Our Crossroads [Onika]

[Aras Tolmach]

The best form of protection from a Hutt and his cartel, was unfortunately another Hutt. Aras had done the one thing he knew he shouldn't have, but couldn't help doing. He'd crossed one Hutt. Originally brought in for the sake of competition by Arba the Hutt, he had come out the victor, but being the victored had his actions noticed far more. He wasn't sure how it came to pass, but the pair had been placed in a fight or flight scenario.

The challenge presented to them was overcome, escaping from the beast pits and leaving it all behind. If it hadn't been for the close relationship they had developed, with her as his doting servant, and him as her patron, he might have gone his separate ways. "The best means for securing our safety, because I assure you the Hutt's pride will not allow him to give up, is for us to fall under the protection of others."

He was a capable warrior, but he was not invincible. "On a station called Drifter's, another Hutt runs his own Cartel. My intentions are to put my skills to work for credits, equipment, and allies. Someday I will neutalize our problem. I can find you a place to lay low, if you like. I would not drag you from one slug's employ to another, certainly not to return to a life of dancing for the same ilk as you left behind."

Tattooine was the planet that provided them temporary sanctuary, one of the more remote cities just close enough to Mos Eisley for transport but small enough that it could not facilitate it's own hangar bays. "However..." He had one stipulation before he would leave her behind, since he would not be close enough to watch after her. "...you will accept an offer of self defense training."

[Onika Ardennes]

Now that she had escaped the one life she had always known, Onika was truly at a loss. She could do anything and yet she knew absolutely nothing; besides dancing, entertaining, and catering to the whims of others. The Zeltron sat on a weathered sofa within the small, cheap hotel room they'd checked into. For a lack of anything better to do at the moment, she was braiding three strands of her otherwise unruly crimson locks together and listening to her savior as he spoke. From what he was saying, they were without a doubt in deep. She couldn't figure out exactly why he hadn't cut her loose and left her behind; but, she suspected it had to do with honor or some such philosophy. They barely knew one another and now, for a time, they were stuck in one another's company.

It could be worse. Dark eyes flicked up to his face and mentally, she remarked on how handsome he was. Handsome, kind, strong, crafty. Things could most definitely be worse. But, she really didn't want to be a bother and stick around, especially if she would be a hindrance. "Laying low seems like the wisest course of action, for me anyway. But, it wouldn't hurt to learn some self defense in case... you know... things turn bad." She agreed, smiling up at him broadly. She stood up suddenly and then realized that he hadn't probably meant right at that very minute. "Uhhh..." She stood there awkward, twiddling her thumbs for a few seconds before sitting back down. She really needed to get a grip on all of this.

[Aras Tolmach]

She was receptive to his suggestions, though he wondered if she were in part in shock over how her life had been turned upside down. She was free, but not truly so, now a prisoner to a new life. In the end, she was receptive to all suggestions, even his offering of self defense, but he felt the need to touch on something first. "If things go bad, you run. Don't stand and just assume I have taught you enough to get by. You run, you hide, you get in touch with me and I'll come." He preferred however that she know the things he would teach her, and not use them, rather then need them and not have them.

His eyes remained stoic as she rose up, ready to begin, but his expression grew amused as she sat herself and looked about awkwardly. She was surely not ready for the direction he was headed. "We can begin now." He moved to draw the caf table out of the way, and to press other furniture out of the way to provide them space. When they had a wide enough area, he gathered up all the pillows from the bed and threw them to the floor, with the sheet atop them. His make shift mat would have to do for preventing injuries and unnecessary pain for either of them

"Assume anyone you come in contact with is stronger than you, but understand there are some places where applying pressure can allow you to manipulate someone because of the high vulnerability to breakage." His hands took her hips, setting her to sidestep into an appropriate place so if she went down, she would land somewhere soft. "The wrist and elbow are two good locations. Move with me, whatever I do, don't try to resist to feel the pressure."

In teaching, he didn't want to harm her. Taking her hand, he placed it on his shoulder, to simulate a position. His hand reached across his chest, grasping the outside of her hand above the wrist and below the pink. He pulled and twisted, causing pressure to her wrist. He stepped in behind her arm and applied his second hand to her tricep. "I'd normally go for the elbow and press, an easy break with enough pressure, but it's unnecessary to show you that." He released her, and reset their position. "Your turn." He set his hand to her shoulder, much the same way, and let her enact the motions herself.

[Onika Ardennes]

"Oh, okay..." She murmured in embarrassment, keeping out of the way as he pushed the furniture to the edges of the hotel room and then threw the bedding on the floor to cushion any falls. Why did she have a feeling she was going to regret this in the morning? He jumped right into explaining and she listened with rapt attention, having wanted to learn some means to defend herself ever since the first time she was assaulted. She stumbled forward when his hands set to her hips, unable to withhold the charge of pheromones his close proximity invoked. Her heels sank into the edge of a pillow and she looked up at him uncertainly, her fingers flexing at her sides.

She allowed him to guide her hand to his shoulder, her touch there highly tentative since she wasn't sure what to expect. The next succession of moves steered her according to his expectations, sent a twinge of pain up her forearm to her elbow, and then to prevent further pain she locked in place with her back to him; her bottom nestled against his hips. He released her and she turned back to him, eager to try the move on him. "O-okay." She stuttered softly, reaching up to grab the outside of his hand beneath his pinky. She twisted his arm about, just as he had done to her, and then set her opposite hand to his tricep. Gods, he was muscular. She was glad her cheeks were already pink. She released him, not wanting to hurt his arm. "Like that?"

[Aras Tolmach]

He was not immune to her. Not to her the damsel part of her, that demanded he shield and protect her. Not to bold and beautiful features. Not to her pheromones. He noticed every movement, intentional or not, that could be taken as flirtatious. Even brush of her body was a remembered one. He did his best to focus on her training however, and the importance if evoked for her future survival. He'd made a promise, one he intended to keep.

His arm twisted with her, not offering much resistance. The move itself was design to apply pressure to take strength out of the equation, and she did well at replicating his motions. His original plan would have had them launch into another defensive move like the last, but an amalgamation of things sent him down a different path. Before he got there though. "Just like that. You're a quick learner, be confident."

He broke from their tangle, standing just before her. "Before that, or anything else there is one thing far more important than anything else I may teach you." His left foot stepped past her left then slid out to his left. His hand met her shoulder, pushing backwards but also grasping to it. She was forced over his foot, to trip backwards. She would have impacted the mattress, had his other arm not caught her waist. Instead he slowly lowered her down, kneeling over her with one hand at the small of her back and the other moved from her shoulder to behind her neck.

"You need to find your footing. You can't fight from the ground, but the surest way to render an opponent defenseless is to take their feet from beneath them." His hands slowly receded, until only one was offered forward for her to take for aid to her feet. "That will take time, your own balance practice, but it's something to put in your head. You are small, nimble, a dancer. Use that."

[Onika Ardennes]

"Sure." She said in reply to his confidence boosting statement, feeling a bit more sure of herself already. All of her pent of energy and excitement seemed to burst through, her form bouncing in place as she waited for him to show her what was next. Something important he said. She braced herself for it and then, she went down like a sequoia. A soft, damsel-like gasp escaped her and she sank backwards, pressing her hands to his chest as he caught her. Then, he slowly lowered her down to the mattress and she stared up into his eyes. He was kneeling over her and she was very near to hyperventilating from how hot and close he was. She bit her lip coyly, holding completely still in anticipation of what he would do next.

"Footing. Right." Onika murmured, blinking up at him and then sliding her hand into his. He helped her into a seated position while still speaking, calling to attention her assets. At the mention of her being small, her gaze dipped forlornly to her bosom; made to look even smaller in the baggy shirt of his she'd borrowed. Her lips drooped into a pout, the very best pout she had been working on for years to master, and she aimed it up at him. "I am kind of... small.." She said sadly, rising to her feet.

[Aras Tolmach]

His eyes followed hers as she remarked on his statement, and did so forlornly. It was far and away from what he had meant. "That's...not what I meant." His face flushed just slightly in embarassment at having insulted her. He stood up, pulling her up to her feet. "I meant you have a...small frame. You aren't tall, you're athleticly built." Like a dancer, which is what she had been before he stole her from that life.

His brow arced upwards, giving her his most serious stare. "How am I going to manage to leave you alone and not worry." He was teasing now, but he knew how she would likely take it. "Moving on, before I put my foot in my mouth again..." And before she decided to turn her tactics against him for doing so. "A good thing to know are soft targets. Eyes, ears, nose, throat, groin. Don't be afraid to fight dirty, and go for one of these points." He shook his head, taking a step back. "We will...not be practicing that. Just strike in some fashion, or for ears grab or slap inward."

"Hand on my shoulder again." When she placed her hand appropriately, his hand came over top of hers, grasping at her thumb. He twisted gently outward, always in slow motion and kept pressure until she was forced to step in and he bent her arm in towards her. "This puts an attacker in a vulnerable state, where you can follow up with a knee or elbow." He released her, placing his hand to her shoulder to allow her to simulate the motion.

[Onika Ardennes]

Of course, she'd known exactly what he'd meant when he'd said she was small. She could hardly resist teasing him though, especially when his face turned nearly the same shade as her own. Onika grinned and then raised her shoulders in an indecisive shrug. "You could always stay." She added quietly, clearing her throat and taking on a more receptive pose at his urging to move on.

Maybe you didn't know, Aras my dear, but hard targets are more of my specialty. She thought with a licentious grin in place, knowing her expression would speak for her. Still, she nodded that she understood his intent. She placed her hand on his shoulder and followed his demonstration. Then, it was her turn. Simple enough, if one's mind could process such things when one was elbow deep in danger.

"Okay..." She said resolutely, taking a deep breath and then simulating the same motions; raising her knee but forestalling the blow since she didn't want to actually hurt him. "Something like that?"

[Aras Tolmach]

Stay. It was a tempting notion, one he would touch on shortly. His lesson about striking and soft points was met with a grin, and he was unsure whether it was to demonstrate an amusement at the targets named, or whether she found them appropriate targets for their vulnerabilities they caused in even the biggest of men. "Just like that." He praised as he was forced into the position she intended by the lesson he had taught.

"Practice these things so they become second nature." It was the best advice he could give, though she likely wouldn't have anyone to practice with. He imagined she would find a way, or make do, perhaps make friends with another female who she could pass the lessons off to and use as a partner for said practice. There was more to teach, but it could wait for the time being. For the short time they were together, they could train on the skills and get accustomed to their surroundings.

Now for the little matter of her statement. "Tattooine will not provide us a good life, if I stayed. The only way to settle things, is to gather support and resources. I can't do that here. Here, we will hide until we die, however near or far that is into the future." Too many variables surrounded a life of hiding on Tattooine, known for it's Hutt presence. Together they would draw more attention then apart. "I will get this sorted out, then you can have the life you want, wherever it is."