Erstwhile

Imperial

His hands shook violently.

His face, usually filled with malice, paled.

Breath escaped him in frantic gasps, and with them came one word:

"No."

From where I remained, handcuffed and helpless, I couldn't stop staring at my captor, Kallus, and his movements. They were out of character. It was like his cold exterior had crumbled away revealing something human. Emotional. Panicked.

"He's going to kill me," he stuttered and ran a hand through his short blond hair. "If they escape again..."

"What are you talking about?" At my question, he shot a glance at me, his eyes wide with fear.

"Your friends. They're here, aren't they?" He asked.

The rumble of engines filtered through my mind, the melody peaceful. "Yes."

"They'll come for you."

"Yes."

As if expecting the answer, his whole body stiffened, his muscle tremors being nothing but a memory. His face twisting, he lifted the firearm from where it was strapped to his waist. Without hesitation, he trained it on me.

"You will not escape," he said, releasing the safety, "Not this time."

Although I wanted to jerk away, to struggle against my restraints, I did nothing. I just stared at my captor, the man I'd grown to despise, and felt nothing but pity. He was desperate. He was afraid.

"Kallus, we can help you," I said, forcing the words out, "You don't have to stay with the Empire." I smiled. "You can join our crew. Our family."

At my last word, Kallus' face visibly softened, and his grip on the blaster wavered. However, as quickly as his expression softened, it hardened once again. His eyes ablaze with anger and frustration, he aimed at me again.

"I am an Imperial agent of the Empire," he recited, "And I will not betray my superiors."

"Even if they decide to kill you?" I asked, my shoulders quaking.

"They won't," he said, "If I kill you, they'll know my value."

"You won't get any information out of me if I'm dead."

"Any hope you had of a second chance is gone," he growled. "Say goodbye."

The blaster fired, and simultaneously, there was a loud crunching of metal. I could faintly hear scuffling and shouting--that voice sounded familiar. However, I couldn't identify it, being too distracted by the pain exploding in my shoulder and the ache in my bones. Shadows draped across my vision, and then my mind was swept away.

***

"Sabine?"

A voice, deep and gruff, penetrated my mind, and I tried to recognize it.

"Sabine, can you hear me?"

Another voice, this one smoother, more feminine. Who was it? Thankfully, this time I was able to latch onto a name: Hera.

"Karabast, what did he do to her?"

"Calm down. She's going to be fine. I already bandaged her wound. She should be coming around any moment now."