Dark and Light

Chapter 9

One week later.

"Das, where we going?" Zheth jumped up, trying to see outside the window as their ship landed.

"To see someone." She responded, giving a look to Nathale that confused the child slightly. "I'll be waiting here, go with him, you'll be fine."

"A mission? Like what you go away on?" Excitement raced through her, was she going to finally start learning from them?

"Just keep your mouth shut and do what I tell you." Nathale growled, grabbing her arm before walking her out of the ship and into a landing hanger.

Zheth looked around at all the people running around before her eyes landed on a figure in white armor with a red shoulder pad on. She slowed down a bit suddenly not liking the new place only for her arm to be jerked harshly forward. The figure was staring at her through the helmet while Nathale glared down at her as if disappointed by something she had failed to do.

"This is what you wanted to bring as a recruit?" The voice was male as the figure in white spoke. "She wouldn't last a day in training."

"You've taken younger, babies, barely old enough to remember their mother's face. She's two, she can learn to fight and I'm sure her loyalty to the cause would never waver once she learned who it was to." Nathale replied. "Besides, I know how desperately the Empire needs loyal recruits."

"Not little girls. Take her and do as you wish with the child, the Empire has no use for her."

"We made a deal!" Nathale hissed back quietly, causing Zheth to shift away slightly. "Now I want my pay."

"Your pay will have to come from somewhere else. Our orders are to only accept the males who display the best potential to be molded to obey our superiors." The line sounded so... rehearsed. Like the man had said it once for every star in the galaxy.

The pair locked gazed for a few minutes and Zheth glanced nervously back at the ship where Das was waiting, surely she would help if a fight broke out. She staggered as Nathale tightened his grip on her and stalked away, a pop came soon after as he tossed her ahead of him. Pain went through her shoulder and she gave a yelp, most of it from surprise rather than the throbbing at first, but then he attacked her again. This time he kicked her to the ground, the air going out of her lungs as his boot went into her stomach. Zheth flinched as he came closer before feeling him pull her up and walk calmly back to the ship with her in tow... Das avoided the ill-tempered man the entire flight to the next planet, ignoring her cries of pain that slowly faded into quiet whimpers. That first bout was only the beginning of worse abuse.

Zheth woke up curled in a tight ball in the back of her cell, her body shivering from the damp ground and early morning cold. She hated that memory her fever had brought up but would still prefer that over the living nightmare she currently lived in. At least this time it wasn't a guard or Luke who had woken her up... Han had no idea what his Jedi friend was doing, or she didn't think he did. Every time he showed up he seemed surprised by her worsening condition, no more than that, he was concerned. Did he really still believe that lie or did he just not care that they weren't related? It would make sense... his own son tried killing him, he acted like a fatherly figure towards that Rey girl too from what she'd seen.

She tilted her head slowly to finally glance at the intruder who'd disturbed her rest, confusion appearing in her dull gaze as Poe stood there. He looked down at the ground slightly when he saw her take notice of his presence. "You could at least get more comfortable if you told us were General Organa was taken."