Where we will, we'll roam. [Xian]

[Blackthorne]

"Atrisian..." Thorne replied, gaze having lingered over the slashes of white against pink until black silk obscured the view. Lips pulled in fleeting amusement - the robe was certainly lacking in size for a seven foot tall twilek and barely managed to cover the essentials.

"Wot are you doing," green gaze followed him, "you're not wearing that around the ship."

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

Xian snorted.

"Only a rare few sentients have earned seeing this ass in action, Thorne, do not worry." He stretched again and this time it became even more clear that the robe wasn't nearly enough to cover every part of him, especially when the Twi'lek decided to stretch. But eventually the laziness went away and Xian collapsed in a chair next to her.

"I figure I might as well be comfortable, while we test me for magicks." A shrug- it didn't actually seem like Thorne was any closer towards figuring out how to figure him out in this sense.

"Can't you just beat the crap out of me some more? Maybe some kind of instinctual reflex will pop up."

The Twi'lek had no idea what he just said.

But a movie he had seen once suggested that such a thing could work, so why not?

 

[Blackthorne]

Chin in her hand, elbow on the rest of an overstuffed armchair, Blackthorne watched her newly acquired shiphand saunter about in her silken robe. The lace was a... curious touch for the man.

Then came the snort. Derisive, exasperated. The eyeroll followed.

"Please, I'm off-duty."

Fact of the matter was, Xian Valart was old enough that any latent Force affinity would have shown itself when measured by threat already. Especially given what sort of things he'd been through. Beating him to an inch within death was not a likely trigger if it had not fired yet.

"No I had something else in mind. Much less involved but still requiring a-" a deep breath, a sleepy sigh, the woman gestured to him, "wardrobe."

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

He lounged for a minute while considering her words.

Then a shrug.

"If there is a way to master this magic of yours, I want to know how... even the change of clothes won't stop me." Xian hummed softly, stretching once more, before finally rising from his seat again and sauntering over to the pile of clothes that made up both their attire. Bending over, giving her a good view and giving him access, the Twi'lek started pulling out pants and shirt.

Settling himself down on the bed as he pulled on one article after another.

"So what is this idea you have, to turn me from a mere mortal man to a witch like you?" The last offered with a crooked smile as socks were pulled on, before the hunt for his shoes started.

It had to be a good idea.

 

[Blackthorne]

The Captain remained where she sat, slate-faced while the man flashed his accessories about, brow slowly arching at the show. She was content to watch, ever mystified by the white lines decorating his body, mind slinking into curious wonder at what would unfold in the next hour. His question drew her from her silent reverie, green eyes blinking away memories as they bubbled to the surface.

"You will see," Blackthorne peeled away from her chair and began a slow exit of her chambers as he collected his shoes.

A hand lifted to her right ear, thumbing one of the metallic studs at the lobe, "Kiin tell Aku to meet me in Acquisitions."

She crossed the dark and quiet expanse of the reception chamber, stepping into the lift where she waited for him to join her. Then, without another word, down, down, down the levels of the Harrowbane they went.

~~~ Acquisitions Level ~~~~

Aku was a nightmarish looking beast if ever there was one. The Komodi stood only slightly shorter than Xian himself, but his overall bulk and commanding presence made him seem as though he were ten feet tall. He met the pair as instructed, the great shadow of a man turned a crimson stare upon the twi'lek, long tail falling still.

"Krayt this is Aku," the Captain introduced him, "he appraises the value of non-tech Acquisitions and maintains the Keep. He works along side Kiin to ensure we get the highest market return on investment of our ...wares."

In other words, Aku made sure they got the highest amount of pay on all the goods they stole from other people. He also kept the storage facilities sorted and organized for market. The Komodo patiently stood while introductions were made.

"Aku this is Krayt, he will be assisting in Acquisitions of the breathing variety."

Aku made a sound, which was to say he growled, but he offered no formal greeting to the twi'lek otherwise.

"Now that we're all the best of chums, direct me to the plunder of the Moriatti raid, Aku."

A beat, a moment of thought, the Komodo turned then and stepped off down the hall. He lead them past numerous vault doors until reaching one on the right where he turned and input a passkey at one marked E. The doorway, large enough to drive a speeder through, split at the center and parted horizontally with gears turning as it gaped open. Within the hold lights flickered on to reveal wall-to-wall stacks of cargo crates in various sizes, store on rows of shelves that span from floor to ceiling. Blackthorned stepped in and began perusing the stacks, looking for something.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

The long trip down was filled with silence and Xian was content with that.

There was much to think about, not a lot of time to think about it though, so the moments that were free for pondering were welcome. It was strange how his 'role' in the Galaxy had shifted so quickly, yet stayed roughly the same. Still a predator on the regular masses, but now he didn't peruse their flesh and meat, instead opting to relinquish them from their external wealth.

The change was both jarring as well as strangely familiar.

Eventually the lift settled and Xian came face-to-forehead with one of Thorne's crewmembers. A... ah, yes, a Kimodo- the fact that he had sold a fair few of his kind into slavery was probably a conversation worth avoiding.

But this one? Exceptional bulk and muscle mass, enough that Xian's eyes were subconsciously roaming and measuring. Aku's grant was retorted with a short incline of his own... until Thorne introduced him and his duties. It had not been a point of discussion between the two of them and as such it came as a surprise.

Not slaves, that much Thorne had been clear on.

Hostages, then. Prisoners. Maybe livestock. That was something that Xian could handle, but it did amuse him that his previous job made him exceptionally suited for this.

"Big catch this one." Xian commented absent-mindedly as he watched her peruse one crate after another. "Didn't realize you wanted me to handle the... breathing variety of acquisitions. "

 

[Blackthorne]

"Play your crew to their strengths," the Captain replied without looking up, eyes sliding across meticulously labeled boxes and bins as she moved down the row. She stopped abruptly before a medium-sized chest, green eyes lighting up as though she'd just found herself dinner on a silver platter. Unhooking it from place and pulling the chest from the shelf, she set it on the ground where she lowered herself to kneel at its front.

"Have you ever heard of thaissen crystals?" she asked her twi'lek companion.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

He didn't bother to turn to her, instead contuining to follow the trail of his hands across the various crates stacked together.

Rich load.

It only seemed to underline that her pirate crew was successful and that this was the right direction to go for him. The last time they had worked together... he didn't have to work for about three weeks and still had enough cash left for a good ship.

"Nah, don't think so. What is it?"

Surprised him though- far as Xian knew he knew every worthwhile crystal by name.

 

[Blackthorne]

"They're used to power Force-detection technology," she worked the eye-and-hook closure of the chest open and lifted the top, within the gleam of various crystals met her gaze. Various colors and shapes, some in the raw and some refined. The contents looked like something taken out of her Uncle Merovign's personal trove, and that was ... frankly not beneath her at this point, but it had come from the loot of a luxury cruise-liner named Moriatti in the Outer Rim.

She sifted through it, looking for the telltale sign of a thaissen - that arcane reactive glow to Force Sensitives - and found one glowing an angry red towards the bottom. Delicately picking it out from the rest, Blackthorne rose back to a stand and eyed the gemstone with a hint of aversion to its color. The corruption of her own power had never been quite so clearly defined until now.

"They glow when in the presence of Force Sensitives. Typically white, but sometimes ..." a mild frown, "red."

Green eyes lifted to look at the man further down the row. Letting the crystal roll into her palm, she offered it to him with an extended hand.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

He eyed it suspiciously for a moment.

For all Xian knew it was somehow bewitched, why else would it burn right in the handls of Thorne? Her soul was gentle and musical, even if she tried to convince everyone differently. The lazy stretch of the shoulder that still ached from their fight was no proof against his conclusions, of course.

"If it hadn't been glowing already I woulda been sceptical." Xian mumbled before finallt reaching out and taking hold of the crystal.

Felt warm to the touch.

Not the warmth of her skin, but something coming from the inside. He looked curiously and yet nothing seemed to happen, besides the dimming of the crimson when she stepped back. "Well, seems like we got out answer-"

Then the faint blue hue filtered through his fingers.

"Well... feth."

 

[Blackthorne]

She took a step back, and then another, then another, and another. Again and again until the red glow of the crystal in his hand faded. The very action of it left her in a haze of uncertainty, but not for the man ... for herself. Dahldesa remembered very specifically holding one of those very crystals several years ago and it had not burned that color.

Not even close.

What had happened to her?

Lips drawing thin, jaw growing tight, brows furrowing, the Captain watched as the crystal fell inert and did nothing for several moments. Then, as if new life had been breathed into it, the faint light of blue caught in his palm like the smallest of flames. With this revelation came a smoothing of her expression, a warming even. A smile, faint like the glow in his hand, spread across her lips.

Blackthorne laughed at his reaction, an easy sort of sound as she planted a hand on her hip and toed the lid of the chest shut, "Well, guess who's my new Apprentice."

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

He was still staring at the crystal.

Eyes just a fraction wide and wondering what this actually meant for him. Sure, it meant that he could become a witch like Thorne, but.... What did that change for him, if anything? Did it make him into a different person?

Did it change his way of thinking about things?

No.

But it did make sure that the Twi'lek would have a fighting chance against other magic wielders. "Didn't reckon this would actually be a thing." Smile soft, softer than she ever saw from him before. Xian looked up and curiosity was on display now. "Why is mine blue and yours red?"

He hadn't noticed the frown earlier, too much focus on his own thoughts.

 

[Blackthorne]

Nor did I.

An unvoiced thought as she watched that smile form. Strange how nice it looked, how it drew upon the desire to kiss it. Thoughts of seeing similar smiles, so rare in their existence within her family, on the faces of her parents. An odd pairing to be certain, always so much at arms length when under the eyes of the public. Dahl could count on one hand the number of instances of private affections she'd witnessed between them over the years.

Sort of like right now.

That's one.

The Captain returned the smile at his words, recognizing the wonder of them. She likened it to those moments lost in the jungles where she experienced her first connection with wildlife over the Force. The blooming of a relationship between beast and sentient. These things that called so distantly to her heart made it ache, silently, within. A hand lifted to rub at her sternum before coming to rest at her neck as his question chased those private thoughts away. Smile faded, she considered him and his curiosity but couldn't bring herself to answer. Couldn't stand to cement the truth out in the open.

You're corrupted, Dahldesa Shamalain.

"Haven't a clue, luv."

The Captain pushed off from the chest with a deep breath, wry smirk working its way into place, green eyes looking him over with new interest. Back to brass tacks.

"Let's get started then."

She turned and made her way out of the chamber, back to the lift.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Blackthorne"]

The question had drawn the smile away and shifted it into... Xian couldn't truly say what it was.

She did not know?

Part of him wondered if that was the truth, but the greater part realized that this had little to do with him and that if she didn't want him to know what she knew? There was probably a good reason for it and pushing forward would have no good outcome for either of them. The crystal disappeared in his pocket and the Twi'lek followed soon after Thorne.

They settled into the lift and there was silence for a while.

Just them, the hum of the turbo-lift and his thoughts running from one end of the room to the other. "What will you teach me?" Xian finally asked after a while.

"Will I be able to fly? Read people's minds? Maybe survive a blaster bolt in the chest?"

The Twi'lek had no real idea what the exact limit was of this magic of hers. Was there even a true limit to it? Everything about this was simply new and... maybe even slightly exciting.

Odd feeling that.