Cad Bane - The Concept of Trust

Making a trade: Part I / II

Bane was comfortably half-asleep in the Justifier's cockpit's chair. Max Rebo's recordings were playing in the background, and Sy Snootle's voice echoed through the vessel. Bane was having a relaxed afternoon, when the alarm on the main panel erupted into life. The piercing, beeping signal, and red blinking light confused his sleepy brains for a moment. He didn't recognize the alarm at first. He had not heard that sound ...since they tested that it worked! Bane practically jumped out of the chair. It was Her distress beacon.

They had had an arduous fight after the incident with the Bazos on Lothal all those years back, when Bane had suggested installing the beacon in Her ship. She had been adamant not going to hear any of it, not needing to be babysitted. After a vociferous debate She had suggested they both would have those installed then, in the name of parity. Bane didn't want to hear any of it, like he would need that. They had both bolted on their separate ways, not seeing each other in weeks... The subject had not been brought up again, until both Todo and R3 had informed them that the distress beacons had been installed to both ships. When getting a word after the flood of curses that ensued that information, Todo reasoned with Bane:

"Mr. Bane, you were adamant to have the beacon installed in Her ship, so I gathered it was important to you... As the only way to get that done was to have a similar system in the Justifier, I calculated this to be the only way to reach your goal. It is not like you'd ever need to use that, Mr. Bane..."

At the same time, snappy beeps and chiding whirrs were heard in the background, when She and R3 were having their own conversation, which ended with Her laughing out loud, and touching R3 gently on top of its dome. Then She had walked back to Bane.

"If you don't disable it, I won't either."

"Deal, Lady."

Bane pressed the button to acknowledge the signal, and the coordinates appeared on the screen as a short voice message was played;

"Bane. ...I ...I need help. ...Can't move, and Dalcassian is... compromised. I'm losing life supp-." Her voice was slightly slurring, and there were pauses between the sentences, the most prominent one before She had been able to say it out loud She needed help. Then the recorded message ended.

"That's it?" Bane watched Todo.

"I'm afraid so, Mr. Bane. There are no other messages or transmissions."

"Prepare for the takeoff. Now! We're going." He commanded Todo, then tried to hail Her. No answer. Bane cursed in Durese... You stupid, Ronto-brained schoon... How long did you wait before sending that signal?"

The coordinates pointed to Wazta sector in the Outer Rim. Bane sneered, when checking the exact coordinates. What the hell are you doing on Lotho Minor, Lady? No one goes to Lotho Minor unless they are crazy. The planet had more than a nefarious reputation. It was a Junk World, the galaxy's dumping ground for untold generations. The planet was inhabited by the Junkers who augmented themselves with cybernetic debris on the planet, making them hybrids of various organic species, and mechanical debris, and those bastards attacked the trespassers on sight. Why didn't you tell me your mission was on that wretched excuse of a planet? Bane thought, his own voice nagging at him; Because you would've told Her it was stupid to go there alone, and you'd have ended up having a bust-up. Probably you'd have told Her, that You'd come to back her up, and She'd argue not needing to be shepherded. Bane sighed. He still wasn't always in terms with Her being so deep under his skin, and how She was so adamant sidestepping him if She needed anything.