In the unlikely places of the Galaxy.

[Ignatius]

Zaadja

And here I was, Dressed in my normal clothes, only added with a fur lined coat that kept me warm from the ice and the cold of the planet. This was one of the connections that I had. and it led me here. I needed to find my sister, and well, of all places this might be the place just to be. I walked off of the public transport that had taken me here. and smiled as I grabbed my mask and placed it over my face.

I was not taking it very well as the wind blew at me. Rustling my hair and pushing my long trench coat to flap like a cape. Exposing a S-5 blaster pistol, and the twin vibroblades that were along my back in an X fashion. As well as a a couple of datapads on my belt of information on what I was here for.

I walked into the city, so that I may find my sister. Even if it was in a place that was considered unlikely.

[member="Matsu Xiangu"],

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

One of the lovely side effects of having one of the Fringe's Council members and Governors as a Master was what Matsu liked to think of as visitation duty. She told herself it was because she'd proven herself more than worthy of the task of handing out..."justice"...should one of the Fringe's assets or people require protection, but in all reality it was most likely that Jared considered the task unworthy of his time. It was all well and good - she had promised to destroy everything in his way, and if that was how it began, chasing down criminals and making sure all was well on some frozen waste of a planet, than so be it. It was rather routine, she knew. If something was truly expected on the planet they wouldn't send a lone Acolyte even with a deadly team of Fringe droids.

But she was more than capable.

She descended from the Corvette with a soft slink in her step, a black jumpsuit covered by a long robe trimmed with gray fur wrapped around the neckline and fringe warming her. She looked distinctly bored as she turned her head to one of the guard droids accompanying her on the run of the capital. "I have my comms wide open should you find anything suspicious," she said, her feet hitting snow as she began down the city walkways after a quick confirmation from the team of droids.

A few miles in to the city, several citizens at their stands - selling what meager food stuff Zaadja grows itself - watch the arrival with wary eyes.​

Since the Fringe's take over, they are not used to guns, vibroblades...and they are frightened.​

One alerts a droid.​

And several more descend on the area, cold dead mechanical eyes watching [member="Erin Darkstar"] as they surround him.​

​

"We may have something here," she heard over her comm, a location popping up on the small holo display. Maybe today would get interesting.

 

[Ignatius]

I had reached for my Vibroblades. Not activating them yet, nor drawing them, Droids of an unknown kind surrounded me. Even then, passerbys were looking on the situation of a young boy, me, being surrounded by droids that had weapons to the teeth. As much as they were their, I could hear one say they had something. Well that was me.

Less than five minutes ago, I was simply walking by shops looking at people as they were here. but what most got me, was that the looked at me as though I was some bad guy? I had just gotten here with no need to cause any harm to them. I only wanted information. Even when I walked up to a woman, and asked about where the local tavern would be, she didn't say a word and ran away. How could a teenager be so dangerous? Sure stories of prodigies and their feats of power and strength happened, but I was not one of them. I was a simple young man looking for his sister.

I was not going to be caught here today. I smiled as my body moved very fast. Faster than most people's eyes could follow with drawing only one of the swords. Coming up on the one straight in front of me. Activated, the vibroblade hummed as it cut through the droid with ease. Cleaving it in half. Followed by the power of Magic throwing the two halves to either side, hitting two more. I jumped backwards landing on my hands to let the blaster bolts hit the ground or soar above the spot I once was. Flicking around, I threw my sword at the nearest one. As I drew with my left hand.

Grabbing on physicaly I threw it at a second droid, and calling on the thrown sword, only to see that it came from a droid's head. Spazing out shooting it's blaster fire in every which direction. I did a backwards flip over my hands and with a twist I was facing away from them. With continued momentum, I ran. Moving past people as my swords were put back into their sheathes. Might as well leave here now.

[member="Matsu Xiangu"]

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

There were places in the Galaxy where the boy's clothing and weapons would not have made the townsfolk bat an eye: Tatooine or Coruscant for example. Places where crime thrived. But Zaadja was a planet that did not see too many visitors besides the merchants who brought them all the food they might need. It was a cold, solitary planet that had seen fighting in its history but since the Fringe's takeover had known nothing but peace. This boy the droids had cornered was a frightening sight and the people trusted their protectors.

Matsu had reached the scene just in time to see the last of the droids dispatched, parts flying everywhere and for a second she could only look on in amazement. Droids were stupid, thoughtless creatures to be sure but these were Fringe commandos, droids meant to combat most threats with ease. They'd certainly found something, and that something had the Force. She could feel it.

And that something had taken off running.

Matsu gave chase, letting the Force increase her speed so that she might keep up with her prey. She had her eyes on him and they rarely left. She tore through the walkway, using the Force once more to jump on to a merchant's stall and then to the rooftops, chasing the boy from her vantage point. He seemed smart and she had no doubt that someone less attuned to the Force or less trained in apprehending would have no hope of catching him. But she was the Huntress, and she rarely lost someone who'd found their way in to her sights. As the chase took a turn and she followed him deeper in to the city she reached down, using one of her strongest powers - a telekinetic force push - to throw some stray crates in his way. Just enough time to let her leap down in front of him, attempting to cut off his path.

"Impressive, kid. Where'd you get the blades?" she asked, her voice unassuming - strange for a woman who'd just been pursuing him so intently but Matsu was nothing if not unorthodox. Her sword peeked out from her hip through the folds of the cloak as the cold breeze blew through it, the metal of her clawed left hand curling around its hilt should he try anything. But she was otherwise calm, a small smile on her face, her pointed canines peeking out from behind blood-red lips.

He'd been impressive enough to stall her from hurting him. She would have let him pass by on the street if she'd seen him herself, but what he'd just displayed...

She was intrigued.

[member="Erin Darkstar"]

 

[Ignatius]

I ran. Shoving past people and moving objects to be in the way of those who pursued me. Running, I could feel something, someone, following me. As though the eyes of a Devil were watching me as I ran. I looked behind me to see someone running. Only for them to disappear. A sign that a person with experience was following me. They had to deal with people like myself all the time. Well, As much as I may say like myself, he was not going to be ready for me.

I continued to run, and because I knew that he was following me, I decided to lead him on. While he was used to the place, sure, and I had only been here five minutes, I was looking for just the right place. Every town had them. No doubt. finding it, I ran down an alley when some crates were thrown at me. I ducked and let them hit eachother and go away from me, only to run in face to face with a woman.

A woman of all people was following me. Her cybernetic arm was apparent through the glint from the lights around us. as well as the sword that she drew. If she had a sword, No visible powergenerator on the hilt, Meaning it was a sword, plain and simple, or it was created from magic. Stories of people with swords that could act like the laser swords went everywhere. so seeing this person with one was not unexpected. Nor the fact that she called me a kid and asked where I got the swords. well shortswords to be exact. I was not able to lug around full blown vibroswords. so I had the smaller sized Vibroblades.

I smiled as she stood there defiant of my advancement forward. I smiled. Pulling only one of the blades. "Have had them for a while, I doubt that you would really care." I took a single step forwards to take a fighting stance with one blade in both of my hands. Ready for a fight should I need one. "Fight me one on one. I win, you let me go, You win, and I talk like your personal stuffed pigeon."

If she didn't agree, then well, looks like she will have the run of her life.

[member="Matsu Xiangu"]

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

A sword had not been Matsu's first choice, but in the end she was glad for it. Tianzun was truly a work of art, a blade crafted from metal flexible and light enough to hold the incredible power of Sith alchemy. It burned with the aura of the dark side in her hand and acted much like a lightsaber, able to withstand contact with sabers and deflecting blaster bolts as effectively as one. The added bonus? If electricity struck Tianzun, it would absorb right in to the blade and then release itself back on the wielder.

It was a piece of work, and Matsu was glad to have it.

"On the contrary, I'm very interested. It's not every day I watch a boy cut down commando droids intent on taking him in," she offered, her eyes dancing hungrily over the short sword.

She called him kid out of habit. In reality she didn't think she was that much older than him. But Matsu grew up primarily on her own. She was bits of pieces of every planet, every person, every culture she stepped through and the 'kid' was just part of an otherwise fluid, dynamic vocabulary. Besides, regardless of his age he fought and thought like someone with twice his life experience, it seemed to her. She grinned full out when he challenged her, the sharp metallic hiss of Tianzun pulled from its hilt cutting the silence of the snow-packed alley. She hadn't really thought he'd been one with secrets considering the locals were jumpy and called in so much as a fly - but maybe she was wrong. Maybe he had intelligence she could wrest from him.

And if not she was certain he would prove interesting.

"You've got yourself a deal. I've always wanted a pet," she replied, twisting the hilt of Tianzun in her fingers so that it spun in a few lazy circles in front of her as she lowered herself in to a stance to compliment his...and then lowered her free hand, pushing the Force out from her palm and jettisoning herself up in the air to flip towards him, Tianzun horizontal before her.

It was an open, crashing move, one meant just to get their quick little duel started.

[member="Erin Darkstar"]

 

[Ignatius]

Me interesting? Sure you could call me that if you wanted, but did you really need to have commando droids pick me up without a note of "hey I want to talk to you." This woman looked older than myself. So maybe I could say that she was more experienced than myself. Even more so, I could tell that she was one to fight for the dark sided magics within the galaxy. just producing her sword made an influx within the alley. I could feel it radiate off of her. However, as I had met a sith before her, She was probably weaker than the Lord I had met.

I smiled as she commented saying that she had in interest for me. Sure, I took down some droids. I have fought against bounty hunters in my spare time. Escaping slugthrowers, blaster pistols, even the occasional vibroweapon. But a sword forged of the force, now this would be interesting for me.

A deal was struck. We would fight one on one. no droids on her part, and well, for me it would be nobody coming to my aid. Taking the stance like I had, she suddenly burst from the ground as though she were a rocket with the intent of heading for my blood. Even as she was above me, I smiled. Falling back a few steps as my off hand raised up. The two crates that she threw at me earlier were now directed towards her. One followed right after the other. Surprisingly they were not meant to harm her.

Infact they were just out of her swords reach! They were not weapons, but tools for me to use. At first I would be gone from her vision as both crates would block her sight of me, then suddenly, My form would appear from them, less than a meter from her. Bursting at incredible speeds with a vibroblade coming for an uppercut in which the lower crate, was now used as a weapon. Seemingly slung by an invisible rope connected to my sword, the crate would come from underneath her. My blade would then come down on her, as though I were to cleave her in twain. Once more, the second crate was slung just like the first, but overhead in place of underneath.

With all that in motion, I sent a force push her way. Even with her using an unknown sword type, I didn't want to give her the chance to use it. She was trained with it more than I was. and as such, I had to go in for an attack, as fast as I could get out. I already knew this would not be some fight where I controlled the field. No, this would be a fight that was going to test all of my limits up to this point. "Maybe next time, send me an invite."

[member="Matsu Xiangu"],

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

Matsu had been in her fair share of duels since she’d started out on her journey. The metal that served her as an arm now was less a duel and more of a breaking, but since that breaking she had gotten…hungry. She craved the chance to improve herself, to practice in forms both basic and unconventional. So when [member="Erin Darkstar"] disappeared behind one crate he lifted in to the air, she couldn’t help but smile.

What delightful creativity!

As the first box came up she believed that might be it and pushed back with a force push of her own, attempting to match her power to his swing and stop the box in mid-air, held in stasis. She landed on it but almost as soon as she found her feet she realized Erin was not done with her, the second box crashing down with a second swing from above her. She narrowed her eyes in concentration, flipping backwards in time to spare herself being smashed between the crates, the two containers blasting apart on impact with each other.

She was already falling backwards when the boy sent another force push in her direction, sending her motion off balance as she fell and causing her to scramble (and probably in a rather unwieldy fashion, as a bird would when first pushed from the nest) midair so she wouldn’t land and break a bone.

She managed to land somewhat on her feet, rushing herself up to face him before he could gain too much of an upper hand. So much for getting close enough to strike - his reactions had been quick, thorough, and most of all creative enough to catch her off guard. How to get close...

In hindsight, she should have remembered that she was quickly learning to leave Tianzun at her side. The weapon was beautiful, powerful – and against opponents who relied on electricity, her ultimate tool – but her true strength lay in one of the very things the stranger was using against her. She lifted her hands, taking the few crates left in the alley and pulling on them in her mind to smash around the boy in splintering explosions. They, however, were not the point – the point was the small shard of pain she reached out with to plant in the stranger’s mind, a white-hot blade of distraction she might get closer. It was not her true strength, and a method of mind penetration she was still working on – but practice made perfect, did it not?

She had truly liked that move with the crates – if he kept it up she might even consider seeing what it was he came to Zaadja for.

 

[Ignatius]

Now this woman was fast. Able to move out of the oncoming crates but I smiled as I landed on my feet while she awkwardly did the same. I made my point of not being a normal scoundrel. No, I was greater than that. I paid attention to her. To figure out how to go around her, I needed to learn what she excel at. And use it against her. She used a blade, yes, but there was something else. There was a lapse and I started to run forward. Only that's when boxes started to explode around me. At first I was distracted, when I could feel a sharp pain in my mind. My eyes widened and instantly I needed to protect my mind. Something to tip her off.

Closing my mind off, I envisioned a wall. Made of obsidian and steel. Holding her back away from me. Smiling as she had already tipped her hand and exposed what she was good at. Mental prowess. All I had to do was concentrate on her. Easier said than done. Since the crates around me exploded pieces of shrapnel would hit me, but I knew that this small pain would be nothing against what she could possibly do to me through my mind. She used her abilities too fast. Fast enough that I could be ready for her next attack. With the thought of protecting my mind, I stood still staring straight at her as I moved my mind. Trying to move out of her grasp.

I was greased up. Slippery to her. Even if she was good, All you had to do was run around and find the weak spot. I smiled brightly. "Too fast my lady." Rushing towards her I brought my sword to come and stab at her five times in rapid succession. I needed her to lose her connection to me. And to do that, I needed to distract her. best to do it with a real deadly object that could make holes in her, than a mind that I was not well versed in.

I smiled brightly as I stabbed at her. The blade humming as the vibroblade was active, it caused wound to be more severe when normal blades would cause simple wounds. Once more, I used magic, only this time, I gripped on her sword. because she would be more focused on my blade, and attacking me with her mind, a pull on her sword could give me the chance of taking the weapon from her, and using it against her. Always something to consider, since I was a thief anyways.

[member="Matsu Xiangu"]

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

It had probably only been the virtues of her short height and tiny figure that she had escaped the trap of his crates with the grace - if one could call flapping through the air 'grace' - she had. But speed seemed to be a thing [member="Erin Darkstar"] was well-versed in. One moment he was closing and the next moment THERE, the hum of his blade loud in her ears.

Now, the thing with Matsu was that for an acolyte her use of telekinesis and mentalism were unusually strong. But such power came at a price: she had foregone most of the traditional training with weaponry, leaving her with a little more than the basics with her sword. She made up for it with her prowess with her mind and the things she could accomplish with her understanding of physics, but against an opponent like the boy it left her with a distinct gap in her ability to defend herself. The hum-slash-hum of the vibroblades was loud in her ears as he taunted, that blood-red smile still draped across her lips though in all reality she could feel rage tapping her in to the Force. One of his swipes connected on the arm that was not made of durasteel and titanium, a hiss of pain crossing the border of her sharp teeth in to the air between them as the blade's vibration made the wound bigger than a normal blade's slice.

But the thing that redeemed her - the reason she'd chosen the path she had, difficult at times as it could prove itself to be - was the almost limitless creativity it afforded. She'd used her powers because it was what she did, it was how she fought, and she'd learned it from losing her arm. Where one tactic was revealed another came in to play.

The boy apparently had training in resisting mind shards as a wall immediately went up, but there were ways to circumvent those walls. Matsu hadn't gone with Jared for no reason - he was quickly gaining a reputation as a master mentalist and she was learning right from him. As she saw her opponent reaching for her sword she tapped in to that rage he'd sparked when he cut her arm open (quietly, control, keeping control, never letting it consume) and let it fuel a blast in the Force she'd used before, a telekinetic shift of the air around her in a repulse that would - with any luck - send him flying backwards and away from her weapon.

Blood was dripping down from the sleeve of her fur coat, beading off her fingertips as she attempted to penetrate within his skull again, using what she hoped was a distraction from her repulse to send threads of horror over his mind, suggestions of madness, illusion. There was no pain - just the cold, slimy fingers of insanity as long as she pushed. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice curious, dangerous.

She was still impressed - a difficult task, to one who'd lost interest in the outcome of others a long time ago.

 

[Ignatius]

Now this woman was good. Able to use her powers like a pro. She had trained for this. The thing about attacking through the brain, is that even the most powerful of Mentalists can be simply taken down with a slash to the chest. Anyone can get distracted. I had learned that on my road of suffering and pain in the search for my sister. I had gotten past the woman's defenses because not of my skills with the mind or a blade, but just of simple thinking. Attacks through the mind could be simply evaded or blocked with thoughts of items or things that can defend against an attack. Living on the streets for most of my life, I could hear stories of people with unimaginable power. Making storms with Magic, Even the creation of a Neutron star in the middle of a battle field I had heard about. I had prepared for the worst when I set out to find my sister. And with that, Conductive thinking of many of these rumors if they may have been true.

Better to be prepared for nothing, than not be ready for the fight of your life.

I had made my mark on her. Injuring her in the arm. While the other one, I had found out, went all the way up her arm. A simple stab would not cut through probably because it was made to stand up against even the most powerful of Magic powers. But, She literally exploded with a wave of energy sent at me when I tried to grab for her sword. Sending me flying back and sliding against the ground, I had let go of my sword in the process. I did not expect her to almost literally blow up, and well, she got me off guard.

Once again as I was trying to get up, I had a pain in my back and I knew there would be bruises and cuts along it, but nothing major as the Armor-ani that I wore protected me against such things. Feeling once more her probe my mind. And I couldn't do anything. Slowly I could see flashes in my vision of seeing Jasmine being taken away from me. Them hitting her and having to run away. But they stopped as I stood up straight. You can't be forced into fear when your worst fear is true in the real life. or at least it is nigh impossible to do so. I smiled as I waked forwards when her question popped up about who I was. Clearly wanting to know for real this time. I picked up my sword and flung it around as though I had done this a million times.

"Someone that does not give up even when his worst fear is already upon him." I then pointed my sword at her as though I was going to attack again, smiling almost brightly, "And who may I ask wishes to know?"

[member="Matsu Xiangu"]

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

Strange, she thought, as she watched him stand after a moment’s pause under her assault.

When her apprenticeship with Ovmar had begun, Matsu had first always resorted to pain. Pain was efficient. Pain had a way of stopping even the strong for a moment or two when used with sufficient creativity and strength and…she’d felt its effects firsthand. It was her natural inclination to put upon others when had been done to her but, well…she liked to pretend Jared was insufferable but instead of pain he’d unlocked a world of mental powers she hadn’t dreamed could exist: the ability to inject horror but with a subtle whisper, not the tearing path her first instinct had been to swath. Illusion, manipulation – letting one discover for themselves the things that would undo them – held a certain poetry, an elevated ambition she gravitated to.

She watched as the stranger seemed to quail for a moment or two under her projection – the faint sound of a girl screaming, the shadow of an outstretched hand, the scant flashes she sometimes got when pushing in to another person’s head – but eventually he was there back on his feet and looking none the worse for wear. It was people like this boy that fascinated her – some broke so easily, crumbling under the weight of just enough suggestion and a pinch of unease, while others required elaborate visions. With practice Matsu could infiltrate more and more, got better at reading other people. But there were still those, like Erin, who either remained outside her reach due to the mere fact that she was not yet a Knight and needed more training or simply had more resistance to attacks on the mind – a feat which the stranger seemed versed in.

Meeting people like him prepared her for the next time, and reminded her if she wanted a chance in the Galaxy with the path she’d chosen she’d need to practice, to figure out ways around people’s blocks or just how to take hold so swiftly a defense could never be made.

Her eyes caught on the flash of the sword as the boy flourished it, noting the glance over revealing himself. She again moved her eyes to watch as he brought the sword to bear again, as if he would strike though for the moment she thought all was balanced.

“I’m Matsu Xiangu. Seems like you scared a few of the locals with those swords of yours. Now, I see people armed like you all the time but the people out here? Not since the Fringe took over, and not since they got their new Governor. So they’re a bit jumpy,” she said, sounding almost bored though it was evident from the look behind her eyes as she watched him that she wasn’t. His resistance was fascinating her. “So, if I might ask, what ARE you doing out here as I assume it's not to terrorize the locals?”

And who’s the girl?​

​

[member="Erin Darkstar"]​

 

[Ignatius]

I could even see from here the slight confusion on the woman's face. Surprise maybe? Most likely at the fact that I had not been able to succumb to her mental attacks. A war torn child is not the best to practice on with fear tactics. I have seen a man have his head cleanly cut off. I have seen women raped out in the open by overpowering men. I have seen my own sister taken from me by the people I despise the most. Her making fears of seeing it all over again would do nothing. I had the image of her crying face, and the tears falling to the ground in nightmares often. Seeing it one more time would not harm me. I let my sword drop when the woman, Calling herself [member="Matsu Xiangu"], said that after the fringe took over the planet, they have been keeping the weapons count on the down low. I nodded my head as she explained it.

She then asked me about why I was here. I smiled. Flipping my sword around only to end up in the sheath on my back. "My name is Erin. I work alone most of the time, and look for information on Crimelords, Dirty smugglers, Pirates, excreta excreta" I then walked closer to her so we didn't have to shout so much. More so that I could keep my talking down to a low tone. "Don't let my age and size fool you Miss Xiangu. I can be quite..... deadly."

Pulling out a datapad, I turned it on and handed it over to her, "Looking for this Arkanain Offshoot. Zek. Former slave to many names of people I am hunting. Last I heard of him, he came here in search of a safe haven. Now I know why. I just need to know where." I then pulled out a credit chip, Worth a few thousand credits. "I need all the information I can get." Sometimes people could be swayed by money. Others by favors or deeds. others, which I doubted this woman was one of them, Simply helped for the greater good of people. So maybe credits would do the trick.

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

Oh come now, let his age and size fool her? She’d have to be raving to underestimate him now. She was more than confident of her ability to get out of a scrape, but he’d already made a mark. “Erin,” she said quietly, just repeating it to make it stick.

She reached out to take the datapad as he offered it, already wondering if it wasn’t the same Arkanian that the Fringe had their eyes on…

But when she saw the information the boy had she knew instantly they were thinking of the same man, made easy by the reference to his slavery. How frustrating, humiliating would it be for someone of Arkanian heritage to find himself a slave? After all, his was a culture that believed itself the apex being, evolution perfected. She knew of Zek – he’d been causing minor spats of trouble among some of the Fringe’s holdings throughout their space, not enough to be a huge threat but enough to annoy the members of the Fringe who had their things destroyed in his loud display of his new freedom. Somehow he kept managing to elude them but Erin had apparently heard something through the grapevine she had not.

A small smile curled her lips as she flipped through the few slides of intelligence she had on the Arkanian. It seemed they both had reason to find the man in question. Personally, Matsu did not care what [member="Erin Darkstar"] wanted with Zek and as long as it involved the ex-slave being alive at the end of the confrontation she had a deal in mind. “I know of him. He’s wanted in Fringe space. Tell you what – I’ll help you find him, you get whatever it is you need from him, and then I take him when you’re done,” she offered as she held the datapad back out to him, ignoring his credits. She admired the resourcefulness - credits would be just the right grease for many palms. Just not hers. Money didn't matter much, but opportunity and the fact that Erin clearly had his uses was enough.

 

[Ignatius]

The repeating of my name I did not care for. She tried it to keep my name in her head. Fine with me. But when she did not accept the credits, and explained that the man was also wanted in Fringe space, I smiled. She wanted the man taken in, and it would give her some cred for taking down this man. That was all fine with me. I don't care if she claimed all of the taking herself, as a right she should have. I put the credits back in my pocket and took the datapad on the information, seeing as how she would already have most of it. I would have a little more because I knew that he was here somewhere. Hiding in plain sight probably.

"My information comes from another Arkanain Named Dasher. Zek had come and tried to steal merchandise from him on Nar Shaadaa and I stopped him with a few swipes of my blade. I thought he was just a thief when later on I saw he was wanted by a Hutt. He ran away and came here." Seeing how the Fringe was on the other side of space, as well as the planet being all about peace here, it was a good choice to hid out as any.

I offered my hand to the woman in the form of a handshake, "I don't see why we can't work together on this. Deal." I just hoped that she stayed up with her side of the bargain. There have been too many times that I have been backstabed from deals like this. If I could not get him because of her, then she would not get anything out of his dead body.

[member="Matsu Xiangu"],

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

She wanted to roll her eyes when Erin explained the Arkanian's movements before his move in to Fringe space. It sounded highly in character from what she'd gleaned from his wanted papers, and honestly she wasn't surprised that the man had attempted something as foolish as stealing on a Hutt-controlled world. And apparently gotten away with it too if he remained 'wanted', having escaped to Fringe space by the skin on his teeth if Darkstar was to be believed. And Matsu thought he was.

Reaching forward, she wrapped the long, delicate fingers of her real hand around Erin's, shaking. She'd given her word and she would keep it as long as he did. She liked the suspicion in Erin's actions. It was hard to explain where the lines of right and wrong lay for Matsu. While she had no problem slaying the innocent, she also didn't kill wantonly. There was usually a reason. And the same could be applied to the situation she found herself in then - though she wasn't considering murdering Erin, at least not at that moment. No, the same reasoning could be applied because they both stood something to gain and for Matsu there was no harm in taking some extra time to wait for the boy to finish whatever it was he needed with Zek.

A nod was her answer as she curled her fingers, beckoning him along. If he had so much local knowledge it was possible he'd heard even more, of a place for them to start. But in the mean time they could make their way towards the only cantina for miles on the planet. She pulled up a small wrist commlink, tapping a few things and releasing the back-up droids to continue the sweep that had been terminated by Erin's dismantling of the first set of the droids. No doubt she'd have some answering to do for that, but hopefully both she and Erin would get their target and such success might soften the blow.

"There's a cantina on the other end of this settlement we can poke around in, unless your contacts have more information than I've already heard of," she said, dropping her arm back to her side.

[member="Erin Darkstar"]​

 

[Ignatius]

it was a deal, shaky if by any standards. This woman was not to be trusted with a ten foot long poll, but with both of us wanting something out of this man, it was better to work together rather than against each other. She gave me her real hand to show that it was a true handshake. I was fine with that. I told her just about all the information that I knew on this man Zek. The only thing I withheld is the information on the weapons that he carries. I doubted that it would matter as the best he had was a small hold out slugthrower, a vibroshiv and possibly some other smaller concealed weapons.

With him here and the idea of a weapon out in the open, I had no doubt that he was packing under his sleeve. With the small beckoning of the woman, I followed her down the ally as she typed on her wrist of information. Probably to her superior or notes that we may need to capture this guy. Deciding to tell her I thought it might help.

"If that truly is the only cantina around here, then if he even sees police of any kind, he will run. He will be carrying some kind of a weapon somewhere on him. Last time I encountered him, he had a slugthrower and a vibroshiv. But that was about a week ago. Zek may have boosted his arsenal since then. On the run, you need everything you can get." Pulling out my own datapad I pulled up information about his past. Mainly that his sister was killed by a Hutt and he has been trying to get back at them for a while. Handing it in front of me to her, I spoke some more, "He may be looking for people to trust. Since he has seen my face, if I go up to him, he will run. I think we may be able to catch him if you can find a way to twist him around your finger." I then pointed to her, "and I am not going to lie, he does like a pretty face."

[member="Matsu Xiangu"],

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

Matsu appeared to be about the furthest thing from police that it was possible to get. She had a natural slinking predatory attitude and it was obvious she did not care one whit for what went on around her as long as it didn’t bother her or things she considered hers. But either way [member="Erin Darkstar"] had a good point – better not to corner this guy. She took the datapad once more, going over his history and trying to get a better idea of the target.

She smirked when Erin mentioned that Zek had a weakness for pretty faces. That was simple enough, and one of the oldest tricks in the book if she could play her cards right. It was a more difficult prospect with her arm in the mix but she felt up to the challenge. “Alright, sounds like we have a plan. If he’s there, I can get him out so we might get somewhere more…conducive to conversation,” she answered, mulling over the plan as they walked. It was a short distance and she thought a subtle arrival was best – just any other two citizens of the capital city on their way to the only cantina around. It made more sense to her to get Zek out of the cantina – if he had made any friends they’d easily have his back in the enclosed space of the building and the risk of death to innocent Fringe citizens rose exponentially. However, if she could convince him that following her would lead to a more private location he wouldn’t bring any friends along.

The things she did for the Fringe.

They made it in decent time and she noted where Erin disappeared off to before slipping inside the cantina. It was noticeably warmer and she pulled her cloak from her shoulders, revealing the black bodysuit underneath as she gave a cursory, casual look around the room. The mark’s white hair made him easy to spot even though she did not look directly at him, instead turning to the bar and getting herself something to drink.

With drink in hand she turned to try and find a seat, planning on casually making her way over to him eventually but instead he made it so, so easy. One of the bar girls came by, tapping her on the shoulder and indicating that the Arkanian in one of the back booths had asked for her. (How disgusting. Like he owns me. I hope Erin’s brand of questioning is decidedly unsavory. Mine will be.) She went nonetheless, coming to sit next to him and crossing her legs, slipping convincing lies between her teeth until Zek was so buttered up he was offering her somewhere more private.

She took the offer as if it was the best she’d had in years, unwinding from the booth and making her way outside with him, leading him around the side of the building that would take them by where she watched Erin disappear.

She was already looking forward to the boiling shower when she got back to the Fringe.

 

[Ignatius]

As we had both reached the street where the Cantina was at, I stood there and watched her for a second more before I launched myself up from the ground a few feet into the air with the force. Using the windows as a form of a ladder, I went from one to another moving up the building. Once reaching the top, I pulled out one of my vibroswords. Smiling as I was at the opposite end of the building I wanted, I scooted to the very back of the roof. Taking a deep breath, I pulled out the datapad as I looked over the information. Just another time in what I wanted to do, It was a few hours later that I could hear foot steps below me. Smiling, I put the datapad away and leaned down.

Watching as the two who were coming my way, I instantly recognised the both of them. [member="Matsu Xiangu"], for one, and Zek who was in tow. I smiled as Zek pulled on her hand and stopped her. "Oh come on pretty lady, since we are alone now, maybe we should do some fun things..." As he was reaching out for her, I jumped from my spot on the building to land behind him with a sword aimed for him.

"Nice to see you both again." Before Zek could move, I stabbed my blade into the man's knee cap, causing a lot of pain, as well as possibly not allowing him to favor that leg ever again without the right treatment. "Oh and by the way, I think you owe me something Zek."

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

[SIZE=12pt] Just having the Offshoots’ hand in hers felt like those games they played as children, the one where someone held out a bag and told you ‘put your hand inside, guess what it is’. It was that exact slimy, spine-tingling disgust of the moment before her fingers touched what ended up just grapes in the bag that she felt with Zek’s hand in hers. (Ugh, please. I can’t do this much longer…) And as if on cue the man turned and, with a leer, offered a suggestion that she would never entertain in about fifteen thousand years. She was about to give up and just kill him when Erin blissfully reappeared, stabbing Zek in the knee and sending the Arkanian sprawling with a satisfying scream.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] “Yeah, good to see you too – really, you have no idea,” she said, wiping her hand off on her coat.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] Clutching his knee, blood welling between his fingers from an already horribly swollen joint, Zek glared up at the two of them and in his pain took a moment to recognize the boy glaring right back. The recognition was obvious when his face crumpled in to a rage-filled scowl. “YOU…you know, I was healing for weeks. But I still got away from you didn’t I.” The scowl turned to a smirk then.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt] For the moment it was up to Erin to get what he wanted out of the disgusting man – and then Matsu would haul him away where he belonged. But for now she wouldn’t going to complain about watching Erin cause Zek a little pain in the process.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Erin Angel"][/SIZE]​