Broken Codes

Playing With Time

Nur: 18 BBY
Fortress Inquisitorius
Lesia Mirri

    The floor is iron. Les blinked, her head aching. My outfit is charcoal and blood. She was forcing herself to think up different descriptions for everything. It distracted her from the illusions that plagued her mind. Everytime she stopped, she would see Cole or Master Mundi wandering around her cell.

    The lights are cinnamon. The Seventh Sister is the color of a shuura fruit. Her mouth watered, thinking of the sweet morsel. Her stomach growled and Les shook her head. The Mirialan Inquisitor, she had learned, was called Seventh Sister. She'd overheard a purge trooper call her by name.

    Electricity is a noble blue, like Master Kenobi's lightsaber. This table is obsidian. Les closed her eyes, weariness overcoming her. She recalled the last dream she'd had. In it, she had seen herself and Nakoa. She had been pregnant. Les still couldn't see Nakoa's face. Her vision had been blurred for the first half of the dream. When he asked where she was, it had cleared and she showed him her cell.

    Les opened her eyes again. It was just another dumb dream, she thought. He abandoned me. Why would he come here, of all places? Still, her heart clutched at that faint hope, even when she told it not to.

    The door hissed open and several pairs of feet appeared before her. Les continued to look at the ground. She knew what was coming. Seventh Sister regarded her silently, then snapped a finger. The panels closed and Les squeezed her eyes shut.

    Electricity burned beneath her skin. Les screamed, despite the rawness of her throat. On and on the pain went, until darkness flooded her vision.

    "Lesia."

    She didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want to see her master. A gentle hand touched her shoulder. Les opened her eyes begrudgingly. Master Mundi sat down beside her, his eyes full of sadness.

    "Master." Les shook her head. "No more illusions. No more dreams. Please."

    "This is no illusion, my young apprentice," he said. "The Force called me to you."

    Les glanced at him. He looked real, but so had the illusions. "Why now? Why not before?"

    "The Force works in mysterious ways."

    "Why are you here?"

    "To remind you not to give in. You have held onto your pain for so long. It's time to let go. Release your anger and suffering. That is what's holding you captive."

    "I can't. I've tried."

    "Did you not pay attention in Master Yoda's classes?" Master Mundi prompted. "What does he have to say about trying?"

    "Do or do not. There is no try," Les sighed.

    "There is your answer. Either do it, or don't do it. If you do, you will save yourself. If you don't, Vader may have another Inquisitor to add to his ranks." Master Mundi's hand squeezed her shoulder tightly. "I don't wish to see that fate befall you."

    "I think it's too late."

    "It is never too late."

Corellia: 18 BBY
"Mythos"
Nakoa Sen

    Nakoa touched down in the docking bay. Oni, Ketei, Drystan, and a strange woman were there waiting. He guessed the woman to be Manon, the witch Oni had mentioned. He extended the boarding ramp and headed to the back of the ship.