Ask [Serenno] Smuggler's Honour

[Soraya Ayres]

It was incredibly frustrating that even when acting honestly, there were still people who would take advantage of you no matter the consequences it would have. After working with another smuggler to deliver some spice for a gang whose usual smugglers were unavailable for some unknown reason, the other smuggler had taken advantage of her hospitality of letting him spend the night aboard her ship, even in her own bed, only for him to frame her for a crime she didn't commit, probably so he could get her cut of the money.

Up until recently there had been no one in the galaxy that she could even slightly trust until she met Arthur who opened her eyes to the Force and told her how she could use it to her advantage if she chose to do so. Today, she decided to take him up on his offer. With powerful enemies on her back and no one else to rely on, she really had no other choice. If she couldn't teach those who sought to kill her that she wasn't to be messed with then she didn't know how she would ever be able to work as a smuggler ever again and to do so she thought she would need to learn how to use the gift she had been given - the Force.

The trip to Serenno had been a long and arduous one, she was never able to relax in fear of being attacked at any moment and at one point when she was attacked she went to shove someone away from her but accidentally did so by using the Force as she never actually made contact with him. If this was only the beginning of the possible achievable power then she wanted more and that was why she had come to find Arthur at his estate and partly because she wanted refuge and a familiar face.

On approach to the building, she looked up at it in awe, it was magnificent. She didn't know if anyone had followed her to Serenno or if there was anyone here who was warned about her but she could only hope that Arthur was here otherwise she would have to go back to hiding. Soraya took a deep breath and knocked on the door.



@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arthur Demici]

Arthur was seated behind a desk in his study, his eyes closed with his hands on the desk. In front of him, neatly positioned next to each other, was his two lightsabers. He was lost in his thoughts, meditating, taking the time to figure out what to do. He had many plans that needed careful planning, and using moments like this tended to help him figure out what to do.

That was until he felt a very familiar presence enter the atmosphere. His eyes opened and a faint smile etched onto his lips. He was curious over why she decided to come here. Did she decide to take him up on his offer? Or was this over something else?

He elegantly rose from his seat and slid both lightsabers into the inside pockets of his jacket before making his way towards the front door. He was the only one in the building. Usually there would be servants and droids...but the droids were in need of maintenance and the financials weren't so stellar anymore. He was curious if Soraya could actually help with the droids. But that could wait until later.

He could feel the emotions in her. Her concern, her awe, her discomfort. But beneath all that was something else. Fear and anger. He reached the door as she knocked, straightened out his jacket and brushed his hair back, then opened the door with a smile. "Good evening" he greeted her politely. "Quite a pleasant surprise, I must admit. Please, come in." he stepped out of the way to let her in. Once she was in, he closed the door and approached her. "How have you been, Soraya?"

@Sunfrog

 

[Soraya Ayres]

It was greatly comforting to see a familiar friendly face greet her at the door so she breathed a sigh of relief and accepted the invitation in, wanting nothing more than to throw her arms around him but was afraid doing so would be improper. "I was uh... good until people started trying to kill me." She told Arthur, the tone of her voice indicating her nervousness. Soraya had spent the last three days constantly on the move and so she believed Arthur to be her last hope as her integrity was being questioned thus putting her livelihood on the line.

"I was framed for stealing by another smuggler I was working with and now I can't trust anyone in fear they'll try and kill me and if the word gets out about this then I'll never get hired again... I didn't know where else to go." She quickly summed up the situation to Arthur before giving the reason for her visit. "If you don't have a crew or friends then people think you're easy to kill but I want to teach them that they're wrong and I will put up a fight." She told him as she shrugged the bag with the few possessions she salvaged onto the floor, indicating her intention to stay.

The offer he had given her the first time they met had intrigued her, although at the time she didn't see the value of being powerful as it wasn't something that interested her, she could see the benefits now and wanted to learn more about her Force sensitivity and how to use it to her advantage. "I want to learn how to use the Force." She declared. In her mind, this would be the best chance she had at survival.




@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arthur Demici]

He could tell she wasn't sure how to act, especially around him. She then dropped a bit of information that made him blink in surprise. "Well that's...a good way to start the day." he joked, giving a sheepish smile to try and cheer her up. But he quickly dropped it, knowing it wouldn't do much.

She continued, explaining to him exactly what happened. He listened intently, going over the situation in his mind. He glanced down at her bag as it hit the ground, giving a small smile as he looked back at her. She finally concluded, telling him exactly what he wanted to hear from her. He stared at her for a few moments, regarding her and looking her over. He then held his hand out and lifted her bag with the force, floating it over towards a couch in the next room. After setting it down, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the same room. "Soraya...I will gladly teach you. But it won't be easy, nor will it be fun." he explained to her.

In the next room, he turned to face her. "It will take commitment, a lot of willpower, and strength from your part." he placed a hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes. "I hope you understand this, Soraya." he said sincerely.

"As for the framing, you won't be able to fix that overnight. But if you want, I can help you sort that mess out." he gave her a warm smile, and it was clear he wasn't joking. He wanted to make sure that she stuck around, learn to trust him. They were going to need a lot of trust if she was dead set on him training her.

@Sunfrog

 

[Soraya Ayres]

As soon as she was in Arthur's presence, it felt like all the worries and problems she had weren't bigger than her any more and she felt comforted just by being near him. If what he spoke of was true and he was as powerful as he claimed to be, which she didn't doubt after seeing his performance in the street back on Zeltros, then she needn't worry about anyone trying to kill her so long as she was around him until she could learn how to harness the power he spoke of for herself.

Soraya let Arthur lead her into the next room, feeling safe in his embrace. "No... I imagine it won't be." She agreed, aware that she didn't exactly know what she was getting herself into but she trusted Arthur more than anyone else in the galaxy at the moment. "I do understand." She replied, meeting his gaze. "I have all of that." She replied confidently. It had taken her all of those qualities for her to get this far so she believed it wouldn't be beyond her, even if it would be a challenge. "I can do this." She reassured him.

"What other choice do I have?" She asked, exasperated. Soraya had no one left to rely on but herself but that was proving not to be enough unless she could learn to become more powerful so she could protect herself so coming here felt like this was the last hope. "I do want your help, please." Soraya told him. She was aware that the situation was a rather unorthodox one as the pair didn't exactly have a relationship outside of the night they had spent together on Zeltros so she was unsure how he would respond to such a situation.



@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arthur Demici]

Arthur smiled as Soraya asked for his help. He gave a nod then stepped closer to her. "Alright. You have it." he said as he looked down at her. "If you want to put a stop to these scum framing you, I'll help you, Soraya." he regarded her in silence for a moment, before gesturing to the couches in the living room. "Please, make yourself at home. This is probably the safest place for you at the moment. Can I get you anything?" he offered her as he turned to walk towards the way they came in.

"Usually I would order one of my droids to fetch something for us, but they're all in need of some fixing." he admitted with a chuckle. "Otherwise, I can show you to your room." he turned to face her again, standing by the doorway to see what she wanted to do.

@Sunfrog

 

[Soraya Ayres]

Out of sheer relief and gratefulness that Arthur was willing to help, Soraya threw her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you. I am indebted to you." She told him before releasing him. Although she was slightly sceptical about why he was showing her such kindness when it seemed that he would get nothing in return, she was grateful all the same, though she was wary not to let her guard down too soon in case things weren't as they seemed.

In fear of sounding pathetic and as though she was a stray dog he had just brought off the streets she smiled and shook her head at his offer despite being hungry, thirsty and feeling like her body was about to collapse beneath her. "I can take a look at them but... in a minute." She replied, practically throwing herself backwards onto the couch with a deep sigh. "My room?" Soraya asked in surprise, looking up at Arthur with a confused look. She had hoped he would let her stay with him for a while as he trained her but hadn't been expecting to be given a room.


@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arthur Demici]

Arthur looked a bit perplexed by her confusion. He cocked his head slightly as he looked at her, blinking a few times. "...Yes. Your room." he confirmed. "If you're going to train here, you'll need a place to rest." he explained to her. "What? Did you expect me to let you bunk on the couch while you're here?" he joked, leaning against the doorway.

He figured that she was probably being overwhelmed. And he wasn't helping. He was filled with pride over the fact that she wanted to train, with him as her teacher, no less. And all of this treatment was part of the plan. But he realized that maybe taking a step back was a better option for the moment. "Never mind. I can show you that later. Please, make yourself at home. If you need anything or are looking for me, I'll be in my study upstairs." he said politely, then left her alone for a bit. He calmly walked up the stairs and made his way into his study. He closed the ornate wooden sliding door behind him with a flick of his wrist and sank into his seat behind his desk.

He leaned back and sighed, before pressing a button to bring up a hologram of the room with her in it. He wanted to see what she would do all alone in the building. He sat back and fished out a tin of cigarettes. He popped one into his mouth and made a flame with his thumb to light it. He took a deep draw and slowly exhaled as he mulled over how to proceed with her. He had gained an apprentice that was eager. They also shared a rather unique connection that definitely helped the situation. But there was another underlying feeling underneath all that. He was a little at odds over that feeling, but he ignored it for now. He couldn't get distracted or compromise her training over his personal thoughts.

@Sunfrog

 

[Soraya Ayres]

"I don't know..." Soraya laughed nervously. "I didn't know what to expect really. I just thought it could be inconvenient for you." She admitted. For the last six years she had been taking advantage of people where she thought best and expected people to do the same to her but Arthur seemed different. She felt like he actually cared which was an unusual feeling but it made her care about him too.

Soraya breathed a sigh of relief. "I can't thank you enough." She told him, hoping he would appreciate just how much his help meant to her. This really was a last resort but she was beginning to think she should've taken up his offer sooner. She hadn't really considered the implications of what she was getting involved with but believed the bigger implications would be if she didn't get involved at the moment. She needed all the protection she could get and learning how to do so herself seemed like the best option.

Once Arthur left, Soraya didn't move from the position she assumed on the couch but instead stayed put, running through the thoughts that had been racing through her head recently. Arthur had shown her kindness that no one had ever shown her before and while she knew the kindness was not a reason to be indebted to someone, she wanted to be kind to him too for some inexplicable reason. She felt safe and comforted in his presence which wasn't something she had ever felt before so it made her wonder what was different about him.

The first time she had met Arthur she had considered stealing from him when she was alone in his apartment but not any more. She had enough respect for him not to consider that again. After a while of gathering herself and her thoughts, Soraya wondered what she could already do so she leaned forwards on the couch and held a hand out towards a vase not far away and focused on it, using the Force to lift it before soon dropping it and almost breaking it. She felt confident that with Arthur's instruction she could destroy those who sought to kill her.



@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arthur Demici]

Arthur sat back, patiently watching Soraya as she seemed a little lost in her solitude. Though, when she attempted to use the force, he sat up and watched her intently. She managed to get the vase to levitate, but sadly she couldn't hold it. He winced as the vase hit the floor. While it was his father's, it was still very expensive. Luckily it didn't break.

He sat back again, smoking his cigarette and observing her. When he was finally done, he crushed the butt in an ashtray and simply watched her. He wasn't sure what to think of her. She was unorthodox, but there was something about her that intrigued him. Perhaps her rough appearance? Perhaps her motivation? He wasn't sure. After about an hour, he ventured down again towards the living room.

By the doorway, he held out a hand and elegantly returned the vase to its original place. "I'm surprised. You have more control over your power than most." he spoke up, making his presence known. "If I may ask, how did you get here? Your own vessel, or did you use a transport service?" he asked her as he approached her. He came to a halt by the couch then lowered himself into the seat on the other side of the couch. He leaned back and got comfortable, looking at her with a soft smile. 'I have a question, and I hope you don't mind if I ask. But, why was your mother imprisoned?" he asked her calmly, a hint of concern evident in his voice if she paid attention to it.

@Sunfrog

 

[Soraya Ayres]

Rather than risking breaking any more valuables in the room that were probably worth more than the entirety of her assets, Soraya sank back into the couch with a deep sigh to take a well-needed break from the chaos that was her life at the moment. For the first time in weeks she felt almost at peace, albeit angry with the person who had betrayed her, but less afraid nonetheless.

Soraya's head whipped to the doorway at the sound of a voice but she immediately relaxed upon seeing Arthur. She hadn't realised just how on edge she had been. "I think I'm starting to understand the basics of it... I accidentally pushed someone away from me without touching them not long ago." She told him, although she didn't fully understand how she did it and it was completely unintentional.

"I used a transport service. I can't risk using my own ship at the moment, they know what it looks like." She replied. "Not at all." She reassured Arthur and gave him a welcoming smile. There was nothing about her life that she wouldn't share with people as she considered herself an open book. The question he asked wasn't painful or particularly difficult in itself but the memory that accompanied it was upsetting. However, Soraya could control her emotions well and didn't display a change in emotions as he asked the question.

"For being a smuggler." She replied plainly before expanding. "Authorities caught drift of what we were doing and arrested my mother and most of the crew. I escaped because we were docked on Corellia and I was off the ship at the time." She explained. "This was six years ago and I've been on my own for the last four years." She concluded with a shrug, seemingly unbothered at the prospect.


@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arthur Demici]

Despite trying her hardest to hide the pain of the memory from him, Arthur saw right through her. But he didn't react to it. He kept his gaze on her, listening to her explanation. She concluded with a shrug, trying to brush it off as nothing. He watched her for a few seconds before breaking the silence. "You miss her, don't you?" he asked sincerely.

"It is a tragedy what happened to your mother. I do hope one day you two will reunite. A close relationship between a child and their parent isn't something which should be hindered." he spoke solemnly. He couldn't deny that there was a twinge of jealousy in his heart. He never knew his mother. He never knew what became of her. Whether she was alive or dead, a slave, a poor worker in a dead end job, the victim of some sort of tragedy. He would never know. All he knew in his childhood was pain and rage.

But unlike Soraya, he could hide his emotions along with his presence from force users, and made sure to not allow her to sense his weakness.

He sighed and sat back, staring at the vase she dropped a couple minutes ago. "Hold onto those memories. They'll be the ones that guide you." he muttered.

He glanced at her then at the vase. "Pick it up again." he said simply, breaking the heavy atmosphere in the room. "Hold your hand out and focus on it. Only see the vase. Focus on it, clear your mind, only keep those emotions in your head." he instructed her, scooting closer to her.

@Sunfrog

 

[Soraya Ayres]

Soraya simply nodded in response, wanting to avoid dwelling on the topic as she knew it was likely that her mother could have been sentenced to a lifetime of hard labour. At one point, as a teenager, the thought crossed her mind to get arrested intentionally just for the chance to be with her mother again but she knew that wouldn't be what her mother would want.

"Thank you, I hope so too." She replied gratefully. No one had entertained her long enough to hear about her past, let alone care like it seemed Arthur did, so she was grateful for the opportunity just to talk to someone about what happened and how she was feeling so she could make sense of it herself. At Arthur's closing comment, Soraya's interest peaked but she still didn't know enough to know whether or not asking about his family would be a sore topic so she decided to wait for a more appropriate moment to mention it.

"But they're bad memories... I have better ones from before then." She replied, confused why they should be clinging to the bad memories. Her childhood had been full of love, not just from her mother but from the crew she lived with who became a family to the pair of them. It seemed odd to disparage memories that she held as much more valuable.

Soraya looked surprised at Arthur's request and then immediately embarrassed upon realising he had seen her attempt to lift the vase earlier and could've broken it in the process. Still, despite her reservations about the process, she did as he asked and held her hand out towards the vase and focused on the emotions she had experienced in the past as well as the vase before her until it she raised it from the ground.


@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arthur Demici]

She understandably wanted to cling to her fonder memories. Of course, clinging to bad ones was easy for him since he had very few good ones. But for someone like her, clinging to bad memories might not work. This wasn't an issue. As long as her memories had a strong effect on her emotion, it didn't matter what type of memories che clung to. "Then you focus on those good ones." he said calmly. "Anything that has a strong effect on you, ignites your passion. Use that to fuel yourself." he explained to her.

In a few moments the vase was starting to levitate. He smiled and gave her a reassuring grip on the shoulder. "Very good. Now, try to place it on the coffee table." he instructed, nodding towards the table in front of them. "keep your focus, then draw it closer to you." he instructed further, gently speaking to not break her concentration.

@Sunfrog