Private The Auction

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Rayia Si

Gatz felt Rayia shift—not so much physically, but through the Force. Her presence was like a fire threatening to break containment, always on the brink of spreading. It wasn't the tempered flame of Valery Noble or the austere beam of sunlight that was Corazona von Ascania but then, who was he to judge how another felt in the Force? He was like a kettle that had steamed for too long, threatening to blow its own lid off.

He frightened himself, sometimes. His strength in the Force was growing rapidly, and he still had so little control over it. Gatz wondered when that would bite him in the ass. He hoped it wasn't today.

"We should get moving soon," there was serenity to Gatz's voice that couldn't have been natural for him, "the whole camp is about to crowd into the auction."

He opened his eyes with a sigh. Gatz was surprised he'd actually found peace in meditating here of all places, when the ability to do so was so often out of his reach, even in tranquil settings like the temple on Coruscant. And now he was leaving its warmth and its protection, forced to return to the rugged world of slaves and their masters.

So be it.

Gatz turned to Rayia, and immediately spotted the chafing around her neck.

"Come over here for a second though," he offered, "I'm not much of a Force Healer, but even I can do something about that rash around your neck."

 

[Rayia Si]

Gatz Derrevar

---

Rayia’s eyebrow arched as she felt Gatz stir. She was fairly confident she hadn’t done anything to disturb him. She had been… well, quiet as a cat. Nevertheless, as Gatz’s soothing voice seeped into the space between them, Rayia found herself agreeing with him. ‘The quicker we’re done, the better,’ Rayia thought to herself and pushed herself to her hands and knees.

“Mmm, they’ll probably be expecting us there,” Rayia commented, as she felt her spine pop satisfactorily. Elongating through the motion, Rayia arched her back up as a cat might when waking from a nap. Reluctantly, she pushed herself to her feet as the last dregs of peace that she had found in sleep faded away. The space of the tent was quickly starting to feel stifling and Rayia itched to get out there. Literally.

“Hmm?” Rayia said as the clawed fingers of one hand trailed over her neck, leaving slight, red streaks behind. “Oh? Fine, but warm your hands first… They’re cold.” She remarked, as one ear twitched downwards. Rayia remained stiff during Gatz’s inspection. Letting Gatz touch or even inspect her neck was clearly something that went against instinct for Rayia. Perhaps a bestial instinct ingrained deep within that warned against exposing one’s neck to another.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Rayia Si

Warm his... hands? It was an unexpected request, and Gatz blinked at it, but he'd asked far more of her today than she was of him right now. So, with a shrug, he rubbed his hands together until the friction of his skin had produced enough heat for them to be considered warm. Gently, slowly, Gatz pressed a hand to the back of Rayia's neck. She seemed tense and a little uncomfortable about the motion, but he could hardly blame her for that.

He had, after all, saddled her with a slave collar. Even if only so that they could infiltrate this place.

Gatz closed his eyes and focused. Force Healing had never come easy to him—in fact, it was the area he struggled the most in—but he was making small steps in the right direction. It took a moment, and an effort of will, but Rayia's chafed neck slowly began to restore itself. Swelling reduced, and irritated red skin return itself to its natural hue.

Like that, in an instant, it was like she'd never worn the collar. Gatz let out a heavy breath, but felt satisfied. Healing was a tiring thing, but it was the one time that he actually felt as though he was using the Force the way he was meant to.

"Feel better?" Gatz asked, "I suppose we could always find you some ice somewhere, if not."

 

[Rayia Si]

Gatz Derrevar

---

Rayia shivered as she felt the prickle of static before Gatz’s fingers touched her skin. The slight, soft fur that lined her neck stood on end as Gatz began to apply a healing flow of energy towards her neck. After a moment though, the knot in Rayia’s shoulders seemed to loosen somewhat. She sat a little straighter, rolling her shoulders as she waited. And if Gatz listened quite close, he would even be able to catch her murmuring a slight, chuffing rumble.

Rayia could quite literally feel Gatz’ progress as the inflamed skin lost its welts and bruises and returned to its normal, healthy tan. ‘Is it meant to itch this much?’ Rayia wondered, scratching at the side of her neck. It felt like Gatz was somehow rubbing her neck with a thick, woolen towel only to peel it away and leave relief flooding in behind.

When it was done, Rayia quirked an eyebrow at him. “I’ll live. That’s good enough for now,” she said. Then, noticing the exhaustion coloring his breaths and movements, she responded with. “Are you okay though? Looks like that took it out of you,” she said and glanced towards the door. She wanted to let him rest a bit, but he had mentioned that it was drawing close to the opening of whatever was planned. ‘So who knows how much time we have to sit here?’ Rayia thought to herself.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Equipment: Outfit | Lightsaber
Tag: Rayia Si

“Are you okay though? Looks like that took it out of you,”

He was, admittedly, a little tired after that effort. The energy required to heal came from himself, and while he'd always been strong in the Force, he wasn't efficient in using that power. For a proper Healer like Master Serys-Organa, what he'd just done probably would have been effortless. For him, it was like running a lap. He wasn't exhausted per se, but he was a little winded.

"I'm fine." He breathed out, "won't get any better at it if I don't practice."

A cold drink and a spot to sit would be nice, but they didn't really have the time. As it was, he may have waited too long to wake Rayia... but he couldn't bring himself to disturb her rest any sooner. She'd been through a toll today.

"Come on." Gatz sighed, "we have to get that collar and lead back on you... but this time will be the last time."

Just a few more hours. Long enough for them to free the slaves in this camp, and then make their great escape. Then Rayia could burn this leather contraption all she liked. He'd even provide the matches.

But even as he retrieved the offending item, he felt a pit grow in his stomach. What did it make of him, to have to strap this thing around her neck for a second time? Even if it was to go undercover, he was still putting a slave collar on a woman. Was that not worse than anything he'd done before? Was this what being a Jedi meant: sacrificing his morals to do what was right?

Gatz didn't know. But he supposed it was too late to do anything about it.

 

[Rayia Si]

Gatz Derrevar

---

Even restricted in its sheath as it was, Rayia’s tail still allowed her to feel the exhaustion in Gatz’ body. It lingered in his motions and in his breath. Still, Rayia trusted Gatz enough to know his own limits. She doubted it was serious enough to warrant her worrying over him, since he had energy enough to crack jokes. “True. Just don’t pass out on me, okay?” She responded and left it at that.

More importantly, her mind was focusing on the second step. The part where she had to fasten the collar around her neck again. Rayia’s golden eyes flicked from the worn leather to Gatz’ face. Her clawed fingers delicately scratched at the newly smooth flesh around her neck. It seemed a little cruel to her to need to get back in the chafing, degrading collar so soon. But it was integral to the plan and Gatz felt bad enough already.

“Give it here,” she said, placing her clawed fingers over Gatz’s own and wrapping her hands around his. Or well trying to. He had stupidly large hands, in comparison to Rayia’s own. Her ear twitched, a frown creasing her face as she beheld Gatz’s expression. “Listen here Gatz, when we are all done here? We are going to have a talk. But until then, don’t beat yourself up about it,” Rayia said before clicking the collar around her neck. “Promise me.”

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Equipment: Outfit | Lightsaber
Tag: Rayia Si

"I'm not about to pass out." Gatz promised Rayia.

He was tired, but Gatz had plenty of experience of working off of no food and little sleep. Working after a little Force Healing wasn't about to put him face down in the dirt. Not yet, anyways. Besides, if they did this right, they'd spring the slave revolt and sneak out of the camp during the commotion. Then they wouldn't have to fight anyone—or at least, wouldn't have to fight the entire camp.

“Listen here Gatz, when we are all done here? We are going to have a talk. But until then, don’t beat yourself up about it,” Rayia said before clicking the collar around her neck. “Promise me.”

"That's hard to promise," Gatz admitted, "beating myself up is what I'm best at."

Rayia was far from the first person to chide him for being too hard on himself. Valery. Inanna. Master Serys-Organa. It had been a regular lesson from all three of them, and it was the one lesson he couldn't seem to learn. They didn't understand who he was, or what he used to be. Gatz didn't deserve to go easy on himself, not after the things he'd done in Hutt space.

"Come on, I want to get a good look at this auction, and see where we can do the most damage."

 

[Rayia Si]

Gatz Derrevar

---

Rayia nodded satisfied at Gatz’ answer. It would be really bad for her if she was to pass out. Since she was playing a slave, it would be perceived as odd if she took the agency to do anything without her master’s presence. Her role required Gatz to play, and vice versa. “Good,” Rayia sighed softly in response as she tossed her lead in his direction.

The weight of the collar pressed down again, causing Rayia to shiver. It chafed certainly, but it was the metaphorical weight that felt oppressive above all and made the thin strip of leather feel like several tons of weight pressing down on her. Rayia raised an eyebrow at Gatz’s response to her statement regarding their talk. “Really? I hadn’t noticed.” She smirked, batting him lightly on the head with the thin folded paper that contained their map.

Rayia supposed that it made sense that these auction gatherings were to be held at a central location in the quarter, but she did have questions. ‘Why are they segmented into quarters? I would think it would create unnecessary rivalry between the snakes here?’ She thought to herself.

“What did you want to look at first? It sounds like we have a bit of time, though not much before they start rounding us up for the main event, so to speak?” She asked.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Equipment: Outfit | Lightsaber
Tag: Rayia Si

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

"What can I say? I'm good at what I do."

Beating himself up was, actually, the one thing he seemed to be good at. That was fine though. He didn't need to be good at being a Jedi, only passable. Passable ought to be enough to get the two of them out of this mess, as well as all the slaves they who were unwittingly about to join their revolt. The only reservation that Gatz had was that such a revolt was bound to be violent, but he saw no way around that.

These men would never give up their slaves and their ways. Gatz knew they deserved every pain that was about to come their way, but a decent Jedi didn't wish harm upon people—not even the worst among them.

“What did you want to look at first? It sounds like we have a bit of time, though not much before they start rounding us up for the main event, so to speak?”

"The slave pens," Gatz answered, "there must be multiple of them in each section, for the owners who sell flesh by the bulk. We can't possibly get a good look at all of them, but knowing where they're at will help us locate and spring the slaves later."

 

[Rayia Si]

Gatz Derrevar

---

Gatz’s confident claim caused the corner of Rayia’s mouth to curl up into a smirk. Being able to laugh at himself wasn’t exactly what she had in mind, but it was a start. At least the tension seemed to bleed out of him. But Rayia knew a bit about self loathing. This was a bit like slapping a bandage over a gaping wound. Sure, it might be sealed but the chasm was still there.

Rayia nodded as Gatz explained his plan. ‘It makes sense that regular merchants would have larger pens. Though I’m not sure if they’ll let us approach like that,’ Rayia thought to herself. She hesitated for a moment before she began to speak. “If I’m with you, I don’t know if they’ll let you near the cages. On the other hand, if I’m not, it’ll look suspicious,” she said, indicating the leash.

Her golden eyes flashed slightly as she looked up at Gatz. “You think they’ll talk to you?” Rayia asked. Once she stepped from the door, Rayia would have very little say in anything that happened. That and the fact that they had yet to see what they were planning for exactly were making her very nervous. Her tail flicked side to side erratically, batting Gatz’s leg.

She was after all playing the role of an exotic toy for her master. Knowing that Gatz had dipped his toes into the criminal world for a bit before he had become a Jedi did not stop her anxiousness. The basic skeleton of some semblance of a plan would set Rayia’s mind at ease.