Lexa sat cross legged in the quiet confines of her cell and to an untrained eye it would not appear that anything was happening. To someone more accustomed to the ways of a Jedi, they would know that there was in fact a lot happening. 

She was casting her focus inwards, gathering the force, nurturing it, readying herself for the imminent battle. Simultaneously she reached out and took note of the beings present on the ship, surprised to find that the number was towards the lower end. Even out side of the ship there appeared to be only a handful of guards. She guessed that must have been Clarke's doing. Smart. 

The screech of alarms warning of imminent destruction did not disrupt her concentration and when it finally cut short half way through an announcement, Lexa was ready. 

Her eyes snapped open in time to see the glimmering barrier vanish out of existence, leaving the Jedi free to reclaim her ship. She directed the Force into her wrists and arms, channelling it to provide her with unnatural strength. 

These cuffs may have held a normal being in its grip, but Lexa was of the extraordinary kind and in a matter of seconds she pulled her arms apart with immense strength, severing the cuffs which fell to the ground with a clatter. 

It was an unexpected sight for the three guards that had charged straight to the holding cell, not prepared to see the Jedi stood calmly in the open cell, remnants of the cuffs at her feet. 

Their plan had been simple. Shock the Jedi with the cuffs, make sure that she wouldn't be causing them any more trouble. That plan had quickly fallen through. 

The guards proved to be no challenge to the Jedi, and in a matter of moments they were lying in an unconscious heap on the ground after a rather forceful collision with the far wall.  

Lexa exited the holding cells and took check of her surroundings in search of any more danger but her crew had already dealt with the other four guards who were now taking the role of prisoner. They cowered on the metal floor, hands behind their head as they muttered about mercy and doing the right thing. 

NOVA was looking over the handrail at the top of the stairs, pleased to see that the escape was a success. 

'I'll have the power restored at once Commander!' he chirped, about to retreat back into the cockpit before remembering the unwanted guest who was contained within. 'Ah, if someone could accompany me to take the chief guard into custody?'

Cal didn't need asking twice and struck the guard kneeling in front of him sharply around the head, ascending the stairs to help the droid, leaving the unconscious man in a slump on the ground. 

'Put them in a holding cell,' Lexa instructed, taking a step back as the defeated guards were marched past her.  

The Jedi retrieved her lightsaber from the lockbox as Toril returned to grab the unconscious man under the arms and drag him to the cell. 

'What now?' Sharr asked softly, returning to the lower deck as the lights flickered to life once more and signalled the return of the barrier that would safely contain the guards. 

The rest of the crew emerged from the cells and gathered on the lower deck. 

'Now we get the hell out of here,' Cal suggested, reclaiming his weapon and holstering it at his waist. 'Before Janos sends any more of his men after us.'

Nods of agreement circulated throughout the crew members, who were ready to finally leave this crime riddled planet far behind them and never look back, but Lexa had other ideas. 

'You'll take the ship into orbit whilst you find a safer place to land, somewhere Janos will not find you.'

'Are you not coming with us Commander?' NOVA asked as he and Cal returned from restoring the power. 

'No, I'm going after Clarke.'

Cal opened his mouth to protest but was silenced by the Jedi's stare. 

'Before you think of throwing around words such as betrayal, tell me you know better than that?'

The Cathar sighed in defeat and shrugged lightly. 

'I suppose her actions did clear the way for our escape,' he admitted, more disappointed by the fact that their stay on this planet was not yet over than anything else. 'Did she say anything to you?'

'Not exactly,' Lexa replied, retrieving a cloak from the chest in the corner as she spoke. 'But I can tell you with certainty that she did not betray us and she is still in danger.'

The Jedi had always suspected that this game of Janos' was still ongoing, and now she was certain that her capture had been the perfect way to dispose of the blonde without her interference. She would not let that happen. 

There were still a handful of mercenaries locked outside the ship that needed to be dealt with first. Not that she was expecting them to resist now that she was free. 

'I'll contact you once we're ready to rendezvous at a safe location,' she finished, pulling the dark cloak over her shoulders and raising the hood that framed her face perfectly. 

With everyone in understanding, she moved over and keyed a button on the door panel which sent the ramp descending down onto the docking platform with a loud hiss. 

The guards gathered outside lifted their blasters in haste, hesitating when they caught sight of the cloaked figure waiting at the top of the ramp. Their hesitation soon morphed into fear when the emerald green lightsaber was ignited. The Jedi was a captive no more. 

No shots were fired as the guards considered how to proceed without any leadership to guide them.

Lexa could sense their apprehension, fear rippled off them in waves at the forbidding sight.

'You have one chance to turn around and run as far as you can. One chance. If you stay, you will die.'

She spoke with such certainty that there was no questioning the sincerity of her words and the guards did exactly what she had been expecting; they wisely turned tail and fled for their lives. They had not signed up to fight a Jedi. 

Lexa retracted the saber and returned it to her belt before stepping off the ramp and set off at a fast pace along the platform. Now she would find Clarke and assist her in whatever cruel trap awaited her at the Sky Palace. She only hoped it wasn't already too late.    

--

The spiral staircase in the Sky Palace felt endless as Clarke and Bellamy advanced to the highest level of the building. It had been a long time since they had departed on the mission to save Kranog, not possibly foreseeing that he would steal their ship and cargo in way of thanks. 

When they finally arrived at the top level they found themselves in a single, wide room, that took up the expanse of the entire floor. It was more of a hall than anything else, despite the Zabrak's modest description of a lounge. 

'Welcome my esteemed guests!' Kranog called out from where he was perched on a plush couch in the centre of the room, an expensive goblet of wine clasped in one hand. 

It was an odd sight to see the Zabrak reclining in such exposed surroundings. The couch was one of only two pieces of furniture in the room, the other being a long table stretching along the right wall that was presumably used for social occasions. 

The walls held none of the lavish decorations that they had seen previously in the rooms below, no statues or rare collectors items in sight. Instead, Clarke was perturbed to see metal protrusions along the length of the ceiling, a few more carefully placed around the sides in a similar fashion. 

'Kranog, we meet again,' Bellamy finally replied, full of suspicion for the situation as he warily came to a stop no more than a metre into the room. 'I'd be lying if I said it was a pleasure.'

The Zabrak only laughed before taking a swig of wine, throwing an arm in the air to gesture them forwards. 

'Don't be so shy! Come on in!'

'We're fine here thanks,' Clarke said quickly, not about to take any unnecessary risks. 'You know why we're here?'

'Of course! Nothing escapes my attention. I'm pleasantly surprised that you survived my defence system though, it would be a shame to see you both defeated so easily.'

Clarke stared back at the Zabrak silently, as if willing herself to uncover whatever underhand motives he had for receiving them in such a manner. He was just as she remembered, sly grin and confident posture not changing one bit. 

'You can come with us willingly or be taken by force. It makes no difference to me,' Bellamy said, more than willing to use his blaster on the criminal if it was required. 

The Zabrak merely smirked, finding the whole situation rather amusing. 

He had no intention of going anywhere, Clarke decided. Something else was going on here. 

'Why are you so happy about being returned to Janos? He won't be giving you a warm reception.'

The crime lord would most likely kill the traitor without hesitating. That was the kind of man he was. 

'Because, my old friends, this is not my punishment, it is yours.'

Confusion was visible on both human faces and the Zabrak couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. This was going to be entertaining. 

'Let me clear things up for you,' he added, settling back into the couch with a thoughtful expression. 'You have not been aware of the truth for some time now.'

Clarke was already growing frustrated at the vague hints of deception, they didn't have time to waste. 

'You can tell us the whole tedious story when you're safely in custody on our ship,' Bellamy cut in sharply, 'It'll pass the time before we hand you over to Janos to be disposed of.'

Kranog didn't just chuckle this time, he erupted into a bout of laughter that shook his entire body, almost spilling the wine in his cup as it sloshed dangerously close to the rim. 

'That's what I'm trying to tell you two idiots,' he finally spoke once the laughter had subsided. 'I'll start from the beginning.'

He took a deep breath, ready to begin the tale when a faint explosion was heard from outside. 

The Zabrak was unfazed but Clarke and Bellamy shared a concern look. 

'Oh, don't worry yourselves over that. My droid was just fulfilling its instructions to destroy your transport. We're not going anywhere.'

Bellamy raised his blaster at the Zabrak, his expression stone cold as his patience wore thin. 

'Then talk.'

'Fine. You may be under the impression that I am some minion of Janos' who foolishly stole the shipment and is now evading his wrath? Well that's a lie.'

Clarke's head hurt. Why could nothing ever be straightforward. 

Kranog explained how he was in fact a business partner to the crime lord, once his minion but now a near-equal. He had already paid for the shipment but had been captured by slavers before he had chance to claim it. Clarke and Bellamy had been sent to retrieve the Zabrak but he had taken the shortcut of claiming his goods and their ship before their journey had finished. 

'So if it was your shipment all along, and you didn't actually steal anything, then why have we been sent on this pointless mission to capture you?'

Kranog shrugged, taking a sip from his cup to create a beat of silence. 

'Entertainment? Though there has been a rumour circulating through the ranks,' Kranog continued, leaning forward in his seat with uncontained excitement. 'Allegedly the orders came from a force-user, one of the dark side to be precise.'

Clarke was stunned into silence. Janos had sent them on this wild goose-chase on orders of some Sith? She couldn't even begin to think of why a Sith would involve himself with two unimportant smugglers. 

The Zabrak could be lying of course, that was a strong possibility. 

'So what now? You've destroyed our speeder but I'm sure you have more stashed away in this place, we could just shoot you now and be gone.'

'Then do it,' Kranog dared, his fierce gaze spearing the smuggler with heated malice. 'Don't take too long though, our time runs short.'

'What do you mean by that?' Clarke said hurriedly, concern prickling at the statement. 'What have you done?' 

'Let's just say that things are about to get warm in here,' he offered with a dark grin, cackling to himself at the hilarity of the situation. 'There's more than enough explosive charges set up in here to illuminate the entire city with its glow!'

He was insane. Truly insane. That was the only explanation that Clarke could fathom. 

'You'll burn with us! What kind of plan is that?'

'Oh I'll be just fine thanks, though I appreciate your concern,' the Zabrak said, not worried in the slightest that he would be caught in the explosion. 'Janos has provided me with a teleport, so whilst you burn to death in here, I will be celebrating safely on a distant planet.'

Clarke bit back a protest at the statement. Teleports were just a myth, a faint idea used to instil fear in the opposition. If they did exist, then they would be appointed to the highest military leaders and force users, not in possession of some low life criminal. 

If she was right, and the Zabrak didn't have a teleport, then the question was what had Janos given him instead?

Either way it wasn't her first priority at the time, she was far more concerned with her own escape than that of Kranog's. 

'We need to get out of here, forget him,' she said to Bellamy, a note of urgency in her voice as she considered an escape plan. 

'There is no other transport, I can assure you of that,' Kranog said helpfully, holding up his fingers to illustrate his next words. 'Choice one, throw yourselves off the docking platform and see if you survive the fall. Which you won't. Choice 2, burn to death in here.'

He shrugged, no longer concerned with the two smugglers. His confidence in their imminent deaths was unshakable, certain that this supposed teleport would take him to safety. 

'Oh, but choose quickly, only seven minutes left until detonation.'

Bellamy turned this way and that, wildly looking for any possible way that they could avoid such a fate. He did not want to die like this. 

'Comms are down,' he confirmed, receiving no response when he attempted to contact the ship. 'If only I had just taken the Jedi straight back to Janos.'

Frustration laced his words as he imagined the worst, that his death here would ultimately lead to that of his sisters. Clarke looked at him sharply. 

'Whilst I came here alone to face this? If you hadn't captured Lexa then she could have helped us, she would know what to do.'

The ship. Clarke had know way of knowing if the escape had been successful or even taken place yet, but if Lexa was free then there was a chance that she was on her way. A small chance, but it was still hope. 

'You're really blaming me for this?' Bellamy exclaimed, running a hand through his hair with a shaky breath. This couldn't be happening. 

'It doesn't matter whose fault it is, we need to focus on getting out of here,' Clarke snapped in return, very aware of the seconds passing them by as they wasted time arguing. 

The Zabrak had been watching them with a cruel smile, enjoying the show before the timer reached its end. 

'Oh please do keep on, this is the best entertainment I've had in a while.'

Clarke glared at him, not about to fill the vile creature in on the very real possibility that he was on track to burn with them as well. 

Their only hope now was the Jedi. Clarke could only pray that she came quickly, time was running out.

------

Lexa stalked through the streets of Nar Shaddaa at such an immense pace that the intoxicated aliens stumbling out of the cantinas saw nothing but a dark blur passing by. Her cloak swirled out behind her, blending with the shadows that fell from the towering buildings. 

She was close. 

The Sky Palace in question soon came into sight, a dark blot in the distant sky. That was where Clarke would be. The Jedi picked up her pace with renewed determination, almost there. 

As she passed through the merged area of accommodation and city streets that eventually gave out to the luxurious apartments, she had no choice but to slow her momentum when one of the guards that had been posted outside the ship came stumbling out of an adjacent street, fear in his eyes as he fled from an unseen enemy. 

The blaster in his grip was dropped in haste as he focused on a spurt of speed to evade death. 

It was a weak effort and a moment later the intense energy pulse from a blaster lit a path across the street and scoured a deep wound into the mans right side. He dropped in agony, though he didn't survive long enough to suffer the lasting effects. 

From the alley emerged a familiar face, one that the Jedi had hoped not to see again. The lowly Weequay bounty hunter grinned manically down at the defeated guard, the same creature that had been sent to capture Clarke only a few days earlier. 

He had not yet noticed the Jedi standing in the street, cloaked in shadows. A flash of fear lit his expression when he finally did glance up, instantly recognising the threat. No, he wouldn't be taken again. He could not afford to fail. 

Reaching backwards in a flash of movement, he activated the jetpack strapped across his back, the explosion of energy shooting him up into the sky. The blonde had to die, Janos would not accept anything less. 

Lexa's eyes followed the ascending figure, aware of his less than moral intentions. She would not give him a chance to strike. 

The guards speeder remained abandoned at the side of the road and she hopped into the seat, soon rising into the air to propel the machine after the Weequay. He was glancing hurriedly over his shoulder, the faint relief of escape a distant memory when he caught sight of the determined Jedi closing the distance between them. He would receive no mercy this time. 

His chances of reaching before the apartment were slim, but there was still some hope. He leaned forwards in haste, pushing the jetpack to its limits. Just a little further. 

Lexa knew that she had the upper hand. She was gaining speed on the Weequay and knew that she had him. There was no escape now. She reached down to her belt, carefully pulling free the lightsaber and ignited it, glimpsing the terror on the creatures expression as he became aware of his fate. 

They were getting closer to the sky palace now, almost within firing range, and Lexa knew that the moment they were, the Weequay would unleash a volley of shots at anything that moved inside. She could not allow that. 

With one swift motion, she threw the saber in an arcing blur of emerald green towards the fleeing bounty hunter, a cry of pain accompanying the humming of the saber as it burned a deep scorch into his back. 

The jetpack was destroyed in the process, stuttering to a halt as the momentum of the saber sent the Weequay flying forwards, still screeching in agony, straight through the thin glass pane window on the top floor. 

Clarke and Bellamy were in mid conversation at the time, pausing in confusion when a faint screech reached their ears, quickly followed by the shattering of the window into thousands of shards that exploded inwards. 

They were stood far enough away that the radius of shattered glass was well out of their reach. Even the Zabrak, seated upon the padded couch, remained untouched by the sudden explosion. He did however glance over his shoulder in shock, not knowing what to think when the body of a Weequay came careening down onto the floor,