[Hutt Bounty] Lost Profits

[Alaisia]

Elora stepped into the sun, pausing for a moment to let it warm her back. Through her goggles, her sensitive eyes were protected from the bright light and she was able to see everything in fine detail. She thought back to the bounty that had been handed to her. It was another test, she believed. Why else would they send her to kill someone? This Zehethbra, a failed pod racer named Piedra, had merely run out of luck in her opinion. But if the Cartel wanted him dead, then she would see it done. But first she needed to find him.

She had been told that Piedra's pod had been his way to earn money to pay back the Cartel, but with it destroyed she was sure he was looking to either try to fix it or buy a new one. Regardless, the local shops were her first place to investigate. She would search for any signs of him there.

 

[Scholar]

"No," the Toydarian mechanic stated angrily, hovering just a bit off the ground with damned little wings. "I told you, Piedra, no more giveaways. If you don't got the coin, I ain't got the parts."

The ZeHethbra shook his head vehemently, his nose twitching in frustration and anxiousness. "No, no, Hargo, ya got it all wrong, I'm not try'na get ya to give away anything, I just wanna borrow the parts. They'll come back in one piece, I promise!"

Hargo shook his head almost as vigorously as Piedra himself had. Is he copying me? Prick. "You always promise me this, promise me that, and you never make good on the promises, Piedra. Just look at the last speeder; destroyed! That last pod that you brought in was so mangled, it took me a month to patch up. And that was with the Cartel's own money, not yours! I ain't pissin' off any Hutts, not today, not ever."

The ZeHethbra's head slowly descended, solemnly, with each word that left the Toydarian's mouth. Without a word, he began to walk toward the door, sighing all the way. Hargo scoffed and waved his hand in a dismissive manner, glad to be rid of the damned furry pest.

 

[Alaisia]

Elora yawned. She had spotted a ZeHethbra through the window of the a parts-shop. It had been pure luck that she hadn't missed it as she had checked two other shops with no luck. But he was the first one she had seen and, according to one of the other shop-keepers, Piedra was the only of his kind here at the moment. She watched absentmindedly as the ZeHethbra turned to leave, a solemn look on his face.

She waited, silent, as the ZeHethbra walked out of the shop. "Piedra?" she asked, more to judge his reaction. If he acnowledged her, then she would know that he IS her target and she would have to take care of the bounty quickly. She wouldn't tell him that she was there to kill him. She wouldn't even tell him that she was from the Cartel.

 

[Taz]

"Who's asking?", the ZeHethbra asked with a tremble in his voice. He had never seen the young female around the shops or track before. He was sure she was not a pit bunny or an entertainer from the cantina. He's nerves were on a lightsabers edge. It was only a matter of time before the Cartel would send a hunter to collect on his depts and he had nothing to pay.

Slowly he lowered his hand to his hip. He had a pathetic excuse for a slug thrower on his hip, he had only used it once o a womp rat chewing at the wires of one of his old pods. Never had he pulled it on another person.

 

[Alaisia]

A small smile flitted across Elora's face as she saw Piedra's hand lowering to his hip. She raised her hands to show that she had no weapons. Which was true. But she didn't need one. The memory of her training as she grew up was plenty enough to take down most anything that life threw at her.

"Not to worry," she said. "I want to talk with you. That's it."

For now...

She waited, holding her hands in the air, for him to make the decision of whether he was going to shoot her or not.

 

[Taz]

Piedra gave pause for a moment. He was not a killer, a gambler sure, a racer definitely, but not a killer. The ZeHethbra started to bolt for the female bounty hunter. He turned to take off but ran full force over a parked speeder bike. The man went tumbling over, landing on his back before attempting to get to his feet.

"blast it all", he groaned.

He scurried to his feet as started to make a scene in the middle of the shop district. Now he had little choice (he thought). He pulled the slug thrower. "Doh......don't move....just tell you're boss I'm good for it....I....I just need more time", he barked toward the female bounty hunter as if it would get him what he hoped.

 

[Alaisia]

"What makes you think I've got a boss?" Elora said, still holding her hands up. "Haven't you thought that maybe, just maybe... I might be trying to help you out?"

She watched the zehetherbra closely, readying herself to dodge if he did intent to fire the weapon.

"I know you're in need of credits. I know you can't go to the Hutts to get any more. They'd likely kill you or worse. But maybe I can help you out. All you need to do is calm down and walk with me."

 

[Taz]

Piedra hesitated to trust the girl. He knew the Cartel wanted there money. He also knew that bounty hunters come in all sizes. Still He was not a killer. He was not like the people who would be hunting him soon if not now. He lowered the weapon for the moment.

"Why are you helping me", speaking as he approached the young Helian with caution. Keeping a firm grip on the slugthrower as he started to walk. He had little option but to take a chance with the girl. Everyone else he knew had closed there doors to him. No one wanted to cross the Hutts or get involved except this girl and he didn't even know her name.

 

[Alaisia]

Elora laughed slightly. "Because there are things that need to be done," she said quietly. "And I need you if things are going to work correctly."

She motioned for him to follow her and turned to walk out into the streets. She glanced over her shoulder to see if he would follow and motioned once more.

 

[Taz]

"What things ?", the ZeHethbra asked nervously. No one was this kind out of the blue. Especially not a random grease monkey in the pod shops. The girl was only telling half truths and he was beginning to realize it. What ever she was doing it didn't feel right. Piedra suddenly turned away from the girl. If he was going to get two in the back he was going to do it where all could see.

The girl didn't appear armed but that meant nothing. For all the Zehethbra knew she could be a force user. In any case he bolted for the crowd. Force user, bounty hunter, what ever she was he was not about to fall into her trap. Quicly he weaved in and out among the shoppers. He didn't really have a plan to speak of. Simply to distance himself from her and perhaps any partners she might have in waiting.

 

[Alaisia]

Elora swore to herself as she raced after the Zehethbra. He was going for the crowd. He wanted to make a scene. But he was running blindly. It seemed to her that he didn't care where he was going. And she had studied the immediate area just in case he did run. So she was prepared.

Slipping down a back alley, she leaped up and onto a low-roofed building and propelled herself up further just before the buildings leveled out again. Hopefully he'd think that she had lost him. She stood, hidden behind part of a roof, and searched for him.

"Where'd you go?" she murmured quietly to herself.

 

[Taz]

Stumbling through the crowd, Piedra continued to loos the hunter. Cutting corners round the shop here a street vender there. He was good he was safe, he thought. Ducking down an alleyway the former pod racer tried to catch his breath. He had to find a way to go into hiding, he had to find a way to get some money. With a little money he could fix his old pod, pay the Hutts and be safe.

The Zehethbra had no idea he was still in the eyes of the female hunter. His guard now down he slowly continued down the ally, far from the eyes of the crowd. If he got across he would be in the wind. Surly finding a little stashed money to at least get off planet.

 

[Alaisia]

Elora grinned as she saw Piedra walk away from the crowd and into a alley. She silently followed him on the rooftops, watching him glance over his shoulder a couple times. 'There's no escaping me now,' she thought to herself as she followed him just a bit further away from the crowd. She didn't want to take the chance of a curious onlooker to see her leap.

Finally, she leaped from the roof and knocked the unsusupecting ZeHetherbra to the ground. She heard him growl at her but it was cut short as she heard the sickening crack of his neck as she executed one of the few skills she knew to take him down.

Sighing, she looked at Piedra. For all anyone else would have known, he could have been sleeping. Well, at least at this point he could be sleeping, Elora thought as she looked down at him. "Sorry bud," she said coyly. "Gonna need that tail of yours."

It only took a moment for her to find something sharp enough to slice through the tail in the alleyway. It was littered with enough sharp and pointy objects she was surprised she hadn't hurt herself while finishing her job. The last thing she did was take Piedra's slugthrower before she dropped him in an open dumpster. He wouldn't be needing it anymore and at least now she'd have something that she could use to fight with rather than just her strength.