A Mighty Big Space

[Kinsey Starchaser]

@Abelain Narv'uk

Fingers tugged off the helmet of her thinsuit. Readings were right: breathable air. Funny how a wrecked Star Destroyer could have chunks of working atmo in the middle of the deep black. Should be some good finds in here. Helmet attached to her hip with some good old fashioned Velcro. EMPs couldn't touch the stuff.

Digging out a flashbeam from her satchel, she gripped it tightly and moved deeper into the wreckage. Looked like where she was now used to be a functioning cantina. Trays and old packets of food littered the floor. There were even a few serving droids piled against one wall.

Booted foot crunched down on something.

Beam flashed down.

"Sizzle chips. Score."

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

Some of the most beautiful worlds that the Arue'tii had ever gazed upon had been filled with luscious forests and jungles, and populated by a vast variety of life forms. There were plants that grew to seemingly enormous heights, and others which were barely visible underfoot. There were those bits of foliage that were possessed of vivid and vibrant coloration, and others which seemed to hint at an innate dullness, a muted sensation that had long since been lost to the eons. Upon these worlds, there were animals of many shapes and forms as well, each one with a role to play in the ecosystem. Herbivores and peaceful creatures meandered through the fields, ensuring that none of the plants grew too dominant over one another, whilst predators ensured the same among the population of the herd. Meanwhile, scavengers picked through the rent and torn carcasses of the dead, satisfied with the detritus of far more dangerous beasts.

In the absent void of space, there was no ecosystem, at least, not a true one. Certainly, there was the interaction of celestial bodies, but such activities took hundreds or thousands of years to perpetrate, and so they could hardly be counted as even remotely active. With that lack of a centralized ecosystem came a lack of the scavengers who feasted upon the carcasses of long-dead things left icy and afloat in that sea of simultaneous emptiness and depth.

Perhaps if there had been some manner of scavenger, the Arue'tii would never have located the Star Destroyer, floating not far; at least, not in astronomical units, away from the ice belt of a local planet. The Osprey was a relatively minuscule vessel when compared to the massive warship, but the frigate was also in far better shape than its larger brethren. The greatest similarity between the two were the apparent and clear markings of the One Sith upon both, the relationship between the two as clear as a glass pane.

There was the gentlest tug of atmosphere and shift of pressure as the docking port opened up to the ship, and for an instant the Arue'tii worried that there would be a sudden sucking of vacuum. Thankfully, it seemed that a majority of the warship had been sealed before it had been abandoned entirely, and whilst it was evident that certain portions of the ship were vented to the great absence outside; scans indicated that the primary gunnery station for the topmost guns of the Star Destroyer had been absolutely vaporized, it seemed that exploration would be fairly safe.

A squadron of soldiers dismounted from the frigate, sending lights lancing across long-dead surfaces as they began to scour the ship. The Arue'tii tumbled in rather awkwardly after them, hooking himself to the floor with the Force so as to prevent his floating away.

"Gravity." He spoke pointedly, casting a glance at the nearest unfortunate soul who simply sighed before spinning upon her heel and directing the same look at a pair of her underlings.

"Get a generator up and running if you can. I want gravity in twenty and lights in thirty."

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

She popped one of the orange-trapezoid shaped chip in her mouth.

Crunch-a-munch.

An amused voice filtered through her headset. "Kinsey, don't tell me you're eating a snack in the middle of this job?" She could almost see Brak's toothy smile as she popped another chip in her mouth. At least there was gravity in this room. Grav-boots could take a break.

"What? Not like I'm going to say no to free sizzle-chips. Beats those gross bugs Xin keeps in the mini back on the fleet. And don't even get me started on your stuff..."

Brak grunted on the other end.

"Sensors pick anything up?"

Sounded like Brak was banging a malfunctioning piece of equipment on the other end. He swore. Starburst-blues rolled as she nibbled on another chip before stashing the rest in her satchel. "If you get it working y'know. Let me know."

Made her nervous. Still. The chance of anyone else finding this scrapheap out here was slim. And even if there were other salvagers, this destroyer was huge and the chance of her running into anyone was even slimmer. Fingertips absently tapped the blaster strapped to her thigh. Wrist came up as she checked her display unit. Some vital power cells would be this way according to the map. Before opening the door she scanned for oxygen.

So far so good.

Fingertips had to pry open a set of doors that had long ago lost power into a main corridor.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

One of the few failures of the Arue'tii people in general was their lack of ability to interact or understand much of the technology that was considered galactic standard. The reason for this minor inconvenience stemmed from the fact that they had not encountered most of the technological advances until only recently in their history, and the span of a year or two hadn't taught them every single facet of every single electronic device. Nevertheless, the people of Ghul were hungry for knowledge and curious about the makeup of a great many things, and so the crew of the Osprey had done their best to facilitate a satiation of that need by scavenging for machines and parts that might better assist their surrogate home.

Abelain observed as one of the armored One Sith troopers marched over to a nearby machine attached to a wall, examining a schematic board upon his wrist for several seconds; likely assuring that removing the wall piece would not open the hallway to the void, and promptly began to carve away at it with a tool reminiscent of a plasma cutter. He briefly considered igniting his crimson lightsaber, and hacking away at the desired device himself so as to speed the process, but whilst the weapon carried far more power than the cutter, it was also much less accurate, even in the hands of a Sith... especially in the hands of a Sith.

The Arue'tii followed after the small crew that had been dispatched to work on the generators in an attempt at reigniting the gravity generator in this sector of the vessel. There was the gentlest pull towards some of the walls that seemed to hint at the fact that there was another such generator elsewhere, or perhaps it was the same gravity generator and it was simply not filled with enough power to reach them. In truth, he understood little of how the machines worked, and was simply there to observe. They passed through several hallways, bypassing one which ended in an emergency bulkhead which had been activated to prevent the hallway from ending directly into space.

As they neared their destination, the faintest scent of something tickled his olfactory senses, gradually directing his attentions elsewhere. He concentrated, and scented the air once more, detecting the scent again, but now in greater detail than he had in only a cursory examination. He analyzed it for details, recognizing in a heartbeat that it was blood, and knowing by the way that it smelled, the minuscule differences in the iron scent, that it was fresh and living.

"Carry on with the repairs. There is a life somewhere aboard the ship. I wish to seek it." He spoke towards the crew, who acknowledged his command continued on their path.

The Arue'tii broke off from them, stalking down a perpendicular corridor, edging steadily closer towards the smell of blood. It was young, he considered as he drew ever closer, the scent becoming stronger as he approached, the predatory instincts of his mind combined with his analytical processes allowing him to identify so much from a simple smell. She was just around the corner, he surmised, recognizing both her general location and sex. He turned, and disappointingly found himself facing yet another bulkhead where the hallway had been severed in twain. The scent, however, was not emitting from beyond the bulkhead... no, it was...

There was the sudden noise of a snap-hiss as the lightsaber blade came to life, and an instant later it was plunged directly into the ceiling of the hallway, beginning to carve away an opening directly besides the girl.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

A growl came from the other end of her comm. She stiffened. Though, in an awkward position. One knee was up, boot planted firmly on a half-damaged bulkhead databank. Other foot still firmly on the ground with hands wrapped around a handle on the counsel. Arms flexed as she tugged, using her foot and leg as leverage.

"Sensors finally came online. You've got life forms a deck below you and..."

Sound drew her attention away from Brak's voice. Eyes the color of twilight filled with pinpricks of stars peeking through the light focused away from her project and on the sudden smoldering floor to her right.

"Chit." The spacer was known to swear.

Definitely a lightsaber. Didn't bode well for the vessel they were on. Sith markings? She'd tried to stay as far away from Sith as possible after her time with Sage Bane.

"Not good."

Brak muttered something on the other end as she backpedaled away. Unfortunately, she was cut off from going back to the cantina. She passed a lift. Blaster was already in her hand, a familiar and comforting weight.

She was assuming Sith with the color of that saber. Most likely whoever it was had heard her by now. Still. She ducked behind an old trash droid. It was a large metallic rectangle about two her size across and a foot over her height if she stood tall. The front was dented severely. Must've been from impact.

It was enough cover if she crouched.

"Don't want any trouble," she called out. Starburst-blues peaked through a crack between the bend in the droid and the wall.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

It took a surprisingly long amount of time to saw completely through the floor to the point where he was capable of fitting through it with relative ease. For a weapon renowned for its ability to slice through nearly any material barring the exquisite and rare ones, there was always the issue of mass which made the blade fairly ineffective for speedy cutting of more solid constructions. He had considered simply attempting to squeeze through when it seemed feasible that he might be able to struggle himself through the hole, but there was always the chance that the girl was hostile, and to pin himself in a position where he couldn't fight back; even discounting his chitinous armor and its nigh invulnerability to modern weaponry, was a venture for the foolish.

There was a deep thud as a chunk of metal weighing nearly fifteen pounds collapsed to the floor below as its final connection was severed with the remainder of the floor. An instant later, the Arue'tii lined himself up with the whole, disengaged his lightsaber, and allowed the Force to flow through him before leaping upwards. The crimson cape which commonly accompanied him; literally the only piece of attire he wore besides the sheathes he used for his weaponry, swayed in the wind, falling with a genteel hush acting as contrast to the weighty noise of his fall upon the floor above.

He reignited his lightsaber with the familiar snap-hiss, observing as the faintest hints of a crimson coloration were cast upon the confines of the area. He glared directly towards the girl, knowing where she was by the scent of the liquid which flowed through her veins, though, he was utterly unable to use such senses to determine what she was doing or what she possessed.

It took him a moment to recognize the cover she had chosen for what it was meant to be, but quickly memories flooded into his mind of crewmen depositing their detritus within the trash droids only for the garbage within them to be incinerated or else taken to a compactor to be pressed and then hurtled into space. It seemed fascinating to him that the front of it could be so terribly damaged, because it implied that a massive kinetic force must have slammed into it. He glanced around the remainder of the room in search of anything blatant which might have caused the collision, but quickly determined it was not a worthwhile effort and chose instead to refocus his attention on the scavenger.

Scavenger. That was the only thing that she could have been, and whilst it carried a somewhat negative connotation among many, he could not help but to see the practicality in the act. After all, what point was there in allowing something to sit still in the depths of space where it would never be used again? If the Star Destroyer had been in better shape, the Arue'tii would have ordered that the entire thing be taken back to Ghul so that it could be retrofitted to support a lessened crew, and then he would have added the once mighty warship to his personal fleet.

The chitinous 'smile' which acted as a protection for his mouth as he spoke, but which gave him a rather frightful appearance slid into place, and he promptly began to approach, unworried by the intruder's presence; he trusted immensely in his hide.

"Greetings scavenger. I trust that you recognize it is an illegal offense to board a warship of the One Sith without the express permission of its Captain, or of the government itself." His tone was deathly serious, as though he fully intended to prosecute the charge to the fullest extent; he glanced at his saber.

"However..." He disengaged the lightsaber, placing it once more at his side as he addressed the intruder. "...given the recent status of both the Captain, and his political sponsor, I think we might be able to make some arrangement. Come out."

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

Eyes rolled slightly about the illegal offense nonsense. Knees pressed into the deck plating, trigger finger still tense. Lips pursed, figuring out her options for this situation. And he was interesting.

She'd never seen a being quite like this Sith before and that was saying a lot for a Starchaser.

And he was One Sith. That wasn't good. At least he wasn't a bounty hunter. That was something. Blues narrowed at his approach. He was tall and it wouldn't take him long before he would be leering over her completely.

"Coming out just," light-brown haired head popped up. One hand still gripped the blaster, though it was angled slightly downward. Other palm rose, showing no other weapons were in her hands. "Don't come any closer."

She edged back a step and then another wondering how much real-estate she had to work with. Starburst-blues that seemed almost too wide for her face flickered to the sith's lightsaber hilt then back up to that offsetting smile. "I imagine you're trying to find something of value in these old bones as well?"

Old bones seemed more appropriate than warship.

"Kinsey. Do you need an extraction?" Brak's voice buzzed worriedly in her ear.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

Abelain could almost feel the tension in the air, a nigh palpable sensation threatening to be cut like a knife the instant someone allowed for any sort of hostile activity. He didn't doubt whatsoever that he would be able to absolutely annihilate the girl should she attempt anything, but he also saw little purpose in the slaying, and thus restrained himself. Besides that, there was the practical issue that she might have friends, and it could lead to negative consequences should others learn that there were still members of the One Sith active in the galaxy, scouring their old wrecks for supplies. There had been adamant opposition against them when they had stood strong, and now that that political entity had been shattered, fractured in a massive diaspora to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, it seemed unlikely that they would be able to protect themselves whatsoever should they fall under attack.

She spoke in response to his request, making it clear that she was coming out from behind her dilapidated makeshift cover. His eyes flicked to the blaster she held in her hand, making a mental note of the fact that she was directing its barrel towards the ground as opposed to directly towards him. He had chosen to remove his weapon from his grasp entirely, but then again, he trusted that he would be safe without it. The girl might well have felt some measure of fear at his revelation of being a part of the defunct One Sith, or perhaps she was simply not the sort to be caught without a weapon in her hand, no matter how ineffective it would prove.

To his credit, he desisted in his forward momentum, allowing her to extricate herself from his close proximity. She continued backing away, though a quick glance revealed that she would soon make contact with a shuddered doorway at the end of the corridor. There was a sort of awkward silence that lingered between them for several moments, Abelain remaining silent as he considered her form in its entirety, finally capable of reconciling the things that he had scented with the visual perspective he had sought. Finally, the quiet tension was shattered as she spoke once more, questioning his reason for being aboard the vessel, offering a potential answer in the assumption that he might be seeking something of interest.

The Arue'tii chuckled with a deep and amused grumble before speaking, "Something of value. Anything of value. Simply doing what you do, scavenger. Picking the bones for whatever meaty tendons remain."

Abelain raised his hand towards the side of his head, tapping some unseen device there; perhaps an ear-mic of some manner, before talking once more, "Lieutenant. I have located a scavenger. Be on the watch for any unknown vessels. We are not nearly done with our work."

Static silence greeted him, but he knew that the command had been received. Outside of the Star Destroyer, the weapons of the Osprey were powered up and directed towards the hulking wreck, scouring its surrounding area for any indication of entry. The frigate was perfectly capable of fighting against a standard freighter or star fighter if necessary, but it was certainly not the most powerful ship in his arsenal.

"Now then, scavenger. Whom are you, and what are you seeking aboard a One Sith Star Destroyer?" He spoke with sudden menace layered with an intense curiosity, his hand curling with predatory instinct.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

With an overabundance of caution, she holstered her blaster. Call it extending the proverbial olive branch. "Hear that Brak? Watch out for scanners." Arms crossed as she stared off with the sith. "No reason to be impolite here. I meant it when I said I didn't want any trouble, earlier. Let's just remember who sliced the floor open and interrupted whom."

Sealed bulkhead behind her. Could potentially open it with her hydrospanner but she couldn't be sure if she'd be able to open it before this dude got too close. That left the left. She barely kept her eyes from flickering there. They remained on the sith. The shaft could lead straight to space or a few floors down or up depending on its state. Might be her only escape if she needed one.

Finger tapped against her crossed arm in thought.

"Name's Sarah." Too risky to use her old name even with a member of a derelict faction. There was no way she'd give Sith Lord Bane an opportunity to find her now. She hoped he was as scattered tot he ends of the galaxy as most members of the One Sith had been. "Just finding things to sell or trade for. Nothing overly important. Why don't you and your lot keep doing your work and I'll keep doing mine? You take your floor and below and I'll take this one and above."

Arms uncrossed, fingerless-gloved hands falling to the toolbelt that hugged the curve of her waist.

"Sound fair?"

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

Finally, it seemed as if though the tension between the pair had dissipated enough for the young woman to feel comfortable with holstering her weapon in his presence. Admittedly, the lack of drawn weapons didn't necessarily mean that the two trusted one another, nor that their agreement would end with absolutely no bloodshed, but it was certainly a start upon a path of non-violence. It struck Abelain as somewhat strange that he would be the one to push for peace given his background, especially since he had served under a totalitarian and wicked government who performed deeds renowned for their creative cruelties. If ever there was evidence that a group was made up of individuals and not the other way around, he supposed that might have been a prime candidate.

She spoke, and for an instant the Arue'tii was confused by her message until the phrase and its implication sank into his conscious. He raised a hand once more to the side of his head, once more probing at that unseen communication device that must certainly have been placed there, and promptly spoke,

"There is someone else nearby. If you encounter them and their name is Brak, do not harm them. If not, jettison them into space." He recognized the innate brutality in his order, acknowledging that being spaced was easily one of the worst fates that someone could encounter due to the intense vacuum that would draw out their innards, but simultaneously he thought it was a sort of mercy he granted by allowing anyone he encountered a heightened opportunity at Escalation to a higher form of being. Who knew, with such an agonizing demise, they might even be allowed to rejoin the One Escalation.

"Of course. I see no reason we can't be cordial about our conversation. That said, I wouldn't consider yourself 'trouble'. The Arue'tii spun upon his heel, scenting the girl's blood to ensure that she didn't attempt to flee as he removed his gaze from her. "Put simply, if we wanted you dead, you would have already been slain." He grinned behind the false 'smile' though he recognized it would be an entirely pointless gesture, and promptly went about analyzing the trash droid that he had glanced at previously, attempting to discern what had managed to damage it so grandly now that the tension had died down. "As for the floor, I sincerely doubt anyone will complain much."

The girl responded to his question, revealing her name to be Sarah. He considered calling that in over comms as well so that the crew of the Osprey could assist him in locating her should it be necessary, but decided quickly that the conversation would grow tense once more if he began to spout every fact she gave him into a microphone. She made it clear that she was simply looking for things to sell or trade, and Abelain nodded, accepting that answer as he turned to face her once again. He hadn't truly expected her to be there for any other purpose, but it was good to know that his assumptions had been validated. "Abelain Narv'uk. Explorer of the Order of Hazarin. Knight of the One Sith."

She offered a potential solution to the problem at hand, emphasizing her point with a question about the fairness of the circumstance, as if though it played any role in the negotiations. "In a perfect universe, I'd like to imagine that such an arrangement would be entirely suitable. That said, I think anyone who has seen the Holonet for more than a few moments realizes this is certainly not a perfect universe. He took a single step forward, a non-verbal statement if nothing else that he would not be deterred. "No. We have only so much room aboard our vessel. That is simply fact. Once we are finished, you are welcome to anything else here, and if we see something and believe it to be absolutely worthless, it is all yours to take, but this is still a One Sith warship, and we are still the One Sith. Equal does not play into this situation."

"Do you understand?"

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

She frowned when she heard the sith comm to his buddies about Brak. She knew the barabel could handle himself. If anything, he was worried about Kinsey. He didn't need to be, though. She could take care of herself. Sometimes Xin too.

"Knight of the One Sith?" Sandy-brows rose along alabaster skin. "Didn't think anyone used that name anymore."

She took a casual step forward and then another. "Sure, I understand what you're telling me. But what did you have in mind? I'm just supposed to wait here while you and yours finish below? That seems rather boring, don't you think?" Hip rested against the wall along the lift. The door was partially open, leading into a dark abyss.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

He took notice of the slight frown that crossed her features at his having informed his allies of the presence of another. It seemed strange to him that she would so blatantly reveal the information out loud in his presence, and then not expect him to have informed his own allies about the new information. After all, they were a military unit, and the greatest strength of any military unit was having proper intelligence.

He had ordered a semblance of mercy, however, by informing his soldiers not to execute the intruder, since that would have caused some strife with the scavenger before him, and he legitimately didn't see the point in annihilating her. Death was acceptable, and it was not out of moral obligation that he withheld his blade, but rather simple logic dictated that it was unnecessary. Beyond that, if a scavenger were to pick through the wreckage after they had left, that meant that the enemies of the One Sith would have one less ship which they themselves could scavenge.

She questioned his title as Knight of the One Sith, and he chuckled gently. It was true that it was likely a fairly uncommon title now when that government had all but been annihilated, but once it had been something of an honor. "You're correct, of course. The title is not one that is spoken often anymore, though the many Sith who once made up that organization do still survive, at least, to the best of my knowledge. They are survivors enough to realize the... animosity associated with that name, and so they avoid it now that it no longer serves them." The Arue'tii gestured to the hallway, stepping aside so as not to block her path. "Come." Regardless of whether she obeyed or not, he would continue in his speech.

"You must think it foolish that one would so needlessly belong to a dead empire, but I am not a coward who would abandon my loyalty simply because others have abandoned it. Ah-h-h, but loyalty to whom if there is no longer a leader?" If she had chosen to follow, he would spin upon his heel to face her once more. "To the soldiers. To the ones who were raised with the symbol of an empire over their heads, who were taught the morality of the Sith, the obedience, the discipline. To the ones who devoted their lives and their conscious to servitude to a state that eventually fell."

"You must understand, of course, what it means for a person to give everything they have to a cause, and then for others to declare it dead. Which is better? To pronounce that your life has been wasted? That you have done terrible and wicked things for no reason whatsoever? That there will be no reward for all you've suffered and given? Or... is it not better to say, 'Yes, we are weaker, but we are here.' 'Yes, others have left, but we are still united.' 'Yes, our leaders might have fallen, but our empire lives on.'"

"So then, of course I recognize that the government is dead, that there will be no allies, nor support from among them. I know that they have scattered across the galaxy, and that those left may think that I am a fool, and that I belong to a foreign state, but I am still loyal to these soldiers who have displayed loyalty to me. Loyalty is a two-edged sword, after all."

He paused, considering his own words for a moment.

"Unfortunately, the crew I have brought with me are soldiers, and not scavengers. I doubt they possess your technical acumen nor talent for the laborious work. We know what we want, but at times we may not know how to take it. Assist us in filling our vessel, and we shall assist you in filling your own. Is that agreement acceptable to you?"

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

The explorer followed, cautiosly. If Brak had any problems, he'd comm her or take care of it himself. Top teeth came down to chew lightly on her lower lip in thought before receding. Fingers rose to tuck sandy hair behind an ear as she gazed up at Abelain.

"Listen Abe. Mind if I call you Abe?" She was trying to keep things light. A brilliant smile flashed in his direction. "You talk about the morality of the One Sith. You and I both know that's a joke. They razed cities. Planets."

She knew better than most with her history. Good thing her force signature was well hidden and had been hidden for so long. She didn't want any trouble. And if this guy was still out there? Meant Sage Bane was too and he'd do anything to find his prize again.

Almost made her shiver.

"And let's be honest. Anyone can do laborious work. I don't need help with my haul. But there is something else I'd like. How about safe passage in your sector of the Galaxy? Hyperspace codes. In exchange for my....technical help for your crew."

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

It was pleasant that the scavenger had chosen to follow him. He had been attempting to rejoin the others as quickly as possible on the off-chance that they encountered any further resistance. He had not managed to scent any other life forms throughout the place, nor to locate the position of the scavenger's friend, but there were threats that could not be sensed with a mere olfactory sense for blood. Admittedly, he wasn't personally familiar with many of the assorted war machines created by the dead organization, or even entirely with the security measures that some Captains deemed necessary aboard their vessels, but he didn't doubt that there was a possibility of their presence.

The girl caught his attention once more, and he carefully observed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Was that an indication of a nervous tick, or was it simply an attempt at removing a bothersome article from view? At times it was difficult to discern the nature of the strange beings that he had come to surround himself with, but he was trying the best that he was able to better understand the subtle intricacies of their behavior, both for his benefit, and for their own.

She spoke, referring to him by a moniker that was not altogether uncommon, albeit one he hadn't heard for quite some time. The last had been with a Jedi who had held a rather fascinating relationship with himself, neither truly friend nor foe, ally nor enemy. She faced him with a bright smile, which he took to be a sign of keeping the peace as opposed to any hint at genuine happiness. Her next words helped to verify that particular hypothesis. "One person's villain is another's hero. Morality is quite perspective at times. I wouldn't dare deceive you with stories about the kindnesses of the Sith, or with implications and assertions that they did not perform some utterly... heinous acts. I would know, I was there for some of them. Lujo, Dulvoyinn, Coruscant." Brief scenes of the aforementioned battles played through his mind, and for a second he was lost in the cacophony of noise that war brought, taken back to a time of dreadful casualty and bloodshed.

"There were many terrible people who called themselves Sith, who thought that the only reason for their existence was to cause suffering, but if that was all the Sith were, then they would not have built up an empire." He met her smile with his own chitinous one, although his was technically only a facial covering similar to the humanoid's 'smile', and not a genuine expression of joy, nor even a movement of his actual teeth. "You speak of a lack of morality, but I am a Sith. Have I treated you poorly, young one?"

He sighed, continuing down the corridor, listening as she brought up her notion of an agreement. It may have sounded reasonable and even wise to the ears of the foreigner, but knowing the truth of where he was from elicited a chuckle which arose from deep within his chest. "I sincerely doubt you would need, or even want access to the space around Ghul. It is a world filled with swamp and monstrosities with little in the way of natural resources. We are neither known to, nor visited by pirates or any other aggressors, and the secretive nature of our world has kept us safe for generations." Secretive. It was how they had managed to stay alive, and he had shattered any illusion of secrecy by allowing nearly a fleet of outsiders to join them on their home world, and further by revealing their presence to the CSA. "But... perhaps you will happen upon a reason, and it would be unfortunate to have you shot out of the air for a simple visit. I will arrange a transfer of codes to your vessel."

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

"No, not poorly. But did you give me a choice?" A sandy-brow lofted as she looked up at his towering form. Blues lit up with interest as he mentioned his home planet. "Huh. Interesting, never heard of it. And I'll take the codes in my comm-unit."

It was obvious she was still using caution.

Didn't want to give this sith ALL the cards. That would be foolish.

Boots stopped, toes hugging the precipice of the hole Abe had cut earlier. She gave a nod, the edges long since cooled. "Sith first?" It would be a bigger drop for her.

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

He listened to her singular complaint about his apparent lack of concern for her independence. It was not an entirely invalid statement, because in reality he hadn't given her much more choice than the obvious; obey or be obliterated. It was fascinated that so many of the inferior species fought in the name of liberty or independence. After all, who was the cosmic judge who presided over whether any deed was actually an expression of one's own independence, or an oppression of another persons? Were there not constant wars being fought over that very question? The implication being quite similar to his earlier discussion over morality.

Abelain looked down at the weak and fleshy body of the woman, examining her carefully, hoping that he might get a brief glimpse of her psyche from his visual observation, though naturally that was a phenomena restricted only to the most advanced of technologies, and perhaps the innate mysticism of the Force. She spoke, stating that she had never heard of Ghul, which was an entirely unremarkable statement given his previous discussion of the world's remoteness. Could it be that she was considering possible uses for his world, or was it simply common social intercourse to repeat things? The Arue'tii shrugged, still somewhat unfamiliar with the subtle intricacies of language, even after his multi-year tenure among the inferior races.

"As you wish." He offered, coming to a stop besides her at the hole he had carved previously. Due to his relatively grandiose size, and the fact that he had used the Force to assist him in his leap, he hadn't actually considered the length of drop between this floor and the one below. The girl offered for him to go first, and he briefly wondered whether she might attempt to flee once he had dropped below... but it seemed unlikely. Why go through the process of speaking with him when she could have attempted to run from the beginning?

The Arue'tii dropped below with a heavy thud, extending a hand upwards and clenching it slightly in the mock imitation of a grasp commonly used by Force Users. Barring the girl throwing up a sudden shield, he would take hold of her gently with his admittedly amateur telekinetic abilities, and begin to lower her to the ground so that she needn't worry about making the jump herself.

"Tell me, Sarah. From whence do you come?"

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

She grunted in surprise as she felt the invisible force wrap around her form. It wasn't crushing - which was an unexpected sensation coming from a sith. Chin tilted up as she left the floor she'd been on and was lowered just as quickly. She had thought about running and making a break for it. But a part of her really wanted those travel codes.

Plus, she was cooperating now. If she didn't? What if they'd found Brak? Too big of a risk. For now.

As long as Abe cooperated with her, the explorer and seasoned spacer would cooperate with him.

Still.

She was taking a huge risk by helping them because he wasn't alone. Now she would definitely be outnumbered. She'd just have to roll the dice and see how things played out. "Thanks," she grunted and looked up at the giant creature as she followed him back the way he'd come. Shoulders shrugged. "Everywhere and nowhere."

A rogue-ish smile crossed her mouth, giving him a sideways glance at how it sounded. "What I mean is, I grew up on a ship colony. We traveled everywhere and shared tight quarters. Didn't know anything else."

Up ahead she saw several soldiers picking at one of the side panels in a wall.

"Take it they're with you?"

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

Abelain came to the conclusion that the young woman before him was not a Force sensitive. After all, he would certainly have sensed it within her if she was capable of manipulating the Force to the same level as himself. Beyond that, she almost certainly would have reacted to his attempts at maneuvering her physical form using the powers of telekinesis. People typically went into a sort of defensive mode when they were touched with such powers, because they could very well be used for the sake of slaying. It took a surprisingly little amount of force directed at the fleshy and weak meat of the inferior races to split apart muscle, to shatter bone, to break nervous tissues.

Of course, if he had been inclined whatsoever to revert his agreement with her, then this would have been an optimal time for it. She had already put away her weapon, and even if it had been drawn it would be almost certainly unable to piercing his chitinous hide. Beyond that, what better opportunity was there to tear into someone then when half of them was sticking through a hole, and the other half was completely open to whatever you desired?

She thanked him for the maneuver, though he wondered about the genuineness of it. It was still difficult even after all this time to pick up on certain subtleties, and he saw double-meanings and unspoken conversations in every action and word. She went on to explain the nature of her origin, describing a colony ship to him, which Abelain found to be an intriguing concept. As someone who had only recently been thrust into the galactic scene, let alone as a member of a species that still almost entirely resided upon their own world, the concept of living aboard a starship, going from world to world, never settling down in a permanent position seemed both fascinating and terrible.

The Arue'tii scented the blood of his soldiers far before he laid eyes upon them, but soon, the knowledge granted to him by his olfactory senses was refined by that granted by his eyes, and he saw the forms of several soldiers clad in One Sith equipment tearing through the vessel. "You would be quite correct." One of the soldiers spun around, glaring from behind a faceless mask at the appearance of the pair, as though analyzing them to ensure that everything was in order. Her movements were rapid and quick, precise to a point, as though every muscle she operated throughout her gesticulations was moved solely to be as effective as possible.

"Lt. Therman. I've run across a scavenger. She will be assisting us in removing what we desire from the Star Destroyer, and in return we shall allow her to fill her hold after we have finished. Ensure that no one impedes her in her work... but make sure that no classified material leaves this vessel either. The secrets of the One Sith will either die, or be ours." She nodded in response to his statement, turning her attention towards the woman, and motioning her towards a nearby panel which seemed to have been jimmied open in an attempt at hot-wiring their way beyond a blast-door. Perhaps it was a weapons vault?

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]
Her force signature was buried so deep, sometimes she forgot she could use the force herself. Only time it wasn't like that was when she was flying. Astral navigation was one of the few things that came naturally to the explorer. That's probably why Abe wasn't picking up anything from her. Why she didn't react when he could've crushed her.

But he didn't. If he had tried? Well. Then maybe she would've reacted and let her signature slip up. But that was neither here nor there.

That chamber they had her open ended up being a database room. And it was a good few hours later that she pushed the last of the haul they had her look into to the base of the ramp of Abe and company's ship. She'd politely declined to go all the way up into their ship. For obvious reasons.

"Whelp," checking the lift controls, she handed the box off to that stern looking woman from earlier. "Looks like this is where we part ways."