Ignorance of Rhetoric (Open; Ask after two)

[Incubi Priest]

Retreat was something Retto Veraber hated. The powerful Jedi had proved his mettle in combat time and time again, and so when the time came for him to run, he was reluctant to say the least. However, now was one of those times, and he was finding safety an unreachable aspect on the swampy planet.

Rumor of a hidden criminal base on the planet Gulma had proven to be true, but not in the way the Tynnan warrior would have liked. The locals, under the undeniable threat of genocide, had turned a blind eye to the masses of criminals hiding in the uninhabited regions of the world. Thus, criminals such as Eul Tymn (the specific one Retto was hunting to be exact) had made the inhospitable swamp a second home.

The Gossam was not the enemy he encountered however, instead being pursued by a silhouette of a man. Covered from head to toe in a black shroud made his features indiscernable, and the force signature of the man resonated so that Veraber was weary of engaging him in combat. With the force aiding him, he sprinted through the swampy muck for any sign of aid or safety...


Even with the force aiding him, fatigue was setting in. He had been driving forward for neraly an hour without respite, all the while his predator toying with him. Leaping from tree to tree, falling back, passing him up and hiding, etc.: the cloaked man wanted to display his power in a way that would either taunt or unnerve the renowned warrior. The time for play was over, and as Retto turned a corner, he was met with the hilt of a lightsaber slammed into his forhead.

The Tynnan's body was whiplashed into the hair hundreds of meters away, colliding into a tree and falling to the ground unconscious. The silhouette chuckled slightly and pulled a syringe, injecting a foreign object into the Jedi's spine before casually abandoning the scene.

Nightfall, Miles Away​

The small town of T'bago was elevated enough out of the swampy terrain to draw the attention of outsiders. Brothels holding jewels of various species, with corridors made to accomodate any debauched fantasy drew the most lecherous individuals, while various cantinas provided both lodging and drink.

The town was obviously for the enjoyment of tourists only, and criminal ones to be precise. No homes filled the small outpost, merely venues with the purpose of humoring sordid vices. Amidst this squalid environment, Eamic Saabal (Shade, though currently under the employment of Eul Tymn) indulged his taboo desires.

Exiting one of the brothels with a wicked and satisfied grin on his face, the Zeltron sauntered across the street to a cantina bustling with activity. The rain pelted down hard, and Eamic blended in perfectly with the mass of criminals. Indeed, an innocent face would be hard to find. Unless, of course, it was subject to unspeakable cruelty.

Entering the cantina and sitting at the bar, he ordered a special cocktail and sipped it lovingly while a drunken Rodian spoke openly to him.

"Ya hear?" He spat in his native tongue, "Rumor has it a Jedi was found snooping around the Maktaki camp. Apparently the *hiccup* guards ran him off and all, but it makes me wonder about the loca-*hiccup*-ls' loyalty."

Eamic grinned and shook his head slowly.

"Friend, if there was a Jedi, where is his body? Surely his head would make a fabulous trophy. If there was one, he escaped or is lost. Now that should be the cause for worry."

"How ya figure?" The rodian took a generous swig from his mug, spilling much of it.

"Jedi are never afraid to send brothers to find their own. Pray that it was just a rumor."

The other alien made to reply, but quickly vomitted all over the counter. Turning his nose up in disgust at the display of unabashed crudeness, Eamic made his way to an open booth, giving word to the waitress to alert him of any prominent individuals...​

 

[Mr Mythos]

A few miles west of the town...

A pathetic trail of smoke rose out of the swamp like a...well, there's no appropriate metaphor here. It rose out of the swamp like a small ship had just crashed. Let us take a closer look at the cause of this smoke.

Let us look at the poorly-crafted ship lying in the swamp, sputtering horribly as its engines die a slow and painful death. NaviComp fails, power shuts down and the spluttering noise slowly stops. There is silence in the swamp now, save for the sound of a solitary creature making an obnoxious noise and completely unaware it is ruining the mood. Let us take a closer look at the pilot of this ship.

A Zabrak lies slumped over console that had only a few seconds ago been flashing warning lights and screeching very loudly. A cable hung down behind him, the last ebbs of power squeezing out of the cut wire with a cool-sounding 'fshshshshshhhssssss...." many of the screens around him are cracked and broken and the console's keypad is missing many keys. He suddenly awakes with a brash, intrepid exclaimation of adventure and intrigue. One that even Columbus himself could not top when he discovered the new continent. And that exclaimation was,
"Where the hell are my fluffy dice?"

His name is Zhun Holth. The last thing he remembers is the landing gear failing (landing gear being four metal poles and hoping you stick them in the right angle) and a sudden electrical noise followed by explosive pain. Ah. Yes. The explosive pain. Now he remembered that too. Pulling back a little from the console revealed a large blackened patch of skin right through his armour showing he had been burnt by a loose cable or somesuch. Every movement ached. Apart from a small patch on his left knee, which had been numb to all pain since the age of seven and he never knew why.

Looking around and through the now-cracked visual observation port (window) and glimpsing the hostile, grumpy landscape outside told Zhun he may have possibly crashed. When you thought about it, this probably was what had happened. The Zabrak half-turned, wincing at the pain to look behind him. He groaned in frustration and despair; his driod Seewun not only gone offline but also had his stupid left motivator crushed by a failing beverage cooler that didn't really keep beverages cool.

He sighed. Zhun heaved himself out of the pilot's seat and onto his stomach where he expelled a number of horrid profanities even a Gamorrean's mother would gasp at as his stomach burn flared into even greater pain as he rolled onto it. Inching forward, one hand on stomach, Zhun made his way over to the dead droid. He gave a sad sigh and removed his hand from his stomach, allowing his wound to touch the cold durasteel floor, white pain exploding throughout his body. Attempting to ignore the pain, Zhun began the arduous task of pushing the beverage cooler-that-didn't-really-cool-beverages off his little companion. And his fluffy dice were still missing...

 

[Lavi]

Alcyone was told that the planet was wonderfully abundant in life and nature. She felt lied to, though it was true in a way. Abundant in criminal life and swampy nature, that's for sure. No longer being required to travel with Indigo or another Taen released much stress and restraint. Indigo and herself never got along very well: they were akin to water and oil.

Luckily, looking somewhat shady, with the hood of Alcyone's brown cloak over her eyes, would allow the Taen to mask her appearance while remaining inconspicuous. Though a Templar during the Alsakan Crisis, she was young and then. Twenty years, and she still looked rather youthful. Slightly taller than the average human, Alcyone worried that her height would draw attention. However, that did not seem to be the case.

She had allowed her bangs to grow out over the years, which coincidentally helped hide her appearance to those close by as the Taen looked around the pub she took shelter in. From her seat at the counter, Alcyone gave a look of disgust as a rodian who had too much to drink regurgitate his food and drink.

Although not an eavesdropper, Alcyone did pick up a word now and then from the conversation the two had. Jedi, ran him off, body, trophy. It didn't take a genius to figure out that they were criminals talking about claiming the Jedi's corpse as a trophy, given where she was.

Finishing the glass of water within her hands, the Taen waved the bartender over and dropped proper payment into his hands before making her way out of the pub.

She walked along the street, allowing the sleeves of her cloak to cover her hands, and began producing a sequence of gestures. Muttering a mantra to aid her, Alcyon finished by placing her hand on a tree she was in arms-reach of. Closing her eyes, her vision swam with images. The tree was connected to the heart of the planet, allowing her to see through its eyes. Seconds of search, skillfully filing through thousands of images, and she found what she searched for. A robed man laid unconscious at the base of a tree, the glint of a lightsaber visible at his belt.

Taking note of its surroundings, Alcyone cut the connection to the tree, and began walking briskly in the other direction. The Jedi is no rumor, though she had to hurry if she wanted to find him before someone else does.

 

[Incubi Priest]

The force sensitive was only in the pub for a brief amount of time, and due to the tumult of the atmosphere, she had gone unnoticed by the Shade during her occupancy. Eamic had sat, sipping on his beverage in the booth, awaiting something monumental or important to happen. He had ignored the gem that was right under his very nose.

It did not remain like this for long, however. The odd power the girl used to "see" the events from earlier alarmed the Shade instantly. He pushed his way through the cantina, going so far as to inconspicuously stab a few patrons who were too stubborn or too arrogant to move. Bursting through the door, he looked back and forth frantically, the signature left by the Templar on the tree drowning out her own presence to him.

Closing his eyes, he focused. Several moments passed, enough so for the girl to be a few hundred meters away from himself before he located her. Augmenting his own speed through the force, he set off after her. Of course, he did so with mere ostensible curiosity. If there was any field that Eamic had mastered, it was the use of the force to manipulate the sentient psyche. Braintool, he called it.

Once within earshot of her, he slowed his movements to a casual walk. Though by now he knew that in his desperation to locate her it was too late: he could still hide his emotions and true intentions, but the signature he left by enhancing his speed would surely be suspicious...

===========================At the Crash Site=======================

Eul Tymn made his way through the thick muck, cursing at his misfortune for being stuck on such an ugly planet. He was surrounded by a group of very threatening aliens, ranging from Besalisks to Wookiees, all heavily armed. Pushing his way on the terrain, he ranted on and on about the planet.

"And for ***** sake, what kind of schutta would actually enjoy living on this pathetic excuse for a Rancor's anus? I mean seriously! I understand that this place was chosen for its local coopera- What in the hell are these?"

Eul bent over and picked up a pair of furry dice, only slightly imbued by the grime that covered the planet's surface. The smoke wasn't discernable in the night sky, but the smell of burning fuel and carbon scoring was soon apparent. Coming over a small hill, he shouted down at the Zabrak below, roughly thirty meters away.

"Hey! These your dice?" He spat before taking a swig from his flask, "Nice landing job there, brother. Don't suppose you have roadside assistance."

Chuckling some, he motioned for his guards to follow as he made his way closer to the man.

 

[Lavi]

She looked over her shoulder as the Art flowed through her, her senses stimulated by a vibrating sensation. The Taen didn't intend to do so, though she did not expect one else to use the Art, though obviously not Tae-trained.

Her heart's pulse quickened, as did her rate of breath, though Alcyone did her best to calm herself as quickly as possible. Her brisk walk slowed, and she came to a stop.

With eyes closed, Alcyone reached into the Art, attempting to distinguish the intentions of this person following her. It offered no reply, as though a wall blocked her way. Strange.

"I very much prefer to be left alone," she said, just loud enough for the other to hear.

 

[Incubi Priest]

"I can't allow that, I'm afraid." Eamic said, stopping when she stopped. The Shade was, despite his prowess in battle, the last person who resorted to violence. He saved his bloodlust for the innocents who happened to cross his path. Isolating his most wicked memory (his first murder, a macabre and gory depiction of the torture and decapatation of a little Zeltron girl that spanned the course of three days), Eamic beamed it into the girl's conscious. He found that he could preserve his memories like movies, this one being his favorite flick.

"I am not showing you this as a threat," Eamic said calmly, "but as a warning. I am not the sickest man on this world, and I do not plan on harming you, but you have been marked since you set foot on this planet. Marked by men who are far more debauched and sadistic than I. Your hunters are my enemies, and this makes you valuable to me. I cannot merely let you walk into the darkness to be assassinated."

Through all of this, the wall was kept up. It was like a two way mirror: while he projected his own memories and spoke his lies, he manipulated his words. Not for them to sound true, but to feel true through the force. The silver tongued devil wasn't exactly sure what he was trying to accomplish, but he knew that harming the girl would indeed be counter productive. Besides, while he was confident with his performance in battle, he enjoyed preying on the defenseless.

"All I ask is that you speak with me."

 

[Lavi]

She cringed as the memory of the butchered zeltron girl passed through her mind. She knew it was not her own memory: the other's words confirmed that. Alert that the man knew the Way, she weighed the man's words with caution.

As he continued, Alcyone felt as though he was an agreeable kind, though brushed it aside as charisma.

"Speak to you about what? Why am I so important that you go out of your way to confront me?" she asked sharply, turning to face this man. A hand, partially obscured by the sleeve of her cloak, formed a seal, the beginning of a technique. Distrust and connection to the Art barred Eamic's Force-influenced speech from swaying her views.

 

[Incubi Priest]

"I rather us not talk here, out in the open, subject to any hidden sniper's demented fun. And trust me, on this planet, thats a very likely possibility." No force-aided persuasion was needed to make his words true: the planet had a reputation for random homicides.

"Somewhere crowded where we'll blend in. You're the only other force sensitive on this planet, other than myself of course, and its tantamount that we stick together. After all, our blood is coveted by those who kill for sport. Accompany me back to the cantina so I may explain myself further?"

 

[Lavi]

((Uber shortness ftw.))

"I have an errand that I need to attend to immediately," she replied, "if so desire, you may accompany me."

 

[Mr Mythos]

Meanwhile, At The Crash Site...

Zhun stood outside the smoking mess that was The Rebel. He was up to his knees in swamp mud and he held above his head the little Astromech droid with the broken motivator. He was inspecting the damage when someone called out to him.

He turned around and watched the man move closer to him, revealing in the dim light he was accompanied by a group of guards. Despite their menacing appearances, Zhun looked almost cheerful.
"My dice!" He exclaimed in jubilation, joyful at the possibility of being reuinted with his precious fluffies. He waded over to the ship and put Seewun down on top of one of the engine housings before turning around to speak with the Gossam who had spoken too him. He casually checked his holster to check his pistol was still their but making it look like he was scratching his leg. The burn Zhun had suffered was still bringing him immense pain and he found it hard to even concentrate on counting how many bodyguards this man had.
"I appear to have crashed," He explained in the same way a child tells his teacher that the sky is blue.

 

[Incubi Priest]

"Well yea, I can see that. I'm short, I'm not blind." Eul had an odd twitch about him when he spoke, jerking occasionally and never letting his facial features sit placid. Of course, this new development in his mannerisms was the result of heavy drug abuse: his spice was the best in the galaxy by far, which proved far too tempting to resist.

"Whats your name? And there's no use lying to me, not because I'm docile, but because ultimately, I don't really give a damn either way. Just curiosity really. Besides, I have the habit of extending my hospitality to people in need, but not if they're suspicious of me. And kid, you look like you could use some hospitality right about now."

===============================================================

Eamic was disappointed. However, the powerful Force Adept knew that any demands wouldn't sit well with his current opposite. The Zeltron hadn't killed her, and she hadn't killed him, which proved she was no fool nor criminal. This made her as dangerous as he, and ignorance of her full potential deterred any immediate threat from Saabal. No rumination was needed as the Shade was acting on improvisation rather than preparation, and his options were highly limited at the moment.

"I'm not one to be lured into the dark by strangers," Eamic said calmly, "and I am familiar with treachery. My weapons will stay on my person, for defense purposes of course, and I ask that you make no attempt to take them from me. With that said, what is this errand? Or is time a factor you cannot take lightly?"

At the last inquiry, Eamic started walking. Not towards her exactly, but the original direction she was headed. He did not expect her to have a leisurely conversation in light of her "immediate errand".

 

[Lavi]

"Time is of essence," Alcyone replied, turning to walk towards her destination. "You may keep your possessions, but do not draw anything within arms reach of myself or the one I am to meet."

The Tae continued on, walking briskly. She didn't trust this one: the other's attempt to lure her back to the cantina was the indicator. However, it didn't hurt to keep an eye on him: she knew that the other knew that the Tae was a wildcard in terms of combat abilities, and intended to keep it that way.

The less she had to tell the Council when she returned to Tae'Sha, the better.

 

[Mr Mythos]

"My name's Zhun."
He looked over at the smoking ship (well, if you could call it a ship). It would appear from an initial glance that one of the engines were bust. Not to mention the ship was on its side. It needed to be standing in an upright position to launch, like the old-fashioned rockets. The Zabrak winced again as another wave of pain wracked his body.
"Yeah, I think you might be right. I could use a little help..." he noticed the Gossam's twitch but didn't say anything, nor did he ask the creature's name in case this may be classified as being 'suspicious.'

 

[Incubi Priest]

"Agreed." Eamic remained calm, his placid demeanor no longer being a facade. The Zeltron had amazing control over his own body and mind, and it didn't take long for him to reach a tranquil state. He followed the girl, unaware of who he was to meet nor where his trek would lead him.

"My name is Kunta Rishki," Saabal lied. His name was well known in many circles, with a numerous amount of opinions about his lifestyle and powers, "so you're not traveling with a complete stranger."

He let out a small chuckle, his attempt at calming the tension between the two working well enough for him. However, he didn't try to read into his newfound companion's aura: force adepts often knew when someone was trying to pry into their being.

================================================================

"Eul Tymn. No doubt you know my name, especially if you're on this planet. And if you haven't heard of me, you're either a cop or a hermit. Only one of those titles will earn you a slug in your skull, so I'd pick which one it's gonna be, and I'd do it pretty damn fast." Eul laughed some and smiled at the man. His words were only partially facetious as they carried an ostentatious undertone of importance and gravity.

"I'll send word to the vultures that this is my ship. That'll keep it safe. It'll remain your's of course, but you might get a chance to upgrade sooner than you think. Serendipity is everywhere kid. Come, walk with me to some place safe. Nights are pretty dangerous around here. Uka grab the droid, Yan, get the man some spice. The downer kind, I don't want him wincing anymore like that. I'll have my medics take a look at you."

To some it would seem rude, but Eul wasn't one to be rejected lightly, especially without a good reason. After all the Gossam had revealed his identity, and therefore his location in the Galaxy. A war was brewing with himself as the catalyst, and there were many who would love to find the criminal juggernaut. Setting off at his fast (well, fast for his stature) pace, Eul merely waved for the man to follow.

================================================================

Retto awoke violently with a sharp kick to the ribs. Many bones were already cracked, and having entered a state of unconsciousness unwillingly made meditative healing through the force an unrealistic possibility. Still exhausted, the Tynnan Jedi found himself naked in a small hut. He sat in a mixture of what resembled animal defecation and vomit, a chain around his neck keeping him secured to the wall. Two large Gammoreans chuckled as they saw him rise slowly, his abilities and profession lost on them.

"What have you done with my things? My clothes, my light-...my tools. Where are they?"

The pigfaced menaces snorted indignantly at their captive.

"We found little rat naked in swamp. Boss told G'hrukku and Brak to bring rat to base. Don't know why, don't care why. Now little rat shuts up!" One of the gargantuan thugs sent a sharp kick to the Jedi master's sternum, knocking the air out of him and sending him back to the ground.

 

[Mr Mythos]

The Zabrak paused. Eul Tymn...Eul Tymn...where had he heard that name? He shook it off and took after the Gossam. He swore he had heard the name somewhere before, but he was a little more concerned as to why, if his words were presumed honest, this alien was helping him. The universe works in mysterious ways... Zhun thought to himself, hobbling after the Gossam, one hand still tightly pulled over his abdomen. He looked over his shoulder back at his ship, specifically at the little astromech droid propped up on the left engine. Though he was loathe to admit it, Zhun had grown somewhat attached to the little piece of scrap. Well, that and he couldn't actually leave the planet without the droid fully functional. And then there was this question again of why this criminal was helping him. Well, Zhun assumed he was a criminal as he had several bodyguards, carried spice with him and talked with a sense of superiority. But then again, a lot of people would consider Zhun himself a criminal. First there was that bomb in the spice mines...then those three Gand villages that suddenly disappeared...
The Mercenary could only hope Eul was as good as his word.

 

[Lavi]

"Alcyone," she introduced herself. The name was what she given herself in Galactic Basic, seeing that it is easier to remember than her original name in the Alsakan Tae dialect.

She continued moving in silence, moving through the swamp with relative ease. Her familiarity with nature's course aided her in her movement as swampy ground gave way to a swampy forest. A couple times she looked back to check upon the zeltron's progress, to make sure she was not leaving him behind (or straying to close to herself). It took about twenty minutes of non-stop walking, and they arrived.

However, the Jedi was nowhere to be found. Alcyone frowned as she walked to the spot where she remembered the Jedi laying unconscious. Too late.

 

[Incubi Priest]

"I take it your contact has failed to arrive as you had hoped, Alcyone." Eamic walked forward and squatted down by the area where the Jedi had fallen. Looking around with scrutinizing eyes, the Shade saw marks that were barely discernible to the naked eye. Large footprints had been embedded in the thick muck, but the moisture of the region had quickly filled them with tainted water. However, Eamic was one to notice detail, and this was no exception.

"If your contact was a heavyset male, from the shape of the prints a Gammorean, then he was here, and with companions I might add." Eamic moved from one print to another, measuring the depth of the puddle with his fingers. "They moved slowly, hence the deep imprints. A faster pace would mean less contact with the ground per step, therefore leaving more shallow indentations. Were you too late to meet with them?"

=================================================================

Eul handed the man an odd looking syringe with thick oily substance inside.

"Its Urkikik Gauze, some spice manufactured on this very planet. If you're one of those health freaks then don't worry, it will be legalized for medical purposes as a high dosage pain reliever in war scenarios within the month. Besides, it's rude to turn down a gift. It'll help."

Eul moved at his usual pace, making the three mile trek a journey with limited strain on the lower body. He took his convoy to a deep and foreboding lake, the movement of lethal predators below the surface hidden as they watched their potential prey with hungry eyes. One of the bodyguards used a commlink to contact an anonymous person, and after a short code relay, the beginning of a large reinforced tunnel arose from the water and onto the shore.

"It's safe, Zhun, don't worry. These tunnel walls are nearly indestructible, with a few extra security measures in effect to deter any creatures." He began walking on the gradual slope downward, the thick gray walls preventing any animals from seeing in, or any personal from seeing out. "It's about a mile down, just to let you know."

 

[Mr Mythos]

The Zabrak took the hypodermic with his free hand and turned his head away from the object. It reminded him of oil. Regardless, he took the syringe and injected the entire thing into his neck. The effect was almost instant. There was a sudden dulling in the explosive pain in Zhun's midsection. He slowly took his arm away and found it easier to walk. He began to pick up the pace, walking a little closer to the Gossam.

As the small party entered the tunnel, Zhun began to wonder just how tall this Gossam (forgive the pun) was in the criminal world. Evidently he was very rich if he could afford to build giant tunnels that rose from the bottom of lakes. He was just trying to think of some big criminals when he remembered where he had heard his rescurer's name.

A while back Zhun had been doing some work for a shady underground operation on Coruscant involving the smuggling of slaves. Now he personally hadn't agreed with the conditions the slaves were being kept in but what was more important was that he overheard one of the guard's mention the name of the Gossam. Then he had heard it again when procuring a spacecraft full of volatile explosives. In fact, when the mercenary came to think of it, he had heard the name quite a few times. Evidently this individual had a lot of fingers in a lot of pies.

"Looks like you've made quite a living for yourself, Mr Tymn," Zhun commented "I've heard your name mentioned more than a few times during my work."

 

[Lavi]

The Tae kneeled before the Gamorrean footprint, her nose wrinkling at the stench that obviously indicated a lack of hygiene. "I was not to meet any Gamorrean. He was taken by them."

She remained reluctant to tell Kunta that the contact was really an unconscious Jedi, though it was certain that the other could read the environment almost as well as herself.

 

[Incubi Priest]

"I don't doubt it, Zhun. I provide jobs for countless smugglers, mercenaries, etc. I'm less of a criminal overlord and more of a philanthropist for the illicit members of society. Tell me, what jobs did I employ you on?"

One of the guards slowly and quietly lifted a pistol to the back of the man's head. He had no intention of shooting the Zabrak, unless of course the alien's answer was a sign to his allegiance with any law enforcement agencies.

=================================================================

"So what is your plan?" Eamic said as he leaned against a tree and brought a cigarette to his lips, lighting it as he balanced his saber hilt perfectly in front of him with naught but the Force. "Go find these fat piggies and slaughter them? Vigilante gun-ho action? You're not going to find the Jedi, he's probably dead by now."

Eamic stopped smoking the cigarette. He had been careless in the low tension between the two. She had not mentioned a Jedi, nor that she had been searching for one. Keeping his eyes locked on her, he waited to see how she would take the information of his knowledge of the current situation.