Shuu was in his sleeping chamber that he had rented some time ago. The chamber was small. It had a large bed, two couches, several chairs, a table, a gigantic telescreen and a box that was full of toys that could make two (or more) loving hearts closer.
The jedi sat in a comfortable chair at the moment. He thought about his next step.
I will stay here for a couple of days to win more credits, but then I need to leave the Outlander club to execute my plan.
Shuu planned to seize leadership in one of the local gangs to start a war with some rich criminal organization.
By doing that, I will reach two goals of mine. A war will harden the members of my gang and will give me an opportunity to raid my opponent's business.
The jedi believed that it was a sound strategy. Black Sun weren't pushovers. He needed strong fighters on his side to subdue this criminal organization. Plus, he needed money – actually a lot of money - to reach all his goals. A criminal war was the best method to reach these two goals.
As well, I need to create the “core” of my future gang because the previous leaders must be killed.
The jedi knew that this “core” should consist of strong and loyal people who would keep his gang in order. But there was a problem. He didn't have such people. He was alone. That is why, when Shuu lived in the temple, he had decided to hire a competent team of bounty hunters as the “core” for his future gang.
It was well-known that mercenaries were loyal only to money – and could betray their employer for a bunch of credits - but, thanks to the cartoon, the man knew the right team of bounty hunters who valued and honored their contracts.
Of course, it doesn't mean that they will be 100% loyal to me... But, as I remember, these guys are quite loyal to their employer and will not leave their employer alone in a problematic situation.
The jedi tapped the armrest thoughtfully. But before seizing leadership in any gang or hiring its “core”, I need to gather as much as possible information about the criminal world in the Undercity. I need to know “who is who” here. This information will help me to choose the most suitable gang for subjugation.
Knowledge that Shuu had learned about the local gangs today, when he played a chance cube game, wasn't satisfactory. Fortunately, the jedi knew who could share such information with him.
Whores... The man thought. They shouldn't know any secrets, of course, but whores know the Undercity pretty well. They live here. They work here. They are a valuable source of information with which I can communicate openly and without fear of looking suspicious.
The jedi accepted this plan. Therefore, at first he decided to call the representative of the Bounty Hunter Guild, with whom Shuu had spoken several weeks earlier. Soon the jedi's comlink showed a holoprojection of a man in his forties. They greeted each other.
“I would like to hire Sugi's team.” Shuu said to the bail bondsman.
+
Some time later
Sugi, a zabrak female bounty hunter, gazed through the binoculars at the entrance of the local cantina. She wore a red tank top, leather pants and armored gauntlets over fingerless gloves. The woman was armed with a sawed-off EE-3 carbine rifle (that lay next to her) and a vibroknife.
Sugi lay on the roof of the high building next to her partner and friend – Rumi, a frenk female. It was a good sniper position. The women could clearly see the territory below.
Rumi held an IQA-11 sniper rifle, waiting for the moment when their target would leave the cantina.
I'm getting bored... Sugi thought.
Their target was still in the cantina.
She and Rumi weren't famous bounty hunters like Jango Fett. That is why only a small number of people offered them contracts, although their client base was growing steadily.
Many contracts of Sugi's team were low-paid, for instance, like the current one. Sugi's team was hired to kill a wookiee, a smuggler who thought that running away with his client's cargo (and then selling this cargo) was a good idea.
Unexpectedly Sugi's comlink informed her about an incoming call. It was her bail bondsman.
“I'm listening.” She said briefly, continuing to gaze at the entrance of the cantina.
“I have a good job for you, Sugi. The client wants to hire you and your team as his bodyguards and aids.” The man spoke eagerly and then added quickly. “He is agreed to pay four hundred* to you and three hundred to each member of your team.”
It was quite a good payment, and it was suspicious. As a rule, well-paid contracts were too dangerous. Sometimes it is just better to reject such contracts. Also, some contracts were too disgusting to accept. Sugi was a bounty hunter, not a butcher.
“Who is the client?”
Her bail bondsman paused before saying. “He is a jedi.”
“A jedi?”
Sugi was surprised. She had never heard that these fanatics hired bounty hunters. It was strange.
“Yes, a jedi. His name is Shuu Tu. He is a member of one of the Jedi Order's sub-corps... Listen, I'm sending you all the information that I have gathered about the client but, truth be told, I have gathered a little.”
He paused and then said. “But, Sugi, he pays well. Think about that.”
The woman was tempted by a generous payment. It was a rare opportunity to get such a good contract.
“I need to speak with the client.”
“Okay.” The man said. “He wants to speak with you too. Actually, if you are free, he can speak with you via a comlink right now.”
“Currently I am...”
At that moment Sugi noticed as their target had left the cantina.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
“The target is out.” The female zabrak said to her partner, gazing at the target through her binoculars.
The tall wookiee was heading towards the air taxi. The street was crowded. But it was okay. Rumi was a good sniper.
The female frenk pulled the trigger. Next second Sugi saw as the wookiee fell down. She observed their target for a few seconds and nodded. The was liquidated.
“Um... I guess that you have fulfilled your current contract?” The bail bondsman questioned.
“Yes, we have.” She answered.
“Good.” The man was satisfied.
Sugi and Rumi stood up and ran towards their speeder bike while the man spoke. “Okay... I see that you are a little busy. Call me when you will be free.”
Then he ended the call.
Soon a pair reached the spaceport where stood their small but dangerous spaceship “Halo”, a model “SS-54 light freighter”.
The female zabrak had bought this spaceship just a few standard weeks ago. It was a new vessel with her personal sign - a large picture of a pink tooka doll that held a knife with the motto “Nice playing with ya” in Aurebesh.
Sugi chose this spaceship because it was a “light freighter” only on paper. Due to a bureaucratic mistake (which no one corrected), this model was misclassified by the republic officials. In reality it was an “assault gunship” designed for military use. The “light freighter” was armed with four ZX7 medium laser cannons and a twin light laser turret – a serious threat for any pirate. The spacecraft had a well-armored command deck and a hull. Also, it was fast and had good maneuverability.
There was only a single minus. “Halo” - as any spaceship - required a lot of money for its upkeep. But it was impossible for a team of bounty hunters to do their missions effectively without an own spaceship.
The speeder bike entered the cargo bay of “Halo” which was guarded by Seripas, a diminutive male ssori who controlled a battle armor of human size. He was a good technician and a slicer. Also, Seripas was a rookie. It was his first mission.
“Is everything okay?” He questioned worriedly through their encrypted connection.
Sugi knew that the tiny man sat in the head of his battle armor. There was his commanding center.
The female zabrak replied. “Yes, the mission is accomplished.”
Soon the “light freighter” left the planet and entered hyperspace.
Sugi, sitting in the pilot's chair, read the information about the client. Indeed, her bail bondsman had gathered a little information about the client.
I need to discuss this job with my team. Sugi thought.
+
A little earlier
The hologram of the bail bondsman had disappeared. He said that Sugi was interested in the job but the female bounty hunter couldn't speak with Shuu at that moment. He promised to inform Shuu when Sugi would be free.
The jedi took out a large gold-colored credit ingot from his pocket and, playing with the ingot, left the room. Shuu believed that the ingot that cost 5000 credits was a fine bait to attract attention of the club's whores.
The idea was fruitful. In a while the man sat with a pretty girl in the private cabin who was telling him what he wished to know. Also, she ate delicacies for which the jedi had already paid.
The whore (or an “exotic dancer” as she called herself) was eager to cooperate because Shuu asked nothing that could endanger her. She was telling him the general information about the gangs and criminals in the Uscru District, as well as some stories about her greedy bosses and awful clients. The man didn't interrupt her complaints. He just listened to the girl. The jedi believed that these stories also could contain some useful information. It turned out that Shuu was right. The girl complained about a few clients (and said their names) who could be useful sources of information in the future.
The jedi refused to drink any alcoholic beverage, although the giggling girl (soon she began to smoke a death stick) was sure that it would help him to “become more friendly”. She also had offered one of her death sticks to Shuu but he refused.
Shuu got a call from the bail bondsman who informed him that Sugi was free but, unfortunately, at that moment he couldn't speak with the female bounty hunter. He postponed their conversation.
His conversation with the whore lasted not less than a few hours. Finally the man pushed the chip that cost 500 credits (it lay on the table between them from the beginning of their conservation) to the girl and left the private cabin.
The tired jedi returned to his sleeping chamber and sat on the floor. He shut his eyes. He began to meditate. Shuu needed to eradicate any sexual desire in his body, as well as an image of that nice-looking actress and that pretty whore (with whom he was in the private cabin) from his thoughts. Shuu didn't want to become a slave to his own emotions. He didn't want to be seduced by the dark side because the man knew (thanks to the movies) how dangerous the dark side could be.
It was true that the Outlander club was a dangerous place, full of temptations... But can be a sex considered an attachment?
It took some time but the meditation helped the man to calm down and take emotions under control.
Despite tiredness and a wish of going to bed, Shuu sat in the chair and called the bail bondsman.
+
In several minutes
Sugi touched the button on her comlink and a miniature hologram of a young male human materialized.
“So is this you - that jedi - who wants to hire my team?” Sugi asked.
He replied. “Yes, it is me.”
His voice was devoid of any emotion. It was calm and monotonous.
Like a robot. The female bounty hunter thought.
It was the first time when Sugi could see and speak with an alive jedi. There were a lot of rumors about them in the galaxy. The female bounty hunter heard absurd stories where the jedi could move heavy objects by a wish, or read minds of other people, or their capacity to do some other “magical” tricks. Personally, Sugi believed that the self-proclaimed “peacekeepers” were the religious fanatics who believed in some kind of mystery power and owned some secret technologies (for example, a lightsaber).
Also, it was rumored that the Jedi Order was a filthy rich organization.
“I can't believe that oh so mighty jedi needs bodyguards and aids.” The female bounty hunter smirked. “Or are all rumors about the jedi and their magical powers just an exaggeration?”
It was an open provocation. Sugi needed to see Shuu's reaction. If he started to show any inappropriate behavior (like screaming at her/threatening her and etc), then she would decline this contract right away. Sugi doesn't work with such clients.
The jedi replied calmly. “I don't know what rumors you heard about the jedi. Perhaps, they are an exaggeration. Perhaps, they are not. But, yes, oh so mighty me needs bodyguards and aids. Do you accept my offer, miss Sugi?”
This jedi doesn't look like an impulsive person. The female bounty hunter thought and glanced at collected Rumi and fidgeting Seripas.
She knew that both her teammates wanted this contract. It was much better than running around the galaxy doing some low-paid jobs.
“I'm inclined to agree. But why us?”
Shuu answered. “I don't require specifically your team, miss Sugi. You were recommended to me among other teams. If you think that this job isn't for you, then it is okay. I will just hire other bounty hunters.”
We were recommended? I am curious who did that.
“Can you share some details with us? We need to know who you fear if you require a service of bodyguards. As well, what shall we do as your aids?”
Sugi placed another provocation in her speech. Not many people (especially people with money and influence) could admit openly that they are afraid of someone. Such questions angered them. The bounty hunter wished to see her client's true colors. She was responsible for her team.
The jedi paused but nothing had changed in his behavior. He looked calm.
“Sure. I think I can.” The man answered.
And he began to talk. Then they discussed some details and finally Sugi accepted the job. However, the female bounty hunter wasn't pleased. The woman had realized that she would work for the man who wished to become a criminal lord.
+
Shuu had just ended the conversation with Sugi.
She will work for me. Good. She and her team will be my inner circle and my muscles in the gang... But is it enough?
It wasn't a secret that every criminal organization consists of ruthless and sadistic people. The jedi believed that strength can keep such people in order, but only fear - especially strong one - can suppress any desire of disobeying or rebelling against a boss; only fear can make such people to obey even suicide orders.
Darth Maul (and numerous other criminal bosses) had proved the rightness of this concept. Darth Maul was feared by his underlings. Even his own brother – Savage – wasn't an exception.
But there is a problem. Darth Maul was a wild beast in the cartoon... Do I truly need to become as cruel as he was to become a successful criminal lord?
Shuu frowned. He realized that it was a straight path to the Dark Side.
In a few seconds the drowsy jedi stood up and went to bed. It was a long and exhausting day.
+
* As a rule, the mercenaries get paid daily. Sugi's bail bondsman told her a payment per day.