Private Lost Hatchling

[Vrisskdohk]

Wild Space. Lawless. Unknown. Dangerous.

Even a skilled hunter as Vrisskdohk felt an air of unease when he set the hyperspace coordinates in his navicomputer. It wasn't an easy journey either, but the pact had been made, Vrisskdohk could not renege on his word now. Six hyperspace jumps had been made already, in what should have taken one or two in even the Outer Rim. But Kesh was no normal world. With its unique magnetic field, it required some finesse to find an appropriate place to exit hyperspace. After an excruciating 4 hours of star charts and reluctantly pushing the hyperdrive's activation gimble, he had arrived.

From orbit, Kesh looked no different than any other world, but while he was travelling Vrisskdohk had done some research. This planet had once been a settlement for Sith colonists, and even if they had all gone extinct now, Vrisskdohk was going to be ready.

While his ship's autopilot brought the modified VCX-150 freighter into the capital city spaceport, Vrisskdohk left his pilot's chair, and exited the cockpit. Wanting to prepare himself for the hunt he was about to undergo, he entered his shrine room. In it, a small altar to the Scorekeeper lie in an otherwise austere compartment.

Vrisskdohk unsheathed his ceremonial knife, and knelt before the altar. Next his belt which carried the marks of his successful contracts was laid before the altar. "By your divine grace," he said in his native Dosh, "This point shall be mine." He positioned his knife as if to make the mark, but did not apply the necessary pressure to do so. Vrisskdohk began reciting the four prayers, a regular ritual of his before every hunt. It was about to begin.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

To say it had been a long three months working with another person might be putting mildly. Zesiro was not one to use people, but she had been assigned to working with another person. So the queen had put him to work in the garden. Much of her time was spent there and the two of them worked together pretty well after they had hashed things out. After a few arguments, tempertanrums and moody sulking sessions, they had finally gotten a feel for each other.

Those days had to come to end though and she was bidding farewell to the trandosian that had ended up becoming a friend. Little did she know that her friend was actually missed by his people and one of them would come knocking on her door any time.

[member="Vrisskdohk"]

 

[Vrisskdohk]

Vrisskdohk was prepared for a fight. Thats what his intel told him to be prepared for anyways.

Rexus' last known contact, a fellow soldier of the Fel Empire, had said he had been captured and brought in chains to the royal family of this world. Vrisskdohk had been told, however, that Rexus' honor and Jagganath points must be returned to him. And there was only one way of doing that.

With his prayers complete, Vrisskdohk equipped himself with his blasters and blades, and exited his ship on the spaceport platform. Not wishing to create a ruckus yet, he paid for his stay, and found an aircab to the royal palace. Vrisskdohk wondered if his plan would work. He also wondered if he could even find an audience with the king or queen.

Only time would tell as he told the gate guards his purpose of visit.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

The guards would let him in easily enough and without a fight. However, they did not allow him to wander around alone. One of their jobs was to protect the royal family and Zesiro was certainly part of that. They also carried weapons and did not take their eyes off the guest. Not treating him harshly or without respect, unless he tried something, they would remain that way.

A message was sent to Zesiro to prepare for the visitor and she made her way to where they were going to meet. She wasn't one to flaunt or abuse her power, but she did have her position to uphold. So instead of bothering Edric or any of the others, she would meet with him.

Wearing blue, her lightsaber was clipped to her belt and she had grown into the woman she was now. It had taken her a few years, but where once a timid woman had stood, one now that held confidence and power had taken her place. No longer was she one to be afraid, but stand her ground when the need came. Hoping this wasn't going to turn nasty, she and the guards were ready if it did happen.

[member="Vrisskdohk"]

 

[Vrisskdohk]

As the guards watched Vrisskdohk, Vrisskdohk watched the guards. Still, he remained calm and collected. He did not wish to come off as hostile. He was here to pick up a member of his species, and that was all they needed to know.

He noticed the architecture of the building. It matched some of the tapes he had acquired along the way. Late post-Heian Period construction, remodeled with the interior decoration of the- Stop, Vrisskdohk thought to himself, focus on the hunt. You can indulge yourself with the frivolous design later.

When Vrisskdohk was brought into the queen's audience, he bowed, attempting to try and deliver the niceties he thought due a noblewoman. His bow, however, was stiff and awkward, this was foreign protocol to the Trandoshan. He looked at his opponent, trying to gauge her and her abilities. He noticed the lightsaber and his first, and probably most accurate, assumption was a force user. This would put a kink in his plan, but it was accomplishable nonetheless.

"Oh great eminence." he stated in his paltry attempt at a major address, "I have been ssssent on behalf of the Varessk clan. I ssssearch for their ssspawn, Rexussss no Jin. My ssssourcessss inform me he hasss been captured by your court, and currently ressssidesss as a prisssoner. Isss thisss true?"

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Zesiro might not be a warrior by any deffinition of the word. She had seen a few battles though and lived through them. Not entirely unharmed. These hurts didn't stop her from doing what was needed and wouldn't hold her back now.

Since she had not been raised in a warrior culture, she couldn't tell he was sizing her up as he looked at her. That wasn't something she thought of herself.

Listening to what the trandosian said, she nodded.

"I know who you speak of. He was captured while attempting to hunt one of our dragons here. Not a prisoner as you think, I assume. We don't lock people up in chains or anything like that. Rexus was given a 90 sentence to serve me."

One thing she did not say was if he was still around or not.

[member="Vrisskdohk"]

 

[Vrisskdohk]

Vrisskdohk craned his head in confusion, "A ninety day sentence?"


He quickly tried to recall when the Trandoshan had been captured, but he could not conjure an exact date. This woman's vague wording was beginning to infuriate the hunter, but he did not show it. Not yet at least. His hands hung by his sides, ready to pull his blasters if things did not go as he wished.

"Of courssse, he broke the lawsss of your land, and mussst pay a penance. Asss isss cussstomary. However, I need to return him to hisss clan, they worry for their ssspawn. I have been authorized to provide a sssum of creditsss as bail, if it would pleassse her highnessss."

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

It would have surprised her if he had known his exact date of capture, but that wasn't what was in question. Shaking her head, Zesiro took a seat in the chair provided for her. Not quite a throne, but a very nice chair. Offering her guest one, she motioned for him to take a seat if he wanted to.

"He has already served his time and left. It hasn't been very long though so you might still be able to catch him."

If she had known a person was going to come searching for him, then she wouldn't have let him go so easily. The law was the law though and his sentence was over. Neither Zesiro or her people had any right to hold him longer than they had already.

"I'm pretty sure he might still be on the planet, but he's no longer within the Palace or on its grounds. I'm sorry."

[member="Vrisskdohk"]

 

[Vrisskdohk]

Vrisskdohk felt a flurry of emotions. Anger. Worry. Frustration.

He was at a dead end. His quarry was somewhere on a planet of millions, and he had no tracking fob to find him with. Fortunately, he suspected there were few Trandoshans on the world, but that would not make his search any easier. He couldn't give up the bounty, he had accepted it, not only that, but he had made a contract with a fellow Trandoshan. There were grave consequences for breaking one of those, both in this world and the next.

Vrisskdohk wanted to leave at once, but he needed something before he could go,

"Do you have any idea where my quarry might have gone?"

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

If he could read a human, he would be able to tell the woman was giving some thought to his question. Lifting a hand, she motioned to one of the guards and called her over.

"Please bring us a map."

While they waited, Zesiro had some water brought for them to drink. Taking a sip or two, she set her glass down and looked at her guest.

"You are a bounty hunter than?"

She might not be the brightest person around, but she wasn't entirely stupid. What she hoped for was he wasn't planning on hurting her friend.

[member="Vrisskdohk"]

 

[Vrisskdohk]

Vrisskdohk looked at the water, but didn't partake, He didn't drink on the job, even water. The Trandoshan wasn't a good reader of humans, but he didn't need to be to understand that she was invested in this somehow.

"I am a hunter, asss wasss my procreator."

Vrisskdohk was a reptile of few words, and he was not in the mood to share life stories with some queen. He wanted his mark. Luckily, the guard returned with a holomap not too much later.

"Now, where?" He asked impatiently.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

The map was laid out and Zesiro started placing a few marks on it.

"Here is where he was captured. While it is on the palace grounds, I wouldn't entirely take it out of the question. These were his rooms while he was here in the palace. Again, I feel he had left, but don't leave any stone unturned. Perhaps he left something behind that could give you a clue to where he is going."

As she pointed each place out, another mark went down.

"This last place is the spaceport, but you came in that way. I highly doubt you two could have passed each other and one of you not notice."

One of the places she marked was a cantina she had known him to go to when he wasn't working for her. Even she wasn't a slave driver and gave him time off. He was honorable enough to not try and escape during his stay with her.

[member="Vrisskdohk"]

 

[Vrisskdohk]

He looked at what the queen had provided for him. Rooms. This former prisoner had had better living conditions than Vrissdohk ever had. He was even starting to feel a twang of envy. But then the reality of capture and its implications cleared his mind of any such thoughts.

Multiple options had been laid out, and Vrissdohk could not decide between them. The spaceport seemed the most likely option, but ships going in and out were so few and far between that even Vrisskdohk might have been able to catch sight of him passing by, so he was likely not there. The cantina might be a place to rest after a long term of service, or a place to find a job or way off the planet, but there was no guarantee he was there. So, Vrisskdohk took the safest option,

"I wish to sssee hisss quartersss."

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

"Very well, please follow me."

They wouldn't be going alone and the guards fell into step behind them. Not in any sort of threatening manner, just an escort and guard for the two of them.

Around them, he would notice how well kept things were and at intervals certain items were set out on display. Some ancient and others just very pretty artwork. Soon enough they arrived at the rooms he had stayed in while serving under Zesiro. Opening the door, she motioned for him to enter.

"I'm pretty sure he has taken his belongings with him. They were never denied to him."

[member="Vrisskdohk"]

 

[Vrisskdohk]

Vrisskdohk still did not trust this woman. His hands were ready to move for his blaster at any moment, unsure of what the queen's guards had in mind.

The Trandoshan didn't care for the little trinkets and tapestries he passed, but the construction of the palace frequently distracted him from his mission. When they finally reached the former prisoner's rooms, Vrisskdohk began his investigation.

No stone was left unturned, the Trandoshan practically ransacked the few rooms, until he found a set of drawings in what Vrissdohk assumed was a sort of study. Drawings on the anatomy of Kesh dragons.

"I'm beginning to have an idea of where my quarry might be, queen." he stated.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

To have it said Zesiro trusted the trandosian was false. He wasn't the first or probably the last she would encounter. One thing she did know was not to get in his way. Just as long as he didn't destroy anything in the rooms, she wasn't going to have him stopped.

Tearing the bedding off the bed, any clothes left behind out onto the floor, the man looked everywhere for clues and ideas to where his target had moved onto. Eventually, he stopped and held up some drawings that clearly showed they were designs of the dragons he had been hunting before he was caught.

She looked around his body at the drawing and then up at him.

"Where do you think he might be?"

Vrisskdohk

 

[Vrisskdohk]

Vrisskdohk was one for the dramatics, and in true dramatic fashion, he declined to answer the question.

"The location where Rexusss wasss caught, can you take me to it?"

It might be a bit much to ask a ride of the royal, but without a vehicle, Vrisskdohk worried this hunt would prove fruitless if he did not act fast. Zesiro's generosity would be his only opportunity, even if it came with strings attached.

Zesiro

 

[Zesiro]

He didn't answer her question and she brought her eyebrows down in slight annoyance. That quickly changed though and he asked if she could take him to where Rexus had been caught.

"Yes, of course. Come with me."

They walked to one of the garages where speeders were located. All of them climbed in and one of the guards took up the driver's spot. Giving him directions, he nodded silently and they were off.

"Do you think he could have returned? It's been months since he was caught."

Looking across the seat to her trandosian guest, Zesiro wasn't treating him any differently than before, but her body language was more open.

Vrisskdohk

 

[Vrisskdohk]

"Possssibly."

The Trandoshan mused, deciding to entertain his host rather than leave her in the dark. It seemed a more friendly approach would be the best in order to find his quarry.

"Capture isss a very sssacrilegiousss occurrence in a Trandoshan's life, asss I'm sure you know, being a well-educated noble. If one isss captured, all one'sss Jagganath points are consssidered forfeit in the Ssscorekeeper's eyesss. One losesss their dessstined place among the ancientsss and the revered. It bringsss shame, not only to yourssself, but your entire clan."

Vrisskdohk paused for a moment as he thought of his own father's capture at the hands of Queen Kay of Commenor. Momentarily, anger bubbled beneath his reptilian expression, thinking of the dishonor his clan faced for his father's inabilities as a hunter, but then his calm demeanor returned, and he continued to explain his reasoning,

"While completely irreversssible in every way, it doesss not prevent one from earning back the pointsss one hasss lost. Although it ssseemed your prisssoner, if I could even call him that, did ssseem to take hisss ssservitude with remarkable admiration for you and thisss planet,"

Vrisskdohk ensured to make eye contact with Zesiro as he said this, so that she could see his displeasure with the seemingly traitorous behavior of his Trandoshan comrade to the Keshite queen.

"He would ssstill wish to regain good ssstanding with the Ssscorekeeper, and fast, knowing how quickly a loner, even an accomplished hunter like Rexusss, can lossse their life out here in Wild Ssspace. Where elssse would he go, but a familiar hunting ground?"

Zesiro

 

[Zesiro]

Nodding her understanding of his culture, Zesiro allowed him to finish explaining things before speaking again.

"You're not the first trandoshan I've encountered."

To any potential sting out of her words, a smile was included. Maybe she was doing well as a queen and wearing masks. What she stated was true and she left out some rather unsavory details of her own past encounters with one of his kind.

"He was captured and lost his points. By trying to capture him again aren't you putting what he has earned back in danger?"

Just because he had been caught poaching, that didn't mean she hadn't allowed him to hunt now and then. As long he left the dragons alone, that was fine.

"He was a fine servant!"

She hadn't considered he would possibly return to where he was discovered, but deciding to follow the hunch of her guest, this is where they headed.

Vrisskdohk