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“Dust to Dust” (CLOSED)
It was her first and only time off the colony and she had already gotten lost in town; for a seven year old that was quite the tear- worthy predicament to be in.
And she acted accordingly.
Stasha Evie was a Zabrak, though she’d never set foot on any other planet other then her colony at the time - or strayed so far from her human mother, she had the thorny crown to prove herself of the species. As she sulked on the ground, hastily wiping her honey colored eyes of sadness she looked up to meet the face of boy her age. He was a tan iridonian with a hardy green tint to his skin and small vestigial horns poking from his scalp like barbs with wide dark eyes full of curiosity.
The little girl sniffed deeply and stood to meet his gaze when he shouted…
“here!”
He then jutted out his hand forcefully holding a flower with dirt still clinging to its exposed roots.
She looked at him confused and he shook the gift with a frown.
“Take it!” he demanded.
“I don’t want it!” she growled, throwing back her arms in rebellion.
His chin wrinkled and he thrust the lily forward twice as hard, dirt spraying her pretty pale face.
“uhn!” she spat, wiping her eyes. “What’s wrong with you! I-”
He silence her with a kiss. A little innocent peck on the lips that was swift and childish.
Her cheeks went red. A muffled voice called and the boy quickly turned to meet it.
“You’re pretty!” he said before rushing off.
She was frozen as he left, the corners of her mouth slowly turning up in to an awkward smile.
Then she too was found.
“Stasha!” a familiar voice rang.
“Mom!” the girl named cried, hugging her parent’s waist as high as she could reach.
“Don’t do that! I hate when you wonder off!” the young raven haired woman said, returning the embrace with a sigh of relief.
“Sorry…”
Her mother shook her head and reached for her purse.
“Look what your sister found.” she said, revealing a doll of dark blue cloth.
“Ashes!” the child happily gushed, snatching up the toy and pressing it to her tightly with bliss.
“Hey mom guess what!” she asked, walking hand in hand with the human.
“what is it honey?”
“A boy kissed me today!”
Evie let out a cry as dirt sprayed her face, it dust coated her hair and eyes leaving her irritated, awake and burning with anger. She had been on Onderon now for a week. After a quickly resolved bounty in a faraway town on the outskirts of the planet she found herself with out transportation back to the Hunter’s HQ on Coruscant. The small area to which she had been dispatched was so isolated from society and technology she had to travel with a large caravan to the nearest trade center and from there the capital Iziz. She had followed their trial thought the mountains alongside traders and drifters- it had been three days since she began.
The ones responsible for her dirt bath were playing near her tent where she rested in the shade a moment before they resumed the march. A group of native boys from various vagabond families.
The black clad horned woman stepped from the shadow of her cover and stopped one youngster by his collar.
Her milky skin was stained with new flecks of brown.
“Excuse me!” she grumbled. “ I think you owe me an apology!”
He turned looking guilty but taken by surprise by her touch.
“huh?”
“ You just kicked dirt all over me- now say sorry.” She crossed her arms and shut her eyes to wait.
After his response wasn’t immediate she threw them back to her sides and shouted:
“Say sorry!”
He jumped and muttered an apology.
“I’m sorry, Evie.” She corrected and he repeated her line in monotone.
“Show us a trick! Show us a trick!” his friends chimed, she was new to them, a beautiful adult who noticed their existence rather then shooing them away, they had grow fond her in the short time of her joining the caravan- it didn’t take long for eight year old boys to develop crushes on pretty women after all….but this pretty woman also had a gun and that made her worlds more amusing in their book.
Evie sighed deeply and removed two of her sting beams from their holsters. She wagged a finger in warning before saying in mock reluctance:
“One more time- and only because Malaka missed it last time.”
The boy addressed by name smiled to himself.
The Zabrak then twirled the guns, tossing and catching them as the children let out “oohs” and “awes” in astonishment.
Then one went off sending a blast to the sky and she lost her concentration, cursing and clumsily dropping the blasters to the dirt floor.
They laughed hysterically.
“always make sure the safety is on…” she said, scooping up her weapons hastily with her cheeks heated red.
When again she raised her eyes a tall man of her species stood before her with his arms crossed. The boys grew quiet. Getting to her feet she quickly concealed her weapons and wiped her mouth, looking him in fathomless depths of his eyes. His name was Roh, an Onderon native like the rest who had appointed himself guardian of the travelers. Throughout the trip he had walked along side the navigator, deterring threats and repeatedly checking in on the female bounty hunter. He was a strong man with large eyes, tan skin cracked with vestigial horns and facial tattoos that curled about his cheeks and forehead, his hair was long and dark to his shoulders and he often wore a wrap over his head to shield himself from the sand and elements..
“We’re about to get moving…” he said, looking back over his shoulder as the kids waved Evie goodbye and returned to the front.
“One more night should do it…then we’ll be at the capital by nightfall the next day.”
She let his words soak in and nodded. He was quiet man and he had just spoken more in the past few minutes then he had all week.
“I’ll get my things.” she replied, turning to ready her tent for the journey.
“Evie…” Roh stopped her by her wrist.
‘oh boy…’ she assumed he would scold her for the second time about her blasters and another lecture of safety would ensue. Instead he took both her hands in his as she turned.
“it was very nice to meet you…” he said, avoiding her gaze. He tugged at his turban and then took his leave.
“You too….” she raised her eyebrows and smirked to herself, shaking her head as she readied her pack for the journey ahead. Onderonians were strange, she would never understand them…
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As the caravan steadily moved along the heat intensified. Evie began to lag behind, letting quicker travelers bypass her as she panted and wiped sweat from her brow. Raising her hand like a salute to block out the blazing light she spotted an old human woman hobbling along with the various vendors in line. At her side was a small Twi'lek girl, a slave with navy skin so dark it was nearly black and Florissant almond shaped eyes like emeralds. On her back she carried a large jug of water.
“hey!” Stasha hailed the old woman, coming to her side with a smile and gesturing at the container the slave shouldered.
“I’d like to buy that! How much?”
The old woman squinted and leaned towards the Zabrak to better hear the request.
“… Buy…?” she asked
“Yes, the water-” Evie laughed, she reached into her pack pulling out several credits.
“Buy!” the old woman exclaimed with realization nodding her head, she then removed the water jug from the slave girl’s back.
“Oh yes…thanks be to-”
The old woman ushered the girl forward and continued her pace with the water in her arms, she had mis understood the request.
“N-no…I meant the water not the Twi'lek!” Stasha gently corrected, catching up to the woman’s side and reaching out her hand to stop her.
“Buy.” the woman nodded and continued with satisfaction. It was not mutual.
“No! “ Stasha corrected a little harsher.
“I don’t want her! I wanted water!” a family passed and squeezed into the space between them, obscuring the elder from view.
“Wait!” Evie called trying to see around the growing numbers of bodies clouding her sight.
“Give me my money back I don’t want this!”
It was too late.
“Dammit!” she spat.
The little Twi'lek stared at her blank of expression.
“I don’t even advocate the slave trade what am I supposed to do with this thing!” cried the Zabrak, throwing her arms about in a tantrum.
A heavy set human hobbled by and Evie seized him.
“Sir! Sir, would you like to buy a slave?” she asked pleadingly.
He looked over the girl, unimpressed.
“I’ll buy her for an hour.” he replied with a reluctant tone of settlement.
“An hour…? I’m not renting her out I’m- OH! You are a sick man! Keep moving!” Evie growled, shoving him back on course.
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“Aayla.” Evie said.
No response, the little Twi'lek continued to eat the last of her sweet melon in silence.
“Merrill.” Evie said.
She responded by reaching for more food, taking her new master’s portion from her lap and devouring it quickly.
“That was mine but …Ok.” The Zabrak said, scratching the back of her head in disdain. Night had fallen and the heat had ebbed, replaced with a chill and low winds. She had retired to her tent for the time being but found it’s new addition troubling. She knew she shouldn’t label or even acknowledge the Twi’lek’s existence but she tired of referring to her as “kid”.
“Ahh….” She fell from her crossed legged sitting position to her back.
“I should just call you waste of cre-” she felt a weight press down on her stomach and lifted her head to find the girl using it as a pillow.
“Oh no no no no!” She corrected, lifting the girl under her arms and placing her in the far corner of the tent.
“You and I are so not on cuddling terms.” She went back to her blanket and instantly felt warmth against her back as the girl returned.
She silently outstretched her arm and pushed her few feet away. A few minutes passed in sleepless silence and Evie finally sat up on her elbows in unrest. It was quiet save for the people outside feeding the fire and the little dark skinned girl’s shallow breathing. Her hue made her nearly invisible in the night and little was seen of her save for the red of her tongue as she yawned in rest. Evie ran her fingers through her hair and gaze lazily at the slave.
“Ashes.” She said.
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Evie awoke in the night and stepped over the slumbering Twi'lek to the fire outside where many weary traveler’s sat mumbling monotone conversations. She took her place amongst them and reached for a drink from an offering male.
A woman began to cough violently and the one next to her leaned away.
“Watch that! Something bad is going around you know…”
The ill one apologized and wiped her mouth of blood and phlegm.
“Just in the animals…” a man interjected. “it’s driving them mad. Haven’t you seen?”
“Yeah well they say its gotten a few of the outer towns…” another said.
Evie stood and departed. She made her way alone to the edge of the hill they’d set camp at the base of and stood pondering the sky. They had the high ground, below them was a steep slouch of the mountain with a river below and several rocky peaks just above them, the shortest of which she now stood upon.
Physical contact on her hand caused her to jump and she turned at the sight of the ranger Roh who flinched at her reaction.
“Don’t scare me like that!” she growled, pulling away.
“I’m sorry.” he muttered.
“Gosh, lost in thought or not, no one deserves to be scared like that..!”
A panic stricken voice raised an alarm, sending the hairs on the back of her to neck standing on end.
“RAID!”
The pair turned and felt the heat of flames on their faces as many tents below were set a blaze by a sweeping swarm of black clad frames with hidden faces. The caravan began to scramble and split as the invaders sought to strike down and frighten stragglers.
Evie lifted her rifle with one hand and shot one between the eyes as he closed in on her tent- he seeped from the head and fell dead where he stood.
Sliding down the hill she took down several more, racking up head shots as Roh descended to defend his flock.
She kicked a short vibro knife shaped like a razor blade from her ankle holster and caught it mid air, slicing a black turbaned man’s neck in a fluid motion as he came at her with a blade of his own.
She made her way to her tent, claiming the lives of assailants effortlessly as they challenge her.
Pulling open her door she found her slave cowering. Ashes gave a little cry of fear but calmed when she recognized the intruder.
“Come on!” Evie shouted, she gestured with the bloodied knife and the Twi'lek obeyed coming to her side and following her close, hugging to her hip as the bounty hunter sliced her way back through the chaos.
Across the way Roh and several others were in a loosing tug- of -war with a string of tents that threatened to topple over the cliff side and into the river. Evie came to their aid, stepping in front of him and gritting her teeth as she began to reel in the rope holding them together with all the muscle her body could utilize.
“Use your knees! Don’t give it leeway! Come on!” she commanded.
Suddenly more of the hidden enemies sprung from the dark and knocked the line of man power loose.
The strugglers that remained gripping the rope were pulled by the mass of their burden, severely rendering them at the mercy of its weight as it was lost over the mountain side, dangling and dragging them down. Several fell to the rushing water below and Evie struggled, digging deep and buckling her knees as she too was taken with the tents into the water below. Ashes clung to her waist.
“Stasha!” Roh cried as he fought off the horde.
She was lost to the angry river’s current.
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As Evie regained consciousness her sight returned in slow flutters. Her head felt heavy and thick, it rolled upon her neck as she strived to keep awake and there was a pounding in her ears that made every inch of her throb with numbness.
There were voices surrounding her, a muffled language she couldn’t recognize.
She felt the cold flesh of a bare palm gently slap her cheek as an attempt to rouse her from her stupor and made a small noise to signal her compliance. She focused her eyes on the blur before her spouting gibberish.
She spat blood to her side stared as a turbaned man came into focus just inches away from her face. The only feature visible was two electric blue eyes. She blinked until she could muster the strength to form words.
“was that really necessary…?” she slowly asked. A tightness in her wrist made itself known as she realized with a start she was restrained. Pulling her knees close she examined her surroundings. It was dark, they were in some sort of natural cover…a cave perhaps? Either way she was alone and encircling her were the many concealed faces of turbaned men.
Her captor responded, turning to a smaller figure behind and sending him off to deal with another task.
“where are the people I was with…?” The groggy Zabrak asked, her memories were just coming back and she had to verbalize them before they faded.
“what happened to the caravan?”
Two men at her side began to rummage her pack.
“Hey! Those are my things! Keep your-”
“Many escaped…” a smooth voice with the hint of an accent cut in.
“Some were lost from the fall…we don’t know where, but we have you now…”
Evie turned to its owner, a tall dark Zabrak in similar dress to the others, minus the head piece, whose wraps he held at his side.
“I am Scroll.” he said, gesturing with his hand.
“The translator for my people.”
The restrained woman sulked, her eyes alert and full of suspicion.
“You are a bounty hunter, yes?” he asked, stepping closer.
“Tell them to stop going through my things.” she said with a glare.
He gave a harsh order and the men ceased, stepping away.
Stasha smirked.
“You got a job for me?’
A man’s moist cough echoed the cave and she turned away with disgust.
“There is a disease sweeping us.” Scroll explained solemnly. “It has killed many. Everyone in my home has it- my neighbors, there neighbors…We had ordered medicine, it took nearly every credit my people had and it was due four days ago. The ship crashed…deep in the canyons. We cannot risk anymore men-”
“So your sending a woman?” Evie sneered.
“…We are warriors, Miss, but even my best cannot last against the animals…the sickness has over taken them- driven them mad-”
“Once again.” Evie repeated.
“You’re sending me?”
“You are a bounty hunter, are you not? There is money in this for you!” he growled, throwing his arm.
“ How do you propose I get this medicine back? It could have been destroyed in the crash and if it wasn’t I’m one person! I can’t carry it all on my own!” Evie hissed with equal fierceness.
A dark little body made itself known.
“crap…”
Ashes came to Evie’s side.
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As Evie’s restraints were relived she readied herself for the mission ahead with the men’s eyes all on her. She had no intention of returning to them. As soon as she was freed and alone she would continue her course to the capital. If she was lucky she could sell the Twi'lek in town and return to the guild as if the whole mess had never stained her. It was laughable, the task her clients had so forcefully dealt her was so impossible …how could they assume she would simple take it without protest? No amount of money was worth single handedly fighting off crazed beast while navigating to an unknown location out in the middle of nowhere.
Her snicker became a yelp as a sharp sting of pain assaulted her neck like the splintering of bone.
Scroll pulled back his arm holding a double needled shot from her throbbing collar.
“What the hell!”
“A little incentive for you…” he said softly.
“Zabraks are different from most. You’ll need my help to administer the medication…after you return it to us safely.”
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“Here make yourself useful.” Evie said, handing her bag over to her new little ward.
They had been roaming the plains at a steady pace for little over and hour and the forest in the distance still seemed to retreat from their foot steps.
It only took a few minutes of the little girl’s struggling with the pack’s weight for Evie to end up carrying it again, with the addition of Ashes on her back too tired to go on.
After venturing further into the grass and farther from her original course then ever imagined the brunette Zabrak’s legs gave out. She dropped her pack to the floor and bent over to allow the slave to her feet. Panting and gasping for air she brought her travel bottle to her lips and took a gulp of water. Ashes looked up at her expectantly and received the drink next.
“Ok that’s enough…” Evie said reaching to take it. The Twi'lek held on and finished it off.
“NO!” Cried her master, ripping it from her hands and throwing it to the ground once she felt its lack of content.
“Damn it all!” she shouted.
The child jumped back in fear and distanced herself.
Evie calmed.
“I’m not gonna’ hurt you…” She soothed, reaching and gently stroking of the girl’s Lekku.
She suddenly yanked her forward by the brain tails and roared:
“I’m gonna Kill you, you snake headed glutton!”
Ashes shrieked and retreated into the tall grass..
“Go ahead! You’ll be doing me a favor!” Evie called after her with a clenched fist. She then hoisted her luggage and continue her pace. It was only moments later that she felt pangs of regret tugging at her shoulder.
She could have traded the girl for water or other much needed resources.
It had been the last of her concerns…With a unknown disease coursing through her veins she dreaded the moment its symptoms would make themselves known. She had to find the lost shipment of medicine soon or it could be too late. There was a great possibility more people were ill and could be seeking it for their own means, or were without hope….perhaps they could be of help. There was no way Evie could retrieve the shipment on her own, she needed man power no one person could provide- and if the native animals were violent it would be impossible to defend herself and her crop.
There was nothing to do but continue on and be prepared for anything…
It was her first and only time off the colony and she had already gotten lost in town; for a seven year old that was quite the tear- worthy predicament to be in.
And she acted accordingly.
Stasha Evie was a Zabrak, though she’d never set foot on any other planet other then her colony at the time - or strayed so far from her human mother, she had the thorny crown to prove herself of the species. As she sulked on the ground, hastily wiping her honey colored eyes of sadness she looked up to meet the face of boy her age. He was a tan iridonian with a hardy green tint to his skin and small vestigial horns poking from his scalp like barbs with wide dark eyes full of curiosity.
The little girl sniffed deeply and stood to meet his gaze when he shouted…
“here!”
He then jutted out his hand forcefully holding a flower with dirt still clinging to its exposed roots.
She looked at him confused and he shook the gift with a frown.
“Take it!” he demanded.
“I don’t want it!” she growled, throwing back her arms in rebellion.
His chin wrinkled and he thrust the lily forward twice as hard, dirt spraying her pretty pale face.
“uhn!” she spat, wiping her eyes. “What’s wrong with you! I-”
He silence her with a kiss. A little innocent peck on the lips that was swift and childish.
Her cheeks went red. A muffled voice called and the boy quickly turned to meet it.
“You’re pretty!” he said before rushing off.
She was frozen as he left, the corners of her mouth slowly turning up in to an awkward smile.
Then she too was found.
“Stasha!” a familiar voice rang.
“Mom!” the girl named cried, hugging her parent’s waist as high as she could reach.
“Don’t do that! I hate when you wonder off!” the young raven haired woman said, returning the embrace with a sigh of relief.
“Sorry…”
Her mother shook her head and reached for her purse.
“Look what your sister found.” she said, revealing a doll of dark blue cloth.
“Ashes!” the child happily gushed, snatching up the toy and pressing it to her tightly with bliss.
“Hey mom guess what!” she asked, walking hand in hand with the human.
“what is it honey?”
“A boy kissed me today!”
Evie let out a cry as dirt sprayed her face, it dust coated her hair and eyes leaving her irritated, awake and burning with anger. She had been on Onderon now for a week. After a quickly resolved bounty in a faraway town on the outskirts of the planet she found herself with out transportation back to the Hunter’s HQ on Coruscant. The small area to which she had been dispatched was so isolated from society and technology she had to travel with a large caravan to the nearest trade center and from there the capital Iziz. She had followed their trial thought the mountains alongside traders and drifters- it had been three days since she began.
The ones responsible for her dirt bath were playing near her tent where she rested in the shade a moment before they resumed the march. A group of native boys from various vagabond families.
The black clad horned woman stepped from the shadow of her cover and stopped one youngster by his collar.
Her milky skin was stained with new flecks of brown.
“Excuse me!” she grumbled. “ I think you owe me an apology!”
He turned looking guilty but taken by surprise by her touch.
“huh?”
“ You just kicked dirt all over me- now say sorry.” She crossed her arms and shut her eyes to wait.
After his response wasn’t immediate she threw them back to her sides and shouted:
“Say sorry!”
He jumped and muttered an apology.
“I’m sorry, Evie.” She corrected and he repeated her line in monotone.
“Show us a trick! Show us a trick!” his friends chimed, she was new to them, a beautiful adult who noticed their existence rather then shooing them away, they had grow fond her in the short time of her joining the caravan- it didn’t take long for eight year old boys to develop crushes on pretty women after all….but this pretty woman also had a gun and that made her worlds more amusing in their book.
Evie sighed deeply and removed two of her sting beams from their holsters. She wagged a finger in warning before saying in mock reluctance:
“One more time- and only because Malaka missed it last time.”
The boy addressed by name smiled to himself.
The Zabrak then twirled the guns, tossing and catching them as the children let out “oohs” and “awes” in astonishment.
Then one went off sending a blast to the sky and she lost her concentration, cursing and clumsily dropping the blasters to the dirt floor.
They laughed hysterically.
“always make sure the safety is on…” she said, scooping up her weapons hastily with her cheeks heated red.
When again she raised her eyes a tall man of her species stood before her with his arms crossed. The boys grew quiet. Getting to her feet she quickly concealed her weapons and wiped her mouth, looking him in fathomless depths of his eyes. His name was Roh, an Onderon native like the rest who had appointed himself guardian of the travelers. Throughout the trip he had walked along side the navigator, deterring threats and repeatedly checking in on the female bounty hunter. He was a strong man with large eyes, tan skin cracked with vestigial horns and facial tattoos that curled about his cheeks and forehead, his hair was long and dark to his shoulders and he often wore a wrap over his head to shield himself from the sand and elements..
“We’re about to get moving…” he said, looking back over his shoulder as the kids waved Evie goodbye and returned to the front.
“One more night should do it…then we’ll be at the capital by nightfall the next day.”
She let his words soak in and nodded. He was quiet man and he had just spoken more in the past few minutes then he had all week.
“I’ll get my things.” she replied, turning to ready her tent for the journey.
“Evie…” Roh stopped her by her wrist.
‘oh boy…’ she assumed he would scold her for the second time about her blasters and another lecture of safety would ensue. Instead he took both her hands in his as she turned.
“it was very nice to meet you…” he said, avoiding her gaze. He tugged at his turban and then took his leave.
“You too….” she raised her eyebrows and smirked to herself, shaking her head as she readied her pack for the journey ahead. Onderonians were strange, she would never understand them…
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As the caravan steadily moved along the heat intensified. Evie began to lag behind, letting quicker travelers bypass her as she panted and wiped sweat from her brow. Raising her hand like a salute to block out the blazing light she spotted an old human woman hobbling along with the various vendors in line. At her side was a small Twi'lek girl, a slave with navy skin so dark it was nearly black and Florissant almond shaped eyes like emeralds. On her back she carried a large jug of water.
“hey!” Stasha hailed the old woman, coming to her side with a smile and gesturing at the container the slave shouldered.
“I’d like to buy that! How much?”
The old woman squinted and leaned towards the Zabrak to better hear the request.
“… Buy…?” she asked
“Yes, the water-” Evie laughed, she reached into her pack pulling out several credits.
“Buy!” the old woman exclaimed with realization nodding her head, she then removed the water jug from the slave girl’s back.
“Oh yes…thanks be to-”
The old woman ushered the girl forward and continued her pace with the water in her arms, she had mis understood the request.
“N-no…I meant the water not the Twi'lek!” Stasha gently corrected, catching up to the woman’s side and reaching out her hand to stop her.
“Buy.” the woman nodded and continued with satisfaction. It was not mutual.
“No! “ Stasha corrected a little harsher.
“I don’t want her! I wanted water!” a family passed and squeezed into the space between them, obscuring the elder from view.
“Wait!” Evie called trying to see around the growing numbers of bodies clouding her sight.
“Give me my money back I don’t want this!”
It was too late.
“Dammit!” she spat.
The little Twi'lek stared at her blank of expression.
“I don’t even advocate the slave trade what am I supposed to do with this thing!” cried the Zabrak, throwing her arms about in a tantrum.
A heavy set human hobbled by and Evie seized him.
“Sir! Sir, would you like to buy a slave?” she asked pleadingly.
He looked over the girl, unimpressed.
“I’ll buy her for an hour.” he replied with a reluctant tone of settlement.
“An hour…? I’m not renting her out I’m- OH! You are a sick man! Keep moving!” Evie growled, shoving him back on course.
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“Aayla.” Evie said.
No response, the little Twi'lek continued to eat the last of her sweet melon in silence.
“Merrill.” Evie said.
She responded by reaching for more food, taking her new master’s portion from her lap and devouring it quickly.
“That was mine but …Ok.” The Zabrak said, scratching the back of her head in disdain. Night had fallen and the heat had ebbed, replaced with a chill and low winds. She had retired to her tent for the time being but found it’s new addition troubling. She knew she shouldn’t label or even acknowledge the Twi’lek’s existence but she tired of referring to her as “kid”.
“Ahh….” She fell from her crossed legged sitting position to her back.
“I should just call you waste of cre-” she felt a weight press down on her stomach and lifted her head to find the girl using it as a pillow.
“Oh no no no no!” She corrected, lifting the girl under her arms and placing her in the far corner of the tent.
“You and I are so not on cuddling terms.” She went back to her blanket and instantly felt warmth against her back as the girl returned.
She silently outstretched her arm and pushed her few feet away. A few minutes passed in sleepless silence and Evie finally sat up on her elbows in unrest. It was quiet save for the people outside feeding the fire and the little dark skinned girl’s shallow breathing. Her hue made her nearly invisible in the night and little was seen of her save for the red of her tongue as she yawned in rest. Evie ran her fingers through her hair and gaze lazily at the slave.
“Ashes.” She said.
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Evie awoke in the night and stepped over the slumbering Twi'lek to the fire outside where many weary traveler’s sat mumbling monotone conversations. She took her place amongst them and reached for a drink from an offering male.
A woman began to cough violently and the one next to her leaned away.
“Watch that! Something bad is going around you know…”
The ill one apologized and wiped her mouth of blood and phlegm.
“Just in the animals…” a man interjected. “it’s driving them mad. Haven’t you seen?”
“Yeah well they say its gotten a few of the outer towns…” another said.
Evie stood and departed. She made her way alone to the edge of the hill they’d set camp at the base of and stood pondering the sky. They had the high ground, below them was a steep slouch of the mountain with a river below and several rocky peaks just above them, the shortest of which she now stood upon.
Physical contact on her hand caused her to jump and she turned at the sight of the ranger Roh who flinched at her reaction.
“Don’t scare me like that!” she growled, pulling away.
“I’m sorry.” he muttered.
“Gosh, lost in thought or not, no one deserves to be scared like that..!”
A panic stricken voice raised an alarm, sending the hairs on the back of her to neck standing on end.
“RAID!”
The pair turned and felt the heat of flames on their faces as many tents below were set a blaze by a sweeping swarm of black clad frames with hidden faces. The caravan began to scramble and split as the invaders sought to strike down and frighten stragglers.
Evie lifted her rifle with one hand and shot one between the eyes as he closed in on her tent- he seeped from the head and fell dead where he stood.
Sliding down the hill she took down several more, racking up head shots as Roh descended to defend his flock.
She kicked a short vibro knife shaped like a razor blade from her ankle holster and caught it mid air, slicing a black turbaned man’s neck in a fluid motion as he came at her with a blade of his own.
She made her way to her tent, claiming the lives of assailants effortlessly as they challenge her.
Pulling open her door she found her slave cowering. Ashes gave a little cry of fear but calmed when she recognized the intruder.
“Come on!” Evie shouted, she gestured with the bloodied knife and the Twi'lek obeyed coming to her side and following her close, hugging to her hip as the bounty hunter sliced her way back through the chaos.
Across the way Roh and several others were in a loosing tug- of -war with a string of tents that threatened to topple over the cliff side and into the river. Evie came to their aid, stepping in front of him and gritting her teeth as she began to reel in the rope holding them together with all the muscle her body could utilize.
“Use your knees! Don’t give it leeway! Come on!” she commanded.
Suddenly more of the hidden enemies sprung from the dark and knocked the line of man power loose.
The strugglers that remained gripping the rope were pulled by the mass of their burden, severely rendering them at the mercy of its weight as it was lost over the mountain side, dangling and dragging them down. Several fell to the rushing water below and Evie struggled, digging deep and buckling her knees as she too was taken with the tents into the water below. Ashes clung to her waist.
“Stasha!” Roh cried as he fought off the horde.
She was lost to the angry river’s current.
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As Evie regained consciousness her sight returned in slow flutters. Her head felt heavy and thick, it rolled upon her neck as she strived to keep awake and there was a pounding in her ears that made every inch of her throb with numbness.
There were voices surrounding her, a muffled language she couldn’t recognize.
She felt the cold flesh of a bare palm gently slap her cheek as an attempt to rouse her from her stupor and made a small noise to signal her compliance. She focused her eyes on the blur before her spouting gibberish.
She spat blood to her side stared as a turbaned man came into focus just inches away from her face. The only feature visible was two electric blue eyes. She blinked until she could muster the strength to form words.
“was that really necessary…?” she slowly asked. A tightness in her wrist made itself known as she realized with a start she was restrained. Pulling her knees close she examined her surroundings. It was dark, they were in some sort of natural cover…a cave perhaps? Either way she was alone and encircling her were the many concealed faces of turbaned men.
Her captor responded, turning to a smaller figure behind and sending him off to deal with another task.
“where are the people I was with…?” The groggy Zabrak asked, her memories were just coming back and she had to verbalize them before they faded.
“what happened to the caravan?”
Two men at her side began to rummage her pack.
“Hey! Those are my things! Keep your-”
“Many escaped…” a smooth voice with the hint of an accent cut in.
“Some were lost from the fall…we don’t know where, but we have you now…”
Evie turned to its owner, a tall dark Zabrak in similar dress to the others, minus the head piece, whose wraps he held at his side.
“I am Scroll.” he said, gesturing with his hand.
“The translator for my people.”
The restrained woman sulked, her eyes alert and full of suspicion.
“You are a bounty hunter, yes?” he asked, stepping closer.
“Tell them to stop going through my things.” she said with a glare.
He gave a harsh order and the men ceased, stepping away.
Stasha smirked.
“You got a job for me?’
A man’s moist cough echoed the cave and she turned away with disgust.
“There is a disease sweeping us.” Scroll explained solemnly. “It has killed many. Everyone in my home has it- my neighbors, there neighbors…We had ordered medicine, it took nearly every credit my people had and it was due four days ago. The ship crashed…deep in the canyons. We cannot risk anymore men-”
“So your sending a woman?” Evie sneered.
“…We are warriors, Miss, but even my best cannot last against the animals…the sickness has over taken them- driven them mad-”
“Once again.” Evie repeated.
“You’re sending me?”
“You are a bounty hunter, are you not? There is money in this for you!” he growled, throwing his arm.
“ How do you propose I get this medicine back? It could have been destroyed in the crash and if it wasn’t I’m one person! I can’t carry it all on my own!” Evie hissed with equal fierceness.
A dark little body made itself known.
“crap…”
Ashes came to Evie’s side.
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As Evie’s restraints were relived she readied herself for the mission ahead with the men’s eyes all on her. She had no intention of returning to them. As soon as she was freed and alone she would continue her course to the capital. If she was lucky she could sell the Twi'lek in town and return to the guild as if the whole mess had never stained her. It was laughable, the task her clients had so forcefully dealt her was so impossible …how could they assume she would simple take it without protest? No amount of money was worth single handedly fighting off crazed beast while navigating to an unknown location out in the middle of nowhere.
Her snicker became a yelp as a sharp sting of pain assaulted her neck like the splintering of bone.
Scroll pulled back his arm holding a double needled shot from her throbbing collar.
“What the hell!”
“A little incentive for you…” he said softly.
“Zabraks are different from most. You’ll need my help to administer the medication…after you return it to us safely.”
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“Here make yourself useful.” Evie said, handing her bag over to her new little ward.
They had been roaming the plains at a steady pace for little over and hour and the forest in the distance still seemed to retreat from their foot steps.
It only took a few minutes of the little girl’s struggling with the pack’s weight for Evie to end up carrying it again, with the addition of Ashes on her back too tired to go on.
After venturing further into the grass and farther from her original course then ever imagined the brunette Zabrak’s legs gave out. She dropped her pack to the floor and bent over to allow the slave to her feet. Panting and gasping for air she brought her travel bottle to her lips and took a gulp of water. Ashes looked up at her expectantly and received the drink next.
“Ok that’s enough…” Evie said reaching to take it. The Twi'lek held on and finished it off.
“NO!” Cried her master, ripping it from her hands and throwing it to the ground once she felt its lack of content.
“Damn it all!” she shouted.
The child jumped back in fear and distanced herself.
Evie calmed.
“I’m not gonna’ hurt you…” She soothed, reaching and gently stroking of the girl’s Lekku.
She suddenly yanked her forward by the brain tails and roared:
“I’m gonna Kill you, you snake headed glutton!”
Ashes shrieked and retreated into the tall grass..
“Go ahead! You’ll be doing me a favor!” Evie called after her with a clenched fist. She then hoisted her luggage and continue her pace. It was only moments later that she felt pangs of regret tugging at her shoulder.
She could have traded the girl for water or other much needed resources.
It had been the last of her concerns…With a unknown disease coursing through her veins she dreaded the moment its symptoms would make themselves known. She had to find the lost shipment of medicine soon or it could be too late. There was a great possibility more people were ill and could be seeking it for their own means, or were without hope….perhaps they could be of help. There was no way Evie could retrieve the shipment on her own, she needed man power no one person could provide- and if the native animals were violent it would be impossible to defend herself and her crop.
There was nothing to do but continue on and be prepared for anything…
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