10. The Bigger Picture (Part 1)

(This takes place after the events of the arena)

Argus sat in the Naboo tavern, drinking whiskey with his feet propped up on the table to lean him back. He looked at the bottle he drank from and thought how well off he was, but past the murky brown liquid he saw a few men enter the empty establishment. Moving the liquor he could see they were armed and not alone, with them was Brucs who was holding a holo-device.

Laying it on the table at his feet it projected the Hutt, Zurgan Ques. He didn't seem happy and Argus knew why. He moved his feet and looked at the Hutt with a face without pity, without rage, and without care.

"My informants tell me you have second thoughts on my latest order, why is that?" Asked the hutt in Basic

"Because I have had a change of heart, that what you want to hear? Truth is that it is my whole plan to leave you, and your men, and not have a are in the world of what I do to your company." He stood from the chair, the two men that were with Brucs were Rodian.

"No one leaves me Argus! Not alive! Guards, take him-" Argus was already on them before they could take the orders, a claw was in both of their necks and his fingers squeezed them as so much blood came rushing through his fingers.

"Hold it right there Argus" Brucs had his favored slug thrower pointed at Argus, he let the rodian corpses drop to face his only friend.

"Take the shot Brucs" the hutt demanded, but Brucs didn't do anything "DO IT!"

"No, I am leaving Zurgan, I am done." The two left the building, and the holo faded out. "whats the plan now?"

"We are going to find Magnum, I need his help"

Duvnar sat in the cockpit of their ship on Naboo, Zane was out taking care of some contracts that would get them a rather luxurious house with the credits from Nate. Ejii was sleep on a couch for some reason while Gwazi was up doing target practice with his pistol. Duvnar put his sword away after sharpening it and relaxed.

He needed the break after the whole Naboo Independence issue.

"So we still have that tracker on Duvnar's ship, says its somewhere on Naboo. So lets go find it" Brucs's plan was ceased when Argus pulled his comlink and went looking for Duvnar's signal "What are you doing?"

"Being direct, we're done snooping on them so we are going to call them instead." he found the signal and then sent a request to speak. "Might as well try getting on their good side, and finding their ship isn't exactly looked on kindly. Especially since we have a tracking device on them."

Zane was the one to answer the call being closest to the ships communications and through some quick searches tracked the call to Argus and replied "You still mad about failing your job? Get over it Argus".

"I failed at my jobs on purpose Zane, I had a higher plan the entire time. I will explain everything when I meet the rest of you. Right now though I am soon to be hunted down by a Hutt on the payroll of the Empire. I need your crews help, I can't tell you everything on this open line, they could be listening. Find me at the Drunken Gungan Tavern, try to get here before they do." Argus turned off the comlink and returned to the tavern

"So what is the plan now? Wait for them to decide to trust us or not?"

"They're going to trust us, I am sure"

"They are going to trust someone that has been spying on them? You really are crazy, no wonder you flipped personailities."

"HEY! I didn't flip anything! John Fates was a man, now he is dead-"

"Whatever Finn, all I know is that Prisoner #293127 was both Argus Finn and John Fates."

"You wanna know why that is?"

"Sure, I'd love to hear a good story while I wait for my old boss to come and kill me!"

Zane ended the conversation and turned to Duvnar who listened in on it, Duvnar replied "I don't trust him. Let him rot". Zane then replied "You said the same about Nate and now were allies, also Argus did prove himself in the arena...".

Duvnar thought for a moment and then said "Nate proved he wanted to be as peace by bringing an offering, Argus is bringing a trap. Also the only reason Argus helped at the Arena was so he could get out alive, but I see your point. The two of us will meet him alone, but be ready to kill them at the instant they do anything funny".

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At the tavern the two sat down at the Tavern and waited while drinking ale.

Argus and Brucs approached Zane and Duvnar at the Tavern. Brucs had been told Argus's story and understood now. But it was left to Zane and Duvnar to accept them. He took out the holo device, it had be opened and tampered to reveal the going ons of earlier as it looped through a scene of before and the hutt's voice with its demands.

"The same Hutt that freed me, and had me watch you, wanted me to kill you. I have resigned from his services which has granted me a bounty on my head for several million credits alive or dead. I wouldn't recommend you take up this bounty as your next on the same list. But that's not why I am here, I believe you two know might know a Noj Metal?"

(BOOM! I am bringing him up!)

Zane sat quiet pondering over the recording showed while Gwazi replied "Yup, I know a Noj Metal, been wondering what happened to him the past year".

"He died" (Oh and he's gone) "He was on M'Bardi the prison planet under the name John Fates. He had killed more than 3 dozen imperial soldiers under the name John Fates just to get to me... so I could kill him.... I don't know why but he said that it was his destiny, we talked a lot in the arena we fought in. He told me of his life as Noj, all of his adventures... and then he told me of how he saw the end of his days. A beast would kill him, a monster... me. I was nameless at the time but that man gave me my name and then gave me his life. His one request was that I do this mission for him, with you, and then try to leave behind my days of murdering. He told me that I would be taken in by a hutt, I would meet a Gand named Duvnar, and I would go with the Gand to Ruusan... this was all he told me."

Duvnar tossed a table over and pointed a sword at his neck yelling "I will not kill with a man who had murdered my old friend and comrade! For that you will die!".

"I didn't want to kill him! I spent more than half of my life in that prison and he was the only person there who didn't fear my existence! He changed me from being a blood thirsty monster to something more human. It was not my choice to kill him, it was his choice for me to kill him. He knew when his time was up and told me to kill him. I respect him, he did not show fear in death and didn't show fear in life. He was stronger than me or you and is likely frowning on your actions now. Put your sword away till you actually need it, which won't be too long."

Argus pulled from his jacket pokcet one of the bottles the received on getting out of prison. It had been sealed and not yet opened, but inside was a note floating in the liquor. Argus opened the bottle poured out the liquor so he would get to the note. Taking it out he handed it to Duvnar.

"Its in his hand writing, he said that it would explain every thing to you"

(You can say what you want is on that letter that would convince Duvnar Argus is telling the truth.)

Duvnar read the letter, it did look like this writing, and he spoke like Noj did. He put down the note and said "It's awfully convincing, but it might be forged. Is any of Noj's relatives still around to confirm all this?".

"If you knew Noj you'd know he didn't have any family left. Closest thing he had to family was his crew and his associates. And from where I am at, your one of those associates." Argus pushed the blade away from his neck casually "Duvnar, Noj had something here, he wanted us to do something. But not alone, he wanted anyone that can help. And from what I know about him, I think its something big, something HUGE."

(OOC: What happened to Sauvel and Rioger?)

Duvnar replied "I don't trust you still... not fully. But I will work with you, Zane! See who you can contact!". Zane nodded and sent a message to everyone saying "This is Zane Gural, if you were a friend of Noj Metal or want to be part of something big show up at the gungan tavern!".