Cutting The Head

[Chekīta Kaie]

Settling down and taking a break was all nice and good but a mission was a mission and slavers didn't take a break from their underground dealings. So once again Chekita was on the move, having traveled to the heart of the Ta'jar Blood Gang operation on the Planet of Nar Shadda. Would they know she'd be coming? maybe, so far the women had taken part in two operation to rid their present on two worlds, by now the gang would know a target was pained on their back. From here on out hunting them down would be harder, even if they didn't know her identity.

It was during times like this a bounty hunter sough for help, it being better to make sure the mission is a success and half the payment then risk losing it all, or your life. To get this help Chekita sent a small anonymous tip out into the bounty filled boards that dotted the planetscape, waiting in a nearby cantina for anyone interested. The only description given to the taker in said bounty would be a women wearing a skull balaclava, not very descriptive but it wasn't as if many people around her wore that sort of stuff.

The invitation itself being quite simple, just explaining that a certain individual needed a skilled gun to help themselves get even with a local gang. Payment? a substantial amount of credits for a job well done, hopefully enough for someone to take up the job regardless of how little information was presented in the add. Would she get a skilled fighter? or some wanabe wanting a quick cash grab? either was fine, she could use them both as equally effective. The difference? the latter would probably be full of bullet holes by the end of the day.

 

[Haastal Haran]

Location: Nar Shadaa
Objective: Find Chekita Awaud
Tag: @Chekīta Awaud

The bounty board had been pretty empty these days. It seemed like people were more worried about their galactic wars then they were worried about some high-time bounties. Achilles didn't much care, it wasn't like it was going to mean much in the end. It just meant he would have to look for work in different venues. He had been spending a few days in Nar Shadaa to see if any bodyguard contracts opened up. The Hutt's were always hiring but....they were Hutts. Monetarily they paid the best but there was just something about them that made the man want to blow them to pieces.

In the end the contract he had found that interested him was one at the bottom of the board. Freshly posted he took what he could get. He'd spent most of the morning leading up to the meeting in his ship sleeping. He'd had a long night at the cantina the night before and would rather just sleep through the day. Once his alarm rang out, waking him from his slumber Achilles let out a disgruntled noise that was a mix of a groan and a growl. His hand slapped the top of the clock, threatening to break it as he rolled out of his bunk. His ship was nothing special, an old Corellian junker he had bought for peanuts the last time he was on Balmorra. Achilles ran a hand through his hair before yawning audibly and making his way to the platform. He left the ramp to his ship open so he'd have some good airflow while he slept. It wasn't the best security tactic but he was sure the blaster pistol he kept on the shelf beside his bunk would keep him safe from any would-be thieves.

After relieving himself off the edge of the platform Achilles would see to his personal hygiene and then make his way to the cantina. He wore a set of dark jeans with a grey shirt and a black leather jacket. He could have worn his combat armor but he doubted he'd need it if the information he'd gotten was correct. Nar shadaa had hundreds of small time swoop gangs and spice dealers hoping to make their mark. Contracts to take them out were a dime a dozen but few paid as much as this one should. Achilles ran his belt along his waist, adjusting the two blaster pistols and the vibroknife that sat along the thick leather belt. Scratching along his head he moved through the streets of Nar Shadaa as if he didn't have a care in the world. Honestly he didn't, there wasn't much about this world that scared him and even less that interested him. Once he finally made it to the cantina he looked around, taking in the crowd for a moment. He had a few loose bounties on his own neck, it was better to keep a keen eye when surrounded by professionals.

Achilles pulled a small pack of cigarra's from his pocket, counting them briefly before biting the tip of one to pull it from the pack. He quickly lit the tip of the tobac stick while his eyes gazed around the room. Finally they settled on a woman with black hair sitting at the bar. He let out a thick cloud of smoke as he made his way over to the woman's side. "You must be the one who posted on the bounty board." He spoke, as he sat on the stool beside the woman. In the next moment he let a thin stream of smoke spill up into the air. "I'm Achilles. I accepted your contract." He informed her, offering a wide smirk before bringing his cigarra back to his lips.

"So....What's the job?" He asked, idly scratching at his ear before letting out another thin stream of smoke.

 

[Chekīta Kaie]

The cantina was a dimly lit complex, casting a shadowy glow over the small crowd that had gathered inside the establishment. Somewhat cheesy bar music played in the background as the owner tended to some dirty glasses, probably the bi-production from the night before. Chekita herself sitting at the end of the bar, furthest away from the entrance, giving her a good view of the place and any newcomers to the room. Even if this place was her home for the last few years one could never be careful, that is how you got mugged and robbed, probably be killed as well.

Time slowly ebbed away as she awaited her hired gun, having gone through a few drinks already while waiting, around halfway through her current one as the door to the place opened, a new figure walking in. A dark sinned man with a simple get up, quite similar to her own, minute the skull scarf, certainly well build to say the least. Her gaze followed the individual as they walked over to her seating area, pulling up at the bar in an ever so casual manner, probably safe to assume he was here about the job.

"... straight to the point and a smoker, I think I like you already", she replied, putting down her drink, meeting the mans eyes. "Well [member="Achilles"] my name is Chekita as for the job, well it is a little more complicated then what the broad said, had to be a little secretive". "I wanted to keep a level of secrecy about the job, didn't want the target I have in mind to catch wind, if you know what I mean". So far she had been able to get the drop on them but now things would be more tricky and despite herself being quite the risk taker she was not that insane. "So, the job, I myself have been employed to go after the heads of the Ta'jar Blood Gang on this planet, slave traders, run all around the galaxy, from Jakku, Corellia and the Trando home world". "What I need you for it to be an extra gun to help me take these people in alive, watch my back, kill people, make sure things go smooth, do that and the money in the add it yours".

Truth be told the money was straight out of her pocket, the actual reward for taking out these guys being 5 star hotel stay back in the core worlds and all you can eat, not that this Achilles needed to know that. As far as it was concerned the money in the add was just a percentage of the final cut given to her, not that it should be of concerned, he was a merc she was a merc, they did a job they got paid, questions were secondary. "Now before we get started, what is your skill set"? She asked with a raised eyebrow, eager to know what the man specialized in.

 

[Haastal Haran]

As Chekita began to speak Achilles let out a brief snort at her comment. Most professionals had their vice wether it was in smoking or drinking, Achilles tended to lean on both sides of that fence. With a wave of his hand he ushered the bartender to their side of the bar, ordering up a shot of whiskey while he listened to the woman speak. His eyes fell over her for a brief moment while he took in her build. "Nice body." He muttered, in the middle of her sentence, yet before anything could be said about it he pinched an eye closed as a trail of smoke spilled into it. "Kark..."

"Yea, I guess keeping things on the down low are best if you're hitting a gang on Nar Shadaa. Talk gets around fast enough." He said, taking hold of the shot the bartender had brought to the bartop before him. The bartender, an older man whose hair seemed to have abandoned him eyed Achilles searchingly but the man waved a dismissive hand at him. "We'll settle." He assured him. It must have been enough for the man because he turned away from Chekita and Achilles. The raven haired woman spoke and at least seemed to know something of what she was talking about.

"Yea, about that money." He said, pinching his cigarra in between his teeth as he pulled at his waist, adjusting his belt a bit. "You didn't specify how much you'd be paying. Until I hear numbers, the talk is just talk sweetheart." He promised, finally taking his shot of whiskey down his throat. The quick rush of heat that filled his chest was a relieving feeling, even paired with the thought of this new job.

When Chekita's next question came Achilles cleared his throat, gesturing to the blaster pistols and vibroknife that hung from his wiast. "CQC specialist. Everything from closed quarters breaching to hand to hand combat. I figure if we're working in a cramped place like Nar Shadaa I could be just what you're looking for." He said, hosting an amused expression on hsi face as he glanced back over to the bartneder. Should he have another drink? Probably. He waved a hand towards his shot glass before looking back to Chekita. "You?" He asked, returning her question with equal interest.

[member="Chekīta Awaud"]

 

[Chekīta Kaie]

Nice body? that was certainly not a comment she expected to hear, herself looking at [member="Achilles"] with a slightly cocked eye brow. Was that a compliment on her toned body? or was the man concentrating on other, more prominent parts on her chest? Either was fine she didn't care as long as it didn't effect the mission to much, still she wondered how he would react to a certain bit of information that could have made such a comment awkward. "You okay? get some smoke in your eyes from staring at my body? tsk, being distracted so easily". She gave a small chuckle to let him know it was a joke, herself reaching into a side poked, taking out a cigar, lighting it herself while her potential partner got over the smoke face.

"Quite, I am surpirsed you got here as fast as you did, but I think it is safe to say my target does not know we are coming", she took a drag from her cigar while as the bartender catered to the mans needs. "The money, well the reason for being unspecific was due to the fact I didn't know who would be coming, as it stand each of the people we are going after has a 50'000 bounty on their head, I believe we are going after at least 5 people, you could easily earn up to 200'000, mainly depends on how well you do". Though considering her last job she expected there to be maybe 6-8 people present, if lucky the job could earn then easily a million, but once again she had already been paid in high class hotel stays.

She took another drag from the cigar, blowing out a large cloud of smoke, letting it hang in the air before continuing, having listened to the man describe his skill set. "So CQC expert, I am more or less the same, especially with knifes, in addition I am also a decent sharpshooter, long to mid range" herself always taking a marksmen/assault rife into any conflict zone. "What about gear? I assume you won't be wearing those casual clothes while on the job".

 

[Haastal Haran]

There was a brief chuckle that came from Achilles when he heard his new partner's response. When Chekita spoke of the job Achilles ran a hand over the rim of his glass. "I've been on the planet for a few hoping to pick up a quick contract. So when yours went up, I jumped." Finally the woman told Achilles how much they would be paid for this contract. He let out a deep, low whistle before laughing a bit. "Damn, pretty steep bounties for some small time gangs. Must be a little more to it than that." He pressed, arching a brow at the woman.

It was a bit surprising to hear that Chekita was a closed quarters combat specialist as well. Normally all the professionals that Achilles had encountered had always steered away from fighting up close, especially those who were female. Now sharpshooting was something that Achilles had no knowledge in. He actually laughed a bit before glancing over at the woman. "Took a sniping course on Balmorra. No good at long range, in fact the only thing I did manage to do was get my arm broken repelling down a karkin' mountain." When the topic moved to their equipment Achilles show a sly smile that Chekita would learn to associate with him.

"A chef can't step into the kitchen without his utensils." He raised his arms for a brief moment before nodding at her. "Yea, I got something a bit more appropriate. What about you? Hate to damage the goods." He said, gesturing to the woman's figure before burying his cigarra in the bottom of a nearby ashtray. "Alright, when are we hitting them? I'm ready when you are."

[member="Chekīta Awaud"]

 

[Chekīta Kaie]

Seemed that the old saying was true, the early bird gets the gold covered worm though perhaps luck had a little play in the matter at hand, a few seconds two late and the two may never have met. She held her cigar off to the side, letting the smoke waft in the air, the small old cantina air blowing it past her shoulder. "Well in name they are a gang, they call themselves the Ta'jar Blood Gang, but in fact the group is rather large, slavers, having holding on many planets, so yes they have pretty high bounties on their head".

In a sense she didn't lie, being born on the planet and so forth she did kind of have a thing against the slave ring, and this was not her first disco with the origination, probably just a little deadlier then usual. Her first sting operation involved taking the ring leaders in alive, her last one winding up with everyone dead, this time? eh half and half, her employer didn't really care either way. Only thing is, the more of them that live the more information they could get on their slave ring, and in turn more jobs which meant more money.

She looked at him with a 'for real' look about her face while recounting the training on one of the core worlds that now belonged in NR hands. "Really? what did you do? fall down 10 meters and slam into the wall"? He seemed like a competent man and hearing such a story was rather humors, you didn't hear that happening a lot. The subject soon changed to gear, herself hopefully that the man would be a little more descriptive with what he had on hand to use, from the word play she assumed it was some sort of duel knifes or what not.

As the comment was made on her body he eyes went lower, hands cupping her supple assets a little, "what these girls? don't worry I have decent enough armor to keep them safe". Her husband would be quite upset if they were to be damaged in any way or shape. "In addition I have some carving tools on hand as well as some suppressing side arms, don't think we will be needing any sniper rifles but a nice AR will probably come in handy". Bring her hand back up Chekita took one last drag of her cigar, throwing the butt onto the ground, snuffing out the ember with her military grade boots. "If there is nothing else to talk about we should get suited up, you bring your things with you or leave em at your ship"?

[member="Achilles"]

 

[Haastal Haran]

Achilles may have spared Chekita a few more glances than he normally would. She seemed to be a decent partner, of course only time would tell. Achilles snorted at the sound of slavers. It wasn't like the man had never taken a contract from slavers but he always noticed they had a particular attitude that he didn't like.

“Well I guess we have some heads to get then.”

Chekita asked about Achilles’ incident on Balmorra and he couldn't help but show that same sly smirk once again. “We were coming down the side of a mountain and my support line snapped. My instructor wanted me to climb back up but we were only ten meters from the last marker. Went down another four meters and my main line snapped, slammed into the ground and broke my karkin' arm.”

When Chekita's hands fell to her own assets Achilles gave off a quick laugh. “I've got a few blaster pistols and a slugthrower, not a lot of firepower but it will be enough.” He assured her. Achilles wasn't expecting too much resistance. As long as they maintained the element of surprise he had no doubt they would make quick work of this gang. When Chekita showed she was moving to business, Achilles exhaled before jerking his head back towards the Cantina entrance. “My gear is on my ship.” He brought his wrist up to check the time and nodded at the Cantina's entrance. “Meet me back here in fifteen and then we'll take care of that gang of yours.”

Achilles let out a rather wild laugh, before slapping a credit chit on the bar to settle his debt. “Damn it's been too long.” He muttered as he made his way out the Cantina. The trip back to his ship to fetch his armor was brief. Achilles quickly got himself dressed in his armor, running through a brief systems check before making his way out of his ship. As all of the indicator lights flashed to show his armor was fully functional the man stuffed two blaster pistols into the holsters on his waist. He checked the slugthrower on his back as he crossed back to the Cantina. The blue helmet he wore flashed briefly and he knew he was ready for combat.

[member="Chekīta Awaud"]

 

[Chekīta Kaie]

She didn't mind the extra stares, it was actually nice to know her female charm had not dulled since reaching 30, probably due to her fit natures an healthy life style, but still she was always praised for looking quite young. She looked towards her new hunting partner with coyer then usual smirk, "well seems like you are more then eager to go, that is a good sign, just don't go overboard... to much". It was all fun and games until someone got really hurt, then it is hilarious, but this was not stand up comedy.

Well aside from that repelling story, now that was comedy worthy, perhaps she could make it apart of some routine after all was said and done. A note for later right now she it was time for talk on weapons, "well slug throwers are always a good choice, you can silence them, they make good clean hole also I just love the recoil, makes it see so satisfying". One good advantage was that they could be silenced and when shot didn't instantly give away your location, perfect for keeping the element of surprise under check.

She gave a short nod as he explained about gearing up and meeting once again, "rightly oh, I'll have to head back to my hotel, I'll be suited up with my helmet on so look for a person wearing full body armor in a grey military like colour". Chekita gave a small wave to the man as he exited first, herself putting down a few credits for the owner, "next time don't water down the whisky, you may not be a target for me but I can make you one". Keeping up her smile she left the bar, heading in an opposite direction to get prepared for the coming mission.

The trip was quick, the women wasting no time pulling the body armor over herself, making sure each armor plate was in place and secured along with er duty belt and ammo pouches. Looking through here systems she checked the digital read out and personal shielding, next came the weapons, assault rifle, high powered revolver, and two vibro knifes for slicing peoples throats, all being synced up with the HUD. It was always good to know exactly how much ammo you had in a slug thrower and with that she was already to go, Chekta strolling back out into the Nar Shadda night, decked out and ready for war.

[member="Achilles"]

 

[Haastal Haran]

As Achilles moved through the streets he paused, rolling his neck a bit to loosen the tight muscles. A wry smile came over his lips as he realized this would be his chance to have a bit of fun. After all, Chekita could talk the talk, but could she walk the walk? Let's find out. Achilles gave a rapid set of blinks before his mental augmentations linked to his armor, giving him a more cognitive control over it's functions. He winced softly as a low whining noise pierced his mind. It was painful but a necessary part of the synchronization process. Once it ended he let out a relieved sigh. "That's a damn pain." He muttered before raising his hand and aiming it for a nearby building. His gauntlet revealed a small harpoon which almost immediately fired off towards the building, finding purchase as it breached the metallic surface.

Achilles gave a mental command as he leaped up towards the building. He swung his feet forward so they would slam right into the building's surface. His HUD began to rapidly flash as it searched for new targets moving about the street.

A low laugh came from Achilles as he adjusted himself, hanging from the building and staring down at the street below. Achilles did not move again until his HUD flashed, showing him a new being moving into proximity. He enhanced the rangefinder and gazed out at the armored being. "Grey armor, gotta be her." Achilles turned back to the building, glancing up at his harpoon before returning his sight to the street.

With no more warning Achilles detached his harpoon, falling freely for a brief moment before his feet slammed into the side of the building. His feet left a sizable dent in the building's side as he flew off towards the street. "Show time." As he bounded down towards the street, he pulled a small device from his waist. Achilles would slam down into the ground only a few meters away from Chekita's armored form. The exoskeleton that was his armor absorbed a good deal of the impact but he could feel the strain of it in his own muscles. In a rapid movement he spun around, tossing the small device towards Chekita. It had been a specialized flash-bang grenade that would explode in only a number of seconds. How would this little nexu cat react?

 

[Chekīta Kaie]

It was nice to be wearing her full set for more, most of the time Chekita going without the helmet in place for her balaclava and goggles, was easiest to take off, a useful thing when being a body guard to get past security even if it didn't give the best protection. Today she was not on secuirty she was on the offensive, and in this instance any help no matter how small was a welcome addition.

Walking down the dimly lit streets she kept a hand on her revolver at all times. Though being well armored served as a deterrent for most it also made you stick out like a sore thumb. You more or less became a huge beacon for potentially heavily armed gangs that wanted some nice new armor. In a nut shell she was on gaurd for just about anything that you'd run into on NarShadda. So when a certain person thought it was a good idea to jump in front of her and throw a strange looking device could anyone falt her for being aggressive?

As the device revealed itself to be a stun grenade her armor went to work, the helmet auto auto-flash tine gong to work, dimming the visor enough to negate the blinding light. On instinct once the thing was revealed to be a threat her hand immediately pulled the heavy revolver from it's holster, Chekita not waiting a second to pull the trigger, sending 3 rounds directly towards [member="Achilles"] chest piece. She was currently in shoot first ask questions later mode with no qualms about killing the armored figure in front of her if it was required.

 

[Haastal Haran]

A smile had come over Achilles face as he watched Chekita pull her slugthrower. Achilles brought his arms together as she fired and immediately a flash of blue sprung from his forearms. The molecular shields were not the best to be used against slugs, yet they did halt the few rounds sent into his shield. He immediately parted his arms while holding up a hand. "Just makin' sure you can handle yourself." His voice rang through the helmet and in the next moment he pressed a hand to his neck. A series of mechanical clicks erupted as his helmet deconstructed itself from around his face.

"You did good." He told her, before running a hand over his forearms. The rounds had gone through his shields and slammed into his gauntlets. He had ignored the warning from his HUD yet the armor was running a functions check never the less. If he could guess he'd imagine his little stunt just lost him a few of his systems for quite a while. This damned armor was so expensive to fix, he really should have reconsidered his actions. Producing a cigarra from his pocket he held the small cylinder in his lips as he lit it and eyed Chekita closely. "You ready to bust some heads?" He asked with a brow raised.

[member="Chekīta Awaud"]

 

[Chekīta Kaie]

A small trail of smoke wafted from the barrel of her revolver, her arm still taught, weapon facing the attacker. She had not really known if the armor had any sort of shielding but in her line of work it was always best to test, hence 3 shots and not the entire clip. Though it was quite the surprise to see [member="Achilles"] under the helmet, certainly an interesting way to say hello. "If you wanted to test my skill perhaps try and kill me a little harder... wait no don't do that, could wind up with us both dead before the mission even started".

With the identity of her attacker sorted out she lowered the revolver, opening the side cylinder, letting the 3 spent rounds drop from the weapon. That familiar sound of metal chinking against concrete rang out through the streets as Chekita reloaded her weapon, spinning the ammo holder around before snapping shut, holstering it for the moment. "Bash some heads? but I left my bat at home... pistol whipping sounds good though, ah but it doesn't have that same 'crack' sound of wood and a caving in skul- oh blast I'm rambling on again, in short yeah lets go".

Hopefully before what classed as law enforcement on this world showed up, a small shootout in the middle of the streets could get some unwanted attention from what ever hutt controlled this area, not a good idea to piss him off. "Guess we are not meeting up at the bar now, might as well head straight to our target, follow me".

 

[Haastal Haran]

Achilles followed behind Chekita, pulling a slugthrower pistol from his holster and glancing at the weapon. These slugthrowers had a hell of a kick but they had to be his favorites.

As the two mercenaries moved down the street, Achilles kept an eye on the buildings they passed, specifically the alleys and streets that could be used to get the drop on the two. "So any idea what kind of heat these boys are packing?" He asked, arching a brow.

[member="Chekīta Awaud"]

 

[Chekīta Kaie]

The two continued for a while until she lead the man into a side street, pulling out a grappling hook from her pouch, "nothing over the top for basic grunts, usual plastiod armor, basic blasters that sort of thing, but if these are the big wigs we may run into some more elite personal". "Nothing we coulnd't handle but don't be surprised if they have some competent guards on hand, ex-military or merc, both are viable options, anyways follow me". Riasing the gun a small 'thunk' would be heard as she shot the grappling hook up the side of the building.

"The compound has some pretty solid doors, so we are going to go through one of the weaker walls... with explosions" Mining charges to be exact, cheap and powerful, if not only useful on one certain point, but in this case such a charge was ideal. Giving a two finger salute Chekita was zipped away by the weapons motor, reaching the top of the crummy apartment complex, HUD scanning over the target complex in the near distance. "This is going to be fun".

[member="Achilles"]

 

[Haastal Haran]

They moved down the street, Chekita kept the lead for the trip down the street and Achilles continued to check his slugthrowers. The weapons were still relatively new but they were in need of a tune up. He exhaled before glancing over to Chekita with a brief smirk. "First thing I'm doing is getting these things fixed up." He commented, before sliding his hands down into his pockets. As Chekita pulled a grappling hook from her belt, the man arched a brow, watching with some interest. "You stay prepared." He said, crossing his arms over his chest while he watched.

When Chekita gave the brief salute and zipped away, Achilles could not help but chuckle at her. "Yea, she's about some fun." He said, gazing up at the woman who flew above him. He paused to consider his options before clicking the heels of his boots together.

His helmet formed around his head once again as his mag-boots activated. He pressed one of his feet to the wall, slowly climbing up the side of the building, following behind the woman. Once he reached the top, his eyes were locked on the woman scanning the building. It was a poor, shabby, little apartment but it was big for the area. Whiel he was not quite sure how many of these thugs he would find, he was sure there would be some of them. "Yea yea...you better not get shot." He said, before he drew one of his slugthrowers. "You gonna blow this thing or we just gonna sit here?" He asked.

[member="Chekīta Awaud"]

 

[Chekīta Kaie]

She kept her eyes on the apartment complex while [member="Achilles"] came up behind, hands fiddling with the explosive charge. "No promises on not getting shot, kind of what my job is about, had plenty of employers I needed to take a blaster bolt for". The typical 'get down Mr president' shebang resulting in some self inflicted wounds upon tackling her temporary bosses. With the place scouted out it was time to make their approached, once more Chekita letting her hook lose, swimming over the dark ally way below, feet hitting against the wall of the complex.

"One thing I know from my job is that looks are deceiving, on the outside this place is a rusty down apartment complex, on the inside don't be surprised if things are more well structured". Keeping one hand on her rope she planted and armed the mining charge, pulling her self just above the detonation zone, "here we go, 3... 2... 1.. Kaboom". Hitting down on the trigger a sharp snap and thud would be felt in the immediate area as the shaped charge blew a sizable hole in the complex wall, Chekita repelling into the open hole, weapon drawn, performing a quick clearing motion of the room.

"Clear, but not for long, no doubt the people heard that little boom and this room will be swamping with guards,, in the mean time our targets will probably be getting repaired to high tail it if they think we are a threat, so we best get moving".

[member="Achilles"]