A\N: Updated the previous chapter to make Star Wars!Kurumu more of a cheery and empathetic person in line with her Rosario counterpart. It might be worth rereading that section.
The first place Ruby looked is where Kuru had encountered the pirates. Not far, she found four dead bodies of Black Sun, one of them with a broken leg and plasma holes through his armor.
What surprised her though was she could feel a faint trace of energy that had been used, similar to what she felt when fighting against the Sith.
Perched near a vendor stall that was empty, she dropped down to the ground and transformed back into her original form. She took out her Talking Book and then focused on the sensation she was feeling. As it was, she couldn't tell if this strange energy had anything to do with Kuru but it certainly wasn't something that belonged to a typical bounty hunter either.
Speaking ancient words that echoed and then rang within the underground sheets of metal, she tried her best to absorb it before it could fade away. The spell she used to help her was a form of tracking that she had learned from Touhou.
Every person had a unique energy that defines a person. One could call it a signature in a way. Back on Earth when Tsukune was changing into a Shinso vampire, he still held that unique signature even though his body had turned into a Youkai.
What she learned from being around this universe's Tsukune is that the signature doesn't change. This is an incredible discovery that she wouldn't have known if she hadn't met him. In that case, finding or even knowing that she had versions of her friends would have been impossible to figure out.
As the Talking Book absorbs the energy around, she is now more than certain now: Kuru is short for Kurumu. For all she knows, she uses it as an alias to keep herself low. Either way, it's a lazy attempt in the witch's opinion.
Still, the witch quivered in excitement! She had to remember though that this person wouldn't recognize her, no matter how much she wanted. With that, she knew she had to lower her expectations. For all she knew, Kurumu may not even be a Succubus just how Tsukune is still human.
Indeed, while the signature of her presence is Kurumu, everything else is different and yet...there are some similarities too.
The fact that she felt energy used prominently here made her wonder what kind of person Kurumu is. It almost felt like she actually used some sort of power but unlike the Youki succubi usually channels.
Perhaps it's called the Force? Honestly, she only had the Sith she fought to compare and his energy was far darker and maligned when used.
Ruby couldn't know for sure until she met this girl. She scratched her head but smiled brightly, hoping that she didn't lose a trail.
Fortunately, her Talking Book didn't disappoint. She could feel it had captured the complete signature of the bounty hunter. If glowed dimly around its shape so Ruby knew that she didn't have much time to search. Generally, if the book glowed brighter then she was on track.
'Stay where you are, Kurumu...if that's truly who you are,' she thought.
In a cantina practically owned by the Black Suns, Yergen sipped some of the nicest ale in the underground city; and by nicest, he really means it tastes like Bantha Poodoo.
Yet, he wasn't here to relax, although he did enjoy watching some Twi'lek dancers shake their head-tails.
No, he was waiting for some news from some of his gang members to return with news regarding some certain...alliances.
Right now, there were two people he wanted help from - Gin, one of the best smugglers in the sector and a bounty hunter named Kuru. He worked with Gin before but he wouldn't put past him to decline. Yergen wouldn't blame him either, but he would have appreciated his help for what he was about to do.
The hunter Kuru was more of a risky meeting. Literally, she could be putting some of the messengers he sent in danger if it turned out she didn't like them. Yet, he was betting on a mutual enemy that she might like to collect: Salaar.
He had no doubt that soon, he'd get a bounty on his head too. The only reason he had no bounty so far was that he kept out the way of the Republic until now. He also doubted that they would put out a bounty immediately unless they wanted people to find out in his record that he was formerly a Lieutenant of the Black Stars squad. That would be a nice embarrassment for them.
So, he was positive he was safe for now and at this moment, he had nothing to lose. His plan involved selling the cargo to the Exchange. It would be a nice middle finger to the Republic, Empire, and Salaar. He could care less about the Black Sun and more for his own gang members who followed him.
Speaking of gang members, the ones sent to Gin should've come back with either rejection or acceptance. Yet, he felt himself become worried over their lack of appearance.
The Republic troops would be on his tail, undercover or otherwise, so he couldn't keep himself waiting on his men. Even if they were captured, he made sure that they weren't aware of the location. Only a few of the members knew including him and Salaar.
Yergen could still remember that guy's stupid grin after he opened a channel to the ones who previously contacted him. Salaar could have told them that they had their cargo and would abide by the same agreement as before, but the Coruscant Black Sun leader was greedy. He asked for more and then Yergen knew that he sealed his fate with the Empire. They "agreed" to his demands, but likely, they already had agents on the ground and undercover. He had limited time before the various parties could meet.
He already made the deal with the Exchange, of course omitting any details of interest in the Republic and Empire. It would be their problem afterward and he expected to have a bounty on his head, but he was certain to be long gone by then.
For now, he needed to play it cool. In his mind, he had a backup plan if something went wrong. He's not going to waste his life if it turned out one of the interested parties got to the cargo. If that's the case, he'd disappear with as many members of his gang.
Why not just do that now?
Yergen wanted to at least try to get some payback. Honestly, this is more of a vendetta against General Garza than anyone else, so if he made her mad, then it was still worth it even if he didn't get anything really tangible out of it. To him, the woman had made his life hell and seeing her again, it riled him up a little.
Is it petty? Absolutely, but Yergen didn't care.
As he stepped out of the Cantina, one of his members swiftly walked up to him and remained behind him with news to share. Since there were other unloyal Black Sun members around, they couldn't let it slip that there was a divide occurring.
"We've lost contact with Jas and Yur," his associate whispered, "...they're nowhere to be found either along with Gin."
Yergen sighed but kept his eyes ahead, watching Salaar from afar who was drinking and feeling up some girls in his arms. The guy was not fit to be a leader...of anything.
"Forget about them. Something clearly happened and there may be a party that's involved...Republic or otherwise. We'll continue our plan though. Was the security on the cargo overwritten?"
"We...couldn't crack it; however, we had one of our members apply another layer of security for now."
Yergen couldn't help but grin. "Good. That'll at least give us more time."
"Um...sir? Is it a good idea to try to hire that bounty hunter, Kuru? I've heard...stories."
Yergen shook his head. "Let's keep focused. She takes a lot of Republic bounties even if they don't pay much, but she may not decline in this case. She's worked with some gang members before if they provide her good direction and opportunity. I see no reason for her to decline as long as we sell it right."
"Hey, wake up!"
A smack sounded inside a dripping abandoned housing unit. Strapped to a bent metal chair, the smuggler Gin groaned and his face burned thanks to a welcoming slap from Larin. Sess stayed behind the smuggler, watching the smuggler warily.
Gin opened his eyes fully and it only took a few glances and the rise of his eyebrow to determined that he was taken. He lowered his head, his bangs shadowing his eyes as he chuckled.
"Oh man...I've been in this situation before. Somehow, it's always the women."
Larin smiled with cold eyes. "You seem to be the perceptive fellow, so I think you'll be agreeable with us in this situation."
Gin wriggled a little to see how much his hands were tightened with rope. He then took a glance behind him to see the large Zabrak staring at him with crossed arms and a big frown. He turned back to face the Lieutenant with an equally agreeable smile.
"Agreeable? Sure, how can I help the pretty lady?"
"Tell me what you know about Yergen first. The two men said you took a job for him once," Larin stated, getting right to business.
"Multiple times I would say," Gin corrected, "...you probably already know Yergen and his team are pirates, but the guy doesn't trust himself to transport anything valuable by himself. He gives me a commission and I help him secure whatever loot he stole. That's it."
Larin raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me this quite easily. You could be locked up in prison for years for assisting criminal-"
"Exactly what criminal activity would I be prosecuted for in the Republic? If I assist the transportation of something valuable to the Republic, then I can understand, except..."
He let his words hang, knowing that Larin would understand. Although the Lieutenant did understand the meaning behind his words, it didn't mean she liked it. She sighed.
"So, Yergen never messed with the Republic until now."
"Correct," Gin hummed, "...and I performed jobs that would make the Huttese boil with anger and maybe even tick off some Imperial intelligence. You can understand why I declined Yergen's offer especially when you consider I'm in the heart of the Republic and now being interrogated by poorly undercover Republic soldiers."
He gives a cheesy smile as he winks at his captor. "Not that I mind though now that I see there are actually decent women soldiers in the force."
Larin closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Are you always like this?"
Gin laughed, ignoring the menacing shadow behind him that seemed ready to choke him for fooling around with his commander.
"I appreciate good ale, credits, and beautiful women. You should take my words as a compliment."
"Right..." Larin droned, unconvinced. She still continues with her questioning.
"Then, do you have any idea what they are holding and where it is currently being stored?"
Gin didn't answer the question as he asked a different one, curiosity overcoming him.
"I would have assumed that you would have found out by the Black Sun member I left alive for you. Call it a present if you want."
"Just answer the question," Larin's voice hardened. Truthfully, they had questioned him but he hardly knew anything about the location of the cargo. Yergen was being very careful about information being leaked. This sort of planning made her wonder about the days of the Black Star Squad during his command.
Gin shrugged. "That's a no, I'm assuming. Unfortunately, they told me little except being honest that it had some powerful parties involved. I don't know what Yergen was thinking by asking me to do something with such high risk."
Larin frowned. She saw no reason for the smuggler to lie. She understood the reason behind his appearance: He's a trusted contact for Yergen and for the first time, he didn't like what he was hearing.
However, there may be some unexpected use to him. The very fact that he is trusted means they essentially had a key to get to Yergen...that is, as long as he didn't figure out that his trusted contact killed one of his men.
Suddenly, she found herself not liking his "present" anymore.
"Ah, there is one tidbit that might interest you, Lieutenant," Gin added after some thought, "...I'll tell you what: you let me go and I'll tell you about another person who Yergen is after to help him."
"Oh?" Larin hummed, then narrowed her eyes, "...we're running out of time here Gin, so I'm afraid I don't have time to play games."
Gin would raise his arms in defense if he could, so he provides a reassuring chuckle.
"Relax, relax. I couldn't harbor any ill intent especially when your muscled friend is behind me."
Larin took a moment to stare into his eye, then she smiled, much to the confusion of the smuggler.
"Sess, cut him loose."
Sess assumed his Lieutenant had a plan, so he did as he was told. Honestly, he knew he shouldn't get worked up over this cunning smuggler, but he simply did not like how the smuggler was looking at Larin.
Free at last, Gin rose and rubbed his wrists, then smiled appreciatively.
"Well, a deal's a deal: I heard from them that they were trying to enlist a local bounty hunter who might profit from Salaar's head. Unfortunately, I know this girl too well and her name is Kuru."
Larin raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I've heard of that name before."
Gin hummed, curiously. "Most do only if they've been around this great undercity for a time. Looks like I'm learning a little more about you already."
Larin stared at him blankly at the moment, before smiling professionally. "You're free to go."
Gin felt a little surprised as he expected some more resistance; however, he's glad they wouldn't involve him any further. It seemed that he needed to get off this planet quickly.
"Well then, Lieutenant, I hope we meet each other again someday," the smuggler smirked, nodding his head before leaving the rundown apartment.
Larin and Sess watched him go and Larin's smile turned into a grin. Sess was the first to question Larin's motives.
"Sir, is it really...?"
"It's fine Sess," Larin reassured and then raised a credit chip and passport that she stole during in the beginning when she slapped him, "...he's not going anywhere."
Sess raised his eyebrows, quite astonished. "Oh, I didn't even notice you had pocketed his jacket."
Larin hummed proudly. "Well, there are benefits to living as a 'toxic' person, Sess. You have to learn some things. Anyways, let's contact Wraith's group. There may be time, so we have to get to this Kuru before Yergen's group does."
Of course, Larin couldn't know thanks to HK-51's privacy protocols that the bounty hunter is the same former master.
"Well, that was a waste of time," Tsukune sighed as they exited the cantina that Kuru had been.
"STATEMENT: I believe it would have been more effective if I had revealed myself and put a blaster to the owner's head. He seemed quite reluctant to talk about his favorite customer."
Tsukune shook his head, sighing once more towards the hidden "training" droid. "You'd be more effective at scaring everyone in the cantina out."
"QUERY: What is wrong with that?"
The young soldier decided not to answer, but he noticed Wraith standing and looking at her surroundings with caution.
"Wraith?"
"We're being followed."
Tsukune widened his eyes. There was absolutely no indication from Wraith before, but it seems she is now certain she could tell something wasn't right. Given that her experience is better suited for covert and stealth operations, it's not surprising that someone who can follow can tell if they're being followed as well.
"What do we do?" Tsukune asked, lowering his voice now.
"For now, this is an opportunity to see what the other knows about us. This doesn't seem to be someone attempting to rob us or anything, especially since we're showing that we're Republic soldiers."
Tsukune's eyes narrowed. "So, it must be related to our mission."
Wraith hummed in acknowledgment. For now, they would wander around for a bit; however, they may have a surprise over the follower in that they may not be aware of HK-51's presence.
"HK," Wraith began, "...what does your training protocols allow for?"
HK's nuts and bolts were internally quivering, but he kept his programmed excitement down. The volume on his voice output had decreased as well.
"ANSWER: I can locate and incapacitate the target at the minimum outside of the training room. If given resistance and threat to my internal functions, I am able to perform non-fatal wounds that can be treated fairly quickly by Kolto."
Wraith's eyes narrowed. "First, tell me how many are following us."
"ANSWER: Only one. I've heightened my audible hearing to search for subtleties in the pursuer's movements. I am ninety-two percent sure where he is. Given my stealth mode and that he is may not be aware of my presence, I then am ninety-nine-percent sure I will be able to subdue him suitably."
Wraith hummed. "Knocking him out from the back will do."
A was sigh emitted from the invisible droid before he left. "RESIGNATION: As you wish."
Wraith felt her communicator beeping a few seconds after the droid left. She pushed Tsukune to a nearby corner causing him to gasp. At that point, it may be obvious to the pursuer that he is exposed, but it was too late to make a retreat.
"Ah!"
A cracking noise sounded which caused Tsukune to wince as HK-51 made his work known. Wraith didn't react and started her holo-communicator. It was perfect timing considering how fast HK-51 went to work.
"Sir," Wraith greeted to a small miniaturized version of Larin.
"Wraith and Tsukune, I've got an important update. We happened upon a smuggler who was reached out by Yergen's men. Unfortunately, we couldn't get much out of him since he declined their offer, but we learned that Yergen's men are trying to ally themselves with a known bounty hunter named Kuru."
Wraith raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Yes, we have Ruby trying to find a lead right now. She happens to be HK-51's former master too. Ruby also said that this person may be someone she knows, similar to Tsukune. I've let her lead the search considering the woman moves fast and we don't have much to go on currently."
Now it was Larin's turn to show surprise as she took a step back. "Are...you sure we're talking about the same woman? The timing in this can't be a coincidence."
Wraith nodded. "I'm just as surprised, sir. If Ruby is able to find her, what are your orders?"
Larin hummed and places her hands on her hips. "If Ruby is able to find her without causing issues, then I'm all for it. I'm glad you've already made the judgment on that. We now need to get to this bounty hunter before Yergen's men do.
"The most important thing is that we need to convince her to agree to Yergen's offer. They will likely try to convince her that Yergen will provide the opportunity to take Salaar's bounty. There's a chance she could reject the offer, but we'll need some way to get close to Yergen and the cargo. This person's our shot on that. Relay the orders to Ruby. If she knows this woman as she thinks she does, it could either backfire or help us..."
Wraith nodded. "I'll instruct her to be as convincing as possible. There's one more thing..."
"Yes?"
"Just before you called, I had HK-51 knock out someone trying to follow us."
Larin rubbed her forehead. "So someone doesn't even care that you're clearly a Republic soldier? That's bad news. It indicates that a group may be aware of our mission. While Ruby is searching for this girl, it seems that you'll be performing your own interrogation. Let me know of the details. Larin out."
Wraith nodded and then noticed Tsukune's worried expression as he was rubbing his head.
"Looks like things have gotten complicated," he commented with curled lips.
"They always do, Tsukune," Wraith replied without a hint of waver. She now started to establish a connection with the witch about the slight change in plans.
The Talking Book was glowing and humming more brightly than ever before. In her bird form, it was hidden but she could still feel the pulse of the trace spell course through her.
'I'm close,' she thought, growing a little worried now. The question of how to approach her hung in her mind.
Her thoughts were interrupted. In the pocket space of her raven form, the communicator that Wraith provided hummed.
Finding a quiet place to transform back, she kept her wings, fluttering black feathers all over the ground. Reaching into her actual pocket that came with the corset dress, Ruby pulled out the strange disk that Wraith provided with a red LED flickering. There was only one button to press or so it seemed, but regardless, Ruby could only guess that she had to press it.
She was surprised to see a miniature hologram of Wraith.
"Ruby, have you located Kuru?"
The witch nodded. "Almost and I think I'm close. I am now certain that this is someone I know."
"Don't make too many assumptions. I've got word from Larin that the Yergen's Black Sun is making a move to try to hire the bounty hunter to take out Salaar, another Black Sun gang leader that owns parts of this undercity. Do you understand so far?"
Ruby hummed. "So, there's some plot to backstab his partner,?"
Wraith gave a small smile. "That's the gist of everything we know; however, it's important that you reach Kurumu before them. If we receive her cooperation and she accepts Yergen's offer, she could help lead us straight to him or the cargo."
Ruby could see the plan quite well; however, she couldn't say whether this Kurumu would accept it. She frowned.
"What if she refuses to help us?"
"I'm confident that she won't. If it's like you said, she'll already be on high alert to have someone who knows her full name and can track her down. If anything, you have leverage."
Ruby frowned, but she knew that she would have to play the hard game here to get any progress.
"Alright," she agreed.
Wraith nodded. "Good. Let us know when you have spoken with her. Nora out."
'Ah, that's right. That's her real name, isn't it?' Ruby thought. Everyone had been calling her by the nickname Wraith, but it seems that she preferred to refer to herself as Nora. She probably tolerated the nickname at best.
Not letting herself get distracted by the squad's history, Ruby transformed again into a Raven, following the intensity of the pulses that her Talking Book emitted.
Eventually, the pulses suddenly stop when she arrived at a different cantina. There was a more prominent liveliness to it than the previous cantina.
'She's in here...'
Ruby used a corner of the cantina where she wouldn't be seen and transformed back to her normal form. She brushed off some feathers and dust and then took a deep breath.
Why was she suddenly feeling nervous? Perhaps she's worried about not being able to connect. Only later with Tsukune showed that there are some similarities, but depending on the history, her assumptions could very well leave a bad taste in Kurumu's mouth which would hurt any attempt at convincing her.
Resolving herself to at least try, she entered the cantina and avoided the onlookers who weren't able to help notice the witch's braided hairstyle and unusual attire. If she's honest, the stares made her feel exposed and that caused the perverted witch to shiver; however, she tried to focus.
Once inside, she saw a bar with some sort of alien sporting twin head-tails as the bartender. She didn't know any of the sentient aliens and their race, so she stopped herself from trying to guess the various species that were sitting down and drinking ale.
There was one alien though she did recognize: a woman with bright blue hair and curves that could only belong to her friend, Kurumu. Yet as she draws closer to the woman's back, she sensed that she is no Succubus. In fact, she's human but unlike Tsukune, there is a presence that could be felt from her that matched the energy she felt around the three dead Black Sun members. It was unlike the Youki she normally felt but was just as strong. Considering the lack of presence in everyone else in the cantina, one could say this girl was the only bright light in a dark room.
'Could it be that in this universe, she's...a Jedi?'
Ruby couldn't know since she never saw a Jedi before and she figured guessing wouldn't work either. She found herself delaying but eventually, she pushed forward and sat next to the girl. She stared straightforward in attempt to be casual but glanced to her side to see the face of her target.
Joy filled her heart to see a familiar friend's face and it confirmed that the person sitting next to her was none other than Kurumu. The only difference is that this version had her blue hair down to her shoulders and was wearing a red jacket attire which provided enough view of her cleavage within her black stretchable fabric.
"You know..." Kurumu spoke suddenly, grabbing an ale glass in her hands and causing Ruby to flinch, "...you suck at keeping hidden in plain sight. Is this your first time in a cantina?"
"H-huh?" Ruby grew frantic and tried to keep cool, but failed horribly, "I...um...I'm not sure what you're talking about?"
The bounty hunter lowered her head and tried to keep herself from chuckling before turning to face the witch properly. Ruby's confused face reflected in her deep purple eyes.
"Look, I could feel your stares as soon as you entered this cantina. You clearly are looking for me, so are you an enemy or a friend?"
"F-friend! Most definitely friend!" Ruby blurted out causing some customers to stare at the two. She shut her mouth quickly and reddened as she looked down. So far, she was not doing so well and it was because she was both excited and nervous to be talking to Kurumu after all this time.
Kurumu was taken aback by the outburst but smiled reassuringly.
"Easy there, girl," she chuckles, "Don't want to make any more of a scene than you are already causing. To be honest, that was a trick question. If you were my enemy, I'm sure we wouldn't be talking right now."
"Ah, sorry," Ruby apologized, laughing weakly and then cleared her throat in an attempt to cool herself down.
"Why don't you tell me first how you found me since I doubt it's by luck. If you are looking for me to take a bounty, then you're better off posting it on an official board," Kurumu stated, taking her eyes off the witch and sipping some ale.
Ruby took a deep breath. There's so much she wanted to talk about with this alternate version of the succubus, but she knew that there were more important things to do. It's best if they found the cargo as quickly as possible so that she could go on her way to Tython.
Answering her first question, Ruby looked down at the bar table. The music of the cantina and various cheers filling the air around them. It would be hard for anyone to listen in on their conversation in such a loud environment.
"It's a little hard to explain, but I sought you out based on your presence. You left quite a bit when you took down four Black Sun members."
Kurumu raised her eyebrows and decided to play dumb. "Presence? What do you mean?"
Ruby curled her lips, unsure how to define it that made sense in this universe. "Well...Force-related, I guess? I'm not exactly sure."
Kurumu blinked several times. Already, she found that the witch before her was anything but normal.
"You're...a Force user? You certainly don't look like a Jedi. Still, I'll admit I did have a hand in that confrontation. I've never heard of someone able to find me through the Force though."
Ruby glanced away. "Eh...I wouldn't say I'm a Jedi."
To say she's a Force user may be a stretch as well, but she wanted to move the conversation along. So far, Kurumu was leading the talk which made the witch glad. She was no good at maintaining a conversation.
Kurumu closed her eyes and breathed in. She set her glass of ale down. Unbeknownst to the witch, the bounty hunter already had her hand on her blaster. When the witch came into the cantina, she was the first to feel something unusual among the drunken and humid atmosphere of the cantina locals. Now, it seemed that was pretty much confirmed.
Removing her hand from her blaster, she continued to smile at the witch and then got up from her seat, confusing her.
"Then, you're like me, huh? Why don't we take a walk and talk more outside? Believe it or not, I was able to use an Idiot's Array in Sabacc for the first time in my life today. Now with your appearance, I'm beginning to think that was a sign. Good or bad, I guess it'll depend on what you say, right?"
Ruby widened her eyes. She couldn't tell if she should be nervous about her own ability to convince the hunter or grateful that the blue haired girl was willing to listen.
Tsukune and HK-51 stood within an abandoned cantina, one that they were able to prevent entry by moving around various tables and chairs. Inside, they guarded the door to prevent anyone from entering while Wraith was interrogating the man who was following them.
Screams and groans filled the air and within the dimly lit cantina that was filled with dust, it sounded like a tortured ghost.
Tsukune shivered. Wraith was scary.
"COMMENTARY: I like this organic. Something I don't often say myself. I can determine based on the intensity of the groans and screams where she is applying pressure. It seems she is well versed in interrogation and torture techniques."
Tsukune sighed, not looking at the droid who was currently out of stealth mode. "Thanks for your unneeded appreciation."
"OBSERVATION: Most Republic soldiers are not trained in the art of torture though. The Republic decided it was not worth it as the Empire increased their own troops' resistance to various techniques, yet it seems this organic is well-versed."
Tsukune frowned, not exactly liking the direction of discussion but it was far better than remaining silent and listening to Wraith wry out any information from the obvious Imperial agent. The man tried to hide his accent, but it was a poor attempt.
"She...actually was captured and tortured by Imperial agents," Tsukune began, "...and she was no less tough than now. I don't exactly have the authorization to know what kind of mission she was involved before joining our squad, but from second-hand information, she used that captivity as a learning moment."
Tsukune looked down, his eyes narrowing. "I suppose it's still fitting for it to be used back on an Imperial Agent. This might be her own form of vengeance."
"OBSERVATION: Oh? Despite not liking what you are hearing, I detect a little bit of enmity in your voice, much more than the average Republic soldier."
Tsukune raised his head and cleared his throat. "Well, even I hate the Empire. There's nothing more than that."
"COMMENTARY: If you say so, but my internal processing unit tells me that you are lying. I will cease my observations though."
Tsukune didn't say anything to the droid. He usually tried to keep his own grudges to himself, but during the Sacking of Coruscant where his family died, he lost more than just that.
Kurumu stared dumbly as the witch explained a plan that needed her cooperation; however, the more the hunter heard, the less she liked it.
"Holy Sith! You are absolutely right to think I would refuse. This is crazy! There's no greater threat than trying to meddle in between two factions of gangs and on top of that, being part of a Republic operation!"
Ruby curled her lips. "So...is that a no?"
"Kriffing hell it is!"
Ruby frowned, sort of expecting that convincing her would not be easy. Of course, she was honest about the situation and maybe that was the problem; however, she simply could not lie.
"Please, Kurumu," the witch pleaded, "This may be our only shot."
The hunter sighed and rubbed her temples. "Putting that to the side, you're acting as if you know me. Did we meet somewhere? You even know my full name!"
Ruby curled her lips, figuring that her knowledge would be questioned.
"That...is a very complicated answer. Many, many things have happened for me to get to you," she admitted.
Kurumu's eye could not help but twitch. "When you say it like that, it's kind of annoying. Whatever! I'm not going to get involved with this. Now you can leave me alone, alright?"
Ruby couldn't leave her alone. Even if she has no part in this opportunity, she still wouldn't be able to leave a friend so soon after meeting.
"I...can't. How can I convince you?"
The hunter sighed, growing impatient and turned away and back multiple times. Normally, she would've just walked away, but the witch seemed to know unspoken things about her and how to track her down. For someone that is trying to lay low, that bothered her.
After some silence as the hunter weighed her options, she faced Ruby seriously.
"No promises, but I think we can work something out to help your squad..."
Ruby gasped, slowly brightening; however, the bounty hunter raised a finger to prevent any further excitement.
"...but first, you have to tell me what you know about me and who you are. Don't give me sith and dodge my questions here! I've been laying low for quite a while and suddenly I'm being put on the spotlight! Now, I'm beginning to think that Idiot's Array was a sign of bad luck! Sheesh!"
As Kurumu fumed, Ruby could not help but smile. There was the feisty attitude the succubus usually held. When it came to her own beliefs and problems, she's definitely not one to give up. Her friends aren't either, but Kurumu is definitely the one to help prop people back up.
Yet the witch had trouble with the thought of telling her everything. Ever since discovering Tsukune had a different history, she felt she needed to be more careful about revealing what she is aware of, less she offends her just like she had done with Tsukune. It was critical for the witch to gain her trust at this moment.
"Fine," Ruby agreed, deciding to start by introducing herself. She decided to use her cover story that she came up with when discussing with the Hex squad. Maybe later, she would reveal the truth about her real origins but she wanted the hunter to take her at least a bit more seriously.
"My name is Ruby Toujo and I'm a witch..." she began.
"...a witch?" Kurumu questioned, raising her eyebrows as the witch allowed that to sink in.
Ruby hummed, then decided to reveal herself a little. That said, it may have proved to be too much.
In a flurry of black feathers, the hunter nearly stumbled backward when the witch partially transformed, revealing her black Raven wings. They spread out wide and sent wind passing through the alley they were in.
"Holy..." Kurumu began, but the words were caught in her throat as she tried to see if she was seeing an illusion. Unfortunately, she found the wings of Ruby to be very real as a feather brushed past her cheek.
Ruby gave an apologetic smile and continued her introduction towards the stunned hunter.
"Sorry, but this is the best way I can try to get you to believe me. I'm not a Jedi and to be honest, I don't think it's correct to say I'm a Force user either. I've lived alone on the planet Dathomir and many things-I mean, I got caught up with a Republic squad and the Black Sun pirate conflict. I'm here now to aid the Republic in return for passage and support to Tython."
Kurumu blinked a few times, then fully closed her eyes and took a deep breath, processing this incredible sight and the witch's explanation.
Ruby stood patiently and decided to retract her wings just in case anyone decided to peek. When the hunter opened her eyes, she could see the wings dissipating and more feathers being born and falling to the ground.
Letting out her breath, Kurumu placed her hands on her hips and looked down.
"Wow uh..."
The bounty hunter cleared her throat as she composed herself quite well. Staring into the orange-scarlet eyes of the witch, she hummed with a light smile.
"...Well, you're not a Jedi, that's for sure. So those wings of yours are...real?"
Ruby nodded, smiling. "Yes. It's summoned using magic and you'll find that I can transform completely into a bird as well. There's various other stuff I can do, but I'd prefer not to keep explaining. We don't have that much time and I wouldn't want you to lose this opportunity while Yergen's men are looking for you."
"Magic, huh? Right, right," Kurumu replied, figuring she was no longer in a position to doubt since it was beyond anything she had seen, "...then, I guess the next question is how did you find me? I'm assuming it's to do with your...magic, right? More importantly, how did you know my full name? I've made sure not to ever mention or write it down so far."
Ruby flinched, seeing that she that mentioning her full name was a mistake. Ruby could only lie in that regard.
"Uh, well I tracked you down with my magic. As for knowing your name, I've...read your mind a little."
That was a complete lie and Ruby felt ashamed. It seemed as though that was a satisfactory answer to the hunter who rubbed her head.
"Huh? Weird. I can tell that you're different but I didn't feel my mind being prodded or anything. Jedi can do that too, you know with varied success."
Ruby laughed nervously, but Kurumu had other questions.
"Still, even if you tracked me, you must have had someone to point you in the right direction. Who is it?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Ruby sweated a little, but she found that there wasn't a reason to lie about the sadistic droid, HK-51.
"Uh...well, I was being tested before news of the cargo was stolen. It was your droid, HK-51, I think?"
Kurumu widened her eyes and her teeth clenched. "That...piece of junk! I thought I programmed him to not reveal anything about me! Where is he now?"
Ruby raised her hands, understanding Kurumu's frustrations. "He's with the squad right now, hidden for the most part. He never said your name, only revealed that you were a bounty hunter and that you had blue hair. We started with a station after that."
Kurumu curled her lips and then grabbed her head, tilting upwards. "Agh! That stupid droid - using my hair color against me! This must be his form of payback for selling him! It's not like I had a choice!"
Ruby smiled uneasily as the hunter vented her frustrations. After letting her fume for a couple of minutes, Kurumu eventually forced herself to cool down. She stared at the witch with a complicated expression, yet full of resignation.
"Alright then," Kurumu sighed, "...What's done is done. I can tell that you're risking quite a bit to reveal yourself to me just to get my attention. It's only fair that I move out of my comfort zone too."
Ruby's face lit up causing Kurumu to smile crookedly as she wondered if she was making the right decision. Before details of Kurumu's involvement could be considered, the holo-communicator that was provided to Ruby started to ring.
Ruby picked it up and Kurumu flinched in response. She remained in place at the witch activated it.
A miniaturized version of Larin appeared with her hands behind her back. She raised her eyebrows to notice the blue-haired girl next to Ruby.
"I'm assuming this is Kurumu, correct?"
The hunter sighed again. "Yeah, that's right. Your friend here is real special it seems to track me down. Also, I would appreciate you not flailing my name around like that. There's a reason I keep it shortened."
Larin was stunned as she looked towards the witch. "You...told her about yourself?"
"It was necessary to gain her trust," Ruby explained, "...She was too wary about how I found her, so I needed to be honest."
"...which I appreciate," Kurumu added and then took over with a smile, "...I imagine you're the leader of Hex squad right? Nice to meet you! Since I'm a bounty hunter, I'll take your request like a job. That means I expect to be appropriately compensated. So tell me, what do you have in mind?"
Larin wouldn't expect anything less from a bounty hunter. She was a bit curious over Ruby's story but considering time was of the essence, she wouldn't worry about it.
"I'm assuming Ruby has already told you, but Yergen is wanting you to hire you. If you are ever approached by some Black Sun messengers from his side, accept it. We'll put a tracer on you so we can track your movements and hopefully, you'll at least meet Yergen who we will subdue. Of course, we will compensate you for your work."
Kurumu grinned. Just what she liked to hear, but she wouldn't be satisfied there.
"One thing," she noted, "...since there's likely a firefight to be blow out, if any of your squad kills or arrests Salaar, I want credit for the bounty, you understand?"
Larin smiled. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that. In any case, you can keep the bounty reward though it's impossible to give you credit. Besides, it's not like you would want your name to be linked to the death of a Black Sun leader, right?"
Kurumu hummed. "Point taken, though I wonder if I will even be able to lay low after this."
Larin nodded. "Then, let's take this as our agreement. I don't know when, but you should have some people looking for you now. We'll meet each other hopefully shortly by then..."
The squad leader turned to Ruby. It seemed as there were things she wanted to say, but couldn't in front of the hunter.
"Ruby, go ahead and give your communicator to her. It acts as a form of beacon so we can track her movements. In the meantime, stick around the cantina you are near. We'll all regroup there shortly."
"Alright," Ruby answered. The transmission ended and she handed over the spherical device to the bounty hunter who stuffed it in her jacket.
"Well, too late to back out now," Kurumu shrugged before patting the witch's shoulder with a welcoming smile, "...why don't you and I hit it up at the bar. It'll be my treat! It's not every day I get to meet such an interesting person."
Ruby could vaguely remember drinking alcohol before when Oyakata had fermented her own grapes. Certainly, it would be nothing like that and who knows how it would taste on an alien planet; however, the witch was concerned about being near the hunter if the Black Sun popped into the cantina if they aren't already in there as they were talking. There would be a few members that would know her face if they came back from Dathomir.
Yet, she can't seem to resist the opportunity to talk more with the hunter. Even though she's not quite the same Kurumu on Earth, the mannerisms and her overall cheer gave Ruby comfort.
In a way, it's the same for Tsukune who showed kindness and the usual bashfulness she sees normally when he's surrounded by his assertive friends.
"Sure," Ruby smiled, letting herself ease in with the hunter, both curious about the other.
Larin sighed as she placed the holo-communicator into her pocket. She wanted to discuss a troubling update to Ruby in attempt to warn her; however, she couldn't add anything while the hunter was around.
She could tell that it wasn't easy for the witch to convince the hunter. Normally, she would rather not have someone who was still new to the street-level behavior of Coruscant to handle the proposal but it just so happened that Ruby somehow knew this girl.
Honestly, she would have rather the witch not tell her story but what was done is done. All she could do right now is hope to retrieve the cargo before anyone else, including a new party she hadn't expected to boldly enter the stage.
Imperial agents and a Sith.
Wraith had squeezed out everything from the man hat followed them. Hearing it from her, Wraith revealed some interesting information.
One is that this group is connected to the same Sith on Dathomir and dealt with Yergen's men. Apparently, Salaar had contacted them, adding himself to the deal and then foolishly asking for more.
Of course, the Imperial agents and Sith that arrived on the planet weren't at all planning to honor that agreement. It seemed the moment they had to risk sneaking into Coruscant, there was no reason for them to work with the Black Sun.
Yergen seemed to recognize this and Larin could only give him credit for trying to sabotage Salaar, but he also was trying to screw over the Republic and the Empire. She couldn't know what was going on that former commander's mind.
The most important thing that Wraith learned though was the contents of the cargo. Unfortunately, even the Imperial agent she "interrogated" wasn't allowed to know much detail; however, he did know that it contained something ancient.
Perhaps Garza knows more but she's unlikely to tell her squad. For now, she couldn't worry about the contents rather than how to retrieve the cargo.
Larin sighed, leaning against a light pole and closing her eyes.
"Things are getting complicated and dangerous. I am not letting any of my fingers get cut this time," she muttered. It was enough for Sess to hear and raise his eyebrow.
"The...Sith, sir?" he guessed, referring to the time he heard that Larin's fingers were vaporized by a Sith's lightsaber. It back on Hutta where she first encountered a Hex droid.
Larin chuckles. "Yeah. It's not like I lose sleep over it, but it did raise my awareness of any Sith. I'm just worried for Ruby here mainly. Unfortunately, they know about her since the Imperial agent had already relayed the sight to a Sith."
"Do you think...they'll know she was the one who killed the Sith back there?"
Larin frowns, her eyes serious. "Let's hope they either don't make the connection or don't care."
Pushing off the pole, Larin and Sess make their way through the streets to Ruby's last known position based on the holo-communicator. Tsukune, Wraith, and HK-51 would do the same since she shared the coordinates with them.
It's safe to say that the Imperial agent was killed during Wraith's questioning. Although it was never mentioned and Larin doesn't really condone it, she understands that there are hardly any benefits to keeping an Imperial agent alive and within custody. They would either get killed by the Empire or live the rest of their lives in prison with no support from the Empire. Such is the risk that probably all agents knew.
