Private Follow Me

[Judah Dashiell]

KASSIDO

​

Finishing up at the bar, Judah settled his tab for the evening, standing to adjust his suit jacket. A small, nearly undetectable stretch as he did so, trying to work out muscles that had sat for too long. Thats what he got for watching an entire gravball game during dinner and drinks. He had justified it by having no where to be or no one to meet, but as it came time to go back to his hotel he cost was being paid.

His work had brought him to Kassido, a large urban planet. Sitting between multiple trade routes, he was here for more than one reason. Salvage due to the high number of wrecks that occurred at such an intersection. Also the intersection made it perfect for a refining facility for his company. Salvage could be scrapped and refined then quickly sent out on the hyperlanes. One of those perfect locations in his eyes.

Finally getting the gumption to move, Judah wished the barkeep goodnight before beginning to leave. Noticing another patron get up when he did, they both took a silent turbolift ride down to a lobby-level floor. A small nod as the doors opened and he made his way for the street. It was a decent night. The planet was considered relatively safe and he felt the need to walk. Gave him a chance to sightsee too. Judah was certain he had never been in this portion of the galaxy before.

Quietly walking through the throngs of people, Judah eventually reaching the end of the block, turning left. As he did so, he saw the same figure from the turbolift following him from a short distance. Maybe it was something. Or maybe it was a massive city and people tended to go to similar locations. Either way, he made note to enter a corner deli at the end of the next block just to see if this man followed him in.

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Kassido

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic | Cybernetic Arm

The deli's light was thin, barely illuminating the people, walls, or the steam off the caf machine. Ace had been sitting near the front, eating a half-eaten ration wrap beside his drink. Tic chirped lazily on the counter, projector flickering as it replayed a broken fragment of some old star map.​

​

He didn't notice the man in the suit right away. What he noticed was the Force, how it went tight for no clear reason. It was the kind of shift Ace knew from too many worlds: the moment before someone opened fire.​

​

He turned slightly, hand brushing the hilt on his hip. The Force hummed low in his chest, quiet but certain. Danger, close. Then the door hissed open.​

​

Dro Elamon filled the frame. The horns, the armor, that slow rolling swagger that said he wasn't here to talk. Ace felt it before Dro even looked his way: that spike of hot recognition, the taste of dust and fire and a fight that had ended with neither of them satisfied.​

​

"...You've got to be kidding me." Ace muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. Tic beeped in a way that almost sounded like a curse.​

​

The Zabrak hadn't spotted him yet. His gaze was locked on the well-kept man. Dro's hunts always had side damage, and Ace wasn't eager to be collateral again.​

​

He slid off the stool, boots whispering against tile. "Careful." He said quietly, angling himself between Judah and the new arrival. "The Zabrak doesn't just follow for directions."​

​

Whatever this was, looks like Ace was in it now. All there was to do, was wait for the chaos to unfold. Too bad, he liked this deli.​

​

Judah Dashiell​

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Walking into the deli, he was surprised it was rundown given the status of the city. Might be one of those hole-in-the-wall places. It certainly smelt delicious inside, maybe he could stop and sit for a bite, despite just eating. Judah wanted to see if the Zabrak was following him and sitting down to eat was the easiest way to ascertain such information.

Yet he didn't have to. The Zabrak had followed and a young man ( Acier Moonbound ) interjected, quietly placing himself between the situation.Brows furrowed slightly. How did this young man know of the Zabrak? Could be a local, but the kid didn't have an air of being a local. Seemed like an offworlder like himself. Which left two possibilites. The kid and the Zabrak were working together and this was all an elaborate trap. Or this kid had run into the Zabrak before in some other time and space.

Both highly likely. Judah didn't know which way to turn. There was the backup plan of his Noghri guards, they always followed at a good distance, all part of the agreement not to interfere unless his life was in grave danger. So far they only had to do so with one person - Kristyl Arenais , such a crazed woman.

"How do you know this Zabrak is trouble?" Without other options, he might as well as the question and go from there.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Kassido

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic | Cybernetic Arm

The Zabrak's shadow cut long across the deli floor. Even when he wasn't moving, Dro Elamon filled a space like noise. He didn't look back at Judah right away. His focus stayed on Dro, chin lifting just a fraction as he angled his stance.

"Bounty hunter. Emotionally unstable. Hates my guts." He whispered, leaning in a little closer but eyes still fixed on the Zabrak "Complete wildcard."

The door hissed shut behind Dro. For a moment, the only sound was the faint crackle of the deli's old lights and the slow, rhythmic steps of Dro Elamon's boots.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Jedi boy, didn't figure I'd see you again."

His voice carried the rasp of gravel. He didn't even look at Judah, at least not at first. His gaze cut straight through the space between them to Ace, and the sneer that followed was all teeth. He took another step in, the leather of his coat creaking as his hand hovered near the blaster holstered at his thigh. The patrons closest to the counter began to shuffle back, eyes flicking between the three men.

"Still playing hero?" Dro asked, tone almost conversational. "You remember how that worked out last time."

"I remember you running away in the end." Ace shot back, mechanical hand hovering over the hilt of his lightsaber.

His gaze paused at the glint of metal along Ace's left arm. A brow arched, a smirk creeping in. He nodded at the prosthetic, the grin widening.

"Last time I saw you, you had both hands to wave me off with."

Tic beeped, a nervous mechanical trill. Dro's smirk widened. His attention finally flicked toward Judah, a slow, assessing look.

"And you. There's a loooot of credits on your head, old man."

The Zabrak started forward, pace steady, confident. He'd already decided no one here could stop him, shifting his coat to show the pair the kind of heat he was packing.

"Step aside, kid. I'm not here for you. Not tonight. But if you make me work for it again, I'll happily make it personal."

Ace cast Judah a sidelong glance, all the while unclipping his lightsaber from his belt. "If you can't fight, run." Ace said bluntly, following his words with the ignition of his lightsaber.

Fighting with his new hand was something he wasn't used to yet, but he'd grown so much since his last encounter with Dro. The young rebel was confident he could at least take the bounty hunter.

Judah Dashiell​

 

[Judah Dashiell]

KASSIDO

For the life of him, Judah didn't understand these Jedi kids. Igniting a lightsaber in a corner deli? They were under a certain level of threat from the Zabrak but it was clear to him he was needed alive. There weren't many who would put a bounty on him only to want him dead. Didn't make sense, he was worth a great deal alive.

Yet just as much as this situation was about himself, it was also about this kid as well. The Zabrak and the kid had a history, one that seemed to end with the loss of the kids hand. Was the Zabrak a lightsaber user as well? An accident? Torture? No time to ask since things escalated so quickly. No time to even tell the kid about his bodyguards.

Perhaps though there was still time to stall this entire situation out. Or at the very least get a better handle on things. If he had a bounty on his head then perhaps he could counteroffer. Judah didn't like doing such things and if it had just been himself in the situation he would never entertain it. The deli was crowded, plus this kid. Judah didn't want to see the kid get hurt over himself.

"A bounty? What is the current going rate? I'm sure I can beat it plus a little extra for the kid here. No need to stoop to such a level in a public place."

Acier Moonbound​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Kassido

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic | Cybernetic Arm

Ace glanced sidelong when Judah spoke. He just watched. The older man's voice was laced with careful diplomacy, he was clearly someone used to buying his way out of problems. He respected that, make an issue go away without violence. It might've worked with anyone else, but not here. Not with Dro.

Dro's reaction came with a sound that wasn't quite a laugh, it was more like a bark, harsh and humorless.

"Credits? You think this is about credits? If I cared about that, I'd already have taken it off your corpse. I'm in this for the sport. As for the kid? It's personal."

Tic chirped low, almost a whine. Ace didn't need the Force to feel the shift; the air was tightening, tension coiling in Dro's stance like a predator ready to pounce.

The deli's front door hissed open behind him. A single customer attempting to leave, freezing the second they saw the scene. That was all it took. Dro's eyes twitched toward the movement; his hand went for the blaster.

Ace moved fast, his lightsaber snapping to life as he shoved Judah out of Dro's center line. The deli exploded into chaos, the tension breaking. Chairs scraping, shouts breaking, someone diving for the floor. The Force surged like instinct through Ace's veins, pushing him into motion before thought could catch up.

Dro fired once, a bright bolt that scorched through the space where Ace had been just a second before. The blast hit the caf machine, shattering it in a spray of sparks and boiling steam.

Ace came up from the roll with the lightsaber raised, stance solid, eyes locked on Dro. Dro's advance was methodical, not rushed. Every shot was a test, each one pushing Ace a little farther off balance. The new arm was acceptable, but Ace still felt the lag in his reaction time; every parry sent a jolt up through his shoulder. Dro saw it, saw the rust in his footwork, and moved in with a predator's grin.

Before Atrisia, before the Death Star, Ace would have read the fight like a current. Now he was fighting to keep up. Dro saw that weakness.

The Zabrak shoved in hard, slamming his vibroblade against Ace's lightsaber in a shower of sparks. "You should've stayed out of this. I'm here for him." A tilt of his chin toward Judah, eyes glinting.

Dro's boot came low, his elbow high, a combination to throw Ace off-balance. He evaded the first hit, missed the second, and Dro's gauntlet crashed into his chest like a piston. The impact threw him clean through the deli's front window, glass exploding into the street.

Ace hit the ground hard. Dro stood, vibroblade gleaming. He took his eyes off of the dazed Force-sensitive to Judah.

"Don't move, old man." Dro said, stepping over the glass. "I still came for you."

Judah Dashiell​

 

[Judah Dashiell]

The sport? He could think of at least at three different people that would be more interesting to bounty hunt. Again, there was the question of credits, who did this for fun without the reward of credits? Anyone with half a brain would keep him alive even for a little bit, extract more credits from his family, then kill him. It was clear this guy wasn't working with a full deck of sabacc cards.

A patron tried to leave and the room exploded into chaos. If he survived this, Judah made a mental note to send along an apology letter and enough credits to clean the place up and replace anything damaged.

As the fight began, Judah took a step back. Patrons now freely scattered. Just as he was turning to his comm to call in reinforcements, they arrived. Two Noghri bodyguards, Ovruk and Sirhka, reached his side as if they appeared out of nowhere. Just as always intended, his guards didn't interfere unless it was life or death. It was now life or death. Noghri were fierce in battle and also very stealthy, the perfect combination for someone like himself.

"This way." Sirhka was taking point in assisting him away from the battle. Standard protocol. One bodyguard intervened and took him away. The other neutralized the threat. "Let us go."

"No." Judah rarely defied an expert. "I'll check on the kid. He needs to get away, the both of you focus your efforts towards the attacker."

Leaving no room for argument, Judah assisted a patron in leaving. He wasn't familiar with Kassido but he suspected the owner called local authorities. Everyone had a different procedure for bounty hunters so it was difficult to tell if any help was coming. Not that a bounty hunter often concerned himself with local law enforcement. Once the patron was off and running, Judah crouched down next to the kid.

"Jedi or not that hurt, come on."

Inside, Ovruk and Sirhka blocked the window and front door. A Noghri fighting sickles and long machette-style vibroblade appeared, their weapons of choice beyond their dangerous claws. The pair nodded to one another and advanced. Ovruk went left, drawing the attention of the hunter while Sirhka went right, intending to wound at the side of the flank at the least but slice the throat of the hunter at best.

Acier Moonbound​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Kassido

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic | Cybernetic Arm

The world came back in fragments,, sirens wailing somewhere in the distance. Ace groaned, more in frustration, forcing himself upright. His chest burned where Dro's hit had landed, and his left arm, the new one, trembled from the feedback. The servos whined faintly, the grip just a shade too tight as he steadied himself.

Tic landed beside him with a chirp, lens flickering anxiously.

"Yeah." Ace rasped, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm good. More embarrassed than hurt."

The crash of steel and sparks from inside the deli snapped his focus. Through the jagged window frame, flashes of movement: two Noghri moving like shadows, and Dro was using everything in his arsenal. His slugthrower cracked, his flamethrower flared orange through the broken frame, and screams joined the noise.

Judah's voice cut through the noise. Ace blinked, finding him crouched beside him, unhurt. He looked back toward the fight. One of the Noghri had been thrown against the counter. Dro was laughing again.

"You want me to run?" He asked, his tone prideful, maybe even a little offended. Ace swore under his breath. "They're not going to hold him forever."

He flexed his left hand once, feeling the ache where flesh met metal. "When he breaks through, he's coming for you first."

His blue blade hissed back to life, its light catching in the glass shards at their feet. Ace took one last breath and faced the shattered doorway, Dro's laughter still echoing inside.

Then, he turned toward Judah again, eyes sharp despite the fatigue. No, this was his recklessness rearing its ugly head again. The same recklessness that cost him his arm. Ace's shoulders loosened and he exhaled deeply. Maybe it was better to get away, to stay with Judah and protect him that way.

He didn't like it. Hated it even. It felt too close to running... but Ace clearly wasn't in the condition to fight Dro. Not yet.

The lightsaber extinguished with a hiss. "We move then."

Tic whirred in agreement, hopping from the debris and onto his shoulder as Ace pulled Judah toward the edge of the street. "Name's Ace, by the way."

They rounded the corner just as an explosion rocked the block. An ion charge. The blast threw light down the street, shattering a row of storefront glass. Ace ducked low, yanking Judah behind a parked speeder as shards rained down. He was pretty sure those Noghri guards didn't make it.

Ace scanned the rooftops. Dro wouldn't stay contained, not with his toys and his thirst for the hunt. His eyes met Tic's photoreceptor, without speaking, the BD-unit knew what to do. Tic beeped, projecting a small flickering map. Ace pointed toward an alley that cut into the lower district, backstreets thick with steam vents.

"There. He won't risk flamers or explosives in close quarters."

Judah Dashiell ​

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Judah."

Doing his best to ignore the droid - the phobia was there but so was the need to live - he realized he might have to listen to Ace. Or at least they should listen to one another. So far the kid was listening on one front, that it was best to leave. Even if this Dro was coming for them it was best to put distance between themselves and the hunter. It would give them an advantage. This wasn't the first time he had been tracked down. Something told him it wasn't going to be the last.

As they moved an explosion rattled the entire block. Transparisteel rained down from the tops of buildings on some of the lesser built buildings. Alarms immediately went off, people started drifting into the streets. A twinge of regret went through him at the fact his bodyguards most likely didn't make it out. Naturally they knew the risks but it didn't make a difference to him - both had been working for him for years at this point. A small mental note to reach out to their clan when he and Ace were finally safe. Or safeish.

Again, the droid was leading the way. Didn't trust him. It was just a map and the kid seemed to think it was a good idea. Judah wasn't so sure this hunter wouldn't risk a fire or explosion in these alleys and closed in streets. Still there wasn't much of an option. They had to go. Or at least try.

"Alright, we go then."

Looking at the map again, Judah picked up the pace, going at a fast jog with the kid. It was easy enough to use the chaos and alleyways. As he ran, he worked on shedding his jacket and tie. Probably best to try to fit in and look a little more nondescript.

"We going in the sewer?"

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Kassido

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic | Cybernetic Arm

Ace caught the flicker of something from Judah, not fear of Dro, not the raw, survival kind. It was sharper, stranger. A recoil that didn't fit the situation. He glanced sidelong, the sensation brushing against his senses like static. Whatever it was, it spiked every time Tic chirped or moved ahead. But now wasn't the time to pry, and Judah still seemed capable.

The street behind them flashed orange as another blast hit. The sound chased them down the alley, rolling through the narrow walls like thunder. Dro wasn't far. Ace vaulted a fallen sign, motioning for Judah to follow.

"Sewer'll do." He said, in between breaths "Won't smell great, but we do what we can."

Tic beeped and projected the map again, light flickering against the wet brick. Ace followed the holographic line to a rusted service hatch buried behind a dumpster. Ace unclipped his lightsaber, its blue blade sprung to life and he began to carve through the hatch.

The hatch collapsed into the sewer and a wave of hot, damp air rolled out. Ace slid down first, sewage water splashing against his boots. Ace recoiled in disgust.

The noise of Kassido faded to a low, mechanical rhythm now. Pipes dripped, steam hissed. Ace steadied his breathing, the glow from Tic's lens painting faint circles on the tunnel walls.

"He'll find us, eventually." Ace said quietly, half to himself. "But it'll take time." He flexed his prosthetic hand once; the servos groaned. "Let's use it."

He started forward into the dark, water sloshing around their boots. Ace only took a few steps when he sensed something approaching. It wasn't volatile like Dro, but it was weak, fading, despite its approach.

"Someone's coming." Ace glanced over to Judah "But I don't think they wanna fight."

Judah Dashiell​

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Nose crinkled as they entered the sewer. In a large city such as this, the smell was overwhelming but what could they do? Moving along the surface was far too dangerous of a risk to take. As he was following Acier Moonbound ,ideas were forming in his head on how to escape. The hunter wouldn't be easily placated but there were still options. Judah wasn't sure how many though and he wasn't so sure the kid could survive a battle with the Trandoshan.

As soon as the kid mentioned someone was coming, his ears picked up on faint splashing through the sewer tunnel. Measured steps but they didn't seem rushed as the hunter's would be, more deliberate. Maybe a maintenance worker. Some damage was just caused on the surface level by Dro so there was a potential of subterranean damage.

Before he could say anything one of the remaining Noghri guards came into view. Injured and bleeding but still able to track him down in a relatively short time frame considering.

"Ovruk."

"Sirhka didn't make it. I barely did. The hunter is not only willing to kill you but himself in this quest." Cloth pressed against his side, Ovruk drew closer to the two men. "We must leave planet. All of us."

The trio knew the risks and this was a walk and talk meeting. Precious time couldn't be wasted in the sewer standing still on strategy. Ovruk had the same idea he had though. Put some distance in between the situation and push forward. Long term strategy for himself and Ace could be made once they were safely off Kassido.

Water gently splashed as they walked, rodents scurried about. Distantly he could still hear the sounds of sirens and crews responding to the explosion.

"I agree with Ovruk. We need to go to a smaller spaceport and take a shuttle out. Leave what we both came in on behind." His head turned towards Ace. "Does your droid know the closest or most strategic one for us to journey to?"

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Kassido

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic | Cybernetic Arm

Ace's breath hitched when Ovruk stepped into the dim glow of Tic's lens. Blood soaked the guard's side, his posture shaky, but he was still moving. Still alive. The Force rippled with the pain rolling off him, sharp enough to make Ace's jaw clench.

"You took a beating..." He murmured, voice low. "Sorry."

Sirhka was gone. Ace swallowed the guilt and kept moving, boots splashing through the sewer runoff. He flicked his gaze between the two men and the tunnel ahead stretching into shadow.

Judah proposed taking a shuttle from a smaller spaceport. The implication of leaving the Flickerfox behind drew a shake of his head.

"Look." Ace said, voice steadying. "Dro's not down here for sport. He's here for you."

He glanced toward Judah. Ace nodded at Tic, and he projected the map again. Ace only needed a glance. He lifted a hand and pointed toward the smallest blue marker, a little industrial pad on the outskirts.

"That's the one you take. Fewer guards. Fewer scanners. He won't expect it."

He dropped his hand, prosthetic fingers clicking softly.

"I'll break off before we reach it. Cut across the refinery stack and loop around to the Flickerfox."

His tone didn't waver. There was nothing sentimental about it... just necessity.

"I'm not leaving my ship. It's my only way off this rock. It's the only thing I've got."

Ace stepped around a junction where the tunnel split, eyes narrowing as he searched for the cleanest route.

"You two head for the small port. I'll peel off and make for my ship. We put distance between us, Dro has to choose a direction. And if he thinks you bolted for one of the big docks…"

He let the implication finish itself in the stale air.

"We buy ourselves time. Enough to get off-world."

He moved again, splashing through ankle-deep water, Tic dimming their tiny light to a faint glow.

"Divisions save lives." Ace murmured. "We make him chase the wrong trail."

This wasn't open for negotiation. Ace's desire to return to the Flickerfox wasn't sentimental, it was necessity. His whole life was on that ship, and it was his only form of transport between worlds. If he took the shuttle out with them, he'd be left with nothing once they were safe again. He was done with starting over again and again.

The tunnel narrowed until it forked, one path sloping up toward the refinery stacks, the other bending deeper to where it would put Judah closer to the small spaceport. Ace stopped just long enough to glance between the two routes, he pointed down the darker passage.

"That's your way out." He murmured, already turning toward the rising path. "We split here. If I can draw him my way, I will."

Judah Dashiell ​

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Acier Moonbound
​

Ovruk lightly shook his head, dismissing the apology from the teenager. The Noghri could not see how it was the boys fault unless the boy was the one to put the hit on Mister Dashiell. All of his data and intelligence before this moment pointed to a hard no with that being a possibility.

"It is not your fault."

As Judah walked with the teenager, a plan was forming. A plan to split up and go in separate directions. On one level, it was admirable. The kid wanted to save his ship, which was understandable. They were expensive and most beings around the galaxy used them as a de facto home. Leaving it behind meant being homeless. The salvager suspected the kid didn't have a recall or slave device or droid brain on board - things that could be used to recall the vessel back to a certain location. Doubtful, they could be expensive unless done on one's own.

Looking at the small dot, he gently shook his head. Given his age and time spent out of combat, Judah wasn't exactly an asset. However, he was still sharp with a blaster and he considered himself to have a few good ideas once in a while.

"No." Taking a deep breath, he turned to face Acier. "Great idea but if two Noghri bodyguards can handle this guy I doubt you could too. Can you remotely call your vessel? If not, are you open to leaving it for now? I can pay to have a pilot bring it to a location of your choice once you escape. Credits aren't really a concern for me. Or, if you don't want it flown, I could call my crew out to tow it where you would like."

Shoulders shrugged.

"Or, if you think I'm a liability and you are being too polite to tell me so, please tell me and I'll be happy to go down the second tunnel. No hard feelings. I get it - business decisions and such."

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Kassido

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic | Cybernetic Arm

Ace didn't answer right away. He stood there in the half-dark, water dripping from the ceiling, Tic's lens flickering against the tunnel grime. Judah's offer hung there, it was solid, practical, feasible.

Ace exhaled slowly, a tight breath through his nose. He hated how reasonable it sounded. Hated how the math actually lined up.

"If you can get my ship moved…" He started, voice low, "…then that changes things."

He shifted his weight, prosthetic fingers opening and closing once as the idea slotted into place. He didn't like relying on someone else, not for something that meant this much... but the alternative was suicide. And Judah wasn't wrong: Ace was not in fighting shape. Not for Dro. Not tonight.

He finally looked Judah's way, meeting his eyes through the dim.

"I'm not leaving the Flickerfox behind forever. But if you can get her hauled out… to a rendezvous point we set? Somewhere off world?" Ace nodded once. "I'll go with you."

No drama. No hesitation. Just the call a survivor makes. Tic chirped, almost relieved. Ace rested a hand briefly on the little droid's frame before turning fully toward the path Judah had pointed him down earlier, the one leading deeper toward the small spaceport.

"Alright then." Ace said, tightening the strap on his prosthetic. "We take your route. We get off this planet in one piece."

He glanced back once toward the refinery path, the direction Dro would've expected him to run. Then he motioned forward, stepping into the deeper tunnel.

"Let's move before he figures out where we went."

Ace picked up the pace the moment they committed, boots splashing through the runoff as the tunnel curved into a steeper descent. Tic stayed just ahead, projecting brief flashes of nav arrows before dimming again to avoid giving away their position.

Every now and then Ace felt that familiar pressure in the Force. It was faint, distant, but moving. Dro wasn't in the tunnels yet, but he was closing on their trail topside, hunting by rhythm and destruction.

Ace kept glancing upward, sensing the tremors of each explosion through the piping overhead.

"He's still tracking..." He murmured mostly to himself. "We've got a window, but it's shrinking."

The tunnel widened as they approached a junction where old maintenance rails cut across the sewer line. A ladder ran upward along the wall, disappearing into darkness, the path toward the industrial sublevels that bordered the small spaceport.

Ace paused just long enough to look up the shaft, feeling the air shift from stale sewer heat to colder ventilation drafts. They were getting close. He adjusted his grip on the ladder rungs, prosthetic clicking softly.

Ace motioned for Ovruk to climb first, nodding to Judah to help him assist the Noghri in his climb.

"Once we hit the industrial level, we stay low and move fast."

A distant metallic crash echoed through the tunnel behind them. Ace's jaw tightened. Dro was picking up the pace.

Judah Dashiell​

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"You have my word. First thing we do once we get off world is contact my crews. You set the terms and rendezvous point."

There was a flood of relief. Not for himself, but the kid. In Judah's eyes he wasn't up to trying to forge this alone. There was an element of surprise that the kid wasn't concerned he would make good on his promise. The old salvager suspected the suit helped cement his story he indeed have the resources to get the vessel.

Judah was smart enough to fall back and let Acier Moonbound take lead. The little droid with him - as much as he hated the thing - was useful in navigating through the Kassido sewers. Given Ace was a Jedi - or some type of Force user - it seemed he had an innate ability to navigate as well. Either taught in some type of military tactics education or relying on the Force.

Crashing followed them. Dro wasn't giving up but that was not a surprise. They had pissed him off and if Ace was to be believed he was relentless. Possibly someone they would encounter in the future. If they survived Judah would be sure to alert his security team and sector authorities.

Silently, he followed, taking rear with Ovruk in the middle. The Noghri wasn't pleased but it was only logical. Soon it seemed the kid picked up on a ladder. They needed to go up. Difficult with Ovruk's shoulder. The Noghri knew it too and started to balk at the thought of being first. Judah wasn't having it.

"Go ahead Ovruk. Start up and I'll be right behind you. Use my shoulder as leverage."

Thankfully in his old age he still worked out. In his mind to counteract the smoking and to be able to lift his grandchildren. Weights mainly. It looked as if some of that was going to pay off.

Getting on the rung after Ovruk, the Noghri used his good arm to pull himself up. As he needed, his backside rested on Judah's shoulder to take strain off the movement. It was awkward but it was working.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Kassido

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic | Cybernetic Arm

Ace watched them climb. Ovruk struggled, but the old man's shoulder bracing him made it work. The teamwork was rough, improvised, but it held. Ace waited until they were far enough up the ladder that he wouldn't slow them down, then grabbed the rungs himself.

His prosthetic hand clamped onto the durasteel, servos adjusting to the angle. He hated how loud it sounded in the cramped shaft. Dro didn't need much to track them, sound, heat, all of it was a trail. Ace climbed fast, forcing the pace, boots hitting metal in quick, quiet steps.

Halfway up, the Force rippled again. Stronger this time. Closer. Ace froze for a breath, head tilting. Dro wasn't in the tunnels yet… but he was near the sewer access. Near enough that every explosion tremor felt sharper against the ladder.

"Tic." Ace whispered.

The BD-unit chirped softly and dimmed himself almost completely, crawling up the rungs beside him like a shadow.

Ace reached the top just after Orvuk and Judah. Ace pulled himself onto the industrial sublevel, the air hitting him like a shock, it was colder and the scent replaced the sewer stench. Rows of catwalks stretched in either direction, bathed in the dull crimson of emergency lighting.

Ace didn't wait for the others to fully regroup; he just moved, slipping into the rhythm of the catwalks like he'd been born in the underlevels. Tic hopped across a support beam above him, casting faint blue flickers along the metal grating.

Ace picked up the pace, never staying in a straight line long enough for a clean shot. The sublevel opened into a long corridor of shut-down machinery, the kind of forgotten maintenance lane nobody bothered to check unless something broke down. Perfect.

Ace slowed only when they reached a junction lit by a single flickering strip-light. He stopped, turning to Judah and Orvuk.

"Cargo lifts are close..."

He didn't get to finish. A metallic shriek ripped through the catwalks behind them, something heavy slamming the ladder's last few meters. Ace spun just in time to see Dro drop onto the platform with enough force to rattle the entire walkway. His boots scraped metal. His coat smoked at the edges. His grin was feral and he lifted his head slowly.

"Almost had me."

His flamethrower snapped forward and a wall of fire roared down the corridor. Ace lunged, yanking Judah and Ovruk behind a rusted compressor as the flames tore across the catwalk where they'd been standing seconds earlier. Dro's laughter shook the metal under their feet.

Ace's heart slammed in his chest. The heat, the pressure, the whole walkway vibrated with Dro's advance. He glanced once at Judah, breath sharp.

"Move."

Judah Dashiell​

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Shoulder was burning - his old injury acting up - but he kept pushing. The old salvager had no idea how close the hunter was to the trio and waiting around was unwise. Yet he didn't have to wait too long to find out how close this hunter was to them, soon he had bounced on the catwalk they had been trying to cross. Flame thrower in hand. Was he not out of fuel yet? Cloak smoking, deranged look in his eye, it seemed even a hypothetical lack of fuel wouldn't stop him.

Cargo lifts were close. The lifts would take them out to where they needed, to the relative freedom of public transport. Getting inside the lifts with a crazed hunter behind them with a flame thrower was suicide however. The flames could easily get inside with them and burn them all alive. There wasn't much he could do.

The kid was telling him to move but Judah wasn't certain that was wise. Fishing in his pocket for his wallet, he passed it over to the teenager without a word. Perhaps he was crazy for handing it over to the kid but it had a bottomless credcard that would get him off planet and the ship back where needed. It was the least he could do.

"No. You and Ovruk move. This will get you everything you need. No arguments. Go on."

A lull in the flames and he stood up from behind their hideout. Hands raised, he slowly moved towards the hunter. An old man, the kid didn't deserve this. There was a lot in front of the boy versus himself. He couldn't let an unknown kid take the fall for him. Especially at this age.

"This ends now." Judah called out, steps slowing. "Clearly I'm what you're after. Go ahead."

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Kassido

Equipment:
Field Gear | Lightsaber | Tic | Cybernetic Arm

Ace stared at the wallet in his hand like Judah had just shoved a thermal detonator into his palm.

"What--?"

But Judah wasn't listening. He was already standing. Already walking toward Dro with his hands raised like this was some back-alley negotiation and not a maniac with a flamethrower. The Force spiked so violently in Ace's chest he almost doubled over.

Dro's attention snapped to Judah like a starving nexu spotting an easy kill. Ace didn't move to stop Judah, not yet, a plan was already stirring in the young man's crafty mind.

Because Dro? His attention was now locked on Judah, on his sacrifice play. Ace could feel Dro's disappointment through the Force at how 'easy' this was. But Judah, he was buying time by unintentionally distracting the Zabrak.

However, if Ace moved, Dro's attention would be back on him. On all of them. So he stayed exactly where he was, crouched behind the rusted compressor, body locked in place, breath shallow, heart a slow controlled thump.

Dro's boots clanged closer on the catwalk. Perfect.

Ace whispered to Orvuk "Eyes on the flamethrower."

The Noghri could take it or leave it, Ace wasn't about to dictate how a seasoned warrior handled a threat. But he'd seen enough hunts to know that giving the right person the right half second often meant survival.

Ace lowered his gaze, letting the world narrow into the thrum of metal beneath his palm. He didn't look up. The Force wove into the floor grating, thin threads mapping the tension in every bolt, every pipe, every trembling seam around them.

Meanwhile, Dro stomped another step closer, the walkway shaking under his weight. The flamethrower angled, emitter whining as it built pressure. It was enough.

Ace didn't move his hand. Didn't shift a finger. He simply focused a precise, invisible twist through the Force aimed not at Dro, but at the corroded fuel line above him. A bolt already strained by heat. Already weakened by age.

Then he nudged, creating a small metallic snap so tiny it vanished under the sound of Dro's footsteps.

The effect though? It wasn't small. Not in the slightest. A hiss of vapor sprayed sideways from the line, drifting down in a faint, shimmering mist. It went straight toward the flamethrower's intake vents. Fuel mist, coolant remnants, pressure imbalance. The perfect mix for a half-second malfunction.

The flamethrower inhaled the drifting vapor, and choked. Dro's aim faltered and Ace didn't waste the opening. With a sharp pull of the Force, he snatched Judah backward, sliding him behind cover and out of the kill-zone. Dro's head snapped toward the motion, fury rising.

"Run. Both of you. No more sacrifice plays!" His voice was low, urgent, leaving no space for debate.

Ace surged up from the compressor and slammed a focused Force assisted shockwave into the Zabrak's chest. The blast hurled Dro down the catwalk and into a bank of pipes, metal shrieking under the impact.

He didn't look to see him recover, he simply followed the others toward the turbolifts.

Judah Dashiell​

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Judah was under no illusions that the hunter was still alive despite the flame thrower mishap. Especially after the explosion that happened back in the diner. Yet he was certain this would at least slow down the Trandoshan to allow them escape. Would the pursuit be over? Doubtful but that was something for them to worry about in the coming days and weeks.

"It wasn't a sacrifice play. It was buying you time to do whatever you Jedi do."

Youth was certainly wasted on the young. Yet perhaps the teenager didn't see that yet. Being in the moment things did slip by. Adrenaline and trying to escape with their lives tended to do that. There was no need to point it out any further though and he quickly picked up the pace, following Ace, Ovruk and that annoying little droid into the turbolift.

Taking a spot in the corner of the lift, it didn't task long for it to get started. Music filtered in on their journey upwards. They were headed towards the quieter landing platform. Given they were finally not being actively attacked, Judah pulled out his comm. Best to get in contact with his company and call in backup.

"Great move back there kid. Keep an eye out while I alert some more security..."

Typing on his device, Judah was alerting for more Noghri or general security forces from his company. Work was relatively near by but it would still take hours to get here. They would be getting on that public transport and he fully planned to be intercepted by friendly faces.

"...I'm also telling my guys to intercept us with a tow barge for your ship."

Acier Moonbound​