A Bounty of Employees is Common

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded as [member="Macoda Haberon"] seemed to have accepted her proposal. That was good. Although she had no intention of killing him unless there was no other way to save herself, he was right inthat it would be more difficult for her to fly The Free Lady back home on her own.

He knelt before her, oddly enough. Some had done that before, but not many. She didn't really need people to humble themselves to that extent, unless they were training under her like her son.

Mac looked up at her as she was momentarily lost in thought. His look brought her out of it. "I accept. Now on your feet, please. There's no need for you to kneel. A simple bow or nod of the head will suffice, alright?" She picked up her blaster, yet didn't even lay her fingers near the trigger. "Let's just go back to the cockpit and relay our course back to Folor. During the flight I'll...think of something to excuse our delay."

Kay gave him a nod, indicating that he could pick up his axes and lead the way. A little trust was regained, as Mac seemed the honourable sort. Yet there was more that could be done. At least they were given the luxury of time. First thing was first, however. She needed to contact the Security Forces back home and let them know that all was well.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

"I accept. Now on your feet, please. There's no need for you to kneel. A simple bow or nod of the head will suffice, alright?"

Mac stood up kind of awkwardly, he couldn't help but smile. He kneeled because it just felt like the right thing to do. On Fornow at least, it was a sign of respect and sincerity. He picked up his axes and holstered them, relieved to be reunited with his weapons once more. He followed [member="Lady Kay"] into the cockpit and sat himself down in the pilot's chair. He waited for Kay to seat herself besides him and then took the frigate out of hyperspace and allowed Kay to contact her security forces.

Mac was now much more aware of Lady Kay's presence in sitting next to him. She was a force user after all, a fact that made Mac uneasy. Lady Kay had shown him mercy, but that did not negate that fact that she could've crushed his heart by sheer willpower. He had been force choked before, and he saw his father die of force lightning. He knew very well the power of the Force. His leg bounced as he was corrected the frigate's course back to Commenor. Mac was still a bit shaken from his panic attack. He took out his ax and laid it upon his lap and started to trace the engravings with his thumb.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay followed [member="Macoda Haberon"] to the cockpit, sitting herself down in the copilot's chair, once again buckling herself in. She tucked the blaster inbetween her right hip and the seat before The Free Lady was brought out of hyperspace. Quickly she took to relaying out a message. No doubt there was someone monitoring the channel. ~Command Centre this is Lady Kay, still on board The Free Lady. All is well. A stowaway on board tried to steal the ship, but we have it back under control.~

It only took a split second for a response to come in. ~My Queen, are you alright? Do you need assistance?~

~I'm fine. We're heading back to Folor now. Send my apologies to General Santiago for the delay.~

~Understood. Command Centre out.~

Kay closed the channel. She looked over to Mac, noting his anxiety. She shrunk down her Force signature to that of a small tree nut. It was done more out of habit than anything else. "Alright, we got the all clear. Time to head back. And...try to relax. I don't flaunt my abilities, remember? I hide them. It's one of the secrets that I carry. I trust that you'll be able to keep this all to yourself?"

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

After Kay contacted her security forces, Mac turned the frigate around, punched in the coordinates for Commenor, and launched the Free Lady back into hyperspace. He turned to [member="Lady Kay"] who clearly noted his anxiety. He let out a nervous chuckle. "It is just something I have to get over, my Lady." Mac's leg stopped bouncing but he kept his ax in his lap out of comfort.

"Don't worry Kay... errr I mean my lady. You can trust me with your secret." Mac paused before he continued. "Just like you are trusting me to actually take you back to Commenor, and just like I'll be trusting you that I won't get shot when I step off the ramp.

Mac stared out the viewport. He had sworn his allegiance to Lady Kay but that doesn't mean she has earned his trust. In fact, not many people ever do, his suspicion was just a product of his experiences. Mac doesn't have a head of security or armored guards like Lady Kay, that was not a luxury he could afford. He only had himself to blame if he got killed, and himself to rely on for survival. A part of Mac thought that perhaps Kay was just using him to get back to Commenor. But in the few weeks that Mac had known Lady Kay, she didn't seem like the person to backstab him like that.

But she also didn't seem like a force user either...

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded, glad to be heading back. There was a lot of explaining to do and she had to do her best to ensure that [member="Macoda Haberon"] wasn't harmed or arrested when they returned. Of course her word was law, but that wouldn't affect how people felt. Nor would it stop other members of her government from advising her to do otherwise.

"We all have our vices that give us comfort in uncomfortable situations. Mine is Sapir tea. I am limited to just four cups a day however. For now at least."

She chewed the inside of her cheek as she watched the streams of starlight fly passed them. "You know...I'm just about as nervous around other Force users as I am around those that that aren't. If I were more open about it, then maybe it would free me from some of the stress that hiding it causes, but...that would also open up a series of problems for me as well. I've been fired for it before, though it was still kept under wraps as a compromise."

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

"And are you nervous around me, Kay?" Mac heard himself ask, dropping the formality of 'my lady' simply because it was more natural for him. Perhaps knowing that Lady Kay was a little uneasy as well would calm Mac down a little. It would almost be comforting in a way. He knew things weren't smooth between the pirate and [member="Lady Kay"], especially after what he had tried to pull off. Mac's thumb still ran over the ax in his lap. If he was going to continue to be Kay's personal pilot, then they needed to restart from somewhere.

Mac pondered over her last words. He imagined that it must be difficult hiding part of who you are from millions of people like what Kay was doing. Still, hiding her abilities made Kay very unique for Mac had only encountered those who fully embraced their powers. And those were the most dangerous of people.

He looked over to the force user, awaiting a response.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay's eyes shifted to [member="Macoda Haberon"] before she had turned her head towards him. She cracked a bit of a smile. "Well, you are a lot bigger than me, a lot stronger, and you took out two of my security detail...You could have just as easily knocked me out and gotten away with it all. So yes...I am a little nervous. But maybe over time that will change."

Or so she hoped. Yet it was hard to say how this would all play out when they got back. They were doing so well before this....incident. Would it ever return to that way? She hoped so. But she wasn't one that could foresee the future. Her gut had told her that something was off before this trip had begun, but she mistook those feelings for something else. Hopefully such a thing wouldn't happen again, especially when lives were in danger.

"When we get to Folor, you should stay inside. You have blood on your clothes and that'd make them ask questions. We'll deal with all of that after we get back to Commenor. My Head of Security will have to be notified."

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Lady Kay's response eased him a little bit. Then he looked down at his blood covered shirt and smiled awkwardly. "Yeah that might be a good idea for me to stay inside." Mac's attention was also raised when [member="Lady Kay"] mentioned notifying her Head of Security. Mac swore inwardly. Out of all the ways to meet her Head of Security, being covered in the blood of his men was probably the worst way. He wasn't sure how this will go down. Mac looked out the viewport, they had a few minutes left before they came to the system.

"Hey Kay? There is something you should know, since we are kinda starting over and everything." Mac paused before he continued. "I... never worked for the Outer Rims Coalition or any government body for that matter. The truth is that I spent as much time guarding trade routes as I did raiding them. I'm a pirate, or I guess I was a pirate. I worked on the wrong side of the law more often than not. I just didn't want there to be any secrets on my end."

If you aren't going to kill me for kidnapping you, then odds are you aren't going to kill me for being a pirate either.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow slightly as [member="Macoda Haberon"] seemed to have something. She listened quietly, though the look that she gave him wasn't of disappointment or one of judgement, but more so one of acceptance.

She turned her gaze to the viewport again, watching the hypnotic streams of light fly past them. It reminded her of travelling on a winter's snowy night, with the snowflakes hitting the light as you'd zoom by. "Well, you're certainly working for a government body now. And who knows? Maybe you'll enjoy it."

A moment of silence passed before she looked over to him again. "We've all done things that we're not proud of. We've all made mistakes. No one's perfect. Yet the better people are those that try to make up for it. You're already on your way in doing that.....And so am I."

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac couldn't help but laugh at the purity of [member="Lady Kay"]'s response. Mac was not ashamed of his work as a pirate, far from it. He thoroughly enjoyed the thrills of the job and the rewards he reaped from it. No, Mac wanted to redeem himself from running away from his enemies. To redeem his cowardice that prompted Kay's kidnapping in the first place. He did not doubt that the opportunity would arise for him to do so.

Mac pulled the frigate out of hyperspace once they neared the darker of Commenor's two moons. As soon as he did, two Commenori fighters pulled up to escort him to the secret base. Mac looked out the viewport, nervously eyeing the two fighter ships. He exhaled loudly as he was guided to the surface of the moon, his leg started bouncing again. The orange lights which lined the landing pad helped him gently land the frigate down. As soon as the landing gear touched the surface of the moon, Commenori guards emerged and quickly surrounded the Free Lady, weapons in hand.

Mac looked over to Lady Kay, unsure if she would keep her word. "My life is in your hands Kay." Mac said nervously.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay breathed a short sigh of relief as Folor came into view. [member="Macoda Haberon"] came through afterall. He brought them back. That boded well for him.

She watched as The Free Lady was escorted and brought in to the landing pad inside the base. The moon held no atmosphere, everything breathable was only in this base, as well as at an installation on the other side of the moon.

It was hard not to notice Mac's nervousness, especially after they landed. She unbuckled herself and got to her feet, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Just power her down. I won't be long. You've got the easy job. I have to face General Santiago. He despises interruptions in his schedule." Kay patted his shoulder and then straightened up, fixing her dress and tucking some hair behind her right ear before she headed to the ramp and stepped out of The Free Lady.

******************************************

It was an hour before she returned, heading back up the ramp and making her way down the corridor to the cockpit, speaking while she walked. "Time to be off, Mac. The less time we spend here, the better."

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Kay's hand on his shoulder calmed him immensely. It was a small gesture to be sure, but as no guards boarded the frigate and no alarms were raised, Mac slowly began to realize that Kay was not going back on her word. He will be alright. When she returned from her business on the base, Mac was in a much better mood. He was confident about his future. While there still would be the Head of Security to deal with, Mac knew that he would have Kay's support which was more than what he could've asked for.

Mac allowed [member="Lady Kay"] to buckle herself into the chair next to him before he took off. He wasted no time in starting up the engine and slowly lifting the frigate off of the landing area. He angled the Free Lady towards Commenor and propelled upward from the moon's surface. It took only a couple minutes to reach Chasin City. Mac could easily see the palace protruding from the skyline and came to the landing area. As the frigate slowly descended, another host of guards came out to meet them. Word of Kay's unexpected disappearance had spread quickly it seemed. However Mac wasn't nervous. He trusted Kay.

Mac looked down at his clothes covered in blood and looked back up at Kay for her orders.

Oh this should be fun....

 

[Kay-Larr]

She could see and feel the uplifted mood that [member="Macoda Haberon"] was in. That was good. It made for a better trip back.

Once on the Palace's landing pad, she unbuckled herself and got to her feet. She had been going over different scenarios in her head, different excuses that she could use in order to explain what had happened. But Kay wasn't a good liar, never had been. If she didn't believe what she was saying, how could she expect anyone else to? She looked down to Mac. "Well, time to face the music. But don't worry. You'll be alright."

Kay walked out of The Free Lady, heading down the ramp first, her hands held up, but moving in a gesture to inform the guards to stand down. "I'm fine. You can stand down. Send word to [member="Darlyn Excron"] to meet us in my office at once."

Without even looking back, she headed inside the Palace. She knew that she could trust Mac to follow.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac quickly followed [member="Lady Kay"] out of the Free Lady. He ducked out of the frigate and stepped onto solid ground for what seemed the first time in a long time. The guards spotted the blood on his clothes, he could see their uneasiness. Mac, covered in the blood of their comrades, walked past them. His hands rested on the two axes that were holstered at his sides, dissuading any possible attempt to stop him. The surprise they would find on the frigate would not be a pleasant one.

Mac left the landing pad and followed Kay who was walking rather quickly back to her office. He wondered if she would try and cover up what had happened. What excuse could she make? Mac wasn't nervous, but he kept his hands on his axes all the same.

 

[Darlyn Excron]

If there ever was a time to fear Darlyn, now was the moment. The guards were constantly communicating now over their comlinks, keeping their Head updated on everything they found. Included in those attending to the Free Lady were units with crime scene investigation devices, mostly those of recording nature, to ensure they found absolutely everything they could about the 'stowaway' and how to better prevent the situation from occurring again. Such were their jobs.

Darlyn, on the other hand, was absolutely caked in darkness, anger mostly, even more so than normal. Even those not sensitive to the force would feel it, as the black cloaked man marched through the palace grounds. With his cloak and Exar Kun's lightsaber inactive in his hand, he looked more Sith-like than ever. And the closer he got to [member="Lady Kay"]'s office, the more and more she would feel his near overwhelming frustration and anger at the situation. Though when she would get the chance to see him in person, more noticeable than that would be the almost murderous look in his eyes. Not since Bespin, when he crushed the neck of one of the things that had attacked the group, had he held as much malice in him.

And it showed. Still, he managed to reach the office before any news of what happened on the ship came, and he didn't know where to direct his anger. He'd accidentally broken quite a number of objects along the way, including a pair of protocol droids that he'd sent crashing into the walls (they were in his way, you must understand), and news of how angry the man was had spread almost as fast as Kay's temporary disappearance with [member="Macoda Haberon"].

Regardless of if the Queen was in her office yet or not, Darlyn threw open the doors with the Force and stepped inside, ready to confront the Queen over her rather foolish act of not having the ship thoroughly inspected before departure.

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Macoda Haberon"] had followed her as she expected. But no sooner did she step into her office than she began to feel a growing anger. It wasn't from herself, but it was from someone else. Kay clenched her jaw. She stepped over towards her desk and then turned, looking to Mac as the commotion in the hallway began. "You may want to stand behind me...."

Kay took in a deep breath and released it slowly, her eyes trained on the door. [member="Darlyn Excron"] burst in then, looking darker than she had ever seen. The anger came off of him in waves, almost electrifying the air. "Darlyn, calm down. Let's get some tea and then I can explain." Would he accept the offer? She knew that he had grown a fondness for Sapir tea like she had, although she half expected him to refuse. Kay couldn't help but be a little nervous right now. Yet she was the Queen. He had to listen to her. Or rather he should.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

As soon as Mac had entered Lady Kay's office, he felt a pulsating aura of dread that penetrated his body. He hadn't felt such energized hate-filled air since the invasion of Fornow by the Zambranos. Mac's jaw clenched, someone dark was coming down the hallway. His heart rate quickened and his pupils widened. He looked at [member="Lady Kay"] with deep concern, his eyes filled with fear. The hair on his neck stood up.

"Kaayyy?"

"You may want to stand behind me...."

Mac didn't follow her instructions however. He stood besides her, bracing for someone to burst through the doors. Mac's clenched his jaw as he fear quickly turned to anger. He wasn't about to let anyone hurt Kay, especially after what she had done for him. She had saved his life, and Mac pledged himself to her. Mac held an ax in each hand and stepped in front of Kay. She had said the Sith would come for her again soon, and whoever was marching down that hall was definitely Sith

I can karking feel it.

Whoever wants to get to her will have to go through me first.

[member="Darlyn Excron"]

 

[Darlyn Excron]

"Calm down?" Darlyn repeated her words, a hint of oddly placed bitterness biting them, as he observed [member="Macoda Haberon"] stepping between them. In his angry haze he hadn't yet recognized the presence of blood on the man's shirt, too focused on [member="Lady Kay"] as he was in that moment. "Calm down? You expect me to calm down after you go gallivanting off to karking knows where without nary a word? After you take your ship without a cursory safety check for stowaways or sabotage? After all the work I put into making this place a fortress for your safety? After everything we've been through, after everything I've told you, knowing all of that you would ask me to 'Calm Down'?"

If he didn't look like a sith already, the slowly coursing lightning over his free hand that began to grow certainly made him look even worse. He wasn't doing himself any favors with Macoda that was certain. It almost seemed like he needed just the slightest excuse to snap. Of course, Kay held certain advantages to calming the man, but as it currently stood he was at least venting some of his frustrations.

It worked somewhat, but only made him recognize the obvious bloodstains. Another surge, and Darlyn's blue blade hissed angrily into existence, further amplifying his rage as a blaster was drawn and leveled at the ax wielding pirate. "Kay... I would advise you to step away from the suspect. I wouldn't want to hit you by mistake."

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Macoda Haberon"] didn't do as she suggested. Instead he put his life in danger by stepping in front. One can either see that as being very brave or very stupid. She thought it was the former. Yet she knew that Mac was scared too.

Kay clenched her jaw as [member="Darlyn Excron"] spoke, nearly yelling at her as his anger came to a boil. Gallavanting? A fortress for her safety? Was she a prisoner or a Queen? She couldn't be both.

She took in a deep breath and let it out, before walking around Mac, her eyes slightly narrowed. This was not the time for her to be passive. "Stand down, Darlyn! I was on official business to open up Folor base! It wasn't a joyride! I had to keep it off the books because it's top secret and you know that! This is all a misunderstanding and Mac is under my protection. So....STAND DOWN!!!"

Poor Mac. She knew of his fears of Sith. She just hoped to get the situation under her control.

 

[Hadrian Bjormund]

Mac was seething. He would be able to change the air as much [member="Darlyn Excron"] did if Mac was force sensitive. Alas, he was not. However that didn't mean Mac was about to let Kay get hurt by this Sith. His blood boiled as he watched lighting course over the free hand of the Head of Security, the same force lighting that had electrocuted his father to death. Mac's knuckles whitened around his axes, gripping the handles so hard that the leather wrappings left imprints on the palms of his hands.

Head of Security?! He poses the biggest threat to Lady Kay.

Though [member="Lady Kay"] had stepped in front of Mac in an effort to calm Darlyn down, Mac could still see clearly over her head and continued to glare at him. Darlyn igniting his lightsaber gave Mac momentary pause. He had never seen a lightsaber that wasn't red. Still, he knew that his axes were lightsaber resistant as proven by his father during the invasion of Fornow. Mac was more than eager to test them again and to add more blood to his clothes.