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Operation Arrakis
Bad Idea
By Sylvana Lorrdain and Durandir
Thanks to JN and MC and TF
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"Just how many times do I have to tell you, nothing you say will convince
me you're on my side," Fes spoke in an even tone, but feeling very much
like he was begining to lose his patience. He could understand the young
Jedi's distrust of someone he knew nothing about, but it was really
frustrating to the agent occasionally known as "Dour Watcher," that he
wasn't out in the field.
What do costumes have on invisibility for surveilance anyhow? Fes
wondered absently, brought back to mind of the situation at hand as Rouddim
spoke once more.
"But you see, I had been hoping to work with your people this entire time.
That Wells person you were speaking of, he and a woman working for him
betrayed me - they were probably working for Sahar. So you see, I kept it
from them."
"Why should I care?" Fes asked with false callousness.
"Because I know how to keep a job done," Rouddim said. "Even a
pretty face won't keep me from following through."
"Shut up already," Fes growled. "I am NOT in the mood to listen to your
pointless prattle."
"Oh, such a fine vocabulary!" Rouddim purred, "You must be in very high
standing, where you come from. I can see it irks you to have to be
playing jailkeep."
Fes said nothing, leveling his blaster upon the man with a 'patient' sigh.
The amiable expression Rouddim had kept pasted to his face ever since he
was handed into Fes's care dropped away. Impatience darkened his eyes. "I
have done all your group has asked of me," he said in dangerously quiet
tones. "I have told you what you wanted to know -- all that I know that
could help you."
"As well you should have. But the fact remains, you are under my guard and
that will not change."
"This guard is pointless," Rouddim sneered. "What could I do -- even if I
wished to, which you must see I do not -- to hinder you now? Soon, very
soon, the Magician will fall. And, my friend," the word on his lips
was insulting to Fes, "it will be my victory no less than yours. And I will
be no less glad than you will."
"And this is supposed to mean something to me?" Fes raised a blonde
eyebrow.
"We are on the same side," Rouddim said yet again, once too often
for Fes. "Like it or not, you cannot deny it."
"You really think there are only two sides to a matter such as this?" Fes
chuckled, shaking his head. "Too bad for you." Normally he was more good
natured... more kind, but... Rouddim had a way of wearing on a man.
"There are never more than two sides, friend," Rouddim glared. "My
side -- and my enemy's. Be glad you are on mine -- for now."
"I'm afraid I don't recall ever naming you as 'friend', Rouddim." Fes
smiled amiably, though his eyes were cold.
Rouddim shrugged. "Call it what you will. Our aims, today, are in
agreement. And you need me -- oh yes, you do. Without what I know you would
be still in Jerusalem wondering who this Magician was, wondering where to
find him. Without me keeping my part of the shield out of his hands this
long year, he would have had Baghdad under its protection long before you
people even knew the shield had come to Earth. Now you have the chance,
your one chance, to end his power, to destroy this shield. The others are
out there looking for him -- they are but children, friend. You are
another matter. You should be out there. I should be out there."
Rouddim's hands clenched and unclenched as if the Magician's throat were
twisting between them. "I have business yet with him."
"Well, we agree on one thing. I should be out there. However, that's all
we agree with, whether you have business yet with him, or not, is none of
my concern."
"Then you trust these children to finish this fight?" Rouddim smiled
grimly. "I would rather trust to my own strength -- my own vengeance."
"These 'children' as you say - are trained to do this sort of thing," Fes
smirked. "It is their job, and I intend to let them have the right of
finishing it." At least, as long as I must....
"I have not defied the Magician all this time only to let others finish my
fight!"
"Tough luck on you," Fes shot back.
"You don't know how it's been, keeping the shield out of his hands. I have
been an exile from my own lands, an exile from all lands, for if ever I
stopped moving long enough to settle in one place, he would have me for
sure. I have wandered this planet from pole to pole, through all the most
despicable pits of countries. And the people I've had to deal with, the
scum ready to sell their souls for the technology I offered!"
"Yep, I've dealt with that on a scale much larger than you can ever dream
of, Rouddim, you won't find pity from me."
Ignoring him, Rouddim went on ranting. "And always, wherever I went, the
Boss's men following, thwarting my plans, catching and killing my men. For
that alone -- my associates, my friends -- I have earned my vengeance."
"Yep, uh-huh, sure thing. You done yet?" Fes watched with a bored look.
He knew what vengeance meant.... but he also knew what never acheiving
meant as well. And so, Rouddim didn't phase him.
"Nor was it only the men he sent." Rouddim's voice still bore its former
bitterness, but now there was an almost wistful look in his eyes. "Oh, he
is a crafty one, the Magician and the Wells. They thought to tempt me from
my course with beauty...and such a beauty he sent!"
"So you've said before."
"But not even a beautiful woman could prevent M'allim Rouddim from defying
Sahhar to the end, oh no, no more than you can, my friend." Then
Rouddim's eyes seemed to focus once more on Fes, and he smiled. A more
disturbing smile Fes never thought to see. "Do you know what I did?"
"No, but from the way you're speaking, I have a feeling you're going to
tell me... whether I want to know or not."
"Of course I am, for then you will know that nothing shall deter me,"
Rouddim smiled that... disconcerting smile of his. He proceeded to tell
Fes, in detail, of how he'd broken this woman, body and soul. The things
he'd done to her, and how sweet her screams were in his ears. The way the
crimson of her blood dripped from the wounds he'd inflicted upon her, how
sweet her taste was, the feel of her broken beneath him as he taught her
just how insignificant she was....
"Ah, this Crawler woman, this Marie - she was no match for-"
"Who did you say she was?" Fes had been attempting more and more to ignore
what this man was saying, but even an enemy needed not be treated thus.
And now....
"She was introduced to me as Crawler... and occasionally would use the name
Marie."
"This woman... did she look anything like this?" Fes pulled a small chip
from a protected pocket attatched behind the pendant he wore. He flicked
the side, and a candid holograph appeared before Rouddim.
Rouddim looked at it and sneered proudly, "Yep, that is her-" then his
eyes widened as he realised his mistake. "Y.. you know her? You're one of
the magi-" his voice was cut off as Fes's hand shot out and closed around
his throat.
"I-" he looked up and saw her. The woman he loved... with a bright over-
angry scar crossing her face. "Oh mein Gott, was geschah!" He shook his
head to clear it, "What... what happened?"
"Knife fight," she took out her holdout vibroblade and twirled it in her
hand. "You should see the other guy," she lied.
Fes caught it, "He'd better be dead," Fes growled. "If he isn't, he'll wish
he was."
"Guess what Rouddim.... Sahhar's not the only Magician on this planet," Fes
smiled cruelly. "I'm going to pay you back for what you did to that
woman... and you won't be able to scream, because you won't have any vocal
chords to scream through."
"What do yo-"
Fes removed his hand and his eyes narrowed, and Rouddim's mouth opened in a
silent scream of pain as he felt his voicebox crushed within his throat.
"Taking on that woman was more fatal a mistake than you seem to realise,"
Fes spoke quietly - a fire of pure, unadulterated rage burning in his eyes.
Rouddim's eyes held real fear, and Fes could feel it... and he shunted it
aside from him. He would have no mercy on this man - for this man had had
no mercy on the woman he loved.
"Having trouble breathing now?" he asked in that same soft tone he'd used
since he'd learned of the middle eastern man's actions. "Hoping someone'll
come to your aid and rescue you?" he smirked. "I'm sure she felt the same
way. Perhaps I'm being too lenient? Perhaps maybe your god will have mercy
on you and let you die.... or maybe I'll simply bore of this and kill you
myself?" he chuckled, the sound dark and heartless.
"Are you wondering if I have any mercy in my heart? Are you hoping that
you will be set free, praying by some miracle that you will be rescued from
the brink of death, that this ordeal will stop? Miracles don't happen for
the wicked. Especially not those who have harmed people I care for.
"I'd be willing to bet you wish I'd end it quickly in stead of torturing
you, don't you?" he asked softly, leaning in to speak into Rouddim's ear.
The man was silent, shaking, fearful as he froze. He couldn't say
anything, but his eyes bespoke some alliance between terror.... and
arrogance.
"Perhaps, if I had a wire brush I'd rape you with it.... you'd be in
excrutiating pain, I'm sure, as your skin is torn to shreds...." Rouddim's
eyes widened as he tried to back away from Fes, but unfortunately the agent
had him pinned with a simple look of piercing eyes. "But I don't have a
wire brush... and that would be awfully messy. Maybe I'll just cut off
your..." he made a motion to Rouddim's crotch, "and feed them to you?"
If he could have, Fes was sure Rouddim would have actually squeaked in
fear, judging by the mouthed motions and the widening of the middle-
easterner's eyes. "But I won't. It wouldn't be a very fitting last meal,
would it?" Fes hopped up to sit on the table, still glaring at Rouddim.
From his pocket, he pulled a vibroblade, and switched it on - the faint
humm deafening in the silence.
Rouddim gulped.
"Perhaps I'll use this lovely tool to carve your skin from your body, bit
by bloody bit. Fillet you like a fish, so to speak. If I'm careful
enough, I won't break any important blood vessels, and you can be a walking
mass of muscle tissue...."
Fes paused for several long moments. "But I won't. Again, too messy, and
I don't think I have the time."
Rouddim seemed to sink into his chair in relief as Fes switched off the
tool and returned it to his pocket. "I'm sure I could think of hundreds of
ways to torture you... to keep you conscious while every nerve ending in
your body is put through paces they were not meant to handle. But-" Fes
jumped down from the table and shook his head. "I'm not like you. What
you've done is unforgivable. I'm sure Hell will give you fitting
punishment better than I ever could."
Fes paused in thought for a few moments. "No... Living hell is rather
better than a dead one. I'm sure being tried and convicted for your
crimes, serving the rest of your life in a dank musty cell will be a good
begining to your punishment. You will wish for death and it won't be given
to you... and your release from life will only plunge you into a greater
punishment for what you've done."
With that said, he moved back to the position he'd had when this all began.
Waiting. It would be a lie to say he wasn't hoping Rouddim would try
something.
At least by breaking his voicebox, Fes wouldn't have to listen to him
anymore.
Scratch that.... The German-raised man watched the prisoner with increasing
annoyance as he began tapping on the table, his feet on the floor. It
sounded as though it were quite a racket, in the otherwise silent room.
Rouddim turned his face to look at the blonde man, and smirked - knowing
just how annoying he was being.
"Stop that."
Rouddim kept on going.
Fes growled.
Rouddim smiled.
Ten minutes passed, and finally Fes sighed, closing his eyes a moment to
pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. It was just the break the
Arab was looking for, and before he realised it, Rouddim's hands were
clasped around his own throat. Fes opened his eyes, struggling to pull his
attacker's hands from his throat, his eyes narrowed and calculating.
Rouddim grinned, his thumbs pressing against the hollow of Fes's throat,
his eyes glittering with satisfaction... until Fes's knee crashed into a
rather sensitive place. Rouddim soundlessly winced, reflexively grabbing
tighter around Fes's throat, only to have his own grabbed by one of Fes's
hands.
The ex-NRI agent jumped, flipping over behind Rouddim, taking his hands
with him in an uncomfortable angle, forcing Rouddim to let go. As Rouddim
turned to try and attempt another attack, Fes spun around, his left hand
shooting from his hip, his first two fingers locked extended.... and
imbedded them in the hollow of Rouddim's throat, straight to the final
knuckle.
Rouddim coughed, pulling back, bleeding... coughing.....
Then it was over. Rouddim lay on the floor as Fes rubbed at his throat
with his right hand, unstained by blood. "I should probably thank you for
doing that... but I won't. Burn in hell, you bastard."