Captured

**CAPTURED**

Location: Kaas City

155ABY

Terrogate sits in back in the pilot chair of his borrowed Feros house cruiser as he descends to the atmosphere of Korribans main planetary port. He has been tasked with the execution of a well known local. Terrogates employer has been losing customers, quite literally, and thus losing profits due to the actions of this individual, clients being taken away and then never seen again. The Cantina owner decides to hire house Feros to solve the problem permanently and the leadership have now instructed Terrogate to carry out the assassination if possible in secrecy rather than cause an elaborate scene. Of course for Terrogate, this is nothing personal, and without an actual steady income in the ESE he needs credits, and for him, this is just another job, but a confrontation with anyone here is not to be taken lightly so he decides to do some recon work to find out just what he is dealing with.

He brings the Feros ship IRON-6 down for landing in the main docking bay, pays the platform master his fee and heads to his first point of call. He is to head to the local cantina where his planetside informant, a local Trandoshan named Zaark had informed him his target liked to hang out, for a reasonable sum of credits of course. Terrogate always had a few informants on-world for just these sorts of jobs.

Arriving at the cantina he looked up at the weather-worn sign outside swaying slightly in the dusty afternoon breeze, the sign read ”The Scum & Villainy Cantina”.  A couple of young human acolytes walk in front of Terrogate and seem to quicken their pace as they pass the entrance and make their way down the street before entering a different establishment. Terrogate takes a big breath and then steps inside.

At first glance, the Cantina seemed like any other, citizens playing Sabacc and drinking an assortment of drinks, the buzz and hum of the everyday people sent Terrogates mind went back to his home in Cathar. He orders a cheap beer from the bartender and while waiting for his drink his mind travels.  He often frequented these sorts of establishments to deal with smugglers or get intel on local gangs operating in the area over 4000 years ago, he was the best in the royal security detail, and he liked it. Somehow he now thinks to himself, the Cantina music always seems the same… Suddenly a heightened engagement at the main bar area pulled Terrogates mind back into the present, he picked up his drink and went and sat down at the nearest corner seat and drinks deeply from his cup with one eye on the commotion.

A synth, or was it a cyborg harassing a human female acolyte or apprentice at the bar?. Terrogate looked on at the commotion from his booth, the droid/human-looking entity walked up and kicked the legs out from her stool sending her tumbling backwards off her barstool. Clearly rocked by the experience she gets up and tries to leave the bar but the synth anticipated this and cuts her off, slamming the exit door before she can leave. Terrogate can scarcely hear the conversation from his booth except for the loud almost robotic voice of the synth… ” SO IT SEEMS YOU NEED A LESSON!! ” the synth laughs... ”WELL YOU ARE IN LUCK HUMAN SCUM! I AM THE MASTER TODAY AND CLASS IS NOW IN SESSION, IN FACT, I ALSO DO AFTER HOURS TUTELAGE AND AM IN NEED OF A STUDENT TOMORROW !” Terrogate looks around the edge of the booth to get a better look. The synth then kicks the woman in the rear and she is shoved forward into the floor face first... In the scratching robotic voice, the synth continues ”My my these floors are filthy… Please clean them with that disrespectful mouth of yours. At least then I'll know your tongue is good for something, although you may not need it so I guess I’ll just cut it out!” By now there are several onlookers and the human woman who now has been humiliated and shoved to the ground licks the floor several times then sensing an opening, scrambles quickly out of the cantina on all fours.. laughing the synth turns, briefly notices Terrogate then turns its back and faces the onlooking rabble, raises its hands in the air as if in victory and orders another drink before announcing loudly ”BLAST! Oh well, it seems we still have another student ready for a lesson”. It continues laughing and resumes talking to the gathered small crowd as if it was the king and this it's court.

Terrogate sits back into his booth and pulls out his datapad to find that the file on his target, requested via his employer from the hall of populace has now been uploaded… Terrogate now starting to feel light-headed gets up, his legs feel weak and it’s as if everything is moving in slow motion. He turns his head.. the crowd is laughing… the synth looks at him. big smile on his face. “Yoooouuu oookkkk thheiirrr mmmeeeaatbaaaggggg!.....??? hhhhaaaaahhhhhaaaaaa..” Terrogate slumps to the floor, eyes open, lying on his side everything blurry.. the last thing he sees is the synths boots walking towards him and then the sound of that robotic voice. “hhhhhheeeeeellllllll ddddddooooooooooooo ggeeetttttt hhhimmmmm neeexxxttttt doooooorrrrrrrrrr…”  Terrogate blinks and blacks out…..darkness…

Terrogate opens his eyes in the darkness of the cellar, he is sat down cross-legged and arms shackled to a metal post behind him. It takes a moment for the grogginess to wear off but he can now start to smell the scent of stale air and fresh blood, his clothes feel different somehow. The room is dark but his catharian eyes adjust fast and he can make out shapes now… bodies, 2, 3, no...4 lying in the corner. One has limbs missing, another's head is missing. All dead lying in a pool of blood. He hears the faint roar of a crowd, cheering…??  His senses now finally coming around, his mind clearing and he realised he was drugged. He tries to struggle but to no avail… A loud roar again from the crowd and then cheers… Several minutes later two Garmorian guards open the locked gates and come walking into the room, torches lit and Terrogate now sees this is more like a dungeon than anything else. Slimy stone walls with chains and shackles hang on every wall. Some soiled hay is scattered on the stone floor in spots and the bloody bodies on the floor have clearly been dragged in and dumped recently. The guards walk over to Terrogate and grab his maine pulling his head back. ”Rraawwkkk” was the sound the first guard made somewhere between a pig and someone sick hocking back flem in their throat, ”this is the one the boss said would be in tonight's history battle?” the guard said as he looked Terrogate in the eyes, Terrogate winced at the pain of having his hair pulled and then closed his eyes in disgust as a large drop of drool dripped from the guard's mouth and slowly oozed its way onto his forehead and ran down his face.. ”.haaaw haaww haaawwww, rraawwwwwkkk, nnaaaarrrrrr he's nothing but a big furball. What's the fight? Rumble in the kitty litter? haww hhaawww haaawww… well you said it Orgz, the boss really has started to get the scum off the streets now hasn't he..?” The guard on the right balls is fist and lands a heavy punch to Terrogates cheek. And then another Into his ribs. Terrogate cries out in pain and doubles over. ”haaawwww haaawww rrraaawwwwkkk, come on furball, time to go meet your fans..” the left guard undoes his chains and picks Terrogate up, the other guard watches and keeps his electro blade pointed on Terrogate.

The guards lead him out of the cell and up a gangway, all the while they follow the trail of smeared blood. Louder and louder the sound gets as Terrogate now sees a light up ahead, closer and closer they get and as they finally get to the end of the hall the guard punches him in the back of the neck sending Terrogate to the ground face first. The 2 large Gamorians then grabbed an arm each and dragged Terrogate along the dirt and stone floor about 5 meters then positioned him kneeling on both knees, chaining each of his hands to chains attached to the stone floor.

Terrogate shakes off the daze caused by the hits and he is looking down at himself, he is dressed in Jedi robes. Laying before him just out of reach is a vibroblade painted bright blue, the noise is deafening.. he looks up and realises he is in an indoor arena, a fighting pit. The room is packed with creatures from all corners of the rim worlds and more, drinking, yelling, some spitting at him and yelling what would seem to be utter hatred. Others were betting frantically with bills and tickets in hand, others laughing as they counted their winnings. The only thing stopping them was a 6 foot octagonal fence and on each side a guard. Not all Gamorians, humans and other species as well. Terrogate looks upwards and he sees a cable pulled to tension secured from a low position near the entrance doors on one end of the building leading to the other end hooked an anchor, the end nearest the door was attached by a winch keeping it taught. A string of lights hung from it and a corresponding one attached on the adjacent walls making a cross in the middle of the arena, lighting the whole area. Looking down again Terrogate hears a gate begin to unlock.

Then… that voice. Robotic. It was the Synth from the bar!. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO TONIGHT'S WEEKLY HISTORY EVENT!”

A small gate opens and the synth walks through arms raised he turns in circles to see the whole crowd as he continues to speak with a booming and commanding voice. “HERE AS ALWAYS IN THE ARENA WE NOT ONLY LIKE ENTERTAIN BUT WE LIKE TO ENLIGHTEN OUR HONOURED PATRONS! TONIGHT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE TAKEN BACK 4000 YEARS AGO,  BEFORE THE BATTLE OF MALACHOR 5 TO THE ANCIENT BATTLE OF CATHAR! HERE, FOR YOUR PLEASURE WE HAVE ON MY LEFT…... THE MANDALORIANS!!!” The crowd cheers louder now all at once as the synth turns to the left and points to 5 humans who have appeared into Terrogates view and standing on the opposite side of the arena dressed in red and gold armour. Three are armed with vibroblades, one with dual daggers and the fifth one has a flame thrower. ”AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BATTLE…. THE DISGUSTING AND UNEVOLVED, CATHATRIAN BARBARIANS!!!” The crowd is a sea of boos at the synth now spins and points to the right of the arena at an open entrance in the sidewall. Out of the darkened entryway 2 human guards lead out a 7foot Wookie male, a 6foot Catharian female and similar sized Catharian male. All 3 have their hands bound, unarmed and dressed in rags.the females Terrogate notices has an oddly rounded belly. The humans walk them a few meters into the stadium and unbind their shackles. The wookie roars as he is uncuffed and pushes the guard over into his back. The other guard hits the Wookie with his electro staff and the Wookie falls to his knees in pain, the standing guard quickly picks the other human up by the arm. They hurry off back into the opening in the arena wall and the door closes behind them.

The Synth laughs in amusement “HAHAHAAAAAAAA! SUCH A REBELLIOUS CATHARIAN WARRIOR!” He said clearly implying that the role of the mentioned male Catharian Warrior will be played by the wookie. “AND FINALLY…” he said now pointing to Terrogate. “WE HAVE THE JEDI TRAITOR! BOUND BY HIS HONOUR TO HIS DISGUSTING REPUBLIC, SO MUCH SO THAT HE ONLY LOOKS ON AT THE SLAUGHTER AND DOESN'T EVEN  LIFT A FINGER TO PROTECT HIS OWN PEOPLE.”The crowd goes crazy with boos and angry yelling, several people in the front row spit from their seats at him and empty cups and food wrappings are thrown into the arena in his direction. Terrogate feels that familiar fire starting to burn deep within him, with a jerk he pulls his arms upwards but the chains that bind him to the floor restrict his movement and he is left struggling in vain, kneeling helplessly in the arena forced to watch the impending slaughter of the Cathar for what would seem a second time.

”NOW LET THE HISTORRRYYYY LESSSSOONNNNN BEGIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNN!!!!” said the synth dramatically as he walked back to the small gate he entered from and the guards closed the door behind him.

The Mandalorians immediately advance on the Wookie and the Catharians, the crowd getting excited with the impending blood. The Wookie male rushes the Mandalorians at full speed and grabs the middle one with both hands, clearly taken by surprise the other 4 take a step back. Before he can react the Wookie picks him up and raises him above his head, with a roar he throws the Mandalorian 4 meters through the air and the Mandalorian lands into the wall of the arena head first with the cracking sound of metal hemelt on stone and a breaking neck audible even over the noise of the crowd. The wookie rushes the second Mandalorian but before he can reach him he yelps in agony as another of the mandalorians sticks a vibroblade into his back! The Wookie spins to face his attacker and breaks the vibroblade off at the hilt, upon facing his new target, a third Mandalorian, the one with the flamethrower points his lit nozzle at the Wookie and unleashes hell.

The crowd absolutely arrups as the Wookie is set alight in the middle of the arena. Arms up flailing around and fur aflame he runs crazily around in circles as he stumbles in almighty blinding pain and then falls to the ground rolling and screaming in a god awful sound, unlike anything Terrogate had ever heard. Terrogates mind flashes back to his last day on Cathar, the screaming of his fellow Cathatian security warriors at the Royal barracks , locked and trapped in their rooms then incinerated by the Neo Crusaders as Terrogate escaped down the hall with the Prince fleeing for their lives, their screams haunted his dreams at night since that day.. he can still see their faces when he closed his eyes.. Terrogate is snapped back into reality at the higher pitched scream of the Catherian woman, holding her belly with both hands and shrieking , pleading to the Mandalorians to stop tears in her eyes Terrogate realises she is pregnant, and that the male Catharian who is putting himself now claws protracted between the armed humans dressed as Mandalorians and the woman, is indeed the father. They mated for life the Catharians, a deep and spiritual bond. He blinked and behind his eyes, Terrogate sees his fathers and mothers faces in a flash of memory, in pain and holding each other in their last moments as the walls of their family home goes up in flames around them.

Terrogate again pulls his arms violently upwards in an attempt to free himself this time with all his strength but again his attempt is stifled by the heavy chains, helpless he looks on at the scene playing out.. his fury now growing with each passing second. The Mandalorians have now gathered again and approaching the Catharian couple, the male Catharian lunges forward and sinks his claws into the closest Mandalorian sinking his claws deep into the humans chest. A muffled agonising yell comes from within the Humans helmet. He drops his vibroblade and puts both hands against the Catharian trying to protect himself but he was too late the Catharian was too big and heavy, the Catherian now trusting upward and all his weight on top of human sending him backwards and landing on top of him on the floor of the arena. The crowd's reaction is electric and the Catharian withdraws his claws and rips off the pinned humans helmet then bites down on his jugular, the gurgled screams coming from the human as he drowns in his own blood now running down his esophagus and into his lungs, his body convulsing as he struggles for life. In an instant the Catharian male is stoped dead and then falls forwards limp now lying flat on his prey as the last Mandalorian with a Vibroblades stabs him in the spinal cord severing his nervous system.. the Catharain now looking towards Terrogate, lying on top of the dying human, bloody bubbles appearing from his mouth. Eyes blinking , breathing heavy but paralysed, unable to move tears welling in his eyes, the Wookie now lay motionless just meters away, smoke billowing up from his charred corpse and the smell of burnt hair and flesh thick in the air. Terrogate struggles yet again now like he was possessed, again pulling at the chains over and over, the anchor bolts holding down the chains main anchor plate jolting up and down with each of Terrogates attempted struggles. They move but a millimeter more each time freeing up more and more but  just barely with each powerful jerk. Terrogate roars with anger but it’s noise blends into the volume of the crowds yells and cheers. One big loud deafening sound like standing next to the jets of a freighter, he couldn’t hear, he couldn’t think or focus.. the noise was all-consuming. His head was pounding, his eyes crazed and as the Mandalorian dressed human pulls his vibroblade out of the Catharians back and raises it high, then swings down hard onto the neck of the male Catharian severing his head clean off. Terrogate blinks again and sees the head of his brother rolling in the place of the Catharians and stopping still staring at him, teeth pulled, ears cut off as he was the last time Terrogate saw him. His brother's head speaks…. ”Help me brother” it says…”Help us”. Terrogate screams out in anger pulling frantically at the chains and legs kicking hard underneath him.. But he is still pinned, a slave for the entertainment of the crowd destined to die, and how they adored him cheering and savouring the meal to come, a lamb to the slaughter just for them. Over and over Terrogate pulls and tugs struggling with all his might to get free.

The remaining Mandalorians turn their gaze now on the female, she is screaming and holding her belly with one hand, her other arm outstretched in defence but Terrogate can barely make out her screams over the crowd.. They grab her and drag her into the middle of the arena, barely now a few feet from Terrogate and the blue painted vibro blade lying just out of his reach, the human with the dual daggers now stands behind the Catharian female facing Terrogate as he struggles in chains, one dagger pointed at her belly, the other draped across her throat. The crowd yelling and spitting violence into the arena. The Mandalorians look right at him and the human holding the dagger to her neck pushes in slightly harder still to lift the Catharian woman's chin up so she too is now looking directly at Terrogate.

At once and as if rehearsed the small entry gate opened and the synth walks back into the arena arms raised and looking around at the crowd!! ”HAAAHAAAAAAA WELL IT LOOKS LIKE HISTORY IS AGAIN TO BE REPEATED!” The crowd once again lets out a cheer. ”THE CATHARIAN WARRIORS DID THEIR FEEBLE BEST BUT ULTIMATELY THEY HAVE FAILED AGAIN! AND ONCE AGAIN”.... The synth now turns and looks directly at Terrogate as he speaks. ”YOU, TRAITOROUS SLIME HAVE FAILED TO SAVE THEM DESPITE THEIR CALLS FOR HELP. NOW YOU WILL WATCH THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN DIE BEFORE YOU LEARN WHAT HAPPENS TO JEDI WHO ARE TOO WEAK WILLED TO FIGHT!” On that the human standing behind the Catharian woman digs the blade hard into her stomach and twists it, she screams in agonising pain, Terrogate blinks and flashes again back to Cathar, his sister, pregnant and being gutted, throat slit and left to die by the Mandalorians. Terrogate opens his eyes once more, he sees the woman doubling over in pain and as she leans forward his other blade slices across her throat cutting her from ear to ear. Blood pouring out of her wounds and eyes wide open she looks down at Terrogate. Her face has changed… It's his sister.. Her eyes call to him in pain.. He can hear her over the volume of the crowd even, her voice is in his mind. ”Help us”....... ”Kill them, KILL THEM!!!!”

Terrogates eyes open wide and he lets out a primal roar unlike any other. His mussels are steel and his blood is lighting, drool drips from the corner of his mouth and he is focused on one thing and one thing only.. REVENGE! Terrogate pulls once more time at the chains with an upward motion with all his might. The footings of the chain anchors break free of the stone floor of the arena. The Synth looks at Terrogate in absolute shock and yells out GET THE MEATBAG! Grabbing the two loose chains one in each hand , Terrogate swings them at the dual blade armed Mandalorian, still blades deep in his victim, the left chain wrapping around his left leg and the other wrapping around his head. With another roar Terrogate pulls both of his arms back as hard as he can simultaneously ripping the human's leg off and also decapitating him.

The crowd is still going crazy cheering as loud as ever thinking this is just a part of the night's entertainment and continues to watch the encounter filling the hunger for blood. Terrogate picking up the blue-painted Vibroblade near him ducks a head high strike from one of the 2 remaining Mandolrians and counters with an upwards stab of his own thrusting the blade up under the helmet into the Mandalorians head, blood poured out of the helmet and over Terrogates hand and forearm. He let's go of the blade and the Mandalorian falls backwards lifeless to the floor of the arena, everything is moving is slow motion now for him but Terrogate can't think, he can't make out the crowd they are just noise, just blurs, all he can see is his families faces, dead but talking to him, together they say ”Save us, Save us.. Kill them Jaja,...KILL THEM!!”! Terrogate sees the Synth going for his blaster and the last remaining Mandalorian straightening his vambrace aimed at Terrogate ready to fire the flame thrower. Terrogate rolls under the flame of the flame thrower and moves behind the Mandalorian just as the Synth shoots 2 shots at him. Using the human as a shield Terrogate holds up the Mandalorian and he takes the blaster bolts to the chest, grabbing his arm Terrogate points the flame thrower at the synth and roasts him. The synth lets out a robotic NNOOOOOOOOOOO as the synthetic silicon-based skin melts off its face and chest leaving a hollowed-out frame somewhat resembling a warped unproportionate skull. Inside it wires were melting and shorting out as it's systems shut down and we're rendered useless. The sound it made now sounded less like a word and more like stammering robotic gibberish. The Synth dropped to the ground unmoving and sparking internally.. The crowd now had started to panic realising that things had gone horribly wrong and this was not part of the entertainment, they started running and fighting for the exits, yet Terrogate still heard his sisters voice ”KILL THEM ALL”. He looks around and sees several guards approaching him, Terrogage uses the force and jumps up to the lighting cables and lands atop them, landing with perfect balance he walks to the edge where the cable is hooked to the wall, still tight the winch opposite is taught. Using his telekinesis he unlatches the winches safety lever, stepping onto the ledge cut into the arena wall with all his strength he pulls the cable from its hook anchor on the wall and throwing it with both hands sending it sideways and downwards moving fast around the outer edge of the arena retracting at full speed and cutting into the crowd of spectators pushing and shoving desperate to exit the stadium.

The cable retracts at lightning speed following it's trajectory along the edge of the room cutting a bloody path through the patrons, he hears the screams of the men, women, children. But above that the voice of his brother... ”LEAVE NONE ALIVE BROTHER! KILL THEM ALL” Terrogate remains focused, spurred on by the voice of his dead family, he will avenge them, he sees nothing but blurs and the faces of his mother, father, sister and brother all in pain, he hears nothing but his brother's voice in his ears! Terrogate climbs down from the wall and runs in the opposite direction of the course of the initial cable towards the other cables hook anchor, the 2 Gamorian guards who had taken him from the cell now stood in his way. One now armed with an electro lance and the other a handheld blaster. The guard with the electro lance swipes at his head but Terrogate ducks the attack, the guard has his mouth open with the exertion of the move, reaching up Terrogate grabs the guard by the jaw sticking his fingers into his mouth, grips and rips down on the guards jaw in a powerful jerk downwards. One side dislocates and the other side of the jaw is removed completely from the socket and protrudes the skin attaching it to the guards head, leaving the tusked jaw swinging in open air, the Gamorian yelps and then drops the lance bringing both hands up to his now almost completely removed jaw. The second guard shoots his blaster at Terrogate and gets him in the side. Terrogate winces at the pain and then letting go of the first guard grabs at the blaster with his left hand and places his right hand on the back of the guards head and thrusts it towards the wall, smashing it into the stone over and over until it splits like a ripe fruit. The guard drops to the ground dead.

Terrogate looks up and sees his target,  the cable, still hooked onto the wall. The faint sound of reality is now starting to become audible. People screaming in agony.. The noise of bodies writhing and guards yelling to each other ”lets get lit of here.!” ”We arn’t paid enough to deal with this kriffing stuff” Terrogate holding his now wounded side makes his way to the cable as quick as he can and climbs up to the ledge cut into the wall. He looks down and sees guards pushing their way past some elderly and children towards the exit, the remaining people are looking into the sea of writhing body parts dead severed limbs and heads, scared frozen, unable to move, some are crying and calling out for their parents or children. Unable to leave without their loved ones to take them home, not knowing what to do.

Terrogate closes his eyes and sees the Catharian woman, her face is now his mothers, dagger in her belly killing her unborn child, knife slicing her across her neck. Blood streams down her body like gathered rain on a window, she opens her eyes and looks at Terrogate.. With her dead mouth says in a whisper….. ”KILL THEM ALL.” Terrogate without opening his eyes reaches out and grabs the cable pulling it with all his strength out of it's hook anchor and on releasing it pushing it downwards hard so that it almost hits the ground as the winch winds back at full speed dragging it around the outside of the arena faster than a blink of an eye. Terrogate gets down and starts walking towards the exit and hears the ”TWANG” of the cable fully retracting into the winch. After a moment he hears nothing.. Not the voices of his dead family, not the crying of spectators or the yelling of guards. Silence. His side now bleeding profusely, blood running down his leg, he takes off his Jedi robes and leaves them on the floor of the arena, he then takes the material belt from the discarded robe and wraps it around his wound applying some pressure. He limps towards the exit stepping over the limbs and severed bodies of the crowd and guards, through the lake of blood and intestines and bones and he heads outside. He passes the 2 winches both dripping with blood and wound up cables now red and pieces of flesh hanging from them. As he steps out onto the street he looks over and sees that he is next-door to the Cantina he arrived at what seemed a week ago although it was only yesterday. Terrogate hails a cab, getting into the back seat he says ”Main docking bay please, and step on it”.

**~ End ~**