A Forced Hand

[Talus Morid]

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

Talus didn't move to stop her.

Not yet.

There was no need to yet. They were on day one of their trip, and as far as he was concerned there was nothing that she could do. There were options, true, but each one of them would harm her as much as him. He was hardly infallible of course, she could surprise him, but for now he was confident in this place. As she turned and began to walk away, fear clipping at her heels, Talus simply watched and remained in place upon the floor of the common room.

When she passed through the doorway and into the hall his eyes fell closed once more.

This time he made no effort to reach out to her, no effort to touch her mind. That part of the game was done for now. He had to let the little bird fly free for now, so that it would eventually freely return to his palm. It was something you learned early on during the hunt. Things had to be a give and take between you and your prey.

It had to be done perfectly.

Talus knew that, he had always been good at hunting. The best in Clan Morid. It was why he had been allowed to attempt the Trial's, why he had left Kiffu on his little quest, and why he was now returning in glory.

 

[Lief]

It had been more than a few minutes since she'd checked the ships floorplan and as such she unintentionally ran right past the engine room and ended up doubling back on herself. Peeking into the smaller rooms housing life support systems and shielding tech she didn't completely understand, she noticed that nothing seemed blatantly amiss as far as she could tell. But then she never guessed it would be any such things that was giving her such cause for concern.

The Kiffar was far from her mind at this point. He could have been a whole other world away and she'd be none the wiser. A significant buildup of heat whacked her straight in the face when she stepped into the desired room, the whir of the engines blocking out any other noises she might have heard otherwise. Oh something was up alright. the pressure gauge was showing near critical levels which immediately had her jump into action.

Finding the pressure release valves was, honestly, the most difficult part of the whole endeavor but even with that squared away she wasn't completely certain the issue was cleared. Did the ship sound better? Sure. But something had also caused the residual buildup all the same. One release of steaming air caught her off guard, burning along her right forearm and pulling a whole stream of colourful curses from her lips.

Already she was discovering how much she missed her simple little a-wing.

Though, with the noise and general hubbub going on around her in that moment, she did take the time to do something she probably ought not have done. From the corner of her eye she spotted what looked to be a subspace transceiver nestled in with a few other control consoles on the wall, and without giving it much thought, spurred on by the sudden rush of adrenaline she'd subjected herself to, she did the only 'sane' thing she could think of.

She dispatched a very simple distress signal which she hoped would broadcast the ships location.

But what did she know? She hadn't done this before.

[member="Talus Morid"]

 

[Talus Morid]

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

Talus was not of course Omniscient.

He had a feel for the ship, but he was neither a technopath nor inclined towards technology in general. It came as no surprise then that he did not notice the signal, in fact he did not even imagine she could have set one off. There would be consequences for it later of course, there were always consequences.

Though what those would be even he could not have said even if asked.

Talus hardly planned anything. Even his path home had been utterly unplanned. The Ritual itself still had to be completed, but he had all the components now. By right of his blood and the strength he had shown he would be able to challenge, whether or not he'd win was an entirely different matter. That was part of whom he was. There was no meticulous plot, no subtle movements behind the scene. He would show up, he would complete the ritual, and then he would fulfill his destiny.

He knew it would be so.

His eyes remained closed as he meditated within the common room, aware that the girl was doing something within the ship, but not knowing the specifics. He wasn't concerned. Whatever it was couldn't stop him now, but nothing could.

 

[Lief]

After a little more fine-tuning, Kal finally felt a little more confident that the freighter wasn't about to break down - or worse. She gave herself a few more minutes stood within the stuffy engine room, call it a respite from reality, before heading back through the maintenance hall toward the heart of the ship.

Each step she took seemed to slow the closer she got. What if he was still knelt there? She'd left without a word, though the fact he hadn't tried to stop her likely meant he didn't care. Where was she going to go? Did this ship even have escape pods? And what good would such do anyway, so far from any world?

With a soft exhale she finally built up the courage to step over the threshold into the mess hall, though her feet forced her to keep on moving all the same. Back in the direction of the cockpit if she had any say over the matter. She tried so hard to keep her head turned away from him, but as she passed by his location she could not help but sneak a quick glance.

He was meditating again, or at least it looked like he was. Maybe he was feeling travel sick? Or simply didn't like space journeys? What other reason would someone have to act so oddly, after all.

It wasn't really her problem, though, so she passed him by without much more thought. Best check they were still on course, she supposed.

[member="Talus Morid"]

 

[Talus Morid]

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

He was growing bored. Meditation kept him busy, diving into the depths of the power. There was something sweet about just sitting there with it, holding it in absolute contentedness and reveling within all of the things that he could possibly do. Yet eventually the strain of that grew to be too much. Not the power itself, no, that was never a burden. But the ideas of all the things he could do, the thought of what he could manage...those were what overwhelmed him.

It was best not to tempt fate.

So just as Kalyn Shif moved through the alcove that he had taken for himself Talus began to move. Not quickly, he allowed her to pass by first. Instead he waited, opening his eyes only when she could not see him, standing when she was already well into the next room. He moved with a lithe sort of predatory gait, walking as though he were on the prowl for something. He allowed his eyes to drift over the inside of the ship, watching, inspecting, and thinking.

He needed to occupy himself.

How best to do that he wondered?

For a moment more Talus mused within the small common room, and then slowly he stepped into the path that Kalyn had forged through the ship. His steps were subtle, far more quiet than they had any right to be from someone of his size and bulk. With that stealth he moved behind her, slow and unnoticed.

 

[Lief]

The cockpit wasn't too far.

This ship she had unwillingly commandeered was small enough; sure in comparison to her own it was almost luxurious, but as far as the grand scope of ships went it was definitely on the tinier end of the spectrum. All it took was one simply hallway, with the odd door no doubt leading to crew quarters if the floorplan was anything to go by, and she was there.

All that greeted her inside was the soft hum of the ship, the blinking lights of countless consoles, and the void which flickered by outside the window. Without giving it much consideration she slipped into the pilots chair and closed her eyes, letting out a soft sigh.

In that moment the realization of what she had done in the engine room began to sink in. She should have been concerned, though the man had shown no signs of picking up on her transgressions, or nervous. But in truth she felt... Nothing. Or at least very little in the way of true emotions. The likelihood of someone responding and catching up with them was slim to none, and she hadn't really given much information to go by.

Virtually nothing, in fact.

Boots kicked up onto one of the consoles, careful to avoid knocking anything which might alter their course, and she leaned back, completely oblivious to the fact that she wasn't as alone as she thought she was.

Earbuds were replaced, music was ramped up, and a soft hum escaped her lips.

This was just a job, right? One which would be paid with life, instead of credits.

Or so she thought.

[member="Talus Morid"]

 

[Talus Morid]

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

Talus stepped lightly.

Though his bulk was considerable, he had been a hunter from a very young age. The first thing he had been taught as a child was to move quietly and swiftly. It was the only way one could survive back home, moving in such a way that prey could not find you.

It was no different here.

He was not going to kill her, not yet anyway, but he needed entertainment. The trip would be a long one, and he doubted that he could get this ship to the surface of Kiffu without crashing. So he would have to toe the line, taking his fun but ensuring that the girl remained...functional. His fingers drummed gently against his thumb as he moved through the tight corridors of the ship, his expression remaining that same neutral stoic that it had been since boarding.

Then he stepped into the cockpit.

Pale yellow eyes followed the girl as he stood there in silence, waiting for her to react.

 

[Lief]

Though nothing was audibly amiss, though there was no reason - in her mind for it to be so - she began to feel the tiny hairs on the back of her neck begin to prickle, as though warning her that she was not alone, that someone was watching her.

It was an eerie sensation, one she didn't much like.

For so long Kal had journeyed alone. Never anyone else to watch over her shoulder, or to stare at her while she worked or relaxed, so to begin with the feeling was entirely foreign. Strange. It brought her back to what some might argue was an easier time, back when she was part of a crew rather than going it alone. Always prying eyes, though they meant no harm.

She rose with a jolt, and turned her head to find the Kiffar stood in the doorway of the cockpit. Those pale sulfur eyes bore into her, and worrying that she had somehow missed an instruction of some sort she pulled free one of the earbuds and cocked her head to the left.

"Did you say something?" she asked, voice soft though it was clear she had been spooked by the undertone. Almost breathless.

[member="Talus Morid"]

 

[Talus Morid]

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

He studied her for a silent moment. She was familiar with Kiffu, that much he already knew, but he wondered just how deep her knowledge went. There were few people in the galaxy who truly knew much about his homeworld.

It was true that most of his people were tribal, but most only knew of the surface dealings. Clan Vos, Baruk, the more popular and less diverse clans that made their way off-world more often. They were really the public 'face' of Kiffu, the ones that were encountered most often by outsiders. Tribes like his own, Morid, were rarely seen off world or really anywhere else. Granted his clan consisted of nothing but exiles and shamed ones, but the same was true for many others.

"You know Kiffu." It was not a quesiton.

The Tribal stepped forward.

His figure was imposing, though he meant her no immediate threat, not yet anyway. He still had no idea what she had done, and even if he had seen her he might not have been able to guess. Talus had never been good with technology, even Datapads gave him trouble.

 

[Lief]

It was a curious thing, to be told something so assertive about yourself by a complete stranger.

For a moment Kal simply stared back at him, brows furrowed ever so slightly, even after he stepped forward, even after he seemed to tower over her, foreboding, intimidating. She thought back to her time on Kiffu... So little had been learned at that time, if she was going to be honest, but after the fact? While it had been difficult to get her hands on the information she longed for - after all they seemed to be rather reserved, secluded people, often misunderstood by outsiders - she had leaped at any opportunity to learn more.

Though he had not spoken to her in a tone which brokered a question, which sought an answer, she slowly nodded her head all the same. The music which played into her right ear seemed to drown out by the sound of blood thumping, and her mouth became uncomfortably dry, throat constricted, as he continued to stare at her.

"Somewhat," she managed to spit out after what felt like an eternity but in truth was just a few seconds, "Not as much as I'd like..."

[member="Talus Morid"]

 

[Talus Morid]

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

"How?" This time it was question.

Talus thought he already knew the answer, but there was no telling for sure. He could have ripped the information from her mind of course, but that wouldn't have been half as fun as torturing the poor girl. This was about entertaining himself, nothing more really.

He could very well have done without finding this out. If she was from Kiffu herself, had a parent in one of the tribes or was born to the Chief of Vos himself didn't really matter to Talus. His people were splintered, fractured into their little tribes and clans. She was not of Morid, that much he knew already, and that meant he would kill her all the same.

Not that he wouldn't if she were from his own clan.

They were exiles for a reason, criminals in all but name. The general concept of rules and tribal law hardly applied to them, which was of course why he and the others were shunned.

 

[Lief]

Kal shrugged.

"Visited once or twice" she said, turning slightly so that their gazes no longer locked. That at least helped with her nerves. "Decided I wanted to know more. Reckon my Pa' changed his name, couldn't find any tribe with my last, not that it matters. Could've been raised there, if the stars were different, but there ain't no use dwelling on what might've been. Still, it might have been nice to have people 'stead of just the void, you know?"

She glanced back at him for a moment, before shaking her head with a light - almost nervous - chuckle.

"Not that you care for my blabbering." She added, knowing that she had a bad habit of talking too much at the most inappropriate of moments. "My life's inconsequential to you, so long as I gets you where you want to go."

As an afterthought, she added, "So what do you think of it? This void, I mean." Her head tipped in the direction of the viewing port, through which the lines of stars could be seen as the ship moved through hyperspace. "Ain't too late to learn how to fly one of these things yourself, y'no? I'll bet you ain't felt freedom like it, going where you want, when you want."

Fear should have stayed her tongue, it was a stupid thing to suggest given the circumstances, but for whatever reason she felt almost at ease. Maybe it was all this talk of 'home'.

Kiffu ain't no home to you. No place is.

That thought made her frown.

[member="Talus Morid"]

 

[Talus Morid]

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

Cute.

No, Talus would not be learning how to fly one of these infernal contraptions. Didn't feel the need to. Generally when he traveled he didn't resort to kidnapping. Bribing a freighter captain or paying a smuggler was easy enough, and most of them kept their mouth shut as long as you paid well. The only reason that he had taken the girl was because he'd needed to get back to Kiffu extra quietly. Freighters and smugglers would land in the city, and he couldn't have that.

For his plan to work he needed more security, and he needed it quickly. Of course that meant landing within the wastes and not any of the local starports. It was more difficult due to the storms of course, but that was just something that the girl would have to deal with when they made it to the planet. If she couldn't? Well she would die anyway.

No great loss.

She was Kiffar, as he had thought, but that truly meant nothing. She was not of any of the tribes and thus her identity meant little to him. Perhaps if he knew she had been Vos or one of the other clans he could have used her as a ransom, but apparently she wasn't that lucky. Death it would be, shame really, the fire within her hair was really rather pretty. Almost as if musing on that fact Talus reached out and gently grasped a wisp of it, almost playing with the mane of red.

 

[Lief]

"Careful," she warned, though rather than filled with indignation her tone was surprisingly light, as the stranger reached out and touched a strand or two of her hair, "Mind you don't burn those fingers of yours. Ain't you heard about redheads and their tempers being as fiery as their hair?"

Giving it just a second or two, so as not to seem too abrupt or bothered by the odd actions of the Kiffar, she slowly leaned her head back away from him and tipped it curiously to one side, regarding him from beneath her eyelashes as she looked up toward his person.

"So, what's so bad about your tribe that you gotta challenge the chief?" she inquired, perhaps a little too forward for her own good, "Or great about the position, I suppose... Can't imagine having that much power or attention, then again the limelight ain't exactly safe for my sort. Not in a Galaxy like this. Trying to prove a point? Make a change?"

Probably a power grab in the purest sense if his general demeanor was anything to go by. Seemed the ambitious type from what she could tell. It was all well above anything she'd had to do, anything she'd aspired to do. Kal was happy with her tiny ship, nobody lording over her, nobody to lord over. Simplicity... Anything more than that was too much of a chore. Way too much responsibility.

[member="Talus Morid"]

 

[Talus Morid]

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

For a second, Talus didn't move.

His hand remained outstretched even as she leaned back and attempted to move away from him, her discomfort clear. There was a calm to her voice, but any fool could see that she was clearly scared. There was no shame in that of course, he had taken her from her proper place and stolen her away to a place she had no business being in. The Kiffar might have considered her brave for even speaking to him, but the truth of the matter was he didn't think she deserve the consideration.

Few did in his eyes. Mercy had never been granted to him, and thus he found it difficult to grant it to anyone else. That was the simple truth of his existence, how he had functioned and how his life had been shaped by their events.

His fingers twitched, and then he moved like a Viper.

Within an instant a powerful pulse of the force reached through his arm and slashed through his skin. He moved faster than should have been possible, and he attempted to wrap his hand around the girls throat and lift her into the air before she could get away.

 

[Lief]

Her questions hung in the air, unanswered and arguably unheard.

Doubts began to set in then; up until this point he hadn't really given her cause to truly worry or fear. Sure he had gotten her here by force, blade at her throat, but her compliance put a swift end to that. She realized now that she had allowed herself to become comfortable. Much too comfortable. There was a beast within him, lingering just beneath the surface, his eyes held primal instinct, almost feral.

Kal's breath caught in her throat.

And then it happened, time seemed to slow and then break with a snap, where once she had been sat upon a chair now she found herself flailing in the air. Hanging by her neck.

Both hands lifted to grasp at his wrist, feet kicking instinctively though not necessary in an attempt to strike him in any way. More in disbelief at what was happening, at the fact that they were no longer bound to the ground by gravity. All that held her aloft was his hand.

He was stronger than he looked.

[member="Talus Morid"]

 

[Talus Morid]

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

One of her feet went flailing into his rib, though the impact wasn't hard. It was clear that the girl wasn't trying to escape him, rather that she just hadn't expected for him to grab her. Still, the strike landed against one of his bruised ribs and he couldn't help but flinch ever so slightly.

In response to grasp around her neck tightened.

"Stop." The single word flowed from his lips instantly. Whether or not she did wasn't exactly Talus' concern. The grip on her throat was tight enough that he could just snap her neck if he really wanted to. Their size difference was a great one, though of course his ego didn't allow him to account for any other skills that the girl might have. For all he knew she had a blade hidden somewhere, though the thought never really crossed his mind.

For Talus she was simply another victim.

"Learn when to speak." He told her plainly. "And when not to."

The Kiffar's grip tightened slightly. "It will allow you to live longer, little mouse"

 

[Lief]

By the time he'd balked at her to stop the flailing had all but ceased.

Her grip of his wrist remained tight, as though she believed it would keep her from feeling the effects of gravity against he throat, Naturally that wasn't the case, not only was she being pulled down but his grasp was beginning to tighten. Forcing the air from her, restricting how much she could breathe in.

One hand had lowered, fingertips stretching, reaching, closing on thin air; they longed to close around the handle of her knife, but like most beings her arm was simply much too short to reach all the way down into her boot without leaning down, something she was physically incapable of doing. Her fingertips began to feel numb, tingling as her body began to panic at the lack of oxygen.

She had known deep down that she'd been pushing it. Truth be told she always ended up talking too much when she was around other people, it didn't happen too often and she was a social butterfly at heart even if it wasn't a side of her personality she got to express all that often.

Her eyes set up at his, understanding flowing through them, lips moving soundlessly along the same vein.

No more talking.

At this rate, though, she doubted she'd ever get a chance to again. Already she was feeling rather lightheaded. As though she might pass out at any moment.

[member="Talus Morid"]

 

[Talus Morid]

[member="Kalyn Shif"]

For a moment the Kiffar mused, watching as the light slowly began to fade in the girls eyes. A small smile touched his lips as her head began to lull from side to side, oxygen cut off from her brain and her body beginning to struggle with staying awake.

It was fascinating to see.

Talus was by no means a sadist, not really. There were others in the tribe who enjoyed this kind of torture far more than he dead. They cut and skinned, salted the wounds and reveled within the agony. There was a part of him that did enjoy it, true, but not in the same fashion. He took a breath, almost taunting her, and then he slowly released his grip on her throat. There was no ceremony about it, one minute he was holding her, and the next he simply let go.

The look in her eye had been amusing.

Though that amusement had been painfully fleeting.

It would be hours yet before they made it even close to Kiffu, and he knew that if he was going to survive this trip without giving into the power he would have to find something else to occupy him. Unlike a normal traveler Talus could not use a datapad or fool around with some sort of console.

He had to play a different game.

 

[Lief]

Stars danced in her eyes, vision tunneling.

This was it, wasn't it? This was the end. Not at all how she imagined she'd go out. At the hands of a bounty hunter, perhaps, or power failure in her old ship, but never this. Never for simply talking too much. Her fingertips and toes twitched, she couldn't even feel the boots the latter were housed within, and though she appeared to be breathing inward, in truth it was a very laboured attempt, one which wasn't netting her anywhere near enough air as she needed. Rasped.

Her eyes became heavy, lids flickering as she fought to hold on to some remnants of consciousness. She couldn't even really see him at this point, those stars had grown so vast.

And then she fell.

Met with the durasteel ground, she found the air knocked back into her lungs painful. Sucking in as much of it as she could take, despite the fact that it burned all the way down her throat and into her lungs, she remained almost precisely where she'd dropped to. Back bent, body trembling. One by one the sensations began to return, she could feel her arms, then hands, then finally her fingertips, and her vision began to return after a few more dances.

Her head still swam, though, and when she lifted it up to look at him it seemed to sway from side to side. The hand which had been at his wrist to begin with now lifted to touch her ruddy neck, eyes boring into his with a silent ferocity.

She didn't speak, though.

She wasn't that stupid.

[member="Talus Morid"]