Kyle's head wouldn't stop throbbing, nor would the room stop spinning. He felt he was about to hurl. The medical droid wasn't any help. Often brushing off his concerns and loading him up with painkillers. Not too different from his days wrestling on Songin. Kyle would be a fool to expect decent treatment. Wrestlers are cattle, in this business solely to make a living and enjoy little to no flexibility. He looks around the medical ward at all the broken bones and miserable faces and is reminded just how tough and heartless this line of work really is.
Not having any formal attire, the promotion provided him with a black jumpsuit and a white sash going downward diagonally to match his collar. Simple enough, though this wasn't his style.
Kyle was taken aside by Anakin, and wasn't surprised to hear he wasn't happy about his most recent outburst. "Why are you doing this?"
"It's called getting attention. I'm playing the role, you ever act before?" Kyle tells him.
"No. Unlike you, I didn't have time to pick up hobbies."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Kyle retorts with a sneer. "So what's the problem?"
"Could you keep a low profile, the Queen is suspecting us."
"Maybe it's because more of her slaves are vanishing off the plantation."
"What am I supposed to do for the meeting then?" He asks.
"Meeting?"
"Miraj wants to wrap up this tournament and get on with the auction with who she has left. She wants to know why I deserve to be in the title match." He explains.
"You have bigger things to worry about, besides your fake sports title." Anakin berates.
"It's not fake!" Kyle strikes a combative tone. "Whatever it is, play along. I know how to string someone along. I made a career out of it."
Later, he did meet with Miraj. She didn't seem to care for his company. In fact, she wanted to speak with his manager as opposed to himself. "You know how to get the spotlight on yourself."
"It's the only way to get ahead in this business." He replies.
"I'll be blunt, I have to scrap this tournament. But I promised my people a title match. It'll likely be a four person fight, can you explain to me why you deserve to be in it?"
"Quite frankly, no. I cannot. If you can't see I'm the hardest working man you have, then there's no point in trying to convince you." He argues. "To be honest, I don't even want the title. I can get that another day, what I want is a chance to get my hands on Lars. The boy toy. I'm finished with him."
"Trouble in paradise?" Miraj pours herself a glass of wine, eager to hear the gossip.
"Lars never prioritized me because I wasn't his creation. For years he had me fight in dinky clubs for little pay, while he pockets the majority off of my labor. Well, I'm sick of it. I already made my intentions to him known. I want him tomorrow in the ring."
"He told me you would feel this way, so he's given me a proposition for you. Beat his protégée, Ashla, I think is her name and you'll get your match. Or, a title match if you wish to call an audible."
Kyle smiles to himself, glad to know he can still sweet talk anyone into getting his way in the wrestling business. If only he could transfer this skill to everywhere else.
"Tell you what, you tell Lars to stop hiding behind his pathetic muscle and I'll take them both on in the same night if I have to!" He gets up to leave, which surprises Miraj. Usually, she is he one dismissing her company. "Your people hate me, and I feed off of that. I can't wait to shove in their faces again, and I'm going to do it on your grandest stage."
(Scene break)
From the moment he arrives at the Queen's palace, Anakin reassumed his alias and found a quick, easy explanation for his brief absence when pressed by Miraj. "Your highness" He bows, clearly in an act to admire her beauty. "I only departed to find you to greatest of treasures for your eyes and body." He presents her the fanciest moisturizer and the finest silk his money could afford.
"Where did you get the money for these?" Miraj appears suspicion, but she mostly paid attention to the extravagant gifts.
"The man I killed had deep pockets. I would do anything for my Queen." It filled Anakin with embarrassment to be so over the top, especially with Ahsoka right behind him.
"How nice. So tell me, is the Jedi a friend of yours or are you too a part of their rodent ridden order?" Her gaze turns dark, her eyes narrowing, Anakin was taken off guard.
"Your highness, I-" Miraj withdraw her confined dagger from her robes and presses it to Anakin's throat. Ahsoka nearly leapt to protect her master, she remained in character in hopes she was not on to her as well. "Your slave girl, is she even a slave?"
"Your majesty" Anakin thinks for a half second "All the Togrutas are good for is slaving for your leisure." It pained him to say such a vile, racist thing in front of his Padawan. Anakin hopes to the stars she'll forgive him later on. The comment scratched Ahsoka off the Queen's list of sketchy figures.
"Poor baby." She feigns sympathy, cupping Anakin's cheek. "You do not know how the Jedi have done you wrong. You remain loyal to me, I will show you and you truly will be free."
"You are a slave yourself, your majesty. The Separatists only want your resources and slave trade. They'll kill you if you happen to not deliver." Miraj shrugs.
"Being royalty comes with risks, it beats living the life of a commoner. Come, I have something to show you."
She takes him to the arena where an exhibition match is just wrapping up. "This is my kingdom. My people beg for merely my presence. You cannot understand the appeal if you never been in my shoes."
"Of course, wrestlers in their respective territories are royalty in their own minuscule way." She ponders for a moment. "If you really are who you say you are, you'd get in the ring and take my an opponent of my choosing."
"Your majesty, I am a promoter. I-"
"Your Togruta, I saw her fight. She is either your slave because all Togrutas here are property, or you're lying to me."
"I trained her, like I trained Monix." Anakin fesses up. "But I brought her here as a gift to you."
"What can I do with a Togrutan fighter? It's illegal for them to even roam the streets without a master." She chastises Anakin for his lack of foresight. "Maybe you're lying and she is a slave after all? Only one way to find out." A devilish grin forms on her face, Anakin wasn't about to like what she was about to say next. But he had to give her a concession, the whole plan was unraveling.
(Scene break)
Miraj knew Anakin was a tough shell to crack. She brought out the big guns almost immediately, running through the faults of the Jedi and the genocides they've committed a generation ago. "You are so loyalty to the Jedi is admirable, given they've slaughtered my people."
"'Your people are slavers." He shoots back.
"The Jedi did not discriminate. They killed us all. Young and poor, men and women... my daughter." Her gaze disconnects from Anakin's.
"You're hiding behind your child isn't justifying your actions." He glares at Miraj. "I am sorry for your loss. What you felt that day, is what millions feel every day because of your empire." Miraj still wasn't looking at him.
"But it is the actions of me and those before me which brought prosperity to my people. What did the Jedi gain from killing my daughter?" Anakin did not have a response to that. "You surely know what it is like, in a war to worry about the civilians unable to run to safety from the fire coming from your cannons?"
"We try to protect the civilians, the Separatists do not." He puts it bluntly.
"And all that grandstanding saved how many lives, Jedi?" Seeing she was getting nowhere, Miraj sighs to herself. "Very well, Dooku's apprentice is hunting down the colonists as we speak. You stay here, no harm will come to them or your Jedi friend?"
"Jedi friend?"
"My quarter masters have found Kenobi trying to stage an uprising, he will be executed in the hour. It goes without saying, your window to make a decision is small."
(Scene break)
There's four consular ships, carrying 48 slaves between them. Many residents of Kiros, Panaka hopes the rest will be freed by Skywalker once the Queen is captured. Without their leader, the Zygerrian Empire is rudderless. For now, Panak'a main concern was guiding the party back to Coruscant - more importantly, just outside of the Outer Rim territories. He's dealt with scoundrel in her past adventures in the territory, pirates and terrorists of the like. Never before did he possess such valuable cargo.
"Captain Panaka, status report."
"Shields are 100%. Hyperspace is ready to go." This brought relief to Tera. Only issue being, they've ran into an asteroid field, while not big enough to destroy the ships, going at the speed of hyperspace through the treacherous area does put their lives at stake. If Skywalker was in her position, the odds of some lackey from the Zygerrian Empire coming up from behind would outweigh all else. But Tera carried herself similar to Obi-Wan, a risk taker when the situation demanded boldness.
"Ready when you are, General." Captain Bronson of the third consular ship announced. Panaka confesses they would be ready for some time, for now remain vigilant.
"Captains," Panaka thought for a second. "Be sure to place the colonists and POWs under the smuggling compartments." The order perplexes both captains, they did as they were told and shuffled the cargo under the floorboards.
"Mama, what is going on?" Panaka heard a little boy whimper, clutching on to his mother's arm ever so tight he started to break skin. "Nothing, sweetie don't worry." The mother shushes. Panaka kneels down, looking at the child.
"I promise you're all fine. This is only a precautionary measure." He assured them they wouldn't suffocate in the compartments, then sealed the lid. "If anyone is in need of medical attention, let me know." He tells Governor Roshti, who was given a com-link prior to being placed in the compartment.
Proxy was hot on their trail, and deep down he knew they wouldn't stand a chance against him. All they needed to do was cross the territory line and rendezvous with the Republic fleet waiting for them, giving the convoy sufficient protection. The time it would take to get there would be under an hour, if they could hyperspace.
Proxy knew he was skating on thin ice. The Count specifically instructed him to protect the Queen, but she ordered him to chase down the runaway slaves. Serving two masters isn't easy, especially when their orders contradict one another.
(Scene break)
Hearing of Obi-Wan's impending execution, Ahsoka launched into an internal panic. When the Queen excused herself for a powder, Anakin slyly moved towards Ahsoka telling her not to worry that he has a plan. "R2 has our lightsabers stored, when they show Obi-Wan we'll ambush the Queen and hold her for ransom."
"What about the security guards?" She asks.
"Guards, the show is about to start. Get down to the surface level and make sure the Jedi doesn't try anything funny." Miraj orders, rather abruptly. Anakin smirks at his Padawan.
"Things always work out for you." She rolls her eyes.
Miraj returned from her powder, letting out a sigh of relief. "I really just wanted them out of my hair so I could watch the fight in peace."
"Sensible." Anakin shrugs.
"It's best if you go to ring." Miraj tells Anakin. The two Jedi communicate their next move via telepathy. They had to tread carefully.
