"Trigger Happy" (ask)

[Thecomicbookbroad]

She was a small woman, Stasha Evie was on the short side and rather curvy, Her eyes held the light of a young lady and they shone like molten gold as she watched her reflection in the mirror narcissistically. Pulling back thick tresses of mahogany she smirked to herself and holstered her gun. Two things were her staple- her rifle and her lipstick. She exited her quarters with a wink directed at the familar face in the reflective surface and set off to meet a call from below deck.

She was nearing her 46th year and her skin lack all signs of it save to the small lines beneath her eyes- and only she seemed to notice them anyhow. Her thorny crown had developed and the horns along her scalp were inches taller then they were in her twenties.

As she walked down the hall her pointed toed’ boots rhythmically clacked against the floor. She met eyes with several associates and exchanged sultry smiles before rounding a corner to the ship garage to which she’d be summoned.

“Where is she?” She asked shortly to one of the newer recruits. The Bounty Hunter’s guild was buzzing like a beehive around her and she lacked the patience to interact with him for more then necessity.

“Umm…” the young human with messy hair began, pointing near a speeder where the slight figure of a young navy Twi’lek tinkered idly.

The Zabrak sighed.

“She’s been applying that same panel for an hour now-is something wrong?” The boy asked.

Evie stepped away from him and spoke into a comm with urgency.

“Ares.” She addressed, nearing The twi’lek with reluctance.

“I need you down here- Your daughter is heart broken and making her feel special isn’t my strong point.” She quickly hung up and forced a smile as the girl of midnight blue took notice.

“Hey baby cakes.” Evie said. She instantly hated the way it sounded and brought her hand to her chin, examining her former slave’s handy work.

“Hullo…..” The Twi’lek said with little enthusiasm as she continued to occupy herself with the dented ship panel. Ashes wore her heart on her sleeve and it was easy to see that at that particular moment it was broken to pieces.

“Look, hun.” began the Zabrak. “I know you had your heart set on joining Corsec but-”

Ashes’ Lekku twitched and she paused before continuing, hammering the panel with greater force.

“But…” Evie continued hesitantly. “look you know how I feel about officers…”

The twi’lek continued at an accelerated rate. It had been the girl's dream to join the force for years and now that she had been turned away she kept to herself with an air of gloom.

The bounty hunter looked about uncomfortably and tried the comm again, addressing her husband, hushed.

“Ares…”


Ashes whimpered.

“A-ares.” Evie called, growing anxious

Ashes wiped her nose.

“Ares!” Evie screamed

Ashes turned to her mother with tears in her eyes.

“Ares!”

Ashes sobbed and threw her arms around Evie’s neck.





“Ares get your ass in here!”




Making her daughter "feel special" wasn't her strong point...and neither was dealing with her hysterics in front of her work associates.



-------------------------------------------





“They picked every ‘un but me…” Ashes explained, covering her head with her forearms.

Evie sat across the table from the dark twi’lek , listening with worn patience. After her daughter’s tearful outburst she’d managed to convince the girl to join her in her quarters and save them both the embarrassment that was sure to follow the conversation they were now having.

“ They even picked Cort- shun….Cort shun! Over me!” The Twi’lek cried, her electric green eyes moist.

“They didn’t want me….N-n-no one wants me!” She sobbed.

“Ashes calm down, you’re giving me a headache,” Stasha said, looking away. “There’s plenty of things you can do besides ridding the world of criminals and playing dress up with those pigs.” She spat.

“Believe me- I was a law enforcer for a couple weeks- your not missing anything.”

“like what?” Ashes asked eagerly. “What else can I do?”

“Well….You could be uh…” The Zabrak wracked her mind for occupations Twi’leks were known for.

“You could be a dancer or- ....wel you could be a …dancer.” She said.

“A dancer?” Whined the crestfallen girl. “ I’ve never danced! Not even a’ once in my life.” She lowered her head on the table.

“why would you say that!”


“I don’t know ok!” Evie growled.

“Look my point is your life isn’t over yet- so don’t give me another reason to cut it short!”

Ashes was silent.

They sat awhile before she spoke again, her voice was slow and soft.



“All I wanted to do was be one of the good guys….”


------------------------------------------------------------



Not much had changed on Coruscant since Evie had first arrived. Twenty years can really alter a place but Stasha found most of her haunts stayed the same- it was the people in it that had morphed. She waited outside the Jericho with her brow furrowed as her daughter was walked back on the arm of a Kiffar.

“where have you been!” She demanded. She looked her up and down and came to a realization.

“I-oh my god…” she stifled a laugh. The Twi’leks garb was the scanty look of a dancers.

“You actually took me seriously!” She held her sides and grinned, laughing through her nose.

Ashes’ eyes roamed the floor and her lower lip jutted out .

“Thank you, Brom.” Evie bade the Kiffar and ushered her daughter inside the frigate they called home.

“ha ha ha!” she affectionately grinded her fist against the Twi’leks cheek.

“if your father found out-”

“They didn’t want me either!” Ashes barked.

“what?”

“They said I was awful! I can’t even be a dancer!” She cried, reaching into her pockets and throwing a handful of credits to the floor.

"I can't even shake my butt right!"

“hey! Come now, it looks like you did pretty well for yourself!” Evie said, trying to console the girl as she gathered the money from the floor.

“Look you made…what? Five credits here!”

“They’re from Shawn…..” Ashes sniveled. “he paid me to-t-to…. Leave…!” She began to cry.

“Shawn Mac’Neal?!” The Zabrak exclaimed with hilarity. Shawn was a long time friend of hers- she didn’t know what was funnier, the fact her daughter had approached him in a shady cantina or the fact he was present in such a place.

Evie followed Ashes back to her quarters when she mechanically sat in the center of the floor and began to “fix” an unbroken but slightly uneven table leg.

She clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“Ashes….what are you doing, child?”


“Fixing this table…” She said void of all emotion.

“Why? It isn’t broken-”


“because.. I.. Have lost. My will. To. live.” Ashes replied.

 

[T.J]

A new couple sat at one of the many tables that adorned the enterance of one of Coruscants many resturants. They chatted about life and love, fully content with just sitting and being with each other. They were also unaware, unaware of the armor clad man sprinting towards them.

Ares had just recieved a string of messages from his wife, he had his comm unit off while he was hunting. The bounty hunters metal boots clanked heavily on the permacrete sidewalk as he ran, huffing and puffing inside his armor. His left knee had started acting up about halfway to the resturant, but he refused to stop sprinting. For fear that he would not be able to start back up again.

Ares was looking over technical data that flashed across the HUd in his helmet as he ran, content that people would be wise enough to get out of his way. Unfortunently he was wrong. Ares and the young couple had no idea they were about to get a little more aquainted. He crashed headlong into the table the two love birds were sitting at, almost falling in the process. The drinks and foodon the table went flying into the air, raining on those sitting around it.

The armor clad man just kept running, not having time to stop to appologize. The messages had sounded urgent, and he really didnt want to get Stasha upset at him. As Ares rounded the corner into the hanger containing the Jericho, he slowed his speed to a brisk walk, trying to slow his breathing so he didnt have the outward appearence that he had just sprinted for a long distance. He failed to do so up until he got to he and Stasha's living quarters. Quickly opening the door, he removed his helmet and set it down on a table to the left of the door before speaking.

" I'm sorry baby." He said with somewhat lost breathe. " I came as soon as I got your messages. Whats wrong?"

Ares looked over to his daughter, silently sitting on the floor tinkering with the table. He silently pointed to Ashes giving Stasha a questioning look.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Evie was in deep conversation with Ashes just before Ares arrived- well SHE was in deep conversation. Ashes was as silent and robotic as droid.

The table suddenly snapped and fell to pieces on the floor. Ashes stared for several minutes then screamed bloody murder.

“I’m 25 years old!” She roared and her mother jumped at the uncharacteristic volume.

She began to put the table back together, taking out her rage on its assembly.

“I’m 25 years old and I don’t have a job!” She cried.

“I’m 25 years old and I’ve never been anywhere unless it involved you killing someone!”

She had the table nearly done when she exclaimed.

“I’m 25 years old and I’m still a vir-”

The door slammed open with her Armor clad father’s arrival.

Evie’s awkward exterior melted with relief and she approached him, ignoring his silent question as Ashes reverted back to statue like posture. She planted a kiss on Ares' lips and gestured towards the Twi’lek.

“She didn't get accepted.” she said, "She's been like this all day." She turned back with a worried glance at thier daughter.


“ Take the outfit off- you look like a tart!” Evie hissed from the door way.

Ashes lowered her head in misery and lazily kicked the dancer garb off, walking away solemnly with her pants around her ankles into her room to change.

“Would you look at that girl!” The huntress hissed.

“Sometimes she’s so- Ugh!…Its I wonder I don’t have any gray hair.”

 

[T.J]

Ares sighed deeply as his wife explained the situation. It hadnt been a very pressing matter, not as bad as Stasha had made it seem, but it was still important to him. He stared after his daughter, a look of worry on his face.

" I should talk to her...." He said absent mindedly. Ares stood stationary for a moment, as if contemplating if he should or not. Of course he was though, Ashes was his little girl. She meant the world to him. He walked over to the door to Ashes room, softly knocking before speaking.

" Pumpkin?..... Do you wanna talk about it?" The hunter asked as he stood infront of the door.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Almost immediately after Ares’ finished his sentence the twi’lek addressed emerged, half dressed in armored leggings and a tight sleeveless under shirt.

“ Vishna Xano made this for me for when I joined the force! I’m not worthy of it’s breathable comfort!” she exclaimed. She suddenly broke into a string of ryu as she paced her room.

“Do chonda!” She cried with finality, falling on her bed.

“Do shut up, Sweety.” Evie said from outside as she sipped some Caf.

Ashes shut her mouth instantly.

She sat up with a sad face and crossed her ankles.

“What’s the matter I thought you liked authority?” said the Zabrak.

“I do like authority!” Ashes said shrugging with a look of desperation.

“but what does it matter? I’m worthless!”

“Your not worthless- I paid 72,000 credits for you.” She said rising.

“I have a case. “ she called.

"I don't see why your so bent on enforcing the law...lawfully anyhow."

 

[T.J]

Ares turned his head and shot Stasha a dirty look when she commented on how much she paid for Ashes. It was more of a, "please be quite look" than a dirty one. He stepped into his daughters room and sat down on a chair stting infront of a desk.

" Ashes...You'll never be worthless. Not as long as I'm alive." ares said as he tried to think of things to make his daughter feel better.

" You could still join the family buisiness.... You know how much I love it when you come along with me." A smirk came across the aging mans face as he stood., clapping his hands together as he did so.

" Why dont you come with me right now? I still have some buisiness in the undercity." As he suggested he motioned to the door.

" Just you and me." He added in at the end.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Ashes weighed her options. To her bounty work was her father’s own way of keeping the bad guys at bay and- thought it usually ended in her running from blaster beams, and him cracking skulls she obliged.

“Ok…” she said pulling the cuirass over her Lekku’d head.

 

[T.J]

" Thats my girl! " Ares exclaimed as he quickly walked out his daughters room. He gave Stasha a quick peck on the cheek before doning his helmet again.

" We'll be back later hun. Try not to worry." He said as he walked out the door and down the hall. Ares had the bad habit of going places without looking to see if the people he was going with were actually following him. He didnt look back to see if his daughter was tailing him, content with the knowledge she probably was.

On the way back to the undercity, Ares decided it best to take a different route than the one he took getting back to the Jericho. He really didnt want to explain why he had ruined that young couples day, nor did he want to pay for it.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Ashes followed after Ares, lacing up her gauntlets.

Evie leaned into her husbands goodbye kiss and stopped her daughter with a tug on her shapely Lekku. She pinched her cheek playfully and sent her off.

The twi’lek caught up to the armored hunter and took note of the change of pace, saying nothing. She looked about and swatted at a bug before realizing she’d forgotten her holsters and weapons.

"what sort a' business do you have?" She asked, taming her accent for clarity.

 

[T.J]

Ares turned his head ot look back towards his daughter, he was silent for several minutes as he thought of a delicate way to explain himself.

" Well uhhm....You see.... Daddy's been tracking someone for a couple weeks, and now......Hes gonna go kill him right now." Ares said sounding somewhat pained in saying it. He didnt like exposing his daughter to his work. Inside he thought that it might make her think less of him, like he was nothing more than a cold blooded killer.

" Hes a very bad man Ashes, he needs to be put down." Ares tried to explain his actions.

The rest of the trip was quiet, Ares couldnt think of anything else to add, and didnt feel he needed to. The two came to a cantina, not to far from one of the many enterances back up to the upper city of Coruscant. Ares stood outside for a moment.

" You can stay out here if you want sweetie. But I need to go in there and do my job....Take this blaster just in case." He had noticed that Ashes had forgotten her weapons, not a very smart thing to do but he knew she was still learning.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Ashes rubbed her upper arm feeling underestimated. Ares spoke to her like she was a child and she somehow felt like she had earned the perception. Though she loved him dearly she could never imagine herself in the line of work he so thoroughly enjoyed. Taking the blaster from his hand she thanked him and waited patiently outside.

After several minutes she wondered into the cantina and scanned her surroundings for the bounty hunter. She took a seat at the counter to wait when a pushy server asked for her order.

“Uhh….” she scratched the back of her head and looked around again hoping to catch a glimpse of her father.

“Mais… Somethin’ sweet?” she answered as more of a question then anything.

“Well aren’t you the cutest thing this side of the galaxy.” A voice beckoned. The Twi’lek turned her tailed head and locked eyes with an older human.

High cheek bones and a brow of delicate, distinguished wrinkles ran over tan skin and greased back graying hair. He smiled at her with his clean shaven cheeks narrowing his eyes.

“I love your accent.” he purred. “Have you spent time near the night lands?”

Ashes sunk into her seat and hid behind the meal that was placed before her.

“I was born jus’ near….”she admitted shyly.

“I thought so.” said the human as he took a drink from a glass before him.

“I can tell by your color. “ he leaned closer and she brought up her drink like a shield to separate them.

His eyes roamed down and his expression lightened when he caught a glimpse of her blaster.

“You know how to use that?” he asked.

She peeked from her cover and nodded.

“All my life.” She looked around cautiously and ventured to introduce herself.

“I’m Ashes.”

“Ashes…Hmm. You’re not exactly the sort of twi’lek I meet normally.” the human replied.

“Thank you.” said Ashes. She took a bite of her food and placed back her utensil with displeasure.

The man looked up and summoned a waiter.

“Take it back and bring some fungus ale.” he ordered

The twi’lek was taken a back.

“I own the place, allow me.” her new companion said graciously.

 

[T.J]

A blaster shot disrupted Ashes and the strangers conversation. Mid cantina, Ares stood over a body with a smoking hole in its chest. He quickly holstered his blaster pistol, looking around to see if anyone else had drawn their weapons. Seeing that none had, he started walking over to the cantina's bar, but stopped mid-step when he saw a older man practically drooling over his daughter.

Instinctivly, Ares's left hand went for a blaster pistol. But he stayed his hand, this man just needed to be roughed up. Ares had completed his work for the day, even if the man made the hunters head buzz he would have to wait for his judgement. His steps increased in speed as he got to the bar, grabbing the man by the shoulder and spinning him around. Simotaniously sending a punch towards the mans face with his cybernetic arm.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

Ashes jumped at the blast but was not shocked to See Ares as its source.

The human reacted by immediately pulling the girl to him with his fore arm hooked around her neck as he whispered into her ear:

“If you really are good with a blaster try-outs are tonight at 1- We’re hiring.”

He placed a small sphere in her hand and released the twi’lek just in time to spit out teeth when Ares fist met his face.

Ashes pulled up her legs as he hit the floor.

“D-daddy!” She exclaimed.

 

[T.J]

Are kicked the man in the ribs while he was down for good measure, before looking up to his distraught daughter.

" This is a really bad place to pick up men Ashes. " Ares said with a slightly annoyed voice.

" Alot of bad men and the scum of this rock like to frequent here. It would kill me to see you taken by one of them." The hunter looked back down at the man still on the floor.

" Much like this kriffing scum here! " Another kick to the ribs sounded as Ares spoke. He took a step back from the man, woh was now writhing on the ground in pain. Ares pointed to the door while staring at Ashes, words need not be spoken to explain himself.

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

The Human lay in the fetal position hugging one of the chair legs.

“He’s right…” He coughed, his nose producing a steady stream of blood and his eye swelling shut.


‘We were jus' talking’ Was what the twi’lek was about to say but she thought otherwise, stepping over the crimpled body on the floor and follow Ares lead.

She opened her palm when her back was turned and examined the strange new gift: A black marble with a white burst like a dying star inside. She tucked it away and left.

 

[T.J]

Ares was quiet for a long time as he and his daughter walked. He knew exactly what he wanted to tell the young tw'lek, Ares just really didnt want to lecture the girl while he was trying to make her feel better.

" Yah know Ashi....." He said as he stopped and turned to face Ashes.

" You dont have to take that from men like that guy....I didnt teach you that hand-to-hand training for nothing did I? What was he talking to you about anyway?"

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

“Ryloth…” Ashes replied singularly with a dreamy note. It wasn’t often she interacted with people from her home unless one of her parents was threatening them- this time ended up being no different but even so it had started on a friendly note.

“I don’t think he was to bad…wasn’t gonna’ hurt me. He was nice.” she added, looking up into Ares’ helmet with all the comfort his face provided. The two were nearly interchangeable for her.

“He said he owned the cantina- maybe you shouldn’t have ….” She trailed off implying they might not be welcome at the establishment any longer

 

[T.J]

" Ashes...." Ares said as he put a hand on his daughters shoulder.

" Thats usually how all of them appear at first. But before you know it your hogtied in the back of a speeder going to god knows where..."

The aging hunter looked back towards the cantina's direction, a face of slight distaste came across his face, though his daughter would be unable to see it. That particular cantina was not one he frequented, so not being able to go there again wasnt a very big consequence. He thougt it odd that Ashes even cared f they ever went back to it.

" Why does it bother you if we cant go back? You hate cantinas."

 

[Thecomicbookbroad]

“It don’!- ....It doesn’t…” She held back the slur of her brogue. She did hate cantinas- the whole ambiance made her ill at ease, but the man’s invitation tugged at her collar.

“I just think maybe - what if they won’t let you in and you have a case that goes inside?” she posed.

 

[T.J]

Ares was taken slight aback by Ashes outburst, but let it slide. He had a feeling something was up, but didnt really want to press tha matter further at the time.

" They dont have enough men in there to keep me from going in." Ares said as he laughed.

" Your old pops might not be a spring chiken anymore, but I still got some pep in my step.... Now lets get going....I have a couple other places I wanted to visit before we head back." The hunter then turned and started walking again, this time towards enterance ways leading slightly deeper into the undercity.

The destination he had in mind was a club, one of the more adult orientated variety. He wasnt going to partake by any means, but sometimes he needed to deal with filth to hunt the scum. There would be an informant waiting for him outside said club.