The Broken One: Part II

[Arizona Nova]

. : ooc : . The second part of The Broken One, Janthea's backstory. Not entered into the SSC to skirt the ban on pillaged canon, even though my kaleesh are still fairly well divorced from their sordid, Sithy-stained past.

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She didn’t know how long she’d run, or how far out she got into the endless wastes. Soon lack of water and fatigue took their toll, and she collapsed onto a sand dune. She lay there, waiting for death, as the sun began to set.

Meanwhile, a hundred meters or so to the west, were two large, mounted figures, two humanoids mounted on the back of the Hjursk beast, the native beast of burden, the “camel� of Rhuckh. Both of them were clad in flowing clothes that covered near every inch of their body, made especially for desert travel, though it was obvious that both sets had seen enormous wear. One could only see their faces – one, clearly human, and the other, kaleesh. Beads and crude jewelry hung on their wrists and on their necks, and it clattered about as they plodded along, chatting amicably, as old friends.

“You truly paid that much for it, Sarrad?� asked the human. “My friend, you have been duped once again.�

The kaleesh, Sarrad, merely sighed. “Alexander,� he said in his deep, rough voice, “I simply like to make sure I am paying for quality in my weaponry.� He rummaged in his voluminous cloak, eventually producing a considerably sized, rugged-looking pistol, an energy weapon no doubt. “Look and see if it is not good quality yourself, as you esteem yourself such a fine judge! See that scope there too, that came with!�

Alexander took the pistol in hand. “Silly sod, you don’t need a scope for a pistol. Lets just see how accurate it is then.� Peering into the distance, he saw some shape obscured by the setting of the desert suns. He put the scope up to his eye and peered through it, and started.

“What is it?� asked Sarrad curiously.

“That, over there,� he motioned. “I think it’s a person!� said Alexander.

The kaleesh directed his reptilian gaze to where his friend indicated. “What could someone else, on foot, possibly be doing out here? Closest town is Arran’gock, and that’s still kilometers away.�

Alexander lashed the reigns of his hjursk, shouting, “Let us find out!� Their capes billowed back into the wind as the two galloped toward the fallen shape. Soon the two were on top of it. Alexander slipped down of his hjursk, kneeling beside it.

“It’s human… a young girl, from the looks of it,� he said. “The hell is going on here?�

“Ask it and find out,� said the kaleesh derisively.

Alexander scowled back at Sarrad. “If she’s unconscious, you dope, she can’t very well talk!� He turned back toward Janthea, and turned her over, so her face was up. Her dark hair fell unkempt about her face, her eyes and mouth seemingly welded shut.

“Is it dead?� asked the kaleesh, with some slight note of concern.

“I dunno…� said Alexander. “I don’t think so…�

As if signaled, Janthea’s eyes flew open and she leapt to her feet, trembling, snarling, her eyes bloodshot and wild.

“Jesus!� yelled Alexander, falling back.

“Who are you?� she asked venomously of the man, her eyes shifting between him and the kaleesh on hjurskback.

“Calm down,� said Alexander. “I’m just a desert trader; I was plying my route when I saw you crumpled up on the sand dunes. What are you even doing out here?�

Janthea’s eyes lost their fire, and became unfocused, she mumbled something indeterminate, and collapsed back into the sand.

“Sarrad, get me some water please!� he requested.

The kaleesh grumbled, but produced a canteen nonetheless. Alexander took it and went over to Janthea, prying open her mouth and pouring the precious liquid in. She sputtered a little, but drank it anyway.

“Now,� said Alexander. “Tell me what in God’s name you’re doing out here.�

“They’re dead,� Janthea stammered, her eyes welling slightly. “They’re all dead and I burned the place down.�

Alexander gave an exasperated sigh. “That doesn’t tell me anything. Who is dead? What did you burn down?�

She looked into his eyes with hate, and whispered, “My parents. That bastard killed them... I killed him…�

This seemed to pique Alexander’s interest even more. “Who are your parents? Who did you kill?�

Janthea growled, but lacked the willpower to resist the questioning anyway. “The Rynns… and whoever killed them.�

“Hold on a second, kid,� Alexander said, and he turned back toward Sarrad, who gave him a curious look. He leaned down toward Alexander, who whispered,

“This is Governor Rynn’s kid, and there’s been a hit on him for a couple weeks now! You remember who they hired for it right?�

“Yes,� hissed Sarrad. “Grimnar Hess, I think, but you can’t seriously be suggesting…�

“Kid,� said Alexander, turning back around to address Janthea, who was sitting down, staring at the ground. “This guy you killed… was he wearing some body armor, and a helmet? Dark red with black accents?�

“Yes,� she replied.

Alexander turned back toward Sarrad, his eyes wide. “Holy shit… she killed Grimnar Hess!�

“Fool probably had his back turned,� scowled the Kaleesh. “If that Gray Ops agent failed to kill him a decade ago, I doubt she defeated him in a fair fight.�

“She got lucky then,� said Alexander, “and in this business luck is everything.�

“Oh, you’re not going to take her with now?� asked Sarrad incredulously.

“Or what, leave her out here to die? Besides, I could use a pupil… and what better way to start conversations about her than ‘well, I met her right after she killed Grimnar Hess’?�

“You are a damn fool, Alexander,� said Sarrad. “She drinks out of your canteen, then, and eats your food.�

“Probably couldn’t stomach your food anyway,� grunted Alexander. “I don’t have much of a taste for raw rabbit either.� Sarrad stuck out his tongue and snorted in reply, then reined in his hjursk.

Alexander turned back to Janthea, crouching down and peering into her face. “Kid, you’re gonna die if you stay out here. Come with us, we’ve got some food and water, and we know the way to the next settlement; I doubt you do.�

Janthea continued to stare at the ground ahead of her, not replying.

Alexander clucked impatiently. “Look, kid, if you don’t move I’ll just sling you on the back of this hjursk anyway and take you in, like it or not. It’d be a damn shame to let the woman who killed Grimnar Hess just die out in the desert. He was a damn mean sunnuvabitch.�

“That was his name?� Janthea asked.

“Yeah, but it don’t matter none,� said Alexander. “You don’t have a home now, right? No family, no friends, no way to contact anyone?�

“No,� said Janthea.

“Well, you have three choices – die out here in the desert, come with us and then turn yourself in to some orphanarium somewhere and rot your body and mind out, or come with and stay with us and learn yourself a trade.�

“Being a… merchant?� asked Janthea.

Alexander smiled rogueishly. “I lied before, kid. I ain’t a merchant – I’m a bounty hunter and merc. I sell weapons on the side too, but it’s hardly my main racket. You got some gift to fight – I mean, you killed a man, first try, and a damn hard man at that. You didn’t do it fair then you sure got lucky, and that’s just as good.�

“Then you’re like him then,� said Janthea. “Just like Hess.�

Alexander blanched. “No miss, not at all. Hess was messed. Took way too much joy in the kill, if you ask me. Mean cuss, he was, and nobody is going to miss him. I’ll teach you to be a decent hunter, if you’ll let me.�

Janthea sighed. “Fine. There is nothing left for me anywhere else anyway.�

Alexander smiled broadly. “Ausgezeichnet! Get on back, we have to catch up with Sarrad. Grouchy-ass kaleesh that he is, you’ll get used to him. Heart of gold, really.�

Janthea struggled onto back of the beast, which gurgled a little bit in protest.

“Oh, bear up you lazy slug!� said Alexander to it. He looked back over his shoulder, and said, “You on alright?�

“Yeah,� said Janthea.

“Right, then we’re off!�