The Bad Touch

[Evelynn]

A rather plain blonde girl sat under the shade of a giant tree.

The very picture of serenity, the young woman poured into the datapad that lay in her lap. Ithor was fast becoming her favourite planet and the gentle giants that inhabited it her favourite species. Were she ever to lose her lust for exploration this was definitely where she would settle down.

Even the history of the planet fascinated her.

Chomp on the other hand did not agree. Of course, Evelynn Dorn was not about to allow her hound to roam free amongst the crowds upon the floating city of Tafanda Bay. She could imagine him, bowling over herds of the peaceful natives and in return they would cast disapproving gazes towards her (because they were too polite to say anything). The thought of it almost caused her to start blushing on the spot.

So the kath hound lay next to her while she read, day-dreaming about chasing gizka and devouring the succulent flesh of banthas. Occasionally she would intertwine her fingers in his mane, this was contentment, serenity. Chomp on the other hand huffed.

“We'll go somewhere you like next time," she said, smiling softly. He may have not understood a shred of basic (being an animal) but from the inflection in her voice he understood.

Yet continued to huff.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The girl was not alone.

Far above her in the upper branches of one of the giant trees that littered the nature-infused city, a predator watched and waited. A predator bound completely in black leather with a thick hood concealing his features in the shadow of the tree. Eyes that shimmered emerald carefully watched the innocent child and her Kath Hound, but then again the children of traitors are never truly innocent. With nimble hands the cloaked man dropped down from the branch he had been perched upon, only to grab it again as he fell and transferring the momentum of his descent into a forward lunge that would propel him towards another tree. While not being born on his homeworld of Panatha, the cloaked man still had the blood of the Epicanthix flowing through his veins, and felt very much at home in the forests and jungles of the worlds.

He could move from tree to tree without much hassle, and his affinity for such had only been enhanced during his training under Daxton Bane. Whom had left him stranded on Dxun for an entire month with nothing but a loincloth and a dagger, and yet the cloaked man had survived despite the overwhelming odds. He moved through the trees until he was dangerously close to the innocent child, and with one final lunge he landed a few meters away from her. No doubt the Kath Hound would notice him far quicker than the child would, and no doubt would sense him for the danger he truly is. No matter, Kaine Zambrano, Emperor of the Sith Empire and the first murderer of Karin Dorn, had faced worst beasts and survived.

"Greetings."

@[member="Evelynn Dorn"]

 

[Evelynn]

That was some entrance, I would definite give that an eight out of five. Wait, eight out of five? Am I on the drugs? How many marijuanas have you injected?! HOW MANY? Holy heck, I'm talking to myself, and this is my well adjusted character to boot.

Correct prediction though, Chomp was up to his feet snapping and snarling before Evelynn had even taken the opportunity to be startled. Of course the horned kath hound did not attack just yet, that was benefit of their symbiotic relationship. He knew when to strike and when to hold back simply from the bond they held.

She remained seated, legs still crossed. Had she been more like her mother the girl would not have been phased by his entrance and would have immediately began to trade barbs with him, but that was far from the case. In fact, let's toddle over to the opposite end of the reaction spectrum here. The girl was frightened.

“H-hello,” she responded meekly, “can, can I help you?”

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Kaine smiled under the darkness of his hood, "Perhaps you can, little poppet." Kaine took a step forward, warranting another snarl from the protective Kath Hound, causing him to not move any closer. "I've traveled a great distance looking for you, for I've come to give you a warning." He waited a few moments before continuing, obviously guessing that she wouldn't trust him due to them just meeting couple with the unsavory response from the Kath. "I'm was a friend of your mother." Kaine said reassuringly, "There are people coming for you, to finish what the Jedi did with your mother. I was entrusted my your mother before she died to get you to safety should anything happen to her, and should you be in danger. That time as come, and I must get you away from here."

@[member="Evelynn Dorn"]

 

[Evelynn]

Poppet?

You just set me down a destructive road of nostalgia, old candy dies hard. I had to look them up, to remember the taste, yes, yes, I remember poppets. Chocolate balls with fondant inside, I wonder if you can order them. This is the internet, of course you can. You can get anything on the internet.

The girl furrowed her eyebrows, a look of contemplation dawned upon her face. How could his story check out? Chomp's raw animal reaction to the man told a different story. What if he were the exact opposite, what if was no friend of the girl's mother? Then again, what if his warning held truth and her life were now steeped in peril?

Could she trust him? Her companion said no, but her nativity said perhaps.

“I'm sorry but...c-can you prove your claim?” she asked, hesitance littering her voice.

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"There isn't time for questions and answers, Lady Dorn. But if you insist..." Kaine reached into a satchel fastened to his belt, and produced an amulet that was once owned by Karin Dorn. Her scent would be all over it, intermixed with other strange smells that were passed down through each owner. He would hold it up for Evelynn to see, "Your mother gave me this when I promised to help you in times of dire need, she suspected you'd have doubts about me and gave me this to prove I was on your side. Now please, Lady Dorn, we must leave this place." He glanced around the area, as if spying for some invisible foe that was watching them at this moment, when in reality there was none.

@[member="Evelynn Dorn"]

 

[Evelynn]

That amulet.

A rush of nostalgia swept the young girl's senses, it was a very important memento for the two Dorn girls being that it had been Evelynn herself that had got that amulet for her mother. The girl had gotten it for mother in a moment of complete sentimentality. A way to remember her dearest daughter while she was on her travels and Karin Dorn was so often on her travels.

It wasn't expensive, it held no hidden powers, it was just a trinket that only meant anything to two women in the entire galaxy. He had to be telling the truth!

If only Chomp could talk.

The amulet combined with the sense of haste that the man ushered in led to a decision. A very foolish decision at that. Had Karin Dorn been present to witness such a display then she would have very likely delivered a tongue lashing of atomic levels. Nuclear scoldings.

“Goodness, I'm s-so sorry for doubting you,” she stammered, scrambling up onto her feet. The kath hound, who was turning out to be smarter than his owner made sure to occupy the space between the stranger and his friendbeast. “Where will we be going...mister...?”

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Kaine pocketed the amulet once Evelynn had consented to coming with him. "Quick, Lady Dorn. We must make haste to my ship, it's docked at a landing pad nearby. Come quickly!" Kaine said as he made his way towards the direction of the landing pad he had mentioned earlier, although he didn't break for it at full speed. He lagged behind so Evelynn could keep up with him, but he made the trip look exactly like he was trying to throw off from being trailed. Going through back alleys, and all sorts of twisting paths that no doubt would be difficult to follow for Evelynn if Kaine had run ahead at full speed. After a few minutes of running they made it to the landing pad Kaine had spoken of, and low and behold a single shuttle sat gracefully on the landing pad. Kaine motioned for Evelynn to follow and sprinted towards the shuttle, and opened the boarding ramp.

"Go inside, now! Quickly!"

@[member="Evelynn Dorn"]

 

[Evelynn]

Wait, there's running? I hadn't agreed to running, you monster!

It was certainly a fantastic charade, Kaine Zambrano the noble gentleman rescuer. Ha. Ha. Ha. If only she knew. I could imagine the shades of red that the girl would turn if she knew. Why can't you hear me, Evelynn, I narrate your life! Stop! Don't follow him! Run in the opposite direction! Alas, the girl's connection to the narrator was weak at best.

Thank goodness for Chomp, he knew. The hound remained between the pair, if he even tried to get close he would be nipping fingers.

So they took off, taking a confusing and convoluted path towards the mystery man's shuttle. It certainly did the job. The girl became disoriented, panicked, she was deep into the lie now and in her mind Evelynn could almost feel those invisible assailants bearing down on them from behind.

The shuttle was a sight for sore eyes and girl clambered up the boarding ramp as if her life depended on it.

Upon making it inside the shuttle the girl took a moment to catch her breath, Chomp remained by her side. “Have we evaded them? Are we safe?!"

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Kaine looked out onto the landing pad for a few moments longer, before turning and closing the boarding ramp behind him as he entered the shuttle. "We're safe now, we evaded them. Now we just have to blast out of here, and we'll be home free." Kaine rumbled into the cockpit and strapped himself in, making all of the pre-flight checks in quick, fluid movements as he called out to Evelynn in the other hold, "Strap yourself in, Lady Dorn, and make sure your hound doesn't move around too much while we take off." With that said, all of the pre-flight checks were green and Kaine began to take off, the shuttle rumbling as it moved off of the landing pad. Kaine punched the accelerator, and the shuttle screamed towards the skies and out of Ithor and into the darkness of space.

Once free of the planet's gravitational pull, and a good enough distance away for good measure, Kaine punched the hyperdrive. The ship shuddered slightly as they broke through realspace and into hyperspace on their journey to the unknown safe haven for Evelynn. Kaine unbuckled himself and moved back to check of Evelynn, "Luckily enough we didn't have to deal with any fighters, and we blasted away before the assassins could get to their ship. You can move about the cabin now."

@[member="Evelynn Dorn"]

 

[Evelynn]

Home free, now that was a thought.

As she made sure that she was secure in the hold it had finally occurred to the girl that she had just ran away with a complete stranger on the merit of an amulet. It made sense at that moment in time. I mean said moment was rushed, there were people after them, weren't there.

As the shuttle took off a slight touch of regret dawned upon her face, she had acted so rashly.

A tad late for apprehension.

Chomp skittered around obviously not comfortable with anything that was occurring in that moment of time. It had to be noted that not only did he find the strange to be an incredibly ominous character the bloody hound loathed space travel, he found comfort on no spacecraft.

Welcome to hyperspace.

The girl chose to remain strapped in, it provided an illusion of safety that she needed at that moment in time. Chomp lay at her feet, there was no chance that he was budging from her side.

She offered her saviour a polite smile, “Thank you, t-thank you so very much.” Evelynn paused for a moment, a detail she never got from him before, “You've saved my life and I don't even know your name.”

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Kaine removed his hood to reveal a face both handsome and twisted. The entire left side of his face was unblemished, while the entire right side was scarred and deformed to expose the white of the skull underneath. A man of thick black hair cascaded down from his head, complemented by a bushy goatee that surrounded his mouth. "You can call me K, Lady Dorn. It'l be a few hours before we reach our destination, so I suggest getting comfortable. There's a Holo you can use to watch broadcasts, and there's a dejarik table in the corner in case you get bored. If you need me, I'll be in the cockpit." He said with smile and a wave of his hand, before moving back into the cockpit.

@[member="Evelynn Dorn"]

 

[Evelynn]

K: International Man of Mystery.

Being unbearably polite the girl immediately withdrew her gaze from his revealed face, it was that awkward moment, like when you pass somebody with an obvious disability or some extreme disfigurement. Do you avert the gaze completely? Or attempt to look upon them like an ordinary human being? Perhaps you throw all the rules of human interaction out of the window and stare to your heart's content.

“Muh-my thanks again.”

The girl went straight towards her zone of comfort, the floor. She sat cross-legged once more, this time on a more unforgiving surface but she had her friend and companion to lean on. Best friend, guard dog and large cushion.

Now that she had a couple of hours to kill and the history of Ithor still in her pocket. Withdrawing the datapad once more, the girl delved back into the past of her favourite planet, even if she no longer grace its floating cities.

---

Time passed, enough time that the light of the datapad was beginning to make her eyes strain. Perhaps a break from reading was needed, and a stretch of the legs too. She motioned for Chomp to stay where he was, he reluctantly complied, lowering his head to the cold floor in a huff.

She wandered through to the cockpit with heaping teaspoons of caution, “I've been curious,” she started, “how do you know my mother? Are you a Sith?” She had found a small grain of confidence, enough to halt her stutter but the girl still spoke in squeaks.

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Kaine looked at Evelynn as she walked in, a warm smile on his half-scarred features. "A long story, Lady Dorn. Your mother and I trained together in the Sith Academies on Korriban, and grew an... affinity for eachother, although I daresay we were never in love. Just a friendship born out of the hardships of the academy, and after we graduated we constantly stayed in touch. A few years ago I made that promise to her to protect you should she perish, and here I am today. Fulfilling the promise I made to your mother so many years ago, and it warms my heart to see a little of Karin in you, Evelynn." He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and invited her to sit in the co-pilot's seat. "So, Evelynn... If I can call you that, Lady Dorn, how did you get on Ithor?"

@[member="Evelynn Dorn"]

 

[Evelynn]

For all she knew this could have been true. Evelynn's knowledge regarding her mother's life was somewhat lacking and by somewhat I mean extremely. It sounded completely plausible.

Although despite how little she knew about the Lady Karin Dorn the idea that he saw even a shred of the Sith within her almost made her snort, which funnily enough would have been a very Karin-like thing to do. She suppressed the urge however and merely nodded with a smile, look at this bright eyes. Don't they just warm your heart?

Taking his invitation the girl sat down, even the manner of which she sat was timid. She really had been at home amongst the Ithorians.

“Yes, please, call me Evelynn,” the girl chirped, filled with a spark more of life at the prospect of finding more out her deceased parent, although first a piece about herself.

“I have my own personal craft,” she conceded, “my Master though it apt that I had the means to travel after being cooped up on Dantoone for so long.” She stopped for a moment and almost gasped at her oversight, “Not a Jedi Master, mind you! The M-moross Crusade, they've taken me in...”

The girl bit her lip for a moment. “What was she like? Really?”

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"She was a powerful warrior, and a snarky one at that. Always had something smart to say to everything, and I mean everything." He laughed, and gave a somber look of remembrance as he stared at the whirl of chaos that was hyperspace. "I miss her, you know. She was a true friend, and she cared about you greatly. I was one of the only people she confided in with your existence, and in many ways I consider you as one of my own..." Kaine was suddenly cut off by the alert that the shuttle was beginning to exit hyperspace at the desired location. Kaine strapped himself in, "Strap in girl, we're about to renter real space above the safe haven I was told to bring you to." The shuttle shuddered as hyperspace melted away and revealed a dark purple planet suspended in a sea of stars, the clouds rumbling with thunder that was even visible from space.

"Welcome to Thule."

@[member="Evelynn Dorn"]

 

[Evelynn]

Well, that was true, her mother rarely escaped the chance to get the last word in, a parting jab or remark. Had she not been a Sith bloomin' Master in her spare time the word for Karin Dorn would have been busybody, a brazen broad.

All of her apprehensions had melted away, the girl believed it all, why would he lie? Without Chomp here to pad around and cast suspicious growls she had almost forgotten that mere hours ago she hadn't even met this man. When he mentioned considering her as one of his own the trusting girl was almost swept away. Oh, the lies.

Evelynn buckled up, still pondering where he was taking her.

Of course. Thule. Where else would it be? She gasped in wonderment, it really was a beautiful planet, like a swirling oil painting, a marvel to behold. Finally, an area regarding her mother where she had a sample of knowledge.

“She ruled here once, didn't she?”

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Kaine nodded, "Indeed she did, Evelynn. She ruled as Queen of this world until she was outed by another Sith who wanted the throne for himself. I remember him very well, he was an ambitious lad, promising in his power, intelligence, and cunning. Sadly he could not best me, and I ousted him and took the throne of Thule for myself. I had offered to to Karin once, but she refused for reasons she would not speak of, and from then on I became King of Thule. In her honor I had erected a statue in her likeness in the castle foyer, would you like to see it, Evelynn?" Already he had begun to steer her in the direction of the foyer, and if she said nothing against going to see it they would reach the foyer within a minute or so.

@[member="Evelynn Dorn"]

 

[Evelynn]

You lying little hussy.

Feet on auto-pilot she followed Tour Master K for the magical mystery Thule adventure. “Yes, I would like that,” she replied softly to the offer of seeing her own mother's statue. Was that a morbid request? This curiosity had settled in her chest, it wanted to know if the woman that had raised Evelynn Dorn resembled the woman that once ruled over Thule.

It would depend on the sculptor. A good sculptor captures a likeness, a great sculptor captures a presence.

Since they were back on the move, the Chomp card was in play again. Now he was in a realm of discomfort, if the kath hound got any closer to his master then he would have been inside her (gross). She held one of his tusks, an attempt to boost the beast's morale. It wasn't really working, he was straight up spooked.

Then came the foyer. The statue. Even in stone her mother's likeness scolded her. Instinctively she considered her chores and studies before realising that it was not very likely that a statue was going to give her a tongue lashing.

Funny how the face of Karin Dorn sat naturally. Sharp, angular, as a baby she looked disappointed and as an adult nothing had changed. The young woman marvelled over the statue, secretly thankful that she had not inherited such cruel features. A sense of longing washed over her, and in this moment it only occurred to the girl how much she missed her parent.

You know what's even funnier. PRETTY SURE THIS STATUE DOUBLES AS A GRAVE. Chomp whimpered. He knows. Gosh, get on our level, Evelynn.

@[member="Kaine Zambrano"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"The sculptor was a true master, to capture the very spirit of Karin Dorn in stone is a great accomplishment. It actually feels as if she was right here with us." Which wasn't far from the truth, as Karin Dorn's original body was buried directly under the statue itself, but Evelynn didn't know that. Kaine breathed in deeply and clasped his hands behind his back, walking over to the far end of the statue as his eyes continued to stare not at the statue, but at Evelynn instead. With a deep sigh he said, "But I am afraid that our tour has come to a conclusion, dear Evelynn." Suddenly the adjacent doors flung open and squads of guards armed with stun rifles charged in to surround Kaine, Evelynn, and the Kath Hound. The guards leveled their rifles all at Evelynn and the Kath Hound, but didn't aim a single weapon at Kaine.

Kaine chuckled darkly, "I bet you're utterly confused right now, Evelynn. I suppose you want to know whats going on, and I will tell you. Let me start from the beginning... I've been lying to you ever since Ithor. There were no assassins, there was no one chasing us. I was not a friend of your mother, and I never made a promise to her to protect you. You see, your mother and I have had a... rivalry for a long time, I suppose you can say it first started when I barged into her throne room here on Thule, and gutted her like a pig. Sadly the queen never knew when to stay down, and returned as a spirit before inhabiting a new body, one that was killed by Jedi... But, she too somehow survived that, and she's betrayed the Sith by never coming back. I don't know where she is... but I know a way to bring her to me, and that is why I brought you here. Take her." With that, the soldiers opened fire with their stun weapons at Evelynn and the Kath Hound.

@[member="Evelynn Dorn"]