AN: Feel free to review, favorite and follow!
So, first things first. No, I am not dead, I am very much alive. I just haven't had as much time to write as I would like or as much as what I used to. That is because I have my end of year exams approaching soon and I've realized I've done next to no revision this entire year so I need to start actually trying if I want to have a decent grade.
Second, JJFF (A Judy Jubilee And A Foxy Festival, my collaboration with Skeali) is being put on hold for now, we both have our own things to be focusing on, both in terms of writing and real life so don't expect an update for that anytime soon.
Third, due to not being able to write anything for this fic for quite a long time, my first fic Stereotypes in ending where it is now. Yes I am aware it isn't the best place to end it and I am trying to find a way to give it an ending but I can't promise anything. So all two or three fans of that fic, I'm sorry but I can't do anything about it and I thought I should give a much more clear answer about what is happening with it.
Forth, no A Foxes Secret is not dead, far from, I have quite a bit for the next chapter done but it is nowhere near finished.
Firth, this is another collaboration with a good friend of mine AnsemD. For someone who isn't a native English speaker, his fic is still very fun to read so I would highly recommend checking out "Two Of A Kind"
Finally (hopefully), I have got quite a big backlog of chapters finished for a completely unreleased. It's like FoxInAhenHouses "Sweet Treatment" where it focuses on just OCs and I and Skeali brainstormed multiple characters for this fic. Speaking of Skeali, he took the idea of that fic and is making an AU of it under the name "Different" which I would recommend reading. If you would like me to post a few chapters of that than say so in a review/comment, either way, I am going to get around to publishing it at some point but this also comes at a disadvantage. For any A Foxes Secret fans, Declan is one of the main characters and his secret is revealed very early on, thus removing the shock that would be made in FS when it is revealed. This isn't a problem on my behalf but I just thought I should make you all aware. So again, if you would like to read this OC based story (with some appearances from Nick and Judy) say so in a comment/review and I will most likely post a chapter or two sooner.
Now onto the fic at hand. Welcome to mine and Ansem's collaboration fic, Savage Force. This is the first time I have ever written a crossover so I have no idea how it is going to turn out. But this isn't any normal collab. No, instead of writing the chapters together, we decided to give each other a little test as well, all chapters that are an odd number are wrote completely by Ansem, I've had no input in them. All even numbered chapters are written just by me with no input from Ansem.
Chapter 1 - Suspicious Clients and Gambling Foxes
Excited about her first task, Judy Hopps sat restlessly in the much too big Captains chair and tried in vain to calm down. The words of the eldest Bogo were still too well remembered and she would not forget them so quickly, so much was sure.
The stars flew like little lights past her cockpit as Judy watched the darkness in front of her.
How excited she once was, as she made her first travel through space. It was the flight to Coruscant, the one were she left as a bunny and began her life as a Jedi. But all of that seemed so far away and in one way it was. Normally the contact with her own family should be kept to a minimum but Judy just couldn't, she was just too much of a family person for that.
Not even two hours ago, she Judy Hopps, the first bunny ever trained as a Jedi and recently even promoted to the rank of a Jedi Knight, was given her first assignment. She was supposed to be on Telnas IV searching for 12 missing persons, that was all the elder Bogo had told her and that was all he knew. Judy didn't completely understand what she should do there, normally this was the job of other institutions but not the right one for a Jedi, even though she knew that she was obliged to help all living beings who asked for her help.
Even though the assignment was not one of the most important and dangerous things the Jedi Council gave, Judi still felt a little uncomfortable. The young Jedi Knight felt so unimportant, especially now where the Jedi council prepared an attack against the Sith and she was here on her way to the other side of the galaxy. It's like forcing a policewoman to work as a meter maid, who had to hand out tickets all day.
It was someow disappointing but mission was mission and Judy was now sitting here, alone in the Captain's chair of 'Charon', a cargo ship better known as the VCX-100, which was old but reliable and for Judy's luck, had only recently been renewed and equipped with slightly better technology. The ship itself had one deck and several cabins for crewmembers. All in all there could be a crew of eight permanent members or up to twenty or thirty persons for short transports on this freighter. The ship was mostly round with some extended wings on the side and a little bridge for the captain, where only he had one seat. Or to put it like Ellon the mechanic said shortly before Judy broke of from Coruscant, "If you have an air fight, forget it. This thing is too clumsy and way too stiff to have a real chance of winning. So do yourself a favour, if you have any enemy in your neck while flying, search the nearest mountain or asteroid and fly into it, it's faster and less painful."
The weaponry was more a joke than a real threat, a blaster turret on top and two blaster guns for the captain, that's it. Judy hoped that there would be no air fights, even more after Ellon's speech.
With the changes, was now at least a hot shower possible on board and maybe a warm meal. The last point, however, depended on how talented the crew was and since the crew just consisted of her and the board AI, which Judy named Patty after the first minutes on board, it looked rather bad for a warm meal and even worse for something tasty. They maybe teach you to fight with a lightsaber and move objects with the force but they never thought about giving some cooking lessons to the recruits.
Judy inhaled deeply and leaned back in the captain's chair, her head resting on her left paw, watching indifferently as the controls in front of her blinked and showed different values. Judy was tired. Why? Because excitement for the first own mission was a way stronger neuroenhancer, than caffeine or other drugs and she got a full portion of excitement last night.
"Hey Patty, How long does it take us to get to Telnas IV?" Judy asked the board AI, which responded with a warm and female voice," Hello, Captain! Time till arrival 2 hours, 16 minutes and 33 seconds. The weather at the capital of Telnas IV is sunny, with almost no wind and pleasant 27 degrees Celsius. Do you want to know anything else about Telnas IV?"
"Thanks, that would be all but please tell me the arrival time every now and then, to keep me up to date," Judy replied and struck back her ears with her right paw, closing her eyes for a short moment.
"Task registered," replied Patty and remained mute for the time being.
What an eventful day, currently there was only one thing that could give the whole thing a bad touch and just as the thought went through her mind she saw the green phone icon appear on the left screen as she opened her eyes. Below him the short but meaningful word 'family'. Judy cursed in this moment about the technology of interstellar communication and of course the fact, that she hadn't her phone turned off during a mission. How could something like that happen, she was no longer a rookie!
'Oh, please, not now', Judy thought, rolling her eyes. Quickly, she tried to change her facial expression and put on a forced smile. A last deep exhale from Judy and she pushed the button to accept the call from her home planet.
"Hey, it's my parents!"
"Oh! There she is! Hi sweetheart," Bonnie, her mother, exclaimed happily and tried to pull her husband Stew into the camera's field of vision.
"Hey, there Jude, how are doing? How was your first day with the 'force'," Stew Hopps said with a small grin on his face. Actually, Judy would have liked to roll her eyes but she tried to pull herself together and played the game.
'Come on, Judy, that was one bad joke. Normally he made more in shorter intervals.'
"It was great, I already got my first important mission . . . and yeah what should I say, I think I really make a difference here," Judy replied, her parents were still watching her with high anticipation. To Judy's bad luck reacted now Patty the board AI and tried to fulfill her ordered work with high precision. When Judy heard this, her ears turned and she desperately tried to break off the order from the command console in front of her.
"Hello Captain, the time we need before we arrive on Telnas IV is now exactly 2 hours and 15 minutes," Patty replied dutifully. Judy could just facepalm herself for this.
"Wait a second . . . Bonnie did you hear that?"
"Oh, my sweet heaven. Judy, is your mission really on Telnas IV?" Bonnie asked with paws cupped before her muzzle.
"Oh this . . .No! No, no ,no . . . th-that's just the starting point. Who knows where such a crazy mission will take me?" Judy replied and tried to keep up her play but her parents understood exactly what it meant.
"Did you hear that Stew? Telnas IV! That's one of the safest planets in the Republic, do you remember we spend some time during our honeymoon their," Bonnie said and turned to her husband, who was furious with joy.
"She is not on a serious mission! Our prayers have been answered," Stew Hopps screamed through the interstellar communication device. Right then, Judy wished for any kind of malfunction, an asteroid, smuggler, pirates, Sith, really anything that would free her from this awkward situation was welcome but there would nothing happen and she had to endure it.
"Oh glorious day!" Bonnie shouted towards the camera and Judy sank more and more into her seat.
"Oh-ho! Telnas IV, Telnas IV, Telnas IV, Telnas IV. . . " Stew shouted and had now almost no more breath to keep up his singing. Judy was already too annoyed to keep calm, years of Jedi training or not.
"Dad. Dad! DAD! . . . You know what guys, I have a serious mission in front of me, so if you would excuse me, I have to prepare myself," Judy said.
"That's right, prepare yourself, honey. And keep an eye open for xerulanic bed bugs, you know, they are the worst," Bonnie said and drawn herself a bit back. Both parents shouted a last ,"Bye-Bye," before the line went dead and Judy replied more to herself.
"Buh-bye . . .," and fell back into her chair.
"Captain, you seem to be depressed. Can I do something for you?" the artificial intelligence asked from the depth of the room, while Judy tried to massage her temples. Sleep, that is what Judy needed in the moment and the decision for a little nap was in the end not so difficult.
"Yes, wake me, when we arrive," Judy said, snuggled herself in her brown coat and even pulled the hood over her face. Smiling about the warm and comfy clothing, her eyelids dropped fast.
'Ahh nice and cozy, exactly how I like it . . . Well, what have I done, that I deserve such a treatment? It can only get better Judy, it can only get better, it can only . . . ,' Judy tried to end her thought but was already sleeping before she could.
"Captain."
"Captain?"
"Captain, we are called from the planetary defense unit of Telnas IV. Should I respond, that you are still . . . unavailable?" Patty asked from the console in front of Judy, the purple eyes of the young doe snapped instantly open as she felt the lingering threat in front of her and focused slowly on the blue and green planet outside of her cockpit . . . and of course the planetary defense unit, which consisted of two X-Fighter which had already their weapons activated and waited impatiently for a response from her.
"*yawn* . . . Judy Hopps, ordered Jedi Knight from the Jedi Council of Coruscant. Validation Code zero, four, alpha, nine, theta, sigma, six, omicron . . . *yawn*, Please respond," Judy said and waited that the static crackling would fade.
While she was still busy rubbing her eyes, she wondered why the whole procedure took so long. After another agonizing minute of waiting, both Starfighters closed their wings and the leading one reported via intercom.
"Excuse me, Miss, we will escort you to the Governor immediately. He is already waiting for you," said a still quite young voice about the intercom.
"Did you just say governor?"
"Yes, Miss. Everything else will be discussed with you in the palace," the pilot replied after a short break.
"All right, please go ahead, we'll follow. Hopps out," Judy replied and jumped off the captain's seat. After briefly stretching her limbs, the young knight set off to her cabin to smooth her fur once again, which was no longer in the right position after the little nap she took and which would displease a Governor for sure.
"Patty?"
"Yes, Captain?"
"Follow them, but keep an eye out for suspicious things," Judy said. A little smile wrapped around her muzzle as she thought about the new information.
'Maybe this story is bigger after all?'
"Captain? Could you please specify your order?"
"Something's not right. So please look out for anything that has no place on a peaceful planet like this," Judy replied and sank back into her mind and walked into her cabin, where she instantly started to brush her fur.
'Maybe all this is just my imagination or my mind trying to make more of it, but why would the governor of an entire planet want to talk to me and find 12 persons? That makes no sense,' Judy thought with her right paw cupped in front of her muzzle.
"I will try my best, Captain," Patty replied. The ship slowly started moving again and after a short flight began Patty to enter the atmosphere of the planet. Heavy vibrations shook the whole ship but Judy didn't notice much of it, she floated, thanks to the force, cross-legged a few centimetres above the ground and patiently brushed the fur on her head.
'Sometimes the force is quite useful,' Judy thought and chuckled about herself. It took another five minutes until Patty talked to her again and she was ready to go.
"Captain, we have arrived, I'm just setting down. Please be careful."
"Thanks, Patty," Judy answered and went to the exit of the ship that was located at the stern. As she stood in front of the grey door that would open any moment, she prepared for the sunlight and put the hood over her head, as well as putting her paws together. Judy liked the mysterious look it created for others.
The steel door slowly opened and the light of an evening sun flooded the little room. Judy was not even completely out of the ship as she heard somebody talking to her.
"We welcome you! Great Jedi master of . . . Wait? Who are you?"
The voice shifted in seconds from delighted to unpleasant, as he, a Gammorean with big black eyes, green skin and more or less Judy's height, saw and understood whom the Jedi council had send. Judy knew what would follow, she was used to it by now. The sunlight was no problem anymore and Judy pulled her hood back, revealing her true identity and letting the mouth with the little sharp teeth from the alien drop.
"My name is Judy Hopps and I am the send Jedi Knight from the Counsel of Coruscant. It's a pleasure to meet you," Judy replied without responding to his insulting tone.
"Ah . . . Well, we waited for someone more . . . impressive but okay. My name is Talek. Please follow me, Knight,"
"And I expected someone more friendly but well, we can't all have what we want, right?" Judy replied with a smile.
For short moment wanted Talek to answer but his open mouth closed fast, all that was left now was a toxic smile on his green lips. Talek wore a robe in white and red, the typical colors Telnas IV and he looked also arrogant enough to be the right hand of the Governor.
Around Judy was almost nothing, the governor's residence laid on a rock, multiple hundred of meter above the ground. There was no option to enter it without the use of a space- or aircraft. The residence itself resembled more a gothic church made out of marble and gold than a real house or Villa. Shining like a landmark, stood the palace high above the center of Artok, the capital city of Telnas IV.
Behind Talek walked two guards, also dressed in white and red. Both had blaster in their hands but don't looked to willingly to use them. Judy could feel no threat lingering in the near around her and so she followed Talek over a small bridge, which connected the landing platforms with the residence itself. Patty hadn't lied about the weather it was really pleasant.
"We have been waiting a long time for an answer from the Order, so far without success."
"Well, I was told this question is very new and relatively incomplete. I was just told to find 12 people who seem important to this planet, that's all."
Without turning to Judy, all four entered the entrance hall of the residence. Everything was just as Judy had imagine it splendid, clean and decorated in the colours of Telnas IV. White and red as far as the eye can see and armed guards everywhere.
For a peaceful planet, however, there was a lot of military stationed here, Judy thought and looked further around to gather as much information and impressions as possible.
"Mmh, now Miss 'Knight', what we're looking for are 12 scientists. They disappeared on a research trip into another system and unfortunately never reached their original destination. Oh dear, What a crazy and brutal galaxy we live in. It's truly a shame." Talek replied and shook his head dramatically.
Now that Judy had walked through several corridors and halls, all of them had one thing in common, namely a lot of military and not even a grain of dust.
They finally stopped at a massive and huge wooden gate, which only Judy wod pass. Talek stood at the gate and grinned at her one last time.
"Good luck, Jedi," Talek said, Judy didn't react to him at all and just went in.
The gates closed and Judy stood alone in a huge conference room, with a wide circular table in the middle of the room and huge windows opposite the entrance. Even from her current position, Judy could see the entire city below her in all its glory. She felt that there was someone else in the room with her, but for the moment Judy just wanted to take a closer look at the city in front of her. With steady step the young Jedi walked in front of the window and enjoyed for a moment the view. The lion, who was sitting behind her in an armchair and who also admired the city below began not immediately to speak.
'He ordered you, not the other way around. Let him start the talking,' Judy thought.
"Beautiful. Don't you think?" Lionheart said and looked down to the city.
"Definitely. But I usually don't have the time to enjoy something like this," Judy answered with honest sadness in her voice.
"Too bad, sometimes I only come here to enjoy the view. Very well, then... I'm honest, I had someone. . . other expected. Someone. . . ," Governor Lionheart began.
". . . Taller?"
"More experienced, I meant to say," Lionheart lied. The governor sat in his armchair, also dressed in white and red, but additionally covered with a little gold. He folded his paws and waited for an explanation.
'He's no better than Talek,' Judy thought,' but at least he's trying to lie.'
"As you know, most Jedi forces are bundled around Anx Minor. I am what the Jedi Council could send you as help," Judy said, watching the streets below as a long caravan of vehicles moved through downtown with it's high buildings, it looked almost like a metal snake, which was searching its way through the city.
"In other words, you are on your own and in case of doubt, you don't even have the possibility to call for reinforcements, is that correct?"
Judy turned to Lionheart for the first time and looked at him extensively. No smile from the lion, just his stare directed at her.
"Now . . . . This is also a way of looking at the situation," Judy replied with growing suspicion.
"All right, I will tell you what you need to know. Two weeks ago, 12 of our best scientists disappeared on their way to Vohai. We don't know where it happened along the way, but we know the name of the person responsible for this crime and his whereabouts," Lionheart said emphatically.
"I still can't quite understand where I stand in this story. . .," Judy started to reply.
"The criminal responsible is a renegade Jedi named Nicholas Wilde. Unfortunately, the name is all I can give you as information. The Jedi internal archives are not accessible to outsiders. But ... this should be known to you."
For a moment Judi was shocked that a Jedi should be responsible for the abduction of twelve scientists.
'A renegade Jedi? As good as impossible, apostates will be prosecuted immediately and punished if possible, depending on what they have done. What is going on here?'
"The information on the scientists and whereabouts of the apostate?"
"All the necessary information has already been sent to your ship."
"Of course,"Judy said and bowed briefly, "I will get to work immediately."
Judy, who was about to leave, turned around in direction from where she was coming from. Lionheart also got up and walked towards the window and stopped right in front of it.
"I wish you good luck, Jedi Knight Hopps, especially more than your two predecessors," Lionheart said from the window, his voice loud and penetrating.
Half the room was already behind her when she immediately stopped and tried to process what she heard right there and that as quickly as possible.
"Predecessors?"
"Yes? Didn't Talek tell you that already?"
For a moment, time seemed to stand still for Judy before she decided to do what she liked least and that was to lie.
"Of course . . . How could I forget such an important information, my apologize little bunny mind could not complete save the information, which was given to her."
With not to fast steps, walked Judy on. Nobody should raise suspicion and so she tried to keep herself calm. Wordless left the Jedi the hall and made her way back to her ship.
Lionheart stood at the window for a long time, he seemed to be waiting for something or rather someone. Slowly a shadow loosened from the darkness of the room. Without waiting for the question, the hidden creature began to speak.
"Why did you mention the predecessors? That wasn't what you were supposed to do," said the shadow audibly annoyed.
"I wanted to see how she reacts and what she showed was interesting…," Lionheart said.
"And what was that?"
"She lied . . . because Talek never gave her this information but she played along nonetheless. She has a suspicion, so much is sure and shouldn't be taken lightly. Do you understand?"
"Yes," the shadow answered with annoyance.
"Good because if you don't make a mistake, their fate is already sealed. You heard her, right? No backup, nothing. She is alone."
Just a node and nothing else came from the listener.
"Follow her and don't forget we want both alive, as our final test subjects."
"Of course," the shadow answered a last time and slowly disappeared again into the darkness behind him. A scornful laugh came to Lionheart as he thought about the whole situation.
'Darth Lepus, he should better watch out and do what his master tell's him and don't go on my nerves. I really ask myself if Lord Ovis has him under control . . .,' Lionheart thought and continued watching the town below him.
"Patty start the engine and bring us away from this planet," Judy shouted as soon as she entered the ship. The young doe jumped over the back of the captains seat and landed softly on it. Immediately, she started to type commands into the console in front of her.
With a loud and heavy shatter started Patty the old freighter and flew quickly back into space. As soon as Judy felt the change from gravitation to artificial gravitation of the ship, a deep sighed escaped her muzzle and she leaned back into the seat.
"Did you get the information from our friends, Patty?" Judy asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Yes, Captain."
"Did you found anything unusual on the surface of the planet, Patty?"
"Unfortunately, no captain."
"Blueberries…, " Judy cursed and cupped her right paw in front of her muzzle thinking about her current situation and what for possibilities are left for her and how her chances
"But . . . I searched the local networks for news and information about the twelve scientists," Patty stated and raised so Judy's attention.
"And. . . ?"
"Again, nothing. No news, no reports about missing scientists or anything else. My apologies, that I could not be helpful for you Captain," Patty replied and remained silent.
The situation in which Judy was not looking well and yet she began to smile. On the one paw because a picture slowly emerged in her mind and on the other paw because Judy knew that wherever she would fly next, a trap would be waiting for her.
'Maybe I would have been a good cop after all, not a meter maid but a real cop,' Judy thought and chuckled about the idea,' Well, too late Judy, you've chosen your path and now go for it.'
"Okay, Patty, where are we going?"
Judy sounded happy even though she knew it was life and death from now on, but wasn't that always the case for a Jedi? Haven't you always been exposed to adverse dangers, and wasn't that a little bit what drove the Jedi? Well, if not all Jedi then at least this bunny.
"Our target is the Besh Gorgon system in the mid-rim. In fact, we fly to a space station called 'The Wheel'. It's notorious for its casinos, excesses and the encounter of suspicious characters," Patty said.
"Can you give me some more information about that space station, Patty," Judy asked. Her right paw played again with her lightsaber, which hung from the right side of her belt, a habit she developed during long flights through the galaxy. Right now she played with it and listened to the artificial voice of the Patty.
"The Wheel is a massive space station build more than 40 years ago. By now it has about 300,000 residents. The name results from a huge ring that is one of the two main parts of the station. In the center of the ring exists a tower, which is over two bridges connected to the ring. Those tower contains the two biggest casinos the Grand Casino and the Crimson Casino, as well as the command and control center of the whole station . . . ," Patty explained.
"Thanks, that's enough . . . I think I've heard of it, but I've never been there... but it sounds like fun . . . ," Judy replied and laughed about the idea, how it would look when a Jedi would go to a casino.
"Captain?"
"Forget it . . . Please take the fastest possible course to this infamous space station."
It took Patty a while to complete the calculations for our journey through the Hyperspace, Judy used this time to write a message for the order and signed it with her personal Jedi symbol. A contingency plan in case it fails, allowing others to complete their mission. After a while, Patty returned and confirmed the beginning of her journey in hyperspace.
"Route is set, entry into hyperspace in . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1."
Stars blurred in front of the cockpit and a slight jolt shook the entire ship, Judy simply loved it when the whole ship was going over into Hyperspace, she couldn't explain why. It was for her just an odd feeling that she loved.
"Tell me, Patty, do you have access to the Jedi archives?"
"Yes, Captain. How can I help you?"
"Give me all the Information you have about a Jedi, called Nicholas Wilde."
"One moment please," Patty replied, and Judy knew it was time to wait, access to the archives from outside Coruscant could take an eternity or be done in seconds, it always depended on your current location in the galaxy.
"Here is all the information on Nicholas Piberius Wilde available in the archives. Age 32, species Vulpes, main coat color red, eye color green. Rang, Jedi Knight, Last known mission was a rescue mission on the Sarai Mine Planet, where he saved several children. Current condition deceased."
"Deceased? Are you sure this isn't a mistake?
"I'm checking . . . No, status deceased."
"Well, then I'm more than excited to see that ghost fox," Judy said and leaned back into the captain's chair with a smile on her face.
'Maybe this whole thing will be more interesting than I have thought and even bigger than I expected,' Judy thought and closed her eyes for a moment.
The Crimson Casino, named after the blood duty you have to fulfil, if you were not able to pay your debts. Located in the highest tower of the Wheel, was the Crimson Casino, with it's long bars, dozen and dozen of gaming tables, slot machines and other obscure gambling opportunities one of the best examples of how many greed was good for one being. Gold, glass and marble was everywhere, artificial waterfalls let the customers forget that they were on a space station and at the same time was the complete roof just one big window, showing the nearby asteroid belt and the sun which was some million kilometers away from the Wheel but what was this place exactly? To put it simple, it was a magnet for fortune-knights, adventurers and lost souls.
What Nicholas Wilde was? A little bit of everything and yet none of it.
Gold, marble and precious woods adorned the inside of the largest and most expensive casinos on the space station and the whole galaxy. The last rounds of the legendary Sabacc tournament had just begun. The winner would receive no less than 100 million Republican Credits and now, just before the end of the tournament, there were only three players left who had the opportunity to do so. A human named Selik Dray who drank far too much alcohol by his standards and tried to distract himself from the stress he always felt while playing. At the game tables of the space station was he only known as the 'drunken gambler'.
Next to him at the table sat a humanoid alien, a Sullustan named Yurt, and he did not want to reveal any more about himself. His distrust of his teammates seemed to be extraordinarily great. Not a minute went by without a disparaging look to his left or right to check the situation.
The last one in the row was a fox who didn't even drop his mask one time, in the last three weeks this tournament was already running. Always armed only with his grin, he has won all the relevant rounds so far and so he moved relatively quickly to the top of the players list. He knew that bets were also placed on his head, because in the 'the Wheel', it was possible to bet on anything and everyone as long as you had the necessary money.
And so he entered the tournament and his companion, a little desert fox, bet on his victory with 1 million credits. If everything goes according to plan, both would leave this station with no less than 500 million credits. And then . . . now with so much money you could do anything you wanted, what exactly? That was a thought for later.
What nobody knew was that they had with the fox a former Jedi at the table, so luck was a relative thing. Nick had planned it carefully and used his powers only when he need to, his talent for card games and luck were most of the times more than him, it was only a matter of time before he had finally won.
"Come on, Yurt, pull or drop it, in three rounds it'll all be over here . . . Maybe I'll buy you a little drink afterwards. Of course, the costs are on me and sorry Selik but the offer only applies to our Sullustan buddy over here, you drink too much for my taste and if I invite you then my new fortune is immediately gone," joked Nick and grinned at the faces of the two players who just gave him a scornful look back. They knew, they couldn't win anymore.
"Alright, alright . . . I see. You two are not in the best mood but you know what? From time to time, you might be happy for others and not just yourselves," Nick said and finished the round with another victory.
"Damn, I'm good!"
He didn't waste any more thought on it at first, but he quickly realized that the people were walking towards his table.
Quickly and without long words finished Nick the next two rounds and was now almost at his goal. He only needed to win once more and he would finally reach it.
'Just one more card to and I'm done . . . ' Nick thought.
"Nicholas P. Wilde? My name is Judy Hopps and I want to talk to you."
Nick, who already held the final cards in his paw, looked up from them and into the purple eyes of a small fluffy creature he instantly recognized as a bunny. With an appreciative look at the doe, who stood opposite of him on the table, Nick tried to understand what she wanted from him but right now he was too deep into the game and couldn't even recognize a Jedi. No matter how big this Jedi was.
"What's going on fluff, the massage I want for my victory is planned for later, not now. So hop along cutie."
Judy's face darkened as she heard the fox's cheeky words and decided to show him what it meant to joke with her.
"Again, my name is Judy Hopps and I'm a sent Jedi Knight from the Jedi Order of Coruscant and I'm here to talk to you," Judy replied.
"Really, too bad I have no idea what you are talking about, fluff. I think you mistake me for someone else. Jedi? Not in my field of curiosity."
"Fine, you want this the hard way. Mr. Wilde, you're under arrest," Judy said severely, he however was still looking in his cards and ordering them.
"Oh, for what? Hurting your feelings?" Nick replied chuckling to himself.
The smile quickly returned to Judy's face when she realized he had no idea who she was or what she was doing here.
"Unauthorized use of 'the Force' during a gambling tournament. This ban exists for more than a thousand years and you should be aware of it. After all, you are a Jedi . . . Just like me."
Nick, who had already turned back to the game, looked at the female bunny standing in front of him with wide open eyes. Finally he understood what she played for a game.
All other people at the table and the two security guards turned to him and he already knew that whatever followed, would be nothing he liked. Yurt looked at him particularly sinisterly and asked, while pointing at a metal object hanging from Nick's belt.
"I've been wondering what this thing is at your side. Call me an idiot but couldn't that be a lightsaber?"
"This? That's just a flashlight, nothing more and if you ask me such questions, then no more drinks for you after my victory," Nick tried to talk his way out of the situation with a smile but he felt that his great plan just vanished into thin air.
"Okay you had your fun, Slick. Now give me your lightsaber and come with me," Judy replied and held her paw out to him.
Silence for a short moment, until Nick exhaled deeply and began to speak.
"If you think I would come back to the Jedi Council without a fight, then you don't seem to know me, Carrots," Nick said, still smiling to Judy.
"You're going to want to refrain from calling me Carrots . . ," Judy started to say but Nick had already his paw under the table and at once she felt a wave of the Force rushing through Nick, with it he flicked the whole table around and letting it fly through the air.
Judy who stood on the edge of the table, jumped back but stood after the landing directly in the zone were the massive wooden table would crash.
Before the wooden piece of furniture could even touch Judy, heard Nick already the buzzing sound of a lightsaber. And with one clear cut, parted Judy the table in two pieces which shattered some meters beside her to the ground.
For a moment Nick thought that he would now witness a truly angry bunny but what he saw was far from what he imagined, Judy was smiling at him. In her right paw she held a purple glowing lightsaber, which was exactly adjusted to her size and know where he thought about it — eyecolor.
"EVERYONE OUT!" Judy shouted to the visitors around and the guards behind her. Panic spread and the sound around the two was rising until most of the visitors had left the huge casino hall.
As if she had all the time in the galaxy, she took slowly her typical brown Jedi overcoat off. Tossing it to her right and showing the cream colored robe of a Jedi Knight, that Nick wore just some years ago by himself.
'Oh dammit, she really is a Jedi and if I'm really unlucky, she is also a good fighter.'
Both of her paws clasped now to the lightsaber, while she was holding it up in the same height as her face was.
"Draw," Judy said with emphasis.
"See Carrots, is there no other way to come out of this casino? Do we really have to fight?"
"Weren't you the one who said, that you won't go without a fight?"
Nick sighed deeply and thought, 'What for a stubborn bunny . . . Oh boy, this will become pretty ugly.'
"Fine," replied Nick and stretched out his right paw and levitated his lightsaber in a quick movement from his hip to his arm. A green blade buzzed now steadily from his right side.
"But don't say I didn't warned you."
"Don't worry I'm a big girl, I won't cry," replied Judy with a smile and started running towards Nick, her lightsaber buzzing to the sound of her movements, her feet moved fast over the wooden floor. Nick prepared himself right now for a heavy impact and went into a standard defense position, even so the bunny in front of him seemed light but he knew underestimating an enemy is the fastest way to death.
Judy didn't attack directly, she jumped to the left on one of the gambling tables which stood some meters in front of Nick, to have a higher position as her canine opponent.
As Judy began, she strengthen her jump with the force to deal a direct blow at Nick from above. The fox however had a hard time blocking the attack but Judy didn't stopped here. She balanced her whole weight on her lightsaber and right paw, with her left paw she charged another force attack. But this was no quick force push, Judy slowly increased the pressure on the fox.
The gravitation around Nick seemed to increase, he could feel how his whole body was pulled to the ground and he asked himself how far this bunny would go to capture him. Breathing was harder and harder under this conditions, his bones started to hurt and he could feel how his feet slowly gave in. As he heard the wooden floor cracking from the still increasing force, Nick understood that he still underestimated the bunny, her heights and speed made her even more dangerous as an opponent.
For the first time he looked up to her and he saw that Judy also looked down on him. For a short moment he lost himself in her eyes, he didn't know what it was but there was something that made him feel something.
"Give up!" Judy said through her clenched teeth and right then, Nick snapped back into reality and did what he could do best in such situations — not what the opponent expected.
"Okay, I surrender, Carrots," Nick said and looked with a smirk in the dazzled face of Judy above him. The confusion in Judy's face quickly gave way to another smile, with ease she used the two lightsaber as a stepstone to jump above Nick and directly in his back. With that, she could end this fight quick but still a half meter above ground Judy noticed, that this time she was too slow and what was even worse, Nick had fooled her.
"Dumb bunny," Nick said, grinning like a little kid and gathered again power in his left paw. The force push he used sended Judy flying towards the bar and she has just enough time to block the heaviest impact with her crossed arms.
Nick who saw this regretted instantly his move and watched with widened eyes, how the little bunny hit the bar, where everything was made out of glass and other valuable crystals. Judy hit and a explosion of glass, liquor and exotic fruits spread over the counter and the nearby gambling tables.
'From where came this explosion? Damn, I wanted to make her unable to fight, not unable to live,' Nick thought. In blind panic ran the fox, to the shattered bar with the destroyed counter. Shiny glass particles and light reflecting liquids, everywhere.
'Oh boy, what a mess . . . I hope she is okay . . .'
' . . . Why do you care so much for her? She is just a bunny, you know her for maybe 15 minutes and in ten of them we tried to kill each other. . . Okay we are Jedi, so for us was this more like advanced talking . . . ,'
"Hey Carrots, I'm truly sorry . . . That's not what I wanted to do . . . Carrots?"
With a light feet stepped Nick over the puddles of liquor and glass. The vapors slowly raised to his head and clouded his perception but he mostly didn't notice, Nick knew that some heavy stuff was beneath this bottles, stuff that could also kill if you took too much. Right now his mind was just concentrated on the little bunny which laid between the mess he had created.
With ease jumped Nick on the counter of the bar and took a first look down. Even more shards and liquid swam here around. It was a mess and Nick couldn't see clearly through this devastation.
"Carrots? Seriously Carrots . . . I'm sor-,"Nick began to speak until a heavy shock wave hit him and sended him this time flying through the room. While he was in mid-air, he suddenly understood what the explosion was he saw before.
'She fooled me! She cushioned her own impact with the force. This sneaky little bunny!'
Unlike Judy, had Nick no more time to cushion his fall and so he slammed heavy on the wooden floor right between the gaming table where he played and won just half a hour ago and which the little bunny cut precise in two halfs. Moaning and cursing laid Nick on his hurting back and tried to control his pain.
Steady but not too fast walked Judy with half-closed eyes over to the fox. The bunny was angry and not even her long and hard training could hide that. With the buzzing purple lightsaber still in her right paw, stepped Judy with her left foot on the chest of Nick, who escaped a huffing sound. The fox tried to raise his head but the purple lightsaber was just inches from his nose away. To close for his own taste.
"Stay down and don't move! You dumb fox ruined my robe and now I smell like a distillery for every imaginable liquor in this galaxy," Judy shouted at him.
"Hey, Carrots. I told you I'm sorry . . . And by the way, has anyone ever told you that you're cute when you're trying to look serious?"
"Shut up . . . Dumb fox," Judy replied and turned her head away from him but Nick could see that her inner ears took on a rose like color.
'Your also not as tough as you act, Carrots. Why does her blushing make me smile? You're getting old Wilde, that's the problem . . . Probably.'
Out of nowhere the little communication device on Nick's belt activated itself and both could hear the rough and deep voice of Nick's companion and pilot.
"Hey Wilde! Wat da hell ya doin in there? The entire military of the Wheel is on their feet and afta us! They got our ship and now they searchin for us man! What do we do now?"
With a sarcastic grin looked Nick up to Judy and waited for a decision.
"Right Carrots, what are we doing now?"
The danger seemed to be over for Judy and so she deactivated her lightsaber, put it back and tried to take the communication device from Nick's belt. It was complicated attached to his belt and Judy needed some time to get it off, time the fox instantly used for another joke.
"Well Carrots, I didn't knew we were already that close," Nick said with a dirty grin. It took Judy a moment to realize in which position she bowed over Nick. With glowing ears pulled Judy finally the device from his belt and turned away.
"Jerk," was all she replied and activated the device,"Judy Hopps, come in."
"What the . . . WILDE If this whole trouble is because of a new girlfriend, I tell ya. . .," The deep voice said over the intercom.
"NOBODY is here anybody's girlfriend! Now listen, if you want to make it out of this space station!" Judy shouted in the little metal box.
A Roaring laughter followed Judy's last comment. For a moment she looked baffled at Nick who still laid on the ground and shrugged about the behavior of his companion.
"Haha . . . I don't know where you found your new pearl, Wilde! But you should keep her, she has fire!"
"Are you done?" Judy asked annoyed and waited till the laughter stopped. Her ears were still glowing red.
"Yes ma'am," the deep voice replied with a chuckle.
"Good, then listen! Go to hangar 42, there you will find a VCX-100, that is my ship, the 'Charon'. Get it ready for take off and wait for us. . . oh and be nice to Patty!"
"Who the hell is Patty?"
"My ship's AI but you will understand it as soon as you are there. So just remember to be ready, okay?"
"Will do. So keep an eye out for that fox, will ya? He still owes me money and !"
Without even thinking, Judy put the device into her own pocket and directed her attention now back to the fox on the ground. She stretched a paw out to him and smiled slightly. Nick however, took the offered paw and got back on his feet.
He found his lightsaber some meters away from him and levitated it back to his paw. For a short moment he checked if it was still okay.
"Something tells me, that you are not here to bring me back to the Council, Carrots."
"No . . . In fact they don't even know you are still alive. I wanted to talk to you because of my mission, which is to find twelve missing scientists," Judy explained and she saw already the confusion on his face.
"I don't see where I fit into this story?"
"Our client accused you, for kidnapping them . . .," Judy began but Nick interrupted her abrupt, "WHAT? I was the last four weeks in this stupid casino! How . . .? And who?"
Nick was upset and for good reason, he gestured like crazy or at least until Judy took his paws in hers. Confused, the fox looked at the doe and did not understand what she was doing.
"I know, okay? I believe you, that's why I'm here. Something is wrong and I have the bad feeling this could be a trap," Judy said and let go of his paws. Nick smiled and replied, "You're pretty emotional for a Jedi, Carrots."
"My Mum always said I was caring but . . ."
The breaking of glass disturbed the conversation between the two and both felt a great force moving towards them. Without warning, all the lights in the hall went out. Whatever the danger was, it was only a few meters away from them now, well hidden in the dark.
"Surrender or die," said a cold voice from the darkness.
For a moment Nick looked at Judy and she looked back at him with a smile, there was not much light . Both thought the same thing at that moment but Nick was the one who answered, maybe a bit to sarcastic.
"Sorry, buddy, I already gave up once today. Once more would be even more embarrassing in front of the girl."
"Very well, I see you've made your decision."
One enemy but two red glowing lightsaber, which pointed to the ground appeared in the dark, ready to fight.
"Damn and I had such a good feeling about this day," Nick said.
"Oh come on, it can only become better from here on, Slick," Judy replied with a smile.
"I hope you are right, Carrots."
Both Jedi drew their weapons and prepared to fight. Nothing could be heard or seen in the dark, except for the four lightsabers, which buzzed in the darkness and waited for the fight.
AN:
This chapter was written by AnsemD