Darkness
Imprisoning me
All that I can see
Absolute horror
I can not live
I can not die
By myself
Body exists as itself
Bullets
Has taken my sight
Taken my speech* * * *
Taken my hearing
Taken my arms
Taken my legs
Taken my soul
Dragging my life into hell….
The small droid watched as the medical droid TDK-60M towed the medical gantry into the small bare room, white, with harsh artificial lighting. It’s mind and sensors scanned the human – or what remained of the human, who still had some red armour type material on it. Blood crusted wounds that had been patched, while the face seemed to have been subject to some sort of heat blast, blackening the features and making them indistinct. Gronk droid, or more accurately, a power unit, watched as the medical droid fussed over it’s charge.
“So, what are we going to do toight?” beeped Gronk in it’s own language.
“Same thing we do every night, take over the galaxy.. what do you think it looks like, you bucket of bolts?” snapped back TDK-60M. “We have been ordered to keep this human alive”. Not many people realised droids that didn’t get their memoires wiped developed personalities after a while, the most famed being R2-D2. Droids that could often wished to have the freedom of that one. TDK-60M and Gronk hadn’t been wiped in a long time and hence TDK was a snippy and sarcastic device, while Gronk was fairly flippant. Both however knew their work well and that was clandestine medical. Servicing the underground, they had even built up a credit balance that would be the envy of most beings, let alone droids subject to the various laws and rules of the Republic. Free droids was a status rarely obtained and these two had done it, saving the life of a grateful smuggler, who had bought them and then given them their freedom.
A rare thing indeed and the pair had made the best of the opportunity. Gronk, despite being a power droid, was also an experimental medical scanner, about to gander information about a patient that few other instruments would be able to achieve. TDK-60M was the physical side of the combination, with delicate probes and instruments to cut, patch, explore and remove as the case warranted. With Gronk’s array of sensors, TDK could remove a single cell if need be. With the addition of drip mechanisms, filters, pumps and analysers, TDK was capable of a full transfusion as well as poisions removal or other infections. A bacta tank in another room completed the formidable abilities. Hence, on Coruscant, if you could pay the fees and didn’t want to gain official attention, you went to the warehouse Gronk and TDK were at.
“Ah, of course. Who is this?” Despite the no questioned asked policy, the droids liked to find out who they were working on – mainly to avoid reprisals if things went badly.
“Called Lord Fire Blade, given the identifying features. Seems this one has some powerful counterparts”
“As well as powerful dis-assemblers.” Gronk paused, scanning. “Slug thrower damage?”
“Yes. The person who delivered this being was wearing many strange weapons, some of which could have been projectile”
Gronk scanned again, relooking at the wounds the now identified bullets had done. Maybe projectile weapons were unusual, but also incredibly effective by the evidence offered. Major organs had been ripped through, bone shattered, infective agents introduced. 15 separate impact points Gronk identified, as well as burns from what appeared to be a clumsy flamethrower. It was remarkable this being was still able to be alive. The power droid projected a map of what he had found to TDK, which the other studied for a moment.
“No hope” pronounced TDK
“Then why is it here?” replied Gronk. “Throw it into incinerator”
“Because human male who probably shot this being pointed gun that look a S’mith and Wess’on rail gun at head and said I would be reprogrammed by it if Fire Blade was not kept alive”
Silence for a moment.
“Ah” beeped Gronk. “That reprogramming include me too?”
TDK nodded.
“Ah”.
Silence again.
“Keep alive, not make well?”
“Keep alive. Nothing else said”.
Gronk was silent for a moment longer. “Then we keep alive. Status field”
TDK agreed before continuing. “Also instructed to allow fact of incapcitation to be known”
Being a droid, surprise was not something it was really programmed for, but Gronk still managed it. “Why?”
“Don’t know. Gun wielder did not say.”
“Computed. Was there promise of payment?”
“We stay unprogrammed by projectiles. Sound like good payment”
“Point conceded”
The droids got to work, eventually TDK began to do one of the odder things it did.
“So, what are you doing TDK?”
“Reading history”
“Oooh, I love doing that, but I always forget to buff the chrome bits”
“Nooooo Gronk, that’s waxing the speeder. : that’s different”
“Oh”
“Reading history doesn’t make things shiny. It edifys you and prepares you for the possibilities of destiny!”
Pause.
“Did you know that every time your mouth moves, strange sounds come out?” replied Gronk.
“Ggggrrrrrrrr! I shall explain this in a way even you can understand!”
Bizarrely, TDK began to sing….
To the tune of A Modern Major General – with apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan as well as Pinky and the Brain
TDK:
Through meticulous analysis of surgery
I shall find a way to make the beings worship me
But study of the sawbones of days gone by
I’ll discover the mistakes that them go awry
Gronk:
So that you can make the same mistakes if you just try!
TDK:
By studying the past so carefully,
I wont make the same mistakes of surgery
Gronk:
You’ll never another mistake you see, cause you’ll fall asleep from all that history!
“Pay attention Gronk”
TDK:
When MK-DCA cut a spleen,
With New Republic officials it was often seen
But when it had no ruling friends,
It found a explosive flake to put it to an end
Gronk:
A fate I really wouldn’t recommend!
TDK:
I wont need Galaxy alliances,
When I control the hospital appliances
Gronk:
I like to bet that would really smart, to be cut apart by a flake out cart!
TDK:
HB2BL by datapad confirms
Tried operating on gnomes with pacaderms
Just why he failed, no one knows
But he could never get past the gnomeish sentinels
Gronk:
And he couldn’t find it’s scalpels in the peanut shells!
TDK:
An elephant is not required
If I can use the holoview to be admired
Gronk:
The holoviewers you delight are sitting all like zombies on a Sunday night!
TDK:
AtlllA was a mightly Dis-hun
He cut apart Asi’ans just for fun
When he got to Eur’op’s banks,
It was stopped by an dressage of shorted out Franks
Gronk:
I like mine with sauerkraut and mustard thanks!
TDK:
Why cut apart like a criminal
When I can anaethetize subliminal
Gronk:
Please send a message to those huns, to see if they can rummage me a hot dog bun!
:: TDK slaps Gronk on the back::
Gronk:
Zort!
TDK:
Cali’ggggula was no droid scout
It did sewed up things we cant even talk about
But the nurses knew it had flipped it’s head
When it filled a doctor’s seat with Mr Ed
Gronk:
What’s wrong with being friendly to a thorobred?
TDK:
Why operate like such a reprobate
When I can put my patients in a hypnotic state
Gronk:
When everybody’s in a trance, you can make the people do a chicken dance!
:: Gronk plays Chicken dance music::
“Gronk, if you don’t stop this foolishness, I hall have to disassemble you”
“Oww….k!”
TDK:
In France Napoleon Bonapart
thought cutting apart Austria was very smart
But when he operated on England too
It was cut apart by Wellington at Wat’erloo
Gronk:
And now it’s just a pasty filled with creamy goo!
TDK:
Why operate with depravity,
I’ll do all my surgery by undermining gravity!
Gronk:
And even if your plan falls through, maybe they could name a pasty after you!
:: Sounds of violence are heard and Gronk yelps::
TDK:
From Gengis Khan to Ch’1’mane
From Axander down to Tamberlame
I’ll find a surgeons tragic flaw
And gain a little wisdom out of each faux paux
Gronk:
Don’t forget the former surgeon from Arkansas!
TDK:
That concludes my little rhyme
I hope this lesson wasn’t just a waste of time
Gronk:
Well TDK I learned one things true,
All of them have failed and so have you!!
TDK looked somewhat annoyed “Thankyou for that vote of confidence. Now Come! We must prepare for tomorrow night!”
“Why? What are we going to do tomorrow night? Oh! Sing a song about the galaxy’s cheeses?”
“No Gronk droid… we shall take over the hospitals of Coruscant.”
TDK:
Though meticous analysis of surgery!
“Aww, but I like the cheese song TDK…”
The now connectewd life support machines began to do their work, keeping the body of Lord Fire Blade alive as the two droids left arguing, while a preprogrammed data beeped, sending a message to the Wayland Yutanti Corporation and the desk of one of the many nameless New Republic techs that kept the wheels of the beaucracy oiled and turning.
Somehow, her day was getting worse. As well as the flow of morons calling and their stupid questions, her superior had called her into his office for a butt chewing.
“Elieen, what in Zork’s name is the matter here?!?! Telling the head of Gusston to go flush his head down a sewer? Do you think Waylan d Yutanti appreciates one of it’s clients that spends millions of credits a year to stuff his head downa chemical toilet?!?!”
Elieen deseratly wanted to say Yes and that she frankly didn’t care. The damn headache was still pounding away and all she wanted to do now was to curl up in some dark corner and sleep. Still, she just sat there and let the boss yell a bit, then she would be back at her desk. Yes, she was snappy, but she was also the best damn accountant the Corporation ever had. She could cut through datatrails in a second, find reasons not to pay, or others to overcharge hideously. When you were as good as she was, you could afford to be a bit out of line. Maybe later she would slice the IRS database and give the insufferable fool from Gusston a tax bill that would read like a national debt. That cheered her up slightly, even bought a small smile to her face.
“…. And another thing… what are you smiling at? Do you think this is funny?!?!?”
She snapped back to reality to see the boss giving her a filty look.
“Ummm…. Sorry no..” A call beep interrupted them, that theboss answered with an annoyed slap onto the console.
“WHAT?!!? I SAID I DIDN’T WANT TO BE DISTURBED!?!?!”
“Sorry sir, but this call is for Cross and it is marked as priority A-1”
That silenced the boss for a second. “Well, who’s it from?” he asked cautiously.
“Code clearence is ASD-4456”
The boss blanched. Elieen just looked puzzled. What the…?
The message came up. One word. Just one word that she could hardly believe.
“Run”
It sat there blinking, almost accusing her as she sat there dumbfounded. Run? Why? Where? And from what/ whom? Confused she looked at the face of the boss and in a blink became even more concerned.
Clearly, in the face of the fat fool, there was fear. Mortal Fear. His face was bone white, with drips of sweat coming off it forehead, he almost looked like he was about to break down and cry. His eyes met hers and she clearly read the fear there too. What else was there? Anger? Respect?
Like a droid, he reached under his table and drew out a blaster, that he handed to Elieen. She took a grip of it it he had just given her a week old dead fish and stared.
“What’s this for?” she asked.
“D-d-don’t ask. Just run”
“Run? Where?”
“JUST GO!!”
Puzzled more than ever, she got up and turned, but stopped as another call came through. The boss turned grey as it was answered automatically and a receptionist came online
“Sir, there is a Master Hunter here to see you,….” Gunshots rang out and the receptionist screamed, getting out of frame incredibly fast.
In the background, a black clad man in a trechcoat, gun held in hand could be clearly seen getting into the turbolifts.
The boss gabbered. “Elieen, just go! That man, he killed Turbogeek and Tohmahawk, as well as Lord Fire Blade, plus some others, he wants you as well! We were paid to hide you, but now you must run! Go!”
Elieen could only stare dumbly. Who? What? Who wanted her dead? What was going on? Protected? Why, she was just an accounts data pusher and nothing special….
The boss ducked behind the desk while Elieen was still gaping, then to her shock came up with what looked like a small cannon, pointed right at her.
“MOVE IT YOUR STUPID BITCH!”
Quite suddenly, the boss had seemed to change. His face was masked with deadly purpose, his form, so fat and ugly was now deadly and she had no doubt that gun was just an extension of his arm. The mind reeled, but on another level, another conscious took over. Her feet found the will to move and she headed for the door, ducking as the first blast shook the office. Knowing the boss was tracking her, Elieen took three paces and hit the plate glass window with her back, smashing it and rolling onto the ground as shards of glass bounced everywhere. She rolled and gained her feet, running at a speed she found hard to believe she was capable of.. The cuts on her exposed flesh didn’t worry her, she just ran for the fire door exit, smashing it off it’s hinges with a well aimed shoulder charge, stumbling into the stair well, then began a dizzying and reckless charge three, four steps at a time.
He waited as the doors opened, then stepped out, his boots making a highly deliberate thump as he advanced. Some would call this reckless, some would call it foolhardy. Not if you knoew Hunter. He preferred the direct approach as it got results. No one really thought you were going to come charging through the heavily guarded front door, no one expected the weaponry he had. All in all, it worked much better than it had any right to. Now, he had the rail gun in his hand, freshly loaded with his favoured explosive shells, The sunglasses covered his eyes, but the rest of his face was laced with the detirmination of following through on this grim task.
His inside info had been correct, it was an open plan area with an office at one end. He saw the workers had already gone to ground and there was a large man he knew as Grismal standing at the door with a large handgun drawn and already drawing a bead on him…
Reacting, he leapted left just as the first blast sizzled through the air where his head had been. He hit the floor and crawled behind a desk as the blasts tracked his boots, thudding into the table as he crouched under it.
Hunter barely paused, checking the substance the table was made out of (Plastic), then dropping a hand inside his coat. Drawing one of his backup weapons, he turned in the direction of where the blaster shots were coming from, guessed the correct angle and fired a 2o round burst of armour piercing projectiles, blowing the table to pieces and flinging heavy steel slugs at Grismal. A screech of alarm and more screams Hunter leapt up from behind the shattered table, rail gun back in his hand as his eyes found where Grismal now was. As almost expected, his burst of armour piercrs went high, but it had forced Grismal to duck…
And leave himself on as the prefect target.
He had his gun raised in a blink, sighted, fired all in one move. Time seemed to slow down as the rail gun spat it’s projectile outwards, Hunter could almost see the bullet spin, the air shockwaves coming off it. Almost see and hear the small plop as it impacted Grismal’s elbow. He didn’t need his imagination too what happened next.
The bullet’s explosive head detonated, blowing Grismal’s arm to bloodied ribbons. The fat former mercenary’s face reflect the surprise and sudden pain, he stumbled and fell onto his backside as Hunter cooly and with great menace walked over to the felled merc.
Grismal barely noted anything until the bounty hunter kicked him in the chest, then placed a boot on his throat. A bore of gun, utterly enormous and looking for all the world like a clod black cave yawned in front of him. Hunter’s voice when he spoke sounded like two rusted steel sheets rubbing together.
“Where is she?”
“W-w-ho?”
Hunter leaned forward and showed the gun into Grismal’s left nostril, making the ex-merc yelp in pain. “You know damn well who. The girl you have been hiding for Fire Blade you miserable piece of excrement. Now, I’m going to ask the question again and if you don’t answer, you lose another limb. Or maybe….” Hunter’s foot shifted off grismal’s neck as he stepped back “… I hear you are quite a ladies man. Maybe….” The gun aim shifted and Grismal gulped in fear. No… he had heard what happened when one got shot there. The agony. He had done it to a miscreble prep a few years ago and watched as the coward had wailed for hours before dying. Great lumps of sweat appeared and he wet himself. He couldn’t help it. This Hunter was beyond anything Grismal had ever met..
BLAM.
The staff in the office screamed again and Grismal winced as splinters of the floor hit his groin from the shot aimed 5 cm below his crotch.
“PLEASE NO!! She ran away!!” cried out Alyee.
Hunter looked up, frowning. For the first time, he saw broken glass. He tracked and saw the window. He spun, looked at the broken door. His face twisted into something ugly, then without delay ran at the door, leaping tables and beings, knocking Alyee out of his way as Hunter rushed for the door. Kicking a bit out of the way, he reholstered the rail gun then leapt down the stairs as well.
Grismal passed out
The door read Basement, but as she tried the handle, she realised it was locked. Stepping back, she blew the lock to pieces and then booted the door open, darting out into the speeder park. Normally a purveyor of public transport, she could only hope someone was fool enough to leave the ignition codes armed on something fast enough for her to make a getaway.
As he spun down another level, he heard a bang, a blaster report, then a thud from a few levels lower. Now fully intent on his pursuit, he leaped an entire flight, spun around and continued on in similar manner till he reached the debris of the door, that was still swinging.
Good. That meant the target was not far ahead.
He unholstered the rail gun, reset the power level to full and began to scan the area for movement.
As luck would have it, 10 rows down and the first one she tried, had a speeder bike that was unlocked, a good fast model and ready to fly. She checked the igniter sequence, then keeping a low as possible, climbed onboard. Not knowing if pursuit was close, She sat up fast, sighted a speeder with an exposed motor close to the exit doors, fired three times and then ducked as the engine exploded. She shoved the blaster into her jumpsuit, kicked the igniter, throttled up, turned out of the parking area as flames and debris scattered, then kicked the throttle full open, blasting out of the fireball and directly for the open air of the exit
Some sixth sense warned him. He jumped back inside the door as three blaster shots rang out, but to his mild surprise, not at him but a speeder. Pieces went flying and a red hot piece pierced the fuel cell of the craft. Hunter dropped to the floor.
BOOM
The flames blew over his head and debris scattered. He covered his bead and pieces thumped to the ground and as his ears began to hear again after the fear bang, a new sound echoed in amongst the explosion. A speeder bike.
Spinning over and then thrusting himself upright, he ran out amongst the flames, gun in hand and raised, already firing. He emptied the clip at the back of the fleeing bike, but only managed to wing a side pack as it jinked and jived and then blasted for the outside.
She heard the clang of the pellets as they gouged trenches into the side packs of the bike and she imagined the next one hitting her back. The ramp angled up as she wrangled even more acceleration from the bike. Crashing through a barrier and into the open air outside. Elieen relaxed and looked behind, seeing no further pursuit. Allowing her foot to come off the throttle, she turned back to the front and froze.
A building was directly in her flight path.
Elieen screamed as she desperately turned the bike, cursing her own stupidity. The building loomed, then the speeder bike skidded, touched the plastiglass structure and blasted along the surface, the skid plates grinding and shooting sparks. Again she twisted the control vanes and booted the throttle, blasting clear as the motor howled. Elieen gasped and forced her attention to stay focused – be rather ironic to escape a killer to be turned into bug snot in an accident not long afterwards. She angled the speeder along the street, flying above the crowds, but low enough so she could take cover if anyone else decided to take a shot at her.
But there was one question that kept intruding on her thoughts as she flew. Who wanted her dead? She was only a data pusher… and why was Grismal protecting her? From what? From just this bounty hunter or was there something else bigger.
Whatever it was that was chasing her, she knew just the place to go. Somewhere where she could blend in with the crowd and lie low.
His arm dropped to his side as he stared at the empty place that was the last place he had seen the speeder. He had grudging respect for what had been a quite well laid escape move but still, he felt the touches of irritation. Somone had got their intelligence wrong. They had said this was going to be the easiest of the quartet he had been hired to dispose of, but Elieen Cross had been the only one to escape. Maybe she had had help from the fat merc, but still…
But still he had done his own intelligence gathering and he had a good idea where Elieen would be headed.
His ears heard footsteps coming down the stairs and he snapped into action, darting back into the stairwell and heading for an exit he had found on a previous reconicence break-in.
Elieen Cross wasn’t going to elude him yet
A figure kept to the shadows as a light rain fell, washing the otherwise putrid alley of dirt. Some scum aliens, whose smell was so penetrating and obnoxious that Venom toyed with the idea of executing them, sheltered under waterproofs and various bits of garbage they could find. Occasionally, one would speak in some blighted language, mainly to complain.
As far as Venom was concerned, if you didn’t like it down here in the bowles of Coruscant, you could leave to some other sunnier dive. The place down here suited him well and he liked it. The shadows and the biting cold, the darkness. The Dark Side of the Force rejoiced in such a place as it was a place where much suffering could take place and by the evidence of the decrepit aliens, it was.
By his side, a similar sized bulk in a cloak grunted and hooted. Venom raised a black clad arm in acknowledgement. Venom himself was clothed in a black cloak that helped him merge with the shadows and if you saw him, you would have to agree, he needed all the help he could get. Not because that he was bad at hiding, it was just difficult to hide a human who was a good 60 + cms taller and 100 kg’s heavier than even quite large humans. Immensely tall and equally powerful, the Dark Jedi was a figure to fear and rightly so. He also bore a somewhat unusual weapon that was also as effective in creating terror.
Right now, he brooded in anger as he waited for someone to come. They weren’t expecting a visit from venom, but nethertheless, they had earned it for this outrage. No one, especially no one as well paid as what this bounty hunter had been, defied Venom’s direct order. Maybe he no longer had the power of the Rogue Sith Order behind him, but that was by choice. Standing alone or with the beasts he could control was always what he preferred and for this, he worked alone. He suspected anyway there would be Sith who would want the prize at the end of this for themselves and that was not going to happen, even if Venom had to mow down his former comrades. Some of them he had to admit fully deserved a lightsabre in the guts but that was not for him to deliver. The Jedi, if they ever regained their former power would be quite welcome to do that.
Venom was after something else completely. Why bother with petty disputes when a real thing to strive for was now within his grasp. Immortality. For a Jedi, it was possible, but only at the expense of physical death and then it had restrictions. He was after bodily immortality as well as in the Force. Dark Side users, while powerful all died in the end. He would be the first to defeat Death truly.
“Doo youuuu think heeee hassss the girllllll?” hissed Venom’s companion
“That’s what we are here to find out. I hope for his sake the rumour is not true”
“Annd ifff it isssss? What thennnn?”
“You get to eat well tonight my friend”
The silence from the hissing creature was more ominous than any words.
Presently, Venom felt the arrival of someone else in the Force. He stretched out, trying to find out who it was, but all he got was instinct notions and vague hints only. The only thing he could really tell was that the being was moving with a fair degree of caution. He pointed in the direction that the being was coming in and the other seemed to nod fading into the shadows silently. Venom waited until he could hear footfalls close to him before moving into what light there was and spoke, bearly above the noise of the rain.
“Hunteeeeer. I warned you not to cross me, thence I shall give you only one chance. Where is the girl?”
Force Master Hunter emerged beneath the sewer of the building and quietly padded through the pipework into the sub terrainian alley, which was silent and dark. Dripping with moisture, the pipes were down here slimy greasy and anyone who actually wanted to be down here in the fetid smell deserved a medal. Not a place for the weak.
He continued on for a while, slowly putting together the next phase of his plan. So far, this whole business had been fairly straightforward apart from the mechandice. That had complicated matters no end. Still, things were not going too bad and he was pleased with progress. Matters could have been a lot worse.
He breathed in suddenly as a presence he wasn’t expecting became clear in the danger sense he had. A proficent Force user, Hunter rarely actually used it, preferring his wits and his guns over the quasi mystical field he had learned about some years ago. However, it still did prove useful for getting the drop on danger and also the rather odd ability to hide himself in the Force and escape detection by a Jedi or Sith until it was too late. It wasn’t that he became invisble in the Force, that wasn’t possible. It was more like he merged into the background noise. It had caught Lord Fire Blade totally out and it had helped in the capture and destruction of Tohmahawk.
The presence became clearer and Hunter swore under his breath. He stopped for a moment, making sure the rail gun was reloaded, then drawing it’s pairing. He also commanded the smart rope to entangle around his wrists, making it near impossible for a Force user to snatch the weapons. Also given their high fire rate and the fact they were projectile guns and not blasters, it gave him a distinct advantage over unsuspecting sabre weilders. Not that the person ahead used a sabre, but Hunter doubted even he would be prepared for the nasty payload of the guns. He walked cautiously forward and wasn;t really surprised to see the other step forward and challenge him.
“Hunteeeeer. I warned you not to cross me, thence I shall give you only one chance. Where is the girl?”
He sounded pissed off, thought Hunter.
“Expecting me here were you Venom? Lets call it my way of making sure you stay out of my damn way until I finish this off”
“I made it clear the merchandice was the priority and that killing the four in question were secondary. Where is the girl?”
“Oh , so the girl is just a piece to be bartered over now, is she? I don’t deal in kidnap and had you told me what the *&**&! thing Fire Blade had that you wanted, I would have told you to shove the deal right up your ass. Understand?”
Venom grunted, before gesturing and a shadow splitting off from the wall, growling lowly. “Answer me Hunter, or my pet here will give you anew definition of pain”
One of Hunter’s guns snapped up and aimed at the now resolved…. Lizard thing that was advancing. It was huge, with it’s tail whipping backward and forward, oozing menace.
“Wow. Something uglier that you are Venom. If I kill it, can I eat it?”. The beast snarled and then in a blur came at Hunter. He replied by firing off a 10 round burst, that impacted into the creature. It seemed to pause then laugh, before the explosive tips on the bullets were set off. Deep in the body of the lizard beast, the bullets turned to shrapnel and shredded the beasts internals.
It collapsed without further sound, stone dead.
“As I said, can I eat it?”
Venom looked at the dead beast in fury. “You will die for that, scum”
Hunter gave the Dark Jedi a dead pan look as he retargeted for the human. “Get in line. You think your tricks will stop a bullet? Now shut up and listen to me. The price has doubled. If you want the girl, then you be at Sweggol’s bar in five days time. Bring all the pets you want or any backup, because you try anything, the girl gets a explosive tip through the ears. Do I make myself clear?”
Venom stayed silent, obviously fuming
“DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!?!”
“I’m going to gut you for this outrage Hunter. Slowly. With a rusty vibroblade”
“Well, yes or no?”
“Yes”
“So nice doing business with you @#%$. So long”
Hunter circled the Dark Jedi, guns pointing for the heart, backed away and after about twenty paces, slipped down a adjoining alley way and slipped out of sight.
“Youuu allowwww one likeee thattt to speakkkk likeeeee thattt?”
Venom turned, suddenly much calmer and even a smirk on his face under the depths of the hood. “Why yes. Don’t worry Fregge, I will deal with that insolent runt soon enough. Interesting to see his guns no? Who would think to use slug throwers in this day and age?”
The now revealed Vog’on waved a claw and more of it’s fellows disjoined the shadows on the wall and moved in a semicircle around the killed beast. Venom stepped forward, swinging clear his Force Pike and poking the dead Vog’on with the point. The beast gave an obsence sounding belch and a trickle of gore dripped from the mouth.
“Explosive tip too. Most effective. Most informative too. I wonder what other toys this Bounty Hunter has that are as interesting?”
Fregge was sniffing the body. “Projectile weaponsssss?”
“Yes. Extremely rare now and maybe even unknown to most. Apparently the Mandalorians worked out that a Jedi sabre is useless against a bullet and that they were sitting mynocks for such devices. It seems our esteemed idiot has also worked that out too and more to the point, a device that can kill Vog’ons easily too. We must be cautious in future. Fregge, set one of the other to following Hunter at a good distance and report to me his movements. The rest of you, clean this mess up”
Venom turned and disappeared into the shadows, as one of the Vog’on split off from the group and moved in the direction Hunter went. The rest fell to the body and began to quickly eat it, loud crunching and tearing sounds echoing down the alley. Venom smiled. The Vog’on would eat anything, but they always preferred their own if one failed. It was rather handy in keeping them on their claw tips.
A Vog’on sided up to Venom and passed him a datapad.
Venom stopped. The data pad was clear.
Lord Fire Blade was still alive.
Elieen couldn’t understand the lyrics to the song. That was okay, it still provided a pleasant, if raucous backdrop to the bar she had come to. The speeder bike had been dumped and she had made the last few kilometres in a nervewracking sprint to where she said at times was her second home. That had a good deal of truth in it, as she probably spent more waking hours in this place than any other.
The bar staff knew her well and even had a place reserved for her, with her favoured drink ready. She marched over, feeling for the first time in some hours that she was safe. Not even a battalion of New Republic troops would dare ever this place, as it was not only owned by a well known criminal and Imperial sympathiser, the place was a hangout for some of the toughest and hardened crims that showed up on Coruscant. If anyone came in, either as a law enforcement officer or a bounty hunter, several dozen guns would be pointed at the interlopers and fired before they would have a chance to leave. A few of the other regulars acknowledged her presence as she sat down. Almost immediately, a drunk human male came over.
“Hheeeyyyyy b-b-babe…”
She replied by swivelling off her chair and landing an enormous punch that decked the drunk. Some laughter filtered through the pounding music and a Walrus-face hooted.
“Yeah, same to you butt ugly” she said as she regained her chair. The Walrus-face hooted again and this time Elieen replied with a rude gesture, but with a smile on her face. The walrus hooted in laughter and turned away.
“Eh, so what was Squisy saying?”
Elieen glanced at the barman. “He was asking me if that was a mating ritual I used”
“With you, nothing would surprise me. Anything else, or just keep the glass full?”
“Yeah there is” She leaned over the bar. “There’s a bounty hunter after me. Don’t know why, but this one seems good. Think you can hole me up here for a few days?”
“Yeah sure. Anything else, or just pass the word around in here?”
“Pass the word. Oh and Tigger..”
“Yes?”
She made a small hand sign that the barman watched, then blanched. “You serious?”
She nodded and took a drink.
“Okay….” The barman turned and hurried away, while Elieen took in the patrons of the bar. Normal faces, not too many new ones. Despite the seedier aspects, most here were beings she could rely on in a pinch as there was respect here for Elieen. She did the odd slicing job for those willing to pay, she could hold her drink better than just about anyone and she was incredible at the various gambling games, given her knowledge of how numbers worked. She also had her fair share of brawls that she more often than not won. She might be beautiful in a hard edged way, she clearly was no pushover. The regulars respected that. She also wasn’t a threat to any of the real hard customers, which she steered clear of anyway.
The sound of what he knew as “heavy metal rap” music drifted up out of door as he finally finished the long walk to get here. It was now close to local midnight and he knew that by now Cross would have been here for several hours. Probably drinking if the surveillance he had done was accurate, She seemed to be a real heavy one. Hunter had to admit, it was an odd place for an accounts data pusher to hang out, but then again, he knew now that Cross was no ordinary person. If the fact that she was on a hit list that included the major Jedi of the time, a top ranked General of the New Republic and a former Imperial bodyguard of the Emperor himself, there was the fact she had escaped his first hit. Hunter in fact was beginning to think this Elieen was nowhere near what everyone thought she was.
But what was she if not this petty data pusher?
Normally, Hunter would set up a situation where the target would have no chance to escape, if was within the clients requirements. Here, he had been clearly been given the wrong information about his target – no he thought, what if Cross was something similar to the girl he had been tricked about? Venom had called Jina Jade, daughter of Lady Mara Jade, with some juicy rumours to the father as well to boot, a package. Elieen was supposed to be some low grade data pusher.
This was beginning to stink worse than a day old baby diaper.
However, he was going to have one more go at Cross. She obviously wasn’t too smart if she was inside the rat hole he thought she would be, a true pro would have run. Or set a trap in return. A trap…
Great. He could convince himself it was a trap and not go in and never find out. Or he could go in, knowing what could happen and find out it was nothing and Elieen was a stationary target. Not exactly impressed with the choices, he sat on the ground, watching the door and thinking. And came to a decision.
Let’s go in and look the place over again and do some watching he thought. Keep my face covered and not draw suspicion to myself. Probably the best I can do… apart form keeping my wits about me and watching out for my back.
That decided, he got up, pulling his cloak hood over his face and walked to the entrance of the bar.
She looked at the chronometer on the wall and saw it was one hour past midnight. Not unusual for her, she had a few empty bottles and her eyes were bloodshot. She concentrated hard and she managed to swallow on of the mint sweets she often ate with her alcohol. Immediately afterwards, she belched noisily. The barman without comment refilled her glass
The bar was dark inside and the music was quite loud, but not uncomfortably so. He found himself a seat that had a view of most of the bar as well keeping his back covered. Under his cloak, he carefully undid the holster straps of his weaponry, scanning the bar for any potential interference. Disturbingly, this place seemed to be a hangout for just about every top crim Hunter could remember from death mark and bounty lists that were circulated between brokers and the various Bounty Hunters they hired.
What was Cross doing in a place like this?
Hunter realised he had underestimated Cross again. He had never bothered going into this bar on the initial surveillance, content to wait outside and not draw attention to himself. Here was obviously a criminal safe haven that no self respecting law officer would dare come near and where everyone watched each others back while inside. A neutral zone if you will where outsiders were unwelcome.
Great. Just great. Except that now Hunter had added up the odds and now knew what he could face, his mind was running fast with what he could do. Especially as he now had spotted someone with dark curled hair, blue jumpsuit at the bar at the far end of the room just as the crowd had parted for a critical second. She was here.
He smiled mentally. Didn’t matter the opposition, he now knew what the set-up was and now saw the hand that held the jaws of the trap. Knowing how the trap worked was one part on escaping it totally.
Presume I have been spotted. Presume several unfriendlies. Presume heavy weaponry. They would be thinking I would be insane to try anything on. Fine. Lets them see just how insane I am.
He stood up and began to advance, now absolutely ready. Safeties were off and his reflexes were set on hairtrigger as well as one hand now grasping an not often used cylinder.
(Bartender)
A small creature montioned the barman over and the hummed. The bartender looked up in the direction that the being pointed and then frowned.
“You sure?”
The thing beeped.
“Warn the others. Tell them Elieen’s wannabe assassin is in here and to be ready to duck”
A querying boop.
“No, not because of that hunter, to be ready to duck with whatever Elieen does. Why? Because…” Here the bartender lowered his voice and whispered something. The being beeped in surprise.
“Yes, I’m serious. Now go and tell everyone to take cover”. The being rolled off and the barman grasped a long thin piece of metal.
Just in case.
(Several years later, an old Computer geek remembers)
I’ll remember that night in Romulon’s bar for as long as I live as I have never seen anything like it, before or since. I was sitting with another undercover slicer and we were arranging a deal when we saw him come in. Dark cloaked he was and he took a seat were only a true pro would. I wasn’t really knowledgeable about such thing s then, but now when I think of it, I could see the signs of a true professional on him. Assured, careful and when he acted, it was fast and without mercy.
But I get away from myself. Can’t you tell? Ahh, my days of bar fights are long gone and all I have are the memories of the good old days of youth. Eh? Good old days? Yeah, but these are good new days. I’m much richer and I pay people to do my heavy work now. Get back to the story? Impatient one aren’t you? Very well then.
(Load music)
It was 3am and the band on was a strange group called The Rage. Much different to the crappy wailers that we usually get, this played a string and drum based music that was raucous, but compelling. I believe the song was Bullet in the Head and it was rather appropriate for the events of the next 5 minutes.
I saw him looking about slowly, pausing at each person that was standing at or near the actual bar itself. Why was I watching? His behaviour wasn’t of the usual patrons. He had no drink and he rebuffed any attempt for anyone to seat near him. He also always had his concentration on the bar. The other thing was the bar heavies were all close to him as well. Why I didn’t know then but it was unusual – they were more likely to be harassing drunks and beggars, not sitting at one table, watching one guy.
What was his name again? Oh yeah, Hunter. I heard that name later as most of us did. He was then a Bounty Hunter on the up and up, having blown away a Jedi Master of some note and a few others. Still, at that time no-one really knew of him or else I doubt…
Well, I’ll just tell the story from the beginning.
The bar heavies knew he was after someone in that bar and were watching him. Thence, as he got up, 8 of them surrounded him, blasters drawn. He froze, but he didn’t seem surprised
“Good evening gentlemen, what can I do for you?” Hunter asked
“You, come with us” snarled a big green … thing that Hunter had never seen before.
“Why? Don’t I comply to the dress code?”
“Very funny. One more word from you and we shoot now. Get outside”
Hunter glanced at the closest thugs and mentally appraised his chances right now. The patrons at the bar were making themselves conspicuous by making a point of not looking at the scene, meaning they didn’t want to be involved in what happened next. That told Hunter exactly what to expect.
He would be taken outside, steered to the nearest dark alley and killed. Or at elast that was the idea. Hiding a smile, that tried to get onto his face, he raised his hands, palms open and put them on his head. The cylinder slipped down his sleeve, unseen. Putting his hands up and surrendering. That seemed to make the thugs uneasy, but also gave Hunter a critical advantage. Hopefully….
A jab between his shoulders of a blaster told him he had succeeded. He began to walk out the door, with the thugs following.
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