Ask Tatooine The Cost of a Crystal

[Atris Tharen]

Outer-Rim Territories: The Planet of Tatooine

A transport ship exited hyperspace and began its descent toward the planet of Tatooine, its destination the city of Mos Eisley. The transport ship carried many passengers, and among them that day were two Jedi.

A Hutt by the name of Brunnox Chizz was what brought the two Jedi to Tatooine. Or, to be more specific, something in his possession. The Hutt had recently contacted the Jedi Order with a proposition, one he hoped they would not be able to refuse. He claimed to have a lightsaber, damaged and inoperable, but that had belonged to a Jedi decades ago.

Kyber crystals were hard to come by these days, and although the lightsaber was damaged, there was a possibility hat the kyber crystal it hosted was unharmed. Either way, it was a Jedi relic, and the Jedi were interested in attaining it.

The Hutt was offering this lightsaber to the Jedi Order, for a price (of course), but only under the condition that the Jedi come to him on Tatooine where he could feel safe, comfortable, and oversee the transaction personally. It sounded like a trap to Atris. The Jedi Knight was born and raised in Mos Eisley, and she had never heard of this Brunnox Chizz before.

She had been away for many years, however, and it was possible that he had made a name for himself since then. It was also possible that he was looking to make a name for himself, and if that was the case, that made him dangerous.

As a native to Tatooine who would be familiar with the planet, Atris understood why she had been assigned to investigate the Hutt's claim. Although she did not want to, she accepted the assignment without protest. She did not want to return to Tatooine, not after what had happened to her sister there. The city of Mos Eisley held too many memories for her, and not all of them happy. Whatever her feelings about the location of her assignment, they did not matter. She had a job to do.

As the transport ship lurched forward, Atris looked to her companion. Seated next to her was a young Padawan, a Togruta boy no more than fifteen or sixteen years old. Despite his young age, there was an undeniable sense of resiliency and maturity about him. The eagerness in his dark green eyes brought a soft, nurturing smile to Atris' lips.

The two Jedi had not spoken since their first meeting upon boarding the ship, and Atris supposed that the blame lie with her. Her thoughts had been occupied elsewhere, and she had fallen quiet and lost within her own head. It was time to remedy that and get to know him better.

"What do you think of this assignment?" she asked the teenager, sure that he had his own opinion.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

​

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

The words startled Ruzaan out of his own thoughts, and he blinked as he tried to orient himself; a difficult task to do on a ship, as he was learning, and the uneven entry into the atmosphere of Tatooine was doing him no favors.

Ruzaan took a moment to think as he appraised the Jedi Knight sitting to his left. Master Atris Tharen smiled softly at him, patiently awaiting his response. She wasn't much bigger than him, but Master Tharen's calming presence loomed large in the Force and helped him focus on the question. She's a safe person to talk to, Ruzaan thought.

"I'm curious why this broken down lightsaber is important", he confessed finally. "Sure it predates the Empire so it's an important piece of our past, but what do we hope to gain by obtaining it?"

Master Tharen simply arched an eyebrow (the one with the scar running over it), as if she sensed the other questions Ruzaan was not asking. Caught off guard, Ruzaan stammered slightly before the words came tumbling out.

"Um, and what is Tatooine like? I've never been to a planet with two suns before!"

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Ruzaan was not afraid to speak his mind, an admirable quality to find in anyone but especially in someone so young. He had a point, and Atris had to admit that the thought had crossed her mind as well. It was a lot of trouble to go through for, as Ruzaan put it, "a broken down lightsaber," especially considering the likelihood that the whole arrangement was a trap.

"It's important to study our past," Atris explained instead, choosing not to voice her own doubts about the assignment. She doubted the Order would approve of her teaching Padawans to question orders. Ruzaan was well on his way to thinking for himself without her help.

"We must learn from the past because it determines our future. We either choose to make the same choices as those who came before us made, thereby repeating history, or we choose to make different choices, thereby changing our history. The Jedi have a long and complicated past, and we would do well to learn everything was can about our history."

She realized just how much she sounded like one of her old masters. He'd been right. He had worn off on her more than she realized, after all. Playfully, the Jedi Knight wrinkled her nose at the teenager and chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not lecturing you," she assured him before continuing. "I'm sure you've studied and perhaps even used psychometry? With the use of psychometry, we- or rather the Order- will be able to discover this lightsaber's history and who it belonged to. And if we're lucky, its kyber crystal will still be intact."

Atris had to wonder why the counsel had sent Ruzaan along with her, although she certainly did not mind his company. She liked the young boy, and he no doubt had a promising young future ahead of him. But she was no Jedi Master, and she never had been.

"Tatooine? It's hot, and it's dusty," she replied in answer to Ruzaan's second question, her smile fading. "Mos Eisley is a crime-ridden city, now more than ever it seems. The syndicates have a strong presence there." Realizing how she probably sounded, Atris stopped. "But you should make up your own mind about Tatooine. Perhaps you will like it, if you don't mind a little dust on your clothes, that is. It's not... all bad."

She focused her gaze on the Togruta once more. "Where are you from?"

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Lecture or not, Ruzaan was more than content to listen to Master Tharen's insights into the Jedi's past and the wonders of psychometry. Although the Jedi Knight couldn't have been older than 25, she carried herself with the confidence and grace of someone twice her age; without taking herself too seriously, as some elders did. Ruzaan appreciated that- it was a difficult line to walk, based on what he'd observed from some of the other Jedi Knights.

Still, he couldn't help but frown at her description of Tatooine. Ruzaan didn't need to know anything about psychometry in order to guess that Master Tharen had a complicated history with Tatooine. Her fading smile, her stilted words, and the quick change in subject... Ruzaan briefly considered pressing her about it, but just as quickly dismissed the thought and answered her question instead.

"I'm from the Togruta home planet of Shili, originally, and I've been studying with the Jedi for about a year now. Tatooine will be the 5th planet I've been to!" he said, his smile returning. It couldn't be as bad as the lower levels of Coruscant, right?

The ship lurched again as the onboard PA system announced that the final landing procedures were commencing. Ruzaan would be grateful when they finally touched down.

"Back to your original question, if you don't mind me asking: what do you think about this assignment?"

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Shili. Atris had never been to this planet, but she had heard of it before. If her memory served her correctly, the planet was located somewhere in the Expansion Rim. She wanted to know more about Ruzaan's home planet, but her questions would have to wait until later, when they had more time.

His youthful enthusiasm was endearing. At least he was excited to be going to Tatooine. If first impressions were anything to go off of, it would take a lot to dampen the Padawan's spirits. Another admirable quality.

"I think," Atris began slowly, choosing her words carefully as the transport ship lurched one last time while landing. "That we should proceed carefully. In my experience, Hutts aren't to be trusted. We'll be on his turf, so Brunnox Chizz will have the upper hand. We'll need to keep our wits about us and watch our backs."

The doors at the back of the transport hissed, and the loading ramp lowered. Passengers began to shuffle out of the ship, and Atris and Ruzaan were right behind them. Exiting the transport, they walked out into the light of day. The sun beat down on them, and the familiar heat of the planet warmed the Jedi Knight's skin.

"Let's try to keep a low profile," she warned in a hushed tone. "As I'm sure you already know, Jedi aren't always very popular."

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan listened intently as the Jedi Knight stressed caution; from the sound of things, this mission wasn't quite as straightforward as he'd imagined it would be. He took a breath to center himself, trying to match Master Tharen's calm demeanor; there was no sense in worrying about what may or may not happen.

"Low profile, got it" Ruzaan echoed, mentally running through his inventory. He'd brought his Jedi Wanderer robes, his double-bladed training lightsaber(hidden underneath his outer robe), his comlink, and his Jedi Utility belt with two extra canteens full of water. He'd also been advised to bring a pair of goggles to keep the sand out of his eyes, and his robes were arranged such that they covered as much skin as possible. He'd even brought footwear for this mission, eschewing his usual habit of going barefoot in favor of better protection against the hot sand.

That, he concluded, was an excellent choice. There were a few words that immediately came to mind as Ruzaan glanced around the Mos Eisley spaceport- seedy, dusty, dry, desperate- but HOT was far and away the most appropriate. The twin suns hadn't even reached their zenith yet, and already the temperature was uncomfortable.

"How do people live here?" he murmured to no one in particular. But the evidence was all around him; children playing tag in and out of the sparse shade, a dozen temporary shops hawking their wares, and no shortage of eyes measuring up the new arrivals to Tatooine. Ruzaan pulled his hood up even further before venturing another question, this time addressed to his fellow Jedi.

"I'm guessing we'll need transportation to get to th- ...our meeting place. What's the most reliable way to travel?" he asked, hoping that it wasn't walking.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

"You get used to it," Atris chuckled as the two Jedi walked the dusty streets, so familiar to her. A group of children ran past, and the Jedi Knight had to step aside to avoid a collision. Against her will, unbidden memories of her sister Paloma cropped up in her mind.

Running through these very streets, playing tag and hide-and-seek with the other children. Hiding behind stalls until the vendors discovered you and told you to scram or took a broom to you. A small smile graced her lips. Not all of her memories of Tatooine were bad.

Nostalgia shortly escalated to guilt. Guilt over her sister and guilt for returning. Was it wrong to walk the streets of Mos Eisley again and not tell her aunt and uncle? Was it wrong to not swing by and see them? Her eyes veered left, toward her uncle's shop and her old home a few streets down. They were so close. It would only take a moment to swing by. Just long enough to wrap her arms around their necks and tell them that she loved them and that she missed them.

No. You're on a mission, she reminded herself. That comes first. That always comes first. Family would have to wait. Perhaps, if there was time, she could swing by and see her aunt and uncle after the mission was over. Maybe. Only time would tell. In the mean time, thoughts of her aunt and uncle and of her past needed to be buried deep, and she did just that.

"I hope you like walking," Atris answered, attempting to keep a straight face but cracking a smile as much as she tried not to. "I'm joking," she laughed. "There's a place just up the street where we can rent a couple of speeder bikes." She lowered her voice. "We'll just need to make sure we're not followed out of town."

The transaction didn't take long. Ushi, the owner of the used shop, was an intimidating Advozse always eager to make a credit or two, so long as you didn't start asking questions like where or how he got his assortment of speeder bikes. He wouldn't ask you why you needed them, and you didn't ask him where he picked them up.

Atris climbed atop one of the two 614-AvA speeder bikes. It was an older model, phased out years ago by the Empire, but it would serve their purposes well enough. She keyed in the coordinates Brunnox Chizz had sent them and then turned to Ruzaan. "Ready?"

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

"W... walk?" Ruzaan stammered, before realizing that the Jedi Knight was pulling his leg. His respect for Atris went up another notch; she had a sense of humor, if not a good sabacc face.

Ruzaan was all too happy to let Atris take the lead in renting the speeders; she clearly knew her way around, and he didn't like the way the Advozse's gaze lingered on him like he was an asset to be appraised. Thankfully, the transaction went quickly and before long they had a pair of speeder bikes that looked to be old Empire tech.

Old is good, Ruzaan thought as he stared at the speeder bike. It's probably less complicated and thus easier to learn.

"Uh, mostly." Ruzaan stalled, hoping that if he stared enough at the controls their functions would become apparent. After several long moments, he admitted defeat. Shili hadn't offered many opportunities to interact with technology, and he found himself facing a steep learning curve since leaving his home planet. "Actually, no. I've never seen one of these before. Can you teach me how these work, please?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A short while later, the two Jedi were making their way over the rolling desert towards the coordinates that Brunnox Chizz had provided them. Atris had been a patient speeder instructor, and while Ruzaan guessed that their current pace was much slower than what she was capable of, he could feel his confidence growing with every dune they sped over. Ruzaan was careful to glance back every now and again to check for pursuers, but the massive dust trails the ancient speeders kicked up gave ample cover to any would-be pursuers.

After a couple hours, Ruzaan began to get stiff. They'd stopped for regular water and movement breaks, but these speeders hadn't been designed for comfort and a couple decades of wear and tear hadn't changed that. Just when he was about to call for another break, Atris' hand went up in the universal signal for "Stop". She pointed towards something on the horizon, and Ruzaan squinted through the bright Tatooine sun.

"What do you see?" he asked, bringing a canteen to his lips.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

It didn't take the the Jedi Knight long to teach Ruzaan how to work the controls. The young Togruta was a quick study and picked it up without any real difficulty. As the two Jedi raced across the desert, kicking up dust and sand in their wake, Atris relished in the feel of the wind on her face and the old familiar hum of the speeder bike's engine.

She could remember her first time riding one clearly, as if it had been yesterday and not almost two decades ago. Atris and her sister Paloma had hopped atop their uncle's speeder bike the moment he'd turned his back one evening, speeding off across the Tatooine dunes and into the sunsets before he could catch them. They knew he was chasing after them on foot, but they dared not look back, and over the sound of the wind and their own childish giggles they could not hear a word he was yelling.

The young sisters' joyride, exciting and thrilling, was short lived. They had crashed the speeder bike, wrecking the repulsorlift engine beyond repair. Their uncle was furious with them when he finally caught up to the two girls. Covered in dust and cuts, the walk back to town had been long, made only more unbearable by their uncle's heated scolding of them. It didn't stop the sisters, however, from sharing a mischievous smile whenever their uncle wasn't looking. Atris smiled at the memory.

"Our objective," Atris replied in answer to Ruzaan's question. She pulled a pair of electrobinoculars out from the bag she had slung over the back of the bike and used them to get a better view of the sail barge in the distance. It was an older vessel and looked as if it had taken a few beatings over the years. Immediately her eyes shot to the twin heavy blaster cannon mounted on the deck, but she breathed a sigh of relief upon closer inspection. It had been destroyed, by another cannon by the looks of it. Apparently Brunnox Chizz did not play well with others.

What a surprise, Atris thought to herself with derision.

"The cannon is inoperable, so that's a point in our favor. These sail barges have short-range sensors. They'll know we're coming." She lowered the pair of electrobinoculars and offered them to the young Padawan. Hands on experience was the best teacher, and it was always good to have a second pair of eyes. "See anything else?"

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan nodded his thanks and accepted the electrobinoculars, gasping softly as his eyes adjusted to the magnification. These things are cool! Indeed, as Atris had said, the heavy blaster cannon on the port side of the deck looked to be disabled, and the yacht itself looked to have been on the receiving end of other direct hits in bygone battles, judging by the scorch marks on the armor plating.

"It's less impressive than I expected, to be honest" he said, handing the electrobinoculars back to Atris. "I think if I had a personal yacht, I'd try to keep it in better shape than that. Especially if I was a Hutt."

Atris waited patiently while Ruzaan sorted through his thoughts, his brow furrowing in concentration. He'd read the sparse file on Brunnox Chizz; Brunnox had initially benefitted from Jabba's death a several decades ago and had seized some of the late Hutt's sprawling empire, but a series of bad deals coupled with exorbitant spending had led to whispers of Brunnox's coffers running dangerously low. Ruzaan had never heard of a Hutt running out of credits.

"If I had to guess, I'd say that Brunnox is even deeper in bantha pood-" Ruzaan censored himself sheepishly "erm, trouble, than our reports suggest. And a desperate Hutt is a dangerous Hutt... I've got a bad feeling about this."

Ruzaan glanced at Atris and saw that she had already reached the same conclusion. "Hey, at least nobody followed us out of Mos Eisley!" he said, his smile returning as he stood and stretched his stuff muscles. Only a short ride- maybe twenty minutes- separated the two Jedi and the yacht.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Atris sat patiently as Ruzaan inspected the sail barge in the distance, enjoying the light breeze that tugged on her hair. It didn't take the young Togruta long to come to his own conclusions. "I agree. I think Brunnox Chizz is in very deep pantha poodoo," she stated, flashing him a mischievous smile as she finished the sentence that had been on the tip of his tongue.

More seriously she continued, "The question is with who?" One of the syndicates? That was doubtful. Whatever he might think of himself riding around in an old sail barge across the desert, Brunnox Chizz was small change. Until being assigned to this mission, Atris had never even heard of him, and you didn't grow up in Mos Eisley and not know the names of the influential Hutts in the area. He would have to be incredibly stupid to cross one of the five syndicates.

"It's probably a rival gang or another Hutt. If he is trying to make a name for himself, he's probably rubbed some of the other gangs or Hutts in the area the wrong way," she answered herself aloud, returning the electrobinoculars to her bag and watching Ruzaan as he stretched. He had a lot of restless energy. She remembered being that way when she was his age, and she offered him an understanding smile when he expressed his concern. "I know what you mean."

As Ruzaan had aptly pointed out, Brunnox Chizz would be desperate if he was, in fact, in deep trouble. She had a feeling this mission would not go according to plan either, but since when did they?

"If I've learned one thing over the years, and I haven't learned a lot," she chuckled, making a face, "It's to expect the unexpected. It's probable that Brunnox Chizz will attempt some sort of double-cross. We'll hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. Trust in the force."

Atris swung her leg back over the speeder bike and stared straight ahead. "Let's go."

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

The closer they got to the rendezvous point, the more Ruzaan's stomach writhed and twisted like a Sarlacc grasping at its latest meal. Although he'd garnered praise from his instructors back at the temple on Yavin IV, the reality was that he'd only been studying for a year. And none of my training prepared me to negotiate with a desperate Hutt on their home turf! he thought.

What if Brunnox double-crosses us? Trust in the Force.

What if I make a mistake? Trust in the Force.

What if Atris and I get separated? Trust in the Force.

Try as he might, Ruzaan couldn't shake Atris' words from his head. Each new fear and worry that popped into his consciousness was met with her simple mantra and, thought it, Ruzaan could feel some of his anxiety bleeding away. It took him a moment to realize that Atris was supporting him gently though the Force, buoying him. He could sense her presence as easily as he could taste the Tatooine sand that had inevitably made its way into his mouth; an island of calm amongst the chaos of his thoughts. His fears crumbled as another emotion flooded through Ruzaan, this one familiar and comforting; gratitude for Atris' presence and support.

Before he knew it, they were slowing down and gazing up at the yacht, stationary in the sky some 60 feet above them. They'd clearly been spotted, which was no surprise; even without sensors, their dust identical trails stretching back across the dunes were a dead giveaway. No less than 6 heads peeked over the rail down towards them, along with a couple blasters.

A shout echoed from above, followed shortly by a rope ladder. Of course, thought Ruzaan, anyone boarding from the ground will be worn out by the time they reach the top. Another advantage for the Hutt.

He did not verbalize his misgivings. Instead, he turned to Atris. "Thank you. For everything, I mean. Regardless of what happens... I've learned a lot from you today."

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Atris dismounted her speeder bike and stared up at the large sail barge. Several heads watched the Jedi's every move from over the railing of the vessel's deck. "It looks like we have a welcoming committee. They don't look too friendly though, do they?" she observed before turning to Ruzaan.

Uncertainty radiated from the teenager. He was talented and intelligent, a quick study and eager to learn, and yet he lacked confidence. Hopefully that would come with time and experience.

Atris clasped her hands atop the young Togruta's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "You speak as if today is our last. All things are eternal in the Force," she assured the Padawan, easily recalling her old master's teachings. She didn't know where or who she would be today without his wise counsel and guidance.

"Besides," the Jedi Knight added in an attempt to lighten the mood, "If the heat hasn't killed us, I don't think anything can. Remember to trust in the Force. Trust in yourself and your training. You have every reason to be confident in yourself." She offered him a small but genuine smile before beginning the long climb to the top of the sail barge, her eyes darting toward the dust and sand kicking up in the distance. She'd seen a thousand sand storms in her lifetime, and that was not one. They were not alone out here.

"We'll be taking those," one of Chizz's henchman stated as soon as the Jedi reached the deck. The henchman, a blue Arcona, pointed his four-fingered hand to the two lightsabers that hung from Atris' side. "You won't be needing them."

"I understood that we would be allowed to keep our weapons on us," she replied steadily. She looked around. "We are outnumbered, after all."

The Arcona's golden eyes narrowed, but he acquiesced after a female Twi'lek muttered something to him under her breath. "Alright then," he said. "Have it your way. Follow me, Jedi..."

Atris and Ruzaan followed the Arcona past the group of thugs that had gathered on the deck and down a flight of stairs. All that was left to do was to talk to the Hutt himself.

"Jedi," Brunnox Chizz greeted in Galactic Basic as Atris and Ruzaan entered the room. "I am pleased that you have come." He was as fat and ugly as was to be expected, but at least they wouldn't be forced to communicate in Huttese. He was surrounded by his henchmen. Atris counted at least ten.

"We appreciate your willingness to meet with us," Atris replied, forcing herself to speak the words. She did not enjoy nor believe in exchanging pleasantries with someone like him. She couldn't stop herself from adding, "I am surprised that a Hutt of your standing and caliber would be living in a sail barge as rundown as this."

Chizz's watery orange eyes narrowed as he looked between the two Jedi that stood before him. "Sometimes allowances must be made."

Atris was unsympathetic. "I suppose so. Shall we get down to business? That is why we are here, after all. May we see the lightsaber?"

"First, I think a drink is in order." the Hutt suggested.

"No," the Jedi Knight answered flatly.

"Surely you have time for one drink? It is not every day that Jedi are my guests."

He's stalling. Suddenly, the sail barge shook. It was under attack.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Atris startled Ruzaan by placing her hands on his shoulders and staring straight into his eyes. Most Jedi he had met thus far were not ones to initiate physical contact, but Ruzaan had to admit that it was effective in helping ground him. Nodding in agreement at the Jedi Knight's words, he took a deep breath and released his uncertainties along with it. They'd come too far to get cold feet. Was it even possible to get cold feet on Tatooine?

That thought kept him occupied as he followed Atris up the ladder to the deck of the pleasure yacht. To his surprise, Atris was able to convince the "welcoming committee" to let them keep their lightsabers. Before long, they were ushered in front of the dais below the deck that served as both a throne and an elevator to Brunnox Chizz, allowing him to comfortably lounge on whichever level he pleased. As they approached, the Hutt grabbed some kind of delicacy- still alive and squirming(!)- and stuffed it into his mouth. After savoring the morsel Brunnox belched, and negotiations began.

As Atris and Brunnox began conversing, Ruzaan scanned the room as discreetly as he could. The atmosphere, he determined, was decidedly un-welcoming. A lone serving droid with a drink tray attached- some kind of astromech unit, Ruzaan guessed- trundled back and forth between the Hutt's 10 lackeys, none of whom seemed interested in the beverages the droid was dutifully offering. Instead their attention was focused on the two Jedi, with barely-concealed animosity plain on their features.

The more Ruzaan looked, the less he liked what he saw. A hand resting on a blaster, a vibroknife sliding in and out of its sheath, the sound of knuckles being repeatedly cracked... Ruzaan was grateful for the comforting weight of his training lightsaber clipped to his belt. It wouldn't kill anyone, but it would leave a mark.

As the tension in the room reached a new level, the yacht rocked violently. Seconds later, the barge shook again as Brunnox flailed around on his dais. "Filthy Jedi! You led them here!"

"Wait!" Ruzaan's voice surprised him, and it must've surprised the others in the room because it bought him enough time to get another word in edgewise. "Would we really tell our supposed allies to open fire while we were still on your yacht and without having seen the lightsaber? I don't know who is attacking you, but it's no friend of ours."

Brunnox creased his enormous brow. "You make a good point, for one so young. I believe you." Jowls quivering, the Hutt called out an order to his crew as the barge shook again and the smell of something burning wafted below deck. "Get us out of here!"

A panicked Rodian, with soot on their face and smoldering clothing, poked their head down the staircase. "Bad news, boss! It's Zirga's barge, and they hit the port engine. No way we'll outrun them now."

Brunnox wailed miserably and cursed in Huttese. "My treacherous grub-sister!" he cried, before fixing his eyes on Ruzaan and Atris.

"Jedi, you must help me!"

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Of course he blames us, Atris thought to herself angrily, regaining her balance as the vessel shook again. The Jedi Knight opened her mouth to reply to the panicked Hutt, but she found she did not need to. To her surprise, she heard Ruzaan's voice instead of her own. She turned toward the young Padawan, and so did everyone else in the room.

Despite the situation the two Jedi found themselves in at present, a small smile passed across her lips, impressed by the Togruta boy. Impressed that he'd spoken up, impressed that he'd been able to convince the Hutt that they were not responsible for the attack. Ruzaan was full of surprises.

"Jedi, you must help me!" Brunox Chizz cried, desperation on full display across his sluggish features.

"We came for the lightsaber," Atris replied, her voice cold and her dark eyes unyielding as they settled on the Hutt once again. "Why should we involve ourselves in this rivalry just to help you?" She had every intention of helping Brunnox Chizz, but he did not know that.

"If you help me, I will give you the lightsaber!" he offered without hesitation, his voice shaking. "As a gift!"

Atris smirked. "We accept your generous offer."

Now let's just hope he actually has it. There was no evidence to suggest that Brunnox Chizz was in possession of this lightsaber. All the Jedi had was his word, and that didn't count for anything. He could have sold the lightsaber to another buyer. It could have been stolen from him. Maybe he never even had it to begin with. They would have to wait and see.

An uneasy feeling spread over the Jedi Knight. "Watch out!" she warned suddenly, grabbing hold of Ruzaan by the collar and pulling him to safety as cannon fire tore threw the side of the ship. The two Jedi tumbled to the floor, clear of the cannon fire and the debris it sent flying in its path. Three of Chizz's thugs were not as fortunate and lay dead.

It was difficult to see past the smoke filling the room, but Atris could just barely glimpse the attacking ship through the new "window" of Brunnox Chizz's ship. It was a sail barge much like Chizz's, but it was newer and in much better conidition.

"Jedi, please!" the Hutt cried again, his voice shaking with fear.

Atris turned to Ruzaan. "We've got to get on deck and disable their cannon," she said, scrambling to her feet and up the stairs.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan had to admire how Atris "negotiated" with the Hutt; although this one seemed less competent than many of the species, Atris expertly controlled the situation and had adapted her methods to suit the rapidly-changing situation.

Still no guarantee that he won't double-cross us thought Ruzaan, but right now they had bigger issues to deal with. The heavy blaster cannon on the opposing sail barge, which Ruzaan could now see through a new hole in the side of the ship, was getting a little too accurate with its shots. He didn't even have time to thank Atris for saving his life before the Knight was already on her feet and running up the stairs.

Leaving the sniveling Hutt behind them, the two Jedi bounded up the steps and onto the deck of Brunnox's barge. A larger, more impressive sail barge had closed to about 500 feet away; hovering outside of normal blaster range but essentially point-blank for the wicked-looking cannon on the deck. Brunnox's sail barge rocked again and a chunk of smoldering armor plating fell off from the impact. Without any means of suppressing the incoming fire, they were sitting ducks.

Brunnox's crew seemed to have realized their predicament, and were doing their best not to present themselves as targets by hunkering down behind any scrap of cover they could find. Occasionally they fired a hasty shot or two in the direction of the attacking barge, but their fire was wild and inaccurate.

An idea started forming in Ruzaan's head- a stupid, risky idea- but he couldn't think of anything else in the heat of the moment.

"Bring us down to the ground!" he called to the Rodian who was frantically working the controls at the helm.

Ruzaan turned to Atris and tried to match her calm, determined demeanor. "The deck gun won't be able to depress enough to fire down on us, so they'll also be forced to land if they want to keep using it." A smile broke out uninvited on his face as he outlined his harebrained idea. "What's the worst that can happen if we don't return a speeder?"

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Atris climbed the stairs two steps at a time, Ruzaan right on her heels. In the blinding light of day, the deck was an absolute wreck. Most of the railing had been blown to pieces, cargo was scattered and destroyed, and flames licked at the deck. The ship was riddled with holes, and Atris knew it wouldn't be able to take much more damage.

Their only hope was to disable the enemy's deck gun. Brunnox Chizz's men would be of no help, at least not at present. They were huddled behind cover and looked like they were ready to jump ship and take their chances in the desert below.

Ruzaan's voice cut through the chaos, ordering the Rodian at the helm to lower the sail barge. His young voice was confident, commanding, as if he'd done this a hundred times. He had the presence of a boy who was used to giving orders instead of taking them. The young Padawan continued to surprise and impress the Jedi Knight.

As Ruzaan revealed his plan, Atris faltered, chewing on her bottom lip in thought. This was a different kind of responsibility, new and unusual. She had never been solely responsible for a Padawan before, and now she was expected to make a split-second decision regarding his life. It was dangerous, risky, but Ruzaan was aware of that. He knew the risks and the chance he would be taking, and he was willing. They were running out of options, and something had to be done.

"Ushi's going to be furious," she spoke with hesitation, eventually matching the young Togruta's smile. Ruzaan had real spirit. "But I expect he'll get over it."

With no other real choice available to him, the Rodian behind the controls began to lower the sail barge just as Ruzaan had instructed him. "I'll provide a distraction, draw the fire away from you," Atris said, her thoughts racing as the two Jedi slid down the rope ladder. She threw a leg over her bike and fired up the engine. "Don't wait until the last second to jump. Give yourself plenty of time to get away from the blast. I'll make sure the speeder finds its target."

She stared at Ruzaan, a serious and concerned expression in her dark eyes. "And Ruzaan?" she asked quietly, her voice soft. "Please be careful, alright?"

Atris sped away.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan was surprised when the Rodian actually followed his order and began lowering the yacht down towards the sandy dunes below. He'd tried to match the confident tone he'd heard his pack leader use during emergencies; panic only made life-or-death situations worse, and this certainly qualified as a life-or-death situation.

Atris initially was hesitant to approve the plan, but once she agreed to it she threw her whole self behind it, even volunteering to play the role of distraction. Atris assured him that she could help guide the speeder to its target, which would be critical to the plan's success. Ruzaan knew that they probably only had one shot at this; once the element of surprise was gone, making the approach with the remaining speeder was tantamount to suicide. Behind them, the yacht continued its descent, and Ruzaan could see that Zirga's barge was mirroring the descent. So far, so good.

Atris said something else, too, but her words were drowned out by the whine of Ruzaan's speeder engine starting up. Still, he could guess the gist of what she'd said. "I'll be fine! It's not like I learned to ride this thing yesterday" he shouted, cheekily ignoring the fact that he had learned to ride the speeder just a couple hours ago. "Trust in the Force!"

Ruzaan counted to ten after Atris took off, giving her time to begin making herself a target. A ripple of blaster fire spat out as the grunts lining the railing on Zirga's pleasure yacht opened fire at the Jedi Knight, but Atris continued her heroic run. As she sped across the sand, Ruzaan began his approach, deliberately looping wide to the left in order to capitalize on Atris' distraction by staying out of the attackers' immediate line of sight.

FZZT! Ruzaan flinched as he heard the heavy deck cannon began firing again, targeting Atris' speeder. Uh oh Ruzaan thought, concern for Atris welling up inside of him. The Jedi Knight might be doing too good of a job drawing their attention. Still, it was giving Ruzaan the opening he needed to begin his attack run. Leaving his stomach behind him in the dust trail, the Togruta gunned the engine and hurtled towards Zirga's yacht as fast as the old speeder would go. Mentally, he estimated the distance to his planned release point; a large dune about 40 feet away from Zirga's barge that he hoped would serve as a ramp to carry the pilotless speeder towards its intended target. 150 feet. 100 feet. The seconds ticked by as he approached the dune, time seeming to slow down the closer he got.

75 feet.

50.

25.

0.

With a shout, Ruzaan launched himself off of the speeder and to the left, bracing himself for his inevitable impact with the sand dune. He crashed into the crest of the dune, breaking through the looser sand on the top and rolling down the opposite (barge-facing) side, coming to a stop about three-quarters of the way down.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Atris tried not to dwell on the young Togruta boy's cheeky "It's not like I learned to ride this thing yesterday" comment. It didn't exactly fill her with confidence or assuage her concerns. She needed to focus on the task at hand, not worry about Ruzaan. If she didn't, she would only put him in more danger. There was no room for error, no time for second thoughts. She had to trust herself, trust Ruzaan, and most importantly trust the force.

Just as Ruzaan had predicted, the attacking vessel had followed the sail barge down to the sand where they could continue to mount their attack with the deck gun. All of this success was going to go to Ruzaan's head. She hoped that didn't mean he had headed for a reality check.

Atris sped toward Zirga's sail barge at full throttle, her hands gripped firmly in place on the controls. She might have been setting herself up as a wiling target, but she was going to be a moving target. It was time to push this bike to the limit. Implementing the twin JB-37s mounted at the front of the bike, the Jedi Knight opened fire. Red blaster bolts hit the sail barge one after another, their pattern sloppy and haphazard. Atris didn't care about her aim. The JB-37s did not have the firing capacity to do any real damage to the barge. All she wanted to do was gain their attention, and that she had done.

Zirga's henchmen wasted no time. They returned fire almost immediately, one blaster bolt after another raining down on Atris as she sped along, weaving one way and then another in an attempt to make her movements as unpredictable as possible. She was able to avoid most of the blaster fire, a couple of bolts barely making contact with the framework of the speeder.

A loud boom erupted only a few feet behind her, and she flinched as the blast threw sand all over her. Zirga's men had begun firing at her with the deck cannon. It would be a lot harder to avoid. A lot harder, she thought to herself, jerking her bike back to change directions abruptly. She wasn't sure she would be able to outmaneuver the next shot, but it didn't look like she would have to. Ruzaan was speeding toward a dune, his white and azure montrals blowing with the velocity of his movement.

Atris' heart lurched in her chest, watching with bated breath as the Padawan threw himself from the speeder bike. It sped over the dune and toward the sail barge. He had aimed well, and she had only to ensure that it did not deviate from its course. The Jedi Knight cleared her mind, tuning out her surroundings until nothing was left but the speeder bike. She reached a hand out and guided it toward the deck cannon.

A blaster bolt tore through Atris' left arm, emitting a shocked gasp from the Jedi Knight. She grit her teeth and pushed through the pain. It was too late to stop the Jedi now. The speeder bike had found its target, and the explosion rocked the sail barge, the deck cannon erupting flames. The explosion bought her enough time to reach Ruzaan who'd rolled down the side of the dune when he'd jumped.

Atris pulled to a stop in front of him, between the young boy and the attacking sail barge. "Ruzaan! Hop on!" she yelled, hoping that he wasn't unconscious and most of all, that he wasn't dead.

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

As Ruzaan stared up at Tatooine's four suns, a sense of calm settled over him. The sounds of battle were faded and unimportant. For the first time that day, he didn't feel hot, or tired, or thirsty. There was even water in his right nostril... strange, but he wasn't going to complain. Then another sound- a muted, higher pitched whine- grew in both volume and pitch. Something was getting closer.

With no warning Ruzaan's senses flooded back to him, plunging him back into an overwhelming reality. His vision swam and he clasped at his chest, wheezing as he tried to replace the air that had been forcefully driven from his lungs upon contact with the sand dune; no easy task given the blood streaming from his nose. He'd bruised several ribs, he was hot, tired, and thirsty, and there was sand in places sand shouldn't be- but he was alive.

The whining of the remaining 614-AVA bike reached a crescendo before quickly idling down as Atris pulled up- sporting a blaster wound on her left arm- and shouted for Ruzaan to climb on behind her. Ruzaan struggled to his feet and took a couple unsteady steps before mounting the speeder bike with some help from the Jedi Knight. As blaster fire began peppering the sand around them, Atris opened up the throttle and sped off back towards Brunnox's ship.

As they raced out of effective blaster range of Zirga's yacht and the adrenaline began to fade, the significance of what he'd just walked away from hit Ruzaan like a sledgehammer. Emotions welled up inside of him- fear, shock, and especially relief- and poured out, crashing over his mental floodwalls. Jedi don't cry, a tiny voice said inside of him, but tears mixed with the blood dripping from his nose as Ruzaan hugged Atris and sobbed into her back.

@llamallove