Hot Coals Beneath My Feet

[Joza Perl]

The one thing Joza probably did right during her second enslavement, was hide her Force sensitivity.

Maybe things would have been different had she revealed it from the get-go, but if her previous experiences had taught her anything, it’s that Force suppression collars were a thing. A very uncomfortable thing. Biding her time had also been uncomfortable, but had paid off in the end. Somewhat. She wasn’t sure just yet.

Joza had been bundled with a handful of other slave girls, on their way to some unknown location from Nal Hutta. Had their Master—Kossak the Hutt—grown tired of them? Were they to be auctioned, or presented as a gift to some other crime lord? None of them knew, and that contributed to the heavy layer of fear among the nervous young women. They’d been beaten and molded into obedient servants—either by being born into the trade, or captured in their youth. Slavery was kind to very, very few beings. Usually the ones who were lining their pockets, profiting off of the suffering and submission of others.

Despite the humiliation and degradation, being outside of Kossak’s lair gave her a spark of hope. The crew was rather small, barely outnumbered by the slave girls. And when Joza had taken in all she could about the situation, all it took was a well-aimed stasis field.

…and some gritty hand to hand combat, getting thrown into a wall, and nearly being gored by a Caprine’s horns. If there was one thing that Joza could rely on, it was her naturally deft movement in combat. Fortunately for her, a fellow Twi’lek slave girl had managed to knock the Caprine out with a metal rod. For someone with dainty arms, she sure had one hell of a swing.

Thankfully they’d been approaching TKO territory, and Joza had managed to set course for Kesh in all her minimalistic piloting glory.

Seriously, thank the Force for autopilot.

They’d managed to gain access to one of Kesh’s ports, albeit conditionally. No weapons. Alright, that much could be understood. No doubt that the authorities would be suspicious, so she dropped the one name she knew associated with the planet: Solan Charr. She didn’t know to what degree he was affiliated with Kesh, but hopefully the name would open doors. At least a door that would give them temporary shelter.

Her thoughts began to turn to what to do with the girls now, and how to keep them safe. If deemed important enough—in profit alone—Kossak might send his men out. Joza frowned as she wrapped a blanket around a wide-eyed Cathar. The girl couldn’t have been more than 13 or 14, and looked terribly out of place in her skimpy outfit.

Patting the girl on the cheek, Joza gave her a smile. A troubled smile, though it was meant to be encouraging. Rising back to her full height, the Zeltron adjusted the cloak she’d stolen off of one of the stunned bodies, idly tugging at the slave collar around her neck before hiking the sides of the cloak up further to cover it.

“Stay here with the others, Meru.” She nodded towards the Twi’lek, planning to meet the port authorities herself and explain their situation.

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Being woken up at one oclock in the morning on Kesh time, was rather annoying, but a friend had used his name so that was all that he needed to know before yanking himself from the bed and barely awake he threw on a jacket and shoes before grabbing a few knives and his saber. He wasn't one to get heavily armed, mostly because he both knew Joza well enough while also subject to the same law as nearly everyone else but the military on the planet. Sidearms and sabers were the only weapons allowed to be carried on the planet, unless you were a member of the Keshiri Military then you could carry full urban combat gear as it was expected.

But a thought for another time.

Instead to the port he went as Joza was still being directed in and then comforting the other woman, long enough time for him to get there as he rested on what looked like a walking staff and looked towards the ship from the entrance of the port hanger. To most he looked like an old man in the dim light, leaning against the staff with his eyes rimmed by glasses that seemed to catch the light and reveal the sapphire blue orbs behind them, but otherwise he seemed to blend in with the night time shadows that scattered over the landing pad where the lights didn't fully reach.

Only when he saw Joza leaving her ship did his eyes brighten up a little and he smiled, looking past her to see if anyone else was coming out before shouting at her.

"When i said to come visit, i didn't mean while half the planet was sleeping... that being my half of the planet."

 

[Joza Perl]

As she laid eyes on Solan, some of the tension dropped from her shoulders and a momentary look of relief spread across her face. It had been a while since she’d seen him—or anyone she could consider an ally, for that matter. “I’m sorry to wake you,” She called back to him with a raised voice, lowering to a more appropriate volume as she hurried to close the gap between them. “But I had no other option.”

She tried to return his smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Worry and fatigue were etched into her face as well as her posture, as though she wasn’t quite sure what to make of the situation at hand. Gesturing back towards the ship with a tilt of her head, Joza addressed Solan in a lower, firmer tone. “On that ship are five other captive slave girls. The actual crew has been disabled, disarmed and contained.” The reality was a bit less formal: those that had been stunned or otherwise taken out had their weapons taken from them and their limbs restrained. It had been the best they could manage while approaching Kesh, but it the end it seemed to work out…so far.

Her gaze softened, a more earnest look in her eyes. “I brought them here because I felt that it was the best option. Will you let them stay? I don’t want to burden you, and I can help with relocating them if necessary.”

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"If this is how you plan to wake me up in the middle of the night, i can't say that im complaining considering the last few to have done it didn't dress nearly as good. Though i must say, i never expected to see you like this..." He looked past her at the ship and studied it before turning his eyes back on the woman and straightening up as he tore from his shoulders the cloak he was wearing. With a quick toss of it too her, he would let her decide to put it on or not before looking at the ship with curiosity, and more so its occupants as they came into sight. Her words were enough to get his eyes to return to her, only worry in them as he caught a single word that told him more than she had probably meant to tell him.

"Other?" He stared at her and sighed before turning his head back to the ship itself. "You know, you are lucky that i learned about all of this here, otherwise you might have been welcomed to the sight of me ensuring that none of those involved would live... you also saved the lives of those slavers by bringing them here, seeing as i can't touch them now ihthem in Keshiri Custody. Even if i am the king here." He stared at the ship and wanted to know who had tried to do this to his friend, who 'had' done this to his friend and his hands gripped eachother tightly behind him as he stared at the ship.

"Well, might as well tell your friends that there will be no problems. The others will be given housing, clothing and jobs at Tahv's palace to provide them with a salary to live off of. Least i can do for your friends and to give them a small bit of happiness and hope in a good future. You on the other hand are going to have some explaining to do Joza, considering that you seem to make one bad decision after the other..." He looked at her, but even as those words left his mouth it was clear he was worried for his friend and didn't mean to be harsh in his words. He wanted to make sure another friend was not killed or turned into a slave for Sith or criminals. He had seen enough of those close to him die or vanish from his sight only to be harmed mentally or physically.

 

[Joza Perl]

“Never really expected to be in this position again, honestly.” She caught his cloak, quickly wrapping it around her shoulders and rolling them back as she did so. It was likely the most covered she’d been in a while, and it felt nice to have a choice again.

“Others.” She confirmed, a hint of weight to her voice. Joza didn’t try to hide the situation she’d been in. Not at the moment, anyhow. She was exhausted, mentally moreso than physically. All she wanted right now was to ensure that the girls were taken care of, that they’d be safe and treated well. Her gaze narrowed at his next words. “I certainly hope you aren’t including the captive women in that. And I don’t care what happens to the slavers, they—what?” The Zeltron looked a bit taken aback, clutching the cloak further against her body. “You’re the King of Kesh? You’re not even purple.” There were a million other questions that buzzed through her head. Why didn’t you mention this before? But no, she settled on the fact that he didn’t carry the lavender skin color of the native Keshiri.

Ah, well, she could bombard him later. There were more important things at hand.

Exhaling deeply, her shoulders began to slump in relief. “Thank you.” It was all she could say right now, but the look in her eyes conveyed how grateful she was that he was so immediately accommodating to the escaped slaves. “Yeah…I know.” Her teeth sawed back and forth for a moment, knowing that at the very least he deserved an explanation. Her attention was drawn back to the ship as the group of frightened and confused slave girls were being escorted out. With a few swift steps she made her way over to them, explaining to the girls that they were safe now, and in good hands. Turning back towards Solan once they were squared away, Joza idly smoothed back her loose red waves.

“Sorry about doing this in the middle of the night, by the way. It’s easier to take over a ship when the crew is mostly asleep…” She gave him a small, tired smile.

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"Let's try not to make it a third time, though, I mean as much as I can't complain about the sight, I think we both would prefer you not be a slave." He smiled and looked over the ship with curiosity until suddenly she pointed out the fact of what he had said a moment ago. Sure he had never told her about him being a King, but the reaction he got was enough to return his grin and look more than happy about her little revelation concerning his place in the Keshiri government. IT almost made him laugh as she pointed out the tint of his skin compared to that of the Keshiri's, even if a good portion of the population itself was human anyways.

"I bleach my skin every morning, little do you know it even more violet than you are Joza. I mean come on, it is like being surprised that you are Zef's Kid because you are pink with hair like a rose. I mean, your temperament gives it away anyways." He shrugged at her with that same smile, his eyes turning on her while the sapphire orbs softened and he laughed a little. "I'll explain once we get you out of this air, not only did you guys pick it being night but the planet is a bit of a cold spell. We don't need it starting to rain and you catching a cold because you decided to get all dressed up. After all, you aren't on Nal'Hutta or Tatooine again, or even that smog filled cesspool called Nar'Shadaa... come on. I'm sure there is something laying around back at the palace you can use."

He walked back over to her, the staff tapping on the ground as he walked before finally reaching the spot beside her. He would wait till she was read then start to walk, making sure to look back at the ship in time to see his men removing the slavers and carting them off. He hated not being able to end their life here and now, but he knew that he would need to follow his own laws if he was to expect others to follow them. A cold blooded murder was just as vile in his hands as it would be in anyone else's.

"Also, don't be sorry. Like I said, I've woken up to far less inviting sights and far less important people. If it had been your father, though, I might have just had him sit in a cell for the night while I went back to sleep for waking me up. That man, can be quite a bothersome old wolf eh?" He meant the words as a joke, especially considering that he wouldn't really care if the Mandalorians came to his home. After all to him, they were as good as family to him at this point, well... he would never say that fact, but it was true. Those Mandalorians are good people, not like the clans that wish to rule them like any other Mandalorian that they can.

 

[Joza Perl]

Idly, she pulled the cloak tighter around her body. Joza typically had no problem bearing this much skin—she was a Zeltron—but he was right, it was cold. The typical outfit of a slave girl wasn’t generally designed for comfort in mind, though. Yes, she’d prefer very much to not have her autonomy stripped from her a third time.

At the mention of him bleaching his skin, a brow arched. The beginnings of a smile leaked onto her face, as if she were stifling her actual amusement. Briefly, she glanced back over towards the girls as they were being escorted away. She’d felt a motherly connection to them, especially in the recent hours of their escape. It still seemed like a dream. “That’s bad for you, you know.” She responded in a mock know-it-all tone. “And please, the Old Man and I are nothing alike.” They were actually far more similar that she was comfortable admitting, but Solan’s humor was beginning to rub off on her and she was responding in jest.

As the slavers were being detained, Joza walked alongside Solan. A smirk crept up her face at the thought of her father being detained for the night simply for waking up the King. “He once dressed me up in beskar’gam and tossed me from a cliff. While shooting at me. Not sure if that was some sort of initiation or what.” There was amusement in her tone, and she smiled fondly at the memory. Even if she wasn’t amused at the time—and had let Zef know via every curse word she’d ever heard—he’d done it from a good place. He didn’t make her run through an obstacle course with a ysalamir on her back for kicks, rather he was trying to teach her to survive without the Force.

“I should probably contact him soon…”

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"Oh im sorry, the reckless daughter of the Mandalorian just as reckless and quick to violence as her?" He raised a brow and grinned, waving his hand as he walked. "To be fair though, he never did date a Sith, so i guess there is that fact to consider." He smiled, knowing the words would probably get him punched, but he wouldn't worry too much about that fact considering it would probably wake him up alittle bit. That and a good drink or two from his supplies would definitely change that in no time at all. He was sure that he could get something delivered to him once he was back in the palace, probably something with a stronger taste.

"He might have the right idea there in all honesty, what with sticking you in a suit of beskar armor to keep you safe. I mean, afterall, its quite a chore as it is and im sure atleast then you won't be forced into this line of work. Then again if you were in Beskar all the time, im sure all those that had once had their eye on you might feel a tinge of sadness. The fiery Zeltron turned into a Mandalorian warrior could be quite a shock, especially for Zef himself. He might have a heart attack out of pride for you at that point and im sure the old man probably doesn't need that considering the line of work he is in." He was honestly just talking at this point for talking's sake, especially considering that there wasn't much for him to really say that he would be fully approriate.

Right now he was focusing on the woman walking with him, someone who it seemed was a magnet for danger. This left one thought in his mind, that thought of worry for a friend, that surety that she would likely be drawn into danger again as long as she had all these old dangers and terrors hidden in the shadows. The woman had now escaped from slavers, she had scourned a sith, she had created bonds with Mandalorians, Dark Jedi, and he could tell that while she would try to protect herself, she would be drawn to danger. That was what worried him about his friend, the fact that she would be drawn into danger whether she was ready or not for it and while he would like to help her, it was not his place. He was a friend meant to help, that was true, but he could not be there for the woman everytime something like this happened, she had to do things on her own if she was to be stronger.

"Well. Seeing as you woke me up, the least you can do is have a drink with me, before you run off and get into your next adventure Joza. I would hate to hear you ran off half asleep and without any relaxation after this last bit of escapades."

 

[Joza Perl]

“You don’t know that for sure.” She quipped back without missing a beat, briefly musing on the thought of her father dating a Sith. “And I didn’t actually know that he was one of them until—“ Pausing, her brows scrunched in confusion. How to put this? “—we had a fight.” That was certainly a word for it.

At the very least, Solan was keeping her distracted enough from the reality of the situation she’d just survived by talking. Though her mind was scrambled, it helped to focus on something else. “I don’t think I’ll ever be one of those beskar clad warriors. I like moving around too much.” Musing softly, she shook her head. She had quite enough of having eyes on her, much less hands, but didn’t voice it as she doubted she could in a friendly tone. Not wanting to bring the mood down, she chuckled shortly. “I certainly don’t need to be giving the Old Man any heart attacks.”

“I think I’m done with the escapades for now.” Licking her lips, Joza nodded once. “A drink would be excellent.” It had been quite a while since she’d been able to drink.

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

He reached for the back of his neck and scratched at it while she talked about how she didn't know that Haytham had been a Sith until it had been during that fight. In truth he felt horrible for bringing it up knowing that now, but it was her... hostility. He knew it wasn't for him but he stopped and glanced to his side as he looked at her for a few seconds while she still walked. He simply said nothing, nor did anything, questioning if he should hug her or not. The woman was a friend, one he would rather not see hurt or her mind in conflict but he didn't know what the reaction would be.

So instead of doing that he started walking again, the tapping of his staff on the stone under him while he led her to the palace. He kept the silence, not breaking it unless she spoke during their walk. In truth he wasn't sure what to say. He had nothing to say and inside he didn't want to ask too much because he knew full well how his mind would categorize the information. He was already unable to enter the west wing of the palace without feeling sick to his stomach or simply frozen in place, and the garden weighed on him with every flower he added to it. He didn't want another to be added to their numbers and that thought caused him to unconciously look at Joza.

 

[Joza Perl]

Even as Solan stopped, Joza continued to move forward smoothly. It was hard to comprehend that she was free once again, and she was a bit nervous that this was only a dream. Even as Solan caught up with her, she could feel his gaze and indecision along with his eyes on her. A pair of empaths typically made for interesting company.

“Don’t tell Zef.”

He’d already seen her in binds once. What a hectic and convoluted day that had been, and she’d really rather not give her father a heart attack. Letting out a sigh, Joza ran one hand through the length of her hair.

“So…King Solan, guess it’s only fair that I mention I’ve been a part of a regicide before.” Her tone implied that the words were in jest, but she had helped Nikias take his tyrant of a father down. “You don’t act like the royal type, though…no offense. You seem way more lax.” The Zeltron had little patience for regal formalities, and Solan struck her as a far more casual and patient man. She still wasn’t entirely sure that he was telling the truth but…well, perhaps she’d find out once they made it to the palace.

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"You probably want the pictures of this whole event erased then."

His eyes turned to her as they walked, letting her figure out what he means. Not only does he record ninety percent of his activities outside of the palace, but the cameras for the hanger also caught the entire situation. Joza's entire arrival was caught on two different recorders and he smiled as his hand waved.

"I mean, i could always just forward the video and let Zef figure it all out on his own. Not sure how he would take to his little girl showing up in this manner again," He was taunting her a bit now, but he didn't have to say it. The files were as good as gone the first chance he got and he had a feeling she knew he wouldn't actually do that. Sure he had done it before with a old friend, even laughing inside at the closeness of the situation considering the last person had been wearing a play hutt bunny costume when he had gotten the pictures that time.

Anyways, it didn't take long for them to reach the palace at this point, his eyes running over the doorway as they were led to a common room where he would collapse down in one of the couches. Just as she had pointed out, there was no formal or regal to him.

"If you plan on calling me King Solan all the time, im going to have to call you hot head or beautiful, pointing out the obvious is rather draining and i think we would both rather just drink away the night. Agreed?" He looked at her as he laid there, waiting for the attendant to return with a few bottles with a selection from Mandalorian wine, to Corellian ale as well as a few extra glasses for them to not have to worry if one broke or they just wanted a new glass.

 

[Joza Perl]

“I’d appreciate if you didn’t.”

Her demeanor shifted as he mentioned forwarding the video to Zef. Being enslaved was embarrassing enough as it was, she didn’t need her father to know about it. She didn’t need her father to worry about her any more than he already did. With her track record and choice of profession, she guessed it was a lot. Joza hoped that he was only teasing, or else she’d be liable to become aggressive.

Joza followed Solan into the common room, but remained standing as she watched him flop down onto a couch like he was exhausted. Well…he did just get woken up in the middle of the night. She, however, was wide awake. Realizing that she was waiting for an order, Joza shook her head at her own ingrained obedience before seating herself neatly on the couch that was beside the King of Kesh.

“Solan it is then.” Her voice was soft in agreement, and suddenly she felt much more fatigued. A harrowing escape can do that to you, and she still couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that it was over. As the servant let them be, Joza tugged the cloak around her neck down a fraction to reveal a slave collar. “Can you remove this from me?”

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Solan's eyes opened back up as she sat on the couch, watching her as she was quite obviously feeling the stress of the situation she had just gotten out of. Adrenaline was a marvelous thing, erasing away someone's pain and fatigue to keep them moving until finally, they let their bodies come down from the excitement. Watching her he knew that look far too well, it was one of relief but at the same time worry that this might be a dream. The thought may not be conscious but he understood what it felt like enough to know when someone else was feeling that way.

Her voice sounded again as he looked up and saw the slave collar, his face dropping as he hated seeing those things. Almost instantly Kira could be seen shooting from his clothing, the black form heading for his workshop to get him his tools while he pulled himself up and cautiously tapped her shoulder while speaking. "Move forward a bit so I can get the thing unlocked, Kira will be back with some tools to help. Sadly, I am a bit rusty with controlling machines through the force, and I don't want anything bad to happen." He would wait for her to move forward enough for him to sit behind her, his hands pushing the cloak away enough so that he could easily access the collar.

He would carefully move the collar around her neck, making sure to check for any hidden charges that might detonate if he starts tampering with the collar. These were hutts he was messing with and there was now doubt the would be stupid enough to make this easy to remove when it came to a rather quick tempered woman like Joza. "You really got yourself into it this time Joza... between the broken noses, reality shattering fighters, trying to stab me, and now getting a hutt slave collar on yourself." He sighed but if she looked he would be smiling slightly, a quick look at his emotions showing how grateful he was to see his friend safe and to be able to help her.

 

[Joza Perl]

As a dark mass appeared from Solan’s chest and zipped away, Joza flinched. Eyes wide, she shook her head as if she’d been seeing things. “What the hell was that? Your inner darkness or something?” The Zeltron seemed a bit on edge, but it was contained for the time being. As Solan tapped her shoulder, she complied by tilting forward so that he could get better access to the collar around her neck. “Thank you, and take all the time you need. Please be careful.”

As he felt him move the collar, Joza’s eyes fell closed. It was strange being here, almost like she was in a dream that she would wake up from at any moment. But she counted herself lucky, especially among the escaped slaves—while there’d undoubtedly be mental scars, she knew how to function outside of slavery. Some of the girls were not as fortunate, practically having grown up knowing only a life of subservience. It would be difficult for them to adjust to their new lives.

“The broken noses I can handle. I’d let Jericho punch me in the face a thousand times in place of this damned collar.” She paused, tensing suddenly as she recalled the last time they’d seen eachother during her fight with Vanitas. “Solan, I’m sorry for what happened on Ruusan. I wasn’t in the right mind, and that’s not a good excuse…but I hope you know that I typically don’t try to stab my friends. And believe me, you’re not the only one I’ve tried to hurt…” Her voice trailed, remembering the battle she had with her friend Sorel. Joza had been confused, angered and overly aggressive. All things considered, the Jedi Padawan had handled things marvelously in the face of a corrupted Knight.

“I’m not sure if that was my low point, or if this is.” She mused, idly blowing a stray hair from her face only to have it fall stubbornly back in place. “I certainly hope I’m done getting captured.”

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

He laughed a bit as she mentioned the blur of black that had shot from his clothing and off to retrieve his tools so he could work on the collar. It was interesting to see her notice it and react to it in a way that made him laugh with the stiffness leaving his own shoulders at having been woken up to find his friend in this state. "That was Kira, she is a little Ashlan wolf that is connected to me through a bond. It's kind of like one through the force, but I don't quite understand how this one works considering that they can bond with Ysalmiri. I'm sure that she will let you pet her once she returns with my tools. She rather enjoys the attention even if she won't admit it." His own mind was already filled with the curses that the creature had learned from his own mind, smiling as he heard her using them on him. He enjoyed the company of the creature.

"Stop it..." His hands paused as she started to apologize, refusing to even hear the words. His body moved around to her side to look at her face as he stared at her. "There is nothing you could have done, even if you had nearly killed me, that would have hurt Joza. I would gladly have been run through a million times as long as you, in the end, were kept safe like any other friend of mine. I only did that back then to make sure that you were going to come out of that ok, and that is why I am helping you now. So stop apologizing when you have done nothing wrong." He looked at her more closely before sighing. "I'm here to help you out Joza, no matter what it is that you need at any given time. I stand by those that I care about, and will gladly be there no matter what it is that you need, so don't say sorry or think I'm doing this to get thanks... which on that note, don't ever thank me either for being here."

His eyes focused on the collar as his hands continued to work on it. It was clear his focus would not break until that collar was off his friend safely, not until she had clothes that wouldn't leave her here in a state that was the creation of a Hutt's sick fantasies. He was careful, his touch ginger, but it was clear in his eyes that he was severely angered and a single thought was going through his mind as he worked on the collar, the wanting to strap one of these to a Hutt's head somehow and showing them the fear of having a bomb attached to them and their death the whim of the one with the detonator.

 

[Joza Perl]

“A wolf?” Joza hummed softly in thought. She wasn’t the best with animals, and could never quite get the hang of beast control despite being able to change the flow of emotions of many sentients easily. It would be nice to pet something soft and fuzzy, though.

Her brows furrowed in confusion as Solan stopped fiddling with the collar and moved to face her as he spoke. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, mulling over his words in her mind. On one hand she was glad that he seemed to forgive her readily just as Sorel had, but she had trouble accepting what appeared to be his unconditional support. Did she really deserve something like this after what she’d done, after how she had acted?

“I appreciate the sentiment, I really do. And I’m lucky to have a friend like you, Solan. But how can you not hold me accountable for my actions?” A small, sad smile tilted her lips. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and look where they’ve led me. Enslaved to not only a Sith Inquisitor, but a Hutt as well. Reduced to nothing but entertainment.” In her state, her mind was pulling her in two very different directions. She was free now, but her body still wanted to recoil, to brace itself for aggression and pain despite how gentle he was being. Joza could feel the thread of anger that ran through him, and he undoubtedly felt the uncertainty weighing her heart down. Such was the fate of a pair of empaths in a sticky situation.

“It’s over now, though. It’s over.” She repeated the words in an exhale, sounding as if she was speaking moreso to herself than to him. “Thank you, Solan. For everything.” She didn’t seem to heed his words on not thanking him, but did he really expect her to comply?

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

He smiled as she asked him why, his hands working on her collar again. Soon a black form bounding onto the couch and dropping a bag beside it before moving to sit in Joza's lap without a second thought. It was pitch black, though still gave off this odd glow to its fur as the miniature wolf laid there.

Solan would begin speaking shortly after.

"Why.. well because ive done and seen enough that you and those others i care about are the most important thing to me. If it means helping out those i care about, even if it means getting cut up or burned, beaten and broken, i will do whatever it takes to be there and to help them. That is why i can just forgive you. And as for you being reduced to entertainment, entertainment would never have been able to escape and fight like you did, be able to hold your own even in a situation where you were weaponless and without a saber or your force powers being lessened. Remember Joza, you were trained by those Jedi, and you have fought a sith knight. Plus that little party with those Q guys, i saw how well you are at being an operative. So you are a little rusty and could use some help getting stronger or refining your abilities, that doesn't mean you are so useless as to be entertainment." He smiled as he looked up at her face while grabbing a few tools and poking around against the inside of the collar, careful not to catch her neck in the work.

"Honestly, though, I can thank those grease pits for one thing. Their clothing doesn't disappoint." That was probably going to get him a glare or a hit on the head, but he wanted her to smile again and to stop feeling so down. He enjoyed the happier, albeit too reckless, part of her and not this tired woman who was... so hard on herself. He hated to see her like that and if saying something that might get her to hit him made her smile or show some kind of happiness, he didn't care. He was more than happy to receive the strike.

The main problem he was having with the collar though was it was an unusual design. Normally he would just cut the things off but he didn't want to risk harming his friend if something went wrong so he was carefully picking over every inch of the device and making sure twice that she would not be harmed if he were to remove it without a key or code. It was times like these that he hated that he never had picked up the Mechu Deru power he had learned about, controlling tech through the force would be really helpful right now.

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza looked a bit startled as the little wolf settled into her lap without argument. She wasn’t the best with animals, but Kira didn’t seem hostile at all, so Joza tentatively pet her with one hand. The canine’s fur felt soft and plus beneath her fingers, and she sighed suddenly in contentment.

Joza shook her head at Solan’s words. “You care too little about your own safety. Who is the reckless one now?” She challenged with a hint of amusement, throwing his own earlier teasing back at him. Still, he tried to build her back up and she appreciated it. “I’ll admit, I had to resign myself to believing that’s all that I was. It wasn’t just the only way to cope, it was the only way to survive. The worst part about it was being public entertainment. They…He…” She grimaced, a bitter look on her face as her hand clenched Kira’s fur briefly before letting go, not wanting to hurt the little beast. Perhaps the most painful memory was when Kossak’s court got to witness her being tortured as if it were some sort of show. Even now, the sounds of their laughter and cheering made her nauseous. It was degrading and embarrassing, and she’d found herself being much more compliant after that.

As much as she wanted to elbow Solan in the stomach for his comment, a sharp glare would have to suffice. The Zeltron was mindful that he was working with a potentially dangerous device around her neck, and she didn’t want to be accidentally turned into an exploding turkey. “If you like it that much, perhaps you’d like to try it on? You’re more than welcome to keep it. I’m quite tired of parading around nearly nude…and that’s probably the only time you’ll ever hear me say that.”

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

He felt the internal change and he instantly stopped, slowly putting down the tools before turning to her and hugging her. He didn't say a single thing and instead just held her for the time. He felt everything that had just spiked through her mind and it slammed him in the chest, so much so that he tried to even take as much of her pain on himself and replacing it with a calm or at least anything that she can feel past this. He didn't want to know what they did to harm his friend, he already wanted to kill them for even how much he knew already. Any more would just make him want to kill them more, and that was something he didn't want to push onto his friend knowing of her empathy too. He really hoped that this would help her, but he wasn't sure how much it would do so if at all.

While he hugged her, he heard the last sentence and laughed a bit before speaking again to try and keep the woman off the mind of the last train of thought. "Only time i hear you say that? Good to know that you will be less tired of parading around in the future." He knew she would glare again, but at least her mind was off the past weeks, or maybe months, of what had been happening to her and he could not stand to see it happen.