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When You Give a Man Power
Chapter 28
Jango was not having a great time. Sure he has a chance to kill Jedi and reap his vengeance upon them. The issue was despite the Hutt's have better-supplied forces, and in some cases better trained with more experienced soldiers, the men were hesitant and wary to against an army of Jedi. The Federation's droids were something to be wary of but lacked the reputation a Jedi has.
Jango thankfully doesn’t need to worry about commanding the entirety of the Hutt's combined forces. What he is dealing with is his special forces squads at first hitting the Republic and Trade Federation forces in crucial enough areas making it much harder to fight back with them being pushed back in some areas.
They were initially getting pushed back when the Republic stepped in. The problem was the damn Jedi had to his surprise and growing annoyance began countering their operations.
Is a squad going to sabotage a few ships? Before they would have accomplished with the enemy occupied on all fronts.
Now? They in some cases get wiped out or are captured.
In the case of capture, Jango goes through the effort of changing up everything to avoid the Jedi locating the rest of them so they can pick them off. He is not taking a chance for them to get information out of those cowards. As capable as they may be, they are not like him or Bane besides a handful.
They are only here for money and because of that they easily sell out those around them if it means avoiding the consequences of their line of work. Want the money and power yet not the costs that come of it…
But despite these setbacks, the war began to move back in the Hutt's favor after those Echani had finally stopped harassing the Hutt's operations once word had gotten out Corvo had made it to Eshan. If the Jedi were not involved Jango would have joined him in going to Eshan if nothing more than to see the homeworld of the ancient Mandalorians' old rivals.
From the sounds of it, they seem to be faring better than his people these days if the Echani attacking and creating chaos across the Hutt's forces was anything to go by. Hard to believe they were able to weather the many years since the time the two greatest non-force sensitive warriors clashed against one another where what’s left of his people are pacifists.
Jango simply shakes his head looking at his equipment and checking it over before putting it back. Glancing over and seeing Bane placing his new gauntlets over his forearms. After a particularly annoying Jedi Bane had decided to get more equipment taking inspiration from Jango.
But unlike Jango, Bane had numerous weapons and functions hidden inside of them. Far more than Jango, something he felt was unnecessary. Putting the last of his weapons back where they belong before walking out into the hall as numerous grunts move out of his and Banes' way.
The doors seal shut behind them as those who will be working under his command are in the room. A large assortment of notable fighters under the employ of the Hutts of various species that inhabited the galaxy.
Stepping to the holoprojector showing the ongoing battle outside of the facility, “Alright, you all know what needs to be done. We are here to take the pressure off the local Hutt forces. Our task is to get behind enemy lines and wreak as much havoc as we can and then get back.”
All eyes are on him, as he goes over what to expect and the big thing above all else, “And remember what you all have been told to do when encountering a Jedi that you can’t retreat from. Focus fire on them and overwhelm them with your blasters. They can’t deflect your shots forever and stick to some cover when doing so to avoid getting hit by a redirected bolt.”
With that all they start moving down another hall before a set of blast doors open revealing several armored transports piloted by some of the droids made by Corvo. Jango wasn’t one to fully rely on droids but was not averse to them either.
He would always believe in the strength of his flesh and blood over the capabilities of droids. But he would admit the droids the Hutts had gotten sent to him and the forces under his command have proven to be incredibly effective when used properly against their enemies.
Seeing the sleek obsidian black feminine forms of the Assaultrons, some have blaster rifles meant for sniping built into their arms or rifles carried on their backs while riding on the speeder bikes or armored transport ships. The new ones drew everyone’s eyes to them wondering if they would be nearly as effective if not more so.
Jango was on the fence about the Sentry droids. They were big behemoths filled to the brim with weapons from rockets, grenade launchers, and numerous blasters adorned their form. Four spider-like legs with compartments built in that could deploy wheels to make it go even faster on level ground.
Two shoulder-mounted missile pods with four arms, two of the main ones holding rotary blasters that may as well be blaster turrets turned into arms. Of the two smaller ones one of which is a grenade launcher and the other a flamethrower of all things meant to kill anything that got too close.
A mass of durasteel that lets it soak up damage or it’s supposed to. Jango only recently had these sent to him specifically to aid in this battle. They will all see if these Sentries prove themselves just as good as the Assaultrons.
Where they are more suited for all-around use the Sentry seems to be for overwhelming firepower and armor. Stepping into one of the troop transports as it takes off, Bane is beside him with several others.
As soon as they leave the hangar the blaster fire can be heard. Red and blue bolts flying out hitting the mass of Trade Federation droids as they march forth with tanks and speeders sprinkled about. What gets his attention is the glow of lightsabers.
Several Jedi can be seen on the ground staying back but deflecting blaster bolts as they defend the Republic Judicial forces with the other planetary defense forces that have been aiding the Trade Federation. His hands clench as he thinks of how he is going to kill each of those Jedi.
A grim satisfaction he has knowing that in the beginning many of the Jedi of this task force had died getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of blasters that focused on them the instant they ignited their lightsabers. Despite how many had died, many more learned early on to stay near their troopers and not get surrounded like they had before.
For Jango doubted the rank and file of the Jedi here had enough sense to realize what they were doing wrong. Their order has long since proven how set in their ways they are. It would take far longer for them to actively change their methods and suffer great losses in the time it took to do so.
Jango was comfortable in knowing it was the Jedi put in charge of this task force. The same Jedi who was there when he had lost everything and was sold into slavery. Dooku Serenno. The Jedi master they had sent here to end this conflict.
Dooku was proving to be a good commander as he adjusted the Jedi's tactics along with the Judicial forces. Even managed to get the Trade Federation to do as he says as their battle droids swarm over the land no matter how many they gun down. But unlike before when they didn't have any means to counter our methods such as mass pulse mines and picking off their armored support now they are managing far better.
Use the artillery to bombard the area prematurely detonating any explosive traps. Once they had fired enough they would move the droids in having them circle their forces surrounding them from all sides. Before they would just attack from one side showing the Trade Federation's stupidity and not using their droid's greatest strength.
Dooku on the other hand knew what to do. The droids would march over shooting while the armored support remained far back and attacked their defenses like turbo laser emplacements or taking down cover and walls so our forces didn’t have as much cover.
Smart. Using the expendable fodder to soften up enemy forces or overwhelm them if they can’t keep them at bay. Something Jango has seen quite a bit when he and his forces were sent into hot zones that were overrun. Either to eliminate key people in the enemy forces or to get something the Hutts didn’t want falling into enemy hands.
Just like when they were sent to retrieve Rune Haako the droids have proven to be a nuisance making things far more difficult than they needed to be. He and Bane watched the Hutt cartel tanks trading cannon fire as the fires danced on the scrapped metal of the Hutts and Federations tanks.
The occasional Jedi can be seen weaving through the sea of droids as they get near a defensive fortification hastily set up by the Hutt forces. The droids around it stop before a few blaster shots take the droids out and they continue marching. Jango would give those men some respect, he half expected them to surrender.
The Jedi leaps over the droids a living blur before a blue saber ignited the shooting becoming frantic and scattered before coming to an abrupt end the droids marching onwards with the Jedi coming out looking unscathed. If it wasn’t for his helmet Jango would be seen with a rather impressive scowl.
As if sensing his thoughts Bane unholsters one of his blasters and shoots several blaster bolts in rapid succession out of the side doors that are open just enough for them to see out of.
The burst fire does its work as the Jedi somehow sensing the shots coming raises their lightsaber they block the first few shots but fail to stop the rest as several hit them in the chest and they fall to the ground dead saber turning off on the ground lost in the sea of droids.
The droids and Republic forces that were close by that saw the Jedi die raised their blasters aiming at their ship but few even landed and the ones that did amount to nothing thanks to the heavy armor of the shuttle. Bane looks his way, giving a slick smile as Jango nods his head to him, “Good job.”
The group in their shuttle chuckles at Bane getting one of the things they have grown to dislike in this conflict killed. The group looks tense but no one is panicking or trying to flee. Good. At least the Hutts managed to scrounge together some decent fighters that can back their bark up with fangs.
“Jango, we are coming up on the enemy's base.” The pilot's words snap Jango out of his thoughts as he gets to work relaying orders.
“Get in and get out quickly while causing as much destruction and damage as you can. See any Jedi and focus them down. Do not let them get close!” The crack in the ship's doors slides open as the ship's cannons bark, sending crimson lances out at the enemy base they had roughly set up, blowing up enemy combatants and defenses.
Jango and the occupants of the ship had begun to leap out jet packs activating or using zip lines down that had unfurled from the ships with the speeders and Corvo’s Assaultrons putting in work as they gun down any Republic forces foolish enough to pop their heads out of cover to shoot only to get their head blown off.
The sound of something falling and slamming down onto the duracrete of the old facility kicks up a cloud of dust before missiles come flying out of the cloud destroying what cover the Republic forces had along with large squads of battle droids as they are simply wiped out.
A male Togruta Jedi runs up with a green blade poised to strike at the Sentry only to back off as a wave of fire shoots out he leaps away tossing and turning in the air his brown robe caught on fire. Just as he managed to toss the robe away Jango pulls one of his trusty Westar pistols out and sends a few rounds at the Jedi who is too slow to intercept them falls to the ground twitching in a heap. Several more shots fired and all movement stops.
Jango isn’t one to take any chances. Especially when dealing with Jedi. Up in the air with his Jetpack keeping him out of reach he shoots down any enemies who fled or dealt with any Jedi who are outside of the base.
Bane himself is dealing with one. His Eye droid hovered behind him using his rocket boots to slowly get to the ground the Jedi deflected many blaster shots before the droid at Bane's command moved around the Jedi pressuring them from both sides. The instant the Jedi tried to thrust their free hand at Bane he and his droid gunned them down.
They abort the push mid-attempt to deflect a few shots but are overwhelmed from both sides. Bane shakes his head a smile on his face. “Jango, I feel disappointed. I expected better from Jedi hearing about the stories and what they are capable of.”
“Trust me Bane, you are underestimating them. Don’t.” Jango tells him. Jango landed while the rest of the enemy's forces are dead or dying outside of the base. What's left of them shoots at them from the base as the main blast doors are slowly closing.
“You! Fire your missiles at the blast doors. Don’t let them seal them.” Jango points at a Sentry droid as it halts in its tracks and does as ordered without hesitation. Both missile pods fire over a dozen flies at the door.
*BoOoOoM*
Ignoring the smoke they march forward, several of the Assaultrons move in acting as the vanguard. They occasionally shoot into the smoke and Jango can hear cries of pain over the flames around him. The blast doors are crumpled and deformed but still standing.
But the droid's salvo did enough with the doors left wide open. Would have been a pain to get them to open while they found another way in. The Republic had taken this place as their base on the planet when they first came to liberate the slaves while trying to take out more of the Hutts' businesses. A part of Jango felt something he long thought had died off in him.
Remorse. Guilt. Each hammer blow like thunder ringing Jango’s heart. A grim reminder that he still has these things inside of him reminded of the heart he had long thoughts gone. He knew what it was like to be a slave after what happened.
Here he is fighting for the Hutts to ensure they don’t lose more slaves… a bitter taste formed in Jango’s mouth. Smothering it like he always did when he saw the slaves owned by his Hutt employers. The temptation to gun them down was strong and the desire to free them was even stronger. But he didn’t. He never did.
Jango never liked slavery even before his time being a Mandalorian. He grew to hate it after Deathwatch destroyed everything he cared about the second time around. Those years spent as a slave would forever stay with him. It’s why he tries to not look at any of the slaves under Hutt's employ. A part of him hated himself for even fighting to stop them from saving these people.
A part of him wants to free them, but then another part says why bother? If they can’t free themselves when an opportunity presents itself and stay free they will never truly be free. If the mere thought of dying makes them remain as nothing but slaves they will never remove those chains.
Not even getting started on how they will get clothes, food, and other things to simply survive never mind live a life. Yet those feelings he has never gone away despite how he may try to smother them. So he focuses on the here and now, doing his job and what he is tasked with. His hatred and resentment of the Jedi further help take his mind away from the image of the slaves.
Drawn out of his thoughts as he and the rest of the squads begin breaching and clearing the base with his communicator activating.
“Jango, the enemy forces have diverted a fraction of their forces as you said they would. They are headed right for you and the base.” One of the men manning the scanners kept an eye on the battlefield told him in both excitement and fear.
“Good. We will be done soon enough before they get here. Just make sure you take care of the rest of the enemy forces on your side. If not, it's not my problem.”
Before the man can say anything Jango ended the call. Despite what some may think about him not being serious, Jango fully meant it. He had enough to deal with instead of getting called out here personally to deal with their mistakes.
Jango stepped forward with weapons drawn Bane by his side. There is fighting and resistance as the Assaultrons flushed out any remaining forces whether it is battle droids or the Republics men. Turning around a corner the two hear screams that are abruptly cut off followed by a familiar hum in the air.
Jango and Bane immediately open fire with several others quickly joining behind them. Two human Jedi stood over the bodies of a squad who managed to deflect the blaster bolts for a time before one of them was overwhelmed. The other one grits his teeth looking angered at the death of his fellow Jedi he thrusts his hand out at them.
Knowing what to expect he and Bane dived back around the corner with a handful of others who were smart enough to follow. The rest are sent flying by an invisible wave as they crack and break against the far wall with whatever was in the hall whether it was the bodies of the recently dead or crates slammed into them.
Weapons are held around the corner blind firing the hum in an instant grows far too close for their liking. Bane used his new gauntlets, puts his arm forth after the press of a button and a jet of flame comes out forcing the Jedi back as a muttered curse is heard by all.
Jango steps back out as Bane's flamethrower stopped. He palmed a handful of grenades and tossed them down the hall. The grenades detonated on impact but the Jedi had moved further back. Both of them opened fire again followed shortly by the others. The Jedi had realized the advantage is completely in their favor. They turned and fled down the corridor turning into a brown and white blur.
Some of the group moved to pursue but Jango's arm barred them from giving chase, “Don’t. Our objective is nearly complete. We are never going to get all of them. Set the charges and get ready to leave.”
At his orders, they obey without hesitation. The group learned some time ago to defy him when he is in charge will not end well like it did for the first couple that thought they could disobey without consequences. He didn’t kill them despite what many would think.
It would be a waste to simply kill them and set a bad example for the rest of them. So when they refused orders Jango simply did what he learned in his younger years. Once they were thoroughly beaten they were given menial tasks to complete until he felt satisfied.
Everyone does their part with blaster fire still heard across the complex but it’s mostly the droids Corvo had created. Jango will admit he had come to have a great deal of respect for his fellow bounty hunter. He wished him the best on that job in Eshan.
Priming the explosive charge placed along a wall before he saw that the others had accomplished what they needed. Hearing fighting they raised their weapons in time to see two halves of an Assaultron tossed away.
“We are leaving. Make the exit.” Jango orders as the Jedi from before now missing their robe and covered in black grime his now yellow eyes bored into Jango's helmet. It looked like a raging fire in those orbs.
Weapons were raised and opened fire but the Jedi unlike before snarled at them charging and weaving through the crimson lances. He even managed to knock a few away where they hit their marks, several of their own dead.
“You won’t get away! I won’t let you after all you have done.” The Jedi promised them with such venom in his tone. Most would be intimidated, but Jango and Bane if anything were more than ready to deal with him.
An explosion behind them heralds their way out followed by the Jedi”s scream in outrage. They all tried to stop or at least slow the Jedi down but no matter how well placed their shots. The area was riddled with blasters with nowhere to dodge yet the Jedi managed the impossible.
Jango and Bane get out, several more of their forces are already. They quickly joined them once they realized what they were fighting spurred them into action. A few of the others get out but the rest scream before they are silenced.
Both Jango and Bane rise in the air with their respective equipment activated. The Jedi rushed out of the hole blaster fire poured into his position but despite the amount of effort he used to both block and dodge in such preternatural ways he showed no sign of exhaustion or slowing down. Jango even believed he was moving far faster than he was before.
Everyone opened fire on him. More and more people come out of the building each moved to surround the Jedi who simply cuts down several more of their forces or pushed them back either incapacitated or dead. Jango doesn’t have time to check if they are alive, instead opting to remain in the air trying to shoot the evasive Jedi. His and Bane's shots are the closest to hit and the Jedi had finally had enough.
With a raised hand Jango feels the pull on himself that brought him lower to the ground. Despite more power funneled into his jetpack it is not enough to rise further up. Forearms raised as the Jedi leaped at him in a vicious attack that brought back one memory that would forever stay with him. One of the major causes for his hatred of the Jedi.
An attack that had it not been for the Beskar in his armor would have cleaved through his arms and then bisected him at the waist. Jango grits his teeth as the Jedi looked on with their yellow hate-filled eyes the saber bounced back from the blow.
“What?!” He said shock and anger in his voice.
Jango didn’t hesitate when his anger overcame him at the memory of one of his closest friends that he had trained getting cut in half by yet another Jedi doing the same thing. Again.
Jango charged them as they brought their lightsaber down in an overhead swing. Just before it managed to land on his helmet Jango grabbed the Jedi’s wrists struggling against the Jedi’s strength. But Jango didn’t need to beat the Jedi in a contest of strength.
Jango sees nothing but red. He increased the pressure in his grip the Jedi winced before a sickening crunch followed by a crack was made audible. His wrists bent back before they broke. The lightsaber dropped out of the now limp hand to the ground blade extinguished.
His grip remained a festering rage within him demanded retribution. A powerful sudden pull had the Jedi rammed face first into Jango’s helmet followed by another crunch, this time his nose had a river of blood flowing out of it. A knee to the gut brought him to his knees before both hands grabbed his head and brought it straight into his knee teeth and spit flew from his mouth.
The Jedi now thoroughly beaten and bloody falls to the ground. He stared up at the sky, each breath jagged and raspy. It ends abruptly when a torrent of flames wrapped around the Jedi like a blanket. His screams echoed out across the area. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked on in awe and horror. Jango lowered his arm silent as the grave the flames and figure thrashing in them reflected in his black visor.
Jango turned his head, “Time to leave.”
No one had a chance to say a thing. He simply walked away without another word, the others looked at one another, then the Jedi whose screams and movements would be forever grafted in their memories.
Two of the Sentry droids come over and move past the lowered transport ships. They fired into the enemy forces that were returning fire but none of their shots hit their mark.
The ship's take off with everyone getting on them. Jango looked down at his gauntlet. He brooded over the constant reminders of the past a grim satisfaction that will give him some peace of mind. With a press of a button on his gauntlet he looked at the tactical map of the battlefield.
Numerous red dots that represented the enemy forces moved inside of the base with the Sentry droids gunned down by the Federation tanks. Their ship rattled and moved abruptly, shots were fired at it and the others in the sky.
Once most of the enemy forces are around or inside of the base he pulls out a detonator and pressed the button. The sound of a massive explosion followed by the rush of wind made the ship unsteady. Rocked back and forth with everyone inside of it had enough sense to hold onto something to steady themselves before the ship stabilized. Jango noted with great satisfaction that the enemy forces that had surrounded the base or at least the vast majority were either dead or severely injured.
He would have been worried if the Jedi had been calm enough to sense the trap but with the battle and the long peace that had settled over the galaxy none of them were in the right state of mind to even foresee what was going to happen.
After that fight with the last Jedi Jango remained silent. The remains of the squad on the ship make some small talk but no one is in a talkative mood after that. Not long after that with the enemy forces divided up with several heading back to the base to reinforce them, they had spread themselves too thin and the Hutt forces managed to push on and wipe out the majority of them with what was left, forced to try and flee the planet. Or they would have if it wasn’t for their ships fleeing the system.
With the base destroyed they lost a lot of their coordination in the battle, never mind a fallback point or somewhere to go to for resupply. Stepping onto the Hutt frigate that was part of the battle above the planet as Republic and Trade Federation ships were forced to retreat.
The forms of several Hutts and various subordinates who worked under them appeared in the room.
“Jango, how did the mission go?”
“The Republic and Trade Federation were routed, what’s left of their forces are now being cleaned up and if any Republic forces are left they can’t do anything now.”
Chuckles and laughs can be heard as the battle for one of the Hutt's better spice mines was a success. Far too many of their businesses had been hit and the Hutts' losses had stacked up. By no means enough to topple the empire they have carved out for themselves but enough that if it goes on for a long time then the Hutts will collapse.
But they have given as much as they have taken from this conflict. Republic-aligned worlds are attacked by pirates and slavers near the mid-rim with the Planetary Defense Forces being pulled from them to aid in this conflict to add more bodies for the Republic to use so the planets they were protecting were now vulnerable.
Another downside is most of these people are not accustomed to large-scale conflicts like this. It’s just like with the Jedi, the peace that has pervaded the galaxy has led to them growing weak and spineless. Jango had seen enough of the Republic forces barely land a shot with a blaster more often than not to tell him how unprepared they are for this.
The only thing the Republic has going for it in this conflict is the reputation the Jedi have regardless of how overblown it is. He just beat one of them with his own bare hands which emboldened the others once they realized they were not invincible. It was a reputation that mattered to the grunts of the Hutt forces. One that unnerved them knowing they will face the Jedi.
As the conflict goes on hopefully that changes real quick. It should when witnessing something you had once believed to be invincible is far from it. If this conflict continued as is then the Hutts will win without the need to beat their forces entirely.
“Most excellent. The council will be most pleased with this. They have agreed to a bonus for a job well done and for calling you to deal with it personally on such short notice Jango.” The Twi’lek was a sort of slime that Jango truly loathed over most others. A traitor to his own people as he used them as slaves furthering his ambitions.
He is something that some would say Jango and the slime are one and the same. To that, Jango would put a blaster bolt between their eyes for even uttering such lies to his face. Jango was at one point Mandalore of his people but he had long since discarded that title after going through all that he had he felt it was best to walk away after he dealt with the last of the ones responsible for all of his suffering.
Even if his people needed him considering the coward that has turned them into what they are now. Save for the Mandalorians who have held onto their warrior ways that are spread throughout the galaxy and exiled from Mandalore by the Duchess the rest cannot even be called Mandalorians but it is not their fault. At least not all of it.
Keeping his inner thoughts to himself Jango needed some answers, “Have we found the ones responsible for the leaks on the Hutts' businesses being found?”
“No. But I believe we are close to finding them.”
Useless as usual Jango thought to himself.
“What about the executive board for the Trade Federation? If we can capture several of them or kill them we can end this conflict far faster.” Bane cuts in as all eyes are now on him.
“We know where a select few are. The problem is they are heavily protected in the inner rim. Any means to get to them is impossible. We would need to gather a massive fleet to get them and currently, our forces are too occupied to do this.”
“If we want to end this as quickly as possible, which is within your master's best interests since their businesses are getting hit, then you should prioritize the executives. If we can get them alive and force them to make their forces stand down we can negotiate with them. If not, at least kill them so they don’t have as many leaders commanding their forces.”
“I am in charge of my master's forces for a reason and you are under Jango-”
“That’s enough.” Jango’s tone made it clear he was not putting up with this. “Bane is right. Why is it that just because they are closer to the inner rim and have heavy defenses that is the only thing stopping us from attacking?”
The unspoken question is loud and clear. What are you up to and why are you not doing what your master would want?
The Twi’lek falls silent with a frown on his face but he knew better than to insult Jango of all people. He looks displeased but after a moment he speaks.
“I have said the reasons as to why. You do your job and I will do mine.” He says chin held high staring down at Jango and Bane before with a disdainful sniff his image fades away.
Bane growled hands balled into fists before Jango looked at him and Bane returned the gaze. Both silently agreed.
Simply by just letting this conflict continue and defending their resources while setting up new ones without them knowing where they are located they have the means to wait the Republic out as the Trade Federation continues to take losses. They have given the Hutts a black eye or two but in return, they have had their limbs slowly broken and crippled.
The Trade Federation from before this conflict could and would have been more than capable of subduing any pirate or criminal foolish enough to attempt anything with their fleet of ships and the muscle of their droid forces. But now with the Hutts actively harassing their trade ships even the Lucrehulks flaunted as the greatest deterrent against enemies of the Federation had been proven to be not as grand as they portrayed them.
The lone Lucrehulk in the system with fires and holes around it after the Hutt ships focused fire on different parts managed to break through the ship's shields as they stuck to the strategy the Hutts had come up with to deal with their ships.
All that Jango knew was that he was going to kill as many Jedi as he could. The fire in him only grew bigger and stronger the more bodies he added into it for fuel.
