Public When The Lights Go Out

[Darth Malevolum]

Location: Umbara


This wasn't a world she was in favor of. In fact, she was rather opposed to it, and yet here she was. The world of Umbara seemed to be in a constant state of twilight, the light never seemed to reach the surface below the planet. Not that such a thing bothered her, but there was a sense of 'wrongness' about this planet that she wasn't fond of. She had come to inspect the supply of Doonium which might be best used for starship design, but such a task grew dull as talk went from possible shipping manifests to arguments about litigation and contraction of services; all things that she didn't care for. Malevolum had to excuse herself from the meeting, as the urge to kill someone was almost overwhelming. She had decided to embark on that task at a later time, when she was actually prepared for such on ordeal. For now, she was taking a reprieve, withdrawing to one of the more higher priced cantinas, aiming to take her mind off the annoyances of todays failings. She didn't fit in with the typical rabble of this bar, then again how many other Sith Lords could walk into a bar without turning some heads. She ignored the curious looks, pushing past the crowds, as she made her way towards the bar, placed her order, and keenly watched the bartender as he assembled her drink; Vodka and Orange juice. With the drink provided, she paid him properly, then retreated towards the balcony upstairs. She would set herself up at a table overlooking the strange city of the Umbarian people, her mind puzzled over how these people were so used to living in darkness, how they coped with walking in the light on other worlds. She could only wonder if it was like her transformation from a Jedi to Sith, having grown used to an illusion of an idea, until you learned it was all a deception. Perhaps she was overthinking it, after all, these people knew of other worlds, and these concepts weren't as alien as the Sith were to her as a young jedi knight. Malevolum sipped her drink, taking comfort in the fact that the bartender hadn't screwed up her order.

 

[Jerec Asyr]

Darth Malevolum

Jerec took a seat opposite the hot cyborg uninvited, bottle in hand.

"It's not dark, y'know," he said, tapping the side of his eye. "Not to them. These people see colors you can't even imagine. Eighteen kinds of infrared and ultraviolet."

He raised an eyebrow and grinned.

"You wanna see it too?"

 

[Darth Malevolum]

The disturbance did not amuse Malevolum in the slightest, as her gaze feel upon the strange, eyes staring into him, as her white pupils began to spin, as she went through several different visual parameters that she had access to, trying to see if what the stranger said was true. "No." She said rather bluntly, raising the glass up to her lips once more and taking another sip; though she might have seemed silly given the armored jaw section of her suit was a minor obstacle. She was fairly certain he was lying about the eighteen kinds of light, as her own eyes had only revealed perhaps twelve color shifts within the spectrum. "Why do you think there are eighteen different colors?" She asked, her voice still monotone and bored sounding as she spoke.

Jerec Asyr

 

[Jerec Asyr]

Darth Malevolum's eyes turned out to be cybernetic, and not a kind that Jerec was familiar with. Truth be told, the hardware was almost as interesting as the lady. And she might be talking monotone but she was still talking.

"I'm half." He took a sip from his bottle of - thank the Force - import. The local beer lacked a lot of things, taste included. "Umbaran in the eyes, rest of me's Corellian. I can't see everything the purebloods do, but enough to take it seriously when they start running through old songs about the colors nobody else can see. The number eighteen's traditional.

"Those eyes of yours - that's legit hardware. You've got some killer functionality."

 

[Ay Ge]

Umbra was a planet Ah had visited in the past, though not really out of interest and more a good place to lay low. It unique atmosphere and environment being a problem to anyone, bit it bounty hunter or force user, today though her presence here was for a different reason.

Entering the bar Ay‘s gaze scanned the vast crowd before falling upon a certain man, herself instantly strutting over to him while they conversed with a unknown women. “Statment, the ship is properly docked out of sight and secure”. Her flat momtone voice being accompanied by her usual black stare before she sat down next to Jerec, eyes shifting to the other women on occasion.

Jerec Asyr Darth Malevolum

 

[Darth Malevolum]

He was half Umbaran it seemed. Interesting, though she couldn't profess any degree of care about the fact. "Curious." She remarked without much change to her tone. Seemed there was some holes in her hardware, perhaps she would consider getting those upgrades after see was done here. He seemed to have taken notice of her eyes, which surprised her a tad, this one wasn't as stupid as she had initially suspected; or maybe he was, with just the faintest bit of observation skills.

His terms, his way of speaking, it was casual very much so, and she could only wonder if this man was a scoundrel of some sort. Now she had some entertainment, try to deduce what this stranger was doing here. "They are mandatory. These are just the basic implants, I'll have to consider upgrading them however, it seems there are flaws with the enhancements." The arrival of the woman caught her attention, but it wasn't until she heard the woman speak that her interest was piqued. Malevolum's eyes quickly filtering between visions as she attempted to diagnose if this woman was a droid or not, but the conclusion was less than satisfactory. The force shrouded her, and she found that the force worked around the man seated before her as well. Very peculiar. "Who are you two?" Malevolum felt required to ask now, as she finished off the remnants of her drink and set it off to the side. The Darth withdrew her own force presence now, wondering if she had unknowingly garnered the attention of interested parties. Did they know who she was? Because she surely had no idea who they were.

Ay Ge Jerec Asyr

 

[Jerec Asyr]

"Mandatory, eh? I can't imagine someone like you knuckling under for anything you didn't want to do. I'm Jerec Asyr - I fly the Infinity's Free. This here's Ay Ge , one of my crew." He'd always assumed Ay was a cyborg like Darth Malevolum, or maybe a human replica droid; he'd never asked or bothered to find out. She had her quirks but he'd seen her go through Mandalorian pirates like a hot knife through butter, and she'd saved his boat in the process. Cute, too, which came in handy at a lot of starports. Many, many men will just plain fold when an attractive woman draws a friggin' sword.

Later he'd probably have to explain the term 'cockblock.' Or maybe not. Yeah, maybe not. Feth it.

"Anyone for another round? I'm buying. What'll you have?" he asked Malevolum straight up. "And for that matter, what's your name?"

 

[Ay Ge]

Ay took carful note of the women's cybernetics, detailing what she could see, downing in a mental record while also evaluating their possible threat level. It was standard procedure more or less, but such body wounds and cyborg components meant a high possibility that the unknown individual was in some sort of fight. Seeming high quality of said components leading to the hypothesis of a solider of sorts, or someone of relative wealth.

As Jerec introduced himself Ay gave a small nod, "greetings, I am currently employed as security for Mr Asyr ship". These days it was her main form of earning a living, though rugged and dangerous it kept her away from nosy force sect looking for new members and government officials. She continued to sit idly by, hands neatly folded in her lap as the Jerec offered to buy some drinks, "Request, I would prefer a non alcoholic beverage, preferably with the flavor of fruit, if not water will suffice".

Jerec Asyr Darth Malevolum

 

[Darth Malevolum]

She had names, and possibly information to go off of now. Ay Ge's analysis of the Darth would reveal only moderate cybernetics, she had reconstruction surgery done to her ears, and her eyes had been replaced by cybernetic implants. Despite it's appearances, the metallic suit the woman wore bore no cybernetics, but it did have a chemical secretion contained within it, that seemed to function as a numbing and healing agent for the woman. The lightsaber hanging on the left side of her hip might have been a hint at something though, but the Sith made no attempt to conceal it for her two guests. "So, you two are part of a trade company then?" There was a growing interest to the Sith Lord's voice now, as Malevolum drummed her metal tipped fingers upon the table. Her eyes went between Ay and Jerec, her expression still maintaining it's bored look.

She pondered about what name to give them, titles never were her style, perhaps another alias would suit the situation better; after all, everyone seemed to take the whole 'Darth' thing a little harsh. "Just call me Mal." She replied to the question for her name, though at the suggestion of buying drinks, she tapped her empty glass. "Another one of these would be ideal. Vodka and Orange Juice. You have my thanks for your generosity." She withdrew her hands, curious as to what brought these two to her, and why the force moved around them; but to question them on it would imply she too knew of the force, and that was a can of worms that she was not prepared to open. "What brings you two to this world? Business I presume?" If that was so, then they both had a common interest with this planet. Ay seemed to be the focus of Malevolum, as she couldn't help but notice her eyes. They were red, like hers had been so long ago. "You have an interesting eye color." She spoke to the woman, who while it was obvious she wasn't of Echani blood, Malevolum found her rather curious. She seemed to function as a droid, yet the force clung to her, yet she seemed to operate as a member of this man's crew despite her unique capacity. Out of possible threats, the woman seemed the more likely threat of the pair.

Jerec Asyr Ay Ge

 

[Jerec Asyr]

Ay Ge Darth Malevolum

"Yeah, we just dropped off a cargo. Volcanic minerals from a hole in the wall called Lah'mu. Had to sneak past the Sith border, take down some Mando resistance fighters - was a heck of a job."

A couple things maybe sort of clicked in the gaydar department. Jerec glanced back and forth between Mal and Ay, whose orientation - if any - was a complete mystery.

"One juice and one hydrospanner coming up. Ay, you should tell Mal about how you took down that boarding crew. I'm betting she'd love to hear it. Killer angel, this one."

He got up and headed off to get those drinks.

 

[Ay Ge]

The analysis of the women did take into note the saber hilts one her person. Though 'Mal' as she refereed to herself probably noticed the object on her own back that, if one was clever enough to note, was a wrapped up scabbard that held her custom virbo blade. It always payed to be armed no matter where you went, recent events proving such ideals to be more then necessary.

The comment about her eyes did get a slight reaction from the seemingly emotionless girl, Ay's head cocking to the side in an inquisitive manner at Mals observation. "Statement, the events surrounding the red pigmentation of my iris are currently classified, I am only at liberty to inform you that said color is not natural". It was clear that her eye color didn't come from a deep connection to the dark side of the force and in addition to how she spoke it wasn't hard to speculate that Ay had been an experiment of some sort in the past.

Her stare continued to be directed at Mal, only moving to her employer at his suggestion of story time. She understood it as a means to use up time while he order drinks and make for light conversation as they rested from their last job, though once more the use of colloquial language caught her off guard. "Angle, noun, a name often given to the Diathim race, said race being known for their beauty and mysterious nature". "Conclusion, you are complimenting my youthful looks and feminine features while also praising my combat skills, thank you".

With that slight confusion awkwardly resolved Ay returned her gaze back to Mal as she recounted their recent battle. "Upon finishing a shipment an older model Mandalorian Corvette, operated by the faction MILF... also known as the Mandalorian Independent Liberation Front, attempted to capture our ship". "Their craft armament managed to damage our hyper drive and Mr Asyr, as he said, played dead to lure the enemy into boarding our freighter". "During the boarding action I made use of my training and small statue to flank the intruders through the ventilation system and with a small distraction was able to quickly dispatch several targets quickly".

"With the boarding parties neutralized the rest of the crew and I performed a counter attack, seizing the engine room and clearing out any stowaways on board". "Promptly followed by a risky but successful hostage situation when Mr Asyr became a prisoner to one of the remaining Mandos". That was the gist of it more or less, save for a few details on the so call 'distraction' and her ruthless nature in in which she took down the enemy combatants. "This concludes the brief after action report".

Darth Malevolum Jerec Asyr

 

[Darth Malevolum]

The Sith Border? Smugglers perhaps? If only Jerec knew he was taking to a Sith Lord, he might had been a little more tight lipped about his occupation. While Jerec moved to go fetch drinks for the two women, leaving Malevolum to converse with...whatever this woman before her was supposed to be. Ay wasn't her type, not that Malevolum had a type anymore, but she was rather taken with this oddity before her. "Understandable." 'Mal' replied, not sure what would warrant getting information from the woman, but her answer was enough for the Darth to hear. The words from Ay seemed to confirm that something had been done to the woman, perhaps a prototype of some sort? If she was to take a guess, she could only assume Ay had something replaced by a processor, perhaps cerebral cortex damage. Anyways, she was getting off track with her line of thought. The woman's answer confirmed that she wasn't of Echani blood, and that the color of her eyes was not a natural occurrence. Intresting. The thought came upon how this Jerec man came to acquire her services. It seemed that Ay wasn't a stranger to combat either, the hint of a blade behind her back suggested she was often armed, or expecting trouble. She blinked her eyes several times as the woman rambled off her rather complicated explanation of things, and couldn't help but find it curious.

She listened to the break down of the report, as it sounded like something coming from a tactically sound mind. The break down of how she eliminated her hostiles, secured positions, executed flanking maneuvers; clearly this woman had more hardware than the Darth herself. Malevolum had never encountered a being like this before, and her boredom shifted into a hint of amusement. This woman was some sort of...cybernetic assassin? A honed killing machine if nothing else. Perhaps it was her unique way of speaking that caught the Darth's attention, but now she had to wonder why Ay was sticking to such a basic way of life. "Clearly you are skilled at carrying out your primary task. Your companions praise is well earned it." Malevolum stated, folding her hands as she awaited the arrival of Jerec. "How did you come into the employment of this Mister...Asyr?" Perhaps she had overlooked the rather plain looking trader before, had he another side that the Darth had overlooked? Anything was possible.

Jerec Asyr Ay Ge

 

[Jerec Asyr]

From Jerec's view at the bar, Ay Ge and Darth Malevolum seemed to be getting on great.

<One hydrospanner, one...> He glanced around at the cocktails on display for some idea of the juice selection. <...namana nectar and soda, and another bottle of Corellia Stout.>

The barkeep gave him the sort of polite little smile reserved for offworlders who try to speak the native language and don't do a great job of it. Jerec opted against explaining that he was half Umbaran.

While he waited, he glanced back at the two maybe-cyborg women. Yeah, things seemed to be going decent, despite the undeniable fact that Mal wouldn't be going home with him. Sadness.

 

[Ay Ge]

She gave another short nod at Mals compliment, she had a feeling the women could appreciate skilled fighters. "I appreciate your words, I aim to complete all assignments with utmost efficiency". If the lightsabers on her person were any indication they two were no push over. Even if Ay hadn't held a saber before she knew it took considerable know how to wield one, least chop your own hand off along with the unique feel of an almost weightless blade.

"Statement, Mr Asyr is not my first employee, for approximately two years I have been served on multiple freighters and other cargo shipping craft as armed escort of a basic crew member". "Such position have been chosen due to certain aspect of it that I myself find useful, though I do not wish to divulge further information at this time". Even if Ay wasn't certain of it she there was a chance Mal could be associated with a force order or sect, her attire and basic physical appearance seemed comparable to that of a dark side practitioner. That may have come off as profiling but from records and her own accounts when facing Sith seemed to match.

Then again their was always the chance she was a rouge with no loyalties to speak of, yet Ay wasn't willing to take such a chance, choosing to sit silently until Jerec returned or another question was proposed.

Jerec Asyr Darth Malevolum

 

[Darth Malevolum]

Malevolum nodded slowly at the words of the woman across from her, it seemed apparent that this Ay was a killing machine, and her later responses indicated that she was indeed trying to remain anonymous. Moving from ship to ship, working for several employers, this woman was trying to lay low. Whatever the reason that might be, Malevolum couldn't be sure, but she wouldn't press; she knew all to well how hard it was to leave one's past behind. And yet, such an effective tool, a model specimen in the art of taking life, but perhaps this is what Ay wanted. "You seem a tad more than just an armed escort. Someone like you, some might call you an artist even, a specialist in the art of death dealing, but this work is to your satisfaction? No?" 'Mal' tilted her head, curious if Ay had a goal in mind, a purpose that she might have aligned herself to serve.

It didn't matter however, Malevolum had taken enough interest in the woman. Ay was an enigma, not one she could unravel here, or ever perhaps. Everyone had a right to their privacy, not even a Sith Lord had the right in infringe upon that. "So long as you take satisfaction in your operation, then that is enough. At least, that's what I once believed when I was younger." 'Mal' turned her head back, looking for Jerec to make his return. She hoped she hadn't scared the man away, but then again, Ay probably wouldn't be sitting here with her. "Mr. Asyr seems to be an interesting employer. He's fortunate to have someone as capable as you under his employ." It was a compliment, and it was then that the Darth realized she was getting carried away. Her monotone voice had given way to something actually containing some degree of interest. She looked for this Jerec fellow once again, her mind starting to think that it might be best to withdraw. Her hands flexed, tightening into balls once again. She risked letting people in if she stayed, which was definitely not on her 'to do' list, and yet she found the company that had found her....welcoming. No, she would stay, but if she felt that line be crossed then that would be the time to leave; better be safe than sorry. Even Sith Lords needed friends.

Jerec Asyr Ay Ge

 

[Jerec Asyr]

Ay Ge Darth Malevolum

"Here we go." Jerec slid back into his seat and deposited the three drinks on the little table. "Ay, I got you Bakuran namana nectar and soda. Let me know if you like it and we can get some on the boat."

He popped the cap on his bottle of Corellian stout and took a long drink.

"So where you bound, Mal? We take passengers, if you need a berth, and our next port is kind of up in the air. So to speak."

 

[Ay Ge]

This had probably been the most Ay had conversed with someone that didn't involved sorting out a contract or other work related matters. Often when it came to these cantina like events she was often a side character, sitting to the side as the other crew members conversed and got friendly with other patrons. Not that it was a bad thing, a few times some would be bounty hunters had tried to use such an event to target her captain, only to fail as her vigilant nature kicked in. Though at the moment talking with Mal was pleasant, a nice change from the usual. "Correct, I do specialize in certain areas of combat and espionage but most crews I have served on are no in need of such specialized skills". "Protecting shipments and being basic manual labor tend to me the majority of job assigned to me during my contracts". "That is not to say my skills are wasted, as today's and many other times the ship I have been serving on has come under attack but skilled assailant:". "In conclusion I find my work simple enough and rewarding, so in answer to your question I am satisfied".

Though it was probably hard to tell even for herself without the proper feeling of emotions, was she happy? Yes but also no, though at the very least she didn't feel any discomfort about her work and some of the places she had visited on travels were interesting, more then she could say for that cell during her days as an assassin. It would seem that Mal was a little off with her own view, her talk of the 'past' causing Ay to once more cock her head, querying the words. It raised the possibility of her not being associated with any dark side aura, though it was just as likely that she switch organisation if she was truly apart of one. "Statement, Mr Asyr is unique, especially in his choice of crew eluding myself", Ay wondering slight how a small avian creature could be so ruthless and skilled.

Her attention was finally drawn from Mal as Jerec came back, her hands cupping the drink when handed out, Ay looking at the pale yellowish color for a few seconds. "Namana fruit, known for the nectar that can be proceeded in a potable liquid, often described to have a slight burning taste followed by a tropical like flavor, thank you". Herself proceeding to take a small sip, follow by a short pause before she started to slowly take a few more as the conversation continued to move. It was a nice it but acquired taste, but the flavor was enjoyable, hopefully the corvette now in their possession had a large storage bay.

Darth Malevolum Jerec Asyr

 

[Darth Malevolum]

She paid attention to Ay's statement, and it seemed that the limited work that she was exposed to was enough for her. That was good. If everyone was happy with their lot in life, then there would be less suffering in the galaxy. In a way Malevolum was a tad envious. She had once been satisfied with her lot in life as well, but that was before her personal tragedy. "Is that so?" Mal asked, curious as to who else Jerec had on his crew. If the assassin wasn't the only unique thing on the ship, what the hell did Jerec have on board?

With the return of the drinks, it seemed that normality was back in place. Mal's gaze lingered on Jerec for a moment, a small part of her wanted to laugh over the fact he was offering a Sith Lord a ride. It was a kind and genuine offer to seemed, and perhaps such a voyage might do her good. She took the drink that was offered to her and sipped it, her thoughts wondering if perhaps she should identify herself to the pair. Surely that would be one way to end any possible ties of companionship she might have been longing for. "Are you offering me a position on your crew Mister Asyr?" The Sith asked, swirling her drink about before taking another sip. "I'm touched, however I don't think you would appreciate my skill set." Malevolum set her glass down, looking at the pair. No, it would be about right to say something now. "Say, for example, if I happened to be a member of the Sith. That would complicate things, would it not?" Her tone had a hint of amusement to it, as she took another sip of her drink, though she was keen to watch what Ay would do. If that woman took such a statement as a threat, Malevolum would need to be prepared to deal with that.

Jerec Asyr Ay Ge

 

[Jerec Asyr]

Ay Ge Darth Malevolum

Jerec shrugged. "Crew's full up just now. Got some passenger slots, though, if you and your worldly goods are passing through, which I think you are. And if you're flying anything under thirty-eight meters we could fit your boat in our cargo bay and you could ride in style."

'In style' was, admittedly, an overly generous painting of the Infinity's Free.

"As for the Sith thing...look, my ex was Darth Xul. Frozen Hand, Heart of Palpatine, Byss ritual, any of that ring a bell? I'm eighty percent sure you're kidding, but I'll live either way. Long as you're not a Muun banker. Last one who rode with me detonated an ion charge in his cabin."

 

[Ay Ge]

Ay was happy to contuine sipping away at her drink, clearly enjoying it, even if her expression said other wise. In no time the glass becoming empty as she silently placed it on the table, turning back to the current conversation. To an extent Jerec’s did make sense, with their new ship it would be a waste to not house passages of some sort. Corvettes tended to be much more comfortable and safe when compared to freighters.

Personally she didn’t care what sort of passengers Jerec chose To have as long as they where on threat or caused trouble, unfortunately she rendered Sith as both from personal experience. Ay tensing up as one hand slid behind her back, just in case. “Statement, Mr Asyr, I will not object if you wish to have Ms Mal as a passenger, though I would advise caution”. Ay wasn’t so one to take unessassary risks, but if Mal proved herself to not be a threat she’d stand down, somewhat.

Jerec Asyr Darth Malevolum