DISCLAIMER: None of these characters are mine, none of the places are mine, pretty much all of this belongs to George Lucas. Ol' Janx Spirit is of course from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Tell me what you think. Cheers!
The bar was crowded; Dexter had to shuffle past groups of people in the door way sheltering in the rain. He was carrying a long box that was apparently very heavy as it took two of his arms to carry, despite his strength. With his other two arms he cut his way through the crowd, muttering platitudes: "Sorry, 'scuse me, coming through." He made it inside and to the bar, putting the box on the counter with a dull thump. The noise startled the Barkeep, a grizzled Toydarian who had been engrossed in cutting wing holes into a new jacket. The Toydarian looked at the box with unhidden curiosity and then up at Dexter who had eased himself, with some difficulty, onto a stool.
"Whata can Ia do for you, my friend?" he asked, his wings lifting him from his seat and over to the counter. He kept looking at the box, and Dexter could almost see the cogs turning in his head, trying to find a way to look inside.
"A bottle of Ol' Janx spirit." The Barkeep nodded to himself and took one last look at the box before turning away to fetch the drink. He stopped and turned back.
"Oh, howa many glasses?" Dexter looked at him, confused.
"... One." He said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The Toydarian's eyes widened in surprise before he turned to get the drink. One arm resting on the box, Dexter turned to survey the rest of the bar. It was full of people of many species; all huddled around tables and sipping drink. Despite the relatively up beat music they all looked fairly sullen; the prevailing mood of the bar was one of quiet melancholy and, since Dexter's arrival, suspicion. The Barkeep returned with a bottle of clear black liquid and a glass. Dexter paid him ("Republic credits?! What am I meanta to do with Republic credits?") then turned back to the room. A man who he hadn't noticed before was sat alone in the corner. He was tall, dark and lean, clad in a weather-beaten coat with the hood pulled up, casting a shadow over his eyes. Around his neck he was a ragged grey scarf that covered the lower half of his face and on his feet, large traveller's boots. He wore no ornament save for a silver belt buckle fashioned in a strange design that Dexter had never seen before; a winged star of some description. Dexter wondered who he was as he downed his drink, turned to the bottle and reached for it. The bottle slid away from his grip, he tried again and again it slid away from him. Confusion gave way to realisation as he grabbed the bottle and picked up his glass. Hefting the box with him he walked over to the man.
"Cute trick," he said placing his drink and glass down on the table, "But I thought a Jedi would be more reserved about showing off like that." The stranger did not react.
"If I had wanted to show off, I would have carried you over here instead of waiting for you to waddle over here."
"You're incredibly arrogant for a Jedi, aren't ya," Dexter, taking an immediate dislike to the man, sat down opposite him and poured himself a drink. Out of politeness more than anything he offered to bottle to the Jedi, who didn't move. Rebuked, Dexter shrugged and filled his glass more. "Jedi are meant to be all saintly and... heh heh heh... humble." He raised his glass, "Cheers."
The stranger waited for him to finish and lowered his hood. His hair was short but unkept, his face was lean and unshaven and his eyes, though tired, shone out piercing blue. "Well, I'm not like most Jedi."
"Huh..." Dexter grunted, noticing the long braid of hair that hung down behind the Jedi's ear. "Padawan... should have guessed. Kid, I've heard many men say they are not like the rest... they're all dead now." He poured himself another drink. "So where's your minder?" 'That did it!' he thought with amusement, seeing the blood rush to the young man's face. The Jedi calmed himself but could not keep a touch of anger from his voice.
"It is of no concern of yours, Besalisk."
"It's Dexter." Dexter said. He waited for the Jedi to respond. After a few moments he asked "Well have you got a name?" The Jedi thought for a moment.
"Ben." He said. A few moments of silence passed before Ben looked down, seemingly thinking to himself. He looked up again and held out his hand. "Ben Kenobi." Dexter, surprised, took Ben's hand in his own, though it was huge in comparison.
"Dexter Jettster," he said with a smile. "Can I ask... why you are dressed like that? Thought you Jedi types were all cloaks and tunics... you seem to be dressed like a real person!"Dexter laughed but Ben just smiled to himself.
"Well... Jedi aren't exactly welcome on the Outer Rim planets."
"True..." He took another drink. "...Which brings me on to this!" He slid the box in front of Ben. "Open it." Ben did, clicking the catches open. Inside, in a padded surround there was a sword about a meter in length. The sword was of strange construction that reminded Ben vaguely of a light bulb; a metal rod surrounded in what looked like a glass casing. Wires fed from the base of the 'blade' into the sword hilt, upon which was a red button. Instinctively, Ben went to press the button, only to be stopped by Dexter who put his hand over it. "Not inside! I thought you Jedi were meant to be smart. Come with me..." Dexter closed the box and lifted it up, his free hands pouring the rest of his drink into his glass, which he downed in one. He led the way out of the door, Ben putting his hood up as he left the table.
Outside the rain was still hammering down. Dexter kept walking until they were well out of site of the bar and then ducked behind another building into the shelter of a back yard. Ben followed him, clearly annoyed that he had to walk in the rain again. "I would have preferred to stay inside." He shouted over the drumming of the rain on the corrugated iron roof.
"Heh heh heh... I think there would have been a few surprised faces in the bar. Anyway, you're the one who wanted to keep a low profile." While he was talking he laid the box on the floor and opened the lid, picking the sword up with a great effort. "You got a lightsaber?" he asked.
"Of course," Ben's hand went instinctively to his hip. "...Why?"
"Take it out and ignite it...." Ben hesitated, "hurry up, I haven't got all day!" Ben reached inside his coat and took out his lightsaber, absent mindedly flicking it into the air and catching it again before igniting it. A blade of blue light cut though the darkness of the shed, under lighting the Jedi's face. A drip of rain from a hole in the roof fell onto the tip of the blade, making a sizzling sound as it instantly evaporated. "Now," said Dexter, setting himself in a ready stance. "Attack me." Ben laughed without thinking.
"What?! No offence Dex but... I am a Jedi and you..."
"It's Dexter," Dexter said, mildly annoyed, "Just attack me will you?" Ben shrugged and sunk into a classic attack stance, as he had been taught, before thinking better of it. He simply strolled towards Dexter, casually whirly the blade around him before bringing it up over his head and down past Dexter's right hand side. With surprising speed, Dexter brought the sword to meet it, pressing the button as he did so. Instantly the sword lit up and crackled with purple lightening and as it met the lightsaber blade there was a crack, like the rolling thunder of the storm, and the blades locked, sparks flying from both. Ben looked down at the blades and then up at Dexter, a look of incredulity on his face. Dexter forced Ben back with a shout, putting Ben off balance. Ben stumbled backwards, holding his lightsaber towards the ground.
"But... how!?" Ben could not hide his surprise. Dexter didn't answer but instead advanced towards Ben, holding the sword in two of his hands, the blade pointed toward the ground. With a yell he swept the blade up, under Ben's guard. The Jedi, taken aback, only just blocked the sword with his own but Dexter was so strong that Ben was propelled backwards and into the air. Ben smashed into the roof of the shed and then slammed into the ground, his lightsaber flying out of his grip and lying, deactivated, a few feet away from him. Ben, now angry despite himself, snarled and picking himself up ran full pelt towards Dexter. Dexter smiled and, with a degree of effort, swept the blade across towards Ben's neck. The Jedi jumped up, somersaulting over the crackling sword as Dexter swung, landing behind the Besalisk. With a shout, he crouched and pivoted on his left leg, swinging his right to swipe Dexter's legs out from under him. Dexter fell backwards with a loud thud his sword rolling out of his grip.
Holding out his hand and channelling the Force through his body, Ben summoned his lightsaber to him. It flew into his hand and Ben ignited it, the blade shooting out from its tip stopping just short of Dexter's chin. Ben was breathing heavily and his voice was laden with emotion when he said "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you now." Dexter looked at the blade and then up into the Jedi's eyes and was, for the first time in a long while, was scared. He didn't understand this Jedi; at one moment he was arrogant, then he was friendly and now... murderous. After a moments though he spoke, his voice calming but authoritative.
"Because you're a Jedi." Ben looked into his eyes for a long while, still breathing heavily. After a minute, though it felt like longer, he stepped back from the prone Besalisk and turned off his lightsaber. He continued to stare at Dexter for a long while before walking away into the pounding rain. Dexter sat up resting on two of his elbows, "So are you interested?" Ben stopped in the doorway and nodded without looking round.
"Find me tomorrow. We'll talk." He said, before walking off into the rain.