Running with Sabers

[Farran Esrimoure]

High up on a rocky peak, and situated a fair enough distance away from the Jedi encampment, a single figure lay. She kept herself flat, making sure that she was as invisible as possible as she looked through a pair of macrobinoculars. From her vantage, the camp was like a buzzing nest of Tatooine ants; Padawans and Knights bustling about in the midst of Cizerack and Alliance personnel. Bizarre yes, but her employer had said that this assignment would be a bit of a departure from the norm. Just the fact that it involved Jedi was enough to make this mission noteworthy. After all, how often did one see a Jedi these days?

She lifted a hand to the small transceiver fitted behind her ear, switching it on. She felt the minuscule jolt of electricity as it connected with her ocular implant, but after so many years the feeling had become normal, and elicited only a quick blink of her eyes.

The was always the possibility that she would have to move closer, but for now her position was adequate, and offered a complete view of the camp's layout below. If she was required to move, then instructions would be sent. But until then, she would stay where she was.

On instinct she let her hand drift down the length of her body to the unadorned lightsaber hilt clipped to her belt, fingers going over the smooth contours and crossbar for only a moment before coming back up to take hold of the macros once more.

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa crept through the forest, the ground beneath her footpaws tilting upward as she gained altitude. Eventually the trees would fall away, leaving barren rock, but she would finish stalking her prey before then. She steadied the spear in her paw, held ready to throw, and moved silently forward.

[Farran Esrimoure]

Peering down at the camp, Farran frowned as she swept her gaze to and from, curiosity making her pause here and there as she studied the layout more fully. It was a growing settlement; that much she could tell. Construction crews were all over, steadily building the structures that would serve as much more permanent features than the various tents that were still dotted here and there. She sighed, pulling the macros from her eyes to check her chrono. Funny, how a watched chrono never moved forward. Funny, and not a little bit frustrating.

No new information had been received, and so Farran went back to her observations of those down below.

[Ndonsa]

She tensed, muscles bunched beneath her fur, and threw her spear, neatly skewering the deer. It tried to leap away, but collapsed, it's eyes wild with fear and pain. Ndonsa walked up to it, quickly cutting it's throat and ending it's suffering.

She placed a paw on it's head as the life drained out of it in a sticky red pool, looking into it's eyes and murmuring the customary prayer. It probably wasn't a proper Jedi thing to do, but it was her custom. It wasn't like she was drinking it's blood - well, not this time. Ndonsa pulled her spear free and cleaned it with handfuls of grass before beginning to field dress the carcass.

[Farran Esrimoure]

Movement down below caught her eye, and Farran shifted the macros. They zoomed in to a clearing where a deer now lay, collapse and bleeding out with a spear protruding from just behind its' front leg. As she watched, someone came into view.

A Nehantite?

She supposed she'd seen stranger things, and settling a little bit more, she continued to observe what played out below.

A handful of minutes later, Farran slid back from her perch. Slowly sitting up, she silently went about gathering her few scattered possessions to return to her shoulder pack. The time now called for her to move in closer, and the blonde began the careful trek down the back of the mountain face. Obscured from the settlement, she moved with a small bit more freedom, but she remained as quiet as possible regardless.

[Farran Esrimoure]

The trip down the scraggled mountainside was tricky, but she'd remained mostly silent; or at least as silent as one could be when moving about through nature. Still though, it was hard to keep the errant pebbles and loose shale from occasionally dislodging and tinking down ahead of her. Her shoulder pack was firmly secured across her back, and as a precaution she kept her slugthrower safely nestled in the holster at her hip.

Reaching the base of the mountain with relative ease, Farran paused long enough to look behind her and up the sloping earth to where she'd come from. The sun was at its' zenith, and she lifted a hand to shield already squinting eyes.

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa walked out of the forest, the meat of her kill wrapped up in 'something more appropriate than that,' according to one of the cooks who'd not appreciated the big leaves she'd carried her hunt in with before. Whatever the covering was, it was grey and worked fine enough, so Ndonsa didn't really care. Her mind was full of Master Anbira's lessons, so she barely registered the life form in front of her before she was practically on top of it. The sun was at her back, so for a moment they were both equally surprised by each other.

The Kufu dropped her pack, the meat landing with a solid thump on the ground, and leveled her spear at the stranger. "Who are you?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

There was something to be said for pad-foots and their silent walking. It could either be helpful or an unwanted surprise, and it was certainly the latter that she silently cursed as her arms went up slowly, hands open and fingers splayed out to show that she was unarmed.

"Just a surveyor," she said with ease. It was a scripted line should she ever come into unexpected contact.

"Alliance Command sent me down to take some readings."

She gave the Nehantite a disarming smile then, shifting her stance.

"Nothing sinister, I promise."

Farran's eyes went to the tip of the spear that was a little bit too close for comfort.

"You can point that thing somewhere else you know."

[Ndonsa]

She grunted, moving the spear a fraction so it was not pointed directly at the woman's face. "I will walk with you back to the camp." Ndonsa used the Force to pick up the dropped meat without taking her eyes off the sur-vay-or.

[Farran Esrimoure]

Hells.

Still though, it was no huge matter.

"Still have a few more ridges to do," Farran gestured to a line of low peaks farther off with a wave of her hand.

"Can't report back without my quota."

She shrugged, stepping to the side in an effort to put distance between herself and the Nehantite.

"It's numbers and all; bossman doesn't like an incomplete log, y'know?"

[Ndonsa]

She raised an eyebrow and mirrored the woman's shrug, her beaded necklaces rustling. Something about this sur-vay-or was bothering her. "As you say." Ndonsa lowered the spear another fraction, eyeing the woman's clothes and tools. She didn't know enough about Alliance customs to know if what she saw was normal or not.

[Farran Esrimoure]

Her smile widened, and Farran gave a gracious nod to the Nehantite and the point of her spear.

"My thanks."

Lifting a hand, she gave a mock salute, and her eyes went to the pack that was being held.

"Looks like good eating tonight," she offered, hoping to warm the cold encounter.

[Ndonsa]

"It is not enough for the whole camp, but it will add to the rations," she said. Ndonsa tapped her forehead with the side of her finger, a sketch of a salute to mirror the other female's. "Have a good day," the Kufu added, trying to sprinkle human sayings into her conversation to make things more pleasant for people who had to deal with her. Loki had given her a few to work on.

[Farran Esrimoure]

Lofting an eyebrow, Farran stepped past the Nehantite.

"Take care," she finally got out.

The small foothill still sloped downward for a short bit before rising back up and merging into yet another large hill that, further up, merged into another mountain. Her pace was quicker than normal due to the downward angle, but she slowed regardless, coming to a short standstill while turning a final - albeit confused - look back to the Nehantite. It was still strange, and as if the encounter had just been a figment of her sun-drenched and addled imagination, she'd wanted a final look.

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa watched the female walk away, still a bit unsettled about ...something. The other turned for a glance back before heading away, and the Kufu narrowed her pink eyes.

She pursed her lips in thought, and then she realized what it was she'd been sensing. The female's scent was off. Alliance workers and indeed, just about everyone in the bustling encampment were subjected to the same varieties of soaps. The dust and dirt of the place had a distinct odor as well, to one sensitive enough to detect it. The sur-vay-or did not have those familiar scents. Ndonsa looked at the fresh meat she was carrying, and then back at the retreating stranger.

With an irritated sigh she stashed the meat in the shadowy crevice of some tree roots, certain it would be devoured by another predator before she returned for it, and jogged after the female, spear in hand.

[Farran Esrimoure]

As she picked her way through the underbrush, Farran began the uphill ascent of the next hillock, knowing that the incline would increase the higher she went. It wasn't slow going, but it wasn't a fast pace that she kept either. She paced herself evenly, knowing that it would be best to space out her energy.

Halfway up the hill, she stopped to turn on her hell, looking down at the way which she'd come.

A movement caught her attention, and she narrowed her eyes, blinking in the midday sun.

The macros came out once more, and the blonde brought them up, focusing on what she thought she'd seen.

A low curse, and the woman turned back, starting up once more, her gait quickening.

[Ndonsa]

Blaster didn't always trump spear, but Ndonsa took care to stick to cover as she jogged uphill. With the stranger on the high ground she had another advantage over the Kufu, but Ndonsa wasn't worried. She couldn't just throw her spear through the female's chest, anyway; a little more finesse was needed. The sur-vay-or looked back and sunlight glinted off a pair of macros, then the female started hurrying uphill.

Ndonsa ducked into the undergrowth, cutting hard to the west while gaining as much altitude as she could, then zigging back east, senses alert, all her senses. The hillside was full of information as she experienced it through the Force, even if she was not yet skilled enough to read all it was telling her.

[Farran Esrimoure]

By all the nine hells of Corellia.

Still heading upward, Farran picked her way uphill with as much speed as she dared muster; no need to misstep and send herself tumbling back down. Her macros had been put back in their leather case on her belt, and on instinct she let one hand fall to the handle of her small holdout blaster. The thought was quickly quelled though, and she knew it best to stay her hand.

Another look behind her showed no trace of the Nehantite, but that didn't mean anything. Farran knew she was following.

A sheer cliff, jutting upwards blocked any other way up, and brought to a standstill, she made a face. Such obstacles only made this more difficult. It wasn't insurmountable, but it was certainly not something that she wished to deal with.

Pulling in a deep breath, Farran turned her eyes skyward, crouched, then jumped, her hands going out to grab the closest handhold.

[Ndonsa]

The female was just ahead, blocked by a cliff, and Ndonsa took a bit of time to study the terrain before she leapt out of the undergrowth to cross the distance between them. The stranger jumped at the same time, straight up, hands grasping the rock face and feet scrabbling for traction. She pulled herself up just out of reach before Ndonsa reached the cliff.

"Come down," she called, hefting the spear. It would be an easy throw to skewer the woman, who was still looking for higher hand holds. "Why are you here?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

Twisting her torso so that she could get a better look downward, Farran pursed her lips at the sight of the spear.

"Ain't polite to point spears at folks, Padfoot," came the only callback.

With one hand still holding onto a small outcropping, she half-turned on her heel to afford the Nehantite more of a frontal target. Yet, her free hand moved down to the hilted sabre clipped to her belt. Going for her blaster wouldn't necessarily be the best option, as she was more than certain that her pursuer was more than proficient with her own weapon. So, Farran opted for the other tool at her disposal.

The sabre came out, and she thumbed the activator switch. A brilliant green blade flared to life, and she held it in a cross-guard position, the tip angled slightly downward.

"I think I'll be stayin' right where I am, thanks."

[Ndonsa]

She had almost thrown the spear when the stranger had pulled the saber from her belt, but she had hesitated. What if she was a Jedi, new to the planet? Once the weapon was active, Ndonsa regretted her pause. What if she was a Sith, come to spy? She certainly was acting like a spy, and was not to be trusted.

"Stay if you must." Anbira might come looking for her when she missed her meeting with him; or he might not. Ndonsa twitched her arm, and was satisfied when the female moved slightly in response. She was ready to cut the spear, should Ndonsa decide to throw it. Such a move might dislodge her from her precarious perch on the cliff, or it might not.

One thing she knew - the woman was not going anywhere up or down with one hand occupied with a weapon, especially one as instantly fatal as a lightsaber. The Kufu would wait her out.

[Farran Esrimoure]

It was a bit of a pickle that she now found herself in, and Farran blew out a frustrated breath from between thin lips. She held her blade up still though, unwilling to give the Nehantite an opening. Edging her way along the narrow outcropping that she stood on, she made sure to keep her eyes on her pursuer while carefully - and blindly - searching with her free hand for more crevices to take hold of as she inched her way along.

"Your meat will go bad," she called downward.

[Ndonsa]

"There is much prey," she said simply, taking a step to the side as the stranger edged away. "Why are you here?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

It would be a stupid thing to try for the surveyor excuse again, so she immediately discarded that thought. Apparently it hadn't worked the first time, and it would certainly not work now. Stopping her sideways motion for the moment, Farran huffed out an impatient breath.

"Top secret," she finally yelled down. It was probably not going to be enough, but at this point she didn't care.

"If I told you I'd have to kill you."

She gave a strange approximation of a shrug then, maintaining her guarded 'stance'.

"Alliance orders."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa considered her words, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Strange orders."

She put her spear down, the butt thumping against the stone. "You are a Jedi?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

"In a way," she lied.

She was at an impasse, and it was a thought that frustrated her intensely. If she had any hope of getting out of this, she was going to have to do something desperate.

"If I show you my ID, will you let me be."

[Ndonsa]

The Kufu stared at her, unblinking. She did not want to appear stupid, so she shrugged. "Maybe."

[Farran Esrimoure]

The saber shifted, as Farran pointed it at the spear being held.

"You throw that thing at me, and you'll be sending yourself to an Alliance holding cell. Just so you know."

Farran gave a grimace, but given her lack of option, there wasn't much else she could do.

"I come down, and we all keep civil, yes?"

[Ndonsa]

"Civil." She said it slowly, like she was tasting it. "Yes, we all keep civil." Ndonsa took a step back from the cliff to give the stranger a little more room.

[Farran Esrimoure]

Farran nodded as the Nehantite stepped back, and after another short moment she shut of her saber. She didn't clip it back to her belt though. With a shift in body weight, she let herself slip from the ledge and land on her feet on the ground below. Straightening up to her full six foot height, the blonde let her face wear an expression of mild frustration and exasperation.

"No one told me that doing this cake-run of a job would be so difficult," she grumbled as her free hand dug into a side pouch on her belt.

"I arrived yesterday," she went on as if talking to herself, "... plenty of time for Sarge to tell me."

Pulling an ident clip out, she paused before handing it over.

"You aren't gonna pull a fast one and burn it up, then say I never gave you an ID, are you."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa put out her paw for the ident card, and frowned when the woman paused. Burn it up? "Why would I do that?" She took the card and looked it over, turning it slowly and looking at the back of it as well. The woman's face was indeed on the ident card, a shimmer of colored light catching the image as the sun shone on it. A hollow picture indeed. Unfortunately for Ndonsa, even though she spoke Basic well, she could not read it at all. There was an Alliance logo on it, though.

She peered at the ID, and then handed it back. "You should come back to camp. We will talk to this Sarge."

[Farran Esrimoure]

" 'Fraid not," she shook her head.

"I got work to do."

Taking back the forged ident card, Farran gave a helpless shrug as she stuffed it back into her pocket.

"Besides," the blonde half-stepped to the side, one arm going out to indicated the low mountain range behind her.

"... I have to finish my telemetry markers and-"

Like a coiled snake she spun back around, muscles taught, her once-gesturing hand having balled up into a fist that was on a direct path to the Nehantite's muzzle.

[Ndonsa]

There was a tickle of warning between her ears, and Ndonsa leaned back a little as the female punched at her. Her hand was already spinning her spear, and the haft hit with a crack against the female's wrist, knocking it away.

The Kufu jumped back, spearpoint back in the stranger's face.

[Farran Esrimoure]

Sharp pain lanced from her wrist all the way up her arm. With a hiss Farran pulled away. Her other hand, still holding her saber hilt, swung up and around, the blade flaring to life as it headed on an intercept course with the spear.

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa quickly reversed the spear, getting it out of the way of the saber and slamming the butt of it into the female's kneecap before jumping backward again, wary and just out of range.

[Farran Esrimoure]

Another burst of pain, and the blonde let out a gruff exhalation. She hobbled back, putting a little bit more distance between herself and the Nehantite.

There would be no running now.

Inwardly she scowled; undone by a padfoot with a spear. Not one of the more glorious moments in her life, that was for certain. There was a moment of stillness, and she let her heart rate calm, pulling in a breath to settle her nerves. Her small grasp of the Force was minimal at best, but she applied what she could. The pain in her knee dulled, as did the throbbing in her wrist. Beyond that, there was nothing.

And then she did move, pushing off from the ground and charging headlong at her pursuer in the hopes of bowling her over and taking this little scuffle to the ground.

[Ndonsa]

The bright lightsaber was taking all her attention, and as the stranger rushed at her Ndonsa leapt to the side, spinning her spear around and hitting the female in the back of the head, sending her sprawling into the dirt.

[Farran Esrimoure]

Stars exploded in her vision then, and Farran tumbled forward, the saber dropping from her hand, extinguishing itself before landing on the ground. It clattered and rolled a small distance away, but as she felt one side of her face make contact with the dirt, her last thought was on only one thing.

There was no way now that she would be getting paid for this job; if indeed, she could even get off the planet.

And then the darkness swallowed her.