Another Job

[Emerald Sage]

Friendship Squadron Supreme!!!!!! Exclamation Points!


Emerald wasn’t sure about Mandalorians. She’d met a few who had been idiots and her primary employer, [member="Sasha Santhe"], held a low enough opinion of most of them despite her praise of a few. Yet with Mandalorians there was work, reliable and steady and that is exactly what Emerald needed.

Currently she found herself outside the residence of a [member="Kima Betna"]. Was this an interview? Or would they get straight to a first job? It didn’t really matter much to Emerald. Credits where credits and she did a lot for them. Smuggling, bounty hunting, espionage, stealing government and corporate secrets, running false flag operations, and general skulduggery came naturally to the young woman. Young of course being a relative term of course for a species that had the potential to live for hundreds upon hundreds of years.

Although her appearance, and general maturity, of a girl nineteenth to mid twenties Emerald was fifty five years old. Also she was a plant. A very attractive plant who had led many morsels of meat astray in her time. Her mother had an encounter with Mandalorians. At the battle of Junction, in the middle of combat Sirella Valkner had seduced the then Mandalore. This made it slightly awkward to be amongst them now. Then again few people knew she was related to the Sith Lord and if it was a trap it was a poorly constructed one.
After years in the field Emerald finally had a sense of economic security owning stock on the cure boy Damian’s little fashion company and receiving a bit of a stipend for black projects through the corporate front, and yet she still felt somewhat unfulfilled.

 

[Kima Betna]

It wasn't much, but it was home. Constructed of Veshok wood and half sunk into the ground, it looked anachronistic compared to places like Coruscant or even places like Dantooine where farming families tended to reside in pre-fabricated houses. To the casual observer, it appeared akin to a windowless, miserable hovel, but to the observant one could easily see recessed, slit windows and clear fire lanes set around the home. As the front door opened, thick walls could be briefly seen before the home's owner shuffled out, letting the reinforced wood door creak shut behind her.

Kima shuffled up the short series of steps onto the packed dirt making up the trial to her home near the Betna village. Splashing water on her face from a nearby water trough, she yawned and stretched, one hand idly scratching at her bare shoulder. Barefoot and clad in loose pants and a simple breast band, she gauged the time from the height of the sun before yawning once more. Turning, she noticed the strange woman in front of her house seemingly for the first time.

"Who're you then?" she said after yet another yawn. "You're not here about the livestock for sale are you? If so, that's the farm two miles back the way you came. Big place with a wood barn, thatch roof, and red doors 'cause Llomol likes the color. Can't miss it."

As she finished, she rubbed at bleary eyes as her mind slowly ground to life. The woman hardly looked like a rancher, much less someone accustomed to working the land or working hard labor at all, now that she thought of it. She had a naggling feeling in the back of her mind that told her she must have forgotten something fairly important from the day before. Something her cousin, the Alor of the clan, had specifically told her not to forget.

"Oh, wait," she said as the memory slowly came to light in her mind. Another yawn was stifled before she continued. "You're the merc, right? The one the Alor hired?"

[member="Emerald Sage"]

 

[Emerald Sage]

[member="Kima Betna"]

Emerald gave a bit of a smile as she looked over the woman and let loose a healthy dose of pheromones. Best to make a good first impression afterall. "That's right," she replied stepping froward. Her initial impression of the dwelling was positive. Sure most people would probably look at it and see a house of woof instead of the more standard metal prefab, however Emerald was a plant and as a plant she preferred a more natural setting. "Emerald Sage; mercenary, bounty hunter, and all around woman of mystery."

She extended a hand and looked over the woman once more, this time more obviously than before. "You seem able bodied, well muscled and toned. May I ask if such attire is going to be standard for our work? I don't particular mind I personally love the feel of sun on my bare skin, but I figure I should ask before stripping down." Then again Emerald was wearing her traditional garb of not enough for a prudish Jedi and slightly more than a Zelosian dancer.

 

[Kima Betna]

"Kima," the warrior introduced herself, stifling a yawn. "Of Betna Aliit."

She shook the offered hand, gripping Emerald by the wrist unlike the majority of the galaxy who gripped by the hand. For Mandalorians, it was considered a warrior's grip and, once upon a time, signified the strength needed to pull the other to safety. Kima waved a hand at Emerald's question and jabbed a thumb at the wood line beyond.

"So long as you don't mind the possibility of getting your clothes muddy, should be fine," she said with a shrug. "The Alor has a job he wants done, but before that he wants to see if you're reliable. Which means you're helping me with something he wants done real fast. What's that term they use in the usual hologames you find on the market? Side quest? Anyways..."

Kima pointed up at a nearby ridge that stood out against the sky. Nestled among rugged hills and small mountains, it was covered in thick woods and obviously hard to get to. It was also quite evident that the location was a fair distance away.

"We're heading up there. Normally, we'd have a speeder or shuttle take a survey crew out that way, but between the rough terrain and the thick woods, there's no way to land and jumping in on jetpack is both risky and a one way trip. The job is to see if we can't find a level area at the top of the ridge for a project the clan is working on and, if possible, clear a spot to land a shuttle," at that, she nodded her head at a nearby shed. More lean-to than structure, it was large enough to hold a fair amount of equipment and keep it relatively dry. "Over there are two packs. Go ahead and grab the both of them and meet me behind the house. I just need to get dressed and we'll head out."

[member="Emerald Sage"]

 

[Emerald Sage]

Emerald smirked at the comment about getting her clothes muddy. She was a plant, and although she didn't gain nutrients from soil she had to admit she loved the feel of fresh dirt on her bare feet. A weakness that her brother took to the extreme rolling around near naked in dirt. "Alright," she said setting off to find the two packs. She hoisted one over her shoulder and then carried the other in front of her in order to give it [member="Kima Betna"] when she arrived at their meeting place.

Upon reaching the back of the house Emerald found she had some time to consider her new employer. The first thing that came to mind wasn't the fact that this job seemed like little work for a mercenary, bounty hunter, or spy that Emerald general considered herself to be, but rather the term side quest....

Side quest. It really bugged Emerald as she thought about her old partner, a slicer who has a knack for getting her into trouble. Still they had worked incredibly well together for a time. Emerald had no particular skill at computer use, an unfortunate gap in her skill set. What she could do was improvise, lie, manipulate, shoot, blow up, and flirt. In the right circumstances all were equally deadly skills. Emerald imagined that even on a milk run like this she might need some of those skills, it would be a poor test if they were just taking a stroll through the woods.

 

[Kima Betna]

A few moments later and Kima emerged from the house. She wore breeches and a sturdy pair of boots while a simple, form fitting tunic covered her torso. Across her back a simple bow could be seen while the feathered fletching of arrows in their quiver poked over her shoulder. In her hand she held her bevii'ragir like a walking stick, the beskar metal glinting dully in the sun. In her other hand she carried a simple walking stick made of Veshok wood.

"You're probably going to want this," she stated simply, taking the pack Emerald held before passing over the walking stick. She threw the pack over her shoulders, readjusting the bow and arrows to make certain they were on top and within easy reach. "In the pack are the basics. Some food, water, and some survival gear along with the stuff we'll need for the survey."

She stepped over to the side of the house where the roof extended over a small work area. Picking up a pair of tools, she tossed one to her erstwhile companion before sliding the other through her belt.

"May need to clear some of the area manually, so we'll need the axes," she said, turning to head up the path at the treeline. It was a rough path, but visible despite being barely more than a game trail. "Let's get going."

[member="Emerald Sage"]

 

[Emerald Sage]

Emerald accepted the walking stick and considered the contents of her pack. It was a good thing there was water, she wouldn't want to shrivel. A plant like her in a desert or otherwise deprived of proper hydration wasn't of much use to anyone. The survival gear interested her the most. The implication of [member="Kima Betna"] packing such equipment might be that they were going to be out for awhile. Damn. Emerald didn't even have a second set of clothes having left them back at the ship. Well it didn't matter really she had roughed it before.

Accepting the walking stick and then the axe and started into the treeline. A rough path, a game trail descended up into the highlands. Emerald had been on hunting trips before and although she preferred the urban jungle to the actual jungle she had basic survival skills. "So let me ask you," she began looking over at the Mandalorian woman, "Why hire Mercenaries?" Emerald suspected they wanted to have someone on staff not bound by their own code of morality, or baring that someone who could easily be disavowed if caught. Plausible deniability was often a reason she was hired for jobs. "I just want you to know ahead of time I have a rule, I don't kill innocents."

Emerald hadn't been raised by her mother, and only had sparingly few encounters with the sith witch. Her mother killed innocent people, seducing young men and luring them to their deaths. Sirella Valkners garden is filled with carnivorous plants whose growth was accounted for by the destruction of sentient beings. "And no children." The thought of her brother came to mind. He was growing up, near enough to full adulthood and yet she would always see him as the baby of the family.

 

[Kima Betna]

Kima lead the way into the highlands as the grassy clearing gave way to rugged slopes and trees. The path was uneven, but she was used to rough terrain and between her simple, but sturdy boots and using her spear to stabilize herself when needed, it was was an easy task.

"You're a merc, right? Bounty hunter, too?" she asked as she scampered up a somewhat steeper area of the path, using her bevii'ragir as leverage. "You go after a mark, you learn about them and understand their habits, yes? Same concept here."

The path was growing slowly steeper, but not greatly so. Here and there could be seen animal tracks as the critters of the forest went about their business. She made a mental note of what prints she saw just in case the chance for a bit of fresh meat came along later on down the line.

"You probably know by now there's a rumor going around that the Mand'alor has called for a crusade. Rumors go around, word gets out, and all such things are based on fact. We're about to go to war and, for the most part, all our warriors have been out and about in the galaxy, but there's a fine line between living among the aruetiise and knowing the aruetiise mind," she stopped for a moment, realizing she'd used a word her companion may not understand or know. "Er... Outsiders, I mean. Non-Mandalorians. There's a culture gap and while there's plenty of folks that have a foot on either side, Clan Betna... really doesn't. You'll probably be helping us out off and on for this coming conflict just by thinking the way you do. I don't think we have a single member of the clan or in any of our vassal clans that has a foot on either side of the line."

Kima stopped for just a moment, glancing back at Emerald behind her.

"That's where you come in. As for innocents and kids... We acknowledge that casualties happen in war and sometimes you can't help it, but we try to avoid them. It's why our Cayatr A'dene are only deployed against military targets and military hardpoints and things like that. Casualties happen, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try and minimize them against a civilian population."

[member="Emerald Sage"]

 

[Emerald Sage]

She listened to [member="Kima Betna"] explain her purpose. It was all well and true enough and Emerald had to admit to herself she enjoyed the girls explanation of her job. Social engineering. Getting close to a target, learning their patterns. It was all things Emerald did. Of course how she did it was something the Mandalorian might not approve of. Emerald had heard honor bound and sometimes prudish ways of Mandalorians. Then again she'd also heard of savage lust filled parties. One of those two rumors may be true or neither, the woman would have to find out for herself. "So I'm a sherpa?" Emerald said with a shrug as she maneuvered over an outcropping of rocks obstructing the trail. "Someone who can tell you about the outside world and about how people think."

Considering the sometimes insular views of Mandalorians and their occasional less than stellar reputation Emerald could understand the need for a clan to have someone like her. Of all the Mandalorian clans and news she'd heard of she had never heard Clan Betna being involved in some of the lower shenanigans that others had perpetrated. No killing of civilians and no mass murders or careless dropping of asteroids onto civilian populations. Then again Emerald rarely cared to learn about such things. In large galactic acts there was rarely payment for the more personal style that Emerald preferred.

"Well I'll help where I can of course. It's what I'm paid to do."

 

[Kima Betna]

"More or less," she responded, the path taking them higher up with each passing moment. "War is war, and while we're not exactly out to win the hearts and minds of the galaxy's masses, being able to understand them as a whole and reaching across those boundaries will go a long way to stabilizing the regions we conquer to secure our rear area. The best way to protect against an insurgency in your rear echelon is to make those attempts at cultural understanding."

It felt strange explaining all of this to an outsider. On one hand, Emerald needed to know it to do her job appropriately. On the other hand, it sounded more and more as if this was more than a simple crusade to right wrongs or establish the Mandalorian people. It sounded like a long term goal was quietly being set, a goal that meant the establishment of the Mandalorians as a major powerhouse of the galaxy rivaling the Republic or the Sith Empire in their prime. Kima shoved such things aside, it wasn't her place to question or draw conclusions. That was the Alor's job, not hers, but in the back of her mind she could hear the faint echoes of the questions as whispers on a distant wind.

"Outside of that, you'll probably be sent out for the occasional mission or side job if the Alor deems it necessary. No idea what those would be, though I suspect it'd be for sensitive missions that we can't exactly do. For a Betna clan chieftan, our Alor is a bit atypical from the usual direct approach the clan has always taken," she shrugged before ducking under a rather large tree that had fallen across the path at some point in the recent months. "Hell, who knows? He might even go with you to help. He's odd like that."

[member="Emerald Sage"]

 

[Emerald Sage]

[member="Kima Betna"]

Emerald took in everything that was said and then remained silent as they continued their walk. It wasn't long before the silence drove her a little mad and she began to tell a story of a past job that went pretty wrong. As they reached their destination she was near her finish.

"So I rolled out of the bag almost completely naked. And where was I? In the warehouse right next to the apartment where the meeting was held. Well he thought he was being clever, so I stood up and said 'you drugged me, stripped me of all my clothes, and stuffed me in a sack, just to take me twenty meters?'" Emerald laughed a little bit at the absurdity of it all. "Well he was shocked that I figured it out and knew exactly where he was. You see this was his stash where he was keeping a nice shipment of missiles for a group of rather unpleasant pirates. I wanted to get captured and taken to his base but I didn't dream that it was literally right there. I mean really where is the trade craft in that?"

A deep breath followed by a sigh left her lips as she looked around. It was pretty country and she knew her brother would love it here. He liked wild nature and living in the green. Emerald, despite having cell walls, didn't care as much for greenery and preferred the ctiy. And shopping. "So I used a little pick I had clipped to my shorts broke out of my restraints and beat the piss out of the man." Shrugging she added, "of course at the end he asked for my hand in marriage, but I have to admit I enjoyed handing him over to the authorities."

 

[Kima Betna]

Kima chuckled at the story and shook her head as they hiked higher. Far above she heard the call of a hawk and made a mental note to keep an eye out for small game nearby as they went along.

"Seems men are the same whether Mando or Outsider," she said with a laugh. "Find something they can't have and they suddenly have to try to snap it up before it gets away. It doesn't happen so much out here as the clan is, well, the clan and such, but when I visit Keldabe or one of the other cities I usually get someone interested in buying me a drink."

The berserker scampered up a section of the path where the ground had given out to erosion and rainwater before turning and offering her companion a helping hand up. It probably wasn't needed, but tiring oneself out without reason was generally unnecessary in such conditions.

"How much of a price did he fetch?" came the typical question when it came to bounties, marks, and captures. "A nice stack of credits, I'm sure."

[member="Emerald Sage"]

 

[Emerald Sage]

How much did he fetch? Emerald paused and looked up to the sky. Her eyes narrowed as she felt the warm sun on her skin. It felt so good. Photosynthesis as a supplement to normal food always made her feel so good. "Three point six credits," She said remembering the little girl who placed the bounty. Her father was being muscled by the weapon smugglers. He was a simple worker at the spaceport and was being paid to let certain things by, little things some wine and goods without the tax stamps. Then suddenly the arms dealer made their move and started demanding he look the other way as weapon shipments came through. His daughter had offered everything she had as a bounty for the men responsible. "Three point six credits and a lot of satisfaction."

Shaking her head she looked over at [member="Kima Betna"]. A little dash of pheromones and an empathic push. "I'm sure the men all like to buy you drinks." Laughing she added, "Makes them easier to subdue doesn't it?"

 

[Kima Betna]

There was probably more of a story behind that kind of price, but Kima felt it was perhaps a story for another time. No need to pry too much into another's past outside of what they were willing to volunteer. Instead, she focused on the other comment Emerald had made.

"I never take the drinks, don't need those to keep them in line," she said, missing the gist of Emerald's meaning. She frowned for a moment, her sinuses suddenly feeling warm and an unfamiliar... touch on her mind, as if someone had lightly brushed a feather across her psyche. She noted the sensations and set them aside for examination later, instead continuing on as normal. She'd talk to the Alor about it later, perhaps. He might be able to explain what was going on. "They think they're the biggest and the strongest usually, full of boasting and ale. They like to show off which means they're vulnerable."

She balled a hand and made a mock jab at the air, a wide grin on her face.

"All that gets them is a headache and a black eye when they wake up. And an empty wallet, too, when they think they're sly and bet on themselves to win."

[member="Emerald Sage"]

 

[Emerald Sage]

Emerald couldn't help but giggle at the younger, although similarly mature, woman shadowbox talking about her conquests. "Men can be so foolish. A wink of the eye, a flash of flesh, and the implication of quid pro quo will disarm most, and then boom."

A smile formed on her face. Although the two women had completely different experiences with men their estimations of them were nearly the same. "You know," a devious smile formed on Emeralds face. "I have a brother. He has a little vineyard" a giggle escaped her lips. "I should get a bottle or two of good vintage. I hear he's also working on a mead.... he insists the flavor changes depending on what flowers he's planted for the bees."

[member="Kima Betna"]

 

[Kima Betna]

"In my case, it's more a case of footwork and a well aimed blow," she responded with a chuckle. Finally getting the gist of the other woman's references, Kima decided that aruetiise were, more often than not, fairly odd. Who would want to show off skin or make innuendos when a fight could be had? Innuendos were for afterwards when joking and drinking among friends.

At the discussion of mead, she quirked an eyebrow.

"Not many places out here that produce mead. Ale, yes, but not a lot of mead," talking seemed to pass the time and slowly but surely they were making their way up into the highlands as the sun crept every higher in the sky. "The clan owns a brewing company that the Alor runs, but for now all it produces is some summer ales and some home brewed dark ales they don't sell on the market. If your brother is interested, he might find a decent market here."

[member="Emerald Sage"]

 

[Emerald Sage]

Emerald stopped herself from giggling and laughing as [member="Kima Betna"] talked to her. Her brother did like to grow things, and he did love bees. Still Emerald had a hard time picturing her rather timid brother in a society like this. Then again wtih his rather superfluous use of pheromones in nearly every situation... A devilish smile formed on Emerald mouth. "I think you'd like my brother," she said. "He's adorable, and a master of Sholân Kha, the martial arts of my people." Emerald preferred more grappling to the dance like martial art of Sholân Kha. Both her and her brother had trained in martial arts of various disciplines but her brother was truly the master of the wardance and had been declared Lord of Foliage by... well other plant people.

"He's about your age, or equivalency. A real wiz at farming, he owns several throughout the galaxy and is constantly working on new hybrids to produce even more food." Given what she'd seen of this clan of Mandalorians that might peak their interest. "I could arrange a meeting. I'm sure you and him could talk about cross pollination..." a giggle escaped her lips.

 

[Kima Betna]

"A martial artist, you say?" Kima replied, an eyebrow raised. All Mandalorians were trained in martial arts, but it was seen more as a necessity. They were less 'martial artists' as they were all around warriors with the hand-to-hand skills trained in. To fight an actual 'artist' of a martial form was something else entirely for her. "Wouldn't mind sparring with him in that case. As for... what was it you said? Talking about cross pollination? Not my field of expertise, but the Alor might know about plants and such. He'd be a better candidate for mead making, not me."

Oblivious to Emeralds' double meaning, Kima looked up ahead. The ridgeline loomed and appeared nearby, but she knew it was an illusion. The distance was very close, almost within a bow-shot of the top of the hill they were climbing, but a steep valley stood between them while a river ran along the rugged gash in the land. On the other side she knew there would be steep slopes and rocky outcroppings, areas where climbing would take over hiking. She figured it was a handful of hours depending on how fast hey could make progress. At worst, they'd make camp at the survey site.

"We're about halfway there. Just need to climb down into the valley and cross the river, then up the opposite slopes," Kima shot Emerald a grin, the blue tattoos over her right eye a stark contrast against her skin in the dappled daylight under the trees. "Hope you brought sturdy boots, we're going to need to climb a fair bit after the river."

[member="Emerald Sage"]

 

[Emerald Sage]

When Kima talked about the climb however Emerald was less than enthusiastic. Did she bring good boots? "No I didn't bring great boots." But then again, "It doesn't matter though, I'll do just fine. I'll climb barefoot if I have to."

And then onto more important, at least to Emerald, subjects. The young woman smiled at the thought of her brother smiling with [member="Kima Betna"]. She could already see how the fight would precede. Hylo would begin with his little formal pre match dance that he often did. Kima would look on confused not knowing exactly what was happening. They would engage and Hylo would attempt his acrobatic kick and punches twirling until attempting an aerial maneuvers to wrap his legs around the woman and bring her to the ground for a submission hold. And then he'd realize he was touching her, and on top of her. He's look at Kima's eyes and see her hair and feel her soft skin. Then a flower would start to protrude from Hylo's hair and pheromones would perfume the air. What would happen next, well that might be something Emerald would want to watch. "I can arrange something," Emerald said. "He's on Coruscant now setting up a vertical and terrace farming tower. I'm sure he can be persuaded to come here and set up his own apiary and farm here."

 

[Kima Betna]

"Whatever suits you," Kima replied, referring to Emerald climbing barefoot. It wasn't uncommon to do as it sometimes gave a better grip when scaling cliffs and the like, though it did increase the risk of injury to one's extremities. Personally, she preferred a sturdy set of boots.

"Coruscant, hm?" She'd heard that the former capital of the Republic had been liberated from the One Sith, but that was about it. News flowed on Mandalore like anywhere else, but the more rural you were the less details you knew generally. "It's up to you. I wouldn't mind a sparring match or two. It'd be a nice change of pace from barroom brawling and some inter-clan tournaments. As for setting up an apiary, he should talk to the Alor. I'm sure he'd be all for a local apiary out here. From there, I'd guess it's not hard at all to set up a full blown meadery."

At that, the ground that had evened out somewhat now dropped off. Below was a steep slope, almost a cliff, with a rushing river at the bottom. Across the valley stood a slope that was not quite as steep, but far more rugged and rocky. At the top of the opposite slope was the tall ridgeline they had come to survey. She gestured to the left where a rough path continued, carving and curving it's way down towards the river.

"The path goes down this way towards a shallow part of the river here. We'll ford it there and make our way up the slope where we can take a breather before finishing the way up to the ridgeline."

[member="Emerald Sage"]