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[Rissk]

'THE KENNEL', HUNTER LODGE
NAR SHADDAA​

Breathe. That's what they say to do, right? Breathe?

A low-powered blaster bolt plugged into the target, burning a thin black circle... far off to the left.

"Hey, look at that," a thin voice, scratchy as sandpaper, said after a moment. "Hit the target that time. Improvement."

Bounty Hunter lodges were a rarity around the galaxy. In it's heyday, the Bounty Hunter's Guild had thousands of them, spanning across the galaxy- dedicated retreats, cantinas, and stockhouses for guild hunters to rest, get new gear, and hear the latest intel about their targets. But now, with no capital-G 'Guild' in existence, establishments like the Kennel struggled to survive, just barely kept afloat by local demand. But it survived, because Nar Shaddaa had no shortage of bounty hunters.

The shooting range in the back was largely abandoned. Various crude targets laid in disarray around the long room, more conventional bullseyes mixed in with stormtrooper armor. Carbon scoring laced the walls like artwork, showcasing years of weaponry, conventional or otherwise, being used in these hallowed halls. Off to the side of the room, a young Trandoshan stood alone, holding a beat-up blaster rifle loosely in his hands.

No matter how he held it, it felt awkward. If he gripped the handle too tight, his clawed hands started cramping, and he felt stiff. Too loose, and the weapon bucked against him, going wide. Either way, he missed his mark. He adjusted his grip, rocked a little on his feet, and squeezed the trigger one more time. The low-powered blast piffed into the target he was aiming at... far off to the right.

"Clossse..." the rookie hunter hissed, injecting some amount of confidence into his voice. It was not. But Rissk felt better lying to himself out loud.

- Xander Draith -

 

[Xander Draith]

Nar Shaddaa. The place where smugglers and bounty hunters have the biggest playground to run around. And, it's Xander Draith's favourite place to not only look for work, but hide from some of his more... prominent employers. Then, when he feels the need to spend few credits while still having a good time after a job, the Kennel was his favourite. It was struggling, yes, but he'd been coming here since he started out, hell it was was were he got his first commission.

His favourite part, however, was the shooting range. A, surprisingly, quiet place for him to keep his skills sharp since not many used the area. But today, when he went into the shooting range, he spotted a Trandoshan who was... being honest - he seemed to be a terrible shot. Xander let out a sigh. Normally, he wasn't one to bother with other hunters, but this was just sad. He approached the stall next to the, presumed, rookie hunter and began to aim his twin blaster pistols.

He took aim and fired blast after blast, 6 blasts from each pistol. After he shot 12 blasts, he looked at the targets and saw he hit each of the targets. Some in the head, some in the stomach. Then he leaned over to the Trandoshan hunter.

"Try having a tight grip on the blaster before loosening ever so slightly. Keep going until you find that sweet spot. Keep doing that while practising, and it'll become second nature in no time."

Rissk

 

[Rissk]

Rissk pursed his lips as another man came in, and stood in the spot right next to him. There was a whole row of them? Didn't he know it was common courtesy to use the stall furthest...

Zzzt! Zzzt, Zzzt!

The Trandoshan's eyes bulged with muted awe as the other hunter went twelve for twelve with the practice troopers. He fired off another shot absent-mindedly, not even looking as it went entirely wide, before whistling in appreciation. "Goddamn."

Usually, Rissk would have a biting reply for anyone trying to offer him unsolicited advice. But this mystery man certainly made his point well enough that the young hunter decided to go along with it. Turning his firebrand eyes back to the target, he stared down the iron sight at the bullseye, muscles taut like iron cords.

"Gotcha thisss time," he rumbled, before relaxing his arms, and firing.

He missed. But it was less disasterous than before. He actually hit the outside ring. "Hey, not bad!" He lined up another shot, closing an eye.

"I'm Rissk." His next shot went wide again. He was still getting used to it, after all. "Where'd you learn to shoot like that?"

- Xander Draith -

 

[Xander Draith]

After seeing the Trandoshian, now known as Rissk, fire a shot that actually hit the target (albeit barely) Xander nodded in approval.

"My name, Rissk, is Xander Draith. To answer your second question, I learned it through experience and a lot of lost money because of my lack of it."

Xander turned back to the targets and took aim again, he pushed a button to the side of him which caused the targets to move. HE once again fired twelve shots and hit the targets similarly to how he did previously.

"So, how new are you? You apparently can't hit a stationary target for the life of you, so must be a rookie to a ridiculous degree..."

Rissk

 

[Rissk]

"Xsssander Draith." Rissk struggled to get the name out- it was a little difficult to get his tongue around his accent. "Okay. I'll remember that."

Regardless, Rissk continued to try to line up shots, though it was rather distracting to have a crackshot bullseying every target he aimed for directly next to him. His lip turned down, especially at how his scattering of shots compared to the more experienced hunter. His best shot was three rings out from center, and his worst were still missing. But at least he was improving.

Even Mr. Nevermiss here started bad, he had to remind himself.

"So, how new are you? You apparently can't hit a stationary target for the life of you, so must be a rookie to a ridiculous degree..."

The Trandoshan hissed in annoyance, a primeval, predatory sound, that quickly turned into a bashful frown. "You don't have to be rude about it. But... yeah. I left home a few weeks ago." His frown strengthened. "It hasn't been going well, so far."

"If you don't mind me asking... what helped you? When you firssst started?"

- Xander Draith -

 

[Xander Draith]

"You don't have to be rude about it. But... yeah. I left home a few weeks ago." His frown strengthened. "It hasn't been going well, so far."

"Oh, but I do. When a rookie is like you, I call it tough love. If you were someone who'd done this for years and you missed, let's say, one shot out of fifty. If I was acting like this over that one shot, yes, I would be very rude. However, in this instance, I'm being harsh so that you improve quickly."

Xander turned back and fired off more shots which hit the targets. As he was about to fire his last shot, he heard what Rissk had asked. He paused for a moment, thinking of his answer. After a few second, he turned to Rissk and answered:

"Nothing did. I threw myself into situations where a rookie has no place being, and survived out of luck. After that, I climbed my way through smaller jobs before reaching where I am now. Back then, I was hired to tackle crooks. These days, I'm hired to take out Sith and Jedi. So, nothing helped me other than experience, and near death ones at that."

He took a glance at the furthest target and took his final shot with it landing in between the eyes. He began to take his leave before suddenly stopping by the door. He turned back to Rissk.

"Look, I don't do this... ever. But, since you seem so bad at this, I'll do it this once. Should you ever get a relatively high-stakes job, get into contact with me and I'll watch over you; make sure you don't get yourself killed, and that you do your job properly."

Rissk

 

[Rissk]

The man had a point. Rissk didn't like it, didn't have to like it... but he was right. Rissk was new.

He really was... awful. Wasn't he?

His scaled brow furrowed a little, before he built up a little smirk. "Yeah? Well, maybe I won't take your advice outta ssspite. Then you've got my death on your hands, and you coulda saved me by bein' just a little nicer." He chuckled before taking another shot. He hit, but only barely. His mind was elsewhere.

Xander had made his point.

"Look, I don't do this... ever. But, since you seem so bad at this, I'll do it this once. Should you ever get a relatively high-stakes job, get into contact with me and I'll watch over you; make sure you don't get yourself killed, and that you do your job properly."

Rissk deflated a little, then built himself up bigger to compensate. "Trying to get a cut of the new guy's earnings?" Rissk paused. "Listen. You don't have to check my ego. I know I'm..." He paused again, struggling to find the right words, before giving up, and firing again. Miss. "I know I need all the help I can get."

"Ssso maybe I'll take you up on that."

"You said you fight Forcies? I've read a few manuals on it, but it all seems so... esssoteric and theoretical." He fully turned to the human, curiosity in his fiery eyes. "What's your strategy?"

- Xander Draith -