Things In The Night

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

Vrak nodded, not giving any verbal answer as he began to slowly move past her.

For a brief few seconds he wondered just how long he could keep this up. He had no doubt that eventually she would try to push and prod at him again, perhaps when she was less tired. When that happened...he would have to take careful measures not to let his anger get the better of him. One small misstep might just meant that she gained another victory, that was something he couldn't allow, not when things were going so well.

He had seen her confusion, the way she reacted to his kindness, the perplexity on her face as he offered her a steady hand or a kind word. Perhaps she thought him cowed, or perhaps she knew he was playing into her own game, Vrak didn't know. In the end it truly didn't matter, eventually he would get his moment to redraw that line in the sand, and when he did she would find herself back into a corner with no where else to go. "Here."

Vrak said as he made a slight turn.

"You'll find clothes on the bed." They were simple, about what one might expect from a well off business woman in the core. "A personal refresher through there."

He pointed to a door in the corner as he walked into the room. "I'm sure you'll be quite comfortable."

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The door to the bedroom opened and Vrak stepped inside. "Deja Vu." She said with a smirk, remarking on the fact that this very same course of action had seen her last time lash out at the man in an attempt to kill him, or rather, free herself from his nasty little device. This time however she simply stepped inside and took a gander around at the space. It was adequate. Simple and clean. Taking note of the clothing on the bed she gave a nod. A refresher would be welcome, followed by much needed sleep.

"I suppose I will." She affirmed.

It was an unfortunate fact that the Sith didn't need to sleep. Otherwise the act of removing the device from his grasp would have been far easier than it would be currently. For now she would accept the room, the clothing, the refresher. She would rest, or read, or consider her next course of action, all the while considering what his gestures were hinting towards. He was either luring her into some false sense of security, or all that lightning had messed with his head. She concluded that the former was the more likely scenario.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

"Good." Complaining at this point very likely would have earned her a smack in the face.

He could only control himself so much after all.

The Sith shifted for a moment, looking about the room as if inspecting it for anything that she could use to kill him. It was a silly thing considering the fact that he had allowed her the lightsabers on her hip, but still. He frowned for half a second, then let his gaze fall back to her. His eyes flicked down her body for a moment, then towards her Lekku. He was still trying to read them, as if their short time together would allow him some small insight into the way she thought about things.

Eventually he turned to go, a few steps towards the door before he turned. "I'll send for the massage when I leave."

It was impossible to tell whether or not Vrak was joking, Sith weren't exactly known for their sense of humor. Before she could ask however Vrak stepped outside into the hall, his hand waving so that the door to the state room slammed shut behind him.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

A shake of her head and a sigh was her only reaction after Vrak had left the room. Both hands raised, trailing softly along each lek before pulling herself free of the clothing that clung to her form, if it could be considered as such still. There was no salvaging them, wasn't worth the effort of re-tailoring. Stepping in front of a tall mirror the female observed herself, shifting her body from side to side, the scars of battles, beatings, and everything in between still lingering on. Gentle fingertips rolled over several of them, each one returning a memory of its' own to her.

Before long she found herself in and out of the refresher, slipping into the clothing provided and finding that it fit to her desire. Crawling into the bed she tucked her legs beneath the blankets and plucked the book she had borrowed from Vrak off the nightstand. The whole massage thing was strange to her. Why he was so insistent on it she wasn't sure.

Everything about this was unsettling.

Her fingers spread the pages apart, returning back to the exact spot she left off, suppressing the thoughts for the time being.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

Vrak of course occupied himself with the same thing he had done at the warehouse; meditation.

The trip would take a little longer than twenty six hours, and he intended on spending most of that time in the small meditation chamber that could be found on board each Hssiss-Class Shuttle. Though he didn't need sleep, he did need to restore himself. The Darkside of the force allowed him to do that quite well, a simple few hours of concentration giving him the same amount of rest as sleep would while also having other beneficial effects.

A few times Eric or one of the other Servants interrupted him, asking a quesiton or informing him of some bit of news about Athiss.

If Sera went looking for Vrak, she would find him within the small chamber, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. The small object that he had received earlier was still tucked away in his robes, hidden away from sight. His lightsaber sat in his lap, as though he were expecting some sort of attack.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Four hours of sleep was about all she could muster. She was still incredibly tired, but also restless. She found herself rolling back and forth several times despite the comfort the bed afforded her. No matter how many times she shuttered her eyes after that initial rest, no matter how close she came to unconsciousness, her eyes snapped back open before she finally connected with the dream world.

Ugh.

Throwing the blankets off of herself she rubbed her eyes, fingers meeting at the bridge of her nose as she climbed out of the bed. Before she had fallen asleep she had finished the book. Interesting as it were, she wasn't inclined to re-read it so soon. Thus, she required other means of entertainment until their arrival on Muunilist.

The woman bent over to pick up her weapons, though decided instead to leave them. She was confident that Vrak wouldn't attempt to kill her while on board his ship. At least, not right now. Neither was she so inclined to start another brawl so soon after the last. It wasn't the right time, and her body was not in the right state. Instead she opened the doorway to her room, stepping out into the corridor.

Sera wandered for a bit, taking in the sights as servants moseyed about, none making eye contact with her for very long. Finding Vrak where he sat, the woman simple stood in the archway between the room and corridor, observing him. Meditation was something she did quite frequently when she was alone, with things on her mind that needed answers. He would undoubtedly feel her presence lingering, though she said nothing and made no attempt to approach or break his concentration. She simply watched him.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

He felt her presence, though for a few minutes he said nothing. Meditation had been good to him. He felt reinvigorated. Muscles still ached a bit, but he would be able to fight well enough if it came to that. He doubted that the banker would put up much resistance when the time came, but it helped to be prepared at the very least. His lips thinned for a moment, and then finally he opened his eyes. His gaze immediately fell on the girl before him.

"I must admit." Vrak said simply. "I am quite the specimen."

A small smile of amusement crossed his lips.

"I couldn't help but stare either." Ego was just about the only thing you could predict with a hundred percent accuracy rate when it came to Sith. It didn't matter if they were Pureblood, Human, or even Twi'lek, all Sith had egos. It was their nature.

They needed to think themselves the strongest, smartest, all around best. Vrak was no exception.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"That you are."

She answered simply, hands dropping from the frame of the archway as she stepped inside, gingerly walking towards the crimson skinned man.

Perhaps her agreement was not for the same reasons he believed, though. But he didn't need to know that. Padding his ego seemed worth the small effort in the long run. She had already torn it down once. She could do it again if he made another attempt to treat her poorly. As far as she was concerned, for the moment things were square. Should he upset her though, she would remind him that he was still beneath her.

Kneeling down a few feet in front of him she placed her hands in her lap. "I need something to do." Simple request. "I've finished the book. My mind needs to be occupied." Her telekinetic gift hadn't come without a price. She needed to constantly stimulate herself, lest she get restless, migraines, or fidgety.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

He perked an eyebrow. "I see. So you come to me for entertainment."

Admittedly the ship didn't actually have all that much to do. There were a few holo-net terminals scattered about, but most of them were shut off due to the fact that the ship wasn't really in stealth mode if they were actively reaching out to catch a signal. There was no library, not even a gym aboard. Usually it wasn't an issue, not for Vrak anyway. He generally spent the time in meditation, that or simply planning at whatever his next move would be.

"Have you tried meditation?" He asked her with no sarcasm in his tone. "I would help with those bruises."

He gestured with one hand towards her neck and thigh.

The words were not a taunt, just an observation. "I'm afraid there's little to do aboard while we're attempting to remain hidden."

An unfortunate fact for her it seemed.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"It's your ship. Where else would I go?"

If this was the LUX she would have a great number of ways to keep herself entertained. Anti-Grav chamber, theater, pool, hot tub. Plenty of amenities. Here? There was a big empty room with a Sith sitting in it dwelling on his thoughts and brooding in the dark side so that he could hopefully strengthen himself enough to end her life if she chose to fight back.

Even at half her strength she could break him like a twig. Though she stayed her tongue on that comment.

"I prefer to let them heal on their own. Reminders of my mistakes." Though the predicament was one she was a bit discouraged to hear. There was quite literally nothing to do but sit and wait. "I see." Well, if there was nothing she could do on her own aboard the ship, he would have to entertain her questions then.

At first she started with simple coy questions that would obviously yield no serious answer from Vrak.

"So how long after this is over will you wait before pressing that button? Immediately? A few minutes? Until the next time I bruise your ego or pride?"

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

He quickly learned that she wasn't going to be leaving him along any time soon. The Pureblood let out a long breath, eyes closing for half a second as he once again simply considered pressing the button and ending this all in one quick swoop.

Again he decided to hold off.

"I will remain true to my word." Vrak said simply. The spikes of rage he had felt towards her had subsided, the momentary lapse in judgement gone. He still planned for punish her for the transgressions, but he no longer wanted her dead, at least not if it could be helped. Vrak saw opportunity within the Twi'lek, one that he hope he could twist for his own favor. Of course she didn't need to know that. Not yet at least. "I suspect."

He began as he glanced towards the bruises at her throat then to where he knew scars lay across her body. "You will be used to a different class of Sith."

A shrug rolled over his shoulders.

"Do as I ask." Again the kindness, using the word ask, instead of say. "And I will remove the device from you."

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"You'll have to understand that I have difficulty in believing a Sith claiming to remain true to their word."

The sheer number of markings and scars from years past of various forms of torture, abuse, and punishment would likely be a testament to promises made and withdrawn. She had been broken. Reduced to nothing. It had taken quite some time to rebuild the bit of herself that she had reclaimed, though there was so much more beyond her grasp that she wished to retrieve. It was why she had opted for these jobs. To reclaim herself.

"Perhaps you are different. Perhaps not. We will see."

Most Sith claimed to be different in some shape or form from their brothers and sisters. In the end most all of them were near identical in behavior, belief, and arrogance. Their own weaknesses obscured by blinders they placed on themselves.

"I will do as you ask." There was a caveat to follow. "For now. So long as I walk beside you, not behind you."

In other words she was not his slave or servant. An equal. A partner.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

"Don't mistake me." He told her simply. "I am not kind. I would slit your throat, even torture you if I thought it would get me somewhere, but I learned long ago that one needs to be pragmatic, even when it comes to cruelty."

There were times of course when his emotions got the better of him, but that couldn't be helped. A servant wasn't worth the control that he was showing Sera, mostly because they held no regard against him and thus...he was free to do as he wished. A small smile touched his lips as she made her place known, the demand of equality. It was amusing in it's own way, but The Pureblood simply inclined his head in response. For now he would play that game with her.

Eventually however, she would learn things were not so equal.

"I am afraid however." He began. "That on Muunilist you will at least have to act the part of dutiful servant."

He would clear that away right now. "Anything less and it may arouse suspicion."

That was a simple fact. If this was going to work Seraphina would have to pose as nothing but a simple assistant. He doubted that the man they were about to meet had ever seen her, much less heard of her, but whatever organization was holding Sera's leash would most likely be on the look out, thus avoiding anything...unseemly would be best.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"You would try." She reminded him. "But do I need to remind you that I would ensure your fate was entwined with mine before my last breath?"

She wiggled her fingers as if she were about to electrocute him, a small grin on her face. "Don't mistake my cooperation for complacency." She was aware he likely still thought of her as less than himself. Most people believed they were better than the rest. That was just a fact of life. However he had gotten lucky during their first interaction. Without that device in her back this last time, he would have knelt to her.

"You will have your servant on Muunilist. Don't worry yourself."

She was an assassin after all. She knew when to she was needed to play specific roles. That didn't mean she would be okay with him taking advantage of said role to exercise some type of disguised vendetta against her. There were limits. It would be best if he didn't push them.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

Vrak offered her a small nod. As long as she kept to her role, things would go well. The Banker was set to meet them first outside the building, and then they would move to a conference room somewhere inside. It was a standard procedure, and odd thing that Muun's liked to do to assess their clients. Of course the man had likely already checked Vrak's funds, and by now the man would hopefully be overcome with his species typical bout of greed that would have him wander into the trap.

If not? Well Vrak and Sera would have to force the issue. "Oh I'm not worried. I believe you're more than capable."

Vrak didn't choose to elaborate on the statement. Instead he posed a question of his own. She had mentioned it in passing during their initial 'chat'. When he had first asked her about her employers. Vrak remembered it quite well, the look of discomfort on her face when she'd said it.

"You said they would 'fix' you." Vrak stated plainly, not yet coming to his question.

He watched her carefully, looking for any sort of reaction.

"What did you mean?" Perhaps he should not have asked, but it was another way to read her to get ahead in the game. 'How are you broken?"

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

That was an odd question that she hadn't found the answer to herself.

"I suppose that is part of the reason I opted to take this role without so much as a question." She didn't take the job because she simply enjoyed murdering people here and there for kicks. She didn't do it for credits, she had enough of those for sure. And she didn't do it because she was a slave and bred for killing to ensure her own life was not forfeit. "I don't know."

Her tone showed no hint towards a lie, or withholding something. "I just know in my gut something is wrong with me. I've felt it for some time, that something is just off. It's not something anyone else would know. I had never shared that with anyone else. So for whoever this person or group was that sent me that comm to know about what I felt, and to validate it as real, they have my attention. I will do what I have to in order to figure out what that information is."

As she spoke the head tails that hung behind her shifted slightly, her hands ran along the length of them, pulling them over the front of her shoulders.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

"I see." How interesting.

So she knew that something was wrong with her but had absolutely no idea what that was. The idea amused him for some reason. He himself knew that there was nothing wrong with her physically at least. They had taken scans when they'd implanted the device. All of them had shown that she was in perfect health. Aside from all the scars and bruises on her she was perfectly normal in that regard, and that meant it was something to deal with the mind.

Perhaps the force.

He watched her Lekku slowly twitch as she touched them, almost petting him in a soothing motion. He frowned for half a moment in consideration, eyes following the slight curl of one of her Lekku before his eyes slowly drew back to her own. "So you are broken."

The words were not an accusation.

"You do not know how." He reiterated her own words. "Just that you are."

The entire ordeal sounded rather...depressing. "You think these people have a solution for you?"

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

This was her one weakness. At least in terms of leverage, that someone could hold over her. There was nothing else. No family. No friends. Nothing. She was devoid of all attachments and connections otherwise. But this, it was the only hitch. She was desperately after answers, the key to find whatever it was locked away inside of her that she simply could not identify.

But someone else had.

"Yes." That had been a confirmation to both his statement and his question.

"I don't know anything about this person, or people. I don't know what their goals are. I don't know where they are. I don't know what they are. But they know something incredibly personal about me. Something I don't know anymore. But I intend to find out. Whether I have to kill six or six hundred more to appease them. I will do it."

He would be able to see the moment of true pain behind her eyes before she quickly stifled it.

"They are the only chance I have."

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

He kept his amusement hidden. There was something incredibly sad, perhaps even pitiful about her in that moment. He saw the pain that she bore, the hurt, perhaps even a slight hint of betrayal. It was her own mind playing traitor against her, refusing to give her what she wanted. The idea of that...Vrak found it incredibly amusing.

"Broken things." He began finally.

This was it. This was had he had been waiting for. She had shown herself, for just a few seconds she had dropped the sight of the strong assassin, the powerful woman that would kill him for any misstep. She had let him see the real her. For just a few seconds he saw the scared little Twi'lek, the piece of her that was missing. If he'd cared Vrak would have found it endearing, perhaps a younger version of himself would even have felt pity, but he was so far beyond that now.

Now he only saw opportunity. "Are often the most beautiful."

A Sith philosophy, not just an empty sentiment.

Back on Athiss there was a practice, an art really. Many would think that Sith were nothing but brutes and rage monsters, but like everyone else the Sith had art. The practice was a simple one, when something shattered, a plate or an urn, one did not simply toss it away, instead if was repaired with thin lines of Aurodium glue. The object was then used as normal, lines of Aurodium rushing throughout it to create a new type of beauty.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Her lekku responded to his comment before her lips. The instant he spoke the words each lek shifted, pulling back behind her shoulders. The moment of openness faded quickly, her back straightening. Something about the way he spoke, or the word choice forced away the feelings. Her facial expression returned to one of calm and calculated inner thoughts.

"I. Will break beautiful things." She assured him. "To see this through."

Absolutely nothing would stop her from uncovering whatever truth it was she was after. Not Jedi, not Coresec, not the Alliance, and not Vrak.

"Whatever this piece of myself is that I am missing. I will find it. And then I will be free of this business."

What else she would do though she hadn't the slightest idea. This was all she had known for years now. It would almost be strange not knowing how to move ahead. She would find a way though. Whatever path it was, she was sure she would find it.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]