In Darker Waters Tread

[Gorba the Hutt]

The floating habitation sphere known as the D'orq contained fjords, a small sea, and a wonderful industrial complex. The sphere might have been called a worldship, but in truth it was merely the size of a comet, or asteroid. Certainly larger than most starships, in any case.

Orcus of Giju, the Herglic formerly known as Hion, sat inside a lush executive office tower on the sphere. More often than not, Orcus received guests at his estate on Cloud Nine. Recently, however, he'd found he needed the soothing sounds of the ocean. While it was not Giju, the D'orq's artificial sea would do just fine.

He pushed one final button on his data pad, gave a satisfied snort, then awaited a response.

[member="Joza Perl"] was not a hard woman to find. Especially not with the sort of resources the CEO could bring to bear. Consequently, the exotic dancer would find her bank account credited with a large sum of cash.

Just enough to buy her a ticket aboard a transport ship all the way to the D'orq.

She would also find a message from Orcus himself.

Dear Miss Perl,

It has come to my attention that you are a close friend and associate of my young protege, Haytham Kaze. I wish to get to know better someone who is so important in Haytham's life, as he talks about you all the time. If you would allow me, it would be my pleasure to have you over to my estate for dinner next week at the following coordinates.

Sincerely,

Your Humble Servant,

Orcus of Giju

 

[Joza Perl]

“….”

Joza stared down at the data pad in bewilderment. She’d received the message a few hours before her nightly performance, too preoccupied with costume changes and finding the right shades of complementary eyeshadow to answer. Actually that wasn’t entirely true—she knew of Darth Orcus, having heard about the Sith Lord from Haytham himself. But she didn’t know much, and the fact that he was contacting her was, in many ways, distressing.

The Jedi gave herself the night to ruminate over her decision. It would be rude not to accept, but he was a Sith Lord. Sith only looked out for themselves and their own interests, right? This had to be a trap. But what if it wasn’t? Did Haytham know about this? Just how much of their relationship did he reveal to Orcus? Questions buzzed in her mind for the majority of the evening, but gradually they faded into obscurity with the buzz of alcohol.

Stumbling back into her flat, the Zeltron dancer crashed onto her bed where she’d left Orcus’ message open on her data pad. Bleary eyed and slightly uncoordinated, she pulled the tablet onto her stomach and typed out a quick reply.


Sure


---


At least he paid the way. Joza attempted to rationalize her actions as she once again re-adjusted in her seat aboard the transport shuttle. Most of her questionable behavior came from inebriated decisions, but she was just as liable to agree to meet him had she been sober. Maybe. In the distance, the she spotted the habitation sphere of D’orq and her stomach churned in warning.

Not entirely stupid, the pink woman had taken care to strap one of her saber hilts just beneath her bust to the point where it would be pleasantly concealed by the fabric of her dress. It doubled as both protection and a little lift for the already plentiful girls. If she needed to retrieve it, she would have to reach between the neckline of her dress—but it was easier than strapping it to her thigh or keeping it in her purse. No, that was where the compact blaster went.

Spoiler

One of her biggest concerns was how much skin was appropriate to show. She was accustomed to dressing for three occasions—dancing, partying on Zeltros and Jedi shenanigans. To say that this was somewhat of a middle ground left her confused. The most conservative item of clothing she owned were her Jedi robes, and she certainly wasn’t going to be showing up in those. Nor would she meet [member="Darth Orcus"] in a slinky top and sheer skirt that she wore on stage. Instead, the form fitting red dress would have to do. That, and she had dressed it down by keeping her coat over her shoulders.

Spoiler

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

On the landing pad, two Herglic security guards awaited [member="Joza Perl"]'s arrival. Their hulking purple forms bore white scars that said they were no strangers to battle. Logos on their shoulders displayed a black fin in the midst of green water. Darkwater Security's corporate logo.

Their appearance, however, belied their demeanor. Both cetaceans smiled amicably when she stepped off the boarding ramp.

"Excuse me, Miss Perl? Mr. Orcus sent us to escort you to the Blue Café."

A five star restaurant situated beneath the artificial sea, the Blue Café treated patrons to an unparalleled view while they dined. Walls constructed entirely from glass allowed diners to watch exotic sea creatures as they swam past. The rest of the restaurant was all dark metals, with seashell and starfish paraphernalia in vases and on the walls. Blue lighting gave the café a calming atmosphere.

Despite all of that, the most noticeable part of the restaurant were the incredibly oversized furnishings. Triple XL tables, chairs. Even the entrances and ceiling were made as if for giants, or in this case, bipedal whales.

Not at all the sort of place one might expect a Sith to dine at, where were the corpses dangling from the ceiling, or the screams from the dungeon?

Zambranos and their ilk. Soiling the reputation for proper Sith. Thought Orcus as he adjusted the gold tie of his three-piece midnight blue suit. A white button down today. Yes, yes. Very presentable. He huffed a breath through his blowholes.

"Hello," he intoned to his reflection in the mirror. No no, too grim. Again, less bass. He cleared his throat. "Hello. Welcome."

The Sith Lord nodded to himself, then stepped out and took a seat at the best table in the establishment. The chair opposite the seven foot Herglic was noticeably smaller. Human sized. Orcus folded his flippers in his lap and waited.

 

[Joza Perl]

Oh. Joza tried her best not to look startled as she laid eyes upon the hulking guards, not expecting to be greeted by someone of their stature. But she offered her own vaguely gentle smile to return their polite words, a quick dip of her head indicating that she would follow.

Again, the slender Zeltron was surprised at the sheer size of the restaurant—obviously made to cater to a species other than her own, she presumed. Joza allowed herself to admire her opulent surroundings with a pleased eye, a bit of longing flickering in her mind. Growing up in a low-income area meant that opportunities to be treated to luxury only presented themselves on very rare occasions—after she’d grown more womanly attributes, that was. Regardless, she was not here for that sort of thing.

After being guided to her table for the evening, Joza muttered a soft thank-you to her escorts before finally laying eyes on Orucs. Given the guards Haytham had with him, his Master’s race came of no surprise. So she did her best to hide the glimmer of suspicion in her eyes, smoothing out her posture to that of a graceful dancer. “You must be Orcus,” She began, a faint smile tinting her features. “Joza. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

[member="Darth Orcus"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

At the sight of his guest, Orcus rose, chair squeaking in protest as he pushed it back. Glittering black eyes, fathomless as the ocean's depths regarded the shapely woman for a moment. In the blue light, her pink skin looked almost a Keshiri lavender. How intriguing.

Wrinkles appeared around his eyes and a wide, jovial grin broke out, full of big teeth and bright as daybreak on the ocean's surface. The Herglic stepped out from behind the table and offered her one his enormous, webbed hands.

"Hello, Miss Perl. Welcome to the D'orq."

His voice boomed, rich and impossibly deep. The sort that made folk pause and listen.

"I must say, that is a splendid dress."

Perhaps the only such dress in her wardrobe. He'd seen the others from the intel reports and surveillance footage.

"I can see why Haytham speaks so highly of you."

In fact, Darth Vanitas had only mentioned her once before, and that to say he'd abused her too. No matter. The truth was an ugly thing, unkind and oft too cruel. A few white lies would be kinder. And who knew, perhaps they would repair a bit of the damage done.

The towering Sith Lord bent, low as could be, and placed a peck on the back of her hand before releasing it.

Smiling he gestured for her to be seated and resumed his own chair.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

It would be easy for someone of his build to be menacing, yet her regarded Joza with nothing but welcoming behavior. Still, she was mindful of the way she held herself—careful not to clench onto her bag too tightly, or to let signs of unease show in her posture. The Zeltron had learned to deal with the anxiety that plagued her in her Padawan days, but that control only extended so far. Surely Orcus could understand if the dancer felt a bit anxious given the situation.

“Why, thank you.” She returned both his welcome and compliment with a gracious smile, tilting her head to signify a makeshift bow. He was certainly wasn’t what she was expecting, considering the various Sith she’d had the pleasure of dealing with. Charming as some could be, there was always a malicious edge to them. With Orcus it remained to be seen, but so far she was surprised by his apparently warm demeanor.

“Does he?” There was genuine curiosity in her voice as she settled into her appropriately sized seat, taking care to cross her ankles and fold her hands neatly in her lap. Questions burned at the back of her mind upon hearing Haytham’s name. What did he tell his Master about her? About their relationship? And to what extent?

Perhaps there’d be room to slip those into polite conversation later, but for now she focused on the hulking Herglic in front of her. Had she walked into an exquisitely decorated trap or did he genuinely want to greet her?

“You picked a beautiful location,” She waved a hand gently towards the glass wall. “I can’t say that I’ve ever been to a place like this.”

[member="Darth Orcus"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"Few have," he rumbled, picking up a menu. "Giju's finest chef will be making our meals. I hope you like fish."

While Orcus could not be considered nearly as affluent a mogul as Danger Arceneau, he certainly didn't make less than seven figures. Not bad for an upstart gambler from the Freeworlds.

Beyond the glass, a gigantic squid swooshed past, eyeballing them with an orb the size of one of the dinner plates.

"Imported from Dac. One of many specimens I've managed to acquire."

The Sith Lord did not count impressing a Zeltrosian dancer any sort of wild accomplishment. Even so, he had carefully cultivated the image of himself that he presented to the galaxy. No one could begrudge him a few moments showing off what several deaths and bondage to the Dark Side could earn a whale.

A Mon Calamari waiter drifted to their table.

"Madame, M'lord. What will you be having to drink?"

"Wine, Alderaanian. The thirty-five, I think. Hauum."

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“I do,” She answered simply, a sweet note to her voice. Despite her brash tendencies, the Zeltron knew how to appear poised and courteous when the situation called for it. She wasn’t about to tromp into the den of a Sith Lord with a scowl on her face and mouth full of bitter questions. Isn’t that sort of odd… Then again, she knew very little about Herglics, never mind their diet.

“Acquire…?” She mouthed the word with an upward inflection in a way that implied she didn’t expect an answer. The Jedi could only wonder what exactly it was that the Sith Lord did to acquire his apparent wealth, as Haytham had been vague whenever the subject of his Master came up.

“A glass of water, please.” She added in, giving the waiter a courteous smile before turning back to her date for the evening. “Do you live here, Mr. Orcus?” Her tone was soft, curious and unobtrusive.

[member="Darth Orcus"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

The security magnate's squat head bobbed on his stout neck. It was impossible to tell where the trapezius ended and the neck began.

Plain water. One could tell much about a person by what they ordered to drink. Especially when all expenses were paid for by someone else. Rather than splurging, she chose to be conservative. Afraid, perhaps? Or simply not trusting herself to drink anything stronger. A bit of both, maybe. Then again, if Orcus worked in an environment choked with the smell of strong liquor he would probably have a distaste for it as well.

In any case, Orcus could certainly feel the unease drifting from her in the Force, though she was doing an admirable job keeping calm. It is difficult to hide such things from a Lord of the Sith.

"When it suits me, though more often than not I'll be on Cloud Nine. A wonderful place, have you been?"

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Her eyes flared slightly at the mention of Cloud Nine, though Joza took care to keep herself from flinching. Instead, her hands tightened in her lap, hidden beneath the table. As much of a luxury the resort was, there were nothing but unpleasant memories surrounding it for her.

“Once. Lovely place.” She commented airily, hastily searching her memories of Bespin. “A girl I worked with on Zeltros won some sort of pass to the resort.” It was the truth, and the dancer would forego mentioning the more important details. How she met with his apprentice, how they dueled and had bitter dealings with one another. No, those would be better left unsaid.

Vaguely, she wonders if he already knows.

“I heard that they were having some sort of construction issue?” She offered, making it seem as if she wasn’t aware of the spat between Haytham and Nikias.

[member="Darth Orcus"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

Liar.

Wide lips split open in a knowing smile, before it was suddenly hidden behind the raised menu.

"Oh, it's a floating resort city on Bespin. It always has construction issues."

But I know exactly what you meant.

"Here's your wine, m'lord. And your water, miss."

Orcus looked up. "Ah, thank you, thank you. I'm ready to order now, I believe."

"Very well, m'lord. What will you be having?"

"Two dragon drills and the - hm - the seal veal, please. Hauum."

"And you, miss?" The waiter turned toward her, eyes expectant.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Something about that smile gave the Zeltron pause, breath hitching in her throat for just a moment. Certainly, coming here was a bad idea. Good manners and a pleasant demeanor couldn’t overwrite the fact that she was dealing with a Sith. The word was burned in her mind like a sizzling brand. Sith were bad. Sith used those around them. Sith only cared about their own gains.

And yet, she’d found herself keeping their beds warm all the same.

So this is the sort of game we are playing. Hopefully, she was just fabricating things and overanalyzing the situation. Green eyes flickered down to the menu, glazing over the various dishes in an attempt to appear normal. There was no way that the Zeltron would attempt to probe Orcus’ mind—not now at least. But being a Zeltron she was skilled in her own right at reading body language, moreso when she employed her natural empathy abilities.

“Ah,” A pause, lips parted slightly as she honed in on one particular dish before glancing back to the waiter. “The krakana fillet, please.”

[member="Darth Orcus"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"An excellent choice," the waiter proclaimed, though it seemed he might have said so whatever she chose. He whisked away their menus and stalked off.

Orcus wrapped a flipper 'round his overlarge glass and took a sip of the deep red wine. "Ah," he clacked his teeth in a display of approval. The Darth could not claim to have a discerning palate, but even so, truly an exquisite vintage.

"So, Miss Perl. I expect you're wondering why I've gone through all the trouble to bring you here. The missive I sent you did not lie. I would be remiss if I did not get to know someone so involved in my protege's life."

The truth? Orcus wanted to know what sort of woman could provoke a Hellyni to assault his apprentice. He wondered if she knew what sort of power she wielded. No, unlikely. Someone so clever would not scrape by a living as a simple object to be admired by perverse eyes. A glamorous one, to be sure, but one quickly disposed of when she lost her shine.

"Tell me, is that a lightsaber tucked underneath your bodice? I could sense the crystal. Oh, no need to be alarmed. If I'd wanted to do you harm it would've already been done. Besides, we're at dinner. Harming a dinner guest would be... entirely unbecoming. Hauum. So, you are a Force user then?"

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Involved. That was certainly a word to describe the complicated relationship she had with his apprentice. Again, it brought to mind her burning curiosity over just how much Orcus knew.

Oh.

Joza nearly flinched visibly, heart leaping into her throat. Of course. She hadn’t taken much care to cloak her own presence in the Force, just enough to dull it to the point where she appeared untrained. I wonder, can he feel the crystal in my arm as well? It was possible that he couldn’t, seeing as how it was embedded within her cybernetic enhancement, masked beneath pink synthflesh.

“It is, and I am.” Honesty would be the best policy as there’d be no use in hiding such things from a Sith Lord. She offered him a tight smile when he said that she’d already have come to harm if he wished. Where have I heard that before. To put it simply, Orcus was not the first Sith Lord she’d met with off of the battlefield. “Surely you can forgive my caution? I have no ill intent.” A pause to sip at her water delicately, peering at Orcus from behind the rim of the crystalline glass.

“I’m also curious as to what Haytham’s Master is like. You see, he hasn’t spoken much of you.” She placed the glass down, idly fingering the stem with a polite smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

[member="Darth Orcus"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"Oh, I don't believe you did wish me harm," he waved his flipper dismissively, "I'll not fault you for being prudent. It is, after all, even a virtue the Sith respect."

A puff of air spouted from his blowholes to punctuate the sentence with a hauuming sound.

"As for me, if I'm being entirely honest the last I'd heard was that you two had a bit of a disagreement."

An idea started to take form in Orcus' mind. Always an individual intrigued by philosophy and history, Orcus had worked on his own moralistic leanings since leaving the One Sith. Most men simply killed those who stood in their way. Children stomping on toys. Those men were small minded. A true display of power was turning enemies into allies, by whatever means possible.

Two images formed. What [member="Joza Perl"] was now and what she might become with a little guidance. She might only be a dancer, scraping by on a pittance, but it had not been so very long ago that Orcus himself had been a broke gambler with no prospects. No, only a few decades and a few deaths.

 

[Joza Perl]

A bit of a disagreement…that was certainly one way to put it. Joza had to wonder if the Sith Lord knew more than he was letting on. After all, she and Haytham had their disagreement in the Herglic’s own mansion on Cloud Nine—wouldn’t there be some sort of record of it on the security tapes? The thought almost made her blush. Having one’s private affairs potentially exposed was embarrassing.

“We did,” Her eyes unfocused for a few moments, glancing at the great glass wall over the Sith’s shoulder as she recalled the events he’d alluded to. They’d been at their lowest point then, and it was not something she particularly liked to remember. As for now, they found themselves in a different place. Better, in some aspects. If only Nikias hadn’t gone and hunted the Kaasian down…she made sure to berate the Hellyni up and down for inserting himself into her business, as touched by his devotion as she was.

“I’m surprised he told you that, I didn’t figure him the type to divulge something so…personal.” Perhaps she didn’t know Haytham as well as she thought, or perhaps Orcus was lying. “Especially considering how you said he’d spoken highly of me.” In an instant, her eyes snapped back to her date for the evening. Another small smile, another dainty sip of water.


[member="Darth Orcus"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

Quite a number of people would have found themselves drenched in cold sweat, nervously fiddling with some daft escape scheme or the other. Joza remained remarkably calm, under the circumstances, for an ecdysiast.

"Why should you be surprised? I am the lad's mentor. Who else would he bring such matters of the heart to, if not to me?" Orcus gave her a grandfatherly smile, a touch melancholic, before sampling the wine again.

Did Darth Orcus have security footage of their spat? Of course he did. He'd had premier Darkwater cameras installed around the entirety of his estate. Not only did he have footage of Joza, he had her facial structure stored in a recognition database. The Hellyni [member="Nikias"] too, for that matter.

Not that he had much use for either of those tapes at the moment.

It didn't take an expert in the shatterpoint technique to see that there was a bond between this woman and his apprentice. One Orcus fully intended to fathom.

"Tell me, I am curious, why do you maintain your current occupation? With your particular set of skills and your aptitude for the Force you might find a job anywhere."

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

“Oh,” The word left her lips softer than she had anticipated, prompting Joza to bring the edge of the glass to her lips for another short drink. “I guess I don’t know him as well as I thought I did.” Another tight smile, a bit of bitterness sprinkled in this time.

This brought to mind her first Master, [member="Dune Rhur"]. The patient Knight made a good match for the easily frazzled Zeltron, but unfortunately he’d left for the Republic soon after knighting her. Too soon, she’d come to figure out on her own. Away from any guiding hands, her self-control was tested against the seductive Sith and a lifestyle she was familiar with.

“Hm?” Green eyes tilted up towards Orcus as he prompted her. The question was not unexpected, yet it had caught her off guard all the same. “I have my reasons.” Her tone was polite as she could manage, and though she wanted to deflect the question fully, she continued. “Simply because I enjoy it. As you can imagine, there’s plenty of competition in the entertainment industry on Zeltros. It’s much easier to find work off world.” It was the truth as she did love to practice her craft, but not the whole truth. Helping her aging prostitute mother sounded too much like a cliché sob story.

“Might I ask, why you’ve taken Haytham as your apprentice?”

[member="Darth Orcus"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"I left his former master somewhat... indisposed. I felt it only right that I shoulder her burden and take the boy on as my charge. Picking up where she left off, so to speak."

Should he have said how he'd left off with her a headless corpse on Denarii Station? Or perhaps mused about the way Haytham's knuckles had grown white at the sight? Maybe even a shudder of delight as he explained that, after executing the master, he'd proceeded to turn her apprentice to the dark side within the span of a few minutes? But no, such a gory topic would not do for dinner talk.

Neither would gloating for that matter.

Still, he allowed himself a slight smile at the memory.

Her answer to her occupation he found unsatisfying. Much work to be done. Much work.

"Let's not play coy, Miss Perl. I've my ways of knowing where your checks go. Who they support. We both know you could be making more money in other careers. And if you wish to retain your current occupation why, I could pay you double - triple what you make now to do the same in one of my resorts. But is that truly what you want? You don't long for anything more?"

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Ah, that’s right. Before they’d met, he started off as a Jedi. The same path she intended to follow, as far as she pulled herself from the Code, even now. Joza wondered if Orcus had a grasp on how wayward she was, but his following words confirmed her suspicions.

She didn’t need to feign a look of surprise, taking a few moments to genuinely think about her chosen path. Was she truly happy? No, that part she understood. But swaying her hips in skimpy costumes gave her a sense of familiarity that couldn’t compare to anything else. In a way, Joza considered herself to be that waitress from Zeltros masquerading as a Jedi.

Creepy. So he knew about her mother? Green eyes flickered in displeasure for a moment, as if she wanted Orcus to know that this bothered her. The fact that he probably already knew everything—the emotional duel she and Haytham had and what came after—made her uneasy. Yet, her face would settle into a thoughtful look as her fingers fiddled idly with the stem of the glass.

“That’s unnerving.” She answered simply, gaze leveling back to her companion. “Unfortunately, Bespin holds too many unsavory memories for me to consider returning there. I appreciate your generosity all the same.” A vague smile to try and lighten her denial.

“I will not lie,” Fighting to keep the snark from her voice and the scowl from her face, she continued. “I would prefer a path with more stability and security.”

[member="Darth Orcus"]