Goodness - it's been a while hasn't it?! :D After and since losing the original Chapter 18 thanks to my ex years ago, there have been a lot of changes in my life - I now have two children instead of being preggo with just one, and I left their father and am actually now with someone who is extremely supportive of my writing and the reason you have this chapter and the next one already in the works! :)
There are a few things I need to point out -
I plan on keeping this fic as close to canon as possible and in order to do that, now that the last movie has come out...we all know what happens to our poor General. XD So because of that, I've decided to take this fic in a bit of a different direction once that scene comes around, but it isn't just yet. :)
I do however introduce a new character (who is actually completely based off of my other half's idea for a character who is a Mandalorian, with his permission 3) that I hope all of you will like and will bring some happiness to the dark chapter that was actually difficult to read and write!
Aaaand which brings me to my next point:
Trigger warning: Death and loss.
Chapter 18
She felt it before she saw it. That familiar feeling of a tractor beam pulling her into its all-too-strong grip she couldn't get her ship out of because she'd realized it too fucking late. Again.
Just like last time…
The feeling of déjà vu didn't cease as she gripped her bed for dear life in her sleepy stupor, glancing at the clock and noticing it was half past the ass-crack of dawn, or would have been had she been back in Naboo where she'd just been a few weeks ago. She didn't know whether to be worried or pissed – worried for the child growing inside her belly, or pissed because she'd been so rudely awakened by whoever decided they had the right to put their slimy hands -or paws…claws?- on her ship.
The sudden, hard yank and groan that indicated her ship had been successfully docked and locked caused her to let out a soft curse under her breath and throw the sheets over herself, wearing nothing but the nightgown she had thrown on after her bath. Her hair was still partly wet, making her shiver in the cool, recycled air of the ship that reminded her of her home and family back on Talus. She was able to grab the matching short robe of her negligee and wrap it around herself, reaching for her snub blaster in her nightstand that she'd taken with her when she left, deeming it safe enough to do so considering she'd modified it herself to her own needs, one of them being the inability for it to be traced for this very purpose.
The footsteps were approaching rapidly and they sounded heavy – whoever they were, they were in full armor and moved at a faster rate than any regular person would have at a walking pace, as if there was an extra strength behind them that was unnatural and shouldn't have been there in the first place – were they some type of cyborg? And what the hell did they want with her?
"Captain Roselea Guerran," a thickly-accented voice sprung up, and she instantly stiffened – she didn't recognize the voice from personal experience but she knew exactly who it was from reputation and prior knowledge before she'd gotten swept up in her First Order mess of a life. The leader of the Guavian Death Gang wasn't as well-known as he pretended to be, but that didn't make Bala-Tik any less ruthless and cunning than she was – in fact, in her state, he could very well be even more so…and that sole thought was immediately concerning.
"I will make this request once, Captain. Exit your ship peacefully and allow us to return you to the Finalizer in one piece, preferably," He continued, his cockiness and smug attitude causing her nerves to grate on edge even more so than they already were, "Or we will have to escort you by force and it will be less pleasant for all of us, most of all for you."
"Cocky son of a bitch," She thought, her eyes glaring to the door that would allow entry into her ship and ensuring it was tightly locked and would hold…at least for now, until she thought of a plan. How the hell was she going to get out of this? And who had sent them after her? Kylo Ren knew of her shore leave…he'd approved it – surely he wouldn't send anyone to bring her back early solely on a temper tantrum, would he? Then there was Hux…he had been left in the dark completely, he'd be the more likely candidate to send someone after her but – the Guavian Death Gang of all fucking people? They were barely bounty hunters, more like a slimy criminal organization that certainly didn't need to be spending their time chasing around someone like her…unless they had been personally sought out by someone to carry this task out. Someone with enough power to make the Guavians bend at the knee and do whatever they wanted them to – to the point they'd seek her out in the middle of space to try to bring her back.
Those two options from earlier were still just as feasible after this revelation. It could be either Hux or Ren but she could only hope it was the latter and not the former – she could see Kylo sending these bastards after her, but Hux…?
A hand was instinctively placed over her belly and it took her a moment to look down and realize what she'd just done. She swallowed slowly, startled out of her whirlwind of thoughts by the loud clank of an attempt to open the hatch door to her ship and she clenched her jaw, aiming her blaster directly at the opening and planting her bare feet firmly on the cold floor beneath her – she didn't have time to get any gear, much less anything else that could protect her…all she had was the nightie and robe she wore, and that blaster between her hands that she was aiming perfectly in the direction of the intruders. No – all she had time to do right now was think and figure out how to get the fuck out of this mess.
Those aquamarine eyes would shine for the briefest of seconds – long enough for her to realize she'd heard that accented 'Suit yourself' before the entire top half of her ship would vibrate with footsteps. The old and decrepit Simiyiar-class freighter her father and herself had repaired and modified with their own two hands felt like it visibly shook under the weight of the Guavians stomping across the top of it, her hearing almost perking to the amount of footsteps approaching that felt like they were surrounding her at this point – although there couldn't be more than two of them atop her ship, it felt like she was instantly surrounded, and at this point, she couldn't brave an honest guess on how many enemies she actually had out there – she just knew she had to at least be outnumbered 5-to-1: Guavians rarely traveled without their little 'cliques' and if she remembered correctly, Bala-Tik usually preferred at least four backups for such a strong little man.
Her thoughts were once again distracted by said male's voice ordering his subordinate to blast the door open and she visibly smirked – her father and herself had worked together to reinforce that door for such a thing, to prevent it from being easily blasted open by carried weaponry except by only the heaviest kind – and even those percussive cannon's Bala-Tik and his crew liked to carry wouldn't make the cut, the Tostovin Munitions' weapon well-crafted but not quite well enough to make as much of a dent into the door's exterior as they would've likely hoped.
Or so she thought.
The blast from the cannon reverberated inside the ship in addition to her entire body and she had to take a step and readjust her footing, glancing down at her stomach once before her sights re-lined up with the blaster's short barrel and she got ready to aim for the head of whoever the hell came through – she didn't know these assholes and she'd be damned if she'd risk anything over chance on top of the fact she had done nothing wrong…why was this even happening in the first place?!
She had to stop herself – she couldn't get angry now, lose focus and possibly lose it all. There was too much at stake…and then the hatch door opened with a hiss and she felt her heart drop to her stomach.
"How…in the fuck…?" Her eyes glared at that now-open door like it was the bane of her existence, and it wasn't until she saw a hint of a red-domed helmet in tandem with a bright red laser aimed at her chest that she instantly began to shoot, knowing one of the Guavian security soldiers had her right in his sights and she'd be damned if she let them have the first shot.
"Shit!"
She heard the thick accent pierce the air after her shot had blasted a hole clean through the fabric between the giant red target that was the Guavian's helmet, dropping the cybernetically enhanced soldier to the ground but not at all preparing her for what would come next. The sharp –
"Wait – no! – Don't –" And then all she could feel was the piercing pain of a hot, poorly-aimed shot hitting her in the torso, near her waist but not quite full power as she had enough time between the blast being fired and her back hitting the rear wall of the large entrance area of her ship to see that Bala-Tik had attempted to intercept the blast by smacking the percussive cannon with his own weapon, but not fast enough to keep her from being hit in the first place.
The painful, jolting sizzle of a blast to her unarmored body hit her fully and she let out a loud cry with a curse, the back of her body making a sickly splat against the metal wall she was forced against by the sheer force of the blast, pain instantly overcoming her entire being as she slid gently down the wall of her ship into a sitting position on the floor, her chest breathing heavily as she gingerly reached a hand straight to where the blast had hit her, far too close to her stomach to –
"No…" She thought, her eyes widening and lips parting in horror as she heard the distant sounds of footsteps approaching but all she could focus on was the widening pool of dark red getting her underwear and ass wet beneath the negligee, staining the already-dark fabric with the sticky crimson of her own blood as she placed her other arm over her stomach in an attempt to hide and protect it as her hunters approached.
"Well well…Captain, you should've–fucking shit!"
The poorly-aimed snub blaster bolt barely missed Bala-Tik's face and would've been a perfect hit had Ros not been literally shaking as she pulled the trigger, her face scrunched up into a look of pure ire in front of everything else she was feeling at the moment - pain, betrayal, disappointment, loss?…she'd never let the blaster go even as she'd been hurled against the cold metal of her ship from the force of the blaster bolt she took, knowing she'd likely need it and damn, had she been right.
"Fucking leave or kill me - it's the only way you're getting me out of this ship," She spat, her voice dripping the venom she knew she didn't have - she was wounded, weak and useless and they'd likely just grab her and take her with them, and she'd not be able to do anything to stop it if they managed to disarm her. That snub blaster and her aim were the only things keeping her as an actual threat to the Gang but the latter was quickly worsening by the blood loss slowly seeping out between her fingers as she held her belly, her mouth starting to lose saliva and making it difficult to speak so she simply clenched her jaw hard, watching the Guavian's movements closely.
"Crazy bitch," The thin leader of the gang thought and noticed the determination in her face and in those aquamarine eyes Kylo Ren himself had mentioned, gritting his teeth in anger - his gang weren't bounty hunters, this had been a requested favor from higher up the chain in the Gang than himself and he'd been tasked with following it through, oddly enough not deeming it too dangerous especially from the holos the Supreme Leader of the First Order had been showing him so he'd know who he was searching for.
Fuck, had he been wrong…he could see the Captain was hurt but knew if any of them stepped any closer she'd likely blow their heads off, her aim was shaky but if she really tried…
His eyes flitted to his dead gang member on the floor of her ship and he motioned for one of his remaining ones to pick the body off the floor for them to take, looking back at the one who had shot the Captain now and signaling to back down, listening to their movements before turning back to her and noticing the paleness and sweat on her face before starting to run his eyes down her body in the dark chemise, not getting to go any further than her full breasts before he was surprised by the warning shot she let loose into the wall of her ship next to and behind him.
"Fuck. Off." Were the last terse words that managed to escape her as she took heavy breaths, watching as the brunette male stared at her in uneasiness and anger before he, too, slowly backed out of the hatch and pulled off the device on the door on his way out - that had been how they had gotten in…it looked like some sort of resonating device that focused not on electronics but on the actual mechanism that opened the door itself, something she could never anticipate to be able to circumvent - she had expected someone to try and use technology or something to get into her ship but something as simple yet expensive as that device…her eyes narrowed and she spotted the gear of the First Order embossed on the top of what Bala-Tik now held in his hand, with the code cylinders for the R&D Department attached beneath as if to give it power and she frowned as deep as she could with her face already turned into a scowl.
As soon as she saw Bala-Tik disappear from view and the door close tightly shut behind him she dropped the blaster onto the ground and let out a loud groan of pain, practically falling onto her side and barely able to use her hands to catch herself, her chest heaving rapidly as her hair fell around her face and dipped in the blood beneath her without her even realizing it. She took one deep breath and began to crawl towards the control stations of her ship, thankfully not too far since she'd been so kindly thrown towards that room and almost into it had she been standing just a few feet to the left…
She was leaving a trail of blood but she couldn't stop - if there was a chance, any chance to save this baby…
Hux…he didn't even know…maybe it was for the best…
She let out a loud, piercing scream of pain and frustration as she finally managed to reach the controls and she gripped the edges, the screen in front of her coming to life with the planet she had been waiting for and heading towards – Talus, her home. She didn't wait for the Guavian ship to release her fully from the tractor beam before she pushed the button to initiate her journey - it wasn't far, but she wanted to hear some Guavian screams of pain from her thrusters after what they'd just done to her. And she did…never one to disappoint, the surprised yelps and screams of the foot soldiers around her ship like music to her ears as she kept the tears from pricking her eyes, her face and jaw set into a stony facade that very well hid her emotions from anyone else.
Don't you dare, Roselea…you have to be strong…
Her mother's words reverberated in her mind, recalling the time when her father had gotten hurt on a Resistance mission and her mother was patching him up with her assistance, her eldest brother Sannen being gone with the Resistance himself as well, and Kerick being left with the duty to keep the younger two brothers Daxel and Jeyse from tearing up the place in their distress, especially the youngest, Jeyse, who was Force-sensitive as well…and she'd been about to fall apart at the sight of her papa's wounds when her mother's stern tone had snapped her out of her misery and she'd looked up at attention, having one last sniffle before the 10-year-old wiped her eyes on her sleeves and continued to help her mother by changing out the soaking crimson bandages as said woman used the Force to gently knit his flesh and skin back together.
She blinked the tears away and swallowed slowly, feeling the ship jerk when it reached the Talus atmosphere and causing her to let out a grunt of discomfort, biting her lip to keep herself from crying out at the pain before she pressed a button on the control and whispered, "Nearest Hospital. ASAP." And as if on cue, her ship began to steer itself in a different direction, activating the cloaking mechanisms on it so she wouldn't have to go through any security if Talus had decided to get some in the over a decade she hadn't been there.
When she arrived, she noticed a space for a ship to dock and thanked the moons she'd been near a large hospital, doing so instantly before pushing the button for her hangar bay door to open and she began to attempt to peel herself from the controls, hearing the sounds of rolling wheels and footsteps approaching before only the footsteps were heard that entered the ship.
"In…here…" She managed to utter as loud as she could, hearing a few confused mutters that pushed her to begin to crawl in their direction, nearly blacking out from the excruciating pain and blood loss but managing to stay awake long enough to look up and see a set of nurses and a doctor who instantly rushed to her side, picking her up with firm but delicate hands before rushing her out onto the waiting gurney.
"Shit…doc, she's pregnant," One of the nurses muttered under her breath, causing the doctor to look down at Ros' abdomen and she could tell he was frowning beneath his surgical-grade mask, the other nurse who hadn't spoken affixing a clear oxygen mask over the half-Quian's face despite her own gentle protests that she could breathe fine. Yeah right…how does she even have the strength to fight?
"We'll focus on saving her. If the child doesn't make it…so be it," The doctor replied matter-of-factly as they disappeared behind the doors of the surgical ward, the words much like a solid grip on Ros' heart as she felt it stop for a moment.
"No…them…please…" She wasn't sure whether she was actually saying these words or just hearing them echo in her head but the last thing she saw were the doctor's piercing green eyes turning to look at her with a stare she couldn't quite place before her vision went dark, and she got lost in the sea of black that was now her current state of being.
When she awoke she found a nurse jotting notes by her side, the redhead jumping in surprise when she looked up to see Ros practically glaring at her but stammered something about getting the doctor and sure enough, the cold, green-eyed man entered the room, his mask still firmly in place as he began to speak to her about what had just transpired without introducing himself or giving her a chance to focus and place herself in that point in time.
"Miss Guerran…I am sorry to inform you we were unable to save your child," He began, noticing the brunette's face pale completely as she gripped the bedsheets tight, "We are obligated by law to run a parental check on a newborn or fetus and for this purpose only the First Order allows hospitals access to their personnel records. We found you, Captain Roselea Guerran as the mother…"
Her grip tightened considerably and she was sure she was going to pass out from how white her knuckles were. This is it… She thought nervously - she was sure she was about to throw up.
"...and General Armitage Hux as the father. Because of this…he has been notified."
She'd originally felt a wave of relief when she knew whose it had been, but that nausea returned fully at his last sentence and she began to hyperventilate, feeling the soreness from the wound on her side that had been sewn up surprisingly beautifully beneath the thin patches of bacta that were helping her recovery, and - to her surprise - she heard the doctor order the nurses to leave them and they did, causing her to tense up when she watched the taller, much older male approach her with his eyebrows furrowed together in concern. She leaned away from him slightly in unease, her aqua eyes flitting up to his face when she saw him begin to lower his mask and she was confused at first until his full face was revealed to her and her eyes widened in tandem with the gasp of surprise that escaped her.
"Doctor Denau…" She whispered, instantly recognizing her childhood doctor's usually warm face that was currently set in a firm line as he looked at her, before that line dissipated and his warm demeanor returned, the male shaking his head at her with a sad smile before he gently placed his hand on her head, much like he had when she had been a small child.
"Roselea Guerran…just what have you gotten yourself into?" The male replied with a soft laugh, noticing the look of slight relief that crossed her face before she seemed to remember his most recent words and he instantly placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning down a bit to make sure their eyes would meet - the gesture would be familiar to Ros, as her father did it to get her to pay attention to him often when she was younger, "Listen, Roselea. I had to say that in front of these nurses…I've only recently transferred here, I don't know who can be trusted," He paused, ensuring the brunette before him was following, "I haven't yet sent the notification to the FIrst Order to alert General Hux. Whatever happened between you two remains private…for now. I can only delay it for so long." He paused to take a breath, then a sharp nod followed, "Normally we have to place the child in cryo and keep it until the First Order comes to claim it -in this case, that General if he chose to, as the child is considered First Order property…"
Her hands visibly tensed and she clutched the sheets for dear life, feeling those tears threatening to spill again before the gentle shake of the doctor in front of her would bring her back to the present and he would continue.
"...I've placed the child in cryo until you're ready to take him…" The words of the gender now defined rang in her ears and she stared at the doctor in shock, both for this but also for the fact he was risking so much for her - Doctor Denau had known her family for so long, from her parents to her brothers and her own birth and growing up - their town had been so small he was the only doctor available and did it all - the fact he was even here was a stroke of good luck finally in her favor. "...I hate to say it, but it must be quick. I can't delay the message too long before someone notices the discrepancy and I have to push it through - you have a day or two, at best my dear."
Ros let the words settle from her ears down to her heart and she felt them clutch it in a vice grip, making her swallow slowly before the determination in her eyes would return and she managed to utter a few words that felt like she was back to her usual self - but could she be, after this? She doubted it…who could…?
"Put my son in my ship and I'll be right there."
The flight from Daeric, the capital to her home not too far from Nashal was arduous at best, and although it had been short it had been painful in every way but physically now - she'd managed to use the second co-pilot's station earlier to navigate herself to the hospital but that had meant it had been stained in blood and she wasn't in any state to clean it up. She'd practically sequestered herself to her cabin, her mind and heart racing a million thoughts a second as she sat in front of her large desk and pressed the button to stop the recording of herself she'd just taken, ignoring the tears flowing down her cheeks in anger and hurt as she took a deep breath to steady herself.
Well…at least she'd done it.
She'd informed Hux herself of his child she'd been carrying, attempting to explain the situation to him without giving him all the gruesome details on how exactly it had happened and how badly she'd been hurt, but she knew…she knew he wouldn't take it well and she didn't want to imagine the look on his face when he listened to the entire thing. She didn't know how he felt about having children but losing one…even at this stage it was painful…surely he'd feel something, right?
She was surprised when her ship jolted her out of her thoughts and she gripped the desk to look in the direction of the door to her room, blinking once in confusion before her head rearranged the puzzle pieces to fit in her brain again and she realized - she was home.
Mama…Papa…
This was just what she needed…she could bury him here and he'd be nestled under the roots of the tree that she'd read under as a child. Her safe space would be his safe place and she'd never have to worry about him being taken from her…not as long as her or her family lived and breathed.
Slowly, she rose from her seat and placed her hands atop her desk, staring at the surface for a few terse seconds before she let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and she took another to steady herself.
Don't you dare, Roselea…you have to be strong…
Those same words repeated themselves in her head like a mantra and she narrowed her eyes in determination before almost pushing herself off the desk and heading to the door, ignoring the sound of her chair scraping against the floor of the room - she had too much to do to slow down now. There was too much at stake, risk, and the only thing that kept her from falling apart at this point - revenge. The arduous, bitter and wonderfully torturous revenge she'd take on as many people as possible as she could that had a hand in this in any way, shape, or form…
Hux wasn't sure what to make of the flashing red light on his comm device that told him he had a new message - this message had come across as encrypted and while he very well knew what that meant, it didn't make it any less confusing for him - how…? What…? Who–
He tensed up instantly at the image of the woman that popped into his mind. Without a moment's hesitation he dropped the small comm in his hands and moved to his desk, pulling out a holopad and setting it on the surface before him before he tapped on the message and expected it to open up whatever had been sent, but instead, it pulled up a window that simply stated:
ENTER YOUR FIRST NAME:
…And he took a moment to blink absurdly slowly at the prompt, furrowing his eyebrows in disbelief before he uneasily typed in his own first name - the only person who really knew that was…
"General Hux," Ros' smooth, sexy tone came through the holovid that automatically began to project itself from the screen and upwards so he could basically see her almost as if she was in front of him, "I hope this message finds you well and–" Her eyes began to water and he could see the exhaustion and frustration in her eyes, especially when she shut those aquamarine eyes tight for a pair of seconds before opening them at first with determination, then…pain and sadness. What the hell had happened?
"I'm sorry, Hux…" She placed her head in her hands for a few seconds as she spoke, "I should've told you before I left, but I didn't know how you'd react, and on top of that…" She looked up, tears brimming her eyes that threatened to spill down her cheeks, "I wasn't sure if it was yours or Ren's because of…"
What…the actual seven hells was going on? His heart dropped to his stomach when he began to piece her words together – was she saying she'd been…?
"I was pregnant when I left, Hux. About three months apparently…and it – no, he – was yours…" She paused, almost as if waiting to let the words sink in and he had to place both hands on the desk before him, knuckles turning white from how hard he was pressing his fingers against its flat, solid surface, and noticing the tears finally falling freely down her soft cheeks, even through the vid he could almost feel her anguish as she continued, "But…but he's gone."
A bout of horror and nausea overcame him while he watched her closely, running one hand down his mouth slowly while noticing how the only emotion remaining on her face was despair before she clenched her jaw and it was right back to her usual spitfire, eyes narrowing in a glare before she began to speak again, "For the love of Kriff, Hux, I hope it wasn't you who sent someone after me…"
He tensed instantly and a look of pure panic became fully evident on his features – the bounty hunters he had sent after her were through a guild, surely they wouldn't cross that line…these were supposed to be honorable –
"...because the Guavian Death Squad, of all people? What the fuck? Not only are they pieces of shit to begin with, they killed our child…and I will have my revenge once I recover, don't you worry. I know you can't escape your post but me…" He saw the look of determination on that beautiful face and he knew exactly what it meant, "...I'm out already. And no…after this, there is no fucking way I am coming back. Whether the Guavians were sent by you or Ren most likely…this has severed all my ties to the First Order as far as I'm concerned."
Wait a minute…did that mean–
"And that includes you, General Hux…you'll receive a notification from the hospital to come get our son, but…it's too late. I took him, and he's safe…that's all you need to worry about…"
Both hands found his mouth this time and his fingers interlaced in front of it, his entire body shaking in a mix and whirlwind of emotions - anger, horror, disgust, loss…? She'd taken this burden on by herself and hadn't told him and - could he really blame her? How would he have really reacted? While he knew he would've eventually been overjoyed, his first reaction would've likely been to shut her out and process the information…and that was just –
"I did love you, Armitage Hux…but this is goodbye…forever. Tell my squad I'll miss them…but once they learn of my loss, they'll understand completely. I wish you all the best…and don't worry, our son will have his revenge, if it's the last thing I do in this galaxy…"
He could see in her eyes she wasn't joking, the way they shone through the vid told him everything he needed to know - she meant every single word she said, and she wasn't coming back…not even kicking and screaming. He wouldn't hold it past her to fight to the teeth and death before being brought back to the First Order in a cryo-box…and he was livid. There was no way it had been his contract…only one fool would be arrogant enough to think they could control a band of ragtag space pirates like the Guavians, and that fool had caused the death of his child…one that he had never gotten to see because of him. One that Ros would take revenge for because of him.
Kylo Ren was the reason he would never see his son and its mother ever again.
He stood up suddenly, the rage boiling inside of him that he never even knew could exist at the thought - he knew this would be a suicide mission on his end, there was no way he could outstrength or outmaneuver a Force-user but…if it was the last thing he did…he'd have to at least try…
It had been a month since the death of her son and she had managed to find her family not long after . The pure joy of seeing her parents' and brother's faces other than in her distant memories relieved her of the burden of facing this alone…but not of the burden of having to bury him and furthermore…clean the blood that had been spilled off her ship from the fight that had led to the loss in the first place. Her younger brother and father had offered to do it for her but…no. She had to do this herself, regardless of how painful it was. She had to face her fears and demons to overcome them or she would always be weak – and with this in mind, she carried the bucket of water and soap along with everything she'd need off to her ship and stood in front of the hatch door for a few hesitant seconds.
There was a terse pause as she felt that now-familiar prickle at the back of her neck she'd been feeling for the last couple of weeks that she couldn't quite place - why was she on edge? She was safe, comfortable at her family's little secluded cottage on the outskirts of Nashal or so she thought…even though deep down, she knew it wasn't true - not only because she felt as if someone was watching her, but also because of what she'd just admitted to Hux in that vid she'd sent him: That she was never, evercoming back and he'd never see her again. She didn't know what the great General of the First Order would plot up to try and drag her back to the clutches of the Finalizer but the only way she'd be returning there would be in pieces, especially once Kylo Ren found out. Only a miracle or both of their deaths would likely cause the target to be removed from her back, but neither of those seemed likely and much less so now that this had happened.
She couldn't help but let out an angry growl and throw her head over her shoulder, glaring into what appeared to be empty wilderness behind and around her - the area had been mostly overgrown from disuse in her absence since it had been her ship's usual landing spot at her family's home, but she'd managed to clean up most of it using the lasers on her ship upon her return, now leaving nothing behind but the treeline in the clearing she had made. If someone was out there, that is where they would be…but was she just being paranoid now?
"Fucking hell," She muttered under her breath, her ship's door long open from her having stood before it and it recognizing her energy signature, a feature that her father and Force-sensitive brothers had tweaked to fit her and only her, and had taught her how to add someone else if she wanted to but…why? The last thing on her mind now was love…especially after how her last had turned out - the remnants of which she was about to attempt wash away with soap and water - and so she set down the bucket with a soft 'clunk' and tossed the sponge into it with a huff, still angry from being unsure of whether or not she was actually going crazy.
He'd visibly tensed within his black-as-night armor when those aquamarine eyes had seemed to settle directly on him when she looked over her shoulder - that was the first time he'd seen them fully and straight as if looking into his soul, even though he knew it wasn't possible. He was well-cloaked and settled into his surroundings, having fully arisen (not that he'd slept anyway, really - he preferred to call it standby) from the time his suit informed him his mark was awake and shifting about in the home she appeared to share with her family. Other than the uneasy shifts and small glances around her that he'd seen her do there was no indication that she knew he was here…and he got further confirmation when she appeared frustrated and entered her ship, the tightened grip on the grass beneath his gloved fingers loosening slightly in his position on one knee.
He'd been watching her for the last couple of weeks and he'd known - as soon as his sights and sensors had settled on her figure and form - that she was breathtaking. The pictures that had been included in the contract to help identify her were from a distance and had done her no justice, and despite the fact he hadn't come too close to her yet - especially lately, with how suspicious she'd gotten - he'd definitely gotten closer than those pictures and had been able to see the color of her eyes this clearly only once before just now…when she had been outside in her family's backyard, with an old tome on her lap made of actual paper, but looking off into the distance which had happened to have been in his general direction.
He mentally scolded himself only long enough until he switched his vision from clear to infrared, unable to see her through the walls of the ship with his usual and so her form was now outlined but in red and orange tones, her hourglass figure through the lens still prominent as he watched her bend and begin to scrub at the floor with the sponge she'd been carrying, doing so for a few minutes until she got to a spot near a wall that she stood up to press her fingers against and attempt to scrub but after a set of seconds she stopped and he could tell her body was shaking. What the hell was going on? He hadn't seen her crack once in the last few weeks and she seemed perfectly okay but this…this he was not expecting. Especially as she began to slide down the wall with what seemed like her forehead pressed against it, zooming his vision in on her form as she appeared to sob uncontrollably into a crumpled mess on the hard floor.
He gritted his teeth hard. His most base instincts told him to go in there and check on her to see if she was alright but he knew he had to hold fast and his gaze dropped momentarily, unwittingly ripping the grass out beneath his fingers and shaking them gently with a self-deprecating mutter of fucking idiot to himself before the hazel eyes no other living being would see remained hidden beneath his helmet yet focused on the mark again:
– CAPTAIN ROSELEA GUERRAN – 7 ABY – TO REMAIN UNHARMED AND UNBOTHERED BUT UNDER CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE UNTIL 3 MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THIS CONTRACT –
There had been many other details but those had been the main ones that had stuck out to him, he wasn't yet concerned with the still-sealed clause for after the three months was over as he still had two months to go and he had originally not even been interested in the contract. His guild contact had begun with "It's sort of a babysitting job…" and he had been instantly on edge - his usual contracts were normally to kill or surveillance and kill but never just to watch…
"Hear me out. I'm giving you first dibs on this one because I trust you and you actually deserve the credits…and they're a lot. I'm talking quite a few extra zero's…but the best part? Look at the mark. It's surveillance with a possibility of spilling blood anyway, why wouldn't it be right up your alley?"
He recalled clearly taking that holopad and tapping the screen to pull up the pictures and…he'd been glad nobody could see him swallow slowly but he simply cleared his throat and gave his contact a firm nod. He hadn't been joking about those credits, either…whoever wanted this woman watched had a pretty penny and although the guild hid who it came from, by the request he could only guess and hope it was simply a lover or a parent wanting to keep track of her and although the seal on that last clause had him almost concerned, he hadn't been able to help himself. The pull, interest, money, and intrigue had been too much and he'd taken the contract without another thought, and now here he was, useless as he watched her pick herself up off the floor without another word or sob before she simply took in a deep breath, rolled her shoulders and began to scrub the entirety of that area of her ship clean, as if nothing had just happened and she hadn't been in anguish on the floor…
It wasn't even a week past that incident that he observed his mark seeming to be saying her goodbyes to her family and he quirked a brow beneath his black helmet – she couldn't have been here much more than a month and he couldn't miss the look of determination on her face as she walked to her ship with a few packed bags up and into it before the hatch door closed and he observed her - through infrared now - walking to the cockpit, letting out a short curse beneath his breath as he quickly began to sprint back to where he'd cloaked his ship, the Kom'rk-class fighter being beautifully disguised in a clearing nearby that was likely meant for another of her family member's ships to dock.
He pushed a few buttons on his gauntlet's keypad next to the monitor in code to tell his ship to begin powering up for departure when he heard and used his jetpack to avoid the feeling of being pushed forward by her own ship's thrusters, using the momentum to enter his ship swiftly and propel himself towards the cockpit, his hangar bay closing on its own as he set his and his ship's sights on the Captain's Simiyiar-class ship, the elegance and grace of its Mon Calamari design displaying beautifully as she maneuvered it with the practiced ease of a professional - and this he had not quite been expecting, either. He knew she was a Captain solely by the title but the file had not indicated where, the secrecy in the entirety of the situation only now becoming apparent to him as a giant red flag in his mind - he had been too caught up in the stunning woman behind the name in the pictures and the always ardent pull of the beauty of those credits, and it wasn't until now that he realized…
Oh fuck…what the hell did I get myself into?
And he was about to find out a taste of just how much trouble he was in when the two ships exited atmosphere and Ros finally had a piece of the clear picture of just who the fuck had been following her around – was that a gods-damned Mandalorian ship?!
She wanted to scream – of course, of fucking course Hux of all people would hire the best bounty hunters in the galaxy to seek her out, and she knew with certainty now it had been Kylo Ren to send the Guavians after her. Hux was cold and calculating, he likely hired them through a guild under a guise to hide his status and where it came from until…
So he wanted her back, too. But neither him nor Kylo Ren would get what they wanted…not as long as she lived and breathed. So she took in a sharp breath, placed her left palm against the main control pad for her ship to scan it, and used her right hand to punch in a few numbers on the datapad - she was losing this asshole, there were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Years of piloting a TIE Silencer showed both it's positives and negatives - the way she expertly controlled and maneuvered her ship faster and faster around large asteroids and anything in her way almost caused the Mandalorian behind her to have a few close calls, but it was indeed obvious that it had been years since she'd steered this ship in such a manner due to the fact she was having trouble adjusting to the difference in speed between the light freighter and the tie/vn - the former moving much more slower and sluggish than the latter but it wasn't long before she seemed to regain her focus and adjust just as expertly, knowing from her papa's teachings of all different types of ships that that particular freighter she was trying to leave in her proverbial dust was not as fast as her own…and she grinned slowly before she set her thrusters to full blast, did a sharp left turn into a complete U and passed his ship briefly before she pressed the button to launch her into hyperspace - Corellia was her first destination as it would likely provide her the best source of information on where to find Bala-Tik and his crew after what they'd done to her.
…and said Mandalorian was left behind speechless, his years of experience in piloting his own ship all for naught before what he could only describe as the best pilot he'd ever seen, especially one to out-maneuver him? He couldn't fault himself for the speed of his own ship despite its enhancements but the way she controlled that ship with such expertise only confirmed what his original suspicion had been - she was a pilot's Captain, and he had yet to find out where. His daze only ended when he snapped himself out of his stupor and recalled the fact he'd actually been prepared for this as a possibility, having placed a tracking device on her ship the day he'd found and confirmed she was the right target.
He used his own vehicle's internal systems to pull the information from the tracking device quickly and he followed her, heading straight for the planet the system was named after and which the brunette enigma had disappeared into - Corellia itself.
And Ta-Da! XD Hope everyone liked it - if I figure out how to share pictures of these two I'll get back to y'all lol. Thanks for reading! 3