Obi-Wan focused on the calm surrounding him. Mediating in the sun was nothing new for him, but Qui-Gon suggestion to do so while others worked rankled him. Although he wasn't experienced with repairs as some other Jedi, he certainly knew enough to work on most spaceships, let alone the pod-racers. Still, his Master insisted he practice his mediation instead of assisting the others. Qui-Gon often cautioned him to be both patient and open to the present, two ideas he felt conflicted one another. He wanted to grumble or complain about it, but there was no point: His Master gave him an order, and he followed the orders as best as he could. He found a rock a dozen meters away to rest upon. He knelt down and opened himself up to the Force.
The wonder surrounded him, as light and darkness melded into one. Not dualistic, but complimentary aspects of the Force. With each breath, he let himself go deeper, opening himself to the connections touching everything. As he did, he saw the shadow writhing in the darkness, hidden from everyone. Turning his gaze to it, he tried to make out a shape, a feeling, something, but the vast shadow only distorted the Force. The Dark Side, an aberration of the Force, wrestled in the darkness. He reached out, just for a moment, hoping to find the source and –
Sand!
Sputtering as sand replaced everything in his senses, Obi-Wan fell out of his connection with the Force and grounded himself in the now. He struggled to open his eyes, blinded by the grains. It fell into his mouth, into his teeth, and down his throat. He choked on it even as he tried to wipe it from his eyes. All around him was sand - except for the gentle laughter of a young woman.
The laughter remained a constant even as the sand fell away. He finally cleared his eyes to see the source of the melody standing in front of him, a bucket in her hand.
"What?"
Padme held a hand over her mouth as her laughter died down to a giggle. The smile bloomed on her face. "Master Qui-Gon suggested to test your attention."
"Did he?" Obi-Wan said. He stood up, brushing the sand off his clothes. It seems his Master's lessons never truly ended. And not even on the Outer Rim or in the middle of a desert. "Well, I must thank him."
"What were you doing?" Padme asked him as he stepped off the rock. Qui-Gon looked over from where he stood by Anakin's podracer. His master's fascination with the young boy bothered him, but not in the sense it would for most people. Qui-Gon must see something, or the Force guided him toward something about the boy. And as usual, his master kept his own council, not revealing what he saw or felt. Obi-Wan noticed how much attention his Master gave the young boy since they met, constantly watching over him.
"Mediating," Obi-Wan said, "and I need to work on my spatial awareness it seems." He slipped his hands into his robe sleeves as he started back toward Qui-Gon. Padme hurried to catch up with him, leaving the bucket at the rock.
"Is it difficult? Being a Jedi?"
Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, but I have been training for years. Things that look and feel easy for me are things I've worked at for a long time. Just as you've studied to prepare you to rule Naboo, Jedi train for the rigors of our life."
"And Hawk and Wolf?" Padme asked. He stopped their short trek to focus on her.
"That is not necessarily my story to tell," he said, pausing and thinking over his words. "I – I know they struggled when we first met."
"How? They look so…in control right now." Padme stared up at him, silently asking for more. Obi-Wan glanced over at Qui-Gon. His master had once again turned his attention to Anakin. Although he had no experience with mechanics, there were some Jedi who naturally excelled at fixing items. He read several journals within the library of other Jedi's abilities and inclinations to machines. Some Jedi instinctively understood machines, from starships to droids to even podracers. It was possible Anakin was one of those Force sensitives. Without training, his skills would grow, but he wouldn't be a Jedi. He couldn't. He was too old, too attached, too emotional, too all the things the Code warned about. And yet, the Force favored the young child. He sensed that much in his brief mediation.
"They are, but I think…I think they have to be," Obi-Wan said, shifting his gaze back to Padme. "They haven't had it easy, and they've both put up facades to deal with the lives they live."
"So Hawk isn't always as hard?"
"No, she isn't, and rarely around Wolf," Obi-Wan said. "We…the Jedi were not unkind, but not as welcoming as we could have been."
"We? Or them?" Padme asked, her eyes flickering back to Qui-Gon. "Wolf is pretty taken with you."
"And Hawk knows nothing is going to happen," Obi-Wan said, stopping her train of thought. "She is…she is like my sister in many ways, though admittedly I have more in common with Hawk."
"Those aren't their real names are they?" Padme asked. Obi-Wan opened his mouth to respond, but let his lips silently closed as the Force reached out to him. He held up a hand, stopping her from asking more questions as he turned to meet the gaze of their young pilot.
"Hello Anakin," he said, bowing slightly in greeting. "How is the pod-racer?"
"Good." The boy looked between them both before glaring at Obi-Wan. "What are you talking about?"
"She was asking about some friends of ours," Obi-Wan said. "I believe you met one yesterday: Hawk."
"Yeah," Anakin said, kicking some dirt on the ground. "She didn't say much, and glared at Qui-Gon a lot."
Obi-Wan tried not to laugh, but Padme didn't have the same restraint. She giggled, not quite the laughter when she dumped sand on him, but her face still light up. "She is rather…reserved."
"And you're not, Padawan?" Padme asked through her giggles.
"As much is needed," he said, bowing to her again. He turned back to meet Anakin's glare, though he looked just as confused. "Are we ready for the race?"
Anakin nodded quickly, smiling now that he was the center of attention again. "Just about. We need a few more parts." He turned to speak with Padme, ignoring Obi-Wan completely. It's always the pretty ones that draw the boys. He caught Padme's eyes over Anakin, and shared another smile with her before beginning to walk back to the pod racer.
"Your mediation still needs work," Qui-Gon said upon his approach. Obi-Wan let out a sigh, but nodded at his master's gentle rebuke.
"Yes Master," he said. He moved to stand next to the older Jedi, watching Padme keep Anakin's attention. "Have you figured out your fascination with the boy yet?"
"The Force calls to him," Qui-Gon said, shaking his head. "But this is not the first time the Force has spoken of someone, is it?"
Obi-Wan let his memories drift to Nar Shaddaa five years ago: Hawk and Wolf arrived, but they were not the Hawk and Wolf he knew. They were still two girls, lost and afraid. Obi-Wan remembered waking up the night before, the Force crying out loudly at him. His slumber vanished as he tried to find his calm, but the Force kept reaching from him, trying to prepare him. Qui-Gon experienced something similar, but not to the extent Obi-Wan felt. He tried to remain calm throughout their day on Nar Shaddaa, searching for a contact who may have information on a Prophecy Qui-Gon obsessed over.
The contact disappeared into the ether as the Force converged a hundred or so meters before them. They had arrived on the level to speak with another set of merchants, only to rush into the gangs and crowds as the Force shrieked, and then two young girls screamed. Obi-Wan remembered seeing Hermione, for she was still the young wide-eyed believer then, kneeling next to Jenna, pushing the other girl and begging her to wake up. Even if he couldn't understand their language, their anguish and fear echoed through the Force as Hermione's anguished cries subsided. Obi-Wan nearly froze under the pressure of the Force but overcame the sensations as he approached the girls.
The Force wrapped around both of them, holding them close and exuding from their bodies as if living embodiments of the cosmic entity. When the black-haired girl woke up, she sat up with a shot before screaming loud enough to shatter glass. Her voice echoed through the Force, sending a crisp burst through him, Qui-Gon, and probably every being within the immediate vicinity. He recovered quickly, moving to wrap the black-haired girl in his cloak even as Qui-Gon did the same for the brunette. Their querry forgotten as they tried to exude calmness to ward off the fear radiating from the girls. It worked to a point, but Obi-Wan still remembered the vibrations through the Force as the Jedi led the girls away from the crowds. It somehow both haunted him and held his faith in the Force.
Over the next few months, the girls learned Basic, about the Force, and then struck out on their own. That was an oversimplification of their experience, but he couldn't dwell on the past too much without foregoing the present, or at least, that was how Qui-Gon explained it. Obi-Wan would rather not remember his guilt for not doing more to help two people the Force brought to them. The next time he met them, they were no longer Jenna or Hermione, but Wolf and Hawk, or as they introduced themselves Hawk and Wolf. The order didn't matter to him, but it was the name they were known by through the Bounty Hunters Guild. He silently kept track of them over the years, reaching out when he could and offering as much support as a padawan could. They never blamed him, thankfully, but Obi-Wan may always blame himself for not doing more and not seeing more at the time, though he still didn't know what he should have seen.
As the Force brought them to Jenna and Hermione, so too did it bring them to Anakin. The worries of training someone so old in the Force still rose within him, but he was much younger than either of the girls were when they arrived in the Temple. They also possessed training of some type in the Force, though they never spoke of the training, as they managed to perform feats only Jedi should have been able to. Anakin felt similar, and yet different at the same time.
Both Hawk and Wolf were calm points in the storm within the Force, much like Jedi were supposed to be, but the storm raged in them, whirling and encircling. Anakin was the storm, violent and beautiful, dangerous and enticing. The Force chose them, but whereas Hawk and Wolf had some training and managed to maintain a delicate balance without giving into the shadow of the Dark Side, Anakin lacked even that. His potential surpassed everyone Obi-Wan ever saw, but he was too old to begin training.
Moreover, he was still a slave, and they were without means to free him. Should they survive this endeavor, Obi-Wan wondered if his Master would return to free Anakin, to train him? Would Obi-Wan be given the chance to take the trials? Or would he be cast aside, again?
Part of Obi-Wan needled at the thought of his Master taking another padawan. That part of him, the jealous and envious part never stayed for long. He released the anger into the Force, as dwelling on the emotions only served to fester them. When he was ready, he would become a knight. Not before, and not after. Releasing a deep breath, he nodded as the emotions fell away, leaving him with the serenity of the Force.
"No Master," he said as Padme finally convinced Anakin to return to work. The young boy sprinted off, a smile painted on his face as he began to putter around the starboard engine again. He turned completely to face his master, arching an eyebrow in question. "And sand?"
"Water is lacking on Tatooine," Qui-Gon said with a smile before leaving him to head back indoors. He knew his Master well enough to know he was scanning the horizon even as he left them alone. Obi-Wan left himself open, hoping to remain in the present.
Padme kept watching Anakin. Her eyes never moved as she spoke to him, but the words weren't for him. They needed to be voiced, more for herself than him. "We'll be ready, for all the good it will do us." Her voice dropped to a whisper at the end of the sentence, as if she was afraid of any other possibility.
"Trust in the Force," Obi-Wan said, drawing her attention to him. She stared at him questioning eyes. "It has guided us here so far."
"The Force guided us to gamble everything on a race?" She asked incredulously.
"In motion, the future is," Obi-Wan said, smiling a little as he quoted the Grand Master. "Besides, we didn't bet everything." He motioned toward the pod-racer before walking slowly there. Padme followed after a few silent seconds before matching his pace.
"From what I understand, Qui-Gon bet my ship," she said, rolling her eyes.
"And Hawk and Wolf ensured we will not walk away with nothing," Obi-Wan countered. Padme paused at this, biting her lower lip. "Do you think they would have left us on a whim?"
"No, of course not – it's just…you hired them to assist us, and they –"
"They are not here," Obi-Wan finished. She nodded, anger still festering in her eyes. "They are doing what they can to help, just as you are doing what you can."
"I know," Padme snapped, her hands drawn up into fists. She let out a long sigh, trying to release the tension in a single breath. "I know. It's just…they're doing something. And we're just waiting here, all our hopes resting on a boy that we're not even sure will win. A boy that anywhere else would have been free." The unspoken 'to be a Jedi' surprised him, but Obi-Wan quickly was beginning to learn not to underestimate Padme's perception. She saw more than some Masters did. A powerful tool for a politician, but she tempered it with her heart. She ached to do something, anything to help the slave. Whatever her background, she was ill-prepared for the harsh realities of the Outer Rim.
Obi-Wan glanced over at Anakin. The boy remained engrossed in fixing some part of one of the twin engines. "Best not let him hear that. It would do no good for him to hear our fears."
"I just wish…"
"I know," Obi-Wan said. They stood in silence, watching Anakin work steadily on his pod-racer. He tried reaching out with the Force, hoping for some guidance in the moment, but alas it eluded him. "Things will work out, milady. I must return to my mediation," he said, bowing to her.
"I hope it helps," Padme said, still looking lost.
"At the very least, I'm sure you will get another laugh out of it," Obi-Wan said, alluding to the potential for more sand being thrown his way. A smile replaced the frown on her face. "Milady," he slightly bowed again before taking his leave and returning to his spot on the rock.
Eyes followed him as he walked away. His Master's careful and retrospective eyes watched from inside, piercing his back as if to see his past and all of his failings. A young boy's curious and intrigued eyes peered up from his work, in awe and cautious of his current abilities. A young woman's troubled and lost gaze followed his path back to the rock, reasonably afraid but determined nonetheless.
With his gaze on the horizon, Obi-Wan crossed his legs and settled back on the rock. He sunk back into the Force, opening himself up to the cosmic connections. Everyone had something to work on, and for him, that meant being the lighthouse in the storm. The bad feeling from Naboo only grew stronger with the passing hours, and against the frail plan to win a pod-race, Obi-Wan reached out to Wolf or Hawk, hoping to find them even across the desolate wastes of Tatooine.
What he found sent shivers down his spine.
The shadow was here. Snapping his eyes open, he stared at the horizon. He instinctively grasped for his lightsaber. His fingers brushed the hilt, shaking under the emotions brought on by the shadow. The fear ran through him even as the Force reached out in warning. It filled him, pushing out his fear with its light even as he felt the malevolence of the shadow growing. Wind rushed around him as he dove from the deep mediation into a commune with the Force.
There was nothing on the horizon, except the setting of the suns. No danger, no shadow, nothing but the hills and mountains and deserts. Nothing out there except the native life, the shadow, and Hawk and Wolf. He tried to see their path out of the hanger, tried to follow them, but he grasped too much at the now rather than the past. Mindful of the shadow, he needed to see more. He needed to try, if only so he could save his friends. He closed his eye, letting his hand drop from the saber now that no immediate threat was near. The commune grew stronger as he sunk deeper into the cosmic power.
Glimpses of potential filled his mind's eye but only through the shadow. As if the Dark Side clouded his perception of the future. A battle with a red saber – no two blades against a green and a blue. Then just the blue, followed briefly by just the green. A fire burning in the night, whispers about only two. He saw…he saw…
Those same senses caught the approaching footsteps, and the gentle toss of sand. He let the Force surround him, shielding him from the elements bombarding him. The sand whirled around him, twisting and shifting as it covered his shield – not unlike the water did at the Temple when he mediated. Letting himself come back to the ground, Obi-Wan opened his eyes to catch Padme staring at him in awe through the shifting sand.
Raising his hand, Obi-Wan he pushed the sand aside, letting it fall around him but never touching him. "Is my Master still inside?" He kept his voice even despite the tendrils of fear still wrapping around him. He stood as calmly as he could. He wanted to shake the chills away, to throw up as nausea finally hit him. He wanted to do so many things, but he had a duty to the Force and his Master.
"Yes," Padme said, nodding as she watched him stand. "He should be."
Obi-Wan nodded in response before heading back in that direction. Padme followed him after a few moments of indecision. He still had time to return to the hangar, where he planned on spending the night, but now it would be imperative to do so. His Master would make the final decision, but leaving the others unprepared against the shadow, against the red blades, was not something he could stand by and let happen.
I0I
With only moments to think, Hawk opened herself to her magic and enhanced her sight. She tracked the young krayt dragon's movement. It sent rock and dirt flying with its shuffling gait. Its feet pounded the ground beneath. The walls vibrated with each step. A shower of light dust and rubble fell in its wake. A jaw filled with teeth snapped at them as it approached. Raising her blaster, Hawk focused on finding her center.
The world slowed – relatively speaking – as she focused on the stampeding krayt. The darkness in the tunnel aided the creature, but their helmets offered an equivalent to night-vision. With the monster rushing from the darkness, illumination far behind them but reflected down the tunnel, the night-vision offered more detail and reduced the chances of misinformation being encoded. In green and blacks, Hawk found the monster rushing their way.
She gauged the distance from her - fifteen meters and closing. She tracked the angle – just a drop of a few degrees. Then, she aimed her blaster. The krayt's leathery hide cracked with each step. Its sharp teeth drew her attention for a brief millisecond. The snap of the jaw shifted her focus back to the krayt. Her aim steadied as she took a breath. In and out. Short, then long. And in that moment just before she released the breath, just before her heart beat, she pulled the trigger. Her aim was steady. The resistance from the trigger barely phased her. An ounce of pressure was all it took. The would-be-red bolt fired from her blaster, rushing toward the krayt's eye.
The bolt slammed into the dragon's skull, sending it into a skid. Momentum carried it the remaining six-point-four-five meters to her feet, dirt and rocks spraying underneath its body. She stepped to the side, letting the dragon slam into wall with a loud thud as Wolf unleashed a torrent of blaster fire.
Green bolts ricocheted off the rough hide. Hawk calculated the angles of deflection, side stepping one that came too close to her. The bolts struck the cavern walls, dispersing into the darkness around her. She barely paid them any attention. She had to remain focused. Hawk tossed out one plan after another. She tracked the shift in the krayt's step. The slight stumble and blind swipes with its jaw. Unpredictability was the enemy. Wolf kept up the fire, even as krayt struggled to its feet. Its hide rippled beneath the bolts, greens splashing off wildly.
Hawk stepped in front of Wolf as the krayt turned to them. She fired off several shots, not aiming at the beast but the ground beneath it. The bolts forced the krayt into another skid, stopping meters in front of them – just within the range of her flamethrower.
Blaster still in hand, she raised her left gauntlet to unleash the torrent of flame. The fire breathed outward in a mockery of what the krayt claimed to be. It burnt the ground, the air, the krayt. The fire danced in front of her. It taunted the krayt even as it pushed a retreat. Roaring, the krayt dragon tried to back up, only to be met with a barrage of missile fire.
Letting up the flamethrower, Hawk peered through the smoke released by Wolf's missiles. She watched the krayt stumble under the pressure. Her eyes tracked the movement even as she stepped around to force the creature back to against the wall.
Two meters – fifteen seconds - Wolf let up with the missiles. Black and green bolts flew from their blasters, striking the weak underside of the krayt's hide.
If they had more time, maybe they'd be quieter in their take down. Maybe they wouldn't have to waste supplies. But they needed this to end quickly. Trickler had to know they were there
One meters – eight seconds - a missile struck through the hide and stuck inside of it.
Hawk felt an arm around her waist. Her shield would hold, maybe, and her armor definitely would against the blast from that fusion missile. But her love cared too much to let her try and be the hero. She lost too many people for her not to try and save Hawk.
One second – the missile flashed once before it exploded in a thunder of hide, flesh, and blood.
Wolf pulled her behind a stalagmite, skidding on the rocky ground of the cavern. Heat from the blast blew past them, drenching them in a stiffness not found in the air on the planet. Hawk grunted from the sudden meeting with the ground, and felt herself let go of the magic that enhanced her eyesight. The arm holding her pulled closer, wrapping the smaller body around her.
"Well," Hawk said, trying to ignore the sweat now pooling in her suit. Her heart settled back in her chest, no longer pounding from the rush of adrenaline. She let out a few shallow breaths before breathing everything out of her lungs. "That was…"
"Yeah sorry," Wolf muttered without letting her go.
"Think they know we're here?" Hawk moved her head to glance at the remains of the dragon. She tapped her helmet with her free hand, lighting up the tunnel with a small flashlight. She blinked at the overwhelming source before turning off the night vision before needing to blink again at the devastation brought about by the fusion missile. "You going to let me up?"
"In a moment," Wolf said. Hawk felt Wolf's magic reaching out to her own, cataloging all the pain and aches, or more appropriately, lack thereof. She shuddered under the magical caress, feeling her own magic pool against the touch. Letting out a slow breath, she kept focusing on the facts of the mission rather than the body in armor pressed against hers. "Okay."
"I'm good?"
"Yeah."
"You're good?" She got a nod this time. "Then how about letting me go so I can get up?"
Rather than respond, Wolf released her with a whine. She rolled onto her back before kicking up to her feet. Offering her hand, Hawk let Wolf pull her off the ground.
Hawk reached up, running hand over Wolf's helmet. The touch wouldn't mean much physically, but the metaphorical gesture reassured her partner. She couldn't reach out through their magic like Wolf could, nor could she offer physical touches as readily as Wolf did in public. But there were times when she had to reassure herself that Wolf still stood beside her.
"Wonder if there were any more?" Wolf said as she walked through the guts and remaining parts of the krayt.
Hawk moved to follow but stopped short. After each confrontation, her mind automatically reviewed the battle, finding the faults and successes. Not much changed from their methods, though having Wolf stuck behind her at the beginning meant a greater need for a quick ending. Their blasters needed little recharge, provided they remained clean and functional. The missiles Wolf used though were not so freely replaceable.
"Wolf?" The woman in question was now bent over, moving pieces of burnt krayt flesh and hide with her blaster.
"Hmmm?" She flipped one piece before crouching to get a better look.
"Was that your last fusion?" Wolf slipped her right blaster back into her holster as she began to move some of the flesh by hand. Hawk stepped closer, ignoring the squishy feeling beneath her boots. "Wolf?"
"Yes, yes," Wolf said, waving her off. Had she been able to see her face, Hawk knew Wolf would be rolling her eyes.
"And what if we needed it later?"
"We'll figure something out," Wolf said as she slipped whatever she grabbed out of the krayt's mess.
"Pearls?" Hawk asked, only receiving a nod in return. She turned to look at the lights still dancing down the tunnel. Wolf moved to stand beside her, holstering her other blaster. The tension of the battle began to drain out of her, leaving her weary for the moment. The magic between them swirled for a moment before Wolf reached outward again.
Wolf tracked the monsters they sought, while she saw them for who they were. Maybe things would have been different if they were back at Hogwarts or even just back on Earth. But in this galaxy (and it truly was another galaxy – she checked), their magic warped and shifted from an internal appendage to an external force that channeled through them. Some of their abilities remained, maybe, but without wands or runes or anything of the sort, they were just as normal as the rest of humanity, this galaxy and the next.
"Yes," Wolf said. "And it's still there." There was a shake in her voice, but her steps were steady. She never was one to let fear stop her from doing what she thought was right.
"It?" Hawk tried to reach out to sense what Wolf saw, but all she felt was her magic twisting in the wind.
"Yeah…it," Wolf said before walking toward the light. Hawk followed, her sight now watching for anything and everything. Fool her once, shame on her, but she never got fooled twice. At least by the same trick.
They walked in silence to the light. The tunnel continued in the same direction for another forty-seven-point-eight-six meters before expanding into a cavern. Lanterns hung toward the southern edge where the tunnel picked back up. The light illuminated a makeshift tent with a smoldering campfire just in front of it. They must have been the source of the dancing light.
"He was here," Wolf said. Hawk thrusted out her arm to stop her partner from stepping further.
"'Was' being the operative word," Hawk said, pointing at foot sticking out from one of the tent's cloth sides. Wolf inaudibly cursed at the sight.
Bounty hunters have a code, really a creed. It may sound strange, especially for people who didn't know or understand, but they lived by it. They died by it. They bartered by it. The code separated them from the people and the acquisitions. Having a code made it easier for Hawk to deal with things out here. Having rules meant having something to guide her. Wolf followed them because she did, but Hawk thought it comforted her partner to have something that made sense in this galaxy. Or maybe that was just Hawk projecting onto Wolf.
The creed consisted of six guidelines for all reputable bounty hunters. Number one: people don't have bounties; only acquisitions have bounties. This rule helped to separate the civilians from their targets. They are no longer persons, and it is easier (usually) to focus on capturing or killing them, and not worrying about what brought them there. This lead into the next guideline.
Number two: Capture by design; kill by necessity. When it is all said and done, a live bounty was better than a dead one. Often paid more too. You can't get water from a stone (without magic), and you can't get information from a dead man.
Number three: No hunter shall slay another hunter. This one, and the next, get 'creatively' abused more often than Hawk liked to admit. Still, she followed it to the letter, and hadn't met another hunter who didn't. There were tales in the cantina about hunters crossing this line, but she'd never witnessed it herself. Hunters dying on a hunt wasn't uncommon, and cause of death was hard to prove at times (again, only if you didn't have magic).
Number four: No hunter shall interfere with another's hunt. Unless you have a partner, like her and Wolf, bounty hunters worked alone. That meant a lonely life, but with Wolf, Hawk never felt alone. Still, there were times when hunters worked together to bring down a big acquisition. At this point, number six kicked in.
Number five: In the hunt, one captures or kills, never both. Either you take the acquisition in alive or you brought him in dead. Once a hunter grabs their acquisition, if they are still alive then they are brought in that way. Under most circumstances, this isn't too difficult, but some unscrupulous hunters or even agents from different corporations may step in to shift the acquisition into another plane.
Finally, number six: no hunter shall refuse aid to another hunter. Another thing that she admired about bounty hunters: They take care of their own. When they were just starting out, bounty hunters offered them help and tips. None of it was without a price and all prices are negotiable, but they never paid more than their share, and never their bodies. They'd been on both sides of the table for this rule, negotiating for help and negotiating for pay.
Altogether, the work offered her some direction when they were without a rudder. It took them nearly a year to settle into this job, but Wolf took to it like a fish to water. Hawk struggled at first with the notion of killing to make money. She eventually found her wings beneath her, even more as her magic adapted to this strange galaxy. Their early debts kept them from getting a ship of their own, but they were finally making enough to strike out and purchase something for the two of them.
Wolf walked over to the tent, lifting the flap to stare at the body. "Damn."
"What got him?" Hawk asked, moving to take a look at the body.
Alive, Trickler stood just over two meters tall (two-point-zero-one meters to be exact), a gut that peaked over his trousers, and strong legs underneath the large body. His arms bugled with muscles, veins visible from exertion or maybe death. A scar crossed his face from the upper left portion of his forehead all the way down to his neck. His brown shirt stuck to his chest with a blaster scorched cleanly into him. Or what she thought was a blaster. It didn't look like any close-range burn she'd seen before, but maybe that just meant the killer had new tech.
"Double damn," Wolf said, pointing at hole.
"Yeah but…" Hawk turned to look around the cavern. There were no other signs of someone here. The dirt scuffed under the footsteps, presumable of Trickler and the killer. If it was a bounty hunter, they'd take the body or some proof of death with them.
"Set up here for the night?" Wolf asked. "He looks like he was planning to hide for a while."
Hawk followed the pointed finger to the crates in the tent. Seven of them on three selves. All lined up neatly. All locked tight presumably. An unslept bed, and a still warm body. Signs of someone living shortly here before dying very quickly and with very little effort. Not by a bounty hunter or another agent. No, this was done without emotion or regard of Trickler. Something felt wrong. "That thing? It still here?"
Wolf froze, her movements stuck between standing and crouching next to the acquisition. She turned to look at Hawk, her magic now spreading outward and combining with the external magic within this galaxy. Hawk stepped next to her, lifting up her body as she got lost in her sight. After an eternity of holding armor instead of flesh, she felt the magic recede back into Wolf.
"Yes," Wolf said, her weight dropping into Hawks' arms completely. "It's still there. It's closer, and bigger, and…and…horrible."
They should leave. Their bounty was dead, the shadow still around them. This hunt was wrong from the beginning.
"We can't." Wolf responded to the words bouncing around Hawk's skull. She turned to look at Hawk, before stepping out of her grasp. "We need to finish this."
"And if the shadow comes here?"
"We'll run," Wolf said, shrugging her shoulders. She glanced down the body. "Think you can remove the head?"
"Wolf," Hawk groaned. She reached out with her magic, meeting the turmoil flowing through her small body. Fear and anger stoked her storm, but her magic found the calm within the center. Grasping onto that calm, Hawk steadied herself as she contemplated their next move.
"Hawk. They're our friends. They're counting on us." Wolf stepped aside, giving Hawk access to the body.
Hawk stared at the acquisition, contemplating her choices. Yes, the Jedi were their friends, but friends in need weren't hard to come by in this galaxy. Yes, they took on this hunt which was more of a guard duty, but the Jedi stood guard over the queen. The shadow was here too, which meant they were more in danger than the Jedi or queen were.
Still, she ignored those thoughts because it was the right thing to do.
With a sigh, Hawk knelt beside the body and released the knife from her gauntlet. The hot metal glowed upon release and in one swift motion, the head rolled from the acquisition's body. Lifting up it up by its scummy hair, Hawk turned to see Wolf offering a bag. Nodding in thanks, she dropped the head into it, leaving Wolf to tie it off and then tie the bag to her belt.
What she wouldn't give a bottomless bag at the moment.
"We'll wait to morning," Hawk said, taking a step back, pulling Wolf with her. The tent flap dropped back, covering the body once more. "If another hunter doesn't show up, then we'll take it and head back into town."
"And…it?" Wolf glanced back around the cavern. Despite wanting to help, whatever the smonster was within the shadows scared Wolf something fierce. Hawk felt her own senses urging forward, attempting to gather more information.
"We'll deal with it if we have to," Hawk finally said after several long moments of silence. "Now, let's set up camp."
The next few hours slipped by in a comfortable silence. They fell into a familiar pattern, setting up their own camp away from the body and near their entrance. They didn't have sleeping bags or anything, but they wouldn't be sleeping. Not in the sense they normally could. They were on a hunt, which meant resting in shifts and staying besides one another at all times. Helmets came off, letting them munch on their packed rations. More were left at the speeder, but that was too far back to leave now.
Hawk took first shift, letting Wolf slumber against her. One hand on her love, the other on her blaster. She couldn't reach out with magic like Wolf could, but her eyes saw more than possible. For several hours, she shifted her glances between the two tunnels, silently watching for their acquisition's killer only to be met with darkness. Wolf woke and convinced her to rest as well, this time in her arms.
It was in those arms that shook her away. "It's coming." Wolf's whispered voice echoed through her helmet. Her voice was steady, hidden by the helmet and hidden from her fear.
Hawk snapped to attention, standing up quickly and drawing her blaster. With her free hand, she slid her helmet on, the HUD lighting up briefly as she surveyed her surroundings. Trickler's fire had long since gone out, but embers still danced in theirs. Just enough to provide some light in the darkness, but not enough to see anything approaching. Still, she swung to face the darkness. Tapping into her magic, she strained to see the shadow coming to them in the dark.
"Where?" Hawk asked. Wolf turned to the tunnel away from there, her blasters pointed into the dark.
Wolf's response died on her lips as a red light burst through the darkness. The sound of the laser igniting echoed around them. The red saber swung in the dark several times, taunting them to attack. This close, she felt the evil rolling off the shadow in waves. Her magic rebuffed against it, shielding her as best as it could. Still, a fear filled her gut at the sight of the shadow gaining form.
"Fu-" Her curse cut off as the saber moved toward them with unearthly speed. She fired off several green bolts at the red-skinned monster only to have them deflected away.
Even at his speeds, her eyes followed the beast. A Zabrak with red-skin and black tattooes swung the red light. He wore a black cloak, aiding him in creating the shadow façade. He moved with the ease of a dancer, swiftly moving forward even as he deflected every single one of their shots. Wolf bounded off to the side, her red bolts trailing behind the fleeing Zabrak.
Hawk caught the flick of his wrist as he pointed at something behind her. She ducked in time for a larger boulder to go sailing past her. She returned the attack with one of her own, sending her own shot back. A rail bolt flew from her gauntlet at the Zabrak, only for him to dodge again even as he deflected several of Wolf's shots.
The Zabrak charged Wolf, his ghastly image growing larger as he swung the red blade. The fear pooling inside Hawk threatened to bubble over at the sight of the charging monster at her partner. Tracking the movements, she fired off several rounds from her blaster even as she aimed her grappling hook. The bolts reflected off, one of them slamming back into her. She grunted under the pain, ignoring it as she finally finished the calculations in her head and fired off the hook.
As the Zabrak swung his blade at Wolf, the hook pierced his side. He screamed in agony as Hawk tried to pull him to her. The only reward for her efforts were a shudden burst of magic directed at her, sending her careening into the wall.
She slammed against the cave wall, pressed backward by an unnatural force. Her limbs felt crushed under the strain of the Zabrak's efforts. With one hand he kept deflecting Wolf's shots even as she crushed her entire body. The crushing sensation quickly added invisible fingers wrapping around her neck.
Hawk struggled against it, willing her arms to work against the force. Her fear quickly grew to anger, silently threatening the monster trying to kill her. She silently screamed. Her magic echoed that scream outward only to be swallowed by the shadow of the beast. Except it all was for naught. The darkness of the Zabrak's shadow pushed aside her magic as he tightened his grip on her. Her blaster fell limply from her fingers as she struggled to fill her lungs. The anger faded back into fear as she caught the yellow eyes glowing in the dying embers of their campfire.
Those eyes glared at her, willing her to die even as a darkness slowly filled her vision. With the last ounces of energy and magic, Hawk reached toward Wolf. She wasn't ready. This couldn't be the end. Not without saying goodbye, or telling Wolf she loved her one more time. It just couldn't.
A/N: So, not dead. I stalled out on this a bit, as a couple of scenes proved problematic. Nevertheless, I've managed to overcome them. I think. Regardless, I apologize for the delay. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. We are starting to see more of how magic and the Force are alike but different, and hopefully this becomes more evident as we go further through the looking glass.
In Star Wars related news, my heart is crushed at the thought of a world without General Organa, a princess, a rebel, a senator, and general. Carrie Fisher's star shone brightly and I am forever glad she had a chance to share Leia with us once more (and again by all accounts given that Episode 8 is finished). She was drowned in moonlight, strangled by her own bra.
Good night, and good luck.