An Unlucky Encounter

[Verz Horak]

Verz sighed. So the hard way it is. He hailed a cab, and gave the driver a thousand credits to get him to the endo of the tram line within ten minutes. The cabbie happily obliged, driving at breakneck speed. When they arrived, Verz drew his Verpine and waited for the ​jetti.

 

[Sandis Veeran]

The end of the tram was dead ahead. Her lightsaber long since sheathed, she began to slightly relax...until she saw a cab, waiting at the end of the line. "This guy doesn't give up," muttered Sandis. Hatching an idea, she took doffed her outer robe and, slowly and carefully, she climbed down into the gap between the two tram cars. She tied the robe to the door, letting it flap in the wind. She let go of the Force holding down the controls, and hopped off, onto the durasteel track. She then started to run, hoping she was far enough away still where he wouldn't see her.

 

[Verz Horak]

She tried to fool him. Cute. Well, unless she could fool the systems in his helmet, she couldn't get away for long. With a blink of his eye, the city became ghostly grey, with heat signatures of various beings showing up as bright orange. He thanked the cabbie, then gave pursuit. When he had a line of sight, he fired at her foot with a Verpine shattergun.

 

[Sandis Veeran]

The metallic bolts would have hit her foot if not for the split second warning, given by the Force. Or at least, she thought that's where it came from. She'd never had that happen before. She ignited her saber once more, and began to carefully dodge the Shattergun shots, trying to sprint along the track. If she lost her balance on the small track, however, she'd likely fall.
She thought for a moment. He was firing at her foot. Someone wanted to talk to her. That means he definitely wanted her alive. That means he'd likely try anything to prevent her from dying. Suddenly, falling wasn't such a bad idea.
Sandis looked down, and below them was a landing platform. A carrier ship was taking off. I she timed it right, she could slide off the ship and land unharmed onto the platform. Here's hoping, she thought, leaping off the platform.

 

[Verz Horak]

Verz ran after her as fast as he could, which was pretty fast, despite being in full beskar armor. He had ditched his cloak, hoping to intimidate her with the scarlet red of his armor, besides the fact he was in Mandalorian armor. Not many would fight a being wearing that design of armor. He was closing the gap when he saw her stop. Then he heard it. A low whining noise, similar to that of a heavy transport. He fired another shot at her foot, amazed at how she dodged them before. Though she couldn't do it forever. Even jetti Masters had trouble with Verpines.

 

[Sandis Veeran]

"Ah!" shouted Sandis as one of the metal bolts pierced her left foot. Down she fell, towards the transport ship. Unsure how much damage had been done to her foot, she wondered if she would be able to do what she had planned, tumbling now like she was. She hit the top of the transport hard, slamming onto her back, sliding head first down the side of the platform. She managed to get a good look at her pursuer, now, a Mandalorian in blood-red armor. She felt a twinge of fear, and slight bit of pride for evading a Mandalorian as long as she had.
At the last second, she placed her feet firmly on the side of the transport and kicked off, flipping, landing upright on the platform. But the Verpine bolt in her foot caused her to crumple in pain once more.

 

[Verz Horak]

So she had enough courage to jump with a shattered ankle. She had guts, he would give her that. But he was a ​Mando'ad. He wouldn't be left behind likelike a lesser hunter. He made sure his ​kama was in place, to protect his legs, then activated his jetpack, blasting towards the transport. He landed on it with a metallic thud, and looked at Sandis.

"How's your ankle?"

 

[Sandis Veeran]

The unbalanced transport made it difficult for Sandis to stand with her ankle damaged. "Ha ha," she said sarcastically. "You're a regular comedian. No, I'm serious, you should really find a different line of work." She seethed in pain as she crumpled once more. So I can't move. Okay. Not a problem. I'll just get killed by a Mandalorian. No problems here. She activated her lightsaber, and tried to kneel so she could face her opponent. She pointed it towards him, ready for whatever he had in store.

 

[Verz Horak]

Verz did something unexpected. He laughed. Then he took more ofa paternal tone, chiding her on continuing to resist.

"You have spirit ad. But you have lost. Come with me. I could protect you from the Hutt that seeks your life. You could start a new life.As a ​Mando'ad.

 

[Sandis Veeran]

"Lorka? You were hired by Lorka?" She thought for a moment. "Wait. What do you mean, Mando'ad? I don't speak Mandalorian."
He stepped towards her, and she slid back towards the edge of the transport.

 

[Verz Horak]

"Yes, Lorka hired me. And ​Mando'ad means Child of Mandaloe. Such as myself."

Verz readied a grappling net, in case she jumped.

 

[Sandis Veeran]

Sandis was positively brimming with the Force (or what she could gain, at least) now, somewhat stressed. She saw him reach for the grappling net. She edged further away. No jumping this time, thought Sandis. She analyzed his armor. If she could gain enough time, she might be able to push through the pain and get a good hit on him and knock him off the transport. And then she saw them, exactly what she needed. She lifted a hand and activated the concussion grenades and flash bangs, then pushed the Mandalorian with the Force.

 

[Verz Horak]

Suddenly, nothing but noise and light. He was knocked backwards as his helmet struggled to filter out the light. Luckily the girl had no helmet, so she would be blinded as well. He grabbed the edge of the transport as he was knocked back by the Force. She wasn't strong enough yet with it to damagehim, it seemed. He vaulted back onto the transport's top. His HUD alerted him of the altitude.

"I suggest you come with me. The atmosphere will be thinning too much for you to breathe in about two minutes."

 

[Sandis Veeran]

Now! she screamed in her head. She slammed into the Mandalorian with all of her body weight, added to by the Force, and swung with her lightsaber. She didn't look to see if he was still on the transport or not. After she heard what he said, she leaped off the transport, aiming for the cab just below her.

 

[Verz Horak]

He fell, though he wasn't screaming like it would be expected. He engaged his jetpack, flying toward the girl, whohad jumped off of the transport. They were high enough that he could catch up to her easily. He fumbled forhis Ion gun, then shot her witha pulse of blue energy, causing her lightsaber to crackle and shut down. He then hooked the gun to his beltand caught her in midair, then slowed to a hover. He pulled out a pistol, then shot her with a stun pulse.

 

[Sandis Veeran]

Sandis saw her lightsaber disignite, then everything went black.

She woke up in a small, dark chamber, with little light. She was strapped into a chair. Her vision was still foggy, but she could see the red figure of the Mandalorian looming over her.

 

[Verz Horak]

He took off his helmet and held it under his arm, revealinga scarred face, average for a human male. Besides the scar down his eye, of course. He adjusted the light, brightening it a bit. Then he spoke.

"Now, why did you have to do that? I. was offering a chance to escape the Hutts. Now, unless you can prove to me you are deseving to be free, I will deliver you to him. But my offer of joining the Mandalorians still stands."

 

[Sandis Veeran]

Well, what a jolly fine day I'm having. She looked around, thinking. "I'm a Jedi Padawan. The Jedi know I have connections with Lorka the Hutt. When I go missing, guess where they'll look first? And once they find me, what do you think will happen then? You'll have tangled with the Jedi, and nobody wants to hire somebody who has the Jedi Order breathing down his neck." She prayed that would work.

 

[Verz Horak]

Verz laughed at her tenacity. He held up a metal sphere, that had been pried open.

"First off, I am protected by ner vode. Second, don't think you can use the Force to get a message out. I gave youa dose of the Forcebreaker's toxin. So, my offers stand. Cooperate, and I will intercede on your behalf to Lorka, and try to get him to spare you. Or, you can become a Mando'ad, and gain our protection. Or resist, and I will make sure Lorka punishes ypu. Horribly. I'll give you some time to think"

Verz grabbed his helmet and walked out of the cell, calling to his droid pilot, asking their position.

 

[Sandis Veeran]

And think Sandis did. He had proven he was better than her. She was injured. If she lost, she'd suffer the wrath of an angry Hutt, made doubly worse by her gender. If she co-operated, there was a chance that she might be given freedom, but considering what she had done to Lorka, she doubted it.
Then there was the becoming a Mandalorian.

"Hello out there, I have a question!"