Looking for love in Alderaan places.

[Vykter Orade]

((Anyone is welcome to join, trying to make some new acquaintances )​

Location: The Sultry Sludge Panther, Coronet City, Corellia​

Time: 23:16 Local​

​

​

Vykter rubbed his fingers into his eyes and tried to push the fatigue back from his mind. Thirty-six hours wasn't that long to go without sleep, he'd gone almost a full forty-eight when him and Karrik had...

He downed the last of whatever that green liquid had been as the painful memory slowly subsided. The Old Man had taught him how to fight, how to fly, how to fight while flying, but he had never taught Vykter how to live without him. For three weeks he'd made his way from dingy port to dingy port as he went through the moves of his past life. The faces and places were all the same, but there was a dimness to the events now. Like someone had recorded a holovid with a very old receiver and was playing it back on his eyelids while he slept.

Most of the time he let himself sink into the void of indifference that Karrik had taught him to use when a fight was coming, he could almost hear the Old Man talking in his ear.

"Just let it all go, kid. Realize and accept that you're already dead and your body just hasn't caught up with that fact yet."

It had gotten him by so far, he had enough credits in his pocket to get him through at least another week in this bar before he had to haul himself back to the Horizon to find more work. He loathed the thought of that moment coming any sooner than it had to.

I can't keep doing this. Rationally, I know that I'm just trying to cope as best I can, but running and gunning is exactly what got Karrik his in the end and I'll be next if I don't find myself a place to rest my head. Hell, even a few friends would do me for a spell. Then at least I wouldn't be the guy in the corner of the bar drinking alone.

He waived for another drink and chuckled to himself.

Right. Friends. Like I would know what to do with a friend.

 

[Elvenchild319]

Corellia, of all the planets Casey could end up on, this one was not as bad as most would think. The young Shi'ido walked out of the transport vessel and made for the nearest bar. She made her way into a place called the Sultry Sludge Panther, and sat down near a human and paid for an Alderaanian ale. Once her drink was set in front of her, Cass started sipping it and fell into deep thought.

Mom would be ashamed if she could see me now. Too little of things to do around here, might as well make the most of what i can.

Casey chuckled at the first thought. Her mom had been killed when she was 5 years old, so not much she could do about what her mom could be thinking. The second thought was her more rational side talking. Cass was bored out of her mind.


[member="Vykter Orade"]

 

[Elvenchild319]

Corellia, of all the planets Casey could end up on, this one was not as bad as most would think. The young Shi'ido walked out of the transport vessel and made for the nearest bar. She made her way into a place called the Sultry Sludge Panther, and sat down near a human and paid for an Alderaanian ale. Once her drink was set in front of her, Cass started sipping it and fell into deep thought.

Mom would be ashamed if she could see me now. Too little of things to do around here, might as well make the most of what i can.

Casey chuckled at the first thought. Her mom had been killed when she was 5 years old, so not much she could do about what her mom could be thinking. The second thought was her more rational side talking. Cass was bored out of her mind.


[member="Vykter Orade"]

 

[Vykter Orade]

Flagging down the already swamped bar tender, Vykter waved in the direction of the new comer at his side.

"I'll have whatever she's having boss."

He wasn't sure what compelled him to break his normally stoic demeanor, but he had a feeling it was a mixture of that green slime he'd already drank and the hole he felt gnawing at him from his chest.

Well, here goes nothing. Why do I feel like I'm making my Final Jump here? Am I really so afraid of other people?

He frowned at his own thought.

It's not like people have hurt me. Sure, there's the ones that try to kill me on jobs but that's just business. I don't take it any more personal than trying to kill them right back.

He stopped the bar tender from walking away and tried to avoid the glance the woman threw his way.

I'm committed now, and I'm not going to psychoanalyze the answers out of myself so there's no point going halfway.

"Go ahead and put her's on my tab while you're at it."

Evoking a rather nasty look from the grumpy old man for the request, Vykter twisted in his chair, making careful movements to avoid pulling his robes from over his bulky armor lest he frighten her, he then gave the woman a quizzical look with a cocked eye brow.

"Would you happen to know how much a wampa weighs?"

[member="Casey Romarin"]

 

[McCleary Searles]

In the corner, a young Kaleesh was pretending to nurse his empty drink; taking advantage of the bartender's distraction for the sake of a space to be.

I like the crowds in here, all busy and loud. Nobody ever got mugged in a place like this; not without crossing someone bad first, and that's not my plan. Besides, it's fun to watch the creatures.

Under his mask, a grin crept across his face as he saw what he assumed was a clumsy attempt at courtship unfold at the bar.

 

[Elvenchild319]

Casey chuckled at the man, who was clearly trying to flirt with her, and turned her head to look at his face. She could tell he didn't want to frighten her with the size of his armor, not that she would be scared at all.

"Heh. No, do you know?" She smiled flirtatiously, a hand resting casually on her drink. She subconsciously looke him over for a sec before meeting his gaze.

[member="Vykter Orade"]
[member="Izalek Wrabban"]

 

[Vykter Orade]

"From what I hear it's usually just enough to break the ice. Ba dum tss."

He hoped his deadpan delivery would convey his knowledge of how terrible a joke that had been as he extended his hand towards her. Usually the Old Man had done all the talking, he just did all the hard work like looking mean and separating shoulders.

"Name is Vykter, Captain of the Emerald Horizon. I'm, uh, a little short on friends. I'm also a little short on my knowledge of social etiquette, so I do apologize if I seem to be a little...odd."

He gave her his best attempt at a rueful smile. Ever since leaving Norda all those years ago, he hadn't sought out that feeling of kinship with anyone. Growing up in small villages of only a few hundred bred a certain sense of unity, but the events leading to his departure had seen him looking away from that sort of life. Now fate had led him to a juncture where he had no choice but to take the leap and hope that it came back to him.

Here's to you Old Man, hope you are getting a kick out of this.

[member="Casey Romarin"] [member="Izalek Wrabban"]

 

[McCleary Searles]

Izalek approached the bar cautiously, eyeing the pair as he took a few more imaginary sips. But as he leaned against the bar, the bartender addressed him, asking if he wanted a refill.
"I'm still drinking."
Izalek said, staring the barman down; hoping to Abesmi that his awkward approach had not drawn attention from either spacer.

This could be my chance... I'll need to hear more.


Vykter Orade Casey Romarin

 

[Mythos]

What the hell was Mythos even doing here? He could not really remember. The Cortan Blade had been in corella getting some re-fuel but he was just here downing whiskey and everything else he could chug down. Mighty Animus... Reduced to a Drunkard by the words of a Chiss. "Barkeep gimme a double..." How ironic...
The bartender looked at him with a face of concern, he had seen this type of thing before, he knew this Man was not here to seek company but to drown his sorrows in a long string of endless Alcoholic drinks that would numb his senses and dull the Pain for at least a few hours... indeed he had seen this quite a lot they came and went... Moping and sorrowing over Wenches and mistresses.
"Buddy, i think you've had enough... she ain't worth it" he still poured the drink because he knew customers rarely listened to the barkeep anyway, and he expected a retort but it did not come. Just a wave of dismissal and a firm grasp on the Mug with the strength rare from a drunken man in a stupor of self pity and miserable wallowing. He chugged the harsh liquor down as if it was beer and slammed it into the table with a large sigh that did not turn into anything else. Mythos was not a drinker by nature, but he could hold his liquor and this was no pleasant chat... This was not Mighty Darth Mythos' finest hour...
He thought of her words and her demeanor and what he perceived as his failure... Little did he know she was a Xenophobic, paranoid woman that wanted his Lightsaber and Warriors instead of his heart and emotions. Another drink went down, and so Did Mythos' spirits. Another one and Another one... Mythos could have his bed riddled with the Bodies of Women who men killed to be with but not the one he wanted... and it was as well as having none.

"Two More doubles please...hic!"​

 

[Elvenchild319]

Casey chuckled at the sorry excuse for a joke. She found it amusing and shook the man's outstretched hand firmly.

"Nice to meet you, Vykter, I'm Casey Romarin, Captain/Pilot of the Ether Jewel. I'm also a little short on friends as well. Thanks for buying."

Casey glanced over at another being cautiously coming up to the bar before looking back at Vikter. She wasn't sure whether the cautiousness was a sign of hostility or courtesy, but she put her left hand on her blaster anyway. She also looked over at the man who looked bent own drowning his thoughts away. She took another sip of the drink before continuing.

"So what brings you to Correllia, my friend?"

[member="Vykter Orade"] [member="Izalek Wrabban"] [member="Darth Mythos"]

 

[McCleary Searles]

Izalek couldn't help but stare as figure in dark robe stumbled over to the bar.

Great. Not just any Sith, but a drunk one at that.

He hunched himself over his glass, avoiding eye contact. Meanwhile, he listened to his right, focusing on every syllable the pair said.

Let's hear more about this ship...

Vykter Orade Casey Romarin Darth Mythos

 

[Vykter Orade]

Vykter was more than a little taken aback by the ease with which the conversation started. Could it be that he hadn't pushed his past as far down as he thought? In any case, he knew that if he played his cards right this woman could prove to be a very valuable friend indeed. A starship captain, a looker and she had clearly been around the seedier side of the galaxy given her presence in this kind of establishment. Maybe that hokey Jedi belief in the "Force" and it's "guiding path" wasn't as hokey as he thought either.

Ok, time for another drink before I get overly philosophical. Religion, really? Don't tell me I'm going to start believing in that mysticism garbage. Then again, I have thrown people across rooms with my mind...

"Well, to be honest I came to this particular rock to find the deepest bottle I could and hopefully drown in it. Unfortunately, this body's metabolic capacity has been thoroughly pushed so it's not as easy as it once was."

The bartender hustled over with their drinks after finishing his brief conversation with the oddly familiar looking Sith down the table. Had he seen him somewhere before? He'd had dealings with Sith and Jedi alike in his time and to this day he hadn't ever met one more than once. Karrik had taught him that they were a sort that was best kept at least a lightyear distant. Behind him, a Kaleesh was busy trying to nurse his drink without looking like he was trying to nurse his drink. Vykter's slightly fuzzy mind said to ignore him, plenty of other people in the bar worth worrying about, like the Sith, but this one set the hairs on his neck straight. Best keep an eye on it.

He made a quick look-over-my-shoulder gesture with his eyes and his head to the woman, hoping she would catch the double meaning of "Is that a friend of yours" and "Watch my back." For added emphasis he said "Have you ever run into trouble in these parts? I've not been planetside when visiting this system before." He put down his drink with alacrity and, to the dismay of the bartender, signaled for another. "I'm not expecting any trouble, but it does seem to visit itself upon me far too frequently." It was then that he noticed the woman had inconspicuously placed her hand on her blaster.

A starship captain, looker, probable smuggler, and she was good! A very good friend indeed.

He cursed himself for leaving his rifle back on the ship, knowing full well that left him with no weapons but his fists. Not that they weren't effective, but generally he preferred to engage the target from as far off as possible. He consoled himself with knowing that if there was about to be a bar fight (goody, his favorite!) it was going to be very close quarters, and it was going to happen very quickly because there had to be at least 300 beings crammed into a bar no bigger than 15 cubic meters...

[member="Casey Romarin"] [member="Darth Mythos"] [member="Izalek Wrabban"]

 

[McCleary Searles]

Though unsure why, Izalek was getting steadily more and more nervous. The heavy drinker in black looked like he could down soldiers about as fast as his drinks, and the spacers to his right were definitely up to something.

Could be spies for the Republic? Maybe the Sith? That might explain the dark robed one... What I wouldn't do for some Ryll right now...


He saw the bartender arrive in front of the black-robed figure and hand him a drink. Izalek felt an impulse and dug deep into his pockets, putting his last credit chip down on the bartop.
"Barkeep. A Lum. Cold."

He said, subtly lowering his hand to his Lig sword at his side.

If this is about to get violent, I'll be blasted if I don't come out with something...

Vykter Orade Casey Romarin Darth Mythoshttp://starwarsrp.net/user/8869-darth-mythos/

 

[Elvenchild319]

"I'm not downed by drinks as easily as well. Trouble 'round here is about as normal as a bum in a bar, if you know what I mean. Always good to keep your wits about you." Casey caught the look from Vykter and looked behind him at the Sith before making eye contact with Vykter and nodding slowly and clenching her blaster a little tighter. She wasn't an exact fan of Force-users, even if she was one herself. Cass decided to change the subject to throw any listeners off.

"So, the Emerald Horizon, beautiful name for a ship."

[member="Izalek Wrabban"] [member="Vykter Orade"] [member="Darth Mythos"]

 

[Vykter Orade]

"I'm inclined to agree with you. She was my father's ship, and his brother's before that. Named after some old Mando world I think."

Vykter nonchalantly tilted his stool 45 degrees back, so it was resting on only two legs, and rocked slowly back and forth. His latest drink was already on course for his gut, and the former drink was just now starting to set a slight warmth to his skin. He was beginning to relax, sinking into the mental and breathing exercises he'd been taught. His senses hyper aware, though slightly distorted now by the alcohol, could detect the sickly sweet aroma of the beverages, the odd combination of smells of dozens of different species being crammed into one space, could trace the graze of every patron facing him and could feel the charge of the atmosphere around them. And, something else...

Though he had no idea how, he had a feeling that someone or something nearby was dangerous. His gut told him it wasn't the Sith, which only made him doubt the sensation, but it was so strong it was almost over powering.

"Some world that was taken, as happens so often to the peoples of the galaxy, by force. My uncle always said it was a beautiful place."

Vykter thought he knew now what he was feeling, and while he was loathe to listen to it, his instincts told him it would prove very unhealthy to ignore it. Making a small hold on gesture, he turned to the young (he thought) looking Kaleesh down the line.

"Excuse me lad, but is there some reason you're skulking about my friend and I? Is there something in particular you want? I must warn you that my sunny demeanor is quite easily offended by those who intend disrespect."

Throwing a quick glance back at Casey to ensure she was maintaining her end of the unspoken team, he also made a show of locking his arms behind his back to stretch, opening his robes wide and revealing the Mandalorian armor beneath.

Proper planning prevents piss poor performance. Moments like this are exactly why I wear the cloak over the armor. Surprise, surprise, surprise!

He finished his little show and set his arms back to the bar, head turned to face the being he'd addressed and waited to see what he would say. Or do.

 

[Edward Blake]

"He's just being cautious, and I don't blame him in this cesspool."

Blake showed up behind the two seated humans in the process of lighting a cigar. His metal Zippo flickered and wavered before eventually creating a steady flame. Eddie puffed on the cigar in victory.

"There we go. Yeah, don't get all nervous around me. I'm just here for a drink. I saw you flash that Mando armor though. Made a lot of people nervous behind you. Don't look."

True to his word, a lot of patrons saw the display and were getting rather tense, unclipping blaster holsters and growing quiet. They were prepared for the inevitable barfight that seemed to be coming.

Eddie pulled up a stool and sat next to the two, specifically next to the male Human. He removed a flask from his belt to the chagrin of the barkeep.

"No outside drinks, bud."
"Shut up."

Eddie turned once again to the two next to him, taking a swig first. "I'm the Comedian. You may or may not have heard of me, depending on how much you pay attention to galactic news, battles won, current events in the military, blah, blah, blah."

The Comedian smiled wryly at his own words, his face matching his button minus the scar marring his right cheek, nearly looking like a sneer. He made it sound like he was some kind of karkin' hero. Ha! That was a joke. Blake knew damn well that if there was an afterlife, he was going straight down for some R&R in hell for the things he did. The women, the kids he killed, the cities he burned...what a joke.

'Snap out of it, Blake,' he thought. He had more important things to figure out, like why the hell was he helping these two? Internally, the big guy shrugged. He wasn't a hero...but he wasn't a bad guy either. That chit he did, that was war. It was different. But these two, as much as they looked like they could take care of themselves, weren't getting out of here alive if a fight broke out. Most of the patrons were alien, so guess who'd they be gunning for first? The two smoothskins.

Or three, he should say.

Damn it.

"Look, the only way we're getting out of this alive is if you listen to me. We ain't gonna survive a full shootout here, so just act normal from now on. Don't do anything stupid, and once their attention breaks, we'll leave. Trust me, they're ready to gun you all down back there. Don't look."

'Please listen to me, please listen to me, I don't wanna get caught in the crosshairs, I haven't killed civvies for a while, so just listen,' he thought.

[member="Vykter Orade"] [member="Casey Romarin"] [member="Izalek Wrabban"] [member="Darth Mythos"]

 

[Elvenchild319]

Casey didn't pull her blaster, but instead stood, grabbed Vikter's arm, and whispered sharply in his ear.

"That was uncalled for. We don't need to attract trouble, it's the last thing we want. We're outnumbered here, 50 to 2. Or three." She glared at the man who came up.

People like him need to keep their noses out of other's business, but he has a point. Instead of insulting the man who had given his advice, Casey turned to the Karrick with a sorry look on her face.

"I'm sorry about my friend here. He's had one too many drinks, so he's not his brightest right now. I'm very sorry for that everyone, you can go back to your drinks." The last sentence was directed at the rest of the bar-goers and the barkeep themselves. Most of the patrons shrugged and turned back to their tables, but a few still watched the small company warily with their hands or claws or whatever on some sort of weapon. Once that was cleared up, she turned to the man that had come up after her friend's little show and tilted her head to one side.

"You were saying?"

[member="Edward Blake"] [member="Vykter Orade"] [member="Izalek Wrabban"] [member="Darth Mythos"]

 

[Mythos]

Mythos scoffed and laughed out loud. It was the Alcohol talking. If he could make complete sentences that is. "What the Kark are you talkin bout big boy?" He stood from the barstand and eyed the man trying to shake off the intoxication however, it was the intoxication that made him even stand up in the first place. Mythos would not be as stupid as to stand up and smack talk a dude who was built like a tank and had the humor of a Starved Rancor without having some serious leverage... but this was drunk Mythos and by definition, very stupid Mythos.
"What do you know about war? and death?" His voice the only one being heard around the bar yet most patrons of the bar were smart enough to recognize a Sith and not get in his way or pipe up a response.
"How many times have you stared the mad queen in the face? smelled the burnt flesh of a dying man ? Do you know what a dying man sounds like? when you burn him alive?"
The tension... was palpable. The distinct sounds of clanking guns could be heard if one was inclined to listen but a Drunk Mythos was not. Trouble was here, like it or not, there was bound to be something interesting happening. The Stress and tension of the situation and the Anger as it chemically does started to snap Mythos out bit by bit out of his Drunken stupor and slowly he began to realize this... was a really bad idea, however, it was a little late for that.
"You think this bar stands a chance?" He hiccuped and laughed at his fancy, he got closer and closer to the big man who was making a scene until the man could smell the foul breath and stench of Alcohol oozing from Mythos before he said in a whispered voice so that only he could hear him. "I could kill you all... before a single clip is fully empty..." It was true... if he wasn't drunk... right now Mythos would fall over with a good smack but it did not take a full smack to bring him down, Mythos almost stumbled while walking... what a mess... a true mess... Heartbreak is something he was learning to cope with... very negatively.

What a night this was turning out to be... Oh Boy..
[member="Casey Romarin"] [member="Edward Blake"] [member="Vykter Orade"]
​

 

[Edward Blake]

This night just got a lot more interesting...

Blake sighed at the scene. Great. Sith. And a drunk one too.

Big boy? Jeez, this guy was a clown. He almost ignored that comment completely. But then he stood up. Eddie was ready now, mentally counting the copious amounts of weapons on him and which one would be the most effective. The drunkard kept talking in the meanwhile.

War and death? Cooking people? Blake shrugged. That was an everyday thing for him. Most of that came from his hand, so much so that there was, at one point, an organization to charge the Comedian with war crimes and sentient life violations. That was shot down quickly when people heard, rather truthfully, that he was the main reason that the Republic won that war. Even the hippies that wanted him locked up couldn't deny that. It hadn't changed the fact that Blake had done it though, that he had personally razed cities, created parents without children, children without parents, destroyed lifestyles, the whole shebang. That was war, though. He might have enjoyed it, but it was necessary to end the conflict as quickly as possible.

This situation was different.

The Comedian furrowed his brow as the guy got closer and closer. Ooh, that odor. He smelled like a sock full of fermented fruit. But he was more focused on the threat this joker just made. On one hand, he looked so drunk a blind, starved Jawa could've knocked him over and taken his wallet. On the other, however, he saw the lightsaber in the Sith's belt. He was trained to kill Force users, sure, but who knows what brand of crazy this guy was? And there were others here too. It wouldn't be clean. Too many witnesses. Blake's handler wouldn't like that, the Comedian in a public bar offing Sith and civvies. Bad PR equaled no free booze and cigars and possible suspension. He made up his mind there to use minimal force to subdue this guy, if it came to that. Eddie wasn't a talker, but he could maybe get this guy out of here....maybe to a more discreet place, where he could take him out.

Blake addressed the Sith in front of him with a calm, even tone, showing no fear or anger, just a simple, neutral face, although his prominent scar did make it look like he had an unnatural jeer.

"I know a little too much about war and death, son. More than what would be considered healthy, any way." The Comedian tapped his smiley face button with a dirty index finger. If he knew who he was, that would explain it all. But it seemed like he didn't. Blake internally grumbled. His reputation didn't seem like it'd carry too much weight in this situation. His frustration turned to a low level anger as he growled, through gritted teeth.

"You've looked at yourself in the mirror lately? You can't even stand right! Sit down and shut up before you hurt yourself. You smell like a brewery and look like a crippled Rakghoul. Just stop, son. For your sake."

Strange. Blake normally sat them on their asses to calm them down in these 'macho man' situations. He could've, too. This guy nearly fell just walking to him. Maybe the big guy was growing a heart?

Nah, he was just worried about the saber getting pulled out. A flailing, clumsy beam of energy was still a beam of energy. Blake didn't want any severed limbs today.

Let's try a little diplomacy, Eddie thought.

Even if it was passive aggressive.

[member="Darth Mythos"] [member="Casey Romarin"] [member="Vykter Orade"] [member="Izalek Wrabban"]

 

[Vykter Orade]

Ok then, didn't expect to freak out the whole kriffing bar. Oh, great, here come's Mr. Sith.

Vykter eyed the two men and listened to their exchange. This "Comedian" character was certainly one to watch, he had a way about him that set Vykter on edge. As for the Sith, he looked less like "Mr. Sith" and more like "Mr. About-to-Sith-my-pants" at this point. The alcoholic vapor that seemed to pervade the man's air was almost strong enough to burn the eyes and Vykter unconsciously turned away.

Ok, I'll admit this one definitely got away from me.

He caught Casey's eye, mouthing an apology. He often forgot that when one was on a "civilized" planet, one was strongly advised to mind one's manners. Hoping his escapade was at this point in the rear viewscreen thanks to the combined efforts of Mr. Universe and Mr. Glowbat, Vykter did his best to blend back into the bar.

Why do I even open my mouth?

He leaned over towards Casey as he waved for a double round.

"I've just done some thinking, and there may be a reason I don't have many friends." He said sotto voce. "Thanks for standing up there, I appreciate it. Not sure what came over me exactly."

He obviously couldn't say that he had a feeling about the being he'd shot his mouth off too, that would be ridiculous even in a galaxy inhabited by beings such as the Jedi and Sith. No, better he just leave that alone and let her chalk it up to the drinks. As the harried and now thoroughly unhappy bartender brought him his double round, he sat back with one ear to Casey and the other to the two men who were (thankfully) about to usurp his almost-title as The Guy Who Started It.

[member="Casey Romarin"] [member="Darth Mythos"] [member="Izalek Wrabban"] [member="Edward Blake"]