The three made their way onto the street. They certainly were an eye-catching group, with the drunken, grubby yet inexplicably handsome Jack, the beautiful cloaked woman in red and Maul's 7ft clunking frame and demon-like visage, they turned many heads.
The streets were busy. It was day, although the place was still lit like it was night. The sun's rays could not reach the surface of the planet, and so the people down here relied on electrics and simple fires for light. It was almost primitive.
Maul took in the surroundings and found himself quickly memorising routes. A habit from the past. He thought.
Jack was nattering to himself, about where he would find 2000 credits, and whether he had enough to barter a trip to Tattooine, to hide from Pike and his cronies.
Raya was sprouting ideas and moneymaking schemes. "We'll perhaps you could come to the club and speak with Dune, he knows me, and I know you, maybe he'll help?" She smiled encouragingly. Jack paused and looked at her suspiciously.
"This would be Dune, your ex-boyfriend Dune, your boss Dune, the one I refer to as the Twi'lek psycho Dune?" He slurred and made to run away.
"Jack he only tried to kill you once!" Raya put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
Maul just stood silent, he had no desire to stop this verbal war and merely took in the surroundings, allowing his senses to grope the darkness, sense the people around him, and guess their actions. Some stared at him as they passed. He amused himself by hissing at them and seeing how quickly they would flee.
"He fired that canon at me!" Jack hollered.
"You called him a stupid tentacled git!" Raya gasped. "…And it was a blaster!"
"It bloody looked like a canon! And he is a stupid tentacled git!"
"Can we move along?" Maul's low guttural voice, soothed the couple's anger, and they just glared at each other.
"It was just a suggestion Jack. He can help you, he might even be able to help you too!" she nodded at Maul.
Jack looked at him for support, Maul didn't respond. "Oh…FINE!" Jack shouted and went into a drunken sulk.
Raya smiled at Maul, celebrating her victory, and headed to a nearby alleyway.
It wasn't long before they had joined a connecting route, which seemed to be full of many bars and restaurants, fast-food places and nightclubs.
A neon sign flashed Dune's Sea and Maul guessed that was where they were heading. Raya led them to the entrance. A heavily built Klatooinian with a scar through it's eye, stared at Maul suspiciously. Maul felt a wave of irritation flare through him, and had a desire to snap the bouncer's neck. He resisted the temptation.
"Morning Garad!" Raya beamed as she approached with the strange drunken human, and what could only be described as a bionic Zabrak male. Garad frowned.
"Morning Raya." He growled. "Your friends got weapons?" He scanned them with his eyes, still keeping a suspicious eye on Maul.
Raya paused. She didn't know. "Do you?" she turned to Jack and Maul. Jack lazily turned out his pockets and opened his coat, Maul just nodded.
"I'm gonna need you to open your coat sir." The Klatooinian sneered. Maul glared back at him.
"I'm not carrying anything." He said coolly. He could feel Garad's thirst for a fight, and every cell in his body was begging Maul to put the inferior Klatooinian in his place…a grave.
Garad reached for his blaster, and was stopped by Raya. "He's my…brother!" She turned and glared at Maul, she didn't want Garad's temper getting them into trouble with Dune. Garad was one of the best, and Raya suspected that Jack's companion was better.
Garad through suspicious glances at Maul and Raya, and upon seeing the horns on their heads, reluctantly stepped aside. Raya swept past, leading Jack through, and Maul slowly followed, sneering at Garad as he clunked through the door.
Garad brushed his fingers across his blaster in a threatening move, and Maul gave him a fierce look. To his surprise Garad suddenly started to cough and hold his throat painfully. He looked almost as if he were choking. He leant against the doorframe for support and tried to breath.
Maul felt the urge to ignore him and walk away, but his brain told him that would be foolish. He took a step toward Garad, who was struggling for air. Garad's eyes went wide with fear, and staggered back. "Get away from me!" he gasped.
Maul sneered at him and turned to walk away. "Suit yourself!" he hissed and followed in the direction Jack had gone. As he left, he heard the Garad catch his breath and cough. Was I doing that? He thought as he continued down the narrow passageway. How?
He soon found himself in a large room. It wasn't very full. There were a few creatures at the bar, a large seating area, some podiums with provocative twi'lek dancers, and in the back of the room, an area was cornered off. Maul could see Raya and jack approach this area. He followed, ignoring the looks he was given. The dancers had stopped wiggling and just stared at him in shock. He stood behind Raya, to see a table of people playing a virtual game of Yanth. A card game with dice and lots and lots of money.
A Twi'lek male, flanked by two large looking Quarrens sat in the centre, facing the room. This must be Dune Maul thought, as he took in his appearance. He was a young, with skin that was a pale shade of blue, had two tentacles sprouting from the top of his head, which were tied back behind his head. He wore a smart suit, that seemed to change colour whenever his mood shifted. At the moment it was a deep red.
Next to Dune were some other rich gangsters, probably gang leaders or corrupt businessmen. They seemed to be paying more attention to the dancers than the game, and all stopped everything when Maul's huge frame covered them in shadow.
"Raya!" Dune smiled, "Nice to see you so early into the day, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He leant forward and kissed her hand, then sat back down as he saw Jack next to her. He gave him a fierce look, he then saw Maul, and looked very uncomfortable.
"Dune. You know Jack, and this is my brother 'Dread'" she motioned to Maul.
"I think we both know that's a lie." He eyed Maul suspiciously and turned back to Raya, giving her a look of contempt.
"Half-brother!" Maul snarled. He didn't like Dune, in fact his senses were telling him that Dune was a mild threat. A powerful man, but not powerful enough to cause any serious damage to Maul's well-being.
"Is that so?" Dune sneered. "Raya? Why are you here?" He carried on playing the game, as if she were not worth his attention.
"Well…" Raya wasn't sure how to ask him. She turned to Jack for support. "We need 2000 credits!" she blurted out.
Dune almost dropped his cards, and let out a loud, malicious laugh. "You want 2000 credits?" he scoffed, "I wouldn't lend you 2!"
Jack pushed past Raya. "It's me…I need 2000 credits by tomorrow, or I'm a dead man!" he pleaded.
Dune laughed even harder. "Oh thank god…I was beginning to think you were never going to die."
He motioned toward a guard, who pulled out his blaster and stalked over. "You can go now Jack." He smirked, as the guard pointed the gun at Jack's head.
"Dune please?" Raya begged. "He's my friend, I will pay you back myself, out of my wages if necessary." It was perfectly logical, Raya could earn 2000 credits in two weeks, but Dune seemed to like watching suffering as much as Maul did.
"Raya…not a chance in hell!" he waved her off and continued to play his game. Raya stared at him, holding back tears. She thought Dune would have at least given her a chance, remembered that she still loved him, but he just brushed her away like a spec of dirt.
Maul saw her pain, and his heart twitched. Part of him didn't care, but these people were giving him a home, food, clothes, and wanted nothing more than his protection in return. He had to help. He searched his feelings for answers, letting his instincts take over. Then he felt it.
"Hey big guy! Out!" Dune snapped his fingers at Maul, as Raya and Jack started to leave.
"I want to join the game." Maul said coolly, glaring at Dune. This twi'lek seemed immune to intimidation, yet his wealthy companions did not. They obediently moved around the table, and made space for Maul to sit.
"Members only I'm afraid." Dune motioned toward his Quarren bodyguard next to him, who stood up defensively, asking Maul to leave with his eyes.
"He's cheating." Maul smiled and pointed at the nearest gangster. The man's eyes went wide in shock.
"How dare you!" he hissed. Dune looked at the man, then back at Maul. He wasn't sure who to believe.
"He's been playing you for a fool all morning." Maul grabbed the man's wrist and ripped off his sleeve, revealing a set of high winning cards.
Dune and the others stared at the man angrily, some even pulled out pistols. "You cheating scum!" one yelled.
"I wouldn't draw attention to yourself!" Maul sneered at another, "You're cheating too, you two are working together!"
Dune looked absolutely furious. He stood up to full height and gave the cheaters looks of utter contempt. Raya and Jack were waiting near the doorway.
"LEAVE MY CLUB!" Dune barked at the gangsters. Obviously he had the authority to strike fear into the gangsters hearts, yet Maul felt nothing, as if he were threatened by no man.
The cheating scum immediately dropped their winnings and fled for their lives. "If I see you here again I'll feed your eye's to my raptors!" he snarled at them.
He sat down in a sulk and turned to look at Maul. "Dread? Is it? How did you know?"
Maul smiled. He could feel it, the cells in his body told him the men weren't to be trusted, that they were hiding something.
"It's what I do…I sense things…I know you have a pistol in your boot, you wanted to get it and threaten me with it, I know you have feelings for Raya, but don't want to tell her, I know you hate Jack's guts, and want him dead, I can feel your anger, your love, and I know that the quarren bodyguard you use so much has been stealing from you while you sleep." He knew a lot more than that, but Dune got the message.
The quarren near Jack and Raya made to run, but Maul held out his hand, and he stopped in his tracks. He made similar choking sounds to Garad the bouncer, and grabbed his neck.
Dune looked excited and stared at Maul in utter awe. "You seem to know a great deal…tell me…how did you come to learn Jedi arts?"
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--review please, if you have time. :)