Star Wars_ Darth Bane 03_ Dynasty of Evil - Drew Karpyshyn [90]
But nothing had gone the way she had planned. The prisoner was completely unrepentant. He had twisted everything she had done and said into some perverse justification for what he believed in. He almost made it seem that Caleb’s death was right.
And he turned your best friend against you.
As much as the words of the Sith disturbed her, the actions of Lucia had upset her even more. The bodyguard had been the one who hired the Huntress to avenge Gerran’s death. But now she seemed determined to oppose Serra’s quest to avenge Caleb.
It made no sense to the princess. She had expected Lucia to stand by her during the confrontation, to support her as she faced the demon of her past. To shore up her strength so she could conquer her fears and triumph over his evil. Instead she had defended him.
How could you turn your back on me like that? When I needed you the most?
Serra had fled the interrogation cell to escape the madness, not even paying attention to where she was going. Moving with long, quick strides, she had rushed heedlessly down the maze of halls without any purpose or direction.
She didn’t know where she was going or what she was trying to do. She just needed to think. To try to make sense of it all. To be alone.
Only she wasn’t alone.
The physical exertion had helped bring her swirling emotions back under control, and after several minutes she began to regain some semblance of composure. The tears stopped and her pace slowed. It was only then she heard the footsteps of someone following a few meters behind her.
She stopped short, bringing up a hand to wipe at her eyes before turning around. She was hoping to see Lucia. Instead, she found herself face-to-face with the Iktotchi assassin.
“Why are you sneaking along behind me?” she demanded.
“If I was sneaking, you wouldn’t have heard me,” the Huntress replied with her implacable calm. “I was following you, but I made no effort to mask my presence.”
“Then why were you following me?”
“I wanted to see what you would do. I’m curious to learn how you will react to your failure.”
Serra’s lip twitched, but she managed to keep the rest of her face expressionless, mirroring the other woman’s emotionless demeanor.
There was no point in denying what had happened; the Iktotchi had witnessed the entire exchange. But the princess wasn’t willing to admit defeat.
“I will pick myself up from failure and try again,” she declared. “Next time I speak with him I’ll be ready for his tricks.”
“There won’t be a next time,” the Huntress replied. “You had him in your power. His very life was in your hands. But you chose to let him live, and now it is too late. His fate and his future have slipped through your grasp. You are powerless once again.”
The words were spoken without spite or malice, which made them sting all the more. Serra realized there was something evil about this woman. She wasn’t just a hired assassin. She used her ability to sense the future so she could spread suffering and death.
“I don’t want you here anymore,” Serra told her, her voice firm. “Your job is done and you’ve already been paid. So go.”
“The future is muddied right now,” the Iktotchi admitted. “Events teeter on a knife-edge, and I cannot foresee which way they will fall. I want to stay and see what happens when the prisoner breaks free.”
“He will never break free!” Serra snapped. “I won’t let that happen!”
“You can’t stop it. It’s already too late,” the Huntress replied. “Lucia has betrayed you. I saw it in her eyes when you left. She wants to save the man you want to destroy.”
Serra shook her head, but though she wanted to deny it she couldn’t speak the words.
She was defending him during the interrogation. Trying to protect him.
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?” she asked, perplexed. “Why didn’t you warn me?”
“As you said, I have already been paid. My job was to deliver him to you. Nothing more.”
“So why are you telling me now?