Someone had once told her, that the world was gonna roll her. The circumstances back then had been vaguely similar, though she had been a mere bystander at that point. Chased by enforcers from one of the local gangs, some petty thug had forgotten one of the most pivotal rules of city worlds like Nar Shaddaa. Always, always,
always, watch where you're going. Especially when it came to the more run-down areas. The joke was made that he fell so long that he had to take a breath partway down, but really it was more likely the poor fool passed out at a certain point and didn't even feel his death. That this memory was coming to mind now, with yet another before her making the attempt to justify his own lapse in judgement.
If it had been any other captain on this world, any other ship and crew… The discussion wouldn't have even been had. There would be a pair of bodies left for maintenance to clean up and a few good laughs at the cantina later. In fairness it likely wouldn't have even mattered to specify Anchorage. Pulling such a stunt anywhere else would have probably resulted in being shot in response, and sure enough not even bothering to hear someone out, at knife-point or not. His 'accomplice' spoke up midway through, pitching her services and thoroughly tossing him aside for her own benefit. The face was recognized, image pulled up as reference from the cantina and once more she praised Ashla for the forethought in getting cybernetics for just such a situation. It wasn't that she had a poor memory, just that being able to recall recorde images and video without a datapad was exceptionally beneficial.
"I'll deal with you after things are wrapped up here." Short and sweet, she nodded over towards Sable as an indication of how things would go.
"Sable, escort her to the conference room and see if Five-Toes has anything freshly prepped for guests."A part of her thought to clarify that Five-Toes was their cook, and that with all the circumstances her comment might have other connotations, but she wasn't entirely in the mood to be all that forthright with current company. Two stowaways, an untrained force-user and a boy with his dog shooting at her crew. How many times had they been on this planet before in the last six years? How many times had they been able to lift off without some kind of incident? Not counting the whole misunderstanding with the Mandalorian, it seemed to be in the single digits. Perhaps a change of career was calling to her… The signs seemed all there afterall. Words on a screen prompted her full attention back on the guy who was attempting to justify himself. For a brief moment her expression dipped, eyes narrowing at the message as she read it and wondering just who the hell this guy was and where he came from. Did people still talk like that in some… Yes, yes they did. She had nearly forgotten that one planet in the upper quadrant of the outer rim, some backwater that seemed stuck in the past.
"Look kid, first off I'm not your lady. Second, you're on Anchorage. The one with all the mercenaries and pirates. If you're going to be living in the Outer Rim and working with crews like mine you need to understand that there's no such thing as stupid and old out here. Stupid gets you killed, and trusting the wrong people… Well you should know by now where that gets you."Whether he was sincere or not in his attempt to appease her didn't quite matter to her when it came down to it. The crew didn't entirely get along with each other perfectly, but she hadn't ever let someone on before after they shot at them, and it wasn't exactly good policy to do so to begin with. Forgive and forget worked fine enough in the core worlds, but as she had said… Stupid and old do not go together out here. A choice was left to be made though, between just killing him and his dog and moving on, taking him prisoner for a bit until they stopped at the next port, or turning him over to Port Authority. The latter was the most ideal option, as it meant she didn't have to deal with him at all, nor did the crew have to put up with someone who had shot at them.
At least, that was what she was going to go with until Kabal and yet
another new face showed up. One that looked like she had been on the losing end of a brawl with a gamorrean as well. That wasn't too bad though, as she took in the new person for just long enough to see the bloodied knuckles and that most of the injuries were superficial. She had given just as hard as she got, which showed the blue woman had some spirit.
"Bring bomb."Oh. That's right, she had given Kabal a sack full of credits to go hunting after that bomb, and somehow he had actually come back with a girl and a bomb. An actual Baradium Fission Device. It as immediately recognizable as such, the gravsled straining with the weight of the almost speeder-sized planet-cracker listing lazily to the side. A
planet cracker. Illegal in literally every system in the galaxy and now apparently the company was in possession of one. At least it would keep Kabal happy for a bit and busy, though she loathed the conversations that would come of him desiring to use it. Then it seemed that the galaxy wasn't quite done with her as of yet, the sharp crack of the gravsled's thrusters going out and followed by a heavy thud as the bomb was dropped onto the ground. Silence followed as she waited for the flash and fire, but nothing happened. All it did was throw out a series of angry looking warnings across the control panel and make a few noises as if protesting its treatment.
Solace was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when once more the hangar doors opened, expecting some of the few remaining crew to rejoin them and instead facing the very last thing she wanted to see.
"Get on the ship." The command was given to both Kabal and the woman, mere moments left available to them before things went
very out of hand. Then again to Jarak who had followed her here and the boy just behind her.
"Get on the fucking ship and don't you dare leave the bomb behind!"
The longer between that initial burst of panic and the calm of everything in hand the more she had to gently steady herself and once more return to normalcy. At least the normalcy that she knew. Colors swirled in her vision around all in the cargo hold, clinging to the makeshift family of sorts that her sister had introduced her to and been close at hand for the last few years. Shades of blue around the nicer ones, tinges of red here and there reflecting things that had to be done, and of course the tempestuous purple of Verra. The colors dripped off some such as Sir Elbas and Sharp, somehow the force hesitant to cling too closely to them as opposed to others. Verra and Airus had both explained why at some point, and she somewhat remembered lessons from before that another self understood a little more clearly.
That other self lingered close by in her mind, seeming to disapprove of everything. She didn't feel the same way that she did, the other Sena. Where she felt the fear of a moment and couldn't do anything except freeze and panic, that one was calm and seemed to always be watching and with some way out. It was hard to listen though, or at least to fully act out her advice when it was given. Like now she heard the soft whispers that the fluffy creature in her arms was not a plushy at all, and while it wasn't a feral beast either it was still dangerous. Sena had already named him though, and he seemed to like her as well. Otherwise he wouldn't have come to her aid surely? She had been about to simply walk away and allow him to roam the cargo hold, but at Airus' suggestion of meeting the other plushies she couldn't just leave him behind. Just as before, there was no warning and no avoiding it. Sena had simply picked up the ewok and carried him off as if it was completely normal.
Normal. Yes, everything was returning back to normal and soon she would have sweets to help ease her mind from all that had just happened. Of course she would be responsible and only have a little, as dinner was soon and Five-Toes didn't like it when
anyone skipped a meal. After all the effort he went through to cook for them everyday she didn't blame him either, though she felt that maybe he was a little too aggressive in how he handled such things. Everyone tended to recall when Kabal went nearly a month without eating and had to get an IV drip before finally giving in. Then again, he wasn't very nice, at least at first. It took a bit for him to get used to the crew, but she thought he actually liked everyone and swore he smiled behind that mask when she was able to speak in Ubese back to him. Nevermind that he still said mean things here and there, probably forgetting that she could understand him now.
Her thoughts were again a swirl of chaos, a soft hum as she kept Bearnabus in her arms in the turbolift up to the main deck. Airus at her side remained ever close, keeping an eye on her as she felt that her sister had asked him to do. She was always doing that, though once he had joined up with them he tended to do so on his own anyways. Regardless it was nice to have friends and family close by and- Something startled the other self resting at the back of her mind, a sudden sharp sensation cutting through all of the distractions of life as she demanded attention with an urgency that made her start in the lift. It was just a slight jolt along her body as she went rigid and her aura was disturbed for that brief moment.
We're in danger!It wasn't like her to be quite so direct or urgent, causing her to take a moment to furrow her brow and attempt to determine why. There was no one close by except Five-Toes in the kitchen, and he seemed quite occupied with making tonight's meal. Off a little further down the hall was the other girl, the one who sister and Airus seemed concerned about. She wasn't an issue it seemed, the bright flash of presence in the force calming and even dissipating back to the point where she had to try just a little bit to part the noise and see her true aura underneath. Blue. Just like brother Airus and a few of the others. So it wasn't her…
Approaching, starboard side. Three.A direction… Sena turned to the side as soon as both her and Airus stepped from the lift, concentrating in the direction given. Again there was nothing so she looked beyond the ship. Beyond the hangar. People of varied species mingled about in small crowds beyond the port itself, walking beneath the dome of the city that kept breathable and livable temperatures within. It was harder to determine exactly what the other meant, as many of the people of Anchorage had purple or red auras, showing their malicious intent and that they were not afraid of hurting others to get what they wanted. It took a bit more of a firm hand, her other self taking nominal control once more to direct her gaze at four in particular.
They were different. They were not like the other citizens and visitors of this city. While the others were not afraid and some even preferred violence, these ones… Once her focus was on them she could tell that they were dangerous. With a purposeful stride they exited the same cantina that her sister and the others had just been in, only one destination possible from the direction they walked. Again fear gripped her, but this time it was for everyone around her. These three had felt the same disturbance in the force that her sister had felt, but she knew that neither her or Airus would be able to detect this threat until it was too late. Their intent was clear to her, and she had to make them aware. Her finger pointed directly at the wall in the direction her other self had showed her.
"Brother Airus!" Only a few times was she insistent enough to gain some clarity, some bit of focus. Her own intentions were made clear as she endeavored to reveal what she had been shown.
"B-bad people!"------
Earlier..."Aurek, I'm
bored."
Three sat at the table within the cantina, each of them a particular brand of exactly what one might expect in Anchorage. The one who spoke did so through a helm, his voice slightly more mechanical and gruff as he leaned in and the leer of his red lenses focused on the current object of his ire. A few others at nearby tables subconsciously made a move to get a little distance from the hulking man, knowing full well what
that kind of person did when they were bored, and he made little effort to conceal his intentions. That was because he was
Mando'a. More than that, the skull and horns adorned his shoulders and the colors of his armor were black and red. There were few among the mercenary circles that inspired fear and respect at the same time from their fellows, and where he came from was one of those few.
Deathwatch.
Only one of their kind was bold enough to carry weapons into Anchorage, much less into a cantina, and only one of their kind had the kind of presence to get away with it as well. Scores of kill marks ran up and down the sheath at his hip, a vibrosword scraping the floor even as he sat and with a well-worn grip that showed he had a preference for getting close enough to use it. That wasn't what worried people though. That particular honor went to the Z-6 rotary cannon slung across his back and the eerily human skulls that clinked as an armored finger pointed accusingly at the one directly across the table from him.
"I said I'm bored!" It came with the crack of his fist onto the table which scattered cards, credits and knocked over the drinks.
"Ceph, don't be such a bitch." This time a woman's voice, calm and smooth as she leaned in close and caught her own glass before it spilled even a drop. She was deliberate with each movement, not a single effort wasted as the glint of amethyst shone from her side of the table, her eyes focused on the Mandalorian. This one was another more particular danger, enough that her comment silenced him for the moment and he visibly withdrew away from her. Yet there was the obvious inclination of his helm towards her, showing that though as impossible as it was, while he was afraid of the woman quite literally half his size… He was drawn to her. In fact those who had before had their attention on him, were now looking at her as if unable to look away from her eyes. The pale skin of her face slowly came into view as she leaned a little closer over the table, two strange appendages at her cheeks reaching out and very nearly brushing along the beskar of Ceph's helm before another voice cut across the room and chided her.
"Release your hold on them and back away from Ceph. As much as we all know he desires you and knows the risks,
I have already warned you both about partaking in such things."
He was clearly the leader of the small group, yellow eyes like freshly burning coals glaring out from beneath a wide-brim hat that concealed his face. It did little to hide what he was though. Horns poked through specifically cut holes in the hat, each a reflection of the other in size and shape as they curled just slightly towards his back, carvings along them going from base to tip in patterns that seemed to twist and writhe, changing shape even as one looked at them. His crimson red skin gleamed in the dim light, one hand bringing up a cigar to his lips beneath the brim of his hat and taking a long draw as his gaze settled on both the woman and Mandalorian in turn.
"If that is what you
desire" She countered, and suddenly the other patrons had full control of their senses once more, unsettled by the disconnect between when they had been lost in her eyes and now as they stared at the strange creature sharing a table with a Mandalorian and a Devaronian. It was a thing with the face and shape of a woman, slight and with the correct proportions but something was definitively off about her. Most particularly were the two tendrils coming from her cheeks, seeming to seek out sources of heat and life as her purple eyes lingered on the Devaronian nearby. Whatever she was, there was an instinctive fear of her and how easily she had ensnared those who looked into her eyes.
"I just want to kill something, Aurek." The Mandalorian spoke this time, tearing his attention reluctantly from his female companion and to their leader. "I bet I could take out at least thirty before someone gets a hit in. Just let me murder." A hand went back to the assault cannon on his back and the threat was made very obvious to the closest, a couple people going to their holdout blasters in preparation and some of the enforcers nearby starting to move as they saw the threat. Aurek held up a hand though and immediately it was clear that he had been denied the chance. "You have also been warned." Yellow eyes narrowed in the Mandalorian's direction and just as quickly his hand withdrew from his weapon and back onto the table, though not without some barely audible grumbling.
"You remind me of my son, and not in the good ways. A foolish child too concerned with idle daydreams and playing at pirate."
A rather damning comment which killed the mood even more, as tended to happen when Aurek chose to speak to his comrades. Things were slowly settling back to as they were before the small outburst, most of the patrons around them focusing back on their own issues and more interesting events surrounding them. Someone nearby chose to pick a fight with one of the enforcer droids, a rather impressive KX-Series Security Droid that did not take too well to the prodding from the drunk man. The trio paid no mind to the sickening crunch of bone and scream as the man was flung literally across the cantina, instead returning to their game of pazaak with all the enthusiasm of a misfit group of killers playing with their boss. Hand after hand was played, each of them seeming disinterested in the stakes or the drinks even as they were refreshed and it was all for a good reason.
"Besh, found anything yet?"
The woman glanced up from her hand of cards, lips pursing into a frown as she focused her senses on those around them. A soft ripple in the force surrounded her as she reached out with her mind in search of others like herself. Force-users. As unlikely as it was for such people to be lingering in a place like this due to the large number of bounty hunters and general criminals, the more experienced of their kind would be more privy to do so exactly for that reason. Her gaze subtly lingered along a few particular individuals, a woman with short red hair sitting at a table with a particularly disturbed Rodian, another younger one that was being aggressively flirted at by a Zeltron at the bar, and a Togruta in the back who seemed adverse to dressing like a normal person. The latter woman didn't even try to hide herself, her presence in the force naturally indistinguishable from the natural world around them, but as soon as Besh glanced in her direction she returned with a narrowing of her eyes and tensing as if knowing a fight was soon.
"Not her." Aurek following her gaze recognized the Togruta from a few wanted posters on the bounty-board, and the failed attempts to collect her saber. Not many tended to return after pursuing that particular bounty, which left her as one of the few of her kind bold enough to sit out in the open and actually get away with it. "She's a low priority and we're not nearly armed enough to take her on directly like this." The others were discounted as well, both seeming to be subtle shifts in the current and not the distinct ripples in the force that a recognized force user would be. No one else nearby were of interest either, prompting her to expand her search even as varied events unfolded around her and her companions. The Zeltron and Kuati woman departed the cantina, soon after followed by an Ubese unaware that they were all connected to one person in particular. It was only when she arose from the table in surprising urgency that all three turned their attention to the woman.
She seemed upset over something, and it wouldn't be too out of place considering their surroundings or the perplexed man before her. Yet Besh looked deeper and felt those ripples she was looking for in the currents of the force. Another not too far away was communicating telepathically, sending their thoughts and feelings along a force-bond and before she could pinpoint exactly where she had lost track of that woman at the other table. Try as she might she couldn't find where the redhead had disappeared to, it was as if she had never even been there at all for all the effort she made.
"Besh?"
"That woman, the one with short red hair. She disappeared."
Aurek thought for a moment, yellow eyes narrowing in the direction of the cantina door and the other table. It was not the first time quarry had eluded him or their team. He prized himself on playing the long game though, and rather than it being a setback he merely nodded and set about the plan of action even as Besh returned to searching for more prey. The ability to simply disappear into a crowd was not exactly common, even to force-users. A few before had done such a thing, and as such he knew all too well that patience was the key to drawing them back out. To go out blindly, make a scene and shoot up their surroundings may well have been the Imperial way, but it was not his. Aurek steepled his fingers together before him, eyes closed in thought as he took another draw of the cigar clenched between his teeth. Jedi relied on patience and the lack of it from those like him. It was why he and his team had such a good track record, for they were never expected to simply take their time and be sure of the kill. Least of all Ceph, and he often complained bitterly of it. Even now he knew there was a hunt and was getting more and more restless.
Mandalorians tended to be that way, at least those like Ceph. Deathwatch got the job done, but they were fanatics to the core and it was hard to control them. They needed a tight leash and something to focus on. To that end he preferred if Besh acquired something for them and soon. It was just as that thought slipped his mind that he felt something distinct not too far away, and so did their seer.
"Oh.
Oh."
Besh's attention was drawn towards the port, a hunger in her eyes as she licked at her lips and clenched both hands at the table. She had found prey, and by the looks of things something quite desirable for the vampire as it took everything in her not to get up and go for it right there. "Such a bright and youthful soul, untainted and a practical blank canvas. I can
taste the brilliance of her aura from here, and the fear in her. Aurek, I want to feed on this one." Besh was practically slavering for the kill, enough that even Ceph seemed afraid and that was all that he needed. A glance to each of them and they stood as a group with hands on their weapons. No one dared to get in their way, as while before they were merely a hazard of life on the outskirts of the law, now they were determined and looking to kill. Their Mandalorian in particular clenched his fists together repeatedly on their way to the door, grasping the handle of his vibrosword and all too eager to unsheathe it.
Outside the crowd dispersed just before them, and Aurek didn't slow his stride one bit. Both of his companions followed behind, most keeping a more than respectful distance between themselves and the group. In the distance there was the sound of blaster fire, at first several bursts accompanied by the crump of a grenade, then slowing as it seemed a conflict was in its final moments. Only a few men in the uniform of the Port Authority blocked their path to the blast doors leading to the hangar beyond. One of them stepped forward, finding a clean hole punched through his sternum and the smoking barrel of a blaster pistol pointed at him. Ceph didn't hesitate as the shot echoed around them, stepping in and in a single motion drawing his vibroblade from the sheath at his hip and resheathing it in the skull of the second guard. Seconds passed between point of contact and the last body hitting the floor, their seeress releasing the man's face to allow him to drop.
Another blaster shot and the panel exploded in a shower of sparks and fried components, the door slowly opening to reveal what lay beyond. Four people were between them and the ship, and within the ship was their quarry. Aurek was first into the hangar, single blaster pistol held aloft as a stern warning while he strode purposefully towards the duo standing next to what was clearly a baradium fission device. Next to him their Mandalorian unslung the Z-6 rotary cannon and aimed it at the CR-90 before them just as one of the group before them shouted out a warning. That was enough to give him a moment of hesitation, recognizing her from the cantina as the one that gave them the slip before. All good things come with patience it seemed, and he gave the signal to attack.
