When Siblings meet

[Astra Zeen]

In a room on the planet Nar Shaddaa, Astra sat on his knees while his hands were chained to the wall. Blood ran down his bruised wrists from how much time he had spent trying to free himself from his new cuffs. The last few he had been placed in he had slipped out and killed a few customers before he was finally taken down by a stun bolt to the back. Astra's cyan hair hung freely as sweat had made his hair fall the curls still being seen. He could hear the sounds of people outside talking, most likely making deals on how much Astra would be used for. He had seemed to have become quite the valuable object recently. Teeth clenched Astra focused back on the chains that kept him from moving. He yanked as hard as he could the muscles beneath his brown skin flexing. "What are you talking about three thousand credits?! I could buy a few cheap women with that amount." A man with a gravely voice said from the other side of the door obvious agitation in his voice.

"Fine fifteen hundred then, but no bruising or hitting the merchandise. He's valuable." A man with a more buissness like tone said from the other side of the door. The voice alone made Astra's stomach turn. Oh how he wished to rain his wrath down upon the man. He wanted to beat his master till the man begged for forgiveness. Stopping his struggling against the chains Astra calmed down and quickly looked at the wall as though he hadn't tried anything. The door opened shortly after bathing the room in a purple light. Two sets of footsteps began to approach Astra and his body tensed. "See what did I tell you. He still has the looks of a women... Somewhat, but he can take alot more punishment." Astra's master said to the large burly man that stood next to him that looked as though he had crawled out of the sewers, and smelled like it as well. His masters name was Zamir, a no good scumbag that had bought Astra while he was eight and had been selling the boys body since.

"Now be a good lad and show this man some fun." Zamir said rubbing a hand through Astra's light blue hair before grpping it tightly and hitting the bos head against the wall with enough force that a loud thunk could be heard. Blood leaked down the center of Astra's forehead and his vision blurred but he could still hear where the man was while the lighter footsteps of his master exited the room slamming the door behind him a sick cackle exiting his throat.

"Get up." The burly man said as he grabbed Astra's hair and yanked the young man from the ground. "Gonna teach you some tricks boy." The man commented that simply got a chuckle from Astra.

"How about I teach you one instead?" Astra asked before his left foot lashed backwards stomping on the man's foot and the other flew backward hitting the customers manhood. A gruff yelp could be heard from the man but Astra gave no quarter as he used the chains as a way to support his body while his legs wrapped around the man's throat his calf muscles flexing. The man already couldn't breathe and found no success in trying to pry Astra's legs off his neck. "Scum." Astra said simply before he simply twisted his legs and snapped the burly man's neck. The body went limp before collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.

[member="Meric Nadun"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

Meric didn't like this world. The atmosphere was absolutely chaotic and he didn't like it. Not only that but he was certain that the longer he stayed on the world, the more people were going to die. He'd not ever encountered a place like this before. So full of scum and garbage that injustice happened just around ever single corner. It seemed that every step he took brought him in line with some other atrocity that he was forced to right. These actions, of course, did not make him particularly popular, and more than once he was forced to kill someone that was just after him for the money they needed to survive.

There was more about him being there than righting wrongs, however. Lately he'd taken an interest in following the exploits of his so called father. While he was aware that doing this very thing was what had caused him great bodily harm in the past, he could not bring himself to stop searching for more information. He knew that his father had come to this world, and it didn't really surprise him when it came down to it. Scum like him would pick scum to live with.

"Can I interest you in a woman, my armored friend?"

Meric glanced to the side and then shoved the mousy man away from him. These people were a dime a dozen. Everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Most didn't actually have women to sell, and the ones that did deserved death more than anything. The only lead he found on his father brought him to find that the man had been bedding a Zeltron. Considering the world, it wasn't all that surprising. What did surprise him was that records of the Zeltron woman indicated that she'd had a son. It was possible that it hadn't been his father's child, considering the woman WAS a Zeltron. Meric had to know for sure, though, and the only lead he had was that the boy was owned by someone.

That bothered him more than anything. He approached the place that housed the man and stepped inside. His domed head turned from side to side.

"I'm looking for Astra Zeen."

[member="Astra Zeen"]

 

[Astra Zeen]

[member="Meric Nadun"]

Zamir sat on a crate outside the house cleaning beneath his nails with a combat knife not bothered by the illegal gambling that was happening next to him. A group of four grimy looking males lay crouched in the corner rolling dice making bets, but they all stopped and looked up at Meric as he approached eyes squinted as if he were an uninvited guest. They saw how pale the man was, and the yellow eyes, but that was it besides his bald head. Perking up when he heard the question Zamir jumped off the crate dusting off his white suit and putting on what could only call a business man's smile. "Oh, I'm so glad that boys popularity is spreading. I ensure you he is a great companion for one such as yourself." Zamir said smiling one could almost see credit signs in his eyes he was so excited. "Problem is Astra isn't exactly cheap. He is one of my best sellers so I will be asking for a premium if you need him. Though we'll worry about prices later. Let me go and see if his customer is finished with him first." Zamir said holding up one finger signaling for Meric to wait before he turned and entered the building.

The men gambling began to chuckle and looked at Meric before one of the braver ones spoke. "You made a good choice. That boy may not be well trained but he is quite a pleasure to be a man." The man said which rose murmurs of agreement from the others and a few snickers before they turned back to their gambling.

Astra stood above the now dead man's corpse facing away from the door as he tried to use the blood on his wrists to free himself from the manacles but it was no use. They were just to tight. He could even feel his hands going numb from how much effort he had put into trying to free himself. Yet he heard footsteps approaching each step more slow and menacing then the first. A shiver retreated down his spine and Astra knew who it was he could feel the excitement flowing off Zamir in large portions as though he had another customer. It would be the only reason that he had to come early. A knock rang out from the door before it was pushed open and he stepped in. In mere seconds Astra felt Zamir's excitement switch to shock then to outrage. "You fool!" Zamir shouted rushing forward to the dead customer and checking his pulse. "We just had a customer that wanted you specifically! We could've made credits for days!" Zamir shouted before lashing out his leg and kicking Astra behind the knee causing the boy to collapse before him.

Due to his head wound earlier and still bleeding from it he had not been prepared to stop the kick even though he knew it was coming. So he fell to his knees where soon afterward Zamir's foot met the back of his head driving Astra's head forward and into the wall where it hit before bouncing back off. Zamir grabbed the boys head clasping his hands in his hair a look of rage in his eyes. Astra could feel Zamir's anger and it was pouring like a waterfall. It brought a smile to Astra to know he had messed up the man's business once again. Spitting a glob of blood into the man's eyes Astra coughed a few times before saying. "You mean yourself you ignorant piece of bantha poodoo." A laugh left the young man's mouth before he was delivered a solid smack to the face from Zamir.

"You're gonna pay for what you did this time. We are not letting this customer get away." Zamir said tossing off his white suit coat and pulling out a shock baton. Rearing his arm back and activating the baton Zamir brought it down across Astra's back. The shock radiated through Astra's body causing the boy to jerk wildly as the pain shot through him. "I raised you! You piece of trash!" Zamir said before raining down a few more strikes upon Astra, but the boy didn't shout or whine as he was now so used to pain and mistreatment that this was nothing but a mild tingle.

 

[Kamon's OOC]

It took no small amount of struggle for Meric to retain his composure. Slavery was sickening. It was the lowest of the low, and he would do everything in his power to destroy these people as soon as he found out if the kid the Zeltron woman had produced was his brother or not. So he would endure the humiliation of seeking out a male companion in favor of finding out the truth. Not many would do that. He knew most Sith would explode and just wipe out everyone in the place. The problem with doing that is you were likely to kill the person you came there for rather than rescue them.

The man, disgusting as he was, led him down a hall to a door, where he was bade to wait. The man disappeared inside and Meric unleashed his senses, feeling out the world around him. So much pain, so much greed. It fueled him. If he had the power to do so himself, he would destroy this very world and end the cesspit that it was. The galaxy would be better off without places like this one. No order. No dignity. No justice. It made him want to vomit.

He heard shouts from inside, and felt pain. Something was going on, and given that the kid was the slave, he figured it wasn't good. Unleashing the Force, he ripped the door free of its hinges, pushed it into the room, and slid it to the side as he stepped in. There was a dead man on the floor, and the mousy, disgusting man that had been leading him along was now using a baton to beat a blue-haired boy across the back. It took Meric only a single, look, and a touch of the Force, to realize that this boy was indeed his kin. Half-brother, but still a brother. That was all the help in deciding that he needed.

A twitch of his hand and the mans arm snapped at the wrist, hand falling limp as he cried out.

"You will not strike him again. Nor will you strike anyone ever again."

He looked briefly to Astra.

"Get up. Don't cower. Show some sense of respect for who you are."

[member="Astra Zeen"]

 

[Astra Zeen]

The sound of bones breaking snapped Astra out of his trance, he had been paying no true attention to the beating due to not truly feeling the pain anymore. He felt the pain that Zamir felt his empathy kicking in, he felt the hate and rage that was pouring off Zamir and he enjoyed it. Watching the man who had caused him so much pain over the past years suffer seemed to rejuvenate Astra. Pushing himself to his feet with very little effort even after the beating Astra rolled his shoulders the sounds of multiple bones popping could be heard before he rolled his neck. Lashing his foot backwards his foot collided with Zamir's knee the bone from the man's leg could be see protruding from beneath the skin before he collapsed to the floor holding the would. His screams permeated the air while he shouted curses at the both of them. "You whore! I raised you! I fed you, without me you would be dead!"

The man shouted causing Astra to freeze his face still looking towards the wall and a look of rage on his face. Tears ran down his cheeks not from sadness but from rage. His body shook uncontrollably as the man spoke as though he were some saint. "I died years ago. And it was because of you." Astra whispered before looking towards the man that had came into the room and helped him. "I wasn't cowering. I'm chained to a wall, I don't have to many options when it comes to movement... But thank you for helping."

[member="Meric Nadun"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"You always have options. You overextended yourself and lost use of a weapon: the chain itself. You gave him the advantage over you."

This was something that he'd seen often with many of the slaves he'd encountered over the years. When they had the chance to lash out, their lack of fighting prowess always led to them failing in whatever it was they were attempting, be it murder of their owner or escape. Only the select few had the knowledge it took to be truly revolutionary. From what he understood, this boy had been in captivity basically his whole life. He'd never had the chance to learn how to fight. But he had the mental prowess if he used it. And Meric could feel the Force strength flowing through him.

Reaching out, he grabbed the chain holding Astra to the wall. The Force flowed into his arms and he yanked, pulling it free of the wall. Nobody else would be chained in this spot if he could help it. From within the confines of his armor he pulled his lightsaber, which he thumbed active, the red blade spitting forth.

"Hold still."

A deft flick of his blade and he cut the ties that held Astra in place. He was no longer chained down. He was free. Meric wasn't done with the blade, though. He turned towards the man, Zamir, and walked over to him. Grabbing the mans arm, he held it out and then cut it off at the elbow. The loose limb was thrown away, and then the same act was repeated with the other mans arms, and then his legs. Meric went so far as to turn the man into a eunuch and then pinning him to the wall.

"This is your punishment. You will no longer no feeling or pleasure. You will be nobody. If I ever meet you again, you will die."

Turning back to Astra, he motioned to the door.

"Let's go."

[member="Astra Zeen"]

 

[Astra Zeen]

[member="Meric Nadun"]

Astra said nothing but he stared at the man as he grabbed the chain that held Astra to the wall. He spoke as if he knew what Astra had experienced through all his life. The beatings he had received, and the abuse he had suffered. So much so that all he felt was rage, but that didn't keep him from feeling the emotions that flowed off of the man. It overcame Astra such a devotion to justice, something the boy could suspect. But just who was this mysterious hero, how had he just so happened to be here to save Astra. Staying still like the man said Judas saw the lightsaber activate and the red blade extend from the tip and more questions bombarded him. Weren't red sabers meant for Sith? If so why was this man helping him out of all people. Shouldn't he be enjoying Astra's suffering.

Astra could do nothing but watch a smile on his face as he watched Zamir get tortured by the man. First as the arm was cut off Astra had to hold his head as the emotions of pain and agony flooded into him and began to overwhelm him, it didn't stop there as the man lost his other limbs and Astra seemed to have felt it as his own chest heaved and screams left his mouth. Then it ended, but the pain lingered. With no breath to disagree or say anything for the matter Astra followed the man out of the room. "So who are you?" He was able to pant out through labored breaths.

[member="Meric Nadun"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"You will learn to control that."

Astra's screaming hadn't gone unnoticed. Zeltron and whatnot. Emotions were going to overwhelm the poor kid until he was able to control himself. That would come with time if the flow of the Force that he felt from him was truly something that the boy could master. Some possessed the talent, but could never master the Force. It would be more difficult for him because of his Zeltron heritage. He was going to find trouble with his emotions everywhere he went. Except, perhaps, when he was just around Meric, because he was far too stoic to let emotions run rampant.

As they walked out, the question came that Meric knew would come.

"I'm your half-brother. Your father and mine are the same."

He turned and led Astra back the way he'd come, the inevitable destination being the spaceport. He wanted off of this world before he went on a freaking rampage and slaughtered everyone. Part of him wanted to do just that thanks to what he'd done to the slaver that had been controlling his brother. The smell of blood in the water will always draw the shark. He was in control, though. He was the master. He would no succumb to his emotions, he would use them only.

"I am Meric Nadun."

[member="Astra Zeen"]

 

[Astra Zeen]

Astra looked up at the man on the verge of tears from the pain and suffering he had felt the man go through, but he was slowly regaining his composure his own emotions flowing back in as he was overwhelmed by a sense of freedom. He could be his own person, he could see the galaxy, he could learn. Do all the things he was never able to his whole life. Walking outside though was an experience Astra had ever known the sun of the planet shined so brightly the boy had to shield his eyes, and he had his first breath of fresh air in over a decade. However with the good comes the bad as he was hit with the emotions of hundreds if not thousands in less than a second of being outside. The injustice surrounded them, hunger filled the streets. This hunger wasn't for food though, it was for anything that could satisfy them whether it be drugs or sex.

Astra began taking deep breaths trying to calm himself and focus on Merics voice to block out all the emotions that were trying to bombard him. Then he heard something that completely tuned out all the emotions of everyone else. He had a brother. A older one at that. One he had never known about, someone that his bastard father had sired and abandoned as well. Astra had came to a complete stop for a few seconds not knowing whether to be relieved or scared of the man. "The names Astra. And thank you... Brother." Judas said the word never having left his mouth he finally had some form of kinship to someone. Starting to walk again he followed his brother.

[member="Meric Nadun"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"Astra then. Zeltron name."

Under the circumstances, he couldn't say anything about the kids name. His mother had named him, just as Astra's had named him. That seemed to be the typical situation when it came to their father since he was so keen on ditching the women he knocked up. He sure wasn't shy about spreading his seed around, though. Meric forced his way through the crowd, making them part around him, but he'd had to stop when Astra did. That was an annoyance. He was going to have to either teach this kid a thing or two himself, or find someone to take him under their wing and teach him. One or the other.

Eventually they started moving again. The spaceport was in sight at this point, though he was already aware from FiGi that there was trouble ahead of them as well. The droid had been talking to him through the commset in his suit. Meric had it turned down so no one else could hear it.

"There's trouble at the hangar. Your owner appears to have had friends. Do you know how to fight at all?"

[member="Astra Zeen"]

 

[Astra Zeen]

[member="Meric Nadun"]

"Yea my mother... Was a Zeltron. Without our bastard father around I was forced to be raised by her on these streets. My schooling was almost nonexistent" Each word oozed of hate and he even began to radiate it not knowing he was doing so. Everyone had abandoned him, abused him, used him. But here comes this man who was his brother and in a matter of minutes accepted him with no problems. What type of galaxy did he live in? Astra had become lost in his own emotions radiating hate and confusion then he was drawn out of it by Meric speaking. He knew he was annoying his brother but he couldn't help it. He had been isolated for so long that he had no clue of the emotions he would feel once outside in society. "That bastard was capable of making friends?" Astra joked for a second though he was sure he wouldn't get a laugh. His brother seemed like a almost always serious man. "Yes I can fight if need be. I mean I snapped someones neck while I was chained to a wall... More than once."

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"Money can buy you almost anything."

He pulled a second lightsaber from his belt and tossed it to Astra. Hopefully the kid wouldn't cut his own arms off with the thing, but given that he had a rather strong connection to the Force, as far as Meric could tell, there was little doubt in his mind that the kid would be fine. All that was necessary was that he remember that the full weight of the weapon was within his hands, and where his hands pointed, the blade pointed as well. It wasn't a difficult concept to grasp.

"I spent my younger life trapped in a clean room after having been burned in a vat of acid. My lips, nose, and ears are prosthetics. As are other parts. My eyes are cybernetics. Be glad you have all of your own body parts."

They were approaching the hangar bay, and he counted about ten armed individuals.

"I'm going to distract them. When I do, I want you to head for the ship in the hangar. Don't stop unless you have to. Understood?"

[member="Astra Zeen"]

 

[Astra Zeen]

"And that Bastard had plenty of it." Astra scowled but then a thought came to him. There had been many more like himself who had been enslaved by the man. Used as his merchandise and sold to the highest bidder. What would happen to them? He didn't personally know them, but he vowed he would return to free them when he was a stronger man. Reaching out he caught the saber and examined the hilt of the weapon. It wasn't necessarily to heavy, but it wasn't weightless. Spinning the hilt in his hands he listened to what Meric had to say.

"I'm sorry to hear that. It sounds like a terrible life to live. Our father just abandoned you in that type of condition?" He asked projecting his emotions without even knowing it. His hand clenched around the lightsaber as he thought of the pain the man had to have gone through in his youth. The pain he still had to feel. The galaxy didn't seem to play fair at all.

When the hanger bay came into view Astra saw then ten armed men that stood waiting for them. There was no fear in his eyes, no anger, just a serene calm as he thought of the best way to get past them. "I won't just abandon you. You saved my life, and you're my brother. You may want to protect me but its my job to do the same for you."

[member="Meric Nadun"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

Meric shook his head.

"Father is the reason I was in that condition. I was following him to work and a droid knocked me into the acid. My mother sued the company and won, and Father went on the run because the company went belly up."

He studied the enemy as they milled about. They were watching just about every direction, and it wasn't long before one of them spotted them and pointed and shouted. Weapons lifted and fired, but the slammed into an invisible barrier that Meric raised without much effort. He took one last glance back at his brother, and then he disappeared from where he'd been standing. Just one second there, the next second gone. But he wasn't gone, he'd just moved.

When he reappeared he was standing in the middle of them all and his blade thumbed active. The blackness sprang forth and he spun in a shallow circle cutting the hands from one enemy before cleaving a second in two pieces. They started to turn on him then.

Move. Now, Astra.

[member="Astra Zeen"]

 

[Astra Zeen]

"You're still his son, and the coward still left. Doesn't matter what the circumstances were." Astra said trying to wrap his head around just how much of a coward their father truly was. He had abandoned both of his sons to their fates without even taking a single look back. What type of man did that? Astra felt the surprise and relief when they had noticed him and he looked up watching the blaster bolts slammed into the barrier harmlessly. Such a act of power was shocking to Astra and thats when he knew he had a long way to go before he ever caught up to his brother.

Even more shocking was the disappearance of his brother. It was almost like he had teleported, and Astra wasn't the only one shocked as all the ones meant to stop them radiated their shock. Like he was told to Astra ran for the ship while their attention was drawn to Meric but just a bit infront of him he saw a blaster pistol and two hands land. It wasn't long after that he felt the pain hit him in waves almost making him crumble to his knees as his wrists felt as though they were on fire. Screaming Astra dived forward in a roll where he grabbed the pistol and kept rolling before uncurling himself. Laying flat against the ground he felt himself being guided by an invisible force that told him what to do. Firing once and then again he shot the one who had lost his hands in the back of the head and ended anothers life with a shot between the eyes. There was no pain from the quick kills, but he didn't bask on such a thing as he rolled to his feet and made his way onto the ship.

[member="Meric Nadun"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

The kid was incorrigible. Something was going to have to be done about Astra's Zeltron sensitivity or his kid brother was going to wind up dead before they really even knew each other. At least, though, the kid had the sense to use the blaster he encountered to do something rather than just lying there feeling the pain of those that Meric was slaughtering. Slaughtering was a good term for it because they never stood a chance against him. He was too quick, too precised, and too skilled for them to have ever had a chance of defeating him.

When it was over, he walked into the hangar, closed the door, and stabbed the controls with his saber. It would take them a while to get it open now. He walked to the Harrow and up the ramp, heading for the bridge where FiGi, his pilot droid, was waiting to get them out of there.

"Take us to Paecia, FiGi. We need some peace after this place."

[member="Astra Zeen"]

 

[Astra Zeen]

Astra had made it upon the ship before Meric had and thus took a seat in the copilots chair. Head in his hands Astra held himself and tried to calm himself. Cold sweat beaded on his brow and his hair clung to his face as he tried to deal with the pain that Meric had caused the men who had tried to stop their escape. His body was still shaking, he did believe that they had gotten what they deserved, but he didn't like that he felt every bit of it. With his breathing finally evening out and the last ebbs of pain leaving his body Astra began to relax.

As Meric entered Astra simply looked up at his brother and examining him. Not a single mark had been placed upon his body by their attackers. It was amazing. "Sorry about the trouble I've caused." Astra said looking out the viewport. "I just can't control it sometimes."

[member="Meric Nadun"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"From what I've seen you can't control it at all."

He stood behind FiGi. The pilot droid was busy with its work and so wasn't really paying them much mind, though his receptors certainly heard what the two of them had to say. Meric looked at his younger brother as the ship lifted off, watching the blue-haired kid calmly. Emotions weren't something one would receive often from him. He was too hardened to give into such displays as some people did. And he wasn't a Zeltron so he wasn't prone to feeling others emotions.

"If you want to survive out here you're going to need training. I'm taking you somewhere you can get it."

[member="Astra Zeen"]

 

[Astra Zeen]

Astra planned to say something to defend himself but found that there was no point. Meric was right. What was the point in denying it? It was obvious that he didn't know how to control his abilities. "Fine I can't control it but it's not for a lack of trying. I have been confined away from society for years. No visitors besides the ones who wanted something from me. So no I don't have a grasp on what I can do or know how to control it." Astra said a sigh leaving his mouth as he rested his head in his hands. He felt a heavy throbbing in his head from all the mental exhaustion that had been forced upon him.

Listening to his brother he remembered him saying something about a planet called Pacia. He had never heard of it, but it wasn't to surprising considered how long he'd spent locked away. "Trying to get rid of me already?" Astra asked not to shocked by the notion. He had almost collapsed twice on Meric.

[member="Meric Nadun"]

 

[Kamon's OOC]

"All I hear are excuses from your genetics."

Harshness was sometimes warranted. In this case it was, because he was making the excuse that his genetics were the reason for his actions. There was no excuse for anything anyone did other than you did it. As far as he was concerned, you had to take responsibility for your own actions. Though he did know the kid couldn't really control it. Meric didn't really expect him to considering the lifestyle he'd been forced to lead. He didn't want the kid whining in his ear, though.

"No. Paecia is the capital of the Paecian Empire. I am the Executor Prime, leader of all Force Users. This is where you will learn, therefore you will serve under me."

[member="Astra Zeen"]