Private Old World Blues

[Yuri Maji]

NAL HUTTA | BILBOUSA
TAGS: Acier Moonbound

---

LEFT HAND FREE​

Every now and again something would come up or something would go down that required the Hound to venture into the heart of Hutt Space. Their influence had greatly diminished over the years with infighting and external powers breaking the unification of the various syndicates. But that didn't mean there wasn't business to be had. If he wanted to get the money rolling, he needed to get his foot in the door for business before anyone else could.

Nothing was free on Nal Hutta and peace was good for business. The great inevitability for the sad existence of very being in the galaxy was war.

What else was there to do for a poor arms dealer than to than scoop while the credits rained?

Sitting outside the cantina, Yuri nursed his tumbler and kicked his feet up. An umbrella that was likely colourful a couple decades ago shielded him from the sun next to his table. His new shades rested easily on his muzzle and a cool grin rounded the smug picture off. Aside from the lucrative deal to sell some new guns to the Hutts, he was waiting for feedback on another deal that was far more personal. Golden eyes idly studied the passing crowd, his new glasses pinging every bounty and ne'er-do-well that passed him. He wasn't planetside for that, at least, but it was still fun to see the various characters that moved between the landing pads and the town.

Only desperate people came to Nal Hutta...

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nal Hutta - Bilbousa

Equipment:
Vanguard Robes | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm | Tic

The shuttle gave another tired shudder as it descended through Nal Hutta's atmosphere. Ace barely looked up from the diagnostics projected across the cockpit. The warning had been flashing for the better part of three hyperspace jumps now.

HYPERDRIVE COOLANT MANIFOLD: FAILURE IMMINENT

Tic chirped again, somehow managing to sound judgmental. Ace reached up and patted the little BD unit absentmindedly before nudging the throttles forward. The battered shuttle responded with all the enthusiasm of an asthmatic bantha, rattling hard enough to make one of the overhead panels vibrate loose before settling back into place.

The ship banked toward Bilbousa, the sprawling spaceport emerging through the haze of industry, swamp, and perpetual grime.

His route ultimately lay elsewhere. There was someone to meet on Odessen, along with work that couldn't afford unnecessary delays. But the old shuttle had made the decision for him somewhere between systems, the hyperdrive temperatures climbing a little higher with every jump until continuing without repairs became a gamble he wasn't willing to take.

The landing struts groaned as the shuttle settled onto a weathered pad. Ace shut the engines down before they could complain any louder and stepped out into the humid air, one hand absently adjusting the strap crossing his shoulder while Tic hopped down beside him with practiced ease.

The streets weren't much different from a hundred other places he'd passed through over the years. Merchants shouted, dockworkers argued, credits changed hands. Nobody cared who you were as long as you paid. Perfect.

Finding a replacement manifold shouldn't be difficult. Finding one that wasn't overpriced scrap masquerading as quality would be another matter entirely.

He started toward the market, weaving naturally through the flow of pedestrians. Old habits returned without thought. Eyes checked rooftops, reflections in windows, choke points, exits. Years in the Vergeworks had made crowds more like terrain instead of obstacles.

A familiar shape caught his attention. Canine, tall, eyes hidden behind a pair of dark glasses. Ace slowed almost imperceptibly as recognition tugged at the edge of his memory, but he couldn't place exactly who he was.

Best to avoid him.

Yuri Maji​

 

[Yuri Maji]

Another ship came in, this one a bit hotter than the rest. Yuri laughed to himself at the spectacle, probably a helpless schutta with a fault that was going to be more expensive to fix than it really was. He sat back and sipped his drink, adjusting his shades while enjoying the comfort of the ridiculous umbrella beside him.

He nearly missed it.

The stranger had already passed when he noticed the white dreads and ornery disposition. His glasses confirmed it and his hackles stood on end as a wave of anger rolled down his spine. It couldn't be him, it didn't make sense that he was here. The little squib was living the high life with his buddies in the core, what the hell was he doing on Nal Hutta? As quickly as it rose, Yuri shoved the irritation down to avoid the Kiffar's attention as he finished his drink. A handful of credits were left behind, no doubt to be picked up by someone who didn't work for the establishment. With practiced ease the Hound grabbed a coat and amalgamated into the flowing crowd to follow after the kid.

He didn't doubt that his prey would feel something was off. A safe distance and a clear mind was maintained as he slowly gained on the man. When the opportunity presented itself, he fired an ascension cable and zipped to the rooftops of the nearby buildings to gain some ground. Hung back, slow, a clear mind to evade the saber-slinger's infamous senses as best he could under the circumstances. Were he wearing his armour, he wouldn't have skipped a beat to drop the man, but for the moment he needed a more cautious approach.

The opportunity presented itself and the Hound dropped down from an overhang to blend into the populace once more. One dreg after the other, Yuri closed the distance until he had his pistol trained on the man. No warning, no spoiler, a stun bolt was fired to try and incapacitate the Kiffar and a half dozen more were loosed to make sure the little chakaar went done.

People scattered and the Hound moved, pistol at the ready to keep firing as he closed the distance.

Acier Moonbound

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nal Hutta - Bilbousa

Equipment:
Vanguard Robes | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm | Tic

Ace had barely covered another stretch of the market before he felt something familiar. It was subtle at first, little more than a quiet unease that settled somewhere beneath his ribs.

His pace never changed, but his attention sharpened. His eyes drifted across grimy transparisteel windows, polished hull plating, and the countless faces passing by in either direction. The Force whispered faintly at the edge of his awareness, offering no answers, only the certainty that something wasn't right.

He glanced over his shoulder. Nothing. Merchants argued over prices while dockworkers hauled cargo between loading platforms. A pair of Nikto shoved past each other in the street. Further back, a group of travelers disappeared into the endless tide of bodies moving through Bilbousa.

Ace faced forward again, but the feeling didn't leave. If anything, it grew heavier with every step. A familiar knot tightened in his stomach as instinct quietly urged him to stay alert. Whatever had caught his attention remained just beyond his perception.

Then the Force screamed. Ace threw himself into a roll without conscious thought. A blue stun bolt ripped through the space where he'd been standing an instant before and slammed into an unfortunate bystander sending nearby pedestrians into immediate panic.

By the time Ace came out of the roll, his lightsaber was already in his hand and ignited. Another volley raced toward him and he pivoted, blade moving almost faster than thought. The barrage met a wall of blue light as the stun bolts simply ceased to exist, breaking apart into crackling bursts as Ace's blade intercepted each shot with practiced efficiency.

The marketplace dissolved into chaos around them with the crowd rapidly clearing the line between shooter and target. Only then did Ace finally see him.

The tall canine figure stood with his pistol still raised, dark glasses concealing his eyes as he advanced through the dispersing crowd. Recognition tugged at the back of Ace's mind, but he still couldn't place it.

Tic needed no prompting. The little BD-unit bounded from the ground, scampering deftly up Ace's leg before climbing onto his back, settling comfortably against the harness between his shoulders as the droid had done countless times before.

Ace's expression hardened. Was this a bounty hunter? It was the only explanation that immediately made sense. His escape from High Republic custody hadn't exactly gone unnoticed, and there was no shortage of people willing to cash in on a fugitive.

His free hand shot forward with a wave of telekinetic pressure following close behind, surging toward the gunman with enough force to hurl him backwards.

"I don't have time for this." Ace muttered under his breath.

The push became the opening of his assault as he sprinted after it, blue blade held low before rising into a fluid strike aimed at closing the distance. Running would only invite pursuit, better to convince the hunter that this wasn't a fight worth continuing instead.

Yuri Maji​

 

[Yuri Maji]

The first shot was evaded and the next were blocked by the Sith's lightsaber. Yuri quickly sent a message to his freighter as he prepared to fight. Without his armour and the element of surprise gone, his job just became a lot more difficult. A faint rumble echoed in the distance, blending in with the screaming and scrambling of the crowd around them. The square slowly opened up until it was just the two of them facing each other.

A blast sent the Hound skidding backwards, claws and boots dug into the soft ground to keep his balance while a snarl ripped through the air. What was strange about his prey was the sheer amount of bounties popping up on Yuri's HUD as he watched him. Questions, however, were going to have to wait until this mess concluded.

Right now he had an angry Sith on his case.

Ace sprinted toward him with his blade at the ready and Yuri drew his vibroblade in preparation. The rumble grew louder until a massive beast landed behind Yuri. Glowing yellow scanners fixated on Ace while enough weapons to flatten the city locked on. Yuri couldn't help but form a faint smirk at the sheer relaxation he felt with Maybelle's presence behind him while careful steps cleared the firing line.

The Basilisk let out a mechanical roar, her binary language translating to a number of profanities as she towered above them all. "The kark you doing on Nal Hutta, huh? Don't ya got a Core to terrorise?" He called out, pistol trained onto Ace. The bounties would be nice, but he was far more curious as to why everyone seemed to be after Ace all of a sudden.

Acier Moonbound

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nal Hutta - Bilbousa

Equipment:
Vanguard Robes | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm | Tic

The push struck home, but the canine warrior dug both boots into the ground as he was driven backwards, claws carving furrows through the soft earth before he finally arrested his momentum with a snarl. Ace's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Most people would've been sent sprawling.

Before he could capitalize, a low rumble rolled through the marketplace but Ace barely acknowledged it.

Tic did. The BD-unit's head snapped toward the sound as an urgent series of binary chirps burst from his vocabulator. Ace didn't hesitate. His gaze flicked past the gunman's shoulder just in time to see an enormous Basilisk War Droid descend behind him, its armored frame shaking the ground as it landed. Twin yellow photoreceptors immediately settled on him while weapon systems rotated into position with unsettling precision.

Outstanding.

Ace shifted his footing without taking his eyes off either opponent. His back foot slid back as his lightsaber rose into a high Djem So guard, the blue blade angled diagonally across his body. His posture settled naturally into one built to weather overwhelming force before returning it in kind.

The Basilisk let loose a string of colorful binary profanity. Ace understood every word, and so did Tic. Perched securely against Ace's back, the little BD-unit answered with an indignant volley of his own, his outraged chirps somehow managing to match the Basilisk's attitude despite the considerable difference in size.

Then the Mandalorian spoke and Ace's guard loosened.

"The Core...?"

For a moment, the fight disappeared beneath the realization. Nar Shaddaa and the assassination. Coruscant and the Mandalorian who'd chased him through the chaos. The pieces finally fell into place.

"...You." Ace exhaled slowly, lowering his lightsaber a fraction without extinguishing it. "I'm not with them anymore."

The admission left his mouth more easily than he expected.

"I'm just here for ship parts." He gave a brief glance toward the battered shuttle resting on the distant landing pad before returning his attention to Yuri. "Hyperdrive coolant manifold decided it was done with me halfway to where I'm supposed to be."

His eyes settled firmly on the Mandalorian again.

"I'm trying to stop them."

Silence followed. It was a risk. Everything Lorn and the Vanguard were building depended upon secrecy, and revealing even that much to someone affiliated outside of it could prove costly later.

But a pointless fight accomplished nothing. If Yuri believed him, they could both walk away. If he didn't...

Ace subtly tightened his grip on the lightsaber once more.

Yuri Maji​

 

[Yuri Maji]

There was a satisfaction to be found when someone squirmed at the sight of a Basilisk. He would always miss Baby, but Maybelle's sheer presence was hard to ignore... at least until Ace's BD-droid began to chirp back at the War Droid. Maybelle's obsessive personality matrix was on full display as she took a step forward, a series of mechanical whirs and binary drones were flung back at the tiny droid in a full-blown argument.

Yuri ignored it for the moment, he wasn't in the mood to get into another argument with Maybelle. He needed to fix that personality matrix someday...

"I'm not with them anymore."

"I'm just here for ship parts."

"Hyperdrive coolant manifold decided it was done with me halfway to where I'm supposed to be."

"I'm trying to stop them."

Yuri's golden eyes squinted behind his glasses, though Ace's explanation did at least prompt him to holster his gun for a moment. He could draw fast enough if needed. "That... that's not how this works." He argued with a confused shrug. "I ain't clued up on you guys' philosophy, but I know ya can't just wake up one day and decide to be a good guy." He continued as he leaned against Maybelle's leg. He wanted to keep arguing, but Ace's remark did a decent job of exciting Yuri's curiosity.

Stop them how? What was his game plan? Did he have any information of their operations?

"... Your reactor wall lining still good? Coolant break tends to scorch important bits." He asked with measured curiosity. He could break his nose as a better time, right now there was business to discuss.

Acier Moonbound

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nal Hutta - Bilbousa

Equipment:
Vanguard Robes | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm | Tic

Ace regarded him for another quiet moment. Then, slowly, he lowered his lightsaber until its tip pointed harmlessly toward the ground. He didn't deactivate it, but the shift in posture was unmistakable. When Yuri holstered his pistol, however temporarily, the immediate threat of another volley had passed.

The confusion in the Mandalorian's voice didn't surprise him. Silence lingered between them for a heartbeat.

"I'm not..." His eyes drifted toward the ground as he searched for words that felt honest. "...a good guy."

That much, at least, he refused to lie about. His gaze lifted to meet Yuri's once more.

"But... cin vhetin." The old Mando'a words carried more weight than any explanation he could've offered.

A fresh start.

"I need to atone." He continued. "Help fix the shit I helped cause."

That was all. No speeches, no excuses, or attempt to justify what he'd done. Just the truth.

The conversation shifted almost imperceptibly when Yuri asked about the shuttle. Ace blinked once before a faint, almost amused huff escaped through his nose. Without another word, he thumbed the activation switch.

The lightsaber gave a familiar hiss as the blue blade withdrew into the hilt. Behind him, Tic let out a questioning chirp. Ace made a small, reassuring motion with one hand without even looking back. The BD-unit settled, though not without another doubtful whistle toward Maybelle.

"Reactor lining's fine." Ace replied. "Caught it before it got that bad. The manifold's leaking around the seal, though. Every jump's bleeding coolant, so the drive keeps running hotter." He shrugged. "Figured replacing one part beat replacing the whole hyperdrive."

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, then a moment passed before one eyebrow lifted.

"...You got a suggestion?"

Yuri Maji ​