Predator and Prey

[Boris]

“Let’s try this again.” He wore the rank of captain on his collar, and his face said that he was on the verge of losing his patience. “You were caught, with the head of this Nagai,” he pushed a picture across the table’s surface. “One, Dragun Rotarl. You’re not a licensed Bounty Hunter, and murder of the streets of Corrusant is illegal. What do you have to say for yourself?” The captain slammed his fists down on the table and leaned over, glaring at the Mira’luka.

A smile crossed Zand’s face, and looked into the eyes of the captain. “You will turn off the recording devices.” The captain blinked and reached over, keying in a sequence on the control pad. The light of the recorder turned off. Zand nodded.

“You want to know how I ended up with his head?” Zand smiled and folded his hands over his chest. “Fine. I’ll tell you….”
…….

It started three weeks ago when I received the halo from Darth Chade. It wasn’t him, but it was obvious, an imperial counselor wants nothing with me, it was him. The Counselor wanted me to meet her on Corrusant, no time, no place, no information. Who was I to turn down an invitation?

I took my leave from my crew, we weren’t doing anything important, gathering more information on the Sins, nothing I couldn’t continue from Corrusant. I took the Silent Death and headed to the central world. The trip took me three days, and was ultimately uneventful.

Now as you can guess, I have a few bounties on my head. It comes with the territory. . People in my business look at it as a mark of pride, the more cred the more fame, the better you are. No, I’m not going to tell you my name, at least not yet. Let me finish.

So I arrived on Corrusant, purchased a place to keep my fighter safe, and went for a walk. Now, VERY few people have seen my face, and lived. You, for the time being, I’ll make an exception. All my bounties just show my helmet, pity. I took off the helmet to walk the streets of Corrusant, keeps the fans from hounding me, and the bounty hunters from dieing. It’s less work for you, trust me.

It was late, and my meeting wasn’t until the next morning. So I paid some credits and bedded down for the night. No there’s no record, so I’m not going to bother telling you. I slept well, too well in fact. I woke up with nothing but my clothes and a note. My weapons, my armor, and my money were all gone. Just a note: Wellington's Bar 1000hours. –C. That’s it. I smiled, and walked out whistling, like I owned the planet.

Now, I’m not one to walk around unarmed, but on this rock, owning weapons with out a license is illegal. Sad really, but I guess it makes your job easier. So I did what anyone without money and a weapon does, I went to the worst part of town, down under everything. Death sticks? Deathheads? Muggers? Paradise. I walked around like I had a million credits in my pocket, and it wasn’t long before some desperate fool took the bait. He tried to mug me, it was a good attempt really, he just didn’t know how to use his knife. I took it from him, and left him dead for the trouble. Didn’t even get blood on my shoes. Time to head for the meeting.

I arrived at the bar, took a seat and blended in. It’s a skill my kind master early. I knew before he showed himself that he was there. Rotarl was as good as me, hells we trained together. I wasn’t hiding he was, maybe that’s why he didn’t see me. It wasn’t hard to see him, I’m a Mira’luka. I could see him before he was 5 seconds in the room.

What? Don’t look so surprised. Mira’luka aren’t that rare, I just refuse to wear the face band, these glasses look much more normal. It lets people underestimate me just like you did.

So, as I was saying. He crept into the bar and took a seat in the back, trying to hide. It was only polite that I introduce myself. A flick of the wrist and I sent my blade soaring across the room, hardly anyone noticed, a high pitched whistle a gush of air, and death. My calling card. I didn’t kill anyone though, just put the blade six inches from his neck in the wall. To his credit, he didn’t even flinch. Just turned his head and locked eyes with me. I can’t explain this; I can tell from your eyes you’ve never killed anyone, in cold blood. Never had that moment, that rush, as you are God holding the fate of this person in your hands then ending it. I have, he had, and we can see that. It’s a bond of sorts, and in that moment, when our eyes met, we knew it was time.

I walked over to the booth and sat down, pulling my blade from the wall, and concealing it in my coat again. Rotarl nodded at me, and I did the same in kind and we waited. It was time.

It wasn’t long before a shadow joined us. He blended into the thrum of the crowd, and moved with a practiced silence and grace that only comes with time and experience. He sat down and pulled back his hood. Darth Chade was a Blood Carver, and an old one at that. The dark side had taken it’s toll here and there, but ultimately he was the same as I had first met him. I inclined my head slightly, as much of a bow as my training would allow in public. Not the place to draw attention. Rotarl did the same.

He held a raspy voice that is still able to send chills down my spine, just the same as the first day he held my life in his hands. “It’s time. Two assassins and only one can be my apprentice. It’s the way of things. I’ve taken your possessions, and your lives. You will both get back the first, the second only one can walk away with.” He handed each of us a data pad and nodded. “The first to lay the others head on this table is my apprentice. Death comes to all of us, today is your day to die. Prove you have control of fate. Let the hunt begin.”

I don’t know who moved first, but we both moved faster then we’d moved before. My knife flew for where his neck was, and he had a blade sailing where I had sat. No noise, just death. Neither of us were hit, and neither of us were visible. We both pulled the force around us, and fled the bar. I looked at my pad as I ghosted through the streets, there was an address and two numbers.

The hunt was on.

[Boris]

It took me thirty minutes to make it to the address and another ten to find the numbered box. Inside was my armor, blade and blasters. I loaded up and ghosted back out into the street, letting my perceptions surround me. That’s how I lived.

The first blaster bolt missed me barely, he was up on a ledge and had cover. Damn. I dove down and alley, using the force to bend light around me, and circled around the building. I climbed a fire escape and jumped to the roof of his building. He was gone from his perch, but he was close.

It wasn’t long before I spotted him, he had guessed wrong, and I had the jump on him. Literally. I jumped off the roof, and took a swipe at him with my discblade, missing his stomach by a few inches. With a flick of his wrist his Tehk’la Blade was out, and we started the deadly dance.

I would slash he would parry, and then it would reverse. He was faster, the Tehk’la blade being smaller and lighter, he slowly backed me towards the edge of the building. I saw my footing getting smaller and smaller so I dove for him. It was desperate, and stupid I admit that, but there wasn’t much else I could do. I didn’t want my throat cut.

I dove for him and caught my shoulder right under his sternum. I had a moment to smile as I felt his air rush out and heard him grunt. It was only a moment though, because he pushed us sideways over the edge. A quick grapple ensued. Each of us trying to land with the best position, and hurt the other in the process. What ended up happening was both of us landed hard. That’s about when your men first got involved. Three officers showed up, intending to take us into custody.

Rare blades, blasters and armor, on the streets of good ole Corrusant. Surely not. Well unfortunately, Me and Rotarl had plans, so we had to make work of the officers. We always worked well together, pity I had to kill him, really it was. Don’t look at me so shocked. Police die all the time. Rest assured, they had a swift and painless death.

So after they died, Rotarl and I and headed for the nearest dark alley. I drew on him first, I don’t think he was expecting that. I got a hit, He took a blaster bolt in the shoulder. He drew on me and we engaged in a different dance. I’d fire and hide, and he’d do the same. The first hit he took was the only one either of us would take, but it was more the action then the needed success. Trying his skills against mine and vise versa. I had drawn first blood. It was up to him to take next honors, or I would take his head.

He laid down enough cover fire until he was able to escape the end of the alley, the police were on scene and amassing to take us out in force. I didn’t have time to kill all the police, so I climbed a fire escape and used the roof tops to escape. It was lucky really. If your police hadn’t decided to interfere in our contest, I never would have seen it. His blood. I must have wounded him during our first fight. Now I had a way to track him.

Rotarl had never been one to blatantly use the force. I don’t know why, it was something he did, or well didn’t do I guess. This was good for me, it gave me time to track him. He was holding up in a warehouse. The broken window was sloppy, but by the trail he was bleeding a lot.

Now, in a situation like this, there is a fine line between predator and prey. You can be either one, but never both at the same time. Now it was my turn to be predator. I had taken first blood, and I had the scent of my prey. It was just a matter of wearing him down for the kill.

I didn’t use the window, he’d be covering it. I unlocked the door, the stepped. It almost got me, the crate flew at me just a hair slower then I can move. I made it on top, and saw him. He tended most of his wounds, but he was still hurt. I could see it. He knew he was going to die today, just he had to try to take me first.

He pulled the trigger on his blaster just as I jumped through the air. This is one of those times you read about Captain. Time stood still. I threw my Disc Blade, the same time he pulled the trigger. The air around the blade parted with a muted sigh, he didn’t even grunt as the circular weapon tore into his throat. Death had claimed him, and she had done it swiftly.

At the same time the blaster bolt tore through my leg, and I hit the ground hard. I pulled the force around me, and used it to mend my leg. It took a while, but it was done. I left the scar, it reminds us, we are indeed mortal.

I took his head, and used his shirt to clean my blade. That happened about a half kilometer from the bar. So I was able to use the force to hide myself and his head. I walked in the bar and set the head down. That’s where I met you, you were sitting at my table. You got an invitation too didn’t you?

Ah, you see it now don’t you? I wouldn’t have told you this, showed you my face, admitted to 4 different murders. I actually liked you Captain. You have convictions and morals. Something I unfortunately can’t afford….
….

Zand carefully laid the captains corpse on the floor by the table. Removed the data crystal from the recorder and quietly stepped out of the room. It wasn’t hard to find the data center, and convince the poor boy to remove the last of the camera data with his face. He let the boy die easily too.

Zand donned his armor in the evidence locker. The attendant looked to be sleeping at his desk, the pen stuck in his throat wasn’t visible between is arms, and the blood wouldn’t spread far enough to see for another few minutes. Using the force as a shield, Zand bent light around him, and walked out of the station.

He thought to himself: “Dark Assassin’s apprentice. Soon I’ll be forced to draw down on Darth Chade. The way of things. Fate is mine now.” Zand smiled under his helmet and walked to pick up his fighter. All in all a good days work.

[Snake]

Damn fine Story sir. We'll Discuss reward later...

[Jhaiisiin]

Evil slag!

[Snake]

Wow... You guys are so darkside I think palpatine would be proud... Or jealous...