Chains

[Ao Xian]

"Bait him. With what? With you? With her?" He gestured at Kuraii. "Or risk the life of some poor wretch not even involved?"

His face was very serious.

"It's audacious and, if you were going to use someone besides yourself, ruthless, I'll give you that. But it was also incredibly stupid."

Slowly he stood up.

"And if you want to know why, we can discuss it over lunch."

Discuss it over lunch. Kuraii was entirely at a loss now. Who was he? What did he want? There were certain things the great cat understood. Survival. Stories. The thrill of the hunt. Newer but just as strong, loyalty. But whatever game he was playing set her on edge. She didn't trust it or him.

Her stomach growled again.

She really hoped [member="Kala Maedrin"] would say yes.

 

[Arage Bao]

Now Kala frowned furiously.

You could insult her, call [member="Kuraii"] a pet, whip the both of them until they bled and maybe even keep their food away from them.

But by the ancients this one did not get to call her plans stupid! It had been the only thing available to her, the only thing she could come up with while starving half to death, working herself into oblivion, while also trying to keep both of them relatively sane. Who was this rat bastard, thinking he could.... get a rise out of her.

That frown intensified once the little girl realized this was exactly the reaction he had wanted from her.

To test her, to pull at her seams and figure out where her real weaknesses were. What would solicit a reaction from her and what would certainly not.

...and she had walked right into it. Feth.

"If it is your desire to share your thoughts on my plan, I would not be against this." Kala finally responded, cautiously and curtly with strict discipline. "We will accept your food in exchange."

Never put yourself in a situation where you acknowledged a debt.

Not immediately anyway.

 

[Ao Xian]

A grin spread over his face and he motioned for [member="Kala Maedrin"] to follow him.

Kuraii could smell the food before they even entered the tent. Her mouth watered, the tip of her tail flicking like mad as they ducked inside. Golden eyes moved across the table. She couldn't remember ever seeing this much food laid out in one place before. Certainly not for three people.

In truth, it wasn't all that impressive. Middling quality and quantity certainly. But more than enough for two starving slaves and a calculating Sith.

Trying to keep up the appearance of 'pet' rather than 'friend', Kuraii just barely managed to wait until the other two had sat before crouching to one side of Kala. It was easier than using one of the human-centric chairs (no tail accommodations) anyway.

"Please, Kala, eat," he said as he settled into one of the chairs. "You must be hungry."

 

[Arage Bao]

In truth Kala wished to jump onto that table and shovel all that food into her mouth.

But instead... she took the long path, the one of deliberation and patience. She hated every single moment of it - but right now, [member="Kuraii"] needed her at the top of her game, she needed herself at the top of her game. So, instead the Devaronian calmly circled the table and sat herself down. There she surveyed the food for a little while, before inclining her head in thanks.

"A deal has been made." She reminded him softly. "You wished to share your thoughts."

A lone shrug followed soon.

"We will eat after you have done so. Such was the bargain."

It was very difficult not to let the smell of food get to her. She really hoped that Kuraii would be able to control herself as well, the less they gave away, the more control they had in this situation.

Even the very food was a bargaining chip in this moment.

 

[Ao Xian]

Kuraii almost whimpered. Tawny eyes flickered to [member="Kala Maedrin"]. The plaintive no talk just eat was clear in the hunter's gaze.

The sith turned his face to Kala and nodded his head. A touch of respect? Without being able to see his eyes, it was difficult to be sure.

"You're a tough little creature, Kala, anyone ever mention that?"

He spoke as he reached out, starting to pile this and that onto a plate.

"First, your plan hinges on the fact that I care what the overseer here is doing with a bunch of slaves. And slaves that are essentially suitable for nothing more than digging holes day in and day out. We're not talking about skilled labor here, girl. We're talking about a bunch of people with nothing to recommend them beyond how long it takes for them to collapse and be used as backfill."

He deposited the plate in front of the girl and started filling another.

"Second, it makes the assumption that he wasn't doing it on someone's orders. Mine, for example."

He kept piling higher onto that second plate, and Kuraii watched it, tip of her tail flicking back and forth.

"And third," he said, settling the plate in front of himself and picking up a fork. Kuraii's ears drooped. "It very likely would have given away your own Force potential and made you a target. Bold. But ultimately, more dangerous than the very slim chance of a pay out."

 

[Arage Bao]

Outwardly Kala seemed impassive and completely serene.

Of course, that wasn't as important when the person you were playing against could literally pick up your emotional state by looking at you. It was annoying, but in truth little Kala was outmatched by every metric already. There was little to do than play with the pieces you got and hope that it would turn out in your favor. Even if you weren't exactly too clear if this was actually going to turn into their favor at the end of it all.

It was perfectly possible that this would end in agony regardless.

"All good points." Maedrin remarked, before gently starting to pile up food in two separate dishes. It took all her concentration not to bite back any of the remarks on her tongue right now.

What did this one know about their struggle? How difficult it had been to figure out that the Overseer was making people disappear, having them killed? How much introspection had happened to figure out if Kala actually cared if others would be hurt by her actions - and then the moments of silence that followed, when the realization hit that... no, she did not truly care.

"You missed something though." The little girl finally stated, before gently laying down the second - bigger - plate next to [member="Kuraii"] on the floor.

 

[Ao Xian]

Kuraii could have wept.

Instead she buried her face in the pile of food.

She wasn't even fully paying attention to the continuing conversation.

To say that the sith ate daintily wasn't entirely accurate. But he ate precisely. He ignored [member="Kala Maedrin"] giving the dish to the Trianni, focused instead on the plate in front of him. As he cut some meat, he casually waved the fork in her direction.

"Oh?" He asked, tone one of barely polite interest. Another game? Or had he so thoroughly dismissed her already?

"Please, indulge me," he continued. He reached over, pouring a glass of water for the girl and a glass of wine for himself as he waited. There was no trace that his blindness hindered him whatsoever here. If that was ever part of his game, of being overlooked and underestimated, he had obviously shed it here and now.

"What have I missed?"

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Kuraii"]

She had him.

Just that subtle twitch of a neck muscle at the end of his tone - it spoke of the days she had watched as her mother applied medicine to her patients, reminded her of the subtle shifts and turns of muscle strands and bone when they were under duress one way or another. But that was simply the reel, to test out how far his interest truly lay and how much of it was just a game. Little Kala studied her food, before beginning the battle herself. A knife cut through meat, a fork punctured it and took it in her mouth, teeth bit down and grounded it to pulp.

It took all she got not to shove her face into the food and feed herself.

But two things stopped her: if she ate too much too fast, then it would all be thrown over her throat before she knew it. That much had been clear from the medical books read in the past.

Wouldn't be dignified either and she was trying to impress.

"My Lord," Kala responded finally after the chew was finalized and worked down. "Knowledge is power, is it not? I would not deprive you of the opportunity to research the situation and realize it on your own."

"After all, there is little better than to solve a puzzle by your own mind."

Satisfied she took another bite.

 

[Ao Xian]

There was a momentary pause and then a bark of genuine laughter. Kuraii's ears flicked and she watched him from the corner of her eyes, but she didn't stop eating.

"Don't call me 'my lord.' Makes my teeth ache. You can call me Locks, Kala."

He put down his fork, regarding her carefully.

"You're clever, child. Clever and bold. But that's not going to get you far here. It'll get you lying in a ditch somewhere. And I don't think either of us want that."

Leaning back, he casually picked his teeth with the table knife.

"I know what I know, Kala. So the question just is.... how much of that are you going to assume because you think you're cleverer than everyone else? I'd like to teach you the ways of the Force. But I need to know you are not holding anything back because you think you can fool me."

There was a dangerous edge to his voice then, where it had been so jovial before.

"It's your choice, of course. You can stay with me and learn things you never even dreamed possible. Or I can return you and your.... pet.... to the fields."

[member="Kala Maedrin"]

 

[Arage Bao]

Kala frowned again, but eyed 'Locks' wearily.

In truth it had been clear from the start that this Sith had been playing along with her - the point had not been to fool him in this regard, but to show him that she knew what he was up to from the beginning. To underline that while he might be older, wiser, more experienced... that Maedrin had figured it out. Maybe it was a little bit petty and dangerous, but in a life such as this one? There was little more to be had, ambition was good, but it meant little when the most you could plan for was an extra can of soup or some bread.

"[member="Kuraii"] is not my pet." The little girl finally stated, still studying him for signs... any signs. "She is my partner."

A glance was spared downwards where the tiger was... still stuffing her mouth.

Sighs were suppressed and she coughed slightly. This in an attempt to get Kuraii's attention, before it slipped away into food heaven once again - she understood it completely, of course.

It was difficult for herself to stay focused on the conversation, instead of stuffing her mouth. But it was necessary in the moment.

"Kuraii?"

 

[Ao Xian]

She hadn't been paying attention to much of anything but the pile of various roasted meats as the two had bantered. Sure, when tones had changed she'd shifted ever so slightly, but by and large, tearing teeth through cooked flesh was far more interesting than the by-play going on between the two. The game they were playing was not one where she was required to be anything more than a prop- and if props got fed like this, well, she could make her peace with it.

So it took a moment to realize that the 'prop' had been raised to speaking part.

She blinked slowly, lifting her shaggy head from the plate. Her mouth was full. Something fell off of her whiskers with a squelch as it hit the floor. Tawny eyes looked back and forth from [member="Kala Maedrin"] to Locks and back again.

Kuraii swallowed.

Pause.

"So," she rumbled. "Does that mean I get to sit at the table now?"

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Kuraii"]

For a moment there was simple silence.

Contrary to Kala Locks had not deviated his attention from his plate, instead now trying to cut down a particularly annoying piece of meat into a smaller portion. Perfumed and precise hands were careful in their approach, while the tip of his tongue was squeezed tight between bright white teeth. This was a man who groomed himself to perfection, even while his robe was in rags.

"This depends on if you wish this seat for yourself." The Miraluka finally responded quietly before pushing the meat in his mouth and chewing with determination.

Some wine was swallowed next to give the meat texture and taste. Now the fragrance was pitch perfect and that pleased Locks greatly.

"It is up to you to decide if you are best of at the table or... not." After all there was something to be said about being unassuming and unexpected. It was much the same for him, but it simply was projected in all kinds of different manners.

They each had their role to play.

 

[Ao Xian]

Kuraii was not as clever as [member="Kala Maedrin"]. But she wasn't a fool either, and the cunning of a hunter steered her well so far in her life. She sat very still, other than the twitching of her tail as Locks spoke. Blinking large golden eyes, she regarded him for several heartbeats before responding.

"Provided," she rumbled, her voice low and rough, "the knowledge that I could sit at the table is understood, I am perfectly content with my plate where it sits."

She paused then, nostrils flaring slightly.

"Also if one of you will pass down more of that nerf with the spicy sauce."

The smile that spread out over Locks face broke like a migraine, slow and implacable and merciless.

"Good. Very good indeed."

 

[Arage Bao]

​

Dromund Kaas - Sith Worlds​

​

Kaas had gone through calamities before, but none as destructive as the Mandalorians' assault on it decades ago.

But in a concerted effort big corporations such as Saiba had restored it... mostly back to how it was before. Right in time for the Silver Jedi to claim the world as their own, but that did not prevent the Sith from maintaining their own little presence on the planet. Especially with the rest of the Caldera now firmly under control of the Resurgent Empire, Kaas was a little hold-out in comparison. The city of Dromund Kaas was not as thriving as it was once before, but cut within the jungle and frost the city stood regardless of all attempts to put it down.

Locks owned a grand appartement, but of course under an assumed name.

[member="Kuraii"] and her had been here for a few days now. Mostly the Miraluka let them be for now - letting them focus on getting their strength and stamina and wits back after the horrors of Korriban.

Today Kala stood outside on the balcony, when she heard the heavy steps of her friend behind her.

"I don't know if I will ever love Dromund Kaas." The little girl finally softly. "But anything is better than the sands of Korriban."

 

[Ao Xian]

"What is it with Sith and abhorring green spaces?"

Kuraii huffed and crouched beside [member="Kala Maedrin"] on the balcony. Her ears lay flat against her head, but the swiveled up each time the thunder cracked in the sky, only to lie flat again in a sure sign of distress from the great cat.

"Can't they be lurking or menacing from a forest or something? It's not that far! But no. Duracrete covering it all."

Brow furrowed heavily. "It is better than Korriban though."

Kuraii was getting restless. While it was a large enough apartment, to someone who had literally never lived in a place with four solid walls and a proper roof, it was more than a little claustrophobic. Her strength was returning quickly, and with it, a certain level of..... perhaps not distrust, but she couldn't put a better word to it than that. Locks had been in and out of the apartment at seemingly random intervals, and he had made no demands on them besides to recuperate. But, as far as Kuraii was concerned, that was only a matter of time. And it made her almost as uncomfortable as the heavy walls did.

And yet.... there was nothing to sneer at. They'd fallen from hell into the world of an apparently benign crazy person. There was no other explanation for Locks, as far as she could tell at least. Which also made her nervous.

They could leave. At any time they wanted, he'd assured them of that. They weren't slaves, weren't chattel. But he also wouldn't raise a single finger to help them further if they did.

So why did they stay?

In part, curiosity. In part, because of the promise of knowledge and strength.

And of course, Kuraii stayed in part because Kala wanted to. And where else, in truth, could they go?

 

[Arage Bao]

It had been difficult for her to explain to Kuraii why she wanted to stay.

There were the obvious reasons, of course. The fact that neither of them had any money or other resources to their name - getting out of the Sith Worlds without being enslaved again would be difficult enough, but to actually survive out there in the Galaxy? Neither of them had any real experience doing that. She had tried... when she was younger and even though people still considered her a little girl, Kala could only shake her head at her little self. The little Kala who thought that by simply willing something it would come true.

It wasn't the offer of knowledge either, even if it was a large portion of the why. After all - if it was simple knowledge Kala was after, they could simply travel to one of the university planets in the Galaxy, if it was knowledge she sought.

No... it was power.

The opportunity to become strong and never, ever find herself in a situation like Korriban ever again.

"We could explore the jungles outside the city maybe?" Kala suggested after a moment of silence. Of course, Locks had explained to them that it was a dangerous place filled with beasts and other things, but... the Miraluka had not exactly forbidden them from going out for a look. Just let them know that the Sithspawn and other predators would probably be their death.

Something of amusement had entered his posture when Kala frowned.

As if he could see her frown simply by studying her emotional spectrum.

"I don't think Locks will be back for a few more days."

[member="Kuraii"]

 

[Ao Xian]

Kuraii gently butted [member="Kala Maedrin"] on the shoulder with her forehead.

"I do not think either of us are strong enough for that yet," came the surprisingly soft reply.

She appreciated the offer. More than she could explain. And as much as she wanted to take Kala up on it, it simply wasn't sensible.

"I am not entirely certain how far I trust Locks yet," she continued. "But there is little enough reason to exaggerate the dangers. There are plenty of reasons to stay in the apartment- and he did not say we could not leave and go about the city, just to be careful there. So clearly, he is not trying to frighten us into staying here only. It only makes sense that the jungle is truly as dangerous as he says. And I, for one, am not at my full strength. Yet."

Restless, annoyed, brimming with more energy than she'd had in a very long time. Yes, all of those. But not strong enough to protect them both if even half of Locks' warning were accurate.

"But we could go out into the city maybe?"

Better anything out of this apartment. It was either that or Kuraii would nap the day away again and disturb everyone with midnight pacing.