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When You Give a Man Power
Chapter 8
Tossing the unconscious form of Dibb behind me onto a red carpet on the floor and pulling out my crossbow firing a bolt at one of the twins. Of course, the sexy twins are not just for looks but are bodyguards because why wouldn’t they? The bolt flies forth with its poisoned payload and just when it seemed she was about to run head-first into it she just tilts her head sending the bolt sailing uselessly into the other room.
Backing up swiftly and pulling out my 10 mm pistol and holdout blaster and managing to fire off three shots each at both of them dividing my attention between the two. The twin on the right who was closing in on me deftly dodges each shot from the pistol as she runs to the wall before she begins to run along it. Her sister flips and twirls avoiding the blaster bolts like an agent from the damn Matrix while still gaining ground on me. How does Dibb have these two working for him?
“Fuck this!” I grit out with clenched teeth tossing my pistol aside as I raise a hand to the one leaping off the wall as an orb of fire spawns in my hand. I thrust my hand forward and with it, the flame becomes a flamethrower as the woman's eyes widen at the sight before she twists and turns barely avoiding the worst of the flames as she falls to the ground behind me crouched.
Before I can torch her the other one is already upon me. With her being so close to me I can’t get the pistol in position to shoot as she lays into me with ferocious and relentless punches and elbow strikes that make me grunt as she hits far harder than someone this small and petite should be capable of.
I manage to avoid some of her strikes upon realizing they can hurt me while blocking others with my free hand. A knee hits me in the gut making me cough out as I stumble back before creating a wall of flames stopping them from pursuing me.
Separating the two of them from me and Dibb in the room I stumble for a moment before grabbing the end of the red rug Dibb is in and rolling it up and over him. Placing it over my shoulder as I rush for the door out of here but I hear a loud thud. Glancing back and seeing they had leaped over the flames. Those flames almost reached up to the ceiling…
They rush forward as I run into the other room tossing a grenade or two behind me as one rushes forward the other kicks the grenades further into the room with a graceful sweep of the leg as they both clear the doorway. The loud explosion goes ignored as the two women charged at me. Holding the rug of their boss in front of me hoping it will stop them from attacking.
Almost like they read my mind they both evade around my impromptu shield. One goes for a leg sweep which I jump up and meet with a jump kick from the other one sending me flying further into the wall next to my exit. Dibb is still trapped in the roll of carpet as it gets flung further into the room. Feeling the aches and pains from their relentless assault and seeing how they have stopped and glanced at one another before looking towards the walls with all the weapons.
Oh no.
One grabs a katana-style blade and the other grabs what looks like some alien equivalent to twin scimitars. “You are surprisingly good for a run-of-the-mill bounty hunter, wouldn’t you agree Amalia?” The one with the single blade at the ready says strutting towards me.
“I have to agree with you, Antissia. Most of the hunters we have encountered on this moon have proven less than satisfactory. This one at least has lasted longer than most but then again it's not often we get to fight a Jedi.” The now-named Amalia stalks forward with her sister like twin tigresses going in for the kill.
A smile that is all teeth gives them pause as they look at me. “Well, what can I say? I don't like leaving someone unsatisfied after a good warmup. And I’m no Jedi, just a man with some similar but ultimately different talents. But I think it’s time we end this.” I say in a matter-of-fact tone as both just stare at me intensely as whatever emotions they had shown fade away behind a stone-cold expression.
“And pray tell how do you intend on doing that?” Amalia asks me, coming closer ready for the kill.
“Oh, that’s easy. To borrow a quote from a famous knight from where I am from, he said it best.” I backed up to a large thick ornate wooden table with numerous knick knacks and bottles of alcohol placed on it, “Random bullshit go!”
Grabbing numerous objects and chucking them at the sisters as they initially tried to rush me but the speed at which I was tossing the things at them forced them back several steps back along with the sheer amount of things getting thrown around. Trying their best to dodge or block the bottles of booze shattering and spreading their contents all over the room as they both get drenched in it just from being near. Bleeding from a few cuts from the shards of glass the sisters look annoyed with one batting aside some random fist-sized coppery statue.
Putting my hand behind me to grab something else only to find nothing. A glance shows that I had already chucked all that I could. Not good. I am not going to be able to beat them in a head-on fight even if I took one of the blades off the wall. My characters relied on sneak attacks and ambushes along with wearing someone down at range even if in Skyrim my one-handed was near if not at one hundred.
Just because it’s at one hundred doesn’t mean I am a master with any blade or something like that. It’s reliant on how I used my characters in the games I had come to realize. If anything, the one hundred is an indicator of how quickly I can learn and my potential to get good with that category of weapons.
Like me learning a good bit from watching the women fight me before when they were unarmed and the time spent figuring out things while getting prepared for this job. But I am not going to learn fast enough before they kill me.
So under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t do this but I have no choice as embarrassing as a weapon it will have to do. Both rush forward in a blur but I got one last trick. Grabbing the massive table and picking it up off the floor noting it has some surprising weight to it. Enough that I think it would take at least five grown men just to lift and move it.
Well, it’ll have to do. Slamming the wide-eyed Antissia who tries to avoid the strike but can’t with the reach I have with it and how big the table is. Bringing her arms forward to try and block it as she braces herself. With a quick push, the makeshift battering ram sends her flying back hitting the couch in the room and flipping over it and out of sight.
Amalia fairs better as she ducks and weaves around the strikes just staying far enough out of reach despite the blinding speed I am lashing out with the oversized weapon. Slamming it overhead she sidesteps the strike as the floor cracks and splinters followed by a quick push, it slides across the floor like a freight train going at Mach 3. She leaps over it and pushes off the wall getting some distance from me as it hits the wall making everything rattle and shake in the room.
She tries to move closer to strike only to back off when I lash out with the table moving from the inner hall to the wide open room. A cocky smirk with all teeth is beared at her, taking satisfaction in her inability to do anything because of a table of all things. Go on ahead and predict me all you want, but it won’t do you any good if you can’t take advantage of it.
She seems to sense why I am smiling and her nostrils flare in response with a narrowing of her eyes. Her sister pops up over the couch tossing her single blade at me in a surprise attack and with a quick reflex finds itself embedded in the table with the blade three inches away from striking my head. Amalia tries to take advantage only to be forced back again as she growls in annoyance as she ducks under a sweep only to momentarily slip with the alcohol and glass coating the floor bringing her to a knee.
My smile turns into a sadistic one. With wide open eyes, Amalia watches in horror blades raised in a futile defense as the table comes back in a great sweep slamming into her sending her form tumbling and sliding into the open door where Dibb was having his meeting. My smirk disappears when a rather sizable crescent axe impacts the table tearing a deep gouge into it.
While the massive axe in comparison to Antissia’s smaller frame is still embedded in the table I pull back on the table as Antissia lets go and manages to remain standing and with a quick usage of my hand that lets go of the table sends a wave of flame at her making her go wide-eyed as flames rush to greedily lick up and devour the alcohol across the room. Not wanting to get flash-fried she leaps through the open door of the meeting room diving inside of it for safety as the flames wash over where she once was.
Tossing the table aside, taking deep breaths, and ignoring my instincts screaming at me to get away from the roaring flames and grabbing the thankfully not on fire rug with Dibb still inside of it. Hefting it over one shoulder I rush out of the room but not before giving the bird to the two ladies trying to find a way past the flames to get to me.
The entrance door now closing behind me I pluck a grenade off of me and casually toss it before running off ignoring the sound of something crinkling as the temperature around the closed door plummets with a thick wall of ice sealing it closed for good measure. Hearing alarms ringing all across the palace I gun it for a massive blast door leading outside. Placing another device as that gets to work on the door as blasters start firing behind me making me take cover.
Dropping the rug to the ground as a grunt escapes it and pulling out my bow and shooting back with pinpoint accuracy not even needing to slow my perception of time as each shot is a kill shot but there are just more coming. “Come on come on…”
Taking my hand coated in a red ominous glowing aura and firing it back down the long hallway. It explodes across the floor on impact washing over several of their forms. The instant red light fades they start firing upon each other and any unfortunate soul that is near. Their former allies hesitate in shock at what is happening until one sprouts an arrow buried in their forehead before shooting back at them and me.
The hall becomes nothing but pandemonium as chaos erupts everywhere. With a final click the device is done as the doors slide wide open and I quickly grab Dib and move out onto the outer ledge with blasters flying over me. Seeing the chaos erupting down below, all their forces are either rushing to get inside of the palace or having their weapons trained on it looking for suspicious activity.
Several look in the direction of where the blasters came from but with a quick usage of invisibility I quickly move further down the walkway finding what I need. Setting the rug down and pulling out my bow along with an arrow with a loop at the end of it. Taking a bound-up cord and clipping it at the end I raise the bow and as soon as I aim I am visible to several guards.
But it doesn’t matter as the arrow sails far off hitting the outer perimeter wall sticking in place. Taking my bow with the rug as guards point at me and open fire. Using the bow I slide down the line as it gets faster and faster. Blaster fire missing me by a mile even with the turrets added in.
Before long I meet the outer perimeter wall and roll along the top firing three arrows taking out the guards nearest me. More open fire and with the rug over my shoulder leap down to a building below it and make off into the dark winding maze of alleys past the shield protecting the base.
…
Numerous eyes stare at me as I walk up the stairs with a red rug held in a bridal carry as one end thumps against each bar on the railing beside me with a muffled ooph or groan of pain escaping it. Still finding shards of glass and reeking of booze making some people step back from me. Thankfully the cuts and bruises were washed away with some healing.
“Please just let me go and I will pay you anything-”
The small raspy voice stops when I drop the rug and it rolls down some of the stairs and with each step, a grunt is heard. It stops on a landing with a long groan of pain coming from the rug as everyone just looks at it then me and immediately walks away. Doesn’t matter since this is the happiest I have been in a long time. And it’s so satisfying with a job well done.
The reward was especially nice as I walked down and accidentally kicked the side of the rug. Unfortunately, no grunt this time to be music to my ears. Well there is always more on the way I think to myself picking up the rug as I continue inside of the Casino many of the patrons just watch me along with many of the guards and I even see several of the bounty hunters from the meeting all just staring at me. Some with a glare others giving me nods which I happily return.
Several of them laugh when they see me banging the rug into anything on the way up. Oh, an exotic harmless fish tank? Need to clean the rug off so why not! And loving the sound of the rug being smacked against the massive marble pillars. Before long having had my fill of a well-earned reward I make my way to an elevator.
Stepping inside as a Duros in a two-piece suit with two Twi’lek women hanging off of his arms in revealing cocktail dresses gives me wide-eyed looks as they make room for me in the elevator. The door shuts on part of the rug and opens again before repeating itself two more times. Letting out a dark chuckle as muffled sobbing is heard over the elevator music.
“Do you guys hear anything?” I say with what must be the most saccharine smile I have ever given in my life.
They quickly shake their heads as they stare up at me like I am the devil and back up far away from me with their backs to the wall. “It’s alright guys just enjoy the sweet elevator music and have a good time. You the man!” I point at the Duros as he just looks at my finger pointed at him, then my face, and at his companions.
He gives a shaky smile and nods at me, still nervous. The elevator opens with a soft ding and as I step out a hand pops out of the rug hanging almost limply. The women scream as the Duros looks unnerved.
“Please help me…” A faint raspy voice begs before the door shuts on his fingers with a crunch followed by an anguished muffled scream and crying. A small smirk is on my face as the door opens again and pulls back out as the occupants stare up at me in fear. Walking down the hall as the guards let me on through and in the room once more with a smaller crowd.
Among the crowd are scantily clad women of various species attending to the Hutts here in person with some of the familiar faces of other bounty hunters and low life’s in the room. I even see the gray metal plating of my shadow. He and Shey off to another corner glance down at the dripping wet rug that has seen better days.
Dropping it with a wet plop and some groans. Putting my boot on the end and with a shove the rug unravels showing the battered and bruised form of Dibb as the Hutt's laugh as satisfaction and mirth dance in their eyes. “Oh, it's finally over…” Dibb muttered as he quickly crawled away from me and got closer to the Hutts.
“Oh come on I was nice enough to even give you a drink of some water!” My smile was sugar-sweet but when Dibb looked up at me he saw nothing but a demon.
He weakly points a finger at me shaking. “You nearly drowned me by putting my head inside a refresher that wasn’t even flushed!”
The Hutt's chuckles become full-blown laughs as the smaller crowd even gets a laugh at Dibbs' expense. He looks around in desperation beginning to finally realize he may have been better off with me. Well might as well give Dibb a parting shot before he gets his just deserts.
“And that dirty potty water sure tasted good! Glub glub glub~”
Taking several steps back Dibb just shakes from fear from his soon-to-be agonizing short life. The Hutt with the dreads speaks after getting his laughter under control and the same droid from before speaks up.
“Corvo, you have accomplished a task most bounty hunters would have failed at. You have our respect and are glad to see you enjoyed part of your reward and we will be in contact with you once Dibb is so kind as to tell us. You will be given the rest of the reward now.” Another droid walks up to me handing me a bag with the coins indicating the Hutt's currency.
“I can already tell you the one who was calling the shots and was going to get him out was a Neimoidian. Fancy black robes with gold embroidery and some stupid-looking black cone hat on his head.”
The Hutts fall silent at this as they look down at Dibb and then at me. “I crawled through a vent to get to the room he was having a meeting in and overheard and saw the form on the holoprojector. Honestly, I should have just killed the killer ninja bitches in the first room without questioning anything.” I elaborated, muttering that last part before glancing down at Dibb. The room seemed to have heard my last comment though.
Rubbing my chest and stomach feeling the phantom pain of their strikes. Those hits did a lot more damage than I had first thought. Hopefully, I don’t meet someone else who knows 1-800-Hirer-Killer-Kungfu-Ninja-Bitch.
Because if I meet something like that again I’m just leveling the block they are on with lots of explosives. Shaking my head at that close call and feeling satisfaction at giving Dibb a taste of my pain as gets on his knees pleading his case for the Hutts.
Just shaking my head at him as several menacing guys walk up on his kneeling form crowding around I don’t bother to pay attention any further. Walking down the hall I hear steps and don’t need to turn around to know who the two are.
“Killer ninja bitches? What the hell does that mean?” Shey questions.
“It means he had two female bodyguards with chalk white skin and hair with silver eyes who damn near killed me.”
Shey does a double-take at my description before our new companion finally speaks. “Echani warriors. Color me impressed you managed to beat them and get your target out of there.”
Turning to the helmeted man knowing who he is but deciding to be polite at the least. “Before I forget I don’t think I properly introduced myself. Corvo Attano.” I hold my hand out for a shake.
“Jango Fett.” He says as he grabs my hand, and gives it one firm shake before letting go.
“So what was the big reason you were shadowing me?” I start off breaking the ice with a big question.
“Jango was sent to keep an eye on you to see if you are good enough for certain interested parties. His word and judgment on newer bounty hunters that haven’t been in the hunting business that long like yourself carries a lot of weight.” Shey cuts in.
“And to make sure the job gets done. I was going to go in if you failed to extract or other things had occurred to get Dibb out. Not the greatest nor the cleanest extraction but considering what you accomplished was worthy of respect.”
Looking over the two as we are out of the hallway and moving along the casino floor. “Not as worthy as you think. If these Echani warriors are as deadly as you say they are then I doubt I dealt with the good ones. The two were good, almost seemingly reading my mind or seeing the future as if they knew what I would do. Don’t get me wrong but if I was able to at least temporarily overcome them then I very much doubt they were the best of the best.”
Jango turns his head and stares at me for a long moment before responding. “Rather likely but even if they were an amateur or even a more common Echani martial artist that most common thugs or low lives would have easily been cut down. How did you manage to overcome them?”
“After trying and failing to shoot them and having to discard some weapons I got cornered by them and had my back against a table with booze and other decorations on it. Used them to buy time and spread the bottles of booze across the room and on them. Used the table as a way to ensure they couldn’t properly get close to me while giving me plenty of reach. One slipped on the floor and knocked her into another room and the other I forced into it by igniting the booze.” I tell them both honestly. I don’t feel the need to lie about what I did. It’s not like it needs to be kept a secret.
Nor do I feel shame. It helped me live to see another day and that is what matters. Jango simply stared at me for a long moment before nodding and Shey chuckled but I paid them no mind. “Not what I was expecting. Starting a fire was risky.”
“I know since Dibb was unconscious wrapped up in the rug next to the flames. I was lucky that he wasn’t covered with alcohol or close enough to the flames to get ignited.” That could have gone so many ways wrong and in the end it didn’t. But that may not be the case next time. So much to improve on and I am going to take advantage of the time while I can.
Those bodyguards are just another reminder that despite how powerful I have gotten after using the key I still need to train further. If those two women were average then I have a long way to go. They came incredibly close to killing me several times. If they were regular Jedi knights I would probably be dead.
“I can see you becoming a well-known bounty hunter with that mindset. Most of the ones you see around here don’t acknowledge their mistakes and more often than not either get killed for it or never get better clients.” Jango says as we make it to the bar area at the bottom floor.
Several of the other hunters I remember from the first meeting stare wide-eyed at Jango as he walks casually around seemingly without a care in the world. But my keen eyes showed that there is a tenseness to him but it comes off as more fluid.
“I told you Jango. Corvo will be going places, I haven’t lost my touch just yet in my old age.” Shey says. So is she why I was allowed to meet with the Hutts despite being incredibly new as a bounty hunter?
“That you have not Shey. I need to leave soon and expect me to get in contact with you soon Corvo.” Jango says turning to walk away.
“Why?” I am completely stumped as to why Jango Fett would be contacting me for anything.
“I may have some jobs I could use your assistance with in the future.” At that, he walks off into the crowd as it parts before him.
“I need to leave as well since I have been gone for too long from the bar and don’t need a fight breaking out or them thinking they can get discounted drinks. Take care Corvo and please don’t suicidally rush at the first person who wrongs you. I was worried you may not come back from that job.” The earnestness in her tone was crystal clear.
“I appreciate all you have done Shey and I will try not to. But as they say, don’t make a promise you know you can’t keep. Stay safe, Shey.” I walk off giving her a nod and a smile as she gives me a wane smile in return not liking the idea I may do something like this again.
