Recompense


My body ached as we sped through the narrow streets. It felt a bit like that hangover I had a few days previous, only much much worse. I couldn't even keep my seatbelt on as the pain slowly began to worsen.

"Here." Cad pulled out a small package and tossed it into my lap. "Should help."

I found a handful of white pills inside which I assumed were painkillers.

"Take two, son. Three if you're going to whine about it."

I nodded, taking out a second pill as I undid the seal on my helmet.

Cad raised his wristcom to his mouth. "Exa, you ready to go?"

"Just finished packing up. Heading to the ground floor now."

"Make it quick. Senator might have a tracker. Gotta get outa here fast."

"Hard to hurry if I have to talk."

"How are we going to get the tracker out before we get to the mines?" I popped the pills into my mouth and took a sip from my very diminished water supply.

Cad gave me a side eyed glance but said nothing as he turned down another alley which was barely large enough for them. He drove halfway down then slammed on the brakes nearly causing me to fly into the windshield as I put back on my helmet.

As I resealed my helmet Cad pressed the button to open the cars sunroof, letting in a light mist of smog before Exa slipped out a window directly over the car then dropped into the back seat with the senator so lightly the hovercar didn't even shake.

"We out?" she asked as Cad took off.

"Mmhm."

"Nice jump by the way kid," Exa said as the sunroof closed. "I'm gonna shove this fat fuck into the trunk. No way I'm sitting next to him the entire drive."

Cad tossed her a second set of binders. "Cuff his legs then switch with the kid."

She groaned but did as he said. "What happened in their by the way? Sounded like a fucking warzone when your comms came back on."

I let out a small sigh. "They found out we were going to send someone in. So, they prepped DEMP 2 Ion Carbine rifles and EMPed the workers."

Exa shoved the senator as far onto his side of the car as she could. "That explains the coms,"

"I have a safety failsafe which restarts my suit if I'm EMPed, but… I didn't realize my boots were activated and I ended up bouncing around the room until I went through the wall into the senator's office."

Exa looked at me in surprise. "Wasn't their office down one of the hallways?"

"Yes."

"How did you get down there if you were bouncing around?"

"… The only answer I have is luck."

"And the force," added Mac.

"At this point I'm still not sure I'm alive. I could be splattered against the wall and this is what my death dream looks like."

"Sweetest thing you ever said to me nerd, I'll be honored to haunt you in your final moments."

"All clear," Mandra called over the radio. "You all make it out with the target?"

Cad pressed a button on his wristcom, causing a holographic image of Mandra to appear on the dashboard as we shot out of the alley onto a side street. "We've got 'em."

Mandra breathed a sigh of relief, she looked like she was jogging, an A-280 in her arms and soot covering her face. "Good. We're taking a route through the sewers. I would expect guards to be waiting for you at the factories but I'm sure you can handle them. Once you get to the mines we'll rendezvous and move the Senator to a holding cell."

"About that," Cad said casually as we turned onto a main road. "Change of plans."

"What do you mean?"

"We'll be taking the senator. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll never hear from 'em again."

Mandra suddenly stopped moving, her eyes burned with anger. "You slagging no good scum bounty hunter!"

Cad tipped his hat at her. "Guilty as charged."

"We had a deal!"

"I don't remember you paying me."

"We gave you the droid."

"We gave you the map."

Mandra slammed the butt of her rifle against the wall. "So what? You gonna take him off world and sell him to the highest bidder?"

Cad grinned at the camera "Of course not. Already got a buyer lined up."

"I should have known. You can never trust a kriffing bounty hunter to actually help."

"I'd be more than happy to tally up who's helped the other more, but we both know the score. Besides, we've got a flight to catch, and I'm sure you want to handle those mercs making their way into your little tunnels right about now." He pressed a button on his wristcomm to add an additional camera feed to their call. It showed firefights happening in multiple tunnels leading to the central hub of their underground network.

"Shit… Everyone double time!" she yelled to her soldiers. "You'll pay for this Cad."

"So I've heard," he said, flicking his toothpick away. "Ta ta."

Mandra looked like she wanted to say more but Cad pressed his wristcom to end the call.

"Kid, those painkillers kick in yet?"

"Hubruh," I said, then looked down at myself in confusion.

"That's a yes," Cad said.

"Time to switch then." She reached forward and pulled me into the back seat next to the senator.

I reached up to buckle myself in but I could no longer feel my arms, making the process extremely difficult as it felt like I was watching someone else's arm rather than my own. Luckily after Exa got in the front she saw me struggling and reached back to buckle me in.

"Get some shut eye nerd. We'll wake you when we get to the ship."

I nodded and closed my eyes.

"You," Mac said over the radio as I started to drift. "Give me my gun so I can keep an eye on this fat ugly failure while you sleep."

The sleep I had on the way to the ship was so strong I do not remember walking into the Justifier. So when I woke up on my small bunk as the ship touched down I nearly fell out of it in surprise.

It only took me a moment to recognize my surroundings as my consciousness came back to me along with a growing pain across my entire body. Every part of me felt bruised but I knew I needed to get up and move. So, with a quiet groan I slipped out of my bunk to my feet.

My helmet felt heavy on my neck, so I undid the straps, leaving it and my jacket on my bunk before heading up to the bridge where I found Cad talking with Exa with the senator bound and gagged in a chair next to them.

"I'll do the talking," Cad said then motioned at the ships control panel. "Watch the cameras and come down when I give the signal."

Exa nodded, and they both turned to look at me as I limped up the stairs.

"Wow, you look like shit," Exa said.

"Sorry," I said then paused. "Should I go get back on my stuff?"

"Nah," Cad said then motioned at the seat in front of the control panel. "You'd just get in the way. Watch the camera and get the ship ready if things start going south."

I nodded and hobbled over into the chair. "Are we expecting it to go wrong sir?"

"No. Not with this client."

Exa crossed her arms. "Unless you're wrong about the client."

"Tell you what." Cad put a toothpick in his mouth. "If I ever get something wrong, I'll let you plan the next mission."

Exa just glared at him in response.

Cad grinned, pulling his cap down over his eyes before he turned and walked down the stairs.

Once his footsteps faded down the stairs Exa scoffed. "Cocky prick."

I slid my chair in to the control panel and activated 3 of the screens, two for the ships cameras and a third for the news. I didn't normally watch news channels but I wanted to see if there were any reports on our operation. "I mean… how often is he wrong."

"Never but that doesn't mean he should be so cocky about it."

The cameras both showed Cad walk down the loading ramp, hands in the pockets of his long coat, while the news was showed the weather. The moment Cad stepped out of the ship's shadow a group of at least ten Gamorreans and a massive black furred Wookie started closing in on him from all directions.

"Shit." Exa slipped her helmet on and reached for her rifle.

"Keep your cool," Cad said over the radio, not even turning around to look at the people approaching him.

There were no microphones on the outside of the ship so I could not hear their conversation as the Wookie approached Cad. The black furred creature had two bandoleers strapped across its chest and spiked shoulder pads as its only clothing. It glared down at Cad, clearly speaking in the Wookie's growling, roar like language.

"Oh shit wait a second." Exa walked up next to me. "… This is either really bad, or really good."

"What makes you think that?" I asked turning to her.

She pointed at the Wookie on the screen. "That's the Black Krrsantan."

"Who?"

"He's another bounty hunter. I heard the Hutt Twins hired him on a more permanent basis."

"Wait this contract is for the Hutts?"

"That's what Cad said on the way here. Said this was the kinda slag they would pull."

"Should we be worried then?"

"Hutts have a reputation. They wouldn't want to ruin it by killing the bounty hunters working for them. Even the twins know that. And with Jaba gone they're going to have to be careful."

I recoiled. "Gone? What do you mean Jaba's gone?"

"Dead," she said casually. "Apparently that Rebel Jedi killed 'em."

"HE'S REAL!?"

"Yea? You thought he wasn't?"

"Why do you make it sound like I'm the weird one for not believing the rebels found a random farmer from a desert planet who has the abilities of a group of wizards that have been extinct since before the Empire was founded."

"Come on he's no less believable than big bad Darth Vader."

"… Is he real too?"

"What? I… That's the signal. Got to go."

"Wait," I said as she quickly dragged the Senator to their feet and pulled them down the stairs before I could continue.

I sighed turning back to the cameras as she made her way down the ramp. A flash of red caught my eye in the news feed as the exchange began. I glanced at the image and froze in what I could only describe as horror.

On screen was a tall man clad in a long red robe which billowed in the wind with his back to the camera. He swung a force staff around him in a wide arc, taking out three New Republic soldiers at once. As their bodies fell he looked over his shoulder at the camera, revealing a very familiar helmet, then drew an RSKF-44 and fired four shots just past the camera as blaster bolts reflected off his cloak.

I turned up the volume just in time to hear the RSKF-44 rounds find their marks behind the camera. Another soldier leapt at the red clad figure from behind only for him to move his force staff in the way so they skewered themself.

"Imperial forces have taken control of the planet Kuat. This is the fourth core world now occupied by forces under the Command an Emperor's Royal Guard and their flagship the Dreadnaught Dominance," the news anchor said, the image on screen shifting to the Royal Guard as he stood before his assembled troops looking directly into the camera. There was a small group of what looked like politicians and New Republic military leaders directly behind him, each with an E-11 to the back of their head. "The Royal Guard had this to say after the New Republic forces surrendered."

"People of the Imperium. In our hour of darkness, you all fled. You retreated, cowered, and surrendered yourself to darkness. We are the light… And those of you who fled shall be blinded by our radiance."

The firing squad executed their prisoners in unison.

"Our Emperors retribution shall be swift and relentless. Your New Republic shall be destroyed at its very foundation until you are naught but the ash, consumed by the very darkness you attempted to flee. And for those among our number currently fighting across the galaxy for the brighter future, we salute you." The assembled stormtroopers behind him saluted. He stared directly into the camera, his helmet hiding his expression though I knew he was glaring, and it felt like it was being focused directly on me. "Defectors, traitors, and cowards. You will be dealt with. Enjoy your time today. Because no matter where you go, no matter what you do. One day I will come for you, and I will burn everything you have to dust for you to choke on."

Alright that last part felt very targeted. Unless someone else had abandoned ship around the same time I had. Though I doubted they would have been able to also steal his ship since I had stolen the only one.

"What's next for this group? Their Royal Guard commander would not give us specifics, but he made one thing clear. The Core worlds are, and will remain, a part of the Empire."

"Who is that?" Exa asked.

I nearly jump out of my chair as I turned to find both her and Cad Bane making their way back onto the bridge. "He's… a Royal Guard. Apparently him and his troops have been taking over some of the Core worlds."

"Huh," she said leaning over to look at the freeze framed image of him standing before his troops. "His visor looks a lot like yours."

Cad also looked over her shoulder at the image and grunted. "Knew this would happen." He shook his head. "Told ya it'll be better to stay out here for a while."

"Yea yea whatever, Cad's right again, split up the money already," Exa said impatiently.

I looked over at the security camera just in time to see the last Gamorrean disappear from view.

Cad sighed as he set a very heavy sounding chest on the table. "No patience."

This definitely drew my attention back to him as he opened the box, and I heard the definitive clink of metal credits being counted. Pulling out a small bag he dumped a portion of the credits into it and tossed it to Exa. He then pulled out a second pack, filled it, and tossed it to me. As I went to catch it though Exa snagged it out of the air.

"What the fuck is this?" she asked hefting my share.

Cad closed the box and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why is his share bigger than mine?"

"He hacked the droid. He got the senator. He gets a bigger share."

"We had an agreement. I get my fucking cut Cad."

"You did." Cad pulled the toothpick from his mouth. "I gave him the extra that was going to mine."

She glared at him for a moment then hefted her bag again. "… That's alright then." She dropped the bag in my lap then patted my shoulder. "No hard feelings. Gotta get paid in this biz."

"I mean I can sha-" I started but Cad gave me a look that said, 'no I cannot share'. "Shaaare the tab with you when we get back."

Exa tilted her helmeted head at me. "You're willing to drink again after last time?"

"… No I'd rather not," I said looking down at my feet.

"Thought not. Just don't spend it on anything nerdy."

"… Does a new scope for my E-11 and suit upgrades count as nerdy?"

"Yes."

I paused for a long few seconds. "I cannot promise anything then because I really want to finish the scope I was working on. Especially after an idea I had with Mac's camera."

"Nope, don't want to know about it. Too much nerd shit for me." She made her way down the stairs off the bridge. "Wake me when we get back."

Cad walked over to the pilots chair and took off his hat, hanging it on the back of the chair. "You going back to sleep too?"

"No sir." I looked into the bag of credits which was far larger than any of my cuts so far.

"Good, come here," he says motioning at the co-pilots seat.

I moved up and strapped in as he activated the ships engine.

"Took a look at your droids video of what happened in there."

I bowed my head in shame. "It… did not go well."

"Still survived," he said with a shrug. "Found a funny thing in there though the droid only caught a glimpse of." He turned and looked at me. "Tell me about that fella in the red robe."


HI! WAMMFFics here. So, that's the end to the second arc. I had a lot of fun writing this one, especially the last chapters bouncing around scene. However, I will be taking a sabbatical from this story for the next while. I have really started to buckle down and get the novel I'm working on ready to get in the hands of an agent so that requires a lot of my attention right now. Once things settle down Liam, Mac, and friends will return. I have a lot more planned for this story. A lot of returning characters and new ones still to go. Thank you for all the new favorites, follows and reviews recently. They all really mean a lot to me, and I'd love to hear what kinds hijinks you all would like to see when the story continues. For now, may the force be with you, always.