Star Forge - Chapter 4

I hate to admit it, but I had no idea what to do next. Create a reputation, challenge Pre Vizsla for control of Death Watch, return to Tatooine to destroy the slave trade, and then turn my attention to the Hutts. Somewhere along the line I'll need to think about the Clone Wars as well. That all sounded great, but getting there was the issue. The droid control ship would speed things along which meant I still need to get enough points. Then, to speed that along, I needed to figure out what the 'audience' wanted. Someone was giving me points and gave me access to the Forge, that meant someone was watching.

How would I create a reputation for myself? Shmi was supposed to gather some intel of troublemakers that weren't associated with any larger organizations as she said goodbye. Slaves, beggars, and staff were overlooked so often that it made them an amazing resource for information.

I knew there was a Bounty Hunters Guild, so that was one option. If this was a fantasy setting I could have gone to the Adventurers Guild for quests. I didn't think those existed here. Being a solo mercenary would be slow going until I had more of a rep. Working for the Hutts was an option. It would take time to gather resources to take them down. Funding their destruction with their own money sounded fun.

The only thing to do was to get started. Find out what the audience wants. So far, I have been rewarded with points for making changes to the overall plot. The stretch between Episode One and Episode Two didn't have a lot of information. At least, not that I knew. Changing destiny when I had no idea what was going on wasn't an option. Action, sex, and drama were a good start. Hopefully they didn't want romance. Living happily ever after was a nice thought, but I didn't see it happening with all the upheaval on the horizon.

Shmi and Anakin returned some time later. I kept myself busy by playing around with the settings for my HUD. Never underestimate how much time adjusting text size and font can take. There was a small readout about that covered the armor integrity, oxygen reserves, filter quality, and multiple features that were synced with my Omni-Tool. It didn't hit me until I had some time to truly think that I realized how odd having one meant. An Omni-Tool was from Mass Effect. The display was the trademark blue of the Star Wars setting rather than the compressed flame of the original. Did that mean that there were more cross-overs? I would keep an eye out for any more strangeness. Seeing the occasional Turian or Asari would be cool, but I didn't see how it would change things much. There were plenty of random aliens in the background that weren't explored.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

Shmi nodded. Her ever-present soft smile had a slight tinge of melancholy. Anakin had his brow scrunched up and his lips pressed tight.

"What's up, kid?" I waved him over.

"I don't know," Anakin sighed and flopped down into an open seat in the lounge.

"You're going to miss your friends, but you still want to leave," I said.

Anakin thought for a moment, considering my words. He nodded after a bit. His head tilted down and away from me to hide the fact that he was crying.

"There is nothing wrong with crying," I set a gentle hand on his shoulder. "This isn't an easy change."

Shmi watched from the doorway. She wasn't as tense around me. It helped that the droids all answered to her first then me. I still had no idea how that had happened. Anakin was amazing with technology, but he wasn't subtle in his changes. I would have been able to spot if he changed the droids programing. Either Shmi was a slicing genius, or she had simply won them over. With her I would never know.

Anakin looked up at me. His eyes were red and puffy, they searched my helmet for some sort of understanding. I sighed. Shmi tensed as I stood. Anakin looked up at me curiously. They both watched as I released the seal on my helmet. My armor made it possible for me to comfortably exist in areas without air or hazardous fumes. Spacewalks were beyond me at this point as my boots didn't have mag-locks and did not like the idea of floating off. I set my hands on either side, ready to take it off, but paused for a breath then took the helmet off. It felt different without it. Detailed, I know, but it was the closest I could do. It was like I suddenly lost one of my senses.

[Trust is Scary]
+100 FP
[Balance: 400 Forge Points]
[Roll – Bank – Shop]

I blinked my eyes a few times to adjust to the light. Thankfully, that was enough cover to dismiss the message. It could respond to mental commands. Noted.

"Everyone cries, everyone gets scared, and everyone makes mistakes," I said sitting back down. "Anyone who says different is lying."

"I thought you didn’t take off your helmet," Anakin whispered.

"I only take it off around those I trust," I gave him a small smile.

"What are you?" Anakin asked.

"Ani!" Shmi snapped.

"It's fine," I chuckled. "I'm a Sith."

"But you said Sith were evil Jedi," Anakin cocked his head to the side.

"It's named after us," I rolled my eyes. "As far as I know, I'm the last of my kind."

"Oh no," Shmi said softly.

"Can't you just have some kids?" Anakin asked.

"That won't be enough to restart a species," I shrugged. "Thank you for the concern. We were talking about you."

"Huh?" Anakin asked.

I smiled.

"We'll talk later," I said. "Relax in your room while I talk to your mother."

He nodded and went into his room. I turned my attention to Shmi once his door closed. Her smile dropped a little before she joined me. We waited a moment to make sure Anakin wasn't going to pop out for some reason.

"Did you have any luck?" I asked once she was settled.

"Yes," Shmi replied in her usual soft tone. "There are quite a few swoop gangs that are bothering isolated settlements and homesteads. Smaller slaver groups are stamped out by the Hutts before they can get started. I did get the names of a few harsher slave owners that would make great targets." She paused. "Most were worried about the Sand People. There have been a lot of attacks lately. No one knows why."

I drummed my fingers along the table before us for a moment.

"What do you think about the Sand People?" I asked.

"They're people," Shmi replied easily. "They're just trying to survive like everyone else."

"All of the homesteads and settlements they raid are just survival?" I continued.

"No," Shmi sighed. "I won't judge an entire people for the actions of a few."

I took a deep breath and let it out.

"You're a good woman, Shmi," I said giving her what I hoped was a warm grin.

She nodded in wordless thanks. We sat there in silence for a moment with our thoughts.

"What do you plan to do?" She asked.

"That depends on you," I replied.

She stiffened a little at my words. We still had a ways to go before there was actual trust there. I was starting to feel a little exposed with my helmet off.

"I can take you and Anakin to a different planet as a vacation, then come back here and take care of the targets you provided," I continued. "The second option, I can handle them now, then we take our leave together." I paused. "Personally, I'd like the second option. You know this planet and I'd rather not let people suffer any longer than I can help it. That and the time together somewhere other than Tatooine would be nice."

She nodded, but didn't say anything yet. I picked up my helmet and put it back on. My HUD snapped back into place, making the tension in my body eased to my usual levels. It had been a little early to take it off around Shmi yet. Trusting Anakin was hard not to do, the kid was like a golden retriever puppy in human form.

"We should help the people first," Shmi said breaking the silence. "If I may make a request?"

I nodded.

"Target the slave owners first," She suggested. "Slavers, while horrible, take better care of their 'product' than an abusive harsh owner. It cuts into their profits to sell damaged goods."

The venom in her voice was rather impressive. I could see where Anakin got his intensity. She kept her emotions under tight control, but there was clearly more going on that she didn't let people see.

"Did you get the details?" I asked.

"No," she replied shaking her head. "I have their names and the nearest town. Any more than that would have attracted too much attention."

"Load up the list to the ship computer," I said standing up. "Then have the droids scour the network for any available information."

I headed to the cargo area. We didn't have anything to transport, so it was just an open space right now. It was the perfect place to burn off some energy. I had yet to actually use the lightsaber beyond turning it on when I first saw it. The desire to swing it around like a kid on too much sugar gnawed at me. Only the, very likely, possibility that I'd lose a piece of my body stopped me. I needed more skill handling a blade before I tried one that could cut through flesh like hot butter. Either I needed training, or I needed to purchase the Blade Master Skillset from the shop. Except that it would slow down saving for the ship.

It all came back to knowing the audience.

~

An hour later we had enough information to attack the abusive slavers. Was someone that had slaves a slaver or a slave-owner? Thoughts for another time.

Anakin and Shmi sat in the cockpit with me as we lifted off. My hands flew over the controls with practiced ease. It wasn't to the extent that someone else was controlling my body, more like I was simply remembering how to do something I'd done hundreds of times. I even knew about the switch that liked to stick every now and then. All the while I explained the controls to Anakin. I had started telling him how it worked before he had the chance to ask. He would learn it one way or another and I'd rather be the one to teach him than him flipping switches to see what they did.

"We're heading to Mos Ila," I said. "You two can take some time exploring the town while I have some work to do."

"I want to help," Anakin piped up.

"Not yet," I said in reply.

"But…" Anakin scrunched up his face in thought. "You're teaching me how to use the Force. I can help."

"Anakin," I turned my full attention to him. "Right now, you can help by being safe. Either on the ship or in the town, as long as it isn't around blaster fire."

Anakin looked like he was about to start arguing again.

"I will train you, and your mother, how to use a blaster once I get back," I said. "You still won't be able to help out on my jobs. Yet."

He didn't look happy, but he wasn't arguing.

"Plus, your mom scares me," I whispered.

That made him giggle. Shmi shook her head at my antics. I grabbed a couple of pouches and placed them on the table in the lounge.

"Your wages," I said motioning to the bags. "I apologize for not giving them to you sooner. They're the same amount right now. We can discuss the details once I'm back."

"Wages?" Shmi asked.

"You work, you get paid," I replied easily.

Anakin had no such reservations. He grabbed one of the pouches, opened it, and dumped it out onto the table. His eyes went wide as he saw the amount.

"Woah," he scooped up the credits.

"It looks like a lot," I cautioned. "Watch how you spend it, or it will be gone before you know it."

Anakin scooped the credits back into his pouch. He rushed into his room. The door closed just as the sound of things being moved around started to echo through the ship.

"There's a box under my bed," I said. "If I don't come back, take it, and the ship. Get off this planet and go somewhere green."

She studied me for a long, silent moment.

"Not Alderaan or Naboo," I added. "Maybe Naboo once this conflict is over. Stay away from Alderaan. I've got a bad feeling about that place."

Shmi nodded. It was slow and her eyes never left mine. She had figured out where my eyes were now that she had seen my face.

"I don't know how long this will take," I said as I walked into my room. "Give me seven days. Leave if you don't hear from me by then."

She nodded again.

"Please wait for the full seven," I said with a small smile in my voice.

She gave another serious nod. Damn. I really hoped this didn't take longer than seven days. There was no doubt that Shmi would do just like I had said. They would be off-planet before the suns were fully risen on the eighth day.

~

The town, Mos Ila, was bigger than I had expected. It wasn't what I'd call a city, but it was a decent size. The hangar was nicer than the one in Mos Espa. I didn't have to Mind Trick the dockmaster for a legitimate fee either. Hopefully, Anakin and Shmi would enjoy their time here.

My target was Avar Soammu, a Rodian 'businessman' who had a reputation for having a short temper and showing off. The combination led to rather public displays of him abusing his slaves. He lived in a villa near Mos Ila with his own security, which was a common practice for anyone with enough money. The only 'law enforcement' on the planet was under control of the various criminal organizations. Helping people wasn't in their job description.

On a professional level, the Rodian was a local merchant that had done very well for himself. He had a couple of shops in multiple towns around the planet and a few space stations as well. On the criminal side of things, he was a smuggler for a couple of different Hutts and dabbled in the Spice Trade. It didn't make him anything special, but it did mean that there was a good chance he had some credits stashed.

The villa was too far to walk. Thankfully, there was a speeder in one of the cargo holds. It was rather standard, like someone took a dirt bike and stretched it out but had to take off the flashy bits to make it work. Regardless of its appearance, the thing could move.

I shot out of the hangar much faster than I had intended. Anakin gave a loud whoop as I left, probably thinking I had done it on purpose. The stretch around the hangar was clear of buildings. I was able to get the speeder under control by the time I reached the outskirts of town.

There were some great things about the desert. It provided plenty of variety in the landscape for cover via dunes, cliffs, ravines, and ancient riverbeds. Most towns and settlements aimed for the more arid areas where stubborn vegetation refused to die. This left long stretches of untamed desert for the rest of the planet. Unfortunately, everything kicked up dust when traveling across the sands so it would be tough to go in stealthy. Fortunately, everything kicked up dust when traveling across and they wouldn't know who was approaching.

I pulled my speeder to a stop on the incline of a dune just low enough to hide my silhouette against the sand while maintaining a line of sight with the villa. The place had an adobe wall around it, aside from the hangar which had an energy shield. I didn't see any guards, but there were a few turrets spaced out along the top. The buildings inside the wall were domed shaped like most of architecture of the planet.

The villa slash compound wasn't airtight, but it had decent security. Trying to break in would require some time to scope out the area for possible points of entry. I doubted I could be stealthy enough to avoid their attention for long. Hell, they probably knew I was already here. A Mandalorian charging up to your place on a speeder wasn't something people ignored. There was a reputation attached to this armor. It wasn't like I could just walk in through the front door.

I paused. It was worth a shot. Like I had just said, the armor came with a reputation. Mandalorians were known as soldiers for hire, bounty hunters, and all-around muscle when something needed to be broken. Just the sort of thing a low rank merchant would be looking for. Even Jabba had Boba Fett stand around looking tough in his manor.

Plan A, scope out the place and sneak in, had failed. Plan B was to kick down the door and blast everyone but the slaves. Plan C, the one I had just come up with, was to knock on the door and offer my services.

My posture changed. I went from somewhat hunched low to standing straight up. Proudly, I strutted back over to my speeder and hopped on. Abandoning all attempts at stealth, I took off at a rush. I made three circuits of the walls before I came to a stop at the front door. The turrets had popped out of their little placements to track me on the first run.

I powered down my speeder and strode up to the door with purpose. They had set a thick slat of armor over it some time ago. I didn't bother knocking or using what I took to be an intercom box. Instead, I looked up at the camera above the door and slowly tilted my head to the side. I pointed to the door, then crossed my arms and waited.

The camera above the door shifted away from me to a spot directly in front of the area. A familiar light blue of a hologram flickered into view. Before me stood a slightly portly Rodian. He was dressed in admittedly good quality clothes. The excess of gaudy jewelry shattered whatever small bit of class he could potentially earn.

"Mandalorian," he spoke Huttese. "What brings you to my doorstep?"

"You need me," I stated.

Avar laughed.

"Why would I need you?" Avar asked.

"I found seven major security flaws and three minor ones in my circuits," I bluffed.

My helmet modulated my voice, making me sound more confident that I actually was. I wasn't lying completely. There were a couple of spots that I could exploit. Problem being that it would draw a lot of attention that I did not want. Judging by the wall, turrets, and closed off dwellings I could tell he took his security seriously.

"That isn't possible," Avar gave a forced laugh. "I contracted the best to arrange my defenses."

"Get your money back," I stated flatly.

"Prove it," Avar said.

"I'll give you one," I said. "The rest will cost you."

"I already have guards," Avar said. "I don't need you or your claims."

"The exhaust port on the hangar," I replied. "You have it angled to avoid the sand and prevent clogging. It's at the perfect angle for a thermal detonator. The holes on the grate aren't big enough for one to pass through. It would catch a detonator and hold it until it exploded. There goes your exhaust port. Pop in a few more thermals for an explosive entry. It would make it big enough for a couple of speeders." I paused. "And that's if they want to let you know they are coming."

I had never seen a nervous Rodian before. At least, not until now. It was all true. Unfortunately, I didn't have any thermal detonators, and I didn't mention that the plan would take more than just one person to get in successfully. The observation came from a mixture of some of the ambient Bounty Hunter Skill package and my own natural paranoia. Let's just say that my old life wasn't exactly sunshine and roses for the first thirty-ish years. I had been shot twice through my stupid teen adventures, stabbed at least three times by the time I was twenty, and would wake up from a dead sleep at the jiggle of a door handle. Those instincts don't die easily. I tried not to think too hard about my old life. Honestly, I didn't really want to go back to it. Star Wars was something that I latched onto in my younger years and had a lot of good memories attached to it in a stretch of time when they weren't common.

"You said that there are others?" Avar asked with a shaky voice.

"Six more you need to change now," I reiterated. "Three others you should soon."

A series of loud CLANKS came from the door as the armor dropped. I stood off to the side as the second layer dropped away. The doors hissed out a jet of compressed air then slid open. Two older model droids and flanked a Rodian that wasn't Avar. This one was a sturdier build and wore something akin to a soldier's uniform.

"What do you want, Mando?" The Rodian spoke Huttese.

It did make me wonder if a Rodian was capable speaking Basic.

"You're the one in charge of defenses," I stated.

"I've set this place up to be a fortress that a Hutt couldn't crack," the Rodian snapped.

My hand dropped and snapped back up in a flash. Two shots took out the droids. My blasters settled on him. We stared at me for a moment. I holstered the blasters.

"Crack," I said.

"I knew this was a trap," the Rodian grumbled.

"If it was then you, and the rest of the compound, would be finished," I said as I stepped around him.

Avar was waited inside with another few droids. A smattering of rough looking individuals of various aliens that had similarly appeared in Jabbas' palace in the movies. I doubted that they were the same. It was tempting to just start blasting right then and there. That didn't tell me how many more guards were still in the compound or what would happen to the slaves.

"I get paid per fix," I stated. "The first one was free."

"What brings you here, honored Mando?" Avar gave an awkward bow.

"Work," I replied. "A bounty. Someone else got here first, then I saw your compound." I paused. "Show me to your security room."

"And next the vault?" The Rodian from outside asked.

I turned my head slightly. My helmet made it a lot easier to see.

"Tell me," I said turning to the side to see both parties. "Where would I hold a vault?"

"What?" Avar asked.

"If I were to kill you all," I spoke casually, not reacting to their flinching. "Crack open the vault and, then what? Walk away with my pockets stuffed full of credits? The pay off wouldn't be worth it."

"Your speeder," the other Rodian said.

"If that's enough to clear out your vault?" I asked, turning back to Avar.

He shook his head.

"Enough," I snapped. "Show me your security room, I do the job, pay for fuel, and get off this dust ball."

Avar nodded. The other Rodian didn't appear happy about it but followed the order. I kept an eye on the surroundings as they led me deeper into the compound. Thankfully, my helmet made note of the path much better than I could. The slaves I saw along the way wore little more than rags. Unless they were attractive, then they wore barely anything. It didn't escape my attention that all of the slaves were all female Twi'leks.

"Do you see anything that catches your eye?" Avar said, leering at the passing Twi-lek.

"I don't mix work and pleasure," I replied.

They led me to a central hub. Regardless of galaxy, security offices looked the same. There was even a cup of whatever passed for coffee in this place sitting on the console. I recognized the perimeter through the various screens. It wasn't an act when I shook my head in disappointment. This place wasn't nearly as imposing now that I could see what they were really working with. There were stretches of blind spots I could have had plenty of time to cut through the wall with a welding torch and a pickax.

I started to feel a tension headache when I saw the point-of-view of the turrets. The little cluster of controls were grainy, tucked in the corner of the room, and only one station controlled all of them at the same time. I overestimated this place to a large degree.

"Your guards," I said. "How many life forms and droids?"

"Thirty in total," Avar answered before the other Rodian could protest. "Twenty of them are droids."

I scanned the console again. It didn't take me long to find the droid controls. I had expected taking down this guy to take a few days. The movies told me that I'd just need to blast the console to disable all of it. I wasn't going to bet the lives of people that shooting it could trigger the slave chips.

"Gather your guards," I ordered. "I need to speak to them. You can sit in."

Avar nodded eagerly.

"You heard the Mandalorian!" Avar yelled at the person working the console. "Call the guards."

My helmet was a lifesaver. It hid the broad smile on my face when I saw how exasperated the other Rodian looked. He was fuming as Avar ignored him completely in favor of whatever I said. The Mandalorian reputation carried more weight than whatever this guy could come up with.

"Follow me," the guard Rodian grumbled.

The guard at the console left it to come along. I had to clench my jaw to stop myself from telling them to sit back down. They were leaving the entire compound vulnerable. The Rodian led me to a room that was a mixture of a break room and a barracks. Avar stood before a group of rough-looking people that were barely a step up from street-thugs. There were a couple Gamorrens, a few Weequay, and a chunk of humans. They started to squirm when they saw a Mandalorian enter the room.

"Is this all of them?" I asked.

Avar nodded. I waited until the two guards that had led me here joined the rest of them. The HUD in my helmet marked each of them as a target and tagged their species. There weren't any exotic aliens among the group, which meant that a headshot would put all of them down.

My hands moved in a practiced flow. I raised my blasters smoothly and let loose a string of shots at the group. Avar went from being surrounded by his guards to alone with me. We stared at each other in complete silence. He screamed as I shifted my aim to focus on him.

"What was this about a vault?" I asked.

[Violence Isn't Always the Answer]
+100 FP
[But It Is An Option]
+100 FP
[So, I Started Blasting ]
+100 FP
[I Love It When A Plan Comes Together]
+100 FP
[Balance: 800 Forge Points]
[Roll – Bank – Shop]

~
NOTE
~

I've had a lot of fun writing this story. Hope you're enjoying reading it too.
Changed up the notification format. Which works better? The bullet-points or this version?