Dark Secrets (Closed, Structured RP / Short Story Finale)

Creed patted Nex’s back before leaving the safe house and walking to the Zenith. Leaving Nex standing in the room slightly amused.

Nex began to chuckle as he thought to himself ‘I’m here to do a job and to see that it’s done. It will take more than the empire to dissuade me.’

Nex walked out of the safe house and towards the Zenith where Creed was making preparations. He stopped to briefly look-over the ship before walking towards Creed.

“While I’m sure fighting the empire will hold a few surprises, I came on this mission to help and I intend on keeping my word no matter who we face. I’m sure the boss could pull up some information that could prove useful, maybe even make our job easier, and as for me staying alive…I’m tougher than I look my friend.”

With a respectful nod Nex began to look around to familiarize himself with the ship.

"Well, this looks like its going to get alot worse befor it gets any better" Raiflaine sighs. "This atlest should be intresting if nothing else!"

Raiflaine walks on to the ship, and finds himself a seat some were and talks down his com-link

"Bretta, im heading off world, over to the Rafa system. Keep to the simple jobs whilst im gone."

He then Busys himself checking over his guns and armour.

Creed carfelly counted up the supplies before their trip to Rafa III. He had no doubt that the trip was going to be hazardous and there was nothing worse than being left drifting in the cosmos without food or water for days on end. Oddly, the only worry that truly plagued his mind was that he was piloting his employers pride & joy, 'the Zenith' to get them to their destination. Although he often appeared to be emotionless green Gorg the best of times he held a strange attachment to the ageing heap of junk.

He slowly signalled to Raiflaine to raise the ramp "Close her up!"
Just as the ramp was closing his commlink starting flashing. 'Oh great, the boss. I hope it's not another lecture about this damn ship cause I've got enough on my plate', his thoughts almost made him forget what he was doing and he quickly signalled to Raif to lower the vessels ramp once more.
"Lower her down I can't hear a damn thing down here!"
From inside he could hear Raiflaine mutter an obscenity but he couldn't make out clearly what it might be. As the ramp lowered he jumped out onto the hard ferrocrete below and answered his incoming message...
"Why hello there chief! I hope you're having a great day?"
His employer didn't catch onto the sarcastic attack against him, and very rarely did. Sure, being emotionless had it's advantages but it must come with a stack full of disadvantages too.
"Creeeeeed" His employers tone was strangely playful in it's delivery. "I do hope you're looking after my ship?" 'Uh-oh, here it comes' Creed thought to himself. "We wouldn't want any damage caused now would we? You know how I feel about that, don't you Creed?" Creed paused and thought carefully before uttering the words....
"Hey chief, it's me! Your number one, you know you can count on me right? I'll treat her like she was my own."
"I do hope so.....for your sake."
His employers voice muffled as the link faded into nothing.

He jumped back onto the ramp and prepared to signal to Raif to raise it but before he could do so, he noticed a woman approaching from the corner of his eye. He could see her more closely now. She was human and her flame red hair flickered like sparks from an open fire. She truly was a credit to his race, that was for sure. He once again skipped down to the floor below and approached the brazen beauty.

He slowly raised his goggles so that he could see her for all that she was.
"Well, what do we have heeeeere?..."

Without breaking her stride the panicked look on the woman’s face was replaced by a bright smile as she slipped back into her shoulder-bag the datatpad she had been checking.

”Hello darling!” she said dropping her bag to the ground. ”You big tease – I thought you were going to leave without me!” She playfully punched Creed on the arm before laughingly encircling her arms around his neck and planting on him a lingering kiss.

Tilting her head she whispered “Twenty-thousand credits for getting me off this rock now. I–I don’t have any more… Anywhere you’re going. Please!”. She pulled back a little and over her shoulder a tall stranger could be seen coming to a stop across the way. He was followed by a Republic Guard but as the two talked he stood with his face pointing straight at the pair, openly observing them.

The hands on the back of Creed’s neck were ice cold and trembling. A thin film of unshed tears glistened over her wide blue eyes as they stared imploringly into his. Her voice was almost inaudible, trembling, fear constricting her throat. ”He’s going to kill me.”

Dark and foreboding shadows danced across the large dome-ceiling room, forming myriad sinister shapes before vanishing into the peripheral of the minds eye.
The only real light-source came from above, a sliver of light desperately struggling to pierce the gloom that filled the chamber and shrouded the circular central recess in an unnatural and shifting shadow.
From out of the surrounding darkness walked a man, a human dressed in an expensive and tailored black suit with short cropped dark hair and skin a sickly grey. Despite the lack of anything to constitute such a necessity, he wore protective eyewear.

Stopping within a foot of the swirling shadows, he knelt on on knee and bowed his head.

In response the shadow-mass moved, alost seeming to turn in his direction as if alive. Then, in the center of the mass two points of red light appeared which, whilst not normally considered bright seemed like two miniature suns against the gloom of the chamber and the unrelenting darkness of the shadow. Joining nearer together they seemed to synchronise and move with independent thought until they were mere inches apart.
They blinked.

'You bring me news?' The voice was distant, etheral. Yet it contained a definate feminine tone.

'Yes, Mistress.' By contrast The Man sounded gravelly and bass, as if speaking was a struggle or unwelcome necessity. 'We followed the twi'lek female and contacted her on a world called Coruscant, we...'

'Is she dead?' The mysterious voice interrupted.

Keeping his head bowed, The Man paused for a second then replied.

'No. She was contacted and an ambush was set. Despite observation, she escaped us and we are currently attempting to re-establish contact.'

For the shortest of moments there was silence.

Then:
'Inadequate.' followed by a sudden and massive arc of purplish-blue lightning that erupted from the shadow-mass and engulfed The Man.

As the body of the human shook and convuled, it showed no signs of pain nor screamed in agony but it spasmed violently regardless.
After a couple of seconds the charred remains of The Man collapsed to the floor.

Meanwhile, on Coruscant....

"Hey, dear, how about another glass of Corellian brandy for my friend here?" Fuza winked at the waitress and watched as she walked away.

Here was in a cantina in upper Coruscant, frequented by the official Coruscant security as well as private security organizations and members of the Republic Guard, called The Beat Stop. Fuze Macoy sat with an old friend, Sheldun Sabay, a lieutenant in the Republic Guard.

"So" Fuze started "How about another game, Shel?"

"Haha, not today, Fuze, you're just trying to get me to pay for my own drinks here." Sheldun said, laughing.

Fuza burst out, "Hahaha, I would never! Anyway, tell me more about these crooked Guards."

"Well, there's a few we know about and can't prove and there's a few who aren't smart enough to keep secrets." Sabay explained. "Like these guys who went into the Swollen Shaak, guns blazing. They had no acceptable reason to go in there in the first place."

"Well the fact that none of them walked out alive begs to differ." Fuza joked. "So you think someone hired your guys to go in there and just make some kind of a scene?"

"Don't know, never got a chance to ask them. But I found this notice that not every member of the Guard was given, expressing a special desire to find a Twi'lek Female, Ree'tak. Here," Sheldun said, giving Fuza a datacard "her picture and some other information are on there. No probable cause for her arrest or if she's somehow related the shootout in the Swollen Shaak, her presumable murder." Sabay continued, "I just want you to find out some information on her, see what's happening with the whole situation."

"And I'll try to help her if I can, of course, Shel." Fuze assured him.

"Good, all right, I should head home, it's late."

"Good idea, get some rest, good seeing you, as always, Shel. I'll do what I can."

"Well now hold on there a minute sweet-stuff." Creed gently removed the young womans arms from around his neck and placed them to her side.
"Now I don't mean to come across as rude, especially with your nice gesture n'all but I wasn't planning on being kill.." He paused for a second in thought. ".....hold on did you say twenty-thousand credits?" His eyes lit up as he unlocked his holster his under his coat.
"You better get onboard princess, I'll handle this misunderstanding".
Discreetly he pulled out his commlink and whispered to his companion aboard the Zenith "Nex, get your feathered butt down here now. We've got a little... problem".

Needing no more encouragement than that, Lilin smiled her thanks, collected her bag and swiftly trotted up the ramp and into the vessel.

((Sorry for such a short post. Couldn't have Lilin forgetting her lipstick!))

He had been to the Swollen Shaak before but it had been a good few months since Fuze was last there. Sheldun's datacard included the reports from the raid on the Swollen Shaak, as well as the reports for a few other conspicuous catastrophes in the Guard, so Fuza knew what the witnesses that were left saw. There was apparently a team of criminals who were responsible for majority of the Republic Guard that died. The group was located in the hidden conference room of the Shaak when the illegitimate members of the Guard arrived. The girl, Ree'tak, could have been a part of this group or could have been the ones who hired them, but Fuze was sure someone at the the Swollen Shaak--or what remained of it--would know more about the situation.

Fuze had almost reached his destination after his ride on the public transit to get to the right section of Lower Coruscant; he always hates the fact that he doesn't have the room to carry his speeder on the Ruby.

In the midday sun The Swollen Shaak didn't look much better than it had done two days ago. As Droids and hired hands scurried about removing the last few bits of masonry from the street the front of the Cantina looked in a sorry state. With a gaping hole where a door had once been large enough for a convoy of Hutt to waddle through, the light shone inside to where S00-Z could be seen wandering about the place picking up glasses and bits of broken booth or stool and arranging them neatly in a corner ready to be disposed of.
Despite he was nowhere to be seen, Daxx was likely to be on the premeses somewhere.

The Swollen Shaak was not open for business at least, not yet; and it looked like an empty shell waiting for life to be breathed into it once more.

Outside the delapidated building stood a Man, dressed in a tailored expensive suit and small brimmed hat, both black. Dark sunglasses protected his eyes from the noon sun, and his skin was pale and grey, not dissimilar to the colour of the blaster that hung from his belt.

He had been here before, two days ago before the explosion. The place had looked different then; just as ramshackle and downcast but more...sturdy. He had contacted the Twi'lek girl but she had not arrived at their agreed meeting. He suspected she wouldn't, but he had his orders. He did as his Master instructed.

Scanning the top and what remained of the front of the cantina, The Man looked for clues to point him in the direction of the Twi'lek...

When Fuza arrived at what used to be the Swollen Shaak, he could see S00-Z puttering around the interior sorting out the wreckage. The restoration was obviously only beginning but Daxx, the owner of the cantina, had to be around somewhere.

There was a man standing in front of the cantina, obviously looking for something, but since he was looking for something that meant he had an idea to investigate. He was also the only one who didn't look he was busy in with some other task.

The lethan Twi'lek approached the curious man, "Good afternoon, sir, could I ask you a few questions?"

Turning slowly from the cantina in a fashion almost akin to a manaquin, The Man pivoted on his heel until he was faceing Fuza. He gave off a steely air of indifference as he looked the inquisitive Twi'lek up and down in a very obvious show of sizing up his capabilities.

When he spoke something about his voice sounded simply.... wrong.

"Twi'lek, male. Approximate life span of 36 to 39 out of 94 years due to poor biological upkeep. Approximate height of 1.9378816 metres, build: slim."

The Man glanced over his shoulder again to make sure things had not changed at the cantina in his brief observational absence.

"Ask your questions, Twi'lek."

"Thanks for the read-up, Chief! I hadn't been measured in a while. You're off by a couple of years though. You seem the perceptive type, though. Can you tell me anything about what happened here? And have you seen this," Fuza shows the Man a holopic of Ree'tak, "young Twi'lek girl?"

Fuze knew he couldn't trust this freak, but he wasn't the type to derogate him just for lack of any social grace. Besides if he didn't know something, why else would he be so interested in this pile of wreckage?

The Man looked at the image Fuze presents to him, but does not take it. If any reaction was going on inside his head, it wasn't registering on his face.

Instead without warning or indication he draws his Blaster and points it squarely in Fuze's face, seemingly unphased as to whether anyone else sees the behaviour or not.

"You know this Twi'lek? Tell me everything you know... Now."

"Well, you don't think I'd let it go at a sight of a little blaster, do you? C'mon, we've talked about this, you're perceptive, figure it out." Fuza bellowed a laugh with a wink.

Fuze Macoy didn't have much to go by on this case, except now he knew who was after her. Maybe he wouldn't be able to find her and help her. Maybe the best thing he could do is lead her pursuers away from her.

He would normally be a frightened by his current predicament, but he had the upper hand, if he made it seem like he had invaluable information, this whack job had no choice but to let him live.

"But, maybe if you tell me a little something about why you're looking for her, take that blaster from my face and lighten up a little, I can help you find her. What'd'you say, Mack?" Fuze giggled.

It was obvious within seconds that Fuze's charm and wit were lost on this Man as the Blaster began to charge its energy cell.

"Inadequate..."

For the briefest of moments, Fuze was as good as dead with his face point-blank against the barrel of a Blaster a micro-seconds before firing.

Then in a most odd turn of events, The Man tilted his head as if listening to something and then suddenly dropped and de-charged the Blaster as he reholstered it at his hip.

"My apologies, that was inconcievably rude of me. I am under a tight time-schedule and most often the direct approach works best."

Outstretching is greyish-coloured hand - whether in greeting or to accept the holopic for a closer look is uncertain - The Man seemed to smile, though not in a paticularly friendly-looking manner.

"My....employer wishes to speak with this Twi'lek girl over a matter of debt repayment. I am...the first line of contact before things need get nasty between the two parties. I am looking for her to attempt a reconciliation of interests and mean her no harm. If your goal is similar I see no reason why we cannot attempt to find her together. Mr........?"

The change of tact was as unnatural seeming as his visage and was noticably forced as if a prisoner might do when made to deliver a ransom vid by his captors.....except lacking the important element of fear.

Taking the man's hand in an a respectful vice. "The name's Kelad'den, but you can just call me Kel." Fuza spoke without the slightest break in his voice.

Kelad'den was a persona Fuza created to intermingle with the nobles on Ryloth. He had the papers to confirm it and everything would play out perfectly if anyone looked into it.

'Mean her no harm' made him chuckle a little in his head. This guy's gut reaction was to pull a blaster to Fuze's head in exchange to small talk. Yeah, they'd attempt to find her together but there was no way they'd come anywhere close

Fuze Macoy let out a sigh, "She'll hate me for this, but she owes me a serious debt as well. Alright, let's find her. I have a good idea of where to start. Does your employer have a ship, Mr...." Fuza paused. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

Giving no mention of his name in response to Fuze / Kel's question, he replied:

"No, I came here in a commercial transport. I was assuming you had your own ship. You look the space-faring sort."

Each of his sentances was short, abrasive and left no real room for imput or retort (not that such a thing would stop Fuze...). If anything, it was as if he was was reading from a script.

"Perhaps you could tell me where you think she might be? We could meet there."

"Yeah...okay...." 'Kel' stopped with a pensive pause, "Meet on Ryloth, I'll show you where she is from there. It's an hideout she's shown me before, it's exactly where she would go if someone's looking for her. Meet me at the Gate 5A-170 of the Kela'uun Starport, I'll take you to her from there. Or, at least, I hope it's where she is."

Fuze has friends in a lot of high places, some in the Ryloth Guard, specifically in Kela'uun. He would let them know who was going to Kela'uun and they would monitor him from there.

But this man was just a lackey. There was no way watching them would accomplish anything other than stopping that one operative from hurting anyone. But every little bit counts.

"It was good to meet you, I'll see you soon and we'll solve this matter."

The Man nodded slightly but still seemed somewhat preoccupied. From his grip, Fuze was able to notice the cold and clamminess of The Man's skin, not dissimilar to someone running a high fever.

"Very well, Kel. I will meet you at your designated co-oridinates on the planet of Ryloth in two days time. That should give me sufficient time to procure transport. Thank-you for your assistance."

And then, with no ceremony or small talk The Man let go of the Twi'lek's hand and turned away from him, walking away down the street; his business concluded.

As Fuza watched the curious stranger walk off into the distance and considered his next move, a voice came from above him:

"Hey, Mister!"

Perched atop the roof of the cantina and waving down at him crouched a young Draethos male in a mis-matched assortment of ill-fitting clothes. Being no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, he looked down at Fuza with small, bright inquisitive eyes.

"You lookin' for Ree?"

Fuze would have been surprised by anyone shouting him right now. Let alone this young Draethos.

"Yessir, or someone who knows her, what can you tell me?"

With the lithe reflexes of a cat the Draethos seemed to unfold and roll off the roof landing gracefully at Fuze's feet. He outstretched a hand in greeting.

"The name's Nyalii. I'm a friend of Mz Ree's." He smiled as he spoke. At least Fuze thought he was smiling, its often difficult to tell with a Draethos..

"I can't tell ya where Mz Ree is, when she don't wanna be found, not none of us can find her...BUT, I can show you the people she was last talking with..."

With his other hand he outstretched a flat palm.

"For a little...compensation of course!"

"That's a hard bargain, squire!" Fuze laughed. "The name's Fuza Macoy, but you can just call me Fuze. And I'm always looking to help those in need." Fuze said, placing twenty-five credits in the boy's hands.

Fuza admired the young boy, he didn't see a side of himself in the boy, but he saw the portrait of the childhood he sometimes wished he'd had. Such simple pleasures.

"So, Nyalii, what can you tell me?"

"I can do better than that.." Said the young streetwise kid, throwing the credits into the air and catching them with a satisfying 'chink' noise. "...I can show you."

For the next half hour Fuze followed the boy down many a street alley, through market stalls, shops and short-cuts learning several secret routes through the maze of Lower Coruscant until, finally, they came out by one of the planets many Spaceports - in this case a rather small one which Synrii reliably informed him was often used for smugglers - where he pointed out a group gathered around a S-250 Chela-class starfighter.

"Thats them," he said, pointing to a tall thin human with conspicious purple hair being accosted by another human, a female this time with hair as red as fire.
"Ree'tak was talking to them just before the cantina exploded. If anyone knows where she might be, its probably that lot."

As Synrii darted off down one of the back alleys he turned to Fuze before vanishing out of sight.

"Good Luck, Mister!"


(( Hooray! 600th posts! no life for me, nosir! ))