A Slaves Folly

[J3C0]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]

He raised an eyebrow.

What was he a delivery boy?

No. Perhaps he shouldn't be too quick to shoot this down. Free space wasn't all that far away, not with the Hyperdrive on the Bantha now being in perfect working condition and the extra speed he'd manage to get out of the engines, and if he could pick up a bounty out there as well...it might pay off to head out of One Sith territory for a little while.

“Whose the message to?” That was far more important than anything else.

If he had to hand the message off to some psychopath then he very likely wouldn't be taking the job. If it was to this womans mother or long lost brother or something of the sort, then it would be far more acceptable.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

"My husband."

The two words had never torn her heart in two with such ferocity before now. She blinked, looking away for a moment. "He must not know who the message is from."

 

[J3C0]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]

Well, okay then.

“Five thousand credits.” That was enough to cover fuel costs for there and back again in case he didn't pick up another job and still gave him a healthy profit. To deliver a simple message it was a bit much, but then again she wasn't using a courier service, she was hiring an intergalactic Bounty Hunter who was used to killing Jedi and hunting down entire criminal syndicates.

If the price was too much, then it was too much.

There was really no negotiating or changing it. Of course he was still rather confused as to why he had to send the message, and why this womans husband couldn't know it was her, but who was he to ask questions?

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa raised an eyebrow at the price and clucked her tongue in disapproval. She couldn't use a courier service, anything on the holonet could get tracked back to her. If the One sith knew she was trying to contact someone outside of their alliances, she was fethed. Rosa had money, stockpiled away from odd jobs, but she couldn't access it, not without being caught.

"Do you accept 'I owe you's'?"

She knew the answer to that, but what was life without trying.

[member="Ceran Moerelle"]

 

[J3C0]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]

He raised an eyebrow. That was a rather silly question, no of course he didn't. There was no guarantee she would be here when he came back. The Sith could execute her, she could run away, she could die fighting the Jedi. Any one of those things could happen, and then he would be out quite a bit of money.

“I accept collateral.” He offered to meet her in the middle.

She no doubt had something that he could keep until she had the money together.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa gave a sad smile and sighed. "Well, it was worth a try."

She drained her glass, pausing for a moment, watching the bounty hunter carefully. Could she make him do it? Would persuasion last such a great distance? She thought not. "I have nothing to offer you. Everything I own is on Arda, I came here with the clothes on my back and nothing more." A wave of anger washed over her and she threw the glass to shatter against the wall opposite.

"Damn them all!" She counted the days, and the months. She would see them all burn, hear them all scream and beg for mercy. A wave of fear rippled from her, the kind of fear that makes your limbs freeze, that causes you to lose your voice. She stepped closer to the hunter. "Oh how easy it would be to kill you. But to what end?" she moved past him, heading for the door. "I will see where your payment is."

[member="Ceran Moerelle"]

 

[J3C0]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]

Out of pure reaction, Ceran took a step back. The way of fear washed over him, but oddly it didn't have the same effect on it as it would on many others. Instead of fleeing and running in terror, instead of pissing himself, Ceran simply stiffened. Every muscle in his boy suddenly tightened and contracted, his fight or flight instinct kicked in, and his hand closed in a sudden fist as he fought the urge to draw his weapon and kill this woman on the spot.

Years of hunting, years of training, and his own flash instilled instincts wanted him to kill this woman.

When she moved passed him, he let himself relax.

His head washed suddenly, his vision growing black for a moment. His skin prickled, the stitches that crossed his body began to itch as though they were brand new. The odd sensation of wanting to kill slowly drained away, and what was supposed to have been fear left him as soon as the girl left the room. He frowned slightly, looking about.

That had never happened before.

Even when facing Krayt Dragons Ceran had never felt anything close to fear, his physiology didn't allow it. The woman had forced something though, pressed something into his mind that had caused a reaction.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Her steps carried her as far from the room as she could get, each one silent but laying heavy on her heart. Breathing became diffucult, she lost awareness of her surroundings, she just wanted to escape. Shadows began to flank her, maidens from the Temple of Vahl, ever watchful. She came to a balcony and began pacing ts length, trying to steady her breathing as the maidens watched on.

She needed to get a message to him, she needed Seydon to stay away. She needed him to believe she was lost. She screamed her fury to the sky and stoped pacing, her hands coming to rest on the railings as she began to calm herself. She brought her hand to her face, brushing away angry tears. "Where is his payment?" she snapped at those lurking behind her.

"On its way, my lady."

She nodded and drew in another deep breath, trying to let go of her anger, to quiet the beast within. What could she offer him? She was one of them now, surely there was something he would find of value from them. She could pass it off as simply gifting him for good company. An idea crossed her mind, and she laughed.

"Fetch my saber, and the carsunum. I want to gift our guest." Carsunum was rare as it was valuable, and she had enough to keep her high for the next year at least, that meant there was some going spare. Whether he would accept it or not was another matter. She swept back into the room, a maiden at her heel, carrying a small wooden chest. Rosa twirled her lightsaber idly in her hand, waiting for her to set it on the tabletop on leave.

She eyed the bounty hunter for a moment before speaking. "Your payment for the Jedi is on its way." she flicked her wrist, the chest opening to reveal the carsunum within. "This is all I can offer you. I know you're not a smuggler, but you do have free reign within Sith space, i'm sure you'll find someone who will take it off your hands for a tidy price."

[member="Ceran Moerelle"]

 

[J3C0]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]

That Spice was worth far more than the five thousand he had quoted her for a price. He wondered for a moment. The woman had done something to him for a few seconds, had made him want to kill far more than ever before. That fact alone was deeply unsettling, that powerful urge to kill ha nearly overcome him.

All the more reason to get away from her you idiot. His own thoughts made a great point.

“Done.” He said after a few more moments of consideration. “Whats his name, where can I find him, and whats the message?"

That was all rather key information to him. Ceran assumed that he was heading to Free Space since she had mentioned it earlier, but Free Space was a rather large section of the galaxy and finding one person in that place was rather difficult.

It never once crossed his mind that her husband might be more dangerous.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa relaxed, relief washing over her at his acceptance. "His name is Seydon. Seydon of Arda. You'll find him on Arda of Laekia, Ask around, he's well known in free space, someone will point you in the right direction." She tugged an envelope from her pocket, a scrawled note. She'd written hundreds in the past weeks and burnt them all save one. One that bore little resemblance to her handwriting as he would no it.

"Give him these." She handed him both the envelope and the saber. "Please, if he asks. Do not tell him who sent you. If he persists. Tell him Dath Layil sent you, and that Ashla is no more."

[member="Ceran Moerelle"]

 

[J3C0]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]

He grabbed the lightsaber first. Those weapons had always made him envious. He knew that he couldn't wield it, at least not effectively. They were dangerous to the wielder and whoever was around them and needed years, perhaps even decades of training to properly use, and most users had the force to guide them.

The feel of the weapon was odd, too light. He slipped it behind his back and placed it on his belt, then grabbed the note. With that he was a tad more careful, placing it in a breast pocket within his flak jacket.

“He'll get it.” Ceran said just as one of the handmaidens returned to the room. His head shot towards her, carrying a small briefcase. The woman walked up and opened the case to show him the contents. Inside was a number of credit chits, exactly what he was owed. A small smile crossed his face, yes this would most definitely prove to be a good day. “Thank you for entertaining me while I wated.”

He gave the woman a short bow, then headed out.

He had a long journey after all.