Walks of Life

[Faye Terrik]

Thump! Rough landing. For the last half of the decade, Faye Terrik had spent much of her time learning and memorizing the design of the undercity of Nar Shaddaa, something she had prided herself on. However, unlike most others, she learned from the nooks, crannies, and rooftops where the fastest ways to get around the cityscape while attracting the least attention. Antecedent was different though. While trivial to most people, the architecture had slight variations to how the centuries old Nar Shaddaa designs were. Roofs were lower on Nar Shaddaa, and there were less slanted roofs. This made her efforts to learn the parkour possibilities difficult.

Faye had only been working on her scouting for an hour, but it yielded nothing but misfortune for her today. If she wasn't a secular person, she'd possibly even pray that her time on the planet was more fruitful. Two relatively small falls and not even a good route or slicing point was found. Every entry point she took the time to look at had a socketguard that proved to be more effort than it was worth. Certainly she would find one, but that wasn't today. Today was done for her.

It had been about a week since she first arrived on Antecedent, but she already had her favored cantina. They didn't ID her. Even if they did, she had a forged identity card which would allow her to fool a lazy bartender. Truth be told, Faye didn't even know the name of the cantina, the sign was not in aurebesh, but in a language she couldn't even recognize.

For mid-day, the bar was as empty as ever. A few men, women, and aliens were scattered around, but it would be another three hours before any real business picked up. Faye also knew that anyone who sat at a bar at this time of day was no good for conversation so alternatively she opted for a table. An employee was fast to serve her. Water was all Faye wanted. She could feel the dryness in her mouth from being dehydrated. Typically that's what the running would do to a person. But water, water sounded good.

[member="Mordecai Zambrano"]

 

[Judas of Vahl]

Mordecai was, in no means, a stealthy individual in the slightest sense. With the muscle tone of a soldier and a similar posture along with with his aura of command, it wasn't all too uncommon for the rest of the citygoers to watch his black-robed figure with tentative gazes and light feet. His own emerald eyes held them without so much as a care in the world as he prodded their minds with invisible fingers. Gentle, subtle feelings that told them to look away and carry on with their daily lives. Delving into the business of a Zambrano was a great way to exponentially lower your life expectancy.

The raven-haired Sith Lord carried on about his own tidings, his feet moving with a purpose. On more than a single occasion, he paused to double check his rear and run an inspecting hand over his nose, easily touching his scar.

The Dragon Lord was here for a reason. In particular, someone. He had only felt her presence mere days ago yet the feeling still lingered within his mind and heart like nothing else. It wasn't love, no, he had a wife. Rather it was something else that urged every morsel of his existence into remaining on Antecedent for longer than he'd liked. Sure it was a business venture, but the seedier parts of town pissed him off.

Ever so slightly, that pang in the Force awakened his mind once again. It was nearby, though hard to tell. A flashing sign with only two of the letters actually lit bore possibilities of coming into contact with an information broker. Mordecai squinted at the sign and pretty much assumed the language was Huttese or something. Inwardly sighing, he strode inside without so much as a glance towards the tipsy-looking bouncer. He reeked of beer and it was best to remain undetected.

[member="Faye Terrik"]

 

[Faye Terrik]

It took only a few moments for the staffer to bring the glass of water to her table. Faye didn't expect for it to take long, seeing as she could count the cantina's patrons with her fingers. Well, maybe an underestimate. She would probably have to use a few toes too. The table across from her sat a man, who seemed to have quite a few empty glasses around his table. Drinking alone, most likely. Unwilling to make consistent eye contact with the aging man, she chose instead to sit on the side of the table which would not allow her to get a clear view of the entrance. It was an old habit anyways. Here on Antecedent, Faye had nothing to hide from. Perhaps the daylight gave her the false sense of comfort. It was a luxury she had rarely seen on Nar Shaddaa.

The exhausted teenager wasted no time in drinking half of it before setting it down. She had nowhere to be, so she had made a decision to enjoy the music the cantina was playing. A stage was on the opposite end, but there was no live band. What she heard was prerecorded and being distributed through a few low quality speakers scattered about. With her pointer finger, she traced the top of the glass in idle thought, partially thinking about her day's efforts and whether or not to continue them. That was when she felt a strange, yet familiar feeling.

Her eyes darted up, and glanced at the bar. Nothing had changed and her vision was fine, but there was a certain pressure she felt again. It was similar to what she had dismissed earlier in the week as anxiety. But here, there was no reason to feel that here or now. It wasn't painful or offsetting, just different. As if there was a sixth sense she had yet to tap into. A mere moment later, she heard the low jingle of a bell as the door opened, but it was out of her vision. Faye moved the glass of water away to make room for her elbow to rest as she rested her head on her hand. She had to figure out what caused this sensation.

[member="Mordecai Zambrano"]

 

[Judas of Vahl]

He strode in with simple purpose, nodding to the bartender in greeting before he retreated into the shadows once again. This dimly lit tavern was a cesspool of nothing but villainy and scum, which was perfection when it came to hiding from anyone or staying out of sight. Mordecai soon found solace within a simple booth near the rear, not bothering with his hood or anything because that would be absurd. Everyone knew that all assassins, thieves, and low-lives adored hoods more than anything and their use of them was agitating.

Emerald eyes scoured the bar for signs of interest or curiosity and he was quite saddened when his visual assessment proved less than fruitful. A pair of Rodians chattered quietly at a table nearby, a human with a receding hairline sat by his lonesome at the bar, and that was really about it. Perhaps he shouldn't have even came into this dusty old joint. It made him wonder if his quick departure would sadden the bartender or anyone else and figured he would at least make up for that by ordering something to drink.

He waved over a waiter. "Spiced Corellian ale," he said. Nothing too fancy, he wasn't here to get drunk.

The waiter nodded and retreated into the bar, pouring his ale and another transparent drink. Apparently there was another customer where he hadn't looked and the waiter dropped off that beverage before setting out his own with a half-attempted smile.

I wonder...

Mordecai took a sip of the ale, relishing the spices. That one place he hadn't looked pinged around in his mind before he finally decided to prod the area with invisible fingers. Something responded. It was akin to patting someone to wake up when they were in a deep slumber. The person might've groaned in complaint, rolled over, or nudged the hand away. This one did the last. Her presence would detect his own and that was all he needed.

"Great." He grabbed the ale and quietly paced over, careful to remain in the shadows until he was right up on the lone figure.

"You look rather bored," he said, cocking his head towards her chin tucked in her hand. "I can remedy that."

[member="Faye Terrik"]

 

[Faye Terrik]

In the moment of confusion and contemplation, she had closed her eyes to try to ease away the feeling that prodded at her mind in a mischievous nature. It had startled her to be caught off guard by [member="Mordecai Zambrano"] 's voice. Her eyes darted open and her hand moved instinctively to partially cover her mouth as she let out a low gasp. Faye made eye contact with the emerald colored eyes as she slid her hand away from her face and onto her drink instead. Before offering the man a response, the girl's eyes scanned his figure. He looked familiar, but couldn't point where at she had seen him.

Faye's eyes focused momentarily on his drink in hand as she responded to the stranger, "If your remedy comes in a dirty glass, I'll pass. I don't drink." That was a lie. She was uncertain as to why she gave this answer, but it was possibly fear. The man was almost a foot taller than her and had a distinct posture, one that she had yet to see on Antecedent and had only seen a few times on Nar Shaddaa. It was a certain posture that was fit for a leader, or at least someone who commanded respect.

Her eyes shifted away from the likely alcoholic beverage as they focused back onto his eyes. Maybe not his eyes, but rather the scar that had altered the landscape of the man's face. It was a wicked scar, and Faye's split second assessment of it made her assume that it was a battle scar. The girl's thumb idly wiped the condensation off of the side of her glass as she brought a follow-up to what she said, "But if it's company you're looking for, maybe I can spare a minute." Truthfully, she was uncertain of what to expect from the stranger, but there was an urge that she felt obligated to. As if she owed it to him, for whatever reason. Maybe the man had interesting stories, after all she had yet to hear a worthwhile barfly story.

 

[Judas of Vahl]

She was young. It was the first thing Mordecai noticed when he made his appearance known. Her soft gasp and realization of his presence resulted in a small, satisfactory smile appearing on his features. He was not a very stealthy individual and typically stuck out like a sore thumb with his soldier's posture and demeanor. If one told him to infiltrate an enemy base, he did so with the grace of a three-legged bull in a China shop. He saw no point in talking things over or anything like that when you could just end a war by eliminating the enemy in one fell swoop.

His eyes shimmered with mirth. She wasn't exactly quite what he had expected when he saw her the other night in the Dragon Palace. Mordecai had assumed that she was older and was merely a girl who quite didn't dress like one when attending a rather festive event. He saw it now: she was down on her luck, most likely and probably lacked the guidance or stability that came with close friends or family. Had she bore a family, it was unlikely that she would've been spending her time here in the bar. The other thing he had learned was her inexperience with the Force. Had she been trained, his presence would have been known to her the moment he entered the tavern.

"Thank you," he replied, sliding out a seat for his muscular frame to fill before plopping down across from her. Mordecai surely hoped his offer for company wasn't something to be considered raunchy in the slightest. This was a seedy part of town and quite preferred to love his wife in good faith.

He had a very strange, unexpected question to ask her right off the bat.

"I have a question," the Dragon Lord began, "What do you desire most in life? A family, untold riches, true happiness?"

[member="Faye Terrik"]

 

[Tsar]

As she watched the man sit, Faye lifted the glass of water and took a sip of it before resting it on the cheap 1-ply napkin that the cantina tried to explain as a coaster. The girl's eyes drifted to inspect the man once more, he was a larger fellow, but certainly not fat. Under the black robe, she would guess that to describe him as 'in good health' may be an offensive understatement. His face held a certain ruggedness which had shown he was all too familiar with either war or the hardships of life. Certainly, his facial scar was not the only one which he had endured in whatever his profession was. His facial scar.

Faye caught herself staring at it again and immediately focused her smokey, hazel eyes back to the stranger's own eyes. She sat back in her chair as he spoke, resting her arms in a crossed motion this time, rather than elbows on the table. The vague knowledge she knew about etiquette included that one should never rest themselves on the table. Ironically, that vague knowledge basically ended there. If she had attended a school or even bothered to research, she would also had known that arm crossing was just as improper, if not worse.

Her focus drifted away from the emerald eyes as she thought about the question. It was something she didn't have an answer for. She had a short term goal in drifting from slummy planet to slummy planet, but it held know logical gain. Faye didn't know what she tried to achieve with it, if anything. In short, no. She didn't have a goal. After a long four seconds, she looked back to him with an answer, if it could be called that: "Money, I guess." It was an uncertain answer, and mostly a cop out. The small shrug which accompanied it only aided the uncertainty with a visual aid.

[member="Mordecai Zambrano"]

 

[Judas of Vahl]

The two sat there for what seemed like minutes, but was actually seconds. His gaze trailed the tired, dark circles under her eyes and the weariness that only a vagrant could know. The Lord reached up to touch his scar. It was becoming a habit, apparently and his gaze caught her stare directly locked onto the pinkish-red flesh that was etched across his face. It was from a lightsaber blade when it was a young boy and the plasma had spewed across his skin, making it look more like warpaint than an actual scar.

Mordecai watched with interest as she shifted, ignoring her transparent beverage to sit back and seemingly analyze the broad-set man before her. He simply gazed back and sipped at his spiced ale, countering her every stare with his own.

Finally, she answered his question. "Money, I guess."

The Dragon Lord nodded as she answered with logic. Most down-on-their-luck folks tended to desire wealth and financial surety above all. Well, he could offer that and much more.

"You are a very special girl. You know that, right?" He cocked a furrowed brow at her. "Have you felt presences in your mind? Fleeting glimpses of both the past and future in your soul? Those are the things I am referring to." Mordecai shifted in his seat, easily moving his head to let his eyes sweep the tavern quickly before returning.

He took another sip. "I know you have," he said, "Because I am it."

[member="Faye Terrik"]

 

[Faye Terrik]

Faye raised an eyebrow as she listened to what the man had to say. What he spoke of sounded completely absurd... except it was true. It was a sensation that she rarely felt, but in this week alone, she had felt it twice. Any attempt she had made to disprove it was horribly inconsistent, and at times outright moronic. Her eyes broke contact and looked down at her drink as she listened to him. It was true. Sometimes, those who fear the unknown mock it. It was a petty tactic, but she was uncertain how else to respond.

"So what's next? You say I am an escaped lab rat and then I turn out to cure the rakghoul disease? That was the holonet's summer blockbuster." She scoffed and uncrossed one of her arms as she took the drink and sipped at it again. This time, she held it in her hand and looked at it, no longer interested in making eye contact. He did not seem like the type to watch a holodrama, but hopefully the point was close enough-ly conveyed.

"And if you are it then what are you, then?" Her sudden discomfort around the man did not halt her curiosity. Perhaps it was the feeling he spoke of which provoked her interest in it. Curiosity was the same reason she became a slicer. Curiosity was why she was on Antecedent. Curiosity is also what supposedly killed the cat.

[member="Mordecai Zambrano"]

 

[Judas of Vahl]

Mordecai rewarded her with something that very few people saw: a smile. The corners of his lips curved upwards with a genuine gentleness that only a father could know. He knew exactly what kind of person she was based entirely on her words and the traveling movements of her eyes. She hadn't looked up from her glass in a few moments and she questioned everything that someone like her should ask. Mordecai wondered what was going through her head right now. He had been born to a family that was generations old and most, if not all, of their members had been sensitive to this great entity.

With a tender inhale of air, he closed his eyes and took upon a peaceful and serene visage. Whenever once utilized such tool like the Force, it would be felt by any and the girl in front of him would be the strongest receiver of such signals. The Dragon Lord stretched out with those fabled invisible fingers of his and deftly worked their way around that glass she held. Her fingers were smoothly pried away from the cup and it was held in the air. Levitation was the dream-stuff of many civilizations and to see something grounded float was a sight to behold.

"I am just a humble student of the way," he replied, "Though my kind are not known for kindness, compassion, or honor. I am a Sith, and I risk great things by simply telling you that information." The solemn sound of his voice and the spark of insecurity in his eyes bore honest testimony to his words. This simple young girl was someone that the Force had willed into his life and it was now his duty to ensure that she became something great or was at least on the track to something of virtue.

"I am not like the rest and I came to this planet solely and utterly for you." Another swig of his half glass of ale took the following few seconds, "I can give you everything you want. Money, a home, a family. All I require is your loyalty."

Mordecai eased the floating glass back down onto the table in front of her.

"What you have is called the Force. I will teach you how to harness your gift."

[member="Faye Terrik"]

 

[Faye Terrik]

[member="Mordecai Zambrano"]

The presence that she had been feeling grew stronger. The feelings that the man on the other side of the table had told her made her special. Then, like a small child tugging at her fingers, they slipped away from the glass. But there was no crash, or splash of spilled water. The glass instead sat above the table, on nothing. Faye's lips moved apart as her mouth open just a bit in astonishment. Instinctively, Faye wanted to snatch it back into her hands, but she couldn't. She wanted it to stay there.

In that moment, Faye knew who he was. Or at least, vaguely. She had heard of Force Users before, but had never expected to meet one. A chill trickled down her back as she listened to what he said. Her eyes followed the glass as it set itself silently back onto the table. Without thinking about it, she gave up her attempt at etiquette and rested both of her elbows once more on her table.

Of course everyone had heard the rumors of the Sith. Some of their actions weren't just rumor, but facts. A bitter taste of realization formed in the back of Faye's throat before she finally responded; "Does... does that mean I'm one of them?" She was referring to the Sith. Concepts of Ashla and Bogan were foreign to her. As far as she knew about it, a person is either born a Sith or a Jedi, as much as someone is born a Twi'lek or Chiss. Of course, with this misconception came with the idea that one is born either good or evil.

Before allowing him to respond to her first question, she asked a follow-up; "Teach me, how?" She was uncertain if she already knew the answer to this. Her undying curiosity once more had her asking questions that maybe destiny was directing.

 

[Judas of Vahl]

Her reaction was pleasing. Mordecai knew that barely anyone was able to feel, let alone use, the Force. While he was one of the rarest pedigree and was born into it like being born into money, this girl before him was not. Hell, she was a late starter too. The Dragon Lord assumed that she was around twenty years of age and just learned of her sensitivity while he had discovered it as a child and slipped into its rhythms that were akin to walking. He was a nobleman and had expectations to live up to, even if he had just been six years old.

"No, you will never be one of us." He replied solemnly. "I don't want you to turn into a wretched monster full of nothing but hatred and sorrow. Listen, child," he sighed, "I am only a Sith by name. I serve my Lord because I must defend my home, nothing else. That is why I wish to take you away from here and give you something to live for that isn't a lifetime of cruelty and sorrow."

Mordecai nodded at her next question. She was asking all the right things. "I will personally train you day-in and day-out for a very long time. Most practitioners start early in their life and you are far behind, but it is very possible for you to become adept and then master it. I cannot promise you that it won't be hard, that you won't cry, that you won't suffer."

He offered her a smile. "But what I can promise is my support. I will be with you every step of the way."

[member="Faye Terrik"]

 

[Faye Terrik]

There was an unusual sense of comfort that came from the man's words, maybe even unnatural knowing vague of what he was. The Sith throughout history have been known for their brutality and ruthlessness, but also for their conniving ways. In the back of her street educated mind, she felt a paranoid feeling about his words. So many questions raced through her mind, but she tried to limit herself to ask only the important ones.

"But if.." She started, before lowering her voice in an attempt to be courteous, "Why would you work for a cause that doesn't mean anything to you? Something you're so...willing to betray." Faye was uncertain if him speaking to her broke some sort of code of honor or something of the sort. He had mentioned the risk he was taking in indulging her curiosity, but why? The whole situation he was in confused her. She had little family that she could trace back, and the entire concept of a home was obscure to her psyche. Even what she may consider home, Nar Shaddaa, she was not even truly welcome there. Unkindly folk would refer to her as an 'illegal' on the planet. As far as she knew, she wasn't even a citizen on her home. So the loyalty to origin that [member="Mordecai Zambrano"] clung onto, was nonexistent to her.

Faye fell silent for a moment once more, to contemplate what sounded like an offer. It sounded much less like an offer really, but more like a set course of action. She was uncertain how to address the topic, much less answer it if it was indeed an offer. Instead, she posed another personal question; "Why are you doing this?"

 

[Judas of Vahl]

A code of honor? You could call it that. The way a soldier sees his president, his commander-in-chief, his sovereign is precisely why he has been with the One Sith all this time. Had it been his choice completely, he would just be a simple man with a simple life. He didn't need any wars to make him into a warrior that would end up getting him killed before he could watch his little girl grow up and become something special.

"I cannot just betray them though they're apt to betray me," he sighed, "Doing so would risk the lives of my entire family."

Damn. Shouldn't have mentioned that.

It wasn't like your average Sith to have a wife and kids of his own. Most Sith Lords that were known to the galaxy didn't care for love or anything of that nature. Naga Sadow and Darth Nihilus never had a family that they cared for, but Mordecai wasn't like them in the slightest.

"The time will come when I am to leave their service. That is why I wish to mold you into something before you are made into one of them."

The Dragon Lord sipped his ale, draining the last bit in his glass.

[member="Faye Terrik"]

 

[Faye Terrik]

"Doing so would risk the lives of my entire family."

Something about that remark had taken Faye by surprise. The straight face that the Sith was about to compose made it hard to tell if he had let her known that, or if it was merely a slip of the tongue. Still, it made her stereotypes against the Sith feel off. They had always been described by history as cold and heartless. The girl hadn't researched them, though. She did not know about Naga Sadow or Nihilus. For as far as she was concerned, they were dead and gone. There was little reason to dwell on dead idols.

[member="Mordecai Zambrano"] 's answer didn't really satisfy her, but she was in no position to challenge and question what he was willing to tell her. From the back of her mind had come a question that she had omitted previously from asking. Her eyes made contact with his once more as she decided to ask it. "I don't typically trust my fate this much into a stranger, can I at least have a name?" She had contemplated the wording for a moment. It made her sound sheepish, or willing to follow anyone who'd be willing to call themselves a shepherd. That wasn't what she was going for, but something about this man made him feel genuine.

 

[Judas of Vahl]

He had cornered this girl - metaphorically and physically. Her location in the corner of the tavern may have given her a perfect view of everything that was happening, but it offered very little advantages when it came to any kind of maneuvering. Mordecai held his iron-cold, emerald gaze against hers as she fiddled with her fingers and nervously glanced back and forth. This young woman's face was pensive as she took in all of what he said. The Dragon Lord only offered the best for the best and this girl had sparked something inside of him that even words couldn't describe.

"My name," he averted his eyes, "Is Mordecai. Mordecai Zambrano."

The man pursed his lips. "I'm sure you've heard of my family's name before. We're rather large."

[member="Faye Terrik"]

 

[Faye Terrik]

Her attention had left [member="Mordecai Zambrano"] and instead was on the water that she had watched levitate just moments ago. It left her mind, but had been brought back when her fingertips had tapped against the icy cold moisture on the side of the glass. A sense of foul-play had developed in her mind on it, but there was still a hint of hope that he wasn't cheating her somehow. Floating and levitation, to her, had always been reserved for speeders and clouds. And to see such an unusual object do so really brought her mind to life.

Faye didn't hesitate to respond to the man she could now name. The name sounded familiar, at least the surname did. She could not pinpoint where exactly, and for all she knew they were a celebrity family from Corellia on some holoshow. But she had seen their name before. When one spends enough time on the darker, seedier parts of the holonet, they are bound to see the bounties and gossip. Faye's ambitions rested in slicing, not bounty hunting. That, and maybe now the esoteric, hidden secrets that Mordecai could show her. Whatever the untapped potential was that he spoke of, did indeed have her attention. She hoped it was real.

"The name uhh.. rings a bell." That's all she had to say about the name, because she didn't know anything about them. She slid her hands away from the glass, without lifting it to take another drink, and crossed them while her elbows still rested on the table. "I'm Faye." The hazel eyes of the girl made contact again with his, but they had an easy to read look. One that was little more than 'what now?'

 

[Judas of Vahl]

Rather than being a bunch of pointless morons like the famed HoloComedy family "The Johnsons," the Zambranos happened to have a much more dark and series history. They were a family of hailed kings, queens, emperors, and empresses. While it seemed like a very wealthy and powerful heritage to have, their way of "keeping things in the family" didn't exactly pan out for Mordecai and his elder brother so things kind of went different for the two.

Faye's eyes told him all he needed to know. While the red-headed lass had shared only minimal information in the manner of a first name, he'd know all she knew soon enough. Hopefully, though, she would know all he knew within given time and eventually be able to make something of herself by herself. Once she knew how to walk, she would run.

"Come on," he plopped a handful of credits on the table. "Let's go. I have a ship waiting."

[member="Faye Terrik"]

 

[Faye Terrik]

There was a definitive difference between Faye and Mordecai, and it was obvious. The way he styled himself, spoke, and even moved about showed he held a higher caste than herself. The way he mentioned his family name was nearly narcissistic, a self-respecting tone for his heritage. Faye, on the other hand had little interest in her past. Few even knew her real name, much less her surname. There was no pride to be held in being a Terrik. Her Father was absent her whole life, and her Mother had favored powdery substances over her own daughter. Faye was a spice baby, and she knew it. Perhaps it was her background that drove her towards her pleasure in disorder and Erisian affairs. She was a tinderbox that could easily be lit into a vicious flame. It just depend on who would light it, and where they wanted the fire to spread.

Despite her indulgences in chaos, she held at least some semblance of organization. Faye enjoyed keeping track of inbound ships, and what their purpose may have been. When she heard [member="Mordecai Zambrano"] mention that he had a vessel waiting, it was a bit of a surprise to her. Sure, she didn't keep track of all of the ships, that would be impossible for a single person with limited technology. Especially with the celebrations which had been taking place, hosted by the Ravens, an Organization which she herself had only been a part of briefly. As she stood up to prepare to leave, she suddenly had a realization. Faye had seen The Dragon Lord before.

For a moment, she kept it to herself and followed beside him. The two had a big difference in height, with the Sith being nearly a foot taller than her. Without a doubt, she looked much more like a daughter to passerbys rather than... an accomplice? She was not even sure what their relation was yet. There was a gap between pedestrians when she finally decided to ask the question, even though it was vaguely asked, she did not wish to disclose to a stranger something that was to remain a secret. "The Party," Faye said as she looked up to him. "Why were you there?"

 

[Judas of Vahl]

It wasn't that he was arrogant, he simply knew his place. From day one he had been meant to lead, direct, and guide his people. If it was war or peace, he would serve his purpose well. However, it just so happened that such a thing wasn't his true meaning at all. Despite that early misdirection, his carriage remained the same and his mindset oft reverted back to the days of when he was a military commander or a section leader back in the academy. Lest he unleash drill instructor-like wrath upon this poor girl, there was no need to be a straight-backed Neanderthal around her.

She would part of the Zambrano family whether she liked it or not. Whatever was his was now hers as well.

The two were out on the street quickly and their distance was amiable. She stuck close to him and he her. Had an onlooker knew that they had literally jut met, a quite surprised look could've been located on their features. A warrior tended to draw some attention and garner a berth in crowds, so he appreciated the fact that people recognized his posture and black tunic and boots.

Faye's voice was soft and abrupt.

"Diplomacy. An ally must keep up their appearance." He didn't even look at her as he replied quietly. "I am a Hand. Sometimes I curl into a fist, sometimes I am shaken."

Not only that, but he was the One Sith's tank. It was a direct message to anyone who looked upon him that the Ravens' allies within the One Sith were strong, cunning, and ever present.

Mordecai turned his glance on her, "Why were you there?"

[member="Faye Terrik"]