Loved and Lost

Join Me.

Squeezing the tracking fob tightly in your hand, you progressed toward the quarry with your heart fluttering in your throat. You couldn't mess this one up. The last time you'd had a job on Corellia, your quarry managed to escape on a freighter, leaving you to explain to your boss what happened. There had been mistakes since that unfortunate trip a year ago, but you had learned from each of them and were determined to do better. Unfortunately, your boss didn't see things that way. Before he gave you this job, he informed you that if there were any more mistakes, you'd need a different form of employment-- if you got away with your life, that is. Focus, you urged yourself, scanning the large shipyard for your quarry: a middle-aged male Twi'lek. 

There! You spotted him standing near some boxes about twenty meters ahead of you, talking to another Twi. You adjusted the neckline of your shirt so that it hung a little lower, fixed your hair, and applied some lipstick within the span of thirty seconds. Your tactic for this particular quarry was to lure him in with your beauty, then go for the capture. Stuffing the fob in your back pocket, you advanced toward him, swinging your hips a bit as you walked. It worked; the quarry's attention was immediately drawn to you. 

"What have we here?" he rasped, looking your body up and down. Although he made you want to squirm, you kept up the facade for the time being. You wanted to kick his ass, but first you had to get close enough to capture him. "Such a pretty little thing," he continued, "out here all by yourself?"

You stopped a few feet in front of him, batting your eyelashes. "I know," you murmured, "if only I had a big strong man like you to take care of me." You reached out, trailing your fingers down his arm. Grinning, he beckoned you closer to him. This was it-- now you just had to remain calm. Everything depended upon your performance during these next few moments, and you were not about to ruin everything by being careless. Standing up on your tiptoes, you wrapped an arm around his shoulders and whispered in his ear, "I bet a guy like you could show me a thing or two." Feeling him shiver under your hold, you knew you had him wrapped around your finger. 

Removing your arm, you started to walk toward an abandoned section of the shipyard, beckoning him to follow without looking back. You were certain that he would follow, the footsteps behind you an indicator that he was, in fact, following. Once you had reached the abandoned sector, you turned around, backing yourself against a wall. Sure enough, the Twi'lek was right there with you. Unable to resist the temptation of you flush against the wall, he pushed his body against yours and gripped your ass, pulling your hips into his. You squeaked in surprise, but luckily he must have thought that you were into it because he kept going. Wrapping one hand around the back of his neck, you focused on getting the tranquilizer dart in your other hand without alerting the quarry. It was a success, and soon your hand was poised over his exposed neck, ready to knock the fucker out. 

Just as you were about to strike, the Twi'lek stiffened, then fell to the ground in a heap. Furrowing your brow, you surveyed the scene. If you hadn't knocked him out, who had? You spotted a tall man in Beskar armor walking toward you and the quarry, and that question was immediately answered. It was a Mandalorian. "Hey!" you shouted, "that one was mine!"

The man ignored your protests, continuing to walk towards the quarry. You then noticed that he was also carrying a tracking fob. "What the hell, Mando! I had him, go find yourself another bounty." The Mandalorian stopped a few feet in front of you, seemingly surveying you behind the helmet they all wore. "I had him," you repeated, pulling a blaster from its spot on your thigh. 

"I shot him," crackled a modulated voice. You realized it was coming from the Mandalorian, and he didn't seem like the type to back down easily. "Hand over the quarry."

"No way!" you spluttered, "I lured him away and was about to strike! This quarry is obviously mine, and I'm not about to hand him over to some tin can." Hands on your hips, you peered up at your reflection in his visor, trying to look menacing. It didn't really work-- you still looked like a hooker due to the strategies you employed to hunt bounties. Lure them in with your beauty, then strike fast. 

The Mandalorian sighed. "I have a suggestion. We both bring him in to my employer on my ship, and we split the bounty. Equally." 

Was this guy being serious? "No way!" you argued, "if I don't bring him back to my boss, I'll either be killed or have to look for a new method of employment. You're crazy if you think I'm gonna split it with you, I need this bounty to survive. Now leave me alone, I'm taking him with me," you said sharply, stepping forward and shoving both hands into the Mandalorian's chest. Unsurprisingly, he didn't move an inch. 

"Look," he said, "I could use a good bounty hunter like you. If I cover fuel, give you a place to sleep, and pay you half, will you join me? I like the way that you hunt, and I think together we'd be able to catch a wide variety of bounties. Join me."

You stood there, weighing your options. On one hand, he had his own ship, a luxury that you had yet to afford. He also seemed to have stable connections, and you were guaranteed not to starve if you went with him. On the other hand, if you failed to show up with the quarry, your boss might send people after you. It was a risk you were willing to take. "I'm in," you said, sticking out your hand. "But you have to carry the bastard to your ship." The two of you shook on it, and thus began your adventures with the Mandalorian.