First Reply Of Markets & Crowns

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Nar Shadda //:
//: Attire //:

Nar Shaddaa was busier than Quinn expected. She'd heard the horror stories — beggars in the streets, pedestrians robbed in broad daylight, cartels on every corner.

While the Black Sun ruled here, she had avoided most of the trouble.

Her apartment wasn't as large or refined as her place on Jutrand or the residence on Dromund Kaas, but it was comfortable enough.

Today was simple: shop, spend credits, and explore the city on her own.

She wanted to see the styles worn by the locals, so different from anything in the Empire. Part of her wondered if the difference was because of the Blackwall. The Emperor's isolationist policy cut the Empire off from much of the galaxy. Quinn had escaped some of that, but only because of her name.

She brushed the thought aside and turned down a long street. According to her device — and her questionable sense of direction — she was headed toward the central shopping district. Instead, she found peddlers and a crowded street market.

Blankets and makeshift stalls were piled with goods. Some items she didn't recognize; others she had only ever seen on the holonet, banned or unavailable in the Empire.

The smell of food carried through the air, and her stomach growled. She tapped it once, as if to quiet it, and stopped at a jewelry table. The display included pieces made from Eshan silver — rare for anyone outside her homeworld to acquire.

She examined the selection, but her attention was split. She was searching for something specific.

Whether it was here or not didn't matter.

She needed to find it.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nar Shaddaa

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27

Nar Shaddaa. Acier hated this place. The neon lights didn't hide the rot, they just painted it in brighter colors. Every step through the market felt like wading through noise, heat, and too many people crammed into too little space. He only came here when he had to, and today was one of those days.

Hidden Path business. Quick in, quick out. That was the plan at least. He cut through the crowd, head down, eyes doing all the work. The streets stank of spice smoke and fryer grease, the kind of smell that clung to your clothes long after you left. His route should've taken him straight to the contact, but a bottleneck at the next intersection slowed everything to a crawl.

He felt a ripple in the Force. Distinct. Poised. Not the kind of presence you stumbled over in a place like this. That's when he saw her, stood by a jewelry stall. Platinum-blonde, porcelain-skinned, green-hazel eyes, scanning as though the market was a chessboard. That kind of presence, they always stuck out. The refined demeanor, the calculated gaze.

Ace eased to a stop at the next table over, letting the crowd carry him just out of her periphery. From here, he could watch without looking like he was watching. He told himself it was just situational awareness - but on Nar Shaddaa, that usually meant trouble. And for some strange reason, there was something off about her in the Force.

Quinn Varanin​

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Acier Moonbound //:
//: Attire //:

Quinn didn't need to see him; she felt him.

The moment she felt him draw closer, her presence began to shrink smaller than it already was. Whoever this person was, they were good. They had tracked her through the waves of people, some who couldn't control their presence like the pair. A small smile curled her lips as she examined the different silver rings.

"Real Eshan Silver?" She asked gracefully, her voice was evident of her station. It was something she couldn't entirely hide despite trying.

"Yeah, legally obtained." The Rodian seemed very adamant about letting her know that it was not stolen or pirated. Being Echani herself and knowing how the metal was forged, the Princess could tell the metal was fake.

"It's beautiful," she said, though her smile masked the insult. She would have liked to drag the Rodian over the counter for calling such scrap Eshan silver, but she let it pass — for now. Her smile hid the fury as she thanked him for his time.

Looking over her shoulder, she looked to the one who had found her. She raised an eyebrow as if to tell him I see you. Like her, he stood out despite trying his hardest to blend in. They were both outsiders to this world.

Her head turned as her footsteps began to carry her through the crowd. Her presence continued to grow even smaller as she channeled the Force through her to hide.

She did leave enough of a trail for him to follow. Quinn wanted to understand what he wanted and why he had decided to look for her.

The bounty remained in the back of her mind, but she was on a mission.

Quinn walked carefully, weaving through the crowd with a grace only a master of the Force and an Echani could have. Every so often, she looked over her shoulder, making eye contact with the boy to make sure he was still following.

Suddenly, she stopped, taking a slight turn down another alleyway of shops.

If his mind allowed it, a gentle caress like a breeze of rose and honey brushed against his psyche.

'Who are you?'​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nar Shaddaa

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27

He felt something, a subtle shift in the Force, in her. It was like a candle's flame dimming in a closed room. One second her presence was there, distinct in the background noise of the city; the next, it was faint, almost gone.

Ace couldn't explain this phenomenon, not in a satisfying way at least. He'd had some training, enough to know when the Force was in motion around him, but this? This was precise and intentional. Something so advanced it was alien to him. There was, however, one thing he understood above all else. She was drawing him in.

Keeping up with her though? Despite everything? This was the kind of thing he was good at. Growing up on Bonadan taught you how to track someone through a crowd without being seen yourself, how to keep a set of eyes on a target while making it look like you were just another face in the street. It had kept him alive more than once, and old habits stuck. While she knew he was following, he wasn't going to lose her.

Even through the crush of bodies, she moved clean, unhurried. Every step and turn wove her through the crowd like she'd been mapping this path in her head for hours. She glanced back just once, catching his eyes long enough to make sure he saw the invitation... or the challenge. Maybe both.

Then there was a brush at the edge of his thoughts, soft and strange, carrying the faint scent of roses and honey. The words slipped into his mind as if they'd always been there:

'Who are you?'

This wasn't the first time he'd felt another's touch in his mind. Thankfully so. Although, he wasn't sure if she'd be able to hear his thoughts but he attempted to communicate mentally in return.

No one important, he answered. Then it clicked, how he recognized her.

But you are, aren't you? Quinn.

There was a warrant out for her, for crimes against the High Republic. Echani, Force-sensitive and highly trained. She was pretty attractive too, one of the few women he actually took notice of in that way. But she was... undoubtedly dangerous. And a little too regal for his blood.

Despite it all, Ace knew all about false accusations and such. He wasn't one to blindly take the word of a bounty as law, it'd be smart to gauge the kind of person she was. If the warrant had any merit.

It really true? You do all those things? he thought, hoping Quinn was still inside his head to pick up on them. Otherwise, embarrassingly, he was just talking to himself.

Quinn Varanin ​

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Acier Moonbound //:
//: Attire //:

He was keeping up, and Echani was impressed as she continued. She made note of his movements. They were careful, making it seem as if he was just part of the crowd, not following a strange woman. His movement reminded her of a bounty hunter, and she was sure he was one.

Sent to collect.

Quinn smiled as she continued to lead him carefully through the crowds. She could feel his attempt, his desire to connect to her. Usually, she refused, keeping those who reached out from her mind. The mind was precious, a window to the soul, but she would not allow him.

His voice echoed in her mind as she mused over the answers. He refused to say his name, but he knew hers. Yes. He was potentially a threat to her. But the Princess wasn't scared; she welcomed the curiosity.

Yes, I am Quinn. She whispered back through the Force.

She let his other questions linger. Let him think about whether she was guilty or not. Those like him tended to either have their minds made up or didn't care. Credits were Credits to most. Bounty hunters were an interesting crowd, having indulged in the activity herself -- she understood the appeal.

The crowd began to thin, and they were coming toward the end of the thickest part of the patrons. She moved closer toward an alley that most patrons avoided. Once more, she looked over her shoulder carefully and smiled sweetly towards the man who followed her.

Beckoning him to follow if he dared.

Her voice once more lingered in the folds of his mind. Touching lightly like silk brushing against the skin.

They're true, but their intentions aren't as they seem. Quinn paused as she continued down the alleyway, stopping and turning to face him. She bore no weapon, and her stance showed no ill intent. In reality, the gentle smile was as welcoming as it had been the entire time.

I was protecting myself and someone important to me… ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nar Shaddaa

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27

She confirmed it. The name carried weight. Hearing it straight from her made the picture sharper, but not cleaner.

Ace kept pace, matching her easy grace without closing the gap. His eyes worked the crowd - quick, precise, and never staying in one place for too long. Bonadan had taught him that when someone wanted you to follow, you kept one eye on them and the other on your exits.

The press of bodies thinned, the air cooling slightly as they neared the fringe of the market. An alley yawned ahead, there less foot traffic and fewer witnesses. His jaw tightened. If this was a trap, he'd need to be alert.

Then her voice slid back into his head, silk on skin.

They're true, but their intentions aren't as they seem. I was protecting myself and someone important to me…

Something in that struck a chord. He didn't let it show, but he remembered what it felt like to have your name on a bounty notice for something that wasn't your fault - a job gone wrong, a misunderstanding that nearly got him killed. Didn't matter if you were guilty or not; the galaxy decided for you.

For a brief moment, he wondered if someone had once looked at him the same way he was looking at her now. Weighing the risk, deciding if he was worth the trouble.

He stepped into the alley after her. No weapon drawn. No sudden moves. Just his hands loose at his sides, hood shadowing his face as his eyes found hers.

"Protection." he said aloud, voice low. "Thing about bounties is… they don't care about reasons. Doesn't matter if it's truth, lie, or somewhere in between."

His eyes flicked toward the street behind her, then back.

"So, if you don't want to be found, you're doing a pretty bad job. Which makes me think you want something."

The Hidden Path wouldn't like this. Valery wouldn't like this. They had enough enemies without him chatting up someone whose face was plastered on High Republic warrants. But Ace had always trusted his own read of a person over anyone's orders. And right now, his gut said walk carefully, not walk away.

His gaze held hers, steady but not hostile. "We could keep talking here, or find somewhere a little quieter." The tone wasn't a demand, just an opening. He was careful, measured, but ultimately left the decision to her.

Quinn Varanin​

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Acier Moonbound //:

He followed, and Quinn gave the hunter a knowing nod. Why was he following her if he wasn't going to attack? She had brought him into the alley just in case. But he seemed to want to talk, to discuss things — in particular her lack of hiding.

The Princess chuckled as she nodded.

"You're right, I'm doing a terrible job hiding. But that's the thing about being someone like me — you can't."

She couldn't hide. Despite the bounty, she still had duty. Her face had to be put on display, whether at a gala or a political meeting. There was something, somewhere, that she needed to attend or grace with her words. Quinn Varanin couldn't hide.

It was a harsh truth that she had accepted long before the bounty existed. Even while she had been in solitude after Vesta's death, after she had run away from her Mother's academy. At every turn, every place she tried to hide, she was seen. It was a terrible existence, but one that people seemed to crave.

The grass was never greener on the other side.

His suggestion, to find a quieter, more private place, struck a chord. She raised a brow, showing her suspicions of his words. If he were a bounty hunter, this could be a trap — even if he wasn't the hunter and an operative of the Republic, it was dangerous.

Quinn stepped back.

"How can I trust you? How do I know that you're not a bounty hunter who has luckily come across his target?" Instead of fear, a smile spread across her face.

At the end of the day, Quinn Varanin knew she was far more dangerous than any bounty hunter.

"We can go somewhere quiet," She shrugged, "There's a hole in the wall bar where secrets are safe." Her back turned as she began to walk. Quinn wondered if his curiosity would continue to propel him forward or if he would take the opening.

She paused, waiting for his footsteps to catch up. Even if they didn't, Quinn spoke to him again.

"But what I do want to know is why you've decided to talk to me? Most would rather strike and collect." She mused, before walking again. "To some, the target was nothing but prey."

Bounty hunters were a curious bunch.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nar Shaddaa

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27

Ace's mouth twitched at her words, it wasn't exactly a smile, but close enough. She can't hide. For months, his whole life had been about ducking notice, slipping out of sight, staying one step ahead of whoever was hunting him. And here she was, saying the opposite with such calm certainty. Different worlds. Same survival game.​

​

Her suspicion, though, was as sharp as her gaze. It was something he respected entirely. Ace let the silence stretch a little more before answering.​

​

"If I cared about the bounty..." he started"I wouldn't be talking to you right now. Besides... I know you can just search my feelings." he didn't elaborate, trusting she was sharp enough to understand.​

​

He followed when she turned, matching her pace as the crowd gave way to the quieter side-streets. A hole-in-the-wall bar sounded about right for Nar Shaddaa. She asked why he wanted to talk, it landed a little closer than she had probably expected. He shrugged lightly, eyes scanning their path as he walked.​

​

"Because I know what it's like. Once, someone decided I was worth credits too. Didn't matter if it was my fault or not. When your name's on a list, people don't care about the why."​

​

His gaze flicked toward her, quick and assessing.​

​

"So, no. You're not prey, I'm not even a bounty hunter. But you are interesting."​

​

She carried herself like someone used to being seen - not just noticed, but watched, followed, admired. The kind of presence people gravitated to whether they meant to or not. And Ace? He'd spent his whole life trying to disappear. It was… interesting. Dangerous, too, but still interesting. Part of him wondered if it was really her. Or if the Force itself made her burn brighter than the people around her. Maybe it was both.​

​

As they made their way to the bar, he kept his eyes working the angles. Doorways, alleys, rooftops. Places someone could hide. Seeing as Quinn had a sizeable bounty on her head, everything and everyone was a threat.​

​

Finally, a bar sat ahead, tucked between a junk dealer and a stall that hadn't seen business in months. The sign above it sputtered in half-dead letters. Ace paused a moment outside, scanning the street one more time. Then he stepped forward toward the entrance.​

​

Quinn Varanin​