Lost in the Jungle [Kaine]

[Lief]

"Get off me!" she yelled, a low growl escaping her lips as she pulled back from the grasp of the two men who sought to detain her. "What are you doing? Get off!" It was no good, the men had strong grips and she was but a child. She hadn't even meant to come here, but they'd needed to refuel and she had taken the time to stretch her legs. Truthfully, she hadn't even realised that the droids hadn't been following. And now? Well now she'd walked right into trouble.

Both of her arms had been seized and now she was being led away. She shook her head, she pulled against their grip, she growled and she tried to reason with them, but it was impossible. "I'm here with my Master" she said, using the term for the first time in a proper sense, "we only stopped for fuel!" But it was no good.

In her frustration the girl shook and her anger grew. She clenched her jaw and reached out mentally, before biting her lip. A moment later there came a sound akin to an underwater explosion, somewhat muffled, which emanated from her being. The two men were flung back by an unseen force, though not too far - she still hadn't honed in on her skills, after all.

With a grunt she fell to her knees at the same time, and covered her ears. She hadn't meant for that to happen, and now she felt certain she was in trouble. The two men were dazed, so she shakily rose up and tried to make a run for it, back towards the loading bay... But luck was not on her side. She ran straight into three men who looked to have a lot more authority than the others. Her eyes widened, while the guards quickly grabbed her and began to march her towards the huge Palace which was somewhat close by.

"I didn't mean it.." she said, tugging against their grip, "Please, let me go, I haven't done anything."

When they reached the Palace, she was pushed inside and down a long sweeping hallway. The large doors at the other end were thrown open, and she was hauled into the middle of what looked to be a throne room. One of the three men went off into another room behind the throne, while the other two left her there - her hands had, at this point, been bound at her back with stun-cuffs which would cut off her ability to draw upon the Force.

She stood there with wide eyes, and took in the entirety of the dark room. The third man did not return, and for a time she was alone in there. Slowly she tried to make her way towards the large doors, she had to get out of here.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Darkness had begun to descend on the bustling city of Canthar, but not even the eve of nightfall could dissuade the native residents of closing it up for the night. The docks were exploding with activity as the constant stream of water-fairing vessels continued to sail into the harbor, stock up on the various trade goods that would be distributed to the other lesser port cities across the globe, and once again sail back into the vast expanse of the great ocean. The vast bazaars never rested, crowds of tall and powerfully built Epicanthix men and women shouting loudly in their harsh native tongue while other near-Epicanthix species attempted to keep up in the loud thrum of constant movement and noise. The State Police constantly patrolled the wide streets of the capital, occasionally stopping for a few moments to mingle with civilians whom they had known for decades, and not even their differing occupations could dampen their comradery.

High atop the bustling lower and middle tiers of the city sat the calm and somewhat silent administrative center of the capital. Formally the central temple of worship for the Epicanthix civilizations of the past, the massive temple was now filled with officials and various government agents of the now sprawling Empire rather than the hooded priests and monks of the old religion. However; today it was especially busy as the Emperor himself had come down from his mountain fortress of Vain Hallow to meet with several of the Imperial Magistrates that governed the other worlds. The two foremost individuals present at the council were the Graug Warchief Malgrog the Savage, his bladefist gleaming in the bright lights of the chamber, and the Spear-Queen Rhyia, her mouth curled back in a wry grin as she eyed the other magistrates with a ravenous hunger. However; neither of these intimidating individuals held a candle to the man who sat at the head of the table.

The Emperor of Panatha, the God-King of the Epicanthix, Kaine Zambrano, sat tall and straight before his assembled minions. The Emperor wore a thick black tunic with a silver trim, several silver buttons running alongside the fabric, and a pendant of the Panathan Empire fastened to his left breast of his tunic. On both of his hands he wore stylish black leather gloves that rid up to his upper forearms covering the arms of his tunic, and had combat spikes on each knuckle of the glove. A maroon leather belt was fastened tightly across his waist by a silver belt buckle that displayed the crest of his family. His groin, hips, and legs were covered by a pair of dark gray military trousers typical of a military commander of the Old Empire, and was tucked into his pair of shin-high leather combat boots. A black cloak with a scarlet underside was fastened to each shoulder and was thrown over the back of the chair.

His hair was as it had always been, long and flowing past his shoulders while his beard and mustache had been left to grow more and more over the course of these past few days, and his eyes twinkled with an unspoken amusement at something yet unknown. A circlet of onyx and ruby sat perched atop his brow, firmly completing his regal, yet militaristic, look as the supreme leader of the Epicanthix people. He was just about finished wrapping up the meeting of the magistrates when one of his senior officers entered the chamber, waiting before being admitted into the Emperor's presence, and whispered something rather interesting in the Emperor's ear.

The Emperor chuckled and regarded his minions once again, "This meeting is hereby adjourned, return to your worlds and await my word once more." The assembled collective rose from their seats and began to leave the chamber, some like the Warchief Malgrog left with more difficulty than others. The Emperor rose from his seat and walked through the door opposite of the one his minions left through, and arrived in the throne room of the administrative palace. Without saying a word to the bound child, he took his seat upon his black throne and eyed her with amused interest.

"What is your name?"

[member="Evie Arden"]

 

[Lief]

The child had barely gone three paces towards the door when she heard another open. She froze, eyes widening in the dark, and chewed on her lip, hands fidgeting at her back. The cuffs were extremely uncomfortable and bit into her skin, and what's more they left her feeling... Hollow. There was something missing, she knew it, and it had her feeling somewhat weak. She shook her head to herself, and looked across towards whoever had taken to the throne. Why was she being held here?

"Release me" she said, clenching her jaw tightly shut as she glared at the man. She didn't care who he was, how he looked, or even the thin crown upon his head, she wanted to get out of here. While Evie wasn't exactly happy with Ovmar at least with him she was somewhat safe and secure. "I shouldn't be here." She was feeling out of place, and the way she fidgeted on the spot suggested discomfort. The cuffs were making her feel queasy, what little colour there had been in her cheeks having drained.

I just want to get back to the ship... Jared's going to kill me. She had already gotten lost once before, on Lianna ~ she'd been with him for such a short space of time, soon she worried he might just keep her at his side at all times, save during times of rest. Oh, she really hoped it didn't come to that.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"No one ever comes to my abode by choice, little girl, but whether by chance or fate they arrive at my doorstep all the same."

He said cryptically with a nonchalant wave of his gloved hand, his eyes narrowing slightly as he quickly picked up on her cheeky attitude towards her current predicament. Didn't she know better than to act like such a little beast in the presence of her benevolent host? Well, despite her reluctance to reveal any worthwhile information to the Emperor would not stop him from getting it anyways, and with those shackles around her wrists there wasn't much that she could do to stop him, if she ever could in the first place.

"You didn't answer my question, little girl, but no matter. I shall find out for myself."

The Emperor closed his eyes and breathed outward in a deep sigh as the mighty power of his mind extended beyond the impenetrable shell surrounding it and began to seep into the unprotected and vulnerable mind of the Umbaran child. He probed deep, such an act causing a good amount of discomfort no doubt, and began to harvest her memories. She was not that old, nine or so by the Emperor's estimations, and thus there wasn't a large quantity of memories to shift through, but what he found was delicious. A wayward soul cast out by her family, a jealousy against the boy that stole her future, and the dark master that had taken her in her darkest hour.

Oh Ovmar, you sure do know how to pick them.

The Emperor's eyes fluttered back open after a moment, and his despicable smile grew even wider.

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Evie Arden. My name is Kaine Zambrano, and I'm an associate of your dark companion. I wonder if Jared will join us, don't you think that will be fun?"

[member="Evie Arden"]

 

[Lief]

She glared at him when he spoke and seemed to shrug off her demands. Taking a few steps towards the door she shook her head, how could he find out what he wanted to kno--

She felt him there in her mind, he wasn't even trying to hide his presence. The little girl grit her teeth, it was making her feel worse to have him there and in moments she was on her knees, as each of her memories were sifted through. Private things... Things she didn't want anyone knowing, of her family and her fate. The fact she had been shackled and thrown in Tyrin's ship alongside so many others. "S-Stop it" she managed to gasp, breaking through her moment of extreme discomfort. Everything mixed together, the stun-cuffs which cut her off from the Force, the strange surroundings, the fact she hadn't eaten in a while and now this... It was intoxicating, and not in a good way.

When he stopped she tipped her head up to look at him; she couldn't stand up, not without the use of her hands - she was too small to have very good strength or balance yet. He had taken her name, and he had deduced the name of her Master although she didn't really remember it herself. Then he seemed to mock that knowledge, which only frustrated her. What she wouldn't give to have use of her powers ~ though little did she know that she would be able to do very little against such a man as Kaine Zambrano.

"I... I don't think he'll care" she said, bluffing as well as she could, in truth she was terrified at the thought of him dragging her Master here; but if she made him aware of that, then he'd be more likely to do so. She wanted the cuffs off, but by now she realised that demanding things wouldn't get her anywhere with this man. Instead she just glared, a tiny growl echoing from her throat.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He chuckled again.

"Heh, he'll care more than your family." The look on his face was absolutely mocking, his mouth curled back into a ugly sneer as his eyes twinkled in the gloom of the throne chamber. He eyes her for a moment more before he casually waved his hand, causing the shackles binding her arms to unlock and fall to the floor with a loud clatter. "You no longer need those. I have taken a glimpse into your mind and find you relatively harmless. However; if you do have any futile plans of escaping my ever watchful gaze, I'll have to feed you to my beasts, and I haven't fed them recently." With that he rose from his throne, and began the slow descent down the three-steps bordering the platform his black iron throne was raised upon, and walked until he stood before the small child. His imposing stature of six feet and nine inches tall forced him to crane his neck down to look at the small four feet one inch tall Umbaran.

"And don't lie to me, don't you know it's rude to lie to your host? Or has Ovmar taught you nothing yet? What a fool, you'd think he would have curbed that unruly attitude of yours by now. No matter, I will investigate into his abhorrent lack of tutelage later." He glanced over to a darkened corner of the throne chamber, and beckoned ominously at what appeared be nothing at first, but after a moment or two a servant would sneak out from the darkness carrying a tray of delicious food and drink for the young lady. Kaine, for once, had nothing brought for himself, but rather everything was for the child. "Take what you want, you are my honored quest. It may tide you over until your 'master' arrives."

Now it all depended on when that slouch Ovmar would show up.

[member="Evie Arden"] [member="Jared Ovmar"]