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Catbert · (This post was last modified: 03-20-2015, 05:04 PM by Catbert.)

Le Chat Noir

This club is only for the classy people.
But if you can reach Boulogne, you can come in too!

"If you want to hide, go to Besancon. If you want a job, go to Marne. If you want to settle down, go to Epernay. But if you want to have fun, go to Boulogne!"
A Brigands' saying

Hidden in one of the asteroid fields of the Picardy system, Boulogne is considered to be one of the safest places for Gallic unlawfuls (if you don't mind power struggles). Despite Boulogne's desolate location, traders go to and from the station with some of the most exotic goods that the black market of Gallia can offer, and night life on the station never stops. In a way, Boulogne is home for eternal night, with Nox in no lesser demand than water or air.

Les Damnés operate "Le Chat Noir" ("The Black Cat"), one of the station's many nightclubs. The club's doors are open for literally anyone who can reach Boulogne, but the owners decided to maintain tighter security after a couple of incidents. There are always a few bouncers here and there, some posing as customers and others just standing openly. It might be hard to notice, but most of them have pistols, and the bartender, the well-known Paul Fraisse, has a shotgun stashed behind the counter.

The club is divided in two parts, the first floor being open to any visitors at all times. Guests can enjoy the musiс (styles can vary on the owners' whim, but it's mostly dance music) while sitting on the cosy sofas or join the fun on the dance floor; they can also stop by at the counter and chat to Paul, who, apart from the shotgun, also has a nice selection of drinks, as well as keys to guest apartments for those willing to pay for them. The secluded booths with tables are avalable for those who'd rather have some privacy or enjoy the meal (waiters and waitresses come to the booths when called). And it wouldn't be a proper Boulogne nightclub without some dance poles and attractive ladies, oui?

The second floor, however, is reserved for Les Damnés and their invited guests. It is a terrace with the perfect view on the first floor, covered with retractable bulletproof glass which can also tone to become nontransparent (at least for the guests on the first floor). This private area can be soundproof when necessary and is equipped with everything that the boss would need, including sofas, tables, more dancing poles, a large display with a holo-emitter, as well as secure communications system. There's also an elevator to the private hangar belonging to Les Damnés.

The sign on the entrance to the first floor says: "Feel free to come in. However, you will be shown out if you attempt to enter an already occupied booth without permission or try to go to the second floor without invitation. Merci beaucoup and enjoy the club!"

Catbert · 03-16-2015, 09:41 PM,

Private area, 2nd floor

- I told you, Claude, it's not going to work like that! How are we supposed to get a full house on the first day?
- It's your problem, Paul, not mine. My job was to get the previous owners evicted, your job is to make sure that we get customers!
- After that "eviction" of yours we had to clean the blood stains for an entire week! Not to mention that people aren't going to come to a place where they heard explosions!
- As I already said, Paul, that's not my...

The dialogue is interrupted by the opening elevator. Christine "La Gauloise" Armand walked in with a datapad heading straight for the balcony. On her way she threw the datapad on the table before Paul could even come up with any reason why the club was empty. But as Christine turned around, both Brigands noticed that she was... smiling?

- Boss, what happened? Where have you been all this time? You've missed the opening of the club. - Claude was the first to break the awkward silence.
- Let's just say we got our first trophy, boys. - Christine was still smiling. - Me and our new ex-Maquis friend Klara Fabento were in Ile-de-France when we encountered a couple of cops. Apparently some Eloise Coudert is in charge now. Anyway, that's beside the point. We were about to tickle those cops a little, but then some... blue weird... things... showed up...

- You sure you weren't high? - Claude interrupted the story. His voice sounded quite skeptical.

- You can check the datapad on the desk later, it has some footage. For now, just let me continue, will ya? Here's the thing: those weirdos were too tough for our guns, so we had the cops to do the dirty work! After they nailed the biggest and baddest weirdo, I tractored everything and made a run for it. The cops chased us, but our Mistrals gave us a head start. We decided to split up, and transfered the biggest and weirdest chunks of those weirdos' remains to Klara's ship. The cops didn't even notice!

Claude was examining the datapad while Christine was telling the story. Then he asked:
- So, you did split up. What happened next?
- Well, I decided to take the heat off Klara and went in the opposite direction. The cops still thought I had the best stuff and followed me. After a while I noticed that the trophies I still had onboard... classified by my ship's computer as alien organisms... started to deteriorate. I wouldn't have made it back to Montbard in time to put them into the cryopod, so I just... gave them to GRP Director after scratching her bomber with Arquebuses a bit.

Claude thought for a bit:
- Are you sure we got the best stuff, boss?
- Oui. The Director probably didn't manage to get anything but a few samples of those organisms back to the base. The stuff Klara got ain't deteriorating. It's in her Mistral's cargo hold, surrounded by a mobile containment field. How about you help her get it in the freezer? And make sure the containment field is there. I don't know what those... things... were, but they seemed pretty dangerous. The cops wanted them pretty bad, so we might find a buyer for that stuff. And you, Paul... get the club ready. I think we'll have first guests soon enough.

Claude nodded and went off to the elevator, and Paul headed down to make final arrangements before letting the first clients in.

TheJarl · 03-18-2015, 03:33 PM,

A woman entered the club. Somehow she seemed different from the usual visitors, but when you try to find out why, she doesn't appear to be out of place here at all. She appears laid-back and doesn't wear any uniform, merely some black jeans and a loose shirt beneath her grinning face. Her straight black hair ends just a few centimetres past her jaw, cut short enough that it doesn't ever reach her shoulders in any normal position.

As she moves towards the counter while she grabs a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. The pack appears to be somewhat crumbled; it probably didn't quite fit in the jeans' small pockets but the woman managed to make it fit not caring about keeping it intact. She pulled a cigarette from the pack and returned the pack to her pocket. Strangely she doesn't actually continue to grab a lighter. She just keeps the unlit thing between her fingers and leans her arms across the counter.

"Ey, monsieur the bartender, pass me a beer!"

Ah! There's an oddity! Beer! Not wine! Yet she has no foreign accent.

"Oh! And do you have a lighter for me?"

Catbert · 03-18-2015, 05:06 PM,

As the bartender finishes filling the latest order, he notices a woman coming up to the counter.

- Ey, monsieur the bartender, pass me a beer! Oh! And do you have a lighter for me?
- Bien sûr.

A black lighter with blue print quickly appears in the bartender's hand with a whirl out of thin air. The brief flash of light that ensues flickers in the bartender's greyish-blue eyes, highlighting his backswept white hair and dark brown polo-neck. The guest's request fulfilled, the lighter disappears just the way it appeared. The bartender then fills a large glass with beer and puts it on the table, then he gently sends it sliding towards the woman's hand, making sure that she'd be able to catch it if she wanted to. Even though he is a bit puzzled by the choice of beverage, he does his best to conceal it.

- Anything else, mademoiselle?

TheJarl · 03-18-2015, 10:15 PM,

Instead of responding right away the woman first deeply inhaled and left the smoke in her lungs for a few moments before exhaling again and then grabbing her glass with her free hand and took a large chug.

"Oui, do you have any free rooms? Or otherwise just a free bed somewhere? I'll be staying for one night at least. Maybe two." She took another puff from her cigarette. "And I have also need of some things a bit more delicate..." She grins. "No, not food. I need some firepower. In various forms. You know the people around here. I need to talk someone familiar with violence and bombs. I'll spare you the details, but you know who I should talk to, non?"

Catbert · 03-19-2015, 04:44 PM,

The bartender waited patiently for the visitor to enjoy the smoke and the drink. When he heard her request, he thought a little before answering.

"Heureusement, we have a spare room for you. It would cost you 700 francs per night." Although the bartender named a sum that would cover half the trip aboard a luxury liner, it was unlikely that the guest would be able to find anything much cheaper. Being an imporant hub in the Gallic underworld, Boulogne was way too overcrowded. Knowing that, the bartender took out a key with the label LCN-22 and put it on the table, his hand still lying the key. He was waiting for the woman to make a decision.

"As for your second request, mademoiselle... I think I know just the guy you may be looking for. Hold on." The bartender pressed one of the buttons hidden under the counter. "Hey, Claude, I think we have a guest for you... Oui, come down here, she might stay around."

He turned to the guest again: "Claude will be right over. So, about the room: oui or non, what is it going to be?"

Catbert · (This post was last modified: 03-19-2015, 08:17 PM by Catbert.)

Meanwhile in the hangar

- Klara, find that spanner already! I'm sort of tired lying under that nacelle and just staring at it!
- There it is, Marcel!
- Finally! You know, you should definitely consider backing off sometimes. I mean, look at your ship. It nearly fell apart back in Maine. How many shots did it take?!
- You know the answer better than me: "Too many to count!"

The man sighed and continued fixing the Mistral's starboard engine.

- To think that I just wanted to flirt with that policewoman a little! Than that other officer shows up, hires a freelancer and everything goes south!
- And look where your flirting got you. Besides, Marcel, we did get them all in the end, right? So what's your problem?
- It's just that you're too stubborn sometimes! You wouldn't quit when you should. Just like that Maquis... Her name was Adrienne, right? She lost her bomber, and you were about to lose your ship too!
- But I didn't! Now try and fix that ship, you owe me that much. I'll download the ship's records in the meantime.

Spoiler

TheJarl · 03-21-2015, 04:51 PM,

The woman hesitated when she heard the price of a room. She knew she couldn't really afford spending that much money, on the other hand she never really cared for what she should or shouldn't do or even what she could or couldn't do.

"Oui, I'll take it. I'll have my boss transfer the money to you in one or two days."

She took another puff and smiled.

Catbert · (This post was last modified: 03-21-2015, 08:30 PM by Catbert.)

"Tres bien, mademoiselle," - the bartender smiled slightly and removed his hand from the key, allowing the woman to take it.

In the meantime a sturdy man went down from the second floor and headed for the counter. He walked through the club as if he owned the place, and the air of self-confidence and defiance was almost visible around him. The man wore a brown leather jacket and black jeans. His short dark hair also contributed to the image of a person you wouldn't want to mess with. The man came up to the counter, glanced at the smoking woman, then turned to the bartender.

- So, Paul, what is this fuss about? Is that the girl who wanted to talk to me? - the man now turned attention to the woman.
- Oui, Claude, that's her. She asked if we had some spare items in our stash for sale.
- Ok. We do have some extra hardware. But before we sell anything to you, we need to know whom we're dealing with.

The man leaned on an elbow, waiting for the answer.

TheJarl · 03-22-2015, 12:09 PM,

The woman shakes her head. "No, hardware is not really the term I'd use for what I want." She drinks some of her beer and then grabs the crumpled cigarette pack from her pocket. She places it with the backside up on the counter for Claude to see. On the pack somebody had drawn an axe and a crown. While it was drawn rather crudely it was clearly resembled a familiar logo.

"This is who I belong to. I suppose that clears things up, non?" She takes another puff. "In short, I want to blow some things up. Maybe add a conventional spaceborne attack during the chaos too. I'd be less vague but we're sitting rather in the open here."

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