Private Rescue Me Next Space Cowboy

[Sylvia Alvaro]

​

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

It was moments like this one that reminded Sylvia why she'd become a pilot. There was an endless ocean of stars stretched out in all directions, no hurries, and not a care in the world. Yeah, she craved moments like this It was something about the peace and quiet. It made her calmer, made her feel saner than she'd felt in months - since finding Var again.

Sylvia had been so incredibly happy to see him alive and well and free despite the frostiness of their initial encounter. And she was beyond happy that they'd started dating again but seeing him after... everything... had been an emotional rollercoaster and she was still coming to terms with what happened.

The fact of the matter was she wasn't the same woman he'd met years ago, and she wasn't the same woman he'd dated the first time around. She was shellshocked - emotionally hardheaded and stonehearted. Of course, she made an effort to connect with him and to not push him away like she tended to do with others but sometimes it was nice to just be alone. Today was one of those days. He wasn't aboard and Sylvia was at home with the silence and in the stillness in the room.

She'd set the ship to autopilot so that she could lounge around the cockpit so that she could kick her heeled boots up on the controls and watch the stars pass by. The job wasn't pressing and at that very moment, she had all the time in the world. It was a transport job - move a particular person in possession of a particular item to a particular place. Simple and straightforward.

So Sylvie reclined into her seat, arms crossed and head resting against the back of the seat. And she sighed, the sound one of contentedness, and just existed on her own for a moment.
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

"Someone please, tell me some good news."

The response he got from his small crew of ex-millitary and high-end mercenaries was drowned out by the sound of the power tools being used to tighten down the surface to air launcher beside him. As the wind kicked up, his cloak snapped around his kneeling frame, a blank stare watching his target pass into the atmosphere.

With a grunt, his shades were placed back on his face, moving to inspect or even help with loading the missile into its launch tube. Unfortunately for someone, quite the pretty penny was put on their head, and he needed more liquor credits. It was a simple task, but the circumstances had altered his original plan. Initially, he hadn't planned on using such expensive equipment to reach his target, but the surrounding environment and the mere 2000 meter long stretch he had to take the shot said otherwise.

Sighing, he rose to his feet, despite the outcry of his joints. Crossing his arms, he tilted his head over his shoulder, his voice ringing out over the high winds.

"Have they slowed down?"

Nate's eyes narrowed, tapping his stubbled chin with his forefinger. Despite his preparations, he could sense something off with this plan, however he couldn't quite explain it. The shuttle's velocity had remained the same, a sure sign of auto pilot. As to be expected; he was under the impression his target was unmanned, only the bounty being onboard.

As the tracker started beeping, he turned to look to his crew, watching the scramble to clear the back blast area. All seemed to be in order, and he was ready to make a quick buck. Luckily, he had already done the calculating and adjusting for firing at this speed.

And he never missed.

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

​

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

All it ever took was one second, one momentary lapse in judgement.

Normally the former-rebel pilot was better than this; she was alert and ready, quick on the trigger, quicker on the throttle. She was not the kind of woman to make rookie mistakes. But even so, the beeping of the sensors took a second too long to interrupt her daydream and make themselves known but once it had she jolted awake, hands flying to the controls, hitting this button and punching that one as a string of curse words left her lips.

Sylvia hit the throttle, making the entire ship rattle and groan as it shot off like a bat out of hell. To whoever was watching - whoever had fired that damned missile - it would be obvious when the ship came out of autopilot and was now manually piloted as it took defensive manoeuvres. Sylvia knew that it was next to impossible to outmanoeuvre a surface-to-air missile while in low orbit but there was no way in hell she'd make it easy to take her down.

Still, it was only a matter of time...

In the few seconds before the missile made impact with the ship, she'd managed to screech across the comms for her passenger to grab onto something, or buckle in, or brace himself. The engine was completely fried by the missile, sputtering pathetically as she tried to get it going again but there was no pulling out of this one. Sylvie closed her eyes and held onto the controls for dear life, her knuckles turning white under the pressure. How many times was this now? How many times had she seen a kaleidoscope of colours blurring together as she plummeted to the ground without a safety net to catch her?

It felt like an eternity - it always did - before they hit the ground.

She was thrown forward, the belt not catching her in time and breaking under the sudden strain so that she was thrown against the control, and then over it as the ship carved across the landscape with an unearthly sound. She heard herself scream over the sound, felt pain explode through her nervous system as she crumbled onto the floor clutching at her shoulder, feeling the deformity in the bones beneath her clothing.

Broken? Maybe dislocated?

It took all her willpower to steady her breathing.

She didn't have time to break down in pain.

Not now.

They'd be here soon.
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

His eyes narrowed at a sight that confirmed his original hypothesis, there was a pilot manning the shuttle. A very unfortunate turn of events as he turned around to his crew, nodding his head with a sly smirk.

"Lets go get em."

A black mess of worn and tattered fabric swirled around him in the wind as his crew hooted and hollered, knowing all too well the fate of the pilot and target inside. It would be quick and painless, he always made sure it was. He had strict rules on behavior, and he didn't take insubordination lightly. Swinging his leg over the speeder, he waved his hand in front of him, letting the rest know to go ahead and take off.

Dirt was shot all over as each of their individual speeders took off furiously towards the wreck, his cloak billowing out behind him as they screeched down the dunes, in between rocks and shrubs. In no rush, he was the last to arrive near the crash, stepping off, his boots making a soft thud on a piece of burnt metal.

The crew all stood around the crashed shuttle in a half crescent, awaiting his command. Inclining his head they all dispersed to the back, getting ready to tear open then already mostly busted ramp open, and spill inside. Attention elsewhere, he grumbled to himself, making his way to the cockpit, pulling his cloak off his hip to reveal a blaster pistol within easy grasp.

"You know the drill. Someone get ready to pull the pilots body out."

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

​

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

The thoughts going through her mind as she forced herself to stand were the farthest thing from ladylike as humanly possible - she was going to obliterate the nerf herder that thought they could shoot her down like it was nothing at all. Sylvia managed to get herself on her feet but stumbled, forced to grab at the wall for balance when everything ached in protest. More than her shoulder alone had been hurt - she imaged she'd be banged up and bruised for a while but there wasn't any time to check the extent of her injuries; she could hear the familiar sound of approaching speeders over the crackling of electrical wires and hissing hydraulics.

Glass crunched beneath her feet as she shuffled to lean against the farthest wall from the door to the cockpit, and as she fumbled for the blaster that was somehow still in the holster beneath her leather jacket, she heard a final speeder arrive and be shut off. She had no misconception that her passenger had survived the crash - he would have tried to call her by now if he was alive - the package, however, was probably intact and she did not intend to just let these people waltz in and take it. Not without shooting at least three of them.

So she waited, knowing that someone would be along to check the cockpit, assuming that they'd find a dead body and not expecting to be greeted by a pissed off pilot with perfect aim. Green eyes drew closed as she sucked a breath in through her teeth, her breathing had slowed but was still ragged and painful. She willed her limbs to stop trembling as she gripped the blaster tighter, trigger finger ready and waiting.

Sylvia imagined she had a few bruised ribs, along with bleeding cuts and most probably a concussion but none of that was important as adrenaline-fueled her anger. She heard the sound of approaching footsteps and opened her eyes to stare at the door with a dangerous focus. The footfalls sounded heavy, and the strides long - likely belonging to a man and the leader of whatever pack of idiots had thought it a good idea to shoot her down. If the situation was reserved and she was the one shooting down enemy frigates, she'd have been the one heading for the cockpit and putting the pilot out of their misery, so she assumed whoever approached was the person in charge.

Hearing the door beginning to open she waited a heartbeat, just one, and then the blaster had been raised and a single resounding shot rang out. It would be enough to bring the others swarming to the cockpit like bilge rats. But that didn't matter.

Because just as he never missed - she had never missed a shot.
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

A few more steps and he was greeted by the busted up door, blue sparks showering over him. The clutter and mess of noises died out behind him as he could sense the pilots presence, beating strongly. Almost in defiance. His eyes narrowed behind his shades, his palm tightening around the grip.

Mere seconds before he open his mouth to warn the man infront of him, the door was already opening. Like slow motion, his face deadpanned, the all too familiar sound of tibanna gas igniting and the bright flash greeting him. Muscle memory engaged, the many years of training and practice took hold. As the blaster bolt tore through the man in front of him, he was already dropping down to push his knee into the cold metal of the ships floor.

One hand reached up to stop the now limp body from falling on top of his own, his wrist flicking the pistol free of its holster and his arm snapping up to take aim. Just the slightest hesitation, and his flaming gaze locked with a green pair nearly just as fiery. She was injured, pretty, and brunette. A terrible trio if he had learned from past experience. Something about her held his trigger finger at bay, a twinge of remorse settling over him as blaster bolts soon flew past him as his crew fired back. He had no intentions of killing a pilot today, and she was only doing her job just as he was. The heat from a passing blaster bolt broke him from his pause, knowing all too well her fate if he didn't intervene.

Grumbling, he spun around without a blink, a few flashes of red cast unnatural shadows across his face before he stood slowly, turning back around to face her. Smoke billowed from the barrel of his pistol as it rose to point back at her, a grimace spreading across his features at the standoff.

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

​

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

The moment unfolded like something out of a holofilm. The doors open in slow motion and the exact moment she'd seen him, she'd a single, fatal shot. The bolt exploded through the skull of a man as he stepped inside; he fell in a heap, his life quickly over but he was not the intended target, not the leader of this pack of misfits.

Sylvia watched the form fall drop down to the floor to avoid the bolt and falling body, and when their gazes met, like wildfire reflected against forest leaves, she paused. What happened next definitely had her on the back burner.

It wasn't that Sylvia was afraid of dying: it was hard to be afraid of something that was so ingrained into her life. So when shots were fired she hadn't even flinched but she hadn't expected for those shots to come from his blaster. The bodies of his crew fell to the floor, and there was a brief moment when her brows had kitted together in confusion and her eyes narrowed.

Her weapon did not lower, though the tremble in her arm was more noticeable now. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to find that loyalty doesn't run among thieves given the clique and all." Her words were sarcastic and icy - as though she felt nothing for him whereas at that moment she was beyond angry.
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

From behind the cover of his shades, fiery eyes ran over her battered form. Her stance and obvious injuries were in stark contrast with her tone, he couldn't blame her but he scoffed anyway. A smirk pulled at the corner of his lip as he spun his pistol back into its holster. She had already tried to kill him once, if she really wanted him dead she would have shot again.

"Anything else?" His voice rumbled across the space, before turning with a huff, his cloak billowing around him. "I wasn't expecting a thank you but damn, I can shoot you if you'd like?" Moving over the bodies of his now ex crew, he looked over the walls of the ship, tearing off the door of a cabinet. With a flick of his wrist, he unceremoniously threw a first aid kit at her, peeking around the door frame.

"Do what you can with that. We're not safe here, so I need your help getting whatever you were transporting out." He knew she would surely have her doubts on his intentions, but he didn't have the time to argue with her right now. Grunting, he scoffed at his own thoughts. Maybe shooting his crew could have waited a bit.

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

​

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

If looks could kill he'd have dropped dead right then and there; the look in her eyes was positively murderous. Sylvie was no stranger to sarcasm - she lived and breathed it - but his response made her want to shoot at him a second and third time. Her finger stroked over the trigger as the temptation beat at her, her mind screaming to do it but she didn't. Why - she couldn't say. "Oh, I'm so sorry-" the sarcasm dripped from her mouth like venom from a snakes fangs, "-thank you so very much for saving my life even after you were the one who put it in danger!"

It was only when he turned away that she finally lowered her weapon, the weight of it having become too much to bear without her aim being compromised. She watched him closely as he moved about, and sneered at him when he'd thrown the medkit at her, which she allowed to thwack against her chest and fall to the floor. What did he expect her to do? Catch him when she had a potentially broken shoulder?

"Gee, I wonder why we're not safe here."

Sylvia slid down the wall and landed on her knees with a heavy thud, the impact sending fresh waves of agony searing through her bones. Shards of broken glass crunched beneath the weight of her as she shifted and prodded at the deformity beneath her jacket. Teeth gnashed at the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood to stifle the sound of her pain and discomfort. She couldn't feel any broken bones. That was something she supposed.

Her mind when reeling back to what he'd just said. We're not safe here. It was a safe assumption to say he'd been working for someone else and by killing his own crew he'd just painted a target on his back. Which meant he'd painted the same target on hers. Fething hell. Guess that meant they were in this together now. "You have to put this back into place. I'm not going to be much help with a dislocated shoulder."

Yeah, she wasn't looking forward to that.
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

A soft grunt was the only response she got, her words falling on def ears. He was preoccupied, moving in and out, all about the ship as he stuffed demo charges into whatever empty space he could find. It'd be a personal parting gift to the following brigands and mercenaries after his hide. Fortunately, it wasn't his first time being on the wrong end of a cartels fury.

Her stiff outcry for his assistance was ignored briefly as he tore through the metal siding in the ship, his hand connecting with the fat fuel cable he was looking for. Turning, his eyebrow raised at her in mock surprise, his bodyweight pulling the cable free as he moved back towards her. Wiping the grease from his hand he kneeled beside her, once again eyeing her up and down.

"Think so?" Sighing, his hand reached out to the med kit, pulling it apart to find a sling soon dropping it in her lap. Now looking up at her, a small smirk pulled at his features again.

"On three." One hand gripped her wrist firmly while the other moved up to her shoulder lightly, knowing it would hurt. "One, tw-" Pulling her arm out straight between them, he didn't even blink before he had guided the ball of her joint back into its socket. The familiar sound echoed throughout the empty ship, only moving the sling up her arm enough to where she could finish the rest.

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

​

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

Do it on two, not three. It was a golden rule that applied to so many aspects of life - killing someone, or removing bandaids, even putting dislocated bones back into their sockets. Do it on two, not three. Sylvie knew it was going to happen, she assumed he'd do it that way, but that didn't stop the scream from being torn unwillingly from her throat. The echoing pop as it moved back into place was god-awful, and despite the ache now radiating through the limb, the pain relief was instant.

Tears glistened on her lashline but the expression in her eyes was enough to show his intervention had helped relieve the pain. She took a moment to catch her breath, to stop the shallow, pain-induced gasping before taking the sling to finish the job. “Thanks,” she muttered, her tone insincere seeing as how this was the least he could do given he was the reason her shoulder had ended up in that state, to begin with.

Sylvie pulled the sling tight enough to keep her arm pressed tightly against her body so that it wouldn’t move and hurt more. She’d have to get Taylin to look at it when she got home. With a grunt she managed to get to her feet and shoved her blaster into the back of her jeans, making sure her jacket was covering it, though anyone that was astute enough would notice the telltale signs of a concealed weapon.

The cuts and bruises on her hands and knees she wasn't concerned about beyond making sure they'd stopped bleeding. Finally, she looked at him and scowled. "Finish whatever the hell it is you're doing - I'm going to get the damn package."
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

Pushing himself up off his knees, he bowed mockingly at her, his smirk disappearing. His arm swept out as blue sparks showered over him. "Of course." Her words had tugged at his sense of humor, her sarcasm and obvious displeasure with him being comical. Granted, it wasn't misplaced, but he could have shot her a long time ago. Maybe a smarter choice as well. "After you."

As her steps receded he moved back to the fuel line, pulling it apart to let the clear, pungent liquid spill onto the floor. With a grunt, his boots squeaked as he followed behind her. Whatever the package was, if she could carry it he'd let her. Moving past her and out the back of the ship, the sun glared through the dark lenses over his eyes, prompting a grunt from the man. When the cleanup crew got there, hopefully the explosion would buy them some more time as they escaped, the nearest spaceport and his ship being a far ride away.

Luckily there was more than enough speeders to choose from, the semi circle of different customized swoop bikes and hovercraft all gleaming in the setting sun. All but one were an array of colors and stickers, the much darker, plain one standing out in contrast. Muttering out loud, he kicked some rocks, moving to the row of bikes.

Leaning against the seat of his speeder, he pulled a bag of rope candy from his cargo pocket. Slowly and methodically he folded the bag back up and shoved it where it came from, the red candy sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he crossed his arms, turning to watch for her exit. Hopefully her cargo was nothing too crazy.

"You even gonna be able to use that arm of yours to ride back?"

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

​

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

It didn't surprise her to find the ship in utter disarray as she moved to the cargo hold, where her travelling companion had been checking on the package prior to their jump into hyperspace. Sylvia had been in crashes before, too many for it to be considered healthy, and ships always ended up with pieces strewn haphazardly in all directions but that didn't make it any easier seeing dead bodies, especially the bodies of literal innocent bystanders who got caught in the crossfire.

The expression on her face was stoic - sure, she'd seen plenty before, had killed plenty of people. But that didn't make it any fracking easier. She turned away, a grimace twisting her mouth as she set about throwing boxes and debris out of her way, hating the way she stumbled and hurt herself in the process. But she refused to ask him for more help. Eventually, she found what she was looking for - a cargo box clearly labelled as fragile and dangerous.

The case was done for so she pulled the artifact out and shoved it into a bag that she then slung over her shoulder so that the strap was across her body. It was only after making sure that the buckles were secure and that it wasn't going to go fall out during whatever daring escape they were about to make did she join him outside. When she joined him at the front, her brows were knitted together, a mixture of emotions. Her lip curled into a sneer when he spoke, posing what she perceived as an asinine question.

"Does it matter?" She asked with a roll of her eyes before turning away to take in the stock of speeders to choose from. "Nope, it doesn't." She continued, answering for him before he could spit some witty, sarcastic response. "Because the alternative is to ride with you, and I don't know that I like you enough to do that yet."
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

If her obvious distaste wasn't enough to cue her unhappiness with the man, her very agitated and clearly fed up attitude got the point across. Without a doubt, it was fair of her to be as upset as she was, things could have gone much smoother for her today. Yet here she was, bruised, bloody, and rather pissed off. Unfortunately for her, he found the entire situation rather humorous. Of course I got stuck babysitting the pilot that wasn't supposed to be there.

A soft chuckle would escape his lips as he turned to hide his smirk, slowly chewing on the end of the candy rope. With a grunt, he swung his leg over and settled into the all too familiar seat of his speeder, arms crossed across his lap lazily. Turning over his shoulder, he watched her from behind his dark shades, his eyes resting on the strap of her bag. Smaller than what he had expected, but he hopped she would take better care of the bag than her ship.

Multiple clouds of dust on the horizon pulled his attention from her, his face now void of any humor. His cloak billowed around the black speeder as it roared to life, holding the brake firmly. Revving the throttle, a low whine could be heard as the speeder yearned to switch gears and send him flying down the dunes back towards town. "Then better hope you can keep up." Shouting back to her, he released his grip on the brake and kicked the shifter at his ankle, launching forward wildly.

Whether she did or didn't, he could only assume they'd run into more trouble along the way. Starports nearby would be swarming with gangs and hired muscle eager for their bounty. To make things better, his transport wasn't even on the manifest, he could only imagine that his would be the first one impounded or held under watchful eyes.

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

​

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

Her attention turned to the horizon at the same time as his, the rising clouds of dirt a beacon that practically screamed danger. Sylvia didn't waste time continuing the small talk, instead, she swung her leg over the closest speeder and hit the throttle hard, letting the engine roar to life. Her movements were awkward and stiff as was unaccustomed to using only one arm, and she made a point of not making eye contact with him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her struggle.

Sylvia wouldn't ask him for help again -- she was too proud and entirely too stubborn. It was only when he had launched forward, leaving her alone that the woman looked up, watching the distance grow between them as he raced toward the horizon. She had a moment of hesitation, a split-second debate as to whether she should follow him or simply disappear in another direction. And then she'd kicked the shifter back and gunned it, rocketing after him.

She didn't know why she followed him. Their situation was about to go from bad to worse and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that whoever was coming to investigate the smouldering wreckage wouldn't give up so easily, especially when they discovered his betrayal and the artifacts' disappearance. Sylvie knew that following him was going to be dangerous, and maybe, just maybe, that was why she followed.

She missed the adrenaline rush that came from being one of the bad guys.

And right now he was definitely a bad guy.
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

A simple rule had kept him and his ever growing crew of mercenaries, ex-convicts and vets alive and well many times over. Hesitation in the heat was frowned upon, as the little downtime they had was spent training rigorously, all manners of unscripted exercise and scenarios thrown at them. They all had seen the consequences of second guessing even for just a split second, it was how missions went askew and people died.

Yet here he was; feebly attempting to save a life he endangered and should have taken regardless. Odds continued to stack against them as the cluster of shuttles and spacecraft came into view over the dunes. His eyes darted to his left, watching as the dust trails billowed around the shuttles still smoking form. At least the little things seemed to work out for them, if not even momentarily.

Reaching down to his belt, his grip tightened around the small cylindrical shape of the detonator, thumb soon smashing the orange blinker. The delay was expected, along with the ear rupturing explosion of the demo charges he ha left for their pursuers. Smirking, he turned over his shoulder, half expecting the pilot to be gone as the thick black smoke rolled into the sky behind them. Luckily for her, she had decided to tag along on this suicide trip of his. Company was underrated on days like these anyhow.

The small victory would have to be short lived however as they zoomed ever closer to the spaceports outer walls. A quick glance gave away the flashing lights of the authorities preparing to investigate the explosion, and the large crowds of bodies bustling about offered ample cover. Easing up on the yokes, the black speeder groaned as it downshifted, his boots coming into contact with the soft earth. Sighing softly, he scanned through the crowd, hoping to see any familiar faces that could possibly help them.

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

​

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

Sylvie hadn't been stupid enough to assume he'd leave the wreckage there to be investigated and pillaged. No, he was smart - like her - he'd cover his tracks. So when the explosion scorched the earth, making it shudder beneath the racing speeder, the excitement that seized her heart was second to none. Did that mean she had suddenly trusted him? Hell no. But it did mean, for the moment, she was willing to put some small measure of faith in him. Still, they weren't out of the woods yet.

As the duo approached the spaceport the revs of her own speeder died down. Sylvia took note of the gathering crowd and the flashing lights of the authorities but didn't let it distract her. The moment the explosion rocked the bedrock they'd come racing to investigate the cause; so as she pulled up beside him she'd simply cut the engine and dismounted. "Come on." There was no point in dawdling.

The beauty of having a renowned mercenary alter ego meant that she could generally find a way off the planet no matter where she was.

So at that moment, Sylvie took the lead. She moved forward without checking to see if he was following; truth be told she hadn't particularly cared if he didn't as he had no reason to trust her and no reason to stick together - other than the artifact in the bag she was carrying. It would appear they'd gotten away - though with her recent run of bad luck it was only a matter of time before it caught up with her.

"There was a bar close to the landing pad - a real dive place. We'll find help there." Sylvie knew that in there she could swindle her way into a ride.
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

Thick rubber soles crunched into the sand beneath the speeder as Nate stood, his head snapping to watch her at her sudden charge. An eye pricked up in disbelief, kissing his teeth in silence. With a wave of his hands, the large man soon followed after her, grumbling about the sudden pain that shot through his lower body.

"Not quite a saint yourself, huh?" Nate spoke just loud enough for her to hear from under his hood, his hand occasionally brushing the holster at his side every time they got a sideways stare. Street sings lit up around them as dusk soon approached, the space ports night life beginning to bustle. Now would be their best bet to escape, before the crowds thinned as many would enter the bars.

Unfortunately, he would have to stick by her side until he managed to steal the package off her. Or perhaps, the faith she had placed in him could become mutual, to which he wouldn't be too opposed to. Someone watching his six was always welcomed; he wasn't getting any younger or faster. "Real help or a dozen blasters pointed back into my face?'

Unable to shake the feeling they were being followed, he slowed momentarily, still being bale to find her head of brunette hair in the crowd. Bodies pushed and shoved past him, the roar of starships drowning out any flattering words that would be uttered,

Sylvia Alvaro

 

[Sylvia Alvaro]

​

tag: Nate Phantoms
wearing: xXx

The snort that escaped her was audible when he had posed a question, albeit rhetorical, about her sainthood. "I'm no saint." The answer came beneath her breath with the intention that he wouldn't hear. It wasn't difficult to look at a person like her, to see into their eyes, and know that they were not a good person. Sure, sometimes she pretended. Sylvia had worked with the Rebellion, had killed dozens of Imperials to liberate those beneath the banner of oppression, she had fought and risked her life to save people and do the right thing but she'd done it because it was expected of her, not because it made her happy.

"The only real help you'll ever need is a dozen blasters in your face. At least that way there is no mistake about who you're working with." Maybe that was just her experience. Sylvie often found that the people that tried to kill her were the people she could trust. Not necessarily with her life but in the sense that they'd understand each other. She trusted that eventually, those types of people would turn on her, she trusted that they were out to serve their own purposes, and she trusted that deals done with them would be discreet.

Like him, she had the unshakable feeling of being followed but did not allow it to dictate her movements - she kept her strides calm and her swagger casual. She'd not noticed how far he'd strayed until a shiver of unease trembled down her spine . . .

Where one person might have called her reaction military instinct, another would have called it Nish's ability to sense an unseen enemy. Whatever it was, there was something at that moment that screamed at her to get the hell out of dodge. Her heels kicked up a stir of sand as she threw herself out of the way of an offending hand intent on grabbing a fistful of her hair, turning to stare into the face of a stranger.

She didn't recognize him - but the look in his eyes? Yeah, she knew that look.

Either this man was street thug out for a good time, which seemed unlikely, or he knew what she was carrying and how important it was. Or maybe he was an enemy of her wayward companion. That could be his plan . . . have someone attack her when her guard was down, nab the artifact in the kerfuffle and disappear.

That sounded pretty plausible.

"Don't you know what happens to men who can't keep their hands to themselves? They end up with nubs. So back off." She acted on instinct, muscles straining to keep her balance as she step back when the man reached for her again, and again, her one good arm working to find the blaster hidden in the back of her jeans, struggling to keep out of his reach as she backed into someone who stumbled, threatening to take her to the ground.

The second she looked away she knew it was a mistake.

It had been beaten into her during training - don't take your eyes off the god damn enemy. If you did you were as good as dead. Her words were cut off as he grabbed her, fingers digging into the flesh of her throat hard enough to bruise, her feet lifting from the ground . . . which wasn't impressive given she was not particularly large. A dozen memories came back to her - panic first and foremost as she struggled to suck in an ounce of oxygen.

This wasn't her.

Sylvia Alvaro did not panic.

But she did.

Her feet kicked frantically as her eyes searched the crowd, her mind finally realizing that she hadn't even known his name and that even if she had had she wouldn't be able to call out to him. She doubted he'd care either way. They were together because it was mutually beneficial and not for any other reason. Tears welled in her eyes while he lungs burned. She felt weightless in his grasp as he carried her off, presumably to be thrown against a wall or some nearby structure, or to be tortured and murdered.

Her mind was a haze and she wasn't thinking when her fingers finally found the blaster; she wasn't thinking when she pulled it loose; wasn't thinking when she let out a round; wasn't thinking when that shot dropped him to the ground. It was only when she hit the ground, knees giving way, gasping and spluttering that her thoughts returned, only when the scream of some nearby witness shattered her panic.

"Shit."
​

 

[Nate Phantoms]

A few meters turned into a sizable gap faster than either had expected, her now somewhat familiar figure and saunter disappearing into the crowd. Standing still in the sea of bodies and robes, his eyes narrowed, scanning in a hope to regain his sense of direction after her. It seemed as if everyone was walking back and forth between bars, the flow of civilians soon easing up like traffic in a space lane. Small groups all passed in opposite currents, expect for one.

Like he was stalking prey, the sudden shift in direction for the group caught his eye immediately. A closer inspection warranted that it'd be a fairly sensible idea that these men were after the same target he was. Soon it became apparent that they knew exactly what they were doing, a few split from the group smoothly, disappearing in either direction in a sort of encirclement.

Doing his best to tail them, Nate grumbled and cursed under his breath as the masses only seemed to move against him. Pushing and shoving would ensue, but too very little avail. Stumbling over a dropped bag, the tall man whirled around to shout apologies at the angry mother, her string of curses following him. It was only when he turned around did his senses prickle fiercely. Not a second later, that single blaster shot rang out barely audible over the bustle of activity.

Was that-? Straining to listen, his thoughts were also interrupted by the shrill scream that reached over the crowd. Grunting in disdain, he began shouldering his way through the now dispersing crowd, frantically scanning for her brown head of hair and unmistakable attitude. Bystanders and witnesses alike parted before him, the scene coming into view. Nate gave a quick scan over limp body of her attacker , stopping once he realized the attire matched those of the men he saw earlier. His focus landed and stuck on her wide eyed gaze and slight discoloration around her throat, but she would have to wait for proper care.

"Up you go." Not keen on waiting for the rest of the group, a strong arm shot out to grab her collar firmly, yanking her up in one fell swoop. "Can't fethin' take you anywhere!" Shoving his way through the crowds, he could see the rest of her attackers closing in like vultures, but they didn't seem to notice he had grabbed her. Dragging her rather unceremoniously towards the nearest buildings and alley, Nate took a guess at to which was abandoned and shoved her through the door. Hissing shut, the pair were thrown into near complete darkness as the only light flickered to life above. Peering around, his smoldering gaze moved to her quizzically. Burning embers met her green ones, sighing loudly.

"Not even five minutes?"

Sylvia Alvaro