In Search of Solitude

[Axios Balor]

Jakku - 18:47
In Search of Solitude

Axios was seated on a speeder, his cloak billowing violently behind him as he leaned forward. A red blaster bolt screeched by his left ear, scorching the sand in front of him. He lifted a blaster in his right hand, pointing it behind him and returning the favor offered by the speeder chasing him, except his landed. A stream of sparks flowed from under the speeder where Axios' shot had connected, and within moments it was skidding and bouncing across the sand dunes, its rider unconscious on the ground. Beneath his mask, Axios smiled. He slowed his speeder to a more comfortable pace, relaxing in his seat. He saw a ship pass overhead, heading toward a settlement on the horizon. He decided to investigate the settlement further, and upon arriving, realized that the settlement was a trade hub. He already hated it here, full of people. At least they couldn't see his scars from behind his mask. He decided it was harmless to explore a little, and began viewing the wares offered around. Mostly he could only find trinkets, but he couldn't help but notice someone who stood out from the crowd...

 

[Via Dolorosa]

The arid heat and the stench of unwashed bodies lent nothing to aid in changing her opinion of this place. She hated desert worlds, even more than ice and snow covered worlds. But she was here, on personal business, to ensure her plans were being carried out; and to deliver payment to the mercs she hired on a whim. She usually didn't deal with mercs, especially with so many available resources open to her from the Sith Empire; though what she was planning, those of her Order didn't need to know everything.​

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Walking through the sand filled trading hub, the Sith eyed the patrons, curling her lips in disgust. She refused to understand why these people chose the option to remain here, when there were far more lavish places in the galaxy to etch out a life of meaning. Perhaps, she thought partially, it had something to do with finances more so than choosing to live here. Most of the people wore ragged clothes, in her opinion, and squabbled over pointless views, such as the two gamblers at the cantina she left behind who fought, nearly killing one another over credits, until other patrons stepped in to split the pair up.​

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"What a wretched place."​

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Just as she was contemplating casting away her plans, her wrist com link chimed; followed by a mechanical voice, no doubt used by the merc to hide his true voice from prying ears, giving her details where they would meet up. After returning a short, rude reply the Sith switched off the device, no longer needing to be bothered. The meeting was set, and that was all she needed for now. ​

 

[Axios Balor]

In spite of himself, Axios admired the clothing some of the traders wore. While not extravagant by any definition of the word, some were foreign and all were better than his. For someone who tended to avoid society as a whole, he had a surprising amount of credits to spend. He was no big-game gambler or business owner, but he had enough credits to buy ammunition for his D18 pistol and a night in the back room of a cantina. Axios couldn't help but look around nervously as he felt prying eyes and heard the voices of those saying his name, so he stepped into the cantina and paid the barkeep his due for a night. He shut himself inside the back room with a few of the hands, eyeing each of them as they went about their business. Eventually, they left.

"Relax," he told himself, "You're getting all worked up over a foreign place." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Shaking his hands, he stood back up and began to search the room, where he found the ledger. Inside were some interesting transactions, not just the usual amount of under-the-table deals, but some major contributions from what he could only guess was a local crime lord. He memorized the name of this recurring patron and shut the ledger just as a hand returned to the back room.

"What are you up to back here?"

"Just browsing my room decor."

"Right, well stay away from that ledger. It's none of your business, you know."

Axios gritted his teeth with nervousness as the hand left. He really needed to work on his social skills.