My vocal cords threatened to tear under the strain of my scream. The electricity shooting through me was unbearable, every last inkling of self-control gone as my torturer cranked up the machine I was bound to. I could have never anticipated how this mission turned out, even when the Council had named the dangerous outer-rim planet we were being assigned to. Never in all my Jedi training had I known such pain.
"Stop! Stop it!"
The flow of electricity vanished, though my body still quaked from its lashing. My voice was hoarse. "Master, don't."
Kit Fisto strained against his own Force-resistant restraints. "Let my apprentice go."
I had never seen my master so openly upset. His bulging black eyes were wide, welling with tears that then painted his green-toned skin. My heart ached at the sight and joined my body in its pain.
"Master, you can't--" I tried to speak, but my voice wouldn't sound properly. It cracked, then vanished, my torso shaking uncontrollably as feeling coursed through its tight numbness. "Master."
"I'll tell you where the Kaiburr crystal is, just let us leave here. Please."
I couldn't let him trade my life for the safety of the Jedi Order. I just couldn't. I tried to writhe against my bindings, to stop Kit from revealing the crystal's location, but too late. My restraints snapped open, and I collapsee to the floor in an undignified heap.
Kit was at my side in an instant. "Are you all right?"
"Never better, Master," I croaked.
He pulled me into his arms, carrying me carefully away to our captured shuttle. Too weak to do anything else, I let Kit lay me gingerly onto the med-bay table. The digitized medical robot blinked into view, scanning me as my master went to prepare the ship for take-off.
My entire body felt like it was on fire, skin prickling as though a trillion tiny, white-hot needles were stabbing me. I knew then that it would be better to die than to live in such exquisite pain.
Dark spots flashed in the corners of my vision. I embraced the darkness as it took me...
