The Path of a Jedi (The Bad Batch x Reader)

Chapter 16

You arrived at Ord Mantell several hours later, "so what is here?" Echo asked as you docked the ship at a public space port.

"Hondo gave me the name of one of his contacts out here," you explained, "said she might be able to help us with imperial credits."

The others nodded and you exited the ship before walking along the busy street, "Omega, stay close," you whispered to her. Ord Mantell was known for the drunken escapades and ramblings of unsavory characters. Omega took a step closer to you and held onto the fabric of your cloak.

You finally arrived at a small place with a dusty sign that read Cid's Parlor. You took a few steps and walked through the door, the others following close behind you.

The parlor was dark and desolate except for a few people sitting in the back drinking and a Trandosian woman leaning against the bar. "Well, isn't this a new crowd," the woman said, reaching behind the bar to grab a drink.

"We are looking for Cid," Hunter said, coming to stand next to you. Omega still had a hold of your cloak but she was leaning around you to take in the surroundings.

"I don't know anyone by that name, dark and broody," she responded. A small smile cracked on your face at her nickname for Hunter.

"But this place is called Cid's Parlor," Tech added.

The woman rolled her eyes, "I just drink here." The others looked discouraged and regrouped in the corner talking about what to do next, but you went to sit next to the woman at the bar, Omega followed you and you had to help her into the high seats.

"What do you want," the woman asked between sips of her drink.

"A drink," you said before reaching behind the bar and grabbing yourself a bottle.

The woman smiled, "now you're talking my language." For quite a while you sat in silence slowing drinking with the woman until you finally broke the silence.

"You're Cid, aren't you?" you asked.

She smiled, "you're a perceptive one."

You nodded, "you hold power in this room, like you own it. You scan the room subtly, like you care for it."

Cid nodded to you slightly and lifted her glass, "how did you find me?"

"Hondo Onaka sent me," you responded.

Cid looked a little surprised for a moment but quickly regained her composure, "you don't strike me as the pirating type."

You chuckled, "hardly, we went to him for some help and he gave me your name, thought you could help."

"You must be really desperate to go to Hondo for help," she responded nonchalantly.

You nodded, " we are."

Her mischievous smile faded, "let me guess, you decided not to follow the empire after the republic fell and the Jedi were destroyed."

You looked at her confused, "how did you know we were with the republic?"

She smiled again, "I can be perceptive to," she responded, "they are wearing clone armor," she said gesturing to the others still huddled in the corner, "you carry yourself as the leader, and you position yourself in a way to always protect the child," she said pointing to Omega. "And they look at you with a sense of authority, you are the leader, and by the looks of you, a jedi."

You nodded, "you are perceptive, but I have left the Jedi part behind me, it is no longer safe to be openly of the old religion."

"Indeed," she said with a nod, "so what brings you here?"

"Hondo said you might be able to help us get our hands on some imperial credits," you responded, "we need food and supplies, but we only have old republic currency and we cannot exchange it without being caught."

Cid stroked her hand on her chin for a minute, "I suppose I can help you get some money, but you would need to be doing some work for me."

You thought for a moment then turned to Omega, "Omega, please go fill Hunter in and ask them to come over here."

Omega nodded and jumped down from the chair and ran to the far end of the parlor to talk to the others. "So what's it going to be?" Cid asked, grabbing herself another drink from behind the bar.

"I have to ask my squad, I don't make important decisions without them," you responded.

Cid looked amused, "aren't you the leader?"

You nodded, "yes, but I am no longer their general, and even when I was, I rarely made an impactful decision without their input."

The others had arrived at this point, gathering around you and Cid at the bar. Hunter came and stood directly next to you, with Omega in front of his legs.

You nodded for Cid to continue, "I can get you guys some credits, but you are going to have to pull some jobs for me."

"What kind of jobs?" Hunter asked.

"Some simple, some not so much," Cid explained, "consider yourselves hired contractors to do various duties."

"We are not mercenaries," Echo included, eying Cid suspiciously.

"Neither am I," Cid responded with a shrug, "but you need credits, and I have jobs from the guild."

"So we would be bounty hunters?" Tech asked.

"You can call yourself whatever you want, goggles," Cid replied, "are you in or out?"

You looked at them and then back at Cid, "can we have a moment?"

Cid rolled her eyes but stepped down off her chair, "I'll be in the back when you come to a decision, but don't take too long."

You nodded to her in thanks and watched her shuffle through a door heading behind the parlor. "We are not bounty hunters," Echo said immediately.

"We are not really anything at the moment," Tech responded, putting down his datapad for the first time.

"We need credits," Wrecker added.

"But are we willing to compromise who we are?" Echo responded.

"You have been rather quiet," Hunter noticed, causing the others to stop talking and look at you.

You nodded, "it is because I am unsure what to do."

"What?" Wrecker asked, his voice raising, "we are screwed if the general does not know what to do."

Echo smacked him on the arm lightly, "she just means we have no good options."

"Oh," Wrecker responded, settling down a little.

"So what do we do?" Hunter asked, turning his attention to you.

You reflected for a moment, "we don't have much of a choice right now, we need credits or we are going to starve." The others nodded, "we can always reassess the situation when we have some credits to spare."

You lead the group back behind the door that Cid went through and came into a small room with a lot of shelving units and a small ricketty desk, behind which Cid sat waiting for you.

"So what's it going to be?" She asked.

"We'll take the job," Hunter responded, "for now."

Cid nodded and pulled out a holo disc, "Have you ever heard of the Zygerian Slave Traders?"