Topic: RPG - Stolen Bride

Stealing a Z-95 Headhunter on Ryloth and pursuing the Morbis Ferre to god-knows-where was not exactly what you could call the man's style. And when it came down to style, the youthful bounty hunter had plenty of it. Or at least, he’d like to think so.

He peered through his electrobinoculars staright into the masked visor of the Ubese bounty hunter. The Twi’lek appeared to be having a conversation with the other two, but the man spying on them from a rooftop couldn’t make out what they were saying.

The human knew that out of all the amateurs who showed for the bounty, Arcuse and Sathik were probably the most likely to succeed. He’d weighed his options and decided with the big players out of the running, his best bet was to tag along with those two and the prince who was accompanying them. Frankly it all confused the man, who passerby had started referring to as The Masked One.

The Masked One knew the Ubese warrior and the plagued hunter by reputation, but he had only seen the blue-skinned Twi’lek looking lost and doubtful a few moments ago during the briefing.

“Must be the princess’ squeeze looking to be a knight in shining armor.” he conclusively muttered under his breath.

The hunter hopped off the building he was posted on and down onto the Headhunter he had claimed. Hurriedly he pulled on a dark red cloak over his jumpsuit, not his usual color, but a nice match to the wrappings around his mouth, nose, and crown. His dark eyes were his only visible facial feature. Black hair poked through the wrappings and messily dressed down the sides of his head. He strapped his modified blaster to his hip and made sure all his other equipment was safely stored in the folds of his cloak.

Satisfied, he seated himself in the cockpit and strapped himself in. The others had already boarded and The Masked One was anxious to take-off. Not only was he about to follow a rival’s ship (he was sure there was something in the Bounty Hunter’s Code against that), but the fighter he was currently sitting in most likely belonged to another hunter. The last thing he needed was another hotheaded Rodian on his ass.

He squinted into the sun-drenched Ryloth sky. And… yes, there it was, a Skipray Blastboat soaring away into the planet’s atmosphere. The Masked One gave it a second, maybe two, before following them. Honestly, he was surprised Arcuse hadn’t already spotted the little tracking device he’d placed on the Morbis Ferre’s hull. Unless his fellow hunters were attempting to draw him out, The Masked One wouldn’t put it past them.

It was hardly piloting once they were out of Ryloth’s system. He just sat back and, being careful to stay out of range of their sensor array, let the device match the larger ship’s coordinates. The reason for the shadiness and the disguise was just a precaution for the job-at-hand. The Masked One had dealt with the Hutts before, and it never ended well. That’s not to say that the bounty didn’t pay-off, but the situation itself never ended well. It was best to go in without an identity to avoid any further complications. In the criminal underworld of the Hutt empire, you could never be sure who you’d run into.

Besides the cloak made him feel so damn cool.

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Despite the ease of his travels, The Masked One felt relieved when they finally entered Nal Hutta’s atmosphere. He wasn’t used to the cramped controls of the one-man fighter and it was awful lonely without even an astromech droid to check diagnostics with. After the Morbis Ferre made its landing, he circled the ship a few times before landing in a public hangar one street over.

He rushed over to Kubba’s Palace after the trio. He almost lost sight of them in the crowd due to the Twi’lek’s new look.

Great minds think alike, The Masked One thought noting the facial tattoos appreciatively.

He snuck around the back of the cantina to settle into a chair near the rear, just within earshot of Arcuse and the force-sensitive informant. The hunter needn’t have worried, the three were so occupied with avoiding falling under the girl’s spell, they didn’t even notice him come in. The human was oddly familiar though. Curious, he leaned closer, she almost resembled—

He grabbed a hold of himself and shook it off. He regained self-awareness just in time to hear what he needed to know about the party. The Masked One gave a satisfied smirk. Parties, there was no better place he blended in.

As the droid waiter, a battered green protocol unit speckled with rust, tucked Kane's credit chips within an apron and pattered away, HUN reached his left arm into his bloodstained trenchcoat.  Kane tensed...but it was only the grey translation box, which the entity placed upon the table and began punching in characters.

"Listen closely..." the device crackled.  "I know you're wondering----why we are here." 

among other things...  "I'm assuming...we're meeting a contact of some kind?" Kane replied, his head still aching from the cold Tonjin.  HUN leaned in over the table, and Kane suddenly noticed...the faint blue eyes beneath the wide-brimmed hat...droid photoreceptors, he couldn't be sure.  HUN lowered the volume on the translator, and Kane found himself leaning in to hear the whispered response.

"Entities Arcuse and Sathik---perhaps our only real competitors---plan to try out for security positions in the upcoming Gherilijic gala---a fortitious opportunity to ensure that---our competition---is removed."

Kane risked a quick look beyond HUN, at the two bounty hunters still conversing with the woman...Kane blinked...something was strange about that woman...

"DON'T look at the Forcer."  The device crackled.  "She will---pry apart your mind---keep your eyes away."

Kane shook the feeling away, still dizzy from the strong drink...

"This try-out----convenes soon, so I suggest---you not consume any further alchoholic beverages."  HUN typed rapidly.  "I myself---will ensure their---unfortunate demise.  You job is simple---return to the ship, inform your comrades of the situation---I need at least three of you on that security detail.  Not you---there is another task you must perform, in---good time."

"Wait..."  Kane whispered under his breath.  "You're going to kill Arcuse and Sathlik?  They're two of the deadliest hunters in Hutt Space...krif, you look intimidating, but can you actually do it?"

"We will see."  HUN stood up from the table as a red-cloaked humanoid passed by, heading for the exit.  The entity followed him out the swinging doors and into the dark streets of Sadask'ha.  Kane sat at the table for another minute, thoughts rushing through his head... am I going to listen to this guy?...

Kar'bil had made sure to keep his eyes averted after his first encounter with the Force-sensitive woman. He felt truly inexperienced and knew that Arcuse and Sathik were likely to think him as nothing but a liability. Never the less, Kar'bil planned to hold up his end if need be.

He didn't really understand the conversation Arcuse had been having with the woman, but he decided perhaps the less he knew the better. Kar'bil viewed those surrounding him with an inconspicuous eye. Most beings had a sleasy edge to them, though Kar'bil had spent a lot of time with varying people, he found himself rather uncomfortable however he made sure he looked the picture of relaxtion.

"Are we boring you?" Sathik asked as he adjusted his mask.

"No, just checking out the locals." Kar'bil said mildly as his eye found something interesting.

Four robed figures stood together talking. Their brown robes were well kept, there posture that of the self confident and as one of them turned Kar'bil saw the familiar gilt of a lightsabre handle. "Looks like that woman's not the only Force-sensitive around here."

Arcuse didn't bother turning his visored visage, instead he looked into the reflection off his glass and saw the robed figures.

Sathik grinned, "Wouldn't it be nice if one of them was Heri."

Arcuse shook his head. "The likelyhood of that is slim to none."

"Who's Heri?" Kar'bil asked.

"A Jedi we actually respect." Sathik grinned.

(Photoshopped quick sketch of HUN again...lame, yes, but I draw too fast.)

The Masked One was making his exit from Kubba’s Palace now. The large… something in a bloody trench coat was close at his heels. As he hurried past a whispering Arcuse, a snippet of their conversation caught his ear causing him to whip around.

There were indeed four cloaked figures huddled together. The Masked One doubted that Taldon was among them like Sathik had suggested, but jedi on this planet still made for trouble.

“Hey! You got a problem friend?” The Masked One suddenly remarked fiercely turning to face the ominous being behind him. He cursed his own rashness later; he’d just unintentionally brought every eye in the room onto the entity and himself.

The lofty individual made no reply. There was a moment of silence as The Masked One stared defiantly upwards into those unblinking droid eyes. His adversary’s hand never even went to the coat where the hunter could see the slight bulge of a very large weapon.

One of the brown-robed jedi was between them in an instant. “Settle down gents,” he negotiated calmly. “We don’t want any trouble here.”

“Yeah?” answered The Masked One. “Well I do.” Without any change in facial expression, his fingers twitched towards the handle on his blaster.

A second later, a metallic arm had swung forcefully into his chest sending him flying into the back wall. The other appendage had drawn out the slugthrower and was holding it high. There was a sudden hiss of lightsabers being ignited and even more clicks of guns being drawn. Tables were thrown down to make barriers as the occupants of the room recognized the one moment before all hell breaks loose.

Kane kept his seat, popping a shell into the 05. Picking up the loose credit chips on the table from the mask figure that'd fallen out of his pocket and dropping them into a pouch in his jacket. Calmly stretching as he stood up, firing into a lightsaber. The blade sparking before the energy output burst something inside. The last of those shells he had, the rest were either stunners or weak. He wasn't about to waste two shots on another lightsaber.

HUN turned the slugthrower away from the Masked One to face the Jedi, all four of them brandishing their lightsabers...save for one, whos blade had been deactivated somehow by a timely assist from Kane's 05.  The Masked One lifted himself off the floor, grabbed his blaster, and took cover behind a nearby column support. 

"Everyone...put your weapons down." said the lead Jedi, a grizzled human with a violet blade, with a wave of the hand. 

Several weak-minded individuals in the back who had taken up their holstered weapons slowly returned to their seats, obeying the Persuasive command.  Kane and HUN stood their ground, weapons trained on the Jedi.

HUN's translator crackled.  "Let he---who would offend me---beware."

The older Jedi smiled remorsefully, and held his blade in a fighting stance. 

HUN fired the slugthrower.  The Jedi quickly moved to intercept the projectile, and made his fatal mistake...assuming the blade would deflect the round, failing to realize the signifigance of striking a bullet motivated purely by kinetic energy...much less a bullet with an explosive core. 
The round exploded against the violet lightsaber, the force nearly wrenching the blade from the Jedi's hands.  Enough though to put him off-guard in his suprise, the milisecond that HUN needed to send the second projectile into it's target...squarely in his undefended chest, blowing him apart from the inside.

Of all the people to get into a fight with, a slugthrower and a sheller. Kane almost grimaced in pity for them.
Slugthrowers were one thing, but, what little he understood of the carbine he carried they'd been specially designed to fight droids and Jedi. Overpowering electrical devices. And he was out of the good shells for it too. What little good it would do for him now.
And then, he loaded another one. Aiming thusly past a Jedi's head the impacting energy blast going off in his eyes. Not worried much for HUN he continued on, beating his way through the swarm. Trying his best to avoid problems like Arcuse and Sathik. This whole job was beginning to be a pain in the ass as it was. (sorry bout that)

HUN leaned backwards unnaturally far to avoid the swinging blade of a female Jedi, swinging to the side to avoid a blaster bolt from the back of the room, and spun upwards with a roundabout kick aimed for the Jedi's face.  She dodged skillfully, flipping backwards onto her hands and regrouping with the only surviving Jedi, sans his lightsaber and dripping with sweat. 

The rest of Kubba's Palace was a storm of blasterfire, as the inebriated inhabitants used the excuse to attack rival gang members, or just to defend themselves...a security team of Gamorreans burst through a nearby doorway, brandishing long vibro-axes and bellowing a war cry.  They charged towards HUN, bracing to cleave him in two.

Miliseconds before the blade would have torn into his shadowed face, HUN leaped over the lead Gamorrean's shoulder, aimed the slugthrower at the top of his head in mid-jump, and pulled the trigger, blowing apart the pig-warriors skull. 
A brutal pistol whip intercepted the face of another as HUN landed, his jaw stretching unnaturally for one terrible second before being lifted off his feet and sent flying into a column.  A third warrior was dispatched quickly as HUN backflipped onto his hands to avoid a sweeping vibro-axe, wrapped his long legs around the creatures neck, twisted in a horrible crack and sent him flying backwards into the smoking corpse of the first. 

The surviving Jedi were preoccupied now with defending themselves, and cornered behind the bar counter, the female Jedi aggresively deflecting intercepted shots towards HUN.   
The entity stood his ground, moving only slightly to avoid the projectiles that left burn holes across his trenchcoat.  He sheathed the slugthrower quickly within his trenchcoat, and pulled back his trenchcoat to unholster twin N'Ghant carbines at his sides. 

Those that would survive the night would remember the sight in a combination of terror and awe; as HUN-89 bore destruction in a whirling fury of heavy blasterfire....

Kane hit the floor, crawling along under tables trying to get as much distance and protection from those blasters. Finally making it out, moving between HUN's legs into the fresh night air. Knocking other scum back that tried to get out the same way. Glad he'd joined the hulking figure in the first place, or he'd be the one splattered in blood all over the bar table top probably. Kane sighed, at least he wasn't against stealing money from the dead. There was a profit to be made. If anything was left in one piece at the end of this.

Kar'bil was on his feet and with his blaster in his hand within seconds. The masked stranger had been flung across the room and suddenly the Jedi had joined in the battle.

Kar'bil noticed that a ratty looking Rodian was heading his way. Kar'bil took him out with a clean shot through the eye. He'd always prided himself on his marksmanship.

As Kar'bil turned and he took out a Trandoshan that had be closely following the Rodian. Again Kar'bil took him out with his refined shooting, with a shot through the forehead.

Looking up Kar'bil saw that only one Jedi remained out of the four, her hood had fallen back and he saw that she was human with short brown hair that fell to her jaw. She was young but clearly an adult and also very skilled with her lightsabre. She seemed to be assessing the fact that her companions were down and she was grossly outnumbered.

For some reason Kar'bil had a feeling that a Jedi on their side might just be a good thing, especially one as talented as she. At that moment the Jedi looked up and gazed at his face for only a second as if realising that he was thinking about her.

As her enemies closed in the female Jedi leapt upon a window awning, then upon the roof of a small shop. Kar'bil couldn't see her after that, but her enemies seemed unimpressed and ignored her. Instead they went to check if her companions were really dead.

Kar'bil noticed that Arcuse and Sathik were only a short distance away, clearly pleased to be involved in some meaningless violence.

(Heehee, here's another one. I screwed up the blasters and didn't have time to add bolts, but hey.)

HUN paused from his rampage long enough to observe the female Jedi Force-leap to safety on a nearby roof...as five more Gamorreans and a gang of Trandoshans burst through the swinging front doors, fanning out across the room, putting blaster bolts and vibroaxes into any unwary sentients skull.
Gherilijic enforcers Kane thought to himself, ducking quickly under an overturned table for cover.  looks like we've attracted some attention from the Hutts.

Kar'bil noticed that Arcuse and Sathik were heading to him very quickly.

"It's time to leave this party." Sathik informed as he nodded subtly to the new arrivals.

"Gherilijic Enforcers." Arcuse stated as he grabbed Kar'bil by the arm to get him moving.

Kar'bil didn't need any further prompting. The trio moved out of the area and into a bustling market place.

"I'm guessing that was Hutt muscle?" Kar'bil asked as Sathik and Arcuse slowed down a little.

"Bingo, the boys not totally brainless." Sathik smirked.

Kar'bil rolled his eyes and then noticed a brown robed figure. "Do you think that's the female Jedi?"

Arcuse turned to look but the figure had disappeared into the crowd. "Probably, let's not worry about her."

"She might be able to help us." Kar'bil said.

Arcuse shook his head. "She'll have moral issues with how we deal with those who get in our way."

"But you said there was one Jedi you respected." Kar'bil said.

"That wasn't her." Arcuse informed and moved them away to a small cantina.

"I think you're making a mistake." Kar'bil grumbled.

Sathik snorted. "We brought you along, I think we made our mistake."

Arcuse nodded as he led them into the Smoky Breeze Cantina. Kar'bil held back any further comment as he fumed silently.

The Masked One rolled under a table as quickly as he could, ignoring the pain in his chest. He peered out cautiously at the ongoing battle. He had to admit, that droid thing was certainly holding his own against the jedi.

He heard a rustle behind him and turned to see a particularly large Gamorrean trying to sneak up on him. There was a smoldering hole between the guard’s eyes less than a second later. The hand holding the DL-44 continued to move in a swift motion across the room taking down the bar’s more questionable-looking occupants.

A gold lightsaber blade immediately flew to his other hand to block another attack. Taken off guard, he lowered the blaster slightly to face his attacker. His new opponent was the female jedi. She hid any surprise that she might’ve had from having her usually decapitating stroke prevented.

With their weapons locked in that fixed state, The Masked One gave his enemy a pleading look over the arcs their sabers created.

Don’t fight me, his eyes tried to say. Take down some of this scum.

She didn’t take the warning, and proceeded to pull her lightsaber back for another blow.

This gave The Masked One plenty of time to holster his blaster to put all his concentration towards this new foe. He didn’t make a habit of using his limited force abilities, but he called upon what he knew now.

There were fewer bolts raging around them now. The drunken fighters were doing a sufficient job of finishing each other off.

The two fighter’s blades danced gracefully about and debris flew between them as they slashed through the occasional table, ceiling, blaster, customer. The Masked One lowered his shoulder expertly to swing at the girl’s legs, but she skipped back onto a table and flipped back forward straight towards him. The bounty hunter deftly sidestepped her charge and raised his saber as her back was to him.

Before he could strike, a single bolt caught the jedi in the lower ribcage sending her to the ground with a cry. The Masked One saw the source, the droid holding two smoking carbines menacingly to further clear out the attackers. As he stared at that formidable being, something started burning in his head. It was a familiar sensation: anger. Anger that could kill.

But that wasn’t important right now. Tears ran from his eyes as he struggled to restrain it. In one fluid motion, he returned his saber to the folds of his cloak and replaced it with his blaster. He fired a spread of six shots into the direction of the entity and, without looking to see if he had hit his mark, rushed forward to scoop up the fallen jedi.

He threw her limp body onto his shoulder and continued out the door into the marketplace without stopping. He didn’t stop running until Kubba’s Palace was out of sight. He cursed himself as he realized that he’d lost track of the three he was tailing.

The jedi’s blood was matting his clothing heavily. It went nicely with his already satin garb. At least it wasn’t his blood, but that didn’t make things much better.

The Masked One was fighting to suppress the rage that threatened to erupt inside his head. He didn’t know what he was angry about, but the thick of battle always brought it out. He conquered the burning sensation after a few deep breaths.

Not knowing what else to do, the bounty hunter lumbered forward with the dying jedi trying to find something, anything, that would help.

It could be worse, he lied to himself.

The battle had come to a standstill; most of the bar's inhabitants lay strewn across the room, smoke rising from their bloody carcasses.  HUN-89 stood alone in the center of the room, N'ghant Carbines still in each hand, facing the Gherilijic enforcers, about two dozen strong, who now had their weapons trained on him. 

The leader, a greying Trandoshan nearly as tall as the entity, approached casually, a stim-stick dangling from his reptilian jaw, a heavy repeater in his arms. 

"Nice piece of work you did here."  the Trandoshan grinned, smoke from the stim stick leaving a trail behind him as he moved to face the entity.  "Enough to gather my attention...Allow me to introduce myself."  He slung the heavy repeater to his side.  "My name is Tussok.  Commander of all employed Gherilijic mercenaries on Nal Hutta."

The entity sheathed his blasters within the trenchcoat, but said nothing.   

"Not much for talking, eh?"  Tussok laughed, a vile, disgusting sound.  "I've heard about you...you're the one who trashed those bounty hunters on the Twilight's Edge."  He paused, a serious look on his face.  "I have been authorized by my employers to offer you a position within the Gherilijic militia...the pay is good, and an individual of your skill would rise quickly." He bared his teeth in a smile, stim stick still glowing in the semi-darkness. "And I'm afraid that this is an offer you cannot refuse."  He moved for his heavy repeater.  "As the Hutt lords are very unforgiving about those who disrupt their enterprise." 

Across the room, the mercenaries lifted their weapons and aimed for the entity. 

Tussok didn't bat an eye as HUN reached into the trenchcoat...to slowly pull out the translator box.  As if comtemplating every possible outcome to this situation...finally making a decision.
"Tell your---superiors that I accept---their gracious offer."

Tussok laughed, a deep throaty sound, spittle flying out of the corner of his mouth.  "Wise choice!  A very wise choice...you'll do well here, I expect.  As long as you stay in line." 
The enforcers lowered their weapons, and began filing out of what was left of Kubba's Palace. Tussok remained facing the entity...unintimidated by his faintly glowing eyes and the blood still dripping from the corners of his trenchcoat. 
"Show up at the security recruitment in three hours...we'll sign you in there.  Sublevel three, at the Nal Hutta Exchange...I'm assuming you know where that is."
The entity nodded. 
"Well!..."  Tussok stretched his long arms, and made his way towards the exit. "Don't be late...the Hutts are very strict on punctuality."  The tall Trandoshan dissappeared out the broken doors. 

Kane got up from behind the table he had taken for cover, and slowly walked towards the unmoving HUN.  "Why didn't you just kill them?"  He asked causally, wiping some Gamorrean blood off of his sleeve.

HUN turned to face him, translator in hand.  "Despite appearances, I am not---invincible.  Tussok is not your ordinary scum-mercenary----and the enforcers of Gherilijic are among the finest in Hutt Space."   HUN began walking towards the shattered doorway.  "Besides, it provides us---a valuable opportunity to infiltrate the Gherilijic Palace, and find our bounty." 

Kane thought for a moment.  "And where do I fit in to all this?" 

HUN walked out into the street, various sentients pausing to gape at the individual who had almost single-handedly destroyed Kubba's Palace.  "We'll discuss that---back at your ship."

What the krif is he planning?   Kane wondered.  The two bounty hunters began walking towards the distant spaceport. 

----(BTW, I'm doing a lot of PhotoShop practice in my free time now, so if anyone would like their character rendered, message me and I'll try it...just for the practice.)---

(if you could do mine, just wondering.)

Mia Anglo cursed herself as she felt that one of her companions wasn't really dead. The female Jedi Knight who had fled the battle below was suddenly angry at herself. Apparently Nardia Yinks, her fellow Jedi was still alive if only just.

Mia leapt from roof top to roof top, following Nardia's fading life-force until she found her being carried away by the one who had started the ruckus. Mia jumped from the roof top to land before him. "Put her down." She instructed.

The masked one complied and gently placed the injured Jedi on the ground. Mia eyed him warily sensing some sort of inner conflict. She turned from him briefly to assess Nardia's wounds. "Nardia?" She said and gently shook her fellow Jedi. Nardia did not respond.

Mia saw the wounds were bad. "This is beyond my healing capabilities. I'll have to take her back to our ship."

The masked one merely nodded, but his hand flexed towards his blaster.

Mia was tempted to go for her lightsabre but something warned her not to. "I'll see you round, hunter. I'm sure Master Taldon will want to question you." With that Mia picked up Nardia and walked away.

She used the Force to hasten her speed and returned to the ship to find Heri Taldon waiting at the hatchway, "Bring her in." She instructed.

Heri flicked her long blonde ponytail behind her as she walked into the First Aid chamber. Heri knew that Nardia's chances of survival were slim, but then Heri knew how chance was sometimes all that one needed. Heri placed her hands above Nardia's wounds and concentrated. She let time slip away and only focused on the healing.

Mia watched and was joined by Masters Nif Goron and Candar Simton. Nif was a Duros male while Candar was a human male. All three Jedi looked on with limited hope.

Nardia coughed suddenly, blood stained her lips. Heri's brown nit in concentration. But then it was over. Heri let out a defeated snort then looked up. "I couldn't save her, it was too late."

Candar patted Heri's shoulder. "You did your best."

Heri nodded the left the room, upset that their mission had already cost lives. It seemed finding the Twi'lek princess was going to be harder than they initially thought.

The Masked One wiped the sweat from his brow. He could feel the raging beast in his mind finally settling back into its sleep. When the conflict had ceased completely, the bounty hunter leaned against the wall of a nearby building trying to get his thoughts together.

So, Heri was here. This was certainly a development. If things started to prove too hot to handle, than at least there was someone who could pull him out of a tight spot. Still, The Masked One wasn’t sure how she’d react to the ways he conducted business at times.

After all, he thought, I’m not ruthless anymore. I’m the good guy, right? 

He was in a less crowded part of the market now, but it was still impossible to pick out a visored helmet, a masked face, or a hooded pair of lekku among the hustle and bustle of the throng. His only lead was the fighting that would take place outside the Gherilijic palace. Even though the other hunters had seemed to take the informant’s words, he seriously doubted that that would bring him any closer to his bounty.

The Masked One quickly ducked behind a fruit stall as he spotted a familiar face, albeit one that he was not exactly eager to see. It was Tussok, the Transoshan mercenary from the cantina. The reptilian was busily shouting orders at his men.

“Now remember idiots,” he hissed at his comrades. “We don’t kill the little prince until he reaches the palace.”

“But boss,” started a hefty looking alien. “Why can’t we just finish the job now. Y’know, save us some trouble.”

“Because you fool,” shouted the Trandoshan whacking him across the head. “We can’t make it look like the Hutts are responsible.”

He turned to face his warriors to see if this registered. There was a blank expression on every single one of their faces.

“And you call yourselves mercenaries,” he spat. Sighing, he pulled out a small holoprojector and activated it. A life-like image of Arcuse and Sathik blasting away from Kubba’s Cantina was immediately projected into the street. The bystanders all began running for cover thinking a firefight was going on. The leader switched off the device and pocketed it.

“We play this when we shoot his highness,” he explained slowly. “And blame it all on the bounty hunters. The Hutts will send a security hologram to Ryloth so they think that the two escorts killed off their precious boy. Then the clans keep fighting which is good for business. The Hutts started having doubts about the kidnapping with all the hunters coming over, so they just decided to just take out the groom. Permanently.”

Tussock started laughing as he finished.

“Those poor souls won’t even know what happened,” he snickered. “If you imbeciles don’t screw this up, it means a big payoff. I’ll work on separating Kar’bil from the other two. So just wait for my signal and we’ll gun the little Twi’lek down.”

The mercenaries nodded with smiles on their faces. The thought of the reward always improved their mood.

The Masked One emerged from his hiding place after the group of ruffians had passed by. This was not good news, he needed to warn Arcuse, Sathik, and Kar’bil.

Well, on the bright side, he thought, At least I have a lead. He quickly blended in the crowd and began following the mercenaries through the streets of Nal Hutta.

Kane had fallen behind HUN, letting him work out the security job with the rest. Walking back into the cantina. Nobody had gone back in besides him, the scattered bodies strewn about the room. Looting pockets and pouches, purses and wallets. Blood stained change and jewelry dropped into a bag he'd picked up. Credit chips nobody'd have a chance to spend again. Shame wasn't an issue, if he needed it he'd probably get it. Ammunition was expensive, especially the red tags and black tails.
Then, stepping out bag under one arm group of scavengers finally rushed in. Pushing him out of the way. Kane ignored them, hurrying off into one of the open markets. Two stands kept them in stock, either one a waste of time. Their good shells worthless, just a bunch of normal armor piercers. Nothing worth his time, Kane had dozens of them.
"128 a piece, take it or leave it."
Kane pushed the box of shells over the side of the counter. Walking back towards the station. Annoyed. A group of wannabe bouny hunters stopping him in his path. Trying to remove competition. Kane didn't even pull the 05 out, pushing them aside with his hands alone. Shooting them in the back with a blaster he'd stolen from one of them. Trudging up the loading ramp a few minutes later, three of the crew had already gone off.

Kane.

(better than I can draw on my own.)

(Any changes wanted?)

Moa, Tal Rith, and Te'dac followed HUN-89 through the crowded streets surrounding the Gherilijic Palace, en route to the lower Exchange where the try-outs for security positions would take place.

(it kind of came out like Han Solo but no, it's fine)
Moa stood stiff, slowly sharpening his broad vibro-sword. Doing it more for intimidation than need. The blaster rifle strung along his back blasting light from the ceilings overhead into the other attendant's eyes. His equipment, was over two years old. Sharpened to its highest for this event.
Even as a pawn in the game, trying to take the king would be a fun little venture.

Tal Rith kept pace with HUN, twenty different kinds of knives strapped under his light mantle onto the cloth with leather straps. E-11 on his thigh, DT-57 behind it. The lines of Mercs and Bounty Hunters stretching down two blocks. Forty-Eight candidates had alreaby been knocked out of the competition. They'd made sure of that for about 1/3 of them. He rasped, slowly walking his way forward.

Te'Dac walked behind the others, keeping a silent guard in hopes of someone attacking. A Sonic Blaster resting on his belt, force pike in one hand. A pouch of odds and ends on his right side.

Kane sat down opposite Tanuka. dropping the bag of credit chips to the floor. Popping a bottle of Tonjin he'd brought along from the wrecked bar. Giving her a glass of it and resting his head in his hands. The bandoleer he used for a belt nearly empty, he decided to fill it up later. Dropping the stolen blaster.
(by the way Mel, your site hasn't been working for me)

(I love concept art...I'll be rendering Tussok next.)

(Hi Maltese, I can't get to it work either. If it's still not working by the end of the week, I'll look at getting a different provider.)

Mia found Heri in the cockpit going over various intel. "I think Kar'bil is here." Mia interupted.

Heri looked up, "Why do you say that?"

"During the battle that we lost the others in, there was a blue Twi'lek with black tattoos on his face. I'm sure it was Kar'bil despite the disguise." Mia informed.

Heri nodded. "It doesn't surprise me. I understand that Kar'bil is a creature of his word. He said he'd marry Tresh'san, so he will."

The corner of Mia's lip turned upward in a half-hearted smile. "How romantic, he feels obligated to save her."

Heri shrugged, "Not all marry for love."

Mia shook her head, "Love is the only reason two beings should marry."

"I guess Kar'bil loves his family and believes he's doing it for the right reasons. It's not our place to question his motivation to marry Tresh'san. He may actually love her." Heri said.

Mia snorted, "Right and Hutt's aren't greedy."

Heri chuckled at that. "Take Candar with you and see if you can find Kar'bil, he may know more than we do."

Mia nodded. "As good as done."

-

Kar'bil sat in a dark corner sulking as Arcuse and Sathik planned their next move. "So the Hutt's palace is West of here and guarded extremely thoroughly." Arcuse started.

"Gamorrean's aren't exactly extreme guards." Sathik interjected.

"The Hutt's got more than those morons. He's got every high tech gadget you can think of." Arcuse informed his companion.

"Surely you guys carry EMP weapons?" Kar'bil asked with a tone of boredom.

Sathik shrugged. "I knew I forgot something."

Kar'bil blinked as he suspected he saw the robes of a Jedi again. This time he saw her face and recognised the Jedi. She smiled at him before merging back into the crowd. "The Jedi is here."

Arcuse turned, "Your point is?"

Kar'bil rolled his eyes. "Fine be a pain in the arse."

Sathik grinned, "That's his specialty."

“She’s dead.”

Her voice was clear and pretty like an ice-covered corpse preserved for white eternity.

The Masked One turned quickly and faced her defensively. Already his DL-44 was held high at the being before him as he waited for her to explain herself.

“The Jedi you were thinking about,” The fragile pale girl looked on innocently and explained, adding with cold finality, “She is dead.”

The Masked One looked away at the blood staining his cloak, “I know.”

He had known she was dying, and it had only been a hope that she might live.

“You killed her,” She said as one would call the sky blue, and shook her head mournfully with her eyes still on him, “If...only you had not started that fight.”

The black haired, and scarlet cloaked humanoid was flooded with a flaring hatred and fired. As instantly as she had appeared, her form fluidly changed instantly into that of the girl jedi with short brown hair. The shot caught her solidly in the heart and forced her back a step, blood poured from her mouth dramatically in a crimson cough, and she fell painfully slowly onto the duracrete in a slow wet sounding heap.

The Masked One blinked, suddenly making the realization that he had not fired at all, and she still stood there laughing lightly as it slowly started to rain over the city. He let loose a foul curse, and shook off her influence violently from his mind.
                           
She quietly stood there in a simple white knee-length dress, her full lips pursed thoughtfully, unsure of what to say now to the lethal figure.

“Listen,” She asked with an air of innocent helplessness in her porous eyes, “I have this terrible fear of violence...and a...jedi... mind if I follow you?”

“Yes.” He asserted angrily, and began to make his way off, leaving her behind.

“Oh, I can help! I won’t do anything you wouldn’t want me to, and I’ll only follow behind you.” She cried after him, “Hello?”

He stopped and sighed as careful logic calculated itself through his mind, and he remembered that he’d lost track of the three he was tailing.  The Masked One turned, “Do you know the way Arcuse and Sathik have taken to the Nal Hutta Exchange?”

She smiled.

“I know the way. They have attempted to hide their presence by taking the lower level sewer way under the city streets,” Her strides were fast and smooth like liquid as she caught up next to him, she held fleetingly to his arm to emphasize her presence and pointed, “Look, the entry hatch is not far.”
   
The Masked One wasn’t sure how he knew her name.

Blink.

Her name was Blink Myno.

The Masked One wasn’t growing fond of his newfound companion very quickly. Traveling with Blink was frustrating to say the least. He’d experienced closing and clouding his mind to others on more than one occasion having dealt with jedi before. However none of them had possessed mind probing techniques quite like this girl. He could sense her lazily wandering through every corner of his mind reading it like an open book. He already had enough stuff going on in his head to deal with right now.

The rain pounded down on their backs as The Masked One pulled open the hatch to reveal the dark depths of the Nal Hutta sewers. He allowed Blink to climb down before jumping in after her.

As the hunter landed, he heard his feet slap down on the wet surface. Stone walls coated with clay emerged from the darkness on either side of them. Every now and then, a lantern was placed to make travel more convenient. Unfortunately, they were placed far enough from each other to leave every 5-yard interval in pitch black.

Another sewer, he thought with disgust. And I was under the impression that my luck was improving .

To his surprise, his thoughts were given an answer. A high-pitched giggle rang ominously through his head followed by another thought.

You’re silly bounty hunter, the voice remarked. I’m glad there’s some funny in here, it was starting to look awfully dark….

The Masked One surveyed their surroundings once again and scoffed at the irony. With Blink leading the way, they started navigating through the tunneled undercity of Nal Hutta. If there were other travelers, they hid themselves well. Otherwise why avoid the light?

“Can you please give it a rest?” he finally remarked after a long silence. He had been painfully aware of the girl continuously poking around for the entire span of their journey.

“I can’t help it,” she whined childishly. “You’ve just got so many skeletons in your closet…” she gave a sigh of pleasure. “I find it exhilarating.”

The Masked One turned his concealed face to look sadly upon the girl’s shadowed face. Such an amazing gift, and she used it for amusement. Surreptitiously feeding off other’s hopes, dreams, and fears.

The rouge suddenly realized that Blink could blow his cover. But he was in too deep now, she knew everything.

Don’t worry Masked One, your secret’s safe with me…

The Masked One shuddered. Arcuse and Sathik may have had enough sense to keep her around, but he found himself having a hard time. She gave him the creeps.

The lower Nal Hutta Exchange was defined by a massive pavilion in the center, with market booths and small emporiums around the edges.  The line of mercenaries streched around the base of the pavilion, full of every manner of scum and villiany...tusked Whiphids with giant vibro-axes, a Rodian with weapons strapped all over his body, and a Wookiee with massive, clawed droid arms were just a few of the more obvious characters defined in the crowd. 
Tussok stood on a hoverplatform overlooking the pavilion, flanked by several Weequay guards, staring at the mercenaries below with an evil glint in his eye, an ever-present grin of malice upon his face.  He reached for a nearby microphone. 

"Gentlebeings!" The amplified voice boomed over the Exchange, silencing the conversation and rowdier participants below.  "The Gherilijic Hutts welcome you, those who have graciously offered your services in ensuring the safety, and security, of the commemorative Gala of Sadask'ha!" 
Tussok laughed evily, smoke rising from the stim stick dangling out of his mouth high into the night sky. 
"There are only ten--count them, TEN positions available in this try-out; those of you who are selected will enjoy all the Hutt hospitality offered of their most devoted servants..." The grin stretched impossibly wide.  "And those unselected are welcome to try again next year...assuming you survive." 

A massive Huk, one of the last of his kind, covered in tattoos and brandishing a spiked vibro-mace, shouted from the ground. "Less talk!  FIGHT!!" 
The crowd murmured it's approval, growing into a hideous cresendo of guttoral roars and war-crys. 

Tussok laughed gleefully.  "Those of you who are prepared to die...STEP UP!  Onto the pavilion!  The last...ten...standing...ARE THE VICTORS!!"

The crowd roared it's approval, surging forward up the pavilion.

Mia felt the tension outside the cantina and walked out to see a circus of bloodshed with Tussock watching eagerly. Although Mia had only been on the planet for a short period of time she had identified the Trandoshan fairly quickly from his local reputation.

Mia turned to go back into the cantina and walked straight into Kar'bil. She blinked, not sure what to do, she hadn't been ready to approach him yet.

"Hello." He said timidly, as if afraid that he'd frighten her off.

Mia smiled, Jedi were made of sterner stuff. "Greetings." She answered him. She meant to walk around him but he grabbed her forearm.

"Wait, I think we may be able to help each other." Kar'bil whispered.

Mia looked up at him from under her long lashes, "We should probably discuss this elsewhere."

Kar'bil nodded and led her back to the Cantina where Arcuse and Sathik stood staring at him with annoyance. Although Arcuse's attention quickly turned to the specticle behind them.

At that moment a droid dropped out of the sky and landed behind Mia, it's arms were long sharp blades and it was heading for the Jedi and Twi'lek heir.

Arcuse instantly fired his blaster at the assassin droid and caught the new threat in a  photoreceptor. The droid spun was away from the force of the shot, one optical sensor now a mess of sparks and seared technology.

Everything was happening so fast.       

“Move!” Arcuse shoved Sathik by the shoulder into the direction of the platform, straining his vocal cords to shout. The black-haired humanoid was off in a mad sprint to catch up to the surging crowd. No time for strategy or thought. Blood stained instincts for survival had taken control now. Hopefully that would be enough.

It had started raining.

Sathik shoved his way to the center of the crowd, body tense, and shotgun at the ready, waiting, and watching. His blood now seared with heat inside from anticipation. It was about time the action had started. The best part about the hunt was always the kill. Nothing else came close...except for maybe getting paid for the kill. It was all that Sathik knew and loved.

Sathik didn’t like having to go in without Arcuse, that was asking for seven kinds of trouble once things started getting bloody and desperate. The masked hunter shook his head and focused on the task at hand.
                       
Arcuse ran toward Kar’bil and the she-jedi near him. Mia finally had her lightsaber in a buzzing flash of light and was ready to meet the outstretched blades of the droid.

“Come on,” Blink suddenly climbed over a broken railing to the side along the sewer way, and led the scarlet cloaked hunter to a blocked off ladder obscured by the pitch-black darkness.

The masked warrior broke off the rusted barrier in front of the ladder.

“Almost there,” she assured, “Above us is the Exchange, and the exit hatch opens up to the maintenance and main power generator on the lowest level."

would that I could join them Tussok mused to himself, observing the carnage from above.  To tear the heart out, rend my foes asunder...to feel their terror quivering between my jaws before I send them to the ScoreKeeper...

HUN stood next to him, silent and foreboding, the rain pouring down his trenchcoat in rivulets laced with the blood of those slain in Kubba's Palace.

The Trandoshan turned to observe his counterpart, a wide grin of exctasy upon his face.  "Glorious, yes?" 

HUN turned to face him, then returned his blue eyes to the battle below. 

"Ah....silent warrior, I see."  Tussok chuckled, reaching into a pocket for a fresh stim-stick.  "To be perfectly honest, I had hoped you would refuse my offer."  the Trandoshan grew serious.  "That I could have a chance to face such an...intimidating opponent." He laughed again, spittle flying from his mouth. 

If HUN had heard, he made no indication.  The Huk below had just impaled a Devaronian viciously upon his mace, and now used the still-screaming alien as an extension of his weapon, smashing down opponent after opponent.  Around him, the bloody skirmish continued. 

"But!  I suppose it was for the best..." Tussok murmured contemplatively.  "My Hutt masters will make good use of you...assasin, mercenary, bounty hunter, death incarnate, whatever you prefer to call yourself."  The reptilian smile returned.  "I look forward to working with you."

The two warriors, framed against the distant light of the setting sun, continued to watch as the participants began to thin out.  The bodies of the dead lay scattered everywhere, a few still clinging to life and struggling desperately to crawl off the blood-soaked pavilion.  About 40 warriors remained, each locked in single combat with another.  Sathlik put a bolt through an armored Weequay's face, turning quickly to pistol-whip a dark-skinned human with a brutal "crack"! 

Te'dac was wounded, a vibroblade cut down his face, and fortunately managed to get off the pavilion and to safety.  Tal Rith and Moa continued to fight, strategically positioning themselves to avoid the more skilled combatants; The Rodian weaponmaster, a one-lekkued Twi-lek with twin vibroswords, Sathlik, and the Huk, drenched in the blood of pulverized victims...

Kar'bil pulled the blaster from his holster as four more droids landed. The hum of Mia's lightsabre sounded nearby as she lunged at the droid closest to her.

Kar'bil took steady aim at one near Arcuse and shot it's photo receptor. "That one was mine." Arcuse informed him none to gently.

Kar'bil nodded and targetted the next droid. Mia had neatly cut her droid in half and was moving to assist him when five more landed. "Where are these things coming from?" He wondered out loud.

"Who knows? But whoever is sending them, really doesn't like us." Mia replied.

Kar'bil dodged as a blade swung at his head. He weaved to the side and fired off some rapid bolts.

Mia pivoted and cut one of the blades from the droid's arm. A small blaster moved out of a hidden compartment and started firing at them.

"I think blinding them was a better option." Kar'bil said. Mia managed to deflect the bolts as Kar'bil blasted the droid's neck, making it's head fall to the ground

Meanwhile Arcuse had also managed to lop of the head of a droid he'd been fighting.

Kar'bil noticed that Sathik was out of site. "We're your partner?" Kar'bil called to Arcuse.

But Arcuse was having far too much fun to bother answering.

Out of shells. No time to load. He cracked the back of his shotgun against a face and the jaw dislocated in a sickening crack. In a swift movement he sheathed the spread gun on his shoulder, flicking out a wicked blade with his other black-gloved hand. He pulled a human by the neck and shoulder viciously down on a blade, ripped the knife up and out, and tossed the bleeding and coughing and hacking corpse away.

He ducked down as a vibro-ax slashed at his black and now sticky hair, if it had nicked his skull he didn’t notice. The dark masked killer slashed behind him up and under the large reptilian Feeorin’s sternum, shattering the surrounding bones. His other hand found the knife holstered at his thigh and slashed across the shocked alien’s throat, severing the vital arteries in a bloody splash. His body was on fire and mind far beyond control.

Sathik was loud and always had something to say in any situation…except for when he was killing. Even shadows weren’t as silent as he was then. It was something few noticed, and those that did…usually ended up dead anyway.

The crowd was shrinking fast, and the intensity somehow managed to only increase as only the skilled remained.

Sathik twisted to avoid a slashing vibroblade, his body was screaming from the self-inflicted agony of exertion, his shaking hand weakly dropped his heavy knife, and he stumbled to his hands and knees as the previous vibroblade’s twin swung at where his chest had been. He drew the Sorosuub S-5 from under his arm, as he rolled onto his back and fired at the Twi’lek’s face three times before the fresh corpse sunk to the duracrete, blades clattering.

Avoiding enemy fire, the plagued hunter fired three shots at the bezerking blood-drenched Huk before the being’s mace collided into his stomach. All air was instantly gone, and Sathik found himself stunned on the ground, belly up, and a mace rushing down to say hello to his skull. He rolled out of instinct alone. Fragments of the ground sliced into where his face was uncovered.

In a burst of desperate strength Sathik kicked at the mace and knocked it from the Huk’s scaled hands. He ripped off his mask to gasp heavily for the air he couldn’t get. The void-eyed killer grabbed at the sharp shards on the ground from a broken sword. His gloved hand brought the flat of the dark metal the size of a razor blade quickly across his tongue. The Huk had returned with his mace and Sathik was just able to avoid the bone-shattering blow, and the plagued killer stood and plunged the contaminated metal fragment into the back of the Huk’s neck.

It didn’t matter that the sharp fragment hardly even caused the Huk any pain—The creature was long dead. The Huk spun it's heavy mace around and smashed at the other fighters that had gotten too close in the chaos. The creature stumbled and coughed suddenly.

It’s eyes went wide to late, a foamy cough erupted from the Huk's lips. It would have screamed if it wasn’t killing it so fast. It would have screamed if the absolute agony hadn’t forced all it's conscious bodily functions to a shrieking halt. It didn’t matter that the Huk was filled with enemy blaster fire as he fell to the ground, twitching. The scaled hunter was already dead.

...
The hatch cracked and creaked as the seal was wrenched apart, and pushed open. The Masked One stealthily looked over the armored metal edge, and Blink forced her way up next to him to see.

"Oh looke, droids." She whispered and pointed at the minimal security left to guard the power generator, "I hate droids. Can you..."

The Masked and mysterious hunter had already silently lifted himself out, and a dark grin came across his covered face, "Not a problem."

Heri sat starting at a monitor. She was controlling a small robotic fly that was currently infiltrating Nalarg the Hutt's palace.

A servant's door stood slightly ajar on the eighth floor, allowing easy access to her fly. Being cautious, Heri made it land just inside the door frame. She waited for any signs of security breach, but there were none.

She moved the fly in through the kitchen and landed it on the back of a waiter's shirt sleeve. Heri sat back from the screen as the imaged bounced with the waiter's steps. When she heard laughter she detached the fly and landed on an rather sadistic looking vase. She turned the fly to face the small gathering.

"...I can't believe we pulled it off." A grubby looking human said.

A Trandoshan laughed, "All too easy and who would know that the Hutt's not really alive."

Heri's brow creased in confusion at his words. She turned the fly to the dais where the Hutt sat. He was perfectly still which didn't seem right. She decided to move the fly in closer. She flew it to the ceiling then landed it on a grotesque statue.

The Hutt's body looked as oily as it would in life, however the eyes gave it away. They looked almost plastic. It seemed the Hutt had been killed and stuffed, then left on display. What kind of sick individual did such a thing?

Heri continued listening in to the conversations of Nalarg's ex-employees but they didn't give much away. Only a name gave Heri any clues as to who had done this, there had been the quiet whispers of Black Sun.

The Masked One casually hefted out his blaster to blow a few wires out of the two droids closet to him. The bolts flew true decapitating the first one and taking the bladed-arm clean off the second. The new arrival distracted the remaining assassins long enough for Arcuse to gun another few down.

“Arcuse,” he shouted to catch the Ubese’s attention. “Stay with Kar’bil! They’re trying to separate you.”

The warrior didn’t even pause as The Masked One received a blank stare from a visored helmet in reply.

Mia seemed to leap out of nowhere to cut vertically down the across the body of another. She spun around to force push another cluster of them right out of the entrance of the cantina.

The Masked One sensed a pair of blades behind him just in time to duck the razor-sharp edges and drop into a sweeping kick that sent the droid clattering to the ground. A barrage of blasterfire tore the fallen enemy to pieces as it lay there.

The Masked One turned to find the source and saw Kar’bil dropped down on one knee and expertly toasting the oncoming assassins. The Twi’lek had a focused expression on his tattooed face and his arm remained steadily level as he skillfully and precisely let off shot after shot.

You’re handy with a blaster kid, he thought genuinely impressed. But if I were you I’d get off this planet ASAP. Something bigger than both of us is going on.

The Masked One whipped out his lightsaber to rebound a salvo of shots directly back in the direction of the droid that had fired them. He sent the DL-44 back to his belt as he assuredly sliced back at the edged assailants that were pressing down on them.

Something was missing The Masked One suddenly realized. There was an excess of enemies, seemingly endless blasterfire, the familiar hum of lightsabers… but the comforting crack of a shotgun was not present.

Or was it? There it was, a faint explosion coming from the pavilion outside. The Masked One began ornately twirling his saber to clear a pathway out of the cantina. He hoped the three fighters could handle the rest of these guys. The Masked One was about to aid on old friend who he sensed wasn’t exactly faring well in the contest outside the palace.

(Balancesheet, going to be away for a while. Your choice what happens to Tal Rith and Moa)

(Cool beans.)

Tussok laughed long and hard, standing tall above the carnage taking place below the repulsorpad...the bodies piling up, the blood pouring off the pavilion in tiny rivers, the dying screams of varied sentients...beautiful in the Trandoshan's reptilian eyes. 

It was down to 19 fighters...and beginning to take it's toll on even the more experienced warriors.  Tal Rith had taken a hard blow to the stomach, limping as he maneuvered away from the other combatants.  A Gamorrean had lost an eye, yet still refused to give ground.  The Rodian was still standing, yet had exhausted most of his vast array of weapons...

Sathik was hurt.  Badly.  The Huk had come within inches of taking his life...he coughed hard, slipping his mask back over his face.  nineteen left...no, eighteen.  he thought dejectedly as a Whiphid tore open a human combatant from head to gut.    I'm in serious trouble...  Most of his ammo was gone, and his entire body burned with pain.   

The Rodian approached, wielding two long, curved ryyk blades, which he swung from the base of his hands in elaborate circles, moving closer to the wounded bounty hunter.  Sathik reached for the Sorosuub S-5, and winced in pain as his wrist snapped back with the force of an impact...The Rodian had thrown one of the blades, and the blaster now lay yards away, spinning in a pool of blood. 

"Shavit" Sathik muttered under his breath, watching as the ryyk blade curved through the night sky and returned to its thrower, who caught it effortlessly.  This guy's good... 
The Rodian sliced downwards at his unarmed opponent.  Sathik barely managed to dodge, his stamina exhausted...the blade clipped along the side of his mask, cutting a piece out of it with a high-pitched "clang!".   
Sathik summoned the energy to kick hard towards the Rodian's groin, but the alien dodged easily, spinning backwards and around to impact Sathik in the face with a roundhouse kick that brought red spots to his vision as he fell to rest in a pool of green blood...

The Rodian raised his whirling blades high...Sathlik could only watch helplessly as they began their descent. 
Well....this is it he thought grimly, preparing to face obliviion.
And watched as a lightsaber tore through the Rodians spine, erupting out of his chest and cutting upwards through his screaming face. 

"Looks like I made it in time", the Masked One grinned beneath his facade. 

Sathik coughed, slowly bringing himself to his feet. "I had it under control."

"Like krif you did..."  The Masked One deactivated his lightsaber, turning around to view the other combatants.  To his suprise, the battle had stopped.  Still with 13 people.... something's wrong he thought to himself, as he heard the low hum of a repulsorpad lowering from above. 

Tussok was not happy. 

The Trandoshan jumped off of the pad, a distance still of thirty feet, landing effortlessly in front of the Masked One, towering above the red-cloaked form.

"You DARE to interrupt my song of destruction!?!" Manic rage flared in Tussok's eyes.  "I will see your children's BURNING CORPSES HANG FROM MY WALL!!"

The Masked One glared back. "Just saving a friend...don't make a problem out of it."

The Trandoshan shivered with fury...then calmed, the grinding jaws turning into a grim smile.  "Aaahh....thank you, my friend." 

"What for?"  The Masked One slowly reached for his weapon.

"What a perfect crescendo...to end with your beating heart between my jaws."  Tussok stepped backwards.  " A battle to the death!  Fight for your right to live, masked warrior." 

The Masked One pulled out his lightsaber, preparing to activate it...and saw HUN standing still on the replusorpad, framed against city lights, and shaking his head slowly. 
The Masked One hesitated...and put the weapon back. 

Tussok growled.  "You DARE refuse!?!"

"Not tonight...I have buisness to take care of."  The Masked One grinned, watching the look of enraged fustration upon Tussoks face before it was covered by the smoke bomb he had released from inside his coat.

As the haze cleared, Sathik and the Masked One had dissappeared. 

The rest of the combatants could only stare, as Tussok's scales turned grey with anger...the Trandoshan roared, a hideous, primal sound that echoed throughtout the Exchange. 
His eyes narrowed into points as he turned towards a Klatoonian mercenary, grabbed the aliens face in his long clawes, and crushed his skull in an explosion of blood. 
"MASKED ONE!  I WILL SEE YOUR HEAD UPON MY WALL BEFORE YOU EVER LEAVE THIS CITY ALIVE!!!!"

The rain was pouring down now. The darkened street was crowded and dirty, only lit by the  flourescent glowing signs along the way. The Masked One kept to the shadows alongside the edge of the street, hurrying in the direction of the cantina.  The scarlet cloaked warrior had Sathik’s right arm over his shoulder as he half-supported and half-carried the weakened killer.

“Gods that was fun until you showed up,”Sathik stumbled along, almost laughing as though he hadn’t nearly gotten himself killed. He stopped suddenly and tried to turn, “Wait, my weapons, I...”

“I got them.”

“You are amazing. Almost as amazing as I am,” Sathik kept talking to keep himself from passing out, “you see how fast I,” he coughed, “killed those freaks? Yeah, it was overkill, but hey, you know how it is, kill kill kill, bang blast slash, fun fun fun.”

“What?” The Masked One turned to face him sharply. Not sure of what he had just heard Sathik say.           

Sathik looked at him like he was crazy, “I... didn’t say anything.”

The scarlet cloaked hunter shook his head and continued down the street. Sathik coughed loudly under his breath, “CoughSchizoCough.” Before the scarlet cloaked warrior could respond, the black-clad hunter stumbled over nothing and almost pulled The Masked One down with him. The weakened hunter held his gloved hand to the wall—leaving a hand print of blood that had no living owner—and straightened himself, taking a few quick breaths before he moved on.

“Oh hey, sorry I hit you,” Sathik was light-headed, and earlier he had reflexively attacked the Masked One as he had tried to carry the other hunter out of the Exchange.

“It’s okay, I hit you back.”

“Oh, yeah.” Sathik laughed slightly, before he suddenly broke into a fit of haggard coughs.

The cantina was a mess of a wide variety of corpses of flesh and metal, overturned tables, broken glass, blood, and violent havoc. And Arcuse was entirely in his element.

He boosted the power level on his blaster and fired at the oncoming assassin droid. The droid’s hold-out blaster shattered in a burst of red light, along with sensor after sensor, until the droid fell in a cluttered and sliding heap at his feet and lay there twitching. He continued to fire at the skilled technological onslaught, carefully avoiding Mia in her flowing movements across the cantina as she carved through the attackers with her lightsaber.

Kar’bil was on his knees loading his blaster from where he had taken cover. In front of him, Mia slashed a droid’s arm off, swung the blade up and around and brought it through the attacker’s armored chest-plate.
Another droid charged forward, the bounty hunter lifted his powerful blaster and permanently deactivated the assassin droid in an intense succession of shots. He spun the blaster and stuck it back into his holster, turning sharply to take hold of a metal chair and smash it into another droid, knocking it with a loud crash into the floor. Arcuse smashed the chair down onto the metal casing of the “skull” and crushed it hard into the duracrete.

Without stopping, Arcuse hefted his new-found weapon with one hand and forcefully threw it, catching a droid in the legs and causing it to unceremoniously hit the floor, knocking over the droid behind it . Kar’bil fired quickly at the one nearest him, and Mia slashed elegantly through the other. As the cantina fell into a strange and tense quiet, Arcuse stepped over the bodies strewn across the floor toward the entrance to see if any more mechanical threats lay without.    
   
“Sathik!” He strained his vocal cords as he watched the Masked One carry in his partner.

“Hey, Arc, look I made a friend,” Sathik smiled faintly as he tried to stand, before he blacked out and fell into the armored hunter’s arms, “She’s a really nice lady...”

Kar'bil narrowed his eyes at the new arrival, "Weren't you at the fight earlier?"

The Masked One was about to answer, however Mia stepped in. "If you're referring to the battle that killed my companions, then yes this is the same being."

Kar'bil nodded and eyed the new arrival appraisingly, but said nothing.

"Your fighting technique is familiar, stranger." Arcuse commented.

The Masked One shrugged, "Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't."

Mia walked towards the Masked One, "So why are you here?"

"I have my reasons." He answered.

Mia lifted her head suddenly. "A Force-user follows you, but you're not exactly inept yourself."

The Masked One shrugged, "I'm not a Jedi, but nor am I Sith."

Mia snorted, "So you want to be a walking enigma? So be it, just don't go turning on us, you'll regret it."

-

Heri turned off the console as her flying spy returned. She placed the small robotic device back into it's tiny container and approached Nif who had been meditating. "Things are more complicated than we first thought."

Nif opened his large eyes and turned to Heri. "I suspected as much, this planet is a place of deception and scandal."

Heri nodded, "Nalarg is dead. It would seem Black Sun are truly at the heart of the drama unfolding."

Nif stood, "This makes things worse. If Black Sun are involved there is more at stake than mere trade."

Heri toyed with a lock of hair from her ponytail. "We need to find the others, they must be informed of this development."

Heri and Nif took separate directions, not wanting to use the communicators in case they were sliced.

Heri was heading towards the second docking bay when she felt a dark taint in the Force, she stopped and reached out. She recoiled immediately as she came across something so dark and sinister that it made her shudder. Not only that, but it had the ability to use to the Force also.

As she stood in shock, Heri felt the taint touch her. It also started to probe at her mind. Heri immediately blocked it. Then she heard a deep male voice in her head. "You will not find what you are looking for here."

Heri blinked. "What do you think I'm looking for?"

But there was no answer. However Heri saw a human male dressed in black, walk from one of the newly arrived ships. He was very muscular and appeared very handsome, but Heri could feel the evil flowing from him. As she looked closer she realised who he was. He was known only as The Fist. He was one of the henchmen from Black Sun and he was very high up in the foodchain.

Heri shuddered as he looked at her and grinned, he then blew her a kiss and laughed and she grimaced. Her first impulse was to find the others immediately, but then she had a feeling that that was just what The Fist wanted.

“So you want to be a walking enigma? So be it, just don't go turning on us, you'll regret it.”

The Masked One gave Mia a sideways glance. He was never that good with first impressions; one of the reasons he often worked alone, but just as he was about to reassure his companions there was a change in the winds.

Mia surveyed the disarrayed cantina with one hand loosely placed on the hilt of her saber. Her discomfort cued Arcuse to quickly scan the room’s angles and exits. Even Blink twitched her nose nervously.

“Did you feel that?” she asked directing the question at The Masked One.

He had. The scarlet hunter raised his head higher as if a change in the air had caught his attention.

“I smell new friends,” he said distantly. “I don’t like it when guys deeper in the shadows than me come out to play.”

“It’s not you then?” Mia questioned him hesitantly.

“Hardly,” scoffed The Masked One beginning to unravel the wraps around his face. “Whoever this barve is, he’s using the force to amplify his power. Probably trying to scare us.”

“This one has embraced the dark side,” Blink agreed nodding vigorously. “He flourishes in his own suffering.”

The need for secrecy was gone with this new threat. The only necessity now was survival. There was a pause as the last of The Masked One’s red cloth fell to the floor. Dash parted his cloak to reveal his familiar Imperial mercenary armor.

“I thought as much,” Arcuse rasped unperturbed. “May I ask why you felt the need to conceal yourself?”

“You two… know each other?” Kar’bil inquired looking from one bounty hunter to the other.”

“Apologies,” Dash bowed towards his Ubese companion. “The plan was to jump in if you and Sathik found yourselves in a tight spot. The Hutts would already know you two by rep, I wanted to get in and out without a trace.”

“But it looks like we’re in something deeper than just gang squabbles,” commented Mia clearly unnerved by the new presence that they were both sensing. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“What about Tresh'san?” Kar’bil was saying frantically. “We can still save her right?”

No one had an answer for the young Twi’lek. The silence was only broken by a dazed Sathik.

“Hey look you guys!” he shouted trying to sit up. “Dash is here. Dash, when did you get here? Hey Dash, guess what? There’s another force-sensitive bounty hunter here! You’d like her. Hey, where’d she go?”

Mia wasn't listening to Sathik as he approached, instead she reached out with the Force to find her fellow Jedi. Candar was near with Nif, but Heri was a long way off and seemed to be trying to hide her position.

Mia realised that Heri was close to the disturbing tremour in the Force.

At that moment Dash turned to look at her, "Is something wrong?"

"I think one of my companions is in danger, she's trying to shield herself from me." Mia answered.

"Why would she do that?" Dash asked.

"She must be near the evil presence. She's probably trying to protect us." Mia replied.

Kar'bil snorted, "She may be in league with this evil presence."

Mia's jaw clenched. "Heri is one of the most loyal Jedi I know. She would not betray us."

Dash, Arcuse and Sathik spoke in suprised unison. "Heri?"

Kar'bil shook his head, "Let me guess, you know her too."

Sathik looked concerned, "I think we'll need that Force-sensitive bounty hunter."

Kane stepped out, watching parts of the faraway fight from a set of electrobinocs. It'd calmed down mostly, Kane walking off to go meet with HUN for whatever it was he was so needed for. Bringing the stolen blaster with him, slowly taking his way through the streets. Taking a stunner shell from a thigh pocket into his left hand, and a light shell hanging from his mouth ever so slightly. By the time Kane got there; Arcuse, Sathik, and whoever else were already gone. Just a few remaining droids and hunters.
He grabbed the collar of a tired Rodian, throwing him into the path of a medium sized droid. The Rodian was torn to pieces, and the bots skinning blades stuck into place by the being's entrails. A small screen above showed the action for spectators across the upstair halls. Five droids were left with seven other mercs and hunters. Nonchalantly, Kane looked around him, and there was HUN.

HUN motioned for Kane to join him on the repulsorpad, now floating only a few feet above the pavilion floor.  Tussok approached from the other side, simmering rage in his eyes.
"Don't you start."  Tussok growled towards Kane as he leaped atop the repulsor pad.  HUN lowered his arm to help Kane pull himself aboard as well, and the repulsorpad quickly returned to it's position above the batte.  Tussok faced HUN directly.  "Who's your friend?" 
"An---old aquiaintance, whom I have---brought to your attention, given his useful abilities."
Tussok was visibly confused.  "If he wanted a position, he should've been here for REGISTRATION."
HUN typed another series of characters in. 
"You, being a non-forcer, cannot---understand the situation that is developing here.  There are Forcer elements---Sith, Jedi, and others---rapidly coalescing in this city.  As such, the Gherilijic Hutts could undoubtably---utilize the exemplary anti-Forcer abilities of this entity, Kane."
Tussok looked Kane over with his reptilian eyes.  "...and you vouch for this guy?"
"Yes."
"Well...given your reputation HUN, I'll take your word for it."  Tussok grinned.  "The more the merrier anyways."
The Trandoshan turned to face the crowd below, just as the cyborg Wookiee smashed the eleventh combatant's face into the duracrete floor.
"The battle is OVER!"  Tussok shouted into the mike.  "We...have...our...WINNERS!"
The spectating crowd roared it's approval, as the ten survivors convened in the center of the pavilion.  Moa, Tal Rith, The Wookiee, and seven other battered warriors raised their weapons in victory, the audiences shouts building in momentum throughout the Exchange. 
Tussok lowered the mike and turned to face HUN and Kane.  "So...Forcers in Sadask'ha?"
HUN nodded grimly.
Tussok cackled evily. "Then you two had best...ensure their glorious destruction."

Kane quietly kneeled to look at the crowd below. Listening loosely as Tussok read HUN's datapad. The reptile not happy about the ammunition he'd have to provide in exchange for their service. Thankfully HUN had mentioned his 05, noticing the Trando's blood shot eyes glaring at him spelled that out. Kane pretended not to notice, standing up. Dropping the shell in his mouth into the 05. Closing the back with a thumb.
"Forcers? What are we looking at, 100,000 a head?" Tussok nearly snarled it out.
"That all depends on if you want to keep the body or not. And Black Sun usually pays double that..." Kane.
Tussok looked like he was about to tear his own eyes out from restraint. Kane trying his best not to get his head pulled off, well aware he wasn't doing all that well.

------

Moa ripped a force pike from a cold dead hand. laughing-or at least his version of it- as he noticed the two others surviving as well. If he had them, he'd be licking his lips in earnest and bloodlust. The bounty was close, but, a little something else floated in the air. Even without perception through the force; it was obvious, this was an easy task. The worst was yet to come. Moa raised the Pike into the air, challenging the very essence of the room.

The Fist smirked at his thoughts of the pitiful Jedi he'd just passed. She'd been so concerned about him following her that she'd stood there frozen. It had been a shame he hadn't the time to do a little "practice" on her.

But The Fist had more pressing matters. Besides his lankies would put the word out for  bounties. His abilities allowed him to control them whenever he wanted.

The Fist parted his cloak and threw it over his shoulder as he approached the Former Hutt home. There were those who easily fell into The Fist's services, and those who were pursuaded with the most lethal means necessary. At this time, he was hoping to attract the attention of Tussok. But that would come later.

For now he had to assume the place of the dead Hutt. All organisations needed a head, and since Nalarg was stuffed upon his dais, that left The Fist to assume the role.

“Sathik..”

“Sathik!”

“Sathik! Wake up!”

Someone who sounded very far away was shouting at him.

“Sathik! Come on! You can sleep later.”

Sathik felt someone shaking him firmly by his shoulder harness. Everything came back to him in a sickening and dizzying rush of cold night air, and the smell of blood and metal. He felt so tired...

“Sathik! Up!”

“NOW!”

The black haired humanoid cursed tiredly through clenched teeth and stood erect. He was leaning up against a filthy duracrete wall covered and stained in filth and colorful graffiti. They were outside in the streets in some dirty and shadowed alley. Sathik wasn’t entirely sure yet who exactly “they” were, but they hadn’t tried to kill him yet and he knew Arcuse was nearby so he felt more at ease.

“Where’s the party?” The plagued bounty hunter asked sleepily.

“Sssshh!” A girl Jedi at the edge of the alley peeking out hissed back sharply. She was afraid. It screamed in her eyes and tense defensive stance—Something is ALWAYS wrong when the Jedi are afraid.

“Here,” Dash whispered next to the dark eyed bounty hunter and held out a familiar looking shotgun, “This should make you feel better.”

Sathik smiled and took his favorite weapon affectionately. The professional killer spoke with mocking regret through his mask, “I didn’t get you anything.”

Mia was staring out of the dark alley. In the wide courtyard they could see Master Heri Taldon standing far off in the distance. The young Jedi’s heart had sang at the sight...until she had seen what Heri was looking at.

The dark aura was chilling...even from far over here.

Mia held her breath as the dark being simply started to walk away...as if none of them mattered.

“What are we waiting for?” Kar’bil asked nervously with his blaster held ready.  He didn’t like not being able to understand what was going on.

“Hold sai.” Arcuse spoke firmly through his lifeless, artificial sounding voice.

Sathik was systematically loading large rounds into the barrel of his shotgun, “So Dash...when’s the last time you talked to Heri?”

Dash stared at the floor with a nervous sigh.“It’s been a long time...”

“Okay, dibs.” Sathik stated casually, and looked back to his firearm.

“On what?” Dash asked suspiciously, an emotion flaring somewhere inside him.

“Hey, you got her last time.” Sathik shrugged, “It’s only fair.”

Dash blinked in something akin to shock, “...What?”

Sathik only grinned a familiar evil smile.

“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” Dash finally sighed, still not sure if Sathik was teasing or not.

“Aren’t you?” Sathik armed his shotgun with a loud and sudden heavy clicking noise.   

Blink was hiding quietly behind Dash trying not to look nervous. The rain had subsided temporarily, and the city had somehow become quiet though still strained with violent tension. It wasn’t safe here and they all knew it.

“He’s gone.” Mia announced with a loud exhale of relief.

“Let’s move.” Arcuse signaled to the rest in a sharp arm motion with his black gauntlet.

OOC: Sorry everyone! I’ve been up to my elbows in my medical class, babysitting, and talking to the Navy recruiter. Not to mention...it’s a lot harder for me without ScifiFreak90 to help. I could never write for Arcuse as well as he does.

I don't know if this thread is officially dead yet or not...and I was really looking forward to the Sathik / Arcuse vs HUN face off...Anyone still interested in playing?

(Still here, anti-Jedi back up character at your service)

(I'm still in, but college is eating up most of my time nowadays.  I can make a good post about once a week. )
(HUN is preparing to hunt the Force users (Jedi and the Fist), and Tussok has a death warrant on the Masked One's head.) 
(Someone should write up a summary of everything that's happened so far, so we don't leave characters/story threads behind).
(And the HUN vs Arcuse/Sathik fight is coming, as soon as they get between him and the Jedi...)

(When you say sum it up, in a character perspective or just sum in up? Because, this is the basic plot at the moment.

Black Fist appears

Group of Jedi crawl out of the woodwork

Masked Figure actually named Dash and is a Jedi

HUN, Kane, Moa, Tal Rith join Tussok in hopes of getting the captured bride back.

Hutt revealed to be dead, Black Sun takes his place.

Kane of use as Anti-Jedi

One member of the Insect team injured. Two or so left back at the ship

Shen the Hailfire appears and left as a plothole without explanation. (I'll get to that soon)

And few know the Brides actual location, going on hints and hopes. (how's my explanation, scattered and full of mistakes right?)