a/n - This one took its sweet time forming up, but I'm happy with how it turned out. This was after a throw away joke in @photogirl894's Sun & Rain concerning how Kimber and Rina met, so I wanted to take a stab on how they may have met.
Warning(s): depictions of violence, sketchy establishments
Rina's foot continued its bouncing taps as she waited on who else was going to deny her a hit from her mod. Some clone had pocketed it after bringing her into their makeshift brig. A perverse shell game in a sea of identical faces as to who currently held her fix. The durasteel door slid open and the woman tilted her head back. A satisfying pop from her neck sounded before bringing her head forward once more.
“Look I appreciate you being gentlemanly and shit, but you shouldn't keep a lady wait- Huh, well I'll be damned. They get a special one? I'm touched, really.”
The armor clad individual certainly looked the part. The visor offered no tells.
The captor made their approach soon taking the empty seat. The table separating them. The captor's hands slowly going to their helmet.
Rina huffed a laugh as the helmet rested on the table with a muted thunk.
“Well, now I've seen everything.”
The armored woman offered a ghost of a smile, “You're more talkative than with Jesse at least.”
Rina rolled her eyes, “I got a few words for the one who took an elbow to the cod.”
The armored woman sighed, “You were caught nosing around our cruiser.”
“and did you find any tools on me?”
“Could've been a lookout, so what were you doing at the ship bay?”
“Working. I was chasing my mark into the bay. Would've got 'im if your boys didn't pile on me.”
The woman raised a brow, “You're a bounty hunter?”
“Bounties, deliveries, whatever keeps the credits comin'.”
“Maybe we can help each other.”
Rina shrugged, “Don't take offense, but I need more than words.”
The woman produced a small metal box setting it on the center of the table. Rina's gaze fixated.
“Kimber Sallaros.”
Rina gingerly reached out to the contraption bringing it to her lips. Her finger locked on the button firing the device as she inhaled. Her nerves singing as the flavored smoke filled her lungs.
“Rina Caska,” She exhaled with the smoke drifting from her lips, “so what do you need from me?”
Kimber exited the makeshift brig. A clone lieutenant coming to her side.
“She tell you where she hid the parts?”
“No, but she might be able to help us find our thief.”
His hand gently grabbed her wrist, “Kimber, you can't just go offering a meal to every stray you meet.”
“I'm not letting her go out alone, Jesse.”
“and I can't spare any men right now.”
Kimber slipped her arm free of his grasp, “I'll be with her, and we'll be leaving in ten. The sooner we get those parts back, the better.”
She shook her head as soon as she turned down a corridor. Certainly Jakku was different than her home planet, but a person was still a person. Although her trip to the armory allowed her mind to weigh over the decision hoping it would not come back to bite her later.
“Any harm that comes to her will have you shipped off to Coruscant to await trial. Are we clear?”
“I'm reading you, Face. No shady shit. What about shenanigans or tomfoolery?”
Jesse pinched the bridge of his nose. Kimber soon joining the pair towards the main doors. Rina offered the woman a two finger salute.
“Guess you're my sitter for this.”
“Looks like it. Let's get going.”
The women took their leave. Rina not speaking until they neared the border of the ship bay.
“Face still trying to burn a hole in my head?”
Kimber glanced back at the cruiser. The lieutenant nowhere in sight.
“He's gone.”
“Good, you need to ditch your armor for a bit.”
“What?”
Rina chuckled, “No one's gonna give you the time of day when you have 'narc' stamped on your forehead.”
Kimber raised a brow at Rina's bluntness. Her gaze tracing over the plastoid adorning her body.
“I guess it does stand out here.”
The civilian shook her head, “We'll stop by my place and we'll throw some dirt on ya.”
Rina regarded Kimber with a nonchalant side eye, “If it's too much for you, you can plug me with your blaster and run.”
“I'm not going to shoot you.”
Rina took a drag and exhaled a plume of smoke, “Pretty honorable. I'd be sparing with handing that out.”
Rina led her escort through the winding alleyways eventually landing on the threshold of a hut that was a strong gust away from becoming a pile of rubble.
“Ain't much, but it's a place to lay.” Rina excused unlocking the door.
She gestured to her guest and led her inside. Rina made a b line for a stash of clothing folded along a coffee table. Kimber took in the sparse decor. The one room hovel appeared clean, yet it still held the spiderweb cracks of its losing battle with time.
“Heads up.” Rina called as a wad of fabric sailed through the air.
“Put those on. You can keep your pants and braid.”
Catching the clothing, Kimber glanced at the clothing and before looking up to see Rina facing a wall.
“Let me know when you're done, yeah?”
After some time doffing the armor and donning the borrowed shirt and jacket, Kimber adjusted the hem.
“I'm dressed.”
Rina chose to lose her staring contest with the wall, “One last thing.”
The shorter of the two women took a drag from her mod allowing the smoke to coil around her as she pulled open a cabinet door. Her free hand ferreting around until coming away with her prize. The tearing of paper drew Kimber's attention as the woman tore a backing from a square before smoothing the square to adhere to her arm.
“I don't smoke on a job.” Rina explained, tearing open another packet.
The second square was soon slapped near the first. She pulled her sleeve back down to shield the patches from view.
“Alright, let's go to work.”
The pair melded into the crowd as the sun had begun to set. The streets rousing from their slumber. Buildings lighting up with garish neon.
“Next building on your right.” Rina murmured, regarding a two story lit in rosy hues.
The scent of perfumes wrinkled Kimber's nose as Rina approached the counter. An older Twi'lek woman attended the counter.
“Looking for company for the evening?”
Rina clinked some credits on to the counter, “Is Ticia available tonight?”
The older woman eyed up the pair, “for two?”
A few more credits tumbled onto the small stack, “She'll just be watching.”
“I'll get her ready for you.” The attendant smiled, swiping the credits into her hand.
As she disappeared behind a curtain, Rina took in her partner's expression.
“First time at a skin shop?”
“That obvious?”
Rina chuffed a laugh, “Well, brace yourself. Oh, and try not to make eye contact or it'll get weird.”
The elderly Twi'lek woman reappeared gesturing for the pair to follow. Heeding the mercenary's warning, Kimber focused her gaze towards Rina's back. The cacophony of drunken banter and wolf whistles could have passed for the ambiance of 79's, yet the expanses of scantily clad women would probably be more at home in Nar Shaada. The pair was led to an unremarkable looking door among a row of identical doors.
“Enjoy yourselves, ladies.” The elderly woman beckoned them inside shutting the door behind them once Kimber cleared the threshold. A Twi'lek woman sat on the bed. Her sheer garb complimenting her coral complexion.
The mercenary crossed the room folding down into a seat. Signaling her escort to occupy the plush armchair.
“How're you holdin' up?” Rina began, her tone missing its bite.
The Twi'lek ghosted a hand against the side of her face. An angry purple bruise encircled her left eye.
“It 'urts less today.”
She nodded before gesturing to the occupied chair, “Ticia, this is my associate. Kimber, Ticia.”
Ticia brought her gaze to Kimber before her eyes plummeted to the ground.
“Did you find 'im?”
“He gave me the slip when he stirred up the docks, but I'll get him. Has he come back to see you?”
Her free hand clenched a handful of the sheer skirt rubbing the material between her fingers, “Not since I 'ired you, but 'e said work was picking up.”
“You got anything for me? Chop shop he frequents?”
Ticia shook her head, “Nothing about a shop, but 'e works for the rippers.”
Rina's mouth formed a hard line and nodded. A hand wiping across her face to sweep back a few stray locks.
“Think I can work with that.”
She rose from her seat popping a few credits into her client's lap.
“Get some rest and something to eat. If he shows up, give me a ring, yeah?”
The Twi'lek lifted her gaze offering the mercenary a nod. Rina returned the gesture before offering a beckoning hand to her partner. The pair were silent as they took their leave. Kimber spoke up as soon as structures separated them from the pleasure house.
“Was that from him?”
Rina nodded, keeping her gaze ahead, “Hear he's got a bit of a temper. Unfortunately, that's normal.”
“Couldn't you go to the authorities? Even if you only have a description, I'm sure the-”
The other woman's side eye glance cause the words to fade.
“One: you're not my boss, and two: they don't have the time.”
Kimber frowned, “but she has the credits to pay someone like you?”
Rina shrugged her shoulders, “You'd be surprised. People fall through the cracks when a war's going on. That's where people like me come in.”
Kimber followed her shorter companion, “So are we hunting him down?”
“Nah, he's gonna come to us.”
The mercenary jerked her head towards a building with a flat top.
“How good can you climb?”
The sharpshooter smirked, “Not my first tall perch.”
Rina chuckled as they stopped at the building's side wall, “Well then, after you.”
She sized up the wall before glancing at Rina. A huff of amusement blew through her nose before the mercenary braced her back against the wall. Her fingers interlocking.
With a dismissive shake of her head, Kimber scaled the wall. Her blasters secured to her as she pulled herself up. Once on the rooftop, she leaned down with an arm outstretched. However, the sound impact on the wall drew her attention. Her arm jerking back as she could finally see the origin of the noise.
A set of ten fingers clung to the edge before the owner of those fingers pulled herself up to join the sharpshooter.
Rina huffed once she was up and over the ledge. Her head shaking to shoo away a few tendrils of hair that were out of place.
“Not bad.”
Rina shrugged, “I'm better in big cities.”
Her hand buried itself into a pocket as she found a patch of roof to sit on. She produced a small object, offering it out. Upon Kimber declining with a raised hand, Rina uncapped the canister taking a swig.
“So,” Kimber spoke up after a brief stretch of silence passed between them, “Have you...always been on Jakku?”
“Nah,” Rina replied, coming up for air, “Just here long enough to get some credits and keep flying.”
She tapped the canister against her leg, “You always with your boys chasing armor?”
“Excuse me?”
“My bad, preferring the company of clones.”
Kimber scrunched up her nose.
“What, you're just with a ship full of guys for the thrill?” Rina jested.
“I just needed a change.” Kimber dismissed.
Rina hummed, “So who was he?”
“Huh?”
“The guy.”
“There's no guy.”
The mercenary's amused gaze met the sharpshooter's.
“There's always a guy.”
Rina's smirk grew as Kimber's lips set into a line.
“Alright, spill. Which one?”
“...he's not on the ship.”
“Ah, so a fling then?”
The air between them thickened as silence spread.
“It's not important...”
The mercenary nodded. Her eyes drifted to her canister, “Well...whoever he was, he was stupid to let you get away.”
Kimber lifted her widened gaze to the other woman, who only huffed an amused laugh.
“When you do what I do, you learn to read people.” Rina stashed the canister as she narrowed her gaze, “There's our guy.”
On the street below, a Weequay exited the tavern. His gaze darted to and from clusters of passersby before setting off. Rina crept towards the edge of the roof.
“How do you know it's him?”
“Believe me, I know. He'll lead us back to where your parts are, or I get to beat it outta him.”
They tailed their mark while still keeping their distance.They weaved their way through town until they neared a metal structure. Gutted speeders splayed out like corpses around what passed as a yard. The sharpshooter followed her companion's lead, circling towards the rear of the building.
Rina held a hand to catch Kimber's attention. She silently patted her hip where the sharpshooter holstered a blaster.
“This goes sideways. Three rounds in the air.” Rina whispered.
“They scatter from that?”
“Nah, but the GAR comes runnin’.”
They inched closer to the door. Their eyes met. The shorter woman giving a nod. Kimber pulled out her blaster before Rina tried the door. When it refused to budge, the mercenary launched herself at the obstacle. The door giving way as her shoulder slammed into the surface. Rina followed through with the momentum with Kimber hot on her heels.
The group of neerdowells froze mid-task. Eyes locked onto the intruders. Among the cluster of scrappers, a familiar visage made a satisfied smirk curl Rina’s lips.
“I’ve been looking for you.”
“and who the kriff are you, half-pint?”
Rina took a step forward, “Heard you like throwin’ hands. Thought you’d like a girl who’d rough you up for a change.”
The women took cover behind a speeder as the first blasts rang out. Each attempt at gaining a glimpse of the enemy had the women ducking back to safety.
“We need to think of something.”
The mercenary whipped her head to her companion.
“Great observation. Feel free to pull an idea out of your ass, Boss Lady.”
Kimber resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead focused on a glint. A speeder’s mirror lay propped against a pile of scrap. Her fingers curled tighter around her blaster.
*Relax, Sunshine. Breath in, hold, exhale.*
The bolt screamed from her blaster towards the mirror and a second later a scraper’s weapon clattered to the floor.
The resulting blaster fire had patrols on their position shortly after the women claimed their victory. The target’s face marred and maimed from a few rounds with the mercenary. Said mercenary admired her handiwork in the holocam.
“Did she need proof you took him down?”
Rina closed down the device, “Nah, but sometimes it helps seeing him roughed up.”
As their quarry was hauled away, Kimber spoke up.
“You were pretty good. You could make a name for yourself.”
“You weren’t too bad yourself,” Rina chuckled, “but save your pitch. GAR doesn’t pay enough.”
With a nod, the sharpshooter turned to take her leave to the cruiser.
“Hey.”
Kimber turned, a small object tossed in her direction. She snatched it up, a black comm device resting in her palm.
“In case you’re in trouble or need to find some to get into.”
Rina offered a two finger salute before she began to walk away.
“Keep those boys in line, Boss Lady.”
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