“We counted it all and found it all accounted for, pleasure doing business with you Muridae. Your credits will be transferred shortly” the hologram chirped, before blinking out into nothing.
Muridae was left alone in her cockpit. “Pleasure doing business with you” she mumbled in response to no one, pushing on the throttle of The Horizon Chaser and pulling herself out of the mid-rim planet’s orbit before setting the coordinates for the next one. Another job done. Onto the other, and then the other on and on.
The Lord Inquisitor stepped behind Muridae’s chair, putting all her weight on the back, forcing it to recline and draw Muridae’s attention to her. “Remember when completing a job meant something?” she mused, her voice dripping with contempt.
“Go away.” Muridae demanded, pulling her chair away from the masked woman as she turned her focus back to the ship’s controls.
The Lord Inquisitor was undeterred, stepping around to block Muridae’s vision. “I’m serious. Remember when after a job you’d get your friends and relax? Reward yourselves? Where are your friends now?” Skyva leaned close, putting her face close to Muridae’s, her frustration reflecting off the shiny black mask back at her. “That’s right, you don’t have any anymore, right? They’re all dead, hate you, or just haven’t realized that they should hate you yet. Right?”
“Go away.” Muridae repeated
“I have to admit, it’s funny that you managed to fool them all. You even got Ca Jor to relent somehow.”
“I said go away.”
“But what are you even doing with your newfound freedom? Helping the Jedi? Smuggling? ‘Being you’? Be honest with yourself, all you’re doing is being the same indecisive fool who got herself into this mess. Running away from needing to make a choice, delaying it for as long as you can so you can pretend you’re in control. This is why-”
“I SAID-” Muridae lashed out, hand swinging around to slap Skyva across her face, the mask flew off, clattering to the ground. Muridae reached her hand up to strike again, but Skyva spoke, which caused her to freeze in fear.
“This is why-” Her voice was different. Sinister. Hateful. It wasn’t Skyva’s voice, it was a voice Muridae was very familiar with. It made her blood run cold. “This is why I had to control you.” Skyva turned, staring at Muridae, no longer was her own face staring back at her. “Because, Skyva, you are incapable of making a goddamned decision for yourself!” Staring back at her was the green, bloodied and furious visage of Lord Inquisitor Koyee Isemio, her hands reaching toward Skyva, to drag her to her lab.
–
Skyva snapped awake, gasping for air, one hand reached for the arm of her chair, latching on tightly for stability, her other went for her saber. Safety. She took a moment to reorient herself, the bright blue light of hyperspace illuminating her cockpit. She her breathing slowed; calm returned. Skyva sighed, reaching up to wipe the sweat off her pale brow. She looked at her datapad, a notification blinking for her attention.
“Muridae, how long is your ETA?”
“I’ll be there in 10 minutes.” she responded, before leaning back in her chair and letting out a sigh.
One more job to do, then onto the other, and then the other on and on.