Chapter Fourteen
It was getting to be midday and so far Ja'Ina and Kurloh had no luck finding a speeder mechanic's shop. Pretty much every business was of a leisure variety – cantinas, bars, hotels, clubs and so forth. Fitty followed along behind the women tootling to himself as he liked to do.
One thing Ja'Ina and Kurloh noticed, just like at the capital city, is they saw very few unaccompanied females of any species, save for some human and near-human. The rest were in blatant or implied positions of some sort of servitude. The two lady pirates did attract many unpleasant looks, but no one bothered them; probably because they were armed and looked like they knew how to use their weapons.
"We're getting nowhere," Kurloh grumbled. "At this rate it'd be quicker to ditch the speeder and walk back to the capital."
Ja'Ina looked at the Togruta wryly. "Very funny, Ku. Surely there's gotta be someone who can fix speeders around here. Mechanics have to eat and drink too."
"Alright, then maybe we should head into one of these bars and ask around."
"Now you're talkin!" They happened to find themselves in front a tavern at that moment. "How 'bout this place?" Ja'Ina motioned to the entrance.
The sign read Ak-Lak's Water Hole. There was a cacophony of voices streaming out of the entrance, indicating a full house.
"I think we may have a good chance here, Ina. Let's go." Kurloh stopped short. "Oops, you'll have to wait outside again, Fitty."
The astromech droid immediately squeaked and bobbed his body towards a sign next to the entrance. It read Droids Always Welcome Here!
Kurloh was surprised. It was very unusual for bars and cantinas to allow droids into their establishments when their primary clientele were organics. She pointed to the sign and shrugged at Ja'Ina. "Well then, call me a Kowakian monkey-lizard's aunt! What're we waiting for?"
Ja'Ina, Kurloh and Fitty entered the tavern. It was packed to the walls with patrons of every species imaginable. There was probably just as many different languages being spoken there as well. The place was lit only from individual lights over the various tables and the bar itself. The place was extremely noisy from the countless conversations; so much so that one couldn't even tell if the music player was even running.
At the bar was a large Besalisk with all four of his arms at work deftly making and serving a number of drinks simultaneously for his patrons. Seeing the bartender at work reminded Ja'Ina that part of her missed working the bar at Norrel's Haven back in Sim Katall. A motley crew of outdated service droids was making their rounds between the tables.
In the near corner to the right of the entrance was the droid area. It was partitioned off from the rest of the bar by a metal bar railing about a meter high. Inside were several droids of different types, mostly astromechs. They were conversing among themselves in their various binary and machine languages. Some basic services were available for the droids, such as lubricant refreshes and power conduits for recharging – for a fee of course. It was like a mechanicals' version of youngling daycare.
Fitty spied the droid pen and happily squealed. Kurloh and Ja'Ina both laughed.
"Alright, alright! Go make some new friends!" Ja'Ina told the little droid with a grin.
He turned and quickly rolled over to the pen while the young women walked over to the bar. The majority of the beings in the tavern were so wrapped up in their own conversations and drinks that they didn't notice Ja'Ina and Kurloh, the only females in the bar, walking by.
The pair walked up to the bar and wedged themselves between other patrons, who looked at them and grumbled before going back to their own drinks.
The Besalisk bartender noticed his new patrons and leaned over the bar in front of them. "Welcome, welcome young misses!" He spoke with a booming voice that cut through the din. "I must admit I don't see very many females come in here. What can I get for ya?"
"I'd like a Corellian spiced ale," Kurloh replied.
Ja'Ina stood up on her tip-toes to compensate for her short stature. "I'd just like water, please."
The bartender let out a rich belly laugh. "Sweetheart, the only water we have here is fire water! People come here to put rocket fuel in their thrusters, not irrigate their vegetable gardens!"
Ja'Ina sighed. "Well, nothing for me then."
"Suit yerself!"
Without turning around, the bartender used one pair of his arms to grab a mug and dispense Kurloh's ale from the tap. His other arms were busy taking money from other patrons for their orders.
The Besalisk brought the filled mug around and placed it in front of Kurloh. "Sixty credits."
Kurloh was shocked with the inflated price. "Wow! Whatever, here you go." She still gave the bartender a small tip.
The bartender slightly bowed his head. "Thanks, missy!" Without hesitation, he went to his next patrons to fill their orders.
Kurloh turned around and leaned up against the bar with one foot up on the foot rail behind her. She took a gulp of her drink. "Mmmm! This is good stuff! You sure you don't want to try some? The Captain turned me on to it."
"No thanks." Ja'Ina also turned around. "So where do we start?" She scanned the tavern for anyone who looked like they could fix speeders.
Kurloh turned to the patron next to her and tapped him on the arm. "'Scuse me. Do you know how to repair landspeeder engines?"
He glanced over contemptuously at the Togruta and turned back to his business without saying anything.
Kurloh frowned. "How rude!"
Ja'Ina perked up. "Lemme try." She turned to the patron next to her and leaned over the bar as to get into his field of view. "Hi there!" she said with an inviting smile.
He looked at her and replied, "Hi," with a slight upward nod of his head. He turned back to his business.
Ja'Ina looked back at Kurloh, who shrugged.
Ja'Ina tried again. "Hi there!"
The man stopped his own conversation and turned to face her. He looked her over head to toe, noting her skimpy garb. He also noticed the sword she carried on her back. "What do you want?!" He was clearly perturbed.
Ja'Ina's smile dissolved. "Well, uhh, my friend and I are looking for someone who can repair speeder engines."
"Sorry, sweetheart. I can't help you there." He smiled at her. "However-"
Through the Force Ja'Ina sensed what he was thinking about. "Never mind! Don't say it, or else!" The man had less-than-savory thoughts about her.
"Or else what? You gonna slap me?" He smugly smiled at her.
Without warning, Ja'Ina shot a quick open-handed jab right to his midsection. It wasn't a hard hit, but it was enough to knock the wind out of him. He looked at her, nervously surprised.
"Or else you'll get much more than that, I guarantee you." Ja'Ina grabbed Kurloh's arm and pulled her away from the bar. "C'mon, let's go somewhere else!"
The young women squeezed themselves in between other patrons and tables, ignoring the gropes they received, even if they seemed intentional. The last thing they wanted was to unnecessarily create a scene. They were getting used to the fact that they would receive some mistreatment here because they were female. They walked up to a random table. The patrons there were engaged in an intense high-stakes game of Sabacc. Kurloh motioned to Ja'Ina that she'd take care of it.
Kurloh leaned over the table. "Hey there, boys! Do any of you happen to be a speeder mechanic?"
Her question was met by much unpleasant grumbling. A rough looking human with a nasty scar on his face barked at her. "No! If you're not gonna play then get outta here, girl!"
An Aqualish was at the table as well. He looked up at the Togruta and spoke brutishly. "I'm notta mech'nic, but I'm in tha' market fer a girl. Ya interested?" He stroked Kurloh's leg and everyone at the table laughed hard.
Kurloh drew her blaster and pointed it right between his large black eyes. "Nope, but I'm interested in target practice unless you take your slimy paw off me!"
The other players at the table drew their blasters and pointed them at Kurloh. The Aqualish guffawed.
"Hey, no blasters in here!" the Besalisk bartender yelled out from the bar. "Take it outside!"
Through the Force, Ja'Ina sensed deception from the Aqualish. She slipped around behind him and snatched a couple of extra cards from his sleeve. "What have we here," she said innocently.
The scarred man looked over at Ja'Ina. "What's that you said?!" The other players turned their blasters from Kurloh to the Aqualish.
"I dunno what this girl's talkin 'bout!" The Aqualish stood up from the table.
The scarred man also stood up. "Sure ya don't!"
The bartender yelled again. "That's enough you guys! Get outta my bar!"
The Aqualish roared and flipped the table over, which started a melee that quickly spread through the tavern. Kurloh holstered her blaster and made her way towards the exit after Ja'Ina.
Ja'Ina shouted at the top of her lungs. "Fitty! We're leaving! Now!"
An electronic whistle from the astromech could barely be heard over the noise.
The young women had to fight their way out, though there was barely room to move. Ja'Ina swept one patron's legs and he went down so she could easily jump over him. Kurloh socked another patron in the face, causing him to stumble out of her way. Other patrons not wanting to get caught in the fight were also making a rush for the door.
Ja'Ina and Kurloh tumbled out of the tavern in a pile of patrons. Fitty managed to bulldoze his way out and was already waiting for them nearby.
Ja'Ina called out, "We've got company!"
Several T'surr enforcers were making their way to the fracas looking like they were ready to bash some skulls together. Ja'Ina and Kurloh scrambled to their feet and ran off with Fitty right behind them.
The three made their way around a corner and stopped. Kurloh and Ja'Ina stooped over, out of breath while Fitty stood very close to them with his orange-trimmed head scanning side-to-side.
Without warning a human man rounded the corner and nearly ran into the women, who reflexively shot back up and drew their weapons on him.
The man stopped in his tracks and raised his hands. "Whoa there, ladies! Hold on!"
Kurloh did not lower her blaster. "What do you want?! Speak up before I burn a hole through you!"
The man had close-cropped black hair and a round goatee. He wore khaki pants and a matching jacket over a white shirt. He carried a blaster, but it was still holstered. "I just ran out of Ak-Lak's myself! That was quite the mess in there!"
Ja'Ina stepped forward with her dagger in hand. "We didn't start it, if that's what you're getting at."
"No, Miss. I was not getting at any such thing. I managed to overhear you looking for a speeder mechanic. I'm not one by trade, but I am mechanically inclined."
Kurloh frowned. "Oh, so you're being a nice guy and offering your services to complete strangers."
The man still had his hands up in the air. "Well, I wouldn't do it for free of course."
"We have money."
The man looked up at his hands. "May I?"
Ja'Ina motioned downward with her dagger and nodded.
He lowered his hands. "Thanks. Now if you show me your speeder, we'll see what we can do."
Kurloh returned her blaster to its holster. "Very well, let's go."
"What's your name?" Ja'Ina asked as she sheathed her dagger.
"It's Arkathan, Arkathan Oran," he answered with a smile. "But I usually go by Ark."
"Okay then, Ark. I'm Ja'Ina and this is Kurloh. Follow us." The pirates turned and started walking.
Ark smiled with his eyebrows raised. "My pleasure, Ja'Ina." He looked the women over as they walked in front of him, clearly pleased with the sight of their skimpy garb.
Without looking back, Kurloh called to Ark, "No staring!"
"Aww, c'mon. As a man I can appreciate the rear view, can't I?"
Ja'Ina shook her head and sighed. "Just don't take it any further. Sheesh!"
Ark snapped a salute.
The group headed back to where the pirates' speeder was parked.