A Shark in Dark Waters

[Ghorua the Shark]

LOCATION: BAKURA, WOODLANDS
EQUIPMENT: IN BIO
CURRENT MOOD: SOLEMN

Ghorua the Shark sat calmly, legs dangling from the side of a wooden porch. The cabin was large, larger than most that he had stayed in. The wooden structure was simple, but structurally sound, and it seemed to radiate a calming mood. If this was to be his last day, he would enjoy it for what it was. Ghorua was resting for what was to come, trying not to think about hordes and hordes of mercenaries breathing down his neck. His new benefactor had said that this would be the best way to get hunters off of his tail, but the genetic monstrosity that was the Herglic was still a little nervous for what was to come.

With a little sigh, Ghorua began his transmission. It had been easy to acquire Kay's contact information, and to get a secure line. He began to feed his coordinates to her, a forest not far from the capital. With it, he sent a recorded message, his deep voice penetrating the still air around him.

"Hello, Lady Kay. This is the Shark." He chuckled, but no mirth was kept in his words. His voice was powerful, but had a hint of fatigue. "I'm tired of running. I'm tired of hiding. I'm tired of fighting for my freedom, I'm... tired. So, let's end this, one way or the other. I'm transmitting my location. Come yourself, or hide behind Justice's thugs, I don't care. Just remember," he said, his voice becoming darker, and more menacing than before, "Whatever you do with this information, whatever I have to do, what I have done to keep myself safe, it's on you."

Content with his theatrics, Ghorua turned off his datapad, and checked his equipment. His Koodan-Class battle armor, scarred with dents and scratches, rested on his body easily, almost a second skin to him now. His two pistols rested at his sides. The Spinster, his rotary blaster cannon, hung off of his back. A large bandolier snaked itself around his waist, adorned with an assortment of grenades. His trusty vibroknife felt cold against his leg, offering a grim solace to the Bounty Hunter. Added to all of this were a few new toys.

A small nozzle snaked around his waist, attached to a tank on his hip. His new flamethrower. Ghorua felt that every good hunter should have one, and there was a sick joy in seeing people's reaction to the flames. He hadn't killed anyone with it, no one deserved a death like that, but it was a useful and diverse weapon. Even more useful, however, was the ten-foot hunter's newest piece of equipment; Trident.

The saberstaff was collapsed on his bandolier, almost hidden by the rest of the high-tech gadgetry on the whale. At full size, it would be a formidable sight, and Ghorua had Lady Kay to thank for it. The crystal came from her, after all. Trident was perfect for the non-Force Sensitive Herglic, as it complemented his genetically enhanced strength and reflexes.

Ghorua would most likely need all of his weapons today, if his hypothesis was true. He turned on the comm in his helmet, and grunted. "You in position, boss? I'd rather not lose my head to the goon-squad most likely coming my way."

- [member="Lady Kay"] - [member="Darth Orcus"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay received the message and frowned slightly. What did he mean by that? Whatever he had to do would be on her? Why? He was in the wrong. Not her. She got the co-ordinates out of the message and walked over to [member="Gray Raxis"] . "Here. We're to go to Bakura. Funny that he would pick the very same world that he caught me on." She sighed. "I'll inform James on what is going on. I know that he won't like this, but having you with me should put him at ease a bit. You can go armed in case this is a trap, but I'd rather have us avoid violence if we could..."

She thought back on her capture and how cruel [member="Ghorua the Shark"] was to her when she gave him no resistance. Kay could have bled to death and then he broke her ribs with a swift kick. Not to mention he denied her medical care, food and water. Then he nearly crushed her shoulders when she tried to break away from him. It was all business, they said, and nothing personal. Well they made it personal when they stole what was rightfully hers.

Kay shook her head, bringing herself out of her thoughts. She brought out her comlink and sent a message to her adopted brother, [member="James Justice"] . "James it's Kay. Gray and I are headed to Bakura to get my satchel back from Ghorua. It will hopefully be a good meeting. Once all of my stuff is returned to me, I swore that I would remove the bounty. I'll let you know when we are finished."

She tried not to keep her hopes up, but this could all be over soon. Kay sat down at the nearest chair and clasped her hands to prevent herself from fidgeting. "...Not long now..."

 

[James Justice]

James looked at the transmission his sister had sent him. Sure they were not from the same genetic pool, but that hardly mattered. He gave a curse, "The Chit?!?!"

He would have tossed his comm across the room with anger--except it was attached to a bracelet on his wrist. Instead he grabbed a chair and hurrled it across his cabin before barking the orders that came next, "I want a surgical strike team ready on the double, full safety net ready. Prepare to kick arse and get her extracted with maximum collateral damage in the process if need be."

He heard a myriad of agreements from the freighter he was in. He sat at his desk and began typing out orders to his ships and allied ships in the sector to be on alert--or for co-ordinates they needed to move to for her extraction in a closer, more co-ordinated illegal but effective army.

He didn't want to crush Ghorrah, he had a few run-ins with the fella at his club and seemed decent enough. As his cruiser began to move through hyperspace, James rose to his feet and began suiting up in his phrik armor. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it right.

"Damn it, Kay, why cant ye be careful?" he grumbled.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

Gray was with [member="Lady Kay"] when she had gotten a message from none other than [member="Ghorua the Shark"] the man who had stolen her precious satchel from her. A very large bounty had been placed on its recovery, part of which was coming from Gray himself, and it had yet to be recovered despite the valiant efforts of those seeking to claim it. The herglic had spent a great deal of effort keeping himself hidden, and Gray had to admit he had done a perfect job of it until now. He had given Kay his location though on where to find him. It seemed he was ready to do something about this bounty.

Gray took the datapad from Kay when she handed it to him and listened to the message before looking at the coordinates. The herglic had a powerful voice as all of his race had, but here was no mirth in it and it sounded fatigued. The man was tired of being hunted down it seemed and expected the worst. Gray knew Kay and knew that she would avoid the worst at all costs, but the big man didn't. That meant it was best Gray went along with her to make sure nothing bad happened. He considered Kay a friend after all and wasn't about to let her get hurt again. He said as he got the coordinates set in his ship nav computer, " Don't worry Kay, things shouldn't escalate unless [member="James Justice"] shows up with a fleet ready to bombard the living poodoo out of Ghorua....which would be very bad for more reasons than just your satchel would be obliterated. I'll make sure you get your stuff back safe and sound though, so don't worry. Just get ready for the encounter and remember to give them that delightful Kay smile."

They were soon at the designated meeting place provided by Ghorua. After the ship landed in a safe landing zone, Gray exited the ship wearing his ranger armor with his bryar pistol strapped to his right leg as always. He had his lightsaber hilt hanging next to his pistol where it always rested. He was ready for trouble if need be, but his lack of large weaponry would hopefully seem less threatening and things could move forward peacefully. Last thing he wanted to do today was start up a fight with Kay in the kill zone. He could see the big herglic sitting on a porch swing decked out for heavy duty fighting. He decided it would be best to let Kay lead the way here, so he kept quiet.

[member="Darth Orcus"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"The cruisers are still offloading their goods, but they can be retasked if necessary, m'lord."

"Good, good. Perhaps it will not come to that. Very little profit in death."

"Indeed, m'lord. The last measure, as it were."

"Ah but In the end we'll all rest at the bottom of the great deep. The question is not when but how."

"Yes, m'lord. The dropship is ready to depart."

"Excellent. Get us underway, and help me with this armor, would you?"


[member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="Gray Raxis"] | [member="James Justice"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Dagorn"] | [member="Grundark"] | [member="Tyro Ventari"] | [member="Graaf Zalec"]

 

[Darth Assimilus]

" Hehe!" Graaf giggled with excitement as he imagined a Bloody steak ready to cook back on his ship. On his BARC speeder bike the Karkadon sped through the trees and grasslands. Now and then his eyes would glance at the datapad attached to the bike, He needed to know how close he was after all. His large body looked kinda awkward on the bike especially with the RIS Armor suit he had on. Holstered on his sides were a Trandoshan Suppressor Pistol, Spraystick, several Bacta Grenades & things of the sort a Medic would be seen using . Oddly all of Graafs equipment was less than lethal, A rather odd find on a Karkadon.

Nearing the waypoint in the grasslands Graaf Spoke into his Comm.

" So who are the poor morsels to pick a fight with a Herglic?" He asked as he drew close to [member="Ghorua the Shark"]'s House.

If and when things went south, they would be glad they knew Doctor,

[member="Darth Orcus"]
[member="Gray Raxis"]
[member="James Justice"]
[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua whistled to himself, unconcerned. It had been a while since he had sent out the message, but he knew that space travel takes time. It didn't come as a surprise to the massive Herglic when he heard the sound of boots crunching through the underbrush. Turning his head, Ghorua noted the approach of Lady Kay, flanked by what appeared to be another bodyguard. What it was with her and single bodyguards, he didn't know. A single guard could do little against a rampaging whale. Still, something told Ghorua to hold his judgement of the Lady's antics. Underestimation was the downfall of so many.

Standing up to his full height, a hefty 10'5'', decked in durasteel, equipment clanging like wind-chimes in the slight breeze, Ghorua removed his helmet. His eyes were large circles of empty black, showing no emotion. His skin was dark and smooth, like a black pearl. He didn't smile, he didn't wave, he did nothing to provoke. The goliath kept the helmet under his arm, almost relaxed in his posture. He heard chatter in his comms, and decided to mute it on his end. His allies would hear his conversation, but he wouldn't be able to hear them. Just in case.

His decision to join Darkwater Security was made out of necessity. Ghorua's Bounty Hunting career was in shambles because of the price on his head. He had a budding music career, but that had withered too, thanks to said bounty. It seemed Ghorua couldn't do anything without having a cocky new Hunter on his tail. All of the pain, the lost opportunities, the enemies... They had spawned from the innocent woman standing not thirty meters from him.

Calling out, the Herglic's voice just as imposing as his appearance, beckoned the pair forward. "Lady Kay! I wish I could say I was glad to see you, but... We can discuss this tension between us inside. Don't worry, I won't bite." Ghorua smiled, his rows of genetically enhanced teeth glinting sharply. Since he had encountered Kay last, he had been a few feet shorter, and had a more amiable smile. Oh, how intimidating he must look now.

- [member="Lady Kay"] - [member="Gray Raxis"] - [member="Darth Orcus"] - [member="Graaf Zalec"] - [member="James Justice"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Oh how she hoped that [member="James Justice"] got the message and that he wasn't angry. He seemed to have been okay with the bounty placed on [member="Ghorua the Shark"] , and with [member="Gray Raxis"] with her, everything should be good, right? Perhaps not. Even Gray didn't sound so sure.

Kay nodded to Gray and smirked a little as he told her to put on her winning smile. It wasn't as though she was going to be paraded to potential suitors. On the contrary, she was going to try to negotiate to get her belongings back from a Herglic that didn't honour his word and chose brutality when she had complied to his orders instead of compassion. His actions were part of what got her family and friends so upset.

"Here we go..." She walked through the trees, letting Gray scope out their area while they moved. She didn't expect assassins or the like to show up. Ghorua was a strong enough opponent to not require it. Or so she thought anyways.

As she approached the house and saw him rise, she raised a brow and paused in step. Was he bigger now than she remembered? And those teeth...they had changed. Going into his house could be walking into a trap, but she wasn't alone at least. Her hesitation didn't last long though before she approached to follow him inside. "Yes...We can discuss this over tea. I hope that you don't mind that I brought a friend with me. You are more than twice my size, so I felt it only fair to even the odds a bit. But as a gesture of good faith, could I ask the both of you to leave your weapons at the door? Inside of course, in case there are any thieves about."

[member="Darth Orcus"] [member="Graaf Zalec"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

Gray had his eyes close behind his helmet and was looking at things through force sight. This allowed him to check out their surroundings and watch for enemies hiding to ambush them much more easily than by eyesight alone. There was none the entire way, so he was fine with opening up his eyes when they came to see [member="Ghorua the Shark"] sitting on his porch. The big whale stood up and dwarfed even Gray who was a solid 6'4. Ghorua removed his helmet and showed no aggressive signs, so Gray followed suit by removing his own helmet and holding it to his left side also. He kept his eyes on the big man the entire time as he spoke. As Ghorua finished speaking and suggested they head inside the house [member="Lady Kay"] mentioned they leave their weapons at the door. That could be both a good and a bad idea as Ghorua was twice the size of them both together. Gray decided it would be for the best though and said, " I'm game for it if Ghorua is willing to leave his weapons at the door. I'd rather not go in unarmed if not everyone complies with the idea."

Gray just looked at the big fish with a smile on his face. He had to admit that his possible opponent this time around was rather intimidating, but showing he thought so was the last thing he was going to do here. He had over a decade of experience as a merc to tell him that it was best to not let others know when they got to you. It showed weakness and weakness got you killed or hurt badly. He would rather Ghorua didn't feel he had the advantage here and looked at them more as equals. If he did, things should remain calm and fair. How it went though was up to Ghorua right now.

[member="Graaf Zalec"] [member="Darth Orcus"] [member="James Justice"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

Overhead came the whine of engines and the dark shape of a dropship grew steadily larger before it finally settled down. The repulser wash shook the branches of the trees and rustled the grass, which undulated like a green ocean. At last the engines spooled down and the ramp opened from the rear hatch with the hiss of hydraulics. From inside the bay emerged three enormous figures who strode down the ramp in unison, girded for war.

Two Herglic commandos, made all the more massive by MA-1 power armor, flanked their leader, Darth Orcus. He strode down the ramp, aegised in the very same Koodan-class which Ghorua wore. A black cape fluttered behind him, an accessory as eye-catching as the overlarge lightsaber hilt that hung from his hip. Though clad for battle, he wore no helm, exposing skin of an alabaster hue where it wasn't jet.

"Greetings," he rumbled in a voice as deep as the oceans themselves. "Apologies for the sudden interruption, but I believe you two have had a certain misunderstanding with our mutual friend, Ghorua."

Pitiless black eyes regarded them as a shark regards a minnow. "I believe we can all come to an affable arrangement. But forgive me, I have not introduced myself. I am Orcus of Giju, executive of Darkwater Security and employer of our mutual friend. It is a pleasure to finally meet you both."

He gave a chilling grin, altogether too wide and too full of teeth.

[member="James Justice"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Gray Raxis"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"] | [member="Graaf Zalec"] | [member="Dagorn"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua regarded the two. They wanted him to lay down his arms, if only for a brief time. It was a peaceful gesture, one of mutual understanding. This was why the Bodyguard-turned-Hunter-turned-Bodyguard didn't trust it at all. The bounty placed on his head proved to the Herglic that Kay did not consider him a person with a life, a soul... Which is why he turned it down.

"A noble gesture, but no thank you. For all I know, you could have your sniper friend out in those woods." Ghorua let his eyes trace up towards the sky, heralding the Darth's approach. "Besides, I have bigger guns."

Ghorua waited as Orcus left the dropship, flanked by two of his fellow employees. The similarity between Ghorua and Darth Orcus was stunning. Same armor, same dark, swimming eyes, same toothy smile. Ghorua may have looked more physically imposing than Orcus at a first glance, but the genetically modified whale regarded his boss as much more than an equal. Orcus was nigh unstoppable, with enormous strength, and a tactical mind. In Ghorua's mind, there was no better leader. Ghorua gave Kay and Raxis a knowing smile, mirroring Orcus. Whatever you do with this information... It's on you.

"Milady. Orcus. And..." Ghorua took a cursory look at Gray. "Kay's replacement bodyguard. Shall we congregate inside, away from the... elements." Ghorua scanned the trees, looking for the glint of armor, or the flash of blaster fire. He wasn't entirely sure that Kay had come almost alone. Then again, she did only have one guard when he and Valentine had captured her.

Ghorua ducked into the cabin, expecting his gathering to follow, his heavy steps making the wood creak under him. The area inside was spacious, the root going up 4 meters, tall enough so that Ghorua wouldn't have to duck. He had chosen this cabin for this purpose. It was also far away from civilization, so that innocents wouldn't get gunned down if things got ugly.

Taking a left, Ghorua found himself in the kitchen, a large table in the middle of the room. In the center of the table rested Kay's satchel. It had MOST of the items still in it from the time he took it from his mark. All it was missing was a few healthy doses of tea, and... her lightsaber. The weapon had been used to make Trident, and if Kay inquired, she would most likely see the saberstaff on his bandolier. He hoped that the bag had enough sentimental value in it to have Kay drop the bounty, but he doubted it. She'd want her saber, something the Shark didn't have, or want, to offer. If this didn't work, there were other ways to go about dropping the bounty. Ways that Ghorua didn't want this to go, but he was tired of his life getting karked by someone with the nerve to attack him, hiding behind a million credits worth of bounty and bad blood.

​"A gift, in hopes that our negotiations don't end in mutual annihilation."

- [member="Darth Orcus"] - [member="Gray Raxis"] - [member="Lady Kay"] - [member="Graaf Zalec"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

At the sound of the dropship, for a brief moment she thought that it would be her brother, [member="James Justice"] . But as it drew closer, she came to realize that it wasn't. A sinking feeling came at the pit of her stomach as she saw [member="Darth Orcus"] and his escort. Just what did she get herself into now? Kay looked to [member="Gray Raxis"] and mouthed, 'Oh boy....' before turning her attention to Orcus and bowing her head to him. "I would rather have met in more favourable circumstances. Yet I hope that the outcome is far more favourable."

She looked to [member="Ghorua the Shark"] as he spoke and denied her request. She noticed him looking to the trees and mentioning snipers. It was odd that he treated her as though she was the bad guy. He caught her, mistreated her, lied to her and then stole her stuff. Her only faults were trying to bite his thumb in an attempt to get out of his grip, and then try to get her stuff back.

Kay followed him inside. "Only Gray is with me. My brother James knows of this meeting, but I'm not sure if he would be coming. I figured that arriving with as little danger to you as possible would help things transgress more smoothly."

Once they got into the kitchen her eyes spotted the satchel immediately. She hurried towards it and picked it up, bringing it up to her nose to smell it. Yes, she smelled it. It was her best way to work out if it was fake or not. "Is everything in here?" She started to go through it, knowing her inventory all by heart. And of course her lightsaber was missing. "Thank you for....keeping it safe. But where is my lightsaber? My late husband made it for me. This satchel was his, but the lightsaber was his gift to me....Where is it?"

 

[Gray Raxis]

Gray listened to [member="Ghorua the Shark"] speak about a sniper being in the woods as he declined the gesture of good faith. He was paranoid that there was more than two of them here for this meeting and that they were up to something. It seems he didn't know much about [member="Lady Kay"] at all. He smirked as he heard the engines of the ship landing. The herglic was trying to use intimidation to avoid violence in this situation which was a sure sign of desperation, but that didn't exactly mean the two of them were any better off right now. He watched as the crew on the ship stepped out. As [member="Darth Orcus"] introduced himself, Gray had to admit that Ghorua had brought a pretty big fish into this small pond. After the newcomer finished speaking, Kay greeted him. Gray followed suit and said, " Orcus of Giju? The Orcus of Giju? I've heard about you and your company before and I am impressed. Pleasure to meet you. I am Gray Raxis."

Gray followed the big herglic into the house and watched as Kay rushed over to the table. She picked up her satchel and began to go through it. After she had spent some time checking it out, she suddenly asked about an item missing from it. That item was her lightsaber, which her late husband had made for her. Gray hadn't heard much from Kay about that subject, but he knew how much it meant to her. He could feel a sudden, intense flood of anger at it and with it dark side energy flowed from him that the force sensitive members of this little gathering were sure to feel. He clenched his fist and actively worked to push it back down. It took him a moment, but he managed to do it. After he did, he turned his attention to Ghorua and said, " Where is her saber at Ghorua? It was bad enough you stole her satchel, do not try to make things worse by having messed with her saber. I'd suggest you return it to her immediately." He didn't use a threatening tone of voice so much as a firm one. He wasn't here to intimidate anyone, but he also wasn't about to be intimidated either.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

By Sith standards, Orcus had the patience of a saint, but even his long-suffering sensibilities were sorely tested when matters seemed near boiling point over the loss of a lightsaber. A memento of her late husband? Something to keep him in mind. It made sense that she would react so strongly at its theft. Not because of the misplacement of the item itself, but rather because of what it symbolized. The grief what the greater loss that had occurred. No doubt this was truly the underlying motive behind the wrath that blossomed within both of the hunters.

Even so, Orcus thought it all too petty. Weak. He despised weakness. There was a difference between experiencing strong emotions and being beholden to them. Those who were not the masters of their own emotions soon found the leash taken in other hands. In that way, many Sith had more control over their passions than a Jedi ever could. They did not deny them, but they were not ruled by them either. A balance that Jedi could not hope to achieve by virtue of their abnegation of emotions as a whole.

"Come now, let's not be hasty. Ghorua, do you have the human's saber?"

[member="Gray Raxis"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Lok Xiangu]

The reptile hissed as he smelled the air with his tongue like a cold blooded snake. The odor of the air was overwhelmed by the Herglics, but Dagorn could also smell the the scent of the humans and the sole Karkaradon. The odor of the humans the Herglics were common to his senses, yet he never had the chance to have a sniff of a Karkaradon. The shark had a similar smell that most sea creatures shared, but he could smell that one unique factor of the alien that distinct him from all species. But he didn't care of the odor one had. He was more interested in Jagannath Points, but he would have to restrain himself from killing allies or provoke that his associates were trying to resolve.

The Trandoshan was armed with his SMG from Tenloss, a heavy weapon from Hion's manufacturers, a sword made by a renowned alchemsist, and his armor from Armatech. He was called by his mentor, Hion, to come and help him with a problem that an employee of his was having. By the sound of it, it could potentially result in a firefight and that could give Dagorn some Points from the Scorekeeper.

With the the Herglic commandos he stood with a menacing, sinister look on his face. The face that most zealots shared when wanting for blood and death.

[member="Darth Orcus"], [member="Gray Raxis"], [member="Lady Kay"], [member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua looked first to Orcus, then to Lady Kay A shadow of guilt crossed his face as his smile dropped. He knew that she would be disconcerted at the sight of a missing lightsaber, but he had no idea it was a memento. Plan B was looking better and better, but Ghorua wanted to avoid it at all costs, mostly because it would most likely escalate the situation, and not help anyone. Besides, they were here to make a deal. Perhaps a grief-stricken Kay could still be reasoned with.

"I... I am sorry. It is gone. Everything else is in there, however. Well, besides the tea. I must say, it was quite delectable." Unlike one might think, Ghorua had never experienced loss. The Herglic knew something about being afraid for one's life, but not loss. So far, everyone he knew has managed to survive. He could only guess what was going through the minds of the humans standing across from him.

"I realize that nothing I have to offer will replace this bond you had with your husband, but a lightsaber is only a weapon. He is dead, and no amount of sentiment can change that. But we are still alive, here and now, and for both of our personal safety, I suggest we make a deal." He walked to a nearby closet. "I do not have much to offer, but if there's something you want, don't hesitate to ask."

Ghorua's gaze turned to the Herglic guards. They had stayed at the doorway to the kitchen, and joining them was a Trandoshan. Ghorua found his smile again. A Trandoshan is always good to have in a fight, if it came to that. Ghorua thought he was being reasonable enough. A weapon was just that; a weapon.

- [member="Dagorn"] - [member="Darth Orcus"] - [member="Gray Raxis"] - [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay pulled out a chair for herself at the table and slowly sat down. She furrowed her brows as she digested this news, clenching her jaw in a bid to keep her emotions in check. Her lightsaber was gone forever, and from the way [member="Ghorua the Shark"] reacted, it wasn't gone in the way that it was sold. No. It had to have been destroyed. Her eyes began to brim with tears, but she blinked them back. She did not want to cry in front of these men. Boy, she could use some of her tea right now. For now though, she just held her satchel close.

She listened to Ghorua as he spoke, watching him. For the moment she ignored everyone else. It was odd that he was walking over to the closet. Perhaps he had more weapons in there, or some kind of trap. But she had been trapped by him before and the bounty on her head right now was much smaller than the credits he had already gotten from her capture. Perhaps there was something that he could give her, afterall.

Kay got to her feet and placed her satchel over her shoulder. Despite the missing weight on it, it still felt good to have it again. She signalled to [member="Gray Raxis"] to stay where he was, before slowly walking over to Ghorua, keeping her hands empty and visible. She wanted to be level with the Herglic, which wasn't so easy given that he was almost twice her height now. Looking up at him, she spoke. "If I was dark and evil, I would have destroyed you. Especially as you lied to me after you caught me. I complied with your demands and you denied me the medical attention that I needed. And THEN you broke my ribs. If I did not have the gift to heal some of my multiple wounds, I would have bled to death and you would have gotten less than half of what you were paid for me. And then you stole my possessions and destroyed my lightsaber to top it all off, when I had done nothing to you..." Kay took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. "You said that you don't have much to offer, but are willing to hear my request...." She glanced over to [member="Darth Orcus"] and [member="Dagorn"] , the two of them being an inspiration to her thoughts, before looking up once again to Ghorua. "....What I'd like is for you to owe me a life debt. And I'm not saying right this instant either. For it would be too easy for your boss to send one of your co-workers after me. I'm talking about a real one." She studied Ghorua's reaction. He seemed as though he tried to be honourable. His answer would prove whether or not he was.

 

[Gray Raxis]

Gray remained quiet as [member="Ghorua the Shark"] spoke. He did seem sorry and Gray could not blame him for thinking a lightsaber was only a weapon. Gray had thought the same about them before he had built his own saber Whisper. He placed his hand over it as the affectionate hum come from the crystal that was a constant companion for him now. He knew his crystal was different and unique, but it still didn't change the fact that it was more than just a weapon to force users who put them together. They were a piece of you, an extension of your soul. They resonated with you and were your truest ally. Losing it, especially one that had so much more sentimental value to it for [member="Lady Kay"] was not something he could fully comprehend even being able to feel her emotions when she heard the news.

As Kay gave him the motion to stay, Gray decided it was best to do as she said. She seemed to have a plan and the situation was not in their favor if a fight broke out. He might have been able to get out of their on his own, but he had doubts about that so he knew for a fact he couldn't with Kay being involved. He heard everything she had to say to Ghorua about the life debt. That was a serious thing she was asking for, and it caused him to take a look at [member="Darth Orcus"] and [member="Dagorn"] to get a feel for how they were going to react as well as Ghorua. He really hoped the spark in this giant powderkeg didn't get lit. The situation would not end well at all if it did, and he didn't know if they would make it out alive.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

Orcus snorted out his blow hole, a grin sliding across his features once more at [member="Lady Kay"]'s words. Where that grin came from and why were known only to him. Such is the way of a lord of the Sith.

[member="Gray Raxis"] | [member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua studied Kay as she walked forward. She acted in a non-threatening manner, which only made the Shark more fearful of a surprise. Instead, she spoke. Ghorua found his brow furrowing as she talked, suddenly realizing how such a terrible person he was in her eyes. But the part about him thinking she was dark and evil? That had a basis of truth, although dark and evil are such flexible terms. He had been a little rough, sure, but such is the way of a bounty hunter. Honor was a mask, a persona that someone would put on if they felt high-and-mighty. Conscience was something different.

Ghorua thought about her offer, brow still creased. He looked to his employer, who seemed to be smiling. Strengthening his resolve, Ghorua let his lips part, revealing a slim hint of a smile. "Life debts are serious business. I don't like hopping into one just to get myself out of a clinch." The smile widened, his sharp teeth glinting in the minimal lighting of the cabin. "But, if doing this ends the bounty, I'm down. As long as your brother doesn't fillet me the first chance he gets. First order of business; you need to hire more bodyguards when you go out. One just isn't enough." He looked to Raxis again, seeing the tension on the human's face. He offered a toothy grin, and then glanced back to the diminutive human in front of him.

"You think me a monster, yes? A deceiving, destructive, sadistic beast? Why would you trust me with something like this?" Ghorua's eyes were inquisitive, with hints of suspicion and pity. His mouth still kept up his grin, however. A fake smile, to try to mask the tumultuous emotions wresting for control inside of his massive frame. What were his true emotions right now? At the moment, Ghorua couldn't decide.

- [member="Darth Orcus"] - [member="Gray Raxis"] - [member="Lady Kay"] -