An Unlucky Encounter

[Verz Horak]

Corellia​

Core Worlds​

City Of Treyna​

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Verz sat in a bar in the seedier part of town, which wasn't unusual for him. He was waiting for a contact about a bounty mission. While he was drinking, he looked at any and all possible exits, just to be safe. Sometimes contacts wound up being people with a grudge against you for whatever reason. He smiled into his drink as he remembered the last such encounter. Something about the fellow's sister. His blood red armor looked almost brownish-black in the low light of the bar, while his helmet sat next to his drink. He waited for about a half hour, and was about to leave when the contact sat down next to him and uttered the code phrase. Verz nodded, and his contact- a Weequay- handed him a data chip. He took it and his helmet, put down a tip and left the establishment.

He walked to his ship, a Firespray-31 namedThe Guantlet and greeted his R3 droid. He activated a computer console and placed the data chip in a slot on the side. A holo image of the target, a human female named Sandis, had a considerable bounty, wanted dead or alive by Lorka the Hutt. She looked like she was harmless, but he had a few scars that "harmless" females were responsible for. He loaded the data to his helmet and grabbed his three favorite weapons. A Verpine shattergun left to him by his father, a slugscatterer (shotgun) handed down by his family, and his blaster rifle. He also grabbed some concussion grenades and flash bangs. Never could be too careful. The informant said she would be in the city tonight.

 

[Sandis Veeran]

Sandis had always loved the, "Big City." She was fascinated by the bustling crowds and enormous buildings that pierced the sky with their great size.
On this particular occasion, she had traveled to Corellia purely on Jedi business, but with her business concluded and the next ship for Coruscant leaving in the morning, she decided she might hit the town with the few credits she had.
Suddenly, her stroll came to a dead end; she'd reached the spaceport, where a few ships were docked. One stood out among the rest; a Firespray-31. "Odd," she said to herself before turning around and heading back down the street. In the corner of her eye, however, she thought she saw a red armored figure, but when she looked back the figure was gone. She gripped her lightsaber. "I've got a bad feeling about this," she said quietly, pulling her hood up.

 

[Verz Horak]

Verz watched his target, spotting a lightsaber hilt. ​Shabla! He thought to himself. He had no choice but to pursue her. But doing so could turn the Jedi, and the Republic, against Mandalore. He debated with himself for a moment, then decided to follow. He had taken the contract. He had no choice. He watched his target leave the spaceport, then followed her into the city, but not before donning a cloak that hid his crimson armor from view.

 

[Sandis Veeran]

As Sandis strolled through the city, she could not shake the foreboding feeling that someone-or something-was watching her, but whenever she turned around, she saw nothing.
She happened upon a stall selling an odd creature, a Kowakian monkey lizard by the looks of it. "Is that legal, selling these?" She could not understand the reply of the shopkeeper, but his nervous hands, clasped tightly, made her assume no. She stepped away from the stall. They'd probably be too expensive for me, anyways.
The foreboding feeling hit her again, and she once more turned around to see if anything was behind her. This time, the crowd was separated just enough in just the right way for her to see a cloaked figure. She could not see his face under the hood, but she definitely knew he was looking at her.

 

[Verz Horak]

Verz spotted his target walking past an animal smuggler like it was nothing. Impressive. He expected herto try to arrest the man, like a "Guardian of the Republic" would. Alas, no. However, the crowd had parted a bit, and he saw her look at him. Could she tell who he was? Could she sense who he was? Hopefully not, as his source said she was a Padawan. He simply moved out of sight, and found a new angle to follow her from.

 

[Sandis Veeran]

The hooded man moved out of sight before Sandis could get a very good glimpse at him, but now she knew her suspicions were correct. She continued down the street, urgently pushing past the throng of people. She tensed, bracing herself for a fight. She had a death grip on her lightsaber, now fully in her hand instead of hanging from her belt.

 

[Verz Horak]

Verz had found another angle to stalk his target from. He saw his target had a lightsaber hilt out. Bad idea. He was used to fighting siit and felt he could handle a jetti Padawan. He had a grip on his Verpine, but unlike her, didn't show it. He simply was another passerby in a big city. Nothing new. He kept sight of her, his helmet's night vision mode engaging when the sun set. He walked briskly, waiting for the right moment to attack.

 

[Sandis Veeran]

The sun set, and Sandis breathed deeply. As much as she loved the big city, she realized how stupid it would be to remain in the open, at night, with someone following her. She pulled a holo-projector out of her belt, and opened a small map of the city, then picked the longest, most zig-zag route from where she was to her destination, a small hotel by the Spaceport. Putting the holo-projector away, she turned down into the alley to her right, with one last look over her shoulder.

 

[Verz Horak]

He had to admit, his target was tricky and resourseful. He respected that. But, she was a target, and she needed to be captured. He followed, the suit of beskar protecting him from the chill of the city. He grinned as they approched her hotel. A closed in area would be perfect for a fight. He moved his hand to a credit chip, ready to bribe the hotel management into giving him her room key.

 

[Sandis Veeran]

Sandis stopped dead just before entering the hotel. The foreboding feeling was back; her follower was still there, she could feel it. Is that the Force, or a gut feeling? She pushed the thoughts aside, analyzing the situation. If I go in there and I get caught in a fight, I'm dead. She looked over her shoulder, seeing the cloaked figure, standing there, staring at her, studying her. With only one option besides enter the Hotel, Sandis sprinted down the street, heading West.

 

[Verz Horak]

His target ran down the western street. She was fast, but he was a trained soldier. Even with his beskar, he was bound to catch her. He had a lot of endurance. She wouldn't last long running, then having to fight. He decided to do her a kindness, seeing as she didn't have to die for him to get the bounty. He called out to her in a gravelly voice.

"No need to run ​ad. I only need to aska few questions."

 

[Sandis Veeran]

Sandis sprinted even faster, hearing the voice of her pursuer. Gently tapping into the Force, she reached into the minds of the crowd around her and gave them a subtle thought; I should get out of the way. Her path cleared quickly and Sandis turned onto a set of stairs, leading to a tram station, but not before knocking down a stall to slow down her pursuer. Purely as a warning, she activated her green lightsaber, hoping it might scare away her pursuer.

 

[Verz Horak]

Verz sprinted after his target when she ran, the crowd parted conveniently for him, and he ran to a train station. He vaulted over the stall she pylled down, and caught up the lightsaber wielder. He stopped, only the faintest of deep breaths coming from him. He was not winded in the slightest. He put his hands up and spoke in a calm, convincing voice he had perfected over years of swindling patrons inthe barhe worked in asa teenager, barely earning enough to get fuel to fly off of that mudball of a world.

"Now now, ad, ​​like I said before, I just need to talk to you."

 

[Sandis Veeran]

Sandis stopped slowly. She was gasping for air in heavy breaths. She looked at her pursuer. His hands were raised. His voice was calm. And he appeared to be breathing normally. He ran the same speed as me, if not faster. This guy has had training. Why am I stopping? Sandis, however, her curiosity overwhelming remained where she was, lightsaber still in hand, ready to deflect anything he tried to do. "What...what about?"

 

[Verz Horak]

He smiled under his helmet. Those blasted years of near servitude paid off. He spoke in the same voice born of that need for food and credits.

"Just some things about an individual who would like to speak with you."

 

[Sandis Veeran]

The light of the station revealed a little under his cloak's hood; he wore a helmet. Sandis was not close enough yet to see other than it was red and it was definitely not a face. She remained fixed in her place, stiff as a tree. "What individual?" In the corner of her eye, Sandis noticed that the tram was approaching. A possible escape point?

 

[Verz Horak]

He spoke once more in his convincing voice, trying to win her over without a fight. He didn't want a lower pay because of "damaged goods".

"It isn't safe to say here. He has many enemies, but he considers you a friend."

 

[Sandis Veeran]

Sandis, now breathing normally again, steeled herself. The tram stopped and let its passengers off. "Well, you should be sure to tell him," said Sandis, reaching out with the Force to the control panel of the tram, "That he should hire better thugs." Then, using the Force, she pushed down the throttle of the tram, shut the doors, and leaped onto the top as it blasted full speed out of the station.

 

[Verz Horak]

Verz laughed into the wind from the tram. This one was smart, and he enjoyed hunts like this. Credits could buy anything, he mused, as he activated his comm. He called Sandis's personal comm, the one she had with her. He dialed her number, waiting for her to pick up as he traced the route of the trams.

"Now now, what was that for? Scared of a Mando'ad? You only need to fear me if you do not cooperate."

 

[Sandis Veeran]

"Sorry, the last time I went on a blind date, I ended up a Jedi a few months after," Sandis quipped as she tossed her communicator away. If he can hack into a Jedi comm, then this guy has quite a few tricks up his sleeve. Can't be too careful.