Sins of the Father/Part 24

"This feels weird," Zaella said.

"What, cutting people out of chains instead of putting them in them?" Narasi asked.

Zaella sneered, but she couldn't muster as much anger as she might've. Granted, part of that was because her lightsaber still hung from Narasi's belt—not that that wasn't infuriating too, but it went a long way toward restraining Zaella from acting on her fury. Besides, she was just so tired…tired, and in pain, and overwhelmed with the complete upending of her life in so short a time.

She unsnapped a shock collar off a Twi'lek's neck, letting the younger girl go. The Rutian looked at her with wide eyes. "We…we can really go? No, this is a trick.  This—"

"You're free!" Zaella snarled. "Get lost!"

The girl's fear outweighed her disbelief, and she ran for it, following the trail of slaves Narasi had released. Narasi gave Zaella a weary look that had nothing to do with her injuries. "We're gonna have to work on your hero voice."

"My what?" Zaella asked, staring, but Narasi had already moved on.

Runganna's slave overseers huddled against the wall, watching with resentment, though Narasi had only had to cut the hand off the first person who came at her with a shock whip to silence any complaints from the rest. When the last laborers had been set free, though, a Rodian mustered his courage and said, "Why are you doing this?! You're a Zygerrian, you should be bringing us—"

Narasi looked at him, and as his snout puckered into silence she snarled, "Go on, finish that sentence. See what happens to you."

After a heartbeat, three of the other overseers pulled the Rodian back, and a Weequay clamped his hand over the Rodian's snout.

Walking through the deserted palace without talking, they found an unanticipated problem awaiting them outside. More than a hundred slaves had massed in the marsh at the foot of Runganna's palace, milling about and talking amongst themselves. When Zaella and Narasi appeared, a near-Human man called, "Where do we go?"

Narasi looked at Zaella, who shrugged. "If they stay here, Runganna'll just capture them again."

"They're not staying here," said Tirien Kal-Di; Zaella turned to see him walking down the steps, pushing the bier with the bomb and carrying two packs. Narasi extended a hand, but Tirien shook his head. "You've done enough today, I've got it."

"So where do they go?" Zaella asked.

He looked around. "Any crews left to hire?"

Narasi shook her head. "They all burned sky before us. We could take them with us?"

Tirien shook his head. "We're not going straight back. What about that one?"

They followed his pointed finger, but Zaella shook her head. "That's Izkara's. Well, I guess it's mine, now…"

She stopped, a little struck by that. She had Izkara's ship, and license to go anywhere she wanted, do whatever she wanted with no master to crack the whip or hold her in check…

"Good, they can have that."

Zaella stared. "You can't leave me here either!"

"Of course not," Tirien said. "You're coming with us."

"I'm what?!"

"She's what?!"

Narasi and Zaella glanced at each other, then back at Tirien, who looked from one to the other and back. "Narasi spared your life, Zaella, but that isn't the same as setting you free. I'm sorry, but you're too dangerous to just send wandering off through the galaxy."

Zaella's mouth fell open. "I…you…what am I, your prisoner?"

"For now."

It took her a moment to find her voice again, and while she searched for it panic started. "So you're…what, gonna take me off to Coruscant? Vanish me to some cell?"

Tirien stepped down even with her; he was still a little taller, but it was those cool, calm eyes that intimidated her more than anything about his physical presence. "That's in your hands. We'll be taking the long way back to Republic space—long enough for you to show us who you really are.  Narasi thought there was something in you worth saving.  I suppose we'll find out."

Zaella knew better than to fight, though it pained her to watch a horde of unwashed slaves make off with what should've been her ticket to freedom. As they trudged along a dry path through the bog, Narasi said, "If he was here at all, Rafan Korminne's long gone, Master."

Zaella had no idea who that was, but Tirien nodded. "He is. That bears investigation, but he'll keep for another day."

"So where are we going?"

"Guudria—the 'Jedi planet'." Tirien was in the lead, but Zaella heard the frown in his voice. "Something about that is off; I want to check it out."

Great, Zaella thought, a whole planet full of them. But Narasi just nodded and plodded forward even with Tirien. "So," she said, "I was thinking…that whole arena mess…it took a lot of courage…and a lot of skill…"

"Fortunately for you, it didn't require a lot of modesty…"

"But I got through temptation at the end," Narasi plowed on, "and I got a bunch of injuries…and I remember that you got Knighted without Trials…"

Tirien stopped long enough to give her a look. "Don't push it."

She laughed, wrapping an arm around his waist and yawning as they walked on. "Worth a shot."

"You know, I'm very glad you're alive, but that doesn't mean hugging is going to be our thing now…"

Narasi laughed again and straightened up. Zaella had fallen behind, watching them and feeling a strange twist in her stomach. She and Izkara had never interacted like this, but even though Izkara had been on the more sadistic end of the spectrum of Lady Hadan's Knights, Zaella had never seen any of them behave this way with their apprentices either. She didn't know what to make of it; she had no frame of reference, and she wondered what the apparent closeness between them foreboded for her.

Sensing her lagging, they both looked back. Narasi's eyes tightened, but she sighed. "Come on."

Not thrilled to have me along, Zaella thought with a twinge. Now that's more familiar.

But she followed them toward their ship nonetheless.