The Mortus

Lamia turned her body to lean on the bar. She watched Maximus scan the room. She had already gotten the tickle up her spine when they entered. Max's subtle head tilt let her know that he also noticed them. She took a sip of her drink and quietly spoke. "Yes I saw them as well. I'm not sure the purpose. We are here peacefully, and as a matter of fact, this place was boarded up when we arrived. I can't imagine why there would be an issue after all this time."

The two Selkath babbled back and forth to eachother quickly, but from where Maximus was sitting it was incoherent. He had delivered the message he had intended to deliver and now he couldn't care less about the two. The Howlers, however, remained interested in keeping the bar secure while Howler Prime was there.

Howler Three looked over to her husband and nodded silently. Howler Four reached over and hit Pup Two on the shoulder before getting up and walking over to the two Selkath as Pup Two followed. As Howler Four approached the table, he used the mini-computer on his left wrist to activate a short-range jamming signal that should take care of any devices recording or transmitting signals in the near vicinity. It would affect his own equipment as well, but he knew that.

Howler Four's hand drifted towards the weapon at his side but didn't touch it. He probably didn't even need it against the two Selkath elders but it never hurt to add some intimidation. Pup Two stood over his shoulder and did the same as Howler Four spoke through his helmet speakers.

You should probably leave now.

Howler Four didn't wait around for the Selkath to do anything. He turned and took Pup Two back to the table where the other Howlers were, where he watched the Selkath to see what they would do next.

While this was happening, Maximus continued his conversation with Lamia. He poured yet another round of drinks as he listened to her discuss her retirement.

A woman of your reputation has to raise quite a few eyebrows, even in retirement. Can those in our line of work really fully retire? Although I admit the idea is certainly intriguing...

The aura of the Mortus was suddenly interrupted by a strange force. There was a sudden ebb and flow of something familiar, yet foreign, which permeated throughout. It was dark and twisted - a maelstrom of energy and emotion that made some feel ill. It was chaos.

Illumination strips flickered violently for a few seconds, and the temperature of the room dropped drastically - to the point where breath could be seen and the amphibious natives of the planet would feel a notable discomfort. Yet these anomalies were normal on Manaan - which was home to the strange, and estranged.

The silhouette of a large man appeared in the main entrance to the Mortus - looming ominously. He was not heralded by the sounds of foot steps - but rather, an eerie silence. Clad in heavy black robes, with a drawn hood, the figure resembled what most cultures depicted as death. Upon his arrival, the anomalies stopped. The room returned to normal - and the few bystanders that saw him returned their attention to their own business.

The figure stepped past the threshold, though it appeared more like gliding, giving his flowing robes and the notable silence of his footsteps. Even though the anomalies stopped, the aura remained. A souvenir of the magics used to bind him to his prison. Even though Lord Sinistra had managed to break the bonds, the residue of the shackles remained. It was powerful Sith sorcery, and all things that it touched would never be quite the same.

The figure noted familiar faces near by - one which he had not seen for some time, while the other he had seen recently but in a grim setting. He approached them, slowly pulling down hood down, allowing the light to illuminate his features. The stark silver hair of clan concordia, accompanied by a faded qukuuf of two red vertical lines under his left eye, and bold black sith tattoos along his lower jaw. His eyes were ice blue. Both would recognize him, yet his years of imprisonment were not kind. Darth Nexus was once filled with life and lust, yet now he seemed hollow - some would even say frail. The stubble along his jaw, and dark rings around his eyes did not complement his appearance - he was ragged and weary.

His eyes shifted from Lamia, to Maximus, then back. He gave them both polite nods, before making his way around the bar. Reaching under the counter, in a tucked away cubby, he helped himself to a bottle of Kashyyk Fire Whiskey - which had gathered a layer of dust, as no one drank it since his imprisonment. Pulling it out, along with a short glass which was substantially cleaner, he poured a dram into it before turning to face his colleagues, still standing behind the bar.

"Good to see some things never change...Lamia, Maximus..."

He brought the glass to his lips, emptying it of his contents. For a brief moment, color returned to his face. The sith stiffled a cough and let out a heavy exhale as the heat permeated through his body. The drink was too strong for most palates, but the Dark Lord was known to enjoy its simple coarse punch and subtle undertones that followed.

Lamia nodded. "Absolutely, we would have you and your howlers. There is much to do to get ready for our golden years. The cucumber smuggling business is quite prolific believe it or not. Carnifex and Leto would be very impressed with it all."

She turned to Lord Nexus. She wasn't very acquainted with him, but she was familiar with his reputation within the universe.

She raised her glass to greet him. "Lord Nexus, welcome. What brings you to our little piece of heaven here? Can I get you a drink? A smoke? both?" She motioned to the bar droid to bring another glass and bottle, and then looked back at The Holy Man. "Well I'm not sure of Nexus' involvement as of yet, but I'm sure we can work something out."

He smiled at the younger man who had been one of the other Lords of Dark Tide an age ago. Despite the penchant for darkness and wrath that Nexus had always shown, Maximus would always consider him a brother.

Time is a cruelty none of us can defeat.

He sat back down quietly and offered him a seat at the table as he and Lamia spoke. He mostly kept quiet as to not interrupt the two unless he had something worth saying, but he did notice when Nexus mentioned Lord Sinistra. He didn't say anything, but he filed that information away for later. If Sinistra was still around he would make it a point to find her sooner than later.

As he turned his attention back to the conversation, a young woman walked right up to their table and took a seat. Howler One shifted behind him, but he was impassive and calm. He recognized the woman from his intel but decided to let her continue as she rattled through insults and perceived slights like a kowakian monkey lizard on spice. When she seemed to be done, he spoke quietly even though his voice could be heard throughout the now silent establishment.

I'm sorry, I must have missed the part where you thought you were invited to this conversation.

He leaned forward and locked his gaze on her. His body language did not go unnoticed as across the room his Howlers quietly stood in unison, hands already finding their weapons should they be needed. Maximus lifted a hand to stop them even though his gaze never left the woman. His voice remained even and calm.

Now, I’m getting pretty old but you seem to have a revisionist's version of history. Your grandfather didn’t build this bar. He was incapable of building anything from what I remember, he was only capable of ruination. Das Buundy owned this bar after HE built it. Your grandfather did what he always did and claimed the accomplishments of others as his own.

I watched as he and others were crushed under the weight of your grandfather’s brutality and lack of respect for those who actually built his now-defunct empire. Das Buundy? He gave me ownership of this bar before he left the IF to get away from ATD’s reign. Nexus here? Your grandfather treated him like a throwaway bootlicker and never saw what he could become. Aylia Vandermere? She was so disillusioned by the old man’s behavior that she asked me to taker her life instead of live in a galaxy where he held any amount of power. All the names your grandfather told his incoherent stories about were people I knew and fought beside.

He abruptly stood, looking around the room to see every person looking back at him. He knew they heard everything he said even though he wasn't talking to them. But what he said next was for not just them but the entire planet to hear. His voice now boomed through the space.

Let it be known that this planet is no longer under the oppression of An Tiarna Dubh or the Iron Fist. Manaan is now under the protection and control of the VE, and if anyone has a problem with that they can come see me about it.

He turned back to her just as he delivered the last part, making it clear that if she was going to cause problems, she would get her fair share in return. He took a deep breath and sat back down, lowering his voice again to just those at the table even though he knew everyone was still listening.

I left your grandfather’s cause before you were even a thought that should have been evacuated into your father’s washrag. Your parents clearly failed to raise you as a competent human being, so until you learn the manners that your grandfather was never capable of comprehending I’d like to politely ask you to get the kriff out of my bar.

Lamia leaned back in her chair. She tilted her head and listened to the woman for a few minutes, while she reached in her pocket and slid a spice stick from it. She put it to her lips, and lit in, inhaling deeply. She let the smoke out slowly in little wisps. She waited a few more seconds before she spoke.

"It's funny. I have been watching this planet for awhile, and noticing little to no activity here. After Leto dying, I felt like it was a good place to go back and settle in my retirement. Even re-opened the Mortus. Don't think I haven't noticed the snide remarks about me being "that woman" and "ruining the planet".... ruining it with what? My existence? My cucumber fields? Drunken debauchery in the Mortus? I don't think any of those things will ruin the integrity of this planet or the memories of our time here. Now I was willing to share space here, but it seems as if my friends are no so willing to share that space. You heard The Holy Man. I don't think I need to say more."

Lamia crossed her ankle over her knee and lifted her glass to the woman. "It's out of my hands. May the Force be with you my friend."