The Red Metellos Blues. (open_1)

[Fable Tarek]

Fable was slightly sick to her gut. She would have to suffer next to the creepy Sith.

The escort of mutant creatures lead them down long corridors of green metal piping. The temperature was cool and the air held a tint of moisture. The ground was wet with a black water and their boots made a sticky, slapping sound as they walked. The Minotaur creatures caused the pipes to echo from their foot-falls. It took only minutes to reach the edge of the Governor's subterranean levels. Here they met with polished durasteel walls and the buzzing hum of more blue shield nets. A thief approached the wall and tapped it slightly with his bow. The wall sparked and sizzled as the bow glowed red hot.

~ "Heh heh heh. Your out here." He smiled wickedly and pointed to a nearby sewer grate.

The Minos creatures pushed them forward towards the electrified wall and the grate at the bottom. Fable scowled but knew what to do. She looked at Onyx and frowned,

"I'll channel it. You just take two steps up... And out of the water. And be ready to 'do your thing'."

She unfurled her lightsaber and stabbed it into the durasteel wall. Slowly melting the superheated metal into a pool of molten mush. The shield net buckled at the current and attempted to short-out her saber. But Fable channeled the lightning past her blade and out her hands. Channeling the strong current into the black water at her opponents feet. The thief looked perplexed but didn't catch onto her ruse until it was too late,

"Now! Kill them now!" She shouted at Onyx.

The shield net jumped from the wall and into the muddy water at their feet. A tidal wave of electricity splashed from the Shield in a dazzling display. It began to shock and melt every mutant creature that stood in the black pool of filth that rested on the pipes hallowed ground. Blue bolts of electricity arched and flew. Carving and jumping between mutant and Minos. Melting their flesh and burning their bones. Causing the massive Minotaurs to scream and smoke like Barbecued Pork-Ribs at the holidays. The light show was no less Festive.

"I can't... Hold them... Forever..."

She cringed as the hot lightning jumped and arched around her sword and between her hands. Onyx would need to finish them. Only sixteen melting opponents to go.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx didn't waste anytime. Almost a second after her yelling, his dark purple lightsaber was ignited He knew the electricity would melt him like them so he used it to his advantage.

He jumped between opponents, kicking and stabbing them all the way. He even used some of his own force lightning, farther increasing the affect of them melting. He didn't care. Why should he? He was a sith after all, he didn't care much for anyone. Except maybe Fable.

Soon all the mutants were dead and Onyx was back at her side. "Lead the way love," he said with his ever so powerful charm.

 

[Fable Tarek]

The shield popped and hissed as Fable disengaged from the wall. Her body smoked with white fumes but otherwise she was uninjured. Just a little tired.

"I need a moment. ...But we shouldn't go back down that way. There will only be more of them. See if you can cut that grate open at the bottom of the wall. ...Ugh. What is that stench? Damn those dead creatures."

She took some time to regain her stamina but grew weary of the smell of burning skin and hair. Those dead creatures would stink for days.

"The Governor's Palace might be the best way to reenter the city from this end. Otherwise I don't no how we'll breach the shield net again. Or where."

Truthfully the journey into the Mutant's Lair had made her very lost. She wasn't sure just where they had ended up in the Underworld.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx began to loot the creatures. He found, out of pure luck, a holotape that appeared to be a map. "Well what do we have here? A map. I think a; Onyx you are the greatest and smartest warrior ever in the entire Sith Empire and are totally not evil in any way, would be appropriate." Onyx laughed and started to look the map over.

"Hmm. We are here. The Governor's Palace is a few clicks down the tunnel over here. Want to go or should we explore? I say we explore."

 

[Fable Tarek]

"The Governors Sub-level is right through that grate."

She pointed to the entry point beneath the wall that the thief had lead them to. It was a sewage escape and unhindered by the shield net for a very good reason. Burning waste is not something you want to keep inside your Palace. Though, it did give a whole new insight into what exactly this black water was that they had been walking in for the past hour. Ugh. Gross.

"Oh nevermind. Your useless aren't you."

Fable stood back up and used her pink lightsaber to begin melting the grate open. She wasn't looking forward to crawling through it either.

"If you want to go exploring, I'm not going to stop you. But on this side of the wall is mutant territory. And on that side of the wall is civilization and a Palace. ...So I'm going to crawl through this tunnel and get the hell out of here."

The bars melted off and came splashing to the ground. Doorway finished.

"There. ...Ugh. Now. If you want to go jogging and looting down there? By all means? ...Don't let me stop you. Break a leg. Or your jaw. Which ever."

She scowled and looked down at the small opening she had just cut. All that was left to do now was crawl through it. ...Bleh. So much for leaving the nasty stench of a sewer behind. This was just unsavory.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx was lost in thought. To him Fable seemed more menacing then most of the sith he knew... and he loved her for that. He realized she was already starting to crawl through the opening she had made and started off behind her. "It's fine. Me and my good ol' pal Darren Shaw can come back here."

 

[Fable Tarek]

Fable had met Darren before. Long story. But they never traded names, so it didn't ring a bell. She just climbed through the hole and stood up upon her exit. The scenery had changed dramatically. No longer were they in dull green pipes large enough for a boat. Now it was clean white steel and the low humming churning of engines. They must have come out on the Engineering level. Right in the middle of one of the waste pipes.

"I suppose I should be happy. This was the only pipeline not underwater. Ugh."

The ceilings were low and covered in cables. The walls bent outwards and were covered in rivets. The floor was grated and filtered down into the dark. The smell was more greasy than foul now, but still too strong for her tastes. This whole planet smelled like that. Like a mechanic's armpit. Bleh... Fable also noticed that the Sith was still following her too.

"Decided not to go spelunking in mutant territory huh? ...Great..."

She shook her head. Maybe when her adrenaline went down from fighting mutants she would think again about killing him. Until then, she was just happy to be staying alive.

"Does that map of your's show the Palace Sub-level? ...I'd rather not pop my head up right in the middle of the Trooper Mess."

Maybe a bedroom with a change of clothes. Yeah. She'd avoid the Barracks and steal from the Governess. Much better plan.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx could tell her look of displease with him fallowing her. He didn't care. He was used to people hating him. Mainly because he was a sith.

Onyx gave a sigh at the thought. People only hated him because he was sith. He always tried to prove them wrong though. He only joined the sith to learn to control his powers. He did. But as he stated when he kissed Fable, sometimes you become a slave of yourself. He couldn't leave the empire or the sith because he was scared to. To return to the Jedi would be a mistake. And becoming a fallen jedi would create enemies with both the Empire and the Republic. Onyx may hold the title of sith. But in his heart and mind, he was only a force sensitive.

Onyx snapped himself back to reality to find he had been staring into Fable's eyes. Awkward. "Yea, we wanna head to a tunnel that is...." Onyx pointed to the other side at a small drainage pipe. "There. IT leads straight into the basement level of the Palace."

 

[Fable Tarek]

Fable squinted hard and tapped her foot with impatience while Onyx was in la-la land. When he finally spoke again she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fine Fine. Your directions. Your lead. ...After you."

She couldn't stomach the thought of his eyes on her hind-quarters for another second. Maybe she'd get lucky and a booby-trap would get him first. Yep. That would be nice. Just one less diabolical, baby-eating Sith in the galaxy. Now wouldn't that be nice.

"I'll try not to stab you in the back as we go. ...Back for stealth, ya know. Heh."

The Zeltron girl motioned for the dark-sider to move forward. She sure didn't trust his instructions.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx thought her impatience was hilarious. He couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry, its just the fact that you hate me just because I'm a sith."

Onyx began to shimmy against the wall to reach the manhole on the other side. As the two moved along, Onyx spoke again. "Why do you think I want to be a sith. I am a prisoner of my own device. I can't leave them. If I do then I loose everything."

 

[Fable Tarek]

"Would you shut up. ...I am not rationalizing with the devil. You made your choice. Now live with it. ...Ugh."

She couldn't believe she was saying that. Every Force Adept in the galaxy knew what a Sith was. Evil, evil, and more evil. Truthfully... Fable was surprised Onyx had not killed any infants yet or kicked over any old women in wheelchairs. But... There was still plenty of time for that later.

"Just don't talk and just keep moving. If there are any traps around here, I want you to find them first. ...So at least try to focus on not getting both of us killed."

 

[Darren Onyx]

Almost after she said that, as if on cue, Onyx spotted a land mine planted into the wall. "STOP!" Onyx stopped dead short of it. "Land mine, they must have set these up in case we tried anything." Onyx used the force and removed the mine. He continued moving. "Anyways, who did you think you were contacting anyways?"

 

[Fable Tarek]

Fable stopped short of the mine and held her breath. Grateful that Onyx had noticed it before they both got blown up. Maybe... Maybe she wouldn't kill him after all.

"Contacting? Oh. The job. ...Oh, just shut up. Hmph. ...Some of us have to eat you know."

So, maybe she had gotten sloppy. Maybe it was just this gods-forsaken planet. Or maybe it was just bad luck. Either way, Fable was terribly mad about the whole thing. Finding jobs as a Force Adept was easy. Everybody loves a Wizard. And they will pay you thousands of credits for your services. Especially if it's dangerous. ...Sadly. Fable just got suckered in by a good price. Had this been a real job, she could probably have bought another Starship when it was over. ...Oh. Wouldn't that be nice. A new silver Starship and a steak dinner at a 5-Star restaurant. She could almost taste it.

Fable shook her head and tightened her belt. Now was no time for daydreaming.

"...Just. Oh blehh. ...Just find a way top-side. I can sneak out when we can finally see the sky. ...You. You, can fight a legion of Stormtroopers and die."

Bleh. She was so sick of insulting Onyx that she had run out of insults to use. Great. Just great.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx finally reached the manhole. He started up his lightsaber and began to cut through the fenced hole. "So who is your boss? The Hutts? The Republic? Everyone has someone they go to? Maybe your husband?"

 

[Fable Tarek]

If she could have facepalmed. She would have.

"Yes it's my husband. He's tall, dark, handsome, and totally rich. You don't stand a chance."

Fable sighed audibly. Taking a step back to avoid the sparks.

"...Look. If your looking for lady advice? Here's some. Women don't like men who are evil. So... Maybe you should think about that next time you decide to join the Sith. ...Yeah. Didn't think so."

She shook her head. Sith didn't have girlfriends, wives, partners, or significant others. They had slaves. Use em' and lose em' slaves. Ugh... Sith.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx finished cutting the hole and turned to face her. He was in her face looking down on her. He was clearly a foot or two taller. "But sith is a title. Not a person. One can be sith but be good. Fallen jedi are sith at some point, but they aren't evil." Onyx turned and started to walk through the small manhole.

 

[Fable Tarek]

"That is bull-kark and you know it."

She frowned. He was trying to trick her. Onyx was trying to deceive her again.

"Sith means evil. Sith means killing for bloodlust and razing worlds of all their life. Sith means death, destruction, devils, and the void. Oh no. I know what you are Darth. You are a plague wearing human skin. You are a sickness that would choke my whole galaxy of every last drop of goodness and light. ...And for that. No one. ...will ever love you."

Fable knew what being Sith meant. If Onyx didn't? He was just a fool and coward. Walking forward towards the cliffs of shadow with his eyes held shut.

"Do not attempt to deceive me again Plaguebearer. Save it for you slaves, your captives, and your dead."

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx couldn't take her anymore. He turned to face her. He threw off his mask and hood revealing his pale skin and bright red eyes.

"This is what I am! Not who I am! I searched to control my power, the jedi didn't give me that. They used me. At least with the sith I learned to control it. Of course I used it to much and became.... this! A image of disgust and death. I am not this. Under this I am a man trying to search for his place in the galaxy. But maybe I joined the sith just to do something. To try and accomplish something. I couldn't do that with my old life!" Onyx was on the ground with tears now flowing freely.

"Do you not understand my pain, my suffering. I have thought on several occasions of just ending my life because of people like you! People who are idealistic and cannot see because they choose not to see! Because people like you go alongside popular opinion and hate me just because I bear the title of sith! You want to leave go ahead!"

Onyx took the map and threw it at her feet. "I wait for death to take me away! I have said many times 'I do not fear death because I am death' because unlike the jedi and everyone else, I know that death is natural and unavoidable. I cannot leave. I can't stand this life anymore. I wish I can change.... But no one will help...."

 

[Fable Tarek]

Were all human men this weak? Or just deceivers like the Sith.

"Not so prideful now are we."

She ignited her pink lightsaber and brought it to close to his chin.

"Just ask. ...I'm no Jedi. I'd be happy to send you to meet your Gods. Quick. Painless. Escape. Just think it about it Sith. I can solve all your problems with a flick of my wrist."

Fable waited. She let that sink in. The Jedi granted mercy, understanding, and compassion. She was Freelance. She was Gray...

"...Just say it. Kill me. Kill me. Speak those words from your lips and I will ease your sufferings. And the Dark Side will set you free."

...

...And gray. Didn't mean hero.

 

[Darren Onyx]

Onyx then started to laugh. Harder then he ever had before. "You can't kill me. I am to strong for you. If I die I will die on my terms. On the terms that it is slow and painful. Death only happens once, I want to be there when it happens." Onyx ignited his lightsaber and used it to move Fable's out of the way to stand. "Now put the lightsaber away or face some serious punishments."

Onyx made it clear that he was willing to kill her. He wasn't a sith. Nor a jedi. He just was. But the question is; is that a good thing or bad thing?