Chapter 18: Pax

Alpheridies

As Pax entered the New Coronet Cantina he smirked. Yep, definitely run by a being with eyes—the bartender was a dark brown Wookiee wearing a grey vest that was almost a Xesh shape. Next to the Wookiee was a protocol droid.

From the entryway, the cantina looked like it had dry ice-induced clouds of Coronet pollution floating in the air, with the thickest clouds situated on the right side of the bar. The interior was painted a drab Corellian grey and the furniture was wood with bright red-cushioned chairs.

In the entrance sat a terminal. Pax dug through his bag until he found his credit chip. After inserting typing in his debit code, Pax pressed 'active balance.' A balance of 52,273 Republic credits displayed, to Pax's pleasant surprise. He had accumulated over 6,000 credits in the last month without taking a single bribe. Well, it is hard to spend money on anything but rent when deployed on a ship. Various 'withdrawal' options were displayed. Pax hit the 500 one.

"ɱ500 selected. The exchange rate today is 9.0127 Republic Credits to 1 Miralukan Credit. Do you accept the Bank of Miraluka's Exchange Rate? Yes/No/Select Another Transaction."

Pax selected another transaction. Geez, 4,500 credits! The Republic Credit isn't worth anything. Pax hit ɱ150 and then the terminal said "ɱ150selected. The exchange rate today is 9.0127 Republic Credits to 1 Miralukan Credit. Do you accept the Bank of Miraluka's Exchange Rate? Yes/No/Select Another Transaction."

Pax accepted the exchange rate. To his complete astonishment, a loud banging noise of clanging metal echoed from the cubby below the terminal.

Reaching inside, Pax could feel three huge coins, each the size of his hand. They were so heavy.Blast. There is no way these can fit in my coin-purse. Pax pulled out his spare dirty laundry bag from his backpack and started stuffing the three inconvenient coins inside. Each one had a ɱ50 printed on it in a very textured font a blind being could feel. Wow. I am not on Coruscant anymore.

As Pax entered, he yelled "Wyaaaaaa." ["Hello"] with a tip of his hat approaching the counter.

The Wookiee asked, in Shyriiwook, ["do you speak Shyriiwook?"]

["Yep, studied it for three years on Coruscant,"] Pax answered as he walked by the table Averross and Carver were seated at. Pax ignored them and sat down at the bar counter. "Ma nama ga Pax, oshra oh hua shyrii 'Maksh' ghug oh waa." ["My name is Pax, but you can say "Maksh" if you need,"] Pax explained.

Struggling to say "Pax," the Wookiee gargled frustratedly. "Hmaks."

["That works too. Hmaks I suppose sounds closer, you understand Basic?"]

"Uma". ["Yes."]

"Good," Pax sighed. "I can speak Shyriiwook but it is tiring on my tongue."

["My name is Ghalabow,"] the Wookiee said.

Pax realised this Wookiee was female at her name. Hard to tell when they actually wear clothes he thought. ["Nice to meet you Ghalabow."]

As Pax set his bag next to his stool and began getting comfortable, Carver muttered from behind him.

"Pax?"

"Yeah," Pax answered spinning around on the barstool.

"I can't find my credit chip anywhere and I forgot my debit code. Could you spot me?"

"You owe me. Here is ɱ50. That's 450 credits give or take. Should cover at least a few days here," Pax said handing one of his huge coins to Carver.

"Thanks Pax," Carver said, taking the coin with two hands. He returned to the table, which now had Fojo, a female Rodian Pax had never seen, and a green Twi'lek female Pax had never seen. She was hissing with very sharp teeth at Averross. Averross was saying something with animated gestures and Fojo was laughing at it all, looking very much like he was struggling to fit in.

In the few minutes since Pax arrived at the counter, Averross had downed four shot glasses of who knows what, already appeared drunk, and attracted two beings to his table. Well, he is doing something right I suppose.

The Wookiee laughed tapping Pax's hat and chuckled, asking in Shyriiwook, ["Are you a cop or a bounty hunter?"]

"Eh, something like that," Pax replied, taking his hat off.

["I guess that he is your boss,"] she proclaimed in Shyriiwook while pointing at Averross.

"Uh yeah, I'd like a… I guess I'll try a Miraluka Beer," Pax replied in Basic.

"Uma," she replied as she put a glass under a tap. An unsavoury-looking black liquid came out with bubbles like beer but much too dark. "Ghalashi ga-ga yako nyuyag." ["The Galaxy is like that"],she added in a sage Wookiee voice.

Pax handed Ghalabow a giant ɱ50 coin and asked, "the Galaxy is like what?"

She returned two ɱ20 coins about half the size of the 50 coin, a five coin about the size of a 1 Pegat coin, and four tiny one Miraluka Credit coins.She started growling a Shyriiwook rant, one which she had probably given before.["Humans. Humans always are everywhere and always trust their own kind. I think you are more intelligent than that fool, but the humans do not trust you."]

"Honestly, Ghalabow you're right, but that's not what's going on here," Pax muttered. "You would be right 99% of the time, but this particular fool—well, I can't say more."

Pax took a sip of the Miraluka Beer. Surprisingly, it was extremely weak, almost like fizzy water with a beer aftertaste. "Is this stuff almost all water?"

Ghalabow laughed. ["Miralukas don't ever make strong beer. It is possible."]

Pax looked around the room. There were a few younger Miraluka here who looked like they would not be of drinking-age on Coruscant. They sat near the door.

Looking around curiously, Pax finally found what he was looking for. A sign explaining the rules. Next to his stool, fixed to the counter, was an engraved sign spelled out in Basic, but which a Miraluka could touch and feel the words on, "Under 16? No service. No shirt? No pants? No service."

Sixteen is a bit young, Pax thought to himself. The local alcohol though is pretty weak. He wanted to ask if there were laws restricting what type of beer the teens could drink, but stopped himself, realising it would probably give Ghalabow too many clues to his own identity.

["You could start your own business rather than work for the humans,"] Ghalabow suddenly suggested in Shyriiwook.

"I could, but…" Pax gulped down the rest of the black coloured beer-water, surprisingly refreshing, not like beer at all "but I am not exactly working for the 'humans' and most of the time, I don't have a boss who is a fool."

The Wookiee looked curiously at him. Pax could tell she wanted to ask a lot more questions but wasn't going to. Pax decided to ask one of his own.

"What do you think of the ramshackle Wookiee blockade over Trandosha?" Pax asked, strategically dropping a bombshell question to completely change the topic of conversation.

Ghalabow laughed a deep Wookiee laugh. "Ishh korrrrll Hmaks!" ["Dangerous question Pax."]

"Well, seriously, what do you think? Personally, I think the fact you guys 'voted,' really appointed Yarua to represent the Trandoshans in the Senate is a symptom of a greater problem in the Republic. I like Yarua as much as the next guy. He's all right, but that Wookiee Senator doesn't usually wear clothes, cannot speak a word of T'doshok, and not a single Trandoshan was allowed to vote."

["You aren't a bounty hunter Pax. You are a cop,"] Ghalabow said slyly.

"Fine, you're right, I am something more of a cop," Pax muttered.

["Well, that's one reason I left Kashyyyk,"] Ghalabow said wearily in Shyriiwook. ["Arrogant strong Wookiees always making blunders. Never accepting new ideas. We live like critters in the forest—"]

"—Ahhhh!" Averross yelled so loudly that it made Ghalabow stop talking. His face bore that wet sweaty look humans got when they were extremely drunk. "You wanna see my saber ladies?!"

To Pax's horror, Averross ignited his blue lightsaber. All of the Miraluka teens approached his table in fascination.

"Oh masha ga yedai!" ["Your boss is a Jedi!"] Ghalabow yelled in a laugh.

"Yep. Seeing as we are now no longer under cover, I am an Agent in the Republic Judicial Corps. That there," Pax said pointing angrily in Averross's direction "that there is the kriffing stupidest Jedi I have ever been assigned to. This though, this is a new level of stupid. This—BLAST!"

One of the Miraluka teenagers donated her eye-mask to Averross. The Master put it on and was now swinging at items that the bar patrons were throwing at him.

"See, it's the Force you see? I can swing at anythin' you kriff-heads throw my way!" Averross explained excitedly to the force-sensitive Miralukas.

A Miraluka teenager extended his hands as if casting a spell, lifted a chair using the force, and hurled it at Averross. Averross sliced it in half. The crowd was roaring with laughter.

Ghalabow gave an angry roar so loud that it shook all of the plates and glasses.

"Averross! Master, stand down!" Pax yelled in a panic.

"You don't get to order me around Pax," Averross stammered, nearly tripping on a chair as he approached the counter, saber still ignited.

"Respectfully, sir," Pax pleaded, "you've had far too much to drink. Turn your lightsaber off before you hurt someone!"

Averross turned off his saber and looked the snarling Wookiee in the eye. "Sorry 'bout that chair. I can pay for it," and threw her his Republic credit chip. She handed it back to Pax slyly.

"I'll try to um... help him out, it was nice talking with you Ghalabow," Pax said with a tip of his hat as he got up.

"Egh inyorgh oo sheyachu rin, oshra oh rrashrakrrykap nyrr." ["I enjoy your companionship too but remove him please."]

Sheyachu Pax thought to himself. Isn't that a bit romantic? Eh, forget about it. Besides, Jazal and my sister may have a thing for scary fur-covered predators with sharp teeth, I don't. Gotta take care of a Jedi… Pax gripped Averross's elbow and started leading him through the mock-pollution mist towards the door.

Averross groaned a little bit as if he felt sick.

"Carver, Fojo, could you help me?"

"Yeah Pax we're on it," Carver said and hopped up from the table in a snap.

Pax could not believe he had to ask for help. Useless Judicials.

Fojo went over to the door.

The Miraluka teens began parting allowing a clear path to the door. The Rodian and Twi'lek who had previously been at Averross's table were laughing hard, nearly falling out of their chairs.

Awerl suddenly appeared in the doorway wearing nothing but his belt and peacekeeping badge. "Wuaah magha magha?" ["What is happening?"]He asked in a concerned tone.

Ghalabow roared at Awerl. Pax turned around to see what the commotion was. Ghalabow was pointing angrily at the sign saying, "No shirt, no pants, no service."

Blast.

Awerl started angrily walking to the counter bumping Carver's shoulder.

"Ouch!" Carver yelled and dropped Averross.

Pax groaned under the weight of Averross's entire body, struggling to pull the Jedi to standing position without Carver's help.

"Awerl!" Pax yelled. "Stand down! Go to the temple, put some clothes on, and come back if you want to hang out in this Cantina!"

Ghalabow and Awerl started roaring at each other. They spoke far too fast for Pax to understand any of it.

This is not good. This is not good. This is not good. Blast this is not good.

After 20 seconds of yowling at each other, Ghalabow splashed some Miraluka Beer onto Awerl's face. The next second, Awerl roared and grabbed Ghalabow's shoulder fur, pulling her hard into the counter as if he was trying to yank her out from behind the bar counter.

"AWERL! STOP! LET GO OF HER YOU KRIFFING GOON! STOP!" Pax yelled.

Ghalabow reached up and grabbed Awerl's hands, pressing hard between Awerl's thumb and pointer finger, pressing ruthlessly into his pressure points. Awerl screamed in pain, his claws extending involuntarily then retracting. Ghalabow leapt over the counter, smacking Awerl's face with a steel tray. She then began wailing on him in earnest.

Onlookers started watching curiously, a few of the Miralukan teens cheered.

THIS IS SO BAD!

Pax felt Averross weight suddenly go away. Averross stood straight on his own volition and turned around.

"Averross! Don't interfere with a Wookiee fight! We should wait until Ghalabow is satisfied. Awerl needs a lesson anyways." Pax added "GHALABOW! I think that goon has had enough!"

"Pax, don't worry, a Jedi's got this… A Jedi's got this…" Averross slurred in a drunken tone. As he approached the fighting Wookiees, he chanted to himself. "Passion, yet Serenity. Chaos, yet Harmony."

It did not take two semesters of Wookiee culture at the Judicial Academy for Pax to know Averross's drunken idea, whatever it was, was a bad idea.

Averross force lifted tables and chairs at random, then chucked them at Ghalabow.

Ghalabow snarled, retreated behind her counter, and began throwing things back at Averross.

Awerl got up and began slinking back towards Pax on the floor.

"Averross, we gotta go! Master! Grab Awerl!"

Fojo ran to Pax and Carver in a panic "what should we do?!"

"I can save us Fojo don't you worry your tiny little Rodian brain," Averross said in an almost sober tone and began slicing through all of the furnishings Ghalabow threw.

As Averross cut a table in half mid-air, flaming wood shavings flew into Pax's eyes. The Duros closed closed his eyes, tears welling up. He whipped out his comm "Jazal! I need help! Averross and Awerl are drunk! They got into a fight. This is getting really—"

Pax paused. Through his teary eyes, he saw a meter-tall black safe flying at Averross. Blast…

In a moment where time seemed to go in slow motion, Averross cut through the safe with his lightsaber. The teenagers and Fojo were screaming in terror, being burned by flying metal shrapnel. Molten chunks of metal flew in every direction along with Miralukan Credits spilling out, some of them molten too. Pax turned away from a huge chunk falling straight towards his face.

Too late. Pax felt burning and a heavy impact on the back of his head. Then, nothing.