High Spirits

[Kairon Rees]

The Broken Stove
Nar Shaddaa

Kairon felt he deserved this beer. The last run had been hell and involved them all freezing half to death outside the ship as they waited for some local trackers to arrive with a cargo of caged animals that needed relocating. They’d also needed feeding. They’d also been quite keen to try and eat Kairon’s arms.

Mal had, quite understandably, decided they could take a couple of days off whilst the ship’s bays were scrubbed down and deloused. He was going to enjoy a few beers with the rest of the crew, then quietly suggest to Mal they take their own leave fairly early.

Asmus appeared at his shoulder and plonked himself down on the stool next to him. He looked a little put out. That wasn’t unusual. This was the kind of bar that hardened smugglers tended to inhabit. Not the kind of place his scoundrel routine could get traction.

“Wassup?” Kairon asked, before taking a swig of beer. Good cask ale. Exceptional.


"Who's that Kairon?" Asmus asked. He followed the line from the boys finger.

"What, the young guy you were just talking to? That’s…Denarn from the Blue Sunset. Not a good crew Asmus, don’t mingle with them. Nasty pieces of work, all of them. Do as much slaving as they do smuggling."

"And who's that he's shouting at now?" Asmus asked, the slightest waver in his tone.

Kairon looked to the Togruta Denarn was approaching. Easy to spot, she was well over six feet in height, bright red and as much scar as woman."That's Sharn, she's the captain of the Blue Sunset…and his wife." Kairon felt his spirits drop. This wasn’t going to be good.

"Oh. Can we leave? Quickly?" Asmus said, worry now evident in his green eyes.

"What did you say to him Asmus?" Kairon growled.

"Nothing! Well…Just said he had nice eyes."

"Oh farksticks, Mal!"

 

[Lamia]

Whiskey.. that's all she could think of at the moment... I nice smooth whiskey. The thought of it almost made her smile. Almost.

Lamia swung the door to the bar open and was hit with a cacophony of bar noise and the smell of sweat and booze. She could feel herself instantly relax. This was what she was used to. That was what she was comfortable with.

She skirted around another Togruta purposefully walking through the barroom in search for an empty stool or chair. Spotting one at the very end of the bar, Lamia slipped into and motioned to the bar droid she'd like a whiskey. He brought over a glass and set it in front of her.

"Leave the bottle." She told him. "I'm going to be here awhile."

Lamia threw back her first shot and filled her glass again, this time taking her time. She noticed a disturbance from the other side of the bar.

"Oh this might be entertaining...."

 

[Malia Afredane]

Mal was already off her barstool and headed Sharn's way.

She was rather familiar with the captain of the Blue Sunset, female captains tended to know each other in this business. They had a begrudging respect for each other, especially after the tall Togruta learned the hard way that Mal's small frame did not equate to a pushover in a fight. She caught her halfway across the floor, a tired expression on her face.

"The boy's a dork, Sharn, besides I'd be looking at it this way. The boy was admiring your mate, he wasn't backing him into a corner and grabbing his ass. Now, we let this slide, you guys get a round on me and we'll strap the kid to the hull on our way back to space? Sound like a plan?"

Sharn swore in a language she wasn't sure that Asmus would understand, but Mal spoke with the bartender and after a couple minutes of making sure everyone on the Blue Sunset had a drink, she turned and headed for Asmus.

Grasping his arm, she whipped him around and jerked him up off the stool, her mouth hidden by his face from the Blue Sunset crew.

"You owe me hard for this one. If I were you, I'd keep my eyes to myself for the rest of the evening, got it?"

She dropped him hard on the floor, before she sat back down next to Kairon.

"Sharn's letting it go, but Denan won't. His pride is wounded in front of the rest. Tell me again, why it was a great idea to hire him?"

[member="Kairon Rees"]

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"] [member="Lamia"]

Kairon blew air through his lips in an exaggerated manner before sighing. The lad, red of face, had slunk off to a quiet corner of the bar on the far side from the Sunset crew.

"You know, some days I do feel like he's actually making progress. That he'll actually make something of himself. You see how he is with those exams, when he pays attention he finishes the two hour ones over a cup of tea. Other days I feel like a lifetime of accountancy under my brother-in-law's watchful eye is too good a fare for the little kriff."

Asmus met his eye for a moment and Kairon gave him a stern look that said: Don't you go looking for help from me in this one. I'm with Mal.

"Denan won't kick off without Sharn, so just keep an eye for her leaving yeah? So..." he said, turning back to face the bar and calling for another drink. "...which part of the hull are we strapping him too? I want to watch him wriggle from the cockpit."

 

[Narasa Kelori]

It was funny that they had all come to the bar for a drink as a crew but, rather quickly, had all gone their own separate ways. Narasa had respected that, but she wanted . She silently followed [member="Kairon Rees"] to the bar, ordered her own drink, and stayed in companionable silence with him until Asmus had reappeared and, yet again, been the catalyst for what would become a long conversation. The ensuing kerfuffle had made her shake her head, but Mal was good at handling unexpected trouble. It had been part of the reason Narasa had stayed on for as long as she had; she enjoyed being her own boss, but the money was good and the crew she worked with were decent spacers with a knack for finding the kind of work-- and fun-- of which she was fond.

She huffed a laugh at Kairon's inquiry into hull placement and finally inserted herself into the conversation. "Denan seems a might touchy to me. I know Asmus can get that tone when he's going after someone, but, as far as compliments go, his eyes are innocuous enough." Narasa studied Asmus in the corner, then turned back to her drink, surreptitiously watching the angered stranger from the corner of her eye. "You think Asmus is being up front about everything he said?" The bouncing of Denan's knee and his pointed glaring at Asmus said Narasa should probably finish her drink a little more quickly.

[member="Malia Afredane"] [member="Lamia"]

 

[Malia Afredane]

"Hells no. I'm a gambler and the safe money is on we're not walking out of here tonight without a fight. So drink until you won't feel a punch but can still throw one."

Mal downed a shot of whiskey, eyeing Narasa with a look that clearly said if it were just the gals from the Warden in here, it wouldn't be such a damn hassle. She ordered a bottle of whatever whiskey she had been drinking and poured a glass of it, leaning on Kairon's shoulder.

"So much for a relaxing night. And I was thinking the struts on the landing ramp of Gracie are a good place to lash him. What do you think?"

Ah reckless youth, if only she had been one. Mal's reckless days had come just a wee bit later in life.

 

[Lamia]

Lamia watched the commotion on the other end of the bar with bemusement. The bar droid set a chip in front of her. Apparently the tiny but seemingly feisty brunette had bought the a round of drinks to keep the peace. Lamia was not one to argue. A free drink was a free drink no matter the reason.

She filled her glass again, and took her time draining it. They were curious to her, the group down there. She wasn't very much of a socializer nor did she make friends easily... or ever.

Disappointed that the fight hadn't gone further, Lamia decided it was time for some fun. What's kind of Sith would she be if she didn't dust off a little Mind Trick for the crowd? She inhaled and fixed her eyes on the man with the other Togruta, feeling satisfaction in stirring the pot. Making it sound like it was coming from the original offender, Lamia concentrated on the group at the end of the bar.

::Your wife always fight your fights for you? Aren't you man enough to do it yourself?::

She saw his head spin and fixate on the other man, letting out a chuckle. Now maybe she'd have some worthy entertainment.

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

Kairon turned to give Mal a quick kiss on the top of the head, but also used it as an excuse to get his the Blue crew in his periphery for a moment. Sharn had left to crew to conduct some business in a private booth. That wasn't good, her mate wouldn't undermine his Captain, but might well throw a punch and spin a tale when she wasn't looking. Kairon really didn't enjoy fighting. If it got out of hand he had a habit of losing his temper and he didn't like Mal seeing him in a really dark mood. He'd done questionable things with his blood up before.

Kairon shook his head and smiled. "Again Mal...need a view. Can't see the legs from the cockpit. I say we get the welders out and strap him to the nose, front and centre."

Without even looking he sensed more trouble. A waitress had approached Asmus' table and the lads ears had pricked up. Kairon wiggled a finger in his direction.

"And no Narasa, he's not lying. I tend to know when he is and to lie he'd need to first believe he'd done wrong."

Kairon didn't like fighting. But instinct kicked on when one of his own was in trouble. He was down and off his stool before Denan had half crossed the room. He sidestepped in front of the man and held his ground. Denan's lips turned up in a sneer as he looked up at Kairon.

 

[Malia Afredane]

As Kairon moved quick off the barstool, Mal sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Narasa, things are about to get ugly I think."

She drained her glass and set it back on the bar, pushing it towards the bartender as she picked up the bottle and handed it to Narasa.

"Here. I think our time at the Broken Stove is over. Go grab Asmus, we'll get the heck out of here. "

She slid off her barstool, headed for where Kairon and Denan were staring each other down. She walked up cautiously, calmly and trying to be polite. The whiskey was starting to make that difficult. She slid cred out of her pocket and held it out to the Blue Sunset crewman.

"Fellas, I thought we solved this. I bought everyone a round. We're keeping the boy away. Denan, have another drink on me and we'll take our little group elsewhere."

Denan moved faster than she was anticipating, grabbing her wrist and twisting it around her back while drawing a knife out that he pointed to her throat, while glaring at Kairon.

"How about I take you elsewhere and sell your pretty face to slavers and airlock your crew off our new ship."

There was a sucking sound of air between her teeth as she gritted her jaw. The look in her eyes at Kairon said everything. This one was hers. Kairon had seen Mal in a fight and right now, the pain that should have been screaming through her shoulder barely registered.

"Bad move Denan."

She jerked back suddenly and headbutted Denan right in the nose, causing a cascade of red to run down his face.

[member="Kairon Rees"] [member="Lamia"] [member="Narasa Kelori"]

 

[Lamia]

Lamia poured herself another drink, smiling to herself as first blood was drawn. This was way too easy. The one with blood gushing down his face was such a delightful pawn in her game of chess tonight. The insecure ones usually were the easiest targets. And when the tall one he was with walked away, it was a no brainer. She knew that he was questioning whether he was good enough for her everytime they went out.

Lamia sat back and took a sip of her drink waiting for the next move... She eyed an empty barstool close to the commotion. If they weren't entertaining enough, she would definitely help this fight along.

 

[Narasa Kelori]

Awareness crawled over Narasa's skin and only years of adapting to the feeling kept her from grimacing.

There was a Force User in the bar and they were doing something.

Narasa rolled her shoulders to try to shake loose the feeling and let her eyes quickly scan the bar. She didn't have time to take a deep breath and seek them out; Kairon's departure signaled that events were rapidly tumblig out of control.

Her eyes shuttled between Kairon and the intercepted Denan. "I think you're right," she answered Mal. The bottle that was suddenly thrust into her grip registered in a flash of surprise on her face, and then Mal was gone with her last orders echoing in Narasa's ears. She looked for the youngest member of their crew, mouth twisted into a half-frown. How had he managed to find the least receptive person in the bar? Asmus.

Once she caught sight of him still cowering where he had been before, his eyes wide in apparent awareness of what was coming, Narasa made her way to him, one eye on the burgeoning confrontation. Not keeping at least one eye on the action had resulted in chairs to the back of the head, poorly timed glasses catching you in the shoulder, fights moving into your general space and accidentally catching you up in them; Narasa didn't intend to be the one that happened to (again).

"Let's go," she instructed Asmus, reaching out with a smile to lift him from his seat by one arm. "I think we've had enough fun for today. Mal and Kai will--"

Narasa's grip on Asmus tightened as Denan escalated the fight to a true altercation. She didn't hear what he said to the couple, but hands off was an unspoken rule; hands on meant a fight was coming, whether Mal walked in wanting one or not.

"Shab." She hesitated a moment, uncertain if she should drag Asmus out as Mal instructed or go to assist them. Again, her eyes quickly scanned the bar. The patrons seemed split between watching the action and getting out of the way. Who was it? The interference earlier had been quick enough that Narasa hadn't been able to register if the action 'felt' Light or Dark. Her mother would have known instantly.

I am not about to wish my mother was here, Narasa declared, taking the deep breath she didn't have time for as she began backing toward the door with Asmus. She let her gaze unfocus and her awareness spill out; it was messy and much like blaring her presence to any Force Sensitives nearby, but it was the most surefire way for her to find a Force Sensitive in a hurry.

Her eyes latched on Lamia, the clearest beacon of Force power in the room.

And then there was a shout and all hell broke loose. Narasa had missed whatever Mal had done, but it was clear from the way people at the core of the fight were moving that she had finally taken matters into her own hands. Narasa looked back to Lamia, her grip on Asmus still tight.

"Get back to the ship, Asmus," she ordered, drawing her blaster, gaze fixed on [member="Lamia"] as she shoved the boy at the door. If she had something to do with this, Narasa was going to make her undo it. If she didn't, maybe she'd see reason and help to calm the irate tempers before things spun out of control.

 

[Kairon Rees]

Unfortunately for the crew of the Quintessence, the Force user was not the only one with a vested interest in kicking the fight up a notch. A group of Denan’s crew started to surge forwards. Perhaps there had been some chance that with him sat on his ass, Mal and Kairon could have talked them down. Sharn might have emerged from her private meeting and calmed everything down.

Mai would have found such a result ‘boring’. The nearest member of Sharn’s crew – a particularly broad male twi’lek – become her target.

“Ooops,” she cried as she bumped into him, spilling her beer all down his shirt. He looked her up and down incredulously. The moment he moved to swing a punch was the moment he found out how quickly the Cathar could move.

The glass – empty but for a few studs – came crashing down upon his head. He stumbled away fumbling at the shards of glass embedded in his face, blood streaming through his fingers. Ignoring him for now she took a running leap onto the table between her and the next crewmember and used it to dropkick a Gran square in the chest.


Kairon didn’t swear, didn’t make a fuss. He didn’t enjoy fighting. Yet as he drew himself up to his full height, something he rarely did, it would become apparent that he stood a mite over six foot four. A cold anger swirled in his gut from seeing that knife brought up to Mal’s throat.

The pirate who had beaten men to death with his bare hands for sport strode forwards. There was no formal training to how he fought, no martial arts, no particular skill. Yet he knew how to use his weight and was exceptionally well verse in how to administer pain.

One of the Blue Sunset crew came at him with a bottle. A step off line put him out of the way of the swing. One of Kairons hands grasped the elbow, the other the back of the neck. Kairon’s assailant suddenly found his face brutally acquainted with a bar table.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Narasa gave him a gentle shove to send him on his way before she headed back into the bar. Then all hell broke loose. He hadn’t meant to cause this much trouble. He never did. But he’d barely said anything offensive at all. Why were people still so uptight about such things? He was trying, really trying to do better by the rest of the crew.

So what kind of man would I be if I left them to clear up my mess? He thought to himself. In his own mind it was black and white. The diplomatic option had clearly gone out of the window. He couldn’t think of a way his presence could make things any worse.

So as Narasa headed back in, he slipped back too. Taking a line round the edge of the bar he then rushed into the fray. Within moments someone had caught him with a right hook. Fethdamnit it hurt to get hit in the head. His vision swam and he lost sight of where he was. Glass jaw, that’s what his uncle called it. His faculties returned just in time to roll from the table he’d fallen back onto to avoid a table leg swinging down at him. On the deck he lashed out with his feet to sweep the legs from his attack.

Feth feth feth. Now he was wishing he’d just left it to the others.

 

[Malia Afredane]

While he was stunned by the headbutt, Mal jerked herself free from Denan's grip and kicked the knife he had dropped across the floor. He was reeling and trying to get his fists up, but Mal caught him square in the jaw with an uppercut, laying him on the ground.

Mal would have turned to get her crew out of there at that point but someone taller and mean grabbed Mal by the hair and yanked her across the floor.

Sharn.

Feth it.

It hurt like hell to have massive handfuls of her hair wrenched around but Mal used the momentum arc herself around in order to throw a good solid punch from the shoulder at Sharn's ribs. The Togruta let her go enough that Mal could get away and grabbing a pitcher off a table, she slammed it into Sharn's montrails.

The Togruta went down and Mal kneed her in the face.

Karking hells. This was not how she wanted to spend her night. As she turned, Denan caught her in the nose with a punch and Mal went down, seeing stars.

 

[Kairon Rees]

[member="Malia Afredane"]

Kairon's chest had swollen with pride at the sight of Mal downing the gargantuan Togruta, but what followed felt like an icy hand trying to claw out of it. To describe what followed seeing Mal falling backwards, eyes rolling back into her head, as tunnel vision was a vast understatement.

He didn't see the Gran stumbling about with Asmus hanging onto his back desperately trying to drag him down. He didn't see Narasa cautiously edging forwards with her hand on a blaster. He saw Denan. Some part of his mind saw the chair, or else he wouldn't have kicked it over and yanked a leg off. But he wouldn't even recall doing that after the event.

"Denan!" That was all he said. No threats about holding a knife to Mal's neck, no snide remarks. Just a call to get his attention and to line him up.

He turned just in time to catch the chair leg across the bridge of the nose. Blood exploded across the shirt that Kairon's other hand grabbed suddenly. Drawn up to his full height, jaw set in a ferocious look, Kairon hauled him back up to his feet with one hand and brought the leg crashing down once more. It splintered into several pieces this time and Kairon let Denan slip to the bar floor.

 

[Cadie Reese]

If there was a piss hole deeper and darker in the galaxy than Nar Shadda, Cadie Reese had yet to find it. She had been born on a ship, floating around space as a ramshackle group of gypsies. Her parents were decent enough, but boring. Cadie learned everything there was to know about how to keep durasteel flying with nothing but duct tape and a bobby pin, but now wanted an adventure.

With a roll of her eyes she downed her most recent whiskey shot and scoffed at her own thoughts. She was starting to sound like a advert for a cruise liner, definitely meant it was time for better whiskey.

Cadie ran her hand through her red hair and sighed as she slid out of the booth. Her eyes were drawn to the commotion but she didn’t recognize any of the crews involved. She had only just arrived on Nar Shaddaa and wasn’t planning on making it a long term stay.

She reached the bar and slapped against the stained wood with her hand. The bartender was distracted and angrily motioning to the patrons that had devolved into breaking furniture as they collided with things on their way to the floor.

“Yea yea, what do you want now Red?”

She raised her eyebrow at the nickname but decided it was not the time to correct the man that was providing her enough liquor to tune out the galaxy for a while. “Yea get me a double.”

He poured the glass then ran back to the other side of the bar to continue yelling impotently at his patrons.

Cadie smiled at her drink and cracked her knuckles. She was just about to grasp the cool glass and down the warm brown liquor when a bearded man slammed into the bar and collided with her drink sending the glorious liquid smashing to the ground behind the bar.

The entire world around her stopped as she watched the shards settle to the filthy floor. “Oh hell no.”

With a flare Cadie turned around to find her prey and recovered from his brutal make out session with the bar and was now beating the fedding crap out of another man.

As he let the man, who would likely have an aversion to trees after that encounter, slide to the floor with a thud. Cadie tapped her drink spiller on the shoulder and caught his jaw with a right hook just as he turned around.

“You spilled my drink, who taught you manners?” With a kick she knocked the chair leg out of his slightly confused hand then stepped closer. “Care to explain the entertainment, or should I just hit you again? And don’t think you’re getting out of buying me a drink I don’t care how unconscious I make you.”


[member="Kairon Rees"] / [member="Malia Afredane"] / [member="Asmus Janes"] / [member="Narasa Kelori"] / @Lamia

 

[Lamia]

Lamia almost wished she had a cigar to enjoy this show with. It was getting good. Drinks were spilled, blood was flowing and the cacophony of shouts were like music to Lamia's ears. Granted, using the Force for such things was trivial, but all work and no play made Lamia a dull Sith.

She poured herself a drink and wondered what she could contribute to up the ante on this barfight just a bit more. A flying stool, a broken bottle.... maybe a push in the right direction. So many choices!

 

[Narasa Kelori]

Narasa crossed the bar, intent on @Lamia. Two feet from her, the rapidly widening fight knocked her askew and she let a virulent curse tumble from her lips as she grabbed for purchase on a table that just went over under the weight of her and two other combatants. These people weren't even part of the crews who had started the tussle. Narasa shoved them off of her and rose, smacking one in the head with her blaster as she did so.

She ducked a punch as her victim rose to his feet and jabbed a punch into his kidneys that made him arch his back in pain. She punched him again for good measure and shoved him into his original opponent, sending them both back to the floor. Turning back to her original trajectory, Narasa moved quickly to avoid being stopped again. She had lost sight of Mal and Asmus-- she hoped he'd left as she had asked-- and Kairon was a somewhat distant figure at this point.

"You." Narasa pointed the blaster at Lamia's head, face grim. Her senses were on high alert this close to a Force User and she clenched her free hand, hoping it wasn't going to come down to a fight with her, too. Was she Sith? Narasa didn't have time to waste finding out. She should have done it before she announced her presence. Shab. This was so stupid. "Calm them down. Now."

[member="Kairon Rees"] [member="Malia Afredane"]

 

[Malia Afredane]

Mal rolled to her hands and knees, and tried crawling away when a firm hand on her ankle jerked her backwards. She peered back and spit the blood out of her mouth.

Sharn. Again.

The Togruta had pulled her back enough that she was able to climb on top of Mal and try to slip an arm around her throat from behind. This might have been an issue if Sharn had been human, but in the struggle Mal's hands closed firmly on the Togruta's left headtail and jerked as hard as she could, which threw her attacker off enough that Mal could twist her off and face the other captain.

Standing up wasn't really an option, as she didn't have time. Sharn was coming for her again, so Mal just started punching.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Leaving the fighting to those who knew how to do it would have been a much better idea. That was the thought that went through Asmus' mind as the much stockier smuggler tossed him from his back.

Pain lanced up his back as he came down on a table. The legs on the table gave way, adding a second round of pain. A gurning face appeared above him and he only had a moment to get his legs up. He wrapped his shins around the Sunset crew member's neck and twisted him down.

The next few moments were a blur of exchanged punches and pain. Mostly pain. Not far from him, also on her back, was Mal. That monstrous Togruta was crawling towards her.

"Mal," he cried. His left hand fumbled for an eye socket to poke. His right hand grabbed a broken table leg and rolled it along the ground towards Mal.