Chapter Text
When the Empire rose, and Commander Tano left, Rex couldn’t. He understood why she did, her people where dead, there was no one to save, no one to fight for. However, Rex’s brothers were still out there, he’d free as many as could and he suspected that some were like him, without a working chip, that needed help. He wished that drive had been enough on it’s own, but hope did not fill stomachs and determination could not buy fuel for a ship. Before Ahsoka had left she had connected him with Trace and Rafa, which had helped, Trace had a heart of gold, rare and invaulable in a time like this, and Rafa could fly better than some Jedi he had known. Ahsoka had also set him up with Bail Organa, and he had helped with the finance side, but a budding rebellion is expensive and there was only so much the Organa’s could give before it caught the Empire’s attention.
That is how Rayshe’a the bounty hunter had been born. Taking bounties and sending the money back to the rebellion, mostly taking low scale bounties, and only taking higher ones every few months to keep from drawing attention. He got a black non-descript helemt he’d bought at a market in Corellia, never showing his face when he turned in bounties, so they’d never know he was a clone as it would stir up to many questions.
Over the course of a year after the rise of the Empire he began to take more and more bounties from Crimson Dawn. They put out enough that he could pick and choose the bounties to be ones that did not make him question his moral overtly, and they didn’t try to cheat him when he brought them in. However as he was being lead to the elevator of the First Light yacht toward Dryden Vos’s office he reconsidered the reliance he had begun to have on the Crimson Dawn. Clearly he had drawn to much attention to himself, the exact opposite of what he was supposed to do as a major personal in the rebels.
When the elevator stopped going up the guard that had told him Master Vos wanted to meet with him as Rex had been turning in a bounty pressed his thumb to the pad next to the doors and they opened to a spacious room with a massive window that wrapped around the room, accents of gold everywhere, and Vos already seated at one of the plush white seats in the center of the room.
“Ah, Ray please come in and sit,” Vos said as he gestured toward the bench across from him. As Rex stepped into the room the elevator closed behind him and the guard stood in front of it. There’d be no getting out of this, at least not without violence toward one of the most powerful crime syndicates in the galaxy and alienating him in the bounty hunting world.
With nothing else to do, Rex walked foreward with confidence and authority in his stride, showing he would not be easily manipulated by this man.
“What do you want?” Rex asked in a clipped tone as he sat down on the indicated seat.
“Straight to the point I see, a good quality to have in an associate. Why don’t you take off your helemt and have a drink, then we can get down to business?” Vos said as he poured two glasses of what Rex assumed was Corellian Whiskey.
“No,” Rex stated simply.
“You’re the dark and mysterious type aren’t you? Well suit yourself,” Vos said as he took a sip of his drink.
“What do you want?” Rex repeated when Vos didn't say anymore, voice tight and fist clenching in frustration. Vos needed to get to his point so Rex could say no and leave, never coming back to here from another bounty.
“I have a proposition for you, one that I believe will be mutually beneficial,” Vos drawled, before continue in, “As far as the Empire can see Crimson Dawn is willing to work with them to keep order in the new government. This makes it so that they are willing to look the other way on our less than legal activities, and we would like to keep it this way. Because of this, there are certain bounties that I cannot make public for just anyone to take. You have proven to be both reliable and incredibly capable, therefore I would like to offer those bounties to you, for an increase in pay of course. It would also require that you work solely for us, can’t have this information leaking out. But there will be many missions, so I assure you, there will be no time for others anyways” Vos said in a measured voice, as though he were discussing the weather not treason.
Rex raised his eyebrows, glad for the helmet to cover his suprise, this is not what he had expected. “And how much of a pay increase are we talking?” Rex asked.
Vos opened a compartment under the table with his finger print and took out a flimsi. “Here is an abridged version of your first mission, should you agree to work with Crimson Dawn. The whole payment is on there as well should you be able to complete the mission in full,” Vos stated as he handed it over the table to Rex.
Rex grabbed it and read it over, the shock continuing. He’d be obtianing reports of the Empire’s movements, the where had been blacked out. When he got to the pay he nearly choked on his own spit. That was a lot of credits. He couldn’t help but consider this offer. Those credits would be an invaluable amount to the rebellion, plus there was nothing to say he couldn’t bring this information on the Empire to them. It was a double win, almost too good to be true. “So what’s the catch,” Rex asked when he was sure his voice wouldn’t come out shaky, to betray his excitement.
“Well, as I said, you will not be able to take any other bounties. Not to mention, the bounties will be quiet a bit more dangerous than the others. If you are caught or get into trouble you will be terminated before you can spill any secrets.” Vos says.
Rex muled that over. That wasn’t quiet the negative Vos seemed to think it was, as if he was caught, Rex was far more concerned about keeping rebellion information. To known he would be taken out before that happened was a relief, as the rebellion did not have the ability to do it. His eyes were once more drawn to the number at the bottom of the flimsi. There was a lot that could be done with that many credits.
He nodded, “I’ll do it,” Rex stated, without hesitation in his voice.
“Wonderful!” Vos said. He pressed a button on his wrist comm and moments later a girl, no more than fifteen came in through a hidden door carrying two data pad. He took one of them and handed it over to Rex, “This is the complete version of your mission, with all the information you shall require. It will also be where you will download the records you obtain.” Then he grabbed the other data pad, “And this is your contract for you to sign.”
That made Rex pause, “Contract? You didn’t say anything about that.”
Vos laughed lightly and waved his hand at Rex, “Oh not to worry, it’s nothing serious. We simply need a way to explain to the Empire why we are giving you so many credits without an exchange of service recorded. Officially you will be working with Crimson Dawn in a different capacity than you truly are.”
Rex looked over the contract before signing it. It said he would be gathering supplies for Vos’s personal needs. Well that would certainly explain his movements all over the galaxy if the Empire ever tracked him. He signed it and handed it back over to Vos, who handed it to the girl.
“This is Qi’ra, who you will be dealing with for the most part, for information pertaining to your bounties and your credits when you come back,” Vos said and she nodded at him before leaving through the door she came from. This suprised him, she was so young. But he supposed, so had Commander Tano been when she first stepped on to a battle field. Not many children got to be ones in this galaxy.
Vos rose from his seat and Rex mirrored him. He held out his hand and said, “Best of luck, Ray.”
Rex grasped his hand, shaking it. When he let go he nodded to the man and turned to step back onto the elevator, everything changed from when he stepped off of it.