Hello, everyone. I'm back with a new chapter. The past few days have been very hectic for me, but I managed to meet the deadline I had. To celebrate the early completion of this part, I thought I'd post the next chapter a bit earlier. A few days sooner or later won't make much of a difference.
Now, back to the story. I've read through the comments and noticed a small inconsistency. Harry didn't intentionally put the Invisibility Cloak back in his suitcase. I'll make that correction and make a few minor changes to the last chapter. You can expect an improved version in the next few days. Upon rereading the chapter, I even noticed a few other minor things that need changing. These are just small adjustments that may become more relevant.
Enjoy this chapter, and the next one should be out at the end of November. It's already finished, and I'm eager to see your reactions. I can't post any faster because I have more deadlines to meet in November. My other story, "Kiss of the Dragon," is currently on hold. I've painted myself into a corner mentally and need to make some changes. I might even split the chapter into multiple parts since it's currently over fifteen thousand words long.
Energetically, Mako worked on the data she obtained through Harry's assistance. It was a true goldmine. Eidolon had been spying on a large number of individuals and had direct access to many systems through his private terminal. Now that she had control of the terminal, she could access these systems and was unsure of what to copy next. Tonnes of information were just a few keystrokes away from being copied. It was simply incredible. Without the support of Harry's droid, she wouldn't even be able to steal half of the data. Surprisingly, the GH-7 unit was remarkably useful for data analysis. After providing the unit with medical data, it began cataloging and copying them like crazy, giving her time to focus on other data.
The only thing clouding her data frenzy were Harry's requests. She had to help him with some of his minor issues repeatedly, as if Mako didn't have better tasks to attend to.
"Mako, when will you be ready to fly to the rendezvous point on my ship? I don't know how long I can keep the guards occupied. Do you know how to fly a CR70 corvette and what kind of payload it can carry? Can it transport around fifty people?" Harry's questions interrupted Mako's thoughts.
"Well, I need a few more hours to establish a secure connection to all systems that can't be traced back to me. I don't know how to fly a CR70 corvette, but Anuli should be able to if you have the launch codes. However, for operation, you'll need a crew of at least eighteen people. In the right configuration, such a ship can easily transport up to six hundred people," Mako replied absentmindedly while typing into the terminal in front of her.
"Change of plans then. Let's meet at that hyperspace node in twelve hours. I'll be there with a CR70 corvette, and Anuli will be on board along with some prisoners I've rescued. I'm currently raiding Eidolon's funds, and he'll probably be a bit upset when I steal hundreds of thousands of Peggats from him," Harry's voice came through the comm link.
"Are you out of your mind? If he finds out, he'll stop at nothing to capture you. But it's your life. I'll hand control of my freighter over to one of your droids so it can follow your ship. The computers on your ship are a bit better than the ones on my freighter, so I can continue accessing the systems during the flight until someone revokes my access," Mako contemplated aloud and, annoyed, got up from her seat to quickly deliver more equipment to the ship.
When Mako reached the business, she quickly opened the door and got to work. She woke up every droid in the shop and ordered them to clean up the store and pack all the items into crates. Mako knew that she wouldn't be able to return to Nar Shaddaa anytime soon if anyone found out that Harry could be linked to the heist at Eidolon's headquarters. She cursed herself internally for entrusting Harry with the job. His life was on the line, even more so than if she had tried to rescue Anuli herself. But she didn't delude herself. Without Harry, she could never have saved Anuli and might have become Eidolon's slave herself.
With Eidolon's sadistic nature, she could imagine how he would break her. She shuddered at the thought. Once she had ensured that the droids were all activated and carrying out the tasks she had assigned to them, she grabbed a large backpack and headed to the market to purchase food and water. Despite her ship having enough food for several days, it wouldn't suffice for an extended period, especially if another fifty people suddenly joined them, possibly needing to go into hiding as well.
She went straight to a ration vendor and bought several kilograms of the stuff. In Mako's opinion, this food was terrible, but it lasted a long time, and a small ration could sustain a person for a day with all the necessary nutrients, taste notwithstanding. After securing enough food for the next three days, she returned to Harry's ship to unload the supplies. She couldn't carry more at once, and her financial resources didn't allow for additional food purchases, so she decided to focus on the most critical item: water.
She went to a container vendor who could sell her several containers. They were empty, but that suited her as it meant she could transport them without multiple trips. The vendor even kindly lent her his cargo-lifting droid to transport the containers to the ship. Equipped with the containers, she made her way back to Harry's ship and paid a supervisor to ensure there was enough water to fill the containers. Each of these containers had a capacity of a thousand liters, and with twelve of them, she had water for eighty days. She knew she had too little food for the number of people, but she hoped that Harry would take care of the food supply himself.
After everything was stowed, she returned to her shop to load her ship. When she arrived, she saw that the droids had done a great job and were already loading large quantities of items onto her ship. But then, she realized something she hadn't considered before. Her ship couldn't transport all the items. She had too many things to fit into her own ship. Her ship was a G9 Rigger-class freighter that she had modified for her purposes, lightweight and fast, just as she wanted. But it suddenly became clear to her that she could take some items to Harry's ship. Although it was loaded with several thousand tons of drugs, there was still enough space to transport another twelve tons of electrical devices, which she possessed both for her work and as a cover for her electronics store. In high spirits, she flew her ship to Harry's ship's docking bay and ordered the droids to maneuver the items into the cargo hold of Harry's ship.
She returned to the bridge and took her seat at the sensor operator's station, which she had modified for her needs. She could enhance the navigation computer with an Intellex IV droid brain, which greatly assisted her in her work. It was a modification that Harry insisted on after accepting her job, and he paid her more than the modification would cost from any other slicer, which motivated her to do an excellent job.
It was almost as if he had foreseen that problems could arise, and they might need to leave the planet for an extended period. On the other hand, he was responsible for the problems if they were discovered. Slowly, Mako immersed herself in her work again, gaining access to hundreds of systems that Eidolon had hacked. Many of these systems belonged to suppliers of major corporations, and one company was particularly lucky for her. Due to a recent system change, Eidolon had obtained a backdoor into a major shipbuilder's system. She now had access to the design blueprints of all ships from Kuat Drive Yards. It was a dream for any slicer.
"Mako, I need your help," Harry's voice interrupted her work.
"What's going on? The ship should be ready, and since you have control over the security systems, you can handle everything else. I'll quickly cover my tracks, and then I'll join you," Mako said irritably, glancing back at her screen.
"What do you know about the Hutt Mika Anjiliac Chiera? Where is his cantina, and what influence does he have in the Hutt Cartel?" Harry's voice came over the ship's comlink, seemingly unfazed by Mako's annoyance.
"He's a small fish who did business with Eidolon. According to Eidolon's data, Mika bought a backdoor into his rivals' systems. He owns the 'Blue Temptation' cantina on Nar Shaddaa and several other businesses in the galaxy. He also has a 3 percent stake in the Bengel Shipbuilders company," Mako explained, pulling up all the information she could find on the Hutt, which surprisingly was quite extensive.
"Well, I'm on my way to him. One of the researchers I liberated told me that his little sister is held as a slave there. I've decided to free her and get more supplies in the process. Eidolon had very little food in his stash, but he had a lot of military equipment. Does Mika have his own spaceship?" Harry's voice came over the comlink, and Mako could easily answer this: "Yes, Mika has a YV-865 Aurore-class freighter. Please don't tell me you plan to steal his ship. That would only bring the Hutt Cartel down on us."
"You've got it. Otherwise, I could return to my ship, but that would put you at risk. Plus, I'll be wearing one of Eidolon's guard armors when I launch my attack and using the name Hugo Damask while I'm there," Harry said over the comlink, leaving Mako wondering why exactly that name was so significant to Harry.
Harry walked through the streets of Nar Shaddaa, visiting countless shops that offered food. He frequently disappeared into side alleys to quickly stash the purchased groceries in his suitcase. So far, he had bought several hundred kilograms of these space rations, along with several large packs of energy pudding. A strange name, but according to the seller, they were good for long journeys. Since he wasn't sure how the rations tasted, he also bought several hundred kilograms of corn, flour, and a large quantity of dried sausages. Beans and other non-perishable products, as well as several hundred packs of juices, were also on his shopping list.
Once he was sure he had enough food for several weeks, he put on the stolen armor of an Eidolon guard. It consisted of a tight-fitting suit made of fabric that kept the body warm and protected against blaster shots and sharp weapons. Over the suit, there were arm guards, a chest protector, lower abdomen protection, knee pads, as well as thigh and shin guards. His feet were encased in reinforced shoes that prevented nails from penetrating the soles or heavy objects from crushing his toes. On the inside of his armor, he had carved some runes that absorbed heat, preventing blaster shots from penetrating his armor. He had learned these runes from Hermione, as they were a crucial part of the construction of his suitcase.
He put on the guard's helmet and connected the targeting computer in the helmet to his new weapon, a DT-57 heavy blaster. It packed a lot of firepower into a relatively compact weapon. He slid Goyle's wand into his left forearm brace, as it suited him better than Crabbe's.
Equipped in this manner, Harry set out to confront his opponent. On the way to the cantina, people frequently gave him a wide berth upon seeing his intimidating armor. Upon arriving at the cantina, he sat at the bar and waited for the bartender to attend to him. The bartender, a Weequay, gave him a stern look when he finally decided to serve Harry.
"What do you want here? The boss said he doesn't want any of Eidolon's people in his cantina," the Weequay snapped at Harry.
"The boss sent me. It's about the last deal," Harry replied, and the voice modulator did its job well. His voice was so distorted that no one could recognize who was really under the helmet. The bartender looked at him and, after a brief pause, activated the intercom to speak with his boss in Huttese. Harry inwardly rolled his eyes. Once again, people assumed he couldn't speak Huttese. He had fried enough brains of those who spoke the language to understand it himself.
After the bartender finished his conversation, he turned back to Harry and said, "The boss is expecting you in his office. A guard will escort you."
Harry nodded to the bartender and looked around the cantina. Several dancers were performing on poles, displaying their scantily clad bodies. It didn't take Harry long to spot the person he intended to rescue. The Twi'lek dancer looked even better in person than her brother had described. She had a beautiful, ample bosom, a toned stomach, and gorgeous legs. Her skin was flawless, red, and she wore a small pair of shorts and a top that covered only her nipples.
Once he tore his gaze away from the alluring sight, he continued scanning the cantina and noticed an increasing number of guards. Guards subtly approached various patrons, and shortly afterward, those patrons left the cantina, leaving only Harry with the guards.
After all the guests and dancers had left the room, the Hutt emerged, and the guards aimed their blasters at Harry.
"You have the nerve to enter my cantina, even though I told you that Eidolon's people are not welcome here," Mika said, aiming his blaster at Harry, who remained unfazed.
"Yes, I entered the cantina. I am Hugo Damask, a former member of the Banking Clan before I joined Eidolon's service. My boss sent me to negotiate a deal," Harry said, his voice heavily distorted. The bartender activated the intercom once more to speak with his boss in Huttese. Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes internally. Once again, people assumed he couldn't speak Huttese. He had fried enough brains of those who spoke the language to understand it himself.
After the bartender completed the conversation, he turned back to Harry and said, "The boss is expecting you in his office. A guard will escort you."
Harry nodded to the bartender and surveyed the cantina once more. Several dancers were performing on poles, displaying their scantily clad bodies. It didn't take Harry long to spot the person he intended to rescue. The Twi'lek dancer looked even better in person than her brother had described. She had a beautiful, ample bosom, a toned stomach, and gorgeous legs. Her skin was flawless, red, and she wore a small pair of shorts and a top that covered only her nipples.
Once he tore his gaze away from the alluring sight, he continued scanning the cantina and noticed an increasing number of guards. Guards subtly approached various patrons, and shortly afterward, those patrons left the cantina, leaving only Harry with the guards.
After all the guests and dancers had left the room, the Hutt emerged, and the guards aimed their blasters at Harry.
"You have the nerve to enter my cantina, even though I told you that Eidolon's people are not welcome here," Mika said, aiming his blaster at Harry, who remained unfazed.
"Yes, I entered the cantina. I am Hugo Damask, a former member of the Banking Clan before I joined Eidolon's service. My boss sent me to negotiate a deal," Harry said, his voice heavily distorted.
"Silence. Guards, stun him," called Mika, and immediately the guards began to open fire. To everyone's surprise, several shots bounced off Harry and hit other guards. Harry leaped behind the counter and started firing back at the guards. He reached into his pocket and threw a flash grenade over the counter. A bright flash of light erupted, but Harry's helmet visor immediately filtered it out, allowing him to keep shooting. Before Harry knew it, all the guards were defeated, leaving only him and Mika standing.
"Now, you fought well, but your luck has run out. You're trapped," Mika declared, and Harry watched as Mika's eyes turned black. Dark energy radiated from the Hutt's body, filling the room. When the energy reached Harry, he fell to his knees. The energy dragged him down, attempting to penetrate his body. Harry felt his body growing heavier, and he slowly lost consciousness.
Just as Harry was about to succumb to the energy, he remembered. He was a wizard, and he didn't give up so easily. Shaking, he drew his wand from his left arm guard and cast the first spell that came to mind: "Expecto Patronum."
A bright light emanated from his wand, pushing back the darkness. Remembering Lupin's lessons, he sought happy memories before recasting the spell. Prongs emerged from his wand, and Mika screamed in fear. The light emitted by Prongs dispelled the dark energy and hurled Mika against the wall.
"No! I won't allow it. No one stands in the way of my return," Mika cried out desperately, though his voice sounded more like that of a woman. Blisters formed on Mika's skin, and he began to convulse. After a few minutes, the convulsions ceased, and the Hutt simply fell asleep. Confused by the turn of events, Harry approached the Hutt and prodded him with a stick.
Mika was still alive, but the blisters looked painful. Feeling certain that Mika wouldn't attack him now, Harry decided to find out why the Hutt had attacked him. Harry forced open Mika's eyelids and delved into the Hutt's memories. With little resistance, Harry quickly discovered why Mika had attacked him. Mika had been possessed by a spirit. He didn't know why this spirit had taken over Mika's body to harm him, but alarm bells rang in Harry's mind. Mika had been a servant of this spirit and had learned a kind of magic called "the Force" from it. Harry learned more about this power and the spirit itself from Mika's memories, but he couldn't make sense of it or discover the spirit's name.
A Force spirit wanted his body, and he didn't know how to resolve it. Unable to make sense of the situation, Harry did the only thing he could. He searched for all the information he needed to free the slaves and the access codes to Mika's accounts. Mika wouldn't need them anymore. Once he had the information, he stunned Mika and all of Mika's mercenaries. Although many of them were unconscious or dead, Harry didn't want to take any risks. He grabbed Mika's access key, which he needed to enter the office.
He went to Mika's office and accessed the system. After a few commands, he gained full access to the systems and opened the hidden connection that Mika had to the Hutt Cartel's systems. Using Eidolon's help, Mika had established a secret entrance, and Harry now intended to use it to cause major problems. How else could he deal a significant blow to the underworld? Once he had access, he connected the system to his comlink and called Mako.
"Hello, Mako. I've stumbled upon something very interesting," Harry said when he saw Mako's face.
"Hello, Harry. What have you done now?" Mako asked with a slightly irritated tone in her voice. He felt a bit guilty for causing Mako so much stress, but she was the only one who could help him with his schemes. Besides, helping him kept her safe from Eidolon's attention.
"Well, nothing too grand. I defeated a Hutt and gained access to the Hutt Cartel's systems. Do you know who I can send the acquired data to in order to cause as much damage as possible? Can we make it look like Eidolon is behind this? When I entered the cantina, I posed as an Eidolon associate cooperating with the Banking Clan," Harry explained his plan and transmitted the gathered information to Mako.
"You've gained access to the Hutt Cartel's servers? If they find out… I don't even want to think about it. Yes, I know some people who might be interested in the information, but if my name gets out, I'll be hunted by countless bounty hunters," Mako's voice came over the comlink.
"Well, you should be able to send the data in Eidolon's name, right? They'll be too busy attacking each other to worry about us," Harry suggested and he could hear Mako facepalming.
"Eidolon doesn't have enough people to take on the Hutt Cartel. Maybe in the short term, but it would be very one-sided," Mako said, contemplating.
"Perhaps a preemptive strike against the Hutts. If it's strong enough, they'll be briefly disadvantaged. In the meantime, we can provide information that Eidolon received a substantial amount of money from the Banking Clan to act against the Hutts. Then we can make it look like the Hutts are targeting the Banking Clan, and we'll have two evenly matched parties," Harry pondered aloud, leaving Mako speechless.
"Did I understand you correctly? You want to take on not only Eidolon but also the Hutt Clan and the Banking Clan? Are you suicidal? If this doesn't work, every bounty hunter, pirate, and anyone with a weapon will be after us. They'll put a bounty on our heads that we won't have a moment's peace," Mako exclaimed over the comlink, but Harry just waved it off. To him, it sounded like a brilliant plan. If their enemies were too busy fighting among themselves, they wouldn't have time to search for them. It was a win-win-win situation for him.
"Only if you don't do your job right. If you do it right, they'll tear each other apart, and we can slip away unnoticed," Harry said, deactivating the comlink after giving Mako direct access to the systems. He deactivated the slaves' collars and proceeded to gather all the slaves. Many of them had taken refuge in their cells, where they lived when they weren't serving the guests. Harry couldn't stand to see living beings in such conditions. Most of the slaves appeared malnourished and were clearly frightened of him.
"Don't be afraid. I've freed you. We'll leave this place, and you can start a new life," Harry said once he had gathered them all. Then he considered for a moment and added, "Clear out the cantina. Load everything that can be of use onto Mika's ship, so we can leave this place with it."
He nodded to the former slaves and went to Mika's ship. The ship was parked on a landing platform behind Mika's cantina and was otherwise poorly secured. Anyone with the access code could easily steal it. Mika's ship was a YV-865 Aurore-class freighter and was poorly maintained. Harry could see that from a distance. The hull was dirty, and when he opened the ramp, it emitted a loud creaking sound. The hinges were not oiled, causing the noise. But after a quick system check, Harry could breathe a sigh of relief. The ship was poorly maintained, but it was still functional.
Harry prepared the ship for takeoff and then went back outside to see if the former slaves were doing as he had asked. As he walked, he encountered several of them carrying items into the ship. Harry quickly assessed the items they were bringing. Most of it was alcohol and other luxury goods.
"Did Mika also store any food somewhere? That's much more important for our journey than luxury items," Harry asked one of the slaves.
"No, Mika had a few slaves gather food every day," the slave replied, and Harry cursed. The slave flinched and seemed to expect Harry to strike him. Quickly, Harry raised his hands to signal that he wouldn't harm the slave.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to curse. It's all right. Do you know some people here who can quickly get us some food?" Harry asked, getting a nod from the slaves. The one he had asked put down the bottles of alcohol and returned to the cantina, soon returning with four women. Three of them were Togrutas, and one was a human woman. They were all better dressed than the other slave girls and a bit older.
"Kol said you wanted to talk to us," the human woman asked, and Harry nodded.
"Yes, I asked him if he knows anyone familiar with the local market who can procure food for us. He brought you here, so you should be the right people for the job," Harry said and reached into his pocket.
"We're supposed to buy food? We can do that, but we don't have any money. Our guards always took care of that," one of the Togruta women said, and Harry just nodded.
"If I give you money, will you be able to get us some food? I can also send some of the male slaves to help with carrying," Harry said and handed several hundred credits to each of the women, enough to buy food for several days. The four women quickly bowed to him and set out to carry out his task. Ha rry watched as the four women approached a few other male slaves and asked them to follow. Since he had nothing else to do, Harry returned to the cantina and double-checked to ensure that Mika and his guards were still unconscious. Fortunately, none had escaped or attacked anyone. It was only now that he realized he had been too trusting with the unconscious captives. He should have tied them up to prevent them from fleeing, but luck had been on his side.
Harry quickly bound the still-living guards and Mika, then set about relieving them of all valuables. He took everything from the deceased and asked two slaves to take care of the bodies. The slaves showed no signs of being bothered by the dead, and they dragged the bodies out of Harry's sight. Harry didn't care what they did with them, as long as they didn't become his next meal. He had made that clear to them. After the deceased had been taken care of and he assessed his loot, he could continue to sow chaos.
Harry didn't delude himself. In the war he had orchestrated, Eidolon could only lose, but he didn't want the war to end in a matter of hours. No, it should drag on for several weeks, and for that, he had to deliver some heavy blows to the Hutts. Unfortunately, he couldn't involve Mako in all his plans. She was already deeply disturbed by his actions against Eidolon and Mika. The actions she was privy to could extend the war by a day or two, as the Hutts would be distracted, but then they would come crashing down on Eidolon like a tidal wave, crushing his small empire.
No, he had to destabilize the leadership of the Hutt Cartel to further ignite the war and create the opportunity to free more slaves. Slavery was repugnant in Harry's eyes, and as long as the Republic did nothing about it, he felt compelled to stand in the way of slave traders. If he made a fortune in the process, well, that was just a nice side gig. Harry rallied the slaves once more and asked them how much time they needed to clear the cantina. The slaves seemed unsure of what to say, but Harry reassured them and promised them as much time as they required. After some discussion, they estimated it would take about two hours. Harry thanked them and told them they could get back to work, while he had something else to attend to. Yes, he would make use of those two hours to plunge the Hutts even deeper into chaos.
With everyone aboard the ship and the last checks completed, Harry gave a nod to his copilot and gracefully lifted the vessel off the ground. The ship felt considerably more massive under Harry's fingertips compared to his own. Although Mika's ship might have been shorter, it was notably broader. Once they reached their optimal cruising altitude, Harry increased the ship's speed and ventured into the depths of space, blissfully unaware of the fact that they were being followed. Someone had recognized Harry and wanted to claim the bounty that Borvo had placed on his head.
Update 05.11.2023: I have impoved some parts of the story and also spoilerd the person that placed the bounty on Harrys head. In the last chapter Mako say to Harry, that Borvo the hutt has placed a smal bounty on this head. It was a small sentence in a conversation but I thought every person has read the story carfully.