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THE CRIME
ACT0.CHAPTER0
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She wakes early in the morning, before the burning stars rise over the surface of the sand covered planet. Her muscles ache from the day before, groaning with the effort of standing. Lavender, grey eyes crack open, arms rising slowly with soreness to wipe away the grit in her eyes. The repulsive bruises on her neck have decorated her skin with black and twists of purple. Fresher bruises trail up her side in the path of a tragedy still a sickening green and multiple shades of yellow. She sits up in the lightless closet, eyes never quite adjusting to the glooming darkness that swarms her vision and wrapping her in a blanket of hauntings. The thin mattress she was given to sleep on has more lumps than the earthen ground beneath it. And if it weren't for the fact that she could wake covered in sand and dirt she would sleep on the floor instead.

The crimson top and scarlet skirt that is her uniform is tight and form-fitting, the color representing the household she serves. The outfit is so brightly colored it is one of the only things she can see in the abyss of her closet, and it swings on the hatch of sorts that leads out. The entrances to each of the servants' rooms are locked every night on the dot by the household manager and are reopened early in the mornings. Each employee has a rank, a job, a purpose in this household. And those who cannot fulfill their duty, who cannot measure up to their purposes, are punished dearly. Punishments in the household are regular occurrences, each varying for the slaves from being starved to being killed.

They call her Nyx, she doesn't remember what she was called before. She dresses slowly, carefully precise to leave her bruises untouched as she pulls the crimson fit around her. By the time she is finished the lock to her hatch has begun to rattle, a telltale sign that the household manager is making his rounds. Nyx climbs up the few carved stairs, bending down to avoid bumping her head on the roof. When she reaches the main room of their quarters Nyx pauses, silently waiting for instructions that she already knows by heart. Her dulled eyes squint in the yellowed light, attempting to readjust to the fractures of orange light reflecting off the worn cream tiles cracking across the space. The mansion's foundation is visible in the basement room the slaves stand in, rock and sand and dirt creating patchworks into the walls and thin ceilings. Then they separate into the numerous tunnels between the walls to start their busy days.

For as long as she can remember with her time in the house, Nyx has had one job - attend to her master. She supposes that her mistress thinks her job is to file papers or fetch drinks for her husband. But Nyx knows oh too well why he had selected her to accompany him to work. Since she was bought by the man, she became his distraction. That's what he called it, what he called her. In truth he uses her for whatever he wants whenever he wants it. Her bruises aren't from beatings, they're from his hands on her as she fights him with the little resistance she still has to keep him from touching her.

Nyx steps out from behind the hidden entrance to the service tunnels and stands by the front door just as her master walks into the entrance hall. He says nothing, but still she opens the door and follows him onto the Imperial vehicle sent. The short ride is quiet, and Nyx holds her breath in the crushing silence. Feeling as though even a sigh too loud will result in her death. The small office building on the desert Middle Rim planet is home to the Imperial forces that her master controls. Every time she sees the building, and the soldiers marching round it, her heart twists with something she can no longer name.

Today is unlike no other for Nyx, bringing drinks and taking paperwork to and from the desk attendants. Until her master locks the door with a press of a button and nerves tangle into Nyx's heart as he pulls her uncomfortably close.

Shoving her up against his cold, metal desk, his hands begin to roam her body and her own hands try to push him away. Something different is within her today though, and as he becomes more aggressive one of her hands searches the desk desperately for something to stop him with. Her hand surrounds a collection of pens, without a moment of hesitation she takes them and jabs them into him. He gasps with a curse, eyes closing heavily with pain as the pens are driven deeper and Nyx ensures that he will die. Blood burst from the wounds, sputtering over her in a warm crimson bath as she gasps for air still trapped in his tight grasp. His body drops, his mouth falling open as a crimson waterfall floods from between his lips. The corpse falls forward on top of Nyx, but she doesn't struggle with shoving his dying body off of her, strong because of the labor she has been forced to do.

'Not anymore,' her mind whispers. A small grin takes it's place on Nyx's lips as she admires the pool of blood surrounding him. 'He deserves this', Nyx knows as she gasps for air, heart pounding against her ribcage. The man's blood is soaked into the uniform, and the blood shows despite the blood like color the clothes were. The sleeves barely hang onto her shoulder, she shudders as the body groans and she curses under her breath as a curse falls from the man's lips as he fades farther towards the blinding light. She hopes he goes to hell.

Nyx knows not to stand around for long, and she almost pauses in fear of where her instincts and resilience comes from, taking the dark cloak her master wears to work Nyx wraps herself in the foul fabric to hide the blood on her skin. A thin splatter had sputtered across her cheeks, and even as she furiously rubs at it it will not smear away. Tucking her reddish hair into the dark hat he wore, Nyx takes a deep breath as she leaves the office.

Tilting her chin down, Nyx storms through the facility like her master does and marches through the front doors with no issues at all. One thought takes control of her mind as she takes in hurried breaths to slow her heart and pace as she slips into an alley. I have to get off this planet. Looking upwards she finds clothes drying just above her, and she quickly discards the imperial uniform for a brownish cloak and pants. Her undershirt used to be white, but is now painted with pink and red hues from his blood. Nyx hesitates at the thought of wondering how in hell she is isn't shaken by what she's done, by the blood that stains her skin and darkening soul. And she falters with thoughts of a childhood missing. 'The blood will stay hidden under the cloak I've stolen though,' she assures herself. Only her mind echoes back to her with a voice she does not know, "but will it wash from your soul, will the crimson-shed determine your being now?"

It isn't hard for Nyx to find her way into the next town over, asking for a ride from a local farmer who won't recognize her. And hope sparks in her chest for the first time that she knows of, because maybe, just maybe she can get away.

The only starship going far enough away from the planet to ease Nyx's paranoia costs far too much for her to be able to afford with only the handful of credits she found in that man's cloak. However she has found favor in a merchant who didn't need any extra money, but is happily ready to take her few credits once he gets to his next stop - Tatooine. She doesn't know much of the planet other than what the merchant had said; "Sand everywhere, and little outposts where no one cares who you are." "Sounds like a decent place to start over," she had replied. "It's where I did," and Nyx found herself trusting the merchant as much as she needs to.

Her ship leaves the Middle Rim today, in just an hour or two she'll be gone and off to live for herself. Only Nyx had been forced to wait several days in the small town, and with everyday that passed anxiety grew deeper roots in her heart that brought panic and paranoia harder onto her. It's almost like gravity is pressing down onto her, trying to bend and break her fragile soul.

Nyx has been watching for bounty hunters carefully instead of Imperial soldiers. With her master dead his family loses much of their power. That's something Nyx learned quickly in the household, this world only respects those with money, power, or strength.

So of course the day she finally gets to escape this blistering cage is the very day that a bounty hunter arrives on the planet. Meanwhile pickpocketing a couple pieces of fruit from a vendor on a crowded street does Nyx see the man. A shiny Beskar helmet on his head, Mandalorian armor decorating his person and blasters are strapped to his side like ornaments. He even walks with the aura of someone who does not fear death, he walks like someone who kills regularly. And Nyx feels terror run up her spine for she has only taken her first life, he has taken dozens more.

Nyx pulls the hood of her cloak a little lower over her eyes and starts walking towards the shipyard. Yes, the merchant had agreed to take her with him, but only if she was there when he left because he wasn't waiting for anyone. The Mandalorian stands over the crowd, looking for the woman with reddish hair that he had been hired to find. 'Murdered her own employer,' the crying woman had said, her husband the killed. He didn't care much why he was chasing her down, just how much he'd be getting paid for doing so.

As his eyes gaze through the darkened visor over every person he passes, his eyes catch on to her. The top of a brown cloak bobbing through the crowds and vendors steadily. Stopping every so often at a stand, eyes flitting his way and his heart hammers with the coming adrenaline of his find. He's still new to hunting like this, and he still gets excited every time success is within his grasp.

He's sure she's his target too, Nyx, had been her name. "We'd like her alive, I'd much rather her suffer in prison and try to live with herself then end her pitiful life early," that had confused him in the moment, the dead man's wife no longer crying but appearing fully capable of killing Nyx herself. Alive, he whispers as he follows the woman closely, gaining ground as he goes.

Nyx's heart feels as though it is trying to climb it's way from her chest and leap from her lips. Fear grips the edges of her vision as her mind flounders in panic. Thinking that she's found the shortcut to the shipyard that she's taken everyday in this town, Nyx turns down an alley in a hurry and runs once out of view. But the Mandalorian behind her doesn't run, his study of the city labels this alley a dead end. Nyx wants to scream as she meets the alley's end head on, her desperation catching up to her with stupid mistakes, now Nyx is trapped as she turns and sees the Mandalorian behind her.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?"

"Yes. Are you, Nyx."

And it's not a question, it's a statement. 'Oh gods he knows.' His held tilts as he speaks, his voice rings throughout the alley mechanical through the cold modulator of the helmet. "Who?" She questions, knees beginning to quake from the force of fear and tension surrounding them.

"I have to bring you back warm so I suggest you surrender," his fingers flutter over the grip of his blaster as the woman fidgets before him. Her eyes shock him, unusual for a human to have lavender like eyes. And she curses in a language he doesn't know, her eyes watching him carefully.

"Of course," she nods taking a step forward, the same strange strength-like feeling she had felt in her master's office comes flowing back into her and a sense of calm overtakes her despite the blood pounding in her ears. Her features relax and Nyx pulls away the hood letting her hair free. He twitches beneath the helmet as Nyx steps closer to him, hips dipping with each step. "Why don't you make me," Nyx purrs flirtatiously as much as one can when fighting away swarms of flashbacks to times with people she wishes she had never seen in her life.

She steps toward the Mandalorian, confident in her steps and strong with her voice that she doesn't remember possessing. It's like a ghost is at her shoulder, a phantom directing her steps, projecting her confidence. Nyx's eyes catch the heavy metal cuffs on his belt, swallowing with difficulty as she stands just a few feet from him.

"I'm sure those could be fun," Nyx smirks and bites her lip nervously as the Mandalorian takes a flustered step backwards. He's caught off guard now, confused and still new enough to bounty-hunting to not understand exactly what she's doing until it's too late. "Too bad I don't have time for games," and Nyx swings her leg up kicking him hard in the chest plate. When he stumbles back, shocked at the rusty skill in her form he isn't prepared for her to run past him and kick him square in the crevice of his armor to make him fall forward with a hissing pain. She kicks up the sand behind her as she scrambles into a run, noting that wherever she goes next can't have any sand as she hates it.

Nyx almost grins as she runs, adrenaline pounding through her as a force to be reckoned with. But she does not get far before she hears a whishing sound, ropes wrapping around her ankles making her fall onto the ground with a surprised yelp. She falls face forward, hitting the sand hard, and she groans with the impact. Then struggling to pull herself up and away even with a new stitch in her side.

The Mandalorian walks up behind her, smirking beneath his helmet as he stands, straddling over her. He had expected her to flush as he whispers the dirty bit into her ear, "well these will be fun." But instead she paled and her eyes closed in a rush, and he regrets the joke in that moment. Wincing beneath him, Nyx wants to curse all the stars in the system as her eyes force her to relive the memories she doesn't want.

Grabbing her arms roughly and entrapping her wrists in the handcuffs. Mando expects another comment or curse, but instead he just barely sees her wince and feels her shudder at his touch. Still he brushes it off, and pulls her up onto her feet fully prepared to get his bounty.

She doesn't resist as she is hefted off the sand and walked towards the shipyard. Nyx doesn't say a word as the Mandalorian pushes her aboard a rickety ship, Razor Crest painted boldly on the side. She doesn't struggle as he attaches the handcuffs to a pipe against the wall in the cockpit, reserving to sit in her seat with her fate coming closer. Nyx knows that the flight to the Imperial outpost she escaped from will not take long, that soon she will be killed or worse.

'I settled on being quiet for the ride, I knew it wouldn't take long. I had seen dozens of slaves and servants returned sobbing and screaming for their adversary to let them go. I refuse to lower myself to any more desperation, I'm already doomed.'

Mando is puzzled by the woman, showing no resistance once caught. No words now that she has been captured. As though she accepts her fate with no feelings, as though her actions will not affect her in the end. But as he approaches the city she had run from she speaks, "You don't have to do this." He doesn't usually respond when his bounties try to talk, try to beg with him but a part of him tells him he should.

"No but I'm getting paid well to."

"You don't understand-" Nyx tries, her heart beating fear into her bones with every pound.

"I don't understand what?" He sneers, "you killed someone, I think that that warrants this."

"And you haven't killed? What makes me any different from you?"

"He had a family."

"You didn't answer my question."

"You murdered your employer and left him in cold blood? Out of most of my bounties you deserve what's coming for you."

"Employer?" She questions, and Mando looks back without her noticing. Her eyes have clouded over at the simple word, but her voice is still strong.

"You obviously know everything you need to know to turn me in."

"Is this your idea of begging me not to?"

"I won't beg. I just want you to know you're wrong. And don't worry you will."

"You think I'd listen to you?"

The final leg of the flight is quiet; other bounties have tried to free themselves, make escapes. But still this Nyx accepts her fate. And it shocks him, still newer to this and unsure if this is another one of her tactics. Just like her comments about the handcuffs before she'd skillfully kicked him out of her way. Just like her so-called pleas, because she really hadn't been begging. There had been no panic in her tone, Nyx had expected his response and confusion fills him as his mind boxes around why?

The ship lands within an hour of departure, and soon they are walking through the streets of the town towards the mansion he had been requested to. As they approach the house they can see neighbors tending to their small gardens, touching up the few plants they have alive still.

The Mandalorian notices when Nyx begins to shake as they approach the mansion. Movement by the windows let them both know that the family is waiting. The people around pause and move to their fences to whisper. Nyx tries to reason with him again, "please, you don't know what's really going on here." "Maybe not, but I know enough. And it's not like you've told me anything to change my mind." Nyx's eyes close, shuddering at the footsteps coming down the hallway after he knocks. And as the door is opened by the mistress of the house Nyx whispers one final thing to the Mandalorian. Voice low and pained, but she knows he'll hear her. "You'll know once you hear the screams."

The transaction is quick, he releases her from the handcuffs at the mistress's request and is almost shocked as Nyx stands there more subdued than she was in handcuffs. Keeping her eyes on the ground, figure swaying unsteadily. And then the door is shut in his face, Mando turns away from the house to leave. He passes by a pair of old women who had been working on their gardens but had stopped to gossip, and he pauses at their conversation.

The door closes with a heavy thud and the image of her master's body thumping to the ground as crimson spreads through the carpet flashes before her. Inside the house Nyx whimpers as she is shoved up against a wall my her the mistress. Bruises litter her skin and as she is punched once again tears leak from the corner of her eyes. Nyx is forced to look up at her mistress, her other master who is furious.

"How dare you kill him," the woman says with a kick to her abdomen causing Nyx to fall to her knees as she is left gasping for any air at all. "How dare you sleep with him you damn slave. How dare you break my family." And the woman stops seeing her oldest son and daughter enter the living room. Nyx lays on the floor, nose bleeding and lip busted from a kick, still trying to breath again.

"The police?"

"Coming in five minutes."

"Good. Did you bring it?"

The boy grins with his answer, happily saying yes as he holds up the glowing brand. And she directs her son how to do it, Nyx sobs from the floor begging between gasps. She struggles against them, being kicked again and again, being held down as the son grins. Her cloak is ripped away, the blood of her master still stuck to her skin. He presses the white-hot brand into her arm and she screams to no avail as her flesh burns.

The Mandalorian can hear it, and he twists back to the mansion in shock. The screams are terrified and sob-filled, echoing throughout the quiet town expectant of the sufferings. And he doesn't want to believe it as another heart-wrenching wail slips from the woman's lips as her blood rushes down her arm and her body convulses in pure pain. The little old women wince, looking at each other sadly as the one who had been speaking continues her gossip.

"I'm surprised you didn't hear. The dear finally found her strength and killed the awful man. She must have stuck around trying to get off-world."

"Oh the poor dear, did you ever catch the rumors around her."

"That she was doing it with him? But I found out the truth since no one fears a dead man - the poor thing was being forced into it! You'd think the rebels these days would try to end slavery, I mean we all hoped the end of the last war would."

And the Mandalorian thinks he's going to be sick. This day, this case isn't what he expected when he began bounty hunting. Catch a murderer here, get paid there. That was his plan, only maybe he has to prepare himself better. Maybe this is what he's doing.

Nyx lays where she is left by her mistress as she goes to meet the soldiers who have come to cart her off to prison. Tear stains trial down her cheeks, an eye bruising an ugly green already and blood drying on her new wounds. Her arm still burns as though it had been set on fire and had been burned off, as though they had put chemicals into her blood to watch her wither and burn and scream. Her skin smells like ashes and smoke, and the brand blisters on her forearm as the burn bubbles and sets lasting scars into her skin.

She knows what it reads, an involuntary shudder stumbles in her as a soundless sob wrecks though her forcing her aching body to move. Traitor. Deceptor. Murderer. The brand reads except the worst of it is the bolded word in the middle of the brand - MERETRIX.

Yet that is not her crime committed, for that is the crime against her.

author's note

ha ha yeah... so this is a really harsh chapter especially for the first official chapter of Stardust in Our Way. Especially for the last chapter for awhile. (it is a healthy 4.1k+ words though!!)

There's quite a bit to unpack in this chapter so let's dive right in. Nyx is about nineteen-twenty in this chapter, making Din just a couple years older (and for this fic I imagine he's starting to get out into the rougher world of bounty hunting so this job is new and difficult for him BUT it's also introducing him to the resolve he needs as a bounty hunter).

Nyx isn't her real name, just the name she's been given. I'm going to be leaving quite a bit of her past unclear (plus she doesn't remember it herself with amnesia). Parts of her memory will come back as the plot continues and it'll all tie together beautifully in the end!

There'll almost be a time skip in chapter1 of act1 because we'll be diving directly into the plot of season1 mainly due to the fact that I'm ready to get the plot going AND I don't want to spend too much detail on the next ten years before we start season1.

Now as you can probably tell, Nyx certainly has character. She's extremely sarcastic and it's mostly a defense mechanism she's built up around herself.

published : august 25th, 2021