A bounty hunter with a lot of blood on his hands, Molly and Sherlock are the only ones able to take him down.
Sebastian Moran was perhaps one of the most blood soaked bounty hunters in the galaxy. Shockingly few people saw him and lived to talked about it. That was why a great rush for security occurred when it was reported that a hit had been ordered on the members of a senatorial committee currently working on new industrial production regulations.
It was of course the duty of the Jedi Order to provide a portion of the needed protection, not just through bodyguards, but also by going after the bounty hunter who’d been hired for the job. Assigned for the latter task was a pair of young knights who were particularly known for their tracking skills: Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper.
They began their mission with simple disguise. They shrouded themselves in the blue cloaks of Alderaanian ship dealers and manufactured the alias of a young couple just starting in the business. They then rented a modest looking speeder and went to a somewhat seedy neighborhood there on Coruscant, where they pulled up outside a club know to be popular with some businessmen who were against the new regulations.
Almost immediately, a half drunk man sidled up to Molly and ran his eyes lecherously over her.
“Hey, if I buy you a drink, will you show me what’s under all that? I bet it’s as pretty a sight as your face.” Both Jedi looked to the man. Sherlock‘s blue eyes lit up in offense, but Molly remained calm and even smiled.
“You don’t want to harass people,” she said in a gentle voice, making a swiping motion with her hand.
“I don’t want to harass people.”
“You don’t want to have another drink.”
“I don’t want to have another drink.“
“You want to go away and never speak to me or my companion again.”
“I want to go away and never speak to you or your companion again.” With that, the man slunk away, leaving the pair to their business. To their surprise, they spotted Moran himself when they came up to bar. He was sitting in a booth with a man whose face was obscured by a dark gray cowl.
“His employer,” Sherlock murmured.
“How do you know?” Molly asked.
“His body language suggests that he respects the person he’s speaking to. The only person Moran is likely to show any such respect to is his employer. Simple.“
“I know what you’re thinking. Don’t. We were specifically ordered not to engage with any of Moran’s contacts.” Molly placed a hand on Sherlock’s shoulder and he looked around at her, meeting her gaze. “Our priority is to stop Moran before he can do any damage. His employer can be sought out later.” Sherlock gave a resigned nod at this before looking back at their quarry…who was suddenly gone.
“Where’d he-”
“Hello.” The pair turned sharply around to find themselves face to face with Sebastian Moran. He was grinning mischievously at them. “You two really ought to be more careful about using the Force when you’re undercover,” he commented casually. He drew his blaster and the Jedi immediately drew their lightsabers to deflect his fire in return. He rolled back to dodge their swings and jumped back to his feet to flee.
They ran out after him, throwing off their cloaks and jumping nimbly into their speeder as Moran climbed into his. Sherlock pulled hard on the accelerator and they went shooting forward suddenly enough to make Molly curse loudly. The wind bit their faces relentlessly, but it did not dull the wild light in their eyes. The chase was on.
Moran weaved through the traffic to throw them off, but to no avail. Eventually, he dove sharply, plunging down several level. Sherlock would not be deterred and immediately followed suit.
“Sherloooooooooock!” Molly screamed as they descended completely vertically and then went horizontal again quite abruptly. They grew closer and closer to their quarry, never losing sight of him. Moran sent a few pistol blasts over his shoulder at them, but Molly was quick enough to deflect them with flicks of her lightsaber.
Then, without warning, Moran’s speeder shot backwards, right toward that of his Jedi pursuers. He had already jumped out onto a nearby walkway and began running. Fortunately, thanks to their insight with the Force, the pair were able to foresee what was about to happen and eject themselves before the two vehicles collided and exploded in midair, eliciting screams from bystanders. They leapt gracefully onto the walkway and didn’t waste a single second in bolting after their enemy. Moran shoved civilians out of his way as he went and Sherlock followed close behind. Molly’s legs were not long enough for her to keep up, so she fell back and took a different approach.
Sherlock kept after Moran relentlessly, his face stony with single-minded focus. They came into a courtyard full of people and he finally nearly lost Moran until he sensed the man behind him. He whipped out his blue lightsaber and deflected an attempt to shoot him in the back before spinning around, only to have his cheek connect painfully with Moran’s fist, knocking him to the ground. The Jedi dropped his saber and Moran scooped it up with a broad grin.
“I’d like you to send a message to the Jedi Order for me,” he told Sherlock, pointing his blaster squarely at the raven haired man’s heart. Suddenly, an invisible force pushed him heavily aside, though he still managed to fire, hitting Sherlock right in the shoulder. A humming green beam blocked another attempt at Sherlock’s heart as Molly came forward. Another swipe of her lightsaber and Moran’s blaster was cut in two.
Clutching his shoulder with one hand, Sherlock summoned his saber from Moran’s grasp with the other and severed his leg just below the knee. Moran shrieked and fell, allowing Molly to bind him before she turned her attention to Sherlock, who was trembling.
“Sherlock! It’ll be alright. Deep breaths. Come on. Don’t let shock take hold,” she soothed, pulling her friend into her arms. Sherlock’s jaw was clenched in pain, but his blue eyes kept focus on her and nothing else. She brushed hair out of his face and caressed his cheek. “Get help!” she barked at bystanders some of whom were kind enough to do her bidding and within minutes, help came.
Much later, after Sherlock had recovered and the pair them had given their report to the Jedi Council, Molly took him aside and reprimanded him.
“You were extremely reckless. You should have paid more attention to your surroundings. I don’t ever want to see you shot again, understood?” Sherlock’s brow furrowed at this.
“Why does it matter so much to you?” he asked.
“Why does it- Sherlock. You’re my fellow Jedi and my friend.”
“No. No, there’s more to it than that. Tell me.” At this, Molly flushed red and fell silent. “Molly,” he pressed, stepping further than he already was into her personal space.
“I-I can’t. It’s forbidden,” she eventually stammered and Sherlock confusion grew.
“Forbidden? What could you possibly consider of me that would be-” He stopped mid-sentence and gasped when Molly’s hand found his. He did not immediately withdraw his hand from her and in fact let her massage his knuckles affectionately for a moment before he pulled away and glanced about to make sure no one was watching. “I think we should continue this conversation in private,” he whispered.
“Of course.” He then led her quietly to his quarters, where they could be alone without fear of interruption or eavesdroppers. For some time, they stood there in silence, simply staring at each other as they wondered at what to say. Sherlock, for his part, was fighting an intense internal war. His decision was made when he remembered that Molly’s feelings had led her to save his life.
Sherlock’s hands came up to hold Molly’s shoulders and he could feel her heartbeat quicken.
“No one has to know,” he murmured before leaning down and pressing his lips to hers and relishing the way she pulled herself to him.
