|
Ashla Shyrne and Jedi Master Visst Dassek
Ashla Shyrne and Jedi Master Visst Dassek
Originally Posted: January 11 - 21, 2012
Frozen Forests of Darven Proviance
Socialist People's Republic of Fra
Mid Rim World of Fra
September 24th, 1936
Ashla
Ashla set contemplating a slight bit longer around her tiny fire with the Pilot playing a few quick games of cards with him. After some time she excused herself from him saying she needed to deal with something.
Walking over to the center fire that only recently held the other members of the party that Ashla had seen fighting, there only remain one. The one she did not want to talk to, the one who could kill her. Or save her.
Looking, well scared, Ashla walked over to where he sat,
"Master Visst, may I sit with you a moment?"
Ashla seems nervous as well as scared shitless. She does not look at Visst while she says this, as her head is looking at the ground near the center fire they are by.
Master Dassek
It did not take an investigator, nor one of Visst's skill to tell that there was something was bothering her. his large eyes watched her closely for a few seconds then he motioned for her to take a seat seaside him.
"Please do." He paused for a couple of seconds to see if she would say anything before asking. "Is anything bothering you?"
He was concerned that anyone should be so scared, fear was something dangerous in any group like this, no way back to what everyone knew, facing what seemed like impossible odds. Fear was the last thing they needed circling about. Perhaps he could do something to calm reassure and sooth her.
Ashla
Placing herself both close to Visst and at the same time holding herself back from him she sits.
"Yes, I have done somethings that have bothered me. At the time they did not ... After yes they did." Pausing, "I.. I need to tell you, but I don't think I can here." She said still not looking at him.
"I know what will happen to me, by a warriors touch should she find out" This last was said very quietly no more then a mere whisper on the snap of the fire.
At that she did look directly at Visst, and as she did she held her hand out to him holding something.
quietly
Master Dassek
Visst took the note from Ashla, looking at it before standing. "Alright, a short walk should put us out of earshot of whoever you are afraid will hear you.
Ashla
What Visst held in his hand was not just a note. It held the tooth headstall that she as a Togruta huntress always wore. Ashla had thought long on handing this piece of her over to him. However within her culture from years before, a hunter that failed a mission and put others in danger would lose what she had won for herself.
This long standing tradition of her people was little known to the outside world, but Ashla thought Visst would understand to a degree what it meant.
"Thank you, sir." Standing up she asked, "Would you lead or shall I?" Biting her lib as she said this.
Master Dassek
Visst looked at the two items there, a gift?, he had spent a short amount of time studying Torgtuta culture, but not this was an odd behavior, or better an odd attitude for it.
She was afraid and had given him a gift. surely she knew it would..Perhaps it was something more than a gift. "No need to call me sir. If you feel the need to show respect for me master is the proper word." It was nothing more than an informative piece for him and he continued on as if it were a normal follow-up "Where did you get these?" The dead quite of a stroll would only serve to make her more nervous he was sure.
Ashla
"The Teeth?" Thinking back, "This head piece came from my mother. It was handed down to me from her. This is done with my family. It will end with me as I do not have a daughter to hand it to. These two here," pointing at two larger fangs to either side of the piece, "These are from the back of the mouth of a rancor. I did a lot of hunting during my time before I joined up with you, Sir..Master Visst. Sorry it is a force of habit to say Sir."
Quite talk, it does help. Ashla was thankful to him for this. After all she had done this to her squad during the war.
Master Dassek
That is an interesting tale, and I am glad to hear that you have put the past of your hunting behind you. As for the headdress I will mind it for you, but it is something that should be passed to one that benefits from your teachings.
"Where did you pick up calling those you respect sir?" The skin at the corners of his beak tightened in the approximation of a smile. He knew that he was not respected by her yet. He did hoped to earn it in her eyes. He was used to this.
As they passed the edge of camp he took a deep breath, before calming himself. "So you had something you wanted to tell me?"
Ashla
Ashla decided to answer his second question first. "I thought you knew? I was a scout in the Republic's Army during the Jedi Civil War. I led a scout group that patrolled out with an AT-AT unit. I did mechanic work for them as well as leading the ground portion of that unit. As to calling those in the upper ranks Sir, that was to keep from getting my ass burned out. Hence why Sir, is natural over Master."
Pausing before answering the second question, knowing what it would cause her.
"Master Visst, you of all here should know that a born hunter will never stop. You can cage them, put pretty cloths on them, take away their weapons, but they will never stop being what they are. Weapons come in many forms Master Visst. From the natural fang and claw, to spear and gun. Also to precious items and words. "
She closed her eyes. "Maybe I should explain first what exactly I have given you. That headstall within my people is a mark of a hunter or huntress, we are given it by our mother if we are daughters or by our father if we are sons. It is a sign of our coming of age. As we grow older we add to it. These days, well before we came here,"Gesturing to world around them, "Not many of my race does leave our world, those that do usually do not add to what they are given to them. I did, I added the Rancor teeth, and a few others to that as well."
Looking at Visst, "When a hunter knows he messed up and has put those that he is with in danger, his life is put at the mercy of the hand of his Clan leaders. As a hunter he willing gives up their most precious possession which is forfeited to the clan until a decision on his fate is made. Thus I have given mine to you."
Master Dassek
Visst looked between the items and ashla for a moment. He was glad to hear she was willing to accepts responsibility for her actions.
I appreciate the guesture, but I am beginning to worry for you. what is it that you did?
Ashla
"Master Visst, Sir, I have put us all in danger. I both betrayed everything that we are, and in turn was betrayed by the one I confided in. "
As Ashla said this she knelt on the ground in front of Visst, taking out and placing both her pistols and pointed the handle stocks toward him.
"The simple part is that I fell in what seemed to be love, well a deep respect for what turn out to be the Field Marshal's spy. The Togruta commander. "
Now that she started it came easy for Ashla to tell everything that happened those days that she was gone with the rebels for. She told about how she was able to help their scouts become better at what they did. About setting up better systems for training and much more.
"The Commander and I got close very fast, he gave me something I had been missing ever since I joined this... you. He gave me respect. He gave me tasks that suited who and what I was. He showed me that finally someone understood that I can help the situation, that I could do something and not sit there and be ignored. That just because I wasn't Azguard, that I was not a Jedi, I was still useful. He gave me that.
Taking a deep breath Ashla couldn't stop now.
"One of the nights that he and I were together, we had a wonderful meal, wonderful conversation... Wonderful until I realized what I had done. I told him everything, I told him who and what we are, that we were not from the time. Everything..." Her shoulders slumping at this point knowing that what she just had said was more then enough to condemn herself but Ashla knew it was not finished.
"After I had told him he gave me even more respect by not taking advantage of a great situation for us to have sex. I wanted it, I knew he did as well, but he said it was not right or something. His words seem so far forgotten as I speak them. The next day we were barely apart, I had become it seemed his aid de camp. The few times I was not with him seemed like bare minutes. I don not know if he managed to get it out what I had said to the Field Marshal or not.
The day after was the battle. During the battle he took shrapnel to his chest. He started to bleed from it. I saw it. He tried to cover it." Looking up toward the sky, avoiding Master Visst's eyes. "He bled red, he bled traitor. Torgruta's bleed green.
I drew my pistol, "placing a hand on the smaller of the two "he tried to draw on me..I shot him. I killed him."
Looking back toward her guns, toward Visst's feet. She knew that she was a dead woman. Her shoulders slumped, her head down, her skin shivering, even though it was not the coldest it had been. Ashla, it seemed had already lost all confidence in herself and in the situation. Her will was broken down and gone.
"I betrayed us all. All for the sake of being wanted...I wish...
No, I don't wish, I did what I did and now I accept whatever I deserve. My only request is if I am to die, do it fast."
Master Dassek
Visst listened to Ashla as she said they were all in danger. His eyes fell closed as he tried to feel the emotions flowing around the area, but only was able to feel the elevated anxiety coming from the woman in front of him.
When his eyes opened, Ashla was kneeling on the ground in front of him. It was a guesture that he appreciated. As she began to tell the story Visst saw where the story was going, but let her talk, believing that getting it off her chest would be good for her.
As she spoke of respect Visst wondered if that was how she had allowed herself to start thinking about things, but he let her finish her spiel without interruption.
When she was finished, visst used the force to lift her blasters into the air, closing his hand around the barrels of the two weapons. "Are you prepared to accept the consequences of your actions?"
His tone was flat and he planned to hold her accountable for her actions, though likely not in the way she expected. He was ready for her to make her move to run or attack. it was not the logical choice, but he had learned that fear and logic were not always cotemporally present.
While he waited for her he stayed alert, not only for Ashla, but also for a potential Azgardian justice.
Ashla
Staying kneeling in front of him, Ashla knew he was waiting for he to run, she wouldn't. To die like a hunted creature was to worst way to go. Ashla knew Azgardian way of justice when it came to betrayal.
"I will not run, I have given my life into your hands with what I have told you. I know fully that even though I told you this, I still face death till this is over. I accepted what I did and now I will pay the consequences for what I have done. I fear what I have done, but I will not hide behind my words. "
Ashla thought about telling him it was emotion that she blamed, but then the emotions came from herself, therefore it was still her fault and could Not use it as an excuse for what she did.
Master Dassek
Visst took in a breath. "Having listened to your story, and your reasons for what you have done. You have come to me and asked me to hold you accountable for your actions. You have done none of this maliciously, but none the less it has compromised the security of us all."
He paused for several long seconds as he made certain the action was one he wanted to take given the circumstances. "This will not be happening again, and so we are clear it is not because of what you are, but what you choose to be that I had not respected you. I respect a wide range of belief systems, but selfishness is not something I respect. You have shown me that you are responsible, however. I will offer you a deal I will make certain that Talon does not kill you for this, in return, you will serve this group by acting as a model citizen, and applying your skills to help the Council for the Formation of the New Republic."
Ashla
"A deal for my life..." Ashla was taken aback... "of course Master Visst. I can give you my best but what can I do that the others can't do for you better Sir? Everyone of the team can do something better in every way to what I can do."
Shaking her head.
" I don't care. I don't care if the others can be better, you are now asking me to do something for you. I have my abilities, you know I am er was a Bounty Hunter, I can deal with people rather well when needed. Just tell me Sir, what can I do, and I will do my best to do what you will."
Model citizen? Maybe she could be. Smuggler turned diplomat in a way? Maybe, just maybe...
Master Dassek
Visst watched her closely gauging her sincerity. "Good then. The deal is not something that I wished terribly to propose, but Talon will be comforted by its existence. There was also a second reason, that tipped that choice though. It is something hard and sure for you to hold onto. A choice that you made that you can remember in the future. If you feel that you are not valued, I would suggest that you speak to me. Though you cannot see them, my ears are good at listening, and while I have a responsibility to the Jedi, the Jedi have a responsibility to all."
"I must be going to speak with Talon, in the meantime try to stay out of sight. It should not take that long to speak with her." With that he turned and made his way back toward the camp, seeking out Talon to tell her what had occurred.
Ashla
As he turned away from her Ashla stumbled to her feet and then had to fall forward and place her hand on the ground as her legs were on fire from sitting still for so long.
"Master Visst. Thank you. Thank you for listening to me." Sh sat back on the ground wondering at what he was going to tell Talon...OR at least what part he would tell her...and the others.
She would wait, she would not fail him, not someone else again.
|
Ashla Shyrne and Jedi Master Visst Dassek
