~|Day 1, 18:30 - 18:40 GST|~
~| Aboard the Kaggath, torture Room: Jakali, Nazca, and Jayda |~
Jayda’s eyes looked to the Jedi and annoyance flicked across her face for a time. Gingerly, she pulled herself upright while she struggled to remain standing beside the rack contraption. Rolling her mangled sleeve up, Jayda placed her hand over the Jedi’s bare skin on her side and let the force flow with her bitterment. She pissed at the Jedi because she couldn’t keep her mouth shut, her need to be cocky and coy resulting in her own injuries. The Jedi’s flesh would feel like it was set on fire, starting softly and warm than become a burning inferno while bones started to mend themselves at only slightly above normal rate. The bleeding had stopped though the scabs were slowly forming and covering the gaping holes.
It would still take days to mend for the Jedi, but she would be in misery and pain while she did. A little payback for being a fool, Jayda thought, agreeing it was rather ironic. The Jedi woke up screaming. Jayda just continued with her task ignoring the reaction to her healing. Her face somber and hard to read, not giving the woman a chance to insult and further her own agony. In one way it was cruel but another, it was pure mercy. Even the Zabrak wasn’t sure about which one she aimed for. When the wounds looked stable enough to remove the Jedi, Jayda unstrapped her from the rack and let her body flop onto the floor.
Nazca hit the floor and bit back another scream, trying to avoid giving the Zabrak the pleasure. She was too busy breathing to make a comment, so she settled for making a rude gesture with her remaining hand in the general direction of Jayda. Not that it was effective, given her pathetic state on the floor.
Jakali strode through the hallway, silent as he wasn’t sure exactly where he was going, part of him thought of wandering back to the Sith chambers and take a nap or read, but another was too awake to do either of those boring tasks. He was about to take a turn down another hall when he heard a loud scream which immediately drew his attention and curiosity. It sounded like a woman’s screams, if it was torture going on then he wanted to know what exactly the torture was, if it wasn’t torture then he was still curious why there were screams.
He found the doorway into the room where the screams came from, and carefully leaned beside it, one hand in his robe near his weapon. While he did not want to have to save anyone’s life, if his presence was detected then it might lead to a fight. It was never a bad idea to be ready for that. But he had guessed wrong on what exactly was going on when he popped the door open and entered inside, catching the sight of Jayda and a human woman on the floor, a stubbed arm, it was that bitch from before, the captive he had taken.
“I’m sorry if I walked in at an inappropriate time. I heard the screams from outside.” He said, taking in the scene.
“She should’ve just kept her mouth shut. Instead, the Jedi gave him a reason to hurt and maim her.” Jayda replied, ignoring the fact the prisoner could hear them. Though she was silent, it was clear how it had bothered her in her tone becoming slightly hollow compared to the last time they chatted. Her body leaned down onto one knee and brought her hand again to the injuries, namely starting at the back, where she forced more healing into it. It would cause extreme pain though considerably less than before if the human cared to notice.
“As for walking in at an inappropriate time, you might as well assist me in returning the prisoner. At least before she decides to farther injure herself with another round in insults.” Jayda stated, focusing on finishing up as quickly as she could. Her nerves where showing against her will, despite how much she tried to hide it.
“He’s a monster that one. Though the girl did partly bring it on herself with her words. Still, this is overkill,” Jakali said, shaking his head as he gazed at the injuries the Jedi had suffered. He moved over towards the two, kneeling on the opposite side from Jayda. “I’d be happy to help, no reason to leave you in this situation.” He added, then reached a hand across in a comforting gesture to Jayda.
“There’s no need to rush it. The last thing we would need is for a complication to arise and you have to face the wrath of your master,” He said, grasping her hand in a way to tell her to relax. “Though I know you’ve faced it before, he very well may go too far in his rage.” He said, looking into Jayda’s eyes, His expression a comforting one.
Jayda’s reaction was likely one Jakali was expecting. Zanna’s assumption that she hadn’t had gentle contact for over eight years were far more correct than the Sith ever truly knew. The zabrak’s skin crawled in alarm and tingled, her body flinched at his gesture despite how mild it was. It was a baseline instinct that had kept her alive under Sish’s claws for the last two years and one that now a habit. Her head snapped up, lips curled back with a low growl at Jakali’s to be gentle. Fear, pain, and worse flickered in her eyes at his action that would be clear it was something deeper. Her body was rigid suddenly, bracing for the worse she usually come to expect at Sish’s lectures, only to slowly realize it wasn’t coming. She never removed either hand for a moment or two, trying to calm herself through the swirling memories and emotions trying to surface. Immediately she jerked her hand free from his as her features softened slightly.
She made one single comment. “I rather you didn’t touch me.”
Nazca groaned in pain as her injuries were healed, feeling as if they were happening yet again. She didn’t know who Jayda was talking to and she didn’t care, not bothering to look up as they spoke. She chuckled at the request to help with her. “Yes, I’m very dangerous. Might need three Sith, actually. I might not be able to walk in a straight line, but Nek take it I can crawl faster than you would believe!”
The voice got closer and started sounding really familiar, prompting the jedi to look up at who was talking. Immediately she practically snarled, glaring at the man who captured her. “What the fuck do you want? There’s no children here for you to try and kidnap or molest, Hut’uun. Go find a Hutt’s Kung to slurp if you want to play nice and kiss someone’s ass to get something from them.”
“Haven’t you learned anything?” Jayda spat, disgusted by the human’s lacking concern for herself. “If you don’t learn to silence that tongue, it might not be you that’s to pay for your stupidity next time. Sish feeds off the excuse to maim and break, something your words are driving him to enjoy. Why give him the satisfaction?”
“She’s right, girl. Be lucky I am not a more cruel Sith. We’ll help you,” Jakali said after having pulled his arm back after witnessing Jayda’s reaction to his touch. It didn’t surprise him, he would have been more surprised if it had been a different reaction. Still, he was figuring out just how tormented she was. “We might want to get her off the ground, carefully. The cold floor won’t help her condition.” He added.
“Aww, you think I give a damn about the other Jedi. Tell me, jendoslu, how can I care about people I met just today? I was only brought into the Temple three days before you all came and kidnapped us. And besides, your lover doesn’t seem the type to cause pain beyond whomever insulted him. ” Nazca replied, before glaring again at Jakali. “No, you’re just a coward who doesn’t have the balls to fight Guardians, so you participate in a sneak attack on an unguarded temple and only go for the children. I do believe I saw fear in your eyes when you thought I could use a lightsaber. And you won’t help me Schutta I assure you.. Don’t fucking touch me either.”
Jayda’s hand pressed deeper into the Jedi’s back, hurting the spine some while the healing’s pain increased with each word the bitch spoke. Her claws dug in some and started to make beads of blood swell out. Her head lowered dangerously close, the woman into much pain to reaction but she would hear the Zabrak’s words hiss like a cold breath of death looming over the dying. “He’s nothing but a filthy, worthless beast. Never assume he’s anything else to me else I will break you into pieces. In the worse way.”
She pulled upright once more, leaning onto her knees and turned to Jakali. “I won’t waste extra effort. At least if she dies from cold, she’s saved me the work of doing what that *shit eating lizard* wants me to.”
“I never thought you could use a lightsaber, truthfully. Your stance was that of someone who could barely comprehend what the weapon in their hands could do,” Jakali said back with a straight face and a calm voice. Then he copied Jayda’s move and leaned closer, his voice into a whisper. “Perhaps I will convince her to leave you, let you die like a wounded animal, maybe you’ll scream like one too. But I’ll make sure no one comes to deliver mercy to you. You don’t deserve it.” He said before glancing up at Jayda with a friendly expression.
“I don’t think he deserves that satisfaction.” He added.
Nazca yelped as Jayda dug her claws into her back, the pain preventing her from making a reply. As the fresh wave of pain finally stopped, after both Sith had whispered in her ear, she laughed. “Oh, did I manage to piss you both off? Tsk, tsk. Letting a prisoner get to you both like that, it’s not very professional. And you’re a terrible liar, you gunso jho’meni Son of a Sow. If you had actually believed that I couldn’t from the beginning, you would have dishanded me far more quickly and gotten those younglings. Tell me, do they make cybernetics to replace balls? You appear to have lost them with your arm. So go ahead, leave me here to die. Piss off whomever ordered you to put so much effort into catching me. I’ll see you both on the Dark side, quite soon after.”
She turned her head to look at Jayda. “Can you just kill him or something for me? Please? Isn’t that what you Sith do? You can even claim I stole your lightsaber, bested him in one on one combat, and then you swooped in and knocked me out. Eh? Please?”
Jayda merely shook her head at the Sith mimicking her. To her, was more mockery than flattery and annoyance that nagged at her core. Thankfully she kept silent about while she listened to the Jedi speak, feeling a age old familiar pain edge into her soul. For a moment within Jayda’s eyes, they seemed to turn back time, fogged over in memories of her past.
“He’s stronger than me.” It was painful to admit it, at first, but it was pointless to lie to the prisoner or the Sith nearby. Her voice slipped into Zabrak rather easily as she continued, not wanting to share pain with another. “
*You don’t think I’ve been trying that for eight years? These marks, these scars aren’t from other Sith. They are from him! Every failed attempt, he’s made sure to leave a mark to remind me how weak I am. Leading me on a hunt which at the end resulted in capture and his determination to break me for two years. Starvation, fresh and old pain, and worse, each day was a new routine of misery at his claws.
*”
She let her anger waft out a bit, the poison seeping into the air and creating tension within the area around them. It seemed the air was filled with glass shards before she closed her eyes, letting the hatred recoil and retreat back within her. It was rare to lose even a trace of control, something Sish had regretfully, and to her relief, missed. Her words returned to basic when she finished off her conversation. “You don’t know what he’s fully able to do. I do. So believe me when I say he can and will do much worse. Especially if he finds your weakness, Jedi.”
“He doesn’t seem that intelligent. He’s a brute more than anything,” Jakali added, not entirely sure what to really say after the outburst from Jayda. “She’d be dough in his scaly hands. All of her anger, it’s just what he wants to see.”
Nazca stilled as Jayda spoke, listening with far more attention and respect than she had previously shown. As the Zabrak finally stopped speaking, and helped her up putting her arm with the stump over the Zabrak’s shoulder, Nazca was more than a little ashamed. She replied in the same language Jayda had explained in far more quietly than before..”
*I’m sorry. I presumed I knew what drove you, and was wrong. I am below worthless. Please accept my apology, even if I am a worthless vermin.
*”
Jayda was surprised at the sudden apology, her eyebrow raised as she studied the Jedi. This wasn’t what she expected. It was too easy and despite her anger, barely dwindling away, she knew they both were forced into their own respective roles now. Sish would force her to turn the Jedi even if the Zabrak thought it was a waste of time. She wisely said nothing when the Jedi turned to the other Sith, leaping into her same, stupid habit as before.
Nazca switched back to basic for Jakali’s benefit, her cocky, mocking tone returning. “Weakness? You mean my hand? I think he’s already capitalized on that. Not much better than the Hut’uun over here, what with tortur-Ah!” Nazca slipped on some of her blood left on the ground, stumbling into Jakali with her good hand going towards his belt, apparently to stabilize herself, while her stump attempted to grab his shoulder, and failed.
When they had both stabilized again she looked at him. “Thank you for being slightly useful in not having me fall. Now get the fuck off of me.”
When Nazca stumbled, Jayda instinctively let go. It likely looked to be on purpose as she stepped back, her eyes wide and hand shifted to her lightsaber at her waist. Her fingers lingering there oddly while the Jedi stumbled against Jakali and lifted herself upright, the Zabrak’s gaze never leaving the woman. Her body was more tense than before as she was waiting for something to happen. Time passed without an incident making her relax at her overreaction, only slightly.
“Thought your hands were going somewhere else for a moment. I don’t know many masochists.” Jakali said with a crude smile. Then stepped away from the Jedi, careful that she might try something at such a close range to him. He moved towards the door, and opened it.
“Hand. You chopped the other one off, remember? And aren’t I a little old for you? I’m youngling in title only, I’m afraid.” She spat back, her good hand swinging past her pocket as she turned towards Jayda. “So. Are we going to do the arm grip thing or can I attempt to walk without you pretending like I can get two feet away?”
Jayda cautiously removed her hand then nodded. “If you can walk, Jedi? You can feel free to lead the way back to your cell. I only hope the gunso jho’meni yidaj'ter doesn’t note how fit you are, else he’ll assume my words were a lie and ensure you can’t walk back yourself next time.”
She side stepped, gesturing for the door.
Nazca walked, carefully, out the door keeping a baleful eye on Jakali lest he try anything. She purposely picked a direction opposite of the cells, hoping they’d let her go at least a little bit to see what’s around. “Gunso jho’meni yidaj’ter? I like it. Favorite name for him?”
“As far as murders go, best to call them what they most appear to be. And wrong way Jedi, turn the other way else I’ll herd you with my lightsaber. To be sure you get the hint, unlike him, I’ll make sure something gets severed should you bump into me.” Jayda said in a firm, authoritative voice. In reality she didn’t need a Jedi escaping on her watch or evading her, else Sish would ensure never to leave her alone because of it again.
“Alright, alright. No need to be snippy.” Nazca replied, turning the right way. She moved past Jakali speaking with a false sweetness. “The Zabrak’s got me. You can go fuck yourself in your room now.” Nazca turned her attention Jayda, replying in Ul’Zabrak. *”My name is Nazca Barsavi, from Nar Shadda. Jedi doesn’t apply to me.”
“I wouldn’t miss spending as much time as I can with you, you’re my favorite Jedi, beautiful.” Jakali said to Nazca with a smile. Then continued walking.
Jayda’s teeth grinded slightly at hearing the woman’s name. No...no! She didn’t want to put a name to a prisoner’s face, not after this and her middle filled with twisting knots at already registering it into her memory. This wasn’t good as she tightened her fingers into fists and struggled not slice the woman up for increasing the difficulty of Sish’s given task. Her voice became dark, aggressive enough that might’ve seem she would actually inflict additional hard upon the Jedi that Sish already attempted to break once. “
*You idiot! I don’t want to know your name and despite you not being a Jedi, you’re imprisoned with them whether you want or not. Did you not heard the shit eating lizard say I have to break you? Don’t you consider I’ll give up my chance at revenge because you think I was ‘kind’ to you. I only kept you alive because if he dies before I’m strong enough, everything I gave to avenge his death would’ve been pointless.
*”
All the time her voice rang out, her body followed closely behind Nazca, wary of the Sith behind her.
*”He said convert me, not break me. Conversion doesn’t necessarily involve pain. Believe me, I don’t consider what you did kind, or think that you’ll stop your vengeance just for me. We’re the same, you and I. We don’t care about the Order that chose us. We simply want to make those who wronged us pay. Might want to be careful. Dumb fuck behind us is listening and picking up on tone of voice. I told you to just kill him.”*
She glared over her shoulder at Jakali briefly, switching to basic again. “Sorry to disappoint, kung sucker, but I’m not interested in guys with a robot arm, no balls, and a taste for younglings. Go try to seduce the trandoshan. He can regrow limbs so you can even have fun with your amputation fetish!”
“Be lucky I’m best with my tongue then.” Jakali said with a wink. A slight grin coming on his face as he walked, but fading before anyone would notice it.
Jayda’s eyes shifted, causally, to spot the cameras. The position Nazca...the Jedi, put her through was the worse possible one. “You really are stupid, N...Jedi.” She choked on the name and naturally forced herself back.
*”Maiming and converting is the same damn thing to him! Besides, do you really think I have shit for brains? I, at least, know when to keep my mouth shut and brace myself though the pain, so we’re nothing alike. Nothing!
*”
The zabrak shoved her hand out, pushing the prisoner to the right and still onwards to the calls. Her words still continued in her native tongue. “
*Despite their code, Sith are ruled by some law, a Dark council if I recall the shit eating lizard’s less abusive lessons. It’s to keep themselves from wiping the entire order out when they aim to reach their goal for power. However, one of the laws, the no killing of Sith has been relaxed by the Darth onboard at her whims. It means if I’m not careful with when and how I kill, I could very well end up dead myself. This includes not killing him in front of security cameras…
*”
With her last words, she jerked her head barely to one of the clicking machines they ended up passing, hinting to Nazca what she was talking about.
“Really? And how many paid whores have told you that? You know you can never trust what they say. They’ll even tell a Hut’uun gunsos eating jendoslu like you that you’re brave, strong, smell nice, and good in bed.” Nazca replied, turning her attention back to Jayda, noting the camera already. *”I figured there was some law. But if it’s relaxed, doesn’t that mean you have some leeway? Just get to the camera’s first after you kill him. Delete a little bit of evidence, and you’re safe. I’ll even distract him and you can just shove your lightsaber into his chest. Think about it. I help you kill an enemy, and you help me kill this asshole for what he’s done to me. As for maiming, remember that he said you can convert me any way you please. I don’t think you have the stomach for his type of torture. I think it disgusts you. To save us both pain at his claws, just say you’re seeing if your method is more effective or that this is how you’ll convert me. I’m already half way in the darkside anyways. One little thrust, and you lose one robot handed enemy. Come on. It’ll be quick and clean.”*
Jakali did not reply, he instead raised an eyebrow at the odd language that was being spoken. He had mostly ignored it, but there were too many words being exchanged. If it was just threats or insults being tossed around then they would be short phrases or not even in a language other than basic. There was no reason to not speak those kinds of words in anything other than basic. So he slowed down in his walk for a moment, his paranoia growing, but kept moving.
Jayda’s ears picked up Jakali’s steps drawing a bit behind her, the pace different and slower. Her teeth flared in anxiety to note that but her eyes didn’t shoot back, knowing the moment she took her eyes off Nazca, the woman would make a break for it or something else wildly stupid. She hated temptation and words that made common sense as she never wanted to be in this position in the first place. “
* If you want him dead so bad, figure a way to kill him yourself. Namely if what you said it true then I merely have to wait and you’ll convert yourself, saving me time and possibly pain at Sish’s claws. I wouldn’t have expected you to think that far but can you swear to me someone isn’t watching those cameras right now? That I won’t walk into a blackmailing situation the moment I go to delete my ‘victory’? Even I’m not that suicidal.
*”
Her eyes perked up when she spotted the main entrance, her hand pushed the woman a little hard to speed her up. She wanted to be rid of Nazca before something stupid occurred and she found her unable to survive the results. “We’re almost there.”
One of Jakali’s hands snuck into his robe, if they were really plotting against him then he would have needed his weapon. But it was gone, right out of where he always placed it. He hadn’t taken it off of him since he left the ship, hadn’t put it down anywhere, the only way was that someone took it off of him. His eyes narrowed on Nazca, and his hand rose up as he grasped her through the Force, pinning her against a nearby wall, slowly draining the breath from her throat.
“You fucking thief. Where is it?” Jakali asked, moving closer, his anger rising. One thing he absolutely hated were thieves, especially when they were a Jedi.
Nazca hit the wall and gasped, a strangled sound as she felt her throat be slowly constricted. *”Don’t interfere.”* She managed to work out, as Jakali moved towards her. She snarled at him as he accused her. “Where is what? I don’t have anything dumb fuck.”
“My lightsaber. It is gone, I have not taken it off of me since I got onto the ship. You just happened to bump into me before and place your hands right where I would have it on me,” Jakali said, stopping a few feet away from her, his hand still raised. “I will strip you bare to right here to find it if I have to. It is on you, I know it is, Jedi.”
Jayda’s head jerked about and in moments, her feet reacting to what her mind determined was an attack. Her hand flicked to her lightsaber and pulled it out, the weapon coming to life two seconds later when her shoulder stood on the opposite side of Jakali. Her posture was one most commonly found in Soresu’s defensive stance and glaring at Jakali in expecting him to assault her first. When she heard Nazca slam into the wall, things clicked together in the Zabrak’s mind. Her finger pressed the button causing the saber to die instantly but didn’t return it to her belt, catching both Nazca’s and Jakali’s words in their exchange.
The zabrak sighed and commented to Jakali’s weakness. “If she took your weapon, it was your own fault for letting her have the chance.”
Nazca made a strangled sound that was something like laughter, before replying to Jakali. “A one handed, injured, clumsly, loud mouthed girl stole your lightsaber? That’s what you’re saying Sith? Pathetic. Though I’m touched you’d lie like this to make me look good. I. Don’t. Have it.”
Jakali didn’t reply right away, instead he charged forward, one hand slamming into Nazca’s remaining functioning limb as soon as possible. The last thing he would have needed was to slip up there too and get his own weapon through his gut. Then with his robotic hand he roughly grabbed her hip, running his fingers along and around it, he found a pocket and dug into it, eventually brushing against something that felt too much like his weapon to not be it.
“Care to explain what that is then?” He asked her, face to face.
Nazca dug her hand into the same pocket Jakali’s robot hand went into, attempting to get a grip on the lightsaber before he did, smiling at him. “It’s my personal pleasure device. A girl gets bored you know.” She lunged forward and tried to sink her teeth into his nose.
Jakali noticed the attack, expecting her to try it, he managed to turn his head enough, avoiding the bite but still having her head hit his cheek. He yanked his weapon out of her pocket as he moved, igniting it and stepping back. The red blade shimmering as he leveled it towards Nacza. Rage fuming through him as he seriously considering ending her life. But, he stopped himself and took another step back, turning off his weapon but still keeping it in his hand.
“You’re not worth it. What you’ll have coming to you will be far worse than the mercy I could have shown you.” He said, then turned away, moving towards another hallway.
Nazca spat a stream of curses after him, before moving her eyes towards Jayda, sizing up her chances. Then with a shrug she started moving towards the lift. “You had your chance, Zabrak.”
Jayda watched Jakali storm off into the next hallway. Her eyes lingered there, though her mind quick to note where Nazca’s position was and if she would’ve moved closer. The notion of her lightsaber, her only connection to her past, being swiped weighed darkly on her mind enough not to allow it to happen. “I could’ve said the same about you, but you already fucked that up. As I said before, I won’t kill your enemies for you. It’s not why I bother being here. There’s only one I aim to kill and to do that, I have grow stronger. Though you really should consider being smarter with your attacks and tactics rather than being reckless. At some point the reins will be lifted and weakness found. At that point, it won’t just be you that suffer. I can’t help but wonder who will die or fall first among you all?”
Letting her words stain the air, Jayda followed the woman in then pressed the button. The lift started to rattle and creak, bring them to the cell before Jayda pushed Nazca through. “No matter what you say, there’s something you care for. I only hope you’re willing and strong enough to fight for it to the end. Else it very well might die in the end because of you.”
Then Jayda traveled back down, leaving Nazca among her own kind.
Nazca waited until Jayda had left, then her strength left her and she crumbled to the ground, breathing shakily. Death had come a little too close for her taste then. She looked up and gave a shaky grin to the Jedi looking at her. “Just met three Sith. They’re all fairly different. May have pissed one off forever.”
Note: Words between **s are assumed to be in Zabrak. Rtron and I was were too damn lazy to translate, at least until I can revamp the language completely...