Solstice • The Mandalorian

Chapter 1~The Bounty

When the Mandalorian entered the bar to get his next bounty, he was agitated. It was too easy these days to find his prey, and the jobs were paying less and less. He couldn't even fill up on fuel with the amount he was being paid. He needed something that would earn him more, much more.

"My favorite Mandalorian," Greef Carga, the leader of his Guild smiled as the Mandalorian took a seat across from him. "So, I'm assuming you're here for your next bounty."

"What's your highest bounty?" Said the Mandalorian. He wasn't going to accept anyone this time, he needed someone expensive, someone worth the fuel. Greef laid five pucks on the table, four of them being bail jumpers and the other a wanted smuggler. The Mandalorian didn't have to ask if any of them were high paying, he knew all of them were low. That is until Greef laid down another puck, a silver one with a very familiar red crest.

"Starkiller," the Mandalorian said.

"Ah, so you're familiar with Mythus Starkiller," Greef said. Of course he was, anyone who knew anything about war or weapons knew of Mythus Starkiller. He was the main supplier of weapons all around the galaxy. The only reason he wasn't being hunted down after the fall of the Empire was because he claimed the weapons the Empire used in their attacks were stolen from him. Everyone knew it was a lie, but Starkiller's buyers who were even apart of the New Republic would never allow their one source of weapons to go to prison, so Starkiller was pardoned.

"Starkiller put out a bounty?" The Mandalorian said. Whoever it was, was a dead man walking. If Starkiller wanted someone dead, then he was obviously willing to pay a hefty price, as he was one of the richest men in the galaxy. The Mandalorian needed this bounty, and he would have to hurry, because if he knew Starkiller had a set bounty, then so did a lot of other hunters.

"Not just on anyone, either," Greef chuckled and displayed the hologram hidden in the puck. The face of a girl lit up with the name Mena Starkiller underneath.

"He placed a bounty on his own daughter?" The Mandalorian said. "Why?" Usually, he would never ask, but this was too interesting. It wasn't every day the most powerful man in the galaxy placed a bounty on his daughter.

Greef looked over his shoulder and across the bar to see if anyone was listening before he leaned in closer. "Word is, she murdered two guards with her bare hands and wrote her father a message in their blood before she stole a spacecraft and disappeared. But you didn't hear it from me."

The Mandalorian nodded. Maybe this girl would be the challenge he was looking for. "How much?"

"Two million," Greef laughed. "Heck, with that kind of reward, I might go after her too."

"I'll take it," The Mandalorian grabbed the puck and stood.

"I knew you would, but you better hurry if you want that reward. Knowing Mythus Starkiller, he probably gave each Guild in the galaxy one of those pucks."

Greef was right. If the Mandalorian wanted the reward, he had to be the first one to find her. So, he hurried to leave.

"Hey, Mando," Greef called, causing the Mandalorian to pause. "He wants her back alive."

The Mandalorian continued walking. That didn't change much for him. If she got to be too much of a hassle, he would just freeze her in carbonite.

~~~ Somewhere in another part of the galaxy... ~~~

Hiding from her father was harder than Mena had anticipated. Everywhere she went, there was already a group of bounty hunters waiting for her, ready to take her to her father. She knew a bounty had been placed upon her, and that the reward was two million. Heck, for that kind of reward, she might've just turned herself in. Although she had managed to escape her hunters many times through, it was getting more difficult now that news about her bounty had spread to all corners of the galaxy. She would have to think of something quick if she wanted to remain free any longer.

Mena wrapped a scarf around her head and made sure it covered everything but her eyes. She stepped into alarmingly baggy clothes and placed a pair of monochromatic sunglasses over her eyes. Then, she covered her hair with a purple hat and stared into the mirror. This is what it had come to. This was all she had to hide her identity from the world, and although it wasn't the best, she wasn't about to spend her money on new clothes. Especially, not when she was so low on fuel. So, she grabbed her sack, hiding it underneath her clothing, and headed off the spacecraft to find fuel before her next journey.

   This planet, whatever it was, was terrible. She hadn't managed to learn to how to work the navigation system on her craft, so getting to places was kind of just guess work and she never really knew the planet's name. However, she didn't need to know the name of this planet to know how what kind of planet it was.

   The moment Mena walked into a nearby town, it was filled with smugglers from all over the galaxy, who were trading and buying things from anyone they saw carrying something they liked. There were stalls lined up all along the busy street, filled with the strangest combination of things. A few people gave her strange looks as she passed, but once they saw she had nothing to offer, they turned their heads. If there were smugglers, then bounty hunters were surely nearby, so Mena had to make this trip quick. Surely there had to be a place to buy fuel somewhere here.

   As Mena ventured further into the town, she noticed a back alley auction taking place. Items were presented on a wooden platform and a crowd had formed around it where random bidders could purchase what they wanted. Although that wasn't the kind of place Mena wanted to be in, something in that auction caught her eye.
She hurried to get a closer look.

   She couldn't believe her eyes. It was perfect. It was just what she needed to protect her identity. No one would question her once she had this.

   With her hand raised high in the air, Mena bid as much of her money that she could spare and purchased her newfound freedom.

   When the man running the auction handed Mena her new purchase, he gave her a strange look, and asked, "What's a girl like you going to do with a thing like this?"

   Although the man couldn't see, Mena had a big smile on her face. "I'm going to wear it," she said, staring down at her new Mandalorian armour.