Private Captain's Orders

[Arlo Renard]

Aboard the Morning Star

It all started with a distress signal. Kai and Iris had gone to investigate, only to be hit by a cloaked vessel, then promptly tractor-beamed, detained, and thrown in the brig of what looked to be a Hapan pirate ship.

Kai had been trying unsuccessfully to free himself from the universal energy cage which held him. The cage was built in such a way that it created some sort of energy feedback loop, impeding his ability to use the Force. The pirates had stunned him and confiscated his lightsaber; there were no other tools or weapons available, and not even his shapeshifting abilities could help him here.

As long as he was behind the bars of the cage, he couldn’t even use telepathy. Knowing Iris was probably being held somewhere nearby, he took a deep breath and prepared to speak.

“... I-Iris?”

His voice was very weak and raspy with disuse. He hoped she could hear him, otherwise he’d have to try and yell—a possibility he did not relish. Nor did he want to think about what he would do if she wasn’t within earshot…

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Don't worry, it'll be easy. Quick in and out, helping people.

Yeah, Iris probably shouldn't of said that to her master, thinking about it now. In her own universal energy cage she sat cross legged. Trying to let her mind feel the Force, but.. Something was wrong. She didn't understand the cage she was in, only understanding that she was cut off from the colors save for her own. It was.. Unsettling. No, frightening. She was in a cage again.

No, focus. She took a breath, trying to calm herself.

“... I-Iris?”

It was faint, but close enough for her to hear. She blinked in surprise. Who..? "Kai?" Well, yeah. None of the pirates knew her name, so who else? Was that his actual voice though? Was he in a cage too? Too many questions rushed through her head, though they were a welcome distraction to the growing panic. At least she wasn't here alone, if it was Kai.

"Are you okay?"

Arlo Renard

 

[Arlo Renard]

“Okay,” he echoed in answer, trying to speak as little as possible. “We need to get out of here.”

There had to be a way. Whether they had to trick some guards, or take advantage of a break. But he wanted them to have a plan at the very least, so they could work together.

“Can you see anything past the cage?”

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Well, at least they weren't hurt too bad. Maybe. She had some bruises for sure, but nothing was broken. But at least Arlo Renard said he was alright. For now, that'd be enough. But how were they going to get out? Iris frowned deeply, peering around through the energy bars. It was odd to see the world without any extra colors. It wasn't the first time, but at least she hadn't been cut off from the Force.

They were alone, for the moment. Ahead she could see most of their stuff. Their lightsabers, their comlinks and whatever other tech they might've had. Her spray paint cans that she carried around.

"Just a lot of our stuff. I think we're in a cargo hold?" Iris was desperately trying not to panic. Truly trying. But even now her voice shook a little. Were they going to be sold? Killed? She didn't want either to happen, to either of them.

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai’s view wasn’t as good as hers, but he was fairly certain they were in some sort of brig. He couldn’t fathom why the pirates thought it was a good idea to leave their stuff out in the open, especially weapons. Unless they were fairly confident that the cages would hold them, and they were using it to taunt them by putting their belongings just out of reach…

“They’re going to have to feed us eventually,” he said. “When they do, they’ll open the cages. We can try to escape then.”

That was assuming they didn’t plan to just kill them. Kai thought that was unlikely, since they could be sold or ransomed, but it wasn’t an impossibility either.

When their ship was first captured, Kai had fought back, only to be overpowered. He’d been out of it while the pirates carried them off to the brig in stun cuffs, but he wasn’t sure if Iris had remained conscious or not.

“Have you heard them talking, or anything like that?” Kai didn’t expect much, but any little detail could help. A stray bit of conversation could give them a clue as to what the pirates intended to do with them, or how often the guards took breaks, or even just where the ship was headed.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Right. Food. They would have to be fed if the folks wanted them alive. .. If they wanted them alive. It was odd to hope that the pirates wanted to sell them. At least that way they weren't going to end up dead. Her eyes closed as she curled up on herself. This was getting harder and harder to do, put up with this. Try to be strong. Her fingers dug into her forearms as she pressed her face into them.

They didn't tell her that Arlo Renard was there with her.

"They wanted me to tell them how to take apart our lightsabers, what our gear did. They.. Promised to let us go if I did." Not that she told them anything. "They're probably going to hurt you and ask the same. .. I'm sorry.."

 

[Arlo Renard]

For a while Kai said nothing. He could hear the pain and fear in Iris’ voice as she spoke.

“You should’ve told them,” he finally said. “Our lightsabers aren’t worth dying for.”

Maybe he’d be scolded by a Master for saying such a thing, but he believed it. A lightsaber was just a weapon, an object that could be replaced. Kai was no materialist; he put little stock in the physical world, especially not where stopping suffering and preserving life was concerned.

On the other hand, the pirates hadn’t been able to confiscate everything. Kai writhed in his cage, an object emerging from his shifting flesh: Damsy’s dart gun.

The pirates had taken his aural dispension charm, no doubt thinking the ring was just valuable jewelry. When they got past the cages, Iris would be able to sense him as he really was—a Sithspawn with a Dark aura.

For once, he was actually glad that she was usually too distracted to notice the world around her. He’d just have to hurry up and put the ring on again before she had a chance to look twice.

Sure enough, he heard footsteps approaching. Kai tucked the dart gun away and sat down in his cage, trying to look relaxed. He didn’t want to make the pirate suspicious…

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"I can't let them have Domxite." They were the only reason Iris hadn't said anything. But Iris didn't have the strength or desire to fight Arlo Renard , not right now. They needed to get out, get free. Then footsteps. They hadn't been gone long, as they promised. The Padawan curled more in on herself, trying to will herself to calm down. She was hurt, but she wasn't dead. And the Force, even if it was limited by the cage, was still with her.

"So, you goin' to tell us how to take apart them sabers? Neither turns on when we try, n' they were workin' so well when ya came to attack us. I'd rather keep all those parts together though. They're expensive, right?" Iris said nothing, keeping her mouth closed. Eyes closed. Until a button was pressed and a shock ripped through the cage. Her whole form tensed with pain, but she couldn't scream. Her body wasn't listening to her. When the shock stopped, she curled up on the floor of the cage, whimpering.

".. Still won't say anythin'? Alright. We'll ask yer friend."

 

[Arlo Renard]

He didn’t understand why Iris had named her lightsaber. It wasn’t as if it was alive… was it?

The pirate was a man with a shaved head and a white mustache. He asked Iris about the lightsabers, then when she didn’t respond, he pressed a button that caused the cage to zap her. Perhaps realizing that he wasn’t going to get anything out of her, the pirate moved on to Kai.

“What about you? You gonna talk?”

“You’re brave men, capturing two Jedi,” Kai replied coldly. The raspiness of his voice actually worked to his advantage when he tried to be intimidating. “I suggest you let us go. You don’t want the Order to come looking for us.”

“Oh, we don’t plan on keeping you for long. We just want your stuff. Now, are you gonna tell me how to take the laser swords apart, or not?”

“They can only be taken apart by someone who can wield the power of the Force.” In actuality, Kai’s lightsaber was not all that special. There was nothing preventing the pirates from activating or dismantling it. He could only assume that they were too dense to figure out which button was the on/off switch.

“Ah, well, the captain’s got the Force.”

Kai tried to hide his interest, reducing his litany of questions about this Force sensitive pirate captain in favor of just one question: “Is he trained in its use?”

The pirate looked doubtful. “Then he won’t be able to do much with it,” Kai added. “You’d need our help.”

“You think I’m stupid? We’ll just find somebody else who can do what you can.” The pirate promptly disappeared.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris listened, though everything was foggy. Vision, hearing. Oh, this was what people meant by mind numbing pain. It didn't so much hurt as made it hard to focus. Everything stung. The shock collar was bad enough on it's own, but this? The Padawan curled up, trying to get past the pain. Find her center before she gave everything up to the fear swelling inside her. By the time the numbness faded to a dull ache, the pirate was gone.

"Kai..? You okay?" Her own voice was weak, but at least things were clearing up. To her still being in a cage. She frowned, turning her gaze to the sabers on the table. ".. Domxite, please. I know you're scared, but you're the only one who can help us right now.."

Nothing. Iris settled back on the cage of the floor. This wasn't the first time she'd asked for Domxite's help here.

 

[Arlo Renard]

“I’m fine,” Kai replied. “What about you?”

He couldn’t sense the pain she was feeling, but something about the hitch in her voice told him she wasn’t handling this situation very well. All the more reason to get out of here as soon as possible.

His brow furrowed as he heard her muttering. “I’m not that scared, honest...” he said, then realized she wasn’t talking to him. “Who are you talking to?”

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Oh."

At least he wasn't scared, though it didn't do much for her. They were both padawans, so it stood to reason that she should at least be on his level. Calmer. She took a breath, though even that was shaky. "Domxite. They're.. In my lightsaber. The crystal. Honestly, they might not be able to hear me, not with this cage."

Arlo Renard

 

[Arlo Renard]

There wasn't much else to do but talk while they waited for the right opportunity to escape.

“Why would you put a living being inside your lightsaber?”

Spoken words were limiting for Kai, and in this case perhaps that was for the best. What he really meant was if you cared for their life, why would you put a living being inside a weapon?

Even he hadn’t done that. Kai’s lightsaber featured a shard of Chaldean marble as its focusing crystal, the same substance that had given him birth, but it wasn’t the same thing. The marble was inanimate until lightning quickened it to life. But it sounded like the crystal itself was alive inside Iris’ lightsaber.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Domxite asked me to. They're a Rainbow Gem. And my friend." For Iris, this only made sense. Once Iris found them lost in the darkness and brought them back, the two were inseparable. Her eyes closed again. What were they going to do? Her fingers dug into her forearms again.

"I don't want to be in a collar again.."

 

[Arlo Renard]

If the rainbow gem was cognizant enough to ask to be put in danger, well, Kai couldn’t really fault Iris for that. He let the matter go.

"I don't want to be in a collar again..."

"You won't be. Try to rest. Meditate."

Apart from that attempt at reassurance, Kai lapsed into silence as they waited. He sat on the ground, his knees pulled up to his chest, raven-black brows furrowed in determination and eyes narrowed with focus, only a sliver of blue iris peeking out from beneath lowered lashes.

Eventually the door opened again, and sure enough, a pirate arrived carrying two trays laden with food. He was flanked by two thuggish types wielding blasters, probably set to stun. Hopefully set to stun.

"Alright, it's dinner time," the one with the trays said. "I see any funny business from either of you, you're gonna be in big trouble, eh?"

Kai remained seated on the floor of the cage as the bars were powered off. Almost instantly, his senses returned in a blaze of fiery ecstasy. He could feel the rest of the galaxy through the Force again. As the pirate set the tray down before him, Kai locked eyes with the man. The world around them fell away.

<You want to unlock the girl's cage now.>

Without the slightest hesitation, the man shuffled over to Iris' cage and turned it off, leaving Kai's open.

"Hey, you forgot to—" One of the thugs started to speak, only to be cut off as a dart lodged itself in his neck. The other man was similarly dispatched, both bodies slumping to the floor in an unconscious heap. The pirate whom Kai had tricked shook his head, regaining control of his mind just in time to be tranquilized.

Kai seized his gear from the table where it had been laid out, then immediately took up position by the door. <Now to find a way out of here.> He peered down the hallway, looking for reinforcements.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Meditate. Iris nodded, though she knew Arlo Renard couldn't see it. She needed to calm down. She wasn't helpless. Neither was Kai. Stay calm. Focus. Trust the Force. It took a little while for the shaking to stop, but it did. Isolated as she was from outside of the cage, she was still able to see the colors. Feel the Force. Her breathing slowed as she settled in a meditative posture, legs crossed, hands resting on her knees.

Then the pirates returned.

Her eyes opened. As much as she wanted to stay calm, seeing them, more of them, filled her with dread. She didn't know what happened next exactly, only that her cage was opened and.. The pirates were unconscious. Colors came rushing back as the electric field was cut off. Immediately she could feel Domxite. The gem wasn't scared, it just didn't know where Iris was. Unable to feel her, they just laid in wait.

The saber was promptly brought back to the Padawan's hand, held tight.

But there was another shade that caught her attention. Kai? Her gaze drifted to him just as he put the ring on. She saw it, the shadow of darkness that dimmed his colors. No, there were more colors from him than before. Not just darkness. Color trying to break free? As soon as the ring was put on everything from him dimmed. Confusion, but only for a moment. A groan from one of the unconscious bodies reminded her where she was and what was happening.

Her gaze fell to them, and her lips thinned. Without a word she'd start to drag their bodies into the cages. Better to keep them imprisoned in case they woke up.

She stepped beside Kai, watching the colors. They emanated stronger from people. She held up a finger before pointing around the corner. She could feel someone there. Her gaze shifted to her hand once she realized it was shaking. Iris quickly squeezed her hand into a fist, lowering it to hide behind her back.

<There's one ahead. What's our plan for this? If they've taken off, we won't be able to just escape the ship.>

 

[Arlo Renard]

<We could head for the bridge,> Kai suggested. <Or we could try to find a smaller ship in the hangar. Or, worst case scenario, we become stowaways…>

The one up ahead was drawing near. Kai reached out and grabbed him, holding his arm across the man’s neck until he collapsed, unconscious. Iris had been dragging the bodies back to the holding cells, but Kai usually didn’t bother. It took up too much time…

On that note, an idea struck Kai. <If we want to take the ship, we could use some extra help. There may be other people they’ve taken prisoner.>

After being let out of his cell, he had briefly glimpsed the rest of the brig. It was massive, with hundreds of cells and cages. The odds that there were other prisoners in there were quite high, and the possibility that those prisoners could fight made a jailbreak worth considering.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

<Stowing away leaves it all to chance. They'll know we're on board and out once they realize who's missing.> That now being a fourth. She watched in silence as Arlo Renard handled the one ahead. There was an uncomfortable thought as the pirate was chocked out. It'd be easier if they died. No sooner did the thought cross her mind that she banished it away, biting her inner cheek until a copper taste filled her mouth.

At least with Kai she didn't need to worry about actually talking.

<If there are others I can't leave them behind anyway. We'll help them, then take the ship. Put the pirates in the cells instead. You have a map by chance?>

 

[Arlo Renard]

<No. Why would I have a map?> It actually wasn’t that silly of a question, and they did need to know how to get to the bridge. Perhaps some slicing would solve that mystery.

But for now, freeing the prisoners was the top priority. While Iris took care of the dude Kai had choked out, Kai set to work unlocking the cells. Sure enough, roughly two dozen people stumbled out, looking a little unwashed, but healthy enough to fight.

Since his telepathy usually only worked with Force sensitives, Kai resorted to talking aloud again. “We’re getting out of here. We need your help to get to the bridge.” He armed a few of them with the pirates’ blasters, and even gave one woman his dart gun. “Take any weapons you can find. We’ll go first, you take up the rear. Once the ship is secured, we can go wherever we want.”

The group seemed satisfied with this plan. “Are any of you good with slicing?” Kai asked. A woman stepped forward and tried to access the ship’s computer… but only succeeded in triggering the ship’s alarms. More pirates were headed for their position.

Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

There was a lot more people than Iris expected. The ship was big, yeah. But she really did hope there wasn't going to be many meant to be sold off as slaves, or worse. Arlo Renard took charge, which was.. Kinda a relief. She half expected she might just so he didn't have to talk out loud, but he did anyway. She just fell in line with the others, watching them. They.. Seemed hurt. How long had they been here?

Without a word she went towards some of the more injured ones while the others were let free. She gave a brief smile, then reached out. Healing with the Force wasn't something she was too skilled at yet, but it was enough to close open wounds, heal bruising. Burns from shock collars and the like. Enough to make them more comfortable. More ready for the fight. Though it was more taxing than the Padawan expected.

She wiped her brow, already feeling the effects. Was this what happened when she tried to heal too much? At least Domxite was there to share the burden.

Then the alarm. Her brow knitted together as she stood up, pulling her saber from her hip. There was no doubt the pirates knew what was going on now. Iris took a breath, looking amongst the others present. Armed, they were still tired. And how many were actually trained..? She stepped over to the door, bringing her lightsaber around to carve through the consol.

"Okay, they're coming here. So we let them come here, set up a trap. Block them from coming in this way since they know this door is used. Then.. Go out another door?" Her gaze shifted to said other door. Just as a blast door was slammed shut around it. They were being locked in. Panic filled her gaze. This was the brig, so did they have counter measures for if prisoners got out? That must be what's going on.

"Okay. Okay. They know we're out. They're sealing us in. Um." Nope. She was trying to think, but the more she did the more she panicked. What else did they have? Was there going to be a way out? Were they really going to be trapped?