Star Wars Rebels: Teenage Response

A Deal

The Shadow Caster left Atollon's orbit and began a hyperspace jump to Lothal, where a meeting will be waiting for Sabine and Ezra. Ketsu had volunteered to assist them, by flying them over and helping out with whatever is thrown at them. This was her way of thanking Sabine for the amazing birthday she had yesterday.
Any excuse to be near her works for me.
The rebels stood by Ketsu's side as she was piloting her ship. She let go of the controls and sat back when the Shadow Caster began traveling at lightspeed.
"Recap time!" Sabine announced to them both. "The base needs a supply of parts and pieces, in order to make our hefty repairs and craft up new stuff such as stealth drives for our scouts. Unfortunately we can't just go out and scavenge the shipyard planets like Raxus Prime...too dangerous"
The vast junk planet would be an ideal place to scavenge parts, with it having a constant stream of scrap thrown there by the Empire...and that right there was the problem: The Empire. They had tight control of their favourite trash can, and there was no way the Rebellion could "borrow" some of those nice bits of scrap.
But we can't just let everything fall apart due to not being able to maintain ourselves.
"Kanan made an agreement with an old acquaintance of ours: Vizago" She continued. "Vizago is the crime lord of Lothal, he could get us as much scrap as he can get his greedy hands on...but he wants something in return as we might expect"
But it wasn't a sum of money, it would seem. Vizago only agreed to a meeting in person, and had given the location of his ship: The Broken Horn. Sabine and Ezra were sent to see what he wanted.
We all need to do our bit. Other people back on Atollon are trying to make arrangements too.
But they had to be careful, it was critical that the Empire did not learn the location of the base. Vizago was no doubt untrustworthy, especially since he had betrayed the Ghost Crew before...but it was never personal, it was always just business. Information on insurgents was always handsomely paid for.
Doesn't mean we should be any less wary. Vizago would sell his own mother for a few credits.
"A deal, huh?" Ketsu said. "Oh joy, it's a good thing you and I have experience with this sort of thing already"
The two Mandalorians smiled at each other, and then looked Ezra who appeared to be deep in thought as he stood stiffly and looking down at his feet.
"You alright, kid?" Ketsu asked.
Ezra immediately turned to them when he heard his name, and quickly assured them he was fine. He really was, but he was also concerned. Concerned about his holocron. He had forgotten to hide it before leaving on this assignment.
"Fuck, did I put it my drawer?" He wondered. "If I didn't, Zeb would only have to look at my bunk and find the thing just sitting there..."
He couldn't let Kanan know he had the holocron, he wanted to study it for as long as he wanted to. Ahsoka died for knowledge, and knowledge is exactly what Ezra was going to obtain and understand. It wasn't easy, but he'd get there...he hoped.
For now, he needed to stay focussed.
"Okay...Vizago, huh?" Ezra said. "Great...it had to be him?"
Ezra had gotten involved with Vizago when his ship had been taken from him by Hondo, the Weequay pirate. When Ezra thought back, he admittedly believed that he should've taken Hondo's side. Though...it probably wouldn't have been wise to piss off a crime lord. The Rebellion needed allies, not more enemies.
"Especially when your enemy is a galactic Empire" He thought.

The Shadow Caster came out of hyperspace and moved into Lothal's orbit. It had been a while since Ezra saw his homeworld again...though he didn't really want to think about it, it reminded him of his parents. But also of the old days with the crew...where it was just themselves, no large Rebellion, no Sato, no Sith Lords...
"No holocrons..."
Ketsu moved the ship closer to the larger one that was Vizago's. The Broken Horn didn't look like much...looked a bit of a mess, actually. Someone certainly had to give his ship a bit of a clean.
"Remember guys, we need those shipments" Sabine informed her companions. "Don't piss him off, just do whatever he wants"
Though, Sabine wasn't looking forward to finding out what that would be. They needed the shipment, but Ezra and Sabine still considered themselves morally correct people...Ketsu, not so much. Hm, she could prove more useful than Sabine first speculated.
The Shadow Caster attached with the Broken Horn, and the three young people headed down to the cargo hold. They all slipped on their helmets, the Manadalorians thinking Ezra's painted cadet helmet was cute. They walked together, Ketsu behind Sabine and Ezra, as they entered the ship next door.
Man, it's been a while since we saw Vizago.
They met the Devaronian crime lord a little way through the hallway of his ship, holding a datapad in his only functioning arm. His disability was immediately noticed by Sabine, who had not seen him since the crew left Lothal for their vacation, the one that would lead to Ezra being taken by a dar'manda bounty hunter...about a year ago.
Damn...been a year ago since I was raped? Time flies by...
Yet, the pain of it had not yet still fully faded...it likely never will.
"Vizago" Sabine greeted him. "What happened to your arm? Sell it for some credits? Or did you give it to your sick mother as a transplant?
Vizago did not appreciate the Mandalorians humour, especially regarding his mother. He had lost his right forearm to an Imperial inquisitor who had interrogated him for information on the Ghost Crew's location. He complied, but lost his arm anyway...but it was better than losing his life. He didn't see much combat in his day, that's what his droids were for...his sharpest tool was his mind.
"Very funny, Sabine" He said sarcastically, looking into the black visor of Sabine's helmet. "I see you've brought Ezra with you. And who's this?"
Vizago looked at Ketsu, who was standing behind the rebels. Ezra and Sabine looked behind themselves to let Ketsu introduce herself.
"I'm...a friend" The bounty hunter responded, but she didn't want to waste time on pleasantries. "But anyways, you've come to discuss a deal with these two for a shipment. Is it money you want? Tell me how much"
Ketsu stepped forward to him, but Vizago shook his head. As much as he loved money, what he needed was more critical to him than credits.
"What you need to do is something quite...personal to me" He told them. "As I'm sure Ezra is already fully aware, my ship was temporarily taken under new command...temporarily"
When following a distress signal from the Broken Horn, Chopper and Ezra found that Vizago had been held captive in his own ship by Hondo Ohnaka. It seemed that even after many months, Vizago was still sore about the event.
"Well, I don't need to give you all the details...but I have resources, and I've tracked down that Weequay responsible for that predicament..." He said with a sinister chuckle, relishing in the thought that he could have revenge. "What I want is simple...bring me his head on a platter, and you'll get your shipment"
Ezra and Sabine didn't seem so thrilled at his request under their helmets. They were not assassins...and didn't kill for their own benefit or because someone told them to do it.
Well, at least...I don't do that anymore.
No...they only killed when it was necessary, when fighting Stormtroopers for example.
Ketsu on the other hand, didn't seem bothered in the least. She had undertaken many assassination contracts in the past...the more you do them, the less guilty to feel about it. It was the person who paid to kill her targets that truly killed them, she was just the weapon. A most deadly weapon.
"You want us to kill Hondo?" Ezra repeated his request. "We aren't assassins, Vizago. Does he have to die?'
Considering how Ezra still had Hondo as a contact, he had no desire to harm him. The Weequay had proven to be quite useful on occasion by providing information when it was needed at fortunate times. If it wasn't for Hondo's tip-off, Zeb might have never gotten to discover Lirasan and be relieved of the burden of believing he was the last Lasat.
"So that is his name? Hondo....yes, no exceptions" He sternly told them, with no intentions of softening his request. "I can provide you his location...go there and deal with him"
"If you knew where he was, why come to us?" Sabine questioned. "Why not do it yourself? Revenge would by much more sweeter by your own hand, would it not?"
The Devaronian sighed and scratched one of his sideburns. It certainly would be satisfying to choke the life out of the Weequay trickster...
"I've sent men after him before!" He explained. "Every time he got the better of them...but no casualties! He just always manages to give them the slip..."
He grunted his frustration. It had been about three attempts, all three wasted. But this time, the fourth time? He was taking no chances. His pride would forever remain harmed as long as he knew Hondo lived.
"But you three? I know you're better than my men..." He said eyeing all three of them, then specifically at Ezra and Sabine. "Well, you two anyways. Don't know who you are, but the Black Sun symbols on your armour probably give me an idea"
Ketsu certainly did make it clear she was of Black Sun, their insignia was on her armour and even tattooed to the back of her head...not that Sabine could blame her, she too was once obsessed with working for the vast criminal syndicate.
"So do we have a deal?" Vizago said.
Sabine and Ezra curled their lips behind their helmets, and then walked off a little way together to speak in private. Ketsu followed, but she had little reason to discuss Vizago's deal with her not actually being a rebel. If Ezra and Sabine didn't want to kill this Hondo, she could gladly do it instead.
"We can't kill Hondo" Ezra whispered to Sabine.
"Yeah, he was the reason we even found Lirasan for Zeb" Sabine agreed.
"So what are we gonna do? Do we refuse?"
"We can't...we need that shipment. Maybe there's a way around this?"
"Hondo is a trickster, he might think of something...for now, we should agree" Ezra advised, and Sabine believed that would be the best course of action.
Sabine and Ezra walked back to Vizago and they both nodded.
"Excellent" Vizago said pleased.
The Devaronian then bowed, and the two rebels looked at him confused. Ketsu smiled and walked to their side, to get them out of their awkward situation.
"You have to bow!" She whispered. "A sign of agreement!"
Never in all my bounty hunting career did I see this.
Ezra and Sabine then bowed, Ezra over-doing it. The three then all stood straight, and Vizago handed Sabine a datapad. Upon analysis, it had everything they needed to know.
"Of course, I'll need proof of his death" Vizago told them. "Bring me back his head, it will look good on my wall"
Ezra and Sabine glanced at each other, rather troubled. They had no idea how they could fake Hondo's death if they had to bring his kriffing head to the crime lord. Killing an ally was unacceptable...there had to be a way they could trick Vizago.
He'd totally deserve it, he's sold us out many times before.
Sabine, Ezra and Ketsu then walked back to the Shadow Caster. As Ketsu climbed up her ladders to set a course for Hondo's location, Ezra and Sabine had a discussion in the cargo hold.
"Well, we fucked up" Ezra sighed. "Any ideas?"
Sabine removed her helmet, and Ezra did too. She cupped her chin and thought hard. Never had she had to fake a death before...in her bounty hunter days, she would've killed the target with no regrets.
"I dunno, Ezra..." She admitted. "We can't kill him, but we need to follow our end of the agreement. I'm thinking if we somehow faked his death? No...that can't work, he wants his damn head..."
"What if we bring something else of Hondo's to Vizago? Something that belongs especially to him?" Ezra wondered.
Sabine shrugged. They had time to think about it during the hyperspace travel, but whatever they were going to do they had to think of it soon. They weren't going back to Atollon empty-handed.
We'll figure something out.