Swimming Among the Stars
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars; that honor goes to the brilliant Mr. George Lucas. I just come here to dream…
FYI: I use locations, characters, and races from many other games and anime shows. I'm sorry if it bothers you but it's just the way I am!
Please REVIEW (uses Jedi mind trick…you will review…you will review…) Criticism is welcome (though it would be nice if I didn't get any, please don't be so harsh I cry) so I can become a better writer.
A/N: This chapter is much longer than the previous ones. I hope you guys like it! I'm going to take this story to the end, but I was kinda hoping to get more reviews, not that I'm not grateful for the ones I already have!
Chapter 3: Jericho V
Part I - Arrival
Location: (space station) Jericho V, entrance
Jericho V: to the shady characters of the galaxy, it was a pleasure palace; to the law enforcement, it was a treasure trove of arrests; to Leon, Vara, Relea, and Fina, it was salvation.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Vara and Leon screamed as they clung to each other, the Outlaw Star diving wildly towards the space station. Relea closed her eyes, reciting the Jedi code over and over in her head as she clutched the sides of the chair in a death grip. Amidst all the confusion and terror, Jezebel's calm voice sounded. "Landing in 5…4…3…2…1"
With a tremendous bang, the ship screeched through the opening that led to the station's landing pad. Skidding across the smooth metallic floor, sparks, smoke, and flames flying out in all directions, the Outlaw Star came to a violent rest at the far end of the wall.
"Get your foot out of my ass, Leon." Vara growled.
"I will if you would get your armpit away from my face…" He snarled; his voice slightly muffled from being underneath her. "And while I am one to appreciate your boobs, Vara, I would like them a whole lot better if they weren't on my eyes!"
Relea tried her best to dodge Vara's flailing limbs as she struggled to climb off of Leon. There was a soft giggle in the doorway. Three heads turned to see Fina standing there, hand up to her mouth, trying to hide her smile. "Fina!" Relea exclaimed, shoving Vara off of her and onto the floor with a thud. The lady bounty hunter scowled and was about to grab the Jedi's foot to trip her when Leon slapped her hand away.
"Fina, are you okay? Are you hurt? I can't believe I left you alone like that!" She fussed over the young girl, turning her side to side to inspect for injuries.
Vara stood up, intentionally stepping on Leon's hand in the process, and plopped herself down into the pilot's seat. "Some guardian you are…" She muttered and started reading over the damage report that was displayed on the flickering green screen of the monitor. Glaring and sucking his hand, Leon took the other seat. "So what's the status of the ship?" He started shaking his right hand to get the feeling back into it.
"Nothing much. The left engine burned up, the emergency shield is out of power, the front stabilizers are shot, the hyperdrive is out of whack, and the back landing gear are missing." She ticked off the things that needed repaired on her fingers. "Not to mention the nasty dent on the nose where it smacked into the wall."
Leon cringed at all the damage, his mind whirling at all the credits it would cost. "Okay, first things first. Let's go outside and take a look around."
"Yeah." Vara agreed. "And I need a drink." Then she spied Fina. "What about the kid? We can't exactly go around Jericho with a kid. That will definitely cause people to stare."
"We'll leave her here. Jezebel!"
"Yes Leon Darling?" The computer asked.
"Lock down the ship. Don't let anyone in unless they know the password."
"Password verification: Big Boob Bonanza."
Relea's eyes widened and she started to snicker while Leon's face turned a deep shade of crimson all the way to the tip of his ears. "What made you decide a name like that?"
While he was about to say it came with the ship, Vara quickly cut in. "Big Boob Bonanza is a contest that happens every six months here on Jericho in the bar. If you can't guess what goes on there, then you've spent waaay too much time held up in some stuffy Jedi enclave."
The Jedi squinted at her but Leon suddenly stood up. "I'm sure she doesn't really want to hear about it, Vara. Now let's go outside." He said, shooing the two women towards the loading ramp.
After making sure Fina was safely tucked away on the Outlaw Star, the trio emerged from the smoking hull, blinking at the bright lights of he landing pad. Vara whistled as they stepped back from the ship, surveying the damage. "Well it seems Jezebel hasn't lost her touch for great landings."
"Well I'll be, if it isn't Vara and Leon! I should have known a ship that landed like that would be carrying you two!" A deep voice bellowed behind them, echoing in the hollow space. Relea turned with a start but the bounty hunters already knew who was calling their names.
"Norton!" Leon answered cheerfully as a large man came lumbering towards them. The man was as tall as he was fat, with a large gut that hung well over his trousers. He had salt-and-peppered hair pulled back into a ponytail and a 5 o'clock shadow. A pair or dark shades were perched on his nose. He pulled both Leon and Vara into a bear hug, crushing them against his broad chest. "Hey Norton." Vara said breathlessly as she struggled to begin breathing again.
"I haven't seen the two of you out here since, well uh, since the last Big Boob Bonanza. By the way Vara, sorry that you lost. That Twi'lek had nothing on you. Yeah hers were huge, but I mean yours are-" He caught a glimpse of the strangled look that was beginning to come over Leon's face. "Well, it uh, must've been pretty hard, I mean you were reigning champ for five years."
Plastering a fake grin on her face, Vara spoke through gritted teeth. "Yeah, well, it doesn't bother me. There's always the next B3."
Leon smirked at her and she gave him a "just you wait until later" look. "So what's been keeping you busy, Leon? It wouldn't have anything to do with that pretty little brunette over there, would it?" He asked, pointing one of his chubby fingers at Relea.
The Jedi's face colored as Leon suddenly pulled her towards him. "Oh, how I could forget! Norton, this is Re-Relena Esune. Relena, this is Norton Aggraves. He's the head mechanic here on Jericho."
"I prefer Maintenance Specialist, but mechanic will do." His huge hand dwarfed hers as he shook it heartily, causing the Jedi to feel as if her arm was about to be ripped from its socket. "Pleased to meet ya. Any friend of Leon's is a friend of mine."
He stepped forward, his eyes roaming over the ship as he planted his hands on his large hips. "What did you put her through, Leon. Hell, she looks like she was used for target practice." He growled, jerking a thumb towards the ship.
"It was actually. We're lucky to even be alive right now." The bounty hunter answered.
"Hmm, this will take at least two days to fix, if not more. Since it's you guys, I'll put her on the rush list."
Vara smiled and gave him a loving pat on the arm. "Thanks, Norton, and uh, about payment…"
"Same thing as usual will do." He replied, his gaze flicking down to her chest.
As Norton trudged off to begin working, the trio huddled together. "I say we split up." Vara announced. "Being seen with a Jedi cramps my style."
Both Leon and Relea rolled their eyes in unison. "No one knows she's a Jedi." Leon said but Relea quickly cut in.
"No no no, that's ok. I don't mind if we split up." Vara's eyes narrowed. Of course she wants to split up, she wants to be alone with Leon…what do I want more…a drink or to keep that Jedi wench away from Leon…the drink…
The bounty hunters and the Jedi trudged up the long, metal staircase that led to the interior of Jericho V. At the top, two tall brown, scaly aliens with the face and tail of a reptile and four arms, served as bouncers. As the little group passed them, they merely nodded until one of them spied Vara. "Hey, I know you!"It growled in broken Basic, a yellow forked tongue flicking out between its parched lips. "You were da reigning champ of B3! Can I have autograph?"
Smiling smugly, Vara started rooting around in her bag. "Where do you want it?"
The alien, called an Uguv squinted his heavy lidded, beady orange eyes as if in deep thought, well as deep as the creature could think since they weren't hired for their brains. "Tongue! I want you to sign tongue!" The trio's noses scrunched up in disgust at the request.
Relea leaned over and whispered into Leon's ear. "To an Uguv, their tongue is considered the most sacred part of their body. Really, this is a compliment to Vara." Both the Jedi and the bounty hunter chuckled at the irony.
Vara frowned at them before turning back to the creature. "Fine." Finding the object of her search into the wild world of her backpack, Vara produced a tiny, flat machine. After holding it over the Uguv's tongue, her signature appeared.
The scaly reptilian was ecstatic. "Loo, she thine ma tongue!" He exclaimed, holding his tongue out like a prize for the other bouncer to inspect.
As they walked away, Leon shook his head. "You gave him an autoprint! The poor guy treated you like a holovid movie celebrity and you gave him an autoprint!"
Vara shrugged, zipping her pack closed. "Well you didn't expect me to touch that shriveled up banana peel masquerading as a tongue did you!" After see the look of amusement on Relea's face and the smirk forming on Leon, she let out an exasperated sigh. "Ugh! I definitely need a drink now." With that, she stalked off towards the bar.
Relea stopped, her eyes wide with wonder. Leon grinned at her reaction, and stopped walking so she could take the sights in. Jericho V was quite the spectacle to see. The lights were dimmed, causing the neon lights that snaked around the ceiling to cast the rooms in a hazy rainbow hue from all the cigarra smoke. An upbeat, jazzy song was being played by a band on the raised stage that was located in the central room, a soft green Twi'lek singing into the microphone, her pink glittery dress sparkling in the spotlight. On the left was the main bar, called the Sleazy Slipper, which served all manners of drinks from across the galaxy. Off to the right were alcoves brimming with slot machines and card tables; cries of delight at striking it rich or moans of despair at losing everything could heard, drifting out into the main room. Straight ahead was the dance floor, made up of multicolored tiles that changed color in time to the music.
Leon's eyes glazed over as he inhaled deeply. "Beautiful, isn't it?" He murmured.
Relea smiled indulgingly. "Oh yes…just beautiful." Just as she said it, there was a scream and the bang of a gunshot. With a thump, a Duros was suddenly tossed out of the bar, a gaping hole in his skull. A Gamorrean bouncer lumbered over and drug his body away and into a backroom. The Jedi looked up at Leon but he didn't even seem to notice. The call of the pazaak tables was getting hard to resist. "How good are you at pazaak?"
"Not bad, my Master and I…" She dropped her head for a moment, a fleeting look of pain crossed her face. "We, uh, used to play it a lot."
"Well Relea, you're about to witness the master at work! Follow me!" Taking her hand, he led her off towards the casino.
Part II – Someone Slipped Me a Mickey
Location: Jericho V
"Give me another Laigrek's Eye, only make it a double this time."
The bartender gave Vara a weary look before turning away to start filling her fourth order. The lady bounty hunter leaned back against the counter, swiveling slightly left and right in her chair as her eyes roamed over her fellow patrons. There was a Bothan and a Rodian sitting at a corner table, the little green alien was sprawled out over the top bawling his eyes out while his furry companion simply looked on, sipping a tall, frothy fiery orange drink in an iced glass. Huddled in a booth in front of her was a tough looking Gran with torn ears and a patch covering one of its three eyes, a Bith, and a human woman with sickly white skin and short, shaggy scarlet hair. All three of them were laughing hysterically at nothing, with the Gran snorting every few seconds. Vara shook her head in disgust, taking a long drawl from her newly replenished drink. "Some people just can't hold their liquor."
She swiveled around to face the counter again, setting her glass down. It slid for a few inches in the condensation that had created a puddle underneath it. Vara blinked in amazement at seeing her drink move from the spot she had set it down at. Tapping it again, it slid back, leaving a watery trail in its wake. "Wow…" She breathed but quickly lost interest. Her mind kept wandering back to Leon and Relea; it was the only thing she could actually focus on. She had seen him drag the Jedi off towards the casino, a stupid grin plastered on his face. What's so great about her…everything was fine until she just had to come along…now everything is ruined! Frown deepening at the last thought, she gulped down the last bit of her beverage.
"Buy you another?" A soft, male voice sounded to her right, causing Vara to jump in surprise. She found herself staring into a pair of warm, chocolate brown eyes. The man had a handsome, perfect face that seemed to match his eyes. While Vara was never one to turn down a drink, let alone attention from a man, she usually didn't do it when Leon was around. But Leon's not here…he's with Miss Perfect Jedi Princess…
"Sure." She replied simply.
The man took a seat next to her and motioned for the bartender. "Another Laigrek's Eye for the lady and a Mandalorian wine for me." He tossed a credit chit onto the counter.
The bounty hunter dove back into her new drink greedily, the man watching with mild amusement, slowly sipping his. "So, what's a pretty lady like you doing alone in a place like this?" Had Vara been sober, she would have laughed in the man's face at him using such a cliché. Instead, she flashed him a pretty but stupid grin.
"I'm alone because he's not here."
The man stroked his lightly bearded chin thoughtfully. "And who is he?"
"Leon!" She growled, and then hiccupped. "H-he's off (hic) with the Princessssss." She hissed the last part of the word, slowly lowering her head onto the table, a sob racking her body. "He loves her."
The man hid a snicker with a cough, and while giving her a supportive pat on the shoulder, leaned over her drink. Suddenly, her head flew back up, all the tears dried. He quickly leaned back. "That is fine with me though, I'm t-too (hic) good for…him."
"I'm sure you are. So, uh, what's your name?"
"Me?" Face screwing up in confusion, her brow knitted together. That's a good question…what is my name…Vader, Vaya, Vara…no, that's not it…R-Relena, Relea! That's it! "It's Relea." She gave him a grin, proud of herself for remembering her name in her drunken state.
He returned her smile slyly. "I'm Adray." She sure doesn't act like a Jedi, but then again, the Exile didn't either. Doesn't matter, I've got her now… She was now holding her empty glass above her head, tongue out, ready to catch the last drop of her beverage. "Why don't I buy you another?"
Slamming the glass down onto the counter, she leaned back, but forgetting it was a stool, toppled onto the floor, legs going straight up into the air. Using the opportunity to his advantage, Adray looked around before letting a tiny green and yellow capsule fall into her replenished drink with a tiny splash. "I'm OKAY!" Vara cried out, slowly pulling herself up onto the stool again. Grabbing her beverage, she quickly downed it in one swift gulp, and then let out a belch. "Mmm, yummy." She murmured, a lopsided grin crossing her lips. That's when everything went downhill.
The tablet quickly took effect, causing Vara's vision to become fuzzy, even worse because of all the alcohol she had already consumed. Groaning slightly, she ran her hand through her long black hair. "You didn't tell me you had a twin." She squinted hawkishly at Adray, blinking her eyes to clear her vision. Standing up, she weaved left and right before catching herself against a table, spilling a round of drinks on a man and his two Twi'lek companions. Everything was spinning, faster and faster, blurring together. Vara moaned, clutching her stomach in fear of throwing up. Adray was at her side then, catching her in his arms. "Looks like you've had too much to drink, honey." He murmured in her ear before gathering her limp form up and carrying the lady bounty hunter out of the bar, unknown to him that a pair of eyes watched from a booth in the corner, taking the last sip of his drink.
Part III – Master at Work
Location: Jericho V
Slapping the card down onto the table, Leon grinned smugly at the man across the table from him. "Ha, 19, beat that!"
The man's eyebrow rose. "Okay." He replied simply, and gently laid a +1 card onto the table, bringing him up to 20. Another consecutive win.
Leon squinted at his opponent, feeling his anger rise. That had been the tenth game in a row he had just lost and this guy was even a beginner! Snarling like a rabid dog, he was about to start a new game when he felt a hand on his arm. He looked up to find himself staring into Relea's golden eyes. You could get lost in those eyes…if you're not careful… "Can I have a try? I might be able to win some of my money back."
The bounty hunter scoffed. There were three things in life that Leon Kennedy was an expert at: girls, gambling, and guns…and paper airplane building. "No offense, Relea, but how could you ever do better than me? If it's one thing I know about, it's pazaak."
Smiling coyly at him, she leaned over until her face was inches from his. "Then why are you losing more credits than you're winning?" Women…they could be so…infuriating… The bounty hunter thought grumpily to himself.
Still, he wasn't convinced. "Fine, go ahead." He smiled devilishly. There's no way she's going to win. You just have to let a woman get these silly notions out of their head … Relea settled down into the seat next to Leon. She slowly undid her robe and gently pushed it off of her shoulders, revealing a clingy belly shirt. Hiking up her robe, she let it drape well above her knees. If it were possible, Leon's eyes would have popped right out of his head. I think I'm going to need a moment alone… He thought as his eyes ran hungrily over her. She then ran a hand through her golden brown hair luxuriously, like water running through her fingers. Leon quickly wiped the drool from his chin.
Snatching the cards from the bounty hunter's hands, Relea leaned forward against the table, resting her chest on top. Her opponent's chin might as well be lying on the floor for as far open his mouth was gaping. "So, are we going to play?" She purred.
Her opponent remained silent before finally blinking himself out of his dazed state. "Uh, yeah…" They began a game, if you could actually call it that. Relea had an 11, so she played a +8 card to bring it to 19. Her opponent had an 18, so he played a +5, causing him to lose. Leon blinked at the man's mistake and glanced at Relea. She smiled proudly at him, tossing the credits that she had just won at him. "So, did they teach you that at the Jedi Academy?" He murmured softly, peering into her eyes as her opponent stomped away in a huff, murmuring about how he was going to explain this to his wife.
The Jedi flushed, feeling a warm rush start from her toes and work its way up to her face. "It's just instinct." Who said Jedi can't have sex appeal?
Leon gave her a laugh before seizing his pazaak deck from her grasp. "We haven't heard from Vara in awhile. I'm going to go check on her. Be back in a little while." Relea stood up and left the casino, headed towards the Sleazy Slipper. A man, followed by a droid, was heading towards their table. The man had shaggy brown hair and was dressed in Jedi robes. The hilt of a double-bladed lightsaber swung on his belt as he walked. "Look, just one game, you know I won't lose any money." He growled at the droid. "Besides, Zara gave me permission to play."
Giving an electronic snort, the copper colored pile of walking metal stood menacingly behind the man as he settled down in front of Leon. "Clarification: I wasn't assembled yesterday, meatbag! The Master did not give you permission to play, she told you to keep watch."
"HK, say another word and I'll turn you into scrap!"
The assassin droid's blood red lights that served as eyes flashed momentarily. "Apology: I am sorry, Sharer-of-the-Master's-Bed, please enjoy your game." It still kept its rifle pointed at the man's head.
Leon glanced up at the droid apprehensively. "Hey, your uh, little metal friend there isn't going to blast me in the middle of our game, will he?"
"Exclamation: Sharer-of-the-Master's-Bed, that meatbag has insulted me! May I blast him?"
Cringing, Leon's opponent closed his eyes and massaged his temples. "First of all, quit calling me that damn name! Second of all, no you can't blast him!" He gave the bounty hunter a weary smile. "Don't worry about him. His talk is just big but he's really a maintenance droid."
The droid gave an angry metallic snarl as the two men began to play. "So what's your name?" Leon asked casually, playing a –1 card to bring his score down to 20.
"Atton, Atton Rand."
"Leon Kennedy."
The men stopped briefly to shake hands. Atton played a +2 to tie the game. A waitress stopped by their table. "Can I get you gentlemen a drink?" She purred, puffing out her chest seductively.
Atton ordered a Juma while Leon asked for Corellian ale. Just as the waitress began walking away, Leon heard his voice being called. Looking up, he found Relea leaning over him. "Uh Leon, we've got ourselves a problem! The bartender said that he saw a man carrying a woman out of the bar that matches Vara's description."
Atton eyed the woman across from him, shaking his head and biting back an amused smile. Another Jedi. This guy reminds me of Zara and myself…
"What! Oh boy, that doesn't sound good. Uh, Atton, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to cut our game short." Leon said as he hurriedly climbed out of his chair, nearly knocking it to the floor in his haste.
"Hey, no problem." The other man replied, gathering up his cards and shuffling them. "I hope you find your friend."
"Thanks." Leon answered as he and Relea fled the room, pushing past the Exile as she entered, ready to drag Atton out of the casino by the collar of his robes…
Part IV – Drunken Desire
Location: Jericho V
"Um, hehe, you wouldn't have any of those Jedi tricks up your sleeve would you?" Leon hissed to Relea as the pair had a staring contest with a battalion of battle droids, nearly 20 in number, who had their blasters trained on their heads. The bounty hunter and the Jedi had interrogated the patron's of the bar and about exhausted half of their credit supply to get a clue to their missing comrade's whereabouts.
"This is a restricted area." The leader grated mechanically, a glitch in its system causing its right arm to twitch. "If you do not cease to persist, you will be terminated."
"Way to not beat around the bush." Leon said with a smirk. "Sorry, but I wish to persist. How about you?" He asked his partner.
"Oh I definitely want to persist!" Outstretching her hands, Relea summoned the Force and sent out a wave of energy, causing the first line of droids to fall to the ground with a thud. Leon ripped out his blasters and started firing at the droids, ducking and dodging the returning fire. Pulling a vibrosword from the sheath at her side, the Jedi started slicing the droids, relieving them of heads and limbs in a dance of destruction. Droids fell to the ground in heaps, sparks sizzling across their exposed circuits and wires. Leon let out a slight grunt as a blaster shot grazed his arm, causing a tear in his shirt. Ready to fire off another shot, the bounty hunter found himself face to face with three smoking blaster barrels. "I don't think so!" Relea exclaimed, leaping into the air. Landing with one leg on each of the outer droid's heads, she thrust her sword down through the middle's droid's head, causing it to explode. Using her diversion, Leon shot the arm off one droid and kicked the other. The last of the metal skeletons fell to the floor with a clatter.
The pair stood back to back as they surveyed their destruction. Nudging the torso of a downed droid with the toe of his boot, Leon gave a slight snort. "Humph, don't make them like they used to."
Relea's eyes rolled back as she gave him a sharp elbow in the ribs. "We're here for a reason! We need to find, Vara, remember?"
Making their way stealthily down the hall, the pair kept themselves pressed up against the wall, even though there weren't any shadows to hide in. "Why are we up against the wall?" Relea asked, keeping her voice just above a whisper.
"Because it looks cool!" Leon answered, matching her tone. She rolled her eyes. They walked past a computer terminal, causing Relea to backtrack.
"Can you hack into one of these?" She asked, tapping her chin as she looked over the machine.
"What, you think just because I'm a bounty hunter and keep questionable company that I'm automatically a hacker!"
"Yeah."
"Well you're right, I am." Settling down into the chair in front of the terminal, he began typing, his hands flying over the keyboard. Relea stood behind him, her hands resting on the back of the chair, a headache forming as scores of letters and symbols flooded the screen.
"How do you understand all that?" She moaned, rubbing her forehead.
"I don't."
"I thought you said you were a hacker?"
"I didn't say I was a very good one."
Minutes ticked by. "This thing's security is tight. I don't know if I can break through it." Frustrated, he pounded the keys. A box popped up on the screen: Password Verification Correct, welcome.
Leon tilted he head back and looked at Relea. She shrugged. "Let's see…" He said more to himself than to her as he scanned the icons on the screen. "So uh, what am I looking for exactly?"
"Something important. I don't know, maybe something about Vara?"
"Oh yeah." The Jedi couldn't help but smile at his absentmindedness.
"Wait, what's this?" Bringing up the camera feed, Leon started checking the rooms down the hall. Room A-22 brought up a picture of a darkened room and a scrawny human male huddled in the corner, sniffing something up into his nose. He kept glancing back and forth. Suddenly he sneezed, causing his head to bang against the wall. Blinking in surprise, he fell to the ground with a thud.
"Something tells me they don't have drug tests for their employees here." Relea commented with a hearty snicker as the bounty hunter brought up the next room. Once again the room was dark but you could make out a bed in the corner with a couple…playing "checkers" as he and Vara affectionately called it. The bed moved, bumping against the wall, causing a picture to fall and clunk the woman on the head. Leon let out a snort of both pity and laughter as she abruptly sat up and rubbed her head, cursing.
"Reminds me of my first time." He said, almost wistfully. Relea gave him a playful bop on the head.
"Me too."
Spinning around in the chair, he faced her, the look of surprise on his face priceless. "You?"
"Yes me!" She barked, then a slow, almost dreamy smile came across her features. "Only it wasn't a painting that hit me, it was a tree branch."
Facing the computer again, Leon mumbled. "I still can't believe you did it."
"Why? No amount of Force power can take away raging hormones, Leon!" She said with a laugh. "Now get back to work!"
"Yes, Master." He sniped, bringing up the third room. The image was grainy, with wavy lines snaking up the screen.
Squinting, Relea leaned forward, her face dangerously close to his. Leon had to will himself not to grab her face and crush her lips to his. I want to kiss the crap out of her! I'm such a romantic devil… He thought proudly to himself as he imagined the scene. "What's in that room? I can't quite make it out…"
Leon blinked away his fantasy and focused on the computer screen. "There's a chair with a woman tied up in it, two guys carrying auto's, and…hey, is that a signed picture of Aija Udoco on that wall? I love her music!"
"Oh my gosh!" The Jedi gasped, giving the bounty hunter a smack on the shoulder to get his attention. "LEON! This is no time to be ogling over some signed poster! The woman tied up is Vara!" Her voice was rising higher and higher.
Eyes widening, Leon leapt up the chair and grabbed Relea by the wrist, dragging her down the hall after him. They leaned against the wall on opposite sides of the door. "Surprise is best for this, okay? I'll kick open the door and you cover me! Ready?" Giving him a silent nod, Leon stepped back and readied himself to rush the door. The occupants inside however heard him whispering to the Jedi outside and opened the door just as he started rushing towards it. Leon flew through the doorway and skidded to a halt just before crashing into the door.
"Ack!" The woman in the bed screamed as she dropped the picture she was trying to re-hang in shock. Leon's eyes bugged as his cheeks burned in embarrassment. "Who the hell are you?" The man bellowed from the doorway, taking a dangerous step towards the bounty hunter.
Leon's jaw worked but no words came out. Relea darted in and grabbed his arm. "He's uh, my mentally deranged brother." She said. "I'm sorry for him barging in like this. Please don't hold it against him." With an innocent bat of her eyelashes, she smiled sheepishly and drug Leon out of the room, followed by a slam of the door. "Leon!" She hissed, shaking him. "How could you make a mistake like that? The room with Vara is at the end of the hallway!"
Resuming their somewhat botched rescue mission, the pair finally found the right door. "Okay, now surprise is still the best." Relea rolled her eyes.
"Oh you surprised the couple in that last room alright."
"You're not going to let me live that down are you?"
"Absolutely not."
Shaking his head, Leon slapped another cartridge into the blaster he was clutching in his right hand. "Ready?" Kicking open the door, the bounty hunter and the Jedi raced in. "Put your hands up!" Relea shouted as the two guards whirled around in surprise. Leon aimed his blasters at their heads as they slowly pointed their automatic rifles at him. "Don't do it." The Jedi growled at them, watching carefully for the first sign of one of the guards pulling the trigger. "Drop them now!"
Seeing now signs of surrender, Relea created a force wave and caused the guards to fly backwards. However, one of them opened fire as he fell, spraying shots at the Jedi. Leaping backwards and bouncing off the wall, only one shot grazed her leg as she landed. "Are you alright?" Leon cried out, heading towards her but she waved them off.
"Check on Vara, I'll disarm these guys."
While Relea collected the rifles, Leon quickly untied Vara and pulled the gag out of her mouth. "Vara, are you okay?" He knelt down, peering up into her face.
Seeing Leon, Vara's eyes widened. "Oh Leon, I knew you'd come after meeeee." She slurred, slumping forward and landing on his lap, causing them both to toppled backwards onto the floor. She lay on top of him, clumsily encircling her arms around his neck. "I just knew you wouldn't forget about me, Leon, you love me more than her!"
Raising an eyebrow, the bounty hunter gently pried Vara off of him and sat her against the chair. "Vara, you're drunk."
"I am not!" She insisted, pounding the floor with her fists. "I am lightly intoxicated." Giggling she lunged towards him, but Leon quickly dodged her working lips. "I love you, Leon! Where's Relenea, I love her too! And that weirdo kid, what was her name…"
Finished with tying up the guards, Relea came over to Leon. "How is she?"
"Oh fine, just drunk." He said with a sigh, his nose scrunching up as Vara put her face up to his.
"Helloooooo." She breathed.
Stifling a laugh, the Jedi shook her head. "She won't get violent will she?"
"No, when Vara gets drunk, she gets articulate and has this profound love for human kind."
Vara started blowing kisses at no one as Leon tugged her to her feet. "How can we get out of here? She's in no condition to walk."
Relea scratched the back of her head as she thought over the situation. "I could put her in a stasis…"
"Do it!" Leon cried out as Vara tried to wrap her legs around his waste. With a wave of her hand, Vara became frozen in place, as if she was encased in a block of ice. Lifting the lady bounty hunter into his arms, he and Relea fled the room, using a backdoor to get to the landing strip, unknown to them that a hooded figure watched from the shadows…
Part V – Departure
Location: Jericho V
"Leon, get in here!" Vara bellowed into the comm. link on the control panel of the Outlaw Star. She peered down into the glass in her hand, watching the egg yolk floating on the surface like an orange island. Leon and Relea were standing outside the ship, thanking Norton for the repairs when they heard the screaming bounty hunter's voice echoing around them.
"Hehe, she has another hangover, eh?" Norton asked, an amused smirk coming to his lips. "Well I'm sure she'll be back to her old self before long."
Leon nodded before reaching out and shaking the man's giant hand. "Thanks for everything, Norton."
"Don't thank me, kid. I just fixed that hunk of junk so it won't clutter up my garage. I couldn't get the hyperdrive fixed though, so your next stop better be to get it fixed." Then his voice softened. "You uh, take care of yourselves, ok?" The bounty hunter nodded and Relea smiled gently at him.
"Good bye, Norton, and thanks again." As the pair headed towards the ship, Norton called after them, waving a photograph in his hand. "Tell Vara thanks for the payment!"
Back inside the Outlaw Star, Relea went to check on Fina while Leon tentatively headed towards the cockpit. Stepping inside, he found himself staring at the back of her head. "Uh, hehe, hey Vara."
Slowly turning around, glass halfway up to her mouth, the bounty hunter regarded him. "About time you got in here! Didn't you hear me calling for you?"
"You'd have to be deaf not too…" He mumbled, taking a few steps closer to her.
Staring daggers into him, she downed the rest of her drink, face scrunching up in disgust. "Can we go now!"
"Sure Vara, but are you sure that it's such a good idea for you to be the piloting? I mean, with your hangover-"
"Oh, so now I can't even pilot the damn ship! Are you losing confidence in my abilities, Leon? How many times have I saved your sorry a-"
"Alright!" He conceded, putting his hands up, palms out. "I didn't lose confidence. Let me tell Relea we're going to leave alright?" The woman in question walked in however. "I got Fina something to eat. Have you cleaned that synthesizer out lately, I mean…" She stopped when she saw the wild glint in Vara's eyes and Leon vigorously shaking his head. "I mean, it's completely fine! So when are we leaving?"
"Right now!" Starting the engines, the ship roared to life. Clutching the control levers in her hands, Vara urged the ship forward, banging it into the wall next to the exit. Gritting her teeth, she ripped it backwards, causing Norton to leap out of the way outside. "Let's boogey!" She cried out and urged the ship forward and out into space, causing Leon and Relea to grip the seat. Just as they were ready to hit the open road, Vara found herself blocked by a large green ship with strange fins sticking out the side. "What the hell is that!" She exclaimed as Leon read over the scanner.
"It's a Mithra ship, the Angler's Line."
Vara frowned as she opened a comm. link between their ship and the Mithra. "Hey, your hunk of junk you call a ship is blocking my way!" She yelled. Leon's eyes widened.
"Uh, Vara, I wouldn't do that if I were you! Mithra are really quick to anger…provoking them would be a bad idea…"
"And your ship has the stupidest name I've ever heard of!" Leon cringed, shaking his head and rubbing his temples.
Over on the Angler's Line, the Mithra stood in stunned silence. "Who dares to talk to us in that way?" The captain growled, her tail flicking in agitation. "Asta!" She called.
A younger Mithra, who was sitting below the captain looked up in surprise. "Ma'am?" She questioned, her voice lightly accented.
"I want you to go out and give a few warning shots to that ship over there. No one speaks to us in that tone and gets away with it. Besides, we have the right-away here."
Asta blinked, her ears starting to twitch. "Er, me!"
"Yes you, now get to it!" The cat-woman exclaimed, settling back into her chair.
The young Mithra bowed and scampered off towards the loading dock. Finding her personal ship among the many that were parked there, Asta climbed into the Overture. "Requesting clearance for takeoff." She purred.
A few seconds passed before a digitized voice answered. "Clearance request confirmed. Have a safe trip." Igniting the engines, Asta zipped out of the Angler's Line and headed towards the Outlaw Star.
"Registration 2837-90471! You are invading Mithra airspace. Please desist to, uh, crowding us." The young Mithra tried her best to sound official and threatening all at once. Vara sniggered, her eyes rolling back into their sockets.
"She can't be serious. What is she trying to threaten me? Big mistake…" Grabbing the triggers, Vara began firing off lasers at the tiny ship that was coming towards them. Leon groaned. It's happening again…
"Uh Vara…"
"Hahahahaha, here kitty kitty!" Her eyes sparked as the lady bounty hunter cackled wildly. Asta let out a tiny gasp of shock as the ship began firing at her.
"They're crazy!" She yelped, jerking the Overture left and right to dodge the fire.
Vara roared with laughter as she gunned forward, shoving the tiny ship out of the way as if swatting a fly. "She thinks that little speck of a ship can go up against me!"
Leon glanced back at Relea who peered back at him worriedly. "Uh Vara…" He tried again, but his partner brushed him off. They were very close to the Mithra ship now.
"See ya lata, SUCKERS!" Vara screamed into the comm. link as she tore past the Angler's Line, leaving a trail of yellow smoke in her wake, clouding the Mithra ship's viewing windows. Asta sat in her ship, arms crossed, and eyes narrowed.
"Just wait, Outlaw Star, you will be sorry that you crossed Asta von de Ovilov!" She spat, pure venom in her words. Vara didn't realize that she had once again gained an enemy on the long list that already existed…
Back on Jericho V, a figure stood in the loading dock, watching the exchange between the two ships, a smile forming on his lips…
I want to thank: The Chanster and Kuramas Girl Angel for their reviews. They are VERY much appreciated and give me a warm fuzzy feeling. Congrats on figuring out that Relea was a Jedi, my friend who reads over my chapters for me didn't figure it out at all (poor girl, probably thought Relea was swatting at a fly when she waved her hand to cast a Jedi mind trick on Leon…)
Till next time…