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Chapter 10: Chance Encounters Part 2

Zer-o

Zer-o had been on his own for the last 4 years with his Nexu cub Shira as his constant companion for the last 3. He missed his mother and his home though he knew that he wasn't welcome there. Not that he ever really was, his mother just made it seem that way.

Though Zer-o was a solitary creature by nature, he was tired of always having to do everything on his own. It would have been easier to develop his skills as well as steal the necessities he needed in order to live if he had a partner. Sure Shira was good at watching his back while he slept and causing a distraction whenever his rations got too low but it wasn't the same.

Zer-o figured that if he was going to be alone he needed to get stronger; both physically and power wise. He'd been developing his stealth skills when he felt something in the Force calling him to a planet in Hutt space. On the way there he caught a broadcast mentioning that a wealthy Princess was missing and it was presumed that she was kidnapped by a Hutt known as Rettus Trunn.

For a while Zer-o thought that was the reason the Force was calling him to Hutt space but once he landed on the planet he figured that couldn't be it. He started off by talking to the citizens, trying to get any information on where Trunn was keeping the Princess or at least what he planned to do with her. It didn't take long to realize that was a bad idea.

The people loyal to Trunn attacked him as soon as he asked about Princess Estella until the 14 year old thought he might lose his life. The people who feared Trunn begged Zer-o not to anger the Hutt as he was known to take his anger out on the people who lived on the planet. The few people that were willing to talk to him told him that every bounty hunter that had come to the planet to rescue the Princess had either been killed or captured and ransomed back to their respective guilds.

Either way the situation didn't seem good. Zer-o had planned to rescue the Princess and return her to her father for a hefty fee, maybe enough to buy a real ship and enough real food to sustain him and Shira for longer than a couple of days. Now after what he had learned he was just stuck on this floating ball of rock until he could figure out what had called him there.

He was there for another 3 days before a bounty hunter ship arrived in the atmosphere that called to him. It wasn't the first bounty hunter ship he'd seen since being on the planet or even the 10but he knew right away that this one was different. Instead of waiting to see what these new bounty hunters would do, Zer-o headed to where the ship had landed.

He was shocked to find a wolfman and a green female with blue diamond shaped tattoos on her face and red and blue layered hair exiting the ship. They were both dressed in civilian clothes but to Zer-o they didn't stand a chance at fitting in here. Zer-o could feel the wolfman in the Force like a roaring fire and immediately knew that he was Force sensitive too.

"We will have to split up in order to search this whole city. I want you to stay in constant communication and don't do anything stupid or reckless," the female said to the wolfman.

"Yes, mother," the male said in a surprisingly articulate voice.

Zer-o had run into Shistavanens before that could barely form words let alone speak as well as this one.

"Don't be a smartass Cade," the woman said as they headed off in separate directions.

The woman paused as the wolfman Cade continued walking and Zer-o could have sworn that she looked right at him and smiled. Then she shook her head and started walking again. Zer-o waited until both Cade and the woman were out of sight before leaving his hiding place. He was intrigued to know how the woman had known that he was there and where he was hiding but he has grown up around magic and had seen stranger things. On the other hand he had never met someone who was Force sensitive like him and decided to follow Cade.

The Shistavanen headed for the market place where there was the most activity. All of the noise and smells of the city made it easier to track the male without him noticing. Zer-o had expected the male to be much better at noticing that he was being followed but Zer-o trailed the male all the way into the heart of the city and he never even looked back.

Zer-o noticed Cade following one of Trunn's men. Then man was running around erratically before leading Cade directly to Trunn's favorite cantina. Cade stood in the shadows and watched the comings and goings of the place. It was at that moment that he knew that they were there for Princess Estella just like all of the other bounty hunters that had showed up.

Cade flipped the collar up on his long trench coat and began walking toward the cantina. Without even thinking Zer-o ran full out into the male's back causing them both to topple onto the ground. Zer-o heard the male let out a threatening growl and backed up to get to his feet.

"Hey, banthahole, watch where the hell you're going," Cade growled pushing Zer-o away from him.

"Sorry," Zer-o said in a low voice.

Zer-o looked the male over, noting his many weapons and even a satchel of credits on his belt. Not only was this man Force sensitive he was also a pretty good bounty hunter to be walking around with that kind of pocket change. Zer-o looked away so that he wouldn't be caught staring.

"Just try not to knock over anyone else, kid. Everyone won't be so nice as to not kill you," Cade said.

"I don't need you to tell me anything about being cautious. I was just tryna prevent you from losing your own life. If I made you, then I'm sure the guy you were following made you too. Rettus Trunn's men are just waiting for you to walk inside so they can capture you too," Zer-o snapped at him.

Cade discreetly pulled a blaster and pointed it at the younger male.

"And how do you know that," Cade hissed.

"Because I am observant. Which you clearly are not. I've been on this planet long enough to know that Rettus Trunn is the smartest Hutt ever and he knows everything going on on this planet. He no doubt knows that you are here looking for the Princess," he said and began to talk off.

Zer-o was surprised as Cade just let him walk away.

"Hey kid, how did you know I was looking for the Princess," Cade asked, grabbing the male by the arm.

"My name is not kid and if you don't want to lose those fingers, wolfman, I'd suggest you remove them from my arm," the male said and Cade let him go. Then he said, "Bounty Hunters such as yourself have been showing up here and leaving in body bags for the last couple weeks. It's all anyone ever talks about."

Which was partially true. Bounty hunters had been showing up and leaving in body bags but that's not how he knew that's what Cade was looking for. Zer-o stood and glared at the male for a second.

"What are you doing on this planet, kid? This is no place to be unless you have business with the Hutts," Cade said trying to get information out of the male without tipping him off.

Zer-o, however, saw right through it.

"I'm just passing through," Zer-o lied quickly.

There was another pause and Zer-o knew Cade was listening to the woman he'd arrived with through the com device in his ear. Zer-o wished he could hear what she was saying. He didn't have to wait long to find out.

"Hey kid, I'll give you 200 credits if you can tell me where the Princess is being held or even where Trunn hides out," Cade said pulling the satchel of credits from his belt.

"My name is Zer-o. Please stop calling me kid. I'm almost 15 years old and have been a man longer than you have," Zer-o said and Cade laughed.

Zer-o was liking this male less and less.

"Okay, Zer-o. My name is Cade," Cade introduced himself.

"If I tell you where the Princess is you'll just go and get yourself killed like all the rest," Zer-o said.

"That's not true. I'm a part of House Benelex; we specialize in the return of kidnap victims. Plus I'm very good at my job," Cade said.

Zer-o didn't doubt that as he held his hand out for the credits. Cade tossed him two hundred credit bars. Zer-o tucked them away then turned to Cade.

"Rettus Trunn hides out at the edge of town near the giant Jabba the Hutt statue. He is keeping the Princess locked in his quarters so no one can get to her," Zer-o said.

"How do I know I can trust this information," Cade asked.

"Well you paid for it but I guess you would be a fool to trust someone you just met just because you paid them. But I have no reason to lie to you. I overheard Trunn himself talking about it. No one pays attention to a kid not even one from Dathomir," Zer-o said.

"Makes sense," Cade agreed.

"Besides, can't you tell if someone is lying through the Force? I can," Zer-o said and ran off.

Zer-o had expected the male to be trained enough in the ways of the Force to recognize another Force sensitive but then again he also expected him to chase after Zer-o but he didn't. Instead Cade headed off toward the edge of town. Zer-o shook his head.

Those two were gonna get themselves killed if they actually attempted to rescue that Princess. She wasn't worth the two hundred credits Cade had paid Zer-o for the information as long as she was chained up in Trunn's bedroom.

Zer-o took the credits back to his ship and fed Shira who spent most of her time guarding the ship when he wasn't there. He scratched her head and went into his makeshift armory. He grabbed two blaster pistols and a rifle and strapped them on. He didn't even know if he'd be able to help them but he felt the need to try.

"Shira I will be back. Don't let anyone near this ship," he said and he scratched her again.

The still smallish Nexu cub released a sound that was a mixture of a purr and a growl. Then she curled right back up in her spot near the air lock. She would probably sleep there until he got back.

By the time Zer-o made it out to the Jabba statue, neither Cade or the green female were anywhere to be seen. Zer-o was able to pick out their tracks relatively easily as Cade didn't wear shoes and the woman had been wearing high heeled boots. Both sets of tracks were easily distinguishable among the flat wide boots of Trunn's men.

Zer-o snuck up to the entrance to Rettus Trunn's main hide out and peered inside. He couldn't see any guards at first but the tracks led deeper into the cave. He followed them until he found a group of mercenaries all knocked out. Suddenly Zer-o wished he'd brought a bag with him so he could swipe some of the weapons and tech they were carrying.

He didn't have time to investigate further as he heard commotion headed back toward him. He grabbed two of the blaster rifles and slipped back out of the cave just as two men came around the corner.

"Who do you think those two were with Ahshy," one asked.

"I don't know. Trunn didn't mention that he was negotiating with the bounty hunters for the return of that princess," the other said.

"You don't think they were forcing him to take them to Trunn do you," the first one asked.

The two men stopped in their tracks as Zer-o popped up from his hiding place in the bushes and aimed a blaster pistol at each of them. They dropped their weapons without Zer-o having to tell them to. The younger male didn't hesitate to pull the triggers, stunning them both. Zer-o returned to his hiding place as he heard a male voice calling for help followed by running and blasters being fired.

"I knew those idiots were going to get themselves killed," Zer-o said as he pulled out one of the stolen blasters and sighted it at the entrance to the cave.

Cade, the green female and Princess Estella ran out of the entrance with almost 20 mercenaries behind them.

"They did it," Zer-o said in amazement as he fired one shot into the man who was standing at the entrance to the cave calling for help.

Zer-o watched as the three of them disappeared into the busy streets of the market place. He liked Cade a little better now that he had done something no other bounty hunter had been able to do. In fact Zer-o couldn't helping being drawn to the two of them and quickly made his way back to his ship so that he could follow them where ever they went next.

Zer-o spent the next few months observing Cade and the female called Rhimar, only allowing them to become aware of him a few times. It was on that final encounter that Zer-o finally gave in to Cade and agreed to join House Benelex. Once Rhimar backed him, Zer-o and Shira had a place they could call home.

Cade became his brother and Rhimar was as close to a foster mother as he was willing to get. Together the three of them boosted House Benelex's reputation to new heights while Cade and Zer-o worked together to harness their Force abilities. Zer-o had never felt as welcome as he did when Cade and Rhimar accepted him as one of their own.