Private Wrong side of the Border

[Millicent Tharoul]

Wrong side of the Border

Lantillies. A world she had actually visited before. Of course, they were not bound for the same area she had been in - the cityscape was enormous - but at least she'd know a thing or two about it. How the rich folks dressed. How the security systems by landingpads worked. What kind of security there were at shopping malls. How their law enforcement dressed. Things which were useful for any thief to know. Beyond that, however, her knowledge was a bit more spotty. At any rate, Millicent's impression of the planet was pretty good.

Her thoughts snapped back to the present. The calm hum of the hyperdrive had ceased, for they had already landed, but the dishwasher behind her was still going strong. With her gaze moving past the white t-shirt she wore, it then fell upon the device she had been given from Jas. It looked familiar, similar to the one that the Zabrak she 'fought' on Dromund Kaas wore. Still, she didn't really know what this one did or even what it was which lead to the inevitable question "What is this?" she asked with a bright voice and curious eyes.

Outside, things seemed calm. Docking could have been an issue but fortunately, they managed to get down onto a landingpad regardless. In a way, Millicent looked forward to exploring the city with him. There were many postal offices which meant that she might have a chance to send some credits back home. If he stayed true to what he mentioned before, there was a real possibility that the Sith would even give her some credits - but then, she didn't know if he would approve of her giving them away again right after. Otherwise, she could always get creative - one of the benefits of traveling with Jas had to be that he, if anyone, was capable of keeping her safe. After all: Who would attack her when they found out that she came running to him?

But they were thoughts for a later time. For now, she just wanted to find out what the device was for. Other than that, she was ready to head out to the bustling city.

Jas Katis

 

[Jas Katis]

At first Jas was happy and even a little excited about taking Millicent out to shop a little. But as the ship dropped out of hyperspace and descended into the atmosphere, he started to feel more and more anxious. He hated these big cities. He didn't know how to navigate them, how they worked, nothing. He didn't like not knowing anything about where he was going. At least Millicent had more experience with places like this which might be useful. He would make sure to stick close to her... a topic that she reminded him of as she asked about the collar in her hands.

"It goes around your neck." he stated as he nonchalantly took it and clipped it around her neck. It wasn't unnecessarily tight but there wasn't exactly an easy way for her to get it off. "It is a shock collar. If you stray too far from me, it will activate. It is supposed to fulfill two things today while we are walking around in this enormous city. One is to make sure you do not lead me down a confusing corner and then run off, leaving me to get lost in this duracrete maze. The other is to make sure I do not get separated from you. Right now, I am anxious about getting lost in this place and not having someone who can lead me back to the ship." he explained calmly as he stared into her eyes. "I hope it is not too odd. Other masters often do it with their subjects. Although I am conflicted over whether it is to make sure they do not run away or to torture them. I am leaning more towards the latter. Luckily this is not for that." he commented with a bit of confusion in his voice.

He picked up his helmet and stared at it for a moment, then set it aside. "I do not think this will be needed. It is not like we are going to fight someone." he spoke as he looked himself over. "Do you think my robes look neat enough? I figured that I would use my formal set for today." he asked her nervously as he looked up at her from his clothing.

Once he finally managed to calm down, he led the way oit of the ship... then froze up as the sea of shadows from skyscrapers loomed over them. "Okay. You take the lead with this." he stated as he stared up at the enormous buildings.

Millicent Tharoul

 

[Millicent Tharoul]

Wrong side of the Border

Jas loomed over her as he picked the dived out of her hands and strapped it around her neck. She looked up at him, wondering what he was doing. But she wouldn't have to ask, because Jas would explain it to her. As he spoke, she quickly realised that it was there for security purposes, quickly causing her to breathe uncomfortably while a hand went up to feel its cold surface. At least he mentioned that it wasn't there to bring her pain which she nodded to vehemently. Trying to see it from a positive point of view, she hoped that it was only temporary and somewhere in what he said, she seemed to hear that it was there because her presence made him feel safe. Perhaps it was just Jas and his Sithy ways which made him show it in such an odd way. In the end, she regained her composure and reached up to put her hand on his shoulder with a reassuring "I will stay by your side"

They had landed by a rougher part of town. She had assumed that it was because security patrols would be far fewer and that there would be enough more rough looking individuals there to have Jas not stand out as much as he would in the fancier parts. Looking him over she nodded "I sure hope so." agreeing that she'd hope more violence. Still, she wondered what would happen if someone who knew their stuff saw a Pureblood walking around and awkwardly added "But it never hurts to be on the safe side" with a small smile. She looked down on her own simple apparel and then to his - it was not the kind of fancy one would expect from a Commenor ball, but it looked more exquisite than his normal apparel "It looks good"

Soon, they departed from the ship, walking the short distance from the hangar bay to a large open area. A large number of speeders were swooshing by above and for a rougher area, it was surprisingly bright and clean. Looking around, Millicent quickly picked up on what she thought was the most important and moved in close, speaking to the Sith with a low voice "Even the thugs are dressed fancy here" she whispered with a hint of an incredulous tone in her voice. "You see the ones with the green scarfs, I think they belong to one gang. And the ones with that orange belt, they probably belong to another. They're mutually exclusive, so I don't think it's just a fashion trend"

Jas Katis

 

[Jas Katis]

As they walked away from the ship, Jas stuck close to Millicent. His face might have been stoic and neutral, but his stiff movements and eyes betrayed the anxiousness he felt. Millicent pointed out two possible gangs and Jas stopped to look them over. "Peculiar choice of attire." he commented as he studied the two groups from afar.

He quickly started walking again and walked beside Millicent. He glanced down at her then around them, looking for something. "So where would we find some stores. I have been thinking of buying some clothes for myself as well. For when I am on planets like this." he admitted with a mutter as he looked back down to her. "Please tell me you know where we might find some clothing shops." he pleaded softly, already looking defeated.

The lumbering Sith kept to himself as they made their way to the shopping mall. By the entrance, Jas laid his hand on her shoulder to bring her to a halt. "Feel free to buy whatever you want, though I would prefer if you do not clear out all of my money." he instructed with a light chuckle. "Maybe budget for... ten thousand at most? If you still have some left over, it's yours to do with as you please." he continued, giving her a very gentle shake before letting go. He stared at her for a moment, giving a soft smile. "If you were a Pureblood, that collar would make you look rather... ravishing." he teased before turning to continue into the mall.

The stares and concerned looks were noticed, although he wasn't sure why. "Why are people staring? Is it my height?" he asked softly as he looked around them. He came to an abrupt stop by a restaurant, reading the specials displayed on a screen while giving a few sniffs. "What is a 'cheese burger'?" he asked her with curiosity.

Millicent Tharoul

 

[Millicent Tharoul]

Wrong side of the Border

She shrugged with a smile "Gangs. They usually have a waaaaay to high opinion of themselves. They often have zones where only they can steal." she said, speaking with a slight sense of amusement. She had some personal experience in dealing with them and casually continued "But then, they have the muscle, so they can do what they want most of the time" she said, bringing up her arm to flex it, effectively demonstrating that she very much lacked the same as it was hard to even spot the tiniest of bumps. A mischievous grin spread across her lips "But they aren't as good at protecting their own pockets"

As the two continued, he asked where to buy clothes, prompting her to point in the direction of the nearest mall "Over there" she said, seemingly with enthusiasm. Unlike the Academy on Dromund Kaas, Millicent felt right at home here. She walked with a bounce to her step, standing in stark contrast to the Pureblood she was there with. Her behaviour quickly changed as she felt his hand on her shoulder. It was almost as if a pause button had been hit as the girl almost immediately winded down and turned to look up at him. An awkward yet soft smile spread across her lips as he laid out the terms of their visit. "Ten thousand...?" she asked, seeming very unsure of the situation "I'm sorry if I am stepping out of line but... isn't that a bit much?" she asked. Even in her position, it felt weird to spend so much of somebody else's credits. Especially since she'd probably spend a few hundred on herself at most while sending the rest back home to her family. "I'm not much of a big spender, but I'd like to send something back home" Her voice kept shrinking as she kept loosing confidence in what she was saying - did she really propose to send his credits back to her family?

His gentle shake brought back her attention. But the comment that followed truly caught her off guard. Did he insult her for being a mere human? Did he praise his taste in selecting the collar? Or did he truly do what her mind interpreted it as: Praising her? While she did not outright think that he did, Millicent did blush heavily. She felt lucky that he turned to continue into the mall, for she did not wish for him to even see a hint of her blushing. In truth, she did not quite know what she felt - but something peculiar was there, of that she was certain.

Soon, she caught up with him. The blush had faded and she felt like she was back to normal. A soft smile grew on her lips as she fondly shook her head "Master, your build is way more intimidating than your height" she said whilst looking him over from his shoulders down to his feet and then back up to his eyes again "I think they might be able to tell that you're Sith, at least some of them" she said the words with a low voice, hoping to avoid letting anyone else hear it. Upon hearing his next question, Millicent couldn't help but to let out a giggle as she realised how foreign it was to him "It's a slice of meat with some cheese, ketchup, onions and pickles on put in between two pieces of bread."

Just as the thief was about to continue, she found herself interrupted as a calm yet strict voice could be heard from behind them "I suggest that you stay calm and raise your hands, Sith." the hint of venom upon mentioning Jas' title was palpable but the robed figure managed to refrain from showing much emotion in all other regards. From the opposite, two troopers approached, both carrying rifles at hand, but at a resting position "Padawan Kyrs, we should kill the Redbones here and now, he's already intruding on our world and he even had the gall to bring a slave." the trooper spoke with more aggression but the Padawan put a stop to it "No, let us see if our visitor can resolve this peacefully. All we ask is that you release your slave and come with us. We can help you find the light."

Jas Katis

 

[Jas Katis]

To his surprise, she seemed to think that the amount he offered her was too much. He blinked in surprise and thought it over for a few seconds. Finally he gave a shrug as he looked at her. "I am not sure. It certainly will not subtract all that much from the money I have. I also do not spend much on anything, only food if I feel the need to. So if you will not use it all, feel free to do with it as you wish." he answered her calmly before continuing. "And do not worry. If you want to send the money away, feel free. After all, it is yours." he commented as he walked.

Millicent voiced her thoughts on the stares and it made sense to him. "Fair point. I guess my species does make it harder to blend in." he admitted with a chuckle. But that didn't dampen his mood. He was relaxing more with each passing minute as they explored the mall. Millicent even explained what a burger was, which earned a curious hum from him. "That does sound rather enjoyable. Shall we go have one?" he asked her as he glanced down at her.

But before they could press on, a voice spoke up from behind them. That seemed to dampen his mood pretty quickly. His face sank into a scowl as he slowly turned to face the Jedi.

Two troopers joined them as well, suggesting they kill him. Luckily the padawan was one of the soft ones, offering a peaceful solution. Although nothing about it seemed to be worth considering. "If you knew anything at all, Padawan, you would know that it is likely quite impossible for me. As for the presence of my slave and I, we are here to buy things and eat. If it is that much of a bother to you, I will gladly fight you over it." he spoke with a cold and emotionless tone, glaring at the Jedi and the troopers.

A smirk appeared on his face as he looked to the Jedi. "Although putting the lives of the surrounding innocents at risk doesn't exactly seem to fit with the Jedi way." he quipped casually as he folded his arms. He looked to Millicent then back to the padawan. "My slave is irrelevant in all of this. Your fight is with me." he spoke as he rested his arms by his sides, ready to use the Force if they tried anything.

Millicent Tharoul

 

[Millicent Tharoul]

Wrong side of the Border

It was just a moment ago that she had happily nodded at going to get a cheeseburger with him but everything had changed already. They now stood in the middle of a confrontation with a Jedi and two troopers. The girl regretted that Jas took such a hard stance, refusing to bow down and even relishing in the opportunity to fight. But deep down, she also kind of admired his bravery and the strength he projected whilst doing so.

The Jedi looked at his potential opponent with determination. In silence, he ignited his lightsabre, projecting a soft blue light over himself and those in his vicinity "Sith, I am warning you. Stand down!" his ignited sabre and raised voice was enough to create a scene. Enough to cause the civilians around them to run away. Naturally, Millicent still remained by Jas' side, hoping that she wouldn't be involved in the fighting this time. She felt all warm inside when he said that she was not part of the fight - even now, he was looking after her. The Jedi seemed to agree as he nodded "We are here to save her, not kill her."

"Come on, Kyrs. He's a Sith, he can't be reasoned with. He has proven as much already." the hothead of a soldier then raised his rifle, firing six bolts at the Pureblood from behind at close range, standing at the right angle to not hit the Padawan even if Jas dodged the bolts.

The Jedi, seemingly caught off guard by the disobedience of the soldier, was still quick to react, quickly dashing forth. Right before he came into Jas' range, however, he performed an acrobatic Ataru flip to hop over his foe and slashing down at him as he passed by above.

Not late to act, the second trooper chose to not attack the Sith. Instead, he too dashed forth, quickly grabbing Millicent's wrist and hurling her away from Jas' side. Bringing out a ion charge, he rushed to the girl and used it on her collar, quickly rendering it useless as he removed it "Run! We'll take care of him, you're free now" he said with an urgent voice, hoping to get back into the fight

Jas Katis

 

[Jas Katis]

The Jedi ignited his lightsaber and warned Jas to stand down, but he said nothing in return. Instead, he ignited his own weapon in response. A low growl escaped his throat as the Jedi mentioned wanting to save Millicent. "She does not need saving." he muttered with a cold, rumbling voice. Before either of them could make a move, the soldier behind him decided to disobey his orders and attack. With a quick twist, Jas raised his free hand and launched the soldier through the restaurant window and several obstacles afterward. Unfortunately not before a few shots managed to collide somewhere with his torso.

Things became overwhelming when the Jedi attacked as well, flying overhead with a swing down to his his head. With no chance to block, Jas leaned back and stepped aside just in time for the blade to miss his head. He could feel the heat of the blade pass his cheek and ear as he moved, raising his own lightsaber to defend. His Lanvarok came to life with several blades flying towards the Jedi's torso as he regained his footing. Not letting up, he charged forward with a swing to the Jedi's head. The pain in his torso was felt, but numbed as adrenaline and rage fuelled him.

The actions of the second soldier didn't go unnoticed. Jas wrapped the Force around the man and hurled him at the Jedi to distract him further. A violent roar erupted from the barbaric Pureblood as he charged at them once again, violently swinging and slashing to tear them apart.

Millicent Tharoul

 

[Millicent Tharoul]

Wrong side of the Border

For a time, she was just standing there, watching as the Jedi and the trooper attacked Jas. Letting out a frightened gasp, she saw how he was shot before managing to throw away the aggressive trooper. The more gentle one who had removed her bonds and tugged at her to leave had not yet attacked. He could, if he had wanted to, easily have removed the girl forcibly but had refrained from doing so thus far. It was not long after that Jas reached out through the force and grabbed the man, to throw him towards the Padawan.

An additional backflip had allowed the young Jedi to narrowly escape being pierced by the sharp blades of the Lanvarok but it soon became obvious that he was much more comfortable attacking than defending as the larger opponent's onslaught had him just barely surviving attacks. The trooper that was suddenly flung at him proved to be a saving grace as he used the opportunity to create some distance between himself and the pureblood. Allowing the force to flow through him freely, the Padawan then prepared to shield himself and his allies from further force attacks whilst slowly entering an offensive stance. The more gentle trooper was quick to take up a firing position behind a bench and soon, the two hostiles attacked at the same time.

The aggressive trooper took more time to recover. A coffee stain covered his left sleeve and a few burn marks could be seen along his face. Guessing what had happened to him wasn't hard. While he was aggressive before, his temper was even shorter now. Before she knew it, the aggressive trooper had a tight grip around her arm. Yanking and pulling at her, he quickly dragged Millicent away from the scene - she was trying her best to stay close to Jas but clearly lacked the strength to resist for more than a few seconds. Eventually, they rounded a corner where he yanked her into a small clothes boutique. With a blaster in one hand and the other pointing at her, he spoke harshly "Stay put or run! Do not come back, I am warning you, intruders in the scene of battle will be deal with swiftly" he continued to speak, heavily implying that there was a risk of her getting shot. She assumed that he was afraid that she might interfere. To Millicent, it was all terrifying - she didn't dare say a word and simply whimpered as he spoke. At this moment, she wanted to be by Jas' side again, for she knew that he would keep her safe.

Jas Katis

 

[Jas Katis]

Jas' patience was on its last legs at this point. The pain in his torso was growing more prominent and he exerted himself far too heavily with his force abilities. If the fight didn't end swiftly, he was going to die. That wasn't something he was going to allow, especially against a Jedi.

As the one trooper took up his position, Jas sent his last Lanvarok blade at his head to remove him from the fight permanently. At the same time he charged at the Jedi, hacking and slashing to keep the weakling busy. When he finally got his blade in a lock, his free hand summoned his knife and plunged forward to bury the Sith blade in his chest. Anger and pain fuelled him. His training prepared him for fights like this. His superior strength also helped out quite a bit. Every part of his attack served to overwhelm the Jedi until his blade found its mark in the chaos. However whether his attack worked or not, he sent one last powerful push at the Jedi to send him flying through the restaurant's tables and booths.

Not caring to see whether the Jedi was dead or not, he looked around. Millicent was nowhere in sight. The last trooper, however, was another story. With a low growl he marched towards the soldier, blocking any shots that came his way. "Where is the girl?!" he roared as he approached the soldier, keeping his lightsaber at the ready.

Millicent Tharoul

 

[Millicent Tharoul]

Wrong side of the Border

Once the aggressive trooper saw that the she was scared enough, he squinted his eyes at her one last time before returning to the battle. Millicent knew what she wanted to do - get back to Jas. But she also knew that it was dangerous doing so when the trooper was still there. Even then, she started moving to rejoin the Pureblood. Apparently, she moved too soon, because the trooper turned back to see her approaching, prompting him to fire off a couple shots at her. Fortunately, she was quick on her feet and managed to dive down behind some stacked clothes. Instead of pursuing her, the trooper let out a grunt and moved on towards Jas.

Knowing that it wasn't safe to take the route she had been dragged along to the shop, Millicent dashed towards the back-office. The staff was way too scared to stop her - it meant that more troops had to be on their way - for if they were scared, they must have triggered the security alarms. Pushing the thought away, she kept running, making use of her vast experience as a thief and some luck to find a path that lead back to the larger hall where Jas was. Her eyes went wide as she saw both the more gentle trooper and the Jedi dead. But she wouldn't waste any time - not now. Instead, she rushed forth towards the Jedi - it was clear that he had already passed, and so, she pulled the knife out of his chest.

Millicent proceeded to close the distance between them when she started running, only slowing down to pick up the disabled collar "I'm here!" she hollered in a high tone. It was a mistake. As soon as she did, the soldier that had kept firing at Jas until then turned to fire off two shots at Millicent before once more returning his focus to the Sith. She quickly hit the floor, narrowly avoiding getting hit - but from a distance, it would look as if she fell. In reality, her body was hidden under a long handrail something she exploited to crawl closer until she could finally emerge by his side. With the knife and collar in her hands, she started to tug at his arm "Master, we need to run, I think more are coming"

Jas Katis

 

[Jas Katis]

As expected, the blaster had no effect on Jas as he batted the bolts away. But when Millicent emerged and the soldier took shots at her, he went on the offensive.

Before the soldier could fire at him again, the Pureblood sent his lightsaber flying through the air, impaling the soldier through the chest. With the fight over, Jas summoned his lightsaber back and faced a terrified Millicent. "Yes..." he muttered as he looked around them. Turning to leave, he made his way to the Jedi's corpse and took his lightsaber. "We have overstayed our welcome. Lead the way." he instructed, sticking close to Millicent.

He kept up with her, but as they neared the ship, the pain was all he could feel. He didn't check the injuries, but he knew they were bad. His pace slowed, but he pushed through until they got to the ship. Once inside, he dropped into the mess room's booth... leaving a few smears of blood against the upholstery. His breathing became more laboured as he looked himself over then glanced up at her. "I am getting tired of ending up with these injuries." he grumbled, giving a few hoarse coughs.

With a struggle he got rid of his robes and looked at Millicent. He rose to his feet and tried to look at the injuries along his back. "How bad is it?" he asked weakly.

Millicent Tharoul

 

[Millicent Tharoul]

Wrong side of the Border

And then, they were on the run. It was one of Millicent's specialities - although Jas had managed to catch her more times than she would like to admit. If it had been a point of pride of hers, she would indeed be quite broken by now. Fortunately, it was not. As they got closer to the ship, she could see how Jas seemed to be moving in a more animated way. It was obvious that he was in pain. If it had been earlier in their relation, she wouldn't have showed him that she saw that he was indeed in a weakened state. But it was different now - she had seen him injured before and it felt as if he didn't really mind that she saw it. Millicent didn't know if it was because her opinion was worth too little to matter or because they had grown close enough but she acted on it regardless. With a smooth move, she slipped in under his arm, offering a little support for him to balance on. If he rested his weight on her, she would probably crumble but for the purposes of helping him balance, she was good.

Once they got on board, the girl helped him to the mess room. Instead of immediately attending to him, she rushed to the cockpit and yelled at the droid to start the ship. It was not the fastest droid and so, she took over a few tasks, speeding up the process considerably. Millicent never sat down and bolted out of the room as soon as she wouldn't make much more of a difference in the cockpit.

Grabbing the medkit, she started to quickly bring out the supplies on her way to Jas. They had been through this a few times already and she seemed to know where everything was and the small things he preferred. Millicent brought her hand to his shoulder to bring him a little comfort when he expressed his frustration over getting hurt. Her soft hand looked small against his large shoulder "At least you keep improving while they don't, right?" she asked with a kind smile, hoping to brighten his mood.

Looking at the wound, the thief grimaced "It ain't good" she said. The wounds weren't as deep as she expected, suggesting that the weapon had been a less lethal one. It made sense since they were in an environment with so many civilians. But even then, he had been hit multiple times with the bolts and parts of his clothing had been burned into his skin. Her hand remained on his shoulder "I think Bacta can still heal you. But I need to remove the threads first" she said with a sorry voice. With quick steps, she left his side to fetch a bottle of alcohol "We don't have any painkillers. You should probably take some" she said, feeling bad for what he was about to go through.

Jas Katis

 

[Jas Katis]

Leaning against the table, Jas gave a faint smile at her comment. "Well, I am alive. They are not. That has to count for something." he quipped before sitting down again. She mentioned what she had to do, suggesting even that he drown out the pain with alcohol. Jas simply shook his head. "I can take it. Just... get me to my bed." he grumbled, forcing himself to stand up.

With her aid, he got to his bed and laid down to let her work on the wounds. But before she did, he reached out and grabbed hold of her small hand. "Thank you." he muttered as he tilted his head to look up at her. With that, he let go and grabbed hold of the bed in preparation.

From the moment she started, all the way through until the end, he didn't scream or move. He merely growled and dug his nails into his mattress. When it was finally over and the wounds were wrapped up, he allowed himself to relax on his bed. With a groan he carefully rolled over and looked up at her.

For a few moments he said nothing as he looked up at her with soft and grateful eyes. "I'm almost too afraid to release you from my service, with all these injuries I end up with." he joked with a weak voice. He rested his hands on his chest and closed his eyes. "I want to rest. You can help yourself to whatever you like on the ship." he spoke as he got comfortable.

But the moment she left, his mind started to wander. What would his master think? What would the other sith think? Was he really that good a fighter? What does Millicent think of him?

The last one was what stuck for a while. His thoughts swirled around that question and why he even cared. Then the answer came to him.

"Oh no." he muttered as his eyes shot open.

Millicent Tharoul

 

[Millicent Tharoul]

Wrong side of the Border

Once again, she did her best to support him as they moved - this time, it might have been warranted too, seeing as how the ship shook as they left the atmosphere of the planet. Millicent had told the droid to take them somewhere, but at the moment, she really couldn't remember what location she had given. It wasn't important in relation to Jas' wellbeing.

When he took her hand in his and thanked her, the girl quickly looked down with a smile - it was as happy as she could get, all things considered. Hiding her blushing cheeks until he laid down again, Millicent couldn't help but to feel appreciative of how well he was treating her. It was not that long ago that she had betrayed his trust and tried to escape.

The process of removing the cloth and otherwise cleaning the wound went remarkably well. The thief used her delicate touch and precise control of her hands to bring the pain down as low as possible. But she knew that, any normal person would probably be screaming like a toddler while Jas didn't move at all. He was probably the strongest person she had ever met and the intimidating growls he produced - while not directed at her - did add to the imposing image he had in her mind.

When it was finally over, she looked down to him when his head was still on the pillow "I think we're done now" she said with a soft voice, only audible because it was so quiet around them. She wasn't used to seeing the side of him that he displayed now - his yellow eyes could normally bring fear to her heart in an instant, but now, they looked at her with a sense of kindness and gratitude. The smile her lips carried turned into a slight laugh upon hearing his joke. She almost felt a little disappointed as he mentioned that he wanted to rest - but then, it was probably what he needed. With a nod, she thanked him, packed the medical supplies that remained into the medkit, brought everything with her and left the room.

Millicent was not one to drag chores out. She worked with some efficiency as she threw away the rests from the wound cleaning, put back the medkit in its appropriate place and cleaning away the blood that remained from when he came in - all while silently humming on a tune she had heard during her youth. Once done, she walked over to the kitchen "He'll probably need to eat something too" she though. A smile grew on her lips as she started to prepare something quick to eat, making sure to include a lot of meat. When she was slicing the meat, fear slowly started to come creeping into her mind. Images of the hostile guard flashed through her mind - the man had berated her, threatened her and shot at her - in the last hour, she thought that she was going to die at least twice. Her breaths grew deeper as she struggled to keep the tears at bay. Millicent looked to Jas' room, it gave her a little bit of comfort - for he was near, so she had to be safe.

Although she was still shaken, the girl would eventually be able to calm herself enough and remove the traces of what had happened as she prepared the food. The small smile on her lips returned as she walked into his room with a tray. "Oh" it was a little surprising to see his eyes open "You're still awake" she said, failing to hide that she felt a little happy about it. "I made a little something for you" Depending on how he reacted, she would either give him the tray directly, or put it down by his bedside table.

That had to be it, right? Millicent walked to leave the room. But as she got further away from him, images from the incident started to flash by in her mind again. It was certainly something which she hoped to avoid, for remembering it all only made her miserable. The girl's pace slowed to a halt as she reached the door. Slowly and carefully, she turned around, looking at him with timid eyes "Would you, uhm, would you mind if I stayed in here with you for a while?"

 

[Jas Katis]

Jas stayed in that state. The sudden realization of why he acted the way he did towards her was something that roubled him. It couldn't be true. She was a human. The thought of it was supposed to disgust him, yet here he was entertaining the thought.

Thankfully his thoughts were interrupted when she returned with something to eat. He carefully sat up and smiled at her, holding out a hand to take the plate. "Thank you." he spoke gently as he took a bite. However he stopped when he felt the distress coming from her. Unsurprisingly she asked if she could stay with him for a bit and surprisingly he nodded. "Of course. Come, sit." he invited her as he tapped the open space on his bed beside him.

When she sat, he offered her the plate. "Hungry?" he asked gently. He helped himself to a few more bites as he mulled over the situation. "So what is bothering you? I can feel your worry." he asked her as he turned slightly to face her.

Millicent Tharoul

 

[Millicent Tharoul]

Wrong side of the Border

She looked happy. It was far from obvious that he would allow her to remain in there, but he did. And so, she returned to his side and sat down where he tapped. The mattress bent down under his weight, creating a noticeable slope towards where he sat. Her eyes went to his arm up to his shoulder and part of her just wanted to lean in against him. Of course, she knew better than that and allowed her eyes to continue travel up along his red skin until they eventually arrived by his face. "Thank you" she said but looked down as soon as she realised how late the response was.

When he spoke up again, her eyes quickly shot up to his again. She felt all warm inside as she noticed how he was offering her the plate. While it might not have been intentional, it did show that he didn't really mind sharing food from the same plate as she thought he would, considering how he had expressed himself about her and humans in the past. With that, the girl pinched a cherry tomato between her thumb and index finger "Thank you" she said with a grateful voice before pushing the plate back to him. Of course, it wasn't the same as an entire meal but having lived on little to nothing for a long time, she knew that it would sustain her for at least a few hours.

When he asked the last question, Millicent was reminded of what she had learned early on. Jas could read her as easily as an open book. Or at least so it seemed. At this point, she would be honest with him - there was really no reason to lie, especially since the trooper was already dead "It's just the memories of what happened down there" she said, trailing off for a while before resuming the story "That guy, the one who shot you - he, uh, he's a bit hard to forget" But she was not feeling down now - in fact, being near him made her feel safer than ever. An appreciative smile grew on her lips as she looked up at him "But I'm all good now" she said, fondly bumping her shoulder against his arm. The warmth he held could be felt, even through her t-shirt. The girl's eyes lingered on his arm for a bit before her eyes went up to meet his "I feel safe now. Now that I'm here with you"

Jas Katis

 

[Jas Katis]

To his delight, Millicent joined him and helped herself to a cherry tomato from his plate. He waited patiently for her to explain what bothered, not exactly surprised when she admitted that the day's happenings were the reason for her soured mood.

But then came the part that made him tense slightly. She admitted that being close to him comforted her. And that begged the question: did she feel the same? Did she also have the same thoughts as he had? It wouldn't be surprising to him. Humans were much more open about such things... but he was a Pureblood. The fact that he felt this way about her bothered him.

But then again, the thought seemed more comfortable the more he mulled over it. He simply couldn't get himself to swallow his pride and express his thoughts.

While he was running through the miriad of thoughts, his mouth was slightly open as if to tell her something. And staring down at her, looking into her eyes, it was a tempting idea. But he simply couldn't do it. He finally gave a soft smile and pulled her in for a gentle hug. "That is what I promised you, after all." he quipped as he let go of her.

The constant bombardment was beginning to annoy him. When he looked at her again, he figured out a plan to get rid of her that wouldn't make him feel guilty. "Millicent... I have been thinking about some things. This morning I considered it... but after what you did for me, I am certain." he turned and took hold of her by her shoulders. "I am relieving you from my service. You deserve it. I will pay you extra money and drop you off at the nearest spaceport if you wish to depart immediately. I imagine you're anxious to get away after how I treated you." he confessed, smiling down at her.

It was a genius idea. He knew she was afraid of him. This way, he could avoid the situation entirely and go back to simply focusing on his duties as Sith... that's if she did what he hoped she'd do.

Millicent Tharoul

 

[Millicent Tharoul]

Wrong side of the Border

His gaze had fallen upon her and remained there for some time. Millicent didn't know what to do but one thing was becoming abundantly clear - if they were to have a staring contest, Jas would be the victor - for before long, her gaze fell from his, landing on his chest. She observed as it rose and fell and kept her eyes on it until she saw his large arm rise to bring her into a hug. While he could not see it, a smile grew on her lips as she closed her eyes upon feeling his strong arm wrap around her. He was not soft by any means, but still, it was comfortable - and it warmed her up in a heartbeat. She leaned her head against his side and remained there even after he released the hug. He had not removed her, so it was right for her to stay anyways - at least that was what she told herself.

Looking up from her position on his chest, Millicent couldn't help but to wonder what he was going to say. What had he been thinking of? Before long, she felt his solid grip around her shoulders, gently pulling her away from him. She looked at the spot on his chest where her head had been resting, very much hoping to get back - but she soon gathered her composure and looked back up at him with a discrete smile on her lips, indicating that she was in a good mood.

The good mood she seemed to have would be short lived, however. While she knew that she was supposed to be overjoyed by his decision, the girl didn't feel very happy at all. Her head quickly sunk and she shrunk in his arms as she crossed her own below her chest. Unless he held on to her tight, it would result in her slipping away from the grasp to lean back down on him. Millicent's eyes stared into emptiness as her mind tried to process what had just happened and how she felt about it.

The words of his Master echoed in her mind - in the end, she was just a pet, a toy. And once he was done with her, she would be discarded. Her sadness spiked as she thought of it. She had treated him like a friend and now he was just getting rid of her, what a jerk! But somehow deep beneath the surface, she still felt like she wanted to remain. But then, the idea was crazy and if she was offered freedom, she would have to take it. Millicent took a deep breath to stabilise her voice as much as possible "Thank you" she said, almost as if in a whisper - her voice was a vulnerable and weak one. She still didn't look at him - for now, the small thief just enjoyed leaning against him Maintaining the same vulnerability as before, opening herself up to be hurt even further, she asked "What did I do wrong?" while still leaning in against his chest - if he had seen her face, it would have been easy to notice how upset she was.

Jas Katis

 

[Jas Katis]

What started out as a great idea quickly devolved into a disaster for the Pureblood. The more he watched her face darken, the more his heart sank into his gut. Millicent leaned into him for comfort and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. She then asked what she did wrong and Jas didn't know how to respond at first.

"I... it's not what you did wrong, Millicent. I thought you would be happy. Glad to get away from this life, free to go wherever you choose. You did nothing wrong." he quickly managed to stammer out as he held her.

Now trying to salvage whatever he could of his genius plan, Jas gently pulled Millicent back to look into her eyes. "Please do not cry. I do not know how to handle crying people. What would you rather like to do?" he asked her gently as he leaned in to look into her eyes.

Millicent Tharoul