Chapter Seven: Quarantine (Part V)
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Harry Potter had spent the last week catering to a man who was far too angsty for his taste, a homicidal robot who would be happy to see said man liquefied, a droid with too much time on its hands or pincers, and a comatose teenage catgirl; and was starting to get on his nerves. It wasn't their company he minded exactly… it was more that, barring the girl, everyone seemed to get in his way in one form or another. The doctor always needed more supplies which meant that harry had to trade more and more gold into credits, which also drew the attention of some shady characters; HK usual attempts to "subtly" kill Theron always ended with Fawkes having to regenerate, which had the Phoenix on Harry's case.
Which, understandably, drove Harry from his own ship and into a far off, dingy, filthy cantina situated between two towering massive buildings and an lift that seemed to lead directly to the under city. Now, it would be a sad thing if Harry had been sipping his glowing blue drink alone, he had noticed an unwelcome tag along in the shape of a lithe, woman in mustard yellow armor, and that all too familiar helmet with the T shaped visor.
As he reached the end of his glass Harry wondered what exactly had caught this woman's attention… he wasn't wearing his own distinctive helmet, nor his bomber, and Hermione was being cleaned by HK, so what exactly brought this possibly problematic warrior? Was it his whine colored shirt? It wasn't pretty, but certainly not insulting enough that she would be openly hostile towards it.
"Or maybe it's the cylindrical tube hanging from your belt." He muttered into his glass. Harry was convinced that the blasted thing was cursed or at least possessed, so he didn't particularly fancy leaving it laying around the Seeker for anyone to pick up.
Harry didn't consider it to be a Horcrux, at least not in the traditional sense, it didn't feel anything like Voldemort's or any he'd encountered in his time with the Department of Mysteries. This thing felt benign, as if it weren't trying to exert its influence onto him instead it felt like it was guiding him. Of course, Harry wasn't stupid enough to trust the damn thing, the slightest indication that it would try to wrestle control from him he'd space it.
But the current problem the wizard was facing finding out what he was going to do with his yellow clad friend. Obliviating was an option but that was more of a last resort, memory charms weren't his specialty and the risk of a total mind wipe was always present. Stunning her in the cantina was out of the question, maybe if she attacked him outside he could stun her and leave her someplace he was sure she wouldn't be trouble.
She was taunting him, standing at just at the corner of his vision. She knew that he knew she was there and that if she moved just a bit to her right she'd be in his blind spot. Maybe it was some kind of warrior code that kept her in line, and for that he was thankful.
He was knew exactly what they would do once the saw him preform magic, they'd assume he was a Jedi and proceed to try to sell him to whichever one of the two sides was with the Jedi.
'Note: Ask Theron about the faction war.' He wasn't sure why they were fighting but he did see the effects Taris, Hundreds of ships were in orbit, carrying Merlin knew how many refugees those old clunkers were ferrying. From what he'd heard the Republic was offering aid for the affected and it the CIS that was driving people from their homes… whatever the case he wasn't going to get involved unless he absolutely had too.
One war was enough and he needed to focus on finding Sirius.
But right now, all he had to worry about was just how quickly the blue drink was quickly disappearing. He was there to relax and as he intended to do just that.
It was then as he reached the end of his glass that a woman half a head taller than Harry, with sandy brown hair, and tan skin. She wore rusted red armor that was covered in dents and scorch marks, she had a heavy black rifle strapped to her back. She signaled the four armed barkeep with two fingers, he responded by bobbing its head once and bringing a bottle brown bottle and two small shot glasses.
The Barkeep then proceeded to pour the whitish liquid into both before leaving. The woman then slid the drink towards Harry and looked at him with the cold eyes of a killer. "You're the owner of the YT freighter." She stated in a manner that Harry was sure she wasn't posing a question.
"I am." Harry affirmed looking away from the mustard armored huntress and to the older woman sitting beside him. "What's it to you?"
"Nothing really." She said downing her drink. "Not yet, at least, but I'm hoping that will change."
Harry eyed the white drink for a moment before shifting in his seat, so he was facing her. "And how exactly are we going to change that?"
"I'm going to tell you a few things about what is a occurring within your ship and then I'm going to make you an offer." With that she poured herself another shot but otherwise left it there. "Your ship is YT 1300 light freighter. You purchased it in Takodana from a pirate who took it from an over eager bounty hunter. You have an unregistered avian creature, whom would fetch a hefty price on black market. You have an illegal assassin droid posing as standard protocol droid; a back alley clinic physician, whose being targeted by Black Sun playing doctor to a nameless Cathar cub that was sold to Death Watch by Black Sun. The Cathar is recovering from both malnutrition and a rakghoul bite. You have been conducting searches throughout the planet, for events that can't quite be explained, you're looking for someone."
"Bloody hell." Harry hissed, his right hand instinctively flicked, drawing his wand but by then she had a blaster pressed to his chest.
"There's no need for weapons, but understand that I will gladly blast you if I need to. Now, place the… stick on the counter and let me finish." Harry hesitated but did as he was ordered. "My name is Vohnte Tervo, and I want to offer you my services as a body guard."
"Why?" Harry asked keeping his hand visible and in a none threatening manner.
"I could go with the obvious answer or with the more complex one." She said taking another shot. "But neither of us has the time to play so I'll go with the obvious: you will be paying and you have a decent ship."
Now, Harry wasn't one to trust foolheartedly in anyone but something inside made him was inclined to agree to the woman's vague offer. She knew things about his ship and the people aboard it, it couldn't hurt keeping some one like that close. He didn't particularly have anything to loose at this point and besides an extra gun was never out of place.
After thinking it over for am minute, Harry decided that would be in his best interest to agree, so slowly he let his left hand fall onto the counter, wrap around the white beverage and lift it up.
"Cheers then." He said and the woman smirked, lifting the small glass.
In the back of Harry's head, he could hear the simple yet resonating voice of Mister Spock as he invited a woman into his fold.
'insufficient facts always invite Danger.
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Ursa Wren hated her luck, she hated retreating even more. There was nothing dishonorable with waiting for the opportune time to engage the enemy but it still felt like she was leaving matters unfinished and that clashed with her personal code.
She'd finally found a lead on the Cathar the initiates had been hunting and in walks one of the last people in the Galaxy she ever wanted to encounter. She could have taken him easily after the level of alcohol he'd ingested, even Jedi such has he would be slowed by it, but the woman in the worn armor was something else entirely.
She had been ten years old when Death Watch drove the True Madalorians away from Concordia and then broke them by using the Jedi. There were exactly eleven members still alive after Jango Fett's death on Geonosis and that woman was one of them. Ursa remembered her Buir warning her of the dangerous woman from Clan Tervo who had killed her father and broke Tor Vizla's deffence allowing Jango Fett to kill their leader.
Vohnte was rumored to be one of the trainers for the Republic's Grand army, job perfect for a sellout like her, so she couldn't see the reason for her sudden appearance on Taris. Did she really despise Death Watch so much that she would hunt them to such a distant planet?
Whatever the reason, Ursa knew she was unprepared to deal with this new threat alone, she needed reinforcements if she ever wished to regain her honor.
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A/N: So, here's chapter seven. Sadly short, delayed and sort of feels like filler chapter, but sadly its not. I wanted to put more but the sadly nothing else came to me fore this chapter. I am once more without a beta, so please be gentle haven't had much time to work on this story.
On that note anyone wanting the Job please PM me.
For those wondering where Ursa came from: SPOILER FOR REBLES (read at your own peril)
She was originally named Callista in this story but as soon Ursa;s name was revealed in Rebles i went back and changed it. That's right, this is Sabine Wren's Mother!
Okay, once more sorry for the short chapter. Be sure to check out my other works, Especially my new fic Once Upon a Time in Gotham for any fans of DC/Vertigo.
Happy trails.
