Can't Leave Things Behind [OPEN]

[blstrgmr]

Armand entered Club Paradise. Strange. This was where he met Damion Corinth. He was back to the beginning, and felt as if he was back to start. All the things he had done with The Exchange was for nothing. All he'd do was attempt locate the walkway to the second floor and make his way there. A man stopped him at the door. Who did he think he was? Armand wasn't a gambler, but he liked the bets that people placed on him. He held up a hand to the man. "Listen here. I ain't a gambler. I just want a few rounds in the gladiator ring, that's all. Come on, you can give me that can't you? If you don't...well...listen, just make it easy and let me in.". Armand's body has atrophied. It wasn't quite as intimidating and bulky as it used to be. He actually seemed...kind of nicer. Either way, the doorman didn't care. He let him in, figuring there'd be more interesting stock for the ring.

Letting the fight subside, Armand was guided into the small and dingy ring to fight somebody, whoever. There were some forms he signed, but he didn't understand them. Reading wasn't his thing. Words were annoying. Hell, he wasn't even sure if this place used energy suppressors or not. He just hoped he had a melee opponent.

Lucky for Armand, it was. Just a man with a vibrosword. Nothing he couldn't beat. Armand would draw his own, getting into a loose, almost wobbly stance. When the bell chimed, betters were screaming at them. He wasn't sure what they were screaming for. Blood? Cheers? Encouragement to Armand to help them win their money back. It didn't matter. His opponent dashed at him, blade swinging. He had left his guard open. Even with Armand's long stint of no action, it was such an obvious mistake that anybody could anticipate it. Reversing the grip on his vibroblade, he pushed it to the side, parrying the attacker's blade. With the combination of the attacker's momentum and Armand's fist, a simple blow to the face put the attacker on the ground, almost instantly unconscious. "Come on, give me something fun. i thought this place was supposed to be a paradise."

 

[Tiberius Semper]

Club Paradise. The name itself evoked a maelstrom of emotions, preconceptions and anticipation. It sounded like a classy place, full of the high and mighty, rich folk mixing with their ilk in an innecessant scramble to make even more credits. Scantily clad beautiful Twilek dancers and gorgeous Zeltron servers threading through the place, while all sort of neon lights and holographic projectors lit up the club in every imaginable way.

The truth was... A different matter...​

Not so much of a paradise, the club was more of a smugglers heaven where no questions were asked and no answers demanded. Any type of sin could be bought here if one knew the right person and brawls erupted often in the Tavern area, fueled by drunken stupor and drug induced highs. Where poor fools gambled their meager belongings in a blind attempt to make themselves rich and cheat fate, and the drunken crowd poured their sorrows away in the bloodshed and violence that was the places arena.

Although not much of a criminal kingpin himself, Arok had expended some much needed capital and called in a few favours in order to gain access to the coveted third floor in the underground club. He was meeting someone important for his upcoming plans on the planet Ryloth and he wanted to impress the person in order to gain an edge in the upcoming negotiations. With this person, every tiny bit was a needed advantage, and Arok knew that for all his skills he'd need every one.

As he idly waited for his contact to show up, he flicked on the holographic projector at his private booth and flicked through the channels until he found a Gladiatorial arena feed. Like all Vosadii, Arok was a fan of the blood sport and was even looking to branch into the sport himself. Settling down to watch he absentmindedly puffed on his ever present hookah and drew a deep hit of his favourite drug while he munched on some special snack that was cooked for him.

It seemed that a new fighter was being brought in to challenge one of the local boys, and he looked a little seedy. A has been warrior trying to capture his glory days from the past - however he surprised Arok when he swiftly moved forward from his wobbly stance and blocked the first thrust and swiftly clocked the local thug in the face. Arok laughed in appreciation of the fighters skill and hunched forward eagerly, it seems tonight would be far more enjoyable then he had thought.

 

[blstrgmr]

Armand would hold his arms out, spinning the blade in his palm until it was back in its original and proper grip. "Seriously? I very few of you bet in my favor, that hurts my feelings. Come on, give me something good. Give yourselves a reason to bet for the other guy. Give me a reason to just...keep going." His voice faltered near the end, suggesting some sort of deeper emotional struggle. But, then again, he was also trying to play up the crowd. A newcomer entered as the body of the larger man was taken away to heal up. The newcomer was armed with two vibroblades, it seemed. He was tall, muscular, a perfect athletic build. With a few turns of the wrist to flourish the blades, it appeared that this was a regular...and a favorite of the crowd. Armand noted patrons pointing to him as they talked to the betting organizers.

Well...down to business. The newcomer dashed forth, swinging both blades to the side in an attempt to slash across Armand's midsection. Armand dropped his own blade low, blocking them vertically and throwing his body forward. The newcomer swiftly stepped to the side, leaving Armand to follow through with his momentum, took into a roll, and quickly recover, facing the newcomer. The newcomer had technique...but Armand had instinct. He had a plan, sort of...but he needed to find out how much the energy was suppressed in the field. Armand darted forward, swinging upward across the chest of the newcomer. Logically, the blade was blocked and met with a counter-attack...rather predictable, yet Armand slowed his movement. He allowed the blade to slice shallowly across his body, drawing a line of blood. The merc would throw himself back, unlocking the blades and recovering. "So...there are dampeners. That should've been a lot more...brutal, given these are vibroblades. You knew that didn't you? I guess I don't quite need to worrying about dying then, hm?" With a sudden burst of speed, greater than ever displayed before in this ring, Armand lashed out, throwing his body into the air and slashing wildly. Like an a cornered animal, he was unpredictable, and the newcomer was unsure how to counter. He did his best to block the blows continually coming at him from all directions. There were short pauses in between flurries as Armand recovered from his mad dashes and dives, but the flurries would continue. Locating a pause, the newcomer lashed out at the opening with one blade, keeping the other close to guard. Perfect.

Predicting this, Armand kicked his leg out, letting the vibroblade embed itself in the thick sole of his boot. Armand remove it and twisted his body around, slamming a kick into the man's hand, letting the vibroblade leave his hand and flying off somewhere else in the ring. "Gotcha." Swinging out with the blade as an obvious opening, the newcomer blocked it and locked it...as predicted.

Armand thought of a quick finisher, and acted. Grabbing the sheath of his second blade, still proudly displayed at his belt, he jabbed the grip into the newcomer's midsection, causing him to double over. Removing his blade from the lock, he took a step back and executed three harsh slashes up and across the challenger's midsection, causing him to fall and lay still, blood pooling from his chest. The energy suppressors could only do so much...but he survive with immediate attention. A group of folks took him out of the ring. Armand would exit as well, satisfied. Many patrons and betters were angry that they apparent "favorite" had lost.

The merc took note of a hutt, who seemed to be more calm. Armand wasn't very accepting to them...but he wasn't accepting to a lot of people. He took a seat near the hutt, but not directly with him. "Barkeep. Give me something. Anything. Don't matter. I gave you a show, just a small freebie would be appreciated." The barkeep returned with a bowl of the free nuts usually placed at the bar. Well...it was a freebie. Good enough. Armand would start ravenously eating, like he hadn't eaten in days. His blades, both sheathed, were strapped openly and almost boisterously at his belt, side by side...next to a glossy, white cylinder wrapped with some sort of chord or cloth. Curious, to the unfamiliar. Obvious, to the trained. Armand preferred not to hide his claws.

 

[Insoulent]

"Out of the way." the grunt of a Shistavanen guard projected as he shoved a cheery drunken smuggler leaving the infamous club Paradise. His buddies lifted him up to his feet, grasping him as he tried to launch back at the guard. They whispered in his ear as they eyed the man in the middle, trying to calm him down.

Natori Guards were notoriously known in the underworld as Cartel guards, and their package, well didn't need much protection. "Buy them another round, buy some for yourself." Elohim said, sliding his hand into his pockets, pulling out a sum of local Deadalus currency and placing his hand on the top of the Shistavanen's shoulder. "What?" the guard said as he turned around. Elohim brought the credits back down, pulling the guard's hand out to place the money into it. "You heard me. Enjoy yourse-" But the Shistavanen quickly interjected. "This is ridiculous." the guard nearly shouted, though over the pounding music and drunken yelling was nearly drowned out. "Stop being dramatic. You aren't making the deal, are you? Show me a man you have that can take better care of me than myself. Now take your boss' money and have a good time, will you? I'll call for backup if I need it." the man said, as the two other guards simply chuckled and nudged the Shistavanen to comply as they took the money.

"Try not to kill anyone! the man shouted with a grin. Truthfully, he meant it. Natori had a thing about being unessesarily tough. They were generally good people, with decent intentions, it was their actions that were questionable. The majority of them were veterans or outside mercenaries of some type. The military minded ones, like the Shistavanen, were generally more serious about the job, but they knew Elohim was more of a rogue - he had been one of the Cartel's top bounty hunters at one point and his skills were know throughout the Natori. Which made their job relatively easier whenever they guarded him.

Elohim didn't want them to tag along, but he couldnt go anywhere on Deadalus without an escort unless he wanted to answer a hundred thousand questions about why he suddenly left his corporate office. The officials on the station liked to know all the happenings on the station as much as possible, and as far as they would know, Elohim was simply looking to take his mind off work. Still, the guards would provide the alibi as the man headed to the top floor of the club. Mjolla, a subordinate in his company that ran the mining subsidiary had informed Elohim of an up-and-coming Hutt that Elohim would find interesting. Mjolla was someone Elohim had quite a bit of trust in, as her operations on Crystophsis had proven to be quite profitable and even Borga was largely impressed with her.

Elohim ran on a tight schedule, unfortunately, and had little time to do much research on the Hutt or his background and he was going in largely blind. It was uncharacteristic of the ex-bounty hunter, but he's have to make due today. He could only hope Mjolla was right. He had managed to have the meeting on Deadalus and squeeze it between two other meetings. Hopefully this Hutt wouldn't waste his time.

Stepping to the secured turbo lift, the guard at the door stopper the suited man. "I'm here to see an Arok, third floor. Elohim." the human spoke, as the guards looked at each other before opening the turbo lift. The human simply flashed a grateful smile as he stepped through the lift. A few moments in simulated zero-g later, the human arrived at the top floor of the club. The room was largely empty save for a few bodies, the largest of which was a hefty Hutt. Keeping the smile the human stepped forward. <<Glorious Gluttinous, Arok. A pleasure. Mjolla's told me you're interested in...expanding your enterprise. How can I aid in your ascension?>> the man spoke in near-perfect Huttese, closing the gap between the Cartel Captain and the Hutt. It was rare for a Captain to speak to a lowly Kung like such, but Elohim had learned that all Hutts needed a bit of buttering up if they were to work well with one another. It wasn't much of a pain for the human to either, ego was something lost to him.

 

[Tiberius Semper]

The newcomer faced off another fighter, this time someone who seemed a little more skilled then the last hobo looking to make a quick buck. The fight started with a quick dash from the local, but was abruptly stopped by a weird mix of fighting moves, the newcomer fighting with an unorthodox and seemingly random fighting stance.
Eventually displaying near supernatural speed, the new fighter lashed out and scored a triple slash across the tough's torso, sending him flying back amidst a pool of blood.

Arok watched as the human gracefully exited the arena, before disappearing from the holocamera; it seemed that he had managed to best the local champion and it was driving the small time thugs and drunken locals a little angry. The unconscious fighter's friends carried his unconscious body outside as they stared daggers at this new fighter, who had dared to upset the status qou.

Arok shut off the holographic projector, and motioned for Shijo "<Find this man, and bring him to me. He looks like a competent fighter and a tough survivor as well. I would like him to join you as my bodyguard or at least come and join the Vosadii syndicate. We can use someone like him, and I'm sure you'd love the additional help>"

Shijo shrugged to himself and nodded "<Yes, your highness, It will be as you wish.>" before leaving the private booth and going downstairs to find the arena master and see if he could find out anything about this mysterious newcomer. The rugged and strongly muscled Weequay was also intrigued by this mans fighting style and wished to test it for himself.

As Shijo left, a Human entered the room his smiling face gazing straight at Arok. With a jolt, the Hutt recognized the well known face of Elohim Eion one of the Cartel's leading figures and a Champios of renown. As Elohim entered his booth and turned to him, he spoke up in near perfect Huttese <Glorious, Gluttonous, Arok. A pleasure. Mjolla's told me you're interested in expanding your enterprise. How can I aid in your ascension?>"

Arok was momentarily taken back at this display of skill, but he then grinned in appreciation both at this Human's understanding of proper etiquette and of the way the world was supposed to be. Hutt's on top, and everyone else on the bottom. "<Elohim Aeon, you do me much honor with your presence. I did not realize that when Mjolla told me she would arrange an introduction with someone higher up in the Cartel it would be you!!! Your usage of noble Huttese is also noted and appreciated. I find one cannot truly appreciate the finer things in life without appreciating the right language.">

Arok stopped momentarily to slowly take a deep draw from his Hookah and then motioned to the table in front of him, it was covered in every sort of foodstuff imaginable as well as the best drinks the establishment had to offer "<Please, take whatever you want, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself everything is on me tonight. If you want, I can also arrange for one of the serving maids to "service" you if you want, or get you any of the mood enhancers of your choice.>"



Arok chuckled to himself at that and then resumed speaking "<But you are a man of business, and a very busy one at that then I shall not waste your time with idle chatter. I am looking to finance a few "operations" if you will. I have a bunch of ideas in the works, and all I require is funding for them are you interested in hearing what I have to offer?>"

 

[blstrgmr]

Armand relaxed back, shutting his eyes for a moment, chewing on the free nuts from the bar. Food was food, he supposed. Unfortunately, his quick respite was interrupted by some...guard of sorts. The arena-master had quickly re-directed him to the rather prominent Armand sitting against and relaxing after the fight, basking in the glow of the spent adrenaline. The request was brief and to the point. Armand was being summoned to meet some prominent mogul, apparently. Very well...perhaps he could hear them out. Armand could use the money, and maybe it would give him some purpose for the time being. With a quick agreement, Armand would follow the Weequay up to the upper floor.

The few bits of security that protected the prestigious upper floor would stare Armand down, which the merc would return with glare of equivalent viciousness. There was no attempt to hide the fact that he was dangerous when provoked. The two vibroblades and other...curious weapon that hung from his belt spoke to that. The weequay gestured to the large Hutt in the room, smoking from a hookah. Armand briefly wondered what the intentions were of this Hutt. Perhaps he had lost out on some wagers in the arena due to Armand's doing. It wouldn't have been the first time he managed to piss a rich gambler off. A hand gently, but noticeably, rested on the grip of one of the sheathed vibroblades hanging from his belt.

"So...I am Armand Dreth, the dueler you asked for. I was previously enjoying a nice bowl of free bar nuts until your associate interrupted me. Let's get down to business, Hutt." Armand did a quick scan of the room. The Weequay, the other human nearby, maybe the guards at the door. Armand would only wonder which would be the first to try to aggress him, if any.

 

[Insoulent]

Hutts were always looking to grow their business. There was plenty of Hutts across the Cartel vying to make a name for themselves, creating networks and secretly waging shadow war within their Kajidic. It was a life Elohim was used to seeing, each trying to outwit the other as their greed consumed them. This same lust a Hutt held for credits was somewhat a Sith's own goal for supremacy. It was an ego-driven, selfish and lonely existence - Arkantos the Jedi pitied it almost. But he was no better, he was working with them after all. But in truth, Elohim didn't make friends with Hutts very easily - besides Borga. He was different. Arok...was different.

The human could only force a polite smile as the Hutt offered it, <<I'm alright for now, but I thank you a thousand times over for your generosity.>> the man said almost dismissively while the Hutt continued. And as expected, the Hutt needed something. Borga's new-found knowledge of Elohim's Jedi roots would and could potentially lead to further problems in the future - this Hutt, could be insurance. A lifeline, should things go south anyway. Hutts knew money talked, and while they might of believed themselves above non-Hutts, even they had a code. It wasn't one of honor, in the traditional sense, but Elohim knew that if he went above-and-beyond for Hutts, they would extend the same courtesy - so long as it didn't mess with their credit flow. Elohim didn't know yet if he could fully put his trust in a Hutt, but better the ones he has relations with than total strangers. Not to mention, helping a Hutt grow his standing in the Cartel? The Grand Council would swoon for Elohim, as if they didn't already, and he'd need all the favors he'd be able to call in. Elohim didn't enjoy using his intelligence in a cunning way, but it worked, and he was good at it. He'd sucked it up for almost ten years, what was a couple more?

And as if the Force itself shoved into the room, a new comer entered. Elohim drew his head over to the side, shifting his focus at the man, nearly scanning him from head to toe. The way his arms rested on his blades showed that he was self-assured and self-aware of his surroundings, however his manner of speaking revealed he still had much to learn. He had grown up around every type of fighter, and he was relatively good at spotting out traits just by body language. An Echani hallmark adopted by Mandalorian culture, progression had a way of taking the better of two worlds and making something useful from it. "You should really be careful in how you speak to Hutt in the presence of a Cartel member." the ex-Bounty Hunter spoke up, closing the distance between the fighter and himself. "Especially if that Hutt has given you the honor of a meeting." the human continued. He could feel something falter around the newcommer though. His aura was subtle, still raw but not completely untrained. A practitioner at best, but from the looks of it he doubt the man had much experience in full Force-to-Force combat. His confidence in his swords projected that much to Elohim. He was rough around the edges, somewhat like Elohim. Almost distant. But that was as far as the comparisons could be matched.

"You should apologize, Mr. Dreth." he said, stopping a few meters away from the man, using himself as a barrier between himself and the Hutt. "And it's not a request." the man finished. A test of this man's ego, he no doubt knew it might ruffle his feathers. He had time to kill before the next meeting, and in true Mandalorian fashion, if he could get a work out inbetween, all the better. And if he proved to be level-headed, well, then he'd be impressed and probably so would Arok.

 

[Tiberius Semper]

Arok nodded as Elohim turned down his offer of food and drinks and shrugged to himself more for him! He gobbled some dish that he didn't even recognize while he listened to the human. All the while wondering in his mind if the great tycoon would even agree to his request.

For Arok to even think about climbing the ladder of the Cartel's leadership ranks and leave the muck of his existence as a small time Mafioso he'd need the backing of someone high up in the Cartel and Elohim seemed to be the perfect choice. Provided that he managed to impress the wily human.

Arok hated his existence as a Kung and the very word rankled him to his very core. A Hutt was not Kung, a Hutt did not belong In the anonymity of the masses, especially someone like him. He was Borga's son, and he would show them all!!! He had learned from his mistakes, and now that he was in disgrace he would show them that Arok wasn't the poor, deluded and irresponsible Huttlet that he had used to be, the indolent and slothful Arok was gone!

It was time for the reign of Arok to begin.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, Shijo and the human fighter appeared in the room, walking up through the cordoned area and entering their private booth.
To his surprise Arok recognized the fighter, his face rising through the haze of his early days in the Exchange, learning the trade as he ran away from home after escaping from prison.

Although Arok had never worked with him, he had heard of his exploits as one of the obscure and now sadly defunct group deadliest assassins and fighters. Known more for his unorthodox skills as well as his brute strength then for his intelligence.

Arok grinned to himself at that, it was the perfect setup for him. He could trust the man to never betray him, as he wasn't smart enough for that, as well as being eminently suitable as a piece on Arok's dejarik table and a disposable one at that. He was a newcomer and relatively unknown to the galaxy at large, and his skills made him sure to succeed at any task that Arok set him to do.

Before Shijo could restrain the Human, he brushed past him and with shocking, although in-retrospect not surprising, rudeness just barged into the middle of their meeting. Arok's good mood vanished in a heartbeat, and he raised his hand to signal to Shijo to teach this insolent fool a lesson.

No one was going to mess around with this important meeting. Arok had labored for months just to get the clout to reserve this booth and everything that came with it, as well as spending a lot of his personal cash in bribes and others fees in order to reserve the table for himself. He couldn't afford for one idiot brute to mess up his carefully laid plans for growth and personal power.




To his great surprise, Elohim himself stood up and interjected himself between the surly man and Arok. Although Arok knew that Elohim was no slouch, and a former Bounty Hunter to boot, he never would have thought that a man of his stature and rank would stoop to disciplining a nobody thug especially when Arok was here at the pleasure of Elohim, not the other way around, as his words implied.

Deciding to see how matters turn out, as well as gouge Elohim's skills for himself Arok motioned for Shijo to be ready to help out as needed, but to stay out of it for now. This would be extremely interesting to see, and Arok looked forward to seeing this unfold.

 

[blstrgmr]

Armand was starting to realize that this wasn't quite like The Exchange. Whereas The Exchange was notorious and brutal...they were, above all else, efficient. There was no room for respect and honoring the higher-ups. It was simply business, business, and more business. Nobody cared how polite or impolite Armand was at meetings and gatherings, just that he was doing a good job and meeting the quotas. Clearly, things weren't going to fly that way here.

Armand held his hands up to his sides, almost defensively. Though, it was still very casual. "Take it easy...we're all busy folk here, just trying to get to the point of things." The merc had no problem drawing a blade and seeing how far he could go before being snuffed out. It seemed like a fun way to go out...but he had only just barely made enough to cover a month's rent today. He wasn't quite ready to go down yet. "My previous employers were much more direct. Not much tradition. Not much of a structure...just getting things done of our individual accord. My apologies for assuming it was such here." The man approaching him telling him to apologize felt strange. Armand couldn't place it, and wasn't aware of it, but he was feeling the connection to the Force emanating off of him. Armand's ability was still minute, though effective in certain situations.

"But, if you have the wish to throw some of your people at me, I would be very understanding. Maybe even delighted. Either way it goes, I'm sure some blades will be crossed eventually." Armand was not great at hiding his discomfort. He wasn't one to apologize. He had acted according to his own honor code of being to the point, and now he was taking that back. It showed on his face that he was irritated. It also seemed that he was undergoing some sort of internal struggle of weighing how much he could use the potential connections and work, versus how much simpler and entertaining it would be to press on and come to blows.

 

[Insoulent]

The man's stern face turned to a gracious and soft smile at the flip of a coin. Could it have been mistaken for a smug grin? Possibly. He hadn't truly apologized after all, but it was something to make the stern warrior change attitude if only for a moment. "Your delight in a battle is admirable, but not when it's a death wish. You do know you're in with the Hutt Cartel, right?" the man said, placing his hand out. "Elohim Aeon, a pleasure Mr. Dreth." the man said with the confident smile still on his face. Whether or not he knew the name of the prestige didn't much matter to Elohim, that sort of notoriety was for more eager criminals. However his own introduction was more of a formality. "Even water has structure." he wizened in a near-whisper, reaching his face close to the man. It was a lesson that might of not made sense to the warrior yet, but maybe in time he would.

"I'm sure Arok Vosadii Pronda.." and then the realization came to his mind. When Mjolla had told him about a Hutt, he had simply agreed to meet. His mind was busy with growth numbers of smaller would-be subsidiaries and other more projects, but now that he had said the name out loud he realized the name Vosadii Pronda. It was the Kajidic of Borga - the Leader of the Cartel. The two were close friends, and he was more than certain Borga had sired his own children, but Arok himself a member of Borga's lineage? It was odd, truly.

His momentary lapse of thought quickly jumped out, no doubt the members inside the room would of been curious as to just why the Cartel Captain suddenly froze up either way. "I'm sorry. Must be the jetlag." the Captain said, shrugging on the side. "If you want a fight, Mr. Dreth, I'm more than certain the Cartel will have more than enough battles for you to engage in. I can assure you we pay more than you "previous" employer." the Captain said, turning his back, looking back at Arok's massive stature. He was certainly worth his weight in gold, if not more, but it wasn't his monetary value that was of any importance. Borga was a rather intelligent Hutt, Elohim only wondered how much of that gene was prevalent in his family.

"Please, grandiose and gluttonous Hutt, excuse my use of horrendous Basic. However, for the simplicity of your guest and myself, I will have to use it. I apologize for the pain your aural receptors will feel." the human continued, pulling his hand into his coat. "You said you were looking for an investment for your operations. I'm to guess this warrior was to aid you in such an endeavor? If so, I'm curious as to just what exactly you have in mind. I hope you're aiming as high as you are grand?" the human noted and pulled out a flimsi card, curious as to just what and how the Hutt was trying to move up in the Cartel. No doubt he wanted notoriety, and quickly. Why else would he be speaking with a Captain?

 

[Tiberius Semper]

To Arok's vague disappointment, the man known as Armand apologized and waving his hands a little defensively. Arok nodded to himself at the mans words, his estimation of the man was correct - he showed a profoundly higher level of intelligence then Arok originally estimated, he was smart enough to know when to back down from a bigger threat.

Continuing the man seemed to be struggling with himself, his demeanor showing irritation and discomfort at his words, as if he was used to more direct approaches. His next words confirmed Arok's guess once again as he offered a direct challenge, his profession of delight at the prospects of battle showing his true self.

Arok laughed at his words, his booming voice echoing around the cantina and causing the sentients inside the plush room to look at the foursome inside the booth with curiosity. As their eyes alighted on the giant Hutt lounging inside and then moved on to the Human sitting next to him, they quickly averted their eyes and found something else to occupy their time – no one wanted any trouble with the Cartel. No one.

Turning to Armand, Elohim then introduced himself, a smile playing about his lips as he whispered something to the man. Turning back to Arok he stuttered for a second as he mentioned his name and Arok inwardly smiled to himself as he saw the cogs suddenly connect inside Elohim's head, and then suddenly move into fast forward as all the possibilities of that name suddenly popped up.

Waving aside the momentary lapse with a barely lie, he assured Armand of the very real possibilities for battle as well as pay before he turned to Arok and oozing with charm, and laying on the compliments thickly he turned back to the business at hand - the very reason why Arok had requested a meeting with someone in the higher echelons of the Cartel.

Arok grinned at that and looked to Shijo "<Take this man, and spar with him. If he so loves a fight, we shall give him one. Maybe use the already built in Arena over here to test his mettle? I trust you know what to do>”. Motioning 3D-4Z forward, he waved to Armand to come forward and said to the man "<Greetings Armand Dreth, your days in the Exchange have long gone, I see. It's a shame to see someone as gifted as you in the arts of death, degraded to such a position - brawling for your livelihood. Are you interested in a job opportunity? I would be delighted in employing you, please talk to Shijo over here and see about the job description.>"

The android looking protocol/administrative droid beeped loudly and then proceeded to translate Arok's words "His Magnificence, the Great and Glorious Arok greets you, Mr. Dreth and is saddened to see that a great and highly capable warrior like you fallen to such deplorable depths, wrongfully degraded to fighting for you living with no purpose to it but the blood and violence that it begets."

"In his infinite wisdom, the great Arok has decided to offer you employment in his organization, and contract you to his security department. If you are interested, please make yourself known to Mr. Tyr-Gam the head of the Security and he will be happy to explain to you the details. Have a good day, and we wish you well"


Shijo nodded at that and motioned for Armand to follow him, silently walking through the crowd and paying no attention whether or not Armand would follow him or not. If he wanted a job, Armand would be there when Shijo turned around; otherwise he was a waste of space and not worth the time to exterminate.

As Arok watched the Weequay turn and leave, he smiled at Elohim and wringing his hands in consternation, he then eyed the Human seated below him. Elohim projected a sense of calmness, and competence that served to unsettle Arok a little, enough that he stopped to collect his thoughts before forging on.

"<I am sorry for the interruption from this man, he is a former acquaintance of mine who served in the same old organization that I was once a part of and I had a mind to employ him for my own ends. And I forgive you your usage of this base language - you are most gracious and kind.>", the giant slug then reached over to the table in front of him and fiddled with the knobs and dials that were strategically placed on it. An opaque one way glassteel globe rose up to encapsulate them and cut them off from the rest of the room, affording them privacy and secrecy in their dealings.

Arok wanted to be sure that no one interrupted them this time, and that what he said in this private booth, stayed private. Looking at the Champios sitting in front of him, Arok clasped his hands together and steepled his fingers as he watched Elohim closely. "<I am here to ask your aid in the takeover of the planet Ryloth - for the Cartel of course - and if successful, then I wish your blessing and your word in the Council's ears for future endeavors of mine. I think that an undertaking of this magnitude warrants your attention and certainly aims high. Am I wrong?>"

 

[blstrgmr]

Armand would step forward and listen closely on what the droid was offering him. Its language seemed off, programmed to layer things under thick compliments to the Hutt. With a shrug, Armand decided he didn't have much of a choice. He really needed the capital to at least get his starfighter off the ground. Without much of a word, Armand would give a nod and follow Shijo out once the droid was finished speaking. As he passed Elohim, his hands stayed by his side, but his fingers arced out in a slight waving motion. "See you around." Elohim was an interesting character to him. He hoped their paths would cross again in the future, in any way.

More on his mind was what he said. It wasn't the Huttese that put Armand off, but the phrase Elohim said about water having structure. What was the point? If it was a simple phrase, Armand wasn't mentally equipped to figure it out quite yet. Once they were out of the room, he spoke up to the Weequay he was following. "So...you like working under the Hutts? Benefits?" No point in awkward silences.

 

[Insoulent]

Elohim stood still as the glass encased the two, wondering just how important this plan was. And, his curiosity seemed to pay off. Arok was ambitious, like he once was - but every ambition had a reason. Elohim knew Ryloth was a relatively important planet for Hutts - their most prized "things" were from there - Twi'leks. Elohim had a strong disdain for slavery, but many of the Twi'leks lived a rather pampered life, but it wasn't the case for all. It was also home to a few other operations the Hutts had dealings with, but they hadn't really expanded their sources to the planet other than supporting the market. But owning it?

"<<Never wrong, never that. However, how do you mean 'help'? I can extend my wallet to aid you, but what do you specifically have in mind? Of course you must know that the Cartel cannot afford to expand our defended territory with the threat of the Empire still looming. Most of our resources are currently going into keeping our defenses up-to-par in case of any further attack. However, I can loan you the money and resources you'll need to take out any competition on the planet. Manipulate and work the locals as you see fit, keep them in your pocket-err, your good graces. Of course, should you fail in this and your project fails you must know the Cartel cannot and will not support you.>>" the man said, his face stern and serious. It was true, and more than likely, the Hutt already knew that.

"<<However, yes, I am willing and able to help you take Ryloth's resources. Do you have an estimate of any kind on what you'll need? I understand it won't be cheap, but if there's any way to cut corners and be direct as possible, I think we could find a way to make it a smooth transition.>>" the suited Captain ended, wondering just how much it'd cost a Hutt to take over a planet, in a sense.

 

[Tiberius Semper]

Shijo/Armand

Shijo walked through the dark and shadowy hallways of the third VIP floor, passing by private booth after private booth, the rooms sometimes closed and sometimes open, the low and otherworldly music barely covering the sounds emanating from within them. Brushing by the small throng of the highly elite who had the connection's to sit on this floor, as well as the different and exotic looking dancers who weaved their way through the room he didn't say a word to anyone, and especially to Armand as the pair made their way into the turbolift that would take them down to the second floor.

Bringing his hand to his chest, he quietly and inconspicuously clicked a small button on the cuff of his expensive suit as they entered the turbolift. However instead of taking them down to the second floor and the more rowdy and less affluent mob, the turbolift seemed to shift almost sideways and after a few seconds of silent movement, the turbolift doors slid open noiselessly. In front of them was a large room, its dimension's hidden beneath a wealth of oriental looking ornaments. Dominating the area, was a circular platform, raised a meter of the ground and its entire surface decorated with the intertwined symbol for the light and the dark side of the Force.

A large carpet rolled out from the entrance way and snaked through the floor until it arrived at a set of stairs that lead to the platform. The walls were decorated with Yu artwork, elaborate dragons and artistically drawn fighting animals embossed on it in varying hues giving the place a mysterious and somber mood. Scattered around the floor where low tables, where an assortment of different looking sentients sat around, all formally and expensively attired, with beautiful men and women hanging on their arms as they looked at the newcomers with interest.

As Armand and Shijo walked forward, small drums started beating, their voice echoing around the chamber slowly, a Yu woman beating them from a cleverly constructed platform that blended into the room, making her appear to float in the air. Another dancer, attired like a Diathim waved her arms gracefully in a mystic circle before ending it with pointing arm at Armand. Shijo wordlessly stepped out onto the platform and walked to the center of the room, there he looked impassively at Armand while he waited for the human male to arrive.

 

[Tiberius Semper]

Arok/Elohim

"<<Never wrong, never that. However, how do you mean 'help'? I can extend my wallet to aid you, but what do you specifically have in mind? Of course you must know that the Cartel cannot afford to expand our defended territory with the threat of the Empire still looming. Most of our resources are currently going into keeping our defenses up-to-par in case of any further attack. However, I can loan you the money and resources you'll need to take out any competition on the planet. Manipulate and work the locals as you see fit, keep them in your pocket-err, your good graces. Of course, should you fail in this and your project fails you must know the Cartel cannot and will not support you.>>" the man said, his face stern and serious. It was true, and more than likely, the Hutt already knew that.

Arok dipped his head in acknowledgment and looked at Elohim straight in the eye, his whole demeanor exuding seriousness and sincerity as he contemplated the Champios's words. "<I concur, Mr. Aeon, and I will not fail. Rest assured that the Vosadii Kajiidic hasn't failed in any endeavor in over three hundred years - I will not be the first to sully its name and record with a failure.>" he rumbled deeply, waiting to hear his next words.

"<<However, yes, I am willing and able to help you take Ryloth's resources. Do you have an estimate of any kind on what you'll need? I understand it won't be cheap, but if there's any way to cut corners and be direct as possible, I think we could find a way to make it a smooth transition.>>" the suited Captain ended, his attitude one of contemplation and wonderment as if he was calculating in his head the pros and cons of supporting Arok in this scheme. Arok mentally tallied his plans and schemes, thinking of the operations he had in the making and planning their costs versus benefits, taking a few minutes to think and not just blurting out a random number.

He checked the list he had in his mind of the various companies that he had researched before he had decided to come up with the scheme - Golan Construction Corp. the construction firm of the mighty Golan Arms corporation had a Market Cap of around

​30 M credits, employed 3,000 workers and had the cash on hand worth around

​1.8 M. Although their debt of

​6.74 M and their revenue of

​3.02 M, Assets worth

​39.22 M and yearly profit of

​2.06 M more then made them a powerhouse in the galactic real estate business, Arok aspired to even more then that - for example the Outer Rim Construction and Assembly which his spies and agents whispered to him where even now still the shadowy hands of the Black Sun...

However Arok wasn't a greedy and backwater fool - he knew that to get to that prestige and wealth he must slowly work his way up - and taking over a planet would be a good way to leapfrog his worth by a few millions at the least. Not to mention that his exploits would become the stuff of legend in the Cartel circles. Arok grinned to himself and then looked back at Elohim "<I will need at the start of this whole "adventure" the starting capital to at least rival, if not outright rise above Cirrus Colonies Incorporated. Who if not checked and taken out of the game, I can foresee becoming a problem for us.>"

Not even stopping to consult a datapad or look at notes Arok plowed on reciting from memory the companies networth, assets, employee numbers and other pertinent information so that Elohim will understand the scope of his needs. "<As you see, I will need at least five million credits just to start up this corporation and have the ability to grow exponentially every year - I will need to hire engineers, buy materials for construction, arrange for transportation and also buy select real estate plots for development. I will also need an additional half a million credits to fund the actual operations and takeover themselves - weapons, armor, transportation, and assorted "gifts" and "incentives" to those who might be persuaded by them.>"

Arok looked at the Human male sitting in front of him and clasped his hands together "<Is that an acceptable proposition?"

 

[blstrgmr]

Armand trailed quietly behind Shijo, taking in the atmosphere of the area. Part of it made him rather annoyed. Many of these people drank away with money to spare, while Armand brawled and risked life and limb just to eat in between jobs. As they continued to pass, Armand wondered what was in store. He figured they'd just take up a booth and discuss business...though Armand was happy to re-enter the lift. Maybe they would let Armand give another demonstration of his skill? That'd be much more preferable over a business contract negotiation. Then, strangely enough, he felt the lift go in a direction that wasn't the predictable...down. It seemed to go sideways, perhaps? At any rate, the door slid open, revealing a much newer section of the establishment that Armand was previously unaware of.

As soon as he stepped off, it was an assault of light and sound. It was much different from the other floors. Everything seemed to be unnatural here. The emotions that tied the room together were off. Different. Not quite like a nightclub, even though that was exactly what it looked like. Armand looked around as Shijo ascended onto the central platform. For the time being, the merc was slightly enthralled by the woman who was raised up, looking like a conductor who used her arms instead of a baton. Finally, she pointed to the swordsman, who only took this as a message to follow Shijo. Stepping up to the platform and positioning himself to face Shijo, Armand had yet to quite figure out what the point of this strange stage was, though he could gather a few inklings. "I don't suppose that they want me to sing, hm?", he'd speak out to Shijo and take sideways glances at the crowds.

 

[Insoulent]

The man stood cross-armed as he awaited the Hutt's calculations to finish. He stared at the obese slug, shifting his sight from one end to the other - wondering just how much of his father's "gifts" he inherited. They were different, surely their circumstances were different enough to prove they were different beasts. He could tell the young Hutt was ambitious, and ambition was always good drive, but Elohim wondered if this ambition verged on the point of obsession - a Jedi should never promote such a trait. But still, he could work him, keep an eye on his progress, even change him if needed.

Lost in his own calculating mind, the slug's voice snapped him back to reality. The credits needed were smaller than the human had expected - but he was impressed. Smiling, the human nodded his head slightly before descending to a bow. "<<More than acceptable, Arok. It'd be my up most pleasure to aid your ascension. It'll take a few hours, but I'll have my men set up a private shuttle to meet with your men at a location of your discretion.>>" the human said as he raised himself back up.

"<<Now, is there anything else I could help you with? I'm sure you know that I have my own operations to run, and there are not enough hours in a galactic day.>>" the human said, hurrying the end of their meeting. Truthfully, having to bow and be "fake" descending of some false higher species had it's limit on even a Jedi Master. Not to mention the stench in the bubble that surrounded the two began to take an effect on the human's nose - making him slightly dizzy.

 

[Tiberius Semper]

Shijo/Armand

Shijo looked on with anticipation as Armand quietly walked after him and took in the atmosphere of the club. Not many sentients were invited to this part of the club, and the atmosphere in the room was almost like a Temple, with the whole area evoking a sensation of a mysterious and unnatural place of worship, but with the object of the devotion being strangely missing. Shijo grinned at that - it would be fairly apparent to the human in a few seconds what the object of this crowd's adoration was. Especially with the martial dragon like motifs and the circle of the Force painted delicately on the ground.

Without further ado, a beautiful and exotic looking Twi'lek women stepped into the ring and motioned for the crowd gathered to quiet themselves and look forward, her curvaceous and lush body more then enough to attract the attention of at least the male part of the gathered patrons. With a singsong and a deliciously pleasant voice she introduced Shijo and Armand to the crowd "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Shijo Tyr-Gam and his opponent - Armand Dreth".

The crowd politely clapped for the two contestants, and then the Twi'lek continued "A fine line separates a fighter, from a warrior. One is motivated by reason, the other by purpose. Tonight we witness this distinction as our contestants battle to prove, who-" she stopped to glance deeply into the two combatants eyes before she continued "-and what they are"

"Fight"

Shijo smiled at her words, he knew that in this place, it wasn't really about the fighters, not was it about the fight. This was no regular arena, with a set champion and a crowd eager to see blood - no, this was far more insidious and deep. This was about corruption, this was about death, this was the opportunity to see an otherwise pure soul be brought to the brink of madness and see him willingly take the next step forward. It was a different type of thrill to these twisted beings, but if they paid well enough, and if Arok organized for them to appear here, he didn't care to ask what he told them about the two. He just simply moved into a defensive stance and sized up his opponent.

Armand did likewise, and for a few seconds they sized each other up, when suddenly in a increasing pitch, the lights shut off, one block at a time. The booming crash of the harsh electrical lights shutting down created a jarring and disorienting effect as the entire area was consigned to the darkness. And then as if to add to the already confusing situation the lights flickered on and off in a crazy maelstrom of small winking lights. The two combatants seemed to appear and disappear as the flickering lights flashed on and off, and it was obvious that they were both unused to the disorienting effects. As the pair traded blows, shifting to gain a better vantage point or position, jabbing and punching while they circled each other and sending out high flying kicks when the need arose, the lights suddenly changed again - this time to a deep glowing green, almost seeming to halo the two fighters in a glowing aura of energy.

Finally after a lighting quick combo, Shijo managed to get inside his opponents guard and with a well placed jab managed to hit Armand in the neck, cutting off his airflow and causing him to gasp with sudden pain. Following up on this split second advantage he then spun inside Armand's reach and viciously sent a striking elbow into his diaphragm, sending what little air remained in his body whooshing out in one brutal blow. Once he had his opponent incapacitated he then grabbed his arm and with a smooth slide, brought it behind Armands back and locking it into place with an iron handhold. Then in the same motion he brought his other hand around the human's neck and tightened it, creating a nearly unbreakable vise as he chocked the reeling human.

After a few seconds of this hold, the human slumped and his body went limp as the oxygen flow to his head was abruptly cut off and his body started to asphyxiate from the loss of critical air. Shijo let Armand drop to the ground with an uncaring and dismissive motion before shaking his head sadly at the human's performance - he had such high hopes for him and was looking forward to sharing the burden of guarding Arok with him - and exiting the room as silently as he came. His boss's minions would make sure to remove this man from the area, and Shijo made his way back to Arok to deliver the bad news.

 

[Tiberius Semper]

Arok/Elohim

As Arok explained his needs and outlined the credits that he would require for the Ryloth plan, Elohim stood up and crossing his arms sized up the Hutt with his piercing gaze. He seemed engrossed slightly in his own thoughts, as Arok wound down to a close and with a slightly startled look, as if he forced his attention back to the present he looked up at Arok and smiled at him. "<<More than acceptable, Arok. It'd be my up most pleasure to aid your ascension. It'll take a few hours, but I'll have my men set up a private shuttle to meet with your men at a location of your discretion.>>" the human said with a bow that indicated he was impressed so far with what had been discussed he straightened and with a slightly hurried look spoke up once more.

"<<Now, is there anything else I could help you with? I'm sure you know that I have my own operations to run, and there are not enough hours in a galactic day.>>" the human said, hurrying the end of their meeting. "<No, that is more then satisfactory, Champios Aeon. I am thrilled at your show of trust and respect and I will be sure to not let you down. Naturally, you will be reimbursed fully with a little extra for the help that you have shown me here today. Please convey my gratitude to the Granee Lorda and the Con Lorda and promise them that they will not be disappointed>"

With that, the giant slug pressed a few more buttons and the small dome silently slipped into the ground letting in the fresh air into the small private booth. Exiting the the booth, he hovered over to the Club's owner and with a magnanimous wave slipped him two more credit chips, these one's with a very generous denominator linked to them as a tip for his services and favors. He wanted to leave a good impression after all, in case he ever needed to come back again, and credits it seemed were the path to this sentients heart. Without a backwards glance, Arok met Shijo in the hallway and with a slight raise of his eyebrows indicated his question about Armand. Shijo regretfully shook his head and silently walked with him towards their shuttle to the spaceport.