The MotherF-ing Catalina Blaster Exhibition!

[Saarrreeaa Raurrssaatta]

The Catalina Blaster Exhibition was a huge gathering of dealers of weapons, all vying for precious governmental contracts, or illicit deals with the more independent types. You could, and would, find just about anything going on, either on the grand exhibition floor or in the various back rooms where the most profitable deals were made. Every company from ArmaTek to Yolthra Overcorp were here, and looking to impress with their newest and best ways to turn your fellow sentient into a puddle of goo. Even the Cizerack companies had a presence - mostly to impress upon others that tangling with the Carshoulis Cluster was a really bad idea, and to get intelligence on potential problems in the "pirates and smugglers" department.

There were, of course, new companies on the scene. More established corporations didn't appreciate their turf being horned in on, and none had done that more quickly than one Sarin Von-Metzger. He had enemies, and he knew it, so his security team was all business. From a second floor balcony a spotted Cizeri was watching his group move through one of the host hotels. She was dressed to kill in a skimpy white dress and heels, her cover being that of a so-called booth babe. She even could openly carry a blaster rifle, if she wanted, usually the 'babes' had demo models that were carefully rigged to be unable to fire, but this one's weaponry was all business. A bandolier of power cells was draped across her body, criss-crossed by another which held fake flashbang grenades. Reflective aviator sunglasses obscured most of her face under a cocky beret as she watched Von-Metzger walk.

Historically, teaming up with others just didn't work out for Saarrreeaa Raurrssaatta. She preferred to work alone, and away from the judgemental gaze of someone who might consider themselves more experienced than she was. So, here she was. Alone. The contract from Blastech to remove Von-Metzger from the picture was a great opportunity for her to make her mark in the bounty hunter world.

"Hey!" said someone by her elbow, and Saa turned around, flashing a smile and posing for another picture with the riff-raff.

"jI'm not on sshjift rrrjight now, bojyss," she purred, pushing her way past the eager males and continuing to indirectly follow her mark.

[Serasai Onashi]

"Welcome to the Catalina Blaster Exhibition!"

Onashi was drooling. Blastech had a glorious set up, no less than four tables, with the latest in cycling rifles and was that the E-11 Advanced? Oh yes. Sarin Von Metzger smiled.

"Oh, you've heard of the Catalina Blaster Exhibition?"

Onashi turned to his boss and scoffed.

"Uh, duh," he said in reply. "Everyone who lives by killing others knows about the Catalina Blaster Exhibition. It's the largest single gathering of firearms and explosives outside of some planetary armories, and it only comes together once every three or four years. We've got real powers here, Hutt representatives, Sector Moffs, I think I see a couple Alliance plainclothes agents, covering a couple Senators... This can set the standard for a standing sector force's armament for years, not to mention PMC's and Security firms looking to beef up their agents and soldiers, or even a galactic power like the Alliance or Empire. No mistake."

Milford and Jenkins the fake bearded fifteen year old nodded, looking around at the people and guns. Well Jenkins the fake bearded fifteen year old was also staring at the booth babes wandering around with sensual smiles and little clothing.

"Don't get too distracted," Onashi said, walking beside Sarin. "Not much chance of trouble here, but if there is..."

He looked at Jenkins.

"You die first."

[Sarin von Metzger]

"I'm sure everything will be fine," I said as we reached the Von Metzger Weapons booth. Our latest pistol (http://starwarsrpg.pettycomp.net/Images/Blaster-Pistol_01.jpg) model was displayed prominently, as well as a special design (http://starwarsrpg.pettycomp.net/Images/BlasterRifle014.jpg) based on Onashi's own rifle that I had been positively enthralled with. Onashi may be crude and unprofessional, but he knew weapons and he was in fact very deadly. A restraining pistol (http://starwarsrpg.pettycomp.net/Images/A-RTangleGun7.jpg) requested by the law enforcement of a Corporate Sector world that was also becoming a very profitable design with bounty hunters was hanging off to the side with the netting and the cartridges on display underneath. The Vulcan Blaster (http://starwarsrpg.pettycomp.net/Images/DKE_Vulcan.jpg), a design requested by a private military company needing heavier but still gainly weaponry against droids was placed on a display near the entrance. I could see Onashi's fingers twitch every time he looked at it.

Not nearly as much as they twitched when looking at the Trianii Rangers' newest rifle: the VMR-15 (http://starwarsrpg.pettycomp.net/Images/Railgun_carbine2.jpg), asked for and received due to a rather costly conflict on one of their worlds recently which had necessitated heavier weapons and more of them. It was designed for their larger than normal frames, and so was ungainly even when I fired it, but it utilised the Verpine shatter-pistol principles and applied them in a larger scale than they had previously, along with a much more desirable fire rate and reduced rate of wear.

I was quite happy with everything, though obviously I enjoyed designing pistols more than anything else.

"Excuse me," a man asked, wearing a patch with what I understood to be a bounty-hunting guild logo on it. "What can you tell me about this (http://img07.deviantart.net/57be/i/2013/270/4/e/marik_vash____blaster_pistol_by_marik_vash-d6o8izb.jpg)?"

"Ah," I said pleasantly. He still looked at me warily, causing me to revise my opinion on my customer service manner. It clearly needed work. "Yes. That is the design I made for a friend of mine in fact. It's being called the Merasska Special. It's a heavy blaster pistol, with the same rate of fire as a DL-44, but a wider assortment of additions for whatever circumstances you find yourself in. It comes stock without a sight to reduce weight on the draw, but there are several different ones to choose from. The power pack is this: a refillable, replaceable, cylinder that you insert here. It is high damage, but with fairly good accuracy over distance and a heat release to supplement the cooling unit which you can activate while firing to keep it from overheating for longer."

As I spoke, Onashi leaned against the table and picked one up, spinning it around his finger and priming it with what I was aware would probably become a distinctive whine as the exciters activated and awaited the first feeding of gas into the chamber.

[Sheldon Esalis]

"Recessed sight grooves built in the rail, ambidextrous power pack release, barrel threading for a spectrum splitter."

I hoisted the Von Metzger DXK subcompact in my off hand, tilting the barrel up towards the ceiling.

"Slim profile."

Check, check, check, and check. As I sipped my Bonteri (with an olive, sadly) in my primary hand, I frowned.

"Nickel finish and mother of pearl grips. Do you have anything in colors that don't say Pazaak-playing grandmother or Zygerrian pimp?"

I took another sip, and winced. I would have asked for a twist instead of an olive, but it's an open bar at a gun show. It gets a gold star just for being there.

[Sarin von Metzger]

I turned my head to take in what the man had asked, and gently holding the gun in both hands on the tips of my fingers, between us and at eye level.

"Of course there are other colour schemes, sir," I answered, still looking at the subcompact intently. My gaze shifted to the man over the gun. "That being said, most of my clientele that aren't organizations tend to be showy individuals with a taste for similar guns."

Onashi, bored, had taken a position in front of the table, leaning back against it with his pipe in his teeth and a thick trail of smoke rolling up from it.

"Sir, Exhibition rules state that — hey! What are—"

With no words, Onashi had put his hand to the top of the man's head and turned him around, held him there, and planted his foot at the small of the man's back.

"If you're looking for non-descript as an inherent design point of the gun, you may be better served at another booth."

"Whaaaaaagh!"

The Exhibition man, pushed by Onashi's foot, launched out into the middle of the wide aisle, only barely missing a trio of what looked like bounty hunters from Trandosha.

"I also will do custom work on any blaster design, mine or a competitor's," I continued, ignoring Onashi and his attempts to get us in trouble. Despite the high scrutiny nature of the Exhibition, due to the fact that by and large most of the clientele were in fact Mercenaries and Bounty Hunters with a surfeit of pride and a lack of patience, most of the 'rules' of the Exhibition were only enforced by those tables who really wanted to pay for the muscle who could do so, and wanted to do so on top of that. "Though of course the price of the piece in question would change depending on the customizations."

[Li Ho Fook]

The Catalina Blaster Exhibition. Master bounty hunter Li Ho Fook had it circled on his calendar for months, and as the wah strode through the front doors and into the forest of booths, stands and kiosks, he could feel his fur prickle with excitement. Despite his diminutive stature, the four-foot, two inch wah strode in like he owned the place. Sure, Life Day had come and gone, but Fook had some serious shopping to do.

Blastech was the obvious choice for new firepower, and he knew they'd be compatible with all his old power cells, yet his bare footpaws carried him through some of the smaller makes first. Being on top of the game meant you were reliable, but the little guys knew how to innovate. Fook knew that well, as he was one of the littlest guys in the exhibition, but by no means was he any less effective than some of the big fellas. Typically he'd take a stop at the accessories booths for some new grips, sights, trackers or whatnot, but this time around he was looking for some new firepower, and serious firepower at that.

It was a flash of bright nickel and mother-of-pearl which caught his beady little black eyes, and in moments he wove through the forest of taller attendees, to marvel at the gleaming subcompact still in the hands of an exhibitor.

"Yo, dawg, that shit is tight," the wah spoke, head nodding in approval as his ringed tail swung behind him. "You do that shit in gold, too? Let a playa see, homie." A black-furred paw was extended to take the gun from Sarin, clearly interested in it, and despite Fook's short stature, the blaster power cells on his belt and the pair of empty holsters at his side firmly stated he was no child.

[Saarrreeaa Raurrssaatta]

Saarrreeaa walked confidently down the exhibition floor, pausing every once in a while for a picture so as not to blow her cover, but getting ever closer to Von Metzger's booth. The blaster pistol she held in both hands as she posed was primed and ready, the rifle slung across her back held a full power cell, there was a vibroblade strapped to her thigh, and a couple of the flashbangs in her bandolier were real. She had an exit mapped out - his booth was near the edge of the exhibition floor, so there were only a few aisles between her and the doors.

She was ready.

A young looking human male was making eyes at her as she walked up, and Saa smiled prettily, doing a little fake pose wth her blaster and winking. He blushed. Von Metzger was talking to a few customers, but she was confident in her approach angle and that they wouldn't be in the way. Two more steps.

One of the other security guards turned around to face her and she froze. That face was etched in her memory forever, and not in a good way. Well, she did have some good memories of Serasai Onashi. Saa's eyes tracked from Onashi straight to his employer, and she lowered her blaster and pointed it straight at Von Metzger, squeezing the trigger.

[Alanie Herleva]

Entering the vast show floor for the host of weapon makers across the galaxy, Alanie wasn't surprised to see the major players in the field from Soro-Suub to BlastTech, Merr-Sonn, Czerka and the one that she loved more, Morellian. Strolling down the wide stair, the bounty hunter dressed casually in deep blue jacket and close fitting pants with black boots reaching mid-calf. Knowing she couldn't carry in the exhibition, the trained assassin knew her best weapons were on her constantly. Turning right, she continued meandering toward the aisle housing melee weapons, blades being her best friend along with new innovations which she had heard about, but not seen yet. The tools used by those employed by Black Sun were as widely varied as the individual using them. Knowing the mark for the particular contract was key and having a plethora of gadgets always came in handy.

Noticing a crowd gathered around a large group of weaponsmiths caught Alanie's attention and caused her to divert her path toward them. Along the back wall were displayed vibro weapons from swords, axes, knives as well as several maces. Eyeing the collection of blades, one reminding her of a particular dirk that she had left Waskiro with several months ago. Black handled, the small crossguard and middle of the blade itself were also flat black, something that came in handy when in a dark alley or room. Smirking, she neared the edge of the table and thought on the asking price.

As she moved to motion to the nearest salesmen, a shot rang out in the distance, causing most to crouch for cover, all looking now in the direction of the shot.

Immediately, Alanie backed and kept low, sprinting back toward the main crossing aisle, keeping her eyes on the crowd and security, knowing their attention would tell her everything she needed to know.

[Serasai Onashi]

Now, Serasai Onashi had many things said of him.

Jerk. Douche-bag. Gonorrhoea encrusted cyst on a rancor's filth encrusted rectum.

But never a prophet.

Because, as he turned, he saw Jenkins the fake-bearded fifteen year old tackle Sarin to the ground as a blaster bolt made contact with flesh. And just beyond them was a face he'd not seen in a long time.

'I am good,' he thought to himself while unlimbering his lovely blaster rifle and a very satisfied smile stretched across his lips.

"You know, if you wanted another round," he said, priming his rifle while he spoke and people vacated the immediate area, "all you had to do was give me a call. 'Onashi, Onashi, I really really want your d—'"

He was cut off; Milford had brought his own A-280C to bear and fired on the Cizerack Bounty Huntress without even pausing to see if Von Metzger was all right.

[Sheldon Esalis]

Threat.

React.

They teach you a lot of things in the Imperial Navy officer corps, and a lot more once you move into Intelligence. But one of the most fundamental lessons is how to respond to threat. It's not really a lesson, just more of a you've got it or you don't sort of thing. You'd be suprised how many candidates for field work with top marks and experience absolutely clam up when an instructor says threat and comes at them with a marker or a paddleball or a foam bat. I guess it's kind of like LARP, but I'm not a goddamned nerd.

I am, however, a freakin improvisational genius at threat response.

Well maybe genius is too much. I'm not even thinking, really. I might think about it a moment afterwards, like I am right now, and almost go half chub at how awesome it happened.

So with my left hand full of Von Metzger pearly pimp gun, and my right hand full of Bonteri with a goddamned olive, you'd think this is a non-starter, right? Wrong, idiot! For one, the gun is in my non-dominant hand, and while yes I am an ambidextrous shot, I'm also holding a gun with no power pack and a trigger lock.

Who had 'He throws his cocktail on the assassin' as the answer? Give yourself a gold star. Dominant hand, most likely to threat response. But wait, it's even better. I guess she was in the middle of saying something or evil laughing or just basking in the post-assassination afterglow, because I shit you not, I saw that gross green olive fly in slow motion, and like Luke Goddamn Skywalker at the Death Star, my garnish went right down her ventilation shaft.

Booya!

[Saarrreeaa Raurrssaatta]

Von Metzger was on the ground, she'd hit a bodyguard, and another one was bringing his weapon to bear on her. Onashi was stroking his rifle and saying something, but Saa was throwing herself to the side to avoid being bolted and didn't hear any of it. She nearly fell on top of a little furry forrda of a kind she'd never seen before, and got a face full of liquid for her trouble as the blaster bolt sizzled through the air, missing her.

Saa nearly choked as an olive flew into her mouth, that wasn't something training could prepare you for, but managed to recover from the surprise quickly. The drink hadn't been large, but liquid was dripping down her aviator sunglasses and nose, and a good majority of it had splashed her chin and neck, soaking part of her white dress. She closed her mouth firmly as she pivoted on her knee, indiscriminately firing bolts into the booth and scattering the living bodyguards as her shots tracked toward where Sarin lay on the ground. One last try and then she was going to have to retreat. Bodyguards were acceptable collateral damage - they knew what they were signing up for when they took the job.

[Alanie Herleva]

Several shots from a smaller blaster echoed amid the screams of women running, hugging their security or cowering against a booth's front as Alanie continued moving across the tables and others crouched low, avoiding anyone moving across her path. Soon, she made it to the far corner and glanced around in time to see a suited male fire at someone on the floor, his rifle making a distinct sound, though as hazel green eyes tried to see the target, someone grabbed her from the left and behind.

"Come on, you need to stay out of the line of fire," he pleaded as she turned on him, about ready to pounce.

Recognizing the Exhibition security uniform, both hands caught his right, instinctively twisting his wrist in the opposite direction. "I'm fine! Get these other people out of here before one of those idiots shoots the wrong person."

Wincing in pain, he backed, nearly falling to his ass, rifle in hand. Shaking his head, the guard moved to the corner, nudging her out of the way and took aim.

Backing from him, her expression less than pleased, Alanie then noticed a trio of security droids, both arms on each armed with stun weapons as well as miniature grenade launchers. No doubt armed with riot gas or stun grenades as well. She hoped.

[Li Ho Fook]

Exactly what part of, "Yo, dawg, that shit is tight," led to such a violent turn of events, Li Ho Fook could not comprehend, but what was abundantly clear was that he was in the middle of some bad shit going down. And it seemed to be going down in the direction of the vendor of the hella pimp blasters getting iced, which was a topic most firmly located in the category of mad whack. And on top of it all, some no-talent assclown got scared and threw his drink at the booth skank with the blaster, and some of it got on his shirt! That shit was dry-clean only, homie!

In danger of being crushed beneath a pair of obviously enhanced breasts, the Wah tucked and rolled to the side, only to see blaster fire erupting in wild directions. Whoever this ho was, she was ruining Fook's chances of scoring a sick deal on some mad gats, and that simply was not going off. A black-furred paw shot to his belt to grasp what appeared to be a cylindrical power cell, but it came up with a snap-hiss! and an orange glow as a short lightsaber blade emerged from its emitter. Following through with his drawing arc, the wah hooked up in an attempt to sever the psycho bitch's blaster so that she couldn't damage any more precious firepower. Fook was all about getting deals, but ain't no one gonna take you seriously if you pull a scorched blaster on them, clearly from the discount rack.

[Serasai Onashi]

Things happened fast, almost too quickly to process. In fact, Onashi had barely moved the whole time, simply staring as the Spitfire was drenched choked with an olive thrown by a man in really nice clothing, managed to dodge blaster bolts from Milford, and was about to be laser-knifed by a furred midget, and still managed to get more shots off at Metzger.

He let the muzzle of his blaster rifle dip a centimeter or so, and turned to the well dressed guy.

"She's about to get knifed by a furry midget, right?" Onashi asked him, still not looking away. At least until he realized a group of people behind the girl were rising angrily, show floor blasters in their hands and scored, smoking holes in their table and along their displays.

He dropped to floor as a wave of blaster fire from the offended booth swept over the area.

"Milford, you need to work on your aim and rate of rife," Onashi said. "Even if you didn't hit her, you should have hit someone."

"You killed Jem!"

"Oh. At least you hit someone!" Milford simply held his rifle close and waited for the fire to subside.

[Sheldon Esalis]

"I think the term is hirsute little person."

The tactical situation had changed, and being supremely situationally aware, I found myself on the other side of the display table, hunched for cover while trading the showroom model for my standard issue holstered in my concealed dog-leg rig.

"Or itinerant tree dweller or something, shit I forget what they want to be called."

I popped above the partition, squeezing off a few shots that would at least have the would-be assassin consider her own lack of cover. Tossing my empty Bonterri glass aside, I glanced at a guy who looked like he'd be more at home in a Togrutamation convention.

"Is this for real, or are trade demos just getting really immersive and interactive?"

I glanced at the shopkeep, similarly in a state of cover.

"I guess what I'm asking is for a free trial."

[Saarrreeaa Raurrssaatta]

The tables in front of her had been shot up by her. The tables behind her had been shot up by Von Metzger's security. In the immediate vicinity everyone wasangry and grabbing blasters that may or may not have been locked for the display floor but undoubtedly were being unlocked even as the thought passed through Saarrreeaa's head.

In the immediate immediate vicinity there was a furry creature trying to slice her up with a lightsaber. Taking into account her lack of armor, lightsaber resilient weapons, or training in sword fighting, Saa watched in horror as his blade intersected her blaster and it fell apart into two sparking bits. Still, she wasn't anywhere close to being done. Abandoning the destroyed blaster, she dove onto a display table behind her and rolled down behind it, pulling the blaster rifle free from where it had been slung across her body as she panted for breath.

Then she pulled one of the real flashbangs from her bandolier and tossed it over the table into the aisle where Von Metzger was still lying on the ground under one of his guards.

[Sarin von Metzger]

"Of course," I replied, while pushing the boy's body off of me. A Merasska Special made its way to the man's hands. "Use anything you can get your hands on."

Onashi jumped up over the table with a leg outstretched; a few moments later there were screams of anger and frustration as a loud thumping sound and a muted flash went off behind the divider between two tables.

"Did he just... kick a grenade away?"

"It certainly seems like it," I answered. "Here. Make yourself useful and throw this."

I hand over a thermal detonator with an expectant look.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

[Alanie Herleva]

Peering over the nearby table, glancing past several installation kits and other tools for various types of weapons, she watched the chaos unfold as it seemed everyone else was getting in on the action. Unbelievable, she mused. Firing from her immediate left, the security guard hit two male Twi'lek, rising to run from the gunfire and pitching both backwards back to the spot they had been taking cover in.

Blue eyes glanced to the supposed marksman here to keep everyone safe from gun toting maniacs. "Where'd you learn how to shoot?"

"Army, be quiet."

That explains everything. Turning back to the busiest aisle in the exhibition, the trio of security droids began firing cannisters of stun grenades indiscriminately. Everyone not lying on the floor or dead was apparently a security risk now. Firing stun weapons, the droids systematically drove through the crowd not smart enough to get out of the way, and headed toward the gun battle's origin.

That's when Alanie noticed someone holding a thermal detonator.....

You've got to be kidding me.

Patting the security expert on the shoulder, "You're on your own," she stated, then ran for the nearest restroom and dove inside.

[Li Ho Fook]

Outside of getting mad sick prices on blasters that were totally on fleek, Li Ho Fook had no interest in the rest of the goings-on at the Catalina Blaster Exhibition. The booth babe with the bouncing blaster was a threat to hella dope prices, so stepping to her and putting the mute on her gat was the extent of his interest, and it was with a sigh that he watched her dive away while popping the tag on a lightshow.

Not being especially fond of temporary deafness or blindness, Fook extinguished his saber and rolled out of the way, watching as some playa jump-kicked the flashbang overhead.

"Dag, yo, homie just kick a grenade away?" he said to the man he presumed to be the proprietor of the booth.

Receiving his answer, and a thermal detonator, Fook cocked one eyebrow in question before winding up and hurling the explosive with sick-ass form. Head turning away from the flash, the Wah looked hella floss, backlit by the explosion before dusting literal debris off his shoulder. "Yo, dawg, what's a playa gotta to to test-drive some of that shit, G?" he asked von Metzger, pointing to one of his blaster racks.

[Saarrreeaa Raurrssaatta]

ooc: Charley please post to this

[Sheldon Esalis]

"Flashbaaang!"

I called out, seemingly the only one mindful of the dangers of loud indoor noises to one's hearing. I sank back behind cover, jamming a pinky into each ear hole as the muffled crack split the air beyond.

"Mother of moons!" I yelled over the din, to Onashi as I browsed half of the Von Metzger merchandise sprawled on the floor. "Don't they know how super bad that is for your hearing? I mean -"

"Thermal Detonator!" someone in an adjacent booth shouted, with barely enough time for me to tuck my head to my knees and cover with my crossed arms. A thundering explosion ripped nearby, close enough for me to feel heat. What merchandise that hadn't fell from the peg boards before came crashing down now, along with a steady rain of debris.

"GODDAMMIT!!!"

I shook the dust from my hair and the ringing from my ears, then quickly patted my suit down for signs of wear.

"All things being equal, totally glad I paid for the upsell on the ballistic fiber. Alright, so..."

Sliding forward on my knees, I reached to the floor to pull a heavy squad repeater towards me.

"I guess once we go to thermal freakin' detonators we can't settle this with something that keeps the fall of my jacket intact. Let's see, bipod, tibanna canister rack, underslung slugthrower, holographic smart targeting, hahaha why does this have a bayonet lug on it? Shit, why not, right? Only thing it needs now is a mandalorian rail by the cheek weld for a cup holder."

A big breath in and out, and I glanced over to my fellow Von Metzger shoppers as hundreds of shots peeled across the short distance.

"So are we basically just shooting at everyone?"

[Saarrreeaa Raurrssaatta]

As the thermal detonator had exploded, she'd rolled across an aisle and behind another booth, thankfully one that had been abandoned by it's proprietors. Unluckily for them (and her) they were only selling vibroblades and axes, which is probably why they'd booked it when the chaos had erupted. Saa popped her head up, beret lost somewhere on the sales floor, and peppered the Von Metzger booth with more blaster bolts, keeping whoever was still hiding there behind cover for the moment.

The entire convention center floor was erupting in blaster fire, and she ducked back down, considering her options. If Von Metzger wasn't dead by her hand, it wasn't for lack of trying. Time to make herself scarce. Saa scooted down further in the vibroblade booth, peeking up and looking for her exit opportunity.

[Alanie Herleva]

Once having several booths and other bodies between her and the mayhem, Alanie sprinted for the main lobby amid the stream of others also having the same idea. She was amazed that any vendor would allow someone to get ammo or even that the security of an exhibition like this one would allow anyone to bring their own weapons inside. A total fiasco and now there were going to be a lot of bodies to clean up, wounded to get to the nearest hospital. More explosions ripped through the crowd, mostly made up of flashbangs and brightening her background, giving her a slight headache and ringing in her ears as she ducked instinctively. Hands to her ears, the assassin and bounty hunter let her head clear for a moment, then glanced up as a full squad of police armed and armored, entered the main doors, several shuffling people out while six of them continued deeper through the lobby and soon into the main room.

Time to get out of here, she mused and pushed herself up again. Filtering outside with the rest, she maneuvered around stunned buyers, past medical droids now arriving with first responders, and made her way toward the parking lot.

[Serasai Onashi]

"Yo!"

Onashi peeked back over the table to grin at the gathered Von Metzger defenders. The grin grew into a smile.

"Whoever threw that thermal detonator..." he started, before giving a thumbs up, "great job! Now, I'm going to say hello to that Little Spitfire what started all this. Boss, you stay here and don't die, because I won't get paid if you die. Milford, guard him. Everyone's gunning for each other, so just stay low and things should be fine."

With that, he turned and swaggered back through the chaos, whistling tunelessly as blaster bolts burned the air around him.

"Where are you, little kitty?" he sang, pulling his blaster rifle off his shoulder and firing one handed to his right.

"Ah, I've been hit!"

He frowned, and turned in the direction of the shout, and walked over to its owner. He was a younger soldier looking fellow with a Bounty Hunter's guild crest on his jacket. Onashi whistled through his teeth as he watched the man grip his chest in pain.

"Sorry about that," he said. "That was meant to kill you. Here, like this."

"Wha— no wait wai—"

Onashi shot the man in the face and sighed.

"Like that. Man, I think I'm getting out of practice."

He glanced around, and serendipitously saw a crown of blonde hair and the tips of two longer ears. Spitfire was looking the other way for the moment, and Onashi smiled in glee at the fight he was about to have.

"Aha!" Onashi jumped into action, running across the aisle and down back in the direction of the Von Metzger booth, and jumping over the divider that Saa had hidden herself behind. He slid up behind her on his side and rested his head on his fist, still smiling, with his blaster rifle once more resting against his shoulder.

"Hey, were you trying to kill my employer?" he asked her. He shook his head, tsking in disappointment. "Not very nice, you know."

[Saarrreeaa Raurrssaatta]

"Sshjit!" she hissed, startled at Onashi's sudden appearance. Saa whirled toward him, smacking the butt of her blaster toward his temple, planning on knocking him back and then shooting him a few times center mass.

[Serasai Onashi]

The blaster's butt smacked into the palm of his hand, only centimeters from his forehead.

"Whoa now!" he said through a grin, laying flat on his back. His arm shook from the strength required to hold her weapon still. He settled his own blaster to point at her from across his chest and pulled the trigger.