Chapter Text
Red eyes blinked warily in the artificial light of the ship. The female human skirted along the side of the room, a gloved hand glancing along the cold ceramic and steel wall as she moved slow and careful towards the door. Reaching out with the force she attempted to see just how many stormtroopers were awaiting her in the walkway. Swallowing nervously, she began to mentally map the area. She could see that the odds were definitely not in her favor. Her step faltered momentarily as she felt an extremely strong presence moving in her general direction.
She needed to get moving or she was going to be caught. Glancing up she noticed a service hatch, and easily she swung up and into it. the space was small and gloomy, but easy enough to navigate. Years of intense training had brought her here. When it came to stealth it wasn’t likely she could be beat, but when it came to combat… she was at a disadvantage. Her size certainly didn’t warrant much power, and apart from her strangely coloured eyes there honestly wasn’t much intimidating or shocking about her.
Pushing onward cautiously she picked up her pace. Crouched so low was she that the tail of her charcoal grey and red coat nearly brushed the floor. She let out a slow steady breath as she sensed someone walk beneath her. As she waited for them to pass she followed their signature with her head, the tilting caused her short black hair to spill forward from beneath the large hood that haloed her face. She either didn’t seem to notice or didn’t care as she resumed stalking towards her goal.
Sensing that she nearing the object and room in question she became excited. Her heart stuttered in her chest. She was so close. All she had to do was grab that little chip she’d been sent to retrieve and disappear. It would be like she had never been here. Except… the item’s signature seemed to be on the move.
Cursing under her breath she started to move faster. She had to stop that information from being moved and it had to be now! She chased after it as far as she could through the small walkway until she found herself looking out over the star destroyer’s bridge. There was that flutter in her chest again. It felt different this time somehow… more like her body was trying to warn her something big was about to transpire.
Another being felt it too and slowly looked up.
Their gazes met and they both froze; taking each other in in silence. He had the item, and he was strong with the Force. It likely wouldn’t spell a pleasant outcome for the petite assassin. Throwing caution to the wind, seeing as she’d already been spotted, she stepped off the ledge and landed silently in front of him. Quickly she gave him a once over in an attempt to zero in on the chip. Maybe if she could engage him in a quick scrap she could be close enough to take the object for herself.
She leaped at him but she was too late. He’d read her thoughts and with an easy, practiced gesture of his hand she found herself immobile and suspended in the air before him. It was a rookie mistake and it made her bristle at herself. It wasn’t often that she got a chance to tangle with another Force user. She was scattered and a little concerned. Frantically she pressed back against the energy that was beginning to constrict on her. Her eyes were furious and focused on the man before her. She felt his hold on her give way and she landed firmly on the ground again.
He stood in silent surprise for a mere moment before she slid in close to engage him. She swiped his weapon as soon as she could, stealthily clipping it at the back of her belt as she allowed him to toss her backwards. Her lower back met a metal railing and she yelped in pain. It only halted her momentarily though, then with her brow furrowed in concentration, she started in again. A slight smirk crossed her face as she watched him reach for his lightsaber to find it missing. Enraged he extended a hand and tried to freeze her again, but she saw right through him this time. She’d tossed a black cloth bandanna, that had been around her neck only moments earlier, into the air. The square of cloth interrupted the focus of his attack and she plowed right on through until she was up against him again.
Her fingers clutched around the item after a few moments of awkward grappling. Annoyed, and catching onto her ruse, he placed a solid punch to her side that rocked her only far enough away that he could simply grasp her by the neck and lift her clear off the ground as if she were nothing. Distressed she reached for her own saber, but it wasn’t in it’s usual spot on her belt. Failing that she grasped for his weapon, only to find it missing as well and back in his free hand. It snapped to life and he lowered her back to the ground, replacing his hand with the ragged red blade against her throat. She blinked slowly in the realisation that she’d been beaten and in a resigned manner looked down along the weapon’s blade and up to his masked face.
Content in the idea she’d been subdued he held out his hand, “Return the chip.”
Reluctantly, she tucked the item into his hand. As much as she would be paid to give that information to the Resistance it was not worth her life.
“Good girl.” Through the mask his voice was altered and had a rumbling quality to it akin to a purr, “You’re quite talented… why are you working for the Resistance?”
“Because they offered me a very good price.” she told him with a soft shrug.
He pulled his weapon away and tucked it back beneath his cloak, “I could double it.”
Rubbing at her throat softly she considered the offer, “What would you have me do?”
He circled her slowly and she followed him cautiously with her eyes. Then she felt it; an intense burning sensation behind her eyes and he was inside her head. She didn’t try to stop him. It wasn’t like she was in a position to argue and there wasn’t really anything she needed to hide. She simply focused on her breathing in an attempt to dull or ignore the pain.
“You failed… they cast you out.” he scoffed, mentally thumbing through her past as if it were something as simple as an everyday news update.
The derision in his altered voice seared almost more than the physical pain he was causing her. She couldn’t keep her mouth shut. It had always been a problem, “H-hey-- I…”
“Failed on purpose. Yes, I see that.” he noted, and his gloved hand brushed across her cheek carefully, though there seemed to be a threat in the movement.
Her eyes searched him, even though she was blurry from the pain caused by the invasion of privacy. She’d always been told by the other humans that her gaze was unsettling, but he didn’t seem to notice or care. Just when she thought she couldn’t stand the pain anymore he pulled away.
“Impressive…” he commented, “and to think, if I’d waited another few minutes to pick the chip up from the control room you would likely be well on your way out of here. What made you stop?”
She nibbled at the inside of her lip as she thought about her answer. She wasn’t really sure. There had been so many guards, so she was moving slow and being careful and then… “You.” she realized suddenly, and looked up at him, “I stopped because I sensed you… and- and you paused too.” her eyes narrowed on him almost accusingly.
He canted his head slightly as he took her in, “I did. I felt a disturbance.”
“That’s a fair way to explain me…” she joked, and flashed a playful grin. Humor and wit were how she coped with situations such at this and at the current moment she was cursing both her tongue and her impetuous nature.
Hidden away behind his mask she had no idea how he had reacted, and she couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief when she heard a light chuckle come from him.
“A disturbance, indeed.” he agreed, “Now what do I actually call you?”
There was an awkward pause in that moment as if she were unsure what to tell him. She was never technically named, but she did have an identification number that the academy had branded on the inside of her left wrist (4713). When the others she trained with at the academy had needed her attention they had called her many different things. None of them were particularly flattering, or things she wanted to be known by.
”I don’t... I mean-” she stumbled over the words, “I was never given a name.”
He regarded her for another moment, then called over a trio of stormtroopers who had been standing nearby for support. “Take her to a holding cell for tonight.” he instructed, then turned back to her, almost stunned she had stayed still, “I’ll deal with you tomorrow.”
She opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it as the trio jostled around her, pinned her arms behind her back and started to lead her away. The thought of being in a cage of any sort made her unbearably anxious, but it certainly was a nice alternative to death.
“Oh…” he turned and addressed them once more, “Check her for weapons and don’t you dare let your guard down around her.”
In the time they had given her while they turned to look at their superior she could have gotten away many times over, but she stayed still and quiet in between them, even going so far as to watch her feet in disinterest of the situation at hand.
With that said he was gone and they lead her down into the depths of the Finalizer until they reached the cell block. Impatiently they pushed her along until they reached the end of a long, corridor, then shoved her into a small cell that was empty apart from a lone stool that seemed to be part of the floor.
Roughly they patted her down and relieved her of an impressive array of small weapons and smoke bombs. When one of them lingered their hand over her a little too long she glared furiously at them with her bright red eyes until they retreated. When they were finished she dusted herself off and quietly sat down. They reactivated the ray-shield door before walking away and she was left with no noise apart from the steady hum of the door.
When she was finally alone she slouched against the wall, bringing her knees to her chest and effectively curling herself into a ball that fit under her long coat. Eventually she fell into a light sleep against the floor.