Private Breaking from Chains to the Past (Liam)

[Dashara Horizon]

Dim, pale light illuminated the room through slits in the blinds. The bars of light broke the darkness, breaking it into shadows and shapes. Bending over a table, a young woman cautiously searched the room. Dashara's green eyes reflected the pale light while she lowered onto all fours. A light shined into the corners before stretching out on a case. Her lips curled into a satisfactory smile. With well practiced grace, the half Zeltron flattened herself onto the floor.

She extended an arm and reached for it. First time, her fingers brushed the handle. A small, annoyed sighed slipped from her mouth as she adjusted her position. With a quick slide, she pressed her side to the makeshift bed. This time her fingers managed to grip the handle then drag it out into the open.

Sitting up on her knees, she examined the container. A lock on the outside caused Dashara to frown. She shined her light on it for a better look. Despite her target's paranoia, the mechanism appeared rather crude and simple.

Easier than she originally thought, Dashara's smile returned.

Shifting her weight to one side, she reached for her skirt. Sliding it up a few inches, she revealed a small pouch. Dash snapped it open with a quick flick of her fingers and pulled out a slicing tool. She found the insertion point then stuck the tip in. She felt the moments tick by before a sharp click rewarded her efforts. Sitting it aside, she pushed the top open to reveal a single data pad.

For a moment, Dash considered just taking it and hightailing it out of there. However, Ikle's instructions were clear. Any unnecessarily derailing from the instruction resulted in punishment.

The memories made her shiver as she shook them off. Carefully she removed the data pad. Her fingers quickly tapping the screen and it popped up a box requiring a password. Dashara sighed softly then looked up, checking the door. Silence filled the room as she caught the faint foot falls of boots walking past. When they faded, she began to relax. She turned back to her work and began to work on the password again.

After a series of possible combination, Dashara managed to crack it. All thanks to sheer luck. Casually her eyes fell to the files as she flipped through them. She searched for proof of the spy’s double dealings and guilt in betrayal. Her attention fell on his personal notes. Pulling them up with a few quick taps, she immediately paled at what she read.

This was bad. Really bad.

Her fear began to crush her heart. Small, rapid breaths escaped her lips into the stale, recycled air.

“Kark.” Dash cursed under her breath.

Her moment of panic increased when her ears caught the sound of the door hissing open. She jerked her head up to see a masculine figure standing in the doorway. Their eyes locked in recognition. His expression darkened, his fists tightened into fist and an angry heat rolled off him. Tension thicken between them, fueling her own fright.

Immediately Dashara began to rise cautiously to her feet.

Kark… KARK. Her mind screamed, but nothing escaped her throat. She stared in wide-eyed horror as the man edged deeper into the room. The door hissed closed behind, essentially trapping her within. Despite his heavy steps, she had seen how quick he could move. A predator by nature. Now, one who had caught wind of some prey. Dash found her feet backing up. One...two… three. She hit the wall as it stopped her. Her breath stopped in her chest, and she couldn’t move her eyes from him. She was trapped.

Her eyes flicked from one direction to another. Frantically seeking a way around him, but she found nothing. Again her heart dropped into her stomach when he stalked forward. His eyes glared at her, filled with pure fury and malicious. Dashara realized she now was in a fight for her life.

With almost inhuman speed, his figure rushed from the door. His arms reached out for her neck. Dashara's fear rooted her to the spot. Her eyes widened as her thoughts locked up, a dread filling her with helplessness. Air rushed out of her when she slammed into the wall hard. The fingers immediately constricted trying to squeeze the last bit out of her.

Dash's shock dislodge from the impact causing her hands to start clawing his greasy mitts off her. Her legs began to kick wildly at whatever they connected with. Sadly, his body pinned her in place. Each kick merely lashing out at the side rather than hitting solid flesh.

His grip became harder than durasteel. It wouldn't budge even as she continued to scratch him, leaving small jagged red lines. Blood trickling along the surface. Dash's lungs burned. All her air gone causing her adrenaline to pulse through her veins and her pounding to continue. He just jerked his head to the side. Narrowly missing her nails on his eyes.

Managing to wrap about her neck, he jerked her off the wall then slammed her back on it. Once... twice... the third time didn't happen. She pulled her leg between their bodies then she kneed him in the groin. He choked on his breath. His grip loosen and fell away. As he hunched over, feeling the pain of her attack, Dash pushed away.

She rushed for the door. About halfway, something snagged on her hair and ripped her backwards. She landed on her back on the floor. Her eyes saw red and stars when the pain rippled through her.

As she tried to shake the daze loose, something heavy sat on her. It pinned her to the ground as she tried to push it away. A fist connected with her face. Her lip busted spilling a metallic taste on her tongue. Through the abuse, her eyes caught her salvation. A small vibro-blade on his belt. One hand kept close to her face, still shielding it, while the other reached for his waist. His anger washed off him like waves. Beating in time with the aches she endured. Another punch slapped her arm then move away. Feeling the hard edge of the blade's handle on her finger tips, she tried to grip it. Another fist made her flinch. The handle slipped from her grasp making her heart skip a beat. Kark, she cursed.

Once more she tried again. She curled her body and stretched. Once again, the handle touched her fingers. Her head eyed his fists trying to break her left arm through sheer blows. Her breath became shallow as she tightened her grip. At the raise of his last blow, she ripped it free and plunged it into his side.

His eyes dilated before realization flooded his expression. The blade’s edge ripped into his middle as she let go. He stood there, looking at the blade, and blinking. The shock wore off quickly causing his corpse to topple to the side.

Dashara gave a pitiful squeak. Her legs hastily kicking the body off herself. Air flowed in rapid, hyperventilating within her chest. All Dash could do was stare at the once living individual. She just killed an asset worth more than herself. Ikle would kill her or worse.

As if locked in a trance, she didn’t remember contacting Liam. However, she had to, or he wouldn’t have known where to find her.

 

[Liam Wickens]

The comms call came through unexpectedly. Liam checked the device, seeing the incoming code and picked up immediately. "Dash..." The voice on the other end came through shaky and rattled, in a panic. The stress alone made him tense up. The Zeltron he'd been out with a while back came flooding to him. He could almost see her expression as she babbled her trouble. It took a few moments to get her location.

Moving quickly he hopped in the speeder in the cargo area of the shuttle he'd rescued as legitimate salvage. In the cargo area he dropped off a carbine along with his blaster rifle. A blaster pistol went to the small of his back along with a vibro-knife. Hopefully he wouldn't need those tools, but Dash was in a dangerous neighborhood. That was saying something on Nar Shaddaa. The Smuggler's Moon was a lot like Coruscant, but a lot less glitz and glamour. It resembled much of the lower levels of Coruscant even on the upper levels. He hoped never to see the ground level.

He didn't bother with the main traffic lanes. Not that there was much traffic control. Instead he flew as directly as possible, and soon her building loomed out of the nighttime muck and mire of the atmosphere. Looping around, he found a landing zone close to her level. A minute later he knocked on the door. "Dash, it's Liam, open up!"

 

[Dashara Horizon]

Dashara's arms held their vice grip about herself. Her body had ceased to tremble some time ago as she inhaled then exhaled. Deep down, she wanted this nightmare to end. Her instinct from her street days stirred when her whole world went silent. After she contacted Liam, she managed to download data into a stick then smashed the device. The pieces now scattered a few feet from her. The only evidence to her most recent crime.

She twitched when Liam's voice reached her. Her green eyes darted toward the durasteel door. A surreal haze filled her body when she attempted to move. Guilt weighed her down enough that her body didn't budge immediately. A weak squeak erupted from her shock, the only sign she heard him.

move... Move... MOVE! Her mind screamed loud enough she began to obey.

With a wobbly effort, Dash managed to push herself upright. Her arm reached out to balance against the wall. With a cautious step, the Zeltron began to walk toward the door. She pressed a panel causing the door to hiss open.

"Liam?" Dashara's voice remained small and weak in response.

A wrecked version of the Zeltron Liam once knew greeted him. Her lip crusted with dried blood, a bruise engulfed her eye, and more shown on her figure. She fought for her life not that long ago. Wordlessly, she stepped forward into his body. Her arms reached out then embraced the familiar man.

 

[Liam Wickens]

Seeing her state of shock, disarray, covered in blood, disheveled mingled with fear that he could smell, his expression softened just enough as she stepped into him holding on tight. He held her back in a strong embrace even as he felt the familiar sensations she raised in him. There was a strong urge to protect, and he remembered how much he liked her from her smile and laugh, to the sounds she made when they were together. He put those thoughts out of his mind for now. She needed safety and protection while this mess got sorted out. Stepping inside with her in tow, he nudged the door shut.

Moving deeper, dark eyes surveyed the scene. The dead and smelling body, the damage and blood. "Well," he mused. "The forensic evidence will show how this played out. Sector security would want to bring you in for questioning but nothing should stick." He ran his fingers through her hair while studying the room. "But this.. is tied to ... the people you work for. They won't be happy. We need to get you out of here." Reaching down he pulled out the knife.

This he took into the kitchen area and began running water over it. Leaving it running he went back to the living room and pulled out his blaster pistol. "How thick are the walls here? Most places dont have durasteel doors that good. Did they reinforce this place?"

 

[Dashara Horizon]

In the past, Dash never recalled feeling this helpless or vulnerable. Years of Ikle's conditioning and training had eroded her spirit into a tool. Her purpose turned into comforting patterns until tonight. Now, an iron taste soiled it thanks to her busted lip. A bitterness that pained her into something beyond words.

As a child on Nar Shaddaa, the world gave you nothing. You survived and took it, or died trying. When did she lose that reality? The answer was clear: the day she met Ikle.

When Liam stepped deeper in, she grasped him tighter. At this point her emotions disconnected and consumed her control. Bursts of fear, numbness, and more wafted off her in waves. When the doors hissed close, she flinched. A natural reaction since the occupant tried to trap her here.

"I-I didn't know what to do. I killed an asset worth more than me. He won't- I don't..." Dash failed to collect the right words to speak.

All her thoughts jumbled within her head as she paused to avoid confusion. She didn't want to face Ikle and the thought spiked her fear again. Her breath caught in her lungs, her heart beat pumped too fast for the oxygen to keep up.

When he touched her hair, she stiffened then relaxed. For a moment the trauma created skittish reactions. She licked her lips to sooth the dryness. Her eyes followed Liam until he bent down to retrieve the vibro-blade. A flash of the man's horror filled expression overlapped with a child's dead one. Her arms wrapped about herself to shield her from the memories.

It took a moment for her to answer Liam's question. Dash needed to collect her strength just to stop her stammering.

She turned to face him, her eyes avoided the corpse, when he walked back into the living room.

"I don't know for sure. It's my first time here. However, it won't take long until someone arrives to pick me up." Her fingers fidgeted with the datastick in her hand.

"I don't remember doing this, but I think I downloaded all the data he had and destroyed the datapad. At least, I hope it was the right one. Everything's... it's hazy." Adrenaline managed to keep her upright, but she didn't trust it to last much longer.

 

[Liam Wickens]

Nodding once, he held off on the first part of his plan. Considering the environment, he nodded to her. "Alright. This guy he's a street level thug. He's handling matters," he said, thinking out loud. "Unless he's an underboss of some kind." His mind whirled with possible courses of action, but there weren't really any good ones. Not here. Best she could do would be to run. "Okay," he said to himself, then repeated it out loud.

"This is your last night on Nar Shaddaa for a while, until things cool off. I can get you out of here." He wanted to ask if it was okay. But he could see she wasn't really in the state of mind to make decisions. "This place is big enough to get lost in, but I think it's better of we're gone before anybody notices him. If you want to come back, we can later on. I have a speeder ready to go. Is there anything you need or want to get from where you're staying?"

 

[Dashara Horizon]

Dash's eyes continued to watch Liam. He was a better sight than the body at her feet or the chaos around the room. She tried to recall what she knew about the man, but all the information Ikle gave failed to surface. It wouldn't help them, she suspected.

Her arms continued to be a barrier to protect her from the scene. She tapped into his emotional state. Their connection had faded with time away from each other, but she could still draw strength from it. A better sensation than her own head.

At the mention of this being her last day on Nar Shaddaa, her eyes widened. Her racing heart dove into her stomach. Her lavender skin drained of color as she stared at him. Not once had she ever thought about leaving the planet. She couldn't survive. At least... Ikle had assured her this was the case.

"I..." She trailed off then paused.

Dashara swallowed the lump in her throat and cleared it to start again.

"I don't know if I can. I've never considered leaving before." She recalled back to the last conversation Liam and her had.

He had suggested she took her share of the gambled credits and leave. She dismissed the notion. In a week, she would've been dead. Her fingers tightened on her skin as if to draw enough pain to distract her from the choice.

"He said I wouldn't survive..." Her words said more to herself than him.

She shook her head at his last question and followed up with a single word.

"No. It's all replaceable. I don't feel safe there now." The pretty cage she called home reeked of terrible memories.

Her eyes looked at his. Any remnants of her mask had crumbled revealing a frightened and conflicted woman. One barely holding herself together as her seams came undone.

 

[Liam Wickens]

Liam listened intently, watching her as he came close. Reaching out, he gently took one hand in his, giving it a squeeze. "I know you are so scared right now. And everything feels like it's wrong, and out of control. Everything's spinning, and you don't know which way to go," he said gently. "But we can't stay here. And Ikle here doesn't know everything. He told you that to keep you in chains. To keep you under control. And you proved to be stronger than him. He ... couldn't survive... you. In the test of survival of the strongest, survival of the fittest, you won. He was going to kill you, or worse. You defended yourself. And you came out on top. That makes you strong, stronger than you know." He squeezed her hand again. "That voice in your head is fear, and you have no evidence to counter it yet. But come with me and we'll put it to rest. I'll show you just how strong you are, and make you stronger. I promise I am not going to let anything bad happen to you, and will look after you until you stand entirely on your own. You won't need anybody. But then, you will know the people you want to surround yourself with, rather than have to." He gave her a small smile. "This storm is terrifying and seems insurmountable, but it will pass."

As he spoke, there was compassion and concern rolling off of him. He couldn't really lie to her, especially being an empath. He didn't want to. But it was clear he believed what he told her. He was steady, calm, emphatic, and doing his best to be reassuring. "And you're worth saving, too."

 

[Dashara Horizon]

Dash resisted the tremble that edged into her hand when he took it. Her mind flashed to the incident with the mugger. She still could sense the greasy rain pouring around them that night, even when it happened such a long time ago. Every word he spoke rang true for her. The world she had strived to survive in crashed down around and changed her perspective of it.

That night the mugger came, she expected him to leave her. He surprised her when he didn't. A gut instinct told her he wouldn't leave her dead in some street and a part of her wanted to believe in him.

In her efforts to survive, she had lost so much of herself. Dashara wanted it back.

"Okay, but it won't be easy. Right now, I'm surprised my legs haven't given out yet." A hint of strength found their way into her voice now.

Please, please... don't frack me over. She pleaded for the best outcome in this calculated risk. Her eyes looked to the doorway.

"We are running out of time. When someone comes up here, it will be clear what happened. So... what do we do?" Her face turned back to him for guidance.

 

[Liam Wickens]

Feeling her resolve start to harden a bit he nodded. That was good. Very good. He knew she'd have a real breakdown later. Most people would in her situation. But now she was able to move. "I know," he said gently. "I don't know if we can get out of here without being seen. So I'm going to change the facts of what people know. But I need you to play along. Do you think you can handle being stunned?" It wasn't a great experience, but non-lethal. She would be out for only a short while. "I'm going to make it look like I burst in here, stunned both of you, stole the information, executed him, and then kidnapped you. But I need forensics to hold up to some scrutiny. If they do an ion trace, it's gonna need to look right. I promise I'll rouse you when we're in the air." He broached it gently, and tinged with concern for how she would react, but there was no deception. That was a workable plan that took some if not a lot of the heat off of her, at least for a while.

 

[Dashara Horizon]

Dash was speechless at his statement. An old client who asked her to trust him then wanted to stun her, all to ensure the evidence fit another outcome. Ill-fated outcomes surfaced in her mind. Her right hand reached up to her face. She hooked her finger about a stray hair then wrapped it about her ear, certain to keep her vision clear.

Her common sense screamed at her insane decision. She pushed away the sour feeling in the pit of her stomach. When Dash looked back on her history and knew she had suffered worse than this. It was what happened after which scared her most.

The Zeltron took a deep breath before she answered him.

"I've had much worse and I'm still alive. A little stun is nothing. I'm just nervous about what happens afterwards." She didn't see much point in lying to him.

It was clear on her face, her body, and empathy. Besides, she suspected he would know even if she didn't give clear signs of it. He felt like that type of guy who could spot odd behavior in a heart beat.

"Is there a specific place I should stand for this idea of yours to work?"

 

[Liam Wickens]

Liam could see the worry, that look like she knew she was about to jump off a cliff into unknown waters. "You'll be safe. I promise you. And you know I don't make promises very often," he said. That much was true. Life was too uncertain, and control was most often an illusion. But there were somet things he could control. So long as she was in his charge and especially unconscious, he'd do nothing to harm her, or allow harm to come to her.

"And yes, I need you to stand by the door as if you were answering it." Once she had moved into place, he nodded. "Okay are you ready?"

When she indicated she was, he nodded, brought up his pistol. "Sorry kid," he said apologetically and fired. A thin blue-white bolt of energy fired out, taking her in the torso. The energy struck, firing every sensory and motor nerve in the body at once, suffusing her with heat, cold, pain, pleasure, motion. Physically it would contract the muscles for a split instant.

He caught her one-armed as she slumped, then fired another shot across the room, this time into the body of Ikle. Thumbing his weapon over to regular blaster bolts, he walked over, aimed down and fired a shot, then another into the dead man's chest. He barely had a chest when Liam finished, leaving craters of smoldering flesh, and the stench of burnt meat filling the room.

Going to the kitchen, he retrieved the knife, slipping it into his jacket. Then coming back to the front door, he picked Dash's limp weight off the floor, and put her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Using her palm he triggered the door to open and stepped out into the hallway. Everything seemed clear for the moment. Making his way back toward the landing pad, he let the door close behind him and the dead man.

Taking the lift up, he only had pause when a Rodian entered the lift and went a couple floors. Aware the large black eyes watching him, he looked to the green-skinned alien. "Too much partying," he said by way of explanation. The rodian chuckled then nodded.

Outside in the open air he made his way across the lot and put her into the passenger seat and strapped her in. A couple minutes later they were in the air when he reached over with one hand to gently nudge her shoulder. "Dash. Wakey-wakey," he said, letting the vehicle autopilot for the moment.

 

[Dashara Horizon]

Dash swallowed again. It appeared all the water within Nar Shaddaa had found its way into her throat and settled there. She inhaled then stepped away from Liam. With cautious, but determined movements, she managed to walk to the door. Her arm raised to touch the panel she used earlier.

She paused long enough to nod to him. A weak, assuring gesture. Dash turned her head and closed her eyes, her figure tensed for the shot to hit.

A strangled cry escaped her lips when pain flared across her surface. Her muscles strained to move, but held fast in her original posture. She gritted her teeth to stiffle the scream edging into the back of her throat. Wetness crept into her perpherial vision before her legs finally gave out from under her. Darkness consumed her mind when something caught her limp body and spared her from the fall to the floor.

As she drowned in the darkness, a memory stretched across her consciousness. She was sixteen at the time and gradually held onto her independence. It would eventually fade into the background when she least expected it. She watched it play out in her mind.

Dash pressed her palm into the educator droid’s artificial hand. 8V6-N. Her warmth disappeared into the cold, lifeless surface. She secretly mused at the comparison to her currently living conditions. Over the last two years, she gradually came to miss the streets. Her form darting across the numerous street levels. The girl's pinkish skin chilled by the smog filled night and bathed in pulsing neon lights. Simpler times back then.

A bitterness washed over her when thought of how the ignorant would scoff at her lack of gratitude. Compared to their own standards, she was lucky enough to be fed, clean, and parasite free for the price of her body. This was short-sightedness on their part. All of it came at a much heavier price, the right to own her life. Nothing more than a pretty cage she now spun around and around in.

Dashara inhaled then exhaled. Her mind purged her attention of the unchanging facts. Dwelling on her mistakes would only lead to depression and the emotions wouldn’t help her. For now, she had to focus on ‘singing’.

She shifted her right foot forward. 8V6-N read her body leaning into him then shifted its position back, a reactionary movement. The dance began with a gradual pace. Its automatic response complimented her natural grace with each step, bring them to waltz across the polished floor. A heavy melody reflected the painfully slow dance as time dragged on. The routine had drilled itself so far into her that she followed its whims rather than hers. In the absence of thought, her mind wandered over to her partner.

8V6-N stood only a foot taller than herself. Its artificial eyes fixed on her movements, following them with precision and ease. It made her shiver thinking about it might see there. Goosebumps rose across her skin as she leaned into his metal skeleton, noting the lack of give to her touch. Where the monitor sat, her body felt the metal casing instead and obediently filled in the gap between them.

As the song drew to a close, so did their dance. Dashara pulled back to bow with perfect manners to her automated partner. Slow and steady clapping caused her to freeze with her head lowered to the floor. Her heart jumped in her ribcage, bruising it with the sudden fright. Blood seemed to rush into her mind as she silently hoped for her ears to be playing tricks on her.

Cautiously her eyes rose from her feet to acknowledge the source. At her fear, Ikle flashed her a predatory grin. Gradually his hands stopped and dropped, pulling back to rest against his lower back.

As sensing blood in the air, he stepped deeper into the room. The door snapped closed behind him causing her to resist flinching. A few steps later and his presence invaded her personal space. He seemed to tower over her. His aura suffocated her calm and pressed her into place. There was no escape now.

Her stomach filled with the familiar queasiness each of their little meetings. Every pore of his oozed danger and power over her, a threat she couldn’t ignore. Her breath crawled back into her throat.

Whenever she looked upon him, Dashara felt a queasy sensation in her gut. Something about him warned her off. White hair salted his slicked black hair. A beard framed his wide chin, trimmed and combed neatly. His body oozed of strength and power. Some would've said he was handsome, but he scared the hell out of her.

Her face mask fell back into place as she hid the fear. She forced herself to look away and step back. She made a small courtesy bow in his direction, putting as much respect into it as she could muster. It seemed to please him for the moment.

"I see you've made good progress with your dancing lessons."

He stepped around her, now examining the Educator Droid. This concerned her, but she pressed down the emotions to think clearly. Last thing she wanted to do was give him something to latch onto and bring her down. She watched him until she gained the nerve to ask a question.

"Is there something I can do for you, Sir?"

His figure turned to her. Cruelty glinted in his dark eyes as he addressed her question.

"I was considering if a droid was a proper comparison to an actual living, breathing partner. They are built to react to you and not to lead you..." He held out his hand for her to take.

"Shall we test out that theory?"

Dashara swallowed her scream at the thought. Her hand raised and rested into his, allowing him to pull her closer. The distance brought her neck hairs to raise on end. She steadied her figure to keep her perfect posture when he wrapped an arm about her waist, cutting off the exit.

"Begin."

His words signaled the music to start. Around and around she went again, this time the dance building up into thick tension. She knew he held unsavory intentions in his scheming mind. Her thoughts attempted to recall anything she did to deserve this, but nothing came to her.

As her feet followed the rhythm with a smooth determination, Ikle broke the silence.

"You will be entertaining Darro Tane tonight. He's an esteemed individual with a powerful reputation," Ikle began to get down to the point of his visit.

He twirled her about and tightened his grip, catching her immediate attention. She realized she was in a vulnerable state here. A puppet on his string, and she couldn't escape. No one would hear or care to save her.

"I understood how important he is to your business." She selected each word with the intention to pacify the escalating situation. Her tone reflected it well enough.

It didn't seem to please him like she expected it would've. His grip on her hand tightened causing a sharp pain to rise in her fingers. A warning. Each touch began to grow more controlling and borderline threatened to break bones. However, she continued to dance. It was obvious he wanted her to become scared and it was working. Her heart hammered in her rib cage while she attempted to puzzle her way out of the situation. All the while, Dash fought to keep her mask upright.

"I would hope so." He continued to feinted politeness, but the anger in his eyes was clear to her.

Dashara wanted to scream at him. Demand he tell her what he wanted to hear to make him stop or even rip away from his grip. She didn't because it would only worsen the punishment. Ikle wasn't above physical punishment if his temper got the better of him.

"Any small issue could result in huge losses..."

His arm kept her trapped against him. Now it cut off her breathing as its pressure grew with each step. Her fingers gripped his tunic sleeve and her head began to lighten, struggling with her balance.

In desperation, her pheromones began to release. An attempt to ease his boiling temper underneath the skin.

"I will treat him... as if his happiness... ensures I live..." She struggled to say, forced to collect air with each word group.

Dash wasn't sure if it was her words or her pheromones that snuffed out the man's fire, but his grip softened. Her lungs inhaled the first fresh breath since his arm attempted to crush her. She could feel bruising where he applied pressure, but ignored the sting. She even muffled her coughing in her throat.

"Good." Was his simple answer as the song finally ended, and he released her.

She wouldn't lie to herself. The absence of his touch brought her the sweetest relief, and she cherished it. Thankful she hadn't had her spine crushed. Few individuals would've believed it, but he was far stronger than he appeared. She once more establish that personal space she needed. Then she bowed.

Out of habit, she suspected, he returned the gesture.

"Please, for your own benefit remember what I've told you. It would be a pity if I had to find a way to recover from your mistakes."

She gritted her teeth, but silence was her shield. Her head nodded in understanding.

"Good." With that last statement, he turned and walked out of the room.

Dashara edged to the door, ensuring he was gone before she examined the damage. Her hand lifted her tunic to reveal a mark on her lower side. It was where his arm rested. He had tried to crush her to prove a point. In the end, her worth kept her alive. When her failures outweighed it, he would discard her like trash.

The realization of the experience caused her to press against the wall and slid down. Her hands pressed into her damp eyes as she softly sobbed.

Dashara jerked awake when Liam nudged her. Her heart still thumped across her ribs as she heard his words, her breath steadied itself. She observed him for a moment then glanced about. Nothing appeared familiar which fed into her fear.

A dryness filled her mouth while she sought for the right words. In the end, all she could ask was the obvious question.

"Where are we?"

 

[Liam Wickens]

He pointed backward to the building fading into the nighttime fog. "A couple minutes out," he said. "I woke you up as soon as I thought it feasible." He watched her in the pink-red glow from the nighttime lighting of this district. "You were starting to moan and thrash while you were out. I guess.. you wound up not just unconscious but dreaming." Sympathy radiated from him like gentle sunshine, but only for a few moments.

"It's maybe another ten minutes to the shuttle, and then we're off this rock," he said quietly. Glancing back over at her he frowned. Studying her dress he shifted to pull off his jacket and offered it to her. "When was the last time you had a meal," he asked gently.

 

[Dashara Horizon]

Dash's hands rubbed her arms to warm herself. A cold chill edged into her soul and refused to release her. She listened to his voice which chased away the cold lump in her stomach as she digested her new reality. Her eyes looked out toward the place she once called home for many years.

"I would call it less of a dream and more of a nightmare." The truth sounded harsher in her ears than her mind.

She appreciated his kindness. It showed in a warm, meek smile that faintly connected to the same one she gave when they first met. His next question caused her to pause, and she sank deeper into her seat.

"I don't remember. A few hours ago, maybe?" She faulted with her confidence in her answer.

Her arms continued to rub her skin in a pointless attempt to warm her insides. She found her attention locked onto the image of the city start to shrink then fade into the smog. Like a dream passed out of her head whenever she woke up.

"What happens now? I've never been outside Nar Shaddaa except when I was ten and my parents were still alive. I don't even have any credits to survive or contacts anymore." Dash managed to stop the cracking in her voice.

 

[Liam Wickens]

He spared her a glance as he took control over the speeder once more. He brought it into a gentle arc, banking to the right. The planet-wide city slid by below and around them as he cruised between buildings casually. He nudged the craft over a skybridge between two mega-scrapers without much indication he even noticed it. "Well, we'll get into orbit and then jump to another system. I am of a mind to drop off everything we're wearing into the atmosphere of a planet and let it burn up on reentry." He shrugged, steering with one hand.

"After that, I may take a contract working somewhere to earn us some credits," he said. Us. Not me or myself. "I have some money which I'll give you some of. We'll need to get you new clothes, and possibly a new ident package. In the meantime, we can do some detective work and track down any relatives, if you want to try. And I think you should learn how to fight and shoot. I know Zeltrons don't like violence. But I know you don't want to be a victim again. Or be helpless, or to ever feel powerless again. Right?"

 

[Dashara Horizon]

After several moments, Dash let her arms slide into her lap. Her right hand interlocked her fingers onto her left. A common gesture that kept her from fidgeting during social functions. No one liked a restless trophy they couldn't show off to the gathering. She silently reflected on the events from earlier, but her fear and numbness stopped her.

The soreness of her heels gradually broke through as her attention lowered. She lifted her left leg and reached a hand to her shoe back. With a well practiced and automatic movement, she peeled it off then let it drop to the foot mat. It made a hollow thump.

She straightened her posture while her eyes continued to scan the surroundings. Both familiar and strange buildings flickered by her seat. The colors and shapes all blurred into each other until she couldn't distinguish them from one another. A sense of exhaust began to settle over her until the phrase of us actually gained her attention.

Her head twisted about to face him, her eyes studied him carefully.

"If I had anyone, don't you think they would've found me by now?" The words didn't come from her.

They came from a hollow, dark place in her heart. It didn't toss punches about reality. The truth didn't hurt any less no matter how she looked at it.

She took a deep inhale then decided to point out facts.

"I'm not sure I could even use a vibro-rapier at this point without freezing up. It's funny, as a child I was exposed to a lot of violence and hard times. Now... it's like that part of my life has left me behind."

 

[Liam Wickens]

He looked over at her as they neared another building. This he shifted to the right for, then made a smooth curve to the left while climbing. "People like the ones you've been dealing with are good at taking people and hiding them. Commonly, if you aren't found in forty-eight to seventy-two hours, it's pretty near impossible to find you again. And that's by trained investigators. Civilians? The odds are worse." He took a deep breath and rose higher, coming toward the rooftop. As they broke over the edge, he cut a tight loop, circling and dropping down. An angular ship sat there with wings stretched tot eh side and forward almost like a large bird of prey with a gray body rested on it's belly. Coming around to the aft end, he dropped level with teh deck, his speed almost nothing. Reaching out he keyed a sequence into the console of the speeder. A moment later a crease in the ship opened up, yawning into a loading ramp that looked too small at first. Goosing the throttle, the speeder drifted closer, the shuttle growing larger in the view until they were gliding up the ramp with a meter or two to spare to the sides.

He glided them up into a large cargo bay, then settled the vehicle down on the decking. Getting out, he stretched his arms over head. The interior of the bay was lit in cool blue-white glow panels. Stacks of crates sat along the side. There was a workbench, and various racks for gear. Walking over to the wall he slapped a control and the ramp began to raise once more.

"Welcome to Growler 1138, or The Growler as I call it," he said. The air was cool and notably cleaner than the smoggy atmosphere of Nar Shadda. "Quarters are a little tight, but not too bad for just two people. Want to join me up front?"

 

[Dashara Horizon]

"I hope you're right. Ikle is like an Anooba. He's smart and opportunistic when it comes to hunting people. All it takes is a bounty for information and enough evidence provided to check it. One kark up is all it takes to get his attention." She hated the words that poured out of her mouth, but she knew them to be true.

It was better Liam knew what trouble he had picked up in order to save her. Until now, she had never been on the receiving side of it. Her stomach churned at the fact she could be running for her whole life.

The anxiety she held onto gave away to exhaust. It settled into her bones and spread throughout her flesh as she watched out the glass. She noted her reflection in the surface. Disheveled strands of hair poked out at odd angles and pulled loose from her current style. Her eyes held a hollow, haunted expression. Over all, her image showed the fragile state she had fallen into.

When Liam began to climb, Dash's arms jerked out. She pressed against the seat's confines to brace herself in place. An instinctive reaction rather than a proper one. The speed gradually stopped complete causing her to relax once more.

Dashara watched Liam open the door and pull out. An amused thought crossed her mind at what laid underneath his clothes. The moment bolted away, unable to linger very long.

Her right eyebrow raised slightly at the name then she pushed her door open and moved out. She peeked around the frame when he made his offer. Despite the fagtiue dogging her, isolation risked her inner demons tearing at her.

"I rather not be alone right now." Dash's simple answer spoke it up all as she followed him toward the front.

 

[Liam Wickens]

He could see how haunted and rattled she was. He knew that look all too well. He'd seen it before, especially that night in the alley. He'd caught her looking out of the corner of his eye as well, but only for a moment. The situation overrode anything else. Reaching out to her as he came around hte vehicle he patted her shoulder. "I'm not so worried about Ikle. I mean, of course I can't see everything. But I've been through too much to be an easy mark. And when we're done, you won't be either," he said as he ushered her from the bay out into the main corridor. It stretched left and right with a hatch across from them, which he stepped into.

The interior was spacious enough for a few people to sit, and operate various stations. He pointed toward the right seat, the copilot's seat. "Don't mess with anything unless I tell you. I don't think they taught you how to fly. I can put it in simulation mode later, but for now let's not risk it." His tone was gentle, but matter-of-fact. It wasn't that he didn't trust either, he just didn't know, and didn't have a lot of time to find out.

Even as he directed her his hands began moving from control to control, beginning the power-up sequence. The reactor came online almost immediately after he drew from secondary power. The boards and displays lit up as a deep and pleasant thrum passed through the deck as though the ship were happy to be awake.

"GR-1138 to traffic control," he said, keying up communications and punching information into one of hte consoles at a rapid pace.
"Control here. Go ahead GR-1138."
"Requesting permission for departure from Nar Shaddaa to Nul Hutta."
There was a pause, then the controller came back over the array. "Flight plan approved. Sending course and departure directions now. You are cleared to take off."
"Thanks so much. Growler out."

He glanced over to Dash, giving her a wink. Taking the power collective in hand he fed energy into the repulsors. The ship lifted on a field of energy and he began warming the sublight drives as well. As they came online a deep growling rumble passed through the ship as it began to rise, the buildings falling away slowly then more rapidly. They felt none of it though as the metallic bird took to the skies. The horizon tilted as he began banking toward their exit vector.

They had to take a specific exit point, as the floating junk yard in the skies of Nar Shaddao posed a continual traffic hazard, but more so was the planetary shield that protected the entire globe, keeping the metallic husks in orbit from slamming to the ground. It also served as a pretty solid defensivemeasure. If they didn't want someone to land... or to take off.. all they had to do was simply not open the shield. Traffic control kept control of who came and went, having to time it, and only open the shield for brief moments.

As they rose high above the smog of the world, Liam cut in the sublight drives and shut down the repulsors as they closed in on the hazy energy shell. Ahead a hexagonal gap opened up, big enough for them to easily fit through. He rolled a little and climed, squirting through teh opening into empty space, save for the floating graveyard. He let out a breath he wasn't aware he held until the shield closed behind them.

"Well... that's that," he said,, glancing over at her as he activated the deflector shields as a few pieces of metal pinged off the hull. "We'll be ready to jump to hyperspace soon."