Ask Nar Shaddaa A Fork in the Road

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied's demeanor immediately started wilting once he stepped inside the Rancor. Too cramped, too noisy. It was like everything he hated about Nar Shaddaa had been crammed into one stuffy room. He grumbled like a moody child, rubbing his shoulder after Aska gave him a quick punch. "Yeah..." He muttered simply in reply.

Leaving the bounty hunter to her own devices Klied followed her advice and started milling around the bar. He wasn't exactly the best at 'mingling' with people. Thinking about it a little more the hunter realized he had sort of just poured his life out in front of a woman he barely knew back in Deskar's. Why was that? Had he really been that desperate to get those feelings off his chest? Or was it because he felt the two of them shared something in common?

His train of thought was derailed when he overheard a pair of Klatoonians in a booth nearby. "You remember T'lol?" One was asking.

"Jalir?" The other replied. "Yeah I remember that old sap. Haha, figured he probably got himself killed years ago..."

"I hear he's on Coruscant now, running his own operation." The first went on. "He's made it pretty big too. Got half the lower levels after him."

"No kidding?" The second asked. "Huh, maybe I'll head to the Core then, see if he's hiring. Anything's better than working this dung heap of a world."

Klied crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, continuing to listen in on their conversation. Talking he wasn't so great at. Snooping on the other hand? That he could do. It already seemed to be bearing fruit.

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

“What’ll it be?”

”A Corellian Screwdriver and two shots of Bakuran rum,”

After Aska placed her order with the Weequay behind the bar and the man went about preparing it, the young clone turned back to the action packed bar. While she had only visited the place a handful of times before, she always told herself she would return for a night out. The smell of sweat and liquor was overwhelming and yet oddly enough, it was a wonderful reprieve from the odor that dominated the moon outside. Men and women of a variety of species moved closely together in a near erotic fashion as the music pounded, shaking some of the bottles of alcohol on the glass shelves behind the bar. Feeling a grin beginning to dominate her jaw, Aska began to tap the counter with her fingers in tune with the beat.

“Seventeen credits, lady,”

Swiftly spinning back to the Weequay, smile still beaming on her face, Aska pulled the payment out and placed it on the counter before sliding both shots towards her and tipping each back in succession. As she did, the Weequay took another close look at her.

“Say… Don’t I know you?” he asked with a pondering, suspicious look.

”You probably wish ya did, but nah,” Aska said dismissively, still smiling. ”I’ve never been in here before. Okay, I was in here once but I was delivering some… cargo,” Aska lied.

“Ah, that must be it then,” Even as he said it, the Weequay didn’t look convinced. Aska chuckled, tapping the bar for two more shots to which the man complied.

”I always wanted to come and see this place when it was alive. It was shut down the day when I had been here last,” Pausing, Aska glanced over her shoulder and easily spotted Klied leaning on a pillar near a pair of Klatoonians. Anooba fur sure was an easy thing to pick out of a crowd, so feeling confident the man was still in good shape, she returned her attention to the Weequay as he placed the shots before her but slid one back to him. Smiling, the man grasped the shot and raised it to cheers the young woman. ”So,” Aska began before taking her shot. ”Who owns this place anyway?” With a sly chuckle, the Weequay followed suit and drank the liquor before giving Aska a menacing look.

“Best you don’t know, kid,”

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

As it turned out the two Klatooinians were very chatty. They must have been old friends who hadn't talked in a while, because they were filling each other in on everything, and Klied as well. They were gangsters, Hutt scum. That wasn't very interesting, but this Jalir T'lol guy was. A notable enforcer in his younger days, got it into his head he was something special and broke with the cartel. For most folks that was a death sentence, but he managed to make his way to the core and carve out his own little section of the underworld. There would be a lot of folks gunning for him no doubt, which meant Klied just had to find out who had posted the largest bounty.

The hunter took a moment to turn his attention away from the booth and back towards the bar. Aska stood there, proceeding to drink even more it seemed. Klied smirked, but then noticed something. He wasn't the only one looking her way. A number of rough looking characters hidden among the other patrons seemed to have taken an interest in her. Heavily armed patrons. There were a few looking his way too, and he did not care for the expressions on their faces. Klied knew a hungry predator when he saw one. He paused to ponder if he had any enemies that might have sent hired guns after him. None came to mind, so he figured they were after the bounty hunter and by accompanying her he had earned a spot on their hitlist as well.

Klied stood up smoothly and approached the bar with a casual gait, trying to look as unassuming and oblivious as possible. He took a spot besides Aska and spoke in a low voice. "Don't look now but I think we've got a few admirers..." He informed her coolly. "You wouldn't happen to know of any people that might prefer it if you were dead would you?" His hand was already on the hilt of his hunting knife. He wasn't about to start a fight, but hell if he wasn't going to give them one if they came at him.

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

”Who says you know what’s best for me, dude?” Aska replied while doing her best to remain composed though a slight hint of annoyance could be heard in her tone.

“Ohhh, let’s just say our boss is one to hold… Grudges,” The Weequay replied, though to a certain degree Aska was able to pick up on the menace in his stare. Beginning to feel uncomfortable, she slowly moved her right hand to her holster but was interrupted as Klied had arrived at her side. His words were quiet and barely could be heard over the loud music but she caught them.

”Just one…”

”If it isn’t the Jedi wanna-be,”

Her voice sent shivers down Aska’s spine as she noticed the young Rodian woman walking out from the back room in behind the bar.

”Boola…” The hairs on Aska’s neck began to stand as the music slowly began to fade away. Soon, Aska could hear the ruffle of movement behind her and Klied though she didn’t need to turn to know it was more of Boola’s men.

”And you’ve brought a new friend!” The Rodian glanced around the room with her large blue eyes before turning her focus back towards Aska. ”The little Jedi girl isn’t with you then?” Aska gritted her teeth as her hand wrapped itself tightly around her blaster.

”Ditched the kid first chance I got. I figured you would have gotten off Nar Shaddaa after I burnt holes in your boss, schutta,” Boola laughed heartily as she placed her hand on the Weequay server’s shoulder and gently easing him away.

”Terrik was nothing but a pay cheque, girl. A pay cheque you still owe me for,”

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied remained still as the two women spoke, listening quietly while his eyes scanned over the room. Counting the Rodian it seemed they were outnumbered five to two, and that was assuming there weren't more thugs waiting in the crowd to come forward if they were needed. Not great odds, but not terrible. These people had already made the mistake of rolling right up close. That gave them an advantage, so long as they didn't let themselves get ganged up on.

The hunter raised an eyebrow at the descriptor 'Jedi wanna-be'. Was Aska Force sensitive? And who was this Jedi girl that was brought up? Questions for later. These thugs were clearly looking for a fight, and with the alcohol in his system Klied was more than eager to humor them. He lowered his hand to the hilt of his hunting knife.

"Terrik was nothing but a pay cheque, girl. A pay cheque you still owe me for."

"Maybe we can split the bill?" He asked the Rodian with a vicious smirk, slowly pulling the blade from it's sheath. He could practically feel the others closing in on them, reaching for their weapons. The adrenaline started pumping through him as he began to go through the fight in his mind, who he would attack first, how he would keep the other opponents at bay while dealing with one at a time. "You take credit or wupiupi?"

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

Aska felt the grimace break across her lips as Klied spoke to Boola with sarcasm. Not because she felt it inappropriate but because he had stolen the first quip from her. Still, she quickly replaced the scowl with a sarcastic grin of her own to match her co-hort. The ringing of his knife being pulled from it’s sheath cut through the now silent bar though Aska could still feel the eyes of the patron’s behind her bearing down on her back.

”This partner at least has a sense of humour… It’s a shame he isn’t funny,” Boola said calmly, raising her hand to bring her thug’s to a halt. ”You look like you’ve been enjoying yourself this evening, girl. Perhaps you’ve had enough to drink?” Boola asked before pulling a bottle of rum from the shelf behind her and beside the sound and light systems. Turning back to face the pair, she placed three shot glasses on the counter and proceeded to fill them. ”Or perhaps you’d like one last drink before you die here?” The Rodian slowly pushed two of the shots towards them before picking up her own, using her other hand to pull a blaster from her holster and placing it on the counter, aimed directly at Aska.

”I’ve never been one to need an excuse for another drink, sleemo,” Aska said confidently as she picked up the glass. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears, but she knew she needed to remain calm if she was going to walk away from this bar with her life and limbs. ”Y’know,” Aska continued as she slowly began to raise the glass to her lips. ”I should have known it would come to this honestly. You do seem the type to hold a grudge,”

”Would you not do the same if someone cheated you out of a profit?” Boola responded as she raised the shot to meet the level of Aska’s. ”Put the knife away, boy. You can still walk away. We have no issue with you and so long as you don’t create one, we can leave it that way,” Boola locked eyes with Klied as she put the shot back. Following suit, Aska poured her own in to her mouth. It was time.

Using the moment Boola was distracted by Klied, Aska quickly locked her eyes on the light and sound system console and eyed up the activation button. Calling back on her training on Coruscant, she took focus on the button and wound up to throw the glass , watching it as it soared through the air and slammed into the target. Immediately, the loud music and flashing lights once again dominated the room and allowed Aska the chance she needed. Ducking down, she pulled her blaster and aimed upwards before pulling the trigger. Blue energy soared forward and seared a hole into the bottom of the Weequay server’s jaw, his body falling to the floor.

”Time to go!”

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

The tension in the room was palpable, but Klied seemed more excited by the violence that was about to take place than anything. He raised his glass along with the two women. When the Rodian encouraged him to walk away he smiled widely at her.

"I could," He agreed with her. "Wouldn't be very gentlemanly though, after the lady invited me here. So I think I'll stick around, see how this goes..." He downed his rum just as Aska did. When the bounty hunter hurled her glass towards the sound system Klied turned and slammed his into the face of the man that had been creeping up on him. As the thug went down screaming and clutching his bloodied face the hunter wasted no time in pulling out his knife and rushing forward. The next man in his sights was going for his blaster. The fool should have had it in his hand already if he meant to start a fight, but it was too late now. Klied slammed into him and jammed his knife between the man's ribs before shoving him to the floor.

The bar was in chaos now as people either started screaming and looking for cover, or drawing their weapons to join the fray. As Klied heard Aska's call to flee he continued moving forward through the gap he had made, expecting the bounty hunter to be behind him. The exit was some distance away, and already blaster bolts were starting to fly. They'd either have to make a break straight for the door or find cover before they both got fried.

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

The chaos began to fuel Aska as she scrambled to her feet from the base of the counter. Somehow, she knew the night was going to end this way. It usually did. As the woman began to regain her composure, liquid on the floor of the bar quickly slid her feet from under her and she hit the ground once again. The booze definitely wasn’t helping her composure but she knew the adrenaline was going to be enough to get her to safety. Placing her hand on the floor to push herself up once again, Aska noted that the fluid she had slipped on wasn’t cold as she had expected but was instead warm and thick. Blood. With laughter, she pushed herself up and began to sprint behind Klied. It seemed her companion wasn’t afraid to get dirty, and she respected that.

”Where did they go?! Shut those damn lights off!”

Boola’s words could hardly be heard over the booming music but even if they did manage to hear her barking orders, it was too late. Aska quickly pulled her blaster from it’s holster and spun back to face the mob of gangsters and patrons alike. She didn’t want to hurt civilians but her life was on the line and it was her priority. Firing three blasts into the crowd while doing her best to ensure they hit only armed targets, she took a few steps back towards the door. She was almost in the clear and with Klied ahead of her, she needed to delay any pursuers. Then she remembered how she intervened Boola only weeks ago.

Turning back and finally making her way into the busy street, on-lookers watching in fear and anticipation of what was coming from The Rancor, Aska laughed with a wave before blasting the control panel of the door. As it slid shut, she dug into her jacket and felt the metal cylinder she was searching for. Pulling it out and hitting the activation stud, a crimson blade of energy erupted before she slammed it deep into the door and holding it in place, allowing the blade to weld the door shut before pulling it free and returning the hilt to her jacket.

”Sorry to keep you waiting, pal. Let’s get out of here. I think this night is over for the both of us,”

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

The flashing lights and crowd of panicking patrons turned out to be in Klied's favor, as none of the thugs were able to hit their mark. Bursting out of the Rancor he turned in time to see Aska just a few steps behind him, blasting the door shut and then whipping out a lightsaber of all things to seal their pursuers inside.

Klied stood there panting, looking at the bounty hunter with a bewildered expression. "What are you a bounty hunter and a Jedi?" He asked confusedly. "Anything else you want to tell me about?" Whether or not she wanted to didn't really matter. She was right, they were still in trouble and had to get away from there. As they ran off to put some distance between them and the pirates, or whatever it was chasing them, Klied couldn't help but let out a winded laugh. He had always loved it when he felt like this. In his eyes being in a life or death scenario produced a better high than any drug ever could. He had traveled the galaxy finding increasingly deadly creatures chasing that high, but nothing seemed to stack up to the dangers presented by fighting his fellow human beings.

Maybe Aska was right, maybe bounty hunting would be just what he needed. A small part of him still felt a twinge of guilt and shame, like he was missing something. Like he was doing something wrong. He knew Odo would frown on such things if he witnessed it, but Klied couldn't help himself. Intentional or not, this was what his uncle had made him into. A hunter.

@Tulos

 

[Aska Ryun]

Aska continued walking passed Klied and through the crowd as he asked his question. They couldn't simply stand here but she felt she owed him an explanation, or perhaps it was just the liquor still doing it's work within her blood.

"Maybe I killed a Jedi and I took it from him?" she joked softly after they had managed to put some distance between them and the chaos that raged within The Rancor. "Nah," she continued after allowing only a moment of pause long enough for Klied to hear and absorb what she had said but didn't give him the opportunity to reply. "I was given the lightsaber on Lothal. I've worked with Jedi before though! And Sith, clearly. Boola was a hunter that was also after the same target I was pursuing on Onderon and thing's there got... Weird." she finished with a smug grin before ducking into a turbolift. As Klied was about to follow her into the elevator, she held out her hand and gently pushed him back to the walkway. They were far enough from the club now that there was no immediate threat, anyway.

"Look, I think it is probably best if we go our separate ways now, pal. I'm guessing Boola is going to be coming after me harder than ever, and now you're in my mess too. Unfortunate, but that's the way it is," The door for the lift began to whir shut but she quickly reached out and held the button used to keep it open for a moment. "I'm going to get off the moon for a few weeks. You probably should too," Aska stopped one last time and smirked at the man before her. "Maybe tonight didn't go the way either of us anticipated it would but I hope you know what you needed to learn. An old woman once told me the thing's we look for have a tendency of finding us before we find them. I think everything you need found you tonight. I'll see ya around, Klied," With that, Aska released the button and gave the Klied a non-chalant salute as the door shut between them.

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied still wasn't exactly satisfied by Aska's explanation. The lightsaber was just given to her? Weren't they supposed to be deeply personal possessions to their owners? He supposed it didn't really matter, the bounty hunter was alright in his book. He was about to follow her into the elevator when she stopped him, instead opting to part ways then and there.

Klied gave the woman a little smile as she spoke. "Fair enough, there's not much left for me here anyway." He said in response to her advice of getting off-world for a time. "What I anticipated doesn't particularly matter I think. I'm happy with how things worked out. See ya." He echoed her goodbye with a little wave. As the bounty hunter disappeared Klied put his hands in his pockets and continued down the walkway, a smile on his face. It had been an interesting night, and now he had some sense of direction for what he wanted to do.

Jalir T'lol. It sounded like he was heading to Coruscant. Hopefully this bounty hunting idea would pay off. Hopefully this wasn't the last time he'd cross paths with Aska either, he had enjoyed the woman's company. And hopefully he wouldn't have a pounding headache when he woke up in the morning, he couldn't even remember how many drinks he'd had...

/Exit Thread
@Tulos