On the Blood Stained Sands of the Smugglers Moon

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]With her bending, he debated the merits of simply bringing the elbow straight down. An easy maneuver to flow into. Still, he decided on a more simple course of action. The moment she made to pivot around the pole, he did what any sane person would do when not confronted with a stripper.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]He took the pole, and the woman on it, and simply spun and swung it like a bat - except he let go of it mid swing so that it could go flying from his hands. Hopefully it took the woman with it. At that point, he simply followed after, intent on getting her into fist range before she could stabilize herself into a new position.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]A punch wherever he was able, and, barring that, a good slide into the legs to knock her flat on her ass.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]This had not been well thought out. This whole sequence of events was one great big regret. Had this just been on the list or had Cryax specifically asked her to come here. Someone was going to get snarled at over this. In a nice safe environment. Without hitting. Or at the very least not hitting directed at her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Don't let go of the damned stick, no matter what. She closed her eyes as she was sent flying through the air. She didn't like it, didn't like looking away from him for a moment, but it was that or vertigo. Judge distance. It was no different than a dance, she'd been tossed on stage before. Never with a stick, and usually there was someone to catch her at the other end, but it was similar. Twist in the air, make sure you could land on your feet. Gracefully would be a bonus, but she would settle for upright.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Feet hit the sand, her eyes were open even as momentum slid her backwards several more feet in a crouch, arms out from her sides to stabilize her, stick in her right hand and he was already there![/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]As his fists flashed out her eyes widened in panic and surprise. Now what? She was largely out of tricks. Only jerking her head to the side and away saved her from a broken cheek as his first punch swung in. That meant she wasn't watching his other fist however, and as it came in and took her in the midsection with enough force to leave her breathless and feeling sick. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The galaxy was full of warriors. Chiasa was not one of them. It had been a very long time since anyone had physically hurt her and never like this, she was left feeling frightened and desperate. Powerless. This was not a sensation she had ever wanted to experience again. And she couldn't even wallow because he was still there and still attacking.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Now? Now could she call the droids in? Now could someone save her? She didn't even have the breathe to call them. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She jabbed the stick in a vicious, desperate movement at his knee, if she could cripple him, slow him and then get away, maybe she would be okay.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]Jab met air, his body pivoting to the side once again. Reaching down, he tugged on the stick again to pull her forward - only this time he was going to bring his fist down on the back of her head so that she would hit the dirt and stay there.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She was a wounded animal now, out of her depth. Just as he'd wanted. There was no happiness in this for him, not anymore. This was a lesson. One she'd likely take with a good deal of anger, rage and general unhappiness.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Whether or not she learned was up to her, but the message so far should be abundantly clear.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Do not act superior to those who would best you. Perhaps not in words, but in deed. Not everyone stood in the arena of words, business and credit. Some stood in an arena of sweat, blood and meat.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]When they crossed, invariably it involved tension.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The businessperson attempting to use silken word and silver tongue to their advantage, and the thug going along with it so long as it suited them. But sooner or later, should they not die, the thugs would figure out that their best interests weren't at heart.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]And that's when you'd get situations like this.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She wanted to think herself better than he because she had presumed power? She could get the kark up out of the dirt and show herself better, because if you had the will to dominate mind, you should have the will to dominate body too.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]Even though she at last released the stick, desperate to get away, to find safety, it was too late. He'd taken her by surprise, stunned as she was and managed to pull her forward enough that his fist landed solidly on the back of her head. Small mercy that. If it hadn't connected well it might have hit her lekku instead, which would have been much more easily damaged without bone to protect them. Down she went. Spots dancing across her vision, the greying out of the edges as oblivion beckoned. Dust and blood in her mouth.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]But she was only a straight forward one dimensional creature on the surface. This was the beast who had walked out into one of the harshest deserts the galaxy had to offer rather than submit. This was the beast who had braved the worst worlds alone and creditless. This was the beast who had found the Ravens and forged her own power, made herself. This was the beast who survived. A well behaved beast certainly, who enjoyed plush pillows and her food on silver platters, but perhaps it was fitting that she'd been born with the stripes of a predator. She would not die, she would not let him or anyone else end her. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Shaking hands flexed and pushed herself up from the dirt. Swaying, unable to see straight and even less able to think straight, the Twi'lek growled, a low feral sound, teeth bared.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"Kumsara si'klonheno."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Stay away, she told him, hands not fisted but curled into claws. Stay away. She shook her head, trying to clear her vision and could not. Stay away. Stay away and leave me be. Stay away and let me be safe. Stay away or I will claw out your eyes and tear out your throat. Stay away.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]"Spit out your blood, and come at me."[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] He says, motioning her forward with a hand. She was rage incarnate now, anger fueling her. But it would only last so long when faced with sufficient adversity. No deadly weapons meant this wasn't a fight to the death...[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]...but she looked about ready to treat it as such. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]If he was going to get through to her, though, he wasn't going to let this end now because she'd gotten a boo-boo. She was going to need to be knocked down hard enough that even this part of her stopped struggling.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Only then would she stop being so haughty. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Cracking his neck, he waited to see her next move. Judging by the way she was swaying, her next move wasn't going to be very coordinated, but adrenaline was a hell of a thing.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]She snarled at him. She heard, and perhaps part of her understood. Mostly she was just a hurt and cornered animal. Even thought of the droids was gone. She was barely on her feet. There was room for only one thought fueled by fear, this man had hurt her and could kill her, he was a threat. Prior fights in the arena had ended in death, she had no reason to think this one wouldn't. She had no illusions about him being safe just because he had no armour, blade or blaster. Less deadly was still deadly. No end point had been set.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Behind her the wall of the arena. She had jumped down, she was less certain she could scale it, and even if she could there was the roaring crowd. She wanted no part of that. Trapped. She was trapped. On the other side of him, entrances. Or exits. Escape. Safety. She did not want to fight him again, desperately did not want it, but he was between her and life. At that precise moment in time she could see no way out save through.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]In a brief moment when the sand felt solid beneath her feet rather than like it was swaying or sliding away, she sprung. Forward, low. He was tall, let him have to over extend down to reach her then, the only true threat would be his legs, she watched them as well as she was able, ready to duck beneath or to dodge. She had no true plan. Stay low. Get close. Close because if she was near enough he would not be able to put nearly as much power behind his blows. Close so that she could gouge out his eyes and be gone while he was incapacitated. Drop him and keep going. Through the exit. Out and out and run and find somewhere safe to hide and heal.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]Watching her with a predatory hunch to his shoulders, he watched her. Her eyes. The tensing of her muscles. She considered the crowd, it appeared, and perhaps wondered why they so enjoyed this. Perhaps she fancied flight.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Perhaps she just wanted to cast withering glare.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]It mattered little, for moments later she found her footing and did towards him what he'd done her. Charged. Except this time, she was going to meet a different man. Or, more accurately, a wall. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]One knee dropped, bringing him firmly into her line of attack. With her at an angle, he waited until the perfect time to strike. With little warning, as she got closer, he pushed off and then up, moving to catch her about the torso, lift her up over his shoulder...[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]...and then crash down and backwards to drive her into the ground once more. This was going to get quite messy, he could feel it. Especially with her being close to him. He could all but feel nails digging into his flesh, even though she hadn't reached that point yet.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]He saw no attempt to flee from her. To him, she was simply fed up trying to run, and so she opted to fight. That's what he wanted, and so that's what he saw.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]She did not immediately understand what he was doing, though she recognized that having the sense to drop down to his knee was going to complicate things. For a moment as he caught her and started to stand there was savage glee, he'd brought her in near his head, and to crush, the only attack she saw available to him would take longer than it would take her to make him wish he'd never gotten between her and freedom.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Just as her hand found his face however, she understood. She flung herself further over his shoulder, fingernails digging bloody furrows in his back as she tried to pull herself further over his shoulder. What else was there to do? She could not break free, he was too strong, skin slick with sweat she could slip a little further through his grasp though. Not to freedom, but enough that she could hide her face, her eyes and nose against his back. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]A keening whine was driven from her as she was slammed into the ground. Rough sand on one side, rock hard muscles on the other. Her abdomen where he'd landed the punch before cried out in agony and her tenuous grip on consciousness slipped further, she'd protected her face at the cost of her lekku, trapped, crushed beneath her. The sand had given way a little, enough that there was likely not permanent damage but that was the best that could be said. Waves of pain rolled over her. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She was trapped. Trapped beneath him. Even had she been fresh it was unlikely she could have forced him off. Her legs were free, she could have kicked at him, but to what avail?[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]With her beneath him, he released her and stood. Blood ran down his back, mingling with dust and sweat in muddy contrails of filth. Inhaling deeply, he remembered the feel of hand on face and wondered just what she'd hope to do.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Nails had scrape there too, much to his annoyance, although not as deep. With her face up, though, he moved to her side and brought foot around and towards the side of her jaw. They weren't built for quick, forceful lateral motion and the pain would likely see her into unconsciousness.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Should that work, he'd get this contest ended. If not, they would fight until one of them stopped moving. Preferably her, but perhaps she would surprise him yet. Still, he was a man of baser pleasure, and the whine she'd emitted had somehow stoked a fire in his breast.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]One that could not decide between rough touch and violent. It drew a snarl to his lips as he paced, watching her for movement to see what would come.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]Knees had drawn up and a hand had moved to try and ward off the kick, but slowly, too slowly. His foot connected squarely. The calling dark took the Twi'lek and for a moment she was still..[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Before with agonizing slowness she rolled onto her stomach, and pushed her upper body up, arms trembling. Eyes met his for a moment in silent defiance, not even a snarl left before that too was gone and she fell, down and into the dirt. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]For a diplomat she'd done well to stand as long as she had, but there was only so much damage she could take, and that limit had been reached and exceeded. She lay limp and bloodied in the sand as the crowds roared their approval for the bear of a man who still stood proud and largely unharmed. The favourite remained, the interloper was defeated.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]Reaching down, the man scooped her up over his shoulder and gave a flick of his chin to the gate guard. Raising the gate, he made to carry her down to the medbay. IT wasn't anything special, just a couple rudimentary doctors, a few bacta patches and a ton of water and disinfectant.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Laying her on a bed, he left her there to retrieve his armor. But as he went to leave the medbay, he found courier bringing beskar in hand, and with a muttered thanks to man returned to sitting by the orange Twi'lek, waiting for her to awake.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Unless her droids came down here to knock him unconscious or something. [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]"Tend her."[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] The Bear says with a pointed glare to one of the Docs. There wouldn't be much to tend, really. He was the one bleeding and needing bandages.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]But they'd make sure she was hydrated and not internally bleeding in some manner. Better a trained eye look at her than him.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]The droids in question had very specific programming. As long as their mistress was conscious and capable of giving orders they had to follow her instructions. As soon as this was no longer true, their prior programming kicked in. Defend her. That said, the man had not taken actions they considered to be aggressive after her brain waves began registering the pattern that told them her instructions no longer applied. So they flanked, but took no hostile action. As if the poor 'doctors' needed anything else to keep them on their toes. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Ribs had fractured but not broken. Though they would doubtless be uncomfortable, there was not much to do beyond a mild painkiller and waiting. Had she been one of the Gladiators, and the Bear not been there looming over them they'd likely have left it at that. As it was the abrasions on her jaw, back of her head and back from where she'd been rammed into the sand were given a perfunctory cleaning and a quick application of bacta-spray. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]One of the doctors, keen on having her gone and both the bed back and the Bear elsewhere, gave her a stim-shot on his way out the door. Technically it would have been better to let her wake in her own time, but no real damage was done, healing was only slowed. It was a hell of a rude awakening though.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Muscles tightened as adrenaline flooded a battered system. She surged into a sitting position, eyes wide and panicked. The sudden move was too much for her battered ribs, and she curled into a fetal position on her side, which was also painful, but at least felt safer, particularly when she caught sight of the man sitting beside her bed.. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She froze, shoulders hunching and topmost hand gripping the bed as if it might be a shield she could use to protect herself.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]While they went over her, he set about putting his armor off after stripping off the protection he'd had for his groin. Another doc had disinfected the claw marks down his back and was dabbing at them with a light bit of bacta.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Once he was done, however, the chestplate went back on, belts and locks snapping into place to hold it all secure. Last to go was the helmet, of course, which he kept off for the time being. Instead, he set it on a knee.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"Ah, you're awake." [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Came his drawl of a voice as she awoke, curled up, and then promptly hated her life. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]One arm rested atop his helmet, hood bundled up around his neck.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"How do you feel."[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]How did she feel? Was this a bloody joke? At the very least incredulity broke through fear, and previously panicked eyes narrowed at him. She was not impressed with his sense of humour.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"Fine."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Any pain or discomfort on her part, and there was plenty, was none of his business. What, did he want to gloat? Look what I did to you, look how I beat you, look how helpless and worthless you are. No and no and no, she rejected those thoughts immediately. It was not so. It couldn't be. A fraction of doubt remained. A shard of fear. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"One. Attend."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The RICO unit rose and padded closer, bag still about its neck. She pushed herself up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It hurt. A lot. She kept as much of the pain from her face as she could, though there wasn't much she could do about the paling as she sat upright. Hopefully with the lovely new bruises to attract attention it wouldn't be noted.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She had to get her comm unit. The speeder would be here by now. And while there was something immensely satisfying about the thought of Ravens troops coming in and slaughtering every last being who had seen her brought so low when she was not seen and did not call them off.. It was best if they thought everything was under control. While her hold was tight, it was a criminal organization at the end of the day. Most were like family, but that didn't mean they wouldn't press for advantages where they could.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]The man gave her a disinterested look, blinking slowly at her narrowed eyes. With little fanfare, he stood and settled helmet upon head, obscuring his face from view. [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]"Good. I would not see one such as you to the Long March."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]A personal term for the Mandalorian after, coined from the phrase 'not gone, merely marching far away.'[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Fist clenching, he brought it to his breast in salute before turning to depart the room. He paused at the doorway, one hand set upon the frame. He didn't look back, but didn't need to if he wanted to keep her in sight.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]There was little threat from her, just now. She was likely contemplating how best to get back at him, but she'd know better than to try and start a fight in an arena full of seasoned warriors. Common sense would win out, especially once pride's bruised form became normal once more.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]"If you should ever have need of me, ask for Bear." [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]He says.[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] "I'm sure many would envy your meeting with the Mandalore who turned back the Sith." [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]And with that, he departed. It's not like she'd admit to having the snot beat out of her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]But the admittance of who he was was as calculated as anything else. You never knew who you were looking at down your nose; better to be careful than be sorry.[/SIZE]

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

[SIZE=10pt]She'd pulled the comm unit from the bag before he started speaking. When he did her entire body tensed, still not quite believing that the encounter was over. She wasn't entirely certain what to make of his salute, and was in fact slightly puzzled by it. It might have been some measure of respect, or it may well have been the exact opposite, mocking. With his helmet on she couldn't tell.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Chiasa did not generally deal with Mandalorians, and as such did not keep such things as 360 degree view in the forefront of her mind. With his back to her some of the guardedness fell from her face and what it conveyed was largely pain, fear and wariness. She pulled her knees back up under her chin, one hand holding the data pad with white knuckles, the other reaching for the droid. She did not for the most part like droids, but she was garnering a large amount of comfort from them just now.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Ask for him. Again, it was hard for her to tell whether his words were genuine. She tensed again and her nostrils flared slightly at the Mandalore part. Were it true, at the very least it was not quite such a shameful thing to have been beaten by him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She relaxed slightly once he left, deft fingers flying over the comm unit. The speeder was reassured and sent away. She triggered the code to call her own ship to her. And she entered a few quick queries about past Mandalores.. There. There was a picture of him, younger to be sure, but him all the same. Emberli Garett. Bear.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]For a moment she looked away, jaw clenched until the pain of it made her stop.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Finally, grudgingly, though there was no one to see, she made a few quick motions on the comm unit and it was done. The arena was transferred from Red Raven ownership to his name. She could not have said precisely why she'd done it, only that she felt it ought to be done.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Her clothes were ruined. She could not go out like this. Could not face the world, the stares without her own form of armour in place. Ignoring those still present, they were nothing to her, the barely there top and loose pants were stripped off, from her bag a canister was withdrawn, within it a simple sheathe dress in black. Always have a little black dress handy. She put her shoes back on with all the finality of a warrior strapping on their weapons. Blank gaze in place and chin high she left, droids at her side, no limp in her gait though it would have been warranted.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Soon she would be at her ship, and there, alone, she could be small.[/SIZE]