“Bored!” the Twi’lek woman practically yelled, interrupting the hologram as it stated her mission. She pulled her hands down her face, stretching the skin on her cheeks and squishing her lips together. She rolled her eyes towards the figured and waited. Despite her stunning features, the face she made was hideous.
“I will be alerting the rest of the fleet,” Marick said when the Twi’lek took a breath. “Your Quaestor will be sending your orders to your PDA. As this mission is of utmost-.”
“-Oh. My. Goddess!” K’tana erupted,staring between her fingers at him before walking around the communicator, flailing her arms and lekku about. “Can you make everything sound so karking boring?! Is this your super Force talent? Boring the frang off people!”
The holo-comm went dark and K’tana burst into laughter.
“M-mistress?” the wide eyed face of a Loyalist Guard stared down at the Tyrian woman.
“Oh come on!” she rolled her head back and around to stretch her neck and exaggerate her words. “Don’t tell me that he didn't bore you? He’s so blegh and monotone. I swear his face would crack if he accidentally smiled.”
“Ma’am, I don’t feel comfortable discussing the Shadow Lord in this way,” the man murmured anxiously, glancing around as though expecting the mentioned male to emerge from the shadows at any moment. K’tana looked at him and laughed.
“Oooh! The scary Lord Marick! Don’t say bad things! He may be listening!” she laughed louder as the Guard dropped his gaze and fumbled with his bracer.
“I’m just a guard Mistress K’tana; I’m sure you’d know better than I.”
“Are you just going to agree with everything I say?” K’tana snarled slightly, her lip curling in disdain. The man stopped walking and looked around.
The exit of the ship was open and the Human and Twi’lek stared at each other. The Twi’lek’s lekku twitched sporadically as she waited for his answer. He looked down as he snapped his feet together and brought his fist up to his heart.
“Sorry Ma’am. No Ma’am.” he said, looking straight ahead and not looking at her. She scowled, huffed and muttered something as she walked off the ramp towards where the two speeders were parked and waiting for them.
He suddenly realized why Quaestor Cethgus had said escorting the Twi’lek Knight was his punishment.
-----
Sergeant Jessik Draedan, a member of the Loyalist Guard who, not a fortnight previous, had been given command of his first squad. His mission was relatively easy. His squad, however, was slaughtered due to a selfish and self preserving choice he had made for them in order to save himself. The mission was accomplished, but not before all of his men were dead. The Master Sergeant reported his immense failing to the Brotherhood and Sergeant Draedan was called before the Quaestor of Galeres to explain himself.
Draedan had tried his best to get out of any possible punishment and, before the Primarch could give a sentencing, a holocomm flashed on the Zabraks desk, insisting its urgency. A Twi’lek, scantily clad and tossing a dagger about began flippantly telling the Quaestor that she had her orders; she didn't like them and she wanted someone else to go in her place. As she spoke, a Kowakian monkey-lizard leapt on her back and started biting at her lekku. The Twi’lek snapped at the Quaestor, angry that her pet had to be left behind.
Draedan had never seen such an obnoxious display of disregard for rank, lack of discipline and utter disrespect. The Primarch, however, eyes beginning to burn, had simply flipped the switch and shut the comm off. He stared at the device on his desk, took a deep breath and gave the Rattataki his punishment.
“For your insubordination and the failing of your squad, you are sentenced to serve and look after the Arconan Knight, K’tana. You will keep her on track, make sure she accomplishes her task, and keep her alive. Then you will report to me directly. Now, get out of my sight,” the Primarch’s words dropped low at the end, his deep baritone voice resonating from his chest as he scowled once again at the holo-comm. Draedan left promptly, believing he got off easily.
-----
Draedan ran his hand over his shaved head, staring at the back of the silent, violet woman. He watched her lekku trail behind her as she drove the speeder towards the city. Occasionally, the Twi’lek would drive in ‘S’ shaped patterns and smiled as she swayed in the seat. Draedan drove straight and caught up to the Knight who giving him a quick smirk, gently rammed her speeder into his own.
“C’mon!” she yelled, smiling over at the Rattataki. “Lets race!”
“Ma’am,” Draedan cocked his head, but kept his eyes forward “I don’t think that’s a safe, or intelligent idea.”
“Then consider it an order whitey!” a scowl played across K’tana’s mouth as she rammed her speeder into Draedan’s more forcefully than the first time. She laughed as she sped across the sand, her lekku flying behind her like streamers. Draeden, thinking this was a foolish idea, sped after her, if only to make sure she stayed safe. Her lilting laughter traveled behind her as the vehicle flew over a hill and came slamming down, nearly into the sand , just picking up speed before flying over another sand hill. Draedan found himself smiling as he raced behind her. The Knight was a decent driver, but he was more experienced and he soon found himself laughing as he caught up and rammed her, knocking the bike sideways. K’tana laughed as she grit her teeth and steered further away. She looked over at the other Sergeant and a devious smile played across her face.
“Hey pretty boy!” the Twi’lek called, taking one hand off the handles, sliding her other hand to the middle of the bar to keep her speeder going straight. Her hand slid under her shirt and Draeden let out a gasp as his bike suddenly dropped down a sudden embankment. He’d stared too long at the woman, not paying attention to where he was driving and ended up doing a nose dive into a dip in the sandy terrain. He heard her laughter as he came up the other side, both hands back on the handles of her speeder.
“Pay attention to the road little man!” she giggled as they came closer to the outlying area of Dreshdae and had to slow their pace. Draeden couldn’t take the smile off his face as they pulled into the docking area of the city, but when he looked back over at the Twi’lek her face had drawn a blank and it seemed as though nothing had happened.
As they parked and stepped off their speeders Draedan, knowing the city had been taken by the One Sith, expected K’tana to place the cowl of her shirt over her head to help hide her face, but instead she removed the top layer of the shirt, revealing something akin to a dancer's outfit. He’d wondered why she wore a straped skirt in the CIC of the ship. Looking at her now he still didn't understand how she thought that she’d would be hiding herself in such garb.
“Ma’am, aren't we suppose to be inconspicuous?” he said walking over to her and giving her an obvious once over. She stretched her neck, looked up into his pale eyes and lifted her eyebrow.
“You think being a Twi’lek slave girl is too obvious? That the One Sith give a single, flying kark about the property of a wealthy looking Rattataki man?” she waited in silence as he thought it over. He didn't feel dressed well enough for the part.
“I understand why people may make the mistake with you, but no one will think my part in this is accurate. I look like a slob.” Draedan looked down at his white skin covered by thick, coarse cloth. The Twi’lek’s green eyes glowed as she gave a quick smirk and pulled a large parcel out of the holder on her speeder and handed it to him. As his hand brushed hers, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into an opened ship bay.
“Strip.” she commanded as she held him down with her gaze. Draedan was officially uncomfortable, but saw that there was no one else watching. He pulled off his garments and K’tana unfolded silky, flowing clothing from the parcel she’d taken off the speeder. Inside was a long, thin gold chain attached to a series of metal strips and clasps. He dressed in the rich fabric she’d given him and watched as she attached the chain outfit over her shoulders, chest and navel. The final pieces of gold metal attached to her neck and two silver-emerald bands attached to her lekku, strapping them behind her head.
She pulled one last long chain from her cleavage and attached it to a clasp on the front of the neck piece. She extended her hand and indicated she wanted his arm, which he raised for her. Taking his hand, she lay the gold chain over his wrist, clasping it just tight enough so the leash wouldn't slide off.
“Karking hell woman. You went all out for this.” he said laughing. He looked down at her face and abruptly stopped laughing. She had a dark and haunted look in her eyes as she lifted her head and straightened her back.
“I spent a lot of money on this get-up, your acting better not falter.”
“I’ll be fine, girl.” he said pulling her behind him as he walked out of the ship bay. “It’s you I’m worried about.”
He glanced behind to see her following with her head down and looking at her feet as she walked.
“I think I know how to be a slave, Sir.” the Twi’lek said with a wisp of a cynical grin playing the corners of her mouth. He lifted his chin as he walked through the city. Knowing the plan as well and K’tana he never had to look back. They walked to the Swoop Center and decided to place a small bet, intentionally picking an underdog and losing. The amount of credits they’d been supplied had not been intended for this kind of use, but K’tana had a plan.
Draedan was to lose until he couldn't lose anymore, then sell her to make up for the losses. Although he’d initially argued against such a dangerous idea, K’tana had scowled him into submission. He wasn’t sure how much he would be able to get for a Twi’lek slave, but seeing her in what she had on, made him think their plan would work out, perhaps more in his favor.
He looked behind him to see the Knight looking around around from the corners of her eyes. He turned to her, lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.
“Looking for something girl?” he asked, his pitch sounding annoyed, but he almost grinned as he saw a quick flash of something dark ignite in the Twi’leks’ eyes.
“Sorry Mi’Lord” she said quietly looking back at the floor.
“Quite an angry lil’freen ya got there.” a voice came from behind them. K’tana twitched and her lip curled slightly in contempt. Draedan looked up and saw the smirk of a brown eyed, ruggedly handsome Human with a smoke in his lips. His hand came up and he ran his fingertips over K’tana’s lekku as his smirk became a grin. The rage K’tana extrude was so thick Draedan thought he could feel it in the air around her as her grabbed the Human’s hand and knocked it away from the Twi’lek.
“Do I know you?” Draedan challenged.
“I’m so sorry good Sir!” the Human dropped in a dramatic bow, and flourished his arm when he came back up. He gave a quick wink to K’tana as she slowly turned around, keeping her head down, but her eyes were on him. “My name is Connor Grey.”
“Greetings, Mr.Grey. I’m-”
“I know who you are former Sergeant Draedan.” Connor said quietly with a smirk. “Perhaps we should go to my ship and talk. I have a task that your...pet... could help me with.”
As Connor led them back to the docking bay, K’tana took Draedan’s hand and pulled him to her.
“Do not trust this man,” she said whispering into the Rattataki’s ear and keeping her eyes on Connor’s back. “he’s a former Jedi and possibly the biggest piece of frazlat I’ve met. He will betray us.”
Walking in front the two of the Loyalists, Conner smiled as he led them to the docking bay. He’d been hoping he’d run into someone from the Brotherhood, although he was hardly expecting it to be the Twi’lek he’d encountered at the Sith Academy less than a week prior. He knew she was surprised to see him since last she saw he’d been taken into the custody of the Dark Brotherhood’s Loyalist Guards and probably assumed that one of her Clansmen was in the process of torturing information out of him. Too bad she’d not been told that he’d managed to pay off a guard who helped him escape.
Loyalists. What a joke.
He spun quickly to see the two of them, looking suspicious, with the Tyrian womans lips against the Rattataki’s ear.
“Hey now!” he said with a smirk “I know you're excited to get in another man’s pants, but I’m right here darlin’. You can at least wait until we get to my ship.”
The Twi’lek reacted differently in costume. Instead of scowling at Connor, she dropped her gaze to the ground and allowed the other man to defend her.
“That’s enough.” Draedan growled, “The less you talk, the faster we get there and the sooner you can tell us what you want and we can be rid of you.”
“Oh you just keep it in your pants, she likes me better anyways.” Connor gave K’tana a meaningful smirk and tilted his head. “You’ll see.”
Draedan saw K’tana’s clenched jaw hold firm as they walked behind Connor into the docking bay of his Baudo yacht the Rogue Jedi ushered them into with a cocky grin splattering his face. Draedan walked in first, K’tana followed and Connor took the moment to grab the Twi’lek and pull her back slightly.
“It’s nice to see ya again, girly’. Think we’ll have time to do some…” Connor winked, a dark look gleaming in his brown eyes, “catching up?”
The Twi’lek, not usually known for her violent outbursts slowly lifted her arm, and made to stroke her bonded lekku as she giggled, then slammed her elbow forward into Connors face. A sickening crunch and a loud gasp was heard as Connor pitched forward with a gush of blood coming from his mouth.
“You whore!” he screamed as he spat out a tooth. The Dark Jedi grabbed a fistful of his hair, Rage empowering her body as she slammed the Human into the wall of the hull.
“Whores get paid more and aren’t nearly as good at this job.” she said in an even voice as she drove her fist into Connor’s throat. His eyes bulged as he collapsed forward a heavy wheeze came from his lungs as he choked to catch his breath, but the windpipe was damaged and his lung burned badly before his head began to spin from the lack of oxygen.
“Don’t pass out on me yet boy, “the Twi’lek growled as she drove her fingers under his chin and lifted his head, slamming him back into the wall, but at the same time helping him breath by opening up the damaged windpipe by tilting his head back. She pried into his mind, knowing he’d not be able to speak aloud.
“Tell me what you wanted and I’ll save your pathetic life. You have one chance. I can continue my mission without knowing what you have to say. You should know that I’d rather kill you.”
“I know where the Rite is, I can’t take you there if I’m dead.” Connor even in pain could somehow even make his thoughts sound arrogant. Draedan stood looking at the two Force users locked in what looked like stalemate and he didn’t move. He felt at any moment that the tension would snap and someone would die. He had no idea what was happening in the moment of silence and the Twi’leks’ back was to him. Her lekku occasionally vibrated in their shackles.
“Fine.” the Twi’lek spoke from a distant place inside herself and her voice sounded cold and even the Loyalist Guard got a chill. Connor’s brown eyes glinted once, but the second before he ejected the Twi’lek away from him, she sent a Shock through his jaw as she squeezed her hand around his throat. His open mouth shot sparks due to the dental work and trails of blood oozed from his eyes. When his eyes began to bubble before bursting from his head, K’tana let go of the corpse and collapsed to the floor.
“Karking frazlat.” she cursed before she blacked out.
Draedan stood against the other wall, unmoving, and forgetting to breathe. When he finally took in a gasp of breath, he went to kneel beside the unconscious woman, and patted her cheek softly.
“Miss?” he said softly, his white, warm hand against her deep purple cool flesh made him think that maybe she had overdone it to the point of near death. He placed his hand, flat against her lekku and pat her until her eyelids began to flutter. Her green eyes locked on his and she struggled to sit up, Draedan helped her slowly get to her feet.
“Are you alright?” the Rattataki asked, his pale eyes wide with concern and confusion.
“Yes I’m fine.” the Twi’lek said pulling his hand off her shoulder and giving him a cool look. “I just need to rest. We can stay here for a few hours then I know where we need to go. Connor practically yelled the location of the Rite when I gave him that little tickle.”
A grin spread over her face, then she wobbled and Draedan put his hand out to catch her. She knocked it away and used the wall to stabilize herself as she walked to the dorm area.
“See if you can find a map, I’m going to lay down.” Draedan brought his fist to his heart and watched her make her way down the hallway as she pulled chains off of her and unclasped her lekku from the collar. As she disappeared around the corner into the Captain’s room, Draedan walked to the cockpit and began accessing the star charts and navigation system.
Less than two hours went by before Draedan nearly jumped out of his skin as hingers touched the back of his neck. He spun around, blaster at the ready and the Tyrian Twi’lek stood there, with a large grin.
“Boo.” K’tana said softly as she smiled with one side of her mouth. Draedan’s pale eyes took her in, shook his head and lifted his arm, indicating for her to come closer.
“He had this whole city in the navigation computer.” the Rattataki frowned, his dark brows creasing together in a frown. “This one area is marked off as ‘area of interest. I’m guessing we start here.”
K’tana looked over his shoulder and nodded.
“That’ll get us into the Black Market. Grab anything that you may need, I’ll go put the chains back on. We’re going to need this to play out just right if we’re dealing with traders. No one likes esoteric rites as much as they love slave girls.” She grinned as she spun on her heels and went back into the Captains room to get her things together.
Draedan walked over to the Human’s corpse and grabbed Connors .48 and holster. The left the ship together in full costume with Draedan leading the way. They were quiet until they reached the Black Market and night was beginning to take hold of the sky. The deep pink sky reflected on the Twi’lek’s violet skin, causing her to shine a magenta in the hot remnants of the sun.
They watched several other men and women lead slaves of all races towards a central building among tents and merchant booths. Draedan leaned over and poured his homeworld accent into his speech as he caught the eye of a lovely Zeltron woman leading two of her own race towards the larger building.
“Excuse me, Ma’am?” he asked graciously, “But do you know where I can take this wretched creature to be sold? I’m new here and someone practically gave me this useless welp. I can’t stand to even look at her anymore.”
The green haired Zeltron looked behind him to the Twi’lek, who was scowling angrily at the back of her Rattataki Masters head.
“Well, she’s lovely enough, what happened that you feel the need to get rid of her?” the green haired woman eye’d Draedan suspiciously, but he’d been waiting for this question.
“I was told she was picked up from a planet where she had been claiming to be some kind of Royalty. Not sure what made her think her kind even have a hierarchy but she, It turns out, has the attitude to go along with the claim. She’s spiteful and she talks back. It’s horrible.”
“I didn’t lie. I am the High Priestess of the Blen clan. No one is closer to Kika’lekki then I!” K’tana said proudly, sticking her chin in the air.
“No, girl, you are a slave.” Draedan said as he backhanded her. A whine escaped the Twi’lek’s lips and when Draedan returned his gaze to the Zeltron, she was scowling fiercely at K’tana.
“I’m Ter’ra, and it just so happens I know exactly where this girl needs to be taken.” Ter’ra pointed out a building and explained that it was a Slave Training facility, where new slaves were to be taken and broken. Draedan prodded gently about the owner and being who ran the joint, being told that he was a Zygerrian lord who’d made a deal with the One Sith to run the slaving faction on Korriban.
Ter’ra also mentioned that the Lord had an insatiable lust for collecting “Dark Magics”.
As the Zeltron departed, Draedan tugged K’tana behind him and made for the Training Facility.
“There’s a good chance that we’re going to track this Rite to this slaver Lord sooner or later.” Draedan caught K’tana smiled softly, something that said she knew more than she was telling him.
‘Is there something I should know?” the Rattataki asked coolly.
“Not just yet.” the Twi’lek responded just as coldly as she was asked. Draedan grew suspicious but said nothing. As they approached the building, K’tana occasionally pulled back on the leash, seeming to put up a slight fight. Draedan turned the tables and walked behind her, gripping one of her lekku and pushing her along. No one asked who they were or what they were doing, instead they were ushered into a large waiting area filled with different species.
Draedan caught K’tana staring, wide-eyed, at a Lethan Twi’lek dragging two males in shrouds. K’tana stared until the woman turned towards her, then her face dropped and an unreadable blank look settled upon the Tyrian woman’s face. Her brow furrowed as she suddenly tried to pull her lekku out of Draedan’s hand. He clutched it harder and pulled her back, causing her to slam her back into his shoulder. He let out a little cry, and slouched as she continued to walk where he pushed her.
Suddenly, the crowd grew silent and on a large central platform appeared a half dozen Zygerrians and their slaves. A male with a large set of facial horns took center stage with three female slaves kneeling several feet behind him. His high pitch voice was contradictory to his large size and full facial mane.
“Greetings travelers! I’m humbled that you have taken your time to come visit me at my prestigious school! No matter where you come from we all have something in common!” he continued, his voice becoming more whiney as he seemed to grow more excited. “We all have, at one point or another, ended up with an untrainable, undisciplined slave and we all know how sad we are to have to give them up instead of making them work.”
He grinned into the crowd, looking at individual people and giving them a sharp fanged-toothy grin. He walked up behind a lovely Togruta woman and patted her head, causing her to immediately look at the floor.
“When you get the right breeding stock it somehow seems easier to force them into compliance. Where as when you get genetically inferior specimens,” he said while patting the Togruta’s lekku, “those who claim to have so called royal blood are often likely to fall into this class, you end up with spiteful and disobedient servants who either intentionally break your favorite vases…”
At this point the Lord grabbed the Togruta’s lekku and squeezed it, causing her to shriek, then he continued.
“This girl was a chief's daughter, and although barely civilized this slave believed that her position was higher than any other and felt she deserved special treatment because of it. So folks!” he said as the crowd laughed and a large man holding a whip stepped forward, “I have a special treat for you before the auctions are held and I start taking your horrors off your hands and improving them for you.”
He pulled the Togruta up by the lekku and although she went submissively, he still dragged her and pushed her face first into the stage.
“Welcome! To the Slave Training Academy of Gaerlin and the last day of Malia’s breaking!”
The crowd applauded as the large man who was standing in the back, moved to the front of the stage and began whipping the girl. At the first crack, Draedan felt K’tana flinch. The next several she didn’t so much as twitch. Her body went completely still and even her breathing stopped. She kept her eyes on the man with the whip, not once looking at Milia. The Rattataki came around to the front of the Twi’lek and tried to block her view, but she grabbed his arm and forcefully pushed him aside, giving him a hard look of pure ice when she did.
“Don’t touch me.” she said, her face blank, but her eyes had a slight glow. Her pitch became soft and cold. “I need to see this.”
The Rattataki was taken aback but he sidestepped, rubbing her lekku with his thumb, hoping it was a form of comfort. Once again she stopped moving and breathing, watching the man on stage flog the silently crying Togruta her skin grew cold. Draedan looked down at her fingers and saw blue sparks. He wound out and clocked her.
She spun, pulling the thin gold leash he held taut before it snapped, scattering gold links across the floor. Everyone stopped at looked over. A few Owners chuckled and the Flogger stopped his work as he, and the teary eyed Togruta, looked over to Lord Gaerlin. The Zygerian had a look of curiosity as he nodded to the people on the stage. The Flogger lifted up the girl and led her off the stage.
“My dear man! Please, bring your misbehaving girl up to the stage.” Gaerlin ordered as he looked over at Draedan. The Rattataki grabbed the Tyrian woman by the lekku and heaved her to her feet. Her eyes burned in rage and just as she opened her mouth again, Draedan backhanded her lips. The crowd parted and the Twi’lek began to shake. Draedan assumed it was with rage for he didn’t think she could even feel fear. When he looked at her face, he saw he was right.
Her violet skin had a deep crimson undertone, the red of her blood had rushed to the surface and it gave her a really lovely flush. Draedan shook his head as he pulled her to the stage. She went limp and whimpered as she looked at it, so he picked her up and threw her on it. She grunted as she hit the platform, her arms under her she tried to lift herself up. Gaerlin walked over to her, said nothing, and stepped on her lower back, flattening her. He smiled at the Loyalist Guard and held out his hand.
Draedan took the Zygerians hand and shook his head as he looked at the Twi’lek. She locked eyes with him and raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk passed over her lips, before it all faded and a mask of fear took over. Her saw her body begin to vibrate as she squeezed her eyes shut, forcing tears to spill down her cheeks.
“Lord Gaerlin, I am Sergeant Draedan. This girl is-” he started with a smile but was quickly cut off.
‘Until they are broken, they get numbers, not names. As your slave is the most rebellious of the group today, I’m going to do you a favor.” he smiled as he turned to address the crowd. “You see, great people, I don’t only do this for the fantastic wealth. I do this because I’m incredibly good at it and I love to do it. There is nothing in my life so fulfilling as breaking a willful slave.”
“Break me? Ahaha. I don’t think so. This petty male has no idea who, or what, he’s dealing with. I will find the Rite and I will make this man my personal pet. Before this War is over, I will have this breaker of slaves on a leash.” Draedan heard her voice echoing in his mind.
His eyes grew wide, but he looked down at his shirt and straightened it as he plastered a fake smile on his lips. The Zygerian was still stepping on K’tana and her tears were still falling, although the look in her eyes could have burned holes in the wooden floor. Draedan waited until the Lord looked back at him before he started listening to the man again.
“My, dear Sergeant Draedan, I will thus be taking this burden from your shoulders, free of charge, and not only will I break her willful spirit, I will turn her into a most excellent servant in every way possible” Gaerlin said with a wink. Draedan immediately, shook his head causing the Slave-Breaker to raise his brows.
“You may break her. You may train her. Please do not...ruin her.” Draedan said softly looking at the Twi’lek. Gaerlin’s laugh was infectious among the crowd.
“Ah, I see how it is my dear man! A little Twi’lek Frenzy!” he grinned condescendingly, “Don’t worry my good man, it happens to the best of us. You have my wold, I’ll not soil this little lovely. But she will be trained properly.”
At that, Draedan nodded his head and two large men came over and carried K’tana off the stage. It was all up to her now. As they talked over useless details of when to pick her up, Draedan regretted allowing K’tana to kill Connor. Perhaps he’d have had an easier way then the path she’d decided to take.
-------------------
I was already bored. How was this even possible? Locked in a set of boring manacles, threatened every now and then as the giant Kitty-Cat attempted to degrade and humiliate me. You can’t humiliate the dead. Although I guess you can’t bore them either. So I’m not fully dead inside, because I was frakking bored as I would be if Kika’lekki took me to her light. I don’t care if I live or die, because both existences have been and will be...Boring.
I watched the fur-ball pace back and forth. Occasionally he’d ask a question, and I’d play along. I’d growl, swear or sob as his need required. I would only put up as much of a fight as I needed to in order to keep the charade going. Eventually, about an hour later, he asked me if I’d behave for him. I let out a whimper and nodded my head and added a “Sir” for added points. As he unfastened my hands, I clutched at my wrists, letting him run his fingers over the remains of the chain that was still attached to my outfit.
Then I began to laugh.
This behaviour immediately confused him. The stink of his confusion spread through the room. I knew that even if I were halfway down the hallway I’d be able to smell it. I stood up and let the Rage of everything he wanted to do and everything he had done to that weak girl on the stage, flow through my muscles. I grabbed the hairball by the throat and spun him around, slamming him into the wall I was just attached to. I smiled into his face as he gasped for breath.
“W-who are you?!” his breathless, weak voice spurred my rage. I tightened my grip so he couldn’t speak. Then I leaned over him, dragging my chest across him and smiling for him. The confusion and fear spewed from his pores and I shook my head as I bound him to the wall with the shackles he’d kept me in.
I tilted my head and smiled as I took a step back. The manacles were some kind of metal and I really just wanted to test the conductivity. I figured that maybe I should give him a taste before I really went at him for answers.
I let the smooth feeling that bubbled up from a cold place in my back, spread up my shoulders and down to my fingertips. I’ve been told everyone experienced using the Force differently, but as far as I could tell, no one felt it as a cold well in their back. To each their own. As it coursed down my arms, the feeling warmed up until it was hot, but not uncomfortably so. I twiddled my fingers for effect as I sent the blue light at his left arm cuff.
His scream told me all I needed to know.
It was a tiny little zap, but the current licked the cuff and bounced around through his wrist and up his arm until I could see the muscles in the side of his neck twitch and spasm. Unfortunately, the dumb cat had no pain tolerance. He passed out after I tested the other arm. Men are always the first to faint.
I decided to leave him there and go looking through his private rooms in search of the Grand Master’s Ritual-thing. I figured it’d be a holocron or a scroll. It didn’t really matter, I’d just steal whatever looked ancient and useful. I figured I’d scope the room I was already in first.
I found a few items in this “torture” room that could’ve made Connor blush. Oh yeah! I forgot about that. Haha! That’s was fun. I looked back at the unconscious slaving scum-sucker. I figured that he’d cause more problems being alive. If he really is good at breaking people, then maybe he’d be more of a danger to be left alive...Unless I broke him. Hmm.
I scurried around the room looking for anything interesting and that I could sell, or use to get into a safe room. I found a keycard on a table near the “bed”, if you could call it that, a set of interesting leashes and a super cute purple knapsack. I strapped Gaerlin up and unshackled him from the wall. As he lay on the floor, I sat on his chest and poked him in the eye with my lekku as I pulled the sack over my shoulders.
“Wakey-wakey P.O.S-ey!” I sang to him in an off key note to just irritate him awake. Worked like a charm too.
“What the frak! Get off of me you-” I quickly brought up my favorite ability and waved my sparking finger in front of his eyes.
“Now, now! Be nice! Wouldn’t want Miss K’tana to get angry and go get the spray bottle, now would we Mr. Kitty?” I laughed in his face as his startled eyes went wide and he shook his head. I grabbed the collar and helped him get to his feet.
“Do you know about the Rite of innvuner...wait...invisibility?” Damn. I knew this!
“Invin-” I held up my finger across his lips
“Shh! I know what it is!” I scowled, letting the sparks tickle his mouth. “Invincibility! Rite of Invincibility! Y’know where I can find it?”
“It’s a fake scrap of paper, what could you possibly need it for?” he asked with a rude tone in his voice. I gently patted his lips, scared he would faint like a sissy again.
“Shshshhshh, I didn’t ask for your opinion on it. I want you to take me to it.” I smiled and tugged his leash “mmk?”
“Fine, but it’s not a real thing. It’s a Brotherhood myth. It’s not a real thing!” I rolled my eyes and cuffed the side of his massive, furry ear. I leaned really close to him so he could see I was serious.
“I don’t give a flying rancor. I want it. You have it. And you WILL give it to me. Like right frakking now.” I smiled again as he sputtered and nodded his head.
He walked to the door and I really wished I could have seen him blush, for when the two guards saw him being walked out by me, UGH! It was so funny! I really had to hold my breath to not lose my mind giggling. He waved them off and I grinned at them as he led me to a large, super sealed up room.
“That keycard will get you in.” he said, his stupid giant ears flat against his shaking head.
“Uhuh.” I said, because I didn’t really care. The fact that the Rite was real or fake didn’t matter to me. I had a job to do, I was going to do it. When His Muzzzleyness got it, it became his problem. So long as the Estoryic-or-whatever-his-name was and the stupid One Sith didn’t get it, the rest didn’t matter.
I opened the door and gasped at the massive amount of shiny objects! Needless to say, I made fur-face open all the cases and I stuffed the knapsack to almost full. Several times I had to take something out and replace it with something smaller.When I figured I’d had as much as I could carry and still have room for the Rite, I poke his furry ass with my favorite shocking finger and spurred him towards a large case in the middle of the room.
He wasn’t joking. It was a scrap of paper. A large scrap, but a scrap none-the-less.
“Are you sure it’s the whole Rite of whatever?”
“Invincibility. Yes, but it’s not possible to make it work. So it’s obviously a fake.” I shook my head, still not caring.
‘Whatever. Open it up Mr. Kitty!” I poked him again, and he actually hissed at me! Like really! Who does that?! Wierdo. So anyways, he opened it up and then started laughing!
“What the hell fuzzbag?!” I yelled as he rolled up the paper and held it out to me.
“This room is meant to put things in. Not take them out. You just triggered an alarm that will alert all the guards and One Sith around the city.”
My next statement was obvious.
“Well, frak.”
-------------
Draedan couldn’t tolerate leaving her alone. He paced inside of Connor Grey’s ship anxiously. He’d sit down, go over maps, clean his blaster, checked over Connor’s .48 and do more pacing. Only three hours had gone by before he knew something was wrong and he needed to go back and help her. Tucking the .48 back in his pants, he practically ran out of the ship and back onto the market.
He arrived back at the Training Center just as he saw the Tyrian Twi’lek running out of the building a giant pack on her back and a stupid smile on her face. A huge platoon on men armed with guns and blades came storming out of the building after her. Each shot only barely missed her and he heard her yell obscenities at them when their shots came too close for her comfort.
“Draedan!” she laughed when she saw him and raced over, spinning him around to run next to her and pulling him faster.
“Do’ya think you can fly Mr.Grey’s ship?” the Rattataki was shocked, but not all that surprised. He nodded as they flew over the compact sand.
“Okay, well that’s good. When we get out of atmo, you wanna contact the dropship?” she laughed nervously, not even out of breath as she ran “I totes forgot my lightsaber, and I kinda need it.”
Draedan looked over at her in utter disbelief. He would have brought his hand to the back of her head if he didn’t think that perhaps too many whacks caused her problems in the first place.
When they arrived in the docking bay, she suddenly shoved into him knocking him over, as a robed figure sent a bolt of lightning at him. The Twi’lek smiled and shot a bolt back at her adversary. She laughed as she kept running, until she heard the ignition of a lightsaber.
“Frak! Kark! Frell!” she screamed. She removed the backpack and stuffed it into Draedans hands, quickly pulling out a piece of rolled up paper. “Keep running. Get to the ship and get it in the damned clouds. I’ll buy us some time!”
She stopped running and grabbed for her shiv. Her body went cold as she experienced a momentary flash of worry. She was unarmed and if this person was who she’d been warned about, she was in trouble, but at least she had the paper.
“Hey!” she yelled as she shot another bolt of electricity towards the hooded form. The Twi’lek ginned and waved the paper in the air. “I got something for you! Wanna talk?”
Had any people stayed in the area, they’d have most likely bolted at the sound of her manic giggle. If not, then it would of been at the point when the robed woman dropped her cloak to the ground and pointed her long, red lightsaber at the skipping Twi’lek.
“Bring it here.” she said firmly.
“Yeah, sure. Then you just leave your saber over there.” K’tana spun around, still smiling. “Look I’m unarmed! I just wanna talk, mmk?”
The Iktotchi lifted her chin and looked the younger woman over. Necren wasn’t sure what to think about Brotherhood member. The Twi’lek was little older then a girl, there was an innocent smile on her lips, but her green eyes seemed to reflect the moonlight as an animal eyes did.
Necren disengaged her saber and dropped it to the ground, just on top of her cloak.
“Come then.” the older woman said, a wisp of a smile touched her lips as she inclined her head and slowly blinked. She watched as the Twi’lek nodded her head as she skipped over, waving the Rite of Immortality in her hand. As the girl smiled and stopped a foot away from the other woman, they stood eye to eye, Necren felt a stab of wasted youth as she gazed at the girls smile. All she could think was how the Brotherhood had failed to train the innocence out of this child.
It would be a pity to kill her.
“Hand over the Rite girl.” a devious look over took the Knights face.
“I have two conditions. They’re simple and require everything on your part.”
Necren inclined her head again, trying not to smirk.
“You let me go. Obvious and simple. You can track me to see that I won’t be going back to the Brotherhood if it makes you feel better.”
“Simple, as you say.” Necren nodded.
“Second, tell Darth Esoteric that Kata’lek Blen of Arcona says hello.” the Twi’lek smiled sincerely, even reverently, at the thought of Darth Esoteric hearing she managed to acquire the Rite for him. Necren couldn’t help but smile.
“I will give you your due girl. Even if you go back to the Brotherhood, we shall come find you, if you’re strong enough to survive what comes next.” The purple girl smiled and bowed her head. Her purple fingers opened as she displayed the Rite held in her palm. Necren took it and chuckled.
“Good luck child. Now get going.”
“Thank you miss!” the Twi’lek girl giggled and said as she ran to the started ship, she turned backwards to wave before hopping aboard.
Darth Necren looked at the ancient scroll, collected her saber and cloak. She shook her head with a grin as she walked towards her own ship, and back to her Master.
-------------
“What the hell did you do!” Draedan yelled at the Twi’lek as she entered the cockpit. “And what the frak are you smiling about! The Brotherhood will exile you, if they don’t kill you!”
The Twi’lek giggled.
“Why would they do that?” she smiled at the fuming Rattataki as he sputtered at her.
“Lord Cethgus will have my skin. Oh Sithspit, he’ll probably take my horns as a necklace. You’ve not only killed yourself, but me!”
“Pffft, you’re making such a big deal out of this. We should be far more worried about not getting back to the dropship and getting the kark away from this planet. The old hag is gonna be pissed!” she giggled as she started to walk out of the room.
“Hold on!” he roared at her, stopping her in her tracks. “where is the Rite?”
She frowned, nodded towards the backpack he’d thrown on the floor and then realization hit her and she burst out laughing.
“Wait! You thought!? Oh. My. Goddess!” she belted out laughing as she fell to the floor, and curled into a frantically giggling ball. Her breath came in gasps as she rolled side to side. “I can’t believe you’re that...stupid! That I’d give her...oh my goddess!”
The Rattataki started laughing as he figured it out.
“So what did you give her?” he asked while going over to the pack.
“I dunno. But I stuck the Rite in a pocket I found in the pack. Everything else went on top. That scroll was probably a recipe or some garbage.” she remembered how to breath and sat up on her closed knees as she watched him rifle through the bag.
He found the pocket she was talking about and found the rolled up scrap of paper. He opened it up and read parts of the Ancient Sith markings.
“Frak me!” he shook his head as he grinned. “You really found it!”
The Twi’lek’s eyes widened and she looked at him from under her lashes.
“I said I did.” he laughed at her response.
“Can you even read this?” he said mockingly. He started to laugh until her hand shot up, pointing at his face, blue sparks darted across her fingers. His voice dropped to a whisper “You wouldn't.”
His fear made her laugh. Of course she wouldn't. She needed him to drive to the drop ship where she could retrieve her lightsaber first. She lowered her hand and laughed until he laughed with her. Her laughing stopped abruptly as she turned and left the cockpit.
“Get us to the dropship. Now.” she said as she swayed into the Captains quarters.
Draedan gulped and then immediately went about doing as he was told. His fear about her mental state growing steadily.
End