The Great Space Chase

[Maple Harte]

Ryloth.

Maple stirred awake in the dead of night at her holotransceiver. She thankfully had not had a dream about the Mind-Binder.

It was an old code she was receiving. One that had been used exclusively by The Marksmen.

It was a black box signal. A ping that showed it coming from Geonosis. It was within Confederacy territory.

On the outskirts of the urban center where she had first landed, Maple stopped a moment to think about tracing the transmission. All she knew was that it was transmitting the blackbox retrieval code for the Marksmen's vessel. There was no reason for it to go active now.

Maple decided she was going to go. This didn't feel right, but she knew it could be important.

She contacted one of the few people on Ryloth she was on friendly terms with. Veronika had seemed dangerous. Maple was very eager to see the steak where she had seen sizzle. She remembered a reality of living dinner plates. No. Skip. Hungry. Eat a ration.

Maple sent out a transmission to Veronika's com.

"Hello, Veronika. Maple calling. Feel up to a bit of possible danger? Because I got a fast ship just eager to ferry us right to it on Geonosis. If you're interested, be here in forty minutes. I'll be doing pre flight checks when or if you arrive."

Maple didn't mention what type of ship she was flying, because she had long since learned to appreciate an old maxim that Lur Redtide himself had passed onto her:

The J-Type 327 Nubian is the sexiest ship ever made. Period.

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

Veronika was having fun, swaying the music at the dance floor of the hotel club when her personal hololink blinked. The distinct green light was an indication of a holotransmission. Strange, she thought to herself. Who would message her in the middle of the night? Her dear celebrity buddy was down with flu and none of her other party friends were on Ryloth, Still, she stepped out of the dance floor for a moment, walking towards the ladies. She closed the cubicle door and tapped lightly on her hololink, which displayed a familiar face.

[member="Maple Harte"].

That new lady whom she had met recently on Ryloth. A surprise, considering Maple would usually be sleeping by then. The message sounded urgent though, asking her to meet her in forty minutes. Veronika pondered for a moment. Continue dancing or meet up. She decided an adventure might be just wild enough. Especially one in the middle of the night.

"Veronika here. Fine, I'll come on your little adventure, darling. But expect me to be late. See you in an hour."

She winked and transmitted back her message. Time was short, even with an hour. She left the club, took the lift to her room and entered. Off came her heels and dress. She stepped into the shower and took a quick bath, then stepped out to dry herself. Next, she slipped on her leather jacket and pants and grabbed her designer haversack sitting pretty on the rack. Time to raid the hotel mini bar, tossing in a couple of energy bars and two cans of beer. A couple of other stuff, including her cosmetics, skin care products and toiletries.

Next was the safe.

A hand held disruptor holstered to her waist. Her personal lightsaber hanging on her right. Satisfied, she closed the safe and slammed her room door. The time on her hololink indicated thirty minutes had passed. Luckily the hotel transport was swift, racing out of the city center towards the outskirts. It stopped outside a rented apartment and the blonde left the speeder, walking towards the landing area where Maple should be with her ship.

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple simply smiled as Veronika transmitted her reply. So she liked to make people wait, eh? Fashionably late. Always a nice trait. Except when there were monsters. And bounties. Can't forget the bounties. Or ice cream. Must have ice cream.

Skip. To reality we go. Back to normal.

Maple made sure the ship interior was presentable. Her ship was sort of a focus for control. She cared for it like she would care for a child. It was her friend, had been her friend on nights where she had no other...which had been many. Its luxury interior had been maintained, undergoing complete cleaning once a month, by her personally. The luxury interior was mostly white, with crimson highlights on the trim. The interior lighting was a soft white, the lounge having images of red birds flocking in complex circle swarms around the ceiling.

After triple checking to make sure everything was presentable, Maple then checked the code again.

She recognized it, after she concentrated hard enough. Kadmus Riath. Junior member of the Marksman when she had left. This was the black box code to his scimitar-class star courier. What had happened? And why send the code to her vessel? She had faked her death. Kadmus should have believed her dead. Or a cyborg. She wasn't sure what reality the cyborg bit came from. It was false. Maybe.

It occured to her that perhaps traveling again, maybe her ship had sent off a few flags. Her identity in her duel with Redtide had never been publicly revealed, per her request. But the Marksmen knew the ship to be hers.

Still, there was no way her ship should have set off their radar this quick.

And Kadmus, if he thought she was alive, would have come in person. He was either in trouble or it was a trap.

Kadmus Riath was a friend. He would not set a trap. But it still did not explain why she had gotten his signal.


She finished pre flight checks and spotted Veronika out of the viewport and opened the hatch.

Stepping off the black chromium starship, Maple smiled at Veronika...and making note of her lightsaber.

Maple still knew how to wield and make one, but it had been a long time, and wielding a lightsaber had been a part of her life she was not on good terms with. Though she knew if she was going to kill the Mind-Binder it may very well come to a lightsaber duel, Maple personally was not ready.

"Nice blade," Maple remarked politely, before inviting her aboard and heading towards the cockpit to start the engines.

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

The blonde took a glance at the hololink on her wrist. By her own definition, she was actually on time. Fifty nine minutes, with a minute to spare. The first thing that caught her attention was the ship itself. Sleek, black and sexy. The Nubian was designed for Naboo royalty, but somehow it had become a private vessel for her friend. Veronika made a mental note to ask about the black beauty's origins. As she strolled closer, [member="Maple Harte"] was there, smiling at her at the boarding ramp.

"Hello darling. We meet again," Veronika smiled and nodded her head. "Oh this weapon? Most people won't notice it, but obviously I can't hide it from a Force User like yourself. I just thought it might be a good idea to bring it along."

She walked up the ramp, heading towards the lounge area while her friend busied herself at the cockpit. Emerald eyes scanned her surroundings. Nice ambience. The lighting was white, but soft and unglancing. Luxurious leather sofa couch with red trimmings to match the white walls and crimson decorations. Veronika was tempted to take a seat, but decided to head to the bathroom with her toiletries. A quick turn to the right. Once inside, she closed the door and took out a blue cleansing solution.

******​

Maple was still at the cockpit when Veronika entered. She figured it would be nice to sit at the co-pilot seat instead of waiting aimlessly at the lounge. "So, are we set to go?" The usual suspects of eye shadow, glossy lips and blushers were missing. Her face was fair, almost porcelain white with a natural glow. A sign that she had been using her sunscreen under all the foundation powder. Apparently the blonde had cleaned up her face during her quick visit to the bathroom. There were no hunks to flirt with, no media to take photos and her skin needed a breather.

There was only Maple and herself.

 

[Maple Harte]

She's hotter without the make-up? Maple thought incredulously as Veronika sat down. Maple had never worn make-up, and was thought cute by many, but Veronika still had an edge on her. That was how beautiful Veronika was.

"Uh, yeah, we're set," replied Harte, lifting off and rocketing into the atmosphere, the sleek craft on a course for Geonosis.

"A black box code from an old associate was transmitted to my ship this morning. It came from Geonosis. Code is only active if there has been a crash. No reason my ship should have even picked it up, so I'm off to Geonosis. But I am aware it could be a trap, so I asked for help.

Just then, a ping on the console alerted Maple. It was a lone distress signal, not too far from the planet.

Maple felt a tingle of discomfort at the placement of the vessel. Ryloth was well protected space, and she was certain someone beyond her had to have picked up the signal, as it was very strong and it was well within range of planetary stations.

"Hold on, that ship is sending a distress signal. I gotta check it out," Maple explained.


Maple adjusted the vessel's course, not wanting to take the chance someone could actually be in danger and adrift. It looked to be a small frieghter. YT series.

"Silent Erika to Frieghter, we picked up your distress signal. Whats the nature of your emergency?" She transmitted on wide-band to the frieghter.

Her answer was her tracking computer going haywire as transmissions were jammed. Her force sense went alert, as danger seemed to be coming from everywhere. Three ships came into range of the viewport, they looked like repurposed light corvettes and one large, square frieghter for hauling other starships.

"Attention Silent Erika, this is the captain of the Fortune's Folly. Your vessel is ours surrender peacefully and you will not be harmed."

A tractor beam fell around the ship when Maple tried to accelerate, only to cause a rocking of the vessel. She tried three more times. No luck.

"We're being pulled in. Hide your lightsaber. We don't want them knowing we use the Force," Maple said as they were drawn into the docking bay. Four armed men were standing on the bay, waiting with blaster rifles. Maple got out her walking stick.

"That tractor beam of theirs is too strong for the ship to break. We are gonna have to find a way to disable it once we are on their ship," Maple said. "Any ideas?"

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

"It seems my looks have an effect on you," Veronika returned a flirtatious grin, noticing the brunette's obvious gaze. The last time they met, the bounty hunter was staring at her lips and having thoughts of spending the night together. This time, it was her face being admired upon. Emerald eyes stared at the pair of brilliant green longer than necessary. She brushed the bangs of the cute acquaintance lightly, a soft touch that indicated her interest before moving her gaze towards the front of the cockpit. For now, the mission was more important. If the two of them survived, they might have the time for some winding down activities at night.

"So, a black box from Geonosis," the blonde got down to serious business as the vessel took off, listening attentively to [member="Maple Harte"]'s explanation. She took a look at the galaxy map on the nearby terminal, noticing at least two hyperspace routes to reach their destination. It was an easy and short trip, but they were interrupted by a distress signal from another ship near Ryloth space.

"Seriously, you are going to check out the signal? Okay fine, you are..." the blonde saw the determined look on Maple's face and went along. Her sixth sense was pricking, but she was not the one flying the ship. It turned out she was right, as they found themselves being caught by a tractor beam and pulled into a freighter's docking bay. A freighter called Fortune's Folly. The blonde rolled her eyes at the armed men, clearly irritated by the whole incident. If only her friend would listen to her. Still, four armed men meant nothing to her, not when she could use her gift.

"I don't need a lightsaber to settle them," she tugged her lightsaber horizonatally at the back of her belt, her leather jacket covering it. "Follow me closely," she made a gesture to ask Maple to stick with her as she walked down the boarding ramp. Before she even showed herself to the armed guards, her presence was already reaching for their minds. Weak minded fools that were not even worthy of being cut down.

"Halt, don't move...or I'll shoot..." The nearest guard was taken aback by the beauty who appeared.

"Oh my god, it's Veronika! Wow..." another thug looked at her, star stuck.

"Hello boys, I'm indeed your goddess, hahaha..." she laughed. The arrogance in her voice was clearly shown. "Now, listen to me carefully. My friend and I do not need to be searched," the blonde waved her hand in the air.

"You and your friend do not need to be searched."

"You will show me where the tractor beam control is."

"I will show you where it is," the four of them pointed towards the door at the far right.

"Now move along," Veronika pointed at the emergency exit pod.

"Move along. Move along," the thugs turned around and obediently launched themselves out of the ship, their space pod speeding towards the unknown space.

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple had been getting ready to fight when Veronika had told her to get behind her. Maple, curious what Veronika had up her sleeve, decided to comply, not just because Veronika had an edge over her in the Force, but also because she was thinking about her hair getting stroked, and was using the opportunity to take a moment to admire Veronika...from behind.

Nice, Maple thought to herself, grinning as Veronika mind tricked them, also taking note of how focused Veronika was to get inside four different heads. Even if they were weak, she'd known adepts who had struggled to convince even one mind with the Force. If Veronika honed that skill in particular...she could be very dangerous in the right situation.

It was not a matter of purely distructive potential that made a powerful sensitive dangerous. What made an adept dangerous were how they could think of new ways to apply a honed skill. A person could produce a powerful push, strong enough, perhaps, to flip over a vehicle.

But another type of person, who, while not able to compete in raw output, had instead studied all the ways it could be best used, and more importantly, when...Maple would bet her creds on the second guy, unless the first also knew this wisdom. Veronika's ability had ways to go, but Maple could see it: It could someday give a Jedi Master a run for his lightsaber. But it was like a muscle. It had to be worked regularly.

Maple broke from the idle observation, heading quietly for the tractor beam control room, her footfalls making almost no sound as she moved into position with her walking stick, getting to the side of the door and hitting the open button.

She peaked and ducked behind cover as the tractor beam technician, a weequay in a red jumpsuit opened fire. Summoning her focus, she let the Force flow into her body, her control over it on the verge of erratic as she came from behind cover and making a yanking gesture, the bolt from his pistol whizzing past her face, just enough that she felt the beginnings of its heat. The weequay was flung forward, her walking stick going into a swinging upper cut at the same time, slamming into his jaw and knocking out two teeth. He was unconscious when his head skidded to a stop at her feet.

Maple found the tractor beam controls and shut them down, then she took the technician's pistol and fired on the controls. An alarm klaxon sounded on the ship, and Maple began sprinting out of the control room, running for the ship.

A door opened across the bay, just as Maple headed up the ramp of her ship in the dirty, dingy hanger.

Maple yelled as a bolt pierced her thigh, she went slack on the ramp, rolling over and shooting back at the squad of armed men that had been brought to bear on both of them, even as she struggled to back away, hitting one of them. But the bolts were getting closer, even though she was close to emptying her pistol. One of the men also fired on Veronika.

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

Veronika gloated slightly, obviously enjoying the sight of sending the guards to their own doom. The escape pod would float aimlessly in space for eternity, unless they were rescued. More importantly, it appeared that her power to tap the Force had increased. True, she had the element of her fame to help with the situation, but she knew the spirit had granted her newfound strength. The spirit was Jart, the bird like creature which had talked to her since she met [member="Maple Harte"] and Katrine Van-Derveld. With time, she could perform more. But this was sufficient for now.

The acquaintance had already headed toward the tractor beam control room. Silent like a cat. Veronika nodded in admiration at the way she moved, glad to know the brunette was light on her feet. They might just be able to sneak in without alerting anyone else. A hope which failed when a weequay spotted the bounty hunter and fired his blaster. Now it was Maple's turn to make use of her gift, the Force flinging the poor creature in the air to meet the walking stick. That had to hurt, she grinned, noticing the teeth on the floor. The beam controls were then destroyed, courtesy of his blaster but it also rang the alarm.

Veronika cursed under her breath, her feet racing behind Maple who was already dashing back towards their ship. The duo avoided most of the blaster fire, but Maple's luck ran out when her thigh ate a bolt. Meanwhile, Veronika found herself trapped behind a stack of containers that was meters from the boarding ramp. And yes, she had heard Maple's yell, emerald eyes looking at the brunette getting pinned down under the blaster fire.

"No one messes with my friend!"

Her friend? Yes, Maple was her friend. Not just any random acquaintance.

The blonde saw red. Her temper flared. Eyes swiftly turning yellow as she tapped on her emotions. She wielded only a short range disruptor pistol, too far to engage the enemies. But the Force gave her unlimited reach. The smallest container flew out from the stack towards the enemy squad, scattering them. A small opening to move, sufficient for her to leap out and race towards the ship with unnatural speed. Blaster shots flew past her harmlessly as she boarded the ramp, slamming her palm against the control to raise it up and pulled her friend out of the firing range.

"Argh!"

She felt something hot brushed past her shoulder. The pain was familiar. She had taken a hit as well, but the ramp was thankfully up. Now all they needed to do was to get the hell out of this place. Maple was in no condition to move after the thigh injury, at least for the time being. She would have to fly the ship to escape.

"I'm going to fly the ship off the dock. Give me a moment, Maple. I'll come back for you."

The blonde gave her friend a reassuring look and a pat on the shoulder. A rarity for Veronika, so hopefully her friend would appreciate the concern. Hasty footsteps to the cockpit, hands tapping on the controls as the ship's engine roared to life. She was not exactly the best pilot, but could still fly better than her twin. Moments later, the ship left the docking bay and slipped out into space. She keyed in the destination for Geonosis and hoped the hyperspace calculations were correct, leaving the ship on autopilot mode. Hasty footsteps back to the boarding ramp.

"Come, Maple. Let me get you to the med bay."

She reached out for the other lady, putting the arm around her own shoulder.

 

[Maple Harte]

It had been a long time since Maple had known what it felt like to have someone watching out for her. She had nearly forgotten, lost in her spiral.

Veronika had called her a friend, and after dragging her aboard, Maple had to say the same: Veronika was a friend.

Maple lay on the boarding ramp of her beloved vessel, in agony, barely able to think. Ironically, she found her brain unable to focus on anything else, sparing her the usual lies.

She felt the ship lift off, felt a subtle lurch into hyperspace.

Veronika soon came back and lifted her up, and Maple helped her by hopping on one leg as she was led to the med-bay.

She pointed to a steel cabinet as she lay on the med-table, in so much pain she couldn't even call on the Force to heal herself, but strangely clear headed.

"Thanks for the rescue...friend..." she got out.

Maple reached for a bottle of pain pills on a nearby rack, popping one into her mouth, struggling to think as the medicine took hold. She reached for disinfectant and a sealed bacta patch, with swabs for cleaning.

"Sorry I got us into that mess," Maple said. "It was kneejerk. Always had this fear of dying in space. So I always want to check out a distress signal if possible...because I don't like the idea of leaving someone innocent to die."

Maple began disinfecting the wound, cleaning charred flesh off. She winced as it stung brutally. She then applied the bacta patch.

She still could barely think clearly.

"The shiny hand glides among us, singing of the doom of the universe," she said outloud, the pain medicine affecting her train of thought, the pain dying down just enough for the lies to start affecting her.

"The weakened birds...snarl for enlightenment, their wings sinking into the muck of a summer solstice, growing slowly as a web between fresh fields of stellar dust which carreses the sightless things as a lover whose ears hear only what a gliding hand, a booming voice in its palm commands," she muttered, some strange utterance bubbling from her subconscious. She didn't know what they meant. They played out in her skull as a stream-of-consciousness. But one unusual thing about the strange utterances she never said aloud was how often it seemed like they were trying to make sense of something, or convey something. What that was, she wasn't sure. In this case, the painkiller she had taken was a particularly strong one, and she had always been affected strongly by this particular pain medicine. But it worked, so there was that.

"Sorry. Effect of the medicine sometimes." she said, though ten percent of her was uncertain of that answer.



Meanwhile...


Aboard the Fortune's Folly, a man in dark green armor sat in the captain's chair. His face was concealed by a dark green helmet with a bloody looking streak of red running across the helmet's forehead area.

"Captain, we have determined that the trajectory suggests they are heading to Geonosis." said the female blue twilek crewman. "Set pursuit course?"

The Captain, clicked his fingers on the armrest of his seat.

"That black chromium J-type 327 Nubian is the single sexiest ship I have ever seen. I must have it. I must touch it, even if it is only for a few times before I sell it. And think of the credits its worth! More than we ever get taking these ho-hum spacer vessels! We go for that ship. That sexy...sexy ship..." the Captain growled, murderously enchanted by the black beauty that had just escaped his grasp. The J-Type 327 Nubian was the prize of prizes to a pirate like him. It would be his. Or he would destroy it, because from the moment he had laid eyes on the seductive ship as it landed in his large, special built hanger, he could never bear the thought of another owning it. He lusted after it like a man lusted after a woman. He would lie to the others that he would sell it. He would go so far as to pay from his own coffers what it was worth. But that ship would be his.

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

[member="Maple Harte"] was in pain. The brunette's face was showing it. That twisted expression of pain. The blonde was familiar with it. On certain occasions, she had the chance to witness that very same expression from some people. People who had betrayed her. People who kept information from her. People whom she disliked. She had often gloated in it, enjoying the sight of their suffering. The bounty hunter's face was similar to theirs. And yet Veronika did not enjoy the sight. Not at all. Instead, she felt an impulsive urge to hug the brunette. Perhaps she could whisper something caring. Maybe she could relieve the pain.

"Yes, it's your fault. But... but it's also not something you had wished to happen."

Not the most comforting of words, but Veronika was not exactly the best in such situations. All her life, she had been spoiled. Selfishness was the norm. Now, she was into a situation which was alien to her. To comfort someone who was in more pain than her. Maple had swallowed down the painkillers, the painful expression slowing subsiding down to a more bearable frown. The bacta would help as well, ensuring the charred wound would recover faster and prevent scarring. Incomprehensible words sprung out from Maple's mouth again, just like the first time the two of them met. They still made no sense to the blonde, but the words were rather poetic.

"Rest. You should rest."

Her friend was going to be fine. Now it was time to look at her own wound. Another first for the selfish queen, to delay her own treatment. Veronika took off her leather jacket, looking annoyed with the torn sleeve. Her jacket was new and came from the latest autumn and winter collection. Now it was a thousand credits down the drain. She then carefully rolled up the sleeve of her shirt. An ugly wound on her shoulder. To the blonde it was hideous, so she swiftly poured the disinfectant on some cotton and put them on her shoulder. She felt the stinging pain, ignoring it as best as she could. A bacta spray followed next, which stung more and made her grit her teeth. With her own treatment done, she tossed the medical stuff back into the rack and sat down next to Maple, still feeling insecure about that wound. But she could not possibly wear her jacket back without letting the bacta do its work. Perhaps later.

"I should go check the navi-"

The ship's engine suddenly roared louder. She glanced out of the window, noticing the stars flying past in a blur. The vessel had just finished its calculation for Geonosis and was flying towards it at light speed. No excuse for her to leave for the cockpit now.

"You know what? Just don't look at my shoulder."

The blonde tilted her body sidewards, her injured shoulder out of Maple's view. An akward position, but at least she could still talk to Maple.

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple felt a hug, an awkward one. One that let her know how unused Veronika was to caring for another person. What had happened to leave her so isolated from others?

She returned the hug. Squeezing the blonde woman, noticing how soft she felt, heard her reassurances.

She watched as Veronika treated herself, noticing how she was unused to displaying any vulnerability. Her life came with its own burdens. When Veronika had said not to look at her shoulder, Maple had simply nodded.

Maple took off her biker jacket, revealing a gray T-shirt underneath. She lay on the medical bed next to Veronika. She lifted her shirt off, pointing to a scar.

"Knife scar, Mandalorian. Twenty seven bolts, three grenades, and one vehicle used as a ramming device to end him, but he still got his blade into me. Dead blade, no vibro parts, so you KNOW he was a psycho."

Maple then lifted up her pant leg on the right. There was a burn mark.

"Trapped in a burning building with a Sith Lord. Left him to die. Barely escaped. Never stopped being paranoid about Force Cloaks."

Maple left the message in these two occurances unspoken, hoping Veronika would pick up on it: It was okay, she had scars too.

Maple decided to change the subject so she sat up on the table, wincing, respecting Veronika's wishes not to stare at the shoulder.

She stared at the interior of her med bay fondly.

"When I was a kid..." she said. "I had my share of heroes. But when I was growing up, there was one, one in particular who I idolized above all others. That man was multimillionaire fencer and space adventurer Lur Redtide," she said with a grand gesture towards her surroundings.

"Where I was from? Every boy wanted to be him. And the ones who didn't were either liars or fans of rival fencers. Lur Redtide was awesome. No one could kill him. How awesome? Lur Redtide once journeyed into a cave inhabited by a Force Vampire to steal a Jewel. When he found that Jewel, he proceeded to then find the Vampire, slap him awake, and call his mother a whore. Then he proceeded to win the ensuing fight with his fists." Maple said with a grin. "Lur Redtide was so awesome, he once dueled a Sith Master to the death under the shadow of a Volcano on Mustafar. And the only reason it was a draw was because the volcano blew just as he was about to deliver the killing stroke. Lur Redtide was so awesome, he once slept with a First Order Admiral's wife for months in the Admiral's own house. That admiral was one of the fastest shots in the system he was stationed at. Now one day, he catches Redtide in the act in the Admiral's bed. He drew his pistol to fire, but Redtide flung his rapier, which was next to his bed, at the Admiral's chest, killing him instantly. And then, with the Admiral dead not four meters away, he went right back to the Admiral's wife and they eloped that afternoon. Lur Redtide was my hero. Lur Redtide, in fact, owned this vessel before I did. He named it after his pet bird, a little black bird named Erika, who never sang, but always cuddled against his cheek."

"The ship used to be a back up built for Nubian royalty, but back room deals led to it being allowed off Naboo. I won it in a friendly duel against Lur himself." Maple stated. "Its old, more of an heirloom, but given the era, this thing still performs like a dream. So much history..."

Maple turned to Veronika, smiling. Veronika had pushed past her own boundaries, so Maple would push past hers.

She whispered into Veronika's ear, wondering if Veronika could detect that subtle note of desire in the whisper.

"My real name is Uri Udinia. I stopped using it, so Maple is what I prefer now, but I trust you enough to say it out loud."

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

The blonde sat there, eyebrows raised in slight surprise when [member="Maple Harte"] took off her jacket and lifted off her shirt. She could understand the jacket being uncomfortable, but surely there was no need to lift off the shirt as well? Then again, she was not complaining. Emerald eyes glanced downwards, studying the flawless skin, the curves behind the athletic undergarments and the toned abs. The ugly scar running along the stomach area was unsightly though. It made Veronika uncomfortable, making her wonder if her shoulder would end up having a scar like this. On the other hand, Maple seemed undeterred by her own imperfection. She even rolled up her pants, showing a burn mark that was just as unsightly.

Veronika spoke nothing. She was not dumb, her friend was telling her subtly that it was okay to have imperfections on one's body. Was it something she could accept? Somewhere deep within, she knew her body was not as flawless as she imagined it to be. She just did not like people to comment about them or stare at her cellulite. Her narcissism would never go away, but Maple was definitely sending the right message across.

"Lur Redtide? I have never heard of him," she professed, listening to her friend's fascinating story about the adventurer. Fighting a vampire with bare fists, killing an armed admiral with a tossed rapier and then eloping with the admiral's wife? The whole tale sounded too incredible and far fetched to be believed, but Veronika kept her mouth shut throughout the whole story. Whoever this Lur Redtide was, the most believable fact she could establish was that he might indeed be the prior owner of this naboo vessel. With the story done, Maple then leaned over and whispered into her ear.

Did she detect a change in Maple's tone?

Veronika was no stranger to such acts, being a flirt herself. The other party had been so willing to jump ever since they met, and now turning up a notch with that single whisper. The blonde leaned over as well, returning a sultry whisper into Maple's ear.

"So, your name is Uri Udinia..."

She tilted her head and planted her lips onto the brunette's. There was enough time to explore each other until they reached Geonosis.

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple lost track of time, having been so busy with Veronika that by the time it was over she was...well explored. As was Veronika.

Unfortunately, this moment of glad-to-be-alive-relief was ruined by ship alerts. They had entered the Geonosis system. And then more ship alerts.

Maple rushed out of the bed threw on her clothes and headed to the cockpit.

That frieghter, the one large enough to hold a few fighters in its bay in addition to her ship sent a transmission.

"This is the captain of the Fortune's Folly. I want that ship. Not your corpses. Give me it, and I promise you safe passage to Geonosis. If you will not surrender, fighters will be dispatched to render your ship immobile. If we end up accidentally destroying your life support...oh well."

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

The blonde heard the alert and opened her eyes. [member="Maple Harte"] had just slipped out of the bed, putting on her clothes. She got up and did the same, spending an extra minute in front of the mirror to make sure she looked alright. Her shoulder injury felt better as she moved her right arm, kudos to the bacta. She left the room, heading towards the cockpit where Maple was already sitting down.

It was the same frieghter that they met earlier. The one which had caught them in the tractor beams and was now asking them to hand over the ship. Veronika knew that a space fight was out of the question, with the J-type 327 Nubian being a transport vessel with no ship weaponry. There were only two possibilities left, to either escape or pretend to surrender. Neither option sounded appealing, but she was more comfortable with the latter.

"Whoever is the captain, he is sure persistent. We can either try to flee and jump to hyperspace to another planet, or let them temporarily have our ship," the blonde spoke her mind. "In fact, I think his ship is much bigger and more powerful. Won't mind making it our own."

Emerald eyes stared at the opposite pair of lovely green, coupled with an arrogant smile. The witch had no plans to be captured for long.

"But before we discuss further, do you know who this captain is?"

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple had to think very fast, almost certain they would be shot as soon as they handed it over.

Geonosis was in the distance...along with its asteroid field. It would be a struggle just to reach the asteroid field.

"I have no idea who this guy is, but uh...I'm pretty sure he wants my ship. I know its a collector's item but this is...excessive."

Screw that. She was excessive. And though The Silent Erika was a relic from a bygone era, much like Maple herself, it was still fast.

Maple took only a moment to decide. Then she told Veronika to strap in and gave her a precious few seconds to do so before she gunned the engines and the Silent Erika zoomed towards Geonosis, the starfighters from the frieghter giving chase. Six in total.

"Two words, Veronika," Maple said with a ear to ear grin as she gunned the engines harder. "Spaceship. Pursuit."

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

Veronika laughed, clearly delighted with the response from [member="Maple Harte"]. She always loved excitement. Fast speeders, illegal races and beating traffic lights were the sort of thrills that she looked out for in cities. A space pursuit was just as exciting, perhaps even more when the stakes were these high. No weaponry, but strong shields to allow them to take a beating if the enemy fighters got close. If the ship was as fast as she thought, it should be more than capable of shaking off their pursuers. Besides, she could guess what Maple was probably thinking when the vessel made a dive towards the Geonosis.

The asteroid field was going to be a major obstacle for any ship. Even an agile starfighter would need to be careful.

"Two words, darling," she leaned her head over to the pilot's seat and planted a warm slow kiss on her lover's cheek. "Good luck."

The blonde giggled flirtatiously before getting back to her seat, her attention turned to the cockpit. She took a glance at the console in front of her, the starfighters behind them firing their shots. One of the shots landed on the nubian vessel, but the shields were doing their job.

Now all they needed to do was to shake off the pursuit. The asteroid field would be a dangerous course to take but it might also be the only option.

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple grinned harder as she felt the kiss. Veronika got her excited, hot under the collar as she giggled deliciously, and Maple gunned the engines. The fighters swarmed behind, only letting off small bursts to take out the engines and bring the ship in intact.

"In case we die, it was nice we got to know each other!" Maple exclaimed as she evaded their fire, the asteroid field getting closer.

Meanwhile...


"Captain the ship appears to be making a run for the asteroid field," one of the crewmen told the green armored Captain. He sighed.

"Why do they always dive for the nearest pool of rocks?" He grumbled. "Happens every. Damn. Time."

He looked at another crewman. "We got any sonic mines?"

"Four in reserve."

"Sir, is this ship really worth that?" another crewmen asked.

"You question my orders?" The Captain asked.

"No, Sir!"

"Good."

The Captain turned his attention to the helmsmen.

"Can we catch them?"

"We're gaining, but that's a fast vessel she's got. We won't catch them before they reach the asteroid field."

The Captain hit a switch on his chair console. "Engineering. How soon until Tractor beam control is fixed?"

"They fried this stuff completely. We're patching a workaround switchboard to compensate. Ten minutes more at most."

"Excellent."

The Captain then signalled the fighter lead.

"Sigma One, do you read?"

"Copy. Over." Replied a soft female voice.

"Can you catch the ship? Over."

"Its fast, and its buzzing like a fly, we're having a hard time just aiming. I wouldn't count on us getting it before it reaches the belt. Over."

The Captain snarled in frustration.

"If they reach the asteroid belt, get as far above the belt as you can and harrass them however possible. Do not let them reach Geonosis. They'll run out of fuel if we wait long enough and then flush them out. Over."

"Confirmed. Pursuing Target. Out."

The fighters continued firing carefully at the ships engines, even as it swerved and side-winded about ahead of them, one of the bolts hitting the shields.

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

The chase was on. The difference between a speeder dashing in the Coruscant streets and a space ship dodging fire from enemy vessels was the breeze. On a speeder, she would experience the caress of wind on her cheeks, the rush of air blowing against her hair, sirens ringing behind as the speeder weaved through the traffic. On board a ship? The cool breeze of air was replaced by turns and spins. [member="Maple Harte"] was busy with the controls, increasing the distance from the enemy pursuers behind them.

The ship dived into the asteroid field. The rocks were now the new traffic obstacles they needed to avoid, scattered around the space like deadly orbs of death. A couple of nudges should be absorbed by the shields, but a head on collision would be the end for them. The end of their enemies as well, if they chose to play this deadly game. It appeared that most of them pulled out, deciding to fly above instead and continued their firing. A couple decided to risked it. The first one was rewarded with a lucky crash, exploding into debris.

She laughed, enjoying the spectacle at the rear. The kind of laugh that one would loved to hear again. A giggle from the beginning, laughter in the center and trailing off with a sweet sticky end.

"Oh, I haven't thought much about death. But that was some explosion."

The laughter subsided, her eyes closing while she summoned her newfound ally. The spirit Jart would help to boost her already considerable capability to reach out to others. She breathed slowly, her presence reaching out for the minds of Maple, touching her lover gently and expanding outwards to the other ships in the vicinity. The Force was there, flowing through each of them whether they could sense it or not. She began her channelling, letting her own control of the Force to flow. Soft calm whispers in Maple's mind, making sure her friend was confident in her own abilities to pilot the ship. Every reaction would be quick, making the ship responsive to the pilot's intentions. Simultaneously, dark lingering fears crept upon the enemy pilots. Taunting them at their inability to fly. Their lousy aims. The punishments they would endure because they would lose.

Their ship continued its speedy pace despite the obstacles littered around them. A nudge on the shields did nothing to deter them.

Let's go, Maple. Uri Udinia. Lover.

Was it her voice or Jart's? Perhaps both. The blonde was in her own trance like state, sitting comfortably on the co pilot seat, willing her mastery of the Force to influence everyone. The classic textbook example of battle meditation.

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple almost swooned as she felt Veronika's influence touch her mind. Her emotions had been in flux, wild from the adrenaline and lovemaking. Veronika was special. Very special. Her laugh sent another shiver of lust into Uri. Veronika could get past all her armor somehow, and make Maple like it to boot. She felt their essences melded, felt it happen quickly. It was a sign of how close they had become. Felt herself calm down as she reached the asteroid field.

She felt her voice more than heard it, and though she had no time for a true reply, she sent back a feeling of affection to gently nudge Veronika's mind, the way a lover might brush a cheek

The memory of Veronika's laugh, that giggle made her want to live as she calmed down fully, the asteroids threatening death with just one bad move.

The Silent Erika slipped through wide racks, not daring greater clusters, fighters fired from above it , sending more rocks in a deadly cascade that the Erika barely zipped and looped through, side winding through a sheer army of asteroids all crashing into each other.

One rock managed to hit the shield, but it held, and Maple barely corrected from the way of a rock, this one five times larger than the ship. The Force sang through. Doashim laughed at the madness of flying through an asteroid field from within.

I'm so glad you are enjoying this, she muttered sarcastically in her head as she flew threw an asteroid with a giant hole in it. Halfway through the field. She could do it. She knew she could.

Meanwhile...

The Fortune's Folly finally reached the asteroid field.

The pilots had been reporting problems staying confidant and focused, and begrudgingly, the Captain admitted that it was more than likely the ship would reach Geonosis. They had already reached the Asteroid field. They were already halfway through it. And every moment they spent this close to Geonosis was one more moment to give the Navy a chance to nab him and he knew it. But that ship...that sexy, sexy ship.

It must be destroyed if he could not have it.

"A pity, truly," he said out loud. "Call our fighters back and release the sonic mines. Then get us out of here. Send that ship to hell."

His orders were obeyed, and the fighters were called back. No sooner were they halfway to the frieghter then the sonic charges were gettisoned into the field.

The Captain frowned as he ordered the jump to hyperspace. Secretly though, he hoped the girl would make it. If only so he could have another chance at stealing her ship.

"Better luck next time," he thought, as he remote detonated the charges from his seat. He sat back in his seat in contemplation as the Fortune's Folly zipped into hyperspace.

Meanwhile...

Maple's ship screamed all sorts of warnings, but one came loud and clear.

Sonic charges.

"Oh, Kark, hold on!" Maple exclaimed as the scans detected the destructive bubbles all being sent their way, traveling rapidly, sending the massive swarm of rocks behind them as a wall of death.

She gunned the engines to max in the field as the destructive bubbles traveled, shrapnel being sent flying behind them and around them as she flew, the grin never leaving her face as she did. She must have missed the danger. Then again, she had not had such reason to enjoy it before. No Veronika around to give her a reason to.

Maple liked her. A lot. She made Harte's stomach flutter ever since she first laid eyes on her. Her gaze made her want to smile.

Maple was determined to survive this, if only to see her smile and hear her laugh and feel the brush of her lips and all her imperfections and scars. She had kissed the scar that had taken the blaster bolt. She liked that scar. It was earned saving her. It made Veronika more beautiful.

Maple had a look of serenity as she sank into her connection with her lover, letting it guide her hand as she flitted through a million different deaths by rocks. The alarms flashing and lighting the cabin. She switched them off. Dead silence inside, but the rocks flew past outside, and she still barely avoided it.

And then...free.

The Silent Erika triumphantly slipped through the end of the asteroids, clearing the destructive energy's radius, dented and nicked, but intact.

Maple let out an exhale as she flew through the atmosphere, finally stopped grinning. Geonosis was still mostly desert, but that just meant great parking space. Pick a spot and land.

It looked like it was morning on Geonosis, as the silent Erika set down on arid, cracked dirt.

Maple turned to Veronika, leaned forward and planted a deep, long kiss, holding Veronika's face with both hands gently as she pressed her lips to her. She kissed them again. And again. No woman except one had ever made her act like this.

She pulled back, her piercing eyes staring into Veronika's. She liked her eyes. She shivered at how much she liked her eyes

"Whenever we're alone, call me Uri, will you?" She asked [member="Veronika Fleischer"] gently.

 

[Veronika Fleischer]

The emotions from [member="Maple Harte"] were strong, the hint of affection present in the brunette's thoughts who reciprocated to her battle meditation trance quickly. A calm feeling, filled with confidence and reassurance washed over the two of them. She broke into a smile, just a slight one while she continued channelling her control on the Force. The effect was seen from the way the Silent Erika navigated through the asteroids, narrowly avoiding most of them. Her eyes remained closed, but she could sense the narrow misses and smiled wider.

Then it happened. Explosions behind them. The Force sent her a warning. So did the ship's alarms, followed by Maple's urgent shout. The blonde continued her trance like state, withdrawing her grip on the enemy pilots and focused her attention on her lover. She could be a raging storm at times, but she could also be a soothing breeze by the beach. She felt Maple's mind relaxing, allowing her to work the magic properly. The vessel made a daring run towards the emptiness of space, the engines roared at maximum speed limit and broke free.

Emerald eyes opened.

Veronika felt like she had just finished a run, beads of sweat on her forehead. Using the Force had been exhausting, but she was glad to have helped in her own way. The ship broke through the atmosphere of the planet and landed on a dry sandy spot. She had no idea where they were, but it did not really matter.

She enjoyed the thrill, was tired and glad to be alive.

Emerald eyes looked to her right, feeling the gaze of someone. Maple had just leaned over and planted her lips against her own. She returned the kiss, making sure each one was longer than the previous. As the brunette broke off, she broke into a teasing grin.

"Hmm, why should I listen to you, darling? But... fine. I'll call you Uri whenever we are alone," her flirtatious tone danced in. "Look at me, breaking out in sweat. I fancy a shower. Perhaps you should too..." Her eyes twinkled in mischief as she dragged the brunette off the seat and led her towards the bathroom, not giving the bounty hunter any chance to protest. She doubted a protest would arise anyway, not when she was planning to give attention down to the finer details.

******​

Uri was beside her under the covers of the bed after another round of intense activity. They would need to grab some food later. But for now, she definitely would love to catch up on her rest. She had barely slept a wink throughout the night and the accumulated exhaustion had kicked in. Between hunger and sleep, she chose the latter.

"Wake me up later, Uri. Good night."

That was the last thing she muttered before falling asleep, her hands cuddling around her lover to get some extra warmth.