Meetings. Preparing to fight!
09 Jul 2017Jubei Himura
Tjakiri
Clair Dock, Arena Administration
“Name?”
The receptionist looked bored despite being surrounded by well toned men. She was one of six people who Black Omega selected to “interview” the potential fighters for the upcoming tournament, a job that she wasn’t too happy with. All the candidates up until now had been mindless idiots just looking for a cash-in. Maybe there was one or two that she thought could go far, maybe the man in front of her.
“Hunter,” he said, staring back at her.
She looked up at the man. His brown hair was slightly messy, but looked like it was brushed back at one point. The black leather eye patch he wore on his right eye created a mock part in his hair from the leads wrapping diagonally around his head. What may have once been a neatly trimmed beard was now getting scraggly. However, there was a look of defiance and cold confidence that showed in the deep blue of his left eye.
At least he doesn’t smell, she thought to herself. “I’m going to need a last name for the form, sweetie.”
“Lionheart.” His voice was cold and to the point.
It’s him! The one who hurt the dockmaster and his woman was right in front of her. I have to inform the Mistress!
“Okay, and why do you want to fight in our tournament?” She would have to make some excuse to leave, but make him stay at the same time.
“I need to test myself, and... let’s just say there are some people who think I’m going to run away. I want to prove them wrong.”
“Good enough.” The receptionist picked up her holoslate as she got out of her chair. “I’m just going to take this to my boss and see what they think.”
“You do that, darlin’.” He smiled gently and leaned back in his seat. “I’m not going anywhere.”
The receptionist smiled and left through the curtain in the back. She quickened her pace through the long hallway until she came to a rather large door that said Control. The door slid open in response to her presence and she stepped forward into the dark room that was only illuminated by holoscreens.
"What?"
In the shadows behind the central desk was a feminine figure. The receptionist's eyes adjusted to the low light.
"It's him." She pointed to a security holoscreen of Hunter, still waiting at her table. The shadowed figure didn't react. "The one who attacked Wrex and his wife. He wants to fight in the pits."
“Just as Werx and Nicholas said.” The woman turned her head and moved the dreadlocks away from her face. “Not much to look at, is he? Shame, I was hoping for another handsome one like…”
Hunter looked at the camera and smirked. “I’m getting kinda bored here. Can you hurry it up a bit, darlin’?”
“At least he’s smart enough to know he’s being watched.” Marrakech Morgan leaned over the desk and smiled, making the mocking gleam in her eyes more apparent to the receptionist. “Sign him up.”
“Why would he stay if he knows we’re watching him?” came the expected question.
Marra chuckled to herself and waved her hand. “He said it himself, didn’t he?”
“He’s got something to prove.”
* * * * *
Jubei took a seat at the bar as he waited for his contact to show. “Hunter Lionheart” was a name that he took from his previous adventures at Clair Dock. A name given to him from a dear friend who saved his life from addiction and depression. A friend who was a mentor during the worst time in his life. Jubei sat there quietly reminiscing to himself about the gentle giant that used to sit next to him those many years ago, when he felt the hot angry breath of another large man who now stood behind him.
“Listen kid, you mind taking a step back?” Jubei calmly spoke, seemingly not caring that the large, well-built man was clearly upset. “I can practically smell what you had for breakfast.”
“I should gut you here and now.” Stryker’s voice was low and deadly.
Jubei turned around on his stool and looked Stryker right in the eye, “Are you going to listen to what I have to say?”
The large man remained quiet as he took a stool next to Jubei and placed his very dangerous, mechanical arm on the bar. “You saved me, so I owe you that much.”
“Fair enough.” Jubei picked up his glass of Cubeo Gold and took a sip before speaking further. “Things ain’t what they seem-”
Stryker’s eyes narrowed. In the same cold soft voice he cut Jubei off. "You're telling me. Someone beat the hell out of Wrex and Arcy. You know anything about that?"
“Yes, that was me.” The smaller man looked down at his drink with a hint of sadness. “I had my reasons, bub.”
Stryker’s clawed hand dug into the wood of the bar as he thought back to the time he spent with Wrex’s family. Memories of stories he told and the life they shared with him played out in his head. “They were your friends Jubei.”
“You think I would forget that so easily?! Think, kid.” Jubei hissed.
Stryker was taken aback by the outburst. Sure, it was quiet enough that no one else heard Jubei’s words, but it was the anger in his face that made the large man snap out of his own rage.
“Do you think they’d still be alive if your bosses found out that they invited me into their home, knowing full-well who I am?!” The words were harsh in tone, but Jubei regained his composure. “No, they’d be dead. So I did what I had to, and now they’re off the watch list.”
“And you’re telling me because…”
“Because, no matter what path you’re walking right now, you’ve got some potential in you.” Jubei finished his drink. “Wrex n’ Arcy are good people. They helped me when I needed it most, and they’ll probably do the same for you. Wrex spoke highly of you, and that means something.”
Stryker didn’t know what to say. Here was a man who was asking him to protect the very same people that the he’d put into the infirmary. Something didn’t add up. Why would Jubei tell him all of this? Something about who he was…
“You’re the infiltrator that Marra was searching for.”
“Maybe, who knows?” Jubei ordered another drink before the light bulb finally went on. “Wait, Marra... as in Marrakech? As in Marrakech Morgan, the daughter of Rabat Morgan?!”
“The very same.” Stryker smiled in dark amusement.
“Well that’s…” Jubei shuddered slightly for a second. “Nevermind. You know about the fight tournament?”
“Of course I do.” The large man folded his arms. “I’m in it.”
“Never took you for a fighter, kid. Even with all that muscle and-” Jubei gestured toward Stryker’s prosthetic. “The... interesting appendage.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” The large man looked at his mechanical forearm. “For instance, you’re a poor judge of age. Stop calling me ‘kid’. I’m a grown-ass man. Plus I’m bigger than you and I can hold my own in a fight.”
“Is that a fact?” The smaller man jumped down from his seat. “Care to put your money where your mouth is?”
“We should probably step outside before-”
“No, not here.” Jubei chuckled. “The tournament. Make it to the finals and face me.”
“What makes you so certain that you’ll make it to the finals?”
“Fighting is what I do, Stryker. I’ve been doing it for so long now that I don’t remember much else.” There was a hint of sadness in Jubei’s voice. “I’m confident in my ability.”
“I’ve only been in the pits a few times, but I’ve done pretty good for myself.” Stryker flexed his arms subconsciously.
Jubei turned to leave, but then looked over his shoulder. “We have a visitor, it seems.”
An annoyed grunt came from the man standing behind Stryker.
Nicholas stood behind Stryker with a look of annoyance on his face. He had been so silent, no one should have noticed. No one, except maybe Jubei. Nicholas quickly gained his composure again and smiled.
“I see your lack of depth perception hasn’t changed your awareness much. Maybe a lack of practice on my part.”
Stryker was shaken by Nicholas’ sudden appearance. “What now?”
“Marrakech wants to see you, said it was important.” Nicholas answered. Stryker looked down to his mechanical arm and then back to Jubei.
“See you boys at the tournament then,” Jubei said. The Imperial waved with a grim smile, knowing that he’ll have to eventually fight the clawed hulk before him.
“Don’t worry about him, his technique might be unrefined, but he makes up for it in enthusiasm.,” said Nicholas. “He’ll show at the tournament. Count on it.”
* * * * *
Stryker was understandably nervous. Every meeting so far with Marra had not been pleasant. “You wanted to see me?”
“Yes, Mister Aune.” Marrakech Morgan sat in a high-backed black leather chair, the inky darkness of space in the window behind her doing nothing to illuminate the boardroom. Standing beside her was Apollonia, her mouth silent but her eyes watched the large man intently.
Stryker knew better than to waste his master’s time with small talk, so he kept silent until she spoke. “It has come to my attention that you have been in contact with an Imperial.”
The large man gulped. “Yeah, but I didn’t know he was the one you were looking for.”
“Oh, come now Stryker.” A look of annoyance crossed Marra’s face. “Even you’re not that dense. We don’t take kindly to Imps, unless they’re bending to our will.”
“Yes, I understand that.” Stryker adjusted his shirt. He knew that he could easily overpower the smaller woman and break her in two, but she had an overwhelming dominance that commanded absolute obedience, and that feeling weighed the big man down into submission.
“What you thinking? That I wouldn’t notice? This is the man that put the station’s master mechanic and engineer into the infirmary along with his wife. Don’t forget that.” The lithe woman leaned forward. “He’s got to pay.”
Stryker lowered his eyes slightly to hide the sudden conflict in his thoughts. “He will.”
Marra got up and walked toward Stryker slowly, letting each tap of her steel-lined boots echo off the walls of the room. “Good. Because lives depend on it.”
“What-?”
“We can’t have the Imperial running around the station after what he did. He needs to be taken down, before someone actually dies.”
A devilish smile formed on Marra’s face, enhancing the intensity in her eyes. A chill ran throughout Stryker’s being. “A lot of unfortunate things can happen in an infirmary.”
Horror twisted Stryker’s face as her words sank in. “Wait- why?!”
“The Imperial needs to understand that his actions have dire consequences on this station.” Marra turned and walked back to her chair. She stopped halfway and glared at Stryker. “As do failures.”
Her words were steeped in venom. She wasn’t bluffing: she was fully willing to kill her own loyal workers to show the price of failure. Marra was known for her cruel and cunning lessons of loyalty. It was painfully obvious to Stryker that she was fully aware of that fact as she slid back into her seat, much like a snake returning to it’s den.
“I see. You want me to be the one to take him down.” Stryker grumbled. He narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth. The inner conflict had ended as the way forward became clear. “What makes you think I’ll have the chance?”
“It’s rather simple... much like yourself.” She smiled, seeing the big man’s skin tone flush red with anger. “The Imperial is prideful and will fight in the tournament to prove to us that he’s not afraid of Black Omega. I’ve seen the lineup for the fights. You and the Imperial are the only two who have a chance of getting to the finals. As for your chances of beating him… you can’t afford to lose.”
Marra leaned forward and balled her hand into a fist. “Show him that we are to be feared. Beat him into submission, but don’t kill him. I have plans for him.
“Now go- and don’t fail me.”
Extra special thanks to Selnus, Stryker, and Marra for helping me with their characters! As well mega thanks to Matt and Marra, for editing this Thing and challenging me to think about character development!
In this entry I’m attempting to use a 3rd person narrative as I believe it will work better for future action. If this works well, I might change the Jubei stories to 3rd person permanently