Always Have an Escape Plan

[Armand Temi]

Location: Planet of Iktotch, Capital Ankhela, Market sector​

Livna picked up a handful of mushrooms, brought them up to her face and inhaled. Fresh, moist and loamy, they would be perfect for a stew with radishes and cliff stalks. Another unique and fragrant odor also caught her attention, and she leaned down to smell a tidy, bunch of green leaves. They almost made her mouth water as she hadn’t eaten lunch, and it was well past 2pm.

“Everything is so fresh here. How much for these herbs and mushrooms?” asked Livna Zios to the surly Iktotchi seller. The horned vendor grunted out her response in Iktotchese. The Caprine servant reached into her satchel and pulled out a few credits. “This is all I have. Will you take less?”

“No, no bartering, goat-girl,” she grumbled, now in Basic.

The blonde maiden glanced around for other sellers with such exotic delicacies, but this specific vendor had, not only lines of patrons, but clearly the best selection of vegetables in the market.
Should I steal the herbs and run, Livna thought? She didn’t want to bring any trouble back to the new Temple of Ax’no where her mistress held court, waiting for the goods in order to prepare a feast for some important Iktotchi officials. Yet returning home empty-handed would also gain the Priestess’s disapproval. She couldn’t decide which was worse – a night in an Iktotch jail cell or Briga’s whip across her back.

Sighing, she pleaded, “This is the best I can do. Is there anyway, you will take less? Just this once?” The female Iktotchi eyed her with a scowl, clearly showing more favoritism and better prices to her own species – Livna could see that with her own eyes. The prejudice against her species was thick and palpable in the capital.

“Please?” she asked again in her humblest tone.

[member="Khalan Vhett"]

 

[Khalan Vhett]

Khalan honestly had no Idea what he was doing on Iktotch, or why he would have gone here in the first place. Something just... called to him. The planet did seem like a nice place, aside from the odd language spoken here.

The people here all had a small bit of fur and horns. The Caprine as he remembers them from the Holonet. He zoned himself out as he walked by checking the menacing T visor on his helmet, cleaning the dust off of it with his gloved hand. Though something caught his attention. The first set of words spoken in basic; the first since he landed here.

“No, no bartering, goat-girl,” was what came from a woman in a vegetable stall. The other young woman looked a little smaller, yet she was stunning. The girl seemed to be begging to the woman. From what the lady said, the girl was attempting to barter.

Khalan set a stack of credits onto the counter of the stall, running his fingers through his hair. "This should cover the veggies. Keep the change."

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Livna’s head whipped around at the male voice next to her, and she was perplexed to see a Mandalorian. They didn’t often travel to Iktotch, but the telltale beskar'gam occasionally turned up in the capital.

But what if this is a bounty hunter coming for the Priestess, Livna thought? She didn’t think that her mistress was being stalked, but with all of the questionable activity in which the blue-haired wannabe goddess had been involved, well it wouldn’t be a complete surprise. Especially with twelve dead Elder Priests all slaughtered by some strange spirit invoking the wrath of Ax’no. Livna just felt lucky she hadn’t been there to witness that. The sight of blood made her stomach extremely queasy.

The credits thumped on the table. Livna looked down at them and then back up to the stranger whose helmet was off. The human was just about the only being in the market that wasn’t Iktotchi or Caprine and therefore lacked a pair of downward or upward facing horns.

“Here, let me pay you, at least what I have,” she exclaimed, slightly embarrassed about her financial situation. She took her credits and held them out to him. “And thank you for your generosity. Ax’no shines down on you.”

Livna, the socialist of creatures, smiled brightly at the Mandalorian, the sudden company an unexpected but welcome turn of events.

[member="Khalan Vhett"]

 

[Khalan Vhett]

Khalan shook his head, holding his hand up as he smiled at her. "No need miss. I've got plenty more where that came from." He placed his hand on hers, lowering it gently. "It's the least I can do after this little... mishap."

He gave her a courteous bow before introducing himself. "My name is Khalan, of clan Vhett. And you might be?" He had a smirk drawn on his face, dying to know the captivating Caprine's name.

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Plenty more, thought Livna? He didn’t appear to be a businessman or politician. His beskar'gam was slightly battered and dusty, but Iktotch was a windy and rocky climate. At times, especially near the high white cliffs where the Caprine villages were scattered across the valleys, she was often covered in a layer of dust – in her hair, on her clothes, even on her long eyelashes. He must be a bounty hunter. She was sure of it now.

He lowered her hand gently, and she tucked the credits back into the satchel which was slung around her shoulders. Unlike her Priestess, the Caprine servant was able to wear what she pleased as long as it was relatively modest and didn’t outdo her mistress’s formal attire. Today, she wore a simple dress white dress, the neckline and waist adorned with gold fabric woven to look like chains:

Spoiler

“Khalan,” she said, rolling his name around on her tongue for a moment. “My name is Livna.” The blonde Caprine was definitely confident,.but she had an air of apprehension about her, less connected to her social graces and more about her surroundings. She bit her lip, and her brows wrinkled almost wistfully for a moment.

“Thank you again for your generosity… but I really must be going. My Mistress awaits this purchase and my arrival back to the Temple.” The hesitation in her voice betrayed the fact that she really didn't want to go, but that duty prevented her from lingering in the market for too much longer.

[member="Khalan Vhett"]

 

[Khalan Vhett]

Khalan fell to one knee, taking her hand and kissing it as she gave her name. "It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Zios." He noted that she was a smitch... antsy, yet hesitant. As if she absolutely had to be somewhere that she hated. "Is there som- wait! Before you go! Is something wrong?"

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

When the hazel-eyed Mandalorian dropped to his knees, Livna eyes darted around the market again. Surely, he was genuflecting to someone else, anyone else more powerful than she! She was a mere servant at the best of times and a degraded slave when her mistress was in a foul mood.

But when he kissed her hand, she knew that he was indeed addressing her.

Her own blue eyes alighted with interest. “And you as well,” Livna said, unable to suppress a chuckle over the situation. She gave the Iktotchi seller one triumphant glance and then added, “Nothing’s wrong, but I need to get back to my Lady. I’m her handmaiden, and she’s awaiting these goods. And she won’t like it if I’m late.”

The blonde Caprine in the flowing white gown backed up a little, her sandaled feet taking her in the direction she needed to go.
“But I suppose you can accompany to the Temple of Ax’no if you’d like. We will have to catch a shuttle as it’s far on the outskirts of the capital.”

[member="Khalan Vhett"]

 

[Khalan Vhett]

Khalan listened in on the Caprine's words, his smile keeping to his face. "I understand." He stood back up before replying to her other statement.

"I would love to, yet I don't think I would need a shuttle. I have a fighter of my own." He nodded off to the hangar bay down a few dozen stalls behind them. He flashed her one last signature smile before bowing again. "I will see you again soon?"


[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Livna stopped to assess the situation. If she didn’t have to take a shuttle, she would be able to save more of her credits. Yet, if she showed up near the newly constructed Temple of Ax’no, in a fighter no less, the Priestess would be absolutely livid. Her favored blonde maiden’s every step was prescriptive. A deviation from this would be met with swift punishment.

But still, if she rode in the fighter – presuming Khalan would give her a ride – then she would have some company, versus sitting in a packed public shuttle with the grim Iktotchi. Someone to talk to would be nice, especially as handsome as he was.

“Would you take me to the Temple in your ship?” she asked. “You’ll have to drop me off in a nearby forest. My mistress doesn’t like it when I’m with strangers. So we'll have to sneak around." She laughed melodically at this suggestion as if they were already off on a forbidden adventure. Livna hoisted the satchel firmer around her, adjusting her dress, which gave the Mandalorian a better view of her curves. The white gown was nearly transparent in certain areas and Khalan might be able to tell why this maenad was so cherished by her Lady.

[member="Khalan Vhett"]

 

[Khalan Vhett]

The Mandalorian couldn't help but catch a glimpse of her curvaceous figure. Her lady must cherish her a lot with a figure like that. He shook his head, a light flush of pink forming on his cheeks. "Of course, Livna. I'd love to take you there." He listened on with care, making sure to catch that last part about her mistress not liking the idea of her accompanying strangers. "I'll be sure to be as stealthy as possible."

Khalan walked her to the large hangar, where the lone starfighter shone in the bright hangar lights. The vessel had a blood red sheen to it, accompanied by a nice shiny silver color. The right side of the ship had the mandalorian Jaing Skull insignia on the side, with the Clan Fett symbol on the left. It was a sight to behold. "Here she is."

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Livna nodded and followed behind him, less fearful now. She wasn’t worried about infochants or others getting back to her Priestess with word that she was traveling with a strange human, possibly bounty hunter, away from the market and towards a nearby hangar in Ankhela. The Iktotchi people just didn’t really care that much about the Caprine who they felt to be inferior, primitive and lowly.

The Starfighter was sleek and shiny with emblems on it that didn’t mean that much to Livna. Not that she wasn’t interested in Mandalorian culture; she’d just never been exposed to it.

As they boarded the vessel, she asked him, “What does your insignia mean? Is there any symbolism to it?” In the Starfighter the journey would only take them minutes as opposed to the slower shuttle. The Caprine village and Temple of Ax’no were about twenty miles away. He would notice that Livna was trusting, almost overly so. Anyone could have plucked the horned maiden out of the market and taken her off to a human trafficking ring or worse. Yet under the naive exterior, there was a clever spirit that shone in her green eyes and a subtle sadness too as though the maiden had seen and experienced much more than she should have at her young age.

[member="Khalan Vhett"]

 

[Khalan Vhett]

Khalan adored how curious she was. It literally shone in her eyes... though they also showed a hint of sadness... of what, he didn't know, but he didn't feel like asking her about it. "The one on the right is known as a Jaing Skull. It represents the Mandalorians as a whole. The other symbol is the symbol of my clan. Clan Fett."

He started the starfighter, waiting to ask her something. "Mind giving me directions? Don't really know my way around here."


[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Livna looked intently at the view screen, trying to pinpoint where they were in the capital and where they needed to go. But she might as well have been studying a foreign language or a complex mathematical formula. She laughed, running her fingers through her hair, slightly embarrassed, but in a self-deprecating way.

“I’m afraid I really have no idea. But I suppose I could give it a guess.”

She tapped on what resembled a digital map of the terrain. “Right there… I think. It’s not too far away at all.” The Caprine pointed to a rocky landmark, presumably where the Temple of Ax'no stood.

Slipping into the co-pilot’s seat, she finished, “You must think me very naïve. But it’s true. I don’t go to many places on my own. I am almost always by the side of Priestess Tiin.” Like a marriage - for better or worse, she thought. As he started the fighter, she removed a bag of cliff-stalks and began to chew on one. Her ancestral bovidae genes ensured that she was an herbivore. Livna could eat meat, but it was difficult for her to digest it, so she rarely sampled it and preferred a vegetarian diet.

[member="Khalan Vhett"]

 

[Khalan Vhett]

Khalan made room for her to touch the screen on the dashboard. He noted that the location she picked definitely had some sort of structure there. "Alright, thanks."

"You mean you don't have time to yourself to explore?" He sat there, confused for a moment, but his heart nearly melted when she pulled out a cliff-stalk and began nibbling on it. She was adorable in every single way.

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

What to tell the kind and generous bounty hunter?

Although if he were truly a bounty hunter he had killed others, Livna thought. Hadn’t he? Was it many? Or a few? Or did he have a certain moral code that he only captured sentient beings and did not execute them? So many questions ran through Livna’s mind, and she hoped she would have the chance to ask him.

Just tell him the truth, she thought. What is the worst that could happen? It wasn’t like her fate was in her hands in any way shape or form.

She pressed her lips together tensely and said, “I am a servant to my Lady. I’ve been at her side since we were both teenagers. I am expected to kneel before her and do her bidding, whatever it may be. Today it happened to be going to the market. At other times…” Livna trailed off. She’d been subject to much abuse over her lifetime, but the worst was on Panatha at Vain Hollow where she was whipped repeatedly and for no other reason than an impudent word towards a Sith Lord. The maiden recalled how when Quint Salis recently tattooed her lower back, he gazed upon the massive scars on her upper shoulders with such pity.

She did not want to be pitied. Livna wanted to be free.

But liberty was a far-away concept, a pinpoint on the horizon that seemed, if not a mirage, an out-of-reach speck.

“Have you killed anyone?” she asked suddenly, changing the subject. She didn’t tend to favor humans much, but this one was as strong and handsome as a Balae warrior sans the ram-horns of course.

[member="Khalan Vhett"]

 

[Khalan Vhett]

Khalan tensed up when he heard the girl's words. They replayed in his mind over and over. Have you killed anyone?

"I... only killed one man... the very man that killed my mother in cold blood... I'd gladly take his life again." He sniffed, attempting to lighten the mood. "Well, guess we're getting close already. Too bad. I kinda wanted to spend more time with you.~" He smirked, giving off a playful wink before chuckling audibly.

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Khalan admitted he’d killed only once, but it seemed to be a justifiable act in Livna’s mind. She was no Sith, but also no Jedi. The blonde servant felt that, at times, murder was a necessity. But she did not share her Lady’s penchant for blood lust and power.
As the ship began to land in a clearing, out of the view screen the Grand Temple of Ax’no could be seen rising up from the rocky cliffs in the Caprine village.

“Well perhaps… there’s a grotto, not too far from here,” said Livna, enticing the Mandalorian for a moment with the promise of following her to a secluded location, so they could continue their discussion. But when she checked her chrono, her chlorine-blue irises suddenly filled with worry. “Oh, I’m much later than I thought!" And worse, Khalan’s fighter had been spotted by two Balae guards who jogged up to investigate a foreign ship so close to the newly constructed Temple.

“Don’t worry about the soldiers,” said Livna. “I can handle them.” But her voice was shaky as though she were very afraid now for the consequences of her reckless joyride with the human stranger.

[member="Khalan Vhett"]

 

[Khalan Vhett]

Khalan perked up at the mention of a grotto. A grotto... just the two of us... maybe s- no! No no no get your head out of the gutter Khalan! You're better than this.

His smile faded away when the Caprine girl said she was late, and he didn't need her to tell him that they had company. "Are you sure you can handle them? If not, call for me."

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

"Yes, I can," Livna said with a wan smile. She slung her satchel over her back, turned and gave one last lingering glance to the Mandalorian and then stepped outside the starfighter.

Immediately the large ram-horned guards approached her. Khalan would not be able to hear what was said, but the exchange appeared heated. Livna pointed behind her more frantically now until...

Whack!

One of the soldiers backhanded her across the face. The other proceeded to roughly grab her arm. Livna didn't want the Mandalorian to get in trouble nor dragged into this mess that was her life, so she struggled momentarily, only because she wasn't fond of being hauled back to the Temple with a black eye or a broken bone. "I can walk," she hissed at them in Caprinean.

"But what if we'd rather carry you?" replied the cocky Balae guard and this time, he pushed her down to the ground, standing over her triumphantly. The other guard looked warily at the starfighter.

[member="Khalan Vhett"]

 

[Khalan Vhett]

The young Mandalorian watched in horror as the two guards bullied and beat on the poor Caprine girl. He couldn't take the sight anymore as he slipped on his buy'ce(helmet) and unlocked the black case that held his beskad blade prisoner. He hopped out of the fighter, brandishing his blade toward the guards.

"Lay a hand on her again, and I'll see to it that your heads aren't attached to your bodies." The helmet gave him an almost menacing voice, making it deeper and more coarse.

[member="Livna Zios"]