“We beat him,” Twilight said, “When he was torturing the other four and I was watching.  When he’d had his fill he turned to a crowd of people and he started firing at them. I don’t even remember how I did it. All I remember is feeling all of that rage build up inside me and then it became too much and it unleashed.”

     “You should have seen him.” Tyler remembered. “He was like a comet.”

     “Yeah,” Jerry added, “He just broke out of the grasp of the guards and tackled Racule.”

     “Then,” Steven put in. “When it looked like Racule had him beat, Twilight stood up and put out his palm.”

     “And then he wiped me out with a single blow.” Racule said through clenched teeth. “I will not give him that chance again.”

     Then there was silence as the ship moved into hyper drive. After a few hours, the ship came out of hyper drive and they docked on a planet. The planet reminded the girls of Earth. As they walked to Racule’s palace, they passed by fields where slaves worked and saw the cruel, harsh treatment that the Bandaa gave to them.

     Corazon couldn’t watch and kept her gaze glued to her feet.

     When they had finally reached the palace, Racule sent the girls and Ray to the Dungeon while he took the five men to where he could torture them personally.

     In the dungeon, Corazon, Dienna, Tia, Giselle, and Felicia were separated from Ray. The girls were each thrown into a separate cell. The bars of the cell were electrified, as Corazon found out the hard way.

     Then she saw a small girl, who was about seven years old being led through the hall by a guard.

     “Where’re they taking her?” She asked out loud.

     “To be punished.” A guard near her cell answered.

     “For what?” Corazon demanded.

     “For being rude to one of us.” The guard replied.

     “What did she do?”

     “She spoke out of turn, and then wouldn’t shut up.” The guard replied.

     “What will they do to her?” Corazon sadly inquired.

     “They will whip her and then leave her without food for the night.” The guard replied.

     “Whip her?” Corazon was surprised. “But she’s only a child!”

     “That is precisely why the whipping will take place.” The guard said. “It will be ingrained in her young mind that you will only speak when you have been spoken to.”

     “But that’s,” Corazon said as the guards took the girl through a door. “That’s insane.”

     The guard snorted. “No wonder you are in here.”

     Then Corazon heard the girl cry out as she was whipped five times. Corazon had to work hard to keep her cool, and stepped to the back of the cell. Then she watched as the girl was dragged into the cell to her right. After listening to the guards walk away, Corazon relaxed slightly.

     She couldn’t relax completely because the girl was crying softly.

     “Hey,” Corazon kindly said to her. “Are you okay?”

     “No.” The girl replied through her sobs.

     “What’s wrong?”

     “My back hurts.” The girl sniffed.

     “I know it must.” Corazon said. “I’m sorry.”

     “How could you have stopped it?” The girl asked. “They have these bars electrified.”

     “I found that out the hard way.” Corazon told her. “What’s your name?”

     “I’m Corazon, and I’m pleased to meet you, Lauren.”

     “Sorry we can’t shake hands.” Lauren said.

     “That’s okay.” Corazon told her. “I don’t mind. Do you feel better?”

     “My back still hurts.” Lauren replied. “But I don’t think I’ll cry anymore.”

     Corazon and Lauren talked for hours. They talked about their families and how Earth was like Drenks, and how each of them had gotten caught.

     “If Twilight Wisher’s caught,” Lauren after hearing Corazon’s story. “Then there’s no hope for anyone.”

     “There’s still the rest of the resistance.” Corazon offered.

     “Not anymore.” Lauren said. “Right after Twilight left, the whole rest of the resistance was captured.”

     There was a pause. Corazon was wondering how they were going to get out of this mess. Then she heard a deadly scream.

     “What was that?” She demanded.

     “The night run.” Lauren’s shaky voice answered. “Every night, the lord and lady take the prisoners they hate most and put them through the worst tortures. It is said that you can hear their screams all over the planet. I live right nearby, so I hear it every night.”

     More screams joined the first.

     “And those two demons enjoy it?” Corazon assumed.

     “Who?” Lauren was confused.

     “Racule and Heranna.” Corazon replied.

     Lauren gasped.

     “What?” Corazon asked.

     “No one dares to speak of them like that, or to even mention their names.” Lauren replied. “Only Twilight ever said them without fear. Not even the other members of the resistance would breathe those names out loud. If you can speak of them in such a manner, then you must be really brave and strong.”

     “I wish I could say I was.” Corazon told the girl. “I’m only thirteen, and I’m away from my home, and I’m sitting in a cell. How am I going to defeat the Bandaa?”

     “If you get out, you can.” The girl said.

     “How am I going to do that?” Corazon asked. “The bars are electric, remember?”

     “The rebels will think of something.” Lauren said.

     “I thought they were all captured.” Corazon griped.

     “They were.” Lauren replied. “But there are fabled escapes that occur every night.”

     “Really?” Corazon was interested. “When?”