Chapter 3: Wrecked

"I don't suppose you want to discuss matters like a sensible person?"

Jas frowned as he stared down the muzzle of a blaster pistol, he had hoped to avoid such a confrontation, but…he was not entirely surprised. If spending the last ten years working on the fringe of society had taught him anything, it was that in this line of work…paranoia and greed was unescapable.

It was simply part of the life.

He shook his head.

He so didn't need this right now.

Their host laughed, at least he thought it was a laugh, it was hard to tell with a Mon Cala.

"You think I'm a fool, Cooper," he hissed, "You think I don't know the real reason for this visit."

The alien shook his head, his eye twitching almost uncontrollably.

"It won't work," the alien hissed, "It WON'T work!"

Jas didn't respond.

He should have known something would go wrong.

IOI

They had arrived on he Wreck an hour ago. Rior and Shusk had stayed on the ship. Jas had not wanted to seem too confrontational; he had only taken Fallenstar and Burr with him as back up.

At that moment, he realized that he might have made a mistake.

They had come down here, expecting to be shown a warehouse, a place where the Cooper/Halcyon group might be able to store its goods before being shipped out to the rest of Hutt space, that is what the Consortium had promised…. that…as it turns out…had been a lie.

They had arrived to find a trap, at least fifteen thugs of various species had awaited them; all of them armed with heavy repeating blasters. They were surrounded almost the moment they entered the center of the building. Jas now found himself standing before the head of the organization that ran this place. The Mon Cala had a blaster pointed at his head.

I wonder if it actually works, he thought dryly, from what he had seen from space, that might be questionable.

Maintaining what was theirs didn't seem to be this groups first priority.

The Wreck certainly lived up to its name. He had seen that on the way in. The Hutts may have ran the station for years, but it was clear that they had put little if any effort in keeping it up. Only the Central Tower and the warehouse area were in good condition, and that was because those locations served the needs of whoever ran this place.

A beggar couldn't be a chooser he supposed, every syndicate or cartel had to start somewhere.

The Syfo Consortium, the group that was currently running the Wreck, were a new and upcoming force. They were eager to make a name and gather both the prestige and the credits they needed to expand beyond this place. Jas had hoped to use that to their advantage. Though not as powerful or violent as some of the other groups out on the Fringe, the Cooper/Halcyon Organization was at least known, and respected.

Using his old Jaster Cooper identity, he had hoped to cut a deal with the new owners of this place, and once business had been concluded ask about what they knew about Targo Sei.

He had believed that his old alias would be enough to get a meeting with the head of the Consortium, a Mon Cala named, unsurprisingly, Syfo. Boss Syfo seemed to have accepted Jas' request for a sit down. Jas had approached the crime boss with an offer of mutual security. Cooper/Halcyon had never had a clear foothold in Hutt space, everyone knew that. He had come claiming to speak with them on behalf of the organization, to see if he could arrange some form of permission for the group to use the Wreck to store cargo, and use it as a base to spread their influence deeper into Hutt space. In exchange, the Consortium would have been able to take a cut of the profits, and help build their name at the same time, it was a decent deal, if they were smart enough to take it.

The offer wasn't even a lie, Coop had desired such a beach head for years.

The Hutts didn't have partners, if you tried to work with them, eventually you would end up as an employee, or you would end up dead. It was for that reason that Coop, whenever dealing with the Hutts, had always preferred to work through go-betweens, but they were few and far between in Cartel controlled space. This new group would have served the role nicely. Jas would be able to help his clan brother, and at the same time further his own investigation into what had happened to Targo Sei, and where he might have fled to after having kidnapped Val and Vess.

It was a simple idea, and a good one.

Sadly, greed and paranoia had gotten in the way…

…as it always had.

Boss Syfo had led them into a trap, him and his Quarren major domo, Tynnes.

The squid-headed alien said nothing, he didn't even have his blaster out. Jas suspected that he understood what was happening, and how bad it could get. He had the smarts to at least look annoyed at his boss, probably realizing how much they stood to lose, if they alienated, or angered, Cooper/Halcyon.

His employer, didn't seem to care.

Syfo, an orange skinned Mon Cala with green markings on his head never wavered as he held his blaster on Jas. Despite being the leader of this syndicate, Syfo didn't look well. His skin appeared to be drying out, not a good thing for an aquatic species, he also had a nasty twitch in his right eye, and…if the dim lighting was any judge, those large yellow eyes had a certain pink glow to them.

Jas knew what that meant.

He is spicing, Jas realized, that was not good in someone you hoped to reason with, spice didn't contribute well to rationality, not at all.

Gabe Cooper never forbade the use of spice within his organization, but he did ask that his people, if they did use spice, stick to the Twi'lek produced Ryll, and avoid the hard stuff that came out of Kessel and the other places that produced the far more potent and addictive glitterstim.

Ryll was not as addictive as the Kessel stuff, and as long as you didn't use it while working, and were clear when you left on mission, everything was fine. Coop didn't really care what his people did in their off-hours, but he was smart enough to made sure to check anyone high-up in the organization before any major job, to make sure that they weren't taking a ship out blissed out on spice.

It had worked, for the most part, only a few people in the group had needed to be removed for their use of spice, and only one of their captains had needed to be…dealt with when he was caught trying to carry a shipment of spice on one of their trade runs.

Burr had handled that matter, and the spice had been returned to the captain's would- be client with a warning.

The Cooper/Halcyon group didn't deal in such merchandise.

It was the one several items that Coop didn't allow, he didn't deal in spice, guns, or slaves. If you didn't understand that, you needed to pay the price.

At the time, Jas had not even disputed that decision; the rules were clear from the very beginning. The officer had gotten what he deserved, and an example had been made.

That was simply the way it was, respect in the ranks had needed to be maintained.

The captain who had been removed had been a former spice addict, he had said he had gotten clean, but he had lied. Coop hadn't wanted to do it, but what other choice did he have?

You could not expect someone addicted to spice to behave rationally.

So, Jas had little expectation to find any rationality here.

Boss Syfo was not in a talking mood.

Most spice dealers were smart enough to stay away from their own supply, Jas knew, he had met more than a few professionals in that line of work. Their one mantra was not to become one of their own customers.

It was a wise choice, from a business stand point. Apparently Syfo had never heard that, or simply didn't care.

He was high right now, he had to be to threaten an envoy during a business deal.

Fine, Jas thought, his focus shifting from the thought of business to finding out about both Targo Sei and the missing Jedi.

You want to play things dirty, friend, fine.

Jas smiled cruelly.

He could do dirty when he had to.

IOI

Jas smoothed out the front of his dress robes, he smiled into the muzzle of Syfo's blaster, but if one would look closely, they would see that the smile never touched his eyes.

They had been flying blind for months now, looking for a lead on Targo.

Jas had no intention of letting anything go here.

It had gotten to the point now that he was not sleeping well. He kept having nightmares of seeing Vess and Char Valenthyne dead on an examiners table.

He would be damned before he let that dream become real, he was not about to be stopped, especially not by a small-time crime boss with delusions of grandeur.

"Boss Syfo," he began starting to let a little anger creep into his voice.

"May I suggest that you abandon this foolish course of action."

"Foolish," the Mon Cala croaked, his glowing eyes narrowing dangerously.

"You think me a fool?"

"I think that you are miscalculating," Jas replied diplomatically, "I came here to do business, and perhaps purchase a little information on the side."

He shook his head.

"Threatening me and my colleagues, that is NOT good for business."

The Mon Cala croaked, what passed for a laugh from him, Jas figured.

"You think that I've not deduced why you are really here, Mister Cooper, or perhaps I should call you…Jas Dar Bynn?"

The crime lord snarled.

"Targo Sei warned me about you. He warned me that you would be coming here, sooner or later."

The alien shook his head.

"I was supposed to pass on the information he had for you, and then let you go on your way, but now I see that Targo underestimated you, and how far you were willing to go to get what you want."

He pressed the blaster to Jas' head, the rogue Jedi acolyte was tempted to lash out with the Force, but he controlled that urge.

What the Mon Cal was saying just got interesting.

So, Targo wanted to use these people to further his game; good to know.

Jas had no intention of dancing to his old enemy's tune. Knowing that the information he was supposed to learn here was something that Targo wanted him to have was all the reason he needed not to accept it at face value.

"I knew that someone would be coming to try and take what was mine," Syfo continued, "All the attacks and sabotage we have suffered in the last few weeks…it all makes sense now.

The Mon Cal's eye twitched even more than it had before.

"Gabe Cooper wants the Wreck, doesn't he? I know he does business with the Republic, those Jedi that came here…they are on his payroll aren't they?"

The alien laughed again.

"So much for Jedi not being able to be bought, but you already knew that didn't you? Targo told me about your history. You likely had a hand in putting them up this, didn't you?"

Again, Jas said nothing.

Boss Syfo sneered at him.

"I have to give Cooper credit," he continued, "He sends in his people to sabotage my business. Then convinces the Jedi to look closer at my affairs, and then…when he thinks I'm at my weakest, he sends in his partner to make an offer, to offer to help."

The alien croaked again, that ugly sounding laugh.

"Well, the joke is on him, I'm no some foolish thug. I'm the future of this place, one day this station will be seen as the center of a new cartel, an empire that I will build."

Before Jas could respond, Fallenstar beat him to it.

The former padawan turned bounty hunter laughed.

"I would not call risking angering the Jedi the smartest move for someone who hopes to have a future. I'm not a big fan of the order myself, but…"

Syfo glared at her.

"What would you know, Mirax Fallenstar, and yes, I do know who you are. Another Jedi pawn that hides her true allegiance behind lies and false loyalties."

She smirked at him.

"I'm not the type of person to hide who and what I am," she responded, "I'm a hunter, I don't pretend to be anything else. I'm a guild member in good standing, unlike your good friend Targo."

At the mention of the other hunter, Jas felt his resolve return, his patience with this fool fading quickly.

Again, he could almost see Val and Vess, their faces, that…and his dream of them being dead at his feet. That was all it took for him to refocus.

He glared at Syfo.

"You say that Targo passed some information on to you, that he wanted me to have it?"

"He has plans for you," the Mon Cal said.

"Well…that is all well and good," Jas responded, "But it is not what I'm really interested in."

He sneered at the crime boss.

"I'm guessing that Targo gave you a means to contact him, maybe even might have mentioned where he was hiding. I would like that information."

Syfo snorted.

"You will not be getting anything from me. It is unlikely that you will get out of here with your life. You will pay for all that you have cost me. You have sabotaged my businesses, and killed my men. You will answer for it."

"I'm afraid you are mistaken," Jas said, "I've made no moves on this station. I've not attacked you, or your people."

"You…are a liar," the Mon Cal hissed. His finger started to tighten on the firing stud of his blaster, but he didn't fire.

It took all of Jas' self-control not to reach out and attack his traitorous host.

Still, he was intrigued by what he had heard.

It was clear that the consortium had its share of enemies. He was wondering which one might have struck before he had arrived.

The scenario that the boss had outlined made sense, but it was not one that he had carried out.

He and Fallenstar had been too busy exploring the bounty hunter's guild in the last few months, they had done nothing against the Wreck or the people who ran this place.

So…the question was…who had been attacking Syfo's people?

Of course, it didn't really matter.

He had come here for a reason, two of them actually.

He needed to find Val and Vess. As for the Jedi that had come here, he was starting to think they had come to a bad end. Unfortunate that, but he was not about to let it distract him.

Jas sighed.

His patience had reached its end.

"I will not stand here and be accused of things that I didn't do, Boss Syfo. I came here for a reason. I was willing to let you earn some profit and boost your reputation, but now…I think it is time for my counter proposal."

Jas flashed him a cruel smile.

"You will tell me everything you know about Targo Sei. You can either profit from giving me this information, or you can be destroyed. It is your choice, but I would advise you not to underestimate me or my companions."

The alien snarled.

"You dare threaten me! ME?!"

Jas shrugged. Fallenstar was glancing around the room, likely picking out her targets. Burr, who had remained very quiet during the exchange had his hands at his side, near both his sidearms. The enforcer had a slight smile on his face.

Burr didn't like negotiating much, not unless those negotiations came from the muzzle of a blaster.

Jas Dar Bynn took a deep breath and gathered the Force to him.

Negotiations were about to get aggressive.

"Are you certain you want to do this," he warned his host, "Think carefully before this begins…this is your final chance."

The alien's eye twitched, he started to speak, the Force whispered a warning in Jas' ear.

The rogue Jedi sighed.

Oh well, he thought.

The hard way then.

He pressed a button on his belt, a signal went out

The failsafe he had planned if things went bad here, was triggered.

The wall to the right of them caved in. the walkway above collapsed spilling three of the Consortium thugs to the floor.

The world around them exploded in violence.

Jas ducked away from Syfo's blaster, the Force giving him just enough speed to beat the firing stud being pulled, the blast from the weapon missing him by barely an eyelash.

Jas ignited his lightsaber, while Miri ignited hers; beams of blue and violet light lit the shadows of the warehouse. From somewhere above them, a grenade went off.

Jas whirled around and sliced through Boss Syfo's blaster. Before the Mon Cal could fall back, he was struck in the chest by a blaster bolt and went down gurgling.

Jas blinked.

What in the…?

Something popped in the air above them, there was loud hiss.

The warehouse filled with a thick grey mist.

Jas blinked.

A smoke bomb?

His people had not brought any smoke bombs?

Burr fired wildly above them, but no shots rained down upon the three, the smoke flashed as blasters discharged, but not a single bolt came down towards them.

Jas couldn't see, but that was not a problem the Force guided his blows, not that he needed to worry much about attacking.

Through the cloud of smoke, a large metal shape emerged. It cast its shadow over the group, but none attacked it, there was no reason to attack.

This large metal shape was on their side.

"You called, Master Jas?"

Jas Dar Bynn grinned.

"Thanks for the distraction, Bee-Ten," he called out.

"You really brought down the house."

B1-0N, their crew's modified load lifter droid made a sighing noise.

"I crashed through a wall and became target practice. Oh, how exciting."

Jas had been a bit surprised when the Gilded Claw had arrived on Alderaan with both Shusk and Bee-Ten along for the ride, but…maybe he should not have been.

The little Chandra Fan had spent years upgrading Bee-Ten, turning him from a simple cargo droid, into his own personal protector and enforcer when needed.

Jas, expecting trouble, had kept he droid in reserve, and was thus ready when it happened.

He had intended for the droid to be a simple distraction, just something to give him and Miri enough time to get their blades out and engage the enemy with their lightsabers.

It seemed that they weren't the only ones to take advantage of that distraction. Jas could hear the panicked screams of the consortium guys above; they were shooting at something, but it most certainly wasn't Jas and his companions.

What is going on? He wondered.

Burr sneered as he ceased firing, mainly because they weren't be shot at, but also because he couldn't pick out a target through the smoke.

"What is up with the smoke bomb you bucket of bolts," he complained, "I can barely see my hand in front of my face!"

"I didn't use a smoke bomb, Master Burr," the droid replied, "It seems that I'm not the only one who has chosen to come to your rescue, how very fortunate for you."

Jas paused.

Bee Ten had nothing to do with the smoke bomb? He thought that Shusk might have given the droid the bomb. It served well enough as a distraction…

Jas reached out with the Force trying to get a sense of what was going on, he couldn't see with his eyes, but that didn't mean that he was blind.

He sensed both confusion and fear, the Consortium's soldiers were not used to being surprised, and that is what had happened.

Jas frowned.

Syfo had said that someone had been raiding his business, killing his men and sabotaging his operations.

Perhaps the killers were here, Jas thought to himself, if so, he was not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

My enemy's enemy was not necessarily a friend.

A wounded Mon Cal thug emerged from the mist, before Jas could cut him down, he was struck in the face by a blaster bolt, he went down with barely a sound.

Jas tried to sense what was happening, tried to get an idea of who or what was attacking their enemies.

As quick as it had begun the blasterfire ceased.

The warehouse fell silent once again.

Jas kept his lightsaber up, the gentle hum of his and Miri's blades the only noise he could hear.

Well, not the only sound.

Boss Syfo lay on the ground near them, the Mon Cal was gasping for breath, holding his burnt chest.

Jas frowned down at the dying alien.

If someone got him to a kolto tank, he might live, but Jas didn't think that would happen. He no longer sensed the Consortium's soldiers; they had all likely fled, the ones who had lived anyway.

Boss Syfo was on his own.

It was at that moment that the smoke began to clear, and someone stepped out of the shadows. Jas Dar Bynn tensed but didn't engage.

The sight before him gave him pause. It was at the same time both familiar, and…a bit disconcerting.

The warrior was clad from head to toe in armor. The chest plate, pauldrons, and knee braces were all painted differently, giving the soldier a pieced together look, but from the easy way the warrior walked, the cool competent way he held his blaster rifle it was clear that this was no vagabond who had lucked into a suit of armor.

This warrior knew his business, and that business was death.

He faced Jas and his allies, his true face hidden behind a helmet, a helmet with a very distinctive T-shaped visor.

Jas smiled.

It had been some time since he had seen a Mandalorian warrior up close.

Despite his familiarity with Clan Nuna, he remained…cautious.

Who was this now, he wondered, an ally of Targo, or just some hunter on the job?

Either option could spell trouble for his mission.

While they watched a second warrior joined the first, dropping down from above. This one was wearing a jetpack and wielding a sniper rifle.

Another Mandalorian, he realized, and from the slight tilt in the design of the T-visor, not to mention the breast plate, Jas knew immediately that this one was a female.

The two looked at him, their eyes hidden behind the darkened shields of their visors.

The croaking cries of the dying Boss Syfo, drew the female's attention. She turned and stood over him.

She sniffed as she collapsed her rifle down, the weapon reconfigured itself into a snub-nosed blaster rifle.

"They weren't the ones attacking your men," the female said raising her blaster.

"We were."

The female raised her blaster, the crime boss croaked and held up his hands.

Two quick blasts made sure that he would not rise again.

Jas winced.

He wouldn't be getting anything out of that one now.

The two warriors approached him, they kept their weapons out, but didn't raise them against Jas or his companions.

"Jas Dar Bynn," the female warrior said, a statement, not a question.

"That's right," he said, "Do I know you?"

The male warrior chuckled.

The female slung her blaster rifle over her back.

"Tell me, Jas Dar Bynn," she said, "Do you still remember the words to "The Little Lost Bantha cub?"

Jas blinked.

What?

The Little Lost Bantha Cub?

He remembered it, of course. It was a lullaby, it had been years, but he had sung it quite regularly once.

Back when he had served Clan Nuna, back when he was charged with watching over the foundlings, there had been one that had not been able to sleep unless she heard that song. Her mother had sung it to her when she was a baby, back before the poor woman and her husband had been killed in a mine explosion. Their children had been orphaned, and forced to live on the street, at least until Clan Nuna had arrived on their world. The girl and her two older brothers had been adopted by the clan. The eldest had entered the fighting corps soon after, but the girl…the girl…

The female soldier stood before him, despite the lack of expression from her helmet, he felt a sense of gratitude and fondness.

"Hylla," she said, "My name is Hylla."

Jas Dar Bynn lowered his lightsaber. He deactivated the blade.

"Hylla," he said with a smile, "It…it has been some time."

She nodded.

The female warrior, the girl he had known as a foundling named Hylla Ko stepped forward and embraced him, an embrace that Jas returned.

It felt strange hugging someone in full Mandalorian armor, but…

As she stepped back, he could just make out the eyes beneath the helmet, the large brown eyes of the child he once knew.

Seeing those eyes again, it put him at ease.

It is her, he realized, it is little Hylla Ko.

The girl's armor was like the man's; it was a mix of hand-me down plates, but that was not surprising, not considering that both these warriors had likely only recently graduated from the fighting corps.

In time they would earn their place, they would earn enough credits to replace the durasteel they wore now with proper beskar steel.

Then…they would be true warriors of the clan.

He turned to the boy; another name came to mind.

"Is that you Quire?" he asked.

The male Mandalorian nodded.

Quire Ko, Hylla's older brother.

"Hello, nursemaid," he said, "It has been some time."

Jas chuckled.

Nursemaid.

Quire had used an old insult, but there had been no negative emotions behind it, if anything, all Jas felt was respect from the young soldier.

The title had been given him by Targo Sei, he had meant it as an insult, but to the foundlings that Jas had watched over, they had not seen it that way. He had protected them; they had seen him use his blade several times to ensure their safety.

He had always kept them safe; it had been his duty.

When you are a part of a clan, the foundlings were the future.

That…was the way.

"Jas? What is going on?"

He turned to his companions. They still had their weapons out, Miri still had her lightsaber lit.

It was unnecessary, Jas knew, these warriors were not their enemy.

"You can lower your weapons," he said, "These two aren't here to oppose us."

He looked at both Hylla and Quire.

"Isn't that right?"

The two both nodded.

"So…you know these two?" Burr asked.

Jas laughed.

If Burr doubted that, the hug he had given Hylla should have erased it.

Yes, Jas nodded.

He had nothing to fear from these two. They were Nuna…family.

One should never have to fear one's own family.

That…was the way.