First Reply Hunt for Scum and Villainy

[Adi'ka Awaud]

Xula Gans sat this evening as usual these days in his VIP area of the nightclub "Pink Stars" in the capital of Deservo and watched the dancers at the stage. The Tion Hegemony was notorious for the racism of its people, but the spaceport was cosmopolitan and the Falleen provided the hypocritical humans with the more exotic "dancers" they crave.
As lieutenant for the Vigo of the Black Sun of this sector, he was a made man. Nobody of the lesser syndicates and the corrupt police force dared to touch him and interfere with his business. Who tried got a free flight without ornithopter from the rocky spires of the city or was dumped into the swamps.

So Xula Gans was not really alarmed as a curious newcomer entered the nightclub. A small, slender Mandalorian. Not a human for sure, but an alien with head tentacles or ears? Hard to say. The way it walks, suggested a female person, as the professional trader in flesh asumed. He would certainly find clients or this one, regardless how the face under the T-visor helmet looked.

The stranger looked around, ignored the hateful stares of local racists and people who did not like Mandalorians, and finally headed to his VIP-area.
Splendid, the Fallen thought, and his reptilian skin turned red, as he spread his pheromones no female even from most alien races could resist.
Arrogantly, he waved to his two Houk bodyguards to let the Mandalorian through.

"Open skies, cute Mando!", he jovially said with broad smile of a womanizer, certain his "charm" would make this small girl his slave like so many times before.

The small Mandalorian stand between the hulking Houks and laid a round device on the table before Xula Gans. A hologram appeared above it and showed a sleek frigate.
"What the ...?", the Falleen started, irritated.

The Mandalorian spoke. Even distorted by the helmet speakers it was a cute, young voice, alone worth much cash in the undervine" influencer" market at the holonet.

"This is the Griefer of the Blood Corsairs. As you supervised the resupply for the corsair ships of the Black Sun years ago, you had close contact to the crew.
I want names, dossiers and footage!"

His pheromones didn't work! Why? Then he realized: The armor was environment sealed. These Mando knew somehow the closely guarded secret of the Falleen noble class!
"You ... you do not understand who I am, do you?" He grew angry and regained his arrogance.

Another hole-device was laid on the table. This time, Xula Gans face appeared ... with a bounty mark below it.

"I know exactly who are. What you are. Talk or I am bringing you in. Cold."

 

[Asani Windsong]

Perhaps it was fate or just a coincidence, but a moment later, a smaller rabbit-like alien would enter the nightclub. She is much less calm, however, indicated by the cerulean tone her fur has taken, her quickened hard breathing, and her racing heartbeat. Once inside she pays no attention to the stares she garners from the patrons of the club, not inclined to go back outside as she only looks for a place where she can hide.

Unfortunately, she may not have much of a choice in the matter, as a few of the humans try to shoo her back outside, and a couple of them attempt to grab her when she doesn't comply with their desire for this verminous creature to go back to wherever it is she came from.

By this point, it would appear that Asani had lost the pursuers that chased her through the city before she ducked into this club, and now these men in the club would also learn firsthand how tough she is to catch as the nimble young Kushiban slips through their grasp and weaves her way through the club.

She soon makes her way toward the less crowded VIP section of the club, and unless those Houk bodyguards were swift enough to stop her, she would dive past them and land on all fours in Xula Gan's VIP area. She would now find herself just a few feet behind Adi'ka Awaud, whom she looked up at for a moment before looking back to see if the men who had tried to grab her were still after her.

 

[Adi'ka Awaud]

The Houk bodyguards, the Falleen crimeboss and the black armored Lepi looked surprised at the tiny plushy alien who blinked with these large cute eyes.
All were momentarily surprised and stunned by the curious apparition.

One of the Houks was the first to come to his senses and used the distraction to hammer his fist in the back of the Mandalorian Lepi. Armor or not, Houks were as strong as Wookies and without protection the spine of the bounty hunter would have been surely broken.
So she was just flung over the table and landed on the back. With a standup maneuver, the Mandalorian hopped like a rabbit back on her feet.

"Kill her!", Xula Gans shrieked and drew himself a blaster pistol.
With lightning reflexes, a kick from the slender Lagomorph sent the weapon of the crimeboss flying. A block with the forearm stopped another punch of the Houk.
The second Houk tried to stomp his pillarlike leg in the knee of the Mandalorian.
At the last moment, the fast bounty hunter dodged the kick and countered hard. The attacker lost his balance and nearly dropped on top of Kushiban, had the nimble creature not jumped out of the way.

With a dancelike move, the Lagomorph let a roundhouse kick follow, which connected hard with the two bouncers. Houks and Wookies may be the strongest hitter in the Galaxy, but Lepi could deliver the hardest kicks!

"Stay down!", she shouted at the Houks who began clumsly to get back on their trunklike feet. As she saw how one brandished a vibroblade and the other a stubby particle array gun, she drew her own pistol. "Feel lucky, Mods?"

"Kark!", she hissed, as she saw Xula Gans fleeing into the crowd of the populated club.
To the Kushiban she said in a softer tone: "Hush, little colorful one, hide somewhere! It is too dangerous for you!"

"Where is the stinking rat!", as voice coming from the entrance shouted. A group of men, humans of course, came into the nightclub, wearing paramilitary uniforms, a "Desevro to the Humans"-cap and armbands with the symbol of the Sith Empire. They wielded blast carabiners and suddenly the situation went downhill.

"Speciecist scum!", one of the Houk growled and instead of firing at the bounty hunter he fired his array gun at the newcomers. Other patrons of the club drew their weapons too, and suddenly the dimly lit establishment was filled with crisscrossing blaster blots more colorful in hue as the small Kushiban could change her pelt.
A stray shot howled in the direction of the poor Asani, but the Mandalorian jumped in the way to protect the seemingly defenseless being.
"Ouch!", she hissed as she was hit hard by the impact, even as the Beskar alloy reflected the blot into the shoulder of one of the Houks. "Ouch!", he echoed.

"Exterminate the subhuman scum!", one of the newcomers shouted.

"Truce?", the black armored Lagomorph asked the hulking brutes, while still shielding the small creature with her body.

"Truce!", the Houks answered simultaneously, and all three concentrated their fire on the common enemy.

Sometimes a very small cause leads to chaotic consequences.

Asani Windsong

 

[Asani Windsong]

Asani wasn't quite sure what Adi'ka was under that Mandalorian armor, but it was the part that looked like armored rabbit ears that had caused her gaze to linger on her for a moment. She hoped they would be kinder to her than the humans around here. However, there wasn't much time to think about that before the fight began with a punch from the Houk bodyguard and quickly devolved into chaos and blaster fire lighting up the air like a firework show.

Asani had initially considered trying to help Adi'ka in the fight, but it soon became apparent that not only could the diminutive Mandalorian more than hold her own in a fight against multiple larger opponents, but that this was not a risk Asani wanted to take, as lacking any armor of her own, it would only take one solid blow from the Houks or a blaster shot connecting to make her very dead.

If she was scared before, she was now terrified, ears pinned against her skull and tail flicking in agitation. She nods as Adi'ka tells her to hide and dives under a table, huddling between two chairs. This gave her about the best cover she was likely to get in this place. Of course, this also meant that due to how confined the spot is, she didn't see the stray blaster bolt coming until just before Adi'ka blocked it with her own body. Asani let out a cry and closed her eyes as she reflexively winced in anticipation of being hit, only to feel nothing and instead hear Adi'ka hiss out an 'ouch in pain, soon followed by one of the Houks.

She gave Adi'ka and the Houk who took the shot in her place a look that mixed apology and thanks for saving her. She would have said something as well but stayed quiet as she tried not to do anything to give away her position. She recognized the voices of the men, and the 'Where is the stinking rat' question only further confirmed that they were still looking for her, and she very much feared what they would do to her if they managed to capture her. As she looked around once more, she spotted Xula Gans's blaster pistol on the floor and promptly grabbed it, holding it defensively with both hands, the barrel aimed in the direction of the nearest of the speciesist humans. When Adi'ka and the Houk begin firing on them, she joined in and fired a few shots as well. Her aim seems pretty good for someone who's never fired a blaster before.

Adi'ka Awaud

 

[Adi'ka Awaud]

Adi'ka and even the Houks looked astonished at the small being suddenly grabbing a blaster and firing it and downing an also surprised attacker.
So she had not interpreted something into the nodding of the tiny, color changing fur ball, the being was indeed intelligent and not an animal.
The Lepi never hear of, let alone see, a Kushiban and was perplexed.

The second Houk left the cover of the thrown over tables, which were shrinking with every blast hitting them anyway, and charged into the supremacists, taking a few blaster hits, but still connected with the humans. The high-pitched buzzing of his vibroblade was overtaken by the screams of the enemy, as their limbs were flying in all directions.
The surviving supremacists were hastily retreating and fled the nightclub. The firing stopped and people took cared of wounded friends or calming down screaming dancers.

Adi'ka and the Houk aimed their blasters again at each other, but did not shoot. "You are hurt, and your friend is down and wounded. We should call this a day, and you go and help him and I go and do my business. You did your job as a bodyguard well, and I would hate to kill someone who fought at my side."
She lowered her weapon slowly, and the Houk did the same after a short hesitation. Then he hurried to this heavy breathing friend, who laid with smoking blaster holes on top of a pile of corpses and serrated limbs.

The Lepi looked around and saw Xula Gans nowhere. She sighted and paid attention to the color changing Kushiban.
Ad'ka lifted her helmet and showed her white Lagomorph face, not entirely unlike that of the Kushiban. She smiled to sooth the being.
"Oya, little brave one, what is your story? Tell me on the way out. We should leave. Supremacists are one problem, but soon stormtroopers of the Lost Empire would appear looking for this mess, and I have no intention to answer their questions.
Besides, I have unfinished business with the green guy."

Asani Windsong

 

[Asani Windsong]

Asani was perhaps just as surprised at the fact that she was actually able to hit one of the men, and if the hit proved fatal this would be her first time killing someone, though she knew they hated her just because she wasn't human and would likely do the same to her if given the chance, so she doesn't feel terribly sorry for them. In fact, her fur had shifted towards a more purple color as anger mixed in with fear. She wondered why so many humans think they're better than non-humans.

As the fighting winds down and the few surviving supremacists retreat as they decide they'd rather not join their comrades in death, Asani watches the exchange between the Mandalorian Lepi and the less wounded of the two Houk bodyguards. She doesn't know why they were fighting each other in the first place but is glad they both decided to let their truce stand. In her opinion, there has been enough killing for one day.

Just before the Lepi turned her attention back to her, Asani looked down at the blaster, pondering whether to keep it for further protection, but ultimately decided it was too big for her to carry and put it down on the floor. She looked up to the Lepi as she lifted her helmet and revealed her face, and Asani looked delighted to see it. Sure they were both still different species from different parts of the galaxy, but this was the closest she'd come to meeting someone like herself in what felt like quite a long time.

Asani certainly didn't have to be told twice that they should leave, as she didn't want to talk to any stormtroopers either. As she followed after the Lepi, she finally spoke, giving the sort version of her story, her voice high-pitched with a tone of nervousness. "My name is Asani, I was taken from my home world and sold to a family of humans to be a girl's pet. She wasn't particularly mean to me but I wanted to be free again so I escaped. After floating through the galaxy for a while, I ended up here. Those men were after me because I took some food." It'll also probably take a while for her to calm down after all that just happened so the colorful fur is here to stay for now.

Adi'ka Awaud

 

[Adi'ka Awaud]

"Oya, Asani, my name is Adi'ka, and my dad adopted me into his Mandalorian clan as I was a young criminal. Now I hunt this Falleen guy because he knows the whereabouts of some very evil people, more evil even as this slave trader and spice seller is."

The Lepi put her helmet on again and some lights begin to flicker as powerful scanners were put to work. "The bad news is, he escaped in this turmoil. The good news is, he tried to enchant my with his pheromones. And these are easy to track. Do you want to help me hunt this bad guy? On the way, I would buy you some food. I could use some myself."
She put up the gun of Xula Gans. A fancy sporting model with gold inlays and even jewels in the grip and along the barrel. Adi'ka shook her head. "Not your style, Asani! This is better suited for you." The Lepi took a tiny hold-out blaster out of her belt.
"Careful, it has only 5 shot per power pack, but is modified to stun even a Bantha."

Then she walked out of the nightclub as if she had a clear path to follow. Indeed, Asani could recognize with her fine nose the sweet scent of alluring perfume.

Asani Windsong

 

[Asani Windsong]

Asani had seen the Falleen man slip away but couldn't have done much to stop him amidst the fighting he used as a distraction while he escaped. She also felt somewhat responsible for how easy his escape was. She nodded to Adi'ka as she introduced herself and asked if she would like to help hunt the Falleen guy.

"I'm sorry if the distraction I caused helped him get away but thank you for saving me. I would like to help you, yes!" She says with a happy tone in her voice. She wanted to stay with Adi'ka either way, but at the offer of food, her stomach growled as if in anticipation of finally getting a decent meal.

She took the tiny hold-out blaster Adi'ka offered her and looked at it curiously, holding it briefly by the grip and aiming it at a nearby sign. After shooting Cula Gans' blaster, and being told how powerful this one was, she didn't have to be told not to casually point it at friends or innocents. She was indeed able to properly wield it in just one of her little hand-like four-fingered forepaws. Finally, she stowed the weapon into a colorful woven cloth pouch patterned with pale orange and gold Candlewick flowers and deep red and gold Yavin Glowing Orchids which she had slung around her torso with a strap. The pouch and the clay flute inside are her only possessions.

Indeed, after she walked out of the nightclub along with Adi'ka, she sniffed a few times before looking back at her. "I can smell the pher... phero...mones... I think, I didn't know what that smell was from when we were inside, but I smell it here now too."

 

[Adi'ka Awaud]

"Good, it seems you are immune to the alluring effect of the pheromones. They have ... special effects on most females, even from very different species. You are a lass, aren't you?"
The very unequal pair stood in the cool air of the holoadvertising lit streets of the spaceport district. The mountainous spires with the carved faces of long dead tyrants loomed overhead.

Patrols of stormtroopers dominated the streets. It was war ... again. And it went not well for the Empire of the Lost. Disturbing news of destroyed worlds by Base Delta Zero operations were whispered, even as the propaganda only spoke of glorious victories.
Naturally for a military dictatorship a great show was put how firm their control was.

The Mandalorian Lepi was leading the way with her high-tech tracking, but asked the Kushiban from time to time, if she was still on track.
As the hunt led through a crowded market hall with foof vendors, Adi'ka pointed at a noodle shop of an Ortolan. The blue elephant species was famous for their cuisine.
"Break time, Asani! The scent will linger and an empty belly leads to an empty brain. Let's go, eat your fill, I pay!"

She, for herself, took a seat at the counter and patted on a seat beside her. Again, the Lepi took off her helmet. She had a pretty face, and the large eyes must seem innocent and cute for humans. The contrast to her armor and the many weapons was stark.
Her smile was genuine, and she smelled surprisingly ... young. The Lepi must be, in spite of her experience and martial skills, young by the standards of the predominant humans or Duros.

And as emotionless the helmet let her appear, without it a cornucopia of divers emotions could be seen, emphasized by position of the ears, vibration of the whiskers and standing of the fur.
Asani could behold it at the moment the other Lagomorph tasted her food. Disturbingly, the sweet-sour soup she had ordered was prepared with flesh. The Imperial classification of the Lepi was Lepus Carnivorous, even if Omnivorous had been more accurate, but the Empire always dealt in absolutes.

"Enjoy your meal!", Adi'ka smiled at Asani. More surprising than the friendliness of the fierce Mandalorian was how she treated the Kushiban: Not with patronizing, but by taking her seriously.

Asani Windsong

 

[Asani Windsong]

Asani nodded to the question about being female and spoke to how the pheromones made her feel. "They did make me feel a little woozy. I guess you were protected by your mask?" She asked curiously, dropping to a quadrupedal walk as they moved through the spaceport district. It was more natural for her and also made it easier for her to follow the scent of the pheromones as it was slightly more potent along the ground where the scent had something to cling to.

There was once a time when the holo ads would have gotten a reaction of surprise and wonder from the Kushiban who grew up without ever seeing such fancy technology, but now they only get a glance. She still found the technology interesting, but the subject matter they portray does not interest her. She also doesn't follow the politics of what was going on beyond the fact that the war was making people more agitated, which is never good for a lone individual struggling through life without a credit to her name and mostly trying to go unnoticed.

The bright color in her fur finally faded, eventually becoming white with a faint tinge of golden brown. Her ears lifted and her tail swished a bit as she turned toward Adi'ka, happily at the mention that they would take a break to eat now. She had mentioned having stolen some food earlier but unfortunately didn't get to eat much of it before she had to run for her life.

She leaps up to the seat Adi'ka patted and after a bit of discussion with the Ortolan about what was on the menu, she orders a vegetarian bowl of noodles that has blue cabbage, Celto, and minced Bloddle along with a spicy pepper sauce.

Asani looks at the bowl of noodles that Adi'ka ordered, and sniffs at the scent curiously, a blink and head tilt in surprise that she is eating meat. The bowl of noodles that is placed in front of Asani's seat is twice the size of the little Kushiban's head. She has to stand atop the seat to reach it, but she happily began to eat, at first blinking in surprise at the strong flavor of the sauce, but decided she liked it as she kept eating. Despite how hungry she is, she took care not to eat too fast and properly chew her food. An upset stomach is the last thing she wants when helping track down a dangerous individual.

Asani appreciated that Adi'ka treated her like a normal person, it was unfortunately uncommon and made her feel comfortable around the Lepi, that she could be herself, and speak openly with her. She is an adult by her species' standards, but a human of the same number of years would still be a young teenager, so her lack of experience doesn't help her any to be taken seriously by others. Asani ate quietly for a while before her eating pace slowed further as she got full and she turned to look at Aki'ka again. "I could eat more, but then I wouldn't want to move much for a while." She says with a laugh. She did make a decent dent in the bowl of noodles as it is for how small she is.

Adi'ka Awaud

 

[Adi'ka Awaud]

"Oya, the helmet protects me. I know too well how these Falleen bastards work with that pheromones of them. I was a bad girl, as I was barely larger than you and did anything the Falleen boss of my gang wanted. Swoopracing, stealing, doing stims and spices ... I even tried to kill my future adoptive dad. Imagine, trying to attack a Mandalorian Alor with only a knife! He beat the crap out of me, killed the boss and set me on a very hard withdrawal - Mandalorian fatherly love, I know now.
Since that day I do never again spice and have my helmet on around Falleen.
Life is the best teacher, I guess."

Adi'ka drank the rest of her soup and put the helmet on.
"More food after the hunt."
She dropped a few credit chips on the counter and resumed the chase.

The trail of pheromones was so unique it was still easy to follow and led to a district of run down old buildings and shacks. Walkways and bridges crisscrossed the canals of the lagoon.

The Lepi pointed to a building with two levels. "There the trail ends. Kark! My passive scans indicate they have ECM-sensors. I cannot send my droids without alerting them to disable their electronic defenses ..."

She looked to the small Asani. "... but as luck wants it, I have a friend who would not be detected and could climb into the narrow air vents, find the security console and detonate this little ion grenade here."

Adi'ka tossed an oval small device with a timer to Asani which would nicely fit into her pouch.

"You could escape back into the vents or hide, till I come in." She knelt beside her. "It will probably get bloody. Perhaps you should not watch me do it."

Asani Windsong

 

[Asani Windsong]

Asani quickly drank the glass of water she had forgotten came with her meal, having been so hungry. She looked back toward Adi'ka and shuddered a bit at how she described the effect of these pheromones, it was like mind control. "That sounds awful, I didn't think there could be something worse than slavery, but having your mind controlled like that… I'm really glad they didn't work on me."

She hopped down from the seat and headed off with Adi'ka, back on the trail of the scent. When they arrived in the more run-down area, Asani moved ahead a bit, she seemed to be more familiar with this area of town. She nodded as Adi'ka indicated the building where the scent trail came to an end, and listened to the explanation of how she could help. "Ok, I can do that!" She replied confidently, taking the ion grenade and carefully putting it away in her pouch.

"What will the console look like?" Asani asked while she waited for Adi'ka to remove one of the vent covers for her to slip inside. It was a good thing the Kushiban wasn't claustrophobic, as even for her it was a fairly tight fit crawling through the ventilation ducts. She took a moment to look through the vent covers of each room as she made her way along, looking for the right room. Eventually, she came to one that was smaller, yet had a sturdy-looking door, and a computer console.

"I hope this is right…" Asani muttered softly to herself as she carefully pushed the vent cover open, then pulled the ion grenade from her pouch and activated the timer before tossing it out of the vent and promptly moving back the way she came. She would hide in the ventilation shaft near where she entered, having agreed she would rather not watch a brutal battle between Adi'ka and the men inside, even if they were bad people. Being able to hear it would be enough for her, and she would stay put unless it sounded like the Lepi needed help.

Adi'ka Awaud

 

[Adi'ka Awaud]

Even in vent or perhaps because of that, it was scary enough for the young wanderer only to hear what happened next.
It started with strange noises as if a nail gun punctured concrete walls.
The hypersensitive connection to the force let Asani feel as if candles of life were sniffed out - one after the other.

Then the first angry and frightened voices were heard.
"Strugut, come in? Where are you lazy pile of Bantha poodoo?"
"Where is Julv? And did you see Xing?"
"What is happening here?"
"Tell the boss the security cams are offline!"
"Karg, Julv is dead! Karg, karg, KARG! We are under at ... Urgh!"

Asani heard something in the vent and her fast beating heart beat even faster. Something crawled in here!

Dim red lights shined in the darkness, but before the Kushiban could decide if to flee or to fight, the hologram of the symbol on Adi'ka's shoulder armor flashed before a tiny doid, followed by a projected heart.
A friendly whispering in Binary chirped from it. Asani remembered a "grenade" at the belt of the Lepi looking like the body of the tiny machine before here.
A third Holo was projected and showed her and the Lepi dining.
Then, as the droid was assured, Asani would not take hostile action, a bubble of energy enclosed both of them. The energy field was protecting her and muffled the sound of the outside.

It was for the better, because loud explosions shook the building and the vent was vibrating.
The shrieking of blaster fire was faintly to be recognized and perhaps even screams. Better not to think about that!
A while later, the tiny droid deactivated the energy field and lifted a leg to make a thumps-up, before hopping down the vent to its master.

As Asani followed the droid, she could see out of the vent.
Dust clouds were settling and the ozone smell of blaster shots overlaid the scent of blood, fear and charred flesh.

The black clad Lepi stood over the whimpering wrack of Xula Gans who was hastily copying data from an encoded mainframe to give to the bounty hunter with trembling hands.
"Here, that is all you wanted! Spare me, Black Death! Please!"

The little droid hopped, transforming back to a "grenade", at the belt of Adi'ka.

"Many died to protect your sorry life", Adi'ka said calmly raising her gun at the head of the Fallen. "Many more lives of slaves were ruined because of you. But, ..." she set the weapon on stun. "... a quick death is too good for you. You should rot in a cell, condemned by a court trial. I am the black line between civilization and barbaric scum like you. I am not a vigilante who would execute you.

In my authority as licensed bounty hunter, Xula Gans, you are hereby under arrest!"

The blue circle of a stun blast knocked the crime boss out cold and the Lepi Mandalorian attached a small repulsorlift to the body for transport.

"Thanks for the help, Asani!", Adi'ka said and looked to the vent. "It was way easier to get to this scumbag. Time to bring him to the coozy cell on my ship, and then we could party!"

Asani Windsong

 

[Asani Windsong]

Asani's heart did indeed start beating faster as she heard something coming down the vent in her direction, and fast. She quickly wondered if they had some sort of countermeasures to attack biological intruders like her coming through the vents, which maybe lucky for her hadn't kicked in quick enough to stop her from doing what Adi'ka had asked her. She poked her nose out the vent to see if it was safe to jump free of the building, but as she did, she looked back to see a droid displaying holograms and chirping at her to try and indicate it was from Adi'ka and was friendly.

She had seen the 'grenades' Adi'ka carried on her belt but had never experienced a droid this small before. She chuckled at the irony that she was afraid of something smaller than herself, considering usually it's been her fearing beings larger than her, but reminded herself that even a droid this small could be dangerous if it wasn't friendly. After the droid enveloped them both in a shield, she smiled as she noticed the sound dampening it provided. Leave it to a Lepi to think of the sensitive hearing of her fellow big-eared companion as indeed the ventilation shaft got quite loud as the sounds of battle and death echoed through the ducts.

When Asani followed the droid back to Adi'ka, she wrinkled her nose in mild disgust at the smell of blood, as well as the stronger chemical scents of ozone and the persons and objects burned by the blaster fire. She leapt from the air vent first to a table, and then finally to the floor. She looked toward Xula Gans as he begged for his life to be spared by Adi'ka, and blinked as he called her 'Black Death'… Is that what bad people like him call her new Lepi friend? She did indeed have black armor. "You sure have a more ominous nickname than I do." She commented as she looked up at Adi'ka, then frowned as she listed off the reasons Xula Gans doesn't deserve to live, especially at the deaths of slaves, as she already had a brief brush with that life.

She watched quietly and listened as Adi'ka placed him under arrest, then nodded and smiled at the thanks for her help. "Happy to help, if it wasn't for you, I'd have been arrested myself, or worse." Her eyes then light up at the mention of going to Adi'ka's ship, and getting to party, both excited her.

Adi'ka Awaud

 

[Adi'ka Awaud]

"Heheh", Adi'ka chuckled. "Yes, it was a nickname my brothers and sisters gave me, as I chose the color of my armor. Black means justice in our color code. The original name is actually Black Bunny of Death, and it is like a pet name in our culture. The baddies shorten that to Black Death. I like that way."

The bounty hunter dragged the floating, unconscious Falleen through the streets. Some people were staring, some muttering among themselves, but nobody stood in the way of the two Lagomorphs.
Only at the parking lot of the helicopter taxis, a checkpoint of stormtroopers questioned Adi'ka about the floating man. She showed her bounty hunter ID and the soldiers let her pass.

Then they boarded a helicopter piloted by a Saheelindeeli taxi driver. "Ah, Bluck Dath! Me paleased yo toke me flyer agan. Nice cutie! Yo offspring?", the simian being asked, smiling a broad toothy smile.

Adi'ka laughed. "No, only a friend with similar features, like your folk and the humans."

"Sorry, me see! Ahahaha, never say Saheelindeeli are like humaan to a humaan. Sey seriously angrey about that famaly relation. Is baad insult to say humaan being like ape!"

He adjusted his flight googles and started his helicopter.
They flew upward to the spaceport that was situated at the top of the mountains.
The primitive and loud machine passed by the giant faces of past rulers of the twenty thousand years old civilization carved into the mountainside, eroded by the eons to featureless caricatures more like weathered skulls than like mighty tyrants.

The talkative pilot had a fairy tale for every face he gladly told, shouting over the noise of his copter.

Soon they landed high above the sprawling city, down in the mist of the lagoon.
Adi'ka payed up and let Asani to her ship standing on of the spire platforms reachable only by hanging bridges swinging in the wind.

It was a sturdy heavily armored gunship of centuries old design, bristling with weapons.
"Welcome to my Parsniper Mork!", the Lepi said proudly and opened the hatch.
The inside of the ship looked like the cramped living space as much as like the machine of war for the Mandalorian.
It was a stark contrast between weapon racks, armorer station and a holding cell Adi'ka dropped her prisoner in and a plush bedroom with souvenirs, plants and posters of music bands.

"Sorry, for the mess! Wait a minute, I change to something more comfortable for a party tour."
She disappeared in the area with the armorer station and reappeared as someone completely different!

The armored Black Death was gone, and a slender Lepi girly with colorful skirt and pink T-shirt came back.
Asani could appreciate better than a human how young and frail Adi'ka seemed without her armor.
Only her black armored boots and a tiny hold-out blaster were a reminder of her Mandalorian personality.

With stars in her eyes, the Lepi said joyful: "Onward to a night on the town! Let's party!"


Asani Windsong

 

[Asani Windsong]

Asani grinned at the explanation Adi'ka gave about her nickname, and she chuckled a bit in response as well. "I like it. Mine directly translates to Windsong. My friends and siblings came up with it, because sometimes when I play my flute, when I really get focused in on the song, a wind would blow outward from me, they said it helped carry the music further too."

She followed Adi'ka out, taking hold of one of the Falleen's arms and helping to drag him along, showing that she was stronger than she looked. After they boarded the helicopter, she greeted the driver with a smile, and couldn't help but giggle a little as he not only called her cute, which she was used to hearing by now from the kinder sentients, but also asked if she was Adi'ka's daughter. She nodded as Adi'ka explained so she didn't have to correct him, but she added a little anyway. "My name is Asani, I'm a Kushiban, thank you for giving us a lift." She explained and greeted him with a warm, friendly tone.

Asani looked out the window as the helicopter rose above the city and headed towards the spaceport in the mountains, enjoying the view. She also had an ear directed at the Saheelindeeli driver, seeming to enjoy listening to his stories along the way. When they landed, she hopped out and walked with Adi'ka on the way to her ship, careful not to lose her footing or get blown off of the swinging bridges.

When they finally arrived at her ship, she gazed at it in awe. It was simple yet elegant in its design, at least in her opinion, though she had not seen or been on many gunships, mostly larger cargo ships she could more easily hide on and freely make it to the next destination, wherever that was she usually didn't care terribly much.

She didn't say anything till after they were inside and Adi'ka apologized for the mess. She shook her head. "I love it, and I've seen messier. Some I could swear hadn't been cleaned since they left the factory… Made me wonder if the people on it had lost their sense of smell or were just got used to it over the years. One in particular actually made me faint when I was brought on board." She commented with a shudder as she remembered the stench of a few of the ships she had been on after being taken as a slave.

She looked around the room a bit while Adi'ka got changed, though she didn't have to wait long as the Lepi emerged without most of her armor. Asani blinked at the sight, then grinned and laughed, remembering what the Saheelindeeli had said "You sure don't look old enough to be my mom, maybe… big sister. I may have lost track a little with all the galaxy hopping, but I think I just recently turned fourteen. We do look more alike than different though!"

Adi'ka Awaud

 

[Adi'ka Awaud]

"Thank you!", Adi'ka smiled. "But I am 23! An adult of my species for eight years now. Ten years in bounty hunter business. Child criminal record with age 9 and youth criminal record with age 10.
But all call me still Adi'ka, daughter, in the Mandalorian language. I would never change that name. I will ever be dad's daughter. I owe him everything."

She deeply inhaled the clear, icy mountain air. "I love the freedom my lifestyle brings. But I envy you. You can play an instrument. I had never the patience to learn one beside the instruments of destruction. But I am a decent dancer, my ..., like, friends say at least."
She jogged humming over the bridge back to the taxi helipad and the same driver was still there.

"Ah, Bluck Dath is now white cutie too!", he said, grinning.

"You recognized me in an instant, respect!", Adi'ka grinned back.

"Was not Thrawn deduction. Still black booties on sexy feet of Bluck Dath. Me folk have eyes for feet, yes!" He wiggled his own naked toes, who doubled as a second pair of hands for his simian species.

Asani smelled a new scent from the Lepi, she could not sort out yet. "Do you have free time tonight?", the Lepi asked with a purring voice. The talkative Saheelindeeli was for a moment perplexed and silent. Then he laughed. "Ahahaha, me is owner of taxi. Work time is when me say is work time."

"Splendid! Do you know a club where the music is not too loud for large, sensitive ears and the kitchen has veggie food too? I would invite you too."

"Bluck Dath found right maan for dat. Know best cantina of Desevro."

Adi'ka grinned. "Oya! Let's go, atmosphere jockey! Come, sister!"
She jumped with Asani on board, and soon they flew back into the urban sprawl below.

Asani Windsong

 

[Asani Windsong]

Asani blinked in surprise at how early Adi'ka had begun life as a bounty hunter, no wonder she already seemed so skilled at it. After a moment to process it though she shook her head a little and laughed. "So you already had a record by the time I was born. I didn't even leave Kushibah till I was 12, and it wasn't exactly by choice, and I guess I've been an adult of my species for a year now. Not that I feel any different." Years seem to have less meaning when you're wandering the stars and just trying to live till the next day.

She followed Adi'ka's lead and also took a deep breath, then smiled. "The air is much nicer up here, I've been around cities and spaceports so much since I left home that I almost forgot what it was like to be closer to nature. A part of me misses it, but even though it hasn't been easy, I would do it all over again if I had the chance. I could never have dreamed of how much is out here in the galaxy, to get to see it all with my own eyes, is not something I'm willing to give up now."

She nodded to the comment about her being able to play an instrument as they made their way back towards where they left the helicopter taxi. "Well, dancing is sort of like… turning your body into a visual instrument, I guess?" She said in an attempt to not downplay the skill it takes to be a good dancer, she would bet her new friend was better at it than she was. With a gentle pat to her pouch. "My flute belonged to my mother before she gave it to me because she liked my music the best of my siblings. It hasn't been easy to keep this safe with all I've been through, but I'd rather give up my own tail than lose my mother's gift or see it broken."

Back at the taxi, she greeted the driver with a nod and a quick wink at the comment he made to Adi'ka, her eyes shifting to the color of the Saheelindeeli's. "I can be almost any color I choose!" She comments, and it was true, at least with a bit of focus, especially when she is calm and doesn't have the color of a different emotion to try and override. Soon Asani's fur changed to a pretty lavender.

"Yay!" She gave an enthusiastic cheer as the Saheelindeeli said they both knew of a place to party that would suit their needs and also agreed to join them. Perhaps she could pretend this was a celebration for her turning 14, it'd been only two years since the last time she had a Birthday with her family, but it almost felt like a lifetime ago, and Adi'ka called her sister, so they were family now, she decided. "I can hardly wait! Let's have the best night ever, sister!" She replied as she jumped up into the helicopter.

Adi'ka Awaud

 

[Adi'ka Awaud]

The taxi pilot did not exaggerate. He led them to a cantina at the edge of the sprawl, where the vast ocean branded at the cliffs. Icebergs were drifting in the distance, broken loose from the poles by the climate change the heavy industry of the Empire of the Lost has brought about this old world.

The Cantina was on top of a spire and the patrons were of many species. Jizz and Gliz was played by live bands and single interprets, and Adi'ka encouraged Asani to play too. She would like to hear her music. Some patrons also said they would like to hear it.
Many were Saheelindeeli here, one of the few species the early humans spared from total genocide in the time of their first expansion.
But many were from other species too, open-minded humans too.
Here were all beings equal in joy and partying.

The food was good and spicy. The simian cuisine was edible for the Kushiban and Lepi and quite delicious.
Adi'ka danced the "Lepi Hop-dance" which was popular by other species too, and she seemed to have the time of her life.

For a while, she vanished with the taxi pilot and the scent as she returned made the ears of Asani blush.

In a quieter moment, Adi'ka got serious and said to Asani: "You should not stay long on this planet. War is coming, and both sides are merciless to civilians. I will fly tomorrow before a lockdown shut off all traffic. I could take you with me to any system on my route you want to visit. I have a package of garbage to deliver to the GA."

Asani Windsong

 

[Asani Windsong]

Still looking out the window as they neared the cantina the taxi pilot recommended for their needs, Asani uttered an impressed "Wow... what a view!" at the view of the oceans and the icebergs, the latter being something she'd never seen before. Once inside, she happily enjoyed the music while eating her fill of the food, which she found spicy like what they had ordered earlier from the Ortolan noodle shop, but she liked it even better here.

After eating, she tried a hot drink that was sort of like a spiced tea, it had a nice flavor but the warm liquid threatened to put her to sleep, so went over to join Adi'ka in dancing, doing her best Lepi Hop-dance despite having shorter legs than her taller friend. Next, she pulled out her flute and played along with the music, and for a bit they even let her play solo, so she played a few songs she's known since she was very young, and as she closed her eyes and became immersed in the song a wind seemed to radiate out from her. The lavender color she had been keeping up faded to a golden brown as she relaxed and was just feeling happy and free for the first time in a while. It was really nice to be around people who accepted others regardless of their species.

Indeed the fact that Adi'ka vanished along with the taxi pilot didn't go unnoticed by Asani, nor did her return and the rather special scent she now exuded. Her ears turned a little pink and she gave the Lepi a wink. Soon Asani grew tired, as today had been quite full of excitement, and when she moved to a quieter part of the club, Adi'ka came to her and got serious with her, speaking of coming conflict. One that would likely find the little Kushiban trampled under its march.

"This has been the best day I've had in as long as I can remember, even if it didn't start off that way. But, I never intended to stay here long, and while tonight has proven there are many who aren't there are so many speciesist people here, I would happily leave with you. Especially since I don't have a ship of my own. Besides, we're sisters now, right? Sisters got to stick together!" She said with a wink and an affectionate brush of her tail against Adi'ka.

Adi'ka Awaud