Play Testers Wanted Pt. 10

"You think it is the same female?" Aoki asked.

"Only one way to find out." I said.

"My next gig is on Malastare," Wen declared. "I was going to hire a ship. Want to earn a few extra credits?"

I looked at the others and let them vote. They were okay with it. We washed off the funk, dried off, and returned to body armor and weapons. We were still on Nar Shadaa after all. We went to the space port and twenty minutes later a large speeder barge showed up and behind it the three swoop bikes that Wen alternated between. We placed the bikes in the hold of the Ivory Wraith and headed off to Malastare. Kyanna was soon in the pilot's compartment and negotiating departure fees. It wasn't called the Smuggler's Moon for nothing. Thirty minutes later we were leaving Nar Shadaa airspace on our way to Malastare.

Our private stock of booze was flowing, and I had to explain the vindictive wrath that I unleashed upon the three Sith. Wen hadn't been there, and I looked to see if anyone had posted a video of it, they had. Aoki strikes again. It had also gone viral. I was a popular search criterion it seemed. Wen leaned forward and watched the Sith burst into flames and scratched her head.

"How the hell did you do that?" She asked. "I didn't see you use the Force. No gestures... nothing."

"I didn't use the Force." I said and wound the video back to the smoke grenades. I paused it and then started it again and paused it when it showed me shooting the ceiling. The water fell and whoosh, up went the Sith. "See?"

"The smoke," she said the wheels slowly turning. "The water and the smoke combined somehow and wow. That is all kinds of fucked up." She admitted. "Where did you buy those smoke grenades?"

"I didn't. I made them." I said and she was floored a second time. "I have others and they do other things. Different situations need different fireworks."

We researched the planet we were headed for so that we had a basic idea what we were dealing with. It was the home of the sentient species known as Dugs. They were known for walking on their hands and using their feet to manipulate tools. Malastare was also widely known, even at this point in history, for pod racing. Lastly, and most importantly, their main export was starship fuel. That made Malastare a key political, military, and strategic target. Is that why the Sith had taken refuge there?

"Malastare." Kyanna called out. "There is a definite Republic presence here protecting their fuel source."

"Take us in, please." I said and Kyanna gave me a curious look. "Let's take in a pod race and see what we can find out. Whisper, you stick close to me. I'm going to need backup I think." I said feeling a sense of foreboding.

"Here, take this, I've made some modifications... mostly artistic," Whisper said handing me the new lightsaber. The casing was made of a rare wood from Kashyyyk, the Wookie's home world. The tribal markings she had carved were still there, but they were smaller and the design more intricate. I could feel the love and attention that went into it. Had Kat been running Whisper at some point? Had she done this? I believed so. She was safe. Somehow, I knew she was safe. Of course, she is safe why wouldn't she be?

"Thank you, it is gorgeous." I said and then got serious. "This is just an information gathering mission. I hope. Everyone have their scanner?" I asked and they held up their right hands. They sported fingerless gloves with the small built in device that was programmed to pick up known chemicals. "Good. Let's have fun."

"We shouldn't have to use these," Aoki grumbled.

"It is like having a condom," Kyanna explained. "I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have one."

"You stole that!" Aoki laughed. "I get it. Let's go."

Malastare before its industrialization was much like the pristine woodland of North America. Because of its axial tilt and strange orbit, it had long sunrises and sunsets compared to a planet its size. Twilight hung in the air as we exited the Ivory Wraith. I set its stealth features and we headed for the racecourse. The world of Malastare while home to the Dugs also had a large population of humans and Gran. The Gran had a goat like appearance and stood out for the three eye stalks that protruded from their faces giving them a striking look. The city of Pixelito had the same feel as Las Vegas. It had an exciting night life and the holo screens were dominated with images of pod racing, news about the growing conflict originating in the outer rim, and local politics.

The sense of haunting familiarity followed me around wherever we went. I informed Whisper to keep an eye on the group while I scouted around. I ducked down an alley, activated Force cloak and vanished from sight. I leapt up to the roof with ease and waited. The figure crept to the mouth of the alley and peered down its empty length.

"Shit!" He cursed. "She's going to kill me!" The male human slunk down the alley expertly. He searched any hiding spots and patiently hunted for me. A second human joined him from the other end of the alley.

"Well?" The newcomer asked.

"She ducked in here and poof... gone." He said real panic in his voice. "She is going to kill me."

"Maybe, we knew the risks. Have you checked the roof?" The other suggested.

"Roof? Why the fuck would I do that?" The first hunter asked.

"She is going to kill you. You are an idiot!" The other said and produced a handheld holoprojector. "Watch." He directed as he played footage of my leap during the conflict on Tattooine. "She's a fucking Cathar. My guess is that she jumped up to the roof and is long gone."

"Or is watching us right now," the hunter said and they both looked up in my general direction.

"Stun." I whispered and set my four drones on capture mode. Multiple blasts of blue energy struck the pair dropping them to the ground. "Good job boys." I leapt down and examined them. At first, I thought they had been accidently killed because they were cold to the touch. "No way." I gasped as I made my realization. I pushed back one of their lips to be sure. "Vampires. It is Her!" I placed a tracker on each of them and left them in the alley. I caught up with the crew and told them who are target was.

"Undead Sith," Aoki gasped in surprise. "How the hell did that happen?"

"Surely you've heard the legend of Darth Nocturnal," Kyanna whispered as she told the legend like any good ghost story. "Twenty thousand years ago he arrived out of the Unknown Regions. His massive warship, the Pride of Korriban, backed up by an entire fleet wreaked havoc upon the galaxy. This was just after the death of Xim the Despot." She said and I smiled remembering making love to Xim and how she had cheated death. "He harassed the Hutts and the Galactic Republic alike. The strange thing is that he had enough raw firepower to conquer the galaxy, but he didn't."

"So, he had a big ship," Aoki said dismissively.

"It wasn't just that. He had achieved physical immortality. He had wandered the fringes of the galaxy and found something lurking out there. Something that changed him forever and made him into a vampire." Kyanna purred. "He just left and faded from history. Don't you see? This Sith has found Darth Nocturnal. She has achieved the same thing!" Kyanna stated her eyes glittering and her first step towards the Dark Side clear to those who knew what to look for.

"No wonder the Sith chose Malastare to hold up in," I said. "So bleak and dark, the perfect hunting ground for their kind."

"Some say Nocturnal was hunted down and slain," Whisper added. "Nov Ghenlis was the light side user that had done it."

I checked my mask and the two trackers I had placed peeled off in two directions. One was closing in on us while the other headed off outside the city. I smiled behind my mask. I sent the tracker droid to keep track of the second transponder. We agreed that since we were so close to one of the many tracks, we'd take in a pod race. We filed in line with the others to one of the exterior entertainment units. It had plenty of view screens, drink dispensers, and pleasant company in the shape of handsome males and females. We were followed in by one of the Sith's henchman. He seemed content to just keep eyes on us for now.

'Private Message: Would you like to accept it?'

Curiosity peaked I agreed. Sure.

'I need your help. Watch the monitors closely. I know this is off the cuff, but I need you to get as much attention as possible.' The note was unsigned and yet somehow, I knew it from Kat. I felt a sudden sense of dizziness and a quick succession of images and sounds hit and staggered me. I staggered but Whisper caught me. I stood up and after a few cleansing breaths I felt better. 'What the hell was that? Once again, my left hand tingled and I found myself flexing those fingers.

I looked up at one of the display screens and a live band was assembling and if the Arabesh scrawl beneath was true today was Jannah the Hutt's birthday. The banner informed the crowd that there would be a short delay. I spied a figure stumble during the playback. I wondered if he was a member of the band and if that was why there was a delay. Was this my opening? A crazy idea took hold and I decided to follow my instincts.

"Hey, let's go meet the band," I suggested, and the others agreed it was worth the effort.

We slipped free of the crowd and I guided them through the ever-shifting mass of pressing sentients. We could hear the rumbles of an unhappy audience. We hurried and slid through the pissed off folks and managed to reach the rear portion of the stage. The entrance was heavily guarded, but I went up and tested my ability to use Kaia Jutsu in this form.

"Were with the band," I said smoothly.

"Good," the leader of the security force replied. "Xafos Diem is dead."

We were taken to the corpse and we all noted his odd orange complexion. Whisper informed us that it was a clear sign of an overdose of death sticks. The narcotic left the body with that strange hue and an unpleasant smell as well. The other members of the band were nearby, and they looked heart sick. I understood their pain. A gig like this could make or break a group. I stood after examining the body and spoke with the band. They were a diverse lot and I recognized the look of desperation in their eyes.

"I want to help." I said using Kaia Jutsu to smooth things quickly and see what I could do.

"Help... how?" Soma Tarrith, the Togrutan lead singer asked as I laid out my plan even as it formed in my head. "Not bad."

"Singer?" I asked after hearing her speak. "What's your range like?" I asked and she belted out a dozen or so notes. "Impressive. Let's do this. Can you read music, any of you?" I asked and that is when I learned that Xafos had cobbled together a band from classically trained vocalists and musicians. The one thing they had in common was bad luck. "It is time to turn that luck around."

I investigated my inventory to see what would pass as an outfit deserving an onstage performance. I pulled from the alternative costumes as I had when I pole danced. I looked at what the Togrutan was wearing and mixed and matched until I had something in the same vein. Once that hurdle was tackled, I looked at their musical instruments. I picked out the only stringed instrument that might pass for a guitar. I cradled it in my arm and the Ithorian waved at me disapprovingly.

"It isn't held like that!" He growled. "No! You don't pluck the strings like that! Ugh! What's the use?" He lumbered off as I tuned the strings to my liking.

"It'll work." I declared. "Enjoy the show." I said and told the band to take the stage. I had given them a list of eight songs, their order, and the music and lyrics. While they did a quick look, I prepared for my entrance.

The announcer called for silence and did his thing. He informed those watching not just here but off world and via holonet. They wished the Hutt a happy birthday and to celebrate it properly a live band. The last words filled the air.

"We give you... Event Horizon!!"

The first notes of the song drifted over the crowd and I drew on Thunder-Pulse's gift and I used it to max effect. The brilliant bolt of lightning struck the stage as I teleported into view. I belted out the first line of the first song, Iron Maiden's 'The Fallen Angel'.

"Azazel is beside you and he's playing the game..." The audience went crazy. I looked up to the main box where the Hutts lounged and the elderly slug creature smiled. The first song ended, and the band was surrounded by news drones. They were piping our performance to a hundred worlds on both sides of the growing conflict between the Old Republic and the one-time Jedi Exar Kun. The last notes settled, and it was time to up the attention factor the only way I knew how.

"This one is for a naughty Sith Lord out there. Are you listening Exar Kun?" I barked out the words feeling the utter panic in the rest of the band. They were professionals and continued playing no matter what. And so, it went until the last notes of the last song echoed into silence. The crowd cheered us off stage and the Togrutan was waiting with a blaster pointed at my heart.

"Exar Kun! Really! Have you lost your mind?!" She snapped. "What were you trying to do?"

"Attention," I said. "You are now one of the most notorious bands in the entire galaxy." I fired back and she lowered her weapon. "No one will ever forget this performance. Trust me."

"You are right," she admitted. "Where are you going?"

"I have a Sith Lord to either kill or capture." I admitted. "She is hiding off in the foothills just outside the city."

"Wait," the Ithorian exclaimed. "You are a bounty hunter. You play and sing that well and you stoop to hunting sentients."

"Yep. Though, it was nice being on stage again." I admitted. "Time to draw the heat off you guys. Tell them the truth. I lied to get onstage. Take any gig that makes you a fortune."

I changed back to full battle mode and as we left the dressing room Hutt security was waiting for us. I accepted their kind invitation to meet with the birthday girl. Jannah and her siblings watched our arrival with obvious amusement. An old P Series protocol droid translated for them. The Hutt spoke and she expressed her mistress' enjoyment of the concert.

"The Great and Wise Jannah the Hutt found your performance entertaining." P-2T2 informed us. "Who are these creatures? They aren't members of your band." She said just as the other members were brought up from below.

"My band," Soma Tarrith corrected.

"Not from where I am looking," the droid translated. "The Cathar clearly led you to victory today Togrutan. However, you may not wish to claim the band if the Sith Lord and his battle fleet lay claim to Malastare."

"Asshole!" Soma cursed at me her eyes fiery and filled with equal measures anger and terror.

"I get that a lot," I laughed. "Listen, if I am allowed, I will take the heat off Malastare and the band at the same time. First though, I need the Great and Mighty Jannah to sign Event Horizon to an exclusive say six-year contract. Jannah could get sixty percent of the house and the band get twenty. The other twenty divided among event owners and so on." I offered and the bartering began. I turned to leave when the Hutt slammed her tail into the ground.

"Hold it Cathar," the droid purred. "Where do you think you are going?"

"I have a hidden Sith Lord to take out." I replied.

"Sith Lord!" The droid yelped in surprise while Jannah narrowed her eyes. "No Sith would dare take up residence here without paying her protection money."

"Just saying. The Guild put a hefty bounty on her head. She's here." I stated locking eyes with the Hutt.

"You will bring the Sith Lord or her remains to me first. I would prefer her alive." The droid conveyed as the Hutt thought on her feet. "Tell you what Cathar... you bring her in alive and I'll double the Guild's bounty."

"I can't do that," I said and held up my hand before the Hutt lost her shit. "She's technically not alive. I will bring her in functional though."

"I heard rumors that one of Darth Nocturnal's childer survived the purge." The droid said her servos shaking. "Good luck Cathar."

"The name is Katria." I informed Jannah and she laughed.

"Poor Sith Poodoo, I pity her." The Hutt continued to laugh.

We were on the way out when the M3 drone I had sent to follow the vampire back to his base returned. It was damaged severely. The outer casing was cracked, and it was sparking and leaving a trail of black smoke behind it. I caught it just before its repulsor field failed. I sat down right there in front of the Hutts and repaired it on the fly. I took out my tools and went to work. Once I had stabilized the power supply and removed the sparking components, I pulled the retractable cable from my wrist computer and plugged it into the droid's main memory. I accessed the most recent files and backtracked until I found the location of the base and any images the drone had captured of it. The hologram of the base hovered in the air and I exclaimed in disbelief.

"I'll be a son of a bitch!" I cursed.

"What is it?" Whisper asked.

"It is an exact same layout of another place I've been to. We need a land speeder." I declared as I closed the droid's outer casing and returned it to my inventory until I had a chance to repair it in earnest.

"The Mighty Jannah the Hutt speaks," the protocol droid announced, and I stood. "Since our purposes are not at odds I will 'loan' you one of my speeders. Try not to get it shot all to hell."

"Thank you," I said bowing to the birthday girl. "Your generosity is without..."

"...100 credits a day is a reasonable fee..." the droid continued.

We slipped into battle mode and I drove the speeder. I knew what I was looking for. The sleek vehicle slid silently across the landscape as we left the city proper and entered the wilds. There were a few outlying communities that dealt in agriculture as well as mineral exploitation. The farms helped feed the city while the mines and fuel processors were the cash crop that had put Malastare on the galactic map. Pod racing was just a bonus. We performed a slow spiral towards the main entrance to the vampire's lair. I spied the crumbling cemetery and altered our course.

"That's it." I informed the others. "There should be a secret entrance to a tunnel that leads to the bad guy's base."

"How could you possibly know?" Kyanna asked as he slowed.

"I've seen something very much like this elsewhere," I said not wanting to break character.

"Which one I wonder," Aoki giggled. "I love puzzles."

"Let's figure this one out." I stated as we parked.

We split into two groups. Whisper and Kyanna went in one direction while Aoki and I took another. A soft chittering tone came from Aoki's belt. She whooped and pulled out a small holographic projector. We stopped and she received what looked like a live transmission. I asked her about it, and I realized that she was a grade A fan girl.

"It looks like Belle is in game." Aoki declared eyes wide and eager for her celebrity fix. "I think she wants to try and top the numbers your concert got." She explained.

"Is that her? She's so skinny!" I commented. "How old is she? Is she even legal to be doing that?"

"She just turned twenty-one," Aoki laughed. "Yeah, she's flat on both sides but the guys eat her up. I suppose it is because she looks so damn young. I like the silly faces she makes while she plays with herself."

"What is she doing now?" I asked.

"This is your favorite Twi'lek slave girl," Belle purred as she whispered. "I've snuck into a nest of blood suckers. I plan on seducing them and taking them over so they can serve me as... hey... Hey... cut it the fuck out! Put me the fuck down!" She snapped. "Do you know who the fuck I am?!"