There is Hope in the Dark [Part 1] (solo thread)

[Puppet Kyrios]

Location: Coruscant

An average size creature (outfit)walked up to a hidden door in an alleyway, and knocked on it three times, waiting anxiously. She had been able to find out the possible location of someone of her species, but had needed to be sure, especially because this was a secret black market area, not a very nice place to be. The door opened revealing a large gruff looking man with threatening, murderous brown eyes.

"What d'ya want, kid?"

Asteria raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off, and replied with the code she had been given, "I am in need of some exquisite items that I just can't find, and I was wondering if you had any."

The man nodded and closed the door, unlocking the many bolts before reopening the door and letting the smaller figure inside.

 

[Puppet Kyrios]

The smell of man sweat and alcohol was almost overpowering and Asteria blinked and sneezed a few times to get used to it. There was a small table in the corner with two chairs across from each other, which the brute gestured to as he took the seat closest to the wall, which was covered in various weapons, chains, collars, and anything else you'd expect in a slavers' hideout. Asteria sat in the empty chair and set her elbows on the table, her gloved hands clasped together, business and professional-like.

"I need a warrior, preferably skilled in range fighting, not too buff and not to skinny, male human and near human only."

"Well let me see what's in my stock and bring you a select few." The man's eye twitched and he left the room, hoping to squeeze a few more credits from whatever the being bought from him. He walked among the cages where he and his buddies stored their catches, selecting a few that had been hard to handle, yelling at his grunt men to get them to their positions as he walked casually back to the front room. The figure was already standing.

"They're ready for inspection, if you'll follow me."

 

[Puppet Kyrios]

Asteria followed the large gruff man through a door and into a smaller room. About 5 male slaves stood linked together, all of them looking down, not meeting anyone's eyes. Asteria walked over to the far right of the chained men and began to look them all over, feeling their arm muscles and looking at their faces, searching out every detail, a little more disappointed each time, until she came to the last man in the line.

This one was different; while the other men had brown or dirty blond hair, this one had bright blond hair, tousled and hiding most of his face, and while they had gruff faces and a hard look about them, this one looked softer and more flexible. Asteria hid her curiosity and hopefulness, but inspected him like all the others. Her hopefulness had been proven right when she moved his hair back, revealing pointed ears, which she covered back up and turned around to the gruff slaver, who had a surprising amount of patience.

"I'll take this one and all of his belongings. What's the price?"

The gruff man laughed at her selection, "You want that wimp?" He laughed even harder, until the smaller figure came over and looked straight into his eyes, her eyes full of seriousness and held back rage. Taken aback by the look in her eyes, the slaver actually stepped back a step. He stammered to find the right words, "Of course, 25,000 credits for him, 5,000 for his belongings.

 

[Puppet Kyrios]

"How about I make it 40,000, you give me any weapons he has as well, and you forget we ever existed, 'kay?" It wouldn't hurt to keep this slave purchase a secret, another 10,000 credits down the drain, but it was worth it.

The slaver seemed a bit more happy to sell the slave and his belongings than before, yelled at the grunts to get the other slaves back into their cell/cages, then left to go find the belongings, leaving the figure and her new slave to a tiny bit of silence. Asteria walled over to the slave and looked him in his brown eyes, holding his chin firmly but gently so he couldn't look away. She was slightly but noticeably shorter, giving her a slight advantage.

~∆~​

"Your name, Sidarin, I must know it, please."

The lady's soft, kind voice was barely above a whisper, and in Flaeg, causing the young man to start when he heard his native language spoken by this woman. Not only that, but that she used his former title as a warrior, which only one of his own kind would have known.

"Are you Camoan, new master?" The young man looked at the lady and saw hidden hurt in her eyes, confused as to what he might've said offensively, and started to apologize when she held up a hand.

"I am not anyone's master. I have been searching for another of my species for over a decade, and finally I've found one, you. We are equals. For now you will call me Star until a safer location of reached." Asteria heard the slaver coming back and stepped back, returning to her former gruffness and saying aloud in basic, "We will talk more on my ship. No questions. "

 

[Puppet Kyrios]

The slaver came back in just as Asteria was finishing her sentence, and eyed the two other beings curiously, receiving a glare from Asteria. He ignored the glare, knowing curiosity could get you killed in the criminal underworld, and instead placed a small knapsack and a weapon bundle.

Asteria was very curious when she saw the engravings on the twin knives and bow, but hid her curiosity very well, not even inspecting what was inside the knapsack. She could see a full quiver of arrows sticking slightly out of the weapon bundle.

"This is everything. Now, the cred-" Asteria held up her hand, cutting him off mid phrase.

"Free him first, then the credits." She held out a small bag and shook it, the promising clank of the credit chips urging the slaver to hasten. He hesitated, but when he saw the chips, he did what he was told and unchained the young slave, who rubbed his wrists to get the blood flowing again.

 

[Puppet Kyrios]

Asteria threw the credit bag at the slaver, who caught it with one hand and counted them to make sure he wasn't being cheated, handed the knapsack to the man, and shouldered the weapons, having towards the door, motioning for the Sidarin to follow her out of the alley way and into the street. Once they were safely back in her hotel room, well as safe as anyone could be, Asteria finally spoke to the man sitting across from her, in Flaeg so no voice recorders would catch on to their conversation.

"I don't think you answered my first question, Sidarin, would you like to answer it now? I am anxious to know your name." She looked at the young man and noticed he was still rubbing one of his wrists. Concerned, Asteria moved next to him and gently took his wrist, inspected it, and, finding an inflamed cut, took out a small glass vial with Ethalos extract in it and cleaned the wound.

The young man, shocked at the gentle touch and the sight of the Ethalos extract, sat very still, watching mesmerized as she carefully bandaged his wrist. Then, realizing she was still waiting patiently for her question to be answered, he blinked a few times, then answered it.

"William Leafwalker, Sidarin archer, at your service. What is your name, Star, your real name?"

Disbelief and recognition flooded into Asteria's eyes.

"Will? I thought you were dead! How did you survive the purge?"

 

[Puppet Kyrios]

William looked at Asteria surprised and confused.

"I'm sorry, did we know each other? It's been so long I can barely remember-"

He cut off as Asteria pulled out a necklace (hers is the one on right) that he recognized giving to a much younger girl, but who he thought had been killed long ago. He pulled out his matching one from his knapsack.

"Do you remember when you gave me the necklace? It was the night before the Sith attacked, and we both pledged our love to each other on the roof of Castle Falornel, but we decided to wait to kiss until you got permission from my father. "

William stared at Asteria like she was a ghost. When he spoke again his voice was barely alive a whisper.

"Asteria, meleth-nin(Asteria, my love)."

She smiled, holding back tears.

"Yes, Will."

"But everyone thought you were killed with your parents, our whole nation saw it. I actually fainted when the Sith raised the sword above your head. Th-the nation surrendered to be slaves because you, our only hope, died. I-I tried to kill myself because I wanted to join you in the stars. How are you alive?"

 

[Puppet Kyrios]

Asteria could not hold herself back anymore and hugged William, who hugged her back, tears streaming down both of their faces.

"Nae saian luume', meleth-nin, saian luume'."
(translation: It has been to long my love, too long.)

~~^~~<>~~^~~

The two friends exchanged stories of how they had found themselves where they had been, sometimes surprised, sometimes shocked, and most of the time, thanking the stars for keeping each other safe. At last, each fell into a healing sleep, in each others arms, not caring if the universed exploded now that they had found each other again.