Prologue: The Hunter's Ire

[Ria Misrani]

MISRANI'S RUN: DEFYING SOTTA​

PROLOGUE: THE HUNTER'S IRE​

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WITH TIME TO RELAX, RIA IS DROPPED OF AT A SALVAGE YARD SOMEWHERE IN​

THE KATHOL OUTBACK. UNAWARE OF THE DANGERS THAT HIDE IN THE SHADOWS. ​

THE YOUNG SLICER PROCEEDS TO LOOK FOR PARTS FOR HER DROID, E-M4. ​

ELSE WHERE IN THE SALVAGE YARD, WHEN RUNI VERIN - A MANDALORIAN​

IN BETWEEN CONQUESTS GATHERS PARTS FOR THE CAUSE. RUNI AND RIA BOTH BECOME TARGETS​

FOR ONE OF SOTTA'S MOST RUTHLESS HUNTERS; MUL SOLIKNO... ​

​

Ria trudged through the salvage yard, with her hands pulling through this broken bit and that. She didn't really know what she was looking for to be honest, while holding up the schematics of an old Imperial viper probe droid on a holorecorder. "Don't worry Em, I'll fix ya up buddy..." Just as soon as she found the proper parts anyway. The blonde turns over her shoulder at the sounds of parts being rifled through. Scanning her surroundings she's unaware of anyone else's presence. The salvage yard stretched for parsecs as far as Ria was concerned, which was just as well. There was a break between campaigns and she was, well, Ria was more than happy with slugging through a salvage yard than fighting off droids, Sithspawn and Abyss knew what else they were fighting these days.

Finding a pile that looked worth diving into, the blonde went in full force digging through it. Looking between the parts down around her and on the holorecorder. If this was code, a firewall, or anything on a terminal she could figure it out. Hardware? No. It all looked the same - okay it's not the same, but they might as well be. Confused she let out a more than frustrated sigh before tossing things behind her.

[member="Runi Verin"]

 

[Runi Verin]

[member="Ria Misrani"]

While it had only been a few months, it felt like a lifetime since Runi Verin had set foot in a scrapyard like this. Maybe it was. She certainly felt like a different person. Gone was her jumpsuit and leather jacket, as was her familiar wrench, replaced in kind by the trappings of combat in the form of the distinctive Mandalorian armour and beskad. She definitely looked like a different person if nothing else; one she doubted she would have recognised. A bittersweet realisation, made all the more poignant in the wake of recent events, and perhaps the chief instigator behind why she was currently taking a sabbatical Ba’slan shev’la in the Kathol Outback. Although, as fate would have it, it didn’t seem like she was alone.

“I don’t know who or what this Em is,” Her voice cut out from behind the blonde, announcing her presence even as a glove hand snapping up to intercept a carelessly discarded device. Had it been allowed to complete its path, it would likely have collided with one of the giant, leaning towers of refuse that were scattered around the scrapyard like silent guardians. A former veteran and denizen of scrapyards, she had seen first-hand just what kind of chaos and damage the ensuing metallic landslide would have wrought. “But you ain’t gonna be able to fix up osik if you’re carry on like that.”

She bounced the device up and down on her palm, her gaze more on the woman before her than the device in her hand. She’d already assessed its value with a fleeting glance, knowing just how much (or how little) she could’ve received for such a cracked and obviously damaged gyroscopic stabilizer. The woman, on the other hand, was more of an unknown quantity. She bounced the device for a second or two more, almost thoughtfully, before slinging it back into the pile next to the blonde. “Kark, watchin' you flounder around this place is too painful to even be funny. Tell me what you’re lookin’ for, cheeka. Maybe I've seen it already.”

 

[Ria Misrani]

Ria whipped around the moment she heard another voice. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, studying the other person. A young woman, probably a little younger than her but she couldn't tell without a closer look. Trudging through the piles of salvage, the silcer picked her feet up and maneuvered closer toward the brunette. This particular part of the salvage yard was a bit dimmer than the rest. A set of stairs led into it, high vaulted walls with only enough light to see in front of your face. Her holorecorder acted as a small light, brightening whatever area she happened to be in. "Em." She says holding out the holorecorder for the other woman to see, a Rebellion-era imperial viper probe droid. "EM-4."

She blushes knowing she doesn't know what's she doing. All Ria knew was that she had enough time to salvage through for droid parts, although which parts were droid and which parts, weren't droid... "I uh." The blonde clears her throat. She hadn't had the time to stop and stock up on what she needed to create a mobile program that could tell her what she was looking for. She's been running, fighting and running for the past few months having been swept up into some sort of underground rebellion. "I appreciate any help you can give me."

Meanwhile, outside of this salvage yard - a freighter approaches. Inside, a weequay opens up communications. "I've tracked your, slaves." He says to the holographic image of a twi'lek. "Did you want them dead or alive?"

"Sotta wants both of them alive." The light green skinned twi'lek says in return, he looks around for a moment and then says. "I'll pay you double to be rid of the blonde."

"Deal." The weequay agrees. "Just have my creds ready, Crissov."

"Of course Solikno, of course."

[member="Runi Verin"]

 

[Runi Verin]

[member="Ria Misrani"]

Runi brought a hand up to shield her eyes as the blonde approached, the light offered by the holorecorder, although limited, stinging at her retinas and threatening to rob what little night vision the Mandalorian had retained from the lower reaches of the scrapyard. Her eyes narrowed a faction as they tried to make head or tails of the holoread out, the design so ancient and outdated that she didn’t recognise it. The list of components, however, where a little more familiar. Like the droid itself, they would have been long since discontinued, but she was willing to wager that, with a few modifications, some of the newer and more recent models – like, say, those within the last three centuries – would do the trick. Arakyd Industries. It seemed she couldn’t escape that man’s shadow even out here.

“Viper Droid, huh? Kark, I ain’t surprised you’re having trouble finding the parts,” She lowered the hand, giving a small nod towards the pile over the other woman’s shoulder. An easy smirk flared into view, highlighting the amusement that worked its way into her voice. “Putting aside they ain’t made that model in probably, I dunno, six or seven centuries, easy… You’re looking in the wrong section for starters. Only gonna find ship components in this end of the yard.”

With that said, the salvager turned and resumed her trek further into the yard, pausing only a few meters away with an expectant look back at the other woman. As almost non-existent as it appeared, it would probably be the best and closest thing to an invitation she’d get from Runi.

 

[Ria Misrani]

The weequay known as Mul Solikno makes an equipment check. Sotta wants them both alive, fine - but that twi'lek, Crissov was offerin' double for a dead blonde. He didn't know the story, didn't care. All he cared was that the credits would be in his account when it was all said and done. Quietly he makes his way from the space port toward the salvage yard where the target was located. Adjusting his helmet, the weequay slips into the shadows...

Elsewhere in the yard itself, Ria felt awfully stupid. Blushing as she tosses down the ship part in her hand, or she thinks it's a ship part anyway. She blushes more when the other woman mentions that her droid was old, not just old, but ancient. There was a small sigh, it wasn't like Lona could afford a brand new probe droid to follow a toddler around. Still, it was a droid and there were parts... Hopefully.

She follows up after the brunette, catching the backward glances that are thrown on occasion. Mostly just to make sure that Ria was still there. And, she was for the most part. It occurred to the blonde that she hadn't exchanged names with the brunette. "Names Ria, by the way." It felt good to not say Flika, so good. "What's yours?" She asks rather innocently, "or is there something I should call you by?" Otherwise, Ria was just gonna resort to, hey pretty lady. Or, cute girl with the eyes. Which sounds way better in her head, actually.

Solikno can hear talking as he approaches the salvage yard, he slips out of the shadows to check where the girls are headed before slipping back into them once more.

[member="Runi Verin"]

 

[Runi Verin]

“Runi.” She offered in return, seeing little harm in offering the woman her real name. It was common enough amongst Mandalorian circles, especially those that fancied themselves as bit of a romantic or a fledgling poet. Besides, despite her smuggling roots, she had never felt comfortable using nom de guerres. Life out here was complicated enough without throwing false-facing into the mix. Plus there was also a fair chance she would never see the blonde or her antique little droid again after today. “But you can call me Ru.”

She didn’t speak for several long minutes after that, concentrating on leading them through the twisting and crumbling towers of refuse and junk. The consummate salvager, she couldn’t help by catalogue a few choice items as they passed, mentally filing them away for future reference. The silence between them seemed to drag, however, and it wasn’t long before she spoke up once more. “You’re a long way Nar Shaddaa.” Like she could talk, Kol Atorn was clear across the other side of the Galaxy. Her gaze flicked over her shoulder at [member="Ria Misrani"], offering her a slight smirk with her explanation. “Your accent. Pure Smuggler’s Moon. I’m guessing the Corellian Sector, ‘lek?”

 

[Ria Misrani]

"Ru?" Ria asks, toying with the syllable on her tongue. "Ru, I like it." Her voice is soft, warm and almost welcoming at times. Chit, what in the blue abyss was going on with her? She'd blame Bryce for sure, it was that kid's fault. She'd gotten soften and almost friendly. Nah, it's probably Lona's doing. Her mind had raced with several different things as she followed the other woman through the salvage yard.

Silence fell between them, but that was quite alright. Ria didn't expect there to be much of a conversation and was just happy to have met another soul out here. It didn't last long, Ru had quite the pair of ears. She'd been able to pick out Ria's accent right down to the one sector of Nar Shaddaa that she'd spent most of her life in. Ria blushed, she hadn't thought that someone noticing this would make her feel as if she were this backwater child. Not that being on Nar Shaddaa was like being on some backwater world, though it sometimes felt like it depending on where you went. "Yeah, actually. Spent most of my life there." All of her life actually, "you Mandolorian?"

She never quite understood Mando'a, itself, but she'd heard it enough to know what it was when it was spoken. She runs a hand through the tresses of her hair. Keeping it out of her face as she adjusted her vest and tunic. Not knowing that as she trailed the brunette, the bounty hunter watched through the scope of his rifle. Sulikno takes a slow, deep breath as he adjusts his rifle proper. His rifle follows them for a few, and once he's sure, sure he's got a clear shot he readies the round. The weequay for all his skill, for all his prowess, allows his confidence to interfere. He assumed neither one of the girls had ever been around weapons, or that perhaps they would be easy kills. He pulls the trigger, and sits back expecting it to land, only it doesn't. Someone heard it, reacted and the weequay knew he had to move from his position.

[member="Runi Verin"]

 

[Runi Verin]

[member="Ria Misrani"]

“It serves its purpose, I guess.” Runi replied with a faint upturn of her lips. Not quite a smile, for those were a rare commodity indeed, but perhaps the closest a stranger was likely to elicit from the salvager. Still there was a distinct lack of curtness in her voice that would have normally prevailed in social situations like this, a habitual edge she had affected in childhood and somehow made an integral part of herself somewhere along the way. You needed it out, on the fringes of society. Social interactions this far out had an alarming tendency to be brief, blunt and quite often bloody. It was nice to take a break from that cycle every so often.

“Spent more than a little time down there myself.” The salvager admitted as the started up a flight of steps that took them around the battered remains of a cruiser, stripped to a skeletal frame of durasteel and warped duraplast. “A few months working in the three-oh-two docking bays, an' couple of more weeks besides on business.”

She was dodging giving her answer to the blonde’s question, although the reason why was lost on her. She was a Mandalorian, of that she had no doubt. She had fought and bled for the resol’nare, forging an empire in the name of the Reclaimer on the back of her labours, and yet… She could help shake the feeling that she was adrift, lost in a sea of beskar and blood, more so now than ever. “I guess you could sa---.”

A flash of killing intent stole across her identity crisis, her body moving out of pure instinct as she spun, practically launching herself at the blonde as she dove for cover. Considering they were half way up the stairway, this mostly involved sending them both tumbling over the lip, Runi twisting so that her armoured form would take the brunt of the blow for the pair of them. A flash of green seared the air where they had been only heartbeats before, scorching what little paint remained on that husk of a ship, the smell of charred ozone drifting in its wake.

 

[Ria Misrani]

It was supposed to be a through and through, hitting both of them at once. Instead, his round struck through a husk of a ship. Mulikno snarled, and huffed with malcontent. The weequay kept his eyes on the pair while maintaining a safe distance, but now they knew he was there and the game was afoot.

It happened so fast, they were having a conversation and without a second thought. Ria was being pulled over the stairs, and back down into the remains of salvage below them. Runi had somehow maneuvered to take the brunt of the fall, although the landing still hurt. She'd only see a trace of the green as she went down and almost instantly knew exactly who this was. Rolling off of Runi, Ria winced and sat herself up against the frail frame of the cruiser. "You still breathing?" Ria extended an arm out to Runi to assist her up. She asked shaking her head, her eyes fluttered as she licked her lips. "Kark, it didn't take Sotta long." She mentions, "gonna apologize right now."

She lifted up her sleeve to show the brand on her wrist. "I escaped the Smuggler's Moon some time ago, with the help of the Underground runners and - this is probably Sotta's response." Ria explained tucking a loose bit of hair behind her ear. She's not one hundred percent sure of the bounty hunter, she's got a good feel for who it might be but she's going to wait for him to try and shoot again. At least then she'd have a better chance at seeing him or another one of his rounds.

[member="Runi Verin"]

 

[Runi Verin]

[member="Ria Misrani"]

A sharp hiss escaped Runi as their fall was terminated abruptly by the salvage yard floor, a sea of monochromatic spots flickering before her eyes as her bruised and tender ribs registered a formal protest. Caught between rock and a hard place, or a debris strewn yard and a Ria Misrani, the hairline cracks that she had picked up during the liberation of the Kathol Outback saw fit to widen. Definitely not her smartest plan. Which given her recent track record, really was saying something. It took her a moment or two to realise Ria was talking to her, tuning in half way through the conversation.

“Sotta?” She grunted as she accepted the offered hand, ignoring second round of agony that spider-webbed its way out from her side as she allowed the blonde to haul her to her feet. They had bigger things to worry about than a few abused ribs. Pain could be considered fleeting, a blaster bolt through the skull not so much. On the bright side, it wasn’t her fault this time that someone was trying to actively kill her. Satellites and skyhooks. “Of the Ramesh Kajidic? Kark, cheeka, you don’t mess around, do you? ”

The Ramesh, from what little she could recall, were relatively small fish as Hutt Cartels went. A bunch of would be gangsters that struggled to maintain middle rung status in the constantly shifting political sphere of the Kajidic. What made them dangerous, however, was their ambition to rise above their current station by any means necessary. The only way to do that on Nal Hutta was through credits and respect, the latter requiring that they answer any loss of face with bloody reprisals. A loss of face like losing a slave, for instance.

Runi grunted again, placing one hand on her side as she allowed the force to diminish the pain radiating out from her injury, filtering the worst of it from her mind. As always, however, it could do little to stem the ever present niggling that arose from her cybernetic arm. That she just had to embrace.

“There’s only one guy.” She remarked softly, letting her freehand seek the comforting reassurance of a weapon. Interestingly enough, it only brushed past the heavy antique blaster on her hip, a brief detour on its way to the heavy beskad that was sheathed at the small of her back. “Would’ve been more than one shot otherwise. Definitely a pro, though. One shot like that, I didn’t even notice him until he was pulling the trigger… ”

The beskad gave a dry scrape of leather as it left its housing, the silvery edge of the darkened weapon catching a few stray beams of light that filtered through the salvage towers. “He’s gotta be on the move; it’s what I’d do in his place. I don’t know about you, but I ain't set on sticking around and wait for a second crack.”

 

[Ria Misrani]

"Didn't have a karkin' choice." Ria explains, "was dumped off on Nar Shaddaa as a baby, been branded ever since." She grits her teeth out of anger. "You sure, you're alright?" The blonde asks as she ducks down between the salvage. The girl never wanted to be a slave, never wanted to belong to anyone but she also didn't wanna stay on Nar Shaddaa. Looking down at the brand only infuriates her further, swallowing hard she sighs. Her hand hits the husk of plasteel in front of her, "fething Sotta, and his karkin' bounties."

Ria watched as Runi pulled the weapon, watching as it glinted in the light, "yeah... gives me a few ideas on who Sotta sent after me." She ducks between a few pieces of hallowed out machines. She finds a few shiny pieces and a long piece of metal that looked like a rod. Whipping out her mesh tape she got to work on rigging something up. Sitting she looked as the weapon continued to give off some sort of reflecting gaze. "Sounds like Sotta has a pretty set o' creds for my head," Ria whispers and then grabs something to etch into the shiny metal that would be sticking up. "Okay, let's see if he bites."

Mulikno's resettled getting some ground on the girls. Kneeling down he looks through his scope and spots the light, but he doesn't shoot. He's watching, waiting, steady with his rifle. He's got height which allows him to see better but not much else. There's a lot of debris in the way, the light going through the towers doesn't do much for him. If they're down there they were being clever. Leaning away from the scope he takes his time watching and waiting and then he sees something, leaning back into his scope he sees a few beams of light that stand out.

Ria's stuck the jury-rigged item up to catch light from the weapon. Her other hand is on her blaster pistol, she's licking her lips.

He's trapped, he could not shoot but then he'd be stuck waiting for another chance to shoot at them. It'd give them the opportunity to flee, and Mulikno just wanted this to be over with. On the other hand, this would give his position away and so he thought about it. Shoot, and have a chance at getting a hand, or don't shoot and play the waiting game again. He sneers at the thought of having to wait it out. They were two girls, and they should be easy targets.

The weequay bites, and settles down into a firing position. Zooming in, he settles the reticle over the reflective material that's glistening up through the towers and adjusts the aim. The blonde hears the shot and slides out of the way. The green bolt passes over them, but is now more than telling of where the hunter was, and the game continues.

[member="Runi Verin"]

 

[Runi Verin]

[member="Ria Misrani"]​

“People don’t tend to get a choice, cheeka. That’s why it’s called slavery.” Runi remarked dryly. The pain in the side was robbing the sympathy from her, even though Ria’s plight was one she really should have been more understanding about. After all, they might have afforded her the illusion of freedom so long as she continued to make her payments, but ultimately she was a slave in all but name to the Besadii. She was no more than mere handful of creds away from being branded and slapped in a collar at any one time. If she was lucky they’d continue to use her for her technical skill, if not… Well, the alternatives really didn’t bear dwelling on.

“Don’t worry. I’m still breathing.” Although not entirely by choice. Each breath taken taxed her ability to filter away the pain. She didn’t know who she hated more at this given moment. Darn Poo and his force forsaken piloting or the bounty hunter looking to make an easy score off their heads. “Not got any plans to stop any time soon, neither.”

She quirked a brow as she watched Ria busy herself with making a lure, not even attempting to disguise the dubious expression that creased her features. It looked like she was trying to recreate gimmick from a holofilm. Tricks like that might work in film, or on an amateur, but a professional should know better than t----

KAZOT!​

A second lance of green flashed overhead.
​

Or not.

“I take it back what I said about him being a pro. Only an idiot would waste a shot like that. ” Runi grimaced and shook her head, pushing off from the rusted interior support column she had used as a prop while she waited for the blonde. One would almost think she sounded put out, but then she knew there were few things in this galaxy more deadly than an idiot with delusions and a blaster. She hefted the beskad once more and started to slink along the shadows provided by the scrap. “Kark it. Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur. I’m gonna go introduce myself to your idiot. Let him know just who he’s blasting at.”

 

[Ria Misrani]

"Mulikno." Ria whispers probably a little too loudly, "his names Mulikno, and he's a cocky idiot." She adds with her hand to her mouth watching the Mandalorian girl sulk off into the shadows. Taking a deep breath she exhaled, puffing her cheeks up in the process. She's been around Mulikno before, he thinks too highly of himself and Tixi always beat him in competitions. Still, the weequay was cocky for a reason he had a higher kill count but of course, one always had to wonder if those kills were kills or if he just paid enough to get someone to disappear. There was no way Ria could handle Mulikno from this distance, and given how far Runi was getting - sticking around down here by herself, didn't seem to be a great idea.

"Ru, wait." She shimmied between stretches of salvage catching up to the brunette. The blonde dug into her bandoleer and took out a piece of tonitran jerky. Chewing on it she knelt down and watched Mulikno's movements. "What in the-"

The weequay had to wait for his rifle to change modes, and when it did he put it up to his shoulder and aimed for the towers. His rifle doubled for a grenade launcher, which to be fair was not all that unheard of, but now the question about his kill count would be answered. For Ria anyway, as the sound of the grenade launching forward could be heard.

"Kark..." Ria watched it sail and wasn't sticking around for its landing. The grenade sailed past the girls and to a tower behind them, and the immediate impact sent shards of the tower flying, and the blonde definitely yelped out, "fething abyss!" Even as she was trying to avoid the bits of shrapnel. There was only so much avoiding you could do, shrapnel bounced everywhere, and as if that wasn't enough two more grenades were sent toward the tower before the inevitable.

The salvage tower began to crumble leaning heavily outward toward the salvage yard wall. Mulikno moved storing his rifle over his shoulder and grabbing his slug as he got down into the salvage.

[member="Runi Verin"]

 

[Runi Verin]

[member="Ria Misrani"]​

“Mulikno.” Runi murmured as she cut a path through the scrapheap, sticking to the shadows and improvised stretches of cover the salvage provided. It was good to put a name to a face, even if it was a face she had every intention of pummelling senseless into new and interesting shapes. She could pick him out in the force now; a twisted flicker of life scurrying just as they did. Sense the frustration creeping through his bones. His advantage of range almost meaningless now that they were on to him. “Fitting. A stupid name for a stupid hunter. He should’ve waited. Found some higher ground, boxed us in and picked us off as we tried to make a run for it.”

Her pace faltered as Ria called out her name, once more feeling the familiar stab of killing intent flash across the scrapyard, although this time the target wasn’t either of them. Or at least, not directly. Her choice curse was lost as a grenade whistled through the air. Merr-Sonn, her brain registered absently from the sound, right before it detonated on the nearest tower. Two more followed suit in quick succession, but the Mandalorian was already in motion, trusting her armour to once more protect her from the worst of it. It had its limits, however, a piece of shrapnel nicking the corner of her left cheek as another sliced the air nearest her ear. She just grunted; pushing her focus beyond it all.

Telekinesis. It wasn’t her strongest point; she simply lacked the raw, juggernaut like strength that many exhibited in the arena. Instead she was forced to make up for her shortcomings with an innate gift for fine control. While others were perfectly capable rip blast doors from their hinges with a flick of the wrist, she would use her telekinesis and technical expertise to simply pick the lock. It was hardly dramatic or worthy of a holovid, but it was a simple and effective alternative all the same.

That’s why she made no attempt to halt the scrap tower’s gradual demise, her hand whipping up to send a series of small, hard metal cogs and gears flying out from the pile behind her and into the side of the pile. The first wave seemed to do little, but the second and third gnawed into the supporting structure of the tower, blowing a small hole that caused the tower to veer to the side away from them.

“Viinir!” Runi yelled as she backtracked, grabbing Ria’s wrist as she hauled her in the opposite direction. With her bruised ribs, sprinting was probably up on that aforementioned ‘not the smartest idea’ list, but it certainly beat the alternative of sticking around. A notion that was only underlined by the screeching sound of scrap as the tower began to come down behind the pair. “Iviin'yc! iviin'yc! Faster, cheeka, faster!”

 

[Ria Misrani]

Ria as luck would have it took a major shot from the shrapnel. She seethed in pain, wincing and yelping louder as Runi jerked her into the opposite direction. Thankfully the bolt of shrapnel in her shoulder would do well to clog the bleeding. She could hear the brunette yelling for her to run, and to be honest. Ria was never the fastest runner, to begin with, and being injured doesn't help. With her shirt partially soaked in blood, the blonde ran as much as she could and as fast as she could. It was during times like this that she cursed her heavy burden of flesh. Her lungs cried out in pain, burning from the lack of oxygen.

The sound of metal on metal, the billowing of scrap and salvage ran throughout the yard like a tidal wave. Somehow her legs were still going even if by this point she was pretty much on the verge of collapsing. Eventually, she had to stop and when she did, she looked back to see the dust still blooming up over where the tower had once been. Her lungs burned, her shoulder hurt and she was definitely a little paler than before that bolt of shrapnel had loosened during the run, and she was starting to lose blood.

Sliding down slump against a piece of salvage, Ria grabbed her blaster pistol. "You keep going and give Mulikno my regards. I can stay here and try to slow'im down." Try being her optimal phrase here. Heat still fresh in her body from running, sweat beating down her face as she tried to get into a comfortable spot. Her muscles were sore and her lungs still felt like they were on fire.

[member="Runi Verin"]

Mulikno now moved around the pile of rubble that had once been the salvage tower, slug thrower ready on the offensive as he slowly made his way through. He didn't account for how thick the debris would be, thus even at his pace, he was still quite a distance from both girls. He knew which direction they should have been flushed into and knew at least one of them was injured judging from the yelps he had heard.

 

[Runi Verin]

[member="Ria Misrani"]

“No offense, but he’d drop you without even breaking pace.” Runi remarked softly to the blonde, eying the bloodstained form she presented with a critical eye. Her lips compressed into a thin line. Ria was right, though. From her clammy pallor and ragged hitch to her breath, she wasn’t going anywhere fast, not with an injury like that to slow her down. The smart move would be to leave her behind, take her chances with Mulikno in a one on one confrontation free from distractions the other woman provided. Her ribs were enough of one by themselves.

Unfortunately, while she might have fallen far from the Warden of the Sky ideal, leaving people behind simply wasn’t in Runi’s nature. After a moment of warring indecision, she reached over to her left vambrace and detached the device that had been secured there before holding it out to the blonde.

“Here,” She stated simply, gesturing for the other woman to take it. “It’s a stealth holoprojector. Just clip it to your belt or something and activate it. Unless Mulikno has some military grade senor gear loadout, he could walk right up to you and never notice.”
The pistol came next, a heavy beast of a blaster that was cut down from a carbine, flipping it over in her palm before passing it over as well. She felt positively naked without its familiar presence at her side, but her beskad would have to be enough. “Take this, too. Pulls to the left and kicks like a Ronto in heat, but it’ll do a kark sight more than that pea-shooter you got there.”

She turned her back and stepped away before Ria could voice any objection or attempt to pass the piece back, her attention already shifting towards the surrounding junk piles. With the broken tower providing them with cover to their back, a fact she would have to thank the bounty hunter for later, Mulikno’s options were now just as limited as their own.

“He’s going to come from that direction.” She gestured with her beskad towards an opening in the scrap, the confidence in her voice born from her connection to the force. Mulikno was practically a beacon of irritate frustration. “I’ll draw his attention, pull him in close, you shoot him in the back when he passes you by. You’re up to that much, ‘lek?”

 

[Ria Misrani]

Ria's lips were cracked, dry, and she took time with her breaths. A smile formed but it hurt to do so, "well maybe he'll trip over my carcass, eh?" She says jokingly, although at the rate things were going it could quite possibly happen. She squinted trying to see what Runi was doing, her eyes were getting droopy and she felt tired. Exhausted, running with her injury probably wasn't the best idea in the entire galaxy.

The blonde watched as the brunette held something out to her. Taking it she held it up close to her face, "what in the nine clouds is this?" She muttered a little, and then Runi gave an explanation, Ria looked down to her body and clipped it to her bandoleer and then placed her head square against the wreckage. Her fingers tripped over the device until she got to the activation button, pressing it she squeezed her eyes shut before opening them, "okay."

She breathed, "okay."

Wincing as she took the heavy blaster pistol, "I like my pea shooters, they fit my pea sized hands just right." Ria quipped and really had to focus on the karkin' weapon, "left, left, left." She repeated to herself, and doesn't hear much of what Runi says next but just nods, "yeah, yeah shoot'im with your Ronto killer thingamabober." Her breathing is getting worse but she's holding on the shrapnel is pinching against something and she's doing her best not to let it show.

She shifts the blaster into her good hand, not wanting to kark the shot. It's only now that she thinks she has a medstim of some sort in her bag, but she can't reach for it now, it'd have to wait until after the bounty hunter was taken care of.

----​

​

Mulikno was beyond frustrated and studied the layout of scrap in front of him. Feth he thought to himself, the tower had fallen and while he's sure to have gotten one of the girls, the other would still be up and about. The cover for them was great, for him not so much. He'd have to find another way around, he decides on the longer route from around the debris, in the hopes of finding a way to ascend it and finish them off from above.

He wastes about twenty minutes trying to find a jumping point but ends up sliding down each time, and each fall results in him tossing salvage around. The weequay shoves it all around, cutting a path through from the side just behind their actual location deciding if they're where he thinks they are he can get a pull on them. Mulikno pulls off a smoke grenade and tosses it forward and follows it up with a flashbang, the first grenade ricochets off something and lands inside of a hollowed out console the flashbang hits against something adjacent to it, the contact of the flashbang against the weakened metal is enough to warm it, and enough warmth that something could catch if left on it long enough.

While the grenades are going off, Mulikno is powering his way through not realizing where it is he's stepping as he steps right into his own smoke grenade.

[member="Runi Verin"]