Chapter 3: New friends, newer enemies
"Be careful..." Josha said quietly as he led Jezza and Araica into the dimly lit bar. The girls and Starlen had decided to start looking for "customers"... people they could smuggle and bounty hunt for. After Jezza had decided to go into hiding for a while, the problem of money was the next to be solved.
"Oh Josha, I've been in worse before," Jezza whispered to him. Looking around, she amended, "Um ... with my dad, though."
Araica just laughed. "Don't worry... *I've* been in worse... by myself!" She smiled, patting her blaster.
As the trio walked into the bar, a figure in the shadows watched them. "Easy pickings," she said to herself, wiggling her fingers. She snuck up to Jezza, placing her hand softly on the money pouch.
"What are you doing?" Jezza asked, placing her hand on the thief's.
"Oh, uh... I'm... ah... just admiring you're money pouch!" the young thief stammered, trying to make the best out of a bad situation.
"Why thank you, my da-HEY!" Jezza cried as the thief grabbed her pouch and ran off. Jezza jumped up, Araica right behind her.
"Jezza, you dolt! How could you have let her do that?" Araica yelled, grabbing her blaster.
"Wait up you two!" Josha hopped out of his seat, but not before he could drop a coin on the counter for a drink. He followed the girls outside, cursing as he'd left his blaster on the ship.
Slipping into an alley, the thief cursed. "How could I have been so sloppy?" Shrugging, she poured the contents of the pouch into her hands. "Ah well, Raleigh, you've got a few more credits for tonight." Tossing her long, blue, thin braid over her shoulder, Raleigh stopped in her tracks at the sight of the redhead.
"Give me the money... now." Araica said, aiming her blaster at Raleigh.
"Like Sithspit I will!" Raleigh cried. "I earned it fair and square!"
Speechless for a moment, Araica shook her head. "Enough, give it to me and I won't shoot you."
Raleigh laughed. "Like you would anyway."
"I would!" Araica cried. Laughing some more, Raleigh turned quickly, catching Araica off guard. Aiming her blaster low, Araica shot the young thief in the leg.
Falling over, Raleigh looked at her leg, her eyes wide with terror. "You... you actually shot me! Oh, that hurt!"
"Told you I would," Araica retorted, switching the blaster to stun without Raleigh noticing.
Frantically, Raleigh looked for something to help herself. "Ahhh... that hurts... yes it does!" Ripping off a piece of her shirt, she yelled at Araica. "Hey... got any bandages on you?" Araica just stood there, watching the theif. "C'mon, lend a girl a hand. You were the one who shot me after all!" Raleigh concentrated on bandaging her leg, but as soon as she finished, she fell to the ground, unconscience.
Jezza ran in just as Raleigh's head hit the ground. "Araica, it was just money! You didn't have to kill her!"
"What?!" Josha echoed, following Jezza. "Araica, you didn't..."
"No no no! I didn't kill her. Just stunned her. We can... take her back to the ship or something." Araica crossed her arms, frowning. "She just talked to much, and it bugged me."
"There's the information. You hurt her, and the deal's off? Got it?"
Malrun Sal watched as her husband handed a woman, dressed in a red, skin tight suit, with holders for various weapons she'd been forced to turn in when coming to the Sal home, a picture of Jezza.
"Yes. Though... if she puts up resistance..." The woman's only given name was Pyrona, an assasin/bounty hunter. Her tall figure made her seem opposing to her pray, which often gave her a well-used advantage.
"Stun her if necessary. I just want my daughter back and unharmed," Camun replied. He passed Pyrona a credit voucher. "Twenty-thousand advanced. Fifty-thousand when you bring her unharmed. If she is hurt in anyway... the deal is off."
The sum surprised Pyrona, even though this was an awfully rich family. Not letting her face show any emotion she took the voucher. "Any ideas as to where I should start?"
A light smile played across Camun's face. "That's your job. Bring Jezza back as soon as you can." He nodded to Malrun, who used the small communicator in her hand to signal for a maid. Pyrona took it as her dismissal. "Very well." She turned, walking out the door and ready to get her weapons back.
Outside, listening in, Kaiyra gasped a little. She stepped back as soon as Pyrona walked out of the room her parents were in. She gasped at the ominous sight, turning and bumping into a maid.
"Sorry!" Kaiyra mumbled, before running to her room and not looking back. She sat on her bed, wondering what she could do. Because Jezza was in trouble.
The first thing Raleigh noticed when she woke was that her head was hurting terribly. The next was that she had no clue where she lay.
"Hey! Where in the world am I?" she cried, sitting up. She looked over, recognizing the face of the girl she had stolen from. Sitting next to the girl who shot her.
"You're on our ship," Jezza said.
"You've been out for a long time. I wish it'd been longer," Araica added, standing up. Jezza shook her head.
"Araica! C'mon... be a little more compassionate." Smiling, Jezza turned back to Raleigh. "I put some bacta on your leg. It's just fine now..."
"No thanks to the stupid redhead over there..." Raleigh mumbled.
"I wouldn't have shot if you hadn't stolen our money!" Araica retorted.
"Well... a girl needs to make a living, doesn't she?!" Raleigh stood up, before hitting her head on the bunk on top and sat back down rubbing her head. "Oww... this is not my day."
Jezza sighed. "Anyway... what's your name?"
"Raleigh"
"Well, Raleigh, we haven't left the planet. You can leave anytime you like." Jezza stood, walking over a cabinet and tossed some more bacta seal to Raleigh.
Catching it, Raleigh smiled, then stood, walking to the door. "Fine, how does right now sound?"
Araica turned to her. "Suit yourself." She then opened the door, gesturing out for Raleigh. The thief followed, and Araica promptly slapped the control to close the door.
"Araica..." Jezza muttered.
