I can only imagine what Lef and Gedda Lars thought when they saw the dust cloud kicked up by the limping, half-scrap Naboo starship barely a klick from their homestead. Whatever they thought, by the time the ground team (myself, Qui-Gon, Commander Olie the pilot, and Padme at "the queen's" insistence) had equipped ourselves and exited the ship, a large land craft floated toward us less than a meter above the sand.
Lars was a broad weather-worn human with greying hair and bushy beard; his wife was similarly sturdy if a head taller and about twenty years younger. Our features weren't easily visible in our dust cloaks, and the moisture farmer spoke as soon as we were within earshot.
"Anyone injured!" the bellow was deep but scratchy, like the desert itself had made its way into him.
"No!" my Master called in a shout that nonetheless sounded calm. "No injuries! Ship is damaged though!"
The ground crawler decelerated rapidly as it approached, setting down a few yards away. Qui-Gon raised a hand in greeting, and stepped toward the older couple. They seemed content to exchange waves and beckon us toward their craft.
"Our home is over the dunes thataway," Gedda said through a scarf covering most of her face. "Come join us out of the sand and we'll talk."
It was clear they hadn't recognized me through my travel cloak, but they were willing to show us hospitality anyway. It was a rare enough attitude in the dangerous galaxy that it warmed my heart… even if it also made me a bit homesick.
We exchanged no more words on the quick trip back. The crawler was designed to transport industrial droids and large equipment; six people didn't weigh it down.
When we arrived at the homestead, a younger man (obviously Lef's son) waited by the door, and a young boy waited just inside it. I hadn't understood the timeline well enough to know that Cliegg and Owen Lars had already returned from the Core Worlds after the loss of Owen's mother. Two years ago, that event had not yet happened. I let myself dwell just briefly on whether I might have made some effort to stop her death.
Then again, hundreds of millions died daily throughout the galaxy. Why care more about Cliegg's' wife; because her husband was named in the movies?
Seeing us coming, Cliegg had gone inside to place additional chairs around the dining table. As soon as we were out of the wind, I uncovered my face and greeted our hosts.
"Hello there!" I held my arms out, and was gratified when Lef took my invitation immediately.
"Ben!" the old man said, enveloping me in a back-slapping embrace. "Has it really been two years already?"
"I'm afraid so, sir. How is the family? I see your son is visiting."
This sobered Lef up. With a nod, he headed back into the house, calling "Boy, with me!" as he went. I expected young Owen to respond, but it was Cliegg that went.
The sturdy Gedda wrapped me in a hug next, tighter than her husband's. I stifled a gasp. She said, low but loud enough that the four of us could hear, "Cliegg's not visiting, he's moved home. Lost Aika last year to xenophage."
"I'm so sorry," Padme said as Gedda moved back, and this spurred the older woman into action.
"Where is my head today! Gedda Lars," she held her hand out to Padme, who took it warmly.
"Gedda, let me introduce my Jedi teacher, Qui-Gon Jinn. And these are Padme and Ric from Naboo."
"Two Jedi in the house," the woman teased. "Should I go put on a dress?"
"Thank you for your hospitality," my Master said as he took the woman's proffered hand.
"Hardly that, but we make do," she said. "Let me fix y'all a drink. Padme, want to join me?"
The women drifted toward the kitchen while the two men returned carrying a small chest between them. It was no wider than their shoulders, but weighed too much to be easily carried by one human. The chest also had a number of nasty surprises for anyone trying to open or move it without the electronic key, including a field dampener that disrupted antigravity. Decent security on a planet where the banks were under the whims of a crime lord. My Master raised his eyebrows at me, and Olie openly gawked.
"Did you open the chest while I was gone?" I asked. Lef had the second key, an encrypted circuit, and I had shown him the numerical code to the chest before I left. I made it clear that he should take from the chest if he needed to, although he assured me he would not.
"Twice," he admitted. "Gedda asked to see what was in it, and insisted we bring two coins into town and confirm they were genuine." His eyes shifted away from me at the embarrassing account.
"I did at that." Gedda came out carrying a tray with tumblers of a blue liquid and a plate of shortbread cookies and put them on the table. "Counterfeit peggats will get you fed to the Sarlacc in these parts. Needed to know what we were holding." The young lady and undercover queen following her set down a second tray with the rest of the glasses.
I nodded. "So, just taking the coins out, and putting them back?" Producing my own key, I placed it in the slot and quickly typed across the holoprojected buttons that appeared on the chest lid. It came open with a click, revealing row after row of gold coins, each the size of an egg.
"No, ah, three times, then," he corrected, looking toward his son. "When Cliegg came back, I showed him how to open it, just in case."
I nodded and took out my portable holo unit, quickly linking to the internal transmitter. Yes, three openings. And a running tally: 1207 coins, 1205, 1207, 1207. "No problems, then. Ric?" The pilot unslung an empty pack from over his shoulder and opened it. I started moving shrink-wrapped sleeves of fifty coins each from the internal shelves of the chest into the pack.
"I… don't entirely understand," I heard Padme ask Gedda, who had stayed well back from the chest after delivering the (untouched) refreshments. "Are those coins worth a lot?"
Gedda nodded. "Gold peggats, each worth sixty-four of the local currency, or about fifty Republic credits," she explained.
"Forty," Cliegg corrected. "As of last week, anyway."
Gedda continued, "Your friend Ben's got enough there to buy you a whole new ship. Maybe two."
Twenty sleeves of peggats went in the bag: 1000 altogether. I pulled the odd 7 out and stacked them on the table, then closed the chest after verifying the even 200 left inside.
I asked the elder Lars, "Can you change me one?" He clomped out of the room, and was back a minute later with a small box that reminded me of a cigarrette case. He traded me three truguts and sixteen wapiupi, smaller lumpy coins that nonetheless had real weight. I put them in a small purse, along with one more peggat.
Five peggats and a chest of 200 laid on the table. I looked at Lef, and pushed the five to him.
The old man shook his head. "Too much," he insisted.
Qui-Gon, who had looked impassively on this whole spectacle, chimed in. "Trust is rare in this part of the galaxy. Your integrity should be rewarded."
He exchanged a look with his wife, before shrugging and adding the five coins to his case.
"So here's the deal," I announced. "I'll pay you five a year out of the chest to keep the rest here, until I need it again or… well, it runs out. I don't have any particular plan to return." That got a thoughtful look from Lef.
"As for my investment," I continued, and Qui-Gon showed his surprise again, "you have my permission to increase it as much as you like with what's in the chest, at the same terms as before. Buy what you need; keep the condensers running at capacity. Send me an update every year or so." Nods all around.
"Now," I gestured my friends to seats and took one myself, sampling the blue beverage. It reminded me of eggnog. "That's business out of the way. So tell me really - how have you two been?"