Red and Green

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Vrak had no idea how long he was out, had no idea how much time had passed, but he awoke with the sound of engines already roaring behind him. He frowned slightly, his eyes slowly opening as he tried to assess where he was. His lips thinned as he remembered what had happened, the assassin...the Jedi...the cuffs.

His wrists tried to pull apart.

The Sith scowled as he realized the cuffs were still laced around his wrists, pulled tight enough that he had little lee-way. His scowl turned into a sneer as he tried to test their strength, pulling just hard enough to see if they would bend or break. It was silly really, but Vrak had never been put in cuffs before so he had no idea of knowing what their limits were.

A temptation floated to him, the darkside. Could he use it to destroy them? He frowned for a moment more then glanced towards the door of the cabin. She would sense him, he knew that, they were too close together and if he used the force she would simply press the button and knock him to the floor.

A curse escaped his lips, but slowly he stood.

He still felt weak, the poison had done a number on his system. Yet he was strong enough to stand. With just a slight trickle, a small stream of the force running through him Vrak managed to pull himself upright. His species had long been sustained by the Darkside, and he was no different. For a moment he stayed within the cabin, then, slowly he began to move.

His hands pressed against the door, slowly fumbling over the metal until he found a small nook. Instead of using the automatic opener he pulled the door open manually, keeping the process silent.

Vrak tried to muffle his steps as he moved towards the cockpit, figuring that the Jedi was already there in the pilots seat.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

"Roger that. Heading into hyperspace now. Should see you in a few hours." She flicked the comms off and managed the controls on the ship. She wasn't a great pilot. She'd learned enough to get around and enough to survive. It would never be her strength.

Eyes drooped slightly. She was exhausted. One hand nursed a cup of caf and the other punched in the hyperspace route. The planet of three moons and its lilies were far below them. Eyes double checked the coordinates.

This was still new to her and she wanted to be sure. And she certainly did not hear the sneaking sith behind her.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Stealth had never been his greatest skill. He did not think it below him, there were times when it was called for, but it had never been something he’d shown a particular talent for. Still, as he slowly moved through the shuttle he was able to keep silent. His feet fell without noise, the rustle of his robe was kept quiet, and slowly he crept his way up to the cockpit.

He heard her voice.

For a second he thought she spoke to someone else, a second person, but then he realized she was simply communicating over the radio. He smiled slightly, a small, subtle smirk that spread across his face as he caught her reflection in the viewport of the cockpit. He ducked to the side to assure she would see him, then continued to slowly creep up behind her.

His movements were painfully slow, but measured.

Then, finally, he reached her

Vrak struck as fast as he could, his arms coming up and over the top of the seat, the links of the stun cuffs dropping onto her chest, and then quickly wrapping up and around her throat to tighten there. He attempted to choke her, knowing that if she pressed the button for the stun cuffs she would get the same charge from the cuffs as he would.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

There was a chill at her spine. The warning. Tired eyes caught a flash of movement in the viewport reflection. Hand went up on instinct as the cuff chain thumped against her chest, then tightened against the outside of her caught wrist.

Pain lanced across her face. Her wrist was the only thing from keeping her from being completely choked. Other hand still gripped the hot caf. She launched the liquid back and up with a swift lift of her arm, hoping to sear the Sith in the face.

Legs came up, feet finding the edge of the instrument panel as she jerked and twisted the chair, trying to knock his shoulder and throw him off balance enough to slip free.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

The cup of caf was what stopped him from falling to the ground.

He was standing over her, so when she jerked to the side to throw the hot liquid at him he of course moved to the side. That sudden movement to the left was what gave him the counterbalance to stop her from half turning beneath the weight of the chain. So instead of throwing him off his course, he simply tugged in the opposite direction.

The chain would dig into her wrist, and suddenly she would find herself being pulled from the pilots chair and onto the ground.

Vrak might only have been a bit taller than Taheera, but he was quite a bit heavier. Purebloods had higher muscle density than average humanoids, including miralin, and so when he fell to the ground, still holding his cuffs around her, he fully intended on taking her with.

His arms tugged back as well, hopefully wrenching her out of her seat and cutting off all air even with her wrist in the way.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

She grunted and a strangled cry left her rasping throat as she was wrenched from her seat and found herself falling down on top of the sith's chest. But not before her heeled boot dragged across the instrument panel of the ship, hitting a switch that sent the shuttle into a sudden drop and nose-spin.

Her favorite caf mug, now empty, left her hand and shattered on the floor.

Oh he was going to pay!!!

Black-spots were beginning to fill her vision. Hand snaked down to her pocket as they would slide, slip, and tumble in the small space of the cockpit as the ship continued to spin and dive in free space. More black spots.

Thumb and index finger found the remote switch to the stun cuffs and she pressed down on it as her eyes bulged and the darkness eclipsed her vision. She could only hope she'd wake up first if they were both knocked out.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Vrak seized as the stun cuffs went into action. He could feel the electricity surge and splice through his body, muscles tightening once again, tendon curling, fingers turning to fists, but he didn’t let up on the jerking pull at her neck.

”I--” His teeth clenched.

He forced his hand open, flattening it.

There was something else that he had that she didn’t have, something that assured he would wake up first. The force flowed through him, the pain diminished for half a second even as the stun cuffs took him to the edge of consciousness.

Then a spark jumped from his hand.

It wasn’t lightning, not really, but a jolt strong enough to cause her significant pain and hopefully allow him to regain consciousness before her.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Teeth clenched. Eyes rolled back into her head. A huge bruising welt marred green skin where the cuff continued to dig into her wrist, probably bruising bone.

The smell of ion pricked the tip of her nose right before she blacked out completely.

Darkness. More pain. And darkness.

Spinning ships.

Dark memories.

Finally, her green form sagged against the red sith as she became completely motionless. And for the moment, helpless.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Vrak fell to the floor, his head half rolling to the side as he nearly fell into complete unconsciousness once against.

Instead he simply blacked out for a few minutes.

They lay crumpled on the floor together, his arms still wrapped around her and the chain still taught around her neck. Five minutes passed, six, and then a deep breath sucked into the Purebloods lungs. His eyes popped open and his body surged with energy, the force flooding into him almost out of instinct as he grasped for something solid.

Taheera went tumbling to the side, hitting the deck with a thud as Vrak pulled his arms over her head and away from her, his head swiveling as he tried to remember where he was and what had happened.

”Oh.” Came the biting realization as he looked down at the unconscious woman.

He frowned, then quickly squatted down. His hands began to quickly pat her down. First he took the remote from her, then he dug through her pockets until he found the keys for the cuffs. He fumbled for a moment, unlocking them and then quickly replacing them onto the Jedi’s wrists.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Her entire body ached. But there was no slow stirring. The force and adrenaline pumped through her lithe form, temporarily dulling the pain. As the cuffs snapped around her wrist, her myrtle ellipses snapped wide open.

She heaved herself up with a cry, fingers going to wrap around the sith's robes as she tried to ram him back against the instrument panel. Even with the cuffs on. Neck went back as she followed up with a snap of her forehead toward his red one.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He was no fool.

Or rather, he was quick to react. Her forehead smacked into his, he recoiled, but as soon as he did he was up and standing while she still lay on the ground. Blood dripped down his forehead, a curse escaped his lips along with a scow, but his knee jerked up.

He would strike in an instant, and harshly.

Though he held the remote and likely could have subdued her with that, Vrak wasn't the sort that let a trespass like that go unpunished without something more...severe. So his leg shot up as Taheera lay before him, his knee jutting directly forward and towards her face.

He aimed to strike her and put her down in one solid crack to her nose.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

She was seated on the ground, hinged up at the waist. Head throbbed from her own hit. She swayed to the side as his knee lashed forward. Missed her nose but cuffed her ear and temple.

"Ahh," she winced as her head bobbed further over. Weight shifted quickly to her knees, then feet as she pitched herself forward, arms going to latch around his extended leg and behind that knee if she was fast enough. She'd try to yank and twist his leg.

Feisty.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

The only trouble with yanking his leg was...well she was literally pulling his leg, and that meant she was really leaving herself vulnerable to being struck in the face again.

Vrak did exactly that.

He didn't particularly care about how much she fought back, he didn't particularly care if she resisted and tried to yank him onto the floor. Her arms couldn't loop around the back of his leg because of the cuffs, and that meant she could really only grip him, a grip that was unfortunately not tight enough to prevent him from lashing out again and again. It was harsh, and in truth probably a bit of overkill, but Vrak had enough of today. He had enough of being ambushed, of being touched and talked to by Jedi.

The sith wanted vengeance.

On those who would see him dead. On this Jedi. On anyone that would stand in his way.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

The first strike to her face, she cushioned with her shoulder. The second hit her square in the nose and blood spurted and pooled instantly down her face. The sith had painfully bony knees. She stumbled back, sprawling against the instrument panel.

Warning lights flashed in the cockpit as she switched the port engine off with her elbow.

Now they were really spinning. She began to slide to the left. Arms cuffed made it more difficult to keep balance. On top of a head injury or two. And a throbbing, bloody nose. And being slightly electrocuted.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Vrak didn't seen to care about the fact that they were in the middle of a crash, no, he was far too busy taking out his anger on the Jedi that was in front of him.

His hands latched onto the seat besides him to give himself leverage.

As the Jedi stumbled back Vrak kept up with his assault. He wasn't going to kill her, that wasn't his intent, but she was becoming a nuisance. There were very few things in this galaxy that angered Vrak more than being belittled, and that was exactly what this Jedi had done. So he continued doing what he had been doing, attacking. His foot reached out towards her in a harsh kick, aiming directly towards her stomach, and then towards her face.

He moved to strike her again and again, until she was driven well into unconsciousness.

Perhaps it was too much, but he didn't care. He was Sith, and she was but a worm, a Jedi. Scum that didn't deserve a kind word much less kind treatment.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

She'd always been able to take a lot of pain. And to her credit, she didn't cry out when his blows made contact. She dodged one. But there wasn't a lot of room for her to work with. One connected with her stomach. Her thigh. Wrists as she blocked strike after strike, her back to the viewport.

A punch to her eye.

A last ditch pool of strength welled within her. Channeling the force, cuffed hands lashed forward as she sent a force push at the man's torso. It didn't matter the outcome because she was done.

Stars filled her vision. Green face turned pale and she collapsed on the cold, hard ground.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

The force push sent Val flying back against the viewport. The ship now spinning nearly out of control. The glass cracked, but somehow managed to maintain its integrity. A loud 'oof' escaped through his lips as the wind was knocked out of him, though quickly as the vessel spiraled out of control he was thrown forward. The Pureblood went crashing into the seat in front of him, smacking his forehead once again ans smearing blood on the upholstery.

A curse escaped him.

The ship kept spinning, faster and faster as he slowly turned in his seat. Eyes quickly darted around the controls. Several of them were flashing red, a few yellow, alarms began to blare as the ship drifted closer and closer to the ground. Vrak grasped the controls as quickly as he could, paying no attention to where they were or what their heading was.

Without a moment of hesitation he pulled back on the controls, tugging them out of their spiral and kicking a nearby switch to launch the shuttles Repulsor generators. There was a loud whirr as they sprang to life, and then suddenly the blaring sound of engines springing to life again.

The ship suddenly jerked as it was forced upright, shaking as the bottom of the vessel scrapped against a dozen tree tops.

For a few seconds they went sailing over the forest until finally the engines themselves failed. They drifted for a second more, and then slowly began to drop as the repulsor generators were the only thing keeping the ship form falling to the earth. Vrak pushed the controls, somehow managing to keep the ship up even as it descended into the ground below. The vessel carved a path through the earth, shaking, shuttering, and breaking apart as they crash landed back on Ruusan.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

The Mirialan Jedi was out for the entire crash and then some. Purple, black, and yellow marred her skin just about everywhere. One eye was swollen shut. Dried blood crusted her face and lips.

If someone saw her, they would assume she was dead. And for good reason. It even hurt to breath.

After awhile, her one good eye cracked a hair open but she didn't move. She didn't think she could.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Vrak had dragged Taheera to one of the far walls of the cockpit after the crash, which was where she would find herself now.

The shuttle had been completely ruined in the landing, it's underside half torn off, engines scrapped, and the cockpit half bent and broken. The ship likely wouldn't be flying any time soon, perhaps never again, but it's body at the very least remained mostly intact. That fact was a small mercy for both Taheera and Vrak given the stormclouds that loomed ahead, though for the former it likely seemed more like a curse. The Sith himself hadn't been injured too badly in the crash.

The wound on his forehead had closed, and aside from that all the other injuries he had were either from Taheera or his fight with the assassin.

"Ah, you're awake." He had spotted the twitch of her eye. "Good."

She was beaten, bruised, but not completely broken. Vrak hadn't intended on killing her, and he hadn't, though her face was swollen and she likely had more than a few broken ribs. There was no sense of remorse or apology from him, in fact he seemed more than pleased with himself about the situation.

The remote for the stun cuffs sat in his palm, his finger lingering over the button. "I need you to answer some questions."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Good eyes stared at him a good while. She took in the cracked viewport and the familiar trees. Three moons in the distance. They were back on Ruusan. A flare of hope surged through her chest.

He wouldn't be able to take her somewhere. To some sith planet where she'd never see daylight again.

Eye tracked back to his two red ones. "My only answer," she rasped, "is that I regret saving your life." Eye closed again. Ribs were healed through the force, first.