The Princess and The Wolf

[Sinbad]

Rage, hate. Clawing out, boiling to the surface. Waiting to be free again. Bloodied bodies of men women and children scattered the landscape, a white wolf stained red howled from a hill, revelling in the Chaos.


Sinbad woke up, drenched in sweat, another bad dream. He'd been having them often, it had been a while since he'd shifted back into his natural form. He had trouble holding back his urges to kill when he was in that state. Sinbad sat up, he spent the night in an inn. Iridonia, that's where he was, his travels have brought him to the home of the Zabrak.

Travelling to find inner peace has been his journey for far too long. His inner demons made it difficult, during his travels across the Galaxy, every so often a town would be slaughtered or groups of people were found dead. He couldn't help it sometimes.

He pulled on a shirt, then his leather armor. Followed by his VX Vibro-greatsword. The Gurlanin ran a hand through his hair and made his way out of the inn.

Sinbad's piercing blue eyes scanned his surroundings. Hm he was in some town, he watched as people went about their day, They are all lambs for the slaughter. Just let go. Sinbad's thoughts echoed as he stood in the center of the town staring blankly at the sky, holding back the urge to let loose.

He clenched his fists. "The day I let you truly be free is the day I've lost hope in the Galaxy." Sinbad said.

[member="Asajj Novar"]

 

[Asajj Novar]

She hadn't been to this town before. Time had.. Gone by slowly for the young princess. Her new limbs had been made, giving her freedom after living her life confined to her hoverchair and trapped in the castle. But.. Fear kept her inside. Fear of the outside world, fear that she would be found again. Asajj couldn't live like that forever though. She loved her people. They were loyal, they loved her. They loved her father.

But her father was gone. Left alone to rule, the young woman picked herself up and returned to the public. Someone had to. She had made it a day to travel to every city, town, any bit of civilization on her planet to get to know her people. She did so alone, much to her guards dismay, armed with only her bow and the lightsaber she had been given from a friend now gone.

"I don't even know what this place is called, huh." She mused to herself, shaking her head. Asajj was going to have to do better if she wanted her people to like her.

[member="Sinbad"]

 

[Sinbad]

Sinbad glanced back down to his surroundings. The voice inside quieted down for now. The shape-shifter noticed a woman wondered into the town, She had a bow on her back, long red hair that shined in the sun. The bladesman tilted his head, who used a bow anymore? The woman seemed to be lost in thought. Sinbad overheard her mutter something about not knowing what the town was called. Possibly an outsider? Sinbad thought. The man made his way over to her.

"Ah then I see you and I have that in common." Sinbad said, his face showing no hint of emotion as he looked down at her. "Ever been to Iridonia before?" Sinbad said, holding his neutral expression.

Curious. He studied her a bit more, she looked to be about his age by humanoid standards, something seemed a bit off about her though, he didn't exactly know what, but he intended to find out.
[member="Asajj Novar"]

 

[Asajj Novar]

"Oh, no. I live here on Iridonia. I'm actually roy.. al.." She was use to that sort of response. As a Dathomir, it wasn't often she was thought of as anything else but a tourist. She had turned her head to focus on [member="Sinbad"] partway through, but the sentence fell flat once she realized this wasn't a person native to the village. No, an outsider. For a moment panic shot into her throat.

An assassin?

No. Calm down. Asajj took a breath, putting on a nervous smile. "I actually consider this planet home. It's good to see people from the rest of the galaxy visiting though. Have you been here long?" Small talk. Her eyes darted around for a moment, just making sure there weren't others watching. Assassins waiting to strike. So far? The coast was clear. Maybe he was just a tourist.

 

[Sinbad]

Sinbad eyed her down. Her response earned a raised eyebrow but nothing more, not yet.

'So she's a royal...you know, Sinbad, Royal's blood taste way better than that other slop you let me feed on.' His thoughts pushed his way to the front of his mind. Sinbad frowned, his gaze blank for a moment.

Then the woman spoke again. This time a question, she asked if he'd been on planet long. Saying that it was nice to meet visitors from the rest of the Galaxy.

Sinbad tooked away for a second. She wore her nervousness like a badge of honor. She kept glancing away, like she was hiding from something. Sinbad looked back down to the woman.

"I arrived just last night. My travels brought me here. So far my first visit to your home has proved to be...hm... uneventful. The people seem too peaceful, too used to their everyday lives." Sinbad said with an even tone.

He glanced around again before setting his gaze back to the royal.

[member="Asajj Novar"]

 

[Asajj Novar]

"Really? I've never heard of a peaceful Iridonian." That made her laugh. A girlish giggle, mostly because her people were a warrior culture like no other. Maybe the galaxy had truly forgotten their brutality. Well, maybe that was for the better. There was no hint of mistrust from [member="Sinbad"] at least, even if he was a bit.. Odd. Something was off, she could feel that. But it wasn't in an "I'm an assassin here to kill you sort of way."

"Well, if you'd like, I could show you around? Sort of. I at least understand most of the buildings here, even if I haven't actually been here myself before." Not that she waited for an answer. As she spoke she walked, expecting the man to either follow or stand there. Either way didn't matter. She needed to get out of the street. Her gaze kept dancing to the various roof tops like she was fully expecting something to be there.

 

[Sinbad]

'Giggling? Sssin, sshe'sss giggling at you, just let me out of my cage. Let me ssshow you how you ssshould treat those that disressspect you. All it takess iss for you to let go.' The voice in his head said. He clenched his fists a bit tighter. Then shook his head a bit.

"Ah yes, maybe they have lost their ways. Or been overshadowed by the Mandolorians." Sinbad said as he loosened his clenched fists.

He glanced around the town as the redheaded woman offered to lead him around, she knew enough about the architecture to have an idea of what the buildings were. Sinbad followed her without a word.

"You live here, but do not know the town's on planet?" Sinbad asked.

'Ssshe iss lying Sssin, kill her.'

Sinbad shook his head as he moved to walk in step next to her.

So tell me...what is it that you do That requires a bow like that?" He asked his gaze kept straight ahead.

[member="Asajj Novar"]

 

[Asajj Novar]

"I live in the palace, on the other side of the world." It was quite a ways away, for sure, but it didn't stop her gaze from lowering for a moment. [member="Sinbad"] was right, she should know this town. Though, she blinked at his next question. Why else would she have a weapon? Oh, no. He meant specifically the bow. "Well, I fight with it. I was trained how to use these kinds of weapons from a young age, and I didn't see a need to upgrade." She could shoot far more accurately and faster then most people with their pistols after all.

It was in that time she was looking down, however, that a figure did move into sight. Atop one of the nearby roofs, cloaked in black, stood a figure that was watching the pair. But only for a moment. In the next, it jumped forward, bringing out a cruelly curved knife to strike down on the young woman, all without making a sound.

 

[Sinbad]

'See, she's not lying. Just shrouding her true identity.' Sinbad thought. Instantly the voice responded. 'Yes, but you're lying...to yoursssself.' again Sinbad shook his head. He blinked, a far journey across the planet to visit a backwater town.



The woman spoke about her bow, saying that she didn't feel like upgrading. Sinbad knew the feeling. The man nodded. "Hm, yes. I find that I am partial to older weapons as well." Sinbad said as he thought about the sword fastened to his back.

The wolf's voice echoed in his head. 'Smell that? They've been following...if you let me loose I'll end them.' Sinbad grit his teeth, it was only a split second warning, the cloaked figure was in the air launching itself at the royal. Their Blade wickedly curved heading straight for the woman.

With quick reaction, Sinbad pulled the greatsword from it's sheath and stepped in front of the woman, blocking the incoming blow, and attempting to push the assassin to the ground.

"Friend of yours?" Sinbad asked with the same even tone he'd been speaking in.

Yet the wolf still goaded him. 'RELEASE ME,' It rummbled. The man brought the sword diagonally across his torso. And readied himself for another attack.

"If I were you, I'd run. While you can. If you don't I'll be sure to make your life miserable." this was the first time his voice showed a hint of emotion. His words came out with a growl. 'Yessss, keep letting your emotionsss free, let me free.'

Sinbad clenched the sword. "Go..." He said th the assasin almost pleadingly. He glanced over to the woman. That's exactly why a bow doesn't for well when you're alone.



[member="Asajj Novar"]

 

[Asajj Novar]

Asajj blinked. In that moment she ignored her surroundings, she had been attacked. Her pink eyes narrowed as she turned her gaze to the figure. It wasn't the Assassins she had been overly worried about. It was a rebel. People who wanted to return to the violent age of Iridonia and kill her for that ends. For the moment, she stood behind [member="Sinbad"] , using him as a shield as the figure jumped back. They made distance, for now.

But they didn't respond to Sinbad's warning. A small line of pink had erupted from their chest, them falling to the ground with a thud. Asajj let out a sigh, slowly lowering the bow she had just drawn. "There will be more. Let's get inside." She motioned to a nearby temple. That would work best, for now. With that said she moved that way, her bow retracting as she hooked it onto her back.

 

[Sinbad]

The figure jumped back. Sinbad didn't move an inch, keeping his guard up and waiting. No response, soon a line of pink shot through their chest causing the figure to collapse to the ground. He glanced back to the royal, who had lowered her bow as his blue eyes studied her.

'Ssshe ssstole what was rightfully oursss' the wolf echoed. Sinbad shrugged it off as he brought his blade back to its sheath. He turned. The woman said there'd be more, that they needed to get inside. She began to walk towards some temple and hooked her bow back in it's place.

Sinbad followed. Studying the temple as they got closer.

"You handle yourself well madame." He said. "I wonder. Do you not have a guard? I assume being from the palace, you would have an escort." Sinbad asked.

He followed her into the temple. He was a bit glad he didn't give in and bloddy his sword.

[member="Asajj Novar"]

 

[Asajj Novar]

"I have to." She mumbled a response to his compliment. She hadn't been given a choice when she was young, and now, it was too late to turn back. Once inside the temple she shrugged off her bow, readying it. The few occupants gasped, but they recognized the red headed woman, and quickly left. "There weren't suppose to be rebels here, so I left my guard. I didn't want to scare people." She practically whispered the second sentence.

For a moment, nothing happened. There was no sign of a threat. "Maybe they gave u-" She was cut off by a burst of blaster fire. It ripped through the walls, pelting everything within with their shots. She tucked herself low behind the altar she was using as cover, gripping her bow tightly in both hands. Panic had begun to set in. They mobilized too quickly. This village was a rebel village.

"Chit." She whispered, glancing to [member="Sinbad"] . She had been foolish, and now she dragged a stranger into her planets budding war. The blasterfire ended, and yelling could be heard outside the door. They had to fight. Once the door opened up she stood, firing off her bow to pelt the first person who stepped through. The rebel fell to the ground, the plasma burning for a moment before loosing shape and fading away.

More came, spreading out before she could take them down and closing in, their rifles firing and forcing her back into cover.

 

[Sinbad]

Sinbad nods, he understood, you do what you have to, to survive. The shapeshifter glanced over to the woman as she shrugged off her bow, saying that the rebels weren't supposed to be there, so she left her guard. He frowned. A royal figure leaving without a guardian...very unwise. 'Take the kill, do the rebelsss a favor...' the wolf said.

Soon, the woman was cut off by a hail of blaster fire. She retreated behind the alter. The shapeshifter jumped behind a pew. The blaster fire cut off for a second and voices were heard outside. Suddenly the door opened and in came the rebels. The first one was taken down with ease by the royal woman, but soon more poured in and fanned out. Forcing her back into cover.

"Chit." He muttered as he thought about drawing his sword. He wouldn't be fast enough to dodge the blaster fire. But...maybe the wolf would.

'Do it...releassse me.' Sinbad sighed. It was the only way he could make sure the attackers would be dealt with quickly.

"Fine, but you will not have control..." Sinbad said as he shifted into a large white wolf, a double rebels closed in on Sinbad's location.

Sinbad shook his fur out as his transformation finished letting out a low growl. He snarled as he jumped out, attacking the first rebel he could, he felt only one emotion, rage. He made quick work of the first rebel ripping his throat out. Before the blaster fire drew to him. His orange eyes darted around the room as he began to you with the rebels, quickly moving from one to the next. Each body lay bloodied on the temple floor. It wasn't clean like the woman's bow.

Sinbad dodged around the remaining rebels, just barely missing their bolts. He drew the remaining rebels attention. Now he just had to wait for her to take out the rest.

[member="Asajj Novar"]

 

[Asajj Novar]

"Not have control? Wha-" She paused in.. Awe. Yes, it was awe she felt as [member="Sinbad"] suddenly shifted into a large wolf. People could do that? She followed his lead almost immediately, bringing her bow around the fire as needed against the rebels once he drew their fire. Every time a head and rifle turned in his direction she loosed an arrow, bringing them down with a thud before she moved to the next.

Within moments, the room had been cleared.

Asajj let out a sigh, lowering her bow. The savagery of the wolf didn't seem to bother her. "That should buy us enough time. We need to leave." She passed by him, stepping back out onto the street. A quick glance around. Clear, for now. They assumed they could take her down. But more would show soon enough. She turned her attention back to Sinbad, nodding her head for the outskirts of the city. "I have a speeder hidden by a statue. We should be able to get there before m-" Her voice was cut off by a loud crack in the air. A slugthower had been fired.

Asajj looked over her shoulder, seeing a boy, no older then sixteen, holding their families hunting rifle. Blood dripped from her lips as she glanced down to the hole in her side. She collapsed, clutching the wound. Fear welled in her mind. It hurt. Pain reminded her of too much. Too much. "N.. No.." The kid quickly began to reload, fumbling with the bullet. There was fear in his eyes as he dropped the next bullet into the sand, and he just turned to run.

 

[Sinbad]

The room was quickly filled with the corpses of rebels. The wolf stood soaked in blood, content with it's work.

The woman wasn't phased like most people when they saw him shift. He took a bit of comfort in that. He didn't shift because people feared it, that's why he kept his emotion in check when he was in a shifted state.

"Hm leave? Why would we leave? Sssin much fun to be had here." A lisp would make itself apparent. Though it was like a completely different person. This was Sinbad letting his emotions take control. Sinbad. Fought against it and followed. She spoke of a speeder hidden away but was cut off. A loud shot rang out and the woman gasped falling to the ground. The wolf looked to the shooter. Who began to run. 'Kill.' the wolf though as it ran after the boy, completely disregarding the injured woman.

Sinbad fought against the intense bloodlust as he neared the boy. "N-NO" A mix of the wolf's and Sinbad's voice came out.

His form shifted mid run and caused the man to stumble. He slowly got up watching as the kid ran away. His breath was heavy. Then he remembered the royal.

He got up and ran over to her body. Picking her up.

"Stay with me." He said softly as he made his way to what he guessed was the speeder.

He found it soon after. Placing her inside then jumping in the pilot's seat. He powered it on and it lurched forward.

"Where's the palace." He asked as he reached over and put pressure on her wound.

With his free hand he piloted the speeder, taking it to a higher speed.
[member="Asajj Novar"]

 

[Asajj Novar]

She was shivering in his grasp. Bloodloss made her cold. Too cold for the desert sands. "Far, east. Big." Her words came out between whimpers as she held the wound. She was bleeding too much. Asajj gritted her teeth once she was set down. A dull pain rocked through her, hurting more then the shot itself had. Her hands were soaked with blood at this point. Her gaze was blurry.

She was scared. But she wanted to live. She had to live. "Hurry.." With little more then that, her eyes shut and she slumped into her seat, falling unconscious.

 

[Sinbad]

Sinbad shifted the speeder hard, heading east. She was loosing blood fast. Her side drenched in blood. Sinbad watched as she closed her eyes falling unconscious.

'Let her die...let me tasssste that royal blood.' the wolf echoed.

"Enough..." Sinbad said in an even tone. He noticed a big city in the distance. Good, not too far away.

He picked up the speed as they got closer, he had to get to the palace.

The speeder came to a stop. Sinbad jumped out and quickly grabbed her. "Stay with me. Almost there." He said as he booked it to the palace.

Soon he was outside the palace, royal guards stood at blocking the entrance, only to quickly realize it was their princess. They shoved open the doors and led the shifter to the med bay where they quickly began to treat her wound.

'Youre in the palace...kill them all.'

Sinbad clenched his fists and turned to a guard, his body covered in blood. "Is she going to be alright?" he asked as he glanced over to the Droid who was treating her.

[member="Asajj Novar"]

 

[Asajj Novar]

Several of the guards accompanied [member="Sinbad"] and the unconscious woman as he brought her to the medbay. He was a stranger after all, and it was unlikely they'd trust him. The only reason why they hadn't done anything against him was because Asajj was still breathing. The droid set to work immediately once he dropped her off. "I am unsure. The bullet did a lot of damage. I will try."

And with that the droid began to cut off the princesses shirt to get more access. One of the guards that had stepped in cleared their throat, staring daggers at Sinbad as the droid went about it's work. The message was clear. He needed to leave. It would be an hour before any news came from the medbay, leaving Sinbad with the guard who seemed unlikely to let him leave.

"She is stable at the moment. She would like to speak with you." It nodded once to Sinbad, then moved out of the way. In the room, Asajj would be siting on the edge of the bed, her torso covered in bandages both to cover her wound and her modesty. Like this, it was easy to see how much of her body was cybernetic. Her arms, from the forarms down, were clearly sythflesh. And there were numerous scars.

"... Thank you.." She mumbled her thanks, her violet eyes staring at the sheets.

 

[Sinbad]

The shapeshifter nodded as the Droid continued to work. His attention was soon grabbed when a guard cleared his throat. Sinbad turned to the guard, his pale blue eyes meeting the guard's. It was very clear that he didn't want him in the medbay. Sinbad shoulder checked the man as he walked by, out of the medbay.

'Thatsss it, let your emotions go, let me out again.'

Sinbad ignored his thoughts as he took a seat. The guard followed him like a shadow. For the next hour he sat in silence. His face caked in blood of the rebels. His hands in blood from the princess.

Soon he was called back to the medical bay because the princess was up and wanted to talk. Sinbad stood and made his way back.

As he entered, the fist thing he noticed was the amount of cybernetics the woman had. He hadn't seen that much since his pirate days. Sinbad heard the woman mumble a thank you. Refusing to make eye contact with the shapeshifter.

'Ssshe can thank you by letting you kill her.'

Sinbad yet again ignored the voice. The man gave a bow. "You don't need to thank me." He said shortly, barely any emotion in his voice.

He stepped closer to the bed. "Glad you're okay. I'm sure your people will be glad as well." Sinbad stated as he continued to study her cybernetics. Glancing up to her red hair for a second.

"That just proves you shouldn't leave the palace without a guard." He said a bit coldly. Sinbad let out a sigh, careful to keep his emotions in check.

"At any rate, I should introduce myself. I am Sinbad. A traveling swordsman."

[member="Asajj Novar"]

 

[Asajj Novar]

Asajj flinched at his cold words. No, [member="Sinbad"] was right. She shouldn't have gone out alone. But she didn't want to bring a show of force and threaten her people. Her eyes lifted as he introduced himself, nodding slowly. Right, she hadn't even asked his name, but he had saved her. "Asajj Novar." Her name. That was the least she could offer him for saving her life. But what else should she offer?

"You'll be rewarded a large sum of money from the treasury for saving me." She was super awkward now, unsure what to say or do. How could she know what to do? She hadn't been saved by a stranger before.