Chapter 7
"Get your fierfeking hands off me!" I overheard Tawny yelling at the arresting authorities as they dragged her out of the building, her hands cuffed before her. "Fierfeking chaakar, maybe you could do your kriffing jobs for once and let me go!"
I had to admit, I was a bit surprised. She was far more polite towards them then she had been to me during the duration of the flight she spent in the holding cell. She was lucky she looked human, or else they probably would've shot her. These officers were clearly not the finest Coruscant had to offer, nor were the most reputable either. Any idiot could tell that by the way they were dragging Tawny towards the transport.
"Shaddap," one of the officers growled as he roughly tossed her inside the transport, slamming the door behind him as he locked it. He stood outside the transport with another officer, complaining about their work. "I hate Senatorial aides; they think just because they work for the politicians they can get away with whatever they want."
"Prissy brats," the other agreed, "Need to show them that they aren't in charge around here: we are."
"I'm just glad we don't have to file a report on this one."
"I'm glad there's no one recording us."
"Yeah. Maybe if they knew they'd all be dead without us, they'd let us do our kriffin' jobs."
"They'd still be ungrateful twerps," the other officer muttered. Despite this obvious distrust for civilians, and lack of honor within either man, I decided to approach them.
"Damn off-worlder," I heard one of them mutter as they both eyed me suspiciously. Just because they were suspicious, did not mean they were intelligent. They allowed me to approach them to the point they were within reach. He raised his voice, "Sir this is a crime scene. Go about your business."
"This is my business," I replied bluntly.
"This is CSF business," the other guard grunted.
"I don't care," I answered, grabbing the first guard by the collar.
"Hey! What are you…" He was interrupted as I slammed his head against the metal of the transport, concussing him. I dropped his unconscious form to the ground as I ducked under a fist of his companion, before grabbing that man's head and introducing it to the armor plating over my knee. I smirked under my helmet. The bounty was finally mine.
I unlocked the back of the transport by bashing the lock in two, to find Tawny leaning against a wall, head held down. She looked up, expecting a CSF officer, only to be met by me. I could tell by her expression she was surprised. I was even more surprised when she spoke.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you have no idea how glad I am to see you," she commented as she scurried towards me, holding her cuffed hands in front of her. I stared silently. She motioned with her wrists once more. "C'mon, cut me loose."
"Now why would I do that?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"Because we're on the same side."
"Then why'd you press a gun to my neck?" I hissed.
"Why'd you lock me in a cage?" She retorted with equal acidity.
"There's a bounty I want to collect."
"Well," she gave me a defiant look of disapproval, questioning my intelligence without a word, "If you don't let me out now, CSF will beat you to it."
"As long as you're in jail." She rolled her eyes.
"These guys are corrupt, Sev! They aren't real officers; they'll shoot us both first and then ask questions!"
"And if I drag you out I'll have all the honest ones after me," I growled. I certainly did not like the officers I encountered here, but I did not want to risk overly antagonizing a corrupt cop if it meant having a hundred honest ones chasing me.
"And you'll still have to drag me along."
"But turning you gets me out."
"You're denser than the armor of your fierfeking helmet," she grumbled, "Sev, please, people will die if you don't help me!"
"I. Don't. Care."
"If you don't," She threatened, "I will scream my head off so loudly that ever CSF officer on the planet will be after your head."
"And you'll never get away," I replied. She was determined, I'll give her that. She was certainly willing to test how far I would go. I could tell by the way she glared at me that she certainly pondered alerting the guards.
"Look," she began one final plea. "I can get you the money you were promised, and erase any warrants for your arrest…and you know that your employer didn't tell you everything." She stuck her bound wrists before my face again, "So if you let me go, you'll get your credits, you'll get a pardon, and you can collect whatever bounty is on your employer, because there has to be one somewhere."
I still stared silently at her, arms remaining crossed. Her offer, I admit, was tempting. I do not enjoy betraying employers. In fact, it is a dishonorable and disreputable business practice. Yet my current employer was less honorable than a Hutt, so perhaps I could stretch my code, just once. Besides, the idea he had a bounty on his head and could give me the same answers I needed was quite the incentive. Somehow, I knew beating information I wanted out of my employer would be more satisfying than it would be with Tawny, simply just to bash in that stupid rat face of his.
"Fine," I growled, doubting my own judgment. It was a leap of faith at the very least. Even she seemed a bit surprised when I agreed. "Watch yourself," I commented as I grabbed my blaster, blasting the lock off her cuffs. They dropped, smoking to the ground, clanging clumsily as the made impact. Tawny felt her wrists as she jumped out of the transport, before she looked at me, a mild smile on her face.
"Thanks Sev," she acknowledged as she embraced me. Tawny can be rather grateful towards any ally, I learned that day. I stood rather stiffly, needless to say, as a professional in a cut throat business; I was not particularly used to this sort of affection from attractive women. It can be a dangerous distraction. It was.
As she ended the embrace, I was still facing the now open transport, and I heard someone behind me speak while a blaster, once again, was pressed into my back.
"You're under arrest," the voice declared, "Hands up now."
I grumbled something incoherently as I glanced over my shoulder. About ten officers surrounded us. I should have realized blasting her cuffs off would have attracted too much unwanted attention. I looked back at her. A determined glare was upon her face, a wild gleam in her eyes. I recognized that expression.
It was the expression of a warrior.
"Duck," she stated, much to my confusion. Regardless, I complied, and her fist instantly sailed over my head into the jaw of the officer who had spoken, who went reeling before he could fire a shot. Immediately she leapt past me and was upon him, striking him once more, knocking him unconscious. Another officer threw himself at her, grabbing her in a chokehold. She responded by flipping him over her back, before scrambling away as the others began reaching for their blasters. One of them decided to block her escape route, but she jammed her shoulder into his chest, knocking him backwards as she swiped a canister from his belt, flinging it back towards us.
"Kriff it!" One of the officers yelled as the canister exploded in a bright flash, disorienting the officers. They began stumbling about in an incoherent manner, however the stunning effects had little to no effect on me, thanks to my armor. I decided once more to give chase. I knew I had made the wrong decision in trusting her now. She was simply using me as an advantage, as all good warriors do, to aid in her own escape. I wasn't going to allow her to escape unpunished this time.
"Hey stop! Stop him!" I heard the officers yell behind me as they recovered. I cursed, it was not something I particularly wanted to do considering the attention it would attract, but it was the best way of stopping their pursuit. I twisted around, raising my arm and aiming towards them. I fired a lone rocket into the street before them, blasting debris up in the ensuring explosion. I turned back, sprinting after Tawny. I knew I couldn't allow her to reach the river of sentients where I would certainly lose her. I rushed ahead, paying no attention to anyone who was near me. I should have noticed a human emerging from an alley as I rushed past her.
Soon I reached the flow of beings, stopping abruptly. "Fierfek!" I cursed loudly. She was gone again. Now I had to run from the law and track a bounty. This had become an irritant now. Knowing the officers would soon give chase once more, I ducked down an alley, concealing myself in the shadows. There, I found myself standing next to a human woman, with shimmering golden-red hair and a dancer's figure. Additionally, she possessed piercing green eyes. It was the one I passed earlier. She had hidden here before I had, hoping I would give chase into the crowd. This disguise would have fooled most hunters. Too bad I'm better than most hunters.
"Nice try," I stated as I jabbed my blaster into the woman's back.
"Someone's not as stupid as they look," she admitted as she raised her arms in surrender.
"And you're not as jaded as you look," I replied. How Tawny had managed to change her appearance so completely yet rapidly escaped my understanding. It seemed impossible. "Answers," I ordered, "Now."
"Fine," she admitted with a sigh, finally realizing she wouldn't escape me. I had to admit, it was a bit unexpected; she was far sincerer with her promise when I had freed her than I believed. "Just, give me a minute." I was about to protest, before I was overcome with awe as the human before me transformed from a red haired woman with shimmering emerald eyes and a dancer's figure, into another human, but with blue eyes and a brown braid: my target. She turned around to face me, hands still up.
"What the…" I muttered.
"I guess you can tell I'm not human," she admitted.
"What are you?"
"Clawdite," she confessed: a changeling. That explained the rapidly changing appearance. It would have made her far more difficult to track as well. I actually wondered why she didn't use it more.
"Then why do you take human form?"
"My parents died when I was young," she paused, "And I was raised by humans."
"Mandalorians?" I asked. Family is an important concept to us, and as a warrior people, we understand the bonds necessary to survive warfare. Adoption is something rather common amongst Mandalorians. Trust, respect, and affection are far more important than bloodlines.
She nodded before answering. "Elek, ni Mando'ad."
"Good," I answered as I holstered my blaster. Fellow Mandalorians, Death Watch hut'uune excluded, are the only people I consider trusting. "Why do you work for the Senate then?"
"I came here as a student, and the senator from Zolan's sector needed someone to do odd jobs for him and the Republic. I took it."
"Why do you care for the Republic?"
"I guess I fell for it," she confessed, "At least, I fell for the idea of the Republic, where all are welcome, and all are equal."
"It doesn't work that way," I growled at this naivety. She looked disdainfully at me.
"Then why don't you try to fix it?"
"It isn't my problem."
"I'm just trying to make this galaxy a bit of a better place."
"You left a child with a homicidal bounty hunter," I countered as I crossed my arms.
Tawny rolled her eyes, "You didn't kill her."
"I wanted to."
"But you didn't, so I'd say I did alright."
"I'd say you're stretching the truth."
"What I told you was the truth," she paused for a moment before conceding, "From a certain point of view."
"So you lied?"
"I did not!" She responded indignantly.
"All criminals are liars."
"Look, I'll admit I took money from your employer," Tawny grumbled, "But it wasn't as if I bought a starship with it!"
"It was still theft."
"Right, and you wouldn't steal from a corporation that treats its workers like slaves to pay for a child's medical support?"
"What does a kid have anything to do with that?" I asked; irritated Tawny had seemingly changed the topic on a whim. Tawny rolled her eyes once more.
"That bandage on Lena's shoulder, you didn't think that was for show, did you? Or maybe you did, it seems like something you'd do."
"What the hell's wrong with the kid?"
"She has some genetic disease, and her parents couldn't afford the treatment," Tawny explained, "So I sure as hell wasn't going to let your employer get away with screwing people while a five-year-old kid would die."
"I think you overstepped your authority."
"And you wouldn't do the same?" She asked, more daring me to accept a challenge than attempting to satisfy her curiosity.
"This is about you. Not me."
"Nice job avoiding the question."
"You're avoiding the real issue here. You said you have information you'd give me. Tell it."
"That won't be necessary," another voice, a Concord Dawn accent interrupted. Tawny had lost focus on me and was now looking at the person behind me. Then I turned around to find I was staring at a Mandalorian, the same one who had fought Bossk on Tatooine judging by the armor.
"Why not?"
"I have information you want," the Mandalorian answered with a decided bluntness about him. Personally, I liked him. He was a good hunter. Actually, as I scanned the armor, I noted he wasn't simply a good hunter; he was one of the best, if not the best.
"She said the same thing," I motioned to Tawny, "Why should I believe you?"
"Because you don't have a choice."
"Why not?"
"It's me or a CSF cell."
"I can manage on my own," I responded, despite not being entirely sure how I could avoid CSF for an extended period of time.
"I'm sure you can," he answered, "But a good hunter uses everything," he paused, "and everyone to his advantages, allies included."
"We aren't allies."
"Not at the moment."
"So what are we, neutral?"
"You could become a very fortunate or very unfortunate man today." He explained, "It depends on how reasonable you're being."
"You're making me an offer?"
"Have you been listening?" Tawny interjected. I glared at her. She shrugged, "I thought he was being forward enough."
"I'll be brief," the hunter stated as I focused back upon him. "You're a clone, my son."
"I'm a clone?" I repeated skeptically. I suppose I should have realized that, any normal being would probably have reacted with some panic. Yet the concept had not particularly phased me, and considering I had no memory of my parents, well, parent, I hadn't ignored the possibility.
"Of me," the Mandalorian answered, "My name is…"
"Jango Fett," I finished the sentence. The armor and the accent were unmistakable. "I know who you are."
"Good," he answered, before returning to explanation, "You were created by Kamino for the Republic."
"You don't care for the Republic," I observed.
"It's strictly business."
"And her?" I pointed to Tawny. Fett looked past my shoulder towards her. I noticed she briefly shied away from eye contact.
"We need to have a chat later," he commented, before returning focus to me. "Let's say you've been rather fortunate, and now isn't time to let that luck run out on you."
"I don't particularly feel lucky."
"You killed one of the cloners and stole a ship," he stated, "The fact you're still alive proves your lucky."
"It proves I'm good at what I do," I growled. He stared silently at me for a moment.
"Good. You passed."
"I passed? What the fierfek is that supposed to mean?"
"Some cloners wanted to test the Fett genome out in the wider galaxy," he explained, "You offered an opportunity, and you survived."
"Great," I sarcastically answered, "So now what happens that I passed your little test?"
"You have a decision to make. You can forget collecting that bounty, and return to Kamino and train with the army. Or you can stay here and die."
"Army life doesn't pay well," I commented.
"Neither does being dead." I turned around, glaring at Tawny. She shrugged silently. She must have agreed with his logic. I turned back towards Jango.
"Fine." I answered, not seeing any viable alternatives. I could try to survive on Coruscant on my own for a while, but CSF would be rather keen on retaliating against a bounty hunter who interfered in an arrest. Furthermore, Jango had been more forthcoming than my employer ever had been, and seemed like the more honest businessman of the two. I would recommend associating with the honest ones more than dishonest associates. Besides, at least I finally understood what Kamino had to do with everything. I motioned for him to go ahead of me, "Lead the way."
"Good choice," he responded before walking past me, before stopping before Tawny. Despite the helmet concealing his emotions, it was clear he was displeased. "I know you have a job to do," he muttered lowly, "But one word of this to the Senate would be your last, understood?"
"But I…" Tawny began to protest only to be immediately silenced by Jango.
"No negotiations," he declared with great finality, before motioning for us to follow him.
Thanks for reading! Future chapters are currently in the works and will be along as soon as humanly possible; depending on schedules and such. I'd like to shout out a fellow writer, Jedi Commando13, as he's helped me so much with this story, and I haven't thanked him enough for his help, support and editing skills. I really hope this is a good read for you all and I hope you will stick with it! Thanks again, and I'll see you in the next chapter!
