Beginnings of a Slave

[Alaisia]

"Elora, the silver-eyed girl."

Elora glared at the pirates who talked about her. She was the only one of her kind on the ship. The pirates were human, there were three male Twilek, and the last two were Cathar females. She looked nearly human, with light brown hair and blond highlights... but her eyes were what gave her away. She had silver eyes. They made her an unusual find for these pirates. She tried to scoot closer, ignoring the pain from her bindings, and hear what more the pirates were saying but they were done talking. Silence had fallen over the cabin again.

Elora fumbled with her goggles, which hung around her neck, and peered at the other captives. It was dark, so they couldn't see. But she could. Give her just a little light. The smallest amount would give her eyes enough to see as if it were daylight. But true daylight... that was where she had trouble. Bright light of any sort hurt her eyes. That's where her goggles came in. They blocked the light so that she could see during the day without blinding herself.

The first thing that told her that the ship was stopping was the Twileks' murmuring about hearing the pirates. They spoke of the ship coming into the dock. The second thing was the shudder as the ship actually landed. She was on her feet, ready to face whatever came through the doorway... but it was the pirates yet again. The two of them ran toward her, pinning her before she could try to fight back, and put a metal collar around her neck. She knew the collar would be attached to a chain, which would link her to the other slaves to keep any of them from running. She watched as they did the same to the others and grinned.

The pirates led them off the ship, the Cathar first and Elora last. They were led into a large open room and pulled up onto a stage. So it was an auction, Elora realized as she heard a man yelling for bids. This was how she was going to find her 'Master' and, if she had her way, her freedom.

 

[Mcpop9]

In the crowd, there was someone who was completely cloaked in appearance. there was a tattered brown robe on the figure, cloaking their face in darkness and it hung down to just above the ground. Two pale white hands were the only visible items as the person left them by their side. They looked up at the stage and took an inventory of the figures there. The one that caught her eye was a girl in some clothing that were no better than their own. She decided that whoever this girl was, they would join them.

Stepping forward as the girl was up next to be sold, they made a bit of space around themselves and called out. "1,000 credits and i'm taking the girl." said the female's voice, powerful and booming through the room while silencing the rest gathered. Dropping the hood, Livia revealed herself to the crowd, her purple eyes and hair making some wonder why she wasn't up on stage. With a small wave of her hand under her cloak, she tried to use what she had learned as a jedi to help her here. "1,000 and i'm going to take the girl." Livia pressured, thankful to have an ace up her sleeve if things went wrong.

 

[Just Matt Now]

It was about every other week that Nal Hutta held slave auctions. And only the most influential or wealthy were privy to the best stock. After having lost a few slaves, Borga felt the need to finally replace them and add to what he already owned. So there he sat in a secluded section of the auction awaiting the slaves to reveal themselves. Tw of his Dashade guards were at the door, blasters at the ready, and one of his gladiators by his side, Icarus, Borga in no way felt endangered. It was his royal empowerment that gave him the want to have his guards around, though the con in him would tear an attackers throat out if need be.

As the auction started, all eyes were on the first slave to reveal themselves, and then the rest who came out all chained together. The usual species had been there, from Cathars to Twi'leks, and to be honest, Borga wanted to diversify his collection. At the end was an odd looking girl, one who wore goggles around her neck. As the Hutt wondered who, or what she might be, a bid went out for her.

1,000 Credits.

Certainly not an intimidating offer for this wealthy Hutt.

"Eight thousand credits!!" The Hutt yelled as he looked out to see who the opposing bidder might be. It was clear that she was female, though Borga had no idea who she was. She didnt have the appearance of anyone of power, especially not in the Cartel.

 

[Mcpop9]

Livia was hopeful of her bid, but then hear another price over her own had been called out. The human considered her options. One thousand had been her ceiling and her price she hoped to have had some advantage with her force training. Now she could just let this girl go and be on to try and save someone else, or make the riskiest mistake of her life and play the bluffing game.

Considering everyone who knew or cared about her was dead, she decided to play it risky. Looking up at the source of the voice to find a hut sitting behind the offer, she looked him dead in the face and pointed at the auctioneer. "Twenty thousand credits." She announced, her eyes need leaving the hurt as she challenged him, calling him out without saying a single word.

 

[Just Matt Now]

Borga's eye nearly twitched at the offer that the mysterious female had made. Could she really have been some underground millionaire that the Hutt had never heard of?...He doubted it. Though it did get a rise out of him nonetheless. A large smile came across his cavernous sized mouth. Surely 20,000 was a large price for a slave, though the Hutt had paid more for some.

"Twenty five thousand credits. And as for my opposing bidder, I will pay you substantially if you can provide a service for me, that is if you have a service to provide."

Borga was always looking for bounty hunters or drug smugglers or dealers who can get his product offworld, especially into Imperial space. he had no idea who this woman was, but perhaps she could help him in some way. The crowd seemed to react with exhausted curiosity to the Hutts offer and bid. Immediately, Borga sparked up a cigarette and blew out a puff of smoke, confident in his offer.

 

[Mcpop9]

Looking up at him, she returned a wicked smile. "You may be in luck as I happen to be rather board at the moment and only stopped by to find a new toy to play with. Give me the girl as payment and you may have a deal. Depending on the specifics ofcourse." Livia called back smugly. She was pushing her luck already and knew it very well. However, she didn't care about her well being so she tried spicing things up. "Unless you should want me to drive the price up on the slave again." She replied, a sick and twisted aura came off of her to those who heard her voice.

 

[Skumdreg]

Vosk blended into crowds like filth blended amongst a sewer and being accustomed to the tightly packed vertical cities of Nar Shaddaa, he navigated almost effortlessly through the amassed crowds of onlookers looking to score themselves a living soul. He never truly agreed with the slave trade, but he rarely voiced these sentiments. It was, after all, a harsh reality that wasn't about to budge. Still, these were one of the few places he could score a fix without having to worry about a shakedown by the local authority. At this present moment, with his newest purchase of spice pending delivery, he found himself watching the latest auction, if only for the entertainment value.

Antennapalps erect, he scanned the crowd, and quickly discerned an ongoing bid-war between what appeared to be a Hutt and what he assumed to be a female. He slipped past a pair of bickering Gammoreans to get a closer look at their unwilling prize and saw... nothing special. Just another human or near-human. If he was going to throw down twenty-thousand credits on something, it should have more arms than that. Three, minimum.

 

[Just Matt Now]

Borga's smile turned into a laugh, he had come here for slaves, not connections. And he would either leave here with both, or one. When opportunities rose, he jumped on them for what he thought they were worth. Though he did not know what this woman was worth just yet, and so her services meant nothing to him.

"Haha, I don't think so." The Hutt then turned to the auctioneer. "This auction is concluded, I will pay one hundred and fifty thousand credits for the whole lot of slaves." Borga then shot a glare back at the woman. "You clearly do not know who I am miss. Credits do not scare me, neither does power, and trust me I own a fare share of both around these parts." At this moment Borgas gladiator, icarus stepped down from their secluded section, holding a small briefcase that was chained to his wrist. The large and muscular fighter passed through the crowd and to the auctioneer.

"So how about you tell me what you could offer me while they prepare my slaves for transport?"

 

[Mcpop9]

Things turned south and the human didn't like it. Raising her left hand up, she held it out infront of herself and created a force barrier that shimmered in the air, lines field around herself to protect from blaster fire that might come her way. In her right hand dropped a metal cylinder, the hand grasping it as it always had confortably. "Credits, power, meaningless words before someone like myself. When a person has nothing to lose, they become the most dangerous animal in the entire galaxy. Their body I s only a tool, a means, to seek out and accomplish their goals." Livia proclaimed loudly and fearlessly.

With a quick kick off the ground, she pulled a massive force leap up onto stage with a backflip. "Now know this, Hutt. I have come for this girl and have every full intention of leaving here with her. Now it is just a matter if your pitiful security forces will be leaving here on their legs or in body bags." She said as the cylinder emitted a light, extending out an orange blade of light that gave off a hum as it sat in the ex jedi's hand.

"So what I ask of you is to do the smart thing and save us each time money and the lives of your guards. I am no Jedi and I am no Sith. I serve only myself and the greater good. So if it means collecting a bounty or smuggling drugs off of a planet, I shall take the offer to free a girl. I reiterate this one last time, Hutt. Offer me a contract for this girls life and we'll each leave here better off than we started. To be fair as well, the abilities of an ex Jedi are far more worth a single girls life, am I right?" She proposed to the crime lord, hoping he would have some sort of sense in his head, if not, there was no garunteed to make it out of here alive for anyone in the room. That anxiety could be felt building as the human waited for the hutt's answer on the side of the stage.

 

[Skumdreg]

Vosk's jaw slackened, dumbfounded at the exchange, though most of it was directed at the female as she boasted of her power and offered herself up to the hutt. The urge to get himself involved seemed to override his better sense of judgement and he quickly found himself animated. Hood up, the Balosar sifted through the crowd until he found himself situated behind Livia, the so-called ex-jedi. He approached cautiously, trying his best to blend with the crowd, and when he was within earshot, he'd hiss out a sharp warning in Basic.

"You sure the girl's worth it, lady? Bad fate bein' in the pocket of a hutt, and one you can't lightly turned away from."

 

[Just Matt Now]

The second the blade had emitted from the girls hilt was the second Icarus had sprouted into action, dropping the case for the auctioneer to take, and jumping on top of the stage, unsheathing his songsteel sword that had tasted the blood of countless enemies, Force sensitive and otherwise. The fierce looking Kushari stared into the eyes of the girl, pain, suffering, and anger was seen in the eyes of the very agitated feline. If there was something he hated more than insubordination, it was unnecessary violence, something rare coming from an experienced fighter with the stature of Icarus. It was now that borga felt fortunate to bring his best fighter, not that he was shaken by the turn of events.

The Dashade guards Borga had been with also snapped into action, taking up posts on either side of the large Hutt wielding blaster rifles that were trained on the girl.

Borga flicked his cigarette into the crowd with a smile. This was Nal Hutta, Borga was a Captain in the Hutt Cartel and rising. This was his home turf and anyone with a brain knew not to mess with the likes of him, or even his interests.

"Hehe clever girl! Now I know you are certainly not from around here..."

Icarus growled dangerously at the girl, with his knees bent and his back arced into a fighting position, he nearly lost it when the Balosar climbed the stage and went behind the supposed Jedi. Though he kept his focus on the girl, ready to rip her head off when the order was spat.

"You do not understand girl, my slaves are not like those you may think or see with other Hutts. I save these girls from worse people than me. And while yes I would much rather have a force user employed, but I came here for slaves for my palace, and I will not leave without it. Now, you can either come with me and see how these slaves will be treated, and perhaps we can work out a contract for your services, or we can see just how far that little lightsaber gets you." At this time the Hutt activated a safety protocol button he had in his pocket, far from the eyes of anyone to see. His ship was not far off, though there were more guards and gladiators aboard who now stood ready for their final order.

"These girls are better off in my hands than if they were free, I can garuntee you that."

 

[Alaisia]

As the bidding started for Elora, lights cut on overhead. She gasped and shut her eyes against the light, pulling her goggles up. She listened, eyes still closed, as the bidding went up from 1,000 credits to 8,000 credits... then to 20 thousand... 25 thousand... She could barely believe her ears when the bidding reached one hundred and fifty thousand credits for all of them. The bidding sounded like it was between a female and a Hutt. She knew the sound of a Hutt's voice well... She had a Hutt master in the past.

She opened her eyes, though, just in time to see the female leap high into the air and come down onto the stage near her. From her words, it sounded like the female planned to free her.

"When a person has nothing to lose, they become the most dangerous animal in the entire galaxy. Their body is only a tool, a means, to seek out and accomplish their goals," the female said, still dueling with the Hutt. "Now know this, Hutt. I have come for this girl and have every full intention of leaving here with her. Now it is just a matter if your pitiful security forces will be leaving here on their legs or in body bags. So what I ask of you is to do the smart thing and save us each time money and the lives of your guards. I am no Jedi and I am no Sith. I serve only myself and the greater good. So if it means collecting a bounty or smuggling drugs off of a planet, I shall take the offer to free a girl. I reiterate this one last time, Hutt. Offer me a contract for this girls life and we'll each leave here better off than we started. To be fair as well, the abilities of an ex Jedi are far more worth a single girls life, am I right?"

As she said this, she had drawn out an orange blade of light. Elora heard the hum of it and knew instantly what this woman was. She said she was not Jedi. She said she was not Sith, but she was still a Force-user. Elora could feel the tension rising in the room as the Hutt spoke up again.

"You do not understand girl, my slaves are not like those you may think or see with other Hutts. I save these girls from worse people than me. And while yes I would much rather have a Force user employed, but I came here for slaves for my palace, and I will not leave without it. Now, you can either come with me and see how these slaves will be treated, and perhaps we can work out a contract for your services, or we can see just how far that little lightsaber gets you. These girls are better off in my hands than if they were free, I can garuntee you that."

Elora felt like a piece of meat being fought over by dogs as the echoes of the Hutt's words fell into silence. She stared through her tinted goggles, searching out the Hutt. She could not turn to look at the female, chained as she was, but Elora knew she was still back there. She could hear the hum of the lightsaber. She would be better off with the Hutt, she believed. She did not trust Force-users...

 

[Mcpop9]

Livia listened in and shut her lightsaber down, knowing her abilities would keep her alive long enough to get her blade back out and that would let her keep an advantage. "If we're each so civil, the. We shouldn't be fighting over a life that should have been free to begin with. Now, While I can respect the fact your giving them a higher quality of living than what they would have normally faced with worse people, what life do they have other than serving you?" She asked and walked forward and off the stage.

"But you do make a proper point and would like to atleast see what sort of life you provide them. Who knows, we may strike up a deal and I could maybe earn money so I have a chance to give some other girl a proper life outside of the shackles of slavery. I conceed mister Hutt and hope we might strike some sort of a bargin." Livia said and folded her arms across her chest. She was using her abilities with the force to try and track the number of boasters trained on her and how to deflect them should they fire.

"I may be a bit flashy when it comes to proving a point, but I do not start fights that are pointless. My apologies to you for disturbing and making this ruckus; as well as being quick to judge. If you would wish to hear the reasoning for someone with goals and ideals such as myself is out on your grounds, I would happily indulge you with only the asking for respect that I give you in return. Such as to avoid casualties on ether side of this line." Livia explained to him, holding her ground in the open floor near the stage. She kept an eye in her mind trained on the guard incase he would move to do anything.

 

[Just Matt Now]

Borga kept his smile wide, the unsettling tension seemed to have been lifted once the girl deactivated her lightsaber. Though he could still tense the severity in Icarus, never letting his guard down, never trusting his enemies, and that was why he was Borgas most trusted and greatest gladiator. His intensity only increased, as this was his new battlefield unless instructed otherwise.

"Good choice." The hutt began. "Men stand down..." He put his hand on one of the barrels of the Dashade guards rifle and pushed it down. Both dropped their aim on the target. "Icarus!' The Kushari warrior sheathed his sword, though his gaze did not let up.

"Auctioneer, please have these girls placed on my ship for transport. And as for you..." Borgas chubby finger pointed at the Balosar behind the Force user. "Are you two together, or are you just trying to interfere as well?"

The Hutt gave time for the Balosar to answer, then shifted his gaze back to the girl. "Now that we are on the same page, my name is Borga the Hutt, and who might you be?"

 

[Skumdreg]

In his rush to get himself involved in matters that did not concern him, the hooded Balosar now felt far too exposed on stage. His whispered warnings were falling on deaf ears, and he had become keenly aware for the sword-wielding housecat that was the only other person front and centre on stage with him. No longer full of that same bravado that carried him to join the jedi, he did what any upstanding Balosar would do in this situation - he slithered away. Getting a rough two steps before the booming voice of the Hutt caused him to hault mid-flight, spin sharply on his boot heel and face the voice. His lips were spread wide in an attempt at a disarming grin. Then he spoke in what could probably be construed as the most pathetic attempt at faking broken Basic ever.

"UUUHHH. I NO SPEAK BASIC. I GO NOW. NO WITH JEDI, BYE." And he turned and attempted to retreat a second time, no longer wishing to be under the eyes of the Hutt or his cronies.

 

[Mcpop9]

"No, i'm not with him. He's just an over concerned bystander." Livia explained as she relaxed, atleast visibly. the girl, well, woman, took a look at those around her. "Plus, it's not any fun for either of us to have to shed blood. But getting to the issue at hand, I am Livia Goldenheart. I threw down the jedi title after an incident i'd rather not speak about that came of as a result of belonging to the order." She explained her reasoning. She kept an eye on the sword wielding pussycat, but was relaxed otherwise.

"Now, It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Hutt, and the most you would have even heard a chance of me would have been stories of a force wielder saving the less fortunate. I am rather a nobody in the galaxy. But what sort of use would my skills be needed for, as i refuse to kill anyone who hasn't wronged an innocent." the ex jedi stated, crossing her arms. "But i promise you i am not all show."

 

[Alaisia]

As Elora was herded away with the rest of the slaves, she tried to listen as the ex-Jedi and the Hutt spoke. At least things had calmed down. The Hutt had called off his guards, including the large sword-wielding cat. Elora had never seen anything like him. Her curiosity masked by suspicion, she stared at the cat as he sheathed his sword.

As she was loaded onto the ship, she heard that the ex-Jedi had given in. So that was why the Hutt's cronies had been told to relax. She would be coming to see just how the slaves were treated. Once aboard the ship, it was just like it was back on the pirates' ship. The auctioneer had left them chained together, and the chains around her wrists were starting to bite. Elora could smell the blood starting to seep from a painful scratch on her wrist. She just hoped that the ride to the Hutt's palace wouldn't take long.

 

[BZenwrath]

Nathan Aoki walked among the slaves, making sure there weren't going to be any issues. He was dressed in his full armor; a pistol at his hip, shotgun attached to the small of his back, and rifle hanging from his shoulder. Nathan came to stop at the wall opposite the slaves and leaned against it, next to the entrance with his arms crossed. He was trying not to make any sort of eye contact with the slaves and was noticeably silent, doing his best to ignore the business he was in fact taking part in. He detested the idea of slaves, but knew that the Hutt's lived off of business like this and as long as the Hutt's thrived, he got paid.

Try as he might not to pay attention to the slaves, one girl caught his eye. She was wearing some sort of goggles, an item the other slaves lacked. Couldn't have the Hutt blaming him for not checking the slaves for any kind of spying devices. He gestured to the woman, as he spoke, "Girl, hand me the goggles, I have to check them before we get to the palace."

 

[Alaisia]

Elora paled as the guard asked for her goggles. Sighing, she shut her eyes and took them off. As she held them out for the guard to take, she turned away from the light coming from the window. Even to her closed eyes, the light was still too bright for her to tolerate.

"Please hurry," she murmurs, waiting for him to take the goggles from her.

 

[The Stick of Truth]

Marcus had watched the whole commotion closely from the shadows, whit his disguise and acting abilities almost anyone could misunderstand him for a criminal. So wrong… Marcus was there for one motive only: slave trade. He had been on this case for about a week now, finding this missing Twi’lek girl. He traced her all the way to that meeting, but she wasn’t there, she was supposed to be there tough. Marcus was angry, he felt his blood boiling and his skin turning head, he ordered a Whisky, and decided to stay for the audience: he was a moralist, but he didn’t mind to see through an auction… And maybe, just maybe, something could lead him to his target.

After the large commotion between what he supposed to be a Jedi and a Hutt crime lord he couldn’t identify at the moment Marcus decided it was about time he left. He got up from his chair, calmly positioning it under the table. He picked up the cup he had previously drunken from and laid it on top the bar’s balcony. He started making his way toward the exit, head down in shame. That’s until he finally saw who the Hutt was, because at the last few steps he was able, whit the corner of his eye, to catch just a small glimpse of him: “Borga Vosadii Pronda” Marcus let it slip, in a brief and quiet note to himself. He had an opportunity in his hands, and he wasn’t about to waste it. He felt his hand slowly drifting towards his weapon, he wanted so bad, so damn bad to just kill the Hutt right there, he would tie so much loose ends, end so much cases he was never able too… But in the end he constrained himself, what if he missed? What if the Hutt didn’t die? He would have been killed for nothing. He sobbed, sad, and just went to the bartender, ordering another drink…

He couldn’t kill the Hutt, but at least he would gather some information in his methods.​