Chapter Text
Indigo tapped her fingers against her thigh, impatient and annoyed. The crowd in the cantina rambled loudly. The noise filled the room, but it was all background noise for her. Her dark blue eyes were narrowed as she sipped the clear liquid that burned on the way down. Her blonde hair drifted in front of her view for a moment, but she didn’t bother moving to brush it from her face. No, her eyes were too focused on the man in robes across the room.
Greef Karga held the bounty pucks in front of him before dropping them onto the table and offering them to the bounty hunter sitting across from him. Indigo watched curiously. She hadn’t noticed this one before, but she knew she would’ve remembered him had she seen him before. Mandalorians had always intrigued her.
The silver helmet didn’t match his reddish-brown armor plating. Not the one she’d been searching for, but still a Mandalorian all the same. Indigo watched curiously as she lowered her glass from her lips. Her fingers traced the cold hilt of her knife before returning to tapping against her thigh. She wanted to know what puck he was going to pick.
All three, apparently. Indigo swallowed the surprise as she watched him. It seemed as though Karga was surprised, too. But he allowed it. Indigo traced the rim of her glass with a finger as she watched the exchange. She’d definitely spent too much time off planet. This was no new bounty hunter. She hummed curiously as the Mandalorian stood up and left the cantina. He didn’t stop to look at anyone, gone without a sound.
Indigo hummed once to herself before standing and approaching Karga herself. His eyes found her immediately, lighting up in amusement as soon as he recognized the blonde hair that framed her face. Indigo smiled wickedly and tilted her head.
“You’re going to request the same pucks, aren’t you?” Karga asked, though the way he dug into his robes made it seem like it was just a plain sentence. Indigo smiled sweetly, sickly sweet enough to drip syrup, as she held her hand out. Karga dropped the three pucks into her expectant hand and winked.
“You have your hands full, Mavon. That man’s a quick one.”
“You doubt me?” Indigo mused playfully. She watched Karga’s smile flicker in uncertainty, almost afraid of her contempt. Indigo just smiled as she played with the pucks in her hand. “Maybe I’m not looking to bring them in. I just want to have a little chase.”
Indigo winked once before turning and disappearing. Karga let out a slow breath of relief. The only thing that remained of Indigo Mavon was the scent of silver and flames, dangerous and tempting.
Indigo hummed to herself as she tossed a puck up and down in a way to amuse herself. The bounty had led her to this boring planet. Florrum, Indigo recalled. She wondered if the pirate was still here. She smiled to herself as she remembered the debt the pirate owed.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a ship flying overhead. Her dark blue eyes caught the silver ship as it soared past. Pure silver, Indigo thought to herself. Her hand instinctively reached for the silver knife on her belt. That had to be his ship.
Indigo hummed to herself as she pushed off the speeder she leaned against, throwing a leg over it and starting up the engine. She knew exactly where to find the bounty; she just wanted to make it a fair race.
She pulled up to the small hideaway, no footsteps leading up to where she knew the entrance was. Indigo tucked the bounty puck into her pocket and pulled out a blaster. She scowled as she looked down at it. So primitive, she thought to herself in disappointment. But it was efficient. And so she aimed the blaster at the sandy ground as she approached the hidden entryway.
Her blue eyes were quick, roaming over everything in sight. Nothing was too small to miss. Her heart was slow as she walked, calm and focused. Her footsteps were soft. Barely a trace or a footstep trailed behind her. Indigo took in a slow breath as she listened. It was quiet, but that gave her a weird twist in her stomach.
She’d been on this planet for almost a day or two now. It was never this quiet when the sun was this high. Her lips curled into a scowl as she pulled her right hand from her blaster and pressed it to the rock wall. It was cold, but there was a hint of warmth as she shifted it forward.
Her blaster was faster than him. The sand burned in front of his feet, a blaster shot sinking into the ground in warning. The bounty froze in place as he looked down at the shot that had just barely missed his foot. And then his black eyes met dark blue. Indigo just smiled.
“If you’re wondering, I don’t miss.” Her smile fell away, cold and heartless. “Ever.” She tossed him a pair of cuffs and gestured with her blaster once. Her eyes were ice, the dark blue almost turning into the color of the sky. Indigo could see him swallow nervously. He was hesitating.
“Do you wanna test it?” Indigo snarled, her voice low and dangerous. Her lip curled in a wicked kind of amusement as she stared at him. He was quick to shake his head and slip the cuffs around his wrists. They sparked a bright red, and more metal shot out from the sides of the bands. Metal wrapped itself around his forearms and up his biceps. They attached to his torso before fastening tight and locking him in. Indigo smiled in satisfaction as she stepped to the side and allowed him to pass her.
Her collected bounty was fully chained, handcuffs keeping his hands clasped in front of him and restraints locking his arms to his sides. He was vulnerable now. The only thing he could do was run. And he did try.
Indigo rolled her eyes as she watched him fall to his knees and then land on his side with a heavy thud. She let out a sharp sigh and stuffed her blaster into the holster on her thigh. She walked up to him and lifted him to his feet without a sound. His eyes were wide in pain, his face frozen in that same expression Indigo was sure he made when the security system activated.
The restraints he wore still sizzled as Indigo pulled him up, the soft hiss hitting her ears in the silence of the desert. Indigo could smell the electricity on his clothes. She just smiled tauntingly and shoved him forward. He stumbled as he caught his balance. Indigo was almost disappointed he didn’t trip and fall again.
“Nice try, handsome,” Indigo called. “Any other ideas?”
Indigo watched as he began to shake in fear. Her lips curled in a wicked smile before she whistled. He froze in place and looked over his shoulder. Indigo smiled at his obedience. And then she turned to see a familiar suit of armor approaching her. Her eyes glimmered wickedly as he took in the scene before him.
“That-”
“Hello,” Indigo interrupted, her lips curled in excitement and adrenaline. “You’re new, aren’t you? I’m Mavon.” She tilted her head as she allowed herself to visibly check out the bounty hunter that stood in front of her. She felt her tongue run over her lips as she watched him shift anxiously. His hand twitched. Indigo just smiled wider.
“Karga didn’t warn you, huh?” Indigo asked, her voice amused and soft. She bit her tongue as she stared at him. The silver helmet tilted slightly, enough for her to notice and realize it was him questioning her. She just smiled wider if that was even possible. Her cheeks felt like they’d split.
“He gives me the extra pucks. I pay him a little of the commission if I get them first. Looks like you’re not as fast as he warned me.” Indigo tilted her head in challenge, her eyes gleaming with attitude. She could see the Mandalorian shift his weight between his feet. It was almost unnoticeable, but Indigo knew how hunters worked.
“I-”
“Had two others,” Indigo finished for him, her voice high and mocking. Her smile dropped just barely, changing into a teasing pout. She pulled out the two other pucks and tossed them in the air, catching them easily. “Oh, I know. I watched you capture that first one. You’re good, I’ll give you that. But you haven’t even started on the last one.”
His hand twitched again. Indigo could see it out of the corner of her eye. Her vicious smile returned. She pocketed the pucks again and winked.
“See you on Onderon, pretty boy.”
Indigo wondered how long it’d take the Mandalorian to realize she’d told the truth. She tossed the last puck in the air and caught it, over and over and over and over. Her bounty sat in the corner of her ship. He had passed out from exhaustion a long time ago. Indigo watched him in amusement as he did so. He’d sat stick straight for so long with his eyes wide open until he’d finally slumped over and fallen asleep. Indigo smiled to herself as she stood up and pocketed her last puck. Her bounty wasn’t going anywhere. The gas in the air of her ship would make sure of that as soon as she closed the ramp behind her.
And so her trek through Onderon began. She didn’t have to go far. She knew exactly where she needed to be, exactly where the hunter would show up. If she timed it right, he’d be able to watch her get exactly what she wanted. And she knew she had timed it perfectly.
So when she caught the last bounty, the sound of his footsteps echoed just as the girl fell to her knees. Indigo hummed to herself and blew a strand of blonde hair from her eyes. The collar she’d thrown at the girl had locked itself around her neck and locked in place. Tendrils of wire and metal slithered from the collar and twisted under her arms. Indigo watched in satisfaction as the restraints locked the girl in place and buzzed with energy.
“Late again?” Indigo mused before turning around to see the Mandalorian. She could see the tensed shoulders, the clenched fists. She wondered what he looked like under there, if his face was just as pissed as his body language. But she just smiled so easily, so relaxed. And she could tell that pissed him off even more. So she hummed once and looked at the girl who matched the face on her puck. She scowled and looked pointedly at the space beside her. The girl was quick to scramble to her feet and stand next to Indigo.
“Shame, pretty boy,” Indigo teased with a fake sad smile plastered over her lips. “I was hoping for some competition in the Guild. It’s no fun anymore.” Indigo hummed once and smiled sweetly, enough to cover a knife in the poison she was dripping with. She latched a hand around the girl’s upper arm and tugged her forward. Her free hand pressed to the Mandalorian’s shoulder as she passed him.
“Maybe another time.” Indigo gave him a quick wink before leaving him with nothing but the scent of silver and flames.
Indigo hummed to herself as though she was cleaning her ship instead of walking two bounties down the ramp and into the Bounty Guild’s territory. Her blaster was pressed to the man’s spine, careful not to put too much weight behind it. The girl walked in silence. Her head hung low, and her dark hair covered her face like a curtain. Indigo could tell shame when she saw it. And this girl was dripping in it, shame for getting caught.
Indigo just continued humming as she led them into the cantina and towards the handlers. They took the bounties without question. Indigo smiled innocently as they stared her down and turned away. Indigo whistled once, and the guards hesitated to walk away. Indigo just smiled again and pressed a finger to the back of the collar on the girl’s neck and another finger to the metal that kept the man’s shoulders from arching back. The metal restraints disappeared in the blink of an eye and fell into Indigo’s waiting hands.
“All yours,” she said softly, her voice melodic as though she was trading a song for flowers. No, she was here to get her money. She turned on her heel. Her dark blue eyes were emotionless as they snapped to where Karga was sitting. He just shook his head and smiled.
“My best,” he laughed. “But do you have to humiliate all of my hunters? It makes for short supply.”
Indigo hummed as she slipped into the seat in front of Karga and stared him down. He let out a low breath as he pushed the bag of credits across the table. Indigo smiled softly and opened the bag. The full amount sat in the bag. Her smile widened as she looked back up at Karga. She slipped a hand into the bag and dragged out a handful of credits. She placed them in a neat stack on the table, counting them until it was forty high. About twenty percent of her earnings.
“Does this make up for it?” Indigo mused playfully, gently pushing the stack forward so it didn’t tip over. Karga just smiled, silent. Indigo smiled victoriously. She closed up the bag and pocketed it. She moved to stand, but Karga hadn’t moved a muscle. So neither did Indigo.
“What?” Indigo snapped, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
“The two of you are going to run me dry,” Karga sighed, running one hand down his face. Indigo just felt her shoulders drop as she smiled and finally stood up. Her eyes ran over Karga one more time. He didn’t move again, this time more nervous to be examined by her.
“I like a challenge,” Indigo answered happily, her eyes moving to scan the crowd before returning to Karga. “You’ll be disappointed when I’m bored with the things you have, with the jobs you provide.” Indigo tilted her head sideways before giving a polite nod and leaving Karga behind her.
Indigo was patient as she waited. She twirled the silver knife in her fingers, watching as it caught the light and reflected it onto the sand beneath her feet. Her dark blue eyes were quick to catch the sudden movement beside her. A silver helmet moved into the open area. Indigo smiled widely as he left the cantina with a significantly smaller pouch than she had.
“You seem tense,” Indigo teased, falling in step with him. He didn’t jump, didn’t tense. Indigo watched with interest as he didn’t even bother to look at her. Though she couldn’t be sure about the helmet. There was no way of telling if the visor had her in view as they walked side by side.
“I’m busy.”
“Right,” Indigo said seriously. She wiped the smile from her lips and let a pout take over. Her dark eyes gleamed with energy, bright and thoroughly enthused by this interaction. The pout was gone in an instant, Indigo unable to hold her amusement back.
“I like you,” Indigo admitted easily. She could see him falter for a split second before catching his footing and continuing as though she hadn’t said a word. He was quick, she mused to herself. Well-trained, disciplined, focused. Indigo tilted her head as he turned a corner. This was not his route. She could tell by how slow he’d begun to walk, though it was almost unnoticeable. Indigo smiled as she let her gaze move back to wherever they were walking now.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then, pretty boy,” Indigo said easily, rolling her shoulders back. She looked out of the corner of her eye to see his helmet tilted ever so slightly. So that’s where the visor ended, Indigo thought to herself.
“Hope not,” was all he said in return. Indigo hummed to herself and shrugged as she turned on her heel and began to walk backward.
“We’ll see how fast you can be.”