Another Day

[Ballen-Ist]

Planet: Nar Shaddaa
Location: Surprisingly High-Class Nightclub
[member="Zothan Venn"]

It was just another day for Ballen-Ist, on the planet of Nar Shaddaa. Despite it being regulated by the Republic, the young Knight found it easy to sneak on and off of the planet, thanks to the many deceptive smugglers. On this evening however, the pureblood was not in the company of any scum or villainy, or so it seemed. Bright search lights would scrap across Nar Shaddaa's atmosphere, hoping to attract attention to the grand opening that was just now underway. The impressively large, floating structure had just made it's debut, announcing that it was now in business. Of course, Ballen-Ist had not bothered to pry for information, opting to simply buy one of the expensive tickets and see what was so great about the place for himsef.

He had to admit, he was impressed. The Nightclub was broken into three sections, a dining hall, a large dance floor, and the bar of course. Making a mental note to visit the dining hall later on, the Sith would take his time to admire the establishment's interior, for it's walls shined brightly along with the floor, which had also been lined with a luxuriously soft red carpet. Upon entering, Ballen-Ist could not help but notice the many individuals, who seemed to be wearing their finest attire. This place was for the wealthy and the high-class, or perhaps those who had certain connections. Dressed in black clothing reminiscent of a suit, the young Kissai would walk through the corridors, entering the area in which he looked forward to the most. The scent of powerful alcohols floated through the air, while inebriated rich folk chugged down their poison. A shining crystalline chandelier hung from the ceiling, containing several dimmed lights within, that coated the room in a slight darkness. Even so, Ballen-Ist would stand out, for his red complexion was rather noticeable. Taking a few steps forward, he would look around, before concluding that he liked this place.

 

[Cobalt]

Ah, Nar Shaddaa again. Always nice to be on the place to find a good drink. I was simply strolling along in an odd mix of a long red jacket, the armorweave mail, boots, and gauntlets of my armor, and a long-ish party dress. I'd picked a hell of a place to party tonight, it seemed. My passive control of my pheromones eased a little as I stepped into the bar and flashed a smile that probably blinded the poor host at the door.

If anybody noticed the suspicious shape of the handle of my chainsaw sticking out of the collar of my jacket, they ignored it. Weirder things had and would be seen on Nar Shaddaa. One person caught my eye almost immediately. There was a red-skinned man with the markings of a Pureblood wearing a suit and nursing a drink. I walked up and smiled sweetly.

"You look bored, Red.... Need some company?"

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Ballen-Ist had begun to ease right in, almost immediately. The mature looking youth had strolled along the shining floor, making his way into one of the many leather cushioned booths that lined the bar's interior. Serving droids sped around the room consistently, making sure to stop at every customer, in order to take down their orders. Ballen-Ist did not come to such fancy events because they intrigued him, what intrigued him was the occurrences within the event itself. He had been sitting by himself for ten minutes, his extremely dark and overwhelming presence being felt by those of force sensitivity. Even some of the commoners would feel the strange aura, interpreting it only as a ominous sensation. He depended on the passive energy of darkness he carried around to keep the uninteresting away, for they were too afraid to even look in his direction.

Just as the pureblood figured that no fun would come from this evening, he was approached, by [member="Zothan Venn"]. His bright yellow eyes would lock onto her own optics, while his mind worked to enable it's force sense abilities. Reaching out with the force, the Knight could feel the female's force sensitivity, along with her dark aura. Sighing in relief, one of Ballen-Ist's arms would lift into the air, before moving in a sweeping motion towards a seat. He was obviously motioning for her to sit. Once she had done so, he would begin to eye and examine her physical form, noticing a strange protrusion that was slightly obscured by the collar of her jacket. "I can tell things will be far more interesting, now you're here." The smooth skinned Sith would speak, his eyes flaring brightly with potent dark side power. He could tell that she was no regular person, that was more than obvious to him. He wondered what brought her to this establishment. "Do you visit often?" The youth would question, a playful yet sarcastic tone to his voice, seeing as the nightclub had just opened.

 

[Cobalt]

"You know as well as I do that this place is new. And I bet things are going to get interesting with a couple of Knights around."

I grinned at the slightly confused look the man gave me.

"I know you're a Knight, man. The same way you probably already knew I was. Neither of us is weak enough to be an Acolyte anymore, but we're not strong enough to be Lords, either. Plus, the tendrils were a dead giveaway. I've never met a Pureblood that wasn't Force Sensitive in some strong way."

I tilted my head and looked at him a bit more.

"Black suit, red skin, tendrils.... You wouldn't happen to be [member="Ballen-Ist"]?"

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The youth's face would become rather serious, as his eyelids drooped, allowing him to give a half-stare in [member="Zothan Venn"]'s direction. She knew he was a Knight, and what surprised him even more was the fact that she too was a Knight. "No wonder you are able to approach me so calmly," he complimented in a narcissistic fashion, while leaning back in his cushioned seat.

It was good that this new arrival recognized his power, though what disturbed him the most and caused him to adapt such a serious tone was the fact that she knew his name. That just about confirmed that he had a bounty on his head, most likely organized by his former apprentice. Not registering the fact that he could have simply had fans back at the One Sith academy, the youth would sigh in annoyance this time.

"How much exactly is on my head?"

 

[Cobalt]

"Oh, a bounty? That's not what I'm here for, at all. It's my day off, and I'm a heavily armed and armored girl going out for a drink. And you're the red-skinned guy who happens to be sitting across the table from me."

I grinned.

"Who has to know? It's Nar-frakking-Shaddaa. There are people with billions of credits on their heads that walk around here every day. Why don't we just pretend we're having a nice drink, and shut up about the Sith for a bit. After all, you do have some friends among them."

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The look in Ballen-Ist's eyes would lighten, as his mood became more relaxed. Perhaps she wasn't after his bounty after all. Even while visiting fancy places like this, the young Sith knew that he could not let his guard down. The serious look that had plastered itself across the Knight's smooth facial features would disperse, a slight smile taking it's place as [member="Zothan Venn"] spoke.

It was pleasant, to have company that seemed to not be obsessed with the One Sith. "Some friends, you say?" The youth would question, while craning his neck slightly to the side. He watched as one of the server droids approached, asking in it's mechanical voice as to what they preferred to drink. In response, Ballen-Ist would simply look to the female, rolling his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. He didn't care, and would allow Zothan to buy whatever she desired, even if it were the most expensive beverage. The insides of his suit were lined with several credit chits, all that possessed a formidable amount of credits. "Did your friends tell you my name, or did you magically figure that out?" He questioned, still curious as to how she knew about him.

 

[Cobalt]

I grinned wider and waved my hand across my face, and laughed.

"It's a secret, cutie. I haf my vays."

I looked around for a waiter, and I looked back at [member='Ballen-Ist'].

"Seriously, though, I'm hungry. Do these guys serve ribs?"

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Ballen-Ist's brow would furrow, his smile still splayed across his face. It hid mild disappointment, for he truly wanted to know how [member="Zothan Venn"] had found out his name.

"Perhaps you can tell me your name, before the flirting initiates, hm?," the youth queried, his smile becoming a toothy grin. The server droid that had arrived placed several glasses upon their table. With a single sniff, the boy could tell that this was a powerful, and expensive liquor. Probably from the planet Seishoka, a major exporter of the "spirits," so to say.

The young Knight would hold back his amusement, as he listened to her comment on ribs. It seemed she were a woman of more...Basic tastes. From one of the kitchen doorways, the pureblood would spot a waiter, beckoning the man over before he made his way into the dining hall. The waiter would approach cautiously, looking over the red skinned youth hesitantly. "Fetch me your finest "ribs," peasant." The Sith would command, watching as the employee backed up, in a rather confused fashion.

 

[Cobalt]

"Name's Zothan, or Zoth, or even Z. I'm not very picky. Except about drinks, and weapons. Those are the important things. Strong booze, and sharp blades."

I grinned and took a sip of a sour-tasting drink that looked like it was probably champagne.

"That's gotta be a new one, right? I mean, a lot of the other Sith ladies are either tarts or sociopaths... The only one of those I really understand is Balaya, that Zeltron Lady. Calls herself the Emperor's Bust. I almost snorted whiskey the first time I heard her refer to herself that way."

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The pureblood's head would nod back and forth, as he listened to [member="Zothan Venn"]. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Zothan. It is nice to see there are still those out there with more refined tastes," he spoke, reaching forward with his hand. Grasping the glass of liquor, the youth would take a large swig, enjoying the burning sensation he felt as the liquid ran down his throat.

The pureblood never went anywhere without a weapon. He had been raised to use blades at a young age, and enjoyed carrying his own around. The sheathed sword he carried was tucked away along his back, his skin feeling the cold metal as he pressed himself against the cushioned bench.

The young Knight had never encountered anyone by the name of Balaya, though he imagined they possessed two interesting 'personalities.' Ballen-Ist would smirk slightly at her remarks, before speaking up himself, "Do you have a title?"

 

[Cobalt]

"Title? No... I was told I should think of a name for myself as a Knight, like Darth Whatnot, but there's nothing that fits me..."

I grinned at the red man.

"Why? What's yours?"

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

"All Knights should have a title that reflects upon themselves," the pureblood would comment, allowing his gaze to lower and examine the female. He couldn't tell what species she was, for the only distinctive marking upon her was the strange tattoo-looking scar. Or was it the other way around?

The Knight's head would shake from side to side in playful disappointment, as he spoke once more to [member="Zothan Venn"], "My title? And here I was, thinking you were the expert." The youth would smirk, furrowing a brow curiously in her direction. He still wanted to know how she knew about him. Though, at this point, the most amusing thing to the Knight was the fact that he did not even have a title either.

 

[Cobalt]

"I am the expert... There's nothing in your file to suggest a title... At all. And I see you trying to figure out what species I am."

I grinned.

"I'll give you a hint: I have a layer of skin under the surface... That's the pink mark on my face. I have one pale layer, and one pink layer. What does that tell you?"

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

"Bravo, detective," Ballen-Ist would remark, clapping briefly before relaxing his arms by his side. During his time in the New Order and One Sith, the Knight had never taken the time to dawn a Darth title.

Listening to her hint, the young Knight would simply become far more confused, not exactly sure as to what she was talking about. Two layers of skin? Perhaps she was a hybrid. "Not much, to be honest." Ballen-Ist would state, still unable to figure out where she hailed from. The only pink skinned alien he could reference were Zeltrons, while pale skinned beings were literally everywhere. "Come now, cease with the teasing," he spoke, before continuing, "You know of my origin, it's only fair to grace me with your own."

 

[Cobalt]

"Fine... You're right, by the way... I am half Zeltron."

I smiled as the handsome red-skinned man across from me took the hint to shield his mind better.

"But see if you can guess the other half..."

And I released a cloud of pheromones that was far too strong for either a Zeltron or a Falleen. [member="Ballen-Ist"]'s expression changed.

"... And from your face, I think you probably can."

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The overwhelmingly powerful scent of pheromones would drift across the table, before assaulting the young Sith's senses. Even if he could shield himself from her empathy abilities, there was little he could do against the pheromones.

Even as the sweet scent wafted into his nose, the pureblood would attempt to keep himself calm, harnessing the dark side in order to bolster his willpower. Either way, Ballen-Ist was affected, finding [member="Zothan Venn"] far more attractive than before.

"I should have known all along. You are rather aesthetically pleasing, after all." He found himself saying, referring to the Falleen's reputation for beauty. The young Knight had never encountered a pheromone user before, and figured it would be quite the exciting challenge. Or maybe that was just the pheromones thinking for him.

 

[Cobalt]

"Aw, thanks. But it's okay... I almost never really use the pheromones unless I'm in real trouble. They drain too much of my energy unless I keep them on a nominal level while I'm awake. But I'm really hungry, now... So, I hope that food comes soon. Not that I mind talking to you."

I took a sip of the whiskey again. It was still tart, but the scent of my pheromones dulled the taste a bit.

"You're probably the most sane Sith I've met, so far."

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Most sane? Ballen-Ist's brow would once more furrow, as he listened quietly while [member="Zothan Venn"] spoke. He wondered if that was a good or bad thing. Finding it strangely hot, the young Knight would take off his expensive jacket, leaning back into the cushion while wearing a white collared dress shirt. It was accompanied with a long tie, that had almost sharp looking edges, that resembled spikes.

"Is that so? What exactly makes me sane?" Ballen-Ist would question, while looking across the table. With an unwavering gaze, the pureblood would reach forward, and down his alcoholic beverage in one go. All the while, he distracted himself with thoughts of his past, doing his best to resist the pheromones. It was difficult, though he hoped to manage. Certain incidents would flash in his mind, ones that would not place him in the category of sane to most people.

"I believe it is best to remain civilized in public, don't you?"

 

[Cobalt]

"Yeah, but a lot of the Sith seem to think that spouting sycophantic crap about the greatness of the Dark Side is civilized and expected. I mean, cool the hell off. That's an interesting tie, by the way. Very... spiky."

I took a sip of my cognac and continued.

"If you can hold in that much emotion, and that much total one-mindedness and still look and act as normal as you do now, you're sane in my book. I know you don't consider yourself sane... But by comparison, I think you are."

I smiled at [member="Ballen-Ist"], and looked over my glass at him.

"Are you really that overheated? Or is that my fault?"