Private Haunting Past

[Dash Vikal]

The late afternoon light stretched long across the street as Dash made his way from his apartment toward the bar. The day was cooling, though the heat of it still clung to the pavement and the duracrete walls that lined the narrow avenue. Somewhere nearby a speeder coughed to life, its engine sputtering before fading into the distance. It was the sort of hour he usually liked. That quiet stretch between day traffic and the real nightlife beginning. Soon enough the bar would fill with chatter, clinking glasses, and the low hum of stories that had grown taller with every retelling.

For now though, the street felt… thin. Dash slowed his pace just slightly. He couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Nothing obvious stood out. A pair of pedestrians crossed ahead of him. Someone leaned against a building scrolling through a datapad. A delivery droid rolled past with its usual mechanical indifference. That was normal. But still the back of his neck prickled.

His gaze drifted casually across storefront windows as he walked, using the reflections more than the street itself. Old habit. Years of surviving on instinct had a way of sticking around even when life had calmed down. Nothing moved wrong. Nothing followed. And yet the feeling lingered.

Dash slipped his hands into the pockets of his jacket, shoulders relaxed as though nothing in the galaxy could trouble him on a simple walk to work. But his pace adjusted without him consciously deciding to do it; just a fraction slower and just enough to listen. Listening was what he did well these days anyways.

A distant clatter echoed from an alley. A door shut somewhere behind him. He resisted the urge to look back. Probably nothing, he told himself. Just the city doing what cities did. Still… something about the air felt heavier than usual. And for the first time that day, Dash found himself looking forward to the bar not for the drinks or the noise; but for the comfort of walls, familiar faces, and knowing exactly who was standing behind him.

Tag: Kaelan Reiss

 

[Kaelan Reiss]

KAELAN REISS​

THEME​

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TAG: Dash Vikal
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Dash Vikal.

In Reiss’ line of work, everyone had a story. He had seen a lot of different stories play out in his few years of experience. Petty criminals with enough know-how and wherewithal to avoid getting arrested? Cake.

Outlaws who defrauded bigger and badder outlaws? Straightforward, if not a little dirty.

“Normal” people getting mixed up in shit above their head? Reiss' mentor Boros didn’t like those contracts really, so he had always veered away from them. To Reiss, a contract was a contract. He still had a line, but it was a lot blurrier than Boros’ ever was. The two men always had an ongoing disagreement on the subject. “Normal” people often only appeared normal, as one never really knew what bones were hidden in someone’s closet.

This was one of those contracts.

Reiss didn’t care what life Dash Vikal had before, outside of what his client had shared with him. Normally, it was up to Reiss to do all of his research. But his clients were very keen on motivating him to see the job through, so they gave him... quite a lot to work with. Like Reiss, Dash had at one time served The Empire, but as an interrogator instead of a soldier and operative.

It would seem Dash was pretty damn good at his job... until he wasn’t. And the collapse of the whole karking Empire didn’t help things either. In this new Galaxy we all live in, Dash’s former acquaintences didn’t really appreciate the... vigor he had placed in his craft. They offered Reiss a pretty credit-chit to deliver a bit of payback to the man - dead or alive.

Reiss wasn’t particularly bloodthirsty. Honestly, his approach to a ‘dead or alive’ contract rested almost entirely on how easy the target made things. Reiss had set the tone of the operation by tracking down Dash’s known aliases, which led to a few unknown ones. After tracking the ghost of Dash Vikal across several systems, Reiss had finally caught up to the kath hound on Telos.

Telos was neutral currently, which alleviated the risk of exposure to any state actors the man could have been worried about. Reiss proceeded cautiously as he set about observing his target, extending his surveillance across multiple weeks so as to allow for several days worth of breaks. Given the transient nature of the traffic on Telos, Reiss couldn’t be seen every day at the same places. He would disappear for a few days, then reappear to blend in to those who traveled to and from Telos with regularity.

Therefore, in establishing his own irregular pattern, he was able to observe and analyze Dash’s. He worked full time at the local cantina, which in and of itself structured Dash’s life beyond what he should have as a ‘man on the lam’.

Reiss had patronized the cantina on several occasions, even ordering drinks from the man on a few occasions and tipping well enough to blend in, but not so good as to stand out. Reiss had done so enough to provide a sense of normality to his presence - as though he posed no threat to the man if his face had been seen on occasion throughout the town.

But today would be very very different.

Reiss began walking away from the bar, in the opposing direction of Dash’s approach. He walked a ways along the route toward Dash’s apartment, until he saw the man roughly halfway along the path, approaching a bend that formed a blindspot from the rest of the town. Reiss’ bearing was that of a casual stroll, with little stress or thought outside of just enjoying the afternoon. As he neared the bartender, he locked eyes with him and gave him a familiar nod - the sort one would give a recognized acquaintance and little more. “Hey.”

He said familiarly. As he was about to pass Dash, and was positioned just at the man’s blindspot, Reiss pulled out a stun baton and lashed out from behind Dash - aiming a surprise blow toward the man’s head in an attempt to stun him in one blow.

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[Dash Vikal]

The sound was small. Most people wouldn’t have noticed it. A faint shift of weight behind him. The whisper of something sliding free. But Dash did. The prickling at the back of his neck sharpened instantly into something colder. Years of old instincts snapped awake before conscious thought could catch up. His head started to turn, shoulders beginning to twist toward the movement -

Too late.

The stun baton cracked against the side of his shoulder and clipped the edge of his skull instead of landing clean. The surge of electricity burst across his nerves like a flash of lightning. Pain exploded through him and the world lurched sideways.

Dash staggered forward a step, boot scraping hard against the duracrete as his balance tried to abandon him entirely. White sparks danced across his vision and a dull ringing flooded his ears. But he didn’t drop. One hand shot out to catch himself against the nearby wall. Fingers scraped across the rough surface as he forced air back into his lungs and blinked hard against the swimming haze threatening to drag him under.

Someone had tried to put him down. And they’d come close.

Dash straightened slowly, rolling his shoulder once despite the burning numbness spreading through it. His head tilted just enough to glance back over it toward the man behind him. Recognition flickered through the lingering fog. The quiet one from the bar. The guy who ordered drinks without much conversation. Tipped just enough to be polite. The kind of face that blended into a crowd if you weren’t looking for it.

Dash exhaled a short breath that might have been a laugh if it had contained any humor. “Well,” he muttered hoarsely, pushing himself fully upright as the last of the sparks cleared from his vision. “That explains the feeling.”

His gaze settled squarely on the man now, calm but sharp. “Next time you want my attention,” Dash added with his voice rough but steady, “you could always just ask for another drink.” As he spoke, his hand slipped beneath his jacket. Fingers closed around the familiar grip of his blaster before drawing it free in one smooth motion. The weapon stayed low at his side for the moment, not quite raised, but very much present. His stance shifted a fraction as he faced the man fully now. Casual to anyone who didn’t know better. Ready to move to anyone who did.

Tag: Kaelan Reiss

 

[Kaelan Reiss]

KAELAN REISS​

THEME​

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TAG: Dash Vikal
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Reiss had made contact with Dash, although it appeared to be a bit more of a glancing blow than he had intended. The Bounty Hunter paused to watch, hoping to see his target pass out on the pavement. Instead, Dash remained standing despite the intense struggle clearly coursing through his body. Reiss was honestly surprised.

Dash exhaled a short breath that might have been a laugh if it had contained any humor. “Well,” he muttered hoarsely, pushing himself fully upright as the last of the sparks cleared from his vision. “That explains the feeling.”

His gaze settled squarely on the man now, calm but sharp. “Next time you want my attention,” Dash added with his voice rough but steady, “you could always just ask for another drink.” As he spoke, his hand slipped beneath his jacket. Fingers closed around the familiar grip of his blaster before drawing it free in one smooth motion. The weapon stayed low at his side for the moment, not quite raised, but very much present. His stance shifted a fraction as he faced the man fully now. Casual to anyone who didn’t know better. Ready to move to anyone who did.

The two men were close to each other, well within effective ‘draw range’ when it came to blasters. The standard school of thought was, a person needed approximately 7 meters between them and their opponent to draw a blaster and fire off two shots within 2 seconds. Reiss was approximately 3 meters from Dash, and just as he reached to draw his pistol, Reiss was upon him - interrupting the action.

Reiss opened with another attack with his baton - attempting to strike him along the same shoulder Dash was struck by before. He said nothing, wanting to bring this target down as quickly as possible, with as much violence of action he could muster.

Maybe after this, he’d pour himself a drink.

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[Dash Vikal]

Dash’s shoulder throbbed sharply as he braced against a nearby wall, fingers tightening around the grip of his blaster. Ice-cold breath hitched as he gauged the gap between himself and Reiss. Too close. Too fast. Too dangerous.

At the last possible moment, he rolled along the wall, forcing the baton to clang hard against the stone, the jarring noise echoing across the empty street. His free hand squeezed the blaster, firing a low shot toward the pavement at Reiss’s feet. It was enough, he hoped, to create a fraction of space. But his movements were sluggish, hindered by the pain and lingering shock from the first strike. He wasn’t sure it would work.

Dash pressed his back to the wall, boots scraping against uneven pavement, breathing hard. His eyes flicked to Reiss, waiting to see if his gamble had bought him even a little room to maneuver - or if he’d have to rely on sheer luck to survive the next move.

Tag: Kaelan Reiss

 

[Kaelan Reiss]

KAELAN REISS​

THEME​

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TAG: Dash Vikal
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Dash was able to get a shot off, narrowly missing Reiss’ feet but accomplishing its purpose, forcing the hunter to back off a step. Dash scrambled against the wall, trying to maintain control over his limbs. Despite the brief pause, Reiss was undeterred. He charged again, intent on keeping the distance close so as to prevent Dash from getting a proper shot off. This time, Reiss lashed out with the baton at Vash’s gunhand, and launched into a full-body talk to throw the man on his back.

Reiss’ eyes locked with Dash’s, the panic in his target’s eyes palpable. He knew he was on borrowed time, as any authorities in the area would have heard the blaster shot, and would be searching for its source within the next few minutes. He needed to end this engagement and extract as soon as possible.

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[Dash Vikal]

Dash saw it coming. Too close. Again. Too late.

His grip tightened on the blaster, arm tensing to bring it up; but the strike came faster than his body could answer. The baton cracked hard against his gunhand, pain exploding up his arm as his fingers spasmed open. The blaster slipped, clattering uselessly against the pavement.

A sharp breath tore from his chest; not quite a shout, but close. He tried to pivot, to shift his weight and ride out the incoming tackle but his footing betrayed him. The uneven ground caught at his heel, and his balance gave way a fraction too slow.

It was enough. Reiss hit him full force. Dash went down hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs in a rough, voiceless gasp. His shoulder flared white-hot on contact, vision flashing as the world tilted sideways. Instinct still fought to answer. His hand come up, pushing, twisting, trying to turn out from under the weight but the strength wasn’t there. Not this time. His movements faltered, slowed, then broke apart under the pressure.

Breath dragged in sharp, uneven pulls as he stilled, chest rising against the weight pinning him down. His jaw tightened, eyes flicking once toward where the blaster had fallen… then back to Reiss. Focused. Clear. Not panicked. Just… calculating.

Waiting.

Tag: Kaelan Reiss

 

[Kaelan Reiss]

KAELAN REISS​

THEME​

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TAG: Dash Vikal
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‘Karking finally.’ Kaelan thought to himself as he pinned Dash down onto the pavement. The man’s gun skittered from his grasp just shy of arm’s reach, and Kaelan had no intention of allowing him to nudge his way closer to it. The bounty hunter straddled the man, bracing himself with both knees before rising up and throwing a solid right hook at Dash’s face to stun him. He then reached reached to force Dash around, to lie down on his stomach. He firmly grasped both of the man’s hands, and said in a hushed tone just loud enough for the two men to hear.

“Keep your mouth shut or I’ll cut your tongue out.” Reiss pressed his knee on the small of Dash’s back and held Dash’s wrists down with his right hand against his back, just above Reiss’ knee. Kaelan then reached for a pair of stuncuffs at his belt, working quickly to try and subdue his mark to make it easier to execute phase 2. He breathed heavily from the exertion, sweat beading along his brow. He wasn't out of the woods yet, evidence by the distant sound of voices several blocks away.

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[Dash Vikal]

Dash's breath came uneven at first, dragged back into something steadier by force of will alone. The pain in his arm pulsed, hot and insistent, but he let it settle into the background; catalogued, not reacted to. His cheek pressed against the cold pavement as Reiss forced him over, the world narrowing not from panic, but focus.

The threat earned a faint, breath-thin huff of air from him. Not quite a laugh. Not quite compliance either. “Yeah…” Dash muttered, voice rough against the ground, but quiet enough to match the hunter’s tone. “That usually works.”

His wrists were forced together, pressure biting as Reiss pinned them. Dash let his fingers slacken for just a moment as if the fight had gone out of him entirely.

The distant voices carried faintly through the street; just enough to register. Not close enough to matter. Not yet.

Dash’s gaze shifted slightly, not toward the blaster this time… but past it. Measuring space, angles and timing.

Phase two already? he thought to himself, a slight edge of dry amusement threading his mind through the strain. You move fast. His shoulders tensed; just a fraction. Then relaxed. He was waiting. Not for an opening. But for the right one.

Tag: Kaelan Reiss