Free Star Wars - Gathering Shadows - The Origin of the Black Curs - Unpublished by Kathy Burdette Page A

evidently believed it because she took a few moments to think. Finally she said, “Oh, wait—I work in Intel now.”
    “lntel? Were you with Red Team Five?”
    “l think so. Yeah, I was,” she said, and there was no trace of pride in her voice on admitting that. But then came a sudden spark of interest. “Are you one of the mercs who tipped us off about this place?”
    “No, but guess what?”
    “What?”
    “I think there might be an Imperial garrison here on Zelos.”
    She gave a half-amused snort. “You think?”
    “Is the rest of your team around here?”
    “They’re dead,” said Jai.
    “Oh,” Harkness said. “I’m sorry.”
    “I’m not.” She gave a heavy sigh. “I don’t suppose you told them anything.”
    “Who?” asked Harkness. He was feeling confused. His lips had started to feel numb.
    “The Imperials.”

    “No,” said Harkness, and then he was struck anew. “Hey—”
    “What?”
    “I didn’t tell them anything!” He had completely shut it out of his mind, but his interrogators had realized that mind-probing him was useless and therefore the Interrogation was a failure, and they had tortured him just to make themselves feel better. Suddenly Harkness felt positively warm inside. It was the ultimate test and he had passed it. He could actually feel himself grinning. There was not a lower place that could possibly exist, and his situation could only improve if they had him killed now. He didn’t remember ever feeling so secure in his life.
    “Yeah,” said Raventhorn, “I heard you the first time.”
    “How about you?” he asked. “You tell them anything?”
    “No. Nothing.”
    “Good for you.”
    “Yeah, good for me,” she said unenthusiastically.
    “Doesn’t that make you feel great?”
    “Not especially.”
    “You know how many people can’t make it through interrogations like that? If they don’t talk, they usually just die from the physical punishment.”
    “I know.”
    “My point is, the Imperials could have done worse things. They could have run a catheter straight up your nasal cavity into your brain. If you didn’t die you’d be jelly.”
    “You’re a lot of fun to have around,” said Jai.
    “I’m serious!” Harkness said, although he didn’t know what exactly he was feeling. It was almost giddiness. “Listen, you can go back home and tell everyone you didn’t crack, and they’ll give you a medal or something.”
    “Yeah, they would,” Jai said in complete disgust. “That’s what’s wrong with the New Republic.”
    “What is?”
    “Medals. Glory. You know. These days they give stuff out if you remember not to wipe your nose on your sleeve in front of General Madine.”
    Jai’s voice was fading and Harkness’ vision seemed to narrow to a pinhole. There was a sensation of a cool, gray fog beginning to permeate his body from underneath him.
    “I can’t feel my hands,” said Jai.
    “Me neither,” said Harkness. He didn’t want to talk anymore, but he knew the silence would seep into the fog, into his body. And the humming! Why wouldn’t it stop? “Do you know him?” Harkness asked.
    “Who?”
    “General Madine?”
    “Do I?” asked Jai.
    “I don’t know,” said Harkness.
    It got quiet again. Harkness was finding himself less panic-stricken about it. He was cold all over, but he was getting comfortable. He knew he should have tried to stay awake, but he hadn’t been so relaxed in a very, very long time. He felt free. He wanted to savor it, even if it meant dying. Especially if it meant dying.
    In fact, he would have let himself drift off entirely, except that Jai said, “I wish they would have.”
    Her voice seemed to ring, not off the walls but all through Harkness’ head. “Would…what?” he asked.
    “I wish they would have turned my brain to jelly.”
    Silence. Harkness’ mind immediately cleared itself out.
    “Wait a second. What’s that mean?” he asked “I just have this feeling.” Jai said.
    “Like