The Pits of 1313

[Fable Tarek]

Coruscant Underworld

The top-side world had shifted. Rumor had it that all the sunlighters had joined the Republic. But down here. Nobody seemed to care. The underworld was an old, well-oiled machine. And the cogs kept moving.

Fable awoke in her cell with a gasp and a cold shiver. She was naked except for a cloth garment banded together with rope. Her eyes screamed with fear as she fell from her cold slab bed and onto the steely floor. Her fall echoed across the expanse.

"Where am I? ...The ship? I was boarding a refugee ship..." The Zeltron girls gasped in horror. She remembered now. They had all been taken prisoner. Her ship was never meant to leave the system. It was meant to bring them here.

.. "Hey you. Get up. Your going to meet the others."

He was an ugly guard. Clad in damp leather and silver scales. He wore a helmet that hide his face. But the scars on his heavy body told a grizzly tale indeed. He entered her wet cell and lifted her from the floor. Easily dragging her limp and thin body down dark hallways with little light. They exited into a massive forum filled with hundreds of slaves and taskmasters. The stairs were many and uneven. The roof was patterned and shadows walked across its surface. The room was light by fire braziers and smelled of smoke. And blood.

"Welcome to the Gladiators Forum, dear girl. Today your special. ...Oh yes. ...Oh yes. Today we're going to dress you up and feed you the Nexu in the cages. Hehehe."

The noise and echo of the room made her head swim. The floor made her feet ache with cold and the smell made want to vomit again and again. But with the last of her strength she summoned a Push Wave that slammed head-long into her captor. Smashing him across the brick stairwells and down into a dark abyss between jagged metal cracks.

He screamed in terror. But his voice was lost amid the anguish of the Gladiators Forum. This place was Hell.

 

[Garza]

Darren was tricked by a seductriss to follow her to a place called "The Under". He foolishly let his guard down, and was knocked out.

He awoke in a cell made of steel. Darren was bare except for a loin cloth that hung around his waste. Next to him were other captured men wearing same as he. To his right a man was clad in leather armor ,and some metal armor around his wrists and feet. he had a helm in his hands and seemed to be staring at his feet.

Getting his attention, Darren tried to use the force but was limited to alittle nudge of the mans helmet. He looked up and saw Darren and said in an angry voice "What do you want freshy!?" Darren replied with "Where am I, and who are you?"

Then the man said "The names Theo, and you are in a hell hole. Its an arena, and you have to kill everything sent your way." Darrens thoughts were "Oh great I have to kill everything. Only if i had my sabers, or even a sword." just then he was called out "Darren! your up next, and get your stuff."

He then was escorted over to a table. with swords knives. and blasters. he was told to pick up weapons that he wanted. instantly he picked up three sword and a blaster pistol. he then grabed some leather armor. just about the same outfit that Theo had. he put it all on placed one sword on his back, pistol on his right thigh, and the other swords in his hands. he was told to walk down a hall alone to a gate. some anouncer came on over a loud speaker and said in a booming voice "Ladies and Gentlemen we are fortunate to have today a new fighter. a Jedi!! and he will be a hand full for the other fighters and beasts we have set lose. I have the honor to pronounce our new arivel!! Darren The Strong!!!" Darren took his cheezy name and walked out to the arena

 

[Fable Tarek]

The hallways of the Forums were tight, long, and filled with black empty cells. Skeletons were rampant and Fable couldn't believe this was the same planet she had gone to school top-side on. Her feet were freezing and her stomach turned again and again. But she could feel herself being moved forward. She had to endure.

The Zeltron found two guards in regal attire and followed them in the shadows. They lead her away from the slaves Forums and upwards through the tunnels and damp halls. The climbed aboard a cage elevator and headed up through the ceiling. She could see shadows moving but after a few long moments the elevator returned empty. Fable climbed aboard, huddled in the cold dark corner of the cage, and pulled the lever to ascend.

She was greeted with an entrance into a more modern atmosphere. A more modern section of the dungeon it seemed? But still a dungeon none-the-less. But this part was lit with yellow cable lamps and the air did not breath like filth and wet mud. Where ever she was, it was an improvement. Feeling braver, the red-headed girl started to climb out from the cage when she heard the low growling of wolves. No... Not wolves. Dogs. Guard dogs.

"Oh sh'tupo!" She gasped as two fiendish dogs came slowly stalking out from the shadows. Growling and showing their rotten teeth and blood-stained eyes.

...She was one step closer to the surface. But she wouldn't make it from out from the cage unharmed...

 

[Garza]

Darren walked onto the mud trodded ground. It was sloopy, and would almost swallow a person. Dead bodies litered the ground giant dogs, humans, and what looked like the body of a headless Zabrak. Claw marks were all over them,and a sword through another. The crowd was going wild over him. So to play his part he raised his right hand into the air.

The anouncer then said "Realese the Rakgouls!" Two more doors opened up infront of him. About a dozen rakgouls rushed out, and charged at him with out fear. He grabed his blaster, and shot 2 rounds. They hit their mark, and 2 rakgouls that he didnt have to fight by hand were on the ground. He threw the pistol, grabed his sword, and charged himself.
They all met in the middle, and what seemed to take hours was in realty only seconds. He swung both swords down on the first two cutting them in half to the waist. Darren lept into the air. He was 4 feet above them, and he used force push to knock some of them down. The sword seemed to fly of their own accord as he threw them, and impailed themselfs into two more before he landed. The third sword was in his hands and he swiped the blade in a 360* circle to take another three out. His back was turned to three of them, and one was ahead of him. As he rased his sword, Darren was slashed across the back, and roared with pain. "YOU NEED TO DIE!" He yelled at the beasts. With all the force he could muster he pushed at the ground, and created a force wave that knocked all of them to the wall. Using the force push he kept them there and cut each of them in turn.

Looking down at himself he was covered in the rakgouls blood ,and had some minor scraches and bruses. His back had flaired up with pain. He yelled in anger and pain. Darren grabed all of his swords, and the pistol that he had to be replaced them where they would be when he first started the battle. The crowd just cheers on as another gate opens.

 

[Fable Tarek]

*slam!*

Fable rushed into the room and slammed the door behind her. She could still hear the two dogs clawing at the composite door. Trying to bash and chew their way in. The hounds kept barking as she slumped down against the floor. Breathing hard and trying to catch her breath. She was safe. If only for moment.

The room was well lit and filled with tables, chairs, and lounge seats. Red rugs covered the floor, bronze mugs and plates sat upon the tables, and silver drapery hung along the ceiling. This was not a dungeon cell. It was a sitting room.

"What? ...Who would?"

Fable stood up and brushed her wet hair from her face. She explored the room for another way out and searched the contents for useful items. The Zeltron found a number of interesting books, (one with a copper key inside), some golden knives, and even loose jewelery. The dogs slammed their weight up against the door again and startled her with a sudden jump. Fable leapt back in fear and knocked down a painting that hung loosely on the wall. She gasped as it smashed to the floor. But her surprise was in the shiny metal prize that lay hidden behind the painting. A safe. A hidden lock box fitted into the wall.

Fable remembered the key from the discarded books and went to retrieve it. She heard voices now in the hallway and began to search around in a panic. Grabbing the key from the torn pages and inserting it perfectly into the lockbox's slot. The safe beeped and clicked open.

"My lightsaber!" She exclaimed.

She discarded the credits and gems, and grabbed her bronze lightsaber with glee. Now she had a fighting chance!

"...Hey! Who's in there! The hounds are barking rabid! ...Mickey! Open this door! Now! ...Right now!"

Fable Tarek ignited her pink lightsaber blade, garbed in only cloth and rope. She took a fighting stance and sneered at her unseen captors. This was the end of the line. When the door finally swished open she bellowed a frightening yell and charged.

...And she carved a path all the way up the Arena's sub-levels. She could smell the sand and hear the cheers already.

 

[Garza]

The gate had opened to the largest it could go. The crowd went silent when a loud pearcing sound left the black hole. Darren was afraid of what it might be because, if they could trap and hold rakgouls then it seemed that they could do anything.

Darren swung his swords expiermently in a circle. The crowd began cheering again as a rancor burst out of the gate. Now was a time to panic. How is it possable that people captured a rancor and got it here? Darren new that rancors are extreamly hard to kill. There have been some force users to take on one and live, but it was a gamble. Not very many survived.

The rancor slowly moved around Darren as to plan a way to kill him with his jaws, claws, or shear weight. Darren didnt move to save energy. He kept his eyes on the rancor. The rancor charging with its arms open as if to give a bear hug. Not wanting to get crushed, he ran and slid underneath the rancor. Taking advantage pf the situation he jumped onto the rancores back stabing both blades in the beast back just below the sholder blades.

Out of pain and anger the rancor tried with all of his might to shake darren off. he let go of the blades leaving them in the rancor's back. he drew his other sword and swiped the blade on the inside of the rancor's right leg. the rancor turned toward its foe darren and roared at him causing spittel to fly at him. the rancore charged and so did darren. doing so with a smirk he plunged his blade in the rancors neck. spilling blood every were. he placed his hand on the rancor and used force lightning to shock it. with the blades in vital points of the rancor and the blades made of metal it condiceted most of the eletricity to his neck and back.

the rancor let out a final screech as it died.it fell to the ground and Darren pulled his blade from his neck and the two blades from the back. the croud was cheering that he killed it in a spectactular way. he was looking for the anouncer and saw him in a booth like setup above the croud to the right of him. he looked at them and used a force push.

it knocked the booth over and crushed some people. causing chaos amoung the people fearing for thier lives. guards ran out to the feild to capture him again. not wanting to seem like a monster he ler them souround him. he said out loud at them "You are not getting me again. I will kill you all" and he did just that. he choked one guard infront of him and force pushed another two. he crushed the mans windpipe and his eyes lost color of death. he threw his life less body at another guard and shocked anouth two. one guard was left and he sprinted at him. The guard fired some sort of eletrical blast that hit him in the chest.

It was a horrabul pain, being shocked and couldnt move the guard came over to him to cuff him. Darren wouldnt allow that. He grabed the pistol from his side, and shot it at the guard blowing his head up. He had to move to get out of here. He didnt know what to do. So he simply walked foward. Hopeing to find a way out.

 

[Fable Tarek]

Fable burst out onto the sand. The emergency that Darren had caused released all kinds of safety locks. Allowing the Zeltron girl to bypass many obstacles on her way top side. However, even as her naked feet touched the Arena's surface. She became all to aware that she was still wearing rags.

"Dogs!" She cursed and watched with wonder as Darren pulled out a pistol and blasted off another guards head. Excellent shot, she might say. And killing guards too? This man must surely be a captured slave like her.

"Come on. Get up! We need to move!" She shouted as she ran to Darren's side. He was too weak to be much to threat to her. And besides, she needed friends right about now. Fable lifted Darren with one arm and held her saber in another. Careful to remain as modest as her sack clothing allowed. Being a half-naked Zeltron female, her Charisma would be overpowering to some mortals. She grunted as she tugged. Pulling them both towards an exit reserved for guards and guests. Not an exit for slaves and animals.

"Up these steps and we'll be in the stands. Then we can run out with all the spectators and hide in the crowd. Come on then!"

Stunned as Darren was, she offered no sympathy. It was do or die. As it always was with slaves. But only then did she hear the cries of the people above. Only then did she noticed that the chaos had spread further than she'd ever dreamed.

"Slave. Stand up. The animals have all gotten loose." She let Darren rest a moment at the edge of the staircase. "...There are Nexu beasts in the stands. Can you still fight?"

She couldn't protect them both. After all, Fable did not know how many creatures hunted the balconies above.

 

[Garza]

After Darren had killed thoes guards his arms an legs had pain in them from his prosthetics. What looked like a human girl came up to him and stared to carry him. He could tell that she was a Jedi from the lightsaber in her hand that was clearly not his. He knew that she wasn't a sith from the fact that she helped him. Darren rested on her cus he hurt. They truged on till the girl asked
"Slave. stand up. The animals have gotten loose" she let him rest for a bit on the starcase and followed saying "There are Nexu beasts in the stands can you still fight?"

Not wanting to out of pain he was tempeted to say no, but said instead "Yes. I can but Ill be slower than normal. Im in alot of pain."

Darren hated the Nexu. they were just like cats but mutated and giant. Darren looked at the girl who helped him and said "Lets not waste anytime. We need to kill thoes Nexu inorder for us to get out of here, but i need to find my items. Three lighsabers and some armor."

 

[Fable Tarek]

Lightsabers and armor. Was this man a Force Adept?

"If you had such equipment, no doubt it would still be nearby. Let's get past these beasts first."

Fable helped the man stand and made sure he still had his blaster. Then she carefully ascended the stairs and opened the door into the stands. What was left of the crowd was running around frantically. Two Nexu creatures were jumping and leaping about as well. No doubt they were very hungry upon their release and desired a quick snack. Luckily, the did not immediately notice Fable or Darren.

"Quick. Let's up to the top level. We might find a way out without attracting attention."

Difficult assumption. Fable was still dressed as a slave and Darren as a warrior. They did not mesh well with the general crowd.

 

[Garza]

Darren was walking up the stairs with her. When they reached the top the doors opend, and he saw the croud still running around. There were two nexu terrorizing the people that he had scared before. "Quick. Let's head up to the top level. We might find a way out without attracting attention." The Jedi said

We are not going to mix in very well Darren thought. "We are going to have to find something to hide ourselvs with then." He started to look around for some sort of shope or clothes lying around that they could wear. Darren had an idea but it wasnt a good one.

Darren looked at her and said, "We can take off the clothes of the dead people here? Ill make sure that the nexu don't come after us and you can look for the clothes, and I dont care what it is just pick something fast." he was about to let her leave when he turned back and said "Here take this sword. We dont want everybody to know that we are Jedi" Darren then handed her one of his swords that wasnt so bloodied.

He hated to do that to himself. Darren felt as if he were half-naked not having his normal 3 lighsabers, but 2 will have to do. Darren didnt want to expose himself and swiping a lighsaber is not the best way to hide yourself.

 

[Fable Tarek]

Fable raised an eyebrow at Darren's suggestion. She took cover behind a deep wall and let the pack of Nexu chase their prey into the exits. When it was safe, she jumped out and started dragging a man's body towards the balcony boxes. The spacious rooms that the rich and wealthy used to watch the Arena in private. She left the sword behind. Like Darren, her pink lightsaber was her blood and honor. She would not part with it again.

Fable and Darren were loose compatriots now. Just two strangers trying to survive. So was not very vocal with him as she changed clothes. Donning pants, shoes, and a torn jacket. Now she looked less like a slave and more like a muddy underworld scum. The change took only minutes and the smell wasn't helping either.

"Look. Warrior. I don't know you, and I don't want to know you. But let's get one thing straight. Those Nexu are over there, near the exit, and I can't fight my way past them all by myself. So unless you have a better idea of how to get out of here? ...I say we work together."

Fable frowned but nodded her head,

"So. ...Deal? ...Or are you going to limp out of here by yourself."

 

[Garza]

When the girl droped his blade instead of taking it, Darren went over to retreaved it. He then grabed a man that was about his size and took the t-shirt, pants. and shoes from him. Quickly he changed into them. He then listned to the girl jedi and then said

"Yes we have to fight them to get though, but dont you think it would look suspicous if two people dressed as slaves were to walk right outside of here? I asked you to grab the clothes so you would blend in when we reach the surface." After he was done speeking Darren grabed his armor, and put it on again to cover his body somewhat. He put one blade on his back with the one that was already there and doned his blaster pistol.

Darren looked at the girl Jedi, and said "Thats fine with me. Deal. Now are you going to face these nexu with me so we can both decide or are we going to contiue arguing about this?" just then he heard a naxu growl at the both of them and walked over like it was stalking its prey.

 

[Fable Tarek]

Fable pulled her jacket tight and nodded. Only one way out.

The Zeltron girl gripped her lightsaber close and charged around the corner. Three Nexu beasts were gathered around a vending machine and enjoying tossing it around like a cardboard box. Their heads peaked up just in time to watch Fable coming charging through the air. Carving right into the nearest feline creature and sending it howling in pain.

Her lightsaber sizzled and snapped as she carved her way through. Cutting and chipping hot, molten lines into the walls with ease. The duracrete hallway was large enough for six people in single file to move through. Making it very difficult for the Nexu to anything but charge.

 

[Garza]

Darren let the girl jedi charge on the nexu first. He jogged around the corner to see her attacking on one of the nexu beasts. He lifted his blaster pistol and shot the second one in the shoulder. Not really doing any harm just pissing it off. The second nexu beast came charging at him. Darren not wanting to get to close to the beast used shock force to stop the creature dead in its tracks. The nexu was roaring out of pain from the lightning flowing over its body. Darren kept using the force to keep the beast at bay, and ran to it

Darren looked over to the girl for one second to see if she was holding her own, and so far she was. Darren looked back at his target, and stabed his blade inside the beast just about where the collar bone would be. He penatrated the flesh of the beast, and kept pushing till the sword was hilt deep. Taking his blaster pistol he shot the nexu in the mouth hopeing that that would kill the beast.

 

[Fable Tarek]

The third and last creature took a swipe at Fable and knocked her clean off her fallen foe. Launching the poorly dressed girl down the hall with a tumble.

"Ahhh! Omph!"

The Zeltron tumbled and rolled to her side. Slowly getting up only to watch the creature pounce atop her with a sudden roaring bounce. Fable pulled away at her lightsaber just as the kitten creature landed on top of her with a jaw-clenching thump.

*muffled noise*

After a few moments of lying motionless, the creature slowly fell over. Revealing a very messy Fable underneath. Muttering to herself about how she was never going to this smell off. The creature however, was finally dead.

"Uck! Finally. Now we can leave. Bleh! ...Gross."

She wiped herself off with a fuzzy paw and frowned. What a mess.

 

[Garza]

Darrens pistol had sent a shot down the naxu's throught, and the nexu crumpled up. It was scraching It neck trying to stop the blood flowing on the inside its mouth. Darern let the creature drop and looked over to the girl and watched her come out from under the beast alive. He walked over to he while she was mumbling and said "Are you good? and if so we need to move. All that ruckus is going to attract attention that we dont want."

 

[Fable Tarek]

"Yes. Yes I'm just messy. That is all. ...And yes, you are right. If this is indeed the Underworld Levels of Coruscant? Then there will be many different types of scum and villainy lurking about. Bleh."

She stopped to deactivate her lightsaber and rummage through the vending machine. The Nexu had knocked it over and all of the goodies inside were now free for the taking. And since it had been some time since Fable had eaten anything? She grabbed a bag of crisps and began eating.

"Your lightsabers? Are they attuned to you? Can you sense the Force Crystals from here? Or are they Synthetic. If so, I don't know where they might have stored them?"

 

[Garza]

Darren followed after the girl, and grabed a bag and started to chow down. After he chewed a handful "No they are synthetic. and I might have an idea where they might be." Darren had finished the first bag to just grab another one ,and popping it open he said "They might be somewhere near where you found yours, or with the anouncer. The quickest one to look for would be the stands where the little setup fell."

 

[Fable Tarek]

"And there might be other loot as well. If so, I'd be happy to follow you. I don't expect I'll get out of here on my wits alone."

She looked down at her smuggler's clothing. It was covered in Nexu blood and looking rather tattered indeed. Perhaps helping Darren find his lightsabers would help her as well.

"Yes. I'll tag along. Lead the way Warrior. Finding your lightsabers might give us a head start on escaping this deathtrap for good."

 

[Garza]

Darren turned around and started to walk with a slight limp back to the stands. Along the way he would find a blaster rifle or two on the ground left behind by fleing guards. He left them on the ground, and would contiue walking to the stands.

Once they reached the stands Darren used force grab to lift some platting from the stands to uncover the setup. He found the anouncer. From the waste down he was flat, and his legs were mis-shapen, spraled out. He went throught the mans clothes and grabed the mans shirt and jacket and handed them to the jedi who he still did not know. He checked the mans stand and found a key to some sort of lock, and it wasnt a card key,. It was one of the old metal ones, so it was only assesable with this one key. He placed it in the pair of pant's pockets to keep it safe.

"Nothing but I did find a key. Do you remeber some sort of valt that had a metal key lock down there?"