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Faeruy
Follow the Green Faeruy
314 posts
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Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder
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last online Dec 21, 2014 3:44:56 GMT -5
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Feb 12, 2013 21:00:36 GMT -5
Post by Faeruy on Feb 12, 2013 21:00:36 GMT -5
Shanti rounded a corner into a strange alleyway, her lungs burning, her heart racing, and her mouth dry from running. She was being pursued; only the city's mazelike layout and her fast feet had prevented her from getting caught so far. It was only a matter of time before her target caught up with her though; the hunter had become the hunted.
The redheaded Nar Shaddaa girl had no idea where she went wrong. Everything she planned should have worked. It was simple, elegant, and cheap. And yet everything had turned into a complete disaster. She really should have known better than to try and take on a Jedi.
It started back on Nar Shaddaa; Shanti had hopped back home to pick up a few things from the flat that she kept in the city. The young bounty hunter searched through all of her normal channels on the holonet looking for lucrative jobs, and came upon one that was too good to pass up. An old Miraluka was wanted by a Hutt, dead or alive, and he was on Druckenwell. A planet full of industrial cities, perfect for a slicer like Shanti. And the bounty would keep her floating in credits for the better part of a year. It sounded like a dream.
She knew it wouldn't be easy of course; it was a Jedi. But she had worked out a plan. She would find the Jedi's sleeping quarters and start slicing; giving herself remote access to everything inside. Then, at night, Shanti would lock the Miraluka in, shut off all of the vents except one, and pump toxic gasses in until the Jedi was asleep or dead. Then she'd go in, rummage through what little possessions the Jedi had; and head back to the Hutt with proof. It was a great plan. And it actually went really well. She found where the Jedi was sleeping, she sliced into the tech, and then she waited for the eyeless man to retire for the night. Unfortunately, she had run out of time so rather than handle it remotely, she to be on a terminal nearby to control the Jedi's room. Shanti had locked the door and was just about to turn on the gas when it all went awry.
First there was clicking, then the twisting, then the banging. After that there was a 'whooshing' sound; like all of the air had been sucked out, and suddenly, the door was no longer there. Instead, there was a very tall, very old, and very frowny-looking Jedi with a lightsaber. That was when Shanti started to run.
And she was running still, pausing only for a moment to catch her breath. The old man was faster than she could have ever imagined; not quite as fast as the redhead, but fast enough. As she stood against the wall, panting, she pulled her blaster out of her hostler. It wasn't as clean, not as tidy as the way she had planned things, but things had progressed far beyond that at this point.
"You! Who sent you?" A strong voice intoned. Shanti looked up with panicked green eyes. He had found her. The blind Miraluka had found her. She stared at his dark veil; somehow more scared because she couldn't see his eyes. She turned to run.
And immediately fell flat on her face. It was as if the ground had risen up to meet her. She heard the sound of a lightsaber and her body reacted before her mind did; flipping onto her back and aiming her blaster at the Jedi. Shanti let off a shot, but the Jedi reacted faster; his lightsaber deflected the shot easily. She shot at him a couple more times, though she knew it was hopeless. Her blaster was weak, and the Miraluka was strong in the force.
Shanti was going to die.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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Feb 13, 2013 0:02:37 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Feb 13, 2013 0:02:37 GMT -5
It was all painfully obvious from the beginning. Niko Bellivengi rest his left hand on the damaged door frame. His dark blue eyes scanned and looked around. This was the closest terminal to the target's room. He stepped in and knelt to the ground, his overcoat gathered around his feet. A hand would pluck a couple hairs off the ground. Curly and fiery red. He studied them for a moment. "Lorda, wata!" He commanded in Huttese. A snort followed by a light whine would sound as the vornskr trotted from the hall and into the room with Niko. He shook his head before he bounded up to his master. Niko cooed some praises in Huttese as he held the hairs out to the hound. Lorda lapped at the hairs a couple times with his tongue and cracked his whip-like tail in excitement. Niko nodded in approval, that meant he had the scent. He wasn't done searching though. The Hapan stood and left the room, the hound Lorda right at his heels as his tail cracked excitedly. The vornskr would do anything Niko did not command, even if he obviously picked up on the Jedi's scent, and craved that even more. But that was one thing his surrogate father and mother had taught him. When hunting a predator, find it's prey. And the owner of the curly red hair obviously was the prey now. Niko looked around until the next sign called out to him, dark and obvious. A scorched slice in a duracrete wall. A lightsaber that missed it's mark by the angle. He strolled over to the wall and looked down to see a couple more red hairs, but these had seared ends. It had been a close call, the girl was lucky. Lorda whined in desire to chase, but cut it out when Niko glanced at him. He'd be lucky if he found her alive before finding her dead. He didn't want to find her dead, her being dead meant that his quarry would be long gone... *** |Thirty Minutes Later| Naturally, he had arrived just in time. Niko stood atop the roof of the squat building that ended the alley. Down below, the red head had fallen before she shot wildly at the Miraluka. She didn't stand a chance. Not against a Jedi as skilled as this man. But he was old, quite old. Probably not even a master by his stance and demeanor. Niko cursed under his breath. He doubted the old man would be worth the effort. But he was Niko's bounty, and he'd be damned if he let some Jedi scumbag outright kill a defenseless girl. His hand reached up to grip the sturdy handle of his weapon. The Mace of Amber Reign slid from its holdings in practiced motion, and the minute he felt his arm fight the weight, he pushed his Will into his body so that the mace felt feather-light. He leaped. The man fell from the rooftop with the mace held overhead, his legs tucked back and his overcoat billowed from the fall. Time seemed to slow as the Jedi went to leap in for the killing blow. Niko inhaled sharply just before landing and pushed his entirety into the swing. The mace crashed down into the duracrete to cut the Jedi off. Shrapnel from the ground exploded out from where the mace had collided. With little more than a focused expression Niko's boots clomped onto the ground before another inhale lead to a vicious upswing. A sickening crunch sounded as the mace caught the Jedi's right arm, which clutched the lightsaber. After he was disarmed Niko brought the butt of his mace to smack the Jedi in the throat. As the old man stumbled back and clutched his neck, Niko hefted the mace onto his shoulder and glared the old Jedi down. "Figures. Once again I find a Jedi preying on a helpless little girl. Are you all such cowards?" Niko said with words dipped in poison and loathing. He peered back over his shoulder to look down at the red head, the tattoo over his left eye clearly visible as he looked her up and down with a passive gaze. She was an attractive little thing, he was surprised to see someone so young go after a target like this. Then again, the bounty for the Miraluka was a nice one. One Niko sought to collect. He turned his gaze back to the Jedi and tilted his head back defiantly, the man awaited the Jedi's next move.
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Faeruy
Follow the Green Faeruy
314 posts
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Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder
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last online Dec 21, 2014 3:44:56 GMT -5
Knight
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Feb 13, 2013 4:40:38 GMT -5
Post by Faeruy on Feb 13, 2013 4:40:38 GMT -5
Shanti was so sure that the end was near, so completely sure that she could almost taste it. A shadowed descended past her vision, and Shanti knew she was going to die.
So she was very surprised when, instead of the agonizing burn of a lightsaber, she felt a rain of dust and shrapnel fall on her. She coughed as duracrete got into her lungs, a cloud of grey settling around her. When everything cleared; in front of her, blocking her view of the bounty, was a tall man in a dark overcoat. He was holding a mace. Shanti had never seen the like before. She'd seen the weapon; as a decoration on the walls of Hutt businessmen, but she'd never seen one actually being used. She watched in awe as the strange man swung it; breaking the Jedi's arm in a single blow.
Impressive. And frightening. But at least Shanti wasn't dead. Not yet anyway. Who knew with this man? Was he here because he was trying to be noble? If he was, he should have been siding with the Jedi, she supposed, not with her. No. Given the way he was looking at the Jedi, this wasn't about her at all. Another bounty hunter, most likely. He was going to steal her bounty. And after all the hard work she did too. Never mind that he just saved her life.
The stranger with the mace turned to look at her, and something about his blue eyes, framed by those dark tattoos, chilled her to the bone. She shivered sending another cloud of duracrete down from her head, but that momentary discombobulation was quickly replaced by annoyance. 'Helpless little girl' was she? She'd show him. Shanti slowly picked herself up off of the ground, keeping her blaster ready and aimed.
Meanwhile, the old Miraluka was laughing. "Me, preying on the innocent? Fine talk from people such as you. I strive for peace. Why don't you ask your employer what they strive for?" The Miraluka sighed, his dark veil flapping slightly from the force of his breath. "Then again, I think neither of you will get that chance." The Miraluka once again started to laugh.
Suddenly, the laughing stopped. A smoking hole appeared in the veil of the Miraluka. He stood for just a moment, his mouth frozen mid-laugh, before crumpling to the ground in a heap. Behind the tattooed man, Shanti stepped forward, blaster still held towards the Jedi. She grinned at the stranger. "Not so helpless now, am I?" She asked, the walked over to the dead Miraluka. She removed the burnt and bloody veil, grimacing when she saw the hole in vestigal eye socket of the blind one. Not a bad shot, if she did say so herself, but it was a gruesome looking thing all the same. She folded up the veil and put it in her pocket; proof of her kill. She glanced back at the man, getting a good look at his face this time.
Older than her certainly, but not bad looking. Not to mention all of those tattoos. She wondered briefly what the deal with the Mace was, but her curiousity was not that urgent. No; she wanted to go back to the Jedi's room, steal anything of interest, and then collect the bounty. Then shopping, drinking and a luxury ride back to Nar Shaddaa was on the docket. That didn't leave a lot of room for dealing with interesting strangers. "Thanks for the assist, old man. Ta-ta!" She waved, and started off down the alley.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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Feb 14, 2013 1:00:13 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Feb 14, 2013 1:00:13 GMT -5
Niko said nothing. His dark blues stared the old man down as he taunted and laughed at them. He wasn't the first Jedi to do so. Many saw themselves as immortal compared to non-Jedi. Many saw themselves headless moments later. As this man was about to as well. Niko stepped forward and grabbed the mace's handle with his other hand, flexed his torso to swing... and the man's laughter was cut short by the sudden appearance of a new air hole in his face. Still in mid-swing, Niko returned the red-head's grin with a deadpan stare. He lowered his mace and relaxed his stance. The man did not stow his weapon, instead he held it in a casual grip and watched the girl stoop down to pick of the man's veil. Niko did not grimace at the sight. He had seen- and caused- much worse.
"Apparently not. It was a clean shot."
He replied. Niko was not one to get insulted nor competitive, she killed the man, she got to collect the trophy. As long as the Jedi died, he cared not. But he had to die. They all did. His eyes would return her gaze, and watched as she looked him up and down. If there was one thing Niko Bellivengi was, it was unique looking. With his eye tattoo and massive mace, it was rare for anyone to mistake him for anyone else. He noticed her hair first, fiery red and curly, just like the hairs he had given to Lorda to track her. The hound bounded from around the corner as the woman spoke again, an aggressive snarl would sound from him as he charged down the alley towards them. He tore right pass the red-head at full tilt, and as soon as he possibly could lunged out to grab the dead Jedi by the arm, and began to tear of his flesh. Niko cast a bored look to his vornskr. Never did he deny Lorda his treat after the job was done. It helped that Niko rather liked his MO with Jedi. Removed heads, missing crystal from lightsaber, and partially eaten corpses. Niko stepped forward to set the mace down before he knelt next to the body.
"Don't mind Lorda, he's been hungry all day.
Niko began as he plucked the man's lightsaber from the broken hand. Lorda growled momentarily at Niko, but was silenced with a look before he went back to his Miraluka snack. With practiced hands Niko began to disassemble the weapon. First the case, which dropped with a clang to the ground. The the emitter, which sparked in his hands as he applied his Will to wrench out mechanics. Last, but not least, the crystal housing. Niko shattered the glass on the head of his mace before he held the crystal up. It glittered green, and was no apparent that the many rings Niko wore had lightsaber crystals for gemstones. He sighed as the crystal was slipped into his overcoat and he stood.
Your plan was sound. Rushed, and poorly planned, but sound. Next time, consider a team. You're fast, and obviously intelligent. But in a stand up fight, you are lacking. He found out because you were being watched. By his allies."
He finished as he took the mace into his hand once more. Almost as if on cue, a tall, well built man in Jedi garb turned into the alley. He saw the girl, and Niko, and Lorda as the hound tore into his fellow Jedi. The man cursed and drew his lightsaber. The alley was bathed in the weapon's yellow glow. Niko snapped his fingers and Lorda perked up to stare directly at the man. The vornskr began to growl and followed Niko as the man stepped forward. He placed himself between the Jedi and the girl, and watched the Jedi closely. He took the stance of Shien- or at least that's what Niko thought the stance was called. This was good, he knew how to break this one.
"This man, will have better reflexes than the old bastard. Better let Lorda and I take him."
Niko stated bluntly, his tone left no room for resistance. It wasn't a matter of one-upping her, it was a matter of not letting her commit suicide. The Jedi barked a sharp laugh. Niko did not react as the man laughed. Instead he hoisted his mace and with a shout of "Lorda! Nee choo!" he charged. The vornskr snarled and barked before he lanced after his master, claws clattered in staccato as he ran. Niko's charge was more a serious of leaps. He raised his weapon to swing sideways, and the Jedi grinned cockily to bring his weapon up to block. Sparks spat and squealed from the phrik mace before the blow overpowered the Jedi. His body moved with the weapon as the mace collided into the side of his head, and slammed it into the duracrete wall next to him. The lightsaber clattered to the ground and the now dead Jedi's body twitched idly. As Niko wrenched the weapon out from the crater he had created in the wall, the body gave one last violent twitch before it collapsed. Lorda instantly latched onto the man's leg and began to tug at it hungrily. Niko turned back to look at the woman again.
"Are you ok?"
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Faeruy
Follow the Green Faeruy
314 posts
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Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder
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last online Dec 21, 2014 3:44:56 GMT -5
Knight
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Feb 14, 2013 1:42:43 GMT -5
Post by Faeruy on Feb 14, 2013 1:42:43 GMT -5
Shanti hadn't gotten far when a great beast swept past her, grazing her and making the tiny redhead loose her balance. She windmilled wildly trying not to fall and ended spinning around entirely to face the strange, dark man again. Her eyes traveled down to see the big creature gnawing on the dead Jedi. Her stomach roiled in protest at the sight. She had grown up on Nar Shaddaa, and seen some not-so-pleasant things in her time, but this had to be among the grossest. She tried not to retch.
Lorda? The beast had a name? She stared at the thing a little bit longer, and realized that it was vornskr hound. A very hungry one by the looks of it. She was about to turn and leave, not willing to stay and watch any more of the carnage, but the stranger's actions made her pause, and she tilted her head, watching curiously as he disassembled the old Jedi's lightsaber. She'd never seen one taken apart before. And she certainly didn't understand why. It was fascinating, and Shanti's keen eyes followed the process quickly. She must have blinked, however, since one moment she saw the lightsaber in one piece, and the next it seemed to have come apart entirely, and she had missed how that had happened completely. A pity; lightsaber crystals would sell well, if she could ever figure out the knack for taking them out.
"Allies?" Shanti asked, confused. Why on earth would she want to work as part of a team? That meant a split bounty. And dealing with other people. Shanti had run with gangs before of course; but only as long as it took to get her next lead. And she hated splitting the bounty."The data file never said anything about allies for this Jedi.... I thought..."
But it didn't matter what she thought. The stranger was right. The old man did have allies, and one of them was blocking off the alleyway. Shanti's green eyes went wide with fright. One old Jedi had been difficult enough to deal with, but this one... it was the second time today that Shanti thought that she was going to die.
The man showed no so such fear however. As Shanti stood paralyzed, the tattooed man swung his mace as if it was an extension of his arm; battling the Jedi like two people in the middle of an intricate cultural dance. The hound joined in, weaving and snarling around the Jedi. A beautiful, and grotesque, and violent dance. And just as soon as it started; it was over. The Jedi's head was smashed into the wall, and the hound was once again chewing at a leg.
All Shanti felt was sick. It could have been the running; it could have been the sight of the Miraluka's eye socket; it could have been the gruesome way with which the stranger dispatched the Jedi. All she knew was that it was more than she could handle. She threw one terrified glance at the strange man and went a strange shade of green before doubling over, spewing her guts out onto the pavement. Red, curly hair fell in Shanti's face; she tried to push it back but with her gut in such spasms she was mostly unsuccessful in keeping it out of the way of her regurgitation.
She heaved and coughed until there was nothing left in her stomach but bile; until the stray ends of her mane were dripping and the steet beneath them was covered in the remains of her last meal. Shanti straightened up, feeling a little lightheaded and dizzy, and wiped her mouth. She could still taste everything. "I'm fine." She said shakily. "Just... fine. Do you think that's all of them?"
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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Feb 14, 2013 17:20:20 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Feb 14, 2013 17:20:20 GMT -5
Niko looked away as the girl began to empty her stomach. He set the mace down head first again, and picked up this man's lightsaber. Lorda would peak up from his gnaw at the strange sounds the girl made. He sniffed the air and padded over next to her. Niko paid no mind to the hound as he sniffed the girl's hair. His hands began the same process as before. Piece by piece the lightsaber clattered to the ground. The glass in the crystal casing chimed as it broke, and Niko held the yellow crystal up to a light. It was rare to get a yellow, this one was nice. It seemed to swirl within, and almost felt warm to the touch. It was interesting. His thoughts were broken by the last of the girl's retching. He pitied her. It was obvious that she had not scene enough violence in the galaxy yet. He remembered his fist kill, the Duros. Niko had thrown up from it too, once the adrenaline fell. Lorda began to slurp up the vomit loudly.
"Lorda."
He growled and snapped his fingers. The vornskr whined but obeyed. He trotted to Niko's side and sat. Niko's fingers would find the shaggy fur atop the hound's head and played with it idly. His free hand reached into his overcoat to retrieve a handkerchief. He stepped forward and handed it to her with a nod. The man made no taunts, nor said a thing about her becoming ill. Instead he stepped back to his mace and hefted it up and over his shoulder. It slid into its holster and Niko made a few hand motions. The clasps that held the weapon to the bandoleer would click together, as if invisible hands handled them. Once secured Niko placed both hands at his belt buckle and looked up and around. His dark blue eyes scanned any windows for witnesses- specifically those with lightsabers. He waited a moment before he looked back to the red-head.
"You don't have to lie. What you felt was valid."
Niko reached into his pocket to pull out a datapad. Several pictures popped up onto the display. He crossed out two of the faces. An old man in a veil, and the once blonde headless man behind him. A few more still looked at him, holos taken from various security cameras. One was a Mon Calamari, with green skin and red eyes. The second, a Muun, tall and thin. The third another human, with dark skin and wild eyebrows. And the last, a Togorian, large and feral. He held out the datapad for the girl to see.
"No. There are four more. Ahl Notto, Siilto, Rannar Thane, and Argulius. The old man was Tennen Mar, and this one is Fisk Sen. They are a circle of Jedi Investigators that work Druckenwell. They also have a large bounty on their heads. One my employer wants very much. One you are currently pursuing. There are no bounties on them besides the one's Koro the Hutt has placed."
He took the datapad back and stowed it back into a pocket. Lorda whined and Niko patted the vornskr. Given permission to move, the hound moved to the girl and sniffed her hand gently. He may have a vicious appearance, and fought wildly, but the vornskr was far from violent tempered. Niko tilted his head slightly to watch the hound. Lorda rarely approached people so openly. It was an odd sight for the man. The girl had talent, this was obvious. With the right mentoring, she could use a weapon seldom used for bounty hunting: The mind. Niko stepped forward to kneel before the girl, and took Lorda's head in his hands and scratched the vornskr until his leg began to twitch. Niko looked up at the girl before he spoke.
"You aren't going to get paid that well for one kill. The full bounty is for all six men. You hold a sixth of it. If you want to do this job right, and get recognition, you'll need me. Koro pays richly, and my name will get you into his palace on Nal Hutta. It's a seven month wait otherwise."
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Faeruy
Follow the Green Faeruy
314 posts
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Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder
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last online Dec 21, 2014 3:44:56 GMT -5
Knight
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Feb 14, 2013 22:10:47 GMT -5
Post by Faeruy on Feb 14, 2013 22:10:47 GMT -5
"Not lying." Shanti said, as she took the handkerchief from the stranger. She never would have thought that a man who looked and acted like him would do something like carry a handkerchief. It seemed weirdly incongrous, but she appreciated the gesture. To bad it still couldn't get the taste out of her mouth. The small piece of cloth was used mostly to wipe off the rest of her mouth, and also some of the ends of her hair. It didn't do much, and certainly she would need a shower at some point, especially because as she continued to get chunks of puke out of her hair, little pieces of duracrete kept falling to the ground. She should have remembered to tie her hair back before she started the mission.
But it didn't particularly matter, since it looked like they were far from done. She finished dealing with the handkerchief and held it out for the dark-haired human to take back, peeking over at his datapad as she did so. "I could have sworn none of this was part of what I saw on Nar Shaddaa. It only mentioned Tennen Mar, and the price. I'm not stupid enough to try and take on six Jedi by myself." That would be suicide. Shanti couldn't believe that the notice she saw didn't mention the other five. Though it was entirely possible she missed something. Not to mention, the bounty was high, but not unreasonable for a Jedi. Maybe that was the price for just one? If that was the price for one, then all six must be exorbitant.
Shanti's greed got the better of her. Even split in half, she would be set for a good long while. She would be foolish to try and do anything on her own, but this man, and the hound, seemed more than capable. Absently she reached down to pat the beast's head, who seemed to like it very much. He didn't seem to want to tear her leg off, so that was good. He was a very good support for a still some-what shaky Shanti; the nausea she felt was subsiding quickly. She could get used to this. Shanti trained her green eye down towards the man, down at his blue eyes, not sure whether she should trust him or not. He could be lying about his connection to Koro for all she knew. But unless he doctored the datapad somehow, the bounty was real enough. If the stranger had wanted to kill her, he would have done so by now.
"Don't know why you want me to help, you don't even know me." She said, still unsure what his angle was. "But more money's always good. And we've already got two. How hard can four more be? Should be fun." Shanti grinned, a big white, toothy smile. "Where should we start? Which of these four Jedi is to be our next target?'
"How about me?" A high voice from behind her called. She turned to see a red-eyed, green-skinned woman wielding a blue lightsaber. Shanti immediately pulled out her blaster; ready to shoot if needed, but not willing to shoot it and risk certain death. "Or maybe you are looking for him?" The Mon Calamari gestured, and from behind her came a dark-haired human male, wielding a nearly teal lightsaber. Suddenly, Shanti was very glad she hadn't shot yet. She looked over at the mace wielding stranger. She knew what she wanted to do; run. But if she wanted the bounty, she was going to have to do what he said.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
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Feb 15, 2013 15:59:25 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Feb 15, 2013 15:59:25 GMT -5
Niko felt them as they arrived, the pair fell from a passing speeder to land nearby. He first looked from one, then the other. Lorda cracked his tail and began to growl, red-stained teeth bare. Niko stood to his feet, and looked once more, from one to the other. Ahl the Mon Cal, wasn't a renowned fighter, but a talented tracker. Even if they ran, she'd be able to find them with the Force. Rannar however, was one of the muscles of the group. Niko looked at him and his wild eyebrows. Either way, if they stayed or ran, with her current equipment, the girl lost. Niko would be able to hold his own, but he doubted the little red-head could do the same. He reached into his overcoat and retrieved his slugthrower. Squat and heavy, with a large barrel. He flipped it in his hand and offered it to the girl.
"Blasters are useless here. Use this. If either of them gets close to you and I'm not near, just point and pull the trigger. Shredder rounds. Jedi can't block every sliver of shrapnel."
Lorda snarled and barked angrily, the vornskr getting impatient. Niko reached up and pulled the Mace of Amber Reign free once more. The head of it was still red with caked gore, and a bit of scalp fell to the ground as he hefted it. Blonde hair blew in the breeze from it, and Rannar cursed. The Jedi retrieved a second lightsaber from his belt, the blade a rose-pink. Niko never took his eyes off Rannar as the man looked first to Lorda. Then to the mace. Then his tattoo. Then the rings on his fingers. The man looked as if he nearly went to take a step back, but instead called out to his ally.
"I-it's Niko Bellivengi!"
Shouted Rannar Thane. Niko's cold eyes never left the man, but behind him he heard the Mon Cal curse as well. This wasn't the first time someone realized who he was. The pair seemed hesitant to engage. Niko felt his pulse begin to raise. He had fought a pair of Jedi before, a master and apprentice. Two knights might make him break a sweat. He would see soon enough. They key part was, not to let the duo work in tandem. Niko had learned that the wrong way, and the scar across his back (now covered in tattoos) was proof of that. He would need to divide and conquer, as well as protect the woman.
"Lorda. Pateessa."
Commanded Niko. The vornskr snapped before he trotted over to the girl. He brushed up against her side and bared his fangs at the Mon Cal. The hound would protect her. His greatest asset was the vornskr's intelligence, paired with his loyalty and good training, the hound was a great ally indeed. Niko nodded in satisfaction. He wouldn't have to worry about her for a few moments. In that time, he needed to end at least one of the Jedi. The girl wouldn't be able to handle Rannar. Niko just hoped she could at least stay alive long enough for him to dispatch the Jedi. With a burst of speed Niko leaped with his weapon raised. Time slowed for him as his eyes locked with Rannar's.
With a growl of effort Niko suddenly used his Will to spin his body, the mace and him created a whirlwind of phrik. The man dodged the first strike. Niko stomped his boots the the ground to stop his motion, and immediately pressed the attack. One wouldn't think such a large weapon could be moved so quickly, but when he applied his Will Niko was as quick with the mace as Rannar was with his lightsabers. Sparks showered the duo as Rannar back-peddled from the assault. Niko leaped over him to begin to drive Rannar towards the red-head, Lorda, and the other Jedi. He needed to keep his eyes on everything. Niko exhaled sharply as the mace found purchase. Rannar screamed as his left arm was shattered by the blow. It dangled limply and his teal lightsaber dropped. That was his main arm. Niko spun again and the head of the mace caught Rannar in the gut. He flew head over heels into a pile near the Mon Cal, but was clearly alive by his groans of pain. Niko hefted the mace onto his shoulder, and rested his free hand on his belt buckle. His face still showed not a sign of effort, and he looked at the two Jedi in boredom before he spoke.
"It's over."
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Faeruy
Follow the Green Faeruy
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Feb 16, 2013 15:19:53 GMT -5
Post by Faeruy on Feb 16, 2013 15:19:53 GMT -5
The Jedi knew who he was. That was a very curious thing. They knew his name. This Niko Bellivengi must be very well known in the galaxy, at least to the Jedi, though Shanti had no idea who he was.
A part of her wondered how large the bounty on his head must be. Not that she could take him. They already had the problem of too many Jedi after them, and as loath as she was to admit it he was far, far better than her. If she was going to collect a bounty on someone like him, she'd need to be very careful. But such thoughts weren't particularly helpful at this moment. Right now they were fighting two very angry Jedi, and if she didn't keep her mind to the task, she would be dead.
It didn't seem to be that bad though; the Jedi seemed far more concerned with this Niko than they did with her. Plus she had the hound by her side, snapping and snarling, and the slugthrower in her hands. She turned it over, examining it distastefully. Not really her thing. Far too primitive. But if Niko-who-scared-Jedi said it was useful, then sure, why not use it?
Meanwhile, the Mon Cal woman was coming towards her. Shanti glared at the self-righteous Forcie and held up the slug thrower. "Just try it schutta." She snarled. "Already killed one of your friends. You think this mutt and I would go easy on you?" The only response from the Mon Cal was to swing her lightsaber forcefully towards Shanti and the vornsk hound. Shanti swore under her breath, and fumbled to get the gun into some semblance of aim. Luckily, Lorda was quicker. He went for the leg of the green Jedi, which gave Shanti more time to get in position. She tried not to be distracted by the sounds of battle; of Niko and the other, very large Jedi fighting.
Shanti finally fumbled the gun into position, but now the Mon Cal and Lorda were moving far too much for Shanti to get a lock on their position. She thought hurridly. Niko had mostly commanded the hound in Huttese. She wondered what if the beast would respond to her. He seemed to like her anyway.
"Lorda, baka!"[/b] She shouted. At first the hound didn't respond, and Shanti was afraid that the beast would only respond to his master. But a second later he leapt away from the Mon Cal, which was all the advantage that Shanti needed. She pulled the trigger on the slug thrower and a loud shot rang out. The little red head wasn't prepared for the kick back on the weapon at all, and found herself going backwards a few steps. The Mon Cal also wasn't expecting the slug. She managed to deflect it, but not entirely; the high speed projectile ripped through her light saber arm. The Jedi stared at it in surprise.
Just then, the other Jedi, the human, came flying through the air, landing on top of the Mon Cal; together they fell into a heap. A grin took over the face of the Nar Shaddaa girl, and she walked towards the two Jedi, slug thrower in hand. They formed a triangle - her, Niko, and the hound, surrounding the two helpless Jedi. Now it was time for them to die.
Although she did roll her eyes at Niko. "Really? 'It's over'?" She said, dropping her voice an octave to mimic his serious intonation. "I'm pretty sure they know that. Just kill them already and let's get this over with." Shanti had just about forgotten the gun her hand, and as she waved her arms around for emphasis, she accidentally pulled the trigger; the weapon went off with another loud bang.
"Whoops." She winced sheepishly. Shanti hadn't seen where she was aiming when she shot off the weapon. Hopefully it was not in a direction that caused more problems; they were already neckdeep in trouble.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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Feb 18, 2013 1:04:10 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Feb 18, 2013 1:04:10 GMT -5
Niko turned his eyes to glance at the red-head. He had to admit he was impressed she knew at least some Huttese, and caught on that Lorda responded to it. Only those who had grown up among the scum of the galaxy ever really spoke, let alone knew the language. The hound growled with his hackles raised and his tailed cracking repeatedly behind him. Lorda was eager to get at the Mon Cal, the vornskr seemed to prefer seafood. He shot a look at the girl as she taunted back the very words he had just spoken. Niko hadn't been taunted in a very, very long time. Not since the name "Jedi Hammer" began to slip from the tongues of the galaxy. It was... almost refreshing. It brought up memories of another woman who had taunted him, and how that fire had grown into a blaze neither could control. Niko banished the memories before he nodded in response and began to stroll forward.
Ahl struggled under the weight of the wounded Rannar. She gasped and pushed. Dark greenish-blue blood began to pool under the pair. Niko tilted his head to glimpse bone that jutted out from her shin. A broken leg, severely so. His glimpse also showed that in the collision, one of their lightsabers had taken her arm at the elbow. Rannar was obviously in similar shape. His left arm twisted into something that more resembled a dark root than an arm, and blood soaked the entire front of his robes. Broken ribs. Likely all of them. Rannar didn't have much longer to live, but the Mon Cal could survive her wounds. The hound snarled anxiously, a few strands of saliva hung from red fangs. Niko snapped his fingers and Lorda backed off and quieted down. Niko began to pat his mace in his free hand, and moved to swing it when his pistol suddenly went off. Niko jumped and instantly turned to face the girl. It was clear right away she hadn't been aiming, but waving when the trigger went off. She was lucky it wasn't pointed at herself at that moment.
"I'll take that back now."
The man said as he strode forward to take his weapon back. Once more holstered at his side he turned around to finish the bounties. Fate had other plans though. High up on the skyscraper next to them, sat a gargoyle. Hundreds of years ago it had been carved, and placed to loom out the executive's window. Corellian sandstone, very rare, very beautiful. Time had worn down the duracrete around it. A stray bit of shrapnel from the accidental discharge ricocheted off the duracrete under the gargoyle. One, single grain of sand fell from the collision. And then the gargoyle fell. It tumbled end over end as it plummeted.
Tinzor Benelbox was a Sullustan. Well respected in his family, loved by his friends. Father of three, and had just been promoted. He drove the new speeder he had purchased with his raise. It hum and sang through the air decadently smooth. Oh how Tinzor LOVED his new ride. Him and his wife had even already made love in it, just like he'd always wanted. The Sullustan was on cloud nine, nothing could bring him down. Except for the gargoyle that smashed into his shiny new speeder's window, and instantly killed him. The dead man who's head was now a stone fixture fell forward to push the speeder controls straight down. The silvery vehicle fell faster and faster as it fell, it tumbled end over end.
Niko looked up as a sudden fireball shot from the engine of the speeder, the explosion a muffled boom. He grimaced at the sight of a giant metallic fireball as it fell straight at them. He looked at the Jedi pile. Niko raised his mace to slam it down on the only hand the Mon Cal had anymore. She screamed. She wouldn't be going anywhere. He whistled twice and Lorda barked as he skulked away from the Jedi with wistful eyes. Niko looked at the red-head before he crouched low. With a burst of his Will Niko rocketed up into the air. He seemed to almost hover for a moment as the speeder began to pass his location. Niko's eyes bulged slightly as he swung his great weapon with everything in him. The mace smashed through durasteel as if it were particleboard. He exhaled as he pushed harder. Another burst of flames shot out around him, but Niko felt the vehicle move from the mace, now batted aside.
It collided and stuck into the side of the skyscraper that once held the gargoyle, the vehicle now took up the conference room it sat in. Niko became aware that fuel hand landed on one of his arms, and still burned. He shook his free hand from the overcoat and passed his mace to it before he shrugged off the other. All this as he began to fall from the sky. Niko let the coat free fall as the flames took to it more. He landed with a thud before he stepped away from where he thought the coat would land. Niko's dark blue eyes watched as it fluttered down to blanket the two Jedi. The flames spread to their robes, and they both began screaming almost in tandem. Niko sat the mace down to cross his fully tattooed arms over his chest. The bandoleer that held his pistol still sat harnessed over his skin tight undershirt. His breath was still a tad ragged from effort, and sweat fell from his hairline. He didn't know if it was the heat from the pyre or from the one in his muscles, but either way, he enjoyed the moment.
The fire that now silenced the Jedi burned, and could be seen reflected in his eyes. Burn, you bastards. He thought bitterly. Lorda moved to his side and whined in disappointment. Niko's free arm reached down to stroke the vornskr, and only then noted the stream of red that dripped from his hand, a piece of shrapnel from the speeder glistened from his forearm.
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Faeruy
Follow the Green Faeruy
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Feb 20, 2013 23:21:54 GMT -5
Post by Faeruy on Feb 20, 2013 23:21:54 GMT -5
Shanti was more than happy to get rid of the slug thrower. It wasn't her style really; far too messy. Not that she really had a style, but she liked to think that she did. But she nearly dropped it as a large boom echoed around her head. She looked up to see a big fireball trailing behind a speeder.
And then all of a sudden the stranger was flying; or nearly so, up in the air. She hadn't seen any normal human being able to jump like that; and unless he was of some near-human stock she didn't know about, Niko Bellevengi looked entirely human. But if merely jumping up was impressive, than what he did next was extraordinary. With his mace and with extreme force, he somehow managed to prevent the speeder from entering a collision course with her head. It all happened so fast, and Shanti didn't have time to move at all; it was over in the blink of an eye and the speeder had gone up like a bunch of fireworks.
Time seemed to slow after that, or it was just that Niko's descent was slower than it should be. The girl's bright green eyes reflected the image of a man on fire and a black coat fluttering down to engulf the two broken Jedi in flames. The heat of the fire quickly heated the air, and the smell of burning flesh filled Shanti's nostrils. This time, however, she was not afraid, she was not nauseous. She was curious. Green eyes met blue, both of them with flames dancing inside.
"Just who the frak are you?"Her voice was pitched high with incredulity. "You take out those Jedi with a mace; the fishhead know who you were..." She looked him over, up and down. Without the overcoat, she could get a better look at his build; at least, what she could see through the growing cloud of smoke. She had to admit that she rather liked what she saw. It turned out the tattoos were not limited to the one on his face. The type of guy with whom she'd go home with if she met him in a cantina. But this wasn't a cantina. This was standing around a screaming Jedi bonfire.
Her eyes dropped downward for just a moment. "We've got to get out of here don't we? That's four down, right? Four out of six... I'd rather the last two didn't get the jump on us." It was only a matter of time. She wanted to collect the full bounty, it was true, but she was at a severe disadvantage in this alleyway. Shanti wanted to get somewhere she could even the odds. "Besides... you've got that... that cut thing." Shanti said, gesturing to the man's bleeding arm. She edged her way around the burning pile of Jedi and grabbed Niko's injured arm. "Come on, there's gotta to be some place to hide out for a bit."
Shanti didn't have to go far; just around the corner, into another part of the alleyway, there were a multitude of doors. Most of them seemed to be locked, only operable from the inside, which didn't do Shanti much good. At the end, however, there was one with a security panel next to it. Shanti grinned, and immediately went to work. Her fingers were a blur as she bypassed the security system, her brow was furrowed in concentration. There was a whine, and a whir, and with a final flourish, a click as Shanti managed to open the door.
"There." She said, quite pleased with herself. "Should be safe enough for a bit. You'll have plenty of time to tell me what that was all about back there."
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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Feb 22, 2013 15:07:09 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Feb 22, 2013 15:07:09 GMT -5
Niko returned the girl's gaze. The reds and oranges of the flames lit her up, her hair seemed to match the blaze in color, and the green of her eyes seemed even more prevalent in the light. She was very young, but the way she now looked at him betrayed that she was very much an adult. It wasn't the first time he had seen another give him that gaze, Niko was a dangerous man, and people always seemed to be drawn to those kinds. Lorda nuzzled his injured arm and licked away some of the bloody tenderly, but Niko brushed the hound aside with that same hand. For a moment he did not respond to her first question. He would just stare for a brief moment. Just who the frak are you? It was then that Niko fully realized that the girl was as green as her eyes. Anyone who was anyone in the underworld of the galaxy knew at least the name 'Niko Bellivengi', especially in the circle of bounty hunters, which she claimed to be.
"It's not as bad as it looks."
Was all Niko said in response. He didn't fight the girl's touch as she grabbed his arm. Dark blues watched her as she examined his arm before she pulled for him to follow. His free hand reached back to grab his mace before it was hefted onto his shoulder. Niko whistled for Lorda to follow and the vornskr padded along behind him. His eyes would occasionally look back to the woman as they walked, though most of the time he scanned everywhere for any sign of the remaining Jedi or any law enforcement. The massive bloody mace at his shoulder sure would grab some attention. Let alone the black plumes of smoke that now filled the alley they had just left. Niko couldn't help but think what a little thing she was, nor could he deny the fact that he seemed to like the idea of tossing her about in a more private manner. It was rare for Niko to find anyone attractive to him, and though he really saw her as nothing more than a child at first, the way she walked and looked at him began to change that.
They turned into a parallel alley. Smart move, authorities rarely looked in the immediate vicinity for perpetrators. Either she was a natural at crime, or had learned this lesson early on. No matter the reason, Niko was impressed. Even more so once further into the alley. The red head spun into the doorway and popped it open as if it was meant to. Which they weren't. Her small hands were deft and practiced, the motions well known. But Niko's natural boredom began to take over. He stepped back and held the mace with the head of it pointing forward, ready to ram the door open. The word 'Move' was just on his tongue when the door clicked and the girl beamed at him. Niko did not return the smile, but nodded once in approval before his stance relaxed and the mace once more returned to his shoulder. He stepped forward to look down at her.
"As you wish...
Niko started before he looked the girl up and down. Lorda whined and padded over to the girl to sniff her boot before his snout nuzzled her hand. Once more the vornskr just walked up to her like they were old friend. What was it the hound saw in her? His eyes found hers once more. The man wasn't fully sure how to approach this. Never known as a socialite, Niko Bellivengi was infamous for his brooding behavior, and unless Nihl was around, always seemed to prefer Lorda over anyone else's company. The hound looked at Niko and whined before he looked towards the now open door.
... first, your name."
Sirens sounded right after he asked, and Niko looked up to see several police cruisers fly by overhead, obviously en route to the scene. Niko without another word moved forward with the mace still shouldered. His free hand rested on the girl's shoulder before a boot was brought up to kick the door open further and Niko ushered the pair into the building. More sirens joined the chorus of the others, emergency response teams by the sound of them. Niko closed the door with a shove from his heel and he looked down the dimly lit hall. Lorda snuffed and trotted forward with the occasional stop to sniff something. Niko looked around, but the hall was eerily quiet. Either abandoned or an ambush. Either way, he kept his guard up.
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Faeruy
Follow the Green Faeruy
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Feb 23, 2013 0:16:01 GMT -5
Post by Faeruy on Feb 23, 2013 0:16:01 GMT -5
There was something wet against her hand. Shanti glanced down briefly to see the hound nuzzling her hand; she obliged him by scratching between his pointed ears. He seemed like a sweet pet now; not the crazy killer who ate Jedi for breakfast. Shanti never had a pet before, but she had got on well with guard animals on Nar Shaddaa. Usually it was because she had remembered ahead of time to bring some bloody meat to placate them. But she didn't have any on her at the moment, and still Lorda seemed to like her.
"My name? You seriously want to know my name before coming inside? Are you trying to get us both killed?" Her confused and searching eyes met only with bored dark blue ones. She sighed. "Fine. Niko Bellivengi, it's nice to meet you. I'm Shanti Bishan. Now lets get inside before we're both blasted to dust."
She clearly didn't have to ask him twice, since the next thing she knew she was being shoved into the open doorway. And not a moment too soon she was sure. The sirens were getting ever closer, and it sounded like a lot of them. This was not how she wanted it to go at all. Shanti wanted it clean; in, out and done. Now there were four Jedi dead, two left to kill, and she was stuck in a darkened building with a strange violent man and his vornskr hound. If she was smart, as she had been in the past; she would leave and turn the other bounty hunter in. Sure, she only had four of the six, but at least she would be alive to collect the bounty.
But she glanced at the gore-covered mace and realized just exactly how stupid that idea was. She wouldn't get five feet towards the police.
The place seemed quiet; the walls were thick enough to muffle the sound outside and there wasn't any sign of life inside except for the trio. Shanti didn't think much of it. Now that they had a chance to breathe; she was concerned more about what to do next. She wandered further down the hallway, away from the entrance. She poked her head into one room. Nothing but blank walls and dust.
"So... Niko Bellivengi, who scares the druk of Jedi. What do we do next? And why are Jedi so afraid of you?" She asked causally, still peeking into strange rooms. All of them seemed empty so far. Too bad. She was hoping to find something of value.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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Mar 1, 2013 14:01:04 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Mar 1, 2013 14:01:04 GMT -5
Niko watched Shanti for a moment, and tilted his head as Lorda followed her. She was observant. This was a good thing. Too often fresh bounty hunters forget how important mere observation could be when on a job. He walked over to the wall to his left where a large vidscreen took up a good portion of it. His left hand would brush away most of the dust and to his surprise it flickered to life. An amber glow would bath the hallway as statistics, profiles, and maps popped up. It was a dispatch board. Niko looked around some more, and noticed more signs of what the building was. He noted a few lockers in the room parallel to the board, and down the hall, a mug that said 'Druckenwell City Watch'. They were in an abandoned police station it seemed. The irony was not lost on the man as he still heard the sirens outside. Shanti queried their plan, and who he was. On a whim, he brought up the bounties and wanted files on the vidscreen. He quickly typed in his own name, and looked right into his own eyes as his file popped up with a holo of him.
His name, likely age, known contacts, and record showed up. As did a number that contained more than a few zeros on the end of it. Once more, Niko recognized the irony of a bounty hunter having such a large bounty himself, but no one outside the Republic had ever attempted to collect said bounty. His face showed no reaction as his profile suddenly updated. Number of Jedi Murders: 44. Then 45. Then 46. Seems the Watch was updating his latest victims. And then another pop up happened. 'Republic's Most Wanted: Number 15'. Seems he had usurped a new place. Niko turned his eyes to Shanti's and lazily tilted his head towards the board.
He set his mace down head first with a thud and looked at his arm for a moment. The piece of shrapnel still glinted in the amber light of the vidscreen, and Niko's brow furrowed slightly. He didn't have the proper tools to pull and seal the wound, his little aid kit had been in a coat pocket, and that coat was quite destroyed at that point. It occurred to him that the wound bled more than it really should, and that it was likely that it had nicked a vein. If he were to pull it out, it was likely that he would bleed out. That was annoying. Niko turned back to the board and swiped his profile away before typing in a name: 'Handsome Andsom'
"He's a Toydarian that operates nearby. Lost his surgical license years ago for selling organs. Andsom owes me for stopping a Jedi that was pursuing him... there. His club is only a few blocks away from here. I would prefer to take down Siilto and Argulius on our terms over theirs... He'll let us use his place to hide out until the Watch isn't as vigilant."
Niko turned to look at Shanti once more and he place a hand on the butt of his mace. The amber glow of the vidscreen complimented her red hair, and the occasional flicker of the screen made her green eyes flash brilliantly. Lorda began to growl, and broke his thoughts. It was a warning growl. Niko hefted his mace onto his shoulder and scanned the area. He could hear shuffling sounds, but with the vastness of the building, couldn't tell if it was on an entirely different floor, or right next to them.
"We're not alone. Let's move."
The man said before he strode away from the screen, but not before he switched off the vidscreen to dim the light in the hall more. Last thing they needed was a large glowing target next to them. He moved surprisingly silent as he moved, with his eyes on the move and his ears peeled for more sounds. Lorda kept near Shanti's side, his ears perked and his tail whipping in excitement. Niko motioned for Shanti to stick near him, and waited to see who was hiding in the decrepit station.
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Faeruy
Follow the Green Faeruy
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Mar 10, 2013 21:06:15 GMT -5
Post by Faeruy on Mar 10, 2013 21:06:15 GMT -5
Shanti was somewhat annoyed when Niko didn't answer her right away. So he was being coy and mysterious. Or possibly he was just trying to figure a way out of this place. Which she supposed was more important, but she'd rather know more about this bounty hunter she found herself stuck with. She thought about repeating her question again but as it turned out, she didn't need to.
The vid screen came to life, and Shanti didn't miss the fact that it came up on City Watch database. Her pert mouth quirked into a smile; the Nar Shaddaa girl didn't miss the irony of hiding from the Watch in a Watch station. She noted her impromptu partner wasn't smiling; he was busy trying to access something on the vidscreen. When he pulled up his own name, and she had two faces of Niko staring at her, she couldn't help but be astonished.
This bounty hunter was infamous. He had killed now 46 Jedi. He was wanted everywhere, and by everyone. And his bounty could make her a very, very, rich girl. Like, so rich she could live a life of luxury and never have to work again. A momentary glimpse of greed flashed through her eyes, but then her mind started working again. He could kill Jedi. Easily. He had that mace. And the hound. Sure the hound seemed to like her, but she had a feeling if she tried to kill the master that fondness would disappear very, very quickly. But that number was tempting; too tempting to pass up completely. She couldn't let the opportunity go to waste, but she'd have to be careful. Shanti would have to play the long game and be patient.
"Wow." Was all that she could say without giving away too much of her train of thought. She then realized that that might sound like she was overawed and intimidated by him, so after an involuntary gulp, she spoke again, trying to cover her reaction with sarcasm. "Only fifteen? Am I supposed to be impressed? What, not scary enough for Number One?" She clicked her tongue dismissively. Not that Shanti was even on the board. No one had even heard of her. Frankly, she preferred it that way. She got into enough trouble without having a bounty on her own head.
The screen flickered again as Niko typed, and a Toydarian popped up, which made Shanti scowl. She hated those little flying bags. Nothing good ever came of them. "A club? Like; dancing, booze, music, that kind of club? Or like a secret, members-only society kind of thing? Does he serve anything besides alien organs?" Truthfully, she wouldn't put it past a Toydarian to do just that. Normally going anywhere near a Toydarian was the last place she'd want to go for safekeeping, but...
Shanti glanced down at Niko's mace and thought about the easy way he pummeled those Jedi. Number fifteen on Republic's Most Wanted. Somehow, she didn't think they were going to die today at the hands of a potbellied, small-winged idiot. "And how long do you think it will take for the search to cool down? Minutes? Hours? Days?" That's when they both heard the shuffling sound. Shanti slid her knife out of her boot at as Niko pulled out his mace. He crept, and she followed, staying behind both him and the hound. Cowardly, but pragmatic. She kept checking back over her shoulder to make sure no one was following them. The room was huge; the complex even bigger. It would be so easy for someone to get the jump on them if they weren't careful.
They crept along the wall, the shuffling sound getting ever closer, but still Shanti saw nothing. One hand slid along the wall, and where the sound was the loudest, her hand ran into a latch. She threw a look at Niko; but then, with no further warning, the red head shoved it open; knife in hand and ready to stab the first thing that entered her view.
Shanti didn't get the chance. Something grabbed her arm, twisting it painfully behind her back, trapping her knife between her and her captor.
"Not gonna get me." A rank voice ranted hotly into her ear. "No one's gonna get me before I get them. Drop your weapon or the schutta gets it." The hands holding her were rough, and did not feel like human skin, but Shanti, as much as she struggled, couldn't tell what was holding on to her. She wriggled, trying to get loose, but whoever had her was strong, if somewhat insane. Who would be wandering around an abandoned Watch station?
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
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Mar 13, 2013 14:15:36 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Mar 13, 2013 14:15:36 GMT -5
Niko was about to scold the little red-head before she turned the door handle, but it was too late. Lorda instantly began to growl as a foul scent blasted out of the room, and the girl was tugged into it. Niko stepped into view of the doorway with mace at hand and hound at heels. Lorda's hackles were raised and his jaws bared in a snarl. The hound's growl was low and deep. A Besalisk held Shanti in two of his strong arms. One other held a makeshift club of sorts, and Niko noticed that he was missing another arm. His eyes and gauntness marked what he was, and Niko's own eyes narrowed slightly. A spice addict, and by the smell of it, one that had made his home within the abandoned Watch station. The man threatened Shanti's life. And he very well could end her, she looked so small in front of the massive creature. Niko had to approach the situation very, very cautiously.
"And what makes you think I care?"
He said bluntly. His expression gave no indication to what he was really feeling, and even the hound seemed to relax in response to Niko's words. The man did not drop his weapon, instead he took a step forward into the room and flicked the lights on. A mess of dirty, soiled blankets laid in a heap against on wall, and a table with a few scraps of rotted food and pills of spice. Niko looked at the pills before they turned back to the Besalisk.
"Who said I wasn't already planning on killing her?"
Niko said as he took another step forward. His eyes never left the Besalisk's, and the man held his gaze. Niko's hand motioned for Lorda to move in, and with agility and not a single sound, the vornskr slid into the room further. The hound circled around them, until the hound stood next to the Besalisk, but out of range. Niko's eyes then turned to Shanti's, his expression still blank. Don't do anything stupid... he thought. Without looking away, Niko spoke again.
"I was just hoping for a chance to rape her first."
His words were blunt, unapologetic. The Besalisk chuckled in appreciation. Niko did not return the laughter. Instead he stepped closer once more. By now he was still far from arms reach. But that wasn't the reach he had been keeping in mind the entire time. He would have to time this carefully, lest the spice addict wrench off Shanti's arms- or worse. Niko tried hard to not show the hate he showed for the man that clung to her. There were few types of people he hated more than addicts. Especially when they used people the way the man before him was using Shanti. Had Niko not been there, the Besalisk probably would have had his way with her anyway. That wasn't going to happen.
"Lorda. Boska."
Niko stated. It a blur Lorda barked and launched forward to grab the Besalisk's arm that held the club. Bone crunched audibly under the force of the vornskr's bite. As the man wailed in shock Niko's arm swung. But not as he reached out with his Will to tug Shanti away from the man. His strong arm wrapped around her as his other clubbed the Besalisk's head clean off. Without another word Niko turned and ushered them out of the room, a snap of his fingers called Lorda to follow. Once out in the hall, Niko closed the door to spare them the stench. He let Shanti go before he looked her up and down to make sure she wasn't harmed. Once it was clear she wasn't he nodded to her and motioned for her to follow him further.
"To answer your questions: Yes. Fifteen. Yes, a night club he owns now. And with there being Jedi involved, we should take days... but because there are Jedi involved, we need to strike at the other two before reinforcements arrive. That means no more than a day or two."
He said as if nothing had happened. Niko hefted his mace to rest on his shoulder as they walked, his eyes still vigilant as much as his ears. Chances are, the now headless man wasn't the only denizen of the abandoned building. Places like it tended to draw in the craven and the needy. If they were lucky, they would be able to sneak through to the other side without seeing another sentient. If they were unlucky... there could be a literal army of aliens foaming at the mouth for fresh meat. Either way Niko would be fine, but he couldn't guarantee the same for Shanti...
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Faeruy
Follow the Green Faeruy
314 posts
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Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder
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last online Dec 21, 2014 3:44:56 GMT -5
Knight
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Mar 13, 2013 22:42:54 GMT -5
Post by Faeruy on Mar 13, 2013 22:42:54 GMT -5
Niko's words made Shanti stop wriggling; instead she stood stock-still and stared at the tattooed bounty hunter. Not because she was surprised; she really wasn't. After all, he was a wanted bounty hunter, and they had only just met. Why would he give two farts what happened to her? She was nobody; nothing. An unknown young bounty hunter. She didn't look half bad, she knew that, but that was worth very little in a ruthless galaxy. No, what made her go still was the the fear of the unknown. Something was going to happen, but she didn't know what. Niko's words confused her captor almost as much as they did her.
She thought about what she would prefer. Shanti would rather die at the hands of the bounty hunter than some reeking Besalisk spice addict. She made a futile effort to kick the creature, but despite his guantness, he was still strong, and her foot couldn't reach back that far. Not that he was paying much attention to her now. He had found a kindred spirit in Niko, and his feeble brain was agreeing and laughing at the man's plans for the Nar Shaddaa girl.
Then without further warning, she found herself being either yanked or thrown from the addict's grasp. A growl and a bark heralded Lorda's intervention, and a sick wet thud accompanied the sight of a Besalisk head flying through the air. For the second, or third, or fourth time today, Shanti's life had been saved by the bounty hunter. It was getting rather annoying.
She gulped as he helped her to her feet, and tried not to show fear or weakness. Not that she hadn't already proved herself to be stupidly naive and weak, but she couldn't quite tell how much of his gambit had been a jest. What if he really was planning to rape and kill her? She didn't want to make herself so easy of a mark. So she listened to him jabber on about this place they were going to be hiding out in. And then Shanti did the only thing she could think of.
She slapped him. Hard. On the face.
"What the hell do you think you were saying? Kill me? Rape me? If you even think about touching me like that, I'm going to chop off your balls and feed it to the hound, you got me?" It was an idle threat, and she knew it. Niko could overpower her completely if he chose to. But her next threat wasn't quite so idle. "And if you hurt me, I'll make sure that every bounty hunter in the galaxy knows where you are and how to find you. I can do it too. All it takes is getting into the right network." Her tone was both malicious and mischieveous, her green eyes were cold.
Shanti stalked off, away from the ever-growing stench of the Besaliask; it was starting to seep past the doorway. "But fine. Let's go to this nightclub then. I could use a drink. Or several." She stopped, and looked back at Niko, realizing that she didn't really want the surly man with a mace to be behind her. Not to mention, she didn't know where she was going, and he did. She slowed down long enough for Niko to walk past her, and tried not to meet his dark blue eyes as he lead them towards safety.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
4,164 posts
372 likes
King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
Master
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Mar 15, 2013 12:49:00 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Mar 15, 2013 12:49:00 GMT -5
"I'm sorry."
Niko's words were blunt, and to the point. He didn't explain himself, nor defend himself. She would think what she would, the only thing that mattered to him was that she was unharmed. His dark blue eyes watched Shanti as she ranted and threatened him. All he did in response to her threat was blink once, slowly. He sighed and rested his free hand on his belt buckle. Lorda growled, lightly, more of a show for Niko's sake than an actual threat at Shanti. The cheek where she had slapped him began to redden slightly, but otherwise Niko had not sought to resist the attack. He was more than aware that he deserved her words, and her attack. It showed her youth, and how naive she really was. Niko did not like to think as to what the Besalisk would have tried had he known Shanti was being protected by Niko. As the girl turned and stalked off, his free hand came up to touch his cheek lightly where she had slapped him. It was hot to the touch, and brought memories he had long thought buried. The man simply couldn't remember the last time someone had dared strike him like that, and yet despite what she saw, despite what she knew... she still treated him like anyone else, like he wasn't anything special. Curious.
Lorda whined for Niko to start moving, and he did. With his mace still rested on his shoulder he moved calmly, but still quietly. Niko still couldn't quite place it, he wasn't sure if it was her appearance or just the fact that without him, she'd probably die on Druckenwell, but he did feel drawn to her in a way. Which way, he wasn't entirely sure. It was then he realized that his eyes had indeed been locked onto Shanti's rear. He mentally shrugged at himself as she spoke and turned around. She didn't make eye contact as he and Lorda passed her. Did she feel bad for hitting him? Was she afraid? What was it exactly this girl was doing with herself. She shouldn't be out gallivanting around the galaxy on blind luck alone. Niko couldn't claim it was all blind luck though, she proved to be an expert slicer for her age, and wasn't that terrible of a shot. She had promise, but promise alone was never enough to make it in the underworlds of the galaxy.
"Me too."
Niko responded. And it was true, between the fighting and the dryness of the day, the Hapan was quite parched. He cursed mentally as the hall turned down into a dimmed hallway, that may as well been pitch black for the man with his genetic predisposition to being completely blind in low lights. With one hand Niko grabbed the goggles that hung around his neck, and worked them up to sit over his eyes. He heard the slight whir and click as the night-vision settings came on, and the world suddenly appeared before him. This hall, was much more of a mess. Debris and forgotten furniture littered the area, and it smelt of mold, blood and tepid water. The hairs on the back of Niko's neck would stand, and from the growl next to him, he could tell Lorda didn't like the smell either. If it was at all possible, Niko wanted to avoid anymore trouble as much as possible.
He waved Shanti to move in behind him, and began to creep forward. Lorda slipped ahead of the group, the vornskr needed to see much less than he needed to hear and smell. One of the whole reasons he had adopted the hound, the beast made up where Niko lacked in many ways. Niko knew that if there was trouble in the darkness, the hound would find it long before it found them. Time seemed to crawl by as they did. The hall turned and twisted, and if possible, the place only became shabbier and shabbier. Niko paid no mind to what could have caused the Watch building to be abandoned, and wouldn't have to find out if he had anything to say about it. Lights flickered dimly sparsely, most hung from their overhead housing. The only sounds he had heard in the place anymore, was the drip of pipes and the scuttle of rodents.
It wasn't for a long while until Niko finally stopped following the turns and twists of the halls. The place was decrepit enough to begin hearing street noise through the walls, and he knew that they had finally traversed through the stinking building. Lorda was already sniffing at a door, one of his paws would rise up to bat at it and whine. He didn't want to be within the Watch station anymore than Niko did anymore. Niko motioned for Shanti to step back before he casually dropped his mace through the latch before he pushed it open. His free hand instantly pulled down the goggles as the setting sun covered him in an amber glow. More time had been spent in this cesspool than he would have liked. With a cautious look outside, Niko stepped out of the building to stare at the busy walkway in front of them. Sentients of all kinds of races, heights, appearances and sizes milled about as the evening traffic was in full swing. Perfect to get lost in as they traveled to Andsom's.
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Faeruy
Follow the Green Faeruy
314 posts
47 likes
Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder
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last online Dec 21, 2014 3:44:56 GMT -5
Knight
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Mar 23, 2013 18:38:56 GMT -5
Post by Faeruy on Mar 23, 2013 18:38:56 GMT -5
Getting back out into the crowds was a relief for Shanti. She had been spending far too much time traveling on ships and going to strangely deserted worlds. Cities were her natural habitat, and crowds were her safety net. It was amazing what a person could get away with when so there were so many eyes; most of them paid absolutely no attention to yet another face. Even when it was a trio as strange as their's was. Niko stood out far more than she did; with his mace, and the vronskr hound at his side, but even then with some many aliens dressed in all manner of outfits and carrying all sorts of strange objects, it wasn't too out of place.
If the Jedi were trying to find them, they'd have to be very, very good trackers indeed. Still, they would be better off if they weren't so much in the open. After all, if two of the Jedi they were hunting knew who Niko was, surely the ones left did as well. And then it probably wouldn't matter if he had killed the others or not. As for Shanti - if they caught her with him...
She didn't really want to think about that. Sure, she could play the innocent victim, but would the Jedi believe her? And even if they did, the chances were good that she wouldn't be able to collect the bounty on the four that were already dead. And that would be the biggest shame of them all. Well, except for her dying.
The evening crowds were thick though and Niko was far from the tallest; while both of them seemed perfectly comfortable finding their way through, Shanti knew that one wrong move could separate them, and since she didn't know where they were headed, it would be more detrimental for her to lose sight of the tattooed man, so without saying anything, she took a hold of his arm, looking for all the world like a couple out for a stroll.
Or something else... She thought. Not that she really cared what they looked like, as long as they didn't look like two bounty hunters hunting for Jedi.
The sooner they found this Toydarian, the better, as much as she hated to admit it. Shanti had inadvertently grabbed Niko's injured arm, though just below where he got hit, and her hand was getting damp and sticky from the blood. She didn't let go though; that would only make things worse. She kept her eyes open as she walked, making sure that they were in the clear.
That's how she spotted a pair of eyes in the crowd staring at them. She averted her gaze, but she squeezed Niko's arm, and nodded slightly. "See him?" She asked under her breath. "He's staring at us. Should we give him something to look at?" Shanti moved closer into Niko, and moved his arm so that it draped over her shoulders. She looked impishly up at him, and batted her eyelashes in a parody of a coquette.
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Dutch
Darth Awesome, Specialist at Everything
4,164 posts
372 likes
King All the Easy
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last online Apr 30, 2020 12:47:50 GMT -5
Master
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Mar 24, 2013 21:45:37 GMT -5
Post by Dutch on Mar 24, 2013 21:45:37 GMT -5
Niko's eyes scanned every face he could as they walked. Folk seemed to give him a decent breath of space as they walked. That was far from uncommon for him to notice, even his employer would boast about how Niko had made many potential hires back down form a mere stare. Luckily none of the faces were those of the last two Jedi. He could still hear the sirens a block or two over wailing as the investigation went on. However he made no sign that he was keeping his senses peeled so. If they acted suspicious, that could be enough for one of the Watch dotted throughout the street to notice them. Almost as if she read his mind, Niko felt a warm, soft hand against his arm. His gaze moved down to see it tenderly holding on to his injured arm. But she didn't take it away, and his dark eyes watched as his blood slid over pale skin. Niko found this interesting, her devotion to the ruse. A handy trait.
"We got lucky. Foot traffic will only get worse as the hour passes."
He said under his breath as he looked away. Niko wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself at that point, so he did his best to look casual. He let Shanti cling onto him, a good idea considering how easy it could be to get separated. His eyes looked down to see Lorda as he trotted along at Niko's heels. The hound would be able to find them even if he did get separated, as he had proven to in the past. Niko shifted his right arm to adjust the mace at his shoulder. This seemed to momentarily give them a wider berth to walk through. It also seemed to draw unwanted attention. His eyes moved to Shanti as she squeezed his arm slightly. They darted to the watcher's face for a brief moment. He grunted an affirmative to her query on if he saw them. A Twi'lek with a suspicious visage that fingered a blaster pistol at their belt.
Niko's attention would be torn from the watcher though as he felt Shanti's warmth press up against him. As she spoke and moved his arm, a single eyebrow would lift in reaction. She batted her eyelashes at him, and he narrowed his eyes slightly at her in response. What're you working on... Thought Niko in mild suspicion. He still wasn't entirely sure on what her angle was in regards to him, the mostly likely leaned towards credits. However, it was a good way to deter any other ideas as to what they may be. And he'd be lying if he didn't find the dame attractive.
"Chess ko, mesh'la..."
He muttered in Huttese under his breath to Shanti. His arm would slide down to the small of her back as Niko pulled her closer. His mace was set down with an audible thud, and his right hand would rest on the butt of it. Niko moved in to grace his lips with Shanti's, at first experimentally, cautiously. The Hapan's hand would move down to suddenly grab her rear to pull Shanti in, his kiss becoming hungrier. Niko would hold it for a moment before he opened his eyes to glance where the Twi'lek had been, to see he was gone. He ended the kiss with a gentle bite to Shanti's lower lip before he parted with a low growl from his throat. His grip on her loosened and Niko straightened his posture. Niko looked back down at Shanti with a stoic look to his face, though the hungry glint in his eyes would say otherwise.
"We should... keep moving."
The man said with a light clearing of his throat. He took one more cursory glance around before his good arm hoisted the mace back onto his shoulder. His fingers snapped for Lorda to keep following, and with his arm still wrapped around Shanti, he urged her to move as well. Andsom's club wasn't too much farther away, a few more blocks south, then a lift to one of the higher levels of the city. It wouldn't take them too long to cruise down the walkway, melded in with the crowds. Niko kept their pace brisk but casual, like they were simply late for something. When they approached the lift, Niko looked up to see it many, many stories above them. His dark blue eyes looked around them for a brief second before he pressed the button to call the lift down. He let his arm up off Shanti and watched her for a moment. Niko, at a complete loss for words, merely looked away again to stare up at the lift as it slowly descended. Too slowly if you asked him.
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