Private Eclipsing the Empire

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori piloted Jaster's Delight deep into the Outer Rim. It was more or less a test flight of her newly purchased vessel. But of course she had ulterior motives as well. An old adversary of her parents was heard to have been spotted there. And he wasn't just any adversary. He was Koda Fett ; one of the greatest bounty hunters out there. Her late Father had barely escaped him during the Siege of Commenor, and with that escape came the destruction of their home. It was the only home she ever knew or had. Now she just resided in her ships.

Oh but that was all for another time. She needed to focus on the future and not the past. And right now that future needed a bit of help if she was going to survive and also to accomplish the Eclipse Rebellion's goals of destroying the Eternal Empire. The Rebel's tactics varied, always changing and hardly predictable. It gave them the advantage over an Empire that had them outmanned and outgunned.

After landing Jaster's Delight and locking her up, Lori entered a bar of all things where it was rumoured that Koda hung around. She wore her Rebel Ops armour and carried not only her bow "The Hornet", but her quiver and blaster too. Right now she couldn't be too careful. Arrest warrants were out for her in Eternal Empire space, given that she was the Face of the Eclipse Rebellion and apparent 'murderer' of Kainan Wolfe . Yet she wasn't sure of whether or not bounties were placed on her head too, or if the warrants extended as far out as the Outer Rim. It didn't hurt to be too careful.

Her eyes scanned the patrons, looking for the suit of Mandalorian armour that Koda was known for.

 

[Koda Fett]

The Mandalorian sat somewhere in the corner, no such interest in the lot that seemed to set themselves abound inside the cantina; hunters, mostly, yet scarcely that of other men and instead the often found beasts that roamed the thick rainforests - beaten and bruised, their species varied all too much and no natives stood in sight. It hardly seemed the place for a noble, but Loreena's bow made sure no one as much afforded her a second stare. She fit in, most definitely, and most presumed her armour to be stolen off of someone less fortunate than the rest of them that still breathed for a moment more.

If Fett had sought the creatures or one of the hunters, it had yet to be seen; most of the hunters avoided the Mandalorian nonetheless, too cautious to see whether or not their ticket had been called on this one time. His table clear, mostly, save for a sole flask that sat by itself.

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

There he was. It wasn't difficult for Lori to spot the Mandalorian armour. She had a lot of ties to them and still had yet to earn her own helmet. The one that was to put her through her trials and establish her own Clan had been killed. And he left her everything.

But that was all besides the point and once more she was dwelling on the past when she needed to focus on the future. Lori wasn't desperate in her act of seeking him out. She was just taking advantage of other angles.

Approaching his table, Lori didn't invite herself to sit, just in case Koda Fett wasn't needing the work or even wanting it to begin with. She couldn't just assume. Instead she needed to show him some respect, despite his acts against her parents. It was all just business and she was well aware of that.

"Sorry to interrupt, but are you still for hire? You are Koda Fett, aren't you? I've seen you on the holos..."

 

[Koda Fett]

No such expectation to see an Arenais, even if the Bounty Hunter had not yet known it to be the case. Never the friend to them, no, rather the foe that sought them; the cost had been all that mattered, in the end, and her Jedi father had surely been one to understand that most of all - not even Kay had seen the Mandalorian taken into custody for the crimes against her. He could consider himself lucky for that, or so he supposed.

"If you have the credits, and the task is worth my time."

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Still Lori didn't impose herself enough to take a seat. She remained where she was and pulled out a small holo-emitter. Activating it in her palm, it showed the image of Eskk Jannik . "He is an officer for the Eternal Empire and has something of mine that I want returned. My lightsaber. It might not be the most exciting job for you, but it means a lot to me. And I can pay well. Plus, there'll be high valued targets that I would hope to have your help in capturing soon. That is so long as you have no restrictions on going after Imperials."

She needed to give the Eclipse Rebellion an upperhand on the Eternal Empire. Especially if they were going to defeat them. And this could be one of the ways that her goals could be accomplished.

Koda Fett

 

[Koda Fett]

Imperials. He loathed their type in all their pompous nonsense yet their credits remained too beneficial to forfeit. Yet, this Eternal Empire meant nothing to the Bounty Hunter in all their shrouded nature -- or so the Mandalorian deemed it as much. Sith, or no? Strictly to the non-Force users, or in abundance of them? He could not say, nor care in the moment. His attention remained fixated on the mention of a lightsaber and for one sole purpose;

"Lightsaber," came the idle comment, devoid of intent. "Imperials are rarely of the kinder nature. If one has your lightsaber, you're surely a Jedi. Is that correct?"

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"No. Not exactly. That's more along the lines of my brother. I'm...sort of my own thing." After training with a bunch of the Mandalorians, Lori had wanted to reconnect with her Dad after Commenor was liberated from the Sith occupation. But she just couldn't handle the restrictions at the Academy. Especially when it came to having to ask for permission to even go and see her own Dad. It was just too much. Lori was far too used to being free to do what she liked.

"I'm a pretty good pilot and a Captain of my own little crew. You won't be finding me hanging around Temples, I assure you." Lori wasn't about to tell Koda Fett everything about her or who she was. There was always the chance that the arrest warrants out on her had extended to bounties as well. Credits talked in this situation and she knew that the Empire's coffers were deeper than her own.

 

[Koda Fett]

“I have paid no mind to this Eternal Empire. Doubtless it cannot meet the expectations such a name affords itself,” Fett mocked. “Of this Essk Jannik, inform me. Can I find him easily, or is such a man offered succor by all those that surround him?”

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Well at least Koda Fett had something going for him. In her mind at least. He was more than just some bounty hunter that kept getting hired to go after her parents.

"He should be easy to find. And no, he doesn't hide behind others. He's probably a bit too bold and cocky, especially in his pursuit of me. I escaped him once and he just won't let that go..."

 

[Koda Fett]

"It makes it easier, then." He answered, "You're the bait. If he isn't able to let that go, then lure him in. You and I take him together, I take my fee, then I leave." It all seemed so simple and the instant concoctions brought about in particular theories forever remained certain to be, yet practise had been another; surely something far more difficult should a man be able to plunder someone's lightsaber from another. But bait... Bait could do.

"I take it you know where to find him?"

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"Wait--what?" Lori hadn't intended on being a part of it outside of paying Koda Fett when the task was done. And here he was, telling her to lure Eskk Jannik to them while they both work in tandem to get her lightsaber back. She didn't expect him to be a team player. Of course Lori wasn't running around with a lot of free time on her hands either.

She furrowed her brows, staring at the table in thought as she tried to readjust her schedule in her mind. Koda Fett was one of the best hunters out there. So this shouldn't take long, right?

"Okay. I'll go with you. But I can't go into Eternal Empire space. They'll arrest me and probably execute me. Then you won't get your fee. So we'd have to go in neutral space and lure him there."