Dinner Date with Justice

[James Justice]

The Angel's Den.

Frankly, it was a maze in and of itself. What had started out as a "drunken bet" winning's had turned into his favorite haunt and the biggest nightclub in the Outer Rim, if not the galaxy. He had the upper levels devoted to nothing more than private lounges, private entertainment, a casino, and an indoor pool. But for now, the spacer was content to have one lounge all to himself for the event.

A young woman who sounded like a fellow criminal, [member="Alicia Drey"] had contacted him about dinner. And, of course, James would be the last man in the galaxy to turn an offer like that down, especially to a dazzling young woman like her.

A host of private chefs, waiters, and various employees were here to wait on them hand and foot, waiting for the slightest call from the crime lord. And James was ok with that. There were strict orders for him to not be bothered for the whole night. Failure to comply--was a death wish, and they knew it.

The spacer stepped from his private landing pad and straitened his leather jacket before continuing. His boots clacked on the hard floor as he made his way to the private lounge where he would meet this young flower and escort her into the lounge where they would eat. He checked his hair on the way. Spikey good. His smell? Pheramones on point, a touch of the brandy on him, calonge, and of course--a hint of sweet-smelling tobacco. An illustrious mixture.

With a confident grin, he let his natural charm ooze out of his aura, affecting the room around him intensely as he moved to meet his date for the night.

Oh yes.

 

[Alicia Drey]

| [member="James Justice"] |

Justice. What a curious name for an up and coming criminal. The irony had not escaped Alicia and neither had the mans charm. She had dealt with ladies men before. Her excursions with Christian Slade would always be memorable. But there were ulterior motives to Alicia coming to the Angel's Den. Expansion of ones criminal Empire was always worth the trip, especially when it came to a plate of dinner.

She dressed to impress, showing enough skin to entice her dinner date, but nothing extra revealing. That would come later, if James was lucky. Entering the room and approaching the table set for dinner, Alicia carried a Lenoi datapad with her. Pausing in front of the seat, she beamed a trade mark, beautiful smile.

"Hello, Justice. You look ravishing."

 

[James Justice]

James entered the room and gave himself over to giving her a complementary look over.

He came behind the lady and pulled her chair for her seat. He was many things; a pirate, a criminal, an over lord, the master of Dal'Bor--and of course a charmer. But before all of that he was gentleman. When she had sat, let his hand brush along her shoulder as he swaggered to the chair across from here.

"There be a nebula along the Hydan way that be an old Smuggler's gate way. For propriety reasons I won't be telling ye the name. However it be held by some to be the galaxy's most beautiful sight," he let his hazel eyes flicker for a moment in mischief, "I believe I found its usurper."

He snapped his left hand and a pair of waiters, dressed and groomed to the nines hurried over.

"What be ye beverage of choice, miss?" he said with a sweet smile.

[member="Alicia Drey"]

 

[Alicia Drey]

| [member="James Justice"] |

Lowering herself down into the seat, Alicia followed James with her eyes, watching the hand brush her shoulder, before he too lowered himself down into the seat in front of her. She listened to the compliment and silently gave him credit. Only Circe Savan had given her a better compliment, but then again, that had been in an entirely different set of circumstances.

Turning her body in her chair slightly side ways, Alicia crossed one leg over the other whilst leaning slightly on the table to talk. "I'll have a Gizer Ale, no ice. I like the candy taste. Makes me all the sweeter."

 

[James Justice]

James nodded in approval. He, however would be the last soul alive to be sober when his head hit the pillow, "Alderian, get the good stuff we've been saving."

The two nodded and hurried away. James' eyes turned back to Alica's. He gave a wry and flirtatious grin.


"Ye get much sweeter? Well, I suppose that there really are angels after all," he got comfortable, leaning back against the chair. He gave his Zeltron pheromones a moment to begin to fill the room. Some days it paid to be a half-breed of their nature, "What brings ye all the way out to my end of the galaxy? I'm sure that this has to be more than dinner that ye have in mind."

James was a billionaire playboy, however he was also a businessman. He could almost smell when someone wanted something and when they were genuinely looking for his company, although he experienced both more often than not these days.

[member="Alicia Drey"]

 

[Alicia Drey]

| [member="James Justice"] |

Alicia batted her eye lashes, grinning. She looked up to the servant, who provided the drinks. She thanked them, before lifting the light blue contents of the Gizer Ale to her lips. She thought how to answer James as she sipped her drink, the candy taste filling her mouth, followed by the sharp sting of alcohol. A well practiced ploy to dictate the conversation.

Lowering her drink, Alicia said, "What makes you think I'm not here just for the conversation? Your reputation proceeds you, James. Flying half away across the Galaxy was worth the meeting, no?"

 

[James Justice]

[member="Alicia Drey"]

James took his glass of Alderaanian wine from the server and took a sip. Ah, yes that was the stuff. Perfectly aged; it had been around longer than most beings had been alive, and he was ok with that. Tonight was a night worth engaging in drinking such a rare drink. He chuckled softly at the comment, true, he supposed. That answer would do for now. He had, after all, been making a circus of the media at every turn he had.

He set the drink down and motioned for a new servant to come over, "Well I have had a lot of women do many a thing for me, but travel half way across the galaxy be a new thing," he said with a hand wave, "Do ye smoke? Anything at all, ye will find Dal'Bor engages in every vice a being could ever want."

 

[Alicia Drey]

| [member="James Justice"] |

"Yeah." Leaning forward, showing enough clevage to catch the eye, Alicia took a cigarette from the select and placed it in between her lips. She allowed James's servant to light up it up, and as she sat back into her seat, a steam of smoke escaped Alicia's lips as she leaned backwards, with enough sense to blow it away from James to the side.

Lowering the deathstick in between her left index and middle fingers, Alicia turned her eyes back to the scoundrel. "Is it so difficult to believe that my only reason for coming here and asking you to wine and dine me was because of you and only you?" She grinned wryly, puffing on the stick a second time whilst she studied her date.

 

[James Justice]

[member="Alicia Drey"]

James didn't attempt to mask his enjoyment as he watched her grab the deathstick. He was a scoundrel, after all. And a criminal known for his lavish enjoyment of what some consider "baser desires." Then again, he didn't care too much what others considered "baser desires," he was a man who knew what he liked and wasn't ashamed to have it.

He picked a Tattowine's Reds cigarette from the servants pocket. He was a simple man, who like the simpler things in this life; tobacco and alcohol were his vices, of course they were not as strong as spice, but they were his. He nodded to his server, "Start getting the meal ready."

"Yes, sir," the man said before bowing away.

James looped his arm around the back of the chair and let out a breath of smoke.

"I apologize," he said with a wave of his hand, "I'm sure ye know what it is like. I find meself surrounded these days by people who just," the spacer clenched his free fist in frustration, "dun't understand. They always be asking for something, wanting something, they forget what this," he waved at the capital of his empire of vice, "is all about. T'aint about me or them, or even ye. Its about helping people and doing something greater for them in ways they can feel and understand," he shrugged and waved it off with a smile, "Enough about me, miss. Let's talk about the most interesting thing in the room; ye."

 

[Alicia Drey]

| [member="James Justice"] |

Exhaling another cloud of smoke, Alicia said, "Nothin' interesting about me. I'm from Chandrila, you see? Parents came from Eriadu. Moved to find a new life in the country side, away from the noise, pollution- and if we're being blunt here- death. People seem to forget it wasn't that long ago every damn planet was dying, sick from that Force awful plague."

Shaking her head, she took another puff, exhaled and continued. "Not enough people try to help one another. It's why I started Chandrila Group. The Galaxy is starving and we've got corporations bigger than entire governments creatin' weapons, ships, vehicles, you name it. Warlords, the lot of them."

Picking up her Gizer Ale, she took another swig before returning to the deathstick. "But enough about me. Tell me about you."

 

[James Justice]

[member="Alicia Drey"]

"Ah, come now, we could talk all night about ye and I wouldn't have near enough," he said with a wink.

He had nodded at everything she said, thoughtfully. He took a draw from his cigarette and let its sweet smell fill the air, he knit his eyebrows in thought. Should he? Did he dare?

The spacer shrugged. He might as well.

"Lemme show ye something, miss," he said rising.

He helped her from her chair and lead her to the massive window that made up the north wall. The city of Dal'Bor spread out across them, massive buildings reached for the sky in a brilliant display of architecture over hundreds of years. The sun, a blue pulsar was finally beginning to set for the first time in 36 hours, dazzling the city in light rays that would last for half an hour, the planet's rotation was much slower than most. The city set out before them was like a small Taris or Coursaunt on a dwarfed scale. People were increasing their work, planning for the 36 hours of debauchery that the star-set provided. Speeders, air speeders, landing freighters, and a thin layer of smog permeated the air.

"I grew up on me father's junk freighter," James said quietly at last, "saw me dad gunned down when I were thirteen. I witnessed horrors that shu'nt be afore I ever saw that. People rotting. Governments crushing, corporations devouring worlds at a time. Yes, ye said it right. No one helps another. The plague ravaged many a soul I knew. But more than that, the governments crushed them, leaving people without a hope in Correllian hell," he waved at the cityscape bellow them, "All of this were full of slavers and extortionists when I set foot here. I stopped that. I freed the people from their masters and I be continuing to do this," he looked at her, the blue light shining off the side of his face, "I know what ye mean, I do. That's why I be the People's Criminal. I will pour me life out to help the common people and feth any Jedi or Sith who stands in me way."

Damn, he was monologuing, taking things places that no one wanted to go. No one wanted to talk about politics on a first date. He gave her a slightly embarrassed but charming grin, "Sorry, miss, I dun't mean to go on like that."

 

[Alicia Drey]

| [member="James Justice"] |

Soceras was an ecumenopolis, out in the middle of no where. If James wanted too, he could rule not only Dal'Bor, but the entire world. But he was beyond that lure of power, content to wallow in his humble beginnings, so that others did not suffer. Alicia found herself wondering what James would be like reversed.

"It's alright James. It's rare to find someone to talk, isn't it?" Alicia folded her arms across her chest, cigarette in one hand and Gizer Ale in the other. She watched the alien spacecraft fly by, seemingly memorized. "For all the associates, business partners, politicians, wannabe crime lords, you name it, that we meet and make, it's rare to find a friend. When the going gets tough, you'll need a friend, James."

She turned to look at him. "Want to be friends?"

 

[James Justice]

[member="Alicia Drey"]


James chuckled, waving his hand, cigarette with it, "I always need more friends, miss."

A trail of smoke followed it like a wreath of smoke. Yes, he knew more business associates than he could count. He had four super computers full of the names of people that he could call to make a credit or a few thousand with, or on. He didn't climb to the top of this latter by having those in few numbers.

For some reason, the richer he got, the more power he obtained, the fewer "real friends" he found himself with. Part of him missed the days when he didn't have two tin creds to rub together but real friends who cared either way. Those were the days.

"I always need more friends," he repeated, this time with a bit more sincerity and less whimsicality. "And I have a feeling ye are the same," his eyes locked in on her's, "us well-meanin' crimelords need to stick together afterall, dun't we?"

 

[Alicia Drey]

| [member="James Justice"] |

"Absolutely. I'll scratch your back, if you'll scratch mine."

Puffing on her cigarette, Alicia went back to watching the traffic. She was set to create a lot of enemies, on top of the ones she had already made. Although it was a long time ago now, she remembered the attempt made on her life, her assets and her secrets by the unknown, rogue and extremely powerful organization, that to this day, still remained a mystery.

The reputation of James Justice echoed across the Galaxy, and whilst Alicia was being genuine in her offer for friendship, it was precisely that friendship she needed when the going got tough. Someone like James, so caring and passionate in the defence of the weak, would jump without a second hesitation for anyone he came to know, care, and if it developed, loved.

 

[James Justice]

James nodded. He looked back out the window a moment. Some would say he was an arrogant fool, misguided and intent on burning the worlds and their order only to build them into his own image. Others that he was a pleasure-filled hedonist and a charlitan of untold proportions. James didn't care much for the opinions of others, so long as they stayed out of the way.

"Sir, madam," said one of the waiters behind them. "Dinner is served."

James gave a wide grin, offering his hand, "Shall we?"

[member="Alicia Drey"]

 

[Alicia Drey]

| [member="James Justice"] |

"Yes, let's."

Alicia returned to the table with James, exhaling the last of her cigarette, before putting it out in the ashtray before her. Lowering herself into the seat, she leaned forward in her seat, eyes lowered to the food before them. Voice soft, she asked, "So, what is for dinner?"

 

[James Justice]

James waited as the servers unveiled the food; the choices of nerf steak cooked and seasoned to perfection, glazed in a semi-sweet sauce and cut into smaller cubes. Next to it was the planet's singular native dish; a yellow legum concoction mashed with a nutty and slightly spicey flavor. Between the two was a stack of sweet wafers.

"Local delicacy," James explained. "They call it Rowlings. The idear is to scoop the yellah stuff onto the wafer, add a slice of the steak here and eat it all." He smiled as he demonstrated. His eyes flickered mischeviously. "It's said to bring good luck on those who eat it. And some say," he paused. "Brings virulency."

[member="Alicia Drey"]

 

[Alicia Drey]

| [member="James Justice"] |

"Virulency?" Alicia cooed, releasing a soft ooooo as she did. "You have a way with words, James. Do all your flirts get the virulency treatment?" Winking after the question, she leaned over and picked up a wafer. Scooping the legum in, she added nerf streak, making sure to put enough sauce in. Placing it on her plate, she then took a bite, making sure not to get any mess on her clothes or face.

 

[James Justice]

[member="Alicia Drey"]

James smiled as he scooped up a serving of meat, legums, and waved it in a broad gesture, "This city miss, be known for supplying any vice and pleasure the galaxy ever produced. The things ye can get here to sooth everyone of ye passions would make a Zeltron hooker blush."

He settled in with his eyes on her in a deadlock of impishness and pure devilishness, "I am its king. If I be flirting with them, they deserve my--virulency."

He popped the morsel of food in his mouth and began chewing, never letting his eyes with their devilish fire leave her. True, he was a lady's man, and well known for it. But he was also a very picky one in who he chose.

 

[Alicia Drey]

| [member="James Justice"] |

Chewing her food, Alicia swallowed, cleaning her teeth with her tongue before turning her gaze to the servant. "Could I have a water, please? Thank you." Turning her gaze back to James, she settled her pretty eyes on the crook, placing the wafer down on her plate.

Cleaning her fingers with a nearby napkin, Alicia said, "You know how to make a lady feel special. So, tell me what you do for money?"