A Bounty Hunter's Tale
Chapter 1: When The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
It was morning, i was abruptly awoken like usual by the blood curdling yelp of the Vir Vurs. I arose out of my bed and rubbed my eyes, like usual I had grogginess as I stumbled to my feet and went towards my dresser, I slowly grabbed my clothing and just as slowly put them on. After I got dressed i looked around in my dark cold room. All I could see was the small light shining in the darkness next to my bookcase. I walked out of my room and into the adjacent room. This room was full of mechanical do-dads and old rusty weapons that hung on the wall, the smell of driod lubricating oil filled the room. I ignored the flickering lights and walked towards my station. I yawned whilst I booted up my make-shift data terminal stolen from an abandoned rebel camp. When my terminal was fully loaded the light showed vibrantly in the darkness of my station. I yawned again as I brought up the Bounty Hunters Guild hit list. I scrolled down the names with a timid sense of interest, Buwa Lightbringer 5490 on his head for insulting Jabba the Hutt... Shazan Darkstone 7590 on his head, wanted for killing a Black Sun Thug... I continued to read the names as I examined my Scatter Pistol for scratches and blemishes...3 names gone by...5 names gone by. I was near the end of the list when I saw something, it made me speechless, I dropped my pistol, and my eyes opened wide, I thought it was a error, I thought it was this old terminal playing tricks on me, I clicked Refresh again, and again, and again, and again until my pistol hit the floor and hit the floor with a loud boom. I made no sound afterwards, I just stared into the screen dazed, like I was stricken with a stun baton at the sight I saw
Target : XenoWolf
Reward : 60,000
Creator : Bounty Hunters Guild
Description:
The subject in question XenoWolf is found guilty of crimes against the Bounty Hunter Guild, by killing an innocent Zabrak named Eliive Starbringer.
My shock soon turned into fury, hatred, and a thirst for revenge. The Bounty Hunters Guild put that bounty up, the guild offered a reward for Eliive claiming she killed an innocent, the Bounty Hunters Guild now put a bounty on me. I heard the hum of Speeders and mechanical click clack of a IG assassin driod. The Hunters were after me, I went from Bounty Hunter, to Bounty Hunted, I rushed to my armory and grabbed my Light Lightning Cannon run out the door and saw the impeding darkness of a Rorian morning as speeders ran over the horizon like a Tatooine sunrise, I had no time to grab my speeder so I ran, I ran into the fog leaving behind, my home, my possessions, and my life.
Chapter 2: A Game of Cat and Mouse
I ran, rant into the fog. Further and further ,the sound of speeders filled every inch of the Rori swamp. I kept running, not looking behind, running through puddles, running past vir vurs and forest mites. I ran until i tripped over a hollow log, I fell on my face mud was in every crevice of my face I laid there. I don't know how much time went by before I realized, I was running nowhere, I was just running. I got out my datapad and checked it. I had to do something drastic to get away, I had to get help from the rebellion base near by, the same base was monitoring for months. I got up to a rebel offering me a hand to get up, he had a grimace as he helped me up. He held my hand tightly and pulled out his DL44, I saw the pistol move slow and steady the world around me slowed down, the hum of speeders sounded like a loud long hum. Then I heard a boom, an explosion louder then anything I've ever heard, an explosion that would of brought me to my knees if I wasn't so scared. I looked in the reflection of the goggles the rebel was wearing and saw a blaster bolt coming at me, I closed my eyes, and heard the smack of the laser hitting human flesh I opened my eyes and saw the rebel laying on the group his face as black as a StormCommando's helmet, I grabbed the rebels badge and ran in the direction of the base. I ran faster than I thought I could I ran so fast I heard the wind whistle by my ear as i passed the never ending trees on my sides. Time eluded me as I kept running until i reached the base, I scrambled in the walls, the rebels pointed there guns at me until I rose the badge I stole off the rebel. They put down their guns but quickly re raised them at the bounty hunter behind me, I saw the light coming from the rifle it shot out faster then a Kaduu running from a hunter. Boom, singe, crash, blam. A fire fight blew out, the rebels shooting at the Bounty Hunter, the hunter taking them down one by one. I saw the shuttle the door was closing, I ran , I jumped I saw the door coming closer and closer to me then everything went black. I woke up in the medical bay of the Corvette I jumped into, the rebel medic looked at me and rose my imperial badge over my face. his voice was deep and strong when he said.
"You stupid spy, why bring your badge with you"
The medic rose his hand as if he was going to back hand me when i saw scalpel laying next to my hand. I grabbed the scalpel, and held it tightly. I rose my arm fast and furiously like a Kryat in the desert sun. Before the medic could finish his hand movement i saw the scalpel in his eye and the blood gushing down my hand. I heard the medic scream louder and louder as he called for the guards. I ran to the door and rushed out of the room. All I could see was white corridors as i kept running down them, the endless halls seemed so cold and dark despite the luminescence that filled every inch. When I stopped I was in front of the armory. I ran inside and was overwhelmed by the assortment of weapons, the different types of suit. It seemed like I was looking around the room forever before I heard the synchronized sound of the rebels running down the halls, I grabbed the nearest suit of clothes and a Laser Rifle, and rushed out the hall. I looked down the hall and saw the a drop pod hall. I reached the end of the hall and saw a small drop pod at the end of the hall. I quickly opened the pod, and got in, held on to the bar on the side as i heard the pod unpressurized. At that moment I saw faint memories of my days with the Empire, I saw blurred pictures of mangled drop pods, the horrific images of decapitated bodies torn up by the metal shards that spewed back as the drop pod crashed. I screamed until I coughed, I looked back and saw the Corvette, a small blip in distant vacuum of space. My heart beat fast, faster, the fastest it ever has, then I heard the scream of the drop pod breaking through the atmosphere. I heard the whistle of my pod reaching closer and closer, the screech of the landing blasters trying to slow the pod down. Then I heard a huge boom and the crash echoed. My heart stopped my head bopped and my hands trembled I felt the pod drive itself into the ground.
Chapter 3: The Endless Plains
My heart throbbed, my hands shook with shock, I opened the pod slowly the smoke sifted in slowly overwhelming me until i began to gag. I through the pod door open with all my might, and flopped outside. The sun kissed my face as I brought myself up, the wind blew gently upon my body, my cloak blew in the wind with the grace of a thousand eopies. I drew the hood over my head and began to walk farther, and farther from the smoldering mess i came here on. The day was ending and i had walked for hours, I didn't see anything else besides endless fields and never ending sight of purple flowers. Each step I took reminded me, my life, my existence, my family were all gone, i couldn't see my dear sister Monica- anymore, I couldn't see my adopted brother Tarkan, I could no longer visit my fathers grave. The Empire would disown me at the mere second they heard the news, the rebellion already hated me for being an imperial, and every law bounty hunter in the sector would be after the bounty on my head. I spit on the ground, i fell to my knees, I beat the ground with my fist until my hands were overwhelmed with pain. I began to cry, I sobbed until I had no tears left. I got up the now welcoming day turned into a harsh night. The air froze me, the moon spiked me with pain, I slowly walked on, I kept walking, I didn't stop walking until I fell over. I checked my pack i stole from the corvette, my pack had 5 K-18 rations, a SR pistol, and a Nym's Carbine. I flipped over and looked up to a smiling rodian in looking down at me. He reached in his pocket and slowly pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, with his other hand he grabbed his pistol on his belt holster, he dropped the paper, and it fluttered down like a feather in the wind the paper twisted and twined and landed on my face, i was staring face to face with myself, the paper was a Bounty Poster, my bounty. He raised his pistol to my face. He uttered the words in the rodain tongue,
"Have any last words, scum?"
I blew the paper out of my face and smiled and asked him one thing
"What level has the guild classified you as you as"
he laughed and said
"I am only a level one Hunter in pistols"
I laughed, and smiled, the Rodian said
"Ready to die?"
I replied,
"I don't know, are you?"
I mustered all my strength left over and jumped to my feet in one triumphant leap, i grabbed my carbine and pointed at his face before he could re-aim his pistol. I laughed and said "I may have lost everything, but I haven't lost my skill!". I shot him, again, and again, I emptied my cartridge on him, his face was a smoldering ruin. I huffed and puffed and dropped my carbine, i smiled under my hood which now covered half my face. I jumped on his speeder and rode off into the horizon. I left nothing but a message to the other hunter who would find that Bounty Hunter. I carved a message into his chest plate, the message said clearly
"I may have lost my family, friends, and life, but i haven't lost my skill, any one who stands in my way will end up like this poor fool"
next to the message was a knife driven through his rodian heart. Flies began to smother down and his image was fading from my view as i rode off going deeper and deeper into this planet of Endless Plains
Chapter4: The Underworld
I don't know how long I rode until I ran out of gas, but now i sat here leaning against my speeder with my cloak covering my eyes as the sun rose over the mountains. I sat and yawned, listening to the flowers swaying and brushing against each other. I sat for a long time thinking about the life I had lost and the life I now had to lead, I thought about my sister on Naboo by now she must of heard the news, heard that I killed an innocent. My body filled with rage at that point my fist clinched, my teeth gnashed, and I slammed my elbow against the speeder. I got up swiftly my cape swooshed in the winds, I walked off, at that moment blinded with rage I thought of nothing but revenge. I walked until my rage subsided my speeder was out of sight, and in my blinded rage i left my gear behind. Now wondering this remote planet no food, no weapons, just my clothing i had stolen. I sat down and fell backwards, I began to think that this would be the end, my fate destined to die on this planet, new thoughts raised from that one. If i died here would i truly die, or would I just be forgotten. I boggled my mind on these questions until I heard a ship land. I got up fast and with anticipation and thoroughly examined the area. I saw off in the distance a small ship, big enough to fit 4 people and some cargo this ship was broadly shaped, a big rectangle for the cargo and a small circular cockpit in the front. The door opened and two men stepped out, a scraggly Bothan looked as if he was on the negative effect of spice, his hair like brambles, and his body shivered. The other was a tall Trandoshan he looked in order, he stood upright and carried his T21 like any Master Rifleman would. I walked forward slowly towards the ship to not show any hostility. When I arrived at the ship the Trandoshan had the T21 pointed at my throat. His voice was jagged and snake like when he said
"Thiiisssss human isssss the one with Sssssssixty thoussand on hisss head"
The bothan shook his head and keep shivering. I knew this was the end, a T21 in my face, no weapons or gear on me, I wouldnt usualy go down without a fight but I really had nothing to loose today. I was about to raise my arms in the air when I felt something poking my chest. I looked down under the cloak and saw a survival knife in its holster. I smiled at the two aliens. I moved my hands swiftly cutting the wind as I reached for the knife. The Trandoshan was moving his finger to squeeze the trigger. I ducked, I stuck my finger in one of the holes in the knifes handle. I yanked it out and spun the knife into my hand. I through my forearm back and forward again, I tossed the know at the blaster pack in the T21. The Trandoshan pulled the trigger fast and gaped his mouth open wide when he saw the knife in pack. The T21 exploded in a red blaze, the two flew back and hit the ground. The wind blew loudly as the two lay in the grass. I reached into bothans vest, and pulled out a DL44. I smiled at him and said
"Thanks"
As i walked into the ship. I started the engines and flew off. If I was going to get the information I need I had to head to the worst city in the quadrant, Mos Eisly. I spent years of my life hunting the scum of the galaxy, killing those that populated the underworld, but now they were my only hope. I sighed at the vast space and said
"Life isn't without irony"
Chapter 5: Innocent hands and Bloody Sand.
The ship rattled and roared as I descended into the dune sea. My stomach churned as the sight of Mos Eisly came into view,
"City of desperation, spice, and fear, all rolled into one."
The ship made a large thump and crash as it touched down onto the sands of burning heat. The door slowly opened, I felt the rush of heat sputter all over my face, my eyes squinted as wind pushed sand into my face. I stepped down slowly, hearing every grain sand crunch below my boots. My cloak flew violently in the wind as I slowly approached the city of sin, Mos Eisly. When I arrived in the city I saw that nothing had changed, the same speeders passing by as the sand that trailed behind them hit the faces of the passer by. I said to myself in a mumble "where to start, where to start". It wasn't until now that my stomach roared with the ferocity and anger of a kryat dragon. I grabbed my stomach and moaned a little "Guess I'll head to the cantina then" I said as I walked down the street. On every corner I passed there was another being, staring at me with a mug grin, or a hostile scowl, with each one I passed I knew my presence here was more then known among the local bounty hunters, with this note I began to run, each crunch of the sand under my feet growing louder and louder. I ran and kept running, my breathe grew heavier with each step, and my cloak flutter around like a angry pack of krettles. My chest was overwhelmed with pain and I was gasping for air, I saw a condemned star port hangar and decided to duck into it. I bent over and rested my hands on my knees as the dark setting around me as the wind blew in and whistled with an empty tune. After a few moments of gasping for air I began to laugh, in a joyful voice I laughed and said,
"I did all that running for nothing. I bet no one was even following me."
The room then got eerily quiet. Then a low hum could be heard, It grew closer and closer every second. I sped around with the speed of a huurton to find a seeker droid bobbing in the air above me "Sht" I yelled as I reached for the pistol in my holster. Right when I grasped the side arm from its holster I felt a sharp pain in my back, then sound of a blaster pistol going off. I stumbled a few feet forward my eyes closed so hard they began to hurt. I turned around to see who had shot at me to just be met by an elbow one foot from my face. The elbow hit me in my cheek and I flew back and hit the ground. Blood began to slowly drip from my mouth as I stumbled up and turned around. A shadowy Figure came out of the shadows and said
"Tsk, Tsk. I thought you would put up more of a fight, Mr. XenoWolf."
I panted heavily as I slowly walked back out of the hangar into the hot sun. The figure followed and began to say
"Now now, we parent planning on running away are we? I thought you were a better hunter then this."
My blood dripped on the sand below me as I opened my mouth,
"Haven't you heard, I'm not a hunter... anymore, I'm a criminal".
A red hot bolt of energy came flying at me from the shadows and hit me in the stomach,
"Now now, I know you're not a criminal."
The shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, the light revealed his true form. He was a short human, a little stout with short black hair that did not move, not even in the wind. He wore Composite armor blacker then the shadows and wielded a FWG5 that forced a glare into my eyes. he snickered a bit as he slowly walked towards me and said
"You see my dear hunter, you are nothing but a glitch in the Bounty Hunters Guilds system."
I coughed with ferocity and anger as I panted some more,
"What the hell do you mean."
The armored man lifted his pistol with unparalleled speed and launched another red hot bolt of pain towards me. My leg burned with overwhelming pain as a fell forward onto my face. All I could see was dark sand now, as the footsteps of the armored man became louder and louder and he walked closer. I heard a crack and felt myself being lifted off the ground trusted by agony of the new source of pain on my body. My body tumbled about and sand got kicked up in my wake. I now laid face up, staring into the sky of the twin suns. The sand around me began to turn red, and armored man stood above me overshadowing my sunlight. He shook his head negatively and said
"Well if you must know 'what the hell' I'm talking about, it'll explain it to you. You see sometimes the Bounty system has a glitch and labels one of our more active hunters as a target by mistake. We've worked hard and long trying to fix this problem but, no progress has been made".
I tried to laugh but coughed up blood instead,
"Then why not just take out our bounties."
He chuckled a little and continued,
"Well if we did that then the public would believe were letting criminals run free, they will question our authenticity and service."
My breathe grew weaker and less rapid, he grinned at me and said
"Now, Mr Wolf, you must die, to help ensure that this little glitch is never known to the general public, and do remember your a 'criminal' now your DNA is banned from the cloners, so these are your final moments of life, enjoy them"
He raised his pistol slowly towards my head and laughed a little as he said "Innocent hands, and bloody sand." I heard a blaster shot and everything went black. I was then bombarded by a strong white light, I looked around me, I was surrounded by scruffy, and battled scarred men. They smiled at me and one stepped forward, he extended his arm towards me as to help me get up and said,
"Welcome back from the dead, Mr XenoWolf."
The End