Wounded Pride (lmr)

[darkrei9n]

"We'll have to scan you ma'am."

Serseth shot him a look as if she could not believe the guard was this stupid. She was a Jedi Knight, not some random civilian coming to look at the prisoners and try to smuggle a thermal detonator to their jailed lover. She didn't even need a weapon to cause mayhem, she had the force. She didn't even begin to factor in the fact that her right arm was still healing from her fall.

Nonetheless she stepped forward in the metal threshold and listened to the hum of the scanner and watched as a field of energy passed over her three times. She watched as it blinked out of existence then the guy behind the scanner said something about weapons.

"We're going to have to take your lightsaber ma'am."

She took a deep breath and spoke in a voice that would accept no arguments, she would submit herself to the scanners, but she would not leave her lightsaber. Ever.

"The lightsaber stays with me until I die."

The guards looked at each other and shrugged, this wasn't a normal person they were letting through. Serseth was a Jedi, she would keep the lightsaber. It wasn't just a weapon, it was a badge of her office and it was one of the few things she actually owned.

Without delay she continued on her path, an escort would lead her to the cell, she didn't plan on allowing him to stay but until then, she was reliant on him for his knowledge of where the prisoner was. When he stopped and gestured to a cell she waved him off. He walked off, far enough to keep an eye but not close enough to overhear them.

Serseth took the opportunity to look at the prisoner there. A cream colored Twi'lek not much younger than herself sat there. She couldn't believe she had come all this way to talk to her, as if being made a fool of by a dark jedi and breaking her arm wasn't bad enough.

"Varulla'aba?"

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Varulla’aba usually spent her days now staring at the force field, although her biggest coping mechanisms were simple exercises, and she often jogged in place, did push-ups, and did sit ups just to prevent her muscles from atrophying from disuse. The guards in this prison didn’t much seem to care about her health, which was just one of those feelings that filled one with warmth and delight… Not.

She was already staring at the force field when a figure appeared on the other side.

A Selonian. Tall. Wearing loose clothes. A lightsaber pike was on her back. A Jedi no doubt, which was just delightful.

Var showed absolutely no surprise when she was called by name, because it had quickly become apparent that for the foreseeable future everyone would have her at a disadvantage.

The Twi’lek woman’s reply was terse, clipped, and thoroughly impolite, containing the pent up anger of her imprisonment. But it was also weary, and clearly she was simply tired of her ordeal. “What do you want, Jedi?”

[darkrei9n]

“What do you want, Jedi?”

Serseth only smiled at the young woman's tone. As impolite as it was, Serseth had encountered worst. It was definitely better than the last dark jedi she had encountered. That was an experience she would not want to relive. She could even feel her broken right arm throb in agreement.

However her smile was quick to fall from her face. She was here to ask some questions, not act amused for a prisoner. This Twi'lek was the only lead she had.

"I just want you to answer a few questions. For example, do you happen to know a humanoid woman, about your height, short black hair, cocky, bit of a mouth on her?"

It was hard to believe that this Twi'lek was a Sith. Her physical appearance didn't appear to be any older than Serseth, but she carried herself as if she had been through wars.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var looked at the Selonian with a skeptical look, as if she was questioning how and why this conversation had started this way.

“Awfully vague description there. As it happens, I don't know anyone who fits it. If you want information you came to the wrong place, I don’t know a thing. And even if I did, what makes you think I’d tell you?”

A quiet fire of defiance blazed in the pale Twi’lek’s green eyes. Once more she was facing an adversary, a real, flesh and blood obstacle besides the guards of her cell block. To be true, it wasn’t even footing, but it was better than nothing.

Apart from that, it was a dumb question. There were trillions upon trillions of people in the galaxy, and why should Var know just one out of them? It was also almost amusing considering Var’s lack of social graces and ease operating with other people.

She was solitary, and not cut out of the same cloth as most.

“If you want any questions you’d better do something for me first. You scratch my back, maybe I’ll scratch yours.”

A little bit of a reach for her, but Var felt desperate. She was miserable here, and any chance to improve her lot in life would be grasped at with fervor.

[darkrei9n]

Serseth listened to the Twi'lek as she demanded Serseth do something for her before she would answer questions. She simply sighed, she should have expected this.

"I'm not in a position to negotiate a later bed time for you. Nor will I for someone who has murdered innocents."

She certainly wasn't in the mood to interact with a defiant Twi'lek making trouble for no reason other than to spite her. Nor did she have the authority to give the Twi'lek anything she wanted. She changed the subject, she didn't think the Twi'lek was lying. It had barely even been a lead at all for the assassin on Malastare anyways.

"So why don't you tell me about yourself. Unfortunately all I know is your name and that you're in here for treason. My name is Serseth."

She didn't know why she was still here. The one question she had come to ask she had already got the answer to. Nonetheless she felt compelled to stay and talk, at least a bit.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var’s green eyes flashed with anger.

”I,” She said coldly, ”Am not a murderer. I have never killed a single person outside self-defense. So do not treat me like one. If you’re going to march in with your holier-than-thou Jedi attitude and condemn me, then I’m damn well not going to tell you anything.”

The pale Twi’lek stood and crossed over to the forcefield and stared unflinchingly.

”Those are my terms. Accept them or leave me alone.”

Varulla’aba stalked away from the force field again and sat down on the edge of her narrow bed, staring at the wall rather than making eye contact again. Truth be told, she’d prefer the latter and being left well alone. It was better than being talked down to by some pompous Jedi who was full of herself.

Why was it that Jedi were so often like this? There were too many like her old master, ready to condemn in an instant and never looking for the best in someone. It bothered her immensely.

[darkrei9n]

Serseth seemed surprised at the Twi'lek's defense, speechless even. She looked the young woman over as if examining her, trying to find any tell tale sign that she had lied to Serseth. When the Twi'lek sat down and stared her in the eyes she felt shame for her accusation. She bit her lower lip trying to think of something to say.

"I shouldn't have assumed."

She leaned against one of the metal walls next to the force field. Getting into a more comfortable position.

"If you don't mind me asking then, what did you do?"

She was curious now. A Sith who had only killed in self defense? It was something unheard of. She very much wanted to hear this woman's story, especially if she was telling the truth. She checked her chrono for the time, she had hours before she would have to leave if need be.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var looked at the Selonian as if she was completely retarded, and lacking the fundamental knowledge. Her past was essentially an open book to the Jedi and the Republic, with her gaps of time fully accounted for. How did this one not know?

Maybe she was just testing her.

The Twi'lek ex-Sith sighed.

"Haven't you been watching the holonet tabloids? I abandoned the Republic and the Jedi for the Sith. That makes me a traitor. The fact I had a lightsaber apparently makes me a dangerous one."

Briefly Var wondered if she was wasting her time talking, or yielding to this interrogation. But she decided there was nothing to lose.

"They caught me at a fancy party full of senators, and I was armed. They assumed I was plotting to kill people. I just wanted to find my mother, and I knew she was at that party. That's it, I just tried to find my mother. Now I'm in prison. Hope you're happy to hear that Jedi."

[darkrei9n]

Serseth listened to the ex-Siths explanation of events. She didn't trust it completely, but she found little reason for the Twi'lek to lie for her. Even if she did think the Ex-Sith should be free there was little she could do about it.

"That is... unfortunate. And no, I am not happy to hear that."

Serseth did find the story somewhat unfortunate. If the Ex-Sith was telling the truth. Could she believe that the young Twi'lek was had been caught trying to meet her mother? She could point out some flaws in the Sith's plan if they had sent this woman to assassinate senators.

"I do believe your story."

She paused, if only to let it sink in for the young woman.

"Only because you do not seem to be the suicidal type, and I doubt you would think you could get away with assassinating a room of senators and still manage to get away on a Republic world."


She honestly wondered who had led the case against this woman. Did they even think it through completely, we're they so scared of the Sith that they would drop all sense of justice at even the slightest threat?

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var folded her arms. Not the suicidal type? Oh, she'd thought about it. A lot in fact, but something was keeping her from it. Probably her mother's visit.

It was good to know that somewhere in the galaxy, she had living family. It felt good. It was a better feeling than many she'd known in a long time, but she missed Donnie as well. Her friend's absence weighed on her, and she would have given anything to see that wonderful, odd, slightly crazy, slightly stupid girl.

The Twi'lek sighed.

"Look, I quit the Sith. I'm a deserter. I said that in my trial and no one cared. I'm no Jedi, I'm no Sith. I just want my life to be my own."

[darkrei9n]

Serseth was annoyed. Justice had not been served here. She was wondering whether there was any actual evidence to convict this young Twi'lek. It was more likely that the Jury had heard the term Sith and made up their minds there of fear.

"I do not know what to say..."

She took another look around the cell. There was little she would be able to do unfortunately to help the Twi'lek. She still had a few questions, but wasn't sure if it would be appropriate to continue.

"I'll understand if you don't want to continue, but I must ask. Why did you leave the Sith?"

This was curious to her, she had met few if any Dark Jedi who would surrender. To see a Sith give up on being a Sith in general was a new experience for her.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var shrugged. Why did she leave the Sith?

"Guess I just didn't fit in. Failed at that the way I failed as a Jedi. I just left to do my own thing. Backfired on me."

The Twi'lek sighed and rubbed her temples wearily. At least the Jedi was polite now, but repeating her statements again and again was damned annoying. Once was bad enough, and all this talking with strangers...

Var missed the days before this imprisonment.

"Look, what do you want? Just spill it."