"Hey! Limos Council wants to see us!" "Great. What do they want this time?" "Dunno. They just said go see the Council."
Chic and Luna walk down the ramp, chests heaving. Both of them know that this could be a toture session, or a promotion. Anything said or done could fling the line either way. Chic knows that the two of them shouldn't be a couple. Shouldn't even have feelings for one another. Not around these monsters. If one slave falls in love with another, the punishment can be death, or far worse. At least in this circle.
"Chic, Luna. Welcome back. I do hope you are both in good condition." The translator finishes. "We are- most delighted to see you, Great Escala, leader of the Limo clan." Luna responds, looking over at Chic, who looks at Escala with an annoyed glance. "Hm. I am quite impressed that you both managed to pull off the delivery with minimal casualties, however, this little- thing, between you two cannot be allowed to continue. I think a reminder is in order, no?" The scaly slippery creature nods to two attendants behind them, and they step forward, carrying partially ignited electro-whips at the ready. "Now, where do we begin…"
Kari stirs, turning over to see the dim night lights shining down on her. She sits up, ignores the familiar hum underneath the floor, and walks to the door. She expects to hear the familiar snores and such when it opens, but-silence. The hallways are dark, except for a small light, signalling that the ramp had been opened by someone. Kari walks to the ramp, pulling the switch, seeing only a dark swamp surrounding the ship, but also, light? 'Must be a trick', she mumbles, turning her head away for just a moment, but no. It's still there. Beaming out to her.
Chic falls, listening to the buzz of whips being silenced. Luna looks over at them, her eyes silent, showing nothing but a blank slate. A facade of sorts, at least for now. She looks over at Chic, internally screaming when she sees the fresh blood on their forehead, in the shape of the mark. The one that claims both of them as property of this organization. Chic had the tattoo already, but it never marked her- not yet, at least. They hear footsteps, a yelp, and a see a flash of cloth, before hearing that creature Escala again. "Ah, so you've been protecting ssssomeone. Let'sss sssee who our wanted one is tonight." One of his goons lift's the figure's head, revealing-Kari. "Ah. A little wanted criminal. The Empire is willing to trade quite a bit of spice for you, young one. Tell me, what is it that makes you so valuable." Kari lifts her head up, looking over at Luna and Chic with nervous eyes, before loudly proclaiming, "This!" She lifts her hand up, and an unseen force pulls on Escala, dragging him into a flaming pit. Among the screams and curses flowing from his mouth, a sentence can be made out. "Get her!"
"Uh, Kari? Mind explaining what in the force that was?" "The force. I can't explain it. I just-cut myself off for a long time. I thought that it might be entertaining to see someone who worked with those creatures burn away." "Uh-that's a little-" "Dark? Yeah, no kidding.", Luna says, finishing Chic's sentence. "Anyway," Chic continues, "What now?"
"What now?" Kari doesn't know the answer to those words. She never has had an answer to them. When she fled, her captors told her what would happen if they found her. The smuggler's guild always told her that what happens to her, would be up to her performance and skill. She never got the choice to figure it out for herself. She looks over at her friend. "I-I don't know. But I think I need to go back into hiding again." Hiding. Of course. It's all she does anyway.
Kari leans on the viewport, watching the constellations blur together into the tunnel of hyperspace. She has her destination. The small gambling planet of Canto Bight. She knows it will hold enough work to keep her busy until the Empire rears its ugly head once again. Hopefully, by that point, she'll have enough to hide away and get out before that ugly head is reared. "You know kid, this life isn't just about avoiding bucketheads. You should try and have some fun while you can." Kari turns after hearing Chic's voice, her face fallen in thought. "I always thought fun meant not having to watch for a knife in your back. And getting free drinks." "Ha. You're going to a gambling town. Try to blend in a bit more. You act like it, but you need to dress the part. Leave that-to me."
Kali watches the brightly dressed town around her, tugging self consciously at the revealing silk dress she wears, loaned to her by a friend of Chic and Luna. That same friend told her that the pot house, which, in their words, "Holds the most desperate crowd of 'em all.", was the place to go. "Oh joy", Kari mumbles. She really just needs some kind of job. Not a session with a pile of spiceheads doing who knows what at this point. But then again, a drink would be nice after the craziness of the last couple of weeks.
These people are most definitely her type. One minute of talking and they've already started talking trash about the bucketheads that trashed the place a little while back. She laughs drunkenly. "Have had my fair share of runs with 'em." One person looks over at her from the back of the room, and she smirks back. In her drunken state, Kari does not realize nor care that someone has slipped something into the drink she now holds. Taking another sip, she frowns, and looks into the liquid, before keeling over in a corner, into the arms of a stranger.
"Damn it. Damn it. DAMN IT!" Kari walks across the room, looking down at the datapad in her hands. She should have known. She got the job, but at what cost? Sure, she managed to stay hidden from the Empire, but now-she doesn't know. She never even thought about becoming a parent, and especially not after she fled the Empire's ranks. At least she has a job, and people in charge who don't give a damn about her personal life. She'll just have to wait until she can talk to someone in the local clinic. She paces the room again, but stops when she hears them. 'No,' she thinks, turning towards the door, awaiting the worst. "Come out with your hands up." She does so, coming face to face with her nightmare. She breathes heavily, glaring at the masked creature standing in front of her. Neither of them speaks, until the creature nods at her. "Apprentice."
I just love cliffhangers, don't you? I prewrote the first 3 chapters, so from this chapter on, all I have are some notes and ideas that I've written down. So updates may take a little longer than before, but I will try my best to update every week, or two weeks, depending on the chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading :)