Ask Nar Shaddaa Getting Into The Business

Fiach Dubh

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‘That,’ Fiach mused, as she sank to her knees with her hands outstretched, ‘went better than expected. Ruulo would be proud of me. If pride weren’t a sin…’ Aware she was mentally rambling, she returned to her feet and faced the direction the shot came from.

he Order were not fond of overly proclaiming their presence. The Jedi still had a very, very bad press on many planets and waving a glow-stick around and leaving dismembered bodies littering the streets raised lots of questions – and few of the answers painted the Order in a positive light. But self-preservation, and the protection of her so-recently-formed-companions took priority over subtlety right now. Plus, as she was taught at the Academy, the saber is the Jedi’s greatest weapon – and not for the reasons usually given. It was, above all else, a symbol. Of hope to the oppressed and weak – and one of challenge to the criminal fraternity.

Her right hand reached out in front of her and into an outstretched palm slapped a metal cylinder. A fraction of a second later, a snap-hiss was accompanied by a violet hue of her saber’s blade.

The use of her lightsabre served two more purposes. In her usual form, Soresu, it became a defensive shield, capable of blocking blaster bolts. And it was also a beacon and hopefully would draw fire away from the other two.

@Tulos @Okoju
 

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Each passing moment descended the newly formed trio further into chaos as blaster fire began to fly, though Aska had remained in relative safety from her current position. Nevertheless, she needed to move if she wanted to survive. While the Mirialan man had shuffled himself further down the alleyway into the dead end and barked for them to follow, the woman was unsure if she would be able to make her way to him while protecting her own welfare. Instead, choosing to return to the plan she had utilized to ambush Fiach, she leveled her blaster at head height of a standard being and prepared to squeeze the trigger.

The Mirialan fired a shot towards the oncoming threat and as the bolt zipped passed Aska's eyes, she heard the energy meet flesh with a sizzle as it burned it's way into a woman, though her cry of pain was not indicative of it being a crippling blow. Taking this into consideration, Aska braced herself and her wits and as the injured Kiffar woman emerged from around the corner and wrapped her left arm around the woman's neck tightly and bringing the butt of her pistol in hard to the alien's skull, which was met with a sickening crack. Her body went limp and it took every ounce of Aska's strength to keep her held ahead of her as a living, albeit unconscious, shield as she tried to shuffle back away from the opening into the street.

An electrical snap caught Aska's attention and she turned her gaze to Fiach, who had now brandished a violet laser sword and confirmed that she was, in fact, a member of the rumoured Jedi Order. It was much like the weapon Aska herself had hidden in her jacket, though she dared not remove it from it's concealment after watching as the remaining five thugs turn their attention to the saber wielding teenager. Since this provided Aska the opportunity she needed, she aimed her SE-45 at the back of a rather burly Rodian before squeezing the trigger and letting three blue bolts of energy slam into his back, burning through the leather vest he had on. One dead Rodian, one unconscious Kiffar, and four more foes to deal with. Dragging the Kiffar, Aska utilized the distraction Fiach had orchestrated and managed to move closer to the Mirialan man but remained about half way between both him and the Jedi and took cover behind a dumpster before dropping her hostage and firing a few rounds of cover for Fiach.

"Great plan, now what?!" Aska demanded of her unnamed ally. They were cornered, outnumbered and had a sniper hiding in the upper levels of the sector. Looking upwards to where the man had previously dropped from, she realized that was likely their best option of escape. While there were only four more thugs to deal with in the immediate area and one sniper hidden away, security patrols would be here soon to subdue the violence. "Either we climb, or we blast our way out into the street!"

@Corbeau @Okoju
 

Fiach Dubh

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Fortunately for Fiach, such events felt as though they transpired over a much greater period of time. Not precisely slow-motion, but time definitely ran at a less frantic pace and allowed her to see and react to so much more than the average person. This, she now knew, was linked to her connection to the Force.

So, as blaster fire erupted like some cheap pyrotechnics show, Fiach was able to sink into a deep connection with the Force and deflect those shots she needed to react to harmlessly into the walls beside them.

The rooftop man was now retreating and suggesting they follow – which despite not knowing him, seemed a sensible idea given he was not one of the ones currently trying to kill them. Whatever threat he posed, she could deal with that later.

Fortunately, the saber performed two functions. Firstly, it was a form of defensive shield – as previously mentioned – and secondly it deterred anyone from looking to get too up close and personal. And the width of the alleyway made it hard for anyone to sneak past her and attack from the rear. Yes, that was three function., Fiach rebuked herself mentally.

The opposition was down to four known foes now, as the woman she’d been trailing (somewhat inefficiently she now realised) was taking care of the thugs one by one.

“My money is on climbing,” Fiach offered, by way of a vote on the subject. She knew that to leave back onto the street would involve death – which she wanted to avoid, and so escape was her preferred option. “I can draw fire until you’ve made progress, then we just have to worry about the sniper on the roof.” It sounded relatively straightforward when she said it like that…

@Tulos
 

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As Fiach cast her vote, Aska nodded and turned back towards the Mirialan man only to discover he had already fled as she caught his shadow disappearing into the darkness of the towers. It was obvious to her that he felt he had made a mistake in intervening and now no longer had an interest in their movements. All for the better. Aska did not need nor want the attention that had been brought about in the past few minutes.

Following suit, the young woman utilized the lightsaber wielding distraction and jumped towards the wall. Wrapping her hands on a small plumbing outcrop, she pulled herself up and stood atop it while turning to face away from the wall and towards the building on the opposite side of the alley. She repeated the process once again with ease as it was a much easier climb than many of the obstacles she had been forced to participate in on her upbringing on Coruscant, but a stray blaster bolt singed the durasteel wall mere feet from her head as she dangled from third jump. With her aerobatics, she was about twenty feet from the ground and knew that even a graze was enough to cause her to fall and would injure her badly enough that escaping would no longer be an option. Raising her pistol, Aska returned fire though with rather poor aim. She didn't get an opportunity to tell if her volley made contact, however. A red glow came from above her hand as blaster fire raced, enough for the heat to be felt but not enough to damage the skin, and instinctively released her grip, gasping as she began to fall.

@Corbeau ((Found the motivation but I rushed))
 

Fiach Dubh

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Fiach was aware of the man’s escape. He had helped – to a point – but for now he appeared to have been focused on saving his own skin.

“And then there were two,” Fiach said out loud as the woman behind her began to climb.

Fiach continued to deflect the incoming bolts. Her ability to guide them was rudimentary – but she did her best to channel them towards the sniper on the roof, or at least his approximate position. Her lack of accuracy was possibly a blessing in disguise, as if he was able to move, he was no less likely to be hit by a stray bolt. This meant, she hoped, he would keep his head down.

Not that her efforts were perfect. The occasional bolt made its way through her defences and she deliberately closed her eyes. If her conscious mind was overring what the Force was telling her, this should remedy the situation.

Now immersed in the Force, she was effectively no longer in control of her actions. Which worked well for a few seconds as she managed to deflect every shot aimed in her direction. Except soon they stopped coming. She sensed the walls above her head were now being peppered and presumed the young woman was the target and making good progress.

“Oh,” Fiach said out loud as her eyes snapped open and she turned her head to see the woman fall towards the ground. It wouldn’t be a life-threatening landing (or at least probably not) but limbs could easily be broken.

Aware there was little she could do, Fiach acted instinctively, calling up the Force and literally propelling a dumpster full of rubbish towards the woman’s landing spot. It skittered to a halt and Fiach hoped it contained something soft - or at least not sharp and metallic.

@Tulos
 

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Her mind was blank as the fall seemed to slow. Was this it? Was her life of freedom from the Coruscant lab to be cut short because she had made one wrong choice in taking this puck from Terrik? Aska closed her eyes and prepared for what was to come though as she landed, one might consider it a pleasant surprise. She almost would have preferred death. Garbage erupted around her as she touched down in a dumpster that was not there mere seconds before. Peels of fruit descended and peppered her forehead and cheeks while some of the rotting fluids had landed softly on her lips. They were met with an audible gag as they seeped back to her tongue, which caused Aska to shoot up to a sitting position. She should have questioned why this dumpster had suddenly appeared to save her life, but she didn't have time to worry about that. Looking back to Fiach, the young Jedi was once again absorbed by the dangerous task of protecting them. Still, Aska scowled.

"Just kill the bastards already..." Aska muttered as she scrambled from the trash, but the sound of a metallic clunk from her jacket grazing the steel dumpster reminded the woman of just what was inside. "Alright, enough if enough," she said before pulling the lightsaber hilt from her inside pocket. She didn't need this attention and brandishing a second lightsaber would do just that, but survival was her priority. Igniting the crimson blade for the first time since she had brought it to Bundara the weapons dealer on Lothal, she plunged the blade into the wall she had just tried to climb. The metal glowed as the blade melted it's way through, guided by Aska's hand to carve a circle large enough for her to crawl through. Once the incision was complete, she stepped back and kicked the section flat footed, pushing the steel to the other side. "Time to go, Jedi!" Aska exclaimed before she crawled in to the apartment.

Meeting a Rodian and his family, Aska smiled as she tossed her bangs from her vision.

"Just passing through, pal. I'll be on my... Wait a minute," Aska paused as she saw a glowing blue bottle on the kitchen counter. Spotchka, she had discovered since arriving on Nar Shaddaa. Her first love. Grabbing the bottle, she tossed the lid off and took a long swig. As she prepared to put it back down, the flavour dominated the garbage juice that had tainted her tongue moments before. 'I'm gonna take this if ya don't mind!" Aska laughed as she finally dis-ignited the lightsaber and made her way to the apartment corridor.

@Corbeau
 

Fiach Dubh

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Fiach heard the words, but on a subconscious level ignored them. Killing was a Jedi’s last resort. Attack was not, simply not, in their vocabulary. At least not in Fiach’s. If there was one things she’d learned since leaving Klatooine, it was that the Jedi Code and associated teachings – despite being clear in her mind – was considered by many to be ambiguous. Ambiguous enough to be open to interpretation.

Time to go?

Fiach focused on the few bolts that continued to be fired in her direction and noted, suddenly, that they intensified. Using her senses, she reached out through the Force and was aware that the young woman had gone. That was clearly what she had meant.

Looking around, she saw the hole and decided the easiest way to follow the woman was…well…to follow her. She deactivated her saber with a hiss-snap and performed a reverse somersault, landing in the dumpster before darting into the hole.

She bowed at the Rodian family, “Sorry,” she offered as she pointed in the direction she hoped the woman had travelled? The father nodded mutely and Fiach gave a swift “Thanks,” before heading in the same direction and found herself in a corridor of what was clearly an apartment block.

@Tulos
 

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Fiach wasn't far behind as Aska burst into the corridor. Once the Jedi had cleared the doorway, Aska turned and slammed the activation pad to bring the door shut behind them and then activated her crimson blade one last time to melt the lock shut. The Rodian family could use the door she had made in their wall anyway. Deactivating the weapon and placing it back in her jacket, Aska turned to look at Fiach and took a swig of the spotchka while maintaining eye contact.

"It was a gift. Don't get any stupid ideas. I'm not one of those 'Sith' you people are apparently so obsessed with," she spat quietly after lowering the bottle. The taste of the garbage juice was gone now, but the glowing blue liquid satisfied a much deeper craving. "I've got a job to do and it's gotten significantly harder since you decided to show up. So, you've got three choices. You can keep stalking me around this moon or you can help me get out of here," Though she still wanted to visit the Security offices and see if she could dig up any information on her mark and her family, she needed to lay low for awhile. Her best bet was to get on her way to Onderon and start digging there. "Or, you can blast off back to your cult and get off my back. It's your choice,"

@Corbeau
((Sorry for the short and crap post. Busy day))
 

Fiach Dubh

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As Fiach slowed, she was aware of the woman, who was either deciding what to do – or had waited for her. She raised an eyebrow at the manner of the locking of the door – and then again at the tool utilised.

“If you’d asked, I could have scrambled the lock for a short period without permanent damage, but what’s done is done. And I may just be a Padawan, but even I could tell you were no Sith. Although you could still do a lot of damage with that. And unlike me, a Sith might take umbrage in you carrying it. It’s not an easy weapon to fight with, given it’s weightless past the hilt. It needs the Force to wield it most effectively. You see, when you craft it you kind of bond with the crystal and…” Her voice trailed away. She was in full flow and off on a tangent – and now acutely aware of it. “Sorry, I get carried away sometimes and can sound a little…preachy.”

“And as for me? The Force pointed you out to me for some reason – although I have no idea why – so I’m sticking around until it tells me to ignore you.”


She tugged on her tunic and straightened her cloak and nodded her assent to carry on. “And I’m not precisely stalking you. Following, yes. Stalking, no. There is a difference. Anyhow, what’s your plan. I tend not to do plans – with me it’s a little more…spontaneous.”

She smiled broadly and awaited further instruction.

@Tulos :) :) :)
 

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As Fiach rambled on about the lightsaber, Aska could feel her eyes rolling back into her skull. Just what she needed, another know it all like Trench. Turning her attention back to the bottle in her hand as the Jedi prattled on, she sighed. If this woman was sticking around, she would need another bottle. Perhaps something stronger, even. Still, it was a relief to know that she wasn't considered an enemy of the Jedi. At least, not yet. From the very little Aska knew of their religion, she didn't think any sort of kinship would develop between her and one of the Order.

"You remind me of someone I once knew. He was annoying and up-tight too," Aska mumbled.

"Stalking, following... Same thing in my eyes," Aska continued as she turned and began towards the turbolift. It likely wouldn't take long for the mercenaries to find them, nor the Nar Shaddaa Security Force, and the two women would need to move. Without looking to see if Fiach was following, Aska continued speaking. "As for my 'plan'... Well, I don't exactly have one. Originally, I was going to make my way to the Security Depot and see if they may have any information on this Kiriena or her family. She evaded arrest on a world called Onderon but she was born here and I guess her family hasn't left," Aska glanced quickly over her shoulder at Fiach before reaching her hand ahead and activated the door to the elevator. "Unfortunately, I don't exactly think me showing up at the law enforcement's door is going to be beneficial anymore,"

"Now if you're going to insist on being a mynock to my ass, maybe you have a ship?" The elevator slid open but a loud clunking sound at the end of it's motion caused a moment of doubt that it would remain serviceable. Still, going back to the street was a less welcome concept. "That Order of your's must have a way of shipping you around? If not, my original idea was to smuggle myself on board a freighter that was leaving the system and hijacking it. Make the pilot my bitch, y'know?" As she stepped on the lift, Aska tipped the bottle back for one last swig then offered it to Fiach. "Here. You could stand to lighten up a bit. I think you need this more than I do,"

@Corbeau
 

Fiach Dubh

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Of course, being Fiach, any subtlety imparted by Aska as to her frustration or annoyance at the Padawan’s rambling would be lost. In truth, even less than subtle hints – like sarcasm or walking away – would not register. The young woman was aware she had a habit of lecturing – she’d been told directly – but could neither understand why that was wrong, or how to stop it.

So, once she shut up, she listened. She was patient and observant and took note not only of what people said, but what they didn’t say. Apparently, she was able to join dots where others couldn’t even see the pictures. As long as there was logic involved of course.

Fiach mouthed the words ‘annoying’ and ‘up-tight.’ She understood the former and made a mental note to understand what the latter meant. Not that she took offence, people freely shared opinions and who was she to deny them?

She wondered if the woman she was with wasn’t rambling too, but decided against asking. She didn’t know why, but she surmised it would cause offence.

“No plan,” she echoed – without any judgement in her voice. Fiach secretly approved. “Kiriena,” she repeated, and then, “Onderon.” A number of questions were now buzzing around her head. Well, twenty-three to be precise.

And, as was often the way, the one that burst forth was not always the most helpful. “What does a mynock to your ass mean?” Fiach knew what one was, but it was far too large to attach itself to the woman’s posterior. “And I’m Fiach by the way. Fiach Dubh, but you can call me Fiach. And yes, I have a ship. It’s a large scout ship or a small freighter, depending on your point of view. Am I rambling again?”

“And, to answer your question, I don’t know – make the pilot your bitch?” she shook her head by way of reinforcement and raised her eyebrows expectantly. “I hope you’re not planning to cause any trouble. And if that’s alcohol, I’ll pass. I’ve never drunk in my life. I mean, I’ve drunk water and smoothies and fruit juices. And herbal tea…” She stopped and grinned. “Sorry.”

@Tulos
 

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She couldn't help herself. As Fiach questioned her mynock analogy, Aska hung her head slightly. It was painfully obvious to her already that this was going to be a long trip. However, the Jedi was her best option for getting off world and until that was accomplished, she was in peril. They both were. Whether it be Terrik trying to reclaim his bounty or simply thugs looking for an easy mark, two young women on the immoral Smuggler's Moon would easily find themselves in danger, even if one of them was a Jedi.

Aska already knew Fiach's name. She had introduced herself, though rather informally, in the alley before all hell broke loose. Realizing that she had not done the same, however, Aska turned her eyes to meet the young girls.

"I'm Aska. I guess I do sort of owe you for saving my life," She paused, but only for a moment. She reflected on the last ten minutes and she knew deep down that had Fiach not been there to form a wall between her and the mercenaries, she likely wouldn't be breathing. She was good, but not good enough to take down that many adversaries. Not yet, at least. "Look, let's just focus on getting to your ship. The sooner we're off this festering slime hole, the be-"

The door to the lift slid open, but what was behind caught Aska by surprise, even causing her to miss the unnerving 'clunk' at the end of it's motion. There was Terrik, blaster rifle aimed at the duo with a sniper slung over his shoulder. His right eye was bruised and swollen shut with a large gash directly below. Any other time, Aska would have admired her handy work. This time, she needed to react. Once Terrik had realized he had tracked the two women down, he fired a single shot but his aim was off due to the injured eye. Aska ducked swiftly and reacted by swiftly tossing the half full bottle of spotchka at the man. The bottle hit it's mark and as it connected with his jaw accompanied by a dull thud, the hunter hit the ground. He was clearly still recovering from the obscene amount of alcohol he had consumed at Deskar's, though Aska herself was feeling a heavy buzz.

"What a waste," Aska growled. It held a dual meaning. The glowing liquid seeped onto the roof of the spire and mingled with the dirt and dust, though Terrik himself had definitely proven to be a waste of whatever oxygen Nar Shaddaa could provide. Pulling her pistol and aiming it at his skull, Aska cocked the hammer. "I should have just fried you at the bar,"

@Corbeau
 

Fiach Dubh

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Fiach had a near eidetic memory – no doubt a biological trade-off for her having no sense of emotion, nor social etiquette. But she’d learned strategies to cope. She had learned that, when she asked, ‘why’ people heard, ‘why on earth?’ And similarly, people took offence if you asked their name directly – as if it were a demand. So, she’d learned to repeat her own name to them by way of a prompt in getting the information she needed.

“Aska,” Fiach repeated, smiling. “And you don’t owe me anything. We helped each other out back there – you provided the escape route – albeit in a rather unorthodox fashion.”

Whatever Aska was about to share about leaving the moon would have to wait, as the lift door opened and a rather disgruntled thug was facing them.

Fiach turned to face him and saw a rifle blast flash path them safely before Aska delivered a knockout blow with the bottle she was holding.

The Padawan nodded. “Good use of an improvised weapon,” she said, “and excellent reflexes too.” She glanced down at the unconscious man. “The man from the bar.” It was a statement and not a question, and her left eyebrow raised. “Was he responsible for the goons outside do you think, or does someone else wish you dead? I ask, as it would be good to know before we step outside.”

@Tulos
 

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Fiach's words caused Aska to move her blaster away from Terrik, but only slightly. The girl made a very valid point and Aska had been wondering the same all along, though her anger and intoxication had now clouded her ability to rationalize. Growling, she pulled her weapon from the downed hunter before kneeling down before him and lacing her arms under his, lifting him to his feet. He was only a small man but he was heavy enough. Looking over her shoulder to the Padawan, Aska grunted as she heaved Terrik up further.

"Then we'll use the dung heap as a meat shield," she said with a grin. Keeping her weapon aimed forward from under Terrik's arms, Aska slowly stepped from the lift and scanned the area. Sure enough, Fiach was right. The three remaining thugs from the alley below had somehow managed to make their way to the roof tops before them and stood to the right of their position, blasters drawn. "So you did orchestrate this entire ordeal, Deadeye," Aska whispered in the unconscious man's ear and was met with a muffled groan.

"She's got the boss... What do we do?" A Nikto hissed to his partners. A Twi'lek male had muttered something in Huttese and while Aska had managed to learn bits and pieces of the language, most of his words meant little to her. She did pick up on 'betray', however. Finally, a female Rodian stepped ahead from the trio and leveled her weapon directly at Aska's head.

"Not likely, Turi. We took this job, we finish this job,"

@Corbeau
 

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Fiach was unsure if Aska was hoping or expecting her to help carry the man, but for now decided to leave him to the young woman – unless asked. Anyhow, this was she had two free hands, which seemed more sensible than both of them having one hand available.

Fiach’s mouth opened and closed as she considered responding to the concept of using someone as a shield – and then thought better of it. Now was not the time for a debate on the subject nor a lecture on the morality of the act. But she made a mental note to discuss it later.

As she considered this dilemma, she removed her saber from her belt and held it loosely in her right hand. She did not activate it yet, but she was ready to do so at a moment’s notice.

Ahead, they saw what she now suspected were the wannabe assassin’s accomplices. As Aska brandished the semi-unconscious man, Fiach wondered if now was the best time to truly find out if there was honour amongst the underworld. Would they hold fire for risk of killing their comrade, or would the bounty prevail.

The question did not remain unanswered in Fiach’s head for long. A female Rodian showed her intent with a muzzle now poiting directly at Aska.

Fiach quickly considered her options. She was but a Padawan and did not feel comfortable risking the Mind Trick with so much at stake.

Instead, she slowly raised her saber hilt, with both hands now gripping it, ready to activate it and deflect any shot before it reached Aska. Was it a sure-fire thing she could do it in time? Was anything in life a certainty beyond taxes and death. Was that even an appropriate analogy given the circumstances?

“Nobody needs to get hurt,”
Fiach said, softly. “Walk away and we won’t pursue you. You have little to gain and so much to lose. You know this to be true.”

@Tulos
 

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Aska gritted her teeth as the Rodian women took a couple steps forward, the pistol aimed directly at her. Knowing that keeping Terrik in his arms was the only thing keeping her from being fired upon, she found herself unsure if she should drop the man, hopefully on his head, and pull her pistol to get their opponent to back off or if she should allow Terrik to take the brunt of the assault. However, Fiach took the lead and allowed Aska some slight reprieve from being the main target.

“Nobody needs to get hurt. Walk away and we won’t pursue you. You have little to gain and so much to lose. You know this to be true.”

The young Jedi continued to astound Aska. Someone so young and with so much left to live for, yet she was willing to step between two complete strangers and put her own life at risk. Maybe it was just Fiach, but if this was how all of the Order behaved, she couldn't help but wonder how they even still existed if they took on other people's problems as a habit, despite the danger.

"I dunno, kid. I wouldn't mind a chance to dance," Aska joked with a lop-sided smirk, though the Rodian woman mirrored it.

"I'll make you two a deal," she said boldly after considering Fiach's words, lowering her blaster and placing it in her holster. "Give us the moron, and we'll let you go... For now," The Rodian crossed her arms with a sense of arrogance. She was clearly very confident in her abilities.

"Boola, we can't just let them leave!" The Nikto exclaimed, but Boola raised her right hand and motioned for the man to hold his tongue.

"The Jedi is right. We kill her and Terrik dies, we don't get the full share. And if we run like Turi wants, we not only lose out on the credits but we'll never get another job from the boss. This is how we must proceed. Now be silent," Turning her attention back to Aska, Boola's glowing eyes stared deep into her own. This woman was dangerous, and Aska knew that she was being sincere. They would meet again and it will come to blows. "What do you say, girl? Rain check? Let Deadshot go, and you get ten minutes before we come for you," Aska gritted her teeth and while she wanted to drop Terrik off the edge of the spire, she needed to get on her way to Onderon.

"Put your weapons on the ground and step back from them," Aska barked and the trio complied. Pushing the incapacitated man to the ground, Aska pushed him hard with her right foot. "I look forward to our date, Boola," she taunted before looking to the Jedi beside her. "C'mon, kid. Let's get out of here..."

@Corbeau
 
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Fiach Dubh

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At first glance, Nar Shaddaa could be mistaken for Coruscant--there was no open land to be seen at all. Only buildings, towers, spires, pedestrian glidewalks, shuttle landing pads, all of it blending into an unending vista of sentient-created construction. It resembled a permacrete forest studded with garish advertising holosigns.

Where it differed from Coruscant was that it was in no-way clean, tastefully lighted or boasting graceful architecture. If there was a comparison to be truly made, it was to the deeper levels of the planet-wide city, did Coruscant was dingy and seedy.

Not waiting to be asked twice, Fiach headed away from the bounty hunters, her saber hilt still in hand but the blade deactivated.

As they walked through an artificial canyon between two massive, graffiti emblazoned buildings, Fiach glanced around. Up above, the sky was a strange colour, as if the normal blue sky was obscured by a dark brown filter. Nal Hutta hung there and took up at least ten degrees of the sky. Now was one of the two nights the moon had. The other, was the normal long night, when one side of the moon was turned away from the sun. This other relatively short ‘night’ occured when the sun was eclipsed by the enormous bulk of Nal Hutta.

Fiach led the way and said nothing for a while. Instead, she walked through what resembled a three-dimensional maze puzzle constructed by a lunatic. Spidery walkways and precipitous ramps joined building to building.

Architectural styles and designs from dozens of worlds jostled shoulder to shoulder. Domes, spires, arches, hulking squat rectangles, parabolas. Durasteel and permacrete and glassine and other building materials Fiach couldn’t even begin to identify were encrusted with filth and graffiti. Some of the scrawled names and images were stories high.

The scent of food from multiple worlds warred with the stench of leaking sewers, mingling with the sharp odours of intoxicating spices and other drugs. The sharp reek of ship exhaust was ever-present, as were the ships themselves, roaring and gliding and swooping overhead, landing and taking off in an endless bizarre ballet.

“We’re close to where I left my ship now. Are you still going with the same plan,” she asked, as for the first time she slowed her pace to a standard walk.

@Tulos
 

Aska Ryun

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Independent
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Legend

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Tulos
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Maybe it was the anxiety that Terrik and Boola would only be a few moments behind the, but the pace that Fiach had set was more than suitable to Aska as she followed through the city-scape. Part of her still wanted to head to the platforms where she had been working for the last few weeks and simply hijack a freighter, it would have been much closer and faster, but she understood. There was enough madness for one day for the young Jedi. Aska, however, couldn't help but notice that she was reveling in it. Her heart was racing, the adrenaline pumping. 'To think I believed I was only going to be a simple dock worker,' Aska thought to herself jokingly. All that training on Coruscant was coming in very helpful. Maybe this was Trench's intentions all along?

"We're close to where I left my ship now. Are you still going with the same plan?"

The words caught Aska off guard slightly as Fiach had remained quiet since they left the roof top. Perhaps she knew they were still in danger? Aska didn't think the mercenaries would be able to keep up, not with Terrik in the shape he was.

"If you've got room for me and you're willing to take me to Onderon, then that's my plan. After that? Aska paused and brushed her bangs from her eyes. "What does your 'force' tell you?"
 

Fiach Dubh

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Jedi Order
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Jedi Knight

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Corbeau
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Fiach was sure they weren’t being followed. There was no sense of danger and she was sure the Force would most likely tip her a wink if they were. Maybe her desire to get here as soon as possible was to avoid small-talk, or the sort of questions she was sure she was about to face.

“First of all,”
she began to count off the statements on her fingers, “I have room for sure. Secondly, I am more than happy to take you to Onderon. I don’t believe you’re evading the law, and I think taking you there is likely to prolong your life. Which feels like enough of a plan for now.”

She paused and glanced absent-mindedly into the distance. “As for the Force…well…it’s not like a radio where you can dial in to the news. It tends to let you know something is not right and kind of expects you to work it out for yourself. It’s inscrutable in that way.”

“But it brought me to you and until I find out why, I’d rather not let you out of my sight. Maybe I’m here to help keep you alive? Or fulfil some task?” She shrugged, “I’m sure I’ll find out once it’s done.”

“Now,” she added, turning to face the nearby spaceport, “the hanger is just over here. It’s a decent ship, fast, manoeuvrable and rugged, but it wasn’t built for comfort. But it has a couple of bunks and a small galley with rations – so I guess it’ll do.”

@Tulos
 
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