Business in Bakura [Arzela]

[Darth Athora]

A lone freighter came into view as it approached the Cedarvale estate. It slowly came to a halt several kilometers away from the gated mansion, landing in the verdant fields below. The engines slowly died down in a hushed whine as the crew of the Bloodied Harvap readied themselves within. There were 5 of them. All men. All heavily trained in what they do. Kervo lead this crew of misfits and criminals. It wasn't his main thing, just something he indulged in on the side.

"Remember the plan," Kervo stated, "we get in, loot the joint, then get out. Kill only if there is no other option. Got it?" The crew all responded with some kind of agreement with Kervo. The crew got their gear on and weapons loaded up and headed for the descended ramp. A squad of speeders came rushing from the freighter with Kervo at the head of them. Wind whipped through Kervo's dreads, throwing them about as his eyes were set on the estate.

The silence of night would alert unsuspecting guards at the estate, but the crew were a bit smarter than that. Kervo was, anyway. That's why he was the leader. He had each of their bikes modified to make as little sound as possible. This is why they made it to the gates without being spotted. Kervo jumped from his speeder, sending it flying at the two gaurds posted at the front, pinning them against the wall and knocking them unconscious.

"Let's get in there." Kervo stated. He reached into the pocket of one of the guards and pulled out a keycard and opened the gate. The 5 of them stepped inside and moved towards the front door, moving discreetly and staying out of any stray lighting.

[member="Arzela Rivanon"]

 

[Lief]

The sanctity of nightfall, and sweet dreams, was broken by shrill cries from the adjacent room.

Blinking away the sleep she had been roused from, Arzela lay for but a moment and listened as the babe sobbed; where her own dreams had been filled with wonder and awe, a lovely venture through the Gardens with her Mother and Father - whom she now had a face for - it sounded as though Keri had been met with night terrors.

Poor love.

Rising up she brushed down her pale nightgown and grabbed a robe from the end of her bed, placing it over her shoulders. It was sheer, not really adding much more than a touch of modesty for the young woman who swiftly approached the door which linked their rooms together.

Most of the staff had balked at the notion of Keri moving into the adjacent room, but she had been adamant. Her cousin was all that she had left. No Mother or Aunt, no Father... Just Keri.

And this was her home now.

Pushing open the door as quietly as she could she stepped to the crib and gently lifted the babe from within. Usually she would find a way to soothe her without removing her from her crib, but tonight Arzela was feeling a little needy herself. So what if the child would be exhausted the next day, that meant a longer afternoon nap for her. Nothing to worry over.

"Shh, my love... You're okay..."

Rocking on the spot she gently bounced the infant and leaned down to kiss her atop the head, where blonde hairs had begun to grow by the multitude.

Pulling a blanket out of the crib, after all autumn had descended on the estate, she swaddled the child and moved to sit in the rocking chair by the window, content to let her cry herself back to sleep in the safety of her arms.

Sometimes a little cry was all that was needed, even a girl like Arzela knew that.

[member="Kervo Namadi"]

 

[Darth Athora]

The pristine marble halls of the estate stretched far in their homely state. Various paintings of people unknown to Kervo decorated the walls. Not for long, though. Kervo's crew began ransacking the place, throwing whatever wasn't nailed to the ground or walls into the large sacks. Silverware, sculptures, whatever they felt had some value to it, they took. The scrawniest of the bunch, Mikey, came across a door that was slightly ajar. He peeked into the crack with his beady little eyes and saw a woman rocking a baby. He snickered to himself as he slowly pushed the door open.

He walked closer and closer to the woman, jagged knife in his hand, smiling a devilish grin. "Well, hello there." Gold caps covered some of his teeth and his scrawny, shirtless, tattooed body reeked of alcohol and tobacco. "What are you doin' up at this hour, m'lady?" He came closer and closer to her, pointing the knife at the two as he talked. "No. You aren't supposed to see us. But, don't worry, Mikey'll take good care of ya." Mikey reached for the baby and just before his hands could get close, Kervo stepped in and grabbed Mikey by his neck and threw him back against the wall. "The hell do you think you're doing Mikey? What did I say, eh?" Kervo barked. "Stick to the karkin' plan!" His voice was smooth and rich as chocolate. He turned to look at the girl and the baby she held. "Damnit. I'm so sorry about this ma'am.."

Mikey pushed himself to his feet. "Well, if I can't kill her we gonna have to take her with us. The plan was to not be seen and she seen us." Mikey blurted out. Kervo realized he was right, sadly. He had never thought he'd agree with that maniac, but this moment he did. "Sorry, love. But you're gonna have to come with us." Kervo whispered, trying not to startle the baby anymore.

Kervo forcefully grabbed her by the wrist and tugged a bit. "You don't really have a choice in the matter. If I leave you, my boys kill you, but if I take you as my prize, they won't touch you. Got it? Don't worry, I'll protect you. Besides, this cushy lifestyle you're living now is no good for you. Makes you weak. You need some excitement in your life. The kind I can give ya." Kervo did his best to make a compelling argument. He did not know her or whether she liked the way she was living now, but he had hoped she'd see reason and agree with him.

[member="Arzela Rivanon"]

 

[Lief]

"Hush little baby, don't say a word," came the whispered words of the young woman, who rocked softly within the chair as starlight drifted through a crack in the curtains, lighting up the face of her cousin just enough that her sleepy expression was wholly visible to Arzela, "Papa's gonna buy you a purra-bird..."

Slowly but surely the child's eyes drifted to a close, yet she knew better than to think that she was fully soothed or asleep at all. With the babe no longer bawling the estate was cast into silence once again, it was late after all, not even the household staff were awake.

"And if that purra-bird won't sing, papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring..."

Leaning down she pressed her lips tenderly atop the babe's head and sighed. Exhaustion pressed down on her, but for the sake of little Keri she remained somewhat vigilant, keeping her motions slow and consistent, until she could hear the soft sighs of sleep take over.

Deciding it best to hum the rest of the lullaby, she leaned her head back against the head of the rocking chair and closed her eyes, content with the weight of her cousin in her arms, and the comfort of the wood which framed her body.

It would be a difficult morning for both of them when they were awoken, but it would be worth it.

When an unexpected voice broke through the room, however, she jumped - startled by the tone of it, there was a cruel twang that Arzela had never experienced before, not in her cushioned life here at Cedarvale.

Eyes were open now. There was a man before her, and in the dim moonlight she could see a blade shining in his grasp. Pressing back she brought the babe against her breast and covered as much of her as she could, speechless in that moment. All thoughts went to protecting the child, but she could feel her muscles begin to paralyze and her throat turned dry, so much so that she couldn't even form the words to speak. To scream.

That was until the man reached for Keri.

"No!" she cried out, instinctively drawing back as far as she could, though hands never enclosed around the swaddled babe as someone else stepped in. Violence unlike anything she had been exposed to before ensued for half a second, before this newcomer looked to her. He seemed beyond angry, clearly uncertain of how to proceed.

It wasn't until that moment that it hit her.

Who were these people? How had they gotten into her home without the guards stopping them, without alarms being raised? There was a sack of goods by the door that she could just about make out after something fell from it to clatter ever so slightly on the hardwood floor.

Her Mother's silver.

Indignation rose in the form of crimson cheeks, though she was still too terrified to speak out against the theft that was taking place. No, her mind was not on items which could be replaced, but the child that remained all she had left, the last of her known family. Though it pained her, that was simply a choice she had to make.

The two men were discussing something, most likely her fate, but she couldn't quite comprehend their words, her mind was whirring, and everything was a blur.

By this point of course Keri had awoken, and Arzela's careful rocking was all that kept her from screaming the estate to the ground. She should have let her bawl, hope that someone awoke and found them, but instinct had taken over, she was acting on reflex, on learned behaviours, and when Keri cried in her arms it was all she could do to soothe her.

So soothe she did.

The word kill tore her from her stupor, and she stared at the man who had just taken ahold of her wrist. Tugged up from her seat, Arzela tried to pull back from him but his grip was iron-tight and she only had so much strength to her. No matter how hard she tried, she was subject to his whims, and that made her feel sick. All of the colour which had risen within her cheeks was lost, paled in her distress.

"P-Please..." she finally managed to spit out, "Take what it is you want, silver, gold, there's even electrum in the study, just please... Don't do this. I won't tell... Please..."

[member="Kervo Namadi"]

 

[Darth Athora]

Kervo was visibly annoyed from the situation he was in. He was forced to save this girl's life because of his crew disobeying him as they frequently had done. He was starting to think that going for outings like this was becoming way more trouble than it was worth. They payout was starting to look less while the mental and physical cost grew. Perhaps this was to be his last job. Only time would tell, though.

Kervo continued pulling on the woman, ignoring her pleas for mercy. She didn't know that he was helping her, but soon, she would. Hopefully. He didn't want to have to send such a pretty face flying out of an air lock. He would explain once they got out of the place. The crew were gathered in the foyer, their sucks plump with loot. They watched with confused faces as Kervo came up with this woman and child in tow. "Don't ask." he uttered. The largest of the crew spoke up first. "Mikey?" he asked. "Mikey." Kervo replied. The crew knew how Mikey was and expected nothing less from him. It's in his nature to be a scumbag, but Kervo was growing tired of it at this point.

The crew followed behind Kervo, carrying their loot over their shoulders as they left the house. Kervo walked the woman over to his bike, keeping a close eye on her in case she attempted to run. "Look, you seem like a nice girl and all, but I can't let you go. If I do, I look weak in front of my boys. And if I look weak in front of my boys, they'll take my heard and leave it at my family's doorstep. Can't have that. You want this face removed from this body?" Kervo tried joking with her to bring some light to the situation. "Now, just hop on and stick with me. I'll keep you safe. No one'll hurt you or the kid. On my honor as a Blood Rider and a Mandalorian." Kervo swung his leg over his bike and mounted it. He started the engine and waited for the girl to hop on.

[member="Arzela Rivanon"]

 

[Lief]

No words were directed toward her.

Nor did his grasp relent.

Instead she was pulled further, from the room and out into the hallway beyond. Her heart was racing, there was a ringing in her ears, and soon enough she found that she was almost entirely disconnected from her body. It was down below her, acting on instinct, while her mind was floating above watching it all take place.

It was a surreal experience. It left her feeling sick to her stomach, oddly numb, and as they neared the foyer she realized that there was no way out of this for her. Every step she took at his behest brought her closer to the door... Closer to being outside of Cedarvale for the first time in her life.

Was it cold outside, tonight? The fact that this came to mind bothered her more than anything, why was she worrying over the weather? Why had her mind gone to such a place? But she realized that what she was wearing was far from suitable, it was sheer after all, and she would freeze in the autumn chill.

She was grateful she had swaddled the babe in her arms.

And so they ventured out into the cold. At this point she knew that any attempt at fleeing would be futile, it wasn't just one man, or two she was dealing with now, but a whole crew, and many pressed in close as they made their way out to the gates. Only then did she find herself alone with the one who had saved poor Keri from a worse fate.

"Please" she whispered again, low enough that only he would hear,but he cut her off with words of his own, words which made it seem as though his hands were tied, as though if he could he would let her go. She knew it wasn't true, of course, letting her go would have been easy, but losing the backing of his crew was no doubt something he sought to avoid.

And who was she, compared to that?

His joke missed its mark, not only due to the circumstances but the woman that she inherently was. Instead her cheeks became pale, with just the tiniest flush, and her eyes widened. The babe was pressed against her chest protectively, and when he told her to get onto the speeder bike she looked for a moment as though she might put up a fight.

When Keri stirred, however, she knew that such would only end in her Cousin being harmed, or worse.

No.

She would not permit that.

The ends of her nightgown were already somewhat torn at this point from trailing across the front lawn, and though it was most unladylike she lifted up her skirts just enough that she could sit behind him. It was obvious, immediately, that she had never been on a speeder before. In fact, if he took a moment to look into her eyes he'd realize she'd never left the estate before.

So much fear and trepidation within her eyes.

One hand moved from Keri, though the one which remained held her tight, in order to settle on the man's shirt for some sort of support. Her touch was wrought with trembles that she was trying to keep under control, but it was impossible given the circumstances.

She bit back a sob, and before the bike was started she made one last final plea.

[member="Kervo Namadi"]

 

[Darth Athora]

The crew rode their bikes back to their ship. Upon arriving they rode their backs back into the freighter and grouped up in the dining area to count their loot. Kervo was the last to arrive aboard the freighter and waited for the others to leave the garage before talking to the girl. "We got a moment of peace. So let's talk, eh?" Kervo thrusted backward a bit, signaling her to hop off the bike. The ramp of the freighter hissed shut behind them. Once she was off, he'd step off and look at her.

"So, you got a name?" he asked politely. "I'm Kervo. Kervo Namadi and this here's my crew."

[member="Arzela Rivanon"]

 

[Lief]

Though it did not take them long to cover the distance back to their ship, for Arzela the whole journey was hellish, drawn out to be something far more torturous than it was, keeping the babe close to her breast and one hand tightly clutched at his shirt for fear of falling.

As the scenery drifted by, places she had never ventured coming and going faster than she could comprehend, she could feel small parts of herself slowly slipping away, clinging to the Estate they had come from. This was not how she had imagined her first time leaving the grounds... Nor had it been how she imagined meeting a man for the first time, one that was not apart of the staff or an esteemed guest of her mothers.

And then it was there, upon them. A ship, the likes of which she had never seen outside of the books she had been taught by. It was even more foreboding in real life.

The speeder brought them into the bowls of the vessel before she could really make sense of it.

He asked to speak, and then thrust back to the point where she worried he might accidentally hit the babe. Thankfully Arzela shifted Keri out of the way at the last moment, and in the same motion managed to clumsily dismount. Her legs felt unstable, knees trembling for a moment before she forced a little composure over herself. Though the situation was dire, she was still a Lady.

Part of her wanted to lie where her name was concerned, though she knew that was foolish... And wrong. She could not look at him, could not meet his gaze, so instead she looked down at her cousin and tried to hide the indignant blush which had formed over her cheeks. Anger, confusion, dismay... Emotions she had not felt since Mothers passing all flooded to the surface, and it took all of her resolve to keep from truly showing it.

"Arzela," she finally said, her tone surprisingly respectful despite the situation, "and... This is Keri." She did not give last names, or full names, somehow it felt wrong to speak her Father's name in such a situation, it wasn't going to change things, and though he might have wanted to talk she had lost all drive to do so.

Nothing she had said thusfar had made any difference to her fate.

One hand moved to soothe the child, stroking back some of her blonde hair. Though the babe stirred, she did not cry and that was a blessing in and of itself. What would happen if the babe was to start bawling was anyone's guess.

[member="Kervo Namadi"]

 

[Darth Athora]

Kervo reached up, placing his hands at the sides of his helmet. Air hissed sharply as he removed the helmet, revealing his face to the young lady. He was handsome with light brown skin. His hair was in a buzzcut and he had a full beard, neatly trimmed. A slight smile was on his face as he put his helmet on the ground. He wanted her to feel comfortable. He knew all of this could not have been easy for her. He put himself in her shoes but still couldn't imagine how she was really feeling.

"She's pretty. Are you her mom?" he asked as he looked down at the babe. One of Kervo's crewmates came down, looking for Kervo. "Boss. We're counting up the loot. You better get up here before Tanner cheats us all again." he said before heading back up to the lounge. Kervo sighed then lifted his gaze from the baby and back to Arzela.

"Arzela. Beautiful name. Care to join me upstairs? Don't worry. I'll keep the hounds off you." He chuckled lightly. His hand managed to find it's way to the small of her back as he guided her towards the stairs and up then down a short corridor until they reached a red door. "Here it is." he stated. He pressed a button on the wall and the door slid open, revealing the rest of the crew inside the lounge.

"Hey, boss. We've got some good stuff. Silver spoons and forks, some art, Bobby got him a puppy, even." one of the crewmates reported. Kervo looked over and watched Bobby, the largest of the crew, snuggling up with a puppy off to the side.

"I see. Is that a Yorshi, Bobby?" Kervo asked.

Bobby perked up. "Yeah, boss. You have any idea how rare these things are off their homeworld? Bet rich girl had more than enough money to afford one of these adorable little creatures."

And then, Mikey walked over to Kervo and Arzela. "Hey there, girly. I just wanted to apologize for earlier. Was rude of me to come at ya like that and I'm sorry. Let us let bygones be bygones, eh?" Mikey managed to feign a smile for her.

"Alright, Mikey, that's enough. Get back to counting up the loot and keep an eye on Tanner. He's the greedy one." Kervo commanded. Tanner pulled his red hairs from his face and looked up at Kervo.

"Aw come on, boss. It was one time." Tanner cried out.

Kervo placed his hand on Arzela's waist and led her out of the lounge. "You alright?" he asked gently.

[member="Arzela Rivanon"]