Renegade Reunion

[Dessh Ekwesh]

It felt like forever since Diego Ticon had been to the Lower City on the planet of Taris. Having spent his last few weeks at a Jedi Academy, the ex-thug almost forgot what it was like to walk the streets of the vast urban jungle of a planet. Starving for something to do besides training with his cordial but stoic master [member="Corvus Raaf"], Diego unceremoniously made a break for Taris when the time was right.

He knew he wasn't allowed to leave the Jedi grounds without an escort, but he was a grown-ass man, kark it. He'd go wherever he wanted. And he wanted to break some bread with an old friend from the Lower City Renegades, someone who shared his gang tattoos and swore that he'd always ride with, the slicer and fellow swoop gang member, [member="Jalek Sathora"]

With all these thoughts swirling around in his head, Diego sat hunched over the bar he had commonly frequented called The Promised Land. He watched the door carefully knowing that Jalek would be notoriously late. Regardless, the man had shots waiting for when the bastard finally decided to show.

 

[Jalek Sathora]

Okay, so maybe trying to hack into a government network wasn't the smartest idea, but all things considered it definitely wasn't one of the most ridiculous things the slicer had done in his life. But it was time to leave, for more reasons than one. As the screen of his datapad faded to black Jalek stood and stretched, stowing the device away and making a mental note to look into better coding later. Things had almost gone notoriously wrong with that one, and he wasn't about to repeat the same mistake twice over.

And besides, today he had plans. Or at least, plans that didn't involve the odd job for this or that many credits. He was to meet with someone who he hadn't seen in years and had lost hopes of ever seeing again, [member="Diego Ticon"]. They'd ridden together for years before the gang had seemingly drifted apart, but maybe the connections weren't as sparse as he thought. If he wasn't too late, that is. The bar wasn't too long of a walk from where he'd holed up, and an even shorter ride. And it had been ages, or at least it felt like it, since he'd really ridden his bike, and now was a better time than never. Hopefully he hadn't gotten too rusty.

Mere minutes later as he arrived at the bar in one piece, his assumptions proven wrong, the Morellian hopped off of the vehicle and made a show of dusting himself off before stepping inside of the establishment, knowing that the tattoos that covered his right arm would earn him a reputation before he'd even spoken a word, but he didn't mind. It would be just like the old days in that aspect, at least. Now it was time to see what everyone had really been up to.

"Is this all anyone does these days? If you missed me, you only had to ask." With a crooked sort of grin he took a seat beside the man he'd come to see, the remark sliding easily past his lips. Things were already off to a good start, by his standards.

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

Upon seeing his old friend walk into the Promised Land, Diego's face broke out into the widest grin. When his old friend came near, he grabbed the slicer and pulled him into a tight bear hug.

"Sathora, you little nerd bastard. How the frell's it hanging? It's been so long man. What have you been up to? Still slicing and dicing?"

The young thug motioned to the bartender to bring them a round of shots. As he lifted his arm, a lightsaber hilt could be seen under his jacket, a new addition to the usual arsenal he carried.

"I heard you aren't with the LCR anymore. Are you still slumming it here in the Lower City?"

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

A grin and a shrug were his only answers to Diego's questions for a moment. "It's been too fething quiet without you around. Try and stop by once in awhile, huh? Of course, if you've still got it stuck in your head that you're the better racer..." So far he'd avoided answering any of the inquiries posed to him. "Still slicing, but however illegal it is or isn't you can't deny the credits are good. I've been here and there." He reached over to nudge the other man playfully. "It's 'Pr0xy' on the HoloNet, in case you've bothered to get around and hear about what I've been up to. I like to think I've gotten some kind of notoriety."

Raising an eyebrow at the sight of the lightsaber, Jalek momentarily wished he'd dug around to see what he could find out about just what his old friend had been up to before their meeting here. "I always had a feeling you were Force sensitive, but please don't tell me you've gone and joined up with the karking Jedi, of all people. There's a long list of things I'd expect from you, and if that's on it you'd better bet it's at the clear bottom." While sensitive to the Force himself, the slicer had never even momentarily considered joining with any of the numerous Orders in the galaxy. That sort of organized society had never appealed to him, nor would it ever.

"I still hang with the Renegades here and there, but there's more money in slicing now than there ever was in our swoop racing, I'm almost sad to say. Even if half of the jobs I've gotten are child's play compared to what the LCR used to put me to work doing. If I remember correctly, it was a slicing job that caused us to cross paths." Or maybe it wasn't. It had been a few years, to say the least, since he'd thought back to his past with the gang.

Once the bartender delivered their shots he took one in hand and downed it quickly as he waited for Diego to reply. "Oh, and before you ask, I promise I haven't tampered with anything of yours before this meeting. Unless you have absolute proof that it was me, in which case I'll still deny it. Depending on what exactly it entails."

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

Downing his shot and slamming the glass down on the bar with a howl, Diego laughed, "Tampering? Have you been slicing into my dating profile again?" He guffawed and clapped his friend on the back. "Pr0xy, huh?" Diego thought about it for a bit. "Not sure if I've heard of you, but then again I'm much less of a behind-the-scenes kinda guy myself." Computers were like foreign objects to the young Ticon.

"I don't remember that job where we met actually. Man, all those LCR jobs are running together in my mind." He ran his fingers through his greasy hair. "Anyway, I'm sure whatever it was, we killed alot of people and made alot of credits."

At Jalek's mention of the Jedi, Diego grinned sheepishly. "Ok, so don't laugh." He paused. "Well, ok you can laugh a little bit, cause it really is funny. But I did join the Jedi." He patted his lightsaber hilt. "Bombshell I know. It's weird, man. I'm stuck at their Academy on Ossus and everyone's wearing robes and acting like monks. It's a trip."

He shrugged, "I'm only staying there until they teach me how to use lightsaber nun-chucks, then I'm out."

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

An amused smile played on his lips, and he shrugged, looking to Diego with a raised eyebrow. "Dating profile? That would imply that you have one, in which case I'll have to do my research. Anything that's yours is mine, when it comes to slicing." Jalek knew for a fact that his friend liked to be up close and personal with things instead of waging his wars behind a screen, but the slicer wagered that that was where the most interesting battles were fought. "Might have to ask around the Republic, then. I was hired for something, once upon a time, but the details are lost on me. Something about their records." He shrugged.

A quiet chuckle escaped his lips as Diego spoke of the Jedi. If there was one thing he didn't expect out of him, that was it. The Morellian hadn't and would never make an effort to be anywhere near their Academy, let alone actually join up. "That's why you don't bother in the first place. I could've told you how it was going to go. Lecture this, serenity that, and here's a lightsaber even though we preach non-violence. Let us teach you how to dismember someone with it, but don't kill unless you have to." He rolled his eyes. "Contradictions, everywhere." It was plain that he viewed the Order in contempt.

"But, if you fit in somewhere, good for you, I suppose. Just don't start preaching their ways, because then I'm gone." Flashing a grin he knocked back another shot. "Things have been much more quiet for me. Haven't been hired in a few days, so I've just been doing what I do best: getting into places I don't belong and finding things that weren't meant for me, or anyone else, to look at."

He hooked his thumb towards where his swoop bike was currently parked. "Oh, and there's that. Still runs smoothly, even though I haven't ridden in months."

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

Diego couldn't fully agree with his friend that he fit in on Ossus, as he still felt woefully out of place. Glancing out the window at Jalek's ride, he sadly realized that he didn't even have a bike anymore.

His eyes lit up when Jarek talked of the Jedi's contradicitions. "I hadn't thought about it that way. They always seem to find some way to spin the 'peace-keeper' angle. Trust me, you won't hear me preaching. Truth be told, I'm not sure I'm cut out for the place." He shrugged. "My Master's a looker, but I don't think I'm her type. And I'm not sure how much longer she's going to put up with me."

Diego nodded to the bartender who poured him an ale. He absently inspected the tattoos on his arms and then suddenly looked up at Jalek with a huge grin on his face.

"Let's get into some trouble for old times' sake!"

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

That sounded more like the Ticon he knew. "What d'you have in mind? There's always the common bar fight, getting into something on the street, maybe something with an old rival gang..." Jalek grinned crookedly, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and tapping the bottom before opening it, taking one between his teeth. "Unless you had something else in mind, being a Jedi now and all." Now he lit it, inhaling smoke, offering one to Diego, blowing smoke from the corner of his mouth.

"Well, at least you have that to look forward to every day. But if she wasn't going to put up with you then you'd be gone already, I'll tell you that. I don't have much of an experience in the way of Jedi, but something tells me she'd boot you for it if it really bothered her." Stretching out his fingers he twitched them subtly, only managing to shift the other man's ale glass less than an inch to the side. "That's all I can really manage in the terms of parlor tricks."

He took another drag from his cigarette, this time blowing smoke rings into the air, his way of showing off. "Those are the only tricks I'm even halfway decent at. You're better with that glowstick of yours, I'm sure." With another grin he reached over to nudge the man, standing from his bar stool. "You mentioned trouble first, and you've had my attention since." He gestured to his swoop bike. "I'll even let you drive." This statement was punctuated by another smile.

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

Diego grinned at Jalek's Force move. He didn't want to rub it in, but he had much more control over the Force than before he left Taris. He was able to call it into him and feel it flow through him. He'd been using it in his training, letting it guide him even when he closed his eyes. Ok, so yeah he wanted to rub it in. It felt good to be mastering something for a change, instead of just blowing in the wind.

Diego's face became tight as he concentrated. Staring down a row of glasses sitting atop the bar, he lifted up his arm and curled his fingers. Quickly and in succession, one by one each glass broke, immediately drawing the ire of several bartenders and bouncers. Then Diego turned towards the shelf behind the bar and started to do the same thing with rows of liquor bottles.

Finally he stopped and looked at Jalek with a grin. "I think trouble might have found us. And you're damn right you're letting me drive."

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

Raising an eyebrow at Diego's trick, he could only grin and shake his head at the looks both of them received. With their gang tattoos, most were quick to let them shoulder the blame when it came to everything. This time, as it happened, it was deserved. But that didn't mean Jalek had to like the idea. "You're telling me you want to leave instead of waiting to see what happens? Fine by me, as long as you have something more interesting in mind for our next destination. We're supposed to be the best of the best when it comes to raising hell, after all."

As he spoke he snuffed his cigarette out in one of the ash trays at the bar, watching with an amused smile the looks on the faces of the bartender and bouncers. "I think we might have made a few new friends. You always pick the days when I don't have any weapons on me. But, rather unfortunately for them, I've picked up on my fair share of street fighting. Which means I'm a lot better than when we used to spar, when the Renegades were still together." A pause, and then another slow grin. "You think anyone on the streets still remembers us?"

The slicer glanced to where his bike sat. "Unless you've been completely brainwashed, you should at least remember the basics. Of course, we all know I'm the better rider, but what kind of friend would I be if I didn't give you a chance?" His comments were all in good fun, and even though it had only been a few minutes, he was beginning to settle back into the routine of things; how they had been before his departure from Taris.

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

As they stumbled out into the polluted Taris night, Diego glanced back at the bar and then down at his lightsaber. Jalek was right. The old Diego would have let hell rain down on that bar, but the new Diego was a Jedi lap dog. And the kid was just pouring salt in that wound.

"Ok, Agent Orange" he scoffed. "You got me. I'm going soft in my old age." He glanced around the streets, taking in the scene. There was a row of swoop bikes nearby and on closer inspection, Diego noticed rival gang symbols. "If they didn't remember us before, they will now." he said with a broad grin.

He then pulled a wire cutter and some small red wires out of his pocket and in one fell swoop, clipped the safety lock on one of the bikes. With a quick look around, he then crouched down and hotwired the swoop bike, brazenly hopping on the seat.

"Finders keepers, Agent Orange," he said with a chuckle.

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

A roll of the eyes was his only response to the age old nickname, but a smile found him all the same as Diego quickly and quietly hotwired one of the nearby bikes, chuckling only once he noticed the rival gang symbols that decorated it. His own swoop still had the old LCR emblems hapdash across it, and it wasn't something he'd bothered fixing. Jalek was happy, even in a sorts proud, with the family of sorts he'd gained once he joined the gang. It was a bond that lasted a lifetime, at least among a few of them. He wasn't sure what to think about the rest just yet, but maybe they'd show their faces later. If not, at least he'd become reacquainted with a few old enemies.

"If you're old then I'm ancient. What was your last guess of my age again?" As a Morellian he had a notoriously long lifespan, and wouldn't show any signs of aging until he reached year 160. It was a game of sorts that he liked to play with people. Most of them guessed him to be somewhere around his early twenties, but that was far from the truth. He was forty years from that mark, at best. But not many were aware of his true age. He wasn't even sure if Diego knew, though he wouldn't be too surprised. Not many did.

The slicer hopped onto his own bike, starting it up and revving the engine, looking to Diego with a grin. "Just like old times, huh? I say we maybe go for a tour of the old Renegade hotspots, see who we can shake out. Or we could go see who that bike used to belong to. I haven't had any gang fights lately. I'd be disappointed normally, but it loses its spice when it's one of you up against three or four of them. At least now we've got numbers. And your fancy Force tricks."

He paused for a moment before flashing another smile. "Unless you're still afraid I'll show you up." The comment would get a response from the man, at least, but hopefully in a good way.

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

Diego revved up the engine of his stolen swoop bike and grinned at his friend. "You're a Morellian, Orange, you think I have a clue about how old you are?" he scoffed. "Alright alright, I'll play. You're 72 right?" He obviously said the first number that popped into his head, and if he got anywhere close it was a lucky guess. "You look like you're about 19 though."

"Between you and me, I could use some spice. Or some girls. Preferably both. I've practically taken a vow celibacy on Ossus, and I'd really like to break it tonight. Anyway, you lead the way. I'm not even sure I know where the old haunts are anymore. And of course you're not going to show me up, Orange. I practically taught you how to ride."

As they rode through the streets of the Lower City it felt like old times to Diego. With a slight tremor of unreality, he suddenly remembered that he had shipped off to Ossus for Jedi training. It almost seemed like a weird dream that he'd soon wake up from.

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

More and more it was beginning to feel like it did back when the entire gang was together, and they were terrorizing the Lower City for fun on a night when there was nothing better to do. And a part of him wanted to believe as such, almost. Life had been simpler back when the both of them were still running with the gang, and there was no question about whether they'd survive the next day when they knew they all had each other's back. The galaxy had a funny way with things, bringing old friends back together. But Jalek wasn't about to waste a minute of it.

"In five years, yeah. But that's closer then you were last time." Although he could barely recall the last time the two had spoken, memories of life with the Renegades were beginning to resurface. The slicer had never considered himself to be of the sentimental sort, and he wasn't about to start now. He couldn't deny that a part of him wished they were both still members of the gang and that the rest of it was nothing but another likely alcohol-induced dream. But his more rational side had already fully accepted the reality of the situation.

"I'm down for spice." There was a brief silence as he paused, smiling. "As long as you're the one buying." It had been ages since he'd ridden these same streets with another member of the LCR by his side, and it was good to be doing the same again. "Here." With no forewarning but the word spoken previously he turned down an alley and brought his bike to a stop. "Not exclusively one of ours yet, from what I've heard, but the place is mostly under wraps, as long as you don't mind the occasional person or three being removed, whether it's by a bouncer or in a body bag. And this is one of the quieter places."

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

Diego brought his stolen bike to an abrupt stop next to Jalek's and eyed the unnamed establishment with no recognition whatsoever. He felt annoyed that he didn't even know what the hot spots were anymore.

"Sure I'll pay for the spice, Orange." He gestured to his light saber hilt. "Or maybe they'll be kind enough to give us a discount". Diego flashed Jalek a wicked grin. At the Academy he had a training saber, but Diego had pulled some strings once he was on Taris and got himself the real deal.

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

With a shrug Jalek leapt off of his bike, glancing to the lightsaber with a crooked smile. "Now I like the way you're talking. Maybe they didn't change you as much as I thought. This definitely sounds more like the Diego I knew back with the Renegades." There was the brief sound of a scuffle from within the building, but his smile only widened. It seems that, once again, trouble awaited them. That was a common play in the Lower City, much of the territory being under the control of this or that gang. "Sounds like they got the party started without us. But I think you'll bring something new to the table. Literally and figuratively."

It was then he pushed the door open and stepped inside, blinking for a moment as his jade eyes adjusted to the dim surroundings. It was a drab establishment, and wear and tear showed both in the tables that looked to have been pieced together with scrap, along with the pockmarks and burns on the walls that could have only been from the sporadic firing of weapons with little care as to who they hit. The smell of alcohol, cigarillo and the telltale tinge of spice hung in the air, and the sound of drunken conversation met their ears upon entering. All things considered, a common haunt for any gang on the city-world.

"I know it's been awhile since you've been here, but you should at least know how to navigate a bar." Jalek had to raise his voice just a bit to be heard over the din, but a smile was on his face all the same. This was more his environment, it was plain to see. Even if the chances of leaving without any type of injury were slim to none, well, that only made the night all the more worthwhile. But now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure just how respected the Renegades were in this part of town, regardless of whether they more or less held control of this piece of territory. Trial and error were one way to go about things.

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

The rank smells and shady people only served to make Diego long for the good old days, and it showed as he sauntered through the place like he owned it. As a skinny Bothan at a nearby table made the mistake of innocently looking the thug in the eyes, Diego glared at him and made a threatening motion causing the poor sap to quickly look back down at his drink.

As Diego got deeper into the bar, he started asking around in a low voice about how the two could procure some glitterstim. The men were then ushered to a back room, where there were curtained off vestibules that various humans and near-humans scurried in and out of, eyes glazed upon exiting.

"I'll be right back, Orange." Diego grinned with a raised brow and ducked behind one of the curtains.

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

Taking that as his cue to wait for Diego to return leaned up against the nearby wall, near enough the entrance that both he and his friend would be able to make a quick exit if it were necessary. But from the look of things so far, it was going to be a disappointingly quiet night. Having settled to simply observe for the moment Jalek took another cigarette from his pack and perched it between his lips before lighting it, blowing smoke into the already hazy air. For the time being he was consigned to watching the other denizens of the establishment wander both in and out of the room, some of them far more tipsy than the other.

It was one of the less sober individuals that bumped into him on his way out, and whether it was on purpose or not was something he didn't discriminate against, giving him a shove towards the door regardless. That earned him a surly look from a man further back in the room that he only returned with a raised eyebrow in mock confusion, exhaling smoke. Many would have said he was only engendering conflict, and they would have been right. But it just wasn't a night out without at least one person having to be carried out of the bar. Whether said individual would end up being him or Diego was yet to be seen.

The slicer pushed off of the wall as the man, a Duros who was no stranger to this particular back room by the look of him, pushed his way through the crowd towards him. If he wasn't asking for it before he certainly was now, but Jalek couldn't make himself care, and he knew Diego wouldn't mind either. If anything, his friend would welcome a conflict. Force only knew how constricted his living had been within the Jedi Academy on Ossus, and if he knew the man at all something like this was just the thing to loosen him up.

Cigarette still hanging from his mouth he sidestepped the first punch, the second glancing his temple. Taking a few steps backwards to right himself, the Morellian flashed what could only be described as a wicked grin. If it was going to be like that, then things just became much more interesting for all parties involved.

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

Emerging from the curtained booth with a pleasant vibration singing in his nerve endings, it took a few seconds for Diego to spot his friend. Then he saw the familiar shock of red hair across the room. The crazy kid didn't waste any time getting himself into a fight, he thought with a smirk.

He sauntered over to the pair who had begun swinging at each other and just watched for a few seconds with an amused expression. Then after Jalek had landed a mean right hook for such a lanky guy, Diego yanked up the Duros by the shoulders and whirled the man around to face him.

"You done messed with the wrong gang, you big-eyed freak," he growled at the Duros. Then he slammed the alien into a nearby table.

[member="Jalek Sathora"]

 

[Jalek Sathora]

Once Diego wrenched the other man away Jalek made a show of dusting himself off, flashing a grin and a nod, cigarette still between his lips, smoke drifting around his face. "C'mon, you're gonna end it already? I am forty years older than you, y'know." It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the man's help, because he did, but it always amused him how the Ticon treated him like a younger brother of sorts. He'd never pinned his friend to be the overly protective type, and that much was evident. "So, I take it this means it's my turn. Try not to be too rough on him, because I'm sure he has friends. Wouldn't want to waste all of your energy on just one of them." With another grin and a two-fingered salute, he disappeared behind one of the many curtains that lined the wall...

...And emerged mere minutes later, a pleasant tingling having overtaken his nerve endings. That was more like it. After scanning the room for a moment he spotted his friend and, shaking his head, made his way over to him. "Also, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not sure we even qualify as a gang anymore. Unless a few more of our friends from way back decide to walk through the door." He glanced around the room, taking in the gang tattoos that adorned the arms of countless others, none of them familiar, even as rivals. That would have been almost disappointing, had he not gotten into a fight already.

For the moment he was content to play observer to the fight, wondering just what new tricks Diego had up his sleeve since his joining the Jedi a time or two ago. If their luck held he wouldn't have to brandish his lightsaber. They were already less than well-loved as it was, and tossing that into the mix would only superheat the confrontation. Nowhere in the less civilized areas of the galaxy were any who took the mantle of Jedi welcome, least of all on a planet like Taris.

[member="Diego Ticon"]