Ask Middle of Nowhere

[Song Wren]

Her ship touched down in the grasslands of Dantooine, beside a thick-stumped tree and a downhill stream, the water translucent as it ran to a small settlement in the distance. Once out of her ship, Song casually followed the stream into town, her armor reflecting the single sun and set of moons which hung in the sky. For a backwater, Outer-Rim world, Dantooine was sure something to look at.

She took a gravel road stretched through the settlement, catching a few glances thrown her way. Farmers who tended to their gardens, a pair of children hanging in a tree, a lone armed guard who looked like he might piss himself just staring at her. It was obvious none of them were used to newcomers, Mandalorians especially.

Song didn’t mind or care.

She figured she’d be in and out of town within the day. Grab some food, fuel, ask a few questions. According to her tracking fob, and a report from the Guild, there was a bounty supposedly hiding out in the western reaches of the planet. Exactly where she was now. She hoped to find answers from the townsfolk.

The empty-faced Mandalorian walked into what she presumed was the local cafe. The smell of roasted fish and handmade wine hit her first, and in a good way. It was a much needed change of pace compared to her usual walkthrough of bars and cantinas, each equally drenched in the musk of alcohol and cigarette smoke.

Quietly, she took a seat at a corner table, eying other patrons through her tinted visor.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Dantooine was lovely this time of year, but then again, was it ever not lovely? Mila couldn't find an exception. She had finished her new lightsaber recently, and was trying to partake in some tea before heading on her way; after all, there was much more work to do. This place wasn't to her liking, though it had alot of heart to it. "Madam, are you sure we can't interest you in some rainbow trout? We just caught it today." The young waitress asked her, drawing Mila's attention towards the woman in question. A soft smile played across her lips, as she shook her head. "No thank you, I'm quite content with my beverage thank you." Having defused the situation, Mila watched as the woman left to attend to other patrons. The Twi'lek just took in the warmth and life about her, enjoying what she could of the simpleness of the quiet town.

The only thing that topped it was sitting at the controls of the Jabberwocky in her own mind, but this right now was close to surpassing it. So much had occurred, so many developments unfolding, it was hard to not lose yourself in the madness that followed it. Almost as if an act of the force, an occurrence happened upon her. The door opened up to the sight of an armored warrior, their head covered by steel, and a visor where their face should be. A Mandalorian was it? Or perhaps she was misremembering. Mila only gave a brief pause from drinking her tea, as she gave a small glance towards the new arrival, and took note that they moved towards the back of the room. She could view them from her right side, but did not take any action against them; why would she? Her robes were left on the ship, as was her saber, with only her tunic and boots on. She watched as the waitress moved to take the mans'(?) order, then turned back to reflect upon herself. "Sir, is there anything I can get you today? We have a rainbow trout special today, and homemade Tarasian wine."

@Feng Mian

 

[Song Wren]

In the palm of her hand, the tracking fob gave a faint but rapid signal, like a ticking time bomb only Song could hear.

Her bounty was somewhere in the room. Hiding in plain slight.

She surveyed her surroundings, head to toe of every patron. An old couple played a game of cards at another corner booth with a pair of wrinkled smiles. A green-eyed Twi’lek sipping her drink in peace. A young waitress, with a gentle voice and an apron stuffed with written orders, napkins and cutlery. Beside her, she spoke to a rough-looking chef, who carried a meat cleaver in one hand and a face full of scars.

When she pointed the fob in his direction, the signal pulsed.

Before she could rise, however, the waitress made her way over to Song. With a smile, she asked her if she could get her anything. The Mandalorian was about to respectfully decline, that was, before she glanced back to the fob again. This time, it was beating even faster, the tuned noise just loud enough for the waitress to hear too.

They both looked at the tracking device, then at each other.

Song reacted first, whipping out her blaster in an instant and aiming it at the waitress’ side, who gasped as the Mandalorian seized her wrist. “As a matter of fact, yes. I would like something… you.”

The waitress tried to shake Song off, saying desperately, “Let go of me! Please, someone help!”

To the surrounding patrons, all they’d see was an armed man with a gun pressed to the waitress’ side, a young woman who had been working innocently at the cafe for months now. They wouldn’t know the truth. They wouldn’t hear the fob, just the Mandalorian’s threatening words and the woman’s plea for help.

Actions and consequences were bound to follow suit.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Mila had been enjoying her tea and the nice tranquility of this place, when it just had to happen; madness had struck once again. One moment the waitress was trying to take an order, then next the newcomer was seizing her and pressing a blaster pistol into the woman's ribs. What in the world was going on. Several of the patrons looked on in horror, as the struggle was rather hard to miss. Mila shot to her feet, realizing that the one time she had left her lightsaber off her person was the one time she might have needed to have it. The waitresses eyes shot over to the Twi'lek, as the desperation was there, pleading for her to save this woman from the seemingly insane man.

Mila raised her arms up, taking slow deliberate steps towards the pair, though she would keep a good five to six feet between them. "Easy there friend, just going to inquire as to what you planned on doing to the pretty lady here." She spoke softly, hoping this man wouldn't just try and fire a shot into Mila's chest. Just in case, Mila began to gather energy in her right hand, aiming to absorb a blast if it was fired towards her. That helmet wasn't helping her at all, as she couldn't get a read on the man's facial features; though she sensed no signs of irritation or aggression, just a sense of calm with a touch of adrenaline induced excitement. How odd.

One of the patrons began to move closer, but Mila quickly brought the man to a halt, shooing him back to his table as she felt she could handle this. "No one has to get shot today friend, my name is Mila Tesara, what about you?" She read something like this in a guide about deesculation, though she had no clue if it worked. "That young woman isn't going to harm you, and neither will anyone here in this place, so why don't you calm down and tell us what's gotten you in such a sour mood?" There was a faint tingle at the back of Mila's mind, something warning her that not all was as it seemed. It just didn't make sense, why this sudden reaction, why was the man so calm? It didn't make any sense at all. Little did Mila know, the waitress' hand moved for a small dagger sown in her appron; a rather lethal weapon called a dark stick, with a rather potent posion worked onto its edges.

@Feng Mian

 

[Song Wren]

Everyone stood at once, the room bursting with confusion and shock. Song felt the waitress struggle in her iron grip, but it was going to take more than a shake and a plea for help if the girl wanted to worm her way to freedom. There was no escaping the Mandalorian.

Still, Song was met with a brick wall, or more specifically, several wannabe heroes. The scarred chef brandished his cleaver, having circled around the counter but stopped in fear his “friend” would get hurt. A three-foot-sized alien stood up from their seat, their tiny hand on a holstered gun. Last, but not least, the quiet Twi’lek had stepped forward with empty hands, but who knew what tricks she might have up her sleeve.

She was the first to speak.

With the room choked with tension, the Mandalorian only then realized how the situation might have looked. It didn’t help the fact the mediating Twi’lek was talking to Song like she were a child, a thickheaded maniac. Now that was getting her in a sour mood. Still, if she wanted to avoid getting dog-piled by strangers, she had some explaining to do.

“No, no, no,” said Song, and slowly moved her gun away from the waitress’ side to ease the tension. That was her first mistake. “You don’t understand. I’m a bounty hunter, and this woman right here is wanted in…”

Before she could finish, the waitress lashed out. A viper in the sand. She struck her with a poisoned dagger, between a crack in Song’s armor and into her arm. Pain shot up to her shoulder, and the Mandalorian let her grip slip. The waitress sprinted away. Not out the door, but to the chef. Her friend, who allowed her to run by and out the backdoor.

Kriff. Now she had two more problems on her plate: a partner-in-crime, and poison.

Already, Song could feel it running through her blood, the sensation burning, and she tied a piece of cloth around her upper arm to stem its spread. She began to curse in Mando'a. “Shit, shit, shit.”

But, too absorbed in stopping the poison, she failed to see the chef now coming at her, cleaver raised to kill.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Some many things happened at once that Mila wasn't sure how to process it. This man was a bounty hunter it seemed, and this woman was his query, which meant....that he had legal jurisdiction to hunt her did she not? Intergalactic law was so confusion at times. Even if she knew the law, it would have helped her react any swifter to the waitress stabbing her attacker in the hand and sprinting away. Mila attempted to reach out and halt her, but the woman dodged out of the way, leaving the knight in the dust, as she only had a swearing Mandalorian who was clutching at his bleeding arm.

She was honestly conflicted on how to act, but that conflict was soon snapped as she witnessed the chief moving closer with that knife in hand. Mila spun around, moving to interpose, as there truly was no need for bloodshed. If this man was a bounty hunter, then proving that would be easy enough, then perhaps she could assist him in finding his target to mend the disagreement. After all, if that woman was a criminal, she needed to face justice; so long it was the cartel wanting her for some questionable reason, Mila had no issue with this idea. "Stop, if he's a bounty hunter, let him show hi-" The Twi'lek was swiftly cut off, as the larger man back handed her across the face, the force actually moving Mila out of the way as she slammed into a table, knocking food and drink onto the floor as the patrons began to flee the scene.

Well that wasn't very neighborly. She pushed herself up, her clothes now covered in fish sauce, cheap wine, and something that smelled foul to her nose. Hopefully that was just really potent vinegar. Seeing that the Mandalorian wasn't ready to defend himself, Mila had to act, but how? Subtly of course. She extended her hand out, as she focused on that cleaver the chief was raising, and yanked it out of his hands as he attempted to slash at the Mandalorian with it. To the chief, it might look like some rather unfortunate luck, and to the Mandalorian it would be a lucky break.

The cleaver sailed threw the air and struck into the wall, embedding itself deep into the wood, as it could have very well injured the Mandalorian in question. Now up on her feet, Mila moved to act, as if she didn't do something soon, someone was going to end up dead. "Stop, stop this at once!" She demanded, only to have the large man who had been cooking up fish only a few moments ago, try to swing on her. Mila side stepped, and followed with a strike to the man's throat. She had fully expected him to stumble to the ground clutching his throat as was the usual. Instead, he laughed it off, as her blow struck solid muscle. That usually works. She thought to herself, as she was now standing before a man that was nearly two times her size. There was going to be a fair bit of explaining to do once this matter was settled.

@Feng Mian

 

[Song Wren]

Through gritted teeth, Song drew quick and deep breaths, trying her best not to panic or go into shock. The pain was stifling, like her entire arm had been set on the fire, blood boiling in her veins. She had already ripped the knife out, and while she ought to have been thankful the padded suit underneath her armor absorbed most of the blow, leaving only a shallow cut, the poison was still in her bloodstream.

Song didn’t know how long she had before its effects really hit.

If she wanted to see the day through, she had to get back to the ship, or find a doctor, or do something. She couldn’t stay seated at her table and watch the ongoing brawl unfold mere feet in front of her. The Twi’lek woman, brave as she was, couldn’t contend with a man twice her size alone. Besides, if Song wanted out of the bar, or after her bounty, she’d have to go through the cook first.

With a groan, she lifted herself from her seat and advanced onto the man. While he was distracted with the Twi’lek, she aimed her DL-44 blaster pistol behind him and pressed the trigger. Nothing like a shot to head to put him to sleep.

Unfortunately, the man was as fast as he was strong. Like a third eye was in the back of his head, he spun around and narrowly avoided the blaster bolt, before grabbing it by the barrel, and to her shock, crushing the metal. Song tore it from his grip, eying the broken weapon.

“Damn,” she said, taken aback.

Hardly a second later, the “cook” planted a sickening kick against her lower torso. Not enough to bend the metal too, but enough to send Song stumbling back. She struck the table where the old couple were seated, who shrieked and threw their playing cards into the air. They hobbled out the main exit like they were thirty years younger.

The Mandalorian grumbled. She glanced down into her wound and found the skin had turned a light shade of purple. A numbness had since settled in. Glad as she was that the pain was fading, Song knew it meant the poison was working.

Now, it was do or die.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Mila felt the cook seize her by her dirty tunic and fling her across the restaurant with an unhuman amount of strength; what in the hell was this guy made of? Striking the counter, the Twi'lek was in a fair bit of pain, as she slumped to the ground, her back and shoulder aching. That was enough fooling around though, she was going to start taking this seriously. The cook had turned to dealing with the Mandalorian now, turning his back to Mila in the process.

The knight saw a perfect opportunity to end this conflict here and now, as she got back to her feet and rushed the cook. Leaping onto a table, then using it to catapult herself onto his back. She grasped her hands onto his head, with one simple command she attempted to force a command into his mind before he ended up getting himself or someone else killed; Sleep. As was expected, the man reached back, trying to take hold of Mila as his muscles and strength began to slip away, his speed and coordination fading as well. She could feel his mind trying to fight back, lashing out at her like a caged animal, while the knight worked her touch and mellowed his pacing mind until it was as tranquil as a lake.

Sadly, this meant that when the man stumbled backwards, having given into unconsciousness, Mila was left trapped under him, as her legs and arms wiggled about underneath her former attackers bulky mass, though she had to struggle to dislodge him. Using the force to enhance her strength, she would manage to do such a thing, but only after a moment or two of struggling. Sitting up, covered in food and spilled drink, Mila would look to the injured Mandalorian, who seemed to be quite fixated on that nasty wound he had the misfortune of earning. Mila was slightly winded, though she couldn't ignore the sight of a wounded person. "You're wounded, let me help you." Mila offered, moving towards the armored warrior, her steps and footing were still a tad clumsy from how slick the floor was from spilled drink. "I'm a healer by trade, please, I won't charge you anything I promise." If allowed, Mila would take the injured arm and look it over, and seeing that there was poison involved, she was going to have to be rather blatant about her powers to help this person. That swelling was bad, and whatever punctured the skin must have been swimming in whatever that substance was. "I can save your arm, but I need you to look away. This is a secret passed down by my people, and I'm not to share it with anyone." This was a lie of sorts, but it was also quite true. Looking to find the Mandalorian's eyes behind the visor, Mila would put her hand over the wound. Pulling upon the force to mend the cut and stop the poison, the destroyed flesh would begin to mend itself, the pain Song would feel would begin to ebb and finally fade, as if she looked at the wound, it looked as if it had never even occurred.

Again, this was all if the help was accepted, if not, Mila would be left pleading to be allowed to intervene; a life was on the line after all

@Feng Mian

 

[Song Wren]

Song watched as the Twi’lek leapt onto the hulking mass of the cook, and she fully expected the man to grab the woman by the shoulder and toss her like a rag doll across the room. Instead, something unexpected happened. The Twi’lek held her hands to his temples and closed her eyes. At first, Song wondered, did she mean to pop his head like it were a balloon? She almost laughed at the thought.

Until the man blinked, wavered, and staggered to the side.

The woman was doing something to him, exerting a kind of power against him. Song had never seen it in person, she hardly even knew its name, but she heard about its power. In stories as a child, and from the news cycle on the HoloNet. Beings gifted with extraordinary powers, a kind of force.

Eventually, the man collapsed to the floor, unconscious. But his body now trapped the Twi’lek too.

The Mandalorian was about to stumble over to help her, but she was left again to witness the woman’s unnatural strength, lifting and escaping out from under the deadweight chef. When they locked eyes, Song felt a touch of distrust.

Then the Twi’lek offered her help.

Not in any mood to die, Song welcomed it.

With a silent nod, she turned away as the other woman brought her fingers to the wound. The Mandalorian honored her word, her gaze fixed in another direction: into the kitchen, and the backdoor left ajar. By now, she imagined her bounty was somewhere out lurking in the settlement. Maybe she had escaped by speeder into the wilderness, or left the planet altogether. Just another problem to add to an already full plate.

At least, half-full.

When Song turned back, the wound was mended and the poison gone. No numbness, no pain. Just the Twi’lek’s soft touch, inches above where the incision had been. For a moment, Song was speechless. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

“How…?” she said, her voice trailing away. There was only one explanation for this. Even if she didn't want to admit it, the truth had become increasingly clear.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Yes, she had gone and done it. Thinking back on it, she should have made it look like she was choking the man out, yes, that would have been more believable. Oh well, too late to do anything about it. Mila did as she was asked, fixing the wound, fully expecting to have this come back and bite her later on. She had saved a life, perhaps two, that would have to be enough for her. As she eliminated the poison and treated the slice, she felt a bit of weakness overcome her, as was to be expected.

Letting go of the healed arm, she took a seat, trying to get her bearings as between all the force usage she had built up quite a whiplash. It wasn't anything detrimental, just a bit of lightheartedness for the time being, but she needed to watch it; there was a bounty hunter and a roaming criminal on the loose. She looked up to the Mandalorian, smiling in spite of her fatigue. "What can I say? I just have a knack for it." There was really no sense in spinning a lie, if this hunter was worth his salt, he'd have a clue as to what was going on; but Jedi were called to serve, and that's exactly what Mila planned to do. She looked to the man who was passed out on the floor, shaking her head at the rather messy state the restaurant was in. "We should contact the local authorities about this one. I believe that counts as attempted murder on his behalf." She spoke, before looking for the blade that had stricken her new companion. "I can help you recapture your bounty if that is what you seek. If she's indeed wanted, I'd only need to see proof of your work, and I will not have an issue in helping." Finding the blade, Mila carefully picked it up, eyeing the edges as it was still quite lethal, but would lead them to the target if Mila so desired it.

Her eyes went back to the hunter, as she felt that he knew what she was, and she needed to make sure this wasn't going to get out of hand if she was to offer help. "I only ask two things of you. Firstly, that this bounty indeed a wanted criminal, and second that if you seek to turn me in, can we please wait til after we have captured your prize?" Mila's gaze would harden, wanting to make her point absolutely clear. She wasn't going to just throw herself at the mercy of the hunter here and now, nor when and if they captured the mark, but she had no issue working with him for a greater good.

@Feng Mian

 

[Song Wren]

The woman’s answer was lackluster, but enough. Song decided it was best not to question further. She understood everyone had their secrets, information better off in the dark, than out in the limelight. As a Mandalorian hidden under a helmet, and a woman disguised as a man, she knew best.

Some things were best left unsaid.

As the Twi’lek slumped over into a nearby booth and thumbed over to the unconscious man on the floor, Song only nodded and said, “Don’t have to worry about that. I’m sure the other patrons who just up and left have already called someone over. And I’ll be honest with you, but I’d much rather not have to deal with them too.”

Not that she was planning to fight them, no. She just didn’t have the time to deal with questioning, interview and clean-up, while her bounty was somewhere out there doing who knows what. A murderous rampage? Unlikely, but not out of the question. What she was dealing with was a wanted criminal. Song figured the Twi’lek deserved to know too.

She pulled out the bounty puck she was given. With the press of a button, a holographic image of the same waitress, her face much rougher than it looked in person, flashed between them.

“Here’s your proof,” said Song, switching from the waitress’ face to a list of charges. “Her name’s Aria. Wanted for questioning after a spice deal on Taris went wrong. Five dead, a civilian included. I’m here to bring her in.”

“And though I usually work alone, if you want to help, I won’t pass you up. I could use someone of your… talent?”

Tucking the puck back into a chest plate pocket, she glanced between the Twi’lek and the blade she still carefully held in her hand. Song had heard about a bounty issued against all Jedi. Five thousand credits for a lightsaber. A steep price, and a welcome prize.

But she didn’t work that way. She was a Mandalorian, not a Syndicate scoundrel.

Still, not sure whether to fully place her trust in the woman, even if she had saved her life, Song nodded and simply said, “We’ll see.”

She rose from the floor. Although her blaster was still crushed, she lodged it back into its holster anyway, hoping to find use for it later, or a quick fix. After she rolled her arm to make sure it was in working condition, Song moved for the backdoor. Before she stepped out, however, she turned to the Twi’lek and said, “So, you coming or not?”

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Well, least that was one bit of good news, the authorities would arrive on their own. "I share the sentiments." Mila agreed, knowing that if it had known about her gifts, there would be hell to pay. It was probably good that Mila had left her lightsaber onboard the Jabberwocky, otherwise she might have had to worry about being turned in. Needless to say she was relived that the man spoke the truth about the bounty, even more so that this woman was a criminal; a murderer at that.

This was someone who needed to be brought to justice, and if this Mandalorian sought to do the same then Mila was willing to assist. "Shame, she seemed like a lovely lady just a few minutes ago." Mila muttered, before getting back to her feet. She'd never been served tea by a killer before, but there was a first time for everything.

She focused on the blade, looking back to the one that held it, and reached for that familiar face. It took a moment of focus, and a bit of will, but Mila took hold of the woman's image and the force granted her insight as to where this woman might be. She'd never done a bounty before, this whole thing would be rather intresting. Coming out of the trance, she looked to her 'partner' for the time being. "I'm in. Though for my sake, let's just keep this between us, and I won't talk about the Mandalorian who was laid low by a waitress." Mila gave a small wink, hoping that her companion had a sense of humor. The light headedness took hold once more, as Mila grabbed her head, the knife falling from her hand and bouncing across the floor. She really needed to be careful about pushing herself too hard. The voice of the Mandalorian snapped her out of her thoughts, as it was time to go; she'd have to rest on the road. "Of course, just getting a fix on her location." Moving to join the hunter, Mila would trust in the force for direction, as she could sense the wayward waitress was close by.

@Feng Mian

 

[Song Wren]

The Mandalorian chuckled at her little humorous jab, but she was quick to snap back. “You’re right, and I won’t talk about the mysterious stranger who magically healed him.”

Song turned back to the Twi’lek, who left the knife and her dazed thoughts to the floor and joined her. She suspected the woman was using her “gifts” to find out where the waitress had gone through the very dagger she had used to stab Song. Though she ought to have been impressed, the Mandalorian smirked. She had a little gift of her own too.

“Are you now?” she said, and from another pocket, perched between two fingers, she waved the tracking fob she was first given. “So am I.”

With that, she slipped out the backdoor. Song actually expected to find herself in a narrow alley on Nar Shaddaa, with packed garbage chutes and shady-looking thugs. Instead, she had walked back out into Dantooine, to the blue sky and the vast grasslands below. The settlement was, after all, a settlement. Behind the restaurant was simply a few homes downhill, with clotheslines and gardens on all sides.

Song looked to her feet. There were prints, though small, in the grass. They led downhill, but disappeared halfway through.

That was where her tracking fob came in.

She aimed it toward one house after another, following each incremental rise of the signal before she pinpointed where she believed Aria was hiding: a farmhouse with a domed roof, connected to a shoddy, wooden barn. The place looked abandoned, the door left open and ajar, but Song knew better.

“This way,” she said, and led toward the rickety porch of the house.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Her Mandalorian came with a humor package it seemed. Good, perhaps the stories of them being emotionless killing machines was just that; not that Mila would ever believe that, all living things had feelings. Mila let out an audible snicker as the Mandalorian flashed a tracking fob. "How do those devices even function? They seem rather illogical." Mila stated, after having overcome her initial amusement. Well, the Mandalorian had his way, and Mila had her own.

Seeing as she had literally no weapon on hand, she let the Mandalorian lead, while she used her senses to assure that the pair wouldn't get attacked while their guard was down. The footprints lead to where, as the hunter quickly deduced, and that left only the residential buildings. Mila could feel which building the woman was most likely to dwell in at current, or at least the force was telling her which one to pick. Still, s he would leave it to the hunter to lead, this was his target after all. It seemed a farmhouse was the residence of choice for this Aria woman, unfortunately for her, the opposition would not be so easily doped.

As they inched towards the door of the house, Mila pushed out with her senses, feeling the inside of the house for signs of life, and found it rather quick. Aria was waiting for them, but there was something, she was eager about something as well, but what? Were they walking into a trap perhaps? What on earth could this woman have done to make herself feel so comfortable. "Exercise caution, I sense she has some advantage we are unaware of." Mila whispered, as the pair had already crossed the threshold, and were about to walk into the den of the enemy.

@Feng Mian

 

[Song Wren]

“Illogical, maybe, but they work,” said Song, blankly.

She might have explained the whole idea, how some targets were often shot with a micro-tracker or their bio-matter was scanned upon a prior arrest or blood analysis, but she didn’t want to dive into the details. She was busy focusing on the mark ahead, hiding somewhere inside the empty wreckage of the home. The tracking fob’s signal was blinking like crazy.

Song inched towards the door, searching up and down for a trap. A wire where it shouldn’t be, a motion sensor in the frame, or Aria herself waiting around the corner. Having hunted her fair share of bounties, she knew the get-go.

“No kidding,” the Mandalorian said, creeping inside. “We’re in her territory now.”

The farmhouse was small, modest. Unlit lamps hung off the ceiling, torn furniture collected dust in one or two rooms, and trash and debris were scattered across the wooden floorboards. Enough that Song nearly missed the thin line of tripwire stretched between walls. Thanks to daylight, slipping in through the door, she caught it at the last second.

“Careful, there’s a tripwire.” Song gestured to the line, before stepping over it. “Amateur. It’ll take more than that to…”

Her right foot stepped onto a loose wooden plank past the wire. It sunk in, and a mechanical click followed. A trap in a trap. Now, that wasn’t what she expected, and neither did she expect the concussive blast that came after, throwing the Mandalorian to the side, through a wall and into a whole other room. An old bathroom, to be exact.

Had she not been wearing her armor, the damage would have been much worse. Still, it hurt like hell, and Song struggled to get up. That was when Aria would strike.

Not at Song, but rather the unarmed Twi’lek who had no doubt been smart enough to avoid the trap, and the blast.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Mila was actually hoping to get some sort of information on how such a device worked, but was a bit disappointed to just have it waved off instead. Seemed she'd have to locate another bounty hunter and ask them.

This didn't make any sense. The trap was obvious. Even if Mila wasn't a jedi, and the bounty hunter not a Mandalorian, even a fool would be expecting a trap. The Mandalorian caught the trip wire, thankfully Mila didn't have to interfere with that. Unfortunately, Mila's danger sense warned her just a bit too late, as once the bounty hunter set their foot down. Reflexively she jerked to her right, just as the blast struck to the warrior in front of her and sent him flying. It was now that she wished she had her lightsaber, such things made blasters rather trivial, but there was no time for lamenting such things.

As Mila was trying to process all that had occurred, her attention caught between learning the fate of her friend, and finding out where that shot had come from, her danger sense flared once more, this time she was too slow. As the Twi'lek turned to her right, she felt something sharp nick her left leg, pulling back, it soon became obvious what was happening, as Aria had dropped down from above, vibroknives in hand as she came upon Mila with a rather skilled flurry.

The Twi'lek back pedaled, dodging to the right and attempting to seize the woman's wrists, but even as a jedi, she was not skilled at unarmed combat. Aria slugged her across the face, another knife strike moved to slice at her left rib-cage, only for the knight to side step and slam an elbow into the woman's face. Aria had expected this perhaps, as she drove her right blade right into Mila's side, puncturing through her robe and knocking the air out of the jedi, as her strike faulted due to the devastating blow she received. This was not going at all like she planned.

@Feng Mian

 

[Song Wren]

Song was reeling. Her ears rang and her eyes rolled. Ahead, through the hole she left in the plaster, she could see two shadows moving. She tried to see who, but they were in and out of focus. Song blinked. Her hand gripped onto a ledge, an emptied toilet bowl, and struggled to rise. Shaking her head, like it would shrug away her concussion, she took in a few hard breaths as the air cleared of dust.

Aria and the Twi’lek were fighting. Knives out.

Song teetered on her feet. She couldn’t believe what had happened, and how stupid she had been. Not even an hour into the hunt, and she had been thrown into a table, stabbed with a poisoned dagger, and wrecked by a homemade booby trap. The Force and her armor had saved her, but she was tired of being at the butt end of the fight.

She was a Mandalorian. A bounty hunter. She would have her due.

As the Twi’lek was stabbed in her side, a vicious strike, Song picked up her pace. One step, then two, and three, until she was at a dangerous sprint. She ignored the intense pain she was feeling, from her twisted ankle or her heaving chest. Her one and only focus was on Aria, the spiteful bitch. The closer she came, Song let out a shout, though it was more like her pent up rage spilling out than a Mandalorian battle cry.

Aria turned. By then, too late. Song had tackled her right to the ground and began to deliver one blow after another.

“It’s going.” A hook to the left jaw. “To take.” Open palm to the throat. “A lot more.” A swipe against her temple. “To take me down.”

Song might have been a little harsh on her quarry, but Aria resisted like a snake caught in a trap, thrashing about. She tried to drive her knife into the Mandalorian’s side, but Song caught her wrist, squeezed, and the blade clattered to the floor. Had she broken something? Maybe.

Eventually, Aria simply stopped. She wasn’t dead, but the Mandalorian figured she had knocked some sense into her. Or really, out of her.

Second it was lights out for her, Song swayed over to the Twi’lek, and the punctured wound in her side. She scrambled for her own things as she said, “Shit, this is bad. You okay? Here, wait. I got a medpack.”

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

This was the second worst pain Mila had felt, but that fun fact didn't do anything to help her in the current situation. Blood gushed from her wound as she attempted to pull back, the pain in her chest seared away, a rather large distraction for the jedi at the moment. She attempted to stay on her feet, though Mila could feel she wasn't fairing well due to the blood loss and her own fatigue from earlier, still, she fought to stay awake.

Aria seemed to see her opening to take the kill, but before she could act, the Mandalorian struck. Seeing as that she wouldn't need to participate in the brawl anymore, Mila allowed herself to slump to the floor, her hands holding onto the injury as she went to her knees, still struggling to breath in her chest. As the bounty hunter had his fun with his target, Mila attempted to stall the bleeding in her gut, though she only seemed to stabilize the bleeding, though she felt rather fatigued from the effort. Mila pushed herself back against the wall, watching as the Mandalorian pummeled the day lights out of Aria, as the Twi'lek did her best to stay calm; though she found it a bit hard to stay conscious.

Mila's hands still lingered over the wound, as once the bounty hunter knocked the woman out, he seemed to try and tend to her. She forced a smile, though the words were hard to bring forth to her lips; it was rather hard to breath right now. "Afraid not." She gasped, looking down at her now red soaked tunic as she shook her head. "I think we'll need more than a medpack, friend." She muttered, putting her head back as she took in a deep breath, as while the bleeding had slowed, the pain was still there.

@Feng Mian

 

[Song Wren]

Song pulled the medpack from a pouch on her waist, snapping it open and spilling its contents onto the floor. A pain sedative, a roll of gauze, a bacta spray and a handful of other items she knew wouldn’t help in that situation. Quickly, she grabbed the soothing agent and injected it into the woman’s thigh. She doubted it changed anything, however. Shock was probably setting in, her wound going numb and her consciousness out of focus. It wouldn’t be long before she went to black.

“Don’t say that,” she said, as much to herself as to the Twi’lek. “You’re going to be fine.”

The Mandalorian took the bacta spray and began to douse the wound, then did the same with the gauze and applied it closely. It might be enough to close it, if she were lucky, but Song wasn’t sure. The Twi’lek had already lost an unhealthy amount of blood.

“Can’t you do what you did for me?” said Song, uncertain of her fate. “With those magic hands of yours?”

She doubted that would work. By the woman’s earlier exhaustion after removing the poison, what made Song think she could do it again, to herself, after what just happened? If the Mandalorian wanted to help her, she’d have to do more than throw suggestions. She was already out of bacta. Whether or not it was enough, Song hadn’t a clue.

“Is there someone I can take you to?” she said, wondering if there any other friends around. “Jedi friends, or something?”

Though it hadn’t been too clear before, Song had enough of a clue to connect the dots. Not that it changed anything. Jedi or not, the woman had saved her. Any Mandalorian in their right mind would have the honor to respect that.

@Algarus

 

[Mila Tesara]

Funny, was that concern? Clearly the rumors of Mandalorians might not have been true after all. Mila smiled through the pain, as despite the Mandalorian's attempts she still was badly injured. It wasn't like threatening, least Mila didn't feel it would be, then again how exactly could one tell? The Mandalorian asked if she could heal herself with her 'magic hands', and if Mila was not in such discomfort she would have laughed. It was a funny thought, but the reality was that she just didn't have it in her. "I've used up too much of my energy as is. I don't have anything else I can do." She lamented, looking down at the robes which were quickly becoming soaked with blood.

Mila took another long breath, feeling the fierce burning that coursed through the wound, knowing that the attempt to fix her with Bacta wasn't going to be enough. "It's only me sadly, my friends and I try not to bunch up." Mila looked over to her unconscious attacker that laid not that far from her, then back to the hunter, her eyelids fluttered as Mila felt a fatigue washing over her. "You can take your mark and depart Mandalorian, the force isn't done with me yet." She muttered, her hands pressing over the gash that was still in her stomach. No, she wouldn't die here, she couldn't die yet. She certainly hoped that wouldn't be the case at least.

@Feng Mian