The Maiden of Maridun

[Kat'Lariah Syphex]

Maridun...the grassy plains made Kat uneasy. One could see for miles around with no obstructions, save for buildings. The world was an open shooting range. Kat shook her head as she entered the spaceport, making her way through the crowds to enter the larger city. If it could even be called that...

A bounty had brought her here. One Kat hoped would go off without a hitch. Recently, too many things had gone wrong. But, since [member="HK-36"] had recruited her into the Bounty Hunter's Guild. She hoped she'd be more prepared this time.

With her was the large revolving pistol the eccentric Hunter Killer droid had given her. Yet to use it, she wondered the damage it would do. Still, if things went well she wouldn't have to find out quite yet.

[member="Kianna Auli'i"]

 

[Kianna Auli'i]

Maridun​

~​

​

Kianna Auli'i walked along the semi busy streets of Maridun, window shopping for things she may be wanting or for constructing her next blaster or something. She was always keeping herself busy with something is she wasn't training. She could've been reading, swimming or something, but she preferred to ditch her guard and walk around town on her own.

Her outfit was simple for a princess, but she could move and her sabers fit perfectly with the outfit. It was weird to find someone who was royal and training to be a Jedi at the same time, but Kianna made it work perfecly. She spent some time on Voss and most of the time on Maridun. Maridun was her home and before her master found her, she had no intent on leaving. Not to mention that her guards insisted on coming with her if she ever tried to go anywhere.

Kianna continued along the sidewalk, watching the hustle and bustle of the mini shops that were pretty much busy every single day. The sun was at least covered by some clouds, but the lighting was perfect. It wasn't too bright, yet it wasn't gloomy.

~ [member="Kat'Lariah Syphex"] ~​

 

[Kat'Lariah Syphex]

Kat set to work the moment she stepped outside of the spaceport. Her first destination was the market. There she'd learn more about the world, inquire about what the locals knew of the Princess, and purchase supplies.

Among the crowds in the bustling street, Kat seemed to blend right in. Just another drifter passing through the world, perhaps on their way to a cantina or another.

She soon found herself speaking with a newspaper vendor on the corner of some street. "The princess eh?" said the old man, his raspy voice just a little too loud.
"Yeah, I heard she was quite an interesting person from some bartender." Kat lied, "He was trying to tell me about something she'd done recently. Something important I think? I couldn't quite hear him."
"Ah, yes! Well you see, our very own Princess is training to become a Jedi! Isn't that grand?"
A Jedi? Kat thought. The briefing had left that important piece of information out..."Oh well that's wonderful!" The bounty hunter's voice had the slightest tone of faked interest. "I'd love to talk some more, but I really must be on my way!" and with that the Hunter rushed away....bumping right into another woman. "Oh, s-" and then she noticed the sabers...."Sorry...are you okay?"

[member="Kianna Auli'i"]

 

[Kianna Auli'i]

Kianna was walking through the streets, looking for another shop. She wasn't exactly paying attention to where she was going, as she was caught up in her own thoughts about many different things. Suddenly, Kianna had been shaken from her thoughts as another woman ran right into her. The two looked up at each other and she noticed that the woman's eyes seemed to glance at her lightsabers for a second. She had her own suspicions, but she'd take things slowly and see where they went.

"I'm so sorry! My head was in the clouds. I'm fine though, are you alright? You seem to be in a rush.."

Kianna responded kindly. She took a quick look around to make sure her guards weren't coming. Even if she tripped over her own feet, they were asking if someone had attacked her. They were correct though. Something had attacked her: her feet. Kianna sighed as she realized she was in the clear and it seemed as if any guards that could have possibly been around, at least hadn't seen the two bump into each other.

She looked the woman up and down, sensing that something was off. She may have blended in with the crowd, but Kianna could tell something was up. Either way, she gave a small smile and waited to see what the woman's next action was.

~ [member="Kat'Lariah Syphex"] ~​

 

[Kat'Lariah Syphex]

"Oh, yes, th-thank you" Kat said, feigning a sort of meekness within the presence of royalty. "You're the Princess aren't you?!" the quiet respectful tone giving way to excitement. "Its not often a spacer like me gets to meet royaolt!"

Small talk. If Kat could get the woman to drop her guard a little, she'd be far better off. On the other hand, should the woman become privy to who Kat really was...well those lightsabers could prove quiet an issue considerering how close the two were to each other.

[member="Kianna Auli'i"]

 

[Kianna Auli'i]

Kianna gave a slight smile upon hearing the overly excited voice of the woman asking if she was the princess. She gave a slight giggle and bowed her head slightly while responding.

"Yes.. I'm Princess Kianna of Maridun. It's a pleasure to meet you."

she responded in a very calm tone. Upon hearing that it wasn't often someone like her met royalty, another giggle came from the princess. She was always around and the people knew her well. No matter how hard the guards tried to keep her in, she just went out more often. They never realized that what they were doing, was just driving her more and more outside the castle walls to explore.

"Alot of people like you actually do meet someone like me.. well, I obviously don't mean it in a bad way, but I'm always around town. A castle sounds fun to some people, but my guards are awfully protective.."

she said. Then she narrowed her eyes slightly. She may have been talking a little too much, but she figured the woman didn't mind.

"I think they have eyes in the back of their heads.. anyway, enough of me talking. What brings you to Maridun on such a fine day?"

she asked. Kianna was always a very curious and inquisitive person.

~ [member="Kat'Lariah Syphex"] ~​

 

[Kat'Lariah Syphex]

"Business." she said truthfully, "But I'm a bit lost. I was supposed to meet my partner at the cantina...where can I find that?"

At the core of every lie must be truth. She certainly was on business. And she was always looking for a cantina.

[member="Kianna Auli'i"]

 

[Kianna Auli'i]

Hearing her say something about business, Kianna nodded with a small smile. As she mentioned the cantina, she responded.

"Yes, I know exactly where that is. It's on my way to where I'm headed. I can walk with you if you like?"

she asked. Kianna was heading to a store two doors down from the cantina, so she would be able to show her the way to the bar and then part ways.

~ [member="Kat'Lariah Syphex"] ~​

 

[Kat'Lariah Syphex]

"That'd be perfect!" Kat said, a smile lighting up her face. She let the woman take the lead, walking a step or two behind her. "I heard you're going to become a Jedi." she said, initiating some small talk. "Stressful business, that is."

[member="Kianna Auli'i"]

 

[Kianna Auli'i]

"Wonderful!"

she responded as she then motioned for the woman to follow her. She realized that she hadn't received the woman's name, but it didn't exactly matter now. She figured hat she was taking her to the bar and then parting ways, but she didn't know what would come to her next. Then she started talking about Kianna becoming a Jedi.. that was definitely suspicious..

"U-uh.. yes, I am becoming a Jedi. I guess word spreads pretty quickly here.."

she said. Kianna was curious of how this woman had found out about her becoming a Jedi. Most knew that her father was a Jedi and he had married the queen. Her people were quite chatty when it came to someone they didn't recognize.She looked back to the woman and let out a small smile.

"It's not that bad.. I can handle it and it's rather fun."

she responded.

~ [member="Kat'Lariah Syphex"] ~​

 

[Kat'Lariah Syphex]

"Fun? After all I've seen in the galaxy, 'fun' would've been the last thing I would've described being a Jedi as." Kat said in response, hoping the woman wasn't becoming too suspicious of herself. "What's so fun about being shot at, nearly stabbed and generally risking your life?"

Truth be told, Kat understood exactly why some found that kind of work appealing. She herself did after all. It was the adrenaline. Making the world was just a plus in her opinion.

[member="Kianna Auli'i"]

 

[Kianna Auli'i]

Kianna giggled hearing her question about how being a Jedi was fun.

"There's a lot of fun things about being a Jedi. I get to be someone who isn't formal. Plus my master makes it fun. We're always joking with each other during training sessions. Technically, it's another side of me. No one necessarily knows who I am and instead of being the princess who always has to be rescued, I can rescue myself and others. Well.. I can rescue myself as long as the spot I'm put in, isn't too dangerous."

she responded. She loved being a Jedi. It was a part that she wanted to experience with her father, but never got to. It was a part of her parents that was still left, that she could cherish for the rest of her life.

~ [member="Kat'Lariah Syphex"] ~​

 

[Kat'Lariah Syphex]

Kat understood what the woman was saying. Maybe in a different way than what she meant, but she understood. She could finally be free. Live a life apart from the one that restricted and choked her. She understood how it felt to suffocate.

No sooner had the woman turned around to face forward once more, Kat's arm shot around her neck, clasping her hand together she squeezed, her bicep and forearm biting into the Princess's neck to restrict the flow of blood, pulling her into the alley before which they walked.

[member="Kianna Auli'i"]

 

[Kianna Auli'i]

As Kianna turned back around to watch where she was going, something came over her senses, warning her of something. A split second later, her suspicions became true. The woman came up behind her, wrapping her arm around Kianna's neck. Her reflexes kicked in as she partly jumped and squealed in shock, but as she pulled at the bounty hunter's arm, it only tightened and her world went to black.

She should have seen it coming much sooner than she had. Kianna knew something was up, but her curiosity had only been confirmed.

~ [member="Kat'Lariah Syphex"] ~​

 

[Kat'Lariah Syphex]

The woman slowly lowered the Princess's body to the ground as she ceased to struggle. She took the lightsaber from the woman and clipped the weapon to her own belt. She patted down the woman again and found nothing. Then the Hunter sighed..."I didn't think this through..." she muttered...now she'd have to either drag the woman back or...she groaned...

She drew the heavy revolver from its holster and slapped the woman on the ground. "Wake up!"

[member="Kianna Auli'i"]

 

[Kianna Auli'i]

Kianna was lowered to the ground once she passed out and then there was a pat down. The bounty hunter had taken both of Kianna's lightsabers from her belt, placing them on her own. All of a sudden, pain went across Kianna's face as the bounty hunter tried slapping her awake. With her instincts being the way they were though, as Kianna was slapped awake, she took her elbow to Kat's foot that was nearest to Kianna.

Kianna then looked up from the ground after she received her head again and saw that she was looking down the barrel of a gun..

"Is there a problem, bounty hunter?"

she asked in a pretend innocent voice as a smirk came across her face.

~ [member="Kat'Lariah Syphex"] ~​

 

[Kat'Lariah Syphex]

"You and I are going on a little vacation, offworld. And if you struggle, or pull one of your dumb Jedi tricks, I'm putting putting a bullet in your brain. That'd be quite a shame wouldn't it? I won't get paid as much if you're not breathing." the Bounty Hunter said coldly.

This would be difficult...Kat was not lying when she said she'd kill the woman if she tried anything...but if the Princess did try to draw the attention of her guards...well things could get complicated.

[member="Kianna Auli'i"]

 

[Kianna Auli'i]

Kianna let herself rest of the concrete for a second before standing up in a non-aggressive way. Hearing what the bounty hunter said, Kianna let out a small chuckle, before crossing her arms.

"You make a vacation sound horrible. Looks like you give me no choice though.."

she responded. Kianna then thought about the last thing the bounty hunter said.

"Actually putting a bullet in my head would be quite the shame. Not only would you be killing a Princess, you'd be giving yourself a death sentence. So not only would I not be breathing and you not getting paid as much, you'd be dead and you'd be no richer than you are now."

Kianna responded. Sometimes she made too much sense.

~ [member="Kat'Lariah Syphex"] ~​

 

[Kat'Lariah Syphex]

The Blunty Hunter burst out in laughter after hearing the Princess's words. "Oh honey, you should meet my family. After the things I've seen them do to others, and the lengths they've gone to to capture me, dealjng with your planet would be like a summer on Naboo.". Her face became stoic, the cold gaze returning once more, "Now turn around and move, before another Hunter who isn't as friendly as I am decides to cap you."

[member="Kianna Auli'i"]

 

[Kianna Auli'i]

Kianna heard what she said and shook her head. Her face never shifted and she never flinched when she burst into laughter. In fact, she stayed there with a straight face and didn't move.

"Well, the way you explain them, you have a rebellion all in itself.. plus believe me.. this is not my first capture. "

she responded. Upon hearing her talk about a "less friendly" bounty hunter, she scoffed before turning and walking.

~ [member="Kat'Lariah Syphex"] ~​