Private Two Wrongs Sometimes Make a Right

[Faye Malvern]

"Did you send the message?" Faye asked, her tone riddled with unmistakable anxiety.

"A week ago, your highness." Came the slightly impatient response of the manservant, who had been riddled with nothing but questions since he had set foot beyond the threshold of Faye's room.

"Shouldn't he be here by now?" This time her words were interlaced with a steady click as she took up pacing back and forth.

"Not necessarily, the journey is quite a long one, your highness."

Faye didn't have the patience to respond. It was all spoken for, currently.

A lazy afternoon was dawning over the mountains surrounding Azurine City. Illyria was famed for its beauty when the sun hung proudly in the centre of the sky. The shadows the great stone peaks cast across the city were a marvel, and when that same sun hit the spires of Dragonne Palace just right every building was bathed in shimmering fractals of rainbow light. There was little to rival the breathtaking views that mother nature offered. She alone had made many envy those who had the fortune to live amongst it, and those who did live amongst it were ordinarily all too content to remain.

All except one.

For Faye, the colour had begun to leach from Azurine City. Every day that she waited, every morning that she woke to the sun dawning over the mountains, every dull, damnable ball or meeting… it was all rendering Illyria a greyscale prison of tediousness. Once, she had travelled. Seen the galaxy. Met thousands of people. Witnessed hundreds of exciting events. Now she was here. Almost trapped, yet maddeningly free at the same time.

It had been close to a decade since she had been alone like this. Truly alone. It had taken her weeks to try and come to terms with the idea, and even longer still to accept it. It wasn't just the broken promise of her now absent brother, but the broken promises of others that had rendered her this way. She felt empty, and after spending her life being surrounded and jostled by others' feelings, it was a strange and uncomfortable sensation.

After one particularly dull evening, she had decided enough was enough. She could no longer linger in a state of limbo, wondering why and if and when. She needed an excuse to find herself again. To remember who she used to be when responsibility and duty were words that glazed off her back like water off feathers.

That's who she was waiting for, and why her patience seemed to be wearing incredibly thin. He was her ticket out of here. Her ticket to something more exciting than the monotonous routine she had trapped herself in. He was her ticket to freedom.

Faye stopped short in her pacing, suddenly aware of the presence of the manservant, who had clearly found in himself more patience than Faye could ever know. He responded by tilting his head, wary of saying anything lest he entice more questions.

"Sorry." She finally breathed out. "You can go. Please notify me when he arrives. I'll meet him at the port. I want to set off immediately"

Nikos Buccheri ​

 

[Nikos Buccheri]

Faye Malvern

"You really want to work for some stuck-up noble? It's gonna be a pain in the arse, y'know."

Nikos shrugged as he tugged on his best tunic. Such as it were. There were still three burn marks and a splatter of blood that just wouldn't come out, no matter how much bleach he used. "Only a pain in the arse if I let her get to me." Responded with all the bravado of a man who never had to deal with nobles before in his life.

"Unless, of course, you figure out how to get this kind of money with our regular jobs."

His second mate snorted and the response was, well-

"Yeah, we rob her instead."

"An' probably drop the entire Illyria military on our heads for the next month or so. May I remind ya that she found us?" Nikos knew he won the moment he heard him stamp out of his cabin without a second word. Argument might have been won, but he wasn't as certain of himself as he projected.

This could be a bad idea.

Well, that's what I got the knives for. One more was added to the collection, before leaving his room and a moment after that the ship behind. By the time he reached Malvern's stipulated rendezvous point Nikos was even less sure about all this. But, one of her attendants (he assumed by the wardrobe that attempted to be 'stealthy' but was still six inches too flashy) flagged him down.

"You are late." Said minion hissed but gestured for him to follow. "You will address her as 'Your Majesty' or 'My Lady', do you really not have anything else to wear? You are about to meet the Princess herself, man."

"Doubt her majestic ladyship is hiring me for my people's skills, buddy. You leading me to her or is she supposed to meet us halfway? Sorry, I am outdated on my noble protocol."

It probably wasn't a good idea to get a rise out of her servants, but it was already starting to annoy him.

A message was received by Faye around the same time. The waiting was over- he is here and being brought to a private place in the gardens. Which is where Faye would find one large rough sentient boulder. In its current state perching on a low-rise wall and looking out across the city.

Say what you want about royalty.

They sure as feth knew how to command a great view.

 

[Faye Malvern]

The telltale ping of the datapad caused Faye to shoot up from her chair like a rocket had been placed underneath it. Her shaking handles trembled to slide it off the flat surface, and when they failed she resigned to simply reading the message as it was. Finally. She couldn't help but think. Her subconscious knew that the trip to Illyria from anywhere was a mission in and of itself, but her conscious could not help but dominate it with thoughts of the task ahead and how they were now late.

Abandoning the datapad on the table, and everything else in her room, Faye headed for the gardens where he would be waiting. Her luggage and other items she deemed necessary were already waiting to be loaded onto the ship, so the only thing she had to concern herself with was... well, herself.

A set of large double doors groaned open at her arrival, bathing her in the warm afternoon glow of the Illyrian sun. The gardens were a near-perfect replica of the gardens she had Adron had played in during their youth. It had been a gift to Faye when she first arrived in Illyria. It seemed a fitting place to begin her new journey. "Hello?" Faye called out as she rounded a corner, to what seemed to be an empty garden so far, but she had spoken too quickly. The young princess nearly walked smack bang into the back of her ticket to excitement.

"Aah." Her voice exclaimed in surprise as she took a quick step back. "You must be Nikos..." As she spoke she could not help but tilt her head upward to try and catch a glimpse of his face. He was a full half foot taller than her, and by the time her soft amber gaze came to rest on his face, her neck felt quite strained.

"You're late." She finally managed to stumble out. "Very late."

Nikos Buccheri ​

 

[Nikos Buccheri]

Faye Malvern

A knife was already out of his sheath and resting at the line of Faye's neck. Even as she took a step backwards, Nikos followed, until they were a breath away from one another.

"Hello to you too." Nikos murmured warmly and far calmer than the knife suggested. One glance up and down to confirm that this was the Princess. Which she must be with a get-up like that.. "And you must be the Princess." It was off to a great start and Nikos realized he had probably broken like six different courtly protocols with it.

"My apologies, I am not entirely used to these sort of places, so I am quite... on edge."

Only then did Nikos take a step back to give Faye some room. He sketched a little bow and saluted lightly, the knife disappearing out of sight a moment later. Thereafter a proper introduction was almost out of his mouth. Instead however, she decided to comment on his tardiness. Which... was fair. It had been quite a long way past their initial agreement.

"Oh, just a little bit, but Princess... I had to make sure this job was on the level and that takes time." Drawled lazily as he leaned back against the low-rise wall once more.

"Can't blame me for enjoying... the scenery, can you?"

Which was followed by the most inappropriate glance one could receive in a situation like this.

 

[Faye Malvern]

Faye was left quite stunned at his sudden outburst, but the sharp silver blade glinting in the sunlight prevented her from doing anything. The only movement her body dared to make was the slight increase in her rate of breathing. Nikos was extraordinarily close, and each one of those breaths made his heady scent dance in her nostrils. As he spoke, she swallowed. She felt the action momentarily press the blade into her flesh before the sensation was gone entirely.

Despite the danger having disappeared, she drew back from Nikos further, one hand reaching up to clutch the empty space on her neck.

What could have possibly made a man like him anxious in a place like this? If Faye had not been able to feel the emotion rolling off him in thick waves she would have had the mind to question it. As it was, it was almost tangible. If that weren't enough, the exuberant display of self-defence cemented the notion.

When he finally answered the comment she had made in shock, her efforts to keep her face straight fell. "You had to make sure a job from a royal family was... on the level?" The corner of her lip cocked slightly to add the bemusement on her face.

She didn't wait for him to answer. Instead, she shook her head and allowed the hand she held up to fall. "In any case... you're lucky we're alone. Illyrian guards don't take things like that lightly. Unfortunately, I lack the power to override Adron's orders and you likely would have left here in several pieces." Her chocolate brown eyes fell upon him then and searched for something that she wasn't quite sure she would find. They narrowed slightly as if it would make her search any easier. She eventually gave up a few moments later, declaring the action with a large sigh and further words.

"I suspect we'd both like to come out of this little adventure alive, and you aren't off to a good start." Faye straightened herself up suddenly, a little boldness touching her tone as she continued. "I purposefully left my message lacking in detail. I wanted to keep the goal of this mission a secret, and I can see it was probably wise of me. The only thing I can tell you right now is we're heading to Rishi, and since you were very late, we'll have to set off immediately."

Once again, Faye did not deem what he had to say important enough to wait for, so she turned on the sharp heel of her boot and began to make headway toward the port. "This way." She said without turning to look back.

Nikos Buccheri ​

 

[Nikos Buccheri]

Faye Malvern

A laugh there in response to her incredulous question.

"Why, of course. Especially from the royal family. No offense- I am sure you are just lovely." His eyes glancing her up and down again. All casual like in a fashion Faye might not be accustomed to anymore. How many people would dare with guards posted at every junction? Here was Nikos though who didn't do just that, but even drew a knife without a second thought.

"But in my experience blind faith gets people killed and contrary to current looks, I do enjoy living very much."

The alarm she had felt was receding once again.

Yet, there was something coiling skin-deep. Just under the surface and bubbling like a viper waiting to spring once again. He shrugged at her comments about his death. "Lots of men have tried to kill me, Princess. am still here, ain't I?" Declared with the easy gumption of a man who was allergic to the very notion of fear or cowering before the slaughter.

Nodding finally however.

"Rishi, huh? My kind o' place. Though, Confederacy been a straight pain in my arse last few times I went to party there." That's when the smirk reared its head. "Then again, word has it, they finally karked off the face of the Galaxy. So we ought to be fine in that regard."

Without any shred of hesitation Nikos offered his arm to her.

"To Rishi then. What is a pretty Princess like you searching for there though? Ain't nothing but drunk pirates, beaches for days and lots of crime waiting there, s'far as I know."

 

[Faye Malvern]

Truthfully, Faye could not have faulted his reason for wanting to double-check. The Malvern family more than any had reason to distrust their own kind. Their past was riddled with betrayal, so she could understand.

Nikos gave her little time to ponder the thought, following his words with a stare that made her skin crawl, but not in the way she had expected it to.

Much to her dismay, her cheeks began to grow alarmingly hot, so Faye found herself casting her eyes quickly downward. Although she could still feel his curious gaze drinking her in inch by inch.

"Yes. Rishi." She replied as they began to walk toward the port. She was about to comment further on the awkwardness of it being Confederate space when Nikos interrupted her to say something that took her completely off guard. "What?" The surprise in her tone was not hard to detect, but she quickly attempted to cover it up. "I mean… where did you hear that?"

To prevent any other unwanted emotion from slipping through her grasp, Faye found herself looking at the floor once more. But what lay waiting was just as much of a knock as the revelation of the Confederacy had been. Though she did not allow the confusion to break her step, she was somewhat blindsided. Her brows furrowed in the centre, causing soft wrinkles to form in her skin, but the angle of her head made the expression difficult to see.

"I'm not quite sure what to make of you..." She said honestly as she finally slipped her arm through his, though it was less of a conversation piece and more of an unbridled thought. It was enough to suddenly make her feel dominated by the large and unmistakable presence walking beside her. It wasn't just that her hand could have fit into his four times over, or that his shadow cast her into a darkness that rivalled midnight. It was the flippant back and forth between threatening her life and offering his arm. It threw her off entirely.

It wasn't until he spoke again that she remembered herself. "Just princess will do, or your highness or nothing at all should you prefer. I'm sure that little routine works for all the other women you bump into on the road, but it won't work here." Faye looked up at him once again, this time meeting his forest green gaze with a serious expression. "I'll tell you when we get there if I absolutely have to, but I don't trust you yet…"

The couple approached a pair of automatic doors at the end of a large marble corridor, which hissed open with such aggression it send a small gust of wind whipping off the walls. "Which ship is yours?"

Nikos Buccheri ​

 

[Nikos Buccheri]

Faye Malvern

"Oh, you didn't hear?"

That surprised Nikos. He assumed that everyone had at this point. A nation that stood the test of time for decades... gone. In less than a day by all accounts. Of course, the disintegration of a star-spanning government took longer than that. Some regions still clung to the Confederacy ideals, others immediately went their own way, few just went dark and isolated themselves.

It was a whole mess.

"I am a bit fuzzy on the details, didn't look into it too much." Too busy with work this side of the Galaxy. The Scar Worlds (kind of an amusing name, but hey branding wasn't his department) were rebuilding and that had taken a lot of his attention.

"Apparently they were under attack by something or someone. Pirates, marauders..." Wasn't that ironic considering his own occupation? "And they folded like a cart house built on a weak foundation." Her reaction to all of this was rather interesting. As if she had some personal stake to it all and then some.

He could feel her emotions pulse right next to his.

It was giving him a fethin' migraine and he was happy to have swallowed a whole load of painkillers before coming here.

Otherwise this would have been a proper nightmare.

"What to make of me? M'Lady, I am just a simple killer for hire that raids innocent convoys for money." Drawled easily and as if Nikos hadn't just casually confessed to capital murder and a host of other crimes in a single sentence. Then again, he didn't seem too worried about his own safety. Suicidal? It was certainly a possibility.

When Faye mentioned his 'routine' wouldn't work, well, definitely made him tip his head back and laugh freely.

"What routine would that be, 'Princess Nothing at All'? I am just having a conversation." Innocent tone and all. "But you are right not to trust me, that's probably the best decision you have made since before you contacted me." The tease easy and relaxed. Had anyone challenged her like this in recent time?

Nikos wasn't sure.

"Mine?" He gestured towards a particularly frightening ship hanging in low-orbit and surrounded by half a dozen Illyrian defense ships. "The Dellalt's Vengeance, at yar service. We will have to take the pod to get there however. Too large to fit here."

 

[Faye Malvern]

Though she tried her very best not to, Faye couldn't help but cling on to his every word. Illyria was a sheltered planet at best, and she spent much of her time here concerned with Illyrian matters, not the wider galaxy. That went doubly so since Adron had disappeared. Neither she nor Saraya had any reason to keep in contact with anyone from the Confederacy. This revelation of their demise changed little. In fact, some part of her was slightly elated over it all, but it did make her wonder.

What had become of all the friends and loved ones they had left behind?

"I didn't…" She finally replied. "We're a self-sustaining fringe planet. We have no need to keep in contact with people like the Confederacy. A shame to see such a mighty beast fall without a fight though. That doesn't sound like the Confederacy I knew."

When he acknowledged her passing thought, Faye could only raise a brow. If he had been talking to anyone else, he hadn't exactly been selling himself. But just for the moment, and for this mission, Faye didn't really care if he was a mass-murdering pirate plunderer who stole and pillaged anything and anyone in his way. In fact, she thought, the more ruthless the better. Who knows who they'd meet on Rishi, and what reaction they would have to two outsiders hunting on their planet.

Nikos turned his attention then to the comment she made on his flattery.

Very much against her own wishes, Faye found herself smiling at his laughter. There was something about the way it rumbled in her chest that brought the expression out so brightly she almost seemed to glow. "You know what I mean. The sweet compliments that are shaded in attempts to be subtle but could rival the sound a rancor raging through a china shop… Pretty princess?" Faye visibly cringed. "I think you can do better than that, and I think I deserve more than such a half-hearted attempt." Her words were laced in thick sarcasm, and this time, it was her turn to laugh.

The sound echoed off the metal walls, pinging back and forth like birdsong through the almost empty space port. It was cut shot when Nikos spoke again.

Faye's gaze followed his finger, through the mass of thick clouds lacing the blue Illyrian sky, up toward a grotesque hunk of metal that hung like a scar against the horizon. "The Dellalt's Vengeance?" Faye commented with a hint of curiosity. Ship names always seemed so aggressive to her, and there was rarely a ship that fit such a domineering name, but the Dellalt's Vengeance certainly wore its name with pride.

"Perfect." Faye spoke at last. It wasn't perfect. It was far from it. It looked like something that should have crawled out of the depths of the nether or been spat out by an undead demon. But, for the purpose she intended it, it was perfect. Nobody would suspect an Illyrian royal would stoop so low as to travel in something like that.

"Lead the way." Faye spoke as she tugged on his arm slightly to get them moving again.

Nikos Buccheri ​

 

[Nikos Buccheri]

Faye Malvern

Smiling as she (rightfully so) called him on his chit.

"It's true, I can do better than that." But would Nikos? That was the question. He wasn't yet sure if he liked Faye. No, that wasn't true. He did enjoy her spunk and directness. It was a far cry from most nobles that Nikos encountered since his journey began. They were flighty filthy creatures. Always putting on airs and pretending like they were better than anyone else.

In the meantime they hid depravities that would make any marauder worth their salt blush furiously.

Once she tugged at his arm he acceded and together they stepped into the pod he had come out of a little while ago. "Mhm, the Vengeance. Named after my homeworld. Burned and sacked by the Bryn'adûl. Abandoned by the worlds around it." A little shrug there. "Now Dellalt's spirit roams the Galaxy and takes back what belongs to it."

With just a little bit of exposition this supposed 'marauder and plunderer' had shown actual depth.

Was it true? Or perhaps a ploy to get her sympathy? If it was the latter he didn't seem much interested in actually gauging her reaction.

"So, anyway." He leaned against the pod's wall, but attention was still fixed on the ship in the distance. "Why are you insisting on accompanying us personally? It's gonna be dangerous, you know? This is the time where I say that stereotypical line that goes something like, Rishi isn't the place for princesses."

Bemused expression when Nikos finally glanced her way.

Note, whatever he said, he hadn't argued even once about letting her on his ship. That was more than most could lay claim to.

"Ya don't wanna tell me what we hunting for, sure. But at least tell me why yar risking your life directly."

 

[Faye Malvern]

"Then I expect nothing but your best from now on, Nikos." Faye replied quickly, shooting him a look that was halfway between seriousness and playfulness. She had half-forgotten what it felt like to socialise with someone that didn't have Lord or Lady in front of their name. It came so easily, but she couldn't tell if that was because she had done it before, or because Nikos brought it out in her. Still, if what she had wanted was to break from the mould, Nikos was certainly the one to do it.

As they boarded the pod, Faye listened intently to his story. She was mildly surprised that he was even sharing it to begin with, but she didn't let it show. He didn't seem like the type of person to admit something that personal, even if she only needed a few moments of digging to find out that he was hiding something. "I'm sorry…" She said when he had finished. It was not sympathy that laced her words, but understanding. A reflection to show that she too knew pain like this. "The Bryn'adûl were the cause of so much death and destruction, but nothing is ever truly lost till the last living mind who remembers it passes. So… you're doing well to keep the memory of your homeworld going."

It wasn't exactly an endorsement of his pillaging and plundering to seek revenge, but underneath all the pomp and pretence, that was the essence of it.

When Nikos spoke again, Faye shot him an incredulous look. She might have looked the picturesque princess, but she had known hardship and struggle enough to be able to defend herself. It felt rather offensive being judged otherwise, but she could hardly complain. He hadn't denied her permission to come along, so he clearly didn't think she was going to be that much of a hindrance.

Faye shrugged half-heartedly in response to him asking again, directing her attention to a lock of raven hair that had landed on her shoulder. For a while, especially when she took up the lock and twisted it in her delicate fingers, it seemed as though she would say nothing. But then…

"This is going to sound ridiculous." The strained reply came. "But, by force am I bored." She let the lock drop and lent back against the pod wall with her eyes closed as if saying the words had brought her sweet ecstasy. "I'm so, so bored. And lonely. And heartbroken. The only family I have left in the entire galaxy has disappeared without a trace. The only job I had that wasn't princess fell disappeared when we both left the Confederacy. Not to mention the divorce and Illyria and all the other thousands of boring responsibilities and duties I can't seem to shake… I just want to remember what it was like to have an adventure, to feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins. I knew it once. But at this point, I would do literally anything to feel… not like me." She finally finished and let out a huge sigh that had clearly been pent up for longer than the span of their conversation.

"And…" She suddenly continued. "…I need to find what we're looking for if I'm going to do that. I need to do something that separates me from the shadow of my brother, and my father, and his father before him. I want to stand out. I can't and don't want to be Adron's sister anymore."

Folding her arms across her chest, she finally drew her head down to look at Nikos. "I guess, in short, I'm coming because the life of a princess does not suit me anymore."

Nikos Buccheri ​

 

[Nikos Buccheri]

Faye Malvern

Oh, she was quick-witted, that was for sure.

Nikos resolved to stay on his toes with her. It wouldn't do to be caught flatfooted by Faye, because something told him it would end with him being shipless and probably shirtless to boot. He truly liked this shirt. "I will endeavor to meet and surpass your expectations, your Highness." The response coming just as quick and smoothly.

His hand waved her sympathies aside.

"What happened happened. Nothing we can do about it." Of course, if he was someone who didn't give a chit, he wouldn't have started a whole fethin' conflict with the whole Galaxy to make-up for it.

A touch dramatic perhaps, but sometimes the Galaxy needed some good old fashion drama to sort itself out. Then smiling however at her words. "Thank you though, I appreciate that. I like to think I am making a difference. Even if it is just a little one." The Jedi of his world would have been appalled at his actions. He knew this. They were all dead however. None of them had been able to stop the onslaught of those creatures. Dead or fled. Their opinions didn't matter anymore.

Once Faye said that it was going to be ridiculous?

Well, Nikos prepared for anything and settled back against the railing while waiting her to boot. No measure of bracing could have prepared him for what she was about to say next.

For a few seconds there was utter silence once she was done.

Nikos just blinked. Then blinked again. Blinked a third time. It was rare for anyone to manage to faze a pirate like him, but by the Force did Faye somehow manage it. "....you are bored of being a Princess... and so you want to go on an adventure." Dry tone and all as he processed that particular bit of information.

If she was expecting scorn, she'd be disappointed, instead there was a mischievous grin and the flash of white teeth as he sketched a little bow.

"Knowing this, I will do my utmost best to bring excitement to you during this mission, Princess. Who knows, perhaps in the process of this, we will figure out what you are suited for. Certainly you do not seem like someone who should live in the shadow of a man, a disappeared one at that, for much longer. I will do what I can for you, ma'am."

There was a hint of sympathy in his eyes, but he didn't voice it.

 

[Faye Malvern]

"Yes…" Faye replied, with a dismissive look in response to his dry tone. Princesses had every right to be bored too. The grass was always greener on the other side, wasn't it? Whether you were a beggar or a king, a prince or a pauper, a queen or a maid… other lives always seemed to be preferable. Faye could only dream of the freedom that came hand in hand with being a maid. Slipping through corridors unnoticed and unchecked, free to explore the city whenever you wanted without a convoy of guards and people following behind. It seemed like a luxury.

Either way, it had appeared she was far too quick with her judgement of Nikos, because what followed was not dismissive or angry. It was kind.

Faye seemed to brighten up at this and pushed herself off the pod wall again to stand a little taller. Though she was purposefully oblivious to the sympathy in his eyes, even though she could feel it. She didn't want sympathy. She had spent long enough feeling sorry for herself after receiving the cowardly letter from her ex-husband, it was time to break free of that routine.

The pod rumbled somewhat as it sped up toward the ship, and Faye found her eyes drawn to the viewport to get a proper look at the vessel. It was even bigger up close and only seemed to be growing larger the further they travelled. From this distance, Faye could pick out the rust kissed metal divots that held the hull in place. A small smile flickered on her face.

This was it. The beginning.

"What are your crew like?" She asked, without turning back. Some part of her wished against all hope that they were a little tamer than their captain. Faye was confident she could handle one man like him, but not a ship's worth. "Will they mind that I've come?" She added on the end as an afterthought.

Nikos Buccheri ​

 

[Nikos Buccheri]

Faye Malvern

"Varied lil' bunch, ma'am." Nikos drawled as they ascended up towards the waiting ship. "But all of 'em lost someone to the genocidal crabs." It was the only way to ensure they were in it for the right reasons.

Not to just aimlessly murder and ransack their way through the Galaxy, but to pick the right targets. And at the end of the day return as much of it as possible to the worlds that needed it most. You couldn't do that with just any pirate gang. They would have balked at having to give-up hard-fought booty just so some backwater world could rebuild its water sanitation plant.

On the flipside not just any victim could make a good raider.

With just enough lack in scruples they'd kill a man without thinking about it twice.

Tough balancing act to follow, but Nikos made do as best as he could. "Lucky for me," Ironic tone thickening there. "-lots of people were affected by them, so I have no shortage of recruits every time I come into port."

He stretched there as he let that dark joke linger in the air for a while. Only once Faye asked the second question did Nikos blink. "Mind? Oh, yeah, they are gonna mind." A shrug there. "They gonna test ya. Push ya. But just keep a stiff upper lip an' they will probably warm up to you." It couldn't be any other way really. One, she was new. New people always got the test drive to see what they had in them. Second, she was fancy fancy noble. Now that was the biggest hurdle.

"They ain't good people, but not bad either, Princess. You show 'em you can stand your own and they will back-off."

It was clear though that Nikos expected her to handle her own business. He wasn't going to walk into the fray for her. Not between her and his crew anyway.

The pod shuddered as it connected with the ship.

"Kay. We are here." He punched the button and they walked onto the ship proper. It was a bustle of activity, but... purposeful. Clean too. This wasn't the usual pirate hive with broken bottles and blood smeared all over the place. A bit rowdy, sure. One or two swigs of some hard liquor in between their jobs too, but that was to be expected.

"Vili here," And with a gesture a scarred woman stepped up with a neutral expression on her face. "-she will take care of you. Show ya to yar room and figure out the facilities with you. We will see each other again once it is time to step foot on Rishi, so I wish you good fortune, Princess.... you will need it."

And unless Faye moved to stop him or said anything more?

The Captain left her in the rough hands of Vili while taking his leave.

 

[Faye Malvern]

As Nikos talked, Faye seemed to be listening intently. Her eyes never once left his. She hadn't exactly expected them to be Lords and Ladies either, but she had maybe thought that they would take it slightly easier on her. However, Nikos was quick to dash those thoughts.

"Right…" She replied, swallowing away the lump of anxiety that had suddenly appeared in her throat. She tugged at the edges of her shirt, as though it would make the situation go easier. It had been a long time since she'd had to hold her own like that. Sure, she could do it across mahogany tables with eloquent words against dull politicians, but against pirates? On their ship? The task seemed almost mammoth.

Moments before the doors of the pod opened, Faye steadied herself. Her expression switched. Where it had been riddled with concern moments before, it was now slightly steelier. It was the same expression she had used when they had negotiated in the Confederacy. Hard to read, and thanks to her soft features, even harder to judge.

Faye didn't know whether she was meant to smile at Vili or headbutt her, so she settled for a polite but quick nod. "You can just show me to my room, I'm sure I can figure everything else out by myself. You must have lots to get on with." She commented to Vili first and then turned to speak to Nikos, but he was already halfway down the corridor making his way to wherever captains went before a long journey.

Steeling herself again, she turned to ask Vili to show her the way but found that she was already halfway down the corridor going the opposite direction. Faye let out a strained sigh. Maybe this was going to be harder than she thought.

Nikos Buccheri ​

 

[Nikos Buccheri]

Faye Malvern

She did not seem him again for a while.

Glimpses, yes. The tone of his voice through the corridors. The effects of his commands. But if Faye didn't know any better he was purposefully avoiding her in those short few days between her homeworld and Rishi.

It wasn't purposeful.

Yet, Nikos didn't seek her out either, which he could have done. Two reasons why that didn't happen. First of, there were a lot of things to take care of on the hyper-road to Rishi. Second of, it would be better for her on the long run. If the crew saw he didn't play favorites? Well, they'd warm up to her far faster than if they thought he was coddling her.

If she followed his advice? That is exactly what would have happened. Not all of them friendly perhaps, but helpful enough. A few that she could never have convinced of her good intentions no matter what, but.

Those kind of people were everywhere.

A few days later they dropped out of Hyperspace and they both found themselves in the hangar. All ready and decked out to go downstairs to Rishi proper. "Princess, you didn't have anyone executed, that's nice to hear." By way of greeting as Nikos nodded towards her. If he had been decked out to her palace? Now he was positively a walking armory. Two blades, several guns, knives. As if the pirate was expecting to wade into a warzone... and Rishi could be that.

Certainly.

"I see Vili managed to snag ya some equipment that would fit ya. So, last chance to back-out. You can chill in yar room and wait for me to return on your say so, right now."

Nikos didn't expect her to take the offer, but he felt he needed to give it regardless.

Wouldn't be fair otherwise.

 

[Faye Malvern]

Faye's time aboard the ship was interesting, to say the least. Almost the minute Nikos disappeared out of sight, Faye was made party to a torrent of emotion that couldn't have been stopped if she had erected an obsidian blockade. It was a barrage of confusion, offence, and irritation. Perhaps even a little malice at the fact that she, a noble, was pacing around the corridors of the ship as though she owned it.

Something Nikos had said rang in her mind like bells though. Over and over until even Faye was beginning to grow irritated by the chest shuddering bongs. "Keep a stiff upper lip". Ironically, she had heard the words before. They were the very same words that her father used to beat into his children before every Serennian parade. Stiff upper lip, and never let anyone show you're anything but joyous, only this time it wasn't joy she was trying to replicate. It was the idea that this wasn't the first time she had stepped foot on a ship like this by herself. That she had definitely tried the tacky black liquid they all seemed to be supping from leather hip flasks. That she wasn't completely naïve and embarrassing.

Some of them believed it with ease. Or rather, Faye suspected, they couldn't be bothered or didn't think she was worth anything else. Those were the ones Faye liked the best. They kept themselves to themselves and never gawped at her when she was walking down the corridor. The other type seemed to have no shame when it came to staring her down and making it very plain that they weren't at all pleased with her presence. Faye quickly learned to ignore them, and once or twice, she may have even stuck her nose into the air as she walked past. The guise of confidence was likely amusing to the pirates, but to Faye, it did give her the little boost she needed to continue.

Though she had become intimately familiar with the crew in the past few weeks, the one person she didn't see at all again was Nikos. She could tell when he had been in a room she entered. There was a particular smell that lingered behind him. It was strange, musky, but not unpleasant. One thing was for certain, he definitely prided his hygiene a little more than everyone else. Someone else Faye didn't see again was Vili, though she could not blame the muscular woman in her entirety. Faye did ask her to leave her to her own devices, and it wasn't hard to tell that Vili was all too eager to oblige.

Faye couldn't have even tried to pretend to be upset about it. Vili was more intimidating than helpful, and Faye couldn't have handled her hovering over her shoulder whilst she tried to figure out how the refresher worked. Or the coffee machine. Or the replicator. Or… anything, really.

The day of arrival finally dawned, and Faye found herself pacing quickly toward the hangar where Nikos was waiting. Though, you could hardly call it pacing. Vili had managed to dig out some slightly misshapen armour for her to try on, and it hung off her like bits of musty old sarlacc skin, but she couldn't complain. Nobody had thought ahead to pack armour for her, or anything to defend herself with. She hadn't divulged where she was going to the servants, so they hadn't known to prepare in advance. Still, this was better than walking around with just the clothes on her back.

Clunking into the hangar, Faye met Nikos with a half-hearted smile. "Luckily for everyone else I don't have that power on this ship." She sounded almost like she was joking, but it was incredibly difficult to tell.

When he commented on her armour, she cast her gaze down quickly. "It kind of fits. Hopefully, nobody has the sense to shoot between the cracks." Faye lifted her finger and jammed it neatly into a gap between her shoulder and the chest plate. She wriggled it a little for extra effect but quickly allowed her hand to lower at his next words. "No." She replied immediately, trying to hide the snappiness that crept over her tone. "You don't know where we're going or what we're looking for." At this point, she shot him a knowing gaze. "And I still don't trust you."

As they began to board the pod that would take them down to the planet, Faye realised she didn't have much in the way of weaponry. She had the force, which was deadly enough by itself, but Nikos was a walking, talking, clinking armoury. She felt a little underdressed.

"I believe we're looking for an old abandoned Brotherhood of Darkness bunker." Faye said as she stepped aboard if only to distract herself from the steadily growing ball of nerves in the pit of her stomach. "It won't be easy getting into it, there are probably traps, and maybe even a few remaining members using it as a base camp. I'm not sure. The information I could gather on it varied a lot."

Nikos Buccheri ​

 

[Nikos Buccheri]

Faye Malvern

A soft sigh.

Part of him hoped she'd just go back to her room and let him deal with this.

Something told him that if he brought back the princess in a body bag, he wouldn't need to wait for a payout. It would come in the form of his own body bag. And probably that of his crew. Shame that the pay was just too good to be ignored. They'd be able to retrofit some much needed parts on the Dellalt's Vengeance and maybe even throw in some upgrades.

"Darling, like I said before, not trusting me is very wise and I cannae blame ya for that." Nikos winked as he gestured for her to follow him into the shuttle that would carry them down.

He plopped himself down in the passenger seat however, before gesturing for her to sit her bum down in the pilot chair. "Then ya can drive and tell me when we there yet." If there was a wider smirk in the Galaxy it hadn't been invented yet. "Seeing as ya don't trust me with where we goin' an' I can ride there without knowing."

Hopefully she wouldn't get them both killed while fleeing the pod though.

"Brotherhood of Darkness, huh? So." Nikos didn't actually know what those were. But this wasn't his first roll through the proverbial Jedi-Sith-divide bush. "We expecting possible forcers then? If so, Masters of the Force or just jump-start kiddos that can throw a pebble?"

Big difference in approach.

The former? Quiet... very quiet. The latter? Well, it would open up options for them both.

 

[Faye Malvern]

"Darling." Faye looked up to smile at him as she followed him into the shuttle. "That's more like it. Eloquent. It makes you sound rather lordly."

At his gesture to sit in the pilot's seat and the following invitation, Faye let out a neat laugh that rang like bells off the metal walls. "Me? Drive?" Another laugh followed, which carried on until she noticed he was deadly serious. Her charcoal gaze locked onto Nikos for a moment, as if to test his resolve. When it didn't budge, she edged her way toward the seat.

Faye didn't bother telling him she had never driven a shuttle before. What was the point in making him second guess his iron-clad ego?

"Yes." She said as she danced her fingers over the console, looking for anything that looked like a start button. "The Brotherhood of Darkness. They have a few different names. The Sith Brotherhood, or the Sith Army." The shuttle suddenly jumped to life beneath Faye's fingers, but as she grappled with the controls it was clear that she had never touched a console in her life. The shuttle reversed quickly, and then made a horrifying nosedive as Faye attempted to gain some traction. She only spoke again when she had some control.

"I'm not sure what we're expecting. They're a long-dead army now, but that doesn't mean there aren't any followers left at all. Whether or not they are well trained in the force remains to be seen. If they're not clever I'll be able to give us some idea when we arrive." Faye lent forward, her brows knitting together as she searched the console for something else.

"We're going the wrong way. How do I turn this thing around?" Before Nikos had a chance to respond with the proper way, she made an uneducated guess. "Aha!" She said as the ship lurched violently to the right, far too low for any sane pilot's taste. It was only confirmed when the crunch of thick jungle trees echoed throughout the hull of the ship as they scraped along the bottom of it. "Whoops…" Faye had the decency to blush at her mistake as she attempted to correct it.

Despite her obvious lack of knowledge, she pressed on. They only gained a few more scrapes and bumps by the time they had arrived at their destination, a little away from the entrance to the bunker itself. Faye didn't want to alert anyone of their presence earlier than they had to. She wasn't that thick. "We're here." She said, though her tone was riddled with concentration as she leant forward once more to navigate the complexities of landing.

The resulting bump would have likely given them both whiplash if it weren't for the genius invention of seatbelts, but still, Faye came away looking rather proud of herself. They hadn't crashed, and they weren't dead, and the shuttle wasn't a total write off. "Once we get close enough, I'll at least be able to figure out how many of them there are, we can go from there."

With those words, she threw off her belt and stood to exit the shuttle.

Nikos Buccheri ​

 

[Nikos Buccheri]

Faye Malvern

"Oh, does it? I probably shouldn't appropriate that kind of language then... darling." Nikos drawled lazily as he locked his seatbelt into place and relaxed in the chair.

It was the main reason he didn't see Faye's apprehension and as a result didn't get concerned himself.

"Well, lucky for you I got some experience dealing with Forcers, but if it's gun' be a whole fethin' army of Darksiders, then yar shite outta luck and we will have to do some reconnaissance to see how many people we need on our side."

For just a few minutes Nikos was blissfully unaware what kind of dangerous they were in. Until the ship shuddered as Faye tried to- the ship swiftly changed gear and slid backwards. Left, right. It was a whole riot before Faye managed to get back control of the pod. His hands were almost pale white at the way he clutched at his chair's arms.

We're here.

Nikos blinked softly and looked around.

They actually were... and without crashing and blowing up into smithereens. Nikos didn't believe in gods or anything like that, but right now he wondered if someone was looking after them. That had been... woof. Breathing out he disengaged his locks. "Should'a told me ya didn't do piloting, lady, that was... definitely not terrifying."

His hands shaking just a little bit suggested otherwise.

"Oh, you can?" Regrouping mentally as he rose up and excited alongside her into the cacophony of the Rishi jungle. "So, yar a forcer yourself? Can ya do anything else than sense folks... like... throwing lightning or shite like that?"