The Darker Side Of Life

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

Kurt tagged along with the woman, that same smile on his face. "Why not? What did I have left to loose?"

There was a harsh truth in that.

"Besides, once you get past the aura of command and power you give off..." Kurt slipped the flattery into his words. "You become far too enticing for me not to ask."

The grin pulled at his lips, his eyes setting on her for half a moment, panning up and down to half leer at her. Shifting, The Courier followed her on board the ancient vessel, letting out a long whistle as they walked on board. The ship wasn't common in the galaxy, at least not in any real terms, but it was beautifully constructed. Multi-functional and large enough to hold an entire platoon, the ship was in it's own right a hulking beast capable of carrying whatever one needed.

"Beautiful ship, used to see them back on Tatooine, though they lost half their function there." He smiled at her, not engaging on the latter part of her words just yet.

 

[Lief]

What did he have left to lose? Well, a lot. "Worldly possessions aren't everything, you know? What if you lost your wit, your charm, your mind?"

Still she couldn't help but understand where he was coming from. If you didn't take risks, you'd never get anywhere. Ayva barely took risks, but this was one. For all she knew this hitchhiker could be a Sith Lord in disguise, seeking to end her.

She raised a brow to the flattery, allowing herself a moment of enjoyment at the thought. She was always so uptight, everything had to be done properly, that letting her hair down once in a while would be a welcome break. Who knew what would come of it.

"You're lucky I'm not some psychopath" was all she replied, however, but there was a slightly coy smile upon her lips.

Since Kurt didn't give her a destination, Ayva instead pondered on her options. Somewhere a little built up would obviously be better than a complete wasteland, but dropping him into Coruscant or some other Metropolis owned by some dominating Faction wouldn't be fair. She didn't know if he had any allegiances, and she wasn't about to risk his life to find out.

"I salvaged her" she confessed, of the ship, "She only needed a couple of parts, which I found in the same scrapyard. That's actually a viable option should you not find your stolen ship, there are more discarded-yet-useful ships floating around than anyone knows what to do with. Too many companies mass producing flashier products."

Speaking of his missing/stolen items, Ayva couldn't help but frown and wonder just who had them. "So what did she look like, this woman? And do you have any way of tracking down your ship? Maybe we could hunt it."

After all, she had a lot of pent up anger concerning Sohna; it would be cathartic to let it out on some lowlife thief.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

"Psychopath?" Kurt echoed her words. "I think you're far too beautiful for that, or maybe too beautiful for me to care much."

The Courier offered her a wink.

"Not my ship." Kurt quickly began to explain. "It was a rental, thankfully. My ship is back with my roommate. I value that vessel, and everything on it, far too much to go to Nar Shaddaa with it, at least after the last time I was here. Everything else that was taken from me...well it was just a few hundred credits and some information, not really the end of the world."

He could cancel the card and get a new ID from Sif Shipping corporation easily enough. The Rental would be annoying, but he had gotten the insurance one it, which meant he at least wouldn't have to pay for it when it came time to head back. He was thankful that he had had the foresight to at least do that, especially considering the fact that Nar Shaddaa wasn't likely a place that particular rental ship was ever to be seen again. The Smugglers Moon was not kind to things stolen upon it.

"It was a woman, tall, blonde, angular face. Honestly, she was one of a hundred on Nar Shaddaa, probably working for one of the local crime lords. I'm not too worried about find her. Though if you're looking for a vigorous activity to entertain yourself with..." Kurt trailed off as he smiled at her.

He couldn't help but push buttons.

 

[Lief]

"You're not too bad yourself" she swiftly retorted, "though looks can be deceiving." Her smile turned into a very brief grin before she settled into a seat within the lounge and let out a slight sigh.

"At least you didn't lose your ship, if I lost the Mynock I'd probably hunt down the idjit who took her and..." Ayva trailed off, blinking slightly as though she had just realised she had company. "Well, lets just say I'd get it back."

Kay-Four entered the room at that point. "The room has been prepared, Mistress" the droid droned, his voice far less chirpy than many of his counterparts.

"Very good. Prepare the ship for take off, head toward Lianna." It may have been Sanctum territory, but the Silver Jedi kept out of the worlds they safeguarded for the most part, and Lianna was as good a place as any to get from a to b, right beside several trade routes. "But be prepared to change course should our guest make new plans."

A subtle jab at the fact he'd yet to give her his destination.

"As you wish, Mistress." With that he left the room, heading toward the cockpit. Ayva gave Kurt an apologetic look.

"I wouldn't have minded helping you get revenge" she offered with a slight shrug, deep down she had kind of been hoping that she could. Alas, it was not to be.

She seemed a little confused when he didn't finish his sentence, not the sharpest tool in the shed where such things were concerned.

"What do you mean?"

Little did she realise she was attempting social suicide with just those four words.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

He watched her lounge within the chair for a moment, surprised, but amused by her lack of realization.

Lianna was a perfectly fine destination, more than fine in fact. The planet had an Arceneau Trade Station right in orbit, meaning that Kurt would be able to pop over and contact Kaile to come pick him up with The Messa. his ship was the fastest in the galaxy, capable of outrunning even interceptors, once Kaile knew where exactly he was it wouldn't be difficult for her to get to him. Of course, that thought was the last thing that fell on his mind.

Instead he began to move over towards Ayvari, that boyish charm of a smile on his face as he approached her.

"Revenge has never been my business." Kurt said simply as he sat himself down next to her, his arm sliding slowly around the back of lounge chair. "I prefer to simply live and let live, enjoy the finer things in life, take advantage of what's in front of me, not behind."

He smiled, then slowly leaned over towards her. "I mean this."

Making his third stupid decision of the day, Kurt simply pressed his lips against hers, answering her question and likely getting himself smacked in the same instance.

 

[Lief]

She poured herself a drink in the time it took Kurt to approach the sofa, a tray of the previously offered refreshments on a side table beside the chair. Swirling the contents of the glass she peered over to him as he neared her, head tilted to one side curiously.

Boy was it weird having a passenger.

He had a mischievous look upon his face, though the smile was infectious. Ayvari was able to mute her own slightly, so it wasn't quite as broad or apparent, but at the same time it was enough for her frustrations to begin to dwindle for the time being.

Taking a small sip of her drink, she pondered on his words. Revenge wasn't to everyone's liking, that was for sure, but at the same time you couldn't let people make a mug of you. Or they'd do it again.

"Sometimes you have to remind someone of their place" she said, with a shrug, "Never allow someone to have power over you, Kurt. Your life and wellbeing is just as important as everyone else's."

Surprisingly enough she didn't mind that he sat on the same sofa as her, despite the fact there were several other chairs scattered around the lounge. But as he smiled that roguish smile and leaned in the way he did, Ayva couldn't help but sense that something was amiss.

For a moment she was too surprised to react. She had truthfully never been kissed before, not even on the cheek by her Father when she was younger. Back then every moment had been a fight for survival, and since then it had remained the same for Ayva.

After her moment of shock she pulled back, and as predicted she raised her hand... Though for whatever reason she did not strike him. Part of her wanted to, the more uptight and cold side, but she could not bring herself to all the same.

Instead her hand awkwardly sort of lingered mid air for a few moments. Ayva herself was particularly dumbfounded, unable to find her voice. Though a little "oh" did escape her all the same.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

His own hand came up, though his elbow still rested on the back of the Sofa. Kurt's palm coming up to support his face as he looked at her. The boyish grin was gone, expression replaced with a simple look of confidence and joy.

The Courier could see it in her eye.

There was hesitance there, all too familiar, but it was mixed with a massive range of other emotions. A bit of outrage, a touch of rage, just a sprinkling of indignation, but most of all curiosity. Kurt could see it in the way that she had reacted, in the way that she had stilled her hand and stopped herself from harming him. Perhaps it was his confidence, the shock of him simply going for it, or perhaps she had actually enjoyed the little kiss that he had offered her.

He eyed her a moment more, then let his free-hand move towards her own. He enveloped it, and then slowly pulled it down into her own lap.

The smile spread across his face again, and then he spoke. "See? Joy in the moment."

It was so much better than looking at the past.

 

[Lief]

She could sense the change in him. And it wasn't even necessarily a bad change, just different.

Her heart raced, goading a slow exhale as she tried to calm her mind. At first her eyes didn't quite meet his, yet she could feel his gaze and slowly steeled herself to return it as he pulled her hand from the air and to her lap.

Feeling her cheeks burning, she awkwardly chewed the inside of her lip and gave a nod to what he said. He was right, sometimes it was probably better to live in the moment rather than worrying over the future and trying to figure out snippets of the past. Everyone needed a little down time.

"I see" she said, finally mirroring the smile once her pulse had slowed. Her other hand, which still held her drink, settled the glass down onto the side table.

Ayva couldn't help but wonder just how many other women he had managed to reduce to silence in such a way. Part of her didn't care.

There was a very slight jolt, signifying the ship's take off, which had her snap her gaze from Kurt toward the cockpit entrance. Well, there was no going back now.

She looked back to him, a slight twinkle in her eye that had previously been missing. Though her hesitation remained. What did she do now? Did she play the good host and show him to his room? Or did she allow her curiosity to get the better of her?

Ayva honestly didn't know. She was so used to stoic droids without a mind of their own.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

Kurt simply watched her, passively observing as she sat and pondered what to do. He could see that he had broken through something, that stoic exterior momentarily replaced with a shy girl that wasn't sure what to do next. There was a simplicity in that, the fact that everyone, no matter their station or position could be reduced to this state. It was an odd thought, that base human desire would always fall to the same level, that at their core they were all the same.

He mused for a moment more.

His fingers twitched out and very gently cupped her chin. He guided her head so that her eyes matched up with his own exactly, his gaze falling on hers. He could still see the hesitation there, the fact that she was unsure about all of this. He could only offer the boyish grin, the smile that told of confidence.

"So?" He asked her with all the confidence in the galaxy dripping from his voice. "Would you like to live some more?"

The question was more obvious this time, blatant and upfront, Kurt saw no point in beating around the bush this time.

 

[Lief]

She had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realise that he was still staring at her until he tipped her chin so their eyes met. And there it was again, that same grin which had enticed her into taking a chance back on Shaddaa. She had never before been swayed, especially not by a man of all things, but then again Ayva had always been so busy with her duties to the Empire and to her Master that she hadn't even had time to stop and think for herself.

Well there was nothing for her to do now, it wasn't as if she had anywhere to be. Why not live a little?

"So" she replied, perking a brow and trying to act more confident than she was actually feeling, "Maybe I would."

Her voice wavered a little at the end, she had no idea what the heck she was getting herself into. But if she didn't try she'd never know.

And besides, his confidence and self-assurance was infectious.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

Oh. This was going to be a joy.

Kurt did so love it when he succeeded in things like this, he did so love it when they gave into temptation and offered him everything he wanted. There was a beauty to that achievement, a picture being painted every time they gave him that nod. His smile turned from mischief, slipping into something else, confidence maybe. All hint of narcissism slipped away, and Kurt's hand slowly found it's way to the base of Ayvari's neck. His fingers latched very carefully, pressing into her skin.

"Then we'll have fun." That was all he said before he pulled her close and into him. His lips pressed against hers, his fingers pushing against her skin.

The other hand that had been by her waist slowly floated to her leg, sliding onto her inner thigh and pulling her legs apart. His fingers moved deftly, albeit slowly, he would not breach her comfort nor seek to go faster than she was comfortable with. There was an excitement to his touch, and eagerness. It was obvious what he intended, more so when he slowly began to push her back and onto the couch, his lips beginning to slowly trail down her cheek and towards her neck.

 

[Lief]

She could practically taste his delight when she gave in to her more base desires. Had he been anyone with any real influence in her life, someone she would inevitably see again, she might have been a little more reserved. Shown him to his room, and then fled to the comfort of the cockpit, but the sentiments he had shared since they'd first met, of living in the moment, enjoying the now, experiencing life for what it was, had seeped into her mind. So much for having steadfast resolve.

And besides, she couldn't deny that she had enjoyed the kiss no matter how brief it had been.

So this time, when he leaned in, Ayva did more than simply sit there. Her curiosity took over, a hand lifted and settled to the side of his neck, thumb instinctively flexing across his jaw. While she was able to set the pace, her hesitancy had all but disappeared. She was lost in the moment, and it felt good to leave herself behind for a while. How things might have been different had she not been snatched up by the Sith so early on. But now was not a time for reminiscing or regret.

And so, as he eased her back, she followed his lead...

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

A thin sheen of sweat rolled over his skin, shirt having been thrown halfway across the room, pants tossed over the edge of the acceleration couch. Ayvari lay atop him now, somehow having reached the position during their throws of...fun. His arms lay above him, one sprawled out on the length of the sofa and the other tucked neatly beneath his head. Kurt's chest rose and fell, a steady breath filling his lung as his eyes sat closed and a sort of ethereal glow carried over him.

"I told you we could have fun." Kurt said with a smile on his face, his fingers curling slightly.

He hadn't quite expected things to go this well, not this quickly, but apparently the more base desires were often strongest in those who claimed to be the most stoic. Kurt couldn't blame her for it of course, he himself gave in to those desires far too often for his own good.

Sometimes it got him in to trouble.

Sometimes it didn't.

The Courier wasn't exactly sure what this situation qualified as, whether the woman would still end up smacking him or simply enjoying the time they had spent together. From the expression on her face and the way that her body squirmed he would have guessed the latter, but then again Kurt had never really been the best at reading people.

 

[Lief]

Ayva hadn't quite caught her breath.

She lay there feeling uncomfortable with the sweat but otherwise surprisingly content. It had been an interesting experience, to say the least, her heart racing with left over adrenaline. Her head was against his chest, turned so that she was looking out across the lounge and the scattered clothes. Boy was she glad that the cells had sound dampeners.

Lifting her head slightly to look at him as he spoke, Ayva smiled coyly. "That was certainly something" she admitted; she had expected to feel the same urge as earlier, to scold him or push him away as soon as the deed was done and her mind was her own again. But it didn't happen. You don't just lose your mind she reminded herself. It was okay to want something, even if you didn't realise you did.

Her mouth opened to say something else, but in that exact moment a slight ruckus could be heard - swiftly followed by Kay-Four's monotonous voice in the overhead speaker system. "Forgive me, Mistress, but your presence is required in-- oh dear."

The voice was cut off.

Without a seconds thought Ayva swung her legs over the sofa and immediately rose up, gathering items of clothing and pulling them back on. Whatever was happening had to involve the prisoners, there was no one else onboard. Her expression had turned from euphoric and care free to rage in an instance.

"Wait here" she firmly instructed, though whether he chose to listen to her command remained to be seen. With that she strode bare foot from the room, heading straight for the cell block; before she left, however, she called her lightsaber - which had been placed on an out of the way shelf, after all she much preferred her vibrosword - into her hand and hovered her thumb over the ignition switch.

If this was Sohna again, there would be hell to pay.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

Kurt was about to say something, his lips parting just as the droid began to interrupt him.

The speed at which she moved startled him, her eyes setting forward and hard into purpose, her lithe, formerly squirming body suddenly becoming driven and entirely focused. The shift in personality was almost scary, terrifyingly instant and completely unexpected. A small cylinder jumped across the room as she left it, Kurt recognizing it as a lightsaber. He balked for a moment, his eyes pulling towards where she had just gone towards his clothes on the floor.

"I-" The Courier cut himself off. "What?"

The droid that had interrupted Ayvari's and his play time seemed to stare at him for a moment, Kurt still laying butt naked on the couch. "Err....excuse me."

With a single roll Kurt fell from the couch and onto his feet, moving about the room and scrambling to pick up his clothes piece by piece. His pants came first, then his shirt, though his underwear seemed to have gone completely missing. He searched for a few more seconds, eyes eventually falling on the garment which had somehow been tossed onto a lamp in the corner. He laughed nervously at the droid, then quickly slipped on his clothes, albeit leaving his shirt off as he ran after Ayvari to see what had happened.

Was the ship crashing?

 

[Lief]

Ayvari walked into chaos.

It was not the cells, as she had previously thought, but the room before it - the training quarters. As the door slid open she was met with the sight of Sohna, red faced and panting - with one of the few weapons from the room in her hand. Ayva noted it as her own, her beloved vibrosword, the one her Master had gifted her.

Even without that stupid slight, Ayva's rage had bubbled beneath the surface. But now it was released in full force.

Extending her hand outward she grasped onto Sohna's throat with the Force and proceeded choke the life from her. In the same instance she strode closer. By now the vibroblade had been dropped, forgotten on the floor, as the girl flailed in panic, suspended in the air.

When they were face to face, Ayva leaned in - her lips curled into a snarl.

"You tarnish your Father's legacy" she spat.

Dropping her hold of the girl, Sohna fell to the floor. In the same instance Ayva kicked the vibrosword aside and grasped the girl's hair, pulling her face up to meet her own.

"You seek your freedom, little girl? Do you want to forsake the wishes of your Father?"

Ayva felt more insulted by the fact that she was Xanxus' child than anything else. If he could see her now, her disobedience and what it had caused, he would be ashamed. He had tasked her with training his child, before the Netherworld had claimed him. And she sought to honor that.

Reaching into her robes, Ayva pulled out a curved hilt and set it at her feet. Not once did her eyes leave Sohna's.

Ayva was oblivious to the fact that her guest had followed after her. Truly she did not want him to see all of this, not because she felt it was unnecessary or wrong but because it was none of his business. She had told him to stay put, and he had failed to do so.

"Pick it up" she said, her face just inches away from Sohna's. "You want your freedom? Then earn it."

Releasing the hold she had on the girl Ayva stepped back and finally thumbed the ignition of her saber, casting the room in a brilliant orange glare. Let us see if the girl has the gall to take what she wants.

Deep down Ayva hated that it had to be this way. She was the last reminder of her Master, and had she not been so fiery and resistant in the first place she would've had all the freedoms she could ask for. Alas she had killed one of Ayva's best men in the initial struggle, and this time one of her droids lay crumpled. It would take a while for her to fix it.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

How was he supposed to react to this?

Ordinarily Kurt would have been appalled, he would have been disgusted and shocked, he very likely would have drawn his blaster on Ayvari and shot her...but he couldn't. For one thing he didn't have his blaster, for another...he was a guest on her ship. That presented problems two fold, one he couldn't really kill her without getting killed himself, and two he couldn't really say anything to her to make her stop. He was completely and entirely helpless here, completely and entirely incapable of doing anything.

The pit in his stomach suddenly grew.

His breathing became louder, his pupils grew to the size of pinpricks and he felt his hands tighten into fists at his side.

Should he strike out at her? Should he lash and just try to get her to back off from the girl? No. That would only end up going side-ways for the both of them. The Courier frowned slightly, taking a step forward, still holding his shirt in his off-hand. He shifted slightly, not wanting to set too close to Ayvari's lightsaber hand and not wanting to get in the way of anything. He knew that she had told him to stay, that she would likely be very angry, but Kurt couldn't chance it.

"Heyyy." The Courier intoned.

He had charmed her once, perhaps he could do so again.

 

[Lief]

The girl was a quaking mess, and for a moment pity flashed across Ayva's expression. Was this really the route she wanted to take? Killing the girl wouldn't change anything, yes she and the other student sent to her by Croshim were disposable in the grand scheme of things, but what sort of precedent did that set? It was a weak move on her part, death was final, destructive, and ultimately it was the easy way out.

Still, she had to pay for her actions. She had disobeyed orders on several occasions now.

"Stand up" she said, her voice a little softer than it previously had been as she allowed her anger to disperse and be replaced with duty. She couldn't kill the girl, but she also couldn't let her get away with it. So Ayva resigned herself to the fate at hand.

As Sohna rose, trembling before her Master, Ayva finally noticed the presence of Kurt and heard his voice; she could sense his apprehension at the situation. This was why she had asked him to remain behind. She only hoped he'd stay out of the way when the time came.

"She disobeyed my orders" Ayva explained, though she didn't really know why she felt the need to explain herself to him. Usually she'd have ignored anyone who tried to interfere, or do far worse. "She killed one of my men back on Nar Shaddaa, she destroyed one of my droids, and she sought to use my own weapon against me."

Shame crossed Sohna's expression, revealing the truth in Ayva's words.

She could have said more, expressed that this was her ship and she would not see it descend into chaos, but by this point Sohna had picked up her Father's hilt and the room became a clash of red and orange hues as she ignited it.

"Stay out of the way" she warned him; she would not see a guest aboard her ship perish for another's crimes. Not that Ayva would strike him, but in her ineptness Sohna may well do just that.

Ayva waited for the girl to make the first move; she would not strike first, not when this was Sohna's attempt at earning her freedom.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

Poodoo.

How was he supposed to respond to this? What was he supposed to do? It looked like Ayvari was hellbent on killing the girl, or at least delivering a sufficient enough smackdown that she wouldn't be getting back up any time soon. His hands tightened at his side, his eyes scanned over the two women, his breath lingering in his lungs. He should do something, he should...his hands reached for the blaster that should've been at his side, his fingers curling and slamming into his leg as he realized that it wasn't there. There was nothing he could do to stop this, nothing he could...

Kurt trailed off for a moment, his own thoughts stalling as he caught a reflection of the situation within the gleaming bulkhead of the wall. Here he was, standing shirtless behind Ayvari who was brandishing the hilt of a lightsaber and staring down the rebellious girl that he had seen her earlier connect. Was she going to kill the girl? Kurt had no idea, but he knew that he didn't really want to watch anyone die tonight, especially considering what he had just done with the woman that was about to do the Killing.

"Ayvari." Kurt said her name for the first time, as if that would help him sometime. "Hang on a second."

He shouldn't have interfered, he should have stayed quiet, but that wasn't who Kurt was. Some called him a scoundrel, a rake, and yes he did sleep with women and then just ran away, but he had a heart. He couldn't just let someone get killed. "There's gotta be another solution here, something else that she can do."

Prison, maybe?

The girl had committed a murder after all.

 

[Lief]

Ayva usually would not have batted an eyelid to what she was wanting to do. Xanxus' child or not, she had caused havoc and lay waste to her men and possessions... But Kurt was like some nagging little cricket of conscience, chirping away in her ear. Had he been anyone else, he'd have met the same end as Sohna, guest or no guest, but she'd made things complicated by sleeping with him. Why'd he have to be so damn charming? Even now there was a slight confidence to his tone, an unwillingness to let bygones be bygones.

But before she could say anything, or even do anything to alter the course of fate, Sohna stepped forward; her footwork was sloppy, the swing she made toward her captor was unconstrained and ill-practised, yet there was a raw complexity to it all the same. Sometimes those with the least form could catch even a master bladesman off guard. And Ayva was most definitely not a bladesman.

What she did have, however, was a very acute connection to the Force; her gaze had been set back at Kurt, yet she parried the initial attempt and turned to face the girl in unison. "She's made her choice" was all that Ayva said, yet she did not want to see the girl perish. Kurt's conscience had rubbed off on her.

With another sharp tug of the Force, Ayva pulled the girl forward and toward the path of her lightsaber. The attempted Cho Sun landed home before Sohna had even a moment of thought, and with a clatter Xanxus' saber fell to the ground alongside the girl's left arm.

"Make no mistake of your place" Ayva said, as Sohna dropped to her knees in agony. The resounding scream caused her skin to tingle and the tiny hairs along her neck to stand up on end. "Next time you won't have a Knight in shining armour to save you." First Cemas, now Kurt. The girl had a way of winning over men to Ayva's disadvantage.

"Get her out of my sight" Ayva instructed Kay-Four, before stooping down to pry the hilt from Sohna's fingers. "And you" she growled, rounding on Kurt with a vehement expression, "the next time you presume to interfere in the running of this ship, I will personally throw you from the airlock."

With that she made her way from the room. Sohna was ushered away to the medical bay, on the other side of the hall; her arm would be replaced, albeit through a painful cybernetic surgery, for now her spirit was broken though.

When she reached the lounge, Ayva exhaled through her nose and settled both hilts back into place upon the shelf. She never wore them aboard her ship, she usually didn't rely on them to exact her will. This had been more of a symbolic use than anything else.

She reached for the glass from earlier, and downed the contents without batting an eyelid. The sting of alcohol met the back of her throat and warmed her insides, numbing her frustrations. So much for a quiet day.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]