An Encounter with a Previous Foe

Fennec darted through the crowded market, her paint-splattered body attracting a number of amused looks and shocked laughs. The mercenary business ran entirely on reputation, and the thought that a prior client could be in this crowd, nearly stopped Fennec in her tracks. One person recognizing her like this could destroy two decades of carefully crafted reputation, reducing her to the laughing stock of the Bounty Hunter's Guild in a second.

Leaving one hand over the curls between her legs, she moved the other to cover her face. A pair of metallic blue tits were left to wobble uncontrollably. Protecting her rep also meant sacrificing the ability to fully see where she was going. Fennec bounced boob-first off of one surprised shopper after another, sending a few staggering, as she moved across the street like a wild ricochet.

The longer she was out here the bolder the crowd grew. Several patrons took her collisions as an excuse to slap a bare buttock or grab a painted tit. Luckily one hand hid the red rising in her face. All she wanted to do was run away and hide her exposed flesh. Her frantic search for an escape led her to a narrow alleyway partway down the block.

She plunged into the alley, pressing herself into the shadows behind a dumpster to catch her breath. Her heart pounded in her glittery blue breasts as she listened for any sign of pursuit. The paint-droid rolled by, on to vandalize another part of the city, but relief was short-lived. The unmistakable sound of footfalls was fast approaching.

The Black Sun enforcer with the red-streaked hair that she'd disarmed and stunned in the restaurant earlier that night appeared at the mouth of the alley. The human woman was tall and toned with a honey brown tan to her olive skin, like most Chalactans. She had ditched the suit jacket from before, revealing the undersized shirt beneath. The fabric of the blue tank-top strained to contain ample breasts that quivered with each step.

Fennec listened carefully as the woman spoke into a comlink. "I spotted that kriffing trull down in Blue Sector. Nude as a newborn and smeared with paint, she'll be hard to miss."

"Jaia," said the old Bothan's voice over the link, "last time she stunned you with your own blaster. Send me your coordinates and wait where you are. I'll send someone competent to handle this."

Jaia. At least Fennec had a name to put to Ms. Red-Stripes.

"I swear boss, I… I tripped last time," Jaia said defensively. "It was a lump in the carpet. It was bad luck. That's all."

"Coordinates."

Jaia moved the comlink to her other hand to transmit. "C'mon. You don't have to send anyone. I can bring in this slut on my own."

"I'm a vigo of the Black Sun and some witless whore takes out one of my enforcers in my own club with her own weapon. Do you have any idea how much you've embarrassed me?" growled the old Bothan. "The Hutts' crew is already on planet to bring back the next **** shipment. I'm sending them down to Blue Sector. That slut was going to be in that cage. You've got till they arrive to bring her in." Then the gangster added ominously. "And Jaia, I swear by the clan of my forefathers, you do anything to embarrass me and you'll be the slut in that cage!" Even his beep at the end of the call sounded angry.

Jaia sighed and stepped into the alley. Fennec in return retreated into the heavy shadows surrounding the sparse lighting. The enforcer had moved directly in front of her, still unaware of the assassin. From this vantage, it was easy to see the new blaster pistol in the shoulder holster to replace the one she'd taken off Jaia earlier.

Fennec burst from the darkness. Jaia stumbled back, instinctively reaching for her blaster. Unfortunately, she'd shifted the comlink to her shooting hand in her conversation. The moment's hesitation deciding to drop the device was all Fennec needed to snatch the pistol from its holster, quick as any whip-snake.

In the blink of an eye, Jaia was staring down the barrel of her own weapon for the second time that day.

"Looks like you tripped again," Fennec delivered with cold mockery.

The enforcer slowly lifted her hands. "Well, you haven't shot me yet. So, what do you want?"