Unknown regions
It’s about time I return the lone Clawdite thought. He’d been gone for a long time. He missed the beings he used to fight alongside. It would be good for him to return to where he belonged. He jumped into hyperspace, his course set.
Uskil
He’d need credits. Blackhawk had managed to survive over the years on what he had, but the Brotherhood tan on credits. Luckily, he’d been pursuing the bounty board as he was approaching the planet that served as the seat of the Brotherhood’s power. Pirates? Here? Why? Blackhawk felt a few emotions going through him at once. Rage that pirates would dare attack anywhere near Brotherhood space. Anger that they’d managed to get to the seat of power. Satisfaction that most of the pirates had been killed. But mostly, he was eager. He looked forward to dealing with the fool that fled into the swamps.
He took an aerial approach to searching for the target, hoping to spot the Transdoshian from above and drop in on him. He was over the swamps of Uskil when he sensed something… familiar. A presence he hadn’t felt in a long time. Change in plans. Blackhawk decided that he’d drop in on an old friend. His hunt would be a little more fun than way
Uskil Within the swamps
“I’m glad you were been able to stay vigilant on the bounty boards,” the Elder carefully looked at the terrain. “And it’s a good thing you brought this one to my attention. With what’s been going on within the clan and now rumors about about things stirring up elsewhere, it’s no wonder other things have slipped into cracks and crevices.”
Glancing up at her apprentice, who had climbed up one of the gnarled trunks of the trees that either stood or sank beneath the murk and muck of the swamp. The Ryn used her prehensile tail to anchor herself, while using her macrobinoculars to scan between the dense and open areas.
Her Vornskr, Hadzuska, and Livia’s Vulptex, Kitsunenowa, were sniffing the grounds around the two woman, working in tangent to find a scent to track. Zuska was more seasoned than Kitsu was, but the little female was learning quickly.
As Livia scanned the surrounding terrain she felt a vague presence closely followed by the distant sound of a ship engine quickly approaching them. Looking toward the sky, adjusting the focus of her macrobinoculars in the direction the sound was coming from. When she spotted a ship heading toward them she whistled while motioning to the sky, signaling to her master that there was something approaching. After her master signaled back, she concealed herself in the trees reading her rifle in case it was an enemy.
Hearing the whistle, Tahiri looked from her apprentice’s perch and then in the direction Livia had pointed. Delving into the river of Force energy around her, the Elder reached out to sense if they were a threat, as she knew that the pirate’s cohorts wouldn’t be able to fly in or out easily while the bounty was fresh. Tahiri sensed an all too familiar presence, one that made her instantly grin from Lekku to Lekku.
“Mmmm,” she purred, leaning her back against a tree, waiting. Whispering under her breath, “This will truly be a fun hunt today.”
Noticing that her masters relaxed demeanor toward the approaching ship. Livia, (knowing that her master would only be this nonchalant if she knew the person could be trusted or that she could win a fight against them), relaxed her own stance while keeping careful aim on the approaching ship just incase.
There she is. Blackhawk drew near to the familiar presence. Leaving his droid to pilot the ship, he proceeded to the exit ramp. A moment later, he kept out of the fighter, descending towards the ground below. Seconds later, he slowed his descent, gently floating down instead of allowing gravity to drop him. He landed with a gentle squelch of swampland.
Though he couldn’t see her at the moment, he was familiar with his sister apprentice to know she was there. “Hello, Tahiri.” She landed, a delighted smile on her face. The two embraced, happy to see each other again after several years.
“Where have you been? I’ve missed you!” Tahiri exclaimed.
“I’ll tell you later,” Blackhawk replied. “And who’s your friend hiding in the trees?” he asked. “I assume I’d have been shot at or something by now if they weren’t with you.”
“She’s my apprentice,” the petite Togruta smiled and then waved for the Ryn to come down. Once she had stowed her rifle, and climbed her way down the tree, Tahiri introduced her.
“This is Savant Livia Mariquita Daffel,” then playfully punching the tall Clawdite in the arm, she tilted her head towards him. “And this rock-head is none other than my brother apprentice, Blackhawk. If you think I push too hard or am a harsh Sith teacher, remember the stories I told you of our Master, and how he treated Hawk here. He still survived.”
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“It’s a pleasure to meet you” Livia said politely as she could while scanning Blackhawk from head to toe with an inquisitive eye. “With someone as impressive as working with us this job will be easy” giving the Clawdite a bright pleasant smile while resting her Amban Sniper Rifle a crossed her shoulder. “Well we had better pick up the trail” she said as she affixed her riffle to her back Livia and climbed back up into the trees to scan the surrounding once again.
“Well, I’ve got a droid flying around. Might as well put him to use.”
With his droid scanning overhead, the trio swept through the swamp, searching high and low for their target. “He’s more skilled than I gave him credit for.” Blackhawk admitted some time later. The Transdoshian continued to elide them. He’d managed to leave no tracks, no disturbed brush, no sign of where he’d gone that they could find. As night approached, they elected to find somewhere to camp for the night. “This is getting rather tedious.” Blackhawk stated, vocalizes what everyone was thinking.
“Indeed,” Tahiri replied. “Perhaps…” she never got to finish the sentence.
“Quiet, I think I see something,” Livia hissed. Blackhawk and Tahiri both squinted in the direction the Ryn had indicated. There was definitely some kind of shadow moving around out there, but it was hard to tell for sure what it was. Blackhawk focused for a moment, and a nearby bush explodes into flames, providing better light to see by. It moved away quickly, but there was no mistaking what they had seen. This was absolutely a Transdoshian, and there could be only one out here as far as they knew. Their vigor newly restored, Blackhawk and Tahiri ignited lightsabers, and the trio gave chase
The Elder connected with Zuska, having him skirt around and cut off the Trandoshan’s escape if possible, warning him to watch for traps of any kind. Dipping into the flow of Force around her, feeling it seep into her muscles as she ran forward.
“Don’t forget to watch your step and look out for traps,” remembering the trap from earlier in the day, that Livia had only figured out was there in time, due to a vision she had recognized from her Farsight meditations on their way from Aliso. She let her hunters instincts take over, focusing on her prey as hanging moss brushed pass her Montrals and the mucky water splashed onto her face as she ran. Only hearing the footfalls of Blackhawk, Livia and the Trandoshan.
As Tahiri and Blackhawk closed in on the Trandoshan, Livia followed a several paces behind the rest of the group. Sticking to the higher ground she readied her rifle waiting for any openings to take a shot at the target.
Blackhawk was growing tired of this pursuit. Time to end this. What Blackhawk didn’t notice was the tripwire Rissokt had set some time before he’d been spotted. Blackhawk stumbled, and just barely managed to leap away a detonator went off where he had been just a moment ago. An energy web came flying towards Tahiri, which she dodged with practiced ease. The Transdoshian may have had a fair bit of experience on his side, but he’d never dealt with 3 sith all looking to kill him at once. And he couldn’t outrun them either.
The petite Togruta used the terrain to her advantage, the traps making things a bit difficult, especially if she had to alter her course due to some of the ingenuous and simple traps. She had to hand it to the pirate, he had spent his time while hiding in the swamps to make a decent obstacle course. However his luck was going to run out sooner than later. Springing up into the branches of the gnarled trees, she bound from branch to branch, she even managed to fling a set of her throwing knives at the fleeing Transdoshan. A grunt and hiss at two different points, were the only reactions she got within the pale grey green twilight, letting her know that at least one or two of her blades had hit or grazed their target.
Glancing down to her brother apprentice she reached for his mind, hoping to she was still able to touch his mind, although the first thing Tahiri sensed was his frustration. Watching as he too bound across the terrain with ease and confidence, focused on keeping up and over taking the pirate. Unconsciously, a smile spread across her lips, before she realized it and become serious as an idea crept its way into her mind.
Hawk, have you been keeping up on practicing your telekinesis? Her voice in his mind was sharp enough, but gentle, so as not to startle and take away too much of his concentration. I’ve connected us, so you can speak freely. Do not loose your footing.
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Ahead of her Livia saw Tahiri and Blackhawk engage Rissokt in combat. Even though the were a ways ahead of her they were still well within her sniping range. She move a little closer and then situated herself in a stable position in the trees. Through the dense trees Livia honed her sights back in on the pirate ready to take any opportunity that presents itself to help end the pursuit.
Rissokt was slowing down. He wasn’t going to escape his pursuers on foot, and it was evident his traps weren’t going to stop them either. With no choice remaining, he drew his rifle and turned to face them.
Blackhawk smiled. He’d worked with Tahiri enough to know exactly what she was thinking. She leapt forward, and Blackhawk used the Force to propel her directly at their target. Tahiri held her lightsaber across her instinctively as a blaster bolt narrowly missed her. Even so, she slammed into the Transdoshian with considerable force. The rifle was cut in half almost immediately, forcing Rissokt to revert to grappling in an attempt to subdue the raging Togruta.
Blackhawk was close behind, slamming into the Transdoshian hard enough to stumble him. Rissokt tried to lash out, his claws ripping through air as Blackhawk managed to sidestep him. Livia must have been aiming for his chest a mere second before, because a bolt seared through Rissokt’s shoulder as he attempted to recover. Blackhawk kicked the reeling lizard in the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel.
“Any last words?” Blackhawk spat.
“You have not ssssseen the last of usss,” the Transdoshian hissed. “Your victory will be hallow.”
“Hmph,” Blackhawk grunted. “And we’ll kill any scum that come after you.” With that, Blackhawk relieved Rissokt of his head.
“The swamp can have what’s left of him.” Blackhawk declared. “Agreed,” Tahiri replied. “Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Livia chimed in. “Now let’s get out of this damned swamp.” With that, the three headed for civilization.