Zira Darkstar

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A/N: Sorry that it took so long... Finally getting some free time... I am hoping to at least get a chapter a week up.

~Beta'd by Envy~
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Chapter 14


Zira couldn‘t help but glance at Carth every few moments as they were walking back towards the lift. She had a lot she wanted to say to him, but she wasn‘t sure she could put them into words. He didn‘t seem to be getting any warmer towards her. Their jibs in the cantina had been the most light-hearted she‘d seen him. She finally saw him look back her way, and she decided to try and see if she could relax him a bit. “Carth?”

“Yes? What’s on your mind?”

“I want to discuss something with you.”

Carth raised an eyebrow, looking her over. “You do? Fair enough, What do you want to discuss?”

Zira thought back to their conversation before. She wanted to know why he didn’t trust her. “We didn’t finish our conversation last time.”

Carth took a long deep sigh, then said softly, “I knew you wouldn’t understand where I was coming from. Let me try to explain. You’re probably one of the most skilled women I’ve ever met. You’ve saved my butt more than once and I’m lucky you’re here to help me, no question. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop watching you or being wary. I’m just not built that way. Period.”

Zira reached out and rested a hand on his broad shoulder, “Why are you so hostile? What did I do to deserve this?”

Her touch seemed to break down his resolve a bit. “You, uh…. Haven’t done anything yet. But there’s no guarantee that you won’t do anything in the future. I’ve been betrayed before by people and I… well, it won’t happen again. “

Zira raised an eyebrow, “So you want some guarantee that I won’t betray you!?”

Carth tried to sound apologetic, “I don’t know that you’ll betray me. But there are no guarantees… not for you, not for me. You don’t have to take it personally.”

“I’m beginning to wonder if you’re even capable of trusting anyone.”

“Well, you can stop wondering. I’m not.”

Zira felt a flash of anger rush through her, “So leave. Be on your own, it’s obviously what you want.”

Carth’s eyes drained the anger from her. She could tell her words stung him, “Why is whether or not I trust you, or anyone, so damned important to you? Why… why do you even care? We don’t have time for this, so can we just… drop it. For now? Can we pick it up later if you really must, I… want to get underway.”

Her mind reeled as she tried to find words to put words together. All she could do is nod and continue walking. She thought to try and say something else, but before she could even try, the road they were on had another group of people. Zira recognized right away the colors on two of them as being Vulkar gang members. The third person was a human wearing a combat suit, that he filled out completely. He had jet black hair combed back tight and only a blaster pistol at his side.

Zira could tell the two Vulkars, both of which were wrinkly skinned Niktos, heavily out armed this man. They both had pistols, at their hips, rifles on their backs and stun sticks on their belts. She could hear the human speaking to them, “You guys are behind with your payments. What do you uh, you think ‘cause you’re in some gang you don’t have to give Davik his cut?”

The Niktos to the man’s right spoke up first, “I don’t see Davik doing anything for his share. We do all the work. Davik claims he’s part of the Exchange, so let’s see him prove it.”

The other chimed in quickly, “Yeah, let’s see the big crime lord come and get his money from the Black Vulkars!”

The human just laughed and shook his head, “Ah, so you want to play this the hard way?” He asked rhetorically and laughed again, “Okay.” He split the air with a loud whistle and Zira saw another human emerge from the shadows.

If Zira was to describe the first man as large, she would have to describe the new one as a giant. The man stood almost a full head higher than the dark haired man she’d seen before. He was an aged man, his dark hair showing signs of graying, but it was obvious he knew his way around combat. Even at their distance, Zira could make out several scars along his face. He wore a tight black shirt that showed off a perfectly chiseled chest and perfect abs, obscured only by a loose orange vest that draped across his massive shoulders.

He carried himself like a soldier, his stance trained to perfection. He was wearing a pair of loose tan pants and tall well polished combat boots. His size wasn’t only in height, either. The mans arms were easily as big around as Zira’s head. He held a massive repeating blaster that she was sure neither of the Niktos could even lift, much less aim or use properly.

The Niktos both staggered back a step in the man’s shadow. Zira watched his steel gray eyes beat down their feeble wills in an instant. The Niktos who’d been quick to back his friend seemed to be the first to cave to the terror this man seemed to inflict, in presence alone. “Oh, hey…. Canderous. We didn’t know you was working for Davik now.”

Losing the support of his ally the first quickly fell in line with the other, “Yeah, we were just goofin’ around here. We don’t want no trouble with a Mandalorian. Here’s Davik’s cut.” He began to quickly rummage through his belt, he pulled a pouch free of \ and fumbled it. The sack landed on the street in front of Davik’s man and he scooped it up. The Niktos looked as though he might start to protest, but his black eyes fell once more upon Canderous.

The human hefted the sack once or twice and Canderous slacked his stance, ever so slightly. His voice was gruff, weathered, and intimidating, “Too bad. I was looking forward to cracking some heads.”

The thought seemed to have occurred to the two aliens as well. They quickly turned and began to sprint down the street, neither of them dared to even look over their shoulders. The human chuckled and looked up at the massive Mandalorian standing beside him now. He seemed to answer Canderous’ last comment. “Maybe next time, Canderous. I better get this over to Davik. I’ll call you if anyone else gets behind on their payments.”

He turned and began to walk away, but Canderous didn’t follow. He instead shouldered his repeater and looked down through the sights in the direction of the fleeing Niktos. After a second he began to make an adjustment to the weapon’s scope and Zira felt a little more at ease.

She walked towards him, and as she got close she could hear his harsh voice. He seemed to be speaking more to the air before him than the woman standing there. “Those Vulkars are dumber than a Courscant granite slug! They actually think being in that pathetic little gang of their’s makes them important. Gadon keeps his Hidden Beks in line, but Brejik’s getting dreams of grandeur. If Davik’s smart, he’ll slap that young punk back down.” The last part was directed at her, and she got the feeling he was trying to intimidate her as well.

A word of from your sponsor? Lucky me, I get the “pay or else speech.” “Who are you?” She decided to ask, trying to sound aloof.

“I’m someone you don’t want to get on the bad side of, and I’m not one for small talk. I don’t have time to stick around here, anyway. Davik’s got me working on a special assignment.”

Zira watched him as he began to walk away from them down the street. She knew she must be staring, because she suddenly felt Carth’s hand upon her shoulder. “Huh? Oh… sorry.”

Carth was looking at her a bit intently, as if trying to pick the thoughts from her mind. He looked about to say something when a blaster bolt sizzled past the both of them. Zira quickly dove forward, her hands curling in front of her and burying into Carth’s chest. Her movement toppled the man, who’d already begun to look for the blaster fire, and they both hit the street. The air in the space they had just been burned as six or seven more crimson bolts flew through the air.

Zira rolled off of Carth, drawing the pistol from her hip as she landed on the cold surface of the road. She began to open fire on a group of Vulkars who were taking shots at them from up the street, and she heard Carth’s blasters begin to echo her maneuver. The trio ducked in for cover as he filled the air with deadly shots, and she used the opportunity to lift up and press herself to the wall lining the Lower City street.

The three Vulkars’ cover was a parked speeder that was parked to the side of the street. Zira could barely make out their heads and arms before their combined fire was lancing out towards them. Zira scored several hits into the side of the speeder and they all ducked back down. Her shots gave Carth time to scramble to his feet and hit the wall just in front of her with his shoulder, trying to keep as little of himself turned towards the enemy as possible.

Zira couldn’t help but notice, he’d protruded himself between the enemy fire and herself. She used his bravado to quickly scan the area. Sure enough she could see an apartment complex behind them. “Come on! We’ll have better cover if we fall back into that building.”

Carth started to say something, but Zira wasn’t about to wait for the committee to meet on it. She burst into a run, twisting at the waist and firing several wild shots around the speeder. She didn’t hope to hit them, but she did want fire going everywhere and making them stay down.

She crossed the distance of the street in a hurry, and Carth’s heavy boots thumped into the doorway only a few steps behind her. Zira quickly keyed the door button to close and she could hear several burning thuds against the metal on the outside of the door.

Before she could congratulate herself, however, the sound of blasters erupted from beside her again. Carth had already started firing upon a group of Vulkars that were inside the apartment building. Zira turned in time to see one of them drop, his wrinkled forehead opened from a freshly received blaster bolt piercing. The other two were already closing the distance towards them, holding shock sticks.

Zira simply dropped her pistol, rather than try to holster it. She quickly drew her vibroblade and thumbed the weapon to life. The sharpened cortosis weave slashed into the short, blunt weapon stopping the energy that had been surging across it; slicing into the shock stick’s energy supply. The second Vulkar tried to bring his weapon down upon her head, but Carth hit the man with a shoulder ram before he was able. The attack threw the alien down to the floor, and Carth wasted no time in opening up at point blank with both blasters.

Zira twisted the weapon, pulling the damaged shock stick out of the stunned gang member’s hand. He barely managed to stagger back a step before she plunged the blade through his chest, the useless weapon coming free of the blade and clattering to the floor at it’s owner’s feet, soon to be followed by his corpse.

“We should find a place to hide. Those other Vulkars will be coming this way.”

She nodded to Carth, and they pressed on into the apartment complex. It was set up exactly like the one they were staying in back in Upper Taris. It had a large circular connecting hallway with apartments stemming out from the center. Before they could make it too far, they both became aware of the short man they’d seen in the cantina. Zira remembered what Mission said about him.

Calo Nord had two Rodians in front of him, and one of them seemed to be annoyed at his presence. “You seem to be taking great interest in our progress. Do you need something, little man?”

The other quickly put a hand on his partner’s shoulder, “Quiet, Luugro! That’s Calo Nord, the infamous bounty hunter!”

Calo spoke up, his voice flat and emotionless, “There’s a bounty on your little green heads. I’m here to collect.”

Luugro quickly dropped a hand to the blaster at his hip, “The only way you’ll collect that bounty is over our cold, dead bodies!” He tried to sound threatening.

“That’s the plan.” Calo’s hands were a rush of motion as he spoke, the two Rodians barely had a chance to grasp their weapons before they were both gunned down. Zira was a bit stunned, she had seen the little man shoot before, but this was incredible. His shots were concise, fast, and perfect. He didn’t even bother to flash grenade this duo, as he had done before. She barely had time to allow herself to be impressed, however, because Calo had already started towards the two of them.

Zira wasn’t sure if she should attack or not. She felt herself tense up, but it proved to be unnecessary. The bounty hunter turned towards the main exit, the one those Vulkars were not doubt closing on. She couldn’t help but grin. She hoped they were stupid enough to shoot first and ask questions later. After all, if Calo Nord took out their tail then he would be unwittingly helping them. Carth seemed to be having the same thought.

Zira stopped only for a second to search their bodies before they both began to push into the apartment complex. Carth whispered, “We should find an empty apartment and barricade ourselves in. Just in case they come after us. I’d rather fight them in a little more defendable position.”

“Okay.”

Zira looked over what she’d found. An energy shield with four good uses was on Luugro’s arm. Too bad for him, he never got it activated. She clasped the device to her wrist as she went to the first apartment door and to her surprise, it opened right up. I guess they don’t believe in locks down here. Before she could be too pleased with herself however, she saw two Vulkars standing up from their seats to see who’d been stupid enough to walk into their apartment. “Uh… wrong room.” She said quickly, but they didn’t seem to be convinced and began to draw their blasters.

Zira’s reflexes kicked into overdrive, and she barely had time to register her own actions. Before she was even aware, she was across the room and driving her blade through one of their throats. Niktos blood splattered to the floor with a wet slapping sound. She went to pull the blade from the fallen man’s throat and turn it on his partner, but the blade held fast to the man’s innards.

She only had a second to react, realizing that her rush had put herself between Carth and the other Niktos. The steady rush of emotion that had dragged her through each of her fights seemed to take a step back and, in that instant, she felt a crystal clarity. The universe seemed to slow before her eyes, and she seemed to have forever to react.

Her left hand moved free of the weapon lodged in the man’s throat and instead fell upon the hilt of a vibroblade sheathed at his waist. In one smooth and seemingly slow motion, She pulled the weapon free of the Niktos’ sheath and arched the blade horizontally. The sharp blade seemed to cleave through the man’s neck with surprising ease, creating a short lived fountain of blood and a rolling head.

The moment of clarity crashed away from her mind, and she was once again plunged into emotional turmoil. She heard Carth’s footsteps drawing nearer in what felt like a rush. Only because she could see him, did she believe he was walking at normal pace. She saw his lips moving, but she didn’t seem to understand anything that came out of his mouth. “What?” She asked, stupidly.

“I said the door lock is destroyed, we’re going to have to find another place to hide. Are… are you okay?”

“Fine, just rattled a bit. Come on! We’ll move onto the next apartment.”

Zira got to the door as everything seemed to fall back into normal time for her mind. This door gave a satisfying click. It was obviously locked. Zira quickly pulled a few tools from her belt and cracked the door panel open. She could hear several people shouting up the hall now. Vulkars must have gotten reinforcements. Damn! She quickly re-routed several of the wires inside the panel, and the door hissed to life; she didn’t make it far however. There was a slender woman with short red hair, bound tightly into a high bun at the back of her head. She was holding a heavy blaster pistol level with Zira’s head, in a tight, unwavering grip.

Zira was unsure how to act, her weapons were sheathed and she was in no position to attack. “Stop right there, or I’ll give you a blaster shot right between the eyes! Now, what are you doing here?” The woman’s stance said everything. She wasn’t a scared little girl like Dia had been. This woman was trained, harsh.

Whew… least she’s not a Vulkar… that means I might be able to talk some sense into her. “Who are you?”

The woman’s voice had less heat then deep space, “No. I’m the one with the blaster pointed at you. I get to ask the questions. Now, what are you doing here?”

Zira tried to offer a smile. She didn’t figure it was a good idea to tell her, “oh trying to hide from some angry gang members” was going to get her to suddenly become gracious enough to let them in. “I was just exploring. I didn’t know anyone was in here.”

Zira heard the blaster charge, “Well go explore somewhere else. There’s nothing interesting for you in here. This is your only warning, if you bother me again, you won’t walk out of here alive.”

Zira took a single step inside, holding up her hands to try and seem less threatening, “We just-”

The woman had only barely started to lower her blaster, but now it was level once more with Zira, “I gave you a chance to get out of here and leave me alone, but I guess you’re just too stupid to take it. Now you’ll see why I’m the most dangerous assassin on Taris.”

Assassin!? This is Selven!? Zira remembered the description she’d gotten from Zax. She responded quickly, the only way she could think of. She slapped the button to engage her energy shield and dove for the floor. The shield’s energy raced across her, flaring up brilliantly as an overcharged blaster bolt punched her in the chest. The force of the blow knocked the wind from Zira’s lungs, but at least it stopped before it penetrated her shield or armor.

Zira grabbed hold of her vibroblade hilts and drew both weapons at the same time, as she staggered to her feet. Before she could finish reaching them however, Carth activated a concussion grenade and threw it perfectly into Selven’s chest. The blast threw the woman back and she began to stumble a bit, one hand at her head and the other frantically waving a firing blaster pistol.

Luckily for Carth and Zira, she’d turned a bit in her recoil and was mostly just charring holes into the walls. Zira finally regained her feet and threw herself at the woman. She unleashed a flurry of fast slashes with both weapons, carving deep into Selvan’s muscle.

The woman screamed in pain, lashing out with a side kick to Zira’s throat. The blow threw Zira to the ground, gasping for air once again.

Selven’s daze from the grenade had faded, and she was now firing at Carth. He was forced to make a dive to the side and was only barely missed by several of the resulting shots. Selven’s expert marksmanship trained him, just barely missing and the final shot only just missing because of the door-frame.

Zira watched helplessly as Selven rushed to the doorway and rounded, in pursuit of Carth. She tried to will herself to her feet, but the lack of oxygen seemed to have glued her to the floor. She could hear blaster fire resounding through the hallways. The Vulkars…. Selven…. Carth is out there alone… surrounded… Zira’s mind rapidly played out horror scenes of Carth being gunned down, the same way the Rodian’s had been when they’d first entered the apartment complex.

She could feel a voice edging at the back of her skull, He’s going to die for you. Just like Trask. You’re death to everyone around you… You’re pathetic. “No!” She shouted aloud to the imaginary voice, forcing the word out and drawing a breath once again. The voice began to quiet as she vaulted herself to her feet. She felt like they hardly touched the ground as she ran from the apartment and into the hallway.

She began to sprint as fast as she could down the hallway towards the blaster fire, her vibroblades humming quietly in either hand. She felt her feet pound the permacrete and her eyes ran across the lines of blaster scores in the walls, some of which were still smoking.

She could see the people fighting ahead of her now, red lances of energy flying wildly back and forth. Shots are good, it means there’s still something to shoot at, which means he’s still alive! The faces became clear to her now. There were bodies strewn about the floor, but she didn’t see Carth. She didn’t see him among the corpses, or the living. He must be further! She resolved, throwing herself into the thick of it.

There were easily ten Niktos Vulkars, blasting wildly at a single target that seemed to be dodging and weaving the fire with incredible grace. She hoped it was Carth, but didn’t take the time to examine them. Either way, she’d have to fight the Vulkars. She flanked several of them with her weapons. Before the first one’s even knew she was there, her blades cleaved into them, either blade separating a head from their respective bodies. She arched the blades lower and drew them back, the reverse of her higher swing. The blade on her left eviscerated the Niktos on her left and the one on her right cleaved deep into his lower side.

Her momentum carried her further forward. She thrust her left hand forward, the tip of the blade sinking into the base of the man’s skull. Her right hand spun the weapon freely into a reverse grip position. She lifted her arm up a bit, the tip thrusting up and threw the Niktos’ jaw and into his brain, finishing off the one she‘d cut in the side.

She turned to see a red lancet of energy illuminated a sharp featured face. The face of the one dodging blaster fire. It was Selven. The cold, dark green eyes a perfect contrast to the red, hot beam of energy. Zira’s rush had felled five of the ten Vulkars, and in that time, Selven had blasted 3 of the others.

Selven’s eyes fell upon Zira about the same time that Zira recognized her. Zira spun on her heel to the right, and Selven tracked her movement with her heavy pistol. Zira ended up back to back with the Vulkar, and she felt each of the blasts slam into the man. She felt them burn into him, the heat resonating into her back, the smell of his charred flesh filling her nose. As she felt him begin to slump forward, away from her back, she crouched low and launched herself upwards into the air.

She heard the air split with more blaster fire as she reached the apex of her flip and felt the heat burn below her and between her feet. The flip landed her beside the assassin, forcing Selven to side step in order to attempt another shot.

Keeping the momentum from the spin of her flip, she fell backwards onto the permacrete and rolled across the back of her neck past Selven, whom was now firing at Zira as she tumbled across the floor. She could still feel the energy trail burning and feel the chip of permacrete shards blasting her in the back and head as Selven continued to track shots just behind her.

As soon as Zira’s weight hit the back of her neck she pushed her knuckles against the floor, forcing her arms to lift her weight. The motion put her back on her feet facing her opponent.

Selven’s icy, green eyes were now fixed upon something beyond Zira. Something intangible. Zira became aware, then, of the blaster muzzle resting against her stomach. That’s it than… She’s done it… Not even you can dodge a shot that close. She felt her self wince, but there was no pain. None. She opened her eyes a bit and watched as Selven collapsed backwards to the floor.

Zira’s eyes looked beyond where Selven had stood, to something tangible. Carth was standing in a doorway Zira had run past to try and rescue him. His blaster pistols still smoking. She looked down to the floor and saw that 4 clean burns etched into Selven’s back and that the last Vulkar had also been blasted from behind.

“C-Carth?” She felt herself say, surprised at the amount of shock her voice contained.

“Are you alright?” He called as he began to walk towards her.

She felt as though a bug had just bitten her on the head. A small, sharp prick that she brushed aside. He’s alive! She rushed forward and threw her arms around him. She could feel his warmth, even through his armored jacket. His dark brown eyes lined up with hers’, and she couldn’t resist. She leaned in and tightly pressed her lips to his.