Ask After Hours

[Edin Frost]

The Firrerreo was in a good mood. He had gone into that cantina expecting another uneventful night of drinking and minding his own business. He had left with a stunning Tiefling woman on his arm. However, it remained to be seen where the night went - he had made his intentions rather clear and she didn’t seem the type to shy away from what she wanted. For now, he had a nice buzz going and he walked out into the night, the moon hanging high in the sky.

“There’s a late night breakfast place just a few blocks from here,” Edin explained, “We could hail a speeder cab, but I don’t mind taking a walk with you,” He said with a grin. Now that they were out of earshot, he had a few facts come up in his mind once more.

“So, Force user, huh?” He asked casually, “Something tells me you’re not exactly a Jedi…”

@llamallove

 

[Amira Din]

Life was full of surprises, and Takodana was no exception. The Tiefling's shuttle off-world would be leaving any minute now, her ticket already bought and paid for with what little money she possessed, and yet she just couldn't bring herself to care. At that moment, her focus was unreservedly directed toward Edin Frost, the latest surprise to waltz into her life—undoubtedly one of the better looking ones, too. This is what living in the moment felt like, and it was high time she experienced the feeling again.

Outside of the cantina, Amira drunk in the warm, evening air. She considered their options before deciding, "It's such a nice night out, don't you think? Let's walk." The real reason she didn't want to take a cab? To drag this night out for as long as possible. She was in no hurry to get off of Takodana, not now. The Tiefling followed Edin's lead, sticking close to his side and letting her tail brush against his back from time to time, just to make sure she had his undivided attention.
"What gave it away?" she joked, yellow eyes seeking out his as they passed under a street light. "My fun personality or my ability to hold my liquor?" She titled her head, a grin spreading across soft lips as she added, "Or did I really sell that bit about the Empress? @Sreeya

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin was pleasantly surprised when she wasn’t put off by his inquiry about her being potentially Sith. Uncovering her saber could easily have been a sore enough topic for her to get incensed by it. He was gambling with her on multiple fronts and so far he liked what he was winning. The Firrerreo felt the gentle brush of her tail against his back every now and then. It was a mixture of exhilarating and almost affectionate in nature, the latter certainly sending his head for a bit of a spin. None of this manifested externally outside of his grip on her getting a bit cozier as he tugged her closer.

“Mainly your fun personality,” He said with a smile, “....And the fact that you didn’t mind that I used you to level a shot to kill a man,” Speaking of which, he would have to collect that bounty, “I didn’t even check where the body dropped because you were so damn distracting,” Edin admitted, “And you managed that without mindtricking me, as far as I know. So, not a Jedi.”

The Firrerreo could see the restaurant in the distance, but he was certainly taking his time getting there. His strides were leisurely and slow, the way he kept the close contact revealing rather clearly he desired her.

@llamallove

 

[Amira Din]

The Tiefling was aware of Edin's tight hold on her, aware of the fact that he tugged her closer with every step they took, and aware of the fact that—like her—he was in no hurry to reach the diner at the end of the street. "Afraid you might lose me in the darkness, sharpshooter?" she teased the Firrerreo, lips curling into a smile that she just couldn't shake with him around.
Now that he mentioned it, Amira hadn't bothered to look for the Tognath's corpse either. Her smile deepened with the knowledge that she had the power to make Edin, a professional, forget to check his bounty. "Well, if he still isn't there later—I'll make it up to you." An open-ended guarantee for him to stick in his cap and dwell on for a while— all on her own terms of course.

"No Jedi mind tricks here. I don't need them," she bragged, yellow eyes dragging over his face. "You're under a spell entirely of my own making." Then she grinned, unable to say that with a straight face. Still, despite her break in character, she believed every word of it. @Sreeya

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin grinned as she quipped about him holding her tighter, “Quite frankly..” He said as he paused walking for a moment. They were passing by a wall and he effortlessly spun around so she was gently pinned with her back against it. The Firrerreo released her and kept his hands against the wall on either side of her so she clearly knew he wasn’t going to be pushy, “I’d rather get a taste of you than some pancakes right now,” He stated quite bluntly.

There was a glint in his eye and he knew what he wanted. They had been circling around one another like two apex predators, and he drew even closer now. It wasn’t his style to play around too long, and he wanted to know where she stood. He knew she was perfectly capable of tossing him across the street if she pleased, which is why he knew she wouldn’t have any reason to fear him. But he was also not one to shy away from his desires.

“You cast your lure and bait, Empress, what’ll you do now that I bit?”

@llamallove

 

[Amira Din]

Edin had pinned her against the wall almost as quickly as he'd drawn his blaster and shot that Tognath back in the cantina, and Amira couldn't decide which she found more attractive. The Tiefling understood him a little better now— he didn't mess around, with bounties or with women. Straight and to the point, just like his aim. But this time he wasn't aiming at a bounty, and Amira liked to believe that she was no ordinary woman.

"Waffles," she gently corrected, trying to pretend she was unfazed by his unexpected display of affection. But if Edin was paying attention, the sudden warmth in her cheeks and the pounding of her heart would betray her, subtle indicators of the actual effect he had on her.
The Tiefling didn't try to escape or finagle her way out from between Edin's arms, instead relishing in the undivided attention he gave her, in the unmistakable fire burning in those blue eyes. She was enjoying every moment of this, letting it drag out for what must have felt like an eternity for him— their close proximity, his visible longing. For her, this moment couldn't last long enough and would forever be one of those memories that she wished she could bottle up and revisit every day.

Amira raised her arms, slipping both of them around his neck. Yellow eyes traveled the length of his face again, lingering on his lips the longest—her own involuntarily parting. One hand crept up the length of his neck and into his hair, fingers tenderly clenching his brown locks. "I think," she began, her breathing deeper and more audible than before despite her best efforts to conceal it. She stretched forward, toward his face—lips lingering inches from his own, her breath warm against his skin. "I'll leave you dangling."

Then, she pulled away, ducking under his arms— an action that required far more self-control and determination that she had expected. Instinctually, she almost turned and drew him into a kiss, but instead, she walked a few feet away from him and turned to face him once more. "For now." The Tiefling didn't want him to lose hope altogether, and she was well aware of her own limitations.

After a moment, she asked, "Well, are you coming?" @Sreeya

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin chuckled as she corrected him, “Waffles for you,” He responded, “I happen to like pancakes myself,” He gave her a playful wink. He didn’t have to fall into his enhanced Firrerreo senses to be able to tell she was thoroughly engaged in this. Edin stared right back at her as she took her time. They had been rather cozy in the cantina and he had made his intentions clear. There was a fire in his eyes that conveyed the same. He felt her arms wrap around his neck and he began to lean in as she did, however letting her lead. Edin began to tilt his head, wanting to press his lips against hers and get a sample of that taste he desired since the cantina. Something to make him carry this forward. However, she abruptly drew back, and he audibly sighed albeit with a faint grin.

The Firrerreo didn’t step towards her as she slinked out from underneath his arms, gazing at her thoughtfully for a moment. His thoughts lingered on himself and the type of man he was for now and what he desired. He wanted that unbridled fire, he wanted that unhinged passion, he craved unapologetic and shameless desire. He wanted her to yank them both into an alley, have their way and walk to a waffle shop afterwards as if nothing happened. He knew what he was and he knew what he was not. Edin stared at her beautiful form, taking in sight of the way her attire hugged her curves. When she asked if he was coming, he simply chuckled.

“Evidently not tonight,” He said simply with an amused look on his face at his own dirty joke. He had shown his hand and she had shown hers. Edin smiled at her and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he began to walk backwards, “Have a good night, Empress. I won’t forget you anytime soon,” He spun on his heel and continued walking in the opposite direction, “I’m sure we’ll run into each other again and we’ll play a game where I can win.”

@llamallove

 

[Amira Din]

Amira stood at the end of the dark alleyway, eyebrows furrowed, as if she couldn't understand what was happening. The light from an overhead streetlight gravitated toward her braided hair and shoulders but did nothing to light her dull eyes.

Uncertainty bled into paralyzing indecisiveness. The Tiefling felt trapped in that alleyway, torn between two very real and equally strong desires. A part of her wanted to stretch out with the Force and grab Edin by the hand, to pull him into her embrace and bowl him over with the most impassioned kiss he would hopefully ever live to experience.

The other part of her—the obstinate, fiery side she'd inherited from her ma—wanted to bare her teeth and march away without so much as a word. Growing up, Ma had always said that when you were as bull-headed as a bull, you'd grow the horns to match. Amira certainly had the horns to match her stubborn personality, and in the end it was her pride that won out.

The Tiefling cocked her head to one side, her fixed gaze settled on Edin as she continued to wrestle with her own desires. Still, no matter what she might have wanted, she refused to be outdone, humiliated. "I didn't take you for a quitter, sharpshooter," she would eventually say, her heart still pounding within her chest. "I'm disappointed."
That was the truth, although her disappointment wasn't directed toward him. There was no hostility in her voice, no resentment—not even any trace of anger. They were both playing very different games, figuring one another out and wondering who'd gain the upper hand. Unfortunately for both of them, there was no winner tonight. Not really. "I suppose it never would have worked out anyway," she added with an exaggerated sigh. A smile spread across her lips, a clear sign that she was only joking. "You being a pancake man and all...."

Grinning at her own little joke, Amira turned toward the street, ignoring the pangs of disappointment that already began to gnaw away at her. "I'll see you around, handsome. Or should I say 'Basilisk?'"

After that, they separated. Maybe, if she hurried, Amira could still catch her shuttle and try to forget the fact that she'd be spending the night alone. @Sreeya

 

[Edin Frost]

---​

This target was a bit obnoxious to find. The planet was located on the fringes of the Unknown Regions, and Edin already knew it’d be tough to crack him since he had an attempt on his life before. The assassin weighed his options, deciding not to don his armor. Instead, he wanted to infiltrate, get some intel and then set up his sniper camp. When it came to a job as the Basilisk, he often had to perch in the same place for days at a time to line up the perfect shot and calculate the right trajectory.

For now, he was in a local cantina near some guards that were off duty. These guards served the Prime Minister, and he knew they’d lead to some insight on how to get closer to the man. The Firrerreo was at a table by himself, blatantly eavesdropping on the next table over. He was sipping from a glass of delicious, creamy chocolate milk.

From the sounds of it, the men were on break for the next hour before they would head back towards the federal buildings. From there, a few of them would accompany the Prime Minister to his home. Edin already knew that would be the best time to strike, but for now he wanted to see if he could gain any further knowledge from these loose lipped guards.

@llamallove

 

[Amira Din]

The rocky plains that stretched for miles across the surface of Ankus reminded Amira of her old home on Bandomeer, the familiar scenery triggering memories of her pa. Planting season wasn't official until Pa had cursed the ground they lived on. 'Kayn't dig two feet without hittin' rock,' he'd grumble, along with a few choice words when he didn't think the young ones were listening. They always were of course.

Whenever he would really get fed up, the buckets would come out. All the kids knew exactly what that meant, too— because he would promptly send them out into the field to collect as many rocks as they could find. Their 'rock concert' he called it. A smile graced the Tiefling's lips at the memory, and she wondered if Emir and Laila had yet to experience a 'rock concert' or if Ma and Pa had gotten soft and turned to spoiling 'em in their old age. Younger siblings caught all the breaks.

Amira passed through the doors of a wayside cantina, just a few blocks away from the city's federal buildings. Convenient, considering most politicians—even the municipal ones—favored the bottle just as much as a silver tongue. The Tiefling had tailed a small group of guards from one of the federal buildings, hoping to catch a break in the bounty she was working on. The Ambassador of Ankus, of all people. A big bounty like this meant big credits—credits she desperately needed. Hiding out on Eriadu had not done her bank account any favors.

Yellow eyes scanned the cantina. The group of guards were not difficult to spot, gathered around a table, nursing their drinks as they laughed and made loud conversation. The Tiefling blew a loose strand of hair out of her face with an exaggerated huff. Time to turn on the charm and hope these idiots were just tipsy enough to spill their guts out to the only pretty face among them. Amira crossed the room, dragging a vacant chair with her. She slid the chair in between two of the guards and smiled down at the group with as much fake magnetism as she could produce.

"Hello, boys. Mind if I join you? I just love a man in uniform." It never hurt to play the role of the giddy, lightheaded ditz either. @Sreeya

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin was focused on just listening when he heard a woman’s voice enter the mix. His sharp gaze flicked over and he almost did a double take. He saw the horns, the hair, the vibe. He recognized it immediately. To say that he was surprised was an understatement, but his vacant look shifted to one of amusement. He quietly sipped from the cup of milk as she dropped some lines on the men. Edin couldn’t help but roll his eyes, shaking his head with a grin. Those poor men. She was likely going to leave them wanting as well.

The soldiers were both intimidated and fascinated by the tiefling woman that casually strolled up to join them. One of them looked as if she were a demon and scooched away. The others, however, were definitely more enchanted and promptly pulled up a seat for her.

“Don’t think I’ve heard that accent before,” One of the men said with a grin, “Where are you from, beautiful?”

Edin checked his chrono - only thirty minutes before they had to leave. Was Amira there to stall them as part of a plan or was she genuinely there to flirt with some random soldiers? Something told him the latter was highly unlikely.

@llamallove

 

[Amira Din]

Even at the age of twenty-two, Amira was well acquainted with the unfavorable stigma surrounding Tieflings and the prejudices people could harbor against the species. Mankind could come up with the most unhinged notions, and so long as there were enough people to rally behind the idea, it was regarded as fact. It was a shame, really, because Amira had yet to meet a boring Tiefling. Boring humans on the other hand? She'd met plenty of those. In fact, she was staring at a few of them right now.

So when one of the men scooched away from her, the Tiefling didn't take it to heart. She had made that mistake one too many times. No matter what you did or didn't do, there was no changing other people— not when they didn't want to change. "Don't worry, soldier boy," she purred, sliding into her seat with all the confidence of one of their superiors. "I don't bite. Unless you ask nicely, that is."
Amira's gaze passed over each of the men in turn, purposefully and steadily. Boy, were they an ugly lot. She'd be afraid to bite any of them lest she catch some kind of disease. Then she grinned, fingers playing with a loose strand of hair. "Bandomeer. It's east of here."

"I've been there before," one of them chimed in, the youngest of the bunch.

Well, at least one of them was hooked. "Have ya? Too bad we didn't run into each other— I could've shown ya a real good time." She winked at him, the gesture sincere as far as any of them were concerned. "This is my first time in the big city," she lied, allowing the smallest of frowns to tug at her lips. "I was hoping someone would show me around, but people take one look at these horns and run the other way."

The Tiefling leaned forward in her seat, her smile returning. "That's why I approached you guys. Something drew me to ya—musta been the uniforms." She was laying the accent on thick, just for them. "You guys must be pretty important, huh? I'd just love to hear about your work." @Sreeya rolled 16/20 for persuasion

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin silently observed Amira as she played her game. Was this what she had done to him? He finished off his milk and blatantly overheard the conversation. The way the soldiers hung on her every word, he almost wondered if she was using some Force mind trick. There was a sliver of him that was a bit irritated with himself for falling for her charms, but another part of him wanted to believe it wasn’t quite the same. The stubborn side won out as usual, and he felt justified in his decision not to let her string him along. The Firrerreo shook his head and squashed his distracted thoughts, focusing on the mission at hand.

“Oh we’d love to show you around,” The highest ranking soldier said, entirely smitten by the tiefling and her hair twirling.

“Oh yeah, we’re definitely important,” Another quipped up, shoving another man aside, “We’re the Prime Minister's direct guard!”

“The most elite of the elite,” Another bragged.

“I bet…we could even get you close to him,” The youngest offered. The men looked at him alarmed.

“Well, I can get you close,” He grinned.

“I can too!”

“Wanna come for a ride along, beautiful?”

“What’s your name, baby?”

Within moments, Amira would have the option of leaving with the men if she chose. If she did, they would lead her to a speeder to take her towards the diplomatic building that the Prime Minister was attending. A separate speeder had the remaining men that would be driving the PM himself.

Edin was beyond surprised by the turn of events, but he didn’t get where he did without adapting. The Firrerreo left a tip and rose from where he was seated, keeping a respectable distance as he followed them out. He had a speeder bike parked outside the cantina and he would have to tail them to get a line of sight on the target. If Amira could keep the attention of the guards, his chances of taking the target out were even higher. But something told him she had her own play that could complicate things…

@llamallove

 

[Amira Din]

The Tiefling had expected this group of soldiers to be as dull-witted as they come, especially with alcohol in their systems and her on their minds, but she hadn't expected it to be this easy. They were literally offering to take her to see the Prime Minister— the very man she was here to kill and collect 75,000 credits off of. This was like taking candy from a Gungan. 75,000 credits worth of candy.

"The Prime Minister's direct guard?" Amira gasped, lips parting for added dramatic effect. "Ya— ya really mean it? Truly? You'd let me see him?" One hand clutched at her chest, eyes wide as if this was the most exciting thing to ever happen to a poor, uncultured girl from the middle of nowhere.
Then, just to sell the point that it was their idea and not hers, the Tiefling's smile gradually faded. Nervously, she pulled on a strand of her hair, teeth scraping against her bottom lip. "But the Prime Minister— I heard someone talkin' in the market this morning. Said he's been gettin' death threats. I don't know if I ought to..." She looked between the men, eyes unblinking. "I mean— what if somethin' should happen? I promised Ma and Pa that—"

The guard closest to her reached over, placing his large, hairy hand on hers. "Don't worry, little lady. No harm will come to you. You have my personal guarantee. I won't take my eyes off you."

"A lot of good that is..." one of them muttered under his breath, glowering.

Amira stilled herself, bridling the instantaneous desire to pull her hand away from the hairy oaf. Instead, she allowed the gesture, skin crawling in protest. "Well, if you're sure... I ain't never seen a real Prime Minister before. My Pa sure would be proud."

The sound of chairs scraping against the floor echoed throughout the room as soldiers pushed away from the table, downing the last of their drinks with one final, messy gulp. Amira gladly obliged when one of them offered to pull her chair out for her. After all, why should she lift a finger when they were falling over themselves to do the heavy lifting for her?

"I'm Emmy," she would answer as they passed through the doors of the cantina, just making up the first thing that came to mind. "But all my friends call me Em, so you can too." She climbed into one of the waiting speeders, still flabbergasted by this delightful turn of events. They hadn't even bothered to search her for weapons. @Sreeya

 

[Edin Frost]

‘Emmy’ would get her wish soon. They all piled into the speeders and were certainly in no rush to arrive at their destination. The men would chat her up and ask her a billion questions, one of them at some point casually attempted to rest a hand on her thigh.

The Firrerreo made a quick series of decisions as he hopped on his bike and popped on a helmet. With the soldiers this distracted, he knew he would never get a better shot. Instead of tailing them, Edin actually drove ahead, a sleek, black Razorfin zooming right past the speeder. It caused the creepy soldier to withdraw his hand and look out the window and whistle as it passed, “That person’s sure in a hurry,” He chuckled before turning to look back at Amira.

Edin arrived roughly a thousand meters away from the diplomatic building. He had to operate quickly, finding a warehouse he had identified ahead of time as a potential perch. The Firrerreo jumped atop a dumpster in a side alley before hoisting himself up to the roof. Once there, he quickly unpacked his rifle and popped in a new pack. He looked through a scope and got comfortable.

Meanwhile, Amira’s little distraction meant the guards arrived a bit later than usual. This set off a chain of events that were just slightly off than planned. The speeder with the two soldiers arrived ahead of time, and the one with Amira was still lagging behind. The first guards got out and looked confused, comming the other speeder repeatedly. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister had no desire to wait and was ready to leave. He dismissed his building guards and began to walk towards the lone speeder with just two guards. There was no full guarded flank that he would have normally.

Edin was already looking through the scope, a lazy smiling beginning to spread across his face. His finger flirted with the trigger. Normally he took much longer, but this moment was priceless. He had only seconds before the other speeder and cover arrived. The Firrerreo exhaled softly.

“Thank you, Emmy…” He chuckled to himself as he finally pulled the trigger.

@llamallove

 

[Amira Din]

Amira was in her element, if a little overwhelmed by the fact that she was being pulled in five different directions. The Tiefling sat in the backseat of the speeder, large men on each side of her. There was only one of them she had to worry about, however—the creep who'd never learned the meaning of personal space apparently. Back in the cantina he'd held her hand, and now he was so bold as to slide his hand onto her thigh.

The Tiefling was trying to think of some way to get out from under his grasp without breaking character, when a black, polished Razorfin raced past them— the roar of its engine mercifully and momentarily drowning out the sounds of her fellow passengers. Amira watched as it sped into the distance and out of view.

"Boy, I sure would love to get my hands on one of them," she whistled, her accent unintentionally slipping. It was an inconspicuous mistake, one that would probably go unnoticed by the guards, all of whom were too busy talking over each other and the wind. Amira hadn't been asked this many questions in years, not since she had joined the Sith Empire, and the subject matter couldn't have been more different. Drastically different. Between the five of them, she'd been asked everything from 'How do you stay in such good shape?' to 'How long you in town for?' to 'Do the horns ever get in the way?' In the way of what, Amira did not bother asking.
When they weren't busy prying her for answers, they made themselves useful by trying to impress her—or perhaps more specifically, outdo one another. If one of them could bench-press 180 pounds, the next guy could bench-press 200. One of them knew how to play the harmonica, and another was a prodigy when it came to the double jocimer. Both of them made grand promises about serenades and bouquets of fresh flowers. Imagine being serenaded by a double jocimer? All Amira could picture in her mind was some Bith staring at her with those large, bulging eyes of theirs.

"The speeder or the rider?" the fellow beside her asked, irked that her attention had been drawn away from him.

Nonchalantly, she shrugged, an impish grin beginning to form. "Maybe both."

The speeder had just come to a stop outside of the diplomat's office when a single shot rang out. Climbing out of the vehicle, Amira watched with eyes wide as a blaster bolt tore through the ambassador's chest. A man she recognized only because of the pictures she'd seen of him. Two of the bodyguards that had accompanied the ambassador from the building drug him to the ground, but it was already too late. Much too late.

Amira stood there watching, breath suspended. Then, out of nowhere, the Tiefling felt two hundred pounds of muscle and fat come barreling into her, slamming into her side and tackling her to the ground. Large, hairy arms wrapped around her. Some idiot wanted to play hero and break all of her bones in the process. "Get....off....of me....you big...."

Beneath his massive, lumbering frame, her words were entirely muffled. It took every ounce of self-control she possessed not to call upon the Force and send him flying into the nearest building or to grab her lightsaber and carve her way out through his flesh and bone. @Sreeya

 

[Edin Frost]

His work was done and Edin quickly packed up his rifle and put it together in his case. He was already wearing gloves and other gear to ensure no DNA could be traced, but he did another clean up sweep before he made his way down to the alley and found his way back to his bike. He was going to simply drive away, but a part of him was entirely amused at the thought of Amira back in that mess. There was no doubt she had plans, but they were likely dashed now with the Prime Minister lying dead only feet away.

“Are you okay?!” The soldier that stayed behind asked Amira after helping her up. He still didn’t release her hand and was intent on following her around like a puppy.

By the time Edin was making his way back to the building, chaos had erupted all around. Crowds began to gather, pushing and shoving one another. Media arrived on the scene and reporters were flooding in. The guards were sent to the perimeters and others were sent inside the building. Edin only hoped Amira had the sense to get away from the heart of the scene as he pulled up near the fringes.

The Firrerreo wove through the crowds until he spotted the trademark horns. He pulled up next to her, engines still rumbling, “Hop on, Empress,” The helmeted figure called out, amusement clear in his tone. If she did, he’d rev up and zoom in a flash out of the crowds and away from the scene. With so much commotion around, very few would notice a random speeder out of the many that were quickly gathering around.

@llamallove

 

[Amira Din]

Even the best laid plans go wrong sometimes, no matter how many lucky breaks you catch or how many things go your way. This opportunity had fallen into her lap after some very convincing and persuasive flirting, and it had just ask quickly fallen out of her lap.

The steps leading to the government building turned into a crime scene within a matter of seconds, security dragging the Prime Minister's lifeless corpse behind cover and calling in backup. A few others sectioned the area off, preventing anyone from disturbing any possible evidence. Not that there would be any. This had all the earmarks of a professional— a real cold-blooded killer.

A crowd of onlookers had begun to form— some of them reporters here to catch their first real career break, others merely observers with a morbid inclination toward the macabre, and those select few individuals who were actually concerned for the Prime Minister's well being.

"I'd be a lot better if you hadn't tackled me to the ground," the Tiefling huffed, no longer concerned with staying on these body guard's good sides. This mission was a complete and utter failure, snatched from her at the last possible moment. Now she needed to remove herself from this incident and get as far away from here as possible. She held herself with one hand, nursing a throbbing left arm, unsure if it was just bruised or if the injury was more serious— possibly sprained or pulled. There was no time to examine it now, not when everyone was converging onto the scene.
There was nothing that could tie Amira to this crime other than the five body guards, and for them to admit that they'd brought her here personally— endangering the life of their superior in the process— would not bode well for them. If they had even a semblance of common sense, they would keep their mouths shut. Still, the Tiefling needed to get away, before camera crews caught her on film or someone stopped her for questioning. Amira plunged into the crowd, deftly turning her head and back to avoid the cameras.

The oaf that had tackled her to the ground only seconds earlier apparently had a one track mind, diving into the crowd to chase after her. "Emmy!" he would call, baritone nearly drowned out by the throng of people pushing up against one another. Yellow eyes scanned the crowd, looking for some alleyway she could duck into or some ladder she could climb— anything to shake this creep. Amira was in no mood for stupid men or stupid games, not after some numbskull had stolen her bounty right out from under her nose.

As if the answer to her prayer, the crowd began to part around an all black Razorfin. The same beauty that had passed them on the road earlier, its engine purring like a dream, its driver— of all things— intent on her. His face was obscured by the helmet he wore, but as soon as he spoke, Amira knew exactly who it was. Only one man in the world called her 'Empress.'

The Tiefling didn't hesitate, straddling the speeder bike and wrapping her arms around Edin's waist from behind. She needed a ride out of here, and Edin could provide her with exactly what she needed. Not to mention the fact that he had a lot of explaining to do. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. A sharpshooter shows up just moments after the Prime Minister is shot and killed with a single blaster bolt? Not exactly a head scratcher.

"You're the last person I expected to see here, Basilisk," she would remark as soon as they'd raced away from the scene of the crime and away from listening ears. The Tiefling's grip on his stomach tightened, fingers pressing in. Despite everything, she couldn't deny that a part of her was glad to see him. And not just because of the free ride. "But I really shouldn't be surprised. I'd like to think you were following me because you can't resist my charm, but we both know that's a lie."

Amira hadn't forgotten the fact that he'd left her standing in that alleyway. Nor would she forget the fact that he had just stolen 75,000 credits from her. @Sreeya

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin heard her quips and she would be able to hear his chuckle even as he began to drive away. They moved like a blur, and she would feel the wind biting against her skin and an almost weightless sensation from how fast he was going. He was silent until they were out in an open road and under no immediate danger of being followed. That was when he finally spoke, his gaze trained ahead on the path, “You looked like you were ready to shoot lightning at your very eager suitor and I didn’t want you taking my place as front page news,” Edin called back breezily, a smile playing on his lips.

After enough distance had been covered, he slowed down and parked near a small town. It would look like one of those towns Amira knew from the countryside of Bandomeer. There was a single, lone cantina, a few small ma and pa shops, an ancient antique store and various other residential houses. To someone from exclusively metropolitan experiences, Edin was baffled by the display. He got off the bike and removed his helmet. He glanced back at Amira with a half grin.

“I’m going to guess you were holding me that tight because you’re afraid of going fast,” He flashed her a wink before planting his helmet on the speeder bike. He needed to plan a way to earn that extra cash from the bounty and he had come up empty so far. His original plan was to take the PM out at his residence, but the change in outcome meant he had no backup ideas for the Republic angle.

“I didn’t take you for the bounty hunting type,” He said after a moment, “Don’t you have Jedi temples to burn down?”

@llamallove

 

[Amira Din]

Strong currents of wind struck her face, awakening and fresh, and the glimmer of a setting sun spread warmth throughout her entire body. Passing smells and sounds filled her senses, as if she was one with nature. Adrenaline pumped through black and silver veins, and the Tiefling had never felt more alive. Colors, although they passed in a blur, were brighter and more vivid. No viewports or windowpanes separated her from the world, and pressed against Edin's back— her arms wrapped tightly around his waist— nothing separated her from the sharpshooter either. Well, almost nothing.

As they neared the edge of a small, rural community, the Razorfin would come to a stop alongside an old dirt road, kicking up dust in its wake. Amira watched Edin as he dismounted the speeder, removing his helmet. Strands of brown hair tumbled loose, matted and damp. The Tiefling was quick to follow, throwing one leg over the speeder to stand up.

"Thanks for your concern," she said dryly, still nursing her left arm. It must have been quite the show, watching that two hundred pound guard tackle her to the ground without any warning or reason. She supposed, were she in his shoes, she would have laughed, too. "Nice to know you care."
Briefly, her gaze drifted to the town up ahead. It reminded her of Bandomeer, of the small, sometimes but not always picturesque towns scattered across the planet's surface. No small town was complete without the antique shop, and her home town was no different. Ma had to know the aisles by heart as much as she drug her children through it.

Then she stated, "I'm not afraid of going fast." Yellow eyes raked over his body from head to toe, allowing those words to hang between them for a moment, wondering if he would pick up on its full meaning. "With men or on bikes."

Drawing herself up to her full height, she closed the distance between them in a few strides. The Tiefling stared up at Edin, her gaze clearly a challenge. One hand reached up, grasping the sharpshooter by the collar to pull him down closer to eye level. "Right now I have 75,000 credits to collect," she replied, chest expanding with a full tone. Jedi cultists and their temples were the last thing on her mind at the moment. She couldn't return to Sith space with no credits to her name, with no place to live. A soured expression settled on her face, tension visible in her muscles.

"You might have fired the finishing shot, sharpshooter, but I'm the one who distracted the guards. You never would have gotten that opening it it weren't for me. So the way I see it— I deserve half."

Amira had no intention of settling for less than half of the credits. Or less than half of his attention. Not again. @Sreeya