With the Turn of the Wheel

[Joav]

[member="Xavka Duquo"] [member="Travot Ravenna"]

THE WHEEL​

The two Niktos gestured for Joav to enter the winding staircase and leave the busy Casino floor. At a glance, it seemed like an unwise decision. Joav looked and smelt like a bounty hunter and Floris De'hess, the owner of this establishment had made a lot of enemies in his criminal career. To let a Bounty Hunter into his private chambers bordered madness.

But then again, Joav wasn't a stranger to Floris. They'd made many a contract leading to Floris' undesirables demises. After his last job with him, Floris had made his casino's facilities open to Joav, and despite that being years ago, Floris knew he wouldn't lose anything by entertaining an old friend with a few drinks and small talk.

The threesome finally went up the last curve and arrived at two ornate doors. The Nikto went to either side of the entrance, gripped the doors' handles and opened them, revealing the plush red interior of Floris' quarters.

Floris himself was looking out over his balcony, eying the gamblers losing their money and smiling as he watched his employees raked in the profits. He turned to face Joav, his bearded face in a wide smile.

"My dear friend," he said extending his arms out invitingly, "I thought you were dead."

Joav acted as if he hadn't heard the man, turning to look at the various antiques in glass cases, some of which he had personally acquired for Floris.

"I didn't come here to exchange pleasantries, Floris." he said while caressing one of the glass cases with a gloved finger. Floris, slightly put off by his associate's mood, crossed his arms.

"What? Do I owe you money?" Floris said curtly.

"You owe me." Joav replied, holding Floris' gaze for a few moments, his emotionless face betraying nothing of his thoughts. With a flash, Joav turned, drew his pistols, and shot the pair of Nikto in one swift motion.

He turned back towards his shaking 'friend' who was backing away towards the edge of the balcony, stuttering incoherently. Joav walked towards him calmly, holstering one of his blasters and holding the other at his side. With a look over the edge, Floris finally said in more of a squeal then a word, "Why?!"

Joav grabbed him by his ascot, oblivious to the confused gamblers now looking up at the disturbance. "Marie." he said flatly, his eyes blazing behind his goggles.

"My old bat?!" Floris managed, desperately trying to pry Joav's hand away, "I... I put out the hit... b-but you were the one to pulled the trigger!!"

Joav said nothing, gawking at the pathetic display with his face fixed in the same position it had been when he'd entered Floris' cambers. For a moment Floris stopped struggling, hoping because of the fact Joav had done nothing for over a minute, that he was going to let him go.

"That's my problem." Joav said in the calmest of tones, now throwing Floris over the edge and sending him crashing into a sabaac table.

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka stuck to the shadows as he moved stealthily through the hanger the ship he had stowed away on hand just docked at. It was harder than it sounded due to the two meter long bundle strapped to his back. Dodging around one last huddle of workers, liberating one of a poorly stowed credit chip as he did so, the dark skinned Zabrak stepped into the well illuminated hallway of whatever station he was now aboard. After standing around for a few seconds pondering his next move, he shrugged and, pulling on the collar of his jacket, he strode of in a random direction.

It was a few minuets later when he emerged from the hall he had been in and stepped into a loud, large room filled with bustling crowds. Smoothly stepping into the flow of the many varied beings, Xavka just went where the crowd corralled him. This ended with the Zabrak standing before a casino. Looking around Xavka shrugged, deciding that he had nothing better to do and stepped forwards to enter the casino.

"Excuse me, Sir." Xavka turned at the sudden address and found himself looking face to face at a heavy-set reptilian being. From his studies Xavka recognised the species as Nikto. Instead of replying verbally, the Zabrak instead tilted his head in inquiry. "Please remove the ... object on your back and step this way so we may search you." Shrugging, Xavka did as was suggested and made to follow the bouncer.

A minuet later, Xavka entered the casino proper, large bundle removed. Patting the pockets of his jacket where he had sown his hidden daggers, Xavka made his way towards one of the many tables that were scattered around the room, illuminated by the many flashing lights that hung from the ceiling.

It was only half an hour later but Xavka was leant back comfortably in his seat after increasing his starting amount by a large amount. It would seem that the emotionless mask he had developed during his time as a slave that prevented him from spitting his hate at his accursed masters also served him in gambling, acting as a perfect way of preventing people from getting a read on him. He was about to throw in his next bet before a body, dead from what his sensitive senses where telling him, landed on the table he was playing sabaac at. Looking up he saw the figure of what he guessed to be a man leaning over a balcony above him. Assuming that the man was the reason for the disturbance he shouted up to him in his native language, Ul'Zabrak. "Tlau!" He cursed at the figure.



[member="Joav"]

 

[Joav]

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

Joav smirked at the Zabrak's displeasure, a welcome diversion after Floris' piercing words. He leaped over the balcony, landing on Floris and the table sending a shower of chips into the gamblers' faces, most in the Zabrak's. He might not be the person he once was, but his attitude hadn't changed.

From the balcony, one of the Nikto, having survived being shot, stumbled over. "Five thousand for the head of the one who killed the master!" He bellowed in a mix of anger and pain.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot stood in front of the Plainswalker, watching as the customs group finished inspecting his vessel for any contraband. While the station wasn't far from Ossus, he rarely visited. But there were some things he couldn't get on Ossus that he could get on the Wheel. He eyed the bulky security guard in front of him as he upped the volume on his comlink.

"We have a security disturbance in sector eight, all available units respond to the scene," droned the comlink.

"We're on it," replied the Wheel security guard, who turned to eye Travot, "it says on your pass that you're a jedi. Perhaps you can lend us your assistance in this matter? You jedi are the guardians of peace and justice, aren't you?"

Travot fought the innate response to wince at the man's words. While it promptly occured to him that he probably was about to be used for the security force's dirty work, the man's words did have some truth to him. He did have a duty to keep the peace, if it could be helped. The large man slowly nodded.

"Let's go."

The quartet of men jogged away from the jedi's ship and through several winding corridors into the casino itself. His eyes immediately fell upon the body of the casino's former owner, before glancing up at it. He could only shake his head as the security guard walked forward and bellowed.

"Who did this?"

A voice squeeked out from one of the patrons, who pointed at [member="Joav"], "He did it!"

But another patron who sat at a gambling table with a dwindling amount of cred chips stacked up in front of him pointed to [member="Xavka Duquo"], "No, that one did. Can't you idiots see that the body is right in front of him? He ordered the hit..."

"Everyone calm down," announced the guard, "we're going to take everyone into custody until we all get this figured out, all right?"

Travot could only shake his head as he eyed the casino's occupants. I really doubt that there's any part of this that is going to be 'peaceful'...

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka was leaning back in his seat, a small smirk on his as he enjoyed the chaos erupting around. Sure he has been annoyed when his chips had been kicked in his face, but overall the chaos was fun to watch. At least it was until some idiot a few meters away accused him of putting a hit out on the man laying dead in front of him. Slowly standing he made his way towards the man, punching the security guard who tried to grab a hold of him in the face as he did so. It was with a small spark of dark humour that he watched the man scamper away from him as he drew closer.

"Did you just insinuate that I put a hit out? Did you just insinuate that if I had a problem with someone I wouldn't do the deed myself? Did you just insinuate that I am some form of coward?" During his mini speech the Zabrak's gravelly, dark voice never wavered in pitch or volume but stayed calm through out. The only thing that changed was his face as a more and more vicious scowl spread the more he spoke. The reason for his reaction was simple in his mind, the man had called him a coward. He had been raised as a hunter and fighter and would always face his own battles, it was how he earned his Jat'o* and Jat'i*. The man's words had harmed his pride.

By know Xavka was suspending the man a few centimetres off of the floor by his collar. Rearing his head back, Xavka slammed his forehead, adorned with Orat*, into the man's own forehead before dropping the now bleeding and unconscious patron.


[member="Travot Ravenna"] | [member="Joav"]

Spoiler

If you want/need for me to add anything else. Just tell me.

*Translation:

Spoiler

Orat = Horns

Spoiler

Jat'o = Face Tattoos

Spoiler

Jat'o = Body Tattoos

 

[Joav]

[member="Xavka Duquo"] [member="Travot Ravenna"]

This escalated quickly. The Iridonian had head butted a sore loser at the gambling table. And before that, he'd punched out some security guard for trying to take him down. Come to think of it, this station's security could be hardly called exemplary. How they even thought they'd be able to take himself out was a mystery to Joav. Unless they had...

Jedi.

Joav paused mid-stride, oblivious to the chaos around him and the security guards, who wouldn't or couldn't shoot him with all the patrons running about, closed in with stun batons. The Jedi, wherever he was, could hardly help alerting himself to Joav. Normal opponents or force-users trying to hide could slip past him. But a Jedi who wasn't trying to conceal himself with the force? That was a different matter entirely.

See, force users in general, (Especially "juniors") couldn't help subconsciously 'scanning' people as it was natural. Normally, no normal person would detect it, then again Joav wasn't normal. He'd trained himself to know when one of their kind was around, when one of them was picking his brain.

Finally Joav spotted him, a man, twenty years of age, taller then him but average by galactic standards. Behind his tinted goggles, Joav's eyes narrowed. Escape would be harder now, no mistake about it. His clothes could resist a lightsaber for a second or two, but if the man but strength into his hits, (As physically he seemed probable of doing) Joav would be in trouble.

His mental planning was interrupted by a charging guard holding his baton aloof. Joav ducked underneath it, turned and drove the bottom of his pistol's handle into the middle of his back sending the man to the ground. "You're going to have to do better then that," he yelled towards the Jedi, who despite the presence of the other guards Joav had singled out.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Oh...this is just great...it's like everyone decided to take too many or too little of their pills today...

Travot watched as the Wheel security guards charged into battle. To Travot's mind, it appeared that they were more like bouncers than dedicated law enforcement personnel. Sure, they might look intimidating, and they had the nerve to actually fight people, but it was painfully clear to Travot that they were out of their league here. Whoever these two were, they were clearly stronger than the average person. As the first of the guards went down, he briefly contemplated reaching for his lightsaber, but immediately thought better of it.

No need to let everyone know that I'm a jedi, at least not yet...

But Joav immediately caught his attention with his yell. What...the...hell? But it looks like he really just messed that guy up...I better get after him before he hurts anyone else...Travot rushed up to engage [member="Joav"], but entered his typical starting Broken Gate stance as he neared the other man. He pointed out his lead right foot towards the man, while slightly angling his left foot to the side for better stability in case he got hit really hard. As he did so, he moved his hands up into the typical boxer pose, chambering his left fist near his stomach, and leading with his right, dominant hand. His forearms came down almost vertically to shield his torso from any oncoming blows. He looked his opponent straight through his tinted goggles.

"Look, put the pistol down, and come quietly, and you will not be harmed...there's no need for any of this," said the man, briefly glancing at the pistol in the man's hand.

There's two ways around this, I could try to telekinetically grab the pistol or release its powerpack, or I'm going to have to draw the lightsaber...but maybe I'll be lucky, and he'll be out of ammunition...

[member="Joav"] | [member="Xavka Duquo"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka stood over the fallen patron he had just knocked out, just staring at the being, before he spat on his body and turned to leave. It was then that two things caught his attention. One, the guy who had just dropped a corpse in front of him had shouted at one of the people who had ran in with the guards and called him a Jedi, which had led to the Jedi entering what looked to be a fighting stance. Two, a guard ran towards him from his right and swung at him with a baton.

Reacting quickly, Xavka picked his feet up and let the artificial gravity of the station pull him under the strike he still had to see due to the guard attacking from his blind spot. Landing in a crouch, Xavka recited a quick blessing for his fellow Jath* for teaching him how sense the world around him without the senses while also spinning around to face his new opponent.

Launching himself at his opponent, Xavka kept himself low and landed a strong, open palm strike to the solar plexus of the human guard. Jumping up he wrapped himself around the chest of the man and forced him to the ground while delivering a solid strike to the temple. As soon as the body touched the ground Xavka pushed himself of and landed once again in a crouching position, this time facing the group of oncoming guards. "Sharee el tlua peli et cuff shuree, eh? Resl, yema shuree i oen ku!"


[member="Travot Ravenna"] | [member="Joav"]

Translations:

Spoiler

Jath = Ghost Wise / Speaker Of The Ancients / A Zabrak Who Can Use Blessings (The Force) - Male

Spoiler

Sharee el tlua peli et cuff shuree, eh? Resl, yema shuree i oen ku! = You diminutive [insult that is banned on this site] want to fight me, eh? Then give me a good one!

 

[Joav]

[member="Travot Ravenna"] [member="Xavka Duquo"]

In a way he felt sorry for the Jedi. In a way they were on the same side. The Jedi held Justice as the pinnacle of their beliefs,and Joav's own quest was fixated around that. But he had no illusions that this or any other jedi would approve of his methods. To this Jedi, what he had done was murder, and it was his duty to bring him to justice.

The Jedi wasn't activating his lightsaber, probably not wanting this situation to get crazier then it already was. For Joav however, that was exactly what he'd need, more chaos so he could make his escape without too much bloodshed. But the Jedi was doing the smart thing. He'd rectify that error.

Joav fired three shots at the jedi, not accurately however, more meant to force the Jedi to bring out his saber. But if the Jedi was brave or stupid enough to think he could at him with his fists when he had a blaster, then he'd not be so easily 'persuaded.' He heard the Zabrak yell out some warcry while the guards charged him. Joav smiled as an idea came to his mind. If the Jedi wouldn't ignite his lightsaber to defend himself...

Joav fired a barrage of shots at the Zabrak and guardsmen while running towards the entrance.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot felt a tingling sensation as [member="Joav"] brought his pistol down to bear at him. The padawan had learned long ago to recognize that sensation as a warning sign that something bad was about to happen. Habitually, the man rolled to the ground on his left side, narrowly evading a trio of blaster bolts that could have well hit him if he had stayed where he was moments ago. Mentally, the man cursed. I'm going to have to draw it... He drew his lightsaber's hilt and clicked the activation button. It's blue blade sprang to life even as he rose to his feet once more.

He quickly washed the feeling of annoyance from his mind at the other man's cunning, and cleared his mind to focus on the present. His eyes darted around, quickly picking out the other man's fleeing form. He narrowed his emerald eyes. He definitely bought time to get out of my saber's reach...He pointed his left arm towards the man and fired his llanvorak at the man, mentally guiding the trio of disc blades towards [member="Joav"]. The padawan was a bit inexperienced with using the weapon, and the hunter would likely find a way to lose or dodge the blades, but hopefully he'd be able to return the favor that the one-time bounty hunter had sent him. Travot quickly released his concentration on the spinning blades, and sprinted forward to try and catch [member="Joav"]

[member="Xavka Duquo"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka was preparing to leap at the oncoming guards, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Normally, most beings would have probably ignored that and carried on with what they were doing or about to do but Xavka had been born and raised an Iridonia to a nomad clan that travelled the deserts of the barren planet. There, something that you saw out of the corner of your eye could very well be a beast that planned to make you it's next meal.

Whirling around, his eyes widened as he took in the barrage of blaster fire heading his way. Throwing himself as fast as he could, dual hearts pounding, Xavka prayed to Vysh that no bolt would hit him. Unfortunately for the Zabrak, one bolt seared across his left thigh.

Hissing in pain, Xavka rolled to his feet while directing Force Healing towards his thigh, mindless of the few dead bodies of guards behind him. Slowly he felt the the burst blood vessels and exposed pores within the wound seal up, hopefully preventing infection and blood loss. He then focussed on sealing the wound, working from the deepest point up wards. However, Xavka's bloodlust overwhelmed him before he could finished healing and, with a roar, he pushed himself off and ran on all fours, uncaring of his wound, towards the only man who held a blaster within the entire room, the figure that had started the whole situation.

In the back of his mind, Xavka registered that the Jedi was also chasing his prey, but paid that no attention for it did not matter. He would allow non to interrupt his hunt.


[member="Travot Ravenna"] | [member="Joav"]

 

[Joav]

[member="Travot Ravenna"] [member="Xavka Duquo"]

Joav smiled to himself as he neared the entrance, dodging past the panicking gamblers. This had gone better then he'd expected, the Jedi had activated his lightsaber and was naturally causing havoc, the Iridonian was... well, doing what Iridonians usually do, and naturally making even more chaos. All was as it should be, well except for that irritating sound that Joav was hearing, sounded like-

Whizzing? Was that Whizzing he heard? Like something going through the air at a fast speed. But that wouldn't make sense, they only had stun batons, not any ranged weapons that shot physical rounds. It could be the Zabrak, but then again he was busy with the guards. It couldn't be...

A split second before impact Joav turned around, pulling his duster in front of himself to shield the blow. The discs cut through his Duster, no small feat as it was Durasteel, and imbedded themselves in his armor causing its cushioned layers to let out a large amount of air. Grabbing his stomach, less out of pain more out of shock, he looked at the Jedi. He had guts, to bad he was probably going to have to spill them.

Backing away, Joav unleashed a barrage of blaster fire at the incoming Jedi.

 

[Travot Ravenna]

He kept his fixed on the fleeing form [member="Joav"], barely registering those around him. His foot smacked into one of the downed guards, causing the padawan to silently curse as he stumbled. He stepped over the man and looked up just in time to see the man's blaster leveled at him once more. As his eyes widened, Travot pulled saber up into a defensive stance as the blaster bolts flew at him. For not the first time in his life, the man was happy that he had chosen to study Soresu extensively. His lightsaber whirled around to intercept the shots. The bolts individually smacked into the blade and bounced it around in hard, staccato-like motions as he deflected the bolts into his surroundings. The smell of burnt ozone rose up into the air around him as the he burned holes into the carpet and one now smoldering bench. He eyed [member="Joav"].

"Give yourself up," said the padawan, "there is no more need for such wanton destruction..."

He felt another presence focusing on his target, causing the man to briefly glance at the zabrak, "You there, cease and desist immediately. This is not your fight."


[member="Xavka Duquo"]

 

[Xevek Nekonis]

Xavka ignored the Jedi's order to cease and desist and continued towards his prey, slipping a Deer Horn Knife onto his right hand as he did so. He pushed himself off all fours and onto one of the tables before throwing himself at his target, left hand outstretched so as to remove his gun, his right slashing at the target's face with his knife.


[member="Travot Ravenna"] | [member="Joav"]
OOC Note:

Spoiler

Sorry if this is a bit short. I couldn't think of anything to put.