Compliments from the Whale in the Back

[Ghorua the Shark]

LOCATION: DEATHSTICK ROW, NAR SHADDAA
EQUIPMENT: PACKING LIGHT
CURRENT MOOD: ???

Deathstick Row was a pretty average place, considering the location. Nar Shaddaa had always been a sleazy place, with dirty cantinas and voluptuous women in strip clubs. Considering everything, Deathstick Row was normal by all standards on the Smuggler's Moon, with booths off to each side, and a large platform in the center of a large, dimly-lit room. Women and men of many species danced, showing off veiled eyes and fit physiques. Ghorua payed no attention to them. He was here for business.

The scantily-clad waitresses left him alone after he simply bought a water, and sat down in an abandoned booth. The Shark could tell they were afraid of him. Heck, the Shark couldn't blame them. He was a hulking 10'5'' giant, pitch-black skin pulled taut over bulging muscles. His eyes were void of color, endless pits. But his smile was another story. Despite rows of sharp teeth, his smile was bright, almost warm. It was probably the only reason the waitresses spoke to him at all. He wore grey cargo shorts, and a black wifebeater. Dressed to impress, like usual.

The Shark sat in the booth expectantly, watching the door with those dark eyes. He had good reason to believe one Joza Perl would be here tonight. Ghorua didn't know what to expect. Abelain Narv'uk had pointed the Hunter in Joza's direction, saying that she might point him in the direction of Nik, who would point him in the direction of a decent amount of credits.

So Ghorua waited, watching the door intently. Perhaps she would help. Perhaps Ghorua had a fight on his hands.

- [member="Joza Perl"] -

 

[Joza Perl]

In between her world with the Sanctum and her own training, Joza occasionally took the time to visit the seedy underbellies of the more criminal words. Perhaps she frequented them more than usual, but the Zeltron had managed to acquire a handful of promising dancers to add to her company—what better place to scout for talent than Deathstick Row? Hopefully tonight she’d manage to find a diamond in the rough, having grown bored by a string of mediocre performances. There was more to a good dancer than just shaking her assets, mind you!

This time, she did not completely conceal herself within dark billowing robes as she had on Nar Kreeta. Nor did she dress as skimpily as a dancer or waitress—not that she had any problem with doing so, seeing as how she’d held both jobs simultaneously at one point. While the dark cocktail dress she wore was tight, the skirt was a bit long for Zeltros standards. Nevertheless, Joza had ensured that her outfit was form flattering. Looking good was a priority!

She entered through the doorway while holding a compact up, the other hand busy touching up her lipstick. Using a finger, she smudged the lip color against her lip liner, hoping that the latter wasn’t too dark for this shade. No matter, it’s not like anyone would notice in the dim lighting here.

Satisfied that her makeup was properly in place, the Zeltron woman headed for the stage, intent on investigating the local talent.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua had gotten bored with watching the door after a few minutes, and decided to people-watch. He didn't watch the dancers, like all else in the cantina, but the rest of the patrons. There were the obviously drunk pleasure-seekers, who watched Twi'leks, Togrutas, and the like do their routines with wide eyes. There were the gang-mates that clumped together, not afraid to grope the women around them. Then there were the bouncers, that watched all with suspicious eyes. The behemoth of a hunter got plenty of stares as he sat in the corner. Then he saw her.

Joza Perl. Ghorua couldn't deny she looked gorgeous. He had studied her face on the Holonet, to make sure he could identify her on site, but even that didn't prepare him for her beauty. The Herglic knew that this would be difficult for him. He'd never spoke with a Zeltron before, but he had heard plenty about them. And if what he had heard was true, he had to keep his guard up.

With a small gesture, the Shark waved down a Rodian waitress, who seemed less than pleased to approach. "Yes, what is it baby?" Her words were forced, as if she had rehearsed them many a time.

"Ah, yes." Ghorua flashed a bright smile, adorned with serrated teeth. "See that woman over there? Get her your best wine, on me." The Herglic pointed to Joza with a thumb.

"Uh, okay love. I'll do that right away." The Rodian walked off, happy to be rid of the enormous patron.

A few minutes later, the Rodian would approach Joza Perl, hips swaying with the muted music. In her hand was a tall glass of yellow-clear liquid. She held an inviting smile on her proboscis-like mouth. "Hey, honey. Looks like you got an admirer. Compliments from the whale in the back." The woman would give the Zeltron a drink, and walk off, slapping away the hands of a few drunkards.

If Joza looked over, she would see an impossibly large shape hunkered in a booth. Ghorua the Shark waved her forward, inviting her to sit with him. The same terrifying smile graced his features, but his eyes were emotionless black pools.

- [member="Joza Perl"] -

 

[Joza Perl]

“Hm?” The waitress pulled Joza from her thoughts, not expecting to be approached so quickly. The women both shared the same instinctive smile, hollow and practiced. “Thank you, dear.” Taking the glass with a nod, the Zeltron sipped at the concoction delicately first. Rich and deep with sweet, earthy undertones. How did they ever serve something like this in a place like…this? Then again, she’d been in seedier establishments. It wasn’t that unusual.

After sampling the wine with a few more sips and judging the performance on stage to be rather lackluster, she turned her consideration to the whale in the back. Whale in the back. She hadn’t paid that close attention to the waitress’s words at first, and she felt her heart jump suddenly. It wasn’t…no, Darth Orcus was dead. And he probably wouldn’t be in a place like this, affluent as the Herglic was.

When her eyes caught sight of Ghorua, both brows arched. Uh oh. What could he want with her? Was he an associate of Orcus? She had borne witness to the Sith Lord’s death, after all. Rising from her seat, she took a few moments to straighten herself out before wading through the crowds toward his table. A stray hand reached out to grab her back side, but she’d caught it by the wrist before shunting it away. Perhaps she could have caused a scene over it, but there were more urgent prospects to attend to.

“Thank you for the drink,” Sashaying up to large Herglic’s booth, she appeared to move in a similar manner to the waitresses rushing about. “But I’m afraid I’ve already got a man.” Her smile was polite, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. That, and she didn’t think he had that sort of intent—certainly her kind was too small for the hulking whale man. Oh, and she was lying, too.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua watched Joza carefully as she approached. She seemed to try to hide her fear, which failed rather miserably. Ghorua could smell the adrenaline in her bloodstream, spiking up when she first caught a glance of the Shark. Even without his acute sense of smell, he could see her raised eyebrows, and cautious smile. Ghorua put on his most welcoming grin as she approached, and stated that she was already taken. Oh, if only that was what he was there to talk about; Something as little as attraction.

"No, no, you misunderstand." The giant's voice boomed out, a low din in the clamor of the club. "I'm here for... business reasons. Please, sit."

Ghorua the Shark let out a subtle hauum, and continued. "This is quite the place, is it not?" The colossal Herglic gauged her mask of a face, an expression he often wore. "Don't worry, I'm not here to kill you. If I was, I would've poisoned that wine you were so eagerly drinking." Ghorua raised an eyebrow, his expression almost serene. "But let us save that for later. I suppose I should introduce myself."

The gigantic hunter stood, towering over his company, offering a hand to shake. "Ghorua the Shark, pleased to make your acquaintance."

- [member="Joza Perl"] -

 

[Joza Perl]

Ghorua’s sharp toothed grin did little to disarm her, though she was aware that Herlgics really couldn’t turn off the whole “large and imposing” thing.

“Oh, good.” A polite smile grazed her lips as she took a seat swiftly across from Ghorua. “My second favorite topic.” Crossing her legs and straightening her back to appear more ladylike, Joza placed the glass of wine in front of her on the table, tilting her head lightly to the side as the Herglic spoke.

She nearly snorted in amusement when he mentioned that he wasn’t here to harm her. How many times had she heard that line before? ‘If I wanted to kill/capture you, it would have been done’ And yet, none had ever actually attempted it. Empty words, men trying to assert themselves and their power over a more petite and potentially docile creature.

Then again, she had been captured and sold into slavery twice now. Joza didn’t have the best track record when it came to staying out of trouble, out of the range of fire, or out of beds she shouldn’t have been keeping warm. But hey, she was alive.

Still, this guy could snap her like a twig if he chose to.

“Two livers come quite in handy.” Idly fingering the stem of the wine glass, she swirled the contents gently to keep it from settling. “But yes, let’s.”

As he extended one massive hand, Joza placed her much daintier pink one against it. “Pleasure to meet you, Ghorua. Joza Perl, but I can only assume that you already know that.”

Withdrawing her hands, she placed one finger against the center of her lower lip with a thoughtful look. “Now, what is it that I can do for you?”

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua sat back down, and cocked an eyebrow. She seemed amiable enough, but the Shark could tell she was putting on a show for him. Ghorua had the sense to be cautious in this situation. Perhaps he was even more paranoid than the Zeltron was.

"Well, Ms. Perl, I was sent your way by a mutual friend." The Herglic flashed another smile, showing of his own pearly-whites. "Abelain said you could help me with a job I'm running." The giant hunter stared into her eyes, pitch black meeting green. They said that the eyes were the windows to the soul. Ghorua used hers to gauge her reaction. The mention of the terrifying Arue'tii probably wouldn't be surprising. Two birds of a feather, Ghorua and Mr. Narv'uk.

While Joza tried to appear more lady-like in front of the colossus, Ghorua seemed to sink into the booth, relaxing into the soft leather. He couldn't care less about the dancers in Deathstick Row, but he could admit their seats were exquisite. He might ask the manager about acquiring a few booths later. The Shark could use them for his ship.

"I suppose I should stop beating around the metaphorical bush here..." The Shark leaned forward, resting his massive forearms on the table in-between them. "I was told to come to you for information on Nikias. You gonna help or not?" The Shark's tranquil persona burned away. He still held a smile, but it was more intense, and a little feral. His eyes, though, were dead black.

Ghorua suddenly leaned back, regrowing his calm demeanor. He said nothing more, only watched her reaction, a slight grin on the Herglic's face.

- [member="Joza Perl"] -

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza couldn’t say that she particularly enjoyed the fact that they were both going through the motions of their respective ruse, but it was to be expected. As Ghorua stared into her eyes, Joza gazed back with a hollow look, a touch of robotic civility to her features. The Herglic certainly knew how to work his intimidating looks, and nothing about him spoke ‘novice’.

“Oh? How is Abelain? Pity he couldn’t come talk to me in person.” She feigned a pout, as if the Arue’tii was a good friend, but had no intention of fooling anyone. The Sith was somewhat of a rival to her, she supposed. First my hand, now my friend? Idly flexing her synthflesh covered cybernetic, Joza’s head tilted to the side as Ghorua got to the point. In that moment, the calm layer over his menacing appearance faded away. She contemplated reaching into the whalekin’s mind to try and discern his thoughts, but there was no need to.

Green eyes lidded slightly in thought, weighing her options. Perhaps she could skirt around giving this man useful information and part on respectable terms, or perhaps it would come down to a fight. Then again, she highly doubted that Nikias would shy away from a challenge. The thought brought a faint smile to her lips. Always with the fighting, that one.

“What would you like to know about Nik?”

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua the Shark remained still and silent, each word coming from the Zeltron music to the Herglic's ears. It appeared she had good relations with Blades, but it was obvious that they had mixed feelings about each other, also apparent from his talk with Abelain. About what Ghorua expected, really.

Ghorua took a big whiff in through his blowhole, and noticed something strange. The genetically-modified beast had an acute sense of smell, and something about Joza's scent was off. All Zeltrons had a strangely flowery smell, but Ms. Perl's was weaker. Perhaps she was only part Zeltron. Also, he couldn't smell the blood coursing through one of her hands. It was curious.

"Oh, you know how the guy is. Bland, slightly naive... Oh, and he has swords on his arms." Ghorua chuckled to himself.

The Shark's first genuine emotion showed through in their conversation when Joza asked him what he wanted to know; relief. The Herglic's features seemed to soften as he let off his strain. He had expected much more prodding on his part to get what information he wanted from the Zeltron, and he was glad he had gone for the direct approach instead of beating around the bush.

"Anything you know, Ms. Perl. Home, hideouts, battle style, all that jizz." Ghorua specifically didn't ask for friends and family. He wanted to leave as most people out of Abelain's business as possible. Abe wanted Nik dead, and he was going to provide that. Nothing more.

A waitress came to the table, and offered more drinks. Ghorua declined with a waved palm. He wasn't thirsty.

- [member="Joza Perl"] -

 

[Joza Perl]

“Ah, so nothing’s changed then. Good to hear it.” She matched his chuckle, drowning out her own into the glass of wine as she brought it to her lips once more. Man, this stuff was good. Doubt she could afford a bottle of it though, and at that thought she should probably be drinking less.

Humming softly, the Zeltron sensed a wave of relief roll over her larger conversation partner. It was expected, though she theorized that it would be short lived given the direction she would likely take this in.

“Hmm…” Rolling her eyes upwards in thought, Joza let out what could be considered a bit of an over-dramatic sigh. “Anything I know? Well for starters, he’s quite fond of using telekinesis in battle. He’s quite protective, too. Once beat up my boyfriend.” A low chuckle slipped through her lips at the thought, not wanting to dwell on the dark memories lest they sour the mood. The use of the Hellyni’s telekinesis was not private knowledge, and would likely be something Ghorua already knew if Abelain had informed him of their fight. If not, well, he could take that tidbit and use it how he saw fit.

She didn’t sense any use of the Force around the Herglic, but it could be very possible that he was skilled in concealment or using something else to cloud the Force. Ever prudent—at least when dealing with whale men—Joza raised a mild mental defense around her. If Ghorua tried to break into her mind, she would know. All of this was done in precaution, as she couldn’t tell if there was more to him than met the eye. At least her last dinner with a Herglic had gone well. Buying the Zeltron a meal or a drink always made her more amicable.

“He also likes to drink, feast, and I believe he prefers brunettes.” Leaning back in her seat, Joza once again toyed with the stem of the wine glass while fixing her conversation partner with a smile that had just a bit too much malice in it to be considered polite. “Does that satisfy your thirst for knowledge?”

Of course she knew where the Brotherhood was based and where his home planet was. Despite being hidden, she’d accompanied him there for a certain task. She’d met his family. And she didn’t plan on telling the hulking Herglic any of that.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua the Shark sat back and took mental notes, twiddling his thumbs thoughtfully. He noted her interest in wine, and grumbled internally. He really should have asked the price of their finest wine before he payed for it. Then again, he could probably just get up and walk out of here, and no one would stop him.

When Joza mentioned telekinesis, Ghorua let a small grin through his teeth. Of course, he already knew that, but Ghorua also knew that he was well-equipped for taking on such a foe. It was tough to keep one's hold on a large, powerful beast for long. Or so he was told. When she mentioned that he was protective, however, the smile died down, replaced with a straight mouth. He didn't like the idea of using bait, but he may have to, considering how this information-gathering session might go.

The Shark had met Darth Orcus before, and knew him to be very, no, unfathomably powerful. While he wasn't a Force-user himself, Ghorua could understand a wariness of Herglics if Hion was the first they met.

Once Joza was done speaking, Ghorua studied her face. Abelain had said to come to her for information, but she had barely given him anything. Perhaps an amateur Hunter would have stopped there, warded off by a grin too bright to be genuine. But Ghorua was no amateur. He knew all he had to do was squeeze.

Ghorua leaned back again, letting his arms drop to his sides. "No, actually, it does not. It's a shame you don't know more. I was told you had actual info for me. I suppose I was wrong." The Shark looked Joza up and down knowingly, a slight smirk parting his face. "I guess I'll have to find other ways of tracking him down." His words were layered, each one carrying a double meaning.

"After all, you did say he was protective. After some digging, I could find someone important to him." Ghorua and Orcus shared a lot in common, besides their species. They were both calculating, greedy, selfish... and liars. Ghorua had no intention of bringing anyone else into the equation, but Joza didn't know that. And he was a good actor. "With a little persuasion, I could coax out the Dark Jedi." It was obvious Ghorua was threatening her, not with her life, but with the lives of others. After speaking with her, noticing the way she steeled herself and bared her fangs, Ghorua figured she wasn't intimidated easily. This seemed the cleaner, better option. "Unless, Miss Perl, you somehow remembered where one could find Mr. Nikias. That would be..." Ghorua made a show of deliberating over the next word, taking a page from the Zeltron's book. "...Convenient."

- [member="Joza Perl"] -

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza pursed her lips into a false pout when Ghorua indicated that she’d not satisfied his need for information. A part of her expected him to back off, but perhaps a larger part of her knew that he wouldn’t—there was an air of trained expertise around him, and the Zeltron began to understand that she likely did not have an amateur on her hands. Still, the public setting did help to put her at ease.

Her head slowly tilted to the side as the humor drained from her expression entirely. Placing the nearly empty wine glass onto the table, she fingered the stem, twirling it as she digested the Herglic’s words. She didn’t want anyone hurt, especially not Nik’s family. She’d met them herself—the young King cared deeply for his siblings, and they adored him in return. It was charming, considering all that the royal family had been though.

Finally, she sighed with just the right amount of exasperation, even directing a small puff of air upwards to ruffle her bangs slightly. Leaning back into the booth, she shoulders began to sag a bit as she stared at her reflection in the wine glass for a few seconds. “Look…” Her voice was low as if admitting something she really didn’t want to talk about. “I don’t know how much you know about Nik, but he and I…”

Gradually, her pheromones would leak into the conversation, attempting to ensnare the bounty hunter that sat across from her.

“…are involved.” Tilting her head to the side, Joza briefly sucked on her lower lip as if she were wrestling with a bout of indecision. “I don’t want to see him hurt. Is there any way that we can part from here without that happening?” Slowly lifting her chin, she fixed Ghorua with an earnest look. The pheromones flared. Right now, she was a woman fighting to protect her lover from harm, willing to do nearly anything to get the shark to give up his chase.

The again, lying was the most fun a girl could have without taking her clothes off.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua the Shark watched dilligently as Joza put up her charade. He knew she couldn't be trusted. From what he had heard from Abelain, and what he had dug up, the Zeltron was crafty. Powerful. Not one to be underestimated. Ghorua knew this coming in, and had prepared accordingly. But all the preparation in the world couldn't prevent a situation, only react to it.

As Joza spoke, letting her pheromones leak into the air, she would notice an immediate change in the Shark. While other beings might relax physically, or become unreasonably attracted to her, Ghorua's reaction was more feral. The pupils of his black eyes widened, dark pools transforming into oceans of ebony. His lips parted slightly, jaw unhinging in a stupor. His blowhole flared, exhuming a loud hauuming sound. All the muscles in his body seemed to relax at once, the strain of all his stress immediately melting. He felt placid, agreeable, and strangely peaceful. Somewhere in his mind, something was questioning the change in emotion, but the doubt was small, overshadowed by bliss.

"One second, I seem to have..." The Shark yawned, exposing his sharp teeth to the galaxy. His breath was minty fresh, each tooth scrubbed to perfection. He smacked his mouth, giving off a happy grin. All of his layers of caution vanished, revealing to the galaxy his unguarded emotions. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I don't want to bring anyone into Nik's problems. I just figured if you were a caring person, you would tell me where the guy is, without a struggle. Again, I'm sorry." Joza would sense the sincerity, both through the Force, and in his words. He seemed genuinely remourseful.

After the effects of the Zeltron pheromones, Ghorua didn't consider the possibility of Joza ever lying to him. "I can tell you care for Nik. If it means that much to you, I'll get off his tail. I'm only getting paid twenty-four thousand for this anyways. It's not worth getting sliced up for." The Shark got a vague feeling that this was all wrong, and that something was amiss. He pushed the feeling away, instead reveling in his happiness.

The Shark sunk deeper into his seat, happy to be alive. In the Herglic's chemically unstable mind, a Zeltron's pheromones released high amounts of dopamine into his system. He had literally never felt this happy before.

- [member="Joza Perl"] -

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza watched Ghorua with a careful eye, taking in his reaction to her ploy. Pheromones certainly came in handy, but one had to know how to use them. Release too little, and they wouldn’t work…release too much and, well, that could create a problem on its own. Still, they didn’t always work on everyone. Occasionally she’d run into species that were not affected, and some high-level Force users could resist their effects when focusing. Generally, her natural ability was not well received when one could tell what she was doing, whether it was for genuine comforting purposes or tricking her way out of a sticky situation. Tsk, some people were too protective of their autonomy!

But Ghorua seemed to relax, seeping into the pheromones even. His eyes glazed over with contentment, enough for Joza to feel that he was being sincere. It was somewhat of a relief, but she had to maintain the charade until she could find an escape route.

A small, perhaps even somewhat sad smile tilted her lips. “Really? You would do that for me?” Joza liked to believe that she wasn’t one for manipulation tactics, unless the situation called for it. In that vein, the situation happened a lot. There was a part of her that undeniably reveled in it. It made her feel stronger, more powerful to take control of a situation with nothing but her racial attributes.

“That’s very kind of you. You are a reasonable man, Ghorua.” Brightening, she waved over a waitress. “Please, let me buy you a drink. What do you like?”

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua laughed heartily, letting the loud guffaw echo through Deathstick Row. Patrons and dancers looked over in fear, or annoyance. The Shark didn't really care which at the moment. He was drowning in happiness. "That's sweet, but no thank you. I don't drink on the job. It's..." Ghorua began to think hard. Wasn't he on the job right now? This wasn't how he should be acting. But as another wave of pleasure overtook the Herglic, he decided he didn't care. "...Unprofessional."

The dancers seemed to pick up on Ghorua's calm atmosphere, and began to pass by the table more frequently. A human woman in a metal bikini walked up daintily, and bowed, showing off a healthy dose of cleavage. "What can I get for you two this evening?" Much like the Rodian girl before, her words seemed rehearsed, but her eyes were more inquisitive. The human was pretty, of course, but under the efffects of the pheromones, she looked like a goddess. All of the dancers seemed beautiful beyond compare, but the source of Ghorua's attraction shined the brightest in his confused brain.

"Ah, hello! I would just like a water, but get my friend here another of your finest." Ghorua's voice was low and silky, and slightly slurred.

"You got it, hun." The girl walked off, swaying her hips.

Suddenly, the comm on Ghorua's wrist started beeping, flashing with a clean white. Ghorua looked apologetically to Joza, and touched it. He began to speak in hushed tones to whoever was on the other side. "No, it's fine... She's actually rather pleasant... What?... No... Well, maybe... No, there's no way... Fine." Ghorua smiled across the table, and shrugged. "I'm sorry, my friend would like to speak with you." He pushed his comm device across the table, easily reaching her side with his massive arms, and waited for her to pick it up, tapping his thumbs together.

Backup had called in. And she seemed concerned.

- [member="Joza Perl"] -

 

[Joza Perl]

Things had been going well, far better than she had anticipated. In a way, it felt good to bring this sort of happiness to someone—even if her goal was to sway him from his mark. Perhaps she could let her guard down a bit, so long as she kept the pheromones up. After all, she was here to enjoy herself, right?

Her chin tilted up towards the waitress and she offered the scantily clad woman a cursory smile before focusing back on Ghorua. “Please, you’ve been generous enough.” Her tone was pleasant enough, though she really did enjoy the drink. Maybe she’d flag down the waitress later and ask her what it was.

Joza’s eyes followed the blonde’s swinging hips as she retreated over to the bar, her attention drawn from the other woman back towards her date for the evening as his comm went off. Leaning back in her seat, the Zeltron waved off his concern for a moment, content to wait for his conversation to finish. Of course, that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t be eavesdropping…she was right across from him! Her eyes tightened in quick realization as she strained to hear Ghorua’s hushed words. Uh-oh. Could pheromones be sent via electronic devices? If not, she probably had some explaining to do.

“Of course. It’s no trouble.” Removing her hand from the now empty glass, Joza idly smoothed out the material of her dress before picking up the device. “Joza Perl here, what can I do for you?”

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua shook his head, embarrassed at the sudden interruption. He was having so much fun speaking with the Zeltron, and Tula had to come along and ruin it.

Tula was an interesting character. She was a green-skinned Twi'lek, silent and stoic in nature, but brutally honest; Practically the opposite of Ghorua. Their fighting styles were also dramatically different. While Ghorua enjoyed getting into the action itself, Tula was a sniper. And if Tula was calling, that meant Plan B was in effect. Even though the Herglic had thought of the backup plan, he didn't like it, especially now.

A calm, measured voice of a woman would greet Joza's ears. "I am a sniper posted outside a window two booths from you." She was curt, and straight to the point, perhaps a little dry. "I've been watching Shark's vitals, and they've changed dramatically. After conversing with Shark, I can only assume you have had something to do with it. Release whatever hold you have on him, or..." A hint of a smile could be heard through her voice. "...I will release the beast." The message clicked off.

If she looked, Joza would spot something strange. There was no window two booths behind her, but behind Ghorua. His body also covered any view of her from the window. It would seem quite strange that the sniper was positioned perfectly to shoot the Shark.

Ghorua took back the device, and smiled. "I'm very sorry about my accomplice's behavior. She can get very paranoid. I suppose that's one thing we have in common." His mind again began to wander. Why wasn't he being paranoid now? But, once again, he shook the feeling off, and continued to revel in the pheromones. "Now, where are our drinks? I'm feeling quite parched.

- [member="Joza Perl"] -

 

[Joza Perl]

A pair of red brows carefully arched as she listened to Tula’s message. The woman had a dry, no-nonsense tone…something Joza could appreciate, but she was not feeling slick enough to test the validity of the sniper’s blatant threat. His vitals? Joza’s green gaze roamed over Ghorua’s body without shame, trying to see if she could pick up and sort of monitor on his body. But he was a large fellow, and such a device could be well-hidden.

Part of her wished that she’d been given a chance to respond, but the message had been conveyed. Joza understood, for the most part, but…release the beast? Leaning back casually, the Zeltron tilted her head as if she were looking for a waitress or perhaps the restroom. If Tula was watching, it was obvious what Joza was looking for. No window? Her brows furrowed in realizing as she turned back to Ghorua, plastering a hasty yet amicable smile across her face. “Our drinks? Ah…” Again, her gaze would drift, coming to rest on a window two booths behind the Shark. Wait, she was going to kill her own partner? That seemed…harsh. At this point, it didn’t cross her mind yet that she might snipe him with some sort of stimulant, perhaps to break him out of his trance or even enrage him.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to take a rain check on them.” A pout pursed her lips, and she cupped her chin in one hand, the other resting on the table. That idle hand was working though, extending a small but powerful stasis field towards Ghorua. It would not be painful, but if successful, the Herglic would slips into a catatonic state and Joza could make her getaway…or deal with the sniper. Stunning via the Force was quickly becoming a preferred method of hers, along with Crucitorn—or rather, the induction of pain. But that was cruel, and they were in a public place.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua the Shark frowned when she said she had to leave. "But we were having so much fun! And you haven't told me where to find Nikias." He would've let her go in his state, but then a new sensation was introduced to him.

Ghorua felt something press against his mind. It commanded him to be still, to lose consciousness. At first the feeling was strong, but it slowly faded away, until there was nothing there. The Shark cocked his head slightly, confused. Joza's stun had failed, but more than she might have expected. It was almost as if the Force had leaked through his brain, unable to dig in. His words were labored now. "I... I know that was you. How... How dare you?" The Herglic raised his voice, unable to comprehend why Joza would ever attack him. Finally, he looked to her, a sparkle of fury in his eye.

"Take the shot."

The distinctive sound of a slugthrower going off outside was easily recognizable, followed by the shattering of glass, and a small fwwwwt. Tula had indeed shot him, but not with a stimulant of any kind. The slug had grazed the skin beside his blowhole, sailing over the Zeltron's head. Brackish blood immediately began to ooze from the wound, spilling into his blowhole. Ghorua tried to fight the Blood Frenzy, but the internal battle was over before it began.

The genetically-modified Herglic took a deep breath, absorbing the metallic scent. He closed his eyes as it took over. Ghorua's enormous muscles, that were so relaxed before, bulged, until he was a boulder of strength. His blowhole flared as he opened his eyes, scattering a shower of blood everywhere. His eyes were empty black pits, void of any intelligence. But his maw curled up, into a wide smile.

The 10'5'' beast that was Ghorua roared savagely. All of the people in Deathstick Row covered their ears, and looked over in fear as the Shark bellowed. The waves of anger rolling off of the Shark were easily felt in the Force, like a tsunami of sudden rage. His pearly-whites suddenly looked much more terrifying, each individual tooth sharp as a dagger. As he roared, the Shark brought both of his arms under the table, and heaved, sending it soaring off to the side. He would then attempt to smash his over-sized fist into his much smaller opponent. The strike was blindingly fast, much faster than one of Ghorua's size should be able to muster.

If it connected, all that would be left of Joza was her lower body, the rest smashed into pulp. Deep down, Ghorua didn't want that. But who was he to control the Frenzy?

- [member="Joza Perl"] -

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza had been watching her target intently while trying to induce a catatonic state, hoping that he’d be good and stunned by the time she planned to take her leave. When he tilted his head, her heart froze. By now, his eyes should have been glazing over and his face slackening with the effects of the forced stasis. Something was very wrong. What was worse, he seemed to know what she’d been up to, and did not seem entirely tickled by her little trick.

Karrrrkkkkk.

Before he’d even called in the shot, Joza was already on alert, rescinding her extension of the Force and instead calling it back to surround her.

“Ghorua, I—“

Before she could try and weave her way out of this with words, a shot whizzed past her head and she flinched, aura flaring defensively. The Zeltron immediately raised a shield of the Force, wary of any more incoming attacks. But when no follow-up shot came and the Herglic inhaled deeply, Joza noticed the blood ooze from a wound near the top of his head. It was then where she realized that Tula had not been aiming for her.

Double kark.

Even with the protective aura of the Force in front of her, Joza didn’t feel safe enough to simply stand there in Ghorua’s warpath. But it had bought her time, as the great beast’s fist would meet at least a little resistance, giving her enough way to leap onto the table behind her before his fist would shatter her protective shield. She cringed for a moment, reaching for a discarded nearly empty mug of ale on the table beneath her. The occupants of the booth had since fled, some patrons leaving the establishment outright while a more grizzled crowd stayed to watch.

Shattering the mug with her left hand—this was one of those times where she was grateful for the strength of cybernetics—Joza slipped one of the largest shards between her fingers. Flicking her wrist, the Zeltron took aim at Shark’s neck…or rather, where she knew a specific pressure point to be on most humanoids. Hopefully there’d be something similar on Herglics and she’d be able to subdue him without getting too messy. Though the glass was thick, she wondered if his hide was thicker. But still, he seemed kind of crazy mad…

“Hey, easy now! I’ll pay for the drinks, so it’s all good, right?”

Not that she thought it would stop him, but who didn’t love a little awkward and ill-placed humor?

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]