The sand storm swallowed the small shuttle minutes after landing outside Anchorhead. Smarter individuals would have retreated indoors to avoid these rough conditions hours ago. The few stranglers darting inside the nearest shops or cantina were more than likely vendors who managed to escape the worst of it before the storm rolled through or someone who finally noticed the large cloud rushing towards the city.
He managed to convince the guard at the city gate after passing himself off as an hunter risking his hide by wandering the Dune Sea for credits to survive on this planet. Most never returned from their exepdtions Not in one piece, at least. Sand People were less than friendly to outsiders, and he would not blame them. If they did, they were acclaimed lunatics or survivors in their own right.
And the latter does not apply to me.
Caden pulled the cloth mask over his nose. There was no use in trying to keep the sand out of his hair. It had a way of clogging engines of even the most well maintain starships during the nastiest storms.
A few of his contacts frequented the hunting lodge on a regular basis but they could hardly be called friends. The smuggler had no interest in the sport or trophy market even with a permit. Oddly enough, that was one of the few legal documents on Tatooine in some respects. Most species found on this side of the galaxy were viscious enough to tear a grown man if caught off guard. The only person he knew who took up that hobby was more than likely dead.
One he failed to rescue to save from the Empire.
Caden stepped inside a shop with dark red blanket covering the entrance,. It was not as fncy as the scavagers and mechanics who established their own businesses here but it was the right place to go to for out-of-date parts. Its location across from an hunting lodge made it a popular stop for both ISB agents and hunters who preferred to cheat. Today, the shop was empty expectfor the little girl admiring an C series droid.
He uncovered the lower half of his face, slightly smiling. "Did you help Delia patch that one up?"
Mira looked up from the droid to see her uncle. "Yes!"
Caden knelt down to study the small astromech himself. Unlike the shop owner, he preferred the R series to decommissioned models. Delia begged to differ, claiming older technology lasted longer with the right care. That was still up for debate.
"Mira, go wait behind the front desk."
"Could use some work, I guess." He stood up, eying the astromech's semi-polished dome. Delia's tone told him it was better to listen to her now before setting every droid to attack mode. "May want to invest in a real door instead of that curtain."
"Would love to if the Hutts stopped trying to low ball me!" Delia scowled. "Consider yourself lucky I do not have to parts for the ancient junk in the stock room."
Cordelia wiped the last of the oil from her hands. The ancient pile of junk laying on her work table had both arms dismantled. How this droid managed to survive the centuries after being banned was a mystery, even to the shop owner. HK units were rare, even by Tatooine's standards. What information she could find indicated these models had skills that surpassed those of the average guard as well as an psychopathic streak left unchecked.
Whether it can be activated is another story. The woman shook her, sighing. This thing could be a reproduction based off old blueprints for all I know.
Under normal circumstances, she would settled for a B-1 droid but that was not an option. Not after what happened a few weeks ago. This unit would bring in much needed credits if the right person brought it. If no one did, it would be an welcome sercuirty measure to her home. Most thugs on this planet would swindle their own mother's if given the chance.
Setting the rag down, she turned to walk out of the back room. Many of her stockers have pointed out she was becoming an professional part-time horder after cataloging every nut, bolt and chasis on these shelves. It would be cause for concern elsewhere in the galaxy but she learned over the years everything was useful in its own way. Some were for customers who preordered their parts via Holonet; others were expected to be shipped to elsewhere in the galaxy.
The shop was empty with the exception of her and Mira. The crew often left the litte girl behind on Tatooine whenever her friends' mysterious contact assigned them dangerous missions. Ridge was not happy Mira would be around an potentially dangerous droid. Lyra, to her credit, was just as worried but also offered to help find parts off-world. Whether it was an hobby that came with being Mandalorian or something her best friend took interest in, Cordelia would never know.
That is in the past.
Mira usually stayed behind the front desk whenever she had customers in the shop. There was no telling who she would be dealing with. Bounty hunters and the occassional head hunter often came to her for custom modfications to their droids. Those individuals also tended to cover their faces.
Rounding the corner, she was partially relieved to hear it was someone she could trust. Caden may not be punctial but he was dependable when it mattered.
"Did you help Delia patch that one up?" Caden asked.
Mira's voice told her she was relieved to she her guardian again. "Yes!"
The shop owner could tell he spent more time than intended on the Dune Sea. This was not unusual for missions assigned handed out by their benefactors. She suspected there was more than one group involved in this entire operation but there was no proof to whether these people were untrustworthy. For now, she had to resort to Caden's judgement given his involvement.
"Mira, go wait behind the front desk."
The little girl looked up with hestiantation before disappearing around the corner. Rubbing her forehead, Cordelia lowered her folded arms as she stared down Caden.
"Could use some work, I guess." He stood up, eying the astromech's semi-polished dome. C-1 units may not be that popular but they could bring a profit. "May want to invest in a real door instead of that curtain."
"Would love to if the Hutts stopped trying to low ball me!" Delia scowled. "Consider yourself lucky I have not completely assembled the ancient junk pile in the stock room...or should I do the battle droids' job?"
Caden raised his hands seeing the woman reach for the hilt of her blaster. She supposed some of her more respectable customers knew better than to insult the owner of a droid shop. Most of them were harmless combat wise.
"Or you could reenact the Clone Wars," he suggested.
Cordelia walked past him towards an shelf of minor gears. She could hear Mira rearranging the box of computer spikes underneath the front desk. Cleaning them up was a small chore compared to the mess of the storage room. Turning to her friend, a part of her wondered how it would take before he explained why this mission took so long.
"Explain," the woman hissed quietly.
"You have been taking notes from Jabba," he whispered.
"Caden, half of the assignments may benefit the Rebellion but this will get us no closer to finding Ridge." Cordelia sighed. "How did you meet them in the first place?"
Caden ran his fingers through his sandy hair. If the Clone Wars were reenacted, no one in the hunting lodge would miss this place that much unless the Hutts hired Cordelia for her aim. As the Jedi would say, Force be with him.
"A small group came into the shop for ship parts last night. Based on the credits they spent, these people managed to get on someone's bad side." he began, "One of them - a Lasat, I believe - scared Mira while she was wandering around the shop."
"You...lost Mira at work?!" Cordelia glared. "Do you want what Ridge or Lyra would have done if they were still here?! Why not leave her with me?!"
"Delia, I am aware Lyra would have left me to Jabba if she knew I lost her daughter." Caden told her, "But this has everything to do with Ridge, trust me."
"Cade -" Cordelia studied the tip of her boots before looking up. These were kind of conversations they avoided for two weeks now. "If Ridge is alive, the Empire would make getting to him difficult. That is taking into account they know who he is."
"I don't trust these people as far as I can throw them. For now." Caden agreed, "Something tells me they know Fulcrum. The Rebellion does not enlist the help of bounty hunters or freelancers looking for a quick credit, as much as I hate to admit it."
For now?
She has known Caden for years but this was strange, even for him. Smugglers rarely considered working with people they hardly trusted. It was not until he handed her the data disc did she realize what he pulled off.
"Is that what I think it is?" The shop owner stare at the disc in her hand. "How do you even know the Empire did not plant this information?"
"Because I get the feeling the Empire associated Ridge with the people that helped me get this information." Caden told her, "He did tell us that -"
Cordelia walked away knowing what he was going to say. They did have a chance to get him back but the question was how long until the Empire track them down. It would not take much incentive on Tatooine, especially when there was a child involved. Her combat droids could hold a few freelancers but not professional bounty hunters.
"I will view this tonight and get back to you," she snapped. "You and Mira go home. It's getting late."
"Contact me when you do," Caden sighed. "They are transporting him off world tomorrow. I am doing this for her, not myself. Just know that."
"You are the closest thing she has to family," Cordelia said. "Remember that, Cade."
Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. For those of you quarantine, be healthy and safe.
