Nar'shadda Nights <Open>

[Desmond C'artyom]

Desmond... Desmond was a complicated Chiss. He had seen more than most in a singular life time, especially considering he had lived multiple life times. But, all that ended with the collapse of the Empire. Now he had only the one life. No more cloning himself and uploading memories via cybernetics. No more Imperial medals of honor. No more agent of the Empire and no more hero of her people. He tried his hand as a rebel after the collapse. Thought perhaps if he fought against the very things that had abandoned him he might find some sort of vengeance... Solace.

But, that ended in rampant alcoholism. He jumped that ship when he saw his friend get fried and realized their would be no coming back if Des were to die this time. So, he simply ran. He returned to his cowardly ways. Hid inside the bottom of the bottle and found rapture in the point of a needle. He was lost, without cause or duty. Stuck on Nar'shadda he made his way by becoming a private eye. There was lots of work for him in a place like this.

Admitably he had multiple bounties on his head. Some from the first order, others from criminal elements, all of which he was unsure if were even still valid. But, even so he attempted to keep a low profile anyways. He fancied himself a card player and now he wound up on a deck of cards himself... He could care less. He had done terrible things in the name of the Empire. Part of him wanted to make amends, but most of him would do it all again. In truth he was not a good man, but more so the fact that the Empire had betrayed him was the only reason why he might fight against the "Tyrants" of this galaxy.

It was a deep seated rage. He wanted to burn out the villains of this universe, but he was too cowardly to do it. And even if he did stand up and fight. It would only be for his own reasons. So, instead he chose to do nothing at all. He simply sat in his office, half a bottle of Worshyrr whiskey on his desk and a nadir black cigarra hanging from his lips. A fedora was planted firmly on his head and tilted at an angle so that it would block out the neon light from outside. His legs were propped up on the desk and he was sleeping rather stoically, despite the rambunctious bar below his office/home. It had been a slow day.

He looked to his watch as he awoke to the soft pitter patter of rain and figured now would be as good a time to close up shop as any. He left the small office and locked the door behind him. Descending the slippery stairs he entered the bar below and prepared for his next drink.

"Hey Roshak," He said in his best alliance drawl "I'll have hair of the dog," He finished plainly as he took a seat at the bar.

"Coming up..." The bartender said as he poured up a frothy pint. "Slow day eh, Pullman?" He asked as he cut the foam off the top of the drink and Des merely nodded.

Here everyone knew him as Pullman. Something Desmond would like to have everyone continue believing. With everyone and their mother here having a bounty license it was hard to know who he could trust, but where better to hide than right under there noses. Desmond/Pullman sighed as the pint was slid towards him from across the bar. He took a long pull from the drink and set it down satisfactorily...

 

[Zesiro]

Business had brought Zesiro to Nar Shadda. She was working to reestablish her connections with pirates and smugglers. Why not go to what was known as the Smuggler's Moon to do just that.

When she heard a hauntingly familiar voice yell out an order for a drink, she fell off the stool she was sitting on. This wasn't because she was drunk or anything but from the shock of hearing Desmond's voice again after all these years.

A small whisper came from her of his name as her blue eyes looked at him. Picking herself up from the floor and dusting her pants off, she went to pick up the drink waiting for her and took it all down rather quickly.

At a time in her life when it was very poor, there had been a handful of people that helped her. He was one of that handful and she had never had the chance to thank him. She had instead run when the Empire no longer wanted her and had gone to Kesh to hide out. There she had learned to work as more or less a police officer. A few years had passed and now she was back to travelling again.

What was he doing here? What had happened to him after the Empire had fallen? These were just two of many questions the woman had, but she didn't know if Desmond would even remember her.

[member="Desmond C'artyom"]

 

[Desmond C'artyom]

The bar was dimly lit and in the back of it was a stage on which a Bith band currently played smooth jazz. The tables were some sort of plastoid and the booths had lights shining outside them so that the patrons with in could not be spotted so easily. The bar stools that sat everywhere were of the same make as the tables. The customers ranged from Duros to Mandalorian, but they all shared one common trait. A rough look that spoke of many bar fights won or at least fought. Desmond did not like this bar, but he had been in worse dives. He took another pull from his beer, his fifth today. Not counting the liquor. He was buzzing fairly hard when he heard the thud of a stool.

His free hand immediately shot too the verpine pistol within his overcoat and he imagined as did every other customers within the bar. Desmond looked around the room for the source of the disturbance with alert eyes, whilst trying to maintain the appearance of solely focusing on his beer. He quickly spied the source to be a human female. She oddly looked familiar, but in Desmond's drunken state it was hard to tell. He decided he'd play noble and help her up. Desmond walked towards her and offered her a hand. Whether she refused or not upon seeing her crystal blue eyes Desmond was at a loss.

He merely stood there for a moment as he saw what could've only been a ghost. It was Zesiro, on Nar'shadda. Desmond's mouth fell agape and he simply stood there like a fool for quite some time. Eventually he regained his composure and bent low to help her up again.

"What are you doing here?" He whispered in his thick Imperial accent, letting the alliance drawl fade away. But, speaking so that only she could hear him.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Ronak]

Another planet, another bar, another room for asking the questions that made him travel from one end of the galaxy to the other. The bartender lowered his eyes at the sight of the tall wolfman, a look Ronak knew all too well, receiving it in most places he entered. The smell inside was the usual mix of sweat, alcohol, all those alien people's various scents and a bit of burnt leaves and smoke. Telling from the scent, he knew nobody in this room, but he had not expected to meet an old acquaintance either.

Turning tow the bar, he growled at the bartender: "I'm looking for someone who can help me out with gathering some information." Seeing the bartender's reprehensive look, he added: "And give me a beer please." While the bartender took care of his drink, the Shistavanen had the chance to scrutinize the people in the room, as he could sense that something was off - a special 'presence' was around here. Several of the customers looked outright ghastly, not a single one was not armed. Why did he always have to end up in such places? Couldn't friendly people be the dealers in information residing in a park? That would be a change.

Another pair of people caught his eye, as a blue-skinned Chiss held his hand out to a woman on the floor. "Your beer", the bartender interrupted him. After being paid, he continued still glaring at the wolfman. "This one can help you with questions." His finger pointed exactly at the Chiss and the woman. "Thank you", Ronak yelped baring his wolfish teeth in a smile that made the bartender take a step backward. His sensitive ears picked up, that the man was whispering, but he could not make out the exact words. That guy spoke with quite a thick accent. From what he had learned by now, this might be the prestate to the human's mating ritual, almost like going for a hunt and howling to the moon together for Shistavanens. Aliens had different cultures after all.

Deciding that it would be better not to interrupt such a ritual, he kept waiting while letting his gaze scan the room, ears pricked to react to any sound indicating danger. After all, he was not sure who of the two of them was the information expert. But he was pretty sure that both would be angry at him for interrupting them.


[member="Desmond C'artyom"]
[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Erden Tarkhan deWinter]

They called it the smuggler's moon for a good reason. Some of the best pilots in the galaxy could always be found here, complete with fast ships and illegal storage compartments. Any criminal organisation wanting to grow its trading empire would somehow find its way onto the moon. That meant the Black Suns. The Hutt Cartel. The Society.

The Heaven and Earth Society happened to own the very bar that [member="Desmond C'artyom"] was in. The bar served as a front to allow the Society to money launder its wealth and maintain its presence in Hutt space. It also served as a gathering point for the Society members to hang out and an informant outpost. The bartender who had served the Chiss and the Shistavanen was merely a worker earning a paycheck. On the other hand, a mean looking thug with tattooed arms standing near the doorway was a full fledged Triad member. He eyed [member="Ronak"] for a moment, deciding that the wolfman was not causing any trouble despite the bartender's anxious face and casually turned his attention back towards the entrance.

The bartender took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Ronak had asked for information, didn't he? He did not have the courage to approach the scary looking Shistavanen again, merely walking through the door behind the bar counter to talk to his manager. A balding Artisian soon walked out of the room and headed over to Ronak, who seemed occupied with observing the Chiss and the lady [member="Zesiro"] who had fallen off the chair.

"I heard that you are looking for information. We have sources, but you need to pay. Prices ain't going to be cheap," the middle aged man grinned, showing off his yellow teeth caused by his constant smoking. Despite his shady looks and bald patch, the man was one of the top informants with direct access to the Triad's network.

 

[Ronak]

Something tugged at his interior senses, before the man spoke - was it a danger lurking? "I heard that you are looking for information. We have sources, but you need to pay. Prices ain't going to be cheap." That was already what he had feared. "I can only offer you my work force in return", the wolfman growled. What else had he expected. Money was not his strong issue, he lived from one job to the next using his earnings to support himself or pay for daily dues. Typically, such an arrangement would get him from one place to the next or gain him access to the local gossip.

Eyeing the man, he looked professional and had an air of authority around him. Between the bartender and the thugs, he was definitely higher up in the pack's hierarchy. Cocking his head, the Shistavanen eyed his vis-a-vis carefully. The last thing he wanted was trouble. If the guy declined, he could still try his luck with the Chiss and the woman.

[member="Erden Tarkhan"]
[member="Desmond C'artyom"]
[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Back at the time they had met, Zesiro had been one to flaunt her beauty and use it as a weapon. Her ability to word her way out of troubles had come and gone. No longer did she rely on the use of her body. In a way, it might have made her even more attractive. There was a natural glow about her, but even now a touch of vulnerability was still there.

Desmond reacted and came over to help her up. For several seconds, he just stared at her and resumed his action to help her up. In those moments, her memories floated through her mind of all their meetings and interactions.

He might have been an enemy when they first met on Endor, but he had come back and rescued her then. Eventually, she had found her way into his Empire and a few missions later had started to develop feelings for him. Then she had run and had no contact with anybody while she was in hiding. It wasn't until his Empire had been invaded on Tatooine that she had an opportunity for a reunion.

She had been there recovering from two shattered legs and still ended up breaking one of them again. There had been no sight of him then, but she had found her sister. The two of them had been taken captive of the Confederacy and given time to recover. For a while, she had lived with them, but eventually, she had returned to Kesh.

Now she had left there and started to make ties and connections with her old life. Desmond was a part of that life and she smiled with a distant look. Coming out of the revere when his hand was extended again, she stood up and kept that smile.

"Finding people. You?"

Giving him a familiar look, she really wanted to hug him but waited. Her attention was on her old friend and anything else outside of a barroom brawl probably wouldn't take it away from him.

@Ronak @Erden Tarkhan [member="Desmond C'artyom"]

 

[Desmond C'artyom]

After helping Zesiro up Desmond noticed yet another stranger enter the bar, albeit this one really was a stranger. The Shistavanen ordered a beer and seemed to be eyeing Zesiro and Desmond curiously. Desmond's first thought was that the wolf might be a bounty hunter. As his people were notorious for hunting, well, anything and everything. Still Desmond sensed no malice from the creature just simple curiosity. Desmond decided now would be an opportune time to make a hasty retreat to his office above. But, then he overheard the full extent of the Shistavanen's conversation. He was looking for information, possibly even a private eye.

Desmond smirked, but was quickly rebutted when a balding Atrisian came into the equation. He knew this man to part of the Triads. The group of individuals who owned the entire building. Desmond rented the office/room above from them. He had been late on this months rent, but he made good by providing them with a valuable luxury. Information. Desmond dimed out all his customers telling the Atrisians everything they wanted to know about them, in exchange they offered him protection and a place to stay. Desmond didn't like it, but with multiple bounties on his head, he needed somewhere to lie low.

Des heard Zesiro's remark and smiled to her

"It appears we're in the same line of work then..." He said half-jokingly.

The Atrisian had apparently heard the wolf's conversation too and was now trying to muscle in on Desmond's job. A bad sign if ever their was one. Perhaps the Triads had thought they didn't need Desmond anymore... Perhaps he simply was not aware of their arrangement. Whatever the case was Desmond decided to intervene. He beckoned for Zes to follow with a minute wave of the hand. Then he approached the wolf and Atrisian.

"You'll not find what you're looking for through him. You'll need to hire a true detective," He paused a moment letting the Atrisian know he was no longer needed. Desmond would not be let go so easily. "Excuse me sir, but I can handle it from here..." He told the balding man to enforce his point. "I've served on the Coruscanti police force for many years before coming to Nar'shadda to become a private eye," He said, stating his false identity. "There wasn't a perp I didn't catch," A little bit of truth, albeit it was under Imperial space that he hunted and it wasn't necessarily criminals but more so rebels... But, that was in the past now.. "I can help you find out whatever you need to know. For a small fee of course, but we can negotiate on that in my office and you don't have to pay up front,"

Desmond paused as he was sure he had reeled in the Shistavanen and foiled the Atrisian's plan, meaning Desmond was still needed. At least for now...

[member="Zesiro"] I [member="Ronak"] I [member="Erden Tarkhan"]

 

[Ronak]

Being caught in his own conversation, he had not paid much attention to the man and the woman, until his 'negotiations' were interrupted quite elegantly by the Chiss.

"I can help you find out whatever you need to know. For a small fee of course, but we can negotiate on that in my office and you don't have to pay up front." Ronak looked between the intervening Chiss and the sinister looking man who had offered him information yet not too cheap. From his first impression he would not have guessed that this man was higher up in the local hierarchy, but the other did not complain, as the blue-skinned one intervened. Or maybe the fact that the Shistavanen could not pay made him even less attractive. That he had served at the police definitely increased Ronak's believes in this Chiss compared to the less trustworthy appearing guy. A former policeman would not murder or betray him, he thought. His gut feeling was better with this one compared to the other.

"Fine", he yelped at the Chiss after a brief pause for assessing his situation. "Go ahead." At those words he turned to follow the man to his office, as he had offered. Nonetheless, he cautiously kept an eye on the surrounding thugs and his ears pricked to notice any motion behind him in case the other one was not too happy to have been put out of business.

Erden Tarkhan
Desmond C'artyom
Zesiro

 

[Erden Tarkhan deWinter]

The middle aged man scrowled slightly when the Chiss step in to offer his services instead. He had wanted to make some money with his connections and was willing to take the Shistavanen's offer for work for information. As the current situation stood with [member="Ronak"] appearing to follow [member="Desmond C'artyom"] and [member="Zesiro"], there was no chance for him to succeed. He glanced at the blue man for a moment, deciding that the information offered by the Chiss and the monthly rent was worth more than the missing deal.

"Suit yourself then," the Atrisian muttered darkly and made his way back to the office. He had other dealings to do, information to gather and new data to be uploaded into the Society's network. The bartender avoided his manager's gaze as he stepped back to the bar counter, knowing that his manager was probably in a bad mood for the moment. He was glad to see that the wolfman was leaving the counter, finding it easier to continue with his work.

The manager headed back to his computer and submitted the monthly accounts to his superior's account. As he did so, he spotted the sight of an Imperial shuttle at one of the docking bays. A quick scan through the hacked security cameras showed him a startling scene of First Order Troopers marching through the streets towards the nightlife area. No Imperial troops would be this brazen to walk through Nar Shaddaa in their uniforms without getting shots fired at them by the criminals. The only explanation would be the Hutts ordering their mercenaries to stand down, meaning that a deal had been cut.

"Darn it!" The man swore and sent an emergency signal through the network while scrambling out of his office again. He hastily waved at a bouncer standing at the corner and flashed the image of the security camera feed. The bouncer's face grew pale and triggered an alert using his holodevice to gather the rest of the security in the bar before heading back into the office with the manager.

 

[Zesiro]

Now they had found each other again, Zesiro hoped they would have had more time to reconnect. She had some things to tell him, but it soon became clear that the conversation wasn't going to happen right now. Returning the smile Desmond gave her she followed him as he stood back up to walk back to the bar.

Finally noticing what was going on around them, she did not give the Shistavanen any sort of odd looks. To her, he was just another person of the galaxy and should be treated as an equal. Even though she was a queen now, Zesiro still felt everybody should be given a shot. Until he might (or not) prove to be trustworthy, she treated like she would any stranger.

Nodding as Erden excused himself, she had missed the conversation he had with Ronak. Desmond had not and offered to assist the wolfman.

Staying next to her old friend, she joined them in going to the office Desmond had above the cantina. Taking up a spot at the door, she leaned against the wall while the other two entered. Once they were in, she went in as well and looked out the window.

Her eyes fell onto the same scene Erden's had and she went pale. What was the First Order doing here?

She let go of the curtain and turned to Desmond. With the tip of her blond head outside, she hoped he would notice the movement. Crossing her arms over her chest, she waited for a few moments before breaking her silence.

"Trouble on the way. First Order is here and I don't think any of us wish to have any further encounters with them."

That took her back to Endor again and how they had met. Following her time with the Empire, she had been taken by Kyrel Ren and lived with him for a while. Under the flag of the First Order. Eventually, she had fled and that was then she had made her way to Kesh.

[member="Erden Tarkhan"] @Ronak @Desmond C'artyom

 

[Desmond C'artyom]

Desmond led the way outside into the pouring rain. He removed a small umbrella and held it up for Zesiro, whilst his fedora took the brunt of the rain for himself. They marched up the stairs and Desmond undid the lock leading to his office room. He placed his fedora and the nub of Nadir black cigarra on the table. Brushing rain off his coat as he sat in his desk chair. He looked round for the Shistavanen and in the process spied Zesiro acting funny. She seemed to be motioning towards the window with her head and this could only mean something important was outside, or something deadly... Desmond sighed he was just getting comfortable. There was so much he had to catch up on.

"Trouble on the way. First Order is here and I don't think any of us wish to have any further encounters with them." Zes said solemnly.

And she was right. Desmond was still wanted in first order space and many would recognize his face. He had murdered thirteen first order stormtroopers when they and the Galactic Empire were on less friendly terms. He marched over to the window and took a peak out the blinds. It was not good. They'd been safer in the bar at this rate. Desmond knew he had an escape shuttle. But, he needed to go through the bar to get too it. Desmond sighed as he watched the First Order draw nearer. He shook his head at Zesiro, then began to make his way back towards rear of the room. There was a stairwell there that led to the bar bellow, but the door was locked and Desmond had been told not to use it.

"Follow me," He said again, this time letting the alliance drawl fall away and his true Imperial accent could be heard.

Upon entering his room, the smell of cheap liquor and awful cigarra's was ever prevalent. Bottles lay scattered across his floor, while cigarette butts were put out in ash trays everywhere. A lone mattress lay sprawled out haphazardly in the corner of the room and a single shattered mirror was the only piece furniture adorning anything. It was the epitome of desperation. Desmond motioned his companion's through and approached the door. He placed hand to knob and with shoulder forced it open. He went down the stairwell and without looking knew most the society thugs would be in the manager's room.

He knocked once, a light tap, before entering the room.

"Trouble I take it? I can get us all out of here, but we'll need your help," Desmond said as he offered up his hands to show he was not a threat, despite his obvious Imperial ties.

He knew the Society, might have an inkling of an idea as to who he was, but he doubted they knew he had once been the right hand of the Emperor Tanomas Graf himself. Whatever was the case they were all in for trouble now and no amount of sway with any old Emperor's would do them any good. But, Desmond had a fast ship. All he needed was a clear path too it.

[member="Zesiro"] I [member="Erden Tarkhan"] I [member="Ronak"]

 

[Ronak]

Rain poured down on them as they left the bar room. The woman had not spoken to him yet, but also had not given him any derisive looks either which felt almost like a friendly greeting compared to the usual way people treated him. Apparently, she was not some random stranger, but the informant's partner, back-up or something of that sort. When seeing the umbrella he contorted his muzzle to a grin. Those furless humanoids were using the strange device which cost them a free hand to protect themselves against the water. Following them the flight of stairs upstairs, he finally relaxed a bit that the thugs downstairs had not caused him any trouble. Maybe this would be his first stay in a city without getting into trouble, running into drug dealers, Siths or other bad sorts.

After getting into the office he shook his head and neck to get rid of the water drenching his fur. The man just stepped towards his desk, when the woman announced the arrival of the first order - though he had no price on his head, he definitely held no sympathy first them. The demeanor of the Chiss now changed rapidly from nonchalant towards professional, almost militaristic. Also his accent changed drastically when speaking next: "Follow me."

The Chiss led them to the most desolate room Ronak had ever seen possibly with the exception of the drug addicts' spice den back on Coruscant. The smell of cheap alcohol, old smoke and sweat was apparent. Strangely, he forced open the door instead of unlocking it. Was he not at home here? The inside stairwell took them back into the bar room which looked much emptier now. Now it became obvious that the Chiss and the other man were somehow related to the same organisation, as he lead them directly to a room at the end of the bar and entered after a brief knock.

"Trouble I take it? I can get us all out of here, but we'll need your help", the Chiss announced and immediately had the full attention of everyone in the room. It looked like they were all in the same boat now, a pack of desparates. And wolf was always loyal to his pack. "Tell me what you need from me and all of us here!", the wolfman just stated plainly eyeing the blueskinned man expectantly.


Erden Tarkhan
Desmond C'artyom
Zesiro

 

[Erden Tarkhan deWinter]

The blue man had barged into the manager's office to find the thugs gathering together in the cramped office space. The Artisian was busy talking to someone on the holo projector when the locked door behind him was forcefully open. Everyone turned their heads to see the intruders stepping in, hands reaching for their weapons before putting them down. No one was happy that [member="Desmond C'artyom"] had barged in without permission, but at least it was not the troopers who had stormed the building.

"Yes Sir. I'll sort things out," the manager politely nodded his head to the projected image of a younger man who obviously outranked him. The mysterious man casually cast a glance at the invaders and took a sip of his wine.

"Next time, you should wait before interrupting. But I'll forgive your intrusion, because you mention that you have a plan to get my men out of here. Do that and all will be forgotten. If not... heh." the mysterious man grinned at the three newcomers and raised his wine glass before cutting off the holo communications.

The manager gave a sigh, clearly looked stressed at the current situation after his update with the Dragon Head. He suddenly regretted that he had rented out the office space to Pullman. He had no details about Pullman's past, but the security feed had intercepted the First Order troopers' communications line and they were looking for a Chiss in the area. Like it or not, There was only one Chiss around in the vicinity. The manager ran his fingers through the remaining strains of hair on his head and decided to consider Desmond's plan.

"You better get us out of this mess if you have a plan. Else we will have to shoot our way out of here and call for reinforcements. Don't expect the Hutts to help us because they are clearly glad to be seeing us disappear."

Everyone was looking at Desmond now. The nearest thug grunted and pulled out a crate of weapons from below the desk. It was a random selection of old but serviceable blaster rifles, a few disruptor pistols and a couple of wicked looking vibroblades. The crate was placed in front of Desmond, [member="Ronak"] and [member="Zesiro"] who stood behind the Chiss. "Spares, if you need them. We need everyone to be armed."

 

[Zesiro]

Gratefully accepting the umbrella, the walk didn't last long before they were in the office Desmond rented. However, the stay didn't last long before her news hit their ears. It didn't matter to Zesiro if Ronak needed to avoid the FO or not, but she knew Desmond did. For herself, she had run from Kyrel Ren after almost a year of being his captive apprentice.

Something did cross her mind though, but he had already told them to follow him even giving up the common accent he went on to resume his native imperial one. The one she was familiar with. They did not have time to get to business though and followed him back downstairs through a different route.

The thoughts and assumptions Ronak made weren't far off. She had been an ally and friend of his, they had worked on missions together and even faced death a time or two. They had also killed together.

He knocked on the door he brought them too and opened it. Her eyes had taken on a different look than what had been there previously. Her years on the police force had taught Zesiro a great many things. Now she had the opportunity to put these skills into play. Moving into the room, she listened to the conversation between Desmond, the scarred man and caught a glimpse of a person on the other end of the holocall. He then cut the connection and his image went away.

Turning her attention to the case brought out, the weapons were usable and the disruptor guns were a familiar sight. Moving to pick one of them she would hold it in her hand unless anybody stopped her.

[member="Erden Tarkhan"] @Ronak @Desmond C'artyom

 

[Desmond C'artyom]

The man on the other side holo gave Desmond chills, but he knew what he got himself into when he decided to rent a room from a crime syndicate. One of the Atrisian's thugs produced a crate of weaponry. Blasters, disruptors, the works. Not high end stuff, but enough to kill a man. Zesiro grabbed hold a weapon first. Desmond merely withdrew his verpine pistol from beneath his coat. He was familiar with it like a lover. He had carried this gun since his days serving the Empire. Now it would see him through to safety again. As the other's armed themselves Desmond looked to Ronak

"Your help in this matter is irreplaceable. During my time in the Empire we kept track of all non human's who entered the outer rim, I can give you a list of Shistvanen who entered our space," He said whilst he took a look outside the door.

The First Order were lining up outside in a firing formation. Desmond sighed they would have to go out the back. Desmond motioned with his head and hand for all to keep low and follow him. He knew their was a fire escape outside one of his office windows that would lead them to the back alley. His modiffied Muurian transport was just a few blocks from there, held up in a abandoned lot. He exited the small office and immediately came under fire. Desmond returned fire whilst crouch running to the stairwell at the rear of the bar. He didn't look back to see if he hit anything. He simply kept running. He charged up the stairwell and entered his old room again.

Making his way into his office he grabbed hold his fedora and placed it atop his head again. Gas canisters came flying through the windows and Desmond entered a coughing fit, as they erupted in a tongue of noxious fumes. He made his way towards the window that would lead to the fire escape and kicked it open. He hopped through the broken glass and made his descent towards the alley. He rounded a corner in the fire escape and spied two first order stormtroopers talking among themselves. Apparently supposed to be watching the rear.

Desmond took aim and with a marksman's precision let loose two shots, taking down the troopers as he did so. He hopped from the escape and landed in a puddle as the torrential down pour continued. The First Order troopers blood mingled with the water, but Desmond was confident his silent pistol had not alerted the others that they were beginning to escape. He led them through the rain and onto the streets. He waited to make sure the others had made it.

[member="Zesiro"] I [member="Erden Tarkhan"] I [member="Ronak"]

 

[Ronak]

At first sight he had focussed on the people inside the room - real people with real scents - before turning his attention on the holographic projection of a man whose very pose and demeanor made his fur stand on end. The selection of spare weapons was shoves at him and he did not heistate to help himself to a disruptor pistol and a blade - rifles were to unhandy when they needed to make a quick escape.

Then the Chiss said something which definitely caught the wolfman's attention who pricked his ears in alert. "... I can give you a list of Shistvanen who entered our space." That was all he ever could wish for. He would be damned, if he let such a chance slip. The man would have a loyal assistant from now on.

As spoken and agreed, the blueskinned man led the way with the Artisian and the Shistavanen following closely behind him none wishing to be too far from him. As soon as they exited the office they were under fire. Dodding swiftly and relying on all his to warn him about the line of shots Ronak made his way through the line the fire shooting back, until he heard of cry behind him. Someone of their group had been hit. It took him only a moments' hesitation and to see that the leader of the thugs just made his way without caring, if one of his men was hit as little as his cronies seemed to care thinking only of their own survival. But the strength of the pack is the wolf and the strength of the wolf is the pack, he had learned and internalised. Thus, Ronak turned back to haul the young lad to his feet and drag him along with him while covering their retreat with permanent fire from his disruptor.

Getting up the stairwell with the injured young man was a challenge. Once a shot scraped his neck leaving mainly his fur charred and only a small which did not even start to bleed. Yet against all odds they made their way to the desolate office slamming the door shut behind them. The Chiss had better have a plan to get them out of here. The youngster was still staring at Ronak in sheer disbelief that the wolfman had turned around to save him.

Spying the broken window and the way the others have taken, the strange duo continued their way to catch up with the rest of the group.

Erden Tarkhan
Desmond C'artyom
Zesiro

 

[Erden Tarkhan deWinter]

The mysterious man took another sip of his wine and frowned as the holo communications link was disconnected. The bar at Nar Shaddaa was an important outpost for the Society to maintain a presence within Hutt space. With the Hutts seemingly in cahoots with the First Order by allowing their troopers access to the moon, it was pretty clear that the relationship with the Hutts was dipping to a new low. He placed his glass on the table and dialed another connection again, this time talking to a big lump of slimeball known as Guatto.

"Erden! What can I do for you, my friend?" Guatto greeted in Huttese with a wide smile, his slug like body wobbling slightly while he adjusted his projection.

"Let's cut the chase. The First Order are shooting at my bar." The man known as Erden Tarkhan replied in Huttese.

"Erden... Erden, my friend. It's just business. The Order wanted to recapture a criminal hiding on the moon. A Chiss who goes by the name of [member="Desmond C'artyom"]. I heard that he is staying at your place."

"Perhaps. Consider this, a Chiss who used to be a high ranking Imperial getting hunted by the Order. He must be terribly important, so important that they risk hyper jumping all the way to Hutt space..."

"I get your point," Guatto laughed again. His beady eyes danced at the screen, indicating that he was already thinking ahead. "He's worth keeping alive in your opinion. But we have already agreed with the Order, so we won't be changing our minds. That said, we promised to let them have access on the ground. The landing port is controlled by us."

An obvious hint. Erden understood immediately. "if he is still alive by then. I want access to the ground."

"You will get it. Five percent cut in your next transaction."

The Artisian pondered for a moment and counter offered. "Three percent, final offer."

"Deal."

The link was cut and Erden made a few taps on his holo device to send out his authorisation. The Triad had activated their backup plan.

********​

The Society members followed behind the Chiss, [member="Ronak"] and [member="Zesiro"] as they escaped through the broken window and went into the streets. There were only three bouncers and the manager himself, a thin number since the three burly men were more than enough to look after a small bar. To take on a whole platoon of First Order troops was another matter. The escapees were outnumbered and outgunned, with only the heavy rain serving as an advantage to hinder the pursuers.

"poodoo poodoo poodoo..." the manager cursed under his breath, wondering if he was going to be survive from this escapade. He was no fighter, merely a member who held the title of a "white paper fan" within the Society that indicated his prowess on administration matters. Why did the Society allow the bar to operate without any backup?

"Relax boss," one of thugs quipped as they continued racing down the streets and entered into an alley. "The Dragon Head will think of something and save us."

"Save us? How? He is far away in Coruscant!"

The thug kept silent, knowing that the paper fan had spoken the truth. The Dragon Head was far away. As the Artisian saying went, "Distant water will not quench a nearby fire." There was no way for the Dragon Head to perform miracles. If only they had more firepower or manpower to turn the tide.

"Hey boss, look..."

The manager glanced at the holodevice on his wrist and saw the authorisation code. "Hey Desmond! Turn left after the next alley and find the parking lot. We have our rides now!"

 

[Zesiro]

Her days with the Empire and then on the streets of Kesh had taught Zesiro some skills. How to use a gun on the move was one such skill. Though she was a Force user, her ability there was poor.

Following in the steps of Desmond, she took up spots along the wall to provide some additional covering fire. Knowing what these guns could do, she used it as little as she needed to. Desmond and the wolf took care of the rest with ease and they escaped into the night.

"This quiet won't last long."

Reaching a hand out to Desmond, she placed her head next to his ear and whispered.

"Can these guys be trusted?"

She wasn't talking about Ronak, but the other folks with them. The ones he had said he would help to get to safety. They said they had rides around the next corner, but it could just as easily be a trap.

Rain continued to fall down around them and plastered her hair to her head. It did not seem to affect the woman at all though.

[member="Erden Tarkhan"] @Ronak @Desmond C'artyom

 

[Ronak]

Climbing down the nrrow staircase of the fire exit was even worse with the injured lad than getting up to the office, because here they could only move on the stairs one behind the other. He could see [member="Desmond C'artyom"] and [member="Zesiro"] several feet in front of him whispering among each other. Hopefully, he would live up to their expectations of getting them all out of here unharmed.

The thugs were whispering among themselves looking around nervously. Ronak could smell their distress. "Turn left after the next alley and find the parking lot. We have our rides now!", their leading man announced. "Come one, it's not far", he tried to encourage the injured lad limping alongside him. The news speeded up their steps with hope as their fuel.

A whirring sound warned him of danger approaching quickly from behind. "Duck!", the wolfman howled. Throwing himself and the thug next to him to the ground as a missile hit a garbage container close to the Triad's man, spraying burnt trash and scraps in all directions and filling the air with a horrible stench.

Leaping back to his feet and dragging the injured man with him, he started running in zig-zag lines toward the entrance of the next alley to the left.



[member="Erden Tarkhan"]