Chapter One
Tython- Kalikori Village
There are many definitions of the word 'peace'. Some find peace in silence, the meditation of a Jedi Knight. Others find peace in more aggressive techniques, such as the feel of blaster in their hand, or the satisfaction of a kill; it all depends on the person struggling to obtain peace.
For Sha'dra Maru, peace was a feeling that could only be attained by getting the job done, and getting it done right. For her crew, sitting in an isolated Twi'lek village directly outside the Jedi-run capitol of Tython, peace had packed its bags and moved to Ord Mantell.
"Shad, you said we would only be here for as long as necessary." The dark haired woman standing near Sha'dra reminded her.
Wyvern Vandorac. Human, late twenties, all around sensible, and the intelligence agent on the team.
"And you said we wouldn't be here long." The Zabrak standing against the opposite wall added.
Dapvhir Shanyte. Zabrak, twenty seven years, wise cracker, and the muscle that aided in keeping the team's reputation so reputable.
"I don't know, I wouldn't mind messing with some of those Jedi up there, so high and mighty on their thrones." The woman lying on the floor quipped, studying a kink in her armor.
Mayli Allerti. Hapan, twenty six years, dangerous as an angry rancor, and a seductress that could flirt her way past anything.
"Heel, May." A tall, slim figure by the entrance drawled, rolling his eyes and tapping away on a datapad.
Vri'kel Jatsun. Chiss, twenty nine years, the tech of the team, and the one always farthest from the battle field.
Sha'dra rubbed her eyes wearily and didn't respond to any of them. She knew they were right; they were her team and they knew her better than anyone. They had been on Tython far too long already; the time slot assigned to them by the Hutt that had hired them was growing short.
Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen, and despite all her reservations, pure curiosity won in the end. Her crew would forgive her for a few lost credits. The Hutt that had hired them would be furious, sure, but she didn't let herself think of that. She'd deal with that when the angry muscle showed up at her front door.
"This isn't about the job anymore, is it?" Wyvern had sidled closer to her and her voice dropped below a whisper. Sha'dra chuckled lightly at how easily Wyvern had read her.
"I just…I have a feeling, you know?" Sha'dra murmured back. Wyvern hesitated, but nodded. "Go with your gut. It's never steered you wrong before."
Sha'dra almost laughed aloud at that; her gut most certainly had steered her wrong before, in the past. But Wyvern was right, in a way. Her gut had rarely been mistaken since she joined the crew.
"Whatcha guys whispering about?" Dapvhir leaned against Sha'dra, squishing her between Wyvern and himself. Sha'dra grimaced and shoved him off.
"My finger's getting twitchy…" Mayli sing-songed from the ground. "Your finger is always twitchy. Might I remind you of our last job?" Vri'kel drawled, looking down at her. Mayli's eyebrow twitched and she sat up, glaring at him.
"Our last job was not my fault, and you know it, Kel!" she protested angrily. He put his hands up as if in surrender and shook his head. "I'm just sayin. If you hadn't felt the need to flirt your way past the entire squad of Imperial Agents, maybe we would have been out of there quicker!"
"Enough!" Sha'dra cut off Mayli's rising retort, sending piercing glares at both of them. She rubbed her temples in an attempt to calm down as she thought of what to do next. They could always pack up and return to Hutta to claim their waiting credits while they still had that option, but her instincts were telling her not to leave Tython. She felt something at the edge of her consciousness, a dark, twisted presence that she had pushed deep into the dark pit at the back of her mind. Despite her revulsion toward the presence touching her mind, she knew it was a warning. One she once wouldn't hesitate to ignore. Now, she was not so sure it would aid her at all.
"I am going to take a walk, I am going to make a decision, and I trust you all not to burn down the entire village." She finally stated, looking each of them in the eye. They grunted, nodded, and generally responded without much vigor. She hooked her blaster to her hip, shrugged on her jacket, and left the temporary living quarters.
The sun beat down hard on her pink skin, causing her to sweat beneath her sleek jacket. Passing natives, other Twi'leks like herself, smiled and greeted Sha'dra as she walked toward the entrance of the village. If only the scum she affiliated with on Hutta could be so friendly. It was nice, every once and a while, to receive a greeting smile. Of course, some of the natives glared at her with distrust, those intelligent enough to recognize a bounty hunter when they saw one. Not to call the rest unintelligent; if she made a guess, not many in the village could remember when there was any other home than their tiny village on Tython. It was simply a fact, not an insult. But the ones that did recognize her and her companions for what they were, those were the ones that dreaded Sha'dra and her crew's presence. Their occupation of the village in itself was illegal, and goodness knows they didn't need unwanted attention.
Sha'dra was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the cloaked figure until she had rammed straight into him. She stumbled and spun on her heel to give the person a piece of her mind. The figure's hood had gotten thrown back in the miniature collision, revealing human features. Tan skin, a mop of brunette curls, and dark, penetrating eyes.
"My mistake." He replied, and his voice sent an uncomfortable shiver down her spine. She turned to continue walking, feeling more than a little uneasy, and tensed when she felt a hand close around her wrist.
She turned back to look at him and he met her eyes unflinchingly, jaw set and free hand near his belt. She looked down, saw a flash of silver, and jerked her head back up in shock.
"Sha'dra Maru? I'm going to have to ask you to come with me."