Public Denonmania

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Denon, seven corners
Equipment: Antique blaster and himself
Objective: Watching the show and waiting for an opportunity to present itself

(Enter Shikari - Marionettes 1, the discovery of strings)

Tonight wasn't any normal night in Denon, according to whispers on the streets the grandest event on the underground fight scene had been scheduled for this evening. All the top fighters on the planet and invited participants would be in attendance, all eager to fight their way to a 10000 credit cash prize that brought them all here in the first place. Everyone knew it was happening, but where it was located would be the real mystery. Cartri wouldn't be able to find it himself, but he knew who would. Ever since her disappearance and eventual return Xan Deesa had left her computer and old datapad to pick up dust in the apartment, so it was only a matter of time before he got curious and smart with the things he had before him.

Breaking into Xan's account took a while, mainly because of her paranoid five layer security she put on them. But thankfully, after putting Xan's own teachings to work he finally managed to break through to the starting screen of her datapad. Other things like her file section were methodically protected through ways he didn't understand, something of which showed his former mentor was not a fool to teach him every trick she knew. Nonetheless, he wasn't here to dig through her secrets, all he wanted was some kind of invite, anything that would point him in the right direction. During his time with her, Xan knew a lot of shady people. They of course were not the best aliens in the galaxy, but they provided a lot of valuable connections to people that could be useful. Through that, his wish was granted. After posing as Xan for a few short minutes he wasn't expecting such a quick reply. His answer came from a cybernetic expert who owed her a favor, for what he didn't dare ask, but it was good enough for him to share a pinpoint location of the event.

Dressing up in a grey jumper and jeans he walked his way through the ever cold streets of Denon, journeying to the seven corners in search of this grand spectacle. He had gone to a few fight club events since he had arrived on this depressing planet, some were with Xan to experience fight up close while others were by himself to make a bit of extra cash by messing with a few things to go his way. However, Cartri had never been to a bigger event than this.

Double checking the location on his datapad he came to a stop next to a short stairwell, one that led down to a metallic door with no handle. From the looks of things, you could only open it with a master key or from the inside, nasty work for whoever dared to break in. Tucking the device backing into his jumper he walked down the steps and hit the door three times, trying to gain the attention of whoever was guarding on the other side. It took a few moments, but eventually, a pair of eyes appeared through a thin slit of glass and peered down to the teen with judging eyes. Hesitantly, the door clanked open to let him in, before shutting as quickly as it happened. Leaving him inside with a no nonsense Duros who seemingly stared into his soul

"Weapons on the table..." he grumbled, his face slowly leaning closer behind Cartri as he placed the antique blaster down like requested "And just a warning little man, you cause any trouble in there and I'll have no hesitation in throwing you back out face first..." the alien warned, leaving Cartri to look back and hesitantly nod in agreement in order to please the grumpy slime "Now go, get out of my sight"

Not really taking the words into consideration he walked past the guard and headed to the underground arena, where the first few participants of the thirty fighters all out brawl were about to take place. The arena was packed with everyone from all walks of the planet, including some ominous people in the rafters who didn't want to be known. Considered to be the VIPs, they wore intimidating and priceless masks to hide their identity, covering themselves from any recognition from the outer public. Whoever they were, it was clear they weren't just here to sip on some space juice and watch people beat each other to a pulp. But at the end of the day, it wasn't any of his business or concern.

After finally dragging his gaze away from them he decided to find himself a seat. Considering it was busy, there were still a lot of seats available to choose from, especially from the back. Choosing view over comfort, he placed himself down on the backbenches and watched the two fighters fight for the crowd's approval. The fighting area itself was spacious, considering there could be six fighters at once battering each other at some point. With metallic walls and concrete pillars littering the battlefield, there was barely any room for comfort.

"Hmph... These two are more boring than a grazing Nerf" He grumbled to himself, hoping an opportunity would present itself to really kickstart his evening. ​

 

[Hacks]

Hacks wound her way through the dense crowd. She was fighting tonight. After the tourists had frozen her accounts and seized her apartment, she was running dry on creds. She wasn't sure how she was going to deal with the situation. She thought she had escaped that part of her life. She recalled grimly there was once a saying among among the gang. No one leaves the Red Ravens. You can try, run as far as you can, as long as you can. But one day, when you think you're safe. There will come a knock at your door, and when you open that door you will only have enough time to wish you never had.

She remembered the day he came for her. He believed he had killed her, but she was hardier than that. Perhaps if she was still more human, less cyborg, she would have died. She left the rows of seats where the crowd were baying for blood. As she met with the other fighters, she couldn't help but notice an outline across the arena. Her heart knotted, stomach sank. She felt as if she had just been dropped from a cloudcutter. It was him, the Hammerhead.

His presence was as equally threatening as his reputation. He towered over the other fighters at seven foot tall. Powerful cybernetic legs. His head concealed in a hammerhead shaped helm that finned out on either side. Two red slits projected from the faceplate. He wasn't here for the prize. He was here for her. She looked back over her shoulder, wondering if she could back out and run but it was too late. Armed guards secured the exits. Once you signed up, there was no retreating.

Her head surveyed the crowd, scanning for anyone that could perhaps help. Then she saw someone else. He was older than she remembered, but it had been almost twenty years. His hair swept back smoothly, an immaculate suit and impeccable jawline. He was handsome for a former shock boxer and kingpin. Lysle of the Hydian Way. Once the most feared crime lord in the galaxy, his Ravens had taken out the Black Suns at the height of their supremacy and supplanted the Hutt Cartel, ruling Nar Shaddaa with an iron fist. In past years he had faded into obscurity, pulling strings from the dark. What the hell was he doing here?

Then she was being herded into the arena.

 

[Callista Volpe]

Volpe was scanning the crown rather than the match. She had her own sparring to do. When she finally found her dance partner she extinguished her cigarette and made her way down through the rows of spectators.

He was sat near the front row, flanked on each side by bodyguards who had squeezed themselves into jackets. The man was a human, eating something that had once been a thing but was now just a vessel for molten cheese.

Volpe sat down and tapped the back of his plastic chair with her toe. The two bodyguards bristled and she kicked the chair.

One of them turned to her. "Touch the chair again and I break your karking ankles."

A wave of one hand from their master and they both sat down and faced the fight.

"What do you want Volpe?" asked Desario Vaan in a disinterested voice.

Callista Volpe was in the recovery arm of Argus Insurance Inc. They worked with many major corps on Denon to insure their assets. When assets were stolen there was a simple equation. If the payout was higher than the cost of burning the underworld to the ground to recover the stolen goods then they started lighting fires.

Callista was one of the vanguard investigators of that arm. Nose to the ground. Before joining the firm she had been an investigator with the Obsidian Order. Before that she had been a common street rat. So had Vaan. In another life their had briefly been lovers.

HHe was now one of the most renowned credit launderers in the underworld.

"There was a recent bank heist. You moved some of the money stolen."

"I would be unaware of such a thing," he replied without even looking over his shoulder. His attention to her request had gone as far as pausing his meal.

"I'm going to tell you something Desario and then you're going to give me names. I'm going to tell you who those credits belonged to."

Callista leaned forwards, lips brushing his ear as she whispered into it. He went very pale. On Denon, the difference between feared criminal organisation and corporate juggernaut was simply a matter of scale.

 

[Ryan Riverlight]

Ryan had heard something about Denon a long time ago. His master had mentioned it when he was still apart of the jedi order whatever it was called now. He sighed thinking about it, such things were lost now as he was keeping away from major powers.

Denon however was still a power seat for many corporations, it was almost worse than Coruscant especially in the lower levels. A very seedy underbelly, Darkwire an underground group apposing the cooperation was interesting. Word was the corporations here ran unchecked doing whatever they felt like and darkwire was one of the few groups doing much of anything.

The last gang he had dealt with was dealing some very dangerous deathsticks. Some of it had been spent here to someone who had continued the production of it. He hadn't found where it was yet but thankfully there was gonna be a large underground tournament and he had gotten his hands on the details of where.

He masked up threw a cloak on and left most of his weapons in his x-wing. He did however grab his EC-17 Hold-out blaster hiding on himself in a place that wouldn't be searched and also keeping his lightsabre in parts. Arriving at a metal door he knocked until he saw a slot open as a pair of eyes looked down on him.

The door was opened by a Duros who was looking Ryan all over. "Any weapons?" Ryan shook his head being careful not to respond by voice in case it gave anything away. The Duros then searched him all over finding a few pieces pulling them out. "What are these?" Ryan looked at him and said "Parts to a hydrospanner. I want something to do if the fighters get boring."

The Duros looked at him for a moment longer before nodding and handing it back. "Alright but if you cause trouble I am throwing you out." Ryan nodded heading further into arena, finding a space to sit Ryan flickered his eyes down to the arena. It seemed like someone was currently fighting but he was more looking for someone he might recognise.

Looking around he spotted a familiar looking couple. A Twi'lek man and a Nautolan woman. He could swear they were the two from the rooftop back in Coruscant but they had been almost crushed when the roof fell in. Or so he thought but then again he didn't really check the bodies and well the undercity police were less than helpful when he'd asked.

 

[Ivory Stroud]

Pay the fee. Take the ride.

Ivory was eye to eye with the Duros guardian at the door, speaking in his native tongue of Durese as she gained entry to the nondescript warehouse she'd heard so much about. The Duros paid no mind to the few items she had in her possession; easily overlooking her P-Series Lighter with it's hidden taser and limited-use EMP and The Journeyman's Knife concealed in her boot. She'd actually made him start with her use of his language (failing to elicit a change in his personality, however), and she'd fast-talked her way into the building from there. If necessary, she could ditch the knife... but the lighter was an old friend, and had ridden with her through many trips into the dark.

As she walked through the dark hallways, she brushed a strand of black hair behind her pierced ear, catching the sound of many voices screaming for blood. The smell of many bodies, crammed into a confined space, made her nose wrinkle. The staircase below was stained with blood and countless old liquids of unknown origin, and she deftly avoided a dark spill on the last step.

Before her lay a throng of shapes, and the din of voices became almost deafening. The raven-haired beauty tucked her hands in the pockets of her coat and moved easily into the crowd, shoving her way past those who stubbornly refused to allow her past. The fire in her violet eyes flashed more than once in unspoken violence, convincing any who turned toward her in anger to mind their better judgement. She showed no fear.

Winding her way to the bar area, she found herself a space at the makeshift serving area and held up two fingers with a credit chit between them. She waited, patiently, until the bartender (a human male with a bald head and a scar bisecting his left eye) caught her gaze and approached.

"What?" He said. Clearly, his manners had taken the day off.

"A measure of Xcel Brandy, topped off with Starfruit juice on the rocks." She said loud enough to be heard, meeting his eye with an equal lack of emotion.

The bartender nodded, snatching the credit from her fingers and returning a few moments later with her drink. With a twist on her heel, she walked away from the bar, swaying her hips as she did so. She didn't notice him staring after her for a moment before returning to his work.

Ivory found a seat, conveniently on the same row as Cartri Keswoll , crossing her legs in a lady-like fashion and sipping her drink. She did a double-take, then took another sip... She'd have to pay the bartender double, on the next round. It was perfect.

The woman glanced about, allowing herself to sink into the chaos around her and become one with it. She'd brought enough to place a decent bet or two, and was looking for whomever might be wandering the aisles offering such a service.