By Alison and Shelonei
All the girls visably stiffned, the two human girls
moving to stand by the Mon Cal's side. "Yeah, well... What's it to you?"
the Falleen girl was suddenly wary.
"Just commenting," Wes stated, taking in the
girl's reactions. "I heard about it on the news and even I was kinda freaked
out going out with my friend tonight."
"Well, we dont have nothin to be afraid of from no
mass murderer," the Bothan purred.
"I guess not. Safety does come in numbers."
He laughed and took a swig from his beer.
"Something like that," the Mon Cal spoke for the first
time, a small quiet voice from behind the two human girls.
Wes blinked and smiled softly. "She talks.
I was afraid you were saving your voice for karaokie later."
She ducked her head again, nervously. "No... just
nothing to say."
Wes smiled softly. "It's ok. I don't force
people to talk with me. Usually i do enough talking for the whole bar once
I've had enough to drink."
At that, all the girls laughed softly.
Hobbie decided that now would be a good time to join
Wes, being quiet wasn't something he'd have to give up. So he walked over
and joined them. Nodding to the girls with a smile.
"oh, girls, this is my best bud, Hobbie.
Hobbie, these young ladies are the next rising stars in the entertainment
world."
"That so," he nodded with a slight smile. "Pleased
to be meeting you ladies."
The bothan quickly latched onto his arm in stead.
"Pleased to meet YOU..."
"I figured I'd give Garik a call and see if
he could help these ladies out with getting into the business," wes stated.
"Sounds like a good idea, I'm sure Face'll know someone
for them to see."
The human sisters blinked. "Garik?" asked one. "Face?"
asked the other. Then in unison, "YOU MEAN FACE LORAN!?!?"
Wes sighed and looked at Hobbie. "Face is
so going to kill us now..."
"Uh... no he won't - he likes women falling all over
him."
All at once the human girls, the bothan girl, and
the Falleen girl spoke over eachother - nothing they said was decernable,
but they were all very excited sounding.
The Mon Cal, Kallee, quietly stepped back and began
slipping away.
Wes looked at Hobbie with the *you want to
follow her or me?* look
As an answer, Hobbie gave hiim the *you deal with
these, I'll deal with her* look.
He caught up with her as she wlked outside, and noted
as she crossed the way, that her skirt was torn slightly... matching the
piece he'd picked up.
He sprinted to catch up with her. "A moment?" he
asked putting a hand on her shoulder.
She stiffened and turned fearfully, looking up at
him with her large aquatic eyes.
Hobbie smiled disarmingly, softly, and held out the
piece of Kaoru silk he'd picked up in the alley earlier. "I believe this
is yourse?"
Her eyes widened, if it was posisble, and she looked
down to inspect the hem of her expensive dress. Sure enough a piece was
missing near the back,
within a fold so it hadn't been noticed. "Th... thank
you," she said nervously as she took it from him.
He stepped back slightly, noting her discomfourt.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. But... I was wondering if I could ask
you some questions?"
"Questions?"
He nodded. "I found that in this alleyway.. along
with signs of a scuffle.... some men were killed there earlier today."
"I... I don't know what you're talking about..."
"Relax, I"m not saying you did anything to them...
But the murderer known as the Masked Vigilante is suspected to have. My
friend seems
to think that he's a good guy fighting outside the
law. I don't know what to think. Maybe you could tell me what to think?"
"I... I can't."
"Why can't you?"
"I promised," she closed her mouth in the Mon Calamari
approximation of biting her lower lip.
"Were those killed trying to hurt you?"
He saw her look away, and continued. "Did the killer
save you from them?"
"Please, I... I can't say anything!" She turned and
ran across into the apartment complex.
And Hobbie... had his answers. He went back to the
door of the bar and motiioned for Wes.
Wes saw Hobbie and nodded. "Well, Ladies,
if you would excuse me please, I have to get going." He pulled out a flimsy
and wrote his com number on it. "I'll talk to Garik in the morning and
you call me tomorrow night, ok?"
"Sure thing!" The Falleen kissed him and then smacked
his rear as he left.
The other girls giggling behind them
Wes blinked and jumped a bit, rubbing his
rear with a cautious smile on his face. He waved and awlked to Hobbie.
"So?"
"He's playing Dark Knight... or at least he was in
this case," Hobbie shook his head and started walking.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, she didn't say anything, but from what I gathered
she was assaulted and he saved her life, among other things." Hobbie shoved
his hands in his pockets as he walked, Wes trailing along with him.
Wes just smiled smuggly.
"Hey, just because he helped that girl out doesn't
mean that's ALL he's doing."
"Next stop?"
"Another few blocks over and one level down.
"Ok... let me make a note to call Face about
those girls... " he pulled out his datapad and typed as they walked along.
Just then, they heard a scream somewhere a level beneath
them. Hobbie broke out into a run.
Wes' ears
perked up. His hand went for his blaster and he took off running.
They ran to a turbolift and waited impatiently to
get down, then at the sound of another scream, took off running in that
direction.
Ahead of them, at a Human was running from an alleyway
- but stopped suddenly in an invisible grip. Shards of lightning ripped
through the space between
Wes skidded to a halt, grabbing Hobbie's collar
to stop him as well.
the mouth of the alley and the man's body, then the
body was pulled invisibly back into the alleway with a sickening thud. The
hum of a lightsabre could be heard throughout the sound of screams. And
then... there was nothing.
Hobbie watched in silence, his eyes wide. He looked
at Wes.
He held a finger to his lip and pressed his
body against the alley, then jumped around, his blaster drawn.
a man, cloaked in black with a small bag slung over
his shoulder and cape, wearing a black mask with red and silver sigils
appeared from the alleyway,
jogged across the road without looking in either
direction, and dropped from the walkway.
Wes followed. "I'm on him, Hobbie. Check
out the victims!"
Hobbie turned into the Alleyway and saw a large swath
of cut up bodies littering the ground. Huddled against the back wall were
two children, a little boy and girl, not more than ten or twelve years of
age. They were crying....
He went up to them, cautiously, and knelt beside them
to speak to them softly. "Are you alright?"
The older one, a little boy, nodded and sniffled.
"The jedi man saved us," he told Hobbie.
"Saved you?"
The children both nodded, "From the bad guys," the
little girl said. "They were gonna hurt us," her eyes were wide with fear.
"Do you live around here?"
THey both nodded, and took Hobbie's hands. "We'll
show you where. Can you take us home?"
Hobbie nodded with a sad smile, and they were on their
wya.
"stop!' Wes shouted at kyp as he vaulted over
the walkway. He landed and rolled over his shoulder before continuing on
after the running Jedi.
Kyp just ran faster, dodging through startled pedestrians.
Wes just picked up the pace. *of all the
weapons to forget, why did I forget the tranq gun!*
Kyp, the Masked Vigilante, ducked down behind a group
of pedestrians... then reappeared, maskless, his cape gone as well, only
wearing a small satchel
over his shoulder, walking as though nothing was wrong.
Disappearing as a simple denizen of the lower levels.
*OnlineHost*:
AlisonSky21 rolled 2 10-sided dice: 7 9
Wes stopped in the center of the street and
focused his vision, looking for the masked man.
*OnlineHost*:
AlisonSky21 rolled 2 10-sided dice: 9 1
Kyp stopped at the edge of one alleyway, leaning his
back agasint it, closing his eyes as he searched through the Force to see
if there were any more d
isturbances that would need him. He searched for
others' safety, fo rpeople to kill.... a sadistic smile blossomedon his
face.
Wes kept walking, then stopped suddenly.
He didn't see a masked man, but something even more familiar. He walked
to the alley. "Evening Kiddo."
Kyp's eyes snaped open, then narrowed into a glare
at Wes. "Go away."
"you realize that two thirds of the NRI are
hunting for you right about now."
"That doesn't matter to me."
"It should. You would disappoint a lot of
people, even if you are being a vigillante."
"I'm not trying to gain approval," his eyes had that
killer's look. "Not yourse, not the New Republic, not anybodies."
His voice lowered to a menacing level. "I suggest
you turn around and leave, I will only warn you once. Stay away."
"What would Siee say?" he asked simply.
His glare darkened, "She won't ever know. Now LEAVE."
he pointed to the alleymouth. "Before I do something you'll regret."
"My sister is Intel, Kyp. She WILL find out."
"If she's lucky, it won't be until it's too late."
He lifted a hand and Wes was pinned to the opposite wall. "Now, will you
leave of your own will, or will I have to toss you away like a bit of
chaff?"
"You do anything to hurt her, kyp, and I will
have your head on a platter faster then you could bring the Force around
yourself to stop me." Wes narrowed his eyes. He sensed the act Kyp was
trying to pull, but at the same time the
pressure of the Force showed Wes how serious
Kyp was. *What are you doing, Durron?* he thought aloud.
Kyp's voice rang in his mind as he was tossed out
of the alleyway. ~Saving your sister's life.~ Then Kyp ran out of the
alleyway, and disappeared.
Wes flew
a good ten feet to the other end of the alley and hit the wall. Shaken
and out of breath, Wes just lay there, hearing Kyps' words in his head.
*What does Siee have to do with this?* he mind screamed.
Hobbie thumbed on his comlink and dialed in Wes' Frequency.
Wes turned onto his back and reached into
his pocket. "Janson," he groaned.
C> What the sith happened?
C> you sound terrible.
C> Lte's just say I'm not meant to be an
acrobat
C> Can you get back to your apartment, or do you
want me to come get you?
C> I can make it... I just want to whine.
C> well, whine your way back to the apartment,
I s hould get there about the same time as you.
C> Yes general sir.
C> It's Colonel, Colonel. -=there was a chuckle
in hobbie's voice=-
C> General... colonel... ensign... whatever.
Wes stood up and held onto the wall, breathing
deeply.
C> Seem's we're all over the rank charts today.
You sure you don't want me to come help you?
C>Nah,
I'm fine. Just get some take out on your way back. I'm starving.
C> -=chuckle=- Will do.
-=click=
Wes pocketed his comlink, then retrieved his
blaster and datapad form the other end of the alley. "Why couldn't I get
the force talent and do stuff like that. Would save me a lot of broken
hands."
