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Post by Dash on May 4, 2017 12:26:12 GMT -7
Mando Cabure's 1st Short Story Contest - Official Entries - 5/4-5/31 2017 This thread is the official entry thread for Mando Cabure's first short story contest. This thread is only to be used to post official entries. Do not comment, critique, reply or otherwise post in this thread unless it is your official entry for the short story contest. As a reminder if you post here you can edit your entry for the entirety of the event which will run from now (5/4) until the end of the month (5/31). If you would like to be a judge for the short story contest then please comment on the the post regarding this on Facebook, send Dash a PM via this forum, or get a hold of Dash in-game or on Teamspeak. The following are the guidelines, rules, and prizes for this event: Please be aware that the only editing that may be done by myself / forum moderators to stories posted here are layout changes for ease of reading / judging. Short Story Guidelines: -5,000 - 10,000 words Min / Max. -An original, created by you, short story revolving around your character. -Can utilize the actual Star Wars expanded universe lore, but must be between 3650 - 3625 BBY for the "main" story. (SWTOR "official" BBY is 3643-3630, but it gives wiggle room) -Can utilize screenshots / pictures / material to help with storyline, just make sure it's not copyrighted, you can legally use it. -Must be posted to this thread as a reply by 5/31/2017.
Short Story Rules: -GM / Judges will be used to determine the winners based on the following criteria:
1. Originality & Creativity 2. Flow & Thought Transition 3. Plausibility - As a hint Metagaming / Metawriting is bad. 4. Thought & Effort 5. Overall quality. Remember we want to get lost in your story.
-Judges are ineligible to win. GM will probably write a story, but won't be eligible for prizes.
Prizes: -1st Place: 10 Million Credits -2nd Place: 5 Million Credits -3rd Place: 2.5 Million Credits -All participants will get to choose a pet or mount from the prize bay we set up later today at the end of the event.
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swamee73
Evaar'la verd
Chillace, Malicekhan, Swamei, Tiogakhan, and a few other toons
Posts: 5
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Post by swamee73 on May 26, 2017 15:19:04 GMT -7
This is the first thing I have written in like 25 years, so be kind =p
Chapter 1
Gnarrl didn’t mind death, hell, it was a way of life for a Trandoshan. The fact that these were his fellow hatchlings and the closest things to friends as his race knew, made it a personal affront to him. He never cared for or even really acknowledged the Jedi in the past. To him, anyone that had to rely on magic to secure a kill was weak and was not fit to support his clan. He decided then and there he would rip apart this Jedi named Kalli. It would be brutal even by Trandoshan standards. Who was this fool to pass judgment on their way of life? It had been his race’s way for over three millennia. Trandoshan hunt for food, sport, rank, prestige, rite of passage, but now…revenge!
Gnarrl was not a bounty hunter. One day becoming the most feared bounty hunter of all time was his dream, but he had to prove himself to his clan first. He and his nest mates had come to Tattooine to find and kill the notoriously lethal Rancor. Maybe then they would recognize him for the hunter he knew he was. What better way to earn prestige and standing with his clan?
They had tracked a Rancor for three days before the meddlesome Jedi had had spilled their lifeblood. Piracy and murder the Jedi had claimed. In the end, Gnarrl had barely managed to escape. Now he was somewhere in the Dune Sea with no water and nothing but his double blade. He found the heat and sand cathartic. It gave him time to plan at least three hundred slow death scenarios during his long trek back to civilization. Every single one of these ended with him sucking the marrow out of the bones of this fucking Jedi scum. Walking with more and more confidence after every idea, a cold realization washed over him like a flood. This Jedi bested him AND his two brothers. How was he going to exact his revenge by himself? Trandoshan were not particularly intelligent and usually solved problems with blaster, claw or blade, but Gnarrl was smarter than them and determined not to fail. If he needed to recruit help to kill this Jedi, so be it. Not that he had any credits to pay them, but he could simply slit their throats afterwards and take the glory for himself anyway.
Arriving a day later, feet dragging to Mos Yana, the first thing Gnarrl wanted was a drink. Being reptilian made him remarkably resilient and three time less dependent on water as the soft fleshy beings he frequently killed. Tattooine’s deep desert had maxed out his tolerance though and he was dangerously close to dehydrating. Before he could even reach the bar, someone bumped into him in passing. Gnarrl turned to see a larger than average human in Mandolorian armor glaring at him as he passed. Normally he would have gutted any insignificant being that had dared to not show him the amount of respect he thought he deserved. Something about the look in this human’s eyes though, paired with his incredible thirst allowed him to overlook this. “BUBBA!” one of the Twi’lek dancers shouted excitedly. “BUBBAGUS VUKODLOK!!!!! GET YOUR FINE ASS OVER HERE!” Gnarrl heard as he ordered a bottle. Gnarrl saw the dancer leap into the rude stranger’s arms as he threw back another glass of the swill that he had been served. Gnarrl could not help but notice the blaster scorch marks, saber burns and blade cuts that coated the stranger’s armor. Apparently he had seen his share of conflict. If he wasn’t a fleshy meat bag of a human, Gnarrl might have approached him to assist with the Jedi he planned to skin alive. But human? No way! He was not that desperate for help, nor did he think a human would have anything to offer and would probably just get in his way.
Gnarrl had finally slated his thirst after days without water and was starting to feel the effects of this cantina’s version of booze he had been downing with reckless abandon. Heading towards the back to find a place to relieve himself, Gnarrl noticed two others eyeing “Bubba”. He realized that they had not actually taken their eyes off him since they arrived. Now they were heading to separate entrances with their hands on their weapons. Gnarrl’s bladder could wait. He wanted to see this. The heavier of the two went to the back door and quietly slid the metal bar across it. The other, taller man stood half in the front doorway glancing back and forth from somewhere outside to back to Bubba. He appeared to be whispering into a wrist communicator. Just as Gnarrl expected, reinforcements showed up. Eight heavily armed men came in the front door in two by two formation. The first man in this “kill squad” spoke up in a loud voice. “Are you Bubbagus Vu..Vukodl…shit… ARE YOU HIM?” Bubba didn’t even turn around to look. “The Pimp of Mando Cabure? In the flesh, Baby!” he said with apparent confidence.
Gnarrl was impressed by this cocky, if not soon to be dead human. Even the famed Bossk of Trandoshan fame would not have been so calm against the 10-1 odds this human faced.
“The Republic has placed a hefty price on your head after what you did to House Organa, Bubba,” the lead attacker said. “So large in fact, that it is still worth it split nine other ways.” “You can’t spend it when you’re dead dumbass,” Bubbagus said, still not turning around.
Gnarrl didn’t even realize he was grinning a huge toothy grin at this moment. It didn’t even seem to bother him that Bubba was human anymore. This guy had moxy. This is exactly how Gnarrl and his hatchlings would imagine their exploits aloud as they sat by the fire after the day’s hunt.
“I don’t shoot men in the back, STAND UP!” Bubba’s attacker shrieked, obviously nervous at the lack of intimidation Bubba was demonstrating.
“Bhoomi, why don’t you hop up and get back to the stage? Wouldn’t want you getting hurt on my account.” Bubba grinned as he smacked her on the ass while she walked away. Bubba stood straight up, but at this point, he had still not turned around to face his attackers.
Gnarrl didn’t care if he pissed himself in front of the whole bar; there was no way he was going to miss this, regardless of how bad his bladder protested.
Bubba reached down to his cocktail table and picked up the bottle he had been pouring from before he had been interrupted. He took a long deliberate pull from it. Then moving faster than Gnarrl would have believed, Bubba kicked the chair straight back and hurled the bottle in one spinning move, facing his opponents for the first time. Seemingly at the same time the bottle smashed the teeth of one of his attackers, Bubbagus’ wrist flamethrower ignited the apparently very flammable liquor. There was a small explosion as the combination of the flamethrowers impact to the man’s face and the liquor ignited. The burning man screamed and immediately put his hands to his face as the flammable liquid started causing his eyeballs to sizzle. The attacker standing next to him did not fare as badly from the fire, but an exploding dart from Bubba’s other wrist made bits of his skull and brain rain down in a twenty foot radius.
Gnarrl was beside himself! This man had killed two of his attackers and they had not even gotten a shot off yet!! Even if he found himself cheering for this arrogant stranger, there was no doubt he was going to die; there were still 8 more opponents and this was close quarter combat.
Bubba dove behind the bar and slammed a strange glowing stim into his thigh as onlookers ran helter-skelter for any exit. “It’s not too late to walk away in tact,” he chuckled loud enough for the attackers to hear over the mass exodus of bar patrons. “FUCK YOU BOUNTY HUNTER SCUM!” one of them screamed back. Bubbbagus’s backpack ignited and shot him almost to the rafters of the two story cantina in a flash. “Death from above!” he cackled maddeningly as the bar erupted in explosions from several missiles launched from his wrists.
Gnarrl could see at least two other attackers were dismembered and another completely disintegrated from Bubba’s latest barrage. He seems to actually be enjoying himself, Gnarrl mused.
When Bubbagus’s backpack extinguished, he landed on top of the bar with a thud. Not even attempting to find cover he asked, “You still got fight left in ya?” One attacker leveled his blaster on Bubba and fired. The shot careened of the Mandolorian armor with a squeal. Bubba turned to walk the length of the bar seemingly unaware of what had just transpired.
That is when Gnarrl saw the giant missile launch from atop of Bubbagus’s backpack. Two attackers were instantly turned to bantha fodder where they stood. Gnarrl was convinced the remaining three attackers would kill themselves falling over tables and each other while scrambling for any exit possible.
Bubbagus hopped down from the bar and dumped a small bag full of credits on it. He looked over the bar to the terrified bartender curled in a fetal position on the other side. “Sorry Dreeg. I always offer them every option to leave.” The bartender peered over the bar to survey the damage. “Damnit Bubba, my baaar!” Dreeg howled. “Oh put a sock in it. I just dropped enough credits here to more than make up for the damage…just like last time.” Bubba retorted. “I just finished the remodel from the last dust up you and Rolo had in here last month!” Dreeg cried. “Hey!” Bubba exclaimed accusatorily, “That wasn’t my fault! All I did was bet Rolo that he couldn’t fart the Jawa alphabet with Dash’s panties on his head!” How was I supposed to know that group of Barabels would get offended? Who knew they even spoke Jawa? Anyway with the amount of money that people pay to come see Sass and Bhoomi dance from all over the galaxy, you still come out ahead!”
Gnarrl realized he was still standing there with his mouth open in amazement as the stench of burnt flesh swirled around him. “MY MASSSSSSSTER!” Gnarrl hissed as he rushed over to Bubba and the bartender. All pretenses about deceiving someone into helping him kill the Jedi had vanished. All imagined plans for the future had vanished. He knew everything he wanted to accomplish, everything he wanted to be, all emanated from this bounty hunter. Gnarrl put his closed fist across his chest, bowed his head, and said “I devotesss my lifessss to you masssssssster. Letsss ussss join your clansssss and wesssss will sssservesssss” He stood there for what seemed like an eternity, waiting for a reply.
“Well jiggle a Hutts titties, I’ve seen it all,” Bubba guffawed.
Gnarrl was perplexed by this human’s response and laughter. Was he being shamed? Did the human not understand? Had his common translation been incorrect?
“Boy, how about you go put on some pants that aren’t soaked in lizard piss and pull up a chair and we can discuss terms over a drink!” Bubba exclaimed.
Chapter 2
It had been 2 years since Gnarrl pledged his services to the bounty hunter. Disappointing is the only way he would describe it. There had been no glorious firefights, no hand to hand combat of legend, not even a chance for him to claim his own kill. All Gnarrl had done since he swore his oath to Bubba was inventory, catalog and dispose of ordinance and ammo. Occasional recon work was the height of his time here so far. Gnarrl had voiced his displeasure once to Bubba. He explained about his warring race and their dependence on violence. All Bubba would reply was “Never go looking for trouble, concentrate on being prepared for it, when it finds you.” Even Gnarrl’s limited intellect could digest the wisdom in the bounty hunter’s words. His youth and lack of experience were at war with his rational mind and desire to please his new master. Even though their actions were not what Gnarrl wanted, or was even expecting, he had given his oath. Gnarrl had not understood the “tap dance when I tell you to tap dance” reference, but he understood obedience, and breaking an oath would render him clan-less in the eyes of his people. That was a rank of shame he would never endure. Bubbagus had only had one requirement for Gnarrl to join his “clan”. “100% obedience, immediately” is the way the hunter had worded it. He had said that in his line of work, one of them going their own way could spell doom for the pair. Any doubts were instantly vaporized on a certain bounty they had collected on Nar Shaddaa. Gnarrl had become a little too engrossed on Bubba’s hand to hand skill and failed to maintain his field of vision. “GNARRL DROP!” the hunter had screamed! Gnarrl did not turn to look or even try to digest his master’s words. He simply threw himself down as fast as he could. That lack of hesitation was all that separated him from certain death. Well, that and the 1/8 of an inch the vibroblade had missed him by. Gnarrl never saw the Zabrak sneak up behind him. He was charged with keeping a lookout but let his desire to watch his master hand to hand skills allow him to lose focus. A quick taser shot from Bubbagus had incapacitated the Zabrak long enough for Gnarrl to subdue him. Back at their ship, Gnarrl was noticeably upset with himself for his lack of concentration. “Hey, don’t be too hard on yourself Lizard Lips. It can happen to the best of us,” Bubba comforted. “I am just impressed at your quickness and instant acquiescence to my command. I thought you were a goner for sure. Gnarrl was disappointed in his failure but was still experiencing a rush of joy from having received high praise from his master!
“Come over here for a minute Kermit,” Bubba waved him over. Gnarrl never understood the names his master used for him. He had explained several times that his name was G-N-A-R-R-L. Bhoomi had pulled him aside once and said that Bubba always uses pet names for the people he liked. Gnarrl had blushed when Bhoomi had told him Bubba’s pet name for her. After she had told him her pet name for Bubba, Gnarrl questioned his understanding of human anatomy and was quite perplexed as to how that was even possible.
“We are going to have to separate for a bit,” Bubba explained. He noticed Gnarrl’s worried expression and quickly added “Now don’t go getting your scales all in a twist. This is a good thing. We have two time sensitive bounties to collect, and you are coming along well enough that I trust you to go it alone for this one”. Gnarrl practically beamed. “Plus, the slime-o I want you to tail is a relatively harmless Kowakian monkey-lizard,” he said. “Zeeben Quo, a shifty little rat shit is suspected by his boss to be informing to the Republic. Your job is NOT to be seen or engage at all, but to record any said interaction,” Bubba directed. Gnarrl bowed his large head and hissed, “Yessss massssster”
“We will rendezvous at our stronghold as soon as our respective ops are completed. Last one there buys!” Bubba playfully punched Gnarrl in the arm.
Chapter 3
There he was. Zeeben Quo. Right where Bubba had said he would be. If he deviated from his set delivery path at all, Bubba had directed him to tail him, unseen and get a holo of the interaction. So far Gnarrl had been following this insignificant worm for 5 hours, and everything was as it was supposed to be. Just when he thought this was going to be an epic waste of time, he noticed Zeeben stop and look around in an “oh–my-fucking-god-sooo-obvious-up-to something” look, then dart off behind a row of transit terminals. Because of his rooftop position, Gnarrl briefly lost sight of his mark. He quickly leapt to the next rooftop to gain a better vantage point. “There he was!” Gnarrl thought triumphantly. He appeared to be talking to a hooded figure who was in the shadows just enough that his face could not be seen. Gnarrl started the holo, but soon realized that this footage was useless unless he could get the ID of this mystery man. Looking around, he noticed that it wouldn’t have mattered what rooftop he was on, this annoying shit had positioned himself perfectly as to remain shrouded. Then an idea struck Gnarrl. “All I need is his face at this point. I have them meeting. I have them conspiring in the alley”. Gnarrl grabbed a fist size rock off the roof and launched it towards the secretive duo down below. He followed the flight path of the rock, soon realizing (to his devious delight) its trajectory would impact the head of the stranger! A mere fraction of a second before the rock impacted, there was a pop-hiss, and a flash of light!! The stranger had moved lightning quick, ignited a light saber, and cut the rock in two! THE FUCKER STILL NEVER LOOKED UP!!!!!!!!!!!! Gnarrl was about to make a hurried retreat and call it a loss, when the hooded figure slowly raised his head and stared directly at the location he was standing! “How did he know where I was?” Gnarrl wondered incredibly. He wasn’t going to stick around and find out! No slouch in the reflex department himself, Gnarrl back flipped of the roof and hit the ground running. He didn’t stop until 5 minutes after his lungs burned so badly, he couldn’t stand it. Convinced he had escaped, he stopped to catch his breath. As his gulps or air came slower and slower, he decided to view the holo to see if he could enhance the image enough to ID this man well enough to satisfy the client. Gnarrl was cold blooded by nature, but it ran as cold as ice when he cleaned up the image and discovered the mystery stranger was none other than that Yuzzum fucking, Ugnaught licking, Wookie back hair braiding, Bantha shit eating Jedi Kalli!!!!! That son of a Hutt had killed his nest mates and almost been the death of him as well. He would have his revenge. He would get PAID to have his revenge. He growled loudly and hurled the trash bin 50 yards across the dark alley.
Chapter 4
Bubba just sat there unflinchingly as Gnarrl finished regaling him with the entire story of the evening’s op, making sure to leave no detail out. He was on the edge of his seat waiting for his master’s response. He didn’t care what the plan was as long as it ended with the death of Kalli. Bubba had known since soon after their first meeting about Gnarrl and his family’s encounter with the Jedi. He carefully weighed out his options and let out a deep satisfying sigh as he sat back and laced his fingers behind his head. “Seems to me like you have a score to settle with this Jedi,” Bubbagus stated flatly. “Seems to me that I have an open ended ticket with the Empire for Jedi, dead or alive.” I see no down side to this. Looks like we have a Jedi to kill.”
Gnarrl waited patiently outside Teebo the Hutt’s private chamber, eyeing everyone suspiciously and monitored the exits. A few minutes later, Bubba came out and said, “This Jedi lives in a cave in the mountains somewhere between Jundland and the Dune Sea.“ “How reliable isss the sssssourssse?” Gnarrl quickly hissed. “This informant is my main source of intel on Tattooine. It’s good,” replied Bubba. “The trick will be to get that far out without getting donkey punched by those damn Tuskans, or getting so lost in a sandstorm that we fall into a sarlacc pit,” Bubba said sarcastically. “Make sure to configure your armor for maximum water regulation,” he instructed. “I know you are more tolerant than most in these conditions, but we are going to have to be at 100%. This is a Jedi after all. Don’t get me wrong, countless Jedi have died by my blasters in the past, but any loon, bat shit crazy enough to live out in THAT no man’s land, should not be under estimated,” Bubbagus said, a little more seriously than usual. “My contact also gave me the chart of every known Tuskan camp, but those bantha shaggers are famous for picking up and moving with no notice.” “Get your gear stowed in the speeder and let’s go cash this bounty. You have serious skin in this game, so when we kill him, the bounty is all yours,” Bubba informed. He slapped Gnarrl on the back affectionately and headed to gear up.
The informant’s intel was remarkably recent. They avoided all interactions with the Tusken Raiders. Even harder to believe, was that none of the sandstorms they encountered were life threatening. If Bubba had given a shit about such things, he could have sworn that the Force was with them.
The lack of native or weather interference allowed them to arrive much sooner than they had anticipated. “Only one life form reading large enough to be our mark on the scanner” Bubba informed Gnarrl. “Jam all comlink communication. I don’t want this crazy fucker tipping off anyone close enough to give us trouble.” Gnarrl starting jamming all frequencies. He was surprised at how calm he was. He knew he was going to kill this Jedi or die trying. There would be no quarter given. He would have his revenge.
Bubbagus put his arm out sideways to stop the Trandoshan. “Be ready for anything Gnarrl. Not all Jedi are the same. I have seen a few that are dangerous as hell, and some that seem like they found their light sabers in a Jawa scrap pile and barely know how to activate it. From what you described, he seems more like the former than the latter. Be aggressive and take the kill if you get it, but don’t over extend or get too anxious, or it might be the last mistake you ever make,” Bubba chided gravely. Gnarrl blinked several times in place as he realized his master had used his given name. For some reason that made him more nervous than facing a Jedi.
Their scanners indicated a huge cave opening just over the ridge. They cautiously approached, Bubba with his blasters drawn and Gnarrl with his double blade ready. Skeletons of all different races littered the outside of the cave. “This looks more like a hungry Wampa den more than a Jedi hangout,” Bubba whispered. “There’s no need to whisper. I know you are here!” Kelli’s voice echoed through the cavernous high ceiling. Neither Bubba nor Gnarrl slowed. Both trodded on, scanning their surroundings. As they approached the inner part of the cave, they came upon a hastily built rack. Tied to it was the upside down half decomposed corpse of what appeared to be a Zabrak. “He sinned and had to be punished,” the Jedi bellowed. “You will know his fate all too soon.” “I thought you Jedi were all about peace, love, holding hands, circle jerks and singing kum bah ya and shit” Bubba quipped sarcastically. “I am more than Jedi! I am more than Sith! I have been cleansed by the purity of the Dune Sea.! I have been charged with sanctifying this land and wiping it clean of all sin!” Preached Kalli. “Well jiggle a Hutt’s titties and call it a tsunami, Gnarrl! We got us a religious zealot fucktard!” He yelled exasperatedly, making sure Kalli heard him. “BLASPHEMOUS WRETCH! You will die for mocking The Prophet!” Kalli bellowed lividly. Bubba silently pointed ahead to Gnarrl, indicating where he knew the Jedi was based on his voice. He had barely had time to lower his hand when there was a blood curdling scream from behind them. “AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” Kalli flew through the air with his lightsaber high above his head, from BEHIND THEM!! This had caught Bubba completely by surprise. As fast as his reflexes were, he would never be able to avoid the mortal blow. The best he could hope for was to roll with it and end up in an aggressive stance to return fire and hopefully land a kill shot of his own. Gnarrl had been fooled by the Jedi’s voice as well but had not forgotten his earlier lessons. He had stayed focused and maintained his field of vision as he had been trained by his master. This Jedi had killed his people; he would NOT claim the life of his master!! Not while he still had breath! Gnarrl was not in a position to get a good swing of his two handed blade before the Jedi struck down his master, but he could get in between them! Gnarrl rammed his shoulder into Bubba’s back sending him flying, while throwing a clawed hand in the face of the disillusioned force wielder. Hoping to rake his eyes or at least obstruct his vision was all the Jedi’s speed and voice trickery had allowed for. The impact was tremendous. Bubba being off balance from trying to turn around, combined with Gnarrl’s sheer power, sent him flying across the cave. He had been fast enough to save his masters life, but not fast enough however, to save his arm. Pain seared through him as the Jedi’s blade instantly cauterized the limb above the elbow. Bubbagus may have been at a disadvantage at first, but he was now engaged in ranged combat with a target that was not focused on him. This was his world now. He fired an incapacitating electrical taser dart to the Jedi’s chest as Gnarrl recovered and lunged, fangs bared to the exposed throat of the zealot. There was a sickening squelch as Gnarrl’s bite crushed Kalli’s windpipe. He spun savagely without releasing the tension of his fangs and the cave was painted with arterial red. His spin not even half way through his first rotation, and Gnarrl had already repositioned his two handed blade to be accommodated by his single good arm. Ending his spin behind Kalli, Gnarrl drove the blade into his spine so forcefully he lifted him off the ground with just one hand. The blood frenzied Trandoshan spat out Kalli’s throat and growled into his ear. “Die knowing you are clan-lesssss and your line will end today” Gnarrl slung his blade sideways so that the still warm corpse of Kalli slid off and landed in a heap. “You are clan-less and your line will end today? That’s the coldest shit I have ever heard someone say when taking someone out. “I’m stealing that” Bubba said with a huge grin. It was then he noticed Gnarrl’s injury and his grin vanished. “We have to get you medical attention quick or you ain’t gonna be able to tell anyone your bad ass story, Gnarrl!” Bubba exclaimed as he tore the now dead Jedi’s cloak to shreds. Gnarrl fell to a knee, adrenaline now exhausted and going into shock. “Hang in there partner,” Bubba pleaded as his frantically fashioned a make shift litter. Gnarrl’s vision went black.
Chapter 5
It took a few seconds for Gnarrl to orientate himself. He was still wet from the kolto tank, but now on his back as a medical droid worked feverishly on his cybernetic arm. “You lost your arm saving my ass. I don’t take that lightly.” He heard Bubbagus’s voice before he actually saw him sitting on the other side of the room. “Not kill my massssster.” Gnarrl whispered weakly. “Let’s drop this whole master shit” Bubba said sincerely. “You may be young. You may be impatient. You may smell like the southbound portion of a northbound Gamorrean, but ya got guts kid. And you are loyal to a fault. How about you heal up and get used to that new prosthetic. After that we will sit down for a drink and discuss new terms for our equal partnership. That is, if you’re interested in fame, fortune, women and people writing songs about you for generations to come.
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SelenaKile
Evaar'la verd
7 days free sub = My referral code: http://www.swtor.com/r/JWHmJT
Posts: 33
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Post by SelenaKile on May 27, 2017 3:38:01 GMT -7
(I know it's way too short, but I'm happy with it. Swamei's is so good that I got inspired and kinda used him.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bhoomi had just gotten kicked out of another cantina. No matter what kind of armor she wore, it was still obvious that she was a buxom blue beauty. Men wanted to pay her for various favors and women didn't take her seriously. She was regretting becoming a bounty hunter for the tenth time that day, which was average.
Sass told her to just keep dancing. She was good at it and she had friends there, but she wanted more out of life. She wasn't some airhead or slave, she had agility and skills, she just needed opportunity. She was still dancing to keep making money to pay for the gear she needed, until she could start getting real bounties. If she could just get a break or some solid information she could get her first one and show everyone that she really could do this.
She saw bounty hunters coming into the cantina where she worked all the time, but they usually didn't talk in front of the dancers. They knew how girls could gossip and anyone would give information for money, especially an alien! But one of them was especially respectful, so she approached him about her dilemma.
"Bubbagus, you're one of the roughest guys in this place, but you don't treat the girls like property, so I wanna tell you something in confidence." He gave her a smile, "Of course, Bhoomi." She took a deep breath, "I'm tryin' to be a bounty hunter myself and I need some advice. I've saved up and bought some good gear, but I can't seem to get any of the brokers or info sellers to take me seriously. They laugh at me or tell me to take off some layers so they can see my goods. I'm confident in my abilities, but these guys are all sleazy. I was wonderin' if you know of anyone who'd give me a fair chance..." She put on her best smile and flirted with her shiny, red eyes, out of habit.
He didn't seem very surprised to hear this, probably because it was his job to be observant and he's known there's more to this one for a while. "Actually, my dear, I was looking for someone to give me a hand on my next job. It's not anything too difficult, but the target is paranoid, and the two of us," he crooked a thumb at his partner, Gnarrl, "can't handle all the cronies they keep around them by ourselves." Gnarrl nodded while his back was still turned. He always looked in the opposite direction of Bubba, making them one of the best two-man teams out there.
"Bubba, I'd be honored hunt alongside the two of you, but are you sure? You've never even seen me fight!" She was so happy that she'd glow if she wasn't wearing a pound of makeup. "Woman, I've seen all your best moves!" Bubbagus roared with laughter. Most of the patrons laughed along, but a few unfamiliar faces approached from across the room with frowns and weapons drawn.
Gnarrl saw them coming, of course, so he was on his feet already. The three men were wearing average armor and had cheap blasters, so he didn't see them as much of a threat. But, before anyone could say anything, Bhoomi saw an opportunity. "Hello, boys. We're having a private chat. Is there something I can help you with?" She moved to stand between the men and Gnarrl, who was now a little surprised but did nothing to stop her. The man in front spoke first, "This loud asshole has been annoying me all night and now I'm mad. I either wanna be paid for my time or I want you for myself and my buddies." They were giving her the standard greedy looks she's used to, but she kept on smiling, "You boys don't seem to understand. This is one of our most important patrons and you're talking to his favorite dancer. If you wanna cause a problem, you'll be the ones paying for our time." She finished with a wink and disarmed the leader in a flash. With his own blaster aimed at his left eyeball and his face turning red he told his men to open fire, but they had already been disarmed, a little slower, by Gnarrl, while Bubba was laughing along with most of the others in the cantina.
Bhoomi gently returned the man's blaster and told him to have a nice night, while the bouncers removed the group. "Well," said Bubba, as he was still chuckling, "I do believe anyone would look at you differently after that." Bhoomi was happy with herself and her choices for the first time in a while.
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She was a little early to get to the meeting spot behind the spaceport, but the guys were already there anyway. Bubba chuckled when he saw her, "I tried to imagine what you'd look like, but it never would come to my mind. You look like a pro, woman!" Being called a pro by an actual pro is a great confidence booster, even if it's only visual, so the butterflies in her stomach settled down. "We're waiting for the speeder to leave the 'port, his ship should be arriving right now."
The target was a wealthy buyer of expensive droids from all over the galaxy. He hadn't paid in full upon the delivery of one of his last shipments, so the seller had hired Bubbagus to find the man and either get the money or something of value, like the man himself. The only problem is that the buyer often used these droids or hired guns as bodyguards, so getting close to him would be difficult, but a good hunter can always come up with a good plan, and a few to back that up if it fails.
"We've got ourselves this nifty rocket launcher," Bubba said, as he indicated the small turret that Gnarrl was setting up, "so we wait until we see his speeder, hit it with this baby, and storm the gates!" Bhoomi admired how much fun Bubba seemed to be having. She couldn't help but smile along with him. "Won't there be other speeders and bystanders?" As soon as she asked the question she noticed that the turret was pointed away from the spaceport. "Not a problem. We're gonna wait until they're down the road a little. That's why we needed a third person. Someone has to be here to set this thing off while the other two are waiting closer to the speeder, or the target could get away."
Bhoomi's heart was suddenly heavy. He only needed her to push a button. She must have looked disappointed, because Bubba put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Hey, don't look like I asked you to clean up after Gnarrl." She heard a growl come from Gnarrl at that comment. "You're with me on this one. He's gonna work the rocket, it's his toy, after all. You and me are gonna be in those bushes over there," he pointed to what looked like nothing but thorns, "and wait for the crash to happen." She smiled at him, "Thanks, Bubba. I was hoping to get into a real fight today." They all laughed at that one.
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Sitting in a thorn bush isn't too bad when you have beskar. Bhoomi was no longer upset about how much she had paid for this armor. She could be fully alert and almost comfortable, even the helmet was easy to breathe in. She'd worn it plenty of times, but never on a job, next to a large man in a hot, dirty roadside bush. Suddenly she heard Gnarrl begin to count down and she got nervous again. "Five, four, three, two..." and the speeder that had just passed them on the road was sent into a spin. "That was beautiful!" Bubba hooted as he leaped out of the bushes and shot at every droid in sight. It seemed that the speeder was made of droids! "Whoever takes out the most gets to knock the guy out first!" Bubba was having so much fun. Bhoomi was letting him have most of them, though. She was more concerned that she wasn't seeing the target. She made her way slowly around the crashed speeder, hoping they hadn't fallen for a decoy.
Then she noticed him, crawling away, trying to make his fat body seem as small as possible. She couldn't help it, she started laughing too. "Bubba, I think I found a giant womp rat! It looks it's half dead though." She giggled as she stepped on the man's hand. "Where're you goin', sugar? I need to ask you some questions."
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Later that night, in a cantina that was much nicer than she'd ever been in, Bubba was counting out her share in a private room. "I know it was your first job, but don't let your mouth hang open like that, Bhoomi." Her blush made her skin turn purple. "Sorry, I just didn't realize he was worth so much. Is this average?" Bubba finished and sat down, "I only take good jobs these days. We've been doing this long enough that we can afford to turn down the cheap shit." Gnarrl was actually relaxing for once, with closed eyes, but he still managed looked very alert. "Once you've made a name for yourself you can pick the jobs you want to do. Until then, you have to settle for anything. It'll be hard, but you've got it in you. I'll vouch for you."
She couldn't help it, she covered her face so he wouldn't see the tears. He waited until she wiped them away. "You won't regret this. I'm gonna work hard. I've even already thought of a good idea. I'll keep my job at the bar and use it for info. I can be accessible there while still keeping a steady income, for a while at least." His smile almost had a little pity in it this time, "It really is too bad how this world treats women these days, especially the exotic ones."
"I plan on changing that." She wasn't crying anymore. The fierce determination on her face confirmed everything Bubba had suspected about her. She would be changing the way people looked at her in the future.
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SelenaKile
Evaar'la verd
7 days free sub = My referral code: http://www.swtor.com/r/JWHmJT
Posts: 33
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Post by SelenaKile on May 30, 2017 0:49:21 GMT -7
(My official entry. Sorry it took so long. Got the internet back 10 minutes ago.)
Life was happy. Megan had a protective older brother, a loving mother and a father full of adventure stories. Farm life in a tiny village far from any other on the Outer Rim planet of Lothal was easy for a little girl who had never met a stranger. The closest she ever got to space were her father's stories of his time as a warrior, he never said exactly what kind. Few in her village ever even saw a spaceship. They grew crops, made clothing, and kept to themselves. A few of the men took their goods to the closest city, a full days travel on foot, a few times a year, but the rest of them never left, and they were all happy to live together this way. It was peaceful and simple. They heard stories of the harder lives the city folk lead and wanted no part of it. Megan may not have had many friends, but she was content.
Megan's father told her that the teasing from the other children was their jealousy. Her mother told her that she was the most beautiful girl in the galaxy, and her brother threatened to fight anyone who upset her. The other villagers didn't care for the way she looked, even though she couldn't help it. Her mother had golden hair, but her father and brother looked similar to the others. They were all the colors of dirt, wind and sand, while she wore the colors of fire and light. Her bright red hair and fire orange eyes guaranteed that she was never overlooked. She couldn't play hide and seek very well or sneak away before dinner was over. Her eyes actually had a glow. As a very young child she somtimes cried to her mother, but was always reasured with loving words. Being told you're a goddess or that you have a warrior's firey spirit have a powerful effect on a child. At the age of nine she had the self esteem of a grown woman. Only one child would be her friend, because he didn't have any others, but Gerund learned quickly that a strong willed friend is the best kind to have. Her appearance earned her the cruel nickname of Megandeth, but she grew to like it, she learned to enjoy being feared.
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Megan and her brother, Jory, were walking home from math class talking about her upcoming tenth birthday when a defening noise came from outside the village. It seemed to be a sudden storm. Strong winds were throwing leaves and dirt through the air and people were running to find shelter. Jory threw his arm over Megan's head as they huddled under a neighbor's porch waiting for the winds to calm. Megan saw the ship first. She learned at an early age from her father to observe everything. "Any information can be used to your advantage in the future," he always said. She knew what it was and was instantly fascinated. She began to walk toward it but in just a few steps was stopped by the muzzle of a blaster. She looked around and saw strangers appearing out of the chaos created by the landing ship. As the dirt and debri settled, people who were covered from head to foot in clothing designed to hide them in the setting they had created began to appear. Every one of them held a weapon and wore so much clothing that their race and gender could not be determined. She recognized blasters and blades, but also saw long sticks she didn't know and one man came walking toward the middle of the village with a stick that's entire length was glowing bright blue. She was too amazed to be frightened.
She felt her father's hands on her shoulders and recognized her mother's scent. She saw that the villagers who were not being held by weapons were hiding in their homes. The close proximity of all the houses was usually an advantage. Every home was built facing inward in a large circle, with the fields on the outside. They all knew who was home and who was out in the field, but today it felt exposed and wrong. Megan knew that life was about to change forever.
The man with the strange glowing weapon spoke to them in a charismatic tone, "Greetings, everyone! Thank you for welcoming us to your village. Please, come out and let us see you. We'd like to meet you all." He gestured to more of his people who were waiting behind him and they began systematically going from house to house and bringing out anyone they found inside. All of the villagers were brought to the center gathering yard that they called the town square and put on their knees. Megan's father steered her family there and they sat together. He made sure to keep them all close. She could see Antur Bat, her hero and role model, scanning these strangers. He was memorizing everything he could about them. She began to do the same.
The man who had spoken removed his helmet while the others were gathered and forced to their knees. It looked more like a bucket with antennae to Megan, so covered with dirt that she couldn't tell what it really looked like. His long, tangled hair spilled over his shoulders and his half metal face startled her. She knew that injuries could be fixed with implants and prosthetics, but had never expected to see it on a face. He had one cyborg eye and his forehead was a shiny silver plate. He tapped on it while he waited as if it helped him think.
One of the others said something to him and he cleared his throat. "Now that we're all here I'll make introductions. I am Captain Red Eye and these are my men." Megan tried not to laugh. His cyborg eye was a dark, glowing red. She wondered how old the man was. "We have come to make you fine people an offer for your goods and services." He waved his hand to indicate the village and his men began to go through the houses again. This time they started bringing out boxes of belongings. Stored goods, food, valuables, anything packaged for trade with the city. After they cleaned out a house of valuables they transformed into vandals and trashed everything else. The villagers began to cry and protest when breaking glass and crashing furniture could be heard from their homes.
"I know this is hard, but you won't be needing any of it anymore, so there's no need to worry. We're even going to let you help us pack and carry your stored crops." The captain seemed to think this would sound pleasing to everyone. Suddenly, one of Jory's friends jumped up and tried to tackle the stranger who had just set fire to his family's home. He was shot in the face after three steps. The villagers screamed, but none of them moved. The captain gave a big sigh and managed to look sad, "This is what happens when you don't cooperate with us. We're only here to show you a new way of life. No one has to get hurt unless you don't cooperate." Megan wondered if he was an actor. He couldn't possibly care for any of them, but he was putting on a convincing act.
Her father began to whisper to them. "Stay calm and just go along, they're probably slavers. If you cooperate you'll be fine." He looked into Megan's eyes with a deeply sad determination. "Ni Ru'kel jatne emuurir kyr'am." She had never heard her father speak any other language, so she didn't recognize Mando'a. She searched his face for some hint of meaning, but found nothing. Instead, she looked around at the people she had grown up with. Everyone was crying or angry. Anyone who looked at her seemed confused. She didn't realize that her empty expression could be so startling. She cared for these people, but didn't like most of them. Then she saw Gerund. He was sitting with his baby sister and sobbing. Megan didn't see their mother anywhere. Gerund was staring at their house, which had collapsed in flames. Megan realized that Gerund's mother had probably been inside. She was older and had been ill in bed for the past few weeks. These slavers probably realized that she'd be a burden so they just left her in there to die, and now Gerund was brimming over with anger and sadness. Megan moved to go to her friend, but her father stopped her. "You'll only draw their attention. Just hope he can contain himself." Of course Antur had already noticed the situation.
Poor Gerund was not a strong boy. He had always relied on his friend Megandeth to rescue him. So when his emotions went out of control he was helpless to stop them. With his baby sister still in his arms, he screamed and jumped to his feet. His face was a mask of pain and grief as he stumbled into the captain. "You killed my mother! You are evil and will pay!" Garund stepped back, looked down at the baby and realized he had no power. He placed her gently on the ground, stepped over her as she screamed and began to beat on the captain's stomach with his tiny fists. "One day death will take you!" Megan cringed. That's how he always called out for her help. A couple of the kids her age glanced at her in pity, tears streaming from their eyes, and her family held her tighter as Red Eye knocked Gerund in the head so hard his body flew across the square into one of the crates of fabric. His blood stained the crate and its contents.
Everyone was quiet. The captain picked up the baby and gave it to one of the women without saying a word. He also pointed out four of the men from the village. His crew grabbed the men and made them stand shoulder to shoulder in front of everyone. Red Eye stood looking over the villagers a moment, and then he noticed Megan's family. He also pointed to her father, so Antur was dragged away to join the others. The captain gave Megan a long look but went back to the men. "Since it seems that you all have a hard time listening, I'm going to show you how serious I am. If you cooperate you get to live. If you fight back you don't. It's very simple. All of these fellows here have been giving me and my boys very dirty looks the entire time we've been chatting. I can see what they're thinking, so I'm gonna stop them before they even get started." He pointed to the first man, one of those tasked with taking goods to the city for sale. "This is the one making me maddest, so I'm not even gonna try to talk to him." The glowing blue staff cleanly took the man's head off. There was no blood, as if the weapon was made of fire. Megan was too amazed to be upset. Her father had told her about lightsabers, this must be one. The others were too shocked to respond. The fear had turned them into a flock and the captain was their shepherd. He looked very pleased with himself. "Now, the rest of these men can decide if they want to keep having thoughts of fighting back, or if they want to keep living with their friends and families and get along." Megan stared at her father. He was shaking, fighting inside himself. He couldn't stand this, but he didn't want to abandon his family. Red Eye looked at each man in turn and each one looked at the ground in submission, except Antur. Megan was proud, but also afraid. "So, we have another one?" The captain raised his saber, but Antur avoided it easily. Red Eye smiled, "What's your name, slave?" For the first time in her life, Megan saw a fire in her father's hazel eyes, "I am Antur Bat, and I am no man's slave." The captain's eyes widened and some of his men began to whisper. Megan looked around and some of the slavers had removed their face coverings. One of them was also wearing the chest piece of her father's old armor. She made a mental note of this man. "Silence!" Red Eye yelled to his men while keeping eye contact with her father. "I never expected to run into a legend out in the middle of nowhere. I've heard a few stories about your disapearance, death, retirment, a woman..." He looked back at Megan and her family with renewed interest. "It seems we have an interesting problem here. I can't exactly trust an aruetii on my ship, now can I." His men jeered and grumbled. Whatever Red Eye called her father, these men agreed that it wasn't someone they wanted around. "So, what do we do with The Bat?" The slavers began to shout out ideas, "Kill him! Tie him and leave him! Skin him alive! Rape his wife and make him watch!"
Every word made Megan feel things she did not recognize. She had never known true hate or felt the desire to kill. She thought about Gerund and now knew how he felt. She thanked him for his example and she closed her eyes. She felt a fire inside of her for the first time, her true fire. She never took her parents seriously when they told her about it, but here it was; the burning of anger and bloodlust. She felt her brother move next to her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered, "Don't you dare! If you do anything you'll die!" So, the three of them sat and watched their father's fate being decided by scum.
"I have always admired the life of an honorable man, even though I never understood it. I'd like to have a duel with honor." The capatin didn't seem like he'd do anything with honor, but Megan was sure her father already knew that. Red Eye admired his weapon, "I took this saber from an honorable man, so it will be my weapon. You may choose any weapon that isn't already being used." Every weapon in the village had already been taken. Only the farming tools were available. Luckily Antur Bat never stopped training. He surprised everyone when he walked to the grain silo, ripped a length of damaged metal from it, and began to stretch in preparation. Red Eye laughed, "I'm looking forward to this!"
Megan had never seen a real fight, only boys playing, so she watched with total fascination. Captain Red Eye was a bit clumsy with the light saber and her father was amazingly agile. Antur seemed to be about 15 years older, but far more experienced. He dodged every blow, since only another saber would be able to block the captain's weapon, but it was also hard to land a killing blow because a lightsaber could instantly melt his crude metal blade. The only hope was for one of them to make a mistake.
A mistake was made, when Antur assumed that his only opponent was Red Eye. Once the captain got bored he shouted, "Sindu!" and Megan's father was shot in the back by a blaster. "Well, that was fun, but he didn't seem to be getting tired. That would've taken all night and I don't want to miss dinner." With a flick of his wrist the saber went out and Captain Red Eye walked away. "Round up the new slaves boys, it's time to go. Sindu, you can pick a new girl from this lot." Megan's family stood up but she couldn't move. She could only see the golden red in her eyes. She stared at the man who had killed her father, Sindu, as he looked over the women. Then he met her eyes and smiled. "Aren't you exotic? I'll take you." He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. "A little young right now, but you can do my laundry for a year or two first. I'll take time to train you." She didn't hear any of this. She was making multiple vows in her heart of flame to kill this man, the captain, and anyone else who got in her way. She would become stronger than any of them, become the goddess her mother saw in her, the warrior for her father, and leave behind the little girl her brother had to stick up for.
As the ship lifted into the sky, Sindu turned to her and smiled, "Say goodbye to that life, little one. Welcome to your new life aboard the Swimming Bird. Now tell me your name." She never wanted to speak to this man, but knew she would have to pretend. She remembered Captain Red Eye and his acting skills. "Megandeth." Sindu blinked a few times. "Well, that's weird, but I can understand. You do have creepy eyes. I'm Sindu Beynd, but it's Master to you." He grinned, pleased with his new, exotic girl.
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Her family and friends were sold at the next auction. Anyone who knew her real name was gone. The only time she was called Megan now was in her own thoughts. She tolerated the other slaves, but was nice to the other girls. The chef treated her well, even making her a small cake on her birthday every year. When she became a woman the other girls helped her deal with her blood and told her what to expect from Sindu. They made it sound worse than it turned out to be. He talked a lot in front of the other crew, but he was easily worn out. His fists were much worse, and she had gotten used to them a long time ago.
She never forgot the promises she made to herself on the day of her father's death. She did as many of the manual chores as she could and made her work harder than it needed to be. She was determined to become stronger than Sindu. She used his abuse as a measurement of his strength. She would know when she could beat him. She thought about surprises, but the ship was too full and busy. Someone was always awake and aware. The only option she could think of would be to fight back when he was hurting her.
The cook made her a larger cake than usual for her seventeenth birthday. He said she was starting to look like a real woman now and needed to be treated like one. She knew that she was growing into a well built adult. The training was building muscle, but it seemed that she was also destined to be very shapely. Her chest and hips were much bigger than she would have liked, but she couldn't change her genetic makeup. She tried tightly wrapping herself so that she could exercise, but it didn't always work. She was also getting a lot of unwanted attention from other men, slaves and crew alike, which was causing problems with Sindu.
One of the newer slaves, a Rattataki named Errlin, took the cake out of her hand and ate it in two bites. "Such a thick lady shouldn't be eating cakes," he said while licking his lips and looking at her body. He stepped into her, forcing her to back into a bulkhead. "Cakes make thick ladies get fat. No one wants this beauty to get fat." As he reached for her she put a fist through his eye socket. His screech of pain was probably heard through the entire ship, so she tried to slip away, but Captain Red Eye and two other slavers had walked into the passage just as Errlin ate the cake and saw what she had done.
Megan expected to be punished for damaging goods, but the captain looked pleased. "I admire a woman who can take care of herself, and everyone expected The Bat's kid to do something one day. Just glad it wasn't one of my boys." He chuckled, "Whatever that ugly thing is probably wasn't gonna be worth much anyway. Plus, you just gave me an excellent idea." The men walked away, dragging the bleeding creep away with them.
Four days later the slave fights started. Any slave could fight any other of a similar weight or size. Any slave that killed or caused permanent damaged to another would be killed immediately. Errlin was the exception. His sole purpose was now to fight for his life. It was his punishment, chosen by Sindu, for trying to attack Megandeth. The other slaves hated this new development, but Megan was excited. Now she could train in a real setting. She could learn to control her strength and fight harder and harder opponents. For the first time since coming onto this ship she could feel the smoldering embers begin to burn brighter, into her true fire once more.
Megandeth was the one who killed Errlin. The experience of taking a life caused her to drop the name Megan entirely. After that she worked her way through every slave on the ship. She lost many fights, but she learned from her mistakes and challenged everyone until she could beat them. Eventually she was winning every match and became bored. Sindu asked the captain to make her stop fighting because she was getting beaten and bruised by others, which took all the fun out of it. He couldn't hurt her anymore and he didn't like it. The best part was that Sindu hardly even touched her anymore, in hate or in lust. He told her she was too muscular or had too many scars. He tried to get the other girls to show her how to wear makeup, but she used it as war paint instead. She took to wearing an intricate pattern of black along her jawline. It made her soft, round face look more square and strong.
Since the fights were too easy now, she began sitting with Captain Red Eye and analyzing the fighters with him. She told him about their weaknesses and strengths. She predicted their moves and could call the fight before it ended. Before Sindu knew what happened he had been replaced by his own slave.
One night, after the match ended and money was exchanged, the captain stood and clapped loudly to get everyone's attention. "I have an announcement. I want to have a vote on a new crew mate. This person came to us as a slave, but has more than earned their right to be a part of this crew. Some of you have taken fighting and loving lessons from them and we drink elbow to elbow like kin." Megandeth knew who he meant and saw many opportunities unfolding. "So, brothers and sisters, vote on Megandeth's freedom!" Sindu quickly stood up and walked out as every other slaver shouted "AYE!" Red Eye gave her a friendly punch in the shoulder, "We'll have to fit you into some real gear now, sister." The cheers were deafening.
Captain Red Eye made Sindu give Megandeth her father's armor. Which put him in a terrible mood. It was obvious that the captain wanted everything he had, so he had to take the captain's place.
Megandeth got invited to the captain's quarters for dinner on a regular basis. He liked talking to her about fighting styles and strategies. She was self-taught and he liked to challenge strangers, so they could teach each other and debate. Sindu decided to surprise them with his two blasters and be done with them both. He'd say he heard the commotion and had rushed in to find them both dead in an apparent argument in which they'd killed each other. It would help when he put one blaster in each of their hands.
His biggest flaw was that he never paid attention to anyone unless he needed something, so he never learned how observant and aware Megandeth was. She knew Sindu was upset and would do something stupid. She also noticed that he was wearing his blasters around the ship lately, when he usually kept them in his bunk. She was ready for him when he tried to surprise the captain's dinner that night. She had even warned Red Eye and they had been eating at the side table instead of the usual formal dining table. As a result, Megandeth was behind Sindu before he could figure out why no one was sitting at the dinner table, when he had heard both of their voices through the door seconds before.
"Go ahead, Deth-baby, he's worthless like this anyway." When she heard the captain's words she didn't hesitate. Sindu Beynd's brain painted the room and his body fell to the floor. She picked up his blasters. "Neither one of these even has enough charge to stun a grown man. Was he always this incompetent?" Megandeth glared at Red Eye, trying to provoke him. Might as well try for both of them in one night.
"No, he use to be as sharp as you are now." The sadness in his voice felt real, for once. "Ever since you came on board this ship he's been slowly losing his mind. It could be the curse of killing The Bat, or because you were too much for him to handle. Hell, woman, maybe you are the Bat's curse." She never really got to hear about who her father really was. She didn't trust any of these people to tell her the truth, so she never asked, but now she wanted to know. "Captain, will you tell me who Antur Bat was? He never spoke about his past to us. I guess he wanted to leave it in the past, but after everything I've been through, I need to know." She sat at the side of the man she hated most in the world and listened to him talk about the man she loved the most.
"I know how you feel about me. You know I lie and cheat and I caused your father's death. I want you to know that I see you as my daughter and I want you to trust me now. Right here, in this moment I'm gonna tell you the truth. If you never trust me again, trust that what I say now is what I know about your dad. I wasn't there, so it's all stories, but I'll tell you exactly as I was told. I owe you that much." Red Eye wasn't lying. She had learned to tell, even with implants, he still had enough of his human features to give himself away. "Don't worry, Captain, I believe you." She put her hand over his, to reassure him.
He smiled and began.
"Every man who travels space hears stories of the deeds of other men. Some are notorious pirates, others are great heroes. Sometimes the stories are from war, or daring rescues, or heists of great treasures. Your father wasn't any of that. He was a Mandalorian warrior." He saw her confused expression. "Woman! Do you not even know what a Mandalorian is?!"
So, after a long explanation, his story continues.
"Your father was the leader of the Bat clan, which makes you a Mando by blood. That armor you have is a lot more important that you though, which is why I made Sindu give it to you. Bat was a small clan, but they were known for being brave. Your dad was said to always volunteer for the most dangerous jobs, just so no one else would have to risk their lives. He took the suicide missions, the ones that kept him away from his people the longest. Maybe it's why his clan was so small, no time together to make babies." Red Eye chuckled but looked depressed. Megandeth assumed it was because he sympathized. "Anyway, I never believed any of the more specific stories I heard because they were all rediculous. People love to make up drama. Wrestling a Sarlacc and other such nonsense. But everyone could agree that the Bat clan, and especially Antur Bat, were the bravest and possibly craziest of the current clans." He looked mildly embarrassed by the attention Megandeth was showing him. Like a child listening to her father. He was happy, but also felt very guilty. "Then the stories say he left the clan. It was speculated that he was tired or that he found a woman who wasn't fond of his lifestyle. Maybe he had died on a mission. No one knew for sure. I guess he met your mom and decided to raise you guys in peace." He left unsaid what he truly felt. He actually felt bad for taking that peace from such a good guy and his family, but he was glad to have this crazy girl in his life.
Megandeth saw a lot of this, and decided it was a weakness. She could use his paternal feelings to get closer to him. Hearing about her father only made her hate Red Eye more. She wanted to hear these stories in their true for from her father's point of view. He must have had amazing adventures. She remembered the bedtime stories from her childhood and wondered if they were some of this lighter adventures. She smiled and said she was tired and wanted to wash before bed. The captain called in slaves to clean up the mess and made excuses to the crew about Sindu going crazy over Megandeth, which everyone already thought to be true. She laid down in her now private bunk and closed her eyes. She let her hate fill her with heat before relaxing. She would tear this crew apart for what they had done to her clan. Then she would seek out the Mandalorians and tell them her story. Maybe they could tell her more of her story too.
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It had been over a year since she'd had her revenge on Sindu. She'd stopped paying attention to her birthdays, but she thought she was 22 now. Keeping up with time on a ship made her feel crazy, so she just stopped caring. She followed the crew on missions, ate when she was hungry and fought when she was bored. She looked for opportunities in every moment but didn't count the moments.
In this moment she was walking into a cantina with the captain and several other slavers on a very dry planet called Tatooine. The air here made her skin itch and she wished for the pleasant spring of Lothal for the first time since she'd left everything there behind.
They stopped here to resupply and relax, no business this time, so it was a short vacation. She made a mental note of every person in the place, taking particular notice of a small group of men who were obviously bounty hunters with two dancers at a table in the corner. One of the dancers was a Chiss, which she'd heard of but never seen. They have glowing eyes, similar to her own, so she'd always been curious. Unable to miss this chance, she excused herself from the captain and walked over to the group. She sat at the next table, ordered a drink and asked the waitress to refill the group's drinks, on her. After a generous tip, the waitress smiled excitedly and skipped away.
The two human men exchanged a glance and glared at her. The Trandosian never stopped scanning the room. She was impressed by their gear, but she was more interested in the Chiss girl. She tried to say hello, but one of the men cut her off. "Sorry to be rude, but this is a private table, lady. You'll have to go back to your group." He glanced at her crew and gave a sneer. It was obvious that he knew who they were. "Sorry, gentlemen, I didn't realize that you all took up two entire tables." Megandeth picked up the drink that the waitress had just put down, grabbed her chair and turned her back to her captain, away from the tables, but still near the hunters. "I don't really need a table, I just hoped to watch the cute blue girl dance." She sipped her drink, but stopped when both men refused their own and asked the drinks be taken back. "I'm sorry, are women not allowed?" Megandeth tried to look confused. If these people hate slavers and are smart enough she might be able to use them.
"Oh no, we enjoy women here," The quieter man said with a smile, "Right, Bubba?" He elbowed the other man. "Oh hell yeah, Rolo!" They both chuckled. " What we don't enjoy is people who don't introduce themselves before sitting in our spot." Said Bubba. The Trandosian was still looking in the other direction.
"Oh, I'm sorry guys. I'm Megandeth. I just arrived here on Tatooine with my crew for a couple days to relax. I was just so amazed to find another woman who's eyes glow like mine that I forgot my manners." She winked at the dancer. "What about you ladies, what are your names?"
"I'm Bhoomi," said the pink haired Chiss, "and this is Sass." She indicated the beautiful human girl, now sitting next to her. "Bubbagus and Rolo always sit at our tables."
Megandeth lowered her voice enough to still seem normal but so that her crew couldn't hear from where they were. "I know this is awkward guys, cause you probably hate slavers. Hell, I hate them more than anyone. I know that's why you didn't want me over here. I would've done the same thing. As long as your friend there is willing to keep looking out for us I have a short story for you and then a fun idea. You guys look like fun." She'd never tried to flirt before, but found out that it wasn't hard. All of them seemed interested for different reasons. They all smiled. "If this is a damsel in distress situation we're all in, right guys?" Bubba looked more than eager. "And Gnarrl doesn't do much of anything else these days, so he's in too.
After a very short version of her story of kidnapping and enslavement, everyone was ready for a fight. She wasn't clear on the details, but these people all seemed close and use to working together, so she'd let them do their thing. If it went wrong she would simply slip away in the chaos and loose herself. Maybe find her way on a different ship or get a job on this dust ball for a while. It's a big galaxy and she had plenty of patience.
It's surprisingly easy to start a bar fight. She and Bubba threw a couple of insults about their professions at each other and suddenly the other slavers were drawing their blasters. "You know the first rule of combat?" Megandeth smiled and turned her blasters on the scum who'd taken everything from her as she said the code phrase to open fire, "Shoot them before they shoot you."
Her first target was Captain Red Eye. The slavers were all standing together so he couldn't move to dodge or get the lightsaber up in time. He was dead in one shot to the head. She and the dancers were hiding behind the table they'd been sitting at and she was surprised to find an assortment of blasters taped to the underside. Bhoomi was taking her time choosing one. Megandeth looked at her in surprise. "A hunter should always be prepared," Bhoomi said, and smiled as she opened fire.
It didn't take long for all the slavers to either run or die. "Only about half the crew was here. The rest will be coming so we need to go." Megandeth was walking toward the entrance when Sass pulled her wrist. "Not that way, silly, the back way."
An hour later the men were paying for the damages and the women were resting in Bhoomi's apartment. "I don't know how to thank all of you. I'll find a way to pay you back. I've always wanted to become a bounty hunter, but I have to find the Mandalorians too. I owe you all my freedom." Megandeth couldn't remember what freedom felt like so she just kept talking. "Calm down. That place has fights all the time, and those two are likely to be the ones starting them. You don't need to worry about that." Bhoomi was smiling at her. "Plus, who doesn't like helping out a beautiful lady?"
The girls were laughing when the men came back. "That was fun, wasn't it? We're gonna go to the spaceport and make sure they leave without making a fuss. Need us to pick up anything for you, Megs?" Rolo wasn't actually quiet, Bubba was just loud in comparison. "Actually, I need to come with you. I can't let them leave without getting my clan's armor. Only the cowards are left anyway. They all fear me and should just let me take it and leave." She held up the lightsaber. "Especially since I have this." The glow made her smile look even more sinister.
"What now?" Megandeth hadn't expected this. Not only did they fear her, they wanted her to lead them. "What am I supposed to do with this?" Many of the crew had run, but six of them had stayed. They had nowhere to go and they knew she was a better leader than Red Eye. Also, she had a personal connection with these six people. They had grown close and helped each other tolerate a life of dishonor. The cook had been a friend from the start, so his presence wasn't a surprise, but the others made her proud to have finally stood up to Captain Red Eye.
So, she ended up with her own ship. The slaves were freed first. She refused to let any of them stay. Her crew would have to work equally and they were too weak to do anything.
She looked at her new friends. "If anyone wants to come along you can. If not, we'll make this our home base. If you need a ride I'm for hire. Let your friends know. I'll be changing the name of the ship, though. I haven't decided on a new one yet."
After a night of drinks, debauchery and many thank you's, Megandeth set out to find her clan. Her new crew agreed to become a crew of hunters for hire while they searched, aboard the Bat's Revenge. In the meantime she decided to learn the language her father hadn't had time to teach her.
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