Private Beneath the Spires

[Aloy Vizsla]

B L A C K S P I R E - O U T P O S T - P L A N E T - B A T U U
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* Dliiing* The sound of Joti strumming her Mandalorian "Ehn'briik" Tri-Harp fills the crowded cantina on the main floor of "The Spires". The spires, as the local was called, Had once served as the headquarters of "The Bounty Hunter's League", Which had attempted to take the place of the stagnant Bounty Hunter's Guild, But become the new guild outpost when the organization got back on it's feet in recent times. The Owner was one "Tarken Tarask", A tall dark and would be handsome man if it weren't for the fact that he was as bald as a naked jawa and had only one eye. But then Joti wasn't here for looks. Tarken had been Joti's oldest employer for some years now, And of course he was now the local Guildmaster. Which meant he was not only an old friend, But an asset. Two things that Joti desperately needed right now.

"So what is the deal with that thing anyway? I mean how the hell did you break all these anyway?" Tarken laughs, Fiddling with a trio of Tracking Fobs that appeared dead and lifeless.
Joti herself was sat across from him in the dark corner booth, Still strumming away at her Ehn'briik, Occasionally looking up at Tarken between notes.

"Had to jump into the river to escape the Acklay..."

"Okay, Sure, But the Fobs are more expensive than you hunters are"

"I dunno, Mandalorians are in short supply these days. Gotta raise my price a little, Yeah?"

"Haha! True."
​

There is a moment of silence as Tarken sets the tracking fobs aside, Taking a sip of the glowing blue spotchka next to him before looking back up at Joti with his one, Dark brown eye. "You know Red, Jokes aside, It's good seeing you again. Most of the old gang's gone. Ha'ki, Voska, Vash-" Joti suddenly flinches at the mention of Vash, Missing a note on the Ehn'briik,

"Vash... The ubese has been dead for years, Tarken."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Joti... I know you two were close"

"It's fine... You didn't know."
​

And back to her strings she went. "Anyway... The Guild's done me some good though. The league mighta failed but as Guildmaster here, Met a lot of good hunters recently. Kinda made me forget that the old gang's not here. Pickings a slim though..."

"Ugh- You can say that again... I still don't have any official captures for the guild yet. I need the money too... It's been hard for my people after Mandalore"
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"Hey Speaking of, Where's Voska been? He ever go back to Krieg to meet up with his sister, The Queen? I got to talk to her awhile back, Lost a partner to her too, They took fancy to one another" She laughs.

"Hm. Afraid I don't know that one. He disappeared sometime after Krieg opened back up. Said he'd comm me if he went back home, But he never did..."
"Funny though, He got himself a staff just before he left, Looked a lot like yours."
​

Joti nervously glances at the Customized Staff leaning against the wall next to her. "... Was it red?"

"Mhmm...?"

"I got this off a Jawa, Swindled him out of it for a regular vibrosword. It was a fine crimson colour initially. You don't think... Could it be Voska's?"

"Well if it is, I hope he traded it in for something good..."
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* Beep* * beep* beep One of the tracking fobs suddenly comes to life, Bathing Taken's side of the table in a warm red glow. And judging by alarmingly short delay between each beep, The fob was tracking someone in system, Possibly in Blackspire Outpost this very second. The tracking fob is quickly snatched up by Joti, Who starts checking the chain code. "It's that Arsenian I was talking about earlier!"

"Gotta go!" Before Taken could argue, Joti had already gotten up, Grabbing her staff and sliding her helmet on before her old friend could even ask. "And watch the guitar! I'll make it up to ya with a drink later"

Miria Tanau


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[Miria Tanau]

The oppressive heat beat down on Miria as she sought shelter in the shade of a cluster of petrified trees. She tried not to think about what she was doing here or any circumstances of her past as she braced herself against the crumbling stone and felt some of it flake between her fingers. Of course, the quiet swallowed any chance that she could have had for avoiding those thoughts. As her thumb traced over the edge of her armor, her glowing, green eyes watched as the heartbeat of Batuu pulsed. Blackspire Outpost as it was called, was the remnant of a once prosperous trading path where ships would stop to refuel and the like for the long journeys ahead. The invention of the hyperspace lanes had caused it to decline, as it was no longer necessary, which led to this steady collapse into the hive of scum and villainy it currently was. Somewhere in the back of her head, Miria heard a sharp little voice intone. 'How many people think you're still relevant? Would anyone really miss you if you disappeared?' It continued rhetorically. A memory came unbidden to Miria, floating up to the surface of her thoughts.

She was standing in line, trembling with the red hot pangs of anger and shame as her superiors had torn through her report. Not a single one of them believed her. Her knuckles had whitened and flexed, fingers burrowing their way through the air as she balled her fists and stared straight ahead. She hadn't flinched at the accusations of abandonment of post or desertion that they had hurled her way. She had put on her mask, and brushed it off as if it hardly hurt her. She supposed she would feel better that way. But circumstance rarely goes the way you want. It had hurt, being cast out from her home. It was presently the reason she found herself on Batuu.

Even with as run-down as Batuu was, scum infesting its crumbling walls, Miria saw a glimmer of hope here. Or if not hope, at the very least resolution. She had received a transmission from a source known as "Ol' Jak" with regards to the details on the capture bounty placed on her head by the Eldorai. Better understanding of the reason why she was wanted to be brought in for her mother's actions would at least repair some of the doubt she had felt over that incident...and the one besides. Miria shuddered and suppressed that memory immediately. She didn't have time for it. Pulling out her datapad, she double checked the route that would lead her to the old spaceport where "Ol' Jak had arranged for an information drop-off. Standing up, she started to walk down the main street, feet kicking up little plumes of dust as she walked.

The buildings of Batuu were muted and inconspicuous, but the farther that Mirai walked, the more she began to understand that this was really a guise. There was a certain liveliness that only existed in the people scurrying back and forth in the streets, in the raucous laughter and heady scent billowing out from a seedy cantina nearby, in the way that products moved and merchants and "merchants" hawked their wares. The same could not be said of the old spaceport. Set aside, the durasteel building appeared draped in shadow. Flickering lights sparked intermittedly, interrupting the pall of silence that hung about the place. Mirai felt a sudden surge up her spine, as if someone was watching her. Warily, her gaze flicked around to anticipate if her suspicions were correct. But from amidst the throng of bodies in the crowd, she couldn't pick out anyone that particularly held malicious intent in her direction.

Aloy Vizsla

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

Spoiler: (Soundtrack)

The lively streets of Blackspire Outpost had always appealed to Joti. Where others would find the presence of so many to be loud and dangerous, Joti found an odd peace along these streets. The noises provided to an ambience that distracted her from thoughts and memories best left well enough alone, And the crowds meant that, Though it was hard to find people, It was a double edged sword that she intended to take advantage of.
So, Pulling her hood over her helmet, She strolls through the crowd, Looking for the pale skin and flaxen hair of the Arsenian woman she'd been hired to capture. This would take her through the streets of Blackspire Outpost, Past the various merchants, Legal or otherwise, Peddling their goods to passers by. She simply ignored them, Weaving her way deeper into the crowd whenever someone tried to sell her noodles, droid parts or Illegal spice.
The crowd itself was an ode to the diversity of the Outer Rim Territories, As Humans, Weequay, Nautolan, Twi'lek, Eldorai, Trandoshans and Jawas alike went about their lives in the busy space port. "Hmm" But no Arsenians. She didn't expect to find her target easily, In fact she, She was more so looking for a vantage point now, But there was something else missing. She stops suddenly as she comes to the realization. She was the only Mandalorian in this crowd...

She remembered several Mandalorians that used to visit Tarken's Cantina to discuss Bounties or simply tell tales of their adventures. Voska, And his sister Wasp, Among others. And now? Now Joti wandered these old streets alone. No friends. No clan. No Honour.
And it was all her fault... If only she'd taken a side, Maybe joined her mother when the battle broke out? But that would have meant killing her own... Not that she hadn't. And with Mandalore's Fall to the Sith Empire, There even fewer of her kind left than before. To be Mandalorian was to be part of an Ancient Creed, Not a race of species. And yet, Mandalorians were a dying breed.
A small part of her wandered if this was their own fault, For letting the Sith take such a deep hold of their sector from within, Or for fighting each other over petty squabbles and rivalries instead of fighting for what matters: Their People.
At least now, They would return to being the proud yet humble warriors they were meant to be.

Whilst lost in these thoughts, Joti had been completely still, Making no effort to hide herself as a figure suddenly turned up ahead. Just across the street from Joti was a tall, Youthful figure. A woman with pointed ears, Pale skin and Flaxen hair.
The Arsenian seemed to be peering into the crowd, As if the woman had instinctively felt the presence of someone watching her, But could not determine who or why. Joti's Neural Band, Built into her helmet, Had prevented the Arsenian from detecting her thoughts or emotions, Thus the confusion most likely, But Joti knew that she would spot her sooner or later.

As a few figures walk away, Joti can be seen there, Clad in her faded Red Beskar'gam and hooded cloak, Staring at the Arsenian woman. But just as quickly as she had been revealed, Another pair walk between the Arsenian and Joti. When they had finished crossing through the woman's line of sight, The Mandalorian had vanished...
Joti had taken the split second opportunity to step aside and wave herself into the crowd, Beginning to circle around to the same side of the street as Miria, Creeping her way closer and closer through the crowd.

Miria Tanau ​

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[Miria Tanau]

Miria raised a hand to her temple as the thoughts and emotions of the surrounding crowd washed over her.It was like standing before the shore and letting the waves break over her. She had been trained to withstand the tumultuous currents that filtered through her. What the Arsenian's might have lacked in technology until recently, they made up for in determination and adaptability. Warfare was part of the Arsenian life, and each child spent ten years a soldier no matter what path they chose, with the expectation of defending their home regardless. As a result, the arsenians had needed to adapt to the thrill of anger and endure no matter what they may feel/ lack thereof.

Curiously though, Miria felt a gap within the crowd. A space from which she could detect nothing. Her eyes trailed over the crowd before settling on the individual she believed was the source of the void. Her glowing, green eyes studied the faded red armor and hood, picking apart the minute details: the scarring suggesting frequent use, the embossings and engraving on the armor, the armor's joints and gaps. Yet another side effect of that night, was that Mirai never forgot anything. Like all that she saw was forever seared in her memory. "Breisha, preserve me. Just what the kark did that doctor do to me?" She murmured softly, uttering a soft prayer to Breisha under her breath. It wasn't often that Mirai called upon the war goddess... 'Well, it hadn't been.' She corrected, thinking back to the past few days and how her life had considerably worsened.

Mirai blinked as a Human and a Rodian crossed her path and obstructed her view. The red, cloaked figure is gone, fading like a mirage into the crowd milling their way through Batuu's underbelly. Her muscles remained tense as she peered through the crowd, searching for a sign of where the figure had gone or any other noticeable threats. Not finding any, Mirai turned her attention back to the old spaceport's cargo bay in front of her. The answers, the answers to all her questions lay inside. Or so Mirai hoped. Pressing a button on her collarbone, her helmet would unfold from behind her neck and close with a soft pneumatic hiss as the helmet interlocked with her armor. Throwing another glance to either side, in hopes of being discreet, Mirai eased the thick durasteel doors open just enough to slip inside.

Blinking momentarily as her helm's display picked details about the containers surrounding her out for her to see Mirai let the darkness shroud her. Her armor camouflaging her by blending with the surroundings and muffling her thermals, as she pulled her rifle from the holster. There was still every possibility this was a trap after all.

Mirai was used to skulking around as a markswoman, and blending into the darkness and background was almost second nature. There was something comforting about the familiarity of the habit, considered the potentially world shattering information that was about to come trampling her way in moments. She was already an exile. Could she bear more damning evidence if her mother's actions brought more terrors crawling from their depths? Mirai shook her head. 'Focus on the now. Ol' Jak said there would be a terminal with a datajack in here somewhere.'

Aloy Vizsla

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

As expected, The Arsenian had spotted her, But it was too late. Joti had successfully slipped into the crowd and reached the same street as her target. Carefully watching the woman through the cracks in the wall of pedestrians, Joti observes the strange armour seal itself before she disappears into the dimly lit cargo bay up ahead. A trap perhaps? Or a meeting?...
With nothing better to do and only one way to earn her paycheck, Joti creeps closer until she is outside the cargo bay. Stopping for a moment, she carefully undoes the loose rocket boots, Taking the thrusters off and sliding them under a trash bin. They usually jingled like crazy when she moved, But now she'd be quiet as a womp rat. Issue being however, Now she couldn't fly her way out if things went south.
With that out of the way, She carefully aims her vambrace at the roof of the durasteel building before firing her whipcord, Sending the golden energized cord hurtling through the air before embedding itself in the wall. From here, She ascends the wall, making use of her magno-grip boots as she climbs to the top.
This would provide her with a good vantage point over the cargo bay below. Crawling across the rooftop, she positions herself near the edge, Watching the bay below her with zoom in HUD.
Joti was patient. Sometimes. She could wait. She wanted to see what the Arsenian was up to, Clearly the woman had a reason to be here in the first place, And that intrigued her. Whatever the woman was here for, Joti just had to know. Besides, No use skulking about in the shadows in what was probably a trap.

She couldn't help but wonder though, Did the Arsenian know she was here already? She'd scoped joti out of the crowd pretty quickly. Cybernetics? The force maybe? She'd have to keep a sharp eye out, Just in case.

Miria Tanau

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[Miria Tanau]

Miria crept through the darkness between discarded shipping containers that filled much of the cargo bay's floor. The stacks loomed over her, somehow hollow with stagnation. A layer of grime blanketed everything, and Miria was thankful for her armor's seal, as the decrepit cargo bay certainly had seen better days. So far, there didn't seem anyone that crouched in the darkness waiting to ambush her, but an internal voice whispered that there was still reason for alarm. Miria wondered if perhaps this was a terrible idea, if she shouldn't just cut her losses and remain content with ignorance. But at the same time, there was some desperation clawing its way up her spine and nestling there at the forefront of her brain. She...had to know. If she didn't... If she turned her back on an opportunity to know why everything had happened, she knew she would regret it.

Miria still wondered if this wasn't a trap. After all, there was something to be said about the ancient adage 'One catches more flies with honey, than vinegar'. Her infiltration instincts were screaming at her that the best way to have someone do exactly what you want is to bait them with something they want and convince them recovering it is their own idea. But suddenly Miria spotted an alcove to the side where the quartermaster's office used to stand. From amidst the remnants of the rotting table and leather couches, stood aside a terminal covered in data pads. Scattering the defunct manifests, Miria snatches up the datajack with a small sense of triumph. "Well, just in case it is a trap.' Miria thought as she threw one more wary glance around the cargo bay and positioned herself behind a cabinet for some cover with her rifle slung in her lap.

Miria raised the datajack between her fingers to her wrist computer. It clacked against the port, refusing to slide in. Miria let out a soft breath, cursing under her breath. Taking a calming breath to collect herself, she waited for the shaking to stop. The jack slid in smoothly... nothing happened. Miria almost wondered if it had been a waste of time, when a brilliant, blue glow slowly bloomed in the space in front of her. It was a hologram of an Eldorai that felt familiar. One that looked remarkably like her, with the same pale skin, flaxen hair and brilliant green eyes. It was a moment before Miria realised … "Mother?" She squeaked feeling her throat constricting and tying itself in knots. The image then changed to another Eldorai in a crew costume. The crewman began to speak after a few moments. "My name is Corporal Jiin Slivci. I log this with the full knowledge that it is unlikely anyone will ever see this. Most likely my superiors will censor this report, burying the truth surrounding Captain Myriin's departure from the Eldorai Navy. Our captain did not desert her post, nor did she betray the Eldorai forces and sell details of our patrol patterns to the pirates currently preying on our transports. No, our captain fought bravely and with honor to defend our people from these predatory scum. She had forged a life-bond with the individual who had rescued our patrol, and was not present during the Gang War of Eight Blades. Myriin was a dedicated and courageous officer. The accusations against her, heralded and paraded through mere suspicion, that she involved herself in the matters of criminal gangs are blatantly false and an insult to her character." The hologram then winked out, and a different message appeared. "Hey, this is Ol' Jak. Hope that brings you some peace. Sorry about what comes next."

Miria sat still in the darkness, processed everything she had just been told. Her mother's superiors had effectively used her as a scapegoat, to cover up their own failures or corruption and then burned the evidence. She wondered what had befallen Jiin Slivci, if he had survived. Perhaps they had imprisoned him for attempting to acquit her mother of these charges. Perhaps they had imprisoned him... or executed him. Either way it was a lead, a place to start looking.

Just at that moment, Miria perked up as she heard the creak of grating metal echo through the cargo bay. One of the nearest cargo container's doors slowly swung open. Stumbling out, was a skeletal trio of droids whose twig-like frames supported elongated cylindrical heads with large clusters of beady droid sensors. The rings of sensors swiveled, honing in to Ol' Jak's message. Blaster arms snapped upwards, filling the air with the blue hissing beam of stun bolts as they rocketed across the cargo bay and scorched Miria's cover and the far wall. Miria snatched her rifle and returned fire, slicing a bolt through the droid's head effectively blinding it. But, like a lumbering behemoth, the headless automaton kept staggering forwards towards her flanking her with its companions.

Aloy Vizsla

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

The scene unfolding below her was interesting. The target had donned some sort of armour and was now skulking through the decrepit cargo bay below her, Grabbing up some sort of data pad and watching it from behind cover. She had just thought to change her position when one of the cargo containers suddenly burst open, And from it emerged a series of what looked like IG-series assassin droids, firing stun rings that filled the dark bay with an eerie blue glow as the projectiles zipped through, All targeting the Arsenian woman. Damnit, Competition maybe? No, No self respecting Bounty Hunter would employ IG units to do their dirty work. Probes to find the target? Maybe, But IG units? And Three of them no less? No, This was either her employer setting a trap or the Arsenian had angered far more than her homeworld. Joti had to make a choice and make it fast if she wanted to claim the prize.
When she saw the Arsenian return fire, Slicing the head clean off of a droid, That's when she made her decision.

Spoiler

She forces herself to her feet, Vaulting over the side onto a stack of crates and swinging herself downward into the cargo bay, Performing a dive roll to safely close the distance from atop the crate and into the bay.
Kicking up dust in her wake, She comes to a stop with one knee and one fist against the ground, While her free hand had already shot up and taken aim one of the competing droids. With the flick of her wrist, A single Kunai was launched from her vambrace, Flying straight and true, Imbedding itself into a droid's sternum before releasing a high powered electrical shock, Causing the droid to suddenly freeze up as blue arcs of electricity spread throughout it's system until it collapsed, Leaving a puff of smoke drifting through the air.

The other droid turns suddenly, Firing not blue stunning botls, But true blaster fire, Sending a pair of red bolts hurtling through the air, Both of which hit. The first burns a small hole through her capelette, Damaging but not breaking through the armourweave lining beneath, While the other bounces off of her helmet, Flying into the air above and causing her head to jerk back suddenly.

Joti returned the aggression in kind as she drew one of her pistols, Firing four shots in rapid succession, Knocking out two of it's many eyes while the others were simply absorbed or bounced off of it's chassis.
With no time to think of a better plan, She dives behind a lone crate, Taking a few pot shots from behind to get the droid's attention before disappearing.
With it's target seemingly at a disadvantage, The droid continues firing, Pinning the Mandalorian behind her boxy cover as it approaches menacingly, Getting closer and closer with each step.
Once behind the crate however, There was nothing... The Mandalorian had seemingly vanished. The droid was about to return to the task at hand when suddenly; * Wham* The crate door suddenly flings open with great force, Knocking the droid to the ground as Joti emerges with her staff hefted in both hands, The electrified prongs facing downward as she stands over the robotic entity, Thrusting downward suddenly. And just like that, It was no longer a threat.

Emerging from cover and making her way towards the Arsenian, She couldn't help but wonder where the third had gone, Until she rounded the corner to see both the Arsenian, And the Headless droid now flanking her.

"ON YOUR LEFT!"

Miria Tanau





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[Miria Tanau]

As Miria ducked back down into cover following her snap shot, she struggled to process what she had seen. Three IG assassin droids had stalekd out of the gloom towards her. Three? A soft voice intoned mentally. Miria glanced back down in the direction of the place where Ol' Jak's message was still shimmering. Somehow, the sheen seemed paradoxically cheery for the situation. Miria thought through Ol' Jak's words again, finding herself cursing the fact that she had allowed herself to be corralled so easily into the trap. Still the endeavor had been worth it, if she could find a way out of this one. I'll deal with Ol' Jak's betrayal later. She thought to herself, scooting closer to the edge of the cover to take a peek.

Miria's head reeled back as a blue blaster bolt hissed right into the location where her visor had been moments before. Bad Idea. She thought to herself, and glanced around her surroundings for a potential distraction. That is exactly the moment when she heard the heavy thump of something impacting with the duracrete and plating of the cargo bay and rolling a slight distance. From the skittering sound across the floor and the dull sound of the impact, Miria surmised that whatever it was was likely made of metal and rather large. She didn't have long to ponder it however. It would seem that Breisha had gifted her with a distraction.

Miria's hands flew fluidly over her rifle as she allowed another charge to build in the "chamber", the process so ingrained in her that it was instinctive. Miria had been taught from when she was young that the weapon was a part of her, and that familiarity and maintenance of her weapons would be her allies. Capitalizing on the droid's seeming fixation on their intrusion, Miria swapped cover hoping to get a better awareness of the situation. Miria's eyes widened slightly as she saw the figure from the crowd in the red armor interchanging fire with one of the droids as they dove behind the crate. Miria was simultaneously thankful for the assistance and wary of the stranger even more. After all, it was unlikely that they had heard her within the confines of this secluded area, even after the shots fired. Miria guessed that they had followed her, which didn't bode well in the light of the recent betrayal. Was their help also a ruse?

Miria studied them, keeping her rifle trained on them as they approached the corner and shouted their warning. Miria felt a bolt of lightning course through her as something told her danger was lurking behind her. A nervous shudder wracked through her muscles, finding herself dodging before she realized she was, as she hurled herself out of the way as a salvo of blue rain spat against the ground. Two bolts sank themselves into her armor, crackling over the now flickering cloak as the armor shunted the electricity away from Miria. The sparks flickered over her body, causing her to wince and clench her teeth together as her muscles seized. Miria's fingers scrunched into the haft of her rifle as she thrust the end into the droid's kneecap and caused it to collapse to the ground. Kicking the droid in the side to pivot it towards her, Miria placed a final shot into the droid's neck, blowing off one of its shoulders.

The barrel of the rifle then swung over towards the figure in the red armor, but stopped just short of actually aiming directly at them. "I owe you one for the warning. Thanks." Miria studied them for a brief moment and sighed. "Are you here to capture me too?" She asked plucking the rifle down into her lap, before reaching over and slowly, in the armored figure's view, grabbing the data jack and wrist computer she had dropped.

Aloy Vizsla

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

She watched closely as her target, The Arsenian, Shrugged off the electrical bolt with her armour, Down but not out, As she quickly dispatched the assassin droid in a series of well placed blows, Which would have been brutal against an organic being. Her vambrace had already been aimed at the droid, But it was over before she could fire. Next, The arsenian instinctively swung her rifle around towards Joti, But stopped last second. Curious.

"Are you here to capture me as too?" She asked.

"Hmh. Not Anymore."
She says in a bemused but otherwise neutral tone, Her baritone but somewhat youthful voice now apparent.
Best to be honest this time around.

"One of my tracking fobs lit up the moment you entered the system."
She removes the tracking fob, Tossing it to the Arsenian and then crouching down, Weapon still lowered away from her.​

"Joti's the name, Bounty Hunting's the game... But if my employer's gonna blast me just as well as you, Well, That's rude. And I can't abide the rude. haha!"

"Besides, You've got me curious now... This little trap's clever, And if they don't trust Bounty Hunter's enough to leave it to the professionals, Well, They don't expect you to come easily. They expect you to be dangerous, Which looks like the case. And yet they want you Alive."

"That means you're important. So, Just who are you anyway?"​

The Arsenian, Who's name or potential alias she had only read on the Bounty Puck, Had done something that few of her targets had done in the past. She had earned the Mandalorian's Respect. Fighting the Assassin droids was difficult, And Joti had only survived unscathed through tricks and beskar alone. This Arsenian had brought one of them down through simply martial skills and Will to survive. Something Joti had come to rely on and live by for years. Maybe she had more in common with her target than she realized.

Miria Tanau

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