THE BOUNTY | The Mandalorian

CHAPTER I

"Shit, shit, shit, shit."

This fucking blaster was always acting up, and the last thing I needed was for it to do so right at this moment. I picked one of the large trees in front of me and slipped behind it, feeling the rough bark scratch my skin between the thin straps of my dress as I carefully placed the useless weapon on the ground.

"Ah come on, love, we just want to talk with you. We'll be total gentlemen, right Sull?" The snickering laughs from the brute men told me they'd be anything but gentle.

"Yeah, we just wanna return these sexy heels to ya."

I rolled my eyes in disgust. I doubt they were very sexy now after flinging them off in the mud field so I could run without breaking an ankle. A twig snapped just on the other side of my hiding tree, and I bit my lip to keep from groaning in frustration. I hiked up the soggy hem of my once stunning gown, carefully using my fingers to inch it up my shaking quad until the fabric caught above the holster there. My fingertips carefully grazed the sharp edge of my vibroblade before gripping the handle in a reverse hold. I plucked my throwing razor with my other hand before the dress fell to the wet ground again.

I closed my eyes briefly, listening. Heavy breathing and a grunt came from a few meters away. The bigger of the men was standing back from my hiding place- thank the stars. The light crunching of leaves was right on the other side of the tree, and I heard the bark popping slightly as something leaned against it.

"Come out, come out, sweet gi-"

I didn't give the man a chance to finish, rolling out from behind the tree and stabbing him in the neck with my blade. The sick gurgling sound made his friend turn to me with wide eyes before snarling and taking a step forward. That one step was all he got though, as I threw my razor at him with deadly accuracy, catching him in the forehead. The grappling hands of his choking counterpart fell from my arms right as the large one fell to his knees before falling forward into the mud, my sexy heels long forgotten in the grass next to him.

"Ugh," I said I jerked the blade from the neck of the slimy man, taking in the stream of blood that added to the wreck of stains on the navy silk of my dress before I wiped the wet blade against my leg. "Ugly son of a bitch," I said as I kicked his limp body over. I walked over to the other one, who was even uglier if that was possible, having to bend down and use my arms to heave his large body over. I grabbed the tip of my razor and pulled it out from his head, wiping it in the grass before standing again. I pulled my dress up and slipped the blades back in place.

My eyes caught on the muddy brown, once silver, heels on the ground. I scowled at them as if they had been the ones that got me caught. But they were my favorite- the only heels I could really run in as long as I wasn't hiking through the damn backwoods of Dantooine. "Fuck it," I said, grabbing the back straps with my pointer and middle finger.

I made my way in the direction I had been running, knowing I'd eventually come to a clearing where I could get my bearings. I sure as hell wasn't going to go back towards town- I'm sure my dead buddy's buddies would be waiting on their return, probably praying that the two hadn't left me in the woods after spending their time with me, and letting them have a go. A shudder ran down my bare spine, half from cold and half from the thought of their grubby fingers on my skin.

I had thought surely no one would remember me after so many years, especially since my hair had been dyed a silver platinum back then. But I guess I had made more of an impression than I thought. Taking the casino owner to bed and opening his safe when he fell asleep (thank you sleeping solution in his whiskey), and taking the credits to pass out amongst the poor people living in the shadows would do that, I suppose. The only thing that made the bruises that man left on my backside worth it was the thankfulness in the citizens' wide eyes.