Hunted

Chapter 1: Night of the Hunter

The air in this cantina was thick. Thick with smoke from different types of pipes, thick with the humidity of sweating bodies, and thick with treachery. You fit right in.

"What will it be, doll?" The bartender broke your concentration.

"Whatever you recommend, handsome," you flashed a quick smile at the greenish-blueish creature. He quickly straightened his posture and was seemingly flattered by the compliment. He returned with a bright pink drink adorned with a flower on the rim. The smell of alcohol was strong, but this drink was mostly for appearances. You didn't have any intention of drinking it.

A hand touched your shoulder lightly from behind you.

"What is a woman as beautiful as yourself doing in these daft parts?"

It's him. The target. The man seats himself next to you at the bar and waves towards the bartender. He clearly is a regular as he needed not even speak his order and quickly had a strong-smelling drink handed to him.

"I suppose I could ask you the same question," you flashed him a smile and cocked your head. "What is a man of such class doing slinking around this dirty ol' place?"

It was true, he was clearly dressed in a way that flaunted his wealth and social status. His black suit jacket was trimmed in gold and the pin he wore was a representation of power; symbolizing the head of an infamous crime syndicate. Everyone wanted him as their prisoner, and they were willing to pay a hefty price. He was a known womanizer, finding the most attractive woman wherever he went and getting her into his ship. She would then either be sold, killed, or kept as a slave. You rarely felt bad about hunting people down for money, but in this case, you saw it as an act of service to the galaxy. He didn't know it, but you were both predators. He was like a lion; loud and boisterous. He demanded attention and respect and used teeth and claws to subdue his enemies. You, however, were like a snake. In fact, in the bounty hunter circles, you were known as The Viper. You hunted quietly and strategically. Slinking around corners, observing your surroundings and lying in wait to strike at just the right moment. You were venomous. Venomous enough to take down a lion.

"I guess it must be fate," he said, giving you a sly grin and swirling the liquid in his glass, "that we both end up in this dump of a planet with no name. It doesn't matter why, because all I care about now is figuring out how to get you out of here and onto my ship."

"That's very forward of you, sir. How about one more drink before we call it a night, hmm?" You noticed he had emptied his cocktail while waiting for you to consider fucking him tonight.

Someone is getting fucked tonight, but it won't be me. You thought to yourself. You knew his game- he had already colluded with the bartender to slip something into your bright pink cocktail. They had a routine. Not tonight.

"Oh, I could do one more." He says, waving down his co-conspirator.

"Perfect." You lightly touch his arm and move your stool closer to his. The bartender slides his drink down the bar and you intercept it playfully. You swirl his drink with your finger and suck the liquid off while making eye contact with him. His mouth parts, surprised at your forwardness. His defenses were falling. Men were all the same in every species, painfully weak to a tight dress and cleavage. Add in a little flirting and they're done.

"Now finish your drink, sir, I'm ready to see this ship of yours."

His lips curl in a menacing, but hungry, smile. He slams his second drink as you subtly syphon your drugged cocktail into a secret flask. He didn't notice.

Once both of your glasses were empty he stood up and extended his arm to you. You stood up, pretending to be off balance and took his arm. He escorts you out of the cantina into the chilly nighttime air. As your heels clicked on the paved walkway towards the city's ship docking zone, it took only 90 seconds into the journey for him to collapse. You smiled to yourself as you looked down at the vile man. The lion. Brought down by a little snake.

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.

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"YOU FUCKING BITCH! YOU DISGUSTING LITTLE WHORE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM?! YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD, BITCH!"

You flashed him a wicked smile and sipped your hot tea as you kept your eyes forward, watching the blue streaks of hyperspace light up the windshield.

"Good morning, sir. Sleep well? You've been asleep for 13 hours, so I would say so. Did you know that you snore?" You turned your chair to face him and swirled your tea with your finger and gave him a wink. His eyes widened with the realization that you had drugged him. He got beat at his own game. He furiously thrashed his body around on the floor of your ship, desperate to free himself from the restraints that wrapped around his body from his neck, all the way down to the toes.

"You're wasting your energy. We will be at Starkiller Base shortly. I'll get my credits and you'll get... whatever is coming to you." You turned around to face back towards the windshield, preparing the ship to jump out of hyperspace and enter the atmosphere of Starkiller Base.

"I swear to the gods, bitch, when I get free I'm going slit your pretty little throat."

You were still smiling softly, not paying any mind to the man hurling obscenities at you. It was music to your ears. It meant victory and it meant money. Livelihood. Freedom.