See Fernando

[Armand Temi]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QfbPwGRMOQ&ab_channel=pesquisaink[/youtube]​

Location: Club Tranquility, Balosar

"C'mere Bellatrix, I have a job for you," said Mot from his normal table, swerving his antennapalps in her direction before the rest of him turned to face her. Without missing a beat, he said: "I want you to go see Fernando and bring him this." He firmly pressed a small metal box in her blue-skinned hand. She held it, testing its weight, but didn't open it. Most likely it held precious gems, diamonds, pure spice or something similar. Bellatrix gave him an annoyed glance.

"Why do I have to do this? I just got off my shift," she complained.

"Because all my runners are out. I'll make it worth your while," he said, slipping a credit chit into the front pocket of her tight pants. "Besides, you never say no to Mot," he said, smiling. But it was a friendly warning. Mot Rumu was the club owner with a mercurial temper to boot. He was grinning now, but the next minute he could be flipping tables and putting a blade to her neck in a stim-rage.

Granted Bellatrix was not full Balosar herself which gave her an advantage over the volatile proprietor. Her half-Chiss mother had passed along the exotic blue skin that made her perfect for Club Tranquility, a dancer cantina which featured non-Balosar dancers, mostly Twi'lek, but there was a very sweet Bothan girl and nasty Rodian who she tried to avoid at all costs. The point was, she was a rarity on Balosar and Mot would go to great lengths to keep her happy. But since she had been sold to him once her father decided she was too much trouble to take care of at the age of fifteen, she really couldn't quit per se.

"Now get outta here," he growled impatiently, going back to his book-keeping.

Bellatrix made her way to the club exit, passing a group of human customers. One could tell they weren't Balosars right away from the re-breathers they wore as they entered the club. Off-worlders were highly sensitive to the polluted planetary atmosphere. The air on Balosar was normally so choked with smog and toxins it was difficult to tell whether it was night or day. She checked her chrono. It was mid-afternoon.

As the blue-skinned dancer decided to walk because it wasn't that far to Fernando's.

[member="Kuryr"]

 

[Kuryr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR_5yeJI4L0​

​

Fernando's Warehouse.

The large warehouse was mostly empty, there were only a dozen or so cargo crates inside, all set up in a way to create a small meeting area. Kuryr sat on one of the small folding chairs, his large frame causing the chair to strain to hold his weight. fernando sat across the table from him, a smile on his face. The small balosar looked calm and confident surrounded by all of his things, a noble inside of his castle, but Kuryr saw through the illusion. The small alien was worried more than normal, and that made Kuryr unhappy. He leaned back in the chair, the metal groaning at the action. His respirator was sitting on the table in front of him, a large marcan herb cigar sat in his mouth. Taking a deep drag from the cigar he pulled it out of his mouth and blew a large cloud of smoke into the air. "Fernando, why are we still sitting here? My cargo is unloaded and you have appraised the items. This is where you pay me and I leave."

the small balosar adjusted the collar of his shirt looking everywhere in the room but at the large taung across from him. "I.. I've been forced to shuffle funds around again. The local gangs have been dipping into my businesses again." His hands never seemed to stop moving, fidgeting with one thing or the other, smoothing out his hair, adjusting his shirt, smoothing out invisible wrinkles on his pants. " It has taken longer than expected to get the funds in order, but.. the courier is on their way."

Kuryr leaned forward, both forearms resting on the small table as he pushed forward to the edge of the chair. " Fernando" He said in a cloud of smoke, "Whose name did you give the gang to leave you alone?"

Fernando leaned back in his chair, not wanting to be any closer to the other being. " I.. well..."

Kuryr slammed a fist onto the table, his voice echoing across the large room as he raised his voice " WHOSE. NAME. DID. YOU. USE. TO GET THEM TO BACK OFF?" The table jumped from the fist and the small alien across the table almost fell out of his chair at the unexpected violence.

" Yours.... I use your name to keep people from bothering me." Fernando answered hastily, his movements betrayed his voice, he looked ready to run away in terror. The smell of fear filled the air and the large taung sat back with a smile.

"You're welcome." He said as he sat back and took another long puff of the cigar. " You used my name because you know people fear me. Kuryr is feared because of what I do to people. Your name is nothing, I could replace you tomorrow and I wouldn't even notice." He held the cigar between his pointer and middle finger and wagged his fingers at Fernando. "You on the other hand, would be gone within the week without me. you know that your association with me keeps you safe. Keeps you in business. Lets not make any mistake about our relationship, or which one of us is the more important piece." He chuckled in his deep voice as he puffed on his cigar. " You have until I get bored with terrifying you to have my payment, after that, I will take my payment in showing you why so many people fear me." the cloud of smoke that followed his words seemed filled with as much malice as his voice.

Minutes ticked by before there was finally a buzz from the small data pad Fernando wore. He looked down and the relief on his face was visible, his hands were shaking as he set the small device on the table. " Your payment will be here shortly." the courier has left Mot's club and would be here shortly, he only hoped that the payment would be acceptable.


[member="Bellatrix Celvina"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Bellatrix could hear muffled shouting as she crept up to Fernando’s warehouse. Her palms began to sweat with anxiety, so she paused for a moment and lit a death stick to relax her nerves. Sudden violence was not foreign to her, but it wasn’t as if she relished the idea of interrupting someone getting a beating. Also, the louder voice she heard was not Fernando’s.

After ringing the bell, two of Nando’s goons let her into the warehouse. Her high-heeled boots echoed on the duracrete floor as she walked to the back of the facility where she knew the Balosar would be. She had only met him once at the warehouse and another time at Club Tranquility. He had requested a private dance from her, but didn’t try anything funny once they were alone, and for that she was grateful.

She smelled cigarra smoke, and the first thing she saw was the giant shape of a Taung sitting across from Fernando. The Balosar's face was stricken with fear, and he fidgeted with flimsiplasts on his makeshift desk. You have nothing to fear, Trix, she thought. You are only delivering this silly box.

But what if what was inside the box was confidential? What if she would be eliminated after the delivery? The presence of the large imposing alien, mixed with the terror on the diminutive Balosar’s face, gave Bellatrix the distinct feeling that she was walking into a dangerous situation.

But then again, danger was a part of her daily routine. She didn’t welcome it, but it lingered around just the same - in the club, on the streets, in the spice dens she frequented. Eyes with heavy lids assessed both aliens as she approached the desk and set the box on the edge of it.

[member="Kuryr"]

 

[Kuryr]

The clicking of heels drew the attention of both beings to the arrival of the courier. Kuryr focused all of his attention on the exotic beauty as she made her way towards Fernando. She was a mix of species, of that he could tell, but to assume that he could guess which ones would be a mistake. She placed a small ornate box on the desk near the whimpering balosar and she took a step back. Fernando smiled and shifted in his seat, his confidence was renewed as the box was placed on the table. " See, just a slight delay in payment, but everything is in order." He pushed the box across the table towards the large taung, a smile plastered across his face the entire time.

Without a word Kuryr leaned forward and snatched the box off of the table. With a flick of a thumb, the box top was opened. Puffing deeply on the cigar he blew a thick cloud of smoke out of the corners of his mouth as he appraised the contents of the box. With a satisfied grin, Kuryr slapped the desk and stood. " Fernando, I believe that your payment is indeed sufficient." His eyes turn towards the blue skinned woman that was still in the room, as he approached the woman he snatched the box off of the table. "You have found exactly the gem I wanted. However, I think you should include a necklace so that I can show it off properly."

Mere feet separated Kuryr from the blue skinned woman and his grin grew wider around the cigar with each step. He tilted his head as he leaned towards her, his face close enough that he could easily smell the pungent residue of the death stick on her clothing and skin. He heard Fernando approaching behind him and he knew that the small balsoar would have the item he requested. With a slight chuckle he opened the box and turned to show the contents of the box to the exotic blue skinned woman, inside was just a single piece of flimsiplast with her picture on it.

At that exact moment Fernando appeared by the large taung's side with a shock collar and thin chain leash in his hands. "I'm sorry Bellatrix, I was strapped for cash and Mot owed me a favor." His voice sounded sorrowful as he handed the collar over to the taung.

[member="Bellatrix Celvina"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Confused and slightly high from the death stick which she now crushed out in an ashtray on Fernando's makeshift desk, Bellatrix squinted her eyes to look at the interior of the box as it was presented to her by the Taung. Through the cloud of his cigarra smoke, she saw her own image in a small piece of flimsiplast. Her mind began to whir, trying to put the pieces together, mostly why her own picture was inside the box! When Bellatrix could not detect the situation from visual cues, she used her empathy to observe subtle changes in the emotional environment. It was clear that Fernando was afraid of the Taung. His anxiety and regret was a palpable presence in the room. Her antennapalps twitching, Bella turned to the Taung. From him, she sensed a kind of evil glee at the situation. His piercing gold eyes radiated confidence and bravado.

But when Fernando finally approached with the slave collar, the gravity of the situation finally struck the half-Chiss dancer. Slavery in and of itself wasn't her main fear as she had been a slave for half of her life. But in a way, Bellatrix had been sheltered by Club Tranquility. She felt gainfully employed. She was treated humanely.

The slave collar in the sniveling Balosar's hands was a stark reminder that she would be property.

"Vah cart ch'a ebeucot!"* she spat at Fernando in native Cheuhn. She had retained a little of the Chiss language from before her mother abandoned her. She turned to the massive Taung and said, "Rah vah tan'rah vah tuzir vun'csut ch'ah, vah cart tsan'ah nah!"**

She would rather taunt him in Cheuhn, than risk his wrath with insults and threats in Basic.

Bellatrix faced a crossroads. Did she go along willingly or did she make a run for it? Her lungs were damaged from death stick abuse, and she was still a little wobbly on her feet from the effects of the spice. She may be able to outrun Fernando, who didn't seem like the most athletic type of Balosar, but she wasn't convinced she would be able to escape the Taung if he pursued her.

But why? Why was she sold like this? To not be able to confront Mot at the end of the day and ask him what she did to deserve this was painful indeed.

"No collar," she said firmly, holding up her slender blue-skinned hands. "I will go willingly. But I need to see Mot first. And get my things."

If only to smack the poodoo out of him before leaving with the Taung for good.

*You are an idiot

**If you think you can control me, you are mistaken.

[member="Kuryr"]

 

[Kuryr]

His laugh was deep and loud, it echoed off of the warehouse walls and his whole body shook as he smiled at the girl. she was an addict, he had seen it enough times to know, but even in her drug addled state, she knew what was happening. She had a fire to her that genuinely impressed him, not enough for her to fully earn his respect, but enough to at least pique his interest on who would willingly let such an exquisite creature go. His left hand moved almost quicker than anyone could see, his strong hand grabbed her by the throat firmly, putting just enough pressure on it to keep her from breathing. " I didn't ask you if you wanted to wear the collar, you WILL wear the collar. Until such a time as I take it off." He pushed the collar and chain into her chest roughly, his hand letting go of her neck only after she had the items in her hands.

Kuryr turned to look at Fernando and he frowned, "You are still here Fernando? Our business has concluded. We have nothing left to talk about." He turned back to the blue woman and shook his head, " The sooner you have that collar on, the sooner we will be off to meet this Mot fellow." He moved towards the door and glanced over his shoulder, " Do be a dear and grab my breathing mask from the desk. You outburst almost made me forget it." He watched her for a second to see how she would react to the coarse manner that he spoke to her and acted to her, the first few moments were always the most interesting. Would she try to rebel and make him get violent with her, or would she fall in line with the orders without arguing.

He wondered what type of being Mot was for letting her go, in just a few moments they would be off and she would see Mot for the last time, probably this entire planet for the last time. He doubted she would last long with him, slaves never did, someone was always willing to pay more for the pretty ones. what skills would he lose if he sold her, was she just a piece of scenery, to be placed and forgotten, or was she a hidden gem. He was interested in finding out just how interesting she would make his life.


[member="Bellatrix Celvina"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Did Bellatrix ever think she would have her freedom granted to her? At times, yes. Every now and then, Mot had dangled the proposition in front of her, mostly when he was trying to convince her to do something unseemly. And even though she didn’t take him seriously, in the back of her mind, the scenario was there. Freedom. Not that she would know where to begin or what to do with her life as sad as that was.

And occasionally, Bellatrix would toss and turn at night, in her small room upstairs at Club Tranquility and have nightmares of being a slave. In these nightmares, she would be sold off to an evil master who would lock her up, would force her into vice, would brutally grab her by the neck with long, clawed fingers…

Exactly like the Taung was doing now.

As he released her, she gasped for breath, and holding the collar and chain with one hand, clutched at her neck instinctively with the other. Stunned for a moment by the sudden cruelty, she slowly put the collar around her neck, but kept the chain in her hands. She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror and the sight of her with a slave collar on was enough that she had to hold back tears of frustration. When he gave his order, his voice sounded deep, gravely and out of place, like the inexplicable rumble of thunder on a cloudless day.

And as the pirate suspected, Bellatrix was so angry by the situation that she did feel like grabbing the re-breather and tossing it at his big lizard-monkey head. But the choking was enough to let the half-Chiss know this was probably not the best idea right now. But at least they were going to see Mot, so if Bellatrix was going to hurt anyone right now she would focus her efforts on that shifty Balosar.

Maybe if she asked him nicely, he’d let her kill Mot too.

“What should I call you?” she asked him in Basic.

[member="Kuryr"]

 

[Kuryr]

He could sense the conflict within the young woman as she slowly put the collar on, he gave her credit for not lashing out again as she looked at herself. Her hands gripped the chain tightly and he knew she would fight to hold on to that little bit if her dignity that she had left. it was hard not to smile at her behavior, she was a spring waiting to uncoil, dangerous given the right situation. He wondered if he would have to sleep with one eye open while she was around,she seemed the type that would slit his throat if given the right opportunity. He smiles and executed a polite bow as he responded to her question. "My name is Kuryr. It means death in the mandalorian language. You may call me that. I don't give much concern to formalities."

He took another long drag of the cigar before throwing it over his shoulder back into the warehouse. He didn't really care what Fernando would do, he didn't care much what anyone would do, but he was intrigued as to what the future would hold with his newest trophy around. He pulled the small mask over his face and looked at the girl. " Lead the way to Mot's location. I want to ask him a few questions." He held the door to the street open for her, a gesture that seemed out of place considering his behavior a few moments before. He wanted to see how she would react to many different situations, the first, putting on the collar had been as expected. The threat of violence, given their significant differences between them had been enough to get her to comply with his request.

He walked next to her as they made their way from the warehouse to the club. He knew that traditionally a slave would walk behind their owner, but she had spirit and he was looking for the next reaction to his interactions with her. It was a game he had played before, but it was one that most people failed immediately, brash bravado was all good, but in the end survival was the true test of will. Could you endure long enough to gain the strength to thrive. It was how he had survived as long as he had, and it was something he expected from anyone he surrounded himself with.

[member="Bellatrix Celvina"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Kuryr, as he called himself, put his breathing apparatus on and held the door for Bellatrix who kept pace alongside of him. She was used to the oppressive pollution on Balsor, but she did wonder if they were going off-planet. While that thought was intimidating, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to live on a planet with fresh oxygen. She had no idea how it felt to breath air that wasn’t 80% toxic.

It was also odd that Kuryr walked beside her, and honestly, more like what she was used to being a slave. This gesture, while seemingly not done in kindness, at least put her at ease somewhat.

Almost afraid to ask, she finally turned to the towering lizard-monkey and asked, “What do you want with me? I’m a dancer. I don’t know how to do anything else.” But suddenly she realized how useless that made her sound, so Bellatrix quickly added with the barest of smiles, “I mean, I have some other talents.”

They were now in front of Club Tranquility, and as she waited for Kuryr’s answer, the half-Chiss dancer’s heart beat quickened. She had never hurt a Dekk fly, but for some reason she had the overwhelming urge to murder Mot. The more painful death the better, she thought.

They entered the club and Bellatrix pointed over to her former Balosar owner, the chains clinking in her hands.

[member="Kuryr"]

 

[Kuryr]

Her question was a strange one, he hadn't said how he was to be pait, it was Fernando who had arranged for her to be his payment. He gave it a few moments before he answered, allowing his thoughts to roll these facts around inside of his head before he finally answered. " I would have taken credits just as easily as I did you, actually credits would have been prefered. You will require upkeep and that will cost money, money that you will need to find a way to prove that you are worth. I have no doubt that you have other skills that I could find... interesting." He chuckled through his mask as they made their way into the club.

the balosar she had pointed out didn't look any different that the hundreds of others he had seen in the last few days. Shorter than his one 2.2 meters and skinny, Mot didn't seem like anything other than a lecherous club owner. His assessment was confirmed by the look he got when the balsor finally realized what was happening. Mot looked quickly at both of them, first at Kuryr and then to the woman at his side, his eyes focusing on the collar around her neck. His head turned quickly from one corner of the club to the next and Kuryr knew that security was inbound. with a quick motion he pulled out his large pistol and sent one shot at each guard. The special acidic rounds would first punch through what light armor they wore before splattering highly corrosive acid across a small patch of whatever protection remained. He didn't even give the guards another look, if they weren't dead they would be too concerned with the acid to do much of anything helpful.

With that problem solved he made his way over to Mot, someone he was interested in speaking with. " Do you treat all of your guests that way, or just the ones you are afraid of?" He said as he closed the distance between them. The pistol disappeared back into it's holster and the large taung pulled his mask away, dropping it on one of the now vacated tables. " Mot, I must say, you are either the dumbest being on this planet, or the unluckiest. Why did you send this girl to me, what is it that Fernando said to get you to give up a creature as lovely as this to someone like me?"

" Fernando said you wanted my prettiest girl, said you would kill me if I didn't hand her over to you." The balosar looked ready to run, which Kuryr knew would be a mistake, because he would gladly shoot him in the back, the man deserved little more than that.

"Fernando" Kuryr said, letting the name hang in the air for a second before continuing, " He seems to be rather carefree with the use of my name for threats. I wonder if this way his way of saving on the credits he owed me." He looked down at the slave next to him, wondering what was going on inside of her head. "Well, what should we do with Mot? He gave you away because he was afraid of me, but I never asked for you."

[member="Bellatrix Celvina"]

 

[Armand Temi]

As Bellatrix suspected, the promise of her talents had intrigued the Taung, but it was said with some bluster on her part as the prospect of “entertaining” the lizard-monkey was not a welcome one. She hated to admit this, but he was right – if she was to survive this ordeal, the half-Chiss dancer would need to figure out how to make herself as valuable as possible. And how to keep my dignity intact in the process, she thought.

“Hey you, watch the merchandise!” shouted Mot as Kuryr stormed in and began shooting up the place. Guards flew into walls, glasses broke as they toppled to the floor, and both patrons and dancers screamed and dove for cover, not to mention the acid sizzling through the floorboards. But even under great duress, the greedy Balosar would run his mouth without a care to his own well-being or anyone else’s. Some aliens just never stopped being annoying, and Mot was one of them.

But once the Taung came close to him, Bellatrix at his side, his antennapalps flinched at every move Kuryr made from the mask landing on the table to each growling sentence that was spoken. When the pirate turned to her the slave, she knew exactly what she wanted to say and opened her mouth…

But she was interrupted by Mot again. “Wait Kuryr, see here,” he said, fumbling around in his jacket pocket, obviously looking for something small. When he pulled it out, it wasn’t a weapon. It was a little device which he placed on the table between them.

“This is a tracking device. All my girls have them,” he said, showing a mouthful of crooked, spice-decayed teeth. “Bellatrix has an implant deep in one of her upper arms. You won’t need the chain after a while. She ain’t going anywhere with that,” he finished pointing to the device.

There was a pregnant pause between the three of them. Finally, Bellatrix finished her thought outloud:

“Can I please kill him, Kuryr?”

[member="Kuryr"]

 

[Kuryr]

Fear was one of the few emotions that Kuryr enjoyed seeing in other beings. He spent years of his life cultivating a reputation that was worth being afraid of, and when he got to see the look on a being's face when they realized they were good and truly karked, it made it all worth it. Mot was trying to very hard to please him in these few moments, something that Kuryr had gotten used to. Beings always seemed to think that they could barter their way away from his bad side simply by showing him something useful.

In this case Mot had shown that not only had he placed trackers in all of his girl's arms but that he wasn't going to tell anyone about it. Kuryr thought on that for a moment. His anger growing at the proposition of how that could be used against him. "So you have tracking devices in all of your girls, including the one you allowed to be given to me." He took a deep breath and tried to remain steady in his voice. The anger filling him was beginning to show on his face. " YOU... were going to have a tracking device on my ship." The connection may not have been made by Mot, but Kuryr understood the imminent danger having a tracking device on his ship would cause.

the boiling rage inside of him caused him to almost miss what the small dancer by his side said to him, but her use of his name caused him to glance in her direction. She had asked to kill the balosar herself, he wondered at the type of treatment that would cause someone like her to want to do such a violent thing to someone else. He thought about it for just a moment of two, one large hand running across his cheek as he contemplated her words. His pistol was large and a bit heavy but at this range it would be almost impossible to miss the sad excuse of a club owner. Pulling the pistol back out he flipped it around and handed it to her grip first.

He said nothing to her as she took the pistol, his mind already thinking about the next move he would need to make. There were times that he needed to show exactly why he had the reputation that he had, it seemed that it was time to show Fernando exactly why his name was as feared as it was.Tapping the small wrist mounted comm he began to put the pieces in motion. " Chuka, gather the crew and visit Fernando, I will be there shortly. We have a few things to discuss." He didn't wait for a reply, Chuka wouldn't even question the short call. Everyone knew that a visit ended in violence, and if Kuryr was in one of those moods, the last thing anyone wanted to do was push him further into a bloodthirsty rage.

[member="Bellatrix Celvina"]

 

[Armand Temi]

There was trust there, Bellatrix thought as the Taung handed her his pistol. Did the thought cross her mind to kill Kuryr right now?

Sure it did. But she hesitated and weighed the pros and cons of this move.

Ultimately, the half-Chiss had no doubt that she would only be able to get one shot off at the lizard-monkey, and given his armor and massive stature, he would probably still be able to kill her with a blow to her head or by crushing her windpipe – even with a chest wound.

She aimed the barrel at Mot and pulled the trigger. It felt incredibly good to watch the Club Tranquility owner stumble backwards, the acid seeping directly into his skin and causing him to howl in pain as his legs gave out on him. She turned away from his twitching body and gingerly handed back the pistol to Kuryr.

From hushed voices to screams, the sounds of fear and confusion could be heard echoing through the dancer club. Most patrons and employees were evacuating, but a few fled to the backroom to call the local authorities. Bellatrix began to get a headache, mostly because she needed to feed her spice addiction. She gently bent over Mot’s form and picked the rest of his pockets, taking a credit chit and a tin containing the deathsticks. Nice, they were the expensive, potent kind, she thought.

She handed the credit chit to the Taung. Bella had no need for credits now.

But she did need to eventually admit her addiction to Kuryr at one point in case he decided to deny of this need. The last time she had tried to withdraw, the results were gruesome, and she got the feeling he would not tolerate a sick slave on his ship.

But for now, she gratefully lit up one of Mot's deathstick and moved to the Taung's side to accompany him back to Fernando's.

[member="Kuryr"]

 

[Kuryr]

Mot fell to the ground, his mouth contorted in pain as the round punctured his chest. The acid that was released was potent and deadly if it contacted the proper places and the chest cavity was definitely the proper place. The woman didn't hesitate or even let the balosar try to worm his way out of the situation, she had a focus that was impressive, and she didn't flinch at the idea of shooting someone. He was going to have to reappraise his opinion of her. Her dispassion at searching and robbing the man was an interesting turn of events.

She was getting her first taste of what power and the freedom to be powerful was like. He smiled slightly as she handed the credit poodoo to him, she could have kept it and he would have been content with her keeping it. She had killed the man, she was entitled to his spoils. She would be an interesting pirate if she ever wanted to bother with the idea. He picked up his mask and turned to her. " You have tasted the first sip of what power can be like. The next few month are going to be hard for you, regardless of what happens here today. But I want you to think about something." He glanced down at his pistol in her hand and his grin got wider, she hadn't even considered returning it, nor has she tried to use it on him. Perhaps she was smarter than she pretended to be. " You are leaving on my ship today and you will remain there until I get bored with you. However there are options to explore. You can spend your time on my ship as flesh, to be used and abused and eventually discarded. OR you can be crew and you can be respected and appreciated."

He never stopped walking as he talked, the distance to Fernando's wasn't terribly far, but the walk gave him time to explain. " You wear a collar now, because you are a slave, one that I know would make a pretty penny if I sold you. Your debt is your worth, if you can make your worth back in credits and or services." He said without a hint of sarcasm and or perverse feelings in his words, " You can become a member of the crew properly. This is not an easy life, but you will never be bored. Do not answer now, you have nothing right now, so you will remain what you are, but you will be given a fair chance to earn your freedom."

He didn't say any more as they approached the warehouse. Standing outside was a horribly disfigured gungan standing by the door. He looked a bit shaky on his feet and as they approached the man the stance did change into one much more alert. The gungan had one eyestalk missing and his right ear had been savaged into something that was almost too grisly to look at the but he had the look of a hard being, one not to be messed with.

" Kuryr, " He said with a nod. " Fernando is inside with Chuka and the twins." He opened the door and stood to the side. there was only the inside of the warehouse and Fernando.


[member="Bellatrix Celvina"]

 

[Armand Temi]

With slow movements from the effect of the death stick, Bellatrix watched Kuryr explain to her what was expected of her. This was a welcome turn of events as she was curious about her new life but was afraid to ask.

It sounded a bit what she would have envisioned, for the most part with one exception.

The proposition of becoming a crew member. And real freedom, not this false independence she had now. Sure she had access to spice, available meals and clothing. It wasn’t a luxury lifestyle, but very little was on Balosar with its choking pollution, drugs and crime. It wasn’t the tourist attraction that Coruscant or Nar Shaddaa were.

But actual freedom? That was very enticing.

When he spoke of her collar, the half-Chiss dancer instinctively touched her neck. She nodded when he suggested no more talking and followed him to the warehouse. Oh the poor Gungan that guarded the entrance. She swelled with pity for him and his disfigurement. She had a scar on her back from the awful Rodian at Club Tranquility, but this sad creature’s appearance was beyond repair.

At the mention of Chuka and the Twins, Bellatrix knew she was about to meet the crew. She puffed on the final stub of her death stick for synthetic courage. She felt she had a good read on Kuryr, but the maker only knew what type of motley and cruel beings worked on his ship?

[member="Kuryr"]

 

[Kuryr]

The gungan eyed the blue skinned dancer wearily, his one eye was red and it was obvious from the smell that he was drunk. He glanced at her long enough to see the collar and then he ignored her, as if once the collar was seen she was invisible.

The warehouse was exactly like it was before, except that there were now two dead bodies laying off to the side, both of them were lying face down and a small puddle was forming around their heads. Two rodian were standing off to the other side, speaking quietly to each other, but it was obvious from their movements that they were arguing. As soon as they say Kuryr and Bellatrix enter they stopped and rushed to meet their boss. The difference between them was almost impossible to tell, except one has a small almost invisible scar on his cheek.

"Who's this boss, we got us a new piece of flesh?" the one without the scar said.

"Back off Leslin, she's mine." The other Rodian said pushing the first one away.

The two rodians quickly began to shove each other and totally forgot about the blue skinned dancer in front of them. Kuryr sighed deeply and growled, " Would you two go outside and check on Dekka. He looks like he's floating in alcohol." The two stopped shoving each other and glanced over at the large taung, both of them stopped and stood up and nodded.

" Yeah boss, sure thing" One of them said as they moved away.

Kuryr moved deeper into the warehouse and back to the small business area that Kuryr was in before. There Fernando was sitting in his desk and next to him with a savage looking knife was a female cathar that was dressed up a severely revealing and provocative dress. the look on her face was nearly enough to kill the balosar in his seat. The cathar looked up and her eyes focused on Bellatrix, yer eyes were filled with hostility and when she spoke she completely ignored the blue skin woman all together, " Kuryr, I was about to have a great night." She said, anger lacing her voice. " Why didn't you just let me kill this worm and get back to it.?"

" Chuka, there will always be another time for you to do whatever carnal things you were going to do. This is about business, isn't that right, Fernando?" He said with a firm voice as he placed a hand on the balosar's shoulder. " We have to discuss the fact that you decided to abuse my name" He pressed firmly down on the shoulder, "MY REPUTATION, for personal gain... Fernando, that was not a smart move." He stepped forward so that he could take the same seat he was in before. " What do you think, my dear? " He looked toward Bellatrix with an inquisitive look. The tone of his voice was sarcastic, he knew that the question was rhetorical, but his smile was completely serious.

[member="Bellatrix Celvina"]
[member="Smeg"]

 

[Smeg]

Crunch.

Crunch crunch.

Crunch crunch crunch.

Crunch crunch crunch crunch.

That was the sound of supplies being eaten at an increasingly ravenous pace. As a famous food slogan once said, once you pop you can't stop and Smeg was never very good at stopping. Gluttony incarnate, that was him, although the times had been hard. Very hard.

A combination of certain street magicians and an expanding criminal enterprise left him dumped from his former throne, exiled from his people and very very hungry.

It turned out, that without people to scavenge his food for him Smeg was simply put, quite useless and the massive girth that used to surround him had been reduced quite drastically. Actually a good thing for the Skraal's health, but not for his psyche. After all, a King was supposed to be large, that was what set him apart from the rest, that's what put him in charge!

Now he was like them, like the peasants!

Unfortunately the goal of getting back onto his throne was one far upon the horizon, simple survival took up most of his time. Scavenging for trash, for food, that was his life. He had dived in many-a-dumpster in this pursuit and had now managed to sneak himself on board a ship, swiftly sourcing food with a superior sense of smell.

“Look at all of dis', all forz Smeg!”

That's what he said, sharp yellow fangs bared happily upon finding the storage and thus began the epic feast for one.

Crunchcrunchcrunchcrunchcrunchcrunchcrunch.

Long live the king.

---

[member="Kuryr"] [member="Bellatrix Celvina"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Bellatrix squinted as they entered into the bright light of the warehouse. Immediately and with a jolt, she noticed the dead Balosars on the floor. Even though she had literally just killed Mot, it still startled to see the corpses, their own body fluids pooling around them. The half-Chiss looked at the Rodians and swallowed a foul taste in her mouth. Twi’leks and Balosars didn’t always get along due to warring over spice territory, but for Bellatrix, she had a distinct fear of Rodians. This stemmed from an argument with the Rodian dancer at Club Tranquility which resulted in the other slave stabbing her and leaving a small scar on her blue back.

It appeared Kuryr also had a female Cathar on his crew who was presently menacing Fernando like a cat would toy with a mouse. Her yellow fangs showed as she smiled at her Pirate boss, and Bellatrix wondered if she was once a slave as well. It was more than likely.

When her new master solicited her opinion on Fernando’s fate, she wasn’t sure how to answer. Her own blood-lust had been sated by her murder of Mot, her former employer/owner. The half-Chiss slave now only felt pity for the fellow Balosars who were incurring Kuryr’s wrath today.

But still a thought in her mind germinated like a seed: maybe Fernando had more death sticks stored in the warehouse. And if she could find them and convince the Taung not to immediately sell them, it might make her transition to her new life a little more palatable. She was going to need a steady supply to stave off the impending withdrawal.

“Do what you wish with him, Kuryr,” she said, giving an uncaring shrug. She didn’t meet Fernando’s eyes as she said this and merely scanned the warehouse looking for a particular kind of box or crate.

[member="Kuryr"] [member="Smeg"]

 

[Kuryr]

Shaking his head he pulled out another cigarra, with a great spectacle he lit the drug filled cheroot and took a deep drag before addressing the man, " Tell me Fernando, why should I let you live?" He leaned back in the chair and placed his hands behind his head, it almost looked like he was trying to lean back and relax.

"Kuryr, please you have to understand. I was being pressed by the SwoopHawks. They wanted a percentage of my action. I was forced to change delivery routes and add more security to ensure that everything kept moving the way it is supposed to. Mot.."

Holding up a hand to silence the balosar, Kuryr took another drag of the cigarra and pulled it out of his mouth, letting out a big cloud of smoke. " Fernando, you have said as much before. I told you that I didn't care about all of that. You took my goods, and you strong armed someone else into paying your debt. But you don't have the muscle to strong arm anyone. All you can do is echo hollow threats, threats that you expected me to back up. THREATS THAT YOU MADE MY OBLIGATION." He didn't move at all, but the way his voice went from calm to loud was enough to make even Chuka take a step back.

" Please, Kuryr, let me make it up to you, I swear I can get everything owed to you." Fernando was desperate now, his hands were up and his voice pleaded for the chance to make it right. He was on the edge of the chair, but he wasn't crazy enough to try and stand. An action like that would only be seen as a threat and he wanted to try to survive this encounter.

The large taung stood quickly and sighed deeply, his face almost looked sorrowful. He took a couple of steps forward, moving next to the blue skinned dancer. " Fernando, the problem with so many criminals is that they throw around threats, but lack the real power to back them up. If you have to hire people to do your dirty work for you, then you hold no real power." He quickly grabbed the pistol from his new slave and with one quick motion he twisted around and pulled the trigger. Blood, brains and the sizzling viscous fluid of the acid splattered onto the desk as Fernando slumped forward and out of the chair. He pushed the pistol back into his holster and turned to Chuka. " The flesh has a tracker implanted into her arm, when we get back to the ship you will need to disable it. I don't want an active tracking device on my ship."

Without another word he was moving, his stride was purposeful as he made his way towards the door. He didn't even bother with the mask this time, he could endure the pollution long enough to return to the ship. He was out the door and gone before anyone could say a word to him.

Chuks moved to where [member="Bellatrix Celvina"] was standing and grabbed her roughy by the arm, her clawed nails digging into the meat of the arm. She began to move and yanked the girl along as she moved, " Lets go, flesh. the sooner we get this tracker disabled the sooner I can get away from you." Her words were harsh and while she was dressed in a form fitting black minidress and boots with a sharp stiletto heel, she moved with the confidence of a diplomat. As they reached the door, the two rodians and the drunk gungan were standing there, all three seemed a bit confused on what was next,. "Sweep the warehouse for anything valuable and easy to carry, then burn it down and get back to the kriffing ship, we're leaving as soon as you finish." With those final words she was on the move, dragging the newly acquired slave along with her.

[member="Smeg"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Bellatrix turned away as Kuryr fired his pistol into directly the sycophantic Balosar’s head. As she gazed upon the carnage, finally the events of the day caught up to her, and she put her blue-skinned hand to her mouth, stifling the urge to vomit. She didn’t know Fermando well but that didn’t mean he wasn’t part of her insular circle of familiar figures who frequented Club Tranquility.

The Cathar grabbed her arm roughly and she stumbled forward. Perhaps it was because Chukka was a female or perhaps Bellatrix just responded out of fear, but she jerked her arm away and hissed angrily in Cheun:

Ch'ah tuzir ch'islah ran veo ch'in'he'ahaco csol*

Disable the tracker?!? What did that mean? The half-Chiss was struck with a vision of Chukka brandishing a dagger and carving her up arm to find the device in her skin. There was no time to turn back or even rifle through the warehouse as she had wanted to do moments ago. They were making their way to the exit and she could see the Gungan’s weaving figure before them. At this point, she considered stopping Chukka and asking if she could get her belongings. But what really did she have in that small room about Club Tranquility? She already shared it with two other dancers. Anything she wore – body gloves, dresses, jewelry - belonged to the club.

Naively she thought: same life but just a different set of parameters around it.

But time would only prove how different and strange her new life would be.

*I can walk without your greedy touch

[member="Kuryr"] [member="Smeg"]