The job

 

[15:29] Nicci Ordo crouched in the brush, stalking the mantigrue carefully. She had wounded the creature's wing already, rendering it unable to fly.  If anything this made the animal more dangerous however.  It knew it was being hunted, it was alert, paranoid, and ready to attack or flee from anything that moved.  Nicci remained motionless, waiting for an opening.  Suddenly, the ground shook, and the roar of an engine overhead drew Nicci's gaze upward to a shuttle that was racing overhead.  The noise made the mantigrue shriek in rage and turn to flee.  Barely recovering from the sight herself, Nicci launched herself with her jetpack onto the creatures back, wrapping both arms around it's neck before stabbing her bes'kad into it's throat.  The creature crumpled beneath her slowly, lifeless.

[15:38] Xera D'Ukal waited patiently for the company pilot to find a suitable landing plot in the dense forest.  He managed to spot an old imperial landing pad and took advantage.  When the shuttle's engine's powered down, Xera waited for the bay doors to open, and upon disembarking, surveyed her surroundings.  "You sure the mercenary is here Miss?" the pilot asked, coming out behind her, blaster drawn and on alert, doubling as a security guard.  "Yes quite." Xera answered.  "I have good intel she retired here.  Finding her in this mess is another matter." she said.  She turned to her seeker droid, "P-3, begin scanning the area for human life here." She heard a loud shrieking in the distance, making her very nervous about the fauna of the forest moon.

[15:40] Nicci Ordo summoned a repulser lift to come collect her kill.  She also pulled several of the dragon's teeth.  These would help prove to the ewoks she had killed one of their greatest predators, for which she would be well traded for.  She pocketed the teeth, and made her way toward the direction she had seen the shuttle land.  She was curious about who would land here, seeing shuttles was a rare occasion, but she thought she had  recognized it as Onderonian in her brief glimpse.

[15:43] Xera D'Ukal pulled out her datapad to review the job as her seeker droid continued it's patrol and scan.  After only a few minutes, the droid produced a quick, droning pulse, letting it's Mistress know it had found human life.  "Ah, good then.  Pilot, come with me." she said, carefully climbing down the ladder to the landing platform and beginning a trek through the forest, following the seeker droid.

[15:45] Nicci Ordo saw the blue-green twilek trekking through the forest shortly thereafter.  She would have blended in with the forest quite well if it had not been for her brilliantly white dress and lab coat.  "City folk," Nicci muttered.  But as she got closer, Nicci realized she knew this twi'lek.  "Xera?" she asked, slowly, hardly believing it.

[15:46] Xera D'Ukal stopped short when she heard the voice.  She smiled brightly at Nicci.  "Good afternoon Miss Ordo.  It has been quite a long time!" she said, walking over to her, though cautiously.

[15:48] Nicci Ordo made no move to draw any weapons, and sheathed the bloody bes'kad. Haar'chak woman!  Your shuttle almost made me miss my kill!" she exclaimed.  "I am glad to see you though.  It has been a long time.  What in blazes are you doing out here though?  Shouldn't you be running the Iziz Medical Facility?"

[15:50] Xera D'Ukal made a bit of a face.  "I am no longer working there.  Ever since the kidnapping of the royal family, there has been a steward in charge and things have....deteriorated.  I was picked up by Adascorp and am under their employ now.   How have you been?" she asked kindly, though deliberately not saying what she was doing out here just yet.

[15:53] Nicci Ordo shrugged, "Well enough I suppose.  Picked out here to retire, to be away from political spats, Mandalorian in-fighting for positions that are not needed, and well...people in general really." she looked down at the forest floor.  "I am sorry about the royal family.  I should not have left."

[15:54] Xera D'Ukal stared at her, almost expressionless. "No...no you should not have." She quickly changed the subject. "I got a good thing going at Adascorp though.  Pays well.  They are in need of a mercenary.  A damn good one.  I said I could think of one that might be up for the job and....here I am." she smiled.

[15:56] Nicci Ordo raised an eyebrow and scowled heavily, none of which could be seen outside her helmet of course. "Xera, you know damn well I am not a mercenary, and I do not hunt people for money.  Well I did once, with some Skirata I made the mistake of having a crush on.  But never again." she stated flatly.

[15:59] Xera D'Ukal smiled again, almost deviously. "Yes yes I know all that.  Terminology is merely semantics with corporate types.  They are looking for someone to do a job for them.  It MUST be a mandalorian you see.  And it is not to hunt people, but a beast.  An insectoid beast.  Hunting beasts has always been a favorite pasttime of yours, yes?  I know you do not like to work for non-mandalorians but I thought I could persuade you, just this once, given the nature of the job not violating any of your personal codes." she said.  She accepted a case from her pilot who had walked up some time ago and opened it, revealing thousands of credits.  "Maybe you would consider it a favor for an old friend, as well as the credits?" she asked.

[16:03] Nicci Ordo exhaled.  Xera was missing the point.  She did not like working for outsiders at all, ever, no matter the circumstances.  She believed Mandalorians should only work to help other mandalorians, to rebuild their rapidly crumbling societies.  However, guilt crept into the edges of her mind.  There was one outsider she had worked for.  Protected.  A'denla's wife.  It was pretty clear that endeavor was a failure and now Xera was forced off her home to work elsewhere...as had many people been.  Her mouth went dry, and she swallowed, taking the case slowly. "What is the job then?" she asked.

[16:09] Xera D'Ukal clasped her fingers, pleased. "There is an insectoid species, called Droch, located on Nam Chorios.  They are said to be the key to unlocking many benefits medically and scientifically.  Adascorp needs several of these specimens for it's research.  They will pay you again handsomely with a bonus for each additional specimen you bring them.  But be wary, these are dangerous creatures.  A mandalorian with armor such as yours has the greatest chance of success.  We have not had contact with these creatures in many years.  Drochs could mimic the host's electrochemical fields and tissue composition, allowing them to avoid detection by essentially becoming part of the host while drawing life from them. Drochs grew and became more intelligent with each host they killed and larger drochs could absorb life through smaller ones, without having to take a host directly.  Your armor will be impervious to their bite, but you must still watch out for their claws.  Do not capture the bigger ones.  Smaller ones should sui

[16:09] Xera D'Ukal  our purposes just fine.  They have a weakness to light."

[16:11] Nicci Ordo listened, pulling out a small hand datapad and making small notations before pocketing it again.  "Bug. Nam Chorios. Don't like light.  Got it." she stated.  "Look this is a one time deal Xera.  I could use the money but...I am old now.  Retired.  I am doing this as a favor to you for patching me up all those years.  But no more alright?"

[16:14] Xera D'Ukal nodded, "Yes of course.  I am grateful to be your final employer!  And this will help many people." she replied.  "We will provide you with the containers to be used for their transport.  Please capture alive, this is very important, we do not want any dead ones.  We have a science vessel that will be in orbit around the planet waiting for drop off.  Good luck, Miss Ordo!" she said, handing Nicci a comlink before turning tail and walking back toward the landing pad.

[16:15] Nicci Ordo accepted the comlink with a heavy sigh.  Pocketing it, she trekked through the forest to her home to deposit the credits and begin prepping her ship for launch.