Private Not Your Average Rescue Mission

[Lucien Kenston]

-Rak Chib Fight Club
Sluis Van
Outer Rim Territories
Sluis Sector

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Lucien wiped his head with a blood soaked towel and gave a hardy spit onto the mat while a repurposed pit droid tended to his wounds. It was the end of round four of his shockboxing match, and it hadn’t been his night so far. The Duros across from him in the ring had him beat in both size and strength, and Lucien remained convinced he was using illegal shockmitts. This was an underground match after all, and there was a good chance this fight was rigged... Fuck this guy, he thought. Lucien was on this world for more important business, this fight needed to be done with.

Lucien shot up at the sound of the bell starting the next round, gave his head a good shake, and bounced towards the center of the ring. The Duros played a brutal style, his body not even wincing at a flurry of Lucien’s shots. Its almost as if taking them head on charged his own strength as he responded with a sweeping hook landing square on Lucien’s jaw. As he staggered back towards the ropes, the Duros showed his biggest burst of energy since the fight began, lacing Lucien with punch after punch. The Sluissi ref jumped in between the two, breaking them apart, “Over! Its over!”. The entire bar erupted in applause as the Duros shot his arms up in victory. Lucien was left in the corner, his consciousness hanging in the balance. Two pit droids ran over to him, dumping a bucket of ice water on his head.

“For karks sake! A medic? Can I get a damn medic over here?” Lucien yelled as he shook the water off and shoved the droids away. In all the commotion, no one seemed to hear his plea. As one eye was sealed shut from the punches he took in the fight, he used the other to scan the room for help.

I gotta get the hell out of here...

Ki'an Vizsla

 

[Ki'an Vizsla]

"Emberlene in three days?" Ki'an checked with the man sitting opposite him, neither paying attention to the ongoing fight. "Yeah." The man responded as he stole a quick glance at the shockboxing. Not naturally a particularly aggressive individual, such forms of entertainment didn't appeal the Mandalorian but he was familiar with them nonetheless as many of his peers were avid fans of such a sport. "Send me the coordinates and I'll be there." He replied, at which point the other man offered a handshake to seal the deal which Ki'an accepted.

As they did so, the bar filled with noise from those cheering at the outcome of the fight. Ki'an stood up, ready to leave but as he did he could see between the shoulders of people that the loser of the fight had not fared so well from the look of it so he approached the ring to get a better look which only confirmed his initial thoughts. "Excuse me, I'm a medic." He told the people he was trying to squeeze between, hoping they would move to accommodate him, which they did.

Once the way was clear, he knelt down beside the injured man and already had a small tube of bacta spray in his hand. He showed the man what it was in attempt to ease his mind about a stranger spraying a foreign substance in his face. "Bacta spray." He confirmed before applying it to the man's face which seemed to take the brunt of the damage. Ki'an looked over his shoulder at all the prying eyes that were on them and then back at the injured man. "Let's get you out of here." He told the man as he applied a patch to the nearest area of exposed skin which would hopefully alleviate some pain.

The Mandalorian was unsure of the extent of the man's injuries but he imagined he would need help standing up so he stood up himself before offering a hand to the man, prepared to aid him in walking if need be.

Lucien Kenston

 

[Lucien Kenston]

Lucien was told to be wary of any Mandolorian as he set off to explore the galaxy. The nomadic people often carried their own agendas, and could be quite ruthless to those in their way. Hell. first Mandolorian Lucien came across hijacked the ship he was traveling on, almost killed him.

That aside, he was surprised to see one on this world. And why would he help him? Surely not out of the kindness of his heart. He needed to tread carefully, but was in no position to refuse care.

Lucien struggled to speak with the pain, "Thank you"

"I'm renting a room a few blocks down, rest assured I can pay you for your help getting there... ?" Lucien ended his query hoping to learn the Mandolorian's name.

Might end up paying you for a lot more help than just medical care, Lucien thought.

Ki'an Vizsla

 

[Ki'an Vizsla]

If his hand was accepted then he would wrap the man's arm around his own shoulder to aid him in walkind but regardless he would help the man to leave in any way he could. His companion was far from in the best shape but the Mandalorian hoped he could at least hobble towards their destination which would make the situation easier on the both of them.

Ki'an responded to the man's gratitude with a small nod of respect before continuing with the procedure. Once the bacta spray had been administered, the Mandalorian listened to the needs of his patient but shook his head in response. "I don't need any payment." He told the man he was assisting. "It's my job." He replied. "Ki'an." He finished. While his job was to heal Mandalorians, there was no reason for him not to heal outsiders which had led him to the situation he was in.

"I can give you some more bacta when we get to somewhere a little more comfortable." He told the man. Naturally, the medic was loaded with bacta but whipping a syringe out on the street was not ideal.

Lucien Kenston

 

[Lucien Kenston]

Lucien, assisted by Ki'an, hobbled out of the fight club, jeered by a few gamblers who no doubt lost their credits betting the underdog. Rain was pouring down onto the already muddied street, a perfect scene for Lucien's less than perfect evening.

In only a few minutes they had arrived, Lucien used his key card to open the door. "I've got my own medical supplies in the crate over there," Lucien said, pointing to a bright orange box by his bedside. The room wasn't impressive. A single bed, a limited kitchen, and a couch, all populated a space the size of a small hotel room. Not to mention the wear on the items themselves.

"Sorry about the amenities, I'm trying to remain out of sight. Looking for a good friend of mine who got into some trouble.. Local gang it seems like." Lucien debated on just how much he'd share with the man as he plopped himself onto the couch, wincing as he lowered himself down.

"What about you? What brings you to Sluis Van?"

Ki'an Vizsla

 

[Ki'an Vizsla]

The irritating sound of rain pattering against his helmet confirmed the less than pleasant weather before he felt it through the fabric in the gaps of his armour. He allowed the man to direct them as he didn't know where he was going and it was difficult to hear him in the rain.

He aided the man in getting to the couch where he could sit down before retrieving the orange box from his bedside. The Mandalorian was equipped with his own supplies too but there was no need wasting them so he would use what he could from the other medical kit first. The biggest threat to the man now was any internal injuries, including whatever damage he had sustained to make him limp.

Ki'an sat beside Lucien and half-filled a syringe with bacta and brought it towards the man's thigh, momentarily looking to him for permission and if given he would inject him with the healing substance. He seemed satisfied that he had attended to all injuries he could for the moment but made note to reassess the situation after seeing what effects the bacta had.

"Got into trouble? How so?" He asked as he started putting away the contents of the medical box which he had emptied at his side while looking for the bacta. Once finished, he placed the box aside and returned his gaze to the man who asked why he was on the planet. "My friend told me there was someone here I could get work from so found him and now I've got mercenary work in a few days. I was just leaving until I met you." He replied.

Lucien Kenston

 

[Lucien Kenston]

Lucien let silence overtake the room as Ki'an attended to his wounds. He closed his eyes, trying to get his focus off the pain his body was experiencing.

I gotta make up my mind soon...

Lucien couldn't waste much more time, he needed to act on the lead he got on his missing squad mate. That was the whole reason he got into the shockboxing crowd here in the first place, whole club was ran by the group that kidnapped her. Obviously Lucien wasn't planning on having his ass handed to him in that fight, but his contact had finally come through with her location after he agreed to replace a boxer who fled off-world. But in this shape, he might not be able to act on it alone.

A good bit of time had passed before Lucien spoke, now feeling less pain thanks to the treatment, "Listen, I appreciate the help here, I really do. I've been told not to trust Mandolorians, but seeing as I'm not dead yet I'd wager I can trust you."

"That friend I mentioned, name's Sav'ra Talto, young Twi'lek. She's one of the best shots I got on my crew... We lost her to this gang around here called the 900's. Got in a skirmish with them in wild space a few months ago, and shes the only captive they kept alive. Just before that fight I found out shes being held in their hanger bay on the other side of town. Might be shipping her off to slavers, but thats just my guess. I always bet on myself, but in this shape..."

Lucien paused to look down and shake his head at his condition, "Look, if you can help me get her out of there I'd owe you big time. Just name your price"

Ki'an Vizsla

 

[Ki'an Vizsla]

Ki'an froze and turned to face Lucien and though his face was hidden, his body language suggested surprise or confusion. He wondered why someone perceived Mandalorians as being untrustworthy. While their loyalty to their clans usually came first, they were not inherently more untrustworthy than any other as long as someone bared their loyalties in mind. "Who told you that?" He asked. "We're no less trustworthy than anyone else as long as you remember where our loyalties lie. Then you should know what to expect." He told Lucien.

With a look of concern, Ki'an nodded his head in agreement. The fates of captured Twi'leks in the galaxy was generally not good as they were a popular slave species. It seemed likely that was the direction his friend was headed and he couldn't allow himself to sit by and allow it to happen.

The Mandalorian took a moment to respond, not because he was pondering accepting the offer as he already had in his mind but rather because he was considering what his price would be. "You can buy me a drink when it's over." He replied, not wanting to take money from someone who was helping a friend out. Even though it wasn't his own friend, he could empathise with Lucien and so would help him because he could.

"How's your leg?" He asked. They were going to have major problems if the man couldn't walk on his own but they had limited time from the sound of it so they needed to be hasty.

Lucien Kenston

 

[Lucien Kenston]

"No one in particular" Lucien responded. "Your people, or at least those who travel the galaxy wearing that armor, are popular bounty hunters. Never know when you're on the wrong side of a job... Especially as a wanted man."

"And, to be honest, I've been raised to trust no one. So Mandalorian or not, don't take it personal."

-

Lucien was surprised to hear Ki'an respond with anything other than a credit amount. He'd certainly owe him more than a drink after this.

"Could use more people like you in the galaxy, huh" Lucien laughed. "Don't worry, I'll get you more than just a drink. Maybe a few crates of Corellian brandy to start?"

His leg was doing better now from the bacta treatment, but he needed something to get his adrenaline going. "Yeah pain is manageable now, but if we're going to get this done soon I'll have to break out the good stuff."

"You ever heard of glitterstim?" Lucian pointed to the opaque paper on the kitchen counter. "Straight from Kessel. Can't feel much pain after taking some of that." Lucien got up gingerly and walked over to the counter to take the substance out. "Well if youre not partaking, " Lucien said looking over his shoulder "just say the word and we'll start drawing up how we get my girl Sav'ra back"

Ki'an Vizsla

 

[Ki'an Vizsla]

"Yeah, that's true... We have an unwavering loyalty to each other but in bounty hunting I guess some of us can be rather unpredictable. I rarely do bounty jobs and when I do, most of the time it is just to gather intel." He told Lucien, unprovoked, his talkative nature showing. "Fair enough. It pays to be cautious." He shrugged, seemingly unbothered by the man's wariness.

"It's just what's right." He replied. Compared to some of his comrades, he had a rather strict moral code and was less willing than many of his allies to go as far as they did for a bounty or turn a blind eye to something as abhorrent as slavery. Sometimes, his empathetic nature got the better of him. "Oh wow. I mean... I wouldn't complain but you really don't owe me anything." He responded.

The helmet concealed the look of surprise on the Mandalorian's face when he was offered glitterstim. "Yeah, I'm familiar with it." He responded after a moment. "I'm good, thanks." He politely declined, not particularly keen on the idea of using recreational drugs himself though he didn't judge those who did.

"So you say she's being held in a hangar bay in town?" He asked and after a response, he would follow up with another question. "Do you know how many people are there? If she's being guarded and how well trained they are in combat?" He asked, though it could well be that Lucien didn't know the answer and they would have to go in semi-blind.

Lucien Kenston

 

[Lucien Kenston]

Lucien nodded at Ki'an, taking no offense at his declination, then proceeded to intake some of the substance himself. He shook his head a few times and let out of muffled grunt. "Always gets me going, not sure about the long term effects though" he said with a laugh.

"Now listen, I'm not operating with much intel. My source only confirmed Sav'ra was being held there. I do know these guys don't operate completely out the hanger bay, their main base is a few miles outside town. Thats not to say this place isn't heavily armed, just that there shouldn't be reinforcements in time to save them. I'd estimate we're dealing with about fifty henchmen max, maybe a couple droids."

Lucien couldn't see Ki'ans face through his helmet, but he sensed that number bothered him. "Hey, as I said, I've dealt with this lot before. Not very tough fighters. Only reason they overpowered us during our skirmish in wild space was firepower, five ships to our one. And you'd think a snake looking species like the Sluissi would be faster then they are. They're very methodical and slow in reality, taking them by suprise will be our best bet."

"Now we do have a couple ways we can do this, I have a few detonators on me. We could do some work tonight, maybe scout while we plant them, and come in guns blazing as the sun rises. Open to suggestions of course"

Ki'an Vizsla