Flight of the Force (Star Wars Rebels)

Bounties

Vizago's POV

After having my security droids check to see if the rebels were gone, I used one of my old encrypted transmission signals to call the rebel hotline. I wasn't planning on turning in all of the rebels. I still needed them to do some jobs for me. They were quiet proficient. I just wanted to tell them the little gem of information that I had found out about Ezra. Let the Empire do the dirty work.

After a moment, a hologram appeared. It was a man I recognized from imperial holocasts. Agent Kallus. He had his hands clasped behind his back.

"You have information regarding the rebels?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. "One in particular. His name is Ezra Bridger."

"I'm listening," Agent Kallus told me.

"First, how many credits am I getting for this information?" I asked, holding up a finger.

"That will depend on the quality of the information," Agent Kallus told me.

"Believe me, it's a gem," I said.

"Then you can rest assured that you will receive the proper payment."

"I will recieve payment regardless," I told him. "Or else you may find you are my the only ones in possession of this information."

"Do not threaten the Empire, smuggler," Agent Kallus growled.

"I am only doing business," I pointed out. "The one they call Ezra Bridger is in fact a member of the race called Dathim. He also happens to have two black wings fused into his back. At the moment, one of the wings is injured."

As I spoke, Agent Kallus's smile widened. When I finished, he nodded.

"Thank you for this valuable information. Rest assured that your two-hundred and fifty credits will be sent to you. Where would you like them to be sent?" he asked. Two-hundred and fifty credits wasn't too bad for that little bit of information. Besides, there was no way the rebels would ever trace that little leak back to me.

"Leave them in an unmarked box at the coordinates I'm sending you. I'll send a security droid to pick them up," I told him. I prepared to end the transmission.

"You strike me as a smuggler who wouldn't mind a few extra credits," Agent Kallus said. I paused.

"Just how many credits are we talking?" I asked.

"Five-hundred."

That was a small fortune right there. I could buy another high quality security droid for that much. But there had to be some kind of catch, unless the Empire was in the habit of giving away that many credits to just anyone.

"What would you want me to do?" I asked.

"Am I correct in saying you have come in contact with the rebels along your line of work?" he asked. I didn't reply. There was no need for me to associate myself with the rebels. I didn't want to battle the Empire.

"No matter," he told me. "My informants say that the rebels receive their small amount of income by working for smugglers such as yourself.  If you would capture Ezra Bridger and deliver him to us, those five-hundred credits could be yours."

"I don't mix up with rebels," I told him. I wasn't willing to risk my life capturing a Jedi padawan, even for that many credits. "Besides, that boy is a Jedi."

"He is only a padawan," Agent Kallus assured me. "The rebels do not harm smugglers such as yourself without cause, only stormtroopers and imperials workers. Besides, the Empire does not care whether he is dead or alive. Of course, we will pay you an additional two-hundred and fifty credits for any additional rebels you manage to get your hands on, dead or alive, and another five hundred for the boy's master, Kanan Jarrus, also dead or alive. If any of them are dead, we demand proof of their demise. But succeed, and you will be paid well."

"Isn't tracking down rebels your job?" I asked.

"If you do not want the credits . . ."

I thought about it. If I captured all of the rebels, that was two-thousand credits, not to mention how many credits they might give me for the ship and that droid they always lugged around. Was betraying the rebels to the Empire really worth two-thousand credits?

Two-thousand credits . . . two-thousand credits . . .

"I'll see what I can do," I finally told Agent Kallus. I may not be able to trick Kanan, but perhaps I could have my security droids ambush the others. And one-thousand five-hundred credits was still worth it.