The Renegade: Episode III: The Deliverer

Chapter 19: The Debt

Lenore felt a hand on her back pull her up above the rumble. She gasped for air and was blinded by the glare of the sun. Her body was pulsing from adeline. She tried to get her bearings but was thrown to her knees.

"She's smaller than I thought," a voice said. Lenore continued to cough and gasp for air. She looked up and saw two large men. One a Devaronian and the other a human.

"Jord?!" Lenore screamed once she caught her breath. She saw him disappear but maybe, just maybe he had survived. "JORD!"

"He's gone, thief." The devaronian said grinning with pleasure. Lenore got up and took a swing at him. He barely felt it and laughed at the pathetic attempt. She was too emotional and weak to truly fight.

"She'll make it right, Burg." The man said. "If she wants her little squad to live."

Lenore stepped back and looked back where Jord had been buried alive. She knew this was about the weapons. Jord's decision caused his death. She now had a debt to pay.

"I think she gets it now, Hassk," Burg said. "And they say I'm slow."

"You are,"Hassk says, pointing his blaster at Lenore's head. "Look here girly, those weapons you and your little squad helped yourself to were part of the Black Sun inventory. We were in charge of delivering them. And now you've just made our job a lot harder."

Lenore had heard of the Black Sun. Everyone did. They were equally powerful as the Empire. The thing that gave them an edge was they operated in the shadows and still existed.

"Judging by your attire and outdated vehicles, I'd say you couldn't make up the balance if you tried,"Hassk continued.

"What do you want?" Lenore cut to the chase.

"We'll have to pay for the missing inventory as well as some interest to stay alive. So we'll need your help with another job," he said.

"One that pays." Burg clarified.

"It's not a job if it doesn't pay." She said curtly. Burg raised a fist and swung at her but she dodged it.

"You're quick. Good. We'll need that. You clear this debt and we'll leave you and your squad alone. If you fail then we'll wipe them out the way we did your friend back there." Hassk nodded. He looked her up and down and laughed. "Imperial tat? What, were you some kind of trooper?"

"She's too short to be a stormtrooper." Burg laughed.

"That's why they kicked me out." she said. There was nothing more she wanted to do than kill them both. But she was out numbered. Burg was getting tired of her back talk and stepped closer to intimidate her. "You have no idea what I've seen or faced. But I'm not afraid of you, Devaronian. In fact there is nothing more I'd rather do than cut those horns from your skull."

"Enough!" Hassk said, stopping Burg from attacking. He motioned with his blaster, "She's got courage. You'll need that too. Start moving. And remember there's two of us and one of you."

They got in a landspeeder and sped away to their ship. Lenore had a sinking feeling she may not return. Everyone would think she had gone with Jord after all. No one would come looking for her. Worst of all she feared Wyb would think she abandoned him the same way her mother had her. She'd need to settle this debt fast.

––––––––––

They left Portug. She had no idea where they were headed and every time she tried to speak Burg shot her a look to keep quiet or he would make her. She tried her best to devise a plan to escape but she saw there were no escape pods aboard. Plus they were too far out in space. It was very unlikely she would luck out and find another herd of purrgils to save her.