Off To Nar Shadda!

[scarletsurf]

As Malik threw his rapier at the darts set a silence fell across the cantina. He was so annoyed she could feel it. In truth she was getting annoyed at this rebuttal as well. She knew that this man was drunk, and if there was anything Niyla had learned of drunk men in her past traveling the galaxy it's that they're all the same. They won't spill anything, not is sex or violence isn't involved. 
 
Niyla put a hand on Maliks shoulder and nodded to him. Her eyes saying 'I've got this.' 
 
She walked past Baxter, her nerves pumping as she ran her hand across his side.
 
When she reached his back he screeched so high the people back on Coruscant could here him. Just a few cementers stuck into his latissimus dorsi was her trusty rapier.
 
"Mind telling my dear Malik here what it is he wants to know?"

 

[Malik]

Baxter squealed and starting stuttering "ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! Retu has a massive shipment of materials coming in. Durasteel, duraplex, engine components, all the good stuff. I don't know why he needs it but it seems big!" Baxter jotted something down on a small notepad and handed it to Malik "The exchange's taking place at those coordinates. It will happen tomarrow so be there. Also can you get your girlfriend to stop jabbing me?" Malik nodded to [member="Niyla Ar'i"] and walked over to the dart board, pulling out his rapier. He got what he wanted and they had time to waste.

 

[scarletsurf]

Niyla pulled out the rapier and walked passed Baxter. "Sorry I stabbed you..." She said sincerely as she glanced back to him. Maybe he was just a pawn at the will of Retu and was scared. She needed to work on the way she acted on impulse.

She found her way to [member="Malik"] and walked out with him. "We make a good team." She said and lightly punched him on the arm. "By the way, you're a good kisser for a tough guy." Niyla covered her mouth as she giggled at him, hoping he wasn't too embarrassed.

 

[Malik]

Malik chuckled slightly "I guess we do don't we?" When Malik heard what else she had to say he simply shrugged. "Well Baxter wouldn't have left you alone if we hadn't." Malik seemed calm but under the mask he was blushing furiously. "I have to compliment you on your threat to Bax, I got in and out of there in record time thanks to you."

[member="Niyla Ar'i"]

 

[scarletsurf]

"Its no problem." She smiled and looked at him. Wondering if he really felt that way.

"How'd you meet the guy?" Niyla asked as they walked through the streets of Nar Shadda. It was a unique place, she could pick out about every type of scum there was. And they all seemed to be looking at Malik.

She felt the quick clicking sound to the right of where they were, without looking Niyla could see the blaster rifle firing upon Malik. She took a hand to him and pulled his body to hers, the shot skimming past them both. Niyla was quick to react, she darted up and chased the bounty hunter. In a crowded suburb like this she knew she wouldn't get far. If the circus taught her anything it was how to climb, jump, and walk on tight spaces. A place like this was basically an acrobats practice room. Niyla pounced up on top of a food cart, quickly finding her way to the roof so she could scope out the bounty hunter. She never got a look at her, she thinks the force was telling her. Still, she knew the hunter was a female donning a black robe and a hood.

 

[Malik]

Malik laughed "Its a funny story actually, you see Baxter-" Malik was stopped as he was suddenly moved closer to [member="Niyla Ar'i"]. As she ran of he shook his head "Great, dirty bounty hunter got her attention. Well I better follow her." Malik ran through the crowd, trying to keep is eye on Niyla.

 

[scarletsurf]

She saw Malik trying to keep up with her, as he ran through the crowded group she knew he would never find her on the roof so she made her way down to the ground where the crowd parted as she leapt down. "Malik." She said behind him, putting a hand on his back to let him know she was there. "I'm sorry I couldn't catch her." She felt bad, she wanted to protect him after all he has done for her but she failed him.

 

[Malik]

Malik turned around, smiled, and put his right hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. You helped me dodge the blaster shot from the hunter. If it wasn't for you I'd be dead." Malik wanted [member="Niyla Ar'i"] to feel good about what she did. He was telling the absolute truth when he told her that she saved his life. He was normally alert but he was just too busy telling the story of how he met Baxter to notice the shot.

 

[scarletsurf]

Niyla felt a little better, she smiled slightly and looked back at Malik. "Sorry about interrupting your story, go ahead and tell me."

She looked him in the eyes, only slightly being able to see his pupils from under the mask. She wondered what he looked like but she would never ask him to take his mask off.

 

[Malik]

"Alright, well you see Baxter actually owns the Slag Pit. I once went in there to escape local thugs from Retu's gang, what I didn't know is that Baxter was right there cleaning of one of the tables so when the thugs came in you could imagine how mad Baxter was since they barged in when it clearly said closed. The leader pulled out his gun on Baxter but he was easily defeated by Baxters pure strength. As I watched I noticed that Baxter actually seemed to be having fun beating those poor thugs, I approached him after the fight and asked him how he was having fun. Apparently he hated Retu as much as me, so he let me lay low there for the day as he dealt with running the cantina. So now, Baxter agreed to help me take down that slimy Hutt slowly, telling me time and coordinates to dealings and the like." Malik smiled, Baxter was one of the few people Malik actually though of as a friend. The only other person was........[member="Niyla Ar'i"].

 

[scarletsurf]

That was quite an interesting story, she never thought they would have been friends. "Oh... I'm sorry I stabbed your friend!" She said with a shy face and a slight blush. Walking along the road she was curious to what they would do next, where to go in a place like this. She shook as she realized she hadn't taken a proper bath in a week! Adventures were fun but she hated being dirty, she hoped they would have time to stop by a inn or something along those lines so she could clean up. As she thought about her body she looked down at her hair and started brushing her fingers through it, the blush on her face growing to a deep red.

 

[Malik]

Malik laughed "It's fine, I once threatened to slit his throat because he was so annoying." Malik stopped as he saw the sign infront of them Hotel Gamela Malik then trudged in, instantly greeted by the clerk at the reception desk. "HELLO! You must be Malik! Your room, like you requested, is ready." The clerk hastily looked through the drawers and ran over to Malik, handing him a card. "Your room is 304 on the 2 floor. Have a wonderful day!" Malik simply walked over to the elevators, gesturing [member="Niyla Ar'i"] to follow. He was acting like this happened all the time but in truth he was utterly baffled.

 

[scarletsurf]

Niyla followed him into the hotel, happy that she was going to get some rest before the big day tomorrow. As they stepped onto the elevator the background music playing was one of Niylas favorite pieces! Without even thinking she began to sing to the Bass viol part. Her voice was a soft alto sound that was not amazing but not bad at all. She never really sang as a child, however she did grow up surrounded by culture and music. She even picked up on the fizzz for a few years.

The piece playing over the elevator was a Jatz piece. A sub form of the genre Jizz. Jizz was an upbeat, swinging genre of music, most notably performed by Figrin D'an, the Modal Nodes, and the Max Rebo Band. She remembered this piece clearly from her childhood, she found herself tapping her foot to the Gasan string drum as it played on. Quickly she realized she was singing and stopped. "Yikes, sorry you had to hear that." She said feeling slightly embarrassed. Not really though, she actually didn't mind performing in front of people. She was used to it. "What kind of music do you listen to?" She asked him as the elevator door slid open. Aw... She thought, sad they had to leave before the piece completed. As they walked out she looked at Malik, awaiting his response.

 

[Malik]

Malik had to think about that, he had heard so many different kinds of music it was hard to chose. "If I had to pick I would say Jatz. Not that 'revived' version during the Empire, the real one, the kind during the Clone Wars." As Malik reached room 304 he slowly slid the card through the lock and the door slowly slid open. As the two walked into the room Niyla would notice the room was rather small, it had a single door to the bathroom but other than that there was only a small, single bed. "I made these reservations before I met you and it was too late to get another one. The bathroom is over there and as for sleeping arrangements.....I'll just sleep on the floor I don't really care."

[member="Niyla Ar'i"]

 

[scarletsurf]

"Good choice." She said and smiled, she always had a special appreciation for music. Naturally as an artist she appreciated all of the arts, just music was special to her. She remembered when her dad would sing to her when she was scared, and the song she first danced to. 'Days of wine and roses' it was.

As they saw the room Niyla was also a bit taken back.

Small... She thought to herself and looked at Malik. "It's alright. You can sleep in the bed." She said and rubbed her neck, quite sardonically.

 

[Malik]

Malik shook his head "Really I don't mind sleeping on the floor, it's much more gentlemenly to let the lady sleep on the bed." Malik walked to the window of the room, his holoprojector slipping from his cloak, landing on the ground, and quickly projecting a short recording of Malik. "Day 31. I met a strange girl, a Zeltron. I don't really know how I feel about her, I want to trust her but I should know better than that! I just don't know what to do! I haven't actually met someone besides Baxter who actually cares about what I say or do. I will have to think about it, Dexen out." Malik froze up Why did that one have to play! Malik thought.

[member="Niyla Ar'i"]

 

[scarletsurf]

"So your name is Dexen?" Niyla was surprised. She chuckled to herself as she figured he was probably freaking out. She walked beside him and put her hands against the window seal. Hoping he wasn't embarrassed or nervous. She honestly knew him as Malik at this point anyways. "Who you were matters not. It is who you are, and what you do now that defines you."

 

[Malik]

Malik stood there for a few moments, like of his voice was taken away from him. She knows my name.....I guess see can she the face that's paired with it Malik reached for his masking taking it off and lying it onthe ground. Malik then unhooded, lying the cloak next to it. Under his mask was a young man, about 20. His eyes were dark blue and he had short brown hair. He voice was slightly lighter than under the mask but his voice was still deep. He had a short scraggly beard and rough looking face to match it. Malik sighed, this was the old him, but this was still him as well.

[member="Niyla Ar'i"]

 

[scarletsurf]

Niyla didn't expect him to unmask. As he took off the costume she eyed him closely, she was surprised at who was under the mask. Niyla had imagined a man in his early thirties, with slick black hair and a clean face. He turned out to be only a year above her own age, a young man who had short shaggy hair and eyes as blue as the oceans of Manaan. She couldn't help but blush at this stranger.

"Dexen?" She asked, sounding unsure. She shook her head and met his eyes. "I like you either way. Dexen or Malik." She smiled and looked down. She reached up to her hair and pulled it out of the ponytail. Her scarlet locks falling over her shoulders as she looked up at him. "I'll see you in a little bit Dexen." She turned to enter the bath, as she walked in the doors sliding shut.

 

[Malik]

Malik was blushing furiously, he didn't expect any of this to happen. In fact he thought he would stay as his masked persona for as long as he lived. But here he was, back to Dexen, in his old attire. He shook his head and chuckled softly "My past just keeps finding a way to come back to me doesn't it?" No matter how hard he tried to hide, someone always found out even if it wasn't Malik's decision. Malik bent down and picked up the holoprojector and smiled. I forgot that I stored all my checkups on here. Malik clicked a button on the holoprojector and began to record. "Day 32. Today was.......interesting to say the least. As you can see I unmasked, rather not go into details. Raiding the shipment tomarrow, will update if not captured." With that he clicked the button off and waited for [member="Niyla Ar'i"].