Sooner or Later (Cryax)

[Sayl Bane]

With all of the experience Sayl had already had with everything as far as family reunions went, she hadn’t expected such a quick reply from her older half-brother, [member="Cryax Bane"], after the holo message that had been sent by her. The content definitely wasn’t her most polite, which wasn’t saying much, but if anything she’d imagined that he would have sent another back and left their interaction at that. Instead there had been a ship sent to bring her to Antecedent, one by the name of Galaxy One, as she’d learned. The luxury was more awkward than anything for her, being one accustomed to life on the streets. Compared to her or her twin brother, he’d been getting along much better, to say the least.

The flight to the planet had been spent in silence, only broken by the occasional stirrings from somewhere else in the ship, from whom she could only guess. Probably a security detail, most like, which only served to amuse her more. After the way most of her life had been spent, personal safety wasn’t her concern. The fact that Cryax apparently cared enough about her to bother with the guards spoke something about his character, though she wasn’t sure what just yet. After all, they hadn’t met face to face yet, so this could all very well be an act. And after her twin had spoken about him, she didn’t hold her hopes too high.

Mustering what little patience she had along with reminding herself not to expect too much she exited the ship, studying the docking bay they had landed in with a sort of guarded amazement, the place held to a higher standard than anything she’d seen before. The casino didn’t fail to impress either, filled with people of a similar nature to what she was used to encountering, but all of them had a much higher social standing than she. But they had moved past the casino floor and taken the elevator upstairs to what she could only assume was Cryax’s office.

It was markedly quieter in the upstairs portion of the casino, something she was at the same time thankful yet disdainful of. On one hand it meant they would be able to carry out their conversation in private, however that might turn out, but on the other there wouldn’t be a crowd to lose herself in if things went south, though she wasn’t sure why she was paranoid about that fact in the first place. This was no time for imagining other scenarios, so she simply stepped inside the office door, forgoing knocking and settling for studying him at whatever work he might have been busy with.

Not giving him any indication of her being there she studied the space before walking forward, the doors sliding smoothly shut behind her. Exhaling slowly, she finally spoke, “Wow, Sage was right, you really do look like dad. Don’t tell me you act like him, too.”

 

[Cryax Bane]

Sitting in his office in the Dragon Palace Casino, Cryax Bane was currently Holo shopping. When he was merely a slicer with the Red Ravens, he used to shove his Datapad in the pocket of his trenchcoat and that suited him just fine. But his expensive new suits didn't leave the same amount of pocket space as his trusty old coat. As much as he didn't want to let go of his old tricked out Datapad, it was time to change brands. The technophilic Chiss flicked on his Holo display and scratching his chin, browsed the specs of the more portable Browncoat Datalogger. How much of a badass would he look like with one of these things, he mused.

Then Cryax jumped sky high as he heard a woman's voice in his office, the movement rousing his Mirari security droids who perked up with a clanking sound and turned their heads towards the newcomer. The Chiss crime boss blinked as he saw a spitting image of his half-brother Sage standing in his office, only it was the female version. Ah it was the twin sister. The one who had Holo messaged him. Cryax wasn't quite sure why the Bane twins were coming out of the woodwork right now, but it wasn't like he wasn't about to turn family away. He only wished that the Banes picked a better time to have these little family reunions since right now he had a karking Yorik-Kul in his head that needed coming out.

Suddenly the weight of Sayl's words finally hit him. Apparently he looked like their dad. Which meant that Sage and Sayl actually knew the father the three of them shared. Cidaxi hadn't even let her son learn his name, much less let Cryax know whether or not the man was dead or alive. Mixed emotions flooding his system, Cryax furrowed his brow and, omitting any pleasantries, merely asked the question that came roaring into his mind. "Wait, you know dad?"

[member="Sayl Bane"]

 

[Sayl Bane]

Straight to the point. That was one saving grace of his, so far. The rest of it remained to be seen. Not speaking right away she pulled a chair over, sitting down and simply watching him for a moment, her eyes flickering red briefly as their father was brought to mind. That, coupled with finally laying eyes on her half-brother, brought forth mixed emotions from Sayl, and she wasn't sure how to process them, so a momentary silence was her best defense. But his question couldn't remain unanswered forever, however much he wouldn't like her reply. "Know him? Sure. He assured me that he wasn't mine or Sage's father, and was kind enough to tell me that we weren't even supposed to have been born, if that's what you mean. Yeah, I know him. And I wished I didn't." That was all she would speak on the topic.

Pretending to study his office again, when in reality she'd already committed most every detail, she finally looked back to Cryax. "I'm fine, by the way, thanks for asking." She gave him a thumbs up and a fake smile before rolling her eyes and leaning back into the chair with her arms crossed across her chest, pausing for another moment. Her attitude might have been uncalled for, but his mention of the father the three of them shared didn't put her in the best of moods. The man had all but disowned she and her twin brother, and not much more could be said about her side of things. And the fact that Cryax resembled him almost down to the last detail didn't help things along any.

"The name's Sayl, so you know. Don't bother apologizing, or going off on a spiel about how you wished you could have visited, or known about either of us sooner, because it won't solve anything." Although he didn't seem like the type to apologize for much, she wanted to stop him before he started. She hadn't come for sympathy. In fact, that was the last thing she wanted. This visit had merely to sate her curiosity, if nothing else, and so far she was readily interested. He hadn't turned her away right off, so that was a start. And he hadn't greeted with any hostility as far as she could tell, another bonus. Maybe she'd underestimated him.

Her own attitude wasn't doing much for the situation, she knew. But it was her natural response to any kind of stress, to react with comments that were a mix of her cynicality and sarcasm. However much they weren't appreciated by the other party, they put her at ease, and that was all she could ask for. "If you happen to know who my mom is, then that would make this all a big happy family reunion." Her tone of voice made it clear that that was the last thing she wanted to know, or cared about. Then again, there wasn't much she could bring herself to really be concerned about, these days.

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Despite numerous warnings from Cidaxi, Cryax stupidly held out hope that dear old dad was an ok guy, maybe just misunderstood. But the words Sayl used to describe their father dealt a devastating blow to that already faint hope. He sounded like a nightmare, and Cryax sadly mused that perhaps that's where he got his crazy from.

As Sayl took a seat, she unceremoniously laid into him with every ounce of snark that she had, and he just sat there and took it. He was still reeling from the news about their father, and he didn't see the point in getting agitated with her. More than anything he was curious about the twins. At least the girl wasn't an addict like her brother. Unlike him, she didn't walk around with the air of a scruffy moocher looking for a handout. "I honestly didn't even know that you and your brother existed until he reached out to me, Sayl," he said. "There was no way I could. I didn't know our dad at all. He left my mother when I was very young, too young to remember him, and Cidaxi never let told me his name or let him come near me."

Then he frowned and shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately I don't know your mother either. Believe me, if I did, I'd tell you." He sighed. There was an awkward silence for a minute. Then he smiled and said, "I can't get over how much you look like your brother. It's pretty freaky. He came here last week looking for some odd jobs with the Ravens. Is that why you're here, too?"

[member="Sayl Bane"]

 

[Sayl Bane]

Although Sayl thought she'd made it clear that she couldn't care less about either their father or who her mother was, the idea of her nonchalant apathy was apparently lost on Cryax. And he'd apologized, though not outright, about not having made contact with either of them earlier. Truth be told, she hadn't known all that much about her half-brother for quite some time, and when she did finally discover more about him, she didn't pursue it further than simple knowledge until now. "I didn't expect you to know anything about us. It isn't like dad would have told you anyway, and apparently Cidaxi didn't know anything either. But if we're talking about parent relations, dad only stopped by once, and I never really knew my mom. It happens." She shrugged, remaining quietly detached about the memories for the time being. As long as he wasn't asking, she was okay.

What caused her to perk up just a bit was mention of her twin brother. The two had a bond that was a bit uncharacteristic but familial nonetheless, and Sage was the only other person she could ever remember caring about in her life, besides herself. "We're identical twins. If we didn't look alike, then there'd be a problem, and dad would have a bit more explaining to do." Cracking a wry smile at her own sort of joke, she shrugged again. "Unless you're offering, no. I came here just to see how things are, I guess. As for Sage, he joined up with the Jedi on Ession, or did he not tell you? Don't ask, because I'm not sure either."

So far the two were being fairly short with each other, which shouldn't have really bothered her, or come as much of a surprise. This was their first interaction, and they knew absolutely nothing about each other. It seemed they had that much in common, at least, being straightforward and not bothering with the superfluous small-talk that inevitably led nowhere. And he hadn't delved into the facets of her life that were better left unsaid to anyone that didn't need to know, which only included herself and her twin brother, in her mind. Regarding anyone else, it was circumstantial. That didn't mean the same went for the more public details of Cryax's life, however. "So, you're the head of one of the biggest groups of criminals in the known galaxy." She raised an eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe."

Almost absently she drummed her fingers on her lap, her mind wandering for a moment as she found herself wishing that she had a death stick, if just to help her relax. While she wasn't necessarily dependent on any substances or narcotics, it didn't mean that she didn't rely on them once in awhile to take the edge off. It was better than having to deal with the stress of things constantly. Maybe Sage had an idea of what he was doing, after all.

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

The news of Sage joining the Jedi just elicited a smirk from the Chiss. "He does know you can't be a glit-biter Jedi, right?" he said chuckling darkly. "Last I checked, the Jedi don't let their Padawans ingest copious amounts of spice. Seems a bit half-cocked, don't you think?" Then he shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe you know something about him that I don't, but to me, it seems like something's wrong upstairs." He put a blue-skinned finger to his head and made the galactic gesture for "crazy."

Then she revealed that she had come for a social call, and he relaxed somewhat. Why was he being so suspicious of them? They were his siblings and the thought of having them was nice. After Cidaxi's death, he had been resigned to being on his own for the most part, and his self-sufficiency contributed to his rise in the criminal organization that he now ran.

Speaking of that, Sayl seemed to have a more sarcastic opinion of his role with the Ravens. "What makes you say that, Sayl? Why is my being the President of the Red Ravens such a hard concept to grasp?" He narrowed his glowing red eyes at her and leaned forward aggressively. "Kteh, girl! You have no idea what kind of farkled things I've had to go through to get where I am. No fething idea."

Then he sat back with a sigh and produced a bottle of liquor from a drawer in his desk, mechanically pouring a couple of glasses of whiskey. This was his life these days. Drinking and talking about his troubles. He pushed the glass towards his half-sister, and changed the subject. "So how are you doing these days, Sayl?"

[member="Sayl Bane"]

 

[Sayl Bane]

Normally, Sayl wasn't one to care about anything else but her own needs, and at any other time would have let Cryax's comments about her twin brother roll off her back. After all, they were Sage's problem to deal with, not hers. But he was the only real family she had, as far as she was concerned, and her defensiveness of him almost came naturally, now. It seemed their reunion had awakened a side of her that she wasn't sure had existed up until this point. "It's a bit hard to keep everything together when what sad excuses you had for parents abandoned you right after you were born, not to mention being sold into slavery. He has an excuse, at least." She shook her head.

Ignoring what he had to say about his presidency she took the glass and drained half of it, savoring the burn of the alcohol and the warm feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach. "I haven't died yet, so that's always a plus, yeah?" She shrugged, sipping at the whiskey more slowly now, the slow buzz that was already beginning to form comforting, in its own way. "I'm still living on the streets of Nal Hutta, if that's what you mean. The rest of it doesn't matter." Here she referred to her childhood, and how things had all amounted to what they were now. Considering they were family, telling him was probably something that she should have done, but it wasn't in her capacity to tell her life story to just anyone, let alone a half-brother she hadn't known about until a few years ago.

"What about you, then?" On the barest edges of her perception there was a feeling that could have very well been her Force sensitivity, and it told her that something was off about Cryax. They had never met before this, sure, but his demeanor seemed off. But he seemed like the type to explain things in detail when asked simple questions such as the one she posed to him, so the answer would come eventually, whether she ultimately liked it or not. He seemed to be on the cusp of telling her already.

Once again, her eyes flashed crimson, and she closed them for a brief second before regarding him again. "And as for how tough life has been, I've already heard it from Sage." It wasn't that talking to her twin bothered her, but sometimes, when he played the victim, he could get a bit annoying. "I don't need any more of it. There's already enough to deal with as it is."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

At the mention of Sage's personal history, most notably the slavery aspect of it, Cryax felt a twinge of guilt. He made a mental note to be a bit nicer to the guy the next time he saw him. A little less cold and guarded. That explained why his half-brother walked around with the demeanor of a drugged-up little lamb.

When Sayl mentioned that she was living on the streets, Cryax frowned. He certainly wasn't about to let any sister of his live on the streets, stranger or not. "Oh Sayl," he tutted, knocking back his whiskey. "I can put you up somewhere for a while until you find a permanent job and your own place to live." Cryax let out a wan smile and then continued. "It's really not a big deal, and besides, I won't take no for answer." Then he smiled kindly at her. As his half sister's eyes flashed crimson for a moment, he was transfixed at how Chiss she looked despite her pale complexion. Oh she was family alright.

"Now to answer your question about how I'm doing," he continued as he poured himself another glass of whiskey. "I'm not quite sure how to answer. I'm in some pretty crazy trouble, and to be honest, people around me tend to get hurt. In fact, I feel like i'm being selfish by not making you leave. I can't really talk about why, Sayl, but it's not safe to be around me, and the less you know, the better."

[member="Sayl Bane"]

 

[Sayl Bane]

Surprisingly, Cryax's response gave her pause for a moment, and she studied him for a long while before speaking, her lips pursed thoughtfully with a glimmer of concern in her eyes. "So your life is in danger, along with the lives of everyone around you, but you won't tell me a karking thing about it. Yeah, that makes perfect sense." Sayl leaned back, finishing her whiskey, setting the empty glass down on the desk and brushing a piece of dark hair out of her eyes. "Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to figure it out on my own? Because I think you know that I'm capable of doing it." Her smile took on a more crooked, teasing edge, and she gave her glass a nudge across the desk towards him with the Force.

His offer to find her a place to live and help support her until she was able to better her situation caught her off guard, and she merely blinked, genuinely surprised for once in her life. She'd learned the hard way not to expect charity from anyone, and that extended just as far with family. Besides, sympathy from others wasn't something she'd ever really liked, nor would she ever adjust to it. "I've made it this long. I'm not going to tell you not to do it, but I'm going to tell you that I'm capable of taking care of myself. I don't want to be anybody's charity case." She appreciated his offer, certainly, but it was ingrained in her personality to be uneasy about anyone that offered help so readily. If the offer seemed too good to be true, it usually was.

As she thought she looked off into space for a moment, chewing her lower lip and toying with her lip piercing with her teeth. Finally, she looked back to him. "Oh, yeah, and people usually call me Sixer or Little Blue. I never get called by name, really, and Sage is fond of the first choice anyway." It wasn't really a relevant piece of information, but the conversation had turned a bit too serious for her liking, so it was her way to diffuse things just a bit, if at all.

There was a moment of awkward silence, and when she next spoke, her voice was a bit quieter than usual. "Thanks, for...everything."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

As the glass moved along on its own, Cryax smiled and grabbed it. He poured her another glass of whiskey and put it out of her reach so that she could pull it back if she wanted to. Then his eyes darkened and he jabbed a finger in her direction. "Do not go into my mind, Sayl. Not because I don't want you in there, but because it's not karking safe." At the last word he slammed his hand down on his desk, the glasses rattling with a clink. He looked away with a long sigh. "Just trust me on that, ok?"

Switching subjects, he grabbed his Datapad and started typing, sending Sayl an address. "I'll make some phone calls once you leave. You're to go the Mandarin luxury apartments down the street." Here he laughed sharply. "I blew up their lobby once, but paid them handsomely for their troubles so they shouldn't have any problem getting you set up. That's a story for another day."

"You don't have to thank me, Sixer. Just stop by and visit your big brother sometime." he smiled, a melancholy edge in his voice, and reached his hand across the desk for her to take. He barely knew his sister, but needed to feel the comfort of her touch for reasons he couldn't explain. Perhaps it was the fact that he felt like a dead man walking. He had to admit, it was the cruelest poetic justice that his long-lost family had come into his life, yet he couldn't even let them near him. They'd only be used as pawns in Dredge's twisted game with him, a game that neither Cryax nor his family couldn't afford to lose.

[member="Sayl Bane"]

 

[Sayl Bane]

Starting involuntarily as his hand thudded down on the desk, more due to the fact that in her life, any sudden loud noises meant that something was going badly very soon. It was something he would probably notice, but Sayl played it off as if it hadn't happened anyhow. "Telling me it's not safe isn't going to make me not want to do it any less." With a twitch of her fingers she pulled the glass towards her, taking it in hand immediately and taking a long swallow before she continued. "If anything, you just made me more curious. Don't think that I won't get it all straightened out eventually. Even if I have to ask around a bit about things." She was never one to back down, whether it was the wisest thing to do or not. That was one of her redeeming qualities, but also one of her inevitable pitfalls.

As unaccustomed to any sort of luxury as she was, the casual mention of her new living quarters came as yet another surprise. That was another reason she didn't like to accept help, because she didn't like feeling like she owed anybody. "If you're trying to give me culture shock, then it's definitely working. I hope you realize that I'm nothing more than another street rat, and that I know next to nothing about living like this." Here she gestured to their surroundings, indicating the upscale decor of his office. "Going from Nal Hutta to luxury apartments..." She only shook her head in disbelief, noting that she'd have to invite Sage to live with her. Whether it was Cryax's intent or not, they were closer than they were to anybody else, and had learned at a young age to share in their victories.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, she reached across the desk to take his hand, a slow smile spreading across her face as she almost instinctively moved into the handshake she'd been taught by the tightly knit group she'd lived with once upon a time on the streets. But it seemed as if that life was behind her for good, now. "This is all moving way faster than I thought it would. We just met, and already you're setting me up somewhere...if you were anybody else, I'd ask what the catch was. You're a piece of karking work, Cryax." She smiled almost teasingly. "I mean that in the nicest possible way, of course."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax sighed. The less Sayl knew about his ties with Dredge the better, but maybe telling her some of the details would satisfy her curiosity. But how much to tell her was the issue. Most of it was both horrifying and humiliating. "Ok, I promise to tell you more about it if you promise to stay out of mind. Deal? But if I tell you, I'm going to need way more alcohol than this."

Taking her pale hand in his blue one, he held it tightly and smiled at Sayl. "No catch, sis. It's just nice to have some family around, that's all." He looked around at the casino. "Business is good. The Red Ravens are swimming in credits. I personally have more money than I know what to do with." He rubbed his tired, sunken eyes. Yes, the Ravens were in the black, but it could all come crashing down at any moment thanks to Dredge. Cryax was still a puppet and it was killing him every day inside and out.

"I know that I'm a karking piece of work, Sixer." he said with a laugh. "I have to be to run this place. Any moment, I could be assaulted, poisoned, assassinated." Then he gestured to his legs and grinned darkly. He had to have a sense of humor about it or else he'd go crazy. "I even have cybernetic legs. I'm slowly becoming an android."

Then absently playing with her fingers he leveled a question at her. "So what do you want to do with your life Sayl? Besides being a street, rat that is?" He figured his last question made him sound a little like their father, if he were a completely different man, of course, and not Nightslice Bane.

[member="Sayl Bane"]

 

[Sayl Bane]

It was clear to her that Cryax was more than just a bit drained by whatever had happened coupled with the stress of his job, and contrary to what he seemed to believe, she didn't need to sift through his thoughts in order to determine any of it. Everything was written plainly on his face, for anyone to see. But it was clear he didn't like that being brought up either, so she remained silent about just how stressed he was. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but my telepathic abilities aren't anything like what you're thinking of, probably. If I really wanted I could get into your head, but you'd notice something. Unlike my brother, I'm not a Jedi." A wry smile accompanied that statement, but she didn't speak any more about the subject.

"Take it from someone who's had to watch their back for years, you have to make them fear you. Everybody's got a point where they'll obey out of simple fear of what might happen if they don't, even all of those would-be assassins. It's either that, or you find decent security. Just don't end up afraid to go outside like everybody else does. Force knows there's already enough people like that in the galaxy." Being brought up in a world that viewed any sign of weakness with contempt and wouldn't hesitate to exploit someone who acted as such, this information came second nature to her, though it was easier said than done for most others.

In her life, Sayl had certainly been called worse things than a street rat, but after having had the term used towards her in such a derogatory manner it was difficult for her to not become just a bit defensive when referred to as such. "What you call being a street rat I call surviving however I can manage, no thanks to anybody else." Sure, she was getting just a bit short with him again, but it was only natural for her. "I don't really know. There isn't much time to devote to thinking about life dreams when you're wondering where your next meal will come from. Right now my goal is really living to see the next day, and not much else."

Despite her earlier stinging comments she squeezed his hand in return, attempting a smile. "Cybernetics aren't that bad, either. They're better than the original limb, most times. If you can afford them, that is."

[member="Cryax Bane"]