All Who Wander

[Ren'Tabor]

"Well now, don't you look lost."

At the sound of the voice just over her shoulder, Ren turned. The man who stood behind her was tall, and she had to tilt her head to meet his gaze, inviting the rain to batter her exposed face. When she did so, a sheepish smile blossomed there. "I'm that obvious, huh?" Her voice was rich with the same laughter that danced in her amber eyes.

A smile cut the man's own sharp features. "Let's just say that you're easy to pick out of a crowd." Which was precisely what he had done. "What's your name, lost one?"

"Ren," came her easy answer, as a hand instinctively moved to swipe the rain from her forehead. "But lost one is pretty fitting, too."

The man's reply was a low chuckle, deep in his throat. Then, "Is this your first time in Ethos City?"

Ren nodded, now moving to shove her wet mop of hair back from her face. The rain was really coming down now, though it was difficult to hear its pleasant murmur over the sounds of the city. It did, however, brilliantly reflect the countless neon lights that raged on nearly every building front. As a result, her surroundings had a sort of haze that she found delightfully exotic and alluring. This sensation would never be possible on her home planet.

"First time in Ethos City," she answered. "First time on Lithios. First time anywhere, honestly." Excitement at the concept, and hearing it spoken aloud, hummed inside of her. "I've never really gone off-planet before."

If she had, perhaps she would not have been so forthcoming with her information. And perhaps she might have noticed the sudden glint in the stranger's dark eyes. "Is that so?" he asked, companionably. "Funny enough, I've never left Lithios! I was born and raised in this city."

Distracted by a pair of purple-skinned individuals in sparkling gold suits, she played right into his trap. "I bet you've explored it all, then!"

"I have." With a low hum of approval, the man plastered on a smile fit for a salesman. "I know the city better than anyone else. Would you like me to show you around?"

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Downtown Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ren'Tabor"] ​

Neon lights and rain. The sounds of busy crowds overtook the senses as Ar'ekk walked down the streets of the city with a cigarette tucked between his lips. The day was just beginning and his monotonous daily routine of waking up, having breakfast and going for a walk around Ethos City had already taken place. Greeting the several vendors behind their stalls, the man would proceed to find shelter under the roof of Jovim's Noodle Shop.

His hands reached up to grasp at his leather's jacket zipper to pull it halfway down. Once done with the jacket, he digged his hand within and withdrew a datapad to catch up on all the latest HoloNet news. Murders, gang retaliations, mysterious disappearances were an all too common occurence on Lithios and he shook his head in disbelief everytime he skimmed through an article.

"Good morning, Ar'ekk. Slept well?" The man with slanted eyes behind the counter said, greeting his friend with that same energetic smile that could wake up a dead man at any time. You could say whatever you want about him but the guy did know how to lift your spirit with food.

His fingers sedatedly tapped at the on-screen keyboard as he scrolled through the many articles available on the HoloNet, giving Jovim the occasional glance behind the screen. Blowing smoke out of his nostrils and leaving the cigarette by a nearby ashtray, Ar'ekk finally talked.

"You know me. I can't sleep comfortably but I manage."

Jovim nodded before giving his back to Ar'ekk, reaching for a plate of wet noodles and wooden chopsticks for him to eat with. But something caught his attention: a conversation between a very young girl and a guy who apparently was trying to lure her somewhere.

You know what they said. "Never trust a stranger."

"Actually, keep this warm. I will be right back."

Leaving the plate of noodles behind and grabbing the cigarette from the ashtray, Ar'ekk stood up quickly and zipped his jacket all the way up to follow both Ren and this stranger from a considerate distance.

Lithios was a place full of creeps and something rubbed him the wrong way, trusting his instinct was something he always did and if he felt something was wrong then it really was.

"Let's see where you two go." He muttered to himself, toking on his cigarette, as he casually approached a stall in an attempt to conceal his true intentions and keeping a keen eye out on the girl.

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[Ren'Tabor]

They walked together, the large man remaining a pace ahead to help clear a path through the sea of bodies. "So," he began conversationally, glancing over his shoulder at the young woman. Her whiskey eyes were wide, soaking in the surroundings like a sponge. The sight quirked his lips into a pleased smirk, which he expertly schooled back into a warm smile for her benefit. Of course, he figured he could have held a sign with his true intentions spelled out, and she never would have noticed. She was far too distracted in the city life, something he had grown accustomed to. Granted, that was not because he was a native - he had lied about that. Lying was what he was good at, after all. "Why is it you don't travel much."

Ren loosed a small shrug, struggling to tear her eyes away from the air traffic. When she finally managed, her look was sheepish. "My people just don't get out much," she admitted. "We focus mostly on our own planet. Farming, and that kind of thing." There was also the small matter of being especially susceptible to diseases, considering how little her species traveled. She had received countless vaccinations before leaving Tel'erra, and had promised to take many more throughout her adventures. Still, her own health was not the main thing on her mind at the moment. Perhaps it should have been.

"I see," came his easy answer. Then he turned back to her, his smiling turning impish as his eyes flashed with excitement. "Since this is your first time off-planet, would you like to experience something most tourists aren't able to?"

The girl's expression lit to match his. "Uh, yeah!" she answered, as if he could not have asked a more ridiculous question. "Of course!"

He shifted, pressing a hand to the small of her back. It should have sent shivers running up and down her spine, and red flags waving in her mind. It did neither - she was too far gone. "Right down here," he told her. "This is a short-cut only locals know about." And like a cow to the slaughter, Ren allowed herself to be led into the dark alley.

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Downtown Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ren'Tabor"] ​

Ar'ekk picked up his pace and made his way through a sea of people to get a clear view of Ren's path, making sure she wouldn't get lost from his sight. Of course, the man had a hidden agenda and he couldn't believe that the young girl was falling into a trap that most people would immediately raise a red flag on.

Even then many people came to Lithios from off-world and expected a totally different experience because according to them "It's all bright and shiny!".

The sun went down with practiced bravado. Twilight crawled across the sky, laden with foreboding. Rain and lightning played their games in the sky, a thunderstorm was approaching and looked like it'd stay for the whole week. His walk and hide had to be perfectly timed to avoid being detected by the con artist, specially since he had dragged the girl into a dark alleyway.

This made Ar'ekk's blood boil in a thousand degrees: How could anyone do this someone innocent? Tons of situations played out in his head ranging from his hand on the guy's neck to the most unthinkable actions.

Fingers reaching the inner left side of his black blazer to grab his crossguard lightsaber, Ar'ekk hid under the dim light of a lampost and watched closely the situation that would unfold in the next few minutes. Perhaps the man wanted to drug and kidnap Ren or try something more wicked, the tip of his index was already hovering over the ignition button.

"Try something, I dare you." He said in a hushed tone to himself, calmly waiting for the right moment to help.

It would all be over quickly as soon as something happened.

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[Ren'Tabor]

"So," the man continued conversationally, removing his hand and stepping away from the raven-haired woman. Together, they slowed to a halt just inside the alley. Here, he would have her full attention. "Before I take you through the rest of the city, I have to ask you a few questions."

In the darkness, the eager flash of her blue eyes was a beacon of innocence and naivety. Some sort of interview? She had had very little opportunity to talk about herself during her travels - most had been content to overlook such an insignificant girl. She lacked armor, power, or even the stature of an individual not to be messed with. And as she had traveled without entourage, no one had spared her a second glance. That was, until her tall, dark, handsome stranger. So she beamed up at him, lifting a hand to block out the rain. "Sure, shoot."

He gave a small, curt nod. Suddenly, the man was all business. "Are you meeting anyone on planet?" When she paused, confused by the question, she continued. "You said this was your first time here, and I thought maybe you picked Lithios with the purpose of meeting someone?"

Understanding now, Ren shook her head. "Nope, just hopped on a ship and this is where it took me." She gave a sheepish smile, ashamed to admit her stow-away status. "I'm just jumping from planet to planet right now."

"That's spontaneous," came her companions answer. "Do you have much money? This lfiestyle can't be cheap."

At that, she shook her head again, this time more fervently. A small chuckle confirmed his suspicions. "It definitely isn't cheap! I have hardly anything on me - just enough for a little food. Enough to get me started. I'm going to try to find a job here, until I can move on."

He gave a small hum, low in his throat, that was lost to the sounds of the rain-drenched city. "Adventurous, too!" When her shoulders straightened with pride, he decided this was time time. "Last question, then. Do you have any weapons?"

Now her face fell, though not from fear. It should have been fear, she would reflect upon later. This should have been the final, most obvious warning. "No," she confessed. "I don't."

It was the smile he gave her that finally sounded the alarm bells. The twisted sneer on a face shimmering with rain, and shining with ill-intent. "That's a shame," he told her, in a voice as soft as a prayer. "This is a dangerous city."

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Downtown Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ren'Tabor"] ​

At this rate it was only inminent that the girl would be assaulted by this individual with ill intentions which is why Ar'ekk stepped even closer to the alleyway, hiding behind a rather wide concrete pillar that greatly helped to conceal his entire persona. Thunder and lightning helped to set the mood, revealing half of his face for a second before everything went dark again.

His K-16 Bryar Pistol stirred furiously in the depths of his blazer, trigger finger wanting to have some exercise. When the darkness fell, Ethos City became something else, any old Barquin D'an song notwithstanding. Bad things happened in the night, on the streets of that other city. Noir Ethos City.

The evil man put his hands on the girl, whispering sickening things to her ear while trying to find for her wallet and else while also covering her mouth to muffle any bawls.

Ar'ekk's blood boiled but he waited, savouring the moment before striking with a cunning frenzy worthy of millennia old tales. Trouble had come to the man, in big dark swarms. The good and the just, they were like gold dust in this city. There were no illusions. Just Ar'ekk and the gun, and the crook. His options had decreased to a singular course.

As surely as the bullet rips through the victim's flesh, organ and bone, it shatters the image of the man who pulls the trigger.

Bang!​

​

He was dead. Blood pouring from his mouth, a pool of his own ichor forming underneath his lifeless corpse.

Had this been the right choice? To pull the trigger and save the girl instead of talking it out, save her and make sure the man never did it again? The answer was uncertain, perhaps the options would've decreased to the only single thing at the end. Too hard to tell.

"Are you okay?"

He asked [member="Ren'Tabor"], voice almost breaking as he realized what he had done. This man had it coming one way or the other, the streets of Lithios did not forget or forgive.

The girl could've become another statistic and another one too, and another, and another in an endless loop.

Hopefully, she had the right words for him.

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[Ren'Tabor]

With her body already as taut as a drawn bow-string, Ren was practically humming with fear as the man stepped closer. When the sharp crack of a gunshot filled the dark alley, she shattered like broken glass. Her body went limp, hands moving to grab helplessly at her midsection. She was sure, so sure, that the shot had been meant for her. That the man had concealed a pistol beneath his coat, and decided to end her life for the thrill of it. It would be easy - she had no family on-planet, no weapon, and little money. Had she not just told him that? Hands that trembled violently rose to her face, and she was sure she would find them drenched in her own blood. But where she was certain to find hot, sticky black, she saw only speckles of crimson. Someone else's blood, not hers. His.

Her would-be attacker was crumpled at her feet, sprawled among the trash. Later, she might find irony in that fact, but she was too far gone for such things. Slowly, with eyes as wide and blue as planets, Ren's gaze moved from the dead to the man who had made him that way. His lips moved, and those eyes bore into his face, as her mind raced to make sense of the words. He asked if I'm okay, some part of her brain informed her. The small part that was not shell-shocked. The part that urged her to react, to answer him.

But she couldn't find the words. Helplessly, her eyes dropped back to the dead man at her feet. She had seen worse, she supposed. Wolves had torn deer to shreds, and dogs had preyed on smaller, woodland animals. She was no stranger to death. And yet, this was something different entirely.

"I've never seen a dead man before." She hardly realized that her thoughts had been given a voice.

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Downtown Ethos City ​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ren'Tabor"] ​

"I need to get you out of here. You can trust me."

The final gunshot was an exclamation mark on everything that had led to this point. He released his finger from the trigger, and it was over. The storm seemed to lose its frenzy. The ragged clouds gave way to the stars above. Everything had started out as black and white. Somewhere down the road, the line went blurry. The colors started to run, got smudged and gray.

Ar'ekk grabbed the girl by the arm and gently brought her alongside him, his NX-249 Airspeeder coming down hovering to one side of the street and its passenger door automatically opening for Ren, inviting her to sit within.

"Don't look."

He said as they walked at a high pace out of the dark alleyway, leaving behind the lifeless body of a high-ranking organized crime figure. Someone important, of status, a "man of honor" amongst crooks. His friends would want revenge once they found him.

He walked around his vehicle to grab the driver's seat to immediately take them out of there, their lives were at stake. Word would get out quick.

Pulling up from the street and leaving the crime scene behind, Ar'ekk drove through skyscrapers to a safe haven for them to calm down and think. Come up with a plan of sorts, give her a coffee to calm her nerves. Everything seemed to have ripped apart in a Lithios minute.

This poor young girl was shell shocked, trembling, everything that conveyed witnessing such thing. A murderer was driving her somewhere as far as she knew but he had no ill intentions, he was there for a reason. To save her. Why?

No idea.

After fifteen minutes driving through Ethos City and reaching above ninety-six levels of an apartment complex, the metallic doors to a private docking garage opened to let them inside. To one side, a door that would lead them to Ar'ekk's apartment.

Silence overtook for a moment, letting everything sink in right away.

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