Never Ever Cheat a Sith

Summary:

Apprentice Mar-kota and Sith Lord Paislee take on a swindler. This was a story idea in-game based on Star Wars: The Old Republic, MMORPG. [This is an RP story with one of my apprentices, Mar-kota. Took a while to revamp and post but thanks Folly for helping me out with this. A deal through the Hutts, on Nal Hutta, Apprentice Mar-kota and Lord Paislee arrived shortly at Jiguuna looking for a man named Gerzac Landgrew.]

Her hands bridled under her chin, and Paislee sat in contemplation amongst her massive lair of concoctions. She rubbed her hands against the ridge of her forehead, and a sense of frustration eluded her into the room.

Knock. Knock.

“Master, it is I, Apprentice Mar-kota.” He crept into her corridor and looked around at the unusual room. The Cathar stood tall, his appearance was robust. He folded his arms behind his back and stood largely before her. He continued, “we have word from that backwater scum on Nal Hutta. We have also located and secured your shipment.” His tone was frail, as he was once held in captivity, he cleared his throat and continued. “Your slaves have been stored at these coordinates.” Mar-kota retrieved a datapad from within his robe.

“Great, you shall accompany me on this vendetta.” Paislee rose from her seated position. She leaned on the desk. She arched her shoulders.

“Ready us for departure to Nal Hutta.” With that, Mar-kota gave a deep bow, he replied: “As you wish, Master Paislee.”

She sat there twirled her stir stick in a mixed drink watched the patrons sing and celebrated their sad little lives. The music raised their spirits and many of them started to dance. Paislee continued to look around for this “Gerzac Landgrew” individual.

“Why, hello there, lovely!” This man slid into the stool next to her. “Where’s yer partner at?”

He rubbed his chin and readjusted himself. Paislee smiled so warmly that her natural charm and glow shined through. She studied his appearance. The man sat down and slammed a satchel that made a familiar jingle. He had deep-set eyes that sunk into his rectangular face. His hair was thick and greasy and his hands were large and chafed with rings on his fingers.

“I’m afraid I attended this event alone,” she glanced down at her rings. The way her hair slew down the side of her face perked the guy’s interest and caused him to move closer to her. His facial expression was coy and slightly intoxicated. He appeared intrigued as his eyes widened.

“Hey, now. I could change that, ”He cleared his throat and took another sip of his drink. He also accidentally nudged his bag a few its contents shifted out on the table.

“I’d hate to interrupt or be a bother,” Paislee gestured to the man. She looked towards his stash of what seemed to spill out of the sack, credits. Her mouth curved into a gentle smile. His eyes traced the direction her eyes went.

“Oh, this right here? That’s nothing.” He waved his hand and continued to talk, “You see, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of those overrated Sith Lords, have you not? They sound scary, crazy, and all that but they’re just as dumb and greasy as a Rodian Mayo sandwich.” He gave a deep gut laugh and tilted his head back.

At this point, Paislee pierced her lips as she listened to the man’s story. It was him, she was convinced, even though he did not state his name. While he was lost in thought and on a tangent about this Sith he stole from, her skin was turned scarlet. She grew mad and clenched her clutch. Before he turned to her, Paislee straightened her composure.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry. I need to step away for a moment, I will return.” She smiled and got up. The sound of her voice was tight and dry. Paislee headed towards the restroom. As she rushed off, the man-made and air toast in her direction.

“Suit, yourself, sugar!” He yelled and took another swig of his drink.

Paislee shoved the revolving doors and entered a stall. She contacted her apprentice via holocom.

“I’ve located him in Jiguuna. I'm in the cantina. I need you to be prepared and meet me.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Mar-kota ended the holocall.

Paislee opened the stall door and gazed into the mirror. Her reflection in the mirror was ghostlike. She smoothed the arch of her eyebrow. She reached into her clutch and refreshed her makeup. She returned to the booth. He watched as she swayed between the booths and returned to her seat.

“You okay, sugar?” He said.

"Yes, sorry. I’ll have to go soon unless you have something else in mind.” Paislee’s voice and smile were suggestive. She stood to up before him.

As any man would respond to an attractive woman’s advances, he gathered his things and almost lost hold of the satchel as some credit slid on the table as he left. They strolled down a nearby alley. The noise of the cantina blared through the walls. Mar-kota saw where they were headed and stayed at a safe distance. The dark-robed Cathar exited out the side cantina door. The drunken man stopped in the middle of the dark alley and yanked Paislee closer. She caressed him well enough that it was natural. With a swift swing by Mar-kota, Paislee ducked down fast out of harm’s way. Mar-kota force hurled a lead pipe and stuck the man along his head. The force of the hit caused him to drop to the ground. She checked his ID.

“Yep, Gerzac Landgrew.” She reached over his unconscious body and grabbed the satchel of credits. Paislee still hunched overglanced up and looked at Mar-kota. “Apprentice Mar-kota returned to the base with Mr. Landgrew," She proceeded to command him.

[Back on Dromund Kaas in the torture chambers of Lord Paislee]

“Hey, where am I?! What is this place?! Helloo!” Gerzac's voice carried through the chambers.

He touched his forehead and winced in pain. He had been struck in the head. Gerzac rapped at the cages. “Just what in the kriff is going on here?!” His patience grew thin. Paislee strolled in slowly with an inscrutable look plastered on her face. Instantaneously, the man remembered her. She put on black, tight, and thick leather gloves.

“Mr. Landgrew, you were perhaps the easiest bait I’ve had in a long time, I must say.” Paislee began to talk to him while she paced back and forth.

“What do you want from me?!” Gerzac retaliated. He had an epiphany. “You’re the Sith I cheated.” His face then grew very long and he knew that he had met his fate.

“What do you have planned for this worthless scum?” Mar-kota marched into the room with long strides. as he questioned Lord Paislee.

Mar-kota ground his teeth against each other while he stared him down. Lord Paislee remained silent and resolved in her disposition. Gerzac’s eyes looked toward him and his facial expression showed mercy. His brain hulled through the events as he attempted to make sense of them. While his attention was elsewhere, Paislee injected him with a syringe of a quick-acting sedative. He looked at his arm only to collapse.

“Apprentice,” Paislee commanded. “Strap him down at once. You may begin without me but do so delicately. I don’t want him to bleed out whether it is external or internal. I must retrieve some vials.” She exited down the small corridor before she disappeared into the darkness. Mar-kota strapped him down as his master commanded. From the expression on his face, you would’ve thought he sat before a great feast. Paislee wore a devilish grin as she glanced carefully at Gerzac’s body as she returned to the chambers.

“Are you pleased, Master?”Mar-kota with lower head in the stance of a small, yet respectfully bow.

“Yes, indeed,” she responded to him.

Within a short time, Gerzac made soft yet audible grunts as he began to feel pain. Gerzac’s unconscious state didn’t last long. The sedative had almost worn off.

“Argghh, what the kriff is going on?” Gerzac said as his consciousness faded in and out. He jerked his hand at the fresh burn on his skin. The gashes stung. He was strapped down tightly without no room to move.

“Let’s get to work, shall we?” Paislee uncorked a syrupy blue glowing toxin.

Without hesitation, Paislee gave a gut-wrenching cackle while she dropped some serum on his lower left ankle. The skin peeled back and slowly rotted away most of his muscles, skin, and bones. Gerzac yells profusely as the pain is surreal. Oh but it was not a fantasy, he experienced the pain of it all.

“It’s sad you won’t live to tell anyone: never cheat a Sith,” Paislee said in the most merciless tone of voice.

Paislee only had a morsel of sympathy as she allowed him a few minutes between before tackling the next three locations; his right ankle and both hands. She watched him for hours as he almost disintegrated into nothing. With another vial containing a special potion that would stop but not reverse the damage; she sprayed a light mist over his affected joints. Gerzac spit in her face. She pierced her eyes and instantly Mar-kota attempted to retaliate but held his ground and waited for direction from his master.

“Mar-kota, it seems Mr. Landgrew spits like a dog and you know what that means? We should reunite him with the pack.” Paislee nodded towards Mar-kota as she sealed the vials and took a clean towel to cleanse her face. Gerzac's smirk turned into fear. He was still in pain but his mind started to wonder about what Lord Paislee had planned. Mar-kota faced Gerzac and looked him directly in the eyes.

“Please don’t kill me!” He pleaded to Cathar.

“As much as I would like to end you myself, my Master has a more appropriate end for you.” Mar-kota raised in his hand a trigger and walked out of the room and stood in sight of Gerzac. He locked the gate he stood behind with the press of a button, which released a pack of akk dogs rushed towards Gerzac. Mar-kota turned away as you could hear Gerzac’s blood-chilling screams fill the corridors of the torture chambers.