Putting Them Down

[Varus Wren]

They were finally able to head back to Mandalorian Space, real Mandalorian Space. He had been in the Core for what seemed like an eternity. He just wanted to go home.

He let out a yawn as the ship rocked slightly as it entered hyperspace. He had just leaned back in his chair when the ship received a transmission. "This is never good." he murmured as he leaned forward and pulled up the message.

He scanned it before his murmurings shifted to curses. Looks like the Core wasn't done with them quite yet. It was an assignment for both him and Ravyn. "Ravyn, come take a look at this," he spoke over the ship's communication system before exiting hyperspace and beginning to enter the calculations for the new jump.

He waited for her to arrive before pulling up the file on their target, another bounty hunter who belonged to Bounty Hunter Guild. Apparently the man had used up his last chances in avoiding civilian casualties. Attached was a news report of a recent bombing where over a hundred people had been killed.

"Do you know this man?" he asked, turning to look at the fellow Mandalorian. Victor Tril was an accomplished Bounty Hunter who been around for a long time. He had no qualms about killing anyone who had gotten in his way over the years, and now it was their job to put him down.

"Looks like we are heaing to Coruscant." he said as the ship jumped back into Hyperspace.

 

[Ravyn Wren]

It had been too long since the two of them had been allowed to return home. Had she measured the days in markings on the wall, the entire room might be covered in them by now. It had been so long that their small ship had begun to feel more like a prison that neither of them could escape. Ravyn longed for the cold mountains of home - this was their long overdue opportunity to rest and reset. She was sure that Varus was just as eager to be on his way home, though neither of them had spoken much about it.

The ship rocked ever so slightly as it jumped to hyperspace and Ravyn let out a relieved sigh. Her attention turned to the blaster that sat in her lap, returning to clean it so that it could be packed away. Her partner, Varus, would be along soon and then the two of them could rest before they arrived home to Krownest. It would be a decent hike back to their village once they landed and they had a fair amount of equipment to carry with them.

'Ravyn, come take a look at this.' She heard Varus call over the hum of the ships engines and then felt the ship rock again as it exited hyperspace. They weren't even close to home yet, so why had they stopped?

Placing her blaster back on her hip, she stood to walk the narrow hallway towards the cockpit. "Isn't that Victor Tril?" She approached the holo-image, inspecting the mans features over Varus' shoulder. "I'm familiar with him, but can't say I've ever met him personally. What's he done?" Ravyn could hardly hide the disappointment in her tone or on her face upon learning they weren't actually headed home. However, work kept the both of them on their toes so she couldn't say that they weren't used to switching direction at a moments notice.

"Seems odd that the hunter has become the hunted. Is he wanted warm or cold?"

Ravyn stepped around him, sliding in to the co-pilots seat beside him. There was no point in cleaning any more of her equipment only to dirty it up again.

 

[Varus Wren]

He gave a slight nod as she identified the man. If she knew who he was, it only confirmed that he was skilled. "He just killed about 100 civilians while chasing a target," he said swiping a finger across the panel, causing the image and known information of their target onto a large projection in front of them.

"The Bounty Hunter's Guild has decided he has bad for business and want him taken out of the picture." he said with a slight pause "...permanently." he said as the "WANTED: DEAD" text flashed in front of the man's picture. Dead was easier, it would be pretty difficult to detain and keep a skilled hunter while they transported him. Luckily, the Bounty Hunter's Guild didn't do much talking after they deemed someone a risk to their business.

He sighed as he shifted in his armor, pulling the upper part of his chest plate making it somewhat easier to breathe. "Any idea where we can even start looking?" he asked with a frown, tapping a button bringing up an image of the city-planet. Coruscant had to be Varus' least favorite place in the world. So many people, and next to no nature, he considered it an actual hell.

 

[Ravyn Wren]

Ravyn ran a hand through her hair and sighed in slight frustration, leaning back in her chair. "100 civilians. What an absolute mess." It was clear that this man had absolutely no regard for life what-so-ever. It was all about the money; why else would he risk 100 civilian lives for one bounty? No one was worth that kind of loss, especially not any low-life criminal he was undoubtedly after. If the Bounty Hunter's Guild wanted Victor Tril dead, he was surely not worth any more civilian losses. However, he was sure to be dangerous and for that her stomach turned in horrified anticipation of what would come.

"I'm sure if the Guild wants him dead, then he is aware of his 'situation'. In which case, I'm willing to bed that he'd hidden on the lower levels among the same criminals he would otherwise be hunting. I say were start there and work our way up." Her eyes remained fixated on his image, though her mind wandered somewhere else. Varus was sure to be disappointed that they weren't returning home just yet. The thought forced a frown on her lips and another frustrated sigh.

"We need to be careful, Varus. Tril doesn't sound like an easy target - he will be expecting our usual approach and will be much better at hiding and confrontation that anyone we may typically seek out. I'm not sure I like this assignment, but we haven't any other choices." Her eyes wandered to Varus and then to the barren image of space in front of them.

It would be a miracle if they survived this.

 

[Varus Wren]

She was probably right, it was highly unlikely he wouldn't at least expect someone to come after him. It would make finding him a good bit more difficult and he would like likely make it so they couldn't just simply kill him from a distance. That was just as good to Varus. If they were going to fight, it might as well be an honorable kill on their part.

He looked over, seeing Ravyn frowning he let out a quiet laugh. "I am supposed to be the grouchy one, remember?" he said jabbing her playfully with an elbow. "If it was easy, they wouldn't have needed to send us," he said with a shrug before turning back towards the controls of the ship.

While still looking forward, he grinned as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "We still have a while before we get there if you wanted to take another shot of cleaning that blaster. Can't have us tromping around in front of billions of people with dirty equipment," he said, tone still playful.

With the final adjustments entered in, he leaned back in his seat and allowed himself to drift off into a light sleep. He was awoken later by the ship dropping out of Hyperspace, revealing the crowded city-planet. Varus reached for his helmet and slid it over his head, locking it into place before piloting the ship down towards the site of his attack. He likely wouldn't have had a chance to get too far with other likely hunting him as well. "You ready?" he asked the woman as they approached a landing pad that would give them access to the lower levels.

 

[Ravyn Wren]

There wasn't any point to getting worked up about their present assignment, Varus was right. It was best to leave any negative thoughts behind as they wouldn't make their situation any easier to handle. Ravyn had survived far worse on her own and Varus was a damn good shot anyway - the two of them would make quick work of it and be on their way home soon. Just the thought of snow covered mountains on the horizon and the familiar hum of their ships engines was enough to lull her to sleep in the passenger seat, no matter how uncomfortable it might have been.

It was a few hours before they arrived on Coruscant, their ship shuttled in to a hangar that would allow them access to the lower levels. It was later in the evening as well, which meant that their target would surely be easier to find, given the scum of this planet were just getting started gambling and drinking the night away. If Victor were as well known as she thought him to be, he would be trying his damnedest to blend in, in hopes that no one would spot him.

"Yes, as ready as I will ever be." She offered Varus as cheeky grin before reaching for her own helmet and securing it into place. Her hands searched her belt, double checking that none of her equipment would be left behind. This was one assignment she wasn't not prepared for, given her usual tricks would be too easy for Tril, and it could mean the difference between life and death if any piece of her equipment was left on the ship.

Once Ravyn was sure she was properly geared up, she nodded towards Varus to let him know that she was ready and headed for the exit ramp. Her eyes searched their surroundings as they exited the ship, making note of the lifts that would take them to the lower levels just on the other side of the room. The droids that tended to the stationed ships were rusted and out of date, the various staff that oversaw them looked no different than the criminals she was too used to hunting. This definitely wasn't a place one would want to be stranded alone.

Ravyn shifted her focus to the lifts, looking over her shoulder to ensure that Varus wasn't far behind her. They too were rusted, but surprisingly still in working order. The metal squealed, scraping together as the doors opened to allow them in and she could feel the floor shift as each of them stepped inside, their weight straining the chains that held them. The lights inside flickered, dimly lighting the small box as it began its descent.

"Scrap metal. I'm surprised it hasn't broken under it's own weight." She elbowed Varus playfully in the ribs, smiling beneath her mask.

 

[Varus Wren]

He eyed the lift suspiciously, more than a little tempted to rely on his jet pack to descend to the lower levels but thought it better to save the fuel for if it was really needed. They stepped into the lift and the doors shut, only stuttering several times before it started to descend.

"So where should we start looking?" he asked, relying on her skills as a bounty hunter. Varus was a weapon but lacked the tact needed to root out people who were trying to hide.

The doors opened at the bottom of the lift. It was like they were on a different planet altogether. The lights flickered in the streets, and the stench of garbage and other waste slammed into Varus, even with his helmet filtering out the majority of it. "How do people live like this?" he mumbled as he scanned the area. It didn't take long for people to notice the arrival of the two Mandalorians, word would likely spread quickly. They needed to act fast if they were going to catch their prey.

Down the street, there was some type of club. Music thrummed from the place as lights pulsed from inside. Varus noticed a small group of rough-looking people gathering in the shadows of an alleyway in their path. He wouldn't shy away from conflict but the whole point of the mission was to have as little collateral damage as possible.

"Where to?" he said glancing towards Ravyn