Private The Ole Ball and Chain

[Sicarius Hekate]

Sicarius was embarrassed here she was a powerful Sith apprentice, whose Master was leader of the Sith Army for fraks sake and she was dressed up in a golden bikini chained to a Hutt. The collar around her neck was subduing her force abilities. Meanwhile the Hutt, a Gurla the Hutt, was holding court with their measly usually band of mercenaries, bounty hunters, cheap musicians and other sycophants.

It was humiliating to say the least. A part of her wondered whether her Master had set this whole thing up as part of a sick twisted humiliating lesson. She knew he had found her methods when dealing with the last Hutt, less then subtle. The consequences of which were now readily apparent.

She supposed it was karma that she had killed the last Hutt using a chain similar to the one she was wearing now.

Gurla decided now was an appropriate time to address her followers. It was slug gibberish but Sicarius knew enough to get by.

“Welcome my friends! To the celebration of my latest addition to my collection! A Sith!”

The crowd applauded wooed and bood like the sycophants they were.

“The so called mighty Sith Empire has been shattered! The last of them are being hunted down!”

More applause, Sicarius rolled her eyes. When she broke free of these constraints she would kill them all. The Hutt she would like to kill slowly.

“This one was foolish enough to kill one of my Clan and now pays the Price! As my personal body slave!”

The Hutt tugged at he r chain and threw her on the floor in front of the crowd. When this ordeal was over Sicarius would choke the Hutt with this chain just like she had done with the last Hutt. They would pay. They would all pay.

Darth Angonous​

 

[Darth Angonous]

Sicarius Hekate had expected a punishment given her recklessness at Ord Mantell, though Angonous allowed the transgression to slide due to the fact that she like Angonous wanted to unleash their power, the Sith Lord knew that her actions had consequences namely that the Hutt she has killed had connections who were more powerful than he was. As soon as they left Ord Mantell, Sicarus and Angonous received a message from the remnants of the Sith Council. They were alive and they planned on rebuilding the Sith Order. Angonous was named Dark Legate the General of all of the Sith Armies. Sicarus was no doubt excited to be an apprentice of a powerful person though Angnonous was skeptical. Of course he trusted the Sith in as much as they'll have to work together in order to rebuild the broken Empire but will they make the same mistakes as before? The backstabbing, the disloyalty, the infighting to the point where many powerful Sith Lords broke away from the Empire in the middle of a war and formed their faction.

Angonous was all for a rebuild but there needs to be serious reform if the Sith were to last generations. He will start with his young, impulsive apprentice Sicarus is full of rage a true prodigy. However from the short while they've been together, Sicarus was operating on beast level instincts that can get an acolyte by basic missions but in order to become a Sith Lord one must harness that rage yet still maintain themselves. It was a lesson that Angonous will have to instill to his apprentice. He allowed her to indulge herself, to kill indiscriminately on a planet where scum and villainy reside. Sicarus showed power but she was like teenager throwing a tantrum because their parents wouldn't allow them to attend a concert by Bushido Brown . There are consequences for her actions.

Nearly two weeks after their escape, they were ambushed by Gurla the Hutt an oddity amongst his kind. He was massive even by Hutt standards and was the fittest Hutt Angonous had ever seen sporting a six pack abs and was strong enough to crush break a Wookie's bones without effort as well as being impossibly quick. What made Gula dangerous was that he was an infamous Jedi killer, taking on NJO and SJC alike and collecting their Light to place around his neck. Gula and his men disabled the ship with an explosion "knocking" out Angonous. It didn't hurt and the Sith Lord could easily use the pain to power through and kill them all but Gula managed to disable Sicarus and Angonous allowed her to be captured. It was a lesson that mindless rage can lead to destruction. The Dark Side is addictive but too many people wield it like a child who found his Dad's blaster. No doubt Sicarus would supect that Angonous planned this. He had only foreseen this, through common sense there was no way a Hutt would allow the murder of their people to go unpunished.

Angonous knew the fate of females under Hutt captivity, they would be slave girls to them. While the Hutts find people who aren't their kind repulsive, they keep the slave women as symbols power and slave men with female Hutts. Angonous used the Force to stay hidden but Gula made sure to destroy the ship as soon as he took Sicarus. The Sith Lord escaped through a launch pod and spent most of his time preparing to get Sicarus back but also determine where to find the armor of Darth Bane.

(OOC: Nar Shaada)

The crowd yipped and hollered at Sicarus while she was chained and dressed in a Golden Slave Bikini. Gula the Hutt's scientist recently developed the technology to create a device that'll disable force users powers. "This one!" Gula said holding Sicarus' chain on one hand while taking a sip of wine in the other. "Killed my little brother! Destroyed my cantina and my best men while also destroying my deathstick operations. He yanked Sicarus' chain, "that was one of my most reliable smuggling areas!" he growled. "And now I have to spend credits to rebuild the damn place!"

Gula raised his stubby fingers and snapped them. "Go and dance for me my Sith slave!" He smiled. "Horace play my music!"

The entire room became dark and the music started to play.

 

[Sicarius Hekate]

Sicarius gritted her teeth and bit her lip, half to stop herself saying something snide that she might regret rather then out of any outward expression of irritation. A few weeks ago things had finally been looking up. After years on the run after the fragmentation of The Sith Empire. An Empire she had been apart of and proud to have been a part of. Even as a low ranked acolyte she had had access to resources, almost to her every whim. Being able to requisition any ship she needed, or acquire any creatures for her own experimentation, even her own personal lab. Just like that it had crumbled. She had been forced to go on the run, hiding and scavenging like a common corellian spacer. Then as if guided by the Force itself, her path had crossed with a Sith Master, worthy of her alliegance. They had destroyed a small cartel, an auspicious beginning to their partnership. The good fortune continued. Word had reached them that the Sith Empire was reforming, her Master was offered a powerful position within it. By extension as his apprentice so had she. Fate or the Force had smiled on her at last, in spades, but whether it be Fate or Force something had decided they needed to address the imbalance. She had been captured, by a slimelord Hutt no less.

She wasn't sure what would be worst that she was captured due to her own incompetence or that her Master had allowed it to happen. It wasn't the potential betrayal that bothered her, after all betrayal was the ways of the Sith, apprentices killed Masters as a quite literal rite of passage. Masters killed apprentices who failed or disappointed them as a matter of course. It was the fact that she had been captured by a gangster with delusions of grandure. If it had been arranged or even allowed to happen at her Masters, that would be a mitigating factor to her current embarrassment. Sith Masters had been known to send apprentices on missions or situations that turned out to be traps. As a lesson or an opportunity. All part of the training. If that was the case then Sicarius could accept that. She had to admit that this was a less painful lesson then some she had been subjected to, but at the same time Sicarius would outright prefer being electrocuted with sith lightning then to be in this debilitating condition. Though she supposed that even in the short time they had spent together her Master knew her well enough by no to know that to be the case.

So she played along and began to dance. Using it as an opportunity to scan the room.

The lesson if this was indeed one was simple and obvious. Humility. Humiliating as this situation was that was the only obvious conclusion she could make. So for now she played the game, played the role of the slave, all the while she observed, analaysed and calculated. Escape routes, easy targets, who in the Hutts court were the most dangerous, his best gun hands and which ones were just sycophants hanging on the edges, which members the Hutt doted on or dismissed, the ones most crucial to his operations; the deathstick supplier he acknowledged in his lists of complaints, and the bank accountant in charge of the credits he would have to rebuild from and Horace, his favourite musician. Those would be the key targets she would take out on her way out.

Darth Angonous

 

[Darth Angonous]

Using the limited fuel that the escape pod had, Angnous guided the pod back to Ord Mantel. He landed on a remote area of the planet a few miles away from civilization. The Sith Lord reached out to the Force to sense Sicarius' presence but as soon as he made a connection, it was completely dissipated. Angnous frowned while ventured through one of the few forests on Ord Mantel. That was strange, maybe Sicarius masked her presence through the Force though Angonous doubted it. He managed to sniff her presence out easily when they met and he wasn't actively looking for her. Sicarius was like a toddler on a sugar high when it came to Force control. If she mastered it, she wouldn't be captured so easily . It was likely that it had something to do with the Hutt. As soon Angonous arrived at the port, he immediately went back to his hideout, a room located near in a small shantytown. Angonous needed to gather his Bounty Hunter Gear. He meant to do it sooner, but with the shootout it made things hectic. As soon as Angonous arrived, he immediately got to work collecting his things.

Everything was in check: Armor complete with a flame thrower wrists, jump jetpack, and a shoulder mounted mini missile launcher, about 4 thermal detonators, Twin K-180 Blaster Pistols and an A280 Blaster Rifle with a grenade launcher attachment. As soon as he was dressed, Angonous began to re-enter his Bounty Hunter License into the system. Looking specifically for the Hutt who captured Sicarius.

While he was on the run, Angonous operated as a Bounty Hunter under the name: David. It was a plain name but one that'll elude him from suspicion, there were many Bounty Hunters who love to take on fancy names like: Red Arrow or Hellhound. To Angonous, it was best to not rely on shock and awe but rather results. Besides, grandiose names will make one a target for rival Bounty Hunters or Hutts whom they've double crossed there are billions of Davids scattered throughout the galaxy but there is only one Red Arrow. Angnonous went through the list of jobs on the datapad, the image of the Hutt who ambushed he and his apprentice burned onto his brain. From his observations he was more muscular than the average Hutt and was cantankerous.

His search narrowed down to one Gula the Hutt, Angonous frowned. He was the one and he was looking for the best Bounty Hunters for his expedition to search for an artifact related to the Sith? "Interesting," Angonous muttered. By fate, Sicarius was in the hands of Hutt who was interested in the Dark Side artifacts. Though he was probably more interested in just using them as a collection. The Hutt could prove to be a useful idiot and Angonous did have the credentials for the job.

He is a Mandalorian after all.

OOC: Nar Shadaa.

Gula's large fingers toyed around the Lightsaber parts taken by the Jedi and Sith he killed in the past. The Hutt hit the jackpot with the pale skinned Zabrak. She was smiling and dancing to his pleasure, but Gula can tell through her amber eyes that she was looking for a way out like a caged animal waiting for the opportunity to strike. Gula heard of the damage she and her partner caused and how she killed his brother. "That was my head slave dancer!" Gula clapped. "Take a bow will ya?!"

Though as soon as he said that, he yanked Sicarius' chain dragging her away from the dance floor. "You think that you could've gotten away with killing my brother and destroying private property?!"

Gula sighed. "Well my brother was an ass," he shrugged. "But the spice he produced was top of the line! You've just deprived all these good people their Spice Sticks!"

"I HATE THAT GIRL!" one of the people shouted in the crowd.

"You see?!" Gula said. "Normally I would've killed you but you are special! I dunno if you're Jedi or a Sith but you have a special ability. One that can serve me. I've given you a place so you can entertain me....."

Gula tugged at Sicarus' chain. "I'm beginning an expedition throughout the Outer Rim searching for some trinkets belonging to an ancient Dark Sider or some chit. I've been a collector of Force relics ones that I can sell off into the black market" He said bringing her close. "And you my favorite slave will prove useful in the quest! Right now I'm just giving out a call to have the best Bounty Hunters to assist me!"

Sicarius Hekate

 

[Sicarius Hekate]

Sicarius ignored the barbs and the cat calls, the jibes and the needling. They were the weapons of the weak, the sycophants. They couldn't capture their own prey and didn't know what to do with one when it was presented to them. . If Sicarius was given a Sith Apprentice as her own to do with as she pleased, she would make good of the opportunity. Measure their strength in the Force, see if she could harness it for her own, break them into a loyal subject and then use them as a valuable asset. Honestly they had a Sith Apprentice at their feat and the most imaginative thing they could come up with was to make her a dancer. It was a pathetic attempt at ridicule.

Still their lack of imagination might prove to her advantage. If they thought she was this easy to break, well then maybe they'd believe she was broken so easily.

She let out a whimper, let tears gather in her eyes and flinch away from anyone close to her, while she tugged on the length of the chain as if the only thing that mattered to her was putting as much distance between her and Gurla the Hutt. It wasn't her best performance, but some of the fools in the crowd were obviously buying it. Their jeering increased, they lunged at her to make her cower against them. She'd flinch away from one into the grasp of another. They started tossing her to each other, like she was a ball in their game.

Through out it all she was using it as an opportunity to scan the room like she had been doing the entire time she got here. It was easy to identify the thugs from the professionals. The thugs joined in heartily. They were at the heart of the gathering. The professionals kept their cool, they stayed on the fringes and the outcasts, barely touching their drinks.

While Gurla maid their speech about finding artifacts. Sicarius almost dropped the act. Sicarius had a passion for Sith Artifacts. If this oath could be manipulated to find one for her, all the while they thought she was the one being manipulated. It was an intrigueing opportunity, and a delicate game on her part. Perhaps this situation would be salvageable after all. Best case she may even be able to find the Black Market route such artifacts were being trafficked along. It could be a veritable treasure trove of artifacts, one she could study and learn from. The power of the Ancient Sith at her finger tips. The Turr Talisman, Ancient Sith Swords, Darth Banes Oblisk Armor, Darth Krayt's Yuuzhaan Vongs. Who knew which ones would be available or useful. In time she could create her own such devices. Find a small moon to build her fortress, complete with her own collection of Sith Artifacts, Dark Gardens and Mutant Menagerie.

The thought excited her, but first she would have to play along, play the game, get as much information as possible, wait for the right time to strike. One stroke, one strike she could have everything she wanted. Power.

 

[Darth Angonous]

Gula gave a hearty laugh at the whimpering Sicarius as he dragged her close to him. "Don't worry my dear!" The Hutt said patting her head. "We'll make sure that you are safe and secure!"

"Fuck that!" A Gran yelled taking out his blaster pistol and pointing it at Sicarius. "That crazy pale prostitute killed my brother at Ord Mantell and you are just giving her the time of her life."

Gula stared at the Gran his expression nonchalant almost bemused that he had to gall pull a blaster out in his presence. "Now Mongo," Gula said. "What did I say about pointing guns in my presence?"

Mongo took a small step back, his three eye stalks shaking a bit. "But I-"

"WHAT THE FLYING FUCK DID I TELL YOU ABOUT PULLING A BLASTER AT MY FACE?!"

The Gran fell to the floor averting his gaze towards Gula. "Forgive me Lord Gula," He said. "I was just upset about losing my brother."

"Oh I'm definitely an understanding Hutt," Gula said motioning Sicarius to sit down next to him. "You pointed a pistol at my most valuable tool and I'm good with that."

"Really?"

"No."

Mongo looked up. "Please my lord!" He shouted. "I was just angry!"

"Amaran," Gula called out for his bodyguard that was standing in the hall. "Please take Mongo and give 60 lashes."

No response.

The Hutt frowned. "Amaran?" He called out. "Where are-"

There was a scream in the distance and large Weekquay was thrown onto the floor his face caked with a broken orbital bone, bruises, and blood. A large figure walked downstairs wearing Mandolorian armor and approaching Gula and Sicarius. "My lord!" Mongo said. "I'll take care of this intruder!"

As soon as the Gran pointed his blaster pistol, Angonous grabbed Mongo's wrist with astonishing speed. The Gran gave loud yell of pain before Angonous sunk his fist into his solar plexus with enough force that the Gran spat out blood and fell onto the floor writing in pain and coughing up blood at the same time. Gasps were heard amongst the crowd with some training their blasters at him. "Well, well what do we have here?" Gula said holding Sicarius' chain tight. "A Mandalorian in our presence! That was quite an entrance Mando but if you wanted to kill me you've chosen quite the interesting route."

Sicarius Hekate

 

[Sicarius Hekate]

Sicarius almost broke character when one the Hutts thugs started aiming his blaster at her. She held the chain in both hands ready to use it to deflect the blaster bolt that would be aimed at her. Chains were not lightsabers, but ideally the blast itself might break the chain. Ironically granting her, her freedom from this spectackle. Unfortunately the brute was forestalled by the equally brutish Hutt.

The moment a brief glimpse of freedom passed, disappointed Sicarius reverted back to the character she had decided to play. Meekly sitting down at the Hutts feet like the loyal little nubile slave girl she was pretending to be. The commotion that followed was at first of little interest to her. The Gran would be getting lashes for apparently threatening her, not out of any affectations of course more about disrespecting the Hutts authority. Not that he had been much of a threat, either if anything the foolish act could have been benevolent to her.

The Commotion grew into uncertainty as a Weequay and a Gran were swiftly dealt with. Cold, calm and precise. A Mandalorian. Sicarius was jerked back as the Hutt held her to him. Sicarius wasn't sure what the Mandalorians objectives were, but he seemed familiar. Which was odd given that Sicarius wasn't particularly familiar with any Mandalorian that she knew of. Still the entrance was rather theatrical the entire hive of scum and villainy was centred on the newcomer. Ironically Sicarius was hoping the Mandalorian wasn't here to kill the Hutt. Mostly because Sicarius wanted to kill the slime ball herself, but also rather reluctantly the Hutt had yet to reveal any useful information about the now often bragged about Sith Artifacts. For now the only thing she could do was observe.

If the Mandalorian came out on top over the Hutt, perhaps they would be more reasonable to deal with directly. If not well maybe the show of force had already undermined the Hutts feeble authority. Anyone who had ordered their own man whipped only to be upstaged by someone else, just might be slipping. Maybe the court could use a bit of Chaos. In her experience Chaos could be useful. It could either be a ladder or a pit. Either way she could climb out.

 

[Darth Angonous]

Mongo feebly crawled away from Angonous presence still coughing blood. More blasters were pointed at him while Gula stared at the Sith Lord not shocked nor intimidated but bemused waiting for the Mandalorian to speak. "Your friend," Angonous replied his voice muffled by a vocabulator. "Didn't take it too kindly when I asked him to move. Said that you were too busy." Angonous stared at the bloodied and unconscious body that was crumpled next to his feet.

Gula chuckled. "So, instead of waiting. you've decided to beat up my security and waltz in my presence while I was busy doing important work! Like punishing my associate for daring to point a blaster pistol at my most valuable possession!"

The Hutt glowered over to Mongo who crawled to the corner continuing to clutch his chest. All three of his eyes were wet with tears. "If you thought that a punch to the gut was painful, wait until you get your lashes. Shu Mai and his cat o nines whip can rip the flesh out of even the toughest of Weekquay skin!"

"I was looking for a job," Angonous stated simply his eyes still focused on Gula. He could see Sicarius dressed in a golden slave bikini out fit and chained next to Gula. The Sith Lord could easily tell that she was faking her innocent slave girl expression, he could feel the anger boiling over ready to unleash it on Gula the moment she gets an opportunity to. Yet instead of resisting, Sicarius sat biding her time and observing. At least the apprentice is learning when to hold back and observe. The Sith Empire right now needed to remain in the shadows and begin their manipulation on a grand scale. "Heard that you were planning an expedition to retrieve a Stih Artifact and that you paid well. Your friend was in my way and I was in a hurry there were other contracts that were being offered to me."

"Intriguing," Gula said a smile forming on his face. "Time is credits after all, what is your name Mandalorian?"

"David."

"David?!" Gula laughed his chuckled echoing throughout the room, some of Gula's men joined in on the laughter though they were hollow chuckles. Angonous remained still, it was hardly the first-time people laughed at the name. "I would think your name would be something fierce worthy of the Mandalorian culture! Not something so.... boring!"

"Helps me stay under the radar," Angonous replied. "In Bounty Hunting, a flashy name like Red Rocket would make you target for jealous Bounty Hunters."

"That is true," Gula nodded. "You know I like you already Mando! You're my kind of scum! You have certain.... belligerence to you. I'll pay you 75,000 credits up front for a total of 250,000 surely you won't get any better than that."

Sicarius Hekate

 

[Sicarius Hekate]

Sicarius watched carefully, all the while schooling her expression into one of submission. Honestly it was not unlike growing up as an acolyte among the Nightsisters and the Sith, while admittedly her smart mouth had gotten her whipped more than once, she had known as all children tended to know with their… Parents? Not quite accurate, Gaurdians? That didn't seem quite right. Caregivers? Sicarius almost broke character at the thought. There wasn't a lot of care or giving in her childhood. The stray thought made her wonder whether or not that had had some psychological effects on her current personality. Regardless as a child she had known when to push it and when to concede. It was those survival instincts she was using now.

Sicarius assessed the new player on the scene, he was adequate she supposed, he fought his way through the Hutts court of fools without breaking a sweat. Though given that she was a prisoner of said court of fools, didn't say anything positive about her own adequacy. Still as far as prisons went, this one wasn't as bad as it could be. I guess she could consider this prison yard time. This bounty hunter being the latest inductee convict. Even if he entered it voluntarily. No one who entered into a Hutts service ever left. This fool was just as much as every other fool. Voluntarily entered indentured servitude. Still he had demonstrated to everyone in the prison yard who the new big kid on the block was without saying a single word.

Their was something.. familiar about him. Sicarius couldn't quite place him, it was the way he moved the way he stood. It tickled a memory, a thought she couldn't quite grasp. Sicarius let the thought go, it would come to her. In all likelihood Sicarius had met the thug in another dive a lot like this one. Mandalorians all looked alike. Mainly because you barely ever saw their face. Their club scout uniforms were rather effective in that regard. Still he was right about it helping to stay under the radar.

Another treasure hunter. Word about secret ancient artifacts travelled far across the underworld of the galaxy. It grated Sicarius that petty theft and profit was what was going to find artifacts that deserved respect and reverence. Such a prosaic motive for something that should be a noble quest. Still their geed was a weakness that could be exploited. Their pride and arrogance could be manipulated.

"You fools" Sicarius muttered defiantly but petulantly "What would you know of the Sith? You wouldn't know the difference between Jedi and Sith. If one of each was standing in front of you. Let alone anything of the Force or the artifacts created by and for them. Nor where they are hidden"

Sicarius had to play the game, if she acted like she gave up without any defiance her ploy would be seen through. Besides with luck the Hutt would start gloating about how he intended to find the artifacts, maybe even where they were.
Darth Angonous

 

[Darth Angonous]

"250,000?" Angonous replied trying to act out the role of the Bounty Hunter, if a client is offering that many credits then it's natural to desire more. Besides, Gula is easily impressed with those who actively defy him and stand their ground. "What you talk about are Sith artifacts which are often dangerous with the many beasts prowling around and the still active defenses. "I want 400,000 up front."

Gula's eyes lit up in fury. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" Gula roared at Angonous. "250,000 IS A GENEROUS PRICE! YOU COME HERE AND TRY TO ACT LIKE THE TOUGH NEGOIATOR! NO, YOU PATHETIC NERF HERDER! THIS IS MY DOMAIN!"

Gula stopped yelling taking a deep breath before continuing. "250,000." he said again. "That's my first and final offer, if you don't accept it fuck off you little chit."

"Sounding like a child already." Angonous countered. "I have seen many Hutts around Nal Hutta shower Bounty Hunters with credits. Lowa the Hutt I've heard offered a Bounty Hunter twice as much as what you have to offer, and the job is less risky as well."

"Lowa is a lazy Hutt who thinks that Spice grows on grass." Gula mentioned.

"Does it matter?" Angonous said. "She's offering me twice the money and with less risk." Reaching out to his pocket, Angonous showed Gula a Holoprojector with the contract.

Gula sighed. "Fine," he said. "My final offer is 350,000 with a potential-"

Sicarius then spoke up saying that Gula wouldn't tell the difference between a Jedi and a Sith artifact. "Are you kidding me?" Gula growled pressing a button on his throne. The collar began to send shock waves throughout Sicarius' body. Angonous shook his head feeling the anger and irritation from her. There was no finesse to her game just pure spite and petulance. Something Angonous was going to have to correct, he felt that she suffered long enough in the dark. She knew why she was in this situation, but instead of adapting she chose to curse and scream.

"My lord," Angonous said. "Let me handle the girl, for Mandalorians we have a few brutal ways of handling defiant servants."

"Brutal?" Gula pressed the button again and the shock therapy ended. "I like brutal! But be careful with this one! She is delicate!"

"I won't hurt her," Angonous said grabbing Sicarius' chain forcing her off of the throne. "I'll just make sure she learns her place with you my lord."

Gula chuckled. "I'm actually liking you again," he said clapping his hands. "You've stood up to me and not cower like my friend over there."

Angonous nodded dragging Sicarius towards the room. He pushed her inside and closed the door behind, as he stood over his apprentice, Angonous slowly removed his helmet.

"I hope you know why you were in this situation," Angonous said his voice in a whisper.

Sicarius Hekate

 

[Sicarius Hekate]

Sicarius spasmed and screamed as the choker sent electricity through her system. In truth it was a performance that she had to put on. The choker sent a pathetic amount, less then a Sith Acolyte could send through a basic Force Lightning training. Growing up it was what had passed for detention and a mild punishment for transgressions. Ironically speaking out of turn was such a transgression that she had had to suffer. In fact she remembered one such occasion referring to a teacher as a lazy slime lord Hutt. The errant thought almost made her giggle before she managed to stifle it, and turn it into a moan.

Fortunately her performance seemed to work out for the better. The Mando Bounty Hunter offered to punish her personally. To Sicarius it sounded like a perfect opportunity to escape. She would be alone isolated with only one opponent standing between her and her freedom. She'd have to take him out quickly, Mandalorians were galactically renowned warriors, the best of them could even take on Sith and Jedi. Still it was obvious he underestimated her, thought that she was weakened and imprisoned. A fast, quick and deadly strike.

Sicarius studied her opponent as he took control of her collar and dragged her along. Their was something familiar about him, his mannerisms, his walk, the gait of his step. He moved liked a warrior who'd had training in hand to hand combat. It was the balance and the way he stepped, it was the kind of movements one only saw in experts, dancers, athletes and fighters. The confidence that their bodies would respond instinctively without hesitation. Sicarius wondered what style it was. It seemed familiar. Teras Sai? Maybe. It was smoother than most Mandos who were often a little more clunky, depending on strength and the protection of their Beskar armor.

Sicarius was dragged along, the fool was taking of his helmet of all things. Leaving him vulnerable, the most dangerous exposed region that could kill him in one strike. He started to say something condescending, Sicarius didn't wait for him to finish, launching her own spinning attack charging her hands with Force Lightning as she did so. Sicarius followed up the attack with a knee to the groin. Men they thought they were so much stronger, but they had a crippling weakness not to mention their pain thresholds were pathetic. Sicarius knew that from multiple experiments and studies of her own.

Sicarius was so focused on her attacks that it took her a moment to recognise who it was that she was attacking.

"Master?"

Sicarius stopped incredulous.

"What are you? How did you get here? Why are you wearing a disguise?"

Sicarius incredulity stopped as her mind caught up with what he had said just before she attacked him.

"Why am I here?" Sicarius asked flummoxed becoming angry "Because some slime lord Hutt wants a pet prize."

"If you were anyone else you'd be dead and I'd be out of here!"

Darth Angonous

 

[Darth Angonous]

Sicarius maintained the charade of being electrocuted as reckless as she might be, she was durable that much Angonous observed during their time together. Sith Acolytes were trained since their arrival at the academy to endure pain and use it as a source of power. When one can't find anything channel their anger, pain was always a good go to source. Angonous was used to physical pain, but he found mental anguish more efficient when it comes to unlocking the true power of the Dark Side. Something that he hoped would transfer to Sicarius but so far, she was acting like a petulant child. "Simple," Angnous responded bluntly. "After the fall of the Sith Empire, I did work as a Bounty Hunter. My Mandalorian bloodline has served me well in looking for contracts and building connections."

She still hasn't gotten why she was captured, instead assessing the situation she blindly rushed in and tried to attack Angonous. There was no plan, just bumbling in like a drunk. "Because like I've tried to teach you my apprentice," Angonous responded in a cold tone. "There is a time to unleash your power."

Using his hand, Angonous pushed Sicarius' slender shoulder to force her down. "And there's a time to act like the nubile slave girl cowering in front of her Mandalorian handler. Observe more than you act, did you honestly believe that you could take on Mandalorian Bounty Hunter wearing nothing more than a golden bikini and think that you wouldn't come out with a Hutt who has just overpowered you with your Force powers and a 30 guns ready to take you down."

The Sith Lord frowned. "It was foolish of you to do that my apprentice," he said. "If it were anyone else you would be dead."

Angonous still looked over Sicarius and shook his head. "You still don't understand why you are here." he said. "Your recklessness and arrogance have led you here. Yet you are still blinded by your anger you're allowing it to dictate your actions rather than you using it for yourself. Have you even thought about possible value that the Hutt could give us?"

Sicarius Hekate

 

[Sicarius Hekate]

Sicarius shrugged off the enduring pain that was little more then a dull ache, an uncomfortable distraction at worst but still an annoyance. Like when you've slept on your arm and the tingling of skin needed to be shaken off. It left Sicarius sluggish and irritable, not that she wasn't irritable, frustrated already.

"I didn't know you had a Mandalorian bloodline to speak of" Sicarius admitted while she rolled out the kinks in her muscles and bones. Sicarius briefly wondered an almost idle thought if Master Angonous Mandalorian heritage would come in handy. Recruiting a Mandalorian Clan to work for them had some appeal. It wouldn't be the first time Mandalorians would work with the Sith against their mutual enemy the Jedi. The idea of leading a platoon of Mandalorians into battle tickled her.

Sicarius was brought out of her idle thought and scowled at her Masters scolding, any other Sith submitted to this treatment would have their revenge. Preferably in a manner as slow and painful as possible. Sicarius intended to subject the slug that humiliated her to such measures that torture would be to nice of a description for what would happen to it.

"Feigning weakness has never been my forte Master" Sicarius responded sarcastically "I doubt I would have survived as long as I had if it were. Weakness amongst the Sith perceived or otherwise is more often then not a death sentence."

"Once I had taken you out I could have escaped. I had no need to take on the Hutts entire entourage."

Sicarius had to acknowledge that her Master had a point though. There was a time for overt power and a time for subtlety. Sicarius frowned at her Masters last words. Genuinely perplexed.

"What possible value could the Hutt have to us?"

Darth Angonous Darth Angonous

 

[Darth Angonous]

"You must adapt my apprentice," Angonous said Siciarius lamented that pretending to be weak was not her strength. "As Sith we must adapt to any situation, to attain power you must learn to make the shadows your ally. Sometimes you must appear to be the weak willed individual but always think 10 steps ahead of your enemy."

The Sith Lord looked over Sicarius, she had a lot to learn in terms of getting power. It was good that she craved it, but what separates a Sith Lord from an acolyte is the methods of grabbing power themselves. "That's because all eyes are focused on the false Sith who are trying to make a name for themselves." Angnous stated. "If the Jedi focused on hunting remenants of the Sith Empire my apprentice, you would've one of the first to either be dead or captured."

Angnous looked at Sicarius slave bikini outfit. "Like you were now," he said his voice as a whisper. "You would not have escaped Sicarius, the Hutt would've killed you before you would've escaped. Have you even checked the exits while you were in captivity? Have you seen the security? Or were you too busy being outraged at being dressed in a humiliating outfit and paraded around like a common whore?"

Sicarius may deny it, but Angonous was certain it was the latter. "Gula is seeking dark side artifacts," Angonous stated. "Including Bane's armor, the Hutt is a useful for us to exploit if we play our roles correctly. You must play the role of the frightened slave girl and I will be the Mandalorian, the Hutt wants you to use the Force to unlock passageways that need the Dark Side. We will grab the armor and then we will take it from under him."

Sicarius Hekate

 

[Sicarius Hekate]

Sicarius eyes flashed with pride.

"Perhaps" Sicarius said in a challenged tone "but I would have gone down fighting. Falling in battle against a worthy opponent. There is no greater honour. Just ask all the Sith Masters who have fallen to their own apprentice. Darth Bane among them."

Sicarius countered smugly like any student reverting their own teachers lectures back at them, as often was the case in different circumstances then the original lesson was applied to, albeit in a Sith manner of not so subtly inferring a death threat. After all in this case the apprentice was herself.

"And I would rather die in a battle however small then submit myself to slavery and submission to that slime ball. No true Sith would allow themselves to be paraded around like a common whore. As you so succinctly put it."

Sicarius frowned as she reluctantly considered what her Master was saying. He had a point. The Sith had been destroyed and not for the first time. It was part of Sith tradition when one order was defeated another waited in the shadows waiting for the right time to strike, to take power in one blow. Some Sith Orders had waited millenia for the right opportunity. Overt power wasn't the only path to victory.

Sicarius gritted her teeth as she was forced to consider her situation and her Masters order. Sicarius viewed the situation objectively. It was unlikely or rathe beneficial if she had her Masters assistance to escape her current predicament and besides her Master had a point. Even if she herself thought it too complaisant.

"We could use Banes armor" Sicarius admitted begrudgingly "Even by itself it is a powerful artifact of a Sith Lord. One which we could use, but perhaps even more importantly it could become a symbol, a sigil for other Sith to gather around. Increasing our status among our own. If subtlety and deceit gets us such a prize it might almost be worth this current humiliation.

"Very well. I will play along for now, but at somepoint the slug has to die for this insult. Painfully." Sicarius narrowed her eyes "My oath on that Master. Whether you approve or not. I will have my due vengeance and justice.

"Might as well get into character" Sicarius muttered bitterly. With that she let out a high pitched scream more of a squeal.

"Aaaaaaah! Please! Mercy! Stop!"

Darth Angonous

 

[Darth Angonous]

There was a difference between pure submission and the act of submission. What Sicarius has yet to learn is how to subtly manipulate people while under the guise of weakness. While it's true that the Sith exude their power, there were other ways to do so something that Angnous was still learning as well. "Only if you willingly allow yourself to be a common whore," the Sith Lord responded his voice a whisper. "You were too busy focusing on your humiliation that you have not thought about the perfect opportunity that was presented to you. You were focused more on dying a glorious death then finding a way to get the Hutt to do what you want."

He leaned towards Sicarius. "Being a Sith is more than just going into a violent rage," he said. "If that was the case then an animal would be more sufficient. A Sith Lord is fierce yet tempered when the situation turns dire, instead of being outraged of what happened turn the terrible turn of events into an opportunity like right now."

Yet the young apprentice was insistent in killing Gula something Angonous had to concede. He had to die for this indignity but only when he has outlived his usefulness. "Very well," The Sith Lord said. "You may kill him but only when I give the okay and you will kill him in a manner that won't be traced to us."

Putting on his helmet, Angonous slapped Sicarius across the face forming some blood from the corner of her mouth. "Now let's play our roles," he said.

Sicarius Hekate

 

[Sicarius Hekate]

Sicarius scowled as her Master finally finished his scolding of her. She still disagreed with his conclusion. They should just torture the slug for the information they needed and be done with it. Hutts may have some small petty gangland power but in the end they were all cowards and sycophants. How they've managed to maintain their status in the underworld was baffling. For now though she would appease her Master.

The last part need hardly be said, but it was important to say it nonetheless. As for killing him in a manner that wouldn't be traced to them. As far as Sicarius was concerned she would engineer a death for the slug so vile people would be talking about it in shocked whispers across the galaxy. Although now that the thought occurred to her it might be more beneficial for her reputation that no one ever knew of any connection she had to the Hutt. Lest anyone find out about her current predicament and shame.

It was tricky to decide righteous vengeance that would make her a hero to the Sith or no shame and dishonour of once being a slave to a Hutt. Sicarius almost snorted. Who was she kidding? Vengeance always took priority.

"I'll play along" Sicarius assured her Master "For now."

Sicarius accepted the slap without complaint.

"You should add another for a black eye" Sicarius commented "People always noticed a black eye more then a busted lip"

Sicarius took the requested blow, blinked to get the fuzziness out of her eyes. Then hunched her shoulders, simpering in fear as Angonous took her back into the courtroom. A few of the sychophants jeered and sniggered at her apparent abuse.

Just wait. One day you will be the ones cowering before me

Sicarius comforted herself at the thought.

Darth Angonous

 

[Darth Angonous]

Gula was busy doing curl ups with his 1 ton weights trying to quell the boredom. The Hutt wasn't one to just sit around and do nothing, he had to keep active, to maintain his beautiful physique. Angonous dragged Sicarius as if he was a dragging a disobedient Dog causing Gula to drop the weights and laugh. The rest of his men laughed and sniggered at Sicarius as well while Angonous pushed his apprentice on to the Hutt's abs.

"I hope that won't cause a problem little lady," Gula whispered to the pale woman wiping the blood from her mouth. "I wouldn't want to break my toy early after all."

"If not I'll make sure that she'll get the message." Angonous stated bluntly. "Now I've proven my loyalty yes? Where are we going?"

"Patience my dear Mando," Gula said holding Sicarius' chain. "It's good that you fixed my toy but It's only one step towards earning my trust."

Sicarius Hekate

 

[Sicarius Hekate]

Sicarius whimpered like the muling cow she was supposed to act like, it grated on her just under skin, she had to barely stop herself from gritting her teeth and hissing at everything around her. One day he would pay, they would all pay.

In the mean time Sicarius did her best not to appear interested in the Hutts answer of where the artifact hunt was taking them. She suspected somewhere in the Unknown Regions Exegol was a haven of Sith Cults in time past or perhaps one of the Sith Homeworlds Korriban or Dromuund Kaas perhaps.

Despite disagreeing with Agonous decision or his methods, the situation he insist the she endure while he got go around playing Mando Muscle. One thing she did agree with him on was their mutual passion for Sith Artifacts. As an interest and hobbie of hers it rivalled only her experimentations with Sith Mutants. Given both Sith Artifacts and Mutants both fell under the purview of Sith Alchemy they were both fascinating aspects of Sith Power.

Sicarius briefly wondered if the rumoured mutation of Obelisks of Darth Banes armor could be adapted to mutant on the skin of a Hutt. Perhaps Hutt genetics did suggest some sort of rapid healing that could be manipulated into growing mutations.

Sicarius found hiding in these mental exercises and hypotheticals helpful for dealing with the situation she was in. To the outside world she appeared broken almost lifeless. In reality this was a skill she had developed while being on an electrocution rack growing up. Fond childhood memories helped as well.

Darth Angonous

 

[Darth Angonous]

"What?" Angonous said his tone of voice professional but there was a twinge of irritation mixed in it. "You fixed my toy," Gula said gently patting Sicarius' head as if she was a pet. "But I feel that my little toy still needs to be taught a lesson." From the arm rest of his chair, he pressed a green button. A hatch opened below in front of Angonous' feet, the Sith Lord took a step back his hand grazing on the pistol. "What are you doing?" Angonous wanted to say but with a hearty laugh, Gula pushed Sicarius through the small hole sending in her into the pit.

"Go in there and rescue my prize!" Gula said. "SEND IN THE GOROG!"

As soon as Sicarius landed, a gargantuan, bipedal creature immerged from the large arena. It had four tusks on its face with black eyes and large limbs the size of a Starfighter. "Stay focused my apprentice," Angonous communicated telepathically to Sicarius. "I'll be by your side."

Sicarius Hekate