The Ghosts of Yesterday
Chapter: 35 A Race against time
A race against time…A Zeltros court has decided Khaleen Hentz's fate, only 48 hours remain before she is executed for a crime she has not committed in the history of Zeltros, James Bond is tasked to find the real killer.
The Planet Zeltros
A club
Current time: 0:10:30:0 hours morning time
The planet Zeltros has thousands upon thousands of clubs and bars that people go for entertainment on the pleasure planet. What for you may ask? Dancing, listening to music, drinking, flirting and numerous of other activities. One club in particular is like any club but not like the clubs people would go and frequent on Earth. Zeltros is devoted to pleasure and relaxation.
Several dancers are dancing on stage with poles in which these dancers are Twi'lek dancers who are using colors upon their bodies to incite the crowd and several screens on view screens are showing the replay of the Zeltros classic that people have missed last night.
Word had spread fast about the Zeltros classic in which three people have tied and declared the winners of the Zeltros classic. That race made history and will live on in the minds of people who had seen the race or will see it from the replays. They didn't know who this J.B is but he appears to be an excellent pod racer with his ridiculous design of a pod racer.
People have been walking in and out of the club all morning. James Bond had just walked in as a few people turned their heads to see a celebrity the man who was in the Zeltros classic even the women in the club including a few Zeltron noticed how handsome he looks.
He could hear the music in the background, the food being properly prepared in the clubs kitchen. Along with that people are chatting away, dancing and all around having a good time in one of the most popular clubs in Zeltros. Out of all of them on the planet this club seems to be the most fun among them.
James is wearing a blue suit, black leather shoes and a red tie. Along with that a pair of sunglasses as he strolls his way to the bar of the club, sits down on a hover bar stool as the barkeeper a Zeltron female with an athletic build and large sized breasts, looks at him with a smile and so he smiled back.
"What is your pleasure darling?" She spoke with a southern accent consisting of the American south. "Hey you're that guy J.B, the drink is on the house, what do you want?"
"Oh, Zeltros juice." said 007. "And maybe the pleasure of your company later." He winked at her.
She giggled "You're a tease." she started to make the juice. "I might take you up on that offer and here you go." She placed the drink on the bar.
James had a drink.
"Looks like everybody, is having a great time." pointed out the secret agent. "I heard a Kiffar was in here the other night, I am looking for him."
"Well not everybody." said the barkeeper. "See the female albino of my species, she had a small argument with the Kiffar you are looking for, you might want to ask her."
"Thank you my dear lady." said 007 as he kissed her on the hand, takes his drink and looked around to see the female Zeltron Albino as he walked to where she is sitting brooding and alone.
James Bond while in the Jedi temple had read the who's who of the criminal world and that would include bounty hunters like Cad Bane and Aurra Sing. The female Zeltron Albino bounty hunter is one as James came across her file and her name is Vianna D'Pow who in fact prior to the clone wars she stole a baby force sensitive and tried to steal during the clone wars the genetic material for the clone army.
She has purple hair, white albino skin a rarity for her species and black shadow like eyes. She is sitting alone at the table and drinking with a scowl upon her face, as if she hated being around people.
"Well, hello little lady." said Bond as he sat down across from her. "Perhaps you can help me."
She placed her glass on the table, frowned at him "Get lost sleemo." growled the bounty hunter. "I'm not looking for a good time if you're asking and I didn't do a thing, besides are you suppose to be around your little groupies J.B."
"No one said you did anything Miss Vianna D'Pow." said 007. "It all depends on your definition of a good time like shooting things up for instance as that would be a good time for you."
The bounty hunter snarled as her hand edges towards her hidden blaster.
"Someone's angry, I take you that you hate being an outcast among your people." said James. "Must be sad, all alone and angry with everyone."
"How did you know my name?" asked the Bounty hunter. "If you're aiming to collect a bounty on me, let's just say it won't be easy."
"Miss D'Pow If I wanted to kill you." said Bond." You wouldn't even see it coming; no I would like some information."
"Besides pod racing you must be something else." said Vianna. "Like a look of a professional and a dangerous one too….I like that." She gave off a rare smile. "What kind of information you want?"
"The barkeeper said you had a minor problem with the Kiffar last night." said Bond.
"Yeah, what of it?" she asked "I made some remark about him and his girlfriend; he goes off on me like I really care. I hate Jedi and that is what he is."
"The more the reason to kill him considering you did an impressive job getting into the Jedi temple to just to steal a baby." said Bond.
"What no? What do you mean by that?" she said. "I'm a bounty hunter who only gets paid to kill people; I'm not stupid enough to take on that Kiffar with his girlfriend. Those two are made for each other despite that Jedi code of there's says other wise."
"So one professional to another, if given the motive and the opportunity." said the secret agent. "Would you do it?"
"Yes." said D'Pow. "But I've been brooding in here for a few days, so I haven't had much to do and no jobs have come along."
"Very well." said Bond. "We'll be in touch."
"Wait there was something." said the female Zeltron. "I saw them leave as they were being followed by someone in a cloak."
"Thank you for the information." nodded the secret agent as he got up.
"Just watch your ass J.B, I wouldn't want to be the person who shoots at you." smirked the bounty hunter. "And remember just because this is a vacation planet doesn't mean that people like me are out there. I hate everyone else, but I like you."
"I'll keep that in mind." said the secret agent as he walked away.
"Nice butt." muttered the bounty hunter and decided to follow him to see what he does, in which something about his demeanor that she liked, mysterious and dangerous just like her.
The Planet Zeltros
A lake resort
Current time: 0:2:30:0 hours afternoon time
The lake resort in the northern hemisphere of the plane is an ideal spot for people who want to have some quiet time and relax. The mountains are in the background and a lot of strange looking pine trees make up the majority of the forest. A large resort is nearby along with one of the largest lakes on Zeltros.
People off in the distance were having a great time, like water skiing, listening to some form of Zeltron like music that is mesmerizing to people and along with that some form of holographic volley ball. Out of all of is fishing and diving in the water to have a great time at this lake resort.
But not, James Bond not at the moment at the moment as he had already asked around a few places the Quinlan Vos and Khaleen Hentz went for their vacation. Some people were vague about it, but did mention one thing a raven was spotted flying around them also they told him that two other people had been asking about a raven.
So it would sound like he isn't alone. That alone made no sense at first as planets like Zeltros and many other planets do not have Earth birds like ravens. He had the urge to quote from a book by Edger Allen Poe but decided against it for now. The Zeltron bounty hunter did mention a cloaked person watching and followed them out of the club.
Right now the secret agent is taking a path in the woods towards where Quinlan Vos and Khaleen Hentz had settled down near the lake to relax. It was quiet around him; a little too quiet considering that usually means trouble or the calm before the storm.
He felt like he was being followed in which he kept on moving as the wind started to blow a little bit and the area is warm except for the mountains that have snow on top of their peaks. This place would be an ideal place for anyone to relax at the moment but he'll come here later as he is pressed for time considering an innocent person would die.
Then he stopped at the beach of where Quinlan Vos and Khaleen Hentz spent time here. At the moment it seemed to be empty and roughly no one around. Then in the background in which he stands admiring the view, he heard a cawing noise. James looked up at the trees and spotted an actual raven perched there and looking down at him. For the moment both animal and human's eyes met, then be blinked at the bird was gone. That alone he found that to be odd and kept on looking around for any clues for a bit.
"I hear you been asking around." said a voice out of no where that sounds like a cross between Romanian and English and a female figure walks from out of the shadows.
She is tall about 5 ft 11, 120lbs with pale skin large sized breasts, long black hair and green grass eyes. She is dressed in a black-and-red grafiform robe with octopus like tendrils, a cloak of black like feathers and a metal breast plate. Along with a strange looking ring on her finger and other sorts of jewelry. She has a certain creepy ness to her but James wasn't intimidated by her as he glared at her for a moment he isn't fooled by her beauty.
"Oh and what have you heard?" asked the secret agent.
"This and that." said the woman. "You want a piece of advice."
"Let me guess." said James. "You want me to mind my business, forces at work I do not understand and all that."
"I admire your guess work Mr. J.B." said the woman. "And will you follow that advice."
"It all depends." said James. "On the pleasure in who I am speaking to, you do have manners don't you."
"Of course I do." frowned the woman. "I am Charal, a pleasure to meet you."
James walked up to her and she stretches her hands as the secret agent kisses her upon the hand.
"The pleasure is indeed all mine." said Bond. "Miss Charal." He patted her on her shoulder.
"Indeed, however I suggest you stop what you are doing." said Charal.
"Or else I would end up like the Kiffar Jedi." said Bond.
"That remains to be seen." said Charal
She walked away then disappeared for a moment, and then a black raven flies away. James stands there for a moment and figured that this Charal woman can transform into a bird somehow by way of magic in which he doesn't believe in that or by a way of technology in a form of hologram.
But unknown to her he managed to slip a small homing device on her, so he could track her anywhere on the planet. Being a secret agent as he is, he is always prepared for anything and he suspected that she would be involved in this.
On the other hand the poison he examined by using the scanning device he acquired came up with a match for the poison that was used. It was the venom of a Kodashi viper a snake like creature that resides in one place, Dathomir.
Could she be one of those night sisters he had heard about and could had Vos investigating something in secret while vacationing on the planet Zeltros. He didn't know but he will find out as he left the area to track down the one called Charal. Although he is pressed for time but he is determined to take her down as she is his number one suspect.
The Planet Zeltros
The third largest city on the planet
Current time: 0:10:30:0 hours night time
The third largest city on Zeltros is a thing of beauty like the capitol of Zeltros as vehicles go to and from their locations in the air. People are going and leaving clubs, bars along with other forms of entertainment. Night had fallen already as the skies are beautiful with many stars that can be seen, it is a warm but windy night.
It too him many hours to track the one called Charal in which she moved from place to place for reasons unknown until finally the third largest city is where she is located. James Bond had already arrived in the city and is walking down a street as other native Zeltrons, along with other alien species have seen the man who raced in the Zeltros classic.
Currently he is walking down an empty street avoided of people and places considering this part of the city looks like a little run down, but it looks like it is in a state of repairs as well. The signal is strong in this area and so he stopped for a moment as he heard footsteps in all directions appearing are native Zeltrons dozens of them who are wearing some sort of religious clothing along with brandishing bladed weapons.
The secret agent is armed as well in which he brought along his dark saber just in case he ran into trouble. It's best to always except the unexpected in which in his life time of experience had taught him.
Then all hell breaks loose.
Two of these native Zeltrons attacked him first with their bladed weapons, as Bond managed to side step, grab the arm of one of them and judo flipped him over. Then breaking the native's arm he grabbed the bladed weapon and threw it in the direction of another one in which the bladed weapon pierced right through the chest of the religious looking native Zeltron.
James felt a little outnumbered but he has a plan or so in mind. Suddenly two shots rang out and two religious looking native Zeltrons fall flat to the ground with holes in their heads and jumping from out of no where is the bounty hunter Vianna D'Pow.
"Nice of you to drop in." said Bond as he draws out his dark saber and ignites it.
"I always liked a good fight." said D'pow. "What did you do to piss these people off?"
"Friends of yours." asked Bond.
"No, but that symbol they have and what they represent is outlawed here on Zeltros." said Vianna. "It's been that way for a long time too."
Both secret agent and bounty hunter take down some more but there are still more left to take care of.
"And what would that be?" asked the secret agent.
"Uh, they like to eat people." said Vianna as she shoots two more
"Ah, cannibals." said Bond as he strikes down two more as well "And let me guess you watched me having a conversation with Charal woman."
"Yeah, creepy bitch if you ask me?" chuckled the Zeltron bounty hunter "Looks like we have some company."
Jumping out from the rooftops two females dressed in red and orange clothing, along with even pail skin like Charal is holding a bow and arrow of energy like form in which the first one shot several energy arrows. These arrows strike the bodies of these religious cannibals in which they fall like dominos and then landing on the as one of them exchanged the bow and arrow for an energy sword similar to a Jedi light saber. The other one attacked the religious cannibals with an energy sword as well and she is wearing a hood while the other one isn't.
James figured they have an ax to grind with these people or is this something else. The battle against these religious cannibals went on for awhile until all of them are dead or unable to move in which this is fine by him. The two women who are dressed in red and orange clothing stopped as they put their weapons away. He does so as well and so does Vianna D'Pow as she spat to the ground.
"They had it coming." said Vianna. "bastards!"
"Indeed they are." said Bond as he turned to the two mysterious women. "And you two are."
"We are the night sisters of Dathomir." said the first woman. "I am Naa'leth and this is my sister Karis."
"We have come to take the traitor back to Dathomir." said Karis. "For justice in stealing from us a ring-"she is interrupted by Bond.
"A ring that can or supposedly can transform her into a raven correct." said Bond.
"Correct, did you happen to see her." said Naa'leth.
"We've met," said Bond "I take it you were following me because I was asking the same questions you were and it would explain the venom of a Kodashi viper inside a certain someone."
"That would be her, right sister." said Karis.
"Yes most defiantly sister." said Naa'leth. "Do you have a way of tracking her?"
"I do, sounds like you two want to get off this planet as soon as possible." smiled the secret. "Too much pleasure, for your own good huh."
"Uh, I don't want to talk about it!" said Naa'leth.
"At least he was cute to mate with." giggled Karis. "Maybe mother will let us keep him."
"Oh shut up sister, I said I don't want to talk about it!" said Naa'leth. "Well where is she."
"Nearby and she is wanted for a connection in a murder that leaves an innocent person life in balance." said Bond. "On this planet, once we are done here you can have you all for your own, deal."
"We have a deal." nodded Naa'leth. "Where do we go?"
"Down." said Bond. "In the sewer area."
"I knew I smelled something like shit, but what the hell." said D'Pow "Let's go."
"Now about payment I know you bounty hunters like money." said Bond
"True, but this is free of charge." said D'Pow. "Only, because I like you."
The Planet Zeltros
The sewers
Current time: 0:12:30:0 hours night time
A long stretch of sewers is a place that no one wants to be down here, it had a foul smell in fact one of many smells. Along with that the water seemed to be clean but it doesn't look like it is drinkable. Virtually there are no creatures down here and very few insects native to the planet.
Which was fine with all of them as James is up front and using his I-phone as a tracking device to track where the woman known as Charal in which it isn't far now as the two Dathomir woman are covering the read and the female Zeltron bounty hunter is in the middle.
The sewers have a creepy feeling in a way that felt like someone was in an old black and white movie, although all three of them wouldn't know what a black and white movie is. It is dark or semi-dark but there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel, along with that there are markings of those religious Zeltron cannibals.
As they walked by one clearing there appears to be a pile of bodies mostly in body parts and all half-eaten. It smells like rotting and decomposed flesh, he understands that these people have been missing for days, months or years or even longer. Who knows at the moment?
From what he had learned from the female Zeltron bounty hunter that cannibalism is outlawed on the planet more than a century but there have been rumors that it still exists. They walked in the shallow water as the light at the end of the tunnel grew larger and larger, until they finally reached a large room in the sewers. It looked like more like a throne room and there is Charal sitting in her throne, as she is waiting for something. But it appears that they were not expecting them, not yet at least.
"It is about time you fools got back." said Charal from her throne. "Did you kill him yet?"
James jumped down with the others, "Unfortunately my untimely demise is greatly misinformed." said Bond. "He started to record what the woman has to say.
"So you live and brought along some company, including Talzin's lackeys." said Charal. "No matter you will all die, like that Kiffar Jedi I killed by poisoning him and framed his lover for the crime, but unlike him I will kill you all with my own hand."
"Damn you talk too much." said the Bounty hunter. "for, an old hag."
"Charal, on behalf of Dathomir." said Naa'leth "You will pay for what you have done."
"I will not go back to Dathomir." said Charal who rises from her throne. "You expect me to surrender."
"No." said Bond.
"Good then die." She said.
Charal draws out her blaster pistols and fired at all of them as they moved out of the way, but it is hard to do considering she moves quickly like a ninja. Vianna D'Pow fired back with her own twin blaster pistols as the barrage of blaster fire hits a barrage of blaster fire as smoke rises up from the impact.
Naa'leth used her bow and energy arrows to fire back as Charal is too quick but one energy arrow manages to knock off one of the blaster pistol from her hands. Growling in annoyance she fires again but is met with a foot to her face as James manages kick her in the face as Charal is knocked back to the ground.
Along with her other blaster pistol then Charal gets up and does a force push on Naa'leth, in which the female dathomir warrior is knocked in the wall. Karis comes rushing towards Charal as she tries to combat her with martial arts moves and the rouge dathomir woman fights back with her own martial arts moves as she overwhelms the young dathomir warrior as she is force choked and thrown into the wall. Then glancing at the female Zeltron bounty hunter she uses a form of telekinesis known as force whirlwind to throw her around the room like a rag doll.
After then Charal is met with a hard right cross to her jaw and a body shot to the stomach by Bond, she leaped backwards a few times and landed on the ground. Wiping the blood from her mouth she snarled a bit and draws out her own energy weapon like light saber and Bond draws out his own weapon a gray-bladed dark saber in which it took her by surprise.
They engaged in a duel as both of them are exchanging slashes, jabs and parries from their attacks. James managed to side step as she goes for a forward slash, does a round house kick to the back of her head and goes sailing right at the wall.
She used the force to control her footing as she bounced off the wall, but suddenly she is met by a blaster bolt that hits her on the shoulder, the energy blade falls from her hand. Causing flesh wound and minor scaring, she is hit by the female Zeltron bounty hunter.
Growling at this she is taken surprise by Naa'leth and Karis who double teamed her with a series of marital arts moves, seemingly overwhelmed by the seer numbers she force jumps up in the air and is about to touch her ring to transform into a raven. But suddenly a knife is thrown by Bond; the knife sails in the air and lodges into the hand where the ring is.
She gasps in pain and the ring falls off of her finger, in which she lands on he ground hard. Blood is dripping from her hand and the ring is on the ground. She knew she is injured but still can escape, but as she is about to get back into the fight as she gets up. All four of them take her on and easily take her down, finally slamming into the wall a pipe bursts open and rage sewage pours on her as she is knocked out cold for a moment.
After that Bond finds the ring and takes it for further examination without anyone looking, also he puts on her one of those force dispensing collars around her neck. Now he has the rouge Dathomir woman and the evidence he needs to get Khaleen Hentz out of this predicament. She is being dragged out of the area, but the smell upon her won't go away anytime soon
"Great job you three." said Bond
"No problem, but damn." said the female Zeltron bounty hunter as she clutches her side as if she had broken a rib or two. "That bitch was tough, great job to you J.B"
"Thank you for helping us, for a male." said Naa'leth. "You did a great job."
"What about the ring?" asked Karis. "What happened to it?"
"Lost forever, it fell into the water." said Bond. "All that matters is we have her."
"Fine by me." said Naa'leth.
"What happens next? asked, Vianna D'Pow.
"Justice." said Bond.
They all left the sewer area, hopefully there is still time left to save Khaleen Hentz.