The Knight, Death, and the Devil

Chapter 33: The Abyss Gazes Back

Cipher Nine knocked on the door to the captain's chambers, then waited a moment before entering. Vathamma sat to the right of the entryway, elbow leaned on her desk and hand rubbing at her head.

"Darth Crucia," he said.

She squeezed her eyes shut and turned towards him, still massaging her temple. "Tell me the tracker you placed on him is still active."

"I'm afraid it's been disabled. It's likely he surmised that was how we tracked him to Manaan, and then disabled it after his escape."

She looked up at him with tired eyes. "So we have no idea where he is going?"

"Their shuttle's signature was registered in two Imperial systems--they seem to be moving towards the Unknown Regions."

She sat up in her chair and opened her mouth as if to ask why he would be going to the unknown regions, but quickly realized that the agent would have no better idea than her.

"You can't be more specific than that?"

He shook his head. "Not with what we know now."

"How did he escape?" she asked. "He was locked in a cell with Force dampeners."

"I suppose he's just that capable."

She rolled her eyes. "He's not that capable."

"With all due respect, he did manage to subdue you." The Chiss looked around the room pristine room. "Why, it hardly looks like there was a fight at all."

The Sith's lip twitched in anger. "Get us moving in his direction, and get to work figuring out where he is headed. I want the codex back, and I want him in chains."

The agent nodded, then clicked his heels and left the room.

___

"Why are you taking me with you?"

Torin turned to look at his formerly-silent travelmate. She hadn't said a word in nearly a day.

"I already told you."

She let out a low growl of annoyance. "I do not need your help. You think you can redeem me?" He remained silent, and she leaned forward to glare at him. "Hate is all I am. If you want to do away with that, you will have to kill me."

"You're not hate, you're a person who hates—and I don't even know why."

"Because you took away my home, twice!" She screamed, straining her voice. Despite how quiet she was, the outburst shook him in his seat. "You have everything, and I have nothing."

He scoffed and gestured outwards. "What do I have?" She didn't answer, and he turned back around. "Except the worst conversation partner in the galaxy."

Another day of travel, and they had reached their destination. Rakata Prime, a tropical jewel of a world stuck on the far end of the galaxy—and a historical preserve completely forbidden to outsiders. The last thing Torin expected was to receive a communication as soon as he reached orbit.

"Identify yourselves or we will respond with force," came a stern voice on the other end of the call.

"Uh..." He glanced back at Isatryn, and she simply stared at him blankly. "Torin Val, here to see... Master Ziare," he stammered off quickly. "Imperial Shuttle number 617—"

"Land at these coordinates," the man said, then ended the call.

Torin breathed a sigh of relief and set the planetary destination, then sat back and let the autopilot bring them in, moving below the planet's atmosphere as they flew from continent to continent.