Ask Onderon The Conquering Heroes

[Kliedden Raxx]

Although Poogulga seemed willing to leave well enough alone the fiery young kid was much more eager to start a fight, now that there was no risk of getting a beating from his masters for doing so. "Bring it on," Tegan replied to the dug's threat with a mocking smirk, raising his hands and beckoning the alien to come closer. "Try not to break a hip in the process Master Yoda."

"Knock it off." Klied said sharply, and yanked the teenager away from the dug to stand on the opposite side of him. Tegan just snorted and continued smiling to himself as he adjusted his shirt. The Onderonian listened to the hang ups of each of his partners, nodding in understanding. As Ali suggested only picking well meaning clients the hunter looked in her direction. "That's the idea." He answered the Togruta before looking at Aska and Poffo in turn. "I'm hoping we can cultivate a more upstanding reputation than your regular Rim jumping thugs. With my family name and hopefully a few respectable investors we can build a small, high quality outfit that only works for clients we deem worthy of our assistance." He looked at Poffo in particular, as he seemed worried over exactly what kind of jobs they would be running. "We can keep to small scale operations for the most part. Collecting bounties, bodyguarding, escort, maybe assassination in some cases. If we all approve of the target. As we continue to expand the company we can keep operation teams small. Groups of three or four at most. We'll play the Mandalorian angle, quality over quantity."

As he continued speaking Klied led his companions down a staircase into the manor's wine cellar. There were barrels upon barrels of all different types of spirits of various vintage. The hunter would approach a bar and table on the far end of the main room from the stairs. There he would grab a bottle of his usual Dorian Quill and pour himself a glass before turning to the others. "Help yourselves. Just don't get too excited. I'd prefer we iron out the details of this before we get drunk."

@Isen @Tulos @Bex

 

[Poffo Sauvage]

Poffo thought he was going to have to do something about the boy and Poogulga, but Klied seemed to put the boy in his place. Poffo raised a brow at this, though nobody could see that through his enormous sunglasses that he was still wearing inside for some reason. But, the Coruscanti brawler wasn't sure that Klied being a father-figure would be good for the group. If the boy was going to join the group, Sauvage figured he would have to be just as expendable as anyone else.

He grabbed a few cold brewskis out of cold compartment under the bar. The prepackaged bottles looked tiny in his enormous hands, but when he handed one to the Dug, it helped put the size issue in perspective as the bottle looked quite normal in Poogulga's grip. Macho listened to Klied's explanation and his vision for a new business venture. Bounties were still a part, but they would expand to other opportunities. All in all, if they could build a reasonable reputation, they might get paid handsomely to get some jobs done. They always reserved the right to say no.

He opened his bottle and downed it all in one swig. He put it down with some authority and looked at Klied. "For a long time, yeah, the entirety of our existence, I've been both the brains and brawn of the operation, buuuuut, I'm going to lighten my load a little and defer to your judgement." Klied would likely recognize this as a joke as Poffo had often referred to Klied as the brains of the duo before. Whether or not the others would get it, Poffo didn't know and really didn't care. "I'll defer to your judgement so I can concentrate on being and the brawn and take on the new job as the beauty of the group, if ya dig." He leaned back and away from Aska, eyeing her through his sunglasses. "I mean it ain't going to you. But me? I got a face for the cameras. Oooh, yeah!." Poffo smiled real big and flexed his huge muscles before heading back to get another beer.

@Reyn @Tulos @Bex

 

[Aska Ryun]

Aska listened intently as Klied continued explaining his plan and it all sounded… perfect. They had proven they were stronger together and if they pooled their talents into this endeavor, it stood a good chance of being successful. If it opened doors to more jobs as well as a wider variety then why the hell not? Between them they already had the necessary assets to get the operation off the ground and in time, the finances would propel them forward. Still, there would need to be some details settled before they could call this a true business venture but it sounded promising.

As Klied led the group down a set of stairs and into an expansive wine cellar, Aska almost jumped for joy as she saw the barrels that lined the walls. Grabbing Ali’s arm, her jaw agape in both delight and awe, the clone’s eyes became enchanted by the scene. How long had it been since she had a drink? A week? Two? A month? She didn’t know any more but that would soon change. She only absently acknowledged Klied’s words as she followed Poffo to the bar and pulled a beer out before pushing herself over the counter and sitting down on it’s surface. Placing the lip of the bottle cap on the edge of the counter by her thigh, the clone popped the top off and took a long swig of the ale that concluded with a sigh of relief.

Picking up the cap and twirling it in between her fingers, Aska listened as Poffo prattled in with his typical boasts of vanity, albeit sarcastic as usual, though his final statement stuck out. Rolling her eyes, a half smirk forming on her lips, she leaned back on the bar with her elbow as Poffo passed by. With her opposite arm, she raised the bottle cap to her ear and snapped her fingers, sending the cap hurtling towards the nape of the Coruscanti’s neck.

”Grab a beer, kid,” Aska stated to Ali before nodding to the counter at her side for the Togrutan to come join her before turning her attention back to Klied. ”Alright, so let’s say this all comes together as you’ve said. What, are we gonna run ops from this mansion as our HQ? Smack dab in the middle of Iziz? Just paying starport fees like some common traders?” Aska chuckled as she blew her bangs from her line of sight. ”A rich and influential guy like you, you’ve gotta have contacts somewhere that can set us up with a place to lay low. I would but they’re all dead,”

@Bex @Reyn @Isen
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[Alisaah Tila]

When Klied confirmed that her question had been on the mark, Ali gave him a little smile. She was happy that at least something she contributed to the conversation was useful. It was a good thing too, because Klied's affirmative answer seemed to make her mistress more comfortable with the idea. The Togruta herself was more relaxed knowing that her friends, and by extension herself, would be taking the moral high ground and not working for anyone that had evil intent.

Soon enough the group arrived at the wine cellar, Aska had grabbed the slave's arm, mouth agape. Ali glanced at her mistress, wondering if she was surprised at how large the cellar was, or if she was just excited to finally have a drink. The Togruta thought it likely to be a mix of both. There was likely a large variety of beverages stored in this room that the clone would doubtlessly want to sample. Ali gave Aska a smile too. She liked it when her mistress was happy and the dancer had the feeling Aska was like a kid in a candy shop right now.

The strawberry blonde clone went with Poffo and Poogulga to the bar to grab beers before sitting at the bar. Poffo had made a comment about deciding he'd take up the role of being the "beauty of the group" which drew a frown and pout from Ali. Aska flicked her bottle cap at the Coruscanti in retaliation though, which made Ali chuckle. Her mistress turned and gestured to the seat next to her, instructing the Togruta to get a beer and join them. Turning to Meela, Ali went with the Twi'lek behind the bar. There was plenty of beer there, but before Ali could take one as asked, Meela put her hand out and stopped her.

"No no, you go sit with Pixie, let me handle this" she said, patting Ali on the back. The Togruta looked a little confused. She was perfectly capable of fetching her own drink, but chose not to question it and joined her mistress on the other side of the bar. After some rustling around, during which the clinking of glass bottles could be heard, Meela emerged from the underside of the counter with a bottle of Corellian wine and a couple of glasses. The Twi'lek placed the glasses down in front of herself and Ali, uncorked the wine with a muffled pop, and began to pour them both a glass. In the meantime, Ali listened in to the ongoing conversation between the others regarding the new business venture. At this point she did not have anything to add, and would wait for Klied's response to Aska's question.

When she finished pouring the wine, Meela pushed a glass to Ali and they did a little toast. "Bar's open everyone, just let me know your orders and I'll provide" announced the Twi'lek, who started busying herself organising the area behind the bar so that she could fulfill any requests for drinks.

@Reyn @Isen @Tulos

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied chuckled in good humor as Poffo's joke about ceding the role as brains of the group. "I appreciate the opportunity." The hunter replied with a smile. His eyes were then drawn to Tegan, who seemed almost as happy as Aska to see the cellar. The teenager rushed to the bar, immediately beginning to fish through the collection of bottles himself. "What are you doing?" Klied asked. The boy stood up and looked to him.

"You said help ourselves..." He started hopefully.

"That was for the adults in the room." The hunter replied. Tegan once again seemed to get flustered.

"Are you kidding me? Come on, what's the big deal?" He complained. Klied quirked an eyebrow before looking at Meela, who had taken up a position behind the bar. "Fine." He said to Tegan before turning to the Twi'lek. "Keep an eye on this one will you?" He asked her. "Don't let him go nuts." With that matter out of the way he would continue with the business they were discussing before, looking towards Poffo and Aska.

"It's a big planet, with very little developed land." He answered the clone's question about an HQ. "I'm sure there are any number of properties we can buy." He smirked and pointed up at the ceiling. "Of course if you really want a place that's out of the way, there's none better than Dxun. Remote, wild, and untouchable. If we end up making any enemies, they'd think twice before attacking us there. The location itself would come with it's own security force. Better yet, it would be an excellent place to train recruits. Like my Uncle used to say, 'If you can survive there, you can survive anywhere.'" And even better still, Dxun had once been occupied and fortified by the Mandalorians many millennia ago. No doubt many of those fortifications would still be relatively in tact, just waiting for new tenants to come in and brush off the cobwebs. Klied was no penny-pincher, but it would be a cheaper alternative to having a brand new base constructed. And nobody built fortresses better than the Mandos.

@Isen @Tulos @Bex

 

[Poffo Sauvage]

Well, good. The boy should start drinking. The earlier, the better. Nobody that started drinking as an adult ever learned to hold their liquor properly, so the boy needed to start getting washed out soon. Uncle Poffo will get this boy plastered a hundred times between now and when he turned 18, and the boy will be sweating beer and pissing whiskey. More importantly, he won't be swaggering to and fro because he "had a few drinks."

Poogulga's mouth clicked several times before he spoke up. "Dxun...hmm...The Demon Moon. Untouchable, you say. Hard to disagree with that assessment. If the Mandalorians couldn't tame it, what makes you think a few bounty hunters and hot stuff over here are going to do the trick?" He asked motioning over to Ali.

Poffo's hands flew up and the fingers flourished before he pointed at Poogulga. "Hey, man, I think you should cool it, yeah. Tone down the sarcasm several notches. Yeah, that's what I think you should be doing."

Poogulga was a smartass, not a dumbass, and he was smart enough to realize that Poffo was just big enough and just off his rocker enough to give Poogulga a very bad day. So, he piped it. Poffo, however, thought it was a point worth discussing. It sounded like Dxun would be no picnic to take advantage of. He turned to Klied and said, "Fair question though it iiiii-yus. I don't know nothing about this place, not a thing. I didn't have your fancy geography, geometry or geological classes growing up, no I did not. But I know that demons does not sound like an opponent that I'm itching to take down to Madness Town, if you're picking up the cards I'm throwin' down, yeah."

The bearded brawler rolled his massive shoulders and popped his neck. "But, then again...If I know Mr. Famous Bounty Hunter Man, he has a plan, so make it make sense, brutha."

@Reyn @Tulos @Bex

 

[Aska Ryun]

As Ali took her seat next to Aska on top of the bar counter, the clone wrapped her arm around the Togrutan’s shoulder and gave her a playful shake partnered with a smirk. While Tegan was young and under the watchful eyes of both Klied and Meela, the slave girl was free to let loose and her ‘owner’ wanted to see it happen. Between their mutual survival of their recent endeavors and the discussion at hand, this was a happy moment for the clone and she wanted to share it with all of them.

“...what makes you think a few bounty hunters and hot stuff over here are going to do the trick?”

Poffo was quick to shut the Dug down but Aska couldn’t decide if Poogulga and herself were going to be seeing eye to eye going forward judging by his constant back handed and snide comments. Then again, was she any better herself?

”Hot stuff” will do just fine,” Aska countered. ”She hasn’t let me down yet and I have faith she isn’t about to start now,” the clone added but then turned back to Ali. ”What do you think? Get you some appropriate armour, maybe a bit more practice with that pistol? With a bit of training, we could make a real warrior out of you yet,”

Looking back to Klied, Aska found herself curious on what Klied had to add. Dxun sounded promising but like Poffo, she knew nothing of the moon aside from the fact that it loomed in Onderon’s skyline near constantly. Simply looking at the satellite made it clear that it was wild and untamed, however.

”Demon Moon? Sounds ominous,” Pausing to take a sip from her beer, the clone lowered the bottle and set it beside her on the counter to free a hand for plucking a cigarra from her jacket. ”Secluded is definitely a good thing. So we go up there, stake our claim and clear it out. Then what? Start a recruitment drive?”

@Bex @Reyn @Isen
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[Alisaah Tila]

After taking a sip of the Corellian wine, Ali felt her mistress' arm around her shoulder. Her green eyes glanced to the clone next to her and she smiled. The Togruta could tell that for the first time in a long time her mistress felt happy and it warmed her heart too. Poogulga made a few comments that referred to Ali as 'hot stuff'. The slave had received many disingenuous compliments in her time, often from men making unwanted advances towards her, so being called 'hot stuff' by Poogulga, who she wasn't sure she can trust just yet, felt more sarcastic than complimentary. This was paired with the implication that she was not up to the task of being part of a mercenary company-- wait? She was going to be part of the company too?

This question seemed to almost immediately be confirmed by her mistress who leapt to her defense. When Aska explained that Ali had never let her down and that she believed in her, the Togruta was a little surprised but very touched by her kind words. The clone then turned to her and began talking of armour and blaster training to become a 'real warrior'. Ali was very unsure about this, not being violent in nature, but furthermore she wanted to know what was wrong with her current attire.

"Appropriate armour? You don't like my clothes mistress?" she asked, looking down at the tank top and shorts she was wearing, "What is 'appropriate armour'?" This question elicited a chuckle from Meela behind the bar. Clearly she knew what Aska meant, but Ali, not being one to enjoy covering herself up too much and never having required the use of armour for protection did not follow. In her head she was a dancer and understood her value to be in the way she looked, so why would her mistress want her to cover up?

As the conversation moved on to talk of Dxun, Ali sat and sipped her wine. She had tried a little of most alcoholic drinks, particularly during her time working for Hota Zugg. The slaves had not been permitted to have their own drinks, but visitors would often insist that Ali and the dancers taste some of theirs, presumably in an attempt to inebriate them and take advantage. Fortunately Zugg had ever watchful security and would crack down on any guests trying it on almost immediately, headed up by his chief lieutenant, Alzon Kekram. The Corellian wine was quite pleasant and preferable to beer. It had a less dry and fruitier taste.

On the other side of the bar, Meela was sipping her glass of wine, having received no other requests for drinks as yet. As Klied had asked, she was keeping a watchful eye on Tegan. Though the lord of the manor had given him permission to drink, he was still a kid and she would ensure he did not go overboard. The Twi'lek would wait for Tegan's drinks order before fetching him anything however.

@Reyn @Isen @Tulos

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied could only chuckle at Poogulga and Poffo's doubts about the Demon Moon. "You're forgetting who you're talking to here brother." He said with a smirk as he raised his glass to his mouth to take a drink. "The Demon Moon was practically my playground growing up. I know which spots are slightly less dangerous than the others. And if we go in there armed to the teeth we'll fare just fine. Once we've established a foothold it will be easy enough to maintain. A duracrete roof over our heads to protect from the drexl and a perimeter fence to keep out the other beasties is all we need. If we put all our heads together I'm sure we can manage it."

Aska then brought up recruiting, and Klied was about to address that in the next phase of his plan when something else came up. Ali addressed Aska as mistress again, jogging the hunter's memory. He had forgotten to ask her about that. And now in less extreme circumstances, it was the perfect time. He wasn't the only one curious. The moment the word left the Togruta's mouth Tegan lost all interest in the alcohol. He turned to look at Ali and Aska with a suspicious glare, slowly walking around the bar.

"By the way Aska..." Klied started in a slightly worried tone, afraid of what the answer might be. "Why does Ali call you 'mistress' anyway? You don't seem like the type to hire a servant." His brow furrowed slightly. He desperately hoped he was assuming the worst here, and this was all some inside joke he was unaware of.

@Isen @Tulos @Bex

 

[Poffo Sauvage]

Poffo gave a long look at Poogulga. The Dug just sort of shrugged and shook his head. He was willing to go along with it, but he clearly had his doubts. Plus, he still seemed pretty pissed to be in the boy's presence. Poffo couldn't wonder how that little dynamic would play out over time.

The brawler looked over at Klied and said, "You know it better than me, that much is I know....So yeah...we'll be game, brutha-man. I'm more of a city-scape guy, yeah, the sights and sounds and bright lights, but I'm on the train ride of faith! But if one of your beasties kills, me I'm coming back from the dead to get revenge, dig it?"

Of course then Klied asked Aska a question. It was a point that Poffo hadn't really given that little nugget much thought, though the question did spark his own curiousity. He looked over to Aska and could feel all the other eyes in the room start looking to her for an answer as well.

@Reyn @Tulos @Bex

 

[Aska Ryun]

…. Fuck.

She knew this day would come. She knew it wasn’t Ali’s fault. Still, Aska wasn’t ready. She could feel everyone’s eyes turn on her, burning into her as they awaited her answer. Tegan began to walk from behind the bar and for a moment, she could have sworn she saw the blood drain from the boy’s knuckles as he clenched his fists in a pre-emptive fit of rage. Even Poffo seemed intrigued. Letting off a deep sigh, Aska placed the bottle down on the counter and looked around to everyone in the room.

”It’s… A long story…” Aska’s gut turned as she spoke. For someone so vocally anti-slavery to actually own a slave? Total hypocrite. ”You remember Boola? The Rodian who’s bar we shot up?” Aska directed her question towards Klied. ”I… Well, I wound up working for her for a while. This Hutt named Zugg owed her a shit load of credits and she sent me to dig up some dirt on him to make sure he paid up or it would go public,” Aska paused and scanned the faces of the room for their reactions this far before looking to the floor. ”Well… I got what I came for but… I saw Ali in chains and I couldn’t…” Another pause. ”She was about to be sold. I couldn’t just leave her there! Let her be auctioned off to some slimy fucking gangster. So… I stole her,” Aska winced after saying it. It sounded worse than it was.

”But only to free her, I swear! She just… doesn’t want to be free,” The clone scanned the room again before holding up both hands. ”Believe me, I’ve tried,”

@Bex @Reyn @Isen

 

[Alisaah Tila]

The Togruta's question to her mistress about armour went unanswered. Tegan's drink order also was not forthcoming. Klied had asked a question that put the brakes on pretty much everything else that was being discussed; "Why does Ali call you 'mistress'?" Talk of the new business venture and potential base on Dxun stalled and now all eyes were on Aska, all because Ali had used the "M" word again. The clone, looking very uncomfortable, said her piece. There were no lies or deception in this summary of events. On their first meeting, Ali had indeed been in chains, waiting to be sold at an auction house on Nar Shaddaa in the hope that her high value on the slave market would recoup some credits that her former master, Hota Zugg, desperately needed. Aska had arrived, unannounced, slaughtered a handful of the Hutt's guards and threatened to kill him if he did not hand Ali over to her. The gambit had paid off and upon escaping, Aska had turned to the slave in their getaway speeder and offered her the chance of freedom. Ali however, had not taken it.

The feeling of the room shifted. On finishing her explanation, the eyes of judgement moved from Aska to the Togruta sat next to her. Ali had not realised she had done anything wrong, but the second that it became apparent there was a problem, she started getting anxious. The dancer placed her glass of Corellian wine down on the counter and immediately started preening her fingernails, her face having gone pale. After a moment of awkward silence during which she tried to avoid the burning gaze of the others, she timidly started to talk.

"M.. mistress tried to free me when she took me from the auction house, she said she could take me back to my family, but... I don't... I don't know where I came from. This is the only life that I've ever known. My only purpose has been to serve my masters, so wherever they are is where I am from..." she said. Her voice was soft but she was stuttering and stumbling through her words because she believed she would be punished for this. Ali thought she had gotten Aska in a lot of trouble without meaning to, and although the clone had always treated her with respect, years of abuse from former masters and their associates for actual or perceived disobedience had taught her that indiscretion led to punishment.

"It's true. About her past, I mean..." came Meela's distinct Twi'lek accent from behind the bar. The older woman was able to vouch for parts of Alisaah's early life that the Togruta was too young to remember and so she felt she needed to provide some context, "Ali was only a few months old when Fligorra, our old master, and his men brought her back. I remember them saying something about teaching somebody a lesson for not repaying debts. As one of the slave women, I took the responsibility of raising her..."

Ali looked up briefly at Meela and met her eyes. The Twi'lek may have dumped herself in hot water at this point - more slave talk - but at least in Meela's case she was now a free woman thanks to Aska. "Mimi is the closest thing I have to a mother... and the only person who cared about me, until..." she said, continuing to nervously get her words out, "Until mistress found me... She saved me from being sold by Master Zugg. Anybody could have bought me at that auction but she went out of her way to find me... she didn't even know who I was... she wanted to free me..."

Meela again started to speak. The words coming out of the Togruta's mouth were reminiscent of the conversation the two had on Bespin, during the time Poffo, Klied and Aska had been on Mataou. Words that would have made no sense to anybody in that room. "Just so that you all know, whilst you were all away, Ali and I had some time to talk whilst we were on Bespin. This topic did come up and I have told her that this doesn't make sense" she said, placing her own wine glass down and raising both hands in defeat. Looking at Ali sympathetically she said "I'm sorry ma chérie, but it doesn't..."

The pressure of everybody watching her and having to explain herself was getting too much for Ali. It was clear that there was some deep rooted psychological issues preventing her from accepting that freedom was a good thing. The years she had spent being a slave, her torture at the hands of the Zygerrian slavers, the abuse she had recieved from former masters, had deeply entrenched submission and subservient behaviours in her. Tears began to form in the corners of her green eyes. The Togruta had never asked for any of this, she did not know what she had done wrong.

"Being a slave is all I know... I've never lived part of my life as a free person. If mistress had freed me, I might have even been worse off than I would be staying in her service. I don't know anything about surviving on my own. I would have had nothing and nobody to turn to for help..." she whimpered, starting to cry. Watching the girl break down, Meela sighed and walked over to her, reaching over the counter and gestured for Ali to give her both of her hands. The Togruta timidly complied and Meela held them both, giving them a comforting squeeze.

"I told Ali that you probably would have helped her, if you'd gone to all that trouble to rescue her from Zugg. It's clear to me that you have a good heart, Pixie" said the Twi'lek, looking at Aska on the stool next to the crying slave. The comment did not have long to linger however before Ali started talking again.

"What reason would mistress, or anyone here, have had to help me?... She owes me nothing and I owe her everything. If it weren't for mistress and Kayto, I would be dead. Master Zugg would have killed me like... like he did to..." the Togruta started to choke up. She could not bring herself to talk about Deskar and Quinri in front of Aska. Her intention was not to be disrespectful, but the implication was clear enough. If Aska had freed her, there was a good chance she would have been recaptured or possibly killed as an act of revenge by Zugg. Ali turned to Aska sitting beside her, tears rolling down her cheeks, to address her personally. "Even if I had accepted freedom, I would still owe you my life, mistress... and I don't want to leave you..." she cried, but the memories of everything they had been through together so far, and the visions of what yet may soon come to pass, became too much and Ali broke down into uncontrollable sobbing.

Meela looked sadly at the slave, letting go of her hands to that Ali could be left to cry. "She has been through a lot. Things that even I don't know about during the time we were separated. I have... seen, on her back, the Zygerrian brand... I can't imagine what that scum did to her there and I swear I will kill Dontigo Fligorra for selling a 10 year old girl to that filth" she sighed, clearly hurting, thinking about Ali's pain, "My instinct tells me the best way through to her is... well, patience... if we can prove to Ali that she has a place here with us and that we won't abandon her, maybe we can convince her to break free of the chains that bind her, both physically and mentally..."

@Reyn @Isen @Tulos

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Aska would see a sympathetic expression from Klied at least as she explained her story. So Ali was a slave after all. And still a slave. He didn't like the idea of that, but he was willing to believe that Aska's words were sincere, and that she only had the best of intentions with Ali. She may have put up a rough exterior, but Klied had seen enough of the clone to know she had a soft heart. Tegan for his part still had a furrowed brow, looking angrier than Klied had ever seen him, and the kid seemed to be angry all the time. But Aska's insistence that Ali wanted to remain a slave turned both their heads in her direction to hear her side of the story.

The more the Togruta spoke, with the assistance of Meela, the more clear the picture became in the Onderonian's mind. She had clearly been through a kind of hell he could barely even imagine. He pitied her, and he felt only more hatred for the type of people that would do what was being said. It completely reinforced his resolve to create this mercenary band. As Ali started to break down into tears he averted his eyes, feeling a twinge of shame for having inadvertently brought this about with his questions. What Meela suggested made sense to him. Ali's upbringing had psychologically conditioned her to view herself and the galaxy in a certain way. Perhaps over time they could all guide her into a more healthy mindset.

After a few moments of painful silence Klied started to open his mouth to speak up, but Tegan beat him to the punch. The boy's demeanor was completely different to his. Throughout Ali's explanation he had only grown more and more angry, to the point he was now shaking with fury, his hands balled into fists, knuckles turning white as he tried to contain himself. "Give her all the time you like." He replied to Meela, keeping his eyes on the Togruta even as she broke down. "She'll always be a slave." Despite having experienced slavery himself Tegan seemed to have no sympathy whatsoever for Ali's situation. If anything he seemed to be glaring at her with contempt. "I've met plenty like her. Pathetic, directionless beings that have absolutely no sense of self-worth whatsoever. They'd rather worship their chains then put in the effort it takes to be a thinking person."

"Tegan!" Klied hissed, and reached out to grab him by the shoulder, to stop him from speaking. The boy swung around, smacking his hand away before he could do so.

"Don't touch me!" He snapped, turning his anger towards the Onderonian. "It's the truth! My friends died fighting for the chance to be free! It's offered to her on a silver platter and she refuses it?" He turned back towards Ali. "You're spitting on all their faces. On every slave's face. You're afraid of what will happen to you out there? So the fuck what. You figure it out. You do whatever you have to do. Stop crying like a beat dog and stand on your own two feet for God's sake. You're disgusting."

Klied stood up and stepped between the teenager and the Togruta. "That's enough." He growled, becoming angry with the boy's words. "Leave her alone, you can see she's had it hard enough already."

"It doesn't matter." Tegan replied in a softer voice, now focused on the hunter. "She's going to feel that way for the rest of her life. Because she agrees with her former masters. She's not a person she's an object." Klied scowled at Tegan but couldn't find any words to speak back to him. He glanced between the others in the room with a pleading expression, like he was asking for their help in this.

@Isen @Tulos @Bex

 

[Poffo Sauvage]

The brawler leaned back and his eyes widened at the revelation that Ali was a slave. He looked at Aska and shook his head, feigning disgust because it felt like the right thing to do considering the company. But, while mass slavery as it was known on some planets was not a way of life for the planet of Coruscant from where Poffo hailed, very similar arrangements were in fact a way of life on the capital planet, particularly in the lower levels. Prostitutes were more or less owned by their pimps. People that owed the wrong people money continually worked off debts they would never be able to pay back. Gang members often times had no means of leaving their situation. Poffo grew up seeing this, and seeing how much freedom Ali actually had with Aska as a master, he struggled to be too broken up about it. Still, it was an opportunity to give Aska a hard time, so he continued to feign disgust.

"Oh, man...I can't believe it." His fingers flourished and he turned a 360 before wiping his mouth with his massive hand. "You think you know a person, yeah." He pointed to Tegan. "I'm going to side with the whippersnapper here, yeah. I don't understand the issue. If she's a slave, she has to do what Aska says, right?" He looked at Aska and pointed at her then at Ali. "Just tell her you are ordering to be free. She has to do what you say, right?"

Poffo clapped his hands together as if he had somehow managed to solve the problem with an easy solution. To be fair, in his mind, it was an easy fix.

@Reyn @Tulos @Bex

 

[Aska Ryun]

There were very few constants in Aska’s life. Since departing the lab on Coruscant, she had moved from place to place in a matter of months at a time. Friends came, friends died. New friends came and the cycle continued. There was only one thing that had proven to be a sustained aspect and it was the Togrutan girl that this little stunted Hutt worm had begun to light up with his own reservations of being bound in servitude. Though she did not show any sign of it immediately, Tegan’s words began to recall the feelings of rage that Aska had been having difficulty suppressing since their escapades on Coruscant. Her frustration and anger was like a bonfire that had been left to die on it’s own. The flames were gone but all it would take was a bit of fuel to spur the embers back into a roaring blaze. Every word that left the boy’s mouth was like a howling wind, reigniting the fire.

“Stop crying like a beat dog and stand on your own two feet for God’s sake. You’re disgusting,”

Aska looked down to the half empty beer in her hands, a smirk of disbelief crossing her lips. Just who the hell did this kid think he was? Who did he think he was talking about? In front of her? Klied tried to reign the boy in but it seemed Tegan’s adrenaline on the subject was too strong for the Onderonian to subdue. It was Aska’s turn.

Lifting the beer to her lips as Poffo began to voice his own opinion on the matter, Aska polished off the contents. Smacking her lips as she glanced at the label of the bottle, the clone remained still for a moment. She was trying to contain her disgust with the little prick but came up empty handed. Well, sort of.

Flipping the bottle into the air, Aska caught it by the neck before pulling it back over her shoulder and then launching it at Tegan’s face. He had no chance to react and as it slammed in to his right eye, the clone pushed herself off from the bar and advanced on him as he recoiled in pain. Aska didn’t give him a chance to recover as she placed her right leg behind Tegan’s left and grabbed him by his neck, shoving him back over her leg and to the ground with all the strength her rage could muster. No one spoke to Ali like that. No one. As the boy hit the floor, Aska lifted her boot and placed it firmly on his throat then leaned a good portion of her weight on him to cut off his breathing just enough to keep him from speaking.

”You have exactly three seconds to apologize before I make you wish the Rancor turned you into an appetizer, you little shit!” Aska hissed between gritted teeth. Was he trying to ask for forgiveness? She didn’t know. All she could hear was him gurgling for air.

@Bex @Reyn @Isen​

 

[Alisaah Tila]

Ali sat hunched over on the bar stool sobbing into her hands. None of the others would have been able to see her face, it was shielded, but when Tegan launched into a tirade against her, her sobbing turned to wailing cries. The Togruta did not know Tegan, they'd met roughly 10 minutes earlier, but already the kid seemed to hate her very existence. Though there was truth in what he was saying, his words were venomous and cruel. Although Ali had rejected one offer of freedom in the past, for Tegan to assume it was the only chance Aska would give the slave was insulting. The clone had been kind to Ali despite not wanting to own a slave, tried to encourage her to live more freely and independently, they looked after each other and had become friends. It was only a matter of time until she offered that chance again and for Tegan to jump to conclusions when he barely knew them both was ill judged to say the least.

Whether any of this was going through Aska's mind when she launched the beer bottle at the teenager and forced him to the ground was anyone's guess. Tegan's words had unleashed an anger Ali had not seen since Aska had killed her creator, Doctor Ryun, on board their ship following their last visit to Coruscant. Within seconds the clone had the boy on his back and her boot on his throat, choking him. Meela, who had been standing next to Tegan behind the bar had also become enraged. Snatching up the empty Corellian wine bottle she had launched it across the room. It collided with a wall, smashing it to pieces. Teela the astromech squealed loudly in fright.

"How DARE you speak to her that way!" she yelled, standing over Tegan as Aska held him down with her boot, "Who the hell do you think you are?! Nobody asked you your opinion so shut your fucking mouth! She's been through enough and doesn't need you making her feel worse!" The Twi'lek then marched out from behind the bar and over to the stool where Ali still sat crying. She would have punched Tegan if Aska had not gotten there first, but since the clone looked like she was about to crush the kid's windpipe, she figured Aska had physical retaliation covered.

The older woman approached Ali, gently wrapping her hands around the Togruta's wrists to try and pull them away from her face so she could see her. Initially Ali resisted, but eventually Meela provided enough insistence that the slave gave in. The Twi'lek cupped her hands either side of the Togruta's face, wiping away tears with her thumbs.

"Alisaah... It's okay ma chérie. You've not done anything wrong, don't pay attention to him.." she said, now with a more caring and concerned voice before kissing the top of the girl's head to comfort her. Though her demeanor had changed for Ali's sake, the Twi'lek was still visibly shaking with anger at what Tegan had said.

@Reyn @Isen @Tulos

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Well this was getting out of hand very quickly. As Poffo made his smart remarks Klied was about to tell him to shut up, to stop making it worse, when Aska went ahead and made things even worse still. The hunter flinched reflexively as the bottle came flying at him and Tegan, shielding his eyes as some broken glass flew past him. Before he knew it Tegan was on the ground with the clone's foot on his throat, demanding an apology. Klied immediately slammed into her forcefully, shoving her off the boy.

"I said that's enough!" He shouted, this time looking between Aska and Meela. Below him Tegan gasped for air and struggled to get up. Already blood was starting to run down the side of his head where the bottle had hit him. He stumbled but managed to catch himself, and then with a furious cry tried to fling himself bodily at the woman that had attacked him. Again Klied interceded, putting out his arm to catch Tegan by the chest. He grabbed him by the shirt and turned to look him in the eyes. "Walk away. Now." He ordered with a stony expression. But Tegan wasn't listening, he looked at Aska over the hunter's shoulder.

"You think you're any kind of decent just because you're nice to her?" He shouted, voice cracking and eyes starting to water. "You're still a fucking slaver! You don't get to act like her hero and protector!" Again Klied stepped to the side to make sure his and the boy's eyes were on each other.

"Tegan," He started sternly, still clutching him by the collar of his shirt. "I get it, but you are completely out of line. Ali's done nothing to you. And Aska helped me save your life. So the least you can do is keep the negative comments to yourself." Tegan pushed Klied's grip off him again but stood his ground, averting his eyes and raising a hand to wipe the blood from his face. Klied looked him over, his expression softening a bit. "Get yourself cleaned up. We'll talk later." Tegan glared back at him a few moments, clearly struggling to hold back tears before he abruptly turned and made his way towards the door. Klied watched him go, then looked towards Kayto. "You think you can keep an eye on him for me?" He asked, suddenly feeling exhausted. The droid nodded in reply.

"Anything to get out of here..." The machine muttered to himself as he followed after the teenager. Klied let out a long sigh as he looked first to Ali.

"I'm sorry, you didn't deserve to hear that." He told the Togruta softly, allowing her and the Twi'lek some space. When he looked back towards Aska he was clearly more irritated. "And you. If you pull a stunt like that in here again you can find a hotel to stay in." He walked to the bar and downed the rest of his whiskey before grabbing the bottle and pouring himself another glass. "This isn't one of your dives. This is my fucking home. I expect you to treat it with a modicum of respect." He realized Aska was at least somewhat justified in her response. Tegan had made a real ass of himself. But he understood why the boy was angry as well. He had been through his own troubles and didn't yet have the years to handle that maturely. It seemed to the hunter that if this mercenary idea of his was going to work he would need to be the one to keep the peace.

@Isen @Tulos @Bex

 

[Poffo Sauvage]

Poffo was about ready to square up and knock Aska the kriff out, but she instead turned to the boy and let him have it. The brawler let his guard down and watched as the drama started to unfold. "Psst..." he called over to Poogulga, trying to be quiet. "There's a bang-corn maker over there. Get some bangin', yeah. We got a show on our hands, yes we do." Poog started to say something smart, but Poffo backhanded him in the teeth just enough to smart before putting a finger to his lips to tell him to shush. The Dug did as instructed, mumbling under his breath as he started looking for the bang-corn kernals.

The brawler folded his arms for a moment trying his best to stay in the background. He reached and grabbed himself another cold, alcoholic beverage and took a seat on a stool. As Klied started to chastise Aska, the pops of the bang-corn could be heard. The bearded Coruscanti folded his arms and could feel some of the eyes start to look at his and Poog's direction. "Don't mind me and Poog, no, no. Don't mind us a teeny little bit. Not one iota of mind, no. Don't worry about a thing, we'll bang enough for everyone."

He rolled his hands forward as he took another swing. "Proceed."

@Reyn @Bex @Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

As Aska recuperated from being pushed off the smart nosed punk who had found himself at her mercy, the clone brought her eyes to meet Klied’s. Of course he was angry with what she had done. Of course he felt some sort of responsibility over his recently freed slave. Of course Aska’s own hypocrisy had played a large part in instigating what had just transpired. For a brief moment she felt a tug of guilt as she watched Tegan escorted from the wine cellar, blood trickling down his cheek from the cuts around his eyes, but everyone in the room knew that repercussions followed every action. Including her own.

As she prepared to speak up after Klied threatened to kick her out of his home, Aska was cut off by an unexpected and loud popping coming from the corner of the room. Turning to see both Poffo and Poogulga standing next to a bang-corn machine, the clone gave him a ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ glare before rolling her eyes and turning back to the irritated Onderonian Lord. Still, she couldn’t deny that the smell was astounding and reminded her that she hadn’t eaten in some time.

”Okay, maybe I went a little far with the kid… but are you going to really sit there and tell me that had it been you in my shoes, you’d just let him-” Aska paused, wincing as she did. As she spoke, it occurred to her that had she been in his shoes then she would have done exactly as Klied did as well. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breathe, Aska slowly let the build up of air outward. ”Look... I’m sorry, Caveman. I was out of line,” Brushing her fingers through her bangs, Aska slumped down into a nearby chair and scanned the group as a whole. ”Can we just… Can we get back to business?” she asked exasperatedly, lingering her gaze on Ali for a moment. Hopefully the slave girl would be alright.

@Bex @Reyn @Isen

 

[Alisaah Tila]

Ali was still crying as Meela hugged her. There was a lot of raised voices going on around her but it was all just background noise to the Togrutan slave at this point. She was emotionally shot. Ali had not intended to cause any trouble or make anyone hate her, but somehow she'd managed to achieve it just being herself. Even Aska now seemed to be in a heap of trouble with the others and the dancer felt that it was entirely her fault. The last thing she wanted was to get her mistress in trouble and damage her reputation. She felt so bad and so ashamed, the slave wished that she could just vanish.

Of the two beings that were there hugging, only Meela turned when the loud crackle of popcorn could be heard from the other side of the room. It seemed Poogulga and Poffo had decided to amuse themselves in the midst of the drama. Or maybe they were just hungry, who knew? The Twi'lek raised an eyebrow and shook her head a little but turned her attention back to the crying Togruta. Teela the astromech on the other hand, zoomed right over to Poogulga and Poffo. Her optical sensor laid eyes on the popcorn machine and she beeped and booped in droidspeak to the pair of them. <"Hey, make some of that stuff for the girl eh? Maybe it will cheer her up"> was the gist of what the droid was telling them.

@Reyn @Isen @Tulos