Bellus Mortalitas

[Razielle Alastor]

Everything was as it should be, and yet everything had changed.

The same moonlit streets. The same faces roamed the night, with the addition of the few Mandalorians that wandered the city as a result of the tentative treaty. The same guards kept their vigil of the palace. It was comforting familiarity, made better only by the knowledge that this time she would not be roaming the city seeking to appease her hunger for violence alone. She had been set free, invited even, to roam the night and resume training with her master.

Princess Razielle dismissed her lady's maid, Lira, bidding her to seek her own bed.

Lira had left with a knowing smirk. The Princess had no intention of retiring, the maid was certain. She had a restless excitement about her this evening. The kind that always plagued her when she had arranged a tryst with the Prime Minister. Lira had always been discreet regarding the Princess and her chosen company, but it was no longer something that only she was a silent witness to. The pair had been seen in each others company with increasing frequency, she hardly thought it was a secret anymore. It was one of courts favorite scandals actually..

As soon as she was alone, Razielle tugged free the soft satin robe, tossing it across her bed. From the chest at the end of her bed she removed the clothing that was her custom to wear for such occasions. Form fitting black, to meld her shape to the night. Sturdy boots buckled up her calves, designed to survive the harsh terrain of the planet, if they left the city walls. Strapped across her shoulders, a back sheath encasing two custom katanas, designed to her own specifications. With a few other details seen to, she was ready to make good her escape act.

Anxia no longer had a need, or a desire, to creep from the shadows unseen by all. She had been diligent in her practice of illusion crafting. The guard watching the hall her chambers were located in saw nothing more than the illusion of a fellow guardsman walk past him, tipping his head in polite salute to his senior officer. The young soldier did not attaract attention, but did not openly avoid being seen either as he breezed out into the courtyard. The vision of the young guardsman easily made his way out of the palace, noted by few. Those who did happen to lay eyes upon him were confident that he was simply another of the loyal guard making his nightly rounds and not paid further notice..

Escaping into the city, Anxia let out a laugh. She hadn't felt so unfettered in years. Now she had only to locate her master and she could resume enjoying the evening.

[Darth Callidus]

It was the job of the Prime Minister to ensure the happiness of the people. Whilst the Queen Adraudia had final say on the governorship of Iziz City, it was Salem Ave who did much of the ground-work in establishing future policies. From the foundations upwards, he oversaw every change. More than anything, it was important for Ave to maintain a positive, thriving society – and yet... there was dissension amongst the masses.

As political and judicial figurehead, Salem had striven to eliminate crime wherever he could, wielding his power like the deft scalpel of a surgeon, cutting out any infection. Not all tumors could be so easily removed and those that lingered were like cancers, threatening to spread their corruption outwards. It could not be allowed. A revolution was brewing.

“Where are they?”

There was a damp choke. A man in grubby, ill-fitting clothing hung in mid-air. His body was being held stiffly by one of Callidus's outstretched hands, fingers curled like talons. The Force spread out from his fingertips like ropes of shadow, the tendrils whipped tightly around the beggars rigid body. The vagrant's eyes rolled wildly, mouth gaping for air that would not come. Callidus waited a moment longer and then, with a careless gesture, snapped the mans neck. His body crumpled into the ground with a thud, as the Sith Lord turned away at the sound of approaching footsteps. Anxia.

[Razielle Alastor]

She rounded the corner to find her master, face obscurred by his sinister mask, gazing dispassionately down at the body of a fallen vagrant. The man's neck was twisted, his head flopped at an unnatural angle. It didn't take a forensic team to determine the cause of death or the one responsible. Anxia dropped her arms to her sides, lowering her head without saying a word. None were needed really. She had been called tonight, not by her lover, but by her master. They had prey to seek.

Anxia approached, the toe of her boot catching the chin of the corpse, turning his face into the light. From the frustration rippling from Callidus, she decided that he had been killed for not providing information quickly enough for her master's liking. Whether or not he had been forthcoming with an answer or not, did not necessarily mean that his end would have been any different, however.. Anxia kicked his face back away from her, no longer desiring to observe sightless eyes or the way his head flopped around like a broken doll.

[Darth Callidus]

“Useless,” Callidus spat. His anger, usually so tightly leashed, seemed to bristle around him in thorny branches. The soft tendrils that so often coiled, lovingly, at his feet had become coarse and they crackled with a static-like energy. In irritation he lifted one hand to his brow. His fingertips passed right through the mask he wore, betraying it as an illusion.

“I am vexed, Anxia.”

[Razielle Alastor]

She could well see that, but did not remark upon it, having no desire to further provoke her Master's ire. Anxia dropped to a crouch before the body. She was not adverse to getting her pretty hands dirty. She began lifting dirtied folds of clothing and patting down the vagrants pockets, most of which were empty. Nothing, no name, no credits, no ID.. A dead end, to be sure.

A more careful examination led her to open the front of his jacket. It had caught her attention, the way that it seemed to hang off of him. Far too big for a man of his stature, and in better taste than the rest of his attire. It seemed.. borrowed. Within she discovered a breast pocket. Her fingers curved around a small rectangular card. She pulled it out an held it to the light.

Stop by! The Raging Boma:
Drinks and Bets, for a price!

"I know this place. It's between the merchants quarter and the 'port."

They were the first words out of her mouth, the first interjection she'd felt might be of any use to her Master. She prayed her little find proved true..

[Darth Callidus]

The discovery seemed to smooth some of Callidus's ruffled feathers. He exhaled slowly, deeply.

“Lead the way, then. Time is of the essence.”

[Razielle Alastor]

Anxia gave a curt nod and didn't waste another moment, turning to sprint down to the end of the street and into a darkened alley. Experience had taught her that the streets of Iziz could be confusing in their similarity. To gain a better insight into direction she jumped with the assistance of the force, grabbing ahold of a suspended ladder escape from a high level window. She didn't look back knowing that he would follow.

Using her arms and legs, she climbed with agility, gaining the roof. She could see far across the 'scape of the city from here. The lights of the starport were not far off, they could be there in minutes.

Not stopping, she continued her dash coming to the edge of the roof and leaping, seemingly floating above the gap between buildings before her feet crashed down upon the opposite roof and she resumed motion. She continued on this way, easily traversing the top of the city, bypassing spectators and clipping time off the journey, arriving at the merchants quarter, adjacent to The Raging Boma.

Only then did she stop.

[Darth Callidus]

Callidus moved like a phantom. Each vault and leap from building to building was soundless, and seemed little more than the flits and darts of night shadows. Only upon arriving at their destination did he regain substance and solidarity, as his body reformed – coagulated, even – out of the darkness. The sights, sounds and smells of the Raging Boma assaulted his senses in all their filthy glory.

“You've been here before?” he said, voice barely a whisper.

[Razielle Alastor]

She didn't bother to deny it. The streets of Iziz had not been forbidden to her, only the Wilds beyond the wall. She had a strange sort of camaraderie with some of the darker, less savory citizens of Iziz. They had proven themselves useful to her on a number of occasions gathering information she required and carrying out acts that Princess Razielle could not be linked to. The petty bourgeoisie that she often dealt with, so alien to her own unbringing, held an allure for her. The way decay and disease held interest for physicians.

"I've met with a few people here."

It was all she said. She was certain that her movements through the city were not unknown to her Master, and that he would know to whom she was refering.

The Raging Boma held appeal to many types of people. She'd even seen a few of the newly arrived Mandalorian scum frequent the place. They certainly hadn't wasted any time before integrating themselves into society. They would be tolerated though, as long as the treaty held.