Chronicles of the Hunt: Chandrila

Prologue

Marco Ven was having a remarkably good day. The drinks weren't watered down, the women were appreciative and the food was acceptable. This was remarkable to him, being used to the finer things in life. He never thought he'd find himself in a cantina on Corellia, he was used to Corulag. He had lived a life of privilege and wealth, until those accusations ruined him. Ven tossed back another shot of whiskey and signaled the bartender for another.

The stool beside him creaked as someone sat down. Ven turned to look at the occupant and put on his best grin. "Hello there, gorgeous. My name's Marco."

The woman smiled shyly, pushing some of her long red hair behind her ear. "I'm Tamari." She signaled the bartender as well. "Whyren's Reserve, please."

Ven's eyebrows arched. "You're from Coruscant aren't you? What are you doing way out here?"

Tamari grinned. "I like starships. CEC has some of the best so I decided to try to get a job there."

"Oh?" Ven swiveled in his stool, facing Tamari. "You're a pilot?"

She giggled, covering her mouth. "I wish. I'm good with numbers though, I might try for a position in their accounting department."

Ven frowned slightly. "That's too bad."

"I don't mind, at least I get to be around ships." Tamari shrugged, taking a sip of her whiskey.

An odd look appeared in Ven's eyes. He leaned over. "I've got a ship. CEC YT-1300."

Tamari's eyes opened wide. "I LOVE those things! Can you show me?"

Ven placed several credit chips on the bar, enough to cover his and Tamari's tab. "Of course. It would be my pleasure."

A light rain was falling, forcing Tamari to button her long black coat. Marco simply continued walking, focused on his end goal. In fact, he was so focused on his goal that he didn't realize that he was about to walk right into someone. Marco felt like he had walked into a durasteel wall. He backed up, shaking his head. He raised his head and swore he felt the blood drain from his face.

An armored figure stood in front of him. That wouldn't have made Marco quake in his boots, but it was the manner of the armor that did it. The figure was dressed in silver and blue Mandalorian shocktrooper armor. A pair of holstered blaster pistols hung from his waist. The figure spoke and the voice sent shivers down Marco's spine.

"Marco Ven, I advise you to come quietly or things are going to get a little rough." The male voice was gravelly and had a familiar accent. Marco had grown up during the Clone Wars, and this man sounded like…

His eyes opened wide. "J…Jango F…Fett?" He quivered. "You're supposed to be dead!" The man placed a hand on one of his blasters and drew it slowly and threateningly. He pointed the weapon at Ven, the muzzle aimed at a point above his eyes. Ven turned to Tamari. "Run!"

"Why?" Tamari's voice was cold and hard. Marco blanched at the hate in her voice. "You're getting what you deserve."

Marco, in a moment of clarity, realized that she was a plant. He turned and started running. The whine of a stun bolt filled the air and with a flash of blue light, Ven was on the ground, twitching.

The man sighed and holstered his pistol. "That's one less piece of osik roaming the galaxy. Tamari, would you mind? I'd rather not sully my armor with this filth."

Tamari nodded and hoisted the unconscious form over her shoulders. "I know the feeling. I'm going to ditch these clothes as soon as I get back to the Beskad." She glared at the t-visor. "No, you can't help me undress."

The man removed his helmet and hung it on his belt, a wide grin on his face. "Ruin my fun, eh?" His accent had changed. It still had the roughness of Concord Dawn, but there was a new musical note in it. The man rubbed the long scar on the right side of his face. He grimaced. "Heal already…" The man was certainly not the legendary Jango Fett. His hazel eyes glimmered with merriment, and the corners of his lips twitched with amusement.

Tamari sighed and shook her head as they walked towards their landing pad. "You're incorrigible. Also, when are you going to quit the "Jango" routine, Eli?"

Eli grinned again. "Never! It works, doesn't it?" He shrugged. "Besides, we Skirata's don't-"

Tamari cut him off. "I know… 'Skirata's don't quit.' That's Jaing talking."

"Not only Jai'buir, but ba'buir Kal. Not to mention the attitude my biological father instilled. He was a tough one." His face lit up at the familiar black and red painted ship. "Ah, home away from home."

The ramp lowered and a man was standing in the entrance. He smiled. "Welcome back, boss." The gravelly accent and his facial features were familiar to anyone who had served in the Clone Wars. "Good hunt?"

Eli nodded. "Of course, Flash."

Flash smiled again. "The Beskad is prepped for takeoff. We're just waiting on Erwin." He turned and walked inside the ship, whistling.

Tamari walked up the ramp and somehow, Marco's head bumped non-to gently into the side of the threshold. Eli smirked and followed her. Tamari turned and started walking towards the holding cells. Eli followed, stopping at his room. He entered and sat down on the bed with a groan. He stood up, stretched and began removing the top portion of his armor, placing it on a dummy. His upper body was bare, displaying several scars, two blaster burns on his chest, one blaster burn on his right shoulder and a peppering of shrapnel on his back. His left shoulder had a standard Mandalorian tattoo: the mythosaur skull. He opened one of the drawers and pulled out a sleeveless shirt, putting it on before walking out and making for the cockpit. Flash was seated in one of the two chairs, looking very comfortable in his flightsuit. After all, he did wear it during the Clone Wars as a pilot. Flash had deserted a few years after the Wars ended, with plenty of help from Kal Skirata and Omega Squad. He looked up as Eli's boots clanked on the floor.

"Care for some tea, boss?"

Eli nodded, sitting down in the other chair with a sigh. "There are times I find this job tedious. Thanks." He took the offered cup of tea, watching the steam slowly rise. Eli took a sip and the corners of his mouth turned up in a small smile. "But the little things make it worthwhile. Namely, getting murdering scum off the streets."

"Don't forget the good tea and the chance to see the galaxy, boss." Flash saluted with his own cup, taking a sip.

Eli chuckled softly. "Of course. Did Erwin say when he'd be back?"

Flash glanced at the watch on his left wrist. "It should be any moment now. He had a few errands to run, some supplies to get."

"Alright." Eli set his cup down in the chair's holder.

Tamari grumbled, carrying the limp form of Marco Ven towards the holding cells. "Why yes boss, I would love to carry the 102 kilo target by myself to the holding cells. It's not that difficult for me." She growled softly. "Karking bucket-head…"

Marco slowly swam back to consciousness, the stun bolt wearing off, no doubt due to the stims he took before entering the bar. His eyes opened wide and he lashed out, striking Tamari in the head. She groaned and stumbled, letting Marco drop. He shook off his drowsiness quickly and darted back through the passage. He heard Tamari swearing, her boots clanking on the metal as she chased him.

Marco had been having a very good day up until Eli had hit him with a stun blast. His day was about to get even worse. A fist shot out, hitting him dead in the solar plexus. Marco wheezed and cried out as several quick jabs struck his ribs. He looked up into a pair of unforgiving and cold blue eyes. The man snarled, head-butting Ven, who screamed as his nose broke. He collapsed onto the deck, sobbing in pain. Tamari snarled as she caught up to the sobbing man. She began kicking him in the ribs. "I-KICK-SHOULD-KICK –GUT-KICK -YOU!" She stopped her attack, looking at the man who flattened Ven. "Thanks Erwin. I don't think I could have caught up to him."

"Not a problem, Tamari." Erwin looked down at the bleeding and sobbing wretch on the deck. "I'll take him to the cells and stun him again. Tell the boss I've got more food and some spare parts for the turret mounts." With a grunt, he hoisted Ven up and walked down the passage towards the holding cells. He non-too-gently set Ven on the cot, punched him again, before drawing a blaster and stunning him. Stepping out of the cell, he activated the shield and walked towards his room.

"Hey Eli, Erwin's back. He's got some more food and parts for the turrets." Tamari's voice crackled through the bridge's intercom.

Eli reached out, pressing the silver button. "Thanks. All crew, prep for takeoff."

With a whine, the ramp raised. The engines powered up and with a roar, the Consular-class vessel lifted off the duracrete platform and made the climb through the atmosphere towards the vastness of space. "All right passengers, this is the captain speaking. We'll have a short hop to Corulag and then a longer flight home to Mandalore. The first round at the Oyu'baat is on me." Eli announced over the intercom. He turned to Flash. "We got the navicomputer locked in?" At Flash's nod, Eli reached out and slowly pulled the hyperspace lever. With a sudden jolt of acceleration, the Beskad shot forward into hyperspace, headed for Corulag and a 35,000 credit reward. After that, it was back to Mandalore.

Back to home, to drunken fights in topcafs, to the smells of meats grilling over open flames, back to the one place they all belonged.