Roshki Belawiiks
We all have demons. I've just decided to feed mine
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScP5Nv-EhZI[/media]
Oh, oh, death. Oh death. Oh, oh, death.
Won't you spare me over another year?
They were here. She could sense it. Those bastards were here, and they would pay. I walked down the aisles, shopping list in hand. I'd become a regular here at the grocery store, and it wasn't unusual for me to run into people I knew. Hell, half the workers I knew by first name, and no, that's not just because I could see their nameplate (though it helped.) They were all so nice, even the cop, J'arvis Mentark. He didn't exactly like what I did, but I'd helped him out more times than I could count, and since I provided my services for free, he and the rest of the department turned a blind eye to what I did. Cuz, hey, how was I supposed to get my tips to them if I couldn't run my network? Speaking of, I could see him down looking at the fish stands. Ew. Fish was gross. I caught his eye, and waved my unsliced bread loaf at him. The Zabrak, in turn, rolled his eyes and shook his head. Yup. I embarrassed him. It never got old.
The Togruta woman stayed hidden in the shadows, a heavy, bloodstained cloak pulled around her. Even in the alleyway across from the decrepit warehouse, she was not fully protected from the rain, but it didn't matter. Nothing matter, nothing except slaughtering those animals. She would take their lives, and she would laugh. Above, as if in agreement (or perhaps in protest), the thunder roared and rattled the windows of the nearby buildings. Moments later, a wicked tongue of lightening forked across the sky, its white light making it daylight for a split second before it was gone again.Well what is this that I can't see?
With ice cold hands taking hold on me.
Riding on my cart like the child I pretended to be but wasn't, I rolled on down to the officer. "Detective!" I greeted cheerily. "Fancy meeting you here!"
"...I always come here, Belawiiks. Every midweek, just like you." Despite the affectation of exasperation (try saying that five times fast!), I knew he enjoyed my presence. And no, believe it or not I wasn't just being egotistical; the guy acted tough -- needed to act tough, with his job -- but deep down he was a softie. Besides, I liked to think I was the highlight of his day.
"Right, yeah, I knew that." I shot him a look, an impish grin dancing on my lips. The Zabrak glanced up at me, the closed his eyes again, pinching his nose.
"I know that look, Belawiiks. What is it?"
"Oh, nothing....Just that it's funny how you didn't start coming here til I started coming here," I teased. "Can't get enough of me at work?"
"Belawiiks, you know I lived here longer than you and I have been coming here longer than you." J'arvis's tone was gruff, but I still managed to coax a tiny grin out of him.
"Oh come oon," I complained. "I have a first name, you know! You've got my permission to use it, trust me."
That time I did get a smile out of him. "Perhaps, but calling you by your first name would imply a level of intimacy we don't have yet."
My eyes lit up. "Ooh, 'yet'? So that means one day you will?"
"Belawiiks--"
When God is gone and the Devil takes hold,
Who'll have mercy on your soul?
There was at least twenty of them, that much she could tell. Perhaps more; but there were ages from young teens to grizzled 40 year olds. Anyone past 15 had already done time. All could shoot, could harm. All stood as potential threats-- No. All were threats. All would be subjected to her fury. The Togruta raised her face, her eyes closed as she let the raindrops fall on her face. The redness and the puffiness had long since gone away, fading like her sanity had faded -- and in turn making room for the darkness.
Her hands gripped even tighter on her lightsabre. She itched to ignite it, to hear the familiar snap-hiss of the magenta blade and feel the heat radiating from it. She itched to run in, and make everyone feel the pain they put her through. And she was not going to be leaving until every. last. one. had been wiped out. They would all feel her wrath, and they would all die in the same way that he did.
Oh, oh Death.
Oh oh, Death.
"How about 5 o'clock tomorrow night? At Corin's Cantina?""I-- What?" He seemed completely bewildered, and I didn't blame him. I honestly probably should've let him ask first, but I was so damn tired of waiting.
"That is, if you want to go on a date. And honestly, we don't need to go somewhere fancy. Unless you want to. But, I'll warn you, my appetite is bigger than what those prissy, high end restaurants give. Their appetizers cost more than at a normal place, and are half the amount! Honestly." I shook my head in disdain.
"No, yeah, of course." I had to hand it to J'arvis, he composed himself much faster than I thought he would. "I would love to go to Corin's with you, Belawiiks. But how about 7? Tomorrow I have to stay late to finish my remaining reports."
Nodding, I threw him a cheeky wink. "I'll see you there then, right?"
"Of-- of course. Want me to pick you up?"
This time, it was my turn to be caught off guard. "You know where I live?"
The Zabrak chuckled. "Of course I do. It's in your report. You live right down the block."
"I have a report?!" He snickered even more at my flabbergasted expression.
"Yeah, you do, but calm down, Belawiiks. Everyone has a report."
No wealth, no ruin, no silver, no gold,
Nothing satisfies me but your soul.
"What?!" I stared at him as he kept laughing at my face. "Well what does it say?!"J'arvis shook his head. "Ah, don't worry. Nothing bad. Or should I say, nothing too bad." I put my hands on my hips, giving him The Look (tm) until he relented. "Trust me. All it said was our past dealings, and..." The Zabrak let out a short laugh, genuinely smiling this time. "And that you are one hell of a character." He placed a hand on my arm. "So. 7 at your place, then?"
I tilted my head up, eyeing him. "Sure... but make sure you bring that file!"
"Don't bet on it, Belawiiks."
Chuckling, I turned my cart around to checkout when a sudden, sharp pain ripped through my abdomen, making me feel like someone was gutting me from the inside. Doubling over, I gripped my stomach, gasping at the shock. J'arvis came over to me, asking something, but I could barely hear him. My mind was elsewhere, watching in horror at the vision I was seeing.
Oh, oh Death.
Oh oh, Death.
"Are you ready?" a voice whispered. The Togruta glanced over at the figure. Literally materialising out of thin air, this one was a mirror image of the corporeal Togruta, but with a darker twist. "Darth Zerona," the woman muttered. "Where is Grey?""She's gone. Asleep. Besides, are you really sure you want her or Jedi Belawiiks telling you what to do?" The hallucination pointed to the building. "You and I know they and scum like them deserve to die. They deserve to be gutted and rot for what they did. And who better to deliver that justice but the aggrieved - and fully capable - victim?" She leaned in closer, stirring not a thing. "You have no one left. You were happy. You had a home, a legitimate-enough business, a friend who loved you unconditionally. But those villains-- They stole it from you. Everything is their fault. So now you need to make them pay."
My heart racing, I left him and my groceries behind. I had to get home, to make sure everything was okay. I tore out the room, calling on the Force to give me the strength to go faster than normal.
Without stopping, I kicked down the main apartment door, taking the steps two at a time as I ran up to my apartment. As I neared I noticed the door was ajar, and my heart leaped into my throat. What was inside, I...I wasn't prepared.
Well I am Death, and none can excel.
I'll open the door to Heaven or Hell.
There he lay, bleeding out in the middle of my living room. The cute little nubbin at the end of his tail was cut off, and missing; no doubt the sick, twisted perverts kept it as a memento. As I neared, I realised why I had gotten abdominal pains -- those evil bastards had gutted Maxi, alive. It was at least a two man job; no way would my sweet, brave Maxi just sit there, cowed, as they carved him like a turkey. Kneeling down, I felt someone squeezing my chest. It was so hard to..to breathe, to focus. My eyes prickled with tears, when I realised he wasn't dead. Yet.
Letting out a choked cry, I leaned forward, gently picking up the Blarth's head. "Maxi...?" At the tone of my voice, he opened his eyes and rolled them back to look at me, whining. My vision blurred, and I stroked his head with one hand while moving the other to scratch under his chin, his favorite spot. "Shh, shh, it's--it's okay," I forced out. "Mama's here, baby, mama's here." He let out another whine, and attempted to wag his tail. Thwump. Thwump. "No, no, baby.." I moved a hand to his tail. "Try not to move, Maxi-poo...it'll only hurt worse." Maxi only whined in response, and I brought my head close to his. Kissing his forehead, I whispered, "I'm proud of you, Maximillius. You did what you could, and you made mommy proud. I love you baby." Maxi whined again, his lifeforce growing dimmer. The tears began to fall as I stroked his body, cradling him until, finally, he passed. Sobbing, I used the Force to call my cloak to me, and I gently placed it over the corpse. "You were a good boy til the end, Maxi," I whispered. Despite my attempts, I couldn't control my emotions. Without another word, I pulled him close and let out a primordial scream, howling my despair for all the heavens to hear.
Oh, oh, Death.
The Togruta snarled, whipping her cloak back and drawing her saber. These...savages had lived for too long, and tonight they would die. They would all die.
With a terrible cry, the Force User dashed across the street and blew the doors inward, taking the group by surprise. Some recovered quickly, firing their blasters at her. Igniting her double saber, she easily deflected the bolts, sending them back to their origins. A handful made it back to their mark, and all fell down.
Like a pro, the woman leapt and twirled, the light from her weapon burning brightly in the gloomy warehouse. Her grace would have been beautiful, had it not been a dance of death with which she was engaged. For every movement, she could feel a dark energy fill her up, guiding her movements. All of the pain, the hurt, the sorrow and the rage swelled up, giving her the fuel she needed - and the ability to ignore the cries of help and distress from her victims. No-- there were no victims here. None but one, and that one was she.
Man, woman, child. Some dodged, some shot at her, some fled. Those who shot were the first to go down. Her lightsabre flew, hacking and cutting at the bodies until the acrid stench of burnt flesh filled the air. But she didn't stop there; oh, no. She hacked off limbs, decapitated bodies regardless of if they were still alive; some she crushed first, hand outstretched and using her power to turn them to a bloody pulp. She was pissed, and she was powerful.
Oh oh, Death.
That's how he found her, J'arvis. Sitting on the floor, door wide open, rocking back and forth as she cradled a bloodly bundle of fabric. "Belawiiks, what--?" The detective was smart; it didn't take long for him to put two and two together. When he did, he crouched down beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Gee, Roshki, I..." He swiped a hand across his mouth. "I'm so, so sorry. I really don't know what to say.""They...they killed him.." she choked out, gasping for breath. Her nose and eyes were streaming. "They ransacked my place, and-- and--"
"Hey, sh, don't..don't worry about it, okay? Everything will be alright." The Zabrak squeezed her shoulder, but she pushed him away, standing up. Her sorrow was slowly turning into anger. Beside her, Grey appeared, hands raised in a calming manner. "Whoa, easy there, Ross. Just take a deep breath."
"No! Things will not be alright! They murdered him! They murdered Maxi!" She let out a wail, pointing frantically at the body. "He was the only family I had! I raised him from a pup! He was my baby!" A palpable thickness in the air was beginning to gather, like an oncoming storm.
"Roshki, seriously, you need to calm down. Something bad will happen if you don't." For the first time in a long time, Grey was looking worried. Or at least, as worried as a figment of her imagination could look.
"Shut up!" Roshki screamed at her. "Shut up! I don't want to hear anything from you!"
"Roshki, I didn't say anything." Hands up, the detective took a cautious step towards her. "Please, Roshki, you're upset. I understand that. You just lost your closest friend. But you need to calm down, okay? It's alright to grieve, but--"
"You don't understand!" Her hands shot out, the Force swelling around her and travelling down her arms, reaching out to grip the Zabrak. Tears in her eyes and a look of utter despair on her face, she let it fill her up. It was different than normal -- tainted, almost. It was dark, and cloying, like the scent of dirt above a fermented corpse. But she didn't care. Squeezing her fingers, she slowly began to crush J'arvis. He cried out as the pressure was added to his body, but she continued. "That's it," whispered a new voice. "Crush him until he's a bloody pulp."
"Roshki, please. Don't do this, he doesn't deserve it! He's not the bad guy."
"Listen to her, young one." The Togruta glanced over to see not one, but three versions of her, all dressed accordingly. Shocked, she dropped J'arvis (who had at this time passed out.)
"I...I recognize you three." One of them, dressed in the traditional Jedi garb, nodded, but it was the Sith who spoke.
"We'll have time for catchup later." She stooped, picking up a card with a logo embossed on it. "We all know who did this, and we need to make them pay."
My name is Death,
And the end is here.
No one survived. In a little over two hours, the Togruta had hunted down and killed everyone in the warehouse. Some had escaped, but she didn't care. She would find them, with time. It was eventual. Switching off her lightsabre, she looked around the floor. There might have been twenty bodies to begin with, but now there were only body parts and blood mingling with illegal contraband. Hacked off heads and smouldering limbs lay next to corpses that looked like they had been pressed under a building. But every single body -- man, woman, and child -- had been gutted with the lightsabre, their intestines spilled out. The air was filled with the oppressive smell of iron, flesh, and unwashed beings. With a sort of detached attitude, the Togruta stepped over the debris, walking out without another glance. Someone had hung a mirror, which now bore a large crack -- but it was in the remaining fragments that she caught a glimpse of her eyes. Naturally black, they were now a brilliant shade of radioactive amber, glowing harshly against the dark. As she watched, though, they faded until the only other light was the moon outside.
She turned away, looking up. The storm had abated while she was inside. Now, there only shone the moon and the cold, distant twinkling of stars. In the distance were sirens; it seemed once things had died down, someone plucked up the courage to call the cops. For now, she ignored them. Instead, lifting her arms, a harsh scowl appeared on her face. "I will kill them all!" she screamed. "Every last one! Mark my words!"
My name is Death,
And the end.
Is.
Here.
The woman promised Death, and it was a promise she intended to keep.
