Star Wars: Darkness Rising

Chapter 7: Sabine's Search

Sabine was waiting in Thrawn's office when he walked in. "You're wondering if I know anything about Oolrund yet?" he asked. Sabine nodded "I am" she said. Her head still hurt and she was near desperate. She was still seeing double, and could remember even less than she could before. "As I told you, when I know something, I will tell you" Thrawn replied. Sabine just stared. "You still don't trust me?" he asked. "No, I don't, and I wonder why that might be?" Sabine said sarcastically. Thrawn smiled. "You chose to make a deal with me Sabine, I gave you every chance to walk away before we made our arrangement official..." Thrawn said. "And you're getting more than you're giving" Sabine shot back. Thrawn smiled. "The trade mark of any good deal" he said smugly. "Is that how your deal with Palpatine turned out?" Sabine demanded. "Quite different, but ultimately, I benefitted from it more... he had maybe ten or so years of my service, and the loyalty of my actions. He never had the loyalty of my heart or even my true allegiance. I gained Ezra Bridger, you, Ahsoka Tano, your clone friend Rex, The TIE Defenders and their designs and an army of Stormtroopers and Deathtroopers! So yes little Mandalorian, I benefitted more!" Thrawn replied. Sabine shrugged. "Doesn't change what you did for the Empire, what you tried to do... and it doesn't change that we're still enemies now!" she said. thrawn smiled. "That's not true... you perceive us to be enemies. All we did was fight on opposite sides of a war, now we fight on the same side of a war... Do you still view Alexander Kallus as evil?" asked Thrawn. "I'm not interested in discussing morality with you Thrawn! I thought I made that clear before!" Sabine snapped. Thrawn smiled. "No of course not... because you don't want to wrestle with your sins... you never have, why would you? Denial is such a wonderful thing..." he said. Sabine glared. "I'm not in denial!" she said. Thrawn smiled slightly. "Perhaps I should ask what you have for me, but I know doing that would mean nothing has yet been found. After all, you haven't had much chance to get close enough to him yet, have you?" Sabine said nothing, and Thrawn smiled. "I didn't think so..." he said. Sabine waited as she clenched her fist. If he didn't need him, she'd just as happily kill Thrawn here and now. "They won't let me back into combat, so unless you can sort that out by some miracle, I won't be able to do what you want, and we'll need to work out a new deal!" she said. Thrawn nodded. "I have already taken steps attending to that matter. Just remember, there's more to your side of this than just him. There is the other matter as well..." he reminded her. Sabine sighed. She was regretting this deal more and more every second. "You'll get your end of the bargain!" Sabine said with a blank expression. "When the next battle is upon us, you will be approved for combat, try not to die..." Thrawn replied, and motioned for Sabine to leave. She sighed, and left the office. She hated the situation she had just been put in.

Sabine had finally arrived back in her cabin, where she saw another Chiss rummaging through her belongings. She drew and activated her lightsaber. "Who are you!?" she demanded in Sy-Bisti. Zirasaan looked up at her. "Someone who is very interested in your relationship with Mitth'raw'nuruodo and General Ezra Bridger..." he said in basic. "Why?" asked Sabine keeping the saber up. The Chiss smiled. "I don't find that to be any of your concern" he said. "Why not...? You're asking about my friend and one of my worst enemies!" Sabine said. Zirasaan smiled. "Really?" he asked and gestured to Sabine's helmet. "You need to lay low, don't trust Thrawn, and don't ever take off that mask!" he said. Sabine scoffed. "It's a helmet, not a mask" she said. "It makes very little difference to me, so, perhaps you can satisfy my curiosity" Zirasaan replied. Sabine just glared. "Ah, of course, you don't trust me either" he said. "Why would I?" Sabine demanded. Zirasaan smiled. "Wrong question, at least for the moment, the correct one would be asking my name" he said. Sabine glared, and moved the lightsaber slightly closer to the Chiss's throat. "Do you really think I care to know who you are?" she asked. "That depends if you want to break free of the deal you made with Thrawn, but the choice is yours" he said. Sabine's interest had increased slightly. "How are you going to get me out of the deal I made with Thrawn?" she asked. "My name, since you won't ask, is Irizi'assa'nniarurdo but you can call me by my core name: Zirasaan!" he said. Sabine shrugged. "Great, I'll feel free to forget it as quickly as I can" she said. "There's nothing you have that I could possibly want!" "Are you sure?" asked Zirasaan. Sabine nodded. "Now let me give you a warning, come near me or my friends again, and I will kill you, as slowly, painfully and as loudly as possible!" Zirasaan smiled. "Such promises..." he said as he left. Sabine watched him go, and quickly made sure nothing had been taken. Thankfully, nothing had been. Sabine thought back on the deal she had made with Thrawn. She had promised him anything he wanted, and he had made her promise to give him what he wanted. She hated herself for it. Thrawn had taken more than what he had wanted, he had taken her heart as well. Sabine knew Ezra would help her, that Ahsoka would, but if she asked them to help her break free of the chains Thrawn had trapped her in, she may never know what had happened between her and Ezra. Sabine sighed. She was going to have to fight this battle alone. "Nothing new there..." she said. she sat down on her bed, and started thinking about how she was going to get herself out of this mess.