A Bounty of Employees is Common

[Kay-Larr]

A small amount of relief came to her, yet still, something seemed a little off. Kay hoped that it was just her imagination. [member="Macoda Haberon"] wasn't being aggressive. Instead he was being lighthearted and gentle as he turned her back to the cockpit. "There isn't going to be much time for tea when we get there. But I suppose that it can wait..."

Kay walked back to the cockpit and sat down in the copilot's chair, buckling herself in. "Oh...and before I forget, no one is to know about this trip that is outside of my staff. Our business there is top secret. So I trust that you'll keep it to yourself?"

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac was temporarily relieved when [member="Lady Kay"] turned around and headed back to the cockpit. He followed closely behind her and sat himself in the pilot seat.

"Oh...and before I forget, no one is to know about this trip that is outside of my staff. Our business there is top secret. So I trust that you'll keep it to yourself?"

"Of course, my lady. Your secret is safe with me."

Mac had no ill will towards the people of Commenor after all. He just needed Lady Kay, she was his ticket to freedom. He needed her bounty to survive. Mac flicked off the autopilot and slowly turned the craft away from the moon to which it was angled at. He punched in the coordinates to Nar Shaddaa. He couldn't think of any other place. Sure he hated the damned planet but he knew it well. It was deep in Hutt Space, out of the influence of Commenor, and Mac doubted that Lady Kay had any friends there. He started the hyperdrive up. It hummed slowly, then after a few seconds the Free Lady shot into hyperspace. Mac reclined in his seat, a huge sense of relief had washed over him. He smiled widely and started to laugh at his victory.

I can't believe it. I pulled it off. I had just succesfully kidnapped the Queen of Commenor.

Mac turned to Lady Kay sitting beside him who was clearly confused on what was going on. He looked into her eyes. "Lady Kay, I am going to ask you for your comlink." Mac held out his hand. "Please, just trust me." He felt a twinge of guilt.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded, pleased that they were in agreement. She settled back in her chair and returned to her thoughts.

That is until [member="Macoda Haberon"] steered them away from Folor. That dread sunk in again, even before The Free Lady was plunged into hyperspace. Mac was not what he seemed. She had been fooled, and just when she had began to trust others again. As he looked at her and asked politely for her commlink, she clenched her jaw, narrowing her eyes. "Trust you? Trust you?! I did trust you and you have betrayed me!" Kay spat out her words as she quickly unbuckled herself to get out from her seat. They were in hyperspace and she couldn't call for help until they were out of it. "I will NOT be held captive and tortured again! This is your ONLY warning. Now take us BACK or you'll regret it!!"

Fear and surprise fueled her. How could she have been so stupid? Was this another lesson? Where were her guards? Surely they were aware of the sudden change in course. But she made no move to grab her commlink, only moving away from her chair so that she can put a bit of distance between the two of them. Kay didn't want to hurt him, but she was not about to be confined again. At least she had the advantage of him underestimating her. Let him keep thinking that way. She had some tricks up her sleeve and she won't be holding back.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Her words stung harder than he expected, but they did not dampen Mac's mood. He looked over to Kay and smiled. He had won. Mac didn't take her threats seriously, it was all she had at this point. They were alone in hyperspace, just the two of them. And she couldn't escape. Lady Kay tried her best though, she unbuckled herself from her seat and bolted towards the lounge, putting as much distance between them as possible. Mac swore, and got up out of his seat to go after her. He didn't want [member="Lady Kay"] to see the mess he had made of her guards. It'll just make her less cooperative.

Mac called after her as he was running down the hall. "Wait Kay!" He dropped the 'my lady', there was no reason to maintain that facade anymore.

"I am not going to hurt you, Kay."

Mac holstered his axes. Mac knew the queen long enough to know that using violence would only make her less submissive. He had a way with words and he didn't want to hurt Lady Kay. Besides, he didn't need his axes to overpower her. He just hoped it wouldn't come to that. Mac lost sight of Lady Kay as see rounded the corner and ran into the lounge, Mac followed. He stepped into the lounge.

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Macoda Haberon"] just smiled at her. That's all that resulted from her warning. First thing's first. She needed her men. Kay headed to the lounge, not stopping as Mac called out after her.

What she found was not what she expected. Instead of two bored guards, or even two guards on duty, she found a pool of blood. Stepping in a little further, she discovered what she knew she'd find. One of her guards lay on the floor, two large wounds on his chest. One could only surmise how those were put there. And she could only guess that the second guard had suffered the same fate.

She needed a plan. But she needed to know what was going on. Kay spun around to face Mac as he stepped in. "Not going to hurt me?! Did you tell them that too? Where are you taking me, Mac? We are expected at Folor. Do you think that they won't notice that we aren't there? Do you think that they won't notice the jump?"

The jump. Of course. The best way to stall for time and get a message out. Fortunately the corridor in The Free Lady was a loop and the lounge wasn't closed in. So she turned and ran as quick as she could, heading towards the cockpit. She knew where the hyperdrive lever was. Kay just needed to get there and stop the jump.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac ran into the lounge to find Lady Kay standing over the corpse of the guard he had killed. A large pool of blood now covered the floor which clearly disturbed the Queen. He was too late, she had seen what he was capable of.

Chit.

The sight of the dead guard prompted Kay to release a bombardment of questions with a distressed voice. Her questions planted a seed of paranoia in Mac. He knew that this plan wasn't foolproof, and [member="Lady Kay"] knew that too. Still, the knowledge that Kay was kidnapped doesn't do much good unless you know where she will be taken, and Mac was the only one who knew where. Mac raised his hands to show that his axes were holstered. Slowly approached Kay and tried to calm her down with a gentle voice.

"Kay, listen to me. Don't do anything rash now. Everything is fine. I won't hurt you."

However before Mac got too close, Kay bolted down the other corridor in an attempt to head back to the cockpit.

KARKING HELL

Kay's lack of cooperation began to irritate Mac. He dashed down the hall from which he came in order to reach the cockpit before Kay would. She was faster, but he had less ground to cover. Mac unholstered his axes. Mac yelled out her name as he thundered down the corridor, trying his best to cover his annoyance.

"Kaaaayyyyyy"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Everything was fine. Right. If everything was fine, then she'd be on Folor giving out a speech and opening the base. Yet instead she was be taken to Force know's where.

[member="Macoda Haberon"] seemed to have figured out her plan as she heard his voice ahead of her, instead of behind. So she stopped out of sight, leaning against the wall as she fought to calm herself. She needed to focus, needed to keep her head. But she didn't want Mac to have his way either.

She had aces up her sleeve that he was unaware of.

Kay rolled up her sleeves and stepped out of hiding, her arms poised at her sides, almost as though she had blasters at her hips, although she had none. "Who sent you, Mac? Who do you really work for?" He was prepared for battle. She could not let herself get cornered.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac let out a sigh of relief as he found himself in the cockpit before [member="Lady Kay"] could try and escape.

"Who sent you, Mac? Who do you really work for?"

Lady Kay emerged from the shadows, her sleeves rolled up and her arms poised at her sides. Mac turned around to face the Queen, axes in hand. He paused.

Why did she roll up her sleeves? Is she actually planning on fist fighting?

Mac didn't know whether to be impressed or confused. Surely she knew that she couldn't win. She was fierce but Mac was a giant of a man and armed with axes. Still, he didn't this to escalate anymore than it needed to. He didn't want to be pressed into fighting. Mac positioned himself in front of the Queen as to defend the cockpit from her. He calmed himself down before answering.

"I wasn't sent by anybody. Let's just calm down. I'm not going to hurt you unless you make me."

Mac kept a good grip on his axes.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay clenched her jaw. There was an escape pod that she could use as a last resort, but using it during a hyperspace jump was impossible. [member="Macoda Haberon"] seemed calm, yet his axes in his hands told a different story.

"Then what the frick is this all about, Mac? Don't tell me that you've fallen madly in love with me and this is your answer to keep us together..." She knew that couldn't possibly be true, but it would help to make him believe that she was truly frazzled. If anything he wasn't giving a clue as to where they were going or to whom. "What is it that you want? More credits? Are you running from something? All that you had to do was ask and I could help."

She maintained a good distance between them, keeping herself out of reach. If he moved forward, she moved back. It was almost a dance.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac was getting frustrated, she was asking too many questions. He slowly stepped towards [member="Lady Kay"]. Mac tried to reply in a calm voice but he was clearly rattled when Kay suggested that he was running from something. "You don't know what you are talking about. You wouldn't believe me if I told you and you wouldn't help me if you did." Mac continued to slowly advance towards Lady Kay.

"You are my ticket out of here. Just cooperate with me and no one has to get hurt." Mac knew it was an unreasonable request. He knew that the Queen wouldn't just submit to him, but he kept his axes in hand to convince her to do what he said. Mac held all the cards in this situation. He was armed and alone with Lady Kay. They were in hyperspace on their way to the destination that only he knew. He was blocking Lady Kay from the cockpit. Everything was going as planned.

So why am I so karking nervous?

Mac continued to step towards Lady Kay.

 

[Kay-Larr]

She touched on something. She knew that when [member="Macoda Haberon"] seemed to hesitate, not so much in his movement as he was still advancing towards her, but more so in his eyes. "I am not a liar, Mac. If I offer someone help, then I mean it."

Kay kept matching his movements, keeping him out of reach. "No one has to get hurt? You just killed two of my men, Mac! And whoever you're taking me to, do you think that I'd be treated well? Use your head! I was tortured for months on end by the Sith and I am not about to let that happen again. Now STAND DOWN!!" The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She could feel the Force gathering around her, wanting to be released, yet the diplomat in her still yearned for her negotiations to be successful.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac knew he wasn't getting anywhere with [member="Lady Kay"]. She wasn't going to cooperate peacefully and he was too deep into this to stand down now. He had kidnapped the Queen of Commenor and killed two of her guards, Mac would be surprised if he wasn't given the death sentence. He wasn't planning on finding out. Besides even if Lady Kay showed him mercy, which he doubted, he would still be on Commenor with no way to escape those who were hunting him. The thought quickened Mac's heartbeat.

They will NOT get me.

Mac continued to step towards her. He wasn't liking the look that she was giving him. He suddenly got a bad feeling on what was going to happen, the energized air made him more panicked. He had felt it before, on Fornow. Mac knuckled his axes. "Don't do anything rash Kay." Mac warned her with a menacing tone. In truth he was scared more than ever.

But why?

Mac continued to advance towards Lady Kay, axes in hand, until she finally was backed up into the wall as the hall took a bend towards the lounge. Mac cornered her, he was closing the gap between them. "Kaayyy." He warned again. Mac's heart started pounding, then his head. The same feeling of dread that overwhelmed him on Fornow was holding him now. His eyes widened, he wanted to scream.

KARKING HELL, WHAT IS GOING ON!!

Mac panicked and swung the flat side of his ax at Kay.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Don't do anything rash? She had done nothing to him and yet he had murdered her people and kidnapped her. Negotiations were not going to work today. She knew that now.

Both of them were unsure of what the other would do. It was an awkward game that they were playing. Kay's back soon hit the wall and [member="Macoda Haberon"] was still advancing, closing the gap that she had created. Yet now she saw the fear in his eyes.

Mac swung his axe, and Kay dropped to the floor, utilizing the gathering Force and sending it outward to hit Mac like a wave to force him back. He was far bigger than others that she had sparred against and those that her former Master had made her kill were much smaller and weaker than he was. She quickly got to her feet and ran around the bend to the lounge where her guard's body lay, sliding on the pool of blood and almost stumbling over the fabric of her gown. She grabbed the blaster still holstered on his side and pulled it out, flicking off the safety and setting it to stun while aiming it towards where she figured Mac would appear, her body leaning against the corpse. All that she needed to do was knock him out. Then she'd be free.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Much to Mac's surprise, Kay dropped to the floor, his ax whizzing over her head. Mac had only swung with the flat of the ax, he wasn't meaning to kill her after all, but Kay sprang up with the might of the Force and hurled Mac back down the corridor, sending him flying onto his back. The fall knocked the wind out of Mac's chest and he dropped his axes.

Mac laid there on the floor, crippled by his fear. He now knew what [member="Lady Kay"] was, why the air felt dreadfully familiar right before Kay launched him, he had experienced the same thing during the invasion of Fornow. The wind was knocked out of Mac and he felt that he was unable to breathe. His breaths were short and rapid. Sweat beads appeared on his face and his pupils widened in fear. Mac was quivering on the ground, lacking the energy or concentration to stand back up. That same dread now cloaked his mind. When he closed his eyes he could see the burning trees. His father's screams rang in his ears. The same as his nightmare. Gasping for breath and paralyzed by fear, all he could do was choke out an accusation in anger.

"You karking SITH!"

His eyes began to water.

 

[Kay-Larr]

There were reasons that she had kept her Force abilities hidden from others. And this was one of them. People feared it, and they especially had distrust when it came to a Force User in a position of high political standing. Like her.

Kay heard the anger coming from [member="Macoda Haberon"] . She felt it too. But he wasn't running after her. Was he going anywhere? She got to her feet, the blaster aimed ahead of her while she moved slowly down the corridor. To her surprise, Mac was still on his back, his axes lay beside him on the floor.

As she spoke, her voice was calm. It was still a volatile situation. "If I was a Sith, then I would have ended your life already. I am not a Jedi either, I'm not anything. You attacked me so I had no choice but to defend myself. I gave you fair warning, but you persisted. Are you going to continue to give me reason to defend myself? Or are you going to be sensible and let me go back home?"

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac took slow deep breaths. His chest was rising and falling rhythmically. With a struggle he sat up and coughed hard. He wiped his eyes before tears could fall. He sniffled. Mac was still shaking, but his heart rate slowed back down and he collected himself somewhat. He looked up to see [member="Lady Kay"] pointing a blaster down at him. The sight made him quiver. He had lost, and now he will pay for it with his life.

"Light side, dark side. It does not matter, they are just two sides of the same coin. Just witchcraft used to kill better men."

Mac coughed hard again. This was not the time for philosophy. But if he was going to die, he had to say that for his father's sake.

"I- I can't go back. I can't. If I do they will find me."

He looked up at Lady Kay, fear still in his eyes. It was unreasonable for her to understand what he was saying. How did it come to this? He had been so careful, but nothing could've prepared him for this.

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Macoda Haberon"] was scared and upset. More so than he should be. Was it all an act? She didn't think so. But then again she had been fooled by him before. So there was very little trust between them right now.

She lowered the blaster as Mac spoke nearly in the same manner as her Father did with regards to Force Users. Others were of the same opinion and she knew it. People became desperate and violence was often the result. Some people lived for that, but not her.

Kay frowned, her anger and fear put on the backburner for a moment. Instead she showed concern, especially as he hinted at being hunted. "I consider it a talent...not witchcraft. And yes, you are better. You are far superior than me in ways that I would never be able to match. I didn't ask to have these abilities, no more than you would have asked not to have them. I keep it secret from most because of people that would either kill me or use me as a puppet." She sighed. "I don't know who you're running from, but I'm running too. The Sith will come for me again some day, and if my secret got out, I will lose everything. Lives will be lost and who knows who will take over Commenor nor what they would do to it's people. Wherever you are taking me, you are jeapardizing an entire planet. Do you really want to have that blood on your hands, Mac?"

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

"I wasn't referring to myself, Kay. I know I am not a good man."

Mac slowly stood himself up and sighed.

"I was talking about my father."

He was not even half the man his father was. He had ran from the Sith when they invaded his home and he was running from the Sith now. His father died in battle against the Sith, fried to death by force lightning before Mac's eyes. Mac, on the other hand, fled from the corpse of his father after relieving him of his axes. Mac stared down at the axes which laid on the floor. Tears welled up in his eyes. The giant had shown his vulnerability. He wiped the tears from his face, embarrassed.

Mac looked up with surprise when Kay mentioned that she was running from the Sith as well. She had never mentioned them as enemies, at least nothing more than an offhand comment. Mac decided to just give in and tell her the truth.

"I am running from the Sith too. The Zambranos want me dead, Kay. A couple days ago, I saw myself on the Bounty Board for fifty thousand credits, courtesy of the Zambrano family. I panicked and kidnapped you in hopes to collect your bounty and tie up a loose end at the same time. I knew they could get to me through you, I wanted to strike first before you had the chance to betray me. I knew you would. Why risk the lives for your people for someone like me?

Mac offered a sad smile at that last statement. He wouldn't look Kay in the eyes. He was ashamed of what he has done, and he still feared [member="Lady Kay"]. He wouldn't make his father proud, not by doing this. He had betrayed one of the few acquaintances he had on the first sign of trouble. And for what? Out of his irrational fear of force users. Mac didn't know what else to say. He could offer an apology but that would seem laughable after what he did. Apologies can't resurrect dead guards or dead trust. He could ask for help, but that seemed perhaps even more absurd than apologizing. Mac glanced up at Lady Kay who still had the blaster in her hands.

"Of course I don't what that kind of blood on my hands."

Mac was very familiar with having blood on his hands, but this was different. He finally looked up at Lady Kay again.

"If I go back to Commenor, I die. Whether at the hands of your justice system or at the hands of whatever Sith assassin the Zambranos have waiting for me. If I am going to die, just kill me now, but good luck flying your way back to Commenor without me."

Mac sighed.

"I am sorry...for what it is worth."

He closed his eyes in anticipation of a blaster bolt.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow. His father? She watched as he got to his feet and took notice that he didn't reach for his axes at all. That was a wise choice. [member="Macoda Haberon"] seemed to be defeated. She had never seen a grown man, let alone a giant of one, be overcome with such grief. In some strange way, it was touching.

Her old Master would have had her kill him on the spot, or torture him before his public execution. But she was stubborn and did things in her own way. And besides, her Master had abandonded her. Commenor belonged to her and it's people. Not to the Sith. Not to those that held it's Embassies there.

She listened to his story, heard his motives and concerns that drove him to do what he had done. As she figured, it was a desperate act done by a desperate man. Swift justice wouldn't fix the problem.

After Mac closed his eyes and apologized, she crouched down and put the blaster at her feet to even the playing field a little, before standing upright once more.

"Thank you. But I'm not going to kill you, and neither will the Zambranos. They may have a house on Commenor, true, but as the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. It was Lord Prazutis Zambrano that captured me and tortured me for over four months straight. Unspeakable things were done to me. It was only after he released me that I had allowed one of his family to build a house here. But do not think that I am overjoyed by it. Commenor is a neutral planet. We cannot cater to either side. But know this...While they are here, they live under my rules, my laws, and if they are broken, they would be expelled. Any retaliation would be dealt with swiftly, and not just by the Commenori, but by other allies that also have a strong hatred for the Zambrano family."

Kay clasped her hands in front of her. She was a diplomat before anything else, and one with a lot of influence. "I have a proposal for you. There may be a bounty on your head, but you will be under my protection. Such a small bounty is easily compensated and only worth the time of amateurs. So you should not worry. You may continue to be my personal pilot and a member of my security detail, however your wages will be garnished to help support the families and funerals of those whose lives that you have taken. You will continue to work for me until your debt is repaid."

She took a step towards him, not in a threatening gesture, but one of courage and respect. "My fiance told me that before my captivity, I had a knack for finding the good in people. And I feel that in you. I will not kill you for making a mistake. Your actions now will determine your fate and what kind of life you wish to lead. So please, accept my proposal and give yourself the chance to set things right."

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac was surprised that he did not receive a blaster bolt to the head. Instead, [member="Lady Kay"] laid her blaster on the ground to Mac's disbelief. He listened quietly to the Queen's prior relations with the Zambranos, his jaw clenched with anger when she mentioned her captivity and torture. Lady Kay then offered her proposal, which was much better than what Mac had ever expected. Not only would he be spared but he would also be granted protection under Lady Kay and the government of Commenor. The support offered to the guard's families was also fair. They were innocent after all, they were armed but they were innocent nonetheless.

Spoken like a true politician.

Still Mac had misgivings. Now that he knew that Kay was captured by Prazutis Zambrano, he was wary of the influence he may still have over her. However, it seemed like they shared a common enemy in the Sith, although not officially. This was Mac's biggest concern, he feared that being neutral was being submissive. She shouldn't underestimate the will of the First Order. Such a mistake could leave Mac in the hands of the Zambranos. But did Mac have a choice in the matter?

"My lady.... I don't know how to thank you enough for the mercy you've shown me. I pledge myself to you until my debt has been paid, if you'll accept my service. I hope to redeem myself, both for this incident and my past disgraces."

Mac kneeled before the Lady. Mac saw that his axes were laying on the floor close to him but he thought better than to pick them up. If he had wanted to, he could've jumped Lady Kay from this position and quickly overpower her. But Mac didn't want to. This was sincere. He looked up at Lady Kay, almost as if to ask for permission to arm himself again. He hoped to restore the trust she had in him, although he knew that would take time. It would also take a long time before Mac could be completely at ease when next to a force user. He was still a nervous around her.