Si felt the blade pierce his chest - their chest - and he pulled back his hand, blinking. Not in any emotion, but simply confusion. No - understanding. He had context, the Professor's knowledge, between them, they could unravel the mystery of the Xenly... Then Vur hit him, and Si fell, rolling into what would become a bruise and accepting it. His eyes opened, and he watched as the Xenly tore apart the Chistori. There was little else he could do. A thud rang out, and the Xenly, startled, fled, their touch on his mind ebbing - making Si feel nearly lonely, for a moment - no, not lonely... Si wondered what he was missing. It was mingled with the feelings of the Xenly, with his own, but it was so very clear... Kira... Si missed Kira. He felt a ripple of emotion, a surge of something warm and at the same time incredibly dangerous. Especially down here. When Si had given up all he was to survive... Had he thrown away something he never realised he had? But then Trasc called out, and Si, his eyes more adapted to the immense darkness, came over to the man who Si recognised as Tenk Qatar - wounded, severely. "Help me Si, he is hurt!" Si came down to Tenk's side, wincing absently at the cut on his leg as ever, and found Tenk, gone, so far gone, rolling on the floor in pain and terror - no, not just terror... The student grabbed Tenk, feeling the pain in his hands, even as he used the misshapen stump of his hand to pin down Tenk, and he used his still burnt hand to hold at one of his wrists. Si, holding down Tenk, spoke coldly, carefully. "Tenk, it's me. Si. You need to calm down. The Xenly feed on emotions. You must understand that. You need to stay calm, before they come back... my Professor is here, too." Si looked up at the old man. "Professor, you never told me... you told me the dark side corrupted a Verpine named Xenly - but you never told me..." Si paused, taking a breath, understanding something so vague and impossible that it couldn't be - that it made no sense at all. That it was so impossible that it could only be true. "Did Xenly turn the dark side by choice, Trasc?"