The Path of a Jedi (The Bad Batch x Reader)

Chapter 28

You arrived on Ord Mantell a few hours later, striding confidently into Cid's parlor. Her small group of regulars were huddled in a corner drinking and playing sabacc while she sat at the bar cleaning a few glasses.

Wrecker set the chest with the money in it on the counter, to which Cid immediately opened and began counting. You pulled Omega to the side by her shoulders and guided her to a corner where there were droid parts laying all around.

"I want you to stay over here and work on these droids for a while," you instructed, "whatever you create that works, you can keep and bring along with us."

She looked up at you excitedly, "like a friend?"

"(Y/N)," Hunter called from the counter. You smiled and nodded at Omega before turning around and coming back to the counter, settling in a place next to Hunter as Cid finished counting the money.

"You made quite the profit," she said, "even after my share."

"And how much is your share?" you asked, crossing your arms.

"A small finder's fee of course," she said, closing the chest and stuffing her cut in her pockets.

You sighed, but said nothing. It was Tech who spoke up, "are you able to use our share to get us the supplies and rations we need to leave here?"

Cid chuckled, "goggles, there is no leaving here, not yet."

"What did you say?" Echo asked, confusion and anger rising up.

Cid waived her hand, "oh don't get all confrontational, you need to let things with the empire settle down before you start living a normal life," she explained, "and until then, I have another job for you."

She stepped into her office without checking if you were following. The others looked at you, but you shook your head and followed Cid.

Once inside, you spoke again, "we are not mercenaries or hired hands, we have the ability to choose our missions."

"Not with me, you don't," Cid responded, dimming the lights and clicking on a holodisk, "This mission should be an easy one, with a heavy payout."

On the hologram materialized a head from a droid. "That's an old tactical droid," you said pointing to it, "generation 3, I believe, mainly used on the volcanic systems."

Cid nodded, "I see studying in the jedi archives has paid off for once," she said sarcastically, "all you need to do is obtain this droid head and bring it back here with its memory data intact."

You looked at her suspiciously, "and who would want the data in a tactical droid?"

"That is above your pay grade," she said, clicking off the hologram and turning up the lights.

You folded your arms, "then our pay better increase, I will not condone this mission without knowing all of the facts."

Cid huffed at you, but could tell by your look and the rest of the batch, she had no choice, "the pikes have asked for the best to steal this information, I told them I had just the team and they offered me top dollar for it."

"The pikes are gangsters," Hunter interrupted, "they care about no one but themselves."

Cid shrugged, "Neither do I, but I already accepted the mission, to refuse is to risk their wrath."

"It would be you they take out their frustration on, not us," Hunter responded defiantly.

"And you are all too proud and daring to let me take the fall for this," she said, equally defiant, "that's why I like you."

You nodded to the holodisk and she tossed it to Tech, "alright, but after this mission, we want out, dealing with gangsters and criminals is not what we signed up for."

Cid nodded, "we'll see about that."

You rolled your eyes and led the others out of her office and into the main parlor space which seemed to have emptied. Tech pulled out the holodisk and projected the map across the room.

For hours you studied the specs and devised a plan to obtain the droid head without incident. Finally you had a plan, and you all loaded up the ship and were off to Corellia, where all of the old sepratist battle droids were being decommissioned, including the tactical droid.

While in hyperspace, you settled into the common area and leaned your head back on a cushion. Hunter walked up to you slowly, sitting next to you and leaning back so your heads touched.

"I don't need to have any enhanced abilities to sense your anxiety about this," he whispered.

You turned to look at him for a moment, "I do not trust the pikes for a second, getting involved with them, in any small way, is a recipe for disaster."

He nodded, "it would be foolish to even think of trusting the pikes, but this mission should be easy."

You propped yourself up on an elbow, "I have spent much of my life avoiding the thoughts of the pikes, they are dangerous."

Hunter looked at you knowingly, "what happened?"

You sighed, "I was on an extended mission when I was a padawan, " you began, "back then I was studying under Master Qui-Gon Jinn with my fellow padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"You both shared a master?" Hunter asked curiously.

You nodded, "back then, there was a shortage of Jedi willing to teach, we were taken on from a young age and trained together," you explained, "the pikes killed my master, all because he tried to protect Obi-Wan and I."

Hunter placed a comforting hand on your shoulder and encouraged you to continue. "We escaped because of Master Jinn's sacrifice, but the pikes rarely forget someone who crosses them," you continued, "and I have certainly not forgotten their lack of compassion."

Hunter nodded, "I am sorry."

You nodded and pushed the memory out of your mind. You took a deep breath, "hopefully my anxiety is unwarranted."

Hunter pulled you into a side hug, allowing your head to rest on his chest, "I hope so too."

For some time you allowed Hunter's presence to relax you and set you at ease. You don't know how long you sat there before you drifted off to sleep for the first time in a long while.