Fixing Our Broken Pieces || The Bad Batch

Chapter 20: Infested

Following a mission, The Havoc Marauder descends into Ord Mantell City, landing in a landing bay. This time Orla is there with them, after the last rescue mission she decided she wouldn't mind helping out in their missions and no one was happier for her change of heart than Hunter.

"Cid better pay us extra for that mission," Echo complained, stepping out of the ship.

"Eh it wasn't so bad," Wrecker compromised, staying his cheerful self.

"She failed to mention the drop zone would be swarming with Gundarks," Echo contended although Orla silently agreed with him. She very quickly learned Cid was like a certain pirate she lent favour to, a trickster who liked to downplay his jobs.

Continuing down their regular path to Cids, Orla felt a cold chill down one of the darker alleyways but she didn't need the force to tell something was up, armed figures alerted her. Acting fast she pulled the hood over her face and took out her temple guard mask she retrieved from her ship and used on the recent mission. After worrying about the clone recognising her she wasn't about to take any more unnecessary chances. The mask had been painted over so it wasn't recognized as a temple guard's mask, plus it hid her voice with a more programmed sound. Back at the temple, she removed the voice box but Tech made a perfect replacement.

Inside, Cid's parlour was loaded with the same masked guards scouting around causing Cid's customers to stay on high alert. It wasn't until two Pykes joined the scene that Orla's heart rose exponentially. The Pykes slid by them unbothered and they met with one of the guards who confronted them.

"Where do you think you're going?" unlucky for him his question is answered by a punch to the gut by Hunter and they brushed past the groaning guard. They storm into Cid's office only to be met by more guards but no Cid. The squad and the guards face each other with blasters except Orla who raises no kind of weapons sticking to her negotiation first tactic. Her most important moral slipped her mind when she agreed to help rescue Hera's parents and to keep her identity a secret she was going to make sure not to make an enemy out of someone she didn't need to. Yoda taught her that.

"You know it's rude to barge into one's office unannounced," A Devaronian man spoke up, sitting in Cid's place.

"This isn't your-"

Orla interrupts Hunter's argument and forces him to lower his blaster. Hunter is surprised although he shouldn't be, she is still a Jedi who chooses her fights wisely. He listens to her and lowers his weapon and his defence and the rest of his squad followed. When they do the guards also lower their blasters and already Orla can see them coming to a peaceful agreement. Hunter lets Orla do the talking, her voice still covered up by a robotic font.

"I'm sorry we didn't mean to intrude, we're looking for Cid, this is her office."

"I'm aware, but I'm afraid Cid isn't available at the moment," The Devaronian man swivels around on the chair and allows his pet lizard, which Omega recognises as "Ruby" to jump up out of his lap.

"Ruby?" Omega remembers the creature from one of their previous jobs, it was the job they came back from when Orla was properly introduced to them. Orla barely remembers the beast as she only saw it for a moment when it was last here.

"She is my prized pet," the Devaronian responds proudly. Orla tries to make her own explanation of why he's here before the Devaronian explains himself. He isn't here because he likes the look of the parlour which can't be true unless the only thing he's been inside of is a cantina on the lonely planet of Tatooine or he's angry with her over her misguided information about a job.

"What are you doing with her," Omega continues questioning.

"I paid, Cid, delivered," he shrugged it off with no concern.