The Beast Within [Nallia]

[Syravari Elik]

Not totally patient, Syravari glanced down to her and nodded quietly. "Let's go." Turning, he led her and the quartet of crewmembers from the hangar and out to the speeders. Sliding in, Braddon took the wheel and started the vehicle, turning it around and sped off. Still steaming over the attempt, Syravari's mind flashed with a host of ideas for how he was going to rid himself of Mory and not in a polite way either. Their ride quiet back to the apartment, followed by Brannoc as Brannoc took the other three to the casino.

"Going to make sure he doesn't leave," Brannoc stated over the comlink. "Don't worry, I won't approach him unless he moves to a door."

"Alright. We won't be far behind," Syravari's dark voice personified how angry he still was.

Soon, they arrived at the apartment and Syravari turned to the driver. "Keep it running."

Nodding, Braddon remained patient as their captain opened the door, and held it open for Nallia. Closing it once she exited, he followed her into the building and then upstairs.

[Nallia Oberon]

Grateful to not be carried upstairs, Nallia's adrenalin was rushing as much as her lover's. Because of his longer stride she was barely half a step inn front of him as she palmed the door. The bio lock recognizing her and allowing the door to woosh open.

Already stripping of the too large jumper as she strode across the small living space, she was soon in her room slipping on fresh denims and plowing thru her small bag for a t-shirt. Tears stung her eyes and it didn't take long for her arm to be damp with rubbing them off her cheeks.

If Syra followed her into the room, he'd find her topless and barefoot, bent over her bag, back to the door as she rifled thru her small duffle, oblivious to the two t-shirts already discarded on the bed from her roughness. Her voice slightly tear choked as she cursed herself for her stupidness, not really seeing what was in front of her.

[Syravari Elik]

His mind abuzz, Syravari paced into the living room as he did his best to keep his emotions in check, though that was becoming harder as the moments passed. Hearing clothing hitting the bed and floor, he glanced into the master bedroom and the sight of how upset she was only made him more angry. Shaking his head, the pirate moved into the room and took her up in his arms, holding her close. He had never let himself feel anything like this before for anyone, outside of his mother. Allowing himself to care beyond a mere acquaintance was a foreign concept to the streetwise criminal.

But, here he was tearing up along with her.

"It's going to be alright," he pushed out finally. Hands on her back and in her long hair, he pressed his cheek to hers. "I promise."

Sniffing, he was a bit reluctant to let her see him like this, feeling the burn of tears in his eyes and doing his best to keep them at bay.

[Nallia Oberon]

She stiffened as his arms turned her and pulled her close. Tears she had been fighting suddenly let go and she shook in his arms. "I'm sorry, Syravari. I should have told you. I shouldn't have done it." She shook her head and gripped the front of his shirt as his arms held her close.

As the man's words assured her, she felt his voice catch. Instead of looking up at him, she rested her cheek against his racing heart and closed her eyes. Something told her this was new for him...for them both.

Somehow just as she had learned to trust him, he had come to care for her. She had no idea how much, nor what it cost him. But she was smart enough to know that even being 'liked' this much by the smuggler was more than anyone else had been privileged with on a very long time.

She had no idea she was the first, nor that his fear was in more than almost losing a crewmember.

[Syravari Elik]

Holding her tight, he then eased as she apologized to him and his first instinct was to lash out and be angry at her for not saying anything, but he lost that inclination right afterward. He had made mistakes on his own, but she was still learning the ropes and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to just remain here now and love her. Sighing, Syravari wiped his eyes quickly, trying his best to make it more of a casual, subtle thing which totally failed. Swallowing hard, he relaxed, composing himself.

"Mory's gotta pay for what he's done and Brannoc and the others aren't going to wait too long before they take things into their own hands, which is only gonna piss me off more." Backing, he turned from her and headed into the refresher, doing his best to avoid her seeing his moist cheeks and watered eyes. "Just grab something and we'll go pay this ass**** a visit." Closing the door, he took a long moment to collect his thoughts as he realized now he had no idea why he was hiding in here. Going to the bathroom for a moment, he then moved to the sink and washed his face. Thoughts about all that he had experienced since meeting Nallia rose to the fore, pushing back anything else that had been in mind. Strong hands now on the edges of the porcelain sink, he glanced to himself in the mirror.

How had life gotten so complicated?

Girls cloud the mind, he recalled a friend back home saying long ago. Boy, was that the truth.

Drying off, he opened the door and stepped out again.

[Nallia Oberon]

Nallia knew better than to say anything. She was still waiting for Syra to give her 'hell and what for' for going off on her own. She mistook his silence and sudden withdrawal as leaking rein on his anger, and let him go.

"Yes, Sir..." She called obediently to his back as he told her to hurry up and dress before the others got out of hand waiting for them.

When Syra came out of the bathroom, Nallia would be in a white t-shirt with a black button up over it, though opened like a lightweight jacket. Sleeves half rolled up and black jeans have get the look of someone stepping from the shadows. She had her old black boots on and he'd see the telltale sign of a dagger in the right one as she turned to him. Her face showed signs of crying and peaking from under one rolled sleeve he'd see a rough patch where her arm had been scraped. It wasn't bleeding anymore, and she thought it was hidden enough to not worry anyone. Right now the club was their destination. And she wasn't gonna let Syra send her packing to a medical facility to get checked out. She was fine enough to do whatever needed to be done.

She was glad the other girls weren't around either. Their mothering and hen pecking would have driven her mad. She turned to face Syravari as her hands finished tugging her hair into a ponytail then tugging it into a knot.

Despite the fact it had only been a year, even Nallia knew she looked much older than she had appeared that first day he'd pushed the box aside and found her.

Wanting to reassure him she'd done as he asked, she dropped her arms and nodded. "I'm ready to go." Eyes of blue, rimmed in red from crying, finally looked up at him with a determination that surprised even her.

[Syravari Elik]

Noticing her red-rimmed eyes as he exited the refresher, Syravari felt that odd adrenaline rush race through him again and mentally shrugged it off as anger with Mory instead of what it was. He nodded as she was ready to go and by the look of the color in her clothes, he knew that was right. They were going to have to travel to Ord Cestus sooner than he expected, just to take time to relax again. But, first thing's first.

Turning, he headed for the bedroom door, ushering her out into the living room and then toward the main entrance, his mind now shifting to business at hand. Opening the door for her, he followed her out and locked it, then headed for the turbolift. Taking out his comlink, he quick dialed Brannoc as they waited for the lift.

"Yeah," the veteran soon replied.

"He still there?"

"Yep," the tough crewman and trusted lieutenant informed. "Apparently hasn't gotten the memo from his supplier's pilot, so he's totally clueless."

"On our way." The ding of the lift signified the arrival as the doors then slid aside. Clicking off the comlink he stepped in and took a spot next to Nallia, there already being two other males inside: one human male and one Twi'lek male. Waiting for the lift to lower them to the main floor, Syravari kept his senses piqued just in case these two made a move, though once they arrived, all remained quiet. Leaving the lift, he continued leading her back to the club, quietly keeping himself poised even though his insides were in turmoil.

[Nallia Oberon]

Nallia looked at Syra and nodded following him to the livingroom and eventually the lift to the lower level. Once outside, she matched his stride with ease. While determination drove him, rage drove her. She knew Mory was part of this, and the reason Syra had needed to find her. That, in and of itself, rankled her to no end. Anyone who pissed Syra off, pissed her off as well.

As they neared the corner where the club was going to be, they met up with Brannoc and Braddon. Brannoc looked at Nallia and frowned, but the smile and nod from the young woman gave him enough satisfaction to let it rest without question right now. She was standing a bit closer to Brannoc than to Syra at this point, something not lost on the cargo handler. Braddon, still too new to notice or know the crew dynamic, placed a hand on her shoulder. "You ok, kid?" Despite Nallia realizing they were probably similar in age to one another, she merely nodded and turned her steady smile to him.

"I'm good, Braddon. Thanks." Before Syra could ask, she looked at Syra, then to Brannoc. "I'm going in there. And no one will stop me, understand? He gave the order for this to happen and if he's still there, then he doesn't know I'm not on the ship. I want to see his face." Her eyes narrowed and a deepness set into her voice that made her suddenly seem a bit more menacing than she had a few moments before. She was no longer the timid girl hiding behind crates to escape the 'bad guys'. This time she wanted to be there when it all happened.

Without glancing to Syra, or giving the men any choice, she turned to head down the final building stretch between them and the club opening. She wasn't running, so if they truly wanted to stop her, they could.

[Syravari Elik]

Steel-blue eyes watched as Nallia made her declaration and a sudden warmth came over him, knowing now that she was ready to prove herself a full crewmember of this pirate gang. He had done all he could to protect her from all the evils that she might witness, especially with their previous run and capture. Selling slaves wasn't high on the list for girls wanting to fall for someone, but all of a sudden here she was wanting to lead the charge. A grin arced upon his stubbled face, appreciating now that the scared stowaway was becoming a full fledged warrior.

Brannoc and Braddon both eyed Syravari and he instead followed her down the alley and around to the rear entrance. Walking into the kitchen, staff and the chef already at work, the smells of cooked and fried food wafting up to his nose, making his mouth instinctively water. Moving past the main stainless counter for staging dishes, the chef moved to intercept Syravari.

"I have a few things...," he began, but was stopped by Brannoc's strong hand.

"Later," the loadmaster and lieutenant stated.

Quietly nodding, the chef understood by the look on his face that something was wrong, so backed away. "Later then."

Pushing the door open on the kitchen, the pair of escorts fanned out, keeping as casual as they could while Syravari continued following Nallia to the long bar, newly unveiled and brass polished, to see Mory leaning on the counter, back to them, as he went over numbers on his datapad. Upon sight, Syravari immediately felt his hackles raise, his blood boil, as eyes narrowed and fists clenched. Breathing rose with each step, though the pirate and slaver was now on guard duty instead.

A nearly impossible task right now, with the way he felt.

As Nallia moved up to Mory, Brannoc headed to the bar just beyond him while Braddon moved to their right, slowing as he reached within ten feet of the target, standing and quietly as the ass kicking was about to commence.

[Nallia Oberon]

Nallia didn't hear the chef and Brannoc. She had eyes and ears for the man in the main room, only. Her shoulders squared as her pace became deliberate. As she neared the man she wanted to do nothing more to than subject to what she had been through, and perhaps a bit more, like the conclusion she knew her abduction would have come to, her demeanor changed slightly. She drew a smile across her face and stopped a few feet behind Mory.

"You know, it's funny. I found the liquor much cheaper when I went straight to the source." She balled her fists as the man spun in surprise. His eyes widened visibly as he took half a step back and bumped into the bar he had paperwork spread over. Suddenly his gaze flickered up to Syra, then he saw himself boxed in between Braddon and Brannoc. Turning back to the girl, her arms now crossed, he forced a smile as he swallowed.

"I... I was given a fair price. That's all. Shouldn't be a problem if you can get it cheaper. Right?" He glanced up at Syra once more as Nallia's smile faded and without warning her fist rose to punch him straight across the jaw. He staggered back into the bar, his hand rising to the struck spot and a growl fell from his lips. "Why... you little bitch!"

Nallia wasn't trained to hit. The punch had been off, her fingers crashing into his jaw bone at an odd angle due to the man's slightly higher frame. She drew her right fist to her chest and cradled it protectively as she watched his reaction. Her own anger as red and high as his own. Her chin as high as it could be as if expecting him to reach for her.

[Syravari Elik]

His surprise only spurred Syravari on whose vision was narrowing by the second. He felt his heart pumping a mile a minute and then heard Mory's voice, initially trying to defend his choices. Her amateur hit to his jaw, his surprise and then his angry shout to her made time stand still...

Syravari's vision clouded to blood red, the large man from Ord Cestus erupted as Nallia recoiled, her fist now to her chest. The fear in the man's eyes was the last thing that Syravari could lucidly make out as he lunged, roaring like a rancor set loose on his prey.

"Wait...," Mory yelled, hands up defensively as the first hit landed, pitching his head back so far it bounced off of the counter behind.

All activity in the casino stopped as workers, staff and droids turned to eye the scene as Syravari continued pummeling the man mercilessly. Face and body were victims of his rage as fists became like stone, ignoring the sting from each strike as the club owner grabbed Mory by the collar with his left hand and continued striking, rearing back and hitting the man again. Blood streamed in every direction, spraying not only Syravari's face, but clothing, bar top and nearby chairs. Going limp, Mory still received the rewards for his treachery as Syravari still had a tangible target in his sights. Head bouncing sickeningly with each punch, bloodied and swelling with the abuse, Syravari heard nothing and no one else as he continued screaming his battle cry, tears streaming and mixing with crimson coursing down his face.

Still gripped, Syravari turned right and slung the limp corpse away from him with another mighty roar, Mory's body careening into tables and chairs, now crashing to the floor in heaps until the victim of his rage stopped moving forever.

Seething, Syravari's clouded vision only saw blurred shapes and light as he stood there, chest heaving and fists still balled, appearing now like bloodied maces.

Silence in the casino's interior lingered as some slowly backed out of sight, heading into the lobby or back into the kitchen.

Brannoc and Braddon headed toward the evidence of the crime, Brannoc glancing to Nallia for a moment, then continued on to Mory's body as Syravari fell to his knees, still totally oblivious to what had just happened, but his heart burning hotly as tears continued to course down his face.

[Nallia Oberon]

A year or more ago, Nallia had watched Syravari punch the head Overseer to his knees and offered to let her shoot him in revenge. She had nearly thrown up all her meals that afternoon.

This one was different...she was different.

This time, as Syra reeled on the man and literally beat him to death, the young woman stood there like a statue and watched. Now, as Brannoc and Braddon moved towards the dead man, she glanced back as Brannoc looked to her. She merely nodded. There was nothing in her eyes. There was no sickening look, no sympathy, no anything. Whatever made Brannoc's brunette friend perky and bubbly...was just not there.

Turning away from the others as Syra hit his knees, she walked silently to him and used her good left arm to cradle his head to her. She leaned down, kissed his head and whispered, "It's over. I'm right here, Syra."

Her knuckles on her right hand were split and red as blood pooled between the swollen joints. She turned her hand towards her chest in case it wanted to drip. Both Syra, from the pounding, and her from proximity, were blood splattered and breathing heavily. There was something different in Syra this time. This fight had been personal.

That's when she looked down and realized that's exactly what it had been...personal. The Overseer had been business. A supplier her boss had been disgusted with and helped her get revenge on. This had been a man who had been behind her kidnapping.

As the realization dawned on her, the light on her eyes slowly returned and she hugged him a bit closer. Leaning down to rest her cheek on his head, her voice barely a whisper, for his ears alone. "Thank you, Syra...." was all she said as she bit her lip to try and keep from crying herself.

Behind her chairs were righted, tables stood back up and damages assessed. Straightening up slightly, she looked around the room at the mayhem. It had been quick andcthe damage to the bar was minimal. Tomorrow she'd help Syra find another manager. For now she wanted to only worry about him.

[Syravari Elik]

Her touch only made him more tense initially, though as the moments lingered and she spoke to him, Syravari relaxed finally. His fists aching, the pirate let the tears fall and slowly wash some of the blood from his cheeks. He had never been so angry before, but this was a reason that had been justified in his eyes. Someone had threatened the life of someone he cared for very much and there was only one action to follow through with after something like that. Mory hadn't cared about Nallia at all, so why would Syravari care anything about him? Action leading to reaction.

Wiping his face, hearing her thanks for what had been done, steel-blue eyes rose to her face as he blinked out his tears. "I love you." The words slipped from his lips before he could stop them and for the first time in his life, he was truly honest with himself and his feelings for someone. Keeping someone at arm's length was no longer an option and as the words prompted a swelling in his chest, his heart burning from the emotion now roiling within, he reached up with both hands and touched her neck on either side. Kissing her, he rose to his knees, reaching down to her shoulders and raising her up with him as the tears resumed as he kissed her more passionately than he ever had before.

Staff worked around them, already having to draw up the courage to approach their boss and the owner of the casino from repeating the horrifying scene they had just witnessed and were glad they had been only bystanders. Droids cleaned the carpet and bar, relieving the scene from any evidence of the crime. The last thing that had to be done would be having the perpetrator take a shower and change of clothes.

[Nallia Oberon]

The eyes that looked at her were unlike anything she'd seen in him. When he said loved her, her heart stopped all over again.

His kiss stole her breath. And as he rose and drew her in, the pain in her hand disappeared as her arms wound around his neck as he lifted her. The soft whimper he drew from was a surrender unlike she ever felt from herself. Her body, she realized, fit against him perfectly. The kiss was as hot and tender as his rage had been brutal and vicious just moment before.

Breaking the kiss just long enough to stroke her fingers down his cheek to dry the tears, she whispered, "Take me home, Syravari... Please.." She then kisses him with every fiber of her being while his hands shifted and cradled her to him as if she weighed nothing. And his grip, though possessively tight, made her feel like she was made of Naboonese Crystal.

Once they both pulled from the kiss, she rested her head on his shoulder and whispered softly, "I love you, Syra," against his skin.

Ignoring everyone who tried to say something, grateful for Brannoc stepping in to let them leave, Nallia let Syra take her out of the cleaning madness and back to the ship.

Something had changed today for them both. How it affected them after today would remain to be seen.