When You Give a Man Power
Chapter 21

Looking over the blueprints again with a satisfied smile on my face. In the background more of my troopers are practicing tactical retreats sticking to cover, occasionally laying down suppressing fire as they fall back to different points with cover until they complete the course.

Others are practicing at tracking and chasing down each other using the surrounding infrastructure inside the neglected room as makeshift obstacles leaping to and fro pursuing each other and setting up ambushes along the way showing their growth as a team. A rumbling can be heard further within the factory as the old mechanisms had been replaced by me and my troopers learning a thing or two about technology around here.

Using a disguise with Illusion magic managed to find out who owned this old derelict factory and found it was some Hutt who held on to it simply because no one was interested in the thing. Didn’t even bargain over it and sold it for a pittance surprisingly. The reason for this was that they finally could be rid of it since they couldn’t find anyone who wanted it.

Normally I would be suspicious but after spending some time inside this old factory I know they are telling the truth. Not a single person or droid has come to check on the place and not many people even come to check on the factory simply because it was a bad place to use as a hideout or for anything. It would be a sinkhole financially and not worth it when there were better options all over.

Now it has been turned into a functioning hideout and factory to churn out what I need since I didn’t need to spend much of anything to do so since most of what I needed could be found and made into something of use. After the incident on that job with Aurra when the Hutts learned of it being a trap and how we had to flee they were not happy. 

Thankfully for them and their own wellbeing, they didn’t take it out on us because otherwise, I would let them know my own displeasure of getting cut and diced by swords, knives getting thrown at me and shot at with poison darts and arrows along with almost getting blown up. The final straw was being strangled and hung up like a damn piñata.

The Hutts are currently figuring out how the Trade Federation was aware of their many different places of operation and have taken a massive hit. Not all of them were taken out or occupied by the Trade Federation. But despite that, it doesn’t appease the Hutts. After all, it's rather obvious they want to cut into their businesses.

Several of the mercenaries or bounty hunters they had hired managed to stop the droids from overtaking them like Jango and Bane both proving why they are the best of the best as they have single-handedly stopped several facilities and places of operation from getting taken from the Hutts. But in other areas, the bounty hunters tied to the guild had either outright surrendered if they were not paid off by the Trade Federation. Not all of them but many have and are helping them.

One leak could be pointed right at the guild but I doubt that’s all of the rats. 

But the Hutts were interested to learn that a group of Echani warriors had attacked the compound and were waiting for us. 

A trap. 

One that we managed to get out of and according to Aurra she managed to take a few of them out as they chased her when we had separated. Surprisingly she didn’t say a thing about what she saw me do with my magic to the Hutts or at least as far as I could tell.

But like the Hutts I want some answers from the bounty hunters guild on why this job was sent to Aurra specifically and come to find out the one who contacted her is now far from Hutt space and is aiding the Trade Federation. It asked specifically for Aurra and the Hutts were not aware the compound had been attacked.

As far as they knew the place was completely fine as far as they knew and when we walked in expecting payment for that clusterfuck they were shocked and thinking we were trying to cheat them until they learned we were telling the truth. That to me was the biggest surprise above all else. It’s not every day you get to see someone pull one over on the Hutts of all people.

At least according to word on the street. The Hutts know this as well and are furious at the public perception of Nar Shaddaa and other worlds under their control. It makes them look weak and that’s something you never want to have when surrounded by criminals.

Aurra said she was approached by an affiliate of the Hutts here that worked directly under them saying the job was a priority and needed to be seen to immediately. The Hutts did end up paying us more than what we were originally going to get paid since they now know traitors are around us and the Trade Federation tipping their hand on other forces besides droids being at their disposal.

After that was settled and along with Aurra now not trusting the bounty hunter guild even less than we already had with that we both went our separate ways and I had gotten to work on quickly upgrading my droids as much as I could in any way possible. 

Many of them were sold to the Hutts who were interested in using them to fight back the Federation's droid forces to send a message that the Hutts had better droids than them. So far they have proven it as my girls slaughtered many of the droids down on the planets the Hutts wanted protected. 

Despite the praises being thrown my way about the droids they are still not at the level I need them to be at. If my girls got scrapped without even putting up a fight by those women then I have to make them better. If they couldn’t handle them then they can’t handle an average Jedi Knight.


I made sure to make a patent for them with the help of Jugo since before the first Hutt made the offer to purchase some of them I had contacted Jugo figuring if anyone would know about stuff like that to ensure I don’t get screwed it would be him. Hooked me up and I made sure to pay him a large sum for taking time out of his day. Even though there will always be people in small numbers who don’t make too big of a difference in the grand scheme of things they will always have their uses.

If my Assaultrons can’t handle those Echani warriors who I don’t believe for a second are the best their people have to offer then they have no chance against a group of Jedi. They may get lucky and take one out but luck is a fickle thing. Even with my ten luck, it will run out eventually. So the factory was overhauled as it manufactures droids of all kinds.

In this case, droids made from refined scrap metal and whatever I could scrounge together which was rather easy since there is so much trash around Nar Shaddaa that it wasn’t hard to do. The only real issue is organizing it all and getting the exact resources needed or making an alternative work.

One could argue I should focus more on my hand-to-hand and using a blade like my lightsaber. I did much better against a large group that was from what I had seen superior to the younger sisters I dealt with when capturing Dib. To compare myself to someone else it would be Deidara from Naruto.

Like him, I am a ranged fighter. I can hold my own against a melee fighter but my strength is at range. It can be used to help me get some distance and take them down that way and put myself closer to my enemies who specialize in that is just asking to have my head or arm cut off. The only reason I did it with a few of those Echani was because I knew I was faster than some of them and they didn’t know that. A part of me wanted to toy with them and make an example out of them. One that almost cost me my life.

My lightsaber is also a big no only when I am not seen as Corvo Attano and have the advantage of next to no witnesses and knowing that I can kill all those who see me. 

Aurra was there and I had to deal with several Echani warriors but didn’t know how many there were. I don’t need any Jedi coming after me just yet. The lightsaber is merely a tool that is both cool since it’s a lightsaber something I wanted to have as a kid but a method of getting souls gathered up for enchanting. 

Even if I couldn’t use it properly as a weapon doesn’t mean I don’t want one. Like collecting Yugioh cards in my youth. I played a little with friends but never got into the competitive scene and just liked collecting them.

The other thing that has taken some time was setting up the core programming for the different droid models that would require different ways of thinking and utilizing their strengths. 

To sum it all up, despite the Trade Federation and Hutts going at it, and me almost dying but putting up a much better fight compared to when I fought their sisters, life was looking up. Especially with the Hutts hearing about my droids and purchasing several of them for large sums of money. The money helps a lot, especially with getting replacement weapons for the ones that were left back where I was getting hung.

Listening to the radio play some of that weird music which I honestly don’t even view as music. Like playing Mass Effect 2 and getting into After Life for the first time. I did not like the music of that section of the game in the slightest. Just a bunch of electronic beeps and boops with no rhythm or even lyrics to get you pumped up. Can’t even escape the garbage in Star Wars. Go figure.

With the press of a button, the channel was changed and it keeps getting pressed as I keep hearing nothing but garbage electronic music. How hard is it to get some actual real and good music around here?! Give me some rock and roll or metal. Hell, I would even take country music or god forbid rap over this! 

“-tts have been caught gunning down slaves in a mad attempt to prevent Judicial Forces from saving-”

The channel was turned several more times before quickly backtracking to that channel. “-blic Senate is in talks on aiding the Trade Federation and sending a task force to handle and hold the Hutts accountable for the unprovoked attacks they have committed. Numerous incidents with Planetary Defense Forces working alongside dispatched Judicial Forces have encountered several spice mining operations in the outer rim with the scum employed by the Hutts gunning down all the slaves in an attempt to prevent the Republic from freeing them.”

My fingers froze on the hologram I was refining the design on as I processed what was just said. Massaging the bridge of my nose as the Republic is now stepping into this conflict making it far worse than what it already was. So much for canon since it just got tossed out a window and had a nuke dropped on it from orbit.

With the Republic now coming in to help the Trade Federation with the corruption that is so rampant in the Senate I wouldn’t be surprised if they managed to get the Jedi involved in this and that is the last group save for the Sith I want to come snooping around. What makes it so bad is that the Sith comes as a combo meal with the Jedi since Sidious will be in the know about what is happening. 

Despite all the dumb things the Jedi have done in this era I don’t hate them nor do I want the Jedi purge to happen.

Despite the flaws of this era's Jedi they are still the good guys and do mean well it just doesn’t help they have tethered themselves to a corrupt institution. If Jedi are going to become involved in this then as much as it pains me to do this they need to be dealt with. Swiping away the hologram pulling up a new one and immediately pouring over it to make something to alleviate the problem the Jedi present. 

It probably won’t be anywhere near as effective as I hope it would be when you think about a space wizard with precognitive abilities never mind the plethora of other powers at their disposal but not like it’s going to stop me from trying. After all, I am making far better droids and making leaps and bounds in my understanding and implementation of the galaxies technology.

…

Walking into Sheys bar seeing a few people playing some games of Uno with the occasional person or group playing other assorted card games. Taking a seat at the usual table and getting myself a drink while waiting seeing three familiar faces walk into the bar before taking their seats. Jango and Bane sat across from me with Aurra seated next to me. 

She gives me a strange look but it goes away as she has an easy-going smile on her face. A quiet sniff tells me she is wearing some type of perfume and if the look on her face is anything to go off of she knows that I know.

Wearing a red shirt with a brown vest over it with matching pants, two blaster pistols sit in their holsters as she sips at a drink she got for herself.

Jango has that ever-present armor of his with Bane now having a leather duster coat with tubes attached to some kind of black weave around his as the tubes connect to his cheeks along with what looks like a pair of rocket boots. My questioning look gets an answer.

“After that job, me and Jango did some upgrades, and equipment adjustments were deemed necessary. What happened last time won’t happen again. So we're up for another game of Uno. Are you ready to lose Corvo?” 

Smirking in response to that, ready to drop a bomb on him. “Well, that depends on if you are ready for the variant of Uno?”

“Variant? Now I have to see this.” Aurra chimes in. 

Another person takes a seat beside us. Noting Shey's bags under her eyes she looks at me with a tired smile. “Not missing a chance to see what you cooked up Corvo. Work can wait and I need a distraction.”

Not missing a beat I continue not wanting to look into what has her so tired when I have a suspicion. “It’s called Uno Flip and you will find that it is arguably worse than regular Uno.” Placing some small devices on the table sliding them to the table's occupants who quickly figure out how to work them as they turn them on with holograms springing to life.

Starting the game up and helping everyone connect to the game, everyone else, even the other people playing their games of Uno stopped and watched us wanting to see the new version.

“So what are the rules for this one?” Shey asks as everyone at the table looks at me but I simply shake my head.

“Why ruin the surprise? It’s half the fun.” I say with a shrug of my shoulders while Bane doesn’t look too pleased but Aurra and Shey both smile at me.

The game quickly starts and the occupants are all keen on winning this. The expression on Bane and Aurra was so funny I wish I had a camera when they see instead of a plus two they get a plus one.

“If the plus two is gone and it’s a plus one what is on the other side of the cards?” Bane asks me as he is cautious as if approaching a sleeping Krayt Dragon.

Everyone can see the other's flip sides but no one else has the flip variant of the plus five yet.

“So you guys heard the news on the holonet about what the Federation is up to?” I say changing the subject as Bane and Jango nod their heads.

“Of course we have. Even if it wasn’t for our contacts tipping us off anyone would have heard about it. What of it?”

The Duros says as he smirks playing the flip card. “You're not worried about the Jedi getting involved?” I say playing a magenta five.

“Not in the slightest. If anything, I look forward to it. I can finally see for myself just what a Jedi is capable of and kill them myself.” He says offhandedly as I do a double take at the balls on this guy.

Looking over at Jango and seeing that he has a serious expression on his face. Well, more serious than normal. “Jango? You alright?” I ask him as he looks away at his cards his expression softens a little.

“Yeah. Like Bane, I am looking forward to it if they get involved.” I can hear the tightening of his knuckles as he grits his teeth hearing them grind slowly. 

Okay, he has a history with the Jedi. “Well, what do you rate the Hutt's odds with all of us being on their payroll?”

“Even without us, the Hutts have good odds. The Federation has managed to get some hits in but ultimately they have chosen a war they cannot win. The Jedi for all the galaxy views them as invincible — they are far from it.” Jango says placing down a plus five on Shey who stacks it and along the chain goes.

“Like a wall of blasters and surrounded on all sides? Oh for kriffs sake!” I yell seeing a plus thirty as cards are added into my hand. 

The table chuckles besides Jango and Bane both looking at me intensely. “I take it you intended to hunt Jedi at some point Corvo?” Bane says enjoying my downfall of thirty cards but sounding all business when I said what I did.

“Not exactly. Figured if I got far in this line of work it would be a matter of time before I had to fight one. So I came up with whatever I could think to fight them based on what I heard they were capable of.” I say as Aurra plays a reverse card and I place down a Wild Draw card on Bane who looks suspicious on what the card does.

A frown is on Bane's face as he goes from four cards to over forty before getting the color he needs. Looking between me and Aurra the meaning is clear. This means war. Shey and even Jango chuckles at that as Jango seems to ease up but the tension is still there.

“Not exactly the wrong line of thinking Corvo but remember this. You won’t always have a number advantage against a Jedi, especially one that is good and knows what they are doing. What else have you managed to come up with to deal with them?” Jango says playing another reverse card letting Bane get some payback on me with a plus five before both me and Aurra place down our cards hitting Shey who up until this was laughing it up before her smile is now strained as she looks at me and Aurra in betrayal.

“If they get close, have a weapon like boomstick ready for them. Preferably in close quarters to reduce their chances of avoiding it. Use some slug throwers as well as a flamethrower to avoid blaster fire getting redirected and if I do use blasters use ones that have burst fire against them. Would make it harder to deflect all of the bolts and maybe overwhelm them. Set up mines and explosives to keep them at a distance if I want to stay at range. And above all else don’t let them get a flow going in the fight.”

Both Jango and Bane give me a judging look but both seem satisfied with what I said. “Not bad ideas. You do know that the whole thing with slugthrowers is a myth unless you are using exotic materials right? And what did you mean by flow?” He asks with an arched brow.

“What myth? And by flow, I mean getting comfortable in the fight as they use the force or whatever lets them know what you are going to do before you have already done it. Don't let them get too focused. The stories I have heard about them regardless of the exaggerations people give them have a consistency of them somehow being capable of predicting things they otherwise should not have been capable of. So either they can see the future or can read minds. Maybe both.” 

“The myth that bounty hunters just starting out think that a slug thrower would be the greatest weapon to kill a Jedi with.” Cad Bane says with derision and contempt. “Those that believed this learned the hard way that those metal slugs don’t turn into liquid metal or gas and then hit the Jedi who blocked it. Normally you would think that would work but much like anything involving a Jedi it is never that simple or easy.”

Alright, so the internet from my old life was full of crap because why not? Not exactly like Star Wars adhered to physics like we try to apply to it. It’s one of the reasons why one of my projects is taking far too long for my liking for something that was supposed to be incredibly simple. We play the game and idly chat as we rage and get happy at the other's suffering.