Dark Alleys, Darker Deeds

[Luther Lewis]

Luther Ando
Equipment: None
Location: Nar Shaddaa - Red Light Sector - Krayt Dragon Club

​

Those lost, those wandering and those who simply didn’t want to be found all ended up in the same place: Nar Shaddaa. For thousands of years it had been the trash-pit for the galaxy, collecting refuse like an age-old hoarder. It was said that anything that had ever existed would eventually make its way to the moon, from rare artefacts to crippled war veterans. And fugitives, of course. For once in his life, Luther felt as pathetic as the scum that frequented the dark alleys of the massive urban sprawl. He’d betrayed his family, his faction and his close friends. Only now he knew what it was like to be truly alone.

He’d been careful at the start, relying on his training as a spy. Leave with his face covered, only go to secure locations, that sort of thing. It stood reason that the most common place to hide fugitives was also rife with bounty hunters. But, overtime, as he woke up day after day to the same miserable existence, he stopped caring about keeping a low profile. He gambled, he won, and drank his winnings. A small rented apartment in the Red-Light District became a regular haunt, not just another safehouse, and the nightclub across the road his favourite place to spend his nights.

He’d been frequenting the Krayt Dragon Club long enough be considered a regular, but not long enough to be allowed a weapon. In fact, almost no one carried a weapon save for the numerous guards with the heavy blasters in their hands. The high security of the place was one of the reasons Luther convinced himself he was safe. The bartender, a woman who only identified herself as ‘Jo’, knew his order but he had informed her that tonight was a special night. Tonight, he was getting properly wasted.

He needed to take specialized, tailored medication; drugs designed to prevent augmentation rejection. His time as a Deathtrooper for the First Order required him to inject vile liquid, a chemical cocktail that strengthened his body, heightened his sense and fueled him with a blood frenzy. It’s detoxifying effect also made it near impossible to get drunk, unless he ‘forgot’ to take his meds.

Without the medicine his muscles would waste away, he would go blind and deaf. Eventually his heart would simply stop. He took a great risk with his life, delaying the next dose just to get pissed in a swanky club on Nar Shaddaa. His life seemed less and less important with each passing day but some part of him must have cared, if the stim in his jacket was any kind of indication. If he wanted to, all he simply needed to do was take the next dose and then *SNAP* back to the sober and paranoid Luther.

But that wasn’t what he wanted. Tonight, he was to lose himself in pleasant waves of tipsiness and dissociate from the Galaxy.

​

[member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="Teak"]​

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

LOCATION: RED-LIGHT DISTRICT, NAR SHADDAA
EQUIPMENT: IN BIO
CURRENT MOOD: ON ALERT

Ghorua wasn't known for working with others.

Sure, he had trainees from time to time. He trained his daughter, of course, and a former member of the Commenori federation, Darlyn Excron. He'd also worked alongside some of the best bounty hunters in the business, the terrifying hammerhead helmet of Julian Valentine, and the incredible reputation of Koda Fett. He'd been hunting for a long time, had seen the greats make an art out of the job. On his most vain days, he would consider himself one of the greats.

But most of his hunts were alone. He didn't often need help.

But he remembered where he started. On this Hutt-infested slop-world was where he made his first move in the galaxy. His first hunt was here. He was but a boy back then, bright-eyed and bushy tailed, naive to what being a hunter entailed. What you needed to learn, how you needed to grow.

Might as well pass along those skills.

Ghorua the Shark walked along the dingy street with all the bravado that came with wearing the best armor in the galaxy. His enormous, 10'5'' frame was coated in black beskar, footsteps surprisingly quiet on the metal ground, only producing dull thumping noises under the din of the Red Light District. The helmet was cradled under his arm, revealing his face. The corners of his dark, seemingly endless eyes crinkled, his easy smile hiding the rows of razor-sharp teeth behind his lips.

The contrast between him and his newest protege would be humorous, to say the least.

Ghorua had done the heavy lifting of the hunt before meeting up with @Teak. He'd found the bounty in the peripherals of his contacts, almost too old for Ghorua to act upon. Surely, this... [member="Luther Ando"] would be too far underground to catch. But he checked with his contacts anyways, digging through thirty minutes worth of research. Imagine his surprise when two of his contacts from Nar Shaddaa came back with intel, followed by hours of camera footage. It didn't take long to track him down to the Red Light District, and from there, it was easy to pin down his travel routes.

Ninety percent of the job is preparation. This last part is making sure all that prep time didn't go to waste.

"The locale is the Krayt Dragon Club. No weapons allowed inside, and unless we want a small security force breathing down our necks, we follow that rule." The Shark did his research, after all.

Ghorua could see the lights of it up ahead. It was a beautiful sight, in a way. Nicer than the average club on Nar Shaddaa, not something they could just shoot up. No, this required finesse. Turning every complication into an advantage.

"I have a plan."

 

[Teak]

It was a strange series of events that had lead to the small fox alien to be standing next to a massive shark. He barely reached the sharks waist, standing at only 4ft tall. Honestly the size difference was worrisome, not because he thought the bounty hunter would hurt him, but because he worried that a smaller sized alien might never make an effective bounty hunter. Teak was eager to learn whatever skills he could, and so far he was learning about prep work and how bounties were a lot more research than actual chasing. It was a fascinating side to the trade that not many people got to know.

He was also learning about weapons and how to clean them properly. He liked learning these skills so when he was told they couldn't have weapons where they were going it almost seemed crushing, especially since his trainer had giant teach and claws in case he needed them, meanwhile Teak only had one good eye.

"What did this guy do to land himself a bounty anyway" He started to put the weapons away, seeing how they couldn't use them this time.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"] [member="Luther Ando"]

 

[Luther Lewis]

Luther Ando - Drunk
Equipment: None
Location: Nar Shaddaa - Red Light Sector - Krayt Dragon Club

​

Jo was chatty tonight, but Luther barely heard her. She didn’t bat an eye as he ordered drink after drink, downing them quickly, barely tasting the cheap liquid. He’d already given her a sizable tip, with the proviso that she’d keep the tap running. He’d never been a problem at the club before, and he sensed Jo liked him. So, the alcohol flowed like water.

It took a fair few glasses, but he was finally starting to become tipsy. Strangely, he didn’t feel the usual pleasant buzz or warm glow as his senses dulled. Instead he felt disconnected, as if he was looking onto himself from afar. Curious, he didn’t fight the feeling, instead exploring it further. He watched a man as he sat at the bar, nursing a drink like it was his last. This man, Luther Ando, had slaved away for a massive empire. This Order demanded all of him and he agreed, his identity obliterated and assimilated. And when the First Order fell, like every large war machine eventually did, all was left was an empty shell of man.

He knew what he had to do. He had to discard the last scrap of what made him Luther Ando; he needed to begin again as a new man. But he was afraid. What if he exposed himself to Galaxy and it tore him apart? Was existing while suffering better than embracing the abyss?

He remembered now why he stopped drinking, even before he was immune to its effects. Disturbing thoughts that usually kept to the corners of his mind had coalesced and risen to the fore. The more and more he thought, the more he continued down the dark spiral. Eventually it was too much, he rose from the bar and stumbled toward the bathroom.

The dim blue light of the bathroom seemed to stretch the shadows. Monstrous shapes, borne of both his overactive imagination and his drunken state, leered over him. His heart racing, it took far too long for him to realise that there was no danger. He shuffled over to the sink, splashing water onto his face and looking into the mirror. Staring back at him was a man with dark patches under his eyes, and a sad smile across his face.

- - - - -​

Ghorua the Shark was not the only one after this particular quarry tonight. In the corner of the Krayt Dragon Club sat a masked figure, alone and silent. An Ubese, simply known as ‘Kett’, had taken the same contract on Luther Ando. Those in the bounty hunter community knew him as an effective hunter but… one that was ‘overzealous’ at times. The alien watched as Luther made his way to the bathroom, pondering when to strike.

| [member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="Teak"] |​

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua regarded Teak a second, gauging his question. "Don't know," he finally said, his deep bass voice resonating in his chest. "He's former First Order, though. Chances are he's done some pretty bad things regardless."

The contractor for this particular bounty was a secret. If it turned out that the First Order wanted this "Ando" back, they would find another thing coming. Ghorua hated the Order with a burning passion. But it could also be someone slighted by Luther Ando, someone wanting justice. The Shark could get behind that.

"Anyways," he continued, passing alongside a couple of low-lit hotel complexes, "the plan."

"We've got one advantage here. Luther Ando is in that club, with no weapons. We've got weapons out here. Instead of losing our weapons getting to the target..."Ghorua smiled conspiratorially with his small protege, "let's get the target to our weapons."

"I need you to go in there, and flush him out." The Shark backtracked, sensing the possible misconception before it happened. "No weapons, no shooting. Just get word going around that there's a bounty hunter looking for him in there. With any luck, that inspires the target to leave. Then, we make him surrender. One way or another."

Ghorua paused, gauging the smaller man's reaction to his strategy. It, admittedly left a lot to chance. But if everything lined up the way Ghorua saw it, no one would get hurt.

"Think you can do that?"

- [member="Teak"] - [member="Luther Ando"] -

 

[Teak]

“I will give it a shot.”

Teak felt conflicted. They didn’t even know what this guy did. What if he wasn’t guilty? Then again everybody was guilty of something weren’t they? Did it even matter? He needed a thick skin to do this job.

He entered the bar and shuffled up for a drink. He didn’t spot the mark, though. He ordered his drink and sipped it, looking around.

“I’m looking for Luther Ando.”


[member="Ghorua the Shark"][member="Luther Ando"]

 

[Luther Lewis]

Luther Ando - Sobering up
Equipment: None
Location: Nar Shaddaa - Red Light Sector - Krayt Dragon Club

​

The cool water against his face seemed to sober him up a little, enough to banish the depressive thoughts. He stared at his reflection for a long moment, before letting out a surprised chuckle. The man staring back at him was not familiar to him at all. He’d lost a lot of weight, not just fat but muscle too. His eyes were gaunt, his cheekbones much more visible. And with this epiphany he realized he was already a new man. ‘I’m done with being pathetic’ he thought, removing the medical stim from his jacket. ‘I’m ready to start my new life’.

The viscous liquid inside moved back and forth with his motions, as if it were alive. The thought of injecting it into his body made him feel sick. ‘Tomorrow’ he thought, reluctantly. ‘My new life begins tomorrow’. He fumbled with the stim as someone entered behind him. Quickly stowing his meds within the safety of his jacket, he tidied up his messy hair and moved back towards the bar.

Jo was talking to someone, an unfamiliar face. Not a regular in the Krayt Dragon Club, though Luther couldn’t say that he memorized the face of every customer. He figured he’d remember this one at least. He could count the amount of times he’d seen an Amaran on one finger, but that was likely due to years chained to a desk. The small creature had red-brown fur and a patch over one of his eyes.

“Can’t say I’ve heard of any by that name here” he heard Jo say, a hint of suspicion in her voice. "But then again I don’t go asking”. Luther’s curiosity piqued, he returned to his seat on the bench and joined the conversation. “Asking questions like that around here is dangerous” Luther said. “Who exactly are you looking for?” Jo butted in before the Amaran could speak. "Luther Ando, or whatever his name is”.

Alarm bells went of in Luther’s head and he felt a chill travel down his spine. He tried not to miss a beat, turning toward the newcomer with an easy smile. “Ha! You’re out of luck. Cartel thugs dragged him out of his apartment, he’s likely face down in the sewers by now”. He tried to keep his voice level as his heart raced by at a thousand miles an hour. This was bad. Since the bounty posted he’d grown his hair out a bit and he had more stubble, with the weight loss he’d look much different from the provided picture. But deep down, he knew that it wouldn’t fool bounty hunters for long.

‘Time to leave’ he thought.

| [member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="Teak"] |​

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua watched the small Amaran pick his way into the bar with some aversion. Ghorua had delegated this task to the man for a few reasons, paramount being that whether he succeeded or not, the target would be inspired to get the feth outta there. It also gave time for Ghorua to do what Ghorua did best: set up.

Firstly, the large being ducked into an alley, obscuring his enormous form in the playing shadows of dim buildings. He activated his armor's disguise matrix, smoothing him out, disguising him as a large, unassuming cargo droid. The disguise even came with the simulated sounds of binary and clanking metal.

Secondly, the Shark dispatched his probe droids around the building, keeping them high in the air, hidden, and performing overwatch. If Luther Ando left this club, front, back, or otherwise, Ghorua wanted to know about it.

Finally, the Shark returned to the street proper, and hunkered down, his droid body seeming to power off near the front entrance of the night club. While there, his visor began to get recordings of the area, and the Shark began to map out the immediate area, looking for ladders, back alleys, sewer grates, anything that could be used for a quick escape by a chased man.

"Leave nothing to chance," Ghorua quietly mumbled to himself, repeating his mantra. He didn't do things half-way.

- [member="Luther Ando"] - [member="Teak"] -

 

[Teak]

((sorry been working doubles))

Teak narrowed his eyes slightly at the man who was talking now. The man resembled the photo he had of his mark, but was thinner and had longer hair. The Sharks intel could have been wrong, but they had done so much research. It didn't seem likely that they would be this far off.

"Really? Because I've heard he's been hanging out here every night. Wanted to talk to him about a business opportunity." He eyed the man suspiciously.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"] . [member="Luther Ando"]

 

[Luther Lewis]

Luther Ando
Equipment: None
Location: Nar Shaddaa - Red Light Sector - Krayt Dragon Club

​

“Not sure what you expect me to say” Luther said with a nervous smile. “He isn’t here”. He willed his mind to clear, but the alcohol running through his system was making it difficult. ‘This is bad’ he thought again. Why hadn’t he planned for this? He had known deep down that eventually he would be found. That nothing remained hidden in this galaxy, not even on Nar Shaddaa. But instead of hiding, finding allies, he found solace in the bottom of an empty mug.

He still had one more card to play, though it was a desperate gamble. He turned to Jo, putting on his best smile (with the nerves and the booze, the grin looked more sickly than friendly). “Hey, I was thinking that tonight is the night” he said, only just managing to keep his voice level. “Think you can whip me up a Corellian Special?”. The woman raised her eyes and said: “I don’t think you can afford it, honey”. Luther’s heart sank. The ‘Corellian Special’ was code for the guards to subtly escort him out of the secret exit of the bar. He’d learned of the ‘drink’ only by accident and had kept the information to himself. “You know me, Jo” Luther said, tension starting to bleed into his voice. “I have deep pockets”. Jo kept her face straight, but he could see the sadness in her eyes. “Sorry, hun. Boss says I’m only to bring it out for certain customers”.

Luther’s forced smile was starting to crack, and he had to push his hands into his side to stop them from shaking. “Oh well, maybe another time” he said wistfully. He turned toward the newcomer, the one who offered a deal he was sure he wanted no part of. “Sorry I couldn’t help you. Best of luck in finding your man”. He rose from the bar and quickly considered his options. There was a side exit to the alley, but it would be easy to snatch him there. With only one guard posted at the door, all he’d have to do was go around a corner and he’d be vulnerable. The front entrance was ideal. The two guards out front wouldn’t care about protecting him, but they would stop any disturbance out front. That would give him a window, hopefully enough to escape.

He left the club, breathing in the cool outside air. He skirted past the guards, stopping by a powered-down cargo droid. ‘Just within sight of the guards, but not close enough to spook them’ he thought. ‘Perfect’. He pulled the stim from his jacket and wasted no time. His new life was starting now, and he needed his strength back.

He took off the protective cap of the stim, pulled up his shirt and injected the mixture into his abdominals. He let out a loud gasp as the liquid took effect, a fiery pain spread from his core all the way out to his extremities. It was always like this: the pain, a moment of weakness then his strength would return. He fell to his knees, gasping for air as the chemical cocktail re-built his muscle tissue. His vision blurring, he took no notice as the cargo droid next to him came to life.

- - - - -​

​

The only thing Kett did better than killing was watching and waiting. In his opinion, most bounty hunters were too impatient, too eager to claim the reward. But he had learned long ago that the kill was sweeter if you let the target stew awhile.

He watched the small Amaran talk to Ando; watched the man get spooked and leave. ‘Curious’ he thought. He wasn’t the only predator after this prey it seemed. That made things interesting. The small creature was likely working with another, flushing the man out into a trap. A smile crossed his lips beneath his mask. He had always enjoyed a little competition. If his hands had to get a little bloodier, then so be it. He would follow the Amaran, and then the creature would lead him to Ando…

| [member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="Teak"] |​

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ah, right on schedule.

Ghorua didn't have to wait long. Personally, he would've insinuated the rumor over the course of an hour or two, but there were certainly benefits to the quick, unsubtle approach [member="Teak"] took. For one thing, it spooked [member="Luther Ando"] out the front door, like Ghorua expected. Secondly, it made the target forget to be cautious. Thirdly, it made Luther do... what was he doing?

Ghorua stayed completely still in his disguise as the target walked up to him. Had he been gotten that easily? Was his disguise off? Those thoughts were banished as the man took out a syringe, plunged it into himself, and fell to the floor.

Well, you know what they say about gift horses.

The cargo droid moved with unnatural quickness as Ghorua struck, trying to grab the defenseless man, heft him up with one grotesquely strong arm, and slam him against the ground, face-first. The disguise would melt away, revealing the very large, heavily-armored Bounty Hunter, attempting to grapple the smaller man.

The Shark's helmet deepened and sharpened his voice, making it almost grating to hear. "If you know what's good for you, you'll surrender," Ghorua said, no matter the result of his attack. Usually, that would be more than enough to see hands up.

 

[Teak]

Teak watched the man go out the front door and smirked. He wondered if that was enough for the Shark. Had he done it right? Did he even have the instincts to be this type of bounty hunter? Well they would soon find out. He didn't want to look suspicious so he took a few more sips of his drink, then put down the creds. He looked at the front door and frowned. Maybe it would be best to go through the side and try to cut off Ando in case he ran?

Hopping his instinct was good he left for the side door.

[member="Luther Ando"] [member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Luther Lewis]

Luther Ando - Reinvigorated
Equipment: None
Location: Nar Shaddaa - Red Light Sector - Krayt Dragon Club

​

It became clear to Luther that he had made two very stupid errors. The first regarded his medicine – the empty stim that now lay discarded amidst the rest of the gutter trash. Taking his medicine required that he inject it slowly, so the process of muscular regeneration went smoothly and with minimal pain. Taking the dose so quickly, in a blind panic, sent stabs of agony throughout his body. Veins on his arms and face turned a dark black, and his muscles started spasming.

The second error was stopping outside the club. His instructors at the Bureau had drilled lesson after lesson of skilled espionage into him, many of what he had forgotten or dismissed in the past month. Even so, his former teachers would be disappointed that he didn’t heed one of the most important part about working undercover. When your cover is compromised, you make your escape and stop for nothing.

The pain he felt when the massive creature slammed him against the ground was entirely different to the toxic suffering inside but was no less painful. Bright spots of light danced on his vision as his head hit the pavement, then an expulsion of breath as his body followed suit. Already experiencing a sensory overload, he barely heard what the Herglic said.

He lay still, unmoving, not uttering a sound. To the bounty hunter, it might appear that he was dead, or unconscious, but the agent’s brain still ticked away slowly. Throughout his body, the chemical burned. His skin began to grow very hot and he fancied he felt the damaged muscle and sinew in his face knit back together. He felt the heat travel up his neck and spread up into his brain. In one instant, the world sharpened around him and his senses rose to an almost superhuman level.

He lay still for a moment longer, biting his tongue against the pain and waiting for the right moment. It did not take long. With the fading of the pain, he felt new life breath into his wasted muscles. Strength surged into his arms and legs, ending the spasms. He resisted flexing and stretching, knowing that his enemy might sense something. Instead he pushed his palms and knees against the pavement, braced, and flung himself away from the Bounty Hunter.

With his newfound strength, he would be pushing with thrice the strength of a regular human. He didn’t know if this would overpower the massive Herglic, but he counted on the element of surprise to give him a chance to escape from the grasp. Should be freed from the pin, he would try to make his way down the alley to the side of club before reaching his apartment and his stash of weapons.

​

| [member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="Teak"] |​

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Exactly as planned. That never happens.

Ghorua kept one gigantic hand on Luther's back, scraping him roughly against the duracrete sidewalk to pull him closer to the Herglic. With his other hand, he fished out his stun-cuffs, certainly able to hold your average human, and even some above-average humans. He'd just begun to reach for his target's hands as he sprung to action.

Ghorua was a strong man. He had his own super-serum flowing through his veins, giving him amazing strength, mass, and reflexes. He was wearing crush-gaunts, adding to his overall holding power. But he couldn't have possibly anticipated the strength that came from Luther Ando when he surged up. Ghorua's heavy hand was batted away as his target began to run, down the side of the club.

Well, almost exactly as planned. I'll still take it.

Ghorua didn't have time to alert Teak. He needed every millisecond. The Shark surged up all his own, returning his stun cuffs to his belt. With his other hand, he pulled his Kandosii blade from his hip, and twirled it in front of himself. He surged forward, chasing after Ando, blade in hand, unnaturally quick for a being of his size.

This hunt had just gotten interesting. Might as well make a show of it.

- [member="Luther Ando"] - [member="Teak"] -