Reluctantly, she grabbed Illyse’s collar and followed after Darice.

Taking inventory of his weapons and their charge levels, Hauk waited until they were halfway to his tent. If this was a trap, he didn’t want the kids anywhere near it.

He prepared for the worst, and strapped his short Andarion battle sword across his back. While it wasn’t his primary weapon, which was why it was worn over the back and not at the waist with his blasters, it was the one that wouldn’t run out of ammunition.

Extremely wary, he made his way toward the rise Thia had mentioned. A rise that would make a great spot for a sniper to set up surveillance…

His senses on high alert, he saw the body as soon as he came up the slight hill. She lay on her side, facing the opposite direction. He skimmed the horizon in all directions, but detected no obvious threats. Even her rifle was several feet away, out of her reach.

Not that it mattered. He knew the tricks his kind implemented. He hadn’t lived this long by being a total idiot.

That being said, partial ones apparently lived to fight another day.

Crouched and ready, he secured her weapon first. A standard laser rifle, it had no markings of any kind. Military or civ. Nothing he could use to ID her with. However, these were the weapon of choice for many assassins, since they made very little sound when they were fired.

It appeared she’d squeezed off two shots at whatever had attacked her. Other than that, it didn’t tell him much. Still unsure if it was a trick or not, he made his way over to her.

She didn’t move.

Looking around again for any friends she might have, he carefully rolled her to her back. There was a gash above her right brow and another along her ribs. Something had tried to rip out her throat, but she must have fought it off.

Thia had been right, the woman was dressed as a civ, in dark brown desert clothes and a dirty poncho. She might be a native or raider.

She might yet be an assassin after him. Given the rifle and the specialized scope on it, that was definitely not off the table.

He hesitated as he took in her exotic features. Not classically beautiful by any means – he knew that face well. For one full minute, he couldn’t breathe as old memories surged. Except for the black hair and height, she was a dead ringer for Fain’s ex-wife.

But that wasn’t possible. Omira would be older than this woman. And as Thia had noted, with the short black hair, light caramel skin, and height, she might not be human at all. Andarion was still a possibility.

Even so, the similarity in looks was striking and unnerving.

As gently as he could, he parted her lips to check her species. Her teeth were small and well shaped. Clean and white. Given that, and the rest of her appearance, it was doubtful she lived in this hellhole full time. Way too much attention to personal hygiene for a desert raider who scavenged for sustenance. Though why she’d be out here alone, unless she was hunting him, he couldn’t fathom.