Cornerian Mercenaries

[Zaphyr Stone]

Jolene watched the television broadcast with intrigue. This Nichols was a lucky man to evade assassination, but now that he was a target, it would only make him harder to find. She sipped idly at her drink, turning back to the bar. She had come to treat herself to a nice drink after the completion of a particularly complicated transport job, but she found herself feeling oddly non-celebratory. She peered down through the amber liquid at the distorted bar logo on the coaster beneath her glass. This was her life now, a job here another somewhere else, all so she could come to this backwoods bar, have a drink, and believe that made her new life fulfilling.

She didn't get far into the introspective look over her life when the drunken howling of a man clearly drowning his sorrows interrupted her thoughts. She watched the jackal collapse to the floor with a gurgling groan and was unable to suppress a roll of the eyes. Against her better judgement, she rose from her stool and approached the sad drunk.

"Tch," she clucked, shaking her head and holding out a hand, "Come on, you. I think it's about time we called it a night, don't you?"

He seemed harmless enough, but in his state, he was capable of anything, and the last thing she wanted was to be chased out of a bar fight.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

A hulking Ruthenian Sclavic dragon entered the dark, smoke-filled bar, with many of the patrons remarking on the dragon's size, and steering clear. The dragon scanned the whole room, trying to find a certain jackal. He approached a tykeriel sitting on a stool at the bar, drinking a Geza, a very strong Magyar alcoholic beverage. Its distinct bright red color shimmered in what little light there was. "Where is he, Sandor?" asked the dragon.

"Lying on the floor, drunk out of his mind," replied Sandor before taking a sip of his drink. He turned to see the jackal being helped up by a female dog. "You want me to come with you?" He asked.

"No," replied the dragon. "She does not seem belligerent."

"Fine," said Sandor. "But I'm gonna be right here. Erzsebet and Korben are sitting at the booth over there." He pointed to a distant booth, where Elizabeth sat opposite Korben. She was drinking sangria, while Korben was sipping on an Arnold Palmer. Korben constantly coughed due to the great quantity of tobacco smoke in the air. He took out a bottle of pills and swallowed a handful, along with a gulp of his Arnold Palmer. Elizabeth examined the steel table, rubbing on a mark made by a knife's blade with her index finger and fingernail. It had a surprisingly calming effect on her, more so than the drink. The dragon, meanwhile, approached the jackal and the dog, his boots stomping heavily onto the floor.

"Excuse me," he began. "But are you Jasper Hiiahishi?"

[Shmibli7]

"What's it to you?" A drunken Hiiahishi said, being pulled up by the woman gracious enough to help him. "Thanks." He said off-handedly to her.

"If you're onna those Cornerian sssssssssssspiiiiiiiiieeeeeeesssssss, then you can get out!" He said, pointing his limp arm to the door. "Go!"

After the dragon didn't reply, his intoxicated mind assumed he wanted something. "Take it." He said, holding out his wallet in both hands. "There's some... Um... Some, ehhh, MONEY! That's right, money. It's yours."

(I like rp'ing as drunk Jasper.)

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

The dragon took Jasper's wallet. He examined it, feeling the cheap leather rub against his scalie hands. He turned over the small wallet multiple times. Sandor whistled to the dragon. "Hey, Bohdan," he called from his stool at the bar. He clapped his hands, and put them up to his chest, in a gesture stating to throw the wallet to him. Bohdan rolled his eyes, and without even glancing in Sandor's direction, threw the wallet across the room. It glided through the smoke-filled air, piercing the dirty veil it traveled through. That almost perfect throw was only matched by Sandor's clean catch. Sandor opened the wallet, took out Jasper's money, and threw the wallet back at Bohdan. Bohdan, again without looking, caught the wallet with one arm. He then threw it down to Jasper's feet, and went to the bar. Bohdan sat on a stool, which was minuscule for his size. He folded his wings as much as he could, so as not to hit any other patrons. The bartender approached Bohdan, slightly intimidated.

"Can I have a bottle of beer?" asked Bohdan. The bartender nodded, and turned to his stocks to find a bottle. Meanwhile, Bohdan took out his wallet, prepared to pay. The bartender returned with the bottle, and Bohdan handed him a few credits: enough to pay off the beverage. "Thank you," he said, grabbing the bottle. He downed a gulp before a patron sitting beside him noticed who Bohdan was.

"Ain't you one of them Ogniemite priests?" the dog asked with a slight Southern drawl.

"Yes, I am," Bohdan answered.

"Don't you guys abstain from alcohol?"

"Technically, the book does not say alcohol is bad. It just says that it is bad to have too much."

"But a lotta you guys still don't drink."

"Well, I guess many of my friends are missing out." Bohdan and a patron shared a laugh, and clinked their two drinks. "Korben," he said, not turning to the beaver on the far side of the room. Korben, nevertheless, heard Bohdan clearly. The beaver turned his head to Bohdan at the bar. "Sober up Jasper," he ordered before taking another sip of his beer.

"Alright," said Korben, getting up. He took out a small device, no larger than a toothbrush. It contained a special sobering agent Korben himself developed. Korben sneaked up on Jasper from behind, completely silent among the low conversations of the bar. He injected the sobering agent into Jasper's neck, and quickly moved back.

[Shmibli7]

Jasper rears forward, nearly slamming his head into the counter as he does so and lets out a yell.

"Good God, what was that !??" He says, rubbing the back of his neck. He looks over at Bhodan, then turns and softly hits his fist against the wood of the counter.

"Please tell me I wasn't drunk when you saw me." He says to him, then offers him his hand.

"Jasper Hiiahishi." He says. "Sandor told me about you."

Jasper looked Bhodan over. Perfect mercenary material. Towering, strong, imposing, and loyal-looking. Jasper knew how loyalty looked. Three years on Fortuna will do that to you.

"So, what exactly are you here for?"

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

(Shmi, you can't take over other people's characters unless they tell you to.)

(EDIT: Never mind, I read that wrong.)

Edited June 20, 2015 by Arminius H O Fiddywinks

[Shmibli7]

(How did I do that?  because I legit can't tell.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan sipped his beer once more, and then turned to the comparatively small Jasper. "You were very drunk, my friend. I am here for you, Mr. Hiiahishi," he said cryptically. "I was recalled back to Ruthenia as a witness to the Sinelnikovo Trials. And now that I have returned, my team said that you were in a very deep and very dark hole." Bohdan finished his bottle of bear, and declined for any more. "I am here to help you kill Troy Nichols."

[Zaphyr Stone]

Jolene watched the exchange with intrigue. These were a fascinating bunch. She covered her mouth and tried not to laugh at how silly the dragon looked perched atop the comparatively tiny stool. Her thoughts were soon sobered upon the dragon's offer.

"Hoooo, all right," she raised her hands pacifistically and backed away, "Well, the situation seems to be settled, so I'll leave you gents to it."

Truth be told she was curious about this mission, but this was a kind of job that was out of her range of expertise.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Sandor quietly drank his Geza at the end of the bar, listening in on Bohdan's and Jasper's conversation. However, he had not been taking the painkillers prescribed by Korben. His external wounds from the shotgun were still in the healing process, and he was still wearing bandages. Sandor winced as he put down his drink on its coaster, grasping his torso. He put his head down on the bar, groaning. Korben, noticing this, got up from the booth he shared with Elizabeth, and walked across the room to Sandor. He glided past a few patrons conversing among themselves before reaching Sandor, who was doubled-over in pain. "You good Alex?" he asked, putting his hand on Sandor's shoulder. Sandor brought his head up.

"I'm good," he answered.

"Taking the painkillers?" inquired Korben. Sandor shook his head.

"Alex, take 'em," he advised. Sandor slapped away Korben's hand.

"I said I'm fine," emphasized Sandor. Korben nodded, and went back to his seat. Sandor continued to eavesdrop in on Bohdan's and Japser's conversation, although the pain from his wounds occupied his mind.

[Shmibli7]

Jasper smiled slightly. Sandor came through.

"Let's go somewhere where we can talk privately. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I don't think this place is a good spot to discuss the business we are a part of." Jasper said.

Turning to the bar, he looks at the bartender, a raccoon by the name of Sev. He had met him two years ago when he was sent to kill a prominent gang leader. Sev was one of the mobsters who were tasked with protecting the boss. When Jasper had killed all of the other mobsters, Sev surrendered and begged for his life. Jasper obliged and ever since then, Sev let Jasper do whatever he wanted. Jasper really didn't know why he spared Sev, knowing the kind of person Jasper was.

"Sev, I'm going to the back room, don't let anyone else back there. Okay?" Sev nodded and Jasper motioned for his new ally to follow him.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan nodded in agreement, and left the bar, throwing down a few credits to pay for his tab. The bartender swiped it and placed the credits in the cash register. Bohdan got up from the strained stool, and followed Jasper. He turned back, and whistled. This signaled Sandor to follow him, and he threw down a few credits as well. Sandor left the stool, groaning as his feet touched the floor. He limped to Bohdan, and the two of them followed Jasper. Bohdan then looked to Elizabeth and Korben, still sitting at their booth. They nodded, signaling that they would watch the door. "Are you fine, Sandor?" Bohdan asked.

"Yes," replied Sandor plainly, although he winced when he uttered that word.

[Shmibli7]

Jasper opened the thin wooden door, leading Bhodan and Sandor inside. Inside were two cheap sofas in front of the left and right walls and a table in between them. He gestures for Bhodan to sit on the sofa on the right wall and motions for Sandor to stand in the middle of the room. He was going to perform a Fortunan interrogation technique called "the disbelief approach." He found it invaluable in reading newcomers to his team. 

He hoped Sandor knew what he was doing as he drew his automag pistol and pointed it at Sandor's head.

"I believe you've been lying to me, Mr. Bhodan. Who are you? Start from the beginning."

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan obliged Jasper, and sat his large frame down onto the old sofa. Sandor walked towards the center of the room, and was greeted by Jasper's pistol to his face. He began to mutter prayers to himself in Magyar. Bohdan, meanwhile, was not alarmed: he had been briefed by Sandor about Jasper's rigorous procedures. He leaned back, spread his arms and wings across the width of the sofa, and placed his right foot on his left knee. Confidently, he said, "I am Colonel Bohdan Zenobi Chmielnicki, of the Ruthenian Czar's Guard, 1st Division, and lying is stupid." Sandor sniffed, with an absolutely uncaring look on his face.

[Shmibli7]

Jasper  was satisfied. He holsters his weapon and sits down in the couch opposite Bhodan. 

"Good, now it's time to talk shop." Jasper says. "You're involvement in the czar's guard is a good Sign that you're not going to turn tail and run. I have no doubt that you won't. However, I do not know your area of expertise. Care to share it? " 

He takes his automag out once more and starts to clean it. 

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan, a master of dry wit and laconic phrases, removed his massive blaster pistol from its holster and slammed it onto the worn wooden table in front of him. He then stood up, unsheathed his massive bastard sword from its scabbard, and stabbed it into the table's face. "That is my expertise," answered Bohdan.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Arminius H O Fiddywinks

[Shmibli7]

"You're in." Jasper said upon seeing his display of, well, whatever prompted Bhodan's reaction. He examined the sword. Fine craftsmanship. Some wear showed from its use, but it still looked like a perfect piece of killware. He looked up at the huge reptile's face and saw a look of mild rage. Perfect. His reading was done. The result? Bhodan was a Class A warrior who could take orders and give them. His arsenal was exceptional, he didn't crack under pressure, and was a daunting sight to see.

"Now, about pay..." Jasper started when gunfire rang outside of the room.

 

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan grabbed his sword and blaster, sheathing the former and cocking the latter. He went to take cover beside the door, with Sandor standing on the opposite side, unleashing his automatic blaster pistol. Bohdan kicked down the door, and the duo aimed into the bar, trying to find the shooter. Elizabeth and Korben had flipped over a table, and took cover. Elizabeth had dual-wield semi-automatic blaster pistols, while Korben had a combat blaster pistol: compact, powerful, and comfortable to handle.

[Shmibli7]

Jasper looked down the sights of his automag. There were three men in Cornerian military dress opening fire on the patrons inside of the bar. Jasper sees Sev reach for something under the bar and watches as he pulls an old military submachine gun from under it. He lets off a burst and kills one of the men. The other two turn to him and Sev jumps under the bar, barely escaping a salvo of gunfire. Taking advantage of the distraction Sev gave them, Jasper runs at one of them, wildly pulling the trigger of his pistol as he does so. Even if he missed a few times, he'd still hit him.

Once close enough, Jasper slammed his gun into the attacker's face, shattering his cheekbone and dropping him. The last man leveled his gun at him, but Jasper followed Sev's example and ducked under the bar.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Bohdan eyed the last shooter as he took aim at Jasper, who dove behind the bar. The shooter fired, hitting the mark on several liquor bottles placed on the counter, shattering them. Bohdan took aim at the shooter's hand, and fired his obscenely massive sidearm. The weapon let out a furious blast and deafening noise as the shooter's hand was vaporized by the power of the superheated plasma projectile. The shooter screamed in horrific agony, and collapsed onto the floor. His weapon, and his hand, were severed and in pieces. Bohdan walked towards the downed shooter, twirling his weapon as he holstered it. Sandor, with an ominous look on his face, followed Bohdan. His weapon was still drawn. Elizabeth and Korben holstered their weapons as well, finally coming out from behind the table. "Mr. Hiiahishi," Bohdan began, "you and your friend can come out now. I have dispatched the last attacker." Bohdan motioned Elizabeth and Sandor to bring the shooter up to his knees, and they did so, holding him by the shoulders. Korben examined the wound, but upon looking at Bohdan, who motioned him to not treat it, he did nothing.

"Someone's in trouble," Sandor commented in a sing-song voice.

[Shmibli7]

"Big trouble." Sev said, coming around the bar still gripping his submachine gun, which looked larger do to his small body. "You come into my bar, start shooting at my customers, make me shoot somebody...." He started, but Jasper wave his hand in his direction, motioning for him to stop. He walks over to the injured assailant an tilts his head back, then motions for Korben to give him a sedative. "Get the one that will still allow you to feel pain." Jasper says.

Sev, uninterested, looks up at Bhodan. "Sev McLaren." Sev says.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

Korben looked at Jasper in slight confusion, but then deciphered his statement. He took out a paralytic agent from his small pack on his waist, and injected it into the shooter's neck. The shooter fell to the ground almost immediately. "Ahh, I can't move anything!" he exclaimed. Elizabeth and Korben went back to their drinks at the booth, and sat down. Sandor grinned deviously, chuckling.

"Mr. Hiiahishi," Bohdan began, "the life of this man now rests in your hands."

[Shmibli7]

Jasper chuckled a slightly insane chuckle. He reached into his pocket and drew a small combat knife and pressed it to the killer's neck. He then slices a long gash across it, careful to miss any vital arteries.

"Who sent you?" He asks plainly.

"I... Can't tell you." The man replies.

Jasper then started carving a letter "J" into the man's forehead.

"Still can't?" Jasper asked. Again, the answer remained the same.

This went on until Jasper had sliced his name into the man's forehead.

"S-t-top-p." The man says weakly.

"Just tell me who sent you."

"T-Troy Nichols."

[Zaphyr Stone]

Jolene had managed to leap behind the bar as the shooting started. She scraped by with a graze across the arm. It burned with a white-hot intensity, but from what she could see upon further inspection, it was not life threatening. She tied her handkerchief around the wound as a temporary bandage.

Hearing a strange commotion once the firing stopped, she peeked around the corner of the bar and blanched in horror at the interrogation. This was out of her league.

[Arminius H O Fiddywinks]

"Hmmm..." uttered Bohdan pensively as he heard the name "Troy Nichols" being uttered by the shooter. He looked to Jasper. "Do you have any other questions for this man?" he asked. Sandor, meanwhile, was looting the bodies of the other two shooters. He took their wallets, and discovered their ID cards. Sandor examined the cards before throwing them across the room to Elizabeth and Korben.

"These are fake," announced Elizabeth, holding one up to the dim light of the bar.

"Yup," confirmed Korben, scanning them with his sunglasses.