Ask Guns for Hire

[Hatice Altaris]

Nadya had been lucky. She doubted she could hold out against the Sith any longer, not until she heard the sound of gunfire and the snapping of chains. They both looked up to the ceiling. Metal ached and groaned as the bulky chandelier above them lost its grip, then suddenly fell. Akar’s yellow eyes widened. Nadya wasn’t sure what to do in that moment other than wait to be crushed or stabbed, but she whirled as another shadow crossed her vision: Zaia, sailing towards her, arms open like a hawk descending on its prey. Then, she was flying too.

They landed safely elsewhere, on a walkway where she could observe Akar struggling against the chandelier. “I’m good,” she panted. “I think.” Nadya glanced at the wound on her thigh. It burned like hell, but she’d suffered worse injuries and from better men.

Before she could remotely catch her breath, however, Akar had unburdened himself of the broken chandelier, tossing it toward them. Zaia managed just barely to stop the light, but understanding the Sith’s strength, Nadya knew she couldn’t withstand him forever. She had to act, for both their sakes, even if it meant exposing her real power.

Nadya shut her eyes. Focus, she thought bitterly. Concentrate. Her breathing slowed and she felt her pulse steady. Then, she extended out her hands, feeling the push and pull of the broken chandelier, and as her eyes reopened, she split the light apart into a cloud of broken parts and glass. They hovered in the air for a second, suspended in time. The look of surprise on Akar’s face was priceless. “No,” he said, taking a step back. “Impossible.”

“You better believe it is, motherfucker,” she said, and turned the glass on him, threatening to cut him into ribbons.

But even if she did have the element of surprise on her side, Akar was stronger. He used both his hands now, creating a bubble to keep the shards from touching him—but that left a wide opening for Zaia to strike. “Now!” Nadya screamed.

@Sicadorito

 

[Zaia Krodas]

Akar was pushing back, and hard. Zaia’s boots were losing their grip on the ground, and she was starting to slide back, even with her jetpack on full power.

“Nadya…”

Then the light trembled, and Zaia instinctively let go. It was just in time too— in less than a second after she’d backed away, the entire thing exploded into shards of glittering glass and metal scraps. What? She glanced back and saw Nadya and her hands outstretched, her eyes widening underneath her helmet. So that was why the woman had asked for her opinion on the Force earlier.

Seeing the feat, Akar was just as surprised as Zaia was. Unfortunately, that moment didn’t last long, and soon enough the twi-lek was creating a sort of bubble to keep himself safe from the glass that had turned on him. Quickly snapping back into the present, Zaia saw the opening just as she heard Nadya’s shout. Launching into the air, Zaia landed a short distance behind Akar and activated her flamethrower, blasting the fire into his back. He screamed a horrible scream that made Zaia shut her eyes as if doing so would stop her from hearing it. Still, after seeing what he was capable of, she kept it on for longer than she normally would have, just to be sure.

After a couple seconds that felt like forever, Zaia pressed the button again so that the flames went out. Akar was on the ground, his backside as burnt as pieces of used firewood. His lightsaber had fallen to the ground at his side. She bent down to pick it up, but when she did, she saw him stir just a little bit. She took a small step back in surprise. That still wasn’t enough?

She watched as Akar used his hands and flipped himself over so that he was facing upwards again, then used his arms to hoist his upper body up. He sat there, his eyes filled with hatred as he glared at Zaia.

“You’ll regret this,” he snarled before breaking off into a coughing fit. Zaia didn’t respond, and looked over at Nadya instead.

“What do we do with him now?”

@Song

 

[Hatice Altaris]

She watched in anticipation as Zaia flew around the bubble of shattered glass and broken chains, maneuvering around the Sith until she had him right in her sights. She was more surprised when the Mandalorian activated her flamethrower, bathing him in orange fire, and the howling he made was enough to make even Nadya cringe. She’d seen plenty of wounds, heard many shouts, and not many sounded that painful. But it was not the worst. No, Nadya had seen and lived through so much worse.

Akar collapsed, and she could feel his strength in the Force disappear. She let go of the glass shards and they fell to the ground in a neat circle around him like a line of salt. And yet, he was not dead. By some power unknown to her, he was still kicking, breathing, and threatening her as usual, except this time he was on his knees. Exactly where he belonged.

Nadya approached him, the metal edge of her sword glinting in the drowsy light. She ignored his coughing fit or Zaia’s stare, and instead walked by her to look at Akar more closely. She sneered at him. “It depends,” Nadya said in response to his threat. “Do you work for the Sith Empress?”

Akar coughed viciously. “Darth Andruil? Don’t make me laugh. I will never consider that Nightsister bitch the empress of any—”

Metal flashed through the air. Nadya did not bother giving the Twi’lek a chance to finish, but instead swiped her blade and leveled his shoulders. The edge cut cleanly between his neck muscles, emerging from the other side with little more than a droplet of blood. Then she effortlessly sheathed her sword, turning away from Akar’s crumpled body and back to the Mandalorian. “That’s what we do,” she finally answered. “I promised I’d get rid of him, and I have. Now, his refinery belongs to the House of Glass.”

Nadya moved toward the railing of the walkway. Down below, her droids had already corralled those who’d been working on the spice, including what guards that had surrendered. She sighed, barely hiding her exhaustion. “Thank you, by the way. If you weren’t here… I don’t know if I could have stopped him.”

@Sicadorito

 

[Zaia Krodas]

Zaia watched in silence as Nadya interrupted Akar’s sneering response by separating his head from his body in one fluid motion. If it had been done to anyone else she probably would have flinched at the sight, but she was surprisingly numb to everything now and wasn’t at all surprised to see it happen.

“I suppose it does,” Zaia agreed, following Nadya over to the railing to observe what was happening below. She still hoped that not too many lives had been lost because of the droids, but sometimes those things were unavoidable in this kind of business. She glanced over at Nadya when the woman thanked her. Zaia gave her a nod and took off her helmet, holding it at her side as she watched the last few workers and the remainder of the guards being herded onto a wide platform by the droids.

“Just doing my job,” she responded simply as she placed a hand on the railing and looked over at Nadya. Then she smiled for a brief moment. “You know, for my first time fighting a Sith, I don’t think I did so bad. You either. That said, I hope you don’t do this on a daily basis.” Zaia frowned at the thought, then looked down at the people below.

“Are you going to make a statement or something? Let them know that you’re the boss now?” she asked curiously.

@Song

 

[Hatice Altaris]

“I hope this doesn’t become a common occurrence either,” she told Zaia and breathed a laugh. “Else I’m going to need to keep hiring you, and I know Mandalorians don’t come cheap.” She shrugged. “Not that it would be such a bad thing. You did good today. I understand now why your people have the reputation they do.” Stories of the Mandalorian Crusades hadn’t been lost on her. Nadya was only surprised Zaia didn’t care that she wielded the Force too, just as Akar did.

She looked out to the refinery, between the factory lines and the people gathered there, each not sure what was in store for them. “I think I know what to say,” she said, learning against the railing. With two loud knocks against the metal, she drew the people’s attention and heads rose to where she and Zaia stood. Then, Nadya cleared her throat and said…

“How does ten thousand credits sound?”

Nadya stared at Zaia from across the desk, slumped in her leather chair, nursing the wound on her leg with an ice pack. Her business at the refinery ended on a relatively peaceful note. She gave her little speech, an offer of improved conditions and wages, in exchange for the factory worker’s loyalty and understanding. That had been the final nail in Akar’s coffin. Nobody resisted then, including the guards, and it was clear nobody had been particularly fond of the Sith’s management. By tomorrow, spice production would resume and as usual, her profits would rise.

But right now, she had a reward to pay.

Nadya snapped a finger and one of her guards brought out a sealed briefcase. They cracked it open to reveal the stack of shining credits contained within. “I planned originally to give you half this amount,” she conceded, “until Akar turned out to be a Sith. And even though I’d rather not admit it, you saved me. Twice, I think. So, whatever it is you want, you can have.” Nadya couldn’t put a price on her own life, but she hoped this amount would do.

@Sicadorito

 

[Zaia Krodas]

Ten thousand credits. She couldn’t believe it.

It was true, though. Zaia’s eyes widened from behind her visor when the guard opened the case to reveal the glimmering credits inside. There was more money in that box than she’d seen at once in her entire life. Nadya went on to admit that she’d originally planned to give her half of what was in there, but even that amount would have been more than she could have fathomed. Maybe she had saved Nadya’s life and helped her defeat a Sith, but it didn’t change the fact that it was still a lot.

“Ten thousand is good,” she said, leaning back in her chair. At her words, the guard shut the lid of the briefcase and handed it over to her. Zaia took the handle gingerly as if she were in possession of a centuries-old glass artifact. With this many credits, her ship didn’t seem so far off.

She looked up at the woman, giving her a nod of appreciation. “I can’t ask for any more than this, but uh, if you need any help in the future, you can always let me know,” she said. “Besides, I was beginning to enjoy your company,” she added with a slight chuckle.

@Song

 

[Hatice Altaris]

Nadya knew she was giving Zaia more credits than the mission had warranted. Even five thousand for a simple refinery raid was an excruciating amount. But she’d hoped to leave a solid impression on the Mandalorian, to prove that her loyalty could be trusted to pay off, and to celebrate the start of a new, mutual partnership. It might leave a sizable dent in her coffers, but Nadya was officially the most powerful woman in the Axxila underworld. At the end of the day, the cost had been more than worth it.

To be honest, a small part of her wanted to ask Zaia to stay. Leading numerous gangs and clubs was lonely work. She’d at least wanted a bodyguard, a friend, to keep her company. But she’d heard rumors, stirrings on Mandalore, and figured Zaia had greater dreams than serving on a crime boss’ security detail. Nadya understood. Being the head of an underworld was not the pinnacle of her career or purpose. She wanted Axxila, her family legacy, and most of all, revenge.

That was a path only she could follow.

Dispelling the thought, Nadya rose from her desk and nodded gratefully in return. “Thank you,” she said, with more sincerity than she’d expected. “If I do, I’ll let you know.” She already had her contact information, and yet, she pushed an encrypted business card over the table for Zaia to take. “And if there’s anything you need, just know I’m available, too.” It was an odd thing to say, especially for an aspiring crime lord, to offer a favor for a bounty hunter she barely knew.

But she did it anyway. Just from one girl to another.

“Good luck out there, Mando.” She smiled and waved Zaia off. She was sorry to see her go, but this was how mercenary contacts worked. They came, wreaked havoc, and left. Perhaps they’d see each other again someday in the future, perhaps not. She just hoped it would be as friends and not enemies. Nadya would hate to be on the end of her flamethrower, like Akar, but only time could tell what was in store for them both.

@Sicadorito

 

[Zaia Krodas]

Zaia took the card from Nadya and gave her a nod in thanks, knowing that it meant more than Nadya would admit out loud. She didn’t have to be the most experienced mercenary around to understand that crime lords didn’t often give favors to those they didn’t know well. Perhaps it was her way of showing thanks. Somehow, receiving that card meant more than all the credits in the briefcase. She sealed it inside her pouch, safe with all the rest of her prized possessions.

“Same to you, Dona.” Zaia stood up and pushed in the chair with her arm holding the briefcase, giving Nadya a salute with her free hand. If there was one thing she was fairly certain of, it was that Nadya wouldn’t need it. From what she’d seen, the woman knew what to do to get what she wanted, and was effective in her methods in doing so. The hallmarks of a successful crime lord. She was just glad she wasn’t Akar, or anyone else in her way. Hopefully she wouldn’t ever be.

Zaia made her way out the door, the briefcase clutched at her side as she walked. Being a bounty hunter didn’t seem so dreadful anymore, and it was certainly more rewarding than her previous endeavors in terms of the people she met in addition to the pay. As strange as it sounded, Zaia wouldn’t have minded if Nadya called her back someday for another job. She wasn’t fond of criminals, but Nadya was… different. Unlike the ones she’d met before. There was something more to the woman, her powers, the look in her eyes, but Zaia couldn’t pinpoint what exactly it was that made her stand out. Whatever it was, Nadya had earned her respect. And though it probably didn’t mean much to her, Zaia was willing to help her find whatever she was seeking.

That would be a story for another time.

//End thread