An Unexpected Reunion

[Chask274]

'Been here ten kriffing hours already, and there hasn't been a single sign this guy is coming...' Mumbling a few choice words under his breath, Aiden stretched out his neck and shifted his position in his rooftop perch overlooking the penthouse suite in the top floor of downtown Shonruss hotel. He'd been asked by some local business owners to take care of the head of an extortion racket that had been a thorn in their side for some time now. Known only as the Cockroach, the Rodian and his thugs blackmailed the businesses into paying him a decent chunk of their profits. Admittedly, the Roach himself wasn't the actual target, the data disc he carried containing his blackmail material was, as without the the Roach had nothing to bargain and threaten with.

Aiden's local contacts had mentioned that the Roach was holding a meeting at his penthouse tonight, giving Aiden the perfect opportunity to swoop in and rid his homeworld's capital of corruption. Through his helmet's rangefinder, he watched as the enforcer Roach was meeting with stood and opened the door. The Roach walked in, the two shook hands, and they walked over to a pair of couches and a coffee table to start the meeting. 'Showtime...'

Triggering his jetpack, Aiden streaked across the gap between the two buildings, smashing through the plate glass window with rifle raised. As he skidded to a stop, Aiden blasted the two guards and enforcer, then pressed his rifle's muzzle into the criminal's face. "Alright bug eyes, hand over the disc."

 

[Metal Gear Seth]

"Twelve. KRIFFING. Hours. What the hell.." Scarlet huffed with annoyance, doing her best to keep her voice down.

'Sometimes, I really hate my job, but eh. At least I can say I did more than kill a man.. I can say I killed many!' she perked up at the thought, though she then realized she was talking to herself in a way. She tended to do that from time to time, but it was fine. She always met her mark. Well.. usually. Or mostly. She couldn't remember which was more than the other, but either way, she focused back to her bug eyed target just in time, as when the meeting had begun, she was a little surprised to see another Mandalorian, of green armor no less, swoop in, and put a gun to her targets head.

'Oh that won't do. The guy must've pissed off alot of people for someone to want him dead.' Scarlet's mission was to bring the guy back alive, and to destroy the disc of blackmail in his possession. Zooming in with her scope, she noticed he hadn't shot yet.

'Must have a similar mission.. Oh well. Nobody steals my reward.' taking careful aim with her sniper so as to make sure her rapid shots would hit their mark. Firing at the other mando's weapon to knock it out of his hand, she dropped the rifle, pulled out her grappling gun, shot to the top of the building, then used the reel function to vault the gap between the buildings, an MZ-99 grenade leaving her hand as she threw it between the mando, and her target, her rifle at the low port ready so as to react to whatever he may try.

 

[Chask274]

The Rodian started babbling in broken Mando'a, saying something about not knowing what Aiden was talking about. "Oh you know damn well what I'm talking about. Now cough it up, or I'm gonna-FIERFEK!" Aiden cursed as the rifle was knocked out of his hands and sent skidding away. Quick drawing his pistol, Aiden hauled the Roach to his feet and pulled him between himself and the direction of the shots, turning to face that way just as the grenade landed at his feet. Cursing, he kicked it away and dove backwards over the couch, dragging the Roach with him. The grenade would land at the feet of the newcomer and detonated just after she gained her footing. With a five meter blast radius, it was doubtful she'd be able to get clear before the grenade's shockwaves knocked her off her feet.

While the woman was distracted by the grenade, Aiden took the opportunity to put a bolt through the Roach's skull, then roughly searched him for the disc, finding it in his inner jacket pocket. Tucking the disc into one of his many belt pouches before securely closing the pouch, Aiden stood up from the cover of the couch and leveled his pistol at the woman, noting with an interested "hmph" that her kit was decked out in Fett colors. He angrily snarled at her in Mando'a,

"<Drop your weapon and put your hands up! This is Dominion business, so kindly fekk off!>"

 

[Metal Gear Seth]

By the time she'd landed on her ass from her own grenades shockwave, Scarlet rolled with the momentum, back to her feet, tossing a primed caltrop grenade to both sides of him and leveled her rifle at her opponent as he got up from searching, the her now dead target. He mentioned Dominion business which was rather odd. She kept her sights tight, and ready to fire at a moments notice as she spoke.

"<Buddy, there's definitely a mistake here, because you're in the my way, and I'm on Dominion business. I'd suggest you drop the pistol before I make your hand a very messy situation, and frankly, I'd like to know why you're wearing Fett colors. It's kind of pissing me off.>" he voice was filled with authority, her aim, never once wavering at the opponents hand.

 

[Chask274]

Aiden frowned beneath his helmet, hesitantly obliging the request as he lowered the pistol, though he didn't put it away. The fact that she hadn't just put one of her sniper rounds through his skull instead of disarming him told him there might be something to what she was saying. "<Odd, I wasn't informed of anyone else getting assigned this job. And why would my armor piss you off? I was born and raised a member of Clan Fett, why shouldn't I wear our colors? Besides, you're one to talk. Brown wasn't green last I checked.>"

He stayed silent a moment, then came up with an idea. "<Alright, look. Assuming we're both telling the truth and we've both ended up with the same target, why don't we settle this properly? Hand to hand, no guns or blades. Winner gets the disc, deal?>"

 

[Metal Gear Seth]

She shot immediately after he finished, knocking the pistol painfully out of his hands, then running towards him with her rifle quickly slung behind her while he was distracted, even if for a only a moment, vaulting the couch, onto his shoulders, and using her momentum to twist, and bring him to the ground. She would draw her pistol shortly after, and aim it at his head.

"<Copper, isn't brown, prick. And frankly, it was the thought of someone outside the house wearing such colors that pisses me off. I don't care if you're with the dominion. You shoulda done as I asked. It's too easy bud.>"

 

[Chask274]

The rifle barked, and Aiden found himself violently loosing a weapon for the second time tonight. Glancing down to see that his hand was thankfully mostly unharmed, he looked back up just in time to see the woman launch herself at him in a move that gave him an odd sense of deja vu. 'Huh, this is the same sort of move Scarlet used to pull back on the farm...." Moving with the tackle, he ended up on his stomach looking up at the muzzle of a pistol. "Damn girl, if you wanted me between your legs, you could've at least let me buy ya dinner first."

When he was in this position as a kid, he'd used to either tap out, or, when he got a bit older and smarter, used a quick slap on the rear to get his friend to let him go in surprise. Here, he did something a little different. As soon he finished speaking, his right fist lashed out and connected with her groin, hard. Using the opening this would undoubtedly cause and trusting his helmet to take the single shot that might be coming his way, Aiden untangled himself from her legs and scrambled to his feet, ripping his sword from it's scabbard and leveling it at her throat. "<I really don't like hurting others of the House, so please don't make me go any further.>"

 

[Metal Gear Seth]

'THE HELL!? Did he just..'

"<WHY YOU LIT->" she was swept off her feet shortly after, her pistol discharging into his jetpack from punching her nether-regions in surprise, though thankfully, she wasn't male, so she recovered herself rather quick. He had maneuvered back to his feet, and drew a sword that was oddly familiar to her.

'Why's that sword, famil-' before she could finish her thought, she had a sword to her throat. She still had her pistol in hand thankfully due to her iron grip. Shooting him in the foot, she swiftly got to her feet, drawing her rather iconic style of phrik sword, and readied it in front of her.

 

[Chask274]

Aiden saw the pistol move out of the corner of his vision, and jerked his foot sideways, preventing a possibly crippling direct hit. However, the glancing shot still made him yelp and recoil in pain, giving the woman the room she needed to regain her footing and draw her own blade. As he brought his focus back to his opponent, he did a double take as he noticed the design of her sword. 'That looks eeriely similar to the designs she was always coming up with.... And that move.... No, it couldn't be, could it? Only one way to find out for sure...'

Squaring his shoulders, he aggressively stepped forward, angling his sword as if he was going to make a strike to her right shoulder, only to switch directions at the last second and slash his blade down her left upper arm. It wouldn't actually touch her arm, but it would tear open the flightsuit and undersuit enough to reveal that her left arm was cybernetic. Upon seeing this, Aiden would recoil a few steps backwards, dropping his sword like it had burned him. "I don't believe it... It's really you...." Reaching up, Aiden popped the seal on his helmet and pulled it off, tucking it under his right arm and smoothing out his hair with his left hand. Grinning in a surprised fashion, he nodded at his opponent, his voice wavering slightly with emotion.

"Su cuy'gar, Scarlet. Long time, no see, yeh?"

 

[Metal Gear Seth]

She was caught off-guard when the Mando went for her right, just to trick her, and go for her left, revealing the arm she'd lost long ago, the memory still stinging a bit. He seemed to reel back from the sight of it, and when she was about to sigh in depression, she watched instead as he looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"<Really who?>" she was confused until she watched him pull off his helmet, and show his face.

It was aiden.

She quickly released the seal on her helmet, and let it drop to the floor from the sheer awe she'd been inspired of.

"I can't believe it." she paused.

"Aiden?" she couldn't understand how to feel. The situation was.. tricky now.

 

[Chask274]

Hooking his helmet to his belt, Aiden took a few tentative steps forward, knowing she'd still be a little wary. "Yeah, it's really me, Scar. It's really good to see you." Closing to within arm's reach, he quickly wrapped her in a hug and held it for the better part of a minute before pulling back to arms length. "Where have you been the last twenty years?! You had me worried sick!"

 

[Metal Gear Seth]

She was awestruck, practically unable to speak just from the sheer volume of the amazement before her. She simply looked at him for a solid minute before she spoke.

"A-aiden I.." she looked at the floor a moment before picking up her helmet, then looked at him again.

"I don't know what to say.. I know I left without saying.." this wasn't how she wanted to begin.

'This wasn't how it's supposed to be.' she looked Aiden in the eye.

"Paying for my mistakes." she was stern.

"That's what I've been doing. And I know what you're gonna say Aiden." she was serious now, sheathing her sword, and keeping her helmet at her side.

 

[Chask274]

Aiden looked at her in confusion. "Mistakes? What the hell are you going on about?! And in twenty years, you couldn't have sent one lousy message, just one little thing to say you were still alive and kicking?" His voice has risen in anger, and his expression twisted into a scowl. His hand snapped out and seized the collar of her flak vest, and as he shoved hard, he brought his leg forward and behind her legs, swiftly kicking them out from under her, all in the span of a second.

"<I thought you were dead!>"

 

[Metal Gear Seth]

Hitting the floor rather hard, she felt the wind get knocked out of her, though not as hard as it could've been.

"I deserved that.." she said rolling on her side, and getting up.

'Why must this drag on..?' she thought in sorrow. brushing herself off she looked his anger filled eyes dead on.

"But as you can see. I'm not dead." she paused from the gut wrenching feeling that would come from her next sentence.

"I didn't deserve the right to talk to you again. It hurt to leave you." she put her helmet back on, discreetly taking a picture with her camera's HUD so as to have proof of the disc's destruction, and what'd happened to the target.

 

[Chask274]

Aiden simply nodded in response to her first two statements, only to tense up at the last two. His scowl darkened further, and he began almost shouting at her. "Bullshit!" He got right in her face, snarling his words at her. "I don't know what kind of osik you've been telling yourself the last two decades, but you need to get your head out of your ass and stop fooling yourself! No one has, nor ever will, blame you for what happened that day, and you need to stop using it as an excuse to be a coward and hide from your family. The only thing you should feel guilty about, the only thing that might warrant some form of consequence, is that you abandoned your family without a word to any of us. There is not a single other thing you should blame yourself for."

He paused a moment, and his expression softened along with his tone. "I think it's time for you to come home, Scarlet. There's a lot of people who'd like to see you again."

 

[Metal Gear Seth]

He'd gotten in her face now. This definitely wasn't how she wanted this to go. She didn't want it to happen in the first place. Not yet at least. She tensed heavily from his anger.

"<WHAT FAMILY?!>" she was shouting.

"<I can't. I don't have a family anymore. My father was all I had, and I just want to continue with the second chance I've been so fortunate to receive, from a man I CAN call family.>" she was very stern.

"<A man I learned to live again because of. To at least turn the pain I've inflicted around, and into something I can live for.>" she was getting teary, but was shielded by her helmet. She tensed up even more, her shoulders broad, and full of purpose.

"<So leave me be Aiden. And stay out of my way, or else.>" she turned around, and pulled the grappling gun from her hip, and readied it once more. She stopped at the balcony, and turned her head slightly.

"<Don't follow me.>" she readied her grappling gun.

 

[Chask274]

Aiden crouched down and scooped up his sword, sheathing it back at his side. He looked downcast and saddened now. "Have you really forgotten our ways after all these years, are you really that deluded? Aliit ori'shya tal'din, remember? We could've helped you, we could've supported you. But no, you ran away like a coward, abandoned the family that would've moved mountains to help you to go wallow in self-pity."

He shook his head with a sigh and put his helmet back on, a quick glance at the readouts showing his jetpack was still functional. He gestured out towards the city around them. "Fine then, run away again if that's what you want. I guess that's the only thing you're really good at now..."

 

[Metal Gear Seth]

She whipped around.

"<SHUUUT. UP.>" her anger rang out with a sudden thunder in her voice.

"<DON'T YOU EVER CALL ME A COWARD. I HAVE GIVEN TOO MUCH, GONE TOO FAR TO GET WHERE I AM, AND YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL ME SUCH.>" her voice was on the edge of going hoarse.

"<I didn't ask for your opinion Aiden. Stop guilt tripping me, and just shut the kriff up. If you cared for me, if you, honestly believe your my family, then you wouldn't say such a thing, and you wouldn't disregard what I say like you have been.>" she turned back around, and fired the grapple.

"<I mean it Aiden. If you get in my way, or follow me..>" she paused.

"<We'll have problems.>" she clicked the reel, and shot to the next building.

 

[Chask274]

Flinching as she fired back her own scathing response, Aiden crossed his arms. "You've only given me either self-pitying nonsense, or vague cryptic answers, why shouldn't I disregard that? An- no, wait, please!" As she triggered her grapple reel, he fired his jetpack in cruise mode and streaked after her, catching up as she would reach the other building. Shutting off the jetpack, he wrapped his arms around her waist and tackled her onto the roof, sending them both rolling along from the momentum.

Aiden's helmet was knocked off as the tumbled to a stop, and there was a hint of tears in the corner of his eyes. He wrapped her in an almost desperate hug, and when he spoke his voice wavered a bit. "I'm sorry... Ok? This whole situation has my head spinning, and I lashed out worse than I should've. It's just.... I already lost you once, and I don't want to lose you again..." He pulled back to arm's length again, still teary eyed. "I just want to understand, why didn't you reach out to me, to my parents, to anyone from home? What have you been doing the last twenty years that made you forget where you came from?"

 

[Metal Gear Seth]

Being stopped midway through her grapple, she found herself rolling onto the roof by different circumstances, and wrapped in Aiden's arms shortly after. His helmet had come off, his face streaming with tears as he spoke in question of why she'd done what she'd done so long ago, even apologizing for his earlier outbursts.

"<Let go of me.>" she was still angry. She waited for him to oblige, eventually starting to wiggle, and squirm as best as she could from his hold. Eventually drawing her pistol, she shot him in the other foot she had yet to shoot, and broke free, getting to her feet, then grabbing the grappling gun once more. Before he got up, she made sure to fire at his jetpacks thrusters to disable it.

"<You really wanna know what I've been doing for the past twenty years? I've been training with the greatest Mandalorian to probably ever live, and now I'm searching for him, ON TOP of becoming the leader of House Fett to increase my influence, and fulfill my promise with my father. MAKE SENSE NOW AIDEN!?>" she was shouting again, but was calm once again. Her ship wasn't too far thankfully, so one more grapple would do the trick.

"<I told you explicitly not to follow me Aiden, and I assure you..>" she looked him dead in the eye, even if he couldn't.

"<I make good on my promises. So from now on. We're gonna have problems.>" and with her final words, she grappled, and reeled to the next balcony where her ship was parked. Boarding the ship, turning it on, and taking off shortly after, she took off her helmet as the ships autopilot took her out of atmosphere. She looked down at the city below in sorrow.

"Tion'tuur te ca'nara cuyir staabi Aiden. We'll have a proper chat."