Chapter 28: An Offer

"Captain Tryd. Please tell me you have some good news." Satine said to the hologram that had just appeared in front of her, the man in question sitting down in what seemed to be a speeder. She had been sitting at her desk once again, only this time to chew on her thoughts and worry over every little thing that could go wrong, the Captain Tryd calling her was a welcome relief.

"Yes, Duchess, the crew of the ship has been captured. The situation is a hell of a lot more complicated than expected however." Came his raised and slightly garbled voice. No doubt they were speeding back to the palace with all haste.Any sort of relief Satine felt from the first part of the sentence was dashed with the second part, "Complicated how so?" She asked, although she dreaded whatever the answer was."Well, it wasn't the Hornets who were piloting the ship. Apparently, they were killed by the ship's new crew. Two…" Captain Tryd turned to look at something behind him for a moment before resuming his conversation, "Force users."That at least got rid of Satine's dread. Unfortunately, that was only the case because it was replaced with a newfound sense of confusion. The Hornets had been killed. That was great. But also, baffling. The Hornets was one of the most renowned bounty hunter groups in the Outer Rim, and no push overs by any means. Them being killed would be explained by the these 'force users' who now piloted the ship. But why had Tryd stepped around calling them Jedi, which they most likely were? After all, Jedi were the only force users, well, anywhere. At least the only ones who would have the training to kill the Hornets.Captain Tryd took her silence for affirmation to continue, as he spoke up to further explain the situation, "They've willingly submitted themselves into custody, but I'd recommend you speak with them yourself. One thing I'm absolutely of however, is that they are no friends of Deathwatch."That provided some relief to Satine. Anyone who was against Deathwatch would be a friend of hers. Within reason of course, "Has Ro-Saxon succeeded in cordoning off the area?" She asked as a change of topic.Tryd nodded affirmatively, "Yes, there isn't a single speeder in the air except for us and the police right now. Some of the Deathwatch got knocked off the side of the dock, but the police are looking for them now. Saxon is very keen to find them too, we took some casualties ourselves."Satine let out a sigh of relief, and she suddenly felt very tired. No civilian casualties. If there had been then Captain Tryd would have told her. The man was deathly loyal, but also a close confidant of Satine, and wouldn't hesitate to give her the hard truths, "That is great to hear. I feel like you are right in that I need to speak with these 'force users'. Escort them straight to my office. Take their lightsabers though."If these force users were Jedi, then they would have them at all times. And if these two Jedi had killed the Hornets, then they were even more dangerous with them. Satine gestured for a nearby guard standing in the corner of her office to approach.""Notify the chefs. Have them cook us a meal."*****Vancil glared daggers at the soldier to his right walking alongside them, or more particularly the lockbox which now contained both he and Kandria's lightsabers. He was just daring the man to sidle away and steal them, simply so that Vancil could have the excuse to kill him."Calm down." Came Kandria's soothing voice once again, her tone lowered so as to make it clear she was talking to him, "It's only for a short while. Once we explain ourselves, we should be given our lightsabers back lickity split."With effort Vancil tore his gaze off of the man with an affirmative grunt, instead taking in his surroundings. The speeders had landed out front of a giant palace, most likely the capital building, where they had dismounted and promptly been asked to hand over their lightsabers. After a few curses from Vancil and soothing words from Kandria the party soon found itself silently marching through the halls, barring the solid thumps of all of the metal boots on the soft red carpet. They entered what looked to be a throne room, however turned off left down a side door before Vancil could get a good look at it.The new room they entered seemed to be some sort of dining room, with a long table adorned with several plates filled with foods Vancil had never seen before. At the head of the table was a beautiful woman, dressed in fine robes and with blonde hair tied back into a short bun.The woman looked up from her meal to observe the newcomers with an assessing gaze before gesturing to the two seats beside her, "Come, sit. We have much to discuss."Kandria glanced at Vancil with a look of scepticism before moving to take one of the offered chairs. Vancil took a while longer, keeping his eye on the lockbox holder to make sure he wasn't going anywhere before taking his own seat, across from Kandria and to the right of the woman. The soldiers immediately fanned out, speaking to their professionalism as they took up positions around the room and behind the chairs.Neither Kandria nor Vancil took their masks off or even made to touch the cutlery and food before them, instead only silently staring at the woman who herself kept her gaze on the plate, seemingly contemplating every slow chew she took."So, Captain Tryd tells me you… force users killed the Hornets." The woman said, not taking her gaze off of her food. At least this Tryd fellow had at least informed her not to call him a Jedi again.Kandria tilted her head, the confusion evident even with her mask hiding her face, a feeling which was also felt by Vancil, "Ummmm… I'm not quite sure who you are talking about."The woman's eyes widened and she looked to Kandria with a bewildered look, "The Hornets. Renowned bounty hunters in the Outer Rim. The original owners of your ship.""Ahhhh, those push overs." Vancil said, the moment of clarity overtaking him, "Oh yeah, we fucked them up bad."Vancil sensed a sliver of fear enter the woman before it was quickly hidden under layers of neutrality and blankness. This woman was good."Yes… them. Well, those 'push overs' had very important ties to the group that attacked you at the dock. Deathwatch."Vancil clicked his tongue in annoyance, "And? They didn't come after us before we came here, we can just leave." He said, but backed down slightly at the look Kandria gave him.That's right. He had to remain calm. This was Kandria's chance to choose the peaceful route. Kandria was his only ally, and possibly only friend in this whole galaxy. She didn't want to kill these people, or commit violence against them.The woman seemed amused at his statement as she continued, "Yes, I suppose you could. They really are only limited to the Mandalore System.""But I suppose there is some catch you got against us?" Kandria interjected, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Have you taken our ship or something? Or do you plan to keep those lightsabers?"That one seemed to alarm both the woman and the captain, the latter's gaze snapping to Vancil while the former hurriedly held up a hand, "No, no, no, nothing of the sort. You helped save the lives of several Mandalorians today from Deathwatch; to do such a thing would be completely against the principles I am trying to teach my people. There is no catch." She paused, her hand still hanging there, "But… I do have a request."Vancil was sure he reeked of suspicion right now, but he was trying his best to not start interrogating the woman right there and then. The only thing stopping him was Kandria, "What sort of request?" The former Jedi in question asked.The blonde-haired woman let out a forlorn sigh and slumped forward slightly, "Look, there is no sugar coating this. And myself am disgusted at the need for it… but it must be done. I have a request of the two of you."Kandria and Vancil tensed up and glanced at each other nervously. What could this woman ask for that she herself was averse to it?"I would like for you two… to help me find and put a stop to Deathwatch once and for all."This time it was Vancil's turn to tilt his head in confusion. Only this time it was more in amusement, "…Is that it?"