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For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I, Mature]

Postby MillietheWarrior » 04/10/2010 12:52 AM


Okay. Honestly, he had better things to do. And honestly, he really, really, really….wanted some apple juice. He leaned back in his chair, hands shoved in his dark leather jacket pockets. The chair tipped dangerously, before settling back on the floor with a loud clatter. Sole’s light red eyes scanned the cantina, looking for a familiar flash of color, or a familiar face that he knew had to be there soon. It was a slow night; it was, of course, a weeknight after all. Who in their right mind went out drinking when they had to work the next day? Apparently, Sole did. He grumbled to himself, muttering something under his breath that made a nearby waitress cast him a sour look. Sole ignored her as she sauntered over and set his apple juice down in front of him. Her frosty look didn’t thaw in the least when he glanced up at her and growled; he seemed to be on her permanent ‘I’m going to glare at you until you leave’ list. How lovely for him.

Sole reached forward and grabbed the glass of juice, taking a long drink and then grinning form ear to ear; well, if that didn’t beat all. Seemed the seediest bar in town also offered the best apple juice in town. Sole set the glass back on the table, scooting his chair back so he could rest his booted feet on the table. This earned him another sour look from the waitress, but he ignored her. Discreetly, he patted the blaster strapped to the inside of his jacket; it was unnoticeable, small, untraceable. It linked him to no one and nothing, and was the perfect gun for a mercenary; a mercenary he was not. Sole was a soldier, a captain, a commander. This kind of mission was beneath him, and certainly not something he enjoyed; he had hoped Traveler would be sent in his stead, but his slippery little assistant somehow managed to worm his way out of it.

As much as he hated this, however, it was a necessary mission, for the good of the republic. He was after a mercenary; a very dangerous mercenary whose name changed as much as the bounty on her head. It was currently why Sole was here, and she was currently the bane of his existence. He felt useless, sent on a recon and infiltration mission while his brothers fought on the front line. This wasn’t what he was trained for. Sole closed his eyes briefly, leaning back in his chair, and silently waited for the sound of the door of the cantina to open, lost in his thoughts.

[1]

I love adventurous tales like that. That uplifting feeling that comes from seeing unknown lands and the knowledge that you came across—nothing can replace it! It opens a path from which self-confidence, experience, and important friendships—from the sharing of life or death situations—are born! But hearing it just isn’t the same. I want to create my own magnificent story!



A great adventure!


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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby Flame » 04/10/2010 10:23 AM

The little bell by the door jingled softly as a newcomer entered the bar, sounding somewhat tired and rusty, as if it hadn’t seen much traffic in the past few years of its life. The opposite was true though: despite the less-than-savory appearance of the little building, it happened to be one of the hotspots in town; that is, if you were down with the low-life of the city. Normally on a weekend, this place would be packed to the brim with people from all walks of the city, having a drink, socializing, and occasionally stirring up trouble. Today though, only a few patrons populated the dingy little bar, each claiming their own respective space amidst the sea of empty chairs and booths. As the door swung open to admit the newcomer, it was accompanied by a crude catcall from out on the street, which was abruptly cut off as the door swung shut once more with another jaded jingle.

The person who entered turned out to be a young woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties, apparently somewhat unfamiliar with the neighborhood she found herself in. It was not hard to see why she turned so many heads though: she looked as if she were from the upper-middle class, dressed in light khaki slacks and a smart, form-fitting blouse of a shade between rose and burgundy. Her features were angular and striking; a fair complexion framed by chocolate-brown hair, off-set by a pair of strikingly blue eyes. All-in-all, it was quite easy to see why she caught all the attention she did, simply by walking down the street. At her feet padded a Khimera with an exotic patterning across her pelt, who shared that same fluid, feline grace as her mistress and even seemed to wear the same look of regal dignity, minus the innocence. She followed her mistress to a deserted table, settling herself comfortably at the young woman’s feet, bladed tails flicking lazily as golden eyes took in their surroundings and the people around them.

The young woman, Astraea, had that sweet, vulnerably innocent look about her as she walked into the bar, glancing around curiously at the venue as she made her way towards an unclaimed table. In fact, there was a lot more to this pretty face than met the eye; the set-up, her whole guise, the reactions she got from passersby, they were all intended. She had a job to do today, and this was her way of getting it done. As things most often went, she was on the hunt for a particular someone today, thanks to the client she had just met up with earlier this morning. She’d been told that this was the place to find him, and thus, here she was. Today, she was playing the bounty hunter, and currently, she was seeking out her quarry, based off of the tip provided by her client. Knowing the sector she was headed into, she’d intentionally gone for the ‘inconspicuously conspicuous’ look, whereas a less-experienced person would probably have aimed to blend in. Every so often, one of the richer folk would wander into these parts of town, and without a doubt, they always drew a lot of attention and turned a lot of heads, especially when they happened to be an attractive young woman such as herself. This was exactly the effect Astraea was looking for: if you were looking for someone in a place where all of the scum looked pretty much identical, it helped if people gave you a clear look at their faces for identification purposes. Plus, no one ever remembered the random, lost individuals who occasionally wandered through the town, so she could as good as vanish afterwards.

So, as she walked in to all of the various looks she got, Astraea simultaneously surveyed her audience with a quick, unnoticeable glance. Ah, so he was here…the man she was supposed to bring in ‘preferably alive’. She wasn’t the kind of person to botch a job, so if they wanted ‘alive’, then they would get ‘alive’. He was currently sitting alone at a table, apparently relaxing, enjoying the evening off. Something felt a little…off about the whole situation though. Not only had it been far too easy to find her bounty, it also seemed like he’d been waiting for something as she’d walked in. Strange. Not to mention the fact that the man was a Clone (she did a discreet double-take to check – yes, definitely a Clone, she’d recognize that face anywhere), yet he didn’t work for the GAR. Even stranger. Despite the funny feeling her gut was giving her, creds were creds, and the client was offering a lot of them, so she didn’t question her assignment. Choosing a table a little ways away, she settled down to observe her target over a cup of coffee, which she ordered from the surly waitress. She watched him discreetly out of the corner of her eye, should it so happen that he was watching her as well, for whatever unspoken purpose. For now, she would bide her time to avoid underestimating, or overestimating, her target, and wait for an opportunity to present itself to her.
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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby MillietheWarrior » 04/11/2010 12:12 AM

Ah…And there she was.

Sole was struck with just how young and, he hated to admit it, beautiful she was. And she certainly didn’t look like a bounty hunter. He eyed her discreetly, pretending to be caught up in his drink as he watched her out of the corner of her eye. He had to be sure she had spotted him before he made his move. He couldn’t help but notice how gracefully she moved, or the way she held herself; she was anything but a low level hunter, and she certainly didn’t dress like she was anything less than a business woman. Sole was vaguely surprised by her appearance, but he made no indication that he’d even noticed her. The cat at he side, an exotic beast he’d never before seen or come across in his thirteen short years, might be a problem; the wicked claws and fangs it sported certainly didn’t look like anything but lethal weapons, and he was certain that if he ran afoul of either of them, he would come out worse for the wear.

And the armor the cat had was another thing entirely; it would be difficult finding a weak spot when it came to that creature. But for the moment, Sole settled on acting casual. It was easy enough; he just ignored her, keeping his eyes down and his gaze on his apple juice. He was disappointed to see that his glass was slowly draining, and soon enough, it would be empty; he had no desire to recall the waitress form before. Her ‘I’m going to glare at you until you leave’ routine made him somewhat uncomfortable. He sighed heavily, setting his glass back down heavily on the table, both hand curling around it almost protectively. He still did not look up, still did not make any eye contact with the woman in question, and instead, hunched his shoulders slightly. If she was smart, she would have noticed that he’d begun to become fidgety; and indeed, he had.

His fingers drummed almost nervously against the table, head tilting from left to right as if looking for someone or something. His left leg jiggled almost impatiently, as if waiting for something to happen. He lifted his glass and drained it, setting it back down with a loud ‘thunk’ before he finally straightened in his seat. Sole turned his head very slowly, purposefully, eyes scanning across the room. When they reached her, he let his eyes widen only slightly, making his apparent ‘nervous guy’ routine look quite convincing. On the inside, he was mentally smiling; she was bound to have noticed something was wrong by now. Slowly, Sole stood from his seat, flipping a coin onto the table.

He turned up the collar on his dark jacket, his eyes glancing quickly and nervously to Astraea. He kept his pace slow, shoulders hunched, head turned away from the woman as his hands fidgeted in his jacket. As he neared the door, he picked up speed, before his hand grabbed the knob and he tore it open, his slow amble turning into a fast-paced run as he darted out the door and down the street. He smirked; she’d have to work for this bounty. He’d see just how far she’d go to get those creds.

[2]

I love adventurous tales like that. That uplifting feeling that comes from seeing unknown lands and the knowledge that you came across—nothing can replace it! It opens a path from which self-confidence, experience, and important friendships—from the sharing of life or death situations—are born! But hearing it just isn’t the same. I want to create my own magnificent story!



A great adventure!


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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby Flame » 04/11/2010 1:25 AM

The waitress returned with a steaming cup of coffee, complete with cream and sugar, and Astraea glanced up at her with a small smile and nod in thanks. The other woman seemed to be considerably more courteous towards the obviously wealthier-looking client, probably in the hopes of earning herself a larger tip than what she was used to receiving from the deadbeats who frequented this joint. After dismissing the waitress with the assurance that there was nothing else she needed, Astraea sipped leisurely on the warm, sugary concoction, returning to the task of studying her target. He seemed burly and well-built; that might pose a slight problem when it came around to actually taking him down…but she could worry about that later. Right now, her main concern was figuring out exactly how she was going to go about doing it.

A few moments later, after the man had finished his drink, he finally took a good look around the bar. As soon as his gaze fell upon hers, Astraea could see the immediate, if subtle, change in his pose as he caught sight of her. If his current reaction and previous jitteriness was anything to judge by, then she was certain that he knew he was being pursued, and apparently, had been tipped off as to who would be coming after him as well. He made a hasty, somewhat edgy exit, all but running out the door, and Astraea sighed lightly to herself in mild exasperation. So her whole get-up had been rather unnecessary to begin with. Plus, he hadn’t given her an opportunity to glean more information about himself and his habits before taking off either, which meant that she would have to play the situation by ear as she’d all but alerted him to the fact that he was being tracked. Syria growled softly from her position at her mistress’s feet, clearly frustrated at seeing her prey take off and eager to be on the hunt. Astraea reached down and patted her head soothingly. ”I know, sweetheart. I know.” Despite the newfound urgency in the situation, she maintained her calm, unruffled appearance, taking the time to finish her coffee at an unhurried pace. She didn’t want to be linked to a person’s disappearance, after all.

After a sufficient amount of time had passed since the man’s departure, Astraea finally rose from her seat, placing a few coins on the table; enough to pay for the coffee and provide a healthy tip for the waitress as well. With hardly a glance around her, she made her way leisurely over to the door, the Khimera rising as well to follow her mistress out of the seedy pub. As the door swung closed once more behind her with a muted tinkle, the young woman simply gestured down the street as she glanced down at her companion, and without a sound, the feline took off, following the trail which her quarry left. For this reason, Astraea had not been overly concerned with immediately chasing after her bounty – after all, he could only run but so far, and Syria had yet to fail to track down a target on the run. Loping along behind the big cat, she kept her heightened senses attuned to her surroundings. After all, she wouldn’t be surprised if he were to set up an ambush, or other surprise of some sort for his pursuers, and she certainly didn’t feel like letting one of those put a damper on her evening today. Surprisingly, she didn’t pull out a weapon, or any other such apparatus with which to incapacitate her quarry. If anything, she didn’t look like a threat at all…as for what she was planning to do once she caught up to him…well, that would just have to wait to play out.
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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby MillietheWarrior » 04/11/2010 2:25 AM

Interesting.

Sole was well aware that he wasn’t being followed. He slowed his pace a little, now moving at a brisk jog instead of a full out sprint. He glanced over his shoulder once, and smirked; she was smarter than he imagined. Of course, in her line of work, it was best to have a few more brains than looks. In her case, she probably had equal parts of both, and knew how to use them. Sole reminded himself to watch out for them; he didn’t need to get distracted by a pretty face or outsmarted by a witty woman. A few passerby gave him strange looks, but as he moved along the lower levels of the city, the foot traffic thinned and nearly disappeared altogether. He passed one or two street vendors, men selling their stims or black market items that he certainly had no interest in.

For a moment, he considered jotting down their locations to hand over to the CSF task force, then thought better of it; it would just be a waste of time. After a few minutes of leisurely jogging, Sole heard the tell-tale sound of footsteps behind him. Or rather, paw-steps. He turned and glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening in imagined horror as he saw the massive beast that had accompanied the woman loping along after him, it’s master hot on it’s heels. Turning back around, Sole poured on the speed, boots thudding heavily on the walkway. He smirked, lowering his head as he concentrated on where he was going; she was doing just what he thought she would. It was the classic game of cat and mouse, but it was anyone's guess as to which of them was which. It would be easy enough to avoid her, but it wasn’t avoidance that he was looking for; he needed to get closer to her, to make her think she had the upper hand.

He decided that allowing her to catch him, if only momentarily, would be the best way to go about that. Of course, he couldn’t just make it easy for her. He was, after all, an ARC. He was an Advanced Recon Commando, the best of the best, and he wouldn’t be caught by some measly woman after a lousy five minute chase. Sole could hear his heart pounding in his ears, beating in time with his footsteps. He concentrated on leveling out his breathing, keeping his vitals under control, as he swerved into an alley. Near the end was a ladder that led up to a nearby roof; he’d see just how committed to this chase she was. With a massive leap, Sole reached up and grabbed the tail end of the ladder, hauling himself up by his arms. He glanced down below at the ground, and then climbed quickly, one hand rising above the other as he finally made it to the roof.

Once there, he scanned the surrounding area; it was clear, and empty, with only the heating and air conditioning units to keep him company. He kept his face carefully neutral as he glanced over the side of the roof to see if she was following, before he sprinted across it, now slowing as he reached the end, and leaped. The ground fell from beneath him as he leapt from one roof to the next, the flashing neon lights of the lower levels of Coruscant nearly blinding him as he tucked his body and rolled across the opposite roof. He uncurled himself, kneeling on the roof as he glanced once more over his shoulder. He smirked, before he was off and running again, repeating the performance to the next building; he wondered what would happen when he ran out of rooftops and buildings to climb. Until then, he'd make her work for those creds. If she could keep up with him, maybe she deserved them.

[3]

I love adventurous tales like that. That uplifting feeling that comes from seeing unknown lands and the knowledge that you came across—nothing can replace it! It opens a path from which self-confidence, experience, and important friendships—from the sharing of life or death situations—are born! But hearing it just isn’t the same. I want to create my own magnificent story!



A great adventure!


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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby Flame » 04/11/2010 2:18 PM

Astraea kept her run to a somewhat easy pace as she followed her companion through the winding streets of the city, attracting some odd glances from the people she darted by as they made way for her to pass. After all, getting bowled over by an armored, over-sized feline certainly did not make for a good day. If she ran full-tilt, Astraea had no doubt that she could quickly catch up to her target, but then, it would be somewhat suspicious if someone happened to see a woman streaking down the street at a speed faster than what would be humanly possible. Finally, after a minute or two of pursuit, she caught sight of the familiar form, a few hundred feet ahead. She saw him turn to glance over his shoulder, catching sight of his pursuers, then put on a burst of speed and power away from them towards goodness-knows-where. Astraea sighed lightly in resignation; so, he planned on giving her the full run-around, did he? Well, she had no doubt that they would eventually catch up, but these chases always felt like a waste of time to her. After all, all he was accomplishing was dragging out the inevitable.

The pair followed as Sole made a sharp turn into a shadowy alleyway, the Khimera a few steps ahead of her mistress as they gave chase. The young woman had rather been hoping that the alley would end in a wall, or some other dead-end, but once again, luck did not seem to be on her side as she watched the man clamber up the ladder at the end of the narrow street. While Astraea followed via the same means, Syria chose the quicker alternative route. Never breaking her gait, she leaped onto a trash receptacle unit (a.k.a. a Dumpster x3), and from there, bunching up her steely, sinuous muscles, took a flying leap to clear the wall and land on all fours on the level roof, casting her glance around until it once again fell upon her quarry. She took off after Sole once more, Astraea now a little further behind, but making up for lost time fast.

The Khimera’s gait was smooth and silent, that of a hunter in earnest pursuit as she slowly closed the distance between her and her ‘prey’. She was entirely in her element here: with no obstacles to get in her way, she cleared the jumps between buildings with ease, her four paws making for more balance and stability on this high-speed rooftop chase. Her mistress, on the other hand, did not have the same advantages, but still held her own just as well as their bounty did. Slowly but surely, the distance between them was dropping away, and Astraea put on an extra burst of speed, although it seemed that Syria was going to reach the man first. The Khimera knew her part well though, as this was not the first (not even close) chase she had been on, and she was well-versed in taking down a target unharmed…well, at least relatively so.
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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby MillietheWarrior » 04/11/2010 3:34 PM

Sole didn’t stop, didn’t even pause for breath before he was leaping to the next rooftop, repeating the tuck and roll maneuver he’d used on the last one. He came up kneeling, one hand supporting his heavy frame while he glanced over his shoulder; they were still coming. He turned back around, adrenaline racing through his body. It had been far too long since he’d had this much fun, and even longer since he’d been able to really get out and stretch his legs. He was really enjoying himself, despite the threat of a very painful  capture by the woman and her armored beast. He smiled brightly anyways; it was in times like these when he always had the most fun. When he was running from the enemy, advancing towards the hoards of droids waiting for him, when he got into close range combat with the super battle droids, when an explosion went off only a few feet away; he lived for this. It was more like play time for him than actual ‘running for his life.’

Sole came to the end of the next rooftop, and leapt, once more tucking and rolling as he hit the ground hard on the next building. Slowly, each rooftop was becoming inclined, and Sole realized he was running up, rather than forward; they were getting higher and higher into the city, where the flashing neon lights and the sky lanes waited. This was not a place for pedestrians. Sole grinned again; good thing he wasn’t your average, everyday pedestrian then, right? He had now run out of rooftops, he realized as he came skidding to a halt at the end of the last one. The distance between himself and his pursuers was slowly beginning to close, and Sole glanced over his shoulder to see just how close they were. Close. Too close. Sole turned around quickly, eyes scanning for an escape; they were high enough up now that the wind whipped about him dangerously, and the lower levels were nothing but a mere memory; they seemed as though they were miles and miles down, and indeed, they were.

Sole hadn’t realized how high he’d climbed or how far he’d run. Panting softly, he glanced about, before he finally found it. Turning, he stood on the edge of the rooftop, facing his pursuers. With a quick smile and a two fingered salute, Sole let himself fall backwards off the roof. The wind rushed past him, filling his ears and chilling his skin, Casually, he reached out both arms, and his hands caught on a pole extended from the side of a building. Sole swung in a circle, hands gripping the pole tightly before he propelled himself off of it using the force of his movements, and landed hard on the side of a slanted building. His boots skidded against the slick surface, and he found himself sliding rapidly down it, hearing the wind screaming past him. He was now at eye level with the sky lane and he briefly considered hijacking some transport.

Of course, that would just make things a bit more difficult for him. Sole glanced down to see the building was coming to an end. “Shab,” he growled, before he slid over the end, one hand hooking on the side of the building. He swung there for a moment, eyes searching for an escape route, before he saw it; a small walkway just below the roof-like outcropping. Sole swung himself slowly, before he let go and leapt, launching himself at the walkway and disappearing from sight. He landed much like a cat, breathing deeply and calming his nerves; that was quite the rush, he decided with a smirk, as he once more took off down the walkway.

[4]

I love adventurous tales like that. That uplifting feeling that comes from seeing unknown lands and the knowledge that you came across—nothing can replace it! It opens a path from which self-confidence, experience, and important friendships—from the sharing of life or death situations—are born! But hearing it just isn’t the same. I want to create my own magnificent story!



A great adventure!


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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby Flame » 04/11/2010 5:13 PM

Astraea noticed that as they ran, they were ascending ever higher and higher towards the upper levels of the city. The people on the streets below were now nothing but mere specks, milling about under the lights of the Coruscant night-scene, oblivious to the action high above their heads. She was glad for the cover of darkness; the less attention drawn to this chase, the better. The last thing she needed was for the CSF to show up and ruin what she’d accomplished so far, even if it wasn’t much. She had to give the man credit though; he could certainly run when the need arose. Unlike most of the other bounties she’d chased down, he had yet to falter or show signs of tiring, a fact which earned him a little respect in her eyes. If he was going to run, at least he could give her a chase worth her time. Plus, at the end of the day, it would make his capture all the more satisfactory, once she caught up to him.

Astraea noticed at almost the exact same moment as Sole did that he didn’t have anywhere else to run. They’d reached the last and highest roof in the proximity, and there was nothing on the other side but a sheer, unbroken drop, all the way to the concrete pavement below. She grinned inwardly to herself; so, this was what it all boiled down to. It’d been a fun chase, but it was about time they wrapped it up and called it a day, since she had better things she could be doing with her time outside of running around the rooftops of the city helter-skelter like a chicken with its head cut off. Slowing slightly as she approached, Astraea saw Sole turn to look back at his pursuers. What threw her off though, was the expression he was wearing; he did not seem worried or apprehensive at all. In fact, she could have sworn that he looked almost amused by the whole situation, as if this whole thing were nothing but a joke. Then, he vanished.

Well, vanished might not have been the exact word for it; the Khimera skidded to a halt at the edge of the roof, snarling her frustration as she watched her quarry drop farther and farther away. She had been outsmarted, and it certainly did not make her a happy kitty. Astraea stopped at the edge of the roof as well, watching impassively as Sole made his getaway, resting a hand on Syria’s plated head. The feline instantly quieted, although a low rumble still emanated from her chest. The young woman considered taking the same route as her target, but decided it would be too time-consuming. She wasn’t giving up the chase right there, no, not just because of this little hindrance in her plans. If there was one thing that she was certain of now though, it was that this man was no ordinary petty thief. He was obviously well-trained and confident in his skills if he could pull off a daredevil stunt like that, and Astraea paused to reassess her perspective of him. She’d have to be careful about underestimating him again…it could end up costing her dearly if she did.

Having figured out the general direction in which he was heading, she took off once again, back down the roof they had just ascended. Syria broke away from her, bounding further down before vanishing from sight; she knew what to do…she would just have to find a different route to go about doing it. Astraea, on the other hand, cut off to one side, taking a new course over the rooftops, careful to remain out of sight, although she occasionally checked over the edge of the roof to make sure she was still following Sole. Hmmm…still too high though. She glanced around ahead of her, looking for a solution. Ah, there. A skyscraper that towered above them stood just ahead, its four faces ribbed with thin metal support beams which ran both horizontally and vertically. Astraea hopped over to the rooftop next to the building, then, just before she reached the end of the roof, launched herself across the divide, catching hold of one of the vertical beams which reached all the way to the ground level. She slid down the support at a breakneck pace, only just catching herself a few floors above the pavement, grimacing lightly as the metal chafed against her hands. Swinging herself onto a low roof nearby, she once again took off running, having seen where Sole had disappeared to. A moment or two later, she was running along another roof which ran parallel to the walkway, staying low so that she remained invisible to anyone watching from below. Banking on her luck that she was going in the same direction as Sole was, she reached the end of the building, then, pausing to take a deep breath, swung herself over the edge of the roof to land firmly on the path, just ahead of the man. She glanced up with a small, triumphant smile. Gotcha.
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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby MillietheWarrior » 04/11/2010 5:57 PM

They were gone. Out of his sight. Sole no longer had the advantage of knowing exactly where his pursuers were. This was disheartening and somewhat nerve-wracking. He never did well with surprises, and he imagined that cat jumping out from behind a corner would probably scare him right off this walkway. He didn’t fancy a plummet all the way down to the lower-levels; his poor little body would be nothing but a clone pancake if that happened. As he ran, he wondered if the woman knew what she was up against. In his ‘bounty profile’ he’d been described as a runaway ARC, a rogue soldier who was to be hunted down and taken alive at all costs. The Republic was rather good at making things sound dramatic; Sole had not gone over the wall, and he never had any intention of doing so. But the way they portrayed him as an ‘Extremely dangerous and intelligent soldier. Highly trained in hand to hand combat and weapons techniques. Approach with extreme caution; will kill on sight’ was rather amusing.

So he was really that dangerous, huh? He wondered who they’d send after him if he ever actually did make a runner. He imagined it’d be somewhere along the lines of some of the best bounty hunters and special Ops. He’d heard the tales about Clones sent after Clones, brothers killing brothers. He knew that the GAR sent their own after the guys who went over the wall; none of them ever last very long. They were like trained Akk dogs; fighters, killers and too dangerous to be made into a house pet once their fighting career was over. They either had to live out their life with the GAR, or be put down…the hard way. Sole closed his eyes briefly, his balance perfect, his stance unwavering as he sprinted down the walkway. Then he opened his eyes, and he was surprised to see something -no, someone- blocking his path. He skidded to a halt, nearly colliding with the woman as he sprang backwards a few paces. The narrow walkway didn’t have enough room for him to get around her. Sole eyed the distance between the walkway and the ground, and decided he didn’t want to be a pancake anytime soon.

He stood up straight, running a hand through his ultra-cropped hair, before his gaze alighted back on the woman. He was breathing heavily, though he knew he could still un for hours if he needed to. The adrenaline was slowly wearing off. “Gotta hand it to you, bounty hunter,” he said in a deep voice, speaking for the first time. “You don’t know when to quit.” Sole smiled brightly at her, something that was probably quite off-putting, before he checked the gauntlet on his wrist, the vibroblade ejected with a ‘shunk’ from beneath the leather of his jacket’s arm, before he lunged at her; she could run, all right…but could she fight? “Why don’t I help you handle that pesky little problem, then?!”

[5]

I love adventurous tales like that. That uplifting feeling that comes from seeing unknown lands and the knowledge that you came across—nothing can replace it! It opens a path from which self-confidence, experience, and important friendships—from the sharing of life or death situations—are born! But hearing it just isn’t the same. I want to create my own magnificent story!



A great adventure!


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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby Flame » 04/11/2010 7:34 PM

Astraea watched evenly as Sole continued to plow towards her, clearly unaware of her presence. As he drew even closer, she had the overwhelming urge to yell “Boo!”, or something along those lines to give him a proper fright, if only for her own amusement. She couldn’t risk an accident though (like him falling off the walkway to his death, for example), since that would just look sloppy on her record, and so she resigned herself to waiting for him to notice her there or having to make some drastic, on-the-spot decision when he ran into her, full-tilt. Luckily, she was spared the second option as she watched the man scramble backwards at the last moment, and she could feel the whoosh of air pass her by from the narrowly-avoided collision. Sapphire eyes were somewhat amused as she observed the man she had been chasing for the past few minutes, weighing him up properly for a fight, which now seemed inevitable. Her breathing was still regular, as if she hadn’t been running at all; one of the benefits of being a member of the undead. Not that anyone was aware of the fact. It was one of those things that gave her an almost unfair advantage over any mortal bounty she was sent after.

“Nice to meet you too, Captain Varro,” she replied smoothly, her liquid voice mellifluous as she dipped her head graciously, as if this were a perfectly civil introduction they were having, instead of a deadly chase which could very well end in the death of one of the participants. A small, mild smile touched her lips at his words, eyes flickering with laughter as she stood, apparently at ease. She tucked a stray lock of windswept brown hair behind her ear as she replied, her tone light, conversational. “I’m afraid it’s a…terminal illness of mine. You seem to have the same problem though, if you don’t mind me saying.” In truth, she didn’t look like much of a threat at all – if anything, she could have been any well-dressed civvie one might meet while wandering the streets of Coruscant. Astraea could imagine that if anyone were to chance across this fight, it would look extremely one-sided, if it even looked like a fight at all. Sole looked the kind of guy who could crush her without effort, but he was about  to learn otherwise.

Astraea hardly glanced at the viroblade as the weapon was unsheathed, her expression still cool and unchanging. She waited for him to make the first move, and as soon as he did, she retaliated almost reflexively, letting him come dangerously close before batting the bladed arm away from her body, ducking around the man so that his current momentum carried him past her. “You know, you could save me a lot of trouble if you’d just give it up now,” she commented lightly as she whirled with inhuman speed, aiming to plant a swift kick somewhere on his upper back before he turned around, hopefully knocking him off balance. If she could get him off of his feet, it would make pinning him down and incapacitating him a much easier task. She used no weapons, since her goal was to hand him over unscathed, and accidents were less likely to happen the fewer weapons there were flying around. After all, the client was likely to pay more for goods that were returned unharmed, and Astraea was quite proud of the quality of her work, and quite determined to maintain that standard.
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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby MillietheWarrior » 04/11/2010 8:36 PM

Interestingly enough, Sole was not surprised that she knew his name. He was a little annoyed that the Republic had used his actual name on the listing, but he could do nothing about it now. That was something person, his name. He only allowed those closest to him to use it, so to hear this strange woman call him by it was a little disconcerting. “Sorry,” he grunted. “Didn’t catch your name. Since you obviously know so much about me, it’s only fair I should know some more about you.” She dodged his strike, something he had been anticipating.

When her leg sprang backwards to deliver a kick, Sole flattened his massive body against the wall, his foot missing him by only mere inches. He smirked, and the vibroblade sheathed itself with a sound of metal scraping against metal. “Well…As much as I’d love to stay and chat,” he said with a smirk. “I was anticipating this so…” He shot down the walkway for a few feet, before leaping off to the side and sliding down another rooftop. His boots squeaked as he tried to gain purchase; he was nearing the end, and this time, there was no walkway to save him.

As he reached the dip in the bottom, just wide enough for a man to stand, the momentum of his fall nearly carried him over the edge. If it wasn’t for his quick thinking, he would be a clone pancake; he ejected his vibroblade, slamming it into the roof. Sparks showered and peppered his face, stinging at his eyes. Sole ignored it as the blade hooked into the metal and stopped his freefall. His body jerked to a halt, and he grimaced as he hauled himself back up.

He glanced up, catching sight of the woman still standing on the walkway, and casually blew her a kiss before he was running down the walkway, evading his pursuer once more.

[6]

((Sucky short post ^^;; ))

I love adventurous tales like that. That uplifting feeling that comes from seeing unknown lands and the knowledge that you came across—nothing can replace it! It opens a path from which self-confidence, experience, and important friendships—from the sharing of life or death situations—are born! But hearing it just isn’t the same. I want to create my own magnificent story!



A great adventure!


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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby Flame » 04/11/2010 10:11 PM

Astraea was neither surprised, nor discouraged, when Sole dodged her counter-attack. If he’d been that easy to take down, well, then his profile obviously made him out to be a lot more dangerous than he really was. ”Well, since you obviously knew who you were running from, I refuse to believe that you know nothing about me. Not saying that whatever intel you have is necessarily correct though, that is.” She smiled lightly at him, still unruffled. “For our purposes though, ‘Hey Beautiful’ works for me.” What was this? Was she toying with her target? She seemed almost like a cat, playing with a mouse right before delivering the death blow. It clearly said that she was in no way intimidated by this much larger man who could, under any other circumstances, squash her like a bug. True, it might be somewhat out-of-character for her to be so…unfocused while on the job (generally, she wouldn’t even speak to her targets), but apparently, she was in a chatty mood today.

The young woman watched, somewhat loathe to give chase, as Sole made a break for it once again, hopping off the walkway, only to barely save himself from becoming a splat on the pavement far below. Astraea sighed with growing exasperation; okay, maybe this was fun the first two or three times, but really, it was just starting to get on her nerves now. Oh sure, he was good at making getaways, she’d give him that much credit, and she enjoyed a good chase every now and then, but there was a fine line between being a good escape artist and just being plain annoying, especially if you couldn’t make a clean getaway after a couple of tries. He needed to either completely throw her off his trail, or take a stand, but currently, he didn’t seem like he was interested in doing either, which she found somewhat confusing. All-in-all, it was as if he wasn’t really trying to get away from her…just lead her on a wild goose-chase across the city.

While she was still regrouping on the recently-vacated walkway, she saw Sole turn to glance up at her, cheekily blowing her a kiss before dashing off down the new pathway. Although somewhat irritated, Astraea had to grudgingly admit that she’d been asking for it. If she’d been in his place, she probably would have given as good as she got, which, in his defense, was exactly what he’d done. She sighed with half-amused exasperation as she considered her next course of action, but just then, a familiar form shot around the corner at the end of Sole’s walkway, a good distance away, but closing fast. And here came the cavalry, right on time as usual, Astraea thought to herself with a grin as Syria came rocketing towards them, a black and gold blur of fur and metal. Taking advantage of her lighter weight, Astraea maneuvered down to the lower walkway to close off Sole’s other exit, effectively pinning him between his two pursuers. There were no more roofs nearby for him to make another similar escape, and she sauntered towards him, wearing that same nonchalant smile. “Check. Your move.”


{Haha, so apparently, she plays chess? xD}
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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby MillietheWarrior » 04/11/2010 11:33 PM

Well, she was certainly angry, he knew that much. From the look of frustration on her face as he sped away, he was certain she’d get fed up and end the chase. If that was true, then he’d simply report back to his superiors that she wasn’t as dangerous as they thought, and, consequently, not worth their time. Of course, while hw as cheekily observing her from his platform, he failed to see the cat streaking towards him, and very nearly barreled into it. “Oh, holy crap!” he shouted, skidding to a halt and very nearly falling off the narrow walkway. He scrambled backwards and turned, but came face to face with the woman again. Mentally, he smirked; she was better than he thought.

But it didn’t mean she had the upper hand, nor did it mean he was giving in. Sole stood silently between the two, sizing up the woman before him with a dark gaze. He had to keep reminding himself to stare in character; he was a surly, over-the-wall ARC and he wasn’t about to be captured. He had to remind himself that he wanted to kill her, to get away by any means possible. Well, it wouldn’t be that hard to act, would it? Sole grinned, amused at his own thoughts; he’d basically just described himself to the T, minus the over-the-wall bit. “Hey beautiful,” he said with an amused grin.

“We’ve gotta stop meeting like this. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were stalking me. What was it that drew you to me? My devilish good looks, or my awesome physique?” Sole resisted the urge to burst into highly amused laughter. Without warning, he sprang towards her, vibroblade unsheathing as he did so, and grabbed her by the shoulder. Using his mass and strength, he swung her around in front of him, holding the knife against her throat as he landed a solid punch to the small of her back. “Well,” he whispered in her ear, his hand coming up to grab her hair angrily. “I’ve never played chess, but I believe they call this ‘check mate.’”

[7]

((Permission given by Flameh to steal her character momentarily. -evil laughter- You saw nothing. -Vanishes-))

I love adventurous tales like that. That uplifting feeling that comes from seeing unknown lands and the knowledge that you came across—nothing can replace it! It opens a path from which self-confidence, experience, and important friendships—from the sharing of life or death situations—are born! But hearing it just isn’t the same. I want to create my own magnificent story!



A great adventure!


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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby Flame » 04/12/2010 2:37 AM

Astraea looked amused as she sauntered down the walkway towards Sole, confident that finally, he had run out of places to run. “Hey yourself,” she replied as she approached, although once again, she was struck by just how unconcerned by this whole situation he seemed. At his words, she snorted sarcastically, but before she even had the chance to make a retort, Sole had taken the opportunity to catch her off-guard, and a moment or two later, she found herself locked in a strong, and definitely unfavorable hold. There was a short, sharp hiss of pain as she felt the blow land on her back, and she had to fight to remain upright, keenly aware of the blade pressed to her throat. “Well, this is somewhat compromising,” she commented mildly, sounding unconcerned, although in reality, the speed of his attack had taken her altogether by surprise. This was the second time today that she’d underestimated him, and she had to admit, she was starting to get tired of the trend. “If I didn’t know any better,” she countered, “I’d say that your ego is in dire need of being cut down to size.”

What perplexed her though, was that he did not actually strike the final blow, or even try to. His profile had clearly said that he would “kill on sight”, and if this wasn’t a ripe opportunity to do her in for good, then she didn’t know what was. Well, this was a bit of an incongruity. After all, what could he do with her as a prisoner? As a bounty hunter, she had no connections, and therefore, he couldn’t use her for ransom, black-mail, or anything of the sort. So, why the stalling? Now wasn’t the time to question the fact that she was still alive though, as it very well might end up even less favorable for her than it already was now. “Are you sure about that?” she asked, a small smile dancing on her features as she glanced at him sideways, sapphire eyes flashing dangerously.

In a flash, she jumped back into action, grabbing his knife arm with both hands and twisting it mercilessly, simultaneously wrenching her hair out of his grasp with a heavy wince as she slid out of his hold in an almost serpentine fashion, most likely leaving some of herself behind, judging by the eye-watering pain which now bombarded her skull. This was one of those times Astraea cursed having long hair. For the success of her maneuver, she was banking on at least one of two things being true; either that Sole wasn’t actually seeking to kill her, or, if he was and managed to react quickly enough with the knife at her throat, that it was an injury she could deal with. Being a bounty hunter, you had to take risks, if you wanted to get anything accomplished. Never stopping, she let her motion carry her behind him, twisting his arm behind his back and forcing it painfully upwards, aiming to incapacitate it by locking it behind him. Driving a knee towards his lower back, she hoped to bring him to his knees, perhaps using more force than she normally would, but getting a handful of hair yanked out was enough to make any girl cranky. Seriously, if she hadn’t been irritated off before, she definitely was now, and it showed. “Now…what was that you were saying again?” Her voice was a silky hiss in his ear, soft and dangerous.


{-cackles- Yay for reciprocal stealing of characters! xD}
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Re: For the Good of...Who? [P, Flame and I]

Postby MillietheWarrior » 04/13/2010 8:04 PM

“Somewhat?” Sole asked with a smirk, pressing the blade closer to her skin. It would be easy enough to end the chase right here; to finish it all and walk away. But the Republic wanted her alive, and alive he would take her. He didn’t see the wisdom in that idea; after all, she was clearly a dangerous woman who could present a very possible threat to the operations of the GAR if left unchecked. Sole wasn’t exactly for this ‘preserve the peace’ deal. He’d much rather be out there getting his hands dirty. The easiest way to solve a problem was to either slice it, shoot it, or knock it down a few pegs. Unfortunately, he’d have to use the ‘pacifist way,’ to what he liked to call ‘the holier-than-though-jetiise way’ to subdue her. Sole snapped himself out of his thoughts, fingers tightening in her hair as she turned her head to glance at him out of the corner of her eyes.

He didn’t like that look, not one bit. It was a look that clearly said she was a) planning something, or b) about to enact what she had been planning. Sole resisted the urge to sigh; so predictable. When she reached around and twisted the gauntlet on his arm, Sole didn’t even wince, his body following the motion of the twist and spinning around even as he felt his fingers rip out a good chunk of her hair. He smirked slightly; an interesting turn of events. To say he hadn’t expected this would be stupid. She was a dangerous woman, and as such, she was a dangerous thing to mess with. When her foot collided with the small of his back, Sole let out a loud ‘oof’ as the breath was expelled form his body. He stumbled forward, back aching painfully; he swore he heard something crack. He didn’t fall to his knees, as she had hoped and expected him to do; Sole was used to getting far worse on the battlefield, and one little kick to his back wouldn’t do too much damage…it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell though.

His eyes watering slightly, Sole managed to spin around, his hands raised defensively. Perhaps now was the time to make a hasty exit; he had to keep her coming, keep her guessing, keep her chasing him and the best way to do that was to disappear. If she was as good as they thought she was, then she’d have no trouble finding him again. “Sorry, sweetheart,” he said, using his solid mass and body weight to throw himself slightly forward and kick out with one leg; the hit connected solidly with her chest, sending her backwards. Now was the best time to end it, and he already had a ride waiting patiently for him; you didn‘t think this wasn‘t all planned, did you? “I’ve got places to go, and people to kill. So if you don’t mind…” He stepped backwards, wincing as his back twisted painfully, and glanced over the edge of the railing. “It’s been a slice.”

He casually saluted her, two fingers briefly touching his brow, before he jumped; he disappeared for a moment or two, before his slowly disappearing form landed in a waiting speeder below. There was someone driving the speeder, but it was unclear who, as they wore a dark mask and clothes. Sole smirked as he leaned over the back of the speeder as it sped away, the wind rushing past his ears. Sole felt something stick into his neck, and smirked; so, she’d throw a tracking device? Clever little bounty hunter. “So?” the driver asked in a definitively masculine voice that sounded remarkably like Sole himself. “Did you get her?” Sole grinned to himself as he plopped back down in his seat, arm hanging loosely over the side of the speeding vehicle. “Naw, not this time. She’s gotta prove she’s worth the trouble.” He turned to regard the masked figure curiously. “Where we headed?” he asked, strapping himself in and getting comfortable. He could have sworn the driver smiled behind the mask. “Back to barracks, Mr. ‘Wanted Man.’” Sole smiled. “No…Not the barracks. I think it’s time that ‘Captain Varro’ got himself a hideout, don’t you?”


[8]
((Permission once more given by Flameh to set up the next phase of the RP. ^^))

I love adventurous tales like that. That uplifting feeling that comes from seeing unknown lands and the knowledge that you came across—nothing can replace it! It opens a path from which self-confidence, experience, and important friendships—from the sharing of life or death situations—are born! But hearing it just isn’t the same. I want to create my own magnificent story!



A great adventure!


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