Hello everyone, I am back. I hope everyone is having an awesome May the 4th today. We're picking up where we last left off with Hidden Fortress. Without further ado, the feature presentation
Chapter One: Trail
"My name is Alucard," the spacer said, "Alucard Dooku. As for why I am looking for Jango Fett, it is a rather long story but it begins on Galidraan."
"Galidraan?" Cort Davin asked as he took a swig of his ale, "What does that have to do with Jango Fett?"
"That's where he was last, I saw him," Alucard answered, "Jango and the True Mandalorian were hired by Galidraan's governor to do some security work. They were then set up to unwittingly killed political dissidence." Alucard paused to sip on his own ale before continuing.
"This caused the Jedi Order to get involved and Jango, being the only survivor, was apprehended and turned over to the Galidraan authorities."
"It all makes sense now," Janto Karr said after he finished drinking his ale, "I knew I recognized you're name from somewhere."
Janto looked the older "spacer" the eye.
"Your name, Alucard Dooku, is the same as a member of the Jedi High Council," he said.
Dooku simply replied by reaching into his vest and procured his lightsaber for the two Protectors to see.
"Indeed, I am," the older Jedi answered before pocketing the weapon's hilt, "The results of that incident didn't sit well with me so I started to do a little bit of digging."
"And what did you find out?" Cort asked.
"As it turns out, the governor and Death Watch were in league with each other and used the Jedi to do their dirty work and I'm looking to make things right and free him."
"Do you know where he is?" Janto asked.
"I do but I need if any of his family still live," Dooku answered, "I do not think he would be very happy to see me seeing as when we met, all of his companions were killed. Fighting would be a bad idea seeing as he managed to kill six Jedi with his bare hands."
"And you figure that having his family with you would calm him down?"
"That and giving him back his armor," the Jedi added, "Which I acquired from the Governor's store room and a name to an associate of Tor Visla to track down."
Both Protectors took swigs of their ale before continuing the conversation.
"Do you have a name?" Janto asked.
"I do," Dooku answered, "Does the name Manta Rook mean anything to you to?"
The Protectors looked each other, both getting cold looks in their eyes before they turned back to the old Jedi. It was Cort that answered him.
"She is the leader of the Death Watch contingency here on Concord Dawn. The Protectors and Death Watch have managed to maintain a tense peace."
"I see," Dooku said before taking another swig, "Has there been any major exchange of blows yet?"
"Nothing major," Janto answered, "Just the occasional bar fights and stand downs but no blaster fights."
"Wonderful to know," Dooku replied before finishing his drink, "Is Jango have a home here on Concord Dawn?"
"He did," Cort said after finishing his drink, "His father was my predecessor in the Journeyman Protectors. They owned a small farmstead before Death Watch killed him and burned it down."
"I guess that's the best place to start," Dooku said as he got up from his stool slowly as to not let the effects of brewed beverages off balance him, "Can you take me there?"
"We can," Cort obliged as he went to the bartender to pay for their ales and Janto finished off his on drink. The three left the saloon that had started to fill with patrons and walked to the Protector's patrol vehicle, a six-seater land speeder with a light repeating blaster cannon at the front passenger position.
As he climbed into the speeder, Alucard noticed something.
Six armored figures were leaning up against a building across the street from the saloon. Their armor was a dark grey color and was most similar to style of armor the True Mandalorians on Galidraan wore all those years ago.
The only difference was the helmet. It was slimmer around the cheek guards, the tee-visor was more pronounced and each side of the helmet sported a wing-like protrusion about where the ear would be.
"Those are the Death Watch," Cort said, as if answering an unasked question.
"Think they'll follow us," Janto asked.
"Probably," Cort said, voice dripping with venom, "Just do the usual, shatual poodoo till they leave."
Dooku decided to press the emergency transponder in his pocket. The result was a signal being sent to his companion, letting him know that there might be trouble and his assistant would be needed.
The Death Watch troops watched as the three men drove off in the speeder. The leader, a tall and lanky male, decided to call in.
"Come in base, this is Vardis."
"Base here," a female voice answered, "Go ahead Vardis."
"I have a suspicious individual in the company of two Journeyman Protectors," Vardis explained "They're headed west."
"Interesting," the woman at base said, "The only thing of importance that way is the old Fett farmstead."
One of the Death Watch troops, a shorter female, seemed to wince at the mention of the property's name.
"Link up with Kreigan's squad and tail them," Base replied, "See what they're looking for out there."
"Rodger that base, Vardis out"
Sifo-Dyas watched as the Death Watch troops followed his friend Alucard and a couple of what he assumed was local law officers out of town on speeder bikes. The Jedi was considering himself rather intelligent for following his friend when he left the ship and watched him go into a saloon.
Glancing over, the Jedi noticed a speeder bike getting parked along the street, the occupants walking into the saloon that Dooku and the two lawmen walked out of.
A stroll up to the vehicle revealed that the start key was taken inside by the owner. Thankfully, Sifo-Dyas knew a few tricks about getting a speeder to start. Removing the wiring panel and finding the wires to the starter and sparked them together, which immediately the speeder started up.
Hopping into the pilot seat, Sifo-Dyas kicked off the bike and followed the Death Watch troopers.
What the Jedi did not know was he was seen and being followed himself….