The Beginning

[The Derp of Hooves]

Sleheyron, an ugly planet controlled by the Hutts. A place where a slaves life is meaningless, a place where one has risen above the mundane. Theresa was a name feared in the fight pits that dotted the planet. She rose to prominence for her unnatural strength and ability to survive death matches. She was owned by none other than Azalus the Hutt, a prominent figure in the gladiatorial ring. Azalus had a special fight planned for tonight however and his prized fighter would be the main attraction. This fight would be a crowd pleaser indeed. Normally a fight between two sentient beings were good enough to get the blood flowing, but tonight was special. He had special spectators tonight and if things went down perfectly, he could be making the biggest deal of his career. Azalus made sure to get everything ready for his guests, if one thing could be said about Azalus it was that he knew how to impress.

In the meantime, Theresa was in the holding rooms beneath the surface of the arena preparing herself for the fight to come. While she couldn't be totally alone down there, she made do and meditated on the fight to come. Her meditation was simple, taking in slow breaths she imagined herself in a calming place to ease her mind as her instructor taught her to do. Wind blowed through her hair and the smell of the arena permeated her. This was the only place she had known and the only place she felt at peace. Her mind cleared for the moment, she felt ready for the fight to come.

 

[Vexillar]

Viole was getting used to this. Being awoken in the middle of the night. The Force instructing him on where to go, what to do, who to kill and who to rescue. He had never attempted to bring these visions upon himself willingly, he had no reason to...yet. This past night, he had been blessed to see the future, or one possibly future, yet again. He saw...a lot of death. People fighting each other, cries of the crowd, cheering and such. Fists flying, blades cutting through flesh. The emotional charge alone almost drove him to awaken from the slumber, but in bed and asleep he remained. He saw a room, what looked more like a prison to most people he recognized as a room...because it was a room for glorified slaves. Then he saw a woman, muscled for lack of a better term. She might as well have been an Amazonian, he only saw her back, the muscles rippling over her back and arms. Someone entered the room and retrieved her. She left without looking back, and as the door closed, he saw Sleheyron. He only recognized it because he was a shade away from being carted off there before.

He knew better than to ingore visions such as these.

So of course the first thing he did was call his sabers to him and awaken Eezeo. It was an unholy hour, barely morning, but he didn't have any time to sit here and wander aimlessly. He decided to bring a few people with him, just in case. While, of course, his first choice should have been his Apprentice, it wasn't. Their relationship was a tad rocky, and taking him to what could be a slaver's ring wasn't exactly the best thing to start on the road to recovery. So instead he told Eezeo to grab Crusader Dawn, and Acolyte Fey. The latter of which he didn't recall ever serving with...which is why she was a prime candidate. No time like the present to get out and meet new people, right? No. Viole hated meeting new people. In fact, he barely liked people. They were a means to an end, and that means was security, and that end was if things went horribly wrong.

After gathering the crew, and meeting in the hanger, they were off. Viole had already arranged transport by the time everyone had gathered, and they were well on their way to Sleheyron by the time it reached a more respectable hour to be up. Though the Arcanist was content to simply meditate to regain any missed sleep on the ship. What the others were up to was of little concern to him, as long as they didn't kill each other. He was fine.

 

[Gamov]

Sleheyron, not a world she was intimately familiar with. It was within Hutt space and had an economy driven primarily by a thriving slave trade market, but beyond that Mila couldn't tell you much else - not that she would actually be inclined to either. Just the very mention of that word - slavery - was enough to set her blood simmering. The unscrupulous Hutts made a living out of buying and selling the misery of others, and as such her opinion of them was lower than that of excrement. It was strange to consider how her opinions had changed so over the months though. Things she had once thought to be far off concerns were suddenly at the center of her attention. The Imperium, the Sith... the war. There was a time when all of those things were but words to her, casually traded in passing on the streets. She never put much stock in them, considering it all too distant, too much "everyone else's problem".

But now here she was on a transport destine for Hutt space, traveling in the most unlikely company for reasons that were still beyond her understanding. She had been plucked - seemingly at random - from the comfortable abode of her dorm at the Academy at some ungodly hour in the morning by Master Nivar, told in no uncertain terms to gather her things and meet him at the spaceport. For once, Mila was surprisingly punctual in her task, perhaps motivated more so by intimidation and fear than anything else - one does not just ignore a Sith Master's summons.

The journey to Sleheyron had been a quiet one, if not somewhat anxious for the young Acolyte. Master Nivar was a figure that inspired a sense of dread in her, if only because of his status, and Crusader Dawn hadn't helped ease her fears much either. By comparison he seemed perhaps a fair deal more approachable, but Mila's tendency to be awkward in social situations meant that she worked hard to keep both of her "companions" well beyond arms length for the duration of their trip.

Like Master Nivar, Mila had claimed a small area of the transport for herself, treating it as her refuge - every now and again a wary eye wandering towards the subtle shifts or odd noises coming from the others. She wasn't exactly comfortable knowing that she was going into this experience as the most inexperienced, and thus expendable, member of the group. A gnawing fear kept creeping through the back of her mind, telling her she was going to be stabbed in the back at the first opportunity; and no amount of meditation seemed capable of dispelling these anxieties.

Shifting in her seat with a low sigh, she pulled the hood down on her coat and started fidgeting with her TranspariPad - idling her time away with some useless apps to help her keep her mind off things until they got to where they were headed.

 

[Kaane]

Dawn rubbed his eyes and yawned tiredly, stretching in his seat whilst looking around casually. It was one journey after another it seemed...one bloody journey after another. He had been hoping to get some shut-eye that night, but Viole seemed to have other plans. What for, he had no idea. He always knew that he could be unpredictable, but this just seemed nonsensical at first glance. Perhaps they were on some sort of glorified errand...that would be a laugh. Master Viole Nivar, an Arcanist of the Sith, taking two random people out to help him go fetch some groceries in the dead of night. But no, there was something more to this, something that Viole would explain to them in due time. He trusted him to an extent. Not enough to die for him or anything stupid like that; no, but enough to go along with whatever out-of-the-blue plan he had in store for them.

He looked over to Viole, seeing he was in a state of meditation. Good for him...Dawn was too tired to even consider the thought of meditating. And his mind was still swimming with questions that would distract him from such an arduous task. Not just concerning this journey, but of his previous one, and of the questions that still went unanswered. Ones that had kept him awake at night for hours on end. But hey, at least they kept him from sleeping and waking up only a few hours later to find you were being shipped off somewhere for no reason. He could only imagine how he'd react to that wake-up call.

Feeling the need to speak and momentarily silence the questions in his head, he turned to the most easily accessible one there: the Acolyte, Mila Fay. He hadn't heard of her before, and he had no idea how Mila and Viole were related. She certainly seemed like the kind of person Viole would ignore...what with her standoffish behavior and quiet demeanor. She seemed to meld into the very walls of the transport. But nothing would escape those non-eyes of Viole's that wasn't of use or interest to him. And Dawn always knew never to judge a book by its cover...it would definitely be prudent to get to know her, if only for small talk...or perhaps setting the stage for having her for a future use.

He nonchalantly slipped closer to the Acolyte, but not so close as to enter what he deemed to be the sort of bubble she created around herself. He saw no reason to intrude at any rate. But he would try and gently work his way through this unengaged exterior. Sitting down, he began to talk, coughing at first as he cleared his throat of the phlegm that always seemed to get in there during the night.

"Heh. It sucks, being up so early...but it's quite the honor, to be chosen to accompany a Master, especially Viole." Dawn smiled and visibly relaxed, slumping backwards a bit in his seat. His raspy voice, normally quite jarring, but now rather calming whilst he spoke in half-whispers, continued on: "I've known him for quite a while you know...his ability to discern goes far beyond his Force Sight...he must have seen something in you." He left it at that, curious to see how she'd react, seeing him act like a peer rather than a superior. He yawned again, reaching for the holster at his side as he brought out his father's blaster pistol, a model designed to look like a revolver, as he twirled and fiddled with it idly, using it to occupy his time should the girl decide not to reciprocate in conversation. This would be quite the interesting ride indeed.

 

[The Derp of Hooves]

Azalus had everything prepared for his guests. Having slithered onto his hover pad, he and his entourage of slaves and droids waited patiently for them to arrive. Among his entourage was Theresa, his prized fighter, the one his guests had come to see and perhaps make an offer on. While she had served him well, he was willing to give her up should the credits roll right. Azalus was nothing if not material. As the ship come into view Theresa fidgeted uncomfortably in her slaves gown. However this went unseen as the ship landed and the boarding ramps opened. He greeted his guests as the arrived in traditional Huttese with Theresa as the translator.

 

[Vexillar]

Viole fell deep into the Force's embrace as he meditated. He wasn't so far gone that he couldn't hear the discussion between Dawn and the Acolyte. He knew very well what they were talking about, he just didn't feel the need to participate. He was...thinking. There had been people in his vision, yet they were not present. Of course he only heard them, and yet there was still the lack of actual sight. So what did that mean for them? How did they get to this girl, and who the hell was she anyway? So many questions, and yet they didn't trouble Viole as much as the answers did. He had submitted too many people to Imperial rule. It was, however, a mercy compared to the life they could have. Running for their life, being slaughtered for a desire to be free. It was awful. His thoughts were deep however, and it was the will of the Force that he save those like him. If this is how they had to be saved, then so be it. He got ahead of himself, however.

Taking a deep breath he refocused himself, communing with the primal energies of the galaxy.

His body lifted off the ground by about a meter, a few things around him began to orbit him as he was embedded into the Force itself. It was an enlightening thing, Floating Meditation, so deep was your connection. Viole felt as if he could actually feel the life of the universe. It was as if his breathing was in tune with everything. The sentients, the non-sentients, the plants, the very planets themselves. He could feel everything, or so it seemed. His mind was simply there. He held no thoughts, no emotions, there was only The Force, and he wouldn't have it any other way. When he meditated, he didn't need to think. Answers just came to him, and of course this was no different. The answer he sought simply came to him.

He remembered a time when his own Hutt master wished to open their fighting to the public. He invited quote "the best of the best" to come and auction off slaves, and to make a few extra creds on the side. Why would this be any different? Why else would there be such a large gathering of people? If this was true, then there would be plenty of people arriving, which meant plenty of time for Viole to...convince someone to take them in as guests. A smile crept onto his lips as he continued to meditate, reflecting on the nature of the Force for the rest of the journey. He still hadn't told the two beings with him why they were headed for this planet. That would come after they landed.

 

[Gamov]

A tremor in the shuttle distracted her briefly as they entered Slaheyron's atmosphere, a wary eye flitting towards no particular point of focus. No matter how many times she did this, Mila would never get used to space travel. The journey itself was always quiet enough, fairly peaceful actually. But it was that jarring transition from the vacuum back to the tug of gravity that always twisted her stomach up in knots. She had never told anyone, but she was actually terrified of flying. Every time she set foot on a transport or a shuttle, she couldn't help but imagine all the different ways things could go wrong.

An engine fails shortly after take off and she plummets to a fiery doom, or an environment seal gets rattled loose and the cabin depressurizes in space, or the pilot has an aneurysm and the ship crashes, or she trips and cracks her head on a seat, or... anything really. She had a morbidly overactive imagination when it came to her phobia.

As the shuttle leveled out again, Mila breathed a sigh of relief. She would be happy to be back on solid ground again. Turning her attention back to her TranspariPad, she thumbed through a few pictures, mostly random things that she thought interesting at the time - and that one selfie that Kay photo bombed... jerk. She wasn't sure where that one came from, but it brought a fleeting smile to her face all the same. He really was the only person she could tolerate, and he was half a galaxy away doing god knows what. Hopefully he was keeping safe.

As her mind drifted, the voice that spoke out next to her came as a start as Mila hastily swiped the picture on the screen aside. She fixed Dawn with an attentive gaze, trying to place his species based on appearances alone. Her initial thoughts went to Arkanian or Echani as he shared many of their aesthetics - the pale, wan skin tone and silvery-white hair being the most obvious. Yet the violet hue of his eyes gave him up as something else... possibly a cross breed of some sort? Mila did so enjoy picking apart the details and trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

Quietly dismissing her ruminations, she cast a wandering glance towards Viole. Honored wasn't exactly the word she'd choose to describe her feelings at present. Anxious, terrified, worried, maybe. But not honored. Masking her trepidation behind a forced smile, Mila returned Dawn's civility - it was nice to see she wasn't the only one to whom cordial conversation wasn't a lost art.

"Well, between you and me, I'm still not sure why I'm even here." She switched her phone off and tucked it back into her pocket. "I actually wish I was still back at the academy. Travelling is such a hassle. Especially when we don't know the purpose of our destination, wouldn't you agree?" Mila turned a curious look to the Crusader, watching him casually twirl his pistol about his finger.

The shuttle swayed slightly underfoot as they came around for their landing. Her heart raced a bit, nervous right up to the last second before the transport settled onto the landing pad. Then and only then did she feel more at ease. The hydraulics on the boarding ramp gave off a soft hiss as the ramp was lowered, allowing a menagerie of sights, sounds and... smells to pervade the cabin. Mila nervously bit at the inside of her lip, waiting for either of her superiors to take the lead.

 

[Kaane]

Dawn noticed the slight bits of fear exuding from her presence in the Force; funny, he might have almost called her terrified...yet her control of her inner emotions was admirable. Certainly better than how Dawn would have acted at her age. He smiled. Such control would be key to her survival within the ranks of the Sith. And, he thought, perhaps this outward control was why Viole had selected her out of the massive pool of slavering tools that seemed to make up the Acolytes of the Order. Acolytes who could overcome the weakness of heart and mind that the Dark Side inflicted upon its followers were few and far between. She could yet learn the truth behind the Dark Side...perhaps even see things in a different light than what she would be taught. Darkness had not yet consumed her. If it had before, then she had certainly at least fought its grip. They could certainly get along.

As she spoke, Dawn leaned back, nodding as she paused to show his agreement with what she was saying. The whole thing certainly seemed pointless, and Dawn was just as in the dark as she was about this trip's motivations. He had always known that Viole usually had a good reason behind everything he did. In his own experiences with V, almost every move he made was planned out ahead of time. If there was no strategic benefit behind doing something, he wouldn't waste his energy on it. And he assumed they wouldn't be going into enemy territory openly like this simply to go on vacation. Why then... what's going on in that head of yours V... he thought to himself as he gave the Master a passing glance before turning back to answer Mila.

"I do indeed, Mila. Seems rather pointless on the surface, to enter Hutt territory like this. But there's a definite reason behind our travels...what it is, I can't say yet, that'll be up to Master V to let us know. And anyways...it's nice to get off Korriban...the atmosphere gets a bit choking there after a while. And some of my students get rather choking as well, if you catch my drift."

His body shook along with the ship calmly as they began to enter the atmosphere of the planet, re-holstering his father's blaster. It reminded him of the life he had left behind, and the contempt for the disgusting, moral-less people like him who had let his life be ruined for so long. He would need his contempt to strengthen him...he imagined that whatever they were doing here, it wasn't going to be a clean, 1 2 3 sort of job.

As the ship landed and its entrance dropped open, he got up and stretched, letting out a short grunt before looking at Mila, surveying her before he spoke again. He had a few things to say to her. He wouldn't be saying these things to someone he thought was expendable, but to him, Mila had potential. He didn't want it to be snuffed out by the animals that lived here.

"I'll be frank with you. Many people here are disgustingly ill-inclined. Dangerous, even." He was speaking calmly, but in his earlier years he would have been spitting these words out with hatred. "They may not have the Force, but they will sense and react to weakness all the same. But you have a defense they don't know about. Your control of your outward self. I've sensed and seen it in you just in my first few minutes of meeting you. Use it. Confidence and power deters these...beings. They won't give you trouble unless you try to." He then smiled, with a bit of a chuckle, "but at the same time, we are in the company of a Master Arcanist...you shouldn't have too much to worry about."

He then reached into his robes and brought out a sleeping kitten that he had hid throughout the trip, handing it to the pilot gently and mentioning something about his painful and unsavory death should something happen to it, before deciding to take the lead, walking out and coughing at the somewhat putrid air, surveying the area quietly for anyone suspicious. Considering the Hutt's ill past with the Imperium, they had more than a few agents working for them that were capable of fighting less experienced Sith. Though he was confident that nothing would go wrong with Master Viole around, he was still somewhat wary. Convinced there were no immediate threats, he turned back to the ship, motioning Mila and Viole out.

"Let's get whatever this is over with, shall we?"