Private Butting Heads over Bounties

[Bohatei Chorva]

// Location: Corellia, Coronet.
// Participants: Saff

Rurfenn Fis is a freelance droid engineer. He spends his time tinkering with both programming and mechanical features of various machines, primarily the ones made by Industrial Automaton. He is particularly familiar with the C1 series of astromech droid, practically having memorized the entire design layout of the machine within his substantially large brain. Being a Cerean, he had a natural talent when it came to his focus and skill with building these machines for the highest bidder.

A skill that had naturally come back to bite him, with a bounty sitting atop his head after a job gone bad. Provided he comes back alive, of course.

Standing within the small workshop he called home, Rurfenn was elbow deep in the guts of his favorite model of astromech. A screen to his left flickers with diagnostical data, pulling logs from the droid's memory banks as he troubleshot the left 'leg' of the machine which had begun to have issues keeping up with the other. Various parts and tools litters his workbench, ranging from screws to plating to circuits.

Further down the street, a Zabrak tightened the sash he wore across his chest against the chilly morning air. Exhaling a thin mist, Bohatei would pull his datapad from a pocket and look further down the street until he saw the sign for the establishment in question. He had gotten a serial number from a certain droid that had been repaired here, and decided to do a little digging of his own. Stuffing his device into his jacket and returning his hands to his pockets, he begins making his way down towards the small building.

If only he knew how long today was going to be...

 

[Saff]

A floating man's head rotated around atop her small projector. The bounty disk telling her only enough to get her to the planet, but barely enough to do more than that. She had to take a detour through the local bazaar to find good droid merchants, and then from there she had to survey a dozen of them to find the best mechanics. None of them had sent her to her target, but many sent her to other safe mechanics. THey then sent her after their lost colleague who many regarded as their best, some with derision, others with respect.

The crux of her search was a small home at the edge of a suburb with taller buildings shrouding it in the dark shadows they cast. She'd been told a workshop was housed within and most of the higher paying, and more secretive clients frequented it. She had no doubt someone was hiding out here with their business, but whether it was her target or not was another matter entirely. With a huff, the enormous human woman strode down the street, billowing peach-toned hair in a long tail behind her. Through the morning chill she approached the front door and gave it one sharp knock.

"Fis!" She shouted, hand on one hip.

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

As Bohatei stepped through the doorway, a bell just above the door jingled with a sound that caused the Cerean to look up from his work. Pale blue eyes meet Bohatei's own emerald coloured orbs. Moving his hands out from the stout interior of the droid, his gravelly tone filled the air as he spoke.

"Mornin'. And what can I do for you, stranger?"

Bohatei's hairless brow furrowed slightly, taking a small tag from his breast pocket as he approached the table and placed it down for the man to expect. "Does the number 'C1H3, Model 10034692J' mean anything to you?" Even saying the name of the machine that had crippled his home made the Zabrak's blood boil. He had everything going well, but had effectively lost everything he had worked for at the hands of that droid.

"It does." Rurfenn answered honestly, crossing his arms. "One of their new recruits, I take it?"

"Nope. But I'm glad you said so. You're coming with-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, a single ringing knock interrupted them both.

"Fis!"

"Ah, piss.." Bohatei grumbled, both him and the Cerean looking towards the doorway and noticing an imposing figure through the stained transparisteel door. "We're goin' out the back. Going to have a couple words and I'll let you talk to your client." Without much of an option, the Zabrak laid his hand on the table and moved around the front desk.

Rurfenn began carefully retreating as the Zabrak got closer, both of their silhouettes visible in the doorway.

Bohatei's plan was working well so far, except for one problem...

The door was unlocked.

 

[Saff]

For a moment she waited - he could have been indisposed of after all. And there was every chance that he had dangerous work to finish or another of his secretive clients. But then she saw the shadows through the window, they were rather happily moving away from the door, with attention locked cautiously between them. With a sigh, she took a few steps back from the door, and looked it over, searching for the wires of bombs or the signs of shock traps. Nothing.

With a nod, she approached the door, ready to throw herself through it, yet as she strode forth, she heard the door click, ready to hiss open.

"You left it unlocked?" She said aloud, the incredulity thick in her voice. Though, she didn't let it hang long before she put a hand to the side of the entrance and with a nudge of the force, peeled it open. Therein stood her target, the enlarged head telling her everything she needed. Though, she did not recall any word of a Zabrak being passed to her when she reconnoitered the job.

"This supposed to be a party?" She mused aloud, a grin splitting her lips.

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

"Look, I dunno what yer' lookin' for outta me. They send people in, I dunno where they are set up!" The Cerean huffed back at Bohatei, the two of them inching closer towards the door. He didn't buy the engineer's story for a second, whether that was due to distrust or stubbornness was another question entirely. Wearing open hostility on his expression, an idle hand thumbed the interior of his jacket.

There is a ripple in Bohatei's limited vision of the Force, the squeak of the door and a ringing of the same bell filling the air as his gaze snapped around towards the source of the noise.

'Holy shit that is a giant lady.' Blinking twice, Bohatei narrowed his emerald orbs. "That depends, you one of his customers? If so, I've got some questions for- Argh!" Not one to waste opportunity, the Cerean had taken Saff's entrance and distraction of the young man to shove him. The Zabrak was sent sprawling, having not expected neither the shove nor strength that Rurfenn possessed.

Someone is not very good at asking questions.

The Cerean breaks into a sprint backwards, throwing the fabric that shrouded his workshop's doorway with a fwump of colourful cloth to try and escape.

"Gah- You shitter!" Scrambling back to his feet, Bohatei would run into the cloth after the Cerean. "Get back here! I ain't through with you!"

 

[Saff]

It was almost commical to watch the flight take place. The shouts, the taunts, the tossed fabric and the pushed Zabrak. It made for quite the display of entertainment, but whatever fun she felt there was to be found int he moment, she dismissed as she pulled a saber from her hip with the force and in a slah that ignited the blade midswing, the fabric sheared in half before she strode through the workshop, following after the Cerean. In transit, she glanced to the younger Zabrak, her lone eye twitching with the raising of a brow.

He wasn't her concern though and she continued on, breaking into a jog with heavy footfalls as her hunkering frame, bolstered by the force, glided across the floor, lightsaber blade extinguishing as she rounded the door.

Strange damn day, she thought as she moved. Two hunters on the same case at the same time wasn't new, but it sure was rare.

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

Throwing the cloth to his side as he stepped into the second room of the workshop, Bohatei's vision was plunged into darkness. The room's windows had all been tinted over, and the lights were only operable remotely. Focusing on his own inner glow, the Zabrak tried to find the Cerean's own warmth through the Force. It was the only skill he had learned, given through a previous teacher who had long since left him. It allowed for him to sense other lifeforms, among other things he had yet to understand. Even if his effective range with the ability was atrocious.

Then his focus was interrupted by thundering footsteps and a menacing crack, hissing into a violet hue that seared and sliced straight through the cloth in the doorway. The light from the main room shone in alongside her, revealing the messy interior. Droid parts litter the room, ranging from half complete frames to numerous obscure components from long defunct manufacturers.

And a certain Cerean individual, huddled into the corner with a blaster rifle.

"Stay back! I'll shoot your eye out!" Rurfenn barked, the weapon pointed towards the greater threat between the two hunters. Namely the six and a half foot, peachy haired lightsaber wielder.

Saff's piqued eyebrow was repeated in kind, Bohatei's blonde brow quirking up back at her for a moment before facing Rurfenn again.

"Look, I just wanna know where those people come from. If you can tell us that much, me and our associate here will go. Just put the blaster down, and we can talk it out. Nobody needs to get shot." Bohatei took the first shot, being a total lie. He had no idea who this other stranger was and what she wanted.

He only hoped she would play along.

 

[Saff]

A smirk greeted the Zabrak's call. She'd play along, if only to see just what the hell she was dealing with. Why was there some upstart hunter on the same grind as she? It was coincidental enough to be chance and harmless, but largely she found herself wondering - what had this droid mechanic done to incite such a furious chase?

"If i were worried about losing an eye, i'd have done a better job of protecting the first..." she tapped at her eye-patch with a wry grin before glancing to the smaller man, "but if you think yourself a crack shot, by all means try to take one of us out, i'm sure you can get us both in time." She didn't suspect that the younger man was anything to worry over, but she knew there was no chance the Cerean hit her. She had already gathered the force within herself, and the influx was demanding a release. Her main target being the blaster leveled at them. One small push was all she needed to snatch it, crush it or blast it back into the mechanic's own face.

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

Bohatei eyed off the blaster in the man's grasp, his green eyes focusing into pins on the weapon. The force runs on his mind, sharpening his already alert senses even further. Unlike his much taller ally's more confident and relaxed posture when faced with the weapon, the Zabrak was on edge. There was a good couple meters space between him and the Cerean, making his approach difficult.

"Don't get cocky, ma'am. Could hit your eye out from a hundred yards!" Rurfenn spat back. There was a trophy plated in a golden colour not too far from the doorway. The cup was in the shape of a blaster pistol, it's surface freshly polished and dusted. The Cerean was proud of his accomplishments, and it showed.

But the date on the plaque was years ago. He was not as spry as he once was. Adrenaline shakes his muscles like a live wire, and his breathing quickens noticeably as he tried to focus.

Bohatei would duck and break into a run, moving left as he stepped forward. When the Cerean swung his rifle, he accounted for the Zabrak's motion forward. A bolt of blue cuts through the air, rushing by the smaller man and hitting the wall. He had overshot his adjustment, aiming for where the man was.

Putting his hand under the rifle, Bohatei moved up and pushed the weapon with him, wrestling the rifle out of Rurfenn's grasp and freeing it with a kick to his gut.

The Cerean hit the wall first, any air in his lungs knocked out by the impact as he slid down with a groan. Aiming the sights of the blaster towards the Cerean, Bohatei adjusted his aim slightly and held the weapon with a white-knuckled grip.

"Lemme ask this again - Where did the folk who buy from you come from?" The Zabrak spoke slower this time, the two of them staring at eachother intensely. Silence hangs on the air for a time, before the Cerean would eventually speak up.

"Look son, I dunno what you and your pal were lookin' for, comin' after me like that. Why would I know where my clients live?"

The both of them stare at eachother, the air tense.

 

[Saff]

Saffron took a moment after the blaster's distinct scent of burnt carbon faded, to look back out onto the main shop floor. No one seemed to be in, nor sneaking about, so she then stepped to the doorway and leaned into it, tree-trunk arms folding.

"Look my friend, you better listen to the guy pinning you to a wall. Bounties don't need to be returned alive necessarily," she said with a slight hum. The situation seemingly under the Zabrak's control. Though she at least now had some more time to assess the man, and the glimpse she had was of a desperate kid rather than an elite bounty hunter. Perhaps he was both, perhaps neither.

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

With the bounty hunter's imposing visage in the doorway, what little light that seeped in from outside had become that much lesser. The room darkened, leaving only a small amount of light from around Saff's figure and from what little glow the few devices around the workshop had. There is a computer terminal in the corner, it's screen empty save a small toolbar down the bottom. Rurfenn's gaze slipped between the two of them, before looking at his computer.

Saff's almost musical tone in her threat causes his eyes to widen, and breath to quicken slightly. "Wait. Bounty? Since when? I just supply droids!" He protested, the motion of a blaster rifle cutting the Cerean off as the weapon clicked ominously. "Right. Right. Look, I can't tell you where they are." Rurfenn took a deep breath, steeling his nerves and speaking before the Zabrak could spit out another threat. "But! I can help you. I coded the encryption method used in their navicomputers. If you have the droid or it's data, I can decrypt it!"

Bohatei's lips furrow in thought for a moment, thinking to himself. Eventually, the barrel of the rifle is lowered. In it's place, the Zabrak instead offered a small rectangular device. "Here. I backed up most of it's storage into this drive. Decrypt it, and I'll let you go."

Of course, he said nothing on Saff's behalf. A sly grin is given her way, trying to convey his mischievous intent.

Taking the device from his hands, Rurfenn would shakily stand and walk over to his computer. Bohatei would remain not too far behind, blaster rifle in hand. The tactile click of keys fills the air as he worked, his screen humming to life as the Cerean plugged the drive into his terminal. Several menus are opened, a long list of files with nonsensical names and indecipherable imagery. Over the next few minutes, they would change to a map of a wide sector of the Middle Rim. All along the area was different waypoints and navigational data. Including a couple which just happened to be along around where he was attacked.

Bohatei finally had a lead.

Unplugging the drive and handing it back to the Zabrak, Rufenn would speak up. "There. You didn't get this from me, alright? Are we clear?"

Bohatei looked to the titan of a woman in the doorway.

"No idea, is he?"

 

[Saff]

The light billowed into the room in a simple ray as she stepped aside and slowly but surely walked up to the Cerean bounty. She looked him over with a grin, the one a predator might have, the type a hunter hand when it spotted its prey. She had the thought of a rancor overlooking a womp rat, such a cataclysmic difference in strength between them. it was a very non-jedi thought process, but then again, at which point was she claiming to be one?

"Tell me. if you don't know why there is a bounty on you, perhaps think a little harder. What might you have done?" She continued, voice lyrical and honey-sweet.

As he squirmed under the consideration, she dropped down to a squat, arms leaning on her knees, "if you don't know. it matters little to me."

He seemed ready for a moment to respond, at least until she'd spoken and she watched him gulp the words away, the only method available to him to dispose of the thoughts. Grinning, she looked bac to the younger hunter, "do you need any more from him?"

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

Bohatei watches the exchange from the counter he had taken the Cerean, leaning against it's surface as he plugged the drive into his datapad. The device would show an extensive map, a list of coordinates and brief summaries following soon after. Some of the summaries seemed to just be descriptions, and others complete jargon he had no idea of. He'd need to read into them more before the Zabrak could understand what they meant.

Just what was 'great broads' supposed to mean?

Looking up from his device as an almost mockingly upbeat tone filled the air, Bohatei would glance between the bounty and it's hunter. Even from his own point of view, the sheer imposing stature and size of the woman made the Zabrak wonder just what kind of insane regimen that she must put herself through.

Her smirk was met with a shake of the head and a smile of his own. "Nah, got all that I need." He replied, a brief glance following to the hilt upon the strangers belt. "Y'know, I didn't think I'd be seein' a Jedi bounty hunter. Thought they would'a paid you folks better. Unless ya' killed one for that fancy-pants blade of yours." He commented, tipping his device toward the all-too iconic weapon.

"But nah, you can take 'im."

 

[Saff]

Returning a sly grin, she shook her head, "no, no. Hardly a jedi myself, technically was never inducted into any school nor did i swear to any oath. I'm a rogue, only sabers i had to fight for is the one hanging in my ship." There was a smile still painted to her face, but the memories scratched at the corners of her mind, demanding to be let out. Enough time had given her the ability to keep ignoring them, however, and she stood, raising a hand to the Cerean before flipping her hand up and a small bolt of energy shot from it into the Cerean. It left no mark, but he flopped to the ground, unconscious. The taser built into her wrist doing its job well.

"I am however the type to let no question go freely answered. Tell me, what's your deal?" She asked, finally free of the ruse as she stood, towering in the corner of the room, where the shadows cast an imposing disposition over her. The only clearly visible part of her remained her eyes, glowing a deep, crimson red.

She didn't particularly wait for the answer before she hoisted up the Cerean over her shoulder, she more or less expected her strange aide to simply follow.

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

"Huh." Bohatei remarked, eyes widening slightly before relaxing again. His datapad and drive would be slid into his jacket, tucking the pocket closed. Now free, his idle hands would come to rest folded upon his chest as he watched her. Having only really known about the Jedi had left him especially ignorant of any other orders, much less any rogue ones. "Mighty impressive skills for someone without a master, then."

The sudden arc of energy sizzling through the air made the Zabrak jump slightly, having expected for her to knock him in the back of the head or something. Either way, their mark was unconscious and without even breaking stride set upon her back.

Hopping off the counter, his bright emerald gaze would meet the woman's own orbs before going to follow them. Was it a wise decision? Probably not. Did he have much else planned? Nope. Besides, he always wondered how bounty hunting worked. And considering where these various different coordinates could lead, it might be useful to know how to do it in case he gets the chance to.

"My deal is that our mutual friend there sold droids to a group of pirates that ransacked my ship, which was also my home. Outta business and a place to live, figured I'd give 'em trouble for it." He explained. "Course, seems that lil' astromech had more than just base coordinates. So I'll be goin' through those for the next while."

"I'm Bohatei. Nice t'meet you, miss...?" His eyes turn to face her, asking for a name.

 

[Saff]

Stepping up to the much smaller man, she offered a warm grin and an extended hand, her other busy keeping her mark over her shoulder.

"Name's Saffron," she replied, "and don't get confused, I had a master, but suffice it to say the relationship grew unnecessary over time." She wore her smile well as more memories clattered against her mind's barrier. She wouldn't let herself recall the faces or the blood, she only allowed herself to be reminded that it did indeed happen.

Never again.

Luckily she had something else entirely to distract herself with. The man before her seemed intriguing so far, "tell me Bohatei, how'd you come to hunt this one down?"

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

Bohatei would clasp Saffron's hand, managing to shake the much stronger limb. Her expression is reciprocated, lips curling into a softer smile.

"Nice to meet'cha." He nodded his head, a curious look in his eye as she mused on her past. The wording seemed a little concerning, but the stalwart expression on Saffron's face seemed to convince him that she had long since moved past it. "Gotta fly the nest sometime, I suppose." He replied. There is a moment of recollection behind those eyes of his, thinking of his previous employer.

And how they just laughed off the destruction of their previous ship and business. 'Just don't name it the same thing!' they told him, cackling over the holocomm.

Looking up to Saffron as she asked about his past, he collected the small tag from the counter as they passed it and slipped out the door and into the street. "A slicer I hired helped me pick apart the droid. This tag had a serial number that matched, and she was able to eventually track the droid's place of origin to here. Been lookin' for a couple days now, actually."

"Been keepin' an eye on this guy, too. Truth be told, I didn't even know about the bounty!" Bohatei laughed softly, his expression lightening up. "Funny how things work out like that."

 

[Saff]

Saff giggled merrily, "oh you're running around fate's finger right now aren't you?" The glint of joy returning to her eye as she motioned to the door.

"First thing i would've checked was if the target of my revenge was wearing a big old target on their back," she looked to the man over her shoulder and a thought crept across her mind, "know what? how's about you come by and check the bounty office with me? Perhaps the others you're looking for just so hap[pen to be in the same boat as him," she mused, jolting the man over her shoulder once more to emphasize the point.

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

"Just been bouncin' from one place to the next, I suppose. Nothin' that fateful about it." Bohatei shrugged his shoulders lightly, a look of amusement lighting up his features as he looked up to her much more bright expression.

He would have expected someone of her stature and abilities to be more stoic, but someone so expressive was much easier to talk to. "Didn't exactly have too many details, wasn't really sure where to start with bounties. But hey, funny how that kinda thing works out huh?" The Zabrak smiled back, watching the limp Cerean's form over her shoulder at the offer. "Never been there, if I'm bein' honest." He explained. After all, he was nothing but an honest cargo runner before all of this. He had no reason to!

But now, he was on the hunt for those who had wronged him. Bohatei had plenty of reasons now.

"That sounds good to me. Lead on, Saffy." The nickname slips right off his tongue, having always had a habit of giving nicknames to others.

 

[Saff]

Proffering a grin, Saffron made her way out the door, the dark, morning mist clearing a bit as the cold faded away, giving up a hint of sunlight and warmth in the morning's beginning. She much preferred this tot he cold, though the force warmed her with ease on most days, sometimes the chill snuck in - of course her outfit didn't do much to cover her, so she could only blame herself.

"So they wronged you," she mused midstep, wondering aloud. COnversation fuelled her attention span, and walking so quietly through a town did little to ease her mind. Especially while hauling a bounty over her shoulder, "how long you been doing bounties for?" more idle conversation.