The Flower in the Lion's Den(Katarine/Private)

[KitKat]

Her deep green eyes snapped to his face and narrowed ever so slightly. His question had been innocent enough but maybe he was checking to make sure he had indeed found the right girl before he tried to drag her kicking and screaming back to her home. She bit her lip and stared intently at him, as if she was trying to make up her mind. On the one hand she wasn't stupid enough to think he was some investor here for a drink. She could feel the darkness and normal people didn't' make her head spin the way he did. He had also flipped out at her manager when he had touched her, something her family would have demanded of any hired help. On the other hand her family kept to themselves and rarely interacted with other Sith. She doubted they would trust just anybody with a task like bringing her home and Daxium wasn't the type to ask for help, and Christian might have just honestly been a gentleman who didn't like to see people push around others Realistically it was probably a coincidence that she bumped into a darksider.

"It's Ryiah. Katarine Alysabeth Ryiah." Her shoulders relaxed a little. The decision to trust him seemed to be made. She just hoped it didn't bite her in the rump latter.

@[member="Christian Slade"]

 

[Christian Slade]

"That's a beautiful name.", Christian said, leaning back in his seat and pulling out his datapad for a brief moment. Christian wasn't just a wealthy multi casino and resort owning young man, but he was also brilliant. He had a way of working things out in his head in an instant that might take others hours. Math was simple clockwork for him, and he was as creative as his mind allowed him to be. That made the tiniest details the most important for him, and he caught every one of them.

In the matter of about a minute Christian had found Katarine's personal banking records and linked them to his account. With one swipe of the finger and a physical thumbprint for access, Christian had transferred fivemillion credits into the woman's account that he wouldn't miss and he would never tell her about. She might be able to deduce such a thing after a while, and in fact he was sure that she'd find out one way or another, but for now she wouldn't know and that allowed him to enjoy their time together, her financial woes taken care of by an unknown source.

Looking back up from his datapad, Christian's amber eyes connected with the deep green eyes she was staring at him with. "My apologies, Katarine. My mind is always at work, so I must fight with myself even to relax and enjoy the company of others.", he said, sliding the datapad back into his pocket and taking his glass of whiskey again. "So, why Zeltros?", he asked, taking a sip of his whiskey the next moment.

@[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

The moment she had told him her full name he pulled his datapad out. Katarine went stiff instantly and watched as he did whatever it was he was doing. She felt foolish suddenly. Of course Daxium wouldn't ask someone else to bring her to him. He would ask someone else to locate her and then he would come to her. Stupid.... after months evading her family she falls for the first pretty face she see's.... absolutely stupid. She sat there watching him type out a message probably to say she was found and in good care and cringed on the inside. Could she be any more foolish?

She started to consider her options quickly. She could try to fight him but she had only the training her family seen fit to give her and they constantly reminded her she was about as talented in the darkside as a nexu cub. She could try to bribe him, though she had quit literally just spent her last credit on him already. He seemed interested in other ways but those skills were about as laughable as her darkside skills. Running seemed like the best plan. She could talk to him for a little while longer, excuse herself to the ladies room, and then slip out a window or something.

"It seemed like a good place to hide from my problems." There was an edge to her voice. It wasn't a hard edge but more of a suspicious and slightly frightened edge. "But you said you would tell me what type of work you do..."

@[member="Christian Slade"]

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian watched the woman with a slight smile on his face and listened to what she was saying with care. He also carefully noted her unease around him and her increase in what appeared to be a nervous nature. Watching her carefully, Christian took a sip from his glass and set it back down on the table between them before saying, "I own a string of casinos on Zeltros, so as you can imagine, money isn't really an object. That's why I'd rather prefer that no one know who I am or what I do. To almost everyone around us, I'm just a drifter. If people knew who I really was I'd be in for some interesting nights here on this crazy planet."

Soon Christian reached out and grabbed his glass again, but he didn't lift it from the table to take a sip. Instead he began to spin the bottom of the glass, sliding it in a circle that formed from the condensation on the outside of the glass. The moisture began to soak into the wood of the table, but he didn't stop. Instead, he raised his golden eyes to the woman and asked, "Is there a reason you seem to be so afraid of me?"

@[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

Katarine was watching Christian carefully too, those deep green eyes narrowed every so slightly as she calculated his actions. She listened to him talk about his casinos on Zeltros, and was mildly interested or would have been if she didn't feel like she was in such danger. Her eyes left his briefly to stare at the door where a group of people had just come in. They walked to the bar and ordered their drinks.

While she was watching them Christian asked why she was afraid and Katarine's eyes shot back to his. Was she that obvious? She took a deep breath and tried to let it out, hopefully fixing her features into a more calm arrangement. She decided to play it cool and sarcastic, a weapon she used when she was nervous or uneasy.

"Truthfully I am trying to avoid someone who might be runing around in the same crowed you do. I haven't quit made up my mind if you are here for me or if our meeting is a cooincidence"

@[member="Christian Slade"]

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian watched the woman with careful eyes and said, "I don't mean to assume, but in my experience, people with shifty eyes who don't make even the slightest sound tend to be the most terrified. Reading tells is the most important skill someone can learn if they're ever going to win at the card games my casinos offer."

Taking another sip of his whiskey, Christian listened to the young woman talked about the crowd he was running in. Gulping down the last of his whiskey, Christian reached out and placed the glass on the edge of the table, waiting for the waitress to notice and smiled at Katarine as he did. "And what crowd do I run in?"

@[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

Katarine watched him, but knew better than to say to much. Instead she just smiled and said "A darker one than most." It felt like a game... a very dangerous game but Kat was an impish creature by nature and so part of her couldn't resist.

The waitress noticed their drinks were low and came by with a refill. Katarine watched her as she lingered, smiling hopefully at Christian before she left. Kat's own eyes wandered back to Christian as she reached for her drink and tried to stomach more of it. "So... " She felt like they were at the calm before the storm and she wasn't sure if he were messing with her or if he was just stalling her.

@[member="Christian Slade"]

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian leaned back in his seat as he raised his glass to his lips. There was a playful glint in his amber eyes as he took a sip from the glass of an almost identical color. He could tell that she'd seen the same eyes, or one almost like his, before. She wasn't surprised by them, yet all the same she was entranced by them, as if someone else very pivotal in her life shared a color very similar.

"So...", he said after having gulped down his sip of whiskey, his hand spinning the golden liquid in the glass causing it to swirl as his arm hung across the back of the booth seat. "I suppose you have a right to be careful around me.", he said, smirking and glancing down from the girl for a moment...

"I guess all there is left for you to decide is if you should get to know me or do your best to avoid me."

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

He didn't deny her suspicions but instead just sipped his drink and sat there. Katarine narrowed her eyes at him again and started playing with her glass. The liquid in it was awful and she didn't think she could stand to drink anymore of it. She already felt lightheaded, probably because being a poor waitress didn't feed one well. She had no idea of the credits sitting in her bank account just yet, though that would come as something of a shock latter.

For now though the little alcohol she'd had, her light weight, and empty stomach was enough to impair at least part of her judgement. "Mr. Slade let's cut to the chase. I'm currently running away from some friends of mine. I'd rather they not find me. They seem to enjoy the company of similar individuals as you... so if I were to put two and two together I could assume you were here to force me into a reunion with them. If that is the case then we best get on with it because I don't think I can stomach anymore of whatever this is." She slid her drink across the table at him. It was some smoking beverage that most of the locals liked but all it did was burn Kat's throat.

"So... are you here to keep me company until Lord Ravage shows up..... or am I just paranoid?" Her deep green eyes were still narrowed but she was doing her best to sense a lie. Katarine had no idea about the talents she had, she just knew what she could do and catching people in lies was usually easy for her. Unfortunately with little understanding of the Force she didn't realize he could feel what she was up to.

[member="Christian Slade"]

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian smiled a bit, white smile when he'd heard what she had to say next. Patience was a virtue, one which she did not possess. It made him almost laugh as she pushed her glass away towards him. Reaching across the table with his free hand, Christian picked up the glass and held it up to his nose. Without even a second's hesitation he pulled away, no longer displaying that smile he had and instead momentarily showing a distasteful look on his face. Soon, however, his smile returned, this time with a light chuckle as he reached over the booth he was in and placed the glass on the neighboring table. He then turned back to Katarine, those amber eyes falling on her deep, emerald eyes once more as he reached out and placed his glass on the table.

"Try this one.", he said softly as he pushed the glass across the table towards Katarine. "It's much less harsh. It is strong, but it is laced with a sweet honey taste to help it go down smooth.", he said, following up his offer as he slowly retracted his hand and sat it in his lap.

"As for this "Lord Ravage" fellow, I've never heard of him and I certainly don't work for him. I'm self employed and answer to no one. So, if I've bothered you by making you think that I am some sort of messenger or enforcer of some sort, I apologize. I am none of those things.", he said, raising his hand and ordering another glass of honey whiskey for himself seeing as he'd given the one he'd had away.

"If you would like to leave you are free to, however, I have enjoyed your company this evening.", he said, taking the freshly delivered glass of whiskey and taking a sip. "So, I thank you for the pleasure... Miss Ryiah?", he said, asking in a way that suggested he did not know her personal status.

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

She could sense no lies as he offered her a drink of his own glass. She was either very trusting or very foolish, but either way the girl drank the liquid. It did indeed burn less and taste better than whatever the heck she had been drinking before. He continued to speak and her face fell. Poor naive Katarine, more worried about hurting monsters than protecting her own flesh.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. Apparently being on the run ruins a girls manners." She pushed her hair behind her ear and tried to smile at him. The alcohol was starting to make her feel queasy. "I am enjoying your company.... and if you really aren't some psychotic bounty hunter that only makes it better."

[member="Christian Slade"]

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian smiled at the girl in front of him as he began to grow wise to the endearing qualities the girl carried with her and shared with him. Once he realized that she was beginning to have an odd effect on him, however, he tried to correct himself by turning off whatever feeling she was drawing out of him. The attraction he felt towards her could be kept physical if he willed it so, but he couldn't help but to feel something more for the girl than he'd ever felt for another.

She was winning a war with Christian that she hadn't even known she was fighting, and that much could drive him mad. If she could do this to a man, especially him, the very night they met, what chance did he have to resist her past all this? What would he become if she got a hold of the one thing he'd managed to keep away from everyone else all these years? Something he hadn't even admitted that he had beating beneath his chest.

Taking another sip of his drink, his smile drifted away after having realized what was happening to him. Gulping the whiskey down, Christian reached out and sat the half full cup on the table, his hand leaving it all except his finger which traced the outer edge of the glass as he finally said, "Maybe I should leave you now. I didn't mean to distract you from your work, and now that I think about that, I realize how rude it was.", he said, fearfully looking back up into those emerald green eyes that he'd never forget.

"If you were to lose your job because of me, come to a casino called "The Red Dragon", and I'll give you a much better one if you would have it. I apologize if I've been a burden.", he finally said, taking the glass from the table, gulping the rest of it down and rising from the booth to leave, a little piece of him wanting her not to say a word while everything else he had inside of him fought him as he tried to leave.

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

She watched as he got up from the table. Deep down she worried she had offended him and that was why he was taking off. "You aren't a burden. I'm really sorry I acted so oddly. It was nice to meet you Mr. Slade" She sighed and realized she was being paranoid and starting to push good people away. She couldn't keep living like this.

He seemed hesitant about leaving but presumably he had, leaving Katarine sitting at a table in the middle of a bar she didn't want to be in. She got up from the table and left what she thought was her last credit and left. Once outside the woman headed South where most of the cities shabbier apartment buildings called home. As she walked along the broken sidewalks, passing spice dealers who hooted and flirted at her she found herself lost in her own thoughts. She needed a plan. Taking each day as they came was good in the beginning but Katarine felt as if she was wasting her life. Sure she was glad to be free but deep down she also wanted to help her family. She couldn't do that however unless she figured out which path was best for her.

The girl was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she hadn't noticed the figure watching from the third story window. She headed up the fire escape, intending to avoid her land lord since she thought she didn't' have the money for the rent. She slid the window open and bent down to duck inside when suddenly a pair of hands pulled her into the apartment. Katarine whirled around and seen an alien standing in her apartment. He was large and had four arms but was not a species she had ever seen before in her sheltered life. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." He started forward, as if he meant to lock her into a head lock but Katarine was too quick for him. She made it back through the window and onto the fire escape. Unfortunately as she was about to climb down the rickety iron steps the alien grabbed the back of her jacket. She jerked automatically and lost her balance. She toppled off of the fire escape and landed with a sickening crack onto the sidewalk below. She felt the pain shooting up her leg and knew it was broken without even having to look. A large thud told her that her unexpected visitor had just landed beside her.

"Get up!" He sounded like he was about to panic and Katarine didn't blame him. You weren't supposed to injure your target if you wanted full payment. She glared at him and a second latter he flew to the other side of the alley and hit the building hard. She tried to stand up but toppled to the ground in pain. She could see the four armed alien getting to his feet and cussed under her breath. WHY hadn't she just called into work today like she had wanted to?

[member="Christian Slade"]

 

[Christian Slade]

There was a certain silence that fell upon the area as both Katarine and the alien sent to detain her stared at one another at opposite ends of an alley. That silence sent a trickling feeling of uncertainty up their spines as they both stopped and listened. The next moment, however, the alien man shrieked as a shadow passed by and carried him out of sight. A loud crack echoed down the alleyway as if someone had shattered a brick wall, and then everything fell silent again.

There was an eerie silence that followed as the alien was gone from sight, the darkness seemingly growing darker. Soon, however, a tall, dark figure rose from behind a large pile of trash and junk metal. It then turned and worked it's way down the alley until Christian came into a street light and revealed himself to be the figure cast in shadow. A look of concern on his face as he shook his head.

He never should have left her like that, knowing that something still felt off as he left the bar. He was thankful that he'd decided to make sure that she got home okay, but he was still angry with himself that he hadn't been there to protect her. "I'm sorry.", he said, kneeling down and gently sliding one hand under her legs and the other wrapped around her back, picking her up from that place as if a feather. He then turned and made his way out of the the alley holding her closely to his chest as he made his way down the street towards his speeder, no more whistles and disgusting remarks flowing out of the mouths of spice dealers and junkies.

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

Katarine winced as she gingerly tried to get to her feet. She was aware that the alien would be approaching but suddenly a shadowy figure pulled him away. Katarine began to panic. She tried to get to her feet and cried out in pain before falling back down.

The shadowy figure was now back in the alley coming closer to her. She started sobbing as the memories of her parents cruelty surfaced. She couldn't go back there. She wouldn't. She reached up, ready to send the shadowy figure flying the same way she had the alien. As he stepped into the light she realized it wasn't her twin or even her father. It was Slade. She wondered what he was doing there briefly but the relief, the alcohol, the pain from her leg and the fear that her family knew where she was made her start to sob. She had nowhere to go, no plans, nothing. She sobbed and tried to get to her feet again but before she could be had picked her up. Katarine barely registered where they were going. He apologized to her and she didn't know if he was apologizing for taking her to her family. Katarine sobbed harder than ever, knowing that nothing but abuse, torment, rape and loneliness awaited her back home. She cried for a long time until suddenly she went silent and just stared unseeingly at his chest as if she might be in shock or just too tired to cry anymore.

[member="Christian Slade"]

 

[Christian Slade]

When she had fallen silent, Christian grew a bit concerned, glancing down every so often to check on the wide away, but silent little thing in his arms. He knew that she'd been through a lot just by speaking with her and noting her unease, but he hadn't fully understood the effects of whatever she was running from. "It's alright. Now."

His words were true. There wasn't anything that anyone was going to be able to do to her now that he'd found her again, and he certainly wasn't going to let her out of his sight unless she requested such a thing, and only when she was ready and able to defend herself was that ever going to happen. Even then, he might go through the trouble of keeping tabs on her just to make sure that she was safe, but then again, he didn't know her story or what he might have to keep her safe from.

The walks was long, but in some ways it seemed necessary in order for them both to gather their senses. The elevator ride was long, from the always hectic casino floor to the top floor of the Red Dragon Casino which served as Christians massive, personal living quarters. The elevator opened to the living room, which he stepped into without a moments hesitation for the darkness. He knew that darkness well, and his senses could scour every inch of the place in but a moment. There was nothing to fear there.

Carrying her through a few other rooms, Christian finally reached the master bedroom where he sat the young woman down on his lavish bed. He then turned from her and took the time to draw her a hot bath before he reached down and activated a beacon on his data pad. "I need you.", he whispered into the darkness as he made his way to Katarine, leaned down and picked her up again in his arms. He made his way into the bathroom and behind him came a medical droid, hovering in toe.

He sat her on the edge of the tuba and peeled away her jacket and her shirt, then her pants, making sure to leave her decently clothed with undergarments before picking her up again and gently lowering her down into the tub. He made sure to hold on to her broken leg and drape it over the edge of the tub as the medical droid hovered forward and began examining it before it started doing the work that it had been created for.

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

Katarine was silent and still and barely blinked the entire time he carried her. She heard the sounds of the casino but did not register what they meant. The faces were just a blur as they passed. Eventually they entered a dark room but the woman still wasn't moving. She deftly heard water and felt his hands on her but she may well have been home for all the notice she took. She sat there silently, staring at the corner of the room in some weird defense mechanism she had perfected in childhood.

Her body was full of cuts, burns, stab wounds and other injuries in various states of healing. Without her clothes the broken leg looked like the least of her problems. The medical droid beeped as it took in the new information. Kat slid her head sideways, resting it on the side of the tub and throwing a tattoo on her neck into sharp relief. It was the beginning of a collar that looked unfinished but was unmistakably the ancient language of the Sith.

The droid worked for a while without her giving any indication that she knew it was there. It used bacta to fully heal or star healing and injected bacta into her leg to start restoring the cells. It then fixed her with a brace to allow her to walk until everything was tip top shape again.

The beeping seemed to wake her from her trance. She looked around in confusion and sat up. "Where am...." She trailed off as she noticed her broken leg and most of her clothes on the floor. She remembered a previous experience with less clothing and a broken arm and whimpered, putting two and two together. "Did we... Did.."

She slid down in the tub and hid her face, too embarrassed to look at him. She didn't know what to think. He seemed like a really nice person and of he was caught like this her twin would kill him without batting an eye lash. Katarine was toxic waste and no matter who se got around she put them in danger. She had no hope for a future. She could barely protect herself from a bounty hunter. Se started sobbing again, her face still turned away from him.

The medical droid beeped and sent its report to his datapad. Physically the woman would be fine though she was in need of nourishment and proper sleep to prevent her going into shock. Mentally however the droid seemed to think she was insane. It recommended Mr. Slade avoid her at all costs. The droid was a snarky model that probably wouldn't have made it in a real hospital.

[member="Christian Slade"]

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian popped the droid with the back of his hand after having read the final diagnosis and suggestions that it had offered him. It sputtered and spun a couple of times before stopping itself and beeping a low and almost defeated beep. Then, softly, Christian whispered, "Send for a five course meal and plenty of chilled water."

The droid zipped off without a moment's hesitation and left he and the hiding young woman alone. As it did, Christian turned his attention back to Katarine and frowned when he'd noticed that she had turned away and began to weep. Slowly, Christian walked over and squatted down, gently let his knees fall forwards into the tile floor and slid back against his heels. He sat there, not knowing really what to do for a time as he waited for something to happen.

After a minute, Christian raised his arms and propped his elbows against the side of the tub, his hands and forearms draping down in front of his chest as he leaned down and let his chin fall softly against the tub's edge with a "thunk". Golden eyes watched her as he finally said, "No, we didn't.", not hesitating to make sure that she knew that he hadn't taken advantage of her and that he was not trying to hurt her. She was lost in a world he called his home with more than debt collectors and angry bosses to worry about.

"I'm sorry that this happened to you.", Christian said, pulling his right arm up and draping it over the tub, his index finger dipping into the water just barely and spinning in a circle. As it did, tiny little ripple formed that circle that only lasted for a moment, then being replaced by another ripple each time his finger circled back around. His curious, yet regretful eyes watched those ripples each one as he whispered, "I'm sorry that I left you there like that. I should have seen you to a transport or walked you home."

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]

 

[KitKat]

Katarine heard the small "thump" and looked over to see his head resting on the tub. He mentioned nothing had happened and she felt a little better. At least he wasn't immediately dead. She sat up and pushed the water off of her stomach. "Don't be. If you had then you either would have gotten hurt or the attacker would have realized they couldn't take you and they would have waited. Then I wouldn't know someone found me here and would be a sitting duck. It's not your fault I ran away and now they want me back." There are worse monsters in this galaxy than a bounty hunter, she thought and smirked.

She grabbed the ends of her hair which were sopping wet and wrung them out a little, which was pointless considering her next move was to slide down the tub and completely cover everything but her nose and ears in water. There was just something about a bath that drew out the playfulness of everybody. Even Christian was making ripples in the water. A moment latter a buzzer alerted that someone was at the door. Katarine sat up in a hurry, splashing Christian a little in the process.

The medical droid was back in the room beeping that food was here. Katarine looked at it as it slide across the floor, into the puddle she had made and beeped in what seemed an agitated way.

[member="Christian Slade"]

 

[Christian Slade]

Christian was startled a bit as she splashed him, but he didn't move. His head was still propped up on the edge of the tub as the warm water ran down his face and he couldn't help but to crack the slightest of smiles as it did. "Well thanks a lot.", he said, his middle finger rolling up behind his thumb before he flicked the water, sending a small splash of it at the girl's face.

He laughed slightly and then pushed himself up from the tub as he turned and walked out of the bathroom to greet his worker. As he did, he stopped in the next room and pointed towards a table at it's center. "Place it there, and thank you for your time.", he told a young Zeltroni woman who was working as a waitress for him. She eyed him for a moment, glanced at the bathroom he'd come from, and then back at Chrsitian before she set the large platter down with the five course meal he had ordered. She then raised back up, nodded to him and turned to hurry out of the room, not wanting to bother her employer.

Eyeing the food, Christian turned and walked back to the bathroom, reaching up and bracing himself with both hands against the top of the door frame as he leaned in. Those golden eyes he had watched Katarine for a moment before he said, "I've got a meal for you out here. You need to fill your stomach. When you're ready there are a few robes in the closet here.", he said, leaning in and knocking on a 6 foot tall door that was filled with towels, bath cloths and just about anything one might need for their stay in a five star hotel.

He then smiled at her briefly, pushed against the door and leaned back out of it, stepping back into the dimly lit bedroom connected to the bathroom that she was in, the force tugging the door to it shut gently as he did.

[member="Katarine Ryiah"]