Private A Crucible of a Cruise

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen winced a bit at Aren's question. In all technical honesty, yes, she had. Still, the Valde refused to shed tears over such a man as the one that was now a drifting pile of ash. "Best if we meet the captain some place with less people. And when we do meet him, please refrain from turning him into ash as well. I understand the catharsis, but its not a proper habit for civilized people."

For a brief moment, he found himself almost shouting to be heard above the alarms which pierced his ears with their wailing. Then, as quick as they began, they were silenced by a sudden telekinetic pressure. It was further evidence that the strongest bonds were those that one placed on themselves as Vulpesen was quickly beginning to realize that Scilla's own perceptions kept her imprisoned more than the bars of her cage ever could. "In any case, we should get moving before the panic dies down. My authority here isn't exactly absolute, and that includes any immunity I can offer you for offering free cremations.

Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Scilla-

The woman accepted the hand Aren held out and tentatively stepped out of her familiar cage. Her pet walked by her side, and she left everything behind except him. Nodding at Vulpesen, she hadn't planned on roasting anybody else.

"I'm not civilized, though. I should go back."

Starting to turn away, the hold of Aren was firm, and she didn't allow Scilla to retreat.

"Let me go."

Firmly pulling her hand away from Aren, she attempted to stand up straight and leave the area.

Aren-

Jogging to keep up with Scilla, she stopped to wait for Vulpesen to follow and walked with him.

"What are we going to do with her? I promise I won't space you or her. Or anybody else unless they deserve it."

Saying the last part with a joking tone, she just wanted to get back to the unfinished drink and sleep it off tomorrow.

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

"Because something always was, doesn't mean it should always be," Vulpesen called after the draconian woman. "Come with me and you'll have shelter, and a pace to learn how to live among the general populace while you get your feet together." He motioned to the crushed alarms. "And if you can convince me that you're willing to give civilization a shot, I can teach you to do more than displays of brute strength with the force."

He turned to Aren, his tail flicking and lashing behind him. "I intend to take her along. She needs a place that's not here. And she'll need friends if she's to start anew. In any case, we need to get a move on. People tend to notice when the host turns into an overcooked flash fired brisket."

Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Aren-

"She's already got the idea. Do you think she's going to roast the captain? I hope not. Getting sick once was enough."

Thinking about what he said, she was quiet. When he mentioned brisket, though, her stomach growled. Rubbing at it, it was no longer upset and was now just empty.

Scilla-

Noticing her two new friends had fallen behind, she stopped to wait for them. She was leading them away from the zoo and into a quiet area. It was darker, and there seemed to be waves of water reflecting off the walls.

"This is an area where only people living here can go."

Not stopping at the pool, she continued and let them through another door. Inside, it was a breakroom. Closing the door behind them, she locked it. Taking a seat, she sat down, but the chair was too small for her.

"Let me know when your men show up with the captain."

Lowering a hand, she petted Darum as she took what comfort she could from him.

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

"I'll make sure she doesn't. One man burned to cinders will be hard enough to handle. Two will be impossible, and I'd rather not throw her into a cell after getting her out of a cage." He followed Scilla into the break room and took a seat himself, offering an apologetic look as Scilla struggled to find herself somewhere to rest. [Valde to Trident. Reroute to my location. Keep it quiet, though. lets not make this a parade.]

The affirmative buzzed into his ear and Vulpesen leaned back into his seat before reaching into his jacket to produce a flask. "Well, so much for a nice vacation away from the troubles of the galaxy." Despite his 'complaint,' there was a small smile on Vulpesen's face as he swigged from the small container. As much as he enjoyed his R&R, he couldn't deny that he was never one to stay out of trouble.

Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Aren-

"I can wipe any technological trace of her actions. I don't think they were filmed anyway, as the power was out in that area. What do you think caused the cages to open?"

This was the heart of her skill. Her ability to manipulate technology through the Force. There wasn't much the technowizard knew about the Force, but she had focused on what she knew. Then again, she hadn't known she was using it until just a few years ago when she left her parents and started living on her own.

Following Scilla and Vulps, Aren too sat to keep an eye on both of them.

Scilla-

Deciding it would be more comfortable on the floor, she pushed the other chairs out of her way. Curling her tail around herself, she kept her other hand on Darum and felt his soft fur under her fingers. Glowing eyes looked at Vulps, but she was silent for a few moments.

"What kind of a vacation and what troubles are happening out there? What brute strength are you talking about?"

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

"Who knows. If I had to guess, I'd say a freak occurrence, but coincidences are rare. But in any case, being able to wipe Scilla off the records would go quite a ways in keeping us off the record." He took another sip and chuckled as Scilla questioned his own troubles. "To answer your second question, the force is an amazing and versatile tool. I don't know how practiced you are, but I doubt you've had a lot of training. I can teach your how to do a lot more than smash some cameras. As for the second question, I usually run a planet, an arms company, and a military unit. I came here to try and get some rest. The galaxy outside can be a chaotic place and some times its nice to get away from the chaos." He motioned around to the ship around the which until recently, had been an open air zoo. "Didn't quite work out as I planned."

Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Aren-

Nodding when he agreed to her ability to wipe Scilla from the record was a benefit; she pulled out her datapad and got to work. Connecting to the intranet of the ship, she quickly turned off the world outside of herself and focused on the task at hand. That meant any conversation that happened between the other two was entirely missed by her.

Scilla-

"It was caused by the monkey escaping again. He likes doing that."

Shrugging her shoulders, the woman listened as he answered her questions. Her face remained almost expressionless, but it showed her intelligence even if her eyes couldn't.

"No training, what I learned was from reading. There is so much more I could do, but I don't want to hurt anybody. Even through inaction. I'm sorry if Darum hurt you, woman."

Looking back at the man, she nodded. With her free hand, she motioned broadly to the ship.

"This is my home and all I've known. Getting away was never an option, but I didn't want to. Everything has been taken care of for me. How do you expect me to survive if you've granted me freedom from a slavery I didn't even know I had?"

While she appeared calm, there might have been a sharpness in her tone.

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

"Escaping Monkey. That's a new one." Another sip from his flask and his tail flicked behind him. "Getting away was always an option. you simply couldn't see it. And don't start to think about blaming me for the woes of freedom," Vulpesen warned, pointing at Scilla with his drinking hand. "I opened the bars and said nothing but the truth. You're the one who decided to react with copious amounts of fire. That was all on you. But don't worry too much. My people have reconstructed entire lives after having nothing. Not even breath in their lungs. You at least have that. And you have Darum."

A knock on the door drew the attentive point of one of Vulpesen's ears. "Speaking of my people."

"Got 'im boss." A small team of men marched into the room, a rather bedraggled captain in hand. The team's head was a bright red headed soldier with a smile that was less mischievous grin, and more like impish trouble incarnate. "Thought you were out for a drink. How'd you manage a dinner party with all the trouble? Saw the lights flicker, and a little while later, you're barkin' on the comms with folks screamin' in the back ground."

Aren D'Shade

 

[Priscilla Tel'Lightstalker]

"I do not blame you for my actions. I'm going to have to live with that murder for the rest of my life."

Tilting her head as he finished speaking, the signs of her horns might poke through her hair a little. She styled it to keep them hidden, but being out of her cage, her hair had started to rest flat against her head.

"Who are you and your people?"

Looking at the door as it opened, she stood up to her full height and approached the captain without any hostility.

"I, Kowakian monkey lizard, shorted out one of the power sources, and we got the animals back in the zoo."

Choosing to answer the flame-haired man, if Vulpesen wanted to give additional information, he could. Darum was at her side, and she kneeled to pet him as she looked at the captain.

"Tell me, sir. Why did you approve of captivity, or did you even know?"

Reaching out a hand, she tried to remove the captain from the hold of the man. If that were allowed, she would march him over to a chair and use her height to intimidate him.

"I know nothing. I approved the items for all of the shipments. Food and supplies for the zoo and that was all."

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

"Zorrens. But we'll have time for a history lesson, later." As Priscilla began her interrogation, Vulpesen simply leaned against table, watching the two interact after the Captain was released to her custody. Vulpesen's men stayed close however, keeping a weather eye on the proceedings. For his own part, the Valde wasn't entirely sure in his trust of the capatins words. Thankfully, such mistrust gave him an opportunity to tip the scales and show Priscilla what some additional control could do.

"So you knew nothing? Had no idea your zookeeper was keeping a sentient in a cage for years? And do keep in mind, honesty is currently your best policy." That last sentence, he imbued with the force. It wasn't his strongest ability, and indeed he might have grown a bit rusty. Still, as he exerted pressure on the man's mind, he did his best to ensure that there were no lies between them.

Priscilla Tel'Lightstalker

 

[Priscilla Tel'Lightstalker]

Priscilla has watched sentients long enough over the years to know the man was telling the truth. Letting him go and not caring if he fell down or not, she ambled back over to the spot on the floor she had been sitting on before. Waving her hand, she started ignoring the captain. Looking at Vulpesen, she shrugged.

"He's telling the truth. Read him if you want."

The man was scared, but without her imposing form hovering around him, he had relaxed slightly. Shaking his head at Vulpesen, he took a few moments to find a voice to answer him.

"No, sir. The notes I am given are just information needed to order the supplies."

Of course, the captain was mundane and did not resist the nudge through the Force. His words were true and accurate.

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen held his gaze on the captain for a long moment, his obsidian tail flicking behind him as he watched and observed, both for physical signs, and any signs through the force that there might be resistance to his influence. Finding none however, he would lean back and motion for his men to take the man. "He's free to go. I suggest you keep a closer eye on your ship's programs in the future. There are quite a few places where your actions could land you in hot water. Or a cold cell."

For now, content that justice had been served to the guilty parties, Vulpesen returned his attention to the two women that had joined him while his men escorted the frazzled captain from the room. "So, will you be taking me up on my offer? I can't promise that it will be easy, but if you want a way to rebuild your life, we can certainly help. And I think it'll be easier than striking out on your own."

Priscilla Tel'Lightstalker

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Aren-

"He's not wrong. The details on the manifest are rather scant. Are you hiding anything else, sir?"

Who was she to question the legality of anything on this ship when she wasn't even here legally? Keeping that detail to herself entirely, she suspected the captain did know more than he was letting on. Maybe not about the zoo, but this was a large ship with quite a few attractions.

Narrowing her eyes at the man, she watched him slink away without answering her question. Returning her attention to the intranet, she delved back in to continue erasing any history of Scilla.

Scilla-

"I will. Though I don't think she likes me."

Her hand rested on the yellow fur of Darum, and her fingers stroked the side of her friend. Her glowing eyes glanced at Aren and quickly returned to Vulpesen.

"How do we go anywhere?"

As this ship was all she knew, she didn't imagine a ship waiting to take her away.

Vulpesen