#zandi

Everything was…distorted. Weirdly distorted. Zandi recognized the cityscape of Coruscant…her home. Her real home. The Coruscant sunset with amber and golden hues falling in soft painted strokes over the buildings. But it wasn’t her home…It wasn’t actually Coruscant. Not really. She could feel it as much as see it. There were too many bits of Nar Shaddaa-esque bits littering the area around her. Strangely placed holos, signs, and even architecture in the same bold and gaudy colors of the Smuggler’s Moon. It was as if someone had taken both planets and very meticulously blended them together. Turning around, however, the difference became utterly stark. The Senate Plaza ended with a dramatic flair as the Nar Shaddaa Promenade began. Complete with the ostentatious Golden Statues of a Hutt. She’d long forgotten the name but… it was definitely something she recalled from her early childhood on Nar Shaddaa. Still, the statue was so utterly and ridiculously out of place in the otherwise well-blended cityscape that Zandi finally frowned. The confusion she was feeling finally showing. “What the…” She murmured. “Do you not recognize your own mind?” Came the deep, gravelly voice of The Terentatek. Zandi’s eyes darted about, searching every shadow as she whirled around. There was no sign of the large cyborg…save his low voice. “What is this?” Zandi demanded, fed up with whatever game this man was trying to play. She scanned the area around her, searching for him. “Don’t ask me, Zandomeda,” He replied, sounding amused by her confusion. “Only you can really know the answer to that. This is your mind, after all.” Zandi had to temper the panic that was trying to rise, induced by her state of confusion, uncertainty as well as the fact that she could hear this bastard but not see him. Her frown deepened as his words echoed about… Your mind… An image, distorted just like that of their surroundings took shape in front of her. It was strange and…rather unsettling to see the very memory she was recalling actually appear and play out before her. It even winked out of existence before the cables that were meant to connect to her cybernetic implants actually reached her. Unsettling and…terrifying as the pieces continued to click into place for her. “What the kriff did you do?” Zandi nearly shouted, glaring at everything she glanced at. “Stop hiding and show yourself!” Her anger laced through her words as it surged through her causing the sky and the sunset to shift in response to her emotions. Dark, heavy clouds rolled through the sky at a rapid pace on a low rumble of thunder. Streaks of lightning could be seen flashing in the distance. Her attention, however, was on the dark towering figure rather than the way the cityscape was responding to her. The Terentatek had stepped out of the shadows from behind the large Hutt statue and into her view. The smile he was giving her was one of malicious intent clearly born of whatever insanity it was that plagued him. The twisted metal and cybernetic shifted to pull at the skin hidden. A grotesque smile… There was no hint of the father she once knew.  He was worse. Zandromeda couldn’t really say she had good memories of him. Her mother had left him when Zandi had been very young. What she did remember was…not this man. Not this level of monster.  “Come now, you are smart enough to figure out what we need to do,” The Terentatek said, chiding her as if he was expecting better. “We must remind you just who you are, where you come from…And it is not Coruscant…” “Oh, I know who I am,” Zandi said, her voice level but cold as her eyes narrowed. “Forcibly brainwashing me to suddenly calling you dear ol’ dad and going on your crazy picnics sure as hell isn’t going to change a damn thing.” His smile vanished, leaving cold, icy anger in its place.  “Choosing the hardest path isn’t always the wisest course of action, Zandromeda,” He warned. “Must run in the family,” She sneered.  “You have-“ “Get out of my head and kriff off!” There was a feeling of

unbridled rage that rolled through the sudden rush of air she felt. It wasn’t her rage…She blinked and suddenly found him merely a few inches in front of her, towering over. He reached out and before she could react, pull away, his hand wrapped around her neck and lifted. “You will not speak to your father in such a disrespectful tone!” The Terentatek snarled, his rage barely contained in his voice. Her hands gripped his wrist for leverage and an attempt to get him to release her. His grip tightened just enough to make it difficult to breathe but not completely cutting her oxygen off. “Discipline will go a long way with you.” Despite trying to drag in more air than he was allowing her, Zandi narrowed her ice-cold glare on him, defiance sparkling like flames in the emerald depths just as more lightning flashed in the sky. “You’re not…my father…” She snarled right back, though it was hoarse. The Terentatek roared in his rage and with strength, she hadn’t expected he bodily threw her into the duracrete wall of a nearby building. The force behind the throw and her own impact was such the wall gave way. Pain exploded over her back and shoulders, making her see stars. Tumbling through the ruined wall and landing with a hard thunk on solid ground didn’t do much to stave off the dazed feeling. Moving on ingrained instinct, she pulled herself backward, trying to shake her head clear. She needed to move, and fast. She needed to get a weapon, find suitable cover, or simply a damn good place to hide so she could figure out some way to get him out of her head. Not to mention some way for her to wake up.  Heavy booted footsteps sounded from beyond the ruined wall, snapping her attention from her thoughts. A cruel, angry laugh sounded, rumbling along with the thunder snapping in the sky. “Foolish,” The Terentatek said. “I can hear your thoughts, Zandromeda. Your mind is an open book to me now.” She rolled away, instead of saying anything. Spying a doorway, she hauled herself to her feet and moved towards it, stumbling slightly. If he could hear her then anything she planned would be pretty much on broadcast. Just like now. Of course, she didn’t really trust anything he said but it wouldn’t surprise her. Pushing the door open, she entered the room that looked like a mix of a Nar Shaddaa Cantina and General Garza’s office. Ignoring the weird melded room, she pushed forward, looking for another door.  How in the Force was she going to do anything if this man was- That was it.  They were in her mind. Not his. She wasn’t sure what she could really do but this wasn’t a physical battlefield…It was mental. Despite her current situation and the way she was moving through doors of whatever bizarrely melded building she was in, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the use of the word mental. It was both literal and well… this whole situation was… Shut up and move, Zandi, she told herself.  He was moving, his footsteps and the whirring, clicking, and such from his mostly cybernetic limbs sounded almost too loud than what should have been normal. Even the crash that sounded, was much too loud. She guessed he was forcing his way through the walls and doors between them.  Fear lanced through her as she pushed through more doors, even climbing out of a window and back onto a random side street she could barely recognize. The lighting of everything, even the darkened stormy sky took on a tinge of violet. The hue shifting back and forth in time with her own heartbeat. Not that she noticed this, just like the weather. She was much too focused on getting the kriff away from the man that haunted her…quite literally. The fear danced along her spine as she took off down the side street, then taking the first turn she could see. She’d faced down the worst the war had thrown at her, she commanded the most elite squad in the Republic… She’d survived battle after battle, from imperial grunts to Sith Lords… But this was not like anything she’d ever faced before. This was all in her head. In some twisted attempt

Whatever. As long as he was gone. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for her floor. She wondered if Scott would be home at the apartment they'd shared since her original roommate, Julia Schmidt, had gotten married three months before. It wasn't his night to play at the club, but since he'd started dating his bandmate, Zandile, they'd been going out to other clubs on their nights off, networking, trying to get other gigs and more exposure.

Joey liked Zandi. She was smart and fun and really pushed Scott to be the best he could be. She encouraged him to get out of his 'I'm doing fine mindset' and do more with his musical talent. And she was the first girl since Jenny not to balk at the fact that his best friend was a girl. She couldn't wait to tell them about this date if they were home and still awake.

She was just opening the door when a large, meaty hand closed over her mouth and nose and she was shoved bodily into the apartment. She panicked, clawing at the hand over her mouth. She couldn't breathe and the heavy weight against her back caused her to fall to the floor, bringing her assailant down on top of her, knocking what was left of the air from her lungs.

"No frigid, Polak bitch is going to tell me no!” he whispered roughly in her ear.

Her eyes went wide and wild with fear. Alec! He must have doubled back and gone up the stairs. He eased his weight off her long enough to turn her on her back, pinning her hands to the floor. She drew in a deep breath of air into her lungs but before she could scream, he ground his mouth against hers bloodying her lips as he tried to force her mouth open with his tongue.

She was trying to hit and scratch him but it was­n't stopping him. She looked around for anything she could use as a weapon but all she could see was Zandi’s flute laying on a chair.

That meant they were home! If she could scream, maybe she could get their attention if they weren’t asleep yet. She opened her mouth and nearly gagged as he tried to shove his tongue down her throat. She bit down as hard as she could.

"Bitch!" He swore again, hitting her across the face so hard she was sure he’d broken something, before slamming his mouth back against hers. Tears welled in her eyes. She couldn't move, she couldn't scream, and help was just ten feet away if only she could make some noise.

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Zandile never slept well anymore. It was better when she slept with Scott, but she still woke at every bump in the night. That’s why she didn't think much when she heard the first bump. Just a bad dream or maybe Joey coming in.  She turned on her side, curling around Scott’s sleeping form, trying to get back to sleep when she heard the unmistakable sound of skin hitting skin.  Her heart leaped into her throat.

"Scott! Scott!"  she whispered, shaking him frantically. "Wake up! Someone's in the apartment!"

“It's just Joey," he said, still half asleep.

"Someone just hit someone," she replied, getting out of bed.

That brought Scott around. He was on his feet before Zandi could get the door open.  It took him a moment, just a moment, to make sense of the sight he was seeing.

He ran forward and kicked the guy square in the face, knocking him backward off Joey, who turned on her hands and knees and wretched, choking, and gasping for air.

"Get her out of here," he called to Zandi. "And call the police."

Zandi helped Joey up and rushed her into Scott’s bedroom, locking, then barricading the door.

Alec had gotten to his feet and charged Scott, hitting him in the stomach, slamming him against the wall. Scott managed to throw him off, punching him in the face again and again until Alec went down and stopped trying to get up. To be sure, Scott found a bit of rope and tied his wrists to the base of the bar before going to check on Joey.

She was sitting on his bed.  Zandi quickly went back to her side, putting her arms around the other girl.

“It’s okay, Baby,” Zandi crooned, rubbing her arms. “Scott is here.  We will take care of you.”  

The torn shirt, bloody mouth and nose, and most of all, broken look on Joey’s normally smiling face were almost more than he could take.  He wanted to go back out and finish the job with Alec.

He sat down on her other side and put his arm around her shoulders.  She flinched at first, as though she were afraid of him, but after a few seconds, she buried her face in his chest and cried.

“There now,” he said, stroking her hair and holding her tightly.  “It’ll be okay.  I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

After the police and EMTs came and left, Zandi helped her get cleaned up, with Scott never more than three steps away from her.

Upon hearing what happened, Robert called in an associate of his and Mickey’s to stand guard outside the apartment, but Joey still couldn’t sleep, so Scott stayed up with her all night, talking, watching bad television, and holding her, assuring her that she was safe until they both fell asleep around daybreak.