Private Two Guns, One Prize

[Vince Avery]

Tatooine/Mos Eisley​

Midday/Clear Skies​

Theme​

The Mos Eisley cantina was rather slow, with only a handful of patrons sitting around booths or by the counter. But one thing that tended to remain constant is the flow of work coming through the place. Bounties were always open and the bartender also tended to catch wind of stuff going on. That's what Vince was banking on. Things were going slow for him and if he didn't get credits from somewhere soon, he was going to be a little bit in trouble.

He ignored the people around him as he adjusted his hat to block out the sun. When he reached the cantina, he took a moment to breathe in the cooler air inside the building...though the smell wasn't exactly enjoyable. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a toothpick that he slipped into his mouth to nibble on. Calmly he walked towards the bar, his cold blue eyes glancing to and fro for any surprises. He knew people tended to keep to themselves on this planet, but one could never be too careful. Once he reached the bar counter, he removed his hat and sat down on a stool, placing the hat on the counter. "I'll have a cola." he said flatly to the bartender, who scoffed at the request. "This is a bar, buddy. Order something proper or get out." he fired back, but Vince merely cleared his throat. "I don't think you heard me, friend." he spoke up, removing the toothpick and looking it over. "I said I want a cola. Now are you gonna give me some or should I climb over this counter and get it myself?" he repeated, his eerily calm voice rising ever so slightly. He flicked the toothpick perfectly into the dustbin behind the counter without breaking the glare he was giving the bartender.

"...Fine." he relented, bringing Vince his cola and pouring it over into a glass. Once he was done, Vince flicked him a credit and brought the glass up to his lips for a long and satisfying sip. He sighed with content as he turned to look around the place. The bounty board by the wall seemed appealing. But right now he was taking a break. Those bounties wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon...but it didn't hurt to look.

He rose from his seat and wandered over to the bounty board, swiping through the options with his right hand while he held his glass to his lips with his left.

Tiya Zahn

 

[Tiya Westwind]

The past few years had been a blur which had led the former soldier and combat medic to Tatooine where she would try her luck at bounty hunting on the lawless planet. It was not the first time she would try her hand at hunting but she hoped she had gained the necessary experience to be more successful this time. It was all a learning experience for her but she was a fast learner which attributed to her surviving thus far.

After the success of a previous hunt, she would return to the bar in search of another. The previous bounty barely paid enough to leave the planet so she needed something more substantial. There was nothing noteworthy about her entrance to the cantina as she was dressed as any sensible person would on Tatooine - the outfit complete with what looked like sunglasses though they were specially designed lenses to block out the infrared rays which were plentiful on the scorching desert planet and affected the part-Arkanian woman's vision.

As she approached the bounty board, she rolled her eyes at seeing someone else there and stood behind him for a few moments before impatiently asking him "You done?". She didn't care to wait for this man to casually flick through the bounty board while he enjoyed his afternoon drink.

Vince Avery

 

[Vince Avery]

Vince was casually sipping away on his drink as he studied the options...until he heard a voice behind him. He stopped slurping at his drink and turned slightly to glance at the girl behind him. He was about to say something until something caught his eye on the bounty board. "As a matter of fact, I think I am." he spoke calmly as he studied the target. It was a big one. Dead or alive, hitman wanted for killing a friend of the Hutts, twenty thousand credits. The only issue was the fact that the bounty was permanently open. He was going to have competition on this one.

With wide eyes he glanced back to the girl then accepted the bounty. "My apologies for the wait, ma'am." he spoke with a polite tone as he gave her a light salute and an unsettling smile. Given that she was by the board, she was likely looking for a target as well. It would be a shame if he ran into her along the way. "You looking for targets as well?" he asked her, nodding back to the board. "I'd suggest avoiding that one. It's a little dangerous for a lady such as yourself." he suggested before taking another sip of his cola. "Have a good day, ma'am." he greeted as he returned to his seat to grab his hat. He quickly finished his drink and slipped his black hat back on, turning to leave the cantina. From the corner of his eye he watched the girl, curious to see if she was going to accept.

Outside he glanced around and pulled his datapad out, looking the bounty over. This was going to be a fun one. Not only was the target a kriffing Zabrak, he was on Christophsis. Vince sighed as he slipped his datapad back into a pocket and started nibbling on another toothpick. The last thing he needed now was a chase through a metropolis with other hunters getting in the way...

Tiya Zahn

 

[Tiya Westwind]

Tiya stood behind him with her arms folded, her body language conveying that she was unimpressed. However, his following comment caught her off guard a little and her arms loosened and fell back down to her sides. He seemed unusually polite which was out of character in a place such as this. She wouldn't return the niceties but dropped her standoffish demeanour instead. "Yeah." She replied simply, glancing behind him to the board when he indicated to it and then back at him. It was a bounty that was perhaps a little over her head.

His suggestion provoked a scoff from the woman who looked at him with an incredulous expression but simply shook her head in disbelief and spoke in a cool tone. "I'm on Tatooine. Does it look like I've come here for a vacation?" She retorted before returning her attention to the bounty board as bid her farewell. She analysed it for a few moments before settling on committing to it. The credits were certainly a nice amount but now there was an added bonus of showing up the smug fool who underestimated her.

She accepted the bounty and left the cantina in pursuit of the man and called out to him when she spotted him. "Hey! Looks like you're afraid of a little competition." She told him, standing with her hands on her hips behind him.

Vince Avery Talo Krayt

 

[Talo Krayt]

With a few bounties under his belt and his improving armour, the young Mandalorian was beginning to grow more confident in his skills. On a current streak like his, why stop now? Talo trekked through the humid streets of Mos Eisley, his home, and made his way to a cantina to find a new bounty. It was strange being back... hotter too, but he owed that to his armour - Talo wished beskar had some built-in air con or something. Having grown up and garnering a reputation in Mos Eisley as a petty pickpocket, it was liberating to know no one would recognise him here, and so the Mandalorian walked the streets with his head held high and his chest out, feeling more confident than ever.

As he entered the cantina, Talo passed a gruff looking man in a black hat. At the bounty board, he spotted a woman who... he wasn't sure what she was? All that he knew was that she was Near-Human, when she turned to leave she had a determined look on her face which he shrugged off. At the bounty board, he ignored everyone else and scanned over its contents. His dark, wild eyes darted across the board struggling to find a target that was worth the most money - then he stopped. 20,000 credits? A small grin crept on his face as he folded his arms, it quickly faded once he realised it was an open bounty. Turning towards the exit slightly, he wondered if the gruff-looking man and the Near-Human were after the same target? He could only guess, but it made a lot of sense seeing how quickly they exited the cantina.

"-fraid of a little competition." was what he heard as the came outside, he saw the Near-Human woman standing with her hands on her hips, facing the gruff man from before. Standing at the doorway to the cantina, Talo folded his arms again and leaned against the door and waited to see how this would go and if his suspicions were correct. He wasn't bothered if they noticed him eavesdropping or not.

Vince Avery Tiya Zahn

 

[Vince Avery]

Vince stopped his nibbling and turned to glance at the woman. With a smirk he turned slightly to look at her, his left hand resting conveniently close to the holster on his hip. "I don't scare easily, miss." he quipped, slipping his toothpick into his pocket. "After a life like mine, fear isn't something that happens quite often." he continued as he started to close the distance between them. "I take it you accepted the contract? Real shame." he spoke as he looked her over. She didn't look like much...but looks could be deceiving. "I got a proposition for ya. This is a rather big one...and I'd hate to have to put you down...so how 'bout we roll together on this?" he suggested, slipping his toothpick back into his mouth.

"You lost somethin' here, friend?" he spoke up, turning to glare at the Mando standing a bit away from them. His left hand shifted slightly lower as he glanced at him then back to her. "Starin' ain't polite, so you better have a good reason for standin' like a pot plant and listening in." he continued with a cold voice. He would already be dealing with competition on this job. If he had to deal with two more already...there were going to be problems.

He adjusted his hat slightly with his right hand as he looked at the Mando and the woman, waiting to hear what the two of them had to say.

Talo Krayt Tiya Zahn

 

[Tiya Westwind]

With a glance down at his hand and then back to his face, she gave an unimpressed look but didn't move from her stance. "You sure you're not a little... on edge?" She almost teased. Part of her wanted to tell him that she didn't care about his past and what had led him to become desensitised to fear but she knew when to hold her tongue. "Yeah." She answered. Tiya had half been hoping that the man had a ship that she could snag a free ride in but even if he didn't then his company might provide some valuable support.

In the previous years, she had been more unwilling to work with strangers in fear of compromising her identity or becoming too well-known but she became more open to the idea after having no incidents since she left the army which increased her feelings of security and also working with others often allowed a more reliable source of income, even if it was not as much as solo work, as she was still gaining experience. Though she had the combat experience, she knew little of how to apply it effectively to the real world.

Tiya ignored his comment about him not wanting to put her down as she didn't want to irritate him now she was in the sweet spot of being offered to work with him. "Sure." She replied casually, though it was secretly what she had been hoping for. Her gaze followed his to the Mandalorian nearby who had apparently been eavesdropping as though he was interested in joining them. The thought of such a prospect made her tense. She didn't trust a Mandalorian not to backstab them and take the bounty for himself if given the chance.

She wasn't exactly trustful of the other stranger either but seeing as he offered her to accompany him then she thought that to be an unwise move if his intention was to backstab her later instead of now - though she was still wary and wouldn't let her guard down.

Vince Avery Talo Krayt

 

[Talo Krayt]

After listening to their conversation, while they didn't confirm it - he had more than a feeling they were after the same bounty as him. The idea of an alliance between those two sparked ideas in the Mandaloran's own head as well, while Talo was always distrustful of others he wasn't a moron, he knew it'd be easier for them to work together now instead of waste time fighting over the right for the target now.

Once the man noticed Talo, he noticed him lower his left hand slightly to which Talo kicked off the wall and took a few small steps forward. Ignoring the man's previous comment about 'losing something' "What makes you think I was staring? You can never tell with this helmet. Could've just been enjoying the view." he calmly responded to the implied threat. Talo then confidently approached the man, squaring up to him "I'm guessing you're both after the target too?" he surmised glancing at both the guy in the hat and the Near-Human woman.

"We've got no reason to trust each other, but I'm right to assume you both aren't idiots?" he asked rhetorically, Talo clasped the front of his belt before continuing "No point in wasting time measuring dicks, when we could be all helping each other out." he advocated to both of them, albeit begrudgingly. As much as he hated working with others, it was the most logical solution, and he really wasn't in the mood for killing so early in the day.

Throughout the entire time he spoke, the Mandalorian had his left hand subtly hover over his holster - just in case two people felt like trying to jump him today.

Vince Avery Tiya Zahn

 

[Vince Avery]

The girl agreed to tag along with him, which was a bit of a relief. She looked smart enough not to try and do something stupid but he would keep an eye on her regardless. He wasn't in the mood to get shot in the back. The issue now was the smart-mouthed Mando standing a bit away from them. "You Mandos always make it easy to know what you're looking at." he quipped as he turned to face him fully. He looked him over with his cold blue eyes, taking note of his gear.

"I'd like to think I ain't." he remarked at the man's question. "I just hope you ain't." he continued before glancing in the direction of his ship. "Well if you two agree to play along nicely, y'all can come along. I got a ship. Let's move before we all lose out on this." he insisted as he turned to lead the way to his ship, though he stopped before continuing any further. "And you can let go of your piece, friend." he quipped as he turned to look at the Mando. "I won't shoot if you don't."

It was an uneasy alliance to say the least, but they were going to need it. The target itself wasn't that big an issue, it was the other hunters that would be coming after him as well that had Vince on edge. "Four-two, prep the ship. We got friends coming onboard." he spoke into his commlink, receiving a bunch of beeps in response. They reached his ship in no time at all and he led them onboard. "Try and keep your hands to yourself." he suggested as he made his way up towards the cockpit. His droid was already starting up the ship for him. "Yellow light on them until further notice. Now let's get this tub in the air." he ordered the droid as he placed his hat on the dashboard in front of him. After flicking some switches and getting the engines online, they were off to Christophsis. The ship jumped to hyperspace and Vince relinquished control to his droid, returning to his guests onboard.

In the recreation room he tossed his toothpick in a bin and sat down on the table. "So, let's get pleasantries out of the way. What're your names?" he asked them glancing between the two of them.

Talo Krayt Tiya Zahn

 

[Tiya Westwind]

Tiya remained uninvolved with their conversation for the most part, only raising an eyebrow when the Mandalorian mentioned he was potentially looking at the view. She wasn't a keen conversationalist with strangers, or anyone really since she didn't have any friends as she was constantly on the move and hardly saw anyone for long enough to develop a relationship. Though she would step in when someone said or did something so profoundly stupid. Her focus was on surviving as she often only had enough credits to get from one job to the next and settling down would mean a steady job which would risk exposing her identity. Although the nomad life was not ideal, it worked for her so far.

"Yeah, we are." She replied to the Mando and then scoffed at his next comment. "I think that's safe to say. We're not the ones standing outside on Tatooine in midday in armour like some kind of Mandalorian shake 'n bake." She replied calmly, having directed most of her unfriendly behaviour towards the Mandalorian who she saw as even less trustworthy than the other stranger. Although the other man seemed to be nothing more than a simple bounty hunter, Mandalorians were feared warriors throughout the galaxy so she was even more wary of him.

Tiya had hoped the Mandalorian would back off after her standoffish behaviour it seemed unlikely as the other man invited the Mandalorian to join them, prompting a sigh from the woman. "You're wearing beskar armour and you're afraid of a little blaster fire while little fleshy old me doesn't have as much as sun block on. Cool it. No one's getting shot." She dropped in casually.

With the Mandalorian now joining their makeshift trio, she knew there was nothing else she could do about the matter so continued to the other man's ship reluctantly. Once they were in the recreation room she removed her sunglasses and helped herself to a seat at the table but offered no words to the Mandalorian and only spoke when the other man returned. "Tiya." She replied. "And you?"

Talo Krayt Vince Avery

 

[Talo Krayt]

The Near-Human finally spoke up, although her attempt at firing shots earned her nothing but a glare from his expressionless T-visor - it wasn't to intimidate her but a way of non-verbally saying 'and you are?' He was just unbothered by her standoffish attitude. "Well, I'm proposing an alliance instead of attacking you aren't I?" he asked rhetorically at the bounty hunter's question - Talo gave an affirmative nod at his command about 'playing nice' before relaxing his arms at his sides.

The woman had made another snarky comment about him, which had prompted Talo to roll his eyes into the back of his head "Can never be too careful in our line of work." Talo argued, it didn't take a genius to know that she was either opposed to Talo or Talo joining them, maybe both but he didn't care - it was a job, the sooner she got over it the better. Talo remained silent for the rest of the way as he followed the man with the hat back to his ship, he made a mental note that after he got paid he'd be buying his own ship.

Once they had gotten to the ship and had made their way to the recreation room, instead of sitting at the table with the Near-Human, the Mandalorian opted to stand in a corner, leaning over with his shoulder, his arms folded and his boots crossed over each other. When the man returned, introductions were in order following Tiya's introduction, the young Mandalorian spoke up "Talo." he introduced himself nonchalantly. Scanning around he examined the man's ship "Nice Wrangler." he complimented, after the man had introduced himself as well.

Vince Avery Tiya Zahn

 

[Vince Avery]

Vince smirked at the sight of the Mando standing in the corner like a child. "This ain't a school, friend. No need to stand in the corner like a child." he quipped as he looked him over. The girl was the first to introduce herself, followed by the Mando. He had to admit that it was rather amusing listening to Tiya throwing comments and quips at the Mando every now and then. "The name's Vince. And I know. Try to keep it that way while you two are onboard." he answered Talo, eyeing the two of them harshly. He was actually proud of his surprisingly clean ship. the last thing he needed was people messing it up.

"We'll be there in a bit. There's drinks in the fridge if you want. I'll be in the cockpit." he spoke as he gestured to the fridge, pushing himself off the table and walking towards the exit. However he quickly stopped and turned to look at the two of them. "You mess my ship up, I'm blowing both of you out of the airlock." he warned them with a cold tone before walking towards the cockpit. Once there, he slid into the pilot's seat and took control of the ship. "Keep an eye on them. Especially the Mando. Between the two, I expect him to be the headache for us." he ordered his droid as he looked the screens over.

With everything set, he relaxed back and waited patiently for the ship to arrive at its coordinates. Once it exited hyperspace, he took control and calmly steered it into atmosphere. "You two better strap in, we're landing soon." he spoke over the ship's intercom. After a few minutes they touched down on a landing pad and Vince grabbed his hat. He checked his gear and slipped it back on as he made his way to the recreation room. "Come on, let's get this kriffer." he muttered as he passed them both to exit the ship. Outside, he looked around and adjusted his hat...then noticed an empty can not even two meters away from a dustbin. An annoyed sigh escaped him as he approached it and tossed the can into the bin. "So how much experience do you two got with bounty huntin'?" he asked them as he made his way out of the landing pads. Already he was checking the other ships docked around him for anything that looked suspicious. At least two ships seemed to fit a bounty hunter's bill pretty well. "Bounty's last known location wasn't too far from here. Move it." he spoke over his shoulder as he led the way.

Talo Krayt Tiya Zahn

 

[Tiya Westwind]

Tiya didn't care much for his response to her prodding though it did amuse her slightly as she believed Mandalorians to be the fearless warriors the galaxy portrayed them as but this one seemed almost on edge at the threat of a little blaster. Still, he seemed keen on joining them and she needed the money so she knew there was nothing she could do.

The distrust among the group was strong so it was a wonder how they would effectively work together in the first place and even if they did there was no certainty that one or two of them wouldn't get backstabbed but perhaps all were too desperate for that. Vince seemed somewhat relaxed when he offered them drinks even though it was followed up with a warning.

For the rest of the journey, Tiya didn't speak to Talo as she didn't care for making small talk. It was a job; she was not here to hang out with him. Once it became apparent that the ship had landed, she rose from her seat and followed Vince outside, slipping a blaster into her hand as she did so, ready to expect the unexpected. "10 years." She replied smoothly despite it being a lie. It was really closer to a year but she didn't want to lose credibility and have them kick her out. "How about you don't tell us what to do." She replied as she followed Vince.

Talo Krayt Vince Avery

 

[Talo Krayt]

Talo rolled his eyes under his helmet at Vince's comment as he remained in place - he didn't trust either of them, nor was he in a sociable mood today. Talo ignored the threat about messing up his ship, eventually though, the Mandalorian went to go sit on the table in the recreation room although he didn't say a word to Tiya the whole trip and vice versa. For the duration of the trip, he inspected his various weapons a numerous amount of times as a way to pass the time.

Travelling through hyperspace was something Talo had always found tedious, so he was pleased to feel the ship actually land. The young Mandalorian followed after Tiya as they exited the ship and stepped out onto the crystalline planet. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Vince grow visibly frustrated at a piece of litter on the floor, it was... interesting? For a man that lives a life of violence, he's bothered by litter of all things. It was a strange galaxy indeed.

"Enough." Talo calmly answered regarding Vince's question as he followed, however he shot a subtle but questioning glance at Tiya through his helmet. It was obvious she was lying about her answer but it wasn't his place to bring it up, even though he hadn't been in the business that long either, he could tell a relative greenie when he saw one. Stifling a scoff, the Mandalorian decided it was time to call the Near-Human out "Enough with the 'tough' act." he said calmly before turning his attention to Vince "But she's right."

Fixing his gaze on the other ships in the area, he recognised the nose paint on one of the ships before quickly turning back to Tiya and Vince. "One of those ships, they're with the Untamed crime syndicate - which means we're about to have some serious competition." he warned everyone, he didn't need to tell them to keep their wits about them. Talo was cautious before, but with a member of the Untamed on the loose he wondered if there was more to this target than the bounty had led on.

Vince Avery Tiya Zahn

 

[Vince Avery]

Vince scoffed at Tiya's remark. She was lying through her teeth, that was blatantly obvious. But they had a job to do. If she messed up down the line, they could sort her out then. Until then, he would have to tolerate her snarky attitude. Talo seemed to definitely recognize a ship, pointing it out to them. Vince stopped and turned to look at the ship. "You sure?" he asked him with a serious tone. With that confirmation, he broke off to casually prime and toss a thermal detonator into one of the main engines. Rejoining with the two other hunters, he motioned for them to move. "Let's go." he ordered them, checking his vambrace to make sure the detonator was active. "That should slow 'em down if they try and chase us." he quipped, glancing around.

On the city's streets, Vince checked his datapad for the target's records. "Last known location is at the top of a skyscraper only a few blocks from here. Safeties off." he explained to them as he glanced at the two. Without another word he slipped a toothpick into his mouth and pushed on, his eyes glancing all over the place for any surprises. In the streets they would still be fine. The issue was that building. He hated close spaces like that.

In no time at all they reached the building. the receptionist greeted them with the fakest smile he ever saw but he paid her no mind. He walked towards the elevator and patiently waited for it to arrive. Inside, he selected the penthouse suite and went over his gear again. The ride up was thick with awkward silence from Vince's part. He glanced at the floors and rested his hands on his blasters as they neared the top. The doors finally opened... and a few doors away from them were two people checking doors. Once they saw the three new arrivals, they went for their blasters...

Tiya Zahn Talo Krayt

 

[Tiya Westwind]

Tiya seemed taken aback by Talo's comment and gave him a perplexed look. "Excuse me?" She replied. "You don't know me so back off." She told him with a stern tone before their attention was diverted elsewhere. She had grown to become very defensive in recent years as her life depended on it so most of the information she gave about herself was a lie. It was lonely but necessary.

She gazed upon the ship Talo referred to with a look of concern and began to wonder how much trouble they would be in for. It could be that soon the three of them would need to put aside their differences to work together and focus on the task at hand if they were to be met with such fierce competitors. Tiya was beginning to feel a little concerned at being potentially out of her depth but maintained a confident facade.

She followed Vince into the elevator and said nothing to either of her companions for the ride up as she wasn't keen on talking to either of them. Once they reached the top, she drew her second blaster into her hand and once the door opened the raised her arm and shot towards one of the men in front of her with reflex-like speed as soon as she saw him before advancing into the room.

Talo Krayt Vince Avery

 

[Talo Krayt]

Without even looking at the Near-Human, Talo let out an unfazed scoff at her defensive attitude - she was definitely a greenie. He said nothing and let it slide, they were both above petty squabbling, at least he hoped she was. Talo was pleased that Vince took his warnings serious, so much so as to plant a detonator in the engine of their ship. It was a smart tactic which he respected.

Talo glanced up at the skyscraper when Vince stated that it was their target's last known location. Glancing to Vince and Tiya he made a dark joke "Reckon he wanted to jump?" which he delivered drily as he set his blasters settings to kill, and then following the two inside the building. The elevator ride to the penthouse suite was silent, which he very much preferred, not in the mood for small talk or a chance to get to know them further.

When they reached their floor and the elevator doors smoothly slid open, his eyes narrowed onto a pair of individuals checking doors. As the two reached for their blasters after seeing the three bounty hunters, Tiya was swift to pull out her blaster and shoot one of them however the other had already taken a shot at the pointy-eared bounty hunter - thinking fast, the Mandalorian pulled out one of his blasters and stepped in front of her allowing the blaster bolt to bounce off of his chest plate, staggering him slightly. As he took the shot, he sent his own out to the shooter although he wasn't sure if it'd hit its target due to him shooting on instinct, if he missed he trusted Vince to handle it.

With that short skirmish over with, he glanced down at his chest plate spotting the black, new blaster mark. Snickering to himself slightly, he said nothing before starting down the hallway, turning back to Vince he would calmly ask "Which room?"

Vince Avery Tiya Zahn

 

[Vince Avery]

Vince drew his blasters, but his two companions were much more anxious to react. The two attackers dropped to the ground in a matter of seconds. Holstering his guns, he glanced at the two of them before stepping out of the elevator. Talo asked about the room, earning a shrug from Vince. "Your guess is as good as mine. At least there isn't any other way out of this place. So he's gonna have to come out eventually." Vince explained casually as he walked through the halls, his hands resting on the grips of his blasters.

As they inspected the hall, one of the doors opened. Vince's gun was drawn in a flash as their target tried to make a run for it. with one shot he nearly took the guy's leg off. The man screamed in agony as he clutched his leg, but Vince didn't even blink as he switched to stun mode and knocked him out cold. "That wasn't so hard. Gonna need to bandage him up though, otherwise he'll be makin' a mess all over." he commented as he stood over their target. "Time to get out of here before-" he was interrupted when the elevator behind them pinged and opened up. Inside was another group of hunters. "Hey!" shouted one of them, but he didn't get to do much more before receiving a shot in the chest from Vince. The rest of the group pushed out of the elevator, all geared with armour and proper weaponry. Blasterfire filled the hallway in no time at all as the other hunters fired at the three companions.

Vince drew both his blasters, firing at them while taking cover behind a pillar in the hallway. "Get the target out of here, I'll cover you. Emergency stairs are down the hall. Weapons hot, they won't be the only ones." he ordered Talo and Tiya before returning a few more bolts. One of the attackers went down as the weapons blew a hole through his chest. "Move your asses!" he barked at them as he tossed a smoke grenade, followed by another thermal detonator. The shouting and violent explosion was his cue to fall in behind his companions as he followed them down the stairwell. Shouting from below spelled more bad news for them. "Mando, your helmet got any infrared or somethin'?" he asked Talo with a hushed voice, glancing behind and below them to make sure they were still clear.

Talo Krayt Tiya Zahn

 

[Tiya Westwind]

Tiya shot an unimpressed look at Talo's joke. Not because she disapproved of the style of humour but because she clearly didn't find it amusing. Her impression so far of this Mandalorian and all others was not good as she believed them to be self-serving and thus untrustworthy. Despite Talo not showing an inclination towards being either of those things, she would still display prejudice towards him.

However, it seemed everything she thought would be put into question as after firing her shot she was not prepared to defend the oncoming shot from the other man, at which point Talo took the shot on his armour. While the shot wouldn't have killed him due to the beskar, it at least showed that the man had some sense of loyalty and she was still surprised that it had happened for a few moments afterwards that she fell behind the group momentarily before jogging slightly to catch up. "Thanks." She would tell Talo in passing if she could catch his attention.

At the back of the group, Tiya paid the most attention to where they had come from in case any other hunters had a similar idea. At the sound of the elevator, she whipped around with her blaster raised and exchanged fire with the newcomers while taking cover in a doorway. It took a few hesitant seconds for Tiya to react as she was afraid of getting hit without armour but Vince's comment prompted an irritated "Shut the hell up!" from the medic.

"Can you carry him?" She asked the Mandalorian knowing that she would be unable to assist much other than take some of the strain of the target's weight if he couldn't carry the man by himself. As they retreated down the stairs, it seemed their troubles were far from over yet.

Vince Avery Talo Krayt

 

[Talo Krayt]

To his surprise, she actually thanked him, he was half-expecting some witty remark thrown at him instead - however, he wouldn't let it go unappreciated. Turning to her, he nodded at her. Like the rest, Talo was cautious as he had both hands hovered over his blasters - the Mandalorian's head whipped round when one of the doors opened, Talo quickly drew out both blasters ready to shoot but Vince already got the job done.

He glanced at Vince for a moment, wondering if damaging his leg was at all necessary when he simply could have just stunned him. The Mandalorian would be unable to voice his concerns when the door pinged, Talo unloaded two shots with both his pistols before taking cover in the hallway. "Don't die." Talo ordered Vince in retaliation, attention still focused on the hunters before finally moving to collect their bounty. Slinging the unconscious bounty over his shoulders "I got it." he answered calmly amidst the blaster fire.

With one hand, Talo kept the target stable over his shoulders while his free hand kept his blaster in hand, in case Vince or Tiya failed to keep him covered. Following the Near-Human down the stairwell, he raised his free hand and tapped a button on a small panel on his helmet - he activated his infrared settings and approached one of the nearby railings before looked down. Scanning down the stairwell, he made out a dozen armed figures with half at the bottom of the stairs and the other half rapidly making their way up.

Adjusting the bounty on his shoulder, Talo deactivated his infrared settings and turned to Vince and addressed Tiya as well "I count twelve and that's just at the bottom, could be more outside too." he surmised. As much as he hated it, he had the best chance at protecting the target with his armor and unfortunately would have to leave the fun stuff to them. So, begrudgingly and with a sigh he would address the both of them "What's the plan?"

Vince Avery Tiya Zahn