章節 227: The Cousins Kane
I don't own Star Wars
"Alright… now, ease the stabilizers." Oriana said as I did so, the ship easing out of hyperspace as she held her near the console, more than ready to take over in case disaster struck. She had been trying to teach me how to fly… with mixed results… I haven't crashed. "And…" the ship rattled; her hand lashed reflexively onto mine on the thrust switch. "And… slowly…" she said as we pulled it back… the ship leaving hyperspace as it loomed over a planet. The Dark side in fact… thousands of the flickering lights on its surface the only sign of life upon it.
Bazzara. The only 'neutral' planet in the Outer Rim. And by that, it was the only planet that wasn't under 'direct' Cromwell rule. It was a trading planet, one of its three continents was solely devoted to a coast to coast market. A regular one and a Black Market. In exchange for its 'independence' to the Cromwell Family and the Empire as a whole, the ruling council of merchants donated a significant amount of credits to the Imperial coffers.
We stared at it in silence, her hand still on mine… before we noticed a few… ships. In orbit. "…Is that Aida's ship?" I asked as Oriana blinked at one of the star destroyers.
"…Shit. Yes it is…" she noted sourly as I activated my mask. She took over flying, heading towards the planet's surface.
"Why is she here?" I asked.
"She's heading a campaign in the Outer Rim for the Cromwells… as to why she's HERE. SPECIFICALLY… I imagine it's because the Force hates us."
"…It wouldn't hurt to check up on her." I said, glaring at the opposite ship. It did have a few Cromwell markings upon it… and now I was concerned.
"YES. Yes it would…" Oriana noted sternly. "Aida can take care of herself. We're not here for her we're here for the cache." We dove through the air, passing by numerous ships hauling cargo… it didn't take us long to dance through the flickering lights of the city below to find the spaceport. "Want to try landing?" she asked, not really giving me the chance to accept as she smiled playfully, the ship dropping to a comfortable stop on the open landing pad.
She got up as I followed her Nerri and Lala both already on the main floor looking up at us. "Are we good?" Lala asked.
"We're on the ground." Oriana said as we got onto the elevator.
"…Then why is Kal Baby, wearing his face?" Lala asked.
"Because somewhere on this planet is his cousin…" she frowned. "…Your cousin too, I suppose…" then she sighed in some irritation. "…And mine… technically."
"…Your family is very weird." Nerri noted lazily as Rattletrap hopped out of a hatch in the floor, walking right between the two alien beauties.
"Tell me about it." then, opening up another hatch a few steps away. Dropped right back in.
"…Anyway." Lala noted, looking away from the odd Jawa's disappearance. "Where's the cache?"
"Oh in the dirtiest, filthiest section of the city." Oriana noted, "…Naturally."
"Of course." Lala and Nerri replied as I just crossed my arms.
"…At least tell me we're close?"
"Close as I can get. It's still a bit of a walk assuming we don't get mugged." Oriana noted, checking the Datapad.
"We won't get mugged." I noted firmly as Lala smiled, wrapping an arm around mine as we approached the ramp.
"Big Strong Kal, Baby here is QUITE the deterrent." Oriana wrapped her arm around the other side.
"Indeed."
"…I'll just stay here with Rattletrap. Somebody has to pay for the docking fees." Nerri noted. "Contact us if you need help with any loot."
"Oh… before I forget." Oriana suddenly noted before taking a rusty helmet, one of the only things we salvaged from Raxus Prime, and JAMMED it onto Lala's head.
"Agh! Hey?!" she replied indignantly, her voice modulated by the helmet giving it an electrical and gravelly tone.
"STOP. WALKING AROUND. LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE A BOUNTY ON YOUR HEAD!" Oriana said firmly, jamming her hand on the ramp button as it smoothly opened. "Keep that on!" she said as we left, Lala behind me grumbling indignantly.
"…But how is anyone supposed to look at my pretty face?"
Store clerks backed on the streets, attractive women passed out flyers. Bartering and shouting at market stalls overlapped so it sounded as if one man was trying to pay 30 credits for a somewhat used couch. Or somebody wanting a crate of fresh fruit delivered for 57 credits and a sack of milk... Oriana led us through the crowd of people shuffling about this way and that… however, the crowds began to thin… as did the lights until there was a darker, drearier hue…
"…This way." Oriana noted, turning into a tight alleyway that soon opened up into a much large section… the chattering began again but in mumbles and cooes, a drunk nikto, his arms around the waists of attractive twi'leks significantly less drunk and far more skimpily dressed led him into a building with a large neon sign, I think it was written in Huttese… but it was obviously a no-tell motel of some sort.
Scroungers and rough-looking men and woman glanced at us, sizing us up… I gave each of them a glare in turn, that seemed enough to deter them, finding us to tough of a target. Shifty merchants closed their cloaks of wares or rolled up their rugs, scampering away, knowing we weren't there to shop but unsure of what we were here for…
"Sure it's this way?" Lala asked as Oriana nodded, closing the datapad and shoving it into a pouch at her waist.
"Certain. It's just passed this… corn…er…" she hesitated and shoved herself back. Hitting me, and Lala emmiting an 'oof' as she walked into me from behind. "SHIT." Oriana hissed softly as I glanced around the corner…
…Imperial Troopers… dozens of them. Two captains from the look of it, one marked in Firemane/Kane red, another in Cromwell Blue. The various soldiers also marked in identifying colors. Many of them kept their eyes out on the surrounding and dispersing riff-raff, but more then once they eyed each other, hands tight on their blasters.
…This… what was this?
"What's going on?" I asked… a second before my blood went COLD…
A familiar pair of CROMWELLS walked from one side of the street towards the secured building… one was Daemon, dressed impeccably in his officer uniform and his vibroblade sheathed and secured at his waist… the other was…
"CRITCHER." My 'fangs' were bared and before I could stop myself I was moving. But-
"NO!" hissed Oriana shoving me back as my body seemed to freeze and burn with white-hot RAGE simultaneously. "NO! Kal. NO!" she whispered f harshly, hands on my chest, before they slid up, going to my face, her hands phasing through my mask to my skin, forcing me to look into her eyes. "Kal. No…" she said firmly, kindly… as I stared into her eyes my rage cooled, she continued to stare at me… it was hypnotizing.
"Who the hell is Critcher?" Asked Lala, taking a subtle but curious glance around the corner.
"The reason why Kal is a wanted man…" Oriana noted, slowly caressing my face as I took deep, calming breathes… my rage subsiding… but slowly. "…Critcher Killed his friends… so Kal messed up his face... and ripped his throat open."
"…Okay cool… so… is that red-head Aida?"
Oriana swung her head around the corner, and nodded before grabbing Lala and pulling her back. "Yes… but I don't recognize the echani…"
I looked, spying my cousin as she approached Daemon and Critcher, flanked by two twin Echani… at least I think they were twins, Echani look remarkably similar to their relatives so it was hard to tell. Aida and Daemon exchanged words… I couldn't here. Oriana was pushing me away.
"Kal. The Cache. Focus on the cache…" she declared as I took a breath.
"…Where is it?"
"That building… right there." She pointed, "Come on. Just be casual…"
…But… I had an uneasy feeling…
"…I'm going to stay here. You two go."
"Kal." Oriana began but I glared subtly around the corner. "…KAL." She forced me to look at her, her stern face. "…SWEAR to me you won't pick a fight with the Cromwells." I flinched, but she forced me to look her in the eyes. "SWEAR."
"…I swear I won't kill Critcher." I snarled, barely holding back my rage as she poked my chest. "…I swear I won't start a fight with the Cromwells." Oriana continued to look into my easy… her ruby orbs staring into my soul.
"…Lala come on let's check out the cache." She grabbed Lala and with one last point at me they casually crossed the corner to the other side and slipped right into a derelict.
…I waited, glancing occasionally around the corner at the soldiers. Restraining myself to just bursting into the building and ripping Critcher's scarred throat open again. I took a breath… without Oriana here I was getting angrier by the second… I took another breath… but it came out as a low growl.
"Hey Handsome…" purred an attractive red twi'lek, strutting by in her tight bodysuit, glancing briefly towards the soldiers before continuing to move on. I sniffed, eyeing her rear thoughtfully before I took another glance around the corner. I shot back as Daemon left the building, followed by a very irritated Critcher and a rather bored-looking Aida with her Echani.
"So we have a deal?" Daemon said, his voice carrying no that the area was far more empty.
"We always had a deal Daemon you just need to keep your end of the bargain" Aida said calmly. "…Oh… and I want Critcher to apologize." The look of sheer hatred on the scarred, future dead man's face showed how completely against that idea he was.
"Good luck with that." Daemon noted sarcastically, thoroughly enjoying the moment. He was always a bit of a sadist. Aida glared at Critcher as he added, almost as an afterthought. "We could always talk to father about it." Critcher's fists clenched angrily, his fingers twitching as if he was straining himself from strangling his brother before he stretched a forced smile on his now mangled face.
"I… Apologize…" she hissed as Aida's stony face twitched into an almost smile.
"I suppose that will have to do. I expect those supplies within three days Daemon or your father will hear of it.
"Of course, Admiral Aida. Always a pleasure." Aida turned his back, and the soldiers began to disperse… Critcher and Daemon began chattering under their breath to each other, walking away from Aida and her echani as the twi'lek from before approached Daemon. He grinned, chattering charmingly with her and-…
…He slipped her something... was that a blaster? She just smiled, and strutted away, a cruel grin on her pretty face…
"Aida." I was moving before I could stop myself, slipping through the troopers roadblock I followed the woman slowly from behind. Out of sight of others she was moving more quietly, less obviously… she did have a blaster now, and she held it to her shapely waist as it clung to her hip and vanished in a stealth field… shit.
This was a hit… if she went anywhere near Aida she was going to die. Without looking behind her she lead me through a half dozen alleyways, until she reached a set of stairs, ascending quickly she suddenly ran towards the far wall, pushing herself up to the low roof and lifting herself over as I soon followed.
She walked to the edge of the roof, and it gave her a view of a small imperial transport ship with Aida and her guards approaching it, the two echani clearly chattering animatedly as the woman pulled the flickering blaster… aiming right at my cousin.
With a blood-curdling roar I charged towards her, a look of shock crossed her face but she pulled the blaster on me, barely missing me as she fired and we went for a dive off the roof…
There was a sickening CRACK as her back hit the ground behind a collection of crates with me on top of her before rolling off her she twitched, staring blankly up at the sky as the blaster flickered away, firing again harmlessly as it caused the nearby echani to jump as I got to my feet over the possibly dead assassin twi'lek. Aida turned, staring at me as the Echani pulled Blasters in an oddly symmetrical way. One grinning broadly. "Oooh back off yea fuzzy bastard…"
"Aye We're a lot better shots then yea be thinkin." Said the other…
Aida however… locked eyes with me as I hesitantly clenched my fists. My mask was on… would she recognize me? Her eyes narrowed… then they slowly began to widen… she stared at me. Her mouth opened and-
"FUCK." She said the echani jumped slightly, blinked, and stared at her in awe as her teeth clenched and her eyes seemed to flicker back and forth as if she was having a silent conversation with several people. If I knew her, she was having this 'conversation' with herself… it was part of her 'thing'… Her eyes narrowed severely and glared at me as the Echani smiled, seemingly satisfied with her look of anger as they primed their blasters.
"Tarren. Warren…" she said firmly.
"Aye boss." They said together, ready for her order.
"Put down your blasters and fight him hand-to-hand." She noted.
Nobody moved… but then one of them, I'm going to say 'Tarren'. Turned to face her skeptically. "You wot now?"
Aida glared at him as she flinched. "Put DOWN your BLASTERS." She said firmly, "And fight him hand-to-hand." She then eyed me in a superior manner. "…You'd only piss him off."
'Tarren' blinked at 'Warren' who blinked back, then both shrugged, and holstered their blasters, striking up Echani fighting stances as they approached me… I sneered. They weren't amateurs, I could tell that. "I'll give you eight minutes." Aida said, "…Don't disappoint me." She added as turning into her ship as 'Tarren' chuckled confidently.
"Ack donna worry bout it…" he cracked his knuckles "that's more den enough time."
…She wasn't talking to them.
Warren came first with a lunging kick, I caught it as Tarren leaped at me from the air. And the fight really began.
I knocked away Warren's leg before catching Tarren's and tossing him aside, he rolled off the damage getting to his feet as his brother began swinging his fists in good, accurate punches. I managed to deflect a few but as he got in close I began to miss, his body blows less important as I blocked his headshots. Before Tarren charged back in.
They lashed out simultaneously and in perfect unison, clearly, they've been fighting together for a long time. Just as I guarded on one I barely managed to deflect the other… but I soon got a read on them. Warren swung a right cross that I ducked, bracing myself for Tarren's kick, I pushed Warren's elbow so he swung harder at the air, exposing himself before I wrapped my arms around his waist and sent him hurtling away with a suplex toss. Tarren kicked at me again by I grabbed his leg, rolling away and swinging him to the floor before getting back to my feet with Warren.
Before he could recover completely I was already moving, I wouldn't easily be able to take them together but in the brief moments apart I had a chance. Warren was more fists than kicks, getting in close to distract me as Tarren struck at range. So I got in close, we exchanged punches as I pushed him back, getting him to a crate before wrapping my arms around his head, he began pummeling my torso but my knee shot up, jamming into his solar-plexus as he gasped.
Tarren was back in again, swinging his leg in a roundhouse as I turned, forcing Warren to take the kick on his back. "Ack!"
"Sorry bro!" Tarren said by was already on the attack again, I shoved Warren away, catching Tarren and pulling him closer, grabbing him… lifting him up above me head with a roar.
"…Is that a dead hooker?!" Tarren asked, spying the dead twi'lek before he was sent hurtling to the floor. "Gah!" he bounced as Warren leaped over his brother, once again throwing punches that I was now slapping away, he was good, and fast, but that wasn't going to be enough for me… I grabbed his head… and introduced it to mine with a sickening crack.
He wobbled, then fell. Narrowly missing Tarren as he flew towards me with a dropkick, I caught the flying Echani, lifting him up again. "Aahhh FECK!" he hissed, then… SLAM.
He bounced onto his brother and they lied still as I took a breath
"9 minutes… getting rusty?" I glanced at Aida, standing imperiously on the ramp of her ship. "…Get them on." I grabbed her bodyguards, by their legs, dragging them up the ramp.
Deep in the ship she dismissed the troopers, who retrieved the twins and dragged them to the medbay. The door sealing behind them. "…Take that ridiculous thing off." I hesitated, then turned off the mask. "…Hello cousin." She said, with a softer smile.
"Aida." I said, calmly. She sighed, staring at me for a moment. Then…
"…Was it Critcher or Daemon who sent the assassin?"
"Daemon gave her a weapon." I replied, not surprised that she knew. She nodded thoughtfully.
"…Then she probably wasn't going to kill me… stupid girl." She added, "Now. Cousin… let's talk…"
"About what?" I asked fidgeting as I took a seat with her.
"…How have you been? What have you been doing? Is Oriana an excellent lover?" I flinched as I stared at her nervously. "Just making sure you're listening cousin, aunt Newt has been doing NOTHING but bragging."
…So we talked… about everything that happened since Coruscant, or at least the cliff notes, as she crossed her fingers, tentatively listening to my every word. Occasionally her stony face would crack, a smile here, a 'seriously' there… however… once I had finished.
"So this… Lala is family?"
"Uncle Aiden's half-sister's daughter…" I said, "Not a direct relation to us…"
"…And she has a hutt bounty on her head?…" she said as I nodded.
"Yes."
A very pondering look crossed her face… I knew that look… that was the 'I'm going to cause some trouble without getting involved personally, all according to my devious plans…' look… I've seen it a lot growing up. It tended to be what led to me doing dirty work for her and her never getting in trouble for it.
"…So you need credits."
"Yes… but it's not like I can just ask for it now can I?" I said as she chuckled, her lips stretching into a somewhat pretty smile.
"Kal what I like the most about you is that you're so straightforward… seriously." She leaned forward, "Ask me to give you the credits."
"…I can't do that."
"Do it Kallus Kane." She said firmly. ORDERING me.
"…Give me credits?"
"Certainly bounty hunter…" she said casually, leaning back as I blinked at her momentarily confused. "…Of course not for free… I want you to do a little job for me."
…I knew she had a plan. Our green eyes met once again as I quickly caught onto her little 'play'. "…What's the job?"
"…Oh… nothing much." She grinned unnervingly. "…Just a little supply raid."
End of chapter.
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