You and Me, Right?

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One jailor traded for another. Graxin had only just escaped from Mytus, and had arrived in shackles once more. There hadn't been much of a chance the first time anyway. The capital of the New Order was an impenetrable stronghold in almost every way. The Knight's ship had been intercepted as it left orbit by one of the smaller Graug warships. Graxin hadn't recognized the design, though he had read the name Judiciary when the tractor beam pulled him int.

On top of this, a certain rather important soldier had perished across the galaxy. So far from Graxin, yet, he felt that small flicker of light dim. He had never met the man, but he had met the one who took his life. The name Tal'verda had become a curious mystery for the former Apprentice in his short tenure of freedom. The death both mystified, and shook him. No one was safe from the galaxy's evils. Evils he had helped to bring about.

The chieftain of the ship he had been taken to was a quiet Graug by the name of Mok. Mok treasured his trophies and kept them hidden away from those above his command. They were his leverage, and now Graxin, along with whoever else was in the brig, was a piece in the game of power. Such was the way of things when it came to the Sith, that, Graxin had learned the hard way.

He was led into a rather spacious cell. The utilities were moot, but it at least had a set of beds. The two Graug that dragged him into the room hurled him onto the floor, his bruised, beaten body rolling slick along the dirty floor. His jacket hung to him in tatters exposing abused skin, and his hair fell in an absolute mess over his eyes. The former Apprentice groaned audibly, and lifted his head to look over the darker corners of the cell.

[member="Linori Pryde"]

 

[Linori Pryde]

[member="Graxin Rade"]
“I’m surprised they didn’t kill you.”

Her voice drifted through the cell’s bars, echoing in the rather empty room. Prisoners didn’t seem like a popular option for the Graug, and it seemed like there were very few who took up the prison cells. As the Sith would turn, he’d find a rather small woman with silvery hair staring down at him, arms crossed over her chest.

Linori’s face was covered by her elongated hair, though it appeared that the wraps that would usually cover her face were missing. Her dark purple robes were tattered at the bottom, and she seemed somewhat thin. The miraluka was stripped of most her precious belongings, but in her cell they had allowed her a small stack of books. As usual as ever, she addressed him with an unamused and neutral tone. Things haven’t changed.

 

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"I love you too." Graxin grumbled sarcastically from his sticky spot on the floor. He pushed himself up to his feet, and winced as the fresh bruises burned under his skin. He slowly extended his left leg, his expression taut with apparent pain. There was a particular slash down the calf that was just begging to open and bleed all over the cell. He wrapped a dust cloaked hand around the steel bar of back bar of the bed and braced himself on the piece of furniture.

Slowly, almost weakly, he turned around to face Linori. The two had never been friends. The former Apprentice turned government target had tried, of course, but she was a victim of his misdemeanors. He just assumed she hated him--it was likely true. He breathed a heavy sigh, and stared at the blind women; amber eyes twinkling with private thoughts.

"Krag is dead, I think. They executed my siblings, as far as I know, and they wouldn't if he was still alive right?" He mumbled hollowly. He shook his head in quiet despair. His lips pursed to speak an apology, but no words came. He had grown tired of apologizing to Linori. "How long have you been here?"


[member="Linori Pryde"]

 

[Linori Pryde]

[member="Graxin Rade"]

Linori stayed traditionally quiet for some time, her unseen gaze travelling over his leg. He couldn’t see what hid behind her bangs, though he probably knew what the absence of eyes looked like. She remained stoic, her arms taut across her chest, voice unwavering. Linori seemed everything opposite that of Graxin, though perhaps there was a sliver of sympathy for the broken man in front of her.

“I knew about your imprisonment on Mytus,” she mutters, though it seemed they were alone in the section of cells. “I stayed for awhile, but with the absence of the Dark Lord, things were getting dangerous, and even in some of the technological institutions I didn’t feel safe. I left, and without any sort of identification, I was caught. Its been two weeks, I think.”

The miraluka kneels down, hand pressing against the cell wall. “Why are you here?”

 

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[member="Linori Pryde"]

Graxin squeezed his eyes shut and allowed himself to try and relax. His remained silent for an uncharacteristically long time, took in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. It was as much a soldier's technique as a Jedi's. the force simply allowed its effect to be a bit stronger if used to reduce pain. The former Sith could still feel it, but it was less of a burning, and more of a slight sting.
"I apologize for you being captured then." He stated calmly. There wasn't much he could do now other than apologize and....why was he apologizing? He had changed Linori's life, yes, but she had volunteered to stay with him. She knew the risks. He hadn't forced this on her.

For the first time in his short life, not a soul could say he owed them a debt, nor did he have any direction. Bane was likely dead, or freed. His sister....there was no way of knowing. "I was making my way off world to figure out what happened to Krag." Krag, not father. "They caught me on my way out. Now I don't know, I suppose. The Graug are going to descend into civil war soon, I'm positive. They have no Warchief. That's why they're keeping me around....you, I'm not so sure."

He canted his head to the right. There was none of that apologetic sympathy he always seemed to have when he spoke to her now. "Perhaps its your technical skills, or simply your looks. My former people are brutes, I see that now....what happened to your cloth?" He asked suddenly, his gnarled, burned hand motioning toward her eyes.

 

[Linori Pryde]

[member="Graxin Rade"]

Linori turns away and lifts a hand towards her face, instinctively moving to cover her unseen eyes. “They took it, along with everything else. I suppose I’m lucky, seeing as they haven’t erm…done as they normally…do,” she whispers. Just thinking about the Graug made her shiver, and while she could never make out the details of the beasts who held her captive, she had read enough to know what happens to their prisoners. “No, they’ve kept me well and alive. They captured a few others, but needed a translator for the time being. Once they’ve gotten the information they need from them, I don’t think I’ll be needed any longer.”

She looks back over her shoulder, wary to keep herself hidden and her voice low. Despite the lacking of guards, they had every reason to be wary. “I’ve also been trying to figure out what happened to Krag, though the plethora of rumors arising hasn’t helped.”

 

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[member="Linori Pryde"]

"I'm starting not to care about what happened to him." Graxin admitted. His eyes slowly opened, and he settled back against the cushion of the bed. It wasn't much, but it was better than the energy chains he had been suspended from on Mytus. The pain they had caused almost killed him many times from the slightest motions. "He did nothing but terrible things. He made me do those things too." He continued, head in his hands.

His lips pressed into a wane smile and his gaze fell back upon the Miraluka. He seemed to hesitate before speaking, but speak he did. "It'd be best to get you out before they get to those things then." He mumbled just barely audible. "If that's what you were planning, anyway. If not, I suppose I'll rot here. It wouldn't be too terrible of an end, honestly."

 

[Linori Pryde]

[member="Graxin Rade"]

A hand thrusts through the bars of his cell and grabs at the hem of his shirt, pulling him back against the wall. Linori’s grip was strong enough to hold Graxin at his weakened state, though she knew he’d overpower anytime else. She presses her forehead to the bars and hisses at him.

“Graxin Rade, how dare you! All you damned did was talk about Graug, how he ruined your life and did such things to your family. You’ve done terrible things for this man, killed innocents and my stupid boss.”

Linori pulls sharply on his shirt again, the sound of his head clanging against the bar ringing in the room. “Idiot, the only reason I’m here is because of that man you used to call father! And now you say you’ll just sit here and rot like all of that frak didn’t matter?”

 

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[member="Linori Pryde"]

Well, this was new. The Miraluka had always been a quiet, calm, if not melancholy figure in Graxin's life. Outright anger wasn't something she normally showed, and Graxin hadn't actually seen it before. He blinked in surprise, and winced as his head was forced against the bars.


"Not sure. I owe it to you to get you out, of course, though I have no real direction now." His shoulders lifted in a slight shrug. His hands reached up and clung to the iron bars. Things were getting so odd as of late, it seemed. The two were much closer now, more so than they had ever been. Graxin felt a tinge of anxiety run down his spine, and the odd smell of her breath and the sound of her voice seemed to pull him out of his slump.; if only for the moment. "If he's dead, then there isn't much I can do about him either Linori."


He nodded as if to assure himself, and let his arms fall down to his sides. Even the simple act of holding the bar was taxing on his exhausted body. "What would you have me do then, huh? I've no idea where to begin, or what I should be doing. I'll try to get us off this ship once I've recovered, but other than that..."

He fell silent. Nothing more needed to be said about that.