The Renegade: Episode IV: Vindication

Chapter 27: The Hunter and the Bounty

"If you're going to spy on people you'll need to learn to be quieter," Lenore said to Wyb who was lurking behind her in the maintenance room.

"You just have good hearing," he said and sat beside her. She didn't respond. She was inspecting an old hoverboard they had picked up in the hanger from Peli who was all too happy to take the Mandalorian's money. It was an older model than the one Jord had but Lenore figured she could modify it enough. "'Nore, do you trust the Mandalorian?"

"Enough I suppose. Why?" Lenorea could sense Wyb was having second thoughts about the job.

"I just have a bad feeling about this." He said. It was touching to see as he got older he was becoming more protective over her. But she felt Wyb was aging faster than she liked. She just smiled and nodded. "Who's Boba Fett?"

"A man I pray you'll never meet," she said seriously. She had been in a lot of tough spots since she was young but there were very few individuals she was truly frightened of. One of them was Boba. "He was a bounty hunter during the Empire. One of his jobs was to supply creatures to the arena Jord and I were slaves at."

"Why are you so afraid of him? You aren't a creature."

"That's what you think," she winked at him to lighten the mood. She didn't want him to worry. "Look, it's ancient history as far as I'm concerned but I've taken enough chances in my life up until now. I'm not willing to take anymore with that Bounty Hunter Scum. Hopefully he really is a friend of Mando's and can get him a ship and we can head back home."

"Why do we have to help him? He's not like the others. He seems like he can take care of himself. He doesn't really need us." Wyb had a point. But Lenore felt if she could help him she could ensure that he would not return in case he ever changed his mind about sparing her.

"Wyb, we make a good living off what we do. It's the kind of life we've made by helping others. I don't care where they come from or who they are, if I can help I will." She said and heard a blast come from outside the ship. She quickly reached for hers and motioned to Wyb to take cover. He hesitated for a moment. She tossed the message meant for Cara Dune to him and held her finger up to her lips for him to keep quiet. He knew she wanted him to get the message out no matter what ended up happening.

She exited the ship slowly scanning the ramp and then the hangar. It was quiet. Too quiet. She turned and saw Peli's droids in pieces on the floor. She didn't see any sign of Peli which could be a bad sign, but knowing the mechanic she had taken off at the first sign of trouble.

"Lower your weapon," a voice came from behind. "We've got you outnumbered four to one."

"I've had worse." She said, still holding her blaster up. The other three stepped out of their hiding places surrounding her and laughed.
"Perhaps," the leader stepped forward. "But we're reasonable."
"Usually when someone tells me they're reasonable, they're usually insane," She said still unyielding. "Who are you? Better yet, tell me what you want?"

"We appreciate your directness." The leader stepped forward and placed his hand on her blaster and lowered it. Lenore didn't fire. She knew she was not in the position to strike until she figured out who they were. "We are the Sevvets. We're looking for a Mandalorian."

"Sorry boys, can't say I've heard of you." She said watching one of the men look up the boarding ramp. "But I have seen a Mandalorian."

Wyb was hiding in the floorboard compartments. He could hear Lenore through her commlink. He was shocked Lenore had mentioned Mando. She was not someone who usually let information go so freely.

"And where is this Mandalorian now?"

"Can't say. Jumped ship and didn't pay for his ride."

It was true in a manner of speaking. Lenore had gotten better at bending the truth since her days on Kafrene. She learned that if you told the truth vaguely and with a slightly different point of view, you could get away with almost anything. But she didn't know who the Sevvets were. Her best guess was they were mercenaries after Mando or something Mando had.