A Star is Born

[Farren Sefu]

*Continued from A Bunny Alone*

Getting past the Imperial blockade that was forming around Jedha was almost laughable. With the Roll Tide’s ability to scramble its transponder signal, it was almost too easy for Kanter to trick the patrol into believing he was courier with medical supplies for the locals. What the Empire would do when he failed to arrive at his alleged destination was not his concern, as he wasn’t going anywhere near there.

To the west of the Holy City of Jedha is where his destination lied. The Catacombs of Cadera, long since abandoned by an ancient church, and the obvious place for what he sought to be hidden. And word was, it had been discovered. He brought the Roll Tide down and landed just outside the main entrance to the Catacombs, still flanked by the crumbling archways and massive decorative front that portrayed this was once a very important place. Standing just inside the doorway, he spied a group of four beings - two humans, a Devaronian, and a Feeorin. All of them were armed with blaster rifles of various models, and were visibly dirty.

<Looks like we have a welcoming committee. Good.> Kanter said in Huttese and he shut down the ships engines and engaged the security measures. He needed to make sure that if things went sideways, no one would be able to fly the ship but him. <Feel free to wait in the ship if you’d like, little one, but I must go inside. I have a pick up to make.> He began to walk back through the ship to the ramp, and repositioned his green lightsaber to be hanging in plain view, while the blue one was concealed behind his back, under his cloak.

[lily]

Lily had gone to sleep at some point and had woken up when things seemed to jolt a little bit. Likely as one came out of hyperspace near a destination. She looked up at Kanter reorienting herself with everything that had been going on. She was her normal color with normal eyes and everything for the time being. She looked outside with him. She saw the people and her fur slowly started to change to black. She didn't say anything but followed Kanter through the ship and to the ramp. The little bunny had a few things up her own sleeves so to speak and she wasn't about to let her new friend go out there without back up. "I'll come" She finally said in huttese as well.

Lily was always up for some fun and she didn't like just sitting away. It was one of the ways that she ended up leaving the people she was with and Kanter seemed more interesting then most she had met lately and she was going to follow him out and figure out what it was he was looking for. Plus she was all for showing off the few things that she could do. She also provided for very good distraction when the time called for it.

[Farren Sefu]

Kanter allowed the Kushiban to jump up and rest on his shoulder as he walked towards the group. As he got closer, they noticed he was there and straightened out and adjusted their weapons. He walked with an air of purpose about him, and greeted them as old friends. “Gentlemen,” he said with a slight nod. “And lady,” he added, nodding again at the Devaronian.

“We’ve been waiting around for you for a while, Novak. You were supposed to be here hours ago. We thought you ratted us out to the Empire or something,” one of the humans snapped at Kanter. Clearly, he did not share the same level of coolheadedness.

“Speaking of unexpected guests, who’s that on your shoulder? You never said you’d be bringing anyone else in on this.” The other human added, using his blaster to gesture at Lily.

“I would have expected you to be waiting, Plin, as I was the one who hired you,” Kanter responded with that same professional tone. “As for my furry friend here, don’t you mind her, Anley. She won’t have any impact on our arrangement.

“Well, I don’t like surprises!” The Feeorin exclaimed, raising his weapon and firing at Lily. The red flash of the bolt was met with a flash of green as Kanter deflected the shot back to sender with his lightsaber, striking the attacker in the chest, killing him instantly as he crumpled to the ground. The remaining mercenaries had ducked against the violence and slowly began to lower their arms and look at the fallen friend.

“From what I can tell from this turn of events,” Kanter said, lowering his weapon but leaving it on in a ready position, “this now means that the rest of you get a larger share if all goes well.” His tone was as professional as ever, as if he wasn’t angered by the attack. The Devaronian nodded her brown head and waved for Kanter to follow her deeper into the catacombs. The humans known as Plin and Anley followed behind, bringing up the rear.

[lily]

Lily was minding her own business looking around them. After all being on Kanter's shoulder but her at a new vantage that she hadn't been at in a while. She also rather liked it up in higher places. However, she was more curious about the assortement of races and then someone said something about her. She didn't much like being gestured at with a blaster and when it fired she didn't duck but tilted her head her fur becoming completely black and her eyes glowing red almost. However, she started to dull in color and her eyes started going back into their normal shade as Kanter deflected the shot and killed the person who had shot at her. The saber her had was far too intriguing for her but she also knew better than to touch such things. Sure she may be curious and get herself into trouble sometimes. She did actually know better at times.

She had risen into a sort of stiff position during all that and so as Kanter kept speaking to the othes she settled back down into a more rest position. Being with Kanter was not going to be boring this was for sure and Lily liked this prospect alot. The Devaronian had her interest as well. Devaronian were always an interesting species to her. She let herself get comfy as they began to move again following the female Devaronian deeper in. She took note of the two humans being behind them. She didn't turn to look at them as she let her ears start to droop a bit as she went into a slight rest mode her fur going back to its original color. However, since she had been shot at she was well aware to keep her guard up and she was doing that it was just that it was easy for her to pretend and manipulate her fur color for that end. After all, she's be able to move if something did happen. Even though she looked like she might take a nap again. She was curious eyes scanning just her body was at rest and that meant that her ears would drope just a little.

[Farren Sefu]

As the group travelled through the ruins, they were surrounded by old relics and dusty effigies of the original Jedi Order. Broken statues of cloaked men wielding ancient sabers, depictions of meditation, even old carvings of star maps lined the walls and hallways. None of it had any relevance to Kanter Brawne. All he cared about was the prize at the end of the tunnel.

When they reached that point, the tunnel opened up into a large room, that may have been used as a place of worship or maybe a group meditation chamber. Now, all that remained were tattered mats and left over lanterns. In the center of the room was an alter with a small box on it. An emblem of the box showed that it once belonged to an ancient Force worshipping sect, but was acquired by the Jedi of the time, and had been in their possession ever since. Kanter gave a smile when he saw it. A pair of scaly hands from the being behind the alter lifted the box to chest level.

“M’urst. Very nice to see you again,” Kanter said, spreading his arms in a welcoming gesture. “I’m so glad you were able to complete your mission, it would seem.”

The Trandoshan known as M’urst chuckled as he walked over with the box. “Yesssss Novak. I have indeed found what you ssseeeeeeekk.” He spoke with the typical hissing and grunting dialect of his kind when they spoke in Basic. “Now, it is time for you to sssssupplyy usss with what you promisseddd. Wait. Where is Brux? And who is that?” He said, realizing that one of his own was missing and that there was an addition party present in his place.

“Ah, yes. Well, Brux will no longer be a part of this exchange, seeing as he was rather rude to my friend here. Who she is, is of no importance. Her being here was unexpected, but has no meaning to our business. Now, if you don’t mind. The box, please. The sooner I possess it, the sooner you lot gets paid and we all get to go home.” Kanter folded his arms behind his back as he waited to see what would unfold.

[lily]

Lily could feel the things within this area. The age and other things but it wasn't like she had anything she could use to vocalize what it was that she was feeling and why her curiosity was peeked high but also why she was content to just sit on Kanter's shoulder for a bit. Her fur remained very much the same in rest mode ears dropping lower then they were before causing her to realize that everything was very overwhelming and things were making her sleepy now. However, she also didn't like the fact that she'd had guns pointed at her or that she had been shot at. She couldn't just let her guard down like that at the moment and she watched.

Once they were in a large room she tilted her head to side scanning the room feeling the force within the area but not being able to rationalize it well. She looked at the box that was at the center and a new person to join the party. A trandoshan at that. Another race that made her curious. They were mostly bounty hunters the one she saw. Something about them always needing to be on the hunt because of their goddess. She didn't understand much but she heard the stories so she filed little tidbits away.

Lily kept herself now at attention as the Trandoshan seemed to have been friends with the one that had been so rude to her. She sat up a little more on Kanter's shoulder. She, however, looked like a little shoulder bunny at parade rest like someone who knew what those military terms were. She knew that Kanter was waiting and so she would wait but she could attack if someone tried to hurt Kanter though she doubted she'd need too but she was not fully alert and ready for anything.

[Farren Sefu]

The thug known as M’ursk seemed to know better than to ask further questions. Perhaps this wasn’t the first time that Brux had crossed a line. “Yesssss, of courrssseee. Here.” He said, and handed the box over the Kanter.

“Finally. The Fell Star,” he said, taking the box. He opened the lid and reached in, pulling out a small silver necklace of a blue jewel studded 7 point star pendant. “Now, let’s see what this thing can do.” He set the box aside and put the necklace around his neck. It briefly glowed and a surge of Force energy emanated from it, which Kanter seemed to revel in.

“Yessss, yessss. It’s so sssshiny. Now about those credits we were promiisssseeddd,” M’urst interrupted. This seemed to snap Kanter out of his distraction, and he seemed to be less than pleased to be disturbed in that moment.

“Of course. Your credits. Where are my manners? But first, I must test its authenticity, as it were. That’s just good business. You see, the Fell Star is not just any old shiny necklace. Legend says that it can enhance the Force abilities of anyone who wears it. Let’s see if that’s true, shall we?” Without another word, Kanter raised his hands into the air, his hands in a pincer like grip. His so-called associates were lifted into the air and began to gasp and gag, their hands clawing at their throats in a desperate and futile attempt to release themselves from a vice that wasn’t there. Kanter suddenly closed both fists and the unmistakeable sound of cracking bones could be heard in the chambers. The struggling stopped, and all the men fell to the floor, dead. “Well, then. I think it works. Here you go, as promised.” Kanter reached into his cloak and retrieved a small pouch that clinked with credits. He threw it on M’urst’s body and turned, walking back to his ship. “I think that went rather well, don’t you? He asked his new associate on his shoulder.

Kanter received no reply. He turned his head to actually look at the Kuriban on his shoulder and quickly realized why. Lying on his shoulder was the now lifeless body of Lily, apparently also having been caught by his amplified mass choking. "Well, that's a shame," Kanter commented aloud to himself. "I'm going to have to work on focusing that." Without another word, Kanter brushed the body off his shoulder and let it fall to the ground at his feet, joining the mercenaries in the tomb they now shared. He returned back to the Roll Tide and made the jump back to hyperspace.







~~~~~THREAD END~~~~~

















The story of Lily ends here.