Nights on Nar Shaddaa (completed)

[Faith Organa]

She could see that he was not beyond temptations, and forethought. He was settling into the armchair to keep her close yes, but knowing him this had small ulterior motives. But she smiled and went willingly along with it.

She settled into his lap, "grapes huh, so I am goddess divine that you would feed me grapes?" She shifted ever so slightly to get herself comfortable. She looked into his steel gray eyes and smiled, "eating, drinking, dancing and then love all night and half of a day, my Dragon you think you can endure such rigorous activity?"

She teased him as she often did for it drove his need to prove it to her, and she liked when he doubled his efforts to be pleasing, just as much as she enjoyed loving him in return. Her intimate knowledge of him, how she was the only one in the galaxy that truly knew the softness he held, and those little sounds he made that only a wife would know why.

She laughed at the thought, she wondered again, how much he read her mind.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Yes, you are such a goddess." He said grinning, holding her with one hand and holding the cluster of grapes up for her to eat from the stem as she wanted, gazing at her with his steely grey eyes, inspecting her closely watching how she moved and looked at him. She was settled into his lap comfortably, his ulterior motives successful as soon as she settled in. He was comfortable and content, very excited to have her to himself a little and be out enjoying the night-life as much as she wanted to. So far his will power was holding, which was good.

"Probably not all that time, but you make me want to try." The Mandalorian said with a gently laugh. He held her close, feeling her on top of him, her curves in his lap. "We will see though, I might have to call upon the Force, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes just so long as you leave those boots on." Draco leaned in and kissed her collar bone, working his way up her neck slowly. He made certain to be careful not to leave any marks of his claim on her just yet, careful with her like a delicate flower.

The music changed, and despite their nap after dinner it was only a little after midnight. Late dinner, cuddling afterwards for a few hours, a few hours out dancing and spending time on the town, followed by a night of passion. It was a perfect evening and his love seemed to be enjoying herself. He pulled his head away from her neck for a moment, seeing the little traces of his saliva from her collar bone to her jaw. "Ner runi, are you having fun? Is there anything you want to do differently?" Draco's slight insecurities concerning Faith, and concerning his abilities as a romantic were often dormant with her, but they also rarely went out in public so it just never really had time to fester. However the warrior did worry some that he was boring, or unoriginal, or some other thing that every princess had seen and turned away a thousand times. Above all, he just wanted to impress Faith so that she would be happy.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

"You're fretting with me in your lap, grapes over my head, drinks, music, and we are alone you're fretting if I am happy" She shook her head ever so gently, "ner kar'ta, ner runi, ner drahr I am very happy this pleases me to now end, the only thing that would be more pleasing is when we in the confines of our sleeping chambers."

She cupped his chin as her thumb swept across his lower lip, then she leaned to kiss him deeply. There were many ways for her to show him the depths of her love, touching him, being with him, and whispering the tender words to encourage him were but a small part of her love.

She broke the kiss leaving her forehead resting against his, she unbuttoned a few more of his shirt buttons so that she could place her hand on his chest, "I think this is perfect Draco, couldn't ask or dream of more." She nuzzled his neck, "do we need to go home early so I can show you how happy you make me? hmm?" She kissed his throat softly.

Whatever he needed she would give, there was very little in this galaxy that she wouldn't do for him.

She pressed her lips to his ear, tenderly nipping at the lobe. Her hand rested easily on his chest, she was greatful that no one could see them, or could they?

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Not fretting. Just trying to be good to you." He grinned at her, letting her soothe his worries away with her words and the warmth of her body against his. She kissed him, and he felt her affections which he returned in kind, passion bleeding through their bond. He worried he was boring, but she seemed content, and she was fiery enough to make sure he knew what changes she wanted made well before they became an issue between them.

"We could if you want to. I want to, but I also want to dance and drink and see you be happy." He said quietly, letting her place her hand on his chest and run her fingers between his muscles, her lips against his throat softly. He could tell that for them the night was starting to wind down and heat up.

"I've been working out a lot." He said jokingly as she kept her hand against his chest, "If you can't tell." She nipped at his ear, her hair brushed his face while he kissed her neck and cheek, her aroma intoxicating. "Alright, I can't wait any longer." He said suddenly. "I've waited and held out for as long as I could cyar'ika, and now, I need you. Should we head for the hotel?" He grinned, waiting to hear her response. His passions were growing in his stomach, and he held out against his desires for as long as he could for his Princess, but he was just a mortal man.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

She pulled back with a gleam in her eye a look of satisfaction on her face it wasn't that she had won anything, she in her mind had only proven that he enticed her, lured her, made her blood boil as equally as he made her blood run hot.

"We can go to the hotel because I'm not going to flaunt anything in this little balcony." Last thing she needed were holo news networks picking up a story on them on Nar Shaddaa. She didn't move though they were still in the chair.

She hesitated in getting up, she liked this being all cuddled up she kissed him ever so softly this time, "I like spending time at home with you, all this is fun, but it's not what I need you know. We" she wiggled just a little, just enough to tempt him, "have fun wherever we are. So, let's go to the hotel room and chase Ana and Captain Lindsey to their rooms"

She took his hand, "besides I like teasing you like this. Let's me know that you are still interested in me. So you know if you like the dress and the boots, I'm keeping them and on nights when I feel insecure and want attention, I'm putting them on."

Now she slid off his lap, "We can do other things together, camping, hunting, swimming, and time at the cabin. Nights like this are for showing off to the galaxy cyar'ika. And we can do that too"

She got to her feet, "you are not boring, you are never unwanted, and I love you more than life itself Draco."

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Yes, you have a reputation to up hold." Draco smiled, knowing that though he wanted everyone to know she was his and he was hers, he had no intention of letting the galaxy in on their personal time together. She was good to him, good for him.

She wiggled her butt in his lap and Draco pinched her, just enough to get a squeak out of his princess, pay back for wiggling around and tempting him knowing what she was doing and how hot she made his blood run. "Okay, let's go then, and chase Ana and Lindsey out." He smiled, "I know you have fun, I just like to know if there is anything I could be doing better for you, ner runi." Her hand slipped into his, intertwining with his fingers, uniting them together once again.

"Oh, you like tormenting me and testing my willpower, pressing against me and driving me crazy do you?" He said, feigning hurt while he followed her out of the cushioned chair and let her lead him off the balcony. "Well, I don't mind so long as you keep the dress and the boots." Draco smiled, grinning like a fool.

Her final words resonated with him, causing him to hold her just a little tighter and kiss her cheek. "I know, and I couldn't imagine life without you." The pair slipped through the crowd of people still jumping and bouncing with the music moving towards the airspeeder from the service to take them back to the hotel.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith moved slowly through the crowds smiling her cheeks flush they called for the ride home it would be waiting outside when they got there.

She was in some trouble with Draco, he was learning her little secrets well she was revealing them to him. She had to remember his beginnings even though where he was now was drastically different from then it still played into how he reacted.

The thump and vibrations grew louder as they crossed the floor, she bobbed and weaved to go through the crowd.

Till they were on the walkway and the ride pulled up, Faith looked back at Draco as the door opened and she slid across the seat waiting for him to follow.
The ride to the hotel was a blur as passions heated to the edge. By their arrival to the hotel Faith was ready to peel Draco's clothes off. The ride in the lift only frustrated the pair further as their anticipation grew.

Faith using her card key opened the door, "Come here" she purred, as she pulled him inside the room had an odd feel, Faith paused as she looked, "OH god" She ran over to where Ana lay near the couch, she gently pat her cheeks, "Ana"

Faith breathing deeply began to feel groggy, she checked Ana she was alive, she turned to look at Draco, "Draco..." she felt her head begin to swim, "I don't.......feel...well" She looked around, "Where's Captain......Lindsey"

She turned to pull Ana from the couch, "we need to get out....." Her arms felt heavy her legs wouldn't work. There was the sound of someone running, heavy foot falls..she fell to her knees, "Draco...."

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco wasn't paying much attention to the suite as they entered, focusing all of his attention on Faith. He poured out what affections he had stored and held tight under leash until now, overtaking his senses. She smelled sweetly, her skin tasted as though she was wearing a subtle fruity perfume. Her voice was a purr as she lead him into the room, and he was oblivious. Nothing about his senses were wrong, his vision was simply tunneled at her, the only thing he was willing to be aware of.

Faith tore herself from him, noticing Ana on the couch. Draco grumbled under his breath, angry that she had fallen asleep on the couch despite he request for her to vacate the common area. He turned towards the kitchenette and felt himself go dizzy, having to hold his hands out to steady himself. "Woah." He muttered turning back to Faith, seeing the worry in her eyes and on her features. It was at that point he realized he was being drugged. His warrior instincts were to fight, but one cannot fight drugs or gas. He sucked in a deep breathe and held it, finally turning back to the Force. For someone raised with the Force and taught to manipulate and sense it from a young age, they would have realized the dampening effects long ago. For a Mandalorian who only had a few years experience using the Force, and very little understanding of how it worked, he was unaware until he attempted to use it.

The Force answered Draco's tug, but much more feebly than he had intended. Draco had hoped to pull the Force to him and purge himself of the toxins, but, he found himself unable to do so very well. Not enough to keep the constant stream of gas entering the apartment from affecting him. He stepped towards Faith, barely holding his breath, eyes drooping as he did. Someone was running up, shoving the door opened as the lovers had not been paying enough attention to bother with safety locks. He felt hands on his shoulders and his elbow flew back on instinct alone. There was a yelp, seemingly in the distance or muffled.

The Mandalorian rounded on the being grabbing him, headbutting them as hard as he could. Even for his size, Draco was dense and very powerful, yet the bonebreaking Keldabe Kiss was not what occurred. Yes there was blood running down from where his forehead hit the man, but the man was still standing. The struggle continued, a second being grabbing him and stabbing him with a blunt object, just beneath his ribs, pressing it against his flesh as the shirt was already torn open. Pain shot up from the metal thing and his left leg and arm went numb, refusing to respond to his calls. Someone punched him in the stomach, causing the air in his lungs to blow out and him to suck in new, tainted air. "Faith." He called weakly.

~Sometime Later~

The Mandalorian awoke in a dark room, bare walls, his chair bolted to the duracrete floor and his wrists in beskar manacles locked to a metal ring buried in the duracrete. He had no knowledge of how long it had been, who had taken him, and why. All he knew was the last he could remember was the worry on Faith's face, right after they had been interrupted.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Draco, she couldn't speak she could only watch from where she lay on the floor, they were hurting him, she tried to push up.
They did not pay any heed to her they knew that in moments she would be asleep like the others but they had to get control of him before they lost their advantage. "Now" One voice said, "Ok, that should do it start the vent and let's get out of here"
Had they killed him? No, they were taking him!
Before she could move or think she was lost into the darkness.

Later
Short breaths. Her ears were ringing. She squeezed her eyes tight trying to clear the fog from her mind was it a dream? She yawned and rolled over, ever so slowly. She was not in bed, she was on the floor, "Ana" Faith pushed up her muscles were still refusing to move. "Ana" she called again.

"mmm"

Faith pulled herself toward the response, "You ok?"

"umhmmm"

Faith reached the couch, "What happen?"

"Sleeping."

"No Ana" the fog was starting to lift, "drugged, they took him" Faith tried rolling her shoulders then reached out and pushed up, "Captain"

She made it to her feet, "Captain"

She felt stronger, she took a step. "Princess"

She couldn't see him, "you alright?"

"Yes, sort of, are you?"

"They took Draco." This was something she had feared that someone, something would take him. Why had they taken him? She needed to think and her head wouldn't clear. She looked over to the Captain who had found his way to his feet.

Faith was trying not to panic, trying to hold it together she looked from Ana to the Captain she shook her head, "We need to find him, them..."

She sat down hard, "Captain Lindsey, can you see if the hotel has any security footage? Ana," She didn't know what to say to Ana, "Call the spaceport, see if they have footage, we have to figure out if he's still here or taken off world" She didn't know, who else could she call.

Her Aunt Rekha though she had not spoken to her in months she might have connections that would be useful and just maybe someone from the WolfCat Order, maybe.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco took a few breaths, his head spinning and vision tunneled and blurred. It was tough getting his bearings and he couldn't yet feel the Force, normally one of the first senses he regained when he awoke. They must have pumped forcebreaker gas and coma gas into the hotel. That's what he got for using a mid-rate hotel without independent atmospheric safeties. Whoever wanted him had wanted him bad enough to risk a great deal to grab him.

The walls were simple duracrete, bare without any decoration or color, same as the floor he was shackled to. For some reason he wasn't strapped to the chair, which seemed odd, however the beskar shackles were just short enough that he couldn't lean back in the chair, making it uncomfortable.

As his vision started to clear, the door in front of him opened and a pair of beings walked through. The human had bandages over his nose and Draco smiled at him indignantly, remember just enough to know that the broken nose and two missing teeth were because of him. The other, a gand, stood at the door with a stun prod while the human walked around Draco, getting a good look at the Mandalorian. "That's not a bad look on you. Kind of backwater hick mixed with failed bounty hunter. How is the lisp?"

The man struck Draco, which hurt a little but wasn't so bad. Draco was tough enough to handle a little physical abuse. "Just waiting on transfer to be approved and your buyer will be by to see you."

Buyer struck hard to the former slave. It could be Hutts he owed money, of angry with him for destroying many of the palaces on Nal Hutta. Could be a lot of people actually. Even [member="Arianna Organa"] could be on that list of possible buyers. But it also hurt him as a memory of his past, a past he had abandoned and moved away from, forgotten as best he could.

"You probably expect me to offer to pay more than them. But that isn't my way. Besides, I'd really like to meet the person who is looking for me. Just understand, that soon enough, I'm going to kill you and your friends." The human laughed, the Gand shifted a little uncomfortably though. He got to someone, and he fully intended to fulfill that promise to them.

His next worry was about Faith. Where was she? What had they done with her? He could ask, but they wouldn't tell him the though, and nothing they said could be trusted. If anything it would just hurt him.

 

[Faith Organa]

It felt like an eternity to get any information, and worse she felt like someone had suckered punched her then proceeded to drain the life from her. She could only think of the worse, what if they were already too late, what if they killed him.

She sat staring at the floor her mind filling with every imaginable horror that they could do to [member="Draco Vereen"] she couldn't be strong right now no she wanted to just curl up and forget this whole trip. They were home in bed asleep and this was the most horrific dream she could have.

She cried, and rocked as she waited.

Captain Lindsey and Ana worked to get the information, to secure what footage they could. Ana was the first to return, "The security on this floor was not available, part of how they maintain privacy Faith, but." Ana sat down near Faith, "I had them send me footage for around the hotel, and there is something here."

Ana using her stylus brought up the feed it showed four men dragging Draco out to a transport. Draco looked beaten bruised but the groan he made told them he was still alive.

Faith sniffled, "ok...he left here alive"

Captain Lindsey returned, "No one matching Commander Vereen's description was seen, but its a big planet Princess. But I don't think they took him off world, call it my best guess. WE need to find out who took him."

Faith nodded, "Well then we need my Aunt, she will have connections we don't. Can you find her?"

The Captain nodded, he knew Rekha Kaarde quite well she was an unofficial family member and the woman at times came across crazier than a bed bug. But he would find her and talk to her. He sent the message out to several places they last had on her.

Faith looked to Ana, "I don't know what I will do if he doesn't come home"

Ana put her arms around Faith, "Faith don't think on that, let's be positive, don't borrow trouble we don't have. Maybe Rekha can come up with something, ok" She handed Faith a tissue.

Faith nodded and put her head on Ana's shoulder, the waiting was the worse.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco looked around, the human missing teeth had left him, just the Gand standing beside the door quietly. The Gand were known for not needing to breath in order to survive, not needing oxygen for extended periods of time. He could tell the Gand wasn't happy about being left alone with the Mandalorian, probably having seen what happened to his friend while Draco was succumbing to coma gas. "Ysalamiri?" Draco said inquisitively.

The Gand didn't reply, but his expression changed enough that told Draco he was right. "Four, right. One in each corner to ensure total coverage? Or is it two, one on each side?" The Gand glared at him as passively as he could. Not the best poker face though. It seemed the Gand knew, which one was correct was too hard to tell though. Likely the two, one on each side. That meant, in a room this size their might be a subtle gap in the coverage closer to the door or the back wall. If he were given time alone, he might be able to get partially out of the null field, the shackles binding him slightly closer to the door, the chain linking him about a half meter long on either side. It was a possibility.

"You know why they call me the Dragon of Mandalore right? I used to breathe fire a lot."

"Shut up." The Gand said, rather nervously. He obviously had his doubts about the effectiveness of the Ysalamiri. One thing about the creatures was, they had to sleep sometime. That would make it very easy to slip out of the other's bubble and maybe pull himself free.

"Sorry, just chatting. I'm getting a little bored you know."

~Nar Shaddaa~

Draz, the Barabel Mandalorian was slithering through the hotel, sniffing and snorting. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, he didn't even know Draco was taken yet, but he could sense and track Faith just fine. It was rare for them to be separated when they left civilization together. After about a half hour of wandering around the hotel, the reptilian made his way to their room.

He expected to be shooed away by one of the Princess's aids abruptly, or having something thrown at him by Draco for sniffing around, but his curiosity and boredom had overcome him and he knocked quietly on the door, sensing the three individuals inside.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Ok. She focussed on him being alright, "ok. Let me change" She went to her room closing the door putting all of her energy into finding Draco.

She changed into street cloths something simple that. Didn't stand out. She wanted to start questioning folks out in the alley. She had credits and could pay for information.

When she came out she looked like she did when she rebeled against taking dancing lessons. "Ok."

There was a sound at the door the Captain immediately went near it

Faith looked at the door. It could be the kidnappers. "Open it"

There was Draco's clansmen, "Draz right. Come in." She stared, "you sense something dont you?"

Draco's clan would not react well to him being gone.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draz looked around like he had just been put on the spot, in the hot seat. Was he supposed to sense something? He could tell Faith was upset and the other two were worried, and Draco wasn't here, but that could be many human emotions he didn't fully understand. "Yessss. This one zenses many thingsss." Draz replied slouching as he entered the room almost on all fours tail swaying slightly.

"Why?" Draz asked quietly as he found a seat and began hunting the remote to the holovision. "Where is alor? Thought he would still be... occupied." Draz asked nonchalantly as he produced the remote from a couch cushion. He could tell something was up, but he wasn't sure exactly what. Draco wandered off without telling people all the time, it was one of his things. Normally only Rach knew his general vicinity unless Draco was taking clansmen with him.

~Elsewhere~

"So, how many people have you killed?" Draco asked the Gand, visibly uncomfortable with his surroundings.

"Shut up."

"No, come on, how many? You are a bounty hunter, how many?" Draco said again, seeing the gand shifting his feet, its eye's looking around nervously.

"How many have you killed? Huh?" The gand retorted angrily.

"See, that is a hard question. One I can't give you a solid number on. But, its more than I'd like. Hundreds maybe." Draco didn't have any problem telling this being and speaking truthfully with him. After all, it didn't matter. Worst case, Draco died and at least he got it off his chest, best case, it didn't matter but at least it got off his chest. "I haven't always been so good. I was a Sith once, a Dark Jedi before that. Every time I try to be better, something like this happens, brings out the demon in me. But, I know its not an excuse, it just sucks you know. To lose control like that."

The Gand looked at him carefully. "No, I don't know." So he had never killed anyone. It was either that or he had a very cold demeanor about killing, but given how uncomfortably he was, it had to be the former.

"So who bought me?"

"Dunno."

"Come on. You gotta help me out a little. Its not like it matters much. I'm not going anywhere."

The Gand looked at the door. "Noblewoman. I think from Contruum."

"Ah." Draco said knowingly. It explained why he had been taken alive. She wanted to do it herself. She likely wanted to make him suffer, that he could at least work with.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Draz moved in his usual manner, slow, sure, slithering and seeming a couch potato of type. Faith if she was in a different position right now might have considered the scene entertaining, but.

"Draz someone has taken Draco" Ana brought over the holo and played it for Draz, "We are going to question everyone downstairs, I have a relative who can start looking in different channels for word on him" she looked to Ana to see if there was a contradiction.

She had finally dealt with the initial shock now she had switched over to a train of thought she was hunting.

"Draz whatever you can find in this room, down the hall, outside in regards to where Draco is, I want you to find it, can you do that?" She had a feeling he wasn't going to say no.

She looked at Captain Lindsey, "I want to go downstairs now and begin looking, we've already wasted time by trying to figure out what to do. Someone in this place saw something"

Faith headed towards the door the others had their orders.

Undisclosed location,
Rekha was working for [member="Jon Burke"] right now and disclosing where she was could put them all in some kind of jeopardy.

But she was close enough to Nar Shaddaa that the message from Faith came in quickly. She frowned at its content.

"Excuse me" she went to work a little magic, if she could. She put out a message to the two people she knew on the crime world of the galaxy and waited.

It would take some time, she needed some caf. This was the hard part waiting, she knew if she sent anything to Faith she'd be all over it like a wolfcat starved for a week. It was easier to just tell her when she had something.

On Nar Shaddaa

Lios looked at the message, odd he thought there was a recent inquiry into this. He sent the message, "the info broker made the deal, to who unknown, rumors of a woman from off world. If get more will forward"

Unclosed location

Woman, huh. Oh this wouldn't go over well.

Nah, Rekha sent back message to Lios, "find out who the woman is, payment forthcoming"

Waiting game began..


[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draz nodded kind of knowingly when Faith spoke. It didn't entirely surprise him, less than the Alderaanian Princess asking the barabel hunter to track him down. "Scentz is not hard for this one to find. But how many have been in the room? They will all interfere some." The barabel never the less slid off the couch and began sniffing on the floor, his reptilian tongue flicking out to taste the air as he inched along close to the ground. Serpentine muscles coiled and relaxed, and then the barabel tensed, crouched very still, only his tongue flicking out to show that he was not a statue.

Head cocked to the side and the barabel inspected a very small patch of the carpeting closely. Finally, after almost a minute of tasting the air and looking at the the little patch of floor closely, the barabel licked the floor gently and smacked his lipless mouth. "Iz blood. Not Alor's taste." he whispered and began slowly following an invisible trail of scents and lingering Force presences. The Barabel was trained in only four skills, Force Sense, Force Track, Psychometry, and Force Smell. The perfect set of skills to hunt someone.

He made his way out into the hallway and paused, looking both ways and tasting the air before continuing away from the elevators towards a window and balcony. The barabel didn't really stop and wait for the others, just made his way following the trail like a hound without a leash. That was how he had found Rebehka for the couple anyways. Draz was a few things, and Barabels were very different from human, and Draz spent most of his time alone. If they chose to follow he would no mind, nor would he object. He would merely keep following the trail as he sensed it. He perked up, "Three... Human... reptomammal...insect..." twitched his nose and flicked his tongue as he made his way on to the balcony and looked up and then down.

~Elsewhere~

Draco had leaned back and waited out the Gand after a couple of hours. The gand had grown weary and had escaped from the awkward conversation with Draco, which gave him time to begin testing his theories about the Ysalamir, and he found them to be right. There was some open space not effected by the bubble he could reach, but not much. Just barely enough to lean his head out, but, if one bubble fell asleep, he was free and clear.

As he took his seat, the door creaked and he shifted a little, as a woman in a business suit stood in the doorway with the human and the gand behind her. "So good to finally meet you Vulkan, or Draco? Or whatever it you are today."

"Its Draco right now. Might get to see Vulkan and his Death Field later on though." It was a bluff, but how many people knew how he had rid himself of Vulkan and much of his Force power.

"Good. Leave us." True to a megalomaniac woman, she was sultry and walked around Draco, touching the back of his chair as she did. "Well, don't you want to know why you are here?"

"Not really. I'm taken by the way. Next time you go man hunting, check a little before hand." She laughed, walking back around to face him.

"Funny. I bet you have a lot of women clamoring for you. How many Sith Ladies did you court?"

"Not many. I think only one or two." She tugged on his ear.

"Was that all it took to convince you to kill thousands? To overturn hundreds and strip a dozen generations of work out from under them?"

"Well, at the time it was more the immeasurable amount of credits, the Force artifacts didn't hurt. That wouldn't do much for me anymore though." She did have a point though. He had done a lot of damage and a lot of evil in his time. He couldn't expect it to all wash away because he was sorry, and his actions, while better, wouldn't make up for everything. Couldn't really.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith watched Draz he was onto something, "The holo showed 4 men taking him into the alley Draz" Captain Lindsey stood back watching this was something he couldn't do, sniff, and that is literally sniff out someone.

Draco had explained how Draz found Rebekah she knew that Draz could find Draco, this was another opportunity to show his clansmen that she could work with them, recognize their skills and rely on them.

Ana came back, "we have all the data, and so far no response from your Aunt" Faith nodded, "I want a blaster" she looked at Captain Lindsey, "We will find Draco and when we do I want to be ready to fight for him to get him back."

Elsewhere
Lios looked at his screen it was not cooperating with him while Rekha had paid him his standard commission the more he delved into finding the name of this noble the harder it became to find her. She it seemed was either quite skilled or knew who to pay to hide her name.

Contruum came up, but the information looked bogus to him but that could be a plant meant to deceive him. He sat back, he need a slicer.

Back at the hotel
Faith was arguing with Captain Lindsey on the merits of her being able to carry a blaster. "I am not a child." The Captain was only trying to do his job, "Princess, you are pregnant if you carry a weapon you become a very viable target because if you shoot or have that capability it is assumed you know the risks, but I think you are blinded by your emotions right now."
Faith glared, "I am the wife of the Alor of Clan Vereen, you will give me a weapon."

The Captain took a step back he had forgotten how stubborn she could be, and how devoted she was. She was blending two worlds and defining when she as one, or the other.
Draz was on the move while the humans yelled at each other.

"Very well Princess, but if you get hurt I resign"

Faith took pause considering this she wouldn't want to lose the Captain of her Guard, but there were somethings she just had to do. "I understand" She held out her hand.
They were now all on the move, except for Ana who was not a combatant of any kind she would stay behind and coordinate information as she got it.


Draz took them through the halls, and down to where they put Draco into the transport. Faith looked around.

Undisclosed location
Rekha drummed her fingers on the desk where she sat. She looked over the top of the screen to see the entire male crew compliment staring at her. "Yeah, I know. But" she got up, "I've got to be on the surface, you guys can come, or stay here. This won't take too long. I know you are all researching something, but this is family and my niece is in a bad spot I need to be there"

She looked at Jon, Aiden, and Craig she knew they understood and the delay would only be a day. "go do what you must"

Rekha nodded, "ok let's go"

Within the hour Rekha landed on Nar Shadaa, and was heading into the darkness. She'd wring the information from him personally.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draz lead them from the hotel and stopped where the trail went towards the sky. He's reptilian eyes turned around a little, looking for something. "Air Speeder!" He exclaimed seeing an open topped one and making his way to it with Faith and Captain Lindsey following him.

Draz wore beskar'gam. Very good beskar'gam at that. It was fitted to his reptilian form and made to complement his fighting style, with a set of think beskar plates running down his tail, his gloves ended in sharp vibroclaws. Draz though, rarely wore a closed helmet, preferring his jaws be exposed, as he used them as weapons. Barabel, much like a crocodilian creature, were known for five centimeter long sharp teeth, powerful crushing jaws that could snap bones, a strong tail that they could use like a club, and sharp rending claws at the end of his fingers.

He slipped from the spot where the trail ended and climbed into the airspeeder on all fours, digging in the glove compartment for the starter key. "Iz here ssssomewhere..." he whispered to himself, his body coiling around him in the passenger seat. "Ah, this one has found it." And extended the device to Captain Lindsey, dropping it in the drivers seat. Then the Barabel stood and dug his claws in the metal of the door and dash, holding his head up above the windshield, looking upwards where he could see the trail of scents. With his Force Smell, he was fine tuned enough to identify individuals by scent, which made HRD's worthless around him, one of the reasons he was so valuable. That, and he was Draco's favorite tracker when they went hunting large dangerous prey.

"You drive, This one will direct." The barabel said impatiently at the captain, smacking his lipless mouth excitedly and flicking his tongue in the air.

~Elsewhere~

Draco sat quietly in the chair, listening to the woman's life story. She wasn't a bad person, not really. No more than a thousand other rich women were. She was self-centered, prideful, and egotistical, but she wasn't evil. He could tell as much from their conversation.

"So, what I'm hearing is, I cost you what you consider a fortune and your home, and you want revenge. Am I right?"

"You may be oversimplifying things, but if that helps you understand, yes." She answered, standing in front of him, her arms crossed under her bosom. She wasn't bad looking, a little older than he, fairly attractive.

"I would offer you all your money back, with interest, but pride prevents me from making such an offer. You were well off, not rich. Let's just clear that up." He joked, but he hadn't taken the time to think about how his past effected others in a long time, ever even. How many had lost everything because of his actions, how often had others hated him or plotted his death. "So what was it really? What did I really do that angered you at me specifically, and not the twenty or so Sith Lords that fought on the planet?"

She pulled out a picture, a young teen, maybe fifteen. Oh... yeah. The Republic was still lead by Geneveive at the time, they were recruiting very young, sending in teenagers to fight Vong Warriors and Sith.

"My husband and I had him young. He was drafted before the attack, at the fortress where the fighting was." Draco's face remained passive and unchanged, but inside he already knew. "He was just one of the recruits handling recharging powerpacks for blasters and carrying them to the top."

"He was at the mouth when I lead the charge in, wasn't he?" Draco asked quietly.

"He was nearby it. His helmet had audio and visual recording my husband pulled off of it when they sent us the body, mangled, and in pieces. It had a scrambled image of a Mandalorian warrior smashing a mace into him, and the sounds he made as you stepped over his body like he was nothing. I didn't know that's what I would hear when we turned it on. I thought it would be just, over when he died. He was so scared, and I had to listen to him call out for me while he gasped for breath after you trampled him until he died." She was choking up. Draco felt for her, really, but he couldn't show it. For a couple of reasons. For one, if he broke this character, she would see him as weak, and if she did kill him, it might haunt her. If he held this snarky, uncaring face, she could de-humanize him. More importantly, she was visibly afraid of him despite how she was acting. His best chance of survival was her being too afraid of what he could do. "When my husband got sick and passed away, I decided you needed to pay for what you did to my family. You took my son, and you took my husband's will to live."

"I did." Draco was struggling to remain unchanged and not show sorrow, despite the aching in his stomach. He could remember the boy, the faintest memory of power maul to the chest, a surge of Mandalorian feet rushing over the fallen. He struggled not to be cruel, but not to show remorse. "Him and others."

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Rekha walked through a number of allies avoiding lookouts, she knew she had not gone unnoticed, and that Lios would know she was coming. He'd either skip out, or wait. She hoped he would sit there patiently. She didn't have an evil intent towards him, no she just felt the information he was giving to her lacked a little muscle.

She was another block from the entrance to his seat on the corner. She grinned at the crowds hanging around watching, but why were they hanging around?

Rekha got that creepy crawly feeling inside her, yeah that one that said, something was wrong. She slowed her pace then stopped. Stepping back slightly, there was Lios in all his glory dead on the walkway.

that did not bode well.

She would have to talk to Faith in person but not until she got through anything she could find. She could go to Faith once she had it.


In the Meantime

Faith, Draz, Captain Lindsey were following the trail that they hoped would lead to Draco. She sat in the back, while Draz his nose in the air sniffed out Draco. She'd have to tease him later about aromas, but it would be much later.

Captain Lindsey did not think anything of the Barabel telling him where to go, "Draz buddy" he said as he moved through the traffic, "You should come work for me sometime if Draco can spare you"

Faith was anxious the longer it took, the more difficult it would become.

The message came in, the information broker was dead. What did that say? Was he dead because he knew who had taken Draco, or because he did something else that?

Her face fell, "the information broker is dead, that was our only lead to find out who" Faith hated every moment of this right now, she could tick of seconds in her head. While watching Draz lead them through the maze of pods, taxis' and transports.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draz's head snapped in different directions as the trail he was sensing changed. Occasionally he led them out of traffic so he could regain the trail, having been scattered and lost by the Smuggler's moon's heavy traffic and movement. "Hmm.... maybe this one will have time. Perhaps this one can eatz who iz found?" Draz asked the Captain, moving them towards a skyhook known to be used by the rich and powerful to dock at and get smuggled goods. There were always guards on the skyhook, owned by a powerful Hutt, but they were less for customs and security checks coming to the planet, more for protecting his wealthy clientele.

Gorboga the Hutt was also one of Draco past employers many years ago, not that the Hutt remembered or cared that one of the people he had sold into slavery had escaped and become very wealthy. Gorboga knew the name Vereen now, but had no knowledge of a connection between himself and the Mandalorian Warlord, and it was one of Draco's secrets known to very few.

Draz reached for Draco's presence but could not find on the platform. "This one cannot find Alor. Trail leads here. Maybe this one can find trail again on platform." He exclaimed, sinking back down into his seat solemnly. The Barabel Mandalorian was not used to failing or losing track of his prey, and it was a new experience for him.

~On the Skyhook~

The woman was nearly in tears and Draco stared up at her impassively. His stomach churned hearing about her story, perhaps he could atone for his actions and this was the gateway for doing such. Or perhaps he would burden this mother who lost her family because of him even further. "I've known what you are feeling before. It drove me to about where you are, except I had the Force, a legion of followers and supporters, and billions of credits to back me up. I still have all those things, I just don't feel that way anymore."

"So, you want me to spare you?"

"You could. It would be a fresh start. I'd even reimburse you for everything you've paid hunting for me. But, that's the most I would do for you." A twinge of pride prevented him from letting her earn profit off of him. He wasn't about to pay a ransom to anyone for himself, not when he wasn't sure he couldn't escape or be rescued.

"Well, I'm not. Once my transfer is complete, I'm going to kill you." She was making him wait, which meant she either didn't have the money, was borrowing the money, or was waiting on someone else. Considering her backstory and history she had shared with him, he was assuming the second. She didn't have the money and was waiting on a loan.

"Ah, so you are waiting on a loan. Which Hutt? Which bank?" Draco smiled, she grimaced, telling him everything he needed to know. She had driven herself into poverty hunting him, likely had a few guards hired on expecting money. She was desperate, and she probably had no plans for the future. She had fully committed herself to finding him and exacting vengeance, everything else became secondary. "Did you lose the fortune before, or after your husband got sick?"

The woman smarted, visibly upset. She hadn't told him she shouldered the blame for that. Her husband's condition had been treatable, but by the time he was diagnosed, they couldn't afford it anymore, the wars, the many economic recessions, they had taken a toll on everyone in the galaxy. He got sick, and she spent everything she had left hunting Draco Vereen. And when she ran out, she took loans, spiraled into debt, made deals, borrowed money from anyone who would lend her, and walked away without paying it back.

She fumed and slapped him, storming out of the cell leaving him to himself, to wallow with his thoughts trapped and hidden behind his face, just a little red from her hand as the Gand closed the door behind her, choosing to stand outside the sound-proofed room, leaving Draco all alone.

[member="Faith Organa"]