Chapter One. Blood Lust

The three suns of Dakeen five beat down harshly. The dry and humid wind swept sheets of sand up and into a miniature whirlwind. The heavily armored and armed man kept walking on. He looked around the small spaceport through his T-shaped visor, tapping the side of his helmet once he locked onto his target: the docking yard. It held his ship and several others inside the massive oval building that was situated over a giant cliffside, some were large freighters and others transports for on and off world travel or goods. The ships were docked inside the large four docking pads that were directly built into the cliff and extended a few hundred meters out into the air. With nothing but the darkness of the giant valley below. The man flipped his rangefinder up, pausing for an instant before continuing his journey toward the building. His armor was quite impressive, painted in black and red. His jetpack small and compact, useful for a quick get away or pursuing his bounties. A burnt scar ran from his chest plate down to his left side, suggesting that he had been in a close to death fight, and had walked away from it the victor. His helmet was battered and the paint was faded. He wore two blaster pistols at his waist, while holding a blaster rifle that was modified for multiple purposes. The barrel was snubbed and had a grenade launcher underneath with a laser pointer attached on the rail. The stock was collapsible and light. He had another blaster pistol attached and anchored on the left side of the rifle, ready and usable while shooting the main blaster rifle. But what really stood out was the gleaming gunmetal handle clipped to his belt. A lightsaber that he had gotten from killing a Jedi Master not long ago. Not many could tangle with a Jedi- let alone a Jedi Master- and live to tell the tale. Or wield their weapon. But that is what he did. That is what Mandalorians did. For he was in fact a Mandalorian. He strode forward up to the door leading into the back of the docking yard. A hooded man sat in the corner, holding his hands out. "Do you have-" the Mandalorian shook his head and continued onward, taking care to duck his head as he stepped into the small room, leading farther on was a corridor with glass on the left side, showcasing several star crafts and space yachts. He looked at the crew fitting hoses to one with a gleaming hull, the insignia printed under the nose was a red flag surrounded by four skulls, meaning that the area drug lord was here. He was a devious man, dabbling in spice, stim, and slave trading. But he had connections within both the Federation and the Republic. He hoped to create an empire on slave trade and spice runs. Which he had. But apparently he had upset too many people. Powerful people. The Mandalorian paused once he noticed a woman watching him carefully, she seemed rather nervous and kept her right hand near the weapon at her hip. She was leaning against the wall near the door at the end of the corridor, two hulking wolfmen walked past, giving him the eye over. The room was cramped and crowded, nearly everyone here was avoiding the savage weather outside as they waited for their transports to announce the boarding process. He walked his way toward the door, nearly knocking an old Gand over. The woman stopped him as he approached her, raising a single hand. "Whoa. What do you think you're doing, buddy?" She said with a slight smile, she swayed for an instant, nearly falling over, but she managed to catch herself at the last minute. "Got a haul for me. The Duros in transportation said he'd hook me up if I had the creds." The Mandalorian said, his voice low and even. The woman shook her head. "Never heard of a Duros in transportation, you must be looking for the wrong guy here. You should try down the-'' the Mandalorian grabbed her arm and swiftly pulled her toward him, with his other hand, he slapped away the blaster pistol she had pulled from her holster and quickly slammed his fist into her stomach. Everybody was watching the showdown with nervousness. There were some who had already started leaving the building."Well, maybe you should think about it a little harder." He said. The woman was struggling for breath, but she still glared death at him. He noticed that the rim of her eyes were red and that her skin was blotchy. He sighed. Another spice addict. He let her go, stepping back. "Look. I'm just trying to make a few credits. I need to get past you." The woman spat at him, laughing. "You think I will just let you pass? Besides, it's not me you should be worried about, it's them." She grinned, pointing at the two wolfmen that had passed him by earlier. The Mandalorian looked over his shoulder, watching as they approached. "Mando scum." The one on the right said, he snarled and pulled back his lips into a deep growl, revealing rows of sharp fangs. "Take a second and think this through. Do you honestly think you can actually win against me?" The Mandalorian asked calmly. In answer, they reached for their weapons. The Mandalorian was already moving, he flipped up his rifle and pulled the trigger. Red laser beams spat out, catching both wolfmen in the face and chest. The stench of burnt flesh and fur wafted in the air as both wolfmen fell, weapons slipping from their lifeless fingers. Before they had even hit the ground the woman lunged forward, trying to stab him with a hidden vibroblade, the small weapon hissed through the air and nicked his chest plate as he skipped back. He quickly grabbed her arm and twisted it to the side while bringing his rifle up again. The barrel pressed against her ribs. He pulled the trigger once more. A muffled sound and then a bright red laser blast tore out of her back and hit the duracrete wall, leaving a black scorched mark on it. The woman slumped down, her eyes already glassed over. The blade pinged as it hit the floor, and her body followed a second later. Steam rose from the cauterized hole in her stomach as the heat from the blast still ate away at her guts. The Mandalorian strode toward the door, ignoring the clamor from the people still inside the room. The door hissed open as he tapped the control panel. The room was small but more comfortable and better looking than the last. The reception desk was off to the left. The desk was made of pure purple marble. Compu-screens and monitors covered most of the smooth surface. The receptionist was a droid with a round domed head, two antennas on the left side of its skull, right above the cluster optical sensors. The speaker grille was near its chin. The droid turned around from its talk with a young man, its optical sensors regarded him with displeasure. "Sir, you are not allowed in this room without the proper-" it started in a high feminine tone, he quickly interjected. "I need to find the Duros in transportation, do you know where he might be?" The droid paused, most likely cycling its data banks for the proper response. It placed a hand on the desk, leaning forward. "The man you seek is outside that door," the droid pointed to the left. The door it was referring to was on the opposite side of the room. It was a plain door with a control panel and retina sensor scan. The Mandalorian nodded and continued on. "What, if I may ask, is your name?" The droid inquired politely. The Mandalorian paused, throwing a glance over his shoulder, he answered. "You can call me Zekk. Zekk Stilco." The droid tapped in a string of letters down on a datapad. "Well, have a good day. Stilco." The Mandalorian- or rather- Zekk Stilco walked forward. Lightly nudging the door open with his booted foot. I guess the control panel was for show, he thought. A terrible smell assaulted his helmet's air filters and he tapped a quick command in on his right arm's keypad. With a smooth whir, the air recycler kicked on, pushing out the smell but constantly keeping his air flow pumping. Soon the smell was all but gone. The next room he entered was dark and gloomy, the only light was the small red bulb glowing above, casting eerie shadows on the walls and ceiling. In the center of the room sat a Duros in front of the table before him. An alien creature with blue skin and red bulging eyes. The Duros turned and regarded him with interest, stroking its shiny, smooth cranium with long nimble fingers. "Ah. The esteemed great Zekk Stilco. We've been waiting." As if on cue, two more hulking wolfmen stepped forward and flanked the Duros, these ones were better armed and equipped with light armor that could withstand a few blaster bolts. Now that he noticed and looked closer he could see a dark haired woman with a long staff-like weapon in her curled fingers kneeling beside him on his right, a collar of metal, surrounded by purple energy encased her neck. A chain attached to the energy by a small magnetic device dropped to the floor and up into the Duros ' other hand while the other end held the link onto the collar of energy. It was most likely for show. To intimidate the Mandalorian. Stilco wasn't impressed so far. "Yes. That's me. I have business to discuss with you. Glitterstim." On top of being one of the most important mining planets in the Mid-rim, the planet hosted several luxurious cities that had some of the best entertainment on this side of the Kanto Lane. The planet was ruled by lords and divided into five provinces. The five lords decided what the laws were and how to deal with trade and transportation. And it so happened that they weren't picky about who they hired to take out competition or loose ends. The only thing keeping most of the people in this small town was the endless supply of Glitterstim spice. A unique small, crystal- shaped drug. It greatly numbed pain and fatigue, while making the user enter a blissful slumber. The neverending flow worked its way from the Gatka city all the way down to the Spany'asha Pass city. The way the Glitterstim was harvested was a tedious and very dangerous process. Stilco didn't know exactly what was involved but he knew enough to know that it wasn't a job most anybody would take. Which is why the slavery law was passed, encouraging more greedy warlords, and the nobles of the planet to purchase slaves and use them for labor in the mines. It also helped the five lords make an even bigger profit since the slaves were puchased from them and the Glitterstim had to be exported through their cities. " Ah, yes. I was wondering when you would show up. I was afraid maybe something had, uh, delayed you.'' the Duros smiled, steepling his fingers in front of him while tugging on the chain attached to the woman's neck. She grunted, clutching her weapon harder as the purple energy crackled and spat sparks on her bare skin. "You don't need to worry about me, I can handle myself." Stilco answered coldly. He suspected that the Duros had been behind the hallway incident, he probably had promised the woman and the other two wolfmen a reward of some kind if they had dealt with him, he wasn't sure why though. But the look in the Duros' eyes hinted that he had known about it. "As we can see,'' Duros chuckled, glancing at the two wolfmen and giving each a small nod. "As we can see. This business you speak of is a very delicate one. I don't have much time so we must hurry." The blue skinned man leaned forward to stroke the woman's long dark hair with his fingertips. The Mandalorian stepped forward, bringing up his small datapad. "Yes. I would like that." he tapped on the glowing screen, while keeping his eye on the wolfmen. "I need to check the cargo before I send you the credits.'' Duros narrowed his eyes, grinding his teeth. "So you don't trust me? Do I look like someone who would lie about my cargo?" he spat. Stilco could feel the tension in the air. He knew it was only a matter of time before the two wolfmen made their move, but he was ready. He shrugged his shoulders, taking a step back. "I never said that. But all the same. I want to see the cargo.`` This time he spoke with such intensity that the Duros leaned back, eyes widened. "I-I see." he motioned one of his underlings forward with a haughty wave of his hand. "Bring the Glitterstim in." the wolfman on the right nodded, handing his blaster weapon over to the other wolfman. "This Glitterstim was mined directly from the caves of Dayaa'hn.'' Duros leaned back in his chair, while grabbing the jewel studded cup in front of him and bringing it to his thin lips. "It is hard to get down that far since we have to be careful of the Styk wolves and also the poisonous gasses." Stilco kept his eye on the wolfman as he walked out of the room, tapping a command in on the small console near the door. The door hissed open, revealing a hover repulse lift with a gunmetal crate resting on it. The soft whir of the repulsors as the wolfman guided the floating lift into the room could barely be heard. "So, I've been informed that you also buy, uh, certain goods. The live kind.'' Duros grinned, tapping the woman's head with his cup. "Where did you hear that from?" Stilco approached the crate, noticing that it was pressurized and seal coded. The small keypad on top of it beeped a solid red color. It was locked. The Mandalorian tapped his forearm's data pad. Pulling up a sequence of numbers. "We can give you the password if we-'' the crate's lid popped open with a hiss of pressurized air, a cold jet of steam followed shortly after. "It won't be needed." Stilco cut the Duros off abruptly. In the crate vented a harsh cold blast of steam, curling in the putrid air lazily as it drifted up toward the ceiling. The Mandalorian carefully dipped a gloved hand into the contents of the crate, swirling the small crystal looking drug slowly. The Glitterstim looked exactly like a Kaibur Crystal, the crystals used to power Sith and Jedi weapons alike. Although smaller, processed and refined on a nearly grain like scale. This was truly high quality indeed. "Have you ever had a taste of Glitterstim, bounty hunter?" the Duros leaned back in his chair, tossing his empty cup on the table in front of him. With a small smirk, he placed his hands on the smooth marble surface and started drumming his fingers. "It is truly wonderful. It melts in your mouth, followed by a sharp taste of bliss." "I can't say I ever have." Stilco answered curtly. He closed the lid, punching in a few buttons that sealed the crate off again with a sharp hiss of air. "Well. That is surely a shame. As it is a shame that I must kill you." The grin on the Duros ' face dropped instantly, replaced by a frown. The blue skinned alien nodded at his two wolfmen. Stilco barely had time to react as they both attacked at once, not even bothering to draw their blaster weapons- not that they would do the two wolfmen any good- they launched themselves at him bodily. The one on the right had dropped his blaster and reached behind his back, bringing a small, tear drop shaped metal shield to arm. With a quick shake the weapon squealed to life, and suddenly the shield was covered in a sheen of blue energy. It was a vibro- shield. Made out of durable gunmetal from the Moon of Ehos, this weapon was simple as well as deadly. It was a basic shield until the user activated the switch on the handle causing it to ignite a force field around the weapon, encasing the metal shield in a halo of bright energy that cut anything on contact. The Duros smiled yet again, steepling his fingers in anticipation. "Good bye, bounty hunter." They leapt at Stilco, the one on the left didn't have a weapon, instead the beast man simply reached out, fangs locked into a snarl. Large hands outstretched, claws ready to tear into the Mandalorian. He didn't even notice when Stilco shoved the crate at him while dropping his light repeater blaster rifle, and reached for his left blaster pistol at his side. The crate slammed into the wolfman and knocked him over, yowling. Glitterstim sprayed everywhere as the crate dipped to the side, repulsors whining from the impact on the nearly three hundred pound beast man. Stilco squeezed the trigger, bright red bolts of energy hit the wolfman in the chest and stomach. Two blasts were reflected off of the chestplate and into the air until they hit the ceiling, leaving carbon scoring in the chipped stone. The other bolts of energy blasted through the light metal armor that the wolf man had equipped and tore into his flesh. One blaster bolt ripped right through his side and came out of his back, staining the floor with charred guts and black blood. The other wolfman roared and shoved aside the crate of Glitterstim to get at the bounty hunter. His vision was red. He could taste the smell of fear emitting from the hunter, he could taste the smell of blood. But it wasn't the sweet coppery scent of humans, no this was more thicker and primal. It was the dead body of the other wolf man. He howled, storming forward, holding up his shield as the bounty hunter released a stream of blaster fire at him. The bolts pinged and buzzed off of the energy weapon, spraying the room in a beautiful but deadly web of laser bolts. He clenched his fangs and charged at the bounty hunter. Two blaster bolts whizzed past the underside rim of his shield and tore into his flank. He ignored the sharp pain and lashed out with the glowing shield at the bounty hunter. Stilco twisted to the side, the shield skittered off the hard beskar of his chestplate, creating a small arc of sparks that shot in the air. The wolf man growled and swept his free hand at the bounty hunter, trying to catch him off guard. The mandalorian ducked the attack and stepped in, blaster pistol in hand. The wolf man realized his mistake too late, and he could only open his mouth before three quick bursts of blaster fire cut through his body. Stilco turned, his blaster pistol's barrel still resting against the now scorching hot metal chestplate of the wolf's man armor. The wolf man's body went completely slack, blood and saliva dripped down his chin and muzzle, coating the mandalorian's shoulder. The Duros wasn't smiling anymore. In fact, he seemed a bit nervous. He quickly tugged the chain that he held in his hands, urging the woman to stand, which she did. The woman looked at Stilco and then at the Duros. "Kill him." the blue skinned creature said, he leaned forward and tapped a button on his table. The energy chain that held her back winked out and died. The large metal collar on her neck clicked once and fell away to the floor. Stilco stepped forward, holding his blaster pistol at the ready, while still gauging his opponent. The woman strode toward him with grace and confidence. Her staff-like weapon snapped up as she twisted it smartly and brought it down in an arc. The weapon's tip was sharp and the metal gleamed brightly. He had only a second to react as she came at him with a vicious jab followed by a leg swipe, intending to knock him to his knees. He took the jab right below the ribcage, grunting from the painful impact, he could hear the sound of screeching metal and feel the staff slide along his armored flank. The next attack he merely took a step back, releasing a volley of blaster fire at the woman. She evaded the bright red energy by simply stepping to the side. In a fast counter attack, she came at him again. Weapon a blur, striking at the weak points in his armor. Twice the staff hit him before he had time to react. He holstered his blaster pistol as he came up against the wall, his blaster pistol would no longer be needed. The woman spun her staff in a fast overhead strike, trying to bash in his helmeted head. Her moves were simple yet swift. Nearly hard to even see. The bounty hunter twisted to the side, dropping down in a crouch while arming his left gauntlet. The staff struck the wall and bounced off, with a slight twist of her wrist, the woman angled it for another attack. This time it was a sideswipe intending to hit him in the neck. He toggled the button on his wrist, while holding up his right arm to block the incoming blow. The staff struck his arm, he grunted as he felt a sharp pain lance up his arm. No doubt she broke it. Just as the staff hit him, the bounty hunter released his own attack. The woman barely had time to register the sharp whirring sound that emitted from the bounty hunter's gauntlet before she tried to move back. But it was too late. The look on her face was of frozen shock and hate. Her eyes dropped down to the thin metal cable that was attached to the bounty hunter's forearm and that continued on until it was protruding from her chest. It was a grappling hook. The grappling hook had entered from the front and neatly made a quick exit out of her back. Blood dribbled down the cable, splashing onto the floor. "You-" she tried to speak, the blood she coughed up wasn't helping her any. Stilco reached for his pistol and squeezed the trigger in her face. Gristle, skull fragments, and a small spray of blood rained down from the left side of her now deformed head. The blaster bolt had entered cleanly and tore off half of her face. The mandalorian shoved the dead woman onto the floor, calling forth his grappling hook back to its sheath. The cable hissed as it once again ripped through bone and flesh. It halted with a soft click as it finished its cycle of rewinding back into its spool. The bounty hunter strode toward the Duros, who was scrambling for something under the table. "Wait," panic was clear in his voice." you can't-" One well placed blaster bolt put the blue skinned creature down. Or would have if it hadn't been intercepted by a meter long tower of purple energy. A lightsaber? The mandalorian barely had time to think before the hand holding the glowing weapon twisted it around in a neat arc and sliced the blaster pistol in his hand completely in half. He dodged the vicious riposte that followed a second after. He dropped the useless weapon and faced his new opponent. Jedi. It was a young woman. A girl really. She held the lightsaber in a defensive form. Her dark brown eyes narrowed in concentration. Her Jedi robes lay down at her feet and she wore a comfortable loose fitting tunic that gave her no restriction in a fight. "Jedi. Stay back from my bounty. This doesn't concern you." Stilco said, he warily dropped his left hand to his hip. He could see the Duros scramble for the exit, tripping and sliding on the floor slick with blood. "I'm not here for your bounty. I'm here for you." her voice trembled with rage and loathing. She stepped forward, keeping her guard up. Stilco sighed and squared his shoulders. "Very well. But let me take care of business.`` Before she could even react, the bounty hunter had dived to the side, whipping out his last remaining blaster pistol and released a volley of blaster fire into the fleeing Duros back. The Jedi leapt at him while he was rising to his feet. A Force enhanced kick to the right calf sent him back down to his knees, he lost his grip on the blaster pistol as he reached out for balance, yet he managed to catch the weapon before it hit the floor, quickly slipping it back into its holster at his side. The Jedi swept out with her blade, catching the mandalorian's right arm. The sharp squealing sound of a lightsaber hitting Beskar filled the air. She gasped in surprise and jumped back. She was more than likely astonished that her blade hadn't cut through the armor. Stilco swiftly spun away from her, putting more space between them. But the Jedi was on him again. Her lightsaber spinning and whirling in a fast web of dazzling purple energy. "You won't escape me, bounty hunter scum!" she growled through clenched teeth. The lightsaber hit his left arm and slid down as he angled the glowing blade away from his torso with a deft twist of his wrist. She came at him again with a simple, yet fast jab to the chest which hit the Mandalorian's breastplate and caused the lightsaber again to squeal and shoot hot white sparks in the air. He slammed a fist into her left unprotected flank and smashed aside the hand holding the lightsaber. The lightsaber went out with a snap hiss as it flew from her fingers and skittered across the smooth floor. She reached out with her left hand and gestured violently toward the bounty hunter. Before he could move, he was thrown back into the wall behind him, pinned there by an invisible hand. He gritted his teeth as he felt something crack in his left side. The Jedi quickly summoned her lightsaber back into her hands. The weapon ignited once more, shining brightly in the dark room, casting giant shadows on the corpses. "Do you remember me? You killed my master on Zoac and then ran like a coward!" She spat. The Mandalorian managed to move his hand and grab his remaining blaster pistol from its holster, he quickly sent a volley of laser fire at the Jedi. The girl swiftly stepped back and raised her lightsaber, blocking the incoming bolts of energy while also breaking her Force hold on the Mandalorian since she couldn't concentrate on doing both at the same time. Two blaster bolts slammed into his chest plate, knocking him back. The rest smashed into the walls, burning, smoking carbon scoring into the smooth surfaces. Stilco landed hard on his feet, grunting at the forceful impact. The Jedi girl rushed him, swinging her lightsaber at him again. The glowing purple blade hit his chest plate, screeching and spitting sparks. With a loud shout, the Jedi shoved harder, twisting her blade and dragging it up toward his helmeted head. Stilco slammed his left arm down onto the purple beam of energy, knocking it down and away from himself. He jumped back just in time as the lightsaber came around in an incredible fast arc as it nearly took his head from his shoulders. She shoved out with the Force once again, her face a grimace and her lips locked in a snarl of rage. The Force blast caught him full on and tossed him against the wall. The pain nearly made him scream, the air was taken from his lungs and he could taste the blood as it dribbled down his lips and chin. Before he could even recover, the Jedi was once again on him, swinging her lightsaber in a fast chain of attacks. He rolled to his knees, just as her blade slashed down on his left shoulder. The armor held, the light blade whined in a high pitched scream, trying to cut its way through the tough metal. He quickly raised his blaster pistol and fired at her. At such close range she didn't have time to deflect with her lightsaber, so she was forced to give ground and whirl away, batting the blaster bolts away from her body with her weapon. He stood up, removing the lightsaber from his belt. "Jedi, I'm done playing."