Chapter Three: Within the Rules

Mako stepped out of the room to order some food and drinks from the cantina. Braden was fond of bantha flank, and Jory asked for an order of Batuu Bits. The drinks and Jory's snack were ready immediately, but it took about twenty minutes for Braden's steak to reach his preferred state: scorched black and tough as leather.

She paid no attention to the men who walked past her, heading to the private rooms. The Poison Pit received a lot of foot traffic, and Braden's was far from the only room rented. But when she headed back with the food, she heard voices from inside their room. Voices other than her friends.

She stopped in her tracks. She set her implants to amplify the conversation, just in time to catch Braden, replying to the intruders.

"If you know what's good for you, you're both gonna back out of here nice and slow."

His tone was calm and firm, as always. His stillness under pressure had avoided many confrontations over the years, dozens of potential young turks thinking twice about crossing him in the face of those piercing blue eyes.

Unfortunately, his opponent in this case was not shaken.

"I know precisely what's good for me." Mako heard the sneer in the man's voice. A voice that sounded vaguely familiar. "Winning The Great Hunt will not merely be good," the man continued, "It will be splendid."

"You'll never win," Braden replied. "I remember you from ten years back, Tarro Blood." Evident scorn in the old man's voice. "You didn't even make it through the first round before – "

"This time I plan to win," Tarro replied. "This time, I will only be facing my fellow Mandalorians."

"What do you mean?"

Tarro laughed. "The Twi'lek vibroblade master from Ord Mantell? Gone. The Chiss droid builder and explosives expert? Gone. That leaves just your protégé to threaten my chances."

Jory cut in. "Then your mission is a failure," he snarled belligerently. "Your quarry is not here. And now revealed, your hunt has failed!"

"You misunderstand," Tarro said calmly. "The rules forbid killing competitors before the allotted hour. All of the promising up-and-comers I mentioned? They're very much alive. I simply eliminated them as threats."

Mako heard movement from inside the room. She couldn't quite decipher the sound.

"Tell me what you mean, son." There was a sound in Braden's voice that she'd never heard before.

"Sedyn." Tarro talking to his associate, now. "How does one slow a charging gundark?"

"Blast his legs out from under him," a giggly, high-pitched voice replied.

"Destroy the upstart's so-called crew?" Tarro feigned surprise. "Well, if you insist. I'll be outside, innocently unaware."

Mako rushed back to the cantina, escaping the hall just before Tarro left the room.

Where are you, Zarek? His meeting with Nem'ro had ended more than an hour ago. Why wasn't he back?

Tarro calmly walked through the cantina. Now she recognized him, from all the records and holos of previous Great Hunts that she had gone through in preparation. He saw her looking at him, smiled.

She felt bile rise in her throat, but she forced a return smile, then turned to the food on her tray. Two men sat at a nearby table. She carried them the tray, pulled up a chair for herself. They were surprised, but didn't protest – Few single men would be inclined to question free food and drinks, or pretty company.

Through her implants, she heard Braden call to Jory. The Nikto howled, the noise he made when he charged. She heard two blaster bolts, had to force herself not to react.

For a second, she held out hope. Jory was strong. Braden wasn't as fast as he once had been, but he retained a steady aim. If Jory's charge had caught Sedyn off-guard…

A wiry man emerged. He giggled, nasal and high-pitched, and nodded at Tarro. The two men left.

Mako held herself steady for a moment, making sure they were gone. Then she bolted to the back room.

Braden and Jory lay where they had fallen. Jory had been shot square in the forehead, the fatal blaster bolt cutting off his charge. Braden's gun was clutched tight in his hand. A half-second more, and he would have killed Sedyn. A few years earlier… But time had slowed his aim just enough.

Mako collapsed onto the floor, staring at the corpses. Braden, the only father she had ever known. Jory, who had been like a tough older brother. Gone in an instant.

She heard footsteps behind her. Had Tarro realized who she was, come back to finish the job?

"What happened?"

It was Zarek. She turned to him, feeling the heat in her face.

"Where were you?" she demanded.

She hurled herself at him, beating at his chest. If he had left Nem'ro's immediately, he would have been here in time to make a difference. Instead, he had lingered with that blonde pirate. Braden had died while the man he had pinned his hopes on had been bantering and sharing drinks.

His arms went around her, surprisingly gentle, as he let her pound on him.

"It's all right," he said softly. "It's all right."

He stood impassive, like a wroshyr tree, as she beat out her grief and anger on him. Then he held onto her as she sobbed and wailed into his chest.

Later, she sat in the chair at her desk, dully narrating to him the confrontation that ended Braden's life. The bodies still lay on the floor, though Zarek covered them with sheets.

"You did good," he told her.

"I did nothing!" she snapped.

He shook his head. "You kept your head, and you stayed alive. If you'd gone rushing in, you'd just be one more dead body."

Mako shook her head, rejecting any praise. "He didn't even have the guts to kill them himself," she said. "He had his lackey do it!"

"All within the rules," Zarek said bitterly. "Tell me about this 'Tarro Blood.' "

She took a breath, steadying herself.

"He's a Mandalorian," she said. "When he started out, he was major news. Rumor is, when he entered The Great Hunt ten years ago, everyone united against him. He barely survived, was out on his back for years."

"So this time, he's stacking the deck in his favor. Sounds like he's already nixed some other competitors."

Mako nodded. "If Blood's determined to win The Great Hunt, then our best chance of catching up to him is to get you into that competition. But Braden spent all our credits getting you here, and it's going to be days before the bounty for Vexx comes through."

"Which means we need Nem'ro more than ever," Zarek grunted.

This was not welcome news. He hated everything about Nem'ro's assignment. He was a bounty hunter, not a contract killer. He had hoped Braden would have a backup plan.

But, as the Hutt had so disgustingly said, if he wanted to win The Great Hunt, he had to be ready to do anything.

"Guess I'm going after one accountant, then."

Mako made a face. "Are you really going to…?"

"I came to win The Great Hunt," he said flatly. "Looks like I've got no other choice."

Mako nodded, trying not to look at the sheet-covered bodies.

"I'll take care of… arrangements," she said. "I hate this being their final resting place, but I'll try to do something decent for them."

"Let me know if you need anything," he said.

"Tarro Blood's head on a stick?"

He smiled humorlessly. "All in good time, kid. All in good time."

Cipher Nine - aka, the notorious Red Blade - lingered at Nem'ro's bar, keeping an eye out for Karrels Javis. She sat at a corner table, to discourage any of the locals from trying to be friendly. For the most part, it worked.

Until Kaliyo Djannis, the anarchist now acting as Nem'ro's security expert, slipped into the seat opposite her.

"You look dry," the Rattataki observed. "Why don't I get us both a drink?"

"I'm fine with water, and I don't believe you'll be staying."

"I prefer the good stuff," Kaliyo replied. "And if anyone's leaving, it's going to be you."

Kaliyo raised a hand. Without asking for an order, a server brought her a foul-smelling green concoction.

"My special," Kaliyo explained, raising the glass in a mock toast before drinking. "Try it?" she offered. "It'll put hairs on your chest."

"I think I prefer my chest hairless, thanks."

Kaliyo chuckled, leaned back. "I can't help but wondering," she said. "What's The Red Blade doing visiting Nem'ro's Palace?"

"You seem to have put some thought into the question. You tell me."

"I think you want what everyone wants," Kaliyo replied. "Money. Power. Maybe stir things up a little." She took another sip of her green goo. "I'd like to think you'll be trouble. I could enjoy keeping an eye on a bloodthirsty, treacherous pirate."

"I hope you're not flirting with me," Cipher said. "You're not my type."

"Yeah, I saw you with the Zabrak bounty hunter. The horns would be an issue for me, but..." Kaliyo shrugged and took another sip. A tiny coat of green now covered her upper lip. "If you are planning to be trouble, take your time. I'd hate to kill you before seeing everything you can do."

"If you see everything I can do, then you won't have the chance to kill me."

Kaliyo grinned. "Who's flirting now?"

She slid out of her chair, taking her drink with her. She cast a glance back over her shoulder as she disappeared into the staff door.

Cipher exhaled. Just what she needed.

Karrels Javis shuffled his bulk into the bar. He was with Nem'ro's Twi'lek lieutenant, Toth'lazhen. The two men were in the midst of a fierce argument, one they shouldn't have been having in public.

"Fa'athra is going to keep tapping our gas pocket," Javis said. "He isn't going to stop, and he'll end up cutting our supply in half!"

Toth'lazhen was unconcerned. "When Fa'athra's customers see he can't refine the gas like we can, they'll return to us. This is not a real problem. Just a short-term inconvenience." He saw Cipher Nine watching them. "Good day, Javis."

The Twi'lek gave a slight bow. He excused himself as she approached.

She smiled at Javis. "Something I said?" she asked mildly.

"You'll have to forgive us." He returned her smile with a kindly one of his own. "Legitimate business brings out the worst in us. It's so much more cutthroat than actual crime."

He jerked his head toward the staff door, and she followed him through.

"I've got about five minutes before I've gotta meet with some alien freaks," he said. "I wanna ask you something. You've been around the galaxy. What's it like dealing with the Empire?"

She looked guardedly back at him. "Why do you ask?"

"The Hutts have control of the gangs," he said. "But I think that real soon, the Republic and the Empire are gonna want control of the Hutts. So if we've gotta pick a side, I wanna pick a winner."

"You think that's the Empire?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Those HAVOC guys obviously thought so. But I don't wanna take a leap just because some Republic jarheads did. I wanna look at the full picture. It's not just business, y'know? My sons are free traders, they're doing business in the Sullest system. It's their first time dealing with the Empire, so I worry."

She could see him shifting his bulk from one foot to the other.

"Your sons will be OK," she assured him. "Most Imperials are as reasonable as anyone else. As long as they don't cross paths with any Sith, they'll be fine."

"The Sith are that bad?"

"I've only met a few," she confessed. "There aren't many of them, so the odds of running into one are small. But the couple I have met? Your security expert, Kaliyo, is a picture of stability by comparison."

He grunted, nodded. "I'll tell them to be careful. Thanks." He started to turn away.

"Maybe you can help me," she said. He turned back. "I'm here on vacation, but I'm already getting a little restless. I know I shouldn't have been listening – But it sounds like this Fa'athra is muscling in on your territory. I might be able to help with that. For a price."

Javis frowned, glanced down the hall. Seeing they were still alone, he stepped toward her.

"I can't do anything officially," he said. "Not without Nem'ro's go-ahead, and that idiot Twi'lek has his ear right now. But Fa'athra is tapping our gas pocket. Toth'lazhen says no problem, our customers will come back. Blind stupidity. As long as Fa'athra has access to our gas, he doesn't need our customers to shut us down."

"A sabotage operation?" She mulled it over.

"It would be damn dangerous," he told her. "And it's not like I can send anyone along with you."

She made a show of thinking it over.

"I think something can be arranged," she said after a moment. "As long as we understand that my services don't come cheap."

He grunted again. "Good work never does."