Bonds Beginning

Posted on Thu Dec 6th, 2012 @ 3:01pm by Thane & Morgo Le'Shaad
Edited on on Thu May 31st, 2018 @ 1:14am

4,081 words; about a 20 minute read

Chapter: Chapter II: Era's Dawn
Location: Senate District, Coruscant
Timeline: 2200 Hours (Local Time), Day Six

OLD

“Jedi Thane…” He said suddenly, as if remembering something. Stepping closer, the officer leaned toward Thane, carefully lowering his voice so that no one else would hear, wary of the fugitive woman’s hawk like gaze, “Look, I don’t know what the Lady Morgo said to you or…and I’m sure you know what you’re doing.” he added, “But she’s a dangerous woman.”

The man spared a cautious glance back at Morgo, who was smiling at him like the cat that ate the canary.

“She hasn’t evaded galactic authorities thus far because she’s good at evading capture. She has been captured—many times, in fact. It’s just that no one’s ever survived long enough to turn her in.” the man breathed, pausing, “And those that do seem to get it into their heads that letting her go is the thing to do. And not all of them are cashing in the credits, if you know what I’m saying. I just…just be careful, alright? That woman is bad news.”

NEW

Following the fiasco at the Galaxies Opera House, Thane had been careful to ensure things had settled down to a degree and that CoruSec had moved on and the show continuing before quietly slipping out with Morgo, the pair leaving by a more discreet entrance and utilising one of the lesser known transports to the Senate District, which was not far from the Entertainment District anyway.

In the night of Coruscant, the cityscape was lit up by both the lights of offices and residential towers, and particularly by the abundance of advertisements. As the Senate Spaceport came fully into view, its behemoth size dwarfing all nearby structures, even making the many vessels coming and going seem minuscule by comparison. What caught Thane's attention in particular was a massive HoloNet display on show nearby, showing commuters and travellers the most recent galactic news.

Even at this late hour, a summary was being shown of the most recent political enquiry, where Supreme Chancellor Paralles was defending his most recent initiatives concerning the reduction of tax upon business expansion into some of the southern Outer Rim regions, as well as a programme of privatisation. Given some of the less hospital and inviting nature of the planets, the Third Republic had taken to setting up numerous committees and organisations that assisted in the development of said planets, but Paralles had recently taken to pushing forward a scheme to decentralise these powers, offering to sell off these groups to both local communities and to entice certain companies and corporations into going into partnership with the communities. It was his hope that it would encourage both economic growth in these locales, and spread Republic influence whilst also taking less of the strain away from the central government.

It was a policy Thane did not wholly support; it would still cost the Republic government to assist set up these local governments as well as the tax cuts being offered to the companies - the handover would be expensive enough, and it simply seemed like a good way to encourage secession and divisions within the galactic nation. Some of the Outer Rim and more left-wing factions of the Senate seemed to be of this opinion, but Chancellor Paralles economic liberalism appealed even to some of them. Most seemed convinced by their leader.

In the recording, the Chancellor was then shown leaving the Senate building by his personal dock, larger and more secure than the others attached to the gargantuan building, and by his transport was none other than Grand Master Jundal Quellus, the very same man whom he would be facing the next morning.

"It won't be hard to get you past the security checkpoints," he said calmly to Morgo as they weaved their way around various species in the spaceport. "A simple mind trick will make the overworked guards overlook your presence." It was the first time he had really spoken to her since they left the Galaxies Opera House, Thane seemingly lost in thought as per usual, whilst also trying to remain decided about their course of action.

Morgo had silently followed him since the Opera House, but suddenly stopped. As Thane had pondered his options, so too did Morgo calculate her own. And to her ever darkening dismay, she did not have many—in fact, she only had one: this man, Thane.

Because as much as she wanted differently, the fact was that a man, who could easily outrank any other she’d ever encountered in matters of strength and prowess, had her firmly in his grasp. Morgo was in his debt and his motives remained unclear to her. She was vulnerable.

As she slowed her step to a stop, Morgo’s voice was low and stiff.

“Why are you doing this?” she demanded, suspicious of Thane, “You have nothing to gain from aiding and abetting a criminal, Jedi, so why help me?” All pretense of manners gone, Morgo exuded all the charm of a stone statue, “What do you want from me?” she asked icily.

Thane halted a few more steps ahead, having hoped she would continue walking if he did. By the way his shoulders tensed within his black greatcoat and the clenching of his fists showed his annoyance at the sudden stop. He swooped around to face, his dark brows knitting together as he regarded the Dromachean. "To write ballads and sing sonnets," he stated back at her, letting the irritation seep into his voice. "For a woman of intelligence, I'd actually expect some more intelligence, really." He gestured to the spaceport about them, which was still a reasonable hub of activity even at night, with guards and travellers all moving about. "Perhaps it could wait until we are in a more appropriate location?"

He eyed her for a few seconds, before softening his tone just slightly. "Once we're on the ship, I'll answer any and all of your questions. Unless, of course, you'd like me to call over Sergeant Suck-Up over there to bring in the arrest of the decade?" Thane threw a thumb towards an overly-alert CoruSec officer who was standing as though his spine was made out of steel.

Morgo’s smile was sharp, “I apologize if my intelligence disappoints you, Jedi, but even you must realize how this looks? But of course. You’re a man. You’ve never once imagined what it’s like to be a woman, have you? Alone in the galaxy, hunted by many and saved by one.” Morgo slowly circled Thane, “And now that one wants me to come with him for my own safety, to board his vessel… and it’s a smuggler’s ship, isn’t it, Jedi?”

Morgo looked around her, noting the limited surveillance, the sheer number of patchwork vessels docked here, all scorched someplace by blaster fire, and the security personnel—pockets full and smiles on their faces. After a moment, Morgo turned her blonde head and leveled Thane with a hard, scrutinizing look.

“Sometimes a bounty isn’t enough for some people—and my bounty is nothing compared to the price I might fetch if sold as a slave to the right…business. And Coruscant does love its slave trade.” Morgo stopped in front of Thane, a wry smile on her painted lips, “So forgive me, Master Jedi, if I don’t feel comfortable waiting until you’ve closed the ships doors on me to ask you what you want from me. And why you continue to aid me.”

Contrary to what the man, Thane, probably thought, Morgo was not being difficult for difficulty’s sake. In fact, Morgo would gladly board his vessel in a heartbeat, if just to avoid further incidents like the one at the Opera House. Right now, that ship was her best bet of getting off Coruscant, and Morgo intended on capitalizing on the chance—right after she was sure she wasn’t going to be put in larger cuffs, locked into a cage and sold like property, that is.

Thane then strode towards her with fast and firm steps, full of certain annoyance as he brought himself within a foot of Morgo. His voice was a whisper, but it was sharp and with a hissing amount of aggression. "You think I would whisk you away from one life of pointless servitude to a higher form of criminal scum that are simply dressed in Senate finery to just throw you into the clutches of the Hutts?" He said the species' name like it was a curse word.

His eyes then slipped down, evidently noticing how he had closed the gap between them. Although he did not apologise or say anything, he took a couple of steps back and his features settled. "And your intelligence is what got my attention first," he said, his voice now quiet, "and so don't insult mine by using your gender to get my sympathy. I may not be your typical Jedi, but I'm not about to surrender someone with your stature and mind to overpaid fools. Your loss would be of a greater calibre than the average cretin in the Republic." Thane watched her for a moment. "And if you want an honest selfish reason, I think your skill set might just help me."

Morgo had gazed down at Thane when he retreated a step back, seemingly realizing that he was a tad too close than what was strictly necessary. Morgo had allowed it, curious as to what the shorter man thought to accomplish by closing the gap between them. Intimidation perhaps? She cataloged Thane’s unconscious action and filed it away.

And as he spoke, Morgo searched his face and body language for signs of deception, but found none. She may not have been a Force-sensitive, but it was possible to detect lies through other means. So either Thane was a terrific liar, or he really was telling the truth. His answer was satisfactory enough, and was consistent of what little she knew of him.

Still somewhat wary, Morgo nevertheless fell back into step beside Thane, arching an eyebrow at him, “My skill set? You’ve read my file then? ”

Good. Less explaining to do. Woefully... incomplete as the file was, it was still a good start.

Thane did not answer her question as they reached the Customs Bureau desk that led to the five docks closest to the Red Raptor's own berth - Dock Five-Ninety - and what was soon to become home to one extra crewman. Drawing to a stop by the checkpoint, the official behind the counter gave Thane a glance up and down, his eyes widening slightly as he noticed the lightsaber, Thane's dark attire, and the grim expression he wore. Perhaps thinking to lighten his mood by examining the Jedi's companion, it instead only seemed to deteriorate somewhat.

Something about the well-dressed, presentable and attractive but peculiar-looking woman seemed to give the guard pause for thought, but evidently not being a thinking man, it slipped away into an expression of slight fear and confusion. A Jedi and a noblewoman arriving at this time of night was an obscure occurrence, but such things happened on the Republic's capital world.

"H-have you got your documents a-and i-d-dentifications?" He asked, stumbling slightly.

Thane was pleased it was this particular individual working on this desk tonight. Masking his use of a mind trick by having his hand slide down towards his pocket in the necessary motion, he began speaking carefully to the man. "Our identification is valid but you find my companion's face hard to recall, almost as if I was the only person to be heading to Dock Five-Ninety in the last hour."

The guard mumbled something in reply which was close to what Thane said. Pleased it had had the desired effect, he continued onwards with Morgo until they finally reached Five-Ninety, the medium-sized smuggler's vessel sitting silently in the centre.

Morgo blinked, eyes scanning over the hull of the ship. It looked well off, definitely not as blaster-scorched as a multitude of other ships Morgo had seen before. Hopefully that meant that this ship was still relatively new, and perhaps quick enough to evade fire. Aesthetics wise, the Red Raptor wasn’t as obnoxious as it could have been, its ruddy color-scheme somewhat faded and worn. Morgo approved.

They boarded the vessel quickly, Thane moving briskly up the boarding ramp with his greatcoat flapping behind him as he took long strides up, leading Morgo into the recreation room. Since arriving at Coruscant, the others had more or less managed to avoid too much contact with him, and he wasn't entirely sure if any of them had been residing on the Raptor in the evenings, as he had. Certainly, Berry had not, but he was pleased for that fact, given who he had just brought on board. Now stretching out with his mind as well as few quick visual checks, he was certain the ship was vacant but for the pair of them.

Returning wholly to the rec room where Morgo still was, he gestured to her to claim one of the seats around one of the corner tables. "The Raptor's not much, but she came at a good price and certainly serves her purpose."

Eyeing the hologame table, Morgo sat delicately and crossed her legs, exposing her sandaled feet and lacquered toes. Hands folded in her lap, Morgo was suddenly reminded of those long, wretched hours in which she was required to sit (poised and powerful, my Lady, poised and powerful…) for her official oil portrait, now hanging in the Le’Shaad estate. Not a pleasant memory.

“And what purpose is that, Thane? Other than flying and keeping itself in one piece, that is.”

"Whatever the crew decides it is," he replied simply, sitting back in the chair he chose. "Which I'm offering you a place in; we have a medbay which can double up as a laboratory with a few extra modifications, and I figure that if you were to take up residence as our ragtag team's doctor, it gives you just as much say in how things are run as we all have. If you accept, there are still two free cabins you can choose from and we can work on whatever extra stuff you might need in time."

The Jedi's blue eyes were full of thought, and although it was clear he was still sizing up and examining the woman before him, he nevertheless maintained a cool outer façade. "But there is something far more important I want you for." Thane pulled out two datachips from within his greatcoat, placing them on the table before them. "One is an account of a recent mission myself and one other Jedi - a fellow member of the crew named Bomoor Thort, and my oldest friend - to Nar Shaddaa, in pursuit of a Mandalorian Jedi hunter-turned-bounty hunter, Sev Rezer. Needless to say, there was a change of plans when we discovered a young Force sensitive woman and a plot by a Dark Jedi cult, led by a Master Axion," he tapped one of the datachips, "who was using a Hutt turf war to steal a Kaiburr crystal shard." The glint in his eye was matched by a hint of darkness in his tone. "And I know you are fully aware of what those are, Duchess Le'Shaad."

Morgo smirked, blinking slowly, “Of course.”

"Needless to say, Axion escaped with the shard, but not before revealing a personal link to myself," Thane went on. "I was born to the Archae of Caanus, then-Senator Wulhart of House Verus," but there was little pride in the Caanan's voice as he gave the explanation, just a simple revelation of facts, "and all was well until Axion assaulted the family keep, killing my brother and mother, destroying my father's life and stealing the family jewel, which I can now assume to have been a Kaiburr shard as well. Sev Rezer seeks Axion's death and is joining us as well - and he won't hand you over, before you start stamping your feet again."

He delivered the last line with a small smile. "Also on board is the woman/girl we found on Nar Shaddaa, Bería, who is... a strange individual, but nevertheless strong in the Force, and not someone I intend to see taken or stopped by the Jedi. Finally, we have a most self-righteous and obnoxious Devaronian joining us, naming himself a 'Flamewalker' and all of the self-inflated and pretentiousness ego that seems to go with whatever his deluded cult seems to bring with it. He is a good cook, though."

Morgo quietly tapped her foot against the metal floor as she took in all the information she’d just been given. If she stayed aboard the Red Raptor , she would be sharing it with four males and one other female. And if Thane’s evaluation of the crew was to be believed, there would be one Mandalorian bounty hunter, one ass-of-a cultist, one Jedi, one Jedi deviant, and a stray. Quite the collection.

Flexing his formerly burnt hand, Thane said, "What I want you for is to help us track down where the other Kaiburr shards may be, hopefully getting to them before Axion, before eventually facing him and that damnable cult of his." His voice dripped with controlled malice as he spoke of the Dark Jedi. "Regardless of what the Jedi Council decree in their all-knowing wisdom, I will be hunting them down."

Ah, sweet revenge, rearing its lovely head. Morgo wondered whether she’d get the chance to see it consume the man before her, if she stayed. That would be a show worth seeing. Distractedly, Morgo was thankful that her revenge had been taken a long, long time ago. To think that, once, she probably seethed with the same, visible anger as Thane did now was, quite frankly, embarrassing. Revenge had the unfortunate tendency of being so undignified, at times.

Reaching towards the table, Morgo slid one of the data chips over to her side of the table, and picking it up between the tips of her fore and middle finger, inspected it slowly.

“You think Axion would kill me if I tried to interview him?” Morgo asked airily, still looking at the chip. She sounded almost amused at the thought.

"It's not just about revenge," Thane said, guessing what Morgo was thinking, not answering her quip, "because he's after the Kaiburr shards, and I can hardly imagine him doing anything exactly worthwhile for anyone else with them - he has no sort of code or system; even Sith would spit on him." Saying that word made him think about the holocron still secreted away beneath the smuggling panel under the floor in his cabin, which in turn made him think about the absence in the Force Morgo had - a factor that had been bothering him all evening, but had not yet found time to investigate.

He decided to be forward. "And why is it I cannot directly sense you? Of course, I can feel your effects on the universe around us, but not you yourself." Thane's eyes narrowed. "What happened to you?"

Morgo smiled, batting her lashes like an asshole, "Who is John Galt?" she said, slippery, not answering Thane in turn, "And what makes you think something happened to me? Perhaps this is how I was born." Leaning back, Morgo watched him, somewhat curious as to what her Force signature looked to someone who could actually see and feel it.

"No, it wasn't how you were born," he replied simply, forcing himself to not rise to the bait as he rest one arm on the table. "But what you decide to tell me about it is your business - just remember who got you out of CoruSec's clutches. Even in all your confidence with all your guile and wit, tonight would have been the last night you saw stars above you, and I am certain that very fact bothers you endlessly." Despite the nature of the comment, Thane had not said it too mockingly, but more as a statement of fact; an observation.

Morgo was an interesting character, a woman he was undeniably fascinated by and pleased to have encountered - she was someone with a good down-to-earth attitude and understanding with a vast intellect, even if she let sarcasm overrule her dignity at times. He was certain she would be of far more interest and use than just as a ship's doctor and on-board librarian; her opinions and thoughts were bound to be invaluable.

Not that he was about to say that out loud. Not yet. "Now," Thane finally went on, not betraying his thoughts, "do you have any more questions before I turn in for the night? After all, I do have to be up early to meet the Council at 0500. Wouldn't want that police captain to catch up to me, after all(!)"

Morgo looked off to the side, considering it, “Only one question." and when she looked back at Thane, Morgo's expression was unreadable, "This ‘Sev Rezer’, the Mandalorian bounty hunter—do you command him?”

"Heh," Thane let out a short laugh as he picked himself up from the chair, tugging to straighten his tunic as he stood up straight. "I kriffing well wish," he said. "But don't worry: he won't hand you over. He's had his arse handed over to him quite severely by Jedi in the past. Besides, he's one of those Mandalorians with a peculiar code that he lives by, and he seems to want revenge against Axion more than I do." He gave a small shrug as he began to step towards the corridors that the cabins were down. "In a way, I suppose he owes myself and my friend - Bomoor - for not turning him in or killing him." With a small almost-smile, he added, "So it seems you both have something in common. Sleep well, Duchess. I have no doubts about us having a lot to talk about in the very near future."

With those passing comments, he turned on his heel and made way for his cabin, feeling peculiarly more settled than he had before coming across Morgo Le'Shaad, despite the fact he had allowed his feelings to fuel his Force attack upon Merik, and that he had aided another wanted fugitive escape the law. Despite breaking the law and the codes of the Jedi Order, Thane was more at ease with himself and somewhat surer of his attitudes than he had been a few hours ago. Whilst there was still a thousand-and-one thoughts battering against his mind, his decision about tomorrow was made, and he was far more at ease with it than he had ever expected.

Morgo watched as Thane left, wondering just what the Council would do to him for aiding her—wondering whether or not the man had the strength to lie to the Jedi Council and make them believe the lie. The man may have been strong in the Force, but he was up against a room full of Jedi Masters, trained to detect such deception.

Morgo stood, stepping around the hologame table and inhaled deeply, trying not to think of what would transpire should Thane fail and be forced to give up her location aboard the Red Raptor.

The Red Raptor. Morgo closed her eyes, just focusing on that, this one change. If she were the sentimental type, Morgo would probably have to call it home, now. And contemplating this, Morgo studied the empty game table, her mind in a distant place.

Up until this evening, Morgo had played it solo—alone and unattached. But now she was aboard the Red Raptor , a part of its crew. It was an entirely different game, and the rules had changed…new players had arrived.

Though perhaps, Morgo thought as she opened her pale eyes, that didn’t have to be a bad thing.

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