Another Night on Enton (Hera, open)

[Darren Caerdeth]

"So let me get this straight. You killed a rancor with nothing but a club, and wearing a loincloth?"

"Of course, you make it sound like its something special."

Despite how much they resisted, Darren had drawn a bit of attention from some of the regulars at Poseidon's Gate, one of the local bars on the planet Enton. He'd been going on for nearly an hour over his past deeds and misadventures. At first, he'd just sat down and started talking uninvited. Soon enough though, a few people had gathered around him, trying to decide whether Darren was telling the truth or not.

Earlier that night, Darren had fed, and subsequently took his food's wallet. Inside of using the money to refuel his ship, Darren was right back at the bar he'd tried to rob a week earlier, having a few drinks.

Finally, as Darren began his tale on how he'd once destroyed an entire Star Destroyer with a Stokhli Spray Stick, one of the more rugged regulars had heard enough.

"Why dont you just shut your mouth?"

Darren cut the man a bit of a sideways glance...

"Cause my breath is better than yours?"

The man was visibly steamed at the comment, and three of his buddies had stood to take his back.

"You wanna take this outside?"

"Well, if you insist. But if I win, you gotta buy my drinks for the rest of the night."

Without answering, the man and his entourage made there way outside the bar.

"If you gentlemen will excuse me..."


Minutes later....

It was a pretty gruesome site. One of the men had pulled his blaster, and gotten his arm broken for his misdeed, and was then sot by his own blaster, while holding it. Darren looked as if he hadnt even broken a sweat as he was now emptying the pockets of his expired opponents...

[DarthHERA]

'You dont know when to leave a good thing alone do you?"

Hera's voice reached him from behind as Darren was still crouched over his vanquished opponent, rumaging the pockets.

"What hell are you still doing in Enton....Timmy is it?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"Yeah, but my friends call me Frank. And I didnt start this one Ms. Vader. They challenged me to a fight, and I agreed on the terms that they buy my drinks for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, they break a bit easy."

Darren punctuated his last statement by lifting up the broken arm of the man who pulled the blaster on him.

"And I think the proper question is, what are YOU still doing on Enton, aside from gawking at me?"

[DarthHERA]

"I live here, idiot" she replied without rancour. Her eyes dropping from Darren to the dead man and back again.

"And thats' Darth Vader to you" she added. "Looks like you killed them" She stated the obvious and Darren nodded that it looked that way.

Caerdeth's recent robbery attempt on her bar had ended in the two conversing over drinks. Odd really, that she hadn't cast the rogue into the Dungeons of Poseidon, but he had a certain way about him that Hera found amusing and entertaining.

And now, it seems he was not unskilled when it came to combat. In her mind, an idea was coalescing.

"So...still without a roof over your head, and no direction in your life are you Frank?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"So it would seem Darth, but im a devious one."

Darren stood back up and began the task of pocketing the wallets that had only moments ago come into his possession.

"But yes, there's no roof over my head. As you may plainly see, we're outside, and such a position usually demands the absence of a roof, unless you're hiding a gazebo, you busty devil."

[DarthHERA]

She ignored the comment. Her short experience with him had taught her that he loved to try press all the buttons.

"Come inside Darren, lets talk."

She called him deliberately by his first name. She had done some homework on him, it seemed.

Hera opened the Bar door, and gestured for Caerdeth to step inside.

[Darren Caerdeth]

"You heard the woman...."

Darren glanced over at the leader of the men he'd fought.

"Darren?"

Leaning down, Darren gave the man a few light slaps, as if trying to wake him up.

"Ah, well I guess I should go in your place then. I wont let you down mate."

Giving a slight bow, Darren strutted back into the bar. Unlike last time, a few people moved aside to let him pass, seemingly a bit impressed at the show he'd put on.

Stepping up beside Hera, Darren gave the bar a quick once over, and noticed the same booth that they had occupied before was empty, and presumed that it was reserved for the lovely temptress he now had the pleasure of accompanying.

"So, Hera, should we call this a second date?"

[DarthHERA]

"No"

She would not even give him an inch, but that was typical of her.

Sitting down, she nodded to the bar tender (who was not very happy to see Darren back again) and he immediately brought her over some rum.

Looking to Darren, his asked "anyfin fer you mate?"

It was not lost on Hera that Darren had acted like he didnt recognise his own name when adressed by it. A rueful grin tugged at the Faene Mistress's lips.

She wondered why he was so eager to hide who he was.

[Darren Caerdeth]

"Yeah, go back behind the bar, then hit yourself, in the face, really hard. Then bring me so rum, I think Im developing a taste for it."

Looking back to Hera, Darren slouched in his seat a bit.

"So.....missed me?"

[DarthHERA]

"Of course"

She smiled.


"Why wouldnt I...after all, a Vampyre theif who insults my staff and tries to knockoff my bar..how could I not?"

She leaned forward, her blue eyes icey.

"You are a vamp, I am correct yes?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

Darren leaned forward and smiled, letting his fangs show a bit.

"I knew you were sweet on me, I guess thats why you went out of your way to find out who I am."

Leaning back again, Darren gave a glance over to the barkeep, who was purposely busying himself with matters aside from Darren's drink.

"You know, all you had to do was ask."

[DarthHERA]

"Some times its better to play the games - though I must admit I am more a fan of the direct approach"

She gave his fang a flick of her finger, then sat back a little.

"So why dont I just get to the point"

Darren slightly inclined his head in the way that indicated he was listening and that she should proceed.

"Correct me if I am wrong, but you are a bit of a showman aren't you. You come in here, all loud and look at me - Most Vampyres that Ive met tend to work the tall, pale and mysterious angle. But not you. Your'e....a..poser, for lack of a better word. You like the limelight - stop me any time"

She waited a response..

[Dan the Man]

A figure silently cracked the door open behind Darren, and looked to Hera, wordlessly inquiring if his services would be necessary.

[DarthHERA]

Her eyes moved like liquid pools, taking in Dan's arrival. The glance exchanged between them was an unspoken communication - Dan could join her if he liked, but she was not in any danger. She was talking business. If Dan cared to listen in, he was welcome.

[Darren Caerdeth]

"Forgive me for fallin outside of your whole vampyre stereo type there, but if I may be so bold, Vamps dont seem to be your most favorite thing in the galaxy, so maybe my attitude isnt exactly a bad thing..."

Darren gave a slight nod and a wink, as if he'd just shared with her the secret of life. That was the first serious statement he'd made in while, so he took a bit of pride in it.

[DarthHERA]

"Quite right"

Her answer was simple. Better not to elaborate on her distaste for the Damned when she was out to make a profit from one sitting across from her.


"I see you are a betting man. Though I would have taken you for setting bigger stakes than just some free drinks. Still, no use taking big from small time eh." She segweyed into her sell, "You ever been to the Gamorrean Gladiator fights on Praeor 3?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"Once or twice, back before I became someone's snack, if you catch my drift."

It was apparent now that Darren's drink wasnt coming, and it was even more apparent that Hera wasnt gonna touch hers. Typical business woman, alcohol inhibits judgement. She must have had a proposition for him. Luckily for Darren, it was nearly impossible to get drunk, so he helped himself to her drink.

"I didnt get to linger too long though, wasnt really there for entertainment."

[DarthHERA]

This puzzled her.

"Not for the entertainment?"

She watched him enjoying her rum, but remained focused on the topic at hand.

"Surely...the place exists for no other purpose than to entertain. Unless .... you were there as a combatatant?"

Her brows raised at this possibility.

"Just how good a fighter are you?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

Darren began to elaborate, but stopped himself. Dollar signs were beginning to form on the horizon it seemed, so it was high time he drug himself back to reality, at least for a little bit.

"Actually, I was there to move one of the gladiators from the arena back to Coruscant...."

Darren took a drink of the rum and finished his sentance quietly, almost to himself.

"without permission."

[DarthHERA]

Her laugh was a low, throaty rumble and her genuine amusement made her eyes glint wickedly.

"Is that right? Fancied yourself as a bit of a promoter yourself did you?"

This conversation was going the way Hera had wanted - she found it hard to believe that things may fall into place for her proposal with such ease.

"And how did that all go?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"You mean before or after the Gamorrean snapped his binders?"

Darren gauged Hera's response to continue when her interest seemed to peak.

"Before, it was going great. Met with my contact, who already had him drugged. Got him on my ship, took off, and he woke up, freaked out and snapped his binders. Had to kill the poor bastard."

[DarthHERA]

"How importune of him to waken" she responded dryly.

"And ever since that sad scenario, you've been what...a hobo?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"I bounced back, everyone has their dry spells. Then I ended up being dinner for a woman on Coruscant. Kinda threw me a curveball."

Darren finished off the rum, and reverted to his suave sense of manners and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"I hid out at her place for awhile, which coincidentally enough, had a bit of a gladiator arena, and now I spend my days keepin myself entertained and hiding out from sunlight."

[DarthHERA]

She sat for a moment, not saying anything, just watching him.

Poor bugger, and now he's dead, she thought with rare consideration.

But back to business. She shifted in her seat.

"Well, Mr. Caerdeth I myself have recently travelled to Praeor 3, attending the games there, and have since felt a desire to set up a similar enterprise - only not on such a grand scale. More of a local thing, a club. For fighting. For betting on fighting actually. Well, for both really. Each kind of feeding the other in a neat circle of violence and profit."

She gestured for the bartender to bring more rum as she gave Darren a moment to consider the idea.

"It would have to be somewhere other than on Enton - Im not crazy about attracting more attention to my set up here than necessary. Coruscant seemed a good plan.

The thing is...I want someone to front it for me. Someone unconnectable to my operation here. Someone such as yourself.."

[Darren Caerdeth]

For a moment, Darren wondered if she wasnt just trying to get him to fly back to Coruscant, thus removing him from her hair. If that was the case though, then she had a flawless poker face.

"Well, its definately something to consider. There are laws on Coruscant though. I'd hate to get shut down in our first week of business, and have the blame shoved back on me."

[DarthHERA]

A cheshire smile spead over her full lips.

"You can leave the local authorities to me. In fact, you'll be leaving most the business side of things to me, or my people, altogether. You...you just need to be my Showman. A character to give the place some flair, some personality - which, as we've already covered, you have an abundance of.

As I see it, people pay to fight - to test their mettle against our champions and build themselves some presteige, some notoriety. Others, the spectators - and there are always plenty of those - will lay bets on the outcome. Toss in a few leggy blondes, or redheads or blue chicks as taste may prefer, serving good rum and better stim and we have ourselves a cocktail for success"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"You seem to have things thought out thoroughly then."

Darren noted the assuring nod she gave.

"Which makes it safe to assume you've already calculated how big my cut will be..."

[DarthHERA]

Again the low, throaty laugh.

Yep, no shortage of personality with this one.

The rum arrived and this time Hera instructed the barman to leave the bottle.

"Your cut would be base, then depending on how much success we enjoyed, would be augmented on percentage of takings.

You would have a home, a steady income, no shortage of company.." she let that hang for a moment, "and an opportunity to clock as many individuals as you could manage in a night and be paid for it.

Sounds like paradise to me."

[Darren Caerdeth]

"But im what you call superficial. A steady income for you and a steady income for me may be two different things."

Darren kicked back and poured himself a glass of rum.

"See, what I had in mind is what I like to call a trust fund. You give me a little bit more fund, and I trust that you can handle the local authorities and keep me out of prison. There isnt much that shakes me, but remember this. A life sentance for me is an awful long time."

[DarthHERA]

So he wants to play negotiation..


"Just how much 'fund' is your trust dependant on?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"Lets just say my cut will be augmented with a percentage of the earnings. You said it yourself we have a cocktail for success, so no use bothering with formalities."

The way Darren saw it, success was like beauty. It was in the eye of the beholder. Leaving the definition of success up to Hera didnt sit very well with him, since he didnt know just what she would consider successful to be.

[DarthHERA]

Darren struck her as never having had such a proposal put to him before, and was a little at a loss as to how to set himself up properly fineprint-wise - except for the natural urge to be well taken care of.

"How does a 15 thousand credit retainer sound? That will take care of you while the Club gets set up. I already have been looking out for sites on which to open. Talks are already in the works on a particular premises in the Westside subburbs of the City.

Then, a weekly wage of 1000 credits, which will be added to by the percentage of profits once we open for business. How does 7 percent sound? We can re-negotiate after six months, if you like. But we gotta get the thing viable first."

Hera waited for Darren to do his math.

[Darren Caerdeth]

Darren put on his poker face. One thousand credits a week wasnt nickel and dime stuff, unless he really had been working the wrong profession his whole life. It struck him that crime really might not pay, of course, this was crime too, which quickly settled his insecurity over his past investiments.

Even still, he didnt wanna seem excited. That would work against him during future negociations. Instead, he simply kept his demeanor.

"That sounds like a good start, and we may just stumble on to something...beautiful."

Darren cleared his throat somewhat, and his face took on a more serious look. It looked as if 'negociation mode' had just kicked in.

"What about sex?"

[DarthHERA]

"What?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"You dont know what sex is?"

Darren absently scratched at the back of his head...

"wow....that explains alot."

[DarthHERA]

"I meant," Hera replied with tested patience, "What about it?"

She gave the answer for him herself.

"What you do with your body in that regard is up to you. I dont think we need to put that anywhere in the contract."

She added as a premeptive warning, "as long as you're not doing things that adversely effect business, that is."

She gave him a queer, speculative look. Clearly, she was wondering things she did not want to give voice to..

[Darren Caerdeth]

"No no, I meant between us...You know, thats how they sign documents on Kiorash Prime."

Darren answered Hera's glare with a quick nod of his head.

"Yup, right there on the table."

[DarthHERA]

"Really?"

Thats not a bad setup, she had to admit.

"Well, you and I will just do it the old fashioned way - with inscriber and holopad.

Got any other questions?"

[Darren Caerdeth]

"None that you'd answer. Except for maybe some idea of a location. Tends to make the first day of work go by a bit smoother."

Darren gave things another quick once over, then scribbled a name across the pad with the inscriber. He sat the inscriber down with a bit of bravado...

"so, do I at least get like, a hug or something?"

[DarthHERA]

Hera swiped up the holopad and stood all in one motion.

There would be no hug for Darren, it seemed.

"Stick around here for a few days. Let me iron out any hiccups as to the setup and then you can get busy living the good life"

She spared him a smile.

"I hear Coruscant is nice this time of year.."

She turned and left him sitting at the table, stopping to speak to the bar tender to see that Darren was taken care off.

As she left, though Darren would never know, Hera was smiling. She was going to have her own club.