The Rebel Faction

Trazu and Asri watched her go, both opting to stay by the shuttle since they didn't know their way around the ship very well. After a moment's silence Trazu looked up at Asri and saw a far away look on her face. He knew what she was thinking about.

"Asri?" He called to her.

Yes?" She replied, looking down at him.

"I don't suppose now would be a good time to tell me what's on your mind."

"I suppose it is." There was another moment of silence, Trazu seeing the debate in her eyes. No doubt she was trying to think of how to tell him. When she spoke again it was in Dosh. "Remember when I told you what Miknak told me?" She said.

"Yes." Trazu replied in Dosh. "He told you you were a second donor."

"Lavality is part T'Doshok." Asri said and said no more.

At first Trazu was confused. Yes that explained a lot in regards to some of Lavality's traits, but what did....

It hit him like a speeder slamming into a durasteel wall.

"You're telling me...that they used your DNA in Lavality...." He said, getting a nod in affirment. "That would mean...."

"Lavality is my daugther..." Asri said softly. "In the technical sense at least, depending on how much of her is T'Doshok." A sigh. "Her refusal to let me reveal this to her myself is going to cost her when we face Miknak...I just know it."

"Can't be helped now." Trazu said quietly. "We just have to hope that Lavality is right that Miknak is too stupid to think of using that against her."

(ooc: Yay! Lumier is back!

The two Trandoshans stared at the Admiral a moment, Trazu not really sensing anything 'bad' about her, yet cautious all the same as he had never seen this person before. He kept thinking he heard of the name 'Lumier' before from somewhere, but couldn't place from where.

"Her past." Asri finally replied to her question. "Something in her past we recently figured out, but she doesn't want to know it herself until after the upcoming battle."

"Which we feel is a bit risky." Trazu added. "She already has a bad temper and Miknak could use it to goad her on."

"Not that it takes much to goad her when it comes to him." Asri muttered, remembering how she reacted on Nar Shadda when she saw him.

Around them people were getting ready to leave. On the far side they could see various vehicles being loaded into a couple of ships. He probably wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't looked that way, but some kind of commotion was going on over there. With a frown he accessed the Force to extend his vision that side of the hanger. What he saw was blurred and only in hues of grey, but it was enough. "Dammit...." He growled as he returned to his normal sight. "Looks like we have a Bounty Hunter after Lavality again."

"I thought we were over that...." Asri said with a groan. "Should we go see if we can help?"

"Nah...I see some of my K'Satikur heading over there. They will be more then enough...."

~~~~

The three K'Satikur warriors stopped a few feet away from Lavality and the Hunter. All three got a whiff of that scent and knew what it was and they burst out laughing.

"Some Bounty Hunter you are." One of them said.

"Or rather...some T'Doshok." Another said. "To lose control of body functions to a mere girl." The warrior winked at Lavality to tell her that no offence was meant to her, but it was all part of the taunting and humiliation.

Suddenly the third drove his lance through the Hunters remaining good arm, causing him to scream in pain and preventing him from attempting anything. The first pointed his lance at his chest.

"The Admiral may not be willing to kill you due to her training." The first said, now deadly serious. "But we are. If the Admiral wills it...we can give you a reason to shit your pants...."

The three K’Satikur grinned down at him; savage grins that made his blood run cold. Around them a crowd started to gather, morbid curiosity of the marines and ship workers wanting to know what these three were going to do to the Hunter. Silently from behind, Trazu and Asri also took attendance.

The warrior that had used his lance to pin the Hunter’s remaining good arm suddenly withdrew his weapon, drawing a gasp of pain from him. The Hunter watched as they sheathed their weapons and spread out around him. The tension was thick. What were they going to do to him?

“So…uh…” The Hunter said faintly, looking around at the warriors. “You considering my offer?”

The warriors laughed.

“We don’t take bribes from those who would sink as low as you.” One of them said. “We are a Clan of honor and to willfully take the life of a child is dishonorable.”

“So you are bunch of soft hearts…” The Hunter said bravely.

The warrior behind him suddenly shot forward, grabbed his bad arm and twisted it behind his back: the Hunter screamed in pain.

“True T’Doshok only look for targets that are a challenge. What challenge is there in targeting helpless children?” That warrior hissed in his ear. “Attacking a defenseless colony was pathetic and cowardly. No amount of credits is worth that stain on your honor. As far as we are concerned…you are a dishonorable fool, an Akisi. The Scorekeeper will not welcome you into her arms and what we will do to you will see to that.” The warrior then looked toward his fellows. “Let’s strip him.”

The Hunter’s eyes widened in horror and started struggling for the first time. It was futile though, the three warriors were on him in a flash, ripping off his armor and clothing as quickly as they could, not bothering to find any fasters or buttons. This of course brought new levels of pain on the parts of him that was already wounded, but they warriors didn’t care, didn’t stop until he was completely nude.

“So that’s what a Trandoshan looks like nude.” One of the marines remarked. “Can’t say it’s too my tastes though.” The marine around him chuckled.

“Consider yourself lucky….” One of the warriors said as they backed off from him a bit. “If we had more time and room, we would do you in through a Blood Hunt.”

“Blood Hunt?” The Hunter, feeling exposed and frightened said.

“Yes…don’t tell us you forgotten what it is.” The warrior said with a cruel smile. “I’ll remind you: it’s where those that have betrayed their Clan, or their people as a whole, become the hunted rather then the hunter, members the betrayer betrayed being the hunters. It is the Warrior way….”

“Since we can’t do that….” Another warrior added. “We have to be satisfied with just beating you to a pulp.”

The Hunter didn’t have a chance to respond, the warriors converged upon him again. Between the three of them, the Hunter looked like a lizard skinned punching bag. The beating went on for about five long minutes, the occasional sound of a bone snapping echoing through the hanger: some of the marines had to turn away.

“Aneagh!” Someone shouted in Clan Dialect and the warriors instantly stopped, backing away from the blooded and broken Hunter. All eyes turned to the source, Trazu and if it wasn’t for the look on his face, some would have thought he stopped the attack out of pity. The marines in front of him wisely parted for him and he strode toward the Hunter, a look on his face that would melt ice. The three warriors bowed to him, took positions of equal distance apart, unsheathed their weapons and adopted a sentinel-like pose. Trazu himself had drawn his sword and in a flash he had it pointed at the Hunter’s snout, it’s tip drawing blood.

“Years ago…” Trazu said coldly. “I had cut down dozens of scumbags like you. I am not opposed to doing it again.”

“Then kill me short ass.” The Hunter growled.

One eye twitched, but Trazu didn’t take the bait. “You will die this day, in disgrace as promised.” He replied. “But not by my hand.”

“Why not? Grown soft?” The Hunter taunted.

“Defiant to the end I see, but that won’t help you. I won’t kill you because it would have been too quick.” He removed his sword and leaned in close to him. “Your type deserves a slow death…”

Trazu straightened up and backed away, sheathing his sword as he did so. “Everyone, if you have weak stomachs…I don’t suggest you watch….”

Again there was silence, everyone wondering who would finish the Hunter: the warriors hadn’t moved. A faint sound of metal on metal tapping could be heard then and the audience looked around for the source, until they laid eyes on Asri. Asri had her K’Zur on and was purposely clicking the blades together as she strode toward him, a deadly purpose in her eyes. The Hunter’s eyes widened when he saw her.

“Y…y…you allow an Akisi to walk among you?” He said, looking around at the warriors and Trazu.

“The only Akisi here is you.” Asri said with a growl. “And the souls of innocent children are crying out for vengeance.”

She rushed forward then, screaming a battle cry that sent chills down the spines of the most hardened marine. What happened next was almost a dance, rather then an attack, but the result was the same. The Hunter found himself getting literally shredded by Asri’s sharp K’Zur and when she was done he was practically skinned alive, his flesh covered with countless wounds. Yet the Hunter was alive still, showing everyone just how much punishment a Trandoshan could take and still live. By now though, the Hunter’s will had been broken and he was sobbing, pleading in ragged whispers for mercy.

“Mercy?” Asri said coldly. “Why should we show you mercy when you gave those children none? You ripped their lives from them unjustly for the cause of greed and now you know how ‘they’ felt when you mercilessly slaughtered them. You deserve no mercy.”

“Throw him out the air lock.” Trazu growled. Now the three warriors moved, in perfect sync. Two grabbed what was left of the Hunter by the arms, while the third went on ahead, and dragged him toward the nearest air lock, leaving a bloody trail behind them.

“Show’s over folks.” Trazu said, looking around at the marines and other workers. “We got work to do.”

Trazu lingered only a little longer before heading back toward the shuttle, knowing his warriors would have done what he asked to the letter. Asri, who was taking her K'Zur back off, joined him.

"I never heard the term Akisi used in that way before." Asri commented.

"It was the proper use of term that has been long ago forgotten by most." Trazu explained. "It used to simply mean 'outcast', nothing more."

"How did it get to mean 'white demon' then?" Asri asked curiously.

"Blame the K'Satizitus." Trazu replied bitterly.

"Huh?"

"When it was still alive, it was a mutated albino T'Doshok." He said. "Given it's abilities by a fallen deity."

"I see...how did you find this out?"

"When I was trapped in my own mind I was able to view it's memories." Trazu said softly. "I have a clearer view of it's history then anyone else, but unfortunately no one will likely be able to believe me, as superitous as our people are."

"Besides the Akisi thing I don't see how are people are superitious."

"I've been doing some research on our history when I could recently." He said. "Long ago there was a Clan of healers called the Ataki. Unlike the other Medical Clans they didn't use science to heal, but something they called the Maishi. As science and technology advanced their services became less needed and eventually they became shunned, even hunted and killed. If there are any of them left today they hide in the deepest shadows."

"Is the Maishi the same as the Force?"

"I believe so." Trazu said. "From what I could tell, the Force used to be strong in our people until about the time the K'Satizitus came around. It's appearance just drove the final nail in I think."

~All hands this is the captain speaking, we have arrived in Korribon. A moderate sized fleet has been detected over the planet, we'll be holding position near Korribon's moon. All marine's are to get ready for landing operations, all fighter pilots and bombers are to prepare for close support action. We'll be drawing there main force away while the marine drop ships and drop pods insert onto the planet~

The pair paused a moment to listen, then quickened their pace toward the shuttle. They could see Lavality enter it up ahead.

"So why the sudden interest in our history?" Asri asked as they neared the shuttle.

"There had to be a reason for the Force to suddenly reemerge in us." Trazu said. "So far only myself, Silonik, and his friend Mortor are known to have the Force. Usually the most logical reason is by blood."

"So you think you could be a distant desendant of an Akati member?"

"It's possible." He said as they entered the shuttle. "As I doubt my own ability is due to traces of the K'Satizitus left in me, for that wouldn't explain my son's strong ability with it."

"Makes sense." Asri said with a nod. "By driving the Ataki underground, our ancestors likely ensured the talent spread through out the populous."

"I think there are still some pure Ataki around." Trazu muttered. "Just well hidden."

"Do you want to seek them out?"

"No." He shook head. "I would put them at risk of being discovered."

"Still, the Jedi Order probably would be interested in this."

"Likely so, but the Jedi Order have their own problems right now."

"They do? They seemed fine when we were there."

"I don't know...just a feeling I have...."

Trazu and Asri quickly found a seat and buckled up, remembering 'fondly' how Lavality 'drove'.

"So, what's the plan once we set down?" Asri asked.

"It will depend on what's going on after we land." Trazu replied. "If the storm is still going we can use that to our advantage when it comes to evading enemy patrols. If it's subsided...well we will have to hope we are lucky when we come in. It would be best to avoid combat at all cost once on the ground until we reach the base: taking out any patrols could arise suspicion to our presence when they fail to check in. Our priority will be to get to the base and break in as quickly as possible while the frontal assault is going on."

"So speed and stealth." Asri said with a smile. "I can do both."

Trazu nodded slowly. "May the Force be with us...."