[OPEN] The Heart of a Gladiator

[Just Matt Now]

Wasteland Arena​

The sands of the arena were hot, even through the leather boots that the Kushari had on. It was a hot day on Nal Hutta, a glorious day for a fight. And in the arena stood only two figures, viewed as two small statues from the far stands of the crowd. Yet they still cheered, they still gave their energy for the fighters in the sand. And Icarus fed off of it time and time again. The Kushari hurled his massive sword at his opponent, merely a distraction, one that put the heavily shielded opponent on his back. By the time he was able to get up, he managed to simply block the crushing claws with the broadside of his shield. And now it was gone, the power and force of Icarus was far too strong. And this gladiator was no pushover.

That's when the crowd started to get louder, they sensed the end. The Human was on his back and less protected, a short sword his only means. But Icarus did not care, he tasted blood and his focus was unrelenting. Roaring loud enough to be heard over the crowd, as he slashed and swiped at the downed enemy. Blood starting to taint his fur and soon enough the resistance had stopped. There was nothing left of his enemy.

Icarus panted over the lifeless corpse. Sweat dripping off his fur and onto the armor of the dead gladiator.

Borga sat atop his altar, his podium, and his pedestal. Watching all the crowd worship the Kushari gladiator, and worshiping himself. His most prized fighter and his most valuable asset. Borga sipped on fine wine and indulged himself as he conversed with his small entourage, and whomever he decided to invite this day. Though he was waiting on just one more. One particular individual who could certainly help him get in the best wishes of the Grand Lorda himself.

 

[Hannah]

Acelyn frowned as she watched the feline-like gladiator strike down on its prey, dealing the killing blow. The Echani woman stood perched at the top of the arena, not having made her way over to Borga yet. She wasn’t even sure if Borga had noticed that she was here, though that wasn’t what she was focused on at the moment. She simply stared as the blood spilled out of the human’s lifeless body, causing a rather large pool of it to accumulate. The crowd was going insane, and it seemed like the only one who hadn’t bothered to move a muscle in response to the death of the gladiator was Acelyn.

After a moment, Acelyn began to descend the stairs, making her way over to where Borga sat rather comfortably on his throne. She had always wondered what would have happened to her if a Hutt like Borga had bought her instead. Would she be out in the arena? No of course not, she was a woman. She would probably be wrapped up next to him, stripped naked, humiliated as multiple people eyed her over with pity or out of sheer interest.

However, as fate would have it, Acelyn was found by Vero, and has since them become his top advisor. The Echani was no fool, she knew exactly why Borga had invited her here. If you can’t get to the top dog himself, get to the person who influences the top dog the most, but the thing that no one seemed to realize though, was that Acelyn didn’t really have any influence on Vero. He did what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it. Period.

As Acelyn made her way closer to Borga, she couldn’t help but notice that the large Hutt seemed to be amused at the death of the human, which didn’t surprise Acelyn one bit. Hutts certainly seemed to be fond of death, whether it be one of their own that dies or another, it didn’t matter to them. Well, to most of them at least.

”Hello,” Acelyn said as she made her way up to Borga, bowing respectively towards him. ”It’s an honor.”

 

[Dóiteán]

I stood at the entrance to the arena, a grin on my face. I was watching Icarus, a Kushari who taught me what it meant to be a gladiator, tear apart a human. The Kushari gladiator was still the greatest of Borga's gladiators. But I thought that I might be just as good as the older gladiator. When the fight was over and Icarus had exited the arena, I looked on, ready to fight. "Ladies & gentlemen, His exaltedness. Introducing the next fight. Wookie warrior Tralack will be going up against Razus", the announcer said. Growling, I gripped the vibroblade in the sheath. My daggers were sheathed as well. Striding out, I eyed my opponent. It appeared that he had a spear. I grinned. Wookie's were always fun to fight. As the gong sounded, I ran towards my opponent with a grip on my sword.

He lowered the spear and charged towards me. At the last second, I rolled to the right and drew out my blade. Turning quickly, I slashed at him. But the stupid Wookie blocked. I got closer to the Wookie and kicked the carpet in his side. Grinning at the sight of blood, I activated my sword and slashed at a diagonal angle. The Wookie tried blocking, but my sword cut across the handle. With his weapon broken, I charged at slashed across his chest. Hitting my mark, I cut the head off my opponent. With the battle done, I lifted my blade up and howled.

 

[Just Matt Now]

"Ahh, Acelyn!" Borga's face lit up at the sight of the white haired woman. She was particularly important to the Cartel, being Vero's majodormo. Just as Wor Niedra was important to Borga. There wasnt much a Hutt could do without the help that their most trusted assistants gave them.

"The pleasure is mine...please, sit!" The Hutt also spoke in Huttese as he pointed to a seat next to him. Unlike Borga's majodormo, it seemed like Acelyn was Vero's slave. Though, obviously with a much more loose definition of the word slave. Similarly to how Icarus was to the Hutt. Borga motioned with his hand for a servant to come and offer her a drink. Within seconds a Falleen woman came up to her holding a tray with several glasses containing anything from water to wine to champagne.

As they introduced themselves. The next fight was introduced. Another Cartel man, Razus, had fought in this arena from time to time and had amassed a decent sized crowd. They admired the beast-like nature of the way he fought, and his howling was a signature that drove the crowd wild.

"What do you think of my arena dear?"

 

[Hannah]

Acelyn smiled at the Hutt, sitting down in a seat adjacent to his as he requested. Acelyn had thought of telling Borga she wasn’t thirsty, and that having the servant fetch her a drink was a waste of time; thought she thought better of it. She was thirsty. When the servant returned with a platter filled with drinks of various kinds, Acelyn had taken the glass of water, nodding thankfully at the servant.

”Thank you for inviting me,” Acelyn said with a smile as she looked over at the Hutt. Her attention was soon directed over to that of the next pair of gladiators to enter the arena, however. Serra scowled as the duo began to fight to the death, which was a necessity when it came to gladiator fighting. It was the reason Acelyn hated it so much, to put it bluntly.

”I love it,” Acelyn lied with a smile, taking a sip from her water as she smiled at the Hutt, not sure of what else to say. It was a hot day, and Acelyn found herself sweating with each passing minute she stayed here. She couldn’t imagine what the gladiators must have been feeling.

As the fight went on, Acelyn found her heart pounding. She hated watching people die, though she knew better than to show it on the outside, for it would make her look weak, and thus it would reflect poorly on Vero himself. Whatever Acelyn felt internally, she knew very well that it must stay internal.

And as the Wookie was given the death blow by the other gladiator... Acelyn did nothing.

 

[Nor'baal]

Slithering into the box prepared for him, Nor'baal the Hutt traipsed in followed by Johann Fitz-Stahl, his newly recruited body-guard and Cyber-Security Operative. Waving respectfully at his peer Borga the Hutt, Nor'baal took a drink from the waiting tray and shuffled next to his fellow Hutt.

He licked his lips greedily as he tilted his head down to the arena below <Fine day for a fine sport your excellency.> he said deeply waving a flabby hand down to the arena below. <Perhaps you remember the fall of Bothawu, week five when I myself personally slaughtered an entire division of the Bothan Council Guard!> the Hutt boldly declared - knowing full well his fellow Hutt knew the truth of the 'Bothawu Situation' - indeed, rather than slaying them himself, Nor'baal had shot one, and then had his guards topple the roof of the cave in which they where in - however the Hutt had long since 'forgotten' the details - preferring instead a more self aggrandising tale.

He settled down as Johann adopted a more alert stance, scanning the arena below and the stands for potential threats.

 

[Just Matt Now]

The Hutt could sense a hint of animosity in her tone. Asa man of business, the Hutt had to be a professional at judging ones body movement and what it meant the way they said a certain phrase or statement. Yet he did not blame her for holding anything back. She had a reputation to uphold, and one that was not for herself, but for the Grand Lordas himself.

"You know, it isnt always to the death. Most of the time it is up to the crowd and myself to allow them to die. And most of the time I let them live." Continuing in Huttese. "It would be extremely expensive to find worthy opponents for my gladiators to fight had I let them kill all of them." Most of the fights Icarus had fought were to the death, although that was only because the crowd had enjoyed seeing his ferocious roar that filled the entire stadium. They reveled in the entertainment and near danger they saw right in front of them.

Turning to face Nor'baal in his sector, his arrival was not mentioned, though a Hutt of his position would not be turned away. "Ahh yes, you and you're war stories. You really gave it to those Bothans..." still facing Acelyn as he spoke in reply. Nor'baal had told his war story many times, each time differing slightly from the last,.

"Acelyn, I am not a monster...I just want you to know that. Being brought up the way I am, how am I expected to change so drastically. I give all those who serve me, my slaves, time for themselves. Time out of each week so that they can feel some semblance of freedom. And all of them, I have saved with my servitude. The slaves I own would not last a day on their own. You see the fine treatment that I give you? They live in it every day, even if it is to bring me a glass of wine."

 

[Hannah]

Acelyn listened to the grand lord speak, simply looking out at the empty, blood-stained arena as he did so. A part of her wanted to just be okay with the possible deaths of the gladiators. After all, it’s one of the primary hobbies of those in the criminal underworlds of Hutt Space. For some strange reason, however, the Echani woman was just unable to like it. She found it to be an impractical sport, full of unneeded death. Then again- what Hutt sport wasn’t full of the loss of an innocent, (or in some cases a not so innocent,) life?

With a nod, Acelyn spoke up. ”You do not need to explain yourself to me, Lord. You are a Hutt of high rank, and the way you run things is of no concern of mine." Acelyn finished with a nod. She knew not to question people- specifically Hutts. No matter who it was that the girl was speaking to, she had to always treat them with respect, or else it could reflect badly on Vero. Besides, if Borga wanted her dead right now he could kill her within a moment’s notice, so it was in Acelyn’s best interest to just stay quiet.

As easy as that was to do for a respectable Hutt like Borga, Acelyn found it hard to stay fond of the new participant of their conversation; Nor’baal. As Acelyn listen to the sluggish figure talk, she found her jaw clench slightly as she put on the fakest smile she had ever put on before.

”And how did you manage to do that, if I may ask?” The words shot out of Acelyn’s mouth before she could pull them back in. She had turned to face the newcomer, smiling, yet glaring at Nor'baal ferociously. Acelyn had regret what she said immediately after saying it, though it was too late to pull the words back in now- she had already said them.

 

[Nor'baal]

Hearing the scolding questioning words, Nor'baals face broke into a horrified scowl, his mouth hung aghast. He faced the speaker - and young echani female - and said in an over-dramatised voice.

<Why my voluptuous ma'am, when one was a warrior of my veracity and tantamount skill, the culling of inferiors is simple. I took them down with controlled shots from my rifle, before finishing the rest with a charge and a few quick swings of a force pike.> he finished his half true sentence, for indeed he had killed a few of them with a rifle, and he had charged, laying about with a pike, it was not his place to say he had charged alongside 100 of his guards at the time - but details often took the fun from the facts....

 

[Just Matt Now]

The Hutt understood this, and it would have been true had she been a majodormo to any other Hutt or even a Con Lorda, but the Grand Lorda himself, she was more that a simply majodormo, and she had to know it. Borga awaited the next bout, seeing it was none of his fighters, he looked back towards Acelyn.

"In most cases you are correct. Though you are much more than you think...Your words carry weight with me, even more so than those you might think should. Vero chose you for his closest confidant for a reason. You are smart, you are wise, and you are certainly capable of running his kajidic when he is not around. And all of these things contribute to why you are so important. One of these days I would like you to meet Wor Niedra, he is the majodormo of my estate and I am sure you have more in common with him than I. But he is more than that, he is my closest friend. When I was in Galactic prison on Coruscant, Wor held my estate in order and even made it grow larger. When I was released, he relinquished all the power back into my hands. If Vero trusts you with such power, than you my dear, are more important than you might think."

And his story was true. Wor had been by his side through thick and thin, even before he became a prisoner. And throughout it all, they had remained close friends and trusted eachother with their lives. This feeling was mutual, and even the grand Hutt would leave his entire estate in the Chevins hands in case he perished.