"Put this on." Asmu-Nikal greeted me to her room three days later with blunt words and an imperious finger pointing at an outfit that had been draped over the back of a chair. She had kept me at arm's length since our chat in the library, but while she had more or less ignored me, she hadn't done anything to punish me or otherwise display displeasure with me either. If I had to guess, she had spent the intervening time contemplating our conversation and its implications in between carrying out her duties to her family and her master. "You and I are travelling into the city today, and I intend to have you properly on display in case we should come across any of those petty, small-minded little cunts my mother insists I socialize with."
"Ah, I was hoping to come along to one of your little tea parties one of these days." I remarked with a quirk of my lips as I moved towards the indicated clothing, stripping out of my usual outfit as I went. "I've so been looking forward to admiring the other beautiful daughters of Dromuund Kaas."
I glanced over at her with a gleam of amusement.
"Naturally, none of them could possibly compare to the ethereal beauty of my dearest Asmu-Nikal. To her svelte body, her smooth crimson skin, her ample breasts and plush…"
"Unfortunately for you, Khai, you will not have the opportunity to ogle my so-called 'peers' just yet." She informed me blandly, sounding and feeling amused, a glimmer in her golden eyes, though there was lust there as well as she watched my naked form move about the room.
"I'm devastated, devastated nearly beyond words. I suppose you're seeking to defend your peers from my lecherous gaze…or perhaps you would prefer to try and keep it for yourself and Kela?" I teased, and she rolled her eyes expressively with a huff, folding her arms and glancing away, though I delighted in noting that, for a moment, the crimson of her cheeks darkened towards ruby.
"Hardly, you flatter yourself. No, it seems Mother and Father are convinced that you might, if given the chance, turn bloodthirsty and die in a blaze of glory for the sake of murdering a pack of pampered Imperial brats." She informed me dryly when she had regained her composure, and I didn't even try to restrain the scoff that left my throat at that, which seemed to amuse her.
"Yes, rather than trying to slaughter the person who experimented on my mother, experimented on me in the womb, and nearly experimented me to death not weeks ago, I'm going to kill a bunch of rich kids I don't even know the names of, in the middle of Kaas City." I sneered, not even attempting to restrain or contain the contempt I felt at the scenario in question. Flapping a hand is dismissal, I continued. "At any rate, provided none of your acquaintances do anything manifestly stupid, they have nothing to fear from me today or any other day. I don't think, based on what you have said to me about them, that you will be terribly offended if I were to say I consider them quite irrelevant."
"Oh, no, I must agree entirely. There are, at best, one or two of them that could be considered anything more than vapid, self-absorbed dolls." She agreed, her tone and presence scathing, to say the least, and I felt my lip quirk develop into a full-blown smirk as she scowled at no one in particular. "Always nattering away about whatever musician or holovid star that has caught their attention most recently, dreaming about being swept off their feet by such a person and living the life of a famous starlet. It's nauseating."
I didn't even try to restrain my chortling at that, amused not only by the emotions I could hear and feel but by the memories they evoked from my old life. I had never been particularly impressed by those who chased movie stars or dreamed of living the life of such people without putting in any effort to do something with themselves. In honesty, I hadn't even been particularly impressed with influencers and those like them, though they (by and large) at the least did something approaching work to provide for themselves.
My outfit completed, I made my way over to the massive, full-length mirror and admired it. It was flattering, and obviously tailored to take full advantage of my build and assets. A black ensemble, unsurprisingly, that was little more than a midriff-bearing, sleeve-less tank-top with a high neck and quite the cleavage window. The pants, likewise, were quite flattering to my physique, made of tight leather that hugged my long legs, but possessed what I could only call 'inner-thigh windows', large ovular gaps stretched from just below my crotch to just below my knee. Combined with the way that the leather clung to the prominent, if soft, bulge at the apex of my thighs, I…looked pretty damn enticing.
Which was probably the point.
"Are you quite sure you don't want me playing about with your peers? Because if not, I'm afraid that the outfit you've picked is not likely to inspire them to keep their distance nor their hands to themselves." I commented, turning and twisting and stretching as I tested the range of movement that the clothes allowed and enjoying the way they felt on my skin. I felt sexy, sexier even than my usual near-nude outfit. There was something to be said for tantalizing glimpses and hints rather than an uninhibited view.
"I don't imagine that they could handle you, Khai, and I have no interest in you getting shot for breeding one of those stupid bitches because they couldn't keep their satin-soft hands to themselves." She snapped, sounding more than a little irate at the idea, and I didn't even try to restrain the satisfied, even smug, look that settled onto my face. Seeing it, she huffed in aggravation and looked away, busying herself with finishing her own preparations. "Wipe that smirk off your face, it is unbecoming. Your strange insights into the Force and the conversational tool you represent makes you far too valuable to lose because of the base lusts of our lessers."
"You know, Nicky, you say the kindest and most heart-warming things." I remarked, smirk not wavering so much as a single iota as I posted my right hand on my hip and settled my weight back on the same leg, cocking the other out slightly. "It's flattering, really. Don't worry, I won't let any 'vapid, self-absorbed dolls' or 'pampered Imperial brats' steal me away from you. I couldn't imagine breaking your heart like that."
"Oh, shut up and start walking. We have places to be today, and I don't have the time or the inclination to get side-tracked by your nonsense." Asmu-Nikal sighed, before pausing and giving me a serious look, no longer interested in playing. "You amuse me, Vestara Khai, and I enjoy your company, along with the boldness and banter that come with it. But if you do something to compromise my position or that of my dynasty while we are in the city, I will kill you without hesitation."
But not without regret. I mused thoughtfully to myself, even as I voiced my acknowledgement. I felt no bitterness or betrayal over her warning, fully aware of the fact that Nicky not only let me get away with much more than any normal slave could possibly dream of. Even the interest, amusement, and attraction she felt in regards to me would have to have limits, especially after so short a time together. Perhaps, in time, I would be able to banter with her in public, but for now it was an entirely reasonable restriction that I had no interest in arguing against.
Our departure came quickly enough after that, and I couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement as I followed Nicky out the front doors towards the waiting, enclosed skycar that was floating gently at the far end of the entry walkway. It was black, naturally, sleek and modern and doubtlessly armored. As arrogant as Luwian was, he didn't seem the sort to foolishly ignore the risk of a rival trying (and succeeding) in taking a few potshots at himself or his family. The Sith, after all, never stopped their rivalries or their intrigues, no matter what planet that they happened to be on.
Which is why the fools kept losing their wars against the Jedi, really. Heaven forfend that they stop murdering each other long enough to handle any external, existential threats!
We slid into the back of the car, and I couldn't help but give a soft sound of satisfaction as my seat shifted and changed beneath me, the warm, dark leather conforming itself to my body. As Nicky settled herself, I took a moment to look around the vehicle's interior, noting and dismissing the transparisteel divider between our compartment and that of the driver. It was certainly luxurious vehicle, one that spoke of wealth and promised comfort, though it was not nearly as ostentatious or disgustingly decadent as I had imagined. Whether that was because Nicky's family wasn't as wealthy as I had thought that they were, or Lord Luwian actually had something approaching restraint when it came to his spending, I didn't know, nor would I care to bet either way.
"Your family has a very nice ride, Nicky. Given the fine taste that went into the selection, I can assume that it was your mother, not your father, who was responsible?" I quipped, confident that there was no way the driver could hear us, and flashed her a grin as I felt a spike of {Exasperation} and {Amusement} from her in response, just in time to see her give an eloquent roll of her eyes.
"Father doesn't like to spend money on vehicles like this. He says that paying vast sums for a mere home-to-city conveyance such as this is for those lesser than us, like other Sith or the Hutts or Republic Senators." She explained, and I laughed softly as I discovered there was, in fact, at least one reasonable thing about her father's personality. Not that I was terribly pleased to find any positive (I hesitated to go so far as to say redeeming) quality about the bastard, but it did somewhat help explain a portion of Nicky's reasonableness.
The rest, I had gathered from my time living there, came from her Mother.
While a Sith through and through, and disdainful of me due to my nature as a slave, she seemed a surprisingly genuine and forthright person that was capable of thinking about more than scratching the persistent Dark Side itch. Indeed, while Lord Luwian was a genius and a scientific ritualist par excellence (even if he was a sadistic maniac that would have made the likes of Mengele cringe), I would go so far as to say that it was Nikal-Mati, not he, that led House Luwian.
"So besides your desire to enable my seduction of the innocent and nubile young ladies of Dromuund Kaas, what are our plans for today? A post-Korriban celebratory shopping trip, perhaps? Your favorite restaurant, a romantic walk in the dark, monster-and-madman infested forests? No, wait," I snapped my fingers with an exaggerated look of sudden understanding. "You want us to dress each other up in cute outfits and compliment them, right?"
"Are you trying to make me vomit, Vestara?" she asked with a rather put-upon sigh, and I subsided with hands held out in surrender as I settled back to listen to what she had to say. "We will be going to the markets, but certainly not for anything as inane as 'trying on cute outfits'."
"Alas, foiled again." I quipped, glancing out the window and watching the towering trees whipping by, only barely still definable as more than a simple wall of color at the speed we were moving. "How far to Kaas City?"
"Only twenty minutes or so, at this speed anyway. If you were to be on a land-speeder it would take quite a bit longer." She responded promptly, and I nodded absently before gasping audibly as a large break in the trees revealed a massive, sprawling work-project. One that, despite the difference in progression, I easily recognized.
The Unfinished Colossus, one of the quest hubs on Dromuund Kaas. Even now, years before the time of the game, it was an enormous structure. Far larger than it had appeared in the game, I knew immediately, because even though it had only been finished to (so far as I could tell) just above the knees, it was already at least two hundred feet tall. If I had to guess, based on the proportions I remembered from the game compared to how it looked now, the 'finished' (I felt my lips quirk) product would probably be at least six hundred feet in height. An incredible feat of engineering…and an absurd one.
"I can sense your amusement from here, Khai. What is it that so amuses you about Lord Qet's little construction project?" Nicky asked, actually sounding genuinely curious, and I looked back at her before gesturing out the window.
"Oh, a few things, really. Not the least of which is that Darth Vowrawn is a gamesman, not a preening bird of paradise. He enjoys battle, enjoys conquest and conflict and most of all he enjoys testing his mind against worthy opponents. I can hardly see him caring for wasting money and resources building a gigantic statue of himself for one rival or another to try and tear down." I responded, thinking of the aged, brilliant Pureblood I remembered from the games. Helping him take Baras out had been some of the most fun I had had during my Sith Warrior playthroughs, and his legitimate care and affection towards his subordinates (and distaste for anti-human policies) had certainly improved my opinion of him. "For a man like Vowrawn, Qet would be better served with displays of martial prowess or by bringing unaligned worlds into the Empire, not building statues in the middle of the jungle."
"Yet another piece of knowledge, inexplicably possessed and inexplicably accurate. The mystery that you represent deepens one again, Vestara Khai." She drawled, sounding mildly vexed as I simply smiled at her in response, letting out a sharp huff at the end. "Well, you are quite correct that it is not the sort of think that Darth Vowrawn would be particularly enamored with, but he does seem to think highly of Lord Qet."
"Who could have thought that, even for the Sith, I could use the phrase 'it's the thought that counts'." I mused with genuine amusement, and Nicky surprised the both of us by giving a sharp bark of laughter, shaking her head at me with a gleam in her golden eyes.
"Not a saying I'm familiar with," she responded, which damn near had my eyes rolling out of my head as I very loudly thought 'no shit' in her direction, getting an equally dramatic eyeroll in return. "but one I will agree fits the circumstances."
There was a moment of silence, and a far from comfortable one. I had expected it when I had spoken, honestly, having revealed yet another piece of knowledge that I probably shouldn't know with an unnatural familiarity. I knew I was straining her patience, pushing my luck steadily towards the point that aggravation might outweigh curiosity, but I couldn't help it. I enjoyed teasing and bantering with Nicky far too much to bring it to an end, and the fear that discovering my secrets would end her interest in me (and the protection that interest provided) was an immense pressure in the back of my mind. Did I dare to throw her something of a bone? A hint of the truth, or at least a truth that she might be willing to accept? Would that make things better, or worse?
I was saved from having to decide one way or the other by our transport slowing and descending quickly, if smoothly, and I turned to look out Nicky's side with interest. We couldn't be there already, could we? It certainly hadn't been twenty minutes yet, had it?
"We've entered Kaas City airspace." The pureblood explained coolly, likely seeing and sensing my confusion and curiosity, and I grimaced slightly at the frost to her tone. Oh, she wasn't happy with me at all. "There is an altitude and speed limit for the city, as you might imagine, starting about two miles from the outskirts."
"Probably for the best. Above and beyond the obvious risk of deliberate attacks, I can imagine that a high-speed air-car collision over the city would have…" I couldn't help but trail off and shudder as I imagined it. Normal car accidents back home could be dangerous enough, happening at ground level and only a hundred miles an hour or so. I could only imagine the kind of damage that could result from even the smallest of air-cars colliding at several hundred miles per hour and several hundred or thousand feet in the air, sending their flaming, speeding, shattered wreckage smashing into and through the streets and buildings below them. The carnage in a situation like that could be…difficult to fathom.
"Yes. It still happens, on occasion. Even with the auto-pilots and droid chauffeurs available, people will still use their spice of choice or get drunk and get behind the console." She agreed, nose wrinkling in distaste. "A few years ago, not long after the Treaty was signed, a Lord was driving a bit too dangerously and hit a cargo hauler full of arms leaving The Citadel for one of the jungle outposts. Nearly a thousand people died. It would have been worse if the failsafes on the arms shipment had failed."
I shuddered again, far more heavily than the first time, as I imagined the destruction that had no doubt taken place, never mind the destruction that could have taken place all to easily. That was the downside, I supposed, of having an entire galaxy that had essentially forgone ground-bound transportation for 99% of life. Back home, planes going down were a risk, but one that could be contained and controlled by dint of how (relatively) rare they were compared to ground vehicles. Here, where every family had at least one air-car, most of which were not dissimilar in size to a Cessna, the risk was all the greater.
"You can't put small shield units over or around particularly vulnerable points, like places heavy with pedestrian traffic or apartment complexes?" I asked, thinking about the heavy infantry turrets in the game, on Balmorra and other places, that had their own miniature shield generators.
"Most complexes or large gathering areas do have their own shield generators, in case of conflict between Sith, slave revolts, or Republic attacks, but they take time to bring online. Its only a handful of minutes, but still far too long to activate if an air-car collision took place. The only place in the city that is constantly shielded is The Citadel itself." Nicky explained, and I nodded thoughtfully. That made sense, I supposed, both in the general nature of the Sith and simple logistics. Above and beyond looking down on 'the rabble' and not, as a general rule, valuing their lives all that much, large amounts of constantly active energy shields would pose their own problems. Shields, by their very natures, tended to block objects moving at a certain speed or containing a certain energy level. Obviously, that would make flying aircars or speeders around problematic.
"I am surprised that a rule was not imposed requiring droid pilots or autopilots within the city, if such things have happened." I commented, and she made a soft noise of agreement.
"It was suggested, but it was deemed to be too risky, putting the lives of the Empire's most prominent citizens in the hands of something that slicers could easily compromise. Who knows what dastardly criminal could gain access such a droid or program and manipulate the craft into crashing?" the sardonic tone she said it with made it clear that she, as I, knew full well it was less a question of criminal activity and more one of Sith rivalry. After all, no small amount of Sith in the Empire would care little for a few hundred Imperial or slave deaths if it meant disposing of a rival so easily as a car crash.
There was a soft crackle as the compartment's intercom came to life, the pilot's voice informing us that we were now approaching our designated landing zone, and would be touching down within the next minute or two. Our conversation put to an end, the two of us set about preparing for disembarking, though admittedly that mostly consisted of me watching Asmu-Nikal checking her datapad, credit chit, commlink, and the like. Not very different from checking my phone, wallet, and keys before getting out of the car back home, I supposed, and for a brief moment I felt terribly nostalgic.
The aircar settled onto the landing pad with a soft thud and the door hissed open. At Asmu-Nikal's gesture, I exited first, blinking slightly in the brighter (by Dromuund Kaas' stormy standards) light of the outdoors.
Even as she followed, stepping out behind me, I was staring wide-eyed around me. I knew I must look the fool, especially after yet another moment of being the enigmatic holder of knowledge that should be beyond my grasp, but I couldn't help it.
Kaas City was enormous, far beyond anything I could have imagined, even with the self-acknowledgement that it's size would have, of course, been highly limited by the very nature of the video game being a game. It wasn't Coruscant, of course, but the city likely dwarfed New York, and most assuredly dwarfed Washington D.C.
The Citadel loomed over the entire metropolis, easily the biggest structure I had ever seen by many orders of magnitude, a steady stream of air-borne vehicles entering, exiting, and circling the complex under the watchful eyes of patrolling interceptors, anti-air turrets, and God only knew what else. If I had to guess, we were at the real-world equivalent of the Taxi Service point near The Nexus Cantina, which meant we were relatively close to where the markets had been in the game. Of course, whether they were actually there was very much in question, and relatively close could mean they were within a mile or two.
"Come along, Khai, we don't have all day to muck about while you stare about uselessly. And by the Force, wipe that brainless expression off of your face." Nicky sighed, sounding amused, and perhaps even a little pleased, by the shock and awe I was so blatantly expressing. "How someone can be so knowledgeable about some things, and yet be reduced to a silent, gaping statue by a city is beyond me."
I shut my mouth with an audible click and gave her a very old-fashioned look indeed, not that it seemed to have any effect on her whatsoever. She was baiting me, getting some of her own back, and I had to resist the urge to return with my own salvo of snark. She had warned me to be on my very best behavior, and while I was relatively confident that I was safe to respond at this moment, I didn't want to push my luck or her patience any more than I already had so far today.
We set off through the streets, weaving our way in and around the crowds of sentients that were flowing in every which way. I was actually somewhat impressed by how organized it all was, with clearly demarcated sections, almost like the lanes of streets back home, leading in certain directions and to certain places. Either the Empire was more logistically and organizationally competent than they had always seemed to be portrayed, or this was simply yet another way for them to exert control over their citizens, even if in a small and petty way.
Perhaps especially in a small and petty way, actually, now that I thought about it.
Whatever the reason was, I was glad for it all the same. I was all for mysteries and excitement, but getting lost in the middle of the Sith Empire's capital city wasn't exactly high on my to-do list, especially not as a very pretty (with all due humility) mostly-female slave. Even as a trained Sith, I likely wouldn't find being alone in one of this place's dark alleyways an enjoyable experience.
As we walked, I took in as many of the sights as possible, noting similarities (few and far between, quite literally, given the vastly increased scale of the city) and differences and asking my mistress the occasional question. I was pleased to note that, while hardly a utopian place of gardens and beauty, it was not nearly as starkly utilitarian as it had appeared in the game. Trees lined many of the streets, and the occasional small park was set off to the side. To my immense surprise, we even passed a small handful of children's parks, something I couldn't help but remark on.
"Of course we have them! How else would children learn how to build alliances and establish themselves over and amongst their peers if we kept them home all day?" the genuine confusion in Asmu-Nikal's response was, somehow, really quite endearing, and I couldn't help but smile slightly even as I shook my head in exasperation. Of course something as benign as a children's play park was intended not for the children to have fun and just be kids, but as another form of training for their future as movers and shakers (or servants and followers) within the Empire's ranks. I should have expected as much, honestly.
When we finally entered the city's main mercantile district, I was once more blown away, this time by the sheer number of options and products on display. Speeders, arms, armor, furniture, droids, clothing, people. Kaas City Market was probably one of the largest displays of wealth and potential expenditure I had ever seen in my life, and I had been on Google.
Passing the slave markets was…somewhat uncomfortable, if I was going to be honest. Even as desensitized to the world of the Sith Empire that I had gradually become over time, a desensitization stemming from my own slavery, I still didn't like to see it. The beautiful girls and handsome boys sold of as tools of pleasure, the men destined for hard labor, the women separated from their children and husbands…it was a terrible thing to see.
To her credit, Asmu-Nikal seemed eager to put as much distance between me and that sight as possible, likely sensing my distress and anger. She ushered me along, resorting to pushing her way through the crowd at times as she pulled me along by a firm grip on my hand. The rest of the crowd became little more than a riot of colors and vague features as we moved, passed by swiftly as we moved. I cursed softly as we had to dodge around one person in particular as they made there way towards the auction block, eyes scrutinizing the girls on offer. I had only the slightest glimpse of blond hair and red robes before we were passed them, twisting my body to dart away from the almost-collision, even as I was pulled further on.
"Sorry!" I called over my shoulder as the crowd swallowed us once more, leaving whomever it was behind, a sensation of shock (doubtless due to nearly being plowed underfoot) the only response I could discern. I frowned briefly, wondering why even that brief glimpse gave me a feeling of déjà vu, of recognition, before putting it out of my mind.
Whatever, whoever, it was, it likely would never matter. I would probably never see who it was again, and even if I did, I doubt I would be recognized or remembered.
No one would bother to remember a slave.