Recalling the Guild: Aurelias

[Darven]

The meeting with Ecks was going to be later this night, and he'd arrived on Bespin earlier than expected, so he decided to make good on his intention of asking around for Aurelias Kazaar. Leaving the Sarang locked up in its assigned bay, the Mandalorian made his way through the busy corridors of Cloud City. Outside the transparisteel windows the sky was turning red in the early evening light, and for a moment he thought how nice it actually looked. It had been a while since he bothered to notice the things happening around him.

It was a welcome thought, especially in this city. Something about Cloud City always reminded him of the stilt cities on Kamino, minus the water. And the thunderstorms. Whenever he found himself walking alone around a corner, he half expected one of those long-necked, grey-skinned freaks to show up; it usually didn't do much to improve his mood.

With his thoughts thus occupied, he finally walked into the Cloud 9 bar & grill. It might be good to have something decent to eat every once in a while - and there was always the chance he might bump into someone he knew, who might themselves know the one he was looking for.

He sat down in an empty booth, removed his helmet, and scanned the menu.

[Aurelias Kazaar]

"You gotta be frackin' kidding me!" A loud voice came through th'crowd as Darven turned his head towards th'source. Had t'be Kazaar.

He was standin' by th'entrance inna grey coat, tank top, dark pants, and boots, currently glarin' blaster bolts at a protocol droid, who acted as some kinda host. "Last time I was 'ere..." Kazaar blustered. "Ya told me Mu set up a non-smokin' section. Now th'entire bar's non-smoking again? What th'hell is wrong with ya people and where th'frack is Spenny!?! I'm gonna wring that guy's neck!"

"I'm sorry sir but Master Spendrim is currently unavailable." If th'droid had th'ability t'make facial expressions he probably woulda been both annoyed and embarrassed. Not a ton o'people complained 'bout th'non-smokin' rule, but there tended t'be one or two who expressed their...displeasure.

Just happened t'be Aurelias Kazaar, bounty hunter (when he chose t'take 'em) and deep cover Rebel spy, who was expressin' his displeasure. And the droid had been in Cloud 9 the last time Kazaar expressed his 'displeasure'.

"The rules are quite clear, sir. There is to be no smoking in Cloud 9. If you wish to take it up with management, you can leave a comment and I will deliver it to Master Spendrim or Mistress Satach whenever they return. I believe Master Spendrim should be back by the--"

"Yeh yeh." Kazaar gave 'nother dark glare and brushed past th'droid. He wasn't interested in bein' placated right now. And t'think he was in a frackin' good mood before he got there. 'Course it helped he'd gotten t'spend time with a certain Cizerack detective, who was a firecracker in more ways than one. He'd been planning t'hit up Dantooine a couple days later, but gotten delayed 'cause of a busted motivator. 'Least he'd been near Bespin when it happened. Hate t'be stranded anywhere else in th'Noad System without a lifeline.

He sauntered up t'the bar. "Gimme a shot anna brew. And keep 'em comin'. Ya still serve alcohol in this place right? Spenny hasn't made that illegal yet has he?"

[Darven]

'What an odd coincidence,' Darven thought to himself. She would probably have said something about fate, or the Force, and in this instance he might actually have agreed.

Of course, this was making things a lot easier. Now he'd just have to walk over and talk to the man himself.

The Mando bountyhunter didn't get up, yet, however. For a while he was content sitting there and watching the other from his booth. Something of a grin came to him at overhearing Kazaar's annoyance about the non-smoking rules: he well remembered the other hunter's fondness for cigars.

Once Kazaar had found some space to plump himself down at the bar, Darven put his helmet back on, abandoned his own booth and walked over to him. He sat down on the swivelchair next to the sour-looking man, and turned to address him, "Still getting into trouble over a smoke, Kazaar?"

[Aurelias Kazaar]

"It ain't my frackin' fault th'entire galaxy is up in arms over tobacco." Kazaar knocked back one o'his shots, then took a sip o'beer. "Swear, ya don't see people get all up in arms too much over spice, so why th'hell do they go after what I like? 'Next thing ya know they'll go after alcohol."

Kazaar gave a dirty smirk, took 'nother sip of beer, and turned towards Darven. "How's huntin'?"

[Darven]

"It's called a diversion tactic, Kazaar. Give them something to hate, and they won't be too concerned about what else is happening in the universe."

He wasn't a big fan of smoking, himself, but it'd never bothered him any. Alcohol wasn't his thing, either; like his sarge, he'd taken up chewing ruik root and stuck to it. The only one ever complaining about that had been her, because she said she couldn't take the sound of his incessant chewing.

He wondered if Kazaar had recognised him. It had been years since their last encounter.

"Hunting is as it is. Seen better days. As I'm sure you're aware of."

[Aurelias Kazaar]

"Look pal." Kazaar gave a sidelong look towards Darven. Somethin' fishy 'bout this guy and not just 'cause Kazaar thought he'd heard th'voice before. "If ya think I gotta 'in' wit' Gorgja 'cause I worked for 'im forra while, ya been hittin' th'spice too frackin' much. Gorgja and I ain't talkin' too much these days an' there're 'nough dikuts who think just 'cause they themselves a set o'Mandalorian frackin' armor they can go start grabbin' a buncha high-end bounties."

Darven started t'wonder if th'smirk Kazaar gave 'im was tattooed on're if he spent hours looking atta mirror practicin'. Probably both. "Ain't how th'universe operates. Go talk t'someone else if ya wanna grab o'bounty."

[Darven]

That answered that question.

His hands going to his helmet, Darven undid the clasps holding it in place and pulled it off his head. The face thus revealed was ashen, almost gray-skinned from lack of direct sunlight; a vivid scar ran vertically down its right side from jaw to forehead, indented where the eye socket was. Deep lines were etched into the forehead, and crow's feet ran from the corner of the eyes towards the hairline. They hadn't been there the last time they'd met - neither had the scar.

Advancing age hadn't been graceful to the former commando; he'd refused the cure that some of his brothers had found to stop the age acceleration. His skin was thin and mottled in places, and if someone had stood him right next to Jango Fett - if the man that had been his genetic template hadn't been dead these 28 years - they would have found little alike. Right now he looked older than Kazaar himself, but he hoped there was still something for the other man to recognise.

His brown eyes bore into Kazaar's with a look that held no mirth. "It's been a while, hasn't it, ori'vod? The universe is getting to be a bit too small for you to go running around insulting dikuts in Mando armor - if you don't watch it, ash'tuur gar ven korshuk lo'shebs'ul narit!"

He wasn't sure how much Kazaar still remembered of that language, but the grin that had appeared on his own face during his last words was enough to take the bite out of it.

[Aurelias Kazaar]

"Ain't my fault most guys wearin' Mandy armor are frackin' morons." Kazaar smirked again and took a drink. He hadn't spoken Mando'a forra while, outside o'the occasional phrase, but he still remembered th'language. "Me'vaar ti gar, Darven. Ya look like ya been through Hell."

Kazaar motioned to th'serving droid t'get th'Mandalorian a drink. "You onna job're just enjoying th'scenery?"

[Darven]

"Ru haa'tayli jate'shya tuure, ner'vod. And old age doesn't suit me all that well."

Proper Mando conduct demanded to offer condolences to Kazaar about Ashley, his deceased ex-partner; but since loosing his own Darven was a bit hesitant to do that, at least until he'd talked to the man for a while. Kazaar might not appreciate having her name dredged up from the past. So he just stayed silent for a moment and hoped the other wouldn't notice.

Then he nodded a thanks at the other bountyhunter for his drink. "As for your question: neither. I actually came here hoping to find someone who would lead me to you. Didn't expect you to find me first."

[Aurelias Kazaar]

Another chuckle. "Ya'd be surprised how much just kinda 'happens' 'round this frackin' galaxy. Didn't expect t'see ya again, m'self. Thought ya were headed t'Mandy space or somethin' like that." He tooka another drink. "So what'cha lookin' for? I figured ya ex-clone commandos were all badasses anyway. Didn't need to much help on jobs."

[Darven]

Darven slowly shook his head. "No use going back to Manda'yaim. Might as well return to the days of the Suprema. Shysa sacrificed himself for nothing."

He hadn't been back there for a long time. Trying not to think of it he took a sip of the black ale the droid had brought him. Netra gal...

It took effort pushing away the thoughts he didn't want to have, and since meeting her again recently, it had only become harder to do so. But now wasn't the time to wallow in his personal tragedy.

"We're reforming the Guild," he finally said, without further ado, and looked at Kazaar, curious for his reaction.

[Aurelias Kazaar]

"What th'bounty hunter's guild?" Kazaar raised o'black eyebrow, wishin' he could puff on his cigar. "Ya wouldn't be th'first one. I sent Shavsta some creds back after that damn war they had. Tryin' t'get th'guild up'n running 'gain.

"There're reason ya want that t'happen? Outside o'making it easier f'clients t'get a hold o'us."

[Darven]

"Not so much the clients - but too much riff-raff trying to get a nose into the business. With no guild to hold them to a code, they're bad news for us all."

He hadn't known that Kazaar had tried to help get the old guild operational again before. It was welcome news, for how likely was it that he might be willing to back it this time, too?

"Look, whether you were working for Gorgja or for whomever else lately, it doesn't seem like the situation's affected you, but we've all had to deal with bounties that are worth osik, and clients with no more respect for what we do. Most of the high-paying bounties already aren't taken by us - the Empire's saving credits by sending the Inquisitors after those."

[Aurelias Kazaar]

Kazaar gave a sideways smile. "Even those spooks can't go everywhere. Hell, I frackin' know they can't."

He snorted. "Ya seriously ain't thinking 'bout goin' through with this are ya? Politics killed th'guild before and Kad knows it's gonna do it 'gain."

[Darven]

At the thought of the inquisitors Darven had to shudder involuntarily. He mumbled, "If you ask me, they're no better than demagolka."

Taking another sip to wash away the feeling of unease, he then replied to Kazaar: "Not just thinking anymore. Ever heard of Ecks, the Falleen bountyhunter who brought in the s'Ilancy woman?"

[Aurelias Kazaar]

Kazaar'd heard o'Ecks. Tough, smart, good with o'blaster. Guy knew his stuff. "Take it you're meetin' with 'im?" He got a nod in return. "Not a bad choice. 'Course, he ain't th'only one who's taken down FUers. They can only do too much." He gave a knowin' smirk.

"How ya gonna set it up? Like it used t'be or gonna do it 'nother way?"

[Darven]

That comment made him pause, the implied meaning not lost on him. Hadn't Kazaar's partner been a FU herself? Like his own partner had been? Nya had told him that she had detected the skill in the other woman, and thought that Ashley had seen the same in her, so... had she told Kazaar?

For that matter, how had Ashley died? He knew of her death, but not the details. Had Kazaar...? The man was a loose cannon, but surely he wouldn't have turned in his own partner... would he? For that matter, what had Kazaar been doing since he'd left Gorgja's employ? Who was to know whether he wasn't a pawn of the Inquisitoriate, or even an inquisitor himself?

At that moment he wished he was wearing his HUD so he could run a quick check on the details of her death. His expression didn't lose any of its friendliness - he was well trained to maintain a facade. Under the surface, however, the implications stirred up thoughts he couldn't stop, and to which he seemed helplessly exposed. Thinking of her, and her safety, had been paramount for almost half of his life, so faced with this possible threat, his paranoia went into overdrive.

Had he done the wrong thing by meeting Kazaar? He'd made the other bountyhunter aware of his existence again today, and that might inevitably lead to him remembering the woman who had been with him at their first meeting. The woman whom his own partner might have outed as a FU.

Making an effort to appear normal, he replied to the other man's question, shrugging at the same time. "That's up to see. I'm meeting Ecks later tonight, I'll discuss the details with him."

After a short pause in which the other didn't say anything, Darven added: "I'm going to ask him to lead it. With me as his second."

He wondered if he shouldn't just come out with it and ask him about Ashley, and see his reaction. But that stood the risk of reminding him of their last meeting, if he hadn't done so yet by himself; and that was a path into danger.

[Aurelias Kazaar]

Darven did a helluva good job at pitchin' the idea. 'Course th'problem was it might interfere with Kazaar's Rebel activities. One reason why he was happy t'be 'semi-retired'. Kept people from askin' too many questions 'bout what he was doin' in his spare time. Why being 'th'Kid's' driver worked so well too. No one tended t'ask questions 'bout it. At th'same time, bein' a part o'the guild presented even more opportunities t'keep his cover, 'specially when there was down town between assignments.

Kazaar looked Darven in th'eyes. "Ya want me in? What th'hell, been a while since there was a guild worth it's spit anyway." He smirked and raised a glass o'bourbon (th'first time Darven noticed Kazaar was on his fourth and didn't even seem t'be feelin' it). "Just don't expect me t'bring cookies'n lemonade t'meetings."

[Darven]

Darven watched him down his fourth shot of bourbon, and hesitated.

Did he want Kazaar in the guild?

A few moments earlier it had been the very reason he'd wanted to meet him, so it should have been obvious, but now...? Too many unanswered questions about the man.

Rangir! He couldn't just let the man into the guild without having at least some answers! Maybe he should have stuck to proper Mando rules of conduct after all.

So, instead of giving the other man a straight answer to his question, he said: "I was sorry to hear about Ashley. Losing a partner is a terrible thing."

He stared right back at him, watching every move Kazaar's, searching for something that would tell him more.

[Aurelias Kazaar]

Darven didn't need t'see very much. Kazaar's eyes narrowed as he stared into his beer glass. "No dame deserves t'die like that. All strung up'n cut out." His right hand tightened into a fist. "If I ever catch th'frackin' Force-damned bastard who did that, there ain't gonna be 'nough left o'him t'find."

There was silence forra bit. "Thought it was Crei forra while, that Albino bastard's got a helluva lot t'answer for." He didn't bother explaining 'bout Adelaide and Bren. Wasn't th'type t'do that sorta thing. 'Least not t'Darven. Good guy'n all, but not someone Kazaar was gonna share 'is inner feelings with. Darven'd understand. Nothin' personal, just how he was. "But've never proven it. And Crei's th'kinda guy t'let people know when he's done somethin'. Never admitted t'takin' part in 'er death."

Kazaar's look turned even darker. "That wound'll probably never get healed till I find whoever did it. And do t'them what they did t'her."