Private Unlikely Allies?

[Gnox the Insatiable]

"My lord, we're under fire. What should we do? They can't get their hands on this."

Panic. Worry. Gnox grumbled in his chair as his blood red gaze fell to the man speaking. An imperial through and through. At last the imperial training kept him from quivering in fear before the Sith Lord, as so many did. The monstrous being closed his eyes as another blast ripped into the side of his ship. Being destroyed in space would be problematic for him. "What worlds are close by."

"A nameless moon, sir. Desert world by the scans. There are no reinforcements there."

"I wasn't asking for reinforcements." He stood to his full height, mostly. He did have to hunch a bit so he didn't hit his head off the ceiling. "I give your men the chance to leave now. Return to Sith space and bring back another ship to pick me up." The shuttle they were in had an escape pod. While technically he could send the artifact in question out with the escape pod, he knew whomever was tracking this had a way to know where the item was. Otherwise, how would they have found them so quickly? The officer didn't need to be told twice. He saluted and immediately went to grab the two pilots and get to the escape pod.

"We will return as quickly as we can, my lord."

Gnox grunted his acknowledgement. Once the pod was away he took over the controls, and sent the shuttle right for the planet. He wasn't much of a pilot, as was evident by the fact his course would send him slamming into the planet. But that worked fine. Heat started to rip apart the ship as the monstrous being watched the ground approach. All he could do now was wait. The Sith closed his eyes as the sound of the crash echoed out and pain ripped through his body.

The mangled remains of his body dragged itself from the still burning wreckage. Black blood smeared across the sand as he made his way farther and farther from the crash. Slowly his body would knit itself together. Reform and remake what was destroyed, but it left him slow. Left him weak. When the worst of the injuries were finally healed enough that he could sit up he did so and stared down at the black holocron in his still reforming palm.

"All this for secrets.. A shame, truly."

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

The Wrangler Freighter's guns lit up yet again as Shai strafed the ship. She had already targeted their hyperdrive and weapons. Now it was just a matter of taking out the engines to make sure it couldn't do something stupid as she tore it apart. Even with her ship's more sluggish maneuvering, she still managed to cripple them. Their pilots were either fresh out of the academy or simply just weren't that good. Regardless, she fired away with a smile. "Oh man, we're gonna be having one hell of a paycheck after this hunt, Baby." she quipped as she glanced at her droid who was standing next to her, helping out with the systems. Things quickly changed, however, when she noticed an escape pod flying away from the shuttle. She was about to shoot it down when she saw the ship trying to limp... at the moon? "Oh no, you're not getting away." she grumbled... but that escape pod was still a big concern. If she was caught while still on the planet with the salvage, there would be no escape for her.

"Baby, take the ship and hunt down that pod. I'll handle this mess until you get back." she ordered as she jumped out of her seat and ran for the airlock. With her helmet slipped on and her weapons ready, she jettisoned herself and used her jetpack to catch up to the limping ship. She found a hole and crawled into the hull to get to the cockpit, but she was tossed around before she could as the ship was torn apart in the atmosphere.

She waited it out until they were safely inside then bailed, knowing that there was no way to stop this meteor now. Jumping out of the tattered vessel she glided through the air and watched with a heavy sigh as the ship crashed into the ground. "If those weapons are ruined, I'm gonna be pissed." she grumbled to herself as she activated her jetpack and flew over towards the wreckage.

She touched down with a light grunt and drew her particle pistol, carefully walking around the destroyed ship in search of either the shipment or survivors. She didn't find the weapons but she did find one being that managed to somehow survive the crash. He was huge, clearly towering over her if he stood up... but what really caught her attention was the state he was in. He was likely a Shistavanen, but the damage on his body made her think that he shouldn't have survived. But a few moments later she got her answer as she watched him heal himself. There was something fishy about the guy. She looked at her blaster then back to him from her hidden position then took aim at the hand that held something odd. With the careful pull of a trigger she tried to literally disarm him before approaching, still keeping her weapon trained on him. "I don't know what you are, dude, but you're not supposed to be alive after a crash like this." she spoke up as she kept her distance, her crosshairs aimed right at his massive head.

"What the kriff are you... and where are those Disruptors?" she asked him coldly, her hand steady and her eyes open for any sudden movements. If her suspicions were correct, then this guy wasn't going to be a simple pushover...

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

The sudden rush of pain through the remains of his arm as the rest was blasted off earned quite the loud, cackling laugh. Slowly a new arm would form, though the rest of his wounds seemed to pause their own healing. Gnox turned his head, his red eyes focusing directly upon Shai Maji 's own. Even behind her helmet he seemed to be able to sense her. The twisted maw curled into a grin as he slowly stood up, uncaring of the weapon trained on him. She could shoot him if she wanted.

But he wouldn't die.

"I am a result of blood magic that warps our kind." The small red eyes never wavered in their glare. "There were no disruptors. That was a cover in a hopes to avoid.. This." He waved his arm towards the wreckage. "So what will you do now that you know? I'd like not to devour any more of my kind now that I'm free."

 

[Shai Maji]

The longer she stood around the guy, the more disturbing it got. First he laughed when his hand was shot off... then it grew back. She could even see it in his eyes as he rose to his full height that he wasn't bothered in the least bit by the fact that he had a weapon trained on him. She wouldn't be either if she could grow her limbs back like that. A power she couldn't help but be jealous about. When he spoke, she let out an annoyed groan and let her shoulders sag for a moment.

"Okay man, I get it. You had a crappy childhood. But are you serious right now? I flew all this way... wasted all that fuel and my time just to shoot down a shuttle for no reason at all?" she ranted, lowering her gun as she ran a hand over the back of her neck. "And you can forget it. I'm not telling you anything. And I'm definitely not a karking snack so don't get any ideas... interpret that however you want." she commented with annoyance. She only had to hold out until Baby came back with her ship then she could leave this kriffer to rot on this rock. Killing his Sithy ass would be easier to work with but sadly she doubted that she'd be able to kill him or even keep him down for long. Only crucial thing now was to make sure that he didn't try to kill her. If he was serious about eating people then that was the last thing she wanted to go through.

"Well then buttercup, nice meetin' ya. You can stay there and I'll be here. Seeing as you karking wasted my time, I'm gonna see what I can get to ma..." she trailed off as she noticed the little black pyramid on the ground next to his severed hand. She pointed at it with the gun as she focused on him. "What's that thing?" she asked sternly as the gun was trained on him once more. "Back off. If that thing's worth something then it's coming with me." she ordered the mutated monstrosity of a Shistavanen. She doubted he'd listen though so her right vambrace was raised at him in case he tried anything. "You don't listen to me, I'll turn you into a barbeque mutt, got it?" she continued as she slowly approached the little device.

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

There was another cackling chuckle at her words. Did he remember his childhood at this point? An interesting question, but one to think about when there wasn't a gun pointed at his head. It'd still hurt quite a bit. None the less he didn't move as she ordered, taking the time to let his body fully heal. The less he moved, the faster the process would be. He barely turned his head to glance to the black pyramid. His hand had already started to dissipate into smoke, leaving just the item in question there.

"That's a Sith Holocron on blood magic. I don't think the one who used it knew that's what it was when they recorded their lessons. I'm sure to the right Sith it'd be worth quite a lot." There was another hollow chuckle at the mutt comment. Shai Maji was either confident to a fault, or strong enough to earn the right for it.

"My name is Gnox. That, or mutt will work, which ever suits you. What may I call you?"

 

[Shai Maji]

It came as no surprise when he didn't move like she ordered. It only creeped her out more when his hand disappeared and he kept healing what should have been fatal wounds. So she pressed on, inching closer and quickly snatching it up before taking several steps back to make room between them.

The dude introduced himself as if they were having a casual chat while Shai was trying her hardest not to get caught off guard by him. But at the same time, if he wanted to kill her she was sure he would have already. There was something up in that dome of his. He then asked for her name and for several long moments she didn't answer him. "Call me 'Twig' if you want." she finally stated flatly. She raised the holocron and gave it a quick glance. It was an odd thing... and in all honesty it felt wrong somehow. She didn't fully understand the Force and all that jazz but this thing was something bad. "Blood magic, huh? Is that what you got hit with? Or were you just born falling down the ugly tree?" she quipped as she walked over to a part of the ship. He was right. There were no weapons. In fact, the entire ship looked empty as hell. This was the only thing of actual value she could see and she wasn't exactly keen on doing business with the Sith for it. "If the Sith want it, then I'm sure the Jedi want it too for something. I'd rather do business with them than you kriffers." she commented as she walked towards a piece of debris and sat down.

She looked at the sun that was quickly lowering and then back to him. "Won't be too long, hopefully. My ship will come pick me up after it's taken care of that pod of yours. You can stay here for a little while longer, I doubt anyone will miss you." she stated with a smug grin behind her helmet. In all honesty it went both ways. If her ship got shot down then the same could happen to her. And she doubted that there were that many people who would actually miss her or even notice her disappearance. She kept that to herself, though. She didn't want the freak to be able to sense her thoughts or whatever it was they did.

After simply sitting there for a bit, she got up again and carefully made her way into what was left of the ship's kitchen. She didn't let him out of her sight and her pistol was ever ready in case he made a move on her. She checked the remains of the cupboards and managed to find some ration packs. Only question now was if she really wanted him to see her face. She didn't have a problem with showing her face... but this guy was messed up. Her growling stomach helped to make up her mind, however, and she made her way back to her seat with a pack, setting it down before removing her helmet. Her glowing crimson eyes studied him for a moment as she sat with a frown. "You can keep going on that we're the same species, but we're nothing alike. I don't know how the kriff you can say that we're the same." she commented, fishing out a ration bar from a wrapper and taking a bite.

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

"Twig. Alright." Gnox went eerily still after this. He was still breathing, but he was only listening to what she was saying. Focused instead on his body knitting itself back together. So that's why he hadn't seen her ship yet. She didn't bring it. Once the worst of the wounds were finally healed he rolled his shoulders and slowly stood back up. Shai Maji wanted to bring the holocron to the Jedi? That wouldn't work for him at all. Though, there was something there. Jealousy?

Interesting.

His form warped further as he stood, black wisps leaking from his fur and skin until he reverted. He was still tall, if a couple feet shorter, of heavily scarred black fur. He was indeed a Shistavanen, and now that was far more clear as his beady red eyes turned to a deep brown. "We are of the same species, though you're much shorter these days. I think your evolution lost your height." Then he moved. In the blink of an eye he had charged forward to get beside her, likely to attack or even just take the holocron. But something else caught his attention. Without explanation he'd try to shove her down just as a razor sharp tail erupted from a nearby patch of sand where the ship had broken apart. It ripped through his chest, which earned an annoyed growl from the monster.

"There are more. Keep your eyes open." As he spoke a crude looking three headed mace formed in his palm from mid air. With a swing he slammed the three prongs where the tail was. The screech of the creature within signified it's death before he wrenched the barbed tail free of his chest.

 

[Shai Maji]

Things suddenly kicked into high gear when Gnox was in front of her in the blink of an eye. Before she could even raise her gun she was knocked to the ground and a spiked tail impaled him... not that it seemed to bother him much. She wasted no time in getting back on her feet and readying her pistol as he spoke, immediately looking around for any other creatures. She hit a button on her vambrace and her thermal vision came to life, showing her a figure underneath the sand not too far from them. A few bolts were fired and the creature burst out of the sand as it gave its final convulsions, releasing a horrid screech.

She frantically glanced around but was too slow to dodge when a stinger hit her in the chest, knocking her to the ground. Her armour thankfully stopped the sharp edge from getting through but the creature was on top of her before she could recover. Her mechanical arm was shoved into its jaws to keep it from clamping down around her neck. With a snarl she shoved her pistol against its head and let loose a few bolts, dropping it on top of her. With a grunt she shoved it off and took another look around. She was running on nothing but instincts and training at this point, looking for targets and firing as she jetpacked over to the ship for cover. At least then she'd know where they were coming from.

"Get to the ship!" she called out over the carnage as she knelt down and tossed the spent power cell out and slotted a fresh one in. A thought crossed her mind that she couldn't help but entertain. Why did he help her? Or even... why was she trying to get him to safety. She shoved the thoughts aside when she saw the sand moving and another of the beasts jumped on her before she could shoot it. Much like with the first one, she used her cybernetic arm and armour to prevent it from getting to her neck but she tensed up when its spike rose and came down into her arm. Sparks flew and the creature jumped back in surprise, giving her a chance to finish it off. Glancing at her arm, it was utterly mangled and inoperable. The sight caused her heart to race, her eyes to grow wide and her to start hyperventilating. She scooted back into a corner as she tucked her broken arm into her lap and raise her pistol. Her gun hand shook as fear rolled off her. Suddenly she was back on Mandalore, staring at her arm on the ground. With a shake of her head she was back in the present day but the sensation was back again. A searing pain lingered in her mechanical arm as if it was her old arm.

She yanked her helmet off and wiped at her eyes, taking deep breaths as she tried to fight back the pain that wasn't supposed to be there to begin with...

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

He could only watch as another of the creatures brought Shai Maji down. Perhaps by choice, but the reality was his body was still mending itself from the earlier crash. And now the wretched hole in his chest. His eyes narrowed, half expecting the woman to be dead after getting caught like that. But her armor saved her. Gnox would of laughed, if he could. In his time armor was just something to weigh someone down, not truly defend them against his unending hunger.

Perhaps these days there was something useful with it.

Another of the creatures leapt up from the sand, fangs and claws ready to rip into the bestial figure. Gnox growled under his breath and swung his weapon. Chains wrapped around the predator, spiked ends tearing into it and flooding it with a trio of poisons that would surely kill it if the crunch of it's shell breaking didn't. Brown eyes fell upon Twig as she pulled off her helmet and was.. Crying?

Something snapped inside him. A memory that should of been forgotten surfaced. Rage, not hunger, sent him into a fury. Tooth, claw, and steel ripped through the creatures as they emerged. The monstrous form returned as he started to devour all in sight, not letting a single one of them get close to the Shistavanen bounty hunter. The more he ate, both him and his mace, the faster the wounds he received healed. The fight ended up vastly one sided, until the sun started to set.

Then more. Countless more. They emerged where the land was sunless in the distance, unnoticed by the raging figure as he dealt with the foolish ones who were emerging early.

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai sat in the corner of the wreck, legs tucked in and her gun hand shifting at any target she say. The pain was excruciating and pained whimpers escaped her as she kept what was left of her arm tucked against het. She couldn't focus. She knew they were being attacked but there was nothing she could do as her mind bombarded her with sensations that she wasn't supposed to feel again. Though through the tears she could see Gnox fighting like hell to keep the cratures at bay.

Her mind finally eased up a bit and the pain subsided, allowing her to try and help. Looking at her arm, she noticed that the vambrace was still in one piece. She got to work on swapping them out and as the sun disappeared, she was ready.

She got up and with a primal scream the flamethrower came to life. She caught a number of the creatures in the arc but also managed to set fire to the coolant and other fluids that pooled around where they were. The fire engulfed several more and created a massive wall of flames that kept the remaining horde at bay, allowing them to catch a break. When all three of her shots were done she drew her pistol and fired at a few more of them, but then the pistol was trained on Gnox. She stumbled back into her corner and slumped down as her hand shook violently. "Stay there! Stay where you are!" she shouted, tears still in her eyes.

Her eyes were filled with confusion and fear. The fire brought back recent memories and caused her to drop her pistol as she wrapped her hand over her eyes. "Where's that karking droid?" she whimpered, her mind a wreck of emotions that the Sith would likely be able to sense easily.

Opening her eyes again, she stared at the creatures behind the flames, hungrily eyeing the two of them. Her eyes were locked onto them as her body shook with the whirlwind of emotions hammering at her.

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

The fire was a welcome relief to the endless battle. Gnox paused once the ring of flame erupted around them, his body coated in the gore of these creatures. But he did not tire. No, the feast was still giving him power, giving him strength. It was Shai Maji 's voice that caught his attention from his glaring at the creatures just past the flame. Stay put? His large head turned to face her, red eyes narrowing. She was so full of fear. So ripe and ready to be devoured.

But he felt no hunger for her. Too many long buried memories surfaced the longer he watched, so his gaze turned from her. "The fire won't burn forever. Calm yourself and call your droid. You must leave before the flames die down." The words filled him with confusion, but he spoke them none the less. Bah, it was better to be the mindless and raging beast then dwell on these thoughts. It was easy to kill. But her emotions were a beacon, constantly stealing his attention until he could ignore it no longer.

The mace and his war form faded as he stepped over to the now weaponless Mandalorian. He crouched close by her, lifting the helmet and her gun for her to take. "You are Mandalorian, yes? Stick to the Resol'nare. Take up your armor and fight until your last breath."

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai sat shaking in the corner with her eyes locked onto the creatures. They were constantly moving, looking for a place to get through, scurrying around for a gap in the wall. One tried to jump through but landed right in the pool of flammable fluids, only adding to the flames. Her wide eyes finally snapped out of their trance when she saw Gnox crouched beside her, holding out her helmet and gun for her to take. Her eyes shifted up towards his as she registered what he said. Her muzzle opened to say something but no words left her lips.

She finally reached out and took hold of her helmet. She stared at the T-visor for a moment then slipped it on to conceal her broken look. She then reached out and took her pistol back before her eyes fell to her ruined arm. It was completely ruined with seemingly no way to fix it. "Why help me?" she asked coldly. "Why be nice to me, why save me, why any of that?" she continued, her gaze shifting up to meet his. "You're sith. You're a monster. You caused the death of my clan, you turned by best friend against me, you manipulated me into killing the crew I rolled with. Why are you doing this?" she spoke as she rose to her feet. Her T-visor hid her face but the anger and grief was ever present.

A screech caught her attention. The flames were getting lower. The fluids were burning out. She gave him one last glance and raised her vambrace to her mouth. "Baby? Baby do you copy?" she spoke into her commlink, but there was only static in return. She lowered her arm and released a deep sigh. She doubted that the little droid would be able to get back before the fire was done.

A hollow chuckle escaped her as she lightly shook her hesd. "Dying fighting karking sand bugs with a Sith. What a way to go." she muttered as she raised her pistol. The creatures were getting anxious. They knew it was almost time. With another sigh a sense of peace came over her. "At least I'll see my kiddies again." she whispered as she watched them.

"Alright. Ma raised a queen, not a chicken. Let's get this over with." she spoke as she holstered her gun and reached into a pouch, producing a few thermal detonators. "One for you, one for me... and one for whoever is alive last to finish the job." she explained as she handed him both. And kept one for herself.

But before she could throw hers, a series of beeps sounded off over her commlink. Barely a few seconds later cannonfire tore apart a number of the creatures and her freighter hovered above the wreckage. A bright grin formed on har lips as she tossed her detonator into the swarm for good measure and blasted up onto the ramp with her jetpack. But before she closed up, she turned to look down at him. "Come on! Jump!"

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

Gnox listened in silence as she spoke, unwilling to answer her questions. So that was the source of her hate. All she cared about, destroyed by the Sith. But his gaze narrowed after a moment. He leaned closer, his voice low and his brown eyes flashing with red. "I am a Sith, and I am a monster. But do not dare blame me for things I did not do. I've committed many atrocities, but you are foolish to lash out at one who has not harmed you." He stood once more, his gaze turning to the dying flames. A low grumble escaped his throat. If the ship didn't come soon, she would be devoured. And he could do nothing to keep her safe here. Not without some sort of cover.

His gaze returned to Shai Maji as he was handed the detonators. Such crude devices. His frown only grew as he listened to her words. Did she truly think these beasts were capable of killing him and that he would rather end his life in a bang than be eaten? She was the only one in true danger here. "De gar alorir, Mando." Perhaps it would be more soothing for her to die beside one who knew the Resol'nare, even if he only knew it from the souls of Mandalorians he had devoured in the past.

Then, turbo lasers. Relief, much to his own surprise, washed over him as he looked up to see her ship. So she would be spared this painful end. He chuckled darkly as he watched her leave, expecting to be left behind to the waiting maws. That suited him just fine. After all, these beasts would make a fitting feast to properly recover after the crash.

His ears twitched as her voice called down to him over the sounds of the roaring creatures starting to swarm. He didn't hesitate, instead dropping the grenades and taking a great leap upwards to land on the ramp. Genuine confusion settled in his gaze as he watched her expressionless visor, but he said nothing on the subject.

"We should leave."

 

[Shai Maji]

With a great leap the Sith landed next to her on the ramp. She could see the confusion in his eyes as he stared down at her. She turned to make her way towards her cockpit but stopped to glance at him over her shoulder. "Now we're even." she quipped as she hit the switch to close up the ship. A few moments later she was in the cockpit, giving Baby a pat on tbe head as she sat in the pilot's seat. "You did good, buddy. Did you take care of the pod?" an affirmative beep erupted from the little astromech droid. "Good job." she muttered as she steered the ship away and out of orbit. She punched in the coordinates for Nal Hutta and soon they were in hyperspace.

She pulled off her helmet and sighed as she walked back to the cargo hold where she left Gnox. "Crew compartment is up the lift. Though I don't think you'll fit up there." she explained with exhaustion in her voice. She got on the small lift and got onto the second level of the freighter. She made her way to the main bedroom and closed the door. After several minutes she emerged wearing a tank top and shorts. Her right arm was missing with only a mechanical socket where her shoulder was supposed to be.

She returned to Gnox a d stared at him for several long moments. It was painfully awkward for her to be standing across a sith... though there was something that bothered her about what he said. "So..." she started, clesring her throat. "You... you said I shouldn't blame you for something you didn't do. A few months ago, just after the fight on Mandalore, Death Watch launched an attack on a remote planet in the unknown regions. My clan was on it. Almost the entire clan was wiped out, including people I cared a great deal about. You weren't involved in that at all?" she asked him softly, staring at the ground by his massive feet. If he was indeed telling the truth... she didn't exactly want to admit that she was wrong to a Sith.

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

Ah, that was her play. To avoid being in debt to a Sith. He chuckled lightly as he watched her head over. Inside the ship, well. There wasn't much room for him at all. Even in his smaller form he likely wouldn't be able to fit in the crew compartment, just as Shai Maji said. The main room he was in would have to do fine, even if it was just a cargo hold. As she wandered off he dismissed his weapon and found a spot to sit and let his body truly mend itself after the battle below.

When she returned, even more confusion filled his gaze. So much so his eyes narrowed in trying to figure this woman out. From the memories he did have, going without armor among strangers and enemies was unheard of. Or against some sort of code. He wasn't entirely sure as the souls started to contradict one another in the back of his mind. "Do not mistake me. I have wiped out whole family lines and clans. But I have not been to these Unknown Regions, much less with this.. Death Watch. I care little for traitors." The opinion was formed after several conversations with the beings who resided as part of his soul, but it was one he agreed with none the less.

"If I had, I would recognize you. Those I feast upon are not truly gone."

 

[Shai Maji]

The answer she got was not at all what she expected. Okay, he wasn't part of that attack so she now owed him an apology... but then he explained a bit of himself. So not only did he eat people like a cannibal, he actually absorbed their souls. A rather grim thought to get stuck on. It made her consider putting her armour back on but she knew that doing would not protect her. He had proven that he could waste her if he wanted. She was still alive because he decuded on it for some reason. "You're really making not being a queen to you hard, you know that?" she stated with annoyance in her voice as she tried to cross her arms across her chest... only to freeze up in a sad realization that her arm was missing.

Her anger faded as she looked up at him from her shoulder. Her good arm awkwardly rested against her neck. "Well... I'm sorry then... I guess. For judging you." she apologized. It was definitely forced but there was a hint of sincerity. After all, she prided herself in not being judgemental.

She glanced back to the inside of the ship then back to him. There was still the matter of the holocron... though she decided on keeping quiet about that for the time being. "I guess you can make yourself comfortable. I plotted a course for Nal Hutta to get my arm fixed. You can hitch a ride back to sith space from there. In the meantime... I dunno. I'll be in the cockpit." she turned to leave the cargo hold, but stopped as she reached the doorway to leave. "Do you... want a beer or something?" she asked with a strained voice. Sure, hospitality was a big thing... but he was Sith. And not only that, he was a lot bigger than the average dude she shared a beer with.

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

"Whether you like me or not is of no consequence. I will not lie to make you feel more comfortable." The smallest hint of honor he had in his otherwise monstrous demeanor. His hardened gaze softened at her anger at the lasting scar on her body. There for just a moment, before he forcibly shoved such emotions down as her gaze returned to him. He grunted in acknowledgement to her apology. It was unneeded, but he wouldn't say that aloud. Not after her sparing him a night of being eaten.

"A beer would be fine." Could he still get drunk? Memories from the time before the corruption showed that he did enjoy drinking. Or, perhaps, it was the numerous souls that were within him that enjoyed it. Hard to tell at times which was him and which was them. "You needn't force yourself to be kind to me. We are kin in species, but it does not mean I am entitled to your hospitality. I'd understand if you preferred I leave as soon as we arrive so you might forget this."

 

[Shai Maji]

A groan escaped her as she ran her hand over her face. "Look..." she started as she looked up to him. "I don't give a shit about species. What bothers me is the fact that you being on my ship is causing a bit of an existential crisis for me." she stated as she closed the distance between them to glare straight up into his vicious eyes. Strangely enough, there was not even a hint of fear towards him. Right now she was confused and pissed off. "I make a point of being hospitable and friendly to people on my ship, that's how my mom raised me. If they didn't wrong me in any way, then I don't got beef with people. The problem is your sithy ass being the enemy. I got beef with the Sith Empire! They indirectly took my arm, they robbed me of my clan and they used me on a job to kill my crew. On top of that, we're at war the last time I checked!" she spoke with irritation.

"Cherry on top right now is you're falling right into that category for me but so far you've done nothing wrong. You even saved my life, for kark's sake! This is literally causing a karking split in my philosophical point of kriffing view." she finally finished as she backed off and turned towards the exit. But instead she stopped and sat down on a crate with her hand ruffling up her mane. For a long moment she simply sat deep in thought with tired eyes. "You know what? Fine. I never back down from my word and you have done nothing to me to warrant me being a douche. So... welcome aboard, the name's Shai Maji." she stated with a defeated tone as she gave him a casual wave. "And unless you can shrink down to a more normal size, you're gonna have to get comfortable in here. I'll go get your drink." she grumbled as she left for the kitchen.

She returned after a few moments with a normal bottle for herself and a quart for him. "Luckily I bought super sized the other day." she quipped, handing him the bigger bottle. She sat back down on a crate and took a sip of her drink as she studied him for a moment. "Why did you help me?" she asked gently as she shifted to face him more. "Like... was there something else or... were you just being a normal person and I'm just being a dick now?" she explained as she gave a light chuckle.

Gnox the Insatiable

 

[Gnox the Insatiable]

He stayed completely silent through her rant. In a way, he'd asked for such a response, if unwittingly. The fact she had such a split given the nature of who he was and what he did was.. It confused him. That confusion showed in his gaze as he stayed in that quiet state, watching her sit. Watching her think. He had no idea what to make of any of this now. In all rights she should shunt him out into space and be done with him. It'd be the most direct way to end his life, or at least permanently immobilize him.

It didn't help the voices in the back of his mind were screaming their various truths. Most agreed, she should kill him here and now. But he shut those voices out. "A more normal size, huh?" He mulled around with the thought. Internal arguments ensued. There had to be a soul within him that could be used for this. By the time she made it back into the room he'd found it. A shapeshifter he'd devoured early in his freedom from that blasted tomb.

There was no change in how he looked, the form that he called his original at least, but he was a more.. Manageable height. Still over six foot, but at least he could fit in the room a bit better. He took the bottle casually and used a claw to flick off the cap. And downed the whole thing in one go. A frown settled as he pulled the bottle back.

No, he couldn't taste it. Or feel the affects of the alcohol within. The price of power.

"You reminded me of someone I use to know." That was the truth. But he figured Shai Maji would want more of an answer. "And, for all your hard edges, I can respect your strength." He paused, still looking at the bottle before looking back over to her. "I'm not a normal person, so I can't answer that. Just, I'd prefer it if you were alive. It's nice to chat with someone outside of my head now and then."

 

[Shai Maji]

She watched as he downed the quart in one go, rather impressed by his drinking abilities. Though he seemed a bit surprised about something. "You're gonna need a lot more than just one bottle if you're looking to get smashed, dude." she quipped as she took another ship of her own beer. He then explained why he saved her and she couldn't help but be surprised. A large grin appeared, though, when he mentioned respecting her strength. "I'm holding onto that compliment. I was training like hell for more than a year straight to get to where I am now, so I'll take that for what it's worth." she admitted with a confident chuckle as she took a large swig of her bottle.

Then the comment on the voices. She didn't exactly think that he meant actual voices, but rather the type of thing she had going on. She gave a slight nod and finished off her drink as she thought about it. "Ain't that the truth." she muttered. "Sometimes your thoughts can become a bit much." she continued before standing up. "You wanna come sit on an actual couch? I dunno how you did it but that size is definitely a lot more reasonable." she offered as she turned to leave for the mess room. Once there she got them both another beer and sat down on the kitchen counter, leaving the couch by the booth to him. "I'd offer a snack or something but you don't look like the type of guy that gets full on a few hotdogs." she joked with a weak snicker as she glanced at him. It was hard to believe they were the same species. Would she have ended up like that as well if she were a Sith? Though as disturbing as it looked... he did look intimidating as hell which had a decent degree of awesome factor with it. The thought reminded her of something...

"Earlier today you mentioned eating more of your kind or something. What did you mean by that? Do you actually eat living people?" she asked with a hint of worry in her voice. Sitting across a cannibal who could kill her with a simple thought wasn't exactly a comforting thought.

Gnox the Insatiable