Stuck With Me: A Cad Bane Novel

Chapter 23

Warnings: i struggle to get info on hutts, swearing probably,

Word count: 1.2k

You stare unblinkingly at Tygrav as he rattles on about something you don't care about. Cad is beside you, his death grip on the table only getting tighter as the Human sitting across from you continues to flirt obliviously, buying you any drink you want. Stifling a yawn, you play with your half empty glass, aware that if you don't stop him soon Cad is going to snap, and it won't be pretty.

This is your first hunt, and nervous energy sparks through your body, adrenaline bubbling through you, the unfamiliar weight of a blaster on your hip. You know that to Cad, this hunt is barely anything - not in credits but in difficulty, but he insisted on something like this so he can easily keep you safe. It was actually lucky to find a bounty like this, because you're pretty sure easy bounties with high pay are rare - rare enough that you know Bane must have pulled a few strings to get it for you.

Eventually, you give enough monosyllabic replies that Tygrav gives up and stops talking. Cad puts his hand on the small of your back as you leave the cantina, glaring vibroblades at the other man until he's forced to break eye contact. When you get back to the Justifier, the Duros gives you the rundown about the bounty as he sets the coordinates for Nar Shaddaa.

He's a male Twi'lek who owes one of the Hutt Clans, the Kanji, over a hundred thousand credits, and decided that if he ran far away enough he wouldn't have to pay it back. The Twi is missing half his left lekku, a darkish yellow in colour and has a milky right eye - easy to spot, Cad says, since he doesn't have enough credits to pay for a good disguise, but will put up a good enough fight to test out your skills. The rest of the information, the last place he was seen, and the reward for his capture will be given to you by the Kanji Criminal Enterprise when you meet them on Nar Shaddaa.

You're not nervous when the ship lands, touching down on the Hutts' private docking bay. Cad has taught you well, and you know that he'll be there to keep an eye on you if you need. His fingers wrap around your shoulder as you're led by three Gamorrean guards into a looming palace. The sky overhead is a pressing, muddy orange, and speeders and ships swarm overhead like flies attracted to a carcass. Wrinkling your nose at the smell, you lift your chin as in moments, you're facing a massive Hutt, whose yellow eyes gleam hungrily as they run over you before darting to Cad. The Hutt's tiny hand raises in acknowledgement as he belches out a string of words in Huttese. Your... hunting partner's brow raises, his jaw tightens, but he tips his hat, greeting the Hutt first.

'Leader of the Kanji,' he growls. 'I did not bring ya Russ' schutta. I brought my huntin' partner.'
The Hutt scoffs, saying something, and the droid by the side translates. 'The great Leader of the Kanji says that he does not think you could be a hunter, and that you'd look a lot better chained to the floor beside him.'

Your anger boils over at those words, and you scowl. No one, no one, should be chained next to that monster, and the fact that he has the audacity to tell you so, as if you're just another schutta... Cad steps well back, knowing that he neither wants to or is able to stop whatever you're going to do next, adjusting his hat slightly so you can see his devilish smirk. Your lips pull up to mirror his, and you don't hesitate another moment as you begin to experience the strange sensation you always do when you shift forms. You've found recently that you can control how long the transition takes, and you make sure to draw it out as long as you can, taking far too much satisfaction from the look of terrified fascination on the Hutt's slimy face.

Finally, your bones halt their movements, and you stand in the form of a massive Trandoshan - so massive that you have to stoop to avoid hitting your head - you've modelled yourself on Uta Syss, except you've changed her facial features so that they're solely unique to yours. Slowly, not hiding the power hidden in your limbs, you reach for your blaster, spin it nimbly in your fingers, and slam it back into its holster. Silent apart from the laboured breathing of the Hutt, the room is still, immobilised and taken aback by the show you put on. And then Cad makes a sound, a breathless growl accompanied with a rattle deep in his chest, both of which tell you exactly how attractive he found your little performance. Quickly, he hides both sounds with a cough before anyone else can register what they mean, and you throw him a grin full of needle sharp teeth.

The Hutt has gone pale, or as pale as a Hutt can go. With trembling fingers, he gestures at the droid, who clears its throat and begins to speak. 'The target was last seen in the south of Hutta Town. It is to be brought back alive. That is all the information the Leader of the Kanji is willing to give.'

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Todo is actually the first one to spot the sickly yellow shade of the bounty as he hares through the crowd, obviously having spotted you before you spotted him. No doubt he recognised Bane (or his hat), who's notorious for working with the Hutt crime lords. The sound of Cad's droid's alarmed voice had caught your attention, then his little mechanic fingers pointing frantically in the direction of one of the garbage barges beginning to take off into the sky. You're still in the Trandoshan form, and your enhanced eyes pick up the blur as the Twi vaults over the side of the barge. Parting before you, the crowd shrinks away from you and your hunting partner, and you sprint towards the Twi, just catching the side of the barge before it takes off.

Snarling in effort, you haul yourself up, diving to the side as the bounty sends bolts flying your way as soon as your head pops up over the side. Cad follows soon later, returning fire as you scramble forward, shifting into a scurrier and ducking and weaving through the rubbish. Once you're close enough, you shift back into the Trandoshan form, erupting from the garbage and ripping the bounty's blaster from his fingers, eyes glowing yellow as you smash his head against the side of the barge, knocking him out - but not before you see the frigid flash of fear in his gaze.

'Nice one, li'l lady,' Cad grins, his words infused with pride. 'Ya did that pretty much all by yerself. Ya make a good hunter.'
Pride surfaces in your stomach, and you lean over to kiss his cheek. 'Thanks, partner.'
He chuckles. 'Let's get back to the Justifier. That Hutt better give us a bonus for how quick we got that tail head in.'