Labyrinth of Death | Chapter 3

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3


Raenen pushed a lock of her neck-length hair out of her face. Her eyes flicked from face to face, finally coming to rest on Barras.
Barras shut his mouth with a snap. His surprise, however, remained. A female Sith trooper?
Captain Moran shook his head and glared at his detachment. “Get up and say hello.”
Falex bounced to his feet and gave an elaborate bow. “Welcome. I’m Falex Daeron, from Tython.”
Raenen started to speak, but Captain Moran interrupted. “Great. I’m leaving to notify our passenger that we’re all ready for him. Be nice.” He marched out of the door.
Raenen glanced at the captain, then at Falex, one eyebrow raising high while the other stayed immobile. “I’m Raenen.” Her lithe steps took her past Falex and through the circle of dumbstruck Sith troopers. In a flash, Raenen grabbed Remin’s blanket and whisked it off his legs, pulling it around her shoulders.
Barras cringed inside. “Here it comes,” he muttered.
Remin blinked and glanced at his legs, then back up to her. “Oi!”
“Get your own,” Raenen said. “This is mine now.”
Remin leapt to his feet. “No it isn’t!”
Falex stepped between Raenen and Remin. “Remin—”
“Out of my way, young’un!” Remin pushed Falex aside and stepped closer to Raenen. “That blanket is not yours. Give it back.”
Raenen sighed and suddenly grinned. “Don’t argue. It’s bad for your digestion.”
Remin snatched at the blanket.
A hard punch doubled him up, and he retreated, gasping. “Evil—”
The girl laughed. “Oh, go sit in a corner and sulk.” She turned away and sauntered towards Barras.
Barras blinked, but regained his senses quickly enough to avert the look of surprise forming on his face at her choice of company. Raenen stopped a foot from his position and glanced down. “Mind if I sit?”
“I—” Barras swallowed, moistening his dry mouth. “No, no, of course not.”
A frown passed over Raenen’s features as she sat down next to him.
Barras stared at the floor. Say something, half his mind chided him. What? his other half asked in protest.
“Why’d you look so surprised when I came in?” Raenen asked, breaking the silence.
Barras glanced at her. “I—I didn’t expect—”
“You didn’t expect a girl,” Raenen finished. She glanced sideways at him, her eyebrows raised. “Why?”
Barras cleared his throat. “Well…I—we don’t usually see females in the army.”
Raenen laughed under her breath. “Yes, yes. You don’t. But they waived the rules a year ago.”
“They did?”
“Of course they did, fathead. I wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t.”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry.”
Silence again reigned until Raenen broke it. “You aren’t really a conversationalist.”
“Nope.” Barras leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. “I’m a grump.”
“You?” Raenen coughed out a laugh. “You don’t seem like it.”
Barras waved his hand at the rest of the Sith troopers in the room. “Ask. Ask anyone here. One minute before you came in, I was showing it. Everyone here will tell you that I’m a grump.”
“Really?”
Barras opened his eyes and stared at her. “Well, don’t look so surprised. Everyone has surprises.”
“Yes, they do.” Raenen grinned and hesitated before calling out. “Mr. Daeron, is—” She cut off her sentence and glared at him. “Tell me your name.”
Barras coughed. “Oh, sorry. Barras. Barras Kampion.”
“Barras…” Raenen nodded and began again. “Mr. Daeron, is Barras a grump?”
Remin, having retrieved another blanket from the supplies room, scoffed. “Barras a grump? No! Couldn’t be!”
Raenen stared sideways at Barras, her eyebrows low.
“I am!” protested Barras.
“He is,” called Hirda from the floor. “I confirm it.”
Raenen relaxed against the wall. “I wouldn’t have believed it if they hadn’t told me, Barras.”
Barras shrugged. “I may stop being a grump from now on.”
The girl peered strangely at him. “Yes, you just might.”
Captain Moran reappeared suddenly, wrinkles carved in his brow. “Hirda, you’re the pilot, aren’t you?”
Hirda sat up abruptly. “Yes, sir.”
“Get in the cockpit and get us out of here!”
Barras caught sight of a figure outside the door. He leaned forward, his eyebrows knitting. Who was that?
“Yes, sir.” Hirda scrambled to his feet and approached the door quickly, pausing and staring at the man who stood just outside. “Captain, what coordinates?”
Captain Moran gestured to the man waiting outside. “He’ll tell you.”
“Yes, sir.” Hirda disappeared through the door as the man turned, staring into the centreroom for the first time.
“What is it?” Raenen asked quietly, seeing Barras’ stricken expression.
“No,” whispered Barras. He recognised the man. Or rather, the round scar on his cheek.
Darth Radoth.

–––––––––––––––––––––

Dmitri Pendragon
Blog Moderator