Hunting for Business

[Ardgal Raxis]

The world of Teth bellow lay like a marble in the midnight sky. Ardgal's small shuttle hummed its way closer, the rusty rivets holding the tattered thing together grumbling as they grew closer. He added it to the list of things to replace--again. He was going to have to start chipping that list away if there was really any hope of him reaching the fighting force he wanted. The warrior was just trying to make ends meet for now, feed the mouths that looked up to him, and take care of his family. Business investments had been slow, and even his tanks, which the warrior was sure would have garnered a bumper crop of cash, were still used primarily by his own forces. The wealth they had gained selling Bastila Shan's saber was all but drawing on its last coffers.

It was time for RMIA to garner some real interests this time.

"All scanners are showing no problems," Virgil reported in from her spot in the co-pilot's seat. She didn't doubt him, she had never doubted him or questioned him, the woman looked up to Ardgal like leader, and an older brother, "The descent should be clear. If we encounter any issues, its going to be on the ground."

"Thank you," Ardgal said with a nod. Even with just the two of them, she refused to take her helmet off. He wished he knew why. He wished he could fix it, she was never the same, she hadn't been herself for a very long time. The general had told himself she would get through it, that it was a phase and if he left it be, she would pull through. It was now years into this, and she was still this way. Something had to be done.

He flipped a switch, easing power off the main reactor, "Slowing the descent and coming in for the landing."

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

The Shuttle landed with a shutter on a landing pad on the darker side of Inner Teth. Every city had its more criminal aspects, the side that mercenaries like Ardgal could get in and out of easier than not. Clad head to toe in his gleaming Coretosis armor, he strode down the loading ramp, rifle slung over his shoulder. Virgil was not far behind. The seedy, doubled over Rodien who owned the pathetic excuse for a landing platform hobbled forward, hands pulled in to his fat, misshapen body.

"Payment, payment for landing," the alien said in broken, greedy Basic. Its small black eyes were hungry, and Ardgal could guess that the cash would be spent on another round of spice and or prostitutes to drown out the mutated being's miserable existence.

"Keep the shuttle," Ardgal said tossing its keys at the beings stubby feet and he strode onward towards the exit. He didn't have to look to see Virgil behind him tilt her head slightly to the left in surprise, but she said nothing.

"No, you no, you cannot," it protested hobbling after them.

With one fluid motion, Virgil turned on her heel, bringing her slug thrower pistol out of its holster, right into the Igor-like being's face, "Would you like us to pay you in lead?"

The worm-like pathetic creature raised its hands in fearful deference, "Oh, no, no no, you good. Shuttle very good."

After a tense moment to let the message sink in, Virgil holstered her weapon and followed Ardgal through the exit onto the seedy streets where garbage and litter was only barely out populated by people. After the Empire had removed the base of power of the planet, it had created a serious power vacuum, one that crime lords were more than willing to fill and shoot each other for. And that was who their target to do business was--one of the local crime lords in power.

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

One Mandalorian in full battle armor was something most beings would dare not cross the path of. Two--well now that got even more intense. The 20 minute walk to their destination was filled with looks from the locals of awe, fear, and respect. Their destination was just a small, seedy club that served as the hub for a lot of vice to say the least. Even what little Ardgal garnered about this place was horrific, and he knew it barely scratched the surface of what took place within. Urban hell or not, this was where Ardgal and Virgil had to do business.

Stepping inside, the warriors were greeted with a cacophony of blaring techno music, strobe lights, girating bodies, and the smell of sweat and spice. Ardgal's sensors automatically attuned themselves to adjust for this hell of a disorienting place. The scans began picking out guards all over the place, weapon placements, security measures, counter placements, and the goon soldiers. There were cases of spice, slave girls chained to poles they were forced to dance on fearfully, bodies of the drunk/high/doped up strewn all over the place, and a mass of horrifically inebriated beings were grinding on each other on a pathogenic ridden area that constituted the "dance floor."

"Hey, you two, no weapons allowed here, your gonna have to give those up," growled a Trandoshan bouncer coming to glare into Ardgal's visor. Another of his race came up not far behind him, growling and glaring down at Virgil.

[Whenever you are ready, Ardgal] she muttered through their helmet comm, her body weight and footing shifted to a combat ready stance.

"Your going to want to step aside before someone gets hurt," Ardgal stated flatly.

"Mando tough guy," The Trandoshan growled grabbing Ardgal's rifle sling on his shoulder, "I'll sho--"

The being didn't have time to finish its statement. Ardgal's blaster pistol whipped up faster than the being could react, the nozzel of its barrel pressing against the soft spot where the Trando's trachea met its skull. A single squeeze of the trigger sent the scaley alien flailing backwards, lifeless. Amid the nose of the music, the sound of the blaster shot went unnoticed by the inebriated patrons. "Now, Virgil."

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

Virgil's knife whipped from her belt through the abdomen of the Trandoshan before her, as he doubled back, she stabbed the reptile through the eye, letting it fall deceased. Ardgal's HUD lit up with red icons as the guards spread through out the room jolted into action, their blaster rifles and pistols drawn and brought to bare on the armored duo. Screams rang out through the room as shots hissed through the air, scorching the permecrete walls. Ardgal reflexively took cover behind one of the corners near the door, Virgil on the other. "How many are we up against?"

"My HUD counts 15," Ardgal said holstering his pistol and unslinging his shatter rifle, "plus any of the crowd members who decide to play the hero. Go for precision, minimize the damage to civilians."

"Yes, sir," she nodded, pulling her rifle clear from her shoulder, "Ready when you are, sir."

Ardgal pressed the butt of his rifle against his shoulder, the cold calm calculating side of him came out as the cyborg implants in his person began to activate at their full capacity. He whipped out from around the corner, rifle firing with pin-point precision. Virgil came from her cover, her blaster covering the other half of the club's dance floor. Hostiles who dared to raise their weapon were met with a burst of blaster fire, filling the room with a smell of burned flesh. The slave girls cowered in horror, the patrons fell flat on the floor, screaming for dear life. A blaster bolt dinged of Ardgal's shoulder plate, glancing the Cortosis but not really doing any damage. In a matter of seconds it was done.

"Clear," he shouted, ejecting his magazine and quickly replacing it. "If you don't work for the Hutt, get out of here. Now."

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

The flight of horror to the exit was massive. The beings trampled each other as they did their best to get as far from these two murder machines as they could. The only beings left were the slaves, chained to the poles they cowered away as far as they could horrified.

"Empty the cash," Ardgal ordered Virgil motioning to the bar.

His cousin hurried to the supply and quickly began her work. Ardgal turned to the poor women trapped on the stage, their eyes were filled with pure horror as he slowly stepped closer. Those that had any cloth on their bodies were barely attired in scraps of sparkling cloth. The lighting now normalized he could see their malnourished state, the bruises on their faces and bodies barely covered with gawdy makeup, their sunken eyes.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Ardgal assured them, extending a free hand consolingly. The looks on their faces didn't change from pure terror. He unlatched his helmet with a hiss and a click, clipping it on his belt so they could see his face. Some of the horror a baited from their eyes. "I'm going to cut you free, you will be free. You understand?"

"Ardgal, we didn't--" Virgil began, but a single motion of his hand silenced her.

The commander pulled a fusion cutter from his utility belt, and one by one he cut their chains free. "Stay behind us. We are going to make sure that we get you out of here, to freedom. You understand?"

The women gave tentative nods, Ardgal looked back at his cousin, putting his helmet back on, "Come on, we have to get to the second level."

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

The general's cousin didn't utter a word after that. She nodded, bringing her rifle to bear as she approached the next door. Her fingers slid across the access panel, quickly hacking through its security matrix and opening the door for them. The hall was empty, darkly lit, and made of pure duracrete. It looked like the entrance to a bomb shelter more than the back door to a night club. Ardgal summized it was because this Hutt, Wanno, had a lot of fear, a lot of sense, or both.

Ardgal took the lead, Virgil behind him and the girls behind her. The warrior had business to do with this crime lord and it was up to the Hutt to decide if this ended well or not. The stairs followed two narrow turns to the left, leading to a massive bastdoor. When the warrior tapped the access pad, it was unresponsive. Someone had cut the power to it entirely, not just sealed it off. He gave a slight tilt of his head in admiration of the ingenuity, but he was not about to be beaten. He pulled a roll of thermite from his belt, rolling it out in a small portal, just large enough for him and Virgil to file out one by one. Satisfied with his work, the general pressed the activation bead in its gel-like surface.

"Stand back," he said over his shoulder before pressing the detonator on his gauntlet.

The girls gave a screech of horror as the explosive gel began its work. The bright white light reached a tremendous heat, Ardgal's visor polarized to keep from damaging his eyes. Bright orange durasteel, reduced to flaming putty like states dripped onto the floor in a cascade of beauty before the slow burning explosives finally died out. "Stay clear."

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

The warrior took two heavy steps forward, his foot ramming right against the hole he made. With all his weight, the armor's weight, and its augmented strength from the power armor, it send the durasteel hole he made fly wide open. The warrior plucked a grenade from his belt, quickly poping its pin off and hurling it in. He sidestepped clear of the hole as a barrage of blaster fire roared through where he had been standing moments before. White, brilliant smoke of CMO2-06 began to fill the chamber. Soon the occupants would be coughing. Virgil followed after him, grabbing another grenade and hurling it through the gap. The stun grenade went off and the two stormed in, it was all like clock work.

The thugs and hired soldiers were stunned from the grenade, and even further, struggling to remain standing from the CMO2-06 smoke as they coughed, their eyes watering. The General didn't hesitate, they came here to take one Hutt and talk to him, all the thugs he had were a threat and would only cause trouble when they were alert again. With Virgil at his side the two cleared the room of the twenty men in a few moments, thanks to the years of practice and service they had together. The only other being left alive in the room was the slug who sat upon his dais, mouth agape at what he witnessed. He too was wheezing against the gas, but his naturally hearty nature made the slug pretty well fortified against the toxin.

Ardgal stowed his rifle on his shoulder, it was time to get to work.

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

"Wanno," Ardgal said tilting his head towards the slug, "Are you ready to bargain now?"

<<I have no idea what your talking about>> the Hutt said rocking back and forth, <<But I am sure we can work out a trade agreement for what it is that you want most.>>

"You will not leave this room alive," Ardgal said hooking his thumbs in his belt, "You lost that right the moment your men touched me. Right now we are only here to bargain on how quickly you wish to die."

<<It doesn't have to be that way-->> the Hutt began. Its words were cut off with the sound of Ardgal's sword flying from its sheath, the blade gleamed with its vibration energy as it hissed through the air. The tip of the blade sliced cleanly through the Hutt's stomach. The being rocked, roaring in pain.

You would have expected blood to pour from the wound of a creature its size, but all that came forth was sickening whitish fat, long lost to blood flow.

"Shut up and listen," Ardgal ordered. He fished a photo from his gunbelt, "This is what I am here for. I know you have it. Where is it?"

<<Mando, Mando, my good friend,>> the hedonistic being managed to summon a winsome tone as it extended both of its arms in a welcoming gesture, <<Let's make a deal, I have lots of pretty slave girls you could-->>

There was something about having your own limb severed that did something to you psychologically. It just made you think differently staring at a piece of you that wasn't you anymore. Ardgal's hands gripped his hilt as he brought it down with a double-handed strike on the Hutt's left arm. The first blow tore through skin, fat, muscle and sinew, exposing the bone. Wanno roared in pain as Ardgal's second hack severed the bone, his third completely cleaved the arm off. Wanno rocked, his wails shaking the very walls of the chamber. Ardgal wondered if the slug had ever felt that much pain before. Things only got worse from here.

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

Ardgal let the Hutt wallow in its pain for a few moments before it was time to whip things back in line. It was good for someone undergoing enhanced Interrogation to get the gravity of how deeply they were karked. It made things easier, especially since most of it was mental, not physical.

"Wanno." The Hutt continued to rock in pain, wailing. "Wanno!" Its eyes rolled back, fatty tears falling from the folds of its eyes. "WANNO!"

Ardgal brought the flat of his blade around, slapping the Hutt's fat face hard enough to leave a whelp. The Slug's wails turned to whimpers as it submitted. "Tell me what I want to know, Wanno, the pain can end any time you want."

<<No, no more, no more>> the slug pleaded, <<I'll talk. I swear I will.>>

"Good, where is it? I've tracked it here, where is it?"

<<I don't have it>> the Hutt whimpered.

Ardgal brought his fist up, sucker punching the Hutt's plate sized eye, "Where is it?"

<<The Monk Temple, the Monk temple,>> Wanno screamed at last, <<Its being stored there between uses to run spice to the rest of the sector!>>

Ardgal studied the Hutt for a moment to be sure Wanno was telling the truth. He saw no lying in the eyes of the slug. It was more than this horrific being deserved but Ardgal would be merciful and end its existence quickly, and with as little pain as possible.

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

Ardgal quietly stepped back into the hall, cleaning and sheathing his sword. The women were huddled in a corner, literally shaking in fear. The warrior removed his helmet, letting them see his face once more as he knelt to look them in the eye. It really seemed to help them with their fear when he was helmetless.

"I am here to help you," he said in a gentle tone, "You have no reason to be afraid. You understand?" They nodded their heads, but the terror still did not abait totally. "I am going to work on getting you people back to your homes. You understand? Homes? Your families. I will do whatever I can to help you in that."

He was a monster in many regards, but he wouldn't let them get trampled underfoot because of what other monsters had done to them. He had been treated the same way. He had been used, and discarded. He wouldn't let the cycle keep going. Not this time. He looked to Virgil. She didn't have to ask it, he knew she was thinking it--how would they be able to help them without even a ride to their target? But all she did was nod. She was behind him all the way, and that was what he needed.

"We came here to get something," the general said turning back to the girls. He showed them the picture, "If you could help us, I would be very thankful." He let them have a good long look at it, "Your going to be able to help a lot of people if you help us find this. Do any of you know where there would be a speeder around here somewhere? When we find this we will work right away at taking you off this place and getting you somewhere safe. Ok?"

There was a pause and for a moment Ardgal was afraid he had just wasted his time. Just when he was sure he would have to find a ride himself one of the girls rose to her feet, her skimpy garments shimmering as she rose and fearfully took a step forward.

"Come," was the only word she spoke as her delicate, malnourished fingers gripped his crushgaunts. The small blue girl led Ardgal back to the club and through one of the side doors to a garage. It was clear that anyone of note had cleared the place out as soon as they could and the garage before them had been cleared as fast as possible--except for one small airspeeder. It would work, just barely though.

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

The airspeeder was in great shape, it didn't take long for the group to begin putting kilometers between them and the city. In the front cabin Ardgal was behind the controls, only Virgil was with him. The girls in the back were still quiet, but the fear was gradually, and very slowly, melting away.

[Do you want to talk about it?] Ardgal asked in the privacy of his and his cousin's helmet comms.

[What is there to talk about?] the woman asked, her voice as cold and unmoving as a mountain on Hoth. [We are doing what you've ordered. Your the Alor, I will follow you wherever and whatever you want me to do, sir.]

[Not what I meant] Ardgal said smiling to himself [We grew up together, Virgil, we were like siblings. You were like the sister I never had. Nothing ever really could get between us. I remember you were always there when I needed you, we fought together.] he paused, [You were always reserved, Virgil, but never like this. What happened?]

[Having your soul torn out does things to you] she said flatly, [You know that, more than most.]

[I do,] he said with a nod, he turned his head slightly so she could see he was studying her [But even before the Godkiller program--]

[I wasn't talking about that] she said sourly, crossing her arms. [Its a lot more than that.] The silence ruled over them as he waited for her. [When your parents died, it was like I lost my brother. You left, you never told us when you would be back, if ever, and were. You never said anything you just left us. That hurt, Ardgal. It burned me inside. Then--then I found someone. We fell in love, they were good, they were perfect and then--] Virgil looked looked out the side viewport. [Anyway, it doesn't matter. Then you came back. And you changed. You started talking about how you were a god, and at first I thought you lost your mind. And hell, maybe you did. But then you did things, things that were impossible. You led us through things that we should have never lived through. You showed us places that shouldn't exist. You made something and I believed you. I believed you so much I became a godkiller.] She sighed, [Its hard for me, ok? To process all of it. Its a lot.]

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

It felt like a suckerpunch to the gut for Ardgal to hear that he had caused so much pain to someone, someone he cared about. He nodded, his hands shifting on the control yoke as the airspeeder curved along the surface, [Your right, it is a lot.] He paused, licking his lips under his helmet, the warrior knew that his next words would make a difference in how their relationship changed, possibly forever, [I didn't know I had that much of an affect on you. I'm sorry.]

She gave a half shrug, [You do the best you can, Ardgal, just like all of us. All you can do is try.]

The Bar'Omaar monastery soon loomed before them, built in the side of the mountain. All of Ardgal's thoughts about their discussion faded for the moment as he was back in the present. He heard Virgil checking her weapons beside him, and once more the woman had turned into coldblooded commando. Ardgal tilted his head back towards the girls in the passenger section, "We don't know how many are in there, or what we are going up against. I want you girls to stay in the speeder, no matter what. Understand?"

The dancers nodded their heads, fearfully. Ardgal tilted his head towards Virgil, "The way I see it they probably have the monks held hostage and are using the as a front to hide their crap. We come in hard and heavy, take out the resistance and liberate the monks if we can. My bet is they will recognize this speeder and let us in easy, once we are in things get hard. Stay close and cover each other, sound good?"

"A plan if I ever heard one, commander," she said holstering her pistols. "I'll follow your lead."

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

On a small landing pad at the back end of the monastery a small group was gathering to greet the air speeder. Ardgal could tell by the looks of things it was a new addition, he guessed no more than a few months old. The data chips implanted in his skull automatically began to evaluate the 5 people gathering on the landing pad. They certainly were not Bor'ommar monks. They looked criminal, and Ardgal only counted two of the ill-bathed beings carrying heavy weaponry.

The airspeeder landed, kicking up a hail of permecrete dust, sand, and dirt in the air. Ardgal put the landing thrusters on full blast, making the haze as thick as it could be without lifting their vessel off the ground. He looked to Virgil, she gave him a ready nod before their boots hit the permecrete. Their blaster and slug thrower shots ended the fight before the other guys could even realize what had happened. Ardgal quickly stormed the entrance, the small hall led them down a series of back halls that were dimly lit and empty. Ardgal came into a room carved into the mountain side. Several of the thugs were sitting around a sabbaac table, gambling their earnings away. Around them there were several pallets loaded with boxes of spice.

"Oh shi--" one of them exclaimed just before Ardgal's rifle silenced him.

The Wookiee at the table roared, flipping the table over for cover just as Virgil came around from behind Ardgal, putting two bolts in the hairy beast's chest and one through its skull. The others cowered for cover behind their cover, Ardgal's enhanced reflexes allowed him to shoot two of them before they managed to get behind their metal covering. The sole survivor brought his blaster pistol over the edge, firing blindly at the two, the bolts hit the back of the wall harmlessly leaving scorch marks. Virgil fired once, her shot was true, landing directly on the man's wrist. The man screamed in pain as his tendons and muscles were seared into black char. Ardgal quickly closed the gap between him and the man, grabbing him by the shirt collar and slamming him into the wall, "How many others are there?"

The man jolted in pain, "Ugh, ten, ten others, please--"

Virgil's shot cleanly caught him between the eyes, "We don't have time, Ardgal."

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

The general dropped the carcass on the ground and surveyed the area. There was one more room past this one, his Bio scanners could see they were already preparing for the two of them. His infrared scanners showed explosives were tapped on the door, booby trapped.

"I see it too," Virgil said grimly. "Make your call, Ard."

Ardgal couldn't help but feel a slight hint of victory. She had slipped into the old nicknames they had for each other in childhood. No matter what happened from here, that was a win. "We trigger it, with a slave switch, Virg." He tossed an electronic component on the access pad. The warrior took cover behind one of the pallets, tapping on his gauntlet. Virgil took cover beside him, gripping her rifle tightly. The moment the door began to slide open, the explosives detonated, blasting inward with a hail of durasteel shrapnel. Ardgal closed his eyes, counting in his head 1..... 2 ..... 3..... 4....

He heard their foes start to move as the natural biological curiosity took over.

.....5.

He popped from his cover, shatter rifle blazing with shots. Virgil looped behind him as the two of them pressed into the fire, advancing as they shot. He heard a shot land behind his shoulder and heard Virgil grunt, but there wasn't time now to stop. He grabbed one of the thugs who had taken cover beside the blown out door, bringing him to meet the rifle butt with a heavy slam. The dead body fell to the ground with a thump. A pair of hands grabbed Ardgal from behind, pulling him back.

"Ard!" Virgil shouted, shooting twice, the body jerked and fell deceased.

He looked back, the woman was on the ground, gripping her side with one hand, her pistol in the other.

"You alright?" he asked rushing to her side.

"I'll be fine," she grunted, slowly rising to her feet, "flesh wound. Let's finish this already damn it."

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

The pair entered the smokey room. Inside there it sat, the old and glorious ship. A long path and a great deal of money had led them here, the legendary ship had been lost for time out of mind. The general stepped forward, admiring the aged craftsmanship if this fine vessel. For its age, it had been very well preserved. He boarded the loading ramp and removed his helmet offering Virgil a smile, a genuinely pleased smile, "We did it."

Post script:

Over the course of several months, Ardgal worked hard to personally track down the families of the freed dancing girls, uniting them in a joyous occasion. The girls never knew the names of their rescuers, why, or how they were taken back home. All they knew was a pair of Mandolorians in armor swept in and saved their lives.

Virgil returned to the Monestary, taking with her 2 Squads of Godkillers. When they arrived the Monks were still living in thralldom and a new set of criminals had taken root there, running a swoop gang in their midst. When she was done, 75 fresh skulls were piled on the doorstep. No one has since used the Temple as a front, the monks live in relative harmony, able to study the Force as they see fit. And as for the ship, Ardgal made sure the Raven's Claw was well taken care of, cleaned refurbished, and give a good new owner.

End Transmission.