Private To Protect the Ones we Love

[Elise]

Of all the concerns running through Elise, she knew she was right to trust him.

The implant sat painful inside her throat, causing her mouth to water and muscles to clamp down in an attempt to swallow. "It will do," she replied tightly, coaxing herself to relax and accept the discomfort. The fact that he offered to help her at all was a kindness she wouldn't forgot. But then again, they had done that both for each other.

She could have overpowered him and left long ago.

Neither were seeking to undo the other.


Elise took a deep breath, her eyes sliding back towards his control panel as she watched them pull into dock. "How long will it last?" She tried to keep her thoughts in the present, but as they jerked into the dock she felt unmistakable presence of darkness on the horizon. Her stomach sank. She swallowed hard.

"The children-" Came the question one more time, falling rapidly from her lips, coated with the concern she had tried to withhold. Any news? Still safe?

 

[Cassus Akovin]

How long would it last? That was a difficult question to answer, as he was ignorant to what capabilities the force granted to a Jedi, but he knew how long it would last in an unaided individual. Given that it took 6 to 8 hours for food to reach the stomach, the larger size of the implant and its indigestible nature would likely put it into the higher end of the spectrum.

"It's set to dissolve upon reaching your stomach acids, causing an electrical reaction that activates the field, it could take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours, for an ordinary person. As a Jedi? Maybe longer, that's up to you though, I don't know what sort of metabolic training you've undergone. Trust me though, when it activates, unfortunately, you are going to feel it... painfully." Cassus winced as he divulged the truth painfully.

Then the boy had to wince again, as the Jedi struggled to speak with a sore throat, questioning about the younglings she was with. To this, Cassus still did not know. They had all left Onderon after capturing the Jedi Master, that much he was sure of. It wasn't likely they would have gone back unless they felt there was another prize as equally as valuable as Elise.

"The Bounty Hunters I was with have all left Onderon after we captured you." Cassus said simply, leaving her to deduce on her own their safety. There was not much he could guarantee her, and rather than give her false platitude. The boy Bounty Hunter walked the Jedi to the exit of his ship, and then stopped to face her.

"It's time." He said almost morbidly, and after a moment of silence, activated the landing ramp to the ship womb, where a shadow of darkness awaited them both.

Ellie Mors

 

[Vesta Zambrano]

"Where all conflicts originated: Metalorn. The Yun-Ne'Shel shipwomb will be our rendezvous."​

Metalorn, a world forever scarred by the actions of the Jedi, likely one of the root causes for the birth of the then-isolationist Silver Jedi that vis bounty belonged to - and in fact led. Symbolism and leverage had been all that the late Darth Alekto, or Braith Achlys, had ever known as constants during her tumultuous life, and it was in the former that the Sith Lord had decided upon the place of exchange. It likely would have made little difference for Cassus Akovin if the rendezvous had been anywhere else, and it likely was a manner of symbolism lost or perhaps without interest to the bounty hunter, but there was a certain sense of satisfaction that the Sith had in arranging the Jedi Grand-master's exchange on the world with such an extended history, especially in a massive facility controlled by Yuuzhan Vong.

It was a shame, then, that Alekto had met her end before their fateful day were to have ever come to pass - a further shame that such information had not yet been made known to the wider galaxy just yet. A shame which the offspring of the late Sith Lord took full advantage of in honoring vis mother's reputation and cementing her legacy by taking her appearance as vis own. Ve was a shapeshifter, a Shi'ido, and though Vesta was certainly without the Yuuzhan Vong abnormalities that vis mother had during her life, it was not entirely difficult for them to mimic even that.

The landing ramp lowered as Vesta and vis Yuuzhan Vong attache approached the craft, none of the extragalactic soldiers - or anyone on the planet, for that matter, knowing the true identity of their supposed Yun-Ne'Shel. To those present that had known of Alekto's death and dissipation on Dubrillion, for her to appear here, now, was both an indication of the validity of their belief in her as Yun-Ne'Shel as well as proof of apotheosis.

"At long last, Grand Master of the Silver Jedi Order and our esteemed hunter."​

The voice had been tricky to master, Vesta had to create an understanding of how vis mother had spoken, of her mannerisms and her tendency to use tone as an expression of emotion, from mere recordings - vis mother having accepted death so that Vesta, created almost as an extension of her, could truly call verself alive. Ruby red eyes, like those of a snakes, stared up the ramp at the approaching bounty hunter and their prize surrounded by an expression of muted contentment. "I presume you desire your credits in-person rather than through digital transfer, so I have brought the physical credit reward with me, however if this is an inconvenience an arrangement for a quick transfer to an account of yours can be made. As for your two personal commissioned works, they are located deeper in the shipwomb and will be given once the bounty is safely in Sith custody." The face of the late Sith Lord explained, gesturing towards a small case of credits carried by a shaper to vis right and then towards the living hallway to their left in regards to the real reward which was reserved for once Elise was exchanged for the credits to vis right.

A doubled credit reward and a second commissioned work for a single person had been the deal, and Cassus Akovin had been quick to provide the information regarding the latter reward upon indicating the custody of the Jedi on the Imperial bounty board. Alekto, it had seemed, had not delayed in creating or producing whatever reward it was that the bounty hunter had asked for - there had apparently been some sort of reputation associated with the hunter. Prior dealings with other bounty hunters and their attempts to abscond with both their reward and their bounty in question - to cash in on a counter bounty elsewhere - had been the prompt for keeping the commissioned items in a separate part of the Shipwomb during the initial phase of the exchange, just as a precautionary measure, and Vesta was sure that someone who actually worked with less ethical hunters would have understood.

 

[Cassus Akovin]

As if a shadow of his own, a droid appeared from the Bounty Hunters ship. His mother had given it the name Mr. Follow for its uncanny proclivity to hang back behind its charge and wait, as a stalker might. Cassus raised a hand and summoned the machine. The boy was inexperienced in the respect that he couldn't be aware of what sort of affront his droid might present to the Yuuzhan Vong present on the ship womb. He was unfamiliar with these kinds of creatures, and thus was ignorant to their typical utter hatred for technology. Nonetheless, the summoned droid approached.

"Physical currency will do." The boy indicated towards the small case in the aliens hands, to which the droid would now approach to receive. He would bring the reward back to a Guild House, where the credit would be allotted to the participating Bounty Hunters ( Vallaro Kindall , Zivos, and Siv Dragr ). Once the funds were secured, he pushed Elise gently on her back to prompt her forwards towards the disguised Ellie Mors . He was glad for his concealing choice of attire, as the displeasure in participating in this whole dance would likely be seen in his face otherwise. He wasn't certain if such emotions could be ascertained through the force, though hoped they might be misconstrued for caution or general performance anxiety... as those were prevalent as well.

To be beckoned deeper into their abodes was frightening, in order to acquire the greater awards deep within. 'Greater', being subjective to him, of course. The only thing the boy cared about, was ensuring the life of his mother, and nothing the Sith could provide him (aside from their currency) could do that for him. Not in his belief. No, instead these commissioned rewards were to be allotted to the other hunters. He had no use in collecting curios from tyrannical regimes, but perhaps they might.

"Very well," The Bounty Hunter responded plainly, and nodded respectfully. "I will follow you." He added, indicating his willingness to participate in this dance.