2: Bounty Hunter Female: Verita

Verita's hand burned inside of the spacesuit she'd been put in. It restricted movements, and there were bright, glowing numbers on the side of her injured hand. Still sore and raw from the arena, it seemed unbearably hot, and every movement sent sparks of pain through her arm. She barely had time to wonder if it was infected when a voice filled the air around her.

"You have one hour to leave the asteroid field and make it to Arena One's moon Obstillia. Obstillia is two miles away from the asteroid field you're in, so good luck getting past the Stormtroopers." There was a laugh and then the person added, "Oh, and just to make things interesting, we've placed a self-destructing droid inside of you that will detonate in exactly one hour. Have fun."

Fear curled around Verita's lungs like thorny vines as she took in the announcement, and she struggled to contain her panic. Beside her, Isaos was looking at her, fear clear in his expression. So she swallowed, bottling her fear and reaching her good hand towards Isaos.

"Come on, we've got to get to Obstillia." She spoke with a false confidence. For the next hour, she was a literal ticking time bomb. What happened after would depend on whether or not she made it to Obstillia. Verita knew it would safer for Isaos to leave by himself, well, as safe as one could be when in the middle of an asteroid field with Stormtroopers firing at him. At least he wouldn't be in the blast zone if she didn't make it in time. But she was selfish and she wanted him near her. I'll just have to make sure we both get to that moon before the droid goes off. No matter what it takes.

Verita glanced around her new surroundings. They were in the middle of an asteroid field, with Stormtroopers, TIE fighters, and starships stationed at periodic points. A chain was around her waist, extremely long and thick, attached to the main Star Destroyer.

The Stormtroopers started firing before she could take it all in. One of the blasts flew past Verita's leg, barely missing her. Adrenaline flooded her system, waking her up even as her mind threatened to go blank with panic. Forcing herself to breathe slowly, Verita found herself relying on Isaos to keep her safe as she struggled to think clearly. She was dimly aware of him guiding her in a crater of the larger asteroids, a temporary cover from the blasts. Before Verita could contemplate very long there was a tap on her shoulder. Instinctively she raised her blaster, pushing Isaos behind her and wincing as her injured hand sent sparks of pain through her arm.

"Hey, no need for you to shoot me," the man said jovially, and Verita stared at him. He looked like a human, and was taller than her. Dark hair was visible beneath the suit he wore, with eyes like gems. Beside him was a young boy, his son perhaps, or maybe a distant relative. His eyes followed her weapon carefully, a blaster of his held in his hand, the end of it pointing somewhere between Verita and the ground. "I'm Sha'ar and this is Keekee." There was a low murmur of, "Kaikai," from the boy but the Sha'ar didn't respond. Verita's eyebrows furrowed at the name. It was familiar. After a moment she recognized it- he was a fellow bounty hunter whom she knew only by reputation.

"Verita. What do you want?" she said warily, not quite lowering her blaster.

In front of her, Sha'ar looked no less wary. "You heard what we have to do. It'll be hard enough to get to Obstillia without these kriffing droids in us. Might go faster if we work together-and speed is rather important now." He glanced at Kaikai. "And this one is a fan of the whole 'working together' idea." He added in a mumble, "No idea why. If I'd done this before that would have meant sharing credits."

Verita's eyes widened. Around her, Stormtroopers were still shooting, some of the blasts coming perilously close. She glanced at her companion, silently asking his opinion. He gave the slightest of nods and she turned back to Sha'ar.

"Very well. Any ideas for how to get to that moon?" Verita's voice took on a guarded edge, cold and distant. A look of consideration crossed Sha'ar's face. He glanced between the three of them, eyes lingering on Verita's cloak. After several tense moments he spoke again.

"How long will that cloak of yours last?"

Verita shrugged. "Five minutes, maybe less. Not long enough to get across the asteroid field."

Sha'ar's lips pursed. Beside him, the young boy shuffled closer. "I don't suppose you happen to have any more of those cloaks?" Verita shook her head. He nodded and blew out a soft breath. His eyes flickered to Verita's cloak. "One of us needs to get one of those TIE fighters so that our chances go from one in a billion to five in a billion."

Verita's eyes narrowed. "And who do you purpose steals the fighters with my cloak?" Her fingers tightened around the fabric possessively.

"Feel free to do it yourself sweetheart, but I don't see you getting that far with that hand of yours." Verita's mouth curled into a sour expression.

"Fine. But he stays here with us." She nodded towards Kaikai. Guilt flared in Verita as she spoke the words-but she refused to risk the possibility of Sha'ar simply leaving her and Isaos behind. In front of her Sha'ar was already opening his mouth to argue but Verita barreled on, refusing to give him a chance to interrupt. "The cloak isn't big enough for the both of you. Besides, having him there will only make it harder to get to the fighters." Several tense seconds passed as Verita and Sha'ar stared at each other, a silent challenge in their gazes.

The longer they stared the more uneasy Verita grew. The Stormtroopers would realize their hiding place if Sha'ar didn't do anything. "Sha'ar, you need to make a decision now." Verita's voice was sharp, but it softened a little as she looked at Kaikai. "I won't let him get hurt if you go," she said softly. Something flashed across Sha'ar's face, making him seem more human, more relatable.

"I'll hold you to that," he said, eyes boring into hers as he held out his hand. Verita handed him the cloak from her belt and turned away as Sha'ar bent down to face Kaikai. Despite this, she could still hear Sha'ar speaking.

"I told you I won't let you get hurt. I'm going to keep that promise." Out of the corner of her eye Verita could see Kaikai nod.

"I know Mr. Sha'ar." There was an innocent certainty in the boy's voice. Sha'ar nodded and then straightened. Without looking back he left the cover of the asteroid. As soon as he was gone Verita moved into action.

She tugged Isaos and Kaikai closer to her. Beneath the suit Kaikai was shaking, and Verita felt herself sympathize for him. He was far too young for this. Silently, she vowed to protect him as though he was her family until Sha'ar came back. She could bring him back to his family like she hadn't been able to with Jonak and her own.

"Ms. Verita?" Kaikai's voice was remarkably calm, but his body was still shaking.

"Yeah?" Verita tried to make her voice soothing, but she figured the attempt was ruined by the way she kept glancing around nervously.

"How long until Mr. Sha'ar-" Kaikai's question was cut off by the appearance of Stormtroopers.

"Kriff!" Verita turned to Isaos. The man's features were frozen with fear, but he accepted the blaster Verita pressed into his hands without protest. Verita pulled on Kaikai's arm with her good hand, fingers tight around the suit. Bright green showed the numbers 45:32 and her heart pounded. "Stay behind me and don't let go of this Kaikai," she said, shoving part of her chain into his shaking palms. She turned to face the oncoming Stormtroopers, her breaths coming in short puffs.

There were five of them in small, TIE fighters, and two on nearby asteroids. Kriff. Raising her blaster, she quickly shot one of the ones on the asteroids, their body going limp. There was no time for satisfaction, the TIE fighters were getting closer, their shots becoming more precise. Orange and green colored blasts filled the air, something almost beautiful. Time to move. Staying still would mean certain death, so Verita moved across the asteroid. Unfortunately walking, let alone running, was nigh impossible with someone attached to her, so Verita switched tactics. She dropped to the ground.

She did so just as two of the fighters fired, their beams crashing into each other and narrowly missing her and Kaikai. To the left, Isaos was moving as fast he could while firing his blaster, but it wasn't enough. Verita could already see it in her mind. The fighters closing in, nowhere for Isaos to turn while she lay uselessly mere feet away.

Panic infused her but Verita forced herself to push it away. She just needed to hold them off until Sha'ar came back. TIE fighters were built for speed and maneuverability, with little defense against shots from even blasters. If she could just... Verita fired, her shot hitting the wing of the one of the fighters and sending its pilot off balance. Without pause she fired at the four ships, missing more often than not as she tried to dodge myriad shots. Another pilot fell, and Verita gave a silent thanks to Isaos. Blood littered the space around them, a collection of thick, ruby colored drops drifting like mini asteroids.

But even with the two of them working together, it was only a matter of time until they were shot down. She shot at the second fighter, grinning when the pilot went twirling through space only to be replaced by another two ships.No, no, no. Verita turned to check on Kaikai and pain shot through her arm, knife sharp and electric. One of the Stormtroopers had clipped her uninjured hand, and a shriek of pain left Verita's lips.

"Ms. Verita!" Kaikai's voice filled her ears, and she struggled to focus on it. She reached for the blaster but her fingers refused to cooperate. Kriff. I can't move either of my hands.

"Kaikai, go with Isaos," she commanded, but the boy didn't move. "Now!" she snapped, and then he moving on thin, gangly legs that seemed to slow to avoid the oncoming shots. Verita watched through pain glazed eyes as Kaikai reached Isaos, watched as realization flickered across Isaos' face and he turned to her. He started towards her but she shook her head. Verita could see that he was going to come over anyway when the starships arrived, their shots all too close.

Verita pushed herself to her feet, moving across the asteroid slowly and hoping she made a better target long enough for Sha'ar to arrive. For a few seconds, the distraction seemed to work. The Stormtroopers focused their attention on her and Verita wondered if dying would hurt. Then the shots stopped and she looked up in confusion.

Sha'ar had arrived-and was shooting at the other Stormtroopers. In spite of herself Verita was impressed with his ingenuity. He had managed to tug the second one with him by corralling it with the thick length of chain around his waist. Soon there was a brief lull in the fight and then Sha'ar, Isaos, and Kaikai were all moving towards her.

Sha'ar unlooped the chain from around the TIE fighter, gesturing towards it. "Your ship awaits," he quipped. Verita gave Sha'ar a quick nod of thanks and then pushed Kaikai towards him before reaching for Isaos. The former slave was there almost instantly, and Verita quickly pushed him into the starship. She glanced down at her timer. 20:09. Twenty minutes until the droid went off.

"Come on Verita!" Without waiting for a response Isaos pulled her into the cockpit and onto the pilot seat with him. There wasn't enough room for the both of them-these were built for one person, and both she and Isaos were by no means small people. But Isaos paid no attention to that fact, instead rapidly taking off. Verita clung to him with hands that refused to obey her and arms that quickly grew tired, but she refused to unlock them from around Isaos. The ride was bumpy-he was clearly guessing at what to do-but they were moving. The vines around Verita's chest loosened, some of her panic abating. She looked at her timer. 19:37.

"Hurry," she murmured and Isaos shouted something back that was lost in the pounding of her heart and the silence of space. Pain still fogged her mind, and Verita found herself resisting the temptation to close her eyes. The TIE jerked and wobbled as it flew, but Verita only had eyes for the timer on her wrist.

13:29.

Another blast, centimeters from the top of her head. Verita tightened her arms.

12:08

They were so close to the edge of the asteroid field.

11:43.

They had left the asteroid field behind. Relief washed over Verita and she exhaled shallowly. Now they just had to get to Obstillia. The numbers on her timer blurred together, a newsreel counting down. Abruptly, it stopped, the numbers 2:03 frozen on it. Verita looked up. They had made it to Obstillia. Finally, she let her arms uncurl from around Isaos, her body losing the shakiness she hadn't been aware of.

"We made it," she heard Isaos say, and she nodded, slumping against the TIE. They'd made it.

4: Slaver Female: SulJuuk 

If Sul-Juuk's ears weren't already uncomfortably pressed flat against her head inside the helmet, they would be from the face smirking at her through the glass of the sealed bay door.

"Do you think you can remember that, slave?" Agruss asked condescendingly through the comlink he held that transmitted into her ear.

She growled in response.

He clicked his tongue, "Now, now, you must learn that resistance will be met with punishment. Because I can't go out there with you, I've assigned someone to look over you."

Sul-Juuk was quiet, apprehensive to know exactly what Agruss planned for her. Freedom had been dangled in front of her and when she thought she could grab it, he had snatched it away. She was beginning to wonder if the cat was too clever.

Two tall figures in space suits like her own approached. Behind them walked a few stormtroopers and a thin, pale man in black. His silver eyes sent a chill down Sul-Juuk's spine.

The bay door slid up and the two were escorted inside next to Sul-Juuk. She felt Kim-Ny press closer to her leg.

"Though I may not fully understand your choice, I may be able to see how this will go quite well." Sul-Juuk could faintly hear the pale man as he spoke to Agruss. He replied with a dry smile and the man nodded his head.

She watched with increasing dread as the stormtroopers connected a tether to the taller of the two figures and then to Sul-Juuk.

Her gazed snapped up to the other's visor.

"He's going to make sure you stay in your place," Agruss said.

He was a human with a hard expression and wisps of black hair in his face.

As the stormtroopers exited the bay, the door slid down behind them.

"I'll find my place over your grave!" Sul-Juuk shouted as she glared at Agruss.

"Or me over yours if you don't find Obstillia within forty minutes."

At that moment, the light in the bay changed. Instead of the glaring white, there was a soft yellow reflecting off the walls.

As gravity left, they began to float. Slowly she turned around.

Sul-Juuk gasped at the sight of an asteroid field, spanning through the nebula and arching over the spaceship. The planet below glowed brightly in the sun placed to the right of her picture. Above and through the asteroids hung Obstillia, looming big and bold to the rebels, yet tiny in the vast nebula around them.

"Is space always this scary and pretty at the same time?" Kim-Ny asked softly through their connection.

Sul-Juuk looked down at her as she gazed awe-struck at the dangerous beauty, "Yes." Space looks different from the helm of your ship to standing outside in the endless vacuum. "Chin up, kitten."

There was a tap on her shoulder.

"What?"

The human man began to move his lips but she heard nothing.

"Don't make fun of me. Speak," she snapped. The fact Agruss chose him to attach to made her expect the worst of him and his friend. She looked around him to the friend. To her, they looked identical besides the black beard on the friend. Perhaps they were clones. Even worse.

He shook his head and began to speak again. Still, she could not hear. His clone pulled him by the shoulder and spoke to him. Apparently they could hear each other.

"I have a very bad feeling about this," Sul-Juuk muttered.

The human pointed outside around the corner. In spite she almost didn't look, but curiosity got the better of her. She grasped the side of the bay and peered around.

Other rebels in suits were floating into the asteroid field.

The human tapped her again and motioned out to the asteroids. She didn't like being told what to do, but it wasn't as if she was going to stay there and wait for her suit to explode.

Sul-Juuk held Kim-Ny's hand as all four of them shoved off the bay ledge. Soon they reached a smaller rock and latched onto its side. They waited for it to turn as to see their next launch.

As soon as the rock faced the moon, a wave of bright red blasts zoomed past them. Sul-Juuk plucked her blaster from the holster in her suit belt and threw her body weight to one side of the rock. She was suddenly jerked back by the belt as the human darted the other way.

They looked back and she glared at him. "Cover! Over here!" she shouted in vain. He just appeared to be shouting something back.

A proton torpedo slammed into the rock, splitting it in half. She was yanked from the drifting piece and pulled back by the human.

"Ama!" Kim-Ny cried as she floated away on the loose rock.

Sul-Juuk's eyes darted around as she tried to keep herself calm. "Kim-Ny, you have to jump onto the giant rock behind you!"

"The dark scary one?"

"Yes, and you must stay in the dark and wait for me," she said as Kim-Ny reluctantly pushed off.

Just as Sul-Juuk was able to duck behind the dwarfed rock next to the human, he pushed off again. Only he went up instead of toward Kim-Ny.

"What are you doing?" she shouted as he tugged her along. He made no reply as he could not see her.

After he latched onto a good sized asteroid, she smacked him in the back of the head. He looked stunned as he turned to her, as if he hadn't left behind her daughter.

"We. Have. To. Go. Back!" She carefully mouthed the words so he would understand.

He shook his head and pulled out his blaster to point at the stormtroopers across from Kim-Ny. He began shoot them and Sul-Juuk joined with a frustrated huff.

Two of the four troopers fell before they realized where the fire came from.

The last were shot down from a blaster below. Sul-Juuk looked down to the asteroid where Kim-Ny lied flat against the rock beside another rebel.

"Kim-Ny, who..."

"Ama, it's alright. The one with the beard came and shot at the soldiers."

Sul-Juuk was distracted by her counterpart who took her by the arm. She immediately jerked away and shot him a detesting glare.

He said something as if she were supposed to understand before shoving off. Disliking the awkward tug on her belt, she followed him closely.

They aimed for Kim-Ny and the other human, travelling the distance in safety since all troopers had fallen.

"Keep down!" Kim-Ny said as her mother reached her side. "Tefig said there are some people around the side of this rock."

"Tefig?"

Kim-Ny nodded and pointed at the human beside her, "Yeah, the one with the beard."

"You can understand them?" Sul-Juuk gazed at her incredulously.

She shrugged, "I can read their lips."

Sul-Juuk looked over to the man connected to her. "What is he saying?"

"Uh, something about a 'good shot'. Now he's asking about the rebels," Kim-Ny turned to Tefig, "There are three of them and another that is small. A creature I think?"

Sul-Juuk peered over the other's back, planning a jump to a nearby asteroid. She maneuvered her arms and crawled over his body to get a better trajectory.

He grabbed her arm again and she kicked him in the leg. "Stop touching me!"

He glowered with a wince of pain, but waved her attention to a TIE fighter flying overhead.

The four of them were still on the dark side of the asteroid so their presence was hidden. It was moving slowly, though. They would have to come up with a plan quickly or shuffle back into the shadows until there was an opportunity.

"Look! There they are!" Kim-Ny pointed to the crest of the asteroid where two heads emerged.

The TIE fighter swung around the outside and fired at them. Now there were three figures and a small thing frantically crawling toward the dark. One smaller figure was hit, falling limp behind the others.

"Um, I think he's going to shoot at the..."

Sul-Juuk shot out her arm before the man fired at the TIE fighter. The trigger pulled and the blast went right past the ship. He watched the fighter swerve around the asteroid angrily as he shouted.

"He called you pretentious pussy cat," Kim-Ny said softly.

Sul-Juuk kicked him in the leg. "Who is pretentious?" she screeched.

Before he could react, a line of proton torpedoes rained down a few feet from their heads. Behind them came the group of rebels.

A bright red light appeared in one of their hands. It flew across to another, just barely missing and sending chunks of rock floating into space.

As the figure scrambled forward, Sul-Juuk could just see his face.

It was Kiernan.

She whipped out her blaster and in a flash had placed several holes in the offender.

The human's hand reached out and stopped her, just as she had done to him. Only, she was too fast for him.

'What are you doing?'

Sul-Juuk was able to read that much off his lips.

"Protecting my merchandise."

She reached out and offered an arm to Kiernan. He grabbed her and she helped pull him to her side.

After he caught his breath and his loth-cat detached from his leg, he pointed to the chest of her suit.

'Time.'

Sul-Juuk's eyes widened. She had forgotten.

"How much time do we have left?" she asked herself.

"Ten minutes." Kim-Ny pressed a button on her suit and a number projected from it.

Ten minutes.

The sight of the TIE fight caught her eye as it slingshot itself around an asteroid and flew straight toward them.

Not today.

Sul-Juuk placed a hand on Kiernan's shoulder and looked him in the eyes, "Stay. Here."

She gathered the tether between her and the human in her hand and sat up on her haunches. Keeping a sharp eye on the TIE fighter, she kneaded her hips as it approached.

"Ama, what are you..."

"Stay here!"

Sul-Juuk launched herself and the human into the middle of the asteroid field.

Before it could turn from them, Sul-Juuk grabbed its paneled wing. Swinging from the side, she yanked the human up and he grabbed the body.

Finding grooves in the smooth surface of the ship, Sul-Juuk pulled herself up to the back windshield. Gripping an edge with one hand, she held her blaster in the other.

She shot once. The glass cracked.

She shot twice. It broke.

She shot thrice. The stormtrooper inside was dead.

Sul-Juuk reached in and pulled out the body, crawling into his place. The stormtrooper in front frantically tried to look behind him, but he was dead before he could do anything about it. Tossing him out too, she began to climb into his seat.

A hand pulled her back.

"Stop it!"

The man pointed at himself and then at the console. She hesitated for a moment. She only trusted herself, but if he really knew how to fly it, they would have a better chance of surviving.

"Okay," she nodded.

He sat down and took the controls, avoiding a giant asteroid as he did so. They swerved around, ducking and weaving through the field of rocks.

When Sul-Juuk spotted their group, she pointed them out, "We're almost there, kitten!"

The man slowed and flew close to the asteroid. Kim-Ny was first guided inside with Kiernan followed by Tefig and the loth-cat.

"How much time?" Sul-Juuk asked.

Kim-Ny projected the remaining number.

Two minutes.

"Hit it!" Sul-Juuk whacked her pilot and he pulled up, swirling around the rocks and across to Obstillia.

Seconds felt like hours as the TIE fighter zipped through the asteroid field, the large image of Obstillia creeping steadily closer.

"Thirty seconds," Kim-Ny said, fear carrying clearly over her headset.

"We're almost there!"

"Twenty seconds."

"There's a transport – that has to be it."

"Ten seconds." Her small voice cracked as she began to cry.

"Come on..."

"Five seconds. Ama!"

The TIE fighter lurched and they were thrown against the walls. Sparks and red lights flashed across Sul-Juuk's vision.

Everything was dark.

Everything was still.

Everything was quiet.

Out of the darkness came static over her coms – no – it was breathing.

"Ama?"

"Kim-Ny!" Sul-Juuk tried to move, pushing and shoving in every direction.

Suddenly a heavy mass gave way and she saw light as she sat up. Her eyes darted around.

They were alive.

Through her cracked visor, she saw the trashed ship. Outside the broken glass, there was a smooth surface.

They had made it.

Kim-Ny scrambled out from under Kiernan's leg and grabbed her mother. She began to sob, tears streaming down her face.

"We're alive, kitten, we're alive. There is no need for that now." Sul-Juuk held Kim-Ny close.

"I-I know th-that," she stuttered as she gasped.

The other three stirred and began to whoop, even if Sul-Juuk couldn't hear it.

The two humans embraced with ecstatic faces and slaps.

They were alive. But they weren't free... yet.

6: Slave Female Zillah 

The first thing Zillah noticed was the chain. It clamped around her gloved wrist, thick and metallic in the dim light from the star destroyer nearby. She stared at it, uncomprehending. What is this? Why am I chained? Where am I? The star destroyer! Her gaze went back to it quickly, her eyes widening. Space... I'm in the middle of space! Suddenly it felt more difficult to breathe. She fought to move but couldn't seem to make her limbs obey her.

Something tugged on her chain, yanking her physically and mentally from her stupor. She found herself moving quickly toward a person-shaped object that was dimly lit by the lights of the star destroyer. Zillah let out a stifled, annoyed yelp when she collided with whoever it was. Why am I chained to someone else? She heard a familiar but disgruntled voice over the mic of her headset.

"Why are we chained together?" Yuurei snapped.

"How would I know?" she asked, shrugging wearily.

He glared at her through the light on his helmet. "I don't know... Maybe because you're the un-submissive moron who got us into this mess!"

Her lower lip trembled as she gave in to the anger and pain. Why is he behaving this way? He's never been harsh like this before... I... I almost feel scared of him for once... His usually warm violet eyes seemed to glitter with anger, but something else lurked there too. Zillah couldn't put her finger on what it was. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen that emotion in his eyes before.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, sticking her chin out and trying to hide the welling tears in her eyes. "You're being a jerk."

His eyes narrowed, and he tugged on her chain suddenly, pulling her into his bruising grasp. She gasped, startled by the violent behavior. "I don't like your tone, woman. You're just a slave! You have no right to speak to me like that!"

What is wrong with him? Zillah swallowed a sob and an angry retort of her own as he grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him with her teary eyes. How dare he treat me like this? After everything he claimed... Was it all a lie? Did he ever really intend to treat me well like he said he would? He's certainly not doing so now.

Before he could say anything else, a flash of light zoomed past them. Stunned, Zillah turned to look as best she could in Yuurei's grasp. A proton blaster hurtled through space and hit an asteroid floating nearby. Her eyes widened. If that had hit us... We would be dead right now... Over Yuurei's shoulder, she could see a TIE fighter rounding an asteroid, closely followed by a small star fighter. Blinking, she tried to determine what this new threat meant.

Before she had time to process that, she caught sight of something else to their left. Her eyes widened further and her mouth dropped open as she frantically tapped Yuurei's shoulder. This drew his irate glare from the spaceships to her and then to what she was pointing at.

"T-they... They don't look happy," she stammered by way of explanation.

Yuurei rolled his eyes and sneered down at her. "Really? I couldn't tell... Which are you more worried about, anyway? Me being angry or them being angry?"

Well... Zillah thought. It is three on two. And I only have a knife. Plus, we're chained together... Speaking of which... If he doesn't want to be chained to me, why hasn't he just severed the chain? The metal can't hold up to his darksaber. She opened her mouth to answer, then stopped, unsure who she was more scared of—Yuurei, the approaching trio, or the TIE fighter. Yuurei was still holding her tightly as she trembled against him, terror grasping hold of her soul. She bit her lip, shivering as his hands shifted lower down her arms, still gripping so tightly she was sure her circulation would be cut off. Why doesn't he just let go of me? she wondered, but she was too frightened of him to say anything. The look in his eyes told her she'd be punished later after the immediate danger blew over, and Zillah didn't want it to be any worse. He was certainly stronger than her, and she wouldn't have a chance to run. I tried that once before, she recalled. And look at how wonderfully that turned out.

She winced as his fingers dug into the bandaged wound on her arm. A quiet whimper escaped through her tightly clenched teeth.

Just as she was about to ask him to let go, a voice came over their radios. "I hate to intrude..." The person stopped, laughing mirthlessly. "Actually, no, I don't... The woman doesn't look she wants you touching her, Sith. Let go of her."

Finally, someone with some sense! Zillah thought. Maybe they will talk some sense into Yuurei... I don't know what's wrong with him, but he's seriously off right now...

"I don't think so," Yuurei retorted. "You don't have a right to interfere, you Jedi scum... You people never interfere when you really should, and you always stick your noses in when it isn't needed. Go back to whatever hole you crawled from before I decide to kill you."

Zillah gaped at him. What is he saying? It's three to one! Two if he counts me, and he shouldn't! Moron! Something flashed across her bioscreen on the visor of her helmet. It stayed there, blinking in a gentle, rhythmic pulse of green light. "One hour to self-destruct... One hour to self-destruct..." A map of her body showed up then with a flashing red light on her heart."Disruptor location: Obstillia, Arena 1's Moon. Distance: 2 miles from current location..." The words scrolled across her helmet screen.

Zillah felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her. Suddenly, the self-heating suit didn't seem so toasty. She shivered against Yuurei for a very different reason now. "Y-yuurei..." She grabbed onto his arm, terrified at the thought of navigating through the darkness of space and even more terrified at the thought of dying. The ships around them were still firing, but their fire had been drawn to some other hapless soul for the moment.

"Y-yuurei, look at your b-bio stat screen..."

He frowned at her but did as requested.

Bullets whizzed around them, ricocheting off asteroids and other space ships. She squinted, worried about the proximity of the ships. One or two of them seemed to be piloted by actual people, but the rest in sight were piloted by Stormtroopers. Zillah swallowed hard. The two piloted by actual people seemed to be on their side. The pilots were firing proton blasters on the Stormtroopers' ships, so Zillah figured they would be occupied at the least. Too occupied to shoot five lone drifters in space.

She didn't want to test that.

The four waiting drifters must've gotten tired of waiting for Yuurei to obey their commander. The leader repeated the command. "Let go of..."

"Oh, do shut up!" Yuurei snarled. "Your voice is grating. And you have an hour to make it to that moon two miles outside the asteroid belt. I'm sure you can't miss it since it's quite lit up. If you don't make it in an hour, well... You go kaboom. Please, quit arguing and get out of our way."

Please? Somehow, that doesn't really sound like a genuine please... Zillah thought. She didn't have long to contemplate this. Yuurei gave her a sudden, harsh shove, and she went hurtling through space, her arm almost yanked off as the chain connecting them went taut. Then Yuurei too was flying through space, and the two of them barreled into the small group that had accosted them.

Zillah was yanked around as Yuurei used her to allow him to move freely through space. She had to admit that it was a rather ingenious move on his part, but she was beginning to feel a bit motion sick with the sudden changes in direction. Whomever had chained her to Yuurei had chosen to chain her injured arm, not her good one. She would like to throttle the person, and she had a sneaking suspicion that person would be Agruss. Boy, if I get a hold of him... I am going to murder him in the most painful way I can. Her arm was bleeding again. The suit was getting drenched in blood, and she winced with each painful yank on the chain.

The unfortunate part of this situation was that she was being flung into the path of oncoming fire. It seemed that they were being herded away from any major asteroids by gunfire and proton blasters. Never mind if they survived it. In fact, Zillah was fairly certain that they weren't supposed to survive. A bullet tore into her bad arm's shoulder. She screamed, unable to bear the pain. It was an odd combination of searing heat and freezing as the frigidness of space permeated her suit. More bullets tore holes in the suit, but fortunately, the few that made contact after the first merely grazed her skin.

Someone—she couldn't see well enough to know who—slammed into her, their hands going around her throat. She grasped at their gloved fingers, prying them from her throat as she struggled to breathe. Whoever it was, they didn't identify themselves. Zillah didn't feel bad about unsheathing her knife and plunging it into her assailant's thigh. There was a deep, throaty snarl at that, and when the grip on her throat loosened, she shoved violently.

The person flew into an oncoming proton blaster. A scream echoed across the headset, making Zillah whimper and try to cover her ears. The blaster exploded, indirectly hitting her assailant. Whoever it had been, they perished quickly. The blast sent debris and body parts flying in all directions.

Zillah struggled not to be sick. Can't do that here... If I get sick, it'll float around in my helmet. Unsurprisingly, that image made her feel even more sickened. She really wished she could go back to the days when she and Yuurei sparred in the sunny field outside of his little cottage. She could imagine how Anarchy would lay basking in the sun with his eyes sleepily trained on the two of them. The days of quiet idealism seemed so distant, and she wished she'd never fled. If she hadn't, they might still be back there right now instead of out in space like this.

Like this, of course, meaning that Yuurei is using me as a weight to accomplish his purpose with absolutely no regard to my safety, Zillah thought bitterly. Well, we are closer to the moon now. I can see it, and we're getting alarmingly close. If we land in its gravitational field... Well, we should make it. I hope...

She was spun around by another tug on the chain just in time to be splattered with blood as Yuurei finished off his opponent. Zillah stared, almost uncomprehending. There was a sudden sense of gaining back all her weight at once then. She sucked in a breath, panicking. I'm going to die... She was certain they couldn't survive the impact. Not from this height and at the speed with which they were falling, surely. Yuurei didn't seem very worried about the sudden exertion of gravity upon them, but the look on his face when he saw the time on his bio-screen told her more than she'd wanted to know.

Zillah felt compelled to look at her screen too. Five minutes.

Five minutes? Five minutes! She didn't understand how they could possibly make it. The wind was whipping past them now as they flew headlong toward the dark surface of the moon. Only the lights on their helmets illuminated their trajectory as they fell.

"Are we going to make it?" she asked numbly, her voice echoing hollowly in her ears.

She felt empty, listless. Nothing mattered now. Almost nothing, anyway. She thought again of the terrible pain that might be waiting if she didn't die instantly on impact, and fear surged through her veins, thick and icy. She shivered.

Yuurei shot her a frigid glare, his eyes narrowed. "Don't ask me!" he hissed. "I wouldn't know. But it doesn't matter because you're along for the ride regardless."

The ground seemed to loom larger and larger in front of them as they plummeted. Zillah swallowed hard. As if to make the unknown worse, their helmet lights flickered and died. Zillah stifled a half-sob, half-yelp and clung to Yuurei.

He shook her off, but he seemed half-hearted and absent now in the way that he did so. She wished she didn't have to die without any comfort. Then again, she was a slave. What comfort had she ever had, really? None, if I'm honest, Zillah thought, bile rising in her throat. I just wish that I could have it one time before I die.

Yuurei reached a hand out without a word and grasped her smaller one in his. He didn't seem to realize what he'd done, and Zillah almost said something. But she chose not to because in a way, this was an answer to that silent wish. She tightened her grip as the blackness enveloped them. Not even the smallest hint of light invaded the inky darkness.

Pain shot through as she slammed into the hard, dusty surface of the moon with a whooshing sound. Briefly, she wondered why she could suddenly hear what was going on outside the helmet. She supposed there was some law that allowed it. Her contemplation was cut short as the excruciating, burning pain sucked her down into unconsciousness.

8: Trader Female Arin Merrick 

Suddenly, everything goes quiet. I look up from where I stand in the arena, up at the stands that are full of bystanders... or at least were filled with bystanders. All the aliens that had been watching the arena are suddenly gone as if they had been a simple hologram. It clicks in my brain just then that they might have been just that- beams of light and recordings of sound.

"What's going on?" Lau asks in a voice barely below a whisper, and I look down at the kid with confusion.

"I don't know," I reply, raising my gun nervously. "Something isn't right."

We stand back to back, surrounded by all the other confused tributes and their partners. The breeze continues to blow sand up into the air in gentle drifts, and I shield my eyes against the grit.

"Can someone explain what the kriff is happening?" One of the tributes shouts from across the arena, their voice bouncing off the now empty walls of the stadium.

There is no answer, but a soft hum starts up in the background, something so soft that I don't even think Lau notices. My eyes dart around, needing to know where the noise is coming from. The soft hiss of steam and mechanics begins moments later, and by now, Lau and all the others have noticed that something is terribly wrong. Suddenly, an outline of a door appears on the sandy wall behind us, and I drag Lau away from it in fear that another wave of monsters are coming to get us.

Instead, hundreds of men in white armor pour out, blasters raised and aimed at our faces.

"Lau, run," I yell at him, turning and grabbing onto the collar of his shirt. I drag him away from the stormtroopers who start chasing us, shouting to each other in mechanical voices as they hunt us all down. "Get to the weapons. We need to fight them off." To my surprise, the troopers don't seem to be firing at anybody, though, which causes both Lau and I to watch the scene with confusion.

"Kriff," I swear, as a dozen troopers start running at us.

I stand my ground, sword raised, waiting. They surround us instantly, snaking out into a circle and closing in on us. I hear muffled sounds of struggle as they grab Lau, and I don't even have time to react before my hands are in cuffs and my body is wrapped in thick ropes. Someone stabs something into my arm, and I cry out in panic when I realize that it's a needle. My vision is already fading as the effects of the shot filter in through my blood.

"Lau..." I murmur, my voice fading.

Everything goes ominously dark.

. . .

"She's waking up," a voice warbles through the darkness.

My brain resurfaces. My muscles feel fully functional again, and I wriggle my fingers, testing them out to make sure they aren't damaged. My eyelids flutter open, and my eyes are assaulted by a bright white light hanging above my face. A glass visor is over my eyes, making everything slightly blurry and unfocused.

When I look around, I find myself in a room similar to the torture chamber I was stuck in when this all began. I am on a table, my arms and legs strapped down. On my legs, thickly padded black leggings stick to my skin, and a similar material covers my arms. A helmet that I suppose is a part of a space suit covers my face, and a clear glass visor allows me to see. With a start, I realize that they must have changed my clothes again.

"Hey," I try to sound confident, but my voice is still groggy from being drugged. "Why'd you change my clothes." No one answers, and I groan in frustration.

The people standing above me are four stormtroopers, plus one female Twi'lek who stands over me. A blue lekku wraps around her neck loosely, and her body is covered by an imperial uniform.

"You removed her weapons, correct?" the Twi'lek asks the troopers, and one of the armored men holds up the gun and the sword I'd gathered at the arena. "Good, because we are going to need to release her out into the arena quickly."

'Another arena?' I think angrily. How long is this supposed to last?

The trooper holding my gun steps back as the other three walk towards me. Two of them go to release the binders holding me down on the table, while the last one makes sure I don't escape. I'm lifted off the table and my hands are cuffed behind my back once I'm standing.

"This one goes to exit 3B," the Twi'lek says sternly. "She must not ecsape."

"Right away," the one holding my weapons nods.

I am roughly dragged from the room, leaving the smug officer behind. I struggle not to lash out at the stormtroopers leading me further and further away from escape, but I fear it could leave me dead.

The doors that pass on the left and right of our hallway are all labeled. Each door has a number and a letter next to it. So far, we've already passed through all the 2's, and are making our way into the 3's. The Twi'lek's words come back to me now. Door 3b is where we need to go. Once I have this fact established, it comes as no surprise to me when we stop in front of said door.

One of the stormtroopers opens the door, which leads to a smaller chamber that I'm assuming empties out onto the astroid outside. We walk down a long, clear tube and end at another door. That door opens with a soft hiss, and I am lead outside onto the dusty surface of the asteroid.

My eyes slowly adjust to the darkness around me. I can see all the surviving tributes from the first arena, as well as a couple hundred stormtroopers. My eyes narrow and I look more closely, noticing that the troopers are in fact fake, but are all supplied with blasters and other weapons of the sort. Gunships and Imperial fighters flit about in the blackness above the asteroid, guns pointed at the ground around us.

For miles around, it seems as if it's just floating rock and dust and troopers... and they my eyes rest on something else: a moon. It is obviously larger than all the other rocks, and I can vaguely see ships surrounding its surface like flies.

My handcuffs are released, my weapons given back to me.

Suddenly, a loud voice booms over a hidden loudspeaker, causing everyone to jump in surprise.

"Now that you're all here," a voice, sounding suspiciously like Darth Vader, grumbles, "we may begin. You don't get any information other than this: you have three hours to get to the arena's moon, Obstilla. In your space suits are detonators that will explode if you don't get to the moon on time. On Obstilla, there is a disruptor that will save your life. Good luck."

Instantaneously, the stormtroopers start firing bullets at us, one narrowly missing my head which makes me duck to the ground. I jump back to my feet and start sprinting away from the entrance to the arena, kicking up dust and rock as I flee. My eyes are set on the TIE fighters on the opposite side of the arena. There are a dozen lined up in the sand, no troopers in any of them. I have a feeling that these are for getting to Obstilla. It seems like others have the same idea as me, because I see at least half the tributes running towards the ships as well. The thing is, there are probably thirty five of us and only twelve ships. Not all of us will make it.

Luckily for me, my long legs allow me to run faster than a lot of the tributes. I make it to the first fighter I see, and clammer up the smooth, metal side to the hatch that allows me inside. The troopers continue to shoot at me, and I carefully dodge most of the blasts. Some shots narrowly miss me, and end up hitting the ship instead.

Some of the fighters are meant for two people, as in the gunner and the person actually controlling the vehicle are doing different jobs. My fighter is a single person machine, which means that I get to steer and shoot at things at the same time. How I know this is beyond me, but my feverish desire to join the empire leads me to research things such as this.

Using my vague knowledge of this fighter, I manage to start up the ship. My hands fly over the controls, my eyes constantly straying outside my window nervously. I finally feel the machine lift off the ground and strap myself into the seat. I look down at the ground and see the rope tying me here lift off the ground as well, and it unravels more and more as I fly higher. By now, I recognize these controls well, and am able to pilot it off the asteroid.

'But what's the catch?' my mind asks me, and I freeze for a moment. What is the catch? It shouldn't be this easy, or everyone would survive.

BOOM

I hear the other ships before I see them. The TIE fighters that are filled with storm troopers start zooming after me. I yelp as I struggle to pilot the ship through the asteroids surrounding the one I was just on, and worry that I will crash into one of the large floating rocks. More ships take to the air, and I'm worrying that I'm going to die painfully up here... in the atmosphere with just my sad excuse for a life.

Then I realize... I can shoot at the ships behind me. My heart catches in my throat for a moment. I have the chance to get rid of the people chasing me. I set my jaw and swivel the ship around, darting underneath the stormtroopers that are gaining quickly. They are obviously confused as I rise up behind them.

I smile evilly as I pull the trigger, releasing a large, red beam of light. It's a lucky shot, because the ship in front of me explodes in a bright flash of yellow light. The others soon realize that I'm a real threat and disperse, leaving me a clear path to the moon.

"This is too easy," I smile to myself as I near the moon's surface.

BOOM

My eyes widen as my ship begins to shake as more blaster shots pelt it from behind. I'd gotten rid of the TIE fighters chasing me. Who could be shooting at me now? I look outside of the ship, my mind reeling, and I notice two other TIE fighters chasing me. Inside, though, I don't see the black suits of the empire's air force. Instead, I see two other tributes, murder in their eyes. I cry out in fear and swivel to avoid another blast. These people won't leave me alone as easily as the soldiers did.

Time is going to be running out. I need to get to that moon before they shoot me down. I can't attempt another tricky maneuver like I pulled on the stormtroopers. They're smarter than that. Now I know that I can't battle them in the sky. This isn't where I'm at my best. I need to make it down to the moon where we can combat hand to hand.

After flying and avoiding being shot for about ten minutes, the moon's dusty surface is now in view, and I sigh in relief, my tense posture leaning back slightly. Everything seems clear until a ship flies in front of mine, speeding faster than me. I blink in surprise and watch as they plummet towards the ground. My eyes narrow. Something must be wrong with their ship. They're going to crash.

My fingers twitch on the triggers for the ship's guns, and I look down nervously. I exhale loudly and look back out the window at the ship even further below than me. My fingers shake as I slowly apply pressure to the triggers. The ship lurches back slightly as the bolts shoot out from the front. I watch in awe as they connect to their target, and the TIE fighters explodes into a bright ball of fiery light.

As my ship continues to fly towards the planet, I have to swerve left to avoid the remaining fire and debris. The ships behind me weren't so lucky. The ship closest to my tail was one of the female Sith, and I can only tell this by her terrified golden eyes staring up at me as her ship shudders out of control and flies right into the explosion. I can see the second explosion as her ship connects to the probably ruined carcass of a ship, and the original fire catches on her own. This all happens in a matter of seconds. The other ship chasing me manages to evade the blast and spins away from the scene.

That's when I remember the piece of fabric on my belt. This must be of some use, right? I hold one hand on the controls of the ship and use the other to gently tug the fabric out of my belt. I unfold it sloppily and realize with relief that it's a cloak. I can use it to blend in once I make it to the moon.

The moon! My eyes widen and turn back towards the front of my ship. I can see the ground now, we're so close. I've never tried to land one of these things before, so when I do connect with the ground, there is a lot of bumping and jostling before I settle. The top hatch flies open and I'm thrown from the ship and onto the dusty ground, my rope still somehow trailing behind me.

I look up into the sky. At least ten other TIE fighters are up in the air, all of them trying to make it onto the moon. I can see the other tributes who didn't score a ship trying to jump through space or climb through the other asteroids in a vain attempt to save their lives.

Looking back at the moon, I realize that everything is just dust. There's nothing but the ground and the sky. Then in the distance, a small metal container can be seen shining in the somehow apparent light. I raise my eyebrows in confusion before looking back at the cloak in my hands. Now is probably the right time to use it. I slip it on, the hood covering my head and the sleeves protecting my arms. Almost instantly, my body seems to turn invisible, and with a start, I realize that this is one of the empire's stealth cloaks. I smile triumphantly.

I sprint towards the metal capsule. It's a small cylinder box with a lock on the side. My fingers fumbling, I pick it up and start opening the lock. Once it's open, it snaps off the container with a hiss and falls to the ground. I grasp the edge of the hatch it was closing and open up the container. Inside is a round metal tube with a red button on the side. I pick it up and inspect the surface of it, admiring the smooth metal.

Here is where my suspicion gets the best of me. Should I push the red button? My fingers hover over it, inspecting it for danger. It can't explode, right? Then I remember the real explosive hidden inside me somewhere and my will to live gets the best of me. I carefully apply pressure to the red button, and I feel a small electric shock in my right hip which is probably where the explosive was hidden. With a small sigh, I lay down in the dirt and stare up in the battle in space, wondering when I will be able to escape this torture.

10: Smuggler Female Sarilea Valkir 

If she had the chance, Sarilea Valkir would liked to have made it known that she had no satisfaction in killing people.

If you had seen her flying the TIE fighter and trying to shoot down everything in her way, she would tell you she lived by an assortment of life mottos. One of which is that she does what needs to be done, no matter what it was.

After the arena battle, she and Marc had been transported to the middle of an asteroid field, with only a spacesuit, the pistol, and a jetpack given to Sari.

Once looking around, Sari had a small grin on her face. Seeing spaceships, primarily TIE fighters, all around her on the asteroids gave her an odd feeling that she was back home. She may never see her old ship again, but flying one of the TIE fighters would definitely help.

"Look, there's Obstillia," Marc said, pointing towards a moon at the end of the asteroid field. It looked far away, at least two miles, and when a timer appeared in the corner of her vision that read 15:00 she realized they didn't have a lot of time.

"Let's get going," Sari said.

There was a feeling of satisfaction inside of her when she said that, because after all the years she was the one with the gun and the jetpack, not Marc. He always said that because he was the older cousin - "Besides, it's my dad's business, your dad is a farmer" - he was the one in control of the missions.

But not this time. Now, she was the leader.

Sari used her jetpack to move them from asteroid to asteroid a little faster, trying to avoid the Stormtroopers that were shooting towards them. She was aware that with both Marc and her, the little fuel that she had was being used up even faster.

When the timer was at 12:37, Sari stopped and ducked behind a large asteroid. She tugged on the leash that was connecting her back to the main starship, annoyed because of how often it would get caught.

"Alright, so we need to break into one of the TIE fighters or else we won't get there in time," Marc said. "You be the distraction, and I'll use your pistol and break the hatch on the top."

Sari laughed. "Remember when I decided to save your life instead of leave you in that arena? Right, so how about you be the distraction, and I will use my pistol to break the hatch on the top. Sound better?"

Marc's lips pressed into a line and his eyes squinted, which they always did when he was thinking, before he begrudgingly agreed.

He pushed himself up from the asteroid and towards the nearest TIE fighter. Without Sari's jetpack he moved terribly slow, but he eventually got the attention of the ship and began running away as it shot at him.

Sari's adrenaline was high as she tried to move behind each asteroid, not using her jetpack in the hopes that the Stormtroopers flying the TIE fighter wouldn't see her. Suddenly, a proton torpedo shot through the sky and blew up the asteroid that she was behind into hundreds of little pieces. Her hands flew in front of her face, but the rocks still tore holes into the outer layer of her spacesuit.

It was 11:20 and Sari realized she didn't have enough time to not use her jetpack. She needed to get into the TIE fighter. Sari pushed the button in her hand and was instantly propelled towards the ship, which was still shooting at Marc.

Just as she was about to land on the top of the TIE fighter, a Cathar woman appeared on the other side. Her instincts were quicker than Sari's and before Sari had time to think about what was happening, blasts were shooting around her and she barely had enough time to swing back around the edge of the fighter.

After catching her breath for a second Sari used her jetpack to push her up and she was shooting without any aim towards the Cathar woman. Sari was running out of jetpack fuel, and fast. However within seconds the Cathar woman had fallen, as one of Sari's shots had found its place in her forehead.

She shot the latch closing the hatch to the TIE fighter until it finally broke, but waiting for her inside were two Stormtroopers.

Sari had broken into several spaceships before, but then she had had two of her own pistols in each hand and Marc by her side. The Stormtroopers began shooting at her and she ducked behind the wall so only her head and her pistol were in their aim.

Shooting a pistol was never something that she was particularly good at, and with the adrenaline of the fight and the movement of the ship she was missing most of her shots.

She turned her head to find Marc besides her, and he simply said, "Give it to me."

"No," she said. She was not going to give Marc their only weapon, she was the leader.

But after two more shots - one of which hit the wall and the other almost scraping the arm of a Stormtrooper - it seemed like her only option. She'd never say it aloud, but Marc was a much better shot than her, so she handed him her pistol.

By the time the timer hit 8:47, he'd shot down both of the Stormtroopers.

"Come on," he said, and they got into the TIE fighter.

Neither of them had ever flown a TIE fighter before, but they'd flown plenty of other ships so this couldn't be much different, right?

She'd gotten a small glimpse of what being in charge felt like and she wasn't going to give it up. So before Marc had a chance to sit in the pilot's seat, Sari ripped the pistol out of his hands and sat down. "Go fix that hatch," she said.

Sari could feel the tension as he was thinking about whether he was going to listen or not, but after several agonizing seconds he turned back to the hatch.

The inside was ridden with holes from the pistol, but a majority of the controls were left untouched. She turned the TIE fighter towards Obstillia and made it go as fast as it could - which wasn't as good as she had hoped because it was missing the hyperdrive.

"The hatch won't close because of that rope you've got on you!" yelled Marc.

"I can't get rid of it, just figure something out!" Sari screamed back.

She turned back to the controls in front of her, realizing that there were several other TIE fighters following and shooting at her. The TIE fighter was surprisingly nothing like her old ship, and at the moment Sari was just pushing any button she could find.

Her excitement for the TIE fighters had completely disappeared and she was left with only a brief hope that she'd figure out the controls before the ships chasing her shot the wings off of her fighter.

"Finally!" she yelled when a button made the laser cannons shoot. Her fingers were beginning to feel more comfortable and they danced across the control panel, weaving the TIE fighter through the asteroids.

"I got the hatch. I hope you don't mind that I tied it closed using your leash," said Marc.

Sari briefly considered shooting Marc then and there, but she knew that she regretted it last time. Only, her life would be much easier without him...

"It's fine," she said. "I need you to steer the ship while I aim the cannons."

"Got it."

With their lives on the line, Marc was suddenly being more agreeable. Both of them had shifted into simply survival mode, leaving behind their disagreements.

Lasers and torpedoes were flying past the windows and exploding the asteroids. It became nearly impossible to dodge the debris and it was creating cracks on the window of the TIE fighter.

"Four minutes! Can't you go any faster?" Sari yelled.

The moon was barely visible through the cloud of dust, and she could see that they were still about a mile away.

"Sari, there's four TIE fighters on our tail and I can't lose any of them. Got any good ideas?"

"It might be desperate, but I do."

Sari was much better at aiming the cannons than a pistol, but she knew she couldn't shoot every one of the TIE fighters. When one went down, another would appear.

She saw a Zabrak man in the window of one of the TIE fighters. He wasn't shooting at her, only trying to get to the moon like her, but she sent his ship flying through the air, shattered into pieces.

He wasn't a Stormtrooper. If she killed him now, she didn't have to kill him later.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and Marc screamed, "The right wing is shot! I can't make it all the way to the moon before it falls off. Want to tell me your crazy plan?"

Sari looked at the timer in the corner of her helmet - 2:40 - and abandoned the gun controls. She began to work on untying the knot that Marc had made, her hands flying and her mind barely working.

Finally, she was free.

"Guard me," she said to Marc, before jumping out of the hatch.

Torpedoes and lasers were flying past her, and she was using her jetpack to dodge all of them. Marc wasn't going to make it, but maybe she could.

She dodged the asteroids but could barely see through the dust. Some rocks cut holes in her suit, but it didn't matter.

She just had to make it to the moon, that was it.

She could feel her jetpack dying but she was only two hundred feet away from the moon. Sari was desperately pushing off of the lone rocks that had strayed from the asteroid field, trying to propel herself forwards.

She didn't even have to make it to the moon, only to the atmosphere. She needed to disable the disruptor.

1:30.

Her jetpack was out of fuel.

She was panicked, she wasn't going to make it.

A hundred feet to go before she got to the moon.

She wasn't going to make it.

Fear was tracing its long fingers over her pack, pulling her away from the moon.

Then, whether it was a draw of luck or a punishment, Sari was shot in the shoulder and the impact pushed her through space to the moon. She made it into the weak atmosphere, and was sent spiraling to the ground.

Her bleeding shoulder hit the ground first, but she didn't feel anything. There was only adrenaline and fear as she ran to the disruptor, shooting her pistol at it.

She just needed one shot to make it and shut the machine down, that was it.

And she made it.

The timer that read 15 seconds stopped and disappeared.

Sarilea Valkir almost smiled, but she collapsed from the pain that she didn't even know she had before she could.  

12: Poltician Female Jesla Hital 

Jesla had never been afraid of dying. Rather, she had feared the idea of dying without leaving some kind of legacy behind. Now, in the middle of an asteroid field with Stormtroopers firing from every angle, that fear seemed silly. What did it matter if she left behind a legacy, as long as she survived to continue trying? She swallowed, glancing down at herself, replaying the announcement that had been broadcast mere seconds ago. If she and Aurei couldn't make it to Obstillia, the droid in her would go off. Jesla swallowed and glanced down at the timer counting down her life, its numbers glowing brightly. 55:38.

"Jesla!" Jesla jumped at the sound of her sister's voice and she shook her head.

"What?"

"I said, I'm going to try and get one of those TIE fighters so we have a better chance of getting out of here."

At the words Jesla's first reaction was relief-she might be able to make it out of here after all. That thought was quickly overshadowed by a fear that curled around her neck like a scarf pulled too tightly.

"What about me?"

There was something soft in Aurei's eyes as she answered. "I'll bring it back to you so we can leave together."

It was amazing, really, how even in life and death circumstances, Jesla could still find time to argue with her sister. She shook her head. "No. I'm coming with you so we don't waste time."

"Not an option!" Aurei's tone was firm, but Jesla was as stubborn as her sister.

"Why not?" she demanded.

"I'm the only one that's going to get the starship." Aurei's tone left no room for argument.

"No!" Jesla protested instantly, eyes flicking around nervously. Her heart was racing in her chest but stubbornness made her argue even though she didn't really want to go. "I can help you." I don't want to be alone.

Beside her Aurei inhaled slowly before placing her hands on Jesla's shoulders. She waited until Jesla was looking at her and then said seriously, "Jesla, this is my job. I've flown fighters before. I know how to win a fight. I'm the one that's supposed to help and protect you, as your bodyguard and more importantly, as your older sister. I always have and I always will." There was something in her tone that kept Jesla from interrupting. "So please, trust me and let me go get the TIE fighter." Her eyes bore into Jesla's, a desperate plea for her to listen inside them. "Please. Let me do this."

Jesla swallowed, glancing at her surroundings. Stormtroopers seemed to be everywhere, firing without care. Deep inside, Jesla knew she preferred Aurei to be the one to risk her life, even though guilt ate at her for the thought. But she didn't want her sister to get hurt out there either, which she surely would.

"Jesla. I need to know you'll stay here and wait."

"Okay." The agreement was forced but seemed to satisfy her sister. Aurei smiled, a pale imitation of her usually sunny expression. She pressed a blaster Jesla hadn't noticed her grab before into her hands the way a mother might hand a child an old heirloom.

"Don't forget which end the beam comes out of. I'll get you out of here. Promise." Then she was gone, pushing out from behind the asteroid and leaving Jesla alone.

Unfortunately Jesla wasn't alone for long. A small group of Stormtroopers had spotted her and were turning towards her. The weapon in her hand was heavy and unfamiliar, and for a moment she stood frozen in place. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, her every movement seeming slow and clumsy. A beam from one of the TIE fighters hit the asteroid behind her, and Jesla jerked into action.

Memories of practicing using a blaster came back to her, her body remembering the motions of aiming and firing. One. Two. Three. The nearest Stormtrooper fell but there were still at least five still coming. Not to mention those in the starships. Panic threatened to overwhelm her, coming in short, unexpected bursts as she fired her blaster. Despite her good aim, Jesla knew she wouldn't be able to hold off the large group in front of her with it alone.

She had to come up with something else. Jesla shot again at one of the TIE pilots. Miraculously, she managed to hit her target, and the ship went spiraling off-course, crashing into a nearby asteroid. Brown and dull orange exploded, sending bits of rock and ship into the air.

Some of the debris hit one of the Stormtroopers spiraling Jesla, and without thinking she jumped after him. With swift, sharp movements she pulled his blaster away from him and then used it to shoot him in neck. His body went limp in her arms and bile rose in Jesla's throat. The urge to push him away filled her, but she refused. Instead she used his body as a shield against oncoming attacks, twisting her head to watch behind her.

Where's Aurei? Jesla searched the area frantically for her sister, finding her climbing into a fighter on a nearby asteroid. Jesla waved wildly at her, and let out a sigh of relief when Aurei noticed her. She floated in place, shooting rapidly at those who came too close, heart pounding as she waited for her sister.

Aurei was there gratifyingly soon, her hand reaching Jesla's. But she missed, accidentally pushing Jesla forward until she smacked into another asteroid. Jesla's hold on the Stormtrooper loosened and he floated away, leaving her vulnerable. Kriff. Jesla scrambled to a more balanced position on the asteroid, standing and looking for Aurei again. Her sister had turned the fighter so it was headed towards Jesla, but so were several other starships.

Unfortunately, the others got to Jesla first, and she cursed. She wasn't equipped for this kind of extended battle. Aurei was trying her best, shooting at some of the Stormtroopers, but they were too close to Jesla for Aurei to risk shooting at. Jesla glanced up towards her sister, but Aurei was no longer there. Fear seeped into her body like icy water.

Jesla's breaths came in sharp pants, and she backed up as she shot at another Stormtrooper, watching as he crumpled only to be replaced by another. Come on Aurei, where are you? Beams of orange suddenly appeared behind Jesla, mowing down the Stormtroopers in front of her. Jesla's head whipped around and her mouth dropped when she saw Aurei flying straight towards her, mouth set in a look of grim determination. The remaining Stormtroopers were quick to throw themselves out of the way when they realized Aurei wasn't stopping and Jesla followed their example, stepping slightly to the side. When Aurei reached her she didn't stop as she leaned to the side and hauled Jesla into the fighter.

"Don't let go!" she shouted and Jesla huffed breathlessly.

"What happened to taking two TIE fighters?" she yelled back.

"Turns out they weren't too keen on sharing! Now stop talking and let me focus!"

Jesla nodded even though Aurei couldn't see her, and instead tried to make herself small enough to fit into an already occupied space meant for one. Once she was as comfortable as she was going to get her gaze landed on her timer. 16:23.

"Hurry up! There's only 16 minutes left!" she shouted and there was slight increase in the TIE's speed. Up ahead Jesla could see the edge of the asteroid field coming up, but it was guarded by yet another group of Stormtroopers.

Although she was normally composed, Jesla found that it was harder to keep her head when there was nothing she could control. With nothing for Jesla to do besides cling desperately to her sister, the panic she'd been holding in came rushing out full force. She found herself shouting instructions to her sister despite Aurei's directions to keep quiet.

"Left!" she shouted as shots headed toward them.

"I've got it!" Aurei snapped back.

"You have to go faster! We're not going to make it otherwise!" Jesla felt herself lean to the side, dangerously close to slipping off as her sister swerved. Her arms tightened around Aurei. "We've only got 14 more minutes!"

"Stop backseat panicking! Just be quiet and trust me!" Aurei's voice was strained and Jesla started to argue before she forced herself to stay silent. She bit her tongue each time words threatened to come out, copper filling her mouth. With each dodge or sharp turn, Jesla's heart seemed to stop, only to come back beating a million times per minute. Her gaze flicked down to her timer. 12:13. They were almost at the edge of the field. They would make it. They would make it. Jesla repeated the words to herself, closing her eyes as Aurei sped out of the asteroid field.

Even without the constant threat of Stormtroopers Jesla's pulse still raced. What if the TIE gave out? What if she slipped or let go of Aurei? Her eyes squeezed shut as what-ifs flooded her mind, and when Aurei came to an abrupt stop panic froze her. Then she heard Aurei's voice, soothing and slightly smug.

"We're here."

They were on Obstillia. She looked down at the timer, letting out a soft cry of relief when she that it had stopped counting down. We made it. A soft push from Aurei and then they were both on the solid surface of the moon.

"I promised you I'd get you out of there."

Jesla managed a shaky smile. "And you always manage to keep your promises."

14: Citizen Female Jenaara Kalor 

She was surrounded.

The moment she had been instructed to begin, a squad of stormtroopers appeared out of nowhere and surrounded her and the person nearest to her. His name was Kiernan, and he was one of Dasram's other bets. She didn't know him very well; they had just happened to be on the same asteroid when the battle began.

"Fire!" the stormtrooper in charge of the squad shouted. Jenaara felt a split second of panic as the air was filled with red blasts. She forced herself to stay calm. In her mind, she went back to the countless hours she had spent in her room practicing with Mikaal's lightsaber. The technique came back to her now, and she let her instincts take over, swinging the blade to deflect the shots. Behind her, Kiernan fired endlessly into the army of troopers.

Jenaara's arms were already feeling weak, and she cursed herself for not being stronger. She couldn't keep deflecting their shots for long. It seemed to be pure luck that she had even lasted until now.

Suddenly, a Mirialan man landed behind the squad, a red lightsaber in his hand. The troops turned to look at him, completely forgetting their earlier targets. Jenaara watched with a mixture of awe and shock as he single-handedly took down the entire troop. He fought in a way that only a Jedi or Sith could. His red saber seemed to give away what he was, but Jenaara somehow felt in her heart that he was on their side. After all, a Sith wouldn't have saved them.

Kiernan nodded in his direction. "Thanks."

Jenaara was still too surprised to speak.

His eyes landed on her, and they seemed to be scanning her. She swallowed nervously. "You have the Force," he muttered, almost to himself. "It's very deep down, too deep to be accessed, but it's there."

Finally, he looked away, walking up beside her. "I'm Kanan," he told them, retracting his lightsaber and giving it a look of distaste as if it pained him to use it.

"Why did you help us?" Jenaara asked, finally able to find her voice. She tried to sound defiant, but it came out as more of an astonished squeak.

He answered by tapping one of the devices on the outside of his suit. There was a larger one above it, which Jenaara knew would detonate after about an hour. Red numbers on it counted down the time. It now read 57:58. The smaller device had no numbers on it at all, but she knew its purpose. Dasram had explained it to her. "If we don't use them in four minutes," Kanan said, "all of them will go off at once, probably killing everyone."

There was a short pause, and Jenaara let that statement sink in. "We can't just activate them all at once," she muttered, almost to herself.

Kiernan nodded. "We need a plan."

Kanan looked up at the sky, deep in thought. "We need to space ourselves about one hundred feet apart. We'll activate the devices and give Adaara time to find us. She'll take us to Obstillia."

Jenaara's mind immediately filled with questions, but the shrieking of TIE fighters overhead reminded her that they didn't have much time. Kiernan held out a comlink to Kanan. "You'll need this."

He took it and began speaking to someone on the other end. Jenaara didn't pay him any attention. Her mind seemed to be buzzing at lightspeed, random questions popping into her head and increasing her worry about their plan. Where's N-3? she wondered. She had told him to hide somewhere before the battle began, but she had expected him to come out by now. She hoped that he was safe.

"You next?"

Kanan's voice drew her out of her thoughts. She realized that Kiernan was already on an asteroid about thirty yards away from them. She was about to reply when she spotted two people behind Kanan--people she was sure hadn't been there a moment before. She couldn't tell from a distance, but it looked like another Mirialan and Zabrack. They were chained to each other. The Mirialan looked at her, and instantly she knew that something was wrong.

Kanan followed her gaze, turning around. His eyes narrowed, and his face filled with rage. "Sith," he whispered, his voice filled with intense anger.

The Mirialan ignited his lightsaber, and Kanan did the same. The Sith laughed. "I'm surprised you dare to fight with a red saber, Jedi." He spat the final word as if it was the most horrible insult he could imagine.

Jenaara's chest burned with anger towards this man. It was because of the Sith that she was here, fighting to her death. If Mikaal hadn't been killed, none of this would have happened. Before she even knew what she was doing, she ignited her saber and leaped out at him. He blocked her easily, pushing her backward. "Surprisingly brave..." the Sith whispered mockingly, "for a commoner."

"What are you doing?" Kanan shouted at her, sending his own strike towards the Mirialan's head.

"I can help you!" she answered. "Two against one!"

"You're not a Jedi!" he answered.

"Yes, listen to him, commoner," the Sith called tauntingly. "Let him die at my hand."

Part of her wanted to listen to him, to turn tail and flee. After all, this wasn't her fight. But a part of her knew that it was, in fact, her fight. It had become her fight when the Sith had killed Mikaal. It had become her fight when she had been thrown into the arena.

She looked over at Kanan with determination in her eyes. "I may not be a Jedi, but I can still fight."

The Sith growled and leaped out at them. Jenaara barely had time to block. Sparks flew as she and Kanan worked together to push his saber away. While he was distracted, she lunged towards his chest. He blocked her easily. With a flick of his wrist, he disarmed her. Mikaal's lightsaber flew out of her hands. Kanan growled and lunged towards him, and a true battle began. Their strikes flew so quickly that all Jenaara saw were blurs of red. She couldn't keep track of their movements. This was a level of fighting that she had never seen before, and she knew she could never match it. Not without the Force.

She pulled her eyes away from the fight and made for Mikaal's lightsaber. The Sith had ignored her for some reason, but she knew that wouldn't last. She grabbed the hilt and turned, ready to help Kanan defeat the Sith. This time, she wouldn't be taken down so easily.

When she turned, however, she saw a horrifying sight: Kanan's blade had pierced the body of the Zabrack girl. His eyes were filled with shock, so she knew it hadn't been on purpose, but it had still been done. Jenaara felt herself shaking, but she didn't know whether it was from fear, sorrow, or something else that she hadn't discovered yet.

The Sith bellowed, and the sound seemed to echo through the asteroid field. Suddenly, Jenaara couldn't breathe. She tried to take in air, but it refused to come to her lungs. Within a moment, she spotted why: the Sith's right hand was out in front of him, making a gesture that looked like a claw. A Force-choke, she thought in a panic. Her chest burned as if a blazing fire had taken the place of her lungs. Black spots danced in her vision. In her mind, she heard a voice, one that sounded like the Emperor. He laughed. Is this how you would die? Struggling for breath in the grip of one of my pawns? I had labeled you as a fighter. So sad to see I was wrong.

The blackness completely covered her vision.

The next thing she knew, she was lying on her back on a completely different asteroid. Relief spread through her as she took a breath. She had been freed from the Sith's choke, but she didn't know how. She sat up just in time to see a blast of electric energy explode out about one hundred feet away from her. Kiernan, she knew.

She looked down at the timer on the larger device: 53:35. The device would activate on its own accord in about thirty seconds. She needed to act now in order to give Kanan enough time.

I've got a bad feeling about this, she thought anxiously.

Before she had any more second thoughts, she pushed the button.

All she remembered after that was the piercing pain. She couldn't see, couldn't think, couldn't know anything but the biting agony that overwhelmed her senses.

When her mind cleared, she found herself floating in space. Kanan was next to her, using the Force to direct both of them towards a small asteroid. Other bodies floated around them; bodies of the people who had been in the way of the explosion. Her eyes landed on a girl who looked to be only a few years older than her, whose eyes stared lifelessly into the endless void of stars. Somehow--she had no idea how--she knew that it had been her blast that had killed this girl. And you will kill many more people, the Emperor's taunting voice whispered in her head, if you want to survive.

Kanan collapsed on an asteroid, setting her down next to him. She tried to sit up, but her back exploded in pain. Groaning, she leaned her head back and stared at the stars above. She was still disoriented from the blast, and the stars seemed to spin around in circles above her, forming patterns and pictures that danced across the sky. Back home on Coruscant, she had never been able to see the stars. There was too much light pollution. When she lived there, she had heard stories of the adventures of famous star pilots who traversed across the galaxy. She had wanted to be one of them; to fly far away from home and never come back.

Now, she would give anything to be back home.

The sudden scream of a TIE fighter overhead cleared her dazed mind. She looked up in alarm, sure that she and Kanan were about to be shot down. To her surprise, the ship landed on their asteroid, and the pilot got out. It wasn't a stormtrooper like she had expected, but a Torgruta woman. She gasped when she saw Kanan. "He's hurt! We have to hurry!"

Jenaara's mind, aware that there was no danger, slipped back into its former stupor. She was only vaguely aware of the woman tying her and Kanan to the wing of the starship and blasting off in an unknown direction. The stars looked like long white blurs as they streaked past, and they seemed to mirror the blurriness of her own thoughts. Occasionally another TIE fighter or starship would pass overhead and her mind would clear for a moment, but then that moment would pass.

Suddenly, an explosion rattled Jenaara's eardrums, so close to her that it felt like half of her face was on fire. The TIE fighter began to plummet. Jenaara's thoughts suddenly became precise, and they were focused on one thing: panic. The whole right wing of the ship was in flame, probably hit by one of the enemy's proton torpedoes. The moon Obstillia was directly below them, but Jenaara knew they wouldn't survive a crash from this height.

She looked over at Kanan, whose eyes were still closed. "Kanan!" she shouted. "Kanan!"

"Be quiet!" he shouted back, not opening his eyes. "I'm trying--" he grunted. "--to concentrate!"

She then understood what he was trying to do. He hadn't been asleep; he had been trying to use the Force to slow down the starship's descent. So far, his efforts weren't working, and the planet's surface was getting closer and closer.

Then, for about a split second, the starship slowed, before falling at the normal pace again. Jenaara looked over at Kanan in panic. Sweat poured down his face, and his fists were clenched by his sides. After another moment, the ship slowed again, this time for a longer period. Then, it stopped altogether in midair. Jenaara had no idea where Kanan was finding the strength to do this, especially after everything they had been through today. It's the Force, a part of her said, and she knew that was true.

The ship landed gently about fifty feet away from a pile of disruptors. Kanan used his lightsaber to cut both of them free, and they jumped down from the wing. There was another ship near theirs, and a Zabrack stood next to it. When he saw Kanan, his eyes widened. "Kanan, you only have a minute left! Hurry!"

Jenaara's pulse quickened. She tried to run towards the pile of disruptors, but her legs, still in pain from the electricity, screamed in protest. The fastest she could go was a slow limp. In her head, she counted down the seconds. 53. 52. 51. 50. 49.

She reached the pile and attached a disruptor to the device without hesitation. Immediately, the mechanical numbers disappeared and the machine powered off. Relief coursed through her.

Suddenly, the pile of disruptors slid away from her, right before Kanan could grab one. She whirled around and saw the Sith, still chained to the Zabrack woman. He grabbed two disruptors and tossed one to her, then turned his attention to Kanan and Jenaara. "We meet again," he said with a smirk.

Kanan was suddenly slammed to the ground by an invisible force. Jenaara gasped and ignited her saber, but the hand she was holding it with was suddenly pinned behind her. The Sith held out one hand towards her and the other towards Kanan, using the Force to keep them from fighting.

Now more than ever, Jenaara wished she was a Jedi. Kanan had said that she had the Force in her, but not enough to be used. How different would this situation be if she had been trained as a Jedi, like Mikaal?

You would be dead, a voice in her head answered, slaughtered by Vader, just like he was.

The Sith strode forward, advancing on Kanan with his lightsaber in his hand. "Now you die, Jedi scum," he hissed.

Jenaara watched, powerless, as the Sith raised his saber, preparing to finish Kanan off.

All of a sudden, two blaster shots were fired out of nowhere, both from different directions. Each of them hit the Sith square in the chest. He collapsed to the ground.

Jenaara looked behind her and saw Kiernan standing to the left and the Torgruta woman standing to the right, both with blasters raised. The Force hold on Jenaara lifted, and she fell to the ground, closing her eyes. She had felt so helpless.

And that is what you are, the Emperor's voice whispered in her mind. A powerless commoner, destined to die.

Those final words repeated over and over in her thoughts until they were all she heard.