shake her copper colored head. “No, those are for patients who need them. I'm well enough and you never know when you might need those rooms for a medical emergency. I wouldn't want to get in the way of someone's life.”

Ona seemed to frown, though Setie couldn't be sure since she was not exactly sure how Bothan facial expressions worked. Ona was the first one she had met after all. “Would you at least let me deaden your pain a bit? It will let you sleep a bit easier.”

“No,” Setie said without thought. Mentally hugging her broken heart to her chest. “To deny the pain would be to deny that any of it's cause even happened. Everyone has scars on their hearts and souls, if they didn't they would have a shallow existence indeed. They would never know the value of some of the things they have.”

It was an honest statement to Setie. She might have felt like she had been smashed into a thousand pieces and crushed to powder, but she didn't regret any of the time she had with Marik. She only wished he could have understood that there was so much more then his narrow minded revenge.

Setie jerked in surprise then as a pair of furry arms wrapped around her in a hug. “I think...you are the bravest person I have ever met Setsuna Andal,” Ona said softly.

The human only sighed a bit, slumping as if in defeat. “I'm afraid...I'm not all that brave,” she replied. After all if she had been braver she would have faced Mariks' insanity sooner. Perhaps she could have nipped the whole terrible matter in the bud years ago by just having enough courage to tell Marik...well anything. If she had just had the guts to gamble rejection and demand he stop when he'd asked her to marry him...

So many times she could have done something...only to pass it up due to fears.

Ona gave her a squeeze. "Don't ever doubt, Setsuna. I see in you courage beyond anyone I have ever met. You don't have Trugoy's experience, Mama's size, Shar's ferocity, or Idjit's power. Yet you keep on going. That...takes guts."

Setie didn't respond, instead looking down at her hands and pondering the things she could have done, should have done, would have done...

Ona ruffled her copper mane then. “Hey...let's get to work huh? It'll be dinner time soon enough and I'm sure you won't want to be stuck in here for it.”

Setie gave a small grin at that. “Specially since lunch got ruined. Some drunk decided it was party time but didn't like my make up.” she stated pointing at the black lines on her face.

Ona laughed at that and the pair knuckled down so that they might get to eat at some point.

((Posted by Setie))

Sharlina squared her shoulders as she approached the door. The guards bowed to her, but she ignored them. Here, protocol was everything. It was really the only thing that kept this somewhat odd family from killing one another. She stopped at the required spot and bowed formally. To the imperial seal. Then she turned to the guarded door. The guards lowered their force pikes, blocking the door and one spoke the ritual challenge.

“Who dares approach the hall of the Bladeborn?” Sharlina met the eyes of the one on the right and she approved of the steadiness she saw there. Young, but well on the way to being trained properly. She spoke evenly.

“I am Sharlina, Masterblade of the Bladeborn.” Not that she needed any introduction it seemed. The trickles of nervousness that came from the guards said that they were well aware of who she was. And what she was capable of. She didn’t mind. They would have to be less than mortal to not feel fear at all and they controlled it well. The right side guard nodded, but held out a hand. Sharlina extended her wrist. He took her wrist in hard fingers and turned her arm. A swift move exposed her brand. The guard examined it closely, then released her arm and nodded.

“Welcome home, Masterblade.” The guards bowed, and both Force pikes came up to attention. Sharlina bowed back. The door opened. It was only in her mind that it creaked with agonizing slowness. Then she was walking forward. Three paces, halt, turn, bow. Three more, halt, turn, bow. Each bow was to a symbol, made in ancient time. Each a pictorial representation of one of the parts of the Code of the Bladeborn. She repeated this four more times. Loyalty, Duty, Honor, Respect, Vigilance, Prowess. Eacha part of the whole that was the Bladeborn. Finally, she turned a final time and walked to the foot of a small dais. There she knelt and waited. She didn’t have to wait long.

“Took you long enough.” She didn’t smile, didn’t move, didn’t almost dare breathe as the voice of her master came from nearby. A sigh came from nearby and the voice spoke more formally. “Rise Masterblade.”

Sharlina stood and didn’t react as the small raised part of the floor in front of her shimmered. One moment, it was empty, the next a figure was there. Seated on a cushion in the middle of it was small brown form. Trugoy was shaking his head. But he was smiling. “You have been long from our halls, my daughter.” As always the sound of his voice sent a thrill through her. He rose and she didn’t move as he walked towards her. He motioned and she knelt again. A loud sound reverberated through the chamber. A lightsaber pommel striking bone. Probably a skull, although Sharlina might have been carved from rock for all the response she gave.

“You were seen on the Fate Shatter, you eluded the Imperial forces sent to apprehend you." Trugoy's words were cold and clear. "Many have said you were a renegade, a rogue. The Emperor was… displeased…” Now the cracking sound came again. She didn’t react at all, although a rivulet of blood was trickling down her face now. “What am I to do with you MasterBlade?” Sharlina met the grandmaster’s eyes and spoke evenly.

“My life is yours, Grandmaster.” Trugoy nodded and his empty hand rose slowly. Then he slapped her across the face. Again and again he slapped her. Then he stepped back.

“You have brought dishonor to this clan. But the Emperor has decreed you are not to die. He understands your duty to protect Setsuna Andal was paramount to you. And there was no time to send more current orders.” Sharlina’s eyes widened a bit, but Trugoy was speaking again. “Disarm.” She blinked, but obeyed. Her swords and sabers felt to the floor. His eyes were the same blue she had always seen as he spoke again. “I am sorry, child, but discipline must be maintained.” She nodded. Without discipline, the Bladeborn were nothing more than bloodthirsty monsters. She felt eyes on her now; she didn’t need to look to know that all of her kin who were not busy had entered the hall to observe. She spared a moment to hope that Ona and Setsuna were far, far away. And then Trugoy was raising his hand.

She was gripped in a tight grasp of Force power and flung into the air. Then the grip tightened and she bit back a scream as it pressed her hard. And then she was flying as something struck her. She shrieked as Force lightning arced through her frame, and then was abruptly silenced as she met one of the walls of the cavern. Then she was flying again. It went on for a long, long time. Mainly because Sharlina was no stranger to physical pain, it took over five minutes of continued punishment to knock her unconscious.

<Later>

Sharlina woke silently. She didn’t hurt. She sighed. She should have. After that much punishment, she should have felt a lot of pain. Broken bones, fried nerve endings, the works. Instead, she felt good. She cracked her eyes and froze. Instead of a detention cell, she was in a room? A shadowed form entered and she blinked as it resolved into a man wearing a cloak. Idjit was carrying a tray. She sighed.

“You shouldn’t disobey him." Sharlina said soberly. "I was in error.” Idjit smiled.

“Who says I am disobeying?" Idjit replied with a smirk. "He told me and I quote ‘Take care of her.’ So I am.” She looked down at herself and shivered. Her robes were gone, she was wearing a patient gown.

“You didn’t take me to Medical, did you?” Her horror at her sister seeing her broken had Idjit stop in his tracks. He shook his head.

“Mama came and did some healing" Shar tensed. Mama didn't do that very often at all. It drained her badly. "Then Jon came here to finish the job. And I stood over him to be sure he didn’t do anything dumb. Ona saw none of it and Setsuna has no idea. And we are working hard to keep it that way.” Shar had to smile at that. She smiled slightly.

“Thank you MasterBlade.” Idjit smiled again, his empty eye sockets under the bandages meeting her eyes as always.

“You are welcome, MasterBlade.” Sharlina froze and Idjit smiled. “No, he didn’t demote you.” She stared at her arm and the brand was just as it had been, not scored through as when a Bladeborn did something really bad and was forced to go back in training.

“I don’t understand…” She said quietly. “I messed up…” Idjit sat down beside her and sighed.

“Yes you did, but you had no way of knowing what the current orders were. You did your duty to the best of your ability.” Sharlina shook her head. She didn’t hurt. She should have. Even with a medic caring for her, the wounds she should have taken. She really didn’t hurt…

“Was that all for show?” She asked plaintively. Idjit shook his head, but then he grinned

“You shouldn’t have kept him waiting Shar.” He smiled fondly at her. She tensed and then sighed. Then she was laughing. Idjit laughed with her. Then his arm slipped around her shoulders and she was crying. He held her as she sobbed.

“I am sorry, I am so sorry. I... You shouldn’t have released me. I almost killed you. I…” He cut her babbling off the only way he could. By covering her mouth with his own. When they finally came up for air, he spoke slowly.

“I have ‘seen’ you Shar. Doing what you have done. Strong, proud, alone. But you are not now.” The hard, tough Sith warrior put her head down on his shoulder and cried some more. There were tears in his voice when he spoke, tears he could never shed physically. “What happened to us was horrible, what happened to you… I can only imagine Shar. But it’s time. It’s time to put our horrible past behind us, to make a new future for both of us…” She tensed as his hands left her shoulders and went elsewhere.

“Idjit, this is not a good idea…” But Idjit just smiled.

“Trust me Shar…” She sighed and relaxed. Because, finally, after so long, she could trust again…

It took a few hours for Ona and Setie to get through all the tests. The pair kept getting distracted with general chattering. The two having a similar interest in the medical arts acting as a cement for a fast friendship

"You will get along here just fine." Ona commented as they walked. "Good news is that all of your physical injuries are healing nicely. I..." She shook her head. "I wish I could prescribe some medication for broken hearts..." She smiled sadly. "But it doesn't work like that. We will help you as we can, give you the time you need...".

"Oh don't you start, I have one person fretting over me enough. I'll be fine," Setie stated.

"Oh dear." Ona smiled sadly, "I can't help it Setsuna. It's the way I am. I will try not to be too Shar-ish though and you will be fine, given time, rest and a chance to recover."

“One step at a time,” the human commented with a grin.

Ona nodded silently and led the way into the cavern that severed as the mess hall for the Bladeborn. Rough tables were scattered about and a serving line had formed. "Oh, boy! Blondie made his stroganoff. You are in for a treat," the bothan woman said sniffing the air as she led the girl to where trays were stacked.

"Good stuff I take it?" Setie said doing her best to ignore curious looks from some of the younger students as she collected a tray and utensils. She had to resist the urge to yank her hood up and hide in her robe, being the object of scrutiny had never been a good thing for her.

"You will see," Ona promised with a grin as she led Setsuna to the line. Her stare had the younger students minding their manners.

Behind the serving line, Blondie's huge form was decked out in Correllian Chef's costume. The sight was rather amusing to Setie who had never seen anything but droids in the kitchen. As Ona came by, he planted two large scoops of something that looked and smelled very good on her tray. He smiled at the red head and a feeling of welcome surrounded him. He put two scoops of the stroganoff on her tray as well.

Setie did her best to give Blondie a thankful smile before following Ona to a table off in a corner. "So...odd..." she muttered to herself as if finding an interesting puzzle. She had been under the impression that Bladeborn, while something of an offshoot, were still Sith. As such no one really welcomed newcomers, you were sized up as competition.

"Which one?" Ona snorted, "Or is that all of us?"

"All," Setie said with a grin. "I guess I'm just not use to friendly welcomes."

“Yeah. We...well...” Ona sighed, her face sad, "We are really all that we can rely on. Not all of us are nice, mind you and believe me, we can be real jerks at times." She found a table and sat as she spoke, "Everyone by now knows you were hurt and we take in a lot of hurt kids. So its... sort of instinctive. Not to mention polite, which when everyone is armed to the teeth."

"Not to mention having Sharlina hovering over me," Setie said with a curious look then. "I wonder how her meeting is going."

"Now that you mention it..." Ona blinked, "I dunno. I expected to see her back by now. Well, if anything had gone bad, she or someone else would be in medical. Where we were, so... give the food a try. I bet you like it."

Setie grinned a bit as she took a bite and pondered for a few moments. Her one meeting with the grandmaster had left her the impression that he didn't dawdle over matters. He got down to business and got it out of the way, not wasting time on things.

Then it occurred to her that perhaps someone else had stopped Sharlina. Her did was a stubborn dog over duty, which Setie was seen as currently, so whatever kept her sister away had to be one really big distraction for her.

Setie got a mischievous grin across her face at the thought. Shar had seemed rather distracted meeting that Idjit fellow earlier. Maybe she and him were patching some things up between them. The man couldn't have been a completely terrible fellow if Sharlina loved him so.

"Hmmm?" Ona looked at her and shook her head. "Do I want to know?" She asked around a bite.

"Was thinking about the handful of things that would keep Shar from something she sees as a duty. I'm mentally hoping she got the best one," Setie replied as she dug into her food some more. She seemed to perked up to Ona as happier memories played in her head of her time with Marik.

The bothan blinked, and then her eyes widened. "You know... You might be right," She said with a conspiratorial grin. "If you are, we really don't want to disturb them."

"Nope. I'm not the only one that needs rest and such after all. It'll be good for her I..." Setie suddenly jerks some in her seat and scowls. "What in the hell?"

"What?" Ona asked quickly inspecting already in case the red haired girl had cut herself on her utensils.

Setie got the strangest look on her face. As if she was trying not to squirm. "I think...there's something on my leg...and it's moving."

Ona blinked and then she moved, very slowly as she checked under the table. "Don't move Setsuna... That is a sand sanke. Very poisonous. I have the antidote, but... let me get it off you," she said as her hand reached slowly for her blade.

Setie made a distressed sound as the snake kept moving, slithering up and over a hip. She was however managing so far not to move.

"As long as you don't move you are fine." Ona had her blade out now and was easing it towards the moving creature. "Come here you stupid piece of legless meat," She snarled softly as it moved away from her blade.

As if it heard and understood her insult it stopped and hissed, making Ona freeze in place. "Don't move Setsuna... let it calm down."

"Trying..." Setie said through gritted teeth, "Damn thing tickles..."

The snake, seemingly mollified, coiled up around the waist. Ona cursed. "Of all the times I wish had telekenesis... I'll hit it with stasis, you move, ok?" Ona drew back, trying to focus her power to hit just the snake.

Setie's brows drew together then. She didn't think that was how that particular force ability worked but she couldn't think of it right this minute with a snake glaring up and seeming to smile at her with poisonous fangs. "You sure that'll work?"

"It will work," Ona said quietly. "I hope. I have never focused on something that small before but size doesn't matter."

Just then the snake moved again causing Setie's hands to twitch. "This bastard is starting to annoy me..." she growled out. She was certainly did not like the idea of what would happen if things went wrong.

"Setsuna...?" Ona asked quietly.

Setie's legs twitched some now. The snake had gone up her stomach and was right under her chest. "Crap...please tell me these things don't like cozy warm spots," she asked. The mental picture of the cursed animal snuggling in a nice warm spot between the breasts was not particularly calming. Then again what else would a desert snake be seeking as the suns went down if not a nice warm spot to sleep for the night.

Maker but a stupid way to die this would be she thought. Some stupid little snake bite was going to kill her after all the pain and misery she'd survived? She'd rather have gotten blown up with Marik on the Shatter. Even if he had no longer wanted her in his life at least would have gotten one good slap in on him for everything. Made him feel for just a moment how much agony she was in from his careless actions...

Setie didn't hear Ona speak, didn't realize people had frozen in place and were staring at her. She simply stared down at that snake as she imagined it was someone else, not even seeing the little flash of blue that ran across her form. She felt the snake twist in agonizing pain, trying to curl up to defend itself. Instead a rapid series of rips split open in it's flesh before it seemed to erupt from some force ripping it apart from the inside.

"Oh yuck..." Setie commented as she spit a bit and started plucking snake bits from her shirt before looking around and noticing a lot of disturbed and fearful looks. She mentally cringed at the all to familiar stares. "I...did something bad again...didn't I?"

Ona nodded but her face was sad, and then suddenly, she was trying to wrap a gentle arm around the green eyed girl. "What a horrible thing to bear... Oh god..."

Setie didn't hear the Bothan's words and jerked away, sticking her hands under her arms and curling away like someone expecting to get grabbed and pummeled. "I...I think...I think I need to rest somewhere..." Already her head was ringing with the fear and shock of the others. She could almost hear their thoughts in her own mind.

Ona stared at her and her face was fierce, as she got an arm around the girl. "Sit. You are going nowhere until you eat. You used a lot of power. Oh my god, girl, I had no idea. How... How can you stand it...?" Ona asked as she started crying.

Setie looked about as she obediently sat and ate ignoring the arm and form trying to comfort. She wished vainly to simply disappear into the wall as she gave into the urge to pull up her hood and hide in it's depths. No one needed to be empathetic to feel the fear pouring off her.

Ona held the girl loosely now, to let her eat. "No one is going to..." She blinked and turned her head to glare at all the people staring at her and the girl beside her. "Don't you have anything better to do?" Now they stared at her, and kind gentle compassionate Ona yelled at them. "Where are your manners?” They all looked away and then, in ones and twos resumed their meals. The dark furred woman sank back down beside Setie. "It's all right Setsuna. it's all right..." She stroked Setie's hair, to calm herself as much as to calm her human charge.

Setie jerked away again, the fear still clinging. "Don't...just....don't touch me right now," she stated in a flat tone. Her control felt unstable at best and she did not want to hurt anyone.

"No..." Ona shook her head as she crooned softly, "You won't hurt me, Setsuna. You have too much control for that. I know what you bear. If you didn't have control, I would have been dead the first time I touched you. I had no idea...It will be all right." She kept her touch gentle, calming. A lifetime of dealing with scared kids coming to bear in an effort to help.

Still Setie shied away, years of abuse and self hate making a potent cage that would take time to chip away at for anyone.

Ona's voice was quiet as she kept up her gentle massage. "It's not your fault Setsuna. It's not your fault. No one here will hurt you Setsuna. No one..."

Setie curled up some in her seat, resting her head on the table for it was so heavy. That wasn't unusual though for her whole body to simply seem heavy after...such things. "No...but I might hurt them..." she whispered in a miserable tone.

Ona stroked the girl's hair gently. "No you won't. You are better than that, girl. Go ahead, sleep if you want. I will take care of you. It's what I do..."

((Posted by Setie))

<A few minutes later, in a hallway leading from the mess hall>

Ona carefully carried the slumbering girl. Setsuna murmured in her sleep. It sounded like a whimper, and Ona hurried her steps a bit. The healer had herself under incredibly tight control. If Setsuna was anything at all like Ona herself, then she was very vulnerable to emotions while asleep. Ona shook her head slowly. She couldn’t believe it. This girl, this poor girl… Ona focused herself again, tighter. Getting angry never did any good. She had to treat Setie like one of the kids that they found occasionally. Broken, abused, sometimes almost beyond all rhyme or reason. She herself had been one. She never had found out where the Bladeborn had found her, or what had happened to her before they had found her. It didn’t really matter. What mattered was that she knew what to do now… She saw the door ahead and smiled. Mama had somewhere found a nametag and placed it on the door.

Setsuna Andal

Ona inched the manual door open with her foot and smiled. Mama’s subtle touches were everywhere. The small room seemed… almost warm. Hard to imagine it was a cave. The walls were covered in rugs and the floor as well. The bed was made with soft sheets, as opposed to the rough bedclothes that the Bladeborn preferred to keep them toughened. And the pillows, if Ona knew Mama at all –which she did- would be very soft and firm at the same time. When they got children recruits, Trugoy usually found ones that no other Sith wanted. The broken ones, the blasted ones, the fragile ones. The abused ones… So they knew how to handle them. Gently.

She laid Setsuna’s still form down on the bed and, after a moment, carefully undid the girl’s boots. Setsuna didn’t rouse, although Ona would have been amazed if the girl had been able to. She was wiped out. The medic decided not to undress the girl. Ona wasn’t squeamish or body shy, -If one was, it did not last in Bladeborn training and certainly one did not survive long as a medic that way- but she knew Setsuna was. And right now Setsuna needed comfort. The girl needed stability, normality and more than her share of love and affection if she was going to put her life back together again. Ona bit her lip as she pulled a sheet up to Setsuna’s neck. She brushed an errant lock of copper hair out of Setsuna’s face and sighed.

Poor girl… Such power… Such horror…

Because no matter how old or powerful in the Force Setsuna might be, she was, at heart at least, a child. Trusting, but abused, scared and very badly hurt. Physically, and emotionally. Had Setsuna ever known love or affection? And if so, what had happened? Ona turned the lights down and closed the door behind her. She was crying as she hurried away, never noticing the small shadow that approached the door behind her.

<A few minutes later>

Mama was making tea. She knew what was coming. The panicked call from the mess hall had been more than enough to warn her, but now, she could feel it. The door chimed and she nodded. “Enter.”

Ona came in, crying. Mama nodded to her and handed her a covered mug with hot tea. Then she gently led Ona to a chair and sat down beside her clan daughter when Ona finally managed to get her rear into the seat. Mama held out her hand and Ona grabbed it as if drowning and offered a life preserver. Mama wasn’t as empathic as Ona was, but she could feel the pain, the fear, the rage that the Bothan felt. And then she felt why. The Barabel stiffened, fear and shock vying with pity and horror.

“Oh…. My….” The Barabel breathed. It was worse than she had feared. Much worse. Ona was shaking her head, her voice a plaintive wail now.

“Mama……” Ona sobbed. Mama stood up and took her daughter in a hug, lifting her right out of the chair and holding her close as she sat them both down on the floor. She held her clan daughter, as she had so many times over the years. Ona’s strong empathy was a two edged sword. It allowed the Bothan to heal better than almost anyone the Barabel had even met, but… It left Ona wide open when it came to emotional hurts. From herself or others. Even the newest discovery of the affections of her fellow healer hadn’t dampened the Bothan’s wide open path to emotions. Which Setsuna had aplenty. She rocked her daughter as she had so many times since she had first seen the poor half starved waif that Trugoy had brought in.

“Husssh child, husssh…" Mama Lizard crooned. "It will be okay. We will help her. “ Ona looked up at her adopted mother with tear filled eyes.

“I should know by now that cruelty is the way of the Sith, but…" Ona shook her head, tears falling in sheets. "She is such a good person Mama… She is such a good person and she has been… She’s been… You saw the scar, didn’t you?” The Barabel nodded. “How could anyone do that to their own daughter?”

“I don’t know Ona." Mama said sadly. "I have never underssstood anyone who can be intentionally cruel to younglingz. And you know asss well az I do that it happensss every day and not juzt in the Empire.” Ona nodded and Mama lifted her easily and then set her back down in the chair. “Now finisssh your tea. I need a full report.”

"Yes..." Ona sighed, and sipped her tea. Her voice became clinical, professional as she forced her feelings to the back. “Setsuna Andal is in reasonably good physical shape. She has a number of recent physical traumas partially healed, that correlates with what little Shar has reported of what happened on the Fate Shatter. What are more worrisome are the lightsaber burn on her scalp and the distended veins on her face…. The latter almost certainly due to overuse of the Force, possibly the Dark Side. I am not sure about that though.” She took another sip and let the heat diffuse through her body, bringing calm. “She showed a most unusual power in the mess hall. Force Resuscitation.” Mama nodded. “This almost certainly explains the council member’s interest in her.” Mama nodded again. “Physically, she is healing well. Mentally, emotionally…?" Ona winces a little. "She is at best a mess, and at worst… a time bomb. I think we can help her, but...” Mama sighed.

“We have to try Ona. We have to try…” Mama sighed. “You are sssleeping here tonight.” Ona blinked, but Mama shook her head. “If they need you they will call you. You need zleep, not nightmaresss.” Ona bit her lip, but nodded. “Zetsssuna will need you rezted.”

Ona relaxed, and then drank the rest of her tea. In minutes, the sedative that Mama had mixed in took effect and the Bothan slumped in her chair. Mama picked her adopted daughter up carefully and carried her to the bed. She set Ona down, covered her, and then sat at the foot of the bed as she had so many times over the years. It always seemed strange to her that her mere presence, so intimidating in real life, would keep many of her adopted children from having nightmares. Then she shook her head. It didn’t matter. She helped, that was all that mattered. As she sank into her meditation, she wondered what the morrow would bring. Then she shook herself and sank into her trance, protecting her kin. As she always had. From their enemies and themselves…

((pic of the end of this scene by Mercy of SWAG here)

Setie woke with a start and looked around in a mild panic. For a moment she was confused of her surroundings before she finally took a breath to calm herself.

She was use to dreams, while she was no where near as gifted as her mother had been in foresight she had occasionally had dreams and visions. They had always been crystal clear.

Lately though, they were murky and disjointed. As if there was no clear paths forward anymore.

It certainly did not make Setie feel any better about her future, but that was just how she felt. Lost.

Setie blinked about the room as she got up. It was kinda homey, in spite of obviously being a cave. Even warm in spite of being in a place with so many people who used the dark side. She supposed the difference was another difference between methods. It wasn't like the teachers in the academies cared much for the comfort of their students.

Setie crossed over to the door mentally daydreaming about breakfast. Sure she'd likely have to endure stares...again...but she needed fuel and hoped she could get some from the mess without to much of a hassle. Even if it was just a ration bar and some water. When she pulled on the old fashion door though, it didn't budge.

She blinked in mild confusion at that. Perhaps it was stuck? She pulled and pushed before finally crouching to see what was wrong with the door and noticing the locks were engaged.

"Well this is aggravating. Why are the locks engaged?" Setie muttered to herself as she pulled open the small shuttered window to look out and see if anyone was around to ask for help, "Hello?"

She could see an armored figured with a force pike across the hallway. They hadn't reacted to her call but then again maybe they didn't hear her.

"Excuse me," Setie called. "Uh...Mr. Armor with the nasty looking pike? The locks on my room seemed ot have malfunctioned and locked me in. Could...you maybe get someone to fix it?" She asked though she had a very bad feeling about this all suddenly. Why was there a guard at her door? Then again she had scared people yesterday so maybe it was just an escort to make folks feel better about her being there.

The figure didn't react at all. No response, not even the slightest twitch to show he had heard her.

Setie looked about the room again, starting to get very nervous about this door business. She started noting that there wasn't anything in the room one could use for a make shift lock pick, or a battering ram, or anything else to use on the door.

“Please not again...” she whispered to herself.

"Huh?" A startled voice came from further down the corridor and Ona quickly came into view, carrying a tray that steamed slightly. "What are you doing here?" She asked the figure in armor, who ignored her as well.

"Ona!" Setie cheered turning back to the window. "Thank the Maker! There's something wrong with my door here. It's locked and someone..." Setie's inflection of tone made it obviously she meant the armored and silent one,"...is not being helpful."

"Setuna, hold on. I will sort this out." Ona relaxed a bit on hearing Setie's voice, but her focus was on the guard who stared at her impassive. "What is going on?"

He ignored her until she took another step, at which point, his pike dropped into ready position making Ona snarl. "Cahhlin, if you don't want me to take that pike from you and insert it somewhere very unpleasant, you will open the door and get out of my way. Now!" The fact that she was carrying a tray didn't seem to matter. Th temperature in the corridor seemed to plummet at her cold angry words.

Setie swallowed hard blinking out at the pair with fearful eyes. Ona's reactions stated this was not a normal thing. The red head abhorred being locked up, but surely this was all just a misunderstanding. Her mind however kept replaying all those stares she had been getting yesterday in the mess hall after the snake incident.

"Move..." Ona waited, but the guard didn't move causing the Bothan to sigh. She set the tray down and without a further word was back in front of the guard, her hand on her sword hilt. "You are barring the way to my patient, who I am willing to bet you are frightening. Get out of my way."

The guard shook his head then, “I cannot do that healer. My orders are clear.”

“Orders from who?” Ona barked back.

“From me,” came another voice and Setie could just barely see the top of Grandmaster Trugoy's head from her spot behind the door.

Ona immediately took her hand off her sword hilt, but her anger remained. "Master, Setsuna Andal is our guest. Allow me to do my duty to her," she said, her voice was respectful but held worry.

Setie watched the exchange and felt a ball of ice forming in the pit of her stomach. Sharlina had said there were men on the Shatter who had been hunting them for the Empire. Bladeborn, while different, were still a bunch of loyal imperials.

As if to answer her dread Trugoy shook his head slowly. “I cannot let you go in there Ona.”

"Master. She needs our help, not our fear. She won't hurt me," Ona persisted only to have Trugoy shake his head at her again. "She won't."

"Ona, I have orders to obey as well." The Bothan froze, but then her face went hard. "Ona... Go back to medical. Leave the tray..."

"Master..." The dark furred woman shook her head savagely, "She is hurting, scared, in pain... I... I can't. She needs my help..."

"Ona," Setie piped up, fear for what Trugoy might do if the alien woman kept fighting the issue starting to press hard on her. "I'll be ok. I'm sure this is all just a...misunderstanding." She knew better of course but hoped to but the healer at ease. “Just...do what he says please?”

"No." Ona shook her head. "This is no misunderstanding. Master, the Emperor's decree may say we have to confine her, but nothing says we have to be uncivil.”

Trugoy walked slowly up to her as he shook his head before doing a little hop. He touched her shoulder gently and she fell. Setie was worried she would hit the floor hard but Trugoy kept her from doing so with the Force. He sighed then and motioned to the guard, "Take her to medical and tell Jon she is under orders to stay there now."

The guard bowed, collected the unconscious healer and left. Trugoy sighed again, and with a quick motion, the tray levitated to follow him as he strode towards the door. "Stand away form the door Setsuna Andal. I have no wish to harm you."

Setie backed up from the door but was frowning as the diminutive master entered, "You didn't hurt her did you?"

Trugoy shot her a frown as he guided the tray in, shutting and latching the door behind him. “No, I just knocked her out. She was about to draw her sword. That would have left me no choice but to hurt her.”

Maybe it was Setie's imagination but he sounded funny. As if Ona's behavior was somehow to be laid on Setie's doorstep.

“You should eat while it is warm,” he stated instead as he set the tray down and sat down at the small table.

Setie sat as well but didn't touch her food yet. Her stomach was rolling and she didn't trust food in it right then. "I'm a prisoner...aren't I?"

"Yes." Trugoy nodded simply confirming Setie's fears to be reality, “The Emperor himself has ordered you confined. As Ona says though, there is no need to be uncivil."

"Oh of course not," Setie grumbled crossing her arms and scowling, "Force forbid someone be uncivil about being put in a cage." The very idea of being civil and polite about being such in a cage, no matter the size or splendor, was completely beyond her. Who in their right mind would be civil about it when they found out about it?

Trugoy sighed, "You know the curse you bear and that is the proper word for it. Ignorant fools may call it a wonderful power, I do not. That however is the least of our... problems with you."

Now Setie jumped up again and started pacing about like a caged animal in a zoo. "I'm being locked up because I have some fancy ability?" she asked. After all that was always what people were after, thinking that in controlling her they might have the ability to control life and death. She didn't however know what could possibly be worse then her ability.

"It's a bit more complicated than that, but essentially, yes." Trugoy could have been carved out of brown stone for all the emotion he was showing. It puzzled Setie that this grandmaster, who could likely destroy her without breaking a sweat, saw the need to high behind shields around her.

So she would have to rely on anything she got verbally as she asked questions to figure out things. "Complicated? Complicated how?" she asked.

((Posted by Setie))

"Its..." Trugoy sighed and then nodded, "Let me attempt to explain then. When did you meet Ona?"

“Yesterday.”

"YEs." The small alien nodded again, "I have known Ona since I found her thirty four years ago, half starved and crying alone in a garbage bin. She is one of our best, our brightest. She is a gifted healer and a loyal subject of the Empire and the Bladeborn. So why...? Why did she just almost draw her sword on me to help you? She only met you yesterday. Why would she feel so strongly for you after only one day?”

“Cause...she's a good person,” Setie replied not seeing how this related to anything. “Least I think she is. She wants to help and heal, even though it might be dangerous for her. Empathetic people are like that.”

"Hmmm..." Trugoy seemed to ponder that a moment and nodded, "True, she is a very good person, and an empath. Another example then. When you met Shar, you didn't know who she was. If an overwhelming opponent had attacked you, what do you think she would have done? In the first few minutes after she met you? Before she knew you shared a history?"

Setie frowned and crossed her arms, not seeing at all where this was going. "She would have helped likely. Returning the kindness I paid her when I met her. What's wrong with that? Besides the whole sign of a weak sith deal of course."

"I wish." Trugoy shook his head. "No, Setsuna. She would have died for you. Gladly. Willingly. She would have bought you time to escape, even if it meant her own death. Ordinarily, there would be nothing wrong with that. That is simple loyalty, but... She. Didn't. Know. You. How could she be loyal unto death to someone she didn't even know?”

Setie scowled, "Well Shar had something of a death wish about then if I recall. I think she more latched onto repaying me as a reason to live."

"No, its not that." Trugoy slumped then as if tired. "People are drawn to defend you, Setsuna Andal. Do you have any idea why?"

Setie wrinkled her nose at that. "Drawn to me? Are you kidding? People seem to prefer staying away from me like I'm some kind of diseased rat. Being able to make someone explode with a touch kinda makes people uneasy around me if you haven't noticed."

"Think, child." Trugoy raised a brow, "Beings capable of defending you are drawn to you. Why?"

“I defend myself quite well enough thanks," Setie snorted. Her tone sounded defensive to her own ears but she ignored it as well as the odd feeling she was missing something important.

"Indeed?" Icy blue eyes just looked at her and remained silent for a moment before Trugoy spoke again, "Have you never wondered why certain people jump to help you? Even though it may not be in their best interests at time?"

"People don't..." Setie started but she trailed off, her mind starting to click through people she had met. Darish, Damaya, Puk, the ones Jan had brought with her to Korriban who had suddenly turned on her when she wanted to blow up the base... "People are just being helpful,” she stated with conviction.

"Do you really think so?" Trugoy's eyes simply narrowed and Setie got the feeling he saw the dots being connected in her head. “Some of them, no doubt. Contrary to popular belief not everyone in the galaxy is a jerk. However Setsuna... why do all the good people congregate around you? Why do they all want to help you?”

"Well...I...they..." Setie fumbled for a reply as she tried to think. There was something very wrong here, and she wasn't sure she wanted to hear anymore of what Trugoy was saying.

"This will not be easy for you to hear, and contrary to various people's opinions of me, I do not enjoy causing pain. Will you hear me out?" the Grandmaster asked, his voice turning gentle.

Setie started pacing again in an aggitated way. "Do I actually have a choice here?"

"Yes." Trugoy nodded, "You can tell me to take a hike. You will be fed and allowed to a refresher. Under guard which will change at random intervals. Eventually the Emperor will send someone for you.”

Setie scowled, "I'm not allowed to see Shar or Ona?"

"No." Trugoy shook his head, "Ona is very vulnerable to your control. And Shar... Shar would not understand. She would overreact. Maker help me, I love that girl, so I have no wish to see her killed along with several of my other kin. So it is best if we leave her alone for now. She does have duties to attend to. Ones she has long neglected."

Setie fumed at that. Surely her sister wasn't such a puppet as to just go along with whatever Trugoy told her to do...was she? She stored that thought for later though and concentrated on the other part of what the small alien had stated. “My control? What are you talking about? I don't do that whole mind control deal, I'm certainly not trained to go doing that on anybody, much less people who obviously have stop enough wills of their own.”

"Yes you do." Trugoy seem to glare at her then. "You do it unconsciously. You draw people to you, much as the old tale of the Jedi Exile says she did. Much of that is true. You form Force Bonds of sorts with people who can aid you. You don't do it intentionally, but you do it. You don't 'control' in the conventional sense, you...persuade. It's gentle, subtle, and very hard to defend against.”

Setie recoiled at that statement as if Trugoy had turned into a snake. “That...but...even if I did do that people can just decide otherwise. I'm not controlling anyone.”

"No." Trugoy sighed deeply, "I didn't say they couldn't. By then, they don't want to. They want to help you and they will do it to the detriment of themselves. They will never harm a single hair on your head because reality is, they cannot."

“Liar!” Setie wanted to scream but didn't. Instead she looked around at a total loss and kept walking around the room erratically, as if trying to find a way out. It was all nonsense surely. No one had that kind of power...did they?

Almost as if answering her question she felt the pair of pendants around her neck click together and brush her skin. Reactively her hand came up to hold them together which made her think of Marik.

Zelkin and Marik had been the same person if fractured from her stand point. Zelkin would never hurt her because Marik could never hurt her. Yet that didn't explain things in the end, when it seemed Zelkin had crushed Marik completely. Hadn't he said she was the one the Force picked to stop him, to kill him, to ruin his plan completely.

Yet when he had the chance...he hadn't killed her. Killing her would have to his mind brought his dream into reality and he hadn't. Zelkin hadn't, for by then what little there was of Marik had been gone.

Hadn't she questioned in the back of her skull time and again why? If he knew it all, knew she was the one to stop him...why had he left her alive? Zelkin hadn't cared for her in the slightest bit and had thrown her around, so obviously he could have easily killed her.

Shaking hands plunged into her copper mane, yanking on it in hopes of jump starting her brain as she tried desperately to think. Why didn't Zelkin kill her when he had the chance if he knew? Why?

"I am sorry Setsuna Andal." Trugoy simply watched the girl, he could see her mind circling again and again around the matter. “I will have another tray sent.” he said as he levitated the now cold food and headed for the door. In moments he was out and striding away. The look locked behind him and another armored guard standing outside.

Tears were stabbing her eyes now. It was all like an elaborate lie, that had been constructed around her. A poison that she couldn't counter. She fished through memories desperately trying to find one instance that could be no way twisted by this...control Trugoy said she had. There had to be one surely...

Everything she came up with though was tainted. Even as far back as she could remember in her childhood. There was never any reason for anyone to really stick their neck out for her like some of them had. It was all tainted, all fake, all an act... People didn't care because they liked her and actually cared, they did it because she in some twisted way made them.

She couldn't catch her breath as her eyes seemed to focus on the things in her room, her cage. Her life was forever a cage with smiling jailers that said they cared.

Setie grabbed a wall hanging and yanked viciously on it, ripping it down with a wild look before turning about and picking up a chair and throwing it again the opposite wall where it shattered from the force of the throw.

She kept going on her destructive rampage as the tears spilled over, sobbing at the thought that every friend she'd ever made was really a slave. Slaves that at least in one case had died for her.

((Posted by Setie))

Sharlina woke with a start and looked around in a mild panic. For a moment she was confused of her surroundings before she finally took a breath to calm herself.

She smiled just a bit as she remembered the day before. Of course, Trugoy had been displeased with her and hadn’t really had any choice but to punish her. And while she did ache in various places, the painkillers having worn off, she felt… good. Relaxed, happy almost for the first time in, well, years. Almost a decade. She tensed a bit as the door opened but then relaxed as the form of Idjit came through, a tray in his hands. He smiled at her.

“Slugabed. No, no…” He said quickly as she would have gotten up. “Stay… Master has removed you from the duty roster. Something about… ‘Catching up’” Sharlina smiled slyly.

“And you wouldn’t have had anything at all to do with that, would you?” Idjit tried to look innocent, but it didn’t look quite right. Of course the fact that he didn’t have eyes detracted from it. But then Shar sighed as she sat up. “I have already let my duty lapse. I need to see to Setsuna.” She threw the sheet off of herself and then threw it right back on, her face flaming. “Where are my clothes?” Idjit just sat down beside the bed and smiled.

“Shar, for once… Let us do our jobs. She is in no danger here. You need rest. You have pushed yourself beyond your abilities. Way beyond. I am not a healer and even I can see that.” Shar shook her head and looked away.

“Idjit…I… Something is wrong… I… feel…” Idjit sighed and sat on the bed now. She didn’t shy away from him, and he stroked her shoulder, a gentle touch that had her relaxing. His voice was gentle and soothing.

“It’s okay, Shar. It’s okay.” He sighed. “I wish we could continue the… um… healing that we did last night.” Shar blushed, but smiled and she was relaxing further as both hands massaged her now. She sighed in pleasure as his skilled strong hands found knots of muscle and eased them. He always did know how to relax her. By the Force she had missed him… But…

“Idjit… I have to…Ohh…. Something is wrong. I feel… Ahhhhh….” She tensed as his fingers found a particularly hard knot and worked their magic.

“If there is, it can wait. Someone will call me, or you. You know they will.” She smiled. Yes, no one would dare try and keep her out of the loop. She would have somebody’s shebs for dinner of that happened. And not figuratively either. “But… You have been out of touch for a long time Shar. We need a full report. And we can do it here.” Sharlina sighed, unable to muster the effort to snarl.

“That will take hours.” Idjit smiled again, and his hands went somewhere else. Shar giggled. She swatted at his hands and somehow he had hers in his and then his mouth was over hers … It was a while before they came up for air. And a while after that before Sharlina could muster the effort to speak. Idjit spoke first.

“Can you clear your calendar for me?” Idjit asked in a conversational tone and Shar just sighed.

“I know I haven’t reported recently. Things were… complicated. I need to check Setsuna. I haven’t… And I just know she is going to get into trouble. She is a mess Idjit, worse than I was.” Idjit nodded.

“She was asleep when I looked in on her on the way to the Mess hall. And Ona has her in hand. Come on Shar… relax…” She started as he tickled her and then he was recoiling as her fingers sought his own sensitive spots. She was so preoccupied that there was simply no way she could have felt the tingle of raw emotion that came from her link to Setsuna. Which was the whole idea. Idjit continued to distract her while he buried his thoughts deep, very, very deep. There was no known way to block the emotions that traveled across the link from a protected one to a Bladeborn. So the only real option was to distract the Bladeborn in question. Idjit wanted to cry, but he buried his feelings deep as Shar giggled again and now she was initiating the play...

Oh Shar, please, please don’t hate us for what we have to do. I know you will, but… I don’t agree, Force knows I don’t agree, but… Master’s orders were clear… Maker I hate my life sometimes...

He wanted to weep, for his battle sister, for her blood sister, but he couldn't. All he could do was play his part. Of course, he didn't need to feign his enjoyment with her. Which was why Trugoy had ordered him to do this...

The Barabel known to the Bladeborn as Mama Lizard stepped through the halls she called home with major misgivings. Ona had been, well, furious was the only proper word. To be denied the chance to help a being in pain was probably the single worst thing Trugoy could have done, to do it in such an offhanded way… Without even trying to explain... The Barabel had never seen Ona so angry. And once Mama had explained, Ona had been even angrier, and devastated by the grandmaster’s lack of trust. She still heard Ona’s words reverberate in her head.

“That girl needs help, Mama. Not fear, not pity. Help. She opened up a bit to me. She has no idea what is going on, or why. All she knows is that suddenly we are treating her just like everyone else in her life seems to have. So she is going to close up again. And if that happens…” Then the Bothan had broken down. “I don’t care if she is manipulating me. I felt something odd from her, yes. But it doesn't matter. Her pain calls to me far stronger than any manipulation can. She needs help. And I… I am ordered not to give it…”

It had taken almost an hour for Jon and Mama to calm the Bothan down. Only when Mama had promised to talk to Setsuna had Ona finally taken the sedative that Jon had been pressing on her and slept. And now, Mama was approaching the room, and the guard snapped to attention. The Force pike, which had been drooping a bit, snapped erect again. Mama didn’t stop, or even acknowledge the guard, who looked… worried.

“Mama…” She met the young Bladeborn’s eyes and the female Mon Calamari flinched back. “Mama…?” The Barabel sighed.

“Tiana. You are under ordersss. To do what? Zpecifically.” Tiana stared at the Barabel, then snapped back to attention and spoke carefully.

“I am to guard this door. I am to keep our guest confined.” There was an edge to Tiana’s voice, and Mama nodded. “I am not to talk to her. Or listen to her. And I am to allow her to a refresher if she so wishes, but I am not to leave her alone at any time. I am also not to allow her to touch me, using whatever force I need to…” This last was in a dubious voice and Mama nodded. If the girl decided she wanted to kill Tiana, then Tiana was probably dead, no matter what kind of armor the young Bladeborn wore. Mama nodded.

“Let me be sssure I have this ztraight. You are to guard the door.” Tiana nodded. “You are to make sssure Zetsssuna Andal remains confined.” The Mon Cal nodded again. “You are not to talk to her, or lizten to her. And you are to allow her to a refresssher, under ezcort I am asssuming?” Tiana nodded again, and Mama smiled.

“I believe the girl needsss to use a refrezher. The one in my quartersss will zuffice. I will act asss ezcort. Ssshe will not ever be alone. Zhe will be confined there.” Tiana’s eyes went wide at that, but Mama waved off her half formed protest. “You must guard the door. No one sssaid she haz to be in there when you do. Right?” Tiana stared at the Barabel, her jaw working, but Mama gave her no chance to recover. “And if ssshe iz not in there, there isss no way to hear her, or be tempted to lizten, isss there?” Tiana was shaking her head now. “Ztep assside child, let me zpeak to the girl.” Tiana was shaking her head harder now, but Mama fixed her with a glare. “Are you disssobeying my order?” Tiana froze. Damned if she did and damned if she didn’t. But Mama was right there, and the Grandmaster was not. The Mon Calamari shook her head again, but this time it was rueful as she stepped away from the door and grounded her pike. Mama laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I promize you will not get in trouble for thisss.” After all, who would dare cross Mama? And Trugoy knew it.

Mama walked to the door and knocked politely. “Zetsssuna Andal? I need to zpeak with you.”

The door opened and Setie blinked up from her spot on the floor. Her face a mask of dried tears amid the destruction of the room and she likely looked pathetic all curled into a ball in the middle of it.

"hmmm..." Mama sighed, “Ah, well, we needed to redecorate anyway.”

“At least to have a proper dungeon. Need some rodents and smelly sewage," Setie stated with bitingly cold sarcasm.

"Yez indeed," Mama smiled slightly and spoke again. "Would you like sssome tea?"

Setie blinked at that as if Mama had politely asked how she'd like to have her head removed. Just what was this one's angle in matters? "Tea?"

Mama nodded and kept a friendly (at least somewhat) smile on her face, "Yez. Tea. Asss in a hot liquid beverage, uzually with herbsss or zpicesss mixed in az a calming or ressstorative agent. Don't tell me you have never had tea..."

"Not as a prisoner no," Setie pointed out. Who invited a prisoner to tea after all?

"Come with me," the lizard woman said as she hit the door and it opened. "Pleaze... do not attempt to run. I need to talk to you."

Setie got up and followed, "’Cause I'm likely to get so far." She felt more automaton than person but even she knew better then to go running through a base she didn't know the possible twists and turns on.

The guard outside didn't look at Mama or Setie as they walked by, indeed the Mon Calamari was facing the wall. The door swung shut behind Setie and the guard turned back, but her eyes lingered on Setie for a moment and something like compassion was briefly visible in the huge amphibian eyes before her face turned to stone again. Setie ignored the guard herself, looking around and trying to figure out where she was in relation to other things in the cave system. Mama ignored the girl's obvious looking about, leading her deeper into the cave until she reached a locked door. She hit a code on the keypad and it opened to show a comfortable room with chairs, cushions and a couch.

"Welcome to my humble abode. Come in. what would you like in your tea?" The barabel moved to the food preparation area.

"Just normal tea with a bit of orange and lemon peel," Setie replied without thought as she looked about the room. Her mind put two and two together to realize Mama was the one to make her room so homey...before Setie trashed it that was.

"That I can do, make yourssself comfortable. I prefer the floor; it is eazier when one hasss a tail," she stated with a humorous tone.

"That does make sense," Setie said as she picked a spot and sat down, feeling nervous about why she was here with the lizard.

Mama finished her preparations and brought a steaming cup to Setie, and then she went back and got one for herself. She sat down a ways from the red head and sighed. "Thiz... isss… a mezz..."

A raised brow over green eyes at the comment was Setie's reply.

“If I had my way, Sssetzuna Andal, you would be releasssed into Zhar'sss care and quickly zent on your way. Thisss is a highly dangerouz game the grandmassster is playing. On one side we have the Emperor. Our loyalty to him and the Empire muzt remain sssolid or we will all perish quickly. On the other hand are cretinz and foolsss galore mixed in with a few very dangerouz individualsss. They all want you."

"Surprise, surprise that everyone and their mother wants a piece of me," Setie said in a flat and tired tone with a bit of bite. It wasn't hard to see that this statement did not seem like news to her, it seemed everyone was after her for one reason or another.

"Indeed." Mama nodded, “And now, you know why.”

A sneer crossed the human's face at that, "I always did. Always the same thing. A high powered pawn is what everyone sees. A pet rancor they can sick on people or some miracle worker they can keep to work blessing only on them and theirs."

"True, very true." Mama nodded looking sad, "But do you know the worssst part? Trugoy is old and wize, but he is not omniscient. He doez not underssstand. You did not manipulate Ona and you did not manipulate Ssshar. He zeesss a power he doez not have and he reactsss as any Sssith would..." The word Sith came out heated, as an epithet. " With fear. With avarice. He doez not underssstand as I do."

Green eyes narrowed at Mama now as the girl questinoed, "How do you know? Doesn't seem like something that can really get checked and tested."

"Not really no." Mama sighed, "But I felt the tendrilsss that came off of you when you arrived. And they are not az he believesss. Or not... quite az he believesss."

Setie frowned now, suspicious and curious at the same time, "Tendrils?”

"Ah..." Mama sighed, "I do not have the wordsss to exprezz it properly. There are... fragmentsss of yourzelf that ssseep through the Force around you. Trugoy zeesss them and believez what that ssschutta Darmuk zaysss, that you brainwazh people. I do not sssee that, Zetsssuna Andal."

The mention of the councilman's name had an immediate affect on Setie. The teacup slipped from her fingers to crash on the ground and a number of things flew about the room. She went white as a corpse and rather looked like she might be violently ill. Just as quick though she seemed to clamp down on herself and though there was still tangible fear. "I'm...I'm sorry...I'll clean that up...I didn't mean to..."

"I underztand. I break a few of them myssself." Mama nodded. "You clean, I will get you another tea... I apologize. He... He makesss my blood boil, that... That..." Mama visibly restrained herself.

Setie simply nodded and looked about. Her walk was slumped as if any minute she would curl up in a ball in defense against an attack.

"Third drawer from the door on the left, cleaning suppliesss." Mama went back to the preparation area and soon another cup was steaming.

"Yes ma'am," Setie replied, though her voice was shaky. She was careful as she cleaned up the mess, as if removing the stain was of universal importance, even though the spot might have been cleaner than it had been in years.

Mama let Setie clean, as if she knew the girl was near her limits as she set the herbs to seep. "Tea will be ready in two minutesss..."

Setie simply nodded again and started slowly coming back to her senses as she got up and put everything away. She was still shaky but slowly getting better.

"Do you need the refresher, Zetsssuna?" Mama asked kindly as she brought the new cup over.

"No, I'm ok, I just uh..." Setie trailed off as she tried to fish up a good excuse for her behavior. In her head though all she could see was her mother's lifeless eyes staring up at her. She remembered Darmuk well enough, he had haunted the doorstep of the Andal house on Korriban for as long as Setie could remember. She had never understood the why of it though.

"No." Mama shook her head as she resumed her seat, "No you are not okay. Contrary to what that little brown fool may think... I do not think that becaussse you are manipulating me." The word 'fool' came out with a great deal of force causing Setie to twist her hands in her lap nervously, looking horribly lost and afraid as she stayed silent. Mama sighed deeply, "Child, what you bear iz horrible beyond belief, no question. But it is what you do with it that makes all the difference. I do not see a monssster when I look at you. I see a hurt, zcared, young human."

"Doesn't mean there isn't a monster hiding underneath," Setie commented quietly, thinking both of what Zelkin had told her and the horror she had walked through in the prison block of the Shatter. She could still remember Shar sitting lifeless at her feet and how scared she had been that she had killed her own sister.

"Oh..." Mama slumped. When she spoke her voice was sad, tired and old, "Oh, Sssetzuna. I know that well. Let me tell you a ssstory..."

((Posted by Setie))

Mama's voice was quiet, introspective and more than a bit sad.

“Thisss isss a ssstory, Sssetsssuna, about a young and ssstupid female warrior. Ssshe was brave, bold and ssskilled. Ssshe knew her abilitiesss and longed to prove them in battle with her clan’sss enemiesss. And then the day came. Ssshe was ssso proud to ssstand with her kin. Ssshe fought, hard and well, but thisss warrior was alssso recklessss and arrogant, and in her arrogance, ssshe challenged the leader of the enemy forcesss, a powerful and mighty chieftain. Ssshe was quickly beaten, but the insssultsss she had given the chieftain in front of hisss people demanded punissshment. He took her back to his clan’sss sssettlement, and there he tortured her. He defiled her, violated her in a number of awful waysss and then locked her in a tiny cage that he hung on the wall of the sssettlement. It wass too sssmall for her to move it, all she could do wasss sstand in the cage. He left her there, exposssed to the weather, to animalsss, to the jeersss and tauntsss of hisss warriorsss, to die.

Her clan of courssse was incensssed by thisss and mounted a ressscue. Thisss had been expected and the chieftain’sss warriorsss were ready. But they were overwhelmed by the hate of the female’sss clan. The problem was that the chieftain had many more warriorsss than the female’sss clan did. And the female’sss clan was being overwhelmed. They fought on anyway. The female’sss twin brother, a being ssshe loved asss life itssself, fought hisss way to her cage. He ssstarted to releassse her, only to be ssstruck from behind by the chieftain and ssslain. The female looked into the dying eyesss of her brother and sssnapped. The lassst thing ssshe remembered for sssome time was hearing the chieftain’sss ssscream.

When ssshe woke, ssshe was sssurrounded by death. The chieftain’sss blasssted body lay at her feet and ssshe wasss free, the cage bent and twisssted around her. Ssshe crowed her joy. Joy that turned to assshesss as ssshe looked around. Everywhere she looked, nothing lived. Her father, her mother, her sssister, her cousssinsss, all lay as they had fallen. All blackened by the sssame force that had killed the chieftain. Ssshe had won the battle. And killed everything within a kilometer with her power. The enemy clan, her own clan, ssslaves in their chainsss, animalsss, insectsss. Everything. She buried them all in that sssettlement, ssstarted away and never went back. Ssshe swore that day ssshe would never ussse that power again. But that oath didn’t lassst.

Ssshe was travelling, trying to find sssomething to fill the dark hole in her sssoul when she encountered a sssmall brown being. He ssseemed a laughable threat. Until he unleassshed hisss power on her. She had no choice but to retaliate. Even then, he defeated her easssily, and… He took from her an oath of ssservice to ssserve hisss clan. The sssame oath ssshe has abided by for the lassst hundred ssstandard yearsss to thisss very day.”

Mama shook her huge head. Tears were falling unremarked. “I try not to ussse the Force in battle, Sssetsssuna. But you are not the only one who hasss a terrible burden. I do underssstand, if not your exact curssse, I do understand your pain from the consssequences of your choicesss. And I understand your anger, at the universsse, at all the injusticesss done to you. I underssstand about being caged and about being forced to do thingsss you wisssh not to.” She shook her head again and sipped her tea.

“Ssso no, I do not sssee a monssster when I look at you. I sssee one every day when I look in the mirror. You sssee yourself as a monssster. I sssee a young human woman, who has been hurt, abusssed, tortured and lied to. Like Ona, I ssse your courage. Even if you do not. You are angry, frightened and you feel betrayed. With reassson. But you are not the only one being betrayed here…”

Mama shook herself, "I ramble I know... I ssshould not burden you with my own pazt..."

"I believe the term is tale telling not rambling," Setie said as she sipped her tea.

"Hey!" Mama looked at Setie an obviously fake grimace on her face. "I am not a tattle tale teller... or whatever you humansss call it..."

Setie looked mortified then and waved her hands in denial. "No, no I meant...oh never mind thank you for telling me."

Mama laughed. “I am teazing you Sssetzuna, relax girl... I will allow no harm to come to you here."

"Sorry," Setie stated picking up her tea again and sipping.

"My kin zay my sense of humor is bad at the bessst of timez, which thesse are not." Mama sighed. "I know you have excellent control zo I asssk you thiz, can you ssstay here while I use the refresher? I will be about ten minutez, the... onesss we have are not made for zomeone my zize..."

Setie frowned and then scowled but she grudgingly nodded. While she wasn't bound by honor or even politeness really as a prisoner, she would hardly dump more of Trugoy's wrath on the lizard woman by escaping under her care.

"Okay, finisssh your tea." Mama nodded. "I will be right back. There iz more water and tea makingsss if you wizh more."

Setie simply nodded and stared down at her tea, as if hoping the herbs in it would show her a way out of this maze of truths and lies while Mama headed off. Barely a minute had passed when the door chimed.

Setie's head snapped up at the door and part of her cringed. Had Trugoy arrived to drag her back to her cell already? No, why would he have bothered with the chime then? That meant someone else. Either way though it was not Setie's place to go answering the Barabel's door.

The door chimed again, and then it opened just enough for whoever to be heard. "Mama, you here?" Shar's voice was cautious.

Setie blinked at that voice, "Shar?"

A muffled exclamation came from the corridor and Sharlina walked in. This was a very different Sharlina though from the one Setie had parted with yesterday. Even from the one she knew. The armor and the weapons were the same, but the face was all wrong. Sharlina was openly smiling, all but skipping as she radiated happiness. She looked at Setsuna and it didn't dim in the slightest, "Setie... You found Mama's place. Is she here? I need to..." Sharlina stiffened then, realizing suddenly there was something not right. "Setie...? What's wrong?"

If it was one emotion Setie was not use to feeling on her own, it was jealousy. She had always reminded herself there was people worse off then her out in the universe. Even when she'd been getting beaten by her mother she'd always clung to the fact that her mother would never kill her. Right that minute though envy sliced her in half and left the cuts burning. Her hands clenched on the chair hard enough that she worried for a second about breaking it and her jaw was clenched hard enough that she might have dented durasteel. She tried very hard to feel happy for her sister but all she felt just then was an angry rage, and she was having a very hard time keeping it in as her mind just kept circling the same thing over and over again.

She would never be that happy...ever. Even if things didn't work exactly as Trugoy had stated, like Mama hinted, she would always be left wondering. Were the people she loved around her because they loved her, or because they where being forced to be there?

"Setie..." Shar looked at her sister and her hands rose, as if in surrender. "If I have given offense Setsuna, I apologize. What has happened?” she asked, her voice was calm, low and gentle in an attempt to soothe.

Setie smiled but it was not one of her normal ones. It was cold and had a biting edge to it. "Been catching up on things?" she asked in a tone that she would have cringed at if she heard. It was the same one her mother would get before launching into an angry ranting.

"What?" Sharlina recoiled as if her sister had sprouted fangs. "Setsuna, calm down... please... I want to help. What's wrong?"

Setie could feel the iron grip on herself start to crack at that. A sneer curling her lip and fires sparking in green eyes but for now she kept herself in her chair. "What's....wrong?....You want to help?"

"I..." Sharlina kept her distance and her hands raised in a placating gesture even though her tone belied her concern. "Setie, I haven't seen you since I reported to the grandmaster. He wasn't happy with me. I don't know what has happened. I have been... occupied. What is wrong? Why are you so angry with me? What have I done?"

"Occupied?" Setie bit out and this time she did move, jumping up out of her seat. "Oh, I can tell what you've been doing all night long. I should after all, I was doing the same thing not to long ago. How very sweet of Trugoy to give his perfect little servant a treat for a job well done."

It is unlikely Sharlina could have looked more pole axed at that moment, but somehow she managed to keep her cool at the insult to the grandmaster. "Setie, you shouldn't talk that way about him. If you have a problem with me, or my... relations, take it up with me. Leave him out of it. I am sorry I left you alone. I... What is wrong? I don't know."

If anything Shar's comment not to talk that way about Trugoy added to Setie's ire. The younger sister taking the elder's defense of her master as taking sides. "Don't talk about him that way? Oh I'm sorry," she snipped bitterly and sarcastically. "Should I bow and grovel and worship the bloody midget?"

"No..." Sharlina shook her head a bit in confusion. "Setie... stop... You are sounding like... like our mother."

"Good!" Setie yelled throwing her hands in the air. Thing were rattling in place around the room. "She at least was a schutta to my face unlike you and your master! I'm getting locked up for existing and you’re off doing your boyfriend! Wow, are you a great frackin protector!"

Sharlina froze solid at that. "What?" Her voice was tiny compared to Setie's.

"Don't play stupid!" Setie snapped. A few more fragile things simply exploding as she yelled. "It had to occur to you when you had the thought to bring us here that those men you told me about on the Shatter, you know the ones trying to arrest us? Those men were there under the EMPEROR'S orders! Hmm...let's go hide with a bunch of loyal imperials, what a great idea!"

"No..." Sharlina shook her head slowly, "No.. There has to be a reason... There has to be..." All sound cut off as a rumble came from behind Setsuna.

"Oh dear..." Mama stood there, impassive, "Ssshar, you are not helping. Leave."

"Mama...?" Sharlina shook her head, utterly baffled, "What the flarg...?"

Something smacked into Shar then, ramming her into the floor like a giant hand. There were tears of betrayal in Setie's eyes as she spat at her sister. "I thought you were different! I thought you actually cared and I wasn't just another damn prize, another damn pawn!" Her fists were clenched hard enough that her nails were drawing blood and there was flicks of blue, as if a lighter was trying to start but there was no fuel to burn.

Oh how she wanted to burn the little backstabbing harlot. It would be so easy to, but lack of proper rest and food had drained Setie to far for her to focus on the Force enough. A saving grace for her sister and everyone else in the complex.

Sharlina didn’t react, didn’t fight back, just stared at her sister and there were tears in her eyes. But Setie wasn’t done, having just one more thing to say. "Go away!” she screamed as loud as she could. “I don't wanna see you ever again! Go back to your real family!"

Sharlina recoiled tears falling free now. Something intangible reached out to Setsuna, something gentle, but at the same time, irresistible. It ran through her body, seeking out her energy and sucking it away.

Mama stood with a sad look on her scaled face as she pulled almost every scrap of energy from the angry girl's body. "As I sssaid, you were not the only one betrayed thisss day Sssetsssuna... Ssshe didn’t know. Sssleep now child…"

Setie seemed to cling to the rage for a minute, making one almost think she wouldn't succumb to the Force. Even as she fell to her knees she seemed to fight against it, until finally she was laid out unconscious on the floor with tears leaking from her eyes.

((Posted by Setie))

Sharlina moved to pick her sister up and Mama stopped her. When the Barabel spoke it was low so as not to wake the girl. "Return to your quarterz Ssshar, we will... talk there. Go."

There was no room for argument as Mama picked Setie up in gentle hands and carried her away. Shar stared after the Barabel and then shook her head. One way to find out the truth. One best way... go straight to the top... She walked out, but not towards her quarters. Towards the grandmaster’s…

To say that Sharlina was disturbed by what her sister had said would be a massive understatement. She was flabbergasted. Devastated. Hurt beyond belief. Why would her master, the one being in her life that she trusted unreservedly, lock up Setsuna without telling Sharlina? And was that why Idjit had…?

Sharlina was duty bound to protect Setie, so… She shook her head and started for the Master’s chambers. She needed answers. The guards at the door dropped their pikes to block her way and she waited for the challenge. It never came and she blinked. She looked up and the guard who met her eyes shook his head. Shar shook hers and both guards stiffened. They brought their weapons up to ready position and Sharlina just sighed.

“Get out of the way, battle kin. I am… conflicted…” Now she felt worry from both of them. “My duty is to protect Setsuna Andal, and your orders are to let her be confined. I am… torn. I seek the Master’s advice in this. Please… Do not try and stop me.” But she knew it was useless. They were Bladeborn, like her…

<A few minutes later>

Trugoy sighed as the noises outside his door stopped. He had hoped to avoid this, but… Seeing her and her sister on the surveillance screen had frozen his blood, but now he had to do this. He had to. He stood and waited. The door opened and Sharlina walked in. Her face was bruised, her armor had a pair of holes in it that bled, but her swords were at her back and her sabers were on her belt. She walked forward two paces and knelt. He could feel her pain, even from across the room and the physical part was only the smallest. He sighed deeply.

“Are they alive?” He asked quietly. She nodded, silent. “I feared it would come to this, Sharlina. Ask.”

“Why Master?" She asked softly, respectfully. "Why have you imprisoned Setsuna? Has she done something I was unaware of? Is it something I have done? If so…” She broke off as he waved a hand.

“It is not your fault, child." Trugoy replied sadly. "Not your fault at all. None of this is. But now, matters are worse.” Sharlina waited until she was sure he had finished before speaking. It was ingrained in her not to interrupt him.

“Then… why, Master?" Sharlina almost begged. "The Emperor’s decree is that she be confined, but we need not be so brutal to her. She was hurt, she needs healing.” Trugoy sighed again and looked away.

“When you first met, Setsuna Andal, you were drawn to defend her.” It was not a question. “Before you knew she was a daughter of Kaosis Andal, before I ordered you to protect her, you would have laid down your life for her, willingly, gladly. Why?” Sharlina blinked at that.

“I… I don’t know…” Trugoy smiled, but there was no humor in it. As always, he left her to think things through. A good teaching technique. Shar thought back, before the Shatter, before she knew who Setie was. “I felt drawn to her. She was… special.” Trugoy nodded.

“And now?” He pressed gently. Shar blinked at him. She bowed her head. Nothing more need to be said.

“Her power, one of them, is to draw people to her. It is a form of battle meditation. She, apparently unconsciously, seeks out beings who can aid her and manipulates them to assist her with the Force. It is somewhat akin to the Force bonds that the Jedi Exile was reputed to create three hundred years ago.” Sharlina’s eyes went wide. “Add to that her other power. Force Resuscitation is not a common ability, thank the Force. You must see that she is a danger to us.” Sharlina shook her head, slowly.

“Master, she has been abused, as I was." Sharlina shook her head and continued. "Horrid powers or no, I would help any who suffered such a fate. I cannot help but be that way, after what I have seen here, after the kindness you and the Bladeborn showed me, when I was hurt, lost and alone. That arrogant witch Kaosis nearly destroyed her, just as she tried to do with me. You have seen the scars that the shutta left on her.” Sharlina’s voice was harsh now although she tried hard to control it. “If I could reach back through time and strike harder on Illum, ending that witch’s life, I would.” Trugoy sighed deeper now. But then he met her eyes.

“Why do you hate Kaosis Andal, Sharlina?” Trugoy's words bored deep into her skull. Sharlina blinked.

“Master?” But Trugoy didn’t speak. “She… She hurt me. She abandoned me. And when she was forced to take me back, she… scarred me. She made me hate her.” Sharlina was panting in her anger now, remembering and suddenly her cheek stung. She blinked and met Trugoy’s eyes as he withdrew his hand. They caught and held her and her rage dissipated as if it had never been.

“Focus, Sharlina. Why do you hate Kaosis Andal?” Sharlina fought through her rage as he had taught her, examining her feelings with a detachment any Jedi would have envied. It took her a few minutes, but then she shook her head. When she spoke, it was baffled.

“I… I don’t know…” Her voice was stunned. It had never occurred to her to think about that. She had just always hated her birth mother. It was the way things were. Trugoy made a noise somewhere between a snort, a sigh and a groan. He touched her on the head, a gentle touch that somehow wouldn’t let her move.

“You need to remember Sharlina. Remember Sharlina. Remember…” Suddenly Sharlina felt pain inside her head. Excruciating pain. Even all her years of training and discipline were not enough to keep her from crying out. She screamed as long buried, indeed, long blocked memories surged to the fore. If she could have moved she would have beaten her head against the wall, or torn it open with her bare hands to try and get the pain to stop. But she couldn’t. She could only kneel there, as she relived memories she had long tried to forget. But this time… This time they were different….

Again she was strapped to the chair, 9 years old, small and weak while the man in black robes did things outside her field of view. Once again he came closer with the shiny instruments in his hand. And once again, he spoke.

"Oh, child, I am sorry." She winced at the obvious sarcasm in his voice as he reached for her head. Again he touched her on the temple. The cold objects touched her and stuck. She flinched as the pain began. She couldn't restrain a whimper

"You shouldn't be so stubborn. You know why you are here, all you have to do is accept it. And do what I tell you to do. It must be or we are all doomed. All you have to do is listen and obey." As always she turned her head away. She wouldn’t hurt her mother. He grabbed her face in cold hard fingers. He snarled in annoyance.

"You don’t have to hurt her. All you have to do is kill her. But fine, be that way." He stepped away and flipped a switch. “You will kill Kaosis Andal…”

Istara Andal cried out again as the pain redoubled, now arcing across her entire body. But she shook her head. The pain increased until she was sobbing, there was nothing else she can do. He hated it when she cried. He slapped her again and again… “You will kill Kaosis Andal.”

Sharlina came back to herself lying on her side on the floor. Her throat and mouth burned. The contents of her stomach apparently lay beside her head. Trugoy’s cold voice came to her ears.

“You were programmed by Lord Amrig to kill Kaosis Andal. To keep Setsuna Andal from being born. Because she would be the death of the galaxy according to Amirg’s visions.” Sharlina shook her head weakly, trying to deny what he said. “You very nearly succeeded in killing her, and not once, but twice. Once on Korriban, once on Illum.” She spoke softly, horrified.

“But… But you told me… I… You told me it was just my anger. Something I could control. So I trained… harder…” Trugoy’s voice was still cold.

“I lied.” Sharlina felt her whole world fall to pieces in those two simple words. She barely heard him speak again. “Get out of my quarters and obey your orders, Bladeborn.” She bowed her head and moved. On her hands and knees, out the door of his room.

The grandmaster… lied to me…

She couldn’t stand, so she crawled. She crawled past the guards who still lay unconscious; she crawled past the feet of other Bladeborn. She couldn’t meet their faces. They probably thought she was just being punished instead of having her whole life destroyed. She made it all the way to her own room, her own cell and finally, rose to her feet. And then she sat back on the floor, and cried. After a long, long time, she shook her head.

The grandmaster… lied to me…

Her entire life was a lie. Based on a lie. Raised on a lie. Created and nurtured by a lie… The only truth in her life now… was Setsuna…. She nodded slowly as she sat with her back to the door and pulled her blades off her back. She tossed one onto the bed. The other, she drew. She examined the sharp, perfect edge she had made so long ago and smiled, just a tiny bit. Honor would be satisfied, and then, then she could help her sister. She pulled off her vambrace, extended her arm, the one with the brand of her rank and then she swung…