Gimme Shelter [Antarian Rangers]

[Zef Halo]

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Billyray's Bar, Iziz
Onderon

Immediately after the events of Resident Evils...

After their hellish adventure on Dxun, Amon and Kenth returned to Onderon for a necessary drink at a local bar where quite some Rangers had taken to visiting during their deployment on Onderon. The duo came back from the jungles of the moon a lethal lady going by the name of [member="Ella Louka"].

Billyray's bar may have sounded as the most humanocentric establishment this side of the galaxy, but there were still quite a few aliens around. The bar itself was nowhere near the royal standards of the capital, quite the opposite. Dirty walls, dirty booze and dirty patrons. Rangers didn't mind it at all. The cheaper the booze, the more the drinking!

For all of its unpleasant nature, Amon appreciated the fact the bar served ne'tra gal, the traditional Mandalorian black ale. Still retaining a bit of the Mandalorian influence over the years. Sure, the thing the bartender served him was did not nail the taste of the ne'tra gal but it came close. At least, as close as the beverage made this far from Mandalore could be.

Sitting at the bar, the captain could hear Rangers chattering loud, laughing loud and generally overwhelming the bar with their presence. Some talked about how many rupings they had killed, others talked about previous battles, while some even shared their impatience of striking the Sith menace.

What escaped Amon's notice was the local patrons, who were far more silent than usual. Onderon, since its existence, had been infamous for its long profound link with the Sith. The Onderon royal dynasty shared direct lineage with King Ommin and thus Freedon Nadd. To many the call for the Silvers protection spat on the world's traditions, its past and its honor. Beneath these patrons' silence was brewing a tempest, a tempest they could not control any longer.

"I still think it's funny she saved your shebs." Amon glanced at Ella then back at Kenth. He tried humor. Something not really a strength of his.

[member="Kenth Typho"] | [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Tulan Kor"] | [member="Rupert Kingswood"] | [member="Allura Kahli"] | [member="Nesota Kynnovan"]​

 

[Luc Rivers]

She had to admit, the beer was good as she took a long draft from the bottle. Far better than the swill she was used to before her displacement. Ella’s mind trailed off to that far way place, wondering just what had become of the people she used to know, wondered if any of them had fallen through the crack in the ‘firmament’. Buggered if she knew how she ended up here, among these Rangers. But at least she was out of the god forsaken jungle.

A poorly timed scoff had her almost choke on the beer as Amon spoke, “Saved your arse as well”, if that is what the word shebs meant. She did consider an alternative meaning however, the thought produced a grin.

Ella half turned in her seat, throwing a glance over the rest of the rangers in the bar, “So who are these Silvers, I hear some talk about?”. It had not even been a year since Ella was back in the galaxy from Netherworld, and she had kept away from populated planets or news feeds. It was a slow process, getting used to the vastness of the place, not to mention the lack of common knowledge.

There seemed to be others in the bar not connected to the rangers, their clothing telling her that, and the stares, bodies tense for whatever reason. Ella caught one of them watching her, and she didn’t shy away from eye contact but rather gave him a ‘what are you lookin at’ shift of her chin. He didn’t seem to appreciate that.

[member="Amon Vizsla"]​

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Ella Louka"] | [member="Amon Vizsla"]

On Kenth's part he was sitting casually.

Feet kicked up on the table. Cigarette clenched between his teeth and already smoking up. A drink in hand, lazily held. Any barrack-etiquette was far from his mind. "She can save my arse any time of the day." Puff, draw, puff puff, sip. Sip mooooooore. A mmmm there. Oh, it was a chitty drink all things considered, but after that gorram mess over at Dxun this was basically heaven. Good friends, a stiff cold drink in the hand and a smoke. Is there really anything more a man needed?

That question made him blink though.

Sure, he already picked up on the fact that Ella wasn't exactly in touch with new events, but. The Silver Jedi Order had existed over ... two decades now and running?

"We a bunch of hippies and tree-huggers tryin' to make the Galaxy a tad brighter." A yawn there, shifting slightly. "Coalition of worlds protected by the Silver Jedi Order, represented in the Assembly." A smirk there. "We are, whatcha may call, the good ones."

If the undercurrent of resentment had been a silent tempest before? Now it was quickly approaching a tsunami. The grumblings starting there, spurred on by Typho's loud and carrying voice. For an Intelligence Officer he did not seem to notice the effect his words had on the crowd. Or perhaps he deigned it unworthy of his attention. Sometimes the man was difficult to gauge.

"More like a band o' cowards. Squatting on worlds they got no place in."

A low voice hissed in response after a while.

Typho looked up. It was the neighbor of the guy Ella had been eyed up by. Some of the other Rangers around them stiffened at that hiss. The immediate events of Mirial and past were still sensitive to some.

"Easy, lads." Another yawn there, but Amon could see it. A tension around Kenth's shoulders. He might have been proposing peace, but the Captain was already gearing up for something else entirely. "-they ain't worth our attention. Have another drink, eh?" Kenth sipped from his glass himself. But he shifted, getting his feet on the ground there.

 

[Tulan Kor]

It was always the short little bastards that you had to watch out for.

Big, bulky guys, oh you knew what they were gonna do, you know how they were gonna fight.

But guys like Tulan, low and to the ground?

Hell, they could go a million different directions.

And the fact that Tulan, from across the bar, moved across from his seated position (disrupting the bar patrons while he regaled them the story of how he beat a Jedi in a game of Pazaak at Silver Rest for their robes), to their table, pulled up a chair, and laid his hand on the table-

All in a matter of seconds, and without making a single karking sound- all those factors, well.

They just scared the crap out of these guys.

Tulan leaned forward, and spoke. He spoke very quietly. Pupils dilated. Drinks and coats were gathered. And people moved. Tulan stopped one, grabbing him by the shirt. This was the only audible thing that the Rangers could hear, and maybe it was on purpose. Tulan had a reputation for being unpredictable- this only was going to add to the mystique, the intrigue of the Senior Enlisted in the Rangers. Tulan was in charge of training and selection mostly, a few operational capacities now and again, but lately he'd taken to a stronger leadership role.

Explained why he shaved the beard.

So a power play once and a while was necessary, beneficial.

"I ever catch you speaking to any member of the Silvers like that again, I'll handle you."

That was true. Tulan was known to handle people at his own free will.

Ask the street gang after they pieced up that girl. Well, ask anyone who knew them, at least.

He let the guy go, and the disruptive and upset men walked off very quickly. In reality, Tulan gave them a reality check. He told them who he was, where he'd been, and what units he had been with. The Sith were well known around here. The One Sith were known for their brutality. But he was a member of their Recon teams, their Special Forces units.

Also the people that crept into your house in the middle of the night, and stole dissenters. Nobody wanted a repeat of that threat here. But he also told that their Commander was a Mandalorian, and that'd killed a lot of people between Tulan and Amon alone- he didn't even know the other guy, really- the new officer, the intel guy. But he was a Ranger.

So that was enough for Tulan.

Tulan picked up his drink and went back to the patrons that were listening to his story earlier. All in all, the sequence of events took less than a minute. But Tulan made big moves here.

Nobody karks with the Rangers and gets away with it.

"So anyways, this dumbass lays down a minus three and I'm lookin' at my new bathrobe..."

[member="Kenth Typho"] l [member="Ella Louka"] l [member="Amon Vizsla"] l​

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

"A watering hole fit for a soldier's salary!"

That's what the word had been around boot camp when he'd first landed on Kashyyyk over a year ago, but he'd never actually bothered to show up for any of the weekly recruit parties. He was still acclimatizing to being so far away from home that going drinking with a bunch of people he didn't know did not sound very appealing. Besides, he didn't relish the thought of spending what little he earned on booze, not when living in a world that seemed to place monetary worth above all else. Quite the opposite from Midvinter, so devoid of all forms of currency.

Following his promotion however, he learned that NCO's did earn a bit more than the common soldier and thus felt he could afford spending some of it alongside his brothers. Can't stay cooped up in his assigned quarters all weekend, can he now?

There was [member="Tulan Kor"], unmistakable in stature and generally foul mood. "Gunny," he greeted him while tossing his jacket over his shoulder. It was odd seeing all these people he'd come to know out of their uniforms, or at the very least not on duty. "Don't believe everything the man says," he cautioned whoever it was Tulan was talking to. "A lot of it is bullchit." A light fistbumb on his old sergeant's shoulder followed, though chances were the man would take offense to being touched. By now a sort of harsh love had developed between the two, built on their mutual respect for one another.

Moving on towards the bar, he took a seat and waved the barkeep over. "You wouldn't happen to serve any mead in this establishment, would you?" The barkeep snorted and spat tobacco into a well-placed bucket. "Ah yes, I see..." he nodded sagely to mock the level of intelligence the man had just displayed, though it seemed even this passed him by. "I'll just have a... ugh, Coci-Cola." He could not believe his own brother turned their mother's name into a brand of soda. What's next, McThurion burger at McYoda's? He had to confess he did enjoy the taste of its sugary sweetness, though.

The night was still very young - there would be time for stronger stuff later on.

Just over there were Captains [member="Amon Vizsla"] and [member="Kenth Typho"], the latter of whom he had yet to meet in person but recognised around the Silver Rest. The woman they were with must be a new addition.

[member="Ella Louka"]​

 

[Zef Halo]

Amon did not want to agree with Ella's statement, Mandalorians possessed an irritatingly high ego which some thought drove them to reckless feats. What he did agree with was Kenth's odd but on point description of the Silver Jedi even if he did not understand half of the words the intelligence captain uttered. The fact Ella was unaware of the Silver Jedi escaped him as usual the Mandalorian seemed to be oblivious to such obvious details.

"More like a band o' cowards. Squatting on worlds they got no place in."

Kenth's tensed shoulders led to Amon's frown and followed with Tulan's growl sent the problematic lads out of the cantina with their tails between their legs...or so everyone thought. After which the short corporal was back to telling tales of his, some exaggerated according to Thirdas' nab and everything seemed normal. Vizsla thought so too, Kenth - probably not. The man was an intelligence captain and catching the invisible was his job. Some even said Typho was blessed with the sixth sense, others even muttered among each that he was sensitive to the Force. To the Mandalorian it hardly mattered.

He took a sip of the ale and all hell broke loose, as possibly Kenth might've anticipated.

The doors snapped open with a bang and a gang of thugs stormed the establishment attacking everything in their sight. Rangers, patrons, the bartender, locals and droid serving staff, tables, chairs. Everything. The extremely small sized establishment became an incredibly intimate gladiator arena where even a soldier's skills would be tested due to the lack of space.

The assailants were either unarmed or wielding batons and brass knuckles but nothing sharp. Yet.

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] [member="Ella Louka"] [member="Tulan Kor"] [member="Kenth Typho"]​

 

[Luc Rivers]

Kenth’s briefing on Silver Jedi, was brief. However, his white knuckles as his fists curled was more telling, not so much about the Jedi, but the sudden shift in tension in his body, and the room itself. Nothing complimentary was said from either party but what do you expect in a room full of men with nothing to do but pick a fight especially if fuelled by ‘rocket fuel’, which was the local drink. A few more Rangers entered the establishment, not that it could be called that, it was more a make shift hut made from whatever could be found.

It remindered her of home, even the stench of stale sweat, cheap liquor and dirt. There was only one thing missing. Blood.

The doors thuddered open, inviting in a group of thugs, that, for whatever reason, had determine to smash the place up. Maybe they didn’t like booze, maybe they didn’t like fun, maybe they didn’t like living. Mayhem broke out, like a match striking phosphorus and burned hard and fast from the start.

Ella sat and took a long drink from the beer bottle, chugging it back relishing the coolness on her throat, she let out a long ahh of satisfaction, before flipping in on end and hurling it across the room, hitting one of the thugs right between the eyes, smashing it all over his face. He went down like a sack of sh… blood pouring out of his nose.

Now it was like home. And finally, this place was starting to become interesting.

She pulled her legs up to her chest just as a body flew across the small table knocking empty bottles and glasses to the floor. Ella stood up, only to be struck in the back of the head by someone lining up for a round house punch and delivering it to some poor sap. What was left of the table leg, she picked up for a weapon, and connected with some thug around to launch at Amon from behind.

The thug had a hard head, her connection did little to stop him, only served to gain her his attention. He was built like a fridge, thick neck and probably his brain as well. Fine…

"Big man wanna take down a girl huh?", she grinned, so had not noticed but she was the only one in the place.

[member="Amon Vizsla"] | [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Tulan Kor"] | [member="Kenth Typho"]​

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

https://youtu.be/0p79IBaksXU​

You know what? This stuff ain't too bad. Sure, the name is garbage when you realise the creator literally just took his mother's name and put it on a sticker, but it makes sense commercially to have an easy-to-say name for your product. Co-ci-co-la. Easy enough to say, even for small children. For Thirdas, he felt like the evening might turn out a nice, relaxing night with his fellow Rangers--

Welp, spoke too soon.

In what seemed to be a blink of an eye, the place went from quiet to up in arms, as apparently some gang of hooligans decided to wreck the place and, for some reason, teach the Ranger patrons a lesson in manners? It wasn't very clear, but hey, he'd seen less excuse for a tavern brawl back home many times.

By the time it broke out, Thirdas was still sat chugging down the last of his soda, enjoying the sugary sweetness. People were getting tossed over the counter on either side of him, yet no-one seemed to want to bother the giant blonde in the room. Quite rude, to be honest.

"Ah, to hell with it," he finally said turned on his bar stool to watch the mayhem going on around him. The young woman appeared capable of going up against the worst and come out on top, but even she seemed a tad outclassed by the huge brute standing before her.

Calmly stepping through the chaos towards the nearest table, Thirdas picked the whole thing up and swung at the large fellow. The surface of the table connected with his wide backside, hard enough to shatter the boards and send splinters flying everywhere. The guy stumbled about for a moment, long enough to turn and see who it was that had attacked him, only to fall to the floor unconscious.

The next moment a couple more thugs turned on him, one of whom even got a punch in which connected with his jaw. Thirdas laughed. "Come on, you can do better than that!" The other guy threw a punch, only this time Thirdas caught it in his palm, and before the thug could pull away he'd trapped the hand inside his closed fist, applying just enough pressure to break a few bones. Next the Valkyri took a step forward and head-butted the other guy into oblivion, making his friend watch while crying out in pain over his broken fingers.

Thirdas pulled out his combat knife and backed the poor sod up against a nearby pillar, then proceeded to nail him to it by the collar of his shirt, just high enough to make him stand on his toes or risk getting his ear sliced off should he fall. "Stick around, enjoy the lovely scenery."

A pat on the cheek to let him know there were no hard feelings.

[member="Ella Louka"] | [member="Amon Vizsla"] | [member="Tulan Kor"] | [member="Tulan Kor"]​

 

[Tulan Kor]

"So anyways, this guy that I thought was a Ewok turns out to be a kid wookie and I end up with a new blanket than a bathrobe like I tho-"

Tulan was interrupted by someone punching him in the face. Now, mind you, Tulan was a tough guy, but getting punched in the face was still getting punched in the face. Didn't matter how big you were, you were still gonna have that 'I just got punched in the face' moment. Tulan responded, after checking to make sure that the guy drew blood from his lip, but hitting him right in the family jewels.

Keeled over, Tulan then grabbed him by the beard and slammed his face into the table. The sickening crunch told Tulan that he was successful in making him regret that decision. Meanwhile, Thirdas was doing big dummy things, Amon was over there, Kenth was probably crying, and the new girl was headbutting people. Tulan jumped onto one of the assailant's backs, or at least, who he thought was an assailant. Probably was just some guy.

Either way, some guy and Tulan went around the bar, Tulan hanging onto his back like he was a bronco. Tulan punched him in the side of the face, before Tulan and the man flew out of the doors. For a moment, there were only the sounds of a fight, screaming. Then silence. Then, bursting into the bar, was Tulan, and another guy. They were both on fire. Tulan jumped over a table, trying to roll to get both away from the guy who he might have or might not have lit on fire, and in the process lit himself on fire, and to put out aforementioned fire.

Now, now it was a party.

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] l [member="Ella Louka"] l [member="Kenth Typho"] l [member="Amon Vizsla"]​

 

[Luc Rivers]

There was no response from the big thug coming toward her, except for a sudden change on his face, went from aggressive to passive in an instant, stunned almost and then he went down to the floor in a heap. A table had been smashed over his back and there standing behind the thug was a hulk of a man. Another Ranger she supposed, or maybe it was just a patron in the bar that had brought down the brute. Either way she gave [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] a nod of thanks, although she was looking forward to the conflict with the guy.

It did not take long for a replacement to arrive, not as big this time and sizing her up like a piece of meat. His stance told her he was drink, sway and pulling up his fists rolling like he was ready to knead bread. He came for Ella at a speed half the pace he normally would have she supposed, and he didn’t get far tripping over the body between them landing on his face and out for the night.

There does a girl go to get a good fight around here?

As the fight continued, the other rangers very skilled to handle themselves, did not need her help, Ella decided to get another drink and watch. No one behind the bar, the bartender had left a while ago, she helped herself. Cracked open the neck of the beer and drank to the Rangers.

But somehow, out of somewhere, a fire broke out. It had started in the back room where the kegs are kept. Kegs of what though? Either way it soon became problematic as smoke started to seep under the door way into the fight room. The crackling of the fire becoming louder by the second and sudden the door exploded and splintered into pieces. It was followed by an empty keg that flew across the room taking out anything or anyone in its path. Another loud explosion resulted in a hole in the roof, and a keg sailing high into the air with a whistle.

The empty kegs filled with fumes and fire don’t mix. “Must be kegs of that rocket fuel”. Ella ducked for cover behind the bar and crawled toward the exit. Her path stopped by a set of legs, and filthy boots, she looked the legs and into the face of a snarling thug. Then she felt to floor give way to air, as he lifted her up off the floor by the neck. A sharp crack with her knee to the ‘crackers’ soon removed that snarl on his face, and he let her go, a second later the thug sailed across the bar room on the business end of a flaming keg.

[member="Tulan Kor"] | [member="Amon Vizsla"] | [member="Kenth Typho"] ​