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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Beyond - Legends Make Yourself (Sequel to New Skin, OCs) Completed 1/28

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Forcefire, Jun 21, 2003.

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  1. Forcefire

    Forcefire Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 17, 2000
    Well, I'm back from readying this story and life in general. This is, as you've probably noticed by now, the sequel to New Skin, which introduced the character of Selin Glif to the boards. The link is below.

    New Skin

    I'd recommend reading that first, as the following post loses effect if you don't. It's not absolutely required but it helps. It's not too long. And I like it :). I'll give you some time to do that if you like.









    Set? All right, let's begin. Feedback is not just welcome, it's invited.

    **********

    Ulusk Goern was happy. He was the head of a highly successful company, with all the perks that came with such a position. His wife was off-planet on another one of her ?cultural experiences,? so Goern could call up a business of a less sterling reputation than his and order a diversion for the evening. While the tusk cat?s away?

    He picked up a writing implement with his cybernetic right hand and scribbled a note for the next day on a sheet of flimsiplast. He stood up and glanced at the note, then jerked his head back in surprise. Written on the sheet, in handwriting that was not his own, were two words: Hello, Densk. Goern stared at the hand and the silver cybernetic arm to which it was attached. The hand, not at his command, turned its palm toward him and moved from left to right. Waving.

    Goern burst out of the room, jumped into his private airspeeder, and headed for his penthouse, ignoring the doorman when he arrived, who muttered something about Grans lacking common decency. He stared at his hand as he opened a cabinet in his home office, as though it would suddenly mutiny again. He reached for the drinks in the back of the cabinet, the hardest stuff. He needed to calm his nerves. Surely that was all. It had been a stressful few months. A hostile takeover to fight and two attempts to claim his products didn?t meet safety regulations to deny. He had been through a lot. He turned his mind to ordering that live entertainment. He activated his comm, but received a blank tone. Dead.

    The door to the office slid open, the face of the person beyond it obscured by shadow. Goern stood and jabbed an accusing finger at the figure. ?What do you want out of me? You have a single minute to leave and reconnect my comm.?

    The figure snorted. ?What do you think you can do to stop me?" he asked, not bothering to refute the claim

    Goern pulled his private comm from his pocket. ?Call law enforcement. I have a few friends among them.?

    ?Friends you bought with the wealth afforded you by your position. A position that you rose to through? less than auspicious means,? the figure observed.

    ?What do you mean? I inherited my company.?

    ?That?s what everyone on this planet thinks. Everyone but me and a few of my friends. I know that you were once Hriken Densk, an underling in the Peace Brigade. When the Corellian cell was brought down by CorSec, you took one of the front businesses and made it your own, becoming a very rich man in the process.?

    Goern hesitated for a moment. ?That? that?s ridiculous. I?m not certain who this Densk you believe I am is, but??

    ?Where did you get that nice replacement arm?? The chuckled like he already knew the answer.

    ?I was in a speeder accident. My original arm was crushed beyond repair.?

    ?Wrong,? the figure replied. ?You lost it in the Peace Brigade?s Corellian headquarters when a man by the name of Selin Glif came tearing through. He crushed it in a door. I always did think those things moved too fast.?

    Goern stood up quickly. ?Who are you??

    A laugh floated to Goern. ?Don?t you remember,? the figure said as it stepped into the light, ?your old boss??

    All three of the Gran?s eyes opened to their widest. ?Mr. Glure? But you?re??

    Ressut Glure chuckled again. ?Dead? Yes, well, let?s just say? I got better.? Suddenly, the traitorous right hand shot to a position at Goern?s throat. Claws sprang from
     
  2. Casper_Knightshade

    Casper_Knightshade Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    Looks like I'm the first. First time reader of your stuff as well and by the looks of it I do have to read New Skin.

    Yahoo! and not the search engine. :p

    Very to the point stuff; this I like and will stick around for more.

    And consider this your first FORWARD!
     
  3. Rokangus

    Rokangus Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    Wow, awesome first post, Forcefire! And a lot to digest too! :eek:

    Man! So Glure is still in business? Wow, it's nice to see a good returning villain, but I have a feeling I'm not gonna like what he has in store for our heroes! :eek: Nice touch with the cyberarm! ;)

    And now we have a new character...Drace Ashelum...I can't wait to see how you develop him!

    Great start, Forcefire! Can;t wait to see where you go from here!
     
  4. Forcefire

    Forcefire Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 17, 2000
    Hey, replies! Awesome.

    Casper: Glad to see you're on board. Thanks for coming, and I'm glad you're enjoying it.

    Rok: Thanks! Yes, Glure is back indeed, so that opens up some opportunities to make my readers ask questions (which I love). For example, why isn't the dude worm food by now? What does he want? Is he even with the Peace Brigade anymore? And how did he do that whole trick with the arm anyhow? Like Neo said in Reloaded, something's different.

    As to Drace, I think of him as pseudo-new. He's actually the first character I made for JC posting, but he's been revamped since he was running with the Rainbow Order. For example, his last name has been changed, and his attitude is different. There are reasons, but those come later.


    More sometime later this week, maybe Thursday.

    Forcefire out.
     
  5. Forcefire

    Forcefire Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 17, 2000
    OK, I know it's not Thursday, but I was gone all day then.

    By the way Rok, would you like to see what I've developed in the way of Heroclix dials for the characters introduced thus far?

    Here's the new post.
    -------------

    Selin stood alone on a rocky beach on the planet Opequos, watching waves break on the sand. It would have made a nice vacation spot if the rest of the planet weren?t so uninviting. There were major problems with riots on other parts of the planet and it was only a matter of time before violence broke out here. It would make for a worse place to have a honeymoon than Regelos IV had been, surprisingly. Unfortunately, it was the only place they could stop to do maintenance work on the Hybrid.

    His hands strayed to the two blaster pistols at his hips. They were custom jobs, sporting two openings and equipped with hidden vibrodaggers in the grips. On the barrel of the right was engraved the word ?Justice,? and on the left ?Be Served.?

    Selin?s thoughts were interrupted by a voice from behind him. ?Excuse me, but are you Selin Glif??

    He turned around to see a well-dressed man behind him. The image clicked instantly. He knew the face. More importantly, he knew the wardrobe. Every Predator did. The man?s real name was unknown; he mostly went by his business handle: The Tuxedo Killer. One of the earliest Predators. ?Yeah, that?s me.?

    ?G-L-I-F??

    ?Yes?? Selin replied cautiously. What did he want?

    ?Good,? the killer said. ?I?d hate to go to the trouble of killing you just to find out I couldn?t collect the fee.? The man raised a blaster and pumped a shot into Selin?s chest. Selin fell back, drawing his own blasters. From his position on his back, he sent return fire, but the Tuxedo Killer was gone. Selin looked to his left to see the impeccably attired assassin level his blaster at his face. Selin rolled away from the fire that peppered the ground, jumping up and firing, but his opponent was again gone. Then he caught it, that little change in the texture of the landscape. The change crept toward Selin, but he was prepared. He reached to his belt and removed an ion grenade. Learned to carry one of these a while ago. He rolled it over and it detonated, disabling the Tuxedo Killer?s feature for stealth, one of the suit?s many tricks. ?Why are you after me, Tux?? Selin asked, blasters at the ready.

    The man smiled. ?My client has chosen to remain anonymous. Like me, he doesn?t like to share his name.? Without warning, he dropped the blaster that the ion grenade had ruined, pulled out a stun baton, and hurled it at Selin in one quick, smooth movement. The baton struck Selin in the chest, but sent more energy through him than any standard stun baton. It caused a lot of pain, despite the grelt?s best efforts. He dropped his blasters, giving the Tuxedo Killer a chance to move in closer. As he viciously punched Selin, spattering drops of blood on the gray rocks of the beach, he whispered ?That one was shielded.? He continued his assault with a kick to the chest, putting a flourish on the move that few could have matched.

    Driven back, Selin pulled himself together and counterstruck. His first punch was blocked, but the second was firmly placed in the killer?s stomach. Vong-enhanced strength drove wind from the Tuxedo Killer, and more; he coughed up a considerable amount of blood. Selin followed with a left across the face. He felt the jaw break before he heard it. He could also tell he had done some messy dental work, minus the anesthetic. The Killer stayed on his feet, despite the blows. ?Let me give you... something to remember,? he growled, slashing a now-deactivated vibroblade across Selin?s face.

    The line of blood sealed up, to the shock of the Tuxedo Killer. ?Guess I have a bad memory,? Selin replied. He drove the Killer back, knocking him to his feet a few meters away with a kick. He found his blasters by his feet, picked them up, flicked the selector switches, and fired.
    Two shells flew from his weapons. One soared just by t
     
  6. Rokangus

    Rokangus Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    Oooo! Great action for a good plot build-up! And interesting new background with Drace! Mmmm, yes the plot thickens indeed! :D

    And yeah, love to see those Heroclix builds you've got so far. Just send 'em in a PM and I'd love to take a look!
     
  7. Casper_Knightshade

    Casper_Knightshade Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    Its one thing when someone talks when they try to kill you. It's quite another when he dresses better than you! [face_laugh]

    But, once again, looks aren't everything. ;)

    Good Post. FORWARD!
     
  8. Forcefire

    Forcefire Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 17, 2000
    Rok: Glad you enjoyed, and yes, the plot is thickening indeed. I'm probably going to write a section about Drace's background today, but don't expect it for a while, since I'm making sure to write ahead.

    Casper: Yeah, I think Tux looked at his career choice a long time ago and said "You know, if I'm going to be a merciless killer, I should at least mercilessly kill with style."

    On another note, I'm taking the NJO designator off the subject line, since it isn't really. It takes place at the same time, but I don't think it qualifies. No Vong, not even the Peace Brigade (oops, did I give a hint about Glure?). Anyhow, on with the show.

    -----------------

    Quesr Caloff took a drag from the cigarette in his mouth as Drace Ashelum set down his airspeeder nearby. He got out and jogged toward Quesr. ?What do we have, partner?? Drace asked as he approached, flashing his detective badge to gain entry to the alley.

    ?Five stiffs. Thremics. Strange case, even for the creative criminals of Phorim.?

    ?Strange,? Drace replied. ?This from a man who carries an antique for a sidearm.?

    ?Hey,? Quesr shot back, drawing his automatic slugthrower from his holster, ?these things are more dependable than those blasters you carry. Plus, the perp never-?

    ?Never sees it coming, yeah, yeah. Talk to me.?

    Quesr indicated a pair of dead Thremics. ?These two have large energy burns. Forensics doesn?t know offhand.?

    Drace squatted down. ?E-web??

    ?I considered it, but if it were, there wouldn?t be anything left to see if it had been an e-web.? He moved to the next pair.

    ?These two are fairly normal, blaster shots. But the one on the right is far more intense than the left vic. I?d say about five times more.?

    ?Six,? Drace muttered under his breath.

    ?Hmm??

    ?Nothing. The last??

    ?The last one?s pretty strange, too,? Quesr commented as they strolled toward the body. ?Neck snapped, but we found boot markings on the front and back of his neck. Only way we can figure is the killer jumped from the roof. But, that?s thirty stories up.?

    Drace glanced up. ?Windows??

    ?All barred, and we checked for tampering. If I didn?t know how the case with the Demerisk enforcer had turned out, I?d think he had turned his sights to criminals. As things stand now, I don?t know how this guy has been doing it.?

    ?Has been??

    ?This isn?t the first crime scene like this we?ve gotten. For the past two weeks, we?ve been finding dead bodies with energy burns consistent with these. If you came to headquarters more often, you?d know that. You?ve been so wrapped up in other cases you probably haven?t even noticed the news stories on these.?

    ?Hey, I?m thorough. Anyway, seems like these guys deserved it. Thremics? In Phorim? This was not exactly an innocent bunch. How much you want to bet that knife over there has the DNA of that poor Ithorian kid in the hospital all over it??

    ?Doesn?t matter to me. If we?re dealing with a vigilante, I want to bring him down that much more.?

    ?Why? He?s doing us a favor,? Drace replied.

    ?His kind always thinks does. But if he wants to do the right thing, let him join us. We?ve bent the rules a lot to get past all the corruption, but this guy, he?s just breaking them. I have zero tolerance for this, Drace. None at all. He thinks he can operate outside the law. He?s outside, all right, but he?s not above it. We?re bringing him down hard, right Drace? Drace??

    **************

    Velu was in a room. White, rectangular, and featureless in every way. In that room stood a being composed of light. Its brilliance was beyond belief, though it did not hurt to see it. Velu withdrew a step. ?This can?t be real.?

    The being shrugged. ?Of course it can?t. This is a dream. What?d you think, you?d been brought to the world of the shiny people??

    ?What are you??

    It shrugged again. ?An emissary of the Force. I?m tellin? ya where you should go from here. I used to be a Devaronian a long time ago, but this has been my form since I died, and it?s been a few
     
  9. Rokangus

    Rokangus Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    Ooooo, interesting concept on a sort of Force-afterlife...it's weird 'cause I have similar concepts in the planning stage for "HellFire" (minor spoiler that) :p

    And it seems that Drace is hooked up with Law Enforcement...very cool, though somehow I get the impression that Drace seeks a little mroe freedom in his line of work. I wonder exactly what will happen when he finds the vigilante he seeks? :eek:

    Cool posting, dude! UP!!
     
  10. Forcefire

    Forcefire Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 17, 2000
    Actually, Rok, look back at the first post and the alley fight. Compare the fight to the kills outlined in the post above, not to mention the species of the aliens that were killed, and I think you'll find that Drace knows exactly who the vigilante is.

    Ooh, interesting HF tease, by the way.
     
  11. Casper_Knightshade

    Casper_Knightshade Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    Ah yes: The 'What do you make of this Superman, Mister Kent?' ;)

    Always nice to know when you're the hero what those of law enforcement think of your actions when they know it isn't you yet.

    And it looks like he's going to have guests coming to Corellia. Hmmmmmmmmmm, curious.

    FORWARD!
     
  12. Rokangus

    Rokangus Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    Actually, Rok, look back at the first post and the alley fight. Compare the fight to the kills outlined in the post above, not to mention the species of the aliens that were killed, and I think you'll find that Drace knows exactly who the vigilante is

    Hee hee...I know, I was being facetious. :D But it would be quite shocking if Drace met the vigilante...face to face and all. :p Well, maybe not that shocking. A mirror would do I suppose. ;)

    UP!!
     
  13. Forcefire

    Forcefire Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 17, 2000
    Casper: Yep, visitors are on their way. They know, but he doesn't know, though they don't know if knows that anyone knows. I think.

    Rok: [face_sheepish _smile] Oops. Should have a read a little more closely. Sorry 'bout that.

    New post this weekend.
     
  14. Forcefire

    Forcefire Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 17, 2000
    Here we are again, with a Corellia-centric post.

    ----------------

    Drace stood on a skyscraper in the middle of Phorim, stretching out with the Force. He felt the typical gamut of emotions from the city?s denizens. There was a blossoming of anger from a few blocks away. A jolt of fear from the building across the street. Disturbingly, a wave of physical pleasure from the office building under his feet.
    Then he found it: a raw terror faced with a hideous maliciousness coming from a tenement blocks away. Through the Force, he gained a mental image of the place from which the emotions came, then teleported there.

    In the ugly, dirty room he saw a man with his hands around the throat of a young woman, strangling her. He walked silently up to the man from behind and tapped his shoulder. When the man turned his head to see the source of the disturbance, Drace took the opportunity to let loose a Force-enhanced blow to his face. He reeled backwards, hitting a wall with a loud thud. Rubbing his jaw, the man held up his hands. ?She owed me money.?

    Drace snorted derisively. ?That won?t help you.?

    There was a murderous gleam in the man?s eyes. ?But this will,? he said with a sneer. He drew a blaster, not knowing just how useless it would be against Drace. Like all the others, he fired at the young man, only to have his shots stopped in midair.
    ?I imagine you didn?t shoot her because you wouldn?t get the same pleasure,? Drace said as the energy flowed around his fists, using the Force to slightly distort his voice. ?But any way you die, I?m going to appreciate the disappearance of a threat to the few good people in Phorim.? The man charged Drace, swinging wildly, but Drace caught a fist easily, reducing the intensity of the energy around his hand only slightly, so as to inflict as much pain as possible. The man?s features contorted in pain, but he did not, to his credit, scream too loudly. Drace then executed a flip kick to the man?s head, snapping it back. He followed that by firing the energy into the man?s exposed throat. He turned to the woman, gave a solemn nod, and teleported away for another busy night?s work.

    *********

    Quesr Caloff sat at his desk in the CorSec Phorim branch headquarters, pounding his head on its fake wood surface. The case was going nowhere really fast. Forensics was baffled. There were no witnesses to be found. They just needed one slip from the vigilante, one thing that would give them a lead. If they didn?t, the price could be more than he wanted to imagine. Then Caloff noticed something odd. The sound of him clunking his head on the desk seemed to be echoing. He looked up to see Werna from the morgue knocking at his door.

    ?Am I interrupting anything?? she asked.

    ?No,? he replied, smiling sheepishly. ?You got something??

    ?I just might.?

    He followed her to the autopsy room. There was a human lying on the table, dead from an abnormally strong blast to the throat. Clearly another gift from the vigilante. ?What?s here that I haven?t seen already?? he asked.

    Werna smiled. ?This,? she said, indicating a burn in the shape of a handprint on the victim?s right hand. ?My guess is he threw a punch and it got caught by the killer.?

    Caloff frowned. ?Some kind of energy field around a gauntlet??

    ?That?s what I thought,? she replied, lifting the dead man?s arm. ?Until I saw the fingerprints.?

    Caloff took a closer look. There were fingerprints burnt into the man. That meant they had found it. They had their lead. ?Know of any species that can do this kind of thing??

    She shook her head. ?Nothing that has fingerprints. I wanted to wait until you were here for this. I?m going to scan them and run them through the planetary database now.? Werna hefted a handheld scanning device and ran its analysis beam over the handprint. She then removed a cable from the cart beside her and hooked it up to a computer terminal, punching in a command. Fingerprints flashed beside the one Werna had scanned too fast to follow. Then, it stoppe
     
  15. Rokangus

    Rokangus Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    Oooooops! :eek:

    Drace, Drace, Drace! How many times do we have to tell you! Not only do large leather gauntlets look darn spiff, they can protect you from being ID'd in the future!!

    Sigh, we lose more promising vigilante's this way...:p

    Oooo, cool yet suspensful post, Forcefire; I wonder what the Corsec chief will do now? ?[face_plain] :eek:
     
  16. Casper_Knightshade

    Casper_Knightshade Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    DOH! :eek:

    Sometimes it just doesn't do you good in the vigilante game if you leave evidence of your identity. Why don't Drace just send a note in that says "Hi, I'm the guy you're looking for." because he just as well hung himself. Perhaps a little too sure of himself with this latest deal.

    Now the poodoo has hit the cooling unit. ;)

    FORWARD!
     
  17. Forcefire

    Forcefire Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 17, 2000
    Rok: They really should have a handbook to help out newcomers to the vigilante game, shouldn't they? :D

    Casper: Now, now, let's not be too heard on the guy. He hasn't majorly screwed up. Not yet, anyhow... [face_devil]

    -----------------

    Drace was in his apartment, sitting cross-legged across from Gihai. ?What do I do if I slip up? Quesr will be on to me and I don?t know what he?ll do. If he?s going to find out anyway, unabashed honesty would be ideal.?

    ?But,? Gihai countered, ?a prophet did once say that honesty?s a lonely word.?

    ?So where do we go from here??

    ?That is not my decision, Ashelum.?

    ?Just tell me what to do. It?s your job, right, to show me the path? Right now, I need a compass.?

    ?That is perhaps one of your greatest flaws,? Gihai said. ?You always want someone else to make your decisions. Only you can know where to go. Look to the Force.?

    ?You just said I should trust myself more.?

    ?But what is the Force if not a part of you, and you of it? The Force lies within you, and you lie within the Force. They feed on each other. Look to the Force,? Gihai repeated. ?It knows you more than you are willing to. It provides clarity, Ashelum. It is a lens to what lies inside of you that you are not willing to recognize on your own. You need to learn that if you are to fulfill your destiny.?

    ?Let?s talk about this whole ?destiny? thing again,? Drace began. ?You?ve always insisted that-? Drace stopped short. Something was different. What was it? He reached out with the Force, stretching his perceptions through the building. Then, there it was. Or wasn?t, rather. A hole in the Force, just below them. It was rising. Drace concentrated in hopes of teleporting away, but the bubble enclosed him before he could accomplish the feat. He stood in the defensive posture of erloth rai, the martial arts style of the Aing-Tii monks? warrior sect, but Gihai placed a restraining hand on Drace?s arm.

    ?I will hold them off. You head for the roof.? Drace reluctantly nodded. He was the one they were after. Nobody else knew of Gihai?s existence. And Gihai knew how to slow them down quite well. As Drace ran to his bedroom, there came a pounding on the door to the apartment.

    ?Open the door. CorSec. You have fifteen seconds.? Ten seconds later, the door slid open as an officer removed a codebreaking device from the lock. He was greeted by a staff wielding Gihai, five feet of Noghri ready to fight. Gihai thrust the staff into the officer?s stomach, driving him back. Gihai flipped backwards as armored anti-terror specialists swarmed through in the officer?s place.

    *****************

    Meanwhile, Drace opened a window and leaned out, looking up at the rooftop?s edge. He stretched out his arm toward the sky and fired the grapnel in his hand. A hook shot out, reaching for the roof. It hooked on to the short wall at the edge and stayed there. Drace tested the line and jumped out the window, triggering the reel that pulled him upwards. He exhaled in relief as he felt the Force return to him, part of what he was coming back. The grapnel completed his task and Drace hoisted himself onto the rooftop.

    As he crawled onto the roof, he looked up to see the muzzle of a slugthrower coldly staring back. ?Quesr, I can explain.?

    ?There?s no need,? Drace?s friend replied. ?We found your fingerprints on the last one you did in. Just put your hands behind your head.?

    ?Could I at least stand up??

    Caloff swallowed. ?Slowly.? Drace complied. ?Why didn?t you turn yourself in? For that matter, why did you even do it in the first place? You were already working with the law.?

    ?I did it, Quesr, because the law and justice are not always the same thing. We were getting nowhere. My turn for questions.?

    ?You don?t get any.?

    ?Not as a criminal, no. But as a friend. Why pursue me so heavily? You never seemed to be so anti-vigilante before. We were practically vigilantes ourselves for a while. The things I?ve been doing have mad
     
  18. Casper_Knightshade

    Casper_Knightshade Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    Now there's a sudden turn of events. :eek:

    Drace may have a new mission on his hands. That is if he can avoid custody long enough to just get started. Liking Gihai a lot.

    FORWARD!
     
  19. Rokangus

    Rokangus Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    Ah a noble sacrifice on the part of the Old Master, not unlike Old Ben's sacrifice on the Death Star. And now, similarly, Drace has got to do a bit of growing up in order to come into his own.

    Yeah, I agree with Casper, Gihai was definitely one awesome character. It's sad to see him go, but that's the way a Noghri warrior should go; in battle.

    Very cool post there...can't wait to see where the story goes from here! :D
     
  20. Forcefire

    Forcefire Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 17, 2000
    Casper: Indeed, Drace will have to make his own way, now. Can he do it alone? Stay tuned.

    Rok: I hadn't thought about the Obi-Wan similarity until you brought it up, but you have a point. Whaddaya know?

    New post time. Back to the newlyweds now.

    -----------------

    Rain poured down on Phorim. To its inhabitants, it felt as though the oceans of Mon Calamari were falling on the city. Selin had seen worse, Velu knew. She remembered a story he had told about on of his missions as a Predator on a world that had storms the likes of which were unheard of on most habitable planets.
    She was waiting for Selin on a sidewalk outside a tapcaf where he had seen a pair of Weequay threatening the Ithorian owner if he didn?t pay dues to some crime syndicate. He promised to be discreet in taking care of the problem.

    Velu shivered in the rain, pulling her jacket tighter to stave off the cold air of the city. She noticed three men leering at her from the entrance to the tapcaf. She turned away, but she could sense their minds drawing near, moreover, she could sense the malice in those minds. As a hand reached for her, she whipped around, at the same time giving them the distinct impression that she was a very large Trandoshan in a posture that indicated aggression. The men reared back in shock and stumbled away.

    Velu shook her head, then clutched it in pain as a hundred minds rushed in to her consciousness. She could sense the emotions of the people around her with perfect clarity. No, not sense, their emotions intruded upon her. And in this city, so much anger, pain, and hate bombarded her that she could not stand it. The sudden rush was too much to bear. This had happened at times when she had used her Force powers. She could feel everyone around her, their deepest emotions. But this effect was not controlled. So many emotions at once was an overload for her. It was painful. These had started a year before, when she opened the mind of a man to the pain those under the Yuuzhan Vong felt. Now she was open to anyone near her and it was hard to close the door. Her mental attack on Lirem Actren had opened it, but it was never quite shut all the way.

    Attempting to focus, she found a point of courage, of doing what was right, no matter the cost. She knew the point. It was her husband. She latched on to him, and focused all her energy on him, pulling herself out of the sea of emotions that threatened to drown her. The pain lessened, then disappeared. She looked up to see Selin walking toward her. As he neared her he asked ?Are you all right??

    Velu hadn?t told him about her problem. ?Just fine,? she lied. Selin needed her help more than she did his. That was something she had decided long ago. He sometimes ended up on the verge of a relapse of his Vong-influenced behaviors, and she had sworn to herself she would not let that happen to him again.

    *************

    Drace unlocked the hotel room that had cost him most of the cash he had carried on his person. He couldn?t afford to be traced. There was a bounty put on his head by the Demerisks within an hour of his escape, he was sure. They had more than enough people in CorSec to find out what had happened. CorSec undoubtedly had also put a bounty out for the benefit of those who thought that handing Drace over to the Phorim law enforcers was any different from giving him to the Hutts. He couldn?t afford to use his abilities. There was almost certainly some minor Force talent out there waiting for a sign as to his whereabouts.

    So, what could he do? The space ports were crawling with security folks, and Drace wasn?t very talented at mind tricks. Anyone willing to give him an unauthorized lift off the planet would probably be more likely to turn him in instead. That threw out the option of getting off Corellia. Maybe there was some way to get Quesr to stop the pursuit. Drace collapsed onto the old bed, which creaked loudly as he hit it. He thought briefly, and then it hit him. Calasta was the key. If he could find her, h
     
  21. Rokangus

    Rokangus Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    Interesting geas/weakness you've given Velu, makes a good deal of sense the way you've explained it. It'll be very interesting to see how she deals with it while being a Jedi.

    And Drace seems to have a plan...but it definitely seems like he has his work cut out for him...trying to get through a crime syndicate to get to one person is hard enough, especially when said syndicate doesn't want that person found. :eek:

    Great post, dude! I have a feeling that Selin and Drace will cross paths eventually...I bet that's going to be one heck of an introduction! :D
     
  22. Casper_Knightshade

    Casper_Knightshade Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    I concur with Rok: interesting when they do met up. Good post FF!
     
  23. Forcefire

    Forcefire Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 17, 2000
    Rok: Thanks! Glad you liked the post. As for finding Calasta, as you're about to see, the problem crime syndicates have is that there's always someone willing to spill it if they get enough money.

    Casper: The meeting is scheduled to be posted quite soon, and that post will have a lot to digest, indeed.

    Alas, this brings me to my next point. My next two posts will only be able to take place on weekends. I'm heading for band camp this Sunday, so that delays posting until Saturday at the earliest. Then, I go to journalism camp (I'm an editor on the school paper) that Monday, so that post will be on Friday, if I'm lucky. Sorry 'bout that.

    Anyway, here's a post (kind of short).

    --------------

    Drace strolled into a liquor store in a marginally less sleazy part of the city. A tone sounded as he opened the door, causing the proprietor to look up in anticipation. His expression turned sour when he caught sight of the person entering his store. ?Should have checked the camera. I would?ve locked the door if I?d known it was you. What is it this time??

    ?The usual, Erwilk,? Drace told the Balosar. ?Information.?

    ?What you got in exchange??

    ?The usual, Erwilk,? Drace repeated. ?I don?t tell CorSec you work with the Demerisks, and I don?t tell the Demerisks you?ve been working with CorSec. Plus, you get this stack of money.? Drace removed a decent sized stack of credits from the trenchcoat that covered his warrior robes and placed it on the counter.

    Erwilk eyed the credits, mentally computing their value. ?Why should I accept that when I could just have the price on your head?? he asked, his arm reaching under the counter.

    ?Because, Erwilk, if you try anything like that, I will beat the living crap out of you,? Drace answered, using the Force to put some inhuman strength in his voice. The Balosar?s arm moved to the right under the table, away from his concealed blaster. ?That?s better. Did you get that blaster just for me and Quesr?? Erwilk remained silent. Drace shrugged. ?Anyway, the Demerisks have Quesr?s sister, Calasta Caloff. Tell me where to find her.? Erwilk wordlessly removed a datacard from under the counter and handed it to Drace. ?Thanks. Look, I?m sorry to give you trouble like this.?

    A sudden thought struck Drace. ?Could I have a view of the street outside??

    ?Cost you extra.?

    ?Fine.? Drace slipped one of his few remaining credit chits and slid it across the counter. In response, Erwilk lifted a panel and pressed the button beneath it. A hologram of the street sprang into view from a concealed projector. A human man and a Twi?lek woman were just outside the store. Erwilk turned on the audio and the woman?s voice came over a set of speakers, speaking to the man.

    ??telling you I felt the signature coming from here. It?s got to be him.? Drace swore to himself as he walked out the back of the store, ignoring Erwilk?s protests. Bounty hunters, no doubt. He had to get to his hotel room and review the information fast if he was going to get to Calasta before a bounty hunter got to him. The woman sounded like a Force-user, so that left teleporting out. Drace started to run.

    **********

    Selin glanced at Velu. ?Well, if you?re sure it was him, then he was here for the same reason we are now.? Selin had managed to get the location of a reliable source and this was it. As they had approached, Velu felt the Force signature man they were looking for. It could have been a large expenditure hours before or small one not long ago, but he had been there. They walked into the liquor store.

    The Balosar that owned the place was haggardly counting cash and stuffed it in the cash register as he saw the pair approach. ?How can I help you?? he asked.

    ?You Erwilk?? There was a nod of acknowledgement. ?There was someone in here, a man, and he was looking for information,? Selin said.

    The Balosar shrugged. ?I don?t know what you?re talking about. The only people who come in here want a drink, and that?s all I have.?

    Selin looked to Velu
     
  24. Rokangus

    Rokangus Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    You have to appreciate the difference between the way Drace deals with the informant...and the way Selin gets his answers. [face_laugh]

    To be sure, Erwilk is gonna be much more appreciative of Drace's manner of dealing...assuming that there are going to be Demerisks left when both Drace AND Selin are through with them. Informants are really only useful when they have something useful to inform on. Ah well, there are other syndicates out there who need a good resident stool pidgeon...Erwilk will find good work I'm sure. :p
     
  25. Casper_Knightshade

    Casper_Knightshade Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2000
    Well, Rok, there's financial subtlety and then there's getting one's 'implied' point across. [face_laugh]

    Pretty soon the two groups are going to stumble into one another. Let's hope, and I can't wait to see how interesting it will be.

    Don't worry about not being here, FF. As I always tell anyone the one keen point about the Boards is that it isn't going anywhere anytime soon: it will be here, the thread, us. Take your time. :)

    Oh btw - band camp and journalism camp? Interesting combo. You can start a paper in j-camp after attending band camp with it starting out like this: "There was this one time, at Band Camp...." ;)

    FORWARD!
     
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