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2 hours ago
She ran. The only steps she could hear were her own echoing along the metal hallways.
Her ragged breathing burned in her lungs.
It wasn't time yet.
But all paths led to the training pit.
No matter where she was, she would be dragged back there. The mask would appear. Those words would be spoken. Her arm would be gripped and she would be forced back to the torture.
It would be less awful if he didn't torment her with tenderness as well. The gentle brush of his fingers along her jaw; the nudge of her hair out of the blood on her face; the sweep of his thumb over her lip.
Not always, but just often enough that she was pretty sure she wasn't imagining it.
But those burning ember eyes were always watching. Always.
"Acolyte Jadzia. Training pit. Now."
No. It wasn't time yet! It wasn't! She stopped dead. It had not been a holo. That meant...
She slowly looked over her shoulder. He stood three metres behind her, armoured and masked, his burning ember eyes glaring from behind the cold metal.
"No!" Zia shook her head, poise and dignity long gone. She broke into another run, heart hammering in terror and exhaustion. She had to get away.
A faint, cold smile passed Sah'sha's lips, hidden by the mask. He reached out his hand and flicked his fingers, yanking the escaping woman off her feet and back towards him.
Zia struggled and spun in the air, desperation at the inevitable gifting a spark of insanity. She drew her foil in midair, twisting herself to attack the apprentice right there in the corridor. The surprise Sah'sha felt did not hinder his reflexes. He swerved his shoulder to the side, letting her blade miss by an inch. Again and again she struck out at him, eyes crazed and wide, her pupils mere pinpricks in the depths of burnished mahogany. Each strike missed, Sah'sha lazily stepping back and back each time.
Then he lashed out. A gauntleted hand shot out and seized the hilt of her foil over her grip. He pulled it out of her possession, his other hand burying itself in her dark hair and seizing the locks at her scalp. Zia's face smashed down into the floor, Sah'sha kneeling beside her and keeping her there until her thrashing ceased.
"A poor way to waste your energy, acolyte."
He pulled her head up and back, turning it to force her to look at him. Burning ember eyes studied her face, a small huff escaping his mask when he saw the small spark of will and determination still flickering in her eyes.
"Training pit. Now."
His grip on her hair was so tight that Zia couldn't even twitch her head let alone shake or nod. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks as he manhandled her by her hair towards the elevator. His pace was steady and unhurried, uncaring of the stares the pair invited by passing imperials and sith.
Zia tried to struggle all the way to the training room, kicking and lashing out with her hands at Sah'sha's frame. He was unaffected and unmoved, the mask turning to glare down at her when they reached the edge of the pit.
Their eyes locked for two heartbeats. Then he tossed her in, her foil clattering on the floor after her. She cowered on the floor, clutching at her head even as her dominant hand reached for her weapon.
"Get up."
His lightsaber ignited.
And so the torment began again.
Her ragged breathing burned in her lungs.
It wasn't time yet.
But all paths led to the training pit.
No matter where she was, she would be dragged back there. The mask would appear. Those words would be spoken. Her arm would be gripped and she would be forced back to the torture.
It would be less awful if he didn't torment her with tenderness as well. The gentle brush of his fingers along her jaw; the nudge of her hair out of the blood on her face; the sweep of his thumb over her lip.
Not always, but just often enough that she was pretty sure she wasn't imagining it.
But those burning ember eyes were always watching. Always.
"Acolyte Jadzia. Training pit. Now."
No. It wasn't time yet! It wasn't! She stopped dead. It had not been a holo. That meant...
She slowly looked over her shoulder. He stood three metres behind her, armoured and masked, his burning ember eyes glaring from behind the cold metal.
"No!" Zia shook her head, poise and dignity long gone. She broke into another run, heart hammering in terror and exhaustion. She had to get away.
A faint, cold smile passed Sah'sha's lips, hidden by the mask. He reached out his hand and flicked his fingers, yanking the escaping woman off her feet and back towards him.
Zia struggled and spun in the air, desperation at the inevitable gifting a spark of insanity. She drew her foil in midair, twisting herself to attack the apprentice right there in the corridor. The surprise Sah'sha felt did not hinder his reflexes. He swerved his shoulder to the side, letting her blade miss by an inch. Again and again she struck out at him, eyes crazed and wide, her pupils mere pinpricks in the depths of burnished mahogany. Each strike missed, Sah'sha lazily stepping back and back each time.
Then he lashed out. A gauntleted hand shot out and seized the hilt of her foil over her grip. He pulled it out of her possession, his other hand burying itself in her dark hair and seizing the locks at her scalp. Zia's face smashed down into the floor, Sah'sha kneeling beside her and keeping her there until her thrashing ceased.
"A poor way to waste your energy, acolyte."
He pulled her head up and back, turning it to force her to look at him. Burning ember eyes studied her face, a small huff escaping his mask when he saw the small spark of will and determination still flickering in her eyes.
"Training pit. Now."
His grip on her hair was so tight that Zia couldn't even twitch her head let alone shake or nod. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks as he manhandled her by her hair towards the elevator. His pace was steady and unhurried, uncaring of the stares the pair invited by passing imperials and sith.
Zia tried to struggle all the way to the training room, kicking and lashing out with her hands at Sah'sha's frame. He was unaffected and unmoved, the mask turning to glare down at her when they reached the edge of the pit.
Their eyes locked for two heartbeats. Then he tossed her in, her foil clattering on the floor after her. She cowered on the floor, clutching at her head even as her dominant hand reached for her weapon.
"Get up."
His lightsaber ignited.
And so the torment began again.
