Populate Gotta' Get Gorba [HSC Populate Ylesia]

[Juno Wren]

G O T T A
G E T
G O R B A
(Hutt Space Consortium Populate of Ylesia)
The Good, The Bad, the Bryna'dul
The Spice Must Flow

Gorba the Hutt | Various HSC Members

`

DOSSIER
Name of Bounty: Gorba the Hutt
Name of Contractor: [Redacted]
Reward: 15,750UC
Condition: Alive
Additional Info: Gorba Bareesh Laglan, known as Gorba the Hutt, is a member of the Bareesh Hutt Kajidic. He rules as current Kajidic Lorda and operates as a pivotal anchor for the Hutt Space Consortium. Likely to be guarded by a cadre of bounty hunters, assassins, mercenaries and priates. Backup is advised, at the cost of dividing up the reward.
​

The missive had been clear- clear as polished crystal. 'Likely to be guarded by a cadre of bounty hunters, assassins, mercenaries and pirates. Backup is advised, at the cost of dividing the reward.'

Yet here Juno sat, in Klagg's Cantina in Mirrsteel Heights, alone, nursing a Cassandra sunrise.

She hadn't come to Kwenn Station to capture Gorba the Hutt alone because she needed the credits, though they were always welcome. She wanted to be able to stand on her own two feet, puff out her chest, and say: 'I captured Gorba the Hutt.' It was a matter of pride. It was a matter of honor. And perhaps... it was a matter of hubris.

Only time would tell.

A Chistori was up on the stage, reciting inane poetry in a blend of Bocce and Rodian about Force knows what- it was all Juno could do not to blast him in the face. She'd spent a couple days down in Kwenn Central, learning the lay of the land, but when the stench grew to overbearing she had retreated up to Mirrsteel Heights, a veritable forest of lavish towers and upscale locales, all glitz and glamor where Kwenn Central was bleak and filthy. The spa in particular had been divine, washing away the lingering stench of the overcrowded lower tier.

And to her delight, beskar'gam wasn't as uncommon in the Heights as she had feared- in the days since she had secured her lodgings, she had happened across a surprising number of sentients clad in beskar. She doubted any of them were true Mando, though, for there was an air that they lacked, a sense of self that was grander than self, as if a facet of a much greater and unyielding whole. It was clear that they had forgotten the Way- they were Mando in name, perhaps, but not in spirit, and that was where it truly mattered.

But she had yet to see Gorba. She was beyond certain he was somewhere in the station...or he would be, soon enough. And he'd doubtlessly be surrounded by a small army, most of them with bounties in their own right, and just as deadly as she.

She'd be ready, or her name wasn't Juno Wren.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

Juno Wren​

Klagg's Cantina, Mirrsteel Heights, Kwenn Station

"Ow- hey what the- oh."

A sallow-faced Umbaran in a shirt whose collar went all the way up rubbed at an arm and looked at who had shoved him, then abruptly shut up when he saw the hulking Klatooinian guard jostling people out of the way, clearing a path through which Gorba the Hutt exited the cantina.

"Bsha!" growled the Klatooinian.

People moved.

Gorba glowered with his one good eye, the other stared sightlessly out from his scarred features. People were not usually near the back exit of the cantina, but some fool had been selling a new brand of deathstick near the back that was all the rage with rebellious teenage humanoids, so now Gorba had to be witnessed exiting the building. He normally did not go here as it tended to be a hot spot for white hat slicers and anti-corporate radicalists. If he wanted to rub tails with people like that he would have set up his operation's headquarters on Denon, not Kwenn Station.

Passing a pair of Regulators at the exit, Gorba stared at them and gave a grunt of acknowledgment as he past. Maybe he should have had Narbo with him for this business deal. The Aqualish was very... affable. And with all this new business, both from the tripling of spice production from Kessel and the savorium and giggledust from his Drug Farms on Ylesia, Gorba needed buyers. And dealers. Lots of dealers.

Spinning in a synchronous dance with its namesake planet, Kwenn Station was the largest supply depot along the Ootmian Pabol hyperlane... and the last stop for any vessel this side of the galaxy before venturing into the wild Outer Rim. It made it prime territory for crime lords to do business. So much trade moved through the port and because it was situated at the edge of the "civilized" galaxy numbers became... fuzzier. Maybe a cargo ship here and there would gain or lose an extra crate. Maybe the crates didn't weigh the same as when they arrived. A finger on the scales. That was all Gorba the Hutt wanted. But so did every other crime lord on this station.

The Interstellar Regulators kept the peace here. Sure, they could be bought for a price, but not as often as one might think. Their leader, Warhound, tried to walk a delicate tight rope of keeping the peace between the syndicates. A dangerous task, but easier now with the Understanding that had formed the Consortium. Violence between the Consortium's syndicates was down. Violence in general though? Well. Gorba wouldn't know anything about that.

The Hutt smirked to himself and scratched his belly. Transiting the giggledust and savorium from Ylesia was proving more difficult than he thought. The set up costs of those plantations had been enormous. He needed more smugglers to get them from Ylesia to Kwenn. He already had a steadily growing galactic distribution network from Kwenn.

He and his guards now stood outside of the cantina's rear exit. He looked at his chrono. His shuttle driver was late. Maybe he should eat him. But no, then he would have to ride the turbolift up his private spire in Mirrsteel with a full belly.

Gorba decided against eating the driver.

 

[Sars Sarad]

Klagg's Cantina, Mirrsteel Heights, Kwenn Station

---

If Gorba the Hutt was anywhere out in the open be it on Kwenn Station or a backwater world he was always accompanied by muscle, bodyguards and others who were likely dangerous in there own right. The Hutt paid credits to Sarad for special assignments and tasks that could use his expertise but also to act on his behalf in certain matters. It was always an unknown if Sarad would be waiting in the wings or nearby when the Hutt was seen publicly but many of those who brushed shoulders with Gorba would likely recall seeing the silhouette of the Ravager in their peripherals.

It just so happened that on this date while Gorba and his hired muscle waited outside the cantina, at the rear exit that Sarad was in the vicinity. Recently, very recently there had been rumors that a 'hit' had been placed on the Hutt but nothing had been confirmed. Realistically this was nothing new either, a Crime Boss always had enemies and there was always someone looking to collect on bounties that may have been offered.

Normally Sarad didn't care, he was indifferent to such rumors viewing them as beneath him but this time there was something different. The Force always lead Sarad and he followed it, unquestioningly for the most part. In the past it had lead him to countless worlds where he had crossed paths with Jedi, Sith that he didn't know, that he couldn't have known. It was all for the purpose of testing himself according to the precept of the force that guided him.

----

To know yourself find self awareness through strength of arms. Combat is the only honest way to converse with oneself and the world surrounding you.

---

Naturally there was no better way to self awareness than to duel with Jedi, Sith and others.

He didn't make conspicuous. Sarad was in the background, actually he was still inside of the Cantina. He sat at a booth, nursing a drink while his eyes scanned the room. Anyone leaving or moving towards the rear exit would have his attention while Gorba was still there. He'd know when the Hutt wasn't nearby.

To see Sarad was to look at someone who could blend with the crowd. He wore a leather duster that fit him loosely, underneath that was nondescript apparel which lay overtop his armor. One thing that set him apart was the lightsaber clipped to the utility belt around his wait. It might be seen when he shifted in his seat if someone was to look closely enough but Sarad had never made a show of it. In fact Sarad made a show of very little of what he had on his person, Old Sin especially tended to be concealed well out of sight as the Phase-Knife could sometimes be an ace in the whole for him.

Reclining backwards he'd let his senses outstretch, using the force to expand his perception while the outwards appearance of his focus seemed to remain on the drink he kept in hand…

 

[Karkosuchus]

​

Spoiler: Equipment

Bandolier Right Shoulder Bandolier Flash Grenade Sonic Detonator Bacta Grenade Concussion Grenade Left Shoulder Bandolier Stun Grenade Ammonia Bomb Thermal Detonator Utility Belt Syntherope Food Rations Hush 98 Comlink Imagecaster Energy Bola Fire Blade Caltrop Repulsor Throwing Razor Field Security Overloader

Holster Right Holster Dissuader KD-30 .48 Caliber Enforcer Pistol Stouker Concussion Rifle Left Holster FC-1 Flechette Launcher Imperial Heavy Repeater R-20 Scatterblaster Brass Knuckles Echani Shield Addleban's Cursed Armor Gatling Gauntlet The Swamp Vanquisher Modified Garmr Battle Dog |:| Borgini |:|

The Anointed People Bounty Hunter and Mercenary known as Karkosuchus would be standing within Gorba the Hutt Security Detail as they made their exit from the Station's Cantina. He snarled at the crowd nearest to the back exit as a klatooinian moved people out of the way of the Lorda of the Hutt Space Consortium. He had taken this security job because he needed the extra cash since he lacked a considerable number of bounties as of late. His rivals within the bounty hunting community has snatched them up first.

He had recently returned from helping the Nakaioma Corporation within the Mandalorian Enclave and didn't want to go back there for some time. Although the payment was considerably more than Gorba could ever offer him. He still had some lingering sense of loyalty to his first galactic faction though he disliked most of the criminal cartels within the station. Radio chatter that he had heard from Elysium Space said that there was a little bit of discord within their ranks.

Karkosuchus clicked his concussion rifle off safety and held it within a guard grip; keeping a watch out for anyone's eyes who lingered too long on Lorda Gorba of Bareesh as they stood near the chrono. Apparently the driver for the hutt had been late or had been killed by someone on the station. They were vulnerable until they made it into gorba's apartment or other office within the station. Darth Addleban made idle chatter within his mind about various topics.

Juno Wren
Sars Sarad

​

 

[Juno Wren]

Some fop of an Umbaran came grumbling out of the back hall of the Cantina, mumbling about Hutts. Did he say Hutts? Juno was on him before she even realized she had moved, his ridiculous high-collared tunic bunched up in her fist. Her painted buy'ce was reflected in the pupils of his fear-widened eyes.

"Wha-who-"

"You saw a Hutt?" she whispered, almost conspiratorially.

The Umbaran, confused and more than a little frightened, whispered in turn- or perhaps his voice was strained because she was cutting off his air-flow? "Yeah, out back-"

She didn't run so much as walk briskly to the back exit, the Umbaran already forgotten. Once in the little foyer, though, she slowed down. Not so antsy, Juno. Gotta play this one steady.

She checked her equipment at the back door, just before she passed through its threshold, a habit she had developed to settle her nerves. It was almost a prayer. Double-E, check. The underbarrel chassis was in its usual slugthrower configuration, loaded with special buck shot shells. Verpine Pea Shooter, check. Sonic pistol, check. Sonic screamers, check. Glop-grenades, check. Thermal detonators, check. ND-013, check; her trump card, and perhaps the greatest piece of technology ever created. Bacta spray, check. Trackers, check.

Unbidden, a thought crossed her mind. What were the odds Gorba still had men in the Cantina?

She took a long, slow deep breath, and glanced over her shoulder. Nothing yet. She reached her left hand back to touch the hilt peaking over her shoulder, the blade itself hidden beneath her halfcloak. Beskad, check. She put her right hand to her heart. Taozin Nodule, check. Of all her gear, this was perhaps the most important, the most integral. It hid her presence in the Force, hid her mind and her intentions as if she had mastered Force Stealth herself. Legend had it, even Sith Lords couldn't see through the nodule's inherent cloaking.

It evened the floor a bit, but only just so. A space wizard was still a space wizard. She didn't have very much in the way of non-lethal ordinance save for her Double-E, and her various grenades, for that reason. As a Y'ivra of the Mandokarla, raised by and among the vaunted Force hunters, she had been trained to hunt Force users, and kitted herself accordingly. Lethal wasn't exactly lethal when dealing with their ilk. For their sort, you had to be tricky, and you had to be deadly. Anything less was just asking for a lightsaber in the gut.

Alright Juno. Let's go.

She stepped out the back exit, the door opening with a quiet hiss, then just as quickly snapping shut behind her. A pair of Regulators stood on either side the door, watching the back alley with stony faces. Some hu'tuun had gathered a crowd a little ways away, peddling what looked like deathsticks, and there, standing- for a certain definition of the word, seeing as he didn't have legs- near the curb and scratching his massive belly was Gorba the Hutt himself, flanked by a rather dangerous pair of individuals.

The Klantooinian was mostly just large, but the other one... he was huge, heavily scaled, and armed to the teeth. Literally, he had an absolutely ridiculous amount of teeth. It'd take an arsenal to put him down. Luckily for her, she had one.

Actually, it looked like Karkosuchus . She didn't know the saurian personally, but she'd seen his old bounty listing, and word among the Karj'r was that he was barbaric, ruthless, and all around monstrous. They hadn't adequately described just how massive he was though. Definitely no stun shots for him.

The timing didn't seem right, but Juno doubted she'd get a better opportunity than this. Of course, if she didn't identify herself as a licensed bounty hunter, the Regulators were likely to attempt to apprehend her, which would open a massive can of problems she'd rather stay shut. Gorba looked like he was waiting for a ride. Maybe she could throw a tracker on his transport and attack mid-route? Or toss a sonic screamer at Gorba's back to stun the lot of em'?

Or maybe their was someone sneaking up on her right now, waiting to catch her slipping?

How about I just get away from the door.

She meandered over into the loose throng of drug-addled peoples that had congregated around the deathstick dealer. All in all, it was a better vantage, and she had plenty of cover if it came to it, though she didn't think herself callous enough to actually use the cover, considering they were sentients.

Alright Gorba. I've got my eyes on you now. She palmed a sonic screamer.

Sars Sarad

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

Juno Wren | Sars Sarad | Karkosuchus
​

Outside Klagg's Cantina, Mirrsteel Heights, Kwenn Station

Just when Gorba was about to lose his temper, the shuttle finally appeared at the end of the street and quickly pulled up in front of the Hutt and his entourage. The disgruntled Kajidii looked at Karkosuchus.

"Next time he's late, you can have his legs," rumbled the Hutt as a Vodran stepped forward and opened the door for him.

The shuttle was very large since it had to accommodate Gorba's bulk. He was looking forward to the peace and quiet of the ride back to the spire. That poetry in the cantina had been getting on his nerves.

"Someone tell Sarad he can come join me."

With that, Gorba started sliding into the back of the shuttle. The interior was a circular construction, allowing Gorba to lay fully across a couch while others could sit across from him. Inside, a Twi'lek slave started pouring him a drink.

 

[Sars Sarad]

Outside Klagg's Cantina, Mirrsteel Heights, Kwenn Station

---

He'd notice the distinctive Mandalorian Armor before anything else. When Juno Wren moved in the direction of the backdoor Sarad had picked up on her right away but he didn't stir from where he was sitting. It was often best to let things play out before showing your hand which is what Sarad often did. No point in alerting anyone to him until it was actually necessary.

With that in mind he sat, finishing his drink until a 'Thug' came back around into the Cantina to inform him that Gorba the Hutt had invited him to join him in his Shuttle.

Looking up Sarad remained mostly quiet before finally nodding his head and replying...

"I'll be there."

...he waited until he was alone again, stretching his neck on either side before slowly rising from where he'd sat. Tossing a few credits down he paid for his drink and left.

Like 'others' before him Sarad left via the back entrance to the Cantina, the Regulators guarding the entry paying him no mind. Narrowing his eyes he stared at the stretch of alley crowded by the throng of people, many of the addled drug addicts and Death Stick Users and activated the lenses he wore.

There was brief flash of light across his eyes then his vision lit up with the information fed to him by the sensors integrated into the armor worn under his duster. Sophisticated systems identified random individuals in the crowd. He might have reached out with the Force, used it to try and sense if something was off but what reason did he have to do that? He wasn't here hunting another Jedi or Sith.

Moving down the stretch of alley towards the shuttle Sarad would have noted Karkosuchus, he knew the reptile as being on the Hutts payroll.

When he came closer to the Shuttle he would have entered the open door, ducking his head down as he came inside to take a seat across from the Hutt. He didn't say much, Gorba didn't keep him around to talk...

 

[Karkosuchus]

​

Spoiler: Equipment

Bandolier Right Shoulder Bandolier Flash Grenade Sonic Detonator Bacta Grenade Concussion Grenade Left Shoulder Bandolier Stun Grenade Ammonia Bomb Thermal Detonator Utility Belt Syntherope Food Rations Hush 98 Comlink Imagecaster Energy Bola Fire Blade Caltrop Repulsor Throwing Razor Field Security Overloader

Holster Right Holster Dissuader KD-30 .48 Caliber Enforcer Pistol Stouker Concussion Rifle Left Holster FC-1 Flechette Launcher Imperial Heavy Repeater R-20 Scatterblaster Brass Knuckles Echani Shield Addleban's Cursed Armor Gatling Gauntlet The Swamp Vanquisher Modified Garmr Battle Dog |:| Borgini |:|

Karkosuchus gazed ahead as the considerably large shuttle finally arrived to pick them up and he looked down when Lord Gorba suggested to him that he could have the legs of the driver if he ever arrived late again. "I'll make sure of that; Lord Gorba" Karkosuchus said back to him to show his gratitude. He moved to the inside of the vehicle and sat across from the Lord of the Hutt Space Consortium when the name of "Sarad" was mentioned which made him consider their adventure on Tatooine moving a shipment of stolen kyber crystals for a Nikto Criminal Gang.

"Why are we lowering ourself to serve the Hutt Clan; they are a dying breed which should have went extinct." : Darth Addleban said as time froze for just the two of them to allow them to converse freely. "What do you suggest then; Sith Spirit." Karkosuchus replied with an eye roll as they were a bounty hunter and the hutts normally gave good enough contracts. "Something more worthy of my attention; like taking out Gorba and installing ourselves on the Criminal Throne." : Darth Addleban replied using a hand motion to point towards the fat and lazy hutt and then to the anointed bounty hunter to clearly show the difference between them.

"Loyalty is important but I will consider killing gorba at a later time." Karkosuchus said within his mind before returning back to fluid motion. While he respected the hutt for his power and strength to survive within the Criminal Underworld. The Bryn'adul had already threaten to send them into extinction so that newer species could take over criminal domiance. The Hutt Space Consortium needed a stronger leader than what was in front of him.

But until he could convince others within the faction to overthrow gorba; then he would sit here and play the loyal lapdog.

Juno Wren
Gorba the Hutt
Sars Sarad

​

 

[Juno Wren]

​

The transport arrived with little fanfare. Juno watched as one by one, Gorba the Hutt and his guards piled into the hovercraft, first the Klantooinian, then Karkosuchus . A man in a duster joined them from out the cantina, seemingly the last of the security detail. He took one long look at the crowd before entering.

I knew it! Alright Juno, it’s show time.

Quick as a cat, she darted up to the transport, ducking beneath the view of the driver side mirror. She pressed a tracker to the rear underside of the transport as she passed, then tossed the readied screamer into the slowly closing door.

​

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

“You two,” Gorba’s single working eye looked between the two of them, the other stared sightlessly off into the distance, “my most prized warriors. I have considered it. You are worthy of these.“

The Hutt produced two golden coins - Ardos Disks made from sacred, Varl-mined aurodium. On one side the star Ardos glimmered, while on the other was stamped the one-eyed Krayt symbol of the Bareesh.

“Show these to -“

Something flashed inside the closing door to the speeder. Gorba slammed the button on his arm and an energy shield shimmered to life. But he hadn’t counted on a sonic attack. The horrible shriek went off, deafening him immediately and leaving him reeling, disoriented. The only thing he could hear was a high-pitched tinny noise that took him back to the bombing where he lost his eye. Gorba’s breath came quickly, heart beating faster and faster as he flailed about.

The speeder driver - also affected by the sonic screamer - had yanked on the wheel and their air car spun wildly before crashing nose first into the back of the Klagg’s Cantina with a tremendous crash.

Sars Sarad Juno Wren Karkosuchus

 

[Sars Sarad]

Outside Klagg's Cantina, Mirrsteel Heights, Kwenn Station

---

When it happened it happened fast. In a moment Gorba the Hutt had been presenting both himself and @Karkosuchas with a token that marked them as prized warriors and members of the Consortium and in the next there was a deafening sound the blinded the senses. Luckily Sarad wasn't left completely in the dark. While he couldn't feel Juno Wren through the force, almost as though her signature was erased or somehow concealed from him the hairs on the back of his neck stood, a tingling filled his limbs and the invisible force called to him like a danger sense…

"No…"

…but as I explained it all happened fast. Sarad was registering the danger moments before the sonic screamer went off, his peripheral noticing the small object as it came through the closed door of the 'Speeder' that the three of them had all been in. Intuitively Sarad reacted by using a blanket term for many force related powers dealing with energy absorption, many referred to it as Tutaminis.

Sonic Energy was still energy, it could be absorbed or dampened. In this case it was dampened, numbed to an extent that left Sarad's senses reeling regardless. He might have went unaffected if he'd had more time but alas, all he could do was protect himself and mitigate. Despite being a formidable Force-User, he was still just a man.

It didn't help matters that the Speeder went out of control, the driver apparently incapacitated before crashing back into Klagg's Cantina with a thunderous roar or durasteel twisting and the screams of onlookers.

Sarad was firmly planted against the opposite side of the Speeder that he'd entered from, slamming hard against the interior frame as his mind went foggy for a moment. He was quick to begin recovering, blinking back the blurry vision that filled his eyes. Touching his left ear, he noted blood leaked from it, a combination of the sonic assault and the sudden, violent crash that followed….

"A Mandalorian in the cantina…"

…he'd have blurted out, muttering as he did so. He'd seen the armor but he hadn't put it altogether at the moment. It may have been just another patron, after all there were many different kinds of Mandalorians in the galaxy; some even worked hand in hand with the Consortium. Not this one though.

Sarad looked over at Gorba then to Karkosuchas as his vision cleared, the door to the Speeder was still shut and this wasn't somewhere they wanted to stay…

"Open that door will you?"

…the Lizard was big, he could probably rip it off its hinges if he wanted to and without much effort…

 

[Karkosuchus]

​

Spoiler: Equipment

Bandolier Right Shoulder Bandolier Flash Grenade Sonic Detonator Bacta Grenade Concussion Grenade Left Shoulder Bandolier Stun Grenade Ammonia Bomb Thermal Detonator Utility Belt Syntherope Food Rations Hush 98 Comlink Imagecaster Energy Bola Fire Blade Caltrop Repulsor Throwing Razor Field Security Overloader

Holster Right Holster Dissuader KD-30 .48 Caliber Enforcer Pistol Stouker Concussion Rifle Left Holster FC-1 Flechette Launcher Imperial Heavy Repeater R-20 Scatterblaster Brass Knuckles Echani Shield Addleban's Cursed Armor Gatling Gauntlet The Swamp Vanquisher Modified Garmr Battle Dog |:| Borgini |:|

Karkosuchus was still sitting within the transport and watched as Gorba the Hutt was just about to hand him an Ardos Disks made from Varl-minded aurodium. Although he had to smirk when the hutt said that he was one of his most prized warriors and he had earlier thoughts about betrayal. Although a sudden object was thrown into the shuttlecraft and blasted a large sonic sound which would have knocked him out due to his reptilian ears but was dampened somewhat by Sars Sarad but the speeder went out of control and smashed nose first into the back of the Klagg's Cantina with tremendous force.

He was less damaged compared to both his companions within the speeder. Lifting up his foot and slammed it into the car door that broke off its hinges with little effort. Allowing them to exit the transport and find this mandalorian which was causing a ruckus and ruining his evening. He opened up his mouth and let loose a powerful roar which shook the entire cantina room due to the force within his lungs shouting. His snout smelt the air around him to smell the distinct smell of beskar and he moved with loud footsteps to engage with ( Juno Wren ).

Lifting up his stouker concussion rifle and fired indiscriminately into the crowd.

​

 

[Juno Wren]

The screamer erupted in the confines of the transport just as it was taking off. The repulsorlift veered hard, crashing into the back of Klag’s with a thunderous clamor. The enforcers were pasted against the walls in swathes of ichor. She could hear Gorba the Hutt squealing and flailing inside the transport, driven half max by the sonic grenade.

Well, that went about as well as expected-

Karkosuchus came snarling from the back of the repulsorlift with a mighty roar, with only a few scuffs on his scales to show for the crash. He upped his concussion rifle and started wildly blasting into the crowd, not even bothering to aim. The effect was instant- the druggies and pushers all scattered like roaches, screaming as they fled.

Juno ran with them, using a fleeing pair as mobile cover. She drew her sonic pistol to squeeze off three quick shots at the merc’s feet; sonic blasters violently ruptured organic tissue, but in inorganic objects, it caused explosions.

The ground beneath his feet would erupt in a spray of dust and duracrete shrapnel. It wouldn’t be enough to cause the saurian harm, but it’d clog his nose and irritate his eyes and give Juno an opening to prime a cryoban grenade and lob it at his clawed feet.

Doubtlessly the other guards would be climbing their way from the crashes transport soon. She had to put them down quick. Three-versus-one were terrible odds.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

Juno Wren | Sars Sarad | Karkosuchus
​

Ears blown out, tormented by a persistent ringing, Gorba squirmed in his seat. A dazed guard was groaning. The hostess was bleeding from her ears and on the floor of the speeder's rear compartment. Gorba pulled a blaster off the dazed guard, then shoved him away. Without even blinking, Gorba checked the power pack, switched to lethal, then pointed at the speeder driver's head and pulled the trigger. Brain matter and skull fragments painted the windshield.

Frantically, he wormed his bulk through the door and out the way Karko had gone, plopping his girth onto the permacrete. He felt the ground shake. He increased the setting on his personal shield to maximum and turned to face his enemy. This wasn't his first time getting ambushed. He needed backup.

"SARAAAAD!" he roared, completely unable to regulate his pitch and honestly not giving a kark at this point, "Get my soldiers down here NOW! And get us OUT OF HERE."

He didn't even know if the Sarkhai could hear him.

 

[Sars Sarad]

Mirrsteel Heights, Kwenn Station

---

Yelling barely registered with him, his ears were still ringing and one was leaking blood. It took Sarad a moment to register the voice of Gorba the Hutt as his employer had climbed out of the ruined transport before him. In the next instant he was following.

Unlike Gorba and Karkosuchus Sarad had no intention of staying on the ground. As soon as he left the remnants of the vehicle the lenses integrated into his armor and activated earlier scanned the grounds. They had little trouble discerning between the Junkies and Stim Dealers and Juno Wren . It helped that she'd drawn a weapon which designated her as a potential threat.

"A moment, Lord Gorba."

...came his response, then he was in the air. A Force Jump would take Sarad high above the crowds, fleeing and otherwise who were between him and the Mandalorian. Over Karkosuchus too.

As he went airborne his left hand outstretched, he called to the force and telekinetically reached for one of any number of obstacles that would have lined the streets and alleys. In this case it was a large Trash Bin. A Force Push just enough to rip it off its base and hurl it in the path of the Mandalorian and those she may have been using for cover of fleeing with making it an obstacle in their path.

His lightsaber would fly into his right hand as well, snapping from his utility belt into his waiting palm where it ignited with a white phosphorescence that burned brilliantly and created ambient waves of heat that spread away from the blade.

Sarad would have landed on the Trash Bin he'd have maneuvered as well, which should have put Juno Wren in between all of them...

 

[Juno Wren]

Gorba the Hutt came squirming out the crashed transport, weapon drawn and shields activated. He yelled what sounded like a name, and the man in the duster hopped out. He spotted her quickly. Then he was in the air, flying. He soared over her head, managing the feat without any apparent technological assistance. No jetpack, no rocket boots... nothing. A Force user? A slow, savage smile crept its way across her lips. She was ready. Mhi redalur. We dance.

!​

She glimpsed movement in her peripherals and stopped short. A trash bin crashed into the ground in her path, screeching as it gouged the permacrete. Her meat-shields paused for one terrified second then scattered in opposite directions, wailing like banshees. Sars Sarad landed atop the bin, his brilliant white lightsaber flaring to life with a sharp snap and a quick hiss.

She eyed the ruined the street, then the bin he was perched on, eyebrows arched beneath her buy'ce. Points for the landing, I guess. He really stuck it.

"Quite the entrance," she couldn't help but quip. "Just landing on the ground wasn't good enough for you?"

She shot the bin beneath him with her sonic blaster to make it explode and reached for the ND-013 in her satchel. It was, essentially, the technological equivalent of a ysalamiri. Let's see how he likes white noise.

Spoiler

Let's just say my cryo grenade worked and Karko is on ice for now. That way, he can just thaw himself out whenever he's ready to jump back in.

 

[Sars Sarad]

Mirrsteel Heights, Kwenn Station

---

It was the small things that count, the most minor details and minute movements of the body from the way someone held their shoulders to the twitch of a finger. Every motion, no matter how small added up to something. Body language was a specialty of Sarad's, outside of her armor and face to face he could have read her like a book but in her armor, still face to face he had to rely on things that were a bit more obvious.

The Lenses affixed to his eyes and integrated into his armor helped.

Talking, that well placed quip she'd offered to him bringing to light his landing atop the bin may have been her achilles heel. It wasn't monloguing but it gave Sarad a moment which was longer than he needed.

While his lightsaber was angled defensively he'd shift his hips so that his left side turned forward, at the same time his left hand gestured with palm open and fingers extended. The Force Push would have targeted the Sonic Blaster she was holding. The Telekinetic wave manifesting as a powerful concussion force which meant to rip the weapon from her grasp and throw somewhere in the background, away from them and into the anonymity of the alley way or side street.

Of course this allowed her to reach for her satchel.

The Disconnect became obvious almost immediately.

"What?"

...he seemed to question though he leapt from the bin while he spoke so that he could land in front of the Mandalorian and flourish his lightsaber ahead of him....

"What have you done!?"

....he wasn't one for trickery, not like this at least. He valued his connection the the Force, it often lead him and guided his actions. Robbing him of it may have been one of the few things that could rouse his anger.

The Lightsaber he'd flourished ahead of him arced in front of Juno, it left heatwaves in its wake as Sarad swept it around to attack her on the side of her satchel. If he could land a blow there and destroy whatever she was using to cause the disconnect between him and the Force maybe he could negate it. It wasn't that simple though, Sarad was an expert combatant so one blow could easily transition into another using the momentum of the latter. He'd strike for the satchel but if he missed the blow would transition into a rising, diagonal slash at Juno's chestplate.

All the while his left hand had withdrawn, wrapped round behind his back and into the depths of his Duster in search of Old Sin. He wasn't even thinking of Gorba the Hutt right now.

 

[Juno Wren]

​

Her blaster was yanked from her hand just as she activated the ND-013. She heard it clatter against the ground somewhere behind her. Feth! That was her favorite sonic pistol! She'd configured it herself!

Sars Sarad was pissed. "What?" He leapt from the bin and landed in front her, flourishing his saber. Instinctively, she stepped back. "What have you done?!" His voice came out in a twisted snarl of fury.

He didn't give her time to answer- no time to do much more than react, really. Even without the Force, the man was fast. His saber was arcing towards her in a heartbeat, the blade a streaking blur of white.

But her hand was already aloft and empty and aimed in his direction- she fired the repulsor integrated into her right vambrace to violently knock him away and back into the trash bin with a wave of concussive force before he could carve into her satchel. She swung her Double-E around from its shoulder strap immediately after and pumped a cortossis buck shot shell into his saber to short it out.

Can't have you cutting your way free now, can we?

She switched to the side-barrel net launcher and fired its electrified payload to stun him and hold him in place. "Cool your engines, jetii." They could continue their dance later. No ND-013- just her, her armor, and her weapons, and him with his lightsaber and the Force.

But first...

First she had to get Gorba the Hutt .

 

[Sars Sarad]

Mirrsteel Heights, Kwenn Station

---

Juno Wren would hit Sarad once, there was no stopping it and she would hit him twice while he recovered but three times, three times might cost her.

The initial blast of concussion force from the repulsor integrated into her vambrace was unavoidable. It would strike Sarad cleanly, throw him back into the trash bin he'd leapt off of to begin his attack and rattle his bones. There was a loud BANG when he made contact with the side of the bin and Sarad was forced to blink, clearing his mind. He'd recovered enough to see the Mandalorian swing her Double-E around but he couldn't do anything about it.

When the Cortosis-Buck shorted out his lightsaber, deactivating it almost instantly Sarad's eyes were already refocusing and as Juno went to switch to the side barrel of her weapon he'd lunged to the side, dropping into a shoulder roll in the process. In concordance with that the net that was fired would actually hammer into the side of the bin where he'd been rather than entangling him and stunning him with its electroshock instead.

As Sarad came out of the shoudler roll onto his knee there'd be no waiting though, no lapse in their engagement. Lunging at Juno Wren he'd continue pressuring her, continue on the offense. Without the Force Sarad was still a deadly combatant and the loss of his lightsaber wouldn't lessen that. In fact without both of those things to help balance him he may have even become more voracious.

Lunging at her Sarad meant to come under her right arm, putting his shoulder into her stomach and lifting in an attempt to take her off her feet and throw her to the ground and onto her back with him attempting to take a 'full' mount position in the process. It was at this point that his left hand would come around, Old Sin now gripped firmly in it in inverted style. The Phase-Knife activated, its blade very much like a lightsabers in appearance though not in capabilities; it was a molecular blade, a hundred times sharper than any vibroblade according to some but incapable of cutting through heavy armor with any reliability.

Incapable of cutting through heavy armor, except for the weak spots.

It was exactly that reason that Sarad tried to stab it into the face plate of her visor. At best it could penetrate into her helm, at worst it could damage her visor and make it more difficult for her to see while she was wearing her helm.

And Gorba the Hutt ----well Sarad didn't really care what he was doing at this point as long as he wasn't getting in the way.

 

[Juno Wren]

Sars Sarad displayed formidable reflexes to complement his speed. It was almost like fighting another Mando. He had the same grit, the same instincts for battle…the same ferocity and refusal to give.

He dodged her net launcher, diving into a roll that brought him much too close for comfort. Shoulder lowered, one hand curled behind his back, he barreled into her and drove her to the ground, her hands flying free of her Double-E.

"Erk!" She involuntarily grunted from the impact.

She struggled violently even as she hit the ground with a metallic thud, bucking her hips like a wild Orbak, squirming and writhing as if maddened. She had no intention of letting him settle into a full mount. She just had to keep his arms away and not let him get comfortable-

!​

His left arm snapped out, phase-knife flaring like a pocket-sized lightsaber. She threw her arm up to block and the knife screeched across the edge of her faceplate to carve a line in her buy'ce. Too close!

Her Sunstroke roared to life as they grappled, sending them skidding wildly atop the ferrocrete in a shower of sparks before they gained altitude.
She barrel rolled to shake Sars loose, letting gravity work in her favor, and gave him a face full of flamethrower as she ascended.

“Hands off!”

At this height, a fall wouldn’t kill him, probably wouldn’t even break his bones, but he’d definitely feel it. If he tried to hang on, she'd set him straight with a point-blank repulsor to the dome.

​