Author's Note: I can't believe I'm saying this, but today, February 21, 2020, The Clone Wars Season 7 has begun! So, Happy Clone Wars Day everybody! Never thought the series would come back and I'm looking forward to see how it ends. I'm working today and won't get to watch it just yet, but if you have seen the first episode, please, sound off and let me know what you think! Just save spoilery stuff for another time as others might not have seen it yet...
-Chapter 84: Fight Night-
Location: 79s, Coruscant
"Alcohol and bad tempers have never been a good combination."
"This is Coruscant Control, go ahead." The air traffic control operator droned.
"Control this is Stolen Horizon, returning from Umbara. Request permission to land, over." A female voice replied. Performing a quick search, the operator found the craft and its crew listed under Priority Access.
"Request granted, Horizon. Welcome back." The operator signed off.
"Mercenaries..." Another operator grumbled.
"Hey, I'll take it. Better than having to vet another cargo hauler." His partner responded.
"Yeah... all these corporations moving their stuff here because it makes them feel safer..." He mumbled begrudgingly.
Arriving back on Coruscant, Stolen Horizon set down on its designated empty landing pad on the outskirts of Galactic City. Returning from Umbara, the Titans had lucked out in taking down The Wraith but had succeeded in helping the Republic conquer the Umbaran capitol.
Corsair, having dealt with the ghost from his past that was Pong Krell, was feeling more than a little emotionally and mentally drained. The encounter with the Jedi Master had forced plenty of old memories to the surface, memories that brought Corsair more pain than anything.
He needed to take a moment to forget, to drown old sorrows and stuff them back where he'd stored them for years.
Leaving his quarters, Corsair put in a call to his 2IC as he made for the loading ramp.
"Theris, tell tha gang we're takin' tha night off, will ya? I'm goin' inta town." He instructed.
"Understood." The Mando affirmed. "You alright, boss?" She then asked, wondering if he was still in the same state as he was in back on Umbara. Knowing Theris was aware of his distaste for Krell and knew a few things about emotional baggage, or something along those lines, Corsair answered truthfully,
"That bit with kriffin' Krell's got me feelin' ragged." He said with a sigh. "I'll be back in a bit, I jus' need a drink."
Corsair's travels led him to a bar sporting colorful signage and vivid lettering, designated 79's. Located on the edge of a high-level street and overlooking the vast Galactic City below, it certainly seemed like a nice spot to sit down and drink. Based on the steady inflow and outflow of patrons, it did appear to be a busy establishment. But busy was what Corsair wanted, enough blur and motion to get lost in. Besides, if the place was busy, then the drinks were certainly running.
"Nuthin' like a tall, cold one ta wash tha worries away..." He mused, hands in his pockets as he strode up to the entry, "that's what Griggs always used ta say." Stepping past the people at the entrance, Corsair was hit with a wave of pure noise as he stepped inside 79's, as though he'd crossed some sort of barrier between silence and its polar opposite. All sorts of music and talking mixed with the sounds of glasses tapping and drinks being poured or spilt. Despite his rugged look, Corsair seemed to blend in just fine with the crowd. While the patrons were certainly diverse in terms of species, although mostly humanoid, Corsair did notice that they primarily consisted of "Clones." He muttered. "Can't seem ta get away from 'em." Both soldiers and officers seemed to be the predominant patrons here, leading Corsair to assume that this place was popular with enlisted men. He shrugged it off and pushed through the crowds, headed for the bar. Finding an empty seat, with no one on either side, Corsair sat down and signalled the barkeep, which happened to be a droid.
"What'll it be?" It asked.
"A pint a' Clendorian ale, nice an' frosty." Corsair answered.
"Coming right up." The droid replied, spinning around to whip up his order. Corsair patiently waited as the droid collected a mug from a nearby freezer unit and then filled it to the top with a foamy, golden liquid. The droid handed him a chilled mug which Corsair thanked him for before taking a long swig and draining half of it in one go. The ale was smooth going down, the perfect blend of sweet with a distinct alcoholic buzz.
"Clendo's shor know how ta make a damn fine ale..." he mused, savouring the lingering taste in his mouth. This was what he'd been needing. A damn fine drink to help him forget about everything. About Krell, about the past... about her...
The memories came rushing back. The stolen private moments where they could be free of any sort of responsibility. The times she would approach him in broad daylight and Corsair would simply stop to watch her. She had the prettiest face, her features forever seared into his memory. He would never forget her, his dear sweet lovely Meline.
The day Krell barged in on them was the beginning of them end. He knew their love was limited, but had always held out hope it would go on. The day she was taken from him was the day he ceased to care, the day the galaxy only made sense if you forced it to. He'd hated Krell ever since and had hoped distant would cure the ache he felt. Seeing the Besliask again only served to re-open his old wound. Sure, he was dead now, and Corsair was happy about that. But Krell's death hadn't restored what he'd lost or fixed what was broken. "Meline... why tha bloody hell did he hafta be yor mastah?" He quietly wondered. As he went for another swig of his ale, Corsair's wristcom suddenly beeped in alert and Theris' voice filtered through moments after.
"Boss, where you at?" She asked.
"Look fo' Seventy-Nines, uppah level. What? Need a night off too?" Corsair inquired.
"The Houks are getting antsy." Theris responded, sounding annoyed. "They didn't see much action on Umbara."
"Typical." Corsair muttered. The Houks thrived on being able to work and we're likely looking for something beyond the transport. Though in a small and crowded place like this they might have to wait outside if they wanted to join him. "Anyone else wit' ya?" He wondered.
"Just Cager." Theris answered.
"Yeah, alright, take tha night off." Corsair replied, powering down his comms. Lifting the mug to his lips, Corsair finished his ale and promptly ordered another.
He really needed it tonight...
Two mugs of ale later...
The buzz was there but the effects were not. Corsair was known by his crew for being able to drink even the heartiest of species under the table and he never seemed to suffer from the ill-effects of a hangover. They always asked what his secret was, but all they ever got was a smirk and a wink. He was clearly no lightweight, but there seemed to be something more about him the Titans simply couldn't pin down. What it was, they didn't know and Corsair intended to keep things that way.
Three empty mugs sat on the counter and he was busy with a fourth, as well as a fresh cigarra, when Theris and Cager arrived. He spotted them through the crowds and through simple eye contact alone, Theris led Cager over taking up seats beside the boss.
"Theris, Cagah, I see ya found tha place." He commented.
"Didn't take you as one to visit a Clone bar." Theris mused.
"Oh, is that what this is..." Corsair mused as he glanced at the small band of mixed officers and soldiers that had gathered off to his left.
"This has become a major hangout for off-duty Clones. You'll find all types here." She explained as the serving droid came over.
"What'll it be, sir?" It asked Cager.
"Bottle of Abrax." He replied, requesting his favourite Cognac.
"And for the lady?" The droid continued, turning to Theris.
"You got some kri'gee?" Theris asked.
"Yes we do. One moment please." The droid responded, shifting to a distant end of the bar. Corsair chuckled.
"Ya know, fo' a gal who claims she left 'er people behind, ya shor enjoy that Mando ale." He observed with a smirk while blowing a cloud of smoke, having figured out Theris' particular tastes over the years.
"There are some things I can't leave behind, Boss." Theris responded, offering him a simple look that was neither warming nor a warning. Corsair nodded slowly.
"I know tha feelin'." He agreed, taking another swig from his mug. As he did, the rather boisterous conversation between the Clones picked up and provided him a moment to listen in.
"So I tell Tripwire to rig up a couple of thermal detonators and then I got Steeler to blast it as soon as the tinnies got close enough! BOOM!" A central Clone loudly described. "They never saw it coming!" Those around him burst into uproarious laughter and Corsair could tell they all had a few drinks in them.
"You tell the best stories Spartan!" One of the officers stated with an arm around his shoulder, obviously enthralled by the tales the Clone was telling.
"Hey, it's me and Alpha Company! The Republic's finest. We've got more scrapped clankers on record than any Clone unit!" 'Spartan' replied and he clinked mugs with another armored Clone.
"Real cocky Huttspawn, that one." Corsair observed under his breath.
"Hey, Spartan! Think you and the gang have what it takes to take on... The Wraith?" Another officer asked, earning a chorus of 'ooooo's' from his brothers.
"Are you kidding? We've got what it takes to handle anybody! We're more than any Seppie could handle." Spartan claimed. Corsair couldn't help but scoff.
"Not when it comes ta Wraith yor not." He said aloud, taking another drink.
By the time he set his drink down, Spartan and the others were eyeballing him.
"What'd you say?" The Clone demanded, a hard look in his eyes. Corsair never bothered with making eye contact.
"I said, 'not when it comes ta Wraith, yor not'. Yor more like 'clowns' than Clones." He repeated, chuckling to himself. "He'll eat ya up an' spit ya out befor' ya have a chance ta shoot 'im."
"Whatever." One of the officers scoffed, "What does a merc like you know anyway?"
"Oh, I know plenty," Corsair replied, getting out of his seat and turning to face the group of Clones, cigarra clenched between his teeth, "Remind me again, how many Clone's are on Wraith's ledgah?" He asked with a confident smirk.
"Yeah? Well... How many mercs are on it?" The one called Spartan retorted after some thinking. Corsair maintained his smirk.
"My pile's a lot smallah than yors, mate." He calmly replied. Theris glanced over at the unfolding argument and had to wonder how Corsair intended to handle this.
"The only pile here is what's coming our of your mouth." One of the officers retorted, earning a few laughs from his brothers.
"You must be one a' them 'shinies' I keep hearin' about." Corsair mused. "Let me set ya straight, boyo, tha Republic's no match fo' Wraith so that's why they called us in: ta do tha job you lot couldn't."
"A dirty sleemo like you knows nothing about fighting a war." Spartan confidently shot back.
"Oh I don't, do I?"
"No. You're no soldier, just a dirty merc who fight for whoever pays him." Spartan accused, poking Corsair in the shoulder. The Titan didn't let it get to him.
"Says who?" He casually wondered, maintaining his calm.
"Says me and every one of my brothers in here." Spartan announced, the Clones behind him agreeing despite being a little drunk. "Where's your army?" Spartan asked, trying to intimidate the mercenary. As if on cue, there was a disturbance in the adjacent crowd as a pair of heads made their way through.
"'Scuse us... sorry... my bad..." Block pardoned as he led the way. Considering both brothers were just over eight feet tall, the muscular Houks stood out like sore thumbs in the crowd of six-foot humanoids. Corsair smirked and jabbed his thumb in their direction.
"Right there." He told Spartan. The Clone glared at the twin Houks as they made their way over before turning to glare at Corsair once more.
"If you think that a bunch random mercs can do the job of real soldiers, then you're a bigger kriffer than that Pong Krell from Umbara." He stated, jabbing him in the chest this time. The words burned and Corsair wanted nothing more than to sack the Clone right then and there. But he held back, his restraint thin but present, and plotted to handle this Clone a different way. Theris heard Spartan's words and could practically sense what was brewing.
"Uh oh..." She muttered, draining her Mandalorian ale.
"What? What is it?" Cager wondered, clearly oblivious.
"I hope you brought gloves." Theris replied as she plunked her glass down on the counter and shifted so she was behind Corsair and had the offending Clones right where she could see them. Her boss casually reached for his unfinished ale and took one more sip.
"Yor lookin' a little hot undah tha collah there, mate." He commented. "Here, cool off," he stated and promptly splashed Spartan in the face with his drink. The Clone recoiled, sputtering as brown ale stained his armor and soaked his face and hair. Spartan looked startled for a moment, then appalled by the fact his polished armor was effectively ruined, then downright furious as he turned to Corsair with a frown and gritted teeth. Corsair simply plunked his mug back on counter as Spartan's friends started to get riled up. The mercenary simply watched them with an irritating smirk and crossed arms before saying, "oh, sorry. Here, can't have a drink without a cigarra." Removing the lit stick from his mouth, he promptly crushed it against Spartan's armor, leaving a black ashen stain behind. To add insult to injury, Corsair then flicked the butt right in Spartan's face, pushing the Clone well over the edge he was already teetering on.
Spartan threw a punch which was swiftly grabbed by Corsair, who then drove forward and smashed Spartan's face with a headbutt, sending him stumbling back into the arms of his friends. Corsair chuckled loudly and rolled his shoulders, ready for a fight.
"You kriffing pile of sithspit!" Spartan roared as his friends helped him up. "Oh you're a dead man, merc! You hear me!" He shouted.
"I ain't worried 'bout a thing mate, not when yor tha one who's gonna take tha blame fo' wreckin' this fine establishment." Corsair casually replied.
"I what?!" It was then that Corsair waved one of the Houks over.
"Block! Show this fine gentlemen how he's gonna wreck the place." He instructed.
"On it boss!" The Houk jubilantly declared. Marching right up to Spartan, Block grabbed him and flung the Clone into the nearby viewscreens mounted along the wall, destroying them with his body. That garnered a lot of attention, especially from the Clones, and soon a lot of identical-looking men when turning on the Titans.
No one messed with one of their own and got away with it! Especially not an outsider.
Corsair took note of their expressions and grinned.
"Alright lads! Hope yor ready fo' a night on tha town!" He called to the Titans with him, "Let's have some fun!" Theris begrudgingly agreed, the Houks were eager to do so as well, and Cager looked ready to jump behind the bar at a moment's notice.
The Clones moved first, those in Spartan's group of friends. Snapping out his arms, Corsair clotheslined the first two, sending them spinning head over heels before landing on the floor. The next officer that charged him swiftly recieved a pop-up powerbomb and the one after that was put clean through a table with a bodyslam. Cackling like a madman, Corsair welcomed another challenger with a big boot straight to his black uniform, leaving a rather impressive footprint behind as he was sent sprawling. "Oy! It's the attack of tha Clones!" The mercenary joked, sizing up the multiple soldiers coming his way. Corsair certainly had his hands full, but his grappling 'high impact' fighting style had what it took to eliminate the Clones one by one.
As for the Houks... they had far less precision than Corsair.
Big, lumbering, destructive by nature, Block and Stock were putting Clones through the furnishings and putting furnishings through the Clones. Stock would grab two Clones and put them trough a pair of tables each while Block would smash a chair over a Clone's head, the piece shattering while knocking the soldier out cold. The two alone creative enough destruction to provide a distraction for Corsair and keep the Clones coming for him down to one by one.
Apart from grabbing them, Stock was batting Clones aside left and right, sending them into walls and through walls, into the local jukebox, viewscreens, and pretty much any piece of furniture in sight. One in his hand was sent crashing through a table and dumping close to a dozen mugs, filled to varying degrees with beverages, on top of him. Stock picked up the barely-conscious Clone with mild amusement.
"Hey Block! Mine's all wet!" He called to his brother, who had just finished bonking a Clone on the head with a heavy fist. Block turned to his brother and saw the unfortunate victim in his grip.
"Here, I've got a clothesline! Let's hang 'im out to dry!" He replied, rolling his arm and grinning like a madman. His brother grinned too and, winding up, pitched the Clone like a ragdoll. The poor soldier managed to figure out what was happening just in time to see a Houk arm rushing towards him before being sent spiralling out of control and blacking out upon hitting the ground. Satisfied, the two Houks went back to doing what they did best, Block grabbing a Clone and wailing on him until he sagged in his grip.
"Block! When they quit fightin' back it's time ta move on!" Corsair yelled from the bar where he was busy executing a lariat against an officer.
"Oh, sorry." Block mumbled, tossing the Clone aside and seeking out a fresh one.
Having been ambushed from behind, Corsair was bent backwards over the bar with a Clone at his throat, attempting to choke him out or at least force him into submission. Corsair was never one to give in, though, and had an idea as soon as he spotted Cager behind the bar with a drink in his hands, cowering alongside the droid barkeep.
"Cagah! Whiskey!" He coughed, reaching out with one hand. His fellow merc grabbed a bottle from the rack and passed it to him, Corsair breaking it over the Clone's head before kicking him off. The bottle didn't seem to do much to deter the Clone and he shook of the pain in exchange for anger, ready to keep going. Seeing another opportunity, Corsair stepped up onto a bar stool before jumping off and hitting the incoming soldier with a flying elbow, effectively taking him down.
Rolling to his feet, Corsair was quite happy with working off some steam on these Clones who'd made the unfortunate choice to try and fight him and his Titans, already he could feel the stress from seeing Krell fading away. After the hell they had been through on Umbara, Corsair wouldn't dare pick a fight with the 501st or 212th. But a cocky Huttspawn like Spartan and anyone with him was fair game in his mind. So when a bedraggled officer came along, looking completely drunk while spoiling for a fight, Corsair was more than happy to suplex him through another table. Getting back up, Corsair took a moment to dust himself off. But that's when a Clone attacked him from behind by breaking a bottle over his head. Momentarily stunned, the Clone hoped to have knocked the Titan out. But Corsair simply turned around and shot the Clone a toothy grin before picking him up and slamming him into the bar. As he did, a crew of six soldiers and officers advanced from behind, ready to get the drop on the Titan leader...
But Theris stepped between them and gave them all pause.
The Clones were hesitant to hit a lady, even if she worked alongside the mercenary they all wanted a crack at. It was in their programming to, largely, respect the opposite sex unless they were a wanted war criminal. And it was because of this that they hesitated, something Theris took advantage of.
She launched into them with a superkick to the jaw of one Clone and then grabbing another by the neck to execute a cutter, dropping down as the Clone sprung back from having bounced off her shoulder. She drove an elbow into the ribs of another and followed with up with a kick to the same spot before executing a headscissors takedown that put him on the ground. The remaining Clones could see she was no pushover and actively engaged, an officer charging Theris with a fist cocked and ready to strike. Seeing him approach, Theris waited until he was close before dropping down and performing the splits, causing him to miss and opening him up for a punch... that connected with his groin. He doubled over instantly, squealing in pain as he clutched the tender spot between his legs. As Theris got up, she jerked his gaze up to meet hers.
"Tell me, they have clones for those too?" She wondered before cuffing him upside the head and knocking him over. Some of the Clones were getting back up and Theris, now fully into the fight, launched into them and the two still standing.
79's had quickly become the site of a full-on, destructive barroom blitz, the night devolving into chaos as Titans and Clones went head to head...
Not too far away...
A trio of well-known individuals were approaching 79's from the street, currently oblivious to the brawl taking place on the inside.
"I still don't see why we have to be the ones to find Corsair." Anakin complained. "I hate just being around him."
"The Chancellor needs his report from Umbara, since he helped Captain Rex subdue Pong Krell." Obi-Wan replied. "I would've assumed that since the Five-Oh-First was so heavily involved, you would've jumped at the chance to learn more, Anakin."
"Yeah. I mean, after everything that Rex had to say? That Master Krell was... terrible! Worse than Wraith even." Ahsoka chimed in.
"I wouldn't go that far, Snips. But he is pretty bad."
"The Ardennian we spoke with said Corsair went for a drink," Obi-Wan stated, "and since Seventy-Nines is widely referenced by Clones and is fairly popular without reputation, I assumed it would be a good place to start."
"And if it's not, do you know how many bars are on Coruscant that we'd have to check? Thousands! If not millions!" Anakin responded. "How are we supposed to find him? It'd be like looking for Ahsoka in a crowd of Houks."
"Are you calling me short...?" Ahsoka wondered, a slight frown on her face and one brow marking raised in suspicion.
"I meant that in a good way, Snips. Houks can be eight and a half feet tall, you're still just over five feet." Anakin explained.
"You called me short..." Ahsoka repeated, still frowning.
"Perhaps we should let the Force guide us. It often tends to reveal things in strange and amazing ways." Obi-Wan suggested, attempting to break things up. Just then, a trio of Clones burst through one of the windows of 79's, collapsing in a heap just in front of the Jedi. They collectively groaned, looking like they had just been through a real beating. The Jedi paused, then turned to one another.
"He's here." They said in unison.
"Though I wouldn't call that 'amazing', just strange." Anakin commented as they all broke into a jog.
By the time the Jedi stepped inside 79's, the place had been pretty much trashed. Eyes wide and jaws agape, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka were in awe of what they were witnessing. The broken remains of furniture lay strewn around the establishment, along with massive puddles of spilled drink. The bodies of Clones, some awake and some unconscious, lay in various positions across the floor, many of them groaning in pain after receiving quite the beating. Some were draped across the bar, others splayed out over broken tables, some were turned upside down and others were laying halfway in and out through broken windows.
It was a very sorry sight indeed.
Further inside the bar, the Houks were still messing around with a few unfortunate Clones, Theris was surrounded by the bodies of a dozen unconscious soldiers and officers and still dealing with three more, and Corsair was locked in a sort of boxing match with an armored trooper.
"This is... outrageous." Was all Anakin could say.
"Come on, I'll contact the Coruscant guard then we'd better break things up." Obi-Wan stated, Anakin and Ahsoka quickly agreeing. Anakin made to deal with the Houks while Ahsoka approached Corsair, since Theris seemed to have calmed down with the last of her Clones on the floor.
Corsair and the Clone were only a few feet apart with arms defensively raised and just waiting to land a blow on the other. Seeing the situation to be fairly peaceable, Ahsoka made to act.
"Corsair!" She called, trying to dissuade him. But the Titan was too zoned in to the fight to obey. Then Ahsoka recognized the striping on the Clone's shoulder. "Spartan! Stand down!" She ordered.
"All due respect, Commander, but only if he does too!" The trooper replied.
"What? Worried I'll knock yor block off if ya lowah yor guard?" Corsair taunted. In response, Spartan launched a wild haymaker that Corsair dodged with ease. Seeing as neither man was listening, Ahsoka made to intervene.
"That's enough, both of you!" She ordered, trying to come between them. But that's when Corsair threw a hard punch, Spartan parrying it just in time.
And Ahsoka wound up in its path.
Corsair's fist collided with her face, pitching Ahsoka back with a cry of pain. The blow was so forceful she blacked out and hit the ground hard, still and unmoving. Both of the men suddenly stopped as they realized the grave mistake that had just occurred.
"Commander Tano!" Spartan gasped.
"Oh kriff me." Corsair grumbled. Spartan was by Ahsoka's side in an instant, checking her over. Anakin was quick to join them, having sensed something wrong.
"What happened?" He demanded, kneeling beside his unconscious Padawan.
"I'll say this right now, it was an accident." Corsair stated. Anakin's eyes snapped to him, glaring.
"Like hell it was!"
"I wasn't aimin' for 'er, Skywalkah. Honest!" Corsair responded. "Purely an accident." Anakin's glare lingered for a moment longer before he turned back to the unconscious Ahsoka. Checking her over, he was certain there'd be a bruise but was uncertain about any further injuries.
"Spartan, go help the others. I've got her." He instructed. The Clone nodded and moved to obey as Anakin gingerly lifted Ahsoka off the ground. Obi-Wan joined them shortly after.
"What in the world happened?" He asked, concerned.
"Accident." Corsair simply said.
"I highly doubt that." Anakin bit back. Corsair rolled his eyes.
"Whatevah." He muttered and raised an arm, snapping his fingers. "Cagah! Bottle a' rum!" He called. The Titan rose from behind the bar and threw a bottle in Corsair's direction, the merc catching it in midair without looking. The Titan leader popped the cork and took a long swig as Cager crawled out from behind the bar to join the group.
"You look a little pale, Cager." Obi-Wan noted. "Did that fight get the better of you?"
"No... I handled... a few." The Titan slowly replied.
"It was two an' ya ducked behind tha bar jus' in time fo' them ta butt heads!" Corsair bluntly stated as he finished his swig. "By tha way, Barkeep," he called to the rising droid, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand and striding over to the bar where he dumped a bag of credits down, "Give all a' these lads a shot of Wyhren's Reserve when they wake up... but don't tell 'em 'o bought it." He ordered, not waiting for a response, and signalled for the other Titans to join him. The Houks finally dropped the Clones and joined him and Cager, as did Theris.
"What'd you do that for?" Cager wondered, seeing Corsair make such a generous offer towards the Clones they'd so recently thrashed.
"It was a reward fo' them bein' so damn entahtainin'." Corsair responded.
"The Coruscant Guard will be here shortly, they'll probably want a word." Obi-Wan informed him as he helped Anakin move Ahsoka outside.
"Jus' tell 'em ta send half tha bill to tha Titan Conglomerate." Corsair responded.
"Half?!" Spartan exclaimed from across the room. "Whaddya mean 'half?!"
"Because tha Clone Army did tha rest!" Corsair retorted.
"And the Chancellor would like your report from Umbara." Obi-Wan added.
"So everyone wants a piece a' my time, eh?" Corsair mused as he threw back another shot of rum, "Bloody hell... ya'll jus' form a line an' I'll get ta ya." He muttered. Believing a long night and day was ahead of him, Corsair drained his bottle and tossed it aside. "Right, Titans, night out's ovah! 'S back ta work!" He ordered.
"We should do more night out's like this, Boss!" Stock suggested.
"Yeah, maybe these one's can do dinner and a show next time!" Block agreed, the brothers chuckling.
"I doubt there'll be a next time, once the Republic gets this bill." Theris mused.
"Oh there will be, Theris. We jus' won't bring them along." Corsair stated, rolling his arms and releasing a satisfied sigh.
This was just like he needed. A few bottles of something cold to drink and a bar fight ti lift his spirits... such were the ways of a hardened mercenary.
