Chapter Four of the Beginning Tales, Kaylee's Point of View


Chapter Seven: The Whisper of a Bullet.

She could see her targets in the distance. Doubling up, two by two's, side by side. Patrolling the area. Illuminated in the moonlight, armoured Troopers, equipped with A-52 Carbines and the more commonly used DLA-13 blaster rifles. All readied and set to lethality mode. Her datapad shrouded by the shadows between her knees, tracking her ally's movements as the Cathar begins her slow approach to the enemies. A stealth operation, not something she was used to, but necessary all the same. She raises her own weapon, a silencer equipped to cover her position, peering through the all familiar scope, the crosshair resting on the duo closest to the cloaked Zharaji.

She fires, and the Trooper lands dead on the floor. His comrade looking around, alarmed, until he too is taken down by the whisper of a bullet.


[ONE DAY EARLIER...]

She knew something was bothering Zharaji, but what, she didn't know. No matter how much she asked, she was given answers which didn't add up, or simply shrugged off. It irritated her, and as much as she didn't want to admit it, it hurt her too. She had begun to trust this odd feline, and she was instead greeted with a hard wall. Now, they were stuck in an old destroyed shuttle somewhere in the unknown places of Dromund Kaas wilderness.

There was a lot she didn't know about the Cathar, and the more she thought about it, the more she noticed certain patterns in her partner's behaviour. For one, she was collecting supplies far more often than required. Plenty of wood and food around to last a week, if used in consideration. Two, among the many supplies which were resourceful and of good use, there were always one or two items which seemed to have very little use to them at all, yet the Cathar was always adamant that those kind of items would have their use in time.

Metal footprints snaps her out of her reverie, her gaze locked on the broken entrance of their makeshift home as she pushes herself up to her feet, a Beskar Kal hidden behind her back. The oncoming shadow was larger than her, causing her body to instantly tense up. The past few weeks had forced her guard to be constantly up, always on the alert, ready to defend herself.

Just as she's ready to attack, the form of Zharaji comes into view, and Kaylee allows a sigh of relief to escape. The Cathar raises a furry brow at her, the tell-tale of an amused smirk twitching on her lips, "Someone is on edge".

"Shut it. Whad'dya get us this time?"
"Usual. Food, waterrr. Wood", the feline lays each item down on the shuttle floor as she names them. Random biscuits wrapped in a tattered cloth, a liquid cannister filled with fresh lake-water, and a large pile of wood.
"Righ', what's tha' apparent useful stuff yer' brought?"
"Apparrrent? You'll thank me laterrr". Kaylee watches as the Zharaji lays out several more items, her brow raising higher as each one is revealed to her. She shakes her head, exasperated. Rolling her eyes she interrupts the Cathar's actions.
"Hol' up. A night scope? Tha' heck are we gon' need one o' those for? An'... is that a trackin' chip?"
"Yourrr point?"
"We ain' gonna need those. S'pointless shit. Get rid o' it".
"We'rrrre keeping them. They'll be useful".
"Yea', fer spy-hush-hush stuff".
"Exactly", Zharaji grins, revealing the length of her fangs. Her green eyes bright with poorly hidden mischief. Blinking slowly, Kaylee stares at the semi-cat opposite her, before breaking out into hysterical splutters of laughter.
"Y-yeah, righ' right. We're gonna sneak int' some Sith's lair, eh? Hah! I know, le's get into tha' Darth Zen-face's place, ey? Righ' close n' all. Pffsh! Hah, y'got humour cat!" She continues to mock and snicker at the idea, her amusement slowly fading as she catches the expression on Zhar's face. Her complexion pales as she stares ahead, swallowing thickly, "Ah... y'serious.. ?"
"Dead serrrious".
"Fuc' sake. Can ye' not, for once, try to no' get us killed?" Zharaji chuckles quietly, the sound echoing in the ringing sounds of their cover. She leans forwards, her cat-like ears tilted forwards as she replies in kind, "Now wherrre's the fun in that?"
Kaylee can only respond with a groan, smothering her face into a palm. Muttering in her Mandalorian tongue about the troubles she's getting into.


[PRESENT DAY...]

Scanning the area, the Mandalorian identified several key locations which would provide a perfect shot. Her only issue, no indication of wind. How would she possibly know which way the wind was moving, with no trees to wave? Each building was over-looking the Darth's Dromund base, however only two were unused. It would mean breaking into the abandoned buildings, just to get a job done which she felt was near least the feline wasn't stupid. In the daylight, the glint of her weapon could all too easily give away her position. The plan was to attack at night. Zharaji apparently had hacking skills too, so the security cameras weren't too much of a worry. All in all, they were well equipped.

She narrows her eyes, humming quietly to herself as she ponders her destination. Coming to a decision wasn't easy. Which one would provide her with better cover, while at the same time allowing her to take her shot without the risk of missing? A noise from behind her forces her to break concentration, turning her head around to peer over her shoulder, nodding at the familiar figure kneeling at her side.

"Figurred it out yet?"
"Na'. Can't decide which one is better fer' the shot", Kaylee turns back to the buildings ahead, releasing a sigh. "Y'sure this is necessary?"
"I want to find out what he's up to. He's betrrayed us, that's not something I'm going to let pass".
"Hrm. True. I'll enjoy watchin' him squirm". Zharaji nods silently, turning her attention once more to the buildings, her eyes glinting in the dim light of dawn. Tilting her head, she grunts to herself, fingering a vibroknife in her right hand, twirling it around with her claws.
"You'll figurre it out. You'rre betterr at this than me".
"Damn straight!"
Slap.
" 'Ey, bitch".
"You deserrved it". The red-head releases a 'hmf' at the grinning Cathar, mumbling under her breath, re-focusing too, on the high-rise buildings ahead. She takes in their height, structure and the positioning. Turning her eyes from one to the other, left to right. Seconds later, she nods, making a decision.
" I'll get tha' left one. S'better cover n' looks ta' be the less secure fer' us ta' get into".
"Left it is. We'll go forrwarrds tonight".


[Hours Later...]

They made it into the chosen building easily enough. She sliced through the lock, while Zharaji kept watch, hidden from view with her newly installed cloaking device. Creeping through the building, she can't help but wonder how the building managed to stay upright for so long. It looked as if no-one had lived there for generations, never mind years.

The interior was aged and decayed, with no decór covering the metallic walls. The floor was covered in a thick blanket of dust, the light breeze coming from the broken windows causing it to scurry away from under her feet as she makes her way to the elevator. She snorts as she reaches the dented doors of the lift.

"A risk in itself, considerin' the condition o' this dump-hole", She murmurs into the silence, bracing herself as the doors 'ping' open, taking tentative steps inside. As the doors slide back together behind her, she exhales in anticipation, before idly humming to the poor quality elevator music, inwardly cursing at herself for finding the cheesy tune somewhat 'catchy' to her ears.

The minutes pass on by, despite feeling like hours to her, and she finally reaches the top. The doors slowly sliding open once more to reveal the empty space of the balcony. Paper posters roll around like tumbleweed in the desert regions of Tattoine, bumping into her armoured feet. She allows herself some small sense of satisfaction as she kicks various balls around the ground, snickering quietly as a few fall over the various broken ledges.

" Hope tha' feline ain' down there. Doubt she'd be happy bein' bombarded by balls. Heh, balls". Kaylee shakes her head, freeing her mind from the amusing thoughts, making her way towards a broken outdoor table. She grunts, over-turning it and snapping the legs from the base with a quick stomp of her feet on the rotting wood, the rain weakening it considerably through-out the many weeks and months of it being left outside. Following her actions, she pushes the base towards the edge of the balcony, providing herself some cover, other than the balcony wall.

"Rrrancorr, You rready?" The mandalorian blinks as her comm whispers to her, and she presses a finger to her helmet's headpeice. Speaking into it in hushed tones.
"Ready when y'are, fur-ball".
"I'll get you forr that. I'm going in in five. Four. Thrrree..."

She takes a deep breath, crouching behind the table's base, taking a moment to prepare herself as the feline counts down. She closes her eyes, slowing her breathing rate down and shifting into a more-focused mode, before coming out from cover, peering through her scope. She grunts as she watches Zharaji making her approach, lowering her weapon in order to remove her datapad, activating the tracking chip. The Cathar's movements being recorded, as planned. The tool positioned in between her knees, on the floor.

As the Cathar moves forwards, Kaylee tracks her movement with the barrel of her sniper, the silencer readied and in place, aiming at two trooper's ahead of the feline's path. A finger on the trigger, she presses lightly down, forming contact. A slow breath outwards, and she applies pressure onto the cold metal of the trigger, releasing a single shot. She gives herself no time to wait as she reloads another round, targetting the second trooper, a finger on the trigger once more, and the weapon responds; the bullet whipping through the air to land buried in the skull of her target. She smirks to herself as she prepares for her next victim, Zharaji stalking past the dead trooper's, undetected.

"Two down, many more t'go".
"Good shot, Rrrancorr. Looks like that nest of hairr doesn't hamperr you afterr all".
"Bitch".
"Of courrse".