Jungle Fever

[Rekha Kaarde]

[SIZE=12pt]Location: Jungle Moon of Va’art[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Navigating an asteroid field is one of the things that Rekha hated the most, it meant flying free hand which she loved, but it meant every sensor had to be working otherwise one wrong move and it was dents, and damage.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha was breathing through her mouth a sign that she was concentrating hard anyone around her would this was one of the few time she was serious.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]There was a small settlement on the Jungle Moon of Va’art and she was bringing in their supplies. Course navigating near the asteroid field as close as she had been had gotten her in trouble, and she was currently paying the price for not paying attention the way she should.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Each time one asteroid swung to close she began swearing[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Feth feth feth over and over.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Her knee bounced up and down out of nerves, but still she held to the course she knew she would come out of it just about…………..NOW![/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Free space..Rekha drew a deep breath, Sithspawn[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She began trying to hail the encampment so far no answer.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She got the tingles just then.[/SIZE]

 

[Anastasia Rade]

Over the years Ana turned from much of the fighting her people did to focus on the businesses she owned as well as more charity type of work. She was tired of all the fighting and as such was leaning towards more peaceful things. This however didn't mean that she would ever back down from a fight. If someone wanted to start something Ana had no trouble showing them how vicious she really could be if pushed.

When her husband was using the Ranger Ana would take their second ship and fill it full of supplies for one of her charity missions. Really it was always full and ready for the call and Ana was happy to take it. If she couldn't stay at least she could drop off some supplies for the villiages in need. Anyone would see that her focus had switched and she was beginning to find this fit her better. It always made her smile to help others.

Today she was brining supplies to one of the little clans on the Jungle Moon of Va’art. They were living in poverty due to all their crops being washed out from a big storm. She had brought food supplies but beyond that she was going to show them how to grow crops that could wether the storm. This way the people would be able to provide for themself.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[SIZE=12pt]A bit of static followed by some garbled something, Rekha tried to boost the signal was she still too far out or was the equipment damaged from an asteroid bump. Rekha groaned as she looked at the moon.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She thought she heard someone say it was safe to come in, so she sent back, “Ok will land in 15” She could do it in 15 she needed to get down and check out the ship, and offload. She had been paid by an organization that sponsored the settlers so there was no need to exchange credits.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The manifest would be ready for them to check off each item, and she’d do a little snooping around after she was off loaded.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She broke through the atmosphere into the cloud cover and headed towards the open she could see the settlement it was a welcome sight. Smiling to herself she headed in.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]A few twists and turns, and Rekha put the ship down. There was no shooting, or folks there looking to mob her, she assumed it was good.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She headed back and hit the ramp to lower before she opened the hold of her ship, she’d make sure. Strolling down a man dressed in dark green pants, with a linen shirt, combat boots, and sporting something Rekha had never seen very prominently on his chest.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Hi Rekha Kaarde, I have your supplies” She handed him the manifest.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“We are glad to see you these are needed” He looked down, “Yes, all of this, I have a crew to offload”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha nodded, “that would be great thanks” Her green eyes once again rested on the medallion around his neck.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“It’s a taozin amulet” Rekha laughed she got caught looking, “Never seen one, what does it do?” If it did anything.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Protects against force users”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha’s brows came down as she stepped closer, “Really, against force users, Oh, I need one of those, what do I have to do to get one?”[/SIZE]

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[SIZE=12pt]He looked her over from top to bottom they didn’t just hand these amulets out to everyone who said they wanted one.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“You have to help capture and then you have to remove the piece needed for the amulet” Rekha hadn’t heard him say what they had to capture, or what they had to remove, was he deliberately leaving that part out?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She wasn’t sure smiling was an act to do right now. “um” she had to think for a moment. “yeah I can help do that”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She had never captured anything in her life, and most definitely had never taken anything from something to make something else, so this was all new to her, all well…unknown.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]There were other ships landing they must have gotten supplies from across the galaxy, or they had all heard about these amulets and wanted one. Rekha did not know, she only knew that as a non-force user, one of those would come in handy.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“So…what do I have to do”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]He nodded to her, “Right now just hang out until we get the supplies taken care of”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Ok. I can do that. Now she smiled and stepped away so she could look around, maybe she’d get a glimpse of what it was he wanted her to help capture.[/SIZE]

 

[Eliza Steele]

After receiving a message from fellow Undergrounder [member="Rekha Kaarde"] asking if she could help bring in some humanitarian aid supplies to the impoverished people of Va'art's jungle moon, Eliza went to work contacting suppliers she'd worked with before to gather donations. It took a bit to get enough, but once the Corellian Dawn's cargo hold was full, the petite smuggler set a course for the Va'art system in the Roche sector, which meant going through the asteroid field there. It wasn't something the Corellisi liked to do, but do she did and with precision.

Since Captain Steele's Wookiee co-pilot was on shore leave to see his family on Kashyyyk, and her Mando'ad partner was busy working in his beskarsmith shop on Mandalore finishing up some projects that had been put on hold while flying around with her, the petite smuggler decided to make the "milk" run with only her trusted yet quirky LE Series repair droid. Leebu had been with the family for three generations now and had never been memory-wiped. Sometimes Lizzy wondered if that was a mistake, though she didn't have the heart to do it even though the droid sometimes drove her nuts with his incessant babbling about 'when I was a young droid' bit.

The trip was unremarkable and soon the YT-1930 Light Freighter arrived and set down on the jungle moon near where some other ships had landed presumedly with supplies. Eliza wore her usual spacer attire with a scattergun holstered on the brunette's shapely right hip, a sidearm in a shoulder holster, and a vibroblade tucked into a boot sheath. She also had various demo' gadgets in the pockets of her vest along with one of [member="Kad Tor"]'s modified thermal detonators.

Heavy boots clicked down the landing ramp of the Dawn as she left the ship. Leebu would see to the offloading of the supplies while Eliza checked things out. Maybe there'd be some trinkets to smuggle out to make her pro bono trip worth it.

[member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Kelly Garnier]

Kelly had always done a lot of charity work. It was probably part of the reason why she had never settled down. She was a doctor and while sitting in a clinic had worked for her for a little bit now it didn't. She wanted to help those in the remote parts of the Galaxy where nobody goes which was why she had signed up for the cause.

Today she was headed with a box full of medical supplies to a clan in great need of help. The meds she was supposed to be dropping off were great but she was planning on staying a little while too. Teaching them how to care for themselves. Kelly knew that the meds would only go so far. They needed actual training and she could be here a long as it took.

This wasn't how she had thought her life would end up but after the disappearance of a bounty hunter it had. Kelly liked to think it was better this way for her. She could help others in the galaxy and make it a better place for all. She wasn't sure what to expect when she reached the surface but she was excited to find out and ready for it.

[member="Eliza Steele"][member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

So what’s a girl to do while standing around waiting to be paid, well, answer is simple go get into trouble. She approached one of the stations where they were selling a great many things, trinkets, baubles, and the general shiny things.

“What about the taozin amulets that this place is well known to have?” The vendor smiled, “You need to go on a hunt, and retrieve the skin nodule, and bring it back here, and I’ll make you the amulet”

Rekha smiled, “Skin nodule?” She leaned closer, “how hard is it to get one?”

The Vendor smiled one of those evil little grins, “Not hard honey sure you can get a whole bunch and bring em back”

Rekha gave the Vendor the riiiiigggghttt look. “I figure it out” She backed up slow and wondered was [member="Eliza Steele"] planet side yet

[member="Kelly Garnier"] [member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

Eliza had been strolling around the small market area window shopping more or less when low and behold she spotted her old man's squeeze. Well that wasn't a for sure thing, only that she knew [member="Remy Steele"] had gone to see [member="Rekha Kaarde"] on Bespin to talk "mergers", and the sly ol' Corellian usually got what he wanted.

The petite smuggler was only a few feet away from other dark haired smuggler when the woman nearly backed right up into her. "Whoa, Rekha.. I'm right behind you," the spirited Corellisi said reflexively so she wouldn't get run over.

"Now what's this about amulets, hunts, and skin nodules… Kinda sounds kinky to me," she quipped, flashing a lopsided grin.

"So how was Pops, and I definitely feel the need to have some girl fun."

[member="Kelly Garnier"] [member="Anastasia Rade"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha turned and flashed a grin at Eliza, “Oh your Pops was in fine form” Rekha gave that look that would either embarrass her or make her ask more questions.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“As for the skin nodules, amulets, and other things, if you put silk ties, blind folds and a bottle of whiskey in the same sentence that could be kinky too” What was she doing??[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“They make these amulets out of the skin nodules and it can help with fighting a force user, I think I might like to have one of those. I’ve come up against one a time or two and it wasn’t a pretty ending for me”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She hip checked Eliza, “Whatcha think can you use one?”[/SIZE]

[member="Eliza Steele"] [member="Kelly Garnier"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

"I'd agree… very kinky. Please don't tell me that is how my dad sold you on the merger business," Eliza replied, both teasingly and not. Really it wasn't any of her business what [member="Remy Steele"] did or with whom, it's just that this one hit a bit closer to home with [member="Rekha Kaarde"] involved in the picture. The smuggler was a friend, and a young one at that.

Could she use one? Hell ya… Seems that's all they ran into anymore; the dark ones. Especially now smuggling stuff for the Underground as of late. [member="Coren Starchaser"] was hell bent on giving the Sith a swift kick in the shins, and lately they had though not without pain for some. So far the Corellisi had been lucky.

"I'm thinking one sure could come in handy… So how do we go about getting ahold of one of these amulets? Can we just purchase one from the clans here or do we have to go in search of them?"

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

Rekha smiled at Eliza, "well it was a merger but right now you're just getting my coffee recipe and I'm getting a piece of the sales" Yes they could use one, or two. Out here it wouldn't be so easy and she wondered what would it take in order for her to have one.

Rekha walked along looking for the amulets, and someone who could explain how she could purchase, or earn one. Earning one had all the connotations to it that made her skin feel crawly, and purchasing it sounded too easy so where was the in between.

Rekha saw a older woman sitting and sewing, the wrinkles in her face told of her time in the sun, the white of her hair her age. "Excuse" She smiled hoping that she didn't alarm her, "Where can I join a hunt ?" She wondered did she have to say more.

The old woman smiled even with a twinkle in her eye, "All the way to the end hon, there's always someone waiting to take visitors out"

Rekha nodded, I bet she thought and continued her walk.

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

Rekha made her way towards the end of the market what came to her first was not the line of hunters standing there, it was the stench. The smell of sweat, fur, alcohol and something else that was so rancid it made her noise crinkle up.

What a smell, my word, she made her way towards the hut not sure that she could make it through the crowd. Wiggling between two large hunters to get to the table..."so...can I get in on a hunt?" She smiled. She hoped she would..ok...

A sour man with a pinched face looked up, "A hunt you say huh, let me guess you want the amulet."

Rekha nodded, the man shook his head, "you could just buy it."

Rekha gave it thought, "You know I could but what fun is that?"

A few men around her laughed, ok so it was funny...ok..

"Ok sign this waiver, and go stand over there" Rekha looked down, oh look statement of liability if she died her heirs wouldn't sue...well if she had heirs it would be one thing but she didn't..so..

She signed it and then like a good girl stood with the others all waiting to go hunting.

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

They were bouncing around looking for their prey within the hour. Rekha’s life was in her own hands, the waiver released the hunters from any liability. OH wouldn’t [member="Coren Starchaser"] and [member="Spark Finn"] have loved this. Maybe, well not Spark she was happier within four walls glued to a screen, and Coren well he liked adventure but out here chasing around the equivalent of a giant worm with armor might not be his cup of tea.

The men that rode next to her reeked, badly. She would need a shower once this was over. Suddenly someone shoved her turning quickly she looked up, “what?”

“First hunt?”

“Yes” She nodded like the school girl she felt like.

“WE don’t kill them, just catch them remember that” His eyes were very dark menacing even, she tried to smile but it was nervous laughter that escaped her lips.

“I’ll remember” She only wanted enough to build the amulet that would help with protecting her from force users. She wasn’t a killer.

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

"THERE!" someone was shouting Rekha turned to look, "This is it" then she was shoved unceremoniously from behind she tumbled down landing on her belly face down, shaking her head hard. She tried to clear her mind of what just happen in time to see that everyone who had been on the transport had been shoved off.

"RUN, and hook the legs" They shoved an odd tool into her hand confusion was setting in, she ran where they told her too, she watched the others. The skilled hunters and then she saw it, it was HUGE!! and it had lots of legs it was like a giant armored caterpiller!

"OH MY!"

"COME ON BEFORE IT GETS AWAY"

"Right" Rekha ran pumping her arms with the odd shaped hook like took in her hands. OH she was beginning to understand, pull the legs out from under it.

Easy right?? WRONG!!

She ran up trying to shove the hook under the creature who turned and wiggled in different directions. It stopped and started and then when surrounded it seem to hiss. This sound made Rekha want to back up. Something about a cornered animal.

More vicious, unpredictable...

They had it surrounded, everyone trying to get to the legs, and slip a noose around it's head.

Rekha suddenly felt bad. This seemed like torture. She bit her lip her emerald eyes couldn't help but stare at the eyes was the skin nodule worth this?