CHAPTER FIVE
"Jedi or not, there is no way that I'm letting you go down into the Lower City."
Jaden Korr stared at the general, trying to subtly dissolve his resolute. But Hawk remained firm, his arms folded across his armored chest. The two men were standing within a small complex that served as the headquarters of Hawk and his company, located near the lift leading to the Tarisian Lower City. Standing at Hawk's side was the Mon Calamari captain Avreet, who served as both Hawk's advisor and the formal leader of the Hawk Company.
Unlike most members of his species, Avreet had a rather short temper and held a feeling of disdain towards those who defied official orders or were not properly disciplined. This attitude reminded Jaden of Admiral Cha Niathal, a female member of Avreet's species who acted in a similar manner.
"Besides," the green-skinned Mon Calamari said to Jaden, continuing Hawk's statement, "it is more than likely that Master Ven'sol failed in finding the source of the plague and is now either dead or one of these Rakghouls."
"Although that may very well be true," Jaden said, "the possibility that he is still alive remains."
"If he is, why has he not made any attempt to contact us or return to the surface?" Hawk asked skeptically. "It's been a week since he disappeared. Since he's a Jedi Master, I would think that he'd be back by now."
"Not all Jedi are invincible," Jaden said. "You, of all people, should know that, general."
Hawk bowed his head. "I know. I suppose I'm just making up excuses to convince you not to go down there. Even after almost a decade, I think I've still seen enough death."
Jaden gave him a knowing smile. "I understand. But if we find the plague's source and get rid of it, we would be preventing even more deaths and bloodshed."
Hawk nodded. "I agree."
Captain Avreet stared at both of them incredulously. "General, you're not actually letting them go into the Lower City, are you?"
Hawk glanced at him and smiled. "What do you think?"
The Mon Calamari's eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. "So you're just going to let this band of Jedi throw away their lives doing the same thing Ven'sol did?"
"I hate to say it, but yes." Hawk turned back to Jaden. "Good luck down there, Jedi Korr."
Jaden smiled. "Thanks, but there's no such thing as-"
"Don't give me that space trash," Hawk said with a chuckle. "Just go and do your Jedi thing."
Jaden nodded. "All right. May the Force be with you, general."
"And with you."
Jaden walked out of the military base and walked up to Tal and the other Jedi, who were waiting for him.
"Well?" Tal Natura asked. "How did it go?"
"Pack your bags," Jaden said. "We're going into the Lower City."
* * *
Although Nal Hutta was a world naturally inhabited by criminals and thugs- and thus violence and noise were not uncommon- the denizens of Raaxus the Hutt's palace found their master's rage frightening enough to cower within their dim lit corners of the throne room.
The only one who did not cower was the dark-haired woman standing before the Hutt, as well as her large and stocky Herglic companion. Given the somewhat smug expression on her face, it was likely that the woman was expecting this exact reaction from the Hutt.
Fiery red eyes glaring at the news bringer, Raaxus Vosadii Avak bellowed, "Chuba settah ma killeers ara dedo?"
At his side, a tan-colored protocol droid translated his furious statement. "The Supreme Raaxus wishes you to clarify if his assassin warriors are indeed dead."
The woman nodded. "Yes. We found a Dashade and two Weequays dead in and outside a cafe on Sleheyron. Unless I am mistaken, you had three agents of those species based on Sleheyron."
"Correcto." The Hutt's eyes narrowed, his face of fat strained with fury. "Boota kava chuba knowah dis?"
"The Mighty Raaxus inquires how you came across this information," the droid translated.
"I am a freelance informant for the Hutts," the woman replied. "I used to deliver information to Zordo Thokk until his...untimely demise on Tatooine two weeks ago. I have since been interested in helping the Hutts and their syndicate to be restored as a dominant faction in the galaxy...with you as its leader, of course."
Raaxus' eyes widened briefly, as if amused by the statement of appraisal. But this expression soon vanished and was replaced by his original scathing glare. He began rumbling in Huttese, which the protocol droid translated.
"The Great Raaxus is flattered by your goal. However, he must be certain that you are not secretly working for another member of the Hutt Council."
The female human smiled without mirth. "I wouldn't gain much from working for any other Hutt, would I?"
The Hutt's face curved itself into what appeared to be a smile. "Ree wella. Hag chuba knowah coo killee ma peepa?"
"The Mighty Raaxus wishes to know who killed his agents," the droid said.
"Well, luckily, two other agents working for the council survived the incident and told me that it was a Jedi who killed the three others."
Raaxus' pudgy hands rolled up into fists as he shuddered with anger. "Coo was dis Jeedai?" he bellowed.
The woman reached into her pocket and brought out a small, disk-shaped holoprojector. "One of the agents managed to snap a shot of him with his head-mounted holocam."
She activated the projector and revealed the image of a human male in his late-thirties, dressed in a casual outfit standard of the New Jedi Order and wielding a lightsaber.
Raaxus growled and let out a string of curses in Huttese. Once he was done, he said something which his protocol droid translated as, "The Supreme Raaxus demands that you find this Jedi and take a group of assassins hand-picked by him to kill the Jedi."
The woman smiled and nodded. "It will be done, my lord."
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