"The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be…unnatural" ―Palpatine

Sith Gothic 2

Part 7

"Hey!" a man yelled as he came running up to Atton, the Handmaiden and myself "You stole my ship!".

I wondered then if any other Sith Lord had to deal with crap like this. I'd bet most of them just killed the fools who dared bothered them. Of course other Sith Lords were totally nuts, as proven by their actions and their dress sense.

"Excuse me, what are you talking about?" I asked politely.

Just because my name was Darth Gothic, that didn't mean I was lacking in manners.

"The Ebon Hawk, right? It was stolen from me during the Mandalorian Wars," the man explained.

This could be true.

"A friend of mine happened to come across the ship a few years back on Taris so I think it's safe to say that we didn't steal it from you," I told him.

Although I had stolen it from Revan, but that was a long story.

"If it's really his then we have to give it back," the Handmaiden said seriously.

She would say that.

"Says who?" Atton demanded.

I decided not to get involved in any debate between those two.

"Do you have any proof of ownership?" I asked the man.

Given the amount of money I had, I might be able to buy a new ship. I was rather found of the Ebon Hawk, but it was getting a bit crowded these days. Perhaps it was time to upgrade.

"No" the man admitted "But it's still my ship, and it's a nice ship so I'd like it back".

Well if he had no proof of ownership then I saw no reason to give the ship. He was most likely trying to scam me. Sure he may have flown on the ship, however that might just mean he'd worked for the crime lord who had once owned the ship.

"Could we buy it from you?" the Handmaiden asked him.

"I need a way off of this planet far more than I need any amount of money," the man said, shaking his head.

There was no reason for me to return it if he couldn't prove he owned it, but I'd give him money if it shut him up.

"Well in that case I really do think that we have to give it back," the Handmaiden said reluctantly.

Perhaps credits and a lift off this dump would soothe the man.

"Oh come on!" Atton protested. "It's our ship!".

"But it's not right," the Handmaiden said earnestly.

I sighed.

"He has no proof the ship is his" I pointed out, before turning to the man "And since I suspect that you might try to just steal the ship, let me point out to you that I am a Dark Lord of the Sith, and that I can kill you with my mind".

The man paled.

"I would never steal anything. I swear" he said.

Well he better not or I'd drain his life force, if nothing else that might cure the headache I was getting.

"Can we at least give him a ride somewhere" the Handmaiden suggested.

I sighed.

"Fine when we leave you can come with us" I told the man "And I'll give you some credits, you can start a new life somewhere".

That seemed to settle the issue.

"I'll go wait by the docking area until you decide to leave," the man said before hurrying away.

Right now I really wanted to find a bar.

(Line Break)

While looking for a bar the group and I walked into a room that apparently had some sort of illegal activity going down in it. Well not illegal, you needed laws for something to be against the laws, but it was something that certain people wanted to keep out of sight.

"Two cases?" one of the aliens was asking another, rather indignantly. "I asked for two dozen! What am I supposed to do with two cases?".

"Either use them or sell them," the other replied dryly. "I figured that you'd rather have the two than none at all".

What was in those cases, drugs, weapons, plushies?

"This is a set-up!" one of the non-humans shouted when they finally noticed us "Kill them all!".

The fight lasted a whole ten seconds, I had a lightsabre there was nexus of Force Energy nearby for me to tap into. Once the fight was done I checked out one of the cases.

"Anyone have any idea what this stuff" I asked of the Handmaiden and Atton.

Neither of them did, so I just left the stuff were it was.

(Line Break)

"Hey look, they have your credits, those three right there!" a refugee being harassed by some thugs shouted.

Suddenly the guy was pointing right at Atton, the Handmaiden and I.

"Can't we walk more than ten feet without running into someone who insists on bothering us?" I demanded to know

It seemed as if we couldn't.

"Is this true?" one of the thugs asked suspiciously. "Do you have his money?"

No we didn't, but rather than point this out I just used an old Jedi Mind Trick.

"He has already paid off his debt. All of it" I told the goons.

This time the trick actually worked, but I was getting a power boost from the nearby Nexus of Force energy.

"He has already paid off his debt" one of the aliens repeated.

"Oh yeah, silly of us to forget" the other thug added. "Sorry about that".

The two goons looked totally stoned. I may have overdone it.

"Um, thanks for that," the man who had just accused us said as soon as the goons had left.

"Oh, just go away," I ordered.

He did just that.

"I don't really understand what that accomplished," Atton announced.

In truth I hadn't meant to accomplish anything. I'd just wanted them all to go away and stop bothering us.

"I do," the Handmaiden insisted. "He saved a man's life."

Since I wasn't one for taking credit when it wasn't due I told the truth.

"All I did was make the annoying people who wouldn't leave me alone go away" I said to the Handmaiden.

"But wouldn't telling the thugs that you didn't know that guy have the same effect?" Atton asked.

I didn't see why I had to explain myself, but I did anyway.

"They would probably just assume that I was lying" I pointed out "So it was either the Mind Trick or we would have had to kill them".

At this point I started walking again. I would find a bloody bar.

(Line Break)

There was the chink of glass onto a metal counter as I placed my mug back onto the bar top. This signalled the droid bartender that I wished for a refill.

"You know for a guy with a lightsabre, you sure do drink a lot," Atton said, slurring his words as he did so.

He then downed another glass of something which glowed yellow.

"Isn't that supposed to be against your Code or something?" Atton asked "Don't you have a code, like the Jedi do?".

For a moment I considered this.

"Probably" I said "but that doesn't stop me, besides alcohol can be an escape, and we have a lot to escape from".

Bounty hunters, Sith assassins, Kreia, the list went on and on.

"Women too. Women and alcohol. They're as good an escape as any" Atton said sagely.

This was when a large, burly man sauntered over towards the Echani woman who was still following me around for some reason.

"You're too sober to be in this bar," he declared to all who cared to listen. "Buy you a drink, sweetheart".

I wondered how she'd deal with this.

"No, thank you," Brianna, if that was her name, replied curtly

The man sat down on the bar stool next to her, clearly not taking the hint.

"Now you don't mean that" the guy went on to say as he attempted to pull the handmaiden into his lap.

At this point I was hoping for a good bar fight, it could be fun.

"No, I think she means it," said a female voice from the corner.

I looked in that direction to see a slim redhead in a leather jacket, she had green eyes that were filled with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.

"Now, why don't you take your slimy hands off the girl" she advised "Before I do something we might both regret".

The slimy guy wasn't impressed.

"Everyone this side of the moon knows that you don't kill, Mira" he said.

So this was Mira the bounty hunter, she was hotter in real life. Nice tits.

"I might make an exception for a schutta like you. Go on. Get the hell out of here. Run off with your tail between your legs" she replied.

As he left, Brianna turned to Mira.

"Thank you for your assistance but it would have proved to be unnecessary" the Handmaiden told the bounty hunter.

The redhead rolled her eyes.

"Don't mention it" she said "Really, don't. I don't want anyone thinking I've gotten soft."

That made me laugh and doing so made the bounty hunter turn to look at me. She studied me as though memorising every aspect of my appearance.

"I just don't like to see women get harassed" Mira told me before turning to Brianna again. "You come here alone?".

Atton turned to face the hunter.

"No she's here with us" he said.

Atton slid off of his seat and began to look Mira over in the same way the redhead had appraised me only moments ago. He wasn't being pervy, he was assessing her as a potential threat.

"You want to be my escape?" he then said.

Given the way Mira had acted towards the Handmaiden I didn't think she cared for men much at all. Or possible she just didn't like drunken idiot men, and who would blame her.

"Not going to happen" was her answer.

She then turned to me and I felt her green eyes pierce me, it reminded of me of being studied by a cat.

"Your friend is trying to hit on me, which means that it's time to go. You all are obviously wet behind the ears when it comes to this whole Nar Shaddaa thing so allow me to give you a few pointers: don't go into any dark alleys, don't talk to anyone who doesn't talk to you first. In fact don't talk to anyone they are running a legitimate business, and don't mess with the Exchange" she advised "See ya"

Seemed like wise advice to me. Shame I wouldn't be following it.

(Line Break)

By this point in the evening Atton had decided to occupy himself with brainstorming ideas of how to get into Vogga's palace. Which was a collection of warehouses really.

Why we'd want to get into their escaped me at the moment, although there must have been a reason as to why we'd gotten onto this topic of conversation.

It would be simple enough for me to use the Force to make myself sober, I could do this quickly, and I would if I sensed danger, but if I'd wanted to be sober I wouldn't have started drinking.

"But that won't get us into Vogga's palace" Atton was now saying "Maybe we could drug some of his staff, and then dress up like doctors and we could do the whole healing thing and then we'd all get paid! Sounds like a plan to me!"

Actually that sounded good to me, but also totally pointless.

"We don't want his money" I reminded Rand "What did we want?".

I'd totally forgotten.

"We want fuel for the Citadel Station" the Handmaiden reminded.

Oh right, that had been it. Vogga the Hutt sold fuel, the Citadel needed a new source of fuel as the old one had gotten blown up.

"Whatever" said Atton "Just let me know when you come up with some scheme. Knowing you, your plan will probably involve us nearly dying".

With that he got up and began to weave his way through the crowd until he was out of sight. Hopefully he was either going to the bar or the refresher, I really didn't want him wandering off on his own.

"Must we stay here much longer?" the Handmaiden asked me.

She didn't have to stay here at all.

"Go if you want to" I told her "I plan to stay here and kill off some more of my brain cells".

Only a few million more to go I figured.

"I want you to take me back to the ship" the Handmaiden insisted "Please take me back".

Hearing that made me smile.

"You seem eager to get me back to the ship" I realised "Any reason for that?"

Before I could earn myself a slap, or possibly just an insult, Atton returned.

"I found our way to Vogga and it is a perfectly respectable, legal, and legitimate way to Vogga" he reported.

That wasn't actually what he's said, I was translating for my own benefit.

"What's the plan?" I wondered.

After he told me I turned to the Handmaiden.

"How good of a dancer are you?" I asked her.

"I've never danced in my life" she informed me.

Well that could be a problem.

"Would you dance if I wanted you to dance?" I asked her.

That shouldn't have worked, but it did. Came from being a Sith Lord, we were very good at getting people to do stuff.

"It shouldn't be too difficult," she replied. " Should I go and speak to him?"

"Just go and dance a little," Atton said while gesturing towards the dance floor "He's watching the floor for talent, so come with me. Let's dance".

Better him than me.

"I am not dancing with you!" Brianna snapped.

Atton didn't appear offended; only amused. And he seemed even more amused when gestured to me.

"Dance with his lordship here" he suggested "You know you want to".

Brianna looked at me.

"It's up to you" I said.

In response, Brianna reached over and took my hand, before leading me out onto the dance floor. I called upon the Force to refresh myself and to enhance the movements of my body. I'd never been a dancer but the Force allowed a person to do many different things and amazing things, it was just a matter of knowing how to utilise it.

After a while a Twi-lek male, one whose head wasn't too lumpy, came over to us.

"You dance well," said the talent scout, "for a human, that is. Your friend, Mr. Rand, has informed me that you might be interested in a proposition of sorts".

Well that hadn't taken long.

"What kind of proposition?" asked Brianna.

Hopefully he wasn't a pimp as well as a talent scout.

"An opportunity to dance before the most esteemed ruler of the Smuggler's Moon," he answered. "I am auditioning new dancers to entertain my master. Master Vogga is very… temperamental but enjoys new company, particularly if the company is both beautiful and graceful. I have been looking for those qualities in one dancer all day to no avail. The beautiful ones are clumsy and the graceful ones are ugly. But I see that Fate has brought me a lovely specimen who embodies all of the feminine graces. Are you interested?".

He spoke again, before the Handmaiden could answer.

"Are you interested in performing for the most illustrious Hutt this side of the moon? The job is quick, easy, and it pays well. All you have to do is put something on and dance a little when you arrive at the palace" the alien told her.

She turned to me rather than answer right away.

"If you truly believe that it will further our purpose here, I will do this for you" she said.

"Well the Citadel does need fuel" I stated "And Vogga has fuel".

Next I asked if it was possible to talk to the Hutt after the dance.

"I do not see why not" said the alien "You might have to make it quick. My master often enjoys a nap after watching his dancers".

Odd thing to make a person sleepy.

"I accept" the Handmaiden then said.

The blue skinned alien smiled.

"Excellent. I have a speeder waiting to take you to the palace. Unfortunately, Vogga is wary of unexpected company so it will be just the dancer and me. You can always come in after she is ready to dance and watch for yourself. I hope you gentlemen will understand" he said.

Well I'd need time to fully sober up anyway.

(Line Break)

A hand thrust a small parcel wrapped in black silk through the opening in the black curtain of the changing room.

"Put this on," said the slave dancer who had guided Brianna through the palace to the small chamber where the dancers prepared themselves to go onstage. "Hurry. You don't have much time".

Brianna took the parcel and it seemed to her that there wasn't anything folded within the square of silky material.

"Put what on?" the servant of Atris asked

"Just unfold the cloth" was the answer she was given.

She did so and after that she stared at the little red outfit in her hand. Then, with a resigned sigh, she slipped on the gold and red costume, folded her Echani garb and tucking it away into a little footlocker at her feet.

"Aren't you ready yet?" the other woman asked.

"I'm ready," said Brianna although she didn't feel very ready.

She stepped out of the curtained area and into the dim light of the main dancers' room. There were mirrors all of the wall but the light was so dim that Brianna couldn't even see her own reflection. For that, she was grateful.

The other dancers looked Brianna over with a critical air.

"Undo the braids," ordered one of the Hutt's slaves

"Tighten the straps on the top," advised another dancer who had just arrived.

The Handmaiden struggled to keep up with all the demands.

"Those shoes don't look as though they fit right," commented the one who had handed Brianna her costume. "Do you want a size smaller?"

"They're fine," the Handmaiden reassured her.

The dancer who seemed to be in charge simply shrugged.

"Whatever. It's not our skin if you trip" she replied.

Her voice then took on a more business-like tone

"Now that you're ready, you go into that room and wait to be summoned. When you are called for, you go out into the antechamber and you dance. You do not look at anyone, you do not talk to anyone. You are here to dance and that is all"

The handmaiden nodded and went into the room that the dancer had directed her to. There was a sheer curtain dividing the small space from the rest of the antechamber where Vogga and his guests were relaxing. She could hear laughter and music.

Then there was the sound of barking and yelping too from what sounded like kath hounds. Unable to resist, Brianna flicked aside one edge of the curtain and peered through the crack.

What she saw were dancers performing complicated routines and a crowd was cheering and jeering. There was also a Hutt laughing at the merriment. There were kath hounds baying at the dancers while lying at their master's feet.

Suddenly she was having second thoughts about all this, but when the time came for her to go out and dance, those concerns went away. She had a job to do, and she would do it.

(Line Break)

By the time I stepped out of the shower I was totally refreshed and able to focus on what was going on. My thoughts were now on the unconscious would-be assassin lying in the medical bay. Atton seemed wary of her and so did everyone else; they had good reason. She was the enemy after all.

After I had dried myself off and had changed into a clean outfit, I made my way to the Medical Bay. Well it was more of a medical room really, and the last time I'd spent any time in here it had been Bastillia lying on that bed.

"Has she woken up?" I asked Atton, who was standing beside the doorway.

Atton shrugged, as if he didn't really care. But the scoundrel's eyes were trained on the failed assassin, and one of his fingers was idly tapping the trigger of his blaster pistol.

Oddly the Miraluka didn't look like a Sith. Her robes were not those of a Sith. They were a vivid red with some kind of animal hide, an outfit that allowed minimal protection, but maximum mobility. Also a cowl covered the top half of her face.

Her pale skin, a contrast to her dark lips, showed no signs of darkside corruption, and she didn't feel evil when I sensed her in the Force, just broken.

"You know normally I don't pretend to know or even care what goes on in your twisted head, but this time I have to speak out" said Atton "She's a danger to everyone on this ship".

So was Kreia, and I was pretty sure the Handmaiden would try to kill us all if ordered. Although I couldn't be totally sure as she seemed to somewhat under my control, but Atris might have simply ordered her to act that way.

"Don't worry, I'll keep my eye on her" I assured Rand.

He wasn't reassured.

"Is she special to you?" Rand asked.

Not at all.

"I don't know. I just have a feeling" I told him "She could be of use to us".

Atton decided to change the subject.

"Well if she's going to recover then she'll need some supplies" he told me "Medical supplies".

Given that I could rip out people's life force and use that to heal myself I'd never had to worry about healing supplies. Now that the ship had a crew again it was time to fix that.

"Handmaiden" I greeted upon spotting the warrior woman "I was just going to get some supplies, want to come with?".

Judging by the look on her face she wasn't interested in shopping.

"She is a threat to us," the Echani stated.

Well yeah, she was a Sith, albeit a terrible one given that I'd defeated her while drunk. Which was my own fault since I'd been the one to decide to go back to the bar after making a deal for Vogga's fuel.

Still Visas had been able to take down both Atton and the Handmaiden in short order, but that had been while using Force Powers, she was awful with a lightsabre I'd kicked her ass all the way back to my ship.

"I am not asking that she be harmed or interrogated, but she is of the Sith. And she has attacked us once. She should not be allowed to walk freely on the ship" the Handmaiden said.

That I agreed with, despite also being a Sith.

"Well keep an eye on her until I get back" I ordered "and if she does anything Sithy I'll kick her ass again".

The Handmaiden looked confused.

"Sithy?" she wondered.