Shadowport Bloodsport (Xanatos) - open to observers/gamblers

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Xanatos BloodStone"]

PORT MYNOCK
KNOJUR SYSTEM
WILD SPACE

The round cage was fifteen paces wide, made of tough chain link. Asteroid rock made up the ceiling and floor and the rest of the chamber, where a hundred ugly spacers of a hundred species were laying down money. Someone had come up with black market ysalamiri in enclosed nutrient frames, and plopped them around the cage. A Jedi Master could die in there if the other guy had the cheapest blaster in the 'verse.

“You really shouldn't do this,” said Styr for maybe the fifth time. Of Mara's crew, the half-Valkyri Undergrounder was easily the best close-quarters fighter. He knew what he was talking about. Normally she'd have listened.

No Force, no guns, no lightsabers, no explosives, only one vibroblade apiece. Her opponent had set the terms. Mara drew hers, a fencing weapon with a tough bell hilt. The dampeners in the handle kept the blade’s vibrogenerators from numbing her palm and fingers. A good weapon, but still just a vibroblade.

The cage door locked behind her. She flicked the blade up in salute and fell into a light, mobile Makashi stance. With her feet fairly close together and her weight on the back foot, she aimed to tempt her opponent into a rush that might well work.

Time to make some money.

 

[Salvador Grim]

Blood stone would toss his robes aside onto a gambling table as he walked up towards the fighting arena and smile this was going to be fun , he heard the warnings don't do this saw the people laugh and bet against him.

But he would only smile a Zabrakian smile the rules were clear they had been explained and shields prevented any kind of cheating , so this would be a old school smash them up fight, he was a fairly big Zabrak and toned from his years in military service, trained in the finer arts of killing.

once he entered the ring he would only nod casually over to the other person, they had no idea they stepped into the ring with a trained killer.

He would heft his viro blade in one hand feeling it weight measuring its length of its shaft with his eyes and then it struck him he had a idea, as he extended his right muscular forearm and dropping the viro blade into the palm of his right hand he would swing it across the chain link fence around the ring slicing off some chain link and then he would move his boots and step on the sharp pieces of chain link sticking them in the rubber of his boots so he had sharp little spikes on the bottom of his boots.

Lastly he would grab a piece of the chain link fence and wrap it around his left gloved hand like spiked brass knuckles, then he would wink like a prick and say :Come get some:

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Xanatos BloodStone"]

Tall, maybe six foot. Reach advantage. Weight advantage, not always a plus in a blade fight. Zabrak, heavy tats, facial scar, cyborg eye. All told, someone who knew fights and could probably motor through pain.

For her part, Mara had stripped down to a sleeveless off-white shirt and spacer’s trousers. She didn't find much downside to displaying her own scars - lightsaber wounds on belly and back, blaster impacts on back and shoulders, a trihexalon droplet burn on her cheek, bizarre scarring on her left arm.

She raised an eyebrow at the chain link stunt, impressed despite herself. The Zabrak clearly knew how to work a crowd. And he wasn't taking the bait, either. No idiot, then - not easy money.

She advanced a measured pace at a time, keeping her balance centered, stance loose, right foot leading.

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

The port was crowded, spacers and gangbangers hollering and slamming their table as the fight began. Leo had found himself a nice, secluded spot to observe the fight, the other observers seeming to know the judge by sight and to steer well clear of him. The cool night air was lit up with the sounds of yelling and the rattling of the mesh cage, the dazzling lights beaming around the audience, providing the fanfare that such an illegal cage fight would need.

But what was such a 'reputable' character doing watching a cage fight between of of his mates' daughter and some gruff looking Zabrak? Not even Leo knew the answer, but the night would be an occasion nonetheless. He almost felt sorry for the Zabrak as he tried to give himself an edge by using the chain-link as an improvised weapon, smart move. But against Merrill's daughter? the fight should be rather quick. Although Leo thought that the outcome would be an obvious affair, he still did not place any bets upon her victory, he just wasn't the betting sort.

But alas, the crowd climaxed their cacophony of yelling as the two sized each other up looking for weaknesses and an opportunity to take advantage of. Leo sat back and enjoyed a swig of whiskey from his canteen, if nothing else, tonight would at least be enjoyable.

| [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] | [member="Xanatos BloodStone"] |

 

[Vaudin Miir]

Vaudin sat in a seat at ringside and waved a polite no thanks at a server droid who ahd brought around drinks. His grey eyes watched calmly as he placed nis bets and accepted a receipt. He had come here on a whim and read the fight card. After the first few names he knew he couldn't miss this one.

The crowd roared a sthe fighters entered, the smells of booze, smoke and who knows what else mixed with the smells of bodies in various states of cleanliness to make something that was just about typical for a shadowport. He ordered a drink of space pop as another droid passed then leanec back to smile at his "date".

He hoped he won the bet.

 

[Salvador Grim]

As he watched her move forward he would focus intensely , single moments could change everything in the course of a single battle.his robotic eye quickly scans the fighting arena Floor dirt , roof dirt and rock , chain link fence not much to work with.

Then a evil little smirk would creep across his face as he brings up the back hilt of his viro blade fast into the roof and he smacks the roof on a 45* angle so the dust cloud will be pushed in the direction of the woman.

Once he has done that he places his viro blade into the for a moment and extends his right and flexes the muscles in that leg then he does a judo spin kick and finishes with his right leg pointed towards the women about five feet away from her.

It might be hard to notice in the dim light but there was a slight gleam of reflection flying threw the air as the metal spikes that were in his boot had now been launches in a air born strike towards the woman there was about eight of these little spiked balls flying threw the air.

He plants both feet in the dirt and focuses as he picks back up his viro blade but now he is holding it with both hands on the hilt legs crouched blade pointed towards were the woman was and he waits.

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Xanatos BloodStone"]

A shower of grit rattled on the floor and Mara's boots. That might make footing tricky - skidding on gravel could screw up pretty much any fancy maneuver.

For a crucial half second she thought he was just showboating with his jump-spin-kick. Chunks of chain link rattled against her, and pinpricks stained her shirt with blood in a couple of places. She brushed the rest away from where they’d snagged in her clothes, and watched as the Zabrak picked up his weapon again. The space between them was littered with gravel now, and tiny fragments of chain link. Treacherous footing.

She moved forward with rapid sweeping steps, the ball of each foot skimming the rock. The sides of her boots shoved debris away and gave her more reliable purchase. Her rapier flicked out twice in rapid succession: a noncommittal strike to the face and a more precise stab at his hilt or hands.

 

[Salvador Grim]

There was a reason he had crouched his legs previously as he watched her come closer slowly moving threw the field of dirt ,gravel and chain link , he waited for the right moment like a spider leading its prey into a trap , then when he saw the gleam of her blade he would leap towards her nice and low like a spearing someone as they were only a foot apart it would not be hard.

He sprung off his legs like a grass hopper. He let her blade slice across the top of his shoulder and swore under his breath. From the way he lunged at her coming under the blade he knew it would tear his shoulder a bit but he didn't care as he licked his tongue across his Zabrak teeth and smiled thrusting his Viroblade forward towards her mid section to potentially slicing her guts out if the blade hit.

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Xanatos BloodStone"]

The spring-charge wasn't unexpected. There weren't many other reasons to go that low, if not to coil up for energy. Mara’s back foot slid out to the side as a natural progression of her circle-steps, and she twisted left while shifting right. Her blade, humming with the Zabrak’s blood, whipped down as her sword hand came up near her face. His thrust sheared past her midriff, guided by the flat of her blade, and drew a stinging line across her abdomen. Hot blood slicked her shirt.

His committed lunge drew him out over the area of debris, and put Mara on his left. Her tricep flexed, and her pommel snapped across the relatively short distance to his face.

 

[Salvador Grim]

He would watch the the pommel of her blade come towards him not worried as he had already had a good momentum going for the lunge forward he would grip his teeth and do a dead mans drop and let the dirt ,gravel and chain link slice into his back as the trickles of blood would slowly come down from his back and he would feel a slight pain.

But it was worth it because now the women's momentum would bring her pommel clear past his head about a foot over his head as he laid on the floor watching the pummel pass by him , He would lunge up with his viro blade towards her chest intentionally striking just a hair wide to the right, then he would thrust up his left boot that still has the little eight spikes in it like the right boot spikes he already used and he would attempt to smash her in the knee cap and crush her knee and embed the spikes into her knee with his left boot and the spikes.

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Xanatos BloodStone"]

It didn't take much to swirl the rapier's downward-pointed blade and throw the stab wide. The kick, though, was another problem entirely. With her attention on the swordplay, and without the Force instincts she relied on, she didn't have time to do more than lean back and get her weight off that leg. The impact still hurt like mad. So did the floor hitting the back of her skull, courtesy of her feet skidding on the gravel.

The pain lasted maybe half a second. Mara Merrill passed out.

 

[Salvador Grim]

He was not one to brag or boast the match was over so he simply stood up and brushed ,the dirt of his body taking a long look at the crowd and a moment to reflect on what just happened before he walked away holding his blade over his shoulder, incase a few fans did not agree to the outcome of the battle.If he had to cut his way threw the crowd to leave this place ,that wouldn't bother him at all.

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

Well there it was then. Kaili couldn’t say she came around these parts a whole lot, at least not until recently. Life was quite cozy on the literal marble throne, but she had never truly felt like she belonged there. To be out here amongst the people was where she felt at ease, out of sight and out of mind from those that didn’t worship her. And under most circumstances that was a good description of what she felt; happy, content, left alone. Except not today.

She was here. Out of all the places for Kaili to stumble upon her, this seemed to be it. She followed the trail left behind in the force until it got her to a seedy establishment. An organized fighting club from the looks of it. The crowds roared as she stepped in but quieted down just a second later. The presence in the force remained, but signs of consciousness… Not so much. It got all the more obvious why. Kaili frowned amidst the cheering winners and grouchy losers, as in the middle laid one Mara Merrill flat on the ground.

A hand dragged itself across Kaili’s face and a deep sigh accompanied it on its way down. She wanted to judge her friend, but it wasn’t exactly as if Kay herself was a stranger to places like this. The victor left, Mara remained, and Kaili was not exactly going to let her friend remain where she was. Security had tried to keep her away, of course, but after an insistent push — aided by the force to prove a point — the guard backed off and in stepped the blonde to kneel down by her friend.


One hand checked for wounds. It didn’t look too bad, at least there was nothing new that looked all that terrifying at least. The other hand checked for a pulse, and it was certainly still there. Of course, the urge to add a further marking of her own was tempting, but ultimately Kaili resisted as arms instead reached under knees and shoulders to carry the lost Merrill out of there. Styr came to pick her up and Kaili handed her friend over into his care and watched them depart.

The urge to step into the ring for herself was great, but she resisted it.

She had already promised Allyson to return in one piece today. There was always next time.

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

Leo stared intently from his viewing point, doing his best to mask his disbelief as Mara's loss to the Zabrakian. After everything she'd been put through the victory had seemed obviously in her favor, and while her opponent had used some less than respectable moves, it was to be expected in this corner of the galaxy. Leo took on last swig from his canteen before standing, the nights events continuing on to the next round of ruggish looking contenders. Making his was down to check if Mara was any better than she looked, Leo spied someone lift the woman out of the ring and take her to safety.

He approached the woman as Mara was carted off to safety, their was an air of familiarity about her, something lingering that reminded Leo of someone else, and she definitely radiated with the force. "Friend of yours?" Leo would ask the woman as he approached her side nonchalantly, his hands in the pockets of is trench-coat.

| [member="Kaili Talith"] | [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] | [member="Xanatos BloodStone"] |

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Leo Vandermolen"]

A man approached. Kay gave him and up and down glance as he came closer before figuring she had never seen him before. He didn’t look like he was approaching out of bad blood, not here to attack Kay for helping her friend. No, he actually asked about it instead. Was Mara a friend of Kaili’s. To be honest the answer felt a lot more muddied than Kaili would have expected, but in the end…

“Yeah.” She said and let a sigh say all that she had to say about that. Mara had been her closest friend since they were both very young, and something such as this was not exactly going to change that. She worried a lot, it felt natural to do so when you had a bond with someone else and yet knew that there was nothing you could really do to help and that despite your best efforts to steer a friend clear you had still managed to fail at that.

She hadn’t given up, she had just changed up how she approached it. Mara’s fall had with time come to be something that felt all the more inevitable as more and more money was drained on a pointless vendetta against the Mandalorians, a culture that would always live on no matter how hard you tried to stifle it.

“What’s it to you?” Kaili felt her frustration bubble up at the thought. “She a friend of yours too?”

 

[Lemon]

Bounty hunting was by no means a glamorous job, in fact it was quite the opposite. Especially noticeable by the current locale he found himself in. With the scum of the galaxy out in wild space, not much was left to be determined, these men and women weren't upstanding citizens. Criminals even. The perfect place for a wanted man to hide was among others of his kind. The roaring, cheering, sighs and boos had come and go, now all that filled the area was idle chatter as they awaited the next fight. Hopefully that one would be more entertaining, perhaps involving a beast or two. All this waiting around was getting to him.

Standing down among the crowd, people avoided Fett, and it wasn't anything to surprising. A known bounty hunter with his reputation was treated like the plague when nearly everyone was wanted to some degree or another. Yet now he watched from the viewport, looking inside the arena to witness the cage fighter had friends. An odd-site, someone putting their life on the line like that usually didn't have anything to lose. For all the bounty hunter did was watch from afar, maybe this'd go somewhere interesting. Or maybe Mar Trenor would show up, whichever came first.

 

[Salvador Grim]

X

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

"No, actually." Leo admitted, "The daughter of a friend of mine. Just thought I should check up on her and make sure she doesn't get herself killed." The evening air hummed in the background as the next contenders could be heard entering the ring, one of the last fights of the night. The girl seemed frustrated about something, but Leo felt it was best not to ask, he did anyway, "Everything alright? Your response makes it seem as if things ain't all that friendly between the two of you." Leo wasn't the best at reading people, but he thought she seemed almost sad about it.

Either way, the night had come to a surprising close if anything, Leo wondered if it was wise to tell Jorus about tonight, deciding that it probably wasn't the best idea at the time. His thoughts continued to drift elsewhere before he realised that he was still in a conversation with this woman. "Oh, how rude of me. Leo Vandermolen. It's a pleasure." He introduced himself, reaching out a hand to shake. It was the polite thing to do after all.

| [member="Kaili Talith"] |

 

[Kaili Talith]

[member="Leo Vandermolen"]

“Jorus.” Kay eased up, just a little. “I imagine he was about as in-the-know of all this as I was.” Kay shook her head with a short sigh. “That is to say, not at all. I only stumbled upon this place because I happened to be nearby.”

“I haven’t-” She stopped herself and looked around. Now was not the time to spill all sorrows and grief on the floor. Not when the esteemed crowd that were gathering around began to hype up the next fight. “I haven’t seen Mara in a long while. She’s been strangely absent and I’ve felt…”

“Well you probably felt it too just now.” Her hand latched onto Leo’s. “Kaili Talith.”

And then it let it go. “Look, I was about to head out. I don’t know if you wanted to talk, but considering how things went in there…”

“I need to leave. Could come with if you want, I guess.”

 

[Leo Vandermolen]

Her hand was cold. He could tell she was searching for something more, but all Leo could offer was comfort and a warm smile. His regular grin affixed itself to his face at her offer to get out of there, "Sure. Outer Rims' been quiet lately, almost like a calm before the storm, and I got nothin' better to do." He replied, his thoughts trailing off as they usually do.

He was no Zeltron, but he hoped his charming and calm demeanor would at the very least help to ease the situation, he knew that they were both praying no permanent damage was done to Mara, but there was nothing they could do at this moment. Leo's thoughts returned to the topic at hand, "Where were you planning on going?" he questioned, brushing a tangled strand of hair from in front of his face.

| [member="Kaili Talith"] |