Bankor

Luth sat at her desk, going through the motions of cleaning and oiling her slugthrower. It was calming. Or it would normally be. At the moment, her hands shook subtly as she tried to control her fear.

Calm down. They don't have anything on you. There's nothing to build a case with.

Why was the commander suspicious in the first place? If it was just from the picture? Why did they wait so long to question her?

She tried to calm down, but her mind kept spinning through the questions, and as it did, the worse things seemed.

There was a soft knock at the door.

"Who is it?" She called cautiously.

“Draagh, I felt you needed me,” he said softly.

"Ah... Sorry, yeah. One second," she said, heading over and unlocking the door, letting the man in.

“I felt your distress, whatever is happening let me aid you,” he said once inside. “I felt your pain through the Force.”

She settled down onto her bunk with a sigh, giving Draagh a small smile at that, nodding. "... All right."

"So..." She exhaled. "I got an assignment a little over a week ago. They don't have much on me, but they have a picture of me leaving the room after the fact. I'd normally say that even if they tried to do something, they have kriff-all to make a case out of, but... well, it took them a week to start the investigation and they must have more than just that reason to suspect to go on that little." She sighed. "I got lightly questioned earlier today, but he'll definitely be back. Or maybe they'll bring me in."

"I have a shuttle, if you have nothing holding you here then we can leave tonight," he said calmly.

"There is a brief window during shift change we can exploit, and I have made enough friends to mask our escape."

She pressed her lips together tightly and sighed. "Yeah... I think that would be for the best. Thank you."

A pause, then she continued, the third word in her sentence coming out slightly stiffly. "I asked the master if I could return to the Empire... He agreed. I'll be expected on Dromund Kaas. We may as well head there, then."

“We will head to Mandalor, from there we can make our way back to Drommund Kaas. Once we do this you may never return, you will have chosen a side, and I doubt any ties you have will survive this betrayal,” he said honestly.

She nodded firmly, her expression stony with determination. "I know. I do this with the intention of never going back. I believe that things were leading me here in the end."

“Then we should not deny your destiny, be ready,” he said calmly.

She nodded. "I'll be ready tonight." A small twitch lifted the corners of her mouth just a little. "Thank you again."

“I need no thanks, I do only what a loyal servant of the Empire must for those that serve it dutifully,” he said calmly.

“It will be good to get back to Imperial space, have a decent meal for once.”

She let out a breath and shook her head. "I'll say. Won't lie, I'm really looking forward to having a place to live."

“As an apprentice, you will be afforded a home of some considerable expense,” he said warmly.

She nodded and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I guess that is what I'll be, now, isn't it? Though maybe that's been the case from the beginning of this."

“You will be whatever the Master needs you to be, but in his service you will have the opportunity to becomes so much more than you thought possible,” he responded.

She nodded a little bit. "Yeah... It's going to be a different feeling." She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I'm ready for something different." She rose and pulled out a duffel bag.

“It will be more than different, this is a commitment that cannot be changed. Not without great cost,” he said with a nod.

“But if you need help I will do what I can to aid you through the tranition.”

She closed her eyes and nodded. "I know. I'm committed. My loyalty is to The Empire from here forward." She looked over to him and nodded. "Thank you. I don't doubt I will."

/scene?

/scene