As they followed Lexa down the hall, Raezyr wracked his brain. He knew he had heard something important about Zeltrons, but whatever it was was eluding him. He glanced sideways out of the eye slits of his helmet at Trychon. His half-brother was staring intently at something and he followed the other Sith's gaze... to Lexa. Looking over at Falka, he noticed the same thing. The Khommite's gaze was also firmly affixed on their guide.
Suddenly, the fact he had been trying to remember dawned on him: Zeltron's could emit pheromones. Raezyr thanked the ancient Sith Lord's that his helmet filtered the air he was breathing, leaving him immune to the Zeltron's pheromonal effects.
That sly Hutt is already trying to put us at a disadvantage, just like we were trying with Haley, Raezyr thought to himself, and made a mental note to speak to Trychon and Falka and urge them to resist the effects.
When they finally reached Jama'Rukus Rus'El's "reception chamber," it looked like nothing more than what it really was: a dingy, nasty, backwater-planet dive cantina. Drunk mercenaries, thugs, and bounty hunters lounged about the place while ladies of ill-repute made their rounds, enticing the Desert Raiders to buy them drinks, or spend their money at the gambling tables.
"Relax, and wait here, and make yourselves comfortable," Lexa said. She pulled a cigarra out of a pouch on her belt and lit it up, inhaling deeply. "I'll go and let Jama know you're here," she said, exhaling the smoke as she talked.
"Who are you?" Falka asked, clearly still enthralled.
"I'm Lexa Teal. Jama's top bounty hunter," she said, a wry smile on her face.
Raezyr was pretty sure she thought she had them all where she wanted them. He waited until she was out of earshot before speaking. "Falka, Trych, snap out of it," he said, jabbing his mailed finger into their ribs.
"What is going on with you two?" Haley asked at the same time. Clearly she had noted their state as well. Raezyr was glad she was unaffected, and although he didn't know whether it was because she was female, or a cyborg, he didn't really care.
Both Trychon and Falka tore their gazes away from the pinkish-skinned alien after the severe jabs. "What the hell was that for?" Trychon asked quietly, using his elbow to rub his ribs discreetly.
Raezyr guided to them to a table in the corner where a lone alien stood by himself. Trychon stretched his hand toward it, "You're at our table."
"I'm at your table," the alien replied and moved off toward the bar.
Falka started to comment, but Raezyr interrupted. "Lexa is a Zeltron. They can emit pheromones, and she clearly was doing so. Most likely by order of Jama, trying to throw us off our guard. My air filters in my helmet will save me from the effects, but you two will just have to fight it."
"Now that I know about it, I'm fairly certain I can fight through the effects," Falka said, and Trychon nodded in agreement.
Trychon then turned to Haley, "Speaking of 'now.'"
Slowly she slipped her hand inside of her cloak and to the open slit on the side of her dress. With a few quick taps on specific pressure points, a small door opened on her artificial leg. She slid out the two lightsaber power cells out of the slots usually reserved for her backup power cells, which ran many of her components should the primary power go down, and handed them discreetly under the table to the two Sith.
Raezyr and Trychon inserted the cells into the cylinders of their lightsabers and clipped them back on their belts, using their cloaks to hide their movements.
"Now I don't feel so naked," Trychon said with a grin.
"Easy for you to say," Haley replied. "You're not wearing an unnecessarily revealing outfit and having to go without your back up power."
Trychon opened his mouth to say something, but she continued. "I will go get you all some drinks to keep up appearances."
Raezyr leaned over next to Trychon and spoke so quietly, Trychon had to grasp the Force to hear what he was saying, "So, out of curiosity, what was with your reaction out there?"
"What reaction?" Trychon returned, just as softly.
"When that lizard was groping Haley."
"I don't know, really. She's part of our team, I guess," he replied, shrugging.
Haley returned with their drinks, just as Lexa Teal returned. The Zeltron spoke loud enough so many could hear her. "The Great Jama has summoned you, Falka of the Black Phoenix."
For a moment the crowd quieted, then the dull roar returned. Trychon and Raezyr looked wistfully at their untouched ales. "Probably tastes like bantha poodoo anyway," Trychon said as they all turned to follow the beautiful bounty hunter once more.
Suddenly, the fact he had been trying to remember dawned on him: Zeltron's could emit pheromones. Raezyr thanked the ancient Sith Lord's that his helmet filtered the air he was breathing, leaving him immune to the Zeltron's pheromonal effects.
That sly Hutt is already trying to put us at a disadvantage, just like we were trying with Haley, Raezyr thought to himself, and made a mental note to speak to Trychon and Falka and urge them to resist the effects.
When they finally reached Jama'Rukus Rus'El's "reception chamber," it looked like nothing more than what it really was: a dingy, nasty, backwater-planet dive cantina. Drunk mercenaries, thugs, and bounty hunters lounged about the place while ladies of ill-repute made their rounds, enticing the Desert Raiders to buy them drinks, or spend their money at the gambling tables.
"Relax, and wait here, and make yourselves comfortable," Lexa said. She pulled a cigarra out of a pouch on her belt and lit it up, inhaling deeply. "I'll go and let Jama know you're here," she said, exhaling the smoke as she talked.
"Who are you?" Falka asked, clearly still enthralled.
"I'm Lexa Teal. Jama's top bounty hunter," she said, a wry smile on her face.
Raezyr was pretty sure she thought she had them all where she wanted them. He waited until she was out of earshot before speaking. "Falka, Trych, snap out of it," he said, jabbing his mailed finger into their ribs.
"What is going on with you two?" Haley asked at the same time. Clearly she had noted their state as well. Raezyr was glad she was unaffected, and although he didn't know whether it was because she was female, or a cyborg, he didn't really care.
Both Trychon and Falka tore their gazes away from the pinkish-skinned alien after the severe jabs. "What the hell was that for?" Trychon asked quietly, using his elbow to rub his ribs discreetly.
Raezyr guided to them to a table in the corner where a lone alien stood by himself. Trychon stretched his hand toward it, "You're at our table."
"I'm at your table," the alien replied and moved off toward the bar.
Falka started to comment, but Raezyr interrupted. "Lexa is a Zeltron. They can emit pheromones, and she clearly was doing so. Most likely by order of Jama, trying to throw us off our guard. My air filters in my helmet will save me from the effects, but you two will just have to fight it."
"Now that I know about it, I'm fairly certain I can fight through the effects," Falka said, and Trychon nodded in agreement.
Trychon then turned to Haley, "Speaking of 'now.'"
Slowly she slipped her hand inside of her cloak and to the open slit on the side of her dress. With a few quick taps on specific pressure points, a small door opened on her artificial leg. She slid out the two lightsaber power cells out of the slots usually reserved for her backup power cells, which ran many of her components should the primary power go down, and handed them discreetly under the table to the two Sith.
Raezyr and Trychon inserted the cells into the cylinders of their lightsabers and clipped them back on their belts, using their cloaks to hide their movements.
"Now I don't feel so naked," Trychon said with a grin.
"Easy for you to say," Haley replied. "You're not wearing an unnecessarily revealing outfit and having to go without your back up power."
Trychon opened his mouth to say something, but she continued. "I will go get you all some drinks to keep up appearances."
Raezyr leaned over next to Trychon and spoke so quietly, Trychon had to grasp the Force to hear what he was saying, "So, out of curiosity, what was with your reaction out there?"
"What reaction?" Trychon returned, just as softly.
"When that lizard was groping Haley."
"I don't know, really. She's part of our team, I guess," he replied, shrugging.
Haley returned with their drinks, just as Lexa Teal returned. The Zeltron spoke loud enough so many could hear her. "The Great Jama has summoned you, Falka of the Black Phoenix."
For a moment the crowd quieted, then the dull roar returned. Trychon and Raezyr looked wistfully at their untouched ales. "Probably tastes like bantha poodoo anyway," Trychon said as they all turned to follow the beautiful bounty hunter once more.
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