To Cage a Shifter

[Jak Skirata]

The low hum of the Mandalorian light freighter as it barreled through hyperspace filled his eardrums as he watched from the opposite end of a Force Cage that kept the Mandalorian shifter and the medical droid tending to her locked away.

She was dangerous, he wondered if she could just morph into something huge fast enough to break out of the Force Cage before the energy field cooked her alive. The battle of Utapau was still fresh in both their minds. She had lost a lot of blood so it wasn't difficult to pull her into the large Force Cage. He usually used it for large beasts and big sentients like Wookies or Mandillan Giants.

For now it would serve as her cage and her med bay.

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Fenn stood in front of her, eyes dead and staring past her, skin hanging from his bones. Her baby boy, her sweet child she stumbled forward, her hand passing through him like smoke. The image was swept away in breeze that brought with it a wave of heat. Fire roared towards her and she screamed...

Pain woke her, as nightmares became reality and the scream caught in her throat, vocal chords seared. Her hands closed about a metal arm before her eyes adjusted to the brightness. She swung her gaze onto the medical droid and snarled, throwing it away from her and into the humming force cage wall. She rolled from the bed ripping drip lines from her arm and placing the bed firmly between herself and the droid.

"Please return to the bed and allow me to assist you." The droid moved round and she backed away from it, turning wildly to seek a way out and settling her gaze upon Davin. Fury replaced fear and a fist smacked against the barrier, the energy searing skin and flesh. A metal hand rested on her shoulder and she grabbed the droid, pinning him against the barrier, energy crackling at its back.

[member="Davin Skirata"]

 

[Jak Skirata]

Davin's eyes watched as the warrior tossed his droid around like some sort of practice dummy. He winced when the droid began crackling on the Force Cage.

"Please return to the bed and allow me to assist you. Please return to the bed and allow me to assist you. Please...e bed and...a-a-a-assist youuuu...." The droid stopped shaking and deactivated. There went 20,000 credits. Davin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a few steps towards the cage until he stood in front of her. She was taller than she had seemed when they were fighting only a few hours ago on Utapau. Taller than him by maybe an inch even.

{You're vocal cords are seared. I don't know how long it takes for shapeshifters to heal but...} he glanced down at the broken droid, {That probably could have helped you heal a little faster.} He was speaking in Mando'a. He patted the lightsaber hanging from his waist and grinned at her triumphantly.

"Got it back. It was actually pretty easy since you lost all that blood." He was speaking in basic now. {We're on an Outer Rim Coalition ship. I don't know where its heading. Do you know why you're still alive?}

[member="Malika Mantis"]

Spoiler

{}=Mando'a

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Malika smiled with satisfaction as the droid shuddered and died, going limp in her hands. She let it go and stepped back, eyes settling once more upon Davin. She tried to respond and winced when her vocal chords protested. Hand clamped her throat and she cast her eyes around the cage, looking for an escape. There wasn't an easy one, besides which, he was asking her a question.

She glowered at him. Hands moving to sign her response.

I imagine its because you have questions.

She looked down at the droid, nudging it with her foot.

I don't like droids.

[member="Davin Skirata"]

 

[Jak Skirata]

"Clearly."

He only sort of understood Mando'a signed. It should have been one of his better skills, but he skipped the whole military service part of his youth, opting to go play Bolo Ball on Coruscant. This conversation was going to push him and his memory to his limits. He sighed.

"Partly. But also because you spared my life once." He caught her looking for an escape route. He doubted she would find anything to get away with but, "Don't bother trying to escape. With your wounds you'd either be dead before you could make something big enough to break out from the shock or someone on this ship would put you down." Only a slight lie. He had already re-paid his debt to her, or at least was trying to. If she didn't want to take his repayment then he would have to put her down.

[member="Malika Mantis"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Malika smiled at his underestimation of her.

How kind of you to repay the favour. The cage is a little more than I asked for though.

It was difficult to transfer sarcasm in sign language, but she hoped the roll of her eyes was enough to give it away.

She seized the droids arm and yanked hard, circuits sparked as it gave way and came free. She walked the perimeter of her cage trailing the arm along it before coming back to stand in front of Davin and dropping it. She'd have to go through it but what would let her do so with minimal pain and energy?

Ask your questions, little brother.

[member="Davin Skirata"]

 

[Jak Skirata]

"Why are the Sith working so closely with the Mandalorians? I thought you all hated the Force now." In truth he wanted to know specifically why Darth Carnifex was working so closely with the Mandalorians. The name had come up more than several times during his time as an Ori'ramikad and no matter what Sith Trickery he employed the man was vain enough to continue using his Sith name. To be honest he was simply impressed with how far he had come. They hadn't crossed blades at Junction, but from Gil's file on the man he knew he was not a man that held the Mando'ade in high enough regard to befriend them without some other purpose.

Its how the Sith worked.

"And where is Ra. No true Mandalore would sit idly by and let a dar'jetii as powerful as him fight his battles for him, nor that child you had with you. From her armor I could guess Mantis or some Skirata offshoot. It saddens me that someone brings such cowardice on the noble image of the Rekr."

[member="Malika Mantis"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

We're a little Empire with a big appetite for bloodshed, having the Sith Empire at our backs gives us an added measure of security, we don't have to like what they are in order to use them to our advantage.

That was an easy question to answer, the others however, not so much...

That child, is my niece and Preliat Mantis's daughter and Ra's ward. Choose your next words wisely.

She deliberately did not answer the question about Ra.If they knew he was gone, that he was missing? It was a destabilising blow to their image. Even if it was an image she detested keeping up appearances was imperative to their survival.

[member="Davin Skirata"]

 

[Jak Skirata]

"That wasn't my question, Mantis. But now I know you are one of Preliat's family. Didn't know he had any Mando'ade family besides his brother." Another potential tangent she could twist. He grimaced. They were nearing the location he had been given by someone from the Outer Rim Coalition for him to drop the Mandalorian off.

"Where is Ra? You realize I could pull the information from you head, but that isn't as pleasant as talking with another Mando."
[member="Malika Mantis"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Ouside of his brother, myself and his daughter what remains of his family are aruetii...and i was a mando'ade long before I met his family. We don't get on, so i'm not sure if you can truly call us family.

She smiled, recalling the last conversation she'd had with her brother in law. The conversation that drove him off Manda'yaim. She shook her head.

Ra is where he needs to be. What about you, little brother? What clan did you betray?

[member="Davin Skirata"]

 

[Jak Skirata]

"He needed to be on that battlefield," he shot back, ignoring her question. He didn't feel like shouting that he was the one asking the questions, his omission of an answer would get that point across. "Unless by where he needed to be you meant in the bed of some Sith Lord on Bastion, browning his nose with Sith poodoo." He shook his head and leaned on the cage.

"The Sith can never be trusted," he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear.

[member="Malika Mantis"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Did he? Why?

She was pacing back and forth, the droid still crumpled at her feet. Malika's non answers were clearly beginning to get to him and that brought her a little pleasure.

Who did you betray?

[member="Davin Skirata"]