Chapter 4

"Once we get to the space port, you should be able to find a way to get back where you need to be." Luke spoke over the noise of the old speeders engine to Jade as they were once again crossing the burning sand towards Moss Esly Space Port. "Where is it you need to go?" he glanced over his shoulder.

"I don't actually have anywhere to go," Jade shrugged, "My parents died shortly after my birth."

"What have you been doing since?" Luke puzzled.

"I was in an orphanage for some years, but after I got out, I have just been trying to make a living."

"You make it sound like it was a prison."

"It wasn't the best orphanage there ever was," Jade admitted.

"I still don't understand how you ended up stranded out in the Jundland wastes," Luke glanced over his shoulder at her again."
"It's a long story," Jade avoided the question and his eyes.

Obi-wan changed the subject, saving her. "we're almost there, stop at that outcropping."

From the high cliff, the small party could easily look down on the sandy Space Port, all the same, drab color as the rest of the desert. "Moss Eisley Space Port. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious." Obi-wan directed the two teens back into the speeder along with the droids.

In the space Port, Jade saw more things than she had ever seen before. The buildings were drab enough, but the creatures and the droids walking, flying, creeping and buzzing all over were all different. Luke Obviously hadn't seen such a place either, as his gaze tried to take it all in as well. Only Obi-wan remained unfazed by it all.

"There's a check point," he muttered, discreetly pointing it out to Luke up ahead. "See if you can't go around through that ally.

The ally that had looked promising for a moment was blocked off, and some rather rough looking aliens of some kind were lounging around the blocked off end.

One approached "want to skip the check point?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," Luke was entirely too polite to deal with these kind of...beings.

"five hundred credits," the creature said without apology.

"What that's highway robbery!" Luke protested "we just need to slip through-"

"Highway robbery? Well, it could be," the other aliens all started approaching slowly. Great, Jade could see why they had cut this part out of the movie.

"We don't have the money today, sorry," Obi-wan said calmly, motioning for Luke to back out of the Ally. The young pilot did so rather quickly. "Never mind, we'll have to take our chances with the check point," Obi-wan said, squinting into the sun ahead.

"Won't they recognize the droids?" Luke worried.

"We'll be fine," Obi-wan assured him always calm. Jade wished she could feel that calm all the time as she shifted her uncomfortably cramped position.

Their turn at the check point came all too soon.

"How long have you had these droids?" the trooper in charge asked, the eyes of the several armed guards all fastened on them.

"About three or four seasons," Luke said quickly.

"They aren't for sale if you want them," Obi-wan added.

"Let me see your identification."

Jade caught the panicked glance Luke sent to Obi-wan, but the Jedi wasn't looking at him, he was staring at the troopers. "You don't need to see his identification," he said calmly, a slight wave of his hand accompanying the sentence. Jade felt a ripple of something, excitement she supposed.

"We don't need to see his identification," the trooper repeated as if it had been his idea.

"Move along," Obi-wan added, almost in an undertone, while Luke sat there, trying to look normal, and sending his companion incredulous glances.

"Move along, move along," the leader waved them through quickly. Jade was sure they all breathed a sigh of relief as Luke pulled away from the check point and flew the speeder in the direction Obi-wan indicated.

"I can't understand how we got by those troops! I thought we were dead!" Luke said, climbing out of the speeder in the back of the Cantina Obi-wan had pointed them too.

Without thinking, Jade, who had memorized nearly all of Obi-wan's lines from the movies spoke up "the force can have a strong influence on the weak minded."

Both men looked at her. Thankfully Luke was easily distracted by the sounds in the Cantina and Obi-wan didn't ask any questions.

"You really think we're going to find a pilot here who will take us all the way to Alderaan?" he asked, dubiously.

"Most of the best star pilots are to be found here, only watch your step, this place can be a little rough," the last part was directed at both the teens.

"I'm ready for anything," Luke said confidently, taking the lead. Jade followed, intrigued.

Somehow, being there in person seemed to make it all that much shadier. Creepy beings peered at her from dark corners, and the noise was at a high level. Even the laughter had a dangerous quality to it. She and Luke both attempted to look like they fit in, but neither did. They were too busy staring around wide eyed as they trailed Obi-wan, who seemed to know just where to go, heading straight for the bar.

Luke attempted to lean casually there on the counter, and ordered a drink, though he had no idea what it was. Jade suddenly realized that she really needed to visit the ladies room. Bother, why hadn't she asked at Obi-wan's house?

"Luke" she hissed over the noise all around them "are there's restrooms in this place?"

The Tatooine resident craned his neck around the room and pointed to a far corner "through there."

Jade hesitated, she didn't want to go alone, but she could hardly ask him to come with her. Shaking off her worries she reminded herself that it was only a dream and plunged forward through the crowds, ducking and dodging her way around everyone, trying to be as unnoticeable as possible.

Slipping through the darkened doorway, Luke had pointed out; Jade found herself in a shadowy hallway with two doors. They were both marked with some inscription, but Jade couldn't read it, and she realized with alarm, she had no idea which one was the ladies.

She was lucky. A moment later, a humanoid female walked by and pushed through one of the doors. Gathering her courage, Jade followed.

It was the most disgusting restroom she had ever been in. Surpassing even the upstairs boy's restroom in the orphanage when it hadn't been cleaned for a month. Jade changed her mind. As quickly as she had come in she pushed her way back out and ran straight into a tall, and very rough looking man.

"Well!" he caught hold of her arm, holding her there "what is a pretty little peach like you doing here all alone?"

"I'm not alone," Jade said quickly, frightened. Where were Luke and Obi-wan?

"Hey! Let her go!" the sound of Luke's voice behind them made Jade sag with relief.

The man smirked at him. "Oh? And what are you going to do, little man?" he asked, not releasing Jade's arm. Jade struggled against his iron grip. The men's restroom door opened behind them.

"Hey, what's going on?" another voice she recognized! Jade glanced over her shoulder to see Han Solo, one eye brow cocked and a frown on his face.

"Just having some fun," the other man smirked. Jade whimpered, and Luke looked like he felt out numbered.

"Let her go," Han ordered calmly. The man released her.

"Sorry Solo, didn't know she was yours. You shouldn't leave such a pretty piece just lying around."

"I wasn't far was I?" Han said mildly, resting a hand on his blaster.

"I don't suppose she's for sale?" the man asked, glancing at her in a way that made Jade look away in disgust.

"Not today. But catch me in another mood, and she might be," Solo said cheerfully. Jade let out a squeak of protest.

"Hey! You can't sell-" Luke started indignantly.

"Shut up kid," Han warned as the other man finally sauntered away. As soon as he was far enough away, Han's hand slipped off of the blaster at his side. "You okay?" he asked, glancing at Jade. She nodded. "Good," he grunted, before pinning Luke with a glare. "You need to watch out for your sister better," he said sternly.

"She's not my sister," Luke protested "and I had everything under control!"

Han smirked, "what were you gonna do kid, step on his toe?"

"I know how to use a blaster!" Luke was indignant. He was eighteen after all, not a kid.

"What are two naifs doing here anyway?" he demanded.

"We're looking for a pilot to take us to Alderaan," Jade said hurriedly, as Luke was trying to drag her away by the arm.

"An excellent idea." Han started for the end of the hall.

"Wait, you're a pilot, aren't you?" Jade asked quickly, having an idea.

"How did you know?" Han asked suspiciously, turning back to her.

"I recognized you, Solo, right? You're the pilot of the Millennium Falcon, the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs."

Han grinned "well, kid, you're smarter than you look."

"Thanks," Jade said, not sure it was a compliment.

"What's the cargo?" Han asked, glancing the two kids up and down, deciding they were probably up to no good, but it could be some easy money.

"Three people and two droids, and keep it quick and quiet."

"You two in some kind of local trouble?" Han asked with a smirk.

"Luke glared at him "that's none of your business, is it?"

It felt wrong to copy all of Obi-wan's words, so Jade adjusted them slightly "let's just say we would like to leave without notifying the empire," she said delicately.

"That's the real trick, isn't it? And it's going to cost you something extra. $10,000. All in advance," he said it without blinking.

"Are you kidding?" Luke gasped. "we could almost buy our own ship for that!"

"But who's gonna fly it, kid? You?" Han demanded.

"You bet I could! I'm not such a bad pilot myself!" He turned to Jade "we don't have to listen to this-!" he insisted.

But Jade was thinking. "We can pay you two thousand now, plus twelve when we reach Alderaan." She said calmly, experiencing a rush of confidence that she had never felt before, almost like she was for the first time, being herself.

"Fourteen huh?" Han thought about it. "Alright, you two got yourselves a deal. But only because you know how to appreciate a good ship," he added as an aside to Jade. "Docking bay ninety-four, we leave in half an hour."

"Can you be ready sooner?" Jade asked.

"I can be ready in twenty minutes if you can get there in time, but I'm not waiting longer than thirty," he warned, pointing a finger at the two of them. "And you had better have the two thousand when you show up."

"Yes sir," Jade said quickly, hoping Luke wouldn't say anything about them not having any money.

"Sir?" Han asked, cocking an eyebrow and shaking his head as he left.

Luke let out a loud sigh, ignoring the beings jostling by them "come on, let's go find Ben," he grumbled. "Where do you think you're going to get two thousand credits in half an hour?" Luke added.

"We'll have to sell your speeder."
"Sell my speeder!" Luke protested. "Fine, It's not like I'll be coming back here again."That's what he thought. Han had no idea that he had been shorted three thousand credits!

"There's Ben," Luke pointed, and the two started across the room towards him. Intent on her purpose, Jade didn't stop soon enough as a strange looking being turned away from the bar and she collided with him. His foul smelling drink sloshed across him, and he made an angry, guttural roar as he turned towards her.

Jade shrank back "sorry!" recognizing the creature as the Aqualish that had tried to provoke Luke in, well, the movie she was currently in.

"You better just watch yourself, we're wanted men, I have the death sentence on twelve systems," his companion, a humanoid with a hideously disfigured face spoke up, leaning over Jade ominously.

"We'll be careful," Luke tugged Jade away.

"You'll be dead!" the man reached for her again. In a move Jade didn't know Luke had in him, the young farm boy yanked her back out of the man's reach and tripped her attacker, standing over the man, his fists balled. "Leave her alone!" he threatened, though, even Jade didn't think he looked threatening.

With an angry snarl, the man reached for his blaster. Jade closed her eyes, sure this dream was about to come to an end, and not sure she would mind too terribly, even after the feeling of confidence she had enjoyed earlier.

Suddenly Obi-wan was there, Jade knew without looking, she could feel a calm presence.

"These two aren't worth the effort, now come, let me get you something."

Jade screamed when the man fired on the old Jedi and everything happened so fast that afterward, she couldn't quite distinguish the events in her mind. In the blink of an eye the lightsaber was in Obi-wan's hand, and he deflected the blaster fire back, the two fell with a cry, and it was all over.

The Jazzy music that had momentarily stopped while the band and patrons looked on with little interest, started again. "I told you two to be careful," Obi-wan reminded them, deactivating his glowing sword.

Luke held out a hand and pulled Jade up. "Thanks," there was a slight tremble in her voice, things in this dream were a little too real.

"It's alright, he was just looking for a fight," Luke said, remarkable calm for what he had just seen and done.

"Yeah, but thanks for saving me," Jade added.

Luke grinned, "the pleasure was mine,"

"Let's get moving, Chewbacca here is the first mate on a ship that might suit us," Obi-wan indicated the tall hairy Wookiee behind him.

"Oh, Jade already got us a ship," Luke spoke up. Obi-wan's gaze turned to her and immediately the confidence she had felt earlier was gone. Obi-wan might not like the idea of her taking matters into her own hands.

"I'm sorry," Jade started "He's a pilot that I know of, and I thought that would be good. I'm sorry," she repeated, "I should have asked."

"If we're going to make it to docking bay ninety-four in time we had better hurry," Luke reminded them, not that keen on staying any longer in the Cantina. Behind Obi-wan, Chewbacca let out a low guttural growl. Obi-wan glanced at the Wookiee for a moment, and a small smile played across his lips.

"Well Jade, since you seem to know what you're doing, lead the way,"

"We have to sell my speeder for at least two thousand," Luke piped up "that's what he demanded in advance. And he's not waiting long for us."