Handmaiden

Atton stormed aboard, screaming. We met in the mess hall, and he told us of the attack upon him.

"With the truce off, she's walking into a meat grinder."

"She told us she was to meet alone-" Kreia began.

"Can it, sister. That was when she could walk in and out without the anvil chorus being played on her head. Besides, she isn't the target." Atton filled us in. "So it's us they will come after because that will goad her into fighting."

"That is not logical. If they are after us, some will still go after her first." I interjected.

"Yeah, but why bother? There's both you and her." Atton pointed at Visas. "Maybe they think you'll be easier prey. And taking either one of you will bring the mother of all dire wolves down where they can hunt her."

"So we break her out." Bao-Dur hadn't stayed for most of the talk. Neither had Manda'lor. Both came in, and they were loaded for war. "Are you done talking? If so, load up."

Atton grabbed his weapons. I went to the ramp. There was a crowd approaching, and from what they were carrying, they weren't from a welcoming committee.

The men were coming down the ramp when they were close enough. They were Duros.

"Refugees on a pad. Clear away." One of them snarled.

"Or maybe their are the criminal Jedi's crew?" One said.

"Then those two must be the baby Jedi we heard of." Another said.

"I am Azanti Zhug. We come for the baby Jedi, and if you are lucky, the rest may walk away as soon as you tell me where the other criminal is."

"Anyone pick up anything from that mush mouth alien crap?" Atton asked.

Bao-Dur replied as calmly. "It sounded to me like they were demanding something. He thinks big words will beat the general."

"That would explain it. Which one do you want, Bao-Dur?"

"I think the loudmouth who threatened rather than shooting when he had the chance."

Marai

I felt like I was swimming in treacle pudding. Every attempt to move was met by the overwhelming force of muscles that refused to operate. I concentrated, my mind seeking and neutralizing the poison. It would take time, and I did not know how much time Mira had.

A figure opened the door, and I recognized Zez-Kai Ell. He knelt beside me. "I know you can hear me. You are dealing with the drugs, but I must speak and go, and I will be gone before you can move.

"When I heard you were here, I was astonished. I thought no one would be able to track me here, but I see I underestimated you.

"I don't know why you came after me. Whether it was for answers or revenge, I may never know. But I saw what you have done, and I was shamed by your acts. You have acted like a Jedi, as I acted like a frightened coward.

"I will hide no longer. Know that you have done that much. A friend of mine has gone in your stead to confront the Exchange, and I can feel her danger. I will return shortly, or perhaps not at all.

"Whatever the reason for you coming here, they are embodied in me. Either wait or follow."

Then he was gone.

I was able to move in a fashion after a few minutes. I remembered what master Zez-Kai Ell said. Mira was in danger, and it was my footsteps that had taken her there. I was still woozy, but I was able to move, and fast. The door of the bar stood open, and I keyed it before I remembered why I had been carrying the damn suit.

My flesh screamed as the gas hit it, and I held my breath by sheer force of will. But I could not hold my breath for long.

Visquis

Visquis laughed as the woman staggered into the wall, hands blindly seeking for the switch that would open it. Of course when the door closed he had locked it. "The damn fool forgot her suit. Oh dear. It seems just the air will do what needs to be done."

Marai

I heard Kreia. Listen to me now! Clear your thoughts.

Kreia, I can't breathe!

Calm yourself. You body has enough reserves to keep you going for quite a while. It is your fear that will kill you. The Force can sustain you if you listen and trust me.

First, close your pores. It is a contact poison but it must enter the pores to react within your system.

I felt the pain ease. Then it was gone

Good, now increase your tear production. It will clean your eyes, and wash away any other gas that touches them.

I could see after a fashion.

It is an old technique linked to healing. By learning what your body needs, you can control your intake of it for a time.

And most important. Cyanogen is explosive in combination with oxygen.

I grinned. Then I opened the door. Everywhere around me I saw them going for weapons. The barman stared at me, and I leaped into a Force-powered run. There was a tank of compressed air under the bar which was used for some of the more exotic alien drinks with more than enough oxygen for my purposes. I cut into it, and the air sprayed outward, but I was running toward the inner door. I opened it, thumbed the trigger on a frag grenade to three seconds, flung it into the round bar area and closed the door.

Visquis

Visquis staggered as the entire structure rocked. The first room was a shambles, with bodies scattered everywhere. "Alert the clientele! Tell them the Jedi is attacking, and any that are alive when she dies will get a share of the bounty!"

Hanharr roared with laughter. "You think those Tach will stop her? They are meat at a feast to be carved!"

"They don't need to stop her. Only to weaken and delay."

But there was little delay. The woman was a nemesis, a monster stopping for nothing. She ignored those that ignored her, but any attack brought swift retaliation. Over a hundred of his customers were already dead, and they had barely even slowed her remorseless advance.

"It is madness! She knows that there are a hundred or more before her!"

"She is a predator. The ultimate predator. She is the black wook that takes the soul to the shadowlands. You have baited a trap for a Tach, and instead you have caught a Katarn, and it will eat you."

"No, there is a way out. You remember the vents and tunnels beyond." Visquis waved. "You hunted Mira through them if I recall. Beyond one of the emergency blast doors is my own secret hideaway, and even if she reaches that door, she cannot enter. She will die trapped between the blast door of the entrance and the blast door of my hide. But I must make a call." He went to the comm screen then came back. "Come my friend, we shall have some light entertainment, then we shall see this one as she dies."

Marai

I carved the door open, and the Twi-lek females squealed as I stepped in. I leaped up, beams from stunners cutting through where I had been as I leaped around, smashing the projectors. The women went down in droves as beams that missed me harrowed their ranks. I raced about, slashing power couplings. Then I chose one who by chance and sheer terror was still conscious. "Where." I demanded. She pointed. "Was there a girl? Red hair, leather outfit, bad attitude?"

"She was caught by that trap."

I gave her a manic grin, and opened the door.

Visquis

The Quarren led his guest through a sumptuous series of rooms. "Well hidden." Hanharr commented. "I would have never guessed."

"It was not here when you fought with Mira. When I discovered Goto's weak spot I built this palace. Impossible to enter without my assistance, so I chose my friends, and my victims very carefully.

He stopped in the proscenium above his own arena. Mira lay crumpled in the center of it. "You know that as Goto's right hand man, I am the one who issues punishments. You have seen this a hundred times, but now you get to see this live. This is where they fought and died to expiate their sins, and I have already notified the bounty hunters that Mira has broken the truce by attacking you. So I give her to you, as a gift."

Hanharr looked at him, panting. His eyes were bright. "We should be preparing for the Jeedai!"

"No need." The doors to their quarters opened and a score of Ubese mercenaries came into view. "Behold."

"Ubese?" Hanharr snorted. "They may be soldiers, but they face a warrior worthy of the shadowlands. She will eat their flesh in the afterlife."

"No. These are specially trained. You do know that they have a special hatred for the Jedi? When the Republic demanded that they stop producing biological and mutagenic weapons, they asked the Jedi to intercede. The Jedi refused. Did they honestly care that 90 percent of the Uba system's economy rested on those weapons? No they did not. Turn to medical research, they said. But the Ubese refused.

"So the Republic obliterated their world. Those that are left have learned everything there is to know about the Jedi. Especially how to kill them. So if she reaches the tunnels, they will be ready to go in after she has been weakened enough.

"But first, your prize. The first part of your payment."

Hanharr growled, and Visquis motioned. "Guide him to the door."

Mira

I felt like you'd expect after I'd been hit repeatedly with a stunner. At least when I did it to someone, they woke up with some painkillers and a glass of water ready. All I got was empty space.

I could feel the prickling of mines around me. It took me back, and that was a place I didn't want to be. Back before Malachor, back to when I was a child.

I did an equipment check as I rolled to a seated position. Another throwback to childhood. How often had I gotten a shock stick hit for forgetting that? A warrior is still a warrior even with no weapons. But knowing your status is a warrior's first duty. Thank you so very much Sergeant Valak. I spent five years wanting to push that sanctimonious face through a bulkhead. Never got the chance.

My wrist launcher had been emptied. I usually carry stun bombs, smokers, concussion, sonic, ion shots for droids and at least one lethal shot because I might actually have to use it. My vibro blade was gone, but a short sword had taken its place.

My come-alongs were gone too. I carry a dozen come-alongs depending on my target for the day. Mines redesigned to attach to armor, skin, fur, whatever. Stunners, concussion, even frags and plasma if the guy is one of the 'You'll never take me alive' types. You'd be surprised how many people say that but come quietly when I give them the option. It has been the key to my success. Even the biggest meanest Wookiee comes quietly when they know the only one who is going to die is him.

I was in a large area, and I immediately knew where. Visquis had started having little motivational videos sent around to anyone who worked for the Exchange in any way. Every time some thug or crook broke the rules, he ended up here. I hadn't watched after the first because you knew how it would end. You fought one enemy after another until you died. No rest, no meds, just fight and die. That explained the mines. It limited the movement of the players. You had to either watch your step, or get blown to hell.

Now it was my turn.

I touched the pouch and relaxed. I had my lucky charm as I call it. A little omni directional transmitter I had made as a kid. It foxed the mines, so they ignored me. It had kept me alive more often than I wanted to admit. I cut my teeth of minefields, and I was still the best. Those mines were a danger to anyone but me.

But without come alongs, with only lethal hardware, and a standard sword instead of something that could slice through a hull if given time, I was set up to fight and kill or fight and die.

I drew the sword. This is your weapon. Sergeant Valak had said when I was ten. Our people believe that to take a weapon is to pick up death. Your death, your enemy's death. For a sword is made for but one purpose. To end the life of your enemy. Those who live by death and violence have death and violence given to them in time. Remember that. So if you are willing to gain your own death in time take up a sword now.

Like we had a choice. Civilian rations had been cut from 2,000 calories to 1200. To be able to work efficiently, a human needs over 4,000. 1600 is starvation rations, and below that you waste away. We trainees were supposed to get between four and six thousand. Even our rations had been cut, but 2500 is better than what the civilians got. I didn't want to starve to death, so I took the damn sword. But I promised myself that I would kill as few as possible. In fact during the war I only killed those that left me no choice.

I saw that damn squid head up there, looking down like an ancient emperor.

"I can see you are awake now. I hope you are refreshed from your sleep." He said over the speaker.

"Come down here and find out. If there's anyone I'm willing to kill on this moon, you're it." I retorted.

"I think you might be interested to know that you impressed our Jedi friend. She is even now laying waste to my club. I will have some harsh words for her if she arrives."

"You don't get it you amphibious idiot! She's Marai Devos! The last rider of the Mandalorian Wars! She went through everything the Mandalorians could throw at her, and walked out alive every time. What makes you think a bunch of swaggering bounty hunters with big guns and double digit IQs has a chance in hell facing her?"

"But she didn't face poison gas and the Ubese there, did she?"

I didn't bother telling her about some of the places she had earned her blood stripes. The Mandalorians had wondered what kind of chance had birthed a warrior born in the Republic. Men that lost to her had been honored that they had even tried and failed! There is an old saw 'those who do not heed history are doomed to repeat it'. Visquis was going to get a crash course in history and Goto would have to use DNA records to figure out if he died or not.

"She's faced better men on her worst day and you've made her angry! I'm going to enjoy watching this!"

"Sadly you will not be here when she arrives. As bait you are excellent, but bait does not have to be alive to catch the fish. I am still boss of this sector, and as such, I pronounce judgment. You are guilty of violating Goto's ordered truce. As the offender, I would give you a chance to speak, but you will lie and tell everyone that you have not, so I will not let you speak. There is one that asked to be here to pass sentence, and I have given that loyal servant his wish."

The door opened, and Hanharr stepped in. His blades were drawn, and he looked at me as if I were the last meal he would ever need. "Hanharr my loyal servant, I have heard that your kind can rip a human apart with your bare hands. Indulge me, please." The speaker clicked off.

I backed slowly away. I touched my garrote...

They hadn't taken it!

"Hanharr, if you do this I am going to be really mad at you." I warned.

"Your threats are music, for now there is no hope remaining for you. The life debt ends here!" He threw down the blades, and came at me.

The sword was a problem. He'd be more cautious if I had it, but by the same token, if I threw it away too early, he would be suspicious. Even a Wookiee isn't stupid enough to charge someone who had just disarmed herself.

I only had one chance, and it depended on him being close enough that he thought he could grab me, but far enough away that I had a chance to move.

I ducked aside, and he stumbled past me. He saw the frag mine and rolled away as it blew. He was singed, but not badly hurt. I took the first stance, and he sneered, now sidling toward me, arms spread. Even with the damn sword his reach was greater than mine. I would have to get inside those arms to use it, and he could stop me. We had changed positions in that quick exchange, and I now had my back to the door. If I had been stupid I could have turned and run, hoping that the outer door was unlocked. Of course it wasn't and he would then have me trapped where I had no chance of escape.

When in doubt, feign being stupid. I sidled forward, then threw the sword at him like a giant knife, spun and ran for the door. I heard it hit his arm, then the wall. He was charging after me. He was faster than I was, and we both knew it. In a sprint he'd outrun me and I didn't have enough room to make it a marathon, where I would have a better chance. I angled to the right, and then broke hard, hitting the wall even with my head with my foot, and used the momentum to go straight up it for four meters. The garrote was in my hands as I somersaulted up away as his fist slammed into the metal, then I was dropping like a bomb right on top of him.

I flipped it, the wire spinning around his neck, catching the other toggle, then wrapped my legs around his chest and pulled backwards with all my strength as I engaged the latch. Mandalorian garrotes were borrowed from a small tribe they'd conquered back in the day, and the design had gone into what they call crush-gaunts; one the latch is engaged, it can only tighten. You have to release the latch to take it off. I felt his hands pawing at the wire, but it had sunk into the fur and his flesh beneath it. The only way he would get free is if I let go. But if I let go, I'd die before he got the clue that he was dead.

He fell backwards, and I kicked my legs free before he could grab them, slamming down on my back, the legs acting as shock absorbers to stop him from crushing me. It hurt, my legs almost collapsed under the weight, but I was still killing him. He tried to reach back, but I shoved upward, legs straining, keeping him from reaching me, pulling the nose tighter and tighter.

He gasped, weakly pawing at the wire, trying to paw at me. Then he collapsed. I held it anyway, keeping the pressure on. I didn't use a wire small enough to slice through him like cheese, but I would have taken his head if I could guarantee it.

After over a minute, there was no movement, and I flipped the toggle around so now both were in one hand, and I checked the pulse point on the wrist. Nothing.

I pushed him aside, lurching to my feet and away. There is that second after a fight to the death when you know you're alive, and you feel a rush of joy like no other. Cherish it Sergeant Valak had said after that first battle, where I was still alive. If you feel it, you have won, and surviving is the only prize in battle.

Damn it! The man had been dead for almost ten years, but still he haunted me. I'd helped lay his body out, seen it burn. Why was he suddenly here with me now? Remember to collect your weapons; you might need them later. I cursed the memory, staggering back to the body and disconnected the latch, rolling the garrote into a coil before putting it away again.

"That was... surprising." Visquis said. "Well that means I do not have to give Hanharr his pay, so instead, I will give it to you."

I snapped around. The way he said that meant the trouble was just beginning.

Another door opened, and a Kath hound bounded into view.

I know what he expected. I was supposed to turn and run, the hound and it's pack mates that were coming out of that room would charge, and I'd be dinner. I could try to grab a sword, but the room was too close, no place to play ground hopper and dive for cover with only one way to come at me. But I wasn't playing by his game plan. I saw him walk away, leaving the viewing area. If he had stayed he might have learned something.

Toward the end of our first year of training, before they sent us on to units, there had been one final test. Warriors we had been told were predators. In nature predators hunt in one way alone, but we must learn all ways to know the best, for warriors are the premier predator. There are three types of predator designed by nature. There are those that lurk, those that leap, and those that chase.

But nature did not teach them hunting, their instincts did. A lurker will let you go by unless you step into the traps they have constructed. A leaper will chase if you are within a certain distance, yet would prefer to drop upon you. A coursing predator, the kind that chases needs that trigger to attack. They would lunge to try to get you to run. If trained, they would attack if you made an offensive move, but on the whole they would wait for you to run, because prey always ran.

But instinct can be confounded. If you stay out of the area of the trap, you are safe from the lurkers. If you stay far enough that a charge would take more than a few moments, a leaper would ignore you.

For a coursing hunter, you stand tall, you do not run or flinch, and you face them. It confuses them. If you run, prey. If you react before they have lunged, prey. If you slap them after that they will retreat. You are and are not prey, and they have to go through a mental process you or I would run through in about a second. It takes them a lot longer.

Let's hear it for sentience.

They growled, one of them lunging, but stopping a meter away. I stood, glaring at him, but did nothing. He backed away, and another nipped at me. But again he retreated. This went on for a while. When they nipped at me again I growled and slapped the nose of the offender. He retreated, and obviously they would now have a discussion about it. The only way out of here except as hound feces required that I blow the door.

I estimated the mass of the mines I had felt. He'd had to deactivate them because Kath hounds are expensive to transport, they come from Dantooine after all. But deactivated mines could be activated again, and I was the girl to do it. But my estimate didn't even scratch that big metal blast door. I looked up. Now the transparisteel panels... Yeah, enough for that.

I turned and walked to the first one. They watched me, and might have attacked but I stopped, kneeling to pick it up. Frag, Semmetig model 19A. Mandalorian work. Big enough to cover a ten meter circle with death. Piece of cake, I cut my teeth on laying these. I cleared the hold-downs, and picked it up. The hounds had closed the distance, but there was this moving bubble of space where I was. I was neither prey nor merely a plant they could not eat. It wouldn't last much longer, but I used the time I had. I gathered each mine, my little bubble dragging them along. Then I set my back to the wall, and worked. I rigged them into a plate with a daisy chain fuse. Blow one, and they all blow. I activated the attraction fields then reached up as high as I could. Damn it, too high. No help for it. I leaped, slapping it against the clear panel, hanging by that field as I activated the middle one. The 19a at the center had a three second delay, or it would have blown me to hell as I dropped away.

They had been energized by that, and I was moving back to prey for their tiny little minds. I strode around the room, and they followed. Soon I was exactly opposite my little prize, and I stopped. I needed something to throw that wouldn't explode itself. I pulled out that good luck charm. Well if I had ever needed good luck, now was it. I flung it toward the center of mass, dropping at the same time.

It was like being in a garbage can with god playing kickball. The grenades went off, and shrapnel howled through the room, the over pressure slammed me into the wall. Then it was over. I looked up. All but one of the pack had been in the frag pattern and the survivor was shaking his head in pain. I ignored him. I leaped up, running through the smoke. The bottom half of the panel had shattered, and I was up and through a second before the top fell like a guillotine.

I could have tried to escape, but Visquis was still waiting for his Jedi. The blast door into the maze leading back to the Jekk'Jekk Tarr was voice locked. I ransacked the place, and came up with enough explosives to blow that blast door to freedom to hell. I rigged them, stood back, raised the hand detonator.

Wait, Mira. Bad idea. No suit, no mask. If I fired that while I was standing here, I was dead even if she lived. I'd die without a suit. I looked a little more, and found an emergency capsule. Knowing it was Visquis' escape route just made my decision easier. If I blew that charge, used the pod, he'd be trapped here.

As I triggered it; leaping in, I thought;

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy!

Collection

Visquis shook at this last explosion. The first had been Mira dying so what had caused this one?

One of the Ubese guards whistled, then pointed at the control panel.

The door to the vents had been opened. No, it had been blown up. The Jedi had-

No, the Jedi had carried no explosives. The sensors on the opposite side of the door would have detected them-

Mira! Somehow the little beast had escaped, and she'd opened the door the only way she could.

"We must go to the arena. I no longer care if the Jedi lives." Visquis ordered.

Marai

The blast door had stopped me. There were a few light mines scattered, and I had disabled and worked them into a charge, but there were not enough to take down the door. It was too thick for my lightsaber to cut through unless I wanted to peel it a layer at a time like an onion.

Then instinctively I knew that I had to get away. I ran, getting through the next two chambers, and kneeling against the wall facing it when the mother of all explosions blew it up. I was battered by concussion, and when I looked up a jagged piece of that door had passed through where I would have been if I had been standing, and gone on to wreck two more walls.

I stalked back to the door. It had been blown to flinders and the gas from the tunnels behind me warred with the atmosphere of the rooms. I found an area still clean, and took a deep breath for the first time in several minutes. This I knew was how Kreia had survived on the ship after the Harbinger. Her body had merely dropped into a hibernating sleep until she had felt my mind stirring again.

There was a door open down a ramp, and I saw Visquis standing in an open room. I stalked down it, looking at the body of a wookiee, at half a dozen Kath hounds strewn about. "Where is Mira."

"We must talk-"

"No talk! You had your chance to talk, and you used it with that abattoir you made of your club. Where is Mira?"

"We have her-"

"You have nothing." I sensed the lie. "She escaped you and you now have no cards remaining."

He raised his hand, and from behind him Ubese troops appeared. I could hear a clattering sound. There were a lot more behind me. "Kill her!" He screamed. They did not move. Then I heard the hum of an antigravity field. The big black ball shape floated between the Ubese behind me, resting just forward of their line.

"Goto! I-"

"Until she departs, the contract is in abeyance. She has been given a round trip ticket. If you eclipse her movements while she is on this moon, I will eclipse yours. Hunt her here, and your fellows will be glad to hunt you afterward.

"My own words, and you knew my command. Yet you did not listen."

"She is here, take her, she is my gift to you!"

"Spare me. You thought I could not hear, so all you have done is known to me."

"Please Goto... I-"

"Someone just kill him."

"Wait!" I looked at the droid. "There has been enough death!"

One of the Ubese behind Visquis made one single economic thrust.

"You do not know how much death he as caused. Most of the Zhug now lie dead because they thought your allies weaker without you. A third of the Gand died trying to slow you down." It turned, and the mellow voice spoke softly, almost pleasantly. "More to the point my orders are to be obeyed. Not ignored, not worked around. They are to be obeyed or the one disobeying dies. If I had let him live, others might have followed that example. Now they will not." It rotated so that the main sensor array was aimed at me. "If you would be so kind, I would prefer to discuss our business somewhere that is not going to be ground zero of another attack. Your friends will not be subtle."

"Then I will stay here and await them."

"You are such an amusing little Jedi, are you not. Did you think I would accept that alternative?"

Stunners shot from every corner of the room. Not one or nine but dozens.

Mira

The pod shuddered to a stop and I stumbled out right into the arms of Zez-Kai Ell. "What?"

"Goto has her." He answered in a soft voice.

"Oh Sith spit!"

"It is hopeless."

"Oh yeah?" I glared up at him. "No one steals my bounty, no one! Not you, not the entire Jedi Council, not Visquis and not even Goto!" I started to move around him.

"What are you going to do?"

"She has friends. I'm going to find them and we are going to figure out a way to rescue her. With or without your help."

Hanharr

Except for the bodies of the dead, the room was silent. As huge as he was in life, Hanharr looked shrunken, as if the rage had been all that filled his skin. A robed figure walked down, past the Kath hounds, passed the body of Visquis, to stand over him. A hand came out, and energy flowed into the corpse.

"Arise, beast." Kreia said.

I gave a roar of pain, rolling onto my knees. I had felt the black Wook's hand reaching out leading me back; I had been in the Shadowlands. Perhaps I would be forgiven. My stupidity had killed so many, and I wanted to face them. Even if I was to be barred forever from the great feast, I wanted to see those faces one last time. I yearned to see father mother, my siblings. Friends. All had died rather than wear the hated metal chains of the off worlders as I had. They had died because of me.

But even if I was refused I would not be able to go in even yet. Mira still lived. I was bound to the outer world until she joined them. But even she would hate me. She would be allowed at the feast as the life debt demanded, for she had done nothing more than not accept it. She had done all honor demanded, and she would be allowed in but I would not.

They were there, a silent crowd that could judge my worth. I reached out imploring-

I was back in that hated body. My throat felt as if I had been decapitated, and the head sewn back on by a drunken human doctor.

"Get up." The human demanded. "I have saved your life, and by that code you serve, it is now mine."

"Why have you done this?" I screamed my pain at her. "Why did you not leave me dead?"

"Because I need for you to hunt, beast. Your prey is that which has drawn you your entire life. Something you were born and bred to hunt. You have been honed into the perfect predator."

"The Jeedai." I snarled. "You want me to hunt her and kill her."

"No, beast, you are mistaken. If any act of your harms her, I will make sure you survive to see the very stars die. Know this, beast. If you hunt the Jedi you will wish to all the gods that you died before the stars do, and that shall be denied you. This is the life debt I demand."

"No! I shall not bear another life debt! I will not!" I leaped to my feet. "Release me from this or I will kill you!"

Somehow she wasn't there. My fists found nothing. She laughed mocking my attempts. "Ah that curious custom. The life-debt. Where you must swear to one that saves you. Perverted by your hate. Did you ever try to explain to Mira that such a debt gives you family again? That it returns to you some of what links you to your dead? That if she had accepted it, life would have been bearable? No. You demanded it, and when she refused you focused all that hate on her as you now try to focus it upon me. But I am beyond your power. Soon she will be beyond your reach at all, and you will be trapped in life unless you do as I say.

"But I promise one thing she would not. I promise that I will show you no further mercy. You will hunt the red maned one for me. You will kill her, and ending her life will end all debts between you and I. Most of the pain you feel will pass with time, though some is necessary if you are to survive where I send you."

"Where? Where is she going?"

"Not so fast." Her voice was tinged with human amusement. "You will go where I send you, and if you survive there, I promise that she will come to you."

Suddenly I knew where to go, which ship was unlocked. The course to give the computer. My destination on the road to hell.

Reclamation

Atton

It was like wading through the sea. Something like two or three hundred of those idiot Duros had tried to stop us. They faced Bao-Dur and Manda'lor, two sides of the same coin melded into one by the Mandalorian wars. They faced the furies in Visas Kreia and the Handmaiden. The Seeker who found the prey, the one who planned, and the one who slew. They were fully represented, and any that had cared of the enemy would have been justly proud to be reaped by them. I cleaned up after the others, with T3 following.

We broke into the docks, and where the Jekk'Jekk Tarr had been was a smoking crater.

"When she gets mad, she doesn't stint. "Bao-Dur commented dryly. "Problem is, now where is she?"

"You're a little late." A female voice said. We spun, every weapon on the small woman with red hair that approached. "I will tell you what happened. No, we don't have the time, I will sum up. I went in, tried to back Visquis off. She came after me in her so subtle fashion, and about three hundred assorted idiots tried to stop her. I blew the last door for her, but wasn't able to help. I think Visquis is worm food because last I heard Goto has her and has already taken off. By now he's on that cloaked yacht of his."

"Where is the yacht?" I roared. "Where is she?"

"I can't tell you that. It isn't that I won't, it's that I don't know!" She looked like she was going to cry. "Goto has a Mon Calamari civilian job in orbit somewhere, but no one has ever been able to find it! He's got a cloaking system any navy would kill for, and he can't be found just by looking!

"The only way to get invited before was by delivering a Jedi-"

"Offer me." Visas said. "I will die in her place."

"Or I!" The Handmaiden cried. "Or both!"

"As much as I would love the money if you'd said it two hours ago, it won't do us a bit of good. Right after his shuttle took off the word was passed. The bounty has been closed out."

"How good is this cloaking device?" I demanded.

She gave a chuckle. "After the years they had to sit here doing nothing but wait? Every bounty hunter left alive in the system would be on him like a pack of Needra on a wounded buck. He's cost them a lot with his highhanded ways, and this last contract was the straw that broke our backs. The only ships that ever see him are Vogga's freighters, and they don't come back."

"Freighters?" She explained the curious vendetta the crime lord seemed to have with Vogga the Hutt. "If you captain one of Vogga's ships, you know that if you come to Nar Shaddaa you can deliver your cargo, but never leave. Vogga's got half a hundred ships in orbit or on the ground here but none dare break orbit."

I wanted to walk, ponder it. Then I noticed something. "Where is that little tin can?"

We went back to the ship, Mira trailing along. I wanted to dump her but she was harder to get rid of than a woman that thought you loved her.

No, the little tin can was not there. I was starting to really get agro. The Handmaiden wanted to lift, to try to see if either she or Visas could find that damn ship, but we couldn't get off the ground. The little trash compacter had locked it down tighter than a drunken Hutt.

That was when I lost it. I screamed, everyone tried to calm me down but I was in the mood to kick butt and if it was a certain little droid, I was all for it!

There was a whistling sound, and the little creep rolled in, whistling rapidly.

"Come here, there's a blaster bolt with your name on it!" It ran, socketed it's arm into one of the consoles, and there before our eyes was one of Vogga's smaller ships. A Protopri J mod 4, the same basic design as ours. I stopped. "So what you little-"

"Atton, wait." Handmaiden said. "Is this the transponder information we needed?" The little can bleeped and burbled at her. "So we only need-" A small arm popped out. On it was a transponder chip. I snatched it up, and ran it into a reader.

"It's blank!"

"Didn't you say..."

Yes! ID specs and a blank chip!" I grabbed Mira, lay a kiss on her cheek. turned to the Handmaiden who backed away.

"Touch me, and I'll hurt you!"

"Touch me, and I will kill you." Visas added softly.

"Be right back."

It didn't take long. My friend etched the chip, and I brought it back. It only took a second to put it in, and we were now Y-Toub Glory. I took the command seat as the droid cleared the locks, and I lifted us off.

"When this goes down, we have to move fast."

"A small team can move faster than an armada." The Handmaiden said. "I will go."

"So-"

And me." Mira said.

"Wait, didn't we leave you down there? After all you're the reason she's in this mess."

"That's why I'm going jet jockey. I got her into the mess trying to help her, and that core slime stole her away. I'll get her and get him back at the same time."

"How?"

I flashed a chip. "I get to his command bridge, and input this, and his transponder reads "Here I am, signed Goto." Even if they fry the chip ten second later, he's toast."

"I will go as well." Visas said.

Damn it, why were the women on this ship always so... forceful?

We were above atmosphere, and a ship detached from the cluster above Nar Shaddaa. I looked at it, checking the sensor reading. "That's a Kuati light cruiser. Why would-" The ship staggered. "It's Goto!" Mira screamed.

"I thought-"

Mira spun. "Don't think! You and me ladies, we're on!"