Private Shifting Sands

[Asha Sar'andor]

Slavers.

Why was it always slavers?

Asha had been tracking this particular ship of low lives through the past two sectors, though they'd always managed to outmaneuver her. She might not have had the cursed Hex gene when it came to piloting, but that didn't mean she was the next Han Solo. Her greatest claim to starship fame had been the run she'd done through Scar Space with the Blue Crest... Even that had its frightful moments. Still eventually she'd followed them right to Lasan and therein began the process of tracking them on foot.

They had with them a series of slaves, young Cathar originally meant for Karazak. She'd managed to put a slight wrench in their plans, kept them from the slave markets of that rocky planet, but without granting them their freedom all she was managing was to delay the inevitable. Something more had to be done.

They would not get far on foot, not with a host of tired slaves. Bantha tracks were relatively easy to track, even within the shifting desert sands, so Asha made a point of following them. No doubt they'd find respite at some sort of settlement... Well, she was one person but that at least had its advantages. She hoped to cut them off along the way, or at the very least reach the citystate ahead of them. From there?

Well, Asha hadn't actually thought that far ahead.

Grundark

 

[Grundark]

Lasan, he'd done plenty of business here, too much really. He was owed credits, old credits but it was a decent sum and he needed it now. He wasn't sure for what, but he knew he needed to make a move now while his mind was still his own. If he kept busy enough he could keep ahead of the madness. Maybe not cure it, but it be enough to keep him from sinking into despair again. Or so he hoped.

This had been a good place for a depot, the locals didn't have the technology level to be a pain, and there was plenty of easy labor. Force, the locals would even celebrate and pay you for attacking another city state. Damn fools. Still you didn't buy or sell here really, but you could restock, refuel and even depot slaves here until there was a buyer. The locals kept the depot guarded and the prisoners fed in return they got to use the slaves until they were bought. You'd lose a few due to being overworked, but the locals broke in most of the new slaves so credits saved.

Tapping his saber's handle he descended in his stolen shuttle just outside the city walls, he loved throwing the locals into a flurry. They were devils with chemistry, but they weren't a real threat to the ship. The old symbol of the once fledgling Sith Order he'd belong to was fading, and at this point he supposed stolen wasn't even the correct word for the shuttle anymore. It was just salvage at this point. Stepping out into the plain he breathed in the fresh air and eyed the stone and wood city from the ground. It wasn't one of the larger ones, but still it wasn't one of the smallest.

With a loud trumpet he announced himself and waited for a city official to come out. They knew him, and he'd doubt they'd forgotten him.

Asha Hex

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

With enough walking, the desert sands soon shifted towards savannas and then plains, and in doing so the local fauna seemed to pick up. It was in turn much harder for her to track them through traditional methods, but thankfully Asha did not need to rely on just her eyes.

The Force had always been a great ally, and in this it was no different. Every now and then she'd stoop down and place her fingertips against some rock kicked out of place, or the branches of a berry filled bush which had been snapped in someone's haste to harvest the ripe fruits. From such things she was able to glean a sense of what they had been doing, where they had been headed. From such things, she continued on.

And just when she began to lose a small slither of hope, she was gifted with further insight. More than she had expected, in truth. The name of their destination, a citystate: Mhyre.

From there, and after running into a nomadic band of locals, Asha made relatively quick work of finding the city in question. Though it was not large by galactic standards, it was still a formidable wood-and-stone sprawling expanse of buildings. She came upon it just ahead of the setting sun, though she discovered that she was not alone at its closed gates.

There was another, a Cragmoloid, who waited to gain entrance.

Asha decided to hang back a little. Maybe she could learn how best to approach the natives...

Grundark

 

[Grundark]

The city official never came, apparently the slavers were in town and it was their leader Arshak who came out to greet him with some muscle. From afar it was smiles and waves, but he didn't miss their eyes darting around glancing towards the horizon. For a moment he thought they were worried about an ambush, and then feeling another presence he realized they were. Just not from him. Shrugging it off mentally it didn't feel like his problem, he just wanted his money.

Waving them to hurry up he shouted over the distance, "Arshak, hurry up. I can smell you from here you damn gundark. I swear I've never met another Twi'lek who smelled like you ever." The man grimaced but he did pick up the pace. When they'd worked with Grundark he'd been at another low in his life. A very violent low.

"Grundark my friend, it's good to see you as well. Still as civil as ever I see. Well what can I do for you, come to rejoin our little group? We've grown since you left quite the profit in our venture these days." His voice was oily and attempted to be prim. For some reason he thought it made him look like a true business man, but it was an ugly façade. Sure some slavers were truly business men in Grundark's mind, but not Arshak. He enjoyed the torture too much.

Nodding to the muscle neither of which he recognized, hard business, but there always seemed to be replacements. "Arshak, we aren't friends, but you do owe me credits. Quite a few actually. I'm not looking to be in the business, but if you can't pay I'll take it sure. Without you of course, but I'll take it all the same."

Sniffing he could smell the nervousness in the air already. If business had been good paying up was no matter. If it hadn't well, they were in for some fun times he supposed. He hadn't really considered taking the business, but he supposed it was one way to pay a debt.

Asha Hex

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

Asha remained upon the ridge, watching down over the exchange as it took place. It was not a city official who stepped out from the gates, no... she recognized the individual even with the distance between them, he was one of the slavers she'd been tracking. That had her growing restless, knowing that they'd arrived ahead of her made her nervous for the fate of those unwilling in their presence. What if they had contacts here that would begin the process? Individuals who might want a Cathar or two of their own?

She inhaled through her nose, and buried down those fears. They would only blind her in that moment, she needed to be of sound mind if this was to go off without a hitch.

Flowing the Force through her, she stretched out and scanned beyond the city walls. Searched for the tell tale signs of frightened lifeforms. She'd been in their position, she knew what it was to feel such a way. It was, therefore, fairly easy for her to spot. She pulled back when she sensed which hole they'd been pushed into, and focused instead on the individuals by the gate.

Cragmoloid, Twi'lek, and a couple of guards. Talking credits... And the promise of business. That made her jaw set.

Perhaps some of her fears were coming true, then?

Rising up from her crouched position, Asha began to make her way down the ridge toward the lower ground, using various rocks and shrubs for cover as she did. Maybe if she found her way into the city while they were preoccupied, she could do something...

Grundark

 

[Grundark]

The moment came, and it was passing quickly. The moment Arshak should have said kill him, the moment in which they'd have just pulled a trigger before they began to wonder which way this exchange was going to go. Hesitance in the face of real confrontation, it had always held the Twi'lek back. Even on a good raid he questioned to himself how many could they take, always the cautious one he was. Still it played in the Cragmoloid's favor here.

Rubbing his blue chin the Twi'lek nodded finally, "Come, I do owe you I suppose for those last two raids before you took your leave. Those pickings weren't the best if I remember correctly though, but I suppose something for your work." He grinned at his muscle though it was weak, so there had been wage fights it seems. This quick collapse was more over an internal problem Grundark was about to nearly make worse. Ah, well fortune favored him this time.

Arshak blundered on talking of their recent business and some Cathar they had just taken in ready for sale. They passed through the gates without even addressing the city guards. Though one of the muscle flipped something to one of them, likely some local currency. They were metal based if he recalled correctly, credits didn't buy you anything here he knew that much.

The depot was well fortified guarded mostly by the Mhyre's soldiers, their heavy bronze weapons and armor should have been considered proper for the technological rate of the city. These people were wizards with chemistry though and that was the real danger, nothing like mild explosives in a bronze age world. Still their deployment methods minimized the danger, but he had no doubt they'd learn how to control gun power earlier then most. Likely they'd wipe a city or two off the world before they learned some restraint too.

"Leaning heavy on the locals aren't you, Arshak? I suppose it's cheaper, but last we'd talked you were going to properly fortify this place. Then again no one comes here anyway I suppose. So we're here go get my credits so I can be on my way, or just leave me the keys. I don't care either way."

Asha Hex

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

As she approached the City perimeter, she took note of how the delegation retreated back within the walls. That... Wasn't ideal. In fact she felt a spike through the Force which warned her that time was running out. A disturbance if you will. She pulled up the hood of her cloak, and approached a side wall wherein no gates lay. Her eyes drifted up the stone-and-wood structure, at the various different footholds afforded to her by their method of construction, and then with the Force as her ally she leapt up and reached for the first of many.

A jutting piece of wood here, a slither missing from between stones there, and slowly but surely Asha made her way up the wall, toward the upper walkway behind the battlements. She paused before she took the final leap which would bring her over, hearing voices and footsteps on the other side. Holding her breath, she waited for them to pass.

And then she jumped over.

The black of her cloak did wonders toward disguising her as the sun began to dip and shadows stretched into an inky blanket which alluded to nightfall. She took only a few steps along the battlement before dropping down to the ground below and continuing on foot through the city itself. Every now and then she'd reach out through the Force to get a better feel for which direction she ought to be headed in. Each time she caught wind of the smattering of Cathar slaves her heart broke, but she could not falter, not now.

Soon she came unto the place they were held, but it was fortified. There were bronze laden men doing their rounds around the depot. Asha needed a way in.

No, more than that... She needed a way out after the fact. Preferably with every single one of the slaves in tow.

That meant dealing with the guards, though...

Grundark

 

[Grundark]

With a shaky laugh Arshak shrugged, "The locals are good, and trade is legal here. Besides no one comes here, they don't even speak basic it's so isolated. You're right though I could use more muscle. I don't suppose you'd rethink signing back on, haven't had muscle like you since or before. Think of the raids we could take again with you as my second again!"

The Cragmoloid completely ignored the oily Twi'lek though, he didn't do business like that anymore. Not that he was sure he was above slaving, but he was above Arshak's way of slaving. It was just too messy, and his ambition was too small. "My credits, Arshak before I decide to take your ship and business both. Still parking it out in the dunes because you don't want the locals poking about it I see."

With a laugh he nodded backing up into the outpost and waving Grundark in. "Of course, your credits right this was. I redid the office you're going to love it." He'd laughed too much, and the muscle was now just lax feeling comfortable inside the depot itself. The whole damn thing was lazy and it smelled to the Nether. He wasn't surprised to find all the locals on the depot walls, they kept as far from the stink as possible likely.

The slaves weren't a sorry lot, but they were in bad condition. Cathar could be decent fighters and there were injured among them who needed tending too. Sloppy to make them walk from the dunes, some of them might not even make it. Still some would sell and heal even with the cheap equipment Arshak used.

The center of the depot was an open yard, but only some stray slaves were out now, the ones from former trips that hadn't sold yet for one reason or another. Most of the Cathar were caged at the edges of the yard five to a cage. No toilet either to be seen, explained some of the damn smell. "You know they sell better if you don't turn them into animals, Arshak. Force, I suppose even animals get washed down occasionally."

"Oh stop, you know I wash them down before sale, but why waste the credits here? The more infrastructure I bring in the more the locals have to be watched after all. Come though, you'll love the office, much more civilized."

Asha Hex

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

Another set of walls to scale. This time lower, sure, but they were harder to find a foothold in, and what's more there was more of a presence of guards than before. She watched them for a short time, taking note of their patrol routes, and then she began her climb. Up to the rooftop, then she crawled toward the courtyard. Surveyed from up there for a short while, taking note of the slaves, and their cages, and the various different doors which would lead in and out of the place.

There weren't many doors. Not out.

Not to somewhere the Cathar could find respite.

The whole damned City seemed to cater toward the depot, and that made her blood boil. From her perch on high, Asha did what she could do in that moment to try and bolster their spirits, a trick taken from the late Jyn Sol. She pushed a sense of serenity and peace free from herself and allowed it to descend over the slave cages. It wasn't much, not compared with the conditions they were in, but if nothing else it would begin to soothe their minds.

As for the rest?

Well if she had time she could tend to their wounded. But time wasn't on her side.

The stench was almost unbearable, but she'd resided on a literal floating graveyard before and that smell had been worse. She took to breathing through her mouth as she made her approach, dropping down into the pit of a courtyard and narrowly avoiding a pool of sludge as she did.

She crouched behind some sort of crate, and peered at the closest cage. Guards moved this way and that, and she realized she'd have to get rid of them somehow in order for any of this to work. But how..?

Her fingertips brushed the lightsaber on her belt. Cotan Sar'andor would probably urge her to use it in times like these, where there seemed to be little else she could do. It would be the utilitarian thing to do, would it not? There were far more slaves than guards, after all. But was it moral? These natives were way below the galactic standard insofar as technology and societal standards were concerned. The slavers were abusing them as much as the slaves, taking advantage of their inferior knowledge.

Killing a handful of them would do nothing. Even if it would, Asha wasn't one who regarded the taking of life so lightly. Still, the saber would be helpful should they find her. A defensive strategy if nothing else. Strength in Soresu, while she worked the Force to figure out a course of action.

What course of action, though? Force, this had become more complicated than it would have been out in the desert dunes.

Grundark

 

[Grundark]

The slaver barracks were a breath of fresh air, apparently scrubbers kept the smell in check from the outside. It had likely taken a near coup to force Arshak to bring them in, but slavers were known for a good coup. Still it stank in here, but this was just your regular unwashed bastard smell. A few heads that recognized the Cragmoloid nodded and became wary. He'd developed quite the violent reputation as a second, it just made the job easier. Besides during one of his mad periods it was just the obvious decision.

Arshak still chatted about nothing really, and Grundark paid him as little mind as he studied the place. It went upwards into a small tower that overlooked the yard. Likely some type of repeater up there incase locals or slaves decided they'd had enough. He doubted the locals would though after all the slavers even paid taxes. Simple metals, so easy to get on the galactic market so much rarer down here.

Finally they reached the backroom, Arshak's office and he hadn't lied it was overly opulent for a man of his means. He had done well it appeared, but it was gaudy in all the wrong ways, a waste. "Alright, we're here now, credits. I have business elsewhere and you're wasting my damn time."

With a grin that was all too confident suddenly Arshak nodded as he moved towards a safe on the opposite wall. "Of course, of course, my friend." His movements were quicker now as he moved towards the safe like it was salvation. Likely some type of heavy blaster in there he'd thought would even kill a Cragmoloid. Idiot.

Gathering the force up inside of him he could feel the other presence closer now, apparently Arshak did have a surprise guest. His loss. Taking a pair of long heavy steps as towards the slaver Captain as his safe popped open Grundark laid a very heavy hand on his shoulder. "Try it and I'll shatter every bone you have, Arshak. Actually try it, that sounds like fun."

The muscle were wary but things had gone wrong this entire exchange, besides Arshak wasn't known for paying enough to die for. Even as the nervous Twi'lek glanced over he knew they'd delay too long. Caution was his way, and his gamble had been trickery. It wasn't looking good. "Of course, please, it's just a layer of protection. You're too nervous Grundark the credits are in there too. Can't leave them unprotected eh? Let's get you paid and on your way then. Say ten thousand for both raids?"

Asha Hex

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

Not the lightsaber.

Her hand drifted from that to the blaster pistol she'd taken to carrying in more recent times, ever since her run in with some armed thugs on Tython who hadn't been so easily swayed as others had been. If not for Valery Noble Asha would no doubt have had to make use of less than ideal methods. At least here, with this blaster, stunning was still an option.

She released it from its holster, did a quick check to ensure it was loaded, then inhaled a quiet breath. Ten rounds, plus the extra clips. She hadn't quite gotten the knack of reloading mid-fight, though. She'd need to find cover if it got too hot in here. Her mind raced, and she drew upon the Force again to try and quieten it.

How long had it been since she'd tried something like this?

Too long.

Far too long.

But Asha Hex was done with sitting around, meditating her life away. Meditation was all well and good, walking through the strands of time had its uses, but she'd come to realize how inactive she had become. There were so many out there who needed a helping hand, and it was wrong of her to think that she could only aid them through the Blue Crest alone.

Hopefully Cotan's lessons would pay off.

She crept toward the closest cage, drawing upon the Force to make light work of the lock which held the door closed. One hand rose, finger to her lips as she made eye contact with some of the slaves inside. Seemingly the one closest to the door had the right idea, for they kept it closed with one hand. Made it appear as though they were just gripping the bars. Good... That was good.

Her heart beat so loudly she felt certain it would give her away. All the same she crept around toward the next, repeated the action. It seemed to be going well, until one of the slaves in the third cage sounded the alarm. Cried out to the nearby guards.

Cursing under her breath, Asha released the blaster once more and primed it. She'd been hoping to get further than three cages before trouble set in, but that was out of her hands now.

Grundark

 

[Grundark]

Just about to tell Arshak what he thought of his offer he heard the alarm going off and what had been a lazy bunch of louts started springing into position. They lacked discipline, but they'd all be damned if they weren't always rearing for a fight. Following behind Arshak he watched about two dozen slavers pour out of the barracks into the yard, all of them armed. He could hear reports from the tower through the comm, three cages were emptying and the repeater was ready to fire.

Stepping out into to yard behind them all, Grundark was more then happy to just stay a casual observer as the locals eyed the courtyard unsure if their presence was even wanted down there. Arshak came out yelling though, "What is the meaning of this?! Have I not fed you? Back to your cages animals now or I'll start making examples of you."

They hadn't noticed the solitary figure with a the end of a blaster sticking out of her sleeve, but Grundark had. What kind of fraking fool thought to hit this depot alone. What were they going to march them out of the city and think no one would notice this radically different species? Damned fool hero, and likely a dead one at that, or worse she'd join them in the cages. The repeater on the tower would take them out in seconds if they revealed themself. Surely there had to be another somewhere, a sniper or something to watch their back at least?

Asha Hex

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

One raised voice among the slaves had led to a full on alarm being rung.

Asha felt all of the colour drain from her skin in that moment, and it was as though her limbs temporarily turned to jelly in the wake of it all. Breathe she reminded herself, solidifying her stance as she did so. A couple of the slaves turned back toward the cages when the Twi'lek and his entourage appeared from behind one of the doorways, but more of them seemed to stand their ground. For now at least.

In the wake of that, Asha raised one hand and pulled items from around the courtyard which could act as weapons in some form or another. Some were in fact actual weapons, set down by careless guards, others were pieces of cracked piping she ripped from the walls, or slithers of wood. They snapped through the air and into the hands of several of the slaves, and bolstered by the sight of it some of those who had not been gifted arms sought their own from among their surroundings.

Not wanting them to be the front line, Asha stepped forward in the aftermath. She shot a stun round immediately at the guards flanking the Twi'lek, then one for the slaver himself, though not before she reached for the lightsaber at her hip.

Two dozen. She doubted she'd get a chance to reload the blaster, even amidst the chaos which was about to ensue. Her danger sense spiked as someone stepped up behind one of the grounded weapons set higher up, and with another soft intake of breath she pushed her hand outward toward the first of them and pushed with the Force to change the course of its barrel, angling it back toward the wall itself as the first shot was taken.

The Je'daii Master fell into the throws of the Force then, moving and acting on pure instinct alone as the slavers primed to gun her down.

There was no time for words, no room for her usual spiel. Asha wasn't alone this time, she had the Cathar at her back. Those of them free, those of them willing to take up arms.

Grundark

 

[Grundark]

They were insane. It was the only logical explanation that the Cragmoloid could think of. Even as makeshift weapons leapt into the hands of the Cathar he couldn't help but laugh. The slavers weren't going to fight them fair, they were going to shoot them like fish in a barrel. The first crack of the repeater didn't come as he heard the gunner yelling about his barrel bending. So some fool Jedi it was then, but even Jedi couldn't dodge for all of them. If they'd come in like a murderous whirlwind maybe, but they hadn't. Actually why hadn't they?

Dozens of blasters began firing into the Cathars' defiant ranks and the bodies began to drop even as several fell over for, for stun rounds? Taking a step forward he placed a hand on Arshak's warm blaster. "Careful, you kill a Jedi here they'll swarm down like roaches in time. Besides kill them all and you might just piss her off enough to start cutting your men up. Ever fight a Jedi before? Let her go before you wish you did."

Licking his lips the blaster of Arshak stopped as he considered before calling a halt to the firing. "Well, Jedi, this was not your place or your right to be here. Our trade is perfectly legal and we break no laws so leave with your hide intact."

Asha Hex

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

The grief she felt was palpable, as some of the Cathar fell in the wake of her foolish endeavors. She'd misread the situation, seen just bronze-laden men and women trawling around the perimeters and hadn't expected the true threat which had come from within the barracks. Blinded by her need to set these individuals free... She hadn't used logic, she hadn't answered to sense.

And they were paying for that.

Shots were halted, though, as one among their ranks spoke to the leader. Then a declaration was made... She could go free, but she alone.

Amidst the fallen, Asha could not help but grimace at the Twi'lek's choice of words. She put herself between the blasters and the rest of the slaves who still lingered, those who had not fled back into their cages, willing to take any other blaster bolts which might be directed toward them. In defiance of their barbaric practices.

"You talk of legalities," the woman retorted, forcing a calm to set over her tone though an unexpected rage threatened to swallow her up inside. "Yet you took them from their homes, from a world where slavery is not permitted. You cower behind the laws of near-tribal beings to paint yourselves as anything less than the monsters that you are. These are people, with rights and families and lives, they are not livestock to be bartered and sold."

Her chest rose and fell, and though the blaster in her hand still held a couple of stun rounds she opted instead to reach for her lightsaber. She had not ignited it with the intent of actually using it in a long time, not since she had been much younger; her thumb hovered over the ignition once it was curled within her grasp.

Asha's gaze fell over one of the slaves, little more than a child, and her eyes hardened.

"Let them go. Permit them to leave with me, and you will remain with your hide in tact. Refuse me, and there'll be none who will stand between you and swift justice. This I swear to you."

Grundark

 

[Grundark]

An interesting play and not half bad considering how much Arshak loved his own hide. He didn't doubt she could do it either, even a half ass Jedi could kill at least Arshak and leave this place alive even if they were forced to leave the slaves behind. Of course something about him itched her, maybe this one wouldn't leave the slaves behind. The slaver Captain seemed to know it too, a fresh wave of sweat coming over his brightly colored body. She'd put him in an impossible situation though. If he just gave in he'd lose the already shaky respect around him.

Something bothered him about the whole scene though. Arshak replied but it was lost in the distance as Grundark felt a pulse in his blood, a calling like the beating of a drum. He'd no doubt the Twi'lek would try something sneaky and even if he agreed he'd try to stab the Jedi in the back on the way out. An ambush of the city army perhaps. It didn't matter how good a jedi was, no one dodged a thousand arrows in waves, everything had it's limit. That all seemed secondary though as he searched out around him looking for something. He just wasn't sure what it was.

"Keambiroiro, you must not allow this. This is your path home. It is time to follow it."

It was like the air being taken out of his lungs, a voice unheard for decades. A voice that had gone to the grave while he was still but a child. A wise sage, a good man, and a great grandfather and guide to a young Cragmoloid. It simply wasn't possible.

He didn't question though. Not that his Grandfather would have minded, he loved the seeking mind, but the direction was clear this time. His hand still on the weapon he simply moved it to the Twi'lek's hand and squeezed until the cracking and screaming began. He didn't bother looking down, he just addressed those around him.

"Arshak is weak, and undisciplined. His poor leadership has led you all here, and worst of all he owes me money. Now he's trying to die before he pays. Well not on my credits. Take the Cathar Jedi, though I'd tend to them first if you want them to actually survive. The rest of you inside, and after Arshak pays me, he can choose to live or die. I prefer he dies, but I'll accept exile. Then we'll discuss the new way we do business."

Asha Hex

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

Silence stretched out between them as her chips fell upon the table. Asha's finger lay barely a hair breadth above the ignition of her lightsaber, and in that time she did not breathe a single breath. Her senses were on high alert, she reached through the Force to strengthen such, and waited. Waited for a finger to flex against the trigger of a blaster, or for a bowman to drawback their string, or something which would cause her danger sense to flair.

Each second that passed felt like an eternity in and of itself. Tension gripped the air, so thick it could be cut with a blade... And then it broke.

"Very well, Jedi... You may take them from this place unmolested. None of my men will bother you while you do, you have my word." It would have been easy to miss the subtle twistings of a smirk which pulled at his lips for just a second before he caught himself, the look of a man who held dishonesty in his heart, but Asha had been looking for it. Asha had been expecting deception.

"And after we leave this place?" she inquired, therein watching as the Twi'lek's expression turned immediately to a scowl. Her senses flared then, warning her of some impending threat in the vicinity, and all at once she thumbed the ignition and brought into existence a brilliant white blade of pure plasma. It was bright against the backdrop of such a setting, and it hummed with intent.

Unnecessary, however, the girl soon discovered, for it was not she who was the target of betrayal. The one soon named as Arshak found his hand crushed beneath the grip of the Cragmoloid, relieved of his position at the head of whatever pecking order lay among these men. A pained cry, akin to a howl, left the Twi'lek, and in spite of all that had happened she winced for him. A moment longer, then her terms were addressed; she thumbed the ignition once more, and all at once the light vanished back into the hilt.

She replaced the lightsaber to her belt, as the Cragmoloid and his men turned to leave, and waited until the congregation had left the courtyard to return to action. Therein she turned and immediately dropped to a knee beside the closest Cathar who lay sprawled within the dusty dirt. Grief found its home within her anew, as she brought up a hand and closed their eyes for the last time. She could not mourn though, not yet, instead she rose and reached out a hand, tearing at each of the remaining locks and opening the doors to the cages which had not yet been released.

"Forgive me for those who were lost," she spoke, as they made their way out into freedom. Most were understandably uncertain, afraid that this was all a ruse, that they'd meet a similar end. One or two seemed particularly enraged, as they moved to envelop the other corpses, but there were some among them who seemed more driven. They approached and gave their thanks, though Asha could only shake her head.

"No, none of that, please... Bring me your wounded, I'll see them tended to. The Cragmoloid will make good on his word, this the Force assures me." She'd been wrong about a great many things in her life, but in this case she knew it to be so. The weak and the injured, the sick and the lame, all were brought before her by those strong enough to carry them, and Asha reached beneath her shirt to grasp at a crystal which lay there. She brought it out, set it upon her palm, and reached her free hand out over the worst of them. The one in most dire need of assistance.

Slowly but surely she would make her way through them, healing the worst of their injuries and supplying them with strength enough that they could manage the trip back to her ship. A break was needed between the various layers of triage, and therein she called upon the droid dubbed M8-T33 to have him bring the ship closer. Not on their doorstop, she did not need it shot out of the sky, but enough that they would not have to journey far.

And so it was that she'd be found that way, giving her strength to the enslaved, when their meeting was adjourned. The worst had been stabilized, at least, and the dead had been carefully prepared for moving.

Grundark

 

[Grundark]

What the kark. What the kark was he supposed to do with a slaver crew? What the kark was he supposed to do with Arshak even. Still he knew he had to act quickly to follow the wisdom of the ancestors, even more so if it was his Grandfather. Old man always ended up being right in the way, and his unerring kindness with it afterwards didn't help as much as he thought it did. Still here he was now.

The first thing that struck him when he re-entered the barracks with a trembling slaver captain in his hand was the place smelled. Kark it, it outright stunk in here. How long would it take him to shape these fools up into something decent. What the feth was he shaping up slavers for anyway, did he really want to enter that business again. The whole thing was irritating.

With a growl he marched Arshak into what was apparently his new office, feth. Pushing Arshak against the safe he tapped it softly. "No, Arshak this is where you get to choose to live or to die my little Twi'lek. You can open the safe nice like, hand over the title to your little ship and go into exile. Your second choice is to not open the safe, or even better to open it then try to grab the weapon inside, then I get to kill you. I'm really hoping you let me kill you."

The Twi'lek stood frozen for a minute his mind blanking at the two choices even as a dozen ways to attempt to trick the Cragmoloid came to mind. He knew Grundark though, he meant it when he said at least he could live. The damn monster never lied. Finally the coward in him won out and with silent whimpers he pressed in the code and stepped back from the open safe uncertain and desperately thinking how to turn this around.

With a savage grin Grundark nodded at the door as he reprogramed the safe with a new passcode. "Alright, Arshak you're good. Now get out, and I do mean now."

The slavers voice rose another octave as a sudden realization hit him. "You mean out there? Through the Jedi and the slaves? I'll never survive!" Grundark just held up an overly large fist and began counting to three. He heard the door shut and the scurrying of fearful feat before he finished with the number two.

Stepping out into the main room again he looked over a dozen or so slavers all eyeing him with more courage then Arshak but equal uncertainty. He recognized one who grinned at him, the old ship mechanic. Still a slaver, but he didn't do most of the ugly worked. Just kept everything running. Taking another sniff the Cragmoloid scrunched his face in disgust. "Clean this place, and yourselves. After that we'll talk. I'm not dealing with this smell while I try to talk. This crew has been run like an animal den for long enough."

Stepping outside he caught a breath of fresh air and the site of Arshak cornered by a few slaves. Enough to make even the foul mood a bit better. Turning to the Jedi though he shook his head. "This was an ugly move, Jedi. You solved little, and risked much. I like your gusto, but work on your planning next time because if it's me you come against it won't end so well."

Asha Hex

 

[Asha Sar'andor]

"I'm not a Jedi" the woman finally stated, having suffered that title enough for one day. Perhaps she shouldn't have stated as much, after all it was likely the repercussions of what might happen if her supposed fellows found out which had kept her from being cut down, or enslaved herself, but she couldn't stand exist as one for even a few moments longer. "And you're not a slaver."

When the Cragmoloid emerged from the inner hive to speak with her, Asha was still bent over the body of one of the Cathar; theirs were not too terrible of injuries compared to those she'd dealt with initially, but it was clear that the crew had done their number on them all the same. Cuts and bruises and the like. In general though it was more than that she sought to heal, their fractured minds were tumultuous at best.

They'd never survive a journey through the sands.

One eye opened, and then the other, and she regarded the elephantine man before her with a closed and neutral expression. She could feel the darkness pulsing from him in waves, taste corruption in the air, and unable to control it her nose wrinkled some. Still she'd never been one to judge based solely on alignment in the Force.

Actions, though?

Well... That was another thing all together.

"Is this really what you want to be doing with your time?" the woman asked him, as she helped the Cathar back to their feet and revealed that they had been little more than a child in doing so. So small now that they were back on their feet... "Selling flesh? Something bade you to step in; you might fool your men, but I see beneath it."

The place the child had lay was not empty for very long at all before another lay before her. They did not look at the Cragmoloid, in fact they seemed to shy from him entirely, and noticing this Asha dropped her gaze down to catch theirs. "It is okay, little one." Her voice softened then, and one hand reached down to touch their cheek. The other lowered the crystal, and the Force flowed readily between the trio - woman, child, crystal, they became one.

"So what now?" She didn't lift her head to look at him, but her query was most definitely for the man.

Grundark

 

[Grundark]

He eyed the lightsaber on her belt as she claimed not to be a Jedi then shrugged. He knew there were plenty of fringe groups and even some third party orders these days so no point in arguing it. Besides the Jedi he'd known would have come here for righteous justice and slaughter, even if it did end up costing a few slaves their lives. This one went the opposite angle.

"I've sold flesh before, don't think me above it. It's good credits and easy work, but it does bring out the worst in a person to say the least. I have however sewn myself into a neat little trap here taking over these louts. There really isn't much else there good for, feth most of them aren't even good killers just thugs."

With a shrug he reached down a picked up a rock tossing it softly in the air as he thought. "There doesn't appear to be any decent medical equipment inside to help with these Cathar either. Slavers are a dime a dozen in the right port. Easier to recruit then to patch 'em up and be down a man. It's a savage business really, even for the slaver."

Throwing the stone behind him he shrugged to her last question. He wasn't really sure yet, but he knew he'd stuck himself in a corner. "Not sure to be honest where it goes from here. I promised to lead and that leaves me bound by my word so we'll have to see. Now a question for a question. Who are you and why are you here?"

Asha Hex