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"Me? I'm just along to blow things up." The voice was cold and unemotional, as if the owner didn't care about the loss of life her words suggested. There wasn't any reason she should. She was the Hawkbat, after all.
The man who'd asked the question was young and handsome - the kind of man that was usually found in the Hawkbat's company. Her favorite combination was young and gifted, although she'd take the latter over the former. He looked at the masked woman - no, girl - who was carefully checking a contraption that he didn't even recognize. "My name's Reno," he told her, waiting for a response. He got nothing more than her distant eyes focusing on him in a way that made him feel hunted.
She didn't have to introduce herself. Instead, she leaned out of the shadows and stared at the other members of the group. Three of them were Red Haze, and two of those were from the Hawkbat's personal entourage. The Hawkbat's Harem, some called it when they were fairly sure she couldn't hear. No one could be positive; it was said that the Hawkbat even had ears in the Black Sidhe. That was impossible, of course. Bad blood between the Hazers and Sidhe henchmen prevented even casual association.
"We've been called in here," she began, her voice low, "by the highest bidder. It seems that several groups want to destroy this particular base of operations." As they weren't there yet, the Hawkbat avoided using the names of the locations. "This bidder requires that we destroy the building and several of the occupants. Easy stuff..."
The female was cut off by a louder, harsher voice. "You overestimate yourself, Hawkbat."
All eyes turned to the man who'd spoken. "Ten creds says she kills him before the mission's over," a large man muttered to his companion. "Ten creds, ten creds."
"You're on," the other man said, with a quiet laugh. "I say she lets him get home and feel safe."
The Hawkbat set her dangerous toy down and stared at the man who had challenged her. "Overestimate?" she asked, her voice like the purr of a huntingcat approaching its prey. "I overestimate myself?" She laughed, low and harsh. "Then you've overpaid me."
"I suppose I expect a refund."
The temperature in the cabin plummeted. Lifting herself from her seated position, the masked girl leaned over the table and glared at the man. Neither said anything. Her mask-rimmed eyes bored into him, unblinking.
It wasn't often that someone could withstand the Hawkbat's icy stare for long. But this man did... he held her green eyes until the third party involved broke their line of sight. The Hawkbat stepped back, her movements as fluid as a cat's... or a snake's.
"We haven't got long. You'd better get your things together."
Checking her equipment and her men, the Hawkbat made a slight motion with a black gloved hand. "Reno. Ja'laa. Quinn. Move out."
They were only four amid at least a dozen others. Groups from three other mercenary bands were present. They didn't even seem to register with the Hawkbat as she moved through the unpacking groups. She was one of only two women in the mass of people. The other woman was built stocky like a fighter, a contrast to the Hawkbat's slim, tall figure.
"Our job," the Hawkbat said, speaking into the headset she wore, "is to take out the people as required by the highest bidder."
Despite the fact that the planet was uncomfortably warm, the Hawkbat wore long sleeves and long pants. Everything that she wore or carried - right down to her blasters - was in a matte black finish. Reno knew that she had shiny silver bombs in her pack, but there was no evidence of them. The woman looked like a blonde shadow.
"Also, we're to take out several obstacles in the path of our companions. Each group has a different goal. Ours is simple. Take out all obstacles.
"Quinn. Ja'laa. You're going to watch my back and help with... shall we say..." Her grin was feral. "...hindrances?"
The two laughed softly.
"Reno. You're a hacker." She shrugged in prelude to her next words. "More likely than not, I'm twice as good as you are. However, I've got other responsibilities on this run. Do your job well. Or I'll kill you."
She wasn't joking; that was clear from her narrowed eyes.
"Remember out objectives," the Hawkbat said as they joined up with the main group. "And if things get out of hand..." Her smile was even colder. "Have fun."
"Hawkbat, we need you up front."
At the summons, the black-clothed mercenary moved to the front of the group, making no sound as she brushed past the others. "Yes?"
The man who had called her was the one who had insulted her earlier. "We're getting ready to go in."
She rolled her eyes and looked bored. The masked female knew the reason he'd called her name over the open comm. He wanted everyone in the group to know that he had hired the famous Hawkbat to do his dirty work. Now, if everything went as it usually did, he would order her to do some menial or demeaning task to prove that he was some kind of powerful being.
"Get the door."
There it was. She moved away from him and walked up to the door. "Simple." Instead of reaching for any of the several deadly explosives in her pack, the woman tapped out a sharp cadence on the control pad next to the entrance.
"What are you doing?" the man hissed. "That number is a closely guarded secret. There's no way we could get in without them knowing."
Turning from the door to give him a biting stare the woman replied, "You underestimate me." The door slid open with no alarm. The Hawkbat raised an eyebrow and walked in.
"Hawkbat... get the door..." Ja'laa mimicked. "Doesn't he know that he's dealing with the almighty goddess of death?"
Quinn rolled his eyes. "He'll know. He'll know."
"The two of you get up here and stop making threats," the voice of the Hawkbat came, tinged with steel. "He'll get his. Trust me."
Very softly, the woman and her three companions slunk around the corner. There was no one. The Hawkbat raised her blaster in the air and fired a shot. With calm precision she took off her headset and smashed it against the wall.
Quinn injected a note of panic in his voice as Ja'laa wrapped his hand around Reno's mouth. "We got a problem up here. Big problem, big problem! The Hawkbat's down."
"What happened? Did that... child trip and hit herself?"
It was all Ja'laa could do not to growl his anger out. "Nobody," he hissed instead, "had better talk about the Hawk like that."
She put a finger to her lips and quirked her mouth up in an almost-genuine smile.
"You better come here," Quinn said.
The man indicated he would, and the group moved into one of the adjoining rooms. "Just as I thought," the Hawkbat said. Sitting at their stations were two scientists. With no emotion registering on her face, the blonde shot both of them. She then turned back to the door just as the man walked in.
"Where is that idiot?" he demanded. He blanched slightly as he realized he was staring down the wrong end of her blaster.
"An idiot. A child. Anything else you'd like to call me... to my face?" she purred. "By the way... a friend told me to say hello. You wouldn't happen to know the Mechanic, now would you?" She didn't give him any chance as she pulled the trigger.
He fell, dead at her feet. Reno looked surprised. "Why...?" The Mechanic was a smuggler... and beyond that, she was Black Sidhe.
"She and I have a... working relationship," the girl explained as she rifled through the computer system. "I don't kill her, she doesn't kill me, and sometimes we lend each other a hand. She needed him dead, and I was in a position to achieve that for her." Turning back to her men from the computer, she smirked. "Let's blow this joint."
"Today, an army of mercenaries forced their way into the jungle labs on Endor. They destroyed years of valuable research and killed two important scientists. It also appears that the sparks of an underworld civil have been snuffed out with the death of one of the underworld's top criminal minds. He was apparently killed by the Hawkbat in revenge for an attack on a base of the Mechanic. This strange turn of events..."
Priire yawned and turned off the Holovision. She turned the mask in her hands over, staring at it. After a moment, she slid it into the back of a picture frame bearing a picture of one of her aunts. Then she turned out the lights and went to sleep, peacefully.
