Into a Galaxy at War (Bounty Hunter Edition)

As Spike went from the melee to talk to Crysta, she told him, "Whoo! Haven't seen a shot that quick since Harok Lisut retired! Well, congrats for winning the melee, you're in the Great Hunt now. But before you get going, you're going to need a ship."

Spike smiled, but then said, "As much as I hate shuttle rides, I don't have the credits to buy a ship."

Crysta chuckled, "Don't worry. If you're going to be a hunter, you'll need to get used to traditions. And there's a tradition in the Great Hunt where you 'procure' a ship on your own."

"In other words, I steal it. I'm a hunter, not a thief."

Crysta sighed, "Well, you do have a sense of honor and pride, I'll give you credit for that. But unless you have a sugar mama, you don't have much of a choice."

Spike grumbled, "Fair enough. So, any ideas?"

"Well, I found just the ship you need, it's a D5-Mantis, top of the line. You're going to have a good time getting it from some weird alien."

Spike nodded, "Alright, I'll contact you when I get my new ship."

As Spike arrived at the hangar his new ship was in, he was stopped by Imperials, one of which, "Oh no you don't. This is the fifth ship to be targeted by those blasted Mandalorians this week. Although I suppose not all of them are bad. It was Tarro Blood who gave us this tip."

Spike grumbled, "I really need to kill that guy soon." Before looking to the alien, who was obviously the soon to be previous owner of his new ship and said, "And I thought the Imperials were above dealing with aliens. But either way, I have information on this guy." before pulling out his data pad and showing the Imperials a forged criminal record for the alien, showing that he had a lengthy record of murders involving high ranking Imperials and even a Sith apprentice.

The alien's eyes widened as he tried to defend himself, "I swear, none of that is real! I'm a businessman, not a murderer!"

Spike rolled his eyes, "And who do you think the Imperials are going to believe, a human with overwhelming evidence, or an alien smuggler?"

The captain of the Imperials took Spike's data pad and looked through the evidence before saying, "He's right. He may be a hunter, but he's still human and has overwhelming evidence that proves you guilty. Although, I must ask, where did you get this evidence?"

Spike explained, "I have my talents, but I've got to give credit to Mako. She can dig up even the most secure records. Not that I take advantage of that to oppose the Empire, I'm just a humble hunter trying to do his job. And besides, with my help, you have a perfect case, and I don't work for free."

The Imperial thought for a moment and said, "Men, arrest this pathetic alien. Hunter, the ship is yours, and here's a payment for your service to the Empire." before returning his data pad to him and entering a transaction between them, "I believe 45,000 credits is acceptable?"

Spike nodded, "More than acceptable, I never turn down a good payday. It's been a pleasure." before heading to his new ship and entering.

As Spike entered his new ship, a droid noticed him and asked, "Wh-Who are you? Where is my master?"

"He's been arrested, and he ain't coming back. You got a problem with that?"

The droid shook his head, "No master. My former master was highly anti-droid and rarely bathed. N-Not that there's a problem with that of course!"

Spike told his new droid, "No worries, calm down. I'm ready to depart for my next target. What's your name?"

The droid bowed in respect, "I am 2V-R8, factotum droid for this vessel. I am programmed for a variety of tasks, including but not limited to ship maintenance, janitorial duty, meal preparation, and etiquette. While I am unable to offer combat support, I function to serve you."

Spike nodded, "Good" before walking up to the second level of the ship and activating the holo-terminal. When Crysta came up he asked, "So, what's my first target?"

Crysta smiled, "Eager, aren't we? Your first targets are on Balmorra and Nar Shaddaa. Contact me for details when you reach either planet. But you should also know there will be another hunter after the same target as you on all the hunts. You've got to beat them to the target if you want to advance."

Spike nodded, "Got it, I'll contact you when I get to Balmorra." before cutting the line

And so, Spike has tricked his way into owning a new ship, and while he feels a bit bad about getting an innocent man arrested, he knew it had to be done. In the world of Bounty Hunters, there was one thing he knew was a fact, that it's kill or be killed, and he liked breathing. As Spike heads to Balmorra, he is ready to take down anyone who gets in the way of him and his target, as well as anyone who tries to deny him vengeance for what Tarro Blood did to Braden and Jory. The Great Hunt begins!