Chapter 71- Big Boy

Some days earlier, on Hoth.

Just woken up by the shaking of the ground, Lyn was waiting in ambush near the large entrance of the cave.

As she was waiting, the creature making the ground shake was nearing her location, and soon she saw a huge form filling almost entirely the passage of the cave. An enormous pair of horns appeared first, followed by a large body of 3 meters in height and covered in a thick pelt.

The beast was an Icetromper, an herbivore creature of Tatooine prized by hunters for almost every part of its body. When she discovered what the creature really was, she relaxed, and the creature detected her but walked into the cave and sat near her campfire, the only heat source, and ate the fungus on the ground.

The tired and frozen girl walked back to her campfire and caressed the big beast, not afraid of the girl who was like an ant compared to the body mass in front of her.

"You're a nice big boy."

Lyn was unable to go back to sleep after being woken up in such a fashion and started to talk to the large beast while enjoying his thick fur giving her warmth. After days alone without anyone to talk to except Layan's communication that he was purposely keeping short, she wanted to talk to someone, even an alien mammoth.

"In two hours, the sun will rise and I'll have to continue my walk with this kriffing weather which make malfunction all the machines expose to it for a prolonged period of time. I still can't figure out Layan's goal, I felt the dark side and my mood becoming worse but it would happen to anyone living in my actual conditions."

Like this, she fell asleep while talking to the Icetromper who was enjoying the warmth of the small campfire.

Unknown to her, she unconsciously established a linked with the large creature. Layan didn't teach her animal bond and focused more on the combat-oriented skills and those useful in a hostile environment. He planned to teach her other skills later on, or even let her study by herself was she deemed interesting.

When she woke up, the sun was high in the sky and she fell behind on her planning. Packing up all her equipment, she wanted to hurry outside and catch up on her planning but was stopped by the Icetromper who coiled his trunk around her before lifting her in the air and letting her fall on his back.

"Eh?! Want to be my taxi, big boy? Yeah, let's go! Jump to light speed!"

While Lyn was happy to find a ride which would give her warmth and be a gain of time, the Icetromper walked outside and walked in the direction Lyn wanted to go, feeling instinctively her wish through the animal bond she established.

From now on, her days on Hoth would be less boring than before, but not without risk.

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The world of Rodia was located at the border of the Hutt Space near Tatooine, Jabba's center of influence and just beside an important hyperlane leading to Ryloth.

This part of the Outer Rim isn't really the most secured and bore almost no interest to the senators of the core worlds, so it wasn't astonishing that this world swore allegiance to the Separatists for a time.

An easy target surrounded by criminals and in the Outer Rim, it was easy for the Trade Federation not so secretly allied to the Separatists to starve this world in cutting off all the supplies and destroyed other incoming ships.

"Stay alert once on Rodia. Clan's war and other skirmishes happens often, it would be easy for pirates to land unnoticed."

The Captain of security, Quarsh Panaka briefed his men before coming down the ramp with Padmé still disguised and her body double was standing in the middle of the formation wearing her red eye-catching clothes.

As Layan planned, Padmé wanted him to stay by her side during her conversation with Duchess Satine of Mandalore as he was the one with the intel about her supposed aggressor.

"I hope you can ask for the help of the local authorities to take care of those I freed from the pirate ship."

"I was planning to help them even if you didn't ask. I am a senator elected to help all the citizens of the Republic."

Layan made a quick stop at the secured safe of the Phoenix and took out the Darksaber. Such a famous blade will be the perfect proof for Duchesse Satine.

In the spaceport, a male Rodian with blue skin tone, the senator of Rodia and friend of Padmé was waiting for them with a few guards to keep her safe. After learning of the kidnapping attempt by pirates during her pirates, he did in sort to put his residence on high alert and already informed the Republic.

A military ship was already heading toward Rodia to protect her and bring her back to Coruscant and should arrive by tomorrow.

"I'm sorry, uncle Ono, but I have an urgent conversation waiting to happen. I'll discuss with you about the crisis later. I hope you understand."

"I understand, you can use the communication room in my Villa, we already established a secured communication line with Duchess Satine on Mandalore."

Inside the Luxurious villa of Onaconda Farr, Padmé and Layan were standing in front of a real size hologram of Satine Kryze, ruler of Mandalore while all the members of her security were waiting at each side of the room and two guards were behind the closed door.

"Padmé, it's always a pleasure to see you, but the urgency with which my attendant was contacted, I guess you're not calling me only for a friendly chat."

"Unfortunately, no. I was assaulted by pirates during my travel to Rodia and was saved by the young man beside me. From what he said, one of your peoples hired these pirates to do his dirty work."

Satine raised an eyebrow while looking at Layan but was still wondering why Padmé contacted her as Mandalorians be it criminal or bounty hunters wasn't lacking in number through the galaxy.

"I see, but you calling me personally meant that it's more important than bringing a simple criminal in front of justice."

Before Padmé could continue with mundanity and make last the conversation forever before they could finally arrive the heart of the matter.

"Death Watch and Tor Vizsla."

"Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore, and you are?"

These words caught the attention of the Duchess and finally they could finally dive deep in the topic.

"Layan Vaherg, semi-legit force-user and the one with the intel about someone which could kill you and overthrow you any day."

"Please do explain further. To what I know the Death Watch was disbanded and Jango Fett hunted most of the members left down."

"Pre Vizsla, the governor of Concordia is a descendant of Tor Vizsla and reorganized the Death Watch. I can give you the locations of several of their hidden bases, here is your proof. As someone affected by the Mandalorian Civil War between the True Mandalorians and the first Death Watch, you must know this blade, at least from look."

Layan took the Darksaber from his belt and lit the dark blade.

Satine was affected, insurgents and sympathizers to the Death Watch cause tried to kill her during her teenage years even though Mandalore sector was barely affected by the civil war. It was during these dark years that she fell in love for the first and last time.

When she become the leader of her peoples, the New Mandalorians, she accessed to all the details about Jango Fett, Jaster Mereel or also Tor Vizsla, she saw the blade in his hands in holograms before, it was the symbol of power of the Death Watch.

All the variations of the Vizla name were popular ever since after the era of Mandalore The Avenger. Has she known Pre Vizsla was related to Tor Vizsla, she would have kept an eye on him as she wouldn't have condemned him for the act of his ancestor as she believed deeply in redemption.

"Yes, the darksaber, it disappeared with the Death Watch. I'll send troops to verify the locations but I would like to know how you discovered Pre Vizsla plot and where he is now. I lost contact with him since several months ago."

"Oh, this, it was when our deal about Beskar iron failed and he tried to screw me over. I did a beat of a killing with his men and stole dis blade during the following fight but that asshole succeeded to flee but I also stole the proofs of him being a criminal and a traitor, that's must be why he didn't come back."

"You're smuggling Beskar Iron? And you say it in front of me?"

"No, only buying, but do you know how much it cost on legal market? I need a large quantity and don't want to become bankrupt."

Layan wasn't lying on this one, he did buy Beskar Iron on black market

While Layan was talking with the Duchess, he heard sounds of hurried footsteps coming toward the door, followed by two grunting sounds from the guards. Immediately on his guards, he ran near the door, surprising Padmé security forces which hid her behind the terminal and took out their blasters.

Using the force to perceive his surroundings, he lit one of his lightsabers on and plunged the yellow blade through the door.

Taking his blade out, the door opened and a male Weequay fell down near Layan feet with blasters in hand and a burning hole in his chest.

The other Weequay standing behind his colleague escaped Layan's blade by a breath and couldn't even plead for mercy before he was sent colliding against the wall and was knocked out.

"Hondo's pirates, you should ask for reinforcements. They may be others waiting in ambush. He may look like an idiot, but he is not. We are near the Hutt space and is a bit daring too much."

"I'll call the nearest Republic forces, please Padmé, stay safe."

After saying this, the hologram of the Duchess turned off. While the guards hid the senator behind the terminal, she was ready to fight with a blaster in hand.

"I like pacifists this way. Let's head out, they know our situations and have to hurry before the local forces take care of them, they will surely launch a raid to kidnap you. Everyone behind me."

Navigating though the corridors without incident for a short time, they were soon attacked by a rain of baster fire when trying to leave the villa. At the center of the pirates was Hondo, his pet on his shoulder and his saucer shaped ship behind him.

"Without me here, you would be dead by now."

(And these pirates wouldn't try to kill you.)

The presence of a Jedi, or at least someone able to use the force, was reassuring in front of such a large group of blasters directed at their faces.

Layan was happy to be in the spotlight; it will reinforce his image in the mind of the senator and thus smoothen the process to gain her friendship.

But an annoying droid chose to steal the spotlights when he saw a group of meatbags asking to be killed.

"Query; Did you miss me meatbags?"

The Phoenix flew over the pirate's ship and started to shoot them down while flying over their heads.

"Holy, can't he obey me even once?"

Profiting from the ensuing chaos, Layan ran out and cut down the surprised pirates accompanied by Padmé's troops and the handful of guards left alive from the villa.

Hondo soon ordered the retreat when he saw his ship's energy shield wouldn't last, even though the droid piloting the Phoenix was more focused on killing his men while mocking them through the ship com.

"Your droid is interesting."

Captain Panaka was interested when he saw HK coming down the ramp while looking around him while the battle over.

"The correct term is annoying but yeah maybe slightly."