It was mid afternoon. Although to the inhabits of the under city it was much more like the evening. The skyscraper’s shadows filled every crack blow them, hoarding the light for the upper world of Courscant.

Ana’s pace quickened as she made her trek past a shop with a holoscreen in its front window. The time flashed over and over across it. She was going to be late again. Romen would not be happy with her.

As she stepped off a curb onto the streets, a speeder flew by, blowing her hood back and she cursed aloud. “Damnit! Why don’t you slow down you lame bantha!?” She called out to the already long gone driver. She let out a sigh and pushed her ebony locks back into her hood and replaced it back on her head. She shoved her hands into her pockets and crossed the street.

A few more blocks, and a couple turns and she was at her destination, a bakery in the 13th sector. She saw him then, standing there with his arms crossed looking tall and unemotional as usual. Ana smiled and sprinted the rest of the few meters to him. He heard the footsteps and looked up at her just in time to ready himself as she embraced him deeply.

“Romen, I’m sorry I’m late!” she exclaimed a little breathless. He was stiff in her arms and barely returned her embrace. She let go of him and smiled broadly. “I’m glad you called today. I was wondering where you’ve been.”

Romen returned the smile, though it was much fainter and a little forced. “I’ve been busy. I just wanted to check up on you. I have to leave soon after this as well.”

Ana frowned. “Of course you do… well let me enjoy the time I have with you then.”

The walked into the bakery, the very first place they met and took seats in the small cafй area.

“So…” Ana began. “What’s been going on ?”

A man walked through Coruscant. It wasn't the same as some years ago. He cared about some people, but he wasn't a cop or something. Just a ordinary guy trying to make a living. Or atleast he was.

"Query: Master, are you thinking about the situation?" asked the droid. He was a HK-51 unit, but the man named him.

"Yes Reaper, i am." he said as he noticed a bakery. "What do you say we rest a little?"

"Answer: Oh sure Master, i just need to live with more stupid meatbags." Reaper shrugged. Jason laughed as they entered the bakery.

Solidus stared at two humans as they entered a bakery. At the current moment he had clocked himself and was poistioned on a wall of a top building. Solidus had targeted these two as his next prey. When he lost sight he jumped from the wall and landed on the floor where he regained sight of his marked prey.

He got into a pounce poistion where he could easly jump through the window and onto his target. However it was interputed when a pessanger stepped on his tail. Solidus angerly shreek and turned around to see who it was. There standing behind him mwas a heavily armoured bounty hunter. "What the hell!?" The bount hunter asked as Solidus exitted from his stealth shield. Solidus jumped on the bounty hunter and using his tail, Solidus stabbed the bounty hunter in the chest. Solidus then used his claw to tear off the bounty hunter and began to eat the bounty hunter alive.

Shadow stalked his target, waiting for the chance to kill him out of sight. He prefered to kill at night, but this target seemed to not like being out at night. They were coming up to an ally right after bakery so he drew his Vibrodagger to finish the job when the man let out a shriek and dropped.

Shadow immeadiatly drew his Assault Rifle but didn't fire when he saw what it was. Rethinking his options, he moved a bit farther away and primed his Plasma Grenade. He was almost sad to do it, but he could tell this creature was going to hinder his plans. He had his Stealth on, so he wouldn't be spotted throwing the grenade. He threw and it landed in front of the bakery about two feet away from the creature.

Sitting in a crouched position outside a holovid shop across the street from a bakery, sat Qu'zin speaking to anyone who passed by, in Geonosian, and his little companion Bue-Boe, repeating in Gungan. He was selling trinkets, not cheap rip-offs that some people are duped into buying, but quality items, but today not many were on the streets. Then down the street he say a person coming down the opposite end, after awhile he saw it was lady, quickly pulling out some refirbished jewelry he had fixed. But before he could speak she started sprinting towards a man at the bakery, he had tryed to sell some security tunnelers and computer spikes to him earlier, but the man didnt seem to care and only bought some salvaged ammo packs off him. He didnt care for bothering them, because he didnt want to ruin their moment, so he descided to sit and wait.
Then he saw a man and an droid walk up to the bakery, but before he could even get two words out they were inside.
'Blast! What luck today....first angry man buys ammo and wont pay set price, but Qu'zin did not want trouble....then lady comes by, but then she hugs the man and goes inside, and I spent all that trouble on fixing that jewelry....then! man and droid go by, and go in bakery....and I have good salvaged droid parts too!' he thought in his cold steely way "HHMMPH!!" he exclaimed 'What is it with this bakery!! I think I'll go and find out for myself!!' Qu'zin thought to himself.

He stood up, stretching out to his full 7 foot hight. Preening his wings he gathered his trinkets, weapons, datapad, and the few credits he had.

"Come Bue-Boe." he said in Gungan, "let us go to the bakery."

"Why we go?" Bue-Boe said in his limited programming of Basic.

Qu'zin thought on what he said, not knowing much Basic. "We must see why others are going in to it, and not paying attention to poor Qu'zin." he said, in his common tongue.
But right before he was in the bakery, he heard a piercing shreek, and he reeled around to see what it was. He say a ominous figure tearing a bounty hunter to pieces. His brow furrowing into a look of cold concetration. "Pret-qu'a!" he hissed, in Geonosian, and lifting his Geo. Electropole.
'Tick' he heard the faint press of a button on what he had commonly known was a grenade. Coming out of his concentrated look he weeled around on his heel at the sound of the grenade going through the air, then the 'Plunk' of it landing, and 'CRACK' smacking it with his Geo. pole it went flying into the air. 'Thoom' it could be heard in the distance, along with a couple of speeder car alarms going off.
Before he was noticed by the creature he opened the door, and dived into the bakery. Quickly putting his pole away and pulling his Ascension Gun out, he stared around at the shocked patrons, some staring at him some out the window at the creature. Finally his gaze met that of the man and women he had seen earlier, giving a cold stare to the man, and then trading the stare to the women, but quickly flashing a warm smile at her. He then readied himself, incase the creature decided to have a dessert pastry of his own!

Jason entered the bakery. It was a little rusted, but it had the same charm as when he entered years ago. He, followed by Reaper sat down in the cafй area as a waiter came.

"What do you wish sir?" he asked.

"Nothing yet." Jason replied, carefully watching two persons talking to each other.

As Shadow's grenade landed infront of Solidus, sencing danger, Solidus leeped on to nearby wall and dashed up it. While running he used natural stealth generator to hide from his attackers.

Shadow watched cloaked as the creature went stealthed and a Geonosion that sold trinkets wack the grenade away from the bakery. When the grenade went off, it completely melted the tops of the speeders. He knew that the creature was probably waiting in the nearby ally to pounce again on some unaware person. Or, it sensing to much danger in the area to risk it, simply moved to another area. Either way, he wasn't going to find out by standing there.

He moved closer and saw that the tornup bounty hunter was actually alive. He was careful not to move into view sight of the bakery's windows because even though he was stealthed, they could see the air slightly warped around him. It didn't look like the creature was here. he saw a trail of blood from the creatures claws going into the ally and decided that it had fled. It looked like it could climb very well.

He decide that since he his target was technically dead anyway, he disengaged his stealth generator and walk into the bakery, where he came face to face with the Geonosion who looked like he was ready to fight to the death.

"Hello." Shadow said to him with a smile on his face. He was surprised because he had never met anyone his height before so he looked at him face to face.

After only a minute he finished with his earlier victim, Solidus went off hunting for a new one. This time he decided that his prey would be somewhere off the surface. That when he saw the rising elivator. Inside he could see a large hutt on his rodians gaurds. Solidus jumped from building to building to get closer the the elivator. And when he was close enoug he pounced...

Looking the stranger up and down Qu'zin with his Ascension Gun at the ready, finally looked into his eyes, which for the first time he noticed they were level with his, and not down low.

"Hhmm" he mumbled to himself, "Bue-Boe, check the dead guy...he might have food." he said to the little remote in gungan, which is known to be a very rare thing for anyone to understand gungan.

"Hiya" Qu'zin said in basic with a rye smile, while lowering his gun a bit.

Bue-Boe came back with a rather large sack, he was holding it with four little armiture like extentions that came out of his partially open shell, and he seemed to be straining, but he didnt complain. Qu'zin took the sack, "Thank you" he said to Bue-Boe, Bue-Boe whistled and chirped happily in common remote fashion. Looking into the contents of the bag, Qu'zin looked up at the stranger and said "You want something special off man? If not Qu'zin keep stuff in bag! kay kay!" Qu'zin exclaimed in a lower voice in his normal dialect, staring at the man almost as if he knew what he did for a living, and that he had thrown the grenade that almost killed him and every one in the bakery.

"Curious about the man outside. But to resume on subject, what do you have?" Shadow asked taking of his gloves. They were very pale. The Geonosion looked old, but still had a lot of fight in him. Shadow cast a look over everyone else in the bakery, but felt himself flare at the sight Roman. So close to gut, yet so far in chances to get out alive with practicly everybody armed in here. He was glad he mastered his face long ago or his face would have easily shown his hostility to Romen.

Jason finally ordered a coffee. He drank it, but noticed a guy looking at him from the window. Jason also noticed the guns on his belt.

"Reaper." he said.

"Query: Yes Master?" he asked.

Jason nodded to the side and Reaper looked.

"Whisper: Ah, Bounty Hunter." he whispered. Reaper got up and outside, and watched the Bounty Hunter.

Qu'zin smiled at the stranger, "I have many things, I have security tunnelers, spikes, and jammers....hhmm....I have refirbished ammo packs, grenades, missiles, and small guns....hhmm,hhmm....I have remade jewelry for ladies, unless you freaky, I no think you want jewelry!" said Qu'zin happily, "I have self made darts, and toys for little ones, and some medpacks and stimulants....just about everything you would want and need....but medpacks are high price....so are ammo packs....seeing as Qu'zin needs them sometimes, and they hard to come by free!" said Qu'zin looking around at the people. "Or do you want something off of the man you were after" said Qu'zin in a voice only the stranger could hear.

"Security tunnelers, spikes, and," Shadow lowered his voice also, "A datapad that the man had." Shadow had a straight face now. This Geonosion was smart, but hopfully not to know what he did. Then Shadow asked with a smile on his face "What's your name?"

"Hhmm....hhmm" mumbled Qu'zin as he let the sack down, some of it's contents spilling out, "oop, silly old me, could you pick that up while I get you those security tunnelers and spikes plus those jammers" said Qu'zin, straight faced and making subtle hints with his gun towards the datapad that had fallen out. While Qu'zin shuffled through his trinket kit he said "my name is Quar-nak Toob Kriue-shuk, but for simple human use, I am Qu'zin!" he said, looking like he was having trouble getting to the security items, when he really wasnt.

Shadow understood and pick up the things and put them in the bag, while sliding the datapad into his cloak. When they finished, he stood up and said "Now lets see to buying those tunnelers, spikes, and jammers."

Handing the security equipment over Qu'zin said, "that will be 25 credits" he looked at him straight faced, and motioned for him to go outside.

"Very well." Shadow said handing him a 25 credit chip and going outside, getting the hint.

Qu'zin looked at the chip, put it in his cloak pocket, and followed Shadow outside.

"So your a Geonosian who broke the monarchy insinct? That's a legendary site. I've heard of a few, but no other Geonosian I've met would ever confirm it." Shadow started of as they went down the street.

"Hhmm, hm, yes" said Quzin seeming distracted. He stopped at a street corner, not too far from the bakery. "So...what is it that you do, exactly?" said Qu'zin, showing no emotion.

"Would you really like to know? That might set you up as a target for Gaias because he doesn't like what I do." Shadow asked, also showing no emotion, and putting on his gloves.

"I've been a target since I came here three years ago, I'm still standing aren't I?" said Qu'zin honestly, "I might die from starvation though!" Qu'zin laughed in common geonosian fashion. "But...yes I'd like to know" said Qu'zin looking over at Shadow, with an honest smile, and the look of knowing and kinship on his scarred and wrinkled face.

"You could say I've been hunting Gaias, but since his location is a mystery, I've been hunting his agents. You'd be surprised how much stuff I find off of their bodies that they squeezed from poor people. That's practically how I've been staying alive myself. I've been doing that since I was about, 15 years old I think, maybe a bit younger. Gaias hides himself well." Shadow said, a smile of, what? Sorrow? Pain? "Your right though. Sometimes I spend so much on weapons I forget to feed myself." he said with a short laugh.

"Hhhmmm...." mumbled Qu'zin to himself, pondering. "I like you...what was it..Shadow....I think I'll help you, and in doing so...we can both get enough credits to feed each other, what do you say? Hm?" Qu'zin said putting his hand on Shadow's shoulder, to show he meant what he said.

"You've got yourself a deal. It's been somewhat lonely not having some to talk to anyway. I've got enough credits on me right now if you want to get something to eat?" Shadow asked.

"That sounds nice, I'll buy the drinks!" said Qu'zin smiling. "Come Bue-Boe" said Qu'zin to his little companion.

So they headed off to the nearby Cantina, as darkness began to cover the undercity. ((Hopfully somelse will post. Don't just want this to be about Shadow and Qu'zin. There was an issue about people disappearing I recall.))

((Yeah, we cant be a two man crew on this thread! hhmm, I wonder why MutantMix hasn't logged on in so long?))

Donovin sat behind his desk contemplating while flipping a coin through his fingers. He took out a cigar from the box on his desk and lit it up. A Twilek majordomo entered the room.

"Sir, Verudav is back, he has him." The Twilek said.

"Very well, send him in." Donovin replied

In came Verudav entered the room first followed by two men draggin a man in by his arms. The captive had a black bag over his head, and obviously his mouth was gagged from the muffled screams. The men made him drop to his knees, pulled the bag of his face, and took out what had him gagged. Donovin stood up and walked around his desk going to the man. He took a puff from his cigar and blew the smoke in his face.

"So you are the one sneaking around my spice warehouses?" Donovin asked.

"I...I....I won't go to the authorities, I promise!" He pleaded.

"I know." Donovin replied as pulled out his dagger and stabbed the man right in the throat. He choked a bit, but after a moment his eyes went shut. The men dragged him out of the room leaving Donovin alone with Verudav. Donovin whiped his dagger clean and looked at Verudav.

"Another spice shipment has just come in from Nar Shaddaa. Make sure it gets taken care of properly." Verudav nodded and left.

Jason got out. He carefully stared at the Bounty Hunter. It was nothing more than a man in normal clothes with a rifle. As he got out, the Hunter quickly charged but Jason ducked and shot the Hunter's leg as Reaper shot him in the shoulder. Jason then put his hand in is pocket and got out his money: 2000 credits.

"You won't need this any more." He said before walking away with his hood up.

Patience too wait for the right time is the key to any hunter. To get patience, you must learn discipline. To learn discipline, you must go through trial and error to learn why. And you must make sure that if you don't succeed, that you must live to fight another day. Those words seemed so familiar, yet he had never heard them before. He had just thought of it during his times waiting for his targets.

He currently waited on a roof for his next target that he had learned of from that datapad. Qu'zin was at Shadow's safe house. It was a cool night, and almost pitch black with the exception of a few lights, but Shadow's eyes had adapted to the darkness long ago. There was also the fact that there was a night vision attachment to his rifle so the world was green.

His target came into view. While a lot of people didn't like the night, that was the time most use to do their illegal business. And that was fine with him.

He pulled the trigger and the rifle kicked against his shoulder. There was a silencer attachment so the bullet didn't wake the whole neighborhood. The target dropped.

He activated the stealth generator and jumped down to search the corpse. The body didn't have much. 100 credits, a stim, and some food. But what caught his eye was the bag of spice. Spice was no good to him so he threw it into the sewer and took the rest.

Ryan was riding his speeder, when suddenly he passed by a Swoop Racing Dome. "This is one place where Gaias guys sure are." He thought. He parked his speeder and entered the Dome. At the entrance a Twi’lek greeted him.

"Hello sir, are you here to bet in a race? Or do you want to be in the racing business?" She asked.

"I wish to be a racer." Replied Ryan.

"Well first, you have to answer some form questions." She said.

"Fine by me." Ryan already knew that she was going to ask something like that.

"First, are you over 18?" She asked.

"Yes." Replied Ryan obviously.

"Second, do you have any disease that may incapacitate you from racing?"

"No."

"Third, do you have any experience on swoop racing?"

"I drive a speeder. Is that enough?"

"Hum...yes. Fourth do you have a swoop bike?"

Now Ryan couldn't say anything but no.

"No."

"Them I'm sorry, but our agency doesn't supply the swoop bikes."

"That's ok. Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon sir.

Then Ryan walked away, and entered his speeder. While he was heading home, a thought come to his head. "Maybe I can win a swoop bike in plazaak from a drunk." He thought, and then he headed to the most popular local cantina

This target was to prove a more intreasting kill. He looked like a business man of some sort and was being escorted by four guards. He considered picking them off with a sniper rifle, but then they would have a chance to escape after the first dropped. A plasma grenade would melt away evidence that might lead to others. So, it was silent assaination.

He had out his two Vibrodaggers and was trailing them with the stealth generator on. He easily slit the throats of the two in the rear and caught them before they dropped, lowering them to the ground slowly. It was easy to do the same with the bussines man and the other two guards in the front.

He searched the corpses and again found a bag of spice, bigger this time. There was also a datapad with where two other contacts would be meeting.

So it continues, Shadow thought and made his way to were his next target would be.

Qu'zin had left Shadow's safe house, and he was now following the obvious trail of dead bodies Shadow was leaving behind. He would stop and drag the bodies into allies, so no one else would follow him. He saw the bags of spice, he cringed, knowing what the stuff does in the long run. But, he grabbed the spice anyways, he knew, that though spice was an illegal drug, it was worth triple, in restoring explosives! He pulled out a sandwich he had made from some stuff in Shadow's safe house, and started munching on it, and trotted up behind the obvious stealthed figure.

Shadow heard someone behind him and whipped around to see Qu'zin. "What are you doing here?" Shadow asked deactivating his stealth.

"I'm here to help!?" he said quizically, "I thought we shook on it, you know, me helping you, to get at Gaias." "Besides, you were leaving a trail, too obvious, unless you want every thug of Gaias's after you, or worse the Pret-qu'a, then you should really learn to conseal bodies!" he said, then taking another bite of his sandwich.

"Oh, right. I don't normally think about other things when I'm out hunting. As for the trail, I normally pick up after I make a mess. As for every thug, they have to get the orders from someone and they normally record who that someone was for future reffrance. And to tell the truth, I don't know what a Pret-qu'a is." Shadow said, turned around, fired a shot from his Sniper Rifle, and a body dropped. "You can help by looting these bodies and concealing them." Shadow said.

"Get the crates into the speeder, do it quickly." Verudav said calmy. Then men quickly began to do the transfer.

"Hey, what about my money?" asked the pilot of the ship that brought in the spice.

Verudav pulled out a neat stack of Republic credit bills from his pocket and handed it to the man without looking at him. Once the spice was loaded into the large cargo speeder, he signaled for his men to get ready to leave. They all piled into the cargo speeder. Verudav got into the passenger seat of the cargo speeder while one of his henchman prepared to drive it.

"To the warehouse." He said vaguely. The henchman nodded and pulled out of the docking area.

Ryan entered the cantina,and went to the plazaak corner. After winning some games he said:

"I'll put my speeder on the line, if anyone puts their swoop."

This was risky, but Ryan knew that. Then a Trandoshan accepts. This duel was in a tie 2-2, and the last round began. Thrandoshan's turn:
He pulls out a 10.

Ryan's turn:
He pulls out a 6 and adds 4.

It was 10-10, and it was Thrandoshan's turn:
He pulls out a 5 and adds 1.

Ryan's turn:
He pulls out a 3.

It's 16-13. Thrandoshan's turn:
He pulls out a 3, and by his facial expression it wasn't what he expected.

Ryan's turn, he needs a lucky 7:
NO! He pulls a unlucky 6. The Trandoshan laughs. But Ryan has a -/+ 1 card and he plays it. Ryan wins.

"Who's laughing now hum?" Ryan ruffles the victory on the Trandoshan's face.

"You cheated!" Says the Trandoshan, not taking well the lost.

"No, man. I didn't you had pretty chances too." Ryan tries to calm him down.

"You have big mouth! That mouth will cost your life!"

The Trandoshan pulls out a Heavy Blaster, and starts shooting at Ryan. Luckilly Ryan, pushed the table to protect him. Everybody ran, except the another Trandoshan, who was friend of the shooting one. The Trandoshan's blasts were making wholes on the table, Ryan had one chance of getting his blaster and shoot him the head. He tried that but he almost got shot. Then he picked up a chair and threw it, the Trandoshan shot the chair, but meanwhile Ryan aimed his Scout Blaster to the Trandoshan's head,and Bam! Right in the middle of the eyes.

After finsihing the last target, Shadow and Qu'zin headed back to the safe house. Then there was shouting and people running out of the nearby cantina.

"Should we go see what's going on?" Shadow asked Qu'zin.

"Observation: Master, there seems to be a fight at the local cantina. Shall we make it more interesting?" Reaper asked.

"Sure, but don't fire unless they fire at you." Jason said. They got in and were greeted by 3 blaster shots and they hid behind a table.

"Holy hell, kill them all!" Jason shouted.

"Proud Statement: Yes Master, i will blast those meatbags." Reaper said before getting up and started shooting as Jason did the same thing, usually crouching after shooting.

Qu'zin licked the sandwich crumbs off his figures, he heard what Shadow said and looked up at the cantina with blaster bolts flying out of the window.

"Hhmm, stale bread...but good....huh? Oh, yes we should check it out, it might be Gaias's men making some kind of trouble...you never know," he said while unshouldering his hefty Light Repeater, and nodding to Shadow to lead.

Shadow jogged up to the door and peeked inside. All the tables were turned over and the blaster fire was non-stop. He noticed a table overturned near their position and it was not being used. He and Qu'zin ran to it and began to open fire.

Every time Shadow would try to get a shot off with his Sniper Rifle, a dozen shots would come his way. So he switched to his MA5B ICWS Assault Rifle ((I love this Halo weapon. And yes, ICWS is part of its real name.)) and unleashed a barrage of fire at the area of the droids and his owner. He doubted that a droid could withstand 7.62mm Armor Piercing rounds at 15 rounds per second.

((Is your gun the regular Assault Rifle from Halo, or the Battle Rifle, or what? I'm not one to memorize the Letters, and Characters of the weapon names in Halo!)) Qu'zin followed Shadow in, in old commando stile, he got behind Shadow a bit, and unfolded the gun stalk. He waited till the fire died down just a little, and set the big repeater rifle on the table edge. Soon he had joined in, shooting high amounts of superheated plasma energy at anything shooting back!

"Watch out Reaper!" Jason said before dropping lied to the ground as Reaper did, avoiding blaster shots.

"What the hell is wrong with that guy, we didn't shoot at him!"

Seeing the them drop before the bullets could hit them, which he found hard to believe since bullets break the speed of sound, he used a moment to to prime a plasma genade and threw it to the table the Trandoshans were at. It fell behind behind the table where they were at, and while they tried to run, were caught in the blast. It left a minicrater and smoldering corpses.

He then resumed spraying fire at anything that fired a shot.

Ryan saw the mess that the plasma grenade did to the table next to his, and he also noticed that the other Trandoshan was dead, so he searched his plazaak opponent. He found some keys and a datapad.

"This must be the swoop keys, and this datapad must tell me wher it is." Ryan noticed the blasts. " I better get out of here."

Ryan crouched an ran, when he reached the open exit door, he rolled out of the cantina, jumped into his speeder and drove away, as he saw police expecial forces arriving to the cantina.

Shadow heard the police forces and knew it was time to leave. He motioned to Qu'zin and dashed out the back entrance, sticking to the shadows, using allys and rooftops to move across the block. The rest of the way to the safe house was uneventful seeing as it was night and there were no more targets.

After Solidus had finished with the Hutt and it's guard, the beast was pretty much full up however his blood lust had only grown stronger. It was now scanning the surface for new prey while he crawled the walls of large buildings that supported Coruscant's ubber city.

((Yay, useless post!!))