Chapter Text
Seth, Horus, and Apollo were lucky – or at least glad to have Horus piloting – because they avoided all the Empire patrols, and made it to their destination in under three days. To the general public who happened to get their hands on imperial starcharts, it was purportedly a fueling station – just one of many – made for imperial soldiers, with lockups for prisoner transport.
“This is the most well-guarded fueling station I’ve ever seen,” Apollo said during their debrief before arriving at the station, where they reviewed information Isis had given Seth about it. This included diagrams, patrol schedules, and a great deal of background information that Horus and Apollo were trying to review. They were sitting at a large table in the lounge.
“That’s because it’s not one,” Seth said. “Duat is a science facility where the Emperor and his scientists conduct some of his more dangerous biological experiments.”
“And you’re looking for someone there?” Apollo asked, leaning back in his chair and eyeing the particularly large amount of information on his tablet that he idly swiped through.
“Yes,” Seth said. “Isis’ sources said that he was taken here.”
“Why?” Apollo asked. “Is he going to work there?”
“No,” Seth replied.
“They’re going to use him in experiments?” Horus asked.
“I’m not sure,” Seth said with a grimace. “It wouldn’t be the first time the Emperor took captives for his work. But the way Anubis’ mother described it, this was targeted. And I agree.”
“Targeted how?” Horus asked.
Seth met Horus’ gaze without saying anything. They’d spent a lot of time together on the ship, mostly in each other’s beds, but this was a stretch. Seth trusted Horus, but only to a certain extent. It touched too much on topics he preferred to avoid.
“We need to know what we’re walking into,” Horus said. “If there’s some extra danger we’re not prepped for…”
“You’re just supposed to get me there, and then get Anubis home.” Seth disliked the snippiness of his tone, but it was honest, too. He didn’t like his privacy being invaded. Too many years on the run from Osiris and his troops, from a past Seth wished would stay buried, had made him into this.
Horus simply watched for a bit before he asked, “Get Anubis home… but not you?”
Seth sighed, glad Horus had changed his focus. “I can sneak into the facility. I can get him out. But if I’m detected, my priority is getting Anubis out. Most people who go to Duat don’t ever leave.” He looked at the tablet he’d borrowed from them to read with them. He’d heard reports over the years, but Isis had truly gathered so much here, and he’d barely cracked it. It was horrifying, what they did to people in there. What Osiris did. “Your fee is covered. You’ll get the other half once you return Anubis home. Isis has it handled, whether or not I’m alive to give it to you.”
“You expect to die here,” Apollo said.
“If that’s the worst that happens to me, I’m willing,” Seth replied. From the reports, it was the best possible outcome.
Apollo smirked. “I’m not one to mock bravado, but don’t you have any faith in us? We’re pilots and smugglers with good records. We don’t just leave cargo to perish.”
Seth blinked, and glanced at Horus, who shrugged.
“He’s right,” Horus added. “We’re not planning to exchange you for your target. It’s noble what you’re doing, but not in the plans.”
Seth frowned. “I’m not going to endanger Anubis’ safety for my own. If it comes to it—”
“Then it comes to it,” Horus said, his gaze firm. “We’ll handle that if we get there. But for now, we plan for a way to get you out alive, too.” He looked at Apollo, who grinned.
“My turn,” Apollo said, clicking some buttons on the table to reveal some new data. “You can get through the station? Cool. Here’s how we’re going to get you on it.”
The plan was relatively simple: Horus and Apollo would pretend to be supply delivery. They had the proper codes and passes to get through it, courtesy of Isis and other contacts – and Seth was grateful he’d tipped her so much for this. Apollo could keep the guards tied up checking their information for a while, as Seth and Horus went through the facility on foot to pick up Anubis, and then return to the ship before anyone was the wiser.
“I’ll blast us out if I have to,” Apollo said with a grin. “People underestimate how much firepower there is on this ship.”
Seth chafed at the idea of back-up, but Horus was thankfully good at following Seth’s orders after they’d docked and snuck off the ship, disappearing into the back corridors of the facility. Seth had memorized the facility blueprints, and pulled Horus back whenever he sensed someone approaching.
The main reason he agreed to the “help” was that if something happened to him, Horus could get Anubis back to the ship.
Facility security was heavy, but not as much in the maintenance corridors Seth found for them. Horus had them pause at a wall of wires and a network hub so that he could hack in and check their information, to see about guard schedules, test subject transports, that kind of thing.
Seth kept watch, but the corridor was small and pretty empty, since it was mainly meant for droids, who largely ignored them. The droids had limited memory storage, for confidentiality and also cheapness, and solely stuck to keeping the place clean. Whenever Seth or Horus moved too close to a droid, it would move around them and continue on its way.
Horus was watching his comlink, and then smiled. “Okay. There were a few new arrivals around the time Anubis was captured. They’re being kept in the cells here.” He showed Seth the map.
“Let’s go,” Seth said, glancing back to make sure the area was clear before moving onward.
The cells themselves were heavily guarded by guards and cameras, but not so much the air vents, at least when you weren’t on the prisoner side. They found a grate leading to one of the cells that was a bit of a tight squeeze, but would be functional. The main issue was getting the grate off.
Horus tried one of the lockpick tools Apollo had given him, to no avail. He turned back to Seth but still frowned down at the tool, trying to recalibrate it, with little luck. “We’ll have to try to find another way around…”
Seth kept his gaze half on Horus and half on the screws holding the vent in place. “There isn’t another way around, unless you want to fight more guards.”
“Well, I’m sorry, but unless you can make the grate disappear—”
Seth stepped forward to catch the grate as it fell down, before it could make noise. “Huh. Looks like your lockpick worked!”
Horus blinked and stepped forward, staring at the removed metal grate resting in Seth’s hands, then back to his lockpick, then back at the grate. “But… that’s not how it works!” He was clearly alarmed.
Seth shrugged. “Maybe you’ve got someone looking out for you.”
Horus snorted, looked down at the lockpick again, and then pocketed it, before climbing through the opening.
Seth followed after him, ignoring the dark corner of the room where he’d dropped the screws he’d pulled out of their sockets with the force.
They were right in the middle of a cell, and the place was covered in white, sterile walls and floors. There weren’t any windows. On the right side of the room was an uncomfortable bunk, upon which lay a young man with pale skin and long, wavy black hair. He wore white and orange prisoner garb.
Seth walked up to him and gently touched his shoulder, “Anubis? It’s Seth. Wake up.”
Anubis grumbled and opened his eyes. “Seth?”
Seth leaned in close and studied him for a bit, and said, “We’re here to rescue you. Can you stand?”
“Think so.” Anubis wobbily pushed himself into a sitting position, and Seth had to catch him.
“They drugged him,” Seth half-hissed. He helped Anubis stand up. “Can you support him?”
When Horus frowned at that, Seth continued, “I’m the mercenary, remember? If we get into a fight, I need my hands free. I’ll take him if we need you to unlock more doors.”
Horus sighed and stepped forward so that Seth could lean Anubis’ left arm over Horus’ shoulders, allowing Anubis to lean on him.
The cell door unlocked.
“My dear desert,” a slick voice said from the lit doorway, “You came to me at last.”
Seth’s blood ran cold and he lightly shoved Anubis and Horus back to the vent. “Go!”
“Now, now,” the Emperor said as he walked into the room and the whole place lit up with a floating droid light, “Let’s not be hasty. You’ve only just arrived!”
Seth kept Horus and Anubis behind him while glaring towards the Emperor, who smirked at him. “And we have no desire to stay, Osiris.”
Osiris was tall and intimidating as he stood before the door, smiling patronizingly at Seth. He was handsome, with dark brown skin and dark eyes lined with fine blue and black make-up. He had short, curly, dark hair, and a sharp chin. He wore a dark green suit that made him look like he’d taken a wrong turn on his way to a board meeting. “But it’s been so long, my desert. I’ve missed you.”
“Stop calling me that,” Seth said, still pushing Anubis and Horus to the vent opening.
“Seth, guards are coming,” Horus hissed.
“You’ll have a hard time going back the way you came,” Osiris said, still smiling. “I let you in because you seemed to be into the pageantry of it all. Was it fun?”
Seth stiffened. “You… let us in?”
“Of course. Who do you think gave that information to Isis?”
Seth’s right hand twitched. He didn’t think Isis would betray him, and on a mission with her own son, but…
Osiris chuckled. “Not directly, of course. She doesn’t know it was me. But I’ve been aware of her for a while, and I knew she’d find you. And brought you right to me, like a present.”
Seth swallowed and stepped forward. Osiris had always been taller than him, and that felt even more obvious now, with Osiris stepping nearer and nearer, like so many of Seth’s nightmares. “Let them go. They have nothing to do with this. You can have me if you want. But let them go.”
Osiris glanced at Anubis and Horus, then back at Seth. “I think no, my desert. They’ll stay here, for a time, to ensure your good behavior. Besides, the boy’s force-sensitive, and he could make a good apprentice for you.”
Seth stiffened.
Osiris smiled. “You didn’t know? Nephthys comes from good force-user stock. It makes sense her son would be.”
“Leave him out of this.” Nephthys hadn't told him, although Seth had wondered a few times. He'd both hoped and afraid Anubis might inherit some of his mother's abilities, but he'd been rather normal for most of his life, which wasn't a bad thing. It meant his life would be easier and harder in different ways. Easier, because he could blend in better. Harder, because he'd have to push to protect himself.
Osiris sighed. “Seth, you haven’t changed at all.” He reached out cupped a hand over Seth’s right cheek, making Seth’s skin crawl. “Ahh, Seth… you have no idea how long I’ve wished for—”
There was a whir of sound and a hand went flying, along with a scattering of blood.
Osiris backed up to the door with a frown, even as his right arm was shorter a hand. His expression was slightly confused, as if it was a minor cut of some kind, not a de-limbing. “Really Seth? Is that how you greet your old master?”
“You’re not my anything,” Seth said, holding his bright red lightsaber aloft.
“And yet you haven’t changed your lightsaber,” Osiris said, still smiling, as if they were having a casual dinner conversation. “Do you miss me so much?”
Seth leapt forward to cut down at Osiris’ head, easily slicing it off. He glanced back at Horus and Anubis, breathing hard.
Horus was staring at him, clearly shocked. Even Anubis seemed a little bit more aware, and his eyes were wide as he watched Seth's lightsaber.
Seth could only imagine how his own face looked. Even with so little, between facing Osiris again and having his lightsaber in his hand, and the life-or-death stakes of it all, he felt...
He ignored it, breathed in deeply and said, “Come on. We’ll have to fight our way out.” He walked out of the doorway, but ducked from gunfire. There were indeed more guards in the hall. He rolled and leapt upward, quickly tracking where the armored guards were standing. It took barely any thought to maneuver around, slicing down at shots and enemies, easily taking them down with finely placed cuts and kicks. There was yelling and screams, and Seth didn’t care. The memory of the hand on his cheek was too present for that. Soon enough, all the guards were on the ground, motionless, with the smell of burnt clothing and flesh in the air. Seth went to the main terminal in the guard station at the end of the hall, next to an elevator bay. He hacked his way through security, finding them the fastest way to the landing pad.
“Seth…” Horus said from nearby.
“I’m busy,” Seth said, briefly checking the guard channels. He didn't want to meet Horus' eyes right now. He didn't want to see the judgment there.
Horus didn’t continue.
Seth led them to the elevators, with Horus still supporting Anubis along, who seemed to be a bit more aware as his eyes settled on the dead guards.
The elevator door opened, only for another Osiris in the same outfit walking out, smiling as ever. His arm was restored, too. “My desert, that was rude.”