Pressures of the Underworld

[Phil]

LFN thought he heard something when others started to come nearby, and from the looks of it they had no idea what they were getting into. This was already getting fun though, and now he got to see some people in action. Kemp being on the side was noticed by LFN, but was not a huge priority as he figured he had a plan of his own.

"This really isn't a fair fight though, Rosa. Not for them anyways."

And thats when both of his wrist blades came out and the rodian hunter vanished from sight, but he was heard running. Before the Balosar could even react fast enough, he gasped for air as LFN had uncloaked upfront of him no more then seven seconds after he disappeared and Rosa had taken the head off the Cathar. Yanking his blades out of the Balosar's abdomen, they retracted back into their compartments and LFN had taken himself a meat sponge. Using his left hand to grip the dying Balosar as his right hand took out his SMG, he fired on the trouble makers as he backed up until he was by a bench he could use. Noticing his front side was now covered in his hostage's blood, he kicked him square in the back away from him and leaped behind cover, catching a few blaster shots in the shoulder pad.

Thanking for such durable armor, he yanked out his other SMG from his hip and went to fire on the group, managing to draw one of the gunslinging Barabel's attention to him and away from Rosa.

 

[DeathToll]

The two Barabels remained, and in strong relentless attack pounding down on Rosa's and LFN's positions. The one Barabel stood behind a wall of flame, scorching the landscape around Rosa; the other's repeater seemed to never overheat or run out of ammo. They snickered with drooling lisps as they kept to a fair cover each of them. But they had only counted on facing two enemies.

Just then, the one Barabel screamed bloody murder as his own flame swooped and hissed back around like a tornado in on itself; the entire wave of fire consuming his body!

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!"

There! Kemp stood just outside of the doorway with a crossed right hand in the air controlling the monumental flames. His disguise had slid off, barely clinging to the curves of his arms; as his youthful face shown stern yet with a smirk - intoxicated with the competition of battle. Then with a twisting torc of his body, his left arm swung over as he threw the blazing lizard right into collision with the other (whom had begun turning his gun towards the commotion and thus leaving himself open to the others) and stumbled back into the doorway from the wrenching movement. Catching his right hand onto the door lining, Kemp's eyes followed the soaring fireball of a Barabel to make sure they slammed into each other and to see if his two companions were alright..

 

[Number-75]

Rosa let out a low whistle as the flame carbine Bara got charbroiled by his own flame carbine and hurled at the other Bara before falling back into cover to reload her now empty revolvers.

Placing down the revolver in her left hand, she flipped the lock on her other revolver, the front half fell forward, and the moonclip with empty cases flew through the air. Rosa's left hand shot up, caught it, and stuffed it into a pouch before moving to another pouch underneath the cloak, pulling out a fully loaded moonclip, and then she slotted the moonclip into her revolver, closing it carefully before locking it. She repeated this process with the other revolver before holstering the two of them.

Taking a few breathers, Rosa took out her assault rifle and flicked the safety off the grenade launcher. Firing a HE grenade into the burning mass of Bara's, she grinned in satisfaction as the Bara's were torn apart by the explosion sending flaming flesh flying all over the place.

Finally, she waved at Kemp and motioned for him to get over to his cover spot before sending a burst of rifle fire towards the Anomid.

 

[Phil]

Seeing the blaze of fire erupt around one of the barabels before he was shot right towards his counterpart after Kemp revealed himself, LFN did not question it as he went onto the offense. Gripping his dual SMGs, he leaped over the bench as his jets on his feet activated and he flew into the air, looking down at the anomid as he aimed his SMGs down and fired more blaster bolts towards him as his jets activated to soften his fall as he came down.

 

[DeathToll]

On one side of the street, some charred remains still crackled with a small flicker of fire. The other side seared with the battered scraps of their wrath, a background for target practice. And at it's center, dove the aerated Anomid; riddled with blaster marks. His body splattered onto the middle of the intersection, and Kemp looked away. But he still felt him there. Kemp looked back at the poor soul and ran to the Anomid, though stopping a couple feet away. He tilted his head in and looked to see if he had actually survived.

"AH!!!"

Kemp jerked back at the sight of the Anomid's sudden breath and outstretching arm.

"huhh..."

The Anomid's body was a bit flat at parts, and ...not so intact at other parts. But still he held on for a bit longer.

"...how...? ...who...?"

Kemp seemed frozen in place, lost in the inability to break his stare. He had almost forgotten averything around him and why he was even here..

 

[Number-75]

Rosa unsealed her helmet as she walked over to Kemp and the dying Anomid, rifle still in hand, a huge smile on her face. "Man! Did'ja see that headshot? Ah swear, that was the luckiest shot Ah've eva fried."

As she walked closer, she clipped her helmet to a pair of straps on her backpack, stopping as she noticed the still breathing Anomid. She let out a low whistle as she saw noticed how the Anomid was still living. "Well damn, he is frakked up beyond belief! Hmmm don't think we'll be gettin much outta him... Well, that leaves disposal duty ta me Ah guess~"

She pulled her rifle up and unloaded 5 shots into the Ano's skull, the smile never once leaving her face as she painted the ground with the blood and brains of the Ano. Pulling her rifle up so that it was leaning on her shoulder, she kicked the body in where the ribs might be a few times with her boot, just to make sure that the body was going to stay that way and not pull out a pistol when they turned on it.

After making sure that the Ano was dead by shooting it a few more times, she dropped down on the ground and started patting the body down, pausing only to turn her attention to Kemp. "What'cha waiting fer? Help me search da bodies. They just might have somethin on their bodies that'll tell us who they're workin fer.."

 

[Phil]

LFN landed on the ground with a thud, holstering his SMGs when he saw that the battle was over. Standing to his feet, he looked down the dying Anomid as he tried to mouth something. He was done, and no need to listen to what he needed as he went to silence him only to be interupted by Rosa finishing the job. Once she had made sure he was dead, he turned towards her.

"Impresive work there. I like the way you handle yourself, as well as your enemies."

He spoke, a slight bit of amusement in his tone as he went towards the Balosar, using his boot to get him on his back as he picked up his gun. It would catch a fine price on the market if he cared about pawning such items. Extending his right wrist blade, he cut off the pocket tops on the body and went to see if he could find anything, any useful data or spare credits at that.

 

[DeathToll]

"Whoawhoawhoa!!!"

Kemp covered his face with crossing arms and turned away at the devious shots of Rosa's pistols, feeling it uncalled for and over the top. But he did nothing. He himself knew the ways of the already dirty hands, but never did he go so far as to shoot them while they were down or so dastardly beat their dead bodies and going such lengths. Kemp didn't realize until now how sheltered he had become, once again; this time not because of his stepfather's palace, but this time due to the secluded Jedi Temple.

Turning back, all he could do was watch the two tear apart each body in search of clues and weapons. Kemp, still unable to wipe away that cringe on his face, stepped forward towards Rosa without actually helping.

"There! What's that?"

Kemp pointed to the underside of the Anomid's lapel, where what looked to be a gold pin of a falcon hung. Kemp remembered how the ambush started, how the Anomid stood above the very building he stood under, and how these thugs only just appeared.

"We must be close... Wait..."

Kemp turned around and eyed the structure. Realizing the wear and tear of the years on such a color and how it may look now, realizing the stress of time and what some letters might be just above him, and realizing the perfect cover for a back alley ...a building.

Kemp now had his back turned to the rest of them, though there were still things to find. The Anomid's blood-stained pants pocket held a wallet sized package of sorts, folded over a small data pad. Once accessed, there would appear a line of a simple code; like a security pin. As well, the Anomid carried some significant credits in a hidden rib pocket strapped to his body, should the pocket be found.

"Wait..."

Kemp repeated himself before bursting into a speedy walk straight into the dim building's open dorrway. He headed straight for the back door, which was not very hard to find as the structure of walls and intricacy seemed to no longer exist. Then, shortly after disapearing, he called back.

"Hey! Guys!"

 

[Number-75]

Rosa gave LFN a smile at the compliment as she found the credits on the Anomid's hidden pocket. "Well, Ah've been shootin since Ah was fifteen and ya tend ta get good at it when yer workin for a mob boss. That and my 3 years in a PMC as a foot soldja helped." Stuffing the credit chip into one of the various pouches around her waist, she started to work on the other bodies while Kemp investigated something.

Rosa started to work on looting the other bodies and had looted the Cathar's massive hammer, the Balo's dual blaster pistols, and was in the process of looting the other bodies if their credits when she heard Kemp cry out.

Taking the credit chips, she stuffed them into one of her pouches and started dragging the hammer behind her, following his voice. When she made it where he was, she let out a whistle at the sight. "Nice~"

 

[Phil]

After getting what he needed and filled his compartments, LFN rose to his feet as he listened to the few words Rosa told him. Once they were done looting, he turned to where Kemp was speaking and slowly made his way towards him, retracting his wrist blades as he barely noticed the blood of his enemy was on his chest plate. Going through the door way the other two went, LFN stopped behind Kemp and decided to take a look around from where he stood.

"Well, can't say I'm too surprised that it was hidden this well."

 

[DeathToll]

Kemp stood there, without much light, before a large steel plate of a door. There was half a wall overlapping the massive thing, seemingly pushed away very recently; no doubt by the scum that littered the street outside, which Kemp still held on to. He didn't show it, but he felt some regret for his actions. It seemed he really was living up to his promise to his Master and denying dark tendencies. Burning a man alive was not exactly Jedi like. Kemp briefly realized how he was being affected by all those classes and their practically chanted mantras. He still didn't fully grasp the fact that he had executed a Force whirlwind, which he had not yet learned to control. He shook his head, emptying his thoughts of becoming soft, and eyed the door and the basically fake wall overlapping it.

"Hmm..."

Kemp lifted a right hand to the edge of the layer of wall, and utilized some assisting Force energy to easily shove the sliding wall away further. There revealed a number panel, with each numbered key showing a corresponding group of smaller letters on them. Kemp looked back-left over his shoulder to LFN and Rosa, who were behind him, and gave a puzzled look.

"Any ideas?"

 

[Number-75]

Rosa gently pushed Kemp aside and walked up to the door, dragging the hammer behind her. It was an almost comical scene considering that the hammer was almost as big as she was and weighed just as much too. Observing the door, she first tried to open it. After that failed, she knocked on the door and waited for someone to reply. When that failed to gain a response, she started to punch random codes into the keypad, hoping that luck would see her through.

After about 2 minutes of trying to hack the door, she shrugged and turned around, smiling sheepishly. "Well, how Ah see it, we got two choices. We eitha go back and try ta find some password from da bodies, or we can blow this door off it's hinges. Course, Ah honestly doubt that would work, considerin how none of us have any actual anti armor explosives."

 

[Phil]

"That is a "If" they have the code. For all we know, they may have just known it by heart. Were it me... that would be the case for keeping annoyances out.."

LFN spoke out loud, looking over the door and the lock that was keeping them out. Looking around at anything in the area, then back out the door at the bodies and what gear Rosa did not loot. Then it hit him as he turned back and looked to Rosa, then down to her hammer she was carrying. He went to the end of it and lifted the end of it off the ground, getting a feel of it as he felt it's weight and it's mass.

"Help me turn this around. With enough force, we'll knock it down."

It was also a chance, and may take awhile but he was sure if all three worked together and put their strength into it, the hammer would work. If not, LFN could always try to melt the lock off with his jets. That is if the lock was not too strong, but he would prefer that be a last resort, should he need the fuel for something else.

 

[DeathToll]

As they all fumbled with the hammer, whether Rosa was complient or not, Kemp tried to help as best as he could. He needed to get through this door. His future depended on it. He'd put all his cards down for this trip, and time was of the essence. All standing in front of the massive door, Kemp couldn't believe that this stupid little number panel was all that kept them out; thinking that there must be something they missed or something he could figure out in order to unlock this damn door. But before they were able to pound out a single swing with the hammer, the small panel beeped.

Kemp froze with surprise. And to his amazement, it beeped again. Then again. Soon realizing that it sounded as if someone was punching in a code from the other side, Kemp looked to the others then back to the door panel. He quickly ripped the small hidden blade he had brought on this trip out into his right hand and shifted his weight back and forth in great anticipation as the key-pad then flashed green and the large seal released its suction with a coupling double beep. The heavy door swung out and away as light poured in through the widening crack, and finally a small and high pitched ...voice called out.

"squeeksqueek squeeksqueek squee...?"

Caught by surprise, the little Chadra-Fan had asked whether or not the rabble had been taken care of. Of course, Kemp had no idea what was just said nor what species had just spoke it. And just as he was frozen with confusion, the little rodent had frozen with fear.

 

[Number-75]

As Kemp froze, Rosa immediately thought of something and stepped forward, sweeping her cloak aside so that her armor and various weapons, and pouches were visible, a smile beaming on her face. "Hi there~! Were ya the door opener that da message was speakin off? We're here for that door guard position an' da recruitment message said to look for ya~! We weren't aware that we needed a passcode an' we just saw this huuuuuuge shootout out front~! Like it was between these Jedis and this gang of people that Ah assume was da other door guards. .... Ah'm sorry, ya probably don't understand me, so uh,"

Rosa peered over the door and yelled over the little rodent. "Hey! Anybody back dere capable o' speakin basic! Ah got a business proposition and yer door opener 'ere can't understand basic!"

 

[Phil]

"The rabble is cleared, Yes. Now we are here for entry, you'll let us pass now, Yes?"

LFN said, understanding the little squeaks from the little guy. As another who was unable to speak basic, LFN was glad he installed the translator into the helmet he wore as he waited to see if the small Chadra would respond.

"We are here on business. A bounty hunter, a mercenary and a drifter of trades."

He said, describing him and his two companions by what he has heard and observed.

 

[DeathToll]

"sqee..."

The Chadra-Fan only managed a delayed, 'ugh...', in response to LFN's understanding and confident conversation. It was scared. From out of nowhere, another puny voice joined in the meeting in response to Rosa; though soon a different sort of body, a tall pale elongated body, peeked out into the open. The nearly seven foot Muun rolled his fingers together into folded place before his chest.

"Oh.. Erm..."

Quite harmless, if not less so compared to the small rodent beneath him, the Muun looked over the three in the doorway. A bounty hunter, a mercinary, and a drifter of trades? Such men and women should not be here, he thought to himself.

"Ersatz...?"

Kemp scrunched his face with the question, unsure who Ersatz was or if he even wanted to be found. The scuffle, the locked door, and this interrogation here made Kemp think that his arrangment with his contact was not so reliable. Seeing as how this Muun looked more in charge than the little Chadra-Fan, Kemp thought he might be him?

"Oh! Ehh... I see."

Turning around, the Muun shoo'd the little one away. Without waving for them to follow, he assumed he had done enough to grant them access and had made himself clear that he was leading them to 'Ersatz'. Kemp -thought- he understood this, but remained unsure. Still, he looked to both his companions and then followed after the Muun.

As soon as they had cleared the entrance way, the bright lights would overtake them; such booming and bustling life here along this strip seemed like a metropolis of a city in total seclusion. Should you follow the lights up to their extent, you'd see the brilliant and possibly even unintentional architecture; how its puzzle design overlapped upon itself and created a ceiling to the strip. Along the street's sides lined countless neon signs, animated ads, and highlited stages for interacting panels of showcases and new items for sale. Each building portrayed a different society's culture in its making, with a unique figure-head in statue form crafted with an arm that reached out to catch their own small waterfall into a sea green bowl; each hollowed out to release their captured water down in centralized fountains.

This strip was practically standing room only, yet still somehow seemed gigantic. As they walked, assuming the other two followed along side Kemp and weren't destracted (which was highly probable and forgivable), they'd see other access points leading to back-alley-bars and surface hatches that led further upworld. These would eventually lead to hang out spots for the wealthy to discuss their purchases there in privacy. Races of all sorts flooded the wide street, though all had one comonality: money.

Walking straight back, until just passing the half-way point, the Muun led them left to a more throne-ly and royal looking booth. A small crowd of five were all huddled close with their backs to the street. But when the Muun audibly cleared his throat, they all looked back and noticed his presence. The Muun stepped in, poking his head into the group and mumbled words away from prying ears. Soon he too stepped away and looked back at Kemp with a sly scowl of disaproval.

"Your guests ...Ersatz..."

After speaking, the Muun grumbled to himself as his gangly body strode away. The five all had something lifted pretentiously, be it an eyebrow or a flexed wrist or a nose or even a strange hair style. But from within stood a small hairless humanoid boy ...of sorts. The little velvet-suited man seemed off, as everyone around in a four foot radius went silent. His eyes looked wide, black, and frightened. What skin was showing rippled in a very disturbing chill that rolled up along his body towards his head. Some black spiny hair poked out of nowhere then vanished, and his whole composition looked unstable; yet his 'groupies' moved to calm him. His fingers had clenched the arms of his chair, but now relaxed again. He never took his eyes off of Kemp. Ersatz, if that was his name, was a Kaggle.

 

[Number-75]

As Rosa stepped through the gate, she let out a quiet whistle at the sight of the hidden town. It was much more bigger then she had imagined. From what she had imagined, she was expecting a dirty rat hole, not a small metropolis. Looking up, she noted how there was an artificial ceiling created by building foundations overlapping one another, creating an artificial cave. She noted a large assortment of buildings with various flat roofs and what not. If a fire fight broke out, she could probably get onto a roof top. As she walked, she continued to drag the huge hammer behind her, annoying the ever living hell out of those around her.

As she followed their guide, her eyes observed windows, openings, and other places attackers could be hiding, while still retaining an air of happy joyfulness. In truth, the place slightly disturbed her. Most places that approached this level of glamour and glitz were rarely home to nice people. Course, slums were just as bad, but at least in a slum, you'd be expecting that knife. Still, in her mind, it was better then some of the places that she'd been to, and it was still better then the town she came from.

As the group made their way to a throne booth, Kemp spotted the person he had come all this way to see. From what Rosa could see, it was a fairly short person with horns. While she thought that the person looked familiar, she couldn't pin it down exactly. Silence filled the room as it became clear that Ersatz wasn't expecting Kemp to have survive to meet him. At least, to Rosa it did. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Rosa spoke up. "Soooooooo~ Anyone know where Ah can sell this here hammer? It's kinda heavy."

 

[Phil]

LFN followed Kemp and Rosa through the door and into the haven that was hidden from the slums they were just in. He was quite surprised to see such a place hidden from all but the rich and the powerful. Who ever founded this place was brilliant for hiding it here, and knew those who came here must pay a price. It had to be secret for a reason, which meant they would also have to swear secrecy to this place like others might have.

His thoughts were soon interrupted when it became aware that Rosa did not give up the hammer and it's scraping of the ground was an annoying sound. He looked briefly to the hammer, then to Rosa as he shook his head some and continued on until they had stopped. LFN remained silent as he observed that Kemp found who he was looking for, just as he had wanted too. Now was the interesting part, for what did Kemp want from this small person.

"Try a locksmith, it could make a good backup should all other keys fail."

LFN said quickly to Rosa, unaware of the humor in his words as he waited anxiously to see what Kemp was to do with this person. Interrogation? Torture? Kill? Or maybe just to talk to him. He had gone through a good ordeal to get this far that LFN could not wait for a response.

"What are your intentions?"

He asked Kemp.

 

[DeathToll]

Kemp just stared at 'Ersatz', totally confused by all this and to Ersatz's very clear greeting. Kemp's eyebrows scrunched. Shaking his head slightly, his eyelashes fluttered.

"I-I don't understand? I thought you wanted to meet? make a trade? Ersatz I..."

"STOP ...calling me that. Oooo. A Jedi, boy wonder, comes here to my palace. Oh, and you think I wish to bring the likes of yooooou? ...into my eden? Heh-heh. Oh yes. I have your treasured lightsaber crystals. I even have some magnificent parts to go along with them. Look! Look at these objects of idolatry... So beautiful... So... MINE."

A servant brought out a large purple pillow, carrying some chests and laid out metal. With each artistically crafted object usable for a lightsaber, there was set next to it a sample of its origin. There by some silver metal lay a small marble sized rock, Phrik. As well, all of the crystals forementioned to Kemp via their messages were present. In fact, there was enough material there to make four different lightsabers. Of course, Kemp only wished to make three; having left the piece that would make his favorite design and have the most meaning to his youth, the lightsaber pike, back in his ship.

"But, Ersa.. I mean, whatever... I have the credits right here!"

As Kemp made the mistake of mentioning all the money he had on him, he tossed aside one wing of his cloak and revealed some colorful and fully loaded credit chips in his left hand. Everything was out of the back, so to speak; as Kemp was now known as a Jedi and his abundance of credits were made public.

"Ah yes! The credits. So good of you to bring those to me."

Waving off the servant, the Kaggle smirked a devious and underestimating plan into his thoughts. The servant closed up the goods into a single chest and placed it just behind the Kaggle's throne chair, then sat upon it.

"COME!!"

* ClapClap *

"-Zelus- shall have a sacrificial cerimony to begin the week's festivities!"

As the Kaggle lightly clapped his fingers into his palm with an arrogant smile, at least twelve large and well armored guards (the best that money could buy) of varying races emerged from the crowd and around the three. Wielding weapons of various types, all were specialized for close encounters. The thick crowd behind them all seemed to not even notice the little commotion here. Business as usual.

"Take them to the foyer of the Lynch building, second level, and await my commands."

Kemp looked around at their worsening situation. He wasn't one to go without a fight. And right now, he really wanted a fight. But they seemed totally outnumbered and shoulder to shoulder surrounded...