Chapter 72 : The Bounty
The alert arrives at 0347 hours via encrypted underworld channels Rex monitors for clone network—intelligence digest that includes bounties, wanted postings, and security alerts across multiple sectors. This one gets flagged immediately as priority notification.
SEPARATIST BOUNTY POSTED: KADE VARRO
BOUNTY: 5,000,000 CREDITS ALIVE / 3,000,000 CREDITS DEAD
ISSUED BY: COUNT DOOKU, SEPARATIST LEADERSHIP
SUBJECT DESCRIPTION: HUMAN MALE, 183CM, 77KG, BROWN HAIR, BLUE EYES
LAST KNOWN ASSOCIATES: DEATH WATCH, SHADOW COLLECTIVE
SUSPECTED CRIMES: MILITARY TECHNOLOGY TRAFFICKING, ASSASSINATION EQUIPMENT SUPPLY, TREATY VIOLATIONS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: SUBJECT HAS ACCESS TO ADVANCED NON-STANDARD TECHNOLOGY. APPROACH WITH CAUTION. CONTACT SEPARATIST INTELLIGENCE FOR COORDINATION.
R4's alarm escalates to maximum priority—shrill warning that wakes me from first decent sleep in days. Bo-Katan is already moving, armor half-donned before I'm fully conscious.
"What's the alert?"
"Dooku issued bounty on master," R4 reports with urgency that cuts through sleep fog. "Five million credits for capture alive. Three million dead. Galaxy-wide distribution through all major bounty networks."
The number is staggering. Five million credits exceeds most planetary operating budgets. Every bounty hunter, mercenary, and desperate criminal in galaxy will be searching for me within hours of bounty propagating through communication networks.
"Ventress's attack failed," I realize. "Dooku survived and traced equipment back to me."
"Correct assessment. Separatist intelligence has connected master to assassination attempt through captured devices. Master is now enemy of Count Dooku personally."
Bo-Katan finishes donning armor with practiced speed. "We need to wake Vizsla. This is existential threat requiring immediate response."
Death Watch command mobilizes within twenty minutes—Pre Vizsla reviews bounty details with expression that's controlled fury mixed with tactical assessment.
"Five million alive is enormous sum. That bounty will motivate every hunter in galaxy. Three million dead means some will choose easier collection method—just kill you and claim reduced payment."
"I'm aware."
"Your enemies now include: Republic with Jedi investigation and arrest warrant, Separatists with Dooku's personal vendetta and five million credit bounty, and every bounty hunter who wants generational wealth. That's untenable situation."
"What's recommendation?"
Vizsla activates strategic display showing our remote asteroid base location. "Maximum security lockdown. Base coordinates are classified—only inner circle knows location. We implement zero-tolerance policy: no new visitors, all supply runs use unmarked ships and encrypted routes, approach vectors are mined. Anyone unauthorized who comes close gets destroyed without warning."
"That's extreme."
"Five million credit bounty is extreme. Response must match threat level." He gestures to Death Watch commanders. "Double patrols. Establish secondary sensor perimeter at fifty-kilometer radius. Prepare evacuation protocols if base location is compromised."
I access System catalog, searching anti-bounty hunter equipment. Several options appear:
[ ADVANCED SENSOR NETWORK - 200000 CREDITS ]
[ DETECTS APPROACH FROM 100KM, IDENTIFIES SHIP SIGNATURES ]
[ AUTOMATED DEFENSE TURRETS - 350000 CREDITS ]
[ AI-TARGETED WEAPONS, ENGAGING UNAUTHORIZED VESSELS ]
[ COMBAT DROID BODYGUARDS - 150000 CREDITS EACH ]
[ MILITARY-GRADE PROTECTION, PERSONAL SECURITY ]
The costs are severe but necessary. Five million credit bounty justifies extreme defensive spending.
"I can supply security equipment. Advanced sensors to detect approaches, automated defense turrets, personal combat droids for bodyguard detail. Total cost approximately one million credits. Worth investment given threat level."
"Proceed. Death Watch treasury is depleted from civil war—your financial contribution to base defense benefits everyone."
I materialize equipment systematically over next six hours. Advanced sensor network first—sophisticated detection grid that monitors approach vectors from one hundred kilometers out. Installation requires Death Watch engineers positioning satellites around asteroid base perimeter.
Automated defense turrets next—twelve weapon emplacements with AI targeting that engages unauthorized vessels automatically. No human hesitation, no second-guessing. Unknown ship enters kill zone, turrets fire. Simple protocol that's brutally effective.
Personal combat droids are last component. Three units—humanoid military specification with integrated weapons and programming for bodyguard operations. They establish perimeter around my quarters, monitoring corridors with tireless vigilance human guards can't maintain.
[ SECURITY UPGRADES COMPLETE ]
[ ADVANCED SENSORS: 200000 CREDITS ]
[ DEFENSE TURRETS: 350000 CREDITS ]
[ COMBAT DROIDS (3): 450000 CREDITS ]
[ TOTAL EXPENDITURE: 1,000,000 CREDITS ]
[ CURRENT BALANCE: 11,546,245 CREDITS ]
[ FACILITY DEFENSE STATUS: MAXIMUM ]
One million credits vanished in six hours. But the alternative is being captured by bounty hunters and delivered to Dooku for interrogation that ends with execution.
Eight's analysis is characteristically pragmatic: "Master's defensive spending is necessary expenditure. Five million credit bounty attracts galaxy's most competent hunters. Automated defenses and personal protection justify cost through survival probability increase."
"Master's wealth is declining rapidly," R4 counters. "Base maintenance costs 50k monthly. Smuggler networks cost 100k monthly. Communication security costs 25k monthly. New defense systems will add maintenance costs. Total overhead: approximately 200k monthly or 2.4M annually. Master's revenue has decreased twenty percent from client attrition. Eventually overhead exceeds income."
"Then master increases revenue through higher-value contracts or reduces costs through efficiency improvements."
"Master is under galaxy-wide manhunt. Client acquisition is impaired. Cost reduction is limited by survival requirements. Math is unfavorable."
They're both right. I'm burning through wealth maintaining security while revenue streams dry up. The trajectory is unsustainable—eventually security costs exceed earnings, depleting reserves until I'm broke and defenseless.
But that's long-term problem. Immediate threat is staying alive through bounty collection attempts.
Bo-Katan becomes my permanent shadow—where I go, she goes, fully armed and armored. Marriage transformed into protection detail through necessity rather than choice.
"You don't have to follow me everywhere," I tell her during routine check of production facility.
"Five million credits motivates betrayal. Someone inside Death Watch might decide selling you is better than protecting you. I'm ensuring that doesn't happen."
"You think Death Watch warriors would betray their own?"
"I think five million credits is life-changing wealth. People rationalize terrible things for sufficient motivation. I'm not risking it."
Her paranoia is justified. That much money corrupts even strong loyalties. Better to assume everyone is potential threat than die trusting wrong person.
Operations adjust to new reality. Several clients drop off entirely—risk of dealing with galaxy's most wanted outweighs supply benefits. Others demand enhanced security protocols: encrypted dead drops rather than direct meetings, anonymous transactions through intermediaries, zero paper trail.
Some try leveraging bounty for discounts. Small-time operator contacts via encrypted channel: "I could turn you in for three million. Or you could give me fifty percent discount on next order. Your choice."
My response is cold calculation: "Try collecting bounty. You'll learn why Dooku wants me alive—I'm too connected to kill safely. Death Watch protects me. Shadow Collective has interest in my survival. Republic wants me for trial. Every faction will retaliate against whoever disrupts my operation. Think carefully about whether three million is worth making powerful enemies."
Bluff partially—but effective. Client reconsiders and accepts standard pricing.
Still, revenue decreases another twenty percent. Eight's projections show overhead exceeding income within six months at current trajectory. Need major sale or revenue source to offset costs.
"Master should consider preemptive action against threats," Eight suggests during evening strategy review. "Dooku is vulnerable currently—wounded from Ventress's attack, potentially exposed in medical facility. Elimination removes Separatist bounty and reduces enemy count."
"You're suggesting I assassinate Count Dooku."
"I am suggesting master transition from reactive defense to proactive offense. Every enemy master has acquired—Republic investigators, Dooku, bounty hunters—represents ongoing threat that drains resources. Eliminating threats before they eliminate master is logical strategy."
"That's psychopathic."
"That's survival optimization. Master has already enabled assassination attempt on Dooku through equipment supplied to Ventress. Completing operation removes threat permanently."
"Ventress failed with equipment advantage and years of training. What makes you think I'd succeed?"
"Master has resources Ventress lacked: System access to unlimited equipment, Death Watch military support, financial reserves to hire additional assets. With proper planning, master could coordinate operation exceeding Ventress's solo attempt."
The horrifying part is Eight's logic is sound. I'm already implicated in Dooku assassination attempt—completing operation doesn't make me more guilty, just more successful. And eliminating five million credit bounty source removes immediate threat.
But crossing from enabling violence to directly orchestrating assassination is boundary I haven't breached yet. Supplying weapons is different from pulling trigger.
"Is it though? How many people have died from equipment I supplied? At what point is distinction between enabling and executing purely semantic?"
R4 projects quiet objection: "Master is considering assassination of political leader. That crosses final moral boundary between arms dealer and direct participant in galactic conflicts. Once crossed, no return to previous neutrality."
"Master has never been neutral. Master's neutrality claim is convenient fiction maintained while profiting from all sides. Assassination doesn't change master's actual role—just acknowledges it honestly."
"There is difference between supplying tools and using them personally. Master should not conflate the two."
I tune them out, reviewing strategic situation systematically. Enemies multiplying faster than I can manage: Republic manhunt with Jedi investigation, Dooku's bounty attracting every hunter, bounty hunters themselves representing dozens of independent threats, costs exceeding revenue trajectory, psychological weight of accumulated moral compromises.
At some point, reactive defense becomes insufficient. Maybe Eight is right about needing proactive elimination of threats.
Or maybe that's rationalization for becoming exactly what everyone accuses me of being—not merchant with flexible ethics but active participant in violence I've been claiming to merely facilitate.
That night, lying beside Bo-Katan in fortified quarters with combat droids standing guard outside, I review life trajectory. Started as desperate transmigrator with nothing. Built eleven-point-five million credit operation through systematic moral dissolution. Married Mandalorian warrior woman despite being incapable of commitment. Became most wanted man in galaxy through accumulation of choices that seemed reasonable individually but collectively created disaster.
"You're thinking too loud," Bo-Katan murmurs. "Can hear mental gears grinding."
"Considering whether I need to start killing people preemptively instead of just supplying weapons that enable killing."
"That's dark thought."
"Dark situation. Every enemy I've made is actively hunting me. Eventually, defense becomes insufficient. Maybe offense is necessary."
"Maybe. Or maybe that's fear talking and you make situation worse through escalation." She rolls over, studying me in dim lighting. "What would assassination accomplish beyond temporary relief?"
"Removes Dooku's bounty. Eliminates Separatist threat. Reduces enemy count by significant factor."
"And confirms to galaxy that you're not just supplier but active assassin. Changes how every faction views you. Death Watch wouldn't be able to justify protecting active political assassin—we're terrorists but even we have limits."
"So reactive defense is only option?"
"Reactive defense is sustainable option. Offensive assassination makes you target for retaliation from every faction simultaneously. Right now you're wanted. After killing Dooku, you'd be hunted by literally everyone with resources to hunt."
Her logic is sound. But doesn't change fact that current situation is unsustainable. Eventually something gives—either I find solution or enemies close in until I'm captured or killed.
"What would you do?" I ask. "If you were me?"
"I'm not you. I'm Mandalorian warrior who chose combat as profession. You're merchant who got caught in violence you didn't fully understand when starting. Different frameworks, different solutions."
"Give me your framework's solution then."
"Mandalorian solution is fight until victory or honorable death. Retreat is option only for tactical repositioning. You either win conflict or die trying." She traces finger along my arm. "But I don't recommend that for you. You're not warrior. Forcing yourself into that role ends badly."
"Then what am I?"
"Survivor. You adapt, you compromise, you find angles others don't see. That's your strength. Use it instead of trying to be warrior you're not."
Sound advice. But doesn't change that I'm running out of angles while enemies multiply and costs escalate.
Forward. But toward what? Victory, survival, or just prolonged descent into disaster I've been building since first materialization in Red Spire warehouse?
The combat droids standing guard outside are reassuring presence. One million credits of defensive spending that might keep me alive long enough to find answer.
Or might just be expensive delay before inevitable.
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