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The Dance to Die For
Part 1
Written by Sailor Bothawui
She awoke with a start. She felt her weak body rest on a flat cushy surface - not quite a bed. She slowed her breathing down as she remembered where she was.
"Well, you finally woke up. I was beginning to wonder." A soft sing song voice made her look to her right.
She smiled, kindness showed in her blue eyes. "Nekalet."
Nekalet had been a true friend over the past countless years. The middle aged woman was human, grey hairs were beginning to take place of her brown hair but the passion of living was still seen in her green eyes.
"Yes, dear." Her plump body took a seat next to the lying figure. "Will you ever stop flirting with death?"
Inga chuckled, then groaned as a pain shot across her stomach. "No, I don't think I will. That's why I have you, dear friend, to help me when I've gone too far."
"If you make it to me." She shook her head as she reached for a mug. "And you're right, that's your life to play with death. Now drink this."
The woman helped support the Bothan's head and shoulders as she drank the liquid inside. It was a vile liquid, but Inga kept her protest to herself and drank the slimy substance. After the mug was drained, Nekalet lowered the furred girl back down to the pallet.
Inga looked at the woman through blurring eyes. The aging woman had been a doctor when she had first met her. Inga, disguised as the Shadow, had snuck into a medical room to try to patch her arm when Nekalet had walked in. She was startled, but didn't cry the alarm as she should have; instead the woman helped Inga patch up the wounded arm. After that, Inga would only let Nekalet help her and she in turn would help the doctor in any way she could.
"Yes, Shadow, rest your eyes and the rest shall follow." Inga shook her head slightly as she closed her eyes. The green eyed woman only knew her as Shadow and never wanted to hear another name; Nekalet knew the hunting business and understood secrecy.
Nekalet ran her fingers through the multi-colored hair as the bounty hunter's body and mind relaxed.
The Shadow prowled around the streets, looking for where Cilek might set up the ambush. She guessed he would be in the more decaying areas and where less people traveled, but that was hard to locate as the whole city was encompassed by rock.
She sighed as she threw her head back and looked at the twin moons. They were quite a sight, almost next to each other. Then a thought hit her. The moons looked to be in a dance. Cilek wasn't on the moons, she was sure, but the moons were Indobok and Hosk.
She took her eyes off the dancing moons and looked around at her environment, seeing it again for the first time. She needed to find a place labeled 'HI' or... she spun on her heal to look in the direction where she came. She then started to jog, looking at the abandoned buildings around her.
The furred girl came to a skidding halt in front of a rocky building labeled 'Iinsheus and Hcihum.' The Shadow circled the building wondering what was waiting for her, she then stopped in front of the building again. She took a deep breath as she popped her knuckles.
"Well, might as well walk through the front door." The Bothan walked up the stairs, tried the door to see if it was locked but it opened to her command, and walked inside.
Lights flickered on as she walked down the corridor. Her fur rippled on her chin and on down her arms; her emotions were a swirl as she kept alert for any little movement or thing.
She soon came to a door. Her paw reached out to open it but it swung open before she could touch the knob. She looked up to a blue face with glowing red eyes.
"I see you have made it. Good for you." He slowly walked through the opened door to stand in front of Inga. He saw her fur make waves down her arm and smirked.
Inga cursed softly as she rubbed her paws over her arms to hide her emotions. "Yes, I have. Now that I am here, what did you want of me?"
Cilek raised his black eyebrows, chilling the furred being. "Why, only a game." The blue skinned man brought his right hand forward and started to play with something in his big hand.
Inga took an unconscious step back. "What is this game?" Something kicked her in her gut, telling her to run.
Eerie red eyes looked up and down her body. "The first step is only this." His right hand became a blur as she suddenly felt something pierce through her fur and into her neck.
The bounty hunter cursed as her hand reached up and felt the dart. As soon as she pulled it out, her knees buckled, sending her to the ground. She started gasping, so she pulled her mask down away from her face, hoping that it would help her breathe easier.
"Now, this is an interesting position for you, isn't it?" His voice held the slightest bit of amusement.
Inga, kneeling before the being that outmaneuvered her, could only look up and spit into his face. She felt her mind falling.
He wiped the spit from his face with the back of his sleeve. "Now, don't get vicious on me." He watched her fall onto her side and struggle to stay awake. "Dear Little Shadow, you can't possibly fight it, you should claim defeat and see where it takes you." He knelt by the girl to keep in her view.
Inga bit her lip, she couldn't move her limbs because they were dead weights. She mentally cursed as she felt her body slowly give up. She glared at Cilek who watched her with interest. She slowly closed her eyes and felt the darkness wrap around her.
With the mask around her neck, Inga thanked Nekalet. "Here, I know it's not much, but it's all I have right now." A furred paw took the bag of credits and pressed it into the human's hand. She then leaned in and gave the woman a small kiss on her cheek.
The woman shook her head and tucked the bag away. "Thank you as well. You take care of yourself now. Please do come by sometime when you're not dying." She chuckled softly.
Inga pulled the mask over her face, grimacing as some of the wounds made their presence known. Nekalet did as much as she could to help the hunter, by easing the pain and giving strength back to the Bothan. They both knew she couldn't stay long. The furred hunter turned and slowly walked away, waving to the retired doctor over her shoulder.
A battered and beaten Bothan limped through the front doors of the Neila Embassy. She hoped that she wouldn't run into any of the senshi for it was hard enough to face things alone. She knew that Suri's cameras would at least catch her actions as she headed up to the second floor and toward her space. Furry paws scribbled out a note to the senshi telling them that she will contact them as soon as she felt it was safe, and please don't try to find her as it would place them in danger she didn't want then in. She rounded up some of her belongings that she knew that she would need and then left. Blue eyes shut out the pain as she passed by the rusted gates and back onto the neglected streets. She quickly made her way to her ship.
The bounty hunter awoke, face-down, on a cold hard surface. She opened her eyes and the gray cement floor filled her view. She quietly moaned as she propped herself up on her paws, blinking to bring her surroundings in focus. Once her blue eyes did focus, she closed them again, wishing she never opened them.
"It's about time you woke up. Everyone was getting a bit restless." The familiar voice rang out and echoed around the room.
"If ya didn't put so much sleepin' potion in that dart, I probably wouldn't of been out so long." She shot back as she regretfully opened her eyes again and looked around. At least he had the decency to pull her mask over her face.
The furred girl moved so she could sit cross-legged on the floor. Blue eyes looked at the place she was in; it seemed to be set-up like an arena. There appeared to be seats along a tall white-washed wall that encircled her and the many other beings. She couldn't quite locate Cilek, so she let her eyes wander on down the walls and face what was on her level.
Countless beings, all of whom held some sort of weapon, formed a crude circle around her. They kept their space around her; she suddenly half smiled. She wondered how many had to die in order for them to understand that he wanted them to leave her alone. That smile faded as she looked down at her body. She saw no weapons. She patted herself down and found that even the tiniest weapon she had placed on her body, was gone.
She sighed as she slowly stood up. Inga then started to stretch her calf muscles.
"Now that you see your immediate surroundings, let me give you some more information that you might find useful." Cilek let the echo die down from the intercom, before he continued. "You are back on Coruscant and your ship is docked where it normally would be found."
Inga moved to stretch the muscles in her arms. "That information is quite interestin'." She kept looking at all the weapons that might be in her best interest to obtain.
"I see. Your mind must be somewhere else, perhaps on an escape route? Otherwise your language would be more...formal."
"Whadya expect when one wakes up in the middle a weapon bearin' crowd?" Her voice shot back as she moved to loosen other muscles.
There was the tiniest chuckle. "If you mange to get out of this alive, you will be able to find your belongings quite easily. Either way, it has been enjoyable dancing with you."
The Bothan shook her head as she slowly put her body in a fighting stance. "Until we meet again or somethin' like that?" She saw no visible doors around the base of the walls, but did happen to spy someone with a hook and rope.
"Yes, or something like that." The voice sounded like it was going to add something else, but she heard nothing more until the one word everyone was waiting for. "Now."
There was tension in the air as everyone crouched into various stances, some moved as if they wanted to charge, but were unsure of themselves. Inga kept her balance on the balls of her feet, waiting for the rush, knowing that she was going to let them have the first strike.
It took several long minutes before she spotted a grenade bounce near her feet. She cursed as she quickly picked it up, spun, threw the round object back into the crowd, and then automatically dropped to the ground covering her head with her paws, clinching her eyes shut. She didn't hear anything but curses and a few seconds later, screams mixed with fighting. She slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head up, wondering what was going on.
What she saw surprised her. There wasn't an explosion as the hunter was expecting, but it seemed it was a luma grenade, blinding those who dared look at the intense bright flash that it created.
Inga half smirked and shrugged her shoulder as she watched those who were blinded, fight among themselves. She wasn't alert enough to dodge the attack that hit her back and made a gash along her spine.
She yelled out as she turned her head to pinpoint her attacker. The boney looking creature raised his sword for a second attack, intent on his prey. The furred girl put the weight of her body on her front paws as she used her right leg to kick her opponent's scrawny legs out from under him. A blaster bolt barely missed her head.
Using her paws, she pushed herself up and toward the sword wielder, focused on obtaining the weapon. She managed to spin her torso around, grabbing the creature's weapon hand with her right paw and following through with her left paw to punch him under the jaw, knocking him unconscious.
Blaster bolts were everywhere as she picked up the sword and watched as some species turned on each other. She bit her lip as she moved to where her right foot was planted firmly on the ground, resting on her left knee. Her grip tightened as she suddenly launched herself from the ground into a run.
Inga forcefully swung the sword across the unprotected middle of her chosen opponent, instantly killing the male. Blood seeped from the stomach wound as she threw down her sword and picked up the new weapon. She pressed the activation stud above the handgrip and the new sword hummed to life.
A whip lash felt on the back of her legs turned her smile into a grimace. The humanoid that demanded her attention had a smug look and an arrogant smile. The female snapped her wrist back, commanding the whip to follow her movements. Inga scanned the area around her feet, looking for something that would help her as she moved the viroblade to her left paw.
The whip bearing female snapped the whip across the furred being's shoulders as she dropped to a knee. A bolt from a blaster zoomed past her furred ear. She quickly used the viroblade to tear off some cloth from a pant leg off a fallen creature as her attacker readied a third attack.
The Bothan quickly wrapped the cut cloth around her right paw and forearm, and faced the opposing female, still on her knee. The female once again snapped the whip toward the kneeling target.
The masked girl threw her wrapped arm up in front of her face, letting the whip wrap around her arm. She then quickly grabbed the whip with her protected paw and started to wind the whip around her arm, pulling herself to a standing position in the process.
The female still held onto the whip, trying to free her only weapon against this hunter. Her breathing became shallow and rapid as the furred girl closed the distance between them. She suddenly screamed and tried to run away as the viroblade neatly beheaded her.
Inga let the whip unwind from her arm as she shook her head. Her attention went from the rolling head to the battle raging on around her. Once the whip and cloth was free, she stuffed the cloth away, for future use, as she put the blade in her right paw and the whip in her left.
She scanned the crowd as a blaster bolt grazed her leg. She bit her lip and tasted blood as she tried to locate what she was after. After another bolt found her arm, she ran to her right.
She used the whip to change some of the battler's minds in pursuing her. They quickly found other targets. She then came upon her interest, trapping him against the wall. He saw what she held in her paws and dropped to the ground. A little confused, the Bothan backed up half a step and looked at the frail guy.
He then used that opportunity to lash out with the hook and managed to catch her front leg. She cursed as she felt her foot slid out from beneath her, but her mind spun into gear. She dropped her whip, as she used the momentum from falling to bring the viroblade down upon her careless victim. She cut off his left arm.
The green skinned alien's eyes widened as he slowly looked at his left arm lying beside his body, unattached and bleeding. He brought his knees to his chest, and wrapped his remaining hand around them, muttering incoherently in an unknown language.
Inga picked up the sought after hook and rope. She wound the whip and used the cloth to attack it to her hip. She stood up and turned the viroblade off. A blaser bolt hit her in her shoulder as she looked up at the white wall. She tucked the blade in her leg wrapping as she stepped a little away from the wall, readying the hook and rope.
She held the hook away from her body as she started to swing it. Once she thought enough momentum was built up, she let the hook fly up to the wall's edge. She cursed as the hook missed the edge and fell back toward her. She took a deep breath in as she took some steps closer to the wall. A sharp pain entered her side. Reflexes kicked in as she moved her paw to her side and looked down. There was some blood that started to drip down her fur from a newly made gash. She looked over her shoulder and saw a Wookie standing immediately behind her.
Worry was seen in her blue eyes as she saw what he held. Ryyk blades, two of them. She let the rope slide through her other paw as she turned around to face the other furred being. She really didn't want to fight a Wookie, one of her favorites.
She spoke in general Shyriiwok. "Why fight me, cousin? I don't want to stand against you, only with you." She spread her paws out in front of her, ignoring the blood that started to mat her fur.
The Wookie grumbled. "Cousin? You dare call me cousin? I have no family. I have my own life to live and it doesn't include you!" He lunged forward grazing the furred girl's arm.
The black clad girl jumped to the side, her paw reaching to undo the whip at her hip. "Please, I don't wish to fight you. Are you sure we can't work this out somehow?"
"Never!" He roared as he made an effort to turn his body to get in another attack on the smaller frame.
The Bothan uncoiled the whip with a flick of her wrist and snapped it toward the Wookie's legs. Once the leather swung around his legs once, she quickly pulled it tight and watched the large being fall onto his back.
She then swiftly pounced on top of his chest. "Are you sure we can't work this out?" She was pleading with him in his native language. She slightly leaned to her right, arm extended, ready for action.
The male snarled and tensed his body, readjusting his grips on his blades. "I said never!"
At the word 'never' Inga leaned over and pried the heavy blade out of his paw and used all her strength to lift the blade and then used that power with both her paws to sever the main artery in his throat.
He gurgled a surprise as she leaned her head against the paws that still clinched the ryyk blade. She closed her eyes as she felt the body underneath her relax. A bolt barely missed her head. She gathered her emotions and choked back a lump that was forming in her throat as she reluctantly left the Wookie body.
She coiled the whip and replaced it on her hip as she set off for the hook and rope.
She navigated off the world of Coruscant, trying to figure out which one of her hiding spots she should go to. Which one she would feel more comfortable in. One that would let her fully heal.
She sighed as she located her datapad and opened some files, flipping through her choices. She groaned as she rubbed the back of her neck, "Come on, Inga, think. You've made it this far..."
Her blue eyes dully watched as the ships around the populated planet gave way to glittering stars. She leaned back against her chair as her ship took her away from the busy planet.
Kashyyyk. The name gently entered her blank mind. The Bothan smiled. It had been quite awhile since she paid a visit to the forest planet. She closed her eyes briefly as she remembered her house in the trees.
"Sora, should I give you any credit for the thought of Kashyyyk?" The tired hunter asked as she took control of her ship.
A light chuckle drifted through the air. "Maybe, do you have a problem with it?" A senshi slowly took shape in a nearby chair.
Inga slowly shook her head, "Not at all, I just wish I thought of it myself." Blue eyes looked at the blue shade sitting next to her. "Thanks."
The guardian looked over her beaten charge. "Be sure to heal completely, got it? No strenuous activities, no job hunting, no fighting whatsoever..." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'll be sure the whole Wookie village looks after you and makes sure you're doing what you're supposed to be doing or stops what you're not supposed to be doing."
The defeated furred girl rubbed her eyes with her paws. "Okay, I got it, I got it." She sighed. "Heal and make sure Cilek doesn't want to play anymore."
Sora raised an eyebrow. "Once you heal. And I will put Lumrisha in charge. You are not to heal yourself this time. Let time..."
"But that will take forever!" Inga protested. "And Lumrisha will be sure that I won't do anything..." she glanced over at the smiling figure, "that is your intent, isn't it?"
"Yep. I wouldn't have it any other way." Her face brightened with her victory. Inga groaned.
Once the Bothan escaped from the arena, found her belongings, and was several blocks away from the battle, she decided that she could slow to a walk. She sighed deeply as she looked around for a place to sit and rest awhile, and maybe order a drink.
She finally spotted a cantina called "The Innocent Hawk-Bat." She took her mask off and shoved it into her pack then she took her hair down from the bun it was in before she entered the darkened bar.
She paw combed her multi-colored hair as her eyes searched for a table, one that was close to a door. She found that all of the ones that she wanted were occupied. She sighed as she headed for the standing bar. Halfway there, one of the tables became vacant, so she veered her course toward the empty table.
She plopped herself in a chair, dropping her pack next to her legs. The hunter ordered a drink and settled herself to enjoy the live entertainment. The combination of the jazzy band and the spirited drink soon relaxed the tired girl.
As she was sipping her third glass of spirits, a scruffy looking human cautiously approached her table.
"Mind if I sit down? Seems to me that you would do well with some company." He smiled as he grabbed the back of the chair across from where she was sitting.
Inga shrugged her shoulders. "If ya don't bother me, you can sit there." She eyed the man who lowered himself into the chair.
The black clad girl finished her drink and set it back on the table. She leaned back against her seat and gave her attention back to the band.
"Mind if I buy you another drink? Seems to me that you wouldn't mind another one." He raised his hand and gestured to a waitress who nodded.
The Bothan raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the man. "Seems to me that you have something on yer mind." She studied his facial features, which seemed to become better all the time.
He chuckled as the waitress set the drinks on the table in front of them. "Just buying a pretty gal a drink, last I checked, it was still legal." He raised his glass in a silent toast.
Inga smiled as she grabbed her drink and accepted the offered toast. She took a few mouthfuls and then mentally cursed. Her drink slipped from her paws and spilt onto the floor. She sat up straighter as her paws clutched the edge of the table, trying to find her balance.
"Thought you were out of the woods, huh? Thought you would stop for a few drinks? Looks like those drinks will be the death of you." He chuckled.
The furred girl blinked while she looked across the table to him. Through her blurred vision, she saw a blaster aimed at her torso. She mentally strung a line of curses together as she slowly moved to stand up. She purposefully used the table as her legs as she scooted on around the edge, and plopped onto the man's lap.
"Look's like you have more than you can handle." She moved to straddle the dirty blond male. "Now, if yer really smart, you would give me the antidote," she ran her paws through the distracted male's hair, "and sit with me until the effects wear off, protecting me from harm."
She easily seized the blaster from the guy's hand as he tried to get his mouth to work. "The pill...it's...coat pocket..."
She shook her head, trying to ward off the effects of the drug as she leaned back and searched for the pill. She smiled as she pulled out the small pill and popped it into her mouth. She rested her paws on his hands when she saw that he was trying to move them, most likely to signal his buddies.
"Now that wasn't so smart was it?" She blinked, trying to keep her vision clear. "I have your blaster in my possession, and you still need to sit here with me until the pill has worked."
"You know, you are quite a dangerous lady." Sweat was seen on his forehead. His dark eyes were tracing movement behind her.
She smiled, showing her teeth. She then twisted her torso so she could see what he was so focused on. Her vision cleared enough to see four guys standing behind her.
"Well, look who wants to join the party. I'm sorry, but I can't sit on everyone's laps." She playfully shrugged her shoulders, which made some blue and yellow hair fall over her furry shoulder.
"We're here to collect the bounty, unlike our member here who failed to do so." A tusked being aimed a heavy blaster at her head.
"Well, shall we get started? I think I'm able to handle it now." She turned to face the blond, and winked. "Thanks for the blaster." She then stood up and away from the human male.
She flicked her ears back when she picked up a low hum. She eyed the slender being to her left and was shocked to see him wielding a blue lightsaber. The other bounty hunters brandished blasters and viroblades.
She made the first move by getting some shots off at the tusked hunter and the human beside him, ducking an incoming attack from the lightsaber. The blue saber singed some of the fur on her arm as she fell to the ground. She then rolled on the ground between the attackers and saw that the saber wielder cut his teammate's arm off. A little spat broke out between those two as she got up and tried to run from the threat.
A whip lashed out and caught her right foot, sending her to the floor. She cursed as patted the spot where she kept it and then looked up to see who took her weapon. The blond guy smiled as he pulled her back toward them. Suddenly, a thin metal wire wrapped around her neck. She started to panic as she felt her throat being crushed.
Her mind swiftly went to work, as she quickly pulled out the viroblade that was still tucked in her leg wrappings and cut the whip and wire away. Her body demanded to take some deep gulps of air before acting once again. She then started to get back on her feet when she felt an object hit the back of her head. She was stunned for a moment, which allowed the hunters to circle around her once more.
"Come on, we're going to collect our bounty." The two humans grabbed her arms and hauled her to her feet, taking her to the street. The slender and tusked humanoids followed behind.
Once out on the street, Inga swiftly brought her feet up and then used her heals to stomp on her captor's toes. They promptly let their bounty go to nurse their smashed feet, while she took the opportunity to run away. Something caught in her leg, but she brushed the pain aside as she focused on getting away. Blaster bolts whizzed by her frame as she rounded a corner, into the alley.
The Bothan was gently embraced by the motherly figure of Lumrisha. Another Wookie took her packs and carried them away.
"I'm missed you, Lumrisha." Inga childishly rubbed her nose against the reddish fur.
A chuckle bubbled from the woman's mouth. "Last time, as I recall, you were glad to get away from me. Now don't pull away yet, Little One." She tightened her embrace when Inga threatened to pull away from her. "I know you only kid, and at that time, you needed to leave."
The black clad girl leaned against the warmth and continued in a various dialect of Shyriiwok. "I'm tired. I've come to rest and heal."
"So I've been informed. But don't you worry, I'm here to look after you and to make sure you limit yourself." After Inga's groan, the mother Wookie continued in amusement. "And I'm sure you will have others to look after, and guard, you as well."
"Can I presume that my mentor gave you enough warning so that the whole village was able to take part in cleaning my hut?" The Bothan raised her eyebrows as she looked up to the woman holding her.
There was a faint chuckle. "Of course. And you know the males were even willing to go the extra mile, to hopefully win your interest."
Inga put her face in her paws. "What should I expect his time?" She then peeked out from behind her paws, "Please don't tell me I have to turn down more quillarats." She remembered the crowd of hopeful males that offered her the little spiky creature as wedding proposals.
The woman shook her head. "No, the unmarried males have been told about that, but that won't stop them from trying to win your attention." Lumrisha stood up, with the small girl in her arms. "A whole new set of bedroom furniture. You will see how intricate they got."
Inga ran her paw through her hair. "How much time did Sora give you?" She wished her guardian were here so she could smack her.
"About a moon's time." The Wookie female carried the tired hunter toward her hut. The brown furred girl moaned, and thought of making that smack into a total beat down.
They arrived at Inga's hut and found that all her belongings were put away. Lumrisha gently set the hunter down so that she could inspect her new furniture. The motherly figure showed her amusement as the Bothan kept shaking her head as she looked at the carefully crafted objects.
"I take it you approve?" The red-brown furred female crossed her arms over her chest.
Inga finally plopped down on her new bed, fingering the woven vines that laced around her bed. "I do."
After the yawn Inga produced, the mother Wookie helped her undress from her filthy clothes and then dressed her in looser cleaner fabrics.
"I shall tell the males. Rest well, Little One." Lumrisha silently closed the door as Inga fell into a well deserved sleep.