Jyn wouldn't go down without putting up her most vicious fight. Maybe those damned niktos would succeed in assaulting and killing her, or abducting her as a gift for their lords, but she'd do all in her power to take chunks of them with herself to the grave.
They were four to one. Had her blaster been in full working order, they wouldn't have posed a problem and would be dead by now. But unluckily, the damned weapon had chosen that moment to run flat. She'd forgotten to recharge it or to swap it for a fresh one, and now that slip would cost her her physical integrity, her freedom and most possibly, her life. Most niktos were riff-raff who got along with the Hutts and supported them, becoming the ideal minions for one of the worst criminal organizations in the galaxy. Therefore, Jyn had very little chances of escaping with her life, unless those scum fancied using her as a sex pet for themselves and for the Hutts, in which case a quick death would be the best alternative.
If they had been only two, or three max, she might have knocked out or killed all of them or at least one or two. But four were proving to be a bit too much for her truncheons and vibroblade. Even so, she'd managed to cut one of them nastily and hit a couple of them hard, but they stood their ground. Now they were circling her like hound dogs, their wild eyes threatening the dirtiest retaliation.
She kept a firm grip on her weapons in a defensive posture, bleeding from a few swats and bruising badly from a couple of blows and kicks. A wild rush of adrenaline was running through her veins and she was calculating the most effective ways of inflicting pain. She was used to the thick of battle and skirmishes, and that wasn't the first time scum had attacked her, so she was perfectly capable of keeping a cool head. That had saved her in more than one occasion. Thugs tended to underestimate women like her, short, lean and with a fragile appearance. That was their downfall.
"Leave her alone," a commanding voice resounded in the alley. That caught by surprise the niktos around her, what she took to her immediate advantage. She threw her vibroblade straight to the face of the one just in front of her while tracing an arc with the truncheon and hitting another one on his stomach. At the same time, a blaster shot whizzed from behind her and another nikto fell heavily to the ground. She used the momentary chaos to crush the fourth one's windpipe with her fist. The newcomer's blaster whizzed again and in an instant, any remaining living attackers were dead.
Jyn turned around without relinquishing her grip on the truncheon (her blade was embedded to the hilt in one of the nikto's eyes and she hadn't had time to retrieve it).
Well, it wasn't just one newcomer. They were a human man and a KX droid. An Imperial droid. The man didn't have the appearance of an Imperial and had just saved her life, but she didn't lower her guard. She'd learned the hard way to distrust almost everyone and she still ignored the man's true intentions.
"Easy," he tried to appease with a calm, low voice. "We won't hurt you. Are you okay?," he asked. His concern looked genuine enough, but Jyn had crossed paths with a few first class dissemblers before. All that might be a facade to make her trust him.
"Yeah. Just a few scratches. Thank you," she conceded cautiously. She wanted to make herself scarce as quickly as possible, and besides she hadn't ever been one for small talk, if small talk was advisable in an alley where she was so exposed with a couple of strangers. The niktos had cornered her on a nearby street and in her haste to try to dodge them, she'd ended up there, like a beginner. But to her credit, Kafrene was a hell of a labyrinth and she hadn't been in the place for so long as to have memorized its chaotic streets.
"You're bleeding," the man observed. "I'm going to throw my portable medpack to you. It has bacta patches. No tricks, I swear." He kept his blaster downward and showed her his other empty hand. He reached for an inner pocket and removed slowly something inside. Jyn had her truncheon at the ready. "I'm Jeron, by the way. And this one is K-2SO, known as Kay. He's a reprogrammed droid," the man introduced them, tossing a small medpack at her. She caught it without tearing her eyes from the peculiar pair.
"Yes, I am," the droid corroborated. "I'm not like the rest of the KX droids. They're stupid and monomaniacal." His voice was different too, with no trace of monotony. And she caught hints of a sharp snarkiness she hadn't detected in any other droids before. She liked that feature instantly, and scolded herself for it. She didn't know anything about those two yet. It could all be a ruse to catch dupes.
With efficient motions, Jyn opened the pack and searched for the bacta patches it contained, among other emergency items. She adhered them to the bleeding wounds on her left arm and shoulder, and felt an instant relief. She then closed the medpack and tossed it back.
"Well, thanks again, and nice to meet you, guys. As much as I'm grateful for your help, I must get going." She would try to create a distraction and lunge for her vibroblade, in case they were intent on cornering her.
"May we escort you out of here at least?," the stranger offered. "Just to the next populated street. We should bugger off from here right away. And you better get back your vibroblade. There's no such thing as being too much armed in this planetoid," he added with a touch of dry humor. That almost elicited a smile from her, despite the whole situation, which was anything but humorous. "I'll trust that you won't throw it at me, will you? Anyway, if you do, then I can consider myself a dead man already. That nikto is living proof of your deadly aim."
The droid turned his head to his companion so sharply that, had he been a sentient, he'd have whiplash. "You're underestimating my reflexes on purpose. I surmise you're doing that because you are impressed by her skill and wish to ingratiate yourself with her." He then turned back his attention to her. Now she had to restrain her strong impulse to laugh, especially after noticing the man's visible blush under his tanned skin, and his rebellious expression, as if he was about to scold his droid companion for his loose tongue. "So you know, stranger, I'd intercept your vibroblade's trayectory with a one hundred percent accuracy, should you get any funny ideas," the droid informed her, deadpan. "The safety of my boss is my first priority."
"I have no doubt of that," she acquiesced. "I'll get my blade and we'll get the hell out of here. No funny ideas, ok?" Jyn knelt next to the corpse which had her weapon stabbed in it, always keeping the newcomers in her field of vision and moving carefully and slowly. She pulled the blade free with a strong yank and cleaned it on the corpse's clothes. Then she sheathed it in her utility belt. "See? You can breathe easy, your boss is safe. Oh, I forgot that droids don't breathe," she couldn't help needling.
She was certain that if the droid could have rolled his eyes, he'd have done it. "I'll not deign to reply to such a bad pun."
"Good, because I'm beginning to realize that you're quite the talkative type, aren't you?," she retorted. She was surprised to discover that she was enjoying a lot her banter with that droid.
"You two can bicker later," the man interrupted, but not before she caught a hint of a smile on his lips. "Shall we go, please?" He made an impatient gesture with his hand, pointing at the alley's entrance.
"By all means," Jyn agreed heartily. "Lead the way."
"I'll walk just behind him, so you won't have any chance at stabbing him, stranger woman. Remember, no funny ideas. I'd kill you before you could blink." And the droid did as he announced, stepping just behind Jeron.
"Come on, Kay, relax a bit. I'll take my chances with her, okay? Now shall we leave, please?" And the man started to walk with an stealth and agility characteristic of someone who knew well how to make himself invisible.
The droid automatically followed at the man's heels, and Jyn brought up the rear. After rounding a couple of corners, they reached a street where the usual crowds swarmed about.
"Well, we've reached our destination in one piece. Thanks for not stabbing me," the man teased, with that subtle smirk she'd began to identify as his particular way of messing around with her.
Despite herself, she found that peculiar pair very entertaining. "You're welcome. You can deem yourself as lucky for not having a taste of my aim. Many can't say the same."
The man seemed to hesitate. " I hope I'm not overstepping and tempting fate, but my friend and I might accompany you for a stretch. Just for protection. I don't doubt that you're used to manage on your own, but there's no harm in accepting a couple of free bodyguards for as long as you need them. What do you say?"
"Hey! Speak for yourself. I've not volunteered," the droid complained. Again, Jyn would have sworn that the droid's face somehow expressed his disagreement.
"Kay," the man admonished, and that seemed to placate momentarily his rebellious companion. It was obvious that the droid was fiercely loyal to him.
Jyn surprised herself accepting the offer. "Okay. I was going to visit an old friend, I suppose you can meet him as well. He's an excellent judge of character and has no qualms in kicking the asses of those he doesn't like. And he's very protective of me," she warned with apparent lightness. She was a good judge of character herself and her gut was telling her that her new acquaintances didn't have the intention of harming her, and Tikus would most surely confirm that impression (or deny it, but she was doubting that). If he smelled foul play, then they'd deal with those two. Tikus had effective resources to get rid of thugs.
"Just fair," the man went along. "We'll follow you, but we'll keep in your field of vision if that soothes you. I swear that we won't try anything against you. We aren't your enemy, truly, but I understand your mistrust. I'm just like that as well, believe me. I've had my share of betrayals and dealings with bad people."
"I can bear witness to that," the droid corroborated. "And for your information, my boss' body response to you shows that he's protective of you, what implies that he genuinely likes you. So you don't have to worry."
"Kay!," the man snapped, visibly annoyed and embarrassed by the droid's indiscretion.
Jyn felt a shiver run down her spine. She too felt an odd pull toward the stranger. Jeron. Or whoever he really is. He was handsome, very handsome, with his deep brown eyes, his dark, thick hair, his beard and moustache, his lean body with a hint of muscle underneath his clothes. His mysterious air.
That scared her. No one had made her feel that in years, if ever. That visceral squeeze in her gut.
Smiling at the pair's bickering to try to hide her confusion, she set in motion. "Let's go."
And the three started to make their way through the crowds.
Note (26th July 2023): I've changed a line in this chapter concerning Jyn's stay in Kafrene (the line which now says: But to her credit, Kafrene was a hell of a labyrinth and she hadn't been in the place for so long as to have memorized its chaotic streets.) I've made a small plot change, nothing important.