"Good Soldiers Follow Orders...": A Bad Batch Story

C H A P T E R E I G H T

THIRD PERSON POV

"Now, remember what I told you." Fern whispered to Katooni as the Genesis landed near Hondo Ohnaka's headquarters.

"I know," the padawan nodded. "You and Echo will be rough with me to keep your cover. I'm okay with that."

"You have your comm device?"

"Tucked under my sleeve."

"Good girl." I firmly held her shoulder as we exited my personal quarters and unboarded the ship. Echo, Lync, and the others were waiting for us. "How is our special guest doing?" Lync smiled. I pushed Katooni ahead. "I tried my best, but I think it's mute. Couldn't get a word of her." Lync raised his brow at the padawan before him.

"Pity." the lieutenant nodded, his smile turned slightly menacing. He turned towards the massive establishment built into a rock wall. "So this is the great palace of Hondo Ohnaka?" There was spacecraft and other forms of transportation scattered and large hanging canvases acting as canopies. I watched Katooni's eyes widened, like...this wasn't her first time here. Just as we were marching up to the front door, the large door creaked open and we were greeted by a squad of Weequian pirates and the leader himself.

I had never met Hondo, but working with Obi-Wan Kenobi, I had heard a lot about him. His morality was often askewed, but he tended to have a consistent form of honor. Most of the time, if not with every interaction the Jedi had with him, Hondo was interested in how he could benefit in profits. If he couldn't, he'd bail, simple as that. What he was known for, was his air of granduer. I knew he considered himself a businessman and enjoyed haggling and conducting good-natured, yet ironic, arguments to get the best deals for himself in any given situation. He was also a showman, Obi-Wan once described. Additionally, Hondo had a tendency to recognize a fortuitous opportunity and was a professional bluffer.

I had also heard, that Hondo was a decent tactician and leader in his own right. According to Obi-Wan, Hondo was able to hold his own once against Anakin Skywalker, though he lost in the end. His weapons of choice were nothing special: a blaster and a cutlass.

Hondo Ohnaka stood out on his own. He was a tall Weequay with grey eyes behind a pair of green lenses and two long black braids. On his head he wore a distinct Desevrar infantry helmet. He also wore a fine red speeder jacket with armor patched on his shoulders and collar bones over a white v-neck shirt and brown pants. He had an armed holster strapped to his hip and a knife on his leg.

"Is this the Empire upon my doorstep?!" the Weequian pirate shouted as he and his men closed the gap. "And what! Do I owe the pleasure of your presence on my planet?!" He emphasized every other word with lots of flare, and I suddenly understood the graduer Obi-Wan was talking about. Hondo's words may carried some manners, but his bolturous voice carried the same tone as asking And you have the audacity to be here!?

"Are you Hondo Ohnaka?" Lync inquired.

"Ah, you've heard of me?!"

"I am Lt. Willem Lync, and I have an understanding a squad of rogue clones came here. We are a highly-elite squad of the Galatic Empire searching for them." Lync paused, glancing around. "Where are they?"

"Rogue clones?!" Hondo rolled his head. "Ha! There are no clones here or anywhere on my planet!"

"Is that so?" Lync frowned. Hiro Yamm stood next to me, his hand on his blaster and I got an icky feeling in my gut. "So you are telling me, that no squad of four defective clones came to you looking for or asking about Force-users?"

"Exactly! Exactly! So sorry! You had to waste a whole trip all the way out here!"

"Not even Force-users like her?" Lync then reached behind him, where Katooni had been hidden, and wrenched her by the shoulder, tossing her to the dirt between him and Hondo. It took a lot in me to not flinch...And it seemed like, for a moment, Hondo did, too...