Private The New Assignment

[Devlin Dara]

Months had gone by at this point and he was running out of things to occupy his time with while waiting for The Sith Empire to assign him a job role within the cog wheels of the war machine or barring that find him a master to work and serve under while further learning about the force. He wondered if his superiors had found him defective or just been waiting for the right person to pawn him off too. He couldn’t imagine any Sith Lord would want an apprentice like him. It was not that he was not willing, but he lacked a lot of the things other candidates had in spades. He was not physically strong which one could easily see based on his information registered with the academy and he was not confident or connected emotionally with the dark side of the force. Sure his powers and genius level intellect far surpassed the other students but he had an interesting and complicated emotional detachment from most things. Someone like him was smart enough and excelled at tactics and would be a prime candidate to normally enter into the war efforts as a tactician and battle strategist. When you get to that level of understanding as a tactician you start to realize emotion is nothing but a hinderance as you have to make tough calls and calculated risks that could see you killing thousands of your own troops to kill a thousand and one of the enemies. He could also have been a prime candidate to be put with a strong force wielder and used for his immaculate control over the force and his specialization with technology and the manipulation of it. His skills and power had yet to be benchmarked on just how much he could do with his powers.

There in lied the problem though. He had too much potential to simply be tossed with the non-force users and had no emotions to call upon the darkside at a whim. Compared to the others he was split right down the middle between a rock and hard place. Unlike the Sith the opposing forces of the Jedi were poised to easily influence him away from the Sith and so he was benched here in Dromund Kaas waiting for something he supposed at this point might not ever happen. He continued to work for free assisting those that came to him with their tech and finishing his lightsaber finally even though he was never trained to be a physical combatant. A message came across one of his holo terminals at his desk ordering him to report to the main Sith headquarters within the city tomorrow morning. ‘Was this it?’ he thought suddenly feeling more nervous than he had before. Maybe they had learned of his business dealings with he Jedi and he was about to be served up as a sacrifice. He had made a copy of the info on the datapad just in case while she wasn’t paying attention. Either way he had to show up or risk being punished.

The next morning didn’t come quickly he had barely gotten any sleep so he decided to clean his armor and report even earlier than what was listed. He was in his armor head to toe that hid his physical identity well and made him seem more physically imposing and roughly two and a half inches taller than what was listed in any folder. It was black and blue with purple and gold accent work and a golden emblem of The Sith Empire on his left shoulder pauldron. He waited for whatever it was that was about to happen as he sat on the floor leaning against the wall with his legs crossed half falling asleep but the helmet doing a good job of making him appear awake aside from the inconsistent head bobbing of him catching himself right before falling over.

Savannah Skye

 

[Savannah Skye]

Wearing: xXx
Tag: Devlin Dara

There were things that time could not change - and she was one of them. Seclusion from the world had not bought answers to her questions, it did nothing to quell the tide of rage that rippled beneath the surface of her skin; her aura still vibrated with it, with the raw emotional energy. But what time had done was taught her control; of the Force, of herself. She was different, but entirely the same. Perhaps that was what had bought her back to the known galaxy. Or it was boredom. Whatever it had been, it enticed her from the shadows, to accept a position as tutor to the younger generation. The thought alone amused her - she was not the nurturing kind. But then no request had been made to nurture him. He needed to be broken and rebuilt, made stronger, and that was something she excelled at.

The echoing of thick-soled boots would announced her presence, was the only warning, but it would be too late for him. There was no forgiveness for his laziness, and no kindness in the way introductions were made. The Force coiled through her being, burned in her blood as she outstretched a hand toward where he had been sitting, half-asleep. And there he was pinned fast to the wall. Unlike him she did not hide behind armour and masks; blond hair and tattoos were on display to distinguish her, not that he would have known who she was, or what her reputation was. he would learn soon enough. Each step closer saw the pressure of her hold increase, like the loops of a constricting serpent, squeezing the air from his lungs.

"Get up." The words were spoken in a low voice, holding more intimidation than if she were to have yelled them. And yet as the words were spoken the invisible hold on him did not slacken, but instead tightened. Fingers were curled almost into a fist, the strength of the grip intended to bend and break armour and bone alike if he did not retaliate. His file had been a tall-tale of his genius, his tactical prowess, his weakness. He was unbalanced within the Force and himself. And that simply would not do. "Get up, now, or I will wring the blood from your veins."

 

[Devlin Dara]

The sound of someone walking alerted him to someone’s presence. Finally, he might be able to figure out what was going on. As he looked up to meet the gaze of the one who had entered the building, he felt his head slam into the forcefully and could feel the air in his lungs being cut off as his body threatened to be crushed by the force. He could not speak and his initial reaction was to reach up towards his throat as if someone had been physically choking him out. He could feel the pressure increasing with every step that the stranger took toward him. He could feel the blood in his body building up in his head causing him to see dots across the room. He reached out to the force for aid thinking of all the things he may or may not be able to do given the situation. He couldn’t think and his mind reached out to his safety net the thing he had always been good at.

One of the sentry turrets whirred to life aiming at the woman that aimed to snuff out his life and fired a burst of laser fire. He had intended to just fire in her direction in order to take away from whatever she was currently doing to him as he struggled to stand, his frail body useless against the pressure from his sitting position against the wall. He had only intended to distract her but the three-round burst from the sentry turrets aim had been a little too true as it fired directly at her. Meanwhile he focused the force to his legs and feet thinking maybe he could use the force to aid him in standing as his vision started to blur. ‘Was this the day he died? Had they ordered him to arrive to be executed? Why was he fighting if that was even the order?’ a thousand questions went through his mind but never enough time to think about either of them.

Savannah Skye

 

[Savannah Skye]

Wearing: xXx
Tag: Devlin Dara

It was almost impossible not to roll her eyes at his predictability. It was written in his file that he was a technomancer and Savannah had hoped that her intuition would be proven wrong, that he would be one of the few individuals that would stood on his own feet and not behind cheap tricks. But she had not been wrong. The hold over him did not loosen as the sentry whirled to life behind her, or when she had glanced at it from over a shoulder. The unoccupied hand fell down to her hip, thumb and forefinger releasing the clasp that held her lightsaber; the silver blade ignited with a hum, raining down sparks as the shots were deflected, the last one aimed back at the sentry. The machine fell the the ground with a thud, the spluttering sound of parts dying lingering in the air as the blade was returned to its position at her hip, and then attention returned to him, the look in her eyes enough to make her displeasure known.

"Pathetic." She did not speak with malice or contempt nor did she growl or snarl. Savannah spoke to him like the child he was; weak and afraid, not worthy of gracing the halls she walked. Having not relinquished the Force Choke, she dragged him away from the wall, only to them slam him against it once more, intending to force whatever breath remained to be forced from his lungs. Her expression was stern as she approached him, unamused, her aura radiating with it. The grip lightened only slightly, so that he would not lose consciousness so soon. And then the Sith Mistress grabbed him by the chin, forcing him to look at her while he choked. Savannah imagined his lungs would be burning, that his eyes were wet with tears as his vision blurred. She wondered, just briefly, if he he could see her though the blur.

“The next time you reach out for a machine will be your last.” It was not a request, not a question, not a threat. Savannah had killed people for less and he had not proven himself of value yet. No, he had proven quite the opposite. He had proven to be useless to the Sith Mistress. His need to use technomancy so freely and often, as opposed to strengthening himself mind, body, and spirit, was apart of his weakness, and it would be his undoing if he did not obey. Savannah lessened the hold just enough to allow him to swallow a much needed breath through traumatised lungs, to be able to speak. "Now,” she said, her tone once again calm. ”Get up.” This time the look in her mismatched eyes was dangerous, as though she was daring him to speak the words I can't.

 

[Devlin Dara]

He watched through clouded eyes as his assailant brandished her lightsaber and effortlessly dealt with the sentry. Of all the things going through his mind right now he could not help but wonder who would be paying for it. A thought that was quickly dismissed as his back and head was thrown forward and then back into the cold stone wall. He was happy in this moment that he had such a durable helmet otherwise he figured that last slam might have cracked his head open. None the less the air escaped his lungs much like she had intended. He listened to her as he set his hands by his side planting them on the ground to try and stand knowing full well she was actively preventing him from doing so. This had to be some kind of test and it was one he had usually failed time after time while in the academy. He took in breaths while he could only ever able to make out her feet and legs as he fought to even raise his head.

He listened to her scold him about using any machines in the area to try and assist him. He cursed to himself mentally knowing there wasn’t any capable of helping him out in this moment regardless other than the one she had quickly disposed of. He kept his head forward remembering he had his lightsaber still dangling at his hip it was there if he needed it. He struggled and fell froward no longer in the seated position he had been but not in a much better position to try and actually stand. He tried with all his might feeling his vision go white as he exerted himself and hundreds of dots appeared in his vision. All he had accomplished was getting a better view of her boots and moving marginally closer. He knew he had to at least try and distract her to give him a moment to try and stand but it seemed like an impossible task to him in his current predicament. All he knew was the wrong answer and sometimes that’s all you needed to know to pass a test. He knew that he wouldn’t give up or complain about what was being done to him and all he could do was continue to try.

Using the force and his hand he quickly grabbed his lightsaber and ignited it for the first time actually against someone. The saber itself had a dark blue core closer to a navy blue and it gradually became lighter as it reached the sides of the beam. He swung the lightsaber at her the attack was slow and weak even for his current predicament. The lightsaber would fly from his hands but his grip onto it with the force would maintain. Hoping she would at least be distracted be the feint the lightsaber would come back at her and attack the focus of it shortening to a thicker more lightclub form that would deliver a stronger blow than if he had swung it. As he launched the diversionary attack he put all of his strength into his legs that he could muster even using the force to try and telekinetically raise himself from his kneeling position. He could feel his level of exertion approaching a level where his vision started to gray out and body about to pass out.

Savannah Skye

 

[Savannah Skye]

Wearing: xXx
Tag: Devlin Dara

There was not an ounce of restraint shown, not even a small measure of mercy when he slumped forward, seemingly defeated. Savannah had not cared that he was young and still learning, that he was not world weary or not battle hardened like she was. There was only frustration and a mounting annoyance that he could not follow an order, that he could think of nothing better then a sentry unit to defend himself, that he couldn't even stop the constricting of his throat long enough to find his feet. He was trying, yes, but his efforts were sub-par. If this had been years in the past, with the two of them in a pit on Geonosis, his life would have been forfeited the first time he could not stand, his head would have been rendered from his neck, and his body would have been left to the merdeth.

But this was not Geonosis, and they were not in a death pit, and he was not a fighter. Yet even knowing this, when he moved for his lightsaber, bringing it to his hand and setting the brilliant blue blade to life with a resonating hum, there had been a moment of adrenaline through her veins, a dark desire, a hope, that he would finally prove his worth. The attack was easy enough to predict. His lungs were empty, mind drifting to black. There was not much he could given his current state, his was too weak and they both knew that. The feint was a good manoeuvre for him. It proved that while his body's strength was failing, his strength in the Force was ever present.

Her mismatched eyes snapped to the incoming blade, body twisting away from his downed form as her own weapon came to her hand once again, the hold on him released at that moment. It was not that the attach was deemed dangerous or that it demanded her complete attention, but rather she still had not wanted him to pass out. The silver of her blade clashed with blue at the last possible moment, heels digging into the ground to centre her weight as with the flick of a wrist his weapon was forced to the ground. "Congratulations." Savannah said, a dangerous bite to her voice, her tone sarcastic. "You get to live for another day."

 

[Devlin Dara]

Devlin could feel the world fading around him as the choke started to causing him to black out as the darkness encroached at his peripherals. He heard the woman’s lightsaber ignite and the unsettling crack of the two sabers connecting. He focused again on his lightsabers adjustable focus. The thick heavy handed lightclub instantly became longer and lacked the rigidity to deflect her saber. Her saber would pass through it the weaker and thinner beam of his lightsaber poised to connect with her arm before she launched it across the room of his grip with the force. He felt the darkness around his vision fade as air filled his lungs rapidly causing him to cough as he stood to his feet thanks to the force. He leaned against the wall feeling dizzy from all the straining.

He quickly summoned his saber back to his hand the focus of it normalizing into a standard beam as waited to see what she would do since her saber was still ignited as well. He still couldn’t stop from coughing as he tried to regain control over his breathing through the helmet. He was glad for a moment that his armor was extremely resilient to sabers but that wouldn’t stop her from just choking him again. He listened as she congratulated him, he didn’t feel like he had won or earned anything. Even if he hadn’t been blindsided by the attack he didn’t think he could defend against her if she was trying. That was what scared him the most; that she was holding back. However, it also became self-explanatory as to why she was hear. Apparently, those in charge had decided to not make him a tactician after all or at least not in the traditional sense. Which meant she was to be his new master which also meant she was not only scary with the force but had seen his file and decided to take the challenge nobody else would.

“I am sorry. I assume you will be my master? I wasn’t intending to fall asleep I just couldn’t get any sleep last night once I was told to meet here but not given an explanation,” He said bowing my head out of respect and a plea from my body language to not just kill him. He waited with his head bowed for you to respond my eyes still forward enough to see you if you were to strike with your saber.

“My name is Devlin Dara…I am more than happy to serve you master. I am eager to learn everything that you have to teach,” He said respectfully waiting for my awkward introduction to be cut off or responded to.

Savannah Skye

 

[Savannah Skye]

Wearing: xXx
Tag: Devlin Dara

Savannah glowered when Devlin spoke for the first time, no reply being offered in return; there was only the narrowing of eyes and a deep intake of breath in an attempt to stifle her growing annoyance. Even his words grated on her last nerve. The Echani was motionless until the moment he bowed, his head lowered as though in submission, body language begging for mercy, and then the thudding of her boots announced her quick advance. He would hear the familiar snap-hiss of a lightsaber being deactivated the second before the hilt came crashing down into his jaw, a vicious assault that would have broken teeth and cracked bones had he not been wearing that helmet.

If there was a HUD inbuilt into his helmet, she imagined it would be flashing warnings as the saber came down a second time, harder than before. "Do not apologise and do not make excuses for your incompetence. I want neither." This time her voice was fierce, words growled through teeth now that he was behaving more cowardly. There was a something he seemed to either be overlooking, or ignoring entirely, a point that made his behaviour inexcusable. If he knew he had been summoned then he would know someone would come for him, yet he had still let his guard down and fallen asleep.

Savannah huffed her annoyance out-loud and grabbed him by the collar with her free hand, holding him up in case his knees gave out, forcing him to look her in the eye. "If you screw up, accept you mistakes. Learn from them. Don't try to circumvent them." Lesson number one. If Devlin Dara intended to serve as her apprentice, if he intended to please his new mistress, then he would learn strength in the worst of ways. Through fire and flame he would be forged into a monster. And if he was unwilling to accept the consequences of his actions, to learn from his mistake, then he was not worthy to walk in her shadow.

 

[Devlin Dara]

Devlin kept his eyes forward as he bowed to be more respectful than submissive, either way it was met immediately with hostility that he could have imagined that he should have figured out by now. As the hilt of the saber bludgeoned his helmet it had absorbed any real damage, he would have received but the helmet completely spun and shifted, the visor angled to a hard right while he continued to face forward. The second hit he would barely notice simply because he was still a bit lightheaded from the first. He felt himself get pulled in by her, he was surprised someone of her stature was so physically strong. He tried to make a reply but the way his helmet sat muffled any attempt at communication as he reached up and spun the helmet to sit on his head normally. He could feel a cut on his nose that was likely bleeding a little from it. It was something he would have to work out in the future especially if he kept screwing up like this.

"Do not apologise and do not make excuses for your incompetence. I want neither."

“Yes mistress I will remember that going forward,” he said wondering if the term mistress or master was preferred by her. Both were typically excepted and simply a matter of preference or so he assumed even if mistress had other connotations. He gulped standing under his own power but being forced closer to her by strength and grip on his armor and the cloth surrounding his collar. He had been given this treatment before when at the academy but they had all either given up or backed off eventually. It wasn’t something he minded at all and he knew why it should be done especially for him. He was well aware of his weaknesses and wanted them to be fixed just as much as they would want to see it fixed.


"If you screw up, accept you mistakes. Learn from them. Don't try to circumvent them."


“Understood mistress. I will endeavor to do my most to please you in any way you desire,” he said trying to appease her so that they could move on to more grander things or at least get ready to. He would follow her commands without question no matter what they were. He had resigned to this form of teaching a long time ago and would commit to its capability of correcting him. He was also eager to learn his own limits which was something he had never gotten to do. When he was younger and they were trying to get an understanding of how powerful each acolyte was they were unable to determine his strength accurately. The academy had no such means of accurately testing his full extent in the force and as such from that young age he had been ordered to hold himself back under punishment of death. He was curious now as to why all of a sudden they had partnered him up with someone like her. He hoped it was time to allow himself to find out how strong he really was.

“What would you have me do?”

Savannah Skye

 

[Savannah Skye]

Wearing: xXx
Tag: Devlin Dara

What would you have me do?

Savannah gave him no answer s she felt disinclined to spell out the answer for him, not so soon into their acquaintanceship: perhaps if he did not learn she would explain. Savannah shoved him away without a word, hard enough to make him stumble, hard enough that he might fall. She imagined he feel defeated at that moment. That his body would still be struggling to regain its senses. “I would have you not fall asleep when I next summon you.” She cautioned him, “I will not be so lenient next time.” These were the last words, the last warning, she spoke before turning on a heel and departing, leaving him to lick his wounds.

The next summon would not come for days, would not come until the middle of the night, and it would not come in the form of technology. No, Dara could never hide from her now. Savannah would know where to find him, from one side of the galaxy to the other, he could not hide. This time Savannah summoned him with a fist thumping against the garage door that was the entrance to his home. There was a certain judgement to be recognised in her stare. Savannah had expected better from him, she had expected more. She had learned that he lived in squalor, and she found it beneath not only her, but him also. Dara was certainly better than this and it frustrated her that he would choose to live like this when he had the means to change it.

It spoke volumes about him and it did not speak highly. Her balled up fist hit the door again, harder this time, as the Force moves through her body, threatening to puncture through it if he did not open the thing. << Dara. >> There was no gentle touch as her mind sought his for the telepathic communication as whatever mental barriers he might have had in place, she intended to force her way through. It would not be the first time she had broken into someone mind nor their home. << If you do not open this door, I will break it down and drag you out here. And it will not be pleasant for you. >>

 

[Devlin Dara]

He caught himself before he could fall to the ground the wall behind him where he had been previously pinned to now holding him up before he took another step forward. He had not been aware that she had summoned him and had been entirely unaware of what was supposed to happen. It was rare for anyone to be punctual when it came to assisting him after all, so he had gotten used to the long waits which had not helped him. Still, he did not voice those thoughts, he knew better, plus he was too tired to argue especially as the adrenaline faded from his system. He wondered if he would be under the same constraints he had made with the academy and the lords here with her. “Yes, Mistress I will not disappoint you,” he said trying to sound bolder than he actually was as he leaned to bow in again but thought better of it. He watched as you turned and walked away wondering why she had summoned him here if this were all that they would be doing today. Her imagined she just wanted to see how difficult her task would be. He sighed watching as she left, his eyes catching the sparking wires of the blaster turret. He could hear footsteps racing through the hall as well and decided to do what she had done and quickly leave before he got caught up in that mess.


A few days later Devlin had had not gotten much more sleep a fit of inspiration as well as the arrival of all the rest of the materials he had needed had arrived. He had already finished building his ship and had given it a small test flight but now it was at the dock that he had to continue to pay to store when he was not using it. His bigger projects had been finished as well and now he was just wrapping up any small details he had missed in his hurry to create his new combat droids. The renovated garage was a bit larger than one would expect from the outside. He had knocked down a few of the back walls and took over the extra rooms giving him almost the entire bottom floor to work with. The garage now looked more like a repair shop for old speeders and droids than a simple storage unit like it had been previously. All around the garage were piles of scrap, various machines for building, his five droids lined up powered off at their charging stations along the back wall. In the corner he had his net station complete with his various monitors. There was a small bed to the far corner of the room and a small bathroom but everything else seemed to take place in this one large open room that was packed with parts new and old. There were dim blue lights the lit the space and in various places around the room seemed to be smaller droids, more like statuettes or sculptures of small animals that moved or hopped around without making much noise. In a way it was easy to see the evolution of his inventions, from his small droids to the obviously highly advanced combat droids that stood against the wall, one hooked to the ceiling that looked more like a mirror ball. They were large and imposing, something that seemed so opposite to Devlin’s normal building standards and it seemed to almost contradict his personality.


At the moment Devlin sat down in a chair working on one of his droids, the queen unit which had 4 arms and stood there elegantly like a work of art. Though it was powered it stood still while Devlin used a bright torch to fix a few welds he had made previously. Both he and he droid looked up almost in unison as he received the telepathic communication, the other droids also seeming to come to life as their heads lifted in unison. The bang on the door was fairly normal but was usually from those looking to get something fixed, a service he offered for some coin but more and more for free. Devlin looked back towards his helmet which sat on his desk and towards the door. He quickly pulled the helmet to him with the force and set it in place as the door to the garage opened. She would get a glimpse of his boyish face as he put the helmet on and stood to attention the droids going back to their resting states.


“Evening Mistress. What brings you this way?” He asked curiously not expecting her to show up so suddenly after days of no communication.

Savannah Skye

 

[Savannah Skye]

Wearing: xXx
Tag: Devlin Dara

Savannah did not wait to be invited inside before pushing past him. There was a certain judgement to be recognised in her mismatched eyes as she looked around the room: her arms became crossed against her chest as she took in the piles of chit and how he not only lived among the mess, that he slept among the mess. No attention was paid to the droids that returned to their inactive state, as none of them were perceived as a threat; nothing would be able to stop her if she wanted to kill him. The expression of her face was harsh as she turned to him, lips pulled into a hard light, eyes narrowed. Had Devlin been paying attention he would have felt her approach long before her arrival.

Her presence in the Force was a beacon, and she had ensured it was visible while approaching his residence. But he had been too busy with his technomancer and his droids to feel it. Instead giving her something to be pleased, to show her he wasn't completely incompetent, he had disappointed her again. Pathetic. "We're leaving." There was no more explanation as she motioned for the door.

He was given no time to change, though as he was dressed once more in his armour that wouldn't be a problem, and no time to gather up any belongings he might deem necessary. Outside a speeder was waiting for them, ready to take them to the location of his next training session. Though he was dressed in his armour, a glimpse had been gotten of his youthful face. Savannah would beat the need to hide out of him. The strong did not hide behind masks, or wear armour to change themselves, they let the world see them and cower.

 

[Devlin Dara]

Devlin looked up at her as he waited for her to respond curious about what she was thinking at the moment upon seeing his work area. Only one other person had seen it that wasn’t a local and they were a Jedi seeking assistance that he had provided. The very thought of recalling that moment now seemed like a bad idea as he quickly summoned to him his lightsaber that latched onto his belt and at the same time the lights in the garage started to turn off and various things began to fit itself into place, his Queen droid even moved to her spot against the wall. He had unlinked from them but even so the droids watched him leave in both a sense of curiosity and worry. After all their programming was to assist him in combat and be a boon to his own abilities. Each droid was deadly enough in their own right to go toe to toe with other Sith or Jedi but the five together along with Devlin made him a very potent threat. He had not technically broken his oath yet, he had kept his own powers in check and not attempted to see what his limit was. Yet, he had created powerful enough droids that he in theory might never have to, even so his curiosity was still unsatiated.



“Where are we headed?” he asked as he approached the speeder unsure if she had wanted him to drive or not be he assumed not considering he lacked the knowledge of the final destination. He hopped into the passenger seat fully aware that at any moment he could mentally take control of this speeder if he wanted to his brain implant acknowledging his connection to the machine effortlessly. He had a lot of work done since the last time they had met at the academy and his views had started to change on a lot of things one of which included the Sith in general and whether or not he thought himself as a true follower anymore.

Savannah Skye

 

[Savannah Skye]

Wearing: xXx
Tag: Devlin Dara

"You're driving." Savannah informed him in a matter-of-fact tone while motioning for him to take the drivers seat. It didn't matter that he had no knowledge of the destination as there wasn't one. The two of them were not going anywhere in particular, just for a drive, and it was prudent that Devlin be the driver. After all, Savannah had plans for him, and those plans did not include him sitting idly and twiddling his thumbs like a twit. When he moved, she would take the passenger seat and make herself comfortable, though before he could start the speeder and begin the journey, she would slam an open palm against his chest, using the Force to pin him back in the seat.

From the corner of her eye she glared at him, her expression harsh, daring him to retaliate. She was confident he would not. Devlin had thus far proven to be the kind of man that accepted beatings on the blind assumption that he deserved it. "I will warn you once, as a courtesy." There was a growl in her words, a very real threat. She let the feel of her hand on his chest lingered, the weight of it increasing as the Force moved through her, as though she wanted to break his chest. As silence blossomed between them the air would feel heavy, like it was going to suffocate him, meant to remind him of when she'd choked the life from him. "If you take control of this speeder with your ridiculous technomancy, I'm going to throw you out of it. Understood?"