A Painful Message (Cryax Bane)

[Blair]

It had only been an hour since Yuuta had made it back to the Dragon Palace Casino on Antecedent and already the entire situation turned into a medical nightmare. She was injured from her time on Tatooine, hunting down a bounty for the Ravens who turned how to have sharper teeth than expected. In the end Yuuta had two shots in her, one to the left tigh and another to her right shoulder. They planted in her when her target had already had her down and unarmed, part of his little message he wanted her to take back to the Ravens.

After that Yuuta was lucky to have made it back at all. She'd stolen a woman's pass and coat after killing her and leaving her back on Tatooine for the authories to deal with. The trip itself took longer than expected and Yuuta had been doing her best with make-shift bandages made from whatever she could find in the ladie's luggage. By the time she'd made it back to Antecedent she had bloody rags wrapped around her while a bag full of others already stained about the place.

Upon landing Yuuta found the nearest "authority figures" and identified herself. To her luck these boys were in the Raven's pocket and they were able to get her back to the Dragon Palace Casino in time. Calling ahead they'd told how she needed proper medical help before they dropped her off. Yuuta was taken up to one of the private rooms in the Casino while word was sent to [member="Cryax Bane"] of what happened.

That was an hour ago. Right now Yuuta was sitting in a makeshift bed with a number of medical droids tending to her wounds. She was down to not but her underwear, even the bra she wore. It was clear to the droids she was a male but that didn't matter much in the proceedure. Still as Yuuta sat there she had a funny feeling they were making some sort of remarks in those cyber-brains of thiers.

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax had gotten the Holocall that he had been dreading. A Red Raven henchman informing him that Yuuta Namari's little visit with Preliat Mantis hadn't gone as planned, and cursing in Cheunh, he headed up to the private room that was doubling as a med bay for the injured assassin. He was worried about Yuuta, of course, but he was also worried about his own blue skin as he had promised Dredge to deliver the man on a silver platter.

As he entered the room, the Chiss grimaced. She looked pretty beat up, with sunken eyes and a pall to her skin, her blaster wounds being sprayed down with bacta. Taking a seat beside her bed, he gave her a tight-lipped smile, his expression one of genuine concern. Cryax wasn't pleased with the results, but he had no doubt she had tried her best. Truthfully Cryax felt guilty sending her after the man. Preliat had the fortitude to tangle with the likes of Dredge, so there was no telling what the man was capable of. He was lucky she came back in one piece. And so was she.

The crime boss might have been ruthless and cruel, but he sympathized with those in pain, especially since he'd suffered so much himself recently. "You look pretty bad, Yuuta. I hope you at least got a few shots in. So debrief me. What happened out there?"

[member="Yuuta Namari"]

 

[Blair]

Seeing Cryax enter Yuuta looked a little worried to talk to him. Her intial response was thinking he'd be mad with her. Thankfully he looked more worried. That was a little suprising for her. Often she'd seen him as the more hardnered type, but perhaps it was just because he was looking out for a fellow Raven. Either way the gesture was nice enough for her. It meant there was at least one person she could consider a friend still in the group of theives and murderers and the like; not that she could complain.

After they'd patched her up Yuuta told the droids to leave, they doing so after looking to Cryax for confirmation. Once they were gone she sighed as he asked what had happened. "I screwed up..." she said blunty, looking ahead instead of at him. "Mantis was more than I could handle. I tried everything.....it was good enough..." she seemed both bitter and yet more saddned by her little report to the crime boss. "He let me live though. Because he wanted me to tell you something. Something for all the Ravens to hear. He turned me into his....messenger!" her tone had become more angered.

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax nodded slowly as he listened to her explain. Yuuta was such a little thing. He really shouldn't have sent her out there. Still she was the one who signed up for her lethal profession. Cryax reminded himself that he shouldn't shoulder all of the responsibility for her bad life choices. Plus, he couldn't chance showing too much softness with his employees or else they'd be disobedient. The Chiss narrowed his glowing red eyes, her agitated tone agitating him right back. "You're karking right you screwed up, Yuuta." he said sternly, jabbing a blue-skinned finger in her face. "Either Mantis was too much for you or more likely, you got sloppy. I thought when we hired you that we were hiring the best. Guess I was wrong. I should dock your pay, but I won't. Next time you slip up I won't be so lenient."

"Now what's this message he wants to send the Ravens?"

[member="Yuuta Namari"]

 

[Blair]

The cold look was returned to Cryax for that little outburst. Just because she'd screwed up didn't mean he had to rub it in at all. As if she wasn't paying for it enough already, what with her inguries. Still best not to make any sort of argument when he was already docking her pay for trying. She sighed, calming herself a little, before saying "He doesn't want us going after him anymore. We try it and he'll come after us. And it won't just be Mantis. He said he'll bring all of Mandolore down on us if we even try to take him on again." She let all of it sink in for Cryax, trying to gage his reaction, before sayig "We've already have enough probelms taking on the Repblic. You really think we'd be able to deal with the Mandos too?"

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

At Mantis's message, Cryax laughed sardonically, grabbing a nearby chair so he could kick his boots up on it as they talked. Then he launched into an unexpected tirade, raising his voice a few decibles. The topic of Mandalorians was obviously a sore one for the Chiss. "More saber rattling from the Mandalorians, huh? If I had a credit for every time the Mandos said they were coming after me, I'd be richer than I am now. And I'm pretty kriffing rich. I'm starting to think they're all talk. As I all ever hear is that the Mandos are coming after us. Yet." Here Cryax looked around the room, spreading his hands. "Do you see any Mandos?"

"They're all bluster," he waved his hand dismissively. "They've had a beef with me ever since I broke up with the Manda'lor's sister over text message." Cryax was so accustomed to airing that particular piece of dirty laundry that it didn't phase him anymore. "That had nothing to do with this business with Mantis though. I need him for, uh, other reasons." The Chiss's red eyes darkened and he shot Yuuta a glare. "But it looks like I'll have to get someone else who can actually do her job when she's given one." In truth, he was only being hard on her because he felt that she was talented. It was a bit like whipping a tiger to get it to do amazing tricks.

[member="Yuuta Namari"]

 

[Blair]

Apparently the message was one Cryax was used to hearing, given his reaction. Given what he'd said it was more clear to Yuuta the Ravens were small potatoes for the Mando's otherwise they'd have struck by now. And, apparently, for all the bravado that Mantis gave about them coming after the crime group he'd obviously tried a few times. Yet here they still were. And here Cryax still was, sitting with her and telling how they were all talk and no action. The revelation did relax her a little but it didn't help when he berated her more. She folded her arms before saying "Fine. I suggest someone with hand-to-hand experience and plenty of guns. Because Mantis was armed to the teeth. And all I had was a gun, a knife and my good looks. And, apparently, he wasn't the type to go for....well girls like me."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

He shook his head at Yuuta incredulously. "If course Mantis was armed. Those guys probably wear footy pajamas made of beskar." He realized that he was probably being too hard on her, mocking her like this, but the whole situation had gotten him riled up. And more importantly, if he didn't deliver the Mandalorian to Dredge, he'd end up back on a Yuuzhan Vong ship strapped down in a kill room or nailed to a cross. "Did you at least get his whereabouts? Was he at home? Have an address you can pass along?"

When she mentioned that he didn't go for "girls like her," the Chiss rolled his eyes. "Girls like you? You mean boys? Come on Yuuta, you know when straight men find out what weapon you're really packing they feel like they're being sold a false bill of goods, right? It's like stirring up the hornet's nest and then wondering why the hornets are stinging you."

[member="Yuuta Namari"]

 

[Blair]

She felt slighted when he called her a boy. It was true but something she didn't like being mentioned. She gave him another cold glare and said "I AM a girl! Deep down I still am. So what if I don't have the parts to match? I'm still who I am. And damn anyone who thinks it's gross because of it." She realized she snapped at him again, more out of anger for herself than anything else. Talking about her true sex was something she was very tender about. She leaned back and clamed before saying "And no. I guess he went back to wherver it was in Mando space he calls home. But he was clever enough to hide his trail....No knowing where he is now."

[member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax put his hands out in a conciliatory gesture. "I'm not trying to be insulting. I know you're a girl, Yuuta. And you're certainly not gross in my book. All I'm saying is you can't go around expecting to seduce men as part of your whole hit woman thing when you don't have the, uh, stuff that they want. It's basic biology." Here he shrugged.

At her last revelation, the Chiss let out an exasperated sigh. "So we have nothing on him then? I might as well just sign my death sentence," he muttered.

[member="Yuuta Namari"]

 

[Blair]

Given his explination Yuuta realized how foolish she sounded. True as it was that didn't stop her from trying to go after men when they didn't know the truth. Part of it was when she went after targets and seduced them before killing them, one more final slight to their egos and the like before the final mortal coil is cut by her. Other times it was, deep down, a sense of trying to be accepted by someone just for being her; regardless of the sex. She would never admit to it but that was, in reality, her drive. Now she was being given the unhealthy truth she always knew but just didn't want to accept. At least, she could say, [member="Cryax Bane"] little comment about her not being gross was a plus.

She perked with concern, however, when he mentioned his death to which she responded "What do you mean? Is Mantis after you?" She stopped herself and said "Wait. That wouldn't be it. Then you'd want him dead and he..." she looked back and realized "You wanted be to get him for someone else, didn't you? That's what this was about?"