Competition: Maximum Brevity Series 12: To live or to die

The unconscious being laid at the feet of the Miraluka. His lightsaber gently rested under her foot. She carefully bent down to grab the token of the long fight. Standing up, a smile crossed her face as she realized what she needed to do. “You will live, but you will not enjoy it.” Injecting her latest victim with drugs, Riverche loaded his unconscious body onto a shuttle.

At a nearby medical station, a medical droid worked to heal his wounds before he was allowed to waken. River quietly paced behind a glass wall watching. “Where am I? What is happening?” The confused warrior questioned the droid as the drugs faded from his system.

“In a medical facility.” Riverche answered over an intercom.

“Why?”

“I needed you alive. You are to be my ears and eyes from now on. The droid has modified you for this purpose, and if you misbehave.” Riverche held a button on top of a dial so the Warrior could see her push it.

A pulse of electricity erupted surrounding him and the table he was on. The droid nearby erupted into sparks leaving an empty husk. “What if I refuse?”

Turning the dial up, she replied, “I kill you and everyone around you. You may go when you want, but if you speak of this or try to, you will be dead before anyone can help you. Understand?”

“Yes.” He grudgingly replied.

“I can invoke mercy on you Taldryan, should you permit it.” Lex said, as he stared down on Keirdagh with his grim expression.

With a small turn of his head towards empty space, the human whispered. “I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request, Arconan.”

Before Lex could think further, the time used for Lex to organise thoughts was sponged by Keirdagh as he launched himself onto his feet with a fist clenched tightly and towards Lex’s gut. Lex began to curl in protection of his vital areas as he awaited the punishment, but nothing happened. As he slowly peered, he could see that the vibroknife in his bloody and warm hand inserted into the neck of the son of Taldryan. Within several seconds and a few litres of blood, the human collapsed and his head slammed against the ground.

Lex found a bustling alley and grabbed the corpse which he covered in a stolen blanket. He grunted as he carried the weight of the man into the alley and past all the beggars, then planted him down next to an elderly and frail man.

With one look at his pale and absent face, the elderly whispered. “A relative of yours?”

Lex scrunched his face with the most confused and quizzed look as he tried to avoid the elderly's gaze, Lex whispered. “Organ donor, free to a good home.” Then slowly left back to his swoop, and darted off into the rain.