Afterglow II | The Clone Wars

4 | Satellite

34 BBY

FLORRUM: FLASHBACK

With grace, her feet slid down the descending rooftop as she lowered her body to balance her weight evenly amidst the calculated fall. A sharp drop in the roof approached, leading directly to the ground far below. Once the moment came, she acted, pushing herself off from the surface of the building and leaping into the air over the drop. Similar to the silence produced by a leaf when it flutters to the ground, she landed on the dirt and stuck. Her lips formed a gentle smirk.

"Ahh, and here I can't even get my pirates to hold a blaster properly" the pirate king Hondo tsked, shaking his head back and forth as he admired her performance from the open hatch of his stationary ship.

"Maybe if you paid 'em more" she humored him in return, using her hands to brush away the fresh dirt that clung to her black tunic. He pushed away from the parked leg of his ship and went to her, adjusting the goggles that covered over his eyes.

Thrown over her shoulder was a small, brown satchel, one of his own which she had burrowed for the independent mission "This should be worth something, the grand pearl of Novak, in the flesh" she presented.

Reaching down into the satchel, she retrieved the object which bulged from the flap of the bag, barely able to be contained with the buckle holding desperately to its clip. She carelessly tossed him the circular, red pearl, her emerald eyes glistening in the desert sunlight.

Hondo caught the pearl, holding its invaluable weight in his hands "I knew you could do it, see? If I wasn't such a greedy pirate, I would give you a thousand credits for this" he then passed it off to his assistant that stood nearby "although..." he walked to her, moving out of earshot from his fellow pirates that bustled around the small camp "I know something far more valuable than credits" he eyed her up and down, his voice low.

"And what is that?" she lifted her eyebrow, youthfulness radiating from her glowing skin as the odd pair instinctively drew nearer to each other. A metaphysical knot held them together, one not easily severed "the gem of Nara Saktar?" she offered, tilting her head to the side.

"Even better"

She chuckled, bringing her hands up gently to his cheek, allowing her thumbs to rub the coarse skin under his glistening eyes "It's gonna cost ya" she joked quietly, unable to conceal the genuine smile that overtook the smirk. Given her acquired set of skills, her embarking on these small missions in replace of a clanky band of pirates made for easier extractions.

"My dear" he admired, pulling her closer to him. Their moment together was cut short however when blaster fire echoed from the hilltop, slapping against the dirt at their feet. Pirates on all ends of the camp jumped at the sudden noise, immediately scrambling for their weapons and tripping over one another. Dakota spun around, zeroing in on the faint figures in the distance that were beginning to surround the pirate camp.

In mock awkwardness, she looked back to Hondo as she pulled out the double-bladed lightsaber hidden in her dark attire "I... may have ticked off Durand when I stole the pearl from her haul" she informed, better late than never.

"Gah! Isa Durand??" he jumped back in fright, clutching his heart through his red blazer "you stole the pearl from her? Of all people?!" he flinched as gun fire hit the building top near his head, and they began to draw back to the protected outpost that was still in the process of being constructed. The pirates of his crew were beginning to retaliate against the approaching enemy.