First Reply Need a Hand? | 244Core

[Iria]

Need a Hand?
244Core
Tags: Open

"I said don't feth'n move, lady."

It was a common scene. Outside of a bar, alleyway of an industrial world. A bald human bounty hunter stood with his blaster at the ready, aimed at the back of a young woman's head. He didn't know why she was being called for, but he knew a good paycheck when he saw it. Now he had all of that right where he wanted it.

Iria, meanwhile, could only let out an irritated huff. She had managed to get herself all the way across the galaxy to get away from home, and yet even still bumbling morons couldn't leave her alone. She understood well enough that the people beyond her home needed to make a living, but this seemed ridiculous. It wasn't a great concern, but it certainly was a nuisance. Not that this was a surprise. Those snakes on Smarteel were going to make her life hell till the day she died.

At least it was good sparring practice.

"Curve your tongue," Iria hissed.

She was quick with her counterattack, drawing her blade with grace and speed and sheathing it just as quickly. When the arc finished it's path, the hunter was without his hand. All he could do was cry out in pain when the realization finally kicked in.

"Y-you crazy hag!" he screamed. "I-I-I'LL KILL YOU!"

Only to turn and run away. The Zabrak sighed, hanging her head a little.

"Great," she grumbled. "That's another planet off the list..."

A hag? Not that it was the top of her worries, but still. Some people had no honor. A sigh escaped her chest as she took a moment to collect her thoughts. She was going to have to start moving her way to that hunk of junk vessel she stole. No doubt the bald fellow was off to find backup, or authorities.

A great start to her day.

 

[Leliana]

It had been a long time since Leliana had properly stepped out of the darkness, especially so on a whim. With the fall of the Sith Empire and everything else with it, the assassin had allowed herself to be submerged in the shadows, one of the very few places she felt the safest.

There had been the occasional appearance, times when an appealing assassination contract caught her attention. Mostly a way to test her abilities, to sharpen her skills. But for the most part, Leliana had disappeared from the face of the galaxy.

Forgoing past relationships, both platonic and romantic.

But sometimes she felt her mind wandering, pondering on random topics. Was there an aspect of her old Master still out there in the galaxy? Was Quinn still scheming somewhere?

And sometimes, she missed just poking her head into random strangers’ business. To see what the hell could possibly happen.

“Should’ve actually taken his tongue, if not his head outright.”

The voice seemed to emanate from the very shadows around the Zabrak, distorted and lacking any discernible identity. Until a figure stepped out from the darkness, dressed from head to toe in an outfit that seemed almost out of time.

“That way you might actually be able to revisit some planets without concern.”

Just above the facemask, a pair of dark brown eyes stared unflinchingly at Iria.

“Need a hand?”

Iria​

 

[Iria]

244Core
Tags: Leliana

“Should’ve actually taken his tongue, if not his head outright.”

"There's no honor in ending an undisciplined moron out of frustration," Iria scoffed, turning her nose up a little at the notion. "The hand will suffice. Perhaps it will allow the fool an opportunity to rethink his life."

Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the woman in untimely dress, looking over her in a scrutinizing manner. Some agent of the shadows? Hiding her face was certainly a sign of something far more discrete and darker afoot. Frankly after futzing around the the politics of that damned house. This was coming with strings attached.

"I have no need for the assistance of a shadowy malefactor," she stated bluntly, crossing her arms. "Let alone a faceless one at that. I've seen the craft of your ilk. The miscreants that dwell in the darkness. I have my whits about me enough to deprive myself of such lows."

Of course, the question now was plain as day:

"Your angle," the young woman asked. "You've interjected to gain something here. What is it?"

 

[Leliana]

“Is it really out of frustration, if you’re simply cutting out a future problem?” Leliana tilted her head to the side slightly, eyes subtly taking in Iria’s distinctive features. “What good is honour if it just leads to another blade or blaster at your back.”

She watched as the gears shifted about in the Zabrak’s brain. Leliana made no effort to hide what she was, the attire of an assassin, one who hunts in the shadows, albeit with a dash of regal flair.

Dark blues, golds and purples weren’t exactly the colours you’d associate with someone who wanted to be stealthy.

Beneath her mask, Leliana’s lips quirked in amusement, ‘malefactor’ what a fancy little word. Not a term she regularly heard when describing her occupation. Was it a case of upbringing, or did the young woman before her just like to read a lot?

Leliana raised a hand, tugging her mask down until it rested along her neck. “Does that help?” She asked, her tone laced with the smallest bit of mockery. With it down though, there was no hiding the slight smile at Iria’s question.

“Curiosity.” Leliana answered with a shrug. “What ever is a Smarteelian Zabrak doing in this part of the galaxy?”

Iria​

 

[Iria]

244Core
Tags: Leliana

"What I'm doing is hardly any of your concern," Iria stated. "I go where I choose to. I see no value in confining myself to a corporate estate."

That was partially true. She did have a life to live on her own, far from the reaches of the noble house, but that was all it was. A partial truth. Of course, the active bounty on her head made being discrete about it a little tricky, but she'd figure that one out as she went.

"There, you're curiosity has been satiated," she continued. "Now, if I am to be frank, I certainly have a plethora of high-priority items on my agenda that I must attend to. So if you'd be so kind..."

Distant sirens made her words trail off. Iria moved back, pressing herself to the wall just in time for a security speeder to fly past and completely miss her. An irritated scoff escaped her chest, her frustration growing. Of course there were authorities involved now. Why wouldn't they be? No doubt in the pocket of the bounty hunter's guild looking to get a payout for the price over her head. The Unknown Regions had been rather messy politically after the Eternal Empire collapsed during the Second Great Hyperspace War.

Corruption was to be expected.

"Look, I have places to be," Iria resumed. "I suggest you make peace with your interest and find someone else to pester."

 

[Leliana]

“Hmm, did I say anything about concern?” Leliana paused, tapping her chin. “I suppose there is a little. Though more towards your naivety potentially getting you unnecessarily killed.”

The young woman went to reply further, but stopped when she heard the sirens. Leliana took a single step back and slipped into the shadows, eyes lingering towards the alleyway entrance, but fortunately the speeder zipped right by.

“Why do I even remotely care? Because I hate seeing life be discarded so pointlessly. Especially someone who is skilled with a blade.”

She had seen it plenty during her time learning amongst Sith Acolytes. Their very nature was to grow more powerful, to manipulate and strike down their peers. And to see so many fall so shortly, despite getting to such a position originally, was a waste in Leliana’s eyes.

“I want to help you be better at keeping a low profile. To which, tip one: Again, you shouldn't have let the bounty hunter leave this alleyway. Honour, killing, knocking out, yadda, yadda. Point is, whether there is corruption in the authorities or not, suddenly seeing a man screaming bloody murder, with a hand chopped off, is going to draw attention.”

Iria​

 

[Iria]

244Core
Tags: Leliana

“Why do I even remotely care? Because I hate seeing life be discarded so pointlessly. Especially someone who is skilled with a blade.”

"And I'll manage," Iria huffed, turning up her nose. "If I cannot keep a low profile, then I will simply adapt."

Now, the pressing issue was to get to her starship and depart from the planet. It was simple enough. Probably. And she would do it all without stooping to the lows of some shady character telling her to discard her honor. It was simply not in her nature to do so. Everything was fine and completely under her control.

"Eyes on two potential subjects!"

Three armed guards, or rather armed thugs paid off to be guards, rounded the alleyway corner.

"Ah, bother," she hissed.

 

[Leliana]

Leliana raised an eyebrow at the small display of haughty attitude. “Adapting means little, when you’re making a glaringly obvious mistake when keeping a low profile.”

She felt the incoming presence before hearing their footsteps. The assassin didn’t hesitate to pull her mask back up, mere moments before the trio of guards rounded the corner.

Damn it, we’ve been standing here too long.

“We need to get out of here, before they can cut off our only exit.” Leliana whispered, eyes shifting between the Zabrak before her, and over her shoulder towards the open street behind. “Just slowly back up, when it’s time to run…well you’ll know.”

Leliana turned around, but in the process subtly reached into her coat and pulled something out. She kept her arms behind her back, acting as though she was simply holding them together. However, clutched in one hand was a grenade.

It certainly wasn’t a thermal detonator, but Leliana’s thumb was hovering over the activator all the same.

“Gentlemen, what appears to be the issue here?”

She began taking a couple steps back, either right into Iria or hopefully following the Zabrak’s own movements.

Iria​

 

[Iria]

244Core
Tags: Leliana

It certainly wasn’t a thermal detonator, but Leliana’s thumb was hovering over the activator all the same.

"Oh," Iria muttered.

That was probably the signal. She prepared to activate her wrist energy shield as the three armed individuals closed in, glancing at their blaster rifles... Cheap. E-5 blasters. These guys must have been operating out of a shed.

"Feth, y'all remember the description of the target?" one muttered.

They seemed to stand there for a moment, glancing between the two women before raising their blasters.

"Hell with this, just kill'em."

They were quick to open fire, and Iria was quick to activate her energy shield in turn. A red circle appeared on her wrists, taking the incoming blaster fire... at least one blaster bolt. The E-5 was a poor blaster, with a notably questionable accuracy. The ensuing assault was embarrassing, to say the least.

 

[Leliana]

The assassin almost rolled her eyes at the level of incompetence she was seeing right now. Neither of the three men before them seemingly had any idea who they were meant to be hunting. And to add insult to injury, they were poorly equipped.

Was this the state of the bounty hunter scene in this part of the galaxy? No, these are just local thugs, being fooled into becoming fodder.

Leliana supposed she should give someone credit for having that amount of intelligence.

She didn’t even blink as each one fired. The first shot going wide, the second getting closer but missing Leliana by a wide margin. By some miracle the third got close enough, but it was easily absorbed by Iria’s wrist shield.

“You done?” Leliana inquired, not bothering to hide just how unimpressed she sounded. “Catch.” She activated the grenade and a second later tossed it towards the thugs. Without missing a beat she turned around and began to run in the opposite direction.

By the time they exited from the alley, a concussive blast shook the area they were previously in, filling the space with a blinding light.

Iria​