CHAPTER SIX
Dantooine
“All systems are a go.”
“Get us out of here, Todo,” Cad Bane responded to the silver-plated techno-service droid. As the engines of the Justifier hummed to life, the Duros bounty hunter sat down at the ship’s controls and turned around in his seat, crossing his legs as he faced his prisoner.
“Your little friend back there is gonna have a hard time finding you,” Bane said, smirking. “He’s not going to know which ship we’ve brought you on.”
Outside, the other various starships of the Snatchers started to lift up. Among them was Dengar’s modified JumpMaster 5000 as well as Zuckuss’s personal starfighter Mist Hunter. While traditionally the Snatchers had always used a single ship to carry out their operations, the current Boss had suggested that its members use their own personal ships, hoping to avoid or at least mitigate any risk of mutinies occurring. Bane was perfectly fine with the rule; it meant he didn’t need to put up with the others for longer than he needed to, and he could fly off on his own whenever he chose, especially if he happened to come across an employer who paid better than the Boss or the current client.
Better yet, it also meant that Skywalker was now separated from his lightsaber, as the Cerean hunter Tarr-Nar-Mal had already taken it onto his own ship. They would still have to rendezvous at the same location as the client wanted both Skywalker and his weapon, but at least Bane wouldn’t have to worry about him trying to use his laser sword to break free.
The Justifier lifted up from the ground and Bane decided to leave the piloting to Todo 360. He was glad to leave Dantooine, as he had felt more than a little unsettled by the location that their other client had chosen to use as a base of operations. After they had delivered the Jedi, Bane would ask to renegotiate the details of their other contract. Maybe they could rearrange things so that he wouldn’t have to go back to that blasted graveyard.
Chewing on his toothpick, Bane regarded the Jedi sitting on the floor in front of him. It had been many years—decades even—since Bane had faced the Jedi by the name of Anakin Skywalker, and he wasn’t sure if this Luke Skywalker was supposed to be related to him, although he could see the family resemblance if he focused on it. Then again, most humans looked the same to his Duros eyes. At least this one didn’t have a little Togruta kid to cause further trouble….
Taking out his toothpick, Bane decided to break the silence. “I bet you’re wondering just who we are.”
“I’m sure you will tell me on your own time,” Skywalker calmly replied.
Bane snorted, twirling the pick between his fingers. “You’ve ever heard of the Snatchers, boy?”
“I can’t say it rings a bell.”
“It shouldn’t. We usually keep to ourselves, and those who do hear of us don’t live long enough to tell the tale.” Bane then inclined his head, peering at the Jedi from beneath the rim of his hat. “Have you heard of me, though?”
“Cad Bane, was it? I don’t believe I have.”
Bane sighed, somewhat wistfully. “I figured you hadn’t. You look too young to have lived through the Clone Wars. At the end of the war, I suffered an injury that took me out of the bounty hunting picture for a while.”
He removed his hat to reveal a metal plate fused with the top of his skull; a “gift” given to him from an old rival. Skywalker eyed the plate curiously before Bane replaced his hat.
“When I got back into the thick of things, most of my usual employers had moved on. There was a new big shot in town that the Hutts were taking a liking to—a kid in Mandalorian armor by the name of Boba Fett.”
A flicker of recognition in Skywalker’s eyes told him everything he needed to know. Sighing in frustration, Bane half-turned in his seat to gaze out the viewport. The sky of Dantooine had since been replaced with a field of stars and Todo was already inputting the coordinates for a hyperspace jump.
“The Empire was still willing to give me a few freelance jobs,” Bane went on. “Even lauded me as a hero for hunting down those Jedi traitors. But I was still yesterday’s news. Probably would have retired and wasted myself away had I not found the Snatchers.”
“And they offered you something the Empire didn’t?” Skywalker asked.
“That and more,” Bane replied.
Skywalker narrowed his eyes. “Why are you telling me all of this?”
Bane shrugged. It was a good question, he hated to admit. “I’ve been at this game for a long time, kid. Since before you were probably born. Don’t really surround myself with much company, other than my colleagues.”
“Don’t forget me!” Todo 360 cheerfully piped up.
Bane ignored him. “Sometimes it’s nice to get things off your chest,” he went on. “Especially at my age, when you’ve got so many things to tell. I used to think stories were a waste of time. And they still mostly are. But I suppose there is something… cathartic in it all.”
Skywalker simply stared at him, his expression a blank canvas. Todo 360 hanged his head low, dejected by Bane’s ignorance, before reporting from the controls.
“Coordinates are set. We’re ready to make the jump.”
Bane flicked his toothpick to the side. “Nice talking to you, Jedi.” He then spun around in his seat and brought himself closer to the controls. He pulled the hyperspace lever and the Justifier made the jump to lightspeed.
* * *
Toah nearly hurt his shoulder as he pushed his way into his workplace, not waiting for the doors to fully open. Warat and Seph were sitting there at his usual workstation, with the latter lounging in Toah’s seat. When they saw Toah, they both turned around and looked at him in concern.
“What’s gotten into you?” Warat asked.
“And weren’t you with Luke Skywalker?” Seph added.
Toah was panting too heavily to respond immediately, exhausted from having run to and from his speeder as well as still being shaken up by the encounter back at the enclave. Before he could even get a word out, Gregor came storming out of his office.
“There you are!” the bearded man barked. “Where in the nine hells have you been? We’ve got work to do!”
“He was with Luke Skywalker!” Seph exclaimed. “That’s his X-wing out there! He came here and took Toah out to—”
“Like hell he did,” Gregor growled. “Anyone can fly an X-wing and get cosmetics to make them look like a celebrity war hero or whatever. Now, I don’t want to hear any more excuses. Get back to work or else you’re—”
A series of beeps sounded behind Toah as R2-D2 rolled into the room. Seph launched up to his feet and pointed at the astromech.
“Come on, that’s obviously Artoo-Detoo! Who else would he fly with besides Luke Skywalker?”
Gregor glared at the Nautolan spacer. “White and blue astromechs are a credichip a dozen, especially for the last five years. He probably just got a random astromech that looks like ‘em.”
R2 chirped in annoyance before angling his body to point his “nose” at the floor, projecting from it the small holographic image of a woman dressed in white.
“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi,” the recording played. “You’re my only hope.”
Toah and the others gawked at the hologram, their expressions ranging from disbelief to awe. Seph then looked to Gregor and gestured at the hologram.
“How do you explain that? He’s got a recording of Princess Leia herself!”
“Those can be faked,” Gregor muttered, though he sounded much less sure of himself this time.
Having caught his breath, Toah looked hard at his boss. “We don’t have time for this. Luke Skywalker’s been captured by bounty hunters. They’re probably already leaving the system as we speak.”
Gregor snorted. “And what do you expect us to do about it, boy? We’re not heroes, and we don’t have a ship.”
“I do!” Seph raised his hand, only to quickly lower it, his shoulders drooping. “Only it doesn’t work.”
Warat gestured to Luke’s X-wing starfighter, still parked outside in the hangar bay. “His ship’s still out there.”
“Yeah, but are any of you fit to fly it?” Gregor said pointedly. “Besides, it can only fit one and you and Toah are supposed to be working here.” He nodded to Seph. “You can take it, if you want to give being a hero a shot.”
Seph raised his hands back up. “Hey, no way am I touching a legend’s ship! I’d probably crash it, knowing my luck.”
R2-D2 shut off the hologram of Leia and started to beep rapidly, indicating his impatience as he rocked back and forth on his motors. Toah frowned at the astromech before looking to Warat.
“You know Binary better than I do,” he said. “What is he saying?”
The Twi’lek rubbed his chin. “I think he’s saying that he can fly the X-wing. And that he can get a message out to the New Republic so they can rescue Skywalker.”
“Well, there you go.” Gregor waved his hands. “Help him back into the X-wing and send him on his way. We don’t need to be involved in this anymore than we already are.”
R2-D2 continued to chirp and beep. Warat translated: “He says that someone needs to go with him in order to actually speak with the New Republic and explain the situation.” The Twi’lek shrugged. “Guess they don’t take astromechs that seriously over there.”
“Neither do I,” Gregor grunted. “Look, if you want to go, Seph, you can. But Toah and Warat need to stay here and—”
R2-D2 drowned him out with another spiel. Warat listened to him before glancing at Toah. “He says you were there and saw the whole thing while he was shutdown. Only you can provide them the full details.”
Toah swallowed and rubbed his neck awkwardly. “I don’t know. I’ve never been off-world before, let alone anywhere near the New Republic.”
“Come on, Toah.” Warat slapped him on the shoulder. “You’ve always told me how you’ve wanted to make a difference. This is your chance.”
Gregor glared at him. “If you get in that fighter, you can kiss your job goodbye. I don’t have time to wait for you to come back from your little adventure when I can just get a new employee. You better think hard about this, boy.”
Toah stared at him and quickly realized he did not need to think hard about it at all. He turned back to Warat and extended his hand.
“In case this is goodbye,” he said, “then it’s been nice working with you.”
Warat grinned as he shook his hand. “Go out there and show them what you’ve got.”
Seph clapped him on the back. “Tell them that Seph Kisto puts in a good word for you.”
Gregor fumed. “You’re fired.”
Toah ignored him as he headed out into the hangar bay, R2-D2 trailing close behind him. With some help from Seph, the two of them got into the X-wing and both the Nautolan and the astromech ran Toah through the process of turning the ship on. He then reached into the cockpit and brought out Luke’s flight helmet, putting it over his head for safety. It felt a little big on him, but it would serve its purpose.
He gave his friends (and an unhappy Gregor) one last wave as the X-wing lifted off under R2-D2’s control, blasting off into Dantooine’s sky as it took him onward into the next chapter of his life.
* * *
“Blast it.”
Baleful eyes watched as the X-wing starfighter took off into the sky, taking with it the young man he had been sent by his benefactor to monitor. He did not have a ship of his own and thus could not follow the boy. Even if he could convince his ally to let him use their ship, the X-wing would already be out of the system.
He returned to the lair beneath the Jedi Enclave and told his ally of the boy’s departure. The red-armored giant was silent for a moment and kept their back turned to the man, focused on the work in front of them.
“He is probably going to the New Republic,” the giant eventually stated.
“What now, then?” the man growled. “I am tired of waiting and doing nothing. You created me for a reason, did you not?”
The giant shifted and turned slightly, enough for the man to see their glowing red eyes. “I created you,” his creator said darkly, “for reasons that are beyond your comprehension.”
“Try me,” the man said.
“No.” His creator turned back to their work. “We must await the Dark Lord’s message. Only then will you be ready to perform the task you were made for.”
The man clenched his fists but realized he was in no power to argue or fight. He sat back down on the floor, crossing his legs. His blue eyes scanned the chamber, studying the cylinders and vats that surrounded him, carrying organisms growing within nutritive waters.
If there was any comfort to be found in his current predicament, it was in the fact that he was not the only one who had to wait. And at the very least, his patience would be rewarded much sooner.
Content with this knowledge, the man closed his eyes and resumed his meditations.
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