Private A Victim of Circumstance

[Minka Vosh]

He was about as reactive as a stone, so far. A good personality for a slave trader to have, she supposed. Can't get very far in the business if you get roped into sentiments or manipulated easily. "Are you..." She wondered curiously, sounding as if she doubted him. "Your blood really must run cold. Or your suit is more insulated than it appears."

The cold would be an annoyance that would likely keep her awake longer than she wanted, but she'd still suffered worse fates. What she was most interested in was perhaps finding an angle to relieve him of a weapon of some kind. Or perhaps the 'key' to any of these pesky restrictive devices. Or perhaps most of all, a good position to strangle him to death. Of course, all of that was a highly unlikely possibility...but not entirely impossible.

Without waiting for an answer, she relaxed onto the bare floor and stared for a time at the ceiling, expecting nothing but boring silence from him.

Xurux Jeshal

 

[Xurux Jeshal]

He was about as reactive as a stone, so far. A good personality for a slave trader to have, she supposed. Can't get very far in the business if you get roped into sentiments or manipulated easily. "Are you..." She wondered curiously, sounding as if she doubted him. "Your blood really must run cold. Or your suit is more insulated than it appears."

"Don't flatter yourself. I simply have no interest in you. Besides, if we were to "Spoon" as you so suggested, you'd find it to be either uncomfortable, painful or pleasant depending on how much you like to have you rearend stretched." He says almost casually. This was mostly just to mess with her and have fun threatening anal, but in reality, he, as he said, had no interest in her at the moment. So that wouldn't happen anyway. At least not before she was sold.

He simply laid on what appeared to be a very thin groundmat, on his back, and still fully clad in armor. Evidently he didn't find that too uncomfortable. Past that point, there was indeed "Boring silence" from him.

(If she doesn't try anything)

The following morning he woke up early, and without caring about whether he woke her up or let her sleep, began to pack the equipment and rations, however few there were, and brought them out on his found speeder to make carrying easier. Once the non-living cargo had been put onboard he came to her cell and came in. Without a word He grabbed her by the cheeks, stuffed the gag back in her mouth, then put the blindfold on her to nullify her ability to make any effective moves against him. Then he detached her chain from the ground and lead her into the ship.

Once onboard He took her to one of the storage units, and reattached the chain to the wall of one of the several anchors for that exact purpose. Then he removed her gag, but not her blindfold. "I suggest you make yourself comfortable. You may be here for a little while."

 

[Minka Vosh]

Offer to let someone be the little spoon, and they threaten you with sodomy... What a crass and ungrateful man. Not that she was particularly bothered by his words. She couldn't confidently assess how serious he was, with how little time she'd spent around him, but she guessed it was a ploy to make her shut up and go to sleep. Ironically, it bloomed a slew of antagonistic responses in her mind. All of which she mulled over silently while staring at the ceiling. Despite how entertaining they were to her, one or more of them was bound to entice a violent response from him. Since she was incapable of almost everything at the moment, she decided to save it. She was no stranger to harshness. No Sith was. But she wasn't needlessly masochistic, either.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. When he woke, she was already awake. How much she slept--if she slept--was unknown, but she hadn't made a sound either way. It might have surprised him, but she didn't make a single attempt to attack or delay him between their transfer from the bunker to the unknown ship. That didn't mean it hadn't crossed her mind a thousandfold. There would be a time. So long as she kept alert, she would find the moment to make a move, but it wasn't now.

"What kind of ship is this?" She asked curiously, as if making small talk, and ignored his comment. Blinded still, she took a quiet and rather fluid seat on the floor. Moving as if the art of stealth and subtlety were second-nature.

Xurux Jeshal

 

[Xurux Jeshal]

"What kind of ship is this?" She asked curiously, as if making small talk, and ignored his comment. Blinded still, she took a quiet and rather fluid seat on the floor. Moving as if the art of stealth and subtlety were second-nature.

"Not your concern." He said very simply. "It's a ship and it will get you to the markets, and that is all you need to know."

And so he left her, chained by her wrists and her neck to the wall of the storage unit, and went to the cockpit. The ship took off, and they left the atmosphere. He was, however, unaware of the three sith fighters out there waiting to attack whatever ship had her presence on it. And they just so happened to attack his ship.

She'd first be clued in when she was thrown by the sudden evasive action he was taking. She'd be thrown every which way, and the sound of blasters being fired. They were being shot at.

 

[Minka Vosh]

"You have the personality of a bantha." The Zabrak mused aloud to herself in a curious tone, as if he weren't even there. Either way, she didn't expect a response from him, and so she settled in quietly to her new spot. One cool, boring slab of a cell traded in for another. Left in silence, save for the muted hum of the ship as it came to life around her, he began their ascent.

Unable to sense anything through the Force, the jerky movements of the ship came without warning. There was no way to tell which way it would flail next, and they were sudden and drastic enough to make it clear they were being attacked. If she had to guess, it would be the persistent hounds of the Empire. They held no reservations shooting first, and asking questions later.

Gritting her teeth with each rough tumble and slam, she couldn't help but laugh to herself. She might have warned him something of this nature would happen, but what was the point in that? At the end of the day, she'd embrace a death that took him with her than endure slavery. Now it was time to see just how good of a pilot he was...

"If you're smart, slaver, you'll let them turn this ship into stardust. You won't like it if they take you alive." She called from the storage compartment he'd thrown her in, with a sound of sinister amusement. A taunt. They were likely uninterested in anything but its destruction anyway.

Xurux Jeshal

 

[Xurux Jeshal]

"If you're smart, slaver, you'll let them turn this ship into stardust. You won't like it if they take you alive." She called from the storage compartment he'd thrown her in, with a sound of sinister amusement. A taunt. They were likely uninterested in anything but its destruction anyway.

He heard her statement, and decided, you know what, let's have some fun. She'd hear him start to chuckle darkly, then it would grow into a full fledged laugh. Oh she knew nothing about how he operated.

He set the ship to autopilot, and had it perform evasive maneuvers, while he made his way to the turret. And he began shooting back.

The ship would take a few hits, one of which managed to knock one of her chains loose. But eventually the shooting stopped and their flight leveled out. It seems he'd won.

 

[Minka Vosh]

A drone of devious laughter was the only thing she heard in between barrages of turret fire. There was reasonable doubt it was even in response to what she'd said, but there was no point or time to inquire. As the ship continued its evasive actions without regard to its own inhabitants, the Zabrak tumbled and slammed about chaotically until enough force dislodged her tether from the wall.

The injuries she suffered from the previous day's crash landing were aggravated by all the thrashing. The small fractures in her ribs sent sharp spikes of pain, joints ached, and other unseen damage burned and throbbed. It did nothing but fuel her anger. The state of their ship no longer mattered to her, so long as she had the opportunity to retaliate against her infuriating captor before they were both blasted into the Netherworld.

Against the odds, she managed to free herself from the storage. The blindfold was discarded to the floor as the door was quietly shut behind her. She moved as slowly and silently as her battered limbs could afford, keeping the loose chain links from clinking together. His location couldn't be sensed, but she would eventually find him in the turret seat.

There he was. The nameless and faceless arrogant bastard. Seated with his back turned to her. A montage of violent desires flooded her mind. So many abhorrent flavors of revenge she would drag him kicking and screaming through, had she the time and the means. The first and only thing that mattered was getting the key to this collar around her neck, though. Everything else depended upon that.

Slipping the small, hidden blade from its sheath and readying the chain, she crept forward.

There was only one thing she could do if she hoped to gain the upper hand.

Unless he heard her first, he'd find himself in a daze as his head slammed down onto the controls in front of him. She could have ripped it clean off with the Force at her disposal, but now all she could manage was to disorient him long enough to remove the helmet from his head. If she managed, the cool air of the ship would wash over his face, an even colder chain circled his throat and pulled taut, and the needle tip of a vibroblade sliced into the outer corner of his eye socket.

One swift jerk promised to carve it free and splat it against the glasteel in front of them like a bloody, deflated slug. She would gladly do just that, if he didn't cooperate. For now, a trickle of blood leaked from the small incision it made as it pressed against his face.

"Give me the key, and your death may be painless." She murmured into his ear. It took every ounce of control she possessed not to drive the blade home.

Xurux Jeshal

((You can edit as necessary, depending on what you want to happen. I'm not trying to godmod. ^^))

 

[Xurux Jeshal]

((You can edit as necessary, depending on what you want to happen. I'm not trying to godmod. ^^))

(Nope, that's perfect. And feel free to cut his left eye out, I'm assuming it's his left eye, just make sure that's the only one she get's rid of.)

Unless he heard her first, he'd find himself in a daze as his head slammed down onto the controls in front of him. She could have ripped it clean off with the Force at her disposal, but now all she could manage was to disorient him long enough to remove the helmet from his head. If she managed, the cool air of the ship would wash over his face, an even colder chain circled his throat and pulled taut, and the needle tip of a vibroblade sliced into the outer corner of his eye socket.

One swift jerk promised to carve it free and splat it against the glasteel in front of them like a bloody, deflated slug. She would gladly do just that, if he didn't cooperate. For now, a trickle of blood leaked from the small incision it made as it pressed against his face.

"Give me the key, and your death may be painless." She murmured into his ear. It took every ounce of control she possessed not to drive the blade home.

He would actually have gotten up from the turret, having shot the Sith fighters down to the surface of the moon they'd just left, and returned to the cockpit to continue flying, which meant that by the time she got in there, he'd taken it off autopilot and was flying the ship as usual. He hadn't however, taken the wheel yet, so they were simply flying off in a straight line through space.

He'd hear her chain clinking just instants before his head was thrown forward, his helmet protected him from being hurt too badly by the sudden acceleration then deceleration of his head, but he was, in fact, very momentarily dazed by this. His helmet would be a bit of a problem for her, but nonetheless she could get it off. However it bought him time enough to put his forearm between the chain and his throat. While the vibroblade pressed into his left eye.

She'd see him properly for the first time, a bald chiss male with luminescent blue eyes, by contrast most of his kind had glowing red eyes. He wouldn't flinch at her threat, nor would he blink or show signs of fear, he was no stranger to pain himself. "Is that so?"

He kicked the accelerator so that they would speed up, and turn sharply to one side, most likely it would carve his eye out, but lucky him he had a spare. His intent was to throw her off balance so that he could get up and fight her properly. Both of them had been trained for much of their lives to fight. And neither of them were very nice people, and could take quite a lot of punishment. Doubtless she would have had the advantage had she the force at her disposal, but now the field seemed to be pretty even, maybe even a slight bit in his favor due to his greater weight. Not to mention his armor.

I'll need to be more thorough in searching her once she's down, He thought to himself as he stood up. By now the ship's speed and trajectory would have leveled out, and she could get her footing back.

(Same to you, feel free to edit as needed. I don't think either of us want to godmod C= )

 

[Minka Vosh]

The eye was one of the most sensitive parts of the body. Certainly the most sensitive above the neck. It was one of the biggest reasons she went for it. Not only that, but most people were afraid of losing a vital sensory organ, and were much easier to manage when one hung in the balance.

And then there was this little son of a mynock...

Fortune smiled on him when he was able to slip his arm beneath the chain before it tightened around his throat, or she would have strangled him unconscious fairly quickly. She expected him to bargain with her. Entice her with some sort of distraction to buy time, or threat to make her second guess herself. Anything but quite literally concede to carving his own eye out when he suddenly accelerated the ship and sent it into a sharp turn.

With no way to use the Force, and a list of mostly unseen injuries affecting her agility, Minka swerved with the shift. The tip of the blade pierced at an inward angle, skewing through the back of his eye and thrusting it free with a wet squelch and spray of blood and other fluid. The threat hadn't been an idle one, but the movement was a bit sloppier than she would have intended, and the knife continued in a gouge over the bridge of his nose and almost impaled his second eye as she tossed to the side.

It was then that she was able to get a good look at his face, no longer holding him hostage from behind. One vibrant, electric blue eye left... She would have squinted curiously at his appearance, had she the time. He looked like a Chiss, but his eyes didn't fit the bill. A hybrid, maybe? It didn't matter. Right now all she could focus on was evading his attacks long enough to kill him. Torture wasn't even on the radar anymore. He simply needed to die, and she would figure out where the key was afterward. Clearly, he wasn't someone that responded to threats of bodily harm.

"Not even a flinch..." She sneered at him with a slight tilt of her head, watching the blood ooze rapidly from the gaping socket left behind. "I'm impressed." Keeping the knife in one hand and the chain in the other, he'd soon learn her goal was to dodge and glance any blow he sent her way. Let him expend his own energy while she fell into defense. He was bigger, uninjured except for his eye, and decked out in solid armor she couldn't put a dent in without the Force or a lightsaber. The odds were starkly against her. Even worse, her wrists were still incredibly inflexible with the cuffs.

He was bound to knock her down eventually, especially if he managed a well placed blow or two to her ribcage, but she would be unusually slippery to catch even in her compromised state. At some point she would attempt to swipe a leg out from under him and flatten him long enough to drive the small knife into his throat. No intent on playing games now.

Xurux Jeshal

 

[Xurux Jeshal]

Fortune smiled on him when he was able to slip his arm beneath the chain before it tightened around his throat, or she would have strangled him unconscious fairly quickly. She expected him to bargain with her. Entice her with some sort of distraction to buy time, or threat to make her second guess herself. Anything but quite literally concede to carving his own eye out when he suddenly accelerated the ship and sent it into a sharp turn.

With no way to use the Force, and a list of mostly unseen injuries affecting her agility, Minka swerved with the shift. The tip of the blade pierced at an inward angle, skewing through the back of his eye and thrusting it free with a wet squelch and spray of blood and other fluid. The threat hadn't been an idle one, but the movement was a bit sloppier than she would have intended, and the knife continued in a gouge over the bridge of his nose and almost impaled his second eye as she tossed to the side.

Luckily for him, bone wasn't easy to pierce, even when there was a a lot of force behind it and the bone was thin. Bone was some tough stuff., and that's what kept his right eye uninjured when his left eye was thrown from his skull, also the sideways motion of the blade helped to make the piercing of the bone between his eyes all that much harder. So really, he was kind of lucky that all those things came into play to save his eyesight. Besides, he might be able to get a synthetic eye later. (Don't know if those are a thing.)

It was then that she was able to get a good look at his face, no longer holding him hostage from behind. One vibrant, electric blue eye left... She would have squinted curiously at his appearance, had she the time. He looked like a Chiss, but his eyes didn't fit the bill. A hybrid, maybe? It didn't matter. Right now all she could focus on was evading his attacks long enough to kill him. Torture wasn't even on the radar anymore. He simply needed to die, and she would figure out where the key was afterward. Clearly, he wasn't someone that responded to threats of bodily harm.

"Not even a flinch..." She sneered at him with a slight tilt of her head, watching the blood ooze rapidly from the gaping socket left behind. "I'm impressed." Keeping the knife in one hand and the chain in the other, he'd soon learn her goal was to dodge and glance any blow he sent her way. Let him expend his own energy while she fell into defense. He was bigger, uninjured except for his eye, and decked out in solid armor she couldn't put a dent in without the Force or a lightsaber. The odds were starkly against her. Even worse, her wrists were still incredibly inflexible with the cuffs.

He was bound to knock her down eventually, especially if he managed a well placed blow or two to her ribcage, but she would be unusually slippery to catch even in her compromised state. At some point she would attempt to swipe a leg out from under him and flatten him long enough to drive the small knife into his throat. No intent on playing games now.

He looked at her stance, and what she had. It also seemed as though she was having difficulty standing up under turbulence, which gave him an idea. He hooked one foot under the base of the pilot's seat and braced the other against the bottom of the control panel, and grabbed the steering system. It was time to throw her off her feet. He didn't want to use the collar's shock function yet, he wanted her to realize that she was outclassed right now. Maybe if she had her lightsaber with her, and the force too she'd stand a chance, but at the moment she simply had too many disadvantages to stand a chance.

So, with his victory basically guaranteed, he decided to taunt her with it. Draw the fight out, make it clear that she couldn't win. And that's why he began to make the ship start violently changing direction, with his feet basically anchored by his footholds under the seat and against the panel, he was fairly steady. Once she'd been knocked over by the "Turbulence" He'd stop and begin to advance, he had at his belt his guns and his own vibroblade knife, but those he simply unbelted, to keep them away from her and to show that he was not in any way afraid of her, he also made it clear by his expression that her little rebellion would have some dire consequences.

And so he advanced, with his anger being held back, he got angry too, only he controlled it, and used it in ways that benefited him, whereas most sith allowed their fury to consume them. And that was less than beneficial. "If you're smart you'll surrender now. Then again, sith aren't exactly known for their brains."

 

[Minka Vosh]

(Oh, cybernetic eyes are definitely a thing!)

Instead of coming for her in a rage, which she half expected him to do, he remained planted. Using his own chair and control system to keep himself stable while he attempted to thrash her around with the ship. If there was anyone in the vicinity, they'd probably think a rathtar was wreaking havoc onboard with it's jerky, unpredictable movements.

It was all she could do to stay on he own two feet while the ship tossed her around. It took longer than it would the average person to make her lose her balance completely, but with all her focus on trying to remain upright, it left no room for a second assault while he was in the chair. After one particularly rough pull, both feet lifted into the air, and she slammed sideways into the corner of the metal door frame, and collapsed to the floor.

Teething gritting, a barrage of sharp, splintering pain spread through her spine and ribs. She caught him tossing his belt full of weapons and unidentified tools aside as he eased out of the chair. Walking towards her with nothing more than a angry scowl as his reaction to losing an eye. How in the world that didn't debilitate him, even for a short time, was beyond her comprehension. It seemed she had underestimated him a bit.

A dark laugh answered him through her clenched jaw, sounding genuinely amused, despite the hellish circumstances she found herself in. "And yet you lost an eye to one... How does it feel?" Still, she taunted, rising to her feet to stand in the doorway. Every breath she took felt as if she was expanding her lungs through razor blades.

"Surrender is death." She said with a simple, unwavering finality. "I do not fear it...but it must be earned. Come, Chiss. Let's finish this."

Now it was his move.

Xurux Jeshal

 

[Xurux Jeshal]

(Oh, cybernetic eyes are definitely a thing!)

(Perfect!)

Instead of coming for her in a rage, which she half expected him to do, he remained planted. Using his own chair and control system to keep himself stable while he attempted to thrash her around with the ship. If there was anyone in the vicinity, they'd probably think a rathtar was wreaking havoc onboard with it's jerky, unpredictable movements.

It was all she could do to stay on he own two feet while the ship tossed her around. It took longer than it would the average person to make her lose her balance completely, but with all her focus on trying to remain upright, it left no room for a second assault while he was in the chair. After one particularly rough pull, both feet lifted into the air, and she slammed sideways into the corner of the metal door frame, and collapsed to the floor.

Teething gritting, a barrage of sharp, splintering pain spread through her spine and ribs. She caught him tossing his belt full of weapons and unidentified tools aside as he eased out of the chair. Walking towards her with nothing more than a angry scowl as his reaction to losing an eye. How in the world that didn't debilitate him, even for a short time, was beyond her comprehension. It seemed she had underestimated him a bit.

Now it was time to start his advance, striding forward with calm but clear and dangerous intent. Red blood streaming down his pale blue face from his empty eye socket as he approached.

A dark laugh answered him through her clenched jaw, sounding genuinely amused, despite the hellish circumstances she found herself in. "And yet you lost an eye to one... How does it feel?" Still, she taunted, rising to her feet to stand in the doorway. Every breath she took felt as if she was expanding her lungs through razor blades.

"Surrender is death." She said with a simple, unwavering finality. "I do not fear it...but it must be earned. Come, Chiss. Let's finish this."

He shrugged, "if I feel pain, I know I'm still alive. Everything else is secondary. Besides, I was graced with a spare."

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I hoped you'd say that. I won't be removing your eyes, I can't do too much damage to my goods. But regardless of whether it will break you or not, I'll enjoy torturing you."

it was his move.

He strode forward still. Depending on what she still had ahold of and what she did with it, he'd react in varying ways. If she were to try striking him with the chain he'd try catching it and pulling her forward with it or yanking it from her grasp. If she were to attack with the knife he'd attempt to force her into an armlock and disarm her. Same if she tried using her fists. If she tried kicking him he'd try throwing her to the ground.

 

[Minka Vosh]

"True to your species..." She murmured, shifting her stance in preparation as he moved forward. There was no illusion that she would be the victor in this situation, unless she got exceedingly lucky, or he was clumsy - which she doubted. It didn't matter... Regardless of who he was, or what he threatened, surrender would never be an option. It was just one of those things ingrained in her brain since day one.

The chain clinked as it tossed up into the air and began to twirl rapidly, pulling taught and humming as it blurred between them. When he was close enough to lash it at him, she aimed it as his face, as he might expect. It was the only part of his body lacking armor. When he snatched it in his fist and jerked her towards him, she expected the same.

As she lurched into him, the blade made a stab for the most accessible area that wasn't protected by metal plate, below his belt. A move that was bound to alarm...most. Considering he just lost an eye without even blinking - pun intended - he might be just as unconcerned. Either way, if the chain and the blade sufficiently distracted him, she'd drive home with a headbutt full of rigid horns into his forehead.

Needless to say, however it played out, he'd have his hands full.

Xurux Jeshal

 

[Xurux Jeshal]

"True to your species..." She murmured, shifting her stance in preparation as he moved forward. There was no illusion that she would be the victor in this situation, unless she got exceedingly lucky, or he was clumsy - which she doubted. It didn't matter... Regardless of who he was, or what he threatened, surrender would never be an option. It was just one of those things ingrained in her brain since day one.

The chain clinked as it tossed up into the air and began to twirl rapidly, pulling taught and humming as it blurred between them. When he was close enough to lash it at him, she aimed it as his face, as he might expect. It was the only part of his body lacking armor. When he snatched it in his fist and jerked her towards him, she expected the same.

As she lurched into him, the blade made a stab for the most accessible area that wasn't protected by metal plate, below his belt. A move that was bound to alarm...most. Considering he just lost an eye without even blinking - pun intended - he might be just as unconcerned. Either way, if the chain and the blade sufficiently distracted him, she'd drive home with a headbutt full of rigid horns into his forehead.

Needless to say, however it played out, he'd have his hands full.

Xurux Jeshal

Well that was an obstacle. Or rather it would have been had he been playing defence, but he had no intention of being defensive. Lucky for him, almost all armour sets came with a codpiece, so his more sensitive bits were protected, it would still hurt like heck to be stabbed there, but he already stated his opinion on pain.

No, when he yanked her towards him he also stepped forward with his opposite foot into a cross-punch to her cheek, and if that didn't land, his knee certainly would, and coming in for a headbutt from the outside would be extremely dumb, as it would put her in the perfect position for a headlock.

She made a mistake not killing him outright, she'd have a chance at escape then, she'd have a ship and time enough to find a way out of the collar, but now she was doomed.

But he wasn't blind, and he wasn't dumb either. She'd never be a good household or pleasure slave a breaking her would be more trouble than its worth. Her skill in combat however, that was something he could use, and maybe with the promise of release she'd be willing to back him up, it would also help to bring in more goods to sell, and she'd work off her own worth by helping him bring in more slaves. If she were willing to do that that is, if not, he'll probably just keep her for himself, as a personal stress reliever, who knows, maybe she'd even grow to enjoy it.

 

[Minka Vosh]

As in most skirmishes, her intentions rarely came to fruition exactly how she meant them to. Unless she was catching someone by surprised, that is. She did so love the use of stealth and illusions to toy with her targets, but she had nothing at her disposal now except raw, hand-to-hand combat. Something she was decent at normally, but with the limitations this infuriating collar placed, along with her injuries, she was left feeling unnaturally weak. Borderline useless, compared to what she was used to exercising.

There would no stabbing or headbutting, this time around. Maybe she'd get lucky enough to put out his other eye with one of her horns in the future, but not today. Instead, she was forced to block his punch with her cuffs. Had she more room to maneuver, she would have simply dodged him, but that was impossible with the chain in his grip. Then came his knee, and she twisted to the side just enough for it to miss her gut and smash into her hip. A much less debilitating alternative, but that didn't meant it didn't hurt.

Unless he immediately disarmed her, she'd attempt to slash his throat open with the blade. Otherwise, the upper hand was his, and he'd find it easy to throw her to the ground - or however he felt like reigning her under control.

"And so it is earned... Congratulations." She laughed, a hiss of anger and pain seething through her teeth as she breathed through the sharp pulses her agitated nerves fired through her body. What she wouldn't give to suck the very life force from him. Whither him into a decrepit husk as she used his energy to heal her wounds. Watch the spark of life leave his eye...

"But this I promise. The next slip will be your last."

Xurux Jeshal

 

[Xurux Jeshal]

As in most skirmishes, her intentions rarely came to fruition exactly how she meant them to. Unless she was catching someone by surprised, that is. She did so love the use of stealth and illusions to toy with her targets, but she had nothing at her disposal now except raw, hand-to-hand combat. Something she was decent at normally, but with the limitations this infuriating collar placed, along with her injuries, she was left feeling unnaturally weak. Borderline useless, compared to what she was used to exercising.

There would no stabbing or headbutting, this time around. Maybe she'd get lucky enough to put out his other eye with one of her horns in the future, but not today. Instead, she was forced to block his punch with her cuffs. Had she more room to maneuver, she would have simply dodged him, but that was impossible with the chain in his grip. Then came his knee, and she twisted to the side just enough for it to miss her gut and smash into her hip. A much less debilitating alternative, but that didn't meant it didn't hurt.

Unless he immediately disarmed her, she'd attempt to slash his throat open with the blade. Otherwise, the upper hand was his, and he'd find it easy to throw her to the ground - or however he felt like reigning her under control.

"And so it is earned... Congratulations." She laughed, a hiss of anger and pain seething through her teeth as she breathed through the sharp pulses her agitated nerves fired through her body. What she wouldn't give to suck the very life force from him. Whither him into a decrepit husk as she used his energy to heal her wounds. Watch the spark of life leave his eye...

"But this I promise. The next slip will be your last."

Xurux Jeshal

She blocked with her cuffs, an interesting option. Why she used her cuffs made a little bit of sense, they were the closest thing to armor she had, and so it blunted the blow, if only slightly. His knee hit, but not where it was meant to, oh well, a bruise was a bruise. Then her attempt to open his throat came, he stopped the blow by grabbing her bonds, then her hair and shoving her harshly against the wall.

Then she spoke, saying that he'd earned her surrender. Normally he wouldn't think much of it, but after seeing her skill and resolve, he couldn't deny that he felt honored. "Then I'll be sure not to slip."

He removed the chain and knife from her grasp. Then began pulling her along down the main corridor. Not to the same storage compartment though, this was a little more like a proper cell, and he even made sure to make the door only operable from the outside. So taking her bonds he linked her cuffs to a chain, which in turn winched upwards, keeping her hands above her at all times, and seriously limiting movement. Then he made sure to lock her ankles in cuffs to prevent any funny business.

He said, "don't get too comfortable. I will be back once we're in hyperspace."

 

[Minka Vosh]

Aside from yanking her by the hair and throwing her into the wall, there was no other retaliation. Not yet, at least. If he really wanted to, he could have done some damage, but for some reason he didn't. Then again, he was Chiss. They were far less guided by their emotions, unlike most others. Chances are his earlier threat of torture had not been an empty one, and he was simply being patient and calculated.

Leading her through the ship wouldn't be much trouble. Though she'd never completely surrender to any foe, there would be nothing to gain in thrashing about like a wild animal, except more pain and fatigue. The few times she'd dozed off the previous night had been restless and short-lived, and she was tired. Just one more thing to add to her list of handicaps. For now, there was nothing else to be done.

The new cage was a bigger one, which was a small convenience. This time, she was left with much less flexibility. Arms pulled above her head, and boots locked together. It would seem he was taking no chances, even if he'd already 'won'. Smart man.

Annoying man.

"I can't wait." She responded with dry sarcasm, eyes glued to him like a starved rancor begrudgingly watching its prey slip through the bars to safety, until he shut the door to the makeshift cell and locked it behind him. Once he was gone, she sighed. Sooner or later she was bound to lose feeling in her hands, and the numbness would slowly spread down her arms. That was fun to look forward to.

Xurux Jeshal

 

[Xurux Jeshal]

Minka Vosh

He set the course for the nav computer, and into hyperspace they went. Now that they were on their way to their next destination, and the nav computer was taking care of everything, now he was free to go back to his troublesome slave. The first thing he did when he got in was pick up the fibroblasts that she'd managed to keep hidden from him.

That was a major problem, if she were able to hide something like that from him, despite having searched her. Well, now it was time to take more drastic measures. So without a word he cut her clothing from her body, leaving her in whatever undergarments she wore and nothing else, he even removed her boots in order to prevent her from sneaking more weapons past him.

He'd search each piece of clothing for anything hidden, then once that was done he'd search her again, and take any weapons he found on her. After that he'd simply sit down across from her. "You know, I don't think I gave you enough credit. You're a good fighter, something I can use. It's no guarantee yet, but I see a future where you earn your freedom back."

 

[Minka Vosh]

Taking no chances, he performed a thorough search of her clothing as he quite literally sliced it off her body. Careless rip by rip, her robes were rendered into a fluttering, useless rag, and tossed aside. Unless he'd pilfered some of her spare clothes when he made a second trip to her ship the day before, that was the only thing she had to wear, and now it was gone. She didn't move during the process, just watched him work quietly.

Maddening...degrading...but she would have done the same.

The vibroblade had been a small one sheathed in her robes, but it'd been the only one. Had she known she would be wrangled into chains by a slave trader yesterday, she would have been much more prepared with deadly surprises, but there had been no time for that. What a waste.

But that was it. Once he finished, he simply sat down across from her. She expected something a bit more...violent. Interesting. On the one hand, he did mention more than once that it would serve him no purpose to damage his 'goods', but on the other, his next words seemed to contradict his original intentions. Even more interesting.

After a pause that weighed him skeptically, she lifted a single brow. "What's wrong... Don't think you can sell me now?"

It would be much less of a hassle for him if he just killed her while he had the upper hand, but apparently he was fixed on ensuring she served some use to him. Stubborn and foolish, in her opinion, but his decision might very well benefit her now as much as him, in the end. That is, if he wasn't simply lying. There was no reason to believe he wasn't just as manipulative as she could be.

"Well... Seeing as I have nothing else to do but sit in my underwear for the time being...go on. Tell me what you have in mind."

Xurux Jeshal

 

[Xurux Jeshal]

After a pause that weighed him skeptically, she lifted a single brow. "What's wrong... Don't think you can sell me now?"

It would be much less of a hassle for him if he just killed her while he had the upper hand, but apparently he was fixed on ensuring she served some use to him. Stubborn and foolish, in her opinion, but his decision might very well benefit her now as much as him, in the end. That is, if he wasn't simply lying. There was no reason to believe he wasn't just as manipulative as she could be.

"Well... Seeing as I have nothing else to do but sit in my underwear for the time being...go on. Tell me what you have in mind."

"Keep up the attitude and you'll lose the underwear too." He said, just as straightforward and serious as he always was. "It's obvious to me that you're simply more trouble than you're worth, and you killing whichever master I sell you too is going to make future buyers skeptical. But that doesn't mean that I have to simply kill you and try again with someone else. No."

He stepped up to her and looked her dead in the eyes, his empty eye socket still bleeding down his face. "I have a proposition. Where the both of us get what we're after. You want to go free, I need to make a profit. So my proposition is as follows. You will accompany me for a while, and assist me in capturing slaves and selling them. After you've done this for some time I will set you free. During this time however, you are still my property, so step out of line and you will be reprimanded."

He casually flipped out the vibroblade, "If you refuse I'll simply cut you open and watch you bleed to death. It's quite entertaining."