Ask Pit Stop

[Renfry]

Renfry didn't gain any impression that he was familiar with Maul, which was a shame, but honestly not very surprising to her. It had been worth a shot, and he had gained a bit of information, but she didn't see it as a piece that threatened either herself or Dathomir.

She frowned as he asserted that they were weak and she pondered the statement. Were they weak? Not really, but they were kept down by the Nightsisters to some extent.

I suppose weakness is relative, she said. The Nightbrothers could easily wipe the floor with most beings in the galaxy. Even most trained soldiers stood no chance against the warriors of Dathomir. But against a Nightsister or a Sith? No, they were not equals in power.

She smiled as he asked her about her magick and for the first time it was an almost predatory smile. This was what everyone wanted from her and the one thing she was incredibly reluctant to share with anyone. Shadow Magick was the gift of the Spirits to the Nighsisters for the protection of Dathomir.

It is beautiful, she said. Truthfully, she loved to practice magick. It was powerful and special, something given only to her people.

The Nightsisters are not eager to share their teachings with others. Are your people so eager to teach others their secrets? she asked. @Arclight

 

[Asminys]

Weakness was relative, and the Nightbrother's were weak compared to their sisters, of that Asminys was certain. He wondered if this Maul had shared his opinion. The name he would remember, perhaps look into later. Perhaps not.

A smile lit the woman's face as he asked her about magic, a smile that leered almost like that of a predator. He was disappointed to hear that the Nightsisters were not into sharing, though he wasn't particularly into asking. This was a game that he would have to play carefully, for he knew what he desired.

"A shame." He said simply as if it wasn't a bother that the sister's of the night were so secretive. "Perhaps not, though knowledge is always there with the power to take it." The way of the Sith was one of power, and the strong prevailed. He considered that option, to try to overpower Renfry, force her to divulge the secrets of her people.

Maybe, if other routes failed.

"You smile when you speak of magic. You... enjoy it?" He wondered if using magic was like using the Darkside. If it filled one with the intoxication of power, if it spiraled into the bliss he felt when he tore life from the bodies of the weak, if her magic empowered her the way the force did his mind and body. "How does it feel?" He pried, curious.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

She could sense it within him. The temptation. She could practically tell that he was weighing his options, and the mention of being able to take knowledge made it oh so clear. Oh so alluring.

Her smile didn't dull, still not quite reaching her eyes. She loved the hint of danger to their little dance.

She paused a moment before continuing to answer the questions he had actually asked.

Of course I enjoy it, she said. It's amazing. It's a power few have. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what that's like, she said.

You fancy to take it from me? she asked directly. She wasn't one to shy away from confrontation. She liked to push the envelope and see just how far she could go into the lion's den. She was temping him in a way, and while she didn't think he would take the bait, she was prepared if he did. She was not the helpless little girl that many saw when they looked at her. @Arclight

 

[Asminys]

He knew exactly what it was like to have a power that few had. To hold it over the head of those who lacked power. To be a predator among the flocks of prey that surrounded. To hunt and to feed and to take and take and take. It was unrivaled in anything he had ever experienced.

He smiled, a real smile as she flirted with danger. His eyes twinkled with a joy that was in no way wholesome, that spoke more of danger and threats than happiness. He could tell that she enjoyed dancing with danger now, it hadn't clicked before when she had failed to flee before his power earlier, how she sat like a lamb before a wolf, begging for the slaughter.

"It had crossed my mind." His voice low, a mix between an amused chuckle and a threatening growl. To take what had not been offered, to steal the knowledge that he so craved. But he knew it wasn't that easy. He felt confident that he could kill her if he wished, to take her life in his hands and rip it apart like so much nothing and she would see it in his eyes. But killing her wouldn't give him the power he desired. To capture her would be much more difficult, and he still didn't know the extent of the power she wielded.

"Should I?" He asked her, as direct as she had asked him. She flirted with danger and he wanted to see just how far she would go. Would she put her head in the vice, offer her life up on the alter for him to take. Or did she value her life as much as her knowledge.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Ah yes, there it was. He wanted to test his luck. He was weighing his options with her. There was a wicked glint in her eyes that didn't seem as if it had been there before.

As he asked if he should, she stood in one fluid motion walked to him. She bent over and placed her hand on his shoulder, her finger grazing along the side of his neck. Her lips were close enough to his ear that he would be able to feel her breath against his ear as she spoke.

Only if you're sure you can handle the consequences, she whispered. There was a sinister tone to her words that betrayed a confidence and fearlessness. He was no doubt considering his odds still, but if he were wise, her words would give him pause before trying something. She guarded her secrets jealously and to take them from her by force would be as difficult as killing her.

She stepped past and spun so that she was still facing him, walking backwards behind him unless he turned.

As I said, I don't fancy being prey, she said. And yet she had a habit of tempting other predators. Like a sea snake of Manaan that feigned injury to lure its own food in, not all was as it appeared.

She took a deep, quiet breath as she leaned against one of the metal beams that made up the superstructure of the building.

So where do we go from here? Quite the predicament, wouldn't you say? she said, though it wasn't entirely clear what she meant by the question. @Arclight

 

[Asminys]

Asminys caught the twinkle in her eye as he asked if he should take it from her. She was enjoying this, enjoying the danger that he posed to her. She stood and he stiffened, expecting her to try to strike but instead he was met with a gentle touch and a whisper. Consequences. Her voice was fearless and spoke to a menace that only enticed him more. Her secrets were worth taking, of that he was certain.

He twisted onto his hip, propping himself up on an arm as he watched her back away from him, still facing him till her back was against something. For all that she said that she fancied not the idea of being prey, she certainly acted like prey. Acted like she enjoyed it.

He watched the swell of her breath as her back hit the wall, a sign that in others might indicate the swell of panic or the reigning in of it. He stood.

His eyes narrowed on hers as he approached her, stalking like the predator that he was.

"Quite the predicament indeed." His voice low as he approached, slowly, unhurried.

His red-gold eyes locked onto hers speaking of danger and the power that he held over her as he stopped to stand in front of her. His hand came up to grab her by the jaw, roughly. To force her to look into his eyes if she tried to look away.

"I think you act like prey." He growled as his eyes pierced hers. He was close enough that he could see the glow of his own red-gold eyes reflected in her golden orbs, could see the menace and promise of violence that they projected. He took a deep breath as he looked down the rest of her from above. He was close enough to smell her, to imagine the taste of her blood on his teeth. He was the predator in the room and she sought to act like prey.

She knew well the cycles of the galaxy and its consequences.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

She could see his curiosity piqued. Reeled in, though for precisely what intention, she wasn't sure. Did she like toying with her food? Or did she simply like leaving it unclear who held what role. Yes and yes.

He made his way to her and grabbed her jaw. Their faces were close and she could smell him now. He was strong, undoubtedly physically stronger than her, but still she seemed unafraid. His gaze was piercing, furious, and yellow. Oh yes, he was filled with rage after all. It was an alluring power and she wanted it. She wanted it for herself. It fed the darkness inside of her that had been growing day by day.

If he thought her gaze would break from his own, he would be disappointed. His gaze would be met with one of equal ferocity and before his eyes swept down, still locked on hers, her left hand struck him with a palmed ball of ichor. Her own draw on magick would make it more difficult for him to detect the flux in the Shadow and the strike was like that of the serpent she was.

He may well buffer it, but it would be enough to at last knock him back several steps and release his grip on her jaw. Even if he failed to present any defense at all, it wouldn't be enough to cause serious damage to him.

I do, she agreed. And the hunters can't resist, she said with a smile.

But not everything is as it appears. This is the danger of Dathomir. The most gorgeous things to the eyes often hide the most hideous of deaths, she said. It wasn't the information on magick he expected, but it was information on Dathomir and it's culture. Pieces inseparable from magick itself.

So had he received a portion of what he'd wanted to know? He'd won? Or had he not?

And what would you give me for the power of magick? she asked. She wasn't inclined to teach him anyway, but perhaps something if the offer was good enough. Such was the way of these Sith was it not?

The sound of sirens grew closer in the distance and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

I think that's our cue to leave, she said. She had no interest in fighting the authorities. It was more hot water, but she wasn't sure he would feel the same. She didn't wait to find out, heading for the edge of the construction point.

I get the impression I need money. You know how to get that? she asked, tossing a glance back over her shoulder at him.

 

[Asminys]

His eyes swept down just in time to catch the flicker of movement. He felt that same whisper, the creeping dark that spoke of secrets and magic just before he was flung back a few steps. His hand slapped to the place where he had been struck, and it came away sticky. Not blood, he looked at it. A faint greenish shimmer that briefly rode the palm of his hand that evaporated and faded away to nothingness.

Turning his eyes back on her, the rage in them strong but fading as she spoke. She had struck him but not to kill or harm, though he had felt the blow. Her words spoke to him now however, and a name stood out. Dathomir. The name echoed in his mind even as he considered the words that framed it. It seemed fitting, her magic was beautiful, yet it held a mysterious power that he knew little of how to protect against.

"What would you take." Not really a question, a buffer while he considered. "Do you value the knowledge of the Sith? Or perhaps something more... personal." He remembered the interest she had shown in his training. Either way, it wasn't as if she were about to trade here and now, he had time.

The sound of sirens began to grow closer and he bristled at their noise. Renfry seemed eager to leave but he wasn't particularly concerned. He would kill them all if they came for him, but he wasn't going to let the Nightsister out of his sight if he could help it.

"You need money? I don't suppose you would trade the secrets of money for Credits would you? No." He knew that such secrets could not be bought with cash or material things, well they could but those that held them would be loathe to part for such a paltry trade.

"Have you ever robbed a bank?" He asked as he caught up to her stride with his own, walking side by side as they departed the unfinished building to the semi-busy street. "It's quite a rush." Of course that would mean even more authorities chasing them, but that was already a problem they faced so what were a few more.

 

[Renfry]

Perhaps, she said noncommittally. There were almost certainly things the Sith knew that she would be interested in, and from the looks of it he was quite lethal. That seemed like the kind of skill that would prove useful to her.

But she also didn't like the idea of sharing Dathomir's secrets with someone she barely knew.

As he asked if she would give him the secrets for money she cast a glance back, but he proceeded to answer his own question. No, she wouldn't share magick for something as fleeting and pointless as a plastic chunk that people "valued."

No, but I take it you have, she said as he mentioned that it was a rush. She noted how close to her he stayed. How he seemed incredibly interested in her, but as usual, not in her.

She came to a stop outside a building that identified itself as the "First Malastare Bank" and she looked back at him.

You seem to have done this before, she said. She began wrapping up her face so as to not be recorded. She didn't fancy being identified and flagged in some way. That was how this worked, right? @Arclight

 

[Asminys]

Renfry gave no indication of what she would accept for her knowledge on magic, and Asminys was fine with that for now. Patience. Sooner or later he would have something that she wanted, and then he could get want he wanted. For now there was fun to be had.

"Once before, not soon after-" He stopped midway through the sentence. There was no reason to mention that it had been almost right after he had killed his old masters and earned his freedom from the Cadre. He had been ignorant to the ways of the civilized galaxy then. Well more ignorant than he was now. Speaking of. Spotting an individual carrying a rather large backpack walking down the street towards them, he veered to collide with him while he walked.

"Hey watch wh-ooof!" The man who looked to be a teenager began to exclaim before Asminys ripped the bag from his back and shoved him to the ground where he splashed into a puddle in the street. Opening the bag, he upended it, pouring what appeared to be school supplies all over the poor kid before continuing to walk alongside Renfry, leaving the poor kid sputtering and trying to collect now sopping books and homework up from the ground. He hadn't thought to bring a bag the first time he had robbed a bank.

Coming to a stop outside the bank, he watched Renfry start to wrap her face up. Another thing he hadn't considered, but also not one he cared about. "Can't you just... fwoosh," He put his hands together and wiggled his fingers before spreading them apart in a display of fake flames and disappearing, "Teleport us into the vault with your magic?" He asked. It sure would be convenient, and he was curious about the breadth of what her magic was capable of.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

She glanced back at him as he started a sentence and didn't finish it. Ah, secrets, secrets, she thought to herself, noting that they may end up with some sort of issue but not pressing him on it right now.

As she started wrapping her face she watched him go over and assault some passerby. As with before, she didn't seem particularly phased by his actions, though she didn't note to herself that this time he was the aggressor. An interesting but important distinction from the altercation in the cantina.

Really liked his bag, huh? she quipped, smirk hidden behind the mask.

Yes and no... but this time no, she answered. She didn't want to give him all the details of how her powers worked, and she wasn't sure they had the time for the explanation now anyway. The important part was that it either wouldn't work or she was unwilling to expend the energy to do it. A little of both.

Well, best get to it, she said, as if they were about to take a trip down to the grocery store. She pushed her way into the bank, her own mask immediately drawing the attention of the people inside.

You'd like to hand over your security information, she said, waving her hand and reaching out to the Force, touching his mind and making him more amanable.

I... I can't... I'm sorry... but I can't do that, the man said, clearly struggling between the impulses she had tapped into with the Force and his own willpower. Particularly strong willed, this one.

Perhaps I can keep him company while you check around the back, she said to Asminys as she glanced once again over to the man who now appeared to be getting ready to go call for help. @Arclight

 

[Asminys]

"I'd like to get more than a pocketful of credits." Asminys said back as Renfry joked about the bag. Looking at the bag, he chuckled a little bit. It was colorful and decorated with little cartoon characters. He was however disappointed that she could yet couldn't teleport them into the vault. He had hoped to take a step through the flames himself, get a firsthand look at how her power functioned.

Following the masked Renfry into the bank, backpack slung over one shoulder, he watched her attempt at getting the security information. The man seemed particularly strong willed, or her mind tricks were weak. Either way it didn't work.

"Let's try it my way." He said, shaking his head as he continued walking past her and right up to the counter. The clerk behind it eyed him, then the masked woman and began to reach for a button under the counter. Pointing a finger at the man's hand, Asminys flicked his hand, tugging the clerk's away from the alarm as Asminys hopped the barrier and kicked him in the chest.

"Your security badge." He said aggressively as he pulled out the vibroknife that he had taken from the thugs earlier, holding it right under the clerk's nose. All fight left the fearful employee and he handed over his badge shakily.

"Will this get us into the vault?" He asked, to be met with a rapid nod. Reversing the vibroblade, he knocked the man on the side of the head with the hilt, sending him sprawling to the ground cold. "Good."

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry watched as Asminys took a far more aggressive approach with their "host" but it seemed to get results. They had a badge, no alarm seemed to be raised yet, and the man was unconscious. He was efficient. A competent warrior and killer. Perhaps she could learn something from him as well.

They scanned the badge and made their way deeper into the bank. Dozens of small, locked boxes were sealed up and beyond that was the main vault. They passed another employee, cowering in a corner and trying his best not to be seen by the invaders.

Open it, she said grabbing the employee and shoving him toward the vault. The man was stuttering and nodded as he began to work at the locking mechanisms to get it open. Although Renfry didn't know it, they were fortunate that there was some form of time lock on the door. Perhaps Malestare wasn't known for its bank robberies.

Thank you, dear, she said, holding her hand up to the man's forehead and pressing upon his mind with the Force. His eyes rolled up and he fell asleep, falling into a heap on the floor.

She walked inside and promptly began loading credits into Asminys's backpack.

I think this'll be a nice cap to the day, she said, rather chipper considering the danger they were in.

You're quite the fighter, aren't you? she asked as if it were just another regular day. She was interested in learning more and... well, not a moment to waste.

 

[Asminys]

The badge indeed go them into the back of the bank. It was a short walk through the maze of hallways but Renfry managed to grab a conveniently more conscious bank employee to guide them through and open the door to the vault. Then she did something else with her magic. A simple tap to the forehead that sent him sprawling to the floor, asleep.

"And I thought today was going to be boring." Asminys agreed with her assessment of the day. What had started out as a boring evening of drinking cheap ale in a pub had exploded with violence before culminating in him meeting a new and very interesting person. The load of credits that they were stuffing the backpack with certainly didn't hurt the outcome either.

"It makes my heart sing." He grinned, repeating what he had said earlier. "I've been fighting since I was a child." He added, not sure if that was too much of an overshare but it was very true. His whole life had been a form of combat, one way or another. It had been his life's purpose, or so the Cadre-masters had said. He supposed that he could try to find another one, but he liked fighting.

With the backpack stuffed to the brim with credits, Asminys zipped it up and shouldered it. It was heavy. Grabbing a handful more and shoving them in his pocket as he walked out of the vault, he spotted an exit sign and made for it. Busting through the exit door just as the alarms started ringing throughout the bank, he sighed. "I think that's our cue to leave."

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Well, that explains a lot, she said. He moved like he'd been fighting his whole life and it was actually a rather beautiful thing to watch. She found herself perhaps even a bit jealous. I should learn some of that, she thought to herself.

She helped shovel credits into the backpack and stepped back as he stood.

Agreed, she said, following him out the back of the bank as the alarm started to blare. The more trouble the two of them caused, the more she wondered if it was time to get off of this world. Surely they'd be hunted down or cornered soon, right?

She darted down one of the alleys to the next street over jumping onto one of the droid-operated local cab platforms.

She glanced back to make sure Asminys was on board before hitting the button to take them across town and slapping one of her new credits in.

Well, maybe we can shut ourselves into a hotel for the night. You can show me some of your fancy moves and maybe I'll show you a bit about Dathomir, she said, glancing back and quirking an eyebrow that was visible even under the mask she was wearing. @Arclight

 

[Asminys]

Asminys followed Renfry out of the bank and down the alley, hopping into the cab with her. He caught her eye quirk under the impromptu mask she wore, making him wonder if there was something more to what she was saying.

"You think we can get one of those penthouses? We got the cash." He chuckled, wondering about the clerks reactions if they tried to pay by dumping out a backpack full of credits. Probably would call the security forces.

"About the danger of Dathomir?" He asked, his tone light. He had not forgotten the lesson from earlier. The one where she lured him in and then struck him. "Does this gorgeous thing hide a hideous death?" He asked, echoing her words earlier as he reached out and lowered her mask so he could see her entire face once again.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

A penthouse didn't sound so bad. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more appealing it sounded. Perhaps there was no need to lay low for a while if they could simply live up their "hiding" in style. Not that Malastare was a particularly beautiful world, it was a shame they weren't somewhere nicer.

I could go for that, she said, nodding thoughtfully. She could sense the shift in him as he spoke. It was almost a transition from what she'd seen out of him up until now. She wasn't to be fooled though. She knew the only thing he wanted was her knowledge. Well... maybe not the only thing he wanted.

She felt him reach up and lower the mask covering her face and he would see a coy smile there. He was being both more direct and also different all at once.

My, my, you are curious about "Dathomir," aren't you? she asked.

So just what is it you're envisioning we do in this penthouse? she asked, teasingly. She didn't imagine the hideous death was his goal, but she could guess what it was. @Arclight

 

[Asminys]

He was curious about the penthouse. He had never experienced what some would call "luxury", the high life. Nodding, he pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Why not?" He asked, in reference to the penthouse. Punching in new coordinates to the cab module, he raised an eyebrow

"I am, actually. What is it like?" He asked. He was genuinely curious about the planet that raised such a skilled sorcerer. His interest had leaked earlier as well when he had asked about her childhood on the planet.

The tone in her voice teased of something, not of danger but that wasn't out of the question yet. "You said you're very familiar with the cycles of the galaxy." He knew she meant the cycle of violence, but there were other cycles that existed within the world as well.

"My upbringing was much less... organic." He paused for a moment as he searched for the right word. He wasn't unfamiliar with the way of things, but his experiences were not quite as nature intended. A fleeting thought flashed back to silver eyes as he looked into Renfry's golden ones.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

He was curious for knowledge. That was something she could respect, and she was beginning to think they both had something to trade to the other.

Everything your upbringing was not, mine was, she said as the taxi came to a stop outside a rather lavish-looking building. Her statement was a broad, sweeping one, but it had hints of the truth in it nonetheless.

She made her way inside the building, paying for the finest room and then heading up to the top floor. The view was spectacular and she walked over to the window to look out. She could see everything over the plains of Malastare and the sun setting beyond the horizon.

Dathomir is nothing like this world. This place is too... dead, she grumbled. She hated the lack of life. She could feel creatures under the surface of the world, but it wasn't the same. Where were the trees? The plants? The vibrancy of nature? Nothing survived here.

You use bladed weapons? she asked abruptly. That seemed to be the way of foreigners. @Arclight