Jedi Fugitive (The Bad Batch)

79:

Astera:

The last few months had been hard on us and we looked it. The paint job on my armour was scuffed and scratched within an inch of its life, so badly that patches of the original silver beskar were starting to shine though the colours in several places. Hunter and Wrecker were no better - Hunter was even missing a pauldron and his scarf now, having lost them both somewhere on one of our missions in search for Omega. I couldn't even remember which one anymore.

At least apprehending the Pyke had been an easy job. We'd managed to catch him away from his brethren, drunk and barely able to walk straight, which had just made it all too simple to sneak up on him and drag him into the ship. He'd complained, threatened, offered us bribes the entire way to Devaron, to the point where I'd come close to sticking an electroshock dart in his neck if it would make him shut up. Though the sight of the planet when we'd shot out of hyperspace had done that for me. He'd known why we'd taken him then.

The doors to the Durands' courtroom opened and Hunter shoved the Pyke forward, the three of us herding him in like some sort of enforcement squad. I could already feel the eyes of several other Devaronians watching us, high up in the room and half hidden in shadowy alcoves. Their gazes were almost judgemental, and if I'd been here a year earlier, I might have almost sympathised with the Pyke. Now, I could have cared less about what they wanted to do to him. He was just a means to an end.

"The mercenaries we discussed," Roland Durand informed his mother, the kingpin of the Durand crime family. Isa Durand sat haughtily on her gilded throne, dressed in Durand purple and one hand wrapped around a wrought metal staff. She carried herself better than some of the authentic nobility I'd met in previous years - if I hadn't known any better, I would have assumed they were genuine royalty.

"Such courage to demand an audience with me." She glared down her nose at us, not even bothering to hide her disdain. "You'd be dead if my son hadn't convinced me to consider your offer."

"And we're here to deliver." I reached into the pouch on my belt and tossed Roland the horn the Pyke had taken from him all those months ago, the Devaronian catching it easily with a satisfied look. There was no way he'd be able to reattach it, but reclaiming the horn was about more than that. It was about the slight that had been dealt to him, and his family. "You asked for the Pyke that disgraced your family."

"He's all yours." Wrecker slapped the Pyke on the back and he stumbled forward a couple steps, turning to fix his gaze on Wrecker in what could only be a glare, despite his expression hidden by the mask he wore.

"It won't be traced back to you," Hunter added. "We made sure of it."

The Pyke groaned quietly, keeping his head down and gaze firmly fixed on the energy barrier we stood on. Afraid, as he should be.

"Take him below." Isa spared him one scornful glance before giving the order, the two guards at the door approaching to grab him by both arms and haul him away.

"No. No! This isn't over, Durand!" His howls followed him out of the throne room, becoming fainter and eventually fading entirely as he was dragged out of earshot. As soon as they were silenced, Isa's attention returned to us, the superior look still fixed in place.

"Impressive. Your willingness to cross the Pykes shows how desperate you are." As derisive as the remark was, she had an unfortunate point. We were desperate at this point. "Tell me. Why is the intel you've requested of such value to you?"

Wrecker and I both automatically looked at Hunter, deferring to him to answer. "Doctor Hemlock stole someone from us. We heard your syndicate had the connections needed to find the Imperial's base. And since we've upheld our end of the bargain, now it's your turn."