Cad Bane - The Concept of Trust

Can you tell friends from foes?

When She arrived at the Justifier it was ready to go. She tried to calm Bane down, but with a little to no effect. It was actually surprising that R3 was still in one piece after Bane told, that the droid had let Ziiba wander freely to the sleeping quarters. R3 had scurried away right after the accusation with a worried bleep, shutting itself down "for charging", when monitoring Her face after Bane's words, avoiding a discussion with Her.

Aurra told them they should find Hondo on Felucia. Less than a day's trip turned to almost three, because after catching Brella they wanted to make sure not to use any common routes. She was happy that Aurra was on the ship too. She was way better company than Bane at the moment, and the Duros restrained himself more than if there had been just the two of them. On the second day She sighed, and went to sit next to the grumpy, growling Duros in the cockpit. Ok, I need to talk about Ziiba with him, otherwise he really might kill her. She exhaled.

"You know, can you really blame her for not trusting our hospitality..?" She started, receiving only cold shoulder, and grunt from Bane, and continued;

"Oh, for crying out loud, Bane! We have been hunting her down in the past! You dragged her half-nude back to a place she had no wish to return, and I would have done the same."

Now the Duros glanced at her, irked as hell.

"What the hell is it with you and that Rodian? Why do you defend her, Lady?"

Bane recognized the change in Her demeanor right after his words. How she grew rigid, distant, words stuck in Her mouth. He turned towards her, curious.

"Spit it out, Lady. Make me understand." For a moment Bane was sure She was just going to get up and leave, when She stared through the glasteel screen, biting her lip, before finally speaking again, choosing Her words carefully;

"She's resourceful, and has wits. When we were in that club in Iskaayuma I observed her before you marched in and made a mess. It wasn't that she was just being used there. She was having her way with that scum, even though being hooked on drugs." She didn't look at Bane, making him growl.

"That's not it, Lady. I hate when you try to dodge my questions."

She moved uneasily in Her chair. Bane's stare didn't budge. There's something in that Rodian that stirs you, Lady, and I'm gonna find out what that is.

"What is it? You are not giving me any reasons yet not to kill her when we find her."

She sulked, biting Her thumbnail, but finally spoke. "I checked her intel before getting after her. There were a lot of reports of her running away from home."

"So what, Lady? That was the whole point; to get her back from one of those trips."

"Did you notice how early in her life those flights started?" She paused for a moment, glimpsing Bane, but immediately evading his stare. "...A little child does not run away from home unless something is seriously wrong." Her tone was low, the words came out quietly. Bane eyed her questioningly. Was she talking about that Rodian, or herself?

Then, She sneered, and Bane knew that mien. She was shutting herself in again. But, then She continued in irked voice;

"What I'm saying is that She has no reason to trust us one bit, Bane. Maybe not anybody. And, using any means to get away from two bounty hunters who could try to cash her in at any moment..?" Her voice caught an angrier tone, and she snorted. "Hell, I would rob you clean to get away, if you had dragged me in front of my father who-" She bit her lip in the middle of the sentence. "...She owes us nothing, and had every reason to try to get as far from us as possible. With any means." Then She got up, and walked out, leaving Bane there watching Her receding back, then turning to stare through the screen, and processing this new piece of Her he had just learned.