Child of Balance

Games of the Enemy

"Hey, you'd better get up," Cyana's voice cut through the ship. Ania jolted out of her vision and stumbled to her feet. The ship rocked as they dropped out of hyperspace.

Ro and Cyana were still in the cockpit, where she had left them hours ago. Ania slid into her seat and rubbed her forehead. What did you see? Ro asked from behind her. Ania opened her mind to the wolf, letting her see images of the vision. Ro blinked at her sympathetically.

"This was their last jump point," Cyana said, ignoring their unspoken conversation. "I don't see anything."

Ania switched on the scanners. "There doesn't seem to be anything here."

"What's that?" Cy pointed at a spot on the scanner where a red dot had appeared.

Ania's eyes widened. "That's an approaching ship!" She batted the scanner away and grabbed the controls. They rocketed away as a massive ship dropped out of hyperspace.

"That's a Star Destroyer!" Cy exclaimed. "I haven't seen one of those in a long time!"

"That's bad news. Have they seen us yet?" Ania urged the ship on faster. The controls suddenly turned in her grip. "Hey!" She released them as the ship's engines groaned.

"Tractor beam," Cy growled. "They saw us."

"Great."

"Care to give me a weapon?" Cy smirked. "We wouldn't want to be defenseless on a Star Destroyer."

Ania shot her a glare and stood. She headed back into her cabin and kicked open a hidden drawer beneath her bunk. Cyana's blasters and plasma knives lay inside. She scooped them up and returned to the cockpit.

"Here," she said, tossing the blasters to Cy. The Twi'lek snatched them out of the air and slid them into her empty holsters. Ania tucked two of the plasma knives into her boots, before handing the others over. "If you use those on me, I will kill you," Ania warned.

"Relax," Cy smirked at her as she sheathed the blades. "Eron already made me promise to return you alive."

"And how did he procure such a promise?" Ania arched an eyebrow.

"Let's just say I'm happy with the exchange."

Ania shot her a menacing glare. "Leave him alone, Cyana. He's got enough problems in his life without you being one of them."

Cyana's gaze darkened. "I could say the same to you. He just told me his story. That's all I asked. It's like you expect terrible things from me."

"Previous experience."

"Well, maybe I want to change."

Ania barked a laugh. "As if! I'll believe it when I see it."

"If you can change, so can I. You were Darth Vader's right hand. You murdered and plundered your way through life for years, with me at your side for part of it. Yet here you are, a respected Rebel and a Gray Jedi. You give yourself too much credit and others, not enough."

"I rarely give myself credit. If you want the benefit of the doubt, now's your chance to prove it." Ania jerked her chin towards the Star Destroyer as the tractor beam drew them inside the hangar door.

"I'm going to enjoy this way too much," Cyana grumbled. She took the pair of wrist cuffs Ania offered her and clamped them onto her wrists.

"Ro," Ania began.

I will be here if you need me, Ro replied, before Ania got the question out.

"Thank you," Ania smiled at her gratefully.