When Two Bounty Hunters Meet

[The Upright Man]

Nar Shaddaa
A most wretched place . . .

Deep within the bowels of this city was a lonesome nightclub. The VonSchlitchen sat on the line of poverty and wealth. In some ways, it separated them and in others it brought them together. Rich and poor congregated in the club, but the building itself was the last line of neon lights to be seen before the ocean of slums that clung to the outer rim of the sprawling city. It was here that a Bounty Hunter resided, though few knew of this.

The music was loud and deafening at all hours of the day, and night. Purple and blue lights flared the room whilst female dancers swung their hips and swayed their bodies to the beat of the rhythm. Drunkards slumped over tables and slouched in chairs. Shady dealings were taken in the darkened corners whilst a host of sociable party-goers crowded around the bar. A staircase led up onto a walkway above the room and further into a set of apartments that was regulated by the owner of the nightclub. A bouncer stood by the stairs, ensuring no one without permission entered such an area.

One of the three rooms was occupied by Lily Rose. Single room with a view out onto the city. It wasn't clean, but not overly dirty either. The moment one entered the room they would be confronted by a white sheeted double bed. A plethora of posters decorated the wall. To the left was a large monitor with a direct connection to the holonet. The right held a thick titanium locker. Inside was her arsenal. Force-Breaker Gas Grenades, The ASL-XI, AMR-1 Anti-Material Rifle, MP-77 and countless ammunition.

[member=Meanken]

 

[Meanken]

Chaff leaned back in his chair at the nightclub, observing the surroundings. He had gotten a call earlier today, client wanted to meet him for a job offer, didn't wanna do it over holo. That was fine. You get people like that in this business. People get squeamish sometimes when it comes to killing people, get second thoughts, even when they're not the ones pulling the trigger. lady came over to offer him a drink. He passed. One of his rules. Never drink outside the ship. Dulls the senses. particularity in a place like this, you don't drink the offerings. You never know where it's been. Someone could have spit in the drink. Or spiked it. Ya never knew. Chaff glanced at his watch. Where was this guy? He hated when clients wasted his time being late. Time is money. He'd been known to hunt down and kill a couple of people who had pulled that on him. He continued to look around and wait.

[member=lily rose]

 

[The Upright Man]

Lily stood up from her desk, moving towards the door. She wore traditional clothes of Kesh, woollen trousers and tunic lined with fur. It was primitive in design, but so were her people. The sensor detected her presence, hydraulics echoed in the room and the metallic door slid open. The sound from the nightclub suddenly pierced her ears. Deafening to her. Her room had been made to block out all outside sounds, and most of the time was obvious to the constant party downstairs. She moved across the catwalk above, hips swaying with the movement of her legs. Each foot was followed by a loud thud, a testament to her heavy cybernetic surgery. Half machine, half Keshiri.

Tracing her way around the staircase, the bouncer let her pass. The barrel chested man reached down, unclipping a red velvet rope and motioning her on through into the bar. When she wasn't in her room, she was downstairs and when she was in neither of those two places, she was out in the larger galactic community. She walked across the room, meeting her gaze with Chaff momentarily. Her cybernetic eyes could see him on a greater level than any organic could, and with higher resolution. Her eyes flashed from cyan to orange and then back as she clocked through infrared vision. He seemed agitated, she could tell that much. Sitting alone, he must be waiting for someone. She approached, placing a firm hand on the table, she asked, "Waiting on someone?"

@[member='Meanken'],

 

[Meanken]

Chaff glanced up at the newcomer. Wasn't the client he was waiting on, clearly. He didn't recognize the species of the newcomer. Didn't like that, meant her abilities were unknown. And those eyes were creeping him out. Clearly cybernetic implants. Then again, if he could see the eyes, that usually meant he was one headshot away from ending any fight. He leaned back some more. To the untrained eye, it would appear he was lowering his guard, but anyone worth their money would see his hand nearing his blaster from the move. "Maybe. Maybe not. What's it to ya?"

[member=lily rose]

 

[The Upright Man]

Her eyes studied him. Her brow furrowed when his hand moved under the table. She didn't like that. Even less, she didn't like his attitude. Lily may be a bounty hunter, and worked with clients, but that didn't make her easy to deal with. She was rude, intolerant and more often than not, prone to outbursts of anger. Stress was her ultimate downfall, and it packed on her constantly. She was head-strong and arrogant. She hated criminals, ironically she was one. Her hand on the table slid gently to the edge, curling her fingers around it. She said, "As someone who lives here. I like to make sure no funny business is going down in my front yard, in a manner of speaking. Now, you trying to hide anything under that table from me?"

@[member='Meanken'],

 

[Meanken]

Chaff chuckled at this. She lived in this place? How in the galaxy could she stand it? So many problems that could come up with that. But that wasn't important now. He put his blaster on the table, in full view of her. Blaster was more for show anyway. He preferred other weapons for close range. He hadn't gotten a chance to bloody his wrist blades today. That might change. "Who said anything about hiding? You can back off, lady, I ain't here to mess with your turf. Just meeting a client. One who had better be dead, because if he isn't, he soon will be."

[member=lily rose]

 

[The Upright Man]

Lily's eyes followed the blaster on the table. She scoffed, not impressed, "You should know you're mean't to check out your weapons before entering." She looked up from the weapon to meet his eyes again, listening to each of his words. She was about to leave him alone, until he mentioned a mild threat of his client. "There'll be no killings here tonight, mate," she said sternly to him. She pushed herself away from the table and moved towards the staircase again. The bouncer gave him a weary looked and waved her up. She climbed the spiral, exiting out onto the catwalk above the crowd. She wasn't going to attack him for no reason. She didn't know what he was waiting on, or who he was. But it was certainly something, and she wasn't going to keep her eye off him until he left.

She entered her room and moved towards the locker. She punched in a series of digits and the titanium-plated locker opened up for her. She pulled out her experimental ALS-XI reconnaissance armour, it was light weight and considered legal in most establishments. And with a good reputation with the owner of this venue, it was no problem to sit and have a drink in it. After all, it seemed to be a regular thing for her to come back to the cantina, bruised and battered and asking for a drink. She slid out of her trousers and tunic and pulled the armorweave bodysuit over herself. The helmet and chest plate came last. The chest piece was titanium and comprised of several tubes that connected with the helmet, allowing it a variety of uses. It was of Mandalorian design. She placed the chest piece on over her shoulders and settled it against her torso, she held her helmet under her arm. She took out a single MP-77, sliding it into a holster. She walked out onto the catwalk and stood above the crowd, leaning against the railing and watching.

@[member='Meanken'],

 

[Meanken]

Chaff rolled his eyes behind his helmet as the lady stormed off. The people you run into in places like this. He put his blaster back in his holster. Like he was going to willingly disarm himself. Oh sure, it might look like he had disarmed, but he had enough armaments in the suit to kill any idiot who tried to jump him. he got fed up waiting on the client, got up to leave. He saw the lady from before standing on the balcony, now armored up and staring down at the floor. He wasn't sure if she was trying to intimidate him, waiting to jump him, or just taking precautions for her own safety. and frankly, he didn't care. He proceeded to give her the middle finger when he was sure she was looking in his direction, then started walking for the exit, staring into a nearby mirror as he did so in case she moved on him.

[member=lily rose]

 

[The Upright Man]

She watched him stand up, placing both her elbows on the railing as he turned to face her. Her helmet was held tight under her arm, squeezing it to maintain it from falling. She was about to wave him off when he flicked her the finger. "Why you disrespectful, little karking bantha fodder," she growled between clenched teeth. She knew he hadn't disarmed and was going directly against venue regulations. She may not be a bouncer, but she didn't think they would get in between a fight. They knew her well. She had killed a Jedi Master, and two of his Padawan followers. Their heads decorated her belt, a Nautolan, Twi'lek and Kaminoan. The Nautolan had been an Exotic Weapons Master, and a High Councilman of the Silver Jedi Order.

She wrapped her hands around her helmet, slamming it over her head and snapping the tubes into the helmet. She took in a deep breath, and propelling herself over the railing. She came falling down, slamming on the table and snapping it in two with her immense weight and strength. It didn't falter her. The cyborg marched towards him, raising a finger in a come-hither motion, "Get over here you twerp."

@[member='Meanken'],

 

[Meanken]

Chaff grinned. Looks like this wasn't going to be a waste of time after all. The client wasn't going anywhere, least not anywhere he wouldn't be able to track em to. He turned to face the woman. Saw the table she had snapped in half. Legs must have been modified somehow, considering she didn't look to be hurt from the showy move. That was a mistake on her part. Never give away your strengths to the enemy. Told them what to look out for. "Now, if you wanna fight, I'm all for it.But let's take it outside so we can avoid interference." He said as he wondered what the bouncers were waiting for.

[member=lily rose]

 

[The Upright Man]

Lily strode across the room. Each step accompanied by a heavy thud on the floor. Her eyes began to flash from cyan to orange to silver and cyan. Changing from hi-resolution vision to infrared to detect any weaponry and to ultraviolet then back. "Agreed," she answered. She came closer towards him, about to walk past and towards the front door. In an instant, her speed defying common sense she turned. Attempting to grapple his arms, and if successful she would have twisted her body, swinging herself and him around to throw him out the door and onto the streets outside. Her strength was enhanced beyond humanoid limitations, capable of shattering stone and crushing metal in her bare hands. Her speed was enhanced to that beyond of Jedi and Sith abilities with her hyperreflex implants.

@[member='Meanken'],

 

[Meanken]

While Chaff had been on his guard when she walked past, he had not expected her to move quite as quick as she did. Clearly she had quite a bit more cybernetics then just in the legs. Chaff skidded along the road for a second or two before coming to a stop. He got up and aimed his missiles. As soon as she showed any sign of herself, whenever that be her walking out the door, or another attack of some sort, He would fire two missiles directly at her.

[member=lily rose]

 

[The Upright Man]

Lily steadied herself, having successfully thrown the man out the front twin doors. The extortion was minimal on her, but the humidity in the night club and the sudden exercise produced sweat that drooled down her forehead and dripped from her chin. She strode towards the door, furious and about to warn him not to return. She slammed her hands against the steel frame of the door, and found herself confronted with two missiles launching towards her. "Oh kark!" she exclaimed, she kicked back, thrusters igniting. The jetpack launched her back into the nightclub, soaring overhead patrons to slam into the bar. It wasn't the safest of landings, but the missiles had been intercepted. Unfortunately by some bystanders. It was personal fun before, now this was revenge. "No one messes with my home!" she shrieked, standing herself up. She tilted her body, shooting towards the front doors and barreling out onto the street with the aid of her jetpack. She hovered momentarily, and landed. "Fight me like a real man, if you think you're up for it," she said, raising her fists.

[member="Meanken"]

 

[Meanken]

Chaff grinned behind his helmet. Oh, he'd made her mad now. Good. Angry people are more fun to fight. Had this been a paid bounty, he'd have laughed in her face before shooting another missile at her. But this wasn't for money. This was for fun. So he was willing to play along. He lowered his arms. From one, a wrist blade came out. He watched her stance closely, seeing how she reacted, where the holes in her defense might be. "I'm game. How you wanna do this? Blades or fists?"

[member="Lily Rose"]

 

[The Upright Man]

"Fists," she declared. She was no expert in martial arts, and never had formal training in it either. That didn't mean she didn't know how to street fight, and that was all that counted for her right now. She raised her fists, joining her forearms together to protect her head. She arched her back, approaching. Sure, she wasn't a boxer but she'd seen Lysle Rigger fight in shockboxing and picked up a few tricks on defending yourself. She was within arms reach now, and it was time to unload. Her movements were fast, calculated, precise and accurate. She dug her heels down, keeping her stance strong. Her right arm swung out in an attempt for a vicious hook for his ribs. The speed and power behind her punch was enough to shatter stone. He shouldn't have agreed to a fist fight with a cyborg. She didn't wait any longer, irregardless if she had struck, she would twist her body, striking out for another punch from her left hand, then once more with her right, trying to force him on the defensive.
[member="Meanken"]

 

[Meanken]

Chaff watched as she approached in a defensive position, and prepared to attack when she moved to the offensive first. That much, he was expecting. He blocked the first hit.

That proved to be a mistake.

The blow sent his arm flying back. The armor stopped the hit from completely shattering his arm, but he had no doubt that something was probably broken. There was also a nice dent where the armor had been hit. Figures the one time he agrees to a fair fight, his opponent wouldn't be playing fair. That'd teach him to agree to that sort of thing again. After that, any thoughts of continuing the 'fair' fistfight were abandoned. he ducked and dodged the next couple of blows, then used his jetpack to rapidly move backward, aiming it so the fiery exhaust blew at her. Whenever or not that managed to hit her, he pulled out his blaster and started firing at her with his unbroken arm, all pretenses of fair fights abandoned.

[member="Lily Rose"]