What is it about this place and bounty hunters…

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened to Connor talk. She enjoyed his company and his voice. The banter reminded her of the way it was with kana – before they both became too busy. Now it seemed her friend spent more time on Yavin IV than she did on Ossus.

“I think it was easy because we’re Jedi. They snatched a baby and hired some local heavies to frighten the baby’s mother. The hint they were OS was enough to keep the Hutt in line. I suspect they would have killed the baby and lost their only leverage. They don’t come across as the smartest cookies.”

“And as for a set-up?” She glanced at him. “No, I don’t. Her fear was genuine and any ambush would already have happened. Now…if there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is another matter. But we’ll find out soon enough.”

“And you know…we make a good team you know. My brains and your brawn…” She smiled and suddenly found the windscreen very interesting.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor drew small circles with his finger around his thumb as he listened to Corvus – her greater sense of the Force and level-headed attitude was important to him, it gave him balance to any situation. With a nod, he submitted to her view of things, which sort of made sense; not that he’d admit it of course.

And he couldn’t help smile at her compliment, noticing her looking away. He chuckled gently, as it seemed she was still making her way through emotions and feelings buried inside. However he’d already made an embarrassment of himself on Voss to her, so this time he didn’t look away and let her find something to focus on.

"Yeah. We do, don’t we. Beauty and the Beast.”

Puzzled at his own put down, he thought for a second.

”Well, not really a beast, but you get the point. And I wouldn’t hope for much gold at the end of this rainbow Corvy, being a Hutt it’s probably something useless and distasteful. Either way, you can have it. Your company alone and seeing you again has been the reward for me.”

With a proud smile, enjoying seeing if he rattled her, the Jedi and looked out of the cock pit as they moved closer to their goal, glancing sideways hiding his grin to see her reaction.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled and put on a mock pained expression. "Who are you calling a beast?"

Before Connor could respond a voice carried through to the cockpit. "The truth hurts Master...the truth hurts."

She smiled and cocked her head in the direction of the droid. "One day I'll get his memory wiped and have him re-set to factory settings."

She looked at Connor, "And whatever we get, we'll decide on ownership when we find it. I mean, I found something recently with Taeli that would not look good on you. Chest armour. And when I say chest armour, I mean...you know...chest armour."

She laughed. "But it had historical value and will find its way into a museum somewhere."

She was aware they were now close to landing once more. "So, do you want to carry the baby or do we bring him along?"

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Twisting his head to see Cornix and the Hutt, Connor rolled his eyes and stood up, patting Corvus gently on the shoulder.

"Wipe his memory? Why not melt him down and attatch him to the back of your ship,” he said with a smile at the droid.

Connor sighed and turned back.

"Leave cranky here, get him to keep the ship ready or to arm the weaponry or whatever – he’ll only drop us in something with that mouth of his. Why DID your friend give you such rotten company?”

He turned again and walked past Cornix, patting him on the cool metal shoulder. Moving to the holding bay, Connor held onto the side as the droid came over with the Hutt and waited for his Master. Funny how he daren’t say anything without Corvus around – protocol droids certainly knew when they had an audience.

The ship banked slightly and it felt like the gently swaying motion meant they were coming down back on the junk planet.

"Gently does it my dear,” he shouted through.

Looking at Cornix, he raised a finger to the droid to cut off any snarky reply.

"Not a word, tin can.”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus frowned gently at Connor. “I know you’re joking but he was a gift from a Padawan, the first protocol droid he made. And he can be company on long trips. And Kana probably thought she was doing me a favour. He can be funny at times.”

So Cornix handed the baby back over without a word and disappeared – no doubt to sulk – and Corvus landed the ship smoothly, despite the strong cross-winds.

Once more the chauffeur was waiting for them and she had some sort of huge baby basket on the back seat of the speeder for them. Climbing in, there were two drinks poured and a jar of what looked like small frogs and newts. At the sight of them, the baby Hutt bounced up and down and pointed emphatically at them.

“I think it’s your turn to feed him,” Corvus smiled. Or was that a smirk?

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

The convoy of Jedi and Hutt left the ship and moved into the waiting transport and right back into the lap of luxury. Connor frowned at the jar of waiting food – still moving and looking more grotesque in the dark lights of the vehicle. Looking at Corvus, Connor shook his head.

"I was only joking about your droid you know, I’m sure he’s wonderful company when you’re alone.”

Shaking his head, knowing she wouldn’t budge or only mock him if he didn’t step up, Connor pulled up the lid with a gently pop and sighed as he slipped his fingers into the thick, clear jelly that had the newts and lizard creatures freshly prepared for their momentary demise.

A chill ran up his spine as the cool jelly swallowed up his fingers with a squelch and he tickled the edge of a waiting black newt, pulling it gently out with one finger, then two, then his whole hand before turning and dropping it into the open mouth of the Hutt sat between the two, eyes bulging and pink tongue flapping.

"Oh that’s wrong.”

A horrid noise accompanied the excited baby Hutt’s devouring of the newt, and Connor held his jellied fingers up, not knowing where to put them. He looked at Corvus and smiled.

"How ‘bout a hug?”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus wondered if she’d been a bit harsh with Connor about Cornix. He was only joking and she’d tried to banter back but perhaps had come across a little too defensive.

“Cornix is a pain, but I guess he’s my pain.” She smiled. But her smile quickly faded as Connor proceeded to feed the baby.

Or rather it remained fixed on her lips, but the rest of her face clearly left them on their own. She once had a Padawan that ate live food and had razor sharp incisors, but she’d had the decency to eat those meals away from Corvus.

So she tried to imagine the delicacies were vegetables and most certainly not alive.

But Connor returned humour to the conversation. “I’m sure the baby would love a hug.”

“Oh look, we’re here…” Pleased to be distracted, Corvus hadn’t even touched hr drink and as soon as the speeder stopped, she opened the door and was ready to enter the lobby. She gave the area a quick review. If the local representatives had been tipped off, here was the place they’d show themselves. But there was nothing to see, so she followed Connor into the building and over to the lifts.

“So far, so good…”

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Holding the Hutt under his arm wrapped in the purple cloth, slimy and dusty from their escape, Connor led the way through a normal lobby of a normal hotel to the lifts at the rear. Everything normal. He glanced at Corvus as the lift came, a slight creak to the door as it opened.

The ride up was normal also, but he knew they both were thinking the same thing. It felt TOO normal, and what IF something was waiting on the other side of that suite at the top to surprise them that wasn’t normal. At least they had the Hutt.

The lift came a stop on their floor.

"This is where the fun begins,” he muttered.

Stepping out gingerly, the situation seemed…normal.

Across from them, where they had left her, was Mama Hutt and her aide a few unsavoury types. Not breaking his stride, Connor walked forward and allowed the baby Hutt to make enough noise as it needed on sight of his mother.

"One baby Hutt; un-signed, un-sealed but delivered, oh exalted one.”

He turned to see Corvus approaching, his eyes drawn over her shoulder to the lift doors closing behind. Was that normal?

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was aware that Connor was still a little jumpy. In her experience, if the Force wanted to know you something, it told you. Her focus was on the reunion of mother and child. She had no maternal instincts but she had two sisters and remembered how she felt when reunited with them. She could only imagine the relied the Hutt was now experiencing.

She smiled at Connor as she saw him check out the closing lift-doors. Which is precisely what happened the last time they were here. She shook her head slightly and whispered, "Don't worry. It's perfectly normal. I make observations while you think with your lightsaber."

She stepped forward. "We can't guarantee they won't come back - but I can promise you they are just a low-grade rent-a-thug operation. Don't be frightened of them. The fear is something is always grater than the thing itself."

She smiled and stepped back. "Until next time."

The Hutt was all over its child but broke off for long enough to say, "Within five minutes, the final page of the report will be unencrypted. Good treasue hunting. And thank you. I truly owe you everything."

Corvus smiled and bowed slightly. "It was our pleasure."

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor smiled, and it got bigger as he picked up on two things:

- The genuine relief from Mama Hutt being back with her child
- The fact he had done something finally to see the good in his action

He followed suit with a bow and stepped back beside Corvus. He leaned a little over to her.

"It doesn’t matter thinking with the lightsaber, it’s how you use it that matters. You’ve never complained before.”

Straightening up, he linked his hands behind his back and glanced around the room. More normality.

"So what do you think this report is? Another hidden relic on some tomb? I tell you – if we have to venture into another tomb or face a beast, I’m resigning.”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled. It was true, he'd always been most careful when using his saber. The Krayt dragon, Andeddu's temple...impeccable use of his blade. Of course, that was all her mind heard!

As they walked to the lift. Corvus wondered what it might be. "Well it's not going to be easy, that's a given. The map won't be for a shop on Ossus named Jedi Relics R Us. It's bound to be tough. Anything worthwhile is worth fighting for, don't you think?" She looked into his eyes.

"Your datapad just bleeped. I think that means the information has been shared." In truth she didn't mind what it might be - she loved everything Jedi and recovering something minor or major, it was enough that she'd brought it back to civilisation that mattered.

"Well, don't keep a girl in suspense, what is it?"

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Riding down in the lift, he was lost for a moment in those violet eyes; oblivious to the datapad on his side that beeped.

"Hm? Oh, absolutely. You’re right.”

Pulling it out once more, spinning it in his palm, they lift let them out into the lobby, and he moved to the side of the room, glancing up as he accessed the data to make sure her ankle wasn’t giving her grief still. Talk about over-doing it.

He tapped his fingers on the side of the pad and hummed an obscure tune gently, catching her eye.

"Downloading. I need to update my server on here, signal isn’t great and I think the Silver Jedi are falling behind with the times.”

A few moments more, after a little shuffle and rocking on his feet, the datapad flashed up and a number of maps fed through and a small transcript that Connor then started to read. Eyes narrowing, he pursed his lips and nodded.

Was she hinting at something? Ask her. No, don’t. Actually.

He hated reading into things, but she had said to fight for what was worthy?

"Ok, it’s here…hang on,” he re-read a paragraph after losing his train of thought. He finished, and span the pad around for Corvus to read and he looked at her for a reaction.

"Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time. Since the last time I saw you actually. I'm beginning to think you're a distant relation of his using my good looks and brains to piece together his past.”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus shrugged. "He had no holocron that I know of? I mean, nothing on record - I would know. But then...he had plenty of time with not a lot to do? So it's possible, definitely possible. Yoda's ghost could have shown him for example."

Suddenly she was very excited. Could it be that the late, great Obi Wan Kenobi constructed a holocron?

"Well what are we waiting for, where are the coordinates." She looked at the datapad and her face paled. "You're not going to believe it. They're my coordinates. I mean, it's where I built my little place, on the site of his little hut."

Suddenly the colour returned to her cheeks. "Come on then...hurry up."

[member="Connor Harrison"]