"<As you can see>" Lord Sargul says as he slides himself across the dusty ground secreting a film of silky ooze beside his honored guest, "<The crystal mines have grown quite bountiful since the fall of the Guardians. As have our wallets Ha ha haaaa>" He says with a deep gurgling guttural chortle.
"It's...very impressive, to say the least. But what use do they have other than for sabers? I thought only Guardians and Ag-" The cloaked figure begins to ask, cut short by a webbed hand on his chest, the Lord of the plantation halting him, "<Do not speak that word here.>" His reptilian eyes stare deeply into the bounty hunter's to further his point, before continuing on, "<We were as useful as crop farmers to droids, after the war. Useless to the rest of the systems. Until we began experimenting with the crystals...and found out how to use them for their energizing properties. The guardians did not know what they had, and neither did we. Liquified they become a more efficient alternative to hyperspace travel; Charging takes mere moments as opposed to minutes. In powdered form they become easily heated, yet rapidly cooling plasma. Perfect for military blasters; Low charge time, quick cool down. Combine the two...and no planet in the known galaxy can withstand their power. We have many bidders at present.>"
The hunter nods, "Impressive. I didn't know Ulurans were so, scientifically inclined?" He says in much the same tone as he would have in saying he didn't know they had half a brain, let alone enough to pervert the sacred crystals. The Lord takes note but ignores it, taking his peoples achievements as a prize in itself to prove those like this human wrong, "<We are smarter, at least, than the average bounty hunter...and much less gracious when insulted.>"
"I apologize, my wounds after cleaning up the mess your slaves made has left me...irritable."
"<Nnn I see that...and we are grateful for your involvement.>" Turning into a torch-lit cavern, bare of crystals yet abundant in signs of poverty that bore makeshift homes into the mountains surface.
"<Dogs! Come stand before your master!>" A lesser status Uluran slave master watching over the caves says, his back straightening at the vision of his employer entering the area. Without fail, the slaves immediately exit their dank holes called home and align themselves against the walls. Their brown uniforms tattered and stained with both blood and oil that has long since engrained itself in the attire like oils painting a picture of their servitude. They bore skin of different exotic pale colors, Oranges, reds, yellows and greens. They all, however, had the same placement of horns on their hairless heads in a pentagram like formation. The bounty hunter smiled at the suffering of these people, these willfully ignorant pieces of property that no doubt didn't even know their true names anymore. These lost Drakonids.
Opening a satchel the Lord flips it upside down, emptying the a gaggle of heads into the stone floor with seared flesh still smoking around the edges of the neck. <"You wound me, my things. After all I have done for you, allll that I do to your benefit- you work to betray my trust by escaping. Perhaps this was a small group that does not speak for all of you, hm? Or perhaps they were the first of many. In either case, know that you will all pay for this betrayal, You will work double hours for the next rotation, and your children will be shipped to the lesser fields of the southern wall to comb the fields for rare crystal.> " Sliding his body back and forth like a general commanding his army the Lord Sagul puts a hand on Lothal's shoulder, a grimace of disgust on the alleged bounty hunters hooded face
"<Those of you who still feel hopeful in an escape attempt will surely answer to my newest slave hunter...Nemalice.>" He says sliding forward and looking into his slave driver's eyes with contempt, the driver gazing away in shame, "<To ensure this, he will stay here from now, in the driver's quarters. Is that understood?>" He exclaims, so both the current driver and the slaves alike can hear him clearly. He was met with a resounding melancholy 'yes' through out the cavern.
But the supposed bounty hunter could sense it. The one defiant Drakonid that stayed silent in the see of conformity was like a roar in a well of silence. A dark red Drakonid that sat near a fire, bathing in it's warmth and looking on over the flames at the Uluran master. His hate was sweet, his rage pure and undistilled. The darkforce was strong in this one.
"<Good...Nemalice, take to your quarters when you wish, and come to me should there be anything you desire. I will remove myself from this wretched hole before their smell overwhelms me.>"
Bowing, Lothal smiles, watching him leave before calmly strolling over to the Drakonid that disregarded his orders, and sits on a boulder beside him, "You ignored an order from your master...were you afraid to speak slave?"
Yellow irises shoot up from the flame, wide and roaring red like the flame, "I fear nothing. THAT is why I ignored that foul slug! If you want to kill me, do it and be done hunter. There won't be any prize but the scars I leave before I die."
"Hn." Lothal snarks, "What is your name, boy."
"To men like you, I am slave 4138-D1" He snarls
"And to your people? When the slavers and hunters and slugs have all gone to bed, and your people whisper of freedom, what do they call you?"
The Drakonid calms, just slightly, confused by this enigmatic bounty hunter. He didn't know how but he could sense deception in the stranger, though not towards him.
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