WARNING: Blood, murder, and the aftermath of both of those things

Eli felt rage pooling in his stomach at the body sprawled out in front of him. "You... You killed Lark." Aces warned him not to go overboard, but he shoved him aside. "You killed my brother."

The thief laughed. "Such an observant little clone." Which was ridiculous, given that Aces was at least 6 inches taller than them. "Yes. Do as I say, unless you want to follow his lead."

"No." Eli let his fingers trail down the side of his armor like he was reaching for his blaster. Really, though, his prize was just beyond that: the droid popper that he'd rigged to turn off everything in range, like a mini-EMP. "I will never surrender to you."

"Hmm. You're more foolish than I thought you'd be." The hooded person shifted their smoking rifle from Lark's corpse to Eli's chest. "I'd rather not kill you, but-"

"Don't worry. You won't have to." With that, he set off the bomb. All of the lights went out, including the ones on both of their guns; the only thing illuminating the room was the faint moonlight filtering through the door.. Eli yanked his switchblade out from between the panels of his armor, lunging at the shape in the darkness.

He didn't stop to consider the terrified face he'd pinned beneath him. He just raised his knife, took a moment to adjust his aim and steady his hand, and plunged it towards their traitorous heart.

Blood spurted from their chest, spraying across Eli's snow-white armor. He would have continued, would have carved them up until they were utterly unrecognizable and he was soaked in their blood, but Aces stopped him. No. Get up. Now.

Time slowed to a standstill as Eli stared down at the thief. They couldn't have been any older than 25, but a dozen scars already marred their face. They'd carried themself with such confidence that they must have done this a hundred times already. He wondered what had brought them here, to steal from a Republic outpost.

He wondered if they had hesitated when they'd killed Lark.

Slowly, he rose to his feet. "I'm sorry," he said to Aces. All he got in return was silence.

The silence continued as he carefully picked up Lark's body. It continued as he walked up the hill to the main part of the base, feeling numbness set in. It continued as he explained what had happened in a monotone, and it continued as he returned to his barracks, avoiding the eyes of his brothers as he cleaned off his armor.

This silence would drive him mad, he was sure. Or perhaps he was already mad, and Aces had decided to leave him to his suffering. It didn't matter.

All that mattered was that Lark was dead, and Eli was a murderer.