Private Burst

[Mercy]

DENON
Avalore

Things were good.

She was knighted recently... not that she felt particularly like accepting the title just yet. Ashin was teaching her some really fethin' useful stuff. Crunching things with a shield? Protecting her own skin with it? Well, Mercy wasn't that great at it yet, but that would come. Anyway. Great stuff. But she didn't really love staying on Ashin Cardé Varanin 's mobile academy for prolonged period of times.

Stir crazy.

Besides Mercy had a business to run. So she went back and forth. Coming on board for stints of a few weeks to maybe a month or so. Then dropping off at port to explore and do some jobs around Denon.

Today's business? Pleasure. At a local gambling den.

Her feet were propped up on the table. Cards in her hands. A nice lady sitting right against her. She was smoking and smirking at the other's at the table. "C'mon, boys, ya can't tell me ya can't even win a single hand this game, can ya?" Mercy drawled to a few chuckles, some sore looks and the heavenly giggle of her current admirer. Yeah, things were perfect. There was literally nothing that could ruin this moment.

 

[Avalore]

Boom.

The door exploded off its hinges, metal wrenching and wood splinters flying as Avalore's small frame stepped in.

"Up. Out. Sorry boys, but she'd got work to do," Avalore commanded, with unusual force. Avalore wrenched the cards out of Mercy's hands and tossed them to the side. Two knights of the sith variety stepped in behind her. Mercy would recognize them from the academy, and while she could probably take on both she wouldn't be able to do so before Avalore clocked her over the head with a chair.

Not very effective, but would feel good.

None of which would get her where she needed to be.

She tossed a bag of credits on the table to clear any debt and gestured to Mercy.

"Let's go."

 

[Mercy]

Avalore

Mercy fell off her seat as the door hit her in the back and send her flying into the table.

"What the KA-" Avalore stepped in and tore her cards out. "HEY, I had a great-" Two Sith Knights stepped in right after Avalore. That silenced her, because there were only a handful of reasons why they would be here. Hell. Why Avalore would be here in the first place. She stewed in her anger, fury, as she watched her friends and cheerleader file out.

They cast a few looks at her crumbled form.

"Ya didn't have to do it like that, you schutta." Mercy growled as she got back up to her feet. "What's wrong with you?" Entirely embarrassed. Would she ever live it down with her admirers?

She wasn't certain.

"Where are we going??" But following along anyway, because... what else was there to do?

 

[Avalore]

"Where do you think? Port. You're helping me commandeer the Pomojema," she uttered under her breath. It was dark on this world but her steps were full of energy and adrenaline.

She knew what she needed to do and she knew the risks. Most on board had a loyal affiliation to Ashin in one way or another, but the longer they were left without that reminder, the more temptation would come into play.

"Hurry up, and sober up." She gestured for the one behind her to pass on a bag. Food. An energy stim. Avalore could feel her heart in her chest.

 

[Mercy]

She karking stumbled over her feet when Avalore said that.

"We are what?!" Mercy was all about glib self-confidence and ambition, but that was just crazy talk. Ashin wouldn't ever let that happen. She accepted the bag in a dazed haze. Because yes, Mercy was still rather hazy and drunk, which wasn't helping this at all. "Why are we commandeering the Pomojema? Did Ashin piss ya off?"

"Cus' lady, I know she is a cold fethin' schutta, but there are smarter ways to get back to her."

Itching powder in her socks. Maybe a few nails on her chair. But stealing her academy from under her, that was just... well. It was a Mercy plan. Something that she'd do if she was angry as feth.

Now that the embarrassment was fading away - helped by the energy bar currently being munched on - and replaced by perplexation. She saw so many holes in this potential plan.

Avalore

 

[Avalore]

Mercy didn't protest. ...Interesting. Concerning. ... A matter for another time.

"Not from Ashin," she clarified. "For Ashin. The jedi have her. While you were out here--" She looked at the piss scent street in distaste. "Playing, we were over ridden by the Drengir. Jedi descended upon us then. Empress of a Thousand Words, they might have called her." A knowing look.

"She surrendered herself so the Academy could go."

A lie, but one that was needed. Loyalty begot loyalty.

"Now you would help me seize it and get her back."

 

[Mercy]

Avalore

"For... Ash- Fething hell, really?" A blink blink behind the shades and then noticing Avalore's gaze around the street. "Hey, dun' gimme that. I ain't her nursing maid." Defensive and Mercy hated feeling defensive. As if she had done something wrong. Should she have been there? It wasn't her FAULT, was it?

What could she have done-

Warned them about the Drengir... she could have done that. A grimace there, before pushing that down.

"Hold on. Who are we seizing it from th-" A pause there. "Ah, right. Sith an' all." Then a smirk there. "I really 'ope I get to punch the lights out of the cook. Their cooking is fethin' atrocious."

Drawled cheerfully as she took another munch from her energy bar. Already rearranging herself into this new reality. Nothing about the fact that Ashin was captured. No concern. Just a rearrangement of facts. Then again, Avalore couldn't reach into Mercy's chest and feel the shards of shame and guilt rending through her body.

"So, ya got a plan, I imagine."

 

[Avalore]

"Yup."

She pulled a sith mask from around her neck and secured it on her face.

"Act the part."

Her cloak swished as she stepped up the long gangplank to board.

"And don't punch unless I tell you to."


The small group walked through the halls, the tension in the ship tangible in the air. Ashin's absence left a large question mark in the air. Who would lead? And just what would they decide to do next. Avalore ignored the hierarchies in place, stable or otherwise, and let herself into the command room.

Several heads, of multiple senior positions, turned their way. "Status report," she demanded, mimicking Ashin's intonation to a t.

 

[Mercy]

Avalore

"Wait, why the kark are you-"

-the one pretending to be in charge.

Mercy didn't get to finish the sentence however as they strode on deck. For all her chit, she knew better than to risk it here. This... was a dangerous situation. The majority of the academy's inhabitants were senior Knights and Lords of the Sith (which begged the question how Ashin had been taken in the first place), who could squash both of them easily.

Well, easily was a big word, but they would get it done.

Smart or not- she growled as they approached the command deck. "No promises." The fact that Mercy stood behind Avalore, looming, and staring at the senior positions was already an achievement.

"Ya fethin' heard her." When nobody made a move to obey. "Varanin might be gone, but her apprentices be right 'ere." She slowly stretched, rolling her shoulders, and grinned. "Unless ya wanna see how well ya fare against us. I'd welcome it... but we got an Empress to rescue." One of them stepped forward, bold guy, with a prissy walk.

Mercy recognized him alright.

Not a big honcho. Only recently Lorded and already thinking he owns the place. "No mere apprentice-"

Sith really did karking love to talk, didn't they? Mercy didn't give him the opportunity to finish his sentence. She stepped past Avalore and straight up kicked the lad between his legs. Fierce as if it was a football worth sending into space.

"What?" Murmured to Avalore. "Ya didn't say nuthin' about kicking."

A few of his friends started to rise up.... and yet? The seniors remained where they are. Eyeing both of them, but certainly less assured about their own position than they were just a breath or three ago.

Little honcho whined as he curled up into a ball.

 

[Avalore]

"Enough," Avalore hissed, her voice low and cold as she called off Mercy. The woman had enough of a head on her to realize what Avalore was doing, and while they were no friends, she was relieved to see Mercy fall into place behind her.

Neither of them benefited from losing Ashin.

"This is not how things are done on this ship. We are civilized. We will respond with logic." Or at least Ashin would, but Mercy's violence gave her the perfect chance to demonstrate to the seniors that she would too. Ashin did not operate through fear, but through respect.

Avalore knew the only way they would take her seriously was if she showed some in turn. "Masters." She inclined her chin, ignoring the rowdy knights between them as she stepped forward. "You all saw the footage, this was her choice. Nothing has changed. I am, and remained to be, an extension of her will.

"So please." She sat in Ashin's chair and took off the mask. "Tell me what I have missed."

 

[Mercy]

Avalore

Just that hiss made Mercy want to stomp down on the whiny boy's throat to cut off the groans.

Cords of muscles tightened in her neck. Fists squeezed down. Then let go again. "Sure thing, ma'am." Murmured lazily as she settled down against one of the computer banks and watched the scene unfold. It made her want to throw up truth to be told. It should be her in that chair. Shouldn't it? Why did it have to be little small Avalore with the one eye?

But what would she even be doing in that chair besides cause more damage.

Instead she pulled out a cigarette. Lit it up and started smoking. There was no 'no smoking' sign on the wall, but that didn't mean a few nearby Sith didn't squint at her. She just glanced down to the still curled-up boy. Message was received as they quickly refocused their attention on the reasonable figure in the chair.

The debrief began.

Mercy positively blinked out of it. Studying the viewport as the voices ran around her. Truth to be told she was still a bit drunk and the nicotine was making her skin flare up in a nice way too.

Way too distracting.

Until Mercy blinked and realized there were only the two of them in the room now. Even whiny boy had been dragged out.

"So, we happy?" Finally asked as she dropped the cigarette butt down to the floor and crushed it under her heel.

 

[Avalore]

It was as if the girl had forgotten how to breath. Her chest was tight, braced for the blow out that had never come. It had worked. Pale features turned towards Mercy and dared a short, quick nod.

"I'll be sure to let her know," she dismissed, grabbing her mask and standing to leave. She didn't seem to expect Mercy to follow her, not that the two had ever truly worked together before. It was perhaps an oversight and a shortcoming for her not to consider extending Mercy a further invitation, but Mercy had been gone for a while.

And she had taken Avalore's eye to boot.

She slid the mask back on and turned.

 

[Mercy]

Avalore

Mercy squinted at Avalore's back.

"What, you think you gonna rescue her without me?" the woman demanded as she started after the girl. "Kark that. Ya need me and you know it." Otherwise she wouldn't have gone to Denon to fetch her. Not just for a little five-minute kick in the nuts. Mercy had been happy enough to fade away into the background. for the boring parts.

This? This was exciting.

"Besides, I haven't broken a Jedi in a long time. Yar not having all the fun without me." Mercy drawled with a smirk.

 

[Avalore]

"I now have a ship of over a hundred sith under my command, I don't need you." She stopped and turned on Mercy, replying with petulance she couldn't contain.

"And I know it."

She pushed open a keypad to the door before her and stepped in.

 

[Mercy]

Avalore

"You wouldn't have anything without me... and I can take it away from you just as easily."

Stepping in behind her.

Getting real angry again.

 

[Avalore]

Avalore turned, unflinching as she bore down Mercy's anger.

"Do it. Touch me and see just how quickly I can have you spaced. Kill me and watch your position in this Academy dissolve out from under you. No one would listen to you. Ashin would kill you. You misunderstand what power is.

"Fits get you nothing."

 

[Mercy]

Avalore

Mercy smiled warmly as Avalore's words suddenly reached her.

"That's the difference between us, Ava... I never gave a chit about the academy..." Dangerous tone now. Her eyes growing cold. The sociopath look that turned a gear into murder. "And Ashin ain't here to protect ya anymore. She didn't do anything when I took yar eye." Smile showing sharp teeth now. "An'... now she cannae do anything if I rip yar head off."

A shrug there.

She punched the button behind her.

The doors hissed to a close.

"Got any more fancy words? Lil' ribs ya wanna get off yar chest? Parade around how much better and more powerful ya are?" The fury was still there, but it was contained now. And more dangerous for it.

 

[Avalore]

Avalore said nothing. Behind the mask she simply smiled, petals unfolding around her newly replaced eye.

She waited until the woman was nearly on top of her, then let all three darts fire, one after another through the eye hole. The blow glanced off her, a ripple of energy shielding her from damage. She was Ashin's apprentice after all.

A fact Mercy did not respect.