Home is where the Hunt is

[Eira Baldr]

It had been a long couple of years for Eira Baldr, between jumping from system to system on any freighter, transport ship, or garbage skiff that would take her there was a mess of trouble to get out of and into in between. All of this was fun and games, but eventually you had to pay the bills and as much as it killed her to return to these scumbags as it were they were the most honorable people on Nal Hutta...not that that was saying much.

Clan Alemanii of The Deucalians had left the Claws for many years with absolutely no contact. For a long time everyone thought they all died and surprisingly most were pretty okay with that, but then word of their survival got back with an advertisement for work and plunder. A lot of younger Deucalians took the offer and Eira was no exception, but after doing a job that went wrong she swore never again. Unfortunately never is long time and you never realize that kind of thing when your seventeen. So with heavy heart and light coin purse she headed towards the somewhat imposing White Wolf complex with the mark of Fenrir and Furi upon it's door, the mark of clan Alemanii.

Eira was a Baldr and damn proud of that, but clan didn't matter much in the White Wolf complex where concepts like the Law of Claws and a general sense of morality were more like guidelines than actual rules. As it was it seemed they'd let even more outsiders into the organization than ever before in their hunt for more and more cash as the amount of jobs for people needing found, hurt, or dead never seemed to dry up.

Recognizing a burly black haired fellow in the back corner she slapped her chest to get his attention which he did strongly in return. She replied by smacking her chest harder and he did in turn, they kept at it until Eira was sure she got a bruise when at last the big man yielded no doubt for her benefit, the young Plyndrer would rather die than lost.

"Eira Baldr as the lightning strikes,"

"Malkar Barrenfist as the thunder answers,"

Hands clasped in friendship that by Deucalian standards was essentially a warm hug,

"How's the arm big guy?" the red haired lass said giving it a tentative squeeze, his reaction of pain was subtle, but the healer noticed it immediately, "Have you been doing the exercises I showed you?" she said turning her head expecting a certain answer but not wanting to hear it. When none came but a guilty look, Eira shook her head and grinned poking the burly man in the chest. They shared a laugh and the young woman moved on to the bounty board.

Her finger traced over the postings as many warriors, hunters, and clansmen did the same. Most looked equipped for the job, but there was a smattering of desperate souls with hardly a vibroknife between them. Eira shook her head, The White Wolf was a chance to escape for sure, but not an escape into death.

"You there, how many seasons, how many raids?"

The young many she pointed out had dirty blonde hair and a sprinkling of a mustache he no doubt cultivated to try and seem more mature. The young fellow sputtered at her accusatory finger and looked down before looking up to answer,

"Uh I'm 24 and uh, I've never done a raid, but I totally killed a guy"

Eira nodded, "That's incredible," the blonde youth's face brightened until she finished her statement, "Everything you just said was a lie."

Shaking her head the proud Baldr looked away as the man sulked feeling like the whole room was watching him. Already forgetting the encounter, the red haired huntress spied another set of familiar faces, these she didn't care to note, but unfortunately they noted her.

"Little Eira?" the words came with a cloud of smoke each from the toothsome grin of Vicarr Alemanii as his daughter Ulyssa smirked at her, "I thought you didn't want anything to do with me or my 'Piss Poor Pups', I believe your words were....what were they again dearest?"

Ulyssa grinned as she took a step towards Eira bending towards her face and spoke with a lisp showering the Baldr with a cloud of saliva,

"She said we were 'cowardly, no honor curs, and in a room full of credits, food, or family we'd take the credits and burn the rest' I think"

Eira glared as she slowly wiped the spittle off her face. Those statements were all true and her saying them was accurate, but that was in the heat of losing her entire squad due to being abandoned mid-raid as it wasn't 'cost effective', she knew she shouldn't have said it, it dishonored herself more than it ever would the patriarch Claw of Clan Alemanii. So, lowering her head she said what she should have said back then.

"I got the job done then, I can get it done now Second Claw"

The jab was subtle, mentioning his title was proper and gave due honors, but all in the clans knew the Alemanii were not second to none, they were second to one and that was Freya Baldr and her kin, one of which was standing before him. Vicar let the statement sink in then smirked as he proceeded to laugh before offering his hand for her to shake. Taking it they both squeezed mightily and Eira was happy to see him squirming a bit in the end. Pulling his extremity back somewhat hastily he shook his head bemused before turning to the clan member running the bounty board,

"Only the best missions for her, biggest payout, toughest customers," he turned back to her with a grin accentuating his golden tooth as he emphasized the final words, "Deadliest beasts...you know the ones,"

Eira nodded accepting his challenge, one only lived once but they died a cowards death every time they backed down. Vicarr, he was a dead man walking.

 

[Aurora Fett]

"beasts say you?" A distorted voice asked "and here I thought you only killed puny little humanoids." Aurora's joke may have been disrespectful, but she'd just as soon destroy this place and find somewhere else to take up her bounties. Her Mandalorian armor would mean she was aloud to tease any other group, she wasn't quite sure what made this one special.

She noticed the tension she had drawn but could do nothing to fix it now. Hopefully the skull on her back made it clear she was worth tolerating the insult.

She walked around the compound curiously, keeping her helmet on in case it was decided she was no longer welcomed. She approached the man and half ignored the woman he offered the bounty to. She would apologise to her later.

"Let me take this contract for you." She offered in a kinder voice. "Deadly beasts are kinda my thing." Her bone white armor made her look exactly like the harbinger of death she was.

 

[Eira Baldr]

Eira was about to pick the hardest job on the board just to spite the greedy bastard when a distorted chortle caught her ear. She turned and heard the voice disrespect this establishment and a clan of the Deucalians. No matter her issues with Vicarr, she wasn't about to let some upstart in dirty armor talk down about her culture.

Eira saw the skull as did the patriarch of the Alemanii clan. That seemed to be the only reason his snap was stayed, the snap of fingers that would summon as many White Wolves as it took to make this little badass go away for a good long forever.

He didn't do that though, instead he eyed the skull and remarked,

"A mythosaur? I thought they were extinct."

When he heard her offer he allowed his golden tooth to glimmer as he looked over seeing Eira glaring daggers at her. Turning he selected a particularly interesting task for the two of them.

"You're very brave that can certainly be said. So how about you and..." he pointed with a loathsome smile, "little Eira here can take this contract. Just came in today. Rancor escape. Open contract system wide. You'd be competing against other bounty hunters but you'd be the only White Wolves so that's hardly competition at all eh boys?"

A resounding cheer matched his announcement from the assembled White Wolves and those aspirants still mulling over bounties. Meanwhile the red headed lass moved in and grabbed the bounty reading up on the rancor. Truly a massive specimen apparently specially bred for its size. Everything seemed fine until she read a single requirement.

"They need it alive?" Despite all her courage her hands shook at the challenging prospect of not only defeating a beast like this, but also in transporting it in its entirety knowing at any moment it could awake and crush her tiny skull.

Eira was planning to back down when Ulyssa scoffed,

"Well if you won't do it Baldr, I'm sure some other clan would be happy to. After all the other clans are used to doing the work the Baldr's shun."

Eira turned and sneered getting very close to the Alemanii daughter as she replied her words producing a thin waft of spittle,

"I'll take your damn contract. I'll bring that Rancor back alive. Freya as my witness and Fenrir as my shield."

Turning away as the pompous Ulyssa rubbed her face, Eira walked over to the Mandoloarian and whispered with a clench toothed smile,

"Your skills better be at least half as good as you claim or were as good as dead,"

Patting her shoulder the fiery haired hundreds moved towards the entrance looking down at the details of their shared quarry.

 

[Aurora Fett]

Aurora liked this place already. Capturing a live rancor was a job for her. Enough jobs like this under her sleeve and she would be Mand'alor in no time. "This job is as good as done." She assured her partner. Then walked out of the room briskly as to prevent these mercs from getting too comfortable around her.

Aurora came into the problem she always did. She still didn't have a ship. She looked to the woman she was assigned to work with. "Where's your ship?" Her distorted voice asked, trying to maintain the dominant role in their partnership.

Aurora searched through the skulls interior and looked through all of her belongings to see how well equiped she was. "We should pick up some medpacs before we leave." She said and put the skull on her back.

 

[Eira Baldr]

Eira walked out into the Nal Hutta air, it was breath-taking in the way that it forced you to cough your lungs out. Covering her face slightly, the proud Pkyndrer missed her time on the jungle world she was raiding on a few weeks back, hostile locals, hostile fauna, hostile man-eating plants, but a damn good place to get a tan. Nal Hutta was a ghastly world hand crafted for the beings that thrived on it. Eira had heard the Hutts once shared this world with another species, but she didn't hear much after that, apparently the slugs earned their deadly reputation early. Their hegemony over this world and others always made her curious, how did a being so slow and big obtain all this?

That was a query for another time, it seemed the bigger question was also the bigger beast, how the hell do you capture a Rancor? Despite her comrade of conveniences assurances, the young Deucalian wasn't sure of anything about this particular task but one thing, that her honor demanded she complete it. Also she wanted to rub Vicarr's big fat nose in it.

"Ship?" she said with a smirk, "Afraid I left it in my other purse," she looked over at a rack of White Wolf swoop bikes and tilted her head in consideration, "I'll handle getting us a ride, you grab the medpacs." pointing the Mandolorian in the direction of the stockroom she nonchalantly walked over to the bikes doing an oh so innocent whistle. Turning back swiftly she called out,

"Names Eira by the way, of the Baldr clan. Figured we should at least know each others names before our horrifying demise."

With a mock salute the red haired lass fell into a stalking position and dissipated into the tall grass separating her from the swoops. She wasn't a huge fan of the Valkarians, but what they taught her about stealth and subtlety was damn useful that was for sure.

 

[Aurora Fett]

"Cute Eira." The muffled voice said. Well it was either cute or 'you're cute" but Aurora wouldn't tell which. "Aurora Fett," she attempted to look cool by not looking back when she spoke. When she did risk a glance the red haired girl was gone.

"But I'm not dying today." she said and went back to her task. As Aurora walked closer she faced her greatest enemy yet. A Pharmacy. She stood in line for millennia, and compared thousands of brands before she emerged victoriously medpacs in hand.

Then a greater monster emerged. Boredom! She sat. Stood. Paced. Stabbed a womprat with her vibrosword. And realized that she would rather be doing anything than waiting. By the time her partner returned Aurora would be asleep in her armor.

 

[Eira Baldr]

Eira shifted through the foliage keeping to the shadows beneath the thickest blades. Attempting to be as quiet as she could she wondered for a moment why dense foliage always seemed to appear around important objectives alongside strategic cover and topical dialogue. Whatever the reason it certainly helped the stealthy lass as she peered out seeing a single guy watching the rides. He wasn't a tasked guard or anything, at least he didn't seem to be, he was just taking a smoke break.

Emerging from the cover realizing her stealth was unnecessary the young woman stretched and strolled over with a smile,

"Sup?"

"Did you just come out of those bushes?"

Eira blinked and blushed a bit kicking some rocks as she looked down,

"Haha yeah,"

The man flicked his smoke and stomped it out before crossing his arms, crap it was a guard. Falling back on her more direct training, the pride of Baldr rushed the larger man. Tackling him and planting her hand over his mouth muffling his cries for backup she pressed her other hand to his throat. Her legs wrapped around his struggling arms she held him tightly until at last he passed out. With no bruises to speak of and honor on the line, Eira guess this Alemanii wouldn't mention his humiliating defeat, especially if they returned the bike they took.

Taking the guard and dragging him slowly to a wall she propped him up so it would look like he was merely sleeping on the job. Turning to the swoops and picking the best looking of the lot she hopped on the bike and rode it slowly towards the pharmacy. Stopping slowly she noted her fierce partner in this hunt was enjoying a well deserved nap. Idling the bike she got off and sat next to the sleepy mando and fingered the medpacs. Checking their contents she nodded, they'd be good for this scrap, but if Eira knew rancor, they didn't wound, they killed. Still better than nothing which was coincidentally the same as their chances of completing this task.

"Hey Fett, rise and shine we got a monster to catch,"

Packing the medpacs and some of her other gear she opened a compartment for Aurora's stuff and got in the driver's position allowing her partner to ride behind.

"Rancor was last sighted heading east into the swamp lands, we're late to this info so the beast will be the least of our worries if the other hunters have anything to say about it. You ready?"

Waiting for the affirmative she sped off towards the swamp, smelling it long before she saw it.

 

[Aurora Fett]

Riding on the back of a swoop bike was not Aurora's idea of fun. She sat solemnly silent for a long time before she removed her helmet and sat it on Eira's head. "This does not make me your bitch." She mumbled. She reluctantly held Eira's waist as to not fall off the bike.

She relaxed as the cool wind rushed past her head, the smooth bike ride fueled the impulsive youthful side of her as she reached forward and twisted the throttle back further causing them to accelerate. Eira could either have fun with her, or be the queen of all buzzkills.

The helmet had a heads-up display that warned Eira of all sorts of things. In Mandoa. Which she couldn't read. But nevertheless if she tried to take it off she risked crashing. And that was Auroras little power play. If she was riding bitch then Eira would wear her helmet.

 

[Eira Baldr]

Eira was still trying to wrap her head around what the heck they were going to do when they found this Rancor, they were like a dog chasing a car right now, all speed no forethought. She barely registered Aurora's comment though her mind did keep it back in the subconscious for a wtf later.

The hands wrapped around her stomach were strong, she could feel that even with the armor on. Each digit was trained for killing, as a Deucalian, Eira knew a warrior when she saw one and she certainly knew it when she felt one. As Aurora's helmet was unceremoniously slapped on her head the clan raider let out a muffled protest and was about to take it off when the crazy Mando shifted her into high gear. Grabbing the controls she feverishly shifted back and forth narrowly dodging tons of hazards, her heart racing as death revealed it's ugly mug with every dangerous turn.

Indications popped up on every side with beeps and buzzes and colors all in a language she couldn't begin to comprehend. Instinctively she looked to each one giving her less time to avoid death. If this was a Mandolorian game, Eira thanked Freya she was born Deucalian.

Eventually she gripped the gear and shook it from Aurora's grasp to slow them down, but by then they were deep in the swamp and trouble as well. Throwing off the helmet she looked back seething at the Mandolorian looking into her eyes for the first time,

"You're lucky you're cute!" she shouted, not at all intending for those to be her words as she confusedly got off and got her things not even looking at the chick who nearly killed them both.