Private Wheelin' and Dealin'

[Beatrice Govan]

De-Purteen Spaceport, Ord Cantrell

She longed to scream.

Evelynn Dorn had always considered herself a connoisseur of suffering; from the mental to the physical and all that lay between. It was her friend, her lover and her power. Why there was nothing that the woman couldn't withstand!

Apparently, this was no longer the case.

For no otherworldly horror wrapped in blood and flesh could quite compare to her current situation. Being a cripple. No, not just a cripple. A poor cripple, her font of familial wealth having vanished at the very notion of association with the New Imperial Order. Oh, but that wasn't all now, was it? A poor, incognito cripple.

Oh, the humanity!

The purpose of her trip to the capital city of Ord Cantrell was a rather simple one: physical therapy. As it turned out, there were quite an array of options for rehabilitation at her golden fingertips, and one of these options was hydrotherapy. Funnily enough, it was just regular old physiotherapy but in water. Not as exciting as it first sounded, but not as taxing or irritating as having overly cheery therapists shout words of encouragement as she fell over for the seventeenth time in as many minutes.

After having decidedly not paid for her session (Force bless the power of the mind trick) the woman had rolled her way back to the spaceport to return back to the confines of New Imperial Order territory.

Thus her frustrations were born.

People had no respect for the chair. Civilians barged and bustled past the blonde Sith with little care or consideration and could she react? No. Of course not. Evelynn couldn't dare draw attention to herself in neutral space to close to Empire territory. It would be utter madness!

Instead, she was Beatrice Govan, the victim of a horrendous speeder crash. A regular woman just trying to get by and get on with her life. So there would be no divine retribution upon those who thought it was wholly appropriate to just move her chair when they deemed the mute to be in their way.

At least not yet.

Oh, but one day she'd be back...

Sitting in her temporary prison, the woman's black-gloved hands balled into fists, the brim of her ridiculous hat hiding the caustic sneer that was plastered across her severe features. The sooner the public transport shuttle came to get her off of this world, the better.

---

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kala didn't come to Ord Cantrell very often, for many reasons; such as it was too close to Sith space, and she was too poor to get a room on the world. Thankfully being the girlfriend of a Sith Lord to be, meant that she had a bit of an allowance to spend when she wished. It was for this reason she had come to Cantrell, trying to map out the perfect holiday to take her Murmur on once all this NIO business was set aside.

Her mission had been somewhat successful, aside from having to talk with far too many snooty rich aristocrats and having people insult her choice of dress style, it went rather well. Kalanda was a rather reserved person if she did say so herself, but there was something about snooty entitled people that really set her off; probably because they reminded her of her mother. But anyways, that was aside from the fact.

One thing she did enjoy was reading the auras of people as they came by, as every planet was different, and people were so varied in how they were feeling. It was a rather fun game to sit on the side and read the crowd per say. One thing that she did notice though, was the rather fabulous hat one woman was wearing, though Kala had a bit of trouble seeing her through the waves of people that streamed past them. Through the river of emotions and aura, Kala made out the wakes of a raging volcano being wound up inside the woman, with it's arcs radiating outwards in a shape that reminded her of Murmur on particularly bad days. Kala pulled her sight back, watching as people seemed to divert away from her like she was a rock among a river.

She pursed her lips, trying to unravel why this girl in a stylish hat was having such a rotten day. Well, she was in a hoverchair, so maybe something happened to ruin her day; maybe someone drained her battery when she wasn't looking. What if she needed help and wasn't getting it! Kala made a decision then and there, she was going to force social interaction for the betterment of others!

Moving towards the woman, Kala scooted past the annoying people that peddled past. Her focus was on the grumpy girl in the chair, and everyone else could go to hell. "Hello!" Kalanda proclaimed, smiling as bright as she could, as she armed her most cheerful compliment. "I love your hat! It looks absolutely fabulous!" She smiled, moving to form an even bigger block for those who sought to disrupt the interaction they were about to have. "You looked like you were having a sour day, so I thought I'd come keep you company! I'm Kalanda, who might you be?" The bubbly witch questioned, keeping her posture straight and apparent, with little regard for the people passing by. Murmur hated when she did this, but that was alright, Kala loved meeting with strangers; and besides, this planet sucked anyways.

Beatrice Govan

 

[Beatrice Govan]

A voice.

A loud voice.

A loud, cheerful voice.

Oh, Force no.

Evelynn's eyebrow attempted to jump up and off of her forehead in bemused curiosity (which was thankfully obscured by the brim of her hat) as she was approached by this creature of goodwill and compliments. This was the curse of supposed anonymity, nobody would have ever dared to have spoken to Evelynn Zambrano, the screeching pain child of eternal disappointment like this!

A sour day?

Quite the understatement as she had fallen from Emperor's Daughter to destitute and apparently treacherous cripple in one fell swoop. It was both humbling and horrifying. An experience not recommended for the faint of heart. To have it all and then lose it. A sour day inde-

KEEP HER COMPANY?!

A strange noise came from Evelynn's nose, like nasal constipation as the woman finally craned her slim neck upwards (the brim of the hat was really that large) to look at her would-be villain in abject horror. Eyebrows kept twitching as she appraised the upbeat creature, her jaw shifting from side-to-side as Force-laden intuition informed the woman that this monster was no ordinary person.

Perhaps if I just cease moving she'll go away. No, no, that would be notably strange. Be normal, damn it!

After what seemed like an eternity caught in the headlights of an oncoming speeder, Evelynn finally attempted a thin-lipped smile, her gloved hand searching for a datapad that would be necessary for normal communication. Beatrice Govan did not use telepathy, after all, she was just a normal woman with a penchant for misfortune.

Mechanical fingers tapped upon the interface of the device, and not long after came the stark tones of a robotic voice.

“My apologies, you startled me,” this seemed normal enough, a good start, “I am Beatrice. Thank you, it is indeed a wonderful hat,” this seemed less normal and very much forced, which made sense as Evelynn had spent most of her living time as a pleasure-obsessed lunatic and not engaging in small talk, “I appreciate your kind offer, but I am very much okay. You need not waste your time in keeping me company.”

Hopefully, that would do the trick and repel the demon.

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda was baffled by what she witnessed, as she had expected the woman's mood to shift into something more upbeat, but instead it seemed to worsen. That wasn't at all what she intended. What stunned her even more, was when the woman seemed to go stiff, as if trying to act as if she was a mannequin. Was there some sort of mental disorder this woman was suffering from? Perhaps, maybe her doctorate could come in handy here. Her face squinted as she tried to unravel this conundrum she was staring at.

To Kalanda's horror, she found the woman was unable to speak, having to resort to using a datapad to communicate. It was a tad perturbing, but truth be told, Kalanda was used to much worse; that woman who spoke using rat corpse puppets was by far the worst. Her wording was rather to the point, and very abrupt. It struck Kalanda as 'go away, no thank you'; just like when she tried to sell cookies door to door back on Nar Shaddaa. It rang of those suffering from severe depression and anxiety, and if this woman was homeless, then she was practically a walking case that needed to be handled. To some, this would be a chance to walk away, wave goodbye and think nothing else of it. "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

There was something this woman didn't know about Kalanda though; the witch didn't back down from a challenge. "That's very considerate of you, but I can tell by your body language. You have alot of pent up anger and stress gathering around you, and that's not healthy." Kalanda smiled even brighter, clasping her hands together. "Also, I'm a doctor, so it's sorta my job to ensure everything is okay!" She affirmed, before leaning towards Beatrice. "So it's no waste of time for me, I'm quite literally working, and making a new friend. It's the best of both worlds!" She finished, trying to think of how she could go about making this Beatrice her new friend. "And don't you worry about being difficult, I've cured everything from Sith to Rancors with Gingivitis. I am here for you!" Murmur was going to get a comm about being home late tomorrow, but she'd forgive her; Murmur never got mad at her after all. Kalanda was working after all, and Amur knew how much it meant to the witch to help others; and maybe also forgive her for spending credits while helping the poor. "How have you been getting around? Given your condition it seems a tad discomforting. Could I perhaps assist with some personal transportation agents I know?" She wasn't going to take no for an answer, and the energy that Kalanda was giving off would make that clear. Beatrice was getting the full Kala treatment. Repelling only worked on demons, but Kalanda was an angel; or at least to anyone but Evelynn she would seem so.

Beatrice Govan

 

[Beatrice Govan]

This is what she feared. This monster wasn't only outgoing and friendly, oh no, she was determined too. Evelynn's expression turned to one of exasperation as she received her apparent mental health diagnosis.

Anger.

And.

Stress.

It was merciful that the woman no longer held a tongue, so there was no need to bite it as instead thoughts exploded into a scathing fury that could only be translated in the woman's emerald wide-eyed stare.

Of course, she was angry, of course, she was stressed. She was the useless, crippled daughter of the much-maligned Emperor. Captured, humiliated, confined to this chair and unwilling to return home in fear of what retribution there would be for her failure. Every step forward in becoming a proper, respectable Sith came with a pitfall that seemingly dropped her back to square one.

It made the woman long for nothing but brutal and prolonged revenge against the galaxy itself.

Slowly, the most forced polite smile attempted to bloom upon the face of constipated mania, making the woman seem all the more demented in her terrible emotional restraint. It wasn't the blonde's greatest look of all time, and the hat and wheelchair only proved to make it all the more ridiculous.

However, when the word Sith burst forth with enthusiasm from her tormentor's lips her eyelid twitched. She's cured Sith? Was she involved? This connected dots regarding the woman's sensitivity, but on which side of the war did she stand? It all felt a little more treacherous now.

Face softened, constipation turning into consideration as Evelynn's fingers hovered above the datapad. It would seem that she would have to play this maniac's game and keep her identity very much hidden.

“I apologise for my rudeness,” the robotic voice spoke, “it is hard to contain such frustrations, as you can see, I have been dealt a rather unfortunate hand,” and in case it wasn't clear, the woman's other gloved hand gestured to her chair.

“I rely upon public services,” the device continued, as she tapped away upon its screen, “it is not so bad,” this was a lie, public transport was the devil, “and besides, it is all that I can afford as I cannot work in my current condition.”

The newfound sense of potential danger had thankfully brought Evelynn's rage off the boil, allowing some sense of composure to return to the scene.

“Ah, thank you kindly for your offer, but I must decline as I cannot pay you,” Dorn continued, eyebrows squirming as each sentence was swiftly mulled over and then tapped out, “might I ask who your employer is? I can give you some glowing feedback for your trouble."

---

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

This girl was a real tough cookie, which only emboldened Kalanda to her plight. The witch had been that person many years ago, when she was still on the run from her mother, terrified that she would be dragged back to her prison. If not for the Obsidian Knights, she'd be in dire straights; her mother might have caught up with her. The raw grumpiness was on display, and seeing the sudden shift from smiling to a hint of nearly mind shattering lunacy, solidified Kalanda's mind; she was going to help this woman out. She been dealt a rather unfortunate hand, but that just meant she would require additional cheering up! That always helped her in times of trouble.

"No no no no, you don't owe me anything! I'm going to cover it!" She announced, waving her hand to dismiss the notion of being paid. Heck, she had been a nonprofit organization for the longest time, if not for the CIS funding her she might have been in trouble. "I work for myself! So don't you worry, this is of no charge!" Though the idea of Amur getting feedback for something Kalanda did was rather amusing; but she didn't need to link the Sith to herself, Murmur was terrified of that. "I know a personal transportation company that can help people with troubles like yours, so maybe I can get that set up? It really won't hurt me, I promise. No trouble at all." She understood the problem with public transit all to well; Drommand Kaas shuttles had the meanest droid operators. Not to mention it would inhibit this poor woman, trying to make it to whatever services she required on a rather fruitless transport system.

In a galaxy that seemed ripe with corruption and strife, it seemed practically insane at what Kalanda was offering the woman, but that was just how she did things. She liked drowning people in kindness, and she always made the credit back in the long term; if she ever got that Sith Alchemical baking idea off the ground she could do this all the time. Amur always warned her against this outlook on life, but Kala never found any reason to deny it. She still had a few assets from her time with the CIS, and despite her objections, Amur seemed to try and cover the few costs that came up. She was sweet like that, one of the many reasons Kalanda cherished her.

Then a thought crossed her mind. What did a number on frustration and anger? FUN. Kalanda's smile grew into a look of pure bliss, as the thought formed into an idea. "I am going to give you, a once in a life time opportunity!" There was that really fancy amusement park on the planet, and Kala knew right where it was; just one teleport and they would be there. "There is this new treatment, it's experimental, but it has been proven to drastically improve one's life and personal health, and I'm going to give it to you absolutely free!" Kalanda was seemingly ecstatic as she spoke, as she had to use what little discipline she had to not start bouncing off the ground like a Lloth cat.



Beatrice Govan

 

[Beatrice Govan]

That was it, there really was no escape.

Well, there was, but trying to murder the woman and wheel away from the scene of the crime was not the subtle nor the intelligent approach to oncoming threats of charity.

Ah, yes. Now that was the root of the problem, wasn't it? The charity. She was supposed to be a Sith. No, not just a Sith. She was supposed to be Evelynn Zambrano, daughter of the Emperor, cut from the same cloth of absolute power and ruthless brutality! Her vision was supposed to spit in the face of charity, not receive it!

This woman only served to remind her just how far she had fallen. A pitiful wretch, a sight that begged for strangers to approach and offer kindness. The blonde's eyes lost focus upon the face of the doctor as she considered her own decimated self-worth.

Was she fated to be so pathetic for the rest of her second existence? A failure even when she had tried?

Evelynn sighed as the woman returned to the conversation with a few blinks just as the mention of 'a once in a lifetime opportunity' came to the forefront. It encouraged some form of jaded curiosity to emerge and her brow creased as the crippled Sith's cruel face took a turn towards quizzical.

“What treatment?” spoke the device, her short question contrasting the woman's lengthy excitement.

Drugs, she suspected. Perhaps some trial run of happy pills that would serve to practically lobotomise all emotions barring joy. The very thought sounded terrifying, if not mildly tempting. Ignorance was bliss after all. One could no longer be steeped in misery if one was no longer aware of it.

“Your offer sounds increasingly suspicious,” she typed, still wearing her sceptical mask in the face of such generosity, “are you in a pyramid scheme? Or a cult?”

The bitterness was seeping through with every word she now typed.

“Because if you are, I would much prefer for you to simply push my chair off of cliff instead and end this madness.”

---

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda only tilted her head as Beatrix inquired on the treatment, and began to giggle as the woman accused her of being part of a pyramid scheme. Though she was technically part of a cult, it would only make things even more confusing trying to break it down for her patient; not to mention the woman would probably outright reject her help at that point. Beatrix was in desperate need of treatment, and thankfully for her, Kalanda was all to familiar with how to treat her ailment.

Once she had composed herself from the rather hilarious questions, Kalanda's smile returned, as she would answer Beatrix's questions. "The treatment is having fun, silly!" Drugs were all well and good, but even medicine had it's limits. No one could proscribe one a dose of fun, but someone else could share some with you. Kalanda took out her datapad, then put in for a pickup via luxury shuttle; handicap accessibility included. "Fun will get rid of that stress, make you feel better about your life, and give you a drive to keep that nifty chair of yours moving forward!" She chimed, before reigning herself back in. "No offense to your chair, it's actually really spiffy!" She moved behind the chair as she continued talking, her mind already set on a location, as she would begin to push her unknowing victims chair forward. "Away we go!"

Giggling like a mad woman, Kalanda would quite literally drag Eveylnn with her. "We are going to Galaxy Ways, do you know what that is?" Kalanda asked, rushing past confused pedestrians, and even one man who gave her a rude gesture. "It's an amusement park! It's lots of fun, you'll love it! We can do all sorts of things there-" Kalanda continued to talk, weaving Evelynn in and out of the people traffic clogging the spaceport, as the few who didn't move, Kalanda nudged them out of the way with her powers. She wasn't looking to put the wheelchair bound woman in danger, but Evelynn would probably think differently as Kalanda seemed to operate her chair like a podracer. "Watch where you are going you craz-" "We can have cotton candy, and hot dogs, and OH AND WE CAN RIDE ROLLER-COASTERS IT'LL BE GREAT!" Her voice gained a ton of excitement at the mention of roller-coasters, something Kalanda had only experienced once as a child, and deep down longed to experience again.

Maybe she was being a little selfish with this quest of hers, but it would help her new friend Beatrix good as well. Kalanda took consolation in the fact she was going to pay for it all, and maybe this would be the experience the crippled woman would need to shake off her depression. The madness would seem to continue, until Kalanda had the woman outside the shuttle port, rushing towards the pick up zone, as a sleek black enclosed air speeder began to come in for approach. "Don't worry! I'm paying for everything!" The young witch assured the woman, as their driver would disembark, offering to load Evelynn into a plush and fancy interior, fully stocked with refreshments and comforts. Assuming all went well, Kalanda would join Evelynn inside, sitting a few feet away to give her new friend some space. "Isn't this exciting?" She asked, rather exuberant in how her day had taken such a delightful turn. She truly did love her job.

Beatrice Govan