Mandalorians Anonymous and Sunset Shimmer make new friends, and help uncover a looming conspiracy in the galaxy.
About a week after their trip to Alderaan, Anon and Sunset receive a dangerous contract from the Republic worth a lot of money. In order to track him down, they need to make new friends, and break some rules. In the process, they uncover a secret plan that could place the entire galaxy at risk.
Your ship comes out of lightspeed over the brilliant blue world of Cato Neimoidia. Rarity said that she needed you and Sunset here for something. Luckily, you had just finished your vacation and were looking to get back to work, so this worked out perfectly.
It takes only a few minutes before you enter the atmosphere over the capital city and you make the preparations to land on one of Rarity's personal landing pads. When you finally reach the platform and begin to land, you see Rarity come outside of her building to meet you.
Something must be up. She doesn't look as happy as she usually does when she sees you. You land and power down the engines before exiting the cockpit and heading down the exit ramp with Sunset.
Once you're outside, Rarity brightens up a little and walks toward you. "Anonymous and Sunset! It's wonderful to see you again! How was the vacation?"
"It was fun." You reply. "Alderaan's beautiful this time of year."
"Oh, I'm glad." She says with a smile. "You'll have to tell me everything about it another time though. I suppose you're wondering why I called you here."
"Whatever it is, we're here for you." You say to her.
"Walk with me then, please." She turns around and heads back toward the building while you and Sunset follow. Once you enter the building, she leads you downstairs and begins talking. "Do either of you recognize the name Suri Polomare?"
You and Sunset look at each other and shake your heads. "Doesn't ring any bells." She replies.
"Well, in a single phrase, she's a competitor of mine in the fashion business." Rarity replies.
"If she's trying to compete with you, she's only in for disappointment." You say.
She smiles at that. "Oh Anon, you flatterer."
Sunset is probably rolling her eyes beneath her helmet right now.
Rarity leads you outside onto another landing platform where her private shuttle is waiting for you. "You are also quite correct, however. I called you both here today because, at a local fashion exhibition I recently attended, Miss Polomare unveiled a new line of outfits that simply wowed everyone in attendance."
Where is she going with this? It's not like her if she's asking you to kill, or steal designs from this Suri Polomare just so she stays on top.
"Do you feel threatened by her or something?" You guess.
She gasps and turns around to look at you, shocked. "Of course not, Anonymous! Why would you ever think such a thing?! I'm the best! I know it, you know it, and, more importantly, Suri knows it! Which is why I need your help. She stole my designs and presented them as her own. I want them back."
You and Sunset both vocally acknowledge your understanding at her request. Now it makes sense. She's a victim of theft.
"So you want us to get them back for you?" Sunset asks.
"Not exactly, darling." Rarity says. "Suri is here for business on the other side of the city. I'll confront her at her ship myself, but I need you two there with me to give her an extra scare into surrendering my designs."
"...and just in case things take a bad turn and she tries to leave, right?" You ask.
She giggles softly and turns around to board the shuttle. "Keep in mind that I practically own this planet, Anonymous. She is not leaving here until I get those designs. I can guarantee that."
You laugh a little bit as you and Sunset follow her on board. She doesn't usually get this fiery about something, but when she does, it's almost scary. The fashion business is her battlefield, and she's damn good at what she does.
You all sit down on the white leather seat that wraps around in a half circle shape inside the shuttle. Everything in here is pristine and posh from top to bottom. A large, fancy 'R' has been imprinted in the carpet at your feet, the tinted windows practically sparkle with cleanliness, and elegant music softly plays over the speakers above. If looks were everything, this would make it very hard to believe that Rarity also deals with some of the most dangerous and rugged types of people in the galaxy on a regular basis.
She signals the pilot to take off and you're on your way to the other side of the city.
"You're positive that Suri stole your designs?" You ask. "What if it was just a coincidence?"
She raises an eyebrow at you and folds her arms. "My designs are works of art. They come to me via inspiration and creativity. The designs that she presented at the exhibition are carbon-copies of my own. I even checked my archives after my suspicions and found traces of foul play. I have no doubt in my mind that she stole them. It's far too convenient to be a coincidence."
You're a little curious how she got a hold of the designs. You'll ask about that later though.
"Alright, so how are we doing this then?" You ask.
"Here's what's going to happen." She begins. "Waiting for me right now is a security detail of six Neimoidian officers. They are already at Suri's landing pad. There is a control tower right next to it. Once we get there, I'm going to need you and Sunset to fly up to the roof of that tower and wait for my signal." She pulls out a small listening device and shows it to you before pinning it to her collar. "I'm going to have my security slowly move around me, surrounding Suri. You both will then fly down and land on either side of me. I should be able to handle the rest at that point."
You and Sunset both nod in understanding. "Are we expecting any resistance from her?" She asks.
Rarity shakes her head. "She'll no doubt have a small security force of her own, but Suri is not stupid. At least, I don't think she is. I'm not expecting her to fight back when two Mandalorians stand against her."
That's a good point.
Rarity continues. "But, just in case she is stupid, eliminate the guards. Do not kill or harm Suri in any way. That could create a larger mess that I don't want to deal with."
"Understood." You reply.
You sit back and look outside at the buildings whooshing by. Cato Neimoidia is such a beautiful planet. No wonder Rarity stayed here. She's not looking at you, but you can see that she has a wicked, confident grin on her face. Which, she should be confident. Suri stole from the wrong person.
After about five minutes of flying through the city and between buildings, the shuttle banks right a little and descends toward a small balcony, where two armed Neimoidians are waiting. The shuttle lands and you all step off. Rarity takes the lead with the two guards immediately behind her. You and Sunset follow.
As you walk along the balcony toward the public spaceport, a few bystanders look and point as they no doubt recognize Rarity. She wasn't lying when she said she practically owned this planet.
You make a left and she points to a taller building among short ones. "There's the control tower. Get up there and wait, you two."
"You've got it." You and Sunset activate your jetpacks and fly through the air toward the control tower's roof. Multiple bystanders below gasp and comment as they hear the roar of your engines.
Once you reach the roof, you land and look back down to Rarity. She nods at you as she meets the six Neimoidians she was talking about at the entrance to one of the landing pads.
You grin. "She's so fired up. I love seeing her like this."
Sunset watches her beside you. "Me too. It's where she's supposed to be. Not seeing or encountering any physical danger. Like, say, on Tatooine for example."
Oh, hell. Not this again.
You look over at her. "You're really going to hold that against me for the rest of my life, aren't you?"
She giggles a little. "Bringing her to Tatooine with us was a stupid mistake, Anon. I just don't want you to forget. You should be thanking me."
"Oh yeah, you're a reeeal sweetheart..." You both laugh for a bit before looking back to Rarity as she walks inside.
There are three landing pads you can see into below. Two of which have ships on them. The nearest one is a small luxury yacht. You crouch down and look to see an individual speaking with a couple of guards. You use your helmet's HUD to zoom in on them. They're wearing light armor and only have a sidearm equipped. The individual is a female pink Twi'lek, dressed in classy attire, very similar to Rarity's, that's maroon and violet in color. You're going to wager that's Suri.
Sunset crouches down beside you. "That's a nice ship."
You nod. "Yeah. Must've cost quite a bit of money." A moment or two passes by when you see Rarity enter the landing pad with her guards. "There she is. Get ready."
You and Sunset arm yourselves with your weapons and wait for the signal.
"Suri Polomare!" Rarity calls out cheerfully. You can hear her perfectly through your comms.
Suri turns to Rarity and cocks her head slightly. "Miss Rarity! What a suprise!"
Rarity gives her a sly grin and they both walk toward each other, their respective security teams behind them. "I'm so glad I ran into you, darling. I never had the chance to speak with you at the exhibition about the outcome of your designs!"
Suri places her hands on her hips. "Now Rarity, there's no need to be a sore loser."
Rarity takes another step forward. "I know you stole those designs from me, Suri. I demand that you return them at once."
Suri shrugs a little. "I'm sorry, but those designs are mine. The whole galaxy knows that now. You of all people should know that you have to do anything if you want to win in this business."
Rarity gives a little chuckle. "How right you are..." Her guards begin spreading out around Suri. That's the signal.
"Now!" You say.
Yours and Sunset's jetpacks roar to life and you both fly through the air toward Rarity. Suri looks up at you both as you approach, shocked. She takes a step back as you and Sunset land on Rarity's right and left side, respectively, and stare directly at her. Her guards raise their weapons at you both.
"Mandalorians?!" Suri exclaims.
Rarity doesn't even flinch. She slowly walks closer to Suri. "Now, I'm going to say this one more time before I get angry. Give. Me. My. Designs."
Suri looks back and forth between you, Sunset, and Rarity.You don't raise your weapon at her, but you're ready for anything if she tries it. You can tell she's desperately trying to think of something.
"You're going to shoot me if I don't?!" She shouts.
"No." Rarity replies calmly. "They are."
Suri looks over at you and you give her a little nod in response, validating Rarity's statement. She clenches her fists in anger and fear before she looks back to a couple of her guards. "Go get them..."
The two guards behind her hesitate before holstering their weapons and going aboard the ship.
Suri turns around to face Rarity again, her face brimming with rage. "Sicking your brutes on me like you're a crime lord or something?! What is wrong with you?!"
Rarity grins. "Like you just said, darling: you have to do anything if you want to win in this business. Just because I'm generous doesn't mean I'm going to stand idly by while you steal from me."
Suri grits her teeth at Rarity, unable to retort. She knows she's lost.
Rarity continues. "Now unfortunately, you've already released my designs to the public. I want to toy with you a tad longer before I put you out of business for good, so listen closely. Here's what you're going to do: you're going to come out and make a statement. We had a mutual agreement with one another. You presented my designs in my stead. You're going to credit me for the designs' creation, 100%. I only let you be the poster girl this once."
"What if I refuse?" Suri demands.
Rarity crosses her arms. "Then I'll make a statement telling the galaxy that you stole the designs from me. I already have the hard evidence to support this, and I'll release it as well. With all the moguls I have in my pocket, you'll be dropped and completely forgotten within the month."
Suri stares Rarity down in contemplative silence as her guards return from the ship with a supply crate. They set it down beside Suri and Rarity waves for her security detail to take the crate.
Rarity smiles as the crate is hauled away. "Thank you so much for returning these. It's very thoughtful of you." She turns around and follows the crate back through the doorway she entered through. "The next move is yours, Suri Polomare. I expect to read about your announcement in the news tomorrow morning. There will be dire consequences for you if those expectations are not met."
Suri looks at you and Sunset again as you both turn around to follow Rarity off the landing pad. Her shuttle is waiting for you all outside. Once her guards load the crate, you all climb aboard and head back to Rarity's building.
Rarity giggles wildly as you all step into her office. "Oh, you two were amazing! Thank you so much!"
You chuckle. "No problem. Happy to help."
You and Sunset remove your helmets and Rarity goes behind her desk. "Now, I assume you want a little payment for this, yes?"
"That would be nice." Sunset says.
Rarity grabs a few credits and Sunset approaches her to retrieve them. "There you are. I really appreciate the help with Suri."
Sunset brings them over to you and gives you half. Only a couple hundred credits. It was a relatively small job, so you're not surprised.
"There's something else though, you two. Suri isn't the only reason why I called you here." You and Sunset look up to Rarity. She's holding a little holodisc in her hand. "A transmission came for you."
You step forward and take the holodisc from her, inspecting it in your hand. "Who sent it?"
"I'm not sure, darling." She replies. "But they said it was from someone you knew, and it was important."
You and Sunset sit down in the chairs in front of Rarity's desk and set the holodisc down. Once you press play, it lights up like normal and the image of a Republic Officer appears with his hands behind his back. More specifically, Captain Shining Armor.
"Ugh." You groan out loud. "Not this asshole..."
He clears his throat and begins speaking. "Greetings, Anonymous and Sunset. No doubt you both remember who I am."
"Yeah, yeah, Shining Armor..." Sunset also does not sound pleased.
You take a quick glance at her before looking back at the message. "I remember what you said on your stance and views the last time we spoke. I have a contract for you."
You lean in close, intrigued. This could be interesting.
Shining Armor continues. "As you're doubtless aware, the Republic Military is...shorthanded. Problems of every kind are popping up all over the galaxy, and we just don't have the manpower to combat them all right now. We're accelerating our enlistment programs and broadening our requirements to meet the challenges for the future, but until then, well, desperate times call for desperate measures... Which leads me to the offer I have for you." His image fades away and is replaced by the face of a Devaronian male. "You are to locate this individual, dead or alive. The only name we have on record for him is an alias: Discord. He is the leader of a notorious group of pirates known as 'The Draconequui'. Of all the problems the Republic is dealing with right now, they are the most irksome."
Rarity looks down like she's deep in sudden thought. Has she heard about these guys before?
Discord has a wicked smile. One of the two horns on his head looks warped in some places. Looks like he got shot there.
Shining Armor continues. "If you capture him alive, your reward will be 500,000 credits."
Your eyebrows shoot up. "Woah."
"What?!" Sunset gasps louder than you've ever heard her.
This guy must be a HUGE problem for the Republic for a price that size.
Shining Armor continues speaking. "If he's brought in dead, we'll reward you with 400,000. We prefer he face official disciplinary action, but we understand that these situations are risky and nothing is certain. From what you went through with the Rakghouls to rescue Twilight, I can think of no one better for this than you two. I have the utmost faith in you both. Good luck, and happy hunting."
You take a small glance at your robotic arm when he mentions the Rakghouls. You hate those things. But you push those thoughts away when you remember the price tag on this guy.
Discord's face pops up again on the hologram and Sunset turns to you, eyes wide. "500,000 credits! Anon, that would make us for life!"
"It totally would! You in?" You ask.
She nods excitedly. "Hell yeah, I'm in!"
She starts laughing as she looks at Discord's face, already planning how she's going to spend the reward, no doubt. You're honestly thinking about how you'd spend it too.
"Not so fast, you two." You both look up at Rarity. She looks a bit worried. "I'm not very sure about this one."
You and Sunset glance quickly at each other again. "Do you know anything about the Draconequui?" You ask.
"Nothing specific." Rarity says. "All I do know is that they're extremely violent, and that they're likely responsible for some of the recent raids on supply freighters around the Mid-Rim. They've been using something to disable the ships so they can board them and pick them clean, leaving only a scene of violence and destruction behind."
"They don't destroy the ships though?" You ask.
She shakes her head. "They rarely do. It's like they're trying to make a scene, or send a message or something." Rarity looks over at Discord's face, staying silent for a moment. "It's odd. This group has been around for a while, but it's only recently that they've been raiding more often and more violently. I wonder what changed with them."
That is a wonder.
You take the holodisc and turn it off. "Do you know of any leads? Anywhere we can start looking for them?"
Rarity takes a deep breath and thinks for a moment. "Maybe..."
She moves behind her desk and turns on her personal terminal. You cant see the screen, but she thumbs through and looks through a few things for a couple of minutes before waving you and Sunset over.
"Here's someone who could be useful." You and Sunset get up and walk over to her side of the terminal to see an image of a smiling, pink Zeltron with big hair. "Her name is Pinkamena Diane Pie. She used to run with the Draconequui a few years ago."
Her last name is Pie? You wonder if she's related to Jedi Master Maud Pie.
"Pinkamena Diane Pie..." Sunset pinches her eyebrows together. "Pinkamena Diane Pie... Why does that name sound so familiar?"
"Because she has a very infamous reputation." Rarity looks into her bio a little bit more. "It says here that, to a select few, she's known to be a thief. A very good one. The public knows her as one of the best Pazaak players, if not the best Pazaak player, in the Outer Rim."
This girl's got quite the rep.
You lean in to get a closer look at Rarity's terminal. Pinkamena's bio says that she's usually found in or nearby the old Pazaak Den on Nar Shaddaa. You haven't been to the Pazaak Den in forever.
"Well, I think we'll go pay this one a visit." You stand up straight and head toward the door with Sunset. "We'll have a nice little chat and see if we can't learn anything from her."
"Anonymous, please be careful." She says.
You look back at her and shrug a little. "It's us, remember?"
She nods. "Yes, yes, I know, but still. The Draconequui are not to be taken lightly. And, for 500,000 credits, this Discord character must be very dangerous. Even for you two."
"It's just another job, Rarity." You and Sunset slip your helmets back on. "Send us Pinkamena's full bio."
You both exit her office and make your way back to your ship. You try to maintain your 'tough Mando' appearance for the Neimoidians as best you can, but it's all you can do to not grab Sunset right then and there, and jump up and down while giggling like a little girl.
500,000 credits! That is insane!
Once you and Sunset reach your ship and climb aboard, you both make a mad dash to the main hold, removing your helmets and practically throwing them onto the table in the center.
"Go!" You shout. "Start the ship and get us to Nar Shaddaa! Go, go, go, go, go!"
"Okay!" She squeals excitedly.
You both laugh like idiots as you run to the cockpit. She jumps into the pilot's seat and you switch on the navcomputer in the co-pilot's. The ship starts up and begins to hum as you frantically select Nar Shaddaa, but the computer won't set a course. Your ship isn't in space quite yet.
Sunset, please hurry.
The ship roars to life and you slowly rise into the air. The ship points upwards and you take off into the atmosphere.
As you're about reach orbit, Rarity contacts you on the ship's computer. "Alright, you two. I've sent you Pinkamena's information." Pinkamena's picture and bio appear onscreen next to Rarity's face. "I must advise extreme caution with her, Anonymous. She's dangerous."
"How dangerous could she possibly be, Rarity?" You ask. "No offense, but you're acting like we've never done this before."
Rarity holds her hands up defensively. "I just care about you not dying, darling! Don't blame me! Look here." Pinkamena's bio lights up in a few places as Rarity highlights them.
A closer look reveals that she's had quite a few prices put on her head in the past. There's a whole list of people who had placed bounties on her, but each one of their names has been redacted.
"What the..?" You scroll down the list even further. Each and every name is in red and crossed out. That can't be right.
"I thought it was an error as well, but I dug a little deeper." Rarity says. "Every person who has placed a price on this girl's head, along with each subsequent bounty hunter that has gone after her, has been killed by her. Every. Single. One."
You stare at the names and Sunset leans over to get a look at the screen as well. "Damn..."
The two of you look at each other. You hate to think that it's possible you're in over your heads with this girl. All that jubilation that you were feeling from the thought of being rich is starting to fade as reality sets in. This will be tough.
Rarity gets your attention again. "She hasn't done wrong by me, so luckily you aren't after her. I don't even know this girl."
She's probably glad for her sake more than anything.
Rarity continues. "Still, I implore you to be careful. I know how much you love a good fight, but I don't want to hear about your death by her hand next, Anonymous."
She won't. You're not after Pinkamena, but if you were, you'd still be fine. It's unlikely that she's fought two Mandalorians at the same time, should it come to that
"We'll be careful." You assure. "We'll make sure she knows we aren't after her."
"I personally think you should just avoid the 'bounty hunter' topic at all costs." Rarity suggests.
"That's a good idea." Sunset says. "We'll ease her suspicions right away if it comes up."
"Alright... Again, please, be careful, you two." Rarity says.
"We'll be fine. Thanks, Rarity." You shut off communications and look out the cockpit window as you enter the vastness of space.
You take a deep breath and lock in the coordinates to Nar Shaddaa.
"You're not nervous, are you?" Sunset asks.
You look back to Sunset and shake your head. "No. There's just a ton of money on the line, and we don't have a plan yet. Once we figure something out, we'll be good."
She nods, understanding. "It is a lot of money..."
500,000 credits...
No, Anon. Don't worry about anything. You and Sunset are the best.
"We'll be fine." You say. "We always are."
The ship twists around in space and the hyperdrive whirs louder as you hit the throttle and head off to Nar Shaddaa. Sunset sighs and leans back in her chair. You both stay silent as you ponder to yourselves.
She looks over at you. "You've been to the Pazaak Den before, right?"
You nod. "Yeah. A long time ago."
That was a bad day.
You were never a pro at Pazaak, but you could hold your own in a game pretty well, you'd like to think. You're pretty sure you still have your old deck here somewhere. Pazaak was a good game, but you stopped playing after visiting the Den. You won only a couple matches against maybe two guys there, but you lost all your money in the end, so you decided to retire after that. It wasn't the first time you had lost money gambling, but it was your wake up call to stop.
Lucky for you both, you're not going to gamble this time.
"Hopefully the password is still good." You say out loud.
As the doors open, you and Sunset both step inside and look around at the smoky room. Patrons of every race, gender, and species are gathered at nearly every table playing a game. The music is soft, but jazzy.
It's just like you remember it, and that's not good.
"Oh boy..." You mutter.
You want to play Pazaak with someone...
Maybe all this time away from it has given you a chance to gather your bearings and recover. Maybe you have a better chance to compete with the pros in here this time. These guys don't look that bad. Maybe you have time for a game or two. Or three...
Sunset snaps her fingers in front of your face and brings you back to reality. "Anon, focus."
You realize that you were just staring blankly at a couple of Gran seated at a nearby table. They were arguing with each other about something with their game and didn't even notice you.
You shake your head and take a deep breath. "Thanks..."
She cocks an eyebrow at you. "You want to wait outside?"
You grin a little. "No. No, I'll be fine. I just need to focus, you're right."
She gives a little chuckle and looks around the room. "Let's spread out. Look around for her, or ask other people if they know where she is."
Pinkamena Diane Pie.
You nod. "Sounds good."
You both spread out and look around the room. You pass by a few Twi'leks, Duros, Ithorians, and Humans, to name a few, all playing, arguing, or drinking with one another. No Zeltrons though.
You head to a nearby table where an older human male is seated. "You here playing, old timer?"
He looks up at you and chuckles before taking a sip of his drink. "No, not anymore. I retired a long time ago. I like to come back here and bask in the memories though."
You look around the room at everything. It's a wonderful sight to see, you have to admit.
You grin a bit and turn back to him. "Think you can help me? I'm looking for someone. Pinkamena Diane Pie. Do you know her?"
His eyebrows shoot up and his smile widens. "You're looking for Pie? You a challenger or just a fan of hers?"
"I'm... just a fan with a question for her. Big fan." You lie.
He smiles and nods as if he understands.
From behind, you hear someone loudly scream "No!", followed by crowds of laughter. You look to see a Zabrak male clenching his fists in fury and stomping away from the crowded back corner of the cantina toward the entrance. He must've lost.
The man points to where the Zabrak came from. "She's just back there, son."
You turn back to look at him after a moment. "Alright, thanks."
You both nod to each other and turn around to face the dispersing crowd of people. You weave through them until you reach the back corner.
Seated at a table in front of you is a girl leaning on the back two legs of the chair she's sitting on with her feet up on the table. In her hands, she's counting a bunch of credits that she's apparently just won. She's swinging her toes from left to right and humming to herself. Her back is turned to you, and all you see is her big pink hair.
You take a step forward and clear your throat.
"Yes?" She doesn't turn to face you, but she has a bubbly, sing-song voice.
"Are you Pinkamena Diane Pie?" You ask.
"Hmm." She pauses. "That depends! Does she owe you money?"
"No." You reply.
She stays still for a few moments before stacking her credits together in her hand and putting her feet down off the table. She turns her head around to look at you. There's a wide smile on her face and her eyes are a bright blue. Her skin is pink, and her hair is even pinker. It seems to explode out of her head.
"Then I'm your girl!" She says with a smile. "You can call me Pinkie!"
You smile a little at that and walk over to the other side of the table. "Nice to meet you, Pinkie. My name is Anonymous, but I go by Anon."
"Anon! I like it!" She never stops smiling at you as you sit down in the chair opposite of her.
It's pretty dark in here, but she's sitting right under the light above the table, so you can see her pretty well. She's wearing a black leather jacket with a left shoulder pad over a white shirt and dark grey leather pants. She's pretty attractive in person, you have to admit.
"So! Wanna play a game?" She takes her deck of cards and expertly shuffles them between her hands in midair. She doesn't take her eyes off of you the entire time. It's incredible, and so very tempting...
You need to loosen her lips a bit. Get her talking about Discord. This might be the way to do it.
"I do." You reply. "I haven't played in years though, so I'm a little rusty."
She smiles widely. "Tell you what, how about we play a couple of practice matches? I can give you a few pointers!"
You shrug. "Alright, sounds good."
"Yay!" She smiles wide and you take a deep breath as she shuffles the cards some more. "You remember how this game works then, right?"
"Of course." You nod.
Whoever wins three sets wins the match. There are two decks of cards that are used in the game. The cards from the main deck count up each time you lay one down. You have to get a score of, or as close to 20 without going higher than that, otherwise you immediately lose.
Pinkie takes the cards from the second deck and spreads them out in her hands face-down. These cards are going to be in your hand. They are used to manipulate and change your score for that set. That way, if your score does land on a number higher than 20, you can lower it for a chance to win.
You take four random cards from her and look to see their value. A -1, -3, and two +1s. All relatively lower numbers. Which means you're going to have to be risky if you want to win.
Pinkie takes her four cards and lays the main deck down in front of you, while putting the remaining cards from the second deck off to the side. "Alright! Let's play!"
She takes a card from the main deck and lays it down on her side, face-up. It's a 1. She ends her turn and you take a card and lay it down on your side. It's a 5. She draws a 5 for her turn, and you draw yet another 5.
On her next turn, she draws a 9. She's up to 15 points. You draw a 6. You're now at 16.
Here's where things get risky.
You could play it safe and lay down a +1, then hold. That would get you up to 17 points. That's a pretty terrible score to end the set on though. Alternatively, you could risk drawing another card. Anything under 4 would be good. You and Pinkie have both been drawing high numbers, so there's bound to be a small number coming up soon.
Well, seeing as how this is just a practice game, you see no harm in taking the risk. You end your turn and Pinkie draws a 4, giving her 19 points.
You draw a card and lay it down.
"Ah, damn." It's a 10. You're at 26 points. You lose.
Pinkie smiles. "You done?"
You chuckle. "Yeah, you got me."
She giggles again and clears the used cards from the table. "Alright, one point for me!"
You grin at her as she sets the cards off to the side.
She lays down a 6 on her side and ends her turn. "So Anon, what brings you to town?"
You pause for a bit and lay a 4 down on your side before answering. "I'm looking for someone. A big deal in the galaxy's underworld. A Devaronian named Discord."
Pinkie's movements halt as she reaches for a card and looks up at you, her smile immediately fading. She clears her throat once. "How much of a big deal is he, exactly?"
She lays down a 3 and continues to glare at you. Now she's alert, and you can see her slowly start to tense up.
You take another card and lay it down. It's a 7. "He's a huge deal. Been causing lots of problems lately, and I need to know where he is, so I can find him and stop him."
You end your turn, but she doesn't move. She just keeps her eyes locked onto yours. "What makes you think I'd know where he is?"
You lean in closer to her, getting under the light so she sees you clearly. "Because I know who you are, Pinkie. Who you really are. I know that you used to be with his little gang. I know about your rep. And now, you're going to tell me how and where to find him."
She stays silent as you glare into each others eyes. Her eyes shift down just a bit and her nostrils flare slightly. Something just ticked her.
"That's some... pretty cool looking armor you've got on, Anon..." She says. "Cool picture on your shoulder too."
A Mythosaur skull, the Mandalorian emblem. You had installed a new armor plate on your robotic shoulder and had painted it on there. Your original was lost when your arm was cut off.
She continues. "Tell me Anon, what do you do for work?"
She squints her eyes at you a little and her jaw clenches. She already knows the answer.
You have to let her know that you're not after her. "Look, Pinkie..."
Something behind her distracts you and you shift your gaze to see Sunset looking at you. She must've just got there.
In that split-second that you were distracted, Pinkie slams her hands onto the table and pushes her side down hard. Your side of the table shoots up to your chin, making you bite your tongue and knock your head back as a result. You taste fresh blood in your mouth as you throw your cards into the air.
She growls and grabs the underside of the table before flinging it up and pushing it into your chest, making you fly backwards a few feet. You scream as you smack the back of your head against the wall.
You grit your teeth and open your eyes to see her jump through the air and land in front of you. Sunset is charging her from behind and reaching for her blaster.
Before you can react, Pinkie grabs you by the collar and hurls you into Sunset. She screams as you both go flying backwards. You both land on the ground with a loud thud. The patrons surrounding you gasp and spread out to make room.
She can't be that strong! How the hell did she do that?
You grunt as you struggle to push yourself up off your stomach. The throbbing pain on your tongue makes a small stream of blood drop from your mouth onto the floor. You look up to see Pinkie stomping toward you, a crazed, wicked smile on her face.
"Come on, bounty hunter!" She taunts through her teeth. "Give me a real fight!"
She jogs the last two steps and brings her leg back as she prepares to kick you. You growl a little and lift your robot arm up as she delivers the kick. Your arm clangs as it impacts her shin and she screams loudly.
As she hops back, you grab her other leg with your left arm and yank it out from under her. She falls onto her back and you slide her beneath you before your raise up your right arm and land a solid punch in her stomach.
She grunts hard and grabs her stomach with one arm as you lean back to prepare another blow. Before you're able to deliver it though, she thrusts both of her hands out in front of her and uses the Force to push you up off the ground.
You yell as you smack your head on the ceiling and come falling back down to the ground. Pinkie is on her back, and she brings both her legs up to kick you hard in the chest as you fall toward her. You go flying off to the side and land on your right arm, making you roll onto your stomach again.
"Anon!" Sunset shouts.
You groan loudly as you hold your stomach. She's tough.
You look back over to see her and Sunset duking it out. She's fighting hard, but Pinkie counters or blocks almost all of her attacks.
You grab your blaster and aim it at Pinkie. Let the record show that you tried to be peaceful with her, but it didn't work.
You fire, but astonishingly, she seamlessly dodges the shot while simultaneously fighting Sunset. Then, she knocks Sunset back with a headbutt and grits her teeth as she holds an arm out to you.
You're about to fire your blaster again, but it vibrates in your hand for a second before flying toward Pinkie and landing in hers. You know she's about to fire at you, so you roll out of the way just before a blaster shot hits the ground where you just were a second ago.
Sunset yells as she charges Pinkie again and punches her in the stomach once more. Pinkie grunts and Sunset grabs her shoulders before giving her a headbutt back. Pinkie hobbles backwards a few steps and Sunset lands a couple good punches to her cheeks.
Before she can land a third punch, she blocks Sunset's fist before pushing her back with the Force. Sunset grunts as she lands on a nearby table, making it break in half.
You stand up and charge at Pinkie. She swings her leg around in a circle as she gains momentum to kick you again. When she does, you grab her foot with your robot arm and stop her cold. You command the mechanisms in your arm to squeeze her foot tighter than your human hand ever could and Pinkie screams in response.
Utilizing your arm's strength, you swing her over your head and slam her onto the ground, releasing her so she goes sliding a few feet. She whimpers a little and starts to curl into a ball as you stomp over to her. For the first time, she looks up at you in fear as you reach down and grab her by the collar.
"Listen, sleemo, I'm not here for you!" You lift her up and pin her against the wall, staring daggers into her eyes. She pants hard as she stares back at you in terror. "I need information on Discord and the Draconequui, and I know that you have it! I'm not here to kill you!"
You sure as hell want to now though...
Pinkie breathes hard as she stares into your eyes. "Y-You're really not here for me?"
Sunset walks up next to you, also panting hard.
"No, I'm not." You growl.
To prove your point, you release her and take a step back. She looks at you and Sunset, still tense, ready for anything. You're ready for anything too, but you're not going to attack her again. Unless she attacks you, that is.
"We need your help, Pinkie." You breathe. "We need to find Discord."
She stays silent for a moment until she lowers her fists a little and takes a deep breath. "I, uh... I don't know where he is. Not anymore." You growl and take a couple steps toward her again, but she raises her hands and backs against the wall. "Wait! I'll help! I want him gone too!"
You stop right in front of her and glare into her eyes. "Keep talking."
"W-We used to just mess with people for fun, or steal smaller stuff!" She frantically explains. "We never did anything really, really bad, but something happened one day and Discord changed. It wasn't about fun anymore, it-it felt almost evil. I didn't like it, so I left." She gulps before continuing. "I thought you were here because you thought I was still with them. I'm not. I never want to go back to the Draconequui ever again."
You say nothing as you just stare at her. If she wasn't vital to you getting rich, then you'd just kill her right there. You are mad as hell right now.
Actually, you would've killed her about three minutes ago.
"Give me a location." You command.
"I don't have a sure location, just an idea." She says. "But even if you did find him, you'll never get aboard his ship without my help. There are fail-safes and traps everywhere."
You growl a little under your breath. She's going to have to come along with you.
She shifts her eyes left and right at the room behind you. "I'd decide quickly if I were you. The Exchange will be here soon."
You risk a look behind you and look at the trashed Pazaak Den. Stuff is broken, tables are overturned, and whoever isn't laying injured on the ground is gone or cowering in the corner and staring at you.
Sunset looks also. "They won't take too kindly to all this damage to the Pazaak Den, Anon."
They'll probably shoot you all on sight if you run away.
You turn back to Pinkie, who gives you a small, nervous smile. "Looks like you don't have much of a choice, Anon."
You don't have many choices, but you do have choices. You think to yourself for a moment. How are you going to get out of this one?
You point at her. "You try anything when we get to my ship, and I'll blast your brains all over the place."
"I won't! I promise!" She starts doing some motions with her hands. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cup-"
You punch her squarely in the forehead and she yelps before sliding to the ground in an unconscious heap, exhaling softly.
You holster your blaster and pick her up, lugging her over your shoulder before pulling out 500 credits and giving them to Sunset as you nod toward the bartender in the corner by the door.
She heads over and throws him the credits, which he catches. "Sorry about the mess."
She returns to your side as you carry Pinkie out the door.
Nar Shaddaa is owned by the Hutts. Bounty hunters, thugs, and mercenaries are everywhere here. If you're met with their guys or anyone working for the Exchange, the infamous crime syndicate, you'll blame the mess on her. Technically, you'll be telling the truth.
You take a right when you get outside and enter into the open courtyard. You're in the Refugee Sector of Nar Shaddaa. When The Mandalorian Wars first ended, this is where the survivors went if they had nowhere else to go. The war has been over for centuries, but this is still the place for other people in the galaxy that want to disappear.
You quickly, yet casually walk back to the landing pad where your ship is located. A couple thugs move through the small crowd of people toward the Den on the opposite side of the courtyard, but you don't stop walking. That must be security.
No incidents pass as you finally reach your ship and carry Pinkie on board.
You set an unconscious Pinkie down in a chair at the table in the main hold before going to grab a first aid kit. Your mouth and head are both killing you. Your tongue is still leaking a bit of blood from when you bit down on it. She really did a number on you.
After you and Sunset patch yourselves up, Pinkie starts to stir. She groggily grabs her head. "Owww.... Why did you do that?!"
You hand her a spare first aid kit. "I needed proof of innocence in case the Exchange thought destroying the Pazaak Den was my fault. You owe me 500 credits, by the way."
She gives you a little glare as she takes the first aid kit and starts patching herself up. "Right... Sorry about that..."
"Don't give me an apology, give me information." You snap. "Discord. Where is he?"
She shakes her head as she opens the first aid kit. "I couldn't tell you an exact location. The Draconequui never stayed in one place for too long. We would do whatever it was we were doing, then we would make a random jump to somewhere in the Outer Rim." She pauses as she thinks to herself for a few moments. "Discord did like Rancors. He had a few of them aboard his ship that he would use to kill any traitors, or he would enter one in a few pit fight arenas. He would get a new one every so often from Dathomir."
Dathomir is a bit of a mystery to you, but you feel like you can relate, in a way. The Nightsisters were warriors who stuck to themselves, much like the Mandalorians. The difference is that the Nightsister tribes practiced dark and strange magicks that you stayed away from. And they practically hated males. They were seen as second, or even third-class citizens in many ways. Raised to be servants from birth, from what you understand of them.
Sunset speaks up as you think to yourself. "Where did you usually go for the pit fights?"
"We went to a few different places." Pinkie replies. "We came here to Nar Shadda once, some space stations, Tatooine, Geonosis, Malastare, places like that."
That complicates things. You don't know where to start looking, even with Pinkie's help. You're tempted to just sit and wait for Discord to make his move.
You look at her again. "Do you have anything else you can tell us about him, Pinkie? Anything at all?"
Pinkie shakes her head. "Not really. Sorry. I would if I could."
You growl softly to yourself and head into the cockpit, leaving Sunset and Pinkie alone. You need another opinion. It's unlikely that Shining Armor has any additional information. If Discord really is that big of a nuisance for the Republic, then he would've shared everything he knew with you. You'll have to look elsewhere.
You sit down and contact Rarity. She answers after a couple rings. "Hello, darling! Did you find Pinkamena?"
"Yeah we did." You grumble. "We had ourselves a good little scrap with each other."
You still really want to kill her right now.
Rarity gasps as she gets a good look at the bruises on your face. "Oh dear! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine..." You reply. "Think you can do something for me?"
"Of course, Anonymous. Anything." She says.
"I need you to keep a look out for Discord's face at any and every pit fighting arena you can." You say. "Focus on ones in the Outer Rim that feature fights with Rancors. Pinkie said that he likes them."
Rarity raises an eyebrow at you. "Pinkie?"
You roll your eyes a little. "It's what she goes by."
She nods at you. "Ah, I see. Alright. Also, Captain Shining Armor sent out another message for me to pick up. He said he wished to speak with you."
"Thanks, Rarity. Send me his info. I'll get in touch with him." You reply.
"Will do, darling." She says with a smile.
You hang up and wait a few moments for your ship's computer to start beeping with Shining Armor's information. You enter it in and contact him. He answers from his meeting room a few seconds later where he offered you and Sunset a job before.
He clears his throat. "Hello, Anonymous."
You give him a simple nod. "Captain. I was informed you needed to speak with me."
"Yes." He places his hands behind his back. "I take it you accepted my offer?"
"I did." You reply. "I'm working to narrow the search for Discord right now."
"That's excellent news." He says with a small grin. "The reason I wished to speak with you however was for an additional offer."
You lean in closer, intrigued.
He continues. "Again, as you know, we're short on arms. One of the Republic's senators, Octavia Melody of Naboo, is on her way to the Dantooine system for some business. If you'd be willing to go along with her for extra security, the Republic would pay you for your services."
Extra security for a Republic senator might be a nice job. Probably pays well too.
"How much?" You ask.
"How does 10,000 sound?" He offers.
You hum. That's not bad. Things are really at a standstill with Discord until he makes his next move, or until Rarity sniffs him out, and you don't want to sit and do nothing until he does. Might as well.
"Make it 12 and you've got a deal." You reply.
Shining pauses for a moment before nodding. "12 it is."
"Fantastic." You say. "Where are we meeting her?"
"Theed Spaceport, on Naboo." Shining Armor says. "Contact me when you arrive and I'll inform the Senator's security detail."
"I'll leave right away." You say.
You hang up and get out of your seat to head back to the girls.
Sunset looks to you as you enter the main hold. "What's the plan?"
"Well, unfortunately I don't even know where to start looking for Discord and neither does Pinkie, so I've got Rarity searching pit fighting arenas all over the place for his face." You say. "In the meantime, while we're pretty much stuck waiting, Captain Shining Armor offered us another job. Extra security for senator Octavia Melody."
Sunset hums. "What's the pay?"
"12." You reply.
Sunset nods and Pinkie whistles. "Nice! Can I come?!"
You take a glance at her. You're still angry as hell with her, but there's really nothing you can do about that.
"Maybe." You reply. "I'm tempted to just leave you on the ship while Sunset and I do this."
Did you just say that out loud?
Sunset shoots a cautionary look at you. You know she's thinking that Pinkie would likely steal the ship if you left it alone with her. She doesn't trust her and neither do you.
"No, no! I wanna help! Please?" Pinkie begs. "I wanna make it up to you for kicking your ass earlier!"
You squeeze your knuckles tighter and they pop in a few places as you stare daggers at her.
Her eyes open wide and she gulps before giggling nervously. "Hehe... I mean, I wanna help you guys bring down Discord every step of the way."
You slowly nod at her. "That's what I thought you said."
You were only holding back before because you need her alive.
"Fine." You continue. "You can help. I'm in charge though, and you'll do as you're told. Understand?"
She smiles and gives you a little salute. "Yes sir!"
You need to leave the room. She's too happy and you're too angry at her right now. Tensions will only rise if you stay with her right now.
You growl a little bit as you head back into the cockpit. It's best you go now before you do something you'll regret.
You sit in the pilot's seat and turn on the ship. It whirs to life and you hover off the landing pad after a few moments. You turn the ship around and fly between the skyscrapers and through traffic for a moment before you fly up into space. You enter Naboo into the navicomputer, and take off to lightspeed.
"Anon, we'll be there in about five minutes." Sunset says.
"Thanks, Sunset." You shut off the intercom in the armory and begin grabbing the weapons you might need for this next job.
Sunset had taken over piloting the ship some time after making the jump to lightspeed and you decided to lay down for a bit. You were so stressed and angry with everyone and everything, that you needed a little breather. Now that you've had a chance to rest, you're feeling much better.
You also had some time to reflect on what all had happened. As angry as you were, you can't deny that Pinkie is a damn good fighter. In hindsight, it was almost fun fighting her. You hadn't had a good fight like that since the time you fought that Sith warrior on Tatooine.
You wish you still had the lightsaber that you took from him, but Sunset said that Jedi Master Maud took it while you were recovering after saving Mandalore from the Rakghouls. Damn Jedi.
That reminds you that you're curious about Pinkie's past. She can use the Force, and her last name is Pie, so maybe she's related to Maud. This job will most likely be pretty boring, so you'll ask her later when you get the chance.
You sit at your workbench and ready your weapons. You'll take your blaster rifle and sidearm, as usual. You stand up to holster your weapons and glance over at your jetpack. You're tempted to just leave it here. If everything goes how you expect it to, you won't even need it. Then again, that's risky, and you're clearly not as lucky as you used to be when it comes to gambling.
You grab the jetpack and place it on your back. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
You open the door and step out onto the main hold to see Pinkie humming to herself and messing around with a deck of Pazaak cards on the table. She's coming with you and Sunset for this.
"Pinkie, do you want a weapon?" You ask.
She looks over to you. "Sure!"
She gets up and you lead her into the armory. While she looks around, you hear the computer in the main hold start beeping, letting you know that you're coming up on Naboo.
You turn to her. "Can I trust you not to steal anything while I head up to the cockpit?"
She turns to face you and gives you a little smile. "Yeah. I won't steal anything, I promise."
You study her for a moment, trying to detect any indication that she's lying on her face, but you don't see anything out of the ordinary. "Alright."
You don't trust her at all, but there's nothing you can really do about that right now.
You turn around and head into the cockpit. Sunset is sitting in the pilot's seat as usual and as you enter, she flips a few switches above her and pulls back on the throttle. The hyperdrive whirs down and the lush, green-blue planet of Naboo come into view as you exit lightspeed.
You sit down in the co-pilot's seat and contact Shining Armor. He appears on the screen in front of you after a couple rings. "Captain, we've arrived at Naboo and we're making our approach."
He nods. "Excellent. I'll inform Senator Melody now."
"Appreciate it." You shut off the comms and Sunset enters the planet's atmosphere.
You stand up and head back to the armory. Pinkie steps out with only a small sidearm strapped to her hip. "Alright, Anon! I'm ready to go!"
"Good." You walk past her into the armory and double-check that you've grabbed everything you think you'll need.
"Hey, Anon?" Pinkie says.
"What?" You look to see Pinkie standing in the doorway.
She clears her throat. "I just wanted to apologize for everything that happened before. I assumed that you were like all the other bounty hunters that came after me, and I didn't give you a chance to explain. I'm sorry."
An apology? That's certainly unexpected.
You stand to face her. "Pinkie, never apologize for following your instincts. I would've done the same thing if I were in your position."
She blinks. "Really?"
"Of course." You reply. "Tons of bounty hunters from all over the galaxy had come to kill you before. You were just doing what it took to survive instead of running away. It's admirable." She smiles wide as you grab your helmet and hold it under your arm. "Plus, you're a damn good fighter. We should do it again some time."
She giggles a little at that. "Thanks, Anon."
"No problem." You give her a little nod and you both walk toward the cockpit again.
Outside the viewport, you see a few clouds fly past you as the ship descends toward the planet's surface. The sun is shining, the green fields below are lush with grass and trees, and a few bright blue lakes can be seen around the city's edge. Everything about this place looks calm and tranquil in every way.
It's horrifying. You'd get so bored here.
As you approach the city of Theed, you're contacted by some Nabooian Royal security. Sunset informs them who you are, and they give you permission to land.
The spaceport is at the base of a large cliff where Theed Palace is located. A couple streams of water flow from the top of the ridge and into pools directly below, giving the spaceport a more natural look.
You descend toward the uppermost level and slowly land. Once you touch down, a couple of Royal security officers walk up to your ship and wait for you to disembark.
You stand up. "I'll go greet them. You go get ready, Sunset."
She nods and you head back into the ship towards the exit ramp. You press a button on the wall panel beside you and it lowers. With your helmet still under your arm, you walk down and meet the two Naboo Royal guards. Both of them are human males. They're dressed in the standard Naboo security uniform from top to bottom.
The left one speaks. "I assume that you are Anonymous?"
"I am." You reply.
He nods slightly. "Welcome to Naboo. Senator Melody apologizes that she could not be here to meet you in person. She's currently held up with other matters."
"That's fine, I understand." You wave your hand dismissively.
"Her transport is nearly ready to go." He continues. "Our head of security, Captain Spitfire, will give you a brief on your duties and familiarize you with the layout of the ship when you're aboard."
"Sounds good. My team is almost ready to go, so give us a couple minutes." They both nod and stand at ease while you head back aboard your ship. "Sunset. Pinkie. You two ready?"
"Yeah." Sunset puts her helmet on as she comes walking out of the armory. She's armed with her rifle, sidearm, and short vibrosword.
Pinkie is already in the main hold, smiling wide. "Me too!"
You nod at them and put your helmet on. "Let's go." You turn around and head back down the ramp with Sunset and Pinkie following behind. You approach the guards once again. "Alright, we're yours."
The two guards stand at attention and the left one speaks again. "Please follow us."
He ushers you to follow and you all begin walking across the spacious landing pad toward another cluster of ships to your right.
"Captain Shining Armor seems to think highly of your skills, Anonymous." The other one says. "Both yours and Sunset's. From his reports, I thought there would only be two of you though."
"Pinkie's a new addition to our little team." You reply.
"Yep!" Pinkie says from behind. "Brand-spanking new!"
A temporary addition. You hear Sunset groan a little behind you in response.
"Well, I'm sure Senator Melody will be grateful for the extra help." The guard looks forward again as you all continue.
Once you enter the more secure section of the landing pad, you pass by four one-man starfighters. You've seen Naboo starfighters before. They're relatively small, sleek, shiny, and yellow. These ones, however, are light blue. The name "Soarin'" is written on the side of the nearest one.
The guard must have noticed you looking. "Those fighters belong to the Wonderbolts; Naboo's most skilled pilots. They will provide an escort for you as you make your way to Dantooine."
Sunset hums. "This business on Dantooine must be pretty important."
He looks back at Sunset and nods. "I'm sure it is. The Wonderbolts rarely provide an escort for diplomats other than the Queen, but Her Majesty insisted that they go this time."
Once you pass by the starfighters, you make your way toward a green Corellian Consular-class cruiser. A small number of Naboo security officers were speaking with two Republic troopers near the exit ramp. You pass by them as you step aboard the ship. You enter a small forum where you see two Naboo pilots, both dressed in blue jumpsuits, speaking with each other.
The human female on the right has a fierce look in her eye and bright red-orange hair on her head. Her stance alone says that she's in charge.
She glances at you and the guards who guided you here stand at attention before one of them speaks. "Captain Spitfire, here's your extra security."
She salutes back at them. "Thank you. The both of you are dismissed."
The two security officers nod and turn around to exit the ship. Spitfire doesn't take her eyes off you the entire time. You can already tell that she doesn't like you.
Her mouth tilts slightly, showing contempt. "It's unfortunate that we've become so desperate that we've resorted to hiring bounty hunters and mercenaries for security on diplomatic missions."
You're about to be a smartass, but Sunset does it first. "No, what's really unfortunate is that we've been so bored lately that we've actually resorted to accepting contracts for security on diplomatic missions."
Pinkie starts laughing and you chuckle at Spitfire's hateful glare in Sunset's direction. "Don't you dare give me that, Mandalorian! Hired help or not, I'm still in charge here! You answer to me!"
"Oh, so I take it you're footing the bill for our services?" You take a single step toward her and she turns her glare to you.
"Hey, back off!" The pilot next to her moves between you and presses his hands against your chest, shoving you back a step.
That was a bad move...
"Make me, flyboy!" You take an aggressive step toward him and shove him back against the wall.
He growls and lurches forward, latching onto your shoulders and trying to grab your throat. You grab onto his arms as he reaches for your throat and try to push them down before you reach for his neck also. But before you can grab him, you feel Sunset and Pinkie grab you and pull you back away from him.
"Anon, stop!" Sunset commands.
Spitfire gets between you two and pushes him back against the wall as he tries to move past her. "Soarin'! That's enough!"
You both try to get free from the girls preventing you from fighting each other while you all yell and curse at one another. This continues for a few moments.
"ENOUGH! ALL OF YOU!" A sharp voice from behind gets your attention.
You all stop and face the exit ramp to see a human female in a long grey and violet dress. She's followed by two armed Republic troopers, and her arms are crossed as she glares at you.
Senator Octavia Melody of Naboo.
Spitfire and Soarin' straighten themselves out behind you. "Forgive us, Senator Melody."
She glares at Spitfire and walks toward them. "We are about to head to a meeting at a friendly system to negotiate plans for the peace and order that the Republic wishes for the entire galaxy. Therefore, we must all set an example of peace and order. There will be no quarreling or fighting on this ship at any time. You already know better than this, Captain. I'm very disappointed in you both."
Spitfire and Soarin' stand at attention as Octavia stands in front of them.
The senator continues. "Yes, we do have hired help. Yes, we need them at this time. They are not as accustomed to the Republic's standards as you are. You must show the level of professionalism that I know you both are capable of."
They both nod their heads. "Yes, my lady."
Senator Melody turns her attention to you three before looking at Pinkie. "What's your name?"
Pinkie clears her throat. "Uh, I'm Pinkie. Pinkie Pie!"
She doesn't sound as giddy as usual, but she's still smiling. Senator Melody, however, is not.
"Pinkie Pie..." She turns to you, and then to Sunset, respectively. "Anonymous... Sunset Shimmer... As used to violence and chaos as I'm sure you three are, rest assured that you will not find them aboard this ship. We have no need for any of it here, therefore I will not allow you to create or continue any of it as long as you are here." She turns her gaze specifically to you once again. "Your job is to provide additional security for me. You answer to me. You will not create trouble aboard this ship. Should trouble arise, you will end it as quickly and humanely as possible. Do I make myself clear?"
Her voice is calculated and bold, but also calm and firm. She's in charge, and she knows it.
You wait a small moment before nodding at her slowly. "Transparently."
"Excellent." She takes a deep breath and turns back around to face Spitfire. "We will be leaving in a few minutes I presume?"
Spitfire nods. "Yes, my lady. We were just finishing our final sweep when.." She looks over at you for a bit and hesitates, but clears her throat and continues. "...Y-yes. O-our sweep of the ship is complete. We are ready to depart at a moment's notice."
Senator Melody nods again. "Good work, Captain. I will leave it to you to show Pinkie and Sunset to where they will be as we travel. Then get to your ship. Soarin', get to your ship now and prepare for departure."
They both nod at her. "Yes, my lady."
Soarin' walks down the ramp off the ship and Senator Melody turns her attention to you. "I'd like to have a word with you, alone, in the meeting room, Anonymous. Just before the salon pod near the bow of the ship."
Oh boy, scold and reprimand time. You knew that rising to Soarin's bait was a bad idea. Good thing Sunset and Pinkie were there to hold you back before you did any serious damage to him.
"Of course, Senator." You turn around and face Pinkie and Sunset, whispering to them. "Okay, just be cool, you two..."
Sunset nods. "Yeah, make sure you keep yours, Anon..."
You deserve that.
"Bye Anon!" Pinkie waves at you with a smile.
You nod at them both and walk down the hallway toward the bow of the ship. You pass by a couple of technicians in front of an open maintenance floor hatch who give you a curious glance, but you pay them no heed.
The hallway is short and lined with a few doors that lead to storage areas, staterooms and a lounge on either side. This ship is much smaller than it looks outside. At the end of the hallway, you reach a room with a large table in the center.
On the far wall, you see a lift at the end of another short hallway. There's a sign just above that says 'Salon Pod Access.' This is the right place.
You lean up against the wall and cross your arms. Just need to wait for her now.
You sigh as you watch Anon head down the hallway. You can certainly understand where he was coming from when he reacted to Soarin' the way he did, but doing it on the job was extremely unprofessional. He should know better. Hopefully, Senator Melody doesn't dock this job's pay as a result.
You and Pinkie look back at her as she looks back and forth between you and Spitfire. "I do not want any more trouble from either of you. You don't have to like each other, but you do have to get along. No snide remarks, no violence, nothing."
Spitfire nods again. "Yes, my lady."
You nod as well. "Yes, ma'am."
"Good." Octavia takes a deep breath and puts her hands behind her back as she walks down the hallway after Anon.
Once she's gone, you and Spitfire glare at each other. The tension in the room is almost tangible.
After a moment of silence, you decide to break it first. "Well... Where do you want us?"
She shifts her eyes between you and Pinkie and sighs. "Follow me..."
She leads you both down the same short hallway that Anon went down. Doors are on either side, and Spitfire points to both of them. "I'm just giving you a short layout of the ship. These rooms here are crew staterooms. There are more on the upper level." She continues walking to the end of the hallway and points at two more doors up ahead on either side. "These doors lead to the cargo hold, as well as access to the escape pod." She points to a single closed door at the end of the hallway. "This is the meeting room. The lift to the upper levels and the salon pod are on the other side."
Anon's in there right now too.
Spitfire turns around to face you both. "I'll be in contact with you during transit. You two patrol the ship. Either together or alone, it's up to you. Investigate anything suspicious, and fix any problems before they become problems, should they arise. Above all, protect the senator."
"Got it." You and Pinkie both nod.
"Good. Both of you wait here for her." Spitfire turns her back and walks away without saying another word.
You and Pinkie take position by the cargo bay doors and wait for Anon and Octavia.
---
After a minute or two, the door opens and Octavia comes inside.
You stand up straight and she looks at you sternly. "Hello, Anonymous."
"Senator." You give a simple nod in response.
She takes a deep breath through the nose. "If you could, please remove your helmet. I wish to speak with you face-to-face." She's speaking calmly, but her firmness never leaves her for a moment as she does.
You hesitate for a moment, but oblige her and take off your helmet.
You set it down on the table and she begins to slowly pace back and forth. "Captain Shining Armor's report on you insists that you are a professional and quite seasoned in this field. I believe him, but I also know that everyone makes mistakes. You understand that the behavior you displayed out there was out of line, correct?"
"Yes ma'am." You reply.
She nods at you as she continues to pace back and forth. "Then I trust you will make sure it does not happen again with anyone else on this mission?"
You nod. "I can guarantee you that it won't happen again, ma'am."
"Excellent. No need to continue this topic then." She stops pacing and faces you with her arms behind her back. "Now, I feel I should brief you a little on our mission to Dantooine. Your companions should be just outside. Bring them in here, please."
You look to the door and head toward it. It opens automatically as you approach, and you see Pinkie and Sunset both waiting out there for you.
They both look at you and Sunset stands up straight. "How'd it go?"
"It's fine." You reply. "She wants to see us all though."
Sunset and Pinkie exchange a glance before walking inside the meeting room with you. Sunset takes off her helmet as she enters.
Octavia faces a large wall monitor that's been turned on displaying Spitfire's face, along with the planet Dantooine. "...Yes, Captain. I'm situated and ready for departure. When my meeting with Anonymous and his team is concluded, I'll leave him in contact with you."
Spitfire nods on the screen. "Of course, my lady."
Oh, great...
Spitfire's image snaps off and Octavia turns around to face Pinkie and Sunset. She gives them a small smile as they enter. The first one you've seen her make. "Welcome. Please sit down, all of you."
All three of you exchange glances before sitting down at the large table to face her. You never paid much attention to Republic politics, but you do remember seeing her for a moment once before and liking her. She's a good politician. Being from Naboo, she's extremely peaceful, but she's oddly intimidating at the same time, which is unexpected.
You feel the ship rumble a little and the engines start to whir. You're taking off.
"Now that we're underway, I feel it's time you all know what exactly we're doing here." She turns to look at the image of the planet behind her. "Since it's planetary bombardment by Darth Malak, in an attempt to destroy all evidence of the Star Forge's existence, and the Jedi Order at the time, Dantooine has been in a relative state of disarray. We have since brought a bit more order to the planet, but the local populace is still having trouble with gangs and criminals attempting to scavenge or raid a few ancient places left behind in the ruins of the old Jedi Order."
Pinkie speaks up. "There are Jedi ruins there?"
Octavia looks at her. "The ruins of an old Jedi Enclave is there, yes."
"Oh... I didn't know that..." Pinkie looks down a little. She looks a bit troubled at hearing that.
Sunset turns to her. "Darth Revan was amnesiac and being retrained as a Jedi at the time. I'm sure that's partly why Malak did it."
You continue her thought. "He wanted to cover up existence of the Star Forge, but he was obviously too late. Revan already knew where it was by then."
Octavia hums. "You two know your history."
You and Sunset look back to her, who looks slightly impressed.
"The Republic, and by extension, Revan and Malak, were our enemies in the Mandalorian Wars." Sunset says. "Revan single-handedly killed Mandalore the Ultimate on Malachor V and his forces nearly destroyed our fleet."
"A new Mand'alor would've risen that same exact day if Revan hadn't denied us of his mask." You continue. "Enemy or not, our people can't help but look at Revan with a high sense of respect for being such a magnificent warrior."
You cant help but smile a little as you briefly recount Revan's history. You and Sunset both. Pinkie doesn't look any happier though. Octavia simply stayed silent while you spoke.
You decide to get on with the 'now' though. "...But, that's a story for another time. Let's not get anymore off-topic."
Octavia nods again. "I agree." She turns back to the monitor and the image of a small settlement appears next to an image of the Jedi Enclave in ruins. "As I said, these settlements have had trouble from gangs and other organizations wishing to scavenge the planet's ancient Jedi ruins and natural crystal caves. It's been getting more frequent and violent as of late, but the locals wish to solve this problem on their own, or with as little assistance from the Republic as possible. They're rather stubborn, so I'm going there to negotiate with the leadership in an attempt to get them to agree to having the Republic build a larger outpost there. We simply don't want to lose Dantooine."
You wonder...
"Have any pirates been seen around here? The Draconequui by any chance?" You ask.
Octavia shakes her head. "I don't know. I'm sure we can ask them for more details."
Sunset speaks up again. "How long will we be there?"
"Only a few days, at the longest." She replies.
You take a deep breath and lean back in your chair a bit. A few days with these Republic pricks. Lovely.
Octavia shuts off the monitor and clears her throat. "That's basically the extent of what you need to know. Your job mainly consists of making sure this ship is not compromised in any way during transit, and on the surface. The Republic has a small number of boots on the ground there and we're working with the local militia, so it shouldn't be too difficult when we arrive. In the meantime though, I'm sure you all have duties to perform, so unless you have any further questions, you're all dismissed."
"We don't" You reply. "Thank you, Senator."
You and Sunset stand up. Pinkie hesitates before standing as well.
What's her deal?
Octavia walks down the hallway and enters the lift before looking back at you. "I'll be in my stateroom on the upper level."
You nod as the lift closes, and you and Sunset grab your helmets and put them back on. Sunset walks toward the lift. "I'll go patrol the upper levels first. Let's all switch shifts every fifteen minutes or so."
"Good idea. Me and Pinkie will be down here." You look at her. "Sound good?"
Pinkie looks at you and nods, still not smiling. "Sure."
You turn around and exit the meeting room with Pinkie following behind you. When you hear the door close, you turn to Pinkie as you head down the hallway together. "So Pinkie. Let's talk for a bit..."
Pinkie looks over to you as you slowly begin to patrol the hallway. "What do you wanna talk about?"
You clear your throat. "Well firstly, what was your deal in there? We started talking about the Jedi Enclave and then you looked... troubled. What's going on?"
She looks away from you again and says nothing. She still looks troubled. Almost guilty.
"You aren't a Jedi, are you?" You ask.
She shoots you a defensive look. "No! Of course not!" A second later, she softens and looks down again. "Well, not anymore, anyway..."
Interesting.
"What happened?" You ask.
"Well, basically, I was too rowdy and wild so I was kicked out." She doesn't look at you as she answers. "So, I guess now... 'technically', I'd be considered a Dark Jedi." She raises her hands and makes air quotes with her fingers to emphasize her word choice.
You cock your head slightly. "Technically?"
"Because I was kicked out of the Jedi Order, but I never joined the Sith and I still like to use the Force." She continues talking as you reach the end of the hallway and turn around again. "Me and my three sisters all joined the Jedi at the same time. There was me, Maud, Marble, and Limestone."
So she is related to Maud Pie. Small galaxy.
She continues. "I was there for a little bit. About a year or so. The masters there got after me a lot because I was so crazy. I was always trying to have some fun and make them mad, because they were always super serious and boring all the time." She rubs her arm softly. "It was funny back then. I was just a kid, after all. I kinda feel bad about it now that I'm older though."
She shouldn't feel bad about that at all.
"Well, you were right." You shrug. "The Jedi are too boring. You were doing them a favor by trying to bring them a little personality."
She smiles a little at that, but she still doesn't look up. "Yeah, maybe... Still, I feel bad because my sister Limestone also got kicked out when I did."
"Was she just as rambunctious as you were?" You ask.
She shakes her head. "No... She had a teensy little problem with her anger, even before we joined the Jedi. She may have seemed mean and grouchy to everyone else, but she just really, really cared about me and our other sisters. So once I was kicked out, she got really, really mad. So mad that she hurt her master and destroyed part of one of the rooms in the Jedi Temple before leaving with me."
Damn. Limestone sounds like she has absolutely no love for the Jedi whatsoever. You want to meet her. You'd probably have a lot to talk about.
You pry further. "What happened to her?"
"I don't know where she is now. We took off together and wandered the galaxy for a while. We learned more about the Force together, then we got into theft and stuff, which was pretty fun. I always tried to be more sneaky, but she was always direct and forceful. Kind of like a 'good cop, bad cop' thing, ya know? We would go after chump change and small stuff at first, but she wanted to go bigger and bigger the more we did it. We did things her way a few times, but I didn't really like it after a while. It felt like she was being more and more mean each time we took something from someone. She even started hurting people. I was all for swiping and stealing stuff, but I never wanted to actually hurt anyone for the sake of doing it. She would sometimes try to-"
"Okay, Pinkie?" You cut her off. You'd like her to get to the point.
She looks over at you and blinks. "Oh, was I starting to ramble?"
You nod. "A little bit, yeah."
She blushes a little and smiles softly. "Sorry. I do that sometimes."
Apparently...
Her smile fades and she goes back to talking. "Anyway, we did that together for a few years before we eventually crossed paths Draconequui. I really liked Discord when I met him. He was funny, so I stuck around. Limestone did for a while too, but she thought they were too small-time though. She wanted more loot and more action that she didn't think he could give, so she decided to go her own way. I didn't hear anything else about her for a while until I heard a rumor that she went to Korriban..." Worry washes over her face and she rubs her arm for self-comfort as she continues. "I think about that all the time. I really, really hope that a rumor is all it was..."
Korriban. The ancient homeworld of the Sith.
Pinkie is scared, terrified of the thought of her sister joining the Sith. You don't blame her. The only good thing about the Sith is their money, really.
You can't deny that the Mandalorians and the Sith share a few qualities. You both love to fight, you both have a dislike for the Jedi, and you're not above killing others to get ahead. They're different from you, though. They don't fight for honor or glory. The whole lot of them are power-hungry bastards that kill in cold blood because they like to. You'll kill if it's necessary, but you're no murderer. Not at all.
You think to yourself as you and Pinkie continue walking down the hallway. "That's quite the story..."
She nods slowly, but doesn't look up at you. You should probably say something else.
"Well... It probably is just a rumor." You reassure. "You left the Jedi too, but you didn't join the Sith. She likely didn't either."
More guilt washes over her face. "Yeah, I guess... I still did turn to the Dark Side though..."
"How do you figure that?" You ask.
She finally looks at you. "Were you even listening to my story? Did you even read my bio before coming to find me on Nar Shaddaa? You've seen what I've done."
You shrug. She makes a fair point. You don't understand much of the Force, but her life so far doesn't sound like a product of the Light Side's influence.
"I learned the basics of the Force from the Jedi, but I picked up a few other tricks by practicing in my spare time after me and Limestone were kicked out. How else do you think I'm so good at stealing stuff?" She gives you a small smile and holds up your sidearm in her hand.
"What the-?" You look to your holster. It's empty. "Hey! Give me that!"
When did she swipe that?
You quickly take it back from her and she starts giggling as you put it away. "Heehee! That's always so much fun seeing people freak out like that!"
You grumble under your breath as you holster the blaster.
You both look forward again as you continue to patrol the empty hallway together.
"I just don't like being around Jedi stuff, I guess..." Pinkie laments.
"Why is that?" You ask.
She takes a deep breath. "Because I can feel the Force whisper to me through them. It's kind of a side effect of being Force-sensitive. Anything strong with the Force leaves an echo of some kind. Lightsabers, old ruins, artifacts, whatever. I felt it really strong like that all the time when I was younger." She sighs again and scratches her head. "Every so often, I feel really bad about being such a pest to my masters. I sometimes wonder what would've happened if I had stayed with them and had been a better Padawan. Feeling the Force like that just brings those guilty feelings up again."
You honestly believe that she's much better off without the Jedi tainting her mind and making her waste her potential. She's got a good thing going for her right now. It's taught her to be tough and not afraid to show it. If she were a Jedi, she would have power, but wouldn't use it for the sake of "pacifism".
"Pinkie, I think you made out better that you realize. You're alive, you're happy, and I'm sure you're having fun with this life. I mean, how could you not?" She looks over to you. "Sure, you have regrets, but that's okay. Everyone does. No matter what, you just need to keep on going and do what's best for you. It's okay that you didn't make it as a Jedi. You can't always control what happens, but you do control your own destiny. Also, you shouldn't worry. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having your destiny not be with the Jedi."
Her gaze deepens as you speak. Something is on her mind.
"Why don't you like the Jedi, Anon?" She asks.
You take a deep breath. This is something you're always honest about.
"Because the Jedi are weak and stupid." You say matter-of-factly. "They want peace throughout the galaxy, but they refuse to make an effort to do anything about getting it, even though the Sith have been a huge prick in their side for thousands of years. Whenever it starts hurting, they just try to numb the pain. It only works for a while, but the prick is still there. Eventually, they'll feel it again. The only way to get rid of the pain is to remove what's causing it, which the Jedi will not do. They won't hunt down and destroy the Sith once and for all. That's why the Sith will win in the end. It's inevitable, if the Jedi don't get smart some time soon."
Pinkie glares at you, looking a bit hurt. "The Sith won't win. The Jedi and the Republic will never let that happen. They'll stop them every time they try."
"They will at first. Maybe." You reply. "They're good at keeping the Sith in line for now. The Republic may secretly want to pursue them further, but they won't because they know they'll lose without the Jedi's support. The Jedi will continue to numb and ignore the pain in their side for as long as they can in a vain hope that it will go away on its own. It will only lead to their downfall."
"What do you mean by that?" She asks.
You stop walking and turn to face her directly. "The apparent Sith presence may fade in time, but when that happens, like a virus, it will adapt and begin to destroy the Jedi from the inside. It could maybe even turn the Republic itself against them. I don't know exactly how it will happen, but I do know that if they refuse to act against the Sith, like Revan acted against us, then they will fall, and the Sith will 'rule the galaxy'... All because they were too stubborn to eliminate the problem when they had the chance."
Pinkie breathes through her nose as you stare at each other. The conflict in her head can be seen by the shame and guilt she's showing on her face. She wants to side with the Jedi; the 'good guys', but she can see your point of view as well.
She looks away again, not smiling.
You shrug at her. "Sorry. Just calling things as I see them. If I were a Jedi, then I'd use my Force powers to hunt down and destroy the Sith once and for all. They would never be a problem for me or anyone else in the galaxy ever again."
You look forward again and continue walking.
"You'd make a better Sith than a Jedi..." She says under her breath.
You stay silent for a moment. "Whatever..."
She's probably not totally wrong about that, you'll admit. Sometimes you need to do a little bad if you want to be good. The Sith take things too far, and the Jedi won't go far enough. You'd try to be right there in the middle of the two if you could use the Force.
You and Pinkie reach the end of the hallway again and you prepare to make another round.
"I'm gonna go swap out with Sunset..." She says. "I need some alone time."
You look back at her as she stands there. It doesn't look like she's feeling any better than she did when you started talking. If anything, she looks worse. Hopefully, you've enlightened her on some level and she just needs time to think things over.
"Fine." You reply.
She sighs softly and turns around, opening the door to the meeting room and stepping inside.
Now that you're thinking about it, you are kind of ending this on a bad note, Anon. You don't want any spite or animosity between you two. You still need her help to find Discord. You should probably say something else. At least try to make her feel a little better.
"I actually got to meet Maud, by the way." You say.
Pinkie stops abruptly and stands still.
A moment later, she turns around to face you again. "...No you didn't."
"She's a Jedi Master." You calmly reply. "Grey skin, turquoise eyes, violet hair, a seemingly constant lack of emotional expression?"
Pinkie's eyes begin to widen as you describe Maud to her.
She slowly stammers before replying. "Wh-When... When did you meet her?!"
"A couple weeks ago." You say. "She was on Shining Armor's Republic cruiser. The crew thought Sunset and I were Sith spies, and she convinced them that we weren't." A small smile slowly forms on Pinkie's face as you speak. "She helped us save Mandalore from getting infected with the Rakghoul plague. If it wasn't for her help, would've lost my life instead of just this. "
You lift up your robotic arm and wiggle your fingers a little. She looks at it for a moment before you put it back down. Her hopeful smile stays on her face and you think her eyes start brimming with tears.
"Wow..." She breathes. "How is she?"
"She seems to be fine. She's a bit odd, even for a Jedi, but she's doing okay." You say.
Pinkie giggles a little. "Yeah... Maud always understood the 'There is no emotion' part of the Jedi code really well..." She takes a breath and smiles even wider as she looks at you. "That means so much to me, Anon. I haven't seen or heard anything about her in years." She takes a few steps toward you and surprises you by giving you a hug. You're a bit taken back at first, but you reluctantly return the hug after a moment. "Thank you. I really needed to hear that."
"You're welcome, Pinkie." You stay silent as she holds onto you.
"See? Maud helped you!" She squeezes you tighter. "The Jedi are okay!"
You roll your eyes. "My stance on the Jedi as a whole hasn't changed a bit. However, I am aware that everything has an exception. Even them."
She laughs softly and doesn't let go of you.
...
Any time now, Pinkie.
...
"Uh... Weren't you going to the upper level?" You ask awkwardly.
She giggles and squeezes you tighter. "I can't help it! Hearing about Maud made me so happy! You better get used to this, Anon! I'm a hugger!"
You groan a little through your nose. This is so uncomfortable. It's hard to believe that you were trying to kill each other just a few hours ago.
"Alright, look..." You put your hands on her shoulders and pry her off of you. "I appreciate it, but you're going to have to not do that. Especially for that long." She looks at you with a wide smile as you release her. "Let's just stay focused on the job that we're doing now, okay?"
She giggles again and quickly stands at attention while giving you a salute. "Yes sir, Mr. Boss-man sir! Thanks again!"
She spins around and gleefully walks over to the lift at the opposite end of the meeting room. You exhale and shake your head as you turn around to patrol the hallway again. She's a good girl. Weird as hell, but good nonetheless.
Spitfire continues. "Inform the Senator that we will be touching down in a few minutes."
"Alright." You switch her off and usher Sunset to follow you. The two of you had made your rounds together for the rest of the trip. Pinkie had spent her time upstairs. She said she wanted to be alone, so you obliged her.
As you both walk back to Octavia's stateroom, you feel the ship rumble slightly as it breaches Dantooine's atmosphere.
You turn the comms on again and contact Pinkie. "Pinkie, get down here."
"Okie dokie lokie!" She replies gleefully.
You shut them off again and come up on Octavia's stateroom. After a knock on the door, she opens it a minute later. "We'll be touching down in a few minutes, Senator."
She nods slightly. "Thank you both."
When she shuts the door again, you and Sunset both turn around and wait for Pinkie.
"We're not planning to keep Pinkie permanently, right?" Sunset asks.
"Oh hell no, are you kidding?" You scoff. "She's crazy. Once we get Discord, we're going to give her a fair share of his bounty then drop her right after."
Sunset chuckles. "Good. Just double checking."
Pinkie's a good girl, and an amazing fighter, but she's annoying as hell. You'd probably end up killing her if you kept her.
Honestly though, you're a bit disappointed. If she wasn't so obnoxious, she would be the perfect partner. Apart from Sunset, of course.
"I've been thinking something though, Anon." You look at Sunset and remain silent. "What if we consistently worked with the Republic for a bit?"
"What?" Where did that come from? You hate the Republic. She knows that. "Why the hell would we want to do that?"
"Think about this for a bit, okay? Hear me out." She begins. "Shining Armor said that they're low on soldiers right now, right?"
You nod. "Yeah."
She nods. "So that means that they have their hands full with trying to keep the whole galaxy under control. They're resorting to hiring mercenaries like us."
That's true. History has shown that the Republic doesn't like doing this.
She continues. "Moreover, they're so low on manpower that they are offering these mercenaries ridiculous amounts of money for finding certain people they don't like... Around the '500,000' area. You know?"
"They're desperate for help." You say, realizing where she's going with this.
She nods. "And they probably will be this desperate for years. Anon, do you realize how long we could milk this for?"
You could be millionaires in a matter of weeks. That is a very good idea.
"I love the way you think, Sunset." She giggles a bit and you hear the lift drop to your level. You don't want Pinkie to hear about this. "Let's talk more about this later. Just us."
"Sounds good." Sunset nods again.
The door opens and Pinkie comes out of the lift with a smile on her face as she waves at you both. "Hey there, Mandos!"
You groan quietly under your breath.
She's too happy, even for a Zeltron. You don't like it. Hopefully, she got to think about your discussion while she was upstairs. Maybe that's why she's so happy. She's realized that she's better off without the Jedi.
She stops walking and stands between you two. "We're in the atmosphere! Is Octavia ready?"
As she speaks, Octavia's door opens and she steps outside. "That's 'Senator Melody' to you, Pinkie, and yes, I am ready."
Pinkie turns to face her and smiles wide. "Okie dokie, senator! We are too!"
Octavia nods slightly and begins walking toward the exit ramp. "Walk with me, please."
The three of you walk behind Octavia as she leads you down the hallway through the ship.
You activate your comms and contact Spitfire. "Captain. The Senator is ready and we are making our way to the ramp. How soon until we touch down?"
"You will arrive in two minutes." She replies. "When you disembark, escort the Senator to where she needs to go."
"Will do." You shut off your comms and continue walking.
You feel the ship twist and turn slightly as it descends toward the surface. There are no windows here, so you can only guess how far you are. Finally, the ship stays still for a few seconds before you feel a thud. You have arrived.
When you reach the exit ramp, you press a button on the wall and it slowly begins to open.
Octavia speaks as the ramp lowers. "This compound should be well-guarded, but I'll need at least one of you to patrol around, just to be safe. Captain Spitfire insisted that you go first, Anonymous."
You don't say anything, but you grumble under your breath, just barely. You really hate Spitfire. Soarin' too.
You all descend down the ramp once it touches the ground.
"And where exactly will Captain Spitfire be?" You ask.
Octavia doesn't look at you. "She and her team have their own duties to attend to. Don't worry about her."
When you walk off the ramp, you look around at the compound. Unsurprisingly, there are a good number of people in Republic uniforms here. There are a few soldiers among them, but they mostly consist of engineers and maintenance workers. They all move back and forth in front of you, attending to whatever duties they are in the middle of.
You look up and see a large Brith flying high above in the clear blue sky. The sun is just behind it and shining brightly, but the planet feels very cool. Much cooler than Naboo. You can barely hear the sound of the wind whistling just outside the walls of the compound.
This is the first time you've ever been to Dantooine. Despite being surrounded by a small number of normal people doing normal things, it's unusually quiet here. Much more so than the hustle and bustle that you're used to.
You look back to Octavia and usher her forward. "Lead on, Senator."
She nods and walks toward the door on the far side of the compound. You walk beside her while Sunset and Pinkie follow behind you.
"I assume that it's going to take a while to gather the delegates together for our meeting, so I suggest you begin patrolling the compound now." She says.
You exhale through your nose before looking back at Pinkie and Sunset. "Alright."
Octavia looks at you all. "Hopefully, these meetings won't last too long. I understand that you have things that you need to do as well, so I will try as hard as I can do get through them quickly."
"What do you want us to do then, Senator?" Sunset asks.
Octavia looks over at her for a second. "I'll leave that up to you."
"Try asking around for any information on the ones responsible for the looting. Maybe we can help somehow." You tell her.
Maybe Discord is connected with the trouble here somehow.
Sunset nods. "Alright."
You reach a set of open double doors and Octavia stops to face you all. "Here we are. Anonymous, come with me."
You nod and turn to Sunset and Pinkie again. "Let me know what you find out."
"Will do." Sunset nods.
You turn around again and follow Octavia a bit more into the building, leaving Sunset and Pinkie behind.
---
You watch Anon walk away with Octavia for a moment before the doors begin to close and you turn around to look around the compound again.
Pinkie perks up behind you. "So where are we going first, Sunset?"
You cross your arms. "Let's ask around for details and do a little investigating. Anon hopes that Discord is involved with these guys giving Dantooine trouble. If he is, great. If not, well... maybe we can earn a few spare credits while we're here."
"Like helping people out?" She asks.
You shrug. "That. Maybe doing a few odd jobs here and there. Anything that can get a little extra money in our pockets."
You both turn around and begin to walk around the compound, looking for the way out of the landing pad area.
You continue. "If all else fails and we can't find anything, we might as well look for some entertainment. We could be here for a while."
"Maybe there's a place to play some Pazaak!" Pinkie says excitedly. "That's always a good way to get money!"
You laugh. "That's a good idea. I hear you're not too shabby at it."
Pinkie giggles at your joke and you both continue onward. You go through a doorway and navigate through the public hallways and corridors, passing soldiers, workers, and farmers all along the way. A few minutes later and you exit through another doorway and step onto an outdoor courtyard.
There are quite a few people out here. Most of them look like farmers. A few shops along the perimeter on either side of you. They mostly look like places to buy tools or droids. The largest store is to your right, and it looks a place to buy large farming equipment. Most of these buildings are one to two stories tall though. This is a very small town.
Pinkie taps your arm and points forward. "Let's try there."
At the opposite end of the courtyard is what looks like a recruiting station at first glance. The Republic emblem is holographically displayed above the door.
You both head toward there, pardoning yourselves as you weave through the small group of people. A minute later, you both head inside and meet a faded blue protocol droid standing behind a desk in the center of the room.
The droid notices you and bows slightly. "Greetings. Welcome to the Dantooine outpost. How may I be of assistance?"
You take off your helmet and walk up to the desk. "We're both on a security detail for Senator Octavia Melody of Naboo. She's here to meet with Dantooine's delegates, but she asked us to help out if we could."
The droid looks to you for a moment and pauses. "Forgive me, I do not understand. You wish to... help out?"
"You've been having trouble with looters and gangs lately, haven't you?" You ask.
The droid nods. "Ah, I see. Yes, we have. They have caused quite a bit of trouble for some time. After the Jedi came and recovered anything they could from the old Enclave's destruction, the locals decided to preserve the site out of respect. Everything beyond the main security homestead is off-limits to anyone without permission."
"People still managed to get in though..." You say.
"Unfortunately." The droid responds. "This one particular group of thugs has been the biggest problem as of late. Not only have they managed to get into a restricted section of land, but they have also been able to stand their ground. A few militia soldiers that were charged with keeping watch died by their hands."
Pinkie speaks up. "How come you guys didn't step in and help?"
The droid looks at her. "The Republic would like to help, but the local government insists that they can handle this situation on their own, despite the obvious evidence against them."
You look over at Pinkie before turning back to the droid. "What if someone convinced them to leave?"
The droid hesitates for a moment. "I am not sure that would be wise. They would be outgunned, and outnumbered ten to one."
Outnumbered? Maybe. Outgunned? Against a pair of Mandalorians? You need to know more.
You set your hands on the counter. "Who are these guys? What kind of gear do they have?"
"We are not sure." The droid replies. "We have not been permitted by the government to perform any actual reconnaissance. From what we have seen, however, they use customized swoop bikes to move around. This is why the militia has trouble with them. They go in fast and get themselves lost in the canyons surrounding the Enclave ruins. The militia follows them, but their vehicles can not match the speed of a swoop bike."
Hit and run tactics. You make a note of that in your head.
"Alright." You say. "What about weapons?"
"Standard blaster pistols and rifles. Nothing out of the ordinary, but their numbers prove to be a challenge for the militia." The droid replies.
That makes sense. If they wanted to be fast, they'd need to be lightly armed.
"What does this local militia consist of?" You ask.
"Volunteers." The droid says. "Most of them are farmers with little to no real military experience."
Well there's the problem. These guys can be just a small-time gang of opportunists, but they're going up against people who barely know how to fight. Of course they're going to win.
You exhale softly. "Has the government ever issued any militia personnel to stand guard by the actual ruins themselves?"
"They have not." The droid says. "They are only watching the one area by the homestead on a consistent basis. They would get near the ruins when they did sweeps, however."
"Wait." You lean in closer. "They guard this one area only?"
The droid nods. "Correct."
"Is this the area where these looters are getting access to the ruins?" You ask.
"Yes." The droid nods again. "They ride in on their swoop bikes within sight of the headquarters."
"So, this is the only way to get to the ruins?" You ask.
"No." The droid shakes its head. "There are many ways to gain access to the ruins. The local militia only covers this one, however."
Pinkie speaks up again. "It sounds like these guys rubbing it in the militia's faces."
You nod. It really does sound like that. These guys are taking advantage of a huge hole in the militia's security, and they're making sure the militia knows about it.
These people, as good-natured as they may seem, are outgunned and untrained, and they're going up against a gang of looters who aren't afraid to kill for what they want. It sounds like whoever is running this government is a stubborn, shortsighted scumbag. Maybe that's why Octavia is here. So she can talk this person into accepting some help. Everyone needs help at some point. You're not sure if this is meant to be bravery, but it's definitely stupidity.
You cross your arms and think for a moment before looking back at the droid. "Let's just say, hypothetically, that someone went in and took care of these looters. What would happen?"
The droid hesitates for a moment. "I am unsure what you mean by, 'what would happen?'."
"Politically, what would happen?" You clear up. "Would Dantooine's government outright disown the Republic's presence forever? Would they not care? Would they thank this individual?"
The droid doesn't respond right away. "Due to the current policies set by the government, the Republic cannot intervene with issues like this. If something were to happen, I can assure you that the Republic would not be involved."
"I see..." You hum.
Political games are so stupid, but unfortunately, that's how it is. If you want something done right, you need to do it yourself.
Technically, you're not with the Republic. Neither is Anon or Pinkie.
She looks over at you, cocking her head slightly. "Sunset?"
She must have seen the gears turning in your head. You're starting to get a few ideas.
You look over at her for a moment before looking back to the droid and straightening up. "Well, thank you for answering my questions, droid. I was just curious if there was anything I could do to help make things easier, but it sounds like it's all about politics now."
The droid bows slightly at you. "My pleasure. Have a good day."
"You too." You nod. "Come on, Pinkie."
You usher her to follow and you both step back outside onto the courtyard.
Once you're outside of the Republic's earshot, she turns to you. "Are you okay Sunset?"
You take a deep breath and look over at her, smirking. "Just peachy." You put your helmet back on. "Feel like getting into trouble?"
You quietly grumble to yourself as you stand still. Octavia is getting ready for this political meeting of hers, and she's left you by the door of the briefing room to stand guard.
You. Are. Bored.
She's speaking with this orange male Twi'lek diplomat about something you can't hear and probably don't care about. Honestly though, the boredom is not the worst thing about this. The Wonderbolts are in this room as well. All four of them. You and Soarin' may be on opposite ends of the room, but you've barely looked away from each other the whole time you've been in this room.
Along with him, Spitfire is standing in front of him. The other two pilots you don't know the names of are on either side of him. They haven't looked away from you either. They are both female. One of them is a human with deep orange-red hair, a bit darker than Spitfire's, while the other is a Pantoran with white hair that almost looks like it's being blasted back off her head. She's the shortest member of the Wonderbolts. Half a head shorter than Spitfire.
The worst part about this is that Soarin' is all the way over there, and he's still alive. If you weren't on the job right now, he'd be dead. He's probably thinking the same thing. Only difference is he wouldn't stand a chance against you. Not even with those other three pilots fighting with him. They wouldn't make a difference. They'd just die with him.
There are two Republic soldiers standing near you, along with a couple of local guards. You're using the term 'guard' here lightly. These guys look like they just rolled out of bed. They're obviously amateurs. One of them wasn't even holding his rifle correctly when you walked in. They all looked at you in fear when they first saw you. They knew they wouldn't last a second in a fight against you, and they showed it very clearly on their faces.
You're surrounded by the weak, and you're in a political building, doing nothing, while someone you hate is still alive, and there's not a damn thing you can do about any of it. This is your hell.
You continue sitting there, watching the politicians have their talking contest and accomplishing nothing, when your comms beep in your ear a moment later. Your HUD indicates that it's on a private channel, which means that it's Sunset. Thank the Force.
You press a button on your gauntlet and turn away slightly, making sure to speak softly. "Hey, Sunset."
"Anon, me and Pinkie got a lead on these looters." She replies. "Think you can meet us?"
You sigh softly. "I don't know. Octavia will want to keep everything political, so I don't think she'll let me go look for looters. She wouldn't approve of something happening under the table."
"Politics are a waste of time. Just make something up, like a security breach or something." She suggests.
Not a bad idea.
"Alright, let me see what I can do. I'll get back to you." You deactivate your comms and look back to the group. Unsurprisingly, nothing seems to have changed.
This is just a briefing meeting, so you see no harm in bringing something to Octavia's attention. You walk toward her.
She notices you, but continues to speak to the Twi'lek. Once you're closer to her, you stop and wait for her to finish.
"...yes, and that is why I am here. Excuse me." She turns back to you. "Yes Anonymous?"
You clear your throat. "Sunset said that she thinks she saw some movement around the perimeter and wants me to check it out with her. It shouldn't take too long, but I'm going to patrol around the compound for a while when I've finished, just to be safe."
She nods at you. "Very well, Anonymous. Thank you."
"Of course, senator." You bow a little and turn around to head toward the door.
You pass by the guards and give one of them a glance just for fun. He's visibly nervous as you pass him and exit the room. Once you've finally left the room, you exhale and walk down the empty hallway.
Once you reach the end of the hallway, you make a left and head back the way you came. You contact Sunset again as you walk.
"Hey. Did you get out?" She asks.
"Yeah. I've got a few hours." You reply. "Where are you?"
"We're in the courtyard in the center of town." She says. "Just in front of the Republic's office building."
You nod. "Alright, I'll be there soon."
You deactivate your comms and continue quickly down the hallway. After making lefts and rights, you enter the entrance hall and head out the door into the courtyard.
It only takes a moment before you spot Pinkie standing on a bench with a wide smile on her face, waving her arm back and forth erratically at you while screaming, "ANOOON!! WE'RE OVER HEEEERE!!"
She's about as subtle as a marching band. It's hard to believe that she's a master thief.
You make your way over to her and Sunset. "What did you guys find out?"
Sunset crosses her arms. "Well, these looters make themselves known to the militia on a regular basis. They are not heavily armed, but they are fast. They have swoop bikes."
You fold your arms as well. Too bad you don't have your swoop bike here.
"What about defense? Does this militia do anything?" You ask.
Sunset shakes her head. "They can't. Most of them are just farmers."
Your eyebrows shoot up under your helmet. "Oh, so those guards I saw in the briefing room just now weren't the disabled people who get stuck standing around all the time? They are it? They are the ones charged with defending the Jedi ruins?"
Sunset nods and exhales. "Yeah, I know. It's... It's embarrassing."
You groan and rest your head in your hand. The thought almost makes you want to side with the looters. This is just sad.
You slump your shoulders. "Okay... So they're fast, lightly armed, and you said they make themselves known?"
Sunset nods again. "Yeah. They always ride in by the militia HQ."
"That makes them arrogant..." You say.
Pinkie speaks up. "That's what I was thinking too, with how close they are to the militia HQ when they go in. There's tons of other ways to get to the ruins, but they only go in that way."
Their overconfidence will be their downfall. If there's one thing you like as much as getting paid, it's putting stupid people in their rightful place. Why? Because you can.
You place your hands on your hips and look at the girls. "Alright, let's go take care of them. Hopefully, we can get a little bonus from doing this."
"Maybe we should take some of the stuff these guys found from the ruins, just in case we don't get anything extra." Sunset suggests.
"Spoils of battle. Good thinking, Sunset." You say. "That stuff has to be valuable."
If you do get a bonus from the Republic though, you'll return anything the looters stole. As a show of gratitude. You have no intentions of leaving this planet empty-handed.
"Speaking of stealing, Pinkie, do you think you can find out where this militia base is?" You ask her.
"Oh, I already did! It's on this datapad I swiped from the Republic while Sunset was talking to the droid!" Pinkie smiles and pulls out a datapad from behind her.
Sunset looks at her. "I didn't see you grab that."
You take it from her and turn it on.
"Well duh!" Pinkie says. "That's the point, Sunny!"
You smirk when you hear Sunset scoff and Pinkie giggle. Despite her quirks, it is pretty cool how easily she can steal stuff.
Once the datapad is on, you press a few buttons on your gauntlet and your HUD brings up a progress bar. A few seconds later, everything on the datapad is downloaded into your helmet's system. You give the datapad back to Pinkie.
"You want me to give this back to them?" She asks.
You shrug. "Give it back, throw it away, I don't care, as long as you get rid of it. We don't need it anymore."
Pinkie shrugs and walks off while you transfer the downloaded info to Sunset. Once she's got it, you bring up a local map and discover that the militia's HQ building is about 700 meters southeast of the compound you're currently in. It looks like this region of the planet mostly consists of rolling hills and plains. Perfect for swoop bikes.
Everything south of the headquarters becomes a labyrinth of tight canyons and ridges. That could be useful. Your jetpack probably wouldn't be able to keep up with a swoop bike out in the open, but in there, they would have to move slower if they didn't want to crash.
You zoom out on the map a bit and discover that the Jedi Enclave ruins are about 3 kilometers from your current position, inside the labyrinth of canyons.
You mark the headquarters' location and close the map. "Alright, I know where we're headed."
Sunset perks up a moment later. "Me too."
Pinkie walks up and stops next to Sunset, looking at you both with a smile. Her hands are empty.
"Alright, let's head out." You turn around and lead the girls toward the compound's nearest exit.
The wind whistles through the air above and around you as you all crouch down on a small grassy hilltop, a little ways away from the militia HQ. You use your viewfinder in your helmet's antenna to zoom in and do a bit of recon.
The building looks like it's about two stories high. It's pretty big, compared to the other buildings you saw back at the compound. Sunset is beside you, also observing the building through her helmet, but Pinkie doesn't have a helmet, so she can't see as well as you two.
"What do you guys see?" She asks.
There are two guards by the door on the eastern face of the building. Both of them are armed with simple blaster rifles. There's another door on the northern face, but no one is there. You're going to assume that there are two more on the west side, just to be safe.
"At least two guards. Maybe four." On the second floor balcony, there's a turret. It doesn't look operational though. "An inoperable turret on the balcony. But...." Nothing else noteworthy. These guys are so ill-equipped. "...That's about it. You see anything else Sunset?"
"Not really." She says. "Just like the map showed, there's a bunch of canyons and rocks on the other side of the building."
You pull up your map on your HUD once again to check. Sure enough, the canyons stretch on for a few kilometers in either direction beyond the building. You shut off your viewfinder and your antenna rotates upright again.
"If we want to find these guys, we can't let the militia see us. They'll think we're looters and go after us and probably leave their base defenseless. We can't risk it being destroyed or desecrated until we know the looters are in the canyons, so we have to be stealthy." You turn to look at Sunset and Pinkie. "The easiest way, obviously, would be to fly over the building and land on the other side."
Pinkie turns around and points to her back. "Yeah, if we all had jetpacks."
"I know..." You reply.
You don't want to risk going around on the ground. That would take too long and you could be spotted. There isn't much cover out here in this big, open field.
"What if we carried her between us and flew over?" Sunset suggests.
You look up at Sunset and Pinkie's eyes light up. "That sounds fun!"
"That sounds crazy." You say.
Sunset shrugs at you. "Well, what other options do you have for me? We're on the clock and we don't want these guys to see us, so the three of us going up and over would be the quickest way there."
Pinkie turns to you. "Come on Anon! Pleeeeeease?"
You grumble a bit. That would be the quickest option.
Truth be told, you're reluctant only because Pinkie would probably scream and whoop like an excited child. She's already sticking her bottom lip out and begging you with her hands clasped together.
You sigh and take another look at the building for a moment before turning to her. "I don't want to hear any squeals or laughing while we're up there. We're going for stealth, here. Got it?"
Her smile stretches a mile wide across her face and she jumps into the air. "YESSS! OH MY GOSH, THIS WILL BE SO MUCH FUN! I'M GONNA FLY! I'M GONNA FLY! I'M GONNA FLY!" She squeals and laughs, just like you just told her not to do, in circles around you. After about thirty seconds she looks at you and Sunset and abruptly stops. She then takes a deep breath and composes herself. "Aaaand, it's all out of my system!"
She smiles at you again, blushing a little.
"Good." You grunt.
You really hate that you need her...
Pinkie steps between you and Sunset and you all face the militia HQ.
"Alright, Pinkie, grab our hands." She grabs Sunset's right hand, and your robotic left. She squeezes you tight and Sunset continues talking. "No tricks or fancy maneuvers. We're just going up and over the building, to the ridge on the opposite side."
You take another look around at the field. You can hear and feel the wind around you. It might be a bit turbulent up there.
"Hopefully this wind won't be much of a problem once we're in the air." You say.
"If it is, we'll make adjustments." Sunset replies.
You shrug. "You're the pilot. I'll follow your lead."
Sunset nods. "Pinkie, hold on tight. If you can, also keep an eye out for any movement on the ground. Hopefully, the militia won't see or hear us up there, but if they do, let us know."
Pinkie nods happily. "Okie dokie!"
Sunset takes a deep breath. "Okay, here we go. Three. Two. One."
You and Sunset simultaneously activate your jetpacks and rise into the air. To compensate for the extra weight, you and Sunset lean out and away from Pinkie, and the three of you continue to ascend. Out of the corner of your eye, you see her look down, and she squeezes your hand tighter.
You ascend at a rate of a couple of feet per second for a while before you head toward the building. The roar of your jets is muffled a little as the wind blows at them. You're starting to have a bit of trouble keeping yourself aligned in one constant direction as you move into a stronger air current.
"Keep moving forward, but go slow!" Sunset commands.
As you get higher into the air, you also move closer to the building. From this altitude, you can see the maze of canyons stretch out for miles directly ahead. As you get directly over the building, another strong gust of wind hits from your left and you're knocked off-balance for a split second, but you quickly recover.
"Guys?" Pinkie says.
"We're alright, Pinkie! Don't worry!" You quickly reply.
"No, look! Speeder bikes!" She says.
You and Sunset both look to your left and see four speeders coming over a hilltop toward you. They're closing in fast and you're now directly over the building. If they get much closer, they'll see you. You have to move.
"Descend! Now!" Sunset shouts.
You see a good spot to land on the right hand side of the labyrinth's mouth and point to it. "There!"
The thrust of your jetpacks increase to the maximum and you all dive toward the canyon's wall. Pinkie screams a little at the sudden acceleration, but you don't stop. You keep hold of her hand as tight as your robotic hand is able to without crushing her. The oncoming speeders are dangerously close to you now. At this point, you don't care if the militia sees you.
You move through the air as fast as you can, only slowing down when you're about twenty feet from the surface. Pinkie swings her legs forward and releases you and Sunset. As soon as she lands, she rolls forward once into a crouching position. You and Sunset both deactivate your jetpacks and grunt as you land beside each other.
You look at her. "You alright?"
She nods. "Yeah I'm fine. That was too close though."
The roar of the bikes behind you gets your attention and you turn around to look back at the building. The four speeders slow down as they approach, and the three of you get down and lay on your stomachs. The two militia guards you saw before raise their rifles at them and retreat into the building.
"What do we do?" Sunset asks.
"We can't risk the looters getting away while they're in the open." You say. "Let's wait for when they come into the canyons, then we'll follow them from the air."
She looks at you. "What about Pinkie?"
"I can steal one of the bikes!" Pinkie says. "You guys can ride along and I'll follow right behind them!"
She does have the Force on her side. She could do it.
"That's a good idea." You look back at the speeders again as they rev their engines and alter their direction toward you. "This is it... Pinkie, get into a good position a bit deeper into the canyon. Get to where you know they'll pass you."
"Got it!" She gets up and runs back along the ridge.
You and Sunset wait for another few seconds before you get up and ready your rifles as the bikes close in. You both crouch down, but continue moving along the ridge line as fast as you can. The long grass you're standing on provides a bit of concealment, but not much.
The speeders' engines get much louder as they enter the canyon. You look down as the first bike zooms past you. The second and third ones follow.
"On my signal..." You say, holding your breath. "Now!"
Once the last bike is right beside you, you rise up and sprint along the ridge line, activating your jetpack. Sunset is right behind you. The two of you aim your rifles down at the bike and fire. A few shots hit the front and right side of it, making the Duros driver look around in confusion. A couple seconds later, just as he passes a section of the maze where the rocky wall sticks out a bit into the canyon, Pinkie Pie emerges from behind it, and leaps onto the bike.
The driver looks forward again as she lands in front of him, obviously shocked. In one motion, she pounces, grabs his neck, and throws him from the driver's seat into the canyon wall. You barely hear him scream before he impacts it.
Pinkie gets into the driver's seat and looks up at you two. "Come on!"
You and Sunset descend and land on either of the large frontal fins of the speeder bike and Pinkie revs the engine, accelerating forward after the remaining bikes. You try to stay as balanced in the center of the bike as best you can. This joyride needs to last.
The drivers of the three remaining bikes look back at you for a second before they round a corner to the right. Pinkie hits the brakes and follows behind them around the corner before accelerating once again. The nearest bike's driver looks back at you and fires a single blaster shot at you, which misses.
As the bikes make another left turn, Pinkie is forced to slow down more so she doesn't flip. This bike has too much weight. She can't keep up as easily. You'll need to steal another one.
"Pinkie, get as close as you can to that one!" You command. "Sunset, sit behind her!"
Sunset coordinates her movements with you to avoid rocking the bike as much as possible as you shift positions. She moves to sit behind Pinkie and you move in front of her. You hunker down and spread your arms and legs out to hold yourself face-down between the two frontal fins. Despite the bike's extra weight, the ground is moving extremely quickly directly below you. One slip of the hand and you're history.
She hits the accelerator and closes in on the next bike. The driver turns around and fires another shot, missing you again. You keep yourself as low as you can while Sunset returns fire.
He looks forward again and accelerates away from you. Pinkie stays in hot pursuit as you zigzag left and right down the canyon. She's trying her best, but you just can't get close enough to this guy. Even in this confined space, your jetpack alone won't be fast enough to keep up with him in the air.
Your missile could slow him down...
Once you reach a relatively straight pathway, you look beyond the nearest bike at the other two in front of it. The bike in the middle is a decent distance away. He's staying close behind the leader. He's far enough away that the nearest bike will have time to react and slow down once you blow it up.
Pinkie can not, and must not lose the leader, under any circumstances. You have to get to where they're going. If you get separated from the girls, that's fine. As long as one of you gets to where they're going, then you can all regroup later.
You look back at them for a moment before looking ahead again and turning on your comms. The bike is too loud for them to hear you otherwise. "Sunset, Pinkie, when I give the signal, both of you duck down! I'm going airborne and I don't want to hit you!"
Sunset replies. "What are you doing?!"
"Trust me! I'm going to slow them down!" You reply. "Pinkie, DO NOT lose the lead bike! Stay focused on the lead bike! The lead bike and nothing else! Do you understand?!"
Pinkie nods. "Lead bike! Got it!"
You watch as you quickly approach the end of the narrow canyon path. The front two bikes turn right once they reach a fork. That's your chance!
"GET DOWN!" You activate your jetpack, full power, and push off of the bike.
Your foot narrowly misses Sunset's head as you ascend, but you get clear of her and Pinkie within a second. As you quickly gain altitude, you look ahead and target the center bike as it follows the leader down the canyon. There's still a good bit of distance between him and the bike closest to Sunset and Pinkie.
Once you're locked onto the bike, you press a button on your gauntlet. The missile on your pack blasts off and screams as it flies down to its target.
You don't wait for it. You fly ahead as fast as you can after the missile.
---
"Sunset, what are we waiting for?!" Pinkie asks.
You don't answer her because you don't know, exactly. Anon didn't let you in on his idea.
You look ahead at the line of speeders as Pinkie continues to follow them. Just then, a familiar screeching comes from above. You look up into the air and see a missile flying down toward the second bike.
So that's what he was doing...
A second later, the missile impacts and a large ball of fire consumes the second bike. The nearest bike slows down hard and drifts off to the right a little.
"Pinkie, don't slow down! Move to the left!" You shout.
"Okay!" Pinkie hits the accelerator and moves past the speeder.
She starts to drive up along the steep ridge as she reaches what's left of the second bike. Once you're past the wreck, she evens out onto level ground again and closes in on the last bike. This one needs to stay alive. He's the only one who can take you where you need to go.
"Stay on him!" You say before turning on your comms and contacting Anon.
---
You watch the looter's speeder bike screech to a stop at the other bike's wreck. Pinkie drives hers to the left of it, still chasing the leader. You're only seconds behind them and moving as fast as you can through the air.
The bike starts to curve to its right and turn around. You grab your sidearm as you close in. Once the driver's head is in view, you fire. You're moving so fast that you understandably miss him, so you slow down hard and swing your legs forward to land.
As you reach the bike, you use your robotic arm to grab the lip of the frontal fin, locking yourself in place. Your sudden stop puts significant pressure on your body and you hesitate for a split-second as the g-forces work on you. When you finally recover, you get your first good look at the looter. Another Duros.
You grunt as you swing your right arm forward and smack your blaster across his blue face. "S'cuse me!" He cries out and falls to the side. You release your grip on the bike and grab his throat. "I want to drive!"
He goes flying toward the canyon wall as you throw him into it and you hijack his ride. You rev the engine and turn the speeder around, accelerating as fast as you can after Pinkie and Sunset. They're both out of view now, but you'll find them.
Sunset's voice comes in through your comms. "Anon, did you get the bike?!"
"Yeah, I've got it!" You reply. "Keep following the leader! I'll catch up with you!"
---
"Alright!" You shut off your comms and focus on the last bike. Pinkie stays in hot pursuit as he weaves through the canyon.
After a minute or two of driving, you reach a small field. It's somewhat open with only a couple trees along the bordering canyon walls. A few large boulders are scattered about in the middle of the field. On your left however, you notice a very large crater that has cut into a portion of the canyon wall, leaving only rocks and debris.
There's another large crater just ahead of you too. They look like they've been hit with meteors or large blasterfire or something. Grass and vegetation has grown in them both, so they are very old craters. Curious.
You stay focused on the lead bike as he swerves right and heads into another section of the canyon. Pinkie doesn't slow down and follows right after him. This next bit of canyon isn't as narrow as the one before, but it isn't as open either. You notice another large crater on your right.
Something is off about this place. You don't know what it is, but you're starting to feel uneasy. You feel your chest slowly tighten up as you continue onward. You almost feel nauseous. It's like your instincts are all telling you to be extra alert and cautious. You have a very bad feeling about this place.
"Sunset?" Pinkie's voice snaps you out of your thoughts.
You shake your head. "W-What?"
"I don't like the feel of this place..." She says.
So it's not just you?
"I don't either..." You reply.
Pinkie continues to tail the speeder as he drives around the rocks and through another crevice. That feeling in your gut does not stop. It doesn't deter you from your focus though, so it's not important.
When the bike rounds another bend, the path opens up into a box canyon. Craters and rocks litter the area all over. Directly ahead of you is a large, run down building. You recognize it as the old Jedi Enclave almost immediately. Off to the sides, you notice a few people walking along the perimeter of the building.
"We found them!" Pinkie hits the brakes and your bike drifts to a hard stop.
She turns the bike around and zooms back the way you came. You look back at the Enclave building to see if anyone has noticed you. No one is giving chase yet, but you're positive that they will soon.
Pinkie rounds another corner and loses their line of sight.
"Keep driving, Pinkie! I'll let Anon know!" You say.
---
You drive through the canyons, making various lefts and rights along the way. Sunset's location had showed up on your HUD. So you have an idea of which direction she's in, but this maze is confusing as hell.
Your comms beep in your ear as you make another right. "Where are you?"
"We found the Enclave building, but it's crawling with thugs." Sunset says. "We're doubling back and trying to get ourselves lost in the canyons so they can't find us."
You take another right and enter an open field. You slow to a stop and wait there as you speak to Sunset.
"How many guys are chasing you?" You ask.
"We don't know if anyone is chasing us yet, but Pinkie is trying to get us lost just in case." Sunset replies.
Coming out of another opening on the other side of the field, you see two speeder bikes emerge and turn left, moving away from you. They've got to be looking for Sunset and Pinkie, but they haven't seen you yet. Your HUD indicates that Sunset is still a good distance away, so if you keep chasing her now, you'll never find her.
"You have at least one patrol out looking for you." You inform her. "I just saw it."
"Have you been seen?" She asks.
"No I haven't." You reply. "I'm going to lay low for a minute. You two find a good place to hide and wait it out. I'd prefer to get the jump on them if we can."
"Alright, we'll keep in touch." She replies.
The two bikes drive into another section of the canyon and out of sight. You go into reverse and back into the canyon mouth you just emerged from, staying close to the wall. Once you're as concealed as you can be, you shut off the engine and take out your rifle again.
You look behind you to see if anyone is following. "Not yet. Keep driving around though. Anon said that they are definitely looking for us."
Pinkie curves around another corner, turning left. She drives into another semi-open field. This one also has a large impact crater off to your right.
That bad feeling in your gut still hasn't gone away. What is going on with you, Sunset? Snap out of it. You've got a job to do.
Pinkie drives out of the field and enters another narrow section of the canyon. This section curves right and leads into a small, secluded grove of trees.
Pinkie slows to a stop beneath a large one and looks around. "This seems like a good spot to wait."
She's right. It's out of the way and quiet. It's not bad, but a vantage point would make it better. The canyon wall is too steep for the speeder to drive up, but the both of you alone could get up there easily.
"Let's ditch the bike and head up there." You point to the top of the ridge. "If they find the bike, that's fine. We can move without it."
"Okay!" Pinkie nods.
The two of you disembark and jog over to the wall's base. Pinkie leaps up and grabs a small, rocky ledge and begins climbing up while you activate your jetpack and fly alongside her.
Her use of the Force to make her this agile is impressive. She quickly leaps and jumps from ledge to ledge as you push a few tree branches out of your way and make your way to the top. You land just before Pinkie makes her way up and stands beside you.
She gives you a wide smile before looking at the environment around you. The wind is much stronger up above the canyon wall. It whistles around you both as you examine your surroundings. You open up your HUD and locate the Enclave about 300 meters away. You mark it and send the info to Anon.
"It's this way." You point in the general direction and turn to Pinkie. "Let's get in close and do some recon, but watch yourself on the way. I'll contact Anon when we get there."
You activate your jetpack, propelling yourself into the air and begin to fly over the rifts and canyons toward your destination. Pinkie is on foot below you, easily jumping across the gaps she meets and staying on higher ground. Understandably, she's lagging behind you just a bit, but she's keeping up.
There aren't any speeder bikes below you right now, but you keep your eyes peeled. Hopefully, you don't run into any more. You'd rather not deal with them right now.
Up ahead, you notice an elevated ridge on the perimeter of the Enclave's grounds. There are a couple of trees there that can provide a bit of cover. It seems like a good spot to land. Pinkie is still leaping and jumping over the small canyons. She's a little behind you, but she's still managing to keep up.
When you land on the ridge, you immediately crouch down and stealthily make your way to the cliffside. A couple seconds later, you hear Pinkie right behind you. She's panting. You turn around to see her on her hands and knees, wheezing hard.
It makes you chuckle a bit. "You okay?"
She slowly looks up at you and nods, giving you a shaky thumbs up and smiling weakly. "Y-yeah... I'm o... I'm okay, just... I'm just tired..."
You can't help but laugh at her. "Well, you have a bit of time to rest. I'll let Anon know where we are, and we'll move again when he gets here."
She lets out a small giggle before collapsing onto her side and rolling over to her back, still panting. "Yay..."
You smirk before turning your attention back to the Enclave and activating your comms.
---
Your comms beep and Sunset's voice comes on in your ear. "Anon, come in."
"I'm here. Are you two in position?" You sit up and prepare to start up your speeder bike again.
"Yeah. We're on a ridge overlooking the Enclave, just on its perimeter." She replies.
"Alright, I'm on my way now. Were you spotted?" You ask.
"I don't think so." Sunset says. "We didn't see any patrols in the canyons on our way here."
"I saw one about three minutes ago. They're still looking for you." You say.
"Alright, well, we're pretty secluded and speeders can't make it up here, so I'm not too worried about them finding us now." She replies.
They ditched the bike.
"Good." You say. "Send me your location and watch the Enclave for any movement. I'll be there soon."
Your speeder bike roars to life and you look around to make sure the coast is clear before shifting it into gear. Your HUD blips and a little nav marker comes up in front of you. Sunset is about 750 meters away. Not too far. You rev the engine and speed off toward the marker and head into an opening directly in front of you.
A couple of seconds pass by when your comms activate again and Rarity's voice comes on in your ear. "Yoohoo! Anonymous?"
Fantastic. She has intel on Discord's whereabouts.
You keep your eyes open for anything as you bank left and continue through the canyon. "Hey Rarity. What have you got for me?"
"Well, unfortunately I don't have much, darling." She says. "This Discord covers his tracks pretty well. It's proving to be quite a challenge, even for me."
Damn. Discord must be good if even Rarity can't track him down.
"Is there anything you can tell me about Rancors?" You ask. "Have you heard about any activity involving them?"
You reach a larger open field with one path on either your left or right. Sunset's marker is on your right, so you head that way and continue driving through the canyons.
"Not much, I'm afraid." Rarity replies. "I had heard a rumor that a few places on Dathomir were having problems with poaching a while ago, but there wasn't even a name to go with the accusations, so I didn't think it was worth looking into at the time."
"Look into it again and see what you find." You say. "Pinkie told me that Discord loves Rancors. It's the only lead we've got."
"Be careful, Anonymous." Rarity cautions. "She's a thief, remember? Of all the people you shouldn't trust, she should be at the top of that list."
You shake your head. "I never said I trusted her."
You reach the end of this stretch and come to a dead end, forcing you to stop. Your HUD indicates that you're about 200 meters away from Sunset's position now. That isn't too far. You'll ditch the bike here and fly to her.
"Well, I'll get back to digging then, darling." She says. "There's a few more arenas around the Outer Rim that I've only glanced at, so I'll see what else I can find."
"I appreciate it, Rarity. Thanks for keeping me in the loop." You say.
The smile on her face is present in the sound of her voice. "Anything for you, Anonymous."
You deactivate your comms and look up and around at the closed off canyon that surrounds you. You dismount the bike and activate your jetpack, taking off into the air. A gust of wind hits you as you ascend above the ridge and it pushes you back a bit, but you lean forward and power through the gale.
You continue to rise high above the network of canyons and head toward Sunset's marker on your HUD. As you fly, you get a better look at the Dantooine landscape. These canyons stretch out for miles. Anyone who didn't have a jetpack or the ability to jump high would probably wander around this maze forever, hopelessly lost.
From up here, you can see Sunset's location, right on the outskirts of the Enclave's perimeter. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice a bit of movement from the canyons below. Another speeder bike is navigating its way through the maze. He's likely too focused on not crashing to notice that you're overhead, but you descend at a faster pace, just to be safe. You'd like to keep the element of surprise for as long as you can.
Just ahead, you clearly see Sunset and Pinkie Pie crouching beneath a pair of trees. They both turn to look at you as you land, but Sunset turns her attention back to the Enclave.
You crouch down as well and move between them. "What have you seen?"
Sunset shakes her head slowly. "I'm not sure, but it doesn't look like they're after old Jedi ruins. Only a couple of them have gone inside the Enclave itself."
You use your helmet's viewfinder to zoom in on the Enclave. Just beside the building, on the concrete footpath, are a small group of five looters and thugs. They're standing around and doing nothing, almost like they're waiting for something.
There are a lot more thugs here than you expected there would be. It looks like they've been here for a while. Maybe they've already taken everything they want from inside the Enclave.
Or maybe there is something else going on here.
Sunset taps your shoulder. "Anon, look."
She points to an opening in the perimeter canyon wall on the right side of the Enclave. A flatbed vehicle is emerging and making its way toward the building. It's carrying some cargo crates. The smaller group of thugs notice it and start to approach.
"Did you see that before I got here?" You ask.
She shakes her head. "No I didn't. That's the first time I've seen it."
Of all the cargo crates on the vehicle, one of them catches your attention. You zoom in further on the vehicle to get a better look at its payload.
Your eyebrows raise a little as your viewfinder zooms in. "Oh, wow."
They're not crates that it's hauling, they're metal cages. Inside each one is an angry, four-legged animal.
"Are those Kath Hounds?" Sunset asks.
"I think so." You look at them harder. Orange-white coat of fur, thick, hairless tail, and a very small pair of horns on their heads. They're Kath Hounds alright.
"So that's why they're here." Sunset says. "They're poachers, or trappers, or something."
Pinkie speaks up from behind you. "I thought Kath Hounds were extinct."
"They're not. Not yet, anyway." You reply. "They're endangered, illegal to own, and worth a whole lot of money. Crime lords are usually the ones who buy them."
You've seen a Kath Hound up close only one other time. Way back when, they used to roam all over these plains, according to what you've heard. These days though, they're extremely rare to come by.
You look over to the other side of the Enclave at the larger pile of crates again. It looks like they're waiting for a pickup. These thugs are going to be on high alert now that they know you're all in the area. They just don't know where you are, specifically.
"What are you thinking, Anon?" Sunset asks.
You zoom out and glance over to Sunset for a moment before looking back to the Enclave. "What these people are doing, an operation this big and this organized couldn't have been kept under wraps this long without help."
Sunset nods. "I agree. A politician, maybe."
With all the corruption in the Republic senate, you wouldn't be surprised.
Now that you think about it, it would really make the most sense. This little setup they have here had to have been going on for a very long time. Why is it only now that the Republic has decided to start negotiating with Dantooine on having extra security around here?
The Republic didn't know. A corrupt political influence would have kept them in the dark all this time. The secret finally broke after a while though.
Which means...
"If it was a politician keeping this under wraps, then they likely know about Dantooine's negotiations that are going on right now..." You say quietly.
Sunset perks up. You can't see her face behind her visor, but you know what she's thinking. These negotiations are jeopardizing their sweet deal on making a few extra credits by selling Kath Hounds. They're going to want these negotiations to fail at all costs.
Senator Octavia Melody is at risk.
Sunset whips around and looks to the rough direction of the compound you were all at. She looks back at you after a second and stands up. "Me and Pinkie will head back as fast as we can."
You nod. "I'll try to shut these guys down and find out who's behind all this. Both of you do whatever you can to protect the senator."
Sunset nods and turns around. "Pinkie, come on!"
"W-Wait! Where are we going?" She asks.
"Senator Melody is in trouble!" Sunset says.
Pinkie quickly gets up and follows Sunset. You turn your attention back to the Enclave, hearing the roar of Sunset's jetpack behind you as she flies away.
Her voice comes on in your comms. "Hope you don't mind if we take your bike, Anon. It's closer."
"Take it." You reply. "You need it more than I do right now."
You shut off your comms and stand up. The incoming lift that's carrying the Kath Hounds are almost on the other side of the Enclave. That's likely where the shuttle will pick up the cargo, if there is one. There's about twelve thugs that you can see in this area. You're willing to bet that there are more inside the Enclave. That's probably where you'll find any shipping information.
Taking these guys out will be relatively easy. You have an aerial advantage and they're in a small, boxed in space. They won't be able to go too far.
You take out your blaster rifle and do one last quick glance at the environment before you take a few running steps forward, you leap into the air and activate your jetpack. The roar of the engines echoes in your ears as you ascend into the air and head toward the building.
Before the thugs get a chance to triangulate where the source of your jetpack's engines are coming from, you point your rifle at the nearest construction vehicle and fire a few bolts. They hit around the vehicle, giving away your position. The surprise was short lived, because the few thugs around the vehicle look up at you and start shouting at each other. A few of them begin to fire at you.
You weave left and right in the air and easily avoid their blaster fire. Once you're close enough, you aim your rifle at the driver and shoot him. Your blaster fire hits his body a few times, and he goes limp in his seat. You fly directly over the other thugs and rain down more blaster fire, hitting two of them in the process.
You quickly descend and fire at the nearest thug. He goes down just as you land, and you run directly toward the Duros thug to your right. He points his blaster at you and fires, but you zigzag along the ground as you approach. He misses every shot. You reach him and slam the butt of your rifle into his chest. The force of the impact is enough to knock him onto his back and you immediately fire a few rounds into his head.
The last thug is right next to the construction vehicle and in the process of running away and screaming. The captured Kath Hounds are barking and snarling furiously at the commotion.
"Oh no, you don't..." You growl.
A couple shots from your rifle and he goes down.
You turn back to the building and ascend into the air again, moving directly over it. The larger shipments of equipment and Kath Hounds are on the other side, directly ahead of you. The thugs surrounding these hounds are all shouting at you with their blasters raised. There are seven of them.
As they start to run toward you, you reach into a pouch on your belt and pull out a thermal detonator. You fly toward them and exchange blaster fire. Once you're directly above them, you drop the thermal detonator and twist around in the air. You fly backwards and continue firing your rifle, keeping their attention away from the grenade.
You quickly ascend away from them, keeping yourself turned towards them to look out for any stray blaster fire before the thermal detonator explodes a few seconds later at their feet. The sound of the blast echoes through the canyon and the thugs all fly off in different directions away from the explosion.
You fly back to the Enclave, keeping a lookout for any stragglers you may have missed. A couple more thugs are a good distance away from you. They're running toward a pair of parked speeder bikes located in the adjacent canyon. If you had another missile, you'd be able to cut them off right now, but you don't. You increase the power in your jetpack's thrusters and fly after them.
Hopefully, you can reach them before they get away. You need at least one of them alive if you want to find out who's behind this little setup.
As you speed through the air, you prepare a toxic dart into your dartcaster. With a little tweaking, you were able to find a way to connect your robotic arm up to your HUD and greatly increase the accuracy of your helmet's targeting system. It works wonders for your dartcaster.
You point your arm forward and lock on to one of the thugs before firing. The dart zips through the air and hits the thug in the back of the neck. He continues running for a few steps before he slows down and keels over onto his face.
Thank you, Twilight Sparkle.
The last thug slows for just a moment to glance at his fallen comrade before looking back to you. You're only meters away from him now and closing in fast. He's also a Duros, which is unsurprising.
He's almost to the speeder bike. You quickly alter your approach and swing in an arc around his left. Fire sprays from your gauntlet onto the grassy field directly in between the thug and the bike as you cut him off.
The Duros yells and immediately comes to a stop just before running into the flames. You double back in the air and slam directly into him, making him fly through the air a bit and land on his back. As you land, he looks over at you and grabs his blaster pistol. You quickly shoot the gun out of his hand before he has a chance to even point it at you.
He screams in pain and clutches his arm before looking at you in fear and trying to squirm away. You grab him by the throat and hold him down on the ground before pressing your rifle to his knee and pulling the trigger, shattering his kneecap.
He screams as loudly as he can with your hand around his throat and writhes in agony. "J-Just let me be! Please! I-I was only doing a job!"
He's speaking Durosian. Luckily, that's one of the few alien languages you can also speak.
You reply in his tongue. "Who do you work for?"
He gags and grunts a moment before speaking again. "Aahh... A c-couple of crime lords I think... N-no one ever told me anything... I just... overheard..."
He's just a grunt. Bantha fodder. You won't get anything useful from him.
"Who did you overhear?" You tighten your grip on his neck for a moment, making him gag.
"Ack! O-One of the bosses!" He squirms. "Th-They know everything! I swear!"
"Where can I find them?" You demand.
"I... I don't know..." He wheezes.
That's not the correct answer...
You press the barrel of your rifle to his other knee and he panics. "Wait! Wait! I-I really don't know! H-He went somewhere off-world yesterday! That's all I know! I swear!"
He's telling the truth. He doesn't know where his boss went. If he knew, he's so scared that he would have told you already. You need to find out more, but you don't have the time or the means to go off-world right now.
"There must be shipping information somewhere around here. Where is it?!" You growl.
He continues to squirm a bit beneath your grip. "In a s-strongbox... By the s-southern door..."
You don't loosen your grip on him, but you turn to look at the Enclave a good distance behind you. You'd like to believe what he's saying, but you want some insurance in case he's lying.
You're curious...
You face him again and your viewfinder slowly swings down in front of your visor.
He stares at you in fear and confusion. "Wh... What are-"
"Quiet." You cut him off.
You scan his face and your HUD browses through the galaxy's criminal database for any posted bounties until you find a match. His name is Hep Valik. He's wanted dead for 5,000 credits. 'This scum cheated me in a Pazaak game. Waste him.' The bounty was posted by an unidentified Gran on Tatooine.
Your viewfinder slides up again and you lift him up a bit, looking him square in the face. "I'm not the best at Pazaak myself anymore, but I don't appreciate cheaters, Hep. If you're telling me the truth about that strongbox, then maybe I'll forget I saw you here."
He stays silent, but stares back at you in terror. You clutch his neck tighter and stand him up straight. He gags and continues to try breaking free from your grip as you stand him on his good leg and release him. Before he falls back to the ground, you quickly point your right arm at the Duros and activate your whipcord launcher.
The fibercord almost instantly shoots out of your gauntlet and ensnares his entire body. He falls onto his side in a heap, yelling in pain when he lands.
"Now don't you go anywhere. I might still need you." You say.
The Duros doesn't respond, unsurprisingly.
You chuckle and pick up the pace a bit, breaking into a jog toward the Enclave Once you reach the pavement, you can't help but slow to a walk and take good look around. Everything is quiet here. Calm.
It is only now that you get your first real, good, up close look at the ruins of the old Jedi Enclave.
The building is rusted, cracked, and falling apart in a few places. The pavement you're on is also cracked and broken. Everything around you has been overrun with weeds and grass. There are impact craters absolutely everywhere. Just like what you saw in the canyons before. You can see that they are the cause of all the destruction to this building, and this whole area that it's surrounded by.
And yet, despite the building's poor condition, you can't help but stop and look around at everything with a small sense of wonder. This is where Darth Malak tried to wipe away evidence of the Star Forge's existence. This is where he tried to eliminate the Jedi that once populated these grounds.
This is the place where it all happened.
"He was here..." You breathe.
Revan. The Jedi turned Sith who slew Mandalore on Malachor V. The one who slew his former apprentice on the Star Forge in the Unknown Regions and saved the Republic later on. The one who set Mandalore the Preserver on the path to unite your people once again. One of the greatest warriors this galaxy has ever known. You're literally standing in a place where he once stood hundreds of years ago. It makes you shiver as you feel the goosebumps run over your body. You are not worthy of such a privilege.
As amazing as this is, you've got a job to do, Anon. Snap out of it.
You pick up the pace again and jog along the broken concrete. Once you reach the end of the pathway, you turn right. Sure enough, next to the half-open door is a large strongbox, next to a few other crates.
You walk toward the strongbox and inspect it closer. It's locked, but it doesn't look too hard to crack. You imagine that Pinkie Pie would be able to unlock it just by looking at it.
It takes a little effort, but you manage to bypass the electronic lock and open the case. Inside, among some other miscellaneous items, you find a datapad. You quickly skim through it for anything useful. A time and date for a pickup of goods sticks out to you, and you inspect it further. According to this, a cargo shuttle is supposed to arrive here today to pick up the Kath Hounds. There's nothing about a destination though. There's only an alias for a pair of buyers: 'The Twins'.
The name doesn't sound familiar to you. You'll need to ask Rarity if she knows anything.
You read the manifest further. About twenty minutes ago, the pickup was cancelled by whoever was using this datapad at the time. Twenty minutes ago, you were flying through the canyons on a speeder bike. Obviously, those guys on the speeders alerted these guys. They must have cancelled the pickup as a precaution.
You need to get all of this. There might be more info. You begin the download of everything on the datapad into your HUD.
It will take a while, so you close the strongbox and proceed to make your way back to your Duros paycheck. You take the datapad with you. A minute of walking later, you come back to find Hep Valik right where you left him. He sees you approach with the datapad and you swear you see a small glimmer of relief wash over his face.
You hold up the datapad and look at him. "Well, you were right. I found it right where you said." You say in Durosian.
"Oh good..." He breathes. "So... So now what?"
"What do you think?" You stand over him and point the barrel of your rifle at his face. He's outlived his usefulness.
The look of pure terror returns to his face. "Y-You said that you'd-"
"I lied..." You reply coldly.
"W-Wait! I wa-" The sound of your rifle blasting a hole in his head cuts him off. His squirming body suddenly goes limp and lifeless.
You resume speaking in Basic. "I just did you a kindness, Hep. That busted leg of yours would've been such a pain to deal with. You're welcome."
Some people are so ungrateful...
You sigh and holster your rifle. Bringing up your HUD again, you contact Rarity.
She answers almost immediately. "Hello Anonymous! Did you find what you were looking for on Dantooine?"
"More or less." You reply. "I found a whole operation that was making money off of selling captured Kath Hounds. They were set up at the old Jedi Enclave here."
"My goodness!" She exclaims. "Kath Hounds? There aren't many of those around anymore."
You nod. "I know. Whoever was in on this must have been making a fortune."
"They would have to be pretty powerful to keep something like that under wraps." Rarity muses.
"That's what I said to Sunset." You say. "We think it's a politician. I had her and Pinkie head back to Senator Melody, just in case we're right."
"Very wise, darling. That Senator from Naboo has a very good heart. It would be such a shame if something happened to her." She says.
It really would be a shame, you hate to admit. She may be a politician, but she's actually a good one.
"Well, I need help with two things." You continue. "First, I need you to contact the one who posted the bounty for a Duros named Hep Valik. He's wanted dead. Let him know I killed him."
"Can do." She says.
"And the second thing is, do you know anything about 'The Twins'?" You ask.
"Oh, I've heard quite a few things about them, darling." Rarity replies. "They're brothers. Infamous con artists turned crime lords whose real names are Flim and Flam, respectively. They've started an empire by trading, smuggling, and exchanging goods for prices much higher than their worth. I also heard, in case you're still interested, that they've recently started working with Death Sticks."
"Really now?" You hum.
How very interesting...
Your train of thought is interrupted when your HUD indicates that the info on the datapad has been completely downloaded. It looks like there was an unread video message on it.
"What's that?" Rarity asks.
"I found a datapad that had Flim and Flam's name on the shipping information." You reply. "I copied everything on it to see if I could find any information on who was helping to hide this whole operation."
You open the video message and see a face appear on your HUD. You recognize the face immediately.
"...alk to me, what is going on there?! Did you get the shipment?! Is the bomb in place?! Answer me! I want Senator Melody DEAD! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?! DEAD!" The message ends there.
"Well, well, well. Senator Hoity Toity. I never did like him." Rarity says.
That just confirms your fears. He kept the Senate in the dark for as long as he could, but the secret eventually broke. Now that Octavia is here, he's going to use a bomb to assassinate her and keep the rest of the Senate from discovering this operation of his.
Rarity continues. "Anonymous, you have to save her."
"I can't make it in time, Rarity, but Sunset will." You reply, the first pangs of fear coming over you. "I'll head back as fast as I can. I'm going to send you the information on this datapad. I need you to look for anything involving this bomb. A remote detonator, a timer, make, model, color, anything! You find any info, you let me know immediately!"
"I will! Hurry!" She replies.
You turn around and run toward one of the parked speeder bikes behind you. You contact Sunset as you mount it. "Sunset, where are you?!"
"We're almost out of the canyon." She replies.
"Double-time it to the compound!" You say. "We were right! Senator Hoity Toity was covering this up and now he's going to use a bomb to kill Senator Melody! Get there now, and keep her safe! I'll be there as soon as I can!"
"Damn it! Alright, hurry!" She shouts.
You deactivate your comms and rev the speeder bike's engine. You accelerate forward and head toward an opening in the canyons. Hopefully, you can navigate your way through here quickly. You have no time to get lost now.
---
As you shut off your comms, Pinkie makes another left and you finally come into view of the canyon's end.
You pat her shoulder a couple times. "Pinkie, you need to drive as fast as you can! Anon says that someone is going to use a bomb to assassinate the senator!"
She looks back at you with an expression of worry on her face for just a moment before facing forward again. "Okay, I'll hurry!"
You make another hard right and reach the open plains you were in before you entered the canyon maze. To your left is the militia HQ, just like you left it. A few of the armed guards notice you and assume a defensive stance, but you pay them no heed. Pinkie hits the throttle and practically flies toward the main compound, leaving the militia in the dust.
You frantically press a few buttons on your gauntlet and contact Spitfire. She'll be able to get the senator out of there.
After a few seconds, she finally answers. "This is Captain Spitfire. Sunset, where have you three been?" She sounds very angry.
"Spitfire! Where is the senator?!" You demand.
"She's here at the compound, where you should be now." Spitfire replies sternly. "You bounty hunters and mercenaries are all the same: arrogant, unhe-"
"Just shut up and listen to me!" You shout. "You need to get her out of there right now! There's a bomb! Someone is trying to kill her!"
"What?!" Spitfire exclaims.
Pinkie maneuvers over a hilltop and the compound comes into view a little way's away. You're almost there.
"A BOMB!" You repeat. "Get her out of there right now! We're almost there!"
"When is it going off?!" She asks.
"We don't know, but it could be at any time!" Just as you say that, you get another bad feeling in your gut. This one is much stronger than the other times you felt it before. It twists around inside you and you feel it expand out to the rest of your body. "Oooh... Oh my g..."
You take a deep breath and grip your chest. What is happening right now?
Pinkie gasps. "Oh no.."
She swerves and slows down a bit, turning around to look at you. She looks extremely worried, but her eyes widen a little as she notices you grabbing your chest.
"Can you feel that too?" She asks,
"Yeah..?" You reply.
She can feel this too? Whatever it is?
She looks back to the compound and presses a finger to her ear. "Spitfire, it's Pinkie! The bomb is going off now! RIGHT. NOW!"
How does she know that?
You pay attention to the sounds in your ear coming from Spitfire's side. She makes no acknowledgement that she heard Pinkie, but you hear the frantic sounds of footsteps and shouting. "Everyone get out! Senator!"
You barely hear Octavia's voice try to protest, but it's quickly covered by the sounds of other commotion. The compound is dead ahead. Pinkie guns the engine.
Spitfire continues barking commands. "Get to the exit! Soarin', do not let anyt-"
A massive fireball erupts from inside the compound's walls on the horizon and the explosion echoes loudly through the air.
Simultaneously, Spitfire's communications cut in your ear.
"No!" Pinkie hits the brakes and abruptly swerves to the right as you both watch the fireball rise into the air above the compound.
You've failed...
"We were too late..." You breathe.
The fireball dissipates after a moment and all that remains is a large plume of black smoke that continues higher into the air.
"Maybe not... Maybe she's still alive..." Pinkie looks back at you again and revs the engine. "We have to see for ourselves! We have to know if she's okay!"
She drives toward the nearest door on the compound's wall.
She's right. You have to confirm it yourself. Even if you think it's hopeless. You doubt Octavia survived.
Finally, you make it out of the canyons and back into the open field you were in before. Sunset had contacted you about five minutes ago to tell you the bad news. You were too late. She said that her and Pinkie were going to see if Octavia survived. You don't think she did, but you're still going to help them when you get back to the compound.
You're pretty confident that you're not getting paid for this job anymore.
This is all senator Hoity Toity's fault. He ordered the set up for the bomb, and he tried to keep this whole thing a secret from the senate. You're curious about these Flim and Flam guys too, whoever they are. He'll know more about them. Once you get back to your ship on Naboo, you're going straight to Coruscant to deal with the senator yourself. You'll ask him about them when you see him.
You hit the gas and move as fast as you can toward the compound. The thick plume of black smoke rises higher into the sky just ahead of you.
Sunset's voice come on in your comms as you move over a hilltop. "Anon, where are you?"
"I just got out of the canyon. I'm almost there." You reply.
"Alright, hurry." She says. "There are fires in a few places and some people are stuck inside the main building. We're working with a few of the soldiers to get them out, but we need all the help we can get."
"Just keep helping as much as you can, Sunset. I'll be there in two minutes." You say.
The compound itself comes into view as you drive over another hilltop. Black smoke rises and moves directly overhead as the wind pushes it along. There are a few people outside that are talking or bickering with one another. They're panicking, unsurprisingly. This planet doesn't usually get action like this. They move out of your way when they see you driving toward them.
Right when you slow to a stop just beside them, you immediately dismount the bike and run toward the large open doorway they're gathered around. This crowd is nothing like the ones on Nar Shaddaa, but you still have to push your way through a few people before you reach the compound's entrance.
When you finally do make it inside, you look toward the largest building on the other side of the compound: the source of the black smoke. From here, you can barely see the tips of a few flames that are present on the roof. Other buildings are in the way, so you don't have a good view from the ground. You don't have time to run through the buildings to the other side of the compound so you activate your jetpack and take to the sky once again.
Things are a lot clearer up here. There's a large hole on the one side of the main building, and you see fires in a few places around it and on the roof. You quickly make your way toward the fires, over the smaller buildings that stand in front of you.
You activate your comms. "Sunset, I'm here. Where are you?"
"We're by the big hole on the side of the building! I'm about to head inside!" She replies.
Among the few people running around the burning side of the building, you spot Sunset and Pinkie ushering them away while moving toward the blaze.
"Wait for me, I'm just above you." Sunset looks around for a moment before spotting you in the air. You quickly descend and land beside her and Pinkie. "Any news on the senator?"
Sunset shakes her head. "Nothing from her, or any of the Wonderbolts yet. The few people who have made it out have said that there are still survivors deeper inside."
"We've been helping as much as we can out here, but we can't get inside the building to help more." Pinkie points to the flames.
A few Republic soldiers are around the burning entrance. They're helping a young human male out of the building, he looks like he's about seventeen years old. He's coughing violently and bleeding from his head.
These soldiers don't have masks or anything to protect them from this smoke. If they go too deep inside, they'll suffocate.
Smoke shouldn't be an issue for you though. Your helmet has a built in filtration system.
"Pinkie, you stay out here and keep helping in any way you can." You command. "Me and Sunset will head inside to look for more survivors."
She nods. "Okay!"
The three of you run toward the burning hole in the wall. Pinkie slows down to help usher the human kid to safety while you and Sunset continue forward.
A few Republic soldiers by the hole see you approach and you call out to one of them. "Anything from the senator yet?!"
"No, nothing!" He shouts. "She was in the main hall when the explosion happened!"
You and Sunset run past him and head into the smoke.
Sunset calls back to him. "You all stay here! We'll find her!"
You both slow down as you proceed through the smoke and into one of the building's hallways.
You turn on your helmet's thermal imaging to help you see through the smoke. It's probably too hot in here to distinguish individual survivors' body heat, but at least you'll be able to see. It takes a couple of seconds, but your viewfinder cuts through the smoke and a better image comes up on your HUD.
Debris is everywhere. The hallway directly ahead of you has been completely sealed by the collapsed ceiling. Survivors weren't getting through here.
The smoke is more concentrated off to your right. You and Sunset proceed that way. A few large sections of rubble and collapsed ceiling block this hallway in a few places as well, but it's created a narrow crawlspace that's just big enough for people to fit through.
Sunset grabs a part of the rubble wall. "Here, help me clear this up a bit."
You take hold of the same chunk of rubble and pull. No surprise that it's heavy. It doesn't budge at first, but you keep on pulling.
"Come on... Come on..." You say with a strained breath.
Grunting, you both manage to break off a decent-sized chunk of rubble after a few moments. It consequently loosens a few other chunks directly around it. You and Sunset keep clearing up more space as best as you can. Rocks and rubble fall down and clatters onto the ground around your feet and you kick them away. The hole is much more open now than it was before.
"Okay, that's good. Let's go." Sunset breathes.
"Right." You nod.
Sunset proceeds through the opening first, and you follow directly behind her. More piles of rubble and debris litter this hallway as well. Nothing too extreme though. You manage to walk around or over them with relative ease.
You hear coughing directly ahead of you, and it makes you move faster. "Hey! Who's out there! Where are you?!"
"H-Here... Behin-" The voice coughs again. It's male. "Beneath the rubble..."
You and Sunset walk around another collapsed section and see a militia soldier sitting on the ground with his legs trapped under a pile of debris. Sunset immediately gets to work freeing him. She gets behind him and grabs his torso while you move a few chunks away from his legs. He lets out a scream in pain as she pulls him out. His legs are bleeding in a few places. You can see it soaking through his pants.
"Can you walk?" She asks.
He coughs and hacks again before answering. "I-I think so..."
"Hang on a second." You grab his sleeve and rip it off of his arm. "Where's the main hall?"
"J-Just down this hallway and take a left... That's-" He coughs again. "...That's wh-where the briefing room and offices are..."
Which means that's around where Octavia is, hopefully.
You take his rent sleeve and hold it in front of him. "Wrap this around your mouth and nose. It will filter the smoke out a little."
He takes it and ties it around his face to make a mask while Sunset helps him to his feet. He nearly falls, but he leans against the rubble to keep himself up.
Sunset is there to support him. "You okay?"
"Y-Yes... I can make it..." He says. "N-Never thought I'd be rescued... By Mandalorians, especially. Thank you both."
"Don't mention it." You reply. "Now go."
He nods and limps toward the exit while you and Sunset continue down the hallway.
You pass a few more piles of rubble and finally reach the end of the hallway. Another large pile of rubble has built up on your right.
Beneath it is another militia soldier. He's not moving. You crouch down and examine him closer, checking for a pulse.
"How is he?" Sunset asks.
You don't feel anything.
You sigh. "He's gone."
Damn it. This isn't good.
"Hopefully, the senator isn't gone yet." Sunset says.
Another sound comes from the next hallway, grabbing your and Sunset's attention. "Ugh... Ith... A-Anyone there?"
The voice is very feminine.
"Yeah! Where are you?!" You stand up from the corpse and proceed down the hallway toward the voice.
"Mmn... O-Over here! Help!" The voice cries out.
Deeper into the hallway, you see someone crawling toward you on the floor.
It's the short Pantoran member of the Wonderbolts you saw earlier. She's covered in black soot. It looks like her arm is broken too, she's hobbling on the ground using only her right arm.
She looks up at you and recognizes you both immediately. "Oh, itsth you two! Thank the Forth!"
She has a lisp. Maybe she bit her tongue.
"Are you alright?" You ask.
You and Sunset crouch down and try to help her up, but she screams when you touch her. "AAH! Careful! I-I think I buthted my arm!"
You both remove your hands from her and move down to her sides. You carefully pick her up and move her into your arms while Sunset helps. She screams in pain again at the movement, but she doesn't fight it. She wraps her right arm around your neck as you hold her.
"Is the senator alright?" Sunset asks.
She grunts and whimpers as tears fall down her cheek, but she looks at Sunset. "I-I think tho... Sthe couldn't move and I thtarted crawling to get help..."
"But she is alive?" You ask.
She looks up at you and nods. "Yeth..."
Wow, Octavia's tough. It's a huge relief to hear that she's alive.
Sunset breathes a sigh of relief and looks at you. "Get her out of here, Anon. I'll go find the senator."
You nod. "Alright."
You turn around and go back the way you came. The Wonderbolt in your arms starts coughing more as you move through the smoke. You grab her neckline and pull it up over her mouth and nose. She can't do it herself. You notice her nametag on her jacket for the first time. Fleetfoot.
"Fleetfoot, what happened just before the explosion?" You inquire. "Did you see the bomb itself at all?"
She coughs again and shakes her head. "N-No, I thaw nothing... The governor wath in the room too when it went off... I followed Thoarin' and Thpitfire when they took the thenator out... a-and a few milithia tholdierth were taking the governor... into an open room in the back, jutht before it happened..."
You move around a few other piles of debris and continue toward the exit. Fleetfoot continues to cough and wheeze. When you reach the narrow crawlspace just before the exit, you slow down and carefully slide through it. The sunlight shines through the smoke onto you when you get clear and you head outside.
Pinkie and a couple other Republic soldiers are there immediately. They start to take Fleetfoot away.
"Be careful." You tell her. "She's got a broken arm."
Pinkie assists the soldiers as they get a good hold on Fleetfoot before turning back to you. "Any luck?"
"Fleetfoot says that the senator is alive." You step back towards the building. "I'm heading back in. Sunset is looking for her now."
Pinkie grabs her chest and breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. Hurry."
She turns around and follows the soldiers as they carry the Pantoran away and you head back into the smoky building. It takes about a minute to move past the piles of debris back to where you were prior to finding Fleetfoot.
Once you get there, you turn on your comms and contact Sunset. "Did you find her?"
"Yes!" She says. "She and Spitfire are both under a huge pile of debris just down the hallway! I need your help to move it!"
Amazing. She found her.
"I'll be right there! Hang on!" You move down the hallway as quickly as you can.
This hallway looks familiar. It's the one you were in just before you left the building to meet Sunset and Pinkie the courtyard.
Up ahead, you see an orange glow flickering along the walls up ahead on your left. The source is coming from an open doorway on your right. It's the large briefing room you were in before. Fire is covering the floors and debris is absolutely everywhere.
There's a massive hole where the far left wall used to be. A few chunks of rubble are still falling from the crater in the ceiling onto the floor. You can even see a few rooms on the upper level. You take a quick look inside the room for a better look at the hole.
The next room is almost nonexistent. There's just a crater where it used to be. That must be where the bomb was detonated.
Continuing down the hallway, you come to an intersection. Your right is completely blocked by debris. No way you're getting through that.
On your left, you see Sunset pulling on a few large chunks of rocks. She sees you and waves you over. "Come on! She's right here!"
You run to her and see senator Octavia Melody beneath Spitfire. They're both under the pile of rubble.
You quickly begin to pull the rocks off of them. "Is she alive?"
"Yes! She's just unconscious!" Sunset says.
"What about Spitfire?" You grab another chunk and toss it behind you.
"I don't know..." Sunset replies.
You and Sunset grab a large piece of rubble and lift it together, freeing them.
Grunting, you set it down and move your attention back to Spitfire. You grab her shoulders and pull her out while Sunset grabs Octavia. The rubble pile collapses to fill the space where they once were just seconds later.
Octavia groans a bit when she's freed and her eyes open just barely. "S...Sunset? A-Anonymous?"
Sunset keeps pulling her away from the rubble. "We're here, senator. We're going to get you out. Can you stand?"
She groans weakly. "I-I think so..."
Spitfire doesn't move. You turn her around and hold her on her back. Her head hangs limp over your left arm and you bring your fingers to her neck.
Nothing. No pulse at all.
"Dammit..." You curse under your breath.
You and Sunset look at each other silently. She glances at Spitfire, and you shake your head at her.
Best not to let the senator know just yet.
You pick Spitfire up and hold her in your arms while Sunset helps Octavia to her feet.
"Here, senator, lean on me. I'll keep you up." She says.
Octavia winces as she stands up. "Ah!... Where are Fleetfoot and Soarin'?"
"Fleetfoot is safe." You reply. "We don't know about Soarin' yet."
"I'm... r-right here..." A voice says.
You all turn to your left to see Soarin' sitting on the ground. His right leg is trapped under some rubble and he's trying to pull it out.
You move next to Octavia and she leans on you while Sunset rushes over to help him. She pushes the debris off and pulls Soarin' out. He grunts and pants hard in pain as she examines his leg.
"It's broken. He can't walk." She says.
He struggles to move it and stand up. "It's... fine! I-I can... get..."
As soon as he puts pressure on it, he screams and collapses into Sunset's arms.
Sunset leans down and looks at him. "It's BROKEN! You. Can't. Use. It."
Octavia speaks up. "Soarin', you're hurt! Please let her help!"
He looks over at her, grunting once before sighing. "Y-Yes, my lady..."
Sunset crouches down and grabs him in her arms, picking him up with a grunt. "Hang on, princess. Here comes your knight in shining beskar."
You smile under your helmet and barely hold back a laugh at the face he gives Sunset as she picks him up in her arms. If looks could kill.
She walks toward you and you turn to Octavia. "Senator, hold onto me. I'll go slow."
She coughs again and nods at you. "A-Alright. Lead the way."
"Cover your mouth and nose with your sleeve." You advise. "This smoke is not good for the lungs."
She does as you instruct and you all make your way back down the hall toward the exit. Sunset takes the lead and maneuvers past the rubble quicker than you as you carefully lead Octavia through the smoky hallway.
Your comms beep and Pinkie comes on in your ear. "Anon! Sunset! Did you find her?!"
"Yeah we did." You reply. "She's alive and we're making our way back to you."
"Oh good! The Republic is here!" Pinkie says.
"The Republic?" You repeat.
Octavia steps over another pile of rubble and leans up against you more as you pass the burning briefing room.
"Yeah!" Pinkie says. "A Republic capital ship just entered the atmosphere and is making its way here now! The soldiers said that it's gonna put out the fire and help with the rescue!"
Oh good.
"They're aware that the senator is here then?" You ask.
"Yeah!" She replies. "They said she's to get on the cruiser for medical attention right away! I'll let them know you have her!"
"Thanks, Pinkie." You shut off your comms and continue down the hallway. You reach the end and take a right. "Almost there, Senator. This is the final stretch."
She nods and continues with you.
Sunset is ahead of you and is in the process of moving through the crawlspace that leads to the exit. Once she's through, you lead Octavia past the sections of collapsed ceiling and rubble and usher her toward the opening. She's coughing and wheezing loudly. When she reaches the crawlspace, Sunset pokes her head back through and takes Octavia's hand to help her as well.
She pulls the senator through and into the clear. You follow directly behind with Spitfire still in your arms. You squeeze and wiggle your way out and get free of the smoke and rubble.
In the sky directly above you, a few Republic dropships are descending toward the planet. Behind them is a large Republic cruiser. A Venator-class Star Destroyer.
One of the dropships lands in an open spot in front of you. Republic soldiers on your right are in the process of carrying Octavia toward it. A few medical officers disembark from the dropship and run toward her and Soarin'. Two of them run toward you and Spitfire as well.
"How is she?!" One of them calls out.
You shake your head. "Not good. I didn't feel a pulse."
One of them places his fingers on Spitfire's neck for a second before he and his partner remove her from your care. "We'll take it from here."
You release Spitfire and they take her lifeless body away.
The sight of all this makes your blood boil. Not just because you lost your paycheck, but because this was a blatant act of betrayal. You've dealt with stuff like this before during your career, but for some reason, this time really struck a nerve with you. If the Republic asks you any questions about this, which you're sure that they will, you're tempted to not tell them anything about who was involved.
Even though you probably shouldn't, you want to be the one that personally makes Hoity Toity pay for all of this.
"I'm sorry, darling, but other than that video message you found, there was nothing in that datapad that had any specific details about a bomb. I was very thorough." Rarity says.
"It's not your fault, Rarity." You reply. "If nothing is there, then nothing is there. You did everything you could."
The Republic official that had taken Octavia and the Wonderbolts aboard the cruiser for medical care had requested that you, Sunset, and Pinkie come aboard as well. You're currently standing alone in one of the cruiser's hallways speaking to Rarity on your comms. You're on your way back to Naboo to take Octavia home. They wanted to find out if you know who was behind the bomb.
Not only do you know who was behind it, you have a substantial amount of evidence to back up your findings. It was all on the datapad that you downloaded and sent copies of to Rarity.
So why are you currently in the process of deleting it from your suit's systems?
Rarity continues. "I understand your frustration, Anonymous. Hoity Toity is incredibly corrupt and selfish, but he is a senator. A SENATOR! For the Galactic Republic!"
"There is not a single part of that sentence I don't understand, Rarity." You reply.
Your HUD indicates that more data has been erased. You press another button on your gauntlet and proceed to wipe away more.
She lets out a frustrated breath. "Anonymous, darling, this is too risky, even for you. The Republic knows who you are. Once you kill him and get away, if you get away, you'll have a price on your own head the size of Coruscant itself! Every other bounty hunter in the galaxy will be after you."
You shake your head. "You worry too much, Rarity. It's me, remember?"
She lets out another breath, barely chuckling. "How could I forget?"
The last bit of data that is yet to be erased is Hoity Toity's video message.
You continue. "Hoity Toity knows more about Flim and Flam. I'd like to know more as well, and I've got a plan for how I'm going to get to him. Once we get back to Naboo, I'll contact you from my ship. I'm going to need some, uhhh... items of... questionable legality to pull off what I've got in mind."
She hums. "I know someone. I'll put you in contact with him when you get back."
"Thanks, Rarity." You shut off your comms and stare at Hoity Toity's still image on your HUD.
After a few seconds, you play the message again.
"...alk to me, what is going on there?! Did you get the shipment?! Is the bomb in place?! Answer me! I want Senator Melody DEAD! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?! DEAD!"
The message ends and you give a low growl under your breath as his words sink in.
Corrupt. Spineless. Cruel. All of these words, among many other, very bad ones, describe this "man" perfectly. Captain Spitfire is now dead because of him. Sure, you didn't like her, but she had a good job and she did it well. She didn't deserve her fate. Hoity Toity was willing to kill her and a great number of other people to keep his secret hidden. He may have given you payment for Adagio's bounty, but his money is the only thing that's good about him.
Well, maybe not even that. The money he paid you with was probably obtained by selling Kath Hounds, now that you think about it.
This scumbag is going to die by your hand, and no one else's.
"I'm coming for you, you son of a bitch..." You whisper aloud.
You take one last look at his image before you delete the message. That's it. All evidence of his role in this has been erased. The Republic won't be finding out about it any time soon, which means that they won't be in your way when you go to kill him.
You take a deep breath and walk down the hall and into the medical bay, where Sunset and Pinkie are both waiting. They look at you when you walk through the doorway, but they don't say anything right away.
The medical bay is nothing too flashy. The three of you are in the waiting area. Pinkie is sitting on one of the chairs next to the doorway while Sunset is leaning against a wall on her right. Her helmet is off. It's on a chair right beside her.
You walk over to them and remove your helmet as well. "How is she?"
Sunset sighs and looks down the hallway that leads to intensive care. A couple of guards are standing in front of a closed door. "Other than a concussion and a few scrapes, she's fine. The doctors said that her injuries were relatively minor, compared to the other people treated."
You nod. "How are Soarin' and Fleetfoot doing?"
She looks back at you. "They're both pretty roughed up, but Fleetfoot got the brunt of it. A few cracked ribs, one broken arm, and she lost feeling in both of her legs."
You set your helmet down next to hers and look back at her. "Are you serious?"
She nods. "Doc said she got hit in her back somehow and it paralyzed her from the waist down. The good news is that it's fixable. They said she could be walking again in a couple of weeks, at the earliest."
For being as small as she is, the fact that Fleetfoot was able to hobble that far through a burning building with all those injuries is quite impressive. She's a tough little Pantoran.
Sunset continues. "Soarin' just has a broken leg, and a seething hatred for us."
You cross your arms. "Pretty ungrateful of him, considering we saved his ass."
Sunset scoffs. "Yeah, well, he blames us for Spitfire's death, which is stupid. We did everything we could, that's what's important."
You shrug. "You can't save everyone."
"Exactly." Sunset nods.
You take another deep breath and impatiently tap your finger on your arm. The sooner you get back to your ship, the better.
Sunset looks at you again. "What's wrong?"
You shake your head. "I'm eager to get out of here. They're not going to pay us because we couldn't stop that bomb. Even though we pulled Octavia out alive and she's going to recover, we didn't keep her 'safe'." You start pacing back and forth slowly, clenching your fists. "If they're going to hold out on us, then there's no benefit for us being here any more."
"They're going to want to ask us questions about the bomb and how we knew about it though, Anon." She replies. "And seeing as how you're the only one who saw all the details..."
They will ask you most of the questions.
"I know..." You grumble to yourself.
"What are you going to tell them?" She asks.
The guards in front of Octavia's room aren't close enough to hear you. You're positive that no one is listening in, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
You look at Sunset for a moment before casually moving closer to her. "Only what they need to know." You say just above a whisper. "I'm not going to lie to them... Not completely, anyway."
Sunset's expression on her face changes slightly. She knows that you've got other plans. She also knows you're being discreet, so she waits for a moment before replying.
"So what's next after this?" She asks.
Still aiming for discretion among those potentially listening to your conversation, you reply to her in Mando'a...
You clear your throat. "Mhi cuyir slanar at slanar at Coruscanta at kyr'amur Ta'aya'r. Kaysh cuyir solus sulyu ibic. Juha bic tor, juha bic skira, Ni narir va baatir. Kaysh ne'waadas at ramaanar." <<"We're going to go to Coruscant to kill the Senator. He's the one behind all this. Call it justice, call it revenge, I don't care. He needs to die.">>
Sunset studies your words as you speak them. A grin appears on her face for a second before she looks down at both of your helmets on the chair beside her. "Ni juha bic 'nuhur'..." <<"I'd call it 'fun'...">>
She reaches down and grabs her helmet. She rubs the cheek with her thumb and just stares at the visor for a moment as she mulls this over. "Atba'a'yu o'r kaysh naritir malyasa'yr olya atin'la..." She sounds like she's thinking out loud. She looks back to you. "Ta'aya'r dabay ganar omtu ganar e save ta'na'oaragr cabuor kaysh. Mhi suya'gr ne'waadas e gaa'tayl." <<"Getting into his place will be tough... The Senator will likely have some pretty heavy protection. We might need some help.">>
You nod at her. "Rarity ashnar eo vi liser bu'yahyr. Mhi malyasa'yr mra'lira bic sto tion'tuur mhi pabida norac at te likr." <<"Rarity has a contact. We'll go over it more when we get back to the ship.">>
She nods and sets her helmet down again. "Pirusti, gar kar'taylir ibac Ni malyasa'yr cuyir ti gar an te miai bat ibic, Anon." <<"Well, you know that I'm with you all the way on this, Anon.">> She moves to the chair next to your helmets and sits down, cocking her head toward Pinkie. "Te veman bu'gar'a olar olyay, olyay la?" <<"The only question here is, is she?">>
Pinkie.
Even though she was right there this whole time, you forgot she was here in this room with you and Sunset. Despite hearing every word that was said between you two and hopefully not understanding any of it, she has said nothing at all. She hasn't even made a sound.
Pinkamena Diane Pie.
She hasn't made a sound.
You look over at her. She has her arms folded and she's looking down at the floor in front of her. Almost like she's deep in thought. She's not humming or smiling or getting on your nerves at all. No wonder you forgot she was here.
"You're being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal, Pinkie." You tell her. "What's up?"
She glances up at you for a moment before looking back to the ground again. "People died today, you guys... Actual, living people with friends and family. They died." You and Sunset glance at each other for a moment and she continues. "They were attacked by someone and we couldn't help them. They won't be able to be with their family and friends ever again and it's our fault." She sinks her head lower and closes her eyes.
Is she... crying?
"You two are trying to justify this and wave it off like it's just a job. All you care about is getting paid and nothing else. You don't even want to help the Republic find out who did this." She takes another shaky breath and sniffs. "You two are no better than Discord..."
Wow. She's really not happy right now. Granted, Zeltrons are a bit over-the-top when it comes to emotions. It's like there's no setting between "off" and "high". It's why they're usually so giddy. This sadness is clouding her judgement.
She probably knows that you all did do everything you could to help, but she feels guilty because she wanted to do more. It means she isn't in this for the money.
Right now, neither are you. You will kill Hoity Toity.
"Listen, Pinkie. We're probably not going to get paid for this. We know that." You step closer and speak just above a whisper. "We're not done with this though. Not yet." She slowly looks up at you again, her eyes a bit red.
You don't want her to blow your cover to the Republic, but you have to tell her something.
You continue. "For some reason, what happened with Octavia really hit me where I live. I want the one responsible to pay for what he did to her, and to all those other people he killed."
She stares at you hard, studying your face as you tell her the truth. "Really?"
You nod. "Yes. It wasn't fair, and it was extremely cruel. You're right. All those people who died didn't deserve to die. I care about them too. When we get back to our ship, we're going to track down who did this ourselves." You look to Sunset for a second before looking back at Pinkie. "Sunset is on board. We both know that we aren't going to get paid to do this, but we want to do it anyway. Are you on board with us too, Pinkie?"
She looks at Sunset as well before looking back to you. After a second, she smiles a little. "You got it."
That's what you like to hear.
You smile back at her. "Good."
Glad that's taken care of.
You take a deep breath and stand up straight. "All we can do now is just wait though."
So you do just that, thinking about everything that's happened since you arrived on Dantooine. The bikes, the militia, the bomb, the looters, the Kath Hounds, everything. It's been a busy day.
A couple of minutes pass when the door opens and a neatly dressed Republic officer steps into the room with you. He's a light blue Twi'lek and he's holding a datapad. You don't recognize him.
"Hello, everyone." He says with a polite smile. "I assume the Senator is doing well?"
His Ryloth-native accent is thick and obvious. Galactic Basic is clearly not his first language, but he doesn't seem to struggle with it.
Sunset stands up. "That's what we heard."
The Twi'lek nods. "What a relief. It's unbelievable what happened out there." No one replies after that. There's a bit of an awkward silence before he clears his throat and looks at the datapad. "Now, I understand that you discovered something about the bomb a few minutes before its detonation?"
Sunset points to you. "That was Anon. He discovered it and told us about it over the radio."
He looks to you and you nod, confirming her statement. "I found a datapad at the Jedi Enclave that had information about the bomb. They knew Senator Melody was there."
"I see..." He types something onto his datapad. "How did they know she was there?"
Time to stretch the truth.
"I don't know." You say. "They were trying to capture Kath Hounds, and were planning to have a ship take them away. They were a lot more organized than we had expected them to be. I wanted to look through that datapad to see if I could find out who they were shipping them to, but I came across details of a bomb instead."
"Do you have the datapad with you?" He asks.
"No. The first thing I saw was the info on the bomb. I didn't know if it was meant for Senator Melody at the time, but I assumed that it was, so I just dropped it and headed back." You lie.
He continues typing on his datapad for a moment before turning to Sunset and Pinkie. "Now, you two had arrived at the compound much sooner than Anonymous. How?"
Sunset clears her throat. "When we first got to the Enclave, we saw how organized they were and had suspected that they had a plan to get rid of the Senator or something. Me and Pinkie went back while Anon stayed to figure out more."
"How did you know that?" He asks.
She shrugs. "We just... We had a hunch. We're very experienced in this line of work. Something felt off, so we acted on it."
You continue her thought. "I had let them know on the radio about the bomb right when I learned about it myself."
He types more. "Why did you leave your post and go to the Enclave in the first place?"
"We had heard that the locals were having trouble with looters trespassing onto the Enclave's grounds." You say. "We decided not to wait, and took action instead. We thought the locals could've used some help."
He looks at you. "That can be considered a form of vigilantism to some, Anonymous."
You scoff at him. "What, you're going to arrest us for going out of our way to try and fix a problem? That's stupid."
Sunset cuts in. "And it's unjustified. If we hadn't done what we did, then Senator Melody probably wouldn't be alive right now. Our job was to protect her. You'd be arresting us for doing our job too well."
He shifts his gaze between you and Sunset and holds up his hand, showing his submissiveness. "All I'm saying is that is how others may see it. I, for one, am just grateful that the Senator is alive."
He should be thanking you then...
He clears his throat and looks to his datapad again. "Well, alright. I think that's everything I need to know."
Good.
He looks at you all again and smiles a little. "Thank you all for your assistance. I'll be back in a few minutes with your payment and you can head on your way when we land."
Woah, they're actually going to pay you?
Don't show surprise, Anon. They won't appreciate that.
You simply nod. "Happy to help."
He nods back at you all and turns around to head back out the door.
Once the door closes, you grin and look back to the girls. "Payday."
Sunset smiles back and pumps her fist a little as she walks back to her spot by her helmet.
Pinkie smiles and shakes her fists in front of her excitedly. "Woo hoo!"
You chuckle and take a seat on the nearest chair. "Once we land, we'll split it all up and go over what comes next."
Hopefully, it doesn't take much longer. You're getting paid, sure, but you still want to kill Hoity Toity. You're also curious about Flim and Flam. The Senator should know more about them.
It's like Sunset said, the Republic is undermanned and desperate right now. They'd likely be willing to pay you tons of money to help them out. You'll have to ask Rarity if there are any more bounties out there that they've posted.
As you wait in silence, your mind starts to wander some more. You really think hard about everything that has happened lately.
Then, you remember something else that Rarity had mentioned to you about Flim and Flam back at the Enclave. She said that they were just starting to work with Death Sticks.
That's another mystery you've been curious about. These newer, more powerful Death Sticks have been popping up all over the place lately. Where exactly are they coming from?
Hoity Toity was probably working with Flim and Flam when you brought in Adagio. She was using them and her good looks to get money from rich, horny addicts on Nar Shaddaa. Was she working for Hoity Toity at one point?
You think back to when you first captured her. She used that lightsaber crystal around her neck to get away by screaming extremely loud. It almost made you deaf. It's like it enhanced her voice's volume to an unnatural level.
You stand up and walk over to your helmet next to Sunset's and slip it on. You need a refresher.
You pull up Adagio's bio from your helmet's records and go over it again on your HUD. 'Adagio Dazzle. 20,000 credits, wanted alive. She had stolen a variety of goods by using a form of hypnosis.'
You had figured that the Death Sticks were the cause of that hypnosis. They deteriorated the brain so quickly that it made those affected by them more susceptible to suggestions or requests. You assumed that Hoity Toity was just another client that Adagio stole from and decided to put a price on her, but after this little incident, you've discovered that he is working with Flim and Flam. Thanks to Rarity, you've discovered that they're also working with Death Sticks.
If those Death Sticks are the same kind that deteriorated the brain, then Hoity Toity would have known that beforehand. He wouldn't have let Adagio hypnotize him and take his money.
Trixie was doing the same thing on Malastare as well. While working for Diamond Tiara, she was busy spreading out Death Sticks to the locals. Those Death Sticks were the same kinds that you found on Nar Shaddaa with Adagio.
Did they know each other? Did Hoity Toity know Trixie? Did Trixie know Flim and Flam?
Another thing comes to your mind as you think about it more...
How are the Sith involved with this?
On Tatooine, you, Sunset, and Rarity encountered that Sith warrior. Just before you fought and killed him, you distinctly remember him saying that Darth Sombra was angry about your "meddling" with his operations on Nar Shaddaa, or something. The only thing you can think of doing was messing up Adagio's deal there and bringing her in.
You thought that Adagio was working with the Sith to some degree after that, but with everything else you've learned, another question comes to your mind: is Hoity Toity also working with the Sith?
You'll brainstorm more with everyone else when you get back to the ship. There's something else going on here. You know it.
A couple of hours later, you get the announcement that the Republic cruiser has come out of lightspeed over Naboo, and not a moment too soon. You all had remained in the medical center's waiting area through the trip. Pinkie had fallen asleep.
You wanted to catch a little rest yourself, but you couldn't stop thinking about Hoity Toity and how deep his corruption could be. Sunset could tell that you were deep in thought, but she didn't say anything to you. If you are troubled, or thinking hard about something, she doesn't interrupt your train of thought unless it's urgent. She knows you'll ask her for her input if you need it.
It works when she's thinking hard about something too. You'll be there if she needs you, but you're not going to pry unless you have to. You wanted to talk to her right then, and Pinkie may have been asleep, but you were still on a Republic cruiser, and you were thinking about how you were going to kill a Republic senator.
So, unsurprisingly, the rest of the trip was very quiet.
That said, once they announced that you were coming out of lightspeed, you were very relived.
"Finally." You stand up walk over to Pinkie. She's hanging her head over the back of her chair and snoring. "Pinkie, get up. We're here."
You pat her cheek a few times and she snores herself awake suddenly. "Woah-whaa?"
"We're here. Get up." You say again.
"Oh. Okay." She yawns.
You walk back to your seat and grab your helmet, slipping it on.
Sunset walks over to you, her helmet on as well. "You ready?"
You groan. "I've been ready for hours."
She chuckles a little. "Good to hear."
From down the hallway leading to intensive treatment, one of the guards in front of Octavia's door approaches. "Senator Melody wanted to speak with you all once more before you left."
"Alright. We'll be right in." You reply.
He nods and walks back to Octavia's door and the three of you follow him. You step inside the small room and see Octavia laying in a bed and speaking to another one of the guards at her side.
"...We will be ready to move you to the planet as soon as we touch down, Senator. It will be about five minutes." He says.
"Thank you very much, officer." Octavia replies.
He gets up and moves past you as he walks out into the hallway.
Octavia has a few bandages and bruises on her face and arms. She's now wearing a white hospital tunic, and you can see that she has a few more bandages covering a part of her chest.
Despite this, she smiles softly as she sees you enter. "Hello, you three."
"Hello, Senator." You reply.
You and Sunset stand still and Pinkie moves in front of you both. "Hiya, Senator! Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"
She giggles a little. "Yes, Pinkie, I'm alright. Thank you very much for asking."
Pinkie smiles and moves to stand at your left. Octavia taps her thumbs together slowly and her smile fades a bit as she thinks of what to say for a few moments.
"I do... greatly appreciate what you all did. Despite going out of line and against regulation, doing so and learning what you did saved more lives that would have been lost otherwise..." She pauses. "My own included."
"Just sitting still and waiting for bad stuff to happen doesn't really seem wise to me, Senator." You tell her. "We were just doing our job as best as we could."
She smiles softly again for a moment and looks to the ground. "As best as you could..."
Her smile fades again and she rubs her shoulder. You know what she's thinking of. Hopefully, the waterworks aren't too big.
"I am no Jedi, but... I suppose it was just... Captain Spitfire's time... Her time to also become a part of the Force..." She closes her eyes and maintains her composure as she speaks. "I had been very close with her. With all of the Wonderbolts... I will miss her greatly."
You look to Sunset for a moment. You can't help but imagine what it would be like if you lost her this way. It would probably tear you apart.
She is more important to you than anyone else in the whole galaxy. Not just because she's an invaluable asset and a magnificent warrior that you're proud to fight with, but she's also a very good friend. The best one you've ever had, in fact. You love everything about her. Life without her would be a life not worth living. When her time does come, you only hope that she dies with honor and glory.
Spitfire's time was cut short. You didn't like her, but she did her job well and with pride. That's admirable. She had so much more to look forward to. So much more she was ready to accomplish, and it was unfairly taken from her from an evil man that she was supposed to trust and look up to.
Sunset looks to you for a moment and you look back to Octavia. "I'm sorry we couldn't save her as well, Senator."
"We tried. We really did." Sunset adds.
She looks up again and nods. "I know you did. I don't blame you." She pauses and thinks for a moment before sitting up straight. "When the one responsible is caught, he will be tried and sentenced to the punishment he deserves."
Hoity Toity.
He will be caught, definitely, and he will get what he deserves, but he won't have a chance to look for a scapegoat and potentially get out of this. The Republic will wait too long. He needs to be dealt with severely, and as soon as possible.
Pinkie speaks up. "So, what's gonna happen with Dantooine now?"
Octavia sighs, looking a bit relieved to change the somber topic. "Honestly, I do not know. I felt like I could have been successful if I had more time. The governor of the planet was being very stubborn with me during our negotiations. He kept insisting that Dantooine could manage on its own. But then... everything happened."
You can't help but think that this attack could be taken both ways. Dantooine can either see this as a sign that they need the Republic's assistance to combat attacks like this in the future, or as a sign that nothing good can come from being associated with them.
Politics are absolutely terrible in every way.
If Mandalorians were involved, they would have just invaded and conquered the planet overnight. It would have been almost too easy. But alas, the Republic isn't as strong-willed the Mando'ade.
"I'm sure everything will work out in time, Senator. You seem pretty resilient to me." You say.
She smiles again. "Thank you, Anonymous."
You nod at her in response.
A second later, the ship rumbles slightly.
The cruiser itself has landed?
"Wow." You comment.
"Must be refueling or something." Sunset adds.
Other than crashes, you haven't actually seen a Republic cruiser of any kind touch down on a planet's surface before. Octavia is looking around the room as well. She probably wasn't expecting this either.
She looks back at you once more. "Well, I suppose this is our stop."
Looks like it.
You face her completely. "Senator, if you ever need our services again in the future, don't hesitate to ask."
"I won't hesitate, thank you." She replies with a smile.
The three of you turn to exit the room. Pinkie calls back to her. "Get better soon!"
Octavia merely giggles and waves goodbye.
You pass another officer as he makes his way into the room as well and starts speaking to Octavia. You only hear the start of his sentence. Apparently, the Queen of Naboo herself wants to know how she's doing.
The three of you leave the room and head down the hallway toward the exit.
Pinkie taps your shoulder. "So, are we gonna talk about the plan now?"
You shake your head and continue facing forward. "Not yet."
"Mom and dad are back!" You laugh as you step aboard your ship again after Sunset, taking a deep breath through the nose as you remove your helmet.
Oh, it feels so damn good to be here again. Everything is exactly how you left it. Your weapons in the armory, your speeder bike you bought on Tatooine, the main hold, it's such a beautiful sight. Sunset removes her helmet and stands in the doorway of the main hold, looking at everything with a smile.
"Sunset..." She looks back at you as you move to stand beside her and wrap an arm around her. The both of you look at your beautiful ship together, still smiling. "...we're home."
She giggles and squeezes you around the waist in return before heading to the cockpit. "Now let's get the hell out of here."
"Good idea." You chuckle.
You turn around and see Pinkie behind you, also smiling. "Did I ever tell you I really liked your ship Anon?"
You cross your arms and look her straight in the eyes. "Don't get any ideas, Pinkie. It's mine."
Sunset calls back from the cockpit. "It's mine too!"
You glance toward the cockpit for a second before turning to Pinkie again. "Right. It's hers too. I bought it though."
Sunset calls back from the cockpit once again. "I bought most of it!"
You roll your eyes and turn toward the cockpit. "Will you stop?! I'm trying to make a point here!"
She calls back. "Make the point correctly then! I picked it out, I paid for most of it, you just picked out the color!"
"It's my favorite color!" You reply.
Sunset starts to laugh. It makes you laugh too.
Pinkie starts laughing as well. "You guys are so cute!"
You set your helmet down on the table in the center of the room, still chuckling. "Heh. Thanks."
Sunset calls back the cockpit once more. "I'm cuter!"
"I know that!" You say.
You smile wide and Pinkie starts laughing again.
The engines click and hum as Sunset starts up the ship. They hum a bit louder as the ship warms up and you walk into the armory to remove some of your equipment.
"I'm gonna head to the cockpit too, okay Anon?" Pinkie says.
"Alright, Pinkie." You reply. "Tell Sunset to just stay in orbit for now. I'll be there in a minute."
"Okie dokie!" She heads toward the cockpit and the ship rumbles beneath your feet as Sunset takes off.
After removing your jetpack and weapons, you grab your datapad nearby and call Rarity. Time to see who this contact of hers is...
---
You press another button on the ship's controls as you begin your ascent through Naboo's atmosphere. It really is a beautiful planet, especially from up here. You can see the cruiser you all were just aboard, the spaceport, the entire city of Theed, and the Queen's palace. They all shrink as you continue through the clouds.
A voice from behind cuts you off. "Hiya, Sunset!"
Pinkie's here. Great.
"Hey, Pinkie." You reply calmly.
She takes a seat in the co-pilot's chair on your right and swivels back and forth. "Anon says to just get into orbit! He'll be here soon!"
You nod. "Okay."
The ship continues to break through the clouds and the blue sky starts to get darker as you press through the atmosphere. Pinkie spins in circles in the chair a couple of times, giggling to herself. The chair squeaks a little bit as she swivels it.
Why is she in here?
"Do you need anything Pinkie?" You ask.
She looks at you and gasps softly. "Oh yeah! I do, actually!" She stops spinning and faces you completely. Her smile fades, but her attention does not. "I was curious about what happened on Dantooine."
You glance at her, but keep your attention on the viewport window. "What do you mean?"
"Well... Like, you didn't like being there, right? Like, you had yucky, woozy feelings when we were in the canyons?" She clarifies.
How did she know that?
You stare at her completely. "Yeah..?"
She scoots closer, just a bit. "And, just before the bomb went off, you felt that wave of yucky woozy feeling in your gut, didn't you?"
"Yeah... Yeah, I did..." You say softly.
That's strange.
Now that you think about it, she said something at the same time you felt that feeling in your gut. Like, "Oh goodness" or something like that.
Pinkie looks back toward the rest of the ship for a moment and you follow her gaze. It's just you two in here. Anon is doing whatever he's doing right now.
"What do you think about the Jedi and the Force, Sunset?" She asks you quietly.
This is weird.
"Together? I don't know." You shrug. "I'm not too fond of the Jedi, if that's what you're asking. I know the Force exists, but I don't understand everything about how it works. Even though I'm Force Sensitive, I'm not familiar with-"
She cuts you off. "Oh! So-So you do know that you're Force Sensitive?"
You nod. "It was a recent discovery, but yeah. I have barely enough midichlorians in my blood to be Force Sensitive."
She blinks once. "Oh! Okay!"
She breathes a sigh of relief and looks out the viewport into the sky, now being dotted with distant stars as you leave the atmosphere.
"Is that what this is about?" You ask. "All those weird feelings in my gut before, that was the Force?"
She nods. "Yup. I felt it strongly around the Enclave too."
You accelerate the ship more and get yourselves into orbit around Naboo.
"What did it mean?" You ask.
Pinkie takes a deep breath. "The Force is very strong there. Those are old ruins that once housed and trained many powerful Jedi Knights."
Including Revan.
She continues. "All those craters and holes around the Enclave and in the canyons were from Darth Malak's ship when he killed them all. All those people who died, their life force, their energy, it still speaks to those who can hear it. Even after all this time."
All you felt there was uneasiness and nausea. You were able to push past it, but it was still there.
"So..." You begin. "All that queasiness I felt, that was the Force telling me that tons of people had died?"
She nods. "Basically."
Wow. That's not even a little bit fun.
This makes you hate being Force Sensitive.
You shake your head, still confused. "Then, what about what I felt just before the bomb went off? You felt it too, right?"
She nods. "Yeah I did. That was just you sensing immediate danger. Have you ever felt that before?"
"Maybe I have, I don't know." You say. "I don't usually pay attention to how I'm feeling when me and Anon are on the job. We both just push past it until the job is done. Then we can mess around."
She smiles and giggles a little. "Like your little back and forth you had with each other just now?"
"Yeah, stuff like that." You smile as well. "Anon is a great guy, and he knows how to be fun. He actually has a great sense of humor. You should hear some of his jokes when he gets in the mood. But despite that, he's still a no-nonsense Mandalorian. When it's time to work, he works. When our work is finished, or it's just us, then he brings out his fun side."
"And what do you think of that?" She asks.
"It's nice." You smile. "I like to think I'm the same way. It's why we work so well together."
Pinkie hums softly and leans back in the chair a little as you press a few more buttons on the control console.
"So what's the deal with you two?" She asks. "Are you guys, like, a thing?"
You smile a little. "Yes. We're partners, both professionally and personally."
"Cute!" She replies. "How did you guys meet?"
You clear your throat. "We both grew up on Mandalore. Not together though. We were part of different houses. I, from house Shimmer, and he, from house Ymous, obviously. We both trained and fought separately before we met during a skirmish about a year or two after I completed the Verd'goten."
Pinkie cocks her head. "The what?"
"The Verd'goten." You repeat. "It's the Mandalorian's rite of passage into adulthood. Everything before then is just considered training. Then, at the age of thirteen, young Mandalores prove themselves in real combat against real enemies. Those who came back brought tales of his or her achievements and was legally seen as an adult among the Mandalorian Clans."
Pinkie looks a bit surprised. "Wow, an adult at thirteen? That's wild."
You shake your head. "Not really. It's just different from how the Republic does things. It's our culture. Once they come back, they share a drink with everyone and enjoy the victory with their friends and family. The first of many victories."
"Fun!" She smiles. "What did you do for yours?"
You're about to answer when Anon comes walking into the cockpit. "What did she do for her what?"
You smile and look up at him. "I was just about to tell her what I did for my Verd'goten."
"Oh, that's a good story. Please, do tell." He leans against the wall and Pinkie looks at you expectantly with a smile on her face.
You giggle and look at Pinkie. Anon has heard this before.
"We had heard reports of a small battle taking place between two groups over a world just outside Mandalorian Space. I can't remember which one. Whether they were pirates or smugglers, I couldn't tell you either. All we knew was that they were a prick in our side that needed to be removed... We had been developing an experimental type of spacecraft that was armed with powerful ion cannons and industrial-grade armor plating, but didn't have any engines. To launch it, our cruiser was equipped with a massive rail gun that propelled it toward the enemy at extremely high speeds through space. The idea was that it would only be used to board enemy cruisers by firing its ion cannon to disable their shields for just a moment and break through their hull."
Pinkie gasps softly. "Woah."
Anon smiles at that, but stays silent.
You continue. "I had been one of the first to volunteer to sit in the pod. Once our ship engaged the two trespassing ships, they would fire me toward them. I could see battle raging outside the barrel of our ship's rail gun. My heart was pounding out of fear and excitement over what I was about to do. When I was given the green light, I grasped the controls tightly and pressed myself against the back of my seat. Then they shot me like a bullet. The G-force was insane. For the briefest of moments, I weighed a couple tons. Even at that speed however, I had about thirty seconds to decide where I wanted to impact."
"Could you control where you wanted to go?" Pinkie asks.
You shake your head. "Not much. It didn't have any engines, remember. I used what little maneuverability I did have, though, to steer myself toward the bridge of the nearest cruiser. Once I had a lock, I fired everything my ion cannons had until the shield broke in that one section. Then, I finally penetrated the hull. The crew inside had no idea what was happening. I got a little cooked from the explosion and the sheer force of impact, but I shook it off and broke out of my pod."
Pinkie is on the edge of her seat. Anon looks expectant too, even though he already knows what will happen.
"The hallway I was in had already re-pressurized the new breach in their hull by the time I got out of the pod. The alarm was blaring, and flashing everything red. I quickly got free from my pod and headed toward the bridge, killing anyone that got in my way. Once I got there, I killed the guards, the captain, and anyone else I saw until I was the only one alive. My mind was racing, and I headed to the cruiser's controls. The terminal was still logged in as the dead captain, so I used an override command to put everything into the sublight engines, and set the ship on a collision course with the other cruiser. I then blasted the bridge's viewport window and was sucked into the vacuum of space. From there, I watched as the two enemy cruisers collided with each other and exploded into a massive fireball, all thanks to me. It was the moment of my life."
Pinkie's smile widens. "That's amazing! Oh, I bet seeing that was the coolest thing ever!"
You giggle. "I can't describe exactly how it feels, being in the emptiness of space, with nothing between you and the collision of fire and metal mere kilometers away. It's incredible."
Anon chuckles as well. "I wish I had met her before that so I could've seen it myself. Probably would've been the second most amazing thing I saw that day."
"Oh, stop it, you." You blush a little and he chuckles as he walks over to give you a quick kiss.
"Awww cute!" Pinkie says happily.
You smirk and glare at Pinkie with Anon. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"
Pinkie giggles and stands up. "Alriiight, you two lovebirds, I'll leave you alone. Thanks for the story, Sunset!"
You nod at her. "You're welcome, Pinkie."
She skips out of the cockpit, still giggling to herself.
You kiss Anon again and return your attention to the control console as he takes a seat beside you and sighs. "So what else were you two talking about?"
You give a content sigh. "Nothing much. She did have a question for me about something that happened on Dantooine."
"Like what?" He asks.
You shrug and look at him. "Well, apparently, I was sensing the Force a bit down there and she noticed it."
He turns to you. "Really?"
You nod. "Mmhmm."
He hums as well. "That's pretty cool, I guess."
You give him a little half-smile and return your attention to the controls. "So where are we going?"
"Oh, right." He clicks. "Take us to Nal Hutta. Rarity's contact is a Hutt named Filthy Rich."
"Filthy? Really?" You lock in Nal Hutta's coordinates and prepare to make the jump to lightspeed.
He shrugs. "Well, he's a Hutt. Of course he's filthy."
You scoff and smile. "That's racist, Anon."
He grins. "It's not racist if it's true."
You giggle and the ship's computer finishes the necessary calculations. The hyperdrive whirs to life and you grab the throttle.
"Shouldn't we tell Pinkie to brace herself?" Anon asks.
You push the throttle and the ship lurches forward for a split-second before flying off into hyperspace. From behind you in the ship somewhere, you hear Pinkie cry out in surprise and fly into something, knocking it over as you make the jump.
"Oops." You smirk.
"I'm okay!" Pinkie says loudly from behind.
You smile and Anon starts to laugh. "Ha! Come on. Let's go get her."
"Alright." You smile at him and the both of you stand up and make your way back into the ship to help Pinkie.
After getting Pinkie situated again, Sunset went into the armory to remove some of her gear and you sit them both down in the main hold and contact Rarity through the ship's computer a few minutes later. It was time to make a plan.
Her holographic face comes into view above the table in the center of the room. "Hello, Anonymous and Sunset!"
"Hey Rarity." You say.
She smiles and looks at Pinkie. "Oh! You must be Pinkamena Diane Pie."
Pinkie smiles and nods. "The one and only! Call me Pinkie!"
She returns the smile. "It's nice to meet you, Pinkie! I'm Rarity."
"Nice to meet you too!" Pinkie replies.
Good, we're all getting along.
Rarity clears her throat. "Well, now that the pleasantries are out of the way, I suppose you're all curious about my contact."
Sunset speaks up. "Does he really go by 'Filthy'?"
Pinkie straight up busts a gut laughing. "What?!"
You chuckle. Rarity does as well. "Yes, darling. That little nickname was given to him by those he had previously dealt with, and it sort of stuck. He is very successful and he isn't afraid to play dirty to get what he wants."
He's an extremely aggressive businessman. In a... manner of speaking.
She continues. "Anonymous has stated that he needs some items of... How did you put it exactly, darling?"
"Items of questionable legality." You say again.
"Ah, yes." She snaps her fingers. "He needs some of those for this little endeavor he wants to go on... Which I'm very curious to know the details of."
All three of them turn their full attention to you.
You clear your throat. "Okay. Now that we're not under the prying eyes and ears of the Republic, I can get into my 'evil plan' with a bit less worry of anyone listening in." You turn your attention to Pinkie. "Pinkie. You are in the dark the most on this, so I'll explain everything from the beginning... Rarity, bring up the message please."
Rarity's holographic image fades away and is replaced by Hoity Toity's still image, along with many other details you had found and given to her.
You continue. "At the Jedi Enclave, I found a datapad. It contained shipping records, details on the cargo, and a pair of aliases for the recipients of the illegally obtained Kath Hounds: the Twins. AKA, Flim and Flam... Along with those things, I also found this message."
You press a button on the table and play the message to the girls for the first time.
"...alk to me, what is going on there?! Did you get the shipment?! Is the bomb in place?! Answer me! I want Senator Melody DEAD! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?! DEAD!"
Pinkie gasps and covers her mouth.
Sunset just stares at him, shaking her head. "What an idiot... He didn't even try to be subtle or hide his identity or anything."
"His carelessness will cost him dearly." You add.
"Who is that?" Pinkie asks.
You reply. "That, Pinkie, is Hoity Toity. He's a rich, corrupt Senator for the Galactic Republic. We're going to break into his fancy apartment building in Coruscant's upper city, and kill him."
She looks at you. "A high up guy like this? For free?" You nod. "By your own choice?" You nod again.
"You could be a great help to us on this, Pinkie." You tell her. "This is the guy who killed a bunch of innocent people on Dantooine."
She looks at the still image of his face again. "Why not let the Republic deal with him though?"
Sunset stands up before you can answer. "Because the Republic will take too long, Pinkie. This guy is a lying, corrupt piece of Bantha fodder. He has a position of power in the Republic, and he deserves to die as soon as possible. If we wait, he could pull some strings and make himself look innocent. We have to do this now."
You grin and she stands beside you. "Couldn't have said it any better myself."
Sunset looks to you briefly and grins as well.
Pinkie looks at you both for a moment before smiling a little. "Alright, I'm in. He's a rich bad guy too, so maybe we can steal some stuff when we get in there."
You grin. "I was ready to play that card if you were having doubts about doing this with us. This guy is definitely loaded."
She giggles and Rarity's face comes into view again. "So what is your plan then, darling?"
You look at her and rub your chin for a moment. "Well, that is actually why I wanted to brainstorm with you guys for a bit. We need a specific plan of action with this... Pinkie, you're the professional thief here. What would you do?"
She scratches her head and hums to herself as she thinks. "You don't happen to have blueprints, or at least a picture of his place, do you?"
Sunset speaks up. "We have a few cameras aboard this ship. I can pull up an archive image of it from when we brought in Adagio."
She moves over to another computer panel on a far wall and presses a few buttons. Rarity's image fades once again. Taking her place is footage of you, Sunset, and Adagio exiting the ship on Hoity Toity's rooftop a couple of weeks ago.
The footage moves to another camera and you get a grainy, albeit better view of his building from a different angle. Sunset pauses the footage and Pinkie steps forward to get a closer look at the building. She stays silent for a few moments as she studies it.
"What kind of gear will we have?" She asks.
"I'm hoping for some piece of tech that can help us disable some security." You reply.
"What kind of security does he have, specifically?" She asks.
You shake your head. "I'm not sure."
She hums. "You should've scoped this place out, Anon. Gathered some intel, ya know?"
You curse silently. She's right, that's a rookie mistake. You should've gone to Coruscant first.
Maybe she has a method.
"Well, walk me through what you usually do when breaking into places like this." You say.
"Well, for me, there's usually a party involved. I get myself invited, make a few flirty faces, show the guy I can be fun in more ways than one, then I swipe his keys, guns, valuables, or anything else I want. Sometimes it has to get messy though. I have fun no matter what kind of messy happens, but whether the messy is fun for him depends on if he's cute or not..." She grins and winks at you. "If you know what I mean~."
"Good hell..." You groan.
"Oh my word, Pinkie!" Even though her face is not visually present, Rarity can still hear everything in the room. You press your palm against your face and Pinkie starts laughing again.
Sunset sighs loudly and snaps her fingers a few times. "Okay, Pinkie? For real. We don't need to hear about your lovelife. Get to the point."
She continues laughing as she looks at you all. "What? It works great for me!"
You can't help chuckling a little. That was kind of funny.
"She's right." You say. "Let's stay focused."
Pinkie giggles and looks back at the picture again. Her giggles fade after a second, but her smile doesn't. "Anyway, as far as getting intel goes, I say we wait until nighttime and use a few probe droids to get a closer look at the building."
Sunset points to a different building's rooftop on the picture. "One or two of us can stand on that rooftop and scope it out from further away."
Pinkie nods. "Good idea. I can't be much help if I don't know what I'm getting into."
You silently curse yourself again as you think of how much money you could save if you had done that first. Oh well. You're already on your way.
"You know, while we're going to Nal Hutta, can we stop at Nar Shaddaa first?" Pinkie asks. "I have some of my stuff that can help us out."
That's right. You picked Pinkie up on Nar Shaddaa.
"Sure, we can make a stop." You ask. "What kind of stuff are you grabbing?"
She grins. "Lots of high-tech thief stuff! Sticky gloves, glass cutters, one or two distractions I can use, you know. Most of it can only be used by me though."
You nod. "We'll take all the help we can get."
Sunset speaks up. "Do you have any signal jammers?"
"I do, but it's a small one." Pinkie replies. "It only jams radios that are close to me."
You look back at the picture of the apartment building again. On the roof, you notice a small communications dish between a pair of antennas. Jamming a signal would be easy if you could get up there. Pinkie's probably isn't anywhere near powerful enough to do it though, if she's to be believed. Even if it was modified. You'll have to buy a better one.
"Well, unfortunately, I didn't look far enough ahead and now it's too late to go to Coruscant and scope this place out better." You admit. "When we get to Nal Hutta, we'll buy the basics and work with what we have when we get there."
"Mistakes happen sometimes, Anon." Pinkie says with a smile.
True, but you still hate it when they do happen.
You continue. "Right now, we need a bare minimum plan. A simple foundation for something more detailed later on. How are we going to do this?"
Pinkie and Sunset think for a moment. Rarity's face comes into view once again. "Well darling, as I said before, the Republic knows who you are. They have worked with you, and they have undoubtedly done their research. It's safe to assume that they know your style."
You're usually pretty discreet unless you simply cannot be. Pinkie is well versed in stealthy infiltration, ironically. You have no idea how much the Republic knows about her though. They could know everything, or they could know nothing.
"Do you think the Republic would consider us if the assassination was blatantly obvious?" Sunset asks.
You all look at her as she speaks.
"Like, just be reckless? Go in guns blazing?" You ask.
She nods. "The illusion of being reckless, yes. We could plan to be so over-the-top loud, that there's no way the Republic would suspect it was us. It goes against our M.O."
That could work. You like the idea of the Republic not tailing you all over the place. It would mean that you'd have to be fast though. As soon as news got out, Republic security forces and possibly even a few Jedi would race there to stop you.
"Maybe." You say. "We'll hold onto that plan. I'm not opposed to it."
Pinkie speaks up again. "I still say we try to be stealthy. Maybe cut a few security measures before we go in, you know?"
"I agree with Pinkie, darling." Rarity says. "It's safer, and if you cover your tracks well enough, then there's no need for all the excitement."
Sunset argues once again. "You can never be sure of anything though. Covering your tracks can work, but destroying your tracks completely can work even better, if you do it the right way."
All these plans can work or fail. You can see that.
"What if we do a bit of both?" They all look at you. "We can go in quiet and really stealthy, kill the senator, then go out with a loud bang."
You bring up a smaller picture of the apartment building next to Rarity's face and point to a window on its side.
You continue. "See that window there? We can plant remote explosives there from the outside. Whoever is inside can also plant remote explosives all over the place. Hoity Toity lives near the top of the tower, so maybe we plant them in key points around the building and bring the entire top of the building down."
Pinkie looks at you like you're crazy. "You don't wanna destroy the entire tower, do you?!"
"Of course not! I just want to destroy his penthouse." You reply.
She gives a relieved sigh and Sunset leans in to look at the picture. "How would we get out of there?"
You think for a moment.
"I'm thinking we use the explosion as our escape." You say. "Maybe we could set the explosives off at different times. The ones by the window can go, the person inside can jump out, then the rest of the explosives can go a couple seconds later."
Sunset hums to herself. "That's quite a long fall though."
That's true. Using your jetpacks would give you away as Mandalorians, too.
"What if someone else had a speeder and flew it down to catch whoever was falling?" Pinkie asks.
That could work. Whoever was flying it would need to be good though.
You look at Sunset and she looks back at you and nods. "I can do that."
You smile at her. "That only means we're getting the best."
She smiles back and looks at the picture again. "Well, I like it. It's crazy enough that it just might work."
"I do too!" Pinkie says.
"Rarity, what do you think?" You asks.
She looks unsure. "I still don't know, Anonymous. It seems risky."
You chuckle. "I think you worry too much. It's us. We can do it."
"Well, someone has to worry about you!" She smiles back at you. "I'll see if I can't get any more information on the Senator's apartment building for you. Like blueprints and whatnot."
You nod. "Thanks Rarity."
Her holographic face fades away and you turn off the table's projector.
Pinkie exhales. "Now what?"
Sunset folds her arms. "Well, we have a while before we reach Nal Hutta. I say we get a little rest."
"Good idea." You reply. "It's been a long day."
"Okie dokie!" Pinkie walks toward another hallway that leads to some guest bunkbeds, leaving you and Sunset alone.
You look at each other but say nothing. You smile at her and she smiles back.
You exhale. "Alright, I'm going to take your advice head to sleep for a bit."
"Sounds good." Sunset nods. "I'll be in there soon."
You turn around and head toward the hallway that leads to your room. "Nighty night."
You reach your room and step inside, closing the door behind you and removing your armor. Once it's been removed, you lay down in your bed and take a deep breath. It's been a while since you've had a decent rest. You're looking forward to this.
You lift your robotic arm up and look at it. It's scraped in a few places and suffering from minor damage. It will still work for you though.
You lay it down at your side and take another deep breath as you shut your eyes. Tomorrow is going to be interesting.
Sunset maneuvers the ship out of Nal Hutta's atmosphere and heads toward Nar Shaddaa to pick up Pinkie.
You are currently in the cargo hold looking over a few of your new gadgets. Filthy Rich is not one to haggle. All this had cost quite a bit, but luckily, you could afford it. What's the point of having money if you don't spend a little bit of it here and there?
You're still unsure about what exactly Hoity Toity has in the way of electronic security, so you wanted to get the best that Filthy had to offer. You picked up a couple of universal jammers for any of the building's sensors and communications, a few computer spikes, toxic darts, missiles for your and Sunset's jetpacks, fuel, a lot of explosive charges, and a couple more probe droids to replace the ones you lost to the Rakghouls over Mandalore.
You also have some other gear laying around here somewhere that you'll most likely use for this job. Leftover explosives and whatnot. Pinkie said that she was picking up some stuff that could be useful too, so you're a bit anxious to see what she's got. You figured it was best to drop her off and pick her up after you got done shopping on Nal Hutta. It saved a bit of time.
Once everything is accounted for, you take a few darts and head into your armory to prepare them for use. A little courtesy you like to provide the seller is grinding away the darts' fins just a bit so they're still aerodynamic, but they look different from how you bought them. These darts are usually shaped in a specific way, and you don't want anyone to find out who used them or where they came from. It covers your tracks from the authorities who inspect the body, and it helps keep the manufacturer out of trouble.
Just something you do, because you're such a nice guy.
It takes a few minutes, but you tweak the darts' designs to how you want and put them in your belt.
Sunset's voice comes on the intercom a moment later. "Anon, we're back on Nar Shaddaa."
You walk over to the intercom and press the button. "Alright. Real quick, how are we doing on fuel?"
"We'll make it to Coruscant, but I was going to fill up in case we needed a quick getaway." Sunset says.
"I was just going to suggest that." You reply. "Find a place near the Pazaak Den and I'll contact Pinkie."
"Okay." She says.
You shut off the intercom and head to the computer in the main hold.
Pinkie's comms buzz for a moment before she answers, giggling wildly. "Hee hee! Hi, Anon!"
What is she doing?
"We're here." You reply. "Have you got everything you need?"
"Yup I'm all set!" She continues giggling. She sounds like she's in a public place with a bunch of other people.
"Where are you?" You ask.
"The Pazaak Den!" She replies happily. "I just won 3,000 credits from some off-worlder and then he started crying! It was hilarious!"
Damn it...
You groan. "Pinkie, this is important. I need you t -"
"Yeahyeahyeahyeahyeah, I know!" She cuts you off. "I've got my money and I already picked up my gear and I'm done now!"
"Good." You sigh. "Go to the refueling platform closest to you. We'll be there soon."
"Okie dokie lokie!"
You shut off communications with her and groan again. Hopefully, this hunt for Discord doesn't take much longer. You're getting pretty sick of her antics.
The ship leans and turns slightly and you head to the cockpit to meet up with Sunset. "How are we looking?"
"We're about there." She replies.
The refueling platform is sticking out of the middle part of one of the many massive skyscrapers around you just ahead. Speeders and ships follow each other in lines above and below you, giving movement to the neon-lit planet as Sunset descends the ship onto the platform.
Once the ship lands, you both grab your helmets, head to the exit ramp, and step onto the landing pad. The both of you meet a Toydarian there and begin the refueling process to your ship. You periodically look to the doorway on the building's side for any sign of Pinkie. She isn't here yet.
It isn't until a few minutes later that the door opens and she comes skipping toward you, humming to herself. You pay the Toydarian and stand there with Sunset. "Hey guys!" She says. "Sorry I'm late! I was busy with-"
"Save it." You cut her off. "Are you ready to go?"
She stops talking and nods at you. "Yep! I'm all set!"
"Good." The three of you enter your ship and close the ramp behind you.
You and Sunset take off your helmets and set them back on the table in the main hold before heading into the cockpit.
"So what kind of stuff did you guys get?" Pinkie asks.
You all sit in your respective seats and Sunset starts up the ship. "A bunch of good stuff. We'll talk about it when we make the jump to lightspeed."
The ship lifts off the landing pad and makes its way up past the traffic and into the sky. Sunset sets the coordinates for Coruscant once you're out of the atmosphere and the ship's hyperdrive blasts you off into hyperspace.
"Alright, we're clear." She says.
"Fantastic." You reply. "Let's contact Rarity and see if she's gathered any details on his apartment."
You get up with Pinkie and head back into the ship while Sunset stays and presses a few more buttons on the control console. Pinkie sits in a seat behind you while you move your helmets off the table in the main hold and contact Rarity.
"What kind of stuff did you grab, Pinkie?" You ask.
She reaches into a few of the pouches on her belt and pulls out a few things. "I got these cool gloves that help me stick to walls and stuff, a pair of thermal goggles, smoke pellets, a glass cutter, a small communications inhibitor, and, uh... Oh! This!" She pulls out a small, blue gem.
It catches your attention immediately. It's about the same size as Adagio's gem. "Is that...?"
"It's my lightsaber crystal that I got when I was training to be a Jedi!" She says.
This must be one of the naturally-formed lightsaber crystals that Maud told you about back on Shining Armor's cruiser.
"Can I see it?" You ask.
"Sure." She hands it to you and you look at it closely.
It has a faint glow to it and you twist it around in your fingers slowly as you look at it from all angles.
"I never got to use it to make my lightsaber, but it's still strong with the Force. I like to think it brings me good luck."
You hum. "Nice."
You hand it back to her and she puts it into one of her pouches with a smile. You're sure it will come in handy for her.
You look back to the table and press another button. Rarity's holographic face appears a few moments later. "Hey, Rarity. Give me some good news."
She smiles at you. "Well darling, I did a little bit of looking around and managed to find quite a bit of information on the senator's building."
Excellent.
Her holographic face fades and is replaced by a three-dimensional image of Hoity Toity's apartment.
"That's what I'm talking about." Pinkie stands up and stares at the image intently. Sunset walks into the room as well and stands beside you.
Rarity clears her throat. "Now, as I'm sure you all know, this is his apartment building. This landing pad here is where you landed when you met with him last." A small red dot appears on one of the landing pads near the bottom of the image. "I've learned that since the incident on Dantooine, the senator has upped his security a bit. He has hired more guards, and has ordered that more security systems be put in place around his apartment."
Sunset speaks up. "What kind of security systems?"
"More cameras, proximity sensors, silent alarms, nothing too complex though." Rarity says. "However, most of these new security systems have only been ordered. They have not been installed yet. What he does have now are more guards, restricted access badges, and security droids. As well as all of his previous security systems that were already in place, of course."
"Which are?" You ask.
The image zooms in on the large window on the building that overlooks the city. "Thermal sensors on all windows..." The image then shifts to a communications antennae on the roof. "...a short-range communications monitor..." The image zooms out and a multitude of flashing red dots appear all over the building. "...automated defense turrets spread around key points in and out of the building..." The blinking red dots fade and a larger number of blue dots appear all over. "...and, of course, security cameras everywhere."
You tap your chin as you study the security precautions in the building.
Pinkie speaks up. "Can you highlight the ventilation shafts, rooms, and hallways, please?"
A network of yellow lines appear through the building. One is thicker than the others, and heads straight down the building, while the multitude of thinner ones go up, down, left, right, and just about every other direction away from it. The yellow lines end on the tops of long, blue squares that you can only assume are the hallways and individual rooms spread through the building.
"This long, thick yellow line is the main ventilation shaft." Rarity says. "It continues for miles downward. Every hundred meters, it is cut off by a large fan that blows air through the building."
Pinkie hums and nods as she studies the image. "How big are the smaller vents?"
"Not big enough to crawl through, if that's what you're thinking, darling." Rarity says.
Pinkie grunts and folds her arms. "Darn it."
She continues to study the image while Sunset speaks up. "Where are the most structurally critical sections on this building's level located?"
A few moments later, two circles of flashing red columns of light appear on the building. The larger circle near the perimeter, while the smaller circle near the center. "These beams here hold the penthouse up. There are nine around the edge, and five toward the middle."
You and Sunset both study the image closely.
"It looks like the entire penthouse would come down if at least five of the outer supports were destroyed, and all of the innermost ones were as well." You say.
"If we could turn off the air circulation for a few seconds, we could use the probe droids to go through the vents and plant the explosives." Sunset adds.
Not a bad idea. The vents would most likely be controlled by a switch or something from inside the building. You'll have to locate it once you're inside.
"I like that idea. We still need to find out how to deactivate the vents though." You look around at the building's holographic projection. All the multicolored lights are still there. "Highlight Hoity Toity's room for me please, Rarity."
The spacious room with all the windows that overlooks the city glows green.
"Okay, I like the idea of using the droids to go through the vents, so let's hold onto that part. Where will we be, I wonder?" You're thinking out loud here. The image of the building slowly spins clockwise as you ponder to yourself. "We need a place to park, first off... What other buildings are around this one, Rarity?"
"Nothing of significance." She replies.
That's exactly what you're looking for.
The image zooms out and a few other surrounding buildings come into view. "There's a pad right here. It's a public building about a kilometer away." She marks a point on a nearby building.
"Is there a place to land somewhere lower down? I don't want to attract any attention." You say.
"There should be." Rarity says.
The image pans over to this building and moves lower down. Finally, it stops at another landing pad.
"Here." Rarity says. "It's about a kilometer and a half down from the rooftop."
Sunset whistles. "Quite the climb."
"I was thinking it was quite the drop." You look over at her for a moment. "I've got an idea. We deploy the probe droids over this rooftop and head down here to land. Then we can move through this building up to the rooftop. It's a public place, so it should take us about ten minutes."
The image moves up to the rooftop once again, and slowly pans toward Hoity Toity's apartment.
You continue. "The three of us will activate the droids and arm them with explosives. Then we can head toward Hoity Toity's building by flying along the rooftops."
"What about Pinkie?" Sunset asks.
You look over to her. "These gaps between buildings are relatively small. We can do what we did on Dantooine and carry her between us while we fly over."
Pinkie looks at you and back to the image for a second. "That's like a zillion miles down, Anon!"
"Don't look down then. We've got you." You look back to the image and it stops over the building closest to Hoity Toity's. "Anyway, once we get here, Sunset can fly one of the droids over to the building and scan for any points of significance, just to clarify that these blueprints are up to date."
The image pans over to Hoity Toity's building and onto the rooftop.
Sunset speaks up. "What about the security cameras?"
Right. You still need to get rid of those.
Rarity's voice comes with a reply. "There is a security access point on the roof that serves as a central hub for the system. If you can hack into there, you could loop all of the cameras."
"That's convenient." You reply. "Only problem is, that place is probably covered by the cameras, right?"
"Correct." Rarity replies.
You hum to yourself and rub your chin. "We can use the communications jammer we bought from Filthy to blind them temporarily."
Sunset continues your thought. "Then we can go in, hack the system, and loop the cameras."
You snap your fingers softly. "Exactly."
Pinkie speaks up. "But we can't hold the block for very long. They'll know something is up after about 30 seconds. We'll need to go fast."
She's right.
"We bought a few computer spikes." You say. "I can get it done in no time." She nods and you all look back at the image. "Once everything is on the up and up around the building, Sunset will stay behind and wait with all the droids, except one. It will carry the jammer and activate it when Pinkie and I head onto the roof. Once there, I'll shut off the cameras and see if I can't also deactivate the turrets." The blue lights indicating the cameras' locations shut off on the image. "Once they're taken care of, if we can't control the ventilation system from that access point, then we'll deactivate it manually. That way, Sunset can bring the rest of the droids over and plant the explosives in their required spots."
She looks over to you again. "And once they're planted, I send them back to the ship before making my way back and picking you up, right?"
You nod at her. "As fast as possible. If you jump, then that's how fast you'll go."
She grins and looks at the image again. "Looks fun."
You look back at the image as well. "Rarity, what are the patrol routes for the guards?"
"Here." A series of red lines move through the hallways, up a few different flights of stairs, and into some rooms. "There are about fifteen guards patrolling on this floor, with four more inside the senator's room. Each one of them can remotely trigger an alarm that alerts the authorities and calls up reinforcements from the lower levels."
Nineteen altogether. Pinkie's personal signal jammer can prove useful here.
"Alright. While Sunset is planting the explosives, Pinkie will make her way inside and silently take out the guards." You turn to her. "Think you can do that? Silently?"
She exaggerates a salute and smiles. "Yes sir, Anon!"
You nod at her and look back at the image. "I'll use the other jammer to override the thermal sensors on the windows and plant a few more explosives around there, before meeting up with Pinkie. We'll move to the senator as quickly as possible. Maybe find a terminal or something we can plant evidence of his involvement on Dantooine onto. We'll have a few minutes to toy with him until Sunset gets to the ship. I want to find out who and where Flim and Flam are."
Pinkie turns to you again. "We can take some of Hoity Toity's stuff while we're in there too, right?"
You nod. "Of course."
"Get some loot for me too then, Anon." Sunset says. "You're going to have all that fun without me."
You look back at Sunset and chuckle. "I'll grab something special, just for you." She smiles and you look back to the image. "Once we take care of Hoity Toity, I'm going to blow the window. Pinkie and I will jump out and the rest of the bombs will go off five seconds later."
Sunset speaks. "I'll fly the ship down and pick you guys up."
"Then we're home free." You take a deep breath and look at the plan. "What do you guys think?"
"I like it." Sunset says.
"Me too!" Pinkie adds.
Good.
Rarity's face fades into view once again. "I've sent you all the information on this, Anonymous. It sounds dangerous, but if anyone can pull it off, it's you all."
"Thanks, Rarity." You reply.
She nods and smiles. "Tell me how it goes when you're done."
Her face fades away and the hologram shuts off.
You take another deep breath and look to the girls. "Alright, you two. We'll be there in a few hours, so get some extra rest. Make sure you're ready."
"Got it!" Pinkie stands up and heads back to her bunk. "We're gonna steal stuff! I'm so excited!"
Sunset checks another computer on the wall next to the cockpit. "It will be dusk by the time we get to Coruscant. We'll have the cover of night on our side."
You chuckle once. "Perfect."
You head into the cargo hold with Sunset and start getting your supplies ready. You need to be extra thorough with this. What you're about to do is extremely risky, so you have to diminish your capacity for error as much as you can. That's why you've spared no expense in getting all the gear you needed for this.
Hoity Toity is a blight, and the galaxy will be better off without him in it.
The three of you step off your ship and onto the Upper City landing pad. The sun had set, and twilight was now upon you, but that didn't mean you were under the cover of darkness, by any means. Not on this level, anyway. Coruscant's non-stop city lights made sure of that. The shadows will be yours once you are on the rooftops.
You lead the girls to the building's doorway and step inside. None of you say anything as you make your way to the elevators. You're all about to do something extremely illegal, but it's for the best. Hoity Toity won't be missed anyway.
As you move through the building, you pass by a few security cameras. You had elected to activate the sensor jammer before you landed. Once the senator's penthouse comes crashing down, you can be damn sure that the Republic authorities are going to be checking everywhere for evidence. These security cameras aren't as much of a threat. You can afford jamming them for a while longer.
The three of you find the elevators and call one down. It doesn't take long before it arrives and you all step aboard. The door shuts and you press the button for the roof access.
The elevator begins its long ascent, and you finally break the silence. "Sunset, how are the droids?"
She presses a button on her gauntlet and pauses. "We're still fine. All four of them are active and alone up there."
Just before landing, you deployed the four probe droids onto the roof as you flew over, along with their explosives.
"Good. Let me know if anything changes." She nods and you turn to Pinkie. "Are you ready?"
She smiles and nods. "I was born ready, Anon."
You nod back at her. "That's what I like to hear."
You all resume your unanimous silence as the elevator continues upward. The ascent is long. Very long. It's almost hard to imagine that there are buildings higher than this one on this planet.
Though you've tried to stop yourself, you can't help but think about the repercussions that will occur, if you're not successful. As soon as this assassination is carried out and that penthouse goes up, it will be planet-wide news within an hour and you'll be the most sought-after suspects in the Republic.
The first seeds of doubt are starting to grow, and you don't like that.
You growl softly and shake your head some, shoving those thoughts away. You'll be fine. With Sunset in the ship, Pinkie's expertise in theft, and your cunning, there's no way the Republic will know it's you. Besides, Captain Shining Armor can vouch for you that you've been busy looking for Discord. That's your alibi.
When the elevator finally reaches the top floor, the three of you casually walk into the hallway and find the roof access door. You make sure the coast is clear before heading outside.
The glow of Coruscant's cityscape illuminates the night sky all around you. Countless speeders and starships fly above and below you. It's a constant line of traffic and skyscrapers no matter which direction you look.
"They're over here." Sunset points to the far side of the roof and you spot the four probe droids, all of them obediently awaiting her next command.
You all jog over to them and she checks them out to confirm that they're all still armed and equipped.
"Still good?" You ask.
She nods. "Still good."
You pull up your map on your HUD and locate Hoity Toity's apartment. It's a kilometer away. A bit far, but that's not the issue that's on your mind the most right now.
It's certainly not the one on Pinkie's mind right now.
She's near the edge of the building and barely looking over the side. "Anon, are you really sure you don't want to get a speeder?"
"I'm sure." You reply.
She looks back at you. She's not smiling. "Are you really, really sure?"
You're not going to judge her this time for being nervous. It is a very long way down.
"Don't worry, Pinkie." You tell her. "You're still more useful to us alive."
"Gee, thanks..." She says nervously.
You chuckle and Sunset steps toward her. "You have nothing to fear, Pinkie. The traffic doesn't run through right here, so nothing should hit us. We won't drop you either."
You stand on the other side of her. "We promise."
She looks between you both and takes another deep breath, shaking away her fear as best as she can. "Alright... Alright! Let's do this!"
Sunset presses a button on her gauntlet and all four probe droids fly past you, toward the next building. Once they're about halfway there, she grabs onto Pinkie's left hand and you grab onto her right. Your robotic arm locking in place.
"Remember, don't look down." You tell her.
"Don't look down..." She repeats with a deep breath. "Okay..."
She gulps and you and Sunset activate your jetpacks. You all rise into the air and fly over the edge. Pinkie lifts her legs up close to her body and closes her eyes when the lights from below illuminate her face.
You can't help but look down at the tens of thousands of speeders all crisscrossing each other for miles. It's nerve-wrecking.
Not that you have a reason to be nervous. You can literally defy gravity. You're doing it right now. But there's something about looking down at all that space beneath your feet, all that distance between you and the ground, it's impossible to get used to.
Shake it off, Anon. You're halfway to the next building.
A few seconds later, you descend and eventually land on the neighboring rooftop. Pinkie must have held her breath the entire time, because she releases it when you touch down.
"See? We're fine." You say.
She pants hard and smiles at you both. "We... We're fine!"
"Yep." You nod. "We only have to do that two more times now."
Her smile fades away again and you and Sunset start to walk to the other ledge.
"Awwww...." She reluctantly follows you to the next ledge and the process begins again.
The three of you fly up and over to the next building's rooftop in about two minutes. A few minutes later, you all land on the building closest to Hoity Toity's. The four probe droids are already there.
Pinkie releases your hands and takes a breather while you and Sunset proceed forward to look at the senator's building. As expected, there's no movement. The light in his room is on, but you can't see him from here. The landing pad is vacant and the doorway that leads inside has a faint red glow on it, indicating that it's locked.
"See anything?" You ask.
Sunset shakes her head. "No. You?"
"No." You reply.
"Alright. I'm sending the droid." She presses a button on her gauntlet and one of the probe droids zooms toward the building.
While she controls the droid's movements, you turn around to check on Pinkie. It seems like she has her bearings back, because she's pulling her goggles over her eyes. That's good.
You turn back to the building while Sunset continues to inspect it with the droid. "Okay." She says, "Everything looks like how Rarity's info said it did. Nothing unusual so far. I'm coming around the opposite side of the building now."
It's too dark for you to see the small droid from here. She continues pressing buttons on her gauntlet. With her helmet on, it looks like she's just staring off into space, like she's in a trance. You just stay silent and let her work.
"I can see inside his room now..." She says. "There. I found him."
"What's he doing?" You ask.
"He's coming from a doorway that looks to be more secure than the others in the room." She replies. "It's probably a private vault or something."
"Oh! Valuable stuff is in vaults!" Pinkie says from behind.
Thank you, Mrs. Obvious.
"Can you tag him?" You ask.
"Hang on..." Sunset stays still for a few more seconds before a small red holographic dot appears on your HUD over your view of the apartment building. "Got him."
Perfect.
"Excellent work, Sunset." You say.
"Where would you be without me?"
You smile. "Raxus Prime. On my ass, remember?"
She giggles. "Oh, right."
"Bring the droid back here and watch our backs." You say. "Pinkie, we're up."
Pinkie steps up beside you. "Okie dokie!"
The building you're on is shaped in a triangle. One corner of the roof is much closer to Hoity Toity's building than the others. You and Pinkie run over to that corner. Your jetpack runs the risk of bringing about extra attention, especially from this far away, so you'd like to eliminate that as much as you can. You have your signal jammer, sure, but you'd rather not take that extra chance.
Once you reach this corner, you stop and scan the next rooftop for its communications access point. It takes a second, but you find it, as well as the four turrets and cameras that cover the rooftop.
This is the closest you can be to the building while still on your feet.
You take out the jammer and hand it to Pinkie. "Here, take this. Turn it on when I tell you to."
"Okay!" She smiles and takes it, but pauses, "Wait. How am I getting over there?"
"I'm going to carry you." You say as you wrap your arms around her waist from behind and hold her tight. "Hang on."
"W-Wait!" Before she can protest, you activate your jetpack and take to the sky once again. "ANOOON!"
"Quiet." You command.
She shuts her mouth and squeezes your arms as you both fly toward the senator's rooftop.
Sunset's voice comes on in your ear. "Anon, you're almost in range."
"Copy that. Pinkie, get ready."
You approach the rooftop, keeping your eyes locked onto the access point.
Almost there...
"Now!" You make a steep descend toward the rooftop and Pinkie activates the jammer.
Sunset speaks in your comms again. "Okay, Anon. You're in range and the jammer is active. You've got thirty seconds."
"Got it. Pinkie, as soon as we're over the rooftop, I'm going to drop you."
Pinkie nods quickly. "Okay!"
A couple of seconds later, you're directly over the building. You drop Pinkie onto the roof and zoom over to the access point, taking out your computer spike beforehand. Once you land, you immediately get to work on slicing into the system.
"Twenty seconds." Sunset says.
This system is a challenge, but it isn't as complicated as you were expecting it to be, thankfully.
"Fifteen seconds, Anon."
You hear Pinkie come up behind you, but you stay focused on the task at hand.
"Anon?" She says.
You ignore her. "Almost got it, and... There! I'm in."
You press a few buttons on your gauntlet and loop eight uneventful seconds from the cameras' feeds before playing it back into the system. Everything should be fine now, but just in case it isn't...
You spin around. "Focus on the turrets."
You and Pinkie bring up your weapons and point them at two of the four turrets on the corners of the rooftop, ready for anything.
Ten seconds pass and nothing happens.
"I think we're good." Pinkie says softly.
You nod. "Me too. Anything you can see that we can't, Sunset?"
She comes on again in your ear. "All clear on my end."
You and Pinkie lower your weapons before you turn your attention back to the access panel. "In that case, send the droids over. I'm shutting off the vents. Pinkie, give her an opening."
"Okie dokie!" She walks toward the vents while you bring up the component view on your HUD.
It's a pretty standard ventilation system, you'd think. You aren't a handyman, so it isn't your place to say what is standard and what isn't. Regardless, it isn't hard to shut down the air flow to the topmost section of the building.
Once it's done, you head to the vent with Pinkie. She's unlocked the maintenance access panel and exposed the central fan. You can see down into the building's inner workings if you look inside.
"Easy-peasy!" She says with a smile.
"Good. Now..." You point to one of the building's edges. "...the landing pad entrance is just over there. Get inside and start taking out the guards. Quietly."
She smiles and nods. "They won't see me coming."
You sure hope they won't.
She stands up and silently runs over to the edge before jumping over. The familiar hum of the probe droids behind you make you turn around and watch them as they head into the vents one by one.
"Our evil plan is working." You say softly.
Sunset speaks again. "Don't jinx us, Anon."
"Sorry." You say. "Just making an observation."
"Observe with your eyes then." Sunset replies.
You chuckle and prepare your explosives. Time for the next part of your job.
Quickly and silently, you make your way over to the edge. The thousands of lights, speeders, and buildings extend far and wide below you on this side of the building as well. You can't afford to use your jetpack here. You're right in front of the senator's window. But maybe you can use your fibercord to rappel down. Your jetpack can be a fail-safe.
This rooftop doesn't have many notches sturdy enough that you can anchor on to. The nearest one is an antenna a few meters away.
Work with what you have, Anon.
You pull out a decent length of fibercord from your gauntlet and head to the antenna. You wrap it around the base and tie it into a knot before heading back to the ledge. Once you're there, you turn around and retract the cord so it's nice and tight before stepping back onto the skyscraper wall.
You take a deep breath as you slowly begin to rappel down the building's face. You hate that this is making you nervous. Even though you have no real reason to be. Rappelling is stupid easy.
This is just instinctive. You're only human. Everyone who can't naturally fly has a fear of heights to some degree. You push away the fear and continue down the wall.
A few feet later, you reach the top of the senator's window and stop. You take out a small charge and attach it to the window. You've already tuned them to the correct frequency. Once it's planted, you take a few steps to the left and plant another one. About a minute later, all the charges that will be necessary have been planted.
Thank the Force.
You press a button on your left gauntlet and your fibercord slowly starts to retract while you walk up.
One more advantage of having a robotic arm is that it doesn't get tired. Your real arm would probably feel like it's going to tear from its socket right about now. Not this one. You've grown quite fond of this prosthesis.
Another minute later, you're back on the roof and making your way back to your anchor point.
You activate your comms. "The smaller charges are planted. How are you doing, Sunset?"
"I just planted my third charge." She replies. "The droids move well through these vents, but they crisscross like nothing else. It's easy to get lost."
"Take your time. We've got lots of it. How are things on your end, Pinkie?"
She doesn't answer you.
"Pinkie?" You repeat. "Pinkie Pie. Come in."
She still doesn't answer.
The one time you want her to talk is the one time that she doesn't.
"Damn it." You shut off your comms and quietly make your way over to the other ledge. Hopefully nothing happened to her.
You reach the ledge and look down at the platform just below. You jump down and land with a thud before turning around and pulling out your blaster rifle. The door opens as you approach and you see two Republic security officers laying dead on the ground. The second doorway just beyond is being held open by one of the officer's helmets.
You step over them and open the door. Just down the hallway, two more guards are laying face-down with their heads away from you. They were killed from behind.
The door behind you automatically shuts and you quickly proceed down the hallway. Everything is clean, well-lit, and free of any sign of violence. With the exception of the bodies on the ground.
You try Pinkie again. "Pinkie, come in. Pinkie."
A few seconds later, you hear her whisper in your ear. "What? I'm busy."
That's a relief.
"I'm inside. Where are you?"
"I'm inside too, doing my job by killing the guards." She snaps. "Follow your own plan and shush."
She shuts off communications with you right after. That's the first time that she's ever sassed at you like that. You're a bit surprised.
She's got a point though.
Keeping your blaster rifle armed, you silently continue through the hallway. Once you reach the corner, you carefully peer around it and spot another guard. This one is still alive and breathing. He clearly has no idea that there are four dead guards just down the hall, because he's just standing there at attention.
You bring your dartcaster up and aim it at his neck before firing. It zips through the air and injects the poison into his neck less than a second later.
"Ow! What the-" He grabs his neck and looks around, spotting you.
He's about to raise his blaster at you, but starts to rock back and forth slowly. A couple seconds later, he collapses.
You continue forward, stepping over his now lifeless body when you reach it, and head down the hallway. Your HUD indicates that the senator's room is just on your left. You'd continue there now, but you don't know how many guards Pinkie has killed, and she probably is too busy to answer if you contacted her.
The next hallway you reach forks left, so you take it. It's completely free of life, but you stay alert, just in case.
You're glad you do, because up ahead, three guards come walking out of a joining room and into the hall. You screech to a stop and immediately look around for a place to hide. There's no rooms or anything around you. You're just there in the hallway.
"Damn!" You curse silently.
Maybe you can take them all out quickly.
One of them looks forward and sees you. "Hey!"
You quickly hit him in the neck with a dart.
The other two have noticed you as well. They draw their weapons as their comrade chokes on the poison. You draw your weapon first and aim it at them. Your time for stealth is over.
"Woah, wait a sec!"
Just before you can pull the trigger, something pink drops down from the ceiling behind them and grabs them by their heads. She twists the both of them, making them crack loudly before they drop to the ground.
Pinkie looks at you with a wide smile and waves.
"Impressive." You say as you lower your weapon.
She giggles as you walk toward her. "I told ya I'm good! Even if you did interrupt me."
You're going to ignore that. She's okay and back to her bubbly self.
"Is this floor clear?" You ask.
She nod. "Yep! We just can't be too noisy or else the patrols below will hear us. Hopefully that isn't too much trouble?"
"Hardy har har." You say unenthusiastically as you contact Sunset. "How are those charges coming?"
"They're coming along." She replies. "I've only got three more to plant."
"Alright, keep in touch." You deactivate your comms. Looks like you've got a little time on your hands.
Maybe the senator has a terminal containing a few juicy secrets somewhere. It's not a bad idea to look. He may not fess up when you interrogate him later.
You look down the hallway toward a few of the open rooms before turning to Pinkie. "Think the senator has any good stuff laying around?"
"Oooh, I dunno. Let's go see!" She smiles.
She quickly heads down the hallway and into the room that the three guards came from. You follow her, keeping your guard up just in case either of you missed anyone. It's a simple meeting room with a table surrounded by chairs in the middle. It's very dull, with nothing of value in sight.
Pinkie is walking around the table and checking every nook and cranny she can find beside or below it, but eventually comes back to you. "Nothing in here. Let's check another room."
The two of you quietly move through the hallways, checking each room that you pass for anything of interest.
Rounding a corner at the end of a hallway, you spot another pair of guards standing in front of a closed door.
Pinkie whispers softly behind you. "Oops! I forgot about those two."
You whisper back. "It's fine. Let's just take them out."
You kill the nearest one with a toxic dart and Pinkie restrains the other with the Force, leaving him open for another one of your darts. Neither of them make a single sound.
Once they're down and out, you two check out the door they were guarding. "What do you think is in here?" Pinkie asks.
"Not sure. Only one way to find out though." You grab your blaster rifle and get yourself ready for anything that may be behind the door before you open it.
It slides open and you look around inside for any movement. You're met with a dark, narrow hallway. The darkened red lights on the ceiling barely give off enough to see ahead of you. It's very out of place, compared to the other hallways in this building.
"Spooky." You say.
You take a slow step forward and keep yourself ready. Pinkie follows close behind you.
As you press forward, you hear a weak groan up ahead and it makes you freeze. You and Pinkie aim your weapons ahead and listen for anything else. The groan comes again.
You continue toward the groaning. It's not a ghostly groan, not that you believe in ghosts, but it does sound weak. Like the kind a prisoner would make.
At the end of the hallway, you enter through a doorway and into...
"A detention center?"
Three small cells are on your left and right. They're all open except for one. In the back right corner, a blue energy gate closes off access, preventing anyone from getting in or out. The groans are coming from there.
You lower your weapon and slowly approach the cell. When you get your first look at its occupant, you gasp softly.
Multiple questions flood your head. One of the most prominent being, 'Why does Hoity Toity have detention cells in his apartment building?'
The other prominent question is, 'What is she, of all people, doing in there?'
Adagio is a mess. She's clearly been in this cell for a long time. Probably since you dropped her off here.
She's sitting in the far left corner on the floor. She's barefoot, her wrists are bruised and bloody, and she's barely wearing these tattered, revealing rags that are supposed to pass as clothing, you wager.
"Adagio?" You repeat.
She slowly looks up and around the cell. She's disoriented. She can hear you, but it takes a while for her to look at you. "...o-oh... Who... Wh-who're..." She mumbles something for a moment before her eyes begin to widen slowly. "...you... B... B-Bounty...hunter..."
She remembers you. How touching.
"What happened? What are you doing in here?" You ask.
Her eyes squint and fill with some of the hate you remember her having on Nar Shaddaa. "You...did...th-this... t'me..."
Pinkie covers her mouth and gasps in shock when she sees Adagio. "Oh my gosh..."
Adagio looks at Pinkie slowly for a moment before looking back to you. Her look shifts to one of despair. "P-Please...kill me..."
Damn. She must've gone through all kinds of hell in here. Hoity Toity gets worse and worse with every second.
She shouldn't be in there.
You holster your rifle and go to the door controls.
"Anon, what are you doing?" Pinkie sounds suspicious. She probably thinks you're going to grant Adagio her wish.
"I'm getting her out of there. This is all kinds of wrong."
You try to open the cell, but the control console flashes red, denying access. You slam your fist down on it before trying again. Like before, it flashes red. You growl and make another attempt. If you want this to get open, you're going to have to make some noise.
"Pinkie, close the detention center door." You command.
She does as you say and, once again, the console flashes red. After three more tries, you take out your rifle and fire at the console a few times and destroy it. The blue energy gate flickers before powering down.
You and Pinkie step inside and move to Adagio. She makes no attempt to flee or fight. She just hangs her head weakly.
"Adagio, listen to me." You crouch down beside her and snap your fingers in front of her face. "Hey. Look at me." You grab her head and slowly move it back so her eyes focus on you. "I know you hate my guts right now, but I need you to trust me. I'm getting you out of here, alright?"
She just looks at you blankly as you speak. No emotion is shown on her face at all.
You continue. "I'm going to kill Hoity Toity and you'll be free, alright? Can you stand?"
You want to know what happened to her, but she's in no condition to talk right now. She slowly looks to her legs before bringing one up. You and Pinkie help her up and hold her to prevent her from collapsing. Adagio's legs tremble and she whimpers in pain as she weakly attempts to stand.
Pinkie looks her up and down with worry. "Anon, I don't think she's going to make it."
You hate to admit it, but she's probably right.
"She needs to live, Pinkie." you say. "She might be able to tell us something."
How are you going to get her out of here? This is not good. You hate it when you don't know what to do.
You reach over and press a button on your gauntlet to contact Sunset. "Sunset, come in."
"I'm here." She replies. "I just finished with the last charge."
"Good to hear, but we've got a problem."
"What is it?"
"It's Adagio Dazzle. She's alive." You and Pinkie drag Adagio out of her cell and into the hallway.
"You stopped her before, Anon. Do it again." Sunset says.
You shake your head. "No, it's not like that. She's been a captive here, probably since we dropped her off. She's alive, but only barely."
"Barely?" Sunset repeats.
"She's skin and bones, malnourished, disoriented, everything. It's horrible." You reply. "She's hanging on by a thread. We're getting her out of here."
Suddenly, lights in the hallway you're in flash on, catching you and Pinkie off-guard.
The sound of Hoity Toity's voice comes on through some speakers above you. "The only place you're going now is hell, bounty hunters."
You and Pinkie look up at the source of the voice.
Hoity Toity continues. "I wanted to have more fun torturing that little snake, but you two have caused quite a bit of trouble for me tonight."
The light on the door ahead of you turns red as it locks.
"No!" You leave Adagio with Pinkie and immediately go to the door controls.
"No matter." He continues. "You are not the first intruders I've killed, and you certainly won't be the last."
You scramble to open the door, but it won't open. You're locked in. Just then, you hear a faint hissing sound all around you.
"Anon!"
You turn around to face Pinkie. She's pointing to a small vent in the floor that has started to leak a thick, green-white cloud of gas.
"Dioxis! Both of you hold your breath!" You shout.
Pinkie inhales a deep breath and covers Adagio's mouth and nose.
Sunset is still active in your ear. "Anon! Anon, what's going on there?!"
"Hoity Toity is onto us! Get back to the ship!" You take a deep breath as well. Your helmet is useless against toxins.
You turn back to the console and pound more buttons to try and get the door to open. You have mere seconds, at this rate. The door console is not responding. Gas is now engulfing your legs and it's only getting higher.
"You've lost, Mandalorian. Accept your fate."
Hearing Hoity Toity's voice only pisses you off even more. Accept your fate and give up?
Never.
Thinking quickly, you grab a couple thermal charges from your belt and plant them to the door. It's going to make a big explosion, but it might be your only hope in breaking through. You don't know how strong this door is.
Once the charges are planted and active, they start to beep and flash red. You have five seconds.
You turn around and bolt toward the girls, grabbing them and heading into the gas, back toward the cells. The three of you dive into the nearest cell on your left and prepare yourselves.
"How pathet-"
The sudden tremor, the brilliant flash of light and the deafening sound of the explosion cuts the senator off mid-speech. A large wall of fire comes screaming past the cell half a second later, pushing much of the dioxis with it. It doesn't have anywhere to go, however, so it just spreads a thin layer of the gas all around you.
You wait with the girls until the explosion passes, keeping yourself between them and the fire. Pinkie's face has begun to turn purple and Adagio has started to try and pry her hand off her mouth.
A second later, you grab them and run toward the exit. Hopefully, it's open now.
Your hopes are not in vain. Beyond the patches of fire on the walls and floor, the security door and the surrounding area has been replaced by warped metal, flames, smoke, and debris. The three of you push past the gas and out into the open hallway. Upon reaching fresh air, all three of you gasp loudly and collapse onto the ground.
"WHAT?!"
Oh good. The senator is still watching.
You cough hard and remove your helmet to take a direct breath of fresh air. That was too close.
"Security! Get up here now! Bring the big guns! Bring everyone! Kill those bounty hunters!"
The lights above you have dimmed slightly and a fire alarm has begun to sound. You and Pinkie look around for a moment before standing up.
"Come on! We're not done yet!" You help her and Adagio up before taking off down the hallway as fast as you can. Subtlety is no longer an option.
"Anon what do we do?!" Pinkie asks before coughing again.
"We stick to the plan and kill the senator! It's our best way out! Sunset!"
She speaks in your ear. "Anon! You're alright!"
"I'm fine!" You cough again. "Triple time it back to the ship!"
Adagio can hardly stand up by herself, let alone keep up with you. It's slowing you down. You and Pinkie have to practically drag her between you two. When you round another corner, you come to a group of guards coming from downstairs. They are underworld police officers.
One of them points at you. "There they are! Blast them!"
The rest of them point their weapons at you, but you and Pinkie double back behind a wall with Adagio. Right when you get behind cover, the guards begin to fire suppressively around your hiding spot. You're pinned down. Adagio falls to the floor again and winces in pain.
You growl under your breath and blindly fire your rifle around the corner at the guards. "Pinkie, Adagio is in no shape to fight! Protect her!"
Pinkie protectively crouches beside Adagio. "Where are you going?!"
You stand and grab a thermal detonator from your belt. "I'll handle these guys!"
Pressing the button, you hurl the grenade around the corner toward the guards and rush across the hallway to the opposite corner, firing your blaster wildly in the process. The guards keep their focus on you and fire as you move to a different spot.
Once you're behind the other corner, the thermal detonator explodes. Screams accompany the sound of the explosion and the flash of light ceases blaster fire for a moment. You take advantage of this and round the corner again, firing into the light smoke while rushing forward.
Two stragglers barely have a chance to react as you fire a few rounds into their chests. A guard down the hallway has recovered quicker than they did, and he fires at you. A blaster bolt clips your robotic arm on the shoulder. He also hits you on the left shin. It stings, but your armor absorbs most of the impact.
You press toward him and continue firing. He backs away from you as you advance, but his retreat is cut short when you hit his torso. He grunts and falls backwards. You fire a couple more times for good measure.
Before you can do anything else, however, you're blindsided by a guard on your right. He tackles you, making you drop your rifle, and you both fall to the left.
You grunt loudly as you land. The guard begins landing punches and kicks to your body. He attempts to grab your throat, but you grab his arm and stop him. He continues punching your helmet though. You twist around beneath him and catch his fist in your robotic one. The mechanisms whir loudly as you squeeze his fist tighter than humanly possible. The guard screams in agony and desperately tries to remove his fist from your grip as the bones in his hand begin to break.
Giving a low growl, you swing your arm up and throw him into the wall. You quickly stand up and rush toward him on the ground. Just then, you hear a few more pairs of footsteps approach from behind you. You turn and see three more guards, all running toward you with their blasters raised. Your blaster rifle is at your feet, but you don't have any cover right here.
Thinking quickly, you grab your rifle, stand the guard at your feet up, and hold him between you and the three new guards. He becomes a human shield as the guards fire at you. His screams only last for a second or two. You hold your rifle over his right shoulder and fire at the three guards as you advance toward them. They back up slowly, but one by one, they eventually fall.
The immediate area looks clear now so you discard your 'shield' and turn to the girls' hiding spot. "Pinkie, we're clear! Come on!"
She scrambles into the open as quickly as she can with Adagio and meets up with you. The three of you take off down the hallway toward Hoity Toity's room as quickly as possible. The alarm is still blaring around you. More guards are likely on their way. Your HUD indicates that Hoity Toity is just down this hallway. You and Pinkie hold Adagio close and charge forward.
The senator's voice comes on the speakers once again. "GET UP HERE! NOW! STOP THEM! KILL THEM!"
He sounds panicked. Maybe he's tried to call others for reinforcements, but they aren't responding, thanks to you and your communications jammer.
The three of you round a corner and spot two more guards in front of a closed door. You get between them and the girls and blast them. Pinkie and Adagio stay right behind you as they go down.
The door is locked and you're forced to stop. If you had your lightsaber right now, you'd be able to slice through it.
Thanks a lot, Maud Pie...
"Damn it! How do we get through?!" You shout.
"Anon, look!" Pinkie says. "This guard has an access key!"
One of the deceased guards at your feet as a small, plastic card on his hip. You grab it and place it on the door's security terminal. It beeps and slides open and the three of you step inside.
The door behind you closes. You lock it, then blast the terminal with your rifle. That should buy you at least a little time.
"ROOOOM SERVICE!!" You spray a few blaster rounds at the ceiling in an attempt to scare the senator out. Even though his exact location is still highlighted on your HUD. Pinkie laughs loudly.
You laugh as well and fire a few more blaster rounds toward Hoity Toity's hiding spot. Your HUD indicates that he's hiding out in a small room beneath the staircase that circles around the central pillar.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are..." You taunt.
Pinkie sits Adagio down on the ground and the two of you head toward the small room together. He's just behind this door. It's not locked. You'd love to mess with him some more, but unfortunately, your time is short.
The door slides open and you're finally face-to-face with the corrupt politician himself. He was prepared for you though. When he locks eyes with your visor, he makes one last-ditch effort to kill you by pulling out a small blaster pistol and pointing it at you.
You reflexively move out of the way with ease as he fires at you and you kick the blaster from his hand.
Okay, maybe he wasn't prepared for you.
You grab him by the wrist before he can run away and drag him out into the open. "No! Please! Release me! I'll-"
His demands are cut off suddenly when you grab him by the neck and choke him. He squirms and wiggles as he tries in vain to free himself, and you lift him off the ground. Pinkie points her blaster at his face.
"Ack!... What...do you...want?" He croaks.
You hold him above you and stare at him. "Spill your guts, senator, before I spill them for you. What do the Kath Hounds and death sticks have to do with each other?"
He gags and tries to pull himself free from your grip. You barely give him enough air to speak. "Rrrgh!...I don't...know...anything about...Kath Hounds!"
You shake your head. "Don't you lie to me, hu'tuun." Before he can retort, you walk over to the nearest wall and slam him against it. He cries out in pain as much as he can. "Let's try this again; the Kath Hounds and the death sticks."
He whimpers and looks at you with pure terror in his eyes. "Aah!... O-Okay!... The...The Kath Hounds have nothing to do w-with the death sticks! I-I sold them t-to the Twins for an extra profit! That's all!"
That could be true...
"What about the death sticks? What does Adagio have to do with this?!"
He struggles somewhat for a moment. "Why do you care?... She's just scum! Scum that you brought in, need I remind you..."
That's not the right answer.
You lean in close so you're mere inches away from his face. "Tell me, or else I'll shatter the other one."
He looks confused. "The...other one..?"
Before he can continue, you press your rifle to his left knee and blast his kneecap. He yells out loudly in pure agony and you throw him toward the booby-trapped window. He lands on the ground with a thud.
"That's strike two, senator! My patience is gone!"
He looks at you in utter terror as he struggles to back away from you. His now useless leg is bleeding profusely. He doesn't get far when you press the button on your gauntlet and detonate the charges on the window behind him.
The glass shatters loudly and the high-altitude air inside the penthouse de-pressurizes, whipping it all around you. Hoity Toity screams and cowers on the ground from the sudden force and sound of the whistling wind and traffic from outside. No doubt that explosion was seen by others. You really need to hurry now.
You stomp toward him and grab his neck again, lifting him up and moving toward the open window. "Tell me NOW, senator!"
You stop at the window and dangle him over the edge. He squirms in fear as he looks down at the thousands of lights below him.
"O-O-Okay! I'll talk! I'll talk!" You bring him back over solid ground a little. "Th-The death sticks and the girl were both provided b-by a Clawdite named Chrysalis!"
Oh, great. A Clawdite. A shapeshifter is the last thing you need to deal with right now.
He continues. "Sh-She said that the Sith were looking for individuals willing to help for a reward! She said they would pay me thousands to have the girl spread the drugs across the galaxy as much as possible! I-I agreed and took the money!"
"Why death sticks?!" You roar. "What's their plan?!"
He squirms again some. "I have n-no idea!"
You growl again and pull him close to you. "You lying, little sack of Bantha shit..." You point your blaster at his other knee.
"NO! NO, PLEASE! I DON'T KNOW! I SWEAR, PLEASE!"
You don't pull the trigger, but you leave your rifle at his knee as he begs for mercy. At this point, if he did know what their plan was, he would have told you.
"Alright then, answer me this; where do I find Chrysalis?!"
He breathes hard and shakes in fear as he stares at you. "I-I don't know...but Flim and Flam might! Th-They recently informed me that the Sith were good business partners! I-I would guess that if anyone knew where to find Chrysalis, it's them!"
"Where can I find Flim and Flam?!"
He whimpers. "Th-They move around a lot, but right now, they're on Kessel! I swear!"
You can hear the sounds of guards attempting to break down the door behind you. You're out of time.
"Pinkie, go grab Adagio. We have what we came for." She walks away and you bring Hoity Toity back over solid ground completely. "I appreciate your willingness to share, senator Hoity Toity. Our business has now concluded."
He grunts and slowly starts to grin. "Mmff... I should say so...bounty hunter..."
It's only now that you notice the sound of engines gradually getting louder and louder.
Suddenly, a police dropship ascends from below and shines its spotlights on you.
The pilot's voice comes on over the ship's speaker system. "Release the senator immediately! You are surrounded!"
You freeze and stare back at the ship as its blaster cannons point at you.
Pinkie comes up behind you with Adagio. "Uh, Anon? Is it time now?"
Two more ships ascend on either side of the one you're staring at and both point their guns and lights at you as well.
"Yep. It's time..." You activate your comms. "Sunset?"
Sunset's voice comes on in your ear. "I just got the ship started! I'm on my way!"
The ships slowly move closer to the building. You can see that they're each carrying officers and security personnel.
"Release him!" The pilot orders again.
You look at Hoity Toity, whose grin doesn't falter. "Look at you... Pulling a fast one on me, of all people."
"Do what he says, Mandalorian..." He grunts. "Let. Me. Go."
You look ahead to the ledge of the building. It's only about a meter in front of you.
You turn back to him. "Have it your way then, senator."
His grin fades and he also looks to the ledge. His eyes widen in horror once again and he shakes his head. "No... No! No! NO!"
You growl as you take a step toward the edge. "This one's for senator Melody!"
With a grunt, you heave him out the window with all your might. He flails around as he tries and fails to grab the ledge and save himself.
"NOOOOOOOO!!" His screams quickly fade away and you watch as he begins his long descent toward the planet's surface.
That's the end of senator Hoity Toity...
"Blast them!" The dropship's engines whir louder as its cannons charge up.
"Time to go, girls!" You press a button on your gauntlet and turn around to grab Pinkie and Adagio.
Beneath you, the ground starts to shake and tremble as the bombs detonate. Just outside, you hear and see the fireballs on the edge of the building below you. A second later, the lights inside flicker off and the building starts to crack loudly and twist. The main supports are gone. The building breaks and starts to crumble beneath your feet as the explosions create a chain reaction that causes the penthouse to lean forward and slide off the building.
You almost lose your footing, but you hold tight to both of the girls and dive outside. A second later, you're in freefall.
Behind you, the penthouse explodes and rains down debris onto the police dropships. The chunks of metal and concrete crash into the ships as they struggle to move out of the way. Two of them crash into each other in the confusion. They explode or careen into another building nearby, but you don't care. They're behind you. You need to focus on not crashing into anything below you right now.
Both Pinkie and Adagio are screaming at the top of their lungs and holding onto you for dear life. Your jetpack won't hold all three of you in sustained flight. The only thing it can do now is control your fall.
You maneuver out and away from the building a little bit, falling past traffic and ships along the way.
"ANOOOOON!!!" Pinkie is panicking. "ANON, WHERE IS SUNSET?!"
"SHE'LL CATCH US!"
The ground looks like it's coming up pretty quickly, even though you're kilometers away from the surface. It's been about fifteen seconds, but it feels like it's been forever.
You look around and above you for Sunset. Finally, you spot her.
"I'm right behind you guys!" She says in your ear.
"GET RIGHT BELOW US! MATCH OUR DESCENT!" You shout.
Sunset maneuvers the ship beneath your feet. Speeders honk and swerve to move out of the way all around you. The three of you approach the ship's hull. The top airlock opens and you can see inside.
Finally, you touch down. Pinkie grabs a handle and holds on tight.
"SUNSET, WE'RE ON! GET US OUT OF HERE!" You command.
"Copy that!" She replies.
You lay down flat on the ship and Sunset swings the ship down then up before evening out and giving you an opportunity to get inside. Pinkie moves inside the ship first, then she helps Adagio inside, and you follow behind them.
Once you're on the floor, the airlock closes and you feel Sunset gun the engines.
You lean back against the wall and take a deep breath. "That was close..."
You wait there for a moment to gather yourself before stepping into the main hold. Pinkie is already there and caring for an unconscious Adagio. All that excitement must have been too much.
Something else you're just noticing is that she's completely naked now. Those rags she was wearing must have flown off during freefall. She is literally just skin and bones from head to toe. Seeing her like this is horrible.
You head into the cargo hold and grab a large blanket for her. When you get back into the main hold, you wrap the blanket around her back and cover her bare shoulders and chest with it. She's freezing cold. This should keep her warm and looking decent.
"Pinkie, I'm putting you in charge of her." You say as you look at her. "There's food and water in the cargo hold. When she wakes up, give her some, then let me know, okay?"
She nods. "Okay, Anon. I will."
You stand up and head to the cockpit. Sunset is at the controls, maneuvering the ship through the traffic and up toward the atmosphere.
She turns to you. "You get everything we need?"
You sit down beside her. "More or less. Our hunch was right. Hoity Toity was commissioned to have Adagio spread death sticks around the galaxy by a Sith Clawdite named Chrysalis."
"How come?"
You shake your head. "He didn't know. He just took the money and agreed with no questions."
She scoffs. "Glad he's gone."
Damn right about that.
She continues. "So how do we find this Chrysalis?"
"He said that he has a feeling that Flim and Flam had worked with her before. Or they're working with her still. Either way, it's our best lead. They're on Kessel."
"Okay." She says. "I don't think we should just go to Kessel right now, all casual-like. Especially after this fiasco."
"I agree. The Republic will be on high-alert..." You reply. "We'll make a game plan once we're clear and we've rested. Head to Cato Neimoidia. Make random jumps on our way there, in case we're being tailed and we don't know it."
She nods. "Good idea."
Pinkie calls out to you from the main hold. "Anon, she's waking up!"
Oh, good.
Sunset turns back to you. "You really rescued Adagio?"
"You should see her, Sunset. What's been done to her is absolutely inhumane. I had to do something." You stand up. "Besides, she might be willing to talk to us this time."
She hums. "Fair point."
You head to the back of the cockpit and continue into the main hold. Pinkie is holding a bottle of water and helping Adagio take a drink.
Adagio is sitting on a chair, still wrapped in her blanket. You remove your helmet and set it on the table. She looks like she hasn't had a decent sleep in weeks.
Well, she probably hasn't, actually.
She's trembling weakly and hesitantly taking a few gulps of water.
You shake your head. This is so wrong.
Pinkie looks at you. "I don't think she'll be able to talk to us, Anon."
You shake your head. "There's no way she is in any condition to. Not yet, anyway."
She needs medical attention.
You turn to the table behind you and contact Rarity. After a few rings, she answers, her holographic face appearing in front of you.
"Anonymous! You're not dead! Thank goodness!" She says gleefully.
Of course you're not dead. It's you.
"Rarity, we're on our way back to you. We need medical attention."
She suddenly looks worried. "Oh dear! What happened to you, darling?"
"It's not me that needs it." You turn around and look at Adagio.
Rarity follows your gaze and pauses for a moment. "Is...that?"
You nod. "Yes it is. She needs help."
Rarity pauses for a moment before nodding slowly. "Very well then, Anonymous. I'll be ready for you."
"Thanks, Rarity." You shut off the hologram projector and she fades away again.
You set both your hands down on the table in front of you and take another deep breath. So many questions are going through your head right now. Hopefully, Adagio will be willing to answer a few of them. Last time you were together, you didn't exactly get along.
You hear her moan softly behind you.
Pinkie is smiling at you as she sets down the empty water bottle. "I think she's going to be okay now."
You sure hope so.
"Let's get her into a bed." You say. "She needs to rest."
You move beside her and carefully pick her up. She moans softly again and closes her eyes as she rests her head on your shoulder.
Pinkie follows you as you carry her into the crew quarters and set her on one of the extra beds you have. She lays down flat and immediately falls asleep.
You take another breath. "Alright then..."
You turn to leave, but Pinkie remains. "Anon? I have a quick question."
You stop and look back at her. "Yes?"
"Just something I was curious about. Before you threw the senator out the window, you called him...a word, or a name." She says. "It was, like, hoot...or hooton, or something."
Oh, that word.
"Hu'tuun." You reply.
"Right!" She says. "That word. Anyway, I was curious. That does that mean?"
You smirk and turn around to face her completely. "It's a word in Mando'a. It's pretty much the worst insult you can ever give to a Mandalorian. If you did, it's quite possibly the last thing you would ever say to anyone at all."
She nods slowly. "Okay, but what does it mean though?"
"It means 'coward'."
She gets a look of understanding on her face and nods again. "Ooooh, I see."
"Yeah..." You reply. "It's a bad word, but Hoity Toity tried to lie to me. Only cowards make a habit out of lying."
Pinkie nods once. "It's a bad word, and a bad person to be."
You grin at her and chuckle. "Couldn't have said it any better myself."
She smiles back at you and you turn around to head to your quarters.
The faint sound of the heart rate monitor beeps at a steady pace beside Adagio Dazzle's hospital bed. She had been asleep for hours. It was probably the first decent night's sleep she's had in a long time.
Now, she had finally begun to stir. The Neimoidian orderlies had brought it to your attention, as requested, and you were in her room now alongside Sunset, Pinkie, and Rarity.
Adagio groans weakly and her eyes flutter open. She groggily looks around the room for a second before her eyes widen. "Wh... Where..?"
Her breathing quickens a bit before Rarity rushes to her side. "Darling, please take it easy. You're in a hospital bed on Cato Neimoidia. You're safe."
She gives Rarity a confused, nervous look. "Cato... Neimoidia?"
Rarity nods. "Yes, darling. My name is Rarity. My friends rescued you and brought you here for medical attention. I believe you're already familiar with them, hmm?"
She turns to you and Adagio follows her gaze. It takes a second, but she eventually recognizes you and Sunset. The same fury you first saw her with weeks ago returns to her face.
She clenches her teeth. "...Mandalorian scum..."
You scoff a bit and cross your arms. "Is that how they say 'thank you' where you're from?"
"It's your fault that this happened to me!" Her eyes are still full of rage, but they begin to fill with tears as well. "I... was almost free! I-I almost got out, but I was put through that hell again because of YOU! You and her both!" She points at you and Sunset. "You sent me back to that...that evil pervert on Coruscant for a few lousy credits!"
She breathes audibly for a moment before slouching and burying her face in her hands, sobbing.
You and Sunset look at each other for a second before looking back to Adagio.
"I...wanted...to die... The things he did to me... The things he made me do... I wanted everything to end forever..." She continues to break down, but she slowly returns her gaze to you. "Do you know what that's like, Mandalorian? To want to escape? To actually want to end it all?"
No, you don't.
You've been through hell more than your fair share of times, but you've never wanted to die to end it. Suicide is a coward's way out.
Rarity looks at you and Sunset with a hint of sorrow on her face. You know she isn't disappointed with you bringing her in. Adagio was just another job at the time, and she knew it.
Still, you can't help but wonder if she's having regrets.
Are you having regrets too?
Ooh... Don't open that door...
"Look, Adagio..." Sunset steps forward slowly. "I know we haven't always gotten along, but we need you to know that we didn't lie when we told you that bringing you to Hoity Toity wasn't personal. You were just another contract." She moves to her side and crouches down a little so she's on her level a bit more. "I'm sorry you went through what you did. We realized a bit too late what a scumbag he really was. He's involved with some really bad people, and so we decided to go do something about it."
She stares at Sunset blankly for a moment.
"Do you remember what happened?" You ask. "You were there."
She looks to you. "No... I-I was... I was out of it."
"I threw him out a window, then we dropped his penthouse on him." You reply bluntly.
She's taken back a little by this. "You mean... He's..."
"He's rotting in hell, where he belongs." You say. "He won't do anything to you or anyone else ever again."
Adagio exhales softly and leans back in her bed again. You want to say that she looks more content, but she doesn't look like she's feeling much better. She probably needs time for his death to hit her.
You walk up beside Sunset. "Adagio, we have some questions for you."
She exchanges glances at you two. "Why should I help you?"
"Well, we saved your life and killed your kidnapper. That should count for something." You reply.
Adagio pauses for a moment before exhaling. "...What do you want to know?"
Alright, now you're in business.
"Well, first off, I want a specific answer to the question I asked you weeks ago on Nar Shaddaa: your gem."
The familiar fury returns to her eyes a bit when you say that. "Where is it?"
"I don't know anymore." You reply. "I met a Jedi and she took it away."
"It was my sister Maud!" Pinkie says.
You roll your eyes and exhale softly as Adagio looks at Pinkie sitting behind you for a moment, but otherwise ignores her. She sighs again and crosses her arms, almost like she's pouting.
You continue. "She said that it was an artificially made lightsaber crystal that was strong with the Dark Side of the Force. Why did you have it?"
She doesn't respond for a few seconds. "I... I don't want to say..."
You stifle a groan and just exhale again instead. "...Why not?"
She looks back at you. This time, with a hint of fear in her eyes. "The Sith." She whispers.
Interesting.
"So you were working with the Sith?"
She looks to the ground. "Not willingly..."
"What do you mean?"
She takes another deep breath and looks around the room once before speaking again. "I'm Force sensitive. I've been a slave to the Sith for so long, that I can't remember anything about what it was like to not be. To be free from their control, their influence, their cruelty, everything."
Sunset speaks up. "So you were one of their apprentices or acolytes or something?"
Adagio shakes her head. "No. When I say 'slave', I mean slave. They tortured me and bent me to do what they commanded. They taught me to use the Force as a tool in certain situations. The way I commanded the Force was through my voice."
"Ah, so that's why I almost went deaf when you screeched at me on Nar Shaddaa..." You say. "You were using the Force."
She nods. "The only thing is, I could only use it if I had that gem. It also kept me under their control. Without it, I was powerless... They ensured that I couldn't do anything without it... I... I don't know how the Force works. They didn't teach me anything about it, except for how to use my voice with it and do as they commanded."
It's starting to make sense now.
"Was there more than just you?" You ask.
She nods. "There were hundreds of us. All of us were slaves."
"Why did they take you?" Sunset asks.
Adagio looks to her. "Because we were able to sense the Force. They needed us."
You and Sunset look at each other for a second.
Adagio continues. "They're planning something... Something that puts the entire galaxy at risk... The Sith Masters who watched over us would go on and on about fear... Fear this, fear that... They made us afraid of everything... Even when we knew we had nothing else to lose, they still made us feel afraid..."
"Fear..." You repeat softly.
Fear of what?
"The Jedi taught us that fear was one of the easiest paths to the Dark Side." You all turn to look at Pinkie. "Fear of loss, fear of being kept out of the loop on stuff, fear that something bad would happen, no matter what, fear was the first step on the most common path to the Dark Side."
"Explain." You say.
"Umm..." Pinkie thinks for a few seconds. "Uh... Okay! Pretend you're a Jedi real quick!"
"I don't want to pretend I'm a Jedi."
Rarity giggles slightly and Pinkie rolls her eyes. "Ugh! Come on! Just work with me for a second!"
You sigh. Might as well see where she's going with this.
"Alright, fine." You say. "So, I'm a Jedi. Now what?"
"Okay! Let's say that, um... Let's say that the Jedi Council is planning to accept another Jedi as a Master. You want to be a Master, right? Rise in the ranks, right?"
You shrug. "Yeah, I suppose I'd shoot for that goal."
What the hell goes on inside a Jedi's head? How are you supposed to relate to them?
"Except you really, really want to be a Master. You'd be one of the Jedi in charge."
Hmm.
"I think I'd like the sound of that." You say.
Pinkie nods. "Of course you would! You'd have secret knowledge and info that only the most powerful Jedi Masters on the Order would know! So you work super hard and train more than anyone else, but guess what? The Council is looking at another Jedi and they're thinking about choosing him instead!"
What?
"Why is he so special?" You ask.
"Because he's cheating!" Pinkie says. "He has to be! No one worked as hard as you did!"
If he's cheating, then that only means he's too weak to do it on his own.
Pinkie continues. "So you decide to tell the Council about it. He's cheating and you know it, but they don't believe you, and they end up choose him. He's got them wrapped around his finger."
You'd be pretty angry.
"So even though you deserve being a Master, he got it instead." Pinkie explains. "What would you want to do?"
"If I wanted it that bad and had it taken from me unfairly, I'd probably attack him."
She nods. "Right! You attack him! You deserved being a Master, not him!"
Yeah...
"He has no right to take what is yours! He needs to die!" She says.
"Yeah..." You nod.
Her countenance darkens a bit. "You'd wanna kill him, right?"
"Yeah, I'd want to kill him."
She gets a sinister grin on her face. "You'd hate him, right?"
"Definitely." You nod. "If I wanted it that bad and he got it by cheating, I'd hate his guts."
Pinkie pauses and takes a deep breath through the nose. "...And that's how easy fear can turn someone to the Dark Side." She says with her usual, bubbly smile.
Wait...
"...What?"
"The other Jedi." Pinkie says. "You were afraid that he was going to take your place, so you worked extra hard to beat him. He became your focus."
"Right..?"
She continues. "Then, when the Council started to like him, it made you angry and you made yourself believe that he was cheating."
You're pretty sure you know where she's going with this.
"Then, he was chosen instead of you. Because you believed that he cheated and made it, you decided to try to kill him."
That does make a lot of sense.
"Killing someone in hatred isn't the Jedi way, I assume." You say.
She shakes her head. "Nope! Fear is one of the the Dark Side's roots. Fear, then anger, then hatred. After that, it's suuuper hard to come back to the Light, if you can even come back at all."
That's actually kind of interesting.
There's a lot you don't understand about the Jedi and Sith's respective natures. In a nutshell, you always assumed the Jedi were peace-loving wimps who were afraid to reach their full potential, while the Sith were power-hungry maniacs who betrayed each other and killed for sport.
You hum. "I guess I never thought of it like that before."
Pinkie smiles softly. "You're not Force-sensitive, Anon. Your point of view of the Force is way different than the Jedi's point of view."
A different point of view... Huh...
Seems this outlook on the galaxy you've had is a lot more intricate than you'd like to believe it is. You're a bit mad that she's brought all this to your attention. It was easier to have your opinion before she did. Ignorance is bliss, after all. However, you can't live in ignorance forever.
You give Pinkie a grateful nod before turning back to Adagio. "So the Sith dig fear, huh?"
Adagio looks back at you and nods slowly. "They were obsessed with it. They would talk about the Dark Side and fear and how it would 'sweep across the galaxy like a blade', or something."
"What did the death sticks have to do with it?" You ask.
She pauses as she searches her mind for the right thing to say. "The death sticks... They were tampered with... Something had been added to them to make whoever took them lose their mind."
"We know that." Sunset takes a step forward. "We did an analysis on them. They deteriorate the brain within days, if enough of them are used."
"Right..." Adagio thinks. "I was forced to blend in and deal those death sticks to as many people as I possibly could. It didn't matter who, it just mattered how many. They wanted me to get the entire planet on them."
That doesn't make sense.
"How does that spread fear?" You ask.
She shakes her head. "I-I don't know... I didn't ask questions, I just did as I was told. I didn't have a choice."
You think to yourself for a second.
"So, let me see if I get this." You begin. "You were enslaved by the Sith and sold to Hoity Toity with the instruction to go and sell, or give away as many death sticks to as many people as you could for some big plan they may or may not have, right?"
She nods slowly.
Good. You're paying attention.
"Do you know why Hoity Toity put that bounty on you?" You ask.
"I have an idea..." She says. "While I had my gem, I was convincing people into buying those drugged death sticks. I'd sing and dance for them, and they'd be more...open to suggestions."
"You'd hypnotize them." Sunset says.
Adagio shrugs. "If that's the way you want to put it, I guess... Anyway, I was doing that to get money. I wanted to escape. I wanted to be free."
"Why did you think you could get away with it?" You ask.
"I could use the Force. Not as well as our Sith Masters could, but I could still use it a little. I figured if I could earn enough money, I could buy my freedom somehow... But then..." Her countenance darkens a little, and she glares at you. "...Then, you showed up..."
You don't miss a beat. "We've established that it was just another job. Get over it."
She takes another breath and exhales as she continues to glare at you. She probably doesn't have much else to say at this point.
No, you're not sorry. You made money off of that job. Good money. How were you supposed to know that she was being tortured by a Republic senator who was in bed with the Sith?
You turn around and walk to the other side of the room, thinking to yourself for a moment. What do you do now?
The Sith supposedly have this big, evil plan to control or destroy the galaxy, and the death sticks are somehow involved in it. They're capturing Force-sensitives and using fear to make them spread these death sticks around. There may be hundreds of them.
But, the source of this story is a delusional, malnourished drug dealer. Sure, the two of you have beef, so you're a bit biased, but still. That's not a very reliable source of information.
"You okay?"
You turn around to face Sunset, who has come up behind you.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just pondering a little." You reply.
She nods. "Adagio's story is a bit out there."
"Well, yeah, there's that..." You say. "But even if it does check out, I don't know what to do with that information, you know?"
She nods. "Right."
You continue. "Telling the Republic is out of the question. As of right now, anyway. Maybe we can tell them when things cool down a bit."
She smiles. "That must grind your gears, huh? Thinking about helping the Republic?"
You groan softly. "Oh, you have no idea..."
She chuckles softly. "Well, maybe we should just wait on it." You look at her. "We'll keep doing our own thing. We'll look for Discord-"
"Start looking for Discord..." You correct.
The bastard is elusive as hell. And you've been a bit preoccupied.
She chuckles again. "Right. We'll START looking for Discord, once we get a lead. In the meantime though, I say we follow this trail of crumbs and see where it goes. If it turns out to be a wild Bantha chase, then oh well. We have a good story to tell for the future."
You give her a small smile. She's done it again. She's eased your stress and given you peace of mind.
"Have I ever told you how fantastic you are?" You ask.
She smirks. "Once or twice. I know you can afford to say it more often though."
Before she turns away from you, she gives you a small smack on the ass. You grin and watch her slowly walk out of the room.
Damn, you love this woman.
---
As Sunset flies the ship out of Cato Neimoidia's atmosphere, you sit beside her in the cockpit, speaking with Rarity on a small screen in front of you.
"How is she doing?" You ask.
"Adagio is asleep right now, darling." Rarity replies. "We're going to keep her for a few days and help her recover."
Good.
"Thank you so much for everything, Rarity." You say. "I know you've had your hands full lately, so I really appreciate this."
She nods. "It's quite alright, Anonymous. The payment you left me is more than enough to take her wherever she wants to go once she's recovered."
"Even so. It really helps us out."
She smiles. "I'll contact you when I have an update for you. I expect you to do the same."
"You won't be disappointed, Rarity. Thank you again." You return the smile and shut off communications.
Sunset reaches the beginning of space and starts to orbit around the planet. "So where are we going?"
"I'm going to find out in just a bit." You say.
You access the ship's computer and search the galactic criminal database for any posted bounties. Specifically, ones posted by either of the Twins: Flim or Flam. You're going to try the same method you pulled with Diamond Tiara and bring them a present. Hopefully, you'll also find out a little more about their supposed business associates.
A part of you just wants to ignore all this. You're picking up only a few pieces of an insanely large puzzle that would most likely end up just being a waste of time. The only real reason you've followed this trail for as long as you have is due to sheer curiosity.
However, the thought of this supposed galactic-scale plan by the Sith is also a bit unnerving. The Sith have tried and failed many different times to conquer the galaxy in the past. Sure, the Mandalorians have helped them out before, a few times in history, but you're starting to think about how the Sith differ from the Jedi in their view of the Force.
The Jedi embody the Light Side, while the Sith embody the Dark Side. If Light is selflessness, then that means Dark is selfishness. If the Sith did end up conquering the galaxy, any help they would have had in doing so would be useless and cast aside at that point. Their history of betrayal is enough to back up that theory.
If the entire galaxy is at risk, then that means Mandalore is as well.
Whether or not this is actually the case is uncertain to you, but you don't want to sit on your ass and wait for it to be too late. You need to know for sure.
"Hey. You awake?"
You blink a few times and snap yourself out of your trance. Sunset is looking at you, a little confused.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking." You continue to browse the database for any bounties.
"Thinking about what?" She asks.
You shake your head. "Just about this situation we're in, and the future of everything."
She takes a deep breath and sits back in her chair. "I hate to admit it, but I'm a bit worried that it might all be true."
You nod slowly and look over at her.
She continues. "If the Sith really are planning something, then it sounds like it could change the fate of the entire galaxy."
She's right.
"You know, it has been a few centuries since the Sith blatantly tried to take over the galaxy." You say.
She nods. "Yeah. Just after the Mandalorian Wars was the last time, I think. Stories of Mandalore the Preserver tell of him fighting alongside the Jedi to take down a Sith Lord over the planet Telos."
"I remember that story. That particular Sith Lord supposedly had the ability to consume the life force of entire planets." You reply. "He was responsible for the destruction of the planet Katarr."
A power of that magnitude is one that no Jedi has ever possessed before. Nor should they, or anyone else ever possess it.
The Dark Side of the Force seems to be littered with unnatural abilities, even by Force-sensitive standards, you'd wager.
You continue. "After all those years, they would've had a lot of time to prepare and plan for something big."
"We're long overdue." Sunset says. "Maybe this is it."
You nod. "Maybe so."
The two of you sit in contemplative silence for a few more seconds, pondering to yourselves on the chance that this is the dawn of a new campaign for control by the Sith against the Republic and the galaxy.
You clear your throat after a few moments. "I guess we had better hurry and see if we can't find out who's behind all this then."
You turn your attention back to the ship's computer and continue browsing potential bounties. Most of them are for petty grievances that are worth a few thousand credits. After a while, you find a filter option and specifically search for bounties posted by Flim and/or Flam.
A few names show up. None of them really seem noteworthy though.
Then, someone catches your attention.
"Ooh, here's one." You say.
Sunset leans over to look at your screen. "50,000 credits for a Bothan named Ahuizotl... What the hell kind of a name is Ahuizotl?"
You just chuckle.
She continues reading. "Let's see... 'He's the leader of a gang that was recently taken down by the Republic. Just before that, he hit us hard and stole a large amount of valuables from us. He's awaiting trial at the prison orbiting Ottega, but we don't want him telling the Republic things he shouldn't. Waste him.'" Sunset nods a little. She seems satisfied. "Doesn't sound too hard."
"That's just what I was thinking." You reply. "Set a course for the Ottega system."
It's been a while since you've had a good paying contract for someone wanted dead.
The two of you press a few buttons and lock in the necessary coordinates before Sunset hits the throttle and blasts off into lightspeed.
You stand up and head back toward the armory to prepare. Pinkie is sitting in the main hold, looking at her Pazaak cards. She looks at you and smiles when you walk in.
"Where are we going?" She asks.
"The Ottega system." You reply. "Prison break."
"Oooh! Sounds fun!" She says.
You walk past her and head into the armory. You'll go over a plan later, but right now, you just want to look at your gear and make sure it all checks out.
--- <<Somewhere in a hidden region of deep space>> ---
A Sith Admiral walks down a hallway toward the main observation deck. The large doors slide open and he proceeds through them.
On his left and right are navigation specialists and technicians; all working on terminals that control different parts of the station. Directly ahead of him, looking through the window, out to the vastness of space is the Dark Lord of the Sith himself.
Lord Sombra.
The Admiral nervously clears his throat and approaches him. He stops and stands at ease a few paces behind the Sith Lord, but dares not to speak until given permission. Sombra stays silent for a few tense seconds.
"Report." He calmly commands, his booming voice piercing around the room.
The Admiral gulps before speaking. "My Lord, there is a problem... Our plans to get rid of the Senator from Naboo on Dantooine have been compromised, and our contact on Coruscant is dead."
"The Mandalorians again?" Sombra asks.
"It would appear so, my Lord..." The Admiral says. "Our Dantooine contact reported seeing a Zeltron with a pair of Mandalorians that match the description of those who interfered with our operations on Malastare and Nar Shaddaa a couple of weeks ago."
"The same Mandalorians that defeated my former apprentice on Tatooine..." Sombra says softly.
"Indeed, my Lord."
Sombra wraps his arms behind his back and holds his wrist, but does not turn around to face the Admiral.
"My former apprentice left to kill them on his own accord... I would have killed him myself, for disobeying me when he returned... However, they managed to do it themselves... My apprentice was well-trained. I assumed his defeat was mere luck before, but it would appear I have underestimated these Mandalorians..."
Sombra finally turns around to face the Admiral; those terrifying red-yellow eyes staring directly into his own. "Where are they now?"
The Admiral clears his throat. "Our spies lost their exact whereabouts during the commotion they created on Coruscant. We could not pursue them. However, Hoity Toity was in contact with another one of ours on Kessel." The Admiral pulls out a datapad and hands it to the Dark Lord. "Since these Mandalorians know, or at least suspect something, I took the liberty of planning for a likely step they would take next."
Sombra takes the datapad and looks it over for a long moment. Every moment of silence in the Dark Lord's presence made the Admiral even more uncomfortable than he already was.
"This bounty was posted recently." Sombra comments.
"Yes, my Lord. This particular incident happened days ago. That Bothan is likely their next target."
Sombra stares at the datapad a moment longer.
"These Mandalorian bounty hunters..." He begins. "What do we know about them?"
The Admiral shifts slightly. "Our sources believe that the male's name is Anonymous, my Lord. The female's is Sunset Shimmer. We have also identified the aforementioned Zeltron as the famous Pazaak player and thief, Pinkamena Diane Pie."
Sombra looks back at the Admiral. "Pie... How very interesting..." The Dark Lord contemplates to himself for a moment before handing the datapad back to the Admiral. "The fear on Coruscant that these Mandalorians' actions have created will only help our plans. Rest assured however, they assisted us unknowingly... At this rate, I fear that they will soon discover the location of this battle station, and report it to any Republic comrades they still have..."
He pauses for another moment before speaking again. "The time has come to make ourselves known to our enemies, Admiral. Have our spies drop an undercover tip to the Republic about Anonymous and Sunset Shimmer. This information you have provided will be perfect for advancing my new apprentice's training... I will send her to Kessel to deal with these bounty hunters, and the galaxy will know the Age of the Sith has come once again."
The Admiral nods once. "As you wish, my Lord Sombra."
Sombra turns around to look out the window again and the Admiral turns around and heads back into the station.
Sombra waits for a few long minutes before turning around and proceeding deeper into the station as well. He travels to a small, private room and closes the door behind him.
In front of him is an inactive holographic display. He presses a button on the control panel. Mere seconds later, the hologram activates, and the image of a kneeling young woman appears before him.
Her Sith robes are in the traditional black, and her cloak drapes down her backside. Her face is mostly shrouded in darkness by her hood, but her yellow eyes can still be seen shining through.
"What is thy bidding, my master?" She asks.
Sombra slowly grins as he speaks to her.
"It is time for you to face your first true test, Limestone..."
The Ottega system was most notable as the system that housed the planet Ithor, the homeworld of the Ithorians. The Republic had built a space station prison around its star a few decades ago. You were waiting on Imrooso, the planet closest to the sun, and had managed to intercept a transmission from an incoming transport ship on its way to the prison.
Sunset takes off and quickly makes her way toward the ship as it approaches the station. Once she closes in a bit more, you head back into the main hold and make your way to the airlock.
Sunset speaks to you through your comms. "Anon, you all set?"
"Yeah, I'm ready." You reply.
You're dressed in your EVA armor. It's pressurized, and isn't made entirely out of beskar, like your regular armor is, but it's about as bulky. It won't slow you down at all once you're inside.
The plan is, once Sunset is close enough to the transport ship, you're going to head out into space and grab onto its hull. You'll hide there until you get aboard the station. Hopefully, you'll manage to find Ahuizotl, take him captive, and fly one of these transports out of here so you can rendezvous with Sunset.
That's the best-case scenario though, so that probably won't be what happens. Either way, you're going to be alone for this one. Hopefully, you won't need it, but you grab and equip your jetpack that's waiting by the airlock, just in case. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
You climb the ladder up to the airlock and head inside. Once there, the door beneath you hisses shut and the section you're in depressurizes. A moment later, the door above you hisses open and everything around you goes completely silent. You're outside.
The sounds of your breathing and steady heartbeat behind your ears are all you can hear. Every direction you look, you see an endless void of nothing but stars. The light from Ottega's proximity is polluting most of your view, but you can still see an unbelievable amount of stars no matter where you look.
You climb onto the ship's hull and carefully step toward the front of the ship, just above the cockpit.
"You outside?" Sunset asks on your comms.
"Sure am." You crouch down and knock on the top of the cockpit's viewport window at Sunset and Pinkie.
They both look at you and smile. Pinkie starts waving at you ecstatically. "Hi Anon!"
You wave back before looking ahead at the transport ship. The intense light from Ottega nearly blinds you, but your helmet automatically adjusts your view. The transport is about 100 meters away, and Sunset is carefully closing in behind it.
"Let me know when you're going to accelerate, Sunset." You say.
You'll use that acceleration, and a quick boost from your jetpack to float onto the transport's hull.
"I'm going to hit the throttle for half a second at around 50 meters, Anon. That's the closest I get and have enough time to slow down without crashing." She says.
"It will be enough." You crouch down and prepare to jump.
The ship lurches forward and you leap off the hull, propelling yourself through the vacuum of space toward the transport.
Sunset's acceleration could not have been more perfect. You float toward the transport and reach out to grab one of the notches in the hull, your robotic hand immediately clamping down to hold you in place. You grunt a little as your momentum tries to keep you moving forward, but your grip does not falter. You bring your legs back in and awkwardly set them on the hull.
"You good, Anon?" She asks.
You grunt a little. "Yep... Yeah, I'm good. I'm secure."
You grab onto the hull with your other hand and look back at your ship as Sunset breaks off and flies away.
"Alright, we'll be on standby, if you need us. Keep me updated on your status." She says.
You nod. "I will. Thanks, Sunset."
You watch her as she flies further and further away for a few more moments before climbing up the transport's hull and making your way onto the roof. Just ahead, you make out the shape of the prison just in front of Ottega as the transport quickly approaches.
On your left is the ship's emergency airlock. Being out in the emptiness of space is unnerving. You'd like to be inside, but the crew would probably get an alert if the airlock was opened now.
You'll wait until you've landed inside the station.
Your comms intercept their radio chatter and you listen in. "We have you on our scope. Please identify."
"This is prisoner transport shuttle Shihor 7. Requesting clearance to land on section 5."
"Copy, Shihor 7. Standby for clearance."
The transport continues its approach toward the prison. You're able to make out a few more details.
The prison is made up of seven spherical sections. Six of them surround the larger one in the center, like a nucleus. Each outer section looks like it's connected to the central section by a large, metal beam. It's probably a corridor. You'd wager that there's a train or something that allows personnel to move between them and the central section.
"Clearance granted, Shihor 7. You're free to land at docking bay 34."
"Copy, control. Beginning final approach."
The transport flies past one of the outer sections and towards the center. You see a large amount of docking bays lining the side of the prison. This place is not quite as big as you were expecting it to be, but it's still pretty spacious. Finding Ahuizotl won't be easy.
You hunker down as close as you can to the transport as it decelerates and heads into the hangar bay. As you pass through the energy barrier, you feel the artificial gravity, the environment pressurize, and sound returns to you once again.
Finally, you're inside. you cut off your suit's oxygen flow and breathe the station's air. It smells like dirty metal.
The transport slowly proceeds through the hangar bay. The sounds of workers, machinery, and commotion is all around. From your position, you can't see much. Especially directly beneath the ship. You aren't sure who or what you might be dealing with.
A low hanging rafter just ahead of you catches your attention. The transport will pass directly beneath it. With the hangar bay's lights surrounding it, it would be dark enough for you to hide in plain sight and come up with a better plan.
As the transport passes beneath it, you stand and leap into the air to grab it. It's barely within your reach. Your right hand slips, but the servos in your left hand grip it tightly. You reach back up with your right hand and pull yourself up into the rafters. Grunting a bit, you get yourself in a better position and watch the transport you rode on continue to its destination.
The activity inside the hangar is nothing out of the ordinary. Mostly cargo vessels and supply craft going in and out of the prison on an errand. What you need to find is the prison's control room. Only problem is, from up here, you can't see any windows or signs directing you to its location.
Flying down there in the middle of everything would likely notify security. You're a sitting duck up here.
"This is why I hate improvising..." You curse under your breath and activate your comms. "Sunset, I'm inside."
"Good." She replies. "Where are you now?"
"I'm in one of the hangars, hiding up in the rafters. I need to get to the control room, but I can't really tell where anything is from up here."
You hear Pinkie's voice come on. "Look around for air vents, Anon! I use those all the time when I break in to stuff!"
"Air vents..." This is a big prison. The size of those vents would have to be huge, especially in the hangar. "That's actually a good idea, Pinkie. Thanks."
You look around the ceiling and along the topmost parts of the walls for anything.
Sunset comes on again. "How are you going to get out after you kill Ahuizotl?"
"Well, off the top of my head, I think I'll steal the clearance codes from the control room's computer. Then I'll hijack a transport shuttle full of prisoners and meet up with you outside."
"What about the prisoners?" She asks.
"They'll be potential targets for future hunts."
Sunset laughs. "Good plan."
You chuckle as well. "No, this plan sucks. I wish we had more time to get a layout of this place, at least." A few meters away, you spot a vent on the ceiling. "Alright, I found one. I'm making my way there now."
"Keep in touch." Sunset says.
"Bye Anon!" Pinkie adds.
You shut off your comms and start planning on how you're going to get over there. The support beam you're standing on is one of many that are all parallel to each other along the ceiling. On either side of you, a few other beams run perpendicular to the main ones, making a regular crisscross pattern that extends far and wide.
You carefully move toward the beam on your right, holding onto the one you're currently on to keep yourself from falling. Your jetpack would be able to save you, but you're worried that it would also generate too much noise. This hangar isn't exactly silent, but this is still a maximum security prison. You don't want to take the risk.
Once you reach the perpendicular beam, you grab onto it and slowly work your way to the crossbeam that's nearest to the air vent. You take a look at it every so often to make sure it's still where you remember it. After a couple minutes, you reach the crossbeam and head toward the vent. It's within arm's reach once you get there. It's a pretty big air vent. About a meter wide.
You hold onto the beam and reach up to the vent with your mechanical arm. It locks in place and you gradually pry the vent off the shaft's opening. A couple seconds of straining later, the vent creaks and pops open on one corner. You move to the other corner and pop it free as well. You swing the vent back and set it down on the beam next to your feet. Hopefully, it doesn't fall until you're long gone.
Once it's as secure as it can be, you grab the edge of the air duct and pull yourself inside. Grunting, you press your legs and back against opposite sides of the duct and hold yourself in place as you shimmy upwards, heading deeper into the prison's ventilation shaft. The air is blowing against you at a consistent rate. Not enough to hinder you too much though.
After a little bit of distance upwards, the air duct becomes larger and horizontal. You pull yourself up and over the edge, resting on the bottom of the ventilation shaft for a moment. That was a strenuous climb. You're lucky you didn't fall.
This section of the ventilation shaft is about two meters wide. About the size of a womp rat, now that you think of it.
It's also extremely noisy in here. These ducts are made of an extremely thin metal, so it creaks and clangs loudly with even the slightest move. You'd be worried about breaking them and falling through if these vents didn't go into the ceiling itself.
On top of the sounds of clanging metal bouncing off every surface, the air in here blowing very hard, constantly whipping it all around you. With all this noise, you'll probably be able to move pretty easily without drawing attention.
You stand up and head down the air duct, moving against the wind. Hopefully, you manage to reach the central air duct so you can find your way to the control room. These ducts are long, but they aren't too narrow, so you have a bit of wiggle room.
You come to other vents in the floor that lead down to the hangar. They're hardly an obstacle. You pass a few turns and passageways that head in different directions, but you proceed against the blowing air.
As you continue on, the air blows much harder. It almost feels like you'd blow away if you weren't in your armor.
You're eventually forced to slow down a bit as you fight the wind. It's getting stronger. There has to be a fan somewhere up ahead.
Sure enough, once you round a corner, you're met with an industrial-sized fan, blowing a significant flow of air against you. In the wall directly next to the fan is a maintenance access tunnel. There's a terminal beside it that most likely deactivates the fan. You move toward the tunnel and head inside. You'll come back here later if you need to.
As you move out of the flow of air, it immediately gets much quieter and easier to walk. "Oh, that's better."
You exhale and proceed down the narrow corridor until you reach a closed door. You're not sure what or who is behind here, so you take out your blaster pistol and get ready for anything.
Twisting the door's locking mechanism, you slowly crack it open and look into the next room. It's dark. There's likely no one inside.
You open the door completely and raise your blaster, scanning for any personnel, but the room is empty, just like you thought. You close the door behind you and sigh. The air vents are muffled and you can actually hear your own thoughts again.
You turn on your helmet's night vision and look around for a terminal or something. This appears to be a maintenance room. There are a few tools stacked neatly on the shelves against the wall to your right, and a couple of datapads on a nearby desk, next to an inactive terminal. You walk over to it and turn it on. It warms up for a few seconds before the screen illuminates the room and asks for a password.
You curse under your breath and look around the desk for a card key or something. Anything that can help. Seems your luck is running out though, because your search turns up nothing.
"Damn..."
Looks like you're going to have to find the control room the old-fashioned way. You shut off the terminal and grab your blaster again once you head toward the door. This could get hairy.
You press a button on the terminal beside the door grip your blaster tight.
The door doesn't open.
You press the button again. It's locked.
...
You're locked in here.
You can't help but laugh. Loudly.
"This is ridiculous."
It feels like this is your first hunt. You are way off your game.
You activate your comms. Damn it all, you need help.
"How's it going in there?" Sunset asks.
You laugh again. "Could be better."
"Have they found you? Need help?"
"No they haven't found me, but with the luck I've had so far, they probably will soon." You reply.
"What do you mean?" She asks.
"We were so underprepared for this job, Sunset." You say. "I have no idea where I am, I'm locked in this maintenance room, and I'm supposed to sneak in and out of this place? I'm running out of optimism."
"Wait, you're locked in a room?" You can hear that she's smiling.
"Well, kind of..." You say. "I came in through the air ducts like Pinkie suggested, and there's a way to shut off the fan so I can head deeper in, but I can't get out the main doorway. It needs authorization."
Finally, she laughs. "Oh Anon, what's wrong? Are you sick?"
You laugh. "I sure hope not. I'm trying to be real sneaky here, but I'm off my game or something. This is embarrassing." You take another look at the door and sigh. "Ah, to hell with it..."
You grab your blaster and slam it down on the terminal, cracking the screen. After a few good smacks, you blast the terminal. It flickers and sparks, but the door slides open into a brightly-lit hallway.
"Alright, I hacked the door. It's open now."
Sunset laughs. "So I heard. I didn't know you needed to use your blaster to hack a door."
You smile. "I'll be in touch."
You shut off your comms and swing your blaster out the door, pointing it down the hallway. There's no one there, so you turn around to see if anyone is down the opposite side of the hallway. There isn't.
The coast looks clear, so you quickly head to the left. You keep your blaster raised at all times in case you see anyone.
Rounding a corner, you meet a pair of guards. They look at you curiously for a moment, but you blast them before they can say anything to you.
You step over their now lifeless bodies and search them for an I.D. card or something. One of the guards has a card on his hip. Finally, you're getting somewhere.
You take it and quickly press onwards. If anyone finds their bodies, hopefully they'll assume you went back into the maintenance room to escape through the vents. Either way, you need to hurry.
You continue down the hallway. You have no idea where you're going, but hopefully, it's the right way. The hallways lead to various mechanical and electrical systems' access rooms. It becomes apparent that you're on one of the maintenance levels.
Those guards you killed must have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, because there's no one else here right now.
After a few minutes of running around, you stop and sigh. Each door you've come across has led you to a different maintenance room. Almost all of them have been locked. You head down another corridor and stop at its intersection. Going forward probably leads somewhere, but so could going either left or right as well.
You're getting irritated. You don't want to laugh at this anymore, now you're just angry.
"Ya look lost, stranger." A voice from the right says.
You whip around with your blaster at the ready and aim it down the hallway on your right. It's not a very long hallway, but it leads to an open service elevator door.
A small, frail old woman is seated at the controls in the center of the elevator. She's leaning out from her seat and looking at you with a tiny grin on her wrinkled face. She's an inmate here. Her light-green jumpsuit says that much. She didn't even flinch when you pointed your blaster at her. You're a bit surprised.
"Need a ride?" She asks.
You pause for a moment before lowering your blaster a little.
"I'm looking for someone." You reply. "A Bothan named Ahuizotl."
She hums and nods. "Ya plannin' to kill 'im, or break 'im out?"
You hesitate again. She's straight to the point, but acting awfully calm at the same time. What does she want?
"That's...really none of your business." You tell her.
She shrugs and puts her hands up, still grinning. "Hey, y'all bounty hunters gotta do whatcha gotta do. Makes no difference t'me."
She chuckles softly to herself and you step toward the elevator.
"Ahuizotl... Let's see here..." She rubs her chin and closes her eyes as she thinks to herself. "The name sounds familiar, but I can't quite remember which cell block he's on..."
Yeah, she wants a bribe.
You're about to retort when she speaks again. "I know where y'all can find out though. Up'n the visitor's level, there's a room with a central terminal there. It's got th'names of everybody 'n everyone in the prison. There's a few guards there too, but I don't think that'll be much of a problem for a Mandalorian like you."
Wow. That was...very straightforward.
"The visitor center, huh?"
She nods and grins again. "Yessir. Got signs 'n directions that tells ya every which way ya can go. I'm headin' up home to the psych ward, m'self. Visitor center's on the way there. Hop on."
You study her face for any sign of deception, but she just gives you the same, wrinkled grin she's had this whole time.
Eventually, you just shrug. Why not? If she does turn on you, well, she's old. She won't be able to do much.
"Alright..." You slowly holster your blaster and step onto the elevator.
Once you're on, she turns to her control panel and presses a button. The door closes behind you and the elevator begins it's ascent, creaking the whole way.
"Name I'm known by 'round here is Granny. Even got it stitched on my outfit. See?"
She twists around and shows you her back. Sure enough, the name 'Granny' is stitched into her jumpsuit.
"You'll keep all this to yourself, right Granny?" You ask.
She chuckles and faces you again. "Don't ya worry none, sugarcube. I ain't got no room in this heart o' mine for any love for this place, I tell ya what. These bosses 'n head honchos in charge o' this place don't care none for any o' us. Soon as we're in, they don't let us do nothin'. Doctors treat me good enough though, 'cause I'm one o' the lucky ones. I got me a couple grandkids in the Republic."
"They don't treat inmates well?" You ask.
Granny shakes her head. "Oh no. It's 'cause we're in here and not out there payin' 'em taxes. They treat us like bantha fodder 'cause they gotta spend that money on us instead o' on themselves... I hear they wanna just send this place straight into the sun, 'n kill all of us so they can keep their money. They're even gonna try to get a Chancellor in office to take over 'n kill us all. It's a conspiracy that goes up to the top, I tell ya what."
Yeah, this lady is nuts. No wonder she's going up to the psych ward.
Granny continues. "They all think I've gone kooky in the head, but I hear everythin'. Nothin' gets past little ol' me. I've heard all kinds o' stuff over the years that would make yer mama cry."
She's definitely got a few screws loose, but you're curious...
"Heard anything about the Draconequui? Discord? Anything like that?" You ask.
She squints her eyes and slowly nods. "Ooooh, the Draconequui... Bad apples, those'uns. Very bad..."
"I'm aware."
She nods again and looks back at you. "'Bout a year ago, we had one of 'em in here; a big guy, who said he just helped that Discord fella capture a few mean ol' Rancors from, uh, Dathomir. He said that they killed some o' the tribe girls there that tried to stop 'em. Nightsisters, they were called. 'e said they'd used some freaky magic to put a curse on 'im, but he wasn't worried... Well, they found 'im dead in his cell a couple days later, all covered in these, uh, warts or somethin'. They weren't there the day before."
You've heard of the Nightsisters' weird magic and curses before. Back on Mandalore. They kept to themselves though, so you didn't really care about them.
"Did this gang member say where he took these Rancors?"
She nods. "He said they was takin' 'em to this arena on, uh, Geonosis. Said there was this monster fight that they enter in every year, and that Discord wanted to train a few more of 'em, since lots of his creatures had been killed."
Geonosis...
Rarity said she had skimmed that planet, but hadn't found much. You're curious why.
As you're thinking, the elevator stops abruptly.
The door behind you opens and Granny faces you again with a smile. "Here we are, stranger. The room y'all are lookin' for is just up the stairs, down the hall, and the second door on your left. If ya reach the vendin' machines, ya went too far."
"I appreciate the help, Granny."
"Ain't no thing, bounty hunter. Good luck to ya." She waves at you.
You nod at her and step off the elevator.
Once the door closes behind you, you grip your blaster in its holster and head up the stairs. You are making very good progress now.
You reach the top of the stairs and carefully peer around the corner. A few guards are walking on either side of the hallway, but you notice a couple of civilians as well. They're not inmates. You can tell by their outfits.
This is the level where the visitor center is. You just might be able to casually walk past the guards and have them not do anything. Hopefully, they won't ask about your blaster. You've got a feeling that weapons aren't allowed here.
You release your blaster and stroll out into the hallway. You pass by a guard and a visitor who are speaking to each other. The guard merely glances at you, but continues speaking to the visitor.
This is working. You'll get Ahuizotl in no time now.
You continue down the hallway. It curves to the left as you proceed forward. On your left, you take a note of the doorways you pass by. You head toward the second one and look around for any guards or other personnel.
As you reach for the guard's I.D. card on your belt, you also prepare a toxic dart in your dartcaster. You'll probably need it, if you want to stay silent.
Once you reach the doorway, you scan the card on the terminal and the door slides open. You step into a control room. There are four people monitoring computers and terminals on your right. Just in front of you are a pair of armed guards.
You all pause for a moment before one guard speaks. "Sir, are you lost?"
You discreetly close the door behind you. "No."
You aim your dartcaster at him and fire, delivering the poison into his neck. Before the other guard can act, you grab your blaster and shoot him in the face. From the ceiling, a small turret is in the process of descending. You quickly blast that as well. The technicians operating the terminals cry out in fear at the sudden noise.
"Nobody move!" You point your blaster toward them and they all raise their hands up in the air.
You stare them down before quickly blasting the door controls behind you, locking yourselves inside this room.
"Woah, hey! Hey! Take it easy!" One of the technicians shouts.
You point your blaster at them again. Sparks flicker from the destroyed turret above you.
"Up! All of you!" You command.
They all comply and get to their feet, their hands still in the air. You need to act fast.
You point your gauntlet at one of them and fire your whipcord, binding his arms to his sides. You do the same for the other three technicians, keeping your blaster on them as well before they can call for security.
Once they're all bound and on the floor, you head over to the nearest terminal and start searching the prison's database
"Please don't kill us! Wh- What do you want?!" Another one begs.
You ignore him. You just made a lot of noise, so you need to work quickly.
Your work is cut short though. The terminal on your left beeps a few times and a voice comes on. "What was that noise? What's going on there?"
Damn!
You turn around and grab the nearest technician, standing him up. You glare at him and press the barrel of your blaster to his forehead.
"It was a weapons malfunction. Everything is fine." You growl.
He pants hard and stares back at you in terror as you press the microphone button for him.
He clears his throat. "We- We- We had a, uh, a-a slight weapons malfunction. The- The autoturret short-circuited and..."
You whisper to him. "And blasted the door controls."
He quickly glances to the door before returning his frightened stare to you. "...and blasted the door controls. Scared us half to death, but we- we're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you."
You nod at him and release the button. He gets to live.
"Alright, I'm sending a squad to your location." The voice on the terminal replies.
Damn. You won't be able to talk them out of this. You need a distraction. Immediately.
The autoturret behind you sparks and flickers. It gives you an idea. It's a bit wrong, both morally and legally, but it would certainly create the distraction you needed.
You grab the technician again. "The autoturrets. How do I control them?"
He stammers a little. "Wh-What?"
"The autoturrets!" You shout. "If there's one in here, there's more out there! How do I control them?!"
He starts to panic a little. "I- That's... Why?!"
He's not allowed to ask questions.
You pistol whip him across the face before pressing the barrel to his head again. "Because you'll die if you don't tell me!"
He winces in pain from the impact and looks back to you in terror. "You... You can't be serious!"
"I'm dead serious... You'll just be dead..."
He slowly shakes his head at you. "N-Never... I'm not going to!"
Oooh, that's never the right answer...
You're about to blast his brains all over the place, when you get another evil idea. The other three technicians are on their sides, all staring up at you in fear.
You look back at him. "Tell me how to control the turrets, or else he dies."
You remove your blaster from his forehead and point it to one of the technicians laying on the ground. The technician you're holding looks over at his comrade, a new wave of terror overtaking him again.
"N-No... Please..." He breathes.
You look over at the technician on the ground. "You have a family?"
He trembles and begins tearing up. "Y- Yes... Yes I do..."
"Tell me about them." You growl.
He sniffles and pants harder as he speaks. "I- I have a wife... And... And two b- beautiful children... Two girls... They're... They're going to have a new baby brother in three months..."
He's in tears as he tells you about his little family.
You look back to the technician in your grip. "Children, soon to be fatherless... An expectant mother, soon to become a widow... And it will all be your fault..." You charge up your blaster, keeping it pointed at the other technician. "So I'm going to ask you one final time... How do I control the autoturrets?"
The technician is hyperventilating. He doesn't know how to cope with this.
Finally, he shuts his eyes and lowers his head. You broke him. "The... The terminal in the middle... It... It can access the prison's automated security systems... I'll give you my passcode..."
You grin beneath your helmet. "Good boy."
You lower your blaster and bring him over to the middle terminal. The technician on the ground begins sobbing uncontrollably with relief.
You're honestly very relieved too. He doesn't deserve to die, and you really didn't want to kill him. Sure, you would have killed him if his friend hadn't cooperated, but you wouldn't have felt good about it. Not at all. Children need to have both a mother, and a father.
The technician inputs his passcode and turns over control of the security system to you. You drop him on the ground and glance at the screen. It gives you an overview of the entire prison complex, along with its variety of defense systems.
You locate the hallway just outside the room you're in and start up the autoturrets. It's time this little 'weapons malfunction' looked more like a computer virus.
A few seconds later, you hear the sounds of blasterfire coming from outside. Panicked screams follow soon after. You've got your distraction, Anon. Use your time wisely.
You move over to the other terminal and resume looking for Ahuizotl. His name starts with 'A', so it doesn't take too long to locate him. According to this, he's on cell block level 5. You're on level 6. That's fantastic news.
You're about to head there, when you suddenly hear a muffled explosion, followed by some rumbling.
"What the-?"
The lights in the room flicker a little before coming back on to full brightness.
What did you do?
You check the terminal again. There is a red alert flashing on the screen and you hear an alarm blaring just outside. There was an explosion on cell block level 5...
You investigate further. There's an option here that allows you to tap in to a live security camera feed. One of the cameras has been knocked out. You move to another one.
Cell block level 5 is in an uproar. The doors on all the cells are open and the inmates are all crowding into the common area. It's a riot. They're all fighting or charging forward into more open space. There are only a few guards on that level, that you can see. They're hopelessly outnumbered. One guard is practically torn to shreds by the crowd of inmates. The others have run offscreen.
Someone let them all out. You know it wasn't you.
You quickly go back to Ahuizotl's name. You can access a live audio/video feed from his cell. You click it and a live picture comes onscreen.
Ahuizotl is sitting on the edge of his bed and looking toward the door to his cell. He slowly stands up and backs away. On the bottom of the screen, you see someone dressed in very dark armor, carrying a pair of blaster pistols.
"Alright, hands where I can see them!"
It's a female. Her back is to you, so you can't see her face.
Ahuizotl growls, but continues backing up toward the wall. "I don't think so, bounty hunter! You'll have to kill me!"
"Nuh uh! You're worth tons more alive, I bet!"
Without saying another word, the bounty hunter blasts him in the leg.
He goes down to his knee, yelling in pain, before she takes a step toward him and does a backflip. Her leg clips his chin and his head flies back to slam against the wall as a result. She easily lands on her feet and stands up straight. Ahuizotl is out cold.
Who is this bounty hunter?
You activate your comms. You need clarification. "Sunset, neither you nor Pinkie are in the prison, right?"
The bounty hunter reaches down and grabs Ahuizotl.
"Uh, no?" Sunset replies. "We're both in the ship on Imrooso right now."
"Hi, Anon!"
Pinkie is there too. That confirms it.
Sunset continues. "Why? What's wrong?"
Onscreen, the bounty hunter grunts and slings Ahuizotl over her shoulder before turning around and leaving the cell. She's wearing a helmet that covers her entire head. Her eyes are two red circles of light. It's the only other color on her you can see.
You continue looking at the cell block's status through the terminal. The alarm is blaring.
"Competition." You reply. "Someone else grabbed Ahuizotl. It looks like she started a riot to keep the guards busy."
"Are you serious? Who was it?" Sunset asks.
You shake your head. "No idea. She's new."
The inmates continue spilling out into the more common areas of the cell block. A few seconds later, you hear and feel more muffled explosions through the prison. This one was much stronger than the last one. All the terminals in front of you go crazy.
You head to a different one and investigate. The same thing has happened on cell blocks 4, 6, and 7. All the cells have opened and inmates that were contained in each one have begun to pile out.
"You've got to be kidding me..." You breathe.
"What now?" Sunset asks.
"This bounty hunter just set off bombs on three more cell blocks!"
"At this rate, the warden is going to call the Republic to help contain it!" Sunset says. "Anon, you've got to move!"
She's right. You have minutes, at best.
You frantically search the security cameras for the bounty hunter's location. You can't find her though. There's nothing but commotion and violence between the guards and inmates wherever you look.
"Sunset, you and Pinkie get here as fast as you can! If this bounty hunter, or anyone else tries to leave the prison, blast them!" You command.
"We'll be there in ten minutes! Pinkie, get to the gun turret!" She cuts your transmission.
Ten minutes. You have to find this bounty hunter now.
You look on each terminal for any indication as to where she is. She's nowhere to be found. Each security feed is just guards and inmates all brawling with each other. You wager that she's going to go to the nearest hangar bay and steal a transport.
"What did you do, bounty hunter?!"
Oh right. You forgot that you're not alone in here.
You quickly glance over at the technicians all laying on the ground. The one you got the code from is glaring at you in anger and fear.
There's no more use in sticking around here. You've got to move.
You stand up straight, arming yourself with your blaster rifle and pointing it at them. "You're still alive. That means I wasn't ever here. Because if I was, I would've killed you, right?" The four technicians slowly nod their heads. "Good. I thought so."
You're not confident that they'll keep their word, but you have no time to make sure they remember right now. With any luck, the other bounty hunter will get blamed for leaving them behind like this, along with the dead guards and damage to the vents you left behind.
You lower your weapon and quickly head to the door. Since you blasted the controls, it won't open for you easily. You grab an explosive from your belt and hook it to the door, arming it. It starts beeping and you back away.
Five seconds later, the explosive detonates and blasts small bits of shrapnel against you, but your armor prevents any harm. You step toward the door again. It's still closed, but the locking mechanism is destroyed. You'll have to pry the door open.
Once its open, you step outside into the spacious hallway. It's empty now. A couple of bodies are on the ground to your right, surrounded by blaster impact points from the turrets you activated. The prison's primary security system must have shut them off, because they're not firing anymore. Works great for you, since you're outside now.
You run down the hallway. You've got to make it down to level 5 and find Ahuizotl before this other bounty hunter gets away with him.
The muffled sounds of shouting and occasional blasterfire is everywhere. This riot is not going to be contained easily.
Rounding a corner, you spot three guards running toward you, all armed. You skid to a stop and raise your rifle at them.
They stop as well and ready themselves as you open fire on them. "Blast him!"
Before they fire, you hit one guard in the chest a few times. His armor takes the impact and he dives off to the side. The other guards open fire on you.
You double-back and take cover behind the wall. They keep you pinned down with suppressive fire. You can't move.
Growling under your breath, you come out from behind cover and fire at the guards as they advance toward you. You hit one of them in the head and he goes down. The other two strafe from side to side and try to evade your blasterfire.
Unsurprisingly, their armor is quite durable.
One of them fires and clips your left shoulder, forcing you to take cover again. Luckily, it was only your mechanical arm that was hit. However, it's only delaying you from doing what needs to be done, then getting the hell out of there.
You grip your rifle tight and head out of cover. Keeping your head down, you charge toward the guards as hard as you can. Their blasters graze your arm and the top of your helmet, but you ram into one of them before they can do any more harm to you or your armor. You push against him and he stumbles backwards a little, giving you a window to shoot him in the face.
He goes down and you turn your attention to the remaining guard. This one is in the process of charging toward you.
You reflexively move out of the way and grab his head, using his momentum to throw him behind you. He falls on his face. You quickly shove the barrel of your rifle against the back of his neck and blast him. He cries out in pain for a second before going limp on the ground.
Finally.
You stand up straight and continue down the hallway as quickly as possible once again. Turning a corner, in a common area beyond an open blast door, you see a large group of inmates of all races clamoring around a few guards.
They're all shouting, punching, kicking, and cursing in more alien languages than you can identify. This riot is definitely not going to stay contained without Republic assistance. Whoever this bounty hunter is, she's extremely shortsighted. If the Republic gets involved, things could get a lot more complicated. Not just for you, but for her, too.
Her amateur mistake will be her downfall.
You ignore them and head down the adjacent hallway to your right. It's not very long until you're forced to turn left. Up ahead, you spot five inmates moving quickly toward you. One of them, a Duros in an orange jumpsuit, points at you and shouts "Bounty hunter!" in his language.
They all stop where they are and watch you as you continue to run toward them. They want to attack you, but it seems like they're conflicted about it. Bounty hunters aren't exactly popular among prison inmates, so you don't blame them for wanting to attack you.
You blast the Duros in the arm. He cries out in pain and the rest of the inmates all back away as you run past them. There's no need to kill them, just put them in their place.
You leave them behind and continue down the hallway.
Along the way toward the hangar bays, you pass by a few more groups of inmates and guards all at war with one another. A few of them on either side get in your way and you're forced to blast them, but luckily, the greater majority of them all seem more focused on killing each other right now.
That's both good and bad. You're able to get past them relatively easily as you reach them, but at the same time, with the increasing violence, the Republic will have more of a reason to get here as quickly as possible.
You keep running through the prison, either dodging or shooting anyone that gets in your way. After a few minutes, you reach a locked security door. You take out another explosive and set it on the lock. Once its armed, you take a few steps backwards and the explosive detonates.
The lock is blasted apart and the door slides open a little. You push it all the way open and continue toward the hangar bay. Beyond the door is a large open hallway.
There are windows on your right and you can see into the hangar. You look around for the bounty hunter. This is where she would most likely come with Ahuizotl.
Sure enough, you see her brawling with a couple of guards beside a large shipping crate. Ahuizotl is beside her; he's either cowering or he's unconscious. You can't tell from here.
You turn on your comms. "Sunset, where are you?"
"We're almost there. Where are you?"
"I'm just outside one of the hangar bays. That bounty hunter is trying to escape."
You keep running down the hallway toward the hangar doors.
"Which hangar are you in?" Sunset asks.
You look around for any indication as to where you are in the prison. A number and letter on the wall inside the hangar catches your attention.
"Section 5, hangar 12." You say.
You also notice that the hangar has been locked down. This whole section probably has been. Sunset won't be able to land unless you open the bay door.
"The hangar is locked down. Wait just outside for me to unlock it." You say.
"I'll wait as close as I can, Anon. The prison's autoturrets will blast us if I get too close now." She says.
You growl. "I'll see what I can do, don't worry."
You turn off your comms and press forward toward the hangar doors. Inside the hangar, the bounty hunter is fighting two guards at the same time. None of them are armed.
Ahead of you, three more guards round a corner and proceed toward you. You skid to a stop and shoot at them.
They all stop and blast at you as well. You take cover behind wall that leads down another hallway as the guards continue shooting. It's three against one. You all continue shooting at each other.
You manage to blast one of them in the head, and another one in the chest. The guard you missed blasts you in the right shoulder. You cry out and growl as you take cover once again. The blast hit your armor, but it still hurt.
You shake it off and move out of cover again, shooting at the two remaining guards. The one that shot you gets hit a couple times in the chest and he goes down. The guard you shot in the chest before gets hit in the leg, and he goes down as well. You're clear.
You continue running toward the doors.
Inside the hangar, the bounty hunter has managed to take down one of the guards, and has the remaining guard on the ropes. She charges at him and slides on the ground toward his legs, tripping him. Once he's on the ground, she quickly moves behind him and wraps her arms around his head.
The guard reaches up and tries to pry her off of him, but she doesn't let go. After a few seconds, she jerks his head to the side, snapping his neck.
The guard goes limp and she stands up.
You finally reach the entrance to the hangar and step inside. Her back is to you. She hasn't seen you yet. You walk toward her, your blaster raised.
"Whew! Nothin' to it!" She exclaims.
She picks up her blasters from the floor and moves toward Ahuizotl. He sees you, but he hasn't said anything. He's probably too nervous to.
The bounty hunter grabs him by the arm and pulls him up to his feet. "Come on."
Once he's up, she pushes him toward a parked prison shuttle on the far side of the hangar.
You shoot the ground next to her feet to get her attention. Immediately, she whips around. One of her blasters is pointed at you, the other is against Ahuizotl's head.
"I'm taking Ahuizotl with me..." You growl.
"Over my dead body, you are!" She spits.
You shrug. "If you insist."
She moves behind Ahuizotl more and presses her blaster harder against his head. You move opposite of her, your aim never faltering.
She sighs. "Look... We're both professionals here, so let's just put the guns down and talk about this. I'm sure we can work something out. It would be a shame to kill each other over scum like this."
"Can't argue with that." You reply.
You don't agree with her being a 'professional' though.
"So put the gun down, then." She says.
"You first."
She gives you a frustrated growl. "Oh come on! I don't have time for this!"
"Neither do I."
She's getting frustrated. That's good.
"Then put your gun down!" She shouts.
You're about to retort when a separate blaster shot whips between you and her. The both of you turn and look to its source. A group of fully armed guards are charging toward you from inside the prison.
"There they are! Blast them!" Three of the guards in front open fire at you and the other bounty hunter.
You fire back at them as you begin making your way toward a large supply crate. You move behind it and take cover from the blaster fire. The other bounty hunter and Ahuizotl both join you a few seconds later. With all these guards, you have no choice but to hold off on killing each other until later.
The two of you take turns firing back at the guards from behind your hiding spot.
Sunset, where are you?
The bounty hunter takes cover again while her blasters cool down. "You don't happen to have a plan to get out of here, do you?!"
"You don't?!" You ask.
You poke your head out from behind cover and blast a guard in the chest. He goes down, but he's not out. His armor took most of the impact.
The bounty hunter moves out and blasts a couple of guards as well. "I was planning to improvise! It was working great for me until you messed it all up!"
You growl under your breath. "If anyone messed anything up here, it was you! I actually had a plan!"
Ahuizotl looks back and forth between you both, panicking. "Some bounty hunters you two are!"
"Shut up!" The two of you simultaneously shout at him before turning your attention back to the guards.
You blast one of the guards in the chest, and he goes down.
Above him, you notice the observation deck. There may be a security override switch in there. You're not sure, but that's your best bet.
You take cover again. The bounty hunter is panting and behind cover as well.
"Listen!" You shout. "The hangar is locked down! Just above us is the observation deck! My ship is on the way, but the hangar doors need to open! If you want to live, you will stay right here and wait for me to get back!"
She looks at you and nods.
You turn around and activate your jetpack so you propel yourself into the air high enough to grab onto the ceiling's rafters. You keep a vice grip hold onto the beam with your robotic left hand while you continue to fire down onto the guards with your right. They sidestep and dodge most of your blaster bolts, but you manage to hit one or two of them.
On the ground, the bounty hunter keeps most of their attention on her.
You climb up onto the rafter and move toward the observation windows as quickly as you can. Once you get close to the end of the rafter, you blast the windows open and activate your jetpack again.
It propels you forward and you dive through the open window into the observation deck. You curl into a ball as you hit the ground and slide a couple meters. Your armor takes it all.
Once you stop, you stand up and look around at the control consoles for anything that looks like it can be useful. A lot of it is just docking information and status updates. Many of the screens are flashing red with security warnings.
Finally, you see a screen that offers information on the hangar bay door's status. Surprise, surprise, it's been locked down. You need a security override code to crack it.
You growl and pound your fist down on the console.
Your comms crackle and Sunset starts talking. "Anon, how's it coming?! The turbolasers are shooting at us!"
"I've been locked out! I can't open the doors!" You shout.
You look outside the observation deck toward the doors.
"You have to do something, Anon! I can't get to you and we're taking fire!" Sunset says.
Beside the doors on either side of the hangar, you see a few refueling stations. It gives you an idea. It's incredibly risky, but it just might work.
"I have an idea. Get away from the prison, but get ready to catch us." You say.
You look around at the screens for the refueling station settings.
"Catch you?!" Sunset repeats.
"There are refueling stations inside the hangar." You reply. "I'm going to blow the doors open. Find a good spot to watch the fireworks, but be ready."
You find the console that shows the settings for refueling and you activate them all. A few warnings pop up about the stations with no ships docked on them, but you ignore them and activate them anyway. Outside, a different alarm starts blaring as the fuel begins to pump out all over the hangar floor.
No turning back now.
You leave the terminal and head toward the open window you came in through. You dive through it and activate your jetpack again. It slows your fall significantly, and you land on the hangar floor.
Around you are three armed guards. You waste no time in shooting the furthest one and diving toward the nearest. Your robotic hand punches through his helmet's visor with ease, shattering it.
He cries out in pain and you get behind him, using him as a shield as the second guard fires at you. Each of his blaster bolts hit his comrade in the chest. You return fire. Within seconds, the three guards are all dead.
You drop the guard you used as cover and turn your attention to another pair of guards some distance away. You fire at them as you make your way back behind cover with the bounty hunter and Ahuizotl.
The bounty hunter moves behind cover again and looks at you. "What happened?!"
You were forced to improvise.
"Can you breathe in space with that helmet?!" You ask.
She pauses for a moment before nodding.
Good.
You look around at the refueling stations. The fuel is spreading out onto the floor. This supply crate you're hiding behind looks pretty durable. It will probably survive the explosion.
You open it up and look inside. It's empty.
"Get in!" You command.
The bounty hunter looks taken back. "What?! Why?!"
"Because I'm going to blow this place up! Get in!" You command again.
She hesitates for a second before grabbling Ahuizotl and shoving him inside.
He panics. "N-No! Wait! Wait, I-!"
She shoves him again and he falls onto the ground.
You turn around and take out your last remaining explosives. "Here goes nothing..."
You take a deep breathe and arm them before throwing them to either side of the hangar as hard as you can.
You don't wait another second, and get inside the supply crate, closing it behind you. "Brace yourselves!"
The bounty hunter presses against a wall with Ahuizotl, and you crouch down as close as you can to a corner. After a few seconds, the explosives detonate.
The sound and rumble of the explosion is minor at first, but a few seconds later, the entire crate shakes as more explosions occur outside. The sound is almost deafening.
The bounty hunter screams and falls to the floor, releasing Ahuizotl to cover her own head. You press against the corner even more as the explosions outside intensify. Loud clanging bangs against the outer shell of the crate as debris is thrown around.
Then, the entire crate is lurched forward, forcing you to wrap yourself with your arms to keep yourself as safe as possible. You rise from the corner you're in as you're flung about inside the crate.
Just when the noise outside can't get any louder, it goes completely silent and you're hurled to the back of the crate with the bounty hunter and Ahuizotl. She smacks the front of her helmet against the back wall and it makes a noticeable crack. She covers her face, but doesn't make a sound.
Come to realize it, the only thing you can hear now is your own heavy breathing. The vacuum of space has deafened you. This supply crate is not airtight.
You take a few seconds to gather yourself. In a few hours, you're going to be sore in more than a few places, you can already tell. Your adrenaline is keeping it from being too painful right now though.
A few seconds later, you don't feel yourself being pressed against the back of the crate anymore. Everything is weightless.
Your comms pop with static for a bit before Sunset's voice comes on. "...non! Anon, come in! Come in! Anon!"
You breathe heavily and press a button on your gauntlet. "I'm here... I'm here, Sunset... I'm okay..."
"Oh, thank the Force!" She exclaims. "Where are you?!"
You cough for a second before answering. "I'm in a supply crate... I'll activate my homing beacon... Hurry..."
You shut off your comms and press another button on your gauntlet. She should be here soon.
You reach over and grab the bounty hunter's arm. She looks at you and you pull her with you.
Ahuizotl is beside her. His head has a noticeable dent in the front, and he's bleeding profusely from it. Drops of blood are floating all around him. He hit his head against the wall as well. If that alone didn't kill him, then him suffocating in the vacuum of space did.
He was wanted dead, so it makes no difference to you.
The bounty hunter glances at him for a moment before turning back to you. You press against the supply crate door and open it. You're met with the blinding light of the sun, and you're forced to close your eyes.
After a second or two, you open them up again and look back at the prison. The entirety of the section you were just on is still intact, but the hangar you just came from is engulfed in a massive fireball. Debris and fire is spreading out all over the place.
The explosion must have flung you out of the hangar at an incredible speed. It's been only a few seconds and already, you're floating quite a distance away from it.
The bounty hunter pokes her head out from the crate and looks back at the explosion. While she's busy gawking, you turn around and see your ship fly towards your location.
It slows down as it approaches and you grab the bounty hunter's arm. She turns around to face the ship and you kick off the crate with her, floating toward it.
From where you are, the ship looks upside down, so you land on the hull and make your way to the airlock. The hatch opens as you approach, and you step inside with the bounty hunter behind you. It's a bit of a squeeze with the both of you in here, but you get inside and shut the hatch.
A second later, the airlock pressurizes. You can hear again. The ship's gravity takes hold of you both, so you open the second door of the airlock and climb down the ladder that leads to the rest of the ship.
The bounty hunter takes a deep breath and starts coughing as she follows you down the ladder. You're both panting hard.
"Finally..." You breathe.
Once the bounty hunter is on the ground, she collapses to all fours and continues coughing. "Ooooh man... *cough* My helmet broke..."
That explains why she's out of breath.
"Are you alright?" You ask.
She coughs again and looks up at you. "Are you kidding? I'm more than alright! What you did back there was totally awesome!"
Is she serious?
You exhale and shake your head. "That was not awesome... That was sloppy and unprofessional."
She laughs a little and stands up straight. "Call it what you want, but I say it was awesome! That whole place is just a huge fireball now! I don't even care that we lost Ahuizotl!"
"He was wanted dead anyway." You reply.
"Even more awesome!" She laughs as she reaches up and grabs her damaged helmet.
Alright, enough games.
"Before anything else, answer my question. Who the hell are you?" You demand.
The bounty hunter grunts as she tries to remove her helmet. Finally, she yanks it off and exhales.
She's a Chiss. Her blue skin and bright red-magenta eyes give that away. Her hair, on the other hand, surprised you.
This galaxy is pretty diverse, but you've never seen hair quite like hers before. It's a spectrum of six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.
"The name's Rainbow..." She discards her helmet and turns around to face you, flashing you a rebellious smirk. "...Rainbow Dash!"
"Rainbow Dash, huh?" You look the bounty hunter up and down for a moment. "You must be new to the business."
You turn towards the cockpit and she scoffs. "Why, because you've never heard of me?"
You growl a little. "No, because you're reckless and shortsighted. You could've gotten yourself killed or worse."
You open the door to the cockpit and step inside to be greeted by Sunset. She stands up and hugs you tightly, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Thank the Force you're alright." She exhales.
You smile and hug her back. "Of course I am, Sunset... No thanks to this one." You motion towards Rainbow Dash and Sunset glares at her. "She got in my way, created a huge mess, and didn't even have an escape plan."
Sunset scoffs and curls her lip at Rainbow. "Damn rookies..."
She turns away from you and takes to the ship's controls. "We have to leave in a hurry. The Republic is on their way here, and we're on their hit list now."
You follow her and sit down beside her in the co-pilot's seat. "What are you talking about?"
Sunset presses a few buttons and locks in the coordinates to Kessel before blasting the ship off to hyperspace. "While you were in there, Rarity contacted us with some bad news. Follow me."
The two of you stand up and she leads you into the main hold. Rainbow tails behind you.
"Uh, hello? Aren't you going to introduce me?" She asks.
You growl under your breath. "Sunset, this is Rainbow Dash. Rainbow, this is Sunset. I'm Anon."
"Charmed..." Sunset says unenthusiastically.
Rainbow sulks a little at the hostility that was apparent in your voices, but says nothing else.
"Where's Pinkie?" You ask.
Sunset is about to answer when Pinkie pokes her head in front of yours from out of nowhere. "I'm right here, Anon!"
You're almost taken back, but you're ashamed to admit that you've kind of gotten used to her and her antics.
Sunset begins pressing buttons on the central console in the main hold and Pinkie goes up to Rainbow Dash, her hand extended. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!"
Rainbow pauses for a moment before smiling and taking Pinkie's hand, shaking it. "Nice to meet you."
Pinkie smiles widely and shakes her hand for a moment longer.
Good. Pinkie has a new friend. Maybe she'll give you and Sunset a bit more alone time.
Sunset gets your attention. "Okay, now that introductions are all out of the way, Anon, you have to see this."
You go to Sunset and watch the holographic display on the central computer play a story on HoloNet News. Images from Coruscant appear of recovery efforts around the ruins of Hoity Toity's apartment building.
"...more on the story of the Coruscant bombings that occurred yesterday. The Republic has stated that they received a tip from an unnamed source that they knew who the ones behind this attack were, leaving at least 50 people dead or injured. Among those dead was the Republic Senator Hoity Toity; seemingly the primary target of these attacks."
Hoity Toity's picture comes onscreen before cutting to a Republic official standing on a stage in front of a group of people. "We have received unconfirmed reports that the Mandalorian bounty hunters Anonymous and Sunset Shimmer were behind these attacks. We have also heard that the pazaak player Pinkamena Diane Pie also played a hand in this assassination. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet, but as of now, they are all persons of interest. We are currently searching for them so we can bring them in for questioning."
The screen cuts away and, to your horror, changes to a picture of you, Sunset, and Pinkie.
"No..." You breathe.
The news reporter continues. "HNN sources say that these bounty hunters have some experience in assisting the Republic in the past. Namely, with Captain Shining Armor and Senator Octavia Melody of Naboo. They helped save Captain Shining Armor's little sister's life, and also saved Senator Melody's life as well. The Senator had a comment on these rumors."
The hologram changes to an interview with Octavia. She still has a few scratches and bruises on her face, but she seems to be recovering pretty well.
"...I don't want to believe that Anonymous did this. He saved my life and I'm very grateful that he did. But, as much as it pains me to say it, if he is the one behind these attacks, then he must be brought to justice. This is something I simply cannot condone. Not in my Republic."
You sigh and rub your neck.
She's a good girl.
Her voice goes silent on the interview and the news anchor talks over her footage. "Senator Melody had worked with Anonymous and Sunset Shimmer previously on Dantooine, where an attempt was made on her life. She, along with many other witnesses say that the two Mandalorians not only tried to prevent it from happening, but also helped pull her and a few others out from beneath the burning rubble."
Well, at least you got a little positive coverage...
The screen cuts to a feed of the news anchor, an elegantly-dressed female human, talking to the camera. "The Republic has asked that if you have seen or heard anything that may help bring these bounty hunters in for questioning, to let them know. A reward has been posted for any helpful information on them."
Sunset pauses the feed and looks back at you. Pinkie is dead silent. She must've not seen the news story when Rarity first contacted Sunset.
You take another deep breath and remove your helmet, pinching your eyebrows together and rubbing them softly.
"Is that the typical Fake News you usually see on HNN, or did you guys really do that?" Rainbow asks.
You don't look at Rainbow, but you don't ignore her either. "No... That particular story was true..."
There's an uncomfortable pause for a moment.
"I wonder how much that reward is..." Rainbow says softly.
At that, Sunset draws her blaster and points it directly at the Chiss. You make no attempt to stop her.
Rainbow backs up a little, her hands raised. "W-Woah! Wait!"
"Stand down, Sunset. She's not that stupid." You say calmly.
Pinkie pulls out a pair of unfamiliar blaster pistols. "Especially since I disarmed her!"
Rainbow looks at Pinkie, a bit confused before reaching to her empty holsters. "What the-" She looks around her body for a second before looking back at the Zeltron. "Hey!"
You, Sunset and Pinkie all laugh a little, Sunset never dropping her aim.
"Good work, Pinkie." You say with a smile.
Rainbow looks around at the three of you. "I-I was just thinking out loud! I wasn't going to try anything, I swear!"
Sunset chuckles. "Damn right you weren't."
She puts down her blaster and Rainbow exhales. "Thank you..."
"Don't thank us yet, Dash." You snap. "You're still in the woods. Once we collect Ahuizotl's bounty and split the profit four ways, you're out of here."
She looks at you, surprised and a bit angry. "Four?!"
"Yes." You walk toward her, aggressively. "There was one, two, three, four of us involved in Ahuizotl's breakout and our escape." You point to all four people in the ship as you count.
Rainbow holds out her hands, exasperated. "That's not fair! I did most of the work!"
You point a finger at her. "You're not getting paid for the quantity of your work, you're getting paid for the quality, which was sloppy as hell, at best. If you don't like it, we can just kill you right now and save you the trouble."
Sunset raises her blaster at Rainbow's head once again, making her visibly agitated.
Rainbow growls and kicks a wall before sitting down on a chair and crossing her arms, pouting. "Fine..."
"Good girl." You say.
Sunset lowers her blaster again.
An alarm comes on in the cockpit a second later.
"We must be getting close to Kessel." Sunset says.
Sunset walks into the cockpit, leaving you and Pinkie with Rainbow Dash.
Pinkie's smile fades and she gives you a serious look. "Anon, what are we going to do, now that the Republic is after us?"
You shake your head and look at her. "I don't know, Pinkie. Best we can do is just lie low until this heat passes. In the meantime, we'll try to come up with a plan."
The ship's hyperdrive whirrs down and you feel yourself drop out of hyperspace.
"Anon! Get up here! Now!" Sunset shouts.
You look towards the cockpit. She sounded worried.
You quickly head up to the cockpit and look out the viewport. There's Kessel, all right. It's surrounded by a small Republic fleet. Three Hammerhead-Class Republic cruisers. You recognize the one in the center as Shining Armor's.
"Stealth mode. Now." You command.
Sunset shakes her head. "They already know we're here, Anon. They were waiting for us."
The control console beeps loudly as Shining Armor's cruiser hails you.
You take a deep breath and stay calm as you answer his call. He doesn't have any concrete evidence against you, it's just a hunch, if anything.
Shining Armor's face comes onscreen and he glares at you.
You smile at him. "Captain, what a pleasant surprise! You know, you don't need to roll out a big Republic escort just to say hi to little old me. I do also like getting mail."
Sunset looks at a different screen. "Anon, we've got a few ships coming in."
You take a quick glance at her screen. She's not wrong.
You clear your throat. "Look Cap, I'm doing my best to find Discord. He's a lot harder to find than I expected. I was not aware that I had a time limit. I could be persuaded to try harder if you offered me a bit more-"
"Quiet!"
Out of nowhere, the cruiser fires a warning shot directly across the nose of your ship, catching both you and Sunset off-guard. Sunset instinctively takes evasive action, but is cut off by a small fighter, firing warning shots as well.
You growl and hang on to the back of Sunset's chair for support. "Pinkie, get to the gun turrets!" You shout.
"Anonymous!" Shining Armor yells.
You ignore Shining Armor and sit down in the co-pilot's seat. "Sunset, find us a way out of here."
"I'm looking!"
Sunset maneuvers the ship around in space, turning around and away from the cruisers to prepare the jump to hyperspace.
The screen in front of her lights up, showing that one of the fighters behind you had fired. A second later, you feel the impact of the fighter's guns hit your ship's rear, lurching you forward.
Then, you hear your ship's engine's power down.
"What the-?" Sunset presses a few more buttons in front of her, but the engines don't respond.
"Anonymous, stop!" Shining Armor shouts again.
You glare at the blue Twi'lek, growling at him angrily. "You're playing with fire here, Captain."
He growls back at you. "Believe me, Mandalorian. This time, I know exactly who I'm after."
You feel another lurch forward as one of the fighters takes another shot at you. The lights begin to flicker on and off.
"He's hitting us with ion blasters! I'm losing the ship!" Sunset starts to hit buttons in front of her until they all begin to flicker off.
Another few jolts forward and the entire ship dies. Everything goes dark. You feel yourself being pulled backwards toward the cruiser. You're locked in its tractor beam.
The two of you stand up, getting your helmets back on and running back into the main hold.
Rainbow is holding onto the wall for support and looking around. "What's going on?!"
"We've been found!" You reply.
You and Sunset run into the armory. They're not going to get you without a fight. Not this time.
Rainbow comes running into the armory a moment later, followed by Pinkie.
"Anon, we're almost in the cruiser!" Pinkie shouts.
"Gear up then! Both of you!" You command.
Pinkie hands Rainbow her blasters back before running back into the ship. Rainbow pauses for a moment before joining you in grabbing another weapon. You grab a heavy blaster rifle, another tank of fuel for your flamethrower, and a sidearm. Sunset grabs her vibroswords and a rifle of her own.
You feel the ship rumble a little as it starts to slow down. "We're inside. Hurry."
The three of you head outside to the exit ramp and wait for it to drop. It should drop any second now, and when it does, you're going to blast anyone and anything you see out there. In the back of your head, you're thinking that what you're about to do is incredibly foolish, but you can't bring yourself to listen to reason right now. You're running on instinct.
The ship rumbles once again before settling. You've landed.
You and Sunset cover either side of the ramp. Rainbow stays hunkered down behind you. Pinkie is nowhere to be found.
About ten seconds pass before the ramp lowers and light begins spilling into the ship.
"NOW!"
Before you can even see who's out there, all three of you open fire into the open area below your ship. The ramp continues to lower, but once it's fully extended, you notice that no one is outside.
The three of you cease fire and wait a moment.
Everything is deafeningly quiet for a few seconds before you hear the sounds of footsteps approach the ship. The voice that follows is familiar.
"Anonymous. Sunset Shimmer. Lower your weapons and come with us. You are under arrest."
"Jedi..." You hiss.
You growl and stand up straight, holstering your rifle and taking one of Sunset's vibroswords. Being placed under arrest is something you can't have happen right now. You need to collect Ahuizotl's bounty and learn more about the Sith's plans from Flim and Flam. If what Adagio said was accurate, and the Sith really are planning something bad, then every second wasted is another win for them.
You step down the ramp a little bit, your blaster in one hand, Sunset's vibrosword in the other. In front of you stands Jedi Master Maud Pie, all alone.
About 20 feet behind her is a platoon of Republic personnel. You can see Applejack's trademark hat among them.
"Drop your weapons, Anonymous." Maud repeats.
Sunset and Rainbow are right behind you.
"You're not going to arrest me today, Jedi." You point your blaster pistol at her and pause.
Maud simply steps forward, never taking her eyes off you. "Yes I am."
She continues toward you.
You growl under your breath and pull the trigger.
Just before you did, Maud pulled out her lightsaber and activated it, deflecting your blaster bolt back at you. Thankfully, you were expecting her to do that.
You twist to the side and the blaster bolt smacks directly onto your shoulder, hitting your armor. It feels like you got punched, but that's it. You're not stupid enough to rely entirely on a blaster when fighting a Jedi.
You throw the blaster backwards before charging towards Maud with your vibrosword. You take a swing at her, but she blocks your feral attacks. Her eyes pierce your soul with her constant look of focus and determination, while you look at her with anger and fury beneath your helmet.
With seemingly little to no effort on her part, she blocks and parries your attacks while the crowd of Republic soldiers watch behind her, and Sunset and Rainbow watch behind you. Vibrosword on saber strike after strike and neither of you back down.
Then, with one quick move, she grabs the hilt of your sword and shoves her elbow into your face, impacting your helmet. It doesn't hurt, but it does knock you back a few steps. She had to have used the Force to enhance her strength.
While you stumble backwards, she presses her hand against your chest, shoving you backwards into Sunset and Rainbow with the Force. The girls exclaim and fall down behind you.
You're about to get up and fight again when the blue, humming tip of Maud's lightsaber rests mere inches from your face. You stare at the blade and stay perfectly still.
"You are beaten, Mandalorian. Yield." She commands.
You stare daggers into her eyes but do nothing else. She's won.
Behind her, the Republic troopers all run up to you, their weapons raised and pointed at you all.
"Lieutenant, place them under arrest." She commands.
Applejack comes up to you. "Sure thing, Master Jedi." The look on her face says that she's conflicted about arresting you, but despite that, she's still determined to do her job. "C'mon, Anon. Don't be difficult this time."
You don't reply to her, but you're going to do what she says.
You can't promise the same for Rainbow Dash though.
Behind you, a pair of Republic soldiers struggle to restrain her. "Lemme go! I don't even know these guys! Just- Stop it! Hey! Anon, tell them!"
"We're all in this together now, Dash..." You stay.
As you're being stood up and restrained by the Republic, she's still fighting and grunting and kicking as best as she can. It's all in vain though.
Maud keeps staring at you for a moment before looking up at your ship.
At the top of the exit ramp, you see Pinkie standing there. She's unarmed and looking at Maud. "Maud? Is that you?"
That's right, they're sisters.
A small, hopeful smile comes on her face and she runs down the exit ramp toward her. "Maud! It's really you!"
Maud shifts her stance and points the tip of her blade at Pinkie, making her stop in her tracks and freeze, her smile fading immediately.
"Hello, Pinkie." She replies.
Pinkie looks at Maud, confused and absolutely crushed. "M-Maud? I-I..."
"I'm sorry, but you're under arrest too..." Maud replies. "Please cooperate."
Pinkie says nothing, but her entire countenance drops immediately as she's taken into custody by the Republic. The blatant act of betrayal by her sister puts her into a speechless shock like you've never seen before.
You swear you see a hint of sadness on Maud's face as Pinkie looks at her, pleading with her eyes to be released.
Maud finally deactivates her lightsaber and puts it away. Now that your wrists are in binders, you stand up straight next to Sunset. She's silent, just like you are. Rainbow is still struggling with her restraints and trying to release them. Pinkie is silent as well, but she looks like she's on the verge of crying.
Applejack stands in front of the four of you and clears her throat. "Alright, everyone stand down. Y'all follow me now."
Around you, the Republic troopers lower their weapons and you begin to walk with Sunset at your side behind Applejack. Pinkie and Rainbow walk as well, with Maud tailing behind you.
Applejack activates a communicator on her wrist. "Cap'n, it's me. I got 'em." She pauses for a moment longer before shutting off communications and looking back at you. "Alright, ya'll. We've got some questions for you."
You look at her. "We don't have time for this, Applejack. I'm in the middle of an investigation here."
Applejack scoffs slightly. "Yeah, I'm sure you are, Anon."
"Listen to me!" You snap. "The Sith are planning something! The entire galaxy is at stake!"
Applejack doesn't look at you. "And I'm sure killing a senator was the best way to prevent that, right?"
Sunset speaks up at that. "Hoity Toity was corrupt and a traitor to your Republic! He was working for the Sith by selling slaves!"
Maud replies to her. "We have yet to find any proof of that."
You look at Maud. "I have proof, Jedi! Hard evidence, and an eyewitness!"
She looks back at you. "And where might your evidence and eyewitness be, Anonymous?"
You're not about to sell out Rarity.
"They're... They're not here right now." You reply.
Maud huffs softly. "I see."
She doesn't believe you.
Pinkie looks back at the Jedi, a somber look on her face. "He's not lying, Maud... I saw it too."
Maud merely looks ahead, saying nothing.
Pinkie deflates a bit more and looks forward once again.
Applejack leads your group through a hallway and into a corridor with windows looking outside towards Kessel. That's where your reward and your information on the Sith plot is right now.
You notice that Big Macintosh has joined his sister in escorting you and your party toward the interrogation room.
Gathered up ahead are more armed Republic guards, as well as a few technicians, civilians, and scientists. Among them are Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy. They both are staring at you in confusion and worry.
Applejack clears her throat. "Until we see any of that evidence to back up your story, I'm afraid I can't let you off the hook, Anon. You're stuck here."
Rainbow starts yelling. "Well what about me?! I don't even know these jerks!"
Applejack looks back at her. "Who are you?"
"My name's Rainbow Dash!" She shouts. "I was in the middle of capturing a bounty when HE got in my way and messed everything up! I've never seen him or any of these people before in my life! You're all talking about the Sith and this big plan they have to take over the galaxy or whatever! What else is new?! It's the Sith!"
"Wasn't the bounty you were looking to collect on an incarcerated prisoner?" Maud asks.
Rainbow looks back at her. "Yes! It was!"
Maud hums. "So you were the one who set off the explosives in the prison and started the riots?"
"Yeah, I did that! It was all me! These guys are-" Rainbow stops talking as she realizes exactly what she just admitted to the Jedi. "Uh..."
Maud nods and looks forward again. "In that case, you're under arrest for infiltrating and destroying a maximum security prison."
Rainbow grits her teeth. She looks like she's about to explode.
"I told you we were all in this together, Dash..." You repeat.
She growls and pants angrily through her nose. She's absolutely livid right now.
Behind your group a little, you notice Twilight has started following you. Fluttershy and her albino Wookie are behind her.
She catches up to your group and watches you all. "Applejack, what's going on?"
Applejack looks at her. "Twilight, I need you to step back, please. We got questions for 'em."
Sunset interjects. "We're under arrest."
Applejack gives an annoyed sigh while Twilight gasps. "W-Why? What did they do?"
Applejack sighs, she's obviously getting annoyed. "They're the prime suspects in Hoity Toity's assassination. They also destroyed a Republic prison."
Twilight covers her mouth.
Fluttershy gasps behind her. "Oh my."
Twilight looks at you, appalled. "Anon, how could you?!"
You groan. "I was working! I'm trying to tell you people why I did what I did. I'm trying to get to the bottom of this plan that the Sith have for you all."
The Twi'lek stammers a little. "Wh-What Sith plan?"
Applejack groans and stops walking before turning to Twilight and grabbing her shoulder. She's clenching her fist and taking a deep breath. She looks like she's just about to lose it as well.
"Twilight... Please." She breathes. "Just stay out of this. Okay? This ain't your business, I'm sorry. Please."
Twilight looks back at you and exhales after a moment. "Alright, Applejack... I'm sorry, it's just..."
"I know, Twilight. I know." She cuts her off. "Just-Just let me handle this, okay?"
Twilight nods and looks back at you, obviously disappointed. She's judging you. The look on her face says it all. You're willing to bet that she regrets building this arm of yours.
A moment later, Maud grunts softly and rubs her forehead. Her eyes are closed and she looks like she's thinking about something.
"Anonymous..." She says. "When we took you into custody before, how did you say you retrieved that lightsaber?"
You pause for a moment.
Why does she want to know?
"The Sith sent one of their apprentices after me and tracked me to Tatooine." You reply. "I killed him and took his lightsaber from him."
You want that lightsaber back.
"How did they track you?" She asks.
You shake your head. "I don't know."
Applejack looks back at Maud and walks over to her. "Master Jedi? Is everything okay?"
Maud stammers a little bit for a moment. "There's... Something is coming..."
She opens her eyes and looks out the window at Kessel. She approaches the window and stares out into space for a long moment.
"Lieutenant... Who was it that told us to wait for Anonymous to arrive at Kessel?"
Someone tipped the Republic off?
Applejack pauses for a moment. "I-I don't know. I was told that they wanted to stay nameless."
Maud stays silent for another long moment. "The Sith were able to find Anonymous on Tatooine..." She gasps slightly. "They set a trap for us..."
Everyone around you goes silent as you all stare out into space.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, an entire armada of cruisers come out of hyperspace directly in front of you. Their sleek, silver colors, their attack formations, the shape of their Star Destroyers, everything about them is obvious.
The nearest Star Destroyer opens fire and hits the port side of your cruiser. The entire ship rumbles and shakes as the cannons hit their target. Nearly everyone in your group topples over and screams in a panic. An alarm starts blaring loudly somewhere.
Applejack catches herself and stands back up, looking outside in horror.
Maud turns on her comlink. "Captain! The Sith led us here! They're attacking the fleet!"
Outside, you see fighters leading small corvettes toward the Republic cruisers. Everyone around you starts running back and forth in a panic.
More ships come out of hyperspace. The Sith fleet just keeps growing in numbers. They're not only here because of you, they're also officially declaring war on the Republic. They have to be. They don't need this many ships to take out one person.
You need to escape. You know too much about them.
"Applejack! Let us out of these binders! Now!" You shout.
Applejack looks at you, clearly afraid and confused.
You shake your bound wrists. "The Sith led you here because of me! I'm the one they want!"
Sunset speaks up. "With everything we've learned about the Sith so far, the Republic Senate has to know about it!"
Applejack looks at Maud for her say.
Maud looks back at her and nods. "We played right into their hands, Lieutenant. I can sense it. Anonymous and Sunset are our best sources of information on the Sith right now. I suggest you set them free so we can help them escape."
Applejack gulps and takes out a key. "Whatever you say, Master Jedi."
She goes over to you and sets you, Sunset, Pinkie, and Rainbow free.
Outside, you see small fighters attacking the cruiser. A few one-man Republic fighters have engaged them in a dogfight. The cruiser rumbles again and you almost lose your footing as the Sith continue attacking the Republic.
An intercom somewhere above you clicks on, and a panicked technician starts yelling through it. "Sith troopers have boarded the cruiser! Sith troopers have bo-"
The intercom cuts abruptly.
Applejack's comlink clicks on, and you hear Shining Armor start yelling. "Applejack! Where are you?!"
"Portside with Twilight and Master Maud!" She replies.
"Grab her and abandon ship!" He commands. "This cruiser won't survive!"
Twilight looks to Applejack and shoves you out of the way as she runs to her. "No! Shining, you've got to escape too!"
"Forget about me, Twily! I'll get out of here when I can, but you need to get to safety!"
Twilight screams into Applejack's comlink. "No! I won't leave without you!"
You move over to Applejack and press the button on her comlink. "My ship is fast, Shining Armor. I'll get her out of here."
Applejack looks up at you, clearly worried.
You swear you hear Shining Armor growling like a rabid animal. "If you do ANYTHING to hurt her, Mandalorian, I'll kill you myself!"
You nod. "I'll keep her safe, Captain! You have my word!"
You release Applejack's comlink and she grabs your arm, glaring at you. "I'm comin' with you to see that you do, Anon. No way I trust you after what you did on Coruscant!"
You stare back at her and tug your arm from her grip.
"I'm comin' too." Big Mac steps into view and looks down at you, a stern but also worried look on his face as well.
"Fine." You reply. You're in no position to argue.
The cruiser rumbles again, much more violently this time. Behind you, you see an explosion as a boarding pod crashes into the cruiser's hull. Sith troopers begin piling out and firing into the crowd of panicking civilians and soldiers.
Maud removes her cloak and drops it to the ground, grabbing her lightsaber. "Mandalorians, I suggest you both lead us back to your ship."
Good idea.
"Let's go!" You and Sunset turn around and lead the group back the way you came, running as fast as you can.
"No! No! We have to wait for Shining! I'm not leaving without him!" Twilight is still protesting behind you.
You take a quick look and see the Wookie, Angel, grab the Twi'lek and hoist her over his shoulder, growling in the process. Fluttershy is right beside him, and begging Twilight to calm down as she fights and kicks in an attempt to get free.
She's coming with you, whether she likes it or not.
You proceed forward, and head back toward the hangar.
The alarm continues blaring as you all make your way down the corridor. You, Sunset, Pinkie, Rainbow, Applejack, Big Mac, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Maud. The gang's all here.
An explosion behind you stops you all in your tracks and you turn around.
Another group of Sith troopers comes spilling out of a doorway that had been blasted open and raise their weapons at you. "Blast them!"
You, Sunset, and Big Mac take out your weapons and start firing on the troopers. Maud activates her lightsaber and deflects some of the incoming blaster bolts back at the Sith. The four of you slowly back away from the Sith as the firefight rages on.
Risking a quick look behind you, you see that you've reached the door to the hangar. It's closed, and the red light on the face indicates that it's locked.
Twilight exclaims. "Let me get this open!"
You turn back to the Sith and focus on blasting as many as you can. Sunset and Big Mac are both shooting at them beside you. Maud is expertly swinging her blade back and forth in front of her, deflecting blaster bolts back at the Sith with extreme precision.
Once the Sith's numbers thin out a little, they start to retreat down the corridor, still shooting at you all. "Get that assault droid up here!" One of them shouts.
You growl under your breath. That doesn't sound good.
"Twilight, get that door open!" You yell.
Twilight yells back. "I'm working on it!"
The sound of clanking metal starts approaching from behind the Sith, getting louder with each second. The few remaining troopers fall back behind the corridor wall, providing a momentary cease-fire. You turn around. Twilight is hunched over the door's control console and frantically pressing buttons.
Finally, the light on the door turns green and it starts to open.
"We're in!" She exclaims.
From behind, you hear a loud machine-like roar as a massive, shielded assault droid comes hulking from around the corner, followed by more Sith troopers.
Applejack yells. "Fall back! Get into the hangar!"
You, Sunset, and Big Mac all open fire on the incoming Sith. Everyone else runs through the open doorway behind you.
Once they're all through, the three of you quickly follow them as the assault droid opens fire on you all. Twilight closes the door again just as you get through. She starts to fiddle with the controls a bit more, but Rainbow pulls her out of the way and blasts them. The Sith won't be getting through here any time soon.
You take a deep breath and look around at the damaged hangar bay. There are fires, piles of rubble, and rafters have collapsed in a few places.
One such rafter had fallen on your ship, giving the hull some damage.
Sunset is not happy about it.
"Those Sith bastards!" She shouts.
She stares at it for a few seconds before Maud comes up to her. "It's still space worthy, yes?"
Sunset sighs and nods. "Yeah... Don't worry, she's tough."
"Then I suggest we all get aboard." Maud replies.
"Right."
You wave everyone over and follow Sunset as she runs toward the ship. Upon reaching the exit ramp, Maud stops beside it while Sunset runs inside.
You usher Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Applejack, and Big Mac aboard. Pinkie stops beside you and Maud for a moment.
"Come on! Let's go!" You shout.
They stay still. Both of them have an empty look on their faces, mouths agape slightly.
Slowly, they turn around and look toward the opposite side of the hangar.
You follow their gaze to see a Sith shuttle enter through the hangar's forcefield and land on an empty space on the ground. It isn't like the other Sith ships attacking the cruiser. They are all sleek and silver in design and color. This shuttle, while sleek, is jet black with red-tinted windows. It looks absolutely menacing.
The shuttle hisses as the ramp lowers and a hooded figure descends from the ship. It starts making its way toward you, slowly.
You growl and grab your blaster rifle again, but Maud holds up a hand to stop you. She doesn't face you.
"This is my fight, Anonymous." She says. "You and Pinkie get aboard and tell Sunset to take off."
Pinkie's eyes widen. "Maud, no! We have to leave!"
Maud looks at her for a moment before grabbing her lightsaber. "I have to do this, Pinkie..."
You and Pinkie look back up at the hooded figure as Maud steps toward it. A moment later, the figure removes its...her hood.
It's a young woman. Obviously a Sith. You can see her lightsaber hilt in her hand. Her hair is white, her skin is a dark shade of bluish-grey, and her eyes glow a bright yellow-red with a violent, angry intensity.
Pinkie gasps and slowly covers her mouth, fresh tears beginning to well in her eyes. "L...L-Limestone?"
"Oh no..." You whisper.
You look back at the girl. Pinkie's fears about her sister were not unfounded. She had turned to the Dark Side and had become a weapon for the Dark Lord of the Sith.
Limestone continues walking toward Maud, her eyes burning with rage.
"Limestone, please..." Maud speaks. "You don't have to do this..."
Limestone raises her lips in a snarl and activates her red lightsaber before taking off in a run toward Maud. Maud activates her lightsaber as well and raises it in front of her.
Limestone shrieks and leaps into the air as she clashes her saber with Maud's, and the two sisters engage in an intense battle. Blue and red flash and crack against each other in a spectacular show of lights and acrobatics that only those gifted with Force-sensitivity are able to perform.
Pinkie watches in horror as her two sisters expertly duel with one another.
Maud locks blades with Limestone before shoving her away and pushing her with the Force. Limestone cries out as she flies backwards a few meters.
She looks over at you both. "Go! Now!"
You nod and take Pinkie by the hand. "Come on!"
You pull on her, but she pulls back, staying still and watching the fight. Tears are openly flowing down her cheeks.
Limestone recovers and leaps into the air toward Maud, holding her hand out and shooting a barrage of Force Lightning at her from her fingertips. Maud holds her lightsaber in front of her and absorbs every bolt of electricity that Limestone throws at her. After a few seconds, Limestone stops firing the lightning and leaps toward Maud again, clashing blades once more.
After a few feral assaults, she punches Maud in the face and makes her lose her footing. Maud recovers by doing a backflip just before Limestone swipes at her, barely missing her sister and failing to strike her down.
"Pinkie, come on!" You yank her harder.
She continues to resist. "N-No! I-I have t-to..."
"Listen to Maud!" You yell. "We have to leave! Now!"
Finally, Pinkie relents and follows you into the ship, sobbing uncontrollably the whole way.
You run toward the cockpit, passing everyone else sitting in the main hold. "Sunset, get us out of here!"
"What about Maud?!" She yells back.
You enter the cockpit and stand between Sunset and the co-pilot's seat. "She told us to take off! Go!"
You start pressing all the buttons necessary to activate the ship's gun turrets. You're going to need them.
The ship whirrs to life and you turn on the comms. "Applejack, Big Mac, you two get to the gun turrets and hold off any fighters until we get the hyperdrive up and running!"
"Got it!" Applejack replies.
The ship starts to rise into the air and you run back into the main hold. "Sunset, keep the ramp lowered!"
You head to the exit ramp and step onto the end of it, holding onto the ship for balance as it continues to rise into the air.
Maud and Limestone are still going at it below you. Their lightsabers cracking and flashing with each clash.
"Master Jedi!" You shout.
Maud takes a quick glance at you before returning her focus onto her sister.
Limestone is fighting with all her fury, and Maud is holding back. You can see it. She's purely fighting defensively. At this rate, she won't survive. You need to think of something to help her. Quickly.
Across the hangar, you spot Limestone's ship. It's surrounded by other debris.
That's it.
You get on your comms. "Applejack! Big Mac! Are you on the gun turrets yet?!"
"Eeyup!" Big Mac replies.
"Just got here!" Says Applejack.
You point at the ship. "Destroy that shuttle! We need to help Maud!"
The cannon on the ship's belly pivots around to point toward the shuttle on the opposite side of the hangar. A second later, it fires and the shuttle explodes into a massive fireball.
Limestone is taken back by the explosion and Maud uses this to her advantage by pushing her sister back with the Force once again. She flies across the hangar next to her destroyed shuttle. Her lightsaber deactivates as she hits the wall.
You look down at Maud and hold your arm out to her. "Get up here!"
Maud looks over at her sister for a second before shutting off her lightsaber and leaping into the air toward you. She tightly grabs your arm, and you lift her aboard the ship. She grunts as she limps up the ramp and into the main hold.
You're about to follow her, when suddenly, you're knocked off your feet as your ship jolts violently from side-to-side. You fall onto your side and slide down the ramp toward the ledge. In a panic, you try to grab something, anything, to prevent you from falling off the edge and landing back on the hangar floor.
It's almost all in vain though. You slide off the edge and, thankfully, grab onto the lip of the exit ramp with your mechanical hand. You're now dangling off the edge of the ramp as your ship continues to rock back and forth uncontrollably.
You strain to activate your comms. "Sunset, I'm dangling off the edge of the ramp! What the hell are you doing?!"
She replies. "Something's going on! I can't control the ship!"
To your right, next to the charred remains of the Sith shuttle, you see Limestone stomping her way towards you with her arm in the air. She's bleeding from the corner of her mouth and her eyes are practically screaming with rage.
She's using the Force to prevent you from leaving...
Sunset guns the engines again to try and escape, but Limestone stays focused on keeping you here. She wants to kill you. You struggle to pull yourself back inside, but the movements from the ship are preventing you from climbing back up. The servos in your mechanical hand are keeping you from falling, but you can't get yourself back inside. You're stuck.
From inside the ship, you hear a roar and a furry, white hand reaches down to grab your mechanical wrist. Angel hoists you up with incredible strength and you exclaim in surprise. As soon as your feet touch the ground again, he growls at you angrily and you both hold onto the ship for balance.
"Thanks!" You shout. The Wookie growls in response.
You turn around again to look at Limestone. She's still walking towards you and keeping you still in the air with the Force. She's so focused on keeping you here, that there's no way you'll get out of here all by yourself. You need to break her concentration.
You look to the underbelly turret and get back on your comms. "Whoever is on the lower turret, aim at the Sith! Blast her!"
The turret swivels towards Limestone and fires once. The blast surprises her and knocks her off her feet in a fireball. She releases her grip on your ship and you jolt backwards again. The ship's right side slams into the hangar wall from the sudden acceleration and you go lopsided a little bit.
You quickly step inside the ship with Angel and close the ramp, struggling to stay balanced. The underbelly turret fires a few more blasts at Limestone before the ship pulls away.
"Sunset, we're clear! Go!" You command.
You feel the engines rumble as she flies the ship out of the hangar and into space.
In the main hold, Maud is panting hard. She has a few burn marks on her tunic and a small cut on her thigh. Limestone must have nicked her. She's sitting down next to Pinkie, who is hugging her tight and sobbing uncontrollably.
Angel sits down next to Fluttershy and Twilight. You hit the wall next to Rainbow as Sunset lurches the ship off to the side and makes you lose your balance, but you continue toward the cockpit.
Once you reach the cockpit, you take a seat beside Sunset. Outside, you see the massive Sith fleet attacking the few Republic ships in this sector.
The Republic is going to lose this battle. They're hopelessly outnumbered.
The ship rumbles violently for a second and the console flashes red in front of you. You've just been hit.
"How are we looking?" You ask.
Sunset shakes her head as she presses a few more buttons. "We could be better. That beam in the hangar that fell on the ship damaged the power regulator. The hyperdrive isn't going to be charged for a while."
You growl under your breath.
"Can I fix it?"
She shakes her head again. "Not unless you're willing to go outside."
Damn. You're going to have to hold out until the hyperdrive is charged.
The ship rumbles again as you take another hit, much more violently this time. The alarm starts blaring and a few more screens flash red.
Sunset looks to another screen. "No!"
"What happened?!" You ask.
"Our hyperdrive is out!" She yells.
Your eyes widen and you look out the window. Countless Sith fighters are flying all around you, either dogfighting Republic ships, firing on their cruisers, or focusing on you. You'd expect the Republic to be firing on you as well, but they're far too busy with the Sith right now.
Sunset flies around a nearby cruiser, just avoiding impact. You stand up and examine the damage to the hyperdrive on another screen. It doesn't look too bad. You could probably fix it from inside the ship, but it would take a little while. Odds are you won't last long enough out here though. The Sith are decimating everyone and everything out there.
"What's going on?!"
You turn around quickly to see Rainbow and Twilight standing at the doorway to the cockpit, grabbing onto the wall and looking panicked.
"The hyperdrive is busted! We can't jump!" You reply.
"Can you fix it?!" Rainbow asks.
"If I had time, yeah!"
They both look out the viewport window. Sunset flies around and weaves through formations of fighters. The ship takes another hit.
"I can't shake these guys, Anon!" Sunset sounds panicked.
Rainbow keeps looking out the viewport for a few seconds before her eyes widen. "Wait! Wait a second!"
She moves between you and Sunset and stares outside at something. You look outside as well, trying to see what she's seeing.
She pants softly. "I can buy us time..."
You and Sunset look at her. "What?"
She nods, grinning a little. "I can buy us time! Enough for you to fix the hyperdrive!"
She pushes past you and sits down in your seat. She leans over and presses a button in front of Sunset, giving her control of the ship.
"Wha- Hey!" Sunset exclaims.
"What the hell are you doing!" You shout.
"I need control of the ship!" Rainbow says. "I'm getting us out of here!"
Rainbow, now piloting, twists the ship in a roll while simultaneously flipping around. She turns around and finds a small opening between a pair of cruisers. The computer flashes red as one of the fighters behind you locks on and fires two homing missiles.
Rainbow merely glances at the screen before pressing another button and grabbing the controls. "Hang on."
She rolls the ship again, much faster this time. You grab onto the back of her seat as you feel yourself being pulled off to the side. Twilight grabs onto Sunset's. It's making you a little nauseous.
You notice on the computer that the two missiles are twisting around each other with the ship. After a few seconds, they crash into each other and explode behind you.
"Ha ha!" Rainbow laughs.
"Woah." You breathe.
Rainbow's good at flying. Very good.
She waves her hand. "Yeah yeah yeah, I know! I'm awesome! Don't you have a hyperdrive to fix?! I'm gonna need it!"
Right. She's proved that she's capable.
You nod. "Okay. Sunset, stay here with Rainbow! Twilight, you're with me! I might need your help!"
She nods and the two of you run back into the ship, leaving Rainbow and Sunset behind.
Rainbow licks her lips as she maneuvers around some debris coming off of a damaged section of the Republic cruiser. She's cutting it close. Way too close for comfort.
She doesn't even break a sweat though. It's insane.
"Rainbow, where are you going?!" You shout.
She breathes slowly, yet shakily as her eyes narrow. "I'll show you when I find it..."
Another section of the cruiser explodes in front of you and Rainbow expertly moves around it.
Finally, she points. "There!"
You look to where she's pointing. Just ahead is a gathering of glowing clouds. It's the heart of the Maw Nebulae.
Your eyes widen in horror as you realize where she's going. "Rainbow, are you kidding me..."
She shakes her head as she flies toward the cloud of gas. "We don't have a choice, Sunset! It's our only way out until Anon gets the hyperdrive fixed!"
You pound your fists on the console. "If you want to survive the Kessel Run, a hyperdrive is ESSENTIAL!"
She spits right back. "Well, you better hope your stupid boyfriend gets it fixed then!" You look outside the viewport as Rainbow accelerates toward the heart of the nebula. "Your ship handles decently enough, and it's fast, which is good. I'm planning to get pretty close to the Maw's black hole cluster."
With a damaged hyperdrive?!
You're pretty sure you can count on one hand how many times in your life you've been legitimately scared. This is starting to be one of those times.
"Rainbow, please! You can't be serious! Our hyperdrive is busted!" You desperately remind her.
She just smirks as she continues forward. "Sunset, chill out! I've done the Kessel Run lots of times! In my ship! We'll be fine!"
You turn your attention back to the oncoming nebula.
"Besides, it's not totally busted, it's just damaged. Here." You look at the hyperdrive's status as she points to it. "We won't be able to jump to hyperspace like normal, but we should be able to go fast enough to get closer to the black holes and gravity wells without too much risk."
You keep looking at the damage report, and the ship rumbles again. The scanner indicates that there is one Sith Star Destroyer giving chase, along with a number of small fighters.
"If the Sith follow us into there, they'll be sucked up by the black holes." Rainbow says. "If they're smart, they'll stay away."
You take a shaky breath. If she doesn't know what she's doing, you're dead. If you kill her now and try to find another way, you're probably dead too. If she does know what she's doing, then it will be an amazing story to tell.
This is the only option you have available that doesn't guarantee death.
"You had better know what you're doing, Rainbow Dash..." You say.
"I do!" She shouts, frustrated. "I did the Kessel Run in 14 parsecs with my ship, The Sonic Rainboom! It's the galaxy's top record! No one is ever beating that!"
Rainbow pilots the ship into the heart of the nebula, avoiding an oncoming asteroid. The ship's scanner crackles and pops as you fly deeper into the cloud of gas. You can't see anything but vapor and tiny bits of debris flying past you. Occasionally, lightning flashes outside as the clouds of gas conduct with one another and you see a bit more in front of you, but not for long.
"Shut off the navigation system and scanner. They're useless now. Divert their power to the engines." You do as she says and the scanner shuts off. "See if they've made any progress on the hyperdrive."
You contact Anon on the ship's comms. "How's it coming, Anon?!"
Anon answers a couple seconds later. "It's coming! We stopped the damage from getting worse, but it's not fully operational yet!"
"Keep on it! Hurry!" You hang up and contact Applejack and Big Mac. "Are they still on us?!"
"A few!" Applejack replies. "That Sith cruiser's still followin' us, but we're holdin' 'em off as best we can!"
Rainbow chuckles a little beside you. "Idiots..."
You turn back to the viewport and see a big open spot of complete blackness off to the left. It's surrounded by clouds of gas that glow purple and red, and swirl around spots of darkness in space.
It's the black hole cluster...
You swear you can feel yourself being pulled to the left side of the ship slightly. Rainbow had better not get too close, or it's all over.
"What in tarnation is that?!" Applejack exclaims over the comms. She must have seen them too.
"Black holes." You reply. "Lots of them."
Anon comes on the comms a second later. "Wait, did you just say black holes?!"
You nod. "Yes. Rainbow's doing the Kessel Run."
One of the screens on the control console beeps. The hyperdrive has partially been restored to working order. Rainbow smirks and presses a few buttons before hitting the throttle. The ship lurches forward, moving closer to the black holes.
You grip the seat and feel the first signs of real panic as the gravity takes hold of you a bit stronger.
---
You frantically look around as something pops in the hyperdrive, creating a small shower of sparks. "Damn it! Come on!"
You open it up and look inside. Everything looks fine! It should be working!
"What happened?!" Twilight asks.
"I don't know! I can't see what's wrong!" You shout.
Twilight hasn't been much help, but you really can't blame her. She may be good with technology, but she isn't a mechanic, by any means.
"Hand me the hydrospanner!" You command.
You look to where the sparks are coming from. A panel looks like it's loose. Twilight hands you the hydrospanner and you start taking it off.
Come on, Anon. You can do this.
Once the panel is removed, you look inside at all the wires and switches, connecting to fuses that act as conduits for some of the ship's systems. You focus on the sparking wire. It leads to another part of the hyperdrive that you haven't checked yet. The ship's fusion reactor.
You open up another lower panel and take your first good look at the reactor.
You violently exhale. "There's the problem!"
---
The comms on the wall beep a few seconds later. "Sunset, it's Twilight! Anon figured out what the problem was! The fusion reactor had been partially disabled! He can activate it again!"
Thank the Force.
"Okay, great! Tell him to fix it!" You say.
Rainbow had been making short pulse jumps right next to asteroids and debris as she flew dangerously close to the black hole cluster. She was handling the controls like a pro, and pushing what little power the hyperdrive had to its limit.
News of the hyperdrive being fixable makes you realize something. Once Anon fixes the ship's reactor, it won't be fully functional unless the ship's engines reboot. If you want to survive this, you're going to have to shut down the ship's power.
Right next to black holes...
"Once the reactor is fixed, I'm going to shut off the ship for about ten seconds." You say.
Rainbow turns to you. "What?! Why?!"
You look back at her. "We won't be able to get to hyperspace until we do. It's our only shot at getting through this alive."
"Look, I'm all for thrills, but this is cutting it close! Even for me!" Rainbow says. "We're surrounded by black holes! We can't shut off the power!"
From behind, Maud sets her hands on both of your shoulders.
"It's alright..." She says calmly. "The Force is with us."
That is surprisingly comforting to you, right now.
Rainbow looks back at the Jedi for a moment before looking back to the viewport. Now she's nervous.
You press a few buttons on the console and prepare to shut down the ship. Maud takes a deep breath behind you.
A few seconds later, Anon's voice comes on the comms. "Sunset we're clear! The reactor is fixed!"
Here goes nothing...
You close your eyes and shut down the power.
The creaking ceases and the ship's electrical systems go dark. The lights go off and everything whirrs down. Rainbow takes a shaky breath beside you. Your arms slowly rise a few inches off the ground all on their own. The ship's gravity generator is off.
Ten seconds. That's all you need.
There's a slight vibration in the ship and you feel the black holes' gravity strengthen.
"Sunset..."
You ignore Rainbow and continue counting in your head.
Three... Two... One...
You quickly reactivate the ship. The lights come on, the engines whir up, and the system comes back to life.
Rainbow looks around and grabs the controls again. "The hyperdrive is up and running. Full power!"
Excellent.
"Get us out of here then, Rainbow!"
She smiles and maneuvers the ship away from the black hole cluster. She hits the throttle and blasts away as hard as she's able. A few moments of hard acceleration later, the ship gets free from the cluster's pull. All that's left to deal with are the asteroids.
You divert all nonessential power to the forward shields and take control of the blaster cannons. You shoot any asteroids that could potentially get in your way while Rainbow moves the ship out of the Maw. Applejack and Big Mac continue firing from the gun turrets.
When you're free from the nebula, you turn on the navigation system and chart a course to a random nearby system. It doesn't matter where. Once you're locked on, Rainbow hits the throttle again and the hyperdrive whirs up.
Seconds later, you all blast off to hyperspace.
---
You take a deep breath as the ship evens out and stays still.
You and Twilight both breathe a collective sigh of relief. "That was too close..." She pants.
Damn right it was.
"Thank you for your help, Twilight." You say.
She nods slightly and exhales.
The two of you pant softly for a second before standing up and heading back into the main hold. Everyone is shaking slightly and panting, but they all look relieved. Except for Pinkie.
She is clearly still very distraught. She's leaning on her armrest and crying. Maud slowly comes out of the cockpit, still limping from her battle and takes a seat next to Pinkie again. Pinkie leans over on Maud's shoulder and holds her hand.
Maud rests her head on Pinkie's slightly. For the first time since you've known her, she looks sad. Not quite as sad as Pinkie, obviously, but sad nonetheless.
How can they not be? They have just discovered that their sister had turned to the Dark Side and was now an apprentice to the Dark Lord of the Sith himself.
From around the corner, Applejack and Big Mac step into the main hold a few moments later. "Whew... Glad we're outta that mess."
"Eeyup." Big Mac says.
Applejack takes off her hat and rubs her hair a little, shaking off the ride through the Maw. "Master Maud, are ya okay?"
Maud looks up at Applejack softly for a moment, her tired eyes showing defeat and distress on them. "...No."
Applejack frowns and puts her hat on again. "Who was she?"
Maud pauses for a long time before answering. "She... She's our sister..."
Applejack covers her mouth. Fluttershy and Twilight both gasp softly.
Pinkie sniffs and looks up at Maud. "You... You didn't have to kill her...did you?"
Maud shakes her head and closes her eyes. "She's still alive... She's...so full of anger and hate... I can feel it..."
You can't help but think that she's going to be trouble for you in the future.
"This is bad..." You all look to Twilight. She looks scared. Worried. "...There's no way the Republic can stop the Sith this time. They're... We're outnumbered. Outgunned. Outmatched. Everything."
Around you, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Big Mac all look down slowly as the gravity of the situation sets in.
Twilight continues. "Clearly, Anon and Sunset are onto something. The Sith wouldn't have openly attacked us if they weren't. They trapped us all there, and now they've made their move. They weren't able to kill us this time, but we don't have the numbers or resources necessary to fight them... They're... They're going to kill us all."
There's a long silence among you all.
"We must trust in the Force." You all look over at Maud. "The Force has a destiny for us. For all of us. We must trust in it."
Twilight sighs.
That couldn't have helped. It's just the same old indirect Jedi-speak.
"I can't help but think that we're doomed..." Twilight whispers softly.
There's another pause.
"No..." Everyone looks up at you. "No, we're not... Not yet."
In Twilight's eyes, you think you see a small flicker of hope appear for a split-second.
"We're going to stop the Sith. Without your Republic to keep them in line, they would have taken over the whole galaxy thousands of years ago. Right now, your Republic is crippled. The Sith believe they have a golden opportunity."
Applejack shakes her head. "Anon... I don't think there's a way outta this... We... All we can do is fight our hardest until..."
She doesn't want to finish her thought.
You finish it for her. "If you were to fight them now, then you'd be going up against impossible odds, you're right. You'd be staring death in the face."
Applejack pauses and Twilight speaks up again. "What exactly are you saying, Anon?"
From behind, you hear Sunset approaching with Rainbow. "He's saying that we're going to get help."
Everyone looks at her. She stands beside you and nods. She looks a little shaken from the ride, but she's okay.
You nod back at her and set your hands on your hips, addressing the group once again. "To stop the Sith, you'll need an army. Your Republic's military is practically useless. If they go against the Sith now, they'll lose."
Sunset continues. "Fortunately for you all, we happen to have the best army in the galaxy, composed of the best warriors in the galaxy. You're all looking at two of these warriors now."
Twilight's eyes widen slowly and she sits up in her chair. "You... You don't mean..."
"Sunset and I are going to try and get help, Twilight." You say. "We're going to speak to Mandalore."
The hyperdrive shuts down and you come out of lightspeed over the planet Mandalore. The last time you saw this place, you had just activated the self-destruct on a doomed Republic ship that was crawling with rakghouls.
You glance at your robotic arm as you remember.
Sunset sighs softly. "Oh, there's no place like home."
You chuckle and lean back in your seat as she makes her approach.
Fluttershy quietly clears her throat behind you. "Uhm, Anon?"
You glance back at her. Unsurprisingly, she's very cautious around you.
"Uhm, when we get down there, the Mandalorians, they, uhm, they won't harass us or be mean to us at all, will they?"
You scoff slightly. "Only if you give them a reason to."
She looks down a little. "Oh..."
That probably wasn't the answer she was looking for.
As Sunset enters the planet's atmosphere, the capital city slowly comes into view. The comms flicker for a second before a gruff sounding voice comes on the other end.
"Ena'yida kak." <<"Identify yourself.">>
Sunset presses another button and looks over at you. "You talk to him. I'm busy keeping this ship in the air."
You nod and clear your throat as you press the comms button. "Ibic cuyir Anon, be ha'yr Ymous. Ti ni cuyir Sunset, be ha'yr Shimmer. Mhi cuyir ta'na gar cuun e'cursr." <<"This is Anon, of clan Ymous. With me is Sunset, of clan Shimmer. We're sending you our information.">>
You release the comms button and press another one next to it to send them your ship's ID code. They should have it on record, they just need to verify it.
"Woah." You look behind you to see Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow all looking at you in awe. "Mando'a sounds awesome." Rainbow says.
You chuckle at her. "Hey. If you want to make fast friends with a Mandalorian, go up to the next one you see and call him a 'Hut'uun'. He'll love you for it."
Sunset reaches over and smacks you hard on the shoulder. "Anon, stop it!"
You lean forward in your seat, laughing hard.
Rainbow chuckles a little. "Wh-why? What does hut'uun mean?"
You giggle a little more and sit up straight, still smiling. "It means 'coward'. Seriously, don't ever say it to a Mandalorian unless you've got a deathwish."
Rainbow's grin fades and she gives you a little scowl before sitting back in her seat and crossing her arms. "Ha ha. Very funny..."
You finish laughing and the comms come back on again a second later. "Gar cuyir utreyar at rusur o'r cupa ehn. Morutar yaim, vod." <<"You're clear to land in bay three. Welcome home, brother.">>
You shut off the comms and Sunset continues her approach towards Keldabe, the Mandalorian capital city.
It sat atop a large granite outcrop. It was almost completely surrounded by a large river, along with a dense jungle. This place was founded well before the Mandalorian Wars. It was not only the capital city of the planet, but it was also the center of government for all other systems in the Mandalorian Sector of the galaxy. The city covered the entire top of the basin. A few bridges had been constructed along the perimeter that led in and out of the jungle.
"It's beautiful." Twilight breathes.
You scoff. "From up here, maybe. That jungle is a nasty place to live."
Both her and Rainbow look at you. "You lived in the jungle?"
"Oh yeah." You nod. "I was born and raised there."
Twilight looks back outside at the ever-growing landscape.
"Where did you live? In trees or something?" Rainbow asks.
You look at her for a moment before looking back outside. "No. I lived in this little domed hut made of wood, vines, tree bark, and mud. My parents made it before I was born."
Rainbow scoffs and waves her hand. "Pfft! Whatever. That's not true."
Sunset speaks up. "It is true. They're called vheh'yaime. Lots of Mandalorians live in them."
"They're cozy, and they provide great camouflage to yourself and your family from dangers that exist in the jungle." You add.
Rainbow looks back and forth between you and Sunset for a moment. "Huh... What kinds of dangers were there?"
"What, you want a list? There are tons of them out there. I don't even know where to start." Her and Twilight both look back at you. "My mother and father raised me there because they knew full-well that the jungle could help transform children into the warriors that our clan needed." You chuckle a little. "And, oh, did that jungle work like a dream... If my parents were still alive today, I'm sure they would be proud."
Twilight looks down a little. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Anon."
"Thanks Twilight, but you don't need to be." You smile. "They both died with honor. I'm proud to call myself their son. I only hope I die the same way, when my time comes."
She pauses for a moment before leaning back in her chair as well.
Sunset continues toward the ground until you're able to make out more details. The city's buildings were no taller than a few stories. It was more of a town than it was a city, but it was spread out quite a bit. It made for easy flying. There was hardly any air traffic at all. She moves the ship toward landing pad three and slows down in the air before descending.
As soon as you touch down, she powers down the ship and walks with you, Twilight, and Rainbow into the main hold. Applejack, Big Mac, Fluttershy, Maud, and Pinkie are all sitting around the table in the center, and they watch you as you approach.
Applejack is glaring at you. She's clearly still angry about you killing Hoity Toity without telling the Republic about his crimes. Convincing her to trust or help you won't be easy, but convincing Shining Armor to trust you will be nearly impossible. Twilight seems like she's still willing to hear you out and talk purely because you saved her life.
You'll worry about all this later. First thing's first.
She sits down next to Applejack, and Rainbow stands beside the doorway to the exit ramp. Sunset stands beside you. You pause as you look at everyone.
You're thinking about just having them all wait in the ship for the time being. Especially Maud. Mandalorians aren't exactly welcoming when it comes to Jedi. Or any outsiders, really. However, Maud is a key source of information on the Sith's plans. She's done more digging than you have, as it turns out. If the clans are in danger, then Mandalore may want to speak with her.
You take a deep breath and grab your helmet off the table. "Alright everyone, listen up. Sunset and I will go inform Mandalore of the seriousness of this situation we're in. I need you all to wait here until we get back."
"We're avoiding a potential conflict here." Sunset adds. "Besides Rainbow and Pinkie, you're all part of the Republic. If that wasn't enough, we also have a Jedi Master on board this ship."
Everyone looks at Maud for a moment.
You continue. "We're here because your Republic needs us. Just like everyone else in the galaxy needs us."
"Sure you ain't just tryin' to get out of answerin' for what you did on Coruscant?" Applejack asks.
You look at Applejack. "Your courts and judges would have taken too long with their little investigation into the Senator. He would have bought his innocence through deception, lies, and bribery during that time. The Sith would have been closer to finishing their plans as well. I did you a favor."
Applejack exhales angrily through her nose and glares at you without saying another word.
Twilight stands up between you two. "Anon, Applejack, please. We don't have time for this now."
You both look at her for a moment before looking back at each other.
"Fine. We'll talk about this later then, I guess." Applejack says.
"Fine." You reply.
Twilight looks back and forth between you two. "Anon, you're right. We... We need help. The Republic is dangerously shorthanded right now, and I can't think of another way for us to get help. We need the Mandalorians to help us defeat the Sith this time. We can't do it on our own."
"Well..." Sunset crosses her arms slowly and looks at Maud. "The Jedi could certainly help the Republic against the Sith... You know, if they would..."
Maud continues her emotionless stare at you and Sunset. "I suggest we don't pull at that thread right now, Sunset. You just said yourself that you're trying to avoid a conflict."
Sunset keeps looking at her. Maud has a point.
You sigh. "She's right. This arguing is pointless. Let's just drop everything until after we talk to Mandalore."
Everyone nods in agreement, except for Applejack.
You look at her for a moment. If she's still bitter about the whole Hoity Toity fiasco you created, then she may try to do something stupid while you're away. Like, say, attempt to contact the Republic and give your location away to them.
You turn to Sunset and speak just above a whisper. "Narir ni a riye bal garsa daab likr b striilir bal buse'ihanr. Ltula etid yio dayn." <<"Do me a favor and shut down the ship's tracking and communications. Lock them all out.">>
Sunset nods and walks back into the cockpit.
"What did you say to her?" Applejack asks.
You take a quick glance at Applejack as you put your helmet back on. "I just told her to check on something real quick."
You head to the exit ramp when Rainbow stops you. "Anon, real quick. Can I come with you and Sunset?"
You look her up and down for a moment. "I really think you should stay here."
She clasps her hands together. "Come on, please? I want to see this place for myself. I'll be cool, I promise!"
You sigh at her. You don't have time to deal with this right now.
"I do the talking." You tell her. "You say nothing unless you're asked a direct question. Understood?"
She smiles and nods. "Got it!"
You give her a huff and Sunset joins you both. The three of you step off the exit ramp and onto the ground.
The planet's familiar humidity hits you as you walk into the open. The tops of the jungle trees can be seen all around you, just above the rooftops; a thick layer of fog blankets them in some areas. They faintly carry the sounds of creatures and beasts of all kinds that are just looking for a fight.
You and Sunset take the lead toward the spaceport's exit. Rainbow follows close behind, looking around at everything as you pass.
"So, where are we going?" She asks.
"To the Oyu'baat." You reply. "It's the oldest cantina on the planet."
She cocks her head. "A cantina? I thought we were looking for Mandalore."
Sunset nods. "We are. If he's in the city, that's likely where he'll be."
Rainbow pauses for a moment. "Why in a cantina?"
You detect a hint of confusion in her voice.
"We don't need big, elaborate government buildings to conduct our business." You say. "If it can be discussed, then it can be discussed around the cantina's fire, with some food, or over a round of drinks."
"Plus, all the resources it would take to build buildings solely dedicated to government operations is a waste. Those resources could be used to make weapons or ships." Sunset adds.
Rainbow hums and nods a little.
As you leave the spaceport, you pass a pair of fully-armored Mandalorians talking with each other in Mando'a. Rainbow runs the risk of staring at them as you walk into the streets.
The city was cramped. Nearly all the buildings were in very close proximity to one another, and each one varied from the other in its architectural design in some way. Some buildings were built from stone and wood, while others were built from plastoid and durasteel.
The layout of the city was also very unique, compared to other planets throughout the galaxy. Some of the streets were vastly wide, while others were so narrow that two people standing side-by-side would barely be able to fit. In some ways, it reminded you of some of the cities on Tatooine. It was very disorganized to off-worlders.
"Woah..." Rainbow looks around in awe at everything as you walk into a more densely populated section of the street.
You round a corner and see a large group of Mandalorians on both sides of the street. Some were standing in front of buildings and selling goods, while many others were buying them.
Sunset looks at the crowd. "Oooh, today must be a market day!"
You nod. "It's a shame we don't have time to go shopping."
"What's a market day?" Rainbow asks.
Sunset looks back at her. "Twice a week, Mandalorians from all around, from many clans, houses, or tribes, meet together in the streets and sell goods, produce, weapons, armor, and just about anything else."
Rainbow looks around at the armored men and women bartering around the three of you. She no doubt feels very out of place here. She's one of the only ones here not wearing Mandalorian armor.
As you proceed through the crowd of people, Rainbow keeps looking around at everything in disbelief.
"This is... weird." Rainbow comments.
"What's weird?" You ask.
She hesitates before answering. "Well... No offense, but... I've always heard that Mandalorians were just a bunch of ruthless killing machines who were addicted to violence. But..." She looks back at the group of people behind you. "...I don't see any of that. It's like you're all friends here... You look like you could get along with anyone in the whole galaxy."
Sure enough, there is no sign of violence or fighting anywhere that you can see, apart from some occasional friendly bickering. There's a strong sense of comradery on this street right now.
"Don't let this quiet scene fool you, Rainbow Dash." You say. "Every single one of these men and women are trained in the art of war. Farmers, shopkeepers, janitors, cooks, every one of them is loyal to Mandalore. Should he give the word, he would have an entire seasoned army at his disposal and ready to fight within mere hours."
Sunset adds. "If we want to stop the Sith, then an army of the greatest warriors in the galaxy is exactly what we need. They'll be totally outmatched, even with the Force on their side. Fighting Force-wielders is what Mandalorians excel at."
Rainbow looks back at the armor-clad Mandalorians behind her again in awe.
You're surprised that she's asking so many questions about your people. If you had more time, you'd inquire about her curiosity a little.
It would have to wait though, because you arrive at the Oyu'baat a moment later.
"We're here." You announce.
The Oyu'baat was built mostly out of wood and stone, and was three stories tall. The roof was sloped, sections of the walls jutted out farther than others, and the windows were not perpendicular to one another. The entire building held a complete disregard for being level and even. Despite all of this, it was the most structurally sound building in the city. It has stood for several thousand years, and it will stand for several thousand more.
The three of you step inside, walking past a pair of armed Mandalorians standing at the door. Inside, it felt a little claustrophobic at first, but it opened up as you made your way into the main room.
Despite being thousands of years old, it had many of the amenities of a modern cantina. Holovid screens on the walls showed swoop races, duels, and bolo-ball matches. There were also table games like pazaak, sabaak, cu'bikad, and others available for patrons.
You look around at the armored patrons for Mandalore, but he's nowhere to be seen. He might be upstairs. You ask the bartender if he knows where Mandalore could be and he informs you that he is indeed on the second level of the cantina.
Rainbow follows close behind you and Sunset as you make your way upstairs. Passing a couple Mandalorians along the way, you all greet one another by name, except Rainbow of course, before continuing upstairs. The main room upstairs is a bit smaller than the one downstairs, but it has a few tables and holovid screens here as well.
After a quick scan of the Mandalorians up here...
"There he is." You pat Sunset's arm and point to the corner of the room.
There, standing in front of a holovid screen, was the leader of your people. The individual who provided guidance to all Mandalorians everywhere. His armor was shining silver with a yellow accent, and he wore a red cape over his right shoulder. His armor looked quite similar to that of Mandalore the Ultimate's. The same Mandalore that was slain by the Jedi Revan over Malachor V, albeit with a few customizations of his own.
He was wearing his helmet, as he always does. You remember the face of it well. It also resembled Mandalore the Ultimate's in many ways, but it was not the original. Unfortunately, no one knows what became of the helmet after the death of Mandalore the Preserver, Canderous Ordo.
Traditionally, whoever wore the helmet, the mask of Mandalore the First, was known as Mandalore, leader of the Mandalorians. It was only a tradition, however. Even though the helmet has been lost for many generations, the Mandalorians still needed a leader. Right now, the current leader of the Mandalorians is just across the room.
You and Sunset had both met him together a few times before, years ago. Maybe he'll remember you.
Sunset clears her throat. "Come on."
You nod and follow her with Rainbow Dash.
As you approach him, he doesn't turn around to face you. He simply stands there with his arms folded, looking at the holovid screen.
"Anonymous. Sunset Shimmer..." He says in a gruff voice.
He remembers you.
"...So good to see that the dynamic duo is still together after all this time... Still unstoppable too, from what I've heard."
You and Sunset stop walking and stand before him. "Well, we learned from the best, Mandalore."
He gives a gruff chuckle and turns around to face you, looking at your robotic arm. "So I see."
His helmet is exactly as you remember. It's a bit aged in design, but it suits him very well. The visor is black, and the face sparkles with a silvery-grey color, a bit darker than the rest of his armor. A single red stripe has been painted over the left side of the face, resembling a scar that possibly exists beneath the helmet.
Mandalore turns his attention to Rainbow. "Who's the Chiss?"
You and Sunset part and look at Rainbow as well. She looks at Mandalore, her eyes wide in amazement as she gulps and steps forward. "Uh, my name's Rainbow, sir. Rainbow Dash. I'm... I'm just the third wheel for these two."
"Third wheel, huh?" Mandalore says. "You came with these two willingly?"
She nods. "Y-Yeah."
"Why?" He asks.
Rainbow pauses and thinks for a moment before shrugging. "I...I don't know, exactly. I guess... I was curious about your people and your culture."
Is she... interested in becoming one of you?
Mandalore nods once. "Well, Rainbow Dash, I'd like to speak to you more about this curiosity of yours later, but I assume this isn't a social visit." He turns to face you and Sunset.
Sunset shakes her head. "It's not, Mandalore. We need serious help. There's a war coming."
He stares at Sunset and you for a long moment before nodding toward a nearby table. You look at it before following him over to it with the girls. Once you all sit down, he leans in close and stares intensely at you and Sunset.
