Slight Turbulence.

[Zenas Codrey]

The ship of traitors made landing on Storinal after several long, long days. Zenas spent the entirety of it in the box he'd slipped into before the ship left Zeltros, and snuck off with one thing on his mind: FOOD. There's a problem, however, which he realizes as he leaves the spaceport and makes his way into the city, evading customs as he does so.

"Das't money!" he curses, glaring in through the window of a fast-food place. He beats his fist on the glass, startling the people inside. He puts a hand to his forehead and turns his back to the window, trying to think.

Das't money. How the hell...shoulda stolen from the ship. Shoulda stolen from both the ships. In fact, stealing from ships should probably get into my skill set soon. This is the 2nd time in a week that I've slipped out of a spaceport past planet authorities and into civilization. If that's even what this is."

He rubs his eyes and looks up at the crowd. Storinal's basically a gigantic tourist trap; finding a random person to steal from shouldn't be an issue. The trick is how to go about it.

[Dae Jinn]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, junk. I take a big juicy bite of my pre-fab processed nerf burger, slipping on my extra large fizzy drink as I walk out of the immensely loud and crowded resteraunt. So much better than ships' food ANY day. We've finally landed somewhere, giving everyone on the ship a little bit of a stretch. Motorcycle Jedi, Zeke, is getting the medical attention he needs, while Glasses, who's name I don't even know yet, sits around doing, well, whatever.

I've taken off for the day, getting some much needed shopping therapy and fast food munching done. This place is sort of reminding me of Zeltros with it's big crowds and bustling center of town. I find a nearby bench and take a seat, having another bite of my burger.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas wanders into the crowd, trying to find a likely target. It's too bad most of the people here are families (das't them!) or couples (may they die in the cold vacuum of space). He could do with a lone target. And that's when he sees her.

Zenas stops cold, causing several other pedestrians to run into him. They curse at him but he pays them no mind. He's far from here, standing in the doorway of a bedroom.

This woman isn't the das't traitor-whore. The shape of the nose is different, the eyes are the wrong color, the hairstyle doesn't match, and she's lacking some baby-fat. But as Zenas stands there looking at Dae, he sees her lying over Tala Cotri, forcing his perfect mother to make obscene noises and betray him.

Zenas runs into a few more people as he strides quickly towards Dae. He still doesn't notice, in spite of the insistent warnings of his montrals and the stir he's kicking up. His pace breaks to a light jog, then to a run, then to a full sprint. Somewhere in his mind, he hears his old master.

Your anger is like a hyperdrive. It may cause you no trouble for a while, as you go about your galaxy settling your various needs and other matters, but the slightest little flaw in your resolve will cause it to experience some slight turbulence, and then...explode.

He feels the Force and leaps in a long, low arc, knee out for a quick, dirty strike that will either eject her whole body from the bench, or simply cause her head to fly into the garbage bins several meters behind her.

[Dae Jinn]

There's that feeling again...then a crunch as a knee hits me hard in the chest, sending me breathless over the broken back of the bench. I lift myself up on my arms, coughing hard, trying to get some air back into my lungs. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I squint up at the darksider from the fight on Zeltros. What the frell is he doing here?!

I shift my body back, not knowing if I'm going to get hit again or what. I feel like I should say <i>something</i>, but nothing comes to mind. I can feel blood dribbling from the sides of my mouth, and spit in the togrutis' direction.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas lands on the bench, crouched in a feral posture, breathing heavy and staring at Dae with such intensity that all other things, even the environment, blends together like an out-of-focus picture.

"You."

His eyes are pulsing with sulfurous yellow, his breathing is erratic and heavy with rage, and his whole body trembles as he tries to figure out precisely what to do with this scut who so grievously wronged him.

"RUN." he hisses. "Or you die now."

[Dae Jinn]

I scramble to my feet, limping away as fast as my wobbly legs will carry me. Luckily, the crowd parts as I push my way through, breaking into a run down the closest alleyway I can find. Why this freak is attacking me, I don't know. Maybe he saw me help those Jedi, who knows? All I can think about is running; I get to the end of the alley, turning left and heading towards the spaceport,

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas is still having tunnel-vision. He sees her run off, forms an idea, and then as fast as lightspeed leaps out over the crowd, drawing his lightsaber and throwing it hard with an animalistic scream. The force of the throw drives the hilt half-way into the duracrete wall behind Dae, who turned the corner just in time.

Zenas bolts into the alley, leaping off the walls close to the corner so he can get his weapon back. As she comes back into view, he concentrates on a spot in the center of her back, bringing the heat of his anger to bear, and sees her shirt burst into unholy, Force-bred flame.

"Die, you filthy traitor!" he shouts after her in Togruti. "Burn for what you've done!"

[Dae Jinn]

I let out a scream, dropping to the ground as the back of my shirt bursts into flames, rolling around and tearing the flaming fabric off my back. He shouting at me in togruti; what he's saying I have NO clue, but I have no where else to go. My back is against the wall of some building -- I can barely breath and the pain from the burn is starting to blur my vision. He keeps barreling towards me, and there's no way for me to defend myself...

I can feel tears start to well in my eyes, which just makes me angry. I'm no fighter, I haven't touched the Force in months, maybe a year at most. My specialty was always Telepathy and Suggestion; something I was always warned about (especially since I "suggested" to several people to buy me ice cream as a youngling...It fit in pretty well on Zeltros though.). I guess I'm going to have to use my big mouth instead.

<i>"Stop right now or I'M going to kill YOU." </i> I shout into his mind, as loudly as I possibly can. It's a bluff, but it might buy me a little bit more time to sort out a plan.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas stops, skidding a meter on the gravel and garbage in the alley as the threat presents itself in his mind.

"I won't let you!" he mutters in Basic. But he's not moving yet. He'd always known she'd kill him if given the chance. His mother never believed him, and the traitor-whore denied it when confronted, but she was good at acting surprised and taken aback. Of course she'd make this thread when his mother wasn't here! She wants to keep his precious mother all for herself, eliminating the competition would just make it easier. "I HATE YOU!"

[Dae Jinn]

"I don't even KNOW YOU!"

I yell at him, not in his head, but out-loud, out of a growing anger and frustration of my own. At least the threat stopped him. My hands ball up into fists at my sides.

"I don't even know who the frell you are, or why you're doing this!"

[Zenas Codrey]

Oh no, she won't play ignorant with Zenas! His resolve strengthens, though not enough to grip his temper and bring it back in check.

"You know das't well what you did you dirty scut you stole from me everything I ever had in this world without a single thought or care and because of you I spend every single day wondering what might have been what I could have had and now that you're back here again I'm going to settle the accounts and get back what's mine DO YOU HEAR ME!?"

He's been advancing all through the tirade, beginning to pick back up to his long stride by the end of it.

[Dae Jinn]

I can barely understand the gibberish pouring out of his mouth as he strides closer.

<i>"STOP RIGHT NOW!"</i>

It worked once, maybe it will again. My eyes are shut so tight it's making my head throb. My force skills are like a rusted out speeder, my own fault for not constantly training. I focus on just stopping him from coming any closer, trying to "suggest" to his body that his feet want to stop moving. Sort of searching his mind, just barely, to see what the frell has made him so angry...and coming up with nothing but red, red rage.

<i>"I don't know who you are, but you better stop. I..don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't stop this right now."</i>

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas almost flinches, but stops anyway.

"Shut. Up. I won't let you threaten me. I'm not a child anymore. I have power, and I will use it." He spins his lightsaber in his hand, pointing it at her in a challenging fashion. "So come on, scut. Let's see you damage me."

[Dae Jinn]

<i>"Fine."</i>

I delve deeper into his head, pulling up whatever childhood trauma I could find -- bullying, being constantly alone, and mummy issues like you wouldn't believe were what I got. I replayed them in his mind as I found them, hoping it would throw him off, maybe let me get up and make a run for it.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas has always drawn on the rigors of his childhood to fuel the Force within him, but he'd always kept a clamp on them, never letting them overwhelm him. Dae's empathy tears down these barriers, at least for a few moments, and Zenas staggers against the alley wall, so immersed in the flood that for the moment he loses his grip on reality. He bends double, his free hand pressed hard to his forehead, trying to fight back and regain control. This is the opening Dae is looking for.

[Dae Jinn]

I get to my feet, knowing that this isn't going to hold him off for long. If I run, he'll just come after me; if I physically attack him, he'll probably kill me. Either way, I'm frelled. I pick up the closest thing to a weapon that I can find - a large, broken bottle - and run.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas sifts through the tide of memory, taking back his control one it at a time. He turns away the influence of his lonely childhood, then diverts the memories of bullying. He finally is settled with nothing but the traitor-whore; in his mind's eye, he's facing her in a white void, as both his young and adult self.

"Enough," they say, clenching their fists. "I'm going to damage you, whore."

In reality, Zenas's eyes snap open, his lightsaber flares to life, and begins to close the gap slowly, deliberately allowing her to maintain a lead. He wants her to fear him, to feel the inexorable pursuit of his wrath. He wants her to know that is ends whenever he likes, and that she will beg for that end before he finally gives it to her.

[Dae Jinn]

My legs are beginning to ache, but I know I can't stop. I can practically feel the heat from his saber on my back as I dodge garbage cans, random people, whatever is in my way.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas catches up over the next few minutes, violently moving people from his path with fists, feet, and lightsaber. He reaches her at last, pacing alongside her easily, and shoulder-checks her hard into the wall on her right, kicking her in the back of the knee to take her down.

[Dae Jinn]

With a shriek and a groan, I go down, hitting my head hard on the wall. My make-shift weapon falls with me, rolling out of reach. I can feel blood streaming down my face from a broken nose, struggling to get up, to stay concious. It's not working. I stay in a crumpled heap on the ground, closing my eyes and breathing heavily through my mouth.

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas puts her body in the air with a vicious kick, then spins to make a punch strong enough to knock her into the wall. He holds her there against the wall with the Force, pressing her to it so hard it interferes with her breathing. He levels his lightsaber at her.

"You. Are. Evil," he growls. "You are the worst kind of person in the entire universe, you ruttin' puddle of Hutt slime. I could throw you in a Sarlacc, and you still wouldn't suffer enough for what you've done."

[Dae Jinn]

The air was pressed out of my lungs, like a snake wrapping around my body, squeezing the air out of me with each breath in. My world is starting to blur at the edges; why is he doing this? I've done nothing to him! I can feel the anger growing my stomach. There's no way I'm going to let him do this to me. I reach deep into his head, digging as painfully as I can to find the worst memory there.

I find it...a much younger version of Boo-boo here, jealous of his mothers' relationship with a dark-haired woman. I yank this memory out of the depths of his mind, twisting it as I do so. Making his mother less than perfect, making HER the "bad guy".

<i>"After all, sweetie, SHE was the one who left you for a human. She must've known how useless and pathetic you were, how you'd turn out like this..."</i> I gasp, more air pushing out of my lungs as I struggle for breath. <i>"DO you think your precious whore of a mother would approve of you now?"</i>

[Zenas Codrey]

Zenas's chest heaves twice before he actually starts laughing. It's a sinister sound without mercy.

"Yeah, she left me for you. You made her. You did it." He steps forward and strikes Dae across the throat, then puts his knee into her stomach again. "You told her those things." He smashes her temple with the hilt of the lightsaber. "You made her believe them." He clenches his fist, breaking the bones in her legs and arms. "So suffer for it."

At last he turns the blade of the lightsaber upon her, cutting her skin, choosing not to sever her limbs, carving Togrutan obscenities into her for the world to see what she was. "Scut" across the forehead, "traitor" across both thighs, finishing up with "whore" running vertically down her torso from her collarbone all the way down past her waistline, adding miscellaneous cuts across the arms and shoulders for his own enjoyment.

"I wonder if you can survive all of it," he mutters, letting her body drop and kicking her over onto her back. "Maybe if you're lucky, the city's authorities are following our trail and will rescue you shortly. Maybe if I'm lucky, you'll die a slow, torturous death as you bleed out internally and be food for the rats and other vermin that are better regarded than you." He shuts down the lightsaber and walks away. "We'll see what happens. Just know that if you live, I'll find you, and we'll do this all over again. Won't it be just the greatest fun?"