Light. Pure, blinding light.
Maddox gazed at the vast white room, surprised, but not particularly impressed. There was nothing but bare walls and a plain floor, either an attempt to represent modest beauty, or simply the work of a lazy architect. Either way, he hadn't expected to walk into an Imperial compound and see so much... brightness. The Empire seemed much more dark and shadowy, not pure white and pretty. It was almost a humorous site.
Almost.
He didn't feel like laughing when more than a dozen Stormtroopers marched mechanically across the room, rifles held firm in their hands. The same rifles that were aimed at his head at one time or another. Maddox found it hard to believe there could be so many soldiers under the Empire. But he pushed his menial thoughts away to focus on the task at hand. Adjusting his blasters on his belt, he sauntered straight through the line of troopers with a cocky smile. The most reaction he got was a scoff from underneath a helmet, which he replied to with a wink. Resisting the urge to toy with the soldiers, he continued moving forward, his presence receiving nothing but a few glares on the way. A sign that he was expected.
Well lucky me, I guess being a Bounty Hunter has its perks.
Just years ago, Order 66 was issued, known as the extermination of the Jedi. The Republic fell and the Empire rose, and thus began Maddox's life as a Bounty Hunter. The Empire had little care for morality, making it much easier to grab contracts around the galaxy. It was pretty common to get a job were someone wanted someone else dead, but a contract like this was special. Rebels went for high prices. Really high. The Empire, for whatever reason, had decided that more than a million Stormtroopers was clearly not enough to go hunting with. So instead, they invited a few Bounty Hunters to join the party, one of which was Maddox himself. And he was more than eager to take the call.
He casually walked past each Imperial officer without a care, flashing smiles and winking encouragingly. Chances are he was walking into hell anyways, so why not have fun doing it? After a long and rather boring journey across the compound, Maddox finally reached his destination. A large pair of silver doors stood in front of him, Isolated from the rest of the building. They were completely sealed, obviously off limits to the average officer. Contemplating whether or not to just walk in, Maddox admired his reflection on the metal, ruffling his raven hair with a gloved hand.
Lookin' pretty good for a guy who's about to look evil straight in the eye.
He grinned at his face with more than a little pride, when suddenly the doors slid open with a hiss. Blinking in surprise, Maddox quickly adjusted himself to greet his new business partner. But as he approached the man standing before him, a feeling of unease washed over his mind.
His eyes met the sockets of a helmet, adorned with ridges and curves that expressed a foreign face. With a cape that drifted to the floor, buttons and controls enhanced the black frame of armor that covered his body. As Maddox stared in both fear and fascination, he couldn't help but wonder if he was more machine than man. But even without his appearance, there was something more to this man. Something sinister.
His words came slow, along with the sound of a struggled breath. Maddox felt himself shudder.
"Maddox Ordel. Mercenary and Bounty Hunter."
A Sith Lord... What in the hell did I step into?
"...That's correct. You've got me at a disadvantage here..."
He wasn't actually expecting a reply, nor did he need one. Maddox knew enough about Jedi and the force to realize what he was looking at. He took a step back, hearing the hiss of shutting doors behind him. Resisting the urge to turn away, he gave a fake smile to the man in the mask.
"Do you know why you are here?"
"I've got a few ideas... But I'm sure your here to enlighten me."
Another wavering breath, followed by the same deep voice. "As you know, the Empire is still dealing with rebels. Rebels from what is left of the Republic... and from what is left of the Jedi as well."
Stiffening at the word Jedi, Maddox nodded. "And you want me to take care of the survivors."
"Not just take care of them, I want you to eliminate them." He drifted closer, until they were face to face. "If you can manage to bring in a few rebels, you will be rewarded in funds. But if you bring in a few Jedi, you will be rewarded with something even better."
"And you expect me to trust the Empire so willingly?"
"You will get your pay, Bounty Hunter. I can guarantee it."
What a bunch of Rancor shit.
"Alright. So let's say I'm interested." Maddox studdied the man for any sign of weakness, finding none. "So what's the catch here? If it was this easy, you wouldn't have went out of your way to find me. Is there something I don't know about?"
There was a slight chuckle from underneath the helmet. "The Jedi are no easy pray, I can assure you."
"Yeah, yeah, I already knew that much. But there are plenty of people out there with enough skills to take 'em down. So why enlist in a high price bounty hunter?"
Silence. The man tilted his head slightly, as if amused. Maddox, on the other hand, found it to be a serious question. The Empire had no problem with lies and deceit. And he knew that whatever he had signed himself up for was surely not as easy as this man made it sound. Yes, Jedi were dangerous, but there were much easier ways to take them out and less expensive as well. So why waste all this effort?
"You are gifted, Mr. Ordel... Prove to me that you can handle yourself, and I shall show you your true potential."
Maddox blinked. "So... This is a test? To prove that I'm worthy?" He shook his head in confusion. "Worthy of what?"
"That will be revealed if you pass."
"And if I fail?"
"I am sure you can predict the consequences."
"Great..." Sarcasm ran fluently through his voice. He sighed, running a hand through his hair in annoyance. He had no idea how he was considered gifted, nor did he care to find out. At this point, the credits almost didn't seem worth the risk. He wondered how many other bounty hunters had been in this room before him. And how many accepted the deal.
It's either become the Empire's pet, or die. Lovely.
He threw his hands in the air in fake exasperation. "I hope you realize how much time this will take. I'm searching the entire galaxy. And It's not like they wear signs on their backs saying 'Oh look, I'm a Jedi!'"
This time, there was a tinge of anger in his words. "I am not asking for the impossible, Bounty Hunter. You will not be alone in this task."
Before Maddox could spit out another response, he heard the hiss of the doors opening and light footsteps behind him. On instinct, he turned with his blasters held high. But as soon as his eyes to took in the stranger, his hands lowered and his jaw dropped.
Standing in front of him, was probably the most beautiful sight he had seen in days. A white skinned, scantily dressed Twi'lek, stood before him, a hand on her hip. She was decorated in elegant jewels and lace, engulfed in the color white. All except for her blood red lips and peculiar colored eyes. Gorgeous.
She certainly didn't look like a bounty hunter, but even so, Maddox couldn't resist staring. She narrowed her eyes in response, much more hostile than one would presume. With stiff and haughty movements, she made her way towards the Sith Lord, clearly unimpressed by his choice of bounty hunter. The Sith simply lifted a hand as to calm her.
"My apprentice will assist in your investigation. She will prove most useful."
Maddox lifted a brow, eyeing the Twi'lek once again. And that's when he noticed the strange tube that was strapped to her side. A lightsaber.
Damn. Another Sith? Or is she still in training?
"Do not worry, Mr. Odel. She is only here for assistance. She will not harm you."
Yeah, I've heard that before.
"Do we have a deal, Bounty Hunter?"
Maddox crossed his arms, contemplating. He'd have a LOT of credits, a secret reward of who-knows-what, and a rather alluring partner to bring along. It was a deal that only either the really stupid or really smart people passed up. He couldn't tell which one matched him.
But on the downside, there was the Empire, the Empire, and also a Sith Lord who works for the Empire. There was a good chance this would all end in a giant ball of flames. There was no guarantee on anything, just the word of a Sith Lord to put his faith into.
But If I refuse, they'll probably kill me then too... this is my last chance to back out for good. From this point forward, I belong to the Empire.
Sighing, he straightened up. They waited patiently as he regained himself. With a long glance at his new partners, he smiled.
"Alright then. Deal."