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last online Apr 9, 2021 13:59:41 GMT -5
Padawan
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Apr 29, 2012 1:22:07 GMT -5
Post by Vako on Apr 29, 2012 1:22:07 GMT -5
Vako began to cackle as he heard exactly what he was expecting. He could see from the look on Horst’s face, and the sound of his voice that he wasn’t remotely as amused at his passed as Vako was. But really Vako didn’t care about that even a little bit. What mattered to him was that it was funny, and none of the rest meant anything. But he really heard exactly what he was thinking, and he acknowledged his own abilities to assess the person in front of him.
He took a short sip from his container. It was coming down to the last quarter. It had still been fairly large, but he didn’t drink terribly fast. This aloud him to hold it for a very long time while others poured through liquor like it was nothing. But Vako was as sober as one could be, so that still gave him the advantage few there had. ”No no no no.” Vako said holding up his central digit and waving it by his head. ”You don’t give a damn about any that.” Vako shook his head.
His point was simple, and it hadn’t taken long to prove it, but Horst said it all in that instant. Apparently all it had taken was Vako pissing him off a bit, something he rarely had any trouble doing. ”There are you people in every corner of the galaxy. From the depths of Coruscant to the deserts of Tatooine. And I’m willing to bet, it wouldn’t be terribly difficult to… change your appearance, not like myself.” Vako gestured towards the tattoo that was on his face.
He took a breathe in and set his drink down on the bar, and then began to gesture with both hands, flapping his wings a bit harder as he was put into a slight state of excitement by his revelation. ”So it wouldn’t be difficult to look different, then all you’d have to do, is say… not attract… any… attention. Something far easier then most, like you, admit. Find one of these places that satisfies you... don’t tell any of your friends where you’re going…. He placed his right center digit on his chin. ”Though looking at you I doubt you have many… or any…” Vako gritted his teeth and took in a breathe. ”Then you sell everything you’ve got, and you get a transport to this place, you settle down in a nice little part of a town, change your name… and… that’s it” Vako finished with a smile and his hands out flat like he presented something.
He stretched his back a moment then turned his blaster rifle down to adjust the weight since it bothered him again. ”You don’t care about just living, if you did…. Well you don’t” Vako corrected. ”If you did, you wouldn’t be in large room, filled with a lot of people, who would like to turn you in for cash… some of which probably recognize you.” Vako then started moving his sword and got it to a place where it was nicely.
”No, what you want, is to prove you can take the heat.” Vako explained. ”You want the galaxy to know that you want to make things as hard for you as you possibly can, and prove that it doesn’t hurt.” Vako raised the skin where eyebrows would be, which was emphasized by the white tattoo jumping slightly. ”If you weren’t… why would you be here?” Vako reached over with his left hand grabbed a bit of food. ”If you weren’t… why would telling me that you can handle yourself?”
Vako put his smile back on his face, and popped the bit of meat in his mouth. ”And the fact that I believe you can, is the main reason why I haven’t tried to shoot you yet.” Vako pointed out. He had almost no interest in getting into a shoot out, especially not with some middle aged former soldier who believed that they had their back against the wall. Vako was very serious about the rest of it, but really he had no plan on trying to take the man to his Mister F and see if he could haggle for a price.
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Fromikeable
Keeper Of The Techxts
1,616 posts
628 likes
...and I'm comin'! *guitar riff*
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last online Jun 22, 2023 19:35:57 GMT -5
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Apr 29, 2012 13:14:12 GMT -5
Post by Fromikeable on Apr 29, 2012 13:14:12 GMT -5
Horst could do nothing but scowl as Vako, word for word, read him like an open book.
The question was old: Horst had asked himself over and over again why he was running and why he didn't try to stop. He asked himself why he was constantly braced against the galaxy's fangs, taking unnecessary hits and dishing out unnecessary blows. On the whole, he simply asked himself "Why?"
The answer was new, and to be honest, shocking: Horst had been shoved around in his life by everything from his parents' death to his parents' debts. Everything he had done in his existence he had done because something had made him.
Have I really just been trying to get some control all this time? Horst's look softened for a moment. What if this snarky Toydarian was right? What if he was just a pathetic straggler trying to stop the inevitable?
... then again, I'm listening to Vako. Horst immediately dismissed the thought. Of all the mind-readers in the galaxy, he wasn't about to consider the rambling mocks of a some trigger-happy, mercenary with a soft spot for ugly body art. Maybe if it had been some Jedi (provided Horst had let them get close enough to him) or some psychologist or even just someone he trusted, Horst would take the words into consideration. But this Toydarian was none of these things; he was just some nut at a Hutt party getting his kicks from screwing with drunks.
Speaking of drunk... Horst burped as Vako noted his faith in the smuggler's claim of self-sufficency. The smuggler nodded, half caring and half wondering if it was time to leave. The night had grown old, and Vako's taunts and conversation were both becoming stale. Horst hadn't found any work, and hanging around waiting for someone to recognize him didn't sound appealing.
Still... despite the taunts, Horst at least felt some comfort in knowing Vako wasn't about to cuff him. It was probably the scantest comfort he could think of, but it was still something.
"You know something Vako? You really talk a bit much for for a merc," Horst responded, adopting an apathetic tone. "I suppose..."
Horst stopped cold. Words somehow seemed less important when you could feel a blaster wedged in the small of your back. The smuggler twisted his head slightly, looking to his rear. Sure enough, there was the Zabrak.
"... I suppose this lady can be really quiet."
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last online Apr 9, 2021 13:59:41 GMT -5
Padawan
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Apr 29, 2012 17:59:57 GMT -5
Post by Vako on Apr 29, 2012 17:59:57 GMT -5
He was dismissing it, and Vako knew it as he’d said it. There was little reason that a person that didn’t know him would have to listen to him, and that also went for those that did know him. But as far as Vako could tell, what he was saying was the truth. And he took that Horst was seemingly embittered by what Vako was saying as evidence that he was right. Vako could never prove that what he had said was true, and he wasn’t going to go out of his way to try. It didn’t matter to him. This would likely go down as just another person he’d met in the universe and then never saw again.
Before Vako could respond to the first sentence that Horst said, his eyes moved over to his left for a moment. He saw something that was about to happen, and knew it would probably be fairly important. He was lucky that he was catching it earlier, and not falling victim to surprising circumstances. Instead Vako had been fortunate enough to be looking in the right direction, right as the Zabrak woman from earlier came walking up.
And suddenly Vako had a choice to make, and he had less then a second to make it. Either bring his weapons to bare and force her to stop, or do nothing. If he brought his weapon up, he’d be getting into a bit of trouble in defending the enemy of many. And that would likely wind up with this Zabrak having friends, and him getting shot. This didn’t seem like something Vako was very interested in. But he was interested in seeing this Horst fall into even more interesting circumstances. He still didn’t exactly want Horst to come out on the losing end, but Vako thought it might be better over all for him to get to the end of his troubles, and either come out with a deal, or come out dead.
So when the Zabrak put the blaster at Horst’s back, all Vako could do was smile and cackle. ”Hahaha, uh oh.” Vako said with an air of superiority. ”Looks like the horn head Vako started, giving a derogatory term for the Zabrak woman. ”… caught your Horst.”
Vako set down his container on the bar. He wasn’t exactly feeling up for taking another sip, as the situation suddenly became very high stressed. What he did do was place his left hand at his mouth and tap on his chin. ”Watcha ya gonna do?” As he did that he reached with his hand behind his back to scratch. What he was really doing was lowering his shoulder a bit, which caused his blaster rifle’s barrel to move level. As he “scratched”, his hand also moved close to the weapons trigger. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen, and he hadn’t yet chosen a side for this, but he thought it best to have his weapon ready just in case.
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Fromikeable
Keeper Of The Techxts
1,616 posts
628 likes
...and I'm comin'! *guitar riff*
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last online Jun 22, 2023 19:35:57 GMT -5
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Apr 29, 2012 20:57:02 GMT -5
Post by Fromikeable on Apr 29, 2012 20:57:02 GMT -5
Horst's mind raced as he recalled his training. Giog's training had covered just about every situation imaginable on and off the battlefield, and that included being a gunpoint from behind in the middle of a crowded area.
"What am I gonna' do?" Horst chuckled, leaning to his left slightly so as to sit at an angle toward the crowd. "Why I believe I might jus-"
The smuggler swiveled around on his stool clockwise, grabbing the blaster with his right hand as he did so. As his body turned out of the weapon's line of fire, it went off, screaming off in Vako's direction. Horst considered it little; it hadn't hit him, and for now that was all he needed. The smuggler tightened his grip on the Zabrak's gun arm as he grabbed her other one as well. In a flash, they were in a deadlock.
For a second, Horst and the Zabrak attempted to out-do each other's strength. Horst took a moment to study his attacker; she had a fair face, a facial scar, and wore typical bounty hunter gear. His study was ended as he used both his size and strength to overcome the woman, slamming her into the ground, making her drop her gun. As she struggled, Horst snarled. The conflict came to an abrupt end with a solid punch to her face, rendering her quite unconscious.
Horst huffed as he rose from on top of his combatant, leaning on his knees to do so. As he rose, he gazed on his attacker one last time, shaking his head as he did so. The crowd around him looked at him strangely, waiting to see if the fight would escalate to them. Horst just shrugged them off and muttered to no one in particular, "She's had one too many." The crowd lost interest quickly and returned to their former business.
Horst dusted his sleeves as he picked up his stool and sat upon it once more (it had fallen in the scuffle). He again checked on his bounty hunter, who had began to bleed from both nostrils. Horst gave one last sigh, and then shifted his attention back to Vako, who seemed a bit more tense thanks to the encounter.
Horst also noticed a small smoke puff arising from the counter. It seemed the rogue blaster bolt had found its way to Vako's meal, where the drink lay splattered about the counter and the meat charred and deformed. Horst couldn't help but smirk a little. "Sorry about that."
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last online Apr 9, 2021 13:59:41 GMT -5
Padawan
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May 3, 2012 14:32:39 GMT -5
Post by Vako on May 3, 2012 14:32:39 GMT -5
The movements were quick. They were so quick that it caused Vako to get a bit of fear for if it moved towards him. The moment Horst turned around Vako brought the blaster rifle forward. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he didn't want to be caught off guard by them at all. His wings flapped a little harder and he raised his altitude several feet, and drifted back slightly. It wasn't a moment too soon, as the bolt fired from the blaster streaked across the area he'd been and struck the bar top. Even though it likely wouldn't have hit Vako, it was still close.
"Se'so l'ata." he spat as he the shot moved out. No one really payed any attention to him, they were caught up with the commotion on the floor, as Horst struck the zabrak across the face.
Vako couldn't help but laugh when he did it. He knew that the Republic was all about doing what was right, and somehow Vako felt like tenderizing the face of a woman you've subdued didn't quite fit that. Vako loved the idea of people showing that they were no better then the people the demonized. Regardless of whether or not Horst was a member of the Republic defensive organizations, but he had been at one point. So it was good enough for him.
Lowering his altitude Vako came down just before Horst got up. He still kept his blaster rifle in hand, but only held it with his right. He looked over at the food when Horst pointed it out. "Better it then me." Vako replied. He looked back over at Horst. "Happen often?" he said pointing then down at the woman.
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Fromikeable
Keeper Of The Techxts
1,616 posts
628 likes
...and I'm comin'! *guitar riff*
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last online Jun 22, 2023 19:35:57 GMT -5
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May 4, 2012 23:20:58 GMT -5
Post by Fromikeable on May 4, 2012 23:20:58 GMT -5
"More often than I'd like," Horst responded. Vako actually seemed a bit tense after the scuffle, and the idea of Toydarian actually expressing concern over anything became funnier and funnier as the night wore on. As such, Horst smiled; you could always count on threat of death to get people's hearts pumping a bit faster.
The smuggler then rubbed his spine. Thanks to his usual workout the previous morning, the smuggler's muscles had performed pretty well, but even still, considering how many times that night they had stressed and relaxed, they were becoming quite sore. Horst did his best to massage them a little, but never the less the only cure was rest.
Horst then noticed Vako was smiling, almost amusing himself with some thought... again. Horst sighed; he was half afraid to ask, and half too tired. But his curious nature, being both his curse and his blessing, carried the question into and out of his mouth.
"I take it something else amuses you?"
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last online Apr 9, 2021 13:59:41 GMT -5
Padawan
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May 5, 2012 23:48:50 GMT -5
Post by Vako on May 5, 2012 23:48:50 GMT -5
Vako shrugged. "What's to amuse?" he replied to the question. For the people in general there wasn't much to laugh about, but Vako's bitter sense of humor was an easy thing to satisfy. At the moment he found it funny that the man had tenderized a woman's face, knowing how in favor of gender equality the Republic was. But perhaps that simply applied to the fact that he had the right to beat her down.
"I wouldn't be the most suggestive of staying too much longer." Vako cackled out. "It's the fact that you weren't killed that I'd be worried about." Vako pointed out. He looked over the crowd, his blaster rifle still in hand. "Someone out there saw what happened.... and I wouldn't doubt they'd think they'll succeed where this horn head didn't."
He remained hovering and moved the broken pieces of plate and container around with the barrel of his weapon. Scooting it around a moment, he pushed some of it off to the other side of the bar. Someone would clean it up, but it wasn't going to be him.
Vako tilted his head. "You think it might be decent idea not to leave her here?" His mind was working in the way that his usually did, and he had a good history of picking up on opportunities. "She might be able to answer a question or two... or at least have something of value hidden wherever she came from." Vako pointed out. Though he didn't really care about money, he knew everyone had a value. At the very least, he could sell her to slavery. It seemed a fair trade, but he could tell this Republic runaway wasn't very in favor of such things.
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Fromikeable
Keeper Of The Techxts
1,616 posts
628 likes
...and I'm comin'! *guitar riff*
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last online Jun 22, 2023 19:35:57 GMT -5
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May 6, 2012 20:28:52 GMT -5
Post by Fromikeable on May 6, 2012 20:28:52 GMT -5
Horst seriously considered what Vako said this time. He knew the Toydarian was right; flick one hornet, and soon the rest of the hive will appear.
"I suppose it's time to turn in anyway," the smuggler claimed, scratching his chin. He looked again at his attacker, considering what to do. It would be rather impossible to take her with him; he couldn't keep her on the docked Night Watch with the docking authority around. They might be on Hutt payroll, but even still, he'd rather not have to explain and his risk getting shot at again (even security guards around here could use a quick buck).
Horst stood up from his stool and stretched his spine, it still being a tad sore. "It's been interesting Vako," he began, placing his hands on sides. The merc was right on another count, however. Horst shuffled over to the downed Zabrak again and knelt down. Pocket by pocket, he slowly began to sort through her belongings, searching for anything of use.
As he searched, he continued talking. "I can honestly say," some lint, "that you've made an otherwise," a couple hundred credits, "boring and uneventful night," a couple of energy packs for the blaster, "rather unique. AHA!" Horst stood up clutching his prize with a grin. In her rear pockett, the smuggler had retrieved her personal communicator. If there was anything of use to find, it'd be there.
"Still, could I treat you to one more drink for the road?" Horst held up the Zabrak's credits. He wasn't above buying a few drinks at the expense of a would-be assassin. Besides that, he meant what he said; Vako had made things interesting, and in a world where most other things were dull, that meant something.
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last online Apr 9, 2021 13:59:41 GMT -5
Padawan
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May 8, 2012 15:14:10 GMT -5
Post by Vako on May 8, 2012 15:14:10 GMT -5
Vako wasn't sure whether it was his prompting that had caused Horst to want to dig through the Zabrak's pockets. All he knew was that was he was doing, and Vako gave himself credit in his own mind. He didn't care at all about taking anything off her himself, he had everything he needed and wanted. But the man was looking for his own profit, which was funny enough to Vako.
"I feel I should take it upon myself to decline said offer." Vako said in his scratchy tone. He wasn't sure if there was anyone else out there that would cause a problem, but he wasn't blind to what the whole thing looked like. A passerby would assume that Vako brought his blaster rifle on the woman, and was a friend of Horst. This was not trouble he needed to deal with.
He wasn't terribly afraid of any fall out, but he did want to push Horst further towards his future. He didn't know what would happen, but he liked the idea of forcing him to start dealing with the long list of problems. That was the just the sort of person Vako was, and it was simple things like that he enjoyed.
"But it has been interesting none the less." Vako admitted, and then he flapped his wings a bit harder. He checked to make sure his sword and equipment was all together. "Good luck in your future endeavors, Horst. Ja'zato Na." Vako finished, dismissing himself. He flapped his wings harder, and moved off over the crowd heading towards the other side of the room.
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