A Queen and Her Pawn

[Zoltan]

Zoltan's broken eyes stared distantly at his dim reflection within the puddle that sat at his feet. He had traded one master for another. This one even worse than the last. A Sith death squad had raided the prison colony in which he had been imprisoned and taken him captive, but not before taking his arm as well. His vision swam from the puddle to the stump that used to be his right arm. He thought with the achieval of his vengeance he might find some measure of peace, but in the end all he felt inside was a void even greater then the one before.

He was a fool to give into his emotions like so. It had cost him not only his arm, but his companion as well. He knew not what had happened to Padawan Cixi, but he felt sure whatever became of her it was not good. The battle had been a blur, over and done with in a flash. He wondered what the Sith might possibly want with him, but no matter how hard he tried to fit the pieces together he could not quiet see the whole picture. He found it fruitless to dwell on such things, but when he was not thinking of the machinations of the Sith he found himself worrying for his new found friend.

His soul was in turmoil and their was nothing he could do to stop the emotions broiling within. He felt like weeping one moment and shouting the next, but in the end he found he had the will to do neither. His cell was that of a durasteel box. He could scarcely see his surroundings except for what the dim ceiling light would allow. The puddle stank of blood and piss while smears on the wall told of the mad ramblings of whomever had stayed in the cell before him....

The box seemed to echo the way Zee felt perfectly. He could here the distant hum of a hyperdrive and so reasoned he was on some sort of ship. He had fainted after he lost his arm, and so truly had no idea where he was. Only that it was worse than before. His mind tarried on dark thoughts. The sham murder trial, The death of Rylos, the loss of his arm, and finally the disappearance of his friend. Finally as Zoltan's thoughts seemed to corner himself with grief he wondered how hard it would be too drown himself in the liquid before him.

Just as he brought his face towards the rank puddle he heard footsteps cascading down the hall beyond the door. He rose to his feet and scrambled to the door. With ear nestled firmly against the door frame, he listened and hoped...


[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

The woman had been captured at the same time Zoltan had been and they were taken on board the mercenary ship together. She was a trained Force user and was able to convince the guards to let her own. Once out, she donned one of the smaller outfits and quickly fit into the ranks of mercenaries. Nobody questioned her when she was able to speak, act and even move like them.

She quickly learned the layout of the ship and now approached where Zoltan was being held. Having been called to that desert world, he had been that reason. Now they just needed to get free.

A big question was how to get him out and not get caught. An idea came to her as she reached his cell. Leaning in to whisper only loud enough for him to hear, she fiddled with his lock to get it open.

"Don't say a word, I'm letting you out. Just follow my lead."

[member="Zoltan"]

 

[Zoltan]

Zoltan's breath slowed almost to a stop, but still his heart thudded loud as thunder. He heard the footsteps fall with a metallic march across the ships hull. His breath stopped completely and his heart finally stilled as the march halted directly outside his cell. He hoped with every fiber of his being that it might be some sort of rescue, that somehow Cixi had called for help from the rest of the Jedi. Through some deranged delusion he hoped that with enough will power this might be made true through sheer force of mind. His heart began anew as he heard a voice on the other side of the door. Not the familiar singsong voice of Cixi's, but one more cold... Calculative.

Still it was his best and only hope. He felt sweat begin to bead his brow as he heard the lock to his cell begin to turn with the shift of a pick. His mind raced with a hundred different thoughts, all of them worrisome. What could this person possibly want with him? Who were they working for? What was their agenda and was it aligned with his own? In the end he decided he had no other choice, but to trust the woman on the other side of the door. Their was one final click as the lock's tumbler fell into place.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding as his eyes fell upon the woman's form. She was dressed in the uniform of the mercenaries, but with striking green eyes that seemed sharper then razor wire and a posture just as deadly.

Zoltan did not have the words to thank her enough so he simply opted for a nod of gratitude. Ignoring her warning to be quiet in hushed tones he spoke "Are you with Cixi? Where is she? How are we getting out of here?" He finished and took a careful peek down both ends of the hallway.

The light was almost blinding compared to that of his cell. He looked down to finally inspect himself now that he could truly see what he looked like. His chest and right arm stub were crudely rapped in a bandage that was foul with dried blood. He could smell himself rotting and the site made him gag. He hadn't been able to fully appreciate the damage before, but now... It made him weak at the knees.

"I don't know if i'll be able to make it," He said to the woman, his voice a shaky shudder of worry.

He looked down and noticed his pants were still the same that he had worn at the prison colony. Only slightly more grimy and that the left leg was now slightly torn. He was a grim sight and ironically he couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He truly was miserable and something about this woman told him he could not appear weak in front of her...

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

She had seen far worse in her life and was able to maintain control over her features as she looked at his injuries. Luckily she also knew how to use the Force for healing purposes. However, that wasn't going to grant him a new arm. It could heal the poor job that had been done already and seal his arm off from further bleeding.

"You'll make it."

There was confidence in her tone and Seo took ahold of his good arm to start leading him away if he allowed it. He would be blind at the moment and she would use this to her advantage.

Taking him back the way she had come, there were no guards between them and the room she had been assigned as part of the crew. Provided Zoltan had not resisted her in any manner, they would safely reach the room. Once there, she would close the door after they were both in the room. Lowering the veil over her face and setting the gun down, she motioned to the bed.

"Please lay down and allow me to heal you."

A woman of few words, but everything was said with a purpose. She also did not show much emotion. There would be no easy reading of her.

[member="Zoltan"]

 

[Zoltan]

Zoltan saw the woman's lips move beneath the thin veil, but could scarcely hear her. He was panicking and he knew it. He took in deep breaths and attempted to remain calm. He fell back to his military training, remembered what his drill instructor had told them oh so many times. When the las rounds start flying remain calm and return fire... He maintained his composure, but barely. Still he felt the warmth of panic throughout his body and his legs were like noodles beneath him. She took hold of his good arm and began to lead him to what he hoped was safety.

The woman had told him little, not even her name. It worried Zoltan that she gave him so litlle information, but he supposed their was little time for pleasantries. He had heard of the cruel tricks the Sith played upon their prisoners. How they broke them again and again until they were nothing but simpering dogs. He prepared himself for the inevitable as his eyes adjusted to the light. They entered a room that seemed secluded from the others and she sat him on a bed. She looked to him with the same cold gaze, but Zoltan had now noticed the veil had fallen from her face revealing surprisingly soft features for such cold eyes. Plush rose bud lips, sharply contrasted cold icy green eyes. A posh upturned nose framed by an almost heart shaped face. Despite her cold manner Zoltan found himself comforted, even raptured by such a sight.

Distracted by her features he completely forgot to give her permission for the healing that he so greatly needed.

"Wh- who are you?" Zee stutered.

He thought for a moment perhaps he had died and the celestial of death, ice queen that she was, had come to take him herself. He shuttered at her gaze and looked back to his arm. Deciding foolishly now was the time for false bravado, he smiled sheepishly and recovered from his shock

"This, oh this is nothing..." He said despite only moments ago admitting he might not survive his wounds.

Now that his panic had been wrestled under control he felt braver then he ought and dared to inquire more about the woman.

"Who sent you and what could they possibly want with me?" He finished, his voice stern despite his hearts quivering.

He wondered for true who might be so interested in a former soldier such as himself. He was not a fool and knew that a Jedi would not be wearing the garments of a Sith mercenary and so assumed she was not one. He felt something off about this woman. Something in his gut. He was often able to judge a person fairly accurately, so much so that some even claimed him a mystic. But, while she seemed off he did not sense she meant him any direct harm. Even so, she was his only hope of escaping the Sith cruiser alive. So he found no choice but to trust her.


[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

The time and place to speak didn't arrive until they had returned to her small quarters. Under general inspection, they would be found well kept, organized and surprisingly clean. It was normal for Seo to have things this way and hoped the rest of the ship's crew was the same. He might be able to tell some things about her if he made any sort of observations about the condition of the room.

Giving him a slightly flat look, she locked the door and placed a barrier around it. Unless somebody came by with a battering ram, there wasn't a way for anybody to get in easily. The barrier also blocked out any sound. This worked both ways and if somebody did come knocking, they might not know it.

Listening to his questions, she considered her answer.

"My name is Seo Linn. And you are?"

That answered the first question and she gave one in return. It was true, she didn't even know the name of the man currently laying on her borrowed bed. Moving over to his side, she sat down on the firm mattress next to him. Raising one of her hands to hover just above his body, she allowed her hand to start at his head and move over the air above his body all the way to his feet. As she came to places that were injured, she channelled a bit of the Force into him to assist with the healing. By the time she was done, most of his minor hurts were healed and any major ones looked only like fresh scars.

"Your blood will just have to recover on its own. Make sure to eat and drink as much as you can while we are here."

Digging into her ever-present bag, Seo took out a ration bar and handed it to him.

"I follow the call of the Force. It led me to that prison you were in. I do not know what these guys want with you though."

[member="Zoltan"]

 

[Zoltan]

Zoltan watched as she sat next to him on the bed. She answered his question, stating her name, then queried another. Seo Linn, Zoltan placed his hand to chin and mouthed her name with the small corners of his lips. He could not help but wonder if he had heard the name before, where he might know her from. But, could not place the name at all. She revealed that she was a simple wanderer and Zoltan could not help but wonder how one simply wanderers onto a Sith warship. Even so he was grateful for her appearance. He took a moment to study her room and found it rather tidy. Perhaps she had spent time in the army like himself, or perhaps a servant of some sort. Zoltan seemed more keen to the idea that she was once a soldier like himself.

It would explain why she might be traveling with the Sith mercenaries.

"I am Zoltan," Zee said cautiously as he lowered hand from chin and his eyes drifted back to her own.

She raised her hand over his head and Zoltan had to stop himself from flinching at the gesture. He felt his head become clearer and as she placed hand over his chest and arm wounds he felt the wounds septicemic symptoms heal. He placed his hand to the bandage at his chest and began to unravel it. He stared in utter disbelief as he noticed the wounds had sealed, leaving a thin layer of scar tissue in their wake. H-How? He wondered but recalled her stating she went wherever the force led her. That would make her a Jedi then... Or at least some kind of mystic.

She said she had no idea what the Sith wanted with him, but somehow he thought she knew more than she let on. While the force might have guided her on her journey no one came to a prison colony or knew what exact individual they were looking for based on blind will alone. He eyed her suspiciously for a moment but then relaxed. Whatever her intentions were it seemed they were currently aligned with his own. Clearing his throat Zee took a look at his current attire then another look around the room

"You uh... Wouldn't happen to have a spare change of clothes?" He asked sheepishly now.

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

It was unlikely he knew of her prior to their brief encounter on the planet they were taken from. Down there she had not been given the chance to say her name and to her knowledge, nobody on this ship knew it. As her hands went over his body, if he looked at the inside of her left arm, he might notice a small tattoo there. She had grown up a slave and that was the mark given to her by her owner and master. The man she had killed when her freedom was gained.

Once his name was given, she nodded only slightly. Feeling him pull away just slightly from her fast movement, she made a mental note to not move so quickly around him next time. If there was a next time when he needed this type of help. With the company that was on this ship, she had the feeling this would be something normal.

His surprise was very noticeable as he figured out she had healed him. It was clear some pieces were falling into place in his mind. Once Seo finished healing his wounds, she let out a sigh and slowly lifted a hand to raise a finger over her mouth.

"I am a Jedi Knight. You are several inches taller than I am, but on this ragtag ship, I can probably find you something to wear pretty quickly."

[member="Zoltan"]

 

[Zoltan]

Zoltan frowned at the woman curiously as he made a mental note of the mark on her arm. The Echani used similar markings for the lower members of their society. Mostly slaves and this made Zoltan wonder how it was that a slave would become a Jedi. He sighed as the woman told him that the clothes in her quarters would not fit him. He knew sneaking about a Sith warship for clothes would not be the greatest of ideas or best use of their time.

He regarded Seo and in a quiet voice "Close your eyes or don't. It matters little to me,"

Carefully he pushed himself off her bed. He approached a wardrobe and began digging through the clothes, careful to not make a mess of her tidy laundry. He found a pair of pants among other things. He stretched the waste line with his good arm, then with some difficulty he removed his pants. Finally he managed to get his draws and pants off. He folded his grimy prison pants with even greater difficulty and placed them on top of the woman's dress locker. He struggled getting the woman's pants on with his one arm until finally the idea came to him to use the bed as a leverage point.

He sat on the bed and positioned the pants at his feet. He carefully pulled them up and finally managed to zip the waste line into place. He sighed as the pants felt tight and were raised several inches above his ankles. He bent low and folded the pant legs up to just below his knees. He raised himself from her bed and once more began rifling threw the woman's clothing. He grabbed a plain black tee and put it on. It was tight against his chest, but with a little flexing he felt the shirt stretch. Their was something comforting in wearing clean clothing again.

His eyes drifted back to the woman and he wondered how she was free to run amok aboard a Sith vessel. For a brief moment Zoltan thought of attempting to force the woman to tell her what she wanted with him, but realized it would be hard to do with only one arm. Even so he had to find out what she knew and why she wanted him enough to free him and risk her own...

"Truly, tell me what you want with me." It was a demand more than a question, he needed to know now or he would go it alone.

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

It wasn't a matter that the clothes in her room were made for a man or woman, but they were clothes of a person that was similar to her height and weight. Zoltan being a few inches taller than she was would find the pants a bit short. Seo wasn't one to shy away from the sight of human bodies, watched him as he moved over to the wardrobe and started rummaging around in it for clothing to fit him.

Not looking away, she made note of the scars on his torso a tattoo on his right shoulder blade. It wouldn't be seen by many people, but it wasn't as well hidden as her slave tattoo. With his back turned to her, she lifted one eyebrow slightly and lowered it before he turned around again. The rumour that had led her to the prison colony had proved true and that tattoo on his shoulder proved it.

Zoltan was of a royal family from Eshan. It wasn't very likely the man knew of it himself and when he turned to demand what she wanted of him, he got a small half smile. Moving over to him and unless he moved away, she would pull the collar of the shirt down just enough to reveal that mark and pointed at it with her fingertip.

Letting go of him and the shirt, she looked him in the eyes and with a totally calm voice informed him of his lineage.

"You are of a royal house from Eshan. Thought to have been destroyed around the time you were born. On your shoulder is a mark of that house."

[member="Zoltan"]

 

[Zoltan]

After Zoltan made his demand, he was unsure what Seo would do. Unable to hold her cold gaze he looked away for but a moment. He felt she might simply tell him nothing and leave him to fend for himself. Already he was thinking of ways he might be able to escape the Sith warship without her. Every single scenario he thought of ended with him almost certainly being stuffed in a body bag or being recaptured. He sighed, he needed her and he knew it. His face shifted to regard her once more, but he eyed the ceiling. He was about to tell her he would follow her anywhere, but then he thought he heard a bubbly giggle emit from the small woman.

A cutely pitched laugh that surprised Zoltan. He looked to her finally with a quirked eyebrow. She had a smirk splayed across her face that reminded Zoltan of a child that had just found out they had the coolest toy on the block.

"Wh-what?" Zoltan said a bit abashedly.

Then she paced across the floor and lowered the shirt to expose the marking on his back. With the same smirk she told him that he was of Eshan nobility as if it were no big deal at all.

"What?" Zoltan said again.

His mind heavy with the idea. It was impossible. He was a simple half bread. Lower than a Thracian and only slightly better than a slave... He had knew his mother had died when he was young... The nuns of his monastery had always told him she was a great woman and when Zoltan left to join the military the nun's had protested. Slowly the pieces were starting to click in to place. It would most certainly explain why someone might want to frame him. But, the Echani were ruled by Matriarch's. If Zoltan were to rule he'd need a queen... Zoltan shook his head as his head began swimming from the weight of it all. He was a simple soldier. How could any of this make sense? And yet somehow it did. Finally figuring why she wanted him Zoltan looked to Seo and smiled

"You're mad if you think i'm just gonna take you to Eshan so we can rule a simple life as some sort of royalty..." Zoltan told her sternly.

He knew now without some serious firepower he'd never be able to return to Eshan. Firepower that she might be able to provide. The cogs within his mind were sent turning and he found himself wanting.

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

It wasn't that Seo was cold but unemotional. Even that was not entirely true, she just did not show her emotions. Her people communicated through body language, much like the Echani did. Though they did it through combat rather than facial expressions or body movement in general.

His shock and surprise were clear as she delivered the information to him. When he suggested she expected him to take her to Eshan to claim the throne and make her his queen, she couldn't help but raise one eyebrow just slightly.

"I wasn't expecting that at all, Zoltan. However, others might have that idea...Must be why I was called to that prison. You need protection, guard or a rescue. Something like that."

Suddenly she felt like she was babbling and closed her mouth. At that moment, the barrier she had placed at the door expired and a group of people came crashing in through the now broken door. Calling on the Force, the rifle she had picked up before was in her hand and aimed at the first person to enter. A crack shot with the gun, it found its target and the person went down.

"Stop or none of you will get out of this room alive."

[member="Jack Anderson"] [member="Zoltan"]