Chapter Text
Bringing in the Mythrol had been easy – as always. A few degenerates to take care of before I could get my hands on him. Nothing I couldn’t handle. And like most, he had tried to negotiate a deal.
“I can bring you in warm. Or I can bring you in cold.” I had told him. My line I liked to use. It worked most of the time also. They either talked too much or resisted too long, wanting to fight. The Mythrol was the talkative type, but either way, it always ended the same – carbonite.
It kept them all quiet.
“Ah, that was fast. Did you catch them all?” Greef calls as I walked through the local joint frequented by all the bounty hunters in the area. It’s where we go jobs, and where we got paid for them, through Greef Karga. He was a showcase kind of man, a loud and attention seeking kind who liked to rule the roost.
I laid all my tracking fobs on the table in answer.
“Good. I’ll begin the off-load.” He responds, before signalling someone.
I take a seat, unclipping my rifle as Greef puts the payment on the table next to the trackers. Looking at them once sat, I stare back up over to him through the visor of my helmet. It always proved intimidating I found even if it wasn’t a concentrated stare.
“These are Imperial credits.”
“They still spend.”
“I don’t know if you heard, but the Empire is gone.” I poke in my point.
“It’s all I got.” Greef shrugs.
I grab all the fobs, but Greef’s hand crashes onto my own. “Save the theatrics. Fine, I’ll—I can do Calamari Flan—but I can only pay half.” He announces, putting the half payment on the table.
It was less, but it was better than Imperial credits.
“Fine.”
It just meant more bounty’s needed retrieving and collecting.
“What you got for me?”
“Hmm—” He fumbles around. “—I have a bail jumper—a bail jumper—another bail jumper—a wanted smuggler.” He informs, placing the pucks on the table.
“I’ll take them all.”
Greef covers them with his hand. “Now, hold on. There are other members of the Guild, and this is all I have.” He reasons.
“Why so slow?”
“It’s not slow at all, actually. Very busy. They just don’t want to pay Guild rates. They don’t mind if things get sloppy.” Greef explains.
I sigh quietly to myself. “What’s your highest bounty?”
“Not much. Five thousand.”
“That won’t even cover fuel these days.”
“Hmm—there is one job.” Greef informs, leaning into the table a little.
“Let’s see the puck.”
“No puck. Face to face. Direct commission. Deep pocket.”
“Underworld?”
“All I know is no chain code.” He ominously answers, pulling a chit out, now holding it up. “You want the chit or not?”
I don’t think for long. I didn’t need to; whatever it was I knew I was more than capable, and if things went sour, I’d get myself out of there. Underworld jobs were doable, you just had to watch your back more.
The commission led to a meeting spot down a quiet alley in the city, secluded and somewhat hidden. No one was around, not much traffic around, no doubt intentional.
The identifier at the door appeared from the wall after a knock, reading the chit and disappearing back into the wall. When the door opened, a droid led me through the dark hall. It was quiet. Too quiet.
As the next door slid open, I was met with the realisation this was more than just some underworld job. I was now looking at a few beaten down uniformed stormtroopers. Four of them. Two before me as I stepped into the room, and two more at the back, all armed.
I didn’t like this.
“Greef Karga said you were coming.” The man, breathing Imperial righteousness, speaks.
I walk forward to his table as the troopers step out my way. “What else did he say?”
“He said you were the best in the parsec.” The man relays just before a door to the room opens at the side abruptly, tense from the moment I saw the troopers, at the sudden movement I pull my rifle from my back and grab my blaster, pointing the rifle at the troopers and the blaster to the man now putting his hands up in the doorway. “No!”
“Freeze!”
“Drop your weapons!”
“No, no. Pardon. Uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to alarm.” He stutters, his hands still up and I now notice he is holding a fob.
The Imperial man stands from his table, coming around before me. “This is Doctor Pershing. Please excuse his lack of decorum. His enthusiasm outweighs his discretion. Please lower your blaster.”
“Have them lower theirs first.” I retort.
“We have you four to one.” A trooper spits.
“I like those odds.” I toy back.
The man takes a step closer. “He also said you were expensive. Very expensive. –Please sit.” The man encourages, going back around the table, waving the troopers at ease. I finally rested my weapons in response and took a seat.
Watching the man, seeing his cold yet intrigued stares, he unwrapped something placed on the table.
“Beskar?” I recognise in surprise.
“Go ahead. It’s real.”
I don’t hesitate to look it over, feeling the bar beneath my gloved hand.
“This is only a down payment. I have a camtono of Beskar waiting for you upon delivery of the assets.” He announces, casually mentioning there was more than one asset to be delivered. No doubt the reason for the high reward.
“Alive.” The doctor quickly adds, standing beside the table. He seemed anxious to make that point clear.
“Yes. Alive. –Although, I acknowledge that bounty hunting is a complicated profession. This being the case, proof of termination is also acceptable for a lower fee.” The man declares, the more recognisable Imperial traits now showing. Goals achieved no matter how or the collateral.
“That is not what we agreed upon.” The doctor protests.
“I’m simply being pragmatic.” The man dismisses.
“Let’s see the puck.” I urge. The Beskar belonged to the Mandalorian’s, and so it made me want to take the job all the more. I needed credits to get by, but I wanted the Beskar back to those with who it belonged.
“I’m afraid discretion dictates a less traditional agreement. We can only offer you a tracking fob for one of the two assets.” He informs as the doctor hands it over.
“What about the other?” I question. It was less than ideal.
“Where one goes, the other follows.” He vaguely assures.
“What’s the chain code?”
“We can only provide the last four digits.”
“Their age? That’s all you can give me?” I frown.
“Yes. They’re 50 years old. Accompanied by their protector of 30. –We can also give you last reported positional data. Between that and the fob, a man of your skill should make short work of this.” he pushes.
I didn’t want to push back. It was a job. I just had to treat it like any other, and I got what I wanted. So, I stood from the table with the fob and down payment, pocketing them both and began to leave.
“The Beskar belongs back into the hands of a Mandalorian. It is good to restore the natural order of things, after a period of such disarray—don’t you agree?” the man pointedly questions as I reach the door, but I don’t bite, I leave without another word, headed now for the covert.
Down below this settlement on Nevarro, our covert hid. Here I would return the Beskar to the hands that crafted and adorned it.
I sat before the Armorer, she who now led the tribe, waiting patiently for her to join me.
With a nod between us, I share my payments, placing the Calamari Flan and the bar of Beskar between us on the table.
She picks it up, feeling it beneath her own gloved hand. “This was gathered in the Great Purge. It is good it is back with the Tribe.” She comments.
“Yes.”
“A pauldron would be in order. Has your signet been revealed?” she questions in thought.
“Not yet.”
“Soon.”
Watching her craft was an artistry, and as the Armorer, you rarely ever saw her without her tools, which she often used as weapons. It was an honour to have new armour crafted, no matter how big or small.
“This is extremely generous. The excess will sponsor many Foundlings.” She informs.
“That’s good. I was once a Foundling.”
“I know.”
-
Arvala-7 was a barren, desert planet. Covered with rocky mountains, cracked hardened mud surfaces, canyons, viscous mud flats and who knew what else, it seemed unhabitable, a surprise anyone would take residency here. And so, not a surprise the fob led me here, a perfect place to hide from hunters.
Landing the Razor Crest, I had my rifle in hand as I walked out onto the planet, holding the fob up to get a direction. With one found, I peer through the scope to get a look at what terrain I would be facing, and any other obstacles I could spot.
For now, I could only spot local creatures, harmlessly walking around, until one of those beasts suddenly appears over the rocks in front in my scope, roaring right in front of me. I ignite the flames from my vambrace in response, but before I can point it, the beast has my arm in its jaw, throwing me around. My rifle thrown from my grasp also, my only immediate defence was punching it eye, shaking it’s grip of me, but it only goes for my other arm, starting to run with me.
When it suddenly falls to the ground, I notice it’s been stunned, shot with an electro tranquiliser, yet it’s roars continue. Looking up from the ground, another is charging for me, but that too is stunned, falling before me.
I manage to pull my arm free of the beast’s jaw and looking back I’m met by a curious alien riding one of the beasts.
“Thank you.”
“You are a bounty hunter.” He deduces.
“Yes.” I answer bluntly as I look over my arm, seeing my now old armoured vambrace had been damaged. My armour now cowered in comparison to my new slick pauldron.
“I will help you. –I have spoken.” The alien simply states, before kicking the beast into motion in a new direction. He was curious, but he seemed harmless, so I followed him.
He led me to his moisture farm he lived and worked upon. He was alone, but he didn’t seem to mind.
“Many have passed through. They seek the same as you.” He informs as he makes refreshment.
“Did you help them?” I ask as I sat in his home.
“Yes. –They died.”
“Well, then I don’t know if I want your help.” I remark.
“You do. I can show you to the encampment.”
“What’s your cut?” I question.
“Half.”
“Half the bounty to guide? Seems steep.” I reason.
“No. Half of the blurrg you helped capture.” He clarifies.
“The blurrg? You can keep them both.” I dismiss.
“No. You will need one. To ride. The way is impossible to pass without a blurrg mount.” He states.
“I don’t know how to ride blurrg.”
“I have spoken.” He asserts.
I figured it couldn’t have been too hard, but I soon found I was wrong. I had to break the beast in and it was proving difficult. It was starting to frustrate to the point of going on without them; I was wasting time.
“Perhaps if you removed your helmet.” Kuiil, the alien’s name he came to tell me, suggests from the side of the pen after I had been thrown from the blurrg once again.
“Perhaps he remembers I tried to roast him.” I poke back from the ground.
“This is a female. The males are all eaten during mating.” Kuiil corrects. I stand with a huff, willing to try once more.
Unsurprisingly, despite being on the blurrg this time for the longest, I am flung forward from the beast, landing with a hard thud against my back.
“I don’t have time for this.” I scorn, marching to the side of the pen. “Do you have a landspeeder or speeder bike that I could hire?” I question in annoyance.
“You are a Mandalorian! –Your ancestors rode the great Mythosaur. Surely you can ride this young foal.” Kuill insists, restoring my determination. I looked back to the blurrg and cautiously walked back towards it.
“Alright. Easy, easy. –Alright, settle down. –Woah. Settle. Settle.” I ease, hands up in front of it. it had snapped a couple times, but it seemed to calm. It was working.
“That’s good. That’s good. easy. Okay. –Alright.”
It accepted my touch and with care, I jumped back onto it and after a few kicks, it finally moved.
Kuiil seemed to approve after I had rode around the pen, and without delay he had encouraged me to follow. He wasn’t one for wasting time, I came to realise. He was a simple being—I liked him.
He had also been right about the terrain being suitable for the blurrg and not us. If I had gone without it, it would have taken me much longer and proved rather difficult.
At a much more likeable pace, we reached an overlook of an encampment in not too long of a time.
“That is where you’ll find your quarry.” He points.
I hold out some credits for him, but he holds up his hand, shaking his head. “Please. You deserve this.” I urge.
“Since these ones arrived, this territory has been an endless stream of their criminal trade, but also mercenaries seeking reward and bringing destruction.” Kuiil states.
“Then why did you guide me?” I query.
“They do not belong here. Neither do those who hold the encampment. Those that live here come to seek peace, like the one’s before them. They came with your quarry. They were killed. –There will be no peace until they’re all gone.” Kuiil declares.
“Then why do you help me if I’m part of the problem?”
“I have never met a Mandalorian. I’ve only read the stories. If they are true, you will make quick work of it. Then there will again be peace.” He answers, before turning his blurrg to leave. “I have spoken.” He adds.
Off the blurrg, Kuill gone, I laid down over at the overlooks edge, looking through my scope. There were numerous Nikto mercenaries dotted around the camp outside the building. They were un-presuming and off guard by the looks of things the more I peered around. Until, I notice one near the front of the camp, stand to attention, engaging the other he was sat with at looking at something clearly approaching them. I search for what they looked at, to find a hateful complication.
“Oh, no.” I mumble. It was a bounty droid, an IG unit.
“Subparagraph 16 of the Bondsman Guild protocol waiver compels you to immediately produce said assets.” The droid declares in approach, only to soon after begin shooting at the mercenaries. One of them must have merely flinched for their blaster. Spinning in it’s droid fashion on the spot, it takes out the several mercenaries dotted around, causing all doors to lockdown.
I huff, getting up. “Droids.”
I hated them.
The droid continued to stand in the encampment surrounded by the building, repeating it’s order aloud obnoxiously as I made my way down.
“IG unit! Stand down.” I instruct under the cover of the building from the side, causing it to immediately shoot, sending me back against the wall from the blast against my Beskar.
“I’m in the Guild!” I scorn, holding up my fob.
“You are a Guild member? I thought I was the only one on assignment.” I comments.
“That makes two of us.” I remark, coming back to stand behind the pillar. “So much for the element of surprise.”
“Sadly, I must ask for your fob. I have already issued the writ of seizure. The bounty is mine.” The unit states.
“Unless I’m mistaken, you are, as of yet, empty-handed.” I point out.
“This is true.”
“I have a suggestion.”
“Proceed.”
“We split the reward.” I offer.
“This is acceptable.”
“Great. Now, let’s regroup, out of harm’s way, and form a plan.” I encourage in annoyance, urging him out of direct line of fire.
“I will of course receive the reputation merits associated with the mission.” It affirms in approach.
“Can we talk about this later?” I dismiss, causing it to stop.
“I require an answer if I am to proceed—” it begins, before suddenly being shot up from high ground. “Oh, no. Alert. Alert. Alert.”
I take out the shooter on the roof when more shooters appear from within the building and above. There were many.
“Let’s go!” I hurry, before we make our way closer to the doors, shooting our way along, taking cover where we could.
Behind cover, I take out the fob, pointing it around, until the signal points to a door ahead. “They’re in there!” I announce over the continuous sound of fire.
“Affirmative.”
We both head for the door, I use a pillar outside for cover as the droid slowly makes it way to another, shooting several on it’s way. I had to give it it’s dos, it was taking out double the amount I was.
“Up top!” I warn after shooting another, seeing a mercenary shoot down from above. The droid takes it out before coming behind the pillar with ease.
As many as we had taken out, there was still many more. And more appeared from inside. We were cornered and outnumbered.
“It appears we are trapped.” The droid obviously and annoyingly points out. “I will initiate self-destruct sequencing.” It casually announces.
“Woah, you’re what?”
“Manufacturers protocol dictates I cannot be captured. I must self-destruct.” It explains.
“Do not self-destruct. –Cover me!”
I step out from the pillar, heading for the control panel to the door. It had been the only one closed before and so would no doubt need cracking to get inside to the bounty. The unit covered me with fire as I began to rework the wires to get it open, but the continuous fire rained on us. We were outgunned and their fire began to shoot the panel and the wiring. Dank farrik.
“Go! Go! Go! There’s too many!” I retreat with the droid behind it’s pillar. “They got us pinned.”
Their fire ceased for a moment. “I will initiate self-destruct.”
“Do not self-destruct! We’re shooting our way out.” I burst. We both step out from either side of the pillar in the break of fire, only to find a blaster machine gun had been wheeled out in the break, pointed directly at us.
“Okay.” I breathe before we both step back behind the pillar with haste as the gun blasts hit the pillar and everything around us with brute force.
“New plan!”
“Beginning self-destruct countdown.”
“No! Stop it! –Draw their fire, I’ll take it out.” I order.
“Acceptable.”
“Go!”
The droid rushes out to the side, drawing the fire. With the gun turned, I step out and shoot my grappling line to the handle of the gun, pulling it out of the handler’s grasp. Shooting him with my blaster, I run for the freed gun, jumping onto it. Under my now firm grasp, I spin it, shooting it along and around the building, aiming for the mercenaries above and below, and with little defence against it, they all fall one by one.
Looking around the now silent encampment, bodies littered it. Many bodies. Such a barren place, even with this criminal trade camp, didn’t need so much firepower. It must have been due to all the mercenaries Kuiil mentioned coming for the assets. I started to wonder again what exactly they were concealing, what exactly warranted such fire power.
“Well done.” The IG praises ahead slumped against the wall. “I will disengage self-destruct initiative.”
I walk over, offering it my hand. “You know, you’re not so bad.”
It takes it, coming back to a stand. “For a droid.” I add. I was still sceptical.
“Agreed.”
“That blaster hit looks nasty. You okay?” I query.
“Running a quick diagnostic.”
“It has missed my central wiring harness.”
“Is that good?”
“Yes.”
“Well, now we just need to get the door open.” I think aloud, and in doing so, the answer arrives subsequently. I turn to look back at the blaster gun, the IG clearly looking too from the mechanical whirring of its movement.
With a heated rain of fire from the gun around the edge of the locked down door, it eventually gave way from the heavy attack, falling in to the ground with a monumental crash. We stepped into the doorway to find inside stacked with goods, but no one inside. It was quiet, until a couple mercenaries appear from around a corner sending a few shots our way. With one easy shot from both of us however, we put them down.
“Anyone else?” I call before we step inside.
“The tracking fob is still active. My sensors indicate that there are two life forms present.” The IG states as I un-pocket the fob.
The signal was beeping faster, we were near for sure, but no one was in sight. As I walked around, the signal increased further, faster and higher, leading me to a corner of the room. What it tracked was a covered floating orb, one battered and old, one that parents would use for their younglings. But it surely couldn’t be that.
I brushed the netted covering off as I withdrew the fob back to my belt. I looked up as the IG approached, before looking back and pressing the button to open it. I step back as it opens, next to the droid, and what it reveals is something I couldn’t quite make out. It was wrapped up; all I could see were two little green ears. It was a life form of some kind, but the sheer size of it meant it had to be baby. It couldn’t have been alive for long at all.
“Wait. They said 50 years old.” I remember.
“Species age differently. Perhaps it could live many centuries.” The IG points out as the child coos and pulls back its covering, looking innocently and curiously at us. “Sadly, we’ll never know.” It adds, raising it’s blaster, but I hold my hand over it to stop it. “No. We’ll bring it in alive. Besides, we still need to find the second asset.” I protest.
“The commission was quite specific. The assets were to be terminated.” The IG informs raising its gun again to the child, who suddenly whines a little.
Stood next to the droid, I lifted my own blaster up to my shoulder, aimed at the droids head, but a flash of red shines around, a shot fired. For a split second I thought it had shot the child, but the IG unit fell to the ground as my own blaster is suddenly and forcibly knocked from my hand before I could make sense in the seconds past what had just occurred. When I looked where the force had come from, I aim my vambrace with the flamethrower, but the person kicks my arm away. They engage so fast, I only get a glimpse of them by this point, but it appeared to be a woman. After their kick, they spin speedily to kick again, this time straight to the chest, pushing me back several steps before striking me across the helmet with their weapon. The force sends me against the wall, and I finally manage to get a good look at the attacker. It was a woman, and no doubt the second asset mentioned, armed with a strong staff, and she didn’t look too pleased to see me, nor in any mood to negotiate. She was a fighter.
She rushes forward after I hit the wall and swings to punch, but I dodge it, moving to the side, making her punch the wall. She grunts in pain, shaking her fist before she grunts again from the punch I hit into her side. I grab her throat standing myself straight, pushing her back, but she slams her arm down over mine, breaking my grip and holds my shoulders as she knees my gut, hunching me a little, giving her the hold to push me back from her, further away from the child. She meets me as I turn back to face her, she tries to kick me again in a spin, but I lean out of reach and quickly lean back sending a punch to the side of her face making her groan. I uppercut her as she tries to come back, groaning again, but then she blocks my next punch with her arm and sends some of her own blows my way. I use her move against her, blocking any more and punch hard into her stomach. She groans more guttural this time hunched a little. I hurt her good that time as for a second she stops, taking a large breath through the pain.
Yet, she manages to get a firm grip under my helmet, grasping my throat, straightening up before sending her own mighty blow. She swings her arm and hits fiercely against my helmet, sending me straight down with force. My body rolls hitting the ground, headfirst and feet last, curling in the impact. The woman had some might and strength. This was already one of the better fights I had endured in a while. Usually it was easy, she was proving herself otherwise. I groaned on the ground as I could hear her breathing hard above. We were tiring each other out, but I had to come out on top. I rolled onto my back as I finally ignited my flames and pointed them at her, but she again manages to catch my arm with her leg, pushing it down with her weight, keeping it firm against the ground. It goes out as she bends down over me, her knee over my chest, holding my throat again. With my free arm I reach out for hers and start to push at her head, distracting the thought from her foot allowing my other hand to weasel out and grab her leg. I pull and push her to the side, holding onto her so I roll over now on top of her. We had a grip on each other’s arm now and with my other I pull back a punch, but she catches it as she pulls her legs under me, and pushes off her. Flipping me completely over, I land on my back hard, but I hadn’t let go of her hand where she caught me. However, before I could do a thing, she rolls herself back, her legs over her head and landing on me. Her legs wrap around me, tightly straddling my lower back as she uses my hand we were latched together by to pull me up, bending me painfully. She grabs and pulls my other arm back to hold with the other. I groan in response as she moves her legs over my arms, still tightly wrapped around me, to suddenly pull a knife to my throat.
Holding me in that painful position, I notice the blade was vibrating. She’d taken my vibroblade from my armoured boot in the struggle and I hadn’t even noticed. She had me. I felt like I couldn’t move. A fighter indeed. Not many had bested me. I had to give her that.
“Guess you found me, huh, metalhead.” She spits.
“You’ll be—in cuffs—soon enough.” I strain, groaning from the wildly uncomfortable position. I would break free from her unrelenting hold somehow.
She scoffs. “You won’t get the chance.”
The blade was so close to my throat, she drew it closer beneath my helmet when a noise, a coo, suddenly distracted us both. Just in front, the small green thing had somehow gotten itself out from its pram and was now stood in his little robe looking curiously at us both. This seemed to stop the woman. The child looked past me and was staring up at her. It said and did nothing, only stared. For a moment, there was silence as I watched it stand there, and not a word or move came from the woman above me.
I squirmed beneath her a little, only to find her tight hold was still there as she squeezed a little more. Then, I swore I heard a small sigh escape her, only to be suddenly followed by the relinquish of her hold. Her legs loosened around me, and she let my arms and front flop forward. In doing so, I quickly roll myself over, rolling her with me. Keeping her on her back, I now straddled her and with haste, I grasped her hands together as I swiped the cuffs from my belt and latched them around her wrists.
Now I could analyse her properly, she was a presented so plainly, dressed and wrapped all in grey, her hair pulled back into a bun of some kind, yet her features dominated. Her skin looked soft and smooth, untouched, her eyes were wide and crystal blue and her lips were full and flush with colour. By any means, she was beautiful. But as much as her eyes were wide and intriguing, they had a mix of sadness, maybe, but most definitely with anger or at least annoyance. She stared up at me defeated, which was odd, she had clearly given in and let me take her.
It didn’t matter now; I had her in my custody. The job was near over from this point.
She moves her head to seemingly try to get a look at the child behind her.
“Told you I’d get you in cuffs.” I mock.
She looks back up to me.
“You hurt him—I’ll break out of these and do worse onto you.” she warns sternly.
“That a threat?”
“A promise.”