[center][img]http://img04.deviantart.net/281b/i/2013/148/7/7/interior_home_bar_concept_by_hekatoncheir-d66zvg2.jpg[/img]
[h3]Drinking with Callum Bowman and Scarleth Pevensey[/h3][/center]

Callum had finally calmed himself, the Pirate King's nerves no longer at a fever pitch as he exited the bridge of the [i]Gladius[/i]. The ship was safely heading along on its destination which they would need to all be briefed on. By what the autopilot stated, it would be a few hours before they arrived there. He walked silently around the ship, what was on his mind was all of his equipment. After a few minutes of wandering around the ship and memorizing its features he found himself in the armory. It was devoid of weaponry or armor, the walls filled with empty racks. Right by the door were crates, one of them had his name printed on top of it. 

[i]Bingo.[/i]

He quickly undid the hinges then yanked the top off of the box, a smile was on his face as he noticed his old rifle. He almost couldn't believe it was there, Callum was certain he wasn't hallucinating as he picked it up and simply ran his hands along it. He set it aside and pulled out the rest of his equipment, it was all there, everything he needed. His armor that he had been captured in, the insigna of the Black Stars burnt off of it by the Feds. They just had to do that, a final reminder of his old life gone like everything else. Callum stuck all of it back into the crate then carried the heavy container towards the captain's cabin. That was his room, he was the first one on the ship, he was the [b]boss[/b]. 

It was a more spacious room than the crew cabins, a large televison on one side, a comfy full sized bed by a window which gave a beautiful view of the stars. There was even a potted planted there which he was certain was artificial. Behind a comfortable looking couch was a full bookshelf. He locked his assault rifle and armor inside of a cabinet on the other side of the room. Then Callum changed out of his worn, old prison jumpsuit. He wanted to burn it, see it go up in flames. This was freedom, perhaps handicapped freedom but he was not stuck behind a forcefield anymore. 

He quickly changed into a casual set of clothes, a white t shirt, a leather jacket, dark slacks and boots. Finally he tucked his loaded sidearm into one side of his pants, he didn't feel safe yet around the others. Perhaps in time, but it never hurt to be sure. Callum locked the cabin behind him and moved towards the bar. A real smile came onto his face as he stumbled into it. It was a spacious room, on one side was a fully stocked bar, in front were stools. Bottles of all types of liquor behind the bar. On the opposite side of the room was a couch which went around a large table. It was all made to look like a fake wood. 

Callum squeezed behind the bar as he searched for a bottle of whiskey. The Pirate King found some, he popped open the bottle and smelled it. The alcohol fueled scent was like roses to him. He poured himself a glass, dropped a few ice cubes inside, then sat down in front of the bar. It was the most comfortable seat he'd had in a long time. The bottle sat beside him as he brought the drink to his lips. He let the strong liquid swirl in his mouth, then swallowed it. The first bit of booze he'd had in almost six years. It tasted like paradise.

Scarleth had already unpacked her possessions, storing the multiple daggers and pistols in some places obvious, some concealed, and some that would terrify ordinary, decent people. She spent the first half hour learning the ship, memorizing the way that each hall went, where each door went to. Mentally, she spotted areas where security would be weak, places that would be vulnerable, to be avoided in the dark. By the time she completed her rounds of the vessel, she knew it better than her own name. Dressed in a chic black shirt with lace on the arms, partnered with formfitting black pants and her signature ruby ring, Scarleth had already claimed a room as her own. Had she been younger, she would have carved her initials into it. Instead, she left her locket on the bed. Hardly anyone here, she surmised, would be willing to cross Ruby Red. 

However, something key had been missing from her belongings. Her signature mixture of poison. Musing that perhaps something in the bar would suffice instead, she made her way down the long halls, pausing outside the door of the bar. Remaining hidden, a quick peak confirmed her suspicions. Callum, the weakly coward, was inside drinking. With the silence and stealth that had brought her to the attention of the Black Stars, she entered the bar and approached Callum from behind. 

[color=ff0000]"If I wasn't feeling kind, you'd be dead,"[/color] Scarleth warned, her voice a near velvety purr. Her fingers curled around Callum's shoulder, and she tilted her head at him, as if deciding what weapon would be the most pleasing to kill him with. A moment later, she pulled away, and fetched a glass for herself. It wouldn't hurt to sample the alcohol. 

Callum had the glass to his lips when he heard the familar footsteps. His positive expression disappeared in an instant. First he heard her words, confident and bold with a threat front and center. Then she dared to touch him after saying such things. His freehand moved towards the pistol tucked into his hip. He watched as she moved away from him, a wise decision.

[color=a36209]"Didn't you see what I did during the riot? I had to scrub a man's head matter off my boot. Now I'm armed, it wouldn't be wise to taunt me. I've killed women before. Been a while but you never get rusty with that sort of thing."[/color] Callum retorted as his fingers swirled the glass of dark alcohol around the glass, the ice knocking against the sides gently. His eyes firmly upon her as each word left his mouth.

Scarleth smirked, feigning a bite at Callum. She poured herself a hefty amount of alcohol, before setting the bottle aside. Not a single ounce of fear displayed on her face or in her movement, and like the taunting temptress she pretended to be, she slid into the seat next to Callum. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she took a sip of her drink, her gaze at him unblinking. [color=ff0000]"You know that I don't scare, love. You selected me yourself, remember?"[/color] 

[color=a36209]"I did. That was a long time ago, years ago, when the Stars were the most feared group in the galaxy. Are you still as good as you were then?"[/color] Callum asked her, half tauntingly. She was right, he had handpicked her for recruitment. Then he did something bold as he yanked the pistol from below the bar and set it right in front of him, his finger gently resting against the safety as he looked Scarleth right in the eyes. 

[color=ff0000]"Evaluate me, then,"[/color] Scarleth quipped, not even glancing at the pistol. All of her life, she had been trained in reading people. But now, she didn't even need that. If Callum pulled the trigger, the Federation would set off the bomb in his skull. It would be suicide, and thus, she could continue her little game. Taking another sip of the whiskey, she perused the shelves of the bar, her fingers trailing lightly on them. And suddenly, she paused.

[color=ff0000]"Do you recall the Lanun guard who passed?"[/color] Scarleth asked, her voice hardly above a whisper. [color=ff0000]"Poisoning. What a shame,"[/color] she finished, her tone playful, dry, and implicating all at once. [color=ff0000]"That was kill number fifty seven, I believe."[/color]

[color=a36209]"Only fifty seven?"[/color] Callum asked her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. [color=a36209]"I had sixty within my first two weeks as a pirate. I lost count years ago, it's a shame I still remember my first kill. It was a Vaxir, some merchant, a dirty one who lied to me and my companions. I was tasked with ending him, to show how tough I was. I took my knife and put it against his scaly throat."[/color] 

He had moved one of his hands to his neck and pressed his thumb against the side of his throat. His fingers on the other hand still nestled the safety of his sidearm. 

[color=a36209]"I jabbed the blade into his neck, green blood splattered out. See Vaxir have tough skin, you really have to put some force behind it. The merchant stared up at me with near-lifeless eyes as I dragged the knife to the other side of his throat. He knew that was it. I did it slowly, too fast and I would have had blood all over my shoes. He dropped dead and I wiped my blade clean."[/color] Callum said, a smile on his face as he took another swig of his glass. He finished it off, then poured some more from the bottle.

Scarleth shrugged. [color=ff0000]"Perhaps you should have assigned more targets,"[/color] Scarleth suggested, taking Callum's drink from him, and drinking from his glass. A whimiscal grin, a sadistic one, graced her face. [color=ff0000]"Though I must say, my line of work doesn't lend itself to sixty kills in two weeks...People begin to talk."[/color] She chuckled a bit, finishing off Callum's drink, and setting the glass back down on the counter. For a moment, she couldn't help but feel pensive, remembering her "audition" for the major gangs of the galaxy. 

It had been her first kill: one of the other assasins present. Everyone had wanted her since then, but for some odd reason, she chose the Black Stars. The pay ranges among the mmore prestigious gangs were all the same. In the end, the choice had been a random one. That, and the Black Stars ended up wooing her godfather for her. 

[color=a36209]"I don't have many enemies. I crushed them all or forced them to join me and they simply fell in line."[/color] Callum said with a shrug as she took his glass then downed it for him. He scratched his freshly shaven chin, then rose out of seat. He tucked his pistol back into his waist then moved around the bar and pulled a bottle of tequila from one of the shelves along with two shot glasses. He filled both then pushed one towards Scarleth. 

[color=a36209]"You think they stuck us together on purpose? They had to, maybe they thought we'd work well together."[/color] Callum asked as he stood behind the bar, his fingers grasping the small glass.

[color=ff0000]"Funny that,"[/color] Scarleth mused, grasping the shot and swishing the liquid in it idly. [color=ff0000]"I can't recall ever spending this much time with you in person,"[/color] she then explained. Her contact had been through concealed messages, through coded holograms. It was a very rare moment when Ruby Red would be left alone with the Pirate King. The gang had been more of a cult, organized to protect its leader to the very end. [color=ff0000]"But I will kill you one day, Callum. I never miss a mark. You know that very well."[/color]

[color=a36209]"I believe you are the one hundreth person to say those exact words to me. That sounds like something to drink to, to me."[/color] Callum said with a wink, then tapped his glass against her's as a single drop of teqila leaped out of it. He downed the shot a moment later. 

[color=a36209]"All ninty nine people before you ended up dead. I'd hate to see that happen to someone like you."[/color] Callum added as he pushed the glass it, it sliding to the opposite end of the bar.

Chuckling a bit, Scarleth downed her shot. The slightest indications of the alcohol affecting her were beginning to start, as a warm feeling filled her body. [color=ff0000]"I would be glad to die,"[/color] she murmured. She stood up from her seat and moved right behind Callum, and licked the back of his ear. Pulling away, she headed towards the exit, her face void of any expression or emotion. [color=ff0000]"Farewell, you sad little king,"[/color] Scarleth mocked, opening the door, and finally leaving as oddly and suddenly as she had entered. 

Callum shook his head at her words. They didn't scare him. If she killed him then her brains would be splattered all the interior of the [i]Gladius[/i]. The Feds would have to clean that mess up, he started to laugh at the image. Some hazmat suited idiot moping up brains next to Callum's body with a dozen stab wounds in it. He grasped the bottle of whiskey and his glass then moved towards the couch, practically falling into it.