Void crew meeting room

"We're looking at a bug-eyed tech wizard named Pollamo," Vhetin said. With the press of a button the projected holoimage of a one-eyed Rodian sprang to life on the duraplast tabletop. He leaned forward, making the projection sputter slightly. "Wanted for money counterfeiting, high-grade database hacking, and embezzlement. He's a former, ah… employee of Bloody Dawn."

"So why is he a Class Six bounty?" Jay inquired, studying the scrawny Rodian. He didn't look that dangerous; thin and sickly more than anything. Rodians in general weren't that fearsome-looking, but this guy in particular looked even scrawnier than most of his species.

"He's not. The contract is a Class Six because of his adopted big brother," the bounty hunter explained, projecting the image of a scowling, heavily-armed human next to the holo of the Rodian. "Kokr Paxan. He's extremely protective of Pollamo and has sworn to kill anyone that even looks at his brother in a way he doesn't like."

"He adopted a Rodian as his brother? That's… unusual."

"Not as unusual as you might think," Vhetin said. "Among Mandalorians, you can adopt anyone into your family regardless of sex, age, or species."

"And that's common?"

"Common enough. And Mandos aren't the only ones to share the concept."

A frown pulled at the corner of Jay's mouth. "I wonder what he sees in Pollamo. They don't exactly seem like the same type."

"That's not our concern," he gently reminded her. "We're going to arrest them, not analyze their family makeup."

"Right. Sorry."

He let the holoimage sputter out. "Three months ago, Sekha's organization picked up transmissions between these two. The transmissions were encrypted, but not so well that Bloody Dawn techs weren't able to trace the source. They found that all the transmissions were bounced off a comm relay orbiting Rhen Var, and subsequent investigation shows that they're hiding out in an old abandoned smuggling outpost there."

"Okay," Jay said slowly, leaning back in her chair. "So what does Sekha want with them?"

"A year ago, Pollamo stole close to a billion credits from Sekha's personal accounts. Apparently he got fed up with the way Sekha ran things and figured it was time to set up his own business."

"Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh is right. Pollamo uploaded a virus to the Reenactment Cooperative's financial systems and skimmed two percent off every transaction going in and out the system for twenty-four hours. With a business as large and far-reaching as Sekha's, you can imagine how much that raked in for him."

He sat down. "And as you can guess, it caused quite an uproar when Sekha's business associates were given only ninety-eight percent of their payments."

Jay scoffed. "I can believe them storming Bloody Dawn headquarters because they were stiffed a fraction of a percent."

"It's been the death of more than one criminal syndicate," Vhetin said, nodding. "But luckily Sekha was able to find the cause of her money shortage and track it to Pollamo before her clients went after her with torches and pitchforks. She's promised to bring the thief to justice — and that's a promise we're going to help her keep."

"So what's our angle? How can we expect to take this guy by surprise?"

Jay had learned very early on that surprising the bounty was the best way to bring them in without significant injury. If a bounty target knew the hunter was coming, they'd have time to set traps and prepare for the hunter's arrival. A hunter needed to be quick, precise, and unpredictable above all other things.

Vhetin shrugged. "This guy's never hit a target as big as Bloody Dawn. He won't be expecting such serious consequences."

Jay's brows pulled together. "So your plan is to barge in with guns blazing and hope his brother doesn't rip us limb from limb?"

"Pretty much," Vhetin admitted, sounding a little sheepish. "Except for one thing: his brother won't be a problem. Because we're going to take him out of the equation first."

"We're going to kill him?"

He shook his head. "No. We weren't hired for that, and any attack on him would likely alert his brother. What we're going to do is feed him false information that his brother is in trouble on a different planet. That Sekha's hired bounty hunters based from... well, pick a planet."

"So he goes to investigate while we track down where his brother really is," Jay said, nodding. It was a smart plan, but there was one flaw. "We'd have to get this done quickly, before his brother finds out what's really going on."

"Yeah. Classic decoy move. If we play our hand right, we'll be long gone by the time Kokr finds out he's been played. And without his brother hovering behind him, Pollamo is only a Class Two bounty. He's a spineless creep that'll barely put up a fight."

"You're sure? Because I've got a bad feeling about this. Sekha wouldn't give you this kind of assignment if it was easy."

"Maybe we caught a lucky break."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be accepting your apology once this is over?"

Vhetin shrugged again and headed for the cockpit, leaving his partner to continue perusing the contract data set up in the meeting room. "Think what you will, but this is going to be a piece of cake. In the meantime, get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big day."

The door hissed shut behind him as he stepped into the long central corridor of the ship. He took a deep breath, letting the quiet hum of the ship's engines draw the tension from his body. After only a few moments, his muscles relaxed and he let out the breath he'd been holding.

It was never easy dealing with Sekha and he had never been particularly fond of working for such high-class figures. But, provided their plan went smoothly, it would be the easiest job he'd ever done for the crime lord. It would be nice to be pleasantly surprised for once. He could almost see the Twi'lek's playful grin now.

As he hit the opening button to the cockpit, he opened a long-distance comm channel. There was silence over the comm for a moment, then a long, slow beep signaled that the hail was being sent. After a few hailing tones, his contact picked up the other line.

"Vhetin, is that you?" Tarron said, sounding exhausted. "It's like midnight here. You've brought Kassh in already?"

"Not quite," Vhetin replied. "I need some information. I need you to hack the Imperial criminal database for me."

"A tall order, particularly this late at night. What do you need?"

"I have a lead on Kassh's whereabouts, but I have to bring in a bounty to trade so I can follow it up. I need to know more about this new bounty. I'm sure the file I was supplied with wasn't complete."

"Who's the unlucky target?"

"A Rodian named Pollamo and a human accomplice named Kokr," Vhetin said, sliding into the pilot's seat and checking the status of the ship. "Adopted brothers born on Coruscant. I need to know every scrap of info, every bit of dirt about them you can find."

"I'll see what I can dig up," Tarron said. "I'll get back to you. And Cin?"

"Yeah."

"Brianna's pissed that you left without saying goodbye. She's stocking up on guns as we speak."

Vhetin sighed and rubbed at his helmet forehead. Kriff, that wasn't good news. "It was a split-second decision. I had to chase this lead while it was still chaseable."

"Yeah, you go ahead and tell that to Ms. Bellan when you get back. Maybe she'll just shoot you in the knee and be done with it."

"Tell her I apologized, then. And tell her to leave the guns alone. I'll be back in around two weeks, maybe less."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't go near her if I had a lightsaber. You're the one who's always had a talent for calming her righteous Coruscanti rage."

He gritted his teeth. "Just tell her, okay?"

"Fine. Tarron out."

Vhetin signed off his end of the comm and sat back, putting his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. His part in this was over for the day. At long last, he could relax.

The next day

Jay woke slowly and sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes while yawning. The events of the past few days were obviously catching up on her, as the night's sleep had been free of nightmares of Corulag and Darth Vader. She had dropped into a deeply restful, dreamless sleep — a rare occurrence since being freed from her hellish imprisonment.

Unlike usual, when she would begin her morning exercises, the first thing she did was look for her pistol. She felt an overwhelming need to feel its comforting weight in the palm of her hand, to feel strong and safe and powerful with it in her grasp, but the weapon was nowhere in sight. She patted the blankets around her cot, looking for where it must have fallen from her loosening fingers during the night.

There it was, sitting on the floor next to her cot. It wasn't loaded, of course; she was smart enough to know not to bring a loaded handgun to bed with her. But she pulled it closer nonetheless, holding it close to her chest and feeling her heart rate gradually begin to even out and her nerves calm.

She was getting paranoid, she knew, but with good reason. The past few days had shaken her to the core. She was unsettled by what she'd seen, upset on a deep and subconscious level that refused to allow her the calm, cold composure her partner so often displayed. She suddenly felt exposed, in danger, wherever she went.

She shook her head as she dressed. Vhetin was right. This job isn't for the weak of heart. I hope this goes away soon. I… hope I can handle it.

She headed for the door, hoping her would have some additional information for her. Maybe he'd have tracked down this Pollamo guy already and they'd be ready to head out. Maybe some other hunter managed to beat them to the punch and Kassh was safely behind bars already — the thought was more comforting than she wanted to admit. As wondrous and lively as Corsucant was, was eager to get away from the sprawling ecumenopolis; so far, she greatly preferred the rural landscape of Mandalore to the clogged, chaotic streets and airways of Imperial City.

She emerged into the ship's deserted central hall, thinking over all the information they'd accumulated over the past two days, sifting the information and looking for potential clues. Eventually, a list began to form in her mind.

One, they knew Kassh was at large and no doubt planning a trap for them. That made their own game dangerous, and there was an ever-present risk of falling prey to their own bounty. Jay shuddered at the mere thought of such a humiliating occurrence, as well as the idea of what Kassh might do to them if victorious. She'd heard of crime lords who had secret beast pits filled with nightmarish creatures; those who wronged the boss would be tossed into the pit as food for the beasts. She was sure she wasn't alone in her desire to avoid finding out if the rumors were true.

Two, they knew that Kassh had the backing of his entire criminal organization and was probably gunning for them right now, hoping to eliminate them before they even got close to finding him. But with everything she'd learned about Kassh so far, she found it unlikely that he'd want them dead so soon. He'd want to watch them suffer first, to writhe and beg for mercy as he watched on, uncaring in his triumph. It was gruesome, but still the most likely idea given everything she'd heard about Kassh so far.

Three, they knew that Sekha was aware of Kassh's location (that is, if she was to be believed) but wasn't about to relinquish that information without something in return. Jay could appreciate that mindset, but it did throw an extra wild card into the mix. Sekha knew exactly who Jay and Vhetin were working for and might just lie to lead them into a trap of her own, ridding her competitors Jabba the Hutt and Prince Xizor of two useful assets.

Four, they knew that this new bounty, Pollamo, was a spineless worm just waiting to be brought in and that Sekha would give up her information once he was safely in her custody. After reading and re-reading Pollamo's file, Jay was confident he wouldn't put up much of a fight; his file had said he abhorred weapons of any kind, preferring cyberterror tactics and computer slicing to physical violence. That, he left to his brother.

Five, they knew the Rodian wasn't expecting anyone to come after him, and therefore wouldn't predict that two bounty hunters were about to blast his door down and drag him to Bloody Dawn's leader.

And six (finally) they knew that Pollamo's brother was a serious threat, though thankfully a little lacking in the brain department. That would work to their favor, but it was foolish to underestimate someone that dangerous.

She scowled to herself. It was all so confusing, but it didn't look like there was any serious surprises lying in wait – at least not for the moment. In fact-

A flutter of movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she stopped dead. Instinct kicked in, and she pulled herself out of sight around a doorframe, drawing her pistol swiftly and aiming towards the shadows that had just moved. Her military training kicked in, reinforced by Vhetin's recent teachings.

Who was that? Vhetin, maybe? She doubted it; the Mandalorian didn't usually slink around the shadows of his own ship like a prowling nexu. This was someone – or something – else. And if it moved again, it would get a blaster bolt in the head. She had learned early that sometimes it was better to shoot first and ask questions later.

But she didn't fire at the source of the noise and movement — at least not yet. There was every possibility that whoever or whatever it was, it was no threat. So she stole a glance out the door and called, "Who's there? Show yourself or I'll shoot you for trespassing!"

A blaster bolt screamed out of the darkness and exploded against the doorframe next to her, missing her ear by only centimeters. She jerked back around the doorframe and let out an explosive curse.

That was definitely not Vhetin.

She saw the shadow — a tall, gaunt male — dart for the back of the ship and the exit ramp that had somehow been lowered. She threw herself around the corner, holstering her pistol and dashing after the mysterious intruder as fast as her legs could carry her.

The being glanced over his shoulder and stumbled, whimpering in fear. Despite his long, lanky legs he couldn't flee quickly enough. Jay easily drew even with the shadowy trespasser and tackled him from behind. The being grunted at the impact, then squealed as they both fell to the deck with a crash. He struggled, wriggling like with all the speed and vigor of a freshly-caught fish. Jay wrapped her arms around her quarry's shoulders and head-butted him in the face. It hurt her head, but she could tell it hurt the intruder more; she heard a sharp crack and he wailed in pain.

Vhetin appeared from his quarters just as he was pulling his helmet over his head. He looked up and down the hall in confusion, saw the two struggling on the floor, and drew a heavy-duty pistol into one hand.

"What the hell is going on out here?"

Jay wrangled her opponent so he was face-down on the deck with his hands behind his back. Her prisoner tried to struggle, wriggling about with all the energy of a freshly-caught fish. But she yanked hard on his arms in warning and he squealed and ceased his struggles.

"I caught this creep sneaking around the ship," she grunted, shaking hair out of her face. She was breathing hard and her head hurt where she had head-butted the intruder, but her heart nevertheless swelled with pride. She'd caught someone! Someone armed, who had clearly meant them harm, and she'd caught him! "He tried to fry me when I found him."

Vhetin knelt next to her and pulled a pair of stun cuffs from his belt. He fastened them around the being's wrists with a single practiced flick of the wrists and grabbed him by the back of the neck. As Jay stood, taking a step back to catch her breath, she saw that the trespasser was a scrawny, trembling Duros with blood pouring from both nostril slits, courtesy of her head-butt.

Keeping a single hand tightly grasping the back of the alien's neck, Vhetin turned and surveyed his partner. "Are you all right?"

She nodded with an adrenaline-fueled sigh of relief. Her heart was still thudding uncomfortably loudly in her ears. "I'm fine. Just a little winded. He surprised me, that's all."

The Mandalorian nodded, satisfied for the moment, and turned back to the Duros. He forced the alien's neck into a painful-looking angle and growled, "What the hell are you doing sneaking around my ship and shooting at my partner? Answer quickly. I'm not a patient individual."

"Please! Please! Please!" the alien bawled, "I not know! I know not!"

Vhetin slapped him hard — a move meant to humiliate and demoralize rather than injure — and pulled his pistol, pressing it under the blue-skinned alien's chin. The weapon charged with a high-pitched whine. "You're lying."

"No! No I not! Not I no!"

Jay folded her arms across her chest. Hers was a slightly calmer tone. "Who do you work for? Sekha? Or Kassh?"

"S-Sekha? Who that? That who?" the Duros sputtered.

"Open your hands." Vhetin suddenly ordered. He gestured with his pistol as he did.

"W-what? What do you mean? What mean you?"

"Your hands," he snapped, slapping the Duros again. "Open them."

The Duros opened his hands, revealing dirty blue palms smeared with grime and encrusted coolant fluid. Vhetin seemed to scrutinize them very closely before letting out a grudging grunt. "Clean. He's not with Kassh."

"What? What do you mean?"

"All Midnight Ultraviolet members have the tattoo of a splintered diamond on their palms," her partner explained. "It's like a rite of passage for them, and a means of identifying members of the gang. This guy's clean though; he has no tattoos."

He gestured to the Duros' grimy hands. They were filthy, true, but free of any kind of identifying marks. Jay's lips pursed in worry; if this alien infiltrator wasn't with Kassh, who was he with?

Vhetin turned back to the alien and shook him, making his stun cuffs sputter slightly. The alien yelped as the cuffs sent a shock through his nervous system. She could see the alien's dark skin turning a pale sky blue under her partner's tight grip.

"Who sent you?" Vhetin snarled again. "Answer or I break your wrists."

The Duros' scarlet eyes widened and he sputtered, "P-p-p..."

He couldn't continue and broke down into whimpering sobs. Vhetin shook him again and said, "Who? Pollamo?"

"N-no," the alien sobbed. "His brother. The brother of his."

"Kokr?" Jay said. She looked to her partner. "How would he know about us? Unless..."

"He has informants within Bloody Dawn," Vhetin finished, his voice dangerously low. He shoved the Duros against the wall with disgust. The alien sank to the floor and curled up, whimpering quietly. He didn't make any move to run for his life.

Vhetin turned away and ran a hand across the smooth dome of his helmet with an aggravated sigh. "So Kokr's agent knew about our audience with Sekha," he said. "And he sends this scum-" he kicked the trembling Duros with the toe of his boot, "-to find out what she told us."

"Which means he probably knows everything," Jay said. "He'll be preparing for us to come for him."

"Shab," Vhetin hissed. "Shab, shab, shab!"

"So much for our previous plan, then."

The Mandalorian nodded bitterly. "That's the reason Sekha's set us on this guy. She can get money to cover what Pollamo stole any time she wants, but someone who's infiltrated her organization is harder to deal with. She sent us on a mole hunt."

He muttered to himself and continued pacing back and forth, clenching and unclenching his fists as he went. Jay followed his progress, biting her lip in worry.

"So what now?" she asked. "We aren't giving up, are we?"

"No." Vhetin shook his head, his voice resolute and unyielding. "Never. But we're going to approach this from a different angle. We should come at this from a different perspective. Come up with a new plan."

He looked down at the whimpering, trembling Duro at his feet. As he stepped closer, the alien whimpered louder and tried to curl into a small ball, pulling himself as far away from the vengeful bounty hunter as he could manage.

Vhetin didn't let him get far; he bent down and grabbed the alien by the back of the neck again, hauling him to his feet and dragging him toward the bounty cages.

"And you're going to help us."