Jagged Fang

[Shepard]

He was tightening his chest piece as he entered the cockpit. His black hair slicked back from the night before. He was proud of his muscular body. His black pants were lose but were very durable. He fiddled with something small in his hands as he strolled through the ship. Shepard spoke aloud as he walked into the pit ranting to his partner in crime.

"So remember that smuggler from the cantina last night?" Shepard walked in as he sat in the co-pilots chair and put his left boot up on a control panel as he tied it. "That idiot tried telling me that his Heavy Gun was more accurate than my modified EE-3 carbine rifle." Shepard quickly padded his pockets in urgency as if he had lost something. "Ah ha!" he pulled out a piece of paper with an address on it and a holo-terminal contact number. "Ok we're good. So anyways we go outside to do some target practice, I call it practice because that dumb Rodian needs some." Shepard pulled out his Modified EE-3 blaster rifle and aimed down the sights. He saw the hanger as he was reenacting his story, pointing the gun out the window of the cockpit. "Obviously I told the guy we should shoot at moving targets, it was more challenging that way. So I take a shot at this a trader's hat, BANG!! I shot it right off his head."

Shepard brought his rifle down turning to his pilot, as his story from the night before had unfolded. "So before I had a chance to gloat he shoots at the SAME TRADER and hits him square in the chest!! I know, you can't even make this stuff up!" So a few of his friends come over and beat him up and took his gun!" Shepard laughed at himself, he always found himself so amusing.

"Any way long story short, someone heard me rambling about my amazing hunting and tracking skills after we all laughed about the Rodian getting beat up. I found someone who needs some work done, he saw the talent I displayed when firing that ONE round. This guy needs transportation though a region he can not get a vehicle through, needs us to Capture a Varactyl."

Spoiler: Varactyl

[member="Revy"]

 

[Revy]

She pressed down on the main terminal in disgust, burping as she leaned over to look for what she considered a godsend. Her hands moved slowly across her shorts. Her tiny fingers searched the tight jean pockets she always seemed to fit things into. A small square pack latching onto her index finger as she squeezed. A pack of cigarettes, uncommon and rarely ever allowed in public places was revealed. Revy grabbed a small thin cig from the pack and lifted it to her mouth. She lit the cig and leaned back into her comfy captains chair. The clatter of footsteps approaching as she sucked in and let loose, a cloud of smoke filling the cockpit.

"Don't mention the cantina ever again, I think I drank too much." She groggily replied, wincing as if in pain. Her crimson eyes scanned for Shepard until he sat down in the chair next to her. His feet thrown up onto her hyperdrive panel. It was the sixth time this week, and he still didn't get the message. Revy bit down hard onto her cig and let loose. "The feet Shepard! Off the damn hyperdrive switches! It's like you don't care if we go high tailing into the hangar bay walls!" She screamed, her voice holding a scratchy deep tone. Shepard clearly didn't care, he continued the story going on and on about some Rodian that challenged him to a target challenge.

As he finished Revy let out a loud laugh. Slapping her knee as Shepard told her about the beat up. She snorted through the prolonged laughter. The galaxy was filled with a special kinda of irony. It was something that the duo really brought to the table. Reaching for the piece of paper she snatched it out of Shepards hands. She punched in the codes as a hologram of the designation popped up. The illuminating purple from the screen making her squint.

"The Tarabba Sector, are you kidding me?" Revy slammed her fist down into the metal arm of her captains chair. "Shepard, you know we can't make it there and back in time. Not with all the crap you've been doing back there to the propulsion pipes. Like how hard is it to turn the valve left, not right!" She grew angry, letting out another puff of smoke. Her maroon hair finally falling to her shoulders. Revy's black tank tightly caressing her chest. She stood turning to leave the cockpit, her small stature evidently something that was a guides for her real attitude. Her pistols holstered nicely in there holders, hanging at her mid section. Pressing a button on the cieling of the 'White Raven' a hatch opened below. The hangar floor now visible. Flicking her finger towards the hole the cig flew out and into the hanger. Slamming her closed fist against the button again as it closed in response.

"I have to fix everything, it's really starting to get to that point Shepard. I'll leave. Just like all the rest that couldn't put up with your nonsense." She glared at him, his feet still perched up on the hyperdrive panel. "Whatever, by the way I touched all your guns while you were out. Better check your scopes, O' Great one." She turned and scampered off, yelling one last thing in the distance.

"Don't touch anything in the cockpit! I mean it!"

Revy made her way to the other end of the ship to check the maintenance log. Cursing Shepard under her breath so he wouldn't hear.

[member="Shepard"]

 

[Shepard]

"You crazy LUNATIC!" Shepard bolted out the door at the sound of Revy making jokes about messing with his guns. He ran down to his armory, that is what he called his slice of heaven, a 10x10 room with all of his equipment. Shepard burst into the room and went right over to his blasters. The EE-3 was safe, as it was in Shepard's possession the previous night, but he needed to check everything else. He was surrounded with some of the most impressive equipment. There were hunting blasters, pistols, suits to withstand different terrain. To his left a wall with explosives. To his right was two shelves full of ammunition, he had stun rounds, tranquilizer darts, the whole nine yards.

"You realize that these guns keep us BOTH safe..." He half yelled as he began dismantling his guns so he could clean them. After realizing the first two were perfect he realized she was bluffing and walked around the ship until he found Revy. He found her near the maintenance log, working on some of the ships problems.

"So if we are gonna take this mission, We are going to need to rent a crane, or another vehicle that can drag a varactyl after we drop it. And by rent I mean borrow one and than avoid this place for while because I forgot to quote this guy the cost of the crane as well." Shepard spoke as he watched Revy work on fixing everything as she always had. "I know a Rodian that won't be using his crane for a while. Could probably snatch his crane and leave. That little guy probably has PTSD and won't ever fire a blaster again. Than we will be golden." Shepard was distracted about this next job. Whenever he realized he had a new target he began looking for material on his prey. Checking for stomping/breeding grounds, their aggression, pack size, stamina, etc...

"So how does it look, are we going to be taking off today?" Shepard asked hoping he wouldn't be stuck on Chazwa one more day.

 

[Revy]

Revy hadn't laid a finger on Shepard's guns. She was clever, she knew that he would run after them like they were gold. It was just easier to get his feet off her beautiful ship. It was only a few years old and the new paint job they decided on made the 'White Raven' look slick. She couldn't think of the last time Shepard ran to his simple minded tools.

Revy stopped her head turning to the wall as a metal container stared back at her. Tiny slits that made it look like a vent. Reaching with her finger-less gloves she ripped it open. Wires revealing themselves as Shepard turned the corner. She moved the wires to the side as she began to work, tiny zaps coming from the inside as she continued.

"Something like a crane? Heh. I could use that to lift your fat butt out of my co-pilot chair. Not that I couldn't force you out of it." Revy smiled. "You don't have to say rent like that. Just say steal next time. It's not like you never took anything that wasn't yours." She fake coughed her next words sounded muffled as her hand covered her mouth. "Lightsaber."

She pushed the wires back in and and slammed the contianer shut.

" Voila! I'm amazing." Revy said, her hip shifted outward as she bent her elbow and her hand stiffly placed on her side. "So it's looking like by nightfall, I'd say we depart in....Three."

Revy didn't specify if it was three minutes, hours, or years. She flipped her hair back and looked at Shepard. His stout physique showing through his favorite shirt.

"Oh, one last thing before I fix the stabilizers. You're on cleanup duty, starting with the Refresher." She started to laugh at the thought of Shepard cleaning the one place she knew he hated on the ship. Needless to say it was an accident for the ages that always made Revy smile.

She walked passed him, bumping his shoulder as she did. Making it through the hallway she yelled back.

"Don't forget the scented Strawberry stuff I like so much!"​ Revy said playing at Shepard's emotions.

Soon they would be on their way to rent a crane from a very lucky Rodian.

[member="Shepard"]

 

[Shepard]

As he listened to the long list of demands, Shepard thought of the agonizing pain that coincided with cleaning the ship. "Ugh you and your chore list." Shepard muttered under his breath. The worst part about it was he knew full well he was going to have take care of the refresher. Shepard went through a variety of pilots before he hired Revy. She definitely had her quirks when it came to her ship, but her pros overshadowed the OCD cons. Shepard hired this one pilot he left on Nar Shaddaa, idiot couldn't tell a blaster rifle from a light saber. Than there was the broad that decorated his rifle, Shepard shivered as he recalled the dreadful pink paint that stained his old hunter blaster. Revy may have an attitude now in again, but their personalities fit together.

"I should probably clear something up." Shepard cleared his throat. "By we should go steal the Rodian's crane.....I meant we did steal the Rodian's crane. I paid off a few pirates to help me load it onto the raven this morning..." Shepard hollered down the hall. "So we can leave whenever this hunk feels like taking off. Shepard sneered at the walls of the White Raven. The ship had never failed him, but just like Revy, he had to personify the ship and make fun of it as well.

"Seriously, we should go, before that idiot realizes that we stole more than just a crane!" He yelled down the hall, he hoped Revy would understand the gravity of the situation.

[member="Revy"]

 

[Revy]

Revy could hear his yelling loud and clear. She bit her lower lip and stopped dead in her tracks. Revy leaned forward her crimson eyes peering into the cockpit. Standing in the middle of the hull she tried looking through the front cockpit window. She couldn't tell what was going on out in front of her ship, figures ruthlessly pushing mechanics out of the way.

"Shep. You could have told me that before hand! We got company...." She tapped her holsters and grinned. "Up to you, I can greet these scruffs with my pistols!" Revy walked closer to the cockpit as she raised her voice so Shepard could hear. "Or we can risk the part of our carry on and high tail it outta here!" She ran to her captain chair, throwing the loose cans from the night before off her control panel. Revy finally got a good look as she flicked the switches. Reaching for a lever above her she laughed.

She could feel the thrill of a fight coming sooner rather than later. Something about her had always been about the next best thing. Putting her life on the line always seemed to make her feel alive. Her eyes lifted from the controls to the approaching group of baddies, twelve of them well armed and approaching faster than she liked. At this rate it would be a laser show between the twelve hired soldiers and the crew of the White Raven.

"Shep! I don't know about you but it's your call! Can you fight!? They are moving fast I don't think i have time to do...." She paused. "Ya' know, the thing!"

Her hands cluthed around the manual pilot controls, she watched the digital numbers on the screen in front of her. The complimentary shields were almost up.

"If they shoot at my ship, they're all dead." Revy said to herself quietly. She began to tap her foot quickly on the floor. Counting the seconds in her head for Shepard;s call.

[member="Shepard"]

 

[Shepard]

As he heard the cries that signified danger was incoming, Shepard ran to the locker to grab his EE-3, he slung it around his shoulder, his death hammer, thaw was secured snug in his holster, and his MM9. The rocket system slid onto his wrist with ease as he went jogged towards the boarding ramp. His veins were pumping with adrenaline, he was yelling back to Revy so she would know what to do.

"I don't feel like being followed off of Chazwa, I am going to meet them, I need you to stay in the cockpit." Shepard threw on his chest piece from his bounty/beast hunter suit. "Remember when we escaped on Balmora?" Shepard was referring to wiping out the enemies with the ship's weapons systems. He was going to distract them and maneuver them the best he could allowing his partner to take care of them all in one shot. "I'll do my best to get as many of them by that crate as possible. Any stragglers I'll clean up." he yelled back as his palm slammed the red button in the rear of the White Raven. The boarding ramp lowered, as he walked down it and circled around the ship into Revy's view.

Counting quickly there was approximately twelve guys investigating the hangar, they all started swarming towards him.

"I have this canny ability to be able to pick out scum that is looking for me." Shepard antagonized as they all grew angrier by the second. "I'm serious, one time at a cantina, watched this guy walk down the street and I just knew he was after me. Walked through the front doors and walked right up to the bar keep and asked for me by name. Of course I shot the bartender and the alien." Shepard's right hand held the grip of his carbine securely. His trigger finger rested ever so slightly against it's release. The extended custom stock was securely pressed against his right shoulder. His left hand resided on the forehand of the blaster, the gun was not raised but it was positioned to be risen quickly if need be.

The Pirate in front of him was a shorter guy with a hat, brown vest and a blaster on his waist. "Are you the guy who stole Helo's crane?" he asked raising he pointer finger to Shepard.

"Ahhhh, you weren't listening to my story. So here is the jest of it, never inquire about me." Shepard nods his head up towards one of the other pirates before him. "Is it me? I mean I thought it was pretty obvious." Shepard asked completely awestruck by his density. "I left the key to the storage facility to the crane in that crate over there." Shepard motioned to a crate that lined up with the Raven's weapon's system. The sly looking moron sent most of his men to retrieve the fake key card. Even if it was real it wouldn't take eight people to retrieve it, oh well that means Shepard would only need to clean up four of the stragglers. Now he awaited Revy's response.

[member="Revy"]

 

[Revy]

The loud thump of her chest made her smile, everything about being in tight situations made her light up. Some people that saw her in action would say she's crazy, that was far from the case, she was insane. Her ruby red eyes shifted to the weapon systems numbers popping up as she frantically pressed what she needed to get them online. With her other free hand she searched for her communication device. Revy slammed her knee into the panel as her ear piece fell to the floor. A small blue light blinked telling her the ear piece was already on. She pressed a button and stood up snatching the ear piece as she ran to the other end of her ship. She mushed it into her ear as she contacted Shepard.

"Gotcha! Shep! Problem, well not really, cause I can fix anything but you better hope those idiots take longer than you normally planned." Revy spit as she ran. "The targeting systems are down I have to fix it!"

She knew exactly what she needed to fix thanks to the Maintenance Log from before. Revy jumped as she landed just at the end of the ramp leading to her desired location. The tiny wires she was looking for were cut. reaching for her tools she quickly found the solution. Grabbing onto the wire she pulled a tiny spark exerting from the back mainframe of the electrical conduit. Splicing the wire revealed two copper strands. Popping off the top of a clear can she smeared black liquid onto the tips of the copper and pressed the other end of the cut off wire together.

Revy slammed her palm into the metal floor of the White Raven. She started to sweat, everything wasn't going the way she planned.

"Screw it." Revy said, darting for the port side turret.

Sliding into the gunner seat she aimed, eight juicy morons ready to be fried. She made it just in time one of the hired guns turning to go after Shepard.

"Shepard, Now!" Revy screamed a wide smile reaching her face as she open fired.

Laughing her body shook as she steadily fired. Beams of green lit up the hangar in seconds and before anyone could react they were dust. The crate sent flying into the far side hangar walls as an alarm sounded. Sparks and heat marks permanently making their mark as she fired.

"Holy Cow did you see that! That one guy's body just went flying into the other ships engine and they were about to take off! Poor bastard got toasted Ha Ha!" She caught her breath as she let go of the gunner controls and pushed her self back up into the White Raven. "Oh and Shep, hurry up."

Running for the cockpit she only hoped that Shepard would make it like he always seemed to do.

[member="Shepard"]

 

[Shepard]

Time had slowed almost to a halt. Shepard's carefree attitude vanished as the first round fired from the Raven. The reaction time of the gang of pirates was slow. They never stood a chance against Revy and her ships arsenal. Shepard raised the stock of his weapon into a notch between his shoulder and chest. He pointed his weapon towards the scoundrels and fired two rounds. The blaster bolts penetrated the ring leader dead center in his chest. He strafed to the right as the white raven continued it's assault. Shepard rolled tucking his dominant should, landing his somersault he rose to his knee his elbow landed on a crate. Aiming down his sights he confirmed the kills and looked for stragglers. One grunt hid behind a hanger door, as he attempted to run Shepard let out a slow breath and squeezed the trigger. The muzzle flashed as the grunt fell to his back.

"Alright, I think I've had enough of Chazwa." Shepard stood, scanning the hanger as he walked back towards the white raven. "So let's get going on this contract before more trouble comes out way." Shepard walked up the ramp and closed the door behind him."So what do you say are we getting out of here? We have a long ride, a few sectors away if we hope to capture a Varactyl." Shepard return his guns to the weapons cage and headed towards the cock pit. He sat next to Revy as he slid his hand in his pocket for a pack of smokes. " Should we stop for some booze?"

 

[Revy]

Revy's captain chair fit her just as nicely as it had any other day. Her wide smile still apparent as she heard the engine churn into 'GO' mode. A warning screen popping up as she ignored the White Raven's prompt. She knew Shepard was now safely on board, the loud footsteps approaching her with ease.

"I still have a headache from last night, I think booze is the last thing I'm looking for." She grinned now as she leaned over to grab a half empty bottle of a clear liquid substance. "If you want to drink on the job, here." She tossed the bottle towards Shepard her arms moving backwards as the ship toook flight. The energized hum of her beautiful ship made her calm the world around her no longer a worry. The alarms of the hangar phased out of her hearing, all she could hear was her ship and her own breathing. Even as Shepard kept talking nothing but her and the wide open space ahead of her mattered.

The hangar's electromagnetic field started to spark giving her only seconds to punch it to lightspeed. Turning the boosters of her ship on sent the Chazwa police force flying back into the wall. Revy jerked forward with her hand. The hyperdrive fed off the engines power as the White Raven slipped through the magnetic field of the hangar bay in a flash. The tiny twinkles of millions of stars stretched and weaved their way around the cockpit window as Revy lit another cig.

"I still got it! Whoo!" She let out a celebratory praise for herself. "So a Varactyl. Anything I should know Shep?"

 

[Shepard]

The bottle of salvation flew through the air, the bottle fumbled in his hands as Revy was about to jump to light speed. Stretching one hand to catch the closed glass bottle inverted. With his other hand his fingers gripped the seat as the window before him tuned into a bright light. Every shape stretched as his eyes could no longer keep up with the velocity of the White Raven. Finally steadying himself as they exited the atmosphere Shepard brought the bottle to his lap as he took the cover off.

"YEAH YOU DO!" he said enthusiastically as he responded to her self endearing comment. He raised the bottle to his lips as he processed Revy's question. His free hand was exploring his pocket until he finally found a crumpled paper box. As he lowered his hand he let out a masculine noise that coincided with his huge gulp. Shepard took a moment and attempted to balance the bottle on the panel hanging off the dash. Finally succeeding he brought a cig to his lips and light the tip with his other hand.

"Matter of fact," the amber tip of his smoke began to glow as Shepard inhaled. "Both the males and females have armor plated skulls. They are not usually hostile but anything you attack will be." The exhaust left his mouth as he went into detail. "They are fast, agile and can climb anything in sight. Seeing how I don't have a speeder handy I might have to try to catch them as they sleep." Concern presented itself not only in his tone but his facial expressions.

"The risk is that they occasionally sleep in packs. This not only makes it hard to subdue one, but it will be impossible to export from the pack as the rest will be on edge." Shepard trailed off trying to devise another strategy. Taking another inhale from his cig he looked over to Revy.

"Or we could steal a speeder." Shepard smirked as he knew how sly he was.

 

[Revy]

Judging by the scrawling on the screen it would be at least a few hours before they would magically appear in front of the remote planet Utapau. If there was one thing Revy knew it was flying she had taken the fastest route her White Raven allowed. The ship glided through space blindingly fast safe from any threats that would obstruct their course.

"Sounds like we got our work cut out for us." She let out another cloud of smoke, tobacco the only apparent smell filling the cockpit. "You think we can somehow lure them away from one another? Maybe." Revy paused glancing at Shepard. "That better not spill." She interrupted herself and then went on her tangent. "Anyways, maybe throw some meat to lure them towards us? Get em' in our sights and Bam! Toast those little lizards!" She lightly laughed, she always seemed to downplay their work as easy.

Everyone in the galaxy knew that even when it came to taming or killing a beast of vicious nature things could get ugly quick. To be in the business you had to be quick, smart, and lucky. That's why she loved it, everything could go wrong at any given moment. Revy was always a risk taker when it came to life in general. Her hands stretched upward as her toes pointed forward and yawned.

"I don't know about stealing another piece of equipment. I like the idea and all but I'd like to land in a hangar for just once without trouble." Revy said, playing with her hair until she put it up into a pony tail. Her red eyes dancing from screen to screen to make sure everything with the White Raven was fine. "But I do love me some Trouble." She said smiling.

She leaned back into her chair to get more comfortable her elbows resting on the arm. A thought reaching the back of her mind.

"How does a Varactyl develop armor plated skulls? Are these mutated animals?"

[member="Shepard"]

 

[Shepard]

Thinking about the challenges they would soon face Shepard continued to drink his booze. He glanced in Revy's direction as he brought the bottle away from his lips.

"I don't know." Shepard took a puff of his cig, "But that armor is no joke, I once picked up a skull when I was really drunk on Alderan and smashed it against this guys blaster, broke the gun right in half." The smoke left his lungs as he spoke. "Guy was so mad but what could he do? It's not like he had a blaster anymore." Shepard was reminiscing about the trip ahead. Having work always made him feel like he was on a mission, between jobs he usually drank enough to forget that gap of time. When they arrived at their destination the hunter in him would come out. No booze, smoke, or anything, scents can give him away, the affects of both of those could affect his action, decision making, or his ability to squeeze the trigger.

Shepard's mind was focusing on the Varactyls, even if his mouth was reciting a humorous story from his past. Isolation would be key, Baiting them would be challenging. He would have to catch one of them on the rock side and reveal himself in order to get it to work.

"Ok Revy we can do it your way. I will figure out a way to capture the Varactyl without stealing anything else, you just have to get me there!" He smiled as he leaned back in to his chair.

 

[Revy]

An Hour Later

The planet was large, the sight of it giving off a greenish, brown. A loud buzzer went off as Revy woke up, her eyes crusted over with residue. Rubbing them, the flap of her gloves fell to the side. Her hair a tangled mess. A mechanical voice from the ship's main interface spoke freely.

"Entering Utapau's Atmosphere. Brace for entrance. I repeat, Brace for entry." The system alerted her as she yawned.
"Oh shut up, as if i didn't already know that." Fixing herself she wiped her hands on her tight jean shorts and grabbed a hold of the controls. "Get ready Shep, we're here."

The White Raven slipped through the dense cone of magnetic force, like hot burning coals the front end of her ship was lit. Revy had been flying for so long that the cherry red color always reminded her of a cigarette. The urge to grab one made her frustrated as she pulled up on the joystick, the White Raven evened out as it sped through the clouds. The cherry red that once lingered at the forefront of her ship was no more. The howling of the wind made the ship shutter, a quick flick of the wrist the craft churned to the right. Lowering the altitude she looked out the window.

The arid landscape showed little promise, murky waters, and sand. Continuing her course she reached for something behind her. A small electrical device that looked like a rectangle cartridge was lifted from behind her chair.

"Don't forget these, I bought them from the ithorian back on Chazwa. Thought you might like some new tranquilizers." Revy said as she held out the cartridge filled case. Vials of liquid lightly shown through. Revy looked to Shep and smiled. "You've got, roughly five minutes till we reach the coordinates. Gear up."

Looking out the front window of her ship, she had one thing on her mind.

The Hunt.

[member="Shepard"]