No Place to Hide

[Kai and Gerda]

Setting: The streets of Nar Shaddaa.

~*~*~​

A rusty ceiling fan squeaked as it spun, doing little to ventilate the stuffy room. Below the fan, an orange-skinned Twi’lek sat behind a desk, counting credits. When he was finished, he handed them to Alyosha, who stood in front of him.

Alyosha looked over the money, his mouth twisting into a frown. “This isn’t enough,” he said.

The Twi’lek said something in his own language, and a nearby protocol droid quickly translated, “This is all the money available at the moment. Come back tomorrow for the rest of your earnings.”

“And what if I don’t want to come back tomorrow?” Alyosha growled. “What if I want my money now?”

Making a rude gesture, the Twi’lek jabbered something else. The droid softened his words, removing all trace of profanity or insult. “The money will not be available until tomorrow. Please be patient.”

Grimacing, Alyosha resisted the urge to blow the alien away right then and there. He’d almost gotten caught doing this job, and the bastard couldn’t even pay him up front. His own desperation was partly to blame—the offer had been sketchy from the beginning, but he needed the money. He still needed the money.

“Fine,” he muttered, pocketing the credits. “I’ll come back tomorrow. And if you don’t have it then…” He shrugged his shoulders and backed away, figuring he didn’t need to finish his sentence to get the point across.

He shoved open the door and stepped out into the grimy streets of Nar Shaddaa. This planet somehow managed to be both one of the safest and most dangerous places in the galaxy. It had a reputation for being easy to get lost in, allowing outlaws and fugitives to hide among the sea of faces. But it was also a nightmarish hellscape of rampant crime and exploitation, crawling with bounty hunters and assassins. The fact that he was there, even just to deliver a body, was tempting fate. And now he had to wait around another day to get paid for it. Schutta.

Vrisskdohk

 

[Vrisskdohk]

Vrisskdohk sat prostrated in front of a small wooden shrine. Every few seconds, repeating a prayer in Dosh. "<May my hunt be guided by your hand, and my Jagganath be worthy of your inspection.>" Over and over, Vrisskdohk said this. After each recitation, he brought his forehead to the floor, then lifted it back up where it had started, then restarted the prayer. Finished with his pre-hunt prayers, Vrisskdohk stared at the wooden image of the Scorekeeper. It was crude, but even so, the fine details of her Trandoshan figure, barely concealed by her hunter's garb could be made out by any who paid special attention.

"PLANETARY ATMOSPHERE OF NAR SHADDA HAS BEEN ENTERED BY THE RANCOR CLAW. LANDING CODES HAVE BEEN TRANSMITTED TO PROPER AUTHORITIES AND TRANSPONDER CLEARED. PREPARE FOR LANDING." Vrisskdohk's ship intercom stated, its pre-recorded message interupted by the electronic sounding voice that announced the names of the planet and ship. The hunter slowly stood up and paid his last respects to the altar. It was time to start the hunt.

-
​

Vrisskdohk hated the urban sprawl of Nar Shadda. It's architecture was without soul, and the disgusting streets bereft of any nature that made the hunt invigorating. However, as cities went, it was nice to be able to open carry his equipment. His blaster rifle, handguns, and knives. However the glut of vagabonds, criminals, and mercenaries made long-range combat, difficult to say the least.

The tracking fob had brought Vrisskdohk to this hellhole, and the hunter had confirmed the presence of his quarry through a known associate of Alyosha Drutin that had willingly given up the information after Vrisskdohk had impressed how much he really wanted to know it. While the fob could bring him to the city, even the block where Drutin resided, but it wasn't exact, that is where the real hunt began.

As the fob began to emit the high-pitched beeping that indicated the quarry was nearby, Vrisskdohk's claw grasped the grip of his right-most blaster, a Glie-44 Blaster Pistol. It began.

 

[Kai and Gerda]

Alyosha kept walking, not really having any destination in mind. He had no accommodations on the planet, nor did he have any intention of seeking one out, and he was too restless to return to his ship.

Something kept nagging at him, an eerie sensation that he was being followed. Well, that wasn’t surprising to him anymore. Without slowing his step, he looked up and around, taking in the ugliness of his surroundings. There was no way of telling a bounty hunter apart from the rest of the crowd, unless their tracking fob went off—and by then they would be too close for comfort.

He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. The stench of decay and desperate living was inescapable, but perhaps Alyosha could evade this unwanted pursuer.

Vrisskdohk

 

[Vrisskdohk]

The hunter progressed through the crowd, his eyes split between the holographic image provided by the bounty puck. Shaggy hair, fair complexion, a small likeness to the historical figure and resistance hero, Poe Dameron, at least Vrisskdohk thought so. He was out here in this crowd, the fob confirmed that. But where, amongst these unshaven, grimey, and poorly-clothed masses, was he?

There, Vrisskdohk thought as he caught sight of the back of a shaggy haired man. The hunter quickened his pace as he unholstered his blaster, pushing through people. After elbowing a particularly incensed Devaronian, he grabbed the shoulder of his would-be pursuant, and tugged it around so he could see his face. "Alyosha Drutin!" He exclaimed. The growing grin on Vrisskdohk's face vanished as his eyes laid upon a frightened old man nothing like the man he was hunting.

Yet, across the walkway, facing Vrisskdohk, stood his quarry. Vrisskdohk was angered at his own folly, but he had to act fast, he did not wish to waste this chance to capture Alyosha Drutin.

Alyosha Drutin

 

[Kai and Gerda]

Alyosha heard his name shouted in an alien’s guttural rasp, and turned in time to see a Trandoshan harassing a shaggy-haired old man, spinning the confused, terrified geezer around as if he owed him credits. It was then that he finally heard, faint and nearly overtaken by the noise of the crowd, the distinct beeping of a tracking fob.

The mistaken identity gave him a moment to consider his options. The Trandoshan was very close, just across the walkway. Trying to run would only draw attention to himself, but in such a dense crowd, a firefight could quickly get out of hand. Well, better that than being cornered in an alleyway and captured.

As the Trandoshan looked up and met his gaze, Alyosha’s hand instinctively went to his blaster, removing it from its holster. He leveled it at the alien, hearing gasps and shouts as the strangers closest to him darted out of the way.

One unlikely hero, a Bith in an oil-stained jumpsuit, lunged forward as if to tackle Alyosha, who managed to squeeze out a single shot aimed at Vrisskdohk before he had to turn and deal with the third wheel.

“Lighten up, will ya?” he snarled, delivering a vicious uppercut to the Bith’s swollen head.

 

[Vrisskdohk]

As Alyosha's shot winged the jumpsuit, burning his scaly skin and singing his green jumpsuit, Vrisskdohk determined his best method of approach. Exemplified by the Bith's intrusion into their little match-up, a blaster would be problematic in such a crowd. Scorekeeper forbid, Vrisskdohk accidentally hit someone important in the masses of people and incur the rage of the Black Sun authorities. Besides, the bounty puck specifically demanded Alyosha be turned in alive, and with the brawl between the Bith and Drutin, the hunter couldn't guarantee he miss any vital organs while still hitting the target. Vrisskdohk's vibroblade knife would prove most useful here. No one said he had to come back with all his limbs.

In what seemed like just a fraction of the second, Vrisskdohk's right claw had cycled from his blaster pistol to the vibroblade. His clawed feet bounded across the few meters that separated the Trandoshan from the human outlaw, knocking over bystanders who were too distracted to move out of the way. Vrisskdohk ignited the blade and pounced on the two fighting humanoids, vibroblade poised to strike in one hand, his claws out stretched in his other, and a viscious snarl emanating from his thin, yellow, reptile lips.

Alyosha Drutin

 

[Kai and Gerda]

Alyosha sensed the Trandoshan’s approach just in time to get out of his way. The snarling hunter landed almost on top of the hapless Bith, who promptly crumpled to the ground.

Alyosha eyed the Trandoshan’s vibroblade with consternation. His only melee weapon was a vibrodagger strapped to his wrist. Well, at least his aim was good—

A blaster bolt tore through the air to his right. He turned and saw a gang of common thugs had decided to get involved as well, firing their weapons in the general direction of the two. The tracking fob’s beeping had frenzied, and he was sure everyone a mile around could hear it.

There was a fraction of a second’s time to choose between firing at Vrisskdohk or at the thugs. Alyosha, wanting to avoid getting into a melee with the hunter, decided to take care of him first. He raised his blaster, took aim, and fired three shots—only to feel the burn of a bolt that managed to hit its mark, striking his right shoulder. His shooting arm.

 

[Vrisskdohk]

The hunter might have missed his target, but he wasted no time in making his next move. He sunk his claws into the cement alleyway to slow his slide. Using his special muscles to suddenly change his direction of movement, he leaped towards Alyosha, blade still in hand.

In the few seconds between landing and pouncing upon his prey, Vrisskdohk made a small mental note. He dodged. While there were many sentient beings in the galaxy that had reflexes fast enough to avoid such an attack, humans, at least in Vrisskdohk's experience, was not one of them. Certainly, something had to be aiding this outlaw. Technology, or the far more mysterious, the Force that Vrisskdohk had heard so much of from drunken veterans talking too loudly for their own good. While the advanced tech to predict the hunter's attack and assist Alyosha's escape certainly did exist, it seemed a little far fetched to believe this common criminal had such materials at his disposal. No, it was far more likely he had the mystic aid of the force, something that took more than just skill and a blade to conquer.

As Vrisskdohk's out-stretched body soared through the grimy air, he was by no means protected from the gunfire of the small-time gang that had decided to interrupt Alyosha's attempted capture. While by no means oblivious to their incursion, Vrisskdohk regarded them as a side-thought, to be dealt with upon securing his quarry. Vrisskdohk would come to regret this, as a white-hot plasma bolt sliced through his right leg's tendon, hampering his blade's intended target, but still on a trajectory to hit the human outlaw.

Alyosha Drutin

 

[Kai and Gerda]

Grimacing from the pain of the blaster wound, Alyosha narrowly evaded the Trandoshan's next attack. The blade swung past his face; he felt it slice through the air by his cheek, as well as the heat of another shot coming too close for comfort.

The Trandoshan was hit in the leg by a stray blaster bolt, noticeably muddling his aim. The wound would slow him down. Alyosha was far less effective shooting with his left hand than with his right, and he was not equipped for a dance with the blade-wielding Trandoshan. Now was definitely the time to escape.

While the alien staggered from his leg wound and the momentum of his missed blow, Alyosha spun and delivered an acrobatic kick to his upper back, causing the alien to faceplant into the ground. The move earned him a singed elbow from the gang of shooters across the way, but it did buy him some extra time. He took off running, focused on dodging their blaster fire as he made a beeline for the anonymity of the refugee sector.

| Vrisskdohk |​

 

[Vrisskdohk]

Twice. A man could get that lucky once, but twice, even Vrisskdohk wouldn't have been able to completely avoid such an attack, yet Alyosha had managed to utilize Vrisskdohk's disturbed trajectory to off-set his attack completely. This man had to be endowed with the mysticism of the Jedi and Sith, or very favored by the Scorekeeper. It didn't matter, his quarry was escaping and a Trandoshan never gave up a hunt. He abandoned the vibroblade where it lay, emitting the distinctive buzz while sitting a meter away from Vrisskdohk, instead, he unholstered his blaster pistol, the Glie-44.

Quickly, he raised his blaster and squeezed off nearly half a dozen shots in a moment's time. For the hunter was not aiming at his quarry, but instead towards the group of gangsters who thought they could fall upon Vrisskdohk's injured prey. While clumped up, Vrisskdohk paid no mind to careful aiming, just ensuring his pistol was pointed towards the group would be enough.

Three of them dropped immediately, each with a thud as their plastoid armor collided with the cement pavement. The other two, one human, one twi'lek, also fell to the ground, but hardly in the same manner. Whether ducking from further fire or crouching to tend to a wound, it did not matter to Vrisskdohk, he was sure they would not interfere any longer. He hoped this would inspire others to follow their example, but one could not be so sure on a moon where blaster fire was seen as opportunity.

Vrisskdohk had wasted precious seconds, as his bounty ran into the urban wilderness of the refugee sector, he had been pre-occupied with the thugs. The hunter did not let it dampen his morale. The hunt was far from over, Vrisskdohk now had Alyosha's scent, and a Trandoshan hunter was nothing if not persistent. The hunter leaped from his prone position into a primitive stance on all fours, an old pursuing technique of the Trandoshan people born from their evolutionary past. In this case, it was used more so to take weight off his injured hind leg, but it would certainly keep him in pace with the outlaw, at least for a short while. Not only that, but the bizarre sight of a Trandoshan hunter bounding through the streets prevented any bystanders from mistakenly walking in his way.

Alyosha Drutin

 

[Kai and Gerda]

Even amidst faceless refugees and drifters, Alyosha couldn't shake the sense that the hunter was growing closer, following his trail like a bloodhound. Darting into a smoke-filled bar, he took a seat and attempted to blend in with the hardscrabble patrons.

This Trandoshan simply wouldn't quit. He vaguely remembered hearing tales of their predatory instincts, the reptilian muscles that gave them their impressive speed and physical prowess, their heightened sense of smell. If the alien was smart, he'd use his natural abilities to track Alyosha and get rid of the noisy tracking fob.

Then Alyosha would have to hide his scent. The smoky air of the bar, he suspected, wouldn't do the trick. He got up and started toward the exit, but as soon as he opened the door he heard shouts, gasps, screams - and the scratch of claws across the pavement around the corner. He backed further into the building, left with no choice. If the smoke didn't disguise his smell, he'd have cornered himself. Stupid, stupid...

One hand clutching his blaster, his other hand roamed his belt, fingers eventually closing around the thermal detonator he'd taken from the corpse of another bounty hunter. If he threw it outside at the Trandoshan, there'd be collateral damage. And since it was the refugee sector, it wouldn't be just thugs - most of the people here were poor civilians. Women and children.

There was another use for explosives of this caliber. He'd threatened to blow himself up once before when faced with capture, a bluff that succeeded in buying him time to escape. Might as well try it again...

| Vrisskdohk |​

 

[Vrisskdohk]

Smoke was no match for a Trandoshan's sense of smell. Millions of years of evolution had made it an advanced hunting tool, unmatched by any sentient being in the galaxy, according to every Trandoshan village elder. However, a nasty wound covered in cauterized flesh and blood leaking from wounded muscle, that impeded him, and after what would normally be a short exercise, was now akin to an excruciating death march. As he skidded on his claws at the door front of the bar, having followed his scent, however muddled, to this point, he screamed in pain, which, fortunately for the hunter, came off more as a reptilian screech to those unfamiliar with Doshan mannerisms.

Vrisskdohk slowly stood up on his legs, taking special care to put weight on his uninjured appendage. He put his left claw on the edge of the door frame, pulling out his blaster at his hip with his right. The hunter scanned the room to find Alyosha Drutin, with a hand closed over a thermal detonator on his belt.

"I wouldn't do that Drutin." Vrisskdohk said, "I'd hate to have to ssspend ssseveral weeksss regenerating my leg with nothing to show for it."

People began to filter out of the murky bar, carefully passing by the hunter that covered most of the entrance. It was a smart decision, Vrisskdohk believed a stand off was going to start very soon.

Alyosha Drutin

 

[Kai and Gerda]

Shoot first, ask questions later.

That had always been his motto. But now, with his shooting arm rendered all but useless and the chase having ended with him cornered, he wondered where exactly he had gone wrong.

Shoot first. Pain shot up his arm as he tried to fit his finger around his blaster trigger. The thermal detonator sat in his left palm, the metal cool against his clammy skin. But it seemed the Trandoshan had called his bluff.

Ask questions. What was he going to ask? "Who hired you?" He already knew the answer. "What are you getting out of this?" A lot more credits than Alyosha had at the moment. "Do you normally work for slavers?" He'd either ignore the remark or it would just piss him off more.

The alien was wounded in its leg. He could see it hobbling. An injury like that could be taken advantage of, especially in close quarters...

Slowly and painfully, Alyosha relinquished his hold on the detonator and laid his blaster on the bar counter. He held his empty hands up in a wordless gesture of surrender, doing his best to feign humiliation, but it probably came across more as glumness. Come closer, lizard, and we'll see who winds up surrendering.

| Vrisskdohk |