Ren perceived himself floating in an endless, shimmering blackness where all was tranquil. He had silenced his mind to let the Force show him what it wanted to, surrendering his consciousness completely over to it. There was a trick to this and not even his mother had reached the levels of perfect consciousness to which Ren could ascend. She suffered the limitation that nearly all Sith possessed: a self-focused, predatory mind, incapable of true stillness. Ren had taught himself, like the ancient masters from thousands upon thousands of years ago.

The first image appeared: his mother, fighting a dark figure. All of her preternatural speed and elegant skill were focused on this fight. She had begun as the prey, Ren could ascertain, but from the dismembered bodies all around her it seemed the tides of the contest had taken a dramatic turn. The one remaining combatant was fighting hard, with twin crimson lightsabers. He was faster than Ren, and more skilled, yet he stood no chance against his mother. She was only biding her time, playing with him, seeking out his fear. She wanted to break her opponent and learn what he knew.

Ren's vision flashed forward several minutes. The Sith, clad in black, was clamped down to a chair, his hood drawn back to reveal a dark, reptilian alien face with black Sith markings around slitted deep brown eyes. His right arm had been severed close to the shoulder. The wound had been mostly cauterized but black blood was still dripping out onto the floor. He would bleed to death soon. Ren could see the scene as if he were floating just on the edges of it.

"Who is your master," Ren heard his mother ask. She held her still blazing light saber out so that the tip was only centimeters from the man's groin.

"He said you would already know," the lizard creature hissed.

"Speak it," she whispered, edging her saber closer. Smoke started to rise from the fabric of his pants.

"Kshhh!" The alien hissed. "It is Sakar!"

"What does he want with me?"

"He doesn't care about you, you stupid witch, he wants-"

The old woman's lightsaber moved in a sudden, perfect slash across the alien's neck, severing his head. She turned suddenly and looked at Ren as if he were all of a sudden standing within the vision as a part of it. "You little fool! You're here with me! How are you doing this?! How did you break through the veil?"

Ren realized that his mother had attempted to obfuscate herself from being observed through the Force. It should have been enough to block him out even if he were seeking her, but he had somehow pierced it without even realizing.

"I didn't mean to," he managed to communicate through the currents between them.

"All that power you have," she said, bowing her head, "it's going to get you Killed! You've never encountered other Sith. You have no idea how unique you are. You have no idea what they will do when they find out about your gifts. I told you to disappear!"

"I am disappearing," he said. "I'm already off the planet."

"Good," she said, "but that isn't enough. You cannot reach out like this to me again. Your aura in the Force is too brilliant; it burns like a great beacon that will lead our enemies right to you. You need to master control and subtlety, and until you can you need to hide."

"Who is Sakar," said Ren.

His mother's jaw tightened. "Someone who could kill you very easily. Do not let him find you." Her head cocked to the side suddenly, and after a few seconds she whispered: "More come. You must leave."

"A-alright," he said. Goodbye, mother, he wanted to say, but dared not. The words would unnerve her right before battle. Instead he let himself fade from her presence.

When Ren returned to his body he found Cathock standing in the room with him, leaning against a wall with his great arms crossed. Ren found that he was covered in sweat and panting as he gazed down at himself. It had not occurred to him in the moment, but he had achieved complete projection. From what he had read, this was something only a few Sith lords had ever even claimed to be able to do. He had been in the room with his mother speaking with and listening to her. Never had he gone so far with his mental powers.

"He's alright," said Cathock into a small wrist computer.

"Thank goodness," said Neeka from some unseen place down a corridor.

Cathock looked at Ren and said: "We weren't sure what was happening. Things started floating all over the ship. Even I lifted off the floor for a few seconds."

"My apologies," said Ren.

Cathock's cat-like features curled into what seemed like a hard smile. "I would have been dead if you hadn't come along – Neeka and I both. I owe you a great deal for that, and I will do what is in my power to help you, but-"

"But you don't trust Sith," said Ren.

"No, I don't."

"You don't trust many people, do you?" said Ren.

"Not often, but I specifically rank Sith as the most treacherous beings in the galaxy."

"That is logical," said Ren. He gazed at Cathock, trying to look into the alien's memories, but his mind was surprisingly strong and Ren could only see vague impressions. "I don't know if it matters much whether you trust me or not. I have not yet discovered what role we are to play in each other's destinies."

"That's just it," said Cathock. "Neeka has been talking non-stop for the past few hours about asking you to become part of our crew. She's very excited about the idea."

"And you are not," said Ren.

"I'm less friendly and quite a bit more cautious than she is."

Ren stood and faced Cathock. "You willingly let your enemies strip your armor and weapons off and walked into what I'm sure you at least strongly suspected to be a trap. Is that the caution of which you speak?"

"They had Neeka," said Cathock.

"But that's not the whole story. You have an anti-matter warhead surgically implanted in your abdominal region."

Cathock's yellow eyes widened. "When did you figure this out?"

"Just now," said Ren. "The energy signal is extremely faint and there were a great many things going during my encounter with you, up until now. You were going to activate it in the cargo hold."

"Yes," said Cathock.

"That was your back up plan. If you couldn't save Neeka, you were going to rip a hole in the side of that space station and kill everyone."

"Yes."

"You're not stupid, from what I gather. You had to know that those men were not going to let Neeka go.

"I knew the chances were incredibly small," said Cathock.

"Why did you walk in there and surrender then? I suspect you could have slaughtered those men singlehandedly."

"For the thousandth of a percent chance that those men would let Neeka walk out of there," said Cathock. "She is my greatest weakness. When they had her, they had me."

"And if they killed her, all you would want would be to die and take them with you."

"She is my only family," said Cathock.

Ren narrowed his eyes, an impression growing in his mind. "You love her very much, but you two aren't mates, are you? You're siblings."

"Something like that," said Cathock.

"You want me away from her, don't you?"

"You are a Sith, or something very close to one," said Cathock, bearing his fanged teeth ever so slightly. "Neeka is a child. She's younger than she looks in human terms, and she is very naïve."

Ren thought for a moment, and then said: "If I am understanding you clearly, you are very grateful to me, but if I do anything to hurt Neeka you'll try to kill me."

"No, I will kill you," said Cathock.

Ren felt himself smile ever so slightly. He wasn't sure if he could defeat Cathock, particularly in the close quarters of a vessel in space, but the enormous creature did not frighten him. He wasn't sure why except that even in this moment the Force whispered nothing of danger to him.

He walked up to Cathock and looked the being directly in the eyes and said: "Use your senses to tell you if I'm lying. I know nothing of using people. I have never spoken a lie or betrayed anyone in my entire life. Other than my master, the two of you are the first people I have exchanged words with in over a decade who weren't trying to kill me. It is quite peaceful, being around you both. I have no desire to harm either of you and I don't know why I would. If you want me off your ship though, I will leave."

Cathock scrutinized him for several very long, thoughtful seconds, and then said: "I have never heard of a Sith like you."

"I am not a Sith," said Ren.

"We will see," said Cathock. "Neeka has prepared some food for you. She worked very hard on it. Why don't you go and eat with her?"

"Alright," said Ren.

Ren walked back out of the metallic hall. He didn't need to be told where to go; the Force guided him easily through the maze of tunnels to the small rec-room with holo-tables and an engineering table which seemed to have been fashioned into a make-shift stove. Neeka was standing over that stove, cooking something.

"Hi!" she said when she saw him, her face seeming to light up. No one had ever smiled at Ren in this way before, and again he felt a tiny swell of nerves pass through him. Now that he was somewhat used to it, he found the sensation to be quite nice.

"Hello," he said. "Cathock told me you wanted me to come and eat."

"Yeah, I made cath-hound leg," she said, stepping aside and revealing an enormous, meaty leg sitting in a pan, soaked in deep red sauce. "I don't really know how much you eat. Is this enough?"

Ren almost laughed. The leg could feed him for a week. "Are you eating as well?"

"Oh, Cathock and I only eat once every thirty or forty days," she said. Without further explanation of yet another remarkable physiological characteristic she possessed, she gestured to a small metal table in the corner of the room and said: "Take a seat and I will serve you."

"Thank you," said Ren. He deferentially took a seat. He briefly hesitated, but then said: "May I ask now what species you and Cathock are?"

Neeka gave a small chuckle as she brought the meat over to Ren along with two very oversized utensils. "Cathock and I don't belong to any species. We were engineered from many different life-forms from throughout the galaxy."

"Really?" said Ren, feeling more intrigued than ever.

"Yes," she said, taking the seat opposite him at the table. She gave him a playful smile and said: "Actually, we were created to kill you."

"Me?" said Ren.

"Sith I mean," she said with a little laugh. "Cathock and I are prototypes for a biologically engineered army that was supposed to be the answer to the galaxy's growing Sith problem."

"Was?" said Ren.

"It didn't happen, and all the scientists involved in the project are dead now, so I don't think it will."

"But you were designed to fight against Force adepts?"

"Yes. You possibly wondered how I was able to see you when everyone else in the cave could not?" Ren nodded. "Cathock and I possess a kind of biological radar based on sound and electro-magnetic waves that allows us to perceive space in all directions for several meters with perfect accuracy. This, combined with the fastest biological reflexes of all known life-forms and our enhanced strength and coordination, were all part of the design to counter the speed and prescient fighting style of light-saber wielders."

"I suppose you're brains are designed to stand up to mind tricks as well," said Ren.

"Yes. We're also very difficult to strangle with the Force since we can go for hours without oxygen and our bones are incredibly strong. We can stand up to special Force attacks like lightning with a high degree of comparative resilience as well."

"Yes, and if an opponent fails to kill you with an attack you regenerate very quickly. How far does that ability go? Can you regrow severed limbs?"

"Cathock regenerated from mid-forearm down once," she said. "It took nearly an hour before he could use of his fingers again, but he regained full dexterity."

Ren took a bite of the meat. It was grotesquely over seasoned, but somehow he felt compelled to keep that secret from Neeka, who had taken the time to cook for him. He was just about to ask another question about Neeka's biology when the Force jolted him, sending a hot wave through every cell in his body. "We're about to be attacked," he said, standing.

Neeka's eyes widened. "Granthal, activate defense shields now." There was a series of beeps and then a female electronic voice said: "Sheilds engaged." Neeka dashed out of the kitchen and up a ladder, climbing up two stories in little more than the span of a second. Ren followed, summoning the Force and leaping upward. He emerged into a large cockpit where Cathock sat at the controls, looking confused.

"Ren says we're about to be attacked!" said Neeka.

"That's ridiculous," said Cathock, "nothing has shown up on the sensors any-"

"ALERT!" came the electronic voice. "Missile detected."

The three of them saw it coming at them through the dura-glass visor at the front of the cockpit: a glowing crimson shape speeding at their vessil. Ren acted without hesitation, reaching out with his mind and gripping the projectile through the Force. He felt his consciousness close around its surface and then he pushed against all of its thrust and kinetic energy. The effort took a surprising amount of mental strength, but within a second Ren had the missile suspended in space, its thrusters blasting wildly against his hold.

"Shoot it," he said, gritting his teeth, "hurry!"

Either Cathock or Neeka must have obeyed for a second later a laser blast struck the missile. There was an enormous explosion that hit the ship hard, sending them tumbling backward. Artificial gravity held inside the cockpit and the three of them felt only vague shifts in gravity as they watched the stars whisk downward in continuous circle.

It took Cathock a moment to get the ship back under control, and when he did it became clear from the display screens that aside from largely depleting the shields the ship had only sustained light damage to the outer hull and a few of the guns.

"That was a quantum-warhead!" Neeka shouted. "Who would fire something like that at us?"

"Look," said Ren. He gestured to a point in space where the Force directed him, and a few seconds later a vessel dropped out of hyperspace. The com-system in the cockpit lit up suddenly, displaying a wild, white, blinking pulse.

"Should we answer?" said Neeka, looking with uncertainty to Cathock and then to Ren.

"Yes," said Ren.

Without hesitation she flipped the switch and a small holographic image of a blond man who looked remarkably similar to the leader of the men who had been holding Neeka captive appeared. "You people are ridiculously tedious to kill," he said with hatred in his voice. "That missile cost half a million credits. I don't know how you managed to avoid it, but at least it depleted your shields. You should have a very acute understanding right this moment that you are about to die, Cathock. How does it feel, you mutant freak?"

"Attacking with a homing missile from afar," Cathock growled, "you're a coward!"

Ren felt a tinge of exasperation at Cathock. Giving in to anger was stupidity. The shields were down, but there was time to strategize. He hoped that this was some kind of mind game Cathock was playing, keeping the enemy talking. If that were the case, the three of them might live through this encounter.

"Cathock," Ren said in a faint whisper that he supposed Cathock's preternatural senses could hear but the holo-cams upon him would not detect, "lock all guns on their guidance thrusters." He watched Cathock freeze and sensed hesitation and confusion. "Just do it," he whispered. "Keep that man talking a few more seconds and then fire on my mark."

Cathock hesitated for another second and then his clawed fingers moved subtly over the targeting computer as he said: "You're angry because someone managed to steal from your little brotherhood?"

The face on the hologram curled into a smile. "You probably don't even know what it is you have, you hulking moron. Even if you do, the secret will die with you." Ren sensed his moment. He focused on the image of the man and used it to reach across the vacuum of space into the other ship and take hold of his throat through the Force. The man's eyes went wide with shock and surprise and he clutched at his own neck, hissing: "Guhh!" The veins on his face and neck began to swell and pulse and his body went through small convulsions as Ren squeezed harder. Carefully, Ren drew the kill out. He wanted to make a spectacle on the bridge of the other ship, so that every crewman's eyes would be locked on their inexplicably choking captain.

When he felt the moment, he said: "Fire."

Cathock fired instantly, unloading a flurry of laser fire at the point on the ship where the thrusters rested. For the first second and a half the lasers were absorbed by the shields, but the trajectories were so well coordinated that after sixteen blasts the shields gave way enough for the radiation to affect the ship stabilizers. The crew had evidently had time to regain some coordination, for they began to fire back, but by then their ship was beginning to tilt and spin. Without any guidance thrusters to stabilize their position in space the ship could not fire with any accuracy at all.

"Do we need anything from this vessel?" Ren said. "Supplies, fuel, weapons?"

"No," said Cathock, "gazing down at the ship's computers, "it isn't worth the time. We've taken some damage and we have to get the ship to a dock so we can repair it. Better just to kill them and be on our way."