The Auction Block

[Sihn Vecker]

"Hey, get up."

Sihn stirred slightly, unsure who had said what. A swift kick to the side of his cage and the shouting of a very unhappy Slave Tamer brought the young Vecker from his usually deep sleep. His first thought was to stand, but seeing as how he was in a three-foot tall cage, he bumped his head on the low top, letting out a grunt of pain as he fell onto his backside.

The slave tamer laughed aloud at the Cathar, dropping a plate of some odd, white paste in front of the cage's plate-slit before kicking it inside.

"Eat, we don't need a cat with such a high price tag dying on us."

Sihn wrinkled his nose at the usual food before taking the edge of the plate with two fingers, sliding it inside of his cage slowly. In truth, it didn't make any difference to him; he was hungry, and he had to eat something... Though he'd had much better in the ownership of his previous masters. He had no tools to work with, so he ate with his hands, unable to taste it for the most part due to his lack of a tongue.

When the plate was gone, Sihn crossed his right leg over his left knee, laying back in the cage with his arms crossed behind his back. His green eyes traced the slabs of bolted metal that made up the ceiling of the Slave Warehouse behind the main Auction Block. If memory served, he was always the tenth to go out on 'stage', as they called it. The ninth, an Ithorian of poor health, shuffled past him, shackled and clapped in irons. He wrinkled his nose; their necks looked like they were made of cardboard.

As he rolled over, a Slave Tamer walked by, Sihn's green eyes slowly following him before placing his chin upon his right hand's palm. This was the usual routine for him; wake up, eat, be bored until he was put out on the block, try to act cute... If all went well, he was bought for a fairly high price. If not, he was put back in the warehouse to endure what seemed like years before being put back on 'stage'. The thought of this never-ending cycle of life made him sigh through his nose in slight depression.

It was exactly twenty four minutes and seven seconds before the door to his cage was pulled open, two heavy-set men, one a Zabrak, the other Mandalorian, grasped onto his ankles and roughly yanked him out onto the metal floor of the Slave Warehouse with a loud 'thump' and clank of metal on metal. He was dragged roughly to his feet, then pushed between his shoulder blades towards the main stage. He shuffled quickly, knowing that the slow were either beaten or tortured by the Slave Mistress... Which was not a happy time.

As he onto the main stage, Sihn winced at the bright lights that were shone upon him, the Auctioneer stating his name, price and credentials.

"Here we have a Noble Cathar, found in the streets of this very place and brought to you, the potential buyers, after years of experience as a hard working slave and body guard. The bid will start at seven thousand..."

As the bidding began to take place, Sihn blanked out all around him, concentrating upon the metal ground below him, his green eyes drooping to half open. By what he'd been told, this was a bit of a cute look for him, and he seemed to pull it off nicely... But these thoughts were pushed out of his head by unrelenting boredom, a second sigh escaping him as he could do nothing but wait.

[infiltrator]

Nisquis entered the aution house, bidders everywhere. Nisquis and his guards shoved their way to the front. On stage, a Cathar was up for sale a sturdy male. A Cathar? I thought the Mandalorians killed them all?, the Quarren thought to himself.

The master would want this! The Cathar must be rare, so he should be of value! A collectible in some sense

<"I'll give you 12,000!">, Nisquis shouted.

[Sihn Vecker]

The Bith Auctioneer raised his hand in a gesture towards Nisquis.

"We have twelve thousand, twelve thousand five hundred?"

A man in the back, wearing a modified flight suit, raised his hand.

"We have twelve thousand five hundred, thirteen thousand?"

A woman in a long, flowing silk gown tapped the side of her nose.

"Thirteen thousand credits-- Do I hear thirteen thousand five hundred?"

As the auction continued on and the price began to grow, Sihn slowly raised his head to peer over what little of the crowd he could see through the stage lights. He had attracted quite a few beings, alien and human alike. The one who had gotten the front of his attention, though, was a man who had pushed his way to the front of the crowd. He was staring straight at him, now, eyes slowly slipping up and down his features.

Interesting... He thought to himself. ... Maybe. It all depends.

[infiltrator]

Nisquis became angered at the people bidding on the Cathar. I must win this! The boss will love it!, the Quarren thought before continuing.

<"I'll give you 20,000!">

[Sihn Vecker]

Everything went silent, a total absence of sound. The Bith Auctioneer glanced fro Nisquis to the other bidders... And when no one made any motion to match the bid, he slammed his gaffle upon the podium before him.

"Sold to the Quarren in the front for Twenty thousand credits. Next auction..."

Sihn was lead off of the main stage to the back, past a series of security doors to the Package Exportation room. This was where all sold slaves were picked up... Now it was only a matter of signing paperwork and a quick brand to the back of his right shoulder before he was handed over officially to his new owner.

[infiltrator]

Nisquis sighed with relief. I couldn't spare too much more, he thought heading to collect the Cathar. After filling out the paper work, the Quarren told the slavers he would take the Cathar now.

[Sihn Vecker]

A boot firmly planted to the between of Sihn's shoulders and he was through, stumbling into the light of the Branding Room with a pair of Exchange Mercenaries behind him. The backs of his knees where beaten with the butts of a pair of rifles and he was down, held close to the floor by an armored boot while a piece of red-hot durasteel was placed against the back of his right shoulder. His sheer will kept him from crying out in pain, though the agony of having yet another brand burned onto his skin coursed through him like thousands of tiny needles gouging themselves into his body.

It was only a few seconds later that he was pushed back out into the Exchange bay, smoke still rising from the fresh brand upon his back. As he stood in the light, he saw the Quarren who had purchased him just finish the allotted paper work and turn to a pair of slavers, speaking to them in the usual dialect. What little he understood of the Quarren language served him well, being able to make out 'take' and 'Cathar'. Already he felt he wasn't going to have a good time in this being's ownership... And his feelings were rarely ever wrong.

[infiltrator]

Nisquis brought his translation droid forward. He knew the Cathar would probably have trouble understanding a Quarren, as he would understanding a Cathar. Nisquis spoke to the droid, <"I have purchased you, noble Cathar, as a gift for my boss. I am not sure how he will react, but abuse is not in his nature. My guards will escort us to my ship.">

The Czerka manufactured droid turned to the Cathar. The droid began speaking in basic, "My master says he has purchased you, noble Cathar, as a gift for his boss. He says his master will likely not abuse you. I appologise, but he will not give you his master's identidy. He says his guards will escort you to the transport which will take you to the palace."

Four Weequay and two Gamorrean guards came over, and escorted Nisquis, the Cathar, and the droid out of the building.

((Moved to the Spaceport))