We Feed Children So That Makes It Ok... Right?

[James Justice]

The body rocked back, its feet stepping back, back, back, reeling from the momentum. Blood poured from what was left of its eyes, lips, bare chest, arms, and legs. The roar of the crowd dampened its gargled cry of agony. James walked forward after it, the blood of his victim dripped off his knuckles. Sure, the fella had landed a few good punches himself, cracking the spacer's lip, his eyebrow, and giving him a black eye. But still--James had been doing this a long time. For fun. For justice.

The Firrerreo man slammed against the metal cargo carrier that served as the boarder for this make-shift underground fighting arena. James could see the damage on this poor man's body already mending. The crazed look in the man's eyes said it all; the pain never left, he wanted the fight to be over. It was wearing on him, making him careless. And James was more than taking advantage of that.

The Firrerreo stumbled forward, swinging a wild hay-maker. The spacer easily side stepped it, countering with an elbow to the ear, splitting the drum again in a flow of blood. James grapped what was left of his foe's hair, bringing the head down to his knee with all his might and shattering the nose with a sickening crunch. The man gripped at James' arms, struggling for the fraction of a second--before the next blow brutally landed on his face once more. Again. Again. Again. Again.

The Firrerreo, who was known in the Outer Rim as Slaughter Slade, a man who had been confirmed to killed 75 different people with his bare hands, a man who had taken underground prize fighting to brutalize souls without mercy, a man who was known to show less mercy than a Rancor screamed through his shattered jaw and busted lips, 'Please, please, gods stop!"

Then James felt something snap. The rage inside he had kept tapped so strongly, the rage he had funneled in a slow burn to fuel this fight as long as possible for the cash to feed his orphans in Dal'Bor, broke out from him like a torrent.

The Force flowed through as James rose Slade over his head. The bloodlust of the crowd was dwarfed as James roared out in furry, bringing the body down on his knee with a brutal snap. Slade's body didn't have time to recover. James hurled it head first into the durasteel wall, with the strength enough to shatter the skull. Slaughter Slade's corpse crumpled into a mess as James stormed out of the arena.

"Mistah Fistz, you were amazing! You were da boss! You were powerful!" exclaimed a small man prancing around James, using the spacer's cover name. "I'm so glad ya let me be ya agent, Mistah Fistz, ya should--"

"I told ye, this would be my last fight," James interrupted, "Now I just want to wash up, please. And go home."

"Sure, Mistah, but ya gotta lady waitin' in the room for ya, a real beaut," the small man said with a wink, "A real good call girl, Fistz, a real--"

James tossed a few credit chips at the child-sized man to silence him before moving to his locker room carefully. He was ready for anything--or so he thought.

[member="Celiana"] (Yes, i like tags Feel free to flow and take it where ya want)

 

[Celiana]

I'd heard the name James Justice in various areas and circles of the galaxy. From what I'd heard he was a crime lord, though one with good intentions if not a slightly skewed moral compass. As he came through into the locker room I saw him covered in gore with what looked to be a predatory look in his eye. I simply handed him an ice pack and a wet rag. From experience only certain types of people fought that hard or brutally. I happened to be one, but I'd sensed a life end out there and the look on his face said it all. "Other guy is dead isn't he?" After handing him the ice pack and wet wash rag I intentionally took a step back and away from him. My hand resting on my saber.

Get yourself cleaned up and dressed properly and I'll be paying for drinks and a meal to discuss the possibility of employment with you Mr. Justice. As I turned away I realized he was handsome in a devilishly roguish way. Beat halfway to hell maybe...but still handsome...

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

[member="Celiana"]

James took the rag and began scrubbing the blood off his skin. "Aye. Slade's dead."

He didn't feel any remorse for killing a killer, especially one like him. The man's last victims had been a family of 4 in Dal'Bor. That had been what set the spacer on this bloodlust path. His life was going to burn, that was set in stone. But he was going to burn for those he loved. For the innocent.

When he was clean, James pulled some simple force healing into his body. He had gotten quite used to it, after all the beatings and poundings he had received and dished out. Satisfied, he donned his trademark leather trench coat, white shimmersilk shirt, leather pants, and gunbelt before making his way back out to the woman who had adressed him on a balcony amid the Geonosis sunset. It was gorgeous in its own way; in an austere, dead, lifeless way painted in golden hues and red shades.

"Alright, employment," He said fishing out a flask of ale. "Ye hirin' me or am I hirin' ye?" he took a drink from the flask before offering it to the young woman, "And how much we be talking?"

 

[Celiana]

"Aye, Slade's dead." It didn't shock me that James had killed the man he had a reputation for....extreme measures. Though i wasn't too sad to see a monster like Slade go. Watching the sun go down over Geonosis it was an interesting sight, how a place so lifeless and harsh could be so beautiful. "Alright, employment. You hirin' me or am I hirin' ye?" James then pulled out a flask and took a sip before offering it to me, I took a sip and passed it back to him Corellian Whiskey good stuff. Expensive too. Taking a moment for the whiskey to burn its way down my throat then I spoke. "I'd be working for you Mr. Justice, dinner and drinks to discuss the details hmmm?"

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

[member="Celiana"]

James gave a quick glance over her shoulder. He moved to wrap his arm around the small of Celiana's back, leading her across the balcony away.

"Your hired," James whispered in her ear as he swept her away.

Down through a large atrium they went at a brisk pace. Beings of various races and low economic value crossed along the hive floor. James ducked with Celiana into a small hall.

"Even monsters of the night like me are afraid of something," He whispered as they hurried down the hall. "Following us is one of them. An agent of the Prosecutor. A--"

His words were cut off as a blaster shot streaked past James head, narrowly missing.

 

[Celiana]

Suddenly the devilishly roguish side came out. He moved his hand to the small of my back and started leading me away. "You're hired." It was whispered in my ear and I felt my pulse speed up a bit. Hopefully not hired as a dancing girl or something I thought to myself. We were walking through a large atrium at a fairly quick pace I noted, either he's got a one track mind and wants to get me alone or somebody is following us. Then he spoke again, "Even monsters of the night like me are afraid of something." The hurried pace continued and he continued, "Following us is one of them, an agent of The Prosecutor. A-"

Suddenly a blaster bolt streaked past his head. My aqua saber leapt to my hand and I ignited it with the familiar snap-hiss and thrumming sensation in my hand. My left hand tingled, the desire was there and sparks started dancing across my hand. Well at least the training I'd been doing with Lady Kerrigan was beginning to pay off. Glancing towards James I asked, "friend of yours?" Moving my saber up into a loose guard and readying myself to use both saber and lightning moving backwards as I said, "perhaps we should make ourselves scarce James?"

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James pivoted, looking down the end of the dark hallway at the shadowy figure that had been persuing him. The spacer couldn't see any faces or distinguishing marks--but he recoginized a person with a blaster when he saw one. The spacer wasn't about to stick around and wait to see if this was going to end in another torture session--or death itself. He whipped out his DeathHammer and fired off a trio of rounds.

"Uh--friend? Right. Sure. We will call 'im that," the spacer nodded, firing off a fourth round.

His eyes looked across the passage for another way out. The worst thing about these freakish buggers that populated this rock was their eyes. Then their wings. Then their skin. Then their architecture. Yes, the freaking architecture. It all looked like freaking rock piles held together by alien spit. James hated it, adding it to his list of reasons to exterminate the buggers. He found a concealed pannel on the side of the wall, slamming it with his fist. A passage slid open, James ducked into the darkness and the door shut behind them, concealing the pair in darkness.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

Well I hadn't had to use either my saber or lightning yet, odds are I would though. Probably sooner than I thought. My saber was still active as I covered my and James' back heading into what seemed to be a tunnel system. My saber still ignited I could see James' face, he looked...scared. Deciding to ease the tension I said rather suggestively, "If you'd wanted to get me alone and to yourself Mr. Justice all you had to do was ask." Pressing myself against him back to back I continued in my suggestive tone, "where are you taking me now? Because I still owe you drinks and dinner."

Odds were that whoever was after James would be coming through that door behind us and we needed to move. Though I expected James to have a plan on escape. Pleasure could come later now it was strictly business, though hopefully this would be the last time try-outs would end in fighting and shoot-outs....

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James closed his eyes for a second, gathering his mind. He was James fething Justice. He was the man who slaughtered those who stood against him. He ran blockades drunk off his arse--for fun. He started wars--and ended them all in the same day. He was the one who made souls scream in terror. He wasn't about to fall in like a slobbering amateur and beg for his life.

"Dun't worry love," he said bantering back, "You will know it when ye see it." He extended his Force sight outward, out into the rest of the tunnel around them forward and back. Being blinded for a month came with the needed to evolve with other skills--such as Force sight.

"I've got a nice big bed in me quarters," he said buying more time as he figured out where exactly they were in this maze, "I had it custom made, Two times bigger than the kingsize, silken sheets, the most expensive memory foam on the market. Temperature controlled," He gripped her hand, winking. He found the way, "And that is just on the ship."

He charged headlong down the tunnels, letting the Force guide him to--he was barely able to pull to a stop. Bellow, sprawling before them was one of the decommissioned, rusting Clone Wars droid factories.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

As he described the opulence of his bed I couldn't help but smile. Lady Kerrigan and he had very similar personalities. He had a sharp wit and tongue to match though as impressive as his banter was I wasn't looking for a man like James. Sure he's what most every woman would dream of but I wasn't interested in the size of his bed, or ego. I'd come to him looking for work and opportunities to branch out from typical Jedi status.

As we exited the caves I noticed below us there were VERY old droid factories dating back to The Clone Wars. Looking at him I said. "Please tell me there's at least something of value down there. Say a ship for escape perhaps? Though whoever is chasing us I doubt highly they'd withstand both my saber and Force Lightning. Care to share more about your friend in case I actually do have to fight him?"

Muttering aloud I said, "this goes above and beyond what normally is involved in a business meeting."

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

"The prosecutor," James began, "Would never come here. I've only seem 'im once. And--" he paused "There be only two people able to capture and torture me in this life. The Prosecutor were one of 'em. Blinded me. Tortured me for time without end. He been trying to end my life, destroy everything that be mine for sometime. He's started attacking people I love and--" a palpitable wave of anger rolled off him through the force. "That be where I draw the line."

James heard the door through the corridor smashed in. James pulled a rapel line from his belt and clipped it to the nearby railing, "The Prosector been working behind the scenes for a while. This is me chance to have a real stab at getting to him. Follow me."

He made his way down to the complex and looked around. Yes. This would do indeed.

"You go hide," he said. "When the fella comes around for me, capture him. We need him alive." James stressed the word. Of course you couldn't interrogate someone who was dead.

"I've had worse business encounters," he chuckled. "MUCH much worse."

With that he turned and began casually walking away, playing bait for their fox.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

Well James had said alive, though he'd said nothing about slicing off limbs or torturing this Prosecutor to impede him from chasing after us plus I needed the practice with Force Lightning. So even though I did as instructed I had no intentions of allowing this Prosecutor to ruin my job interview. Slipping into invisibility using The Force I waited for this Prosecutor to show up and hopefully James could come up with a better plan by then...

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James found a broken bit of droid making machinery and decided to find it somewhat interesting. He bent over it, looking at it with a great deal of intensity. As he went to study it, he double blinked, activating his wrist comm coolness thing. Basically it was a smartwatch but star-warsy and the writer was too tired to fish it out from the mountain of subs he had made to get it.

He felt the tingle in the back of his skull as this assasin came closer. The poor fool was just a lacky working for the Prosecutor. The one who was trying to kill James for--well--some reason. He was still trying to work that part out. He wasn't a master of all things Force, but it took a little more than shadows to sneak up on him most of the time. Even drunk as a skunk, and often then he was most in-tune with his abilities, it was hard to sneak up on him.

Still, James sat about busy with his bait work as the would-be assassin drew close.

"Freeze!" The foe said at last, brandishing his hold out blaster like a champ.

James didn't even bother to look up, "Is that all ye got? Freeze? Tisk, tisk, tisk, I expected something so much better."

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

The fact that James just sat there tinkering as our pursuer came up behind him surprised me to be honest. James was damn well gutsy, flicking out both sets of blades on my Mandalorian gauntlets as the would be assassin came up behind James I was still cloaked in The Force I silently came up behind our pursuer. James was still involved with whatever he was doing but he had enough wit to say, "Is that all ye got? Freeze? Tisk, tisk, tisk... I expected something so much better."

Sidling up behind our pursuer I put the serrated edge of my left gauntlet at his throat with the tip of the hidden blade resting by his right cheek I also had my right gauntlet blade angled at the top of his spine and I knew my blades were sharp enough to sever his spine. Judging by the sudden stiffness he felt the blades. Dispelling the Force Cloak I said, "As was I, that wasn't even a true effort." Whispering in our pursuers ear I said, "How very, very disappointing." Judging by James' relaxed manner this wasn't the person he'd dealt with before but a lackey who likely served him. Speaking to the now captive pursuer I said, "Care to share where your boss is hiding love? I imagine he won't be very pleased at this. But tell that fine gent over there and he may let you live...It'd be a shame to ruin your pretty face."

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

The man put on a hard face, jutting his chin out in defiance. James--Hated it when people did that. It made him angry when people didn't fall in line. He took a deep inhale, a well of darkness beginning to form around him. Pure, unadulterated without any pretense to be otherwise. It was rage, fueled, dark evil rage that was so intense it could all but be felt. His presence bore into the world around him, break the thin barrier of the Force and the material world. His mind, his feelings, made the very air heavy with darkness. The man's eyes flashed with realization. He had messed up--greatly.

Jame stripped the man's blaster away from his weak hands with a snatch of his right hand. His left swung behind him, a durasteel dow rod lept to his palm, summoned by the Force. James brought it around in a heavy swing, the sharp crack of the man's knees giving way under the blow filled the air. As the body fell, James followed up with a second blow, breaking three ribs. The mans screamed in pain as James rained down blow after blow on his helpless body. Blood sprayed through the air with each swing as he was transformed from a man into a mass of battered wounds. His pleas for mercy were unheard, James was angry.

"Please, please, I don't know who the Prosecutor is, just stop, please!" He begged, but there was no mercy. The assault didn't end.

"I was hired by a man off some planet called Theta, some cyborg called himself Hermes, please--" James rammed the down rod through the man's' skull, ending his life.

Panting and covered in sweat, the spacer moved away from the fresh bloody carcass. He put his hands on his hips, "Huh. How about that? Wasn't the Prosecutor. I'll be damned."

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

I felt the rage, the immense well of darkness in James then and before I could stop him he'd killed him. Turning my head I vomited all over the sands of Geonosis and after wiping my mouth my saber leapt to my hand and ignited with a snap-hiss resting by his throat. Aqua blade glowing in an attempt to stop him from going any further. "That was uncalled for James. You could have let him live he wasn't going anywhere, he'd have never crossed you with the beating you gave him but no, you had to take his life and become just as evil as this Prosecutor. What good comes of bloody, pulped corpses? He could have spread tales of how you beat him until he had to drag himself on broken bones to the nearest doctor. Increased your reputation as a crime lord, and turns out he wasn't even hired by the person you have hunting you. This was an utter waste."

Blowing a strand of hair out of my face I sighed. "James, if you are going to do that again working with me. Make sure I'm not around because if I am, the darkness you just let out to play...I'll make this look like nothing. If I'm there make sure this doesn't happen again. I can't afford to lose control the way you just did...Are we understood?" Letting the coldness ease back out of my voice I said,"You owe me a bottle of water and some mouthwash by the way."

Now that the person who'd been chasing us was dead I was ready to be civil and have a drink to actually discuss the work opportunities James might have for me. I was freelance so if things didn't end up working out I was still a free agent and I had bounty hunting as well. I hoped I'd just be smuggling stolen goods and doing corporate espionage and theft. I needed to get out more and if there was a chance at wearing a dress while doing so all the better.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James looked at the blade with a look of disinterest. It was kinda patronizing, honestly. If not totally so. His dull brown eye almost wanted her to ram it in his gullet or something. It was hard to care when you were indifferent to your own existence at best. He folded his arms across his chest as he listened. He shrugged at last.

"Maybe it was, maybe it weren't," he said casually, "But we will play it like ye want; say we let him live. Say he gets medical treatment. Six months later he kills someone else. Makes orphans. A week later, another person. And another, and another, and another. He were an assassin. Ye dun't start duin' this job if ye dun't have a problem killin' kin and makin orphans. I saved a lot of orphans. I stopped the stream. I beat the information out of him and I did the most merciful thing a body could do--I put him out of the misery. I put the galaxy out of his misery."

He tapped his wrist thingy. The nearby wall shuttered with the sound of beatings. A moment later, it blasted inward, a ship came gliding in, kicking up more dust and--yup, probs some vomit too. It was the Drunken Angel, the ship James had flown to hell and back, his comfort, his home away from home. The ramp went down, waiting for him and the lady to board.

He reached into his pocket and dolled out a credit chip large enough for her to buy an entire lake or five. His eyes met hers with a dark sincerity. Purple tendrils of dark energy still swirled at his eyes, "This is what I do. I stop the bleedin'. I am a dark, evil man. I burn. I burn with pain, rage, anger, and all the hurt enough to destroy a body. But I do it to stop the bleedin. Now if ye are ok with that, I got a cyborg to hunt down and bring to justice. Otherwise, the cash is for ye troubles."

Either way he turned and clomped on the ship, his boots reverberating through the hull.

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

He was right and damn me I knew it. Taking the credit chip I came up behind him on the ship whose hull read the Drunken Angel. That fits I thought darkly. Speaking again as I followed behind him I said, "I hate that you're right just so we're clear and also so we're clear I'm not a normal Jedi I'm an assassin too. What makes me any different then that guy you just slotted? What prevents you from doing the same thing to me? I'm sorry if you find me patronizing, or overly zealous, or my view that all life is sacred annoying but my beliefs, my values are what make me different than him."

Still following behind him I said darkly, "Where do we start hunting this Cyborg? What's your plan? And please don't say we just walk in and find him. I still owe you dinner and a drink you know. Consider this a trial run James."

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

The ramp of the ship closed behind him. He reached the cockpit without too much grandeur. His ship, like the rest of James' life was in a state of chaotic semi-order and neglect. Clothes were splayed across the floor, cigarette butts and empty or mostly empty bottles lay scattered everywhere. The picture of his three kids, tattered but still there was tapped across the dashboard. The only memory of a life he now refused to allow himself to have.

"The only thing that makes us different is who. And why," began flipping switches, sending the ship up into atmos. "I killed that bastard because he would kill more. Because he did kill so many. There are no second chances. There are not double or nothing odds. It'd be a crime to let it be. That's what makes us different."

How? Well the answer was simpler than she'd expect. "Theta is a hell hole. The nobility keep a tight leash on what be going in and out. It's all but impossible to sneak on but," he shrugged. "I know a few tricks of the trade. Time and speed are the essence right now." he reached and pulled a half empty bottle of golden ale from a corner, "here a drink. Rain check the dinner. Well make a quick stop over at Soceras. Then--well we hit theta."

[member="Celiana"]

 

[Celiana]

I noticed the chaos strewn ship. Cigarette butts everywhere and an astoundingly impressive array of empty or near empty bottles of alcohol lay everywhere rolling around as the ship went into motion. As James explained his plan he reached out and pulled a half empty bottle of what looked to be ale of some sort from a corner offering it to me saying, "Here a drink. Rain-check the dinner. We'll make a quick stop over at Soceras. Then well-we hit Theta."

Placing my right hand over the bottle and his hand I pushed it back towards him saying, "I'm good on the half empty bottle of whatever that is. Though I'm curious James, does your ship have an area that is actually clean where I can meditate while we're traveling? No offense meant."

[member="James Justice"]