A Whale in a Non-Descript Cantina {Open to All}

[Ghorua the Shark]

LOCATION: NAR SHADDAA, FRIDA'S SPACEPORT CANTINA
EQUIPMENT: IN BIO
MOOD: NONCHALANT

Ghorua the Shark rubbed down the counter of the bar with a clean(ish) towel, having to kneel down a little to reach. A newcomer to Frida's Spacer Bar might find a ten-foot-tall Herglic disturbing, or the fact that said Herglic was standing behind the counter, dishing out drinks. Ghorua's boss and friend, Frida, had been kind enough to offer him a job here when he was going through financial troubles.

Even though he was in a better spot now, Ghorua felt like he owed his boss enough to kep working. Frida was a nice Duros woman, and walking out on her establishment would only break her heart. Ghorua was a Bounty Hunter through and through, but that didn't mean he only cared about himself all of the time. Only most of the time.

The mutant Herglic kept his beady eyes on the various patrons of the bar, his stare calm, yet intimidating. Ever since he had started working as a bartender, crime in the bar itself has gone down exponentially. That may have had something to do with his appearance. He wore a black wifebeater under his stained white apron. The smell of salt water lingered on him, bringing the thought of a tranquil sea to mind. His bulging muscles, oily black skin, and pointed teeth, on the other hand, brought to mind a world of pain to anyone who got in his way. Ghorua finished topping off another client, and sat down behind the bar, on a seat custom-made for his bulk. Today seemed peaceful, but these days, situations seemed to turn on a dime.

 

[Lysle of the Hydian Way]

Frida's Spaceport Cantina. It brought back memories. Frida was the birthplace of the Red Raven syndicate, a criminal empire that had spanned Wild Space and devastated the Black Sun, so much so that the Black Sun Empire collapsed and was now a smoky ruin, but so were the Ravens. Nothing was left of Lysles much feared syndicate. Remaining Ravens had taken flight and fled to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, hiding from those who would wish them dead. Lysle was one of those who had a bounty on his head, millions of credits were promised for his head on a platter.

The galactic crime lord, Lysle of the Hydian Way, was relaxing in his old booth. It was the only one with an energy curtain, Frida had specially installed it for him many years ago. The Ravens were tolerated around here, it was a safe haven for them. Frida may not be intimidating, but she had many friends in the Underworld - despite all appearances. His steeled gaze slowly swept the room, his stomach knotted, he recognized no one, not even the immense new barkeep. There was a soft whisper in his mind, hoping his old friends would stumble in for a drink.

[member="Jen"] | [member="Isaac Ideus"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Isaac Ideus]

They say smells constitute your strongest of memories. Even though the he had been in dozens of cantinas across the galaxy, none smelled like this one. Isaac practically became an adult inside these walls, and he could still rattle off the drink menu in his sleep. It was here, of course, that the infamous Red Raven syndicate was born. A galactic institution, it was the begotten child of the legendary smuggler Lysle of the Hydian Way. He was the man who made Isaac what he was today when, years ago, he brought the young Corellian in off the mean streets and into the syndicate fold.

But that was years ago, in a seemingly different universe. Isaac looked around Frida's, taking it all in. And suddenly, he felt old.

--------

Isaac shuffled towards a booth, two foaming beers in hand. The booth's occupant was concealed by an energy curtain. Standing in front of the booth, Isaac held aloft the two beers suggestively. The energy curtain was peeled back, revealing the face of a familiar friend.

"Shooting you would make me an extravagantly wealthy man, you know..."

He winked. It was good to be "home".

[member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"]
[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Jen]

It was somewhat ironic that Jennifer had ended up standing in front of one of the place she had tried to avoid the most since it all had went to hell. However, even the strictest of precautions obviously mattered little when cold sweat soaked your back and you needed something to distract yourself from reality and the absence of spice in your blood.

Perhaps the simplest way to explain why Jennifer currently stood in front of Frida’s Spaceport Cantina, was that a few hours ago she had gotten a great business proposal for some cheap Pleezer. And with her credits few and far between she was not one to just thank no. After the deal had been made, she had simply been staring at the entrance to the cantina for a few minutes, weighting whether or not to enter, the bag containing the pleezer securely shoved into a deep pocket in her trousers.

Old memories had been flooding her mind, memories that seemed to come from a lifetime ago. Good and bad. It was all over now though; with the Red Ravens destroyed, she doubted that the cantina even looked the same.

She had been wrong. It was almost as if stepping back through time. The only difference she could spot was the new type of clientele and barkeep; a giant Herglic who seemed to glare at the patrons of the place. He reminded Jennifer of the type of bodyguards that usually followed the Red Ravens around during their prime. Taking it all in, she could feel her heart beat fast in her chest and she decided she needed to calm her nerves.

-​

Exiting the bathroom of the cantina she was already in a better mood, a smile plastered upon her face as she made sure the pleezer was once again securely shoved into her pocket. Finding it easier to take in her surroundings with the withdrawal symptoms gone, she made her way towards the bar, nodding her head at the Herglic as she put some spare change she had found in her pockets on the table. “Give me... Whatever that's good for.” She muttered, her voice loose, melodic and calm. Most of those attributes coming from the pleezer flowing in her blood.

Turning to lean the bar, she for a few moments quietly observed her familiar surroundings with her amber eyes, the silly smile on her face growing somewhat stiff for a moment as she spotted one of the booths. The booth. The yellow tranquility screen was turned on. It was as if she had expected that only two scenarios were possible regarding that booth. Either, all the familiar faces were to sit in it, laughing and smiling. Or it had to be completely empty. Neither was currently true. She leaned somewhat back towards the Heglic, which she hoped was currently finding her a drink, and raised her voice a little for him to hear. “Hey, who the kark is sitting in that booth over there?” She asked, nodding her head in its direction.

[member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"] :: [member="Ghorua the Shark"]​

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua had just finished filling the cup with an alcoholic beverage of some sort when he heard a patron ask him a question. Tilting his head, he saw what looked to be a small human woman, talking in a soft voice. Small compared to him, at least. Although he hadn't been working here for very long, Ghorua had been a regular customer for some time, and knew most of the other regulars. He didn't recognize the two in the booth, but he saw from their mannerisms that they treated the Cantina like a home-coming. The same reaction seemed to come from the woman ahead of him.

"Don't know their names, if that's what your asking for." The Herglic's voice was deep and mellow, rumbling a few glasses behind him. "They seem like they know the place pretty well, though." Ghorua slid her the drink from across the counter, foam spewing up and over the edge. "And by the way, I'm keeping the change." He gave the girl a quick wink, his black, pit-less eyes flickering jovially. With a sigh, Ghorua sat down at his large bar stool, and traced his eyes between the girl and the booth. The whole situation seemed mildly interesting. Every other day, a fight would break out between paying customers, and Ghorua would mop them up and throw them out. Perhaps the Shark would get some entertainment today.

- [member="Jen"] - [member="Isaac Ideus"] - [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"] -

 

[Lysle of the Hydian Way]

"Don't get started, Isaac, I've considered it myself.. but I don't think they have casinos in hell - its not worth it," Lysle jested, a warm smile spreading across his cheeks. He could only assume one of those drinks was for him, and even if it wasn't, Lysle had the wealth to buy as many in return as he pleased. Frida would go dry before he could even put a dint in his pockets.

No one had left the Ravens unscathed. Lysle may still be the rich man he was, one of the galaxies most wealthy men, and almost entirely unknown, but he was reduced to a single planet for which he could safely move. Even Nar Shaddaa was a bargain, if someone recognized him, all it took was a hold-out blaster to spell doom for him. There were many in the galaxy who had a grudge against one raven or another.

His weary eyes brightened once he focused on the now, and not what once was. Frida's was home for his flock, it always would be. They couldn't take that from him. He gently eased one of the beers out of Isaacs hands and warmed the mug with his own, sipping away as he welcomed his old friend into the booth. "Good to be back, although I do miss the Dragon something fierce."

[member="Isaac Ideus"] | [member="Jen"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[TB-705]

BAM.

The door flew open and a battle droid with red markings stamped inside, spindly frame scarred and pitted, a CC13 carbine on his back. The thin, rhombus shaped head tilted this way and that, surveying the patrons of the bar through slitted photoreceptors. After a moment, it appeared to deem the establishment appropriate and clanked over to the bar.

Leaning one arm against the bar, it flagged the bartender.

"Excuse me, cetacean, I require an alcoholic beverage," it said in a synth monotone.

A few cred chips skittered from its forceps and onto the bar.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Isaac Ideus]

Isaac smiled, shaking his head as he looked down at his drink. "Yeah, those were some good times..." They were better than good. When they weren't dodging blaster fire, they lived like royalty. If they were at the Dragon, this table would be filled with bottle service and they would be surrounded by beautiful women. But now that was just a dream. What the Red Ravens did to the galactic crime scene was unprecedented. The speed and the efficiency of their takeover was due to the violent ambition of their original leadership. In seemingly no time at all, they had permanently fractured the legendary Black Sun syndicate. The trail of blood followed the old guard wherever they want, even into the realm of politics inside the syndicate itself.

But the men sitting at the table had made a mistake. They didn't tie up all the loose ends. Sooner or later, those loose ends wriggle apart the whole fabric of what you have made. And when that happens, you'll never be safe again. Isaac had moved underground, or at least that's what most assumed. He had spent much of his fortune on bribes in an attempt to relieve the pressure coming down on him.

"I try not to think too much about the past, to be quite frank. Say-- whatever happened to that little development way out in the arse-end of space? What were we calling it... Neos City?"

And just then, a very familiar face across the bar caught his eye...

[member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"] - [member="Jen"]

 

[Cadan Tazi]

The doors once again slung open, the chill from outside unsettling some guest who sat by the door. Cadan strode in, his trench coat trailing behind him and clinging to his Red Raven Shot Caller Armour. The Duros made his way to the bar, and lent against it smiling at the bar tender, the smile was akin to a smile a fat child wears when entering a lolly shop.

Cadan would look to the droid, then to bar tended. " 'E's a droid, 'e don't need 'is drink. It's mine now." Cadan was use to taking what wasn't his and this droid could be broken by either one of Cadan's weapons that he had on him.

As he waited for the drink, Cadan judged the face's in the room. He knew that starting a fight in here would be a bad idea for a normal person. Then the Duro's large, red eyes fell upon Jen. Last they met in person Cadan had planned to steal her ship, capture her then sell her back to the Ravens, but that was long ago, back when Chiasa Kritivaas and Flannigan Mcnash were still on talking terms.

[member="Unit 843"] [member="Ghorua the Shark"] [member="Jen"]

 

[Jen]

She did not look like the Jennifer from back before poodoo hit the fan. That much was certain, things had changed and with that her.

“Whatever…” She mumbled in response to the Herglics remark regarding keeping the change, her eyes glancing to the extra credit she had accidently placed on the bar. That translated to just about one fifth of a deathstick and was it not because she was preoccupied with staring at the booth she would have protested. Harshly. She would probably also have noticed the familar Jackal who had just entered.

Determined, she slowly stood, the glass of black liquid and foam she had just been given held in her hand as she made her way across the floor and towards the booth. Halfway there she realized that she was not entirely sure what she would have done, if it had been nobodies who had been using the spot, but luckily she did not need to consider that. Upon closing the distance, the two shapes behind the tranquility screen started to make sense, even though she hardly could believe what she saw. The pleezer in her blood made her reaction somewhat exaggerated and soon a dumb smile found way to her face as she eyed her old friends. “Huh? Still drinking awful brands I see. Ebla is where it is at. I have already told you that.” She stated upon sitting down, taking a sip from her own glass.

[member="Cadan Tazi"] :: [member="Isaac Ideus"] :: [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"] :: [member="Ghorua the Shark"]​

 

[Tiali Orazio]

Tiali entered behind Caden looking around to all the different people in the cantina. Noticing Caden approaching the Bar Tiali just couldn't help himself. "Hey Caden, get me somethin!" he lit up with a smirked grin, followed by a light chuckle as he hunted for a place to sit.

Tiali made his way to an empty table, placing his buttocks onto a chair wiggling slightly to get comfortable. He raises his feet on top the chair next to him to extend his comfortably. Glancing around the room, it was interesting to see some old Red Raven faces. Caden has some history with them hopefully he doesn't get into any trouble he can't handle by himself.

Tiali Chuckles wondering why was the droid getting a drink that's weird.

[member="Jen"]
[member="Cadan Tazi"]
[member="Isaac Ideus"]
[member="Unit 843"]
[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua looked between his patrons, a hint of a smirk on his face. Droids weren't something that the Herglic usually served, considering they couldn't consume alcohol, but if he wanted to spend credits, that was fine by Ghorua. He filled up a few mugs, and placed them on the table, in front of their buyers. The Shark glanced at the Duros with a slight frown, lips pressed together scoldingly. "If you want something, you buy it. Stealing from a paying customer... Now, that would leave us both in a bad mood. I wouldn't want that, would you?" The ten-foot-tall bartender flashed his teeth, rows of serrated canines bedazzling his dark maw.

Ghorua studied the Duros, and then the man that appeared to affiliate himself with him. This wasn't his first time dealing with patrons with sticky fingers. They all thought the world belonged to them. If Cadan decided to pull something, a fist in the face would belong to him.

Ghorua turned to the droid, a quizzical look passing over his features. "I don't know what you're going to do with this, or if you're picking this up for someone else, but... Go on ahead, I guess." Ghorua slid the drink to the droid, and kept a sharp eye on the scene.

- [member="Tiali Orazio"] - [member="Cadan Tazi"] - [member="Unit 843"] -

 

[TB-705]

Unit 843's head tilted on its axis as it stared at the hairless meat bag whose skin fell in the spectrum of light between 450 and 495 nanometers in wavelength. Spindly fingers stretched back, reaching, when the mammalian vertebrate victualer suddenly ceased the hostilities using an intimidation tactic that seemed adequately effective.

"Appreciation."

The B1 grabbed the glass of liquor, lifted it up, and dumped the entire contents over its head.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Cadan Tazi]

It couldn't be said that Cadan was a coward, although he knew it would be unwise to pick a fight with the giant overgrown fish. "Then two whiskeys." Cadan dropped a few credits on the table before looking to Tiali. "I ain't carryin' it to you, I ain't your personal Twi'lek maid!"

As the droid dumped the drink on its head, Cadan look at it sideways. "You know what barman. Get the droid another." A few extra credits dropped to the table as Cadan paid for Unit 843's next drink.

With his own drink in hand Cadan made his way down to the table and looked to Tiali. "I was bein' serious Tiali. You can bring your's down to the table, it's already paid for." Cadan downed his drink and fell into the seat, resting his hand on his DL-18 and began watching the ongoings of the bar.

[member="Unit 843"] [member="Ghorua the Shark"] [member="Tiali Orazio"]

 

[Lysle of the Hydian Way]

"It's running," Lysle said with a bit of hesitation, perhaps it was that he never insisted on Jen and Isaac, or anyone, visiting. It was a place for him to escape, and it had cost him an immense dent in his fortunes. Yet as the days rolled by, his pockets were getting fuller and fuller, yet nothing alike the credits he made as he managed the Red Raven syndicate. That was a galactic scale, Neos was planetary. "I don't do much these days there, I relax. It's what I do best in my spare time." He purposely neglected to mention his trade in premium spice manufacturing. Lysle found it hard to give up 'the life' and he was betting Isaac wasn't the type who wanted to get back in. That was just the way it was, you were always stuck in the rut, or you managed to get out and stay out.

A small form slowly melded through the tranquility screen, it was an old friend of his. She looked older, but worse for wear. Those deathsticks were bound to catch up. He saw the drink in her hand, and he took a swig of his own as she spoke. He smiled, how like her to begin slinging remarks, damn he missed the Palace, "Ah Jen, you're now too old for me to tell you to stop drinking - but I'll tell you this, the reason I'm the rich one is because I know not to waste money on the good brands, because at the end of the day they all taste like p*ss."


[member="Jen"] | [member="Isaac Ideus"]

 

[SirMayday]

Well not my kind of place, but it will have to do.
Jan stood outside Frida's Catina, analyzing the place before going in. It was.....different, from the usually piss holes he has been too, especially on Tatooine. There was no dead bodies outside for one,Check. There were no sounds of screams or blaster fire from within, Check. It ddin't even have that piss hole smell, he did not necessarily love, but was used to. Jan sighed thinking of his home and shop. He weighed his options. Either use his new earned credits on a drink, or save them responsibly till he gets home. Jan's brain told him he would use the credits on a drink when he got home, so his excuse was invalid.
"Okay...." he sighed.
Jan looked at his reflection in the glass window of a nearby business. He looked like some weird robot Jawa who decided to roll in Krayt poo. Would he even fit in?
He smiled in his helmet. When did I ever care about my appearance? Jan walked into the Catina and went straight to the bar. He sat in a stool far from the others already seated. He looked at the bar attendant and thought I've hunted bigger and asked ".....Can I get the House Special?"

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua watched in amazement as the droid thanked him, and poured the beverage over himself. Well, I've cleaned up bigger messes, the bartender thought. Ghorua looked to Cadan, a hint of a smile on his face. "Two whiskeys. I can do that."

With that, Ghorua leaned under the counter, and pulled out a bottle of dark liquid. He looked up from pouring it to see a strange figure walk in, clad in robes, armor, and a strange helmet. Ghorua could only assume it was human. The Herglic passed the two whiskeys to his now-amiable Duros friend, and turned to the newcomer. "Well, we don't have house specials here, but if you want something good, try the Hutt Brandy. They say it's fermented in the light of a dying star. Whether you believe that bantha poodoo or not is up to you."

Ghorua gave him a merry glance, and picked up his mostly clean rag, to wipe down a small splotch on the table. That splotch has been there ever since Ghorua could remember, and to this day, all of Ghorua's elbow-grease and strength could do nothing to remove it. Whether it was blood, and old drink, or something more ratchet was beyond him.

- [member="Jan Valdum"] - [member="Cadan Tazi"] - [member="Tiali Orazio"] - [member="Unit 843"] -

 

[Jen]

“Or perhaps it could have something to do with our different pay grades.” Jennifer answered with a way too wide grin as she grabbed a crumbled up cigarette package from the inner pocket of her leather jacket, a frustrated sigh suddenly heard from her moments later as she checked it for its contents and tossed the empty package onto the table. Her smile gone as if disregarded by the flick of a switch. “And now I’m running out of fucking smokes as well. Great.”

Even though they all were acting as if this was not an unusual occasion, the reality was that they had not seen each other in ages. Nevertheless, even though she secretly felt betrayed, she had to admit it was good to know they were alive.

Jennifer did however not seem terribly well compared to when they last had spoken, not only her somewhat filthy appearance made that apparent, but also her current way of acting, which was one of the effects of having taken pleezer just a few minutes prior to the conversation. Taking a long swig from her glass of black alcohol she leant back in her seat, breathing deeply as if containing her emotions, her arms crossed and gaze averting theirs. “So what are you fuckers doing here anyway? Haven’t even seen your shadows for the last many standard months.”

[member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"] :: [member="Isaac Ideus"]​