030 - Week 3 Day 5: Terms and Conditions

Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:50 am

Though she did not let it show, Lea was somewhat annoyed. She did not enjoy some other apprentice having any potential holds on her apprentice. However, while it would be tempting to see that other apprentice removed, she could not see any reasonable means for doing so without also hurting the imperial cause and her own, hard-earned reputation.

No, she would have to play a different game here. A game that made the other apprentice’s master beholden to her. Fortunately, making Warrior Caxal’s prisoner turn to the dark side should serve admirably for this purpose. The report from Corporal Reumen had only confirmed the suspicions she had gotten from her talks with Xid, which was why she found herself wandering the corridors so early in the morning. Far earlier than she would have preferred, but the longer she delayed, the likelier that the opportunity would slip away.

Thankfully Kintik had located the quarters chosen by Apprentice Caxal, so she would not have to go searching randomly for it. She eyed the droid rolling along ahead of her, smiling at a memory that popped up from when she had first built it. That had been a good time.

When she arrived at Warrior Caxal’s quarters, she pressed the button to announce her presence with a flick of her finger, the precise telekinetic push letting her remain standing a reasonable distance away.

Caxal was on edge. After his talk with the Padawan he had many thoughts on what needed to get done. He had already sent his message to Lord Vane that his task had nearly been completed and he now waited to hear from his Master about his next move. As the planet had more or less begun to smoothly go under her control, he wasn’t needed for the extra manpower.

For the moment he meditated, steadying himself for the trials he knew came ahead. It was his hope that others wouldn’t bother him as he prepared his exodus. However as the bell rang for his door he scowled. “A moment.” He growled out his reply, pulling on a shirt and fixing his mask over himself.

He opened the door and looked down to see an apprentice before him. She was young, a pureblood like himself, and slender. He recalled her name from his memory, and noted that she also had an apprentice and a droid. “What winds have brought you to my door, young one.” His tone was even and smooth, and he knew the games the other Sith played. He half wished that he’d brought Vex with him here to deal with all of that.

Inwardly, Lea smirked. Two could play that game. “It has come to my attention that you have an unruly pet.” she stated, just as smoothly. If she had to, she would channel her master to achieve her goals.

Caxal raised an eyebrow. “I also have an unruly apprentice that rarely gives a direct answer.”

“Who doesn’t have an apprentice like that?” she retorted. Sure, it wasn’t always true with Xid, but it was occasionally true. “I have a proposition for you, warrior Caxal.” She shifted her pose slightly, not at all uncomfortable in the setting. “Should you be interested?”

“It would highly depend upon the proposition.” Caxal shrugged. He leaned against the doorframe. “As it stands, she will likely become my next apprentice and I do find breaking Jedi to be an enjoyable task.”

“Oh.” Lea stated, her face oozing innocence, “I wouldn’t want to get in the way of that now, would I?” She traced one clawed hand across the top of her droid. “What would you give for something that will bring true suffering to your pet?”

Caxal barely held back a laugh. “You young ones are always so ambitious.” His eyes narrowed as he shook his head, crossing his arms as he looked her directly in the eye. “I sincerely doubt the kind of torment you could bring could equal what I have in store should she cross me. While I enjoy pain and torment, I am of the belief that it should be earned. To truly break someone takes time and effort, and I require her whole of mind for my Master, Darth Enpice. And all I learned, he taught me personally.”

“Your master’s reputation is not unknown to me. However, I would never hope to surpass your skill in the physical arts. Not at my age.” She kept her tone fluidly changing from one to the next, making it difficult at best to interpret what exactly she meant. “No matter how skilled one gets, knowledge is never to be underestimated.” She did not try to hide her smirk this time.

Caxal sighed, his irritation increasing. “Knowledge is always a useful tool. However her mental state is something I’m explicitly under orders to keep intact.” He allowed himself to frown, the mask hiding the expression nicely. “In any case, your offer is noted, but rejected. She is my prisoner, and I don’t need more outsider variables muddying the path before me. I tend to remove such variables with force.”

“Your loss.” Lea stated, still smirking. “Come, Kintik. He does not desire information concerning his pet’s flaws.” She languidly turned aside, beginning to walk away, very well aware of all Warrior Caxal did.

Caxal laughed finally. A deep bellow. “Young one, I’ve already seen so much more of her than you could even believe. I ripped apart her force bond with her friend. I’m inside her head whether she likes it or not. I doubt your information could aid me since breaking her isn’t the goal. Nor is turning her. She has information I require, and I will obtain it whether she resists or not.”

“Information is always nice. But there is a unique charm in seeing the hopes of Jedi shattered. Their illusions shattered. Is there not?”

“Speak plainly, girl. What do you want of my prisoner.”

“Of your pet? Nothing.” she turned around slowly. “Of you? I am certain we can figure out something. Eventually.” She looked directly at where she knew his eyes to be. “A favor for a favor.”

“I don’t do favors to those who cannot earn them.” Caxal shook his head. “I am a Warrior. You don’t even hold a title yet. Your information wouldn’t get you much. My favors tend to end in blood.”

“A reasonable policy. My master taught me the same.” Lea smiled. Things had gone like she had expected they would. ”We each have our purpose in the well-oiled machinery that is the Empire. I would, of course, never ask for anything beyond what was earned.” She paused for a moment before adding, “My information would let you make her suffer even more than she already is . . . When you deem the time right, not when I or another deems it appropriate.”

“Even more than seeing the one she loves be quartered in front of her?”

Lea’s eyes widened just a touch before she restrained herself. “Impressive. I do hope he suffered before he died?”

Caxal gave a curt nod. “Drained him. No jedi would live through that.”

“Jedi are more durable than most would give them credit for. I have seen Jedi live through more than that. I have seen Jedi surviving weeks in the hands of Lord Sish, with whom I presume you are familiar.”

Caxal nodded. “Aye, but unlike that my master needs her relatively sane and of sound mind. What of his tactics would you use?”

Intrigued, Lea changed her approach from earlier. “Do you need her body intact as well as her mind?” She chose not to reveal that Sish had been restricted from going all out on the Jedi. That information she could save for later.

Reaching behind him he pulled his datapad to him and pulled up the file, reading from it verbatim. “Find and restrain the Padawan Jaslyn Dayne. She is not to be harmed unless necessary to retrieve the information. She is to be brought to me in sound mind and of sound body. I have uses for her.” He tossed the datapad back. “That was his instructions. I work for Vane, making her owe him a favor, then I get what I seek after handing him what he wants.”

“Those instructions do put annoying limits on what you can do, don’t they?” Scratching one of her cheek tendrils in thought, Lea considered the options. “It does rule out replacing part of her body with ones imbued with Sith Alchemy. Most Jedi tend to take poorly to constant exposure to the power of the Dark Side. In lieu of that option, you could outfit her with a shock collar or inject her with Alchemized Jenstem sap. Or you could use her past against her.”

Caxal shook his head at that. “I’m not altering her at all. For one, not all Sith Alchemy works well in every subject. Second, she’s not deserved such treatment and is actually quite compliant now. And finally, I don’t take any pleasure from unwarranted pain. Some lines aren’t meant to be crossed, ever. I especially understand that.”

Lea noted that he did not have much grasp of Sith Alchemy if he thought Jenstem sap could alter anyone. “With Jedi, pain is, sooner or later, always warranted. I personally find emotional pain to leave far more lasting impressions than physical. Dismantling a prisoner is so… permanent. With most species, you can’t remove each hand more than once. Besides, your master clearly specified that the body was not to be dismantled. Since you need her mind relatively intact as well, it stands to reason that effective sources of mental suffering are to be preferred over general pain, does it not?”

“I would prefer not to use outside means. Especially when I can already inflict her with her own trauma. And for one so young, she seems to have plenty.”

“That is your choice. I can respect that.” Lea turned to leave again, knowing the offer had been made. Should he desire to make a different choice later, he could contact her.

Caxal nodded, re-entering his room. He didn’t like the look of these young Apprentices. It seemed more and more each day chose subtlety over truth. He didn’t care, so long as they stayed out of his way and didn’t bother him. He had more important matters, such as his current research project.