Epilogue

"Cargo of Doom" - alternate version

The male Rodian's screams of agony echoed off the walls as the power was activated once again. Bane held up the Jedi Holocron in the palm one hand.

"Simply open this little box of yours, so that I can get the information from this crystal," Bane said slowly. He watched as the Rodian squirmed and thrashed with intense pain. Then he signaled for the battle droid behind him to turn off the power, and the Rodian dropped his head. " And your suffering will come to an end."

The Rodian gagged and coughed up a bit of blood. Bane hesitated and waited for an audible word or two. Then he heard him say, weakly,

"You will never—get me—to unlock th-the H-Holocron..."

Bane narrowed his eyes with nothing short of annoyance. To him, time was being wasted on his part, and nothing more.

"All right, then." He faced the battle droid. "Hit him again, more power."

Then he heard a cry from the Rodian, and turned around again.

"You," Master Ropal hissed. "I don't know—what you want—from the crystal. B-but it doesn't m-matter. You won't get it. You're a monster."

Bane casually leaned back on one leg, crossing his arms.

"Am I?" he asked in a low voice.

"Your kind always die out. You were born t-t-to die out. Y-you're nothing but—a worthless, c-coldhearted, scar-face. You scum."

Bane wiped the Rodian spittle off his face. Something flashed in his crimson eyes that Master Ropal automatically did not like.

"You don't like my scars, do you?" asked Bane. And he pulled down a bit on his leather coat and shirt to reveal the scars still on his shoulders. Thanks to his outfit, including his new breathing tubes, the scars could easily be hidden from anyone now. Unless he desired otherwise, of course.

Ropal dared lift his head to look into those eyes again. Those hardened, crimson eyes, in which there was no longer any light.

"Do you wanna know how did I get these scars?"

"I don't need some s-story from the likes of you."

A dark, cold sneer began to spread across Bane's face, as he reached down and yanked off the belt from across his waist, looping the end around his hand.

"I'm not gonna tell ya. I'm gonna show ya," he said.

And the heavy buckle of his belt began to drag against the floor—a sound Cad Bane was all-too familiar with, but more often than not, pretended to forget.

Well, that is all. I hope you enjoyed this story. Please leave a review before you check out!