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After passing through a field of asteroids. Landing on the dark side of a three ringed moon. And making his way beneath the metropolis of Trovẽ 2. Beau Phoenix entered the well-hidden Starlight Bar.
The atmosphere felt strange and eerie to him. The fluorescent neon tubing that lined the bar's counter and some of its walls were concealed behind a haze of dust and smog. There was a waft of cigarette smoke and stale beer circling four strangers who were sitting around a table covered in holographic rectangular gaming plaques, alcohol and plastic playing cards. And aside from the passed-out couple resting on a set of broken chairs in the furthest corner of the room, the strangers playing poker and himself the bar was void of patrons.
Phoenix recalled his previous outing through the Underside; he'd met a diverse group of travelers from places he'd never known existed, and had gotten himself drunk until he'd forgotten his own name. Starlight had been the highlight of his trip; a warm incandescent ambiance, with cushioned sofas, friendly customer service, and a vast quantity of patrons.
He lit an electric cigarette; which glowed blood red near the tip, sat down on a couch that had seen better days, with bits of cotton-like material poking out of holes and tears, and observed the giant squid looking alien staring worryingly at its cards.
The Jool's skin was the colour of the abyss, blacker than the darkest shadow. It had elongated tentacles with electrified shackles holding them in place. And a jar lying beside it, being filled with a glowing blue liquid, pumped in through a tube connected to the Jool's underside.
Phoenix sat comfortably, puffing on his cigarette, enjoying the scene play out before him. The three other strangers glared at the Jool, watching as it placed down a pair of cards hesitantly with a somber look in its eyes.
The strangers smirked, as a three of clubs and a four of hearts came into view, and even Phoenix himself couldn't hide his grin. The Jool had lost its third consecutive game of cards, and his pile of gaming plaques, which had never been all that large to begin with, were halved and given to one of the players.
The Jool lowered its head, and a hissing voice, that sounded like an elderly man begged the strangers to let it go. They replied with an explosion of rowdy laughter, that only ceased, when one of them, a human with a collection of scars carved across his face stabbed the table with a knife.
There was a brief moment of near silence in the bar, with only the shallow sound of static emanating from the holographic projector quietly displaying the news.
'We'll let you go only if we get what we want, or you win. But let's face it, at this point you have no chance of beating the three of us. So why don't we speed this whole shenanigan up? And you tell us where the deed is.' Scarface said.
'I will not.' The Jool stated, as it attempted to wiggle its smallest appendage.
One of the other strangers, a Gracol with the face of a lizard, and body of a hunchback pulled a pistol out of its holster. It was a small compact gun, with a very wide barrel, that made a low droning sound that gradually grew louder, the closer the Gracol's finger got to the trigger.
'Then place your next bet.' The Gracol' began. 'So, we can get out of this dump.'
The Jool stared wide eyed at the gun, trembling before it. Before the jar beside it shattered to pieces, and a geyser of blue mist erupted from it, drawing the attention of Scarface, the Gracol and a burly humanoid with three horns protruding out from its forehead.
The cerulean mist flowed and expanded, layering the room in a concealing cloud.
Phoenix heard the Gracol fire its pistol. It sounded akin to a whip-like crack, and he watched as a steady stream of purple laser blasted across the room, and into the neighboring clinic, that was thankfully closed for the night.
The three horned man grunted. 'You scaled shitbag. You shot me.'
Phoenix heard a booming thud, as one of the strangers fell to the ground. And then there was a harsh vibration under his boot, which felt like something was pulling at the floorboards.
'Watch the squid.' Scarface screamed.
'How can I? I can't see anything.' The Gracol replied.
Phoenix watched as another spray of purple beams exploded from the gun, and heard the Jool wail as one of its tentacles was engulfed in a coat of purple flame.
The mist had almost faded, and Phoenix was able to see more of what had transpired. The couple who had previously sat in the back of the bar, were now gone, having escaped through the now open back door. Three of the Jool's tentacles, had managed to free themselves from the shackles, and were now wrapped tightly around the waists of the three strangers, constricting them. With two more only moments from freedom.
The three horned man was lying on the floor covered in a mess of blood and flame, and it seemed to Phoenix that the situation had shifted into the Jool's favor.
'Shoot it.' Scarface shouted.
But before the Gracol could, a fourth tentacle shot out from its shackle, tying itself around his wrist. Then with an almighty tug, the Jool not only removed the gun from the lizard's grasp, but the entire arm along with it.
The Gracol howled and reached for its missing arm, which, along with the weapon was thrown a couple of meters away.
The three horned man broke free from the tentacle holding him, and watched as it dropped to the ground in a charred mess as the blue flame shot from the Gracol's pistol continued to burn away at its disc-like suckers. He climbed to his feet and stared wide eyed at the Jool, swaying on uneven footing, before reaching for a snub-nosed rifle slung over his shoulder.
However, within a blink of the eye, the Jool's loose fifth tentacle was tied around his ankle, and his world suddenly became upside down, as he was flung into the air -- and left hanging well above the Jool's head.
His weapon dropped from his shoulder and landed beside the knife Scarface had embedded into the furniture. The bulk of the rifle had crushed the game's start button, causing the holographic poker table to disappear.
Scarface cursed, and reached for the gun. His fingers snagged the trigger, and upon pulling, a volley of torrential gunfire erupted from the weapon. Impaling the Jool with a meter long bolt of pure amber energy.
The Jool released the three men from its grip and cried out as its tentacles frantically swiped at the men, as if it were trying to swat a fly.
With the Gracol crying out in pain, as it held the area its right arm had once been. The burly three horned man landing head first on the ground, in a paralyzing state. And the Jool staring at Scarface and the gun, with a panicked expression painted across its elastic, squishy features. The situation seemed to be coming to a bloody conclusion.
Phoenix rose from the couch, and steadily made his way over to the group. He pulled the edge of his red faux leather jacket behind his holster, and grabbed hold of his oversized revolver.
Scarface grabbed hold of the snub-nosed rifle, and took aim at the Jool. The rifle hummed to life, and a collection of amber light began to swirl within a transparent chamber attached to the underside of the barrel.
In a desperate attempt to save itself, one of the Jool's tentacles crept along the floor, moving in the direction of Scarface. Jumping out from underneath the table, the tentacle reached for the gun, only to be blown apart by the same kind of energy rod which had already driven itself through part of the Jool's figure.
Scarface cussed, and aimed the gun once more at the Jool, his finger itching on the trigger as he waited for the gun to recharge.
A chilling breeze drifted through the bar, sending a chill down Phoenix's spine and blowing away what little of the blue mist had remained.
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