Bounties and Beauties

The dying light of the day shimmered off her purple skin as she twisted and turned to her own internal beat, dancing to the rhythm of the force she'd felt humming inside of her since she was a child. She stood inside the arch of the window, her hips swayed without fear on the small ledge, the only thing that stood between her and a hundred foot drop. Her hands reached to stroke the arch which framed her delicate body, the simply Jedi garb clinging to her lithe form as naturally as her lekku which swayed down her back. Her mind as calm, focused, it had been three days since she'd been able to sleep and meditation was beginning to become harder.

Earlier in the evening, she'd snuck into town, scaled down the walls of the palace using the force as easily as anyone else would use ropes and hooks. She's gone to the cantina and spoke in hushed twi'leki to one of the scared dancers. It took a while but eventually the girl had agreed, sending out the bounty on the holonet for Dia's behalf. Wanted - Alive - Only Immortals need apply. She hadn't seen him in months, not since the pirates took hold of the ship and they'd parted on strained terms but she hoped it would be enough to lure him in. She'd hated to admit it but she needed help on this one.

She continued to sway, taking what precious few moments she had to herself to regain her balance, to fight back the strain that was beginning to show. She'd been sent to the world to fetch the ambassador to star the peace talks but he had died only an hour before she'd arrived. The occupation began shortly after and they were trapped within the palace surrounded by a standing army, Mandalorians and mercenaries. The hardest factor however for Dia was the Prince, he was a pain in the ass. His father had died in the same attack the ambassador had but unlike his King, he was a pampered coward. Nothing about this mission was easy and worse of all, nothing was fun.

She needed to get off this place, drop off the whiney one to the station and get back to the wilderness of space.

Only Immortals need apply.

It was not the first time someone had set such an obvious trap for him, and he doubted that it would be the last. Every single time, he had gone in exactly where they wanted him, and won his way out. The name was no boast. After several thousand years, there was nothing in this business the Immortal had not fought and beaten, or been 'killed' by only to rise again. He had decided, as soon as he noticed the bounty, that this would be no different.

It was not hard for him to pass through the army blockading the city. He knew how Mandalorian's worked, how they thought. He could have been one of the army, if he had wanted. His armour certainly had Mandalorian aspects to it. He had no interest for such things, however. The hunt had become his all consuming passion for so long, since his wife had died. Nothing else mattered in his mind any more. Except...

Beautiful Dia Olan.

She came to his mind unbidden and unwelcome. Standing tall and unafraid, the first person to face him as an equal in centuries, her weapon blazing hot in her hands, second only to the heat of the passion in her eyes. He could not force the image from his mind, even as he crossed the battle lines unseen, scaled the walls unnoticed, and entered the city undetected. Despite his massive frame he was like a deadly kath hound, silent as the grave. Infiltration was second nature to him now, the gentle scientist all but completely replaced by the ancient killer. The only thing failing him now was his focus, unbidden thoughts dancing through his mind.

When he saw her in the window, dancing and swaying, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him. But this was no memory. This was new, this was tantalizing. This was unexpected, to say the least. The bounty suddenly did not matter, the army outside was inconsequential. All that mattered now was the lithe Jedi before him, no longer masked with the wary look of caution and distrust when they had last parted ways. He did not speak, waiting for her to notice him.

She could hear the murmurs of a family she had long ago, whispering to her across the void. Their hushed twi'leki voices joined in the ancient hum, as old as the universe itself, to govern her body as it swayed, adding her own unique fingerprints on the unveiling fabric of the force.

The mood changed subtly, the song seemed to spike, lyrics straining over a growing thunder of drums. Other voices began to layer across the top of the song, distorting the melody somewhat. Her heart beat increased, the gentle lull of the meditative dance wearing off as her mind once again sharpened to danger.

'Open your eyes.'

The crescendo of her internal melody peaked and tumbled down over her like waves washing upon the shore. Yet Dia did not stiffen, nor reach for her light sabre. In fact, only a slow smile crept across her lips. She knew this sensation now, familiar with the fire and ice prickle which crept across her skin when he was close.

Her eyes opened slowly, very face already half-turned to greet him as her gaze settled on him, the familiar spark of mischief already evident in them as she spoke calmly. "You took your time.."

If he had lungs, his breath likely would have caught in them. As it was, he felt his bodies reaction to her through ever fibre of his being, and for a being comprised mostly of tuberous, muscle-like fibres, it was a significant sensation. Her voice resonated with him, as well as the sound of each breath she took, and the beat of her heart. He could hear it all, and more.

"Beautiful Dia Olan," he whispered with a voice so soft it was barely there at all. How he had longed for this moment, since they had parted ways. It had strained him to leave her like that, made all the worse by the fact the Hutt escaped him once again. She had shown caution around him, as she had sent him away. He could not deny it was a sensible thing, but that did nothing to reduce the sting of it. Had she felt the distance as he had, or had she been filled with relief instead? He was not sure. But, she had called him here. To continue their strange, flirtatious dance, or to try and kill him once more? He did not know and found that he did not care.

Large enough to make a Wookiee look small, he stepped into the light spilling through her window, letting her see him completely. Powerfully built, with highly advanced heavy battle armour coating his form, alert eyes scanning the area, but regularly returning to her. Large, gauntleted hands rose to lift his helm, exposing his face to her. The Immortal, legend among the star ways. "You have called. I have answered."

Dia took a moment to observe him as he stood out from the shadows. She did not shrink from his size or the impressive array of weapons at his back. It was interesting to her that he'd removed his helmet, what did it symbolise? A gesture of good faith, a subtle dig on her capabilities to cause him no harm? She tilted her head slightly as she regarded him, his stature, his confidence, the almost reverent way he was gazing at her.

Their last parting wasn't necessarily pleasant, she reflected on the bitter-sweet pattern of pleasure and pain they seemed to bring out of one another. Her tongue slowly trailed across her bottom lip as she thought. The Jedi in her advised caution desperately whispered warnings against being tempted by impulsive emotion but the mischievous Twi'lek in her, the little girl who scaled trees to see how far she could climb bubbled away as well, welcoming the thrill and challenge. She had to make a decision, she knew, to treat him as friend or foe, a decision which would ultimately forge their friendship or rivalry for the rest of the time they walked the same path.

She clucked her tongue suddenly and reached out a hand, her lightsaber flew across the floor and into her firm grasp. She offered the bounty hunter a slow, lazy grin. "And about time too. I was being driven mad with boredom." She hopped down from the window ledge, her hips swaying as she began to make her way across the room to the doorway, expecting him to follow. ".. I need off this world and I knew you couldn't resist seeing me again. I hope your ship is roomy, I like to have space when I travel.."

As her hand shot out, he moved. How could something so large move so quickly? He was like a viper, but she was faster. One of the vibro-blades concealed in his gauntlet was about to erupt from concealment, but her lightsaber was already in her hand. She did not activate her weapon, however, so for the moment he stood, poised and ready to strike. Their last engagement had not ended well, and while he did not wish to try and hurt the Jedi, a primal part of him desperately wished to cross blades with her again.

Then, she actually turned her back on him. To him! No one had made that mistake before and lived to tell about it. In the end, most of them turned tail to run, but never to expose their weakest side to him and expect to be unharmed. Silent as a ghost, he was behind her, long strides gaining on her quickly. He could slip his hidden blade up between her ribs effortlessly. It was an easy strike, one he had made many times in the past. It was a strike that never came. He did not know why, but instead of taking the window she gave him, he merely fell into step behind her, a gargantuan guardian in her wake. He was not sure what she was planning, or where she was going with it, but he could follow, for now.

As always around her, unbidden thoughts roamed his head. Her smile and her laugh, the way she moved and her dainty little feet. Why did she torment him so? Was it something she did deliberately, some trick of the Force? He did not think so. It felt something deeper within himself, not something she did at all.

Dia continued to saunter down the hall, feeling reenergised. A respectable jedi would have assumed it was because of the time she was able to meditate and find clarity through the force. Dia was not so alien to her own motivations, she felt renewed because he had actully responded to her call and that tantalisingly, forbidden 'something' was lingering between them once more. She cast him a look over her shoulder as he followed, a playful grin on her lips. It has been a calculated risk but somehow she knew he wouldn't take advantage of the situation. It wasn't so much that she did not sense danger from him but rather she liked to think she'd come to know the man somewhat. If he ever did decide to take her out, he'd make sure they'd be able to make a fight of it - nothing less would satifiy either side.

"There will be three passangers. Myself, the new ambassador and the 'Prince'" her tone was perhaps uncharacteristic for a jedi, a hint of scorn as she mentioned the final name. The Prince was a coward and she couldn't abide by those. Instead of being a rallying force for his men after his father has passed, he locked himself in his room, paranoid that he'd 'obviously' be the next target. He had only let a handful of people in and Dia as sure she'd only be allowed in because the Prince fancied Twi'leks. The worst offense in her eyes was however that he'd left the brunt of the work to his younger sister, despite being his senior by at least 10 years. He'd also taken the most elite guard to protect his door instead of being by her side as she roamed and conducted the remaining troops.

A beat later and Dia had already returned to her usual self, her agile fingers rolling her lightsaber in her hands before reattaching it to her belt, "I need you to help me get them off the planet and back to the nearest Jedi enclave. There a far more.. experienced consular will escort them to their final destination." By expericned, she meant a jedi with patience to tolerate fools and the tedium of politics. She was many things but a diplomat she was not. Why the council had ever sent her on this mission was beyond her unless they'd sensed somehow through the force this exact event would transpire or maybe they were attempting to mould her into someone she refused to be.

She paused outside the door to the throne room and turned to face him again. The smile on her lips had faded somewhat. Instead she brow was marked with the beginnings of a frown, this was not the sensual Twi'lek he'd met on Nar Shadaar, before him now stood a Jedi who was dedicated to follow through with her mission at all costs. "I figure we can use the palace guard to stage a diversion at the gates and use the tunnels under this building, then by the cover of night make our way to your ship before anyone notices we have gone."

Her expression changed somewhat again as she gazed into his eyes, the faint flickers of a grin creeping back to the corners of her lips. "Normally I would no trouble pulling this off by myself but to be honest, I needed your ship. All I need to know now, is my charming company enough or are you going to break my poor heart and ask for payment?"

Over the voice of the Jedi, the Immortal could hear her heart beat and the whisper quiet sounds of her feet gliding over the cold marble of the floor. Listening harder, he could hear whispers in other rooms, and from outside the palace itself, the sounds of a slow progressing battle. The sound of heavy blaster fire, artillery and the occasional scream were strangely comforting in their familiarity. This had been his life for almost four thousand years since his life had been shattered by the slow deterioration of his wife.

His helmet still in hand, his eyes were unimpeded as she turned to face him. He did not like the way her brow furrowed. This was not the beautiful, carefree Jedi he knew she was destined to be. If he had a heart in the traditional sense, it would be racing. Not through fear of the situation, but for that strange, disorienting effect she had on him. His eyes took in every part of her, every feature. The face that was burned into his memory. The graceful limbs and the beautifully hued skin.

Her plan was a good one. While he would cross the battlefield without fear, their 'guests' would not be able to do so. The two passengers would hold them back. Regardless of plans, the first contact with the enemy would likely see their passengers fall apart. In that moment, he would need to take the situation into his own hands. Dia may not like the fact he would be forced to kill, but it would be necessary to give her the chance to get away with the innocents. He would be able to survive whatever obstacle was found in their way, but the Jedi and her wards would not be as lucky.

"Payment?" His head cocked to one side. The most sought after bounty hunter in the galaxy, his usual fees were far beyond the reach of a humble Jedi's allowance from the Senate. Instead, he leant closer, doing something that would probably startle her as much as the desire to do it startled him. Once, long ago when they had first met, Dia had thrown the Immortal's life into complete disarray with a simple kiss. Now, the Immortal returned the favour. Just like she had, it was quick but full of fire, and over before the mind really had the time to process that it had even begun. "That will not be necessary. Lead the way." He raised his helmet, the familiar sounds of its air-tight seal activating as he locked it into place, the HUD flickering into life as its circuitry powered up. She had called, and he had come. Let everyone flee from her, for his wrath followed at her heels, ready to be called down upon any in her way.

His lips met her own, fiery, full of forbidden promise but without expectations and Dia felt paralysed by its touch. Internally she was drowning in the voices of wise Jedi of her past, ‘There is no emotion’ and overlapping it all was her own soft laughter coming back to mock her for the thrill she felt that first time she ever laid eyes on him. Before she could register if she was returning the kiss, it was over. For the barest of moments, her cockiness abandoned her, fleeing in surprise at how natural it felt to feel a connection with someone other than the Force.

All her years of training had not prepared her for this man or this moment…

…. and she delighted in that!

The moment passed unspoken as his helmet locked back into place once more, hiding any chance she had to glean what was running through his own mind. She found herself laughing at the sheer ridiculous of their ‘relationship’ up to this point. Her laughter was like the chiming of bells, bright, delightful and seemed to echo down the halls. She knew her reaction wholly unfit for the seriousness of the situation which raged on around them but for the time but in this moment, did not touch them.

She ran a hand lightly down her lekku, trying to compose herself once more, trying to be everything a proper Jedi was meant to be. Dia was not an ordinary Jedi though, her contributions would not be disclosed in holocrons for future generations to learn from but perhaps her spirit would live on in those daring Jedi who bent the rules every now and then for the greater good. She would see the prince to safety as was her sworn duty but equally she would not pass up this surprising turn of events with him.

She did nothing to hide the sparkle in her eye nor the flirtatious smirk which came to her lips as she leaned up on her toes,  “Once this is done…” she grinned faintly, gazing into his visor as she walked her fingers slowly up his armour, tempting fate once more with the same words she’d used on him once before. “…How about we go get a drink together sometime?”

It was at that exact moment she sensed, too late, the explosion which bellowed like an angry monster below them, blasting a support pillar into dust and crumbling the floors beneath her feet before she could spring to safety. There is no passion. She heard the panicked screams of the palace workers and felt her body being swallowed up by the maw that had opened taking her further away from the Immortal and into a world of pain.

Bad, Dia, bad Jedi

Pain was an old friend, by now. Having suffered through thousands of deaths, pain held no fear for the Immortal. His body, no matter how rent, torn or damaged, would bring itself back together. With no bones to break, and organs diffused out through his fibrous being, wounds healed in moments, limbs regrew in minutes. Pain was almost comforting, and as he slowly roused himself, he was very comforted by it at first. His head swam with confusion as he tries to place memories together. A hallway and an explosion, a bounty, a war... and something else, something important.

"DIA!" His voice was a roar. She had been caught in the same explosion. His eyes slowly opened, greeted by the massive slab of stone crushing his lower half. He remembered falling with her, not bothering to activate his force-field, needing to protect her more than himself. Shoving her. Had it been enough? Had he gotten her away from the bulk of the falling debris?

He began to heave smaller rocks away from himself, all the while calling her name. His armour was ruined, the sensors not functioning at all, let alone telling him what he needed to know. He grasped the massive slab of stone above him with both hands, and dragged himself up. The sound of the fibrous tendrils of his body tearing with sickening wetness filled the air. The damage this time was far worse than when Dia had blown his legs off with a thermal detonator. His head slumped against the stone, as he forced himself back under control. This panic would not help.

His eyes slowly closed, and he let himself listen. In the distance he could hear blaster fire and yelling, other explosions. But he was focused for softer sounds, closer. Breathing, most probably Dia, slow and shallow. He could not tell if she was conscious or not, but she was alive. The beat of her heart was weak, but constant. Yes, she was alive, and he would make sure she stayed that way. He began to drag himself over the stone slab in the direction he could hear her. "Do not worry, beautiful Dia Olan. I am coming."

Later Dia would recall a beautiful, radiating explosion of colour and sensation bloom before her eyes. She’d reacted on instinct to protect the Immortal, kicking off falling floors, not enough to save herself but perhaps to get him out of the worst of it. In mid-air she had gone to realign her landing,  to soften it but a pillar must have broken struck her on the back and then a deep darkness.

She lost track of time as she floated in the void, lost the sensation of self until she felt a ghostly presence caress her head, a voice soft and distant whispering orders in her mind. ‘The Force, Dia’ There was a gentle nudge against her senses, reminding her of things that were ingrained in the core of her being. Her brow furrowed, she didn’t want to be disturbed yet. It was soothing where she was, she could dance forever in this place.

‘Wake up!’

Pain. It was unwelcome as it was deep. The moment she regained consciousness she gasped sharply, inhaling deep lungful of cleansing breath. What had happened? Where was she? She remembered a kiss and then…. Her heart began to beat faster as her body slowly realised it was trapped, her arm and leg pinned by rubble, the smell of fire and blood seeping into her consciousness causing her to feel mild panic for the first time in years. She’d reflect on this moment in the future and wonder idly why she felt so alarmed, was it because she did not sense the danger or because for one terrible moment, she did not sense him.

“DIA!”

She heard her name being called, raw and powerful, this time it was no mere whisper to spur her into action but a roar. Dia grit her teeth and nodded, speaking softly to herself to reinforce her focus. “Get it together girl, priorities and all that...” She rested her head back on the slab she was laying on, forced herself to breath slower and deeper, allowed her mind to reach out, to take a real stock of the situation. Arm broken, shattered from the right shoulder down. She must have landed on her side, her shoulder taking the brunt of the impact but it seemed her ribs were fractured in at least one spot. Her legs seemed mostly intact but that was little consolation, most of the problems were going to be internal. From the taste on her lips, there was bleeding somewhere inside of her.

Dia was aware that the most skilled force healers could go into a hibernation trace, heal up but she was not one of them, even if she had the luxury of time. All she could do was reach deep inside, push through the pain and touch the force, command it to begin to accelerate her healing and more importantly control the pain.

…


She heard her name, closer this time and she could not help but smile. He was always coming for her. She was unconcerned about his well being, she’d seen him grow his legs back, surely this was a similar trivial a matter. “I’m here.” She called softly -the banter was good, it’d focus her on something other the heat and fire, “…you’re still stuck with me yet, darling.” She fell silent for a moment, shifting her attention to the debris across her. Normally she’d be able to lift it easily but she was wounded and with her attention divided between healing and escape it only slowly began to lift. Dia did not normally rely on others but If he was close enough she’d have to trust in him doing the rest. "Give me a hand, would you?"

The Immortal would move the stars themselves if that is what it took to save Dia Olan. With body broken and armour shattered, he heaved against the rubble that trapped her. The stone digging into the raw flesh where he had torn his lower half off ached but that stump was how he braced himself, powerful arms trembling as he heaved against the rubble. Alone, he might have failed. But he was not alone, not this time. With her help, they were able to shift the rubble far enough that he could reach in and scoop her out to safety.

He could hear screaming and blaster fire in the distance. He tuned out those sounds to focus on the beating of her heart and her breathing. He did not care about any other life on this planet apart from hers. He leant closer above her, carefully listening to the sounds her body was making. "How badly are you hurt?"

It would not be long before those who had laid the charges would be coming, checking among the rubble for the fallen. He could already hear the worst of the fighting pressing towards the heart of the castle, where Dia's charge would be cowering. Now was the time to be moving, but he was not sure if either of them could quite yet. Instead, he would give Dia the time she needed to make sure she was okay, and then follow after her.

In the back of his mind, he was already calculating. They were outnumbered and outgunned, but the advantage right now was their own. Their enemies would be overconfident and underestimate what the two could do. Each of them would be concerned for their own lives, but Dia would be focused on the boy, and the Immortal focused on Dia. That made them far more dangerous. His ship was hidden, not too far out of the capital. They might still be able to get out of this with the boy alive, as Dia hoped.

"Hurt? Me?" Dia offered a faint laugh as he put her down on her feet once more and she tested her legs, all seemed to be in working order there, a pleasent bonus considering the situation. "I am a Jedi Knight, we cannot be hurt or die. Don't you know?" She turned an easy grin on him and pet her gaze trail over his devestated body. He was hideously disfigured but she hide the shock and horror of what she saw behind another soft laugh. "You've seen better days though..."

She forced herself to walk to the edge of the hole, readjusting her lightsaber on her belt to accommodate for her own weakness as she did and look up. She listened for a long moment, taking stock of the situation and calculating her next move. She would not show the Immortal weakness of body or character, she'd let him seen enough of her vulnerabilities, he'd gotten close to her then perhaps any before... but playtime was over, 'there is no emotion' and all of that. It was was because he distracted her so that they'd gotten into this position, she should have been more mindful of the moment.

"The quickest way to the Prince is up..." She murmered and then looked back to him sharply, remembering something. She went back to his side and took his arm in her free hand, "Was you grappling hook damaged?"

He nods slowly to her question. Virtually none of his armour was left in a state even vaguely resembling useful. He had already hidden a few of the larger, sharper shards inside the fibrous tubing that comprised his body, ready to be used as an impromptu shank. Others might have mourned the loss of literally hundreds of thousands of credits worth of equipment, but the Immortal was far more practical than that. He had places to go, and things to do.

He looks around at the rubble and then upwards, where she wished to go. It would not be an easy climb, but he did not doubt he would be able to get them both up there. She was already wounded and endangered because of him. He would not fail her again. He pressed closer to her, one powerful arm wrapping around her as he lifted her up. "Hold on to me," he whispered, and he began to shuffle towards the rubble pile. His free arm twisted and elongated obscenely. He grasped a handhold several feet above them, and began to drag them both up, alternating between hauling with his good arm, and bracing on his ruined stumps. "Your princeling is not worth it, Dia Olan." Shift, stretch, pull, rest. "But you are."

As they reached the highest point he could scale with his shattered body, he leant against the wall. With so much of him missing, and so much energy being spent to recuperate and regrow, the climb was beginning to take its toll. There was no more rubble to scale, just a gaping hole above them. Perhaps she could use some trick of the Force to jump or fly, or perhaps he could... toss her? He shook his head. Clearly he was not at his best, genius intellect reduced to the possibility of tossing a Jedi up through a hole in the floor.

"I don't know where we get our next ticket."

Dia rested her fingertips on the wall lightly using it help give herself a sense of balance, grounding her to the moment as she gazed at the hole above them. Her complexion was slowly beginning to ashen, whatever injury had happened inside of her body during the fall, must have been exacerbated by the climb. She shook her head faintly once, her lekku slipping down off her shoulder as her brow furrowed, trying to clear her thoughts and focus.  "Just... let me think... a moment."

She licked her lips slowly, calculating the jump if she misjudged it was a long fall down again. There were Jedi in the order who could seem to scale small buildings with the barest of pulls on the force but Dia was not one of them. Her connection had always been more instinctual, a reaction to the moment. It wasn't that the Force did not aid her movements, more, she never quite got the hang of focusing on an action beforehand. It was actually the reason why she almost did not get to take the trails.

Her eyes strayed from the hole to the man by the side, he looked in worse shape then she did. He had incredible healing properties but maybe the extent of this damage was simply too much for him to repair? For a moment she was struck by the terrible thought she might lose him. She frowned again, pulling her thoughts back into line. Now was not the time to dwell, he'd taken them as far as he could and now it was her turn to stand up and be strong for them both. Her hand dropped from the wall and she wrapped her undamaged around his torso in as tight as hold she could muster, the power of the Force flowing through her limbs and with a grunt powered them both up through the hole and to supposed safety.

It would have been a powerful moment but as soon as Dia's feet touched the ground again she sagged to her knees, the strength leaving her and her head bowed. Somewhere in the far reaches of her mind, she heard the weapons shift, drawing on them but she was already fading fast into unconsciousness again. The Force cocooned her like a blanket, lulling her down into meditative hibernation to begin to mend her wounds. With the Immortal spent it seemed they had no choice but to surrender for now and hope to be taken prisoner, rather than as a causality.