Fenter was a Trandoshan bounty hunter. A fairly good one too… not that many people knew about it. If he was called on, then they wanted someone iced and they wanted it done quickly and quietly.
And the target was usually high-profile and hard to kill.
A few months back he had been in talks with a client to take out the Queen of Naboo. It didn't really appeal to Fenter. Sure, the Queen was extremely high-profile, but she wasn't a warrior. She wouldn't fight back. She'd just sit there and hope her bodyguards did their job.
But still, it was a job for a frequent customer.
Except the customer went missing and the job went with it. No big loss as far as he was concerned.
But then he received a new contract from a new client. Someone wanted him to take out the mysterious Emperor of Magic.
This was something that grabbed Fenter's attention. Even though he couldn't see anything special about the armoured ruler, the challenge was enough that he would be respected amongst all trandoshans.
Of course… the pay was pretty damned good too.
He'd travelled to Naboo where The Emperor was currently visiting. He'd set up a sniper's nest and waited.
He'd been disgusted when he saw his target casually strolling around the grounds of the palace. It made him want to go down and do this in person. But that's not what the client wanted.
So he took his shot.
Fenter had looked on in confusion as the Emperor's companion dropped to the ground. He quickly checked his sights and his instruments. He played back the recording he made for the client.
How had the bullet not penetrated? It was designed to pierce armoured vehicles.
He couldn't risk another shot so he packed up and prepared for a quick getaway. He couldn't risk another attempt on this planet.
Somehow… and he couldn't believe it… he had been taken down by some kid Jedi… a Twi'lek. When this got out he would be a laughingstock.
"Mister Fenter?"
Oh, and now they had some human whelp of a hatchling trying to interrogate him.
"Listen kid, I wouldn't talk to the Jedi so why would I talk to you?" Fenter glared at Harry across the interrogation table.
"Oh, you don't have to talk." Harry grinned. "I've already sifted through your mind. I didn't get much, but I did get details on that Mandalorian contract."
Fenter froze. He'd literally sent off a message accepting the contract to assassinate some Mandalorian woman whilst waiting for his flight in the bar before the Twi'lek got him.
"You've got no proof." Fenter bluffed.
Harry idly scratched at the table top. "The way I understand it, I don't need proof. As soon as your client hears you blabbed then you'll be on everybody's hit list."
Fenter mentally cursed. He'd thought the boy was naïve. Too young to understand how to use any information. He'd forgotten that he was in Jedi custody in a Naboo interrogation room with the Empire of Magic biting at the bit to get at him.
He should have known this job was cursed.
"What do you want?" Fenter growled unhappily.
"To walk out of here and leave you to the tender mercies of my wookie friend."
That thought hadn't crossed his mind. He knew there were wookies nearby, something to do with a military training camp. He hadn't thought that the Empire or the Naboo would turn him over to the wookies. His kind hunted them for sport.
"You might as well just kill me then. I'll never tell you anything voluntarily."
"We never intended to just 'ask'." Harry smirked.
Fenter was deathly afraid as a floating black droid entered the room. It was covered in syringes… this was not going to be pleasant.
"Despicable creation."
Everyone present in the room was shocked by the venom from the Grand Master.
They were watching the Trandoshan being injected by the black droid as he screamed.
"I can't believe we are condoning torture." Knight Vos said with shame.
"The only torture is fear." Sirius said dismissively. "And it only lasts a few seconds… see?"
The Trandoshan had slumped into something of a stupor as the droid retreated back a few feet and Harry began talking.
"Each of those needles is coated with a numbing agent so they are barely felt. The substance that was injected is a mild hallucinogen combined with something to induce euphoria.
"As far as that monster is concerned, he is having the time of his life as he spills his guts to Harry."
"If it is so… benign, why does Master Yoda hate it?" Padawan Secura enquired.
"Because he cannot stand the screams of terror… He has always been the angel to my devil. If I had been alone, without Garaka or Yoda, I would have done many bad things with the sole intent of preparing for Harry's arrival."
"Restrained yourself, you did." Yoda assured the floating holocron. "Left a legacy Harry can be proud of… mostly." He finished with a shrug as he glanced at the black sphere.
Harry was sitting at the table in The Ghosts common area with Padme, Yoda, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and Sirius. Also present was Jedi Vos.
"It will not be long before every Force-Sensitive that meets you in both your guises realises who you are." Vos was explaining. "Forgive me, Your Majesty." He nodded to Padme who was clearly surprised. "But I would not be surprised if there are many out there who are aware of your ruse.
"It is much better hidden than Harry's due to you being seen next to the 'Queen'. But, if a Force-Sensitive spends much time around a person, they get a feel for that person's presence in The Force.
"It was only after my realisation regarding Harry and the Emperor that I started to examine the presence of everyone around him. Which has led me to your ruse."
Padme nodded, clearly shaken by the revelation that her secret may not have been so… secret.
"Do you have any suggestions on how to handle this?" Sirius asked the knight.
"Honesty." Vos stated without pause. "I understand the need and desire to employ these ruses, but, I believe they have become more of a burden than a help."
"I would be an open target for assassination." Padme reasoned calmly.
"Should your decoy be successfully eliminated in her duties, you would then need to reveal the ruse. And there is no certainty that the people would believe your claims.
"Fenter took a route that was extremely risky. He made a direct attack on Harry. Whilst he was some distance from his target, he was still present and used a method that any skilled investigator could use to track the location from where he attacked.
"Your ruse will not work if the assassin simply sabotages your ship or plants a bomb.
"As Harry discovered today, even a direct attack can have unforeseen casualties."
"If I made it obvious who I was, then people wouldn't mistakenly target someone like you or Obi Wan." Harry nodded.
"Pup, before your girlfriend tears into you, I don't think Quinlan was suggesting you make yourself a target."
Sure enough, Padme looked ready to spit nails.
"I wasn't going to!" Harry objected quickly. "I need my private identity for when I do my sneaky missions."
"I do not understand, Harry, surely a mission involving stealth would require you to conceal all aspects of your person." Vos frowned.
"I meant like fake identities."
"Again… I fail to see how using 'Harry Potter' would accomplish that."
Harry opened his mouth to explain… but stopped. He closed his mouth.
"Drop, the penny has." Yoda smirked at Sirius.
"That was one of the dumbest things I've ever heard him say." Sirius agreed.
"Whilst Harry could be himself as the Emperor, I have family. I couldn't put them at risk." Padme said firmly.
"True." Sirius agreed. "If she did then her family would need significant visible protection that would severely affect their lives."
"Do they not already have protection?" Quinlan asked with concern.
"Secrecy is their protection." Padme said firmly.
"Secrecy is their death sentence." He countered calmly. "All it takes is for one person to discover their existence, and then they will be used as leverage over you."
Padme was clearly beginning to panic.
"Breathe, young one." Yoda instructed as Sirius indicated to Harry that he should comfort his girlfriend.
"I'll be right back." Harry said before vanishing on the spot.
Sirius was dumbfounded. He knew Harry had seen his motions… so why had he left?
There was a pop as Harry reappeared with a woman holding a baby. The woman dropped to her knees as Quinlan smoothly moved forward to steady her and the baby. She knelt there gasping as Padme rushed over.
"Sithspit! That is absolutely horrible!"
"Harry!" Padme exclaimed as she saw her brother-in-law and niece appear.
"Again! Again!" Little Ryoo squealed happily as she jumped up and down in front of Harry, her arms in the air, begging to be picked up.
"Maybe later." Harry gave the little girl a smile.
"So what was the emergency?" Darred grumbled as he picked up his toddler.
"We were worried that Padme's identity had been compromised and you might be in danger as a result." Harry said as he conjured some extra chairs for the new arrivals.
"We said it was a 'possibility'!" Sirius was exasperated.
"Two Jedi have already deduced my secret." Harry glared at his godfather. "Jedi Vos has already managed to figure out Padme's. The droids can all see the truth about Padme.
"Do you really think it is worth the risk to wait?"
"Droids can see through your decoy system?" Sola asked her sister worriedly. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Only Harry's droids could do it, Sola." Padme assured her.
"Any droid can do it if they have good enough… eyes?" Harry shrugged.
"And that won't take into account droids used to examine visual recordings." Darred frowned. "Thank you for getting us, Harry." The man said sincerely.
Padme was looking positively nauseous.
Rather than uproot Padme's entire family and confine them to The Ghost, R2-D2 ordered a squad of droids to sit in the family's cellar in case of emergency.
Chewbacca had offered to go with them back to the house to ensure it was safe.
Padme was clearly upset by the revelation that her family could have been at risk all this time. Unfortunately, she couldn't leave the city at the moment as she was still dealing with the demands for her to stay on the throne.
"My stance has not changed." She informed the group begging her to remain on the throne. "Whilst I still wish to serve my people, I also wish to have my own personal life."
"Your Majesty, that is exactly what we are offering." Jared spoke up. "If I might be so bold, what we offer is the added protection that might be unavailable should you abdicate."
"Explain quickly, before we begin to infer maliciousness, Sir." Padme glared at the young man.
"As Queen, your access to resources is limited only by their quantity. You may have the entire Naboo Security Force follow you around. As a commoner, you wouldn't have that as it would fall to the new monarch.
"This means that should you have the life you want, even a family, you would be able to utilise the resources of our people to ensure their protection.
"Speaking as a recent victim of association to powerful people, I beg you to remain queen for that reason alone. I would be overjoyed to see you build a family. But it would break my heart should it be torn down by assassins."
Jared now had Padme in a quandary. As much as she wanted to leave the throne and simply be with Harry, she had a family already. She knew Harry would offer to protect them, but that would be difficult as it would mean having Empire droids on Naboo. That may not be an issue now, but she didn't know what a future monarch would say.
"We will talk more tomorrow." She said, clearly in deep thought. She didn't pay any attention as Governor Bibble ushered the group out, leaving Harry and the handmaidens to handle the Queen.
"Padme?"
The Queen looked up to see Eirtae holding her gloved hand with concern. "My sister. Even if I wasn't involved with Harry, I have two beautiful nieces." She said forlornly.
"I spoke with Jedi Vos." Rabe spoke up. "His points are valid regarding our current system. But if you decided to stay on as Queen, our current protection system wouldn't work. We look similar, but that will change as we age."
"I can change your looks with magic on a temporary basis. I'd have to do it every time you went out, but I could do it." Harry offered.
There was a sniffle and Padme wiped at her wet eyes. Harry deactivated his helmet and pulled her into a hug as her dog circled around them worriedly.
"We will talk to my sister." She eventually said. "If she agrees then I will stay on as Queen. But I will do so as Padme Amidala Naberrie. They will accept that I am in a relationship with Harry James Potter, The Emperor of Magic."
Padme didn't know whether to be pleased or annoyed that her sister had told her to remain queen. Or that the government had acquiesced to all her demands.
She did feel guilty that Harry was suddenly mobbed by the representatives when they discovered that Harry Potter and the Emperor were the same people. Especially as both were acknowledged as playing major roles in the defence of the planet and queen.
"What's got you looking all grumpy and pouty?"
Padme jumped as Sirius' orb floated up from the grounds to her private balcony. "Don't do that!"
"Sorry, I'll be sure to play a fanfare to announce my impending arrival in future." He retorted. "Now, what's wrong?"
"I want to marry Harry." She sighed as she leant her elbows on the stone railing. "But now that I forced Harry to reveal himself as The Emperor, it means the whole thing has to be treated as an elaborate treaty signing.
"If he was still a secret, then I would just be a Queen marrying a recognised hero and friend."
Sirius' image was floating there, blinking owlishly. "Married? Aren't you only fourteen?"
"I will be sixteen this week."
Sirius frowned. "I'm not familiar with Naboo customs, but… is it common for people to marry that young?"
"No, but it is not unheard of. Young females are chosen as Queens more than males as they are considered innocent and wise."
"Does Harry know you want to get married?"
"We have discussed it."
"I meant as in, does he know you want to start planning for one in the next year or so?"
"I assume so."
Sirius was really wishing he had a physical body to slap her with. Instead he floated his orb into the back of her head.
"You are being a right idiot, Padme." He admonished. "You can't just assume something as important as that! You need to sit down with Harry and outright ask him if he wants to marry you and when."
Padme rubbed her sore head. "He knows, Sirius." Her hand snapped out and she grabbed the orb, banging it firmly onto the railing and holding it there. "We've been talking about getting married for months. We were planning on having a private ceremony in secret.
"Now that I might be staying on as queen and having a lot of concessions made, we are thinking of making it more public. Something for the people to enjoy."
The grumpy pair stayed, resting on the railing.
"If you were thinking of making it public, then what is the issue?"
"Politics." Padme sighed. "This will be a joining of two realms. My people will be demanding all sorts of things as they believe they will have the ear of our supreme leader."
"Then remove the politics." Sirius shrugged. "Make it clear that the marriage is between Padme and Harry. The roles and relations of Queen and Emperor shall be unchanged."
"Sirius, Harry might have full control of the Empire, I do not have the same over Naboo."
"I can't believe they agreed."
"Padme, back home, we had a saying: 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.'" Harry said as he held his girlfriend as they snuggled in for the night in her bed.
Padme sighed in frustration. "What is a horse?"
Harry laughed. "A four-legged animal. Often used for riding and labour.
"My point was that you shouldn't worry so much. You have nearly everything you could want. You get to live your life and continue your work."
"I'm just waiting for the Hutt to come for his payment."
"What? What Hutt?" Harry demanded as he sat up.
Padme pushed him back down. "That's one of our sayings. Essentially it means that everything has a price."
"Try and avoid saying things like that, please. I thought I was going to have to fight the Hutts sooner."
Padme scowled, her face hidden as she rested her head on Harry's chest. She hated the way he casually talked about having to fight. It was never a matter of Harry saying he wanted to. It was more of a statement of fact. Someone was always going to come after him.
Harry started to develop a slight case of nerves. Padme was now actively beginning to make arrangements for their marriage. Padme had noticed his nerves and he had to assure her it wasn't nerves about them being married, it was nerves about a big spectacle wedding.
Unfortunately neither he nor Padme could do much about that. Even R2 refused to let it be anything less than a galactic event.
The initial sticking point was where the wedding would be held. The Queen's advisors wanted it on Naboo. Senior officials in the Empire were demanding their planets.
Harry didn't care. Padme was beginning to get frustrated with it all.
Harry decided she needed to blow off some steam. Which is why she was firing a blaster rifle down a firing range at Padawan Secura.
Barriss had wanted to do it… but Padme had taken one look at the cute little face and couldn't bring herself to do it.
Harry had to promise her a session later.
"Enough." Knight Vos spoke firmly over the blaster fire.
Harry put a hand on Padme's shoulder, just in case she hadn't heard.
"I can keep going, Master!" Aayla objected.
"'Can' is not 'should', Aayla." Quinlan chided gently. "There will be time to test your endurance later. This session was not for you."
"Thank you, Padawan, Jedi Vos." Padme was breathing slightly heavier than normal.
"You are welcome, Your Majesty." Quinlan inclined his head. "But I do not think this method of release was useful to you."
"No." She reached up and squeezed Harry's hand, still on her shoulder. "I can fight and I will fight, but I am not a fighter… not a warrior."
"Perhaps you should seek out Master Yoda. You have enough of a connection to the Force that you could benefit from meditation."
Despite claiming to have successfully meditated, Yoda still called Harry to carry his sleeping fiancée back to her bed for the night.
As pouty as she got over being teased, she was a lot more relaxed.
Yoda found himself with a second pupil. Sirius privately teased his old friend as he was clearly very happy to be teaching again.
The wedding was being scheduled for the following year. Details were still being hammered out but Harry had put his foot down as Emperor and declared it would be held on Naboo, his future wife's home.
Harry decided it was time to try and talk to one of the Hutts. He had come a long way in his training. He was never going to be able to go toe-to-toe with a Jedi or Sith, but if he did things right, he could still win.
He had boarded The Ghost with Sirius, Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO, Yoda, the Jedi and Padme and her handmaidens.
And their dogs.
Things were a bit cramped, but the Jedi were content to bunk in the cargo hold.
They travelled to Tatooine before disembarking on The Phantom and heading down to the Dune Sea and the location of the palace of Jabba the Hutt.
Padme was left on the ship with Chewbacca, her handmaidens and the droids. This was a stealth mission.
Unfortunately, Barriss and Ayala had been informed that they were not ready for a mission of this nature, so the rest of the ship bound members had to deal with a grumpy pair of padawans and a queen who was ready to bite anyone's head off as she was so tense.
Fortunately, Chewbacca was familiar with the three ladies and had them seated in the common area as he instructed Ayala to guide the other two through meditation.
The droids and handmaidens were banished to the kitchen or the bridge to monitor the situation and prepare for the others return.
It was an entire day before Harry and the others returned, utterly exhausted.
"What happened?"
The returning team glared back at the young Padawan, glaring at them.
Eventually Vos patted Obi-Wan on the back, gave him a commiserating smile and moved to sit at the table.
"Barriss, if you don't learn some patience, I will lock you in your cabin and we won't tell you anything until we get back to Naboo." Harry warned her.
The little girl's eyes widened. She clamped her hand over her mouth.
Obi-Wan was looking curiously at Harry even as Yoda shook his head with a sigh.
"Long story short, we captured Jabba." Harry said as he slumped onto a sofa he had installed. He leant his head on Padme's shoulder and closed his eyes.
"Harry, go to bed." Sirius ordered. "I can tell them what happened."
The wizard didn't argue as he levered himself off the sofa and headed for his cabin.
"Don't worry, Padme." Sirius assured her. "He's fine, just tired. He'll be lucky if he manages to change before he gets in bed."
"You didn't fight anyone?" She asked curiously.
"Just our bloody nerves." The deceased man grumbled as he landed his orb on the table.
"As you know, we could not enter with Harry." Quinlan explained as he took a seat on the sofa, the others finding their own spots. "We remained near and listened to Harry as he reported. He was stuck in that place for hours just watching Jabba feast and… " The Knight sighed. "Hutts are not good people. Harry witnessed many, many evils. But he stayed true to his mission and did not act.
"He was eventually able to catch the Hutt with just his pet and two slaves."
"So his spell worked?"
The returned team shared a grim look.
"What? What happened." Padme demanded.
"Padme, Harry saw many horrors… we're talking about someone who remembers his parents murder, his own torture and has sifted through the minds of three Sith." Sirius said with a shudder. "Whatever he saw today… his spell worked. Jabba the Hutt became a simple stone.
"But, Harry smashed the stone… he killed Jabba."
Padme's eyes widened. "But… he's never killed! Even when he rescued Komari."
"Which should go to show just how badly this mission affected Harry." Obi-Wan said as he looked sadly at the door the wizard had left through.
"What are the Council going to do to him?"
Padme and those that remained behind looked at Aayla in shock.
"What do you mean?" Barriss asked worriedly.
"Jedi don't condone assassination or murder." Aayla said sadly. "Jedi are often the ones who stop assassins."
"Nothing." Yoda stated quietly, his eyes closed. "Nothing will the Council do. Killed did Harry, yes. Many he saved with one act."
"Master Yoda, I am certainly opposed to Harry being sanctioned." Obi-Wan frowned. "But surely the Council won't simply sit back and do nothing."
"Kid, you do realise that the reason Jabba was so powerful was because the Council did nothing?" Sirius asked.
Obi Wan shook his head. "I am not questioning the past, I am simply concerned for the future. Harry's future. I do not know why the Council refused to involve themselves, but… we all know Harry's history. Somebody will push for him to be… 'dealt with' in some manner."
"Obi-Wan, who is going to know?" Quinlan pointed out. "None of us will speak of this as the mission is far from over. When the rest of the galaxy realises that the Hutts kingdom of crime has vanished, what recourse could they take against a man with an Empire at his back?
"What justification could they argue that would satisfy the people compared to the end of the slavery and misery?"
"I hope you are right, Knight Vos." Obi-Wan shook his head tiredly.
"But?" Yoda prompted.
"But if we are wrong then this could tear the galaxy apart. It is just the sort of thing the Senate is looking for to justify action against the Empire."
"The Force speaks to you? Or prediction from past events, you make?"
"I… I do not know. I will meditate on my feelings and seek out the Force." Obi-Wan decided with conviction. "Barriss, come on. You should be in bed by now."
"What? But I only just had breakfast!" She objected.
"Obi-Wan, you've been gone for a whole day." Padme informed him.
"Oh… oh dear." The young knight muttered.
"I can handle Barriss' training for the day." Aayla offered.
"Agreed." Quinlan placed an authoritative hand on the younger knight's shoulder. "We must rest as there is still work to be done before we can return to Naboo."
Bib Fortuna carefully opened the door to his master's private chambers. It was all part of his morning duties to wake the Hutt and clean up any mess from his night's activities. It was not a pleasant job.
Usually the girls were relatively unharmed. Occasionally a mop was needed.
Bib stepped across the threshold and froze. He took a second and then turned to look back at the door he had walked through. Yep, same door he used every morning.
"Close the door."
Bib jumped at the voice coming from the silver armoured being sitting on a large chair. Assembled behind the famous figure of the Emperor of Magic were several Jedi, a wookie and three droids.
"Do not make the Emperor repeat himself." The floating droid with the projected hologram snarled.
Bib quickly slammed the door shut.
The room was completely different. Forget the fact that Jabba was nowhere to be seen. The walls were now clean and white. The large 'bed' was gone along with all other furnishings.
"C-3PO." The Emperor said quietly.
The golden protocol droid stepped forward. "His Majesty, the Emperor of Magic, has deemed your former master to be too evil to live. Jabba Desilijic Tiure has been executed for his crimes.
"Despite your clear, willing participation in Jabba's crimes, the Emperor has decided to offer you the chance to serve him in overseeing Jabba's crime-syndicate."
Bib could only stare at the droid. What exactly was he supposed to say? He was Jabba's major-domo for a very good reason. He was too spineless to betray his master.
"Speak."
Bib jumped at the quiet order from the Emperor.
"I- I accept?"