Author's note: Hello everyone; I'm back with another chapter. Okay, I'll get the hard news out of the way first; I understand fully that my decision to revamp previous chapters was very controversial and if anyone was upset by it, I am very sorry. I did a lot of thinking on whether or not to readjust earlier chapters and I'm still hoping the decision I made was the right one. That being said, I hope everyone is enjoying this season so far; and if you are, I would appreciate feedback very much :). And if any of you have constructive criticism to help improve the future of my series, I would also appreciate it very much.
Hutt Wars
Secrets revealed! After investigating his apartment, Chief-of-State Sarke is revealed not only to have manipulated his way in but to be a Dark Jedi as well! After engaging Master Kota, Master Sitra, and Master K'Kruhk attempted to apprehend him, he escaped with the help of the mysterious Urai Fen!
Meanwhile, after crash-landing on a moon and getting captured by pirates, Princess Leia has been taken by the Ubese bounty hunter Boushh who trapped Han Solo and the other bounty hunters within a laser grid! Now he is off to hand her over to Cadfurew the Hutt who has amassed a large fleet that turns its eye towards the Hutt homeworld of Nal Hutta…
Deep space
Boushh flew towards a large Aggressor-class Star Destroyer and landed in its hanger, with various Hutt security droids walking up to it.
"C'mon out!" snapped Boushh as he pulled Leia up made her walk with him over to the hatch.
"Whatever Cadfurew is paying you; the Alliance can double it, triple it even" said Leia "You just need to return me to Corellia, that's all you have to do"
"I'm fine with the bounty I have" said Boushh "Besides, I don't imagine the Alliance is soft on bounty hunters who take their princesses" He pulled Leia out of the ship and walked over to the security droids. "I've come for the bounty on this woman"
"Follow us" said one of the security droids. They brought them to the bridge where Cadfurew waited for them with Urai Fen (the Talortai) by his side. "Master, this bounty hunter has captured the woman you posted the bounty for" Cadfurew grinned evilly.
"Excellent work, bounty hunter" said Cadfurew "You've done very well"
"Can I just have my payment and leave?" snapped Boushh.
"Momentarily, there's still work to do" said Cadfurew.
"Cadfurew, how did you escape?" asked Leia
"With the help of bounty hunters of course" said Cadfurew "They stirred up a riot in the prison and I was able to escape within the madness. And the moment I was off Corellia, I made sure my first action was to post a bounty for you. You know, I can feel some real bad blood between us, Leia; you did send me to prison after all"
"You should have thought of that before you sided with Vader" said Leia.
"And you should have thought of that before you realized that I have higher connections than you think" said Cadfurew "For example, ha you ever thought that the one who helped me hire the bounty hunter to assassinate you was underneath your nose the whole time" Leia looked over at the shadowy figure in the corner. "Face it, princess; you've been had from the beginning" Lei Sarke stepped out of the shadows.
"Lei Sarke!" exclaimed Leia.
"Don't you mean "Havdori Airotsih"?" said Cadfurew "That is his real name, after all"
"Real name?" said Leia.
"Lei Sarke was merely an alias, something to use in case anyone ever heard my real name" said Havdori "Did you really think I would take up a guise and use my real name?"
"You…You were the double agent this whole time!" said Leia.
"More than you could ever imagine" said Sarke "Did you ever think it was a mere coincidence that I became Chief-of-State shortly after the attempt on your life?"
"Now, now; explanations can come later" said Cadfurew "We have business to adjourn to"
"The boss isn't happy about this" said Urai "He's not fond of the Hutts, but he isn't going to wage war against them like this. This vendetta of yours is very intrusive to our other operations"
"Then I'll make it brief" said Cadfurew "Set course for Nal Hutta, I have a score to settle"
"You won't get away with this!" snapped Leia "The Alliance will know of this!"
"They already do" replied Havdori "But it won't be of any use now; I am more powerful than you could ever know" He started force-choking Leia.
"Stop it!" snapped Cadfurew "I'm saving her death for later!" Havdori released Leia.
"You should thank him, at least he has the nerve to keep you alive for a little longer" said Havdori. Urai only glared at him with disdain.
Meanwhile
"I swear; when I get out of here, I'll find Boushh and kick into the nearest sarlacc pit!" said Aurra.
"I would save that for when we actually get out of here" said Hondo.
"Face it, sister; he took all of us by surprise" said Dengar.
"Could you guys keep it down!" snapped the Twi'lek who was now sitting cross-legged on the table and examining the lasers carefully.
"So what's the deal, anyway?" asked Han.
"What do you mean?" asked the Twi'lek.
"Well, who are you and how did the Alliance send you?" asked Han.
"My name is Rianna Saren, I'm a mercenary who the Alliance sent to retrieve you" replied the Twi'lek "I've had experience with underworld environments in the past so I knew to take it carefully. I was planning to rescue you two in a more subtle manner; but after the bounty hunters intervened, I knew I had to step in"
"How did the Alliance even know we were here?" asked Han.
"I'm not sure, I just assumed that they located you somehow" replied Rianna "It's not really part of the job to ask questions like that" Han looked over at her prosthetic lekku.
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how—" asked Han.
"Yes, I do mind" replied Rianna "But you can worry about that later, I think I found a way out"
"Really?" said Han "How?"
"These lasers come from a source that Boushh stuck to the walls" replied Rianna "If we can destroy them, we may have a way out"
"So do you know where they are?" asked Han.
"That's what I've been looking for" replied Rianna "There well hidden, but I found enough of them to clear the way" She pulled out her blaster and shot one of them.
"Hey, did one of the lasers just go down?" said Hondo.
"Just relax, I'm dealing with this" said Rianna "Solo; once I get enough down, we'll make a dash for it. I doubt these bounty hunters will stay passive when they know they can get out"
"That's an understatement" said Han. Rianna continued to shoot the laser projectors until enough of them were out.
"Hurry, let's go!" said Rianna as she and Han ran out of the room, and as she pressed a device on her wrist.
"Here's our chance, get them!" snapped Fett as he and the other bounty hunters chased after the two of them.
"Well, I suppose that sorts that out" said Hondo. Suddenly, he heard a loud clicking as every pirate in the room pulled out their blasters and aimed them at him.
"No, there's just one little thing left to tie up" said Manna as he walked up to Hondo with a blaster.
"Manna, you have an involvement in this?" said Hondo.
"I'm the one who led it, in fact" said Manna "You see, the others and I have gotten a little tired with all these risks with no results; so we decided to band together and take this into our own hands"
"This is mutiny!" said Hondo.
"No, it's business" said Manna.
Meanwhile
"So where's your ship?" asked Han as they raced out.
"It's…in the forest" replied Rianna.
"Wait, you serious?" said Han.
"I didn't want to draw attention to the pirates in case the worst happened" said Rianna "But it's okay, I called for a pickup and it should be here soon"
"How soon?" said a voice. They turned around to see Fett and the other bounty hunters standing before them.
"Okay; listen, Fett" said Han "I know you came for Leia; but with her gone, there's no reason to turn to me"
"Oh, but there is" said Fett "Even if Jabba's going soft on you for the moment, the Empire will still pay a great price for you; and as a bonus, I get to beat you up"
"Don't even think about it!" snapped Han.
"Really?" said Fett "After all the trouble you've caused me today, you're expecting me to go easy on you; this ain't the right galaxy for that, Solo. Let's go, boys!" The bounty hunters started shooting at Han and Rianna who shot back.
"So; this ride of yours, how long will it take to get here?" asked Han as they hid behind a pair of crates.
"Soon enough" replied Rianna.
"Knowing these guys, that's not soon enough" said Han
"We just need to hold out a little longer" said Rianna "Relax, everything will be fine as long as we keep our wits about ourselves"
"Stand back, guys" said Dengar as he pulled out a concussion grenade "This'll get 'em!" He threw the grenade towards Han and Rianna.
"Shoot!" snapped Han shortly before the grenade went off and blew the both of them back "Concussion grenades…damn them!" Suddenly, Fett blasted towards Han and pinned him to the ground before placing his rifle directly at Han's face.
"Don't move, Solo" said Fett "Imperials prefer it if the reward is in one piece"
"How considerate of you" said Han. Suddenly, a 22-B Nightfalcon zoomed up to them.
"Finally!" said Rianna. As the speeder bike shot towards her, she leapt up onto him and zoomed over to the bounty hunters shooting at them. In the chaos, Han rolled out of Fett's grip and hid behind a crate.
"Oh no, you're not getting out of this that easily" said Fett. He fired his flamethrower at Han who ducked and rolled.
"Hey, a little help here?!" shouted Han.
"Just a sec" said Rianna. She swooped over and Han grabbed on, getting himself up onto the passenger seat. "We have to get out of here"
"Right" said Han.
"Wait!" exclaimed C-3PO, still with the two Mukmuk brothers on him, raced as quickly as he could out of the building "What about me!?"
"Don't worry, 3PO; I've got it" said Han. He pulled his blaster out again and aimed at the protocol droid carefully.
"Wait, what are you—" exclaimed C-3PO shortly before Han shot at his shoulder lightly, scaring the Kowakian monkey-lizards off.
"Fly down" said Han. Rianna zoomed over so that Han could pick C-3PO up and place him on the cargo area.
"Captain Solo, what was that for?" asked C-3PO.
"Needed to get the vermin off you first" replied Han. They zoomed across the jungle as an Acklay hissed at them.
"Oh my!" said C-3PO.
Meanwhile at Nal Hutta
Cadfurew's fleet (which also contained Crusader-class corvettes, Interceptor IV frigates, and Keldabe-class battleships) flew out of hyperspace above Nal Hutta.
"Here we are" said Cadfurew "Make contact with the council" One of the Hutt security droids typed into the controls.
"We have the upper advantage" said Havdori "If anything, we should strike now while they're unaware; then what's left of them will have no choice"
"I would much rather rule the clan as it is now then to rule what's left of it" replied Cadfurew. A hologram of the Hutt Ruling Council appeared in front of them. Jabba bellowed angrily in Huttese.
"Hello to you too, Jabba" said Cadfurew.
"What do you want, Cadfurew?!" snapped Jabba in Huttese.
"I'm here to take what is rightfully mine" replied Cadfurew "Long have I been denied my inheritance; it's time to take it back, by force if necessary. Give me leadership of the Hutt clan and all of resources and connections; I think you're all smart enough to figure out the rest"
"Why should we take give anything to you, you overgrown sha'rellian toop?" asked Arok in Huttese.
"I'm glad you asked that" replied Cadfurew "On board this ship alone is countless weapons; gravity bombs, viral containers, the works. If you do not comply with my demands, I will drop all them onto the surface of the planet leaving it nothing but a wasteland" Marlo said something in Huttese. "Then I'll just have to build the remnants back up; it will take time, but we all know that I have plenty of it. But I am not without mercy, I will grant you twelve standard hours to come up with a decision; if I do not receive anything within that time, I will drop the weapons anyway. And don't even think of setting any of your fighters against me because I'll drop the bombs on sight"
"What are the exact precisions of your demands?" asked Gorga in Huttese.
"I will explain them in full detail afterwards" replied Cadfurew "Now hurry, make a choice"
Meanwhile
The hologram of Cadfurew disappeared.
"Jabba, surely you must know what to do?" asked Pegrea in Huttese "You know Cadfurew better than anyone"
"He's been after your eminence for years, father" said Rotta's hologram in Huttese.
"And we know he'll go to great lengths to get it" said Marlo in Huttese.
"And if we attack him, it could be simply suicide" said Gorga in Huttese "It would seem that he holds all the cards in this situation" Jabba's hologram began laughing which caused the other Hutts to look at him in confusion.
"We are not Cadfurew's only enemies" said Jabba in Huttese "The Rebel Alliance has almost as much against him as we do. If we let them know of his whereabouts, they will destroy him for us"
"Are you sure they will comply?" asked Gorga in Huttese. Jabba laughed again.
"The Alliance would never turn down the chance to take out a potential threat, especially when it could interfere with their war with the Empire" replied Jabba in Huttese "Prepare communications; it's time to play negotiator" He laughed again.
Meanwhile on Corellia
"I still can't believe Sarke was a Dark Jedi" said Ackbar "I mean; his methods were mysterious and suspicious, but I never thought he was a Force-user"
"The Jedi's greatest enemy was hiding in plain sight for years and we were still caught by surprise" said K'Kruhk "In any case, we have to locate him"
"But how?" asked Kota who sat at Mon Mothma's desk "He's completely disappeared from our sights. And if we spend our time on an investigation, it will take time; time we might not have with the war on our hands already"
"And we still have Cadfurew to worry about" said Sitra "He hasn't reemerged since he escaped and one could assume his planning his next move"
"It is all the more reason why we have to wrap it up quickly" said K'Kruhk "A new darksider on the loose could cause trouble for us if we don't do something; and given how the Empire is being controlled by the Sith, we could use less of this kind of trouble"
"I agree; but as acting Chief-of-State while Mon Mothma recuperates, I say we have to take things steadily until we have conclusive proof of either Sarke or Cadfurew's location" said Kota.
"I just hope it's not too late by then" said Sitra. At that moment, the desk's communicator began to beep.
"A transmission from Tatooine, sir" said the Bothan aide.
"Bring it up" said Kota. The Bothan aide brought up a hologram of Jabba who said something in Huttese.
"The might Jabba the Hutt greets you, members of the Alliance" translated KT-123.
"And what do we owe the pleasure?" asked Kota. Jabba said something in Huttese.
"He has a request for you; one which you cannot ignore" translated KT-123. Jabba said something else in Huttese. "The planet Nal Hutta is being threatened by his brother Cadfurew the Hutt. Kota narrowed his eyes.
"What is he doing?" asked Kota. Jabba said something in Huttese.
"He has brought a large fleet and is threatening to bombard the surface with terrible weapons to leave the planet in ruins, unless his demands are met" translated KT-123. Jabba said something else in Huttese. "He wishes to rule over the Hutt clans; and given how his last act before imprisonment was to destroy their neutrality by making them side with the Empire, it is best not to have him as a continuous threat"
"Why do you need us then?" asked Ackbar "Surely you have the resources to deal with him yourself" Jabba said something in Huttese.
"Cadfurew threatens to drop the weapons upon the surface if we attack him" translated KT-123 "We would only be ensuring our own doom" Kota thought for a moment.
"You have our interest" said Kota "We will discuss it and make a decision in due time" Jabba said something in Huttese.
"We have about twelve standard hours before he attacks anyway" said KT-123 "The decision had better be quick" The hologram switched.
"We have to comply" said Sitra "Nal Hutta houses countless civilians and Cadfurew's willing to kill all of them just to gain power"
"And this is a perfect opportunity to stop him" said K'Kruhk "If we don't take it now, he might gain too much influence and become essentially untouchable; especially if he salvages the remnants of the Hutt Cartel" Kota thought for a moment.
"Ackbar, prepare the Alliance fleet and set a course for Nal Hutta" said Kota "Make sure to surround Cadfurew's ships; now that we know where he is, we cannot allow him to escape" At that moment, Rianna and Han entered.
"Bad news; I was to retrieve the smuggler, but a bounty hunter got the princess—" said Rianna "Did something just change?"
"What do you mean?" asked Kota.
"Where's the Chief-of-State?" asked Rianna "He payed me to go to Vendaxa and retrieve the smuggler and the princess"
"Well, at least some good came from Sarke's foresight" said K'Kruhk.
"What happened?" asked Kota.
"It's a long and quite complicated story, but I'll shorten it for you" said Han "Leia's been captured by a bounty hunter who's going to hand her over to Cadfurew the Hutt. If we want to get her back, we have to act quickly"
"It's quite fortunate then" said Kota.
"Why is it "fortunate" exactly?" asked Han.
"Because we just learnt of Cadfurew's current location" replied Kota.
Later
"Let's move out at once!" said Ackbar as the Rebel ships were loaded "Remember; we've only got a few more hours before Cadfurew carpet-bombs the surface, so we have to get there as quick as possible" As K'Kruhk watched, Chelaa ran up to him.
"Master, what's happening?" asked Chelaa.
"There's a threat around Nal Hutta that we have to answer" replied K'Kruhk "If we fail, it could mean the death of millions" He looked over at Chelaa and noticed that she looked tired. "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing" replied Chelaa "I'm just…a little shaken, is all"
"I can understand" said K'Kruhk" said K'Kruhk "Being so close to dark side artifacts can have a great strain on you. But don't worry; with all of the holocrons destroyed, things should be getting back to normal"
"Right" said Chelaa "There was one thing I was meaning to ask you something"
"And what is that?" asked K'Kruhk.
"I remember the first time we met and you told me all about my aunt and how she was a Jedi" replied Chelaa.
"Yes, I remember" said K'Kruhk "Aayla and I knew each other; and while I didn't see eye-to-eye with her master, Quinlan Vos, all of the time, I will admit that he trained her well"
"It's just…that's what inspired me to go with you, follow in her footsteps" said Chelaa "And recently…recently I've…I've wanted to be her, everything she was. Is that unnatural?"
"Chelaa, there are always days where we want to be our idols" said K'Kruhk "The people we look up to set a certain standard that we want to reach. And whilst having goals to achieve can help you push yourself forward, you shouldn't hold onto it forever. Your aunt was a legendary Jedi Knight and a good friend; but if you want to commemorate her memory well, just remember that you are not her and you should never try to be. She was Aayla Secura, Jedi Knight of the Republic; you are Chelaa Secura, her niece. You too are a Jedi; and although the rank of Knight I gave is unofficial, you have long since earned it. I am proud of you, and she would be too. Just remember that her achievements are her achievements, but there are plenty of achievements awaiting you as well"
"Thank you" said Chelaa.
"Now, you can go rest" said K'Kruhk "It's been a lot for you all of a sudden, so it's best to regain your strength"
"I'll see you when you get back" said Chelaa. She walked off into a hallway and into a closet where she closed the door behind herself carefully. She upturned several boxes until she pulled out a single Sith Holocron and gazed at it with full intent.
Meanwhile above Yaronn
The Achushnut came out of hyperspace above Yaronn and flew down towards the planet's surface. Within the cargo hold, Hondo lay on the ground bound up with Parsel and Goru standing guard over him.
"Eh…" said Hondo "Eh, fellas! Parsel! Goru! Hey!"
"What is it?" snapped Goru.
"Are you guys seriously going to allow Manna to do this?" asked Hondo "I mean, he's shorter than the both of you and has a fiery temper. Besides, don't you remember all the times we had? We were in this gang long before he ever was"
"I do know that, but that doesn't change much" said Goru.
"Besides; Manna does have a point, Hondo" said Parsel "Things haven't been going well for a long time. We're a pirate gang, Hondo; we need assured payment"
"But this?" said Hondo "I mean, locking me up within my own fortress would at least make sense; but isn't exile just…just…a little harsh?"
"Well…I suppose it's a bit—" said Parsel.
"What's going on in here?" asked Manna as he entered.
"Nothing, sir" said Parsel.
"Have you been talking to the prisoner?" asked Manna.
"No sir" replied Parsel. Manna looked back and forth between them and Hondo.
"I knew I should have gagged him" said Manna "Anyways, we're here. Take him to the loading ramp" Parsel and Goru picked Hondo up and brought him over to the ramp.
"Manna, old friend, does it have to be like this?" asked Hondo "I mean, is leaving me on this planet actually necessary"
"Yes it is" said Manna "One last thing, I'd stay near the shoreline if I were you; that forest doesn't all that inviting" Parsel and Goru pushed Hondo onto the beach below. "So long, Ohnaka!" The ramp folded up and the ship flew away, leaving Hondo lying on the beach.
"This is my gang now" said Manna.
Later
"They had better hurry up" said Cadfurew "I feel like I'm in the mood to just drop one of those bombs just to wake them up"
"That would merely be wasting firepower, an ill-advised course of action" said Havdori.
"Well it's better than just waiting around any longer" said Cadfurew.
"You need patience to build an Empire" said Havdori.
"Patience, huh?" said Cadfurew "Let me tell you something; I've had patience all my life, and it has gotten me nothing"
"Maybe you were not doing it right" said Havdori.
"Or maybe I was simply denied what is rightfully mine" said Cadfurew "I've waited long enough, it's time to seize it back"
"Something happened to you, didn't it?" said Havdori.
"You have no idea" said Cadfurew "It all started back when I was just a Huttlet. I was brought up with the belief that I was Zorba the Hutt's first child, and therefore had the most right to his inheritance; but then the other children came along, most notable of all was Jabba. I waited for years and years for my inheritance, but it never came; he essentially gave everything to his other children, especially to Jabba. Eventually I got tired of waiting and asked him why he left me nothing; and that's when he revealed the truth. I was not his son, not truly; he found me washed up on the bank of a river once and decided to take me in out of pity. Maybe if he actually gave me something, lying to me would have proved effective"
"So this is all out of parental issues?" asked Havdori.
"You take this lightly, don't you?!" snapped Cadfurew "I was brought up my entire life believing I was the eldest only to find out I was never his child to begin with! I eventually had to gain my own power by myself, but I did get some help from one of Jabba's former allies. But it was never enough; I wanted leadership of the Hutt Clans, but I knew I could never be simply given it. Eventually I was approached by Darth Vader who wanted help in gaining allegiance with the Hutts via deception, and I saw it as the opportunity I had been waiting for; but I was robbed of my chance by the Alliance. Now I'm going to take it back"
"Sir, there are multiple ships coming out of hyperspace" said one of the security droids at the controls.
"What kind of ships?" snapped Cadfurew. At that moment, the Alliance fleet came out of hyperspace above Nal Hutta. "Those are Alliance cruisers!"
"This operation of yours has led Rebels right to us, you're proving yourself more of a liability than an ally" said Urai.
"Then I'll just have to crush those Rebels!" snapped Cadfurew "All crew, prepare for battle; go out and attack the Alliance fleet!"
"A battle!" snarled Boushh whilst darting his head around in a paranoid manner "I didn't sign up for this!" He snuck off out of the bridge.
Meanwhile
"All craft, surround the ships and block them off from the planet's surface" said Ackbar "We have to keep them at bay or they'll devastate the surface"
"Believe me; if you've seen Nal Hutta, you'll wonder how it could get any more devastated" said Han out of the ship's comlink.
"This is no time for joking, Captain Solo" said Ackbar into the ship's comlink "Millions of lives are at stake here"
Meanwhile
"Got it, got it" said Han as he stepped aboard an LAAT gunship with Sitra, K'Kruhk, and several rebel troopers.
"We've identified that large ship in the middle to be Cadfurew's craft" said the rebel pilot in the cockpit "Our best guess is that Princess Organa is on it, and possibly the weapons as well"
"Alright, let's go get Leia" said Han. The gunship took off and flew over towards Cadfurew's star destroyer with several X-Wings and Y-Wings surrounding them. A group of StarViper-class attack platforms flew at them and began shooting.
"Antilles, can you give us some cover?" asked K'Kruhk into his comlink.
"Sure can" replied Wedge into his comlink "Just don't take too long; TIE fighters get mowed down easily in small groups, but I'm not sure how easy these things will be to beat"
"You do your job and we'll do ours" said K'Kruhk.
Meanwhile
Havdori began to sense the presence of the Jedi nearing the ship and turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" asked Cadfurew.
"There are Jedi coming" replied Havdori "I'm going to take care of them" He left the bridge.
"Force-users, huh!" said Cadfurew "Always about "this" and "that". Acting as if—" Urai turned to leave the bridge. "What are you doing? You can't just—"
"You are not in charge of this organization, you are merely an ally of it" said Urai "You do not have full say here; the very fact that we allowed you to have this little mission still confuses me. Now you have pitted us up against a faction within a much larger war simply out of some vendetta you have. You caused this mess and I'm going to clean it up"
"But…But…" said Cadfurew shortly before Urai turned and left.
Meanwhile
As Boushh walked over to the cell where Leia was being held, the two security droids who stood guard aimed their blasters at him.
"Hold it!" said one of the security droid.
"Stand aside, droids!" snapped Boushh.
"Do you have permission to approach the prisoner?" asked the security droid.
"My business is my own!" snapped Boushh.
"We will need proof from Cadfurew himself that you are allowed near her" said the other security droid.
"Until then, we cannot allow you past" said the first security droid.
"Just let me in!" snapped Boushh.
"Master, there's—" said the first security droid before Boushh pulled out his electrostaff and stabbed him with it. The other security droid aimed his blaster at the bounty hunter who bashed him over the head with his electrostaff and then in the chest. He then pulled out his blaster and shot at them multiple times, even after they were obviously not active anymore. He then shot open the door and entered where Leia was being held chain-up on a large slab.
"So I guess this is where the torture begins" said Leia "I must say, I was expecting Cadfurew to oversee it himself"
"Shut up, you dainty weed!" snapped Boushh as he wacked her across the face with his electrostaff. He pulled out a chain and collar and attached it to her neck.
"What are you doing?" asked Leia "I thought you delivered me to where you wanted me"
"Business has gone sour" replied Boushh "I'm out of here now, and you're coming with me" He deactivated the containment field.
"And what use will I be to you then?" asked Leia as Boushh placed handcuffs on her. Boushh pulled out his blaster and placed it on her forehead.
"I read your file, you're a key member of the Rebellion" replied Boushh "I'm sure the Empire will pay a good price to get their hands on you. Now come on!" He abruptly pulled her chain as he made his way out of the cell.
Meanwhile
"We're almost at the ship" said the rebel pilot of the LAAT gunship.
"They're going to be prepared for us" said Sitra "Expect heavy resistance"
"Then we'll have to fight extra hard then" said K'Kruhk. As they landed in the hanger, he and Sitra ignited their lightsabers and started slashing down the security droids as Han and the rebel troopers shot them down until there were none left. "Right, now let's locate Leia; she should be in the cells, unless Cadfurew has her personally kept around him"
"I've never seen this ship before" said Sitra "Are you sure we can find her in enough time?"
"That depends on how well you execute the plan" said a voice. K'Kruhk turned around to see Havdori standing before them. He pulled out his lightsaber and ignited it.
"You!" said K'Kruhk "All of you, get out of here; we'll handle this" As Han and the rebel troopers left the hanger, Havdori walked over to K'Kruhk and Sitra. "I should have investigated you the moment you became Chief-of-State"
"Was it really a bad thing?" said Havdori "Under my leadership, we were on a winning streak; under my leadership, we could have won this war"
"Using foresight and deception" said K'Kruhk "You were using us to gain power for yourself; whatever reasons you were using it for, they end today"
"No, they won't" said Havdori. He swung his lightsaber and clashed with K'Kruhk and Sitra.
Meanwhile
"This way!" said Field Commander Covfaul as he and the other rebel troopers raced off down the corridor. One of the troopers stopped by a large storage room.
"Commander Covfaul, I think you might want to see this" said the rebel trooper. Covfaul and the other rebel troopers walked back and stopped at the storage room. Inside were all of gravity bombs, viral containers, and other terrible weapons that Cadfurew was threatening to bomb Nal Hutta with all strapped down in containers.
Meanwhile
"Move it!" snapped Boushh as he tugged the chain harder on Leia.
"Not much of a gentleman, are you?" said Leia.
"It's not part of the job so I don't bother with it" said Boushh. At that moment, Han raced up in front of them and suddenly stopped when he noticed Boushh.
"Oh shoot!" said Han.
"Han!" said Leia.
"You!" said Boushh. He pulled out at Han and shot, only for the smuggler to take cover behind a corner.
"Why does this always happen?" said Han quietly to himself.
"Come out, Solo!" snapped Boushh. He pulled out a thermal detonator. "Unless you want me to blow you out!"
"Eh, eh; we're cool, we're cool!" said Han as he walked out with his hands up.
"Drop the weapon" said Boushh.
"Eh, I hardly think that's going to make a—" said Han.
"Drop it!" snapped Boushh. Han dropped his blaster.
"Okay, okay; I'm cooperating" said Han "Are we cool now?"
"Oh no, we're not" said Boushh "You've just wasted my time, so—" Suddenly, Leia grabbed the chain, wrapped it around his neck, and pulled him back really hard. As the thermal detonator fell from his hand, Han slid along the floor and grabbed it before it could land.
"Phew!" sighed Han. As Boushh landed on the ground, his mask was knocked off revealing his scarred and stitched Ubese face.
"You whelp!" snapped Boushh. He pulled out his electrostaff, activated it, and lunged at Leia who rolled along the ground and grabbed the other end of the weapon.
"This whelp still has some fight in her!" said Leia. As the two desperately struggled over the electrostaff, Leia eventually managed to push it back and knock it right into Boushh's forward, causing him to fall back against the wall.
"Damn you!" snarled Boushh as he pulled out his blaster and aimed it at Leia, only for Han to walk up to him and punch him out.
"I have to say, you do a good job with that chain back there" said Han. At that moment, Leia slapped him across the face. "Not what I was expecting" Leia then hugged him tight. "That's much better than the slap" Leia then pushed herself off. "You're just confused, aren't you?"
"I'll explain it to you when we're both safe" said Leia "Let's get out of here. How did you get on board?"
"Picked a ride with the Alliance" replied Han.
"Then let's head that way" said Leia "Take me to the hanger"
"This way" said Han. Leia picked up Boushh's blaster and followed Han down the corridor.
Meanwhile
"I'm impressed" said Havdori "For someone who is not a true Jedi Master, you have proven yourself in skill, Sitra. And Master K'Kruhk; I can see why Kota thinks highly of you, you a true Jedi Master"
"If you're trying to belittle us, it isn't working" said K'Kruhk
"We'll see soon enough" said Havdori. At that moment, Urai leapt up and kicked down onto K'Kruhk.
"Who are you?" asked K'Kruhk.
"Urai Fen" replied Urai "And you have trespassed on an operation"
"Sorry about that" said K'Kruhk sarcastically "But stand aside, this is our business" Urai merely posed his blades for battle. "I don't wish to make anymore enemies today, but neither can I back down now" Urai charged at him and the two clashed blades. "Your blades, they're—"
"They are indestructible, your lightsaber cannot harm them" said Urai.
Meanwhile
"Look how many there are" said one of the rebel troopers as they examined the weapons.
"I bet one shot and this whole ship would go up in a flash" said another rebel trooper.
"We're certainly not going to try that" said Covfaul "Alright; we've had a good look around, now we have to return to the mission"
"And what mission would that be?" said a voice. Cadfurew arrived into the storage room atop a repulsorlift with several security droids. Covfaul and the other rebel troopers pulled out their blasters and aimed them at the Hutt and his security droids, who aimed their blasters at them as well. "Now, now; there's no need for a firefight like this, especially in the room we're in"
"Which has only placed you on the harder side of the situation" said Covfaul "We have a clear shot at you, but you can't shoot us without shooting the weapons"
"That's why I instructed my droids to open fire on you and the weapons should I die" said Cadfurew "If I'm going down, I'll take you all down with me"
"You wouldn't!" said Covfaul.
"What's to lose if I'm already dead?" said Cadfurew "This is more than simple stalemate, the cards are in my hands"
"Not yet" said a voice. Cadfurew turned his head around and saw Leia holding a blaster at him with Han.
"How did you get out?!" snapped Cadfurew.
"Thank your bounty hunter" said Leia "You should really pay them better"
"You have a lot of nerve showing up here!" snarled Cadfurew.
"I was planning on leaving, but then I saw you harassing my troops" said Leia as she slowly positioned herself around the Hutt. Cadfurew smirked.
"Most ill decisions are based off good intentions" said Cadfurew "You've only dragged yourself back into this now"
"We'll see about that" said Leia. She pulled the lid off a crate and revealed the bomb inside.
"What are you doing?!" snarled Cadfurew.
"I listened in, this crates contain doomsday weapons" replied Leia "So what does this one do?"
"You're joking" said Cadfurew. Leia pointed her blaster towards the bomb. "You…You can't be serious!"
"What if I am?" said Leia.
"You're crazy!" snapped Cadfurew "That is a gravity bomb, it will implode everything around it; and if you set it off, you'll set all the other ones off as well" After several intense seconds, Leia started the bomb. "You fool! You've killed us all! Once the bomb starts, it cannot be stopped"
"Then I guess you'd better start running" said Leia. She shot at his repulsorlift several times until it shut down and collapsed. "C'mon, everyone; let's go!" She and the others ran out of the storage room in a hurry with the security droids shooting at them.
"Don't worry about them!" snapped Cadfurew "Just get me out of here!"
Meanwhile
As Boushh regained consciousness, he looked over and saw the rebel troopers running down the corridor before him. Immediately, he grabbed his helmet and ran off down the corridor.
Meanwhile
"I must say, you showed some real guts back there" said Han.
"Save it for later, Han; we're not out of this yet" said Leia. As they entered the hanger, they found Rachi Sitra and K'Kruhk still dueling with Havdori and Urai.
"Leia!" said Sitra.
"The ship's about to blow, we have to get out of here!" said Leia. Sitra and K'Kruhk leapt forward and force-pushed Havdori out of the way.
"Come on, let's get out of here" said Sitra. They quickly boarded the LAAT gunship and flew and were about to fly out of the hanger when Havdori got himself up and force-gripped the ship.
"We're not moving" said a rebel trooper.
"Something's up" said Han. K'Kruhk looked out and saw Havdori. He then looked over at a crate and force-pushed it over, knocking Havdori off his feet.
"Let's go, now!" said K'Kruhk. They flew out of the hanger and off towards Home One. As Urai watched them escape he turned and walked over to a TZ-15 shuttle. The moment he started it up, Havdori woke up and rushed over to it, just managing to sneak in through the hatch. But as he got in, Urai turned and pointed his blades at him.
"Stowing away, it seems" said Urai.
"This ship is about to be destroyed" said Havdori "Did you really expect me to stay behind? Besides, I am of good use to your organization"
"As Cadfurew told me; but while he is accepting of having a Dark Jedi in his midst, I am not so foolish" said Urai.
"You don't know who you're talking to!" snapped Havdori. He ignited his lightsaber and lunged at Urai; but as he did this, Urai dodged the blade, grabbed him by the wrist, and bashed him in the chest.
"You say that as if you're the first darksider I have encountered" said Urai. He gave Havdori a head-butt which knocked him unconscious. As Urai flew the shuttle off, Boushh ran into the hanger, got into his stolen pirate ship, and flew out.
"Time to get out of here!" said Boushh. He took off and flew out of the hanger. At that moment, Cadfurew and the security droids arrived in the hanger.
"My shuttle!" exclaimed Cadfurew "It's gone! Get me to the escape pods now!"
"Sir, the escape pods are far from here and they will land you on Nal Hutta" said one of the security droids "Do you still wish to proceed" Cadfurew looked back and forth between the corridor and the hanger before finally looking off down the corridor with a smirk.
"Doesn't matter!" smirked Cadfurew. Suddenly, the entire center part of the star destroyer imploded, taking most of the rest of the ship with it.
Later
As Leia sat on her couch petting Cagney, Han walked over to her.
"Well, how're you feeling?" asked Han.
"Good, I didn't get too beat up back there" said Leia "How's 3PO?"
"He's still a little shell-shocked but he'll be fine" replied Han "So what was it you wanted to talk about back there?"
"About…oh, yeah, I remember" said Leia "It was…It was about…how you scared me"
"What do you mean scared…wait, is this about the whole pirate thing?" said Han "I only did it because of the situation we were in; there were only two of us, three if you count 3PO, and those pirates would have taken us with their numbers alone. I pretended to switch sides so the situation could be better; I know it didn't exactly turn out as a planned, but—"
"It's alright, I understand why you did it" said Leia "I guess I was just…for a moment I thought you had actually betrayed us"
"Do you really take me for some kind of backstabber?" said Han.
"Well…" said Leia.
"Hey Leia, look; I know I'm a smuggler and all, but I don't betray my allies" said Han "That's first and foremost for me"
"Well, that's good" said Leia "You know, Han; I think I may have been wrong about you. All this time, I thought—"
"Han!" said Corea as she entered the room and kissed him on the mouth "Great to see you back. So where were you?"
"Well, I was taking Leia and 3PO off to Duro but we got stranded on a moon" replied Han.
"Wow, sounds like a real bore" said Corea.
"Well…I suppose it was" said Han.
"C'mon, let's leave the Princess be" said Corea whilst pulling Han up and leaving the room with him. Leia sighed and leaned back on her couch.
Meanwhile
"I wish we could have done more, but the situation made things difficult" said K'Kruhk.
"Are you sure he was onboard the ship when it was destroyed?" asked Kota.
"It was hard to make out any fleeing ships or escape pods; but last we saw him he was unconscious, which means he may not have walked out of this one" said Sitra
"What about this Urai Fen, who was he?" asked Kota.
"He was Talortai, a mysterious Force-sensitive race" replied Sitra "We don't know much about them other than they're hard to find"
"I am still curious as to how Cadfurew acquired all those ships; it seems he has powerful friends indeed" said Kota "And what was Sarke…I mean Havdori's connection to all of this? And why did he want the Alliance?"
"It would seem that whatever reasons he had died with him" said K'Kruhk.
Meanwhile on the Merciless
As Havdori woke up, he found himself looking up at Urai Fen who was kneeling down at him.
"You're lucky that he says you can live" said Urai.
"You…What is this place?" asked Havdori.
"This is the Merciless" replied Urai "The personal flagship for the head of my organization, the one who had me spare your life"
"And why did he?" asked Havdori as he got himself up.
"Because he thinks you might come to good use in time" replied Urai "I think differently however; if I had my way, I would decapitate you without a second piece of mercy" He placed his blade across Havdori's shoulder. "Fortunately for you, I'm respectful of his wishes" He drew his blade away.
"And for what use would he want me for?" asked Havdori.
"I told him that you were able to manipulate one side of this civil war" replied Urai "We're not involved in this conflict, but he found this intriguing nonetheless"
"And who is this leader of the organization you are talking about?" asked Havdori. Urai smirked and gestured over to the edge of the bridge, where a man dressed in a brown hooded coat and long white hair stood with his back turned to them.
"So you're the one Cadfurew told me about" said the man "Welcome to the Consortium, Havdori"
"Who are you?" asked Havdori.
"I am the founder and leader of this organization, the one Cadfurew would have told you about" replied the man. He turned around to reveal large scars across his face. "You may call me Tyber Zann"
Hellman76: Seeing as how I've planned ahead most of the core plot of the series, it would be quite hard to fit it in. However, the Imperial family member idea intrigues me and I might be able to fit it into a tie-in of some sort.
Martin: I like Aleenas; but I was thinking that since Tsui Choi and Kazdan Paratus were both Aleena Jedi Masters who survived Order 66 that I should do something different with Hom Ferm.