Gunpowder and Alcohol [ENDED]

[Kathryn]

"Gunpowder, and alcohol,
Will keep you when the cities fall"

The ancient song echoed through Kit's head as she sat in the booth, her back to the wall. She sipped her drink quietly, watching the movers and shakers around her over its rim. It helped, the drink did. It helped her tolerate her surroundings. The Fallen Angel was better, but she couldn't hide in the Angel forever. Cargos did not, of themselves, walk onto the landing dock.

She nursed the drink, well aware of its effect on her reflexes. Aware, and in mental pain, was preferable to unaware, a state she only dared drink herself into in the privacy of her own cabin - with the door locked.

And in Space, preferably Hyperspace, was the best of all. There, it was quiet. There, she did not hear whispers. THere, all she needed to contend with were her memories - of a time when she truly believed in the Empire. Memories shattered by one woman's life, and a death at Kit's hands, the hands of a Commanding Officer.

Kit shuddered, then tossed back the drink. Grabbing the bottle from the table, she walked toward the door. No Cargo, and a powerful urge to get drunk, so that the voices would stop. Once again, she was retreating to the Fallen Angel .

[Sudoku]

Another set of feet fell in step with Kits' as she left the bar, bottle in hand. If she had bothered looking back, she would have seen a non-descript young man walking a few feet behind her. Close enough to keep up with her, but far-away enough to appear not to be following her.

Kyashi Hatake strolled silently behind the young woman, hands stuffed into the pockets of his faded jeans, his Imperial uniform jacket hanging over one arm. He had followed this one for a few days, hoping to find something special. He felt it, but it wasn't strong enough to get a clear sense of what "it" was exactly.

Kit felt a light touch on the back of her neck, like fingertips running down the length of her spine. A glance over her shoulde revealed Kyashi, standing far behind her, a chesire grin on his face.

"Hello."

[Kathryn]

She spun, bottle dropping, as her hand dropped to the Imperial blaster she wore on her hip. "Who are you," she growled, shocked sober by startlement - and fear. Was this one of the hunters she had heard of?

[Sudoku]

"Just a person, taking a walk. Who are you?"

His smile remained, as a slight shrug was the only gesture she received. He watched her hand go for her blaster, but didn't flinch.

"You shouldn't be so jumpy, someone might get hurt."

[Kathryn]

"You're too quiet. One would think you're an assassin, or a Jedi," she spit back. She bent to pick up the unbroken bottle, still keeping an eye on him.

"Or are you looking to haggle about passage or a cargo?" she added. "The Fallen Angel is no luxury liner, but she'll do, she'll do....." she added, watching him. She didn't seem drunk, any more.

[Sudoku]

"Not an assassin, though I have had the pleasure of taking a life, and certainly not a Jedi."

The boy still remained perfectly calm as he watched woman. She had begun to sober up, and she was keeping a watchful eye on him.

"And I am not looking for passage off this rock. I am looking for you. It seems you have something I'm in need of."

[Kathryn]

"And what is that?" Kit said, warily.

[Sudoku]

"You know what it is. It's what sets you apart from those other people in that bar back there." He moved a little closer. His smile began to fade as he continued.

"Those voices you hear. Where do you think they come from? And how do you think I found you? It wasn't some fluke that I'm here. The Force has brought us together, sweetheart. Now...I can either help you, or not. It's your choice."

[Kathryn]

He felt her fear flare, as she replied, "You know, I should report you to the authorities. I don't know what you're talking about, but it sounds like that old JEDI heresy that the old Republic was swindled by."

She had her blaster in her hand as she said this, staring at him hard. No trace of her fear showed on her surface.

[Sudoku]

"Uh-huh. Go on then, tell the authorities. See what the Imperials do when you turn in one of their own."

He raised his hand, and in one motion, gripped her wrist hard with the Force. His own hand clenched tightly, increasing the grip on her arm, twisting it in an attempt to make her drop the blaster.

"I'll say it again, I can help you, or I can turn you in and let the Inquistoraite do what they please with you. It's your desicion."

[Kathryn]

She dropped the weapon, her wrist twisted to the point of numbness.

Momentarily, she rose up on her toes, seeming to consider the point of rushing him, then subsided. "What do you want with me, Inquisitor," she finally said, flatly.

Her mind danced through multiple possibilities, finally settling on one that she refused to accept - that a Jedi was in the employ of the Empire.

[Michael Cline]

He sat just a ways out, watching with a bit of morbid curiousity. It was interesting watching his 'master' work, he always seemed so confident and sure of himself; a trait Michael really admired in his friend quite a bit. Smiling he leaned back with a lazy stretch, settling in to watch the show

[Sudoku]

"You can do as I say, or you can die."

Her wrist was released, and she was tossed aside, landing on the pavement hard. Kyashi glanced over his shoulder to his 'apprentice'.

"If she doesn't agree to join us, she doesn't leave here. Understood?"

[Kathryn]

Lying on the ground, shaking the ringing out of her ears, Kathryn thought quickly. So far, this resembled - mostly - one of the nastier Imperial Academy training exercises.

The book answer was, "buy time."

Very well, then. She'd go by the book. Her book.

Slowly getting to her feet, she said, "Looks like you've got the drop on me. Well, then, what do I do, sir?"

[Sudoku]

He shook his head. Her thoughts were going through his head in slow motion. First she thought he was a ...Jedi. And now she was thinking of Imperial training exercises....

The blaster on the ground skittered towards the red-haired boy slouched lazily against a speeder. Kyashi smirked.

"Geez...you must be an Imperial-born woman. I've found them to be...stupider then most. Thinking they know how to handle any situation that befalls them." Again he shook his head, 'tsking' her as he moved close enough to touch her. He kept his distance, only leaning in to whisper into her ear, lips grazing her cheek gently.

"The best place for Imperial women is on their backs, not on ships and not out wandering the streets like some drunken sailor on leave. You're coming with us, and we're going to take you back to where you belong."

[Michael Cline]

He reached down with barely another movement and took hold of the blaster. He watched the scene with a coy smile - he might get to have a little fun today afterall.

[Kathryn]

Without think about it, she exploded. Reflexes honed in the Imperial Academy, where "incidents" were suppressed, and rape was a common problem, sent her elbow into his solar plexus, and her teeth into his throat, biting down HARD on his jugular and larynx, crushing his throat and gripping hard on his vein, biting into it. There was no thought, no thought whatever in it, only trained reflexes, combat honed, adrealine fueled.

[Sudoku]

A scream erupted from his throat as she sunk her teeth into him. Her actions were fueled by adrealine, his were fueled by the Force. Pressure began to build on her chest as a hard rush of darkside energy ripped her away from him, sending her slamming hard into a parked speeder.

The boy gripped his throat, an animalistic growl escaping as he focused on her. Her throat tightened, as he gripped her through telekinesis. She slowly lifted off the ground, each breath she took getting shallower as the air was forced out of her.

"That. was not very nice," Kyashi gasped, hand still clutching his gushing wound. He laughed, squeezing her throat tighter. "You're dead, bitch."

[Kathryn]

"Better dead, then damned like you," she whispered with her last breath, consciousness leaving her as spots faded into black.

[Michael Cline]

A face leaned over hers, a smile wide across his face as his red hair dipped down over her face lightly. "I bet that really hurts."

He stood up slowly, popping his back in the process and stretching his arms over his head, the blaster still clutched in his left hand. "That was REALLY stupid, you know? I mean, WOW." He leaned back and kicked her in the face, hard enough to send her tumbling several feet. He chuckled slightly, and glanced back at Sudoku.

"You okay there, boss?"

[Sudoku]

"She bit me."

His tone was incredulous, as he removed his jacket and t-shirt, using the latter to cover his neck. His grip had loosened, but he still "held" her slightly with the Force. Just in case...He sighed, and nodded to his student.
"I'll live, but she won't. Get the stun cuffs out of the speeder, lock her up and stuff her in the trunk."

[Michael Cline]

He gave a thumb up even as he was walking back to the speeder to acquire the cuffs, he rifled under the passenger side seat until he found what he was looking for. He let out a small laugh watching his reflection in the polished metal of the small cuffs, before hopping down and heading back to the girl. She'd be sorry she ever mouthed off, they'd make sure of it.

He leaned over her and went to work, securing her wrists with the stun cuffs, and flopping her over his shoulder, heading back to the speeder. He threw her none to gently into the drunk and shut the lid. "Subject acquired, mon' capitan."

[Kathryn]

Kathryn regained consciousness, and immediately wished she hadn't.

Her chest and throat hurt, and her wrists were cuffed tightly and uncomfortably behind her back. this left her laying partially on her face, inside what she thought was a trunk.

Her face hurt abominably, and she could feel loosened teeth. She wiggled her jaw, experimentally, then stopped when she felt the grate of a broken bone. It felt like her cheekbone was either broken or badly brused, too. And one eye was rapidly swelling shut.

She wiggled. trying to get her hands around to the front.. Finally she succeeded, as she felt the speeder show down......

Desperately, she kicked at the trunk. It sprung, and she flung herself out, trying to tuck and roll..................

[Sudoku]

The trunk popped open, followed by a loud thud and groan from the woman who had been inside it. The speeder slowed, stopped, then backed up.

Kathryn was still in the street when two sets of trainers stopped directly in her field of vision. Kyashi now had his torn shirt wrapped tightly around his neck, stopping the bleeding as best as good be expected. His expression was one of exasperation, and it could be heard in his voice as he reached down and pulled her into a sitting position with one hand grabbing her hair.

"You really want to die, don't you?" He yanked her up to her feet, pushing her into the back of the speeder, pressing her face against the shiny dark metal. "You know, I was going to take you back with me...but I don't want damaged goods. I don't think the Empire would either."

He kept her pinned down as he glanced over his shoulder. Now it would be his apprentices' turn to shine - he knew he would have to test Reds' stomach for this type of...activity sooner than later. Now was Michaels' chance to really "impress" him. "So, Red, this is your choice. You decide what we do with her."

[Y'roth Helghast]

(Somewhere else on Coruscant)

* * *

Sir, Agent - FK 174 is displaying a vital sign warning, Sir.

Y'roth calmly gazed at the ceiling as IMP awoke him, as the droid did this often. The droid was set with thousands of alarms just in the case that one of them might show some tinge of significance. Unfortunately, this was not one of those times. Agent - FK 174, aka Kyashi Hatake, was on an expendable priority. The Grand Inquisitor could care less if FK 174 died, unless of course he was onto something of importance. Helghast considered his options.

"Notify Inquisitor Valten if his condition worsens, otherwise, ignore it."

Sir, yes, Sir

Y'roth breathed in deeply and was suddenly asleep once more.

* * *

[Michael Cline]

Michael thought about it for a moment, scratching his chin as he considered all the various things they could do. It was odd just a few short weeks ago he would have considered anyone performing actions like these to be a monster - he understood much better now, though; Actions of this nature are performed out of either necessity or drive, and were in fact perfectly natural. In this case, for example - her cooperation was neccesary for their goal, since she refused to cooperate, she had to be taught a lesson, and brushed out of their path.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blade he had taken from a bum a few days earlier. "I think," he said with a smirk, "we should mark her for what she is; a slut." He grinned a little wider, "Then sell her. I'm sure there are certain people that wouldn't mind her... company."

[Sudoku]

"Nah, I don't even think she's worth the effort."

Kyashi had just as suddenly released her, letting her slip back down onto the ground. He walked back to speeder, slipping into his seat.

"Come on Red, frell this. Let's get going."

[Michael Cline]

Random. Cline thought as he watched Sudoku go the speeder.

"Come on Red, frell this. Let's get going."

Well, he was the boss. Turning to the girl he shrugged a bit. "Lucky you, I suppose." He laughed once and spit on her face for good measure, before heading to the speeder and hopping into the pilots seat. Without even a backward glance the pair sped off.

[Kathryn]

Once they were gone, Kathryn dragged herself to the side of the road, and began making her way back to the ship.

Expensive medical attention later, she finally regained it. It had taken letting her father know where she was to pay for her treatment. Now, sitting in the cockpit of her ship, she made a resolution - never to drink again.

And to watch out for those two, and go in the opposite direction if she ever saw them............