No Escape

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He could feel her fall into a state of meditation.

It was a subtle thing, a slight touch, but the light within her burned a bit brighter than one might expect. He frowned slightly, trying to ignore the odd lightbulb that now sat behind him. His fingers clenched around the controls as he finished entering the hyperspace coordinates, his eyes slowly flicking towards the distant stars.

Athiss was still far, but it would go fast in this fighter.

She was ignoring him now, something that was probably an advantage. If she spoke too much she might begin to talk about the evils of the darkside and how bad Sith were, better silence than a preaching session he figured. Slowly Vrak flicked over the controls, pressing the levers forward to send them into hyperspace.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]
[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Back pressed against the seat as the stars expanded. And she remained quiet and un-speaking. A few hours later, she finally opened her eyes. Bound legs shifted. She grimaced, fingers pushing down her thigh, trying to work out a cramp.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Stomach grumbled. Loudly.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]She was hungry. She'd only eaten dried fruit in a day and had a little bit of water. Definitely feeling a little lightheaded. Myrtle-ellipses shifted around the cramped space. Eyes fell on one switch in particular. She might use it....later. But for now, she waited and tried to ignore the aching feeling growing in her stomach. Knees pulled up and her fingers went down to the knots on the ropes around her ankles.[/SIZE]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Vrak hadn't fallen asleep, mostly because he knew the minute he did Taheera would likely strangle him. His eyes cast towards the count down clock on the rest of their travel time, finding himself pleasantly surprised when he saw that they had all of five minutes left. He smiled slightly, and then slowly reached over towards the control board. Quickly he punched in a few key commands, bringing up a small holo-display that would allow him to patch into the proper comm-frequency.

Though Athiss was practically hidden, there were of course ways for him to contact his homeworld.

Usually these trips were done in secret, but that required a familiar ship, the vessel that he had left back on Athiss to be specific. Since he was flying a foreign craft he had to take measures to ensure he wouldn't be shot down upon arriving on the planet, something that was...unfortunately a possibility.

After a few seconds he managed to reach one of the drop box messages. He spoke quickly, tersely, and with complete authority. He left a simple message identifying himself, the ship he was flying, and the expectation he had upon landing.

His people would greet Taheera and he on the landing pad.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

With one final twist and tug of the ropes, her ankles became freed. Quietly, she stuffed the rope beneath the seat. Leaning forward slightly, she caught the countdown on the sith's display, hearing his voice.

At least she made him remain awake the entire trip. He'd be tired. Hopefully.

"You should give me a weapon, when we land." She spoke behind his lobster ear. "So I can defend myself."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Giving you a weapon would only ensure your death." Vrak said simply, and truthfully. As his prisoner she wouldn't be outright harmed, at least not by anyone they would meet upon landing. If one of the Council members decided that they wanted...well he couldn't do anything about it, but at least with his own people she would be somewhat safe. They knew that it would displease him if harm were to come to her, and that was enough to keep her safe.

The countdown clock ticked to one minute.

"A weapon won't help if they decide to kill you." He reached up and flipped a switch on the command console. "We're going to a planet entirely populated by my kind. If they want you dead, you'll die."

That was simple truth. "I told you, cooperate and I will ensure you leave alive."

Just as he finished speaking the fighter lurched slightly, blue lines thinned out and returned to bright sparks of stars, and a planet jumped into view before them. It's deep red surface seemed to glow, three moons drifted slowly around it. There were no starships or space stations in it's orbit, and in fact the world seemed entirely abandoned.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

She frowned.

She was his prisoner. That thought irked her. "And you're the one that told me jedi hunted down and killed your kind. GREAT IDEA BRINGING ME HERE." She shouted in his ear, not really caring about the consequences.

Ankles rotated and legs shifted, enjoying the movement they now had after being tied for so long. The sith punk.

"You need me to help you and cooperate. What if I don't? You'll just let them kill me? What if I told you I didn't care? That you could kill me right now? Because I am NEVER going to help you. Unless..."

Eyes flickered to the eject button. It was in her reach. She could wait until they hit atmosphere. She might have a chance on her own, mask her presence and steal a ship.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Yes. If you don't cooperate you will die." He said simply.

There was no point in lying to her, not now. Sure she could try a million different things, but...well in the end Athiss was a world nearly devoid of all patience and care. Most of the buildings upon his homeworld were Sith tombs, those that weren't were occupied by living Sith. There was only one single starport, and that was tightly regulated due to the worlds self imposed isolationism. A necessary precaution to keeping the galaxy from finding out about the Purebloods that still lived.

"As I said, you will not be harmed." Not while he needed her anyway. "They wouldn't dare touch you as long as they knew I find you useful. There are a certain few who will see your presence here as sacrilege, but according to our own laws they cannot harm you."

Not before they harmed him anyway.

"Do as I ask, heal the old man, and you will walk away from this planet without a scratch." He told her again as the ship struck the atmosphere.

Almost instantly Taheera would be able to see just kind of planet Athiss was. The world was reminiscent of Tatooine or Korriban, deserts, canyons, and a whole lot of...nothing. Rock structures would creep out from the ground every now and again, heavily carved limestone and broken obelisks that appeared to dot the landscape every few miles. She would be able to feel the darkside upon the world, not as powerful as it would have been on Korriban, but similar.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Yeah, without a scratch. Except for the ones he gave me. As soon as they dropped into atmosphere, her heart sank. The darkside here was...palpable. She'd been in the presence of the dark lord himself, when he inhabited Ordo. This. This was much different.

Myrtle-ellipses squinted as she searched frantically in all directions. There was...nothing. For now, she was trapped. But she had to trust the force. To believe in whatever her fate may be. Even if it was death. Again.

A shiver snaked its way up her spine.

"That's not good enough," she spoke quietly. "I'm no good to you dead. Or if I don't cooperate. If I heal this old man, I want a favor in return."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He chuckled. "A favor?"

That was doubtful. Perhaps she did not understand her situation, or perhaps she really didn't care about dying. For Vrak neither option really mattered all that much. He wanted the old man healed for his own benefit, but if the asking price was too high...well he wouldn't pay. His fingers drummed against the controls as they floated towards a cluster of buildings up ahead. To Taheera it would likely seem like just another ruin, but Vrak recognized it for what it was.

Ath City, a disguised metropolis that had been constructed to appear as nothing more than a crumbling piece of infrastructure but was in reality the hub of all life on Athiss. The city was cleverly hidden away, tucked within mountains and scattered about actual ruins. Anyone taking a closer look would see through the guise, but a probe droid or a scan wouldn't find anything.

He mused as they dipped towards the starport. "What sort of favor?"

Vrak couldn't help but ask.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Stomach churned a bit as the starfighter dipped down. She was...definitely not a fan of flying. Reaching out with the force it didn't take her long to feel others and she had no doubt they could sense her pinprick of light in the sea of darkness. Probably like a pulsing, lone star in a desolate black sky.

Just great.

Myrtle-ellipses finally tore away from the ruins below.

"After this, if you're true to your word, I've no doubt that we'll cross paths again, in a war or campaign. Who knows? And when we do, I want you to spare a life of my choosing. If I can heal this...sith master, I'm giving you a life and I want a life in return."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

It was a fair deal in truth, and he even gave it proper consideration instead of just turning it down right off the bat. Silence pulled through the small starfighter as he banked the craft towards something in the distance, a slightly raised rubble that if one knew their way around Athiss they would be able to identify as the singular starport upon the world.

Taheera's demand made sense in a way.

She was a Jedi. Their principal purpose, at least in the stories he had been told, was to defend the Lightside of the force and it's path. That path usually entailed the saving of lives and others whether on a mass or personal scale. Vrak knew that, he also knew that Taheera was rather self sacrificial. The two of them had not shared each others company for long, but the way she acted and the demands she had made were a more than obvious presentation of who she was as a person.

"Very well." Vrak said with a smile.

The ship turned, and the ruin suddenly fell open to reveal a landing pad below.

He could accept Taheera's deal, or rather, he could tell her he accepted it. Whether or not he changed his mind later depended entirely upon whom she wanted him to spare. The Pureblood, guided the starfighter to the landing pad, a collection of servants waiting on the far end of the small hangar.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Could she trust him? Frex no. But it was worth a shot. Worth trying to get a ticket she could 'cash in' later. Worth trying to save another, later. And if he didn't hold to his bargain?

She had fail safes she could put in place.

Or, she could always make him keep his 'promise.'

"Very well," she repeated quietly. Eyes widened in surprise at the sudden appearance of the landing pad. Bound hands clutched the seat as they went down. Eyes closed for a moment and she tried to center herself in the force, beyond the rapid-fire thumping of the heart in her chest.

Here comes the lamb in the nexu's den.

If only she could get her lightsaber back.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

The canopy to the ship popped open, a loud hiss of air rushing in.

Vrak jumped up and out of his seat as soon as the plex-glass above cleared his head. He moved quickly, as though he were more than a little eager to get out of the confined space. The servants that had been waiting in the corner of the hangar seemed to rush for him immediately, as if they had been given some sort of mental command to be at his side. Vrak jumped down onto the landing pad, motioning to the servants and then quickly to Taheera.

"She is my prisoner." He told them quite plainly.

At this distance she would be able to see them more closely. There were four of them in total, two Purebloods, a Zabrak, and then oddly enough a Trandoshan. The latter was heavily Tattooed, black lines etched down his face and over his neck.

"She is not to be harmed." He stared at the Servants. "You will guard her with your lives."

They nodded, none of them questioning his orders. Vrak knew that they wouldn't have any problems yet, not until others saw Taheera upon this world. That likely wouldn't happen until they visited the Old man for his healing. The servants he employed knew that keeping their mouths shut was...advantageous. "Help her out of the ship."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Eyes tracked to the controls. She pushed herself to a stand. The dry air of Athiss hit her in the face like a wake-up call. Myrtle-ellipses warily tracked Vrak as he landed on the ground, then shifted to his servants.

Eyes went back to the controls.

Cuffed-hands shifted on the back of the seat Vrak was just occupying. And though she made no move toward them, it was as if the zabrak could sense her hesitation. He was at her side immediately, followed by the trandoshan. The scaly-clawed hands of the trandoshan wrapped around the outside of her upper arms and as if she weighted nothing, he heaved her out of the cockpit.

"Hey - HEY. I can walk thankyouverymuch. Put me down."

With a thud, he landed on the ground, with her. Feet dangled in the air and he looked down at her, a sneer running along his snout. "Asss you wishhhh."

Scaly-claws released her and she stumbled to the permacrete.

The zabrak was securing the fighter. The jedi's gaze tracked back to Vrak. "I can see where you get your sunny disposition from."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

The Sith didn't respond to her.

"Does anyone know of my absence?" He asked the question, though in an odd way it didn't seem to be directed at any of the servants in particular. One of the Purebloods answered him however, his voice low.

"Yes, Lord."

Vrak seemed to bristle at the news. Purebloods on Athiss were not supposed to leave the planet unless they had express permission from the Council, something that was hard to secure even for someone of Vrak's statues. He would have to cow the Council into thinking that he had done the right thing, though doing as such would take a bit of doing. He frowned for a moment and then waved for one of the Servants to come over to him.

"Contact Lord Silfir." The old man. "Tell him I may have a remedy for his ailments, but I will need him to hold the Council at bay."

That would at least keep the Council from calling him before them. "Quickly."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

She could sense the subtle shift in Vrak's emotions: annoyance, fear. Great. The purebloods stepped in on other side of the Mirialan. The zabrak went to her back once he finished securing the shuttle. She quickly realized it wasn't for fear of her escape, they were forming a protective ring around her.

Just as their master asked them to.

She gulped, sensing the darkness swirling around her...and growing. The force offered pinpricks of icy warnings down her spine. "You really should give me a weapon," she spoke again to Vrak, the earlier sarcasm gone from her voice. "We don't have much time." Wrists twisted against the cuffs there.

"And if you expect me to heal anyone, I'll need rest and food."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"You will have both." He assured her.

Unconsciously his hand drifted to the lightsaber he had taken from her.

"Though as I said, if you have a weapon they are more likely to kill you." One of the servants seemed to nod. "Right now, they'll think you nothing more than another slave. They have no reason to suspect that you're anything else. It's common enough practice to bring home new slaves as gifts, especially aliens."

This was where Athiss' more brutal society helped him. Nobody would suspect that Taheera was anything more than just another slave girl to be enjoyed by whomever Vrak wished, not unless she did something out of the ordinary. Even the highest Councilor would simply assume that the guards were stopping her from escape, not protecting her from anything. The only person who could possibly know the truth was his Rival, Vinya. He doubted she would strike out here, not yet anyway. "If you have a weapon however, that thought will quickly change."

He shrugged.

"Trust in me." It was the final thing he said before they headed out of the starport.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

A gentle but firm push to the small of her back came from the zabrak servant at her back. "You say that as if I have a choice," she called to lobster back as she begrudgingly followed him. Try as she might, she was unable to play the part of a slave. Shoulders remained straight and chin lifted. Head on a swivel.

Hollow stomach somersaulted again. Body swayed as she took a stumbling step. She righted herself, not wishing any help or to be touched by one of the servants. She needed rest but she doubted she'd get it in this...place, so dense with the darkside.

"And I'll need my hands free, to heal," she spoke quietly to the sith's back.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

They moved through the starport quietly, or rather until Taheera began to speak. He was annoyed for a few moments, though of course he realized that she wouldn't know the proper protocols here. Still, it seemed as though she were trying desperately to get herself killed.

"You won't be healing today." True he wanted to meet the old man as soon as possible, but it wasn't that simple.

There were protocols that had to be followed.

As much as Vrak might have liked to, he couldn't just wander up to the Old Man's estate and do whatever he wanted. His Servant had been sent to arrange a meeting, and that meeting would likely take place tomorrow, not today. There had to be...checks. It was the way Athiss worked, everything had to be prepared and set into place, there was no spontaneity here.

"You will be staying at my estate until we're called for." Vrak told her quietly. "Likely tomorrow."

Not everything could happen instantly.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

A frustrated sigh escaped a frowning pair of lips. Servants, estates?! Were all pureblood sith this spoiled? It was a wonder they got anything done or had the motivation to do so.

Lazy butts.

She gave a last, longing glance over her shoulder. She couldn't see the starfighter anymore. But she knew how to get to it. At least she wasn't being carried anymore and could use her own two legs. There were a few other ships, too. And people. Most didn't give their little party a second glass. And those who did barely looked her over. Still, she felt a few eyes at her back and had no doubt they could sense her presence in the force.

A Jedi was a rare and valuable slave. And who was someone like Vrak to have that?