Strange Angels: The Secret History of the Sith

Hey, what do you know! It's our Fearless Leader! (Good to see you, Lord Sith. Now, I really must actually make a post.)

 

Karik tried to suppress a smile at the escape of the slaves... Mother had often said that Coris simply couldn't resist playing the hero, no matter how many times he voiced the Jedi sentiment against interference. How she had loved him! It was good to be with the other men Mother had loved, to be part of that small, odd circle. To his surprise, he felt no jealousy at all.

Voices rose and fell as the auctioneer tried to regain control, and Karik tried to make sense of them, to find something useful.

"...hardly need *another* house slave and..."

"...pretty scrawny lot if you ask me..."

"... needs construction workers in the mines and the developments... "

Karik turned toward the voice -- as much as he could in the cage, anyway -- and saw a short, balding man walking with the auction-master. He bore a large bag of credits, and wore, around his neck, a symbol that Karik had seen every day of his childhood. It had been burned into Mother's skin, just beneath her elbow. A brand, imposed on her by a Sith who had invaded her body.

Borliash must have taken it as his sign, and that would make this man Cardel. Karik was struck by a sudden, intense loathing.

He cleared his throat, to no effect, then hissed at the passers by. "Pssst."

Cardel looked over without much interest.

Karik crooked his finger. "Come on. You need builders? I worked on building half of the La'azum colony. I know my way around a construction site. I can even design for you. Just get me out of this cage."

Cardel examined him, little rat's eyes roving. "All right. How much?"

The auction-master shrugged and pointed up to the block, where Coris was finally being herded back into place.

"I have no intention of getting into a bidding war," Cardel said, though he did narrow his eyes and look more closely at Coris as he spoke. "My employer dislikes such things. And you know that you don't want to annoy my employer. Not after last time." This last, he added with low, ominous importance.

The auction-master jumped back skittishly. "Yes, well, that was somewhat extreme. Killing all my stock before I sold them... he nearly bankrupted me... "

Karik felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. _Killing all my stock_... He fought back the bile, and hissed at Cardel again, and the auction-master. "Come on, save the time and trouble."

"Very well," the auction-master said, then added, rather petulantly, "But I need to ask a fair price. He robbed me nearly blind last time and -- "

Cardel held up one hand and the auction-master stopped talking abruptly. "My employer has never cheated you. I will take this one, and the one being brought up for bids." He handed the bag of credits over. "There is enough for at least third, perhaps a fourth and fifth. I will choose at my leisure."

The cage door opened, and Karik stepped out, trying to look like he'd been in their a few days rather than a few minutes.

The auction-master signalled the auctioneer, and Coris was manhandled down the stairs -- they might be willing to do business Borliash's way, but they didn't much like it. A moment later, he was at Karik's side, pretending to have no recognition of him.

His voice came into Karik's mind easily enough. _Where is your father?_

_Not sure. Didn't see._

Coris nodded. Of course.

They were pushed further into the square, then came up against a wall of cheering people.

"Get him! Yeah! Go for the blood!"

Karik chanced a glance up at Coris, who was simply shaking his head in a resigned way.

"What is happening?" Cardel asked a spectator.

"Got a couple fighters here," the man said enthusiastically. "Figured we'd get some gambling in while we're waiting to buy. The one's real good. Bet he could really whup the other one, if he wasn't holding back."

"Ah," Cardel said. "Perhaps an entertainment purchase would not be out of the question. He held up the medallion with Mother's sign on it -- Karik saw Coris' eyes widen involuntarily at the sight of it -- and the crowd parted irritably before the

 

well, I liked it. Somehow they had to get Cardel to notice them. I hope you don't plan to abandon this thread.

 

Goodness, must have been tired when I wrote that. I meant, "for Jastiss to get caught". No plans for abandonment. We're just going ve-r-r-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y!

 

C'mon, Loka! Post!

 

Yup, I got somethin, I just need a chance to put it up... right now im at school...

 

The man's punches had grown sluggish, allowing Jastiss time to brace for them.

Jastiss hit the man again. *Fall, you stubborn fool! Fall!*

THe man's eyes widened in determination as he lunged at Jastiss, pushing him to the ground. Snarling with new-found energy, the man began to pummel Jastiss with his fists, exciting the crowd further.

Jastiss grabbed the man by the collar and threw him off him. Calmly, he pulled him upright and drew his fist back. The man, through a swollen right eye and blood dripping down his forehead, looked at Jastiss' fist, then at Jastiss himself. He sighed, and his face seemed to droop in resignation.

Jastiss recognized the man's surrender and dropped him. Ignoring the crowd's loud disapproval, Jastiss turned to find himself face to face with a short, fat, balding man, with a symbol hanging around his neck.

A symbol Jastiss had seen many times before.

Jastiss almost grabbed the symbol before he realized who it was. *That man is Cardel,* he told himself, *and if you show him that you recognise the symbol, he'll know you had some sort of connection to Zemai.*

As Cardel looked Jastiss up and down, the Jedi saw Karik and Coris standing behind him, bound together. *Good,* he thought, *they managed to get bought.*

Coris nodded urgently to Jastiss, but before he could do anything, he heard Cardel say, "He'll do," and a sharp pain was the last thing he felt before he fell abruptly into unconsciousness.

 

up

 

<<<Hmmm.... I REALLY want to keep this one going... whatdya say we pick up where we left off?>>>

*My head...*

There was a momentary lull in Jastiss' senses before they all came back to him in a torrent of pain and images. He looked up, winced, and saw himself to be in some sort of dank chamber.

Both Karik and Coris were no where to be seen.

As Jastiss scanned his chamber, his eyes fell apon one object that sent a shiver down his spine.

His lightsaber sat there, on a table across the room, in full view.

Jastiss stood, and strode quickly over to it. He picked it up, and examined it. He wasn't surprised to find the power-cells gone from the blade.

Jastiss swore, then closed his eyes, using a calming technique. This was put here to send a message.

Jastiss knew exactly what that message was. Not only did Borliash know that his knew slaves were Jedi, they were at his mercy as well.