The Red Metellos Blues. (open_1)

[Fable Tarek]

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Red Marauder's Pub
Metellos, Republic Core World

Metellos was a metropolis. But a dead one. At one time it had been said that 900 billion souls lived on planet Metellos. But after the plague swept through? Now the whole planet was one giant, urban graveyard. A home for ghouls, mutants, and other slippery monsters. It was just miles and miles of empty iron towers. Rusted, weathered, and broken. All as far as the eye could see.

Given the backdrop, it was no wonder this place seemed like heaven on earth. The Red Marauder's Pub was a seedy establishment that served the Grand Hive City of Belagratos. One of the last remaining bastions of civilization left on this lost, orange bucket of a planet. Belagratos was a Fortress Port City and a classified Grand Hive. A city made of iron, rust, and blood. It was home to millions of salvager's, guildsmen, factory workers, and scoundrels. All mostly peons. And all living like serfs. Living the short and meaningless existence of second-class citizens all for the purpose of bringing wealth and power to the Governer's Palace. And to feed his oppressive Black Army that kept them, 'safe'. ...Well. Safe from the outside world of mutants, ghouts, and other pesky beasts lurking beyond the Shield Wall. Inside the walls it was completely different. Inside the walls, it was live and let die.

"...Heh. So as you can see missy? ...After a story like that. Now you know why we come here to drink and forget about our lives.."
"Ha! Yeah. To forget that we even live on this god-forsaken junkyard. And dream of the day we can all leave. Hahaha!"

Fable Tarek smiled and waved the two laughing men away. It was an entertaining story. But a sad one too. Sighing with restraint, she left the bar and took a seat near the back. Ordering a drink from the broken astromech droid that doubled as a waiter. Then she frowned and took a moment to count her coin. It was finally time to take stock of the situation.

Lady Tarek was a wandering pale-skinned Zeltron from Corellia. She made a living as a Force Adept selling loot from whatever adventure came her way. Today, she was on Metellos. Looking for trouble. And given the strong and oppressive atmosphere of Belagratos thus far. This Hive City had more than enough trouble for two.

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*ooc: open to 1.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx thought the Red Marauder's Pub was the best place in the galaxy to sit back and relax. He was there to do just that. To relax and take a break from the long war. As he entered he approached the astromech droid and order his usual drink. It was blue milk mixed with a brand of liquor called schimmer. As he started to drink it he scanned the room. It was the same usual crowd of misfits and failed bandits. But someone caught his eye. In the back sat a beautiful young girl with red hair. He gave a laugh and walked over to her table.

As he sat down he spoke with his ever so charming voice, "Why is a amazingly beautiful girl like yourself sitting all the way over here by herself?"

Onyx was smooth when it came to talking to girls, this one was no exception. But he didn't show of his muscles He only showed off his charm and slick personality. As he waited for an answer he ordered another drink for her, on him.

 

[Fable Tarek]

The Zeltron female unfurled her chemical Charisma and mixed it well with her Force abilities. It was easy for Fable. To become the center of attention. It was how she worked her plans.

"Mmm. Why, I'm looking for mercenary work of course. Can't you tell Warrior? I'm a deadly rose. I carve men and loot for a living. It's my... Specialty."

She extended her senses across Onyx and felt the small subtle touches of a Force Adept in him. She could feel his defenses. His darkness. The dark side was protecting him. Keeping him sane from her onslaught of Zeltron pheromones. No. Onyx would not become her slave. He was not like simple men. She could not bend his will with charms alone.

"My my. I do I detect the presence of another Force Adept in the room? ...And such a strong figure indeed. You must know a secret or two to be able to resist my temptations, hmm. ...So the real question is? What brings a Warrior like yourself to this hell-hole of a city? ...Hmm?"

She played the sexy female well. After all, she was working today.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx could feel her power and knew what she was doing. Thankfully he was far enough into the dark side for him to resist her. But that doesn't mean he can't play with her. After all, the sith promote love and passion. He then remembered her question. He was careful to choose his words wisely.

"What am I doing here? Why I am blowing off steam. This war is long and tiresome. It's nice to have some fun every now and then. Especially on a planet that is so forgotten, no one would know I was here."

He knew she was trying to find something to do. Why else would someone be on this planet?

 

[Fable Tarek]

"So you ain't got no money. And your not looking to hire help. ...Guess that means we ain't got nothing else to discuss then. Do we sugar."

She smiled and leaned back in her seat. Sexy, carefree, and straight to the point. Fable was here for trouble and loot. Onyx didn't seem to have either. So he could drop the romantic angle. Madam Tarek was feeling quite the mercenary today.

"Thanks for the drink."

The Zeltron smiled and waved him away. She had other customers coming to meet with her. The wealthy and troublesome kind. Just what she was looking for.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx wasn't one to give up so easy however, and he still sat there with her and completely ignored her waving him off. "Now now. That doesn't mean we can't have some fun. I think I have what your looking for." Onyx put a piece of parchment on the table. It was a wanted sign. "A man is wanted by the authorities on the planet for mass murder. He was a trained sith warrior who was excommunicated by the order. I was thinking about tracking him down. It is a trained sith though. I'll need help from a trained killer who could use her.... talents to help me. The reward is a thousand cred. We both get five hundred. You in?"

 

[Fable Tarek]

She scowled. Freelance was freelance. But she didn't work for no Blood Mage.

"What's that you said? Your Order eh? So your a real Sith then. A 'Killer of the Galaxy'. Whats your rule? Oh that's right. Slavery or death. ...Oh. Oh yes. I've heard of you. Many of us independents have. And ya know what? I'm surprised you boys haven't noticed your effect on the galaxy so far. People don't like you. They don't like your threats. And they don't like your offers. I know a Blood Mage when I see one."

She frowned and leaned forward with bladed eyes.

"So you can take your bounty and stick it where the sun don't shine, sweetheart. I'm freelance. ...And we freelancers don't work with you Sith scum."

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx gave out a laugh. "Well rumor is a freelance is starting a rebellion. I happen to know that freelance. I can get you in and then you can destroy the sith with a army of your kind. I just so happen to one of those founders. I am only sith so I can get the information. So the rules are this, you're in charge. I fallow your rules and your orders. You get all the credits. I get you into The New Rebel Alliance.

 

[Fable Tarek]

"Lets get one thing straight. I fly solo. No guilds, no groups, and no Dark Jedi Vigilante Batmen. ...Solo. Get it? ...Good. Now. Why don't you take your pride, your bounty, and that smug face of yours and walk right on out of here. Because all I have to do is scream your name. Sith. Sith. ...And the whole Black Army will come running. This city is a hairs-breath away from martial law. You pick a fight here? And the whole army descends upon this Pub like moths to a flame."

She knew what he would say. She knew what he would do. But truthfully it was Fable who didn't want to fight the whole Black Army today. Especially not in this rust bucket of a restaurant. The Governor would blow apart this whole sector just to kill one cockroach. Fable and Onyx were no different. They would just be... Collateral Damage.

"But your a terrorist right? Crazy. Suicidal. You don't care if you do or die. I know your type..."

Fable stood up and knocked her chair over. Attracting a few gazes from the bar,

"So I'll do us both a favor. I'll leave. Because unlike you scum, some of us have something left to live for."

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx had one last trick up his sleeve that would either result in her coming over to his side or him being killed on the spot. He stood up and kissed her. He didn't let go either. It was a full blown kiss. He knew that he was about to die. He didn't care. He lived his life trying to show people that not all sith were evil. After he let her go he whispered to her. "Not all of us are evil. Some of us are slaves of our own device." He then proceeded to leave.

 

[Fable Tarek]

Fury, was an understatement.

"Peh! Pew! You dog! Pehh. Bleh. I should cut off your tongue for that!"

She bellowed with rage. How dare he! The nerve of that scoundrel. If not for the threat of a violent end she would have cut him down where he stood. But there was attention enough already. She needed to meet with her contact and leave. No doubt they had attracted the wrong kind of attention already.

"Mark my words dog! If we ever meet again! I'll sever that head from your shoulders and send it back to your Masters for free!"

She spat and furied. Kicked over chair and flushed her cheeks with a crimson hue. He would pay for that. One day, all the Sith will pay...

"With their lives! ...Ugh!"

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx shook it off with a shrug and returned to his drink. He couldn't help but watch her leave. She is beautiful when she is angry. To bad she would never go for me. Onyx thought to himself. He wanted to know more about her. So he finished his drink and cast a invisibility cloak on himself. He would find out more about her.

OOC: Not alot of romance in the forums. Maybe someone should change that LUL

 

[Fable Tarek]

Fable stormed out of the bar like a tornado. Knocking over two factory workers on her way out. She didn't care if they fell into the mud and the muck that this city called a road. She was furious.

"Ugh. The nerve of this city. I'd burn the whole thing down if I could. Bleh..."

Flushed cheeks and a mad gaze lead her down the mud road that covered the metal plates of the upper levels. This city was a maze of rust and bolts like nothing she had ever seen. How could people still live here? She hadn't seen a single living plant in hours. It was just... Disgusting.

~ "Lady Tarek?" A voice offered from the shadows.
"What? Who's there?"
~ "Your informant of course. I noticed your friend and decided to wait outside. ...I see I made the right choice."

An ugly man of strong build stepped out from the shadows. He was tall, scarred, and wore brown leathers from head to toe. A thief and a rogue if she ever saw one. Probably had over a dozen knives all over that outfit too.

"Not here. Indoors."
~ "As you wish. ...Follow me and stay quiet. The Blackguards are always about."

Ugh. Blackguards. Imperial Stormtroopers who wore red armor with black stripes. They weren't really Imperial soldiers. Just dressed like them. A terrifying mirage that alluded back to the ancient days when a king named Palpatine ruled the Galaxy. Fable hated Blackguards. Almost as much as she hated Sith. They say this was supposed to be a Republic Planet. That it was supposed to believe in freedom. But Fable knew the truth. That Treaty was a lie. The Governer had fooled the Senate just as easily as he had fooled the people. This city was a disease.

"How much further?"
~ "We're going down a few levels. The Blackguards don't patrol where the mutants live. We'll be able to escape their notice. And their spies."
"Mutants? What is wrong with this city! Ugh!"
~ "Shh. Quiet. Just around this corner. We'll slip up these stairs and past a shield net. I know the code.

Sure enough. They decended into a sewer way and then back up again into the city limits. A group of iron bars had been torn to pieces and appeared to have once been a barricade of some kind. After it's destruction the Blackguards had put up shield nets to keep the mutants out. If her thief knew the codes? Then they could slip out of the city again just as easily.

~ "Here we are. Underneath the old Foundry. It's hot inside. So don't touch the walls. They harvest the thermal energy from the planet to make our electricity. Just don't look down.
"Oh my gods."

It was like walking on a catwalk over a volcano. Where ever this hideout was? It was well hidden. And dangerous as all heck.

~ "Now? Before I show you the door? Mind telling me why you are being followed?"
"What? ...I'm not being..."
~ "Don't lie. My spotter noticed footprints in the mud behind us. Your not alone."
"But who? I work alone."

The thief before her pulled out a fist full of throwing knives and turned to shout,

~ "Come out. Come out. Where ever you are! You can't hide in a Den of Thieves. This... This is our domain."

Even as he spoke those words the shadows began to move. Twist and turn. There were other cloaked men in here. Other disguised men underneath the volcano lair. Onyx could hide for so long. And Fable was beginning to feel like she had just walked into a trap...

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx began to get a strange feeling. He could tell she was tense and she was worried. He was to. He knew that these men could easily overpower her. He wanted to attack but he held back. He wanted to know more about them before wiping them out. He was cautious though. His hand was near his lightsaber while the other was giving of small sparks of lightning.

 

[Fable Tarek]

~ "Ah. So your friend is a shy one?" The thief smiled. "...Well then. We'll just have to turn on the lights..."

In a bright flash a wave of ion particles erupted from the swirling molten bastion beneath them. Something was wrong with the power planet. It was releasing particles into the air that tampered with stealth tech. Instantly everyone in the lair lost their disguises and their locations were revealed. Including Onyx and the Thieves.

There was a circluar catwalk above them that round about the molten pit from a great distance. Twelve theives materialized out from nowhere. Each wearing dark leathers and carrying a strange crossbow weapon. And they weren't human either.

"Mutants! Your the mutants the Governor was worried about!"
~ "Indeed we are. Hahaha." The ugly thief laughed with bitter joy. "Put away your weapons you Jedi fools! We mean you no harm. It's time to discuss business. Otherwise..."

He motioned to a lever on the far side of the room.

~ "Otherwise I flood this chamber with an even more deady Ion Gas. One that even I believe you humans cannot survive. ...Tsk tsk. If only you were mutants too. Hahaha!"

It seemed. They were at a disadvantage.

~ "Keep your weapons you Jedi fools. Only follow me. And quickly. We have business to discuss. And I would rather not play more games."

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx force jumped over to Fable's side. He knew she would be furious to see him. He didn't care. All he cared about was finding out what these mutants wanted with them. He knew this had complicated things greatly. As they started to fallow the one who seemed to be the leader, he leaned over to whisper to her. "Nice friends you got. Listen, I can get us out of here, just play along," Onyx then winked at her and snapped back to attention with the mutant.

 

[Fable Tarek]

Creepy stalker. Check. Valerie used an old Jedi technique and calmed her mind. Now was not the time to be playing at tricks and fancy. Things had gotten deadly serious, far far too quickly for the young girl's taste.

The thief lead them to a concrete wall that steamed from the heat below. He took out a piece of chalk and draw a symbol. The sign quickly melted and revealed a hidden passage through the wall. It slid away with a quiet rumble and allowed them passage into the corridor beyond. Unlike their previous obstacle, this corridor was quiet cold. Strangely so. The walls seemed to mist with moisture and a chill grew around Fable's ankles.

~ "The power plant is our temporary base. Not even the Governor would risk his precious electricity just to kill a few mutant thugs. So we have been safe here for some time. Enough time in fact, to plan our counter attack."

They exited the frozen chamber and walked into a cramped drawing room. It was made of damp green metal and smelled rather like a sewer. Perhaps an early construction for a water pipeline from another age.

~ "Welcome to the Lair of Shadows. Here, we plan to overthrow our oppressors and retake the city that should rightfully be ours."

"Those particles you used to render your men visible. You run all the power stations on this planet, don't you? The mutants keep the city running."

~ "Heh. Yes. Clever girl. But soon. Very soon. It will be our city. And you two are going to help me."

He smiled and motioned them over to the drawing table at the center of the room. It held an image of the Governor's Palace and the passages underneath.

~ "Welcome my Jedi friends. To the Revolution."

With cheer of warrior's pride the balconies revealed themselves. They were surrounded by dozens of mutant onlookers. All uglier, meaner, and more grotesque than the next. And they all chanted as one,

~ "A'ooo. A'ooo. A'ooo."

And for Fable and Onyx, there was no turning back now.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx tried to think of a way out of the situation. He was at a lost. He knew the wanting of revenge all to well. Upon hearing the word revolution, he thought of a way out. He approached the leader and began to speak with him. "Listen, I have friends. They are rebels, like you, and they could help you take this entire planet. Only if you let us go. If you let us go I will bring there leader here and in exchange for their help, you will pledge you allegiance over to them. Sound good?" Onyx didn't know if these mutants were intelligent or not. He knew that if he failed at his speech attempt that it could potentially kill the two of them. "And listen, she has nothing to do with this so don't hurt her," Onyx quickly recovered.

 

[Fable Tarek]

The tall thief ignored Onyx's remarks and simply shook his head with a smile. What did Onyx think this was? A negotiation? This was not a negotiation. It was conscription.

~ "Feh. Have a look at the table right here Jedi's. This. This is the Governors Palace. The Fortress complex that my people and I have been, as of yet? ...Unable to breach. You two will enter this Fortress here. And then you will disarm the shield net that guards the lower docking facility. My people and I will take it from there. Do this, and you may live to see tomorrow."

And then he turned to Fable and grinned.

~ "And thank you again for your services Madam Tarek. But there is no payment coming. I'm afraid I have been forced to play a devious trick on you. My apologies."

"You scum. What about the others before? I know you've been recruiting other Adepts to do your dirty work. Don't lie and tell us this is your first try at overthrowing the Governor."

~ "Oh. Oh yes. There have been others before you. Jedi who thought themselves above our plight. But as you can see, they proved their usefulness. And then they died. Your kind are not unfamiliar to us. Killing Jedi is easy. You just have to know what weapons to use. Haha."

"You rotten sh'tgo. I'll see your head carved from your body for this."

~ "Please. I am just the servant. And for everyone of me, there are hundreds of my brothers just waiting to take my place. No my dear Jedi. You could kill hundreds of us before you die. But there are millions of us down here. Hiding in the dark. ...So please. Keep your words and your pretty swords where they belong. ...In their sheaths."

Fable spit on the thief and scowled.

~ "I grow bored of you tantrums Jedi. Minos! Take them away. They have a mission to begin."

A massive rolling compartment opened with a hiss and the slow sputter of gears. Revealing four large Minotaur creatures wearing scaled rusted plates. Horribly disfigured they were. Large enough to throw a car for sport. Behind them were twelve thieves in dark leathers and carrying crossbow weapons. They were their escort.

~ "Your babysitters Jedi. You'll find these creatures difficult to overcome by might alone and immune to your petty mind tricks as well. See? I take good care of my guests, don't I. Hehehe. ...Minos! Take them to the lower sewers and set them about their task. If they talk or even so much as wave a hand..."

He smiled a disguising grin,

~ "...Then break off an arm and chew on their bones. One appendage, at a time. ...Hahaha. Have fun Jedi. And do try not to fall apart out there. ...Hahaha. Your predecessors were not so lucky! Hahaha!!!"

The bull creatures snorted and their blood-red eyes motioned to the door. It was time to leave the audience chamber and venture deeper into the dark.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx knew these creature could indeed overcome the two of them. So he just sighed. He was thinking of how he was going to get out of this. Maybe they could leave the planet once they were on the surface, after all, the mutants can't come out. Right?

Onyx was slightly happy. At least he would be with the beautiful Fable.