Chapter 1

How does a jedi in training cross paths with an every day engineer? Well, let's start at the beginning. It all started on Tatooine in a cantina. The band was playing, the drinks were flowing and of course there will always be trouble. Nobody knew that he was a jedi until he was getting up to leave.

"Hey buddie! Care to buy... me another drink?" a drunk local yelled across the cantina.

"No, I don't really care to," the jedi replied.

"Oh come on...just...one more..." he said. His words were starting to slur together.

Then the blaster came out. Once the shots were fired the cantina was still. The jedi reacted with inhuman reflexes. One of the shots was reflected from his shining blue lightsaber and shot back at the drunk's class, causing it to shatter all over. The jedi casually put his lightsaber away and walked out the door. That was when we realized that there was a jedi in the cantina.

Of course I saw this. I rushed out the door after him.

"Hey! What's a jedi like you doing on Tatooine?" I asked him. He was shaking and turned to look at me and stopped.

"Oh...uh...that's my business to know." he said.

"Okay, just wondering, because we don't see too many jedi around here. Really what's the reason why you're here? Did your ship break down or something? I'm an engineer. I could help you."

"That's only half the reason why I'm here. I'm working for the jedi and the rebel army."

"The rebel army? I used to be a soldier! I worked as an infiltrator of imperial ships and camps."

"What's your name?" he asked me.

"Mith Odok. I don't think I got your name yet."

"Mark Galak. Why did you become an engineer?"

"Well," I started, "It's a long story but I was on a mission involving a captured soldier, and when the alarm was raised, he was executed and they forced me to resign. Now I design and build some ship parts. I can do a little work on weapons to improve them a little if I need to."

"That's quite a story. Can you come look at my ship?" he asked me.

"When would you like it looked at?"

"Is now alright?"

"Now is alright." I said with a smile.

That was the beginning of our fellowship. When we got to the dock where his ship was at, I looked at it and was in awe.

"Woah. A Corellian Engineering Corporation YT-1300. You only see a handful of these around. The last one of these I saw was Han Solo's Millenium Falcon, but that was modified over a really long time. Should we go inside?" I suggested.

"Alright. Seems like you know your ships."

"I've been around a few."

When we got inside I instantly knew the problem. The hyperdrive was broken. The shield generators were also damaged.

"Let me get some tools and I'll be back in a few minutes. I can fix this in a little bit."

As I got up from the room with the hyperdrive in it I turned around to find a giant standing over me. I jumped back from the Rodian who was standing in the doorway. I'm not a particularly big person, being a Zabrak, but he must have been at least two meters tall.

Then he spoke to me as if it were a test. The test was that he was speaking to me in Rodese.

In Rodese he said, "What are you doing here?"

I replied, "I'm looking at your ship. I'm going to fix it for you."

He was astonished that I spoke his language. Then he let me through the door. Mark was also astonished.

"I was an infiltrator remember? I had to know more languages other than basic." His expression on his face showed that he understood.

"I'll be back in a few."

So I ventured off back into the city, and made it up to the place I call home. I opened the door, dashed into my room and opened the footlocker under my bed. Why under my bed? I had some valuable tools and if anyone broke in i don't think they'd steal them. You'd do the same wouldn't you? Anyway, that's not the point. So I opened the footlocker and grabbed some tools. I put them in a small backpack and headed back toward my footlocker. I pulled out one of my other more expensive items. A blaster pistol that I modified. It's just for protection! I don't go around town trying to cause a fight.

So I locked my door again and turned around to find three thugs: two trandoshans and a twi'lek. The twi'lek seemed to be the leader of the three.

"Hey guys I don't want any trouble. If I could just get by..." I said as I started to move past them. I was too passive, and one trandoshan pushed me to the ground. I fell on some of my tools. I was more worried about damaging the tools than hurting my back with them.

The twi'lek put his boot on my throat and said, "We saw you with that jedi today. We know him better than you do. He's a spy. He and his friends killed a jedi and he took the lightsaber. He claims he is a jedi. Believe what you want, but he's out to hurt people, not make friends."

They walked away and that was the last I ever saw of those three.

I couldn't help but think about what that twi'lek said to me. He's a spy. He claims he's a jedi.

I thought about this all the way back to his ship. Walked up the loading ramp to his ship.

"What took you so long?" Mark said with a smile.

"What do you mean? I only took fifteen minutes!" I replied.

"Hey, I'm only joking. Let's get working on this."

And so the project began. It took a few hours but everything was back to working shape.

"Well it looks like you have quite a ship here. Have you been anywhere interesting?" I asked.

"Yeah I've been all over the galaxy. Something seems to be bothering you. Is something wrong?"

That was when I knew I was in trouble. I moved my hand to the back of my belt where my blaster was holstered. Me, being a forgetful person, forgot that Mark wasn't the only person on the ship. The tall rodian was behind me and grabbed my arm and pulled out my blaster. He then knocked me to the floor.

"Mith...what is this?" Mark asked me.

"I...I need to know something. Are you really a jedi?"

It was then that I felt really stupid.

"Of course I am! Oh...I see. Did you run into a twi'lek and two trandoshans?"

I was really confused right about now.

"Mith those guys were telling you a lie. Kor, another crew member on this ship followed you to and from your apartment. I know that sounds a little harsh but I just wanted to make sure you didn't run. I know working on a ship like this can be a little intimidating. Anyway, Kor told me about these thugs and they were telling a story to scare you. They hate all jedi that come through here. There's nothing to worry about."

I still felt a little uneasy about this situation. There was nothing I wanted more than to leave this rock.

"How much do you charge for your services?" Mark asked me.

"This one's on me." I replied. It was the least I could do, considering I accused him of being a lying, spy.

"That's not acceptable. What do you want? 25,000 credits?"

25,000 credits! With that I could buy all of Tatooine! (Of course that wasn't true but it was a great amount for a middle class citizen like me.)

"So is that a good amount?" he asked.

"That won't be necessary." I said. Then I thought for a minute. I had a moment of brilliance.

"I actually thought of something. It's a huge thing to ask, but I wouldn't mind leaving this rock."

"I wouldn't either." Kor commented from behind.

That's who I was being followed by.

It took a moment for my last comment to sink in. I just asked a stranger to let me come with him and two (or more) others and leave my home.

When Mark finally said something, it was, "Get your stuff. We'll leave in the morning."