Star Wars Endgame: Episode V, Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

    Six tables were set out in the Wheel's main office. At five of them were each of the bounty hunter teams that had set out to capture (or kill) Kadar. At the sixth was Kadar himself, shod in all-white modified Mandalorian armor. At the back of the room stood the Corellian crime lord Scur Bodalla, who had allegedly hired the five teams.

    Standing before them all, Master-Com felt like a teacher addressing a group of seven-year old students in detention. Had galactic civilization truly downgraded to this level? Or did all beings on the fringe act this immature? Either way, he was disappoint with them.

    "So," he said in his typically neutral tone, "correct me if I have the facts wrong here: Kadar here is responsible for the deaths of all nine Vigos of Black Sun. Out of revenge, new Vigo Scur Bodalla hires five different groups of bounty hunters to hunt for Kadar on my station and either capture or kill him. Is that correct?"

    There were no angry outbursts or protests, so Master-Com took that as a yes.

    "Now then, I must ask: did you take into consideration the innocent lives you could have harmed during your little game?"

    The bounty hunter known as Remar-- a balding human male-- snorted loudly. "Give me a break, tin can. Some of the people here are no better than us. Why do you care what happens to them?"

    Master-Com stared at him coldly-- an easy feat, considering he was a droid. "This station is my responsibility. Thus, those who dwell in it are my responsibility. If any harm comes to them or this station, it is my duty to protect them."

    "We're sorry," said a female Mirialan named Kyla Kishanti. "At least, my crew and I are. We hard about the bounty and needed the credits. We didn't intend to harm anyone-- heck, we were just going to capture Kadar and turn him in, not kill him."

    Master-Com scanned the Mirialan and her crew. According to his databank, they were regular visitors to the Wheel and had hardly ever caused trouble. They were merely smugglers who took up mercenary jobs from time to time. He would let them off easily.

    "Apology accepted." To the rest of the bounty hunters, he said, "Since I'm not going to get similar honesty from you, I must ask you all to leave the Wheel and never return. If you attempt to do so, my security personnel will recognize you and apprehend you. Any objections... you will have to keep to yourself. Good day."

    With those words, the bounty hunters were led out of the office. Scur Bodalla lingered long enough to flash a sneer at Master-Com before leaving as well. Once they were all gone, the droid administrator shook his head.

    Organics. Who could understand them?

*  *  *

    "So we didn't get rich," Bedo said as he and the others returned to the Renegade. "But look on the bright side; at least we're still alive! All of those Vigos can't say the same."

    Wiskin looked at Kyla skeptically. "What was your beef with Kadar? All of those other bounty hunters seemed to have a personal grudge against him, but you didn't... did you?"

    Kyla shook her head. "I was just in it for the fame, I suppose. To be the ones to capture the famous Slayer of Vigos. That would have been something."

    "Don't look now," Keera purred, "but that 'Slayer' is right behind us."

    The crew moved into action: Kyla and Ace unsheathed their blaster pistols, Ves her dual ones, Keera brandished her vibro-ax, Wiskin bore his claws, and Bedo cowered behind them.

    Standing before them non-threateningly and unfazed, Kadar said, "I'm not here for a fight. I'm here for your help."

    Kyla snorted. "Why would you come to us for help when we had just tried to capture you?"

    "That's just it; you were the only ones not trying to kill me. If I leave here in my own ship, then Vondara and the rest will pursue me. I want you to 'capture' me, so to say, and smuggle me to someplace else, where they can't find me."

    "You're not scared of them, are you?" Ves taunted. "Is the great Kadar afraid of silly bounty hunters?"

    Kadar tilted his head towards her, and even with her Mandalorian helmet concealing her features, Kyla could tell Ves was fearful herself of the bounty hunter.

    "Watch your tongue, child," the White Knight hissed. "It's not out of fear that I'm doing this, but simply because I'm tired of running around the galaxy searching for someone who's probably already dead. My body is not going to last me forever; I need to give it and myself a rest."

    Kyla continued to look skeptical. "Give me one good reason why I should let you on my ship."

    "Here." Kadar handed her a credi-chip, which she cautiously took. "Seven hundred thousand credits. It's all I've got."

    Kyla looked from the chip to the bounty hunter, waiting for a catch. When he did not give her one, she said, "All right. But I'm only letting you into the lounge room, with Wiskin watching you. If you try to move from that spot or pull out a weapon of any sort...."

    Promptly, the Cathar cracked his knuckles.

    Kadar nodded curtly. "Message received."

*  *  *

    "A shame he got away."

    "Indeed," Scur Bodalla huffed as he seated himself in the main hold of his personal yacht, which was beginning to depart from the Wheel. "Kadar continues to evade us while we continue to fall before him."

    "Do not fret," said his accomplice. "What we need is an edge. We need someone who can match him in skill."

    Bodalla snorted. "Where do you suppose we'd find someone like that? He's one of a kind."

    "He used to be a Mandalorian, correct? Perhaps if we find another one of his kin...."

    "But they wouldn't be a cyborg like he is. They'd be inferior."

    His accomplice chuckled. "You forget who you're talking to, Bodalla. I'm the one who made Kadar what he is today."

    The Vigo sneered. "Given your current condition, that's not very reassuring."

    "Have faith, Bodalla. I am nothing if not infallible."