Private The Black Bandit

[Zachariah Black]

Location: Sith Imperial Correctional Facility 32-Bravo {Space station between Dromund Kaas & Ession}

Time: 03:21, Prisoner Transfer, 3rd shift CO Rounds

Tag: Faegard

Info: They call 32-Bravo The Iron Cage, It's the third largest correctional facility in the Imperial territories and seventh largest in the galaxy. Its ran by Darth Eremus, a Sith Lady with a foul temper and knack for making inmate's lives a living hell. The Cage is usually reserved for war criminals, rebels, and low level force users in need of conditioning. 32-Bravo also has the lowest repeat-offender statistics in the entire galaxy. Not because the conditioning is done so well, but because a sentence to 32 Bravo is an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole. Once you enter the Iron Cage you don't leave.



The armored boots of the Correctional Officer headcount team could be heard echoing down the long metallic halls of 32-Bravo. They'd already finished checking the top four floors of the station, which housed the less violent and risky inmates. They usually patrolled those halls with teams of two or three, but on the final level the headcount team had no less than seven officers, followed by two low-risk inmates. Due to the low budgets associated with Correctional Facilities, the guard team could not hope to complete all their shift tasks without some help, so they employed the low-risk inmates as assistants and trustees. Two small women had been selected today, one of them with tawny brown hair and the other with long black hair that fell down over her neck. ( Faegard )

CO Araun tapped the side of his helmet, causing two of his men to aim their rifles towards one of the ray-shielded prison bays. "Prisoner X-27, Johr'an Ti'lua'kor'tan." He spoke out, his metallic voice reaching the members of the team. They nodded before lifting the ray shield that separated them from the inmate. The inmate was an older Chiss man with crimson eyes that were raised to the incoming guard team. His arms were thrown behind him with mechanical shackles flowing down to his shoulders, forcing him to remain pressed into the ground on his knees. He had a mechanical muzzle on that made a soft click before retracting into a collar on his neck. He exhaled, tasting the stale air that filled his cell and appreciating it over the hot breath he'd been recycling.

One of the CO's stepped forward, pushing the brown headed woman forward. She carried a plate of food and wined softly before approaching the man. The guard and low-risk inmate were locked into the cell so that the Chiss could be fed. "Status: Feeding." CO Araun said in a snappy, militant tone. He nodded before turning down to the next cell.

"Prisoner X-28, Kewalla." He said, yet his tone went flat as he looked to the mass of fur that hung its head lifelessly. There was a red light shining on the metallic chasis he wore, causing Araun to realize his life had expired. "Status: Deceased. Call for a clean up team." He said briefly. "Next."

"Prisoner X-29." He started, yet his words were cut off when a low rumbling could he heard. Aruan raised his head to look at the ray shielded cell before him. The rumbling was actually the sound of a man's voice bouncing from the shield back into the insulated cell, making it appear as nothing more than a low rumble. "Is he...humming?" One of the guards looked to CO Araun, but the man quickly snapped back at them. "Quiet! Prisoner X-29, Zachariah Black."

They lowered the ray shield once again and now Zachariah's humming could be heard clearly.

"Quiet, Black." Araun said, before looking to one of his guards. "Get him fed." This time the guards took hold of the young woman, leading her into the cell with an escort and the tray of food she'd been given to feed him.

When Black's muzzle unlatched from his lips he breathed out softly before completing his humming. "...You're a dead man walkin'..." His eyes rose to meet CO Aruan's before the rayshield reactivated, cutting off his clear path of vision to the man.

Zachariah scoffed, before turning his eyes to the woman before him, His face was slightly gaunt and pale, yet his crimson eyes were oddly vibrant. "Hello, little rabbit." He said cooly. It was in that moment he felt a hard slam against his cheek as the CO inside the cell slammed the butt of his rifle against Black's face.

"Quiet, Black!"

The man did not groan, though his face turned with the blow. He cleared his throat before slowly spitting out a slob of blood onto the metallic ground below. "Manners in here have gone to shit." He muttered to the girl, raising his eyes to offer her a playful smirk. The guard didn't seem amused and moved to hit Black again, but this time Araun spoke up from outside the cell. "Status: Feeding!" He yelled out, to remind the guard why they were there.

"Get to it." The guard told Faegard, moving to stand back in the edge of the cell.

Zachariah turned his eyes back to the Witch in front of him and cleared his throat, jerking his chin towards the tray she held. "I'm hungry."

 

[Faegard]

O B J E C T I V E​

T A G: @
It's strange... the apathy this prison gives you. A hole like this can't afford fancy magick-annulling technology. They have old slave collars for those of us cursed with the ability to slip shackles but they're cruel. This place is horrible, it makes my skin crawl, it makes my soul ache, and yet, I'm too fatigued, to apathetic to be a trouble to them. I'm so... compliant.

Perhaps a part of that was my nature, but the few times I had tried to concentrate enough to summon my magick - just to feel a little more like myself - I found it wholly unwilling to come forth, as if I'd lost the very will to cast.

They'd done it; they'd broken me.

Today had started out like most others. A few of the guards had arrived at the same time and plucked a few of us up to help with their rounds. I still didn't understand why they did this. Was it to be cruel to us? To tease us with a modicum of trust, as if we might try to earn our freedom? Was it to taunt the prisoners we were sent to? To show them what they did not have? Was it to keep us scared into compliance? Not that it mattered. Today, I had been chosen, along with a mousey little girl I'd never met.

My heart was in my throat as I followed the guards; pale skin turning ever whiter as I gripped the tray of food tightly. Small steps, quiet breaths, head down, yes Sir only. Those rules I repeated to myself as a sort of mantra, as if they'd keep me safe, somehow.

Wait... was that... humming?

We reached a cell and despite myself, I glanced up. That humming seemed to cut through the haze of fear and apathy somewhat; something new, something interesting, something that utterly didn't fit.

The man seemed to show little regard as he sang, taunting the guards.

I barely felt myself being led into the cell, my gaze utterly fixed upon the man, my eyes wide, my focus suddenly pulled into a sharp, focused point for the first time since I'd been brought here. He greeted me; that soft, low, rumble of a voice sending a shiver down my spine that made the cutlery clatter against the tray.

"H-hello..." I stammered in a voice so tiny he may not have even heard.

A squeal of shock erupted from my lips as the man - Zachariah Black - was reprimanded for speaking. Catching my breath as he spoke, I swallowed back the fear and forced myself to stop trembling.

I'm hungry

Black spoke again, his voice like practised fingertips dancing down my back. Stifling a shiver, I nodded,

"R-right, I'm sorry."

With all the care and stability I could muster, I shifted a little closer, collecting enough of the rations on the fork and lifting it to his lips. There was something almost awe-inspiring about where I found myself right then; kneeling on the cold cell floor. It was as though I were kneeling before some mighty lion, carefully lifting to his mighty jaws rations that he might just as likely take as my very fingers. I bit my lip as I did so, trying to keep myself from staring.

Just do as you're told, girl, I scolded myself, don't get yourself in any more trouble

 

[Zachariah Black]

Of course the portion of prison rations they allowed the inmates was some of the finest cuisine this side of the galaxy. There was absolutely no chance it would make you consider placing a blaster down your throat and blowing your stomach out of your backside. Still, as insufferable as the gruel was it was better than the stomach acid that pained him with hunger. He hated the feeling of hunger, it was always something he could not stand. So he ate the gruel, all the while setting his eyes upon this little girl they'd brought before him. Such a small little thing in a place so dark and cold, it was enough to bring a disregarding smirk to Black's face. "You read?" He muttered out in between bites. The words were even and held under his breath so the guard wouldn't take too much notice of it.

"Books. You read books?" He repeated, taking another bite from the girl. The question may have seemed random, insanely so, nevertheless Black continued to speak. "Low-risk. Y'all have a little library, right?" He said, before taking a few seconds to chew a noticeably smaller bite than his last. "I like to read." He said, curtly, as if the fact had nothing to do with the words he was speaking. He closed his eyes to take another bite. When they opened once again they were set on the guard who seemed to be paying more attention to his log than anything else.

"Water." Black said, loud enough for the guard to here. He gestured to the small pouch of water that laid on the tray.

When the girl lifted the water to his lips he would sip from the straw, before clearing his throat and rotating his neck a bit as if trying to keep it loose. "Your library has a book about the Chiss expansion a long time ago." He said, his blood red eyes landing on the woman, conveying some weight behind the words he spoke. In Faegard's mind she may wonder, why was this important? Of all the things he said it seemed no more important than the others, but he spoke with such a weight now that it would surely stick in the girls mind. Especially considering Zachariah had never been to the low-risk library, he'd never even left this room in the year he'd been there.

Before his next bite, Zachariah's eyes would stare at Faegard intently. "Read the book, little rabbit." He commanded her. For a single moment it felt as if they were stuck in an illusion. The prison, the guards, the restraints, they were all an illusion and the one who was truly in command of all that surrounded themself, was Zachariah.

Finally, they would end the meal and Zachariah breathed in a large breath as his collar began to let out a series of clicks. "What's your name, girl?" He demanded, just before the collar wrapped the metallic muzzle back around his face.

Faegard

 

[Faegard]

O B J E C T I V E​

T A G: @

You read?

The question caught me off-guard and I blinked, not unlike a doe in the lights of a speeder, as my hazed, fuzzy mind processed what Zacahriah had said. Read? Why would someone like him ask such a thing? Was he so isolated, so desperate for conversation, that he'd risk reprimand from the guards just to talk to someone - even a scared little thing like me?

Recovering from my start, I nodded, uncertain of what else to say.

"A... a little."

He continued, going on about books and a library. We did have one. I hadn't bothered to venture down to it yet, however, because I was too afraid of everyone here. In a place like this you either ate or were eaten. I exuded the demeanour of a wounded animal, and wouldn't dare risk catching the attention of one of the innumerable predators.

Water

The command was not what suddenly snapped me to attention, barked as it was. No, there was something in his gaze, something about what he was about to say. I wasn't sure if some tiny hint of my empathetic magic was seeping through the collar, or if the man before me was able to portray it somehow. As I lifted the canteen to his lips, I fixed my own gaze back upon his, intense and ready to hear what he had to say.

He mentioned a specific title. However, as strange as it seemed, I sensed that this was more than just idle conversation. There was... something in that book, something important, something he wanted, perhaps? Something he needed? It had to have value of some sort, surely.

Read the book, Little Rabbit

I squared my jaw, feeling my very heartbeat begin to slow, as if all of time came to a subtle halt, leaving this horrendous place to fall away from the two of us just for a moment. Those deep, piercing crimson eyes bore into me. It felt as if merely entertaining the idea of double-crossing this strange man would result in a fate even worse than anything I could dream up. It was as though I forgot that he was heavily bound, constantly monitored, and kept in an entirely separate section to me. Staring into those eyes, I knew only one thing:

I had to go what he wanted, or I'd be made to regret it.

With a slow but purposeful nod, I silently gave him my word that I would, as time began to return to us and once more, the prison fell around us like a horrible waking nightmare. As my breath caught in my throat once more, he asked me for my name.

"Faegard," I murmured quietly, but for once, without the nervous stutter.

Then once again, his own apparatus whirred and clicked, forcing him back into silence. I felt a strange sense of loss, as if it were a friend I was watching, rather than some dangerous criminal I'd only just met. My cheeks burned with a crimson blush at the realisation, and I stepped back hastily, my gaze trapped in his.

When I was ushered out of the cell, I kept my mouth shut, but in my mind kept Zachariah's words on constant repeat; the Chiss Expansion, the library in the low-risk section. I had to keep myself in check to ensure it didn't seem like I was trying to rush the rest of my rounds, but I wanted them over as soon as possible,

I had to find out what was there.​

 

[Zachariah Black]

He kept his eyes on her for a time yet. Even when her fair features turned flush she would be able to see the smirk that laid underneath his metallic muzzle. When the guards opened the ray shielding once again, Zachariah closed his eyes and leaned back into his restraints. He'd start humming once again, but his mind was truly elsewhere. What laid in that book? It had been there for months...no. It had been there for over a year. He could only hope no one had taken it but it was doubtful anyone would be reading up on the Chiss expansion anytime soon. Barely anyone even used the library, let alone reading about something so far removed from the current galaxy. He waited until the people finally moved from his cell and then his eyes slowly opened back up once again.

He could see the faint shimmer of bodies moving outside of his cell as they fed the other inmates and saw to their statuses. He paid them little attention, instead he took a moment to stare at the scene outside of his cell. He'd memorized everything that laid directly out of his cell. The security terminal in the center of the hall that could barely be seen from where he was, the empty cell across from him, the security sphere that hung just above his cell and was barely visible. All in all he couldn't see much from this cell, but it was his luck this was the seventh cell they put him in. Well, not luck. He always found a way to shatter or disrupt something in his cell so they'd need to move him to a new one. When they moved him it helped him get a better layout of the hall.

He still didn't know everything, but he knew enough.

With nothing more to keep him entertained, he shut his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Faegard

 

[Faegard]

O B J E C T I V E​

T A G: @

It felt like forever before I was finally released back to my cell block.

Although I wanted to immediately rush to the library, I forced myself to wait, returning to my normal routine of hiding in my bunk while the guards went about their business. It was unlikely that they'd heard what Zachairah had said, or cared, but this was the first tiny glimmer of hope that I'd felt since arriving here, and I didn't want my own desperation to squash it.

The hours dragged by even slower than usual until I finally felt comfortable enough to sneak off to the little library.

Well, "library" might have been too strong a word. It was a dingy little room barely larger than two cells pushed together, lined with shelves. Not all of the shelves were even full, but rather, a collection that could fill maybe half the space had been haphazardly thrown into the space, organized only because it gave the inmates something to do.

It was around dinner time, so thankkfully there was no one around. Who would rather be in the library during meal times, after all? In the low-risk section, they didn't much care if we didn't eat, so while everyone was lining up for gruel, I wandered around the shelves, looking through the dusty books and tomes.

There it was; hidden in plain sight. Second shelf from the bottom, below the line of sight but not so out of the way as to draw attention... clever. Reaching down, I picked it up, casually turning towards the corner to crack it open and peek at the pages. Honestly I had no idea what to expect. Zachariah's words still echoed in my mind, spurring me on like I was his little pet, like he was still controlling me, even now, from way up in his cell.

The glint of metal made me suppress a gasp. I forced myself to close the book quietly, slipping it into my jumpsuit before returning to browse the shelves for a little longer.

Night had well and truly fallen as I lay on my bunk. The guard change was about to happen, meaning my block would be entirely unmonitored for around a minute. In my hands was clutched the secret of the Chiss Expansion: a guard's code cylinder. My heart hammered in my throat, breaths rapid and shallow. Was I really doing this? Was I really about to risk what few freedoms I still had for this?

The first clunk of the distant gates opening to let the guards out interrupted my thoughts.

In that moment, all my doubts were shattered as I lifted the cylinder to my neck, a few quick breaths and a slight cough to cover the sound of the clicking as I unlocked my collar.

Oh, I wanted to let out a cry of relief as the strange field of fog fell from my mind. I could feel tears prick the back of my eyes at the sheer relief as I once again felt my magic in my veins. Would that I could have cast a spell right then, just to feel normal, once more. But I resisted. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to calm down as I slipped off my bunk.

I could barely hear my soft footfalls through the corridors over the sound of my heart hammering in my throat. My head was spinning wildly, I felt like I was going to fall over or be sick... or both. Thankfully I hadn't waited a few days, as was my original plan. It was hard enough to memorise where Zachariah's cell was after only a few hours.

Thankfully, being small and out of the way was in my nature, so it was instinctive to keep an ear out for the trundling of a bored pair of boots and slip quietly into the shadows.

Finally, I got to his cell. It was difficult to make out the shapes inside the ray-shielding, but this had to be the right one. Every fibre of my being was pulled taut, screaming at me to run. But where would I run? My only hope was that Zachariah was the one who knew how to actually get out of here... and that in helping him, I'd proven myself worthy enough to come along.

Well, it was the moment of truth. Swallowing back all of my instincts, I raised the little cylinder, and disabled the ray shielding and slipping inside to free the criminal. ​

 

[Zachariah Black]

It felt like it should be night by now. Who could tell? The cell he was held in had no windows, not that it mattered in the depths of space. Still, you learned to get a feeling for these things when you spent twenty-two hours a day in your cell. There was a system of rotations where high-risk inmates were allowed to be released from their binders. It was about two hours and if Zachariah was correct....

Click

He smirked as the muzzle retracted into the collar, while his arms were freed from the metallic shackles that kept him pinned up. He fell into the ground with a hard slam while smirking softly to himself. He chuckled a bit before rubbing his wrists where the tightest part of the shackles clamped into his skin.

"Let's see...three....two...."

He crossed his arms over his chest, looking to the rayshielding as it faltered, revealing the freedom he had so expected.

"Damn I'm good." He said with a smirk before looking to the woman who stood before him. When he stood up to his full height he towered over. No, it was more than height. He was more than her in every way. His presence was a weight that fell upon her as if she was a pebble looking up to a mountain. For a few moments he said nothing, merely looked down at her with this cold, amused look that a child may give to a toy.

"Good job, little rabbit." He said, raising a menacing hand over her. The hand fell and pressed into her hair, patting her on the head affectionately. "Faegard." He said in a contemplative tone. He reached out, pressing a hand into her chin and sliding a single finger over it before his whole hand came to wrap around the back of her neck, pulling her into the cell. His other hand came over her mouth while he whispered softly into her ear.

"Shhh." He breathed, pulling the girl into his chest as the faint sound of footsteps could be heard in the hall.

"What's going on down here? What was that noise?" A voice called out from around the corner that Zachariah had pressed his back into. He pet the back of the girl's neck while keeping his cheek to the wall, listening for the approaching steps of the CO. In a flash movement he pushed Faegard into the cell while bolting around the corner. His hand grabbed the guard's throat, pushing the man back and throwing him off of his footing. When the guard's footing faltered Zachariah wrapped his arms around the man's neck and placed him in a headlock. In the next moment he twisted violently, letting a loud snap echo throughout the hall. "Fuckin' idiot." Zachariah said, letting the armored man fall to the ground, lifelessly.

He grabbed the guard's wrist, pulling the body back to the cell.

"Hey, Faegard. Get this guy undressed." He ordered her before glancing around the corner to make sure no one else was coming down the steps.

Faegard

 

[Faegard]

O B J E C T I V E​

T A G: @

When the man stood, it was as if some ancient god was unfolding and materialising from some mystical artefact in which he'd been trapped.

For a moment, I simply stared up at him, and he down at me. The plethora of sensations that coursed through me pushed out everything else. All at once I felt more fear for this man than I had for even the Sith that had captured me. In one breath I suddenly regretted releasing him, as though he were some wild beast that might simply turn on me and devour me whole. In the other... there was something... addictive about him, as if I were to be devoured, then I would want it to be by no other creature than this one.

I flinched, a soft squeak escaping me as he raised a hand. But his praise was genuine, and the hand that came down atop my head was gentle. In that moment I lost my breath, struck with awe as if I'd been honored by a king. What was it about this man that just seemed so... enthralling?

"Th-thank you--" I murmured.

I knew in that moment that I was in trouble; because I wanted nothing more than more of those headpats. He spoke my name, sending a shiver racing down my spine. My eyes closed for a moment as I fought to keep my composure. My gaze remained wide-eyed and fixed upon him as his hand trailed down my chin, sliding behind my neck...

Suddenly the moment was shattered as he pulled me into his cell, his other hand wrapped around my mouth to stifle my squeal of surprise as he pulled me back against himself, hushing me quietly. In the flurry of surprise I lost my breath, held completely in this terrifying and addictive embrace. There was something exciting about being here, exhilirating almost, so much that I almost didn't notice the footsteps he'd heard.

Hushed and breathless, I remained silently, trying to deny how strangely enthralling it fel as he pet the back of my neck. Had I really been in this accused place for that long? A voice called out from the hall, distracting me from my thoughts. A moment later my world was tossed asunder as Zachariah threw me from the wall, rushing out to surprise the guard.

"Ack-!" I gasped as I was thrown aside.

The moment I managed to pull myself up again, however, a body landed with a thud not far away, Zachariah soon reappearing with the lifeless body in tow.

Get this guy undressed

As much as my skin crawled at the idea, I wasted no time jumping to do his bidding. Even if Zachariah wasn't as utterly overpowering as he was, we had just officially given ourselves a death sentence. There would have been no time to argue or question him - even if I'd wanted to. So instead, I leapt into action, undressing the guard and with a soft grunt, pulling free the uniform.

I might be small, but at least I had my magic back. With a little help from the mystic arts, I was able to maneuver the body out of the clothes, glancing up to Zachariah,

"What's the plan?" I asked,

and does it still include me?​

 

[Zachariah Black]

While Faegard worked to get the man out of his clothes, Zachariah pulled his own prison uniform off. It was a pale grey shirt with a pair of trousers. Once he'd been out of the uniform he looked to Faegard and the body that levitated in the air. So the girl had some use of the force? It wasn't something that Zachariah had seen often, but he'd heard of these talents. He stared at the woman for a shallow moment before smirking even wider. "Get him dressed in this." He said, tossing the prison uniform on the ground beside the girl.

He'd leave her to it while he pulled on the man's armor, pulling the bodyglove on over his body before fixing the armored chassis and trousers on. After a few moments Zachariah was completely dressed as one of the prison CO's. He pulled the blaster pistol from the duty belt and checked it before tucking it back in it's holster. "Help me get this guy locked in."

After Faegard dressed the guard in the prison uniform he would grab the code cylinder from the girl and slide it into a slot in the wall. They would lock the dead CO into the metallic shackles before Zachariah pulled the armored helmet over his head.

"The plan?" He asked, before pushing the girl out of the cell. His hand slid down to the small of her back, giving her backside a quick slap before he turned to the cell and tapped one of the buttons on the wall. The rayshield reactivated before Zachariah looked over to the small girl.

"We walk out. It's transfer day so there should be a few transport ships in the dock." He said. Zachariah pushed the back of Faegard's shoulder, leading her up the stairs while he pulled the blaster from his holster. "Let's move, prisoner. We got about two hours before the next search, means we should be an hour and a half away by then." If they were lucky, some of the prisoner transport pilots would have taken a few hours to sleep before leaving the prison, leaving their ships ripe for the taking. By the time anyone knew what was going on they would be long gone.

Pulling the code cylinder from his belt, he inserted it into a console on the wall, opening the door that seperated the high-risk and medium-risk levels.

"You're not doin' too bad, little rabbit. Just keep lookin' pretty and keep that ass movin'." Zachariah said, glancing at the inmates sleeping in their cells as they moved down the main block. Twice they passed by other CO's but neither time were they paid any attention. It wasn't until they made it to the inprocessing wing that Zachariah even needed to use the stolen code cylinder again. When they stepped into the inprocessing station it was obviously closed for the night. No new prisoners were expected for days, but even more than that all of the ship docks were filled with snoozing pilots. This was just too easy.

They moved down the dark path to one of the docking tunnels. Zachariah glanced back down the empty hall before pushing Faegard into the tunnel. "Hurry up." He told her, before closing down the tunnel behind them and sealing the entry side of the airlock.

Faegard

 

[Faegard]

O B J E C T I V E​

T A G: @

By the time the body was undressed, I had a pretty decent grasp on the next phase of the plan. That being said, I still waited for Zachariah to say the word before reaching for his discarded prison garb and putting it on our decoy body. I... caught myself lingering on him for more than was proper as the criminal changed into the uniform. However, a hot blush and a skipped heartbeat tore my attention back to the task at hand.

Soon, my thoughts were gathered and the guard was locked in place where Zachariah had been. I squeaked in surprise as I was pushed out of the cell, but even as his hand slid down my back and slapped my rear, I was either too exhilirated by the escape, or too flustered, or even just too affection-starved to care about it.

As he spoke, my hands casually fell behind my back, as if I were wearing manacles. Standing so close in front of him, no one would notice that I wasn't. While we walked, he explained, my fingers accidentally brushing against him as I fought to keep my gaze ahead of us.

"Yes Sir" I mumbled, as he assumed the roll of guard.

Swallowing, I kept my eyes forward, blushing as Zachariah led us through the prison. As terrified as I was, and as much as my breaths seemed rapid and flustered, I knew I had it easier than he. It was normal for a meek little prisoner like me to be unsettled - even afraid - during a transfer; I had the luxury of looking as afraid as I felt. But Black? He had to wear a mask in addition to that uniform. He had to walk through this place like he knew exactly where he was going, like this was just another day on the job.

I prayed that he was better at it than I would have been.

With my hands behind my back, Zachariah would have likely felt them move slightly, seemingly as if to attempt to touch him. However, I hoped that he would just make out the enchantment I mumbled under my breath, and realise it was magic I was summoning... not desire. I didn't want to risk anything extravagent or anything that might interfere; besides, I was exhaustedd.

"Just something subtle," I explained to him as we made our way down towards the docks, "I... surrounded us in a field of... disinterest"

Empathetic magic isn't quite so simple, but that was the long and short of it.

Before long, we finally made it to one of the airlock tunnels to one of the ships. My heart was in my throat and as Zachariah hurried me along, I fought to keep my footing, listening to the airlock to close behind us with a hiss. Swallowing, suddenly alone and utterly isolated with him, I realised that I'd just traded one cage for another. I didn't know anything about Zachariah. I only knew his name because of the guards. Why was he in here? Why had they kept him so guarded? What had he done?

I turned my head slowly, staring at him as if for the first time.

Who was I now alone with?​

 

[Zachariah Black]

The ship they'd stepped onto was dark and quiet. Zachariah's crimson eyes almost seemed to shine in the darkness, as if there was the most faint hue to them. He moved around with confidence and his steps were sure. It was as if he could see in the darkness of the ship's loading hold. He passed by Faegard as if the small girl did not even exist. However, as he'd just passed by her his hand rose to brush against her cheek, almost idly.

He turned back to the girl, finally acknowledging her existence. He brought a single finger to his lips, making a gesture for her to remain silent. Black pulled the blaster pistol from his waist as they made their way deeper into the ship. It was cold in the darkest parts of space and that chill was a welcomed feeling to Black. They walked down the corridors of the ship and Zachariah noticed it was not your normal imperial prison barge. No, each room was like a small apartment, made to house only one hundred prisoners at most. He brushed his hand against one of the metallic rods embedded into the wall.

If Faegard was close enough he'd see the smile on Zachariah's face.

They finally crossed the main spine of the ship and that was when Zachariah suddenly paused. He looked at the closed door before them before holding a hand up to Faegard. "Stay." He told her, commanding her like he would a good pet. He stepped forward, his blaster pistol held lackadaisically at his side. He opened the door to the next room, quickly sliding into the darkness before letting it close behind him.

From the other side of the door Faegard would hear a number of blaster rounds go off. Just a few seconds later Zachariah opened the door once again and beckoned Faegard inside. "Come on." He said with a smirk. Inside the room there were a number of bunks which held freshly made corpses. Each body had a blaster round fired through their skull, ending them all instantly. Past the small room was the ship's cockpit, where Zachariah was settling down in the pilot's chair. Zachariah immediately began low-powering the ship's systems. "I'll be happy to get my ass out of this place and back into Wild Space." He smirked, before glancing over to Faegard. "Wanna come with me?" He asked her, yet his words had no hint of an actual question.

Faegard

 

[Faegard]

O B J E C T I V E​

T A G: @

Black had been sure of himself before, but in the darkness of this ship, he seemed to come alive in a whole new way.

Those eyes flashed with a glint of crimson light, almost as if they were glowing. He seemed almost to be empowered by this; as if slinking around in places he didn't belong was right at home for the man. I seemed to cease being part of the equation at all as he moved past me, save for an idle brush of my cheek that stole my breath for a moment.

How was it constantly like that? Every time I began to remember that Zachariah Black was a dangerous criminal I knew nothing about, he'd do something - seemingly with no effort at all - to simply assuage those thoughts and strengthen the girlish haze of excitement. Falling in behind him like some obedient lackey, I told myself it was just the fear and adrenaline. I'd had all my magic rush back to me at once when the collar had finally come off. I was just flustered and confused, that's all.

I didn't so much see the smile creeping onto Black's handsome features as I did feel it. There was something about this vessel that pleased him. A good choice of ship, perhaps? Continuing to wonder, I was pulled from my thoughts as suddenly the man before me stopped, giving me the command to stay and disappearing through a doorway.

My heart leapt into my throat but I obeyed, listening intently.

Blam! Blam! Blam!

A number of shots rang out, each one making me flinch and gasp.

Zachariah soon re-appeared, nonchalantly coaxing me inside. A small part of me was hesitant to venture forth, knowing it was very likely that the recently deceased would be waiting. I was right. With a shiver, I wrapped my arms around myself, squeezing my eyes shut and relying on the rogue's footsteps. I could feel a lingering sensation in the air; the sensation of sudden panic. It wasn't so much the feeling itself that made me uneasy, but rather, the fact that it belonged to the corpses I walked past. It was as though their lifeless arms were draped around me; their death clinging to my senses like a blanket.

Finally, inside the cockpit, I was able to shake myself of the uneasy feelings with a shudder.

For a moment I simply watched Black beginning to power the ship on, feeling the vessel hum to life around me. He spoke, but although the words were phrased as a question, there was no room for an answer in his tone. Sliding into the copilot seat with a soft sigh of relief. the idea of getting out of this hole made the most desperate and anxious parts of my soul cry out.

"Yes please."

I blushed, biting my lip at how much I apparently gushed over the idea. Clearing my throat and turning my gaze ahead of me, I drew a breath and continued,

"At least... I can track down my ship and get her back at least, I guess."

A pause,

"I won't get in the way."​