Not Again....

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Koda Fett"]


Kay needed a bit of a break, some fresh air, maybe a bit of exercise and some tea. Her stocks were getting low, due in part to sharing, so as the weather was good this early evening, she figured it would be nice to head out to the market in Chasin City.

Of course she couldn't go alone. She was halfway through her pregnancy now, so that led her to be a bit more cautious in whatever she did. Her position in Commenori society, as well as in the CSA as a whole made her a valuable target to those that wanted to disturb the peaceful region of space.

She headed over to [member="Darlyn Excron"] 's office in the palace and knocked on the door before stepping inside. "Darlyn? Want to go to the market with me? I'm getting some Sapir tea. We could have a chat while we're on our way." They had some to talk about, [member="Mythos"] being one of them.

 

[Darlyn Excron]

Darlyn, amusingly, had been spending the day drinking the lost of his own stores of drink, alcohol or tea take your pick. So he'd been preparing for a trip himself, dressing in his Desperado class Beskar armor for the trip seeing as Mandalore's armor was still quite, difficult to walk for long periods of time in. He'd just put the hat on when he heard the knock, and opened the door for her as she entered. He smiled a little bit as Kay entered, turning around and straightening his looks a bit for her. He wasn't doing that well, and it showed in his ever present bags under his eyes, or the way he held himself (or felt in the Force, as Kay would know).

"I hope more than business, it's been a while since we've shared much time together as friends. Too much taking place in the galaxy, not enough time. Between Kwenn and this impostor of mine... and the problems from the Praxeum..." He sighed a bit and began holstering his pistols, pretty much every one of them (should all be linked in his profile, or at least the way to them all) and clipping his lightsabers to the harness as well. He never left home without several pistols anymore. "Well then, [member="Lady Kay"], shall we?"

[member="Koda Fett"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay had indeed noticed the that [member="Darlyn Excron"] wasn't doing too well. Ever since the deaths of the younglings at the Praxeum, compounded by other tragedies and overall bad luck, it was easy to see that it was taking it's toll on her friend. Sure he was under her employ, but his loyalty had never faltered, even when she had commited wrongdoings herself while under the influence of Darkness. And for that she appreciated him and cared for him as though he were family.

She gave him a small smile in return. "Alright. We'll enjoy ourselves as though our lives are simple. Maybe have a bite to eat as well." After Darlyn had finished holstering all of his weapons, she hooked her arm into his, even though he didn't offer it. "We shall."

No guards were set to follow them as far as she was aware. With Darlyn alongside her, she didn't really need them. He was head of her security for a time, before he became her Minister of Justice. Chasin City was a safe place as criminal elements were non-existant. So with hardly a care in the world as she set aside her burdens for an evening, Kay headed out of the Royal Palace with Darlyn towards the market where they would find her favourite Sapir tea. They both knew the directions by heart. Thankfully it was in walking distance.

[member="Koda Fett"]

 

[Lemon]

Koda Fett​

​

The Concord Spear​

​

---

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---

​

Several weeks ago...

It was quite often that Fett found himself bored, staring blankly at a screen that would be routinely refreshed after mere minutes. Bounties were ever present, and with the resurgence of the Bounty Hunter's Guild the Bounty Hunter was almost tempted if not for their rules. Petty as it may be, Koda wasn't one to abide by any rules other than his own. It was against his way of life, potentially prosperous, but he never got along all that well with other hunters anyways.

Beep... Beep

With the rotation of his helmeted head, a small scowl formed beneath his helmet for no good reason. He was bored, nothing to hunt, no credits to earn - though this would give him the sweet relief he so desperately needed. Removing his right hand from it's position, crossed over his chest, he tapped the blinking red button before reverting it to it's original position.

Just before Fett was the blue, holographic image of a Noghri adorned in what looked to be ceremonial robes, it wasn't as if Koda had much of a grasp on their culture or whatever it was that led the alien to wear that. With it's hands behind it's back, clasped neatly together, it spoke formerly with what seemed to be a prim and proper speech pattern, "Koda Fett. I have an assignment for you."​ It said with a courteous nod.

With his arms remaining crossed over his chest, his head had risen a tad and beneath the helmet he raised an eyebrow. He thought he was done with this group. "What's the payout." He put it ever so bluntly.

"Triple your usual rate. The bounty on her head is yours for the taking, we just want her out of the way."

"Who's the target? Another politician."

"Someone much more powerful... A Queen. I'll transmit everything you need to know."

"Where am I headed?"

"Commenor."

The transmission cut, leaving the Bounty Hunter to his own devices. Capturing the Queen of Commenor? Difficult, not impossible. Could he do it alone? Possibly, but he knew of someone itching to get out there, spending too much time cooked up inside their laboratory and turning beings into biomass... Or whatever it was that he did when the Bounty Hunter wasn't around.

---

Commenor - Orbit - Concord Spear​

​

A few days prior...

In the dimly lit compartment of the Firespray Starship, the Bounty Hunter stood over a younger man dressed in regal clothing, the red lights of the room giving off an entirely red tint that could only foreshadow the demise of the man. The well-dressed individual that couldn't be too far into his twenties was clamped down, binded at both wrists and ankles to the cold metallic table of sorts. A screen protruded out from the wall, displaying thermal imaging of the body underneath it.

"I told you I'm nobody! I don't know anything!"

"Everyone knows something. Let me tell you what I know. You're of noble blood, spent your whole life on Commenor, probably never been off-world until today. You live comfortably, not worrying about paying for food, rent or anything you desire." Fett had explained things to him, reaching off to his left to grab at a Fusion Cutter, sparking it twice and allowing it to come to life before slowly lowering towards the eye of the man.

"I'm just a servant! Please!"

He kept it on it's path, moving it slowly down, forcing him to say what he could whilst he could. "Then tell me where Lady Kay likes to go..."

"The marketplace! It's the marketplace and the palace!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, if there were any chance of him not being heard he wouldn't risk it at all.

"Good." Koda simply replied, moving back upright and placing the Fusion Cutter back down.

Forwarding out of the room, leaving the man inside the small claustrophobic space. What became of the servant after this is unknown, he wasn't seen on Commenor for quite some time, although he eventually made his way back there. Never telling what had actually happened, no, he was too afraid to do that. The amount of servants, guards and royalty he had to go through to get such information was tiring but eventually he found the right one, the one that would crack under pressure.

---

Commenor - Chasin City​

​

Now...

​

Perched up high on a ledge well above the cities floor, with speeders still soaring above his head. The Mandalorian Bounty Hunter was knelt down, a Sniper Rifle clutched in both hands as his EE-3 Carbine remained slung over his shoulder. The rifle was held against his chest, the barrel facing the ground whilst his eyes darted about beneath the T-Shaped Visor. Being deep within the Galactic Empire's pocket served him well, not only with credits but technological upgrades. Faces pinged here and there, though only those with active bounties or criminal records, other than that he got nothing. And nothing was coming his way as his green armor became more difficult to see under the sky that just got darker and darker with each passing minute.

Ping!

His helmet pinged, notifying him of a face he just traveled over the top of. It was Lady Kay. The information regarding her bounty was displayed, tracking her as she moved towards the favored tea store or whatever it may be, the Bounty Hunter hardly cared. "Got her." His voice played over the comms channel the two Hunters shared for the time being. "Marking her now." Her location evident on Magnus Deshra's HUD. Shifting the rifle up, noticing her arms were intertwined with another's. "Got a friend... Darlyn Excron." His information didn't display, Koda simply recognized the face from his research. The cross-hair trained over Excron's head, but he didn't pull the trigger, no point blowing it yet.

[member=Lady Kay] | [member=Darlyn Excron] | [member=Magnus Deshra]

 

[Darlyn Excron]

Darlyn was always on edge, and the moment he left the safety of the palace with the Queen he was on high alert, even if he was distracted with his friend. [member="Lady Kay"] was, he was fully aware, still an active bounty, and even with him present he couldn't afford to be at least somewhat prepared. Fortunately, being a relatively strong user of the Force, he was able to sense the rough position of most people around them. For now, [member="Koda Fett"] and his ally ([member="Magnus Deshra"]) were evading his senses, but it was fair to say he was at least aware of the crowds and the going-ons around him. "It's been a rough while, hasn't it Kay?" He was the first to speak as they made their way through Chasin City to the markets.

"Even peaceful as Commenor's become it's hard to feel at ease. Maybe I should have taken Mandalore's armor out..." No, no there was no point in worrying. He looked like a lawman, which made the others around him more comfortable than wearing his far heavier Beskar armor would make him feel. Though perhaps he'd regret not having it around later, who's to say what would happen in the next few minutes to really make him regret his choices? ".. Have you and Veiere been doing well? I don't get the pleasure of speaking to him often, I'm rather certain he finds me distasteful to say the least."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay's own Force signature was shrunken down to that of a small tree nut, much like it always was when she was in public. [member="Darlyn Excron"] knew of her abilities, but most others did not. And she preferred to keep it that way.

She nodded as he commented on it being rough. Indeed they've both gone through a lot. For Darlyn though, it caused him to drink a lot and that had her a bit worried about him. It was partly why she was bringing him out with her today.


"Plenty have happened indeed. Much of it came as a surprise..." Her eyes wandered slightly as they walked. Kay bowed her head and greeted some of the passerbys that recognized them while they walked, though she was fully listening to Darlyn while he spoke. "Veiere doesn't find you distasteful at all. You are one of our most trusted friends. We both care for you and are glad to have you with us. As for how we're doing? Veiere's gone back to Deneba to oversee things with the Jedi Order, so he's glad to be away from politics for a bit. I'm doing alright and learning to delegate more. I have to try to keep my stress levels down, which I'm told will be more important in the next few months." She didn't want to end up giving birth early. No doubt she'd soon be confined to her office and bedchambers. But for right now, she just tried to go about her affairs like normal.

"How're you doing, Darlyn?" He had seemed a bit paranoid when mentioning his armour that he wished he had worn. But she understood why and didn't blame him for it either.

[member="Koda Fett"] [member="Magnus Deshra"]

 

[Magnus Deshra]

Magnus wondered now how he'd managed to talk himself into this; it wasn't like Fett usually did partners, and neither did he. Shadowing and keeping near the two, he looked more like a wandering vagabond or mercenary than anything else. He did his best to keep to blind spots, a hooded cloak of dark brown material staying around him as he glanced down at his waist. The nutrient frame, wrapped around his middle almost like a belt kept a Ysalamir on him beneath his cloak; though Koda no doubt would have the force user handled, he wanted to be safe. Excron was a potentially dangerous adversary, or a Queen wouldn't be allowed out with just him as her protection. If he didn't take every threat seriously, it'd get him killed.

Deshra stayed in the shadows, his hood still over his helmet as he watched the two carefully, a quiet thrill overtaking him that reminded him why he'd insisted on going. He loved the hunt, the feeling it gave him. It was the life he was meant for, what was truly beneath the intellectual cover and all the business acumen. Magnus kept his arm low as he prepared a wrist launcher and kept watching the two, making sure to duck his head back behind cover when they might see him. He generally had a bit less of a footprint in the force than others, and perhaps that would give him the advantage today; even just a second extra of surprise.

From beneath his helmet, Deshra checked over information that had been collated on the two on his heads-up-display. Even if she perhaps wasn't an elite warrior, he had no doubt the Queen could be capable herself. Nobles tended to receive training regardless, and Commenor didn't seem complacent. He kept patiently calm as he waited - Fett was to make the first move.

[member="Koda Fett"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Darlyn Excron"]

 

[Lemon]

Koda Fett​

​

Commenor​

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---

​

It was a daring attempt, the Queen of Commoner was of such high status and it didn't help that his main employer, the Galactic Empire, were on good terms and in fact allies with them. Surely after this his presence at friendly functions would need to be non-existent, but then again, it wasn't as if he ever showed up to any of them anyways. So now, perched up high the Bounty Hunter overlooked the duo, meanwhile Magnus made his stealthy approach, weakening the force around Darlyn. It was all up to Fett to make the first move, and that's exactly what he would do to kick this off.

​A set of keen eyes watched below at the two, primarily on Darlyn. And mainly through the scope of a sniper rifle, it wouldn't be that easy however, that armour looked tough enough to resist a few blaster bolts, a headshot could do it but then he may come out as an even bigger criminal than he would be after kidnapping the Queen herself. So, he looked to his arms, not covered by the thicker armour and instead leather. Would it be a difficult shot? Perhaps, but Koda was an expert marksman and a lethal combatant. Instead his left gauntlet was risen, facing down towards Excron and fired a dart, the ballistics of firing the dart were measured carefully by his helmet's HUD, and so when he fired it was no doubt an easy hit, especially considering the Ysalamir weakened his force abilities significantly. The dart was of Sith origin, capable of removing any connection to the force for a duration of ten minutes at a time.

​After the initial attack his left hand made it's way back onto the Sniper Rifle, he had the vertical advantage, and begun firing down upon them. Although, his shots only made their way towards Excron in an attempt to knock him out of this engagement early on. For if that were the case, this would go a lot smoother and local authorities were the only thing that needed to be watched out for. Fett was silent, unmoving and dangerous. As per usual.

[member="Magnus Deshra"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Darlyn Excron"]

 

[Darlyn Excron]

Though out of range for the Ysalmari's complete force negation capabilities, Darlyn still felt as though he wasn't as aware as he should be of the surrounding area, even distracted as he was with [member="Lady Kay"] at his side. It was an odd sensation, and one that he'd only experienced once before, but his memories were failing him.. "Does he? I was under the impression he found me a distasteful, if effective and loyal, darksider with a womanizing complex. Wrong darksider in our care if he wants to be accurate. It's good to hear you're doing well though, I've been under no want for paperwork since our.. incidents. Quite frankly I regret taking on so much at once, it hardly does any justice to bog down the one responsible for it." It was during the Incursion, yes. He remembered that much.. something about a Transdoshian.. He'd felt fuzzy then too.

"Speaking of, we've been drilling the need for quick response times hard with the Regulars and the officers," a blind spot? Like with the Transdoshian.. why were people disappearing just a couple meters behind him? "... To maintain such peaceful..." The Transdoshian had worn armor encrusted with stones... "... Kark me." Darlyn wasted exactly zero seconds, his arms darting to the combat holster of the Desperado armor, wrapping his fingers around the Charric pistol, and the "Special". This did mean the dart shot at him missed its target, but instead impacted a far weaker section of the armor, just barely managing to nick him enough for it to take effect. Almost immediately Darlyn felt his cheeks pale a bit, as absolutely everything began to kick off.

Normally Darlyn didn't use the Desperado armor to the fullest, but with him suddenly feeling cut off from the Force he had little choice. Rather swiftly, he activated his armor's personal energy shield as the sniper shots began to rain down. The shield managed to block the first few shots, which would've taken him out of the fight almost immediately, giving Darlyn time to stand up straight and guesstimate where the threats were. The place he could see people, couldn't feel anyone, someone knew he was here and didn't want to be seen, the bubble had been about twelve or thirteen meters out, within range if he had a target. Sniper he couldn't sense before, well beyond his ability to shoot with these weapons. Still, he had his energy shield still (for the moment) and the panic starting up was causing civilians to start hurrying about. Darlyn moved back into Kay and spoke softly to her. "Grab my DL-18 on my hip, now. Do not ask questions, we've got our work cut out for us getting home tonight."

Hopefully she would heed his advice, or at least follow him as he nudged her back towards cover to protect from the sniper. Without the force, he had to be a bit more creative. The whole time of course, he kept his gaze at the place he had felt an absence before, looking for a target, begging for one.

[member="Koda Fett"] | [member="Magnus Deshra"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked as [member="Darlyn Excron"] still kept to his notion that [member="Veiere Arenais"] didn't approve of him. But what could she do to convince him outside of getting Veiere to tell him himself? There was no need for that. He'll learn in time. Darlyn was like family and had been for a long time, yet what had happened at the Praxeum led him to be in a darker mood than usual. She missed his humour.

Another smirk as Darlyn went back to talking about business when they were supposed to just be themselves for a little bit. Could be just a tactic to distract him.

But then everything seemed to shift. Darlyn's speech pattern changed, as though he was lost in thought or looking for something. Then it happened. After the dart silently struck Darlyn's arm, the blaster fire erupted from above. Kay ducked in cover of Darlyn, using him as a shield while the blaster beams ricocheted off of him and flew at various angles. Some struck the buildings in the market, while others hit a few of the patrons. As instructed she asked him no questions and quickly grabbed the blaster from his hip and switched off the safety. She didn't have the best of aims like a sniper would, but she could hold her own well enough. Still, she wasn't exactly prepared to get into a firefight.

Kay followed Darlyn further into the market, keeping him between herself and the direction that the blaster fire was coming from, moving along with the panicked crowd. She kept the barrel of the blaster up as her eyes darted elsewhere, looking for threats, but it was difficult with so many people running around. "Darlyn, this way!" She kept with the crowd but then turned into one of the shops which happened to be a clothing store, hoping that he'd follow her in. "We have to block the door and find the access to the tunnels." Her mind was reeling as she tried to figure out who was attacking them and why. But first thing was first. They needed to get to safety.

[member="Koda Fett"] [member="Magnus Deshra"]

 

[Magnus Deshra]

Magnus didn't move a muscle as he watched fire rain down on Darlyn, noticing that he was still alive; it wasn't even impacting the armour, so a personal shield wasn't an unusual conclusion. He continued to watch from his spot as the two shifted through the crowd, suddenly going back around the corner and disappearing to the other side of the buildings they went past, following their path through the crowd. Too many bodies in his way, he couldn't get a clear shot. As people began to scatter and spread, he saw the two move towards the front of the building he was using for cover now. A clothing store.

As soon as they made their way in, Magnus moved to the backdoor and began slicing the security. It wasn't anything too complex, and quickly he managed to get it open without setting off alarms. Slinking through the backrooms, his heads-up-display scanned the door he was looking towards; the one into the room they stood in. He decided he couldn't be too careful; the Queen's guard had excellent instincts and had acted quickly on them, so he couldn't leave things to chance or simply hope to outmatch him somehow. He pulled what resembled a small capsule out of a pouch on his belt, preparing it. A smoke grenade.

His other hand held his wrist-mounted launcher, and as he suddenly burst through the door, he raised it with a closed fist aiming towards Kay. The launcher fired, sending another dart flying; a tranquilizer this time. With his other hand, he threw the smoke bomb with an underhand, knowing it would explode into smoke in seconds. He hoped it would be near them when it did, and let the dart do its work; it was a fast-acting solution, with the dart strong enough to pierce clothing and the skin beneath it, if it struck true. Ducking low as soon as he was sure he'd let both projectiles fly, he relied on the smoke covering him as he approached - though the guard may not have been able to sense him, no doubt his eyes and ears still functioned well enough.

[member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Darlyn Excron"] | [member="Koda Fett"]

 

[Lemon]

The Bounty Hunter landed the dart shot, impacting Darlyn's skin and robbing him of his ability to conjure the force for a limited amount of time; ten minutes, it wasn't long but it was enough to get the job done. The two made their away across the marketplace from cover to cover, ducking down to avoid the fire from the lethal killer that still fired down upon them with his sniper rifle and merciless aim. All his shots of course, intended for Darlyn, the Queen was wanted alive after all. Whether his shots landed or were a close miss didn't matter, the two made it inside the clothes store in their attempt to make it into the underground.

Once they escaped out of his view, Fett moved to stand, dropping from his ledge and activating his jetpack that would allow him to descend to the ground level at a reasonable pace. Screams of panic still filled the air as the civilians fled, a few bodies remain scattered from the shots that ricocheted off of the shield. Was he remorseful? Hardly, they, in a sense, got in his way and that was their own fault in his eyes. No matter how harsh it was, it was the truth to some extent or another. At a jog he made his way through the clearing in the crowds, making his way after Magnus, arriving a little after he would. Though his Sniper and Carbine had swapped positions. The Carbine clutched in his grip whilst the sniper rested in a sling over his shoulder.

[member="Magnus Deshra"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Darlyn Excron"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

There was a network of tunnels underneath Chasin City, the Senate Hall and Royal Palace. They led deep underground into the mines and shelters. In an emergency, all Commenori in those locations knew to get down to the tunnels. It had saved many lives when members of the Jackals attacked the city in a bid to have one of their own released from prison.

Kay hoped that she could get to the tunnels in time. It became obvious that she was the target. There was a number of people that could be trying to capture her. She could be used as a hostage or for blackmail, or for someone to make a point. The last time that she was captured, she was held and tortured for months. There was no way that she was going to allow it to happen again. She could lose her unborn child.

While [member="Magnus Deshra"] was slicing his way through the back door and [member="Darlyn Excron"] was working on barricading the front, Kay was searching for that access point to the tunnels. She moved amongst the racks of clothes, her eyes on the floor as she moved at a crouch, lifting up the rugs in a frantic search of a hatch. But it wasn't there. She clenched her jaw. "It's got to be around here somewhere!!" Maybe it was behind the cashier counter.

That was when Magnus burst through the door and opened fire. Out of pure instinct and reflexes, she brought the rug up to shield herself. The dart flew through, but got caught in the thick fabric of the rug. Still, she was able to see the pointy end staring back at her.

BOOM!!!

The smoke grenade exploded, bringing with it a heavy fog that filled the air all around them. Kay had to keep moving, she knew that. So she kicked over one of the clothing stands after letting go of the rug and fired the blaster towards where she could barely see Magnus, hoping to give herself a few spare seconds as she then got to her feet and moved towards the cashier counter. Getting behind it would at least give her a bit of protection. "Darlyn! Call for help!! Make sure that no ships are allowed off world!"

She didn't have her commlink on her. There was no need when she was just going for a walk with Darlyn. And with access to the Force being cut off, she couldn't even reach her husband.

Darlyn was right. They really had their work cut out for them at trying to get home.

[member="Koda Fett"]

 

[Darlyn Excron]

Did Darlyn ever tell Kay he hated being right? Well, he definitively hated being right when it came to this sort of thing. Just once couldn't the galaxy be kind enough to give him a break? He shook his head as he considered how unfortunate it was he was in this position, holstering the Charric pistol to free a hand, which pushed a heavy table in front of the door. Though he doubted they would come through there, it gave him something to do while he looked around the room. Much like any fairly large store, they were in quite the spacious room, with the majority of the space being taken up by large racks of clothing, circular or rectangular, which prevented him from having a direct line of sight across the room that was uninterrupted. Of course, that would be the same for anyone else, which would be useful when whoever was blocking force powers (or at least dulling them) as he had felt before the use of the dart came in looking for their prize.

Was.. that another door? Darlyn placed his other hand in a 'cup and saucer' grip on the Special, lifting it to the door as he began to move towards it. Darlyn, a former hunter, while not famous or particularly rich from his former life did know the value of a second entrance. If that door lead to a way back out...

Thoughts became interrupted by the door slamming open, and the dart being launched in mere moments. Too far from Kay to stop it, he had to hope that she was safe from it, and that his personal shield could handle a few more shots. His fingers squeezed the Special's trigger just as the smoke grenade went off, the room filling with smoke as the Special released its deadly payload. Now normally a blaster pistol of this size was notable for having a bit more kick to it, but not a whole lot else. The Special however was.. well.. special. Created by Ardgal Raxis at RIMA, it was less a pistol, and more a miniature electromagnetic plasma cannon. You know, the weapon you would put on a hover tank, or a starfighter, especially the Umbrans. Now, this did mean the pistol nearly flew from Darlyn's grip from the recoil, but it did mean that anyone not wearing a heavy suit of armor that got immediately impacted would be hard pressed to get back up.

Of course that was the immediate damage, within 15 centimeters the plasma could still burn from the splash, and under 45 centimeters there'd be something affecting them. Now for all that power, ridiculous as it was, Darlyn clearly didn't know quite how to handle this as a pistol. Though his grip kept him from smacking himself in the face, the blast from his own gun almost ripped it out of his hands, which had to fling to the sides to keep him from injuring himself. This left a gap in time a jammer could be activated, despite him moving to his harness to press an emergency comlink to begin a blockade of their own planet, and broadcast his position. They would eventually receive help if they could hold out, you couldn't shoot up a marketplace without getting the cops involved, but his own choice of weaponry was going to make it difficult to directly call for anyone.

"Minister Darlyn to all available units, the Queen is under attack at the Chasin City Marketplace. No ships are allowed off world, I repeat no ships are allowed off world." Would it work? Who knew. He didn't have time to confirm it, as he tossed the comlink over the counter for Kay and drew his Punisher from the place he'd stuffed it in his harness. The shatter gun pistol would be painful, and he was able to return fire with a couple of shots as he swapped the Special with the Charric again. He definitely could not fire that thing with one hand. With the weapons swapped out, a process that took several precious seconds, he was able to retreat to the cashier's counter. He moved back around it, keeping both guns level with the general area around that door that had been used, waiting for a sound or something to give away their position in the smoke.

And of course for the sounds of Kay's feet, which he could pick up easily. She had a distinct footstep he was accustomed to after all.




[member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Koda Fett"] | [member="Magnus Deshra"]

 

[Lemon]

Whilst everything had transpired inside, with Darlyn moving about like madman in the frenzy of this combat, Fett was outside still - ready for his attack now that he had found himself behind a counter, perhaps looking out with his blaster(s) raised and ready to kill any who ventured into his cross-hairs. There wasn't much time with the potential law enforcement agents on their way, and with Darlyn's connection to the force coming back, albeit very, very slowly. Though Koda didn't make it this far without thinking on his feet quickly. Activating a single sensor ping, an outline of everything in the building ahead of him pinged as figures were outlined as well. Darlyn's frame was behind a counter with a wall behind him, at least he did for now.

Making his way to the exterior section of the wall Darlyn was on the other side of, Fett lowered himself down to a knee for a brief moment in which he would grab a thermal detonator from his belt, and then subsequently sticking it on the wall; priming it and getting to the minimum safe distance. Fortunately enough for Excron, the wall had taken a large portion of the damage, but a thermal detonator was no simple grenade. It's effects are likely to leave him temporarily incapacitated if not severely wounded, though such things are of course avoidable.

[member="Darlyn Excron"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Magnus Deshra"]

 

[Magnus Deshra]

Magnus hadn't been expecting fire back in his direction so quickly, but that was on him. As he began to draw his Paladin Blaster Rifle, he only had seconds to see a blaster bolt from Kay heading straight towards him; a lucky shot in the smoke maybe, or perhaps she could see him? He didn't have long to think, trying to duck as the shot actually struck the top of his helmet and skimmed across it, thankfully not punching through. Magnus was sent straight onto his back, the rifle clattering to the floor next to him. There was a ringing in his ears and a dizziness he felt, but he barely heard some shouting in the room; no ships allowed off world. It sounded like a woman's voice. Scrambling his hand up, he activated the rangefinder on the side of his helmet - thankfully unharmed, and began to jam communications in the nearby area. Hopefully just enough to prevent anything getting through, for now.

Magnus stayed down behind the counter on his side, crawling over and scooping up the rifle into his hand again as he sat against the counter in cover, trying to formulate a plan. He activated the heads-up-display and thermal vision on his visor, making him able to see properly through the smoke. It had always been the plan to use this, at least before he got shot. He quickly ducked and pulled away again as he heard the plasma weapon strike the wall not that far from him, a splash from it landing on one of the plates on his shoulder. Even though it only burned away the plate and didn't affect the fabric underneath, he felt the searing heat from it as it melted away the armour. He gritted his teeth, trying to keep quiet as he refocused.

Magnus had an idea, though he wasn't sure how good it was. Waiting as he heard Darlyn fire off another couple of shots, Magnus made the best noise he could that a man shot dead could make; a loud yowl of pain quickly cut off by the second shot. He did his best to time it right, throwing himself to the floor, with his head and blaster conveniently poking out from behind the counter. With the Paladin set to stun, he aimed it from his lying position, preparing to where he thought Kay would move from or possibly even lean out to check where he was and fired a couple of shots off pre-emptively to try and catch her just as her head came out. He didn't even mind the pain or the feeling of his sickness he had from almost dying earlier - he finally felt alive, like this.

[member="Darlyn Excron"] | [member="Koda Fett"] | [member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay couldn't see. That bothered her a lot. Some of the blaster bolts hit the lights, rendering the clothing store in near virtual darkness. There was no access to the Force either, not with [member="Magnus Deshra"] having a ysalamiri on his person. She overheard [member="Darlyn Excron"] 's voice as he transmitted her orders. At least she had that. If [member="Koda Fett"] and Magnus managed to capture her, it wouldn't be easy for them to get away. But that was if the transmission went through.

The commlink was tossed her way, but she just heard it hit the ground, not quite realizing what it was. As Darlyn fired his weapon, Kay ducked, covering her head with her arms as she walked right into a rack of clothing and fumbled to the floor. She had to protect her stomach as best as she could, so she landed on her right side.

It was in that moment that the thermal detonator exploded, causing her to curl up into a tight little ball and protect her head and neck from the debris. Kay coughed as the dust enveloped the air, her ears ringing from the sound of being so close to the explosion. "....Darlyn?!...Darlyn?!...Are you alright?!" She wasn't worried about stealth anymore. She was worried about her friend. Was he dead? Was he alive? Was he hurt? She wanted to find out.

Didn't she hear a pained cry before the explosion? But it wasn't Darlyn, or so she thought. It came from the other side. Maybe Darlyn had killed him. That meant that she had to move. But where? Towards where Darlyn lay or towards he back door? She'd want to stay with Darlyn, but what would he tell her to do? Maybe she could go out the back, circle around and take out the other assailant from behind. That could work.

Kay clenched her jaw as well as the blaster, getting to her feet but laying low as she started to move out of the cover of the clothing rack to head to the back door. And that was when the stun bolts hit. She didn't have time to try to get out of the way as Magnus was just waiting for her to move. With a cry in shock she stumbled down to the floor, her grip on the blaster loosening while she slipped to unconsciousness.

 

[Darlyn Excron]

The explosion was something a bit unexpected, of course, but then again he supposed the unexpected was the primary rule of engagement today. The moment the blast went off, Darlyn moved his hands to catch himself as he was flung forward from the force of the explosive behind him. His personal shield wouldn't absorb much of the blast at all, perhaps just enough energy to keep him from falling unconcious. What it didn't absorb was the impact of his stomach and chest slamming into the counter in front of him, or the bit of blood that sputtered out of his mouth as he felt the breath robbed from him. He gasped for air as he tried to move along the counter, almost collapsing as his legs struggled to keep himself upright. He'd been caught off guard twice today by the second man, he refused to let it be a failure. At least, he refused to let it be a complete failure. "I'm still... standing... you pieces of filth." He spat out, quite literally punctuating the hateful sentiment with his own blood, wiping it from his mouth with the back of his hand.

It was at this point that the stun bolt struck Kay, and Darlyn immediately burst forth, ignoring the pain in his body as he wrapped his arms around his friend, keeping her from falling on her stomach as he essentially used a good portion of his remaining energy to tackle her from the side. "Stupid woman, you're not supposed to fall asleep yet." He muttered, before quickly taking stock in his mind. Two assailants, a hole in the wall no doubt, and an injured or at least stunned Kay (he could tell she was still alive after all). And he didn't have much energy left to keep fighting back, not for long. At this point the only thing keeping him from giving up was the knowledge the police, many of whom would be members of the Regulars, their military, who could hopefully even the odds out of sheer resources.

That was about when he noticed something not far from him, and almost had to laugh. Kay you stupid fool... He slid his pistols into his combat harness, and took a deep breathe as he lifted his left hand and did the only logical thing he could think of. The ZX flame projector fired up, and hot red flame began to jet out, kissing and licking the clothes and wooden floors of the building, causing a massive build up of two things. First, fire, which was always bad, and the second was smoke which would clog lungs, and obscure eyesight. His main goal now was stalling them. Hopefully even with all their fancy toys the flames and smoke would obscure him as he dug his hand into a nice, hidden little nook in the ground. With the both of those, it was his hope that he could do what he had in mind, trying his damnedest to get the hatch open and slip at least Kay inside. He wasn't sure if he could manage it, considering his state, but if he didn't try he was a terrible excuse for a former bodyguard wasn't he?

[member="Lady Kay"] :|: [member="Magnus Deshra"] :|: [member="Koda Fett"]

 

[Lemon]

On the other side of the hole in the wall is where Fett stood, watching as Darlyn took off from the explosion and igniting the room with flames, everything caught alight in his attempt to create a worthwhile distraction that could possibly by him some time. Though for someone wearing Mandalorian Armor all the smoke and flames were nothing. With nothing more than a jog, the Bounty Hunter entered the room with his carbine raised. His suit sealed and relying on it's own oxygen reserves, his vision altered to be able to pierce through the smoke that would soon engulf the room. His armor was fire resistant if not proof, nothing caught alight on him as he waded through the flames. Looking towards Darlyn as he scurried across with Lady Kay in an attempt to get her hidden, he raised his weapon, taking aim.

Though there was no real need to kill Excron, if anything, he may serve extra to this little bounty. Surely if one wants the Queen they wouldn't say no to the Minister of Justice and a close friend of Lady Kay. So when his blaster was raised, he didn't fire with lethal rounds except a barrage of stun bolts. Emitting large blue rings that would hopefully strike Darlyn in his attempt to escape. One thing was for certain though. Fett would have to escape rather quickly, this building wasn't going to be standing for much longer.

[member="Darlyn Excron"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Magnus Deshra"]

 

[Magnus Deshra]

Magnus almost felt some surprise when his plan worked; it had been a while since he'd been up against any foes this competent or resourceful, considering their situation. How many other targets would have not only lasted this long, but fought back so well? Most Queens were far too pampered to do much, but this one would've killed him, if not for his helmet, nevermind her bodyguard. Deshra learned quite quickly that he shouldn't underestimate him, either. As he pushed forward, all he saw was a nozzle of flame shooting out in his direction. He instinctively turned around, throwing the cloak around him as he felt it get covered in flames; not so much to protect him, as his armour would do that, but more for the creature around his waist. Not just for the sake of protecting himself from the force, but he had a quiet desire to not let it, or any creature die unnecessarily under his watch; not that he could blame Excron for using the flamethrower.

With a hurried way in his movements, Magnus tossed the cloak off of his body, the cloth completely ablaze along with much of the floor and walls of this place. Thankfully, his visor's scanners meant he could see through the smoke fine, and it still picked up his two intended targets and where they were. Darlyn was dragging Kay, no doubt to some kind of escape; but he picked up Koda right on top of them. Regardless, he rushed forward, intending to get on the other side of Excron that Koda was and sandwich him between stun bolt fire. He didn't think there was any reason to take him as well, but he'd be damned if he was going to kill someone who didn't deserve it or had any money on their head. That simply wasn't in his nature. Though moving fast, Deshra had been pushed back by the flames just enough that he wasn't able to get to the three before whatever they would do next.

[member="Koda Fett"] | [member="Darlyn Excron"] | [member="Lady Kay"]