The Quarry

The Quarry - Part 1

She raced through the brush, branches tearing at her face and clothing, but she knew he was close behind. Sunlight flickered through the branches and leaves of the dense forest as she sprinted onward. She could hear him behind her, crashing through the trees. Damn biometric fob she internally cursed as she rounded a bend and came into a clearing. Kriff. Her legs were on fire, but she threw all of her adrenaline into picking up her pace as the tall grass ripped at her pants. A sudden tingling feeling overtook her and she dove forward just as a blaster bolt whizzed over her head. He missed? He never misses. She scrambled forward on all fours, trying to keep her head below the top of the grass. He's getting close. I can feel him.

Reaching the edge of the clearing, she bolted back into the treeline, hoping it would give her cover again. A few hundred meters ahead, she saw a river rushing through the trees. If I can get there, maybe I can throw the fob off. At a minimum, he'll lose my footprints. She stood again, and another blaster bolt slammed into the tree in front of her, missing her head by mere centimeters, the heat of the blast grazing her cheek. Is he missing on purpose? She was off again, but his boots were louder behind her now. Her ankle suddenly slipped underneath her, sliding into a hole and twisting as she yelped more from the surprise than the pain. She could see the glint on his beskar as he entered the treeline. Limping forward, she threw all of her momentum towards the river, rolling down the embankment and splashing into the shallow water. She scrambled to her feet just as the Mandalorian launched over the ridge, slowly approaching her with his blaster drawn.

"You're out of options, Versa. There's nowhere left to run."

"Who said anything about running?" she snarked, raising an eyebrow.

He cocked his helmet at her in curiosity or misunderstanding. Either way, it didn't matter as she gathered her weight and threw herself into the river rapids.

"NO!"

This was a bad idea. She thought as she tucked her body together tightly under the water, trying to avoid the rocks and trees that loomed out around her while staying submerged and hidden from her pursuer. She was surprised when she didn't hear any blaster fire erupting in the water around her. After drifting for what she figured was at least ten meters, Versa pulled her head out of the water, shaking her hair out of her eyes and looking back upriver. He was moving quickly along the riverbank, not quite parallel to her, but too close for comfort.

"VERSA! This is a TERRIBLE idea!"

"Kriff off, Din!" Versa spluttered back, struggling to keep her head above the white water around her. She saw him shake his head in frustration at the use of his given name. It wasn't something he was used to hearing, especially shouted out loud in the open, and she knew it. It was a small jab, but she was more than happy to push his buttons since he was the one trying to collect on her bounty.

"You KNOW there's a waterfall coming up, right?" he called again.

That is definitely new information. She whirled around and could suddenly see it several hundred meters ahead as she rounded a bend in the river. Kriff. Versa began trying to paddle towards the other side, but her twisted ankle throbbed as she kicked. She could see a tree hanging out over the water. That's going to be the last option I've got.

"VERS! COME ON!"

She snarled at the use of her childhood nickname, and her stubbornness and annoyance fueled her as she swam towards the outstretched tree branches. Grabbing one of the gnarled branches, her face broke into a smile that subsequently vanished when the rotten wood gave under her fingers and she slid past it. OH KARKING HELLS. I'M REALLY GOING TO DIE IN FRONT OF HIM? She was pulled towards the waterfall, clawing frantically at the water and trying to pull herself closer to the shore. She wasn't going to make it, and they both knew it.