Quarry

Posted on Sun Oct 7th, 2012 @ 12:37am by Thane & Bomoor Thort & Berry & Sev Rezer & Trey† & Mentis

1,510 words; about a 8 minute read

Chapter: Chapter I: Web of Fate
Location: Market, Nar Shaddaa
Timeline: Morning, Day Two

OLD

The Ithorian exhaled deeply, his extra lung capacity gave this motion extra force as well as duration. He withdrew from his defensive position and began to pace back and forth, momentarily blocking out the menacing Mandalorian standing in the doorway, "I know, Thane. I know this is big... and I can't ignore the fact that all these things are being drawn together by the force - the girl, the Hutts, this cult...your vision. It's all wrapped up in the force. This is beyond the council... they could not see this..."

Bomoor knew what he had to do. Even if it broke all the rules, he could just feel it. He halted suddenly, twisting his neck around and glaring straight into Rezer's eye, "Tell us everything you know."

NEW

Dawn broke out across the foul surface of Nar Shaddaa, not that it was at all evident besides a slightly lighter smog surrounding the black moon. Through the grim, slipped two hooded assassins. Their mission - to terminate two Jedi Knights.

The larger of the pair halted and held an arm up. They were on the edge of a large market plaza, where the stands were open day and night selling spices, electronics and pretty much anything else if the price was right.

The two Dark Jedi darted behind a stack of empty containers - the smaller assassin now slipped off his hood revealing the pale tattooed face of a Ratattaki, "Are you sure they came here Trey?" he hissed to his associate, "They could have gone to the taxi port back there."

Trey smiled faintly. "They could've." He looked about the plaza. Major traffic areas gave one disguise, but privacy was nonexistent. If he were a couple Jedi running around...he'd probably be really full of himself and his abilities. Trey smirked to himself. Well, he was now, Jedi or not. "Let's go scope out the smaller streets."

Indeed, not too far ahead, was the mismatched party of four. Leading the group as they passed market stands, appearing to inspect the wares, were the two Humans: one was one of the Jedi Knights they were seeking, whilst the other was a face known to the Cult of Axion: Sev Rezer, a long-time opponent of their master. Nala had reported he was on the moon, hunting for Axion. Apparently, he had found some support.

Behind the pair was another couple, a green-skinned Near-Human and a towering Ithorian, garbed in quite traditional clothing for his species, but with a lightsaber hilt at his hip could not be denied to be anything other than what he was - the other Knight they had been sent to dispatch.

"I agree," Thane said to the bounty hunter, "we should attack from different angles; once we know when Axion and Zorbo are going to make their move against Grogga's Palace, we can use the confusion to break in at the points you say." They continued to amble onwards, all manner of different species pushing past the quad, some mumbling curses if they had to barge by, whilst most simply did not care. It was another day in the market, with all manner of alien tongues screeching about their wares. "Bomoor, you should take Berry with you, though; you'll be better at covering her in a firefight. Given his past," Thane went on, his voice slightly disapproving, "I'm sure Rezer will be able to handle a few Dark Jedi by himself."

Since their initial meeting last night - and the tumultuous amount of crossing wires brought about by the Force in the last standard day, Thane and Bomoor had been forced once again to evaluate their thoughts on their mission, their allegiances and their hopes. Whilst the Jedi Council would no doubt fret about the appearance of a dark side organisation involving itself in criminal affairs, they would still bristle at the mere mention of working with their intended target. If there was one thing both Thane and Bomoor could agree on concerning the Jedi Order of the modern day, it was that they were more concerned with their own minor ideologies and fear of assault than doing what should be done for the galaxy. At least, this was certainly true of Thane to quite an extent. Their reaction to his decision concerning Berry would be equally over-reactionary, but it was of no consequence. It was their very teachings and attitude that would cause more damage than good, and it could not be allowed.

The Jedi Guardian tried to push the thoughts from his mind as he felt his ire growing, particularly given the amount of annoyance he was already experiencing at the amount of people surrounding him, barging around, as well as Sev Rezer's constant attitude, believing he was under scrutiny for his Mandalorian heritage. His misplaced self-respect and insecurity around Jedi and their values was beginning to grate against Thane, particularly given he was hardly an adherent to any Jedi Code.

Rezer gave Thane a contemptous look. "If they stand in my way, they'll be neutralized. All I care is to take down Axion. I have done some work with Grogga and I know his guards are not going to last long against any Jedi. Dark or bright, or whatever you call yourselves these days. I'll make my entrance and create loud diversion so you can slip for a secondary door. From there, you can find that... Crystal, Axion wants and find him too. I'll carve my way until I get to him. He'll have to face one of us and he'll not escape this time."

Berry turned her wide-eyed gaze over to the two gruff men ahead of her, head tilted slightly. Her fascination with the chaos around them was cut short when word of something wafted back to her. Crystal…that was the shiny thing that scary guy was holding. She frowned to the side in thought. Maybe she shouldn’t get mixed up in something that was going to be so bad. It’d be best if she stayed away, right? She leaned over to Tall Guy and said to him, “I think you guys should go on without me. I’d get in the way, and they need two knights, not just one.” She gazed up at him, head craning slightly as her bangs fell into her face.

"Cultists?" Thane asked Rezer as he sighted the two figures ahead, but he already knew the answer. He could feel the dark side flowing from each of them; one was a figure of contempt, whilst the other was harder to read. His anger was feeding him, but there was a twisted darkness, nonetheless. Thane looked about the area they were - there were too many people around, too many others to get in the way or get hurt.

"Let's get down the alley," he said quickly, nodding to an opening off to their side. As they moved, he looked to Rezer with a snide expression. He had quickly grown tired of the bounty hunter's manners. "Any magic jetpacks you'd like to use, I know you've had trouble with two opponents in the past?"

"You know nothing about my troubles, Jedi." snapped Rezer angrily. "I can deal with them, as I could have dealt with you two If had chose to." He gave Thane an expression that if the Jedi insisted the cultist would the least of his problems.

As they walked briskly, Rezer pointed his arm to the side of a wall of the alley and fired a small device that left his armor wrist. "This proximity mine will slow them down enough time so we can prepare ambush them."

"No!" Bomoor shouted holding his arm out as the mine shot back. His action was futile however as the device quickly latched onto the ground a short distance behind them and exploded, bringing down part of the walls surrounding the alleyway, "There are civilians back there - innocents. We cannot justify their deaths and don't you dare say 'Collateral damage'!"

Trey smiled over to Mentis as they waited ahead. “Can they be begging for us much?” Such bad feelings…his smile widened as he drew his saber, lazily twirling the hilt. He just wanted to soak it up from here.

Rezer turned around to face ahead, not answering Bomoor. "Too late, Hammerhead", he said coldly. "They're here". He brought his heavy rifle to his arms and set to automatic. "Where's Axion?", demanded him from the Dark Jedi that looked like out of a holonovel. "Tell me now and I'll leave your face intact for your burial."

Mentis scowled, drawing his own lightsaber as he spoke, "We do not betray our master, Mandalorian. All of you are enemies of the Cult of Axion and have been marked to die for the glory of the master's plans. Your fate is sealed and I shall be the one to deliver it! So come on then you pathetic little men - fight me!"

TBC

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