Where Stardust Gathers
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Zeltros—Juniper's eyes rolled back in a mix of ecstasy and that faint, irritating feeling like she had to sneeze as she took the quick bump of glitterstim from the end of her pinky nail. It was a pick-me-up while she waited out her newest contact. Since the Suns had gone belly up, the Mid Rim to Wild Space had all become a hunting ground. Survivors from every faction wanted to collect on the downfall of the others, and they were picking each other off left and right.
Juniper wasn't interested in becoming a statistic, so she chose to tail it out of there, head toward the Core, and take advantage of the Alliance falling apart.
It wasn't long until she would be leaving the planet, only stopping to refuel and re-up for the long ride ahead. It was exciting to imagine leaving all of this behind, the Hutts, the Suns, the damned Imperials. Wild Space could burn for all she cared.
She would be an Inner Rim darling, living lavish on Coruscant or sipping sparkling wine on Carratos. Or so she thought.
It wasn't long until she felt herself getting parched. Glitterstim had a habit of doing that. That's when Juniper decided to stop in a small cantina for a drink.
She swiftly entered the establishment and took a booth toward the back. She may have been out of Wild Space, but she was still being hunted, and Zeltros sat on the edge of Mandalorian space, so it wasn't as easy to disappear here.
Juniper ordered a drink quickly and quietly, keeping herself and her hidden weapons covered by the cape attached to her bodysuit. The Sorceress was an easy catch if you got a good look at her, and she was too close to freedom to risk it.
The serving droid came back quickly with her drink, three fingers of warm whiskey, and set it in front of her. Juniper brought the glass to her painted lips and took her first sip. It was warm with just enough sweetness to pass. Whatever swill they were pedaling here, it would do.
For the first time since landing on Zeltros, Juniper felt her shoulders lower slightly, a mistake she would come to regret.
"You're one of them Suns, ain't ya lady?" A shrill voice broke her peace and quiet as Juniper blinked herself back to reality and the man in front of her. He was a rather unfortunate-looking man, mid to late forties, seen more battles than sleep, with a foul odor that hit you before his handshake ever could.
Juniper couldn't help but be visibly repulsed by him.
"You was working with them, you're worth some money ya know?" He snorted at his own words, a grotesque attempt at a laugh. "I think I'm gonna go turn you in to me boss. He'll have to give me a cut of tha profits!"
The type of man who approached a dangerous woman like she was harmless never failed to amaze her. He really believed Juniper would let him get away with it.
Juniper wanted to electrocute him right then and there, or use her Pathbreaker to smash his jaw into his knees, but there were too many eyes.
"Now, why would you go and do that?" Juniper's voice was quiet at first, playing into his foolishness, letting him believe he had the upper hand. "I'm sure we can come to an understanding?" Her tone lifted just enough, feeding into the innocent ignorance he expected.
"No, Boss'll kill me if I let you go, you're worth somethin to them Imps." He then did something Juniper hadn't expected, reaching for a com-link in his pocket. He brought it to his lips, ready to give away her location.
"Ah, kark it." She closed her eyes and took a breath, exhaling her irritation at not even getting to finish her drink before she stood, towering over the scum mid-sentence. She looked him dead in the eyes as her extendable staff dropped into her hand and snapped out, the tip bursting through his jaw and breaking it instantly.
He fell to the floor screaming, clutching at his face as people around them began to stir, some rising, some reaching for blasters to see what was happening. On the ground, the com-link rang out, "Zalth, are you there? Where are you? Where is the bounty?"
Well shit, that was about the worst thing to break the silence.
In a room full of addicts and mercenaries, the word bounty might as well have been another bag, another hit, another meal, and Juniper was nothing more than a credit chit to them now.
"Well fu-" Her words were cut short by a solid punch from her flank. It was hard enough to knock the thought from her head and leave her ringing. She shook it off quickly, leaving drops of blood on her outfit as she backpedaled, putting space between herself and the rest of the cantina.
"Isn't Zeltros under Mandalorian control now?" She called out as she drew on the Force, dazzling pink lightning coming alive around her body, trailing up her staff and arcing toward the nearby tables. It wasn't meant to kill, just enough to make them hesitate.
"I have some information, worth more than my bounty I'm sure of it. I want to parlay."
She turned on her heel, using her staff to crack across the face of someone trying to sneak her, his eye socket giving instantly.
"Tell the Mandalorians I want to parlay, or I will take this whole block out with me." Her eyes flashed white, almost purple as the lightning intensified, building toward something unstable.
It was reaching a head now, and the chaotic nature of her magick was about to show itself.
Sidonia
