A Dance with the Devil

[Ameli Trahir]

Coruscant was the city that never slept, always buzzing with life. Ameli Trahir had been drawn into that carefree pit of euphoria. She had no intention of climbing out any time soon. Why would she? She had fallen in love with the lifestyle. It was more fun and exciting than anything she had experienced before.

Despite feeling alone and abandoned, she was having a good time. At least during the night. Coming down from the clouds the next day was less satisfying.

Too long her father had locked his princess into the proverbial tower. No longer did she live a life of isolation. Ameli was free.

As per usual, Ameli was out drinking and partying. Tonight was different though. Tonight, she was going someplace new. This club was one of those places she'd only heard grand tales about. It was among the hottest spots on Coruscant, but it was a pretty exclusive club. Only the elite mingled there. Famous holonet stars, prominent politicians, the upper hierarchy of society in general. And Ameli was gonna crash the party.

It was said to be on the top floor of one of Coruscant's towering buildings. The view was excellent. There were so many stories, she barely knew what to believe. She just had to see for herself, just for one night. She would find out. The one thing she didn't know, but desperately wished she did, was what the kark people wore in a place like that.

In the end, Ameli had landed on an classy, red dress. At least she thought it looked classy. It had a long skirt, that just covered her knee on one side, but cut all the way up to her mid-thigh on the other. It was a tight fit, which complimented her light figure excellently. Most of her back was left bare. Her right shoulder was bare as well, the dress coming together ontop of her other shoulder, keeping it in place. She wore high heels, black. Ameli also had a pair of silk-like gloves that cut off just by the elbows. Her beautiful blonde hair was prepared and done up, a process that felt like it had taken her hours to complete. Her lips looked inviting, with a glossy light pink gloss over it. The final piece of accessory, was a pair of big, round silver-coloured earrings. She was dressed for a night to remember.

Ameli stared down at the buildings that were growing increasingly small, as she traveled upwards in the long elevator ride. She was alone in the elevator, which gave her a little extra time to check herself out, and fix her make-up. Checking herself in the glass mirror of the elevator, she noticed her lipstick had gotten a little smeared. Working her magic, she got it sorted and re-applied it, looking as good as new. She had almost missed a little stain, just below her lower lip, but she wiped it off. Ameli was good to go.

The hardest part had been getting in. While she had large reserves, she lacked the formal training to put her Force powers to good use. Instead, she would have to use her charms. Too her surprise, the bouncer had not been so easily convinced. Ameli was used to getting her way, and certainly not to getting denied like this. Luckily for her, she was a resourceful girl. The bouncer was not exactly a paragon of virtue, and had accepted her bribe. Even that was something that had to be discussed at length, until they finally found common ground, and agreed on a price.

The doors opened before her, and in stepped Ameli, into a crowd far above her standing, to what she hoped would become the party of a lifetime. The scene that unfolded in front of her almost made her drool. So many classy people, so many fancy dresses. The lights, the music! Everything about this was amazing. The girl tried hard not to squeal, but act cool, as she let her high heels carry her across the floor. She was doing a good job of pretending to belong, or at least she thought she was. This was exciting. She needed a drink...

[member=Sage Bane]

 

[Sage Bane]

Sage Bane was on a good, old fashioned partying bender. The youngest Hand of the Dark Lord had plenty of reasons to live it up. His military operations on Ruusan and Csilla were glorious successes, but what was it that they said about all work and no play? It really fething sucked. Or something like that. With that in mind, Sage decided to indulge in a bit of relaxation, and for the half-Chiss, that meant drinking, drugs, and nubile young flesh. Male, female, near-human alien, it didn't really matter to Sage. As long as he and his partner or partners shared the same voracious appetite. Passion after all, was a hallmark of Sith tenets. Moderation? That was for the Jedi.

Unbeknownst to her, Sage spied the girl coming out of a side room with the bouncer of the club in tow. Wiping her lips, the telltale transgression was pretty fecking obvious. The Dark Side of the Force practically sparked off of him at the sight of her long legs and hourglass figure. She seemed to be just his type. Although to be fair, anyone with a pulse and breathing air could carry that ceremonious distinction.

The Sith Lord surreptitiously followed her, but no, not in a creepy way, not at all, to the main dance floor of the club. Once there, he hung back, skimming on the outskirts of the crowd. The lovely young party girl hit the dance floor with wild abandon, as only a beautiful young Coruscant socialite could. A socialite. That's why she looked so familiar. He knew he had seen her face in the Holo Tabs. Daddy's little rich girl. Tsk tsk. Such a delicious cliche.

Leaning against a red lit pylon, he pressed a mental whisper through the membrane of the girl's mind, announcing his presence with his usual velvet-voiced panache.

If your father only knew what his precious little girl was up to tonight.

[member="Ameli Trahir"]

 

[Ameli Trahir]

The blonde girl in the red dress elegantly manoeuvred the dance floor, as if she'd done nothing else her entire life. This was her night to shine, to party with the elite. Who would she meet? She knew nothing of this night, save for the fact that it ought to be one to remember. It simply couldn't disappoint, she wouldn't let it.

Ameli was completely oblivious to the longing glances of the Hand of the Dark Lord. That she had caught the attention of someone so powerful, so high in the Sith hierarchy, was quite the feat. However, whether it ought to be the source of great excitement, or serious concern was still up in the air. The things he could do to her.

Unannounced, uninvited, she felt the confident, and charmingly cock voice of Sage Bane in her mind. Of course, she didn't know it was the voice of Sage Bane. All she knew was that she was suddenly hearing voices in her head...The girl froze, suddenly stopping her wild, yet enticing dance moves. She looked over her shoulder, looked around herself. What was going on? Was she going crazy? She hadn't taken anything before the party, had she? No, she definitely hadn't.

She saw nothing that stood out, no murderers around the corner, no cruel owner to the voice. Perhaps she had just imagined it? Perhaps all the excitement of being this high up had gotten to her head... Then she spotted him. There was someone, leaning against a red lit pylon. When she looked his ways, their eyes connected immediately. He was watching her, there was no doubt. In that moment, she froze, and her heart stopped breathing. She felt like she had forgotten something... Oh right, it was to breathe!

She offered him a playful, moderately inviting smile, then turned her back to him. They had made eye contact now, she had given him a light smile... His move. Ameli returned to her dancing. This time, however, she knew she was being watched. She was kind of expecting him to approach her, but you never knew. Some never mustered the courage.

Her moves were smooth, even luscious. Those hips, they knew how to move, and her dress did not hesitate to show her off. It wasn't long before she found herself approached and dancing with some random guy. He was alright-looking, though she didn't know who he was. His breath smelled heavily of alcohol though.

[member=Sage Bane]

 

[Sage Bane]

Getting warmer.

Warmer still.

Now you're hot.

Sage watched the young woman turn her head this way and that, looking around for the owner of the honeyed tone that whispered through her mind. She and Sage locked eyes for a moment, and she smiled. Sage's smile, of course, was halfway into a leer at this point. Then with a girlish hairflip, the socialite turned away and began to dance, her backless red dress hugging her in all the right places as she moved. Playing coy, was she?

A man, human or near, shimmied up to her and, like an alpha wolf, "claimed" her on the dance floor. Sage's smile turned into a smirk. He gathered the Force around him and used it to reach out with an invisible hand of Dark Sided energy. The cold fingers plunged itself into the man's chest and squeezed his heart like a piece of rotten fruit. The dancer clutched desperately at his chest, gasping for air, then fell to the floor with a thud, his head lolling to the side, tongue protruding like a dead slug. Sage let his whisper graze the woman's mind again.

Shame about your dance partner. Guess you're going to have to find a new one, eh Ameli?

That's right, he knew her name.

[member="Ameli Trahir"]

 

[Ameli Trahir]

She was a good dancer. Despite a childhood spent for the most part alone, isolated from the world, dancing was that one activity she had found solace in. Having someone to do it together with was a new experience, and part of the thrill that drew her out at night. Ameli knew what she was doing. However, it was a good thing that she kept her back to him.

His smile had crashed against hers like lightning. She couldn't put the image out of her mind. Her mind screamed 'danger', as if to urge her to get out of there, but at the same time, it was exhilarating. The rush made her feel right and wrong at the same time.

All the while she danced with this stranger, her mind was distracted, constantly drawn back to the familiar stranger's leer. She didn't notice as he slowed down. Even when he stopped, her first reaction was a simple 'your loss'-thought, before she was ready to move on. Of course, he hadn't just stopped dancing. He stopped living.

Ameli froze, taking steps back while gawking at the body. The dance floor formed a little circle around him. It wasn't long before he'd be carried away, and things return to normal. Normal. Was this how parties on the high end were? Any examination would say natural causes, though she had this eerie feeling she knew exactly what had happened. A murder had taken place in front of her. She had played no part of it... Or had she? Was it her fault that he was dead? Was him coming into contact with her the lethal act that sealed his fate? Ameli was like a poisonous rose. It wasn't her thorns that killed. No contact was required, merely her alluring scent. It was... exciting.

Ameli had a feeling that his death was not a random act. That silkysmooth voice in her head confirmed it. Ameli even gasped at the sound of it, though the music ensured that it was never heard. He knew her name. How did he know her name? This time the girl turned, facing Sage once more. Unlike last time, she stood her ground, staring him down. The blonde's breathing had increased, noticeable from the way her chest was heaving. Her entire body language, eyes that seemed to test him, everything was a challenge. She wasn't an obedient pet that would come running into his arms. If he wanted her, he had to come and claim her.

What happened next depended a lot on Sage Bane's next move. If he moved towards her, she'd likely remain in place. If he did nothing, she would not stand frozen on the dancefloor for long, but begin moving towards the bar. She needed a drink. And she had a feeling she would not be drinking alone.

[member=Sage Bane]

 

[Sage Bane]

Now that had gotten her attention. Ameli whirled to face him, her expression a mixture of confusion and outrage. Then, the young woman audaciously turned away. Playing hard to get, little one? She continued to dance with wild abandon. Sage chuckled and crossed to the bar, languishing against it as he ordered two Sonic Servodrivers. A wicked grin spread across his face as he approached the blonde, with two drinks in hands.

Her back was turned to him, so Sage slunk up behind her and wrapped one arm around her waist. His other hand pressed the drink into her fingers. His body heat burning like a furnace against the curves of her back, he boldly pressed his lips to the side of her neck, then moved them slowly down her exposed back.

"Fancy a drink with the Hand of the Dark Lord?" he asked her.

Before she answered, with a simple push into her mind, the Sith Lord slithered inside her head. He showed Ameli a flash of images, his Wyyrlock-class Star Destroyer, his black-uniformed Sith armies, his stable of Nabooian Guarlara. It was added proof for her, just in case his claim was not enough.

[member="Ameli Trahir"]