Ask Salvaging the Unsalvagable

[Heather D'Avignon]

Niamos - 102 minutes after the crash

Her decision was final. Heather had toyed with the thought after the events of Horuz, but that was now finally it. She'd settle as an Imperial Senator to represent a planet and quit this apperently well too adventurous life of an Envoy.

She had the qualifications needed and was sure she'd be assigned quickly, but she was so done with those kinds of intergalactic conventions. Sure, as a senator she'd have to travel around as well, attend senate sessions and still visit other planets for negotiations and whatnot, but the lifestyle of hopping from planet to planet within days was apperently not for her anyway as bad luck was following her.

Administrational tasks would be better, she told herself as she stood at the edge of what remained of the still burning wrecked ship, her whole body shaking. Her bleedings had stopped, yet the skin was brusied and scratche in various places and her ankle still felt either dislocated or heavily sprained - who knew, maybe even broken! Same for her hip.

There was basically pain everywhere and her thoughts were just racing but the tears on her cheeks had finally dried. Raxus knew that comms had died so someone would come for her eventually, right? She was still all alone and stranded on this beach, not even knowing whether this was simply an island or whether it was connected to the main land, but she was convinced she was quite off from actual civilization.

She regretted not having checked the radar and choosing to write the mail instead, but it was too late now. The pilot was dead, her own devices either lost or broken and she knew she had to wait. Just a little. An Imperial vessel would retrieve her soon. She kept telling herself that to keep herself sane, but after having paced for an hour, she sat down in the shade. She already felt rather thirsty, but didn't want to leave the wreckage and so she waited underneath the trees nearby, disheveled copper strands of hair in her face as she desperately leaned against the tree.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Not long after the collapse of two of the largest bodies of governments in the galaxy, Niamos returned to being a haven for criminals and felons looking to hide out from authorities. Local law enforcement thrived on bribery and corruption and the tourism costs went up exponentially. Despite the dangers, wealthy vacationers still arrived here to commit their vices in secret. Trafficking and illegal weapons trade ran rampant, along with unregulated fighting pits.

Azar was here particularly because of the perfect combination of lax laws and wealthy visitors. He was a scavenger and a thief since leaving Korriban, self serving in ways that would allow him to make credits. The faction was a secondary priority for now, though he needed it to advance himself in the ways of the Force.

He was dressed as a scavenger, hiding his race as he walked along the beach. He was unaccustomed to oceans, so he spent quite a bit of time staring at it and quickly shifting away if the waves drew close. Azar had heard a crash earlier and he walked over to investigate, spotting the burning wreckage ahead. The fires began to die down, smoke still pluming from the crash. He knew this spot would be crowded soon, so he had to extract whatever he could in the meantime.

The pureblood arrived at once, using the Force to move away a chunk of debris to reveal the internal chambers of the ship. He could spot luggage and other belongings, using a tool to pry it open before he started digging through the items. He was entirely unconcerned about any survivors - he preferred if there weren’t any.

@LadyRen

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

Heather sat in the shade for a moment, having given up on finding anything useful for her current state. The water supplies had been hurled off, just like the rations, so she was calculating how long she'd survive without water, figuring out that she'd be fine. Probably at least.

Her dress was no fit for such an emergency but she was rather angry at herself than shocked. Hadn't she learnt by now that you always had to be prepared for anything? It mattered little now though. Her dress was partly ripped apart and stained and the skin underneath bruised and all she wanted was to get off...just a bit longer, she told herself.

Or actually, was a day more realistic? Maybe they didn't immediately send someone, hoping they'd just show up again? Then she'd need water too. She was definitely less certain now...however, she couldn't really dwell on that thought as she noticed some movement in the corner of her eyes.

One of the few things she had been able to 'save' was her own blaster that had still been at her hips when she had touched the water. She had no idea whether the dented metal would be problematic and whether the insides had dried properly, but it was better than nothing. It made her feel safer. She pushed herself off the ground and started approaching the stranger, wondering whether any forms of engagement were even clever, but then she thought if they just had a phone, she'd be much safer...

Her clothes were still damp, but it mattered little. She approached hesitantly, the blaster in one hand, but neither aimed nor a finger on the trigger. If she had had a belt, it would have been at her back, clipped to the belt, but this way, her hand was the only option. Her throat was already dry, hence swallowing was difficult, but she forced down her inner tension.

As she got closer, she noticed that the stranger was definitely a scavenger and while she didn't mind this at all, she simply couldn't tell whether they were dangerous. The silhouette looked bulky and she immediately wondered whether this stranger wasn't hot, but as she cautiously adressed him, she did her best to keep her voice calm and confident.

"Excuse me...I mean absolutely no harm...but may I ask for a phone to make a quick call?", mustering all her courage, she carefully raised both hands, intending to show she really meant no troubles. Right as the words left her mouth, she realized how ridiculous that sounded. Was that the dehydration already? Why had she even approached the scavenger? Was that an early sign of deliciousness?


@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar was caught off guard by the woman that began to approach him. He mentally kicked himself for being taken by surprise, but externally he kept his composure. His EZPod was in his ear as always, her speech at least partially translated. He could vaguely make out what she was saying, though he stared vacantly at her raising her hands as a show of peace with one hand still holding a blaster.

Without warning, the Force coiled around the blaster to yank it out of her hand, sending it sailing towards him. He would then snatch it out of the air and stash it on himself. After that, he studied her quietly, wondering who she was and what purpose she served. Her attire suggested wealth and importance and he wondered if there was leverage to be gained from such a creature.

He opted to pretend not to understand her, turning back to what he was doing. She would notice he casually had opened one of her suitcase, tossing aside underwear and other personal clothing to look for any valuables.

@LadyRen

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

Judging from the thick, bulky gear, whoever was starting to scavenge seemed like a professional scrapper. Would they even help or rather avoid witnesses? Her heart began to pound faster and her insides screamed to leave, but wanting to ask for help, she still stood her ground.

She swallowed the upcoming lump in her throat again and stepped even closer before her blaster suddenly flew out of her hands and right into his. She gasped in shock and froze up right where she was while those thoughts began to race. A force user. Fantastic. And now she was disarmed. He studied her curiously but didn't bother answering and so she just stood still, watching before he returned to his work.

Her gaze then fell upon what remained of her very own suitcase and her first impulse was to step closer and ask him to back the fuck off with some kind of newly gained, angry confidence, but she immediately cautioned herself to stop as whoever this was was obviously a force user.

She was relatively suspicious of whoever commanded the Force, but as she was still stranded, her desperation did drive her forwards. She took a few careful steps in his direction, still doing her best to show that she obviously didn't pose any threat, but at the same time she was quite interested in at least gaining some information on where to find water as she herself was not very skilled with survival training.

"Sir...please. I really mean no harm, but if you don't have any devices with you, could you at least tell me where to find fresh water?". She still kept her safe distance and was ready to run (something she now even regretted she hadn't originally done right away), but at the same time, she buried one foot underneath the sand. He was a scavenger...so he needed parts and credits?

"I can pay...quite handsomely even. I just need water...or a call..and my clothes might not help you" she carefully tried again, her muscles tensing up as she waited for any threatening movements directed in her direction. She knew she might have a chance to get away if this scavenger proved himself to be hostile, yet she really didn't want to let it come to a confrontation so she stepped back with her left foot as if trying to signal she'd also just back of and leave him to it."Please...".

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

He largely ignored her until she mentioned paying. Unfortunately for him, the suitcase really did contain nothing but clothing. They were all expensive, but too cumbersome to take without being noticed. He stood to his full height, his gaze lingering on her for a while. A variety of ideas came to mind, but all of them suggested that she had some uses.

He drew out a container of water, letting her drink from it if she pleased. After that, he promptly slid behind her. The blaster was pressed discreetly against her lower back. He nudged her to start walking forward. Externally it would appear as if he was simply walking with her and they knew each other. He would purposely take paths that weren’t frequented.

Azar didn’t spell out the details - if she tried to cry for help, he would end her right there. The planet was falling into lawlessness and she just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was positive she could fetch him a nice sum from all her belongings and the type of ship she came in on.

@LadyRen

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

Her encounter was still strange...He was a force-sensitive scavenger and he seemed to ignore her. She was growing more desperate, yet she knew she couldn't push her luck. Perhaps running would have been the smarter choice after all...but then he suddenly moved, and, despite her expectations, offered her some water.

"Thank you...", she replied in genuine gratitude, her voice still dry and her voice thus lower and slightly raspy. She gulped down quitw a bit, however no fully rude amount, and handed the container back to him, before she wondered whether she should have even accepted it. Then again, why should he randomly carry around tranquilizers?

He suddenly slid behind her and as the blaster's barrel pressed into her back, she sighed. Fuck. Terribly memories immediately raced through her mind while her heart picked up its pace. Could she disarm him in one swift motion and shoot him before he'd get her? Unlikely..but she did toy with the thought as he made her move.

Also, why was he so damn silent? Did he even understand what she was saying? And where was he leading her? Was the drawn weapon just a safety insurance for him? She walked reluctantly, but wasn't going to take any chances. Maybe he was bringing her back to the city...at least he seemed to know she was worth more alive than dead.

They were traveling down a path that wasn't busy at all. She wondered whether throwing someone a desperate glance might free her, yet didn't dare to raise her voice, knowing he literally held her at gunpoint. "If this is about money, I can ensure you'll be paid handsomely...we can talk, you know? I'm sure we'll find a great solution" she quietly adressed him again when no one else was around, trying to negotiate with him.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar continued to remain silent, strategizing his next move. The path took him to a particular place that dealt in trafficking. Since he could only vaguely discern that she was some sort of Imperial diplomat and nothing more than that, he knew these crooks would at least give him a hefty sum to imprison her to begin with. After that, they could negotiate on ransom. The Empire wasn’t strong enough to flex a fleet or some big invasion over a single diplomat, so Azar thought the play was sound.

After a bit of walking, they arrived in a shady alley near a warehouse. The door had a slit on it and a gruff looking man’s eyes appeared after Azar knocked. He took a look at the ‘merchandise’ and opened the door. The boom of a bass could be heard in the distance, revealing that this ring operated out of the back of a club.

“This one is better than the last one you brought,” He said with a grin.

“Diamond,” Azar said, his voice gruff and his accent thick.

The man glared immediately, “Diamond? No way. What’s special about her?”

Azar casually flipped open the wallet he had and the man’s eyes widened. The pureblood couldn’t exactly read Basic, but he knew to recognize the logos of different governments. He knew this was Imperial. The man started chuckling, “Oh you caught a big fish!” His smile slowly began to disappear, “Maybe too big..” He grabbed the woman and hastily pulled her to his side.

“Get outta here,” The man said to Azar, “I’ll give you the regular price.”

“No, she diamond,” Azar said.

“I’m warning you,” The man said through gritted teeth, “I’m letting you walk away with your life, you little maggot,” He growled.

“No, give back then,” Azar said as he reached for the woman. Right then, the man charged at him. Heather would be left to her devices for just a moment as the two men got into a fight. However, that was when the big man was thrown across the hallway. He had Azar’s helmet clutched in his hand, staring at him in awe. Azar’s race was revealed at once, with his distinct markings and countless piercings.

“Holy shit.. Are you a…” The man began, fascinated. All he could see were credits, “You are diamond,” He snickered as he slowly began to get up. The pureblood leveled the blaster he stole earlier and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. He didn't know about moving the safety. Frustrated, Azar used the Force to send the blaster at the man's head hard enough to knock him out.

Azar didn’t wait, spinning on his heel and bolting to get out. He only hoped that the girl he tried to sell got a headstart and opened the door for her own escape, or they would both be tossed in a cell.

@LadyRen

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

While she was still being held hostage like this, her eyes still kept darting back and forth. Didn't anyone care about the look in her blue eyes? No one paid her any more attention and so at one point she did end up at a human trafficker or whoever this was. Her chances of escaping faded with every second, but even once inside the store, she immediately started scanning for a way out.

She had begun to think her captor was mute, or not at all capable of speaking Galactic Standard, but he did suddenly speak. Broken basic, but he did exchange a few words. Her eyes were widened and she stared at the 'shop' owner in horror before her gaze wandered to the scavenger. F.

irstly, was he really just attempting to sell her?! Secondly, was the other one really considering buying her?! Thirdly, how the kriff was she supposed to get out now?! They began to bargain and like a deer in the headlight she froze up. She was yanked towards the potential buyer, and while she was severely disgusted, she hadn't made up her mind about this just yet and so she did nothing but stare in horror.

The negotiations became more aggressive and as the trafficker suddenly shoved her away, she broke out of her stasis. Without thinking twice, she headed for the nearest exit which was de facto a backdoor. The entrance was off the table as the brawling men had stumbled in this direction, so she just darted out of the back, which however didn't immediately lead her into the open, but another room instead.

Maybe luck was with her today as she sprinted past a barrel that literally had another blaster right on top of it and she obviously grabbed it in her hurry. She spotted another door at the far back and rushed towards it and soon found herself back on the outside. Where to do though?!

"Hey!", she spun to the left, adrenaline rushing through her body as a bulkier Zabrak moved to grab her, however she instinctively brought her knee right up between his legs and wincing, he sank to the ground. Her mouth flapped right open in sheer disbelief as she backed away and started running again, completely astonished by her quick reflexes.

She rounder the corner and almost collided with a well-nourished, elderly Twi'Lek who was about to get into his speeder, but she squeezed her way past him. "I'm so sorry!" the vehicle was unlocked and no separate ignition key was needed for the open roof vehicle and so she immediately grabbed the controls.

"STOP THE RED HEAD". She wondered who had seen her, but expected it was someone related to the trafficking business as she heard the voice yell in her direction, but this didn't keep her from going full throttle. She had no idea where she was headed, but she needed to leave the district asap.

@Sreeya

20/20 ^^

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar bolted right behind her, all thoughts of the earlier interaction out of the window. His first priority was getting the hell out of here. He watched the girl make short work of anyone in her way, each move more creative than the last. Was she more than a diplomat? Maybe she was a secret spy purposely getting caught for some larger plan? And then she blubbered an apology to a random. Nah, she just got lucky.

He used the Force to yank back and toss the rotund twi’lek who then log-rolled into anyone following them and toppled them over. Azar vaulted over the side of the speeder, landing into the passenger seat. If she looked at him, he simply shrugged. He only hoped she could focus more on driving and less on the fact that her captor from moments prior was now her passenger.

“Empty side there,” Azar said as he pointed to where the road veered off into an alley. It was her choice whether to believe him or not. From how the situation played out, it was very clear that he was in just as much trouble. If the traffickers caught them, they were both screwed.

@LadyRen

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

Heather brought the borrowed speeder to accelerate quickly, however, she literally didn't see that the one who had captured her in the first place was suddenly in the vehicle. His face didn't give him away - that was totally new - but his gear did. A high-pitched scream escaped her regardless as she almost lost control over the speeder, however quickly outmaneuvered the next house block in the very last second.

She had no idea how and when he had gotten in exactly, but all color faded from her face as she knew she couldn't kick him out while driving and was literally escaping with her captor. She had no other choice and as she had learnt to follow simple commands in such hectic, distressing situations, she sharply took the turn and the vehicle slided inside like in one of those action movies.

"Kriff...kriff...kriff" she kept muttering to herself as she steered them through the rather narrow passage that apperently shook of one pair of traffickers who had tried to follow then, but she was relatively certain they weren't out of danger yet. "Where to?! Out of the city?! I don't know this place!" she exclaimed in panic as she sharply rounded another corner. They could head out of the city and hide somewhere, but where?

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar winced as she did her high-pitched screech. He didn’t know humanoids could produce obnoxious sounds like that. He gave her a glare, but she was too busy panicking to notice. What a waste of a perfectly searing glare.. He didn’t understand half of what she was saying, entirely uncomfortable to be in a vehicle that was going this fast. He was used to primitive technologies on his home planet or riding on animals. This was making him almost ill, the sudden turns turning him slightly green. He briefly wondered if he was going to have to hurl.

“Go go!” He frantically pointed to another shady alley. It may have looked shady, but it was largely empty, which was good for them. If she turned, he would gesture with his hand for her to stop. If they kept careening around on a vehicle, it would be easy to spot them. It was time to switch to moving on foot now. He hopped out of the vehicle, glancing at her. Trying to capture or sell her was useless now with him also being on the radar. However, she seemed like one of those nice types that would probably remember if someone ‘helped’ her. He had deduced that much from her apologizing to that delightfully plump twi’lek before stealing his vehicle.

“Up,” He gestured towards an abandoned apartment complex two blocks away. He purposely picked the distance so anyone following would only think to look for the building directly next to the speeder.

@LadyRen

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

It was funny how in her panic states, she suddenly became a badass driver and while their escape was a success for now, she couldn't fully feel triumphant for as long as they were still being followed.

She skillfully maneuvered them through streets and alleys while her uninvited passenger urged her into another dark alleyway, but having learnt to trust such instructions, she immediately steered the speeder inside before she noticed his gestures.

She pulled the breaks relatively abruptly, so that the vehicle came to a very quick halt and pressed their weights forward and into the seatbelt before she immediately strapped herself out of it and and started to run.

Was it a good idea to keep the scavenger as company? He definitely seemed a little hectic as well, so judging from this, he wasn't too keen on getting caught either, but it still made her toy with an idea...what if she simply stunned him? They'd capture him, no doubt, but would this mean she could slip away?

An actual sigh escaped her as she tossed this thought away. She wasn't such a terrible person. Especially because he could come in handy...she had allowed him to ride with her, so he was in her favor somewhat. Stop lying to yourself. He had tried to sell you. He was such a terrible person.

Still, she didn't try shooting him, mainly because while she was contemplating, she had covered the distance to the apartment complex already and because she knew that if he was Force sensitive, his senses were at least sharper than hers and could come in handy.

While she sticked to a fitness routine, she still slipped into the building while panting. The interior was truly lovely ans a shudder crept down her spine as she stumbled away from the door. "Help me bar it" she urged him, doubting he even understood, but as she moved towards the dust covered sofa and tried pulling it, he'd probably get the hint.

This was a weird situation to be in, but all she was thinking about what getting out of this chaos somehow. They hadn't seen them slip into the abandoned complex, she assumed, and so perhaps they were fine for now, however not even a few seconds later did she jump as a sirene outside started blurring.

What now?! Her widened yet again as the sirene wailed loudly before the shrill tone faded. "Attention Citizen. We have an incoming sandstorm. We ask you to move into the nearest building and keep door and windows shut. This is not a drill. I repeat. This is not a drill". "You've got to be kidding me...".

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar was thankful that they were finally out of the speeder. The nausea subsided at last as he stepped out and walked behind her. He could tell there was some moral dilemma going on inside her head, but as long as she kept powerwalking to their destination he didn’t care. While she may have been disturbed by the setting, to Azar it was still a roof over his head. Back on his home planet, he was lucky to have even that sometimes.

He turned to look out the window, gazing at the skies and the horizon. His brows furrowed. He had seen this many times before- having been from Korriban. Azar cursed his luck. Now he was potentially stuck with this shrieking banshee for hours at least. He looked back at her when she asked for help, standing with his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against a window. Azar simply rolled his eyes, giving a lazy wave of his wrist to where the sofa suddenly skidded across the floor to stop at the front of the door. No doubt this would make Heather topple down as a result.

Azar paid little heed to her at first, surveying all the windows to make sure there were no cracks and ways for sand to get in. The sirens kept bellowing outside. On the positive side, this meant their captors were going to give up the chase.

The pureblood finally took off the outer layers of his armor. His face had been revealed, so he didn’t care that she saw more of him. His vibrant, red muscled torso was revealed as he sat down by one of the windows to begin meditating. Layers of clothing was a custom he adopted only since venturing out into the broader galaxy. On Korriban, the heat meant he was used to little clothing.

@LadyRen

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

Bringing all her weight into this forward, pushing motion, Heather gave her literal everything in moving the heavy, old, dusty sofa, before it suddenly moved with ease. She staggered forward and lost her footing, as a result she toppled over and was confused for a second, wondering whether the adrenaline had gave her a boost of strength.

However, it then immediately dawned her as she glanced up at the red-skinned thug who was casually leaning at the window, remembering that he was capable of commanding the Force. The Diplomat blew a strand of loose hair that had fallen in front of her blue eyes out of her face before she immediately pushed herself back to her feet and brought a greater distance between the two of them again.

The wailing sirenes were more than disturbing, but while this meant they were stuck here, it also meant that they had escaped the traffickers. She still didn't feel comfortable with the stranger at all, especially because he had tried to sell her like cattle a little earlier, and so she moved towards the other side of the room for now.

He seemed to be checking the windows soon after and she let him, not having a clue about a window was suppose to look like in such a case, and so while he was distracted, she hid her newly acquired blaster under the armchair in front of her in case she'd need it later.

Sighting, she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes for a few seconds before upon opening them again, she realized that his armor was gone. He was...so alien, and she was pretty sure she had never seen his species before, which also meat that she couldn't place him at all and so for now she accepted that the scavenger would remain a mystery.

She couldn't believe she was stranded on this planet and it was even harder to believe the upcoming sandstorm now meant they had to wait in this dirty room as well, so she did toy with the idea of trying to run right now before it would definitely be too late. However, as she was looking out of the window, the darkened, yellowish sky looked dangerous enough for her to discard the foolish idea right away. "Do you still have some water?", she adressed him after a moment, not even having realized he had been meditating, but her throat was simply burning again and she had given him a ride after all.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

He was withdrawn within his thoughts, tempering his mind and finding a calm. He looked for answers - perhaps to questions he didn’t know to ask yet. It was his way of centering himself and strengthening his connection to the Force. His thoughts, of course, were interrupted when the woman spoke. He eyed her in silence, his vibrant yellows piercing into her blues, which he found unnatural. She was pleasant to look at, though he had to stop viewing her as something to sell to traffickers. Normally he despised the thought of sharing, but he was stuck here with her so it was best to get her to start forgetting that he attempted to sell her.

Without a word, he tossed her his waterskin, glaring at her as he watched to see how much she drank. He wasn’t going to let her just empty the entire thing. By now, the windows were rattling and the storm was in full effect.

She was a strange and curious creature. He eyed her as if she were some zoo animal, his gaze following her every move. She wouldn’t know what was going through his mind, only that she was in the spotlight.

@LadyRen

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

Heather had never actually seen a sandstorm in real life, but even as it began, it's ruthless powers were terrifying. Their building surely wasn't in the best condition and she was afraid it wouldn't bear the pressure, which left her severely unsettled.

As her blue eyes almost pleadingly rested on his, she found another shiver creep down her spine. He was a somewhat frightening sight to behold, partly because he simply looked brutally ruthless, but also because she didn't know much of the power he wielded.

Without flinching, but also without looking pleased at all, he did toss her the water bottle and out of politeness, she obviously only took a few small sips to keep her throat from burning and her system from dehydration before she tossed it back. "Thank you...".

The storm quickly picked up its pace and grew much louder and wilder on the outside. His yellow, creepy eyes kept tracking her as she paced like a nervous loth-cat in front of the window and she couldn't deny it made her uncomfortable, but while she simply tried to ignore it at first, she soon stopped in her tracks and glared back.

Firstly, she had to get away from the window, secondly, even if he was terrifying, if he still planned on selling her somewhere else when this was over, she had a little life insurance. "What?" she asked, moving away from the windows and taking a seat on the armrest of the dusty, battered armchair.

"You look at me like I'm your natural prey...and you did try to sell me to these terrible people...are you choosing awkward silence to torment me now as well?" Wow...okay where did that sudden boost in confidence come from?

She immediately regretted the words after they had left her mouth, but somehow did the fear of having the windows simply shatter let the frustration boil to the surface. "May I at least have your name?". Her tone grew a little softer and less feisty then as she tried to relativize her statement.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

The fear and nervousness she felt was almost palpable. It was exquisite to behold for those attuned to the Dark Side of the Force, and it empowered him. Of course, Azar didn’t know it as Dark or Light - his people only knew it as a singular Force and way of living. She kept shooting him glances, and his eyes never shifted, still drilling holes through her. In the absence of answers from him, she began to ramble. It was almost entertaining.

He remained silent a while longer, enjoying this little game. His piercing, yellow eyes wouldn’t leave her, watching her get more and more agitated and flustered. He was doing so much without moving a muscle, he found it fascinating. All the while, he found all those festering emotions pleasant to feed the darkness that fueled him.

“Pretty things bring big money,” He said finally on the topic of selling. It was a universal truth, after all. It wouldn’t take away any of her fears or concerns about whether he would revisit that topic or not. Even if he was also on the radar, it didn’t mean she was exactly free to go.

Azar completely ignored the question about his name. She hadn’t earned that yet, even if she was the reason he was likely still alive. The storm grew worse, the light being all but blotted out from outside. They were left in near complete darkness, though his eyes remained vibrant through it. He watched with morbid curiosity to see if she would go completely nuts from the silence and the watching.

@LadyRen

 

[Heather D'Avignon]

As frustration in this direction situation kept building, anger soon bubbled under the surface. It was a relatively new coping mechanism to her, but she had sworn to herself that she wouldn't let anxiety get the best of her and so deflecting this immense nervousity he triggered into anger was perhaps an option.

"You don't sell people!", her blue eyes still glared at him as she clarified her point. Wasn't he grateful to be alive thanks to the escape she had made possible?! Even if that was perhaps a gross, indirect compliment, she found this sheer objectification insulting and infuriating.

"Not where I come from, not in the Core, not within the Empire. I'm no cattle and you have no right to do so". Was she attempting to reason with the scavenger? Perhaps...but she doubted he even saw her as a human as he mentally seemed something else himself.

"Ugh...nevermind. Different cultural upbringing I guess..." she then tried to comb her still slightly disheveled hairs with her fingers, smoothing them down. Not just he was different, but so was this planet and she was very aware that she had always been rather privileged when growing up.

"Can't you sell ships?" she couldn't be certain he'd let her go, so she also still had to negotiate her way out of this, she presumed. "Is human trafficking common where you've grown up?". Her babbling like a waterfall was perhaps still a result of what his shameless, provocative staring evoked.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar watched her as she began her little tirade. It was a moment where his curiosity was overwhelmed by his impatience. Was she trying to tell him what he could or couldn’t do? That was when he rose up, his yellow eyes narrowed as he walked towards her. The Force would coil around her throat, just enough to make her uncomfortable without doing any actual damage. He walked till he was right across from her and she could make out the details of his face and the various piercings he wore.

“I do what I want,” He said gruffly in his accented voice. Kissai were an enslaved people for a long time, and some submissive traits still presented themselves in his family. His sister had died because of such traits. Azar vehemently fought against those habits and went the clear opposite direction. He asserted himself if anyone questioned him.

He finally released the Force hold on her, but he didn’t move away, still scowling. He took in sight of her, studying her form and physique. She didn’t look like she could fight, she blabbered far too much, so what was her skillset? What made her valuable to the Empire where the traffickers saw her as a prize beyond what they were willing to pay him?

“Ship expensive,” He said with a scoff, “I find you free on beach,” Azar added as he surveyed her. Maybe it was her eyes that made her a prize - they were uncommon and dazzling to behold. He could imagine what kind of dainty form she kept under those clothes and perhaps that only added to her price. Her dress was one of the most impractical things he had ever seen, and his gaze briefly went to where the front plunged inexplicably low along her chest. Was this all part of some distraction techniques while she talked? He was, of course, well aware of the blaster. He hadn’t survived a ruthless tribe lifestyle without being wary of his surroundings.

@LadyRen