Freelancers

Surprise

What the -

Before Jag could finish that thought, the lightsaber wielding warrior was upon him and his companions. With his blaster raised, he fired two blaster bolts in her direction but they were dodged with otherworldly speed. She closed the distance quickly and swung her blade in an arc meant to catch him. His elite Mandalorian training allowed him to match her speed and the ability to dodge the blade by ducking under it, the shimmering lightsaber nearly missing him. Nearby, Veriss and Nai'riss opened up a volley of blaster fire to peel the warrior off of him. She pulled her saber back to deflect the hail of bolts directed at her, and leapt backwards into a quarter spin that placed her at a safe distance.

"Agent!" the warrior bellowed. "You've evaded me for the last time!" She raised her crimson blade to challenge her. "Return what you stole!"

The warrior twisted her hands around the lightsaber handle in frustration. Her lips curled back into a snarl. She lowered her stance and prepared for a second assault.

Jag and Veriss shared confused looks, while Nai'riss' eyes narrowed.

"And where would that get me?" she asked. "There's no glory in that." Nai'riss raised her blaster and fired more shots that sizzled harmlessly against the crimson blade. She reached for her utility belt to remove a silver sphere, and hurled it towards the warrior's direction. The sphere activated and spewed flames in every direction. The warrior raised her lightsaber in an effort to strike it out of the air, but failed as it burst in brilliant light. She covered her eyes and shook her head in an effort to force her vision to return.

Veriss, seizing the opportunity, fired her gauntlet mounted grapple at the stunned warrior. The hook wrapped taut around her waist. Feeling the tension on the cable, she activated the winch which forcefully launched the warrior off her feet and hurled her towards Veriss. With a shout, she stepped forward and delivered a powerful clothesline punch that flattened the warrior to the floor. She gasped for breath.

"Come on!" shouted Jag, as he loaded his wrist-mounted rocket launcher. His two female companions quickly bolted towards his position at the bottom of the Vengeance's loading ramp, and left the winded warrior writhing on the floor. As soon as they crossed his threshold, he fired. The rocket flew in a corkscrew pattern towards its intended target. The warrior's eyes opened in surprise, and she raised a hand to stop the rocket midflight. Her hand clenched to make a fist and the rocket exploded harmlessly on cue. She launched herself back onto her feet, aided quickly by the Force.

It was too late.

Her quarry had escaped. She glimpsed the boots of the bounty hunters as they scrambled up the closing ramp. The engines of the small freighter fired up, and the repulsors lifted it into the air above the hangar bay floor. It swiveled around and launched itself into the empty space beyond. The warrior's lightsaber sizzled and retreated back into its handle. She stood holding her pained side, and silently vowed revenge.

--

The ship shuddered as it reached optimum velocity, then buckled slightly as the engines roared into hyperspeed. Veriss' voice, however, roared louder still.

"Being chased by bounty hunters I can do all day, but a Sith warrior?" shouted Veriss. "When were you planning on sharing that bit of information?" She slammed a fist into the console nearest her. The entire cargo bay echoed and a light flickered off in fear. Every breath she made was laced with anger, her heavy shoulders heaved as she struggled to maintain her composure. Jag wore a scowl and stood watch with crossed arms as he waited for an explanation from the Cipher agent.

Nai'riss raised her hands apologetically, "I'm sorry, I would have shared that bit eventually." A long sigh escaped her lips. "Unfortunately, that time came a lot sooner than expected. I had not anticipated being tracked by Saiphyrr so quickly. Seems she escaped our last encounter on Talus," she said, shaking her head slowly. She walked towards an empty seat at the workbench nearby.

"Escaped?" exclaimed Veriss.

"Yes," replied Nai'riss. She paused for a brief moment. "I sort of dropped a cave on her."

Veriss scoffed. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She pushed past the two of them, eyes wild with a mix of anger and confusion. The small ship hummed and rocked gently through hyperspace, as if to calm the storm brewing onboard. Jag sighed and shook his head while Veriss hurried down the hall to her quarters. Her heavy boots clanked even louder as she stomped away in anger. They looked after her as a quiet hiss indicated that the seething woman had retreated into her quarters. Jag grabbed a nearby chair and sat with Nai'riss. He looked around at the gray and bronze walls of the cargo bay, and quietly concluded that they were permanently stained by years of neglect. He chuckled to himself and shifted to lean back into a whatever comfortable position his armor afforded him.

"So, this Saiphyrr. She doesn't seem to be your standard Sith warrior. You know, the solitary assassin type," said Jag with arms flexed behind his head.

Nai'riss replied, "It's because she isn't Sith. She's a glory hungry womprat who happens to be adept in the Force."

"What's her deal with you anyway? The relic you have, she said you stole it from her?" he asked.

She shrugged and placed her hands on her knees to adjust her tall boots. She stretched her neck and shoulders, which popped and sent waves of relief down her back. She sighed.

"Do you have spare quarters for a stowaway?" she asked, changing the subject quickly.

Jag looked over his shoulder and gestured down the hall, "There's a medium-sized storage closet, but you'll have to move the seeker droids yourself."

Nai'riss became visibly confused and let out a long sigh. The older man let out a boisterous laugh.

"I'm only kidding. There's a cot behind the stack of crates in the corner. The refresher in the hall works, and there should be clean sheets stowed in the closet there," he said, pointing to the large armoire next to the workbench. "They'll be right next to the used oil rags."

He winked, got up, and slowly walked up the stairs to his private quarters. Nai'riss looked around at the cluttered cargo bay she'll call home for the foreseeable future.

Nai'riss closed her eyes and tilted her head towards the ceiling and exhaled swiftly in an attempt to relax.

At least no one here wants to kill me... yet, she mused.