A.N: Before you guys kill me for uploading so late, I'm sorry for uploading so late. I was so backed up with school and work that I just had no time to work on writing! But Finals are over and I have a bit more time… at least until my winter session starts. But I'll do my best to update regularly! Thank you guys for being so patient and sticking around! Enjoy the Read!
Scattering the dust and sand about, the freighter landed on the spaceport near Mos Espa. The landing ramp of the freighter descended followed by the two Jedi. Quinlan walked down toward one of the employees of the port and paid the usual fees.
"First things first." Quinlan spoke as they exited the port into Mos Espa, "We need to pay a visit to one of my informants and see what kind of security the hutts have these days. We'd be getting ourselves killed if we just walked in and Gardulla was in an unfriendly mood. Better safe than sorry." "Seems logical." Jinn responded.
The blinding winds of sand and various particles swam through the scorching, dry air; Jinn had almost forgotten the searing heat of Tatooine. They walked past the various rancid merchant stands and alcohol soiled cantinas until Vos stopped suddenly and raised his hand slightly to signal Jinn to stop as well.
"Wait here." Vos said, walking further on and sitting at an open table. Jinn overlapped his arms underneath the spacious sleeves of his robe and stood under a nearby tent.
After a while, a man walked out of the cantina and sat in front of Vos, leaning in to whisper.
Jinn closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift.
"Well, well!" The familiar voice incited a subtle sigh from the Jedi. "If it isn't my old friend! I didn't think you'd be back here after you and your little friends left, eh? Today must be my lucky day!" The filthy Toydarian said in a chuckle. The junk dealer stood outside the tent alongside two massive, brown Ithorians. "Watto, what a pleasure it is to see you again." "I bet it is, Jedi." Jinn's eyes opened and faced the hovering creature before him. "That's right, I know you're a Jedi! And that got me thinking, it would've been easy for you to use your Jedi tricks to win that little bet we had, eh? You stole my slave from me Jedi, I want him back." "Unfortunately, Anakin did not accompany me back here." "I figured that. Which is why I have my two friends here." The Ithorians both drew blasters from their holsters. "Tell me, how much money do you think a Jedi slave would be worth, eh?" Watto snickered mischievously.
The two towering hammerheads cautiously approached the calm Jinn. "Do you really think that this is wise, Watto?" The smiling Jinn asked. Watto laughed and cursed him in Toydarian.
Suddenly, two blaster bolts seared through the necks of the thugs in a flash, inciting both Jinn and Watto to flinch back. "What the…!" Vos clenched Watto's soiled leather vest with his free hand and violently shook him, "You weren't thinking of hurting my Jedi friend here, were you?" "Huh? Oh, me? No, not at all. He's an old friend!" The Toydarian said, letting out a terrified laugh. "Good. Now if I see you anywhere near us again you flying sack of bantha waste, you'll end up like your flunkies here, do you understand!?" "Yes! Yes! Of course! To be honest I didn't even like Ani, eh? You can keep him." Vos flung and sent the helpless Watto crashing into a merchant stand.
Quinlan turned to Qui-Gon, "Friend of yours?" Jinn gave him a stern glare, "What? I'm a bounty hunter, remember? Gotta play the part while in uniform, y'know?" Jinn simply responded with a sigh. "Did you get the information you were looking for?" "Yes, I did. Nothing to worry about. Gardulla and few other Hutts are there. Otherwise, mostly third rate bounty hunters and scavengers." "Mostly?" "There is one person my guy told me to look out for." They began to walk to the port to rent out a speeder to cross the desert sea to the Hutts stronghold. "A new, but deadly bounty hunter that goes by the name of Jango Fett. I haven't even heard of him yet. Word is though, he's Mandalorian and you know how friendly those guys can be." Jinn stroked his beard.
"Interesting, indeed… We should proceed with caution. It would be foolish to underestimate this one. My late padawan and I had spent a year on Mandalore on a protective detail. Traditionally, their training makes them to be very versatile and deadly." "I've had the displeasure of meeting a few myself… They were nice enough to leave me a couple of scars as souvenirs." Vos shook his head in painful reminiscence. "Anyways, the Hutt's palace is a long ways away, if we leave now we should get there before nightfall." "Good, then we should not waste any more time. Let's go."
Vos tossed a heavy sack of metal in the backseat of the speeder along with supplies. "What is that?" Vos looked at Jinn puzzlingly, "What? Did you think Gardulla was going to give us information out of the goodness of her slimy, little heart? Money rules everything out here, my friend." "So, you carried along a sack full of credits?" "Of course not, I'm not stupid! Credits are worthless out here, I brought a sack full of peggats." Jinn faintly remembered Watto also refusing the republic standard currency the previous time he was on the planet. "…Of course. How did you even come across so much money?" "Well, I actually have you and that blonde kid to thank for that! He made me rich winning the boonta eve classic." "Why did I have to ask?" Jinn said in a facepalm. Vos hopped in the driver's seat, snickering as he started the speeder.
After hours of crossing through the scorching great dune sea, they had finally reached the palace amid the sand and jagged rock formations. "Well, we're here. Let's just hope Gardulla is in a talkative mood…" "We did not come here for nothing. We are going to get our answers." "Hey, it's your funeral."
Vos grabbed the bag of peggants and the two approached the tall metal gate entrance of the palace. Not too long afterwards, a hatch opened in the gate, poking out a scanner that spoke in an unfamiliar dialect. "I'm here to see Gardulla, just a friendly visit. Tell her it's Vos." The scanner pulled back in and the gate began to rise, hurling the sand particles behind the two.
The gate closed once again after Vos and Jinn proceeded through. "I take it that this is not your first dealing with Gardulla?" "I've brought in a few bounties for her in my time undercover." "Is that so?" "Oh, relax. Just a few scumbags, nobody who didn't deserve it." Jinn raised a brow.
As they walked through the corridor, two gamorrean guards approached and escorted them to the main corridor. Vos' face scrunched, "I never get used to awful smell of these things." One of the guards snarled at him inciting him to even more disgust.
As they walked down the steps at the end of the corridor, the lively band music grew louder. They entered the lounge with various species dancing and drinking at the pleasure of the 3 Hutts that sat at the front of the room. An unsightly, pink male Twi'lek approached the two, "Qa chir nur businesku circaa, Vos?" "Nala Koa hiko Fortuna, ril chini circaa ael Gardulla." "Koa Jabba?" Vos shook his head. Bib Fortuna looked back at the Hutts that sat at the front of the lounge. Bib turned back to the two, nodded and returned to the crowd. Jinn proceeded to carefully walk down toward the Hutts, but Vos lingered for a moment noticing something on the wall near the exit of the stairway.
Jinn noticed the traditional armor plating of the bounty hunter nearest Jabba. Although a helmet covered his face, Jinn knew the eyes of Jango Fett were locked on him. The Mandalorian slowly began to step forward with his hand nearing his blaster.
As soon the party goers saw Jinn they stopped their dancing and stood still, surprised and silent; the music had stopped. The hutts now fixed their gaze on the Jedi as Vos paced behind him.
"HO HO HO HO, THIS SA INKABUNGA!" Jabba the Hutt spoke. The protocol droid between Jabba and Gardulla stood forward and said, "The excellent Jabba says, 'This is Interesting!'" "JEE KEEKAH SEE UBA GOODDE VOS, BESH BEET PAAJ SHULU UTA-SHA NASTEST BOUNTEE OATE!" "The illustrious Gardulla says, 'I knew you were good Vos, but this must be your fastest bounty to date!'" "Fastest bounty?" Jinn asked, "What are you talking about…" Jinn felt the cold muzzle of a blaster touch the back of his head. "Sorry, Jedi…" Vos said, "…But thank you for making this so easy."