Chapter 69 – Saving the damsel in distress (after putting her in danger)

Layan was now on Florrum, shortly before communicating with Lyn via telepathy.

Putting a bounty on Amidala's head may lead to him but he could use the disguising devices to change his appearance, but he has a better way which won't cost a single credit. It was precisely the reason why he came on Florrum.

From his history lessons when he was still learning from Shaak Ti, he knew about the capture of Count Dooku by a bunch of pirates using Florrum as their headquarter.

Even if he was still wondering how someone of Dooku's level could be caught by pirates. Even at one against thirty, he should have killed them easily.

As a fake identity, he chose Pre Vizsla appearance and to make it more credible, he even came using one of the ships stole to the Death Watch.

"May, I know to whom I, the great Hondo Ohnaka is speaking to."

"I see you're humble."

Walking off his ships, he was soon encircled by Weequay pirates armed with blasters and tanks. Leading them was a Weequay male pirate with better looking clothes than the others, a strange hat looking like a shell and making large movements with his arms to show off.

Layan didn't bother and landed near the headquarter of the Ohnaka's gang, which alerted the pirates to come see what it was.

"You didn't answer my question, stranger."

"I presumed you are the famous Hondo Ohnaka? I'm Pre Vizsla and have a pretty interesting deal to offer you."

"Business? I love business. We'll talk about it around a drink."

Layan knew already how famous were Ondo's drinks. He has the bad habit to spike his drinks with drugs.

"Sure. Show me your legendary hospitality."

Layan followed them inside their headquarter where was everything you could await from pirates, drugs, idiots with guns, music and girls barely wearing anything dancing to divert this bunch of idiots. There were also a few exotic animals, among them, a kowakian monkey-lizard.

"You're not drinking?"

"I know your reputation, Hondo."

At this statement, the pirate simply grinned and resumed the conversation.

"So, what is your deal?"

"Let's say that I obtained some classified information's which in the appropriate hands may benefit to those ready to act."

After sitting at a table just the two of them, the monkey lizard jumped on Hondo's shoulder before they started their conversation while the annoying music was still playing on.

"Interesting, but you'll need to be more specific.

"I know the journey and exact time at which one of the most prominent senators of the Republic will travel, alone and without any defenses."

"You want me to kill the said senator?"

Hondo was looking at him with interest in his eyes, but Layan knew this guy was an opportunist and will search only for profit.

"No, nothing that crude. I'm saying to myself that a good old kidnapping can yield you a big fat amount of profit. You could sell her to the Republic or the Separatists."

"And what? We divide the money, but I take all the risks?"

"No, you can keep all the money. As for me, let's say that the absence of this senator will make a good bargain for me."

Hondo told nothing and contemplated for a moment about this sweet deal offered to him, but the details were still to be told.

"Who?"

"Padmé Amidala, the senator of Naboo. She travels with a handful of security and handmaidens. In front of you and your pirates, they will oppose no resistance in front of such a large group of pirates. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes, we have it. Now, let's celebrate! To our future profits!"

Hondo climbed on the table and howled to everyone while raising high his jug of alcohol.

"YEAAH!!"

3 days later,

Layan was aboard the Phoenix with HK-47 and was on the tail of the signal one of the tracker he put on Hondo's ships while on Florrum.

"Statement: Finally, a bit of actions after 6 months of lazing around. I'm in a hurry to fight against the Gen'Dai meatbag."

"Not really astonishing, you must have the highest Jedi's kill count between you two. Before we face that immortal asshole, I'll have to finalize all the Anti-Durge armaments."

"Query: You found a way to kill him easily?"

"No, but I can delay him and his annoying instant regeneration."

Before long, the signal stop on the scanners. Hondo's, and his crew may already be boarding Padmé's ship.

Coming back into normal space, Layan saw the sleek silver designed Naboo Royal Starship being boarded by the pirate's starship.

"Who is the dumbass who built that ship?"

To Layan who was used to fight, an unarmed ship is a free candy, it was the same for the pirates. Even with powerful energy shields, the nubian starship was an easy target for them.

The Naboo starship was slowly attracted inside the Corona-class frigate while Layan and HK-47 were heading for the docking ring of the pirate ship.

The pirates detected them and fired a few rounds, but were easily dodged. HK-47 goes down the ladder and took control of one of the turrets to counterattack.

"Try to damage their hyperdrive. If they shook us off while in unconventional space, we'll be forever lost in the subspace."

"Answer: I know, not my first space battle. Addendum: You should obtain device able to create interdiction fields and preventing hyperspace jumps."

"Yeah, I know. It was part of the plan, it's one of the pirates favorite toy."

HK-47 boasted an incredibly vast amount of fighting experience being on land or in space. It didn't take him long to damage the hyperdrive of the pirate ship with the turret.

Layan dodged the offensive from the pirates and docked the Phoenix to the pirate ship.

Leaving the cockpit, he reunited with HK-47 who just climbed up from the turrets seat and headed toward the docking ring with his two yellow blades lightsabers in hands.

Stepping inside the pirate ship, he could already hear the sounds of blasters being shot. Near the docking ring, a small group of Weequay pirates was waiting for them while the others were fighting with the defense forces of senator Amidala.

"Jedi?!!"

"Fire!!"

"Statement: A bunch of pathetic meatbags."

HK-47 didn't even let Layan stabbed one as he rushed toward the pirates with his blaster in hand. He shot one in the head, hid behind an alcove to protect himself from a blaster fire. Then, he ran out of his hiding place, shot two before they could shoot back and bypassed the last one before taking hold of him by the neck and clenched until he heard a bone breaking sound.

"Happy to see that you didn't rust on Ossus and the stories about you weren't all fake."

"Answer: I'm even better. No story can reflect my incredible skills and glory."

Layan walked over the dead bodies and ignore the as boastful as usual droid and walked toward where the sound of battle was coming from.

A few pirates rushed at them, but this time, it was Layan who took care of them. It was so simple to reflect blaster fire to these pirates.

After a small walk through the corridors of the ships and killing a few pirates, they were called upon by peoples kept in cells by the pirates.

Layan freed a total of eight prisoners, most of them were Twi'leks, and humans. Among them, a Yuzzem, tall even for his species and a dark black fur, took a blaster in each hand and started to shoot at the pirates.

The beast was totally enraged and even ripped the shoulder of a pirate barehanded.

"Statement: The furry meatbag is interesting."

They arrived in the hangar, behind the backs of the pirates. The Naboo's ship was covered in blaster fires as the delegation inside was hiding inside to protect themselves from more than twenty pirates shooting at them with hand blasters.

The pirates were destabilized when they saw what seems to be a Jedi appeared in their back accompanied with a droid which doesn't seems friendly.

"Kill the Jedi, fast!!"

Layan give them no time and rushed near the group of pirates while the droid kept his distances and start shooting them down one by one.

The unexpected arrival of Layan gave Padmé Amidala's security forces some room to breathe as they were totally outnumbered by the pirates.

Using his blades to reflect back the blaster bolts at their senders, he killed a few, and he chose to incapacitate the pirates and kill them only when necessary. Amidala was a pacifist and it would be better if she doesn't see him kill these pirates he could have taken care of easily.

With the help of HK-47, Captain Panaka, the guards and the freed prisoners, he was able to soon neutralize all the pirates.

Everyone started to rejoice, except for the Yuzzem was making sure the pirates couldn't escape and keeping watch over them.

"Relax buddy, they won't escape, and if they try, HK will enjoy himself with these pirates."

Walking over the Yuzzem he put his hand over the tall furry ball and continued toward the ramp of the Naboo starship.