I Want To Break Free [Veino]

[Darth Athora]

Nar Haaska

The soft patter of light rain filled the air in the silent, rundown shop in the lower slums of the city. On the outside, one could see boarded up windows and walls covered in graffiti. Shards of broken glass was spread out across the cement. Vagrants lying on the street appeared dead. The one's who didn't were twitching after their last fix. It was typical for this kind of neighborhood.

But there was one secret. This was just a front.

Should one go inside, it would just appear to be an antique shop. Nothing special. Your typical piece of druk place of business. But, with the right word, there was more.

A lone zabrak walked into the shop. He wore your typical low-class clothing, looking shady as ever. The store 'owner' sat behind the counter. An old durosian sat. The zabrak came closer to the old, indigo colored alien.

"Lazy zeltron." he muttered beneath his breath, but strong enough for the durosian to hear. The durosian grinned and reached his hand under the counter and pressed a dark red button. The wood in the back of the store would begin to creak loudly. The wall would suddenly split in half, like an automatic sliding door. It would reveal a short hallway. It comparison to the store, this hall was rather clean and fancy looking. The walls were a shining silver color and the floor was pearly white. At the end of the hall stood a human guard in front of a door. The guard kept two pistols in holsters on his thighs. The zabrak entered the hall and then, the wall behind him closed. The zabrak then walked up to the guard.

"Gotta check you for weapons." the guard said as he moved off the door he was leaning on. The zabrak held his arms out and spread his legs. The guard gave him a firm pat down before nodding. "You're clean. Have fun in there." The guard stepped back from the zabrak and looked up in the top right corner of the wall the door resided. A camera rested in this corner. The guard made an 'ok' hand gesture at the camera. The door would then slide open much like the wall did but much faster and quieter. The zabrak stepped on through. On the other side was a Gamorrean watching the video feed from the camera inside the hall. The door closed behind him and then the Zabrak saw what the antique shop was hiding.

​

Club New Star

A club notorious in Hutt space for it's obscene hedonism and lawlessness. Pretty much any type of kink you were in to, they had it. Sex, drugs, drinks. It was a place that the lighthearted would not even dream to find themselves. The club owner, Jahlek, a durosian scoundrel, stood high and mighty at the top of the club, watching down at all of those who were basking in his creation. Jahlek was surrounded by his group of highly trained mercenaries, paid big money to protect him. Jahlek was no pushover, however. He knew how to use a gun. He could protect himself. But, he needed people that would take a bullet for him should it be necessary.

There was a separate corridor of the club. It was here that the pleasure girls were, awaiting clients. Women of every humanoid race out there and several non-humanoid women as well. Jahlek had recieved some odd requests int he past so he had to make sure he was prepared for every contingency.

Among these pleasure girls was Lora. This young togruta female was sold to Jahlek when she was young to pay off a debt. And now, she serves as one of Jahlek's pleasure girls. If she wasn't taken out of this life soon, she would have to experience something that would haunt her for her entire life.

And what do you know. The zabrak was there for her.

[member="Veino Garn"]

 

[Veino Garn]

He had a lead on stalker, several, and all seemed to emerge from Nal Haaska. But whether it was a trap or a red herring, he wasn't sure. All he could do was investigate. So he gathered a shipment of cargo, legitimate cargo at that, and set course for the planet. Tyria had been far more resistant to the idea. She had heard of the club and wanted no part of it, so she had stayed with the ship, taking care of the off-loading and arranging for new cargo.

Not that there was much on this planet to sell legally in other places. The Hutts and other cartels had made sure of that. But that was why he was here. He'd tracked down fragments of transmissions indicating a meeting had taken place here. One that had led to the events on Cloud City. Perhaps the faces behind the events even remained here, or at least, had been present here in some shape or form. There may even yet be traces left of their visit. Some memories. Some lips that could be loosened. Anything.

It was a far-fetched and probably a cold trail by now, but it was all he had other to wait for his stalker to find him without any knowledge or preparation for a very dangerous and relentless foe. That wasn't something he'd risk. Not not. If he died in that encounter, everything about them would be vulnerable and Tyria would become the next target.

So now he strode through the slums, rain dripping down his coat and hair. Not the respectable coat and hair of Veino Garn, respected if very mysterious ally of the Republic who literally appeared from nowhere in the first battle of Alderaan. No, this was Vaal Nost, bounty hunter, smuggler, and hacker. A known fugitive from the law and hunted by the Jedi. Well, barely known anyways.

He stepped over the bodies in the street, not giving them a glance behind his visor, although he had his mental walls up as far as he could manage. It tore at him to see sentients suffer so, but he could not sacrifice the mission now. He glanced up at the reain-slicked sign. This was the place.

He pushed the door open and strode inside, wandering around the shop, eyeing the merchandise, and watching the Durosian, before finally making his way to the counter with a small trinket to purchase. He was silent through the transaction until the end, when he added casually with an emphasis on two specific words, "What a lazy zeltron." The passcode was the only thing Tyria would tell him before telling him to shut up and drop the subject. He could feel her anger though, and her fear, boiling, radiating, scorching in its cold fury. He left immediately after that.

The durosian grinned and nodded, slipping his hand under the desk to push the button. Veino stepped back, slipping the trinket, an amulet by the looks of it, into a pocket of his coat before heading into the hallway. This would be the tricky part. He took a deep breath, centering himself in the Force, letting it flow through him and see into those around him. He strode towards the guard.

The guard stepped forward.

"I need to check you for weapons."

Veino nodded and held his arms out, feeling the lightsaber in its hidden pocket along the collar of his coat, and he closed his eyes, subtly shifting it from being detected, along with a slight nudge to the man's mind. Food was good, and some sweet pastries sounded excellent right now. How unfortunate he had to stay out here and watch the door. There was a pastry shop not far away that had the absolute best. They smelled of joy and comfort, tasted of love and ecstasy...

The guard stepped away and nodded at the camera. The door slid open and Veino strode into the club, forcing his face to stay blank and emotionless. Professional, some called it. In his mind, it was pretending he couldn't feel anything going on, even though the conflicting emotions tore through his head, alternating highs and lows, despair and joy. He took a deep breath and moved towards the wall, hand out to keep himself balanced in the flood until he could sink into a chair to regain his balance. In and out, like the tide, steady, slow, dependable. He clasped his hand around the table, squeezing his nails into the surface, focusing on that feeling. That pain, however dangerous it was to dwell on such a thing, was still better than getting lost in the hurts of those around him. How he wished he could heal them all, give them comfort and hope, but even for him, considered a master of the Force, that was impossible.

The flood subsided and his awareness returned to the vicinity. He had a feeling many of the Jedi he knew wouldn't have even come into this place. Certainly not without a warrant and team of armed security forces for backup. But what was a club such as this? Alderaan had been hell twice over and he had been to the Netherworld itself, surrounded by billions of dead. This was a cakewalk.

But he needed a plan. It was unlikely any of the patrons had been here when the meeting would have taken place. And judging by how difficult it had been to track the lead down, it must have been fairly secretive. That left Jahlek, although Veino didn't want to confront him until absolutely necessary. Security footage perhaps? Or no...? That might be possible. The so-called "pleasure girls." For many establishments, those women were invisible to the patrons and could be in more tightly secured areas without clearance or getting noticed. After all, they were just there to be admired and used. Not sentient beings.

They would be his first source to try and find information. He took a deep breath and stood, heading for the corridor where the women trapped, following behind a Zabrak that ducked into the corridor ahead of Veino. That one could be trouble. He'd need... persuaded to depart without incident before Veino could truly begin investigating. Too much risk for him to interfere. Veino cast one more glance behind him and then ducked into the corridor, angling away from the Zabrak at first, thinking through how to approach this.


[member="Lora Tey"]

 

[Darth Athora]

The lone zabrak walked all the way to the end of the corridor. There was an open door. He poked his head inside. The room was much like the other rooms the pleasure girls worked in: varying tints of red, ranging from warm red to hot pink, neon lights, a heart shaped bed, and a lone girl sitting in the bed. This one bed was occupied by a young togruta. Lora Tey. She had only recently joined this profession at the will of her owner. He did not want someone having a taste before she was fully matured. She wore something skimpy, like the other pleasure girls.

But, why was it that this random Zabrak was given the chance to be the first to have Lora? What made him so special? Well, that was known only to him and Jahlek, the one who promised Lora to him.

Lora was looking down at the floor, her legs crossed as she was lost in her daydreaming. The Zabrak walked in fully before closing the door behind him, locking it. Lora was released from her state by the sounds of the chambers of the lock on the door. She looked up at her first customer of the night..ever. The Zabrak flashed a sly grin as he walked over to Lora. He got onto one knee and took one of Lora's hands into his and looked her into her eye. His skin was a vicious red and black and his eyes were bright yellow. This zabrak was a Sith.

It turns out the zabrak, known only as Darth Gruel, 'negotiated' with Jahlek for Lora. The deal was that Jahlek turn over Lora when she became 18 or have his neck broken and Gruel would take Lora anyways. So, Jahlek took the obvious route and let Gruel have Lora.

"Lora Tey." His voice was dark and raspy. "I've come to take you home. To your new home. I require your..talents." he explained to her. Lora's face was blank. Not a single ounce of an expression upon it.

"It's 50 if you just want a quickie and 125 if you want the whole thing." That was her response. It's like nothing he said registered. As if she were a VI given flesh. "Which do you want?" she asked.

Gruel stood up and covered his face with his palm. "Idiot. What has Jahlek done to you.." Gruel groaned and tried again. "Listen to me, Lora. I've come for you. Not for sex. But to give you a purpose. You must and will come with me. Now." Gruel grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her towards the door. Lora moaned as he grabbed her with great force, possibly bruising her arm. But, Lora was trained for times like this. When the clients would got a bit too rough and wanted a bit more than they paid for. Lora swung her foor around and forcefully kicked Gruel's shin, causing him to release her and groan in pain.

"You little schutta.." Gruel reached his hand out at Lora and grabbed her by the next through the Force, squeezing firmly. "You will come with me.."

[member="Veino Garn"]

 

[Veino Garn]

Veino lingered near the back as the Zabrak slipped into a door on the far wall. That was convenient. Now he could take care of his own business without being noticed. But no. Something was wrong and very, very dark. Sithy, one could say. He hid his Force presence, cloaking himself in the Unifying Force that bound all living things together. He was indistinguishable from the the vast beauty of the universe now, through the Force, anyways, In as hostile of a location as this, it was his main advantage over an unknown opponent, especially if the Zabrak was one of those mysterious Iridonian warriors. That could make things tricky.

But what to do? Stopping the Sith here would compromise his mission. Not stopping the Sith could compromise the galaxy. He frowned at the thought and shrugged. That actually made it pretty simple. There were other ways to track this droid down. Somehow, somewhere, there had to be other leads. He'd just have to find them. Now there was a Sith to stop.

He strode over to the last door and took a deep breath, settling himself in the Force, wrapping it in and around him. The bottomless pool. Still and unmovable that would last millennia. Now to get in there as discreetly and quietly as possible. He studied the lock. It seemed openable with the Force. Just a little difficult. Veino closed his eyes and stretched out with the Force, feeling the lock, and nudging at the tumblers, feeling the resistance and tension, then unlocking it. He slipped the door open a crack to see what was going on.

Definitely a Sith. Even aiming for the classic neck choke thing by the looks of it. Definitely one of the more vulgar uses of telekinesis. Very aggressive. Very dominant. Exactly what he expected from Sith now. He pushed the door open further and cleared his throat.

"Just leave, whatever Sith name you go by. Leave her alone and go." His hand muscles tensed, ready to yank his lightsaber hilt from its hiding place in case it was needed. Although in all honesty, it probably would be. Better to be safe than sorry, especially when dealing with a Sith. He pulled it to his hand, taking some small comfort in its smooth, familiar feel. "Go back to whatever dingy hideout you came from."

He rolled his shoulders and shifted his feet to a better dueling stance, locking eyes with the Zabrak.


[member="Lora Tey"]

 

[Darth Athora]

The Sith grew annoyed as his mission was delayed even further by the Jedi. In his eyes, all he saw was a dead fool pretending to be a knight in shining armor. With haste, the Zabrak commanded the Force to pull his lightsaber from his hilt into his hand. With his other hand focused on using the force to grip Lora's neck, Gruel looked to Lora then back at the Jedi and grinned. He would certainly use her to his advantage.

"Get out of my way or she dies. Slowly and painfully." The grip around her neck tightnened and she let out a silent gasp as her breath was running thin. She did not have muuch time left. Gruel was truly testing this Jedi and his morals. "Drop your weapon and stand aside now. Make a move..and I end her. Make your choice, Jedi."

[member="Veino Garn"]

 

[Veino Garn]

Veino raised an eyebrow at the statement. That was unfortunate that it had to escalate so quickly. What was it with Sith these days and their desire for sudden conflict? What happened to the good old days of grand speeches from both sides that preceded the combat? It was a shame, really. These newer Sith just lacked the villainous sophistication of the old Sith Empire. The fewer mass genocides was fortunate of course, but still. There was a lack of richness to it.

But for the choice at hand. He didn't actually need the lightsaber at the moment to face him. He had other tools and techniques that could be used. He dropped it. It clattered across the floor and he gave it a nudge behind him. There was one problem though. He was not a Jedi. He was a Jensaarai and Jensaarai do not frown up acts of aggression in the defense of others. Especially when it came to defending others against Sith. A telekinetic choke was scary, but not the most lethal skill. Disrupt the concentration and it would usually get dropped.

He was neither an illusionist or a mentalist, so it would have to be physical. How convenient the Sith even had his lightsaber out in plain view. Veino gave a grin to the Sith, and yanked at the lightsaber hilt, sending it straight at the Zabrak's face. Then he moved, pushing himself straight towards the Zabrak in a Force-enhanced rush, aiming straight for his opponent's body to tackle him to the ground.

[member="Lora Tey"]

 

[Darth Athora]

Lora dropped to the ground, unconcious after having her breath forced out of her. The Sith knew he couldn't kill her. His master needed her. But, putting her out cold was sufficient enough for the moment. The Sith, of course, had no lapse in jdgement and he surely was no pushover. He commanded the force to pretty much make Veino's 'distraction' futile. With this failed attempt being followed up by a charge, Gruel immediately ignited his lightsaber and held it out at the force-fueled charging Veino. At that speed, he'd have no time to regret it.

[member="Veino Garn"]

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Lora Tey"]


Veino watched as the unconscious Togruta fell to the ground. Perfect. That had been the intention. He dropped to the ground, stretching his hand out behind him and yanked his lightsaber to him. It burst into a yellow blur as he grabbed it, swinging it up towards the Sith's lightsaber. He adjusted his slide a little, aiming for the Zabrak's leg, and reached into a small pouch he always had on his belt, pulling out a handful of small durasteel spheres. He flicked them out, grabbed them with the Force, and snapped them forwards with the Force. Not quite enough room for them to break the sound barrier, but enough for them to hurt.

 

[Darth Athora]

Gruel caught the glimpse of the man's lightsaber hilt as it was pulled through the Force to his hand. Gruel juked the incoming slide by jumping to his left. Gruel had anticipated a grenade of sorts as the man reached at his waist, so, as a precaution, Gruel summoned a barrier of the force around his form. It was no grenade cominga t him, but he was able to deflect whatever toys the man had thrown at him. Once that was dealt with, Gruel would expel the force barrier from himself into a wave of force energy aimed at the man.

[member="Veino Garn"]

 

[Darth Athora]

In almost an instant, the Zabrak would rush pass the alleged jedi and escape the stablishment. He had failed his mission. Due to the jedi's interference, he had accidently killed Lora. The poor togruta never had a chance.