Private Hunt for the Wolf Cub

[Drauchir]

Continued from Border Journey...


After having knocked out Bryn, he had hauled her back to his ship - a heavily customised X-70B Phantom-class prototype - and placed her in the brig. More accurately, it was one of the crew cabins that had been stripped of everything but a bunk and a toilet. The door controls had been removed from the inside of the room, leaving only a featureless room with a one way window outside. The door also contained a slot that could be opened from outside to check on its occupant.

After depositing the unconscious form of Bryn into the room, and attaching a tracking band to her ankle, Drauchir locked the room and headed for the cockpit, where he removed the wolf head necklace and placed it on the console. The ship started up and a holo projection of a red haired woman in a green dress appeared sitting in the pilot's seat. She smiled and turned to look at Drauchir as he sat down in the co-pilot position. :: You know Drauchir, when I told you to make friends, I didn't mean for you should kidnap people... I get she is a woman and you have urges, but this seems a little low for you... :: Drauchir rolled his eyes and sighed. "It's nice to see you too Runya... And I know how to make friends. But she's definitely not on that list... She knows where Eryneth is..." Runya raised an eyebrow at Drauchir then. The same motion her name sake made when her curiosity was piqued. :: So little Eryn isn't here on Vjun after all? And where, pray tell, has this... source of information told you she is? :: "A planet called Bastion... Somewhere within the Sith Empire from the sounds of it..." The holographic female seemed to look distant for a moment as the AI accessed the galactic map that she had obtained from the Dark Hand. She smiled a moment later. :: Bastion, looks like it's the capital of the Sith Empire... Yeah, you could say it's with Sith space. You know it'll just be you and... her, I guess... Do you trust her that much? That she knows that Eryn is there? :: His expression softened as he looked at the door leading out of the cockpit. The Capital of the Sith Empire was one hell of a target. And if he was caught, they would very quickly remove his head. But if Eryn was really being held there, he had to go. He had to free her. He turned back to Runya then. "Right now, it's the only lead I've got... If she's there, then I have to go there... I can't lose her Runya, she's all I've got left..." Runya let out a chuckle and smiled at him. :: Ok, ok... I'll take you there, I see you can't be convinced otherwise... Settle in, because it's going to be a bit of a long ride... :: The X-70B lifted off from the ground then and headed up into orbit, its stealth systems activated to keep it off any radar.

It was but a few moments later that it broke free of the planet's atmosphere and transitioned into orbit. The hyperdrive spinning up as the co-ordinates for Bastion were input. As soon as the ship cleared the planet's gravity well, the hyperdrive engaged, the ship appearing and then disappearing in a flash of light.


Bryn Celli Ddu

 

[Bryn Celli Ddu]

Who knows how long Bryn was knocked out. When she did wake up, the sithling felt some surprise and then a headache. Attempting to sit up slowly, she wasn't bound or shackled in any manner. She was certainly in a cage though. The glow of the forcefield around her was clear in her cybernetic eye.

A question came to mind, why wasn't she dead? At the end of the fight, she fully expected to die. She rested here now with a pounding head, locked up and unsure of what was going on. From the way the ship felt to be running, she was in hyperspace already. Going to where?

Furrowing her brows, all she could do was wait and find out.

Drauchir

 

[Drauchir]

Drauchir had been laid up in the co-pilot seat taking a nap when he was suddenly startled awake by Runya. :: Wakey wake, sleepy head. Your guest has regained some semblance of consciousness... You may want to get her some food... :: He grumbled as he sat up, wiping the sleep from his eyes as he blinked a couple times. Focusing upon the blue and white swirl of hyperspace. "Thanks for the alert..." He pushed himself up and out of the seat, making his way out of the cockpit and to the small galley aboard the ship. After collecting a plate of food and a couple pain killer tablets, he made his way to the brig. The small slot in the bottom of the door opened. Allowing him to slide the food and medicine in, before closing again. He rose to his full height and slid the panel open. His gaze settling upon Bryn as she laid on the bunk. "How are you feeling in there? Make sure you eat and take the medicine, it'll help with the headache..."


Bryn Celli Ddu

 

[Bryn Celli Ddu]

When she heard the sound of Drauchir enter the room, she attempted to stand up. Failing that, she leaned back against the wall of the cell and rested on the bunk provided for her.

"You pack a good punch that's for sure. What did you do? No, I don't need another demonstration."

Looking at the floor where the tray was, she returned her eyes to him.

"What are you planning to do with me now?"

Not getting up or even answering his question, the tone she used was bland. There was no real emotion behind her words. Lifting a hand to her head, she rubbed the back of it where he had landed his blow.

Drauchir

 

[Drauchir]

He watched her at first attempt to get up, before leaning against the wall as she rested back upon her bunk. The concussion would take some time before its after effects were no longer felt. "It's known as a Rune... Where I come from, we know it as Magic. I believe you would know it as... The Force..." It still seemed such a strange word to him, calling it The Force. But perhaps it was because he had spent his entire like referring to it as Magic. "As for what I'm going to do with you... We're currently heading for... Bastion, was it? Where you can help me find my friend. If she's there, I get her out and then let you go. If she's not there, I let you go all the same. Until then, I intend to keep you alive... I have no reason to kill you Bryn. But I have every reason to keep you alive..."


Bryn Celli Ddu

 

[Bryn Celli Ddu]

Lowering her hand from her head, Bryn listened to the answer he gave her. Nodding her head slowly in understanding, she realized the Force was gone to her. Looking up at him with a bit of surprise, she sat up again and gave him a dirty look.

"I see."

In their confrontation, she had given this man far too much information. If the Empire learned of this, then she was dead meat. On the chance, they didn't kill her, then certainly a prisoner for a very long time.

"What makes you think she's still alive?"

Her eyes moved again to the food and drink. Buried deep within the mind of Bryn were the memories she couldn't see of her own childhood and life. Being Sith was all she knew. This was her life and she didn't know any better.

"If she is, there's a VERY good chance she'll be changed."

At least, he intended to keep her alive even if she failed to produce his friend.

Drauchir

 

[Drauchir]

He paid no heed to the dirty look that she gave him, perhaps a sign of regret for what she had told him. He leaned against the door then, resting his forearm against the metal as his gaze dropped, while considering the question she asked him. He placed his right hand flat across his chest then, wondering what made him think that Eryneth was still alive. He felt his heart beat then. Its beat as rhythmic and strong as ever before. His hand closed into a fist then, as he lifted his gaze back to look through at Bryn. "Because I have to have faith that she is alive. Like me, she is the last of our people, and I would have felt if she was dead... Whether she is changed or not, I will find her and I will save her. It's as simple as that..." He straightened himself up. "I keep you alive, you help me look for my friend at our destination. You end up free whether I succeed or not. And unlike your Sith friends, I'm a man of my word..."


Bryn Celli Ddu

 

[Bryn Celli Ddu]

"They have not betrayed me."

Letting out a humph noise, Bryn crossed her arms in front of her and looked away. There was nothing at all interesting about the blank wall in front of her. Pretending to find a spot entirely fascinating, she attempted to ignore Drauchir totally.

Not hearing him move off, she turned around again slowly to face him.

"Good luck. If I make it out of this alive, I'm going to hunt you down. You and your friend that you are so desperate to find. Hope you have a lot of friends to keep you safe."

Her words were nothing more than empty threats at this point. Both of them probably knew this, but she felt like saying them anyway.

When he gave his word he would continue to keep her alive, she trusted him that much. It basically indicated the food he had brought wasn't going to be poisoned. Moving slowing off the bunk, she approached the dinner and sat back down on the floor to eat it.

"Thank you. How long are you going to keep me locked up in here?"

Drauchir

 

[Drauchir]

"They haven't betrayed you yet..." Betrayal was the way of all things evil, whether they were Sith or otherwise. It was inevitable that anothers growing power would be viewed as a risk to those that had reached their peaks. One day Bryn would learn this lesson the hard way. For now though, it was a wasted effort to try persuade her otherwise. He smiled then, as she turned toward him and gave her warning that she would hunt him and Eryneth down. "You're more than welcome to come after me once this is over... But next time when I put you on the ground again, I will put you in it... And I won't need any friends to help me do it..." He watched and waited then as Bryn crossed the room and took a seat on the floor to eat the food he passed through to her. He raised an eyebrow in response to her question about how long he intended to keep her locked up. "That all depends on how intent you are on trying to fight me... Either I keep knocking you out, or you manage to kill me and the ship self destructs and you die as well. The choice is all yours..."


Bryn Celli Ddu

 

[Bryn Celli Ddu]

The man repeated back to her what she had just said with one additional word. Letting out a breath through her nose, Bryn shook her head. With her being his captive, his return threat actually carried a great deal with it.

"You're cocky."

Then he answered her question as she ate the food he had brought her. Practically inhaling her dinner, she pushed the tray back to him when she finished and sat back. Resting on the heels of her hands, she looked up at Drauchir. As much of a bravado she showed, her one natural eye didn't lie.

If he looked inside of that, he would find a lost woman. While she believed what she had said and was loyal to the Sith, she was a clear victim of brainwashing. That somehow showed in her brown eye.

Motioning to the ship around them with her head, she was vacant for a moment and then focused again on him.

"You have me locked up. Have proven you can knock me out. You also have my weapons. I doubt I will be able to fight you on equal footing anytime soon. Just giving you my word that wouldn't try anything would be pointless. You don't trust me any further than you can throw me. Giving that to you won't change your mind. So, how long do you plan to keep me in this cage?"

Sitting entirely comfortable on the floor, the sithling looked up at her captor and waited.

Drauchir

 

[Drauchir]

"It would only be cocky if I hadn't already proven I was capable of it..." He squatted down then, collecting the tray as she pushed it back out of the chute through which he had pushed it in through. He rose back up and met her gaze as she leaned back upon her hands. There was certainly something there that he suspected she did not want him to see or know. But it was still too early to tell for sure what exactly that was. But before he could ponder it much longer, she was addressing his response and asked again how long he intended to keep her locked up. In truth, she was correct. He had every advantage here. Her weapons were securely stowed away and he had already put her down once. It was also true that his level of trust in her was not particularly high. But it did not mean he was not willing to give her a chance to prove herself, especially now that she was aware of what the consequences would be if she betrayed him. "Well, since we have about a week until we get to Bastion... I'll leave you in here till tomorrow. It'll give you some time to rest and recover from that headache so that when you are out, you'll be thinking clearly and not make any rash decisions..."


Bryn Celli Ddu

 

[Bryn Celli Ddu]

As she spoke, her captor eyed her and finally made a decision. Even if he had said he would keep her locked up the entire time, she would have no choice but to accept it. She pointed out the advantages he had and Bryn only had one. She could get him into the prisons on Bastion.

When he made his decision, she just nodded slightly. This cell certainly wasn't the worst she had seen, but it was probably the first she had been kept in. Standing up, she moved back to the bed and laid down.

"I will see you in the morning."

Drauchir

 

[Drauchir]

Drauchir gave a nod, before closing the panel that allowed him to talk to and see her. The rest of the day passed by fairly uneventfully, with Drauchir stopping by to provide Bryn with Lunch and Dinner. He settled into the co-pilot's seat that night, watching Runya's image pilot the ship. While he understood some of how his pendent seemed to work, and knew the image of Runya was not necessary, he did like seeing her. If not for her, he and Eryneth would not have made it off of Eregion. With such a thought, he drifted off to sleep to once more face the demons that plagued his dreams. When the appropriate amount of time passed, Runya turned toward Drauchir. :: That's enough sleep for you big guy... Don't forget you promised to let her out today... :: She spoke with some levity and a bit of a chuckle as Drauchir stirred from sleep and seemed to glare at her for a moment. As much as sleep was not particularly enjoyable for him, he never enjoyed much being woken by Runya. "Yeah, yeah, I know..." He pulled himself from the seat and made his way back through the ship, getting breakfast prepared for both himself and Bryn. Once the meals were ready, he made his way to her room and deactivated the shield, before opening the door. "Come on, breakfast is ready..."


Bryn Celli Ddu

 

[Bryn Celli Ddu]

Some people might think that just because a person is also a cyborg that they don't need sleep. That was far from the truth and Bryn fell asleep quickly. In the darkness, she dreamed. The visions she had meant very little to her, but they were actually from her childhood. Memories that were locked away and blocked from her resurfaced as she slept. Nothing disturbed her though until Drauchir came in to wake her up for the day.

Sitting up on the bunk, he was true to his word and released her from the holding cell. Telling her breakfast was ready, the smell had already reached her nose. Her head wasn't hurting this morning so she moved normally and stood up quickly.

"Lead the way unless you want to guide me verbally."

Whichever he chose, the sithling took a seat at the table and looked at him before taking a bite of food.

"Do you have any real idea what you're in store for?"

Drauchir

 

[Drauchir]

"This way..." He led the way through the ship from the holding cell room to the kitchen, where he set the meals down on the tables and took a seat opposite Bryn. He started eating when she spoke, asking if he knew what he was in for. He finished the mouthful he was in the middle of before setting his gaze upon her. "That's part of the reason you're here for, but... If what Runya says is correct, I'm about to set foot on the capital of the Sith Empire, which conveniently happens to be where you say my friend is... I've walked into situations like this before... Under-equipped and under-prepared, but I've always walked out the other side. But if you'd like to tell me what I'm about to face... by all means... enlighten me..."


Bryn Celli Ddu

 

[Bryn Celli Ddu]

She would have been a stupid woman to not look around as they walked through his ship. Noting anything that might be considered out of the ordinary, Bryn didn't notice any of that. It appeared to be just another ship. Giving a mental shrug, she followed Drauchir to the galley and took a seat.

Listening to what he had to say, she respected that he knew he was going into something he was probably unprepared for. He also hoped she would help him. Lifting an eyebrow as she finished her own bite of food, she set her fork down and looked at him.

"Do you have a datapad or something I can write on?"

As soon as one was given to her, she started making some notes.

"Your friend is most likely going to be held in a lower security prison. This does not mean you're in for a walk in the park. Here."

On whatever had been provided to her notes would be seen clear and neat. It gave a few locations to scout as well what he might wind up being against.

After handing it over, she returned to her eating. Allowing him the time he needed to read over what she had written out. Coming from her might be a sense of betrayal. She had given this man information about the prisons and security of them. He would need to figure out how to deal with it though.

Drauchir

 

[Drauchir]

At the request for a datapad, Drauchir got up and went over to one of the overhead lockers nearby and pulled out a small rectangular device. Had Bryn asked him about a year ago to get a datapad, he would have just stared at her dumbfounded. He moved back to the table and sat opposite her once more as he passed the device over. Eating some more of his food as she spoke and made notes. He finished eating a mouthful of food and shifted the plate aside as she passed the datapad back to him. "It's not quite as horrible as I thought it might be, but... hmmm... Runya..." At the sound of her name, the holoprojected form of Runya seemed to walk from around a corner and up to the table. :: Got something for me Drauchir? :: "A map and some notes..." :: Let me see what I can do... :: The screen flashed for a moment before a holoprojection of the prison diagram drawn by Bryn appeared floating in the air above the table. :: Quite impressive intel Miss Bryn... While we have a few days to go over this information, your best bet will be to scout this out... :: "I'm guessing there are no obvious blind spots we could take advantage of?" :: It might be low security, but these Imperials aren't stupid... Not unless you fancy trying to sneak in through a sewer pipe... :: "Once I get in, I'll need you to access their systems and locate Eryn... We'll try keep this as quiet as possible. As soon as an alarm is raised, getting out will be difficult..." :: Then I suggest you don't go killing too many of the guards... :: "That shouldn't be too difficult... Worst comes to worst, I'm going to need you to get me in and out..." He set his gaze on Bryn then, trying to see what her reaction would be. He fully intended on keeping his word that no one would know she was involved. But if there was no way else in, he would have to involve her.


Bryn Celli Ddu

 

[Bryn Celli Ddu]

The cyborg listened to the conversation going on between Drauchir and his holographic companion silently. Both of them looked over the notes she had given them and sketched out a plan to get him in. So far they weren't including her in them and Bryn was happy with that. Of course, if they needed any codes to get into any place, they would need to use hers. That would certainly make any return to the Sith Empire impossible and more likely put a death sentence on her head.

Through the plotting session, the sithling just waited and ate the breakfast that had been provided. Even when Drauchir glanced her way. Giving him a shrug, she kept quiet. So far it seemed pretty solid to her. Then something else popped into her mind. Setting her fork down, she leaned forward and look at the two of them. Hologram and human.

"How do you plan to get past the planetary defenses?"

Drauchir

 

[Drauchir]

Drauchir turned his gaze to Bryn for a moment as she leaned forward and asked how he planned to get past the planetary defenses. He turned to look up at Runya for a moment, considering their options. He shifted his focus back to Bryn. "Hmm, well... does Bastion have any regular sort of traffic? We might be able to sneak past with that... Otherwise... We got your codes... or... hmmm... A third option... What can you tell us about the defenses?"


Bryn Celli Ddu

 

[Bryn Celli Ddu]

"There is regular traffic, but you need clearance codes."

She basically answered her own question and brought a hand to her forehead to rub it slightly. Her head no longer hurt from him knocking her out, but it was as if her brain hurt.

"Nothing actually. I wasn't ever trained in the planetary defenses."

Shrugging her shoulders slightly, she pushed her empty plate away and finished off the drink.

"So what now?"

Drauchir