When You Give a Man Power 
Chapter 12

The sound of blaster fire reverberates in the chamber as I look upon the precursors and prototypes that will one day be my specialists. My Death Dealers. They are learning far faster than the standard original Death Korp. I would go so far as to compare them to the Minutemen and Raiders I had taught and trained during my time in the wasteland.

But it’s still not fast enough for my taste. It’s an improvement no doubt about that. But it’s still too slow. As capable as they will be with some equipment and time spent training them ultimately it will be pointless when they get gunned down or cut to pieces. They will be good for now, but against something like a Jedi, they would still be fodder at the end of the day.

It’s why I have been using whatever free time beyond my training to train them between bounty jobs when some higher paying ones have been sent my way like guarding a crate, escorting some product, or outright killing someone that another wanted dead. I had been pouring my time and energy into training and teaching them. Stealth, using heavy ordinance to great effect and to use it efficiently and to focus fire on troublesome targets like Jedi. 

Making sure to drill it home if they know they are dealing with a force user to be careful. Practically teaching them everything I had tried to teach to those who came before and unlike them, they are soaking it up. Asking questions and answering as best I can. Proving themselves capable.

With the completion of the current spell used for the new standard for my forces as they learn under the old Korp members quickly outpacing them. In their case, they are given more general lessons. The specialists get most of my attention while giving some to my standard forces.

If some stand out which some have then they are removed from those groups and placed in a group that I feel best fits their talents. So far I have a few squads for different purposes. Notably a guns blazing squad if stealth is not an option or things require a hammer instead of a scalpel. Out of all the groups they are the quickest to learn their trade.

Makes sense after all it’s not exactly that hard to apply knowledge to use heavy weapons and explosive payloads to great effect. It’s far easier compared to teaching how to hide within the shadows and even more so in broad daylight. They are better than the originals at these tasks but that is not exactly a high bar to meet.

But the stealth squads are coming along nicely as things stand. Walking out of the chamber and across several areas quickly spotting the forms of my forces as they try to hide from me while moving around using tactics like weaving around the old decrepit equipment with parkour trying to stay ahead of the others while spotlights from several of their siblings above try and catch them in it to take them out of the game. 

The stealth forces exist primarily for gathering information but also for eliminating troublesome people discreetly. If there is anything I know is that groups like the Hutts will come with those who for one reason or another will want another dead. Whether it’s to deny a valuable asset to a rival or simply because they stared at them the wrong way. 

I know being embroiled in the Hutts isn’t the greatest idea but they are of use to me just as I am to them. A transaction. But one that doesn’t come without risks. To be honest, if my forces are currently incapable of dealing with the Hutts and their private armies at their disposal then how could I ever hope to match the Jedi and beyond like Darth Sidious?

The man would not tolerate a rival in any way. He would only accept my death or me beneath his heel. I know damn well which one will come for me as a snort escapes me at the image of the old bastard's broken and battered body after trying to put me beneath him. 

Heading out of the facility I head out to the second ship I had purchased before the cargo ship. This one was purchased without a disguise to give the image I am going to be heading off to get my crystal. A smaller ship that is by no means a freighter but still bigger than a fighter-sized ship. 

It's still being worked on and heavily improved beyond what it was back when it was rolled off the assembly line. Not that its model was ever anything to really catch someone’s eye since there were better ships out there that put this one to shame.

And that was who knows how long ago. But like the cargo ship, it came cheap and with my improvements, it would catch anyone trying to fight me off guard with its capabilities it shouldn’t have. Still not the greatest ship but it will have to do until I can get a better replacement.

A ping signals that a call is on my comlink. Picking up the call and hearing Jugo speak. “Corvo, are you busy?”

“Kind of in the middle of working on my new ship,” I grunt out, hamming it up a bit. “But what’s up?”

Jugo is silent for a moment. “Corvo, there has been a development. What you were after is gone and I assume you had nothing to do with it?”

I pause for dramatic effect before speaking. “I take it another complication has happened?” I say almost too calmly in an unsettling way. Thank you level-ten charisma!

“Yes. Someone has made a scene at the destination you were looking forward to seeing. With how much you showed you were interested in going there I think it best to cancel that trip.” Jugo says to me, speaking in a roundabout way. Don’t blame him if he has risen high enough in certain circles you know others will be watching and listening.

Especially when your hobby is dealing with Jedi artifacts and relics with just about anything associated with them tends to bring the kind of heat you don’t want. That’s why I made sure there would be no connection between me and the attack. 

“Alright,” I say after taking a moment making it seem like I was thinking it over. “Would it be possible for me to get a replacement? After all, I wouldn't want all that money spent to go to waste.”

“The substitutions you can look through for yourself when we see each other again. I appreciate your understanding Corvo and I am sorry that this has happened. You will be notified when the meeting is scheduled.” With that Jugo ends the call. Couldn’t tell if he suspected anything but as things stand no one as far as I am concerned can prove it was me.

Rising off the ground before wiping my hands down and looking at the ship as it looked far better than what it had been before. With the parts and scrap used to make the parts I needed the ship is far better than what it was before. Sad it took a total overhaul just to do it but it helps me find some peace. As King of The Hill taught me with Hank and his lawn everyone has something in their life that they do to help give them some peace in their life.

I enjoyed working on machines even if I wasn’t the greatest by any means but had enough knowledge to mess around with them when I was in a bad mood to help me calm down and to just relax. And right now I need it to relax before whatever the Hutts are up to becomes known and they pull me into it.

Not that I am against it by any means considering the bastard responsible for attacking me is still out there and I fully intend on repaying him in kind. Dibb already paid what was owed with interest since I doubt the Hutts were gentle with him after the stunt he pulled under their noses. Regardless if you were ordered by the guy who I assume by this point owned him in some way.

Either way, Dibb brought it upon himself. Speaking of him funnily enough despite his forces being decimated and the vast majority now dead some of them did manage to escape on the ship Dibb's master had sent to get him. 

Since I haven’t heard anything on the street from my sources like the girls walking along who hear nearly everything haven’t heard or seen anything involving the Trandoshan I have unfinished business with and the twin killer kung fu ninja bitches from hell I think it’s safe to say they managed to snag a ride on the ship.

Walking to Jeeves as he plays a game of Tetris to pass the time by. With a whine, he stops playing and takes me back to my apartment as I think things over. Still, so much to do. Too many things to juggle but I have made a lot of effort to clear out time in training both physically and magic.

I have no intention of using Soul Eater in a fight against a Jedi. Why would I? The instant I fight against a superior enemy like that I am finished. So either I let my soldiers swarm them with superior numbers drowning them in explosives and blasters or just use my magic and keep them at a distance. 

If it was Sidious or whichever of his numerous apprentices then that would be more difficult but that’s why I have my soldiers and the assets I may gain later on. Sidious will not fight fair and neither will I. That’s just begging to get a Darwin Award. My abilities in the branches of magic have improved steadily.

Of course, I have focused more on the ones that will help me immediately in a fight when it comes down to it. Mostly Illusion and Destruction. Illusion to confuse and disorientate them while turning their allies into enemies. Destruction is in the name. Spells like Sparks I have gotten so I can keep it going for a minute and a half. Compared to the beginning where it would only last for about twenty seconds that is a massive improvement.

Not taking into account that the other spells to a lesser extent don’t take as much to cast them either but it’s not as good if I was just using those spells. On the physical side of things, constantly using my bullet time has helped a great deal with my endurance. 

Chugging down stamina potions to just use bullet time rinse and repeat. It still takes the wind out of me in prolonged use but it lasts far longer and I can push myself when running around to my limits for longer than I could before. In the end, I am getting better. Making my way through the dead silent building as I sit down and fiddle around with some of the weapons I have lying around.

Adjusting the power settings on my blasters to have each shot fire with more power. The downside is the weapon will have fewer shots overall but when it can still shoot at least fifty shots before the gas is out is an acceptable trade in my opinion. Especially when those shots will be kill shots to all but the most armored of people. Glancing over at the corner of the room the cloth tarp covers the armored form standing underneath it.

At least this time the suit was granted some extra weapons on it besides whatever makeshift weapon I could scrounge together for it. Still incomplete compared to the first one but it’s already better than its predecessor having learned from my mistakes with the first one. Starting to get sidetracked as instead of tinkering with my weapons I start thinking even further on how to improve upon the armor before a call on my comlink brings that to a screeching halt.

Letting out a huff of annoyance as I yet again get interrupted from building up the things I want to and training. Placing down the tools and weapons I open up the call to hear the voice of a droid.

“Greetings Corvo Attano. I am AR-35 gracious servant of the Lords and Ladies of the Hutts on Nar Shaddaa. My Lord and the others have a task for you having to do with your agreement with them. They wish to see you at The Despots Folly tower to speak to you in person about the job.”

Before I could even answer the rude robot hung up on me. Ignoring the slight as I am all too happy to finally get some payback. And it’s coming in like a freight train straight out of hell.

Gathering my things I quickly leave.

… 

Give the Hutts this. Besides the tower looking tacky and obnoxiously decorated in a way that screams notice me because I’m better than you it is rather well-defended. Subtle turrets and droids milling about armed with numerous blasters never mind the regular guards and slime under their payroll. That and several defensible positions with cross-fire killer zones in the few halls I notice on my way to the elevator.

Statues from stone, and metal, some precious, and others not with waterfalls with artistic styling down to them give the place some beauty to it that is ruined by the excessive wealth put on display. Tsking to myself at the waste of resources the Hutts so brazenly show. Servants roam about scantily clad, others more conservative. 

One thing I personally disliked was trying to show off and make yourself look rich or whatever you wanted to show to those around you. If you really are what you are trying to show yourself as one of whatever group you're pining for then you don’t need to show anything. Either you are and don’t bother with putting on a stupid show or you are not.

The elevator was far faster than I was expecting seeing the outside of the building through some transparent material that wasn’t glass the elevator was made from. I rose above the vast moon-sized city with the many buildings dotting the surface. The elevator stops at my destination close to the top but several levels below it.

The doors open and I am greeted with a large crowd of many unsavory-looking people. Ranging from those that you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley to those that look like badasses in their own right. Men and women alike, I see a pale-skinned woman with her head mostly bald save for long flaming red hair done in a ponytail. Nothing the antennae sticking out of her head.

She wears a tank top colored orange with a brown vest jacket over it with orange pants and brown boots. Seemingly sensing my gaze she turns in my direction as she stares back at me. Noting the weapons on her person in particular a rather big rifle over her back with several blaster pistols.

I even see a Duros rocking a cowboy getup in a corner of the large room sticking to the shadows there. He gives me a nod noticing me watching and I give him a two-finger salute. Even noticed Jango here on the other side of the room close to one of the Hutt's holograms. Weaving through the crowd as the people here have formed their groups and inner circles as they mumble and speak with one another.

Some brag about recent bounties or ones from the past and others talk shop or brokering deals of some kind or another. The last two were done quietly enough most people wouldn’t hear what they were saying. Even I would have found it difficult with all the background noise before I used the key. Now I can hear them with ease ignoring the surrounding background noise if I need to.

Some of the Hutts even notice my presence despite keeping a low profile with the newer armor. As nice as the leather armor was and how it's sentimental to me ultimately it had to be stored away. A mostly black outfit made up of plastoid plates I had worked with myself to help give me some protection without compromising my mobility.

As much as I loved the design for the phase I clone trooper armor, I need both protection and mobility while being comfortable. Sizable plates of it adorn my body with a form-fitting breathable black long-sleeved shirt and pants with black combat boots. 

The plates are placed along my body save for the only portions not covered being my joints allowing for freedom of movement. The plates themselves I had painted black as well. It may be edgy to some but for me, if I want an easier time hiding in shadows then it is necessary.

Adding in several pouches with as many weapons I could fit on my person from numerous grenades and explosives to blasters and even my trusty boomstick. Going so far as to even have a foldable bow on my back with a sealed quiver full of poisoned arrows. Coming to a stop as I keep an eye on the crowd around me waiting for a few more minutes with other people and groups joining the rest of us in the room. The Hutts eventually proceeded with the purpose of this gathering.

A droid walks up as the crowd notices and quickly quiets down all eyes on the Hutts. One of the Hutts speaks in the deep voice of their native language. “Welcome hunters to this meeting. You all must be wondering why we have invited the greatest bounty hunters to this gathering. This council will compensate you all for bringing you all here on short notice. Some of you may have heard about what has happened recently on Nar Shaddaa.”

The Hutt and droid pause dramatically as the crowd stays silent looking at one another before they continue. “Let us put that to rest. Someone has aspired to usurp our power and authority on this very moon. The person who was so arrogant to believe that a group of minor gangs equipped with weapons and equipment they never should have been capable of getting their hands to be used as an army.”

The Hutt stops putting his stubby fat hand inside of an ornate-looking vase and pulls out something squiggling with tentacles poking out of his hands and swallowing it. “The slime responsible for this attempted takeover used a puppet. This puppet is Dibb, a known merchant who would on occasion make the journey to our moon. Corvo Attano who did a wonderful job of getting Dibb to come to us and even helped greatly in his willingness to talk with us.” 

The Hutt chuckles at the end in that deep voice of his. The other Hutts join in as they must be remembering the show I had put on and possibly knowing all that I had done to Dibb before taking him to them. The laughter dies off shortly before another Hutt speaks up in a higher-pitched tone as the droid gets to work. 

“The one responsible for this attack is one that even surprised us for the audacity.” For fucks sake just say who it is so I can go torment them before putting a blaster between their eyes.

“Of all those who would do this the Trade Federation was the last we would think of.” 

The silence is so great even the Hutts chewing on food have gone silent. Well, there goes canon out the window with a nuke dropped from orbit for good measure…