The Invisible Exchange

[Cortana Jade]

It was humid.

It was dark.

And she secretly craved air. But all she could do was keep wishing. To think she was use to it all by now, being others property that is. What she had was hope, and that was dangerous; for all the others as well. She was pinned up in a corner of a metallic cage that was moist and cool to the touch. She couldn't firmly grip the bars due to the sweat that generated on her hands. But the turbulence was terrible, and she fought against it for balance. Just in front of her, not even a foot away, were three other human females. Battered in appearance, but kept up just enough to look presentable.

Suddenly it all stopped. There was silence, which was broken by the weeps in the distance. Suddenly the cargo ramp opened and gripped the ground. Warm air flew in and now their was air for them to breath. Boots clicked up the surface of the ramp and figures stood casting shadows before them all. She wondered what was to happen now?

The cages were opened and each woman was brought out individually and lined up one after the other. The shackles seemed more heavier than usual. But while it pinched her skin, she payed less and less attention due to previous exposure. The landscape was extravagant however, this was probably one of the more up class auctions she had been too. Was she to become the victim of some psychologically impaired noble? Or the maiden of a snobby noblewoman? Or if she was unlucky enough, she might get a dosage of both at once.

Once things were in place, they were all marched in. There was no word she could speak. She knew others were new to this, recently capture. All she could do was silently pray to whatever deity governed the galaxy at whole; that is if she even believed.

[member="Nimue Stormson"] | [member="Tadietti Tann"]

 

[Poro]

Poro hung from a small cage strapped to a guard's side. He lay in the small cage dejectedly. His mouth was shut as he stared blankly at the passing prisoners. The guard started walking and matching pace with [member="Noni Starroy"]. He started to lightly harass her, but Poro was feeling too sick to follow the conversation. He started to quietly gag up a key from the guard's belt that he had tried to eat as a snack...he was starving...Eventually, a key was sticking out of his mouth, his lips holding onto the end of it.

Conveniently, someone called to the guard and his attention was taken away from her, creating a golden opportunity for the prisoner that would pass by quickly if she didn't act.

 

[Nimue Stormson]

So this was what the Hutts had sent her for doing business? Slaves? Not exactly the best of gifts that Nimue would have asked for. But, then again, it would be rude to say no. To Hutts slaves were an important part of their history. In fact it made up a lot of their history. She could sympathize...to a degree. The Slaves had been brought in a large ship that landed on the private landing platform of the palace. Empress Nimue Stormson stood there with her guards and a few other royal personnel before seeing as each of the girls were brought out. Looking over each of the they seemed in decent condition, but gods only knew what sort of conditions they'd been put through. She sighed as she saw them brought out and lined up before her. The man handling the along with his men seemed smug, trying everything he could to impress the Empress and get on her good side. And given some of the comments he made about her perhaps a little "too" good.​

​

Nimue approached them and looked over each girl intently. Her emerald eyes examined them up and down until her eyes came upon [member="Noni Starroy"] . There was something about this girl she found interesting. Not just her beauty but something...deeper. Her hands reached out and held her chin as she had a better look at her face. She only held for a moment before letting go and speaking to her more like a regular persona and not just a slave.​

​

"Where are you from, dear?" ​

 

[Tadietti Tann]

as lady blue

Lace blue coverings veiled from head to toe, a intricate pattern of suns on her dress, the rutian slave slavemaster’s hips carried the smallest sway as her the tap of her shoes walked forward. Beside the caged slaves larger trandoshans carrying cutting edge FFE weaponry stood, while framing lady blue herself a few noghri commandos who looked especially grizzled walked, a weequay and rodian held the leashes and operated the cage doors. In any exchange you brought guns and guards, Jedi had their force powers, while Tadi had her minions, and her charms.

Her lips spoke below the veil, the only part of the blue twi’lek visible to the naked eye, unless you looked really closely you’d never see the sharp angling of her jawline, the elegant nose, or her near perfect skin, because all that was hidden from the world, her identity and everything else about her along with it.

Tadi was the one they sent when they wanted things smoothly handled, she had an air of grace that you didn’t often find in a criminal enterprise, which is why the men and women around her seemed to follow her word with just the touch of her hand, like she did now on ones arm.

A red male zeltron strode forward, “to honor empress Nimue the Hutt cartel has arranged these gifts for your pleasure, may they serve you well.” He turned to lady blue who merely nodded once through the veil, “speak dear,” he said to the slave. There was the small matter of payment of course, but they'd started this off seeming like the generous benefactors. Poro was as yet unnoticed but if he made too much movement one of the hutts guards was likely to see him.

[member="Noni Starroy"] | [member="Poro"] | [member="Nimue Stormson"]​

 

[Cortana Jade]

She looked over, while she walked. She eventually bumped into the woman in front of her. Then she looked forward. It seems like they had stopped. She assumed they were going inside, but then again she was a slave, and that would be exposing them to luxury. They all turned turned to face outward so that they could be examined. Right in front of her she saw [member="Poro"] looking rather sick, her eyes squinted as he began to cough something up, and when she realized what it was her eyes grew wide. A key.

She subtly shook her head, and she mouthed the words "No" it was a risky idea. She wouldn't make it, and she didn't want to see the little guy get hurt.

Then before she could say anything else her head shot to the right. A woman, intimidating and extravagant as she was took to examining them. She must of have been subject to all this luxury. It had to belong to her, and if it didn't that would be highly surprising. She heard the zeltron male call out "Empress" so she was in fact the beholder of all this, and she was to be given a gift. Seems like she was overlooking the majority of them, but she heard the clicking of the woman's heels stop suddenly.

Then her hands ran slowly upon Noni's face. Noni looked up, already mentally prepared. "I'm sorry your majesty, but I cannot tell you what you seek, because I don't know. Forgive me..." she said softly, and looking back down.

[member="Nimue Stormson"] | [member="Tadietti Tann"] | [member="Poro"]

 

[Poro]

Of course, Poro wasn't here to get anyone out of captivity. He was just "hanging around". (Get it?) For all he knew, the key was to an officer's latrine. He let out a burp, which caused the key to fall out of his mouth and land quietly on the ground. Perhaps some other opportunistic and/or desperate slave would pick it up, but that didn't concern our sad, little hero, Poro.

He turned his head 90 degrees and started sucking on the bars. When it failed to avail him anything he stopped, lay back down with his legs all pointed outwards, and quietly whined in despair. A tear came to his eye and remained stuck there.


[member="Noni Starroy"] | [member="Nimue Stormson"] | [member="Tadietti Tann"]

 

[Nimue Stormson]

Her answer was both interesting and boring. Nimue had perked her eyebrow at [member="Noni Starroy"] when she answered, apparently an orphan and not knowing where she was from. There was just as much good as there was bad to the advantages of having a woman with no true origin. But still there was something about this girl, something the Empress could not exactly place, that made her more interesting than some of the other slaves. It might have just been a gut feeling or female intuition, or the fact she just wanted to have the pressure of picking anymore, had finally found her choice. ​

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Looking to [member="Tadietti Tann"] , who she assumed was the handler given her response to Noni, had nodded and said "This one." ​