After the small stop at Kashyyk AICA flew pretty much all the time in stealth mode and entered Hutt Space a few systems before the Y'toub system where Nar Shaddah, the moon of the planet Nal Hutta, was located in.
Just like Coruscant Nar Shaddah's surface had been pretty much completely covered by buildings but had been first bombarded from space and then terraformed after the system had been conquered by the Yuuzhan Vong. Nowadays there was still lots of vegetation on the planet with several settlements placed over the moon. The Smuggler's Alliance was back on the planet and SunTzu, Makoto and AICA got the coordinates for a secretive top shop for starships which they could approach pretty much unseen while swooping down on the planet.
They flew through a secretive route called the chute to land in the space barn of outlaw tech Shug Ninx, an aged top mechanic who was associated with the Smuggler Alliance.
In between half a dozen other starships, the biggest a container transport, mechanics and smugglers were busy working on the ships, when AICA sat down.
"AICA, fry everyone that gets too close to you." SunTzu commanded his ship as he looked around the rather shady workshop.
SunTzu and Makoto left AICA together and approached the old master mechanic who standing in front of a small transport and yelling at some mechanics made up of various species. It was deafening loud in the work shop.
When he noticed the duo approaching him, Ninx, a blue-skinned half-human, turned to them and walked towards them and stopped in front of them.
He took a good close look at AICA before he turned to Makoto and SunTzu.
"Suppose you're the people that didn't arrive at all and never got here."
"That would be correct." Makoto answered and SunTzu nodded, having his concentration up to sense out with the Force for any hostile feelings around them.
"So, I guess we don't have to introduce each other and cut straight to the business."
SunTzu produced a duffel bag he was carrying over his shoulder and threw it to Ninx.
The mechanic opened the zipper a bit and took a glance at the credit chips inside.
"You can count it if you want."
"Oh, I trust you." Ninx replied, since he knew that it had been Han Solo who had contacted him to make sure AICA could fly in unnoticed and secured in secret as well, he had raised the price twenty percent anyways. After all it was likely that this was some GFFA Jedi or Spy stuff.
"Nobody touches the snub." SunTzu stated and then pulled into the pocket of his flight suit where he produced another small bag from and threw it on top of the duffel bag in Ninx's arms before both men nodded at each other.
Five minutes later the two Earthlings, packed with their luggage were out of the repair shop, but not before SunTzu told AICA again, to take care of herself.
They went to the next mag train station, which was definitely not as clean as in Tokyo, and neither was the train.
Their destination was almost an hour away from where they had landed and was classified as one of the most notorious and lawless settlements, as well as one of the biggest ones as the planet was resettled with amazing velocity.
It's buildings already rising tall, the settlement, called New Red Light, was fast growing as these days the Hutts used their wealth to build up what they once had lost and bring back their empire, and the partly retaken Hutt Space to it's former state.
New chances also brought venturers from all over the Galaxy back which resulted in lots of violence and general lawlessness.
Makoto's and SunTzu's target was a black market arms dealer, the one responsible for selling the explosives and technology needed to create the IEDs General Phyncx had used against Taskforce Sol to him.
The individual was a human, although his gang consisted of species from all over the Galaxy.
Galactic Intelligence only knew his alias, Heartless, a name derived from the man ruthlessly and without any conscience supplying weapons, explosives and technology even to the worst criminals and oppressors in the Galaxy.
The two Guardian's first plan was to infiltrate the huge gang of the man to get close to him and then somehow, probably by force, none of them cared at that point anymore after loosing so many of their soldier, extracting the information where to find Phyncx, or at least the people who ran his supply lines.
It had been Ami who had supplied them with a contact point on Nar Shaddah, a couple of old friends of the Senshi she had said. And if Ami said these people were friends than Makoto and SunTzu trusted it, although especially Makoto was asking herself who it could be.
Arriving at New Red Light SunTzu began to wonder how dirty and decrepit a city could become after it just had been built a few years ago.
Apparently even the most modern technology in city building was powerless against poverty and opportunism.
But they were not here to gentrify the city but to kill their way up to Phyncx SunTzu told himself as he and Makoto left the mag train and wandered deeper into the hotbed of sin that this city was.
SunTzu kept his senses on the edge and even Makoto had her hand on the blaster most of the time. Although they tried to keep a low profile they used the main streets, at least until they got too crowded with people enjoying themselves or going after their business, whatever it would have been, in the nightlife. It was the middle of the night, Nar Shaddaa's days were over 80 hours long, so an all-nighter sure did take it's time, and that meant rush hour in this part of the planet.
Ami and Ada had procured the duo with a small apartment to stay in, which had pros and cons.
The pro was, was that it was close by the main amusement area and inside the sphere of influence of Heartless. The con was that it was one of the most poor and violent ares in the city, Galactic Alliance wouldn't have gone in there without a whole battalion of Galactic Marines and a Jedi Strike Team.
They arrived at the high-rise building, keeping their eyes and ears open while having traveled through some dark alleys.
In front of the building a gang of young individuals was hanging around, trying their best to look menacing and they would have succeeded if Makoto and SunTzu both weren't people with superpowers and with more individual combat experience than some countries' armies on their home planet.
As they walked up to the house, Makoto spoke.
"Leave the talking to me, I know how they behave, I've been a delinquent as well once."
"You? The most homey person I know?"
"Well, I've been a teenager as well once."
"Fine, but I'll keep the saber at the ready."
"I'm pretty sure these guys are strapped."
"And?"
"Bringing a light saber to a gunfight isn't exactly fair.."
"Who said I fight fair?"
"Ey, the kriff you guys?" A muscular, rangy Weequay asked, apparently their leader.
"You guys are the protectors of this place? Good to know we're in good hands in our new living space."
"You guys heard that?" The Weequay laughed as he turned to his gang. "We're the protectors of this place." Everybody in the gang, eight individuals from different races, among them a female Zygerrian and a Half-Twi'lek began to laugh loudly.
He turned back to Makoto. "You know that protection isn't easy and quite expensive?"
Makoto nodded one time, and her friendly smile turned into a pokerface.
"You can't even imagine how much we know about that."
"What's that suppose to mean?" The tone of the Weequay got aggressive and behind him the gang members began to mob around him.
"Oh, no offense. We were meant to pay you." Makoto tried to assuage the situation.
She nudged SunTzu next to her and he pulled out a small bag from his clothes which Makoto then took and handed it over to the Weequay.
Greedily the humanoid took it and opened it to see what was inside.
And what he saw made his eyes widden momentarily.
"I think this is enough to be protected for the time we'll stay here."
"It…", the Weequay began but then his greed took over, where that came from there probably was more.
Makoto and SunTzu immediately understood, dropping their luggage.
SunTzu rolled his eyes and flustered, "Here we go." before he let out a sigh just as the Weequay reached for his blaster.
He hadn't even drawn the weapon before Makoto had her self defence blaster already under his chin and her elbow around him, turning the Weequay around to use him as shield.
Meanwhile SunTzu had drawn his pistol and was aiming at the one of the gang who had drawn his weapon the fastest.
"Uh, uh, uh."
The rest of the gang froze, seeing how easily their thoughest fighter had been neutralized by the human woman.
"Listen, we don't have to share any blood about this. We'll double the pay and we all go our paths." Makoto said, as SunTzu behind her concentrated in the Force. He definitely wasn't in the mood for this kind of bullshit and this anger made it somehow easier to creep into the mind of the one guy who had drawn his weapon, uncertainly aiming at him. It was like an open book, SunTzu could feel his emotions, even read his mind, the guy, the half Twi'lek, had a mother he somehow cared off and a little brother, a half Twi'lek, half Mirialan, he loved even more.
It was so easy to project the thoughts of certain things happening to them if the Hybrid would shoot at SunTzu into the guy's mind.
The half human suddenly began to shake in fear and lost his blaster, dropping to his knees, beginning to sob. Behind him the gang took a step back, almost all of them looking at either the Hybrid or the Weequay in Makoto's iron grip, only of them was staring in awe at SunTzu, whose eyes had began to glow yellow. A feeling of fear was creeping into the gang.
Unbeknownst to Makoto as she thought that it was her swift opposition who had broken this juveniles, although she clearly could feel something was very wrong here.
"Again, nobody has to be hurt."
Now everyone was looking at Makoto again, a look of subjection in their faces and also visible in their motion when they took a step away from her.
Meanwhile SunTzu, Glock still at the ready, had walked up to the half-Twi'lek and kicked his blaster away. The humanoid was on hands and knees and crying, begging to be heard between his sobs.
"My offer still stands, we'll double the credits and just stay away from each other."
She pressed her small blaster into the Weequay's chin.
"Deal?"
"D…d-deal." The Weequay stuttered out and Makoto briefly shot SunTzu a glance.
"You." She motioned at the Zygerrian girl with her head. "Take the money."
SunTzu produced another small bag with credits and motioned to the dubiously waiting young woman to take it.
After a moment and after looking back to the rest of the gang and then the leader she slowly walked over, grabbed the bag and basically jumped back to the group.
"We fulfilled our half of the deal. Now tell me, will you fulfill yours?" Makoto asked the Weequay.
"Do it! Promise them! These people are worse than the Vong!" The Hybrid suddenly pleaded with a shriek voice.
For a moment the Weequay stared at him and then turned back, the barrel of the blaster painfully pressing into his jaw.
"We leave you alone."
Immediately Makoto pushed him away.
"Good boy." She smiled as she stowed away her blaster again. "Glad that we could settle that."
Then she walked back to their luggage and put on her sea sack again.
SunTzu had stowed his weapon as well again but was eyeing the juveniles as the backed up, not turning their eyes away from the two humans.
"You're not coming?" She asked SunTzu.
"I'll have a smoke first."
Makoto shrugged and then picked up SunTzu's backpack as well.
"Fine. I'll see you in the apartment."
SunTzu nodded and Makoto left for the door of the building, while he pulled out his box of cigarettes.
As he pulled out a cigarette he walked up to the gang.
A few steps in front of them he stopped, lightened his cigarette and took a look at each of them.
The Weequay was eyeing him nervously, rubbing the paining spot on his jaw, the Zygerrian was hiding behind the Weequay, looking at SunTzu in Horror, while a male Zygerrian tried to comfort the half-human, who was still crying.
SunTzu took a drag and let out the smoke before he looked at the gang leader.
"So, what are you guys doing for fun out here?"
Around the same time, thousands of lightyears away, a young pilot was coming back to her quarters on the Eternal, finding her mother working on some data sheets on the dinner table in their kitchen. As family Hotaru and Setsuna had gotten one of the biggest living quarters on the whole ship, only the ones of the Mau and the Royal Quarters were larger.
"You come home late, Hotaru." Setsuna said with barely looking up from the papers in front of her.
The teenager shrugged. "I needed to get accustomed to the Y-Wing again, I've been flying AICA so much lately."
Most people wouldn't have seen the small twitch on one side of her mother's lip when Hotaru had said AICA but Hotaru knew her mother.
"I see." Setsuna said and forced herself even deeper into her work.
So much for her mother and SunTzu reconciling before he had left, and here Hotaru had thought that things got better after seeing her mother at the side of the cockpit moments before her superior had left.
"Did you had dinner yet, Hotaru?" Setsuna asked, not looking up from her data. "There's a sandwich in the fridge."
"Yeah, I had dinner with the other pilots in the mess."
Setsuna nodded, very obviously distraught.
"Mom? Why did you let him go like that?"
For a second Setsuna froze before she looked up to Hotaru.
"I don't know who you mean, my dear."
"Mom, it's more than obvious with you and SunTzu."
"I can assure that there's nothing going on between us, especially lately."
"Yeah, I can see how you're both avoiding each other. And I don't know if this will bring you guys anywhere."
Setsuna froze another time and then took the papers in front of her and put them on the side of the table before she cleared her throat and crossed her hands.
"I do have my reasons."
"Fear isn't something I have ever related with you, mother."
Setsuna's gaze dropped down at the table for a moment and then her often displayed sad, melancholic look was visible on her face when she looked back at her adoptive daughter's face.
"Hotaru. I had an affair with your father."
To Setsuna's surprise Hotaru just shrugged at the confession.
"I know. I guess I always did."
Setsuna was looking for the right words for a moment before she replied.
"I don't want to loose another someone that I love. I cannot endure it. Not again, not a third time."
"Mum…"
"Hotaru, you know where he comes from, he cannot stay here. Even if we win this war. Even if he… survives this war."
"Mum. You gave dad a chance although he had been under the influence of chaos. Why can't you let your heart win this time as well."
"It's not that easy, Taru. The… the thought to loose SunTzu. It's too much for me. Your father's death broke me. Again. The thought of going through this again… I can't Hotaru."
"Mum… why can't we be a family with SunTzu?"
Setsuna fell silent and for a moment she stared at the wall, a moment that was enough for Hotaru to close the distance between them and pull her arms around her sitting mother and embrace her from behind.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to push you."
Hotaru spoke with a soft voice and Setsuna's arms pulled over Hotaru's arms, pressing her onto herself before she answered.
"And I'm sorry, that I cannot give you want you want and deserve."
"I know it's hard mom, but don't you see how much he loves you?"
A wheeze came out from her before Setsuna answered.
"Lately he's not exactly showing me that at all." And then her mind wandered to the memories of the night she and SunTzu had slept with each other, maybe she should have told him back then about her real feelings, and for once should have had forgotten about all the obstacles between them, it had been clearly visible from the both of them how deep their feelings for the other went. "And yes, I do know how much he loves me as well."
"You said as well." A sly smirk appeared on Hotaru's face and Setsuna couldn't help but raise the corner of her lips as well after hearing that.
"Maybe it's time you two should get a grip and talk." Hotaru continued, but before she replied Setsuna's gaze went austere again.
"Before anything, he has to come back again alive."
On Nar Shaddaa SunTzu now had arrived at their apartment as well. Or rather that dirty wall closet it was, as it was tiny. A small kitchenette, a wobbly table for two with two chairs, a small bathroom, at least with a sonic shower, and a bed and that was it mostly except for an ancient-looking holo projector.
"All this budget and this is all Intelligence can come up with?" SunTzu didn't even answer, as it was something personal he had funded the whole mission on his own and it had been hassle enough to procure a place to stay in the short amount of time anyways.
"I can sleep on the floor if you want." SunTzu said after a while as he had finished scanning the room.
"Bed's big enough to share."
"Don't know."
"Because I'm a married woman? Oh yeah, that and I'm not Setsuna. I should be good then i guess, shouldn't I? And let's be honest, you're not 20 anymore, don't wanna mess up your back down there on the floor."
Makoto had to suppress a smile when saw SunTzu's eyes widden momentarily at her remark, that one had hit home as intended. As Special Forces Officer she was used to sleep wherever she could and in midst of her Commandos.
"Well, good that we could clear that then." Makoto finished the conversation after SunTzu didn't answer anymore.
A knock on the door made both turn around, instinctively reaching for their blasters.
"Who's there?" Makoto yelled out while she and SunTzu stacked up at each side of the door.
"Ma'am, it's Cahri, the Zygerrian girl from down the building. Your companion said to inform you when we had spread out to keep an eye out on every entrance of the building."
Makoto looked at SunTzu and he nodded to confirm it. It was Makoto who then lowered her weapon and opened the door, although carefully enough to jump away any second.
There really was the girl in front of the door, even when Makoto briefly checked left and right before she pulled the girl in.
The Zygerrian's eyes got wide when she saw SunTzu at the other side of the door pistol at the ready.
"Don't worry, he's actually a good guy." Makoto told the girl but the young woman's terrified gaze was proof that she wasn't believing that.
"SunTzu, why you don't grab your communicator and confirm our date with our contacts here?"
SunTzu looked at her and then shrugged, at least he could contact AICA then as well.
As soon as SunTzu had left the room, Makoto looked at the young Zygerrian.
"You know how to take care of yourself in this hostile environment? Or shall I teach you?"
One hour later, Makoto had forced SunTzu to give the gang some more credits to make sure their place was secured, right after she had told the gang that whoever would mistreat Cahri would die a painful death from her hands, the duo was on their way into the heart of the name giving red light district of the city.
Their destination was a club called Theatron, after a first check through AICA, a place apparently very famous for its fancy cocktails, freaky patrons and extraordinary shows.
"I don't know if that sounds like a place a married woman should go." SunTzu, after having gotten the info from AICA, had jokingly said to Makoto, earning him a touch of her index finger on his hand, immediately leading to a static discharge, something was very common with Makoto, with most of the people and the reason why Kenji almost always wore shoes with leather soles and kept moisturizing his hands.
SunTzu had twitched by the shock and had shot his brunette partner an annoyed look.
"That wasn't fair."
"Don't mess with a married woman, Pilot." She had grinned at him.
"Hey, looks like one of those clubs Haruka is always taking me along with."
SunTzu said as they were standing in front of the club, lighted up in bright purple.
A small smile crept over Makoto's face, she now had an idea who might could have been those old friends Ami had told about.
A promoter of the club was suddenly standing in front of them, a multicolored-dressed Togorian.
"Looking for some exquisite fun? Get right inside and enjoy the show. It's starting in five minutes. 5 Credits and you'll get a free drink on top."
While he said that he mustered SunTzu from head to toe.
Makoto and SunTzu exchanged a nod and SunTzu pulled out a credit chip.
"Not with me, silly. Over at the entrance. Tell the cashier that Regraf sends you."
And then, just as Makoto and SunTzu were about to head to the entrance, he smiled flirtatiously at SunTzu.
"Say human, you have a thing for fur?"
"Huh? Oh… uhm, no, sorry. I think I still have scars from the last time I got into a close encounter with a Bothan."
That sentence made Makoto's eyes open up wide and her head moved into his direction.
She was staring at him while they walked up to the door of the establishment.
"What? I just came out of the relationship with Rei and needed someone to hold me."
Makoto's gaze didn't change and SunTzu sighed.
A few minutes later they had just entered the club, or cabaret, which was more fitting for the place, when a show was announced to begin now.
"Ladies and Gentleman, Humanoids and other races, please make applause for the magnificent, the fabulous, the unique Amazon Trio."
Makotos gaze told SunTzu enough to know that she had found their contacts when the trio began their show.
And what absolute spectacle of show it was when the trio, two men, one with pink, one with blonde hair and a light-blue-haired female did their number. Fireworks, flirting with the audience, dancing, everything. Given the continuing grip of Earth's culture on the Galaxy it didn't surprise SunTzu that they were singing the Pet Shop Boys, which definitely fitted them.
Next to SunTzu Makoto followed the show with a twinkle in her eyes, she seemed to be immensely happy to see this show and when it ended she cheered like crazy, whistling through her fingers in between clapping and yelling.
As the trio had bowed down in front of the crowd on the main stage and then left and the applause had ebbed down, SunTzu turned to Makoto.
"You seem to know these guys."
"Old enemies turned friends."
"You mean like the Ayakashi-Sisters?"
"And a lot of other people. It's the Usagi-effect. C'mon let's head over to the bar and see if we can get the staff to let us go through the trio's room."
SunTzu and Makoto sat down at the main bar where the barkeeper, a frowning Nosaurian, took their order, both took a Corellian Light Ale, making the Barkeeper mutter something after hearing it.
SunTzu leaned in to his comrade as they had their first sip, sitting next to each other on barstools.
"I don't think this Motherfucker will do anything for us. Even if I pay him princely. And the bouncers? They look even more unfriendly than the barkeeper."
Makoto was about to say something, when suddenly someone said something from behind.
"We left Earth and still these pesky Sailor Senshi follow us."
"Hawk's Eye!" Makoto jumped up from her seat and gave the pink-haired man a bear hug.
As soon as it ended Hawk's Eye waved his two partners over.
"Hey guys, look who's here!"
The other two came and hugged it out with Makoto as well and then the blue-haired female turned to SunTzu, who had gotten up as well.
"Who's your handsome companion? And does Kenji know about it?"
SunTzu smiled and was about to reply with something flirty, until he recognized two things, first was that she was casually holding hands with the man with the long blonde hair next to her and that she had an adam's apple, so instead he extended his hand with the palm upwards to take their hand.
He greeted Fish Eye with an implied hand kiss and then looked up.
"Captain SunTzu." The Force-Sensitive didn't need the Force to see that there was something between the blonde and the blue-haired, as the blonde hair's stare said everything. But it was kinda amusing that blue hair used SunTzu to annoy their boyfriend.
"My sidekick. And yes, Kenji knows about it." Makoto chimed in. "We're here on a mission as you guys probably know." And then she moved her hands between them to introduce each other.
"SunTzu, that's Fisheye. And that fella here is Tiger's Eye."
SunTzu extended his hand to the tall blonde man and Tiger's Eye took it. A moment of challenge followed with seeing who had the stronger handshake and a duel of not looking away. Both didn't even flinch so it came to a draw which at least gave each other some respect for the other.
"And I'm Hawk's Eye, the fifth wheel for this two love birds." The pink-haired man chimed in and he and SunTzu shook hands as well.
"Great to see you guys! Hey Fish, did he propose yet?" Makoto asked which made both them and Tiger's Eye, who began to scratch the back of his head and look away, blush.
"I see". Makoto said after a moment and a giggle and then her face went austere.
"So, you guys are our contacts?"
Hawk's Eye cleared his throat and motioned to a secluded table on the other side of the bar.
"I think we should have a drink."
After sitting down the trio explained, that they should wait until the club would close to have more privacy, so of course it didn't stop with one drink, although all of them didn't get really drunk either.
In the early morning hours, the club closed and as soon as the patrons and most of the staff were out, the five people closed ranks on the table.
"So, you wanna get the man named Heartless? That's pretty insane, even for a Senshi."
"Trust me, that dude over there…" Makoto pointed at SunTzu. "…he's basically the epitome of insane."
"Hey."
"Listen, there's this bastard who killed my and SunTzu's men… and I… I want revenge. I want to stop him from killing more of our guys. And Heartless is apparently the key to get to him."
Tiger's Eye and Fish Eye locked eyes for a moment before the former sighed and the replied with eyes closed in reluctance.
"What's your plan?"
"Get in his gang. Make it to the inner circle and then find a way to extract the information we need out of him. Don't worry, we'll dispose of him as well of course."
"That's what we do with criminals." SunTzu enforced Makoto's words with a serious nod.
"That takes too long." All eyes turned to Hawk's Eye who had been following the discussion sipping his drink with a straw.
"We don't have any other choice to get near to him."
"Oh… you do."
"What do you mean?"
Hawk's Eye fell silent and took another sip.
"Hawk's Eye?" Fish Eye asked and Hawk's Eye looked into the round.
"I'm having an affair with his mother."
"You have WHAT?!"
"Psh… she's one of the lovely dames that I regularly meet. I met her while having a caf in that place down the street."
"What the… Hawky, why didn't you..?"
"Because a gentleman never kisses and tells."
SunTzu and Makoto looked at each other in disbelief. Who would have known that they for once would have such luck.
Makoto immediately stood up and leaned into Hawk's Eye face from above, hands firm on the table plate.
"Call her, make a date. And try to find out how we can get close to her son."
Hawk's Eye rolled his eyes.
"Hawk's Eye?"
"I don't do nightly Booty Calls."
"Hawk's Eye!"
"Fine. But it will take some time until I come back. She's quite voracious."
Of course Hawk's Eye needed more time and so the trio and the two Guardians split up.
SunTzu and Makoto went to their hideout and although both had their doubts the gang greeted them at the entrance to the house, telling them everything was safe and that they were taking turns in guarding the place.
And when the duo arrived at their apartment, they were partly surprised to find nobody had broken in.
Since Hawk's Eye told that it probably would take the rest of the early morning until he would get any information, he was very sure though that he could get some, they decided to get some shut eye in.
Both were dressed in shorts and tank top, guns right next to them to immediately grab them and Makoto had even installed a motion detector at the door.
Makoto had her arms under her head and stared at the ceiling, she couldn't sleep yet, the loss of her troops and the whole situation were keeping her mind too occupied.
"Hey SunTzu. You think it's right what we do? Revenge murder with even more murder?"
It took a moment and for a second Mako thought that SunTzu was already sleeping but then he moved in bed and answered.
"Phyncx needs to be taken out. And everybody else supporting him as well."
"Violence and counter-violence? Why we shouldn't try to get them alive?"
"Makoto, we both know that Chaos won't stop even if we get Phyncx but everybody working with Chaos that is such a threat to us needs to be neutralized to protect our own. And the troops of the Alliance."
There was silence as Makoto thought about it. And then SunTzu added something.
"You want to protect your troops, our guys, or not?"
Slowly she nodded.
"You're right."
"It will definitely make my sleep better when Phyncx is done for. And now try to get some shuteye, we might have to do a hostile extraction tomorrow."
"You're right."
Makoto closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.
SunTzu had fallen asleep after Makoto, he had meditated before sleeping, trying to focus his energy in the Force, which had been only partly successful as his anger and hatred for Phyncx and everybody working with Chaos prevented him from fully letting go.
And also, just before he had fallen asleep, Makoto who turned out to sleep uneasy that night had pushed an arm onto his face, which alone would have woken him up. The electric discharge of her touch on his nose did so even more.
Having slept only a few hours, uneasy as well, SunTzu was woken up from Makoto on one of the disposable communicators Ami had provided them with.
She seemed to just have finished the call.
With a severe face she looked at him.
"T-5 hours, you won't believe who's coming over to Mothers house for brunch."
Four hours later the duo was lying in ambush at the entrance to the wall of Heartless's mother's house, her name was Chanilu, and waited for Heartless to arrive.
SunTzu would take over the diversionary tactic and wearing a large coat, which he had dragged to the dirt after he he had bought it from a street vendor and now mimicked a beggar, something which Makoto had commented that his beard was very fitting too also.
Apparently the hardest criminal outside of the Hutts themselves at least respected his mother as he rolled up to the house punctual on the minute.
While Makoto was peeping out the corner, SunTzu walked into the front of the repulsor coupe.
Of course the driver, a near-human, went ballistic and began shouting and angrily waving at SunTzu to get off the street. Heartless, a man in the end of his twenties, wasn't looking to happy as well but his angered expression turned into sheer terror as SunTzu suddenly ripped open his coat and left three smoking holes into the head and chest of the driver, who collapsed on the steering wheel.
Before the crime lord could react, Makoto was next to his side and hit him point blank with a stun shot.
Two hours later Makoto arrived at the small but empty warehouse SunTzu had brought Heartless to. The warehouse was abandoned these days, AICA had found it for them, was far away to the livid streets of the the amusement center of the town. While Makoto had gotten rid of the repulsor car they had stolen to get to Chanilu's house and bring Heartless to the warehouse, as well as the coupe and the dead driver, SunTzu had begun interrogating Heartless.
When Makoto entered the building she found Heartless leaning against a wall, the bag they had put over his head when they had snatched him, back on his face. And it was soaked with blood. Pretty fast Makoto understood that Heartless was dead.
She didn't see a shot-, blaster-, or stab-wound though, apparently SunTzu had done this upclose and very personnel with his hands, and for a moment she really considered having a serious talk with him. On the other side, this man had been a ruthless monster and was responsible for doing horrible things to dozens if not hundred of individuals.
And SunTzu had his way with the young man. Although Makoto as Operator was more experienced in interrogation than SunTzu he had told that he would start. If he wouldn't talk, Makoto could continue.
In the end she hadn't needed to, SunTzu had gotten all the information he needed.
It even had felt strangely good to beat this piece of shit to pulp, breaking his bones and letting out all the anger and pain of his lost comrades, the frustration over his situation, all his fear on this monster of man, no need to feeling bad about it. Definitely not the Jedi-way, but was killing a few dozen young individuals that just wanted to save and protect the Galaxy the right way? Certainly not and Chaos and people that cooperated with it had to be stopped.
Nonetheless SunTzu had to built up quite some anger to be able to extract the information he needed directly from Heartless's mind, as he wouldn't speak, even the criminal was too afraid of Chaos. Or, after a few minutes wasn't able to do so anymore with a jaw broken on three different places, teeth broken out and a mouth full of blood.
But now SunTzu had the information he needed. And he would have his revenge on Phyncx.
But first there was something left to do, now that the head of the snake had been cut off, and AICA had the data of Heartless's personal communicator, it was time to make sure the head wouldn't grow back, especially not as Hydra.
Makoto looked at the dead body, standing next to SunTzu. It was the Bavarian who said something first.
"I got the information we need, Phyncx is on a planet called Aesolian. Let's head back to our hideout. Oh and there's something else we should do to weaken Chaos's followers here on Nal Hutta."
He sounded methodic, cold but also determined. SunTzu put his communicator to his mouth.
"AICA we're done here. Give this scum's mother's adress to the authorities. And then come get us."
"You know this is kinda insane. And It's cold blooded murder."
"Funny, since when do Operators think about their ethics? Especially someone whose best friend is a spy, the people who already sent me through the Galaxy to kill a few thieves. Besides, it's not that we're going to wipe out the Salvation Army of Nar Shaddaa."
AICA came and picked them up and the gang in front of their building almost lost their minds when AICA landed in front of the building. It was morning by then when Makoto and SunTzu came back with their belongings and loaded them into AICA, secrecy wasn't a problem anymore, for the next phase of getting to General Phyncx he had to make noise and be seen.
The whole gang had assembled outside again, when SunTzu and Makoto climbed into AICA.
"Anyone touches the girl wrong, I'm coming back." Makoto announced with a small smile to Cahri, the Zygerrian girl.
The Weequay their leader had seen SunTzu's light sword on his belt when the latter climbed into the cockpit and just when SunTzu was about to close the canopy the young man asked the Earthling.
"Hey Man, you a Jedi? Or something?"
"Nah Son, I'm just someone who shouldn't even be in this Galaxy."
That said the canopy closed and the young man stepped a few step backs as AICA ascended in the air.
Not even thirty minutes later, Makoto spurted back to AICA after entering a small bar in the outskirts of the city.
Around the entrance of the bar and AICA lay half a dozen dead individuals and a dozen more, including the five Lieutants of Heartless lay inside, ripped apart by bullets from Earth, shot from shortbarreled AKs with extended Magazines in a fast, violent raid from the Special Forces Officer and the Pilot.
The leadership of Heartless's gang and their bodyguards were dead, and there was enough evidence that Earth had been involved. To top it and make anybody know, that he would be back for the rest of the gang, SunTzu, after telling Makoto to get back to AICA and cover their exfil, walked over to the barkeeper of the place, cowering behind his bar.
"Whoever asks, tell him it was SunTzu's doing. And that I'll be back."
That said, SunTzu threw his empty compact assault rifle away and walked out like he owned the place.
Just as he had exited the bar he turned on his chrono, secretly, so that nobody could see or hear it, he didn't even brought the chrono up as he knew AICA's sensors would pick his voice up.
"AICA, sent the necessary information to the Sergeant. And let Ada know about our diversion here."
His gaze was set in stone when he arrived at the A-Wing, where Makoto had already sat down in the back and was eying the area, weapon at the ready.
"I can't believe they didn't see that coming." She said as SunTzu climbed up the stairs into the cockpit.
"Too cocky, typical problem for criminals."
He sat down and closed the canopy.
"And now, let's get Phyncx."
Thousands of light years away, figure in a small office was sitting over two holo-projectors, one displaying a call, the other a map of the Galaxy.
"Override code confirmed."
"AICA, give me the destiny of SunTzu."
"Affirmative. SunTzu is heading to Aesolian, General Phyncx supposed location."
Another female voice chimed in, coming from the second holo projector.
"Aesolian? Let me check that… that's, that's neutral territory."
"I don't care. We are going after them." A third female voice, sounding resolute, came from a dark chair in the corner of the room. "We have to make sure that this… General… this… is enemy commander is stopped from killing my men."
"General Phyncx, your Majesty."
"Yes, that man."
"Usagi, that's neutral territory, we just can't take the Taskforce there."
"Then find a way how we can, Ami."
"I'll confer with the Chief of State. And the Jedi."
"SunTzu will not like that. And I'm pretty sure Phyncx is waiting for us."
"I'm sure you're right Ami, but right now it's more important to let SunTzu know that he's not alone. And to keep him and Makoto safe."
Ami looked at the holographic broadcast of Ada and she nodded.
"Get going, I'll take care of reinforcements."
