Title: Episode I: The Slave Master
Author: Sparkling Diamond Satine
Summary and disclaimer in the prologue.
Rating: PG
Note: Any lines with asterisks are in an alien language, but were translated into Basic because I'm too lazy to buy a book on alien languages.
~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 2~Misgivings/Menacing Adversaries/Holiday
"Are you sure about this, Master? I have a bad feeling about this," Obi- Wan Kenobi said, descending from the starship that had just landed on Tatooine.
"What could possibly go wrong on this mission? All we must do is visit each tribe and find out what's enraged them so much to fight each other," Qui-Gon said, defiantly. "The Council trusts that we will be able to fulfill this mission, so we must listen."
"It's just…I feel something; something that I have never felt before…and I do not wish to feel it, either," Obi-Wan said. "It feels like fear, anger, and darkness."
"Well, of course you feel that. Those are natural feelings in the midst of a war; you cannot let them get to you. Just keep these feelings in the back of your mind, and try to concentrate solely on the mission," Qui-Gon instructed his apprentice.
The two Jedi struggled their way through the sandy dunes of Tatooine, making their way towards the homestead that would become their residence for however long the mission would take. They greeted their host families, and were pleased to discover just how friendly they were compared to the bulk of the alien citizens on Tatooine. Most enjoyed gambling and crime in general, but a select few were just looking for a way to make money in order to buy a ship and fly away from the incredibly predictable Tatooine. The only thing that was unpredictable about the desert planet was its dust storms. When those occurred, they were both sporadic and deadly to anyone who doesn't have shelter nearby.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sat down to a simple meal with the family and discussed their mission, or at least what they were allowed to discuss. They found that it was a very enigmatic situation, and that no one had ever been able to discover the meaning behind the tribal fighting.
"Thank you for housing us for a while, but we regret to inform you that we must begin our mission. We shall be back by supper," Qui-Gon said, placing his hood over his head, and motioning for Obi-Wan to do the same.
~*~
The Filoreans sat down with the mysterious apprentice whom was assigned to help them. They were a most intriguing species, with their long snouts useful for smelling anything that was within a five-mile radius, and the five eyes above the snout that could see well, even in the dark and in the sandstorms. The only thing that stood in their way of becoming a well- known species was their personality. It was always the same, very rarely differing from Filorean to Filorean. The males tended to kill off any female that didn't desire them, and the females tended to kill of the children that were disobedient. This violent behavior greatly limited their number to mostly the males, if they didn't kill each other over a female who desired more than one male, and the few females and children who survived.
The head of the Filoreans, what they call the Cappie, their name for Captain, stood up to acknowledge the apprentice.
* Do you have the weapons? * the Cappie asked. * As long as you have them, you will get paid. Otherwise, you can tell your Master that the deal is over. He promised us weapons today, and we want weapons! *
The creature known to the Sith as Darth Maul stood up and held the translator up to his mouth. It was switched on to Filorean, which is comprised of a series of gargles and clicking.
* Your weapons are being delivered * Darth Maul said. His hood covered the spikes on his head, which makes him look that much more menacing. * They shall arrive in 0200 hours. *
The Cappie bowed respectively and said, * As soon as the weapons are in my hands, shall I give you the money. *
The zabrak bowed back and grinned. * I wish you luck in your civil war. The Tusken Raiders are a violent tribe, but with our advanced weaponry, you are sure to win. *
The Filoreans cheered when they heard his certainty of their victory. They wanted to be thought of as a higher race than the Tusken Raiders, but their weapons were more primitive than the gaffi sticks and blasters.
* I wish you luck in your own war against the Jedi. We hate them just as much as you do, and we are pleased that the money will help assist you in the war * the Cappie said.
Darth Maul smirked and walked towards his camping grounds, where he would spend the next two hours until the weapons would be delivered. "You have no idea how much this will assist us," he said in Basic, which no Filorean had ever understood since the birth of the first creature.
~*~
Anakin and his mother, Schmi Skywalker, had been allowed to visit the outskirts. They found themselves at Mos Eisley Cantina, where they listened to the Modal Nodes' music, and had a few drinks. Schmi had wished he could find a better place to talk, but he insisted that it was the best of all the places in the area.
"So, tell me son, what have you been doing in Jabba's Palace? I'm sorry to have left you at such a vile place…but your life was at risk," Schmi said.
"I'm a servant to the Hutts. Anything Jabba wants me to do, I do. There's only one other human there, so life gets lonely at times," Anakin said. "What do you mean my life was at risk?"
"I cannot tell you the reason, but I am sure you will understand that my decision was the only one I had. I have been devastated to be unable to watch you grow up, though!" Schmi explained.
Anakin smiled and put his hand on his mother's shoulder. "It was not big deal, growing up in Jabba's was not the most exciting thing to watch. It's pretty much the same thing day in and day out."
"Well, I just hope that you can forgive me. I do think I could find a way to stay and watch you grow from now on, I have a feeling your life is no longer at risk," Schmi said.
Anakin squealed. "If that is true, then of course I can forgive you!" Anakin said. "Come on, Mom, let's get back to Jabba's and see what he can do!"
~*~
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon approached the vast camp of the Tusken Raiders. Obi- Wan cringed at the primitive lifestyle they led, and hoped this mission would not be a failure. Qui-Gon, on the other hand, was hoping that this mission would be a success, and believed that they could somehow change the tribes around to become friendly.
The Tusken Raiders kept scowling behind the two venerable Jedi's backs, and secretly had one thing in common with the Filoreans. They, too, hated Jedi, but they minded their own business, as they frequently hated any species that thought themselves better.
"I don't know, Master, I think we may be fighting a losing cause. They don't even want to listen to what we have to say," Obi-Wan said.
"We must try to at least get some information as to why they are fighting the Filoreans. Not a soul knows how the war started, and we must find out somehow," Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan shrugged and tried to stretch his feelings out towards calming the Tusken Raiders and was shocked to find that they blocked his calm sense in the Force from entering.
"Master…" urged Obi-Wan, "I think we should leave and find shelter. Not only do the Tusken Raiders not want to be calmed, but I fear a storm is brewing."
Qui-Gon nodded reluctantly. "We will have to find shelter nearby. Let us go to Mos Eisley, that is a city nearby that will be able to provide us some shelter."
Obi-Wan nodded, and followed Qui-Gon, forever trudging through the endless Dune Sea. Obi-Wan thought the sand would never end, and was relieved to see a city in the distance.
"Do not worry, my young apprentice, we will arrive at a cantina shortly," Qui-Gon said. "You will be able to rest and gain refreshments."
Obi-Wan sighed of relief and tried to trudge just a little bit faster, in hope of reaching the cantina sooner.
~*~
End: Chapter 2
Author: Sparkling Diamond Satine
Summary and disclaimer in the prologue.
Rating: PG
Note: Any lines with asterisks are in an alien language, but were translated into Basic because I'm too lazy to buy a book on alien languages.
~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 2~Misgivings/Menacing Adversaries/Holiday
"Are you sure about this, Master? I have a bad feeling about this," Obi- Wan Kenobi said, descending from the starship that had just landed on Tatooine.
"What could possibly go wrong on this mission? All we must do is visit each tribe and find out what's enraged them so much to fight each other," Qui-Gon said, defiantly. "The Council trusts that we will be able to fulfill this mission, so we must listen."
"It's just…I feel something; something that I have never felt before…and I do not wish to feel it, either," Obi-Wan said. "It feels like fear, anger, and darkness."
"Well, of course you feel that. Those are natural feelings in the midst of a war; you cannot let them get to you. Just keep these feelings in the back of your mind, and try to concentrate solely on the mission," Qui-Gon instructed his apprentice.
The two Jedi struggled their way through the sandy dunes of Tatooine, making their way towards the homestead that would become their residence for however long the mission would take. They greeted their host families, and were pleased to discover just how friendly they were compared to the bulk of the alien citizens on Tatooine. Most enjoyed gambling and crime in general, but a select few were just looking for a way to make money in order to buy a ship and fly away from the incredibly predictable Tatooine. The only thing that was unpredictable about the desert planet was its dust storms. When those occurred, they were both sporadic and deadly to anyone who doesn't have shelter nearby.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sat down to a simple meal with the family and discussed their mission, or at least what they were allowed to discuss. They found that it was a very enigmatic situation, and that no one had ever been able to discover the meaning behind the tribal fighting.
"Thank you for housing us for a while, but we regret to inform you that we must begin our mission. We shall be back by supper," Qui-Gon said, placing his hood over his head, and motioning for Obi-Wan to do the same.
~*~
The Filoreans sat down with the mysterious apprentice whom was assigned to help them. They were a most intriguing species, with their long snouts useful for smelling anything that was within a five-mile radius, and the five eyes above the snout that could see well, even in the dark and in the sandstorms. The only thing that stood in their way of becoming a well- known species was their personality. It was always the same, very rarely differing from Filorean to Filorean. The males tended to kill off any female that didn't desire them, and the females tended to kill of the children that were disobedient. This violent behavior greatly limited their number to mostly the males, if they didn't kill each other over a female who desired more than one male, and the few females and children who survived.
The head of the Filoreans, what they call the Cappie, their name for Captain, stood up to acknowledge the apprentice.
* Do you have the weapons? * the Cappie asked. * As long as you have them, you will get paid. Otherwise, you can tell your Master that the deal is over. He promised us weapons today, and we want weapons! *
The creature known to the Sith as Darth Maul stood up and held the translator up to his mouth. It was switched on to Filorean, which is comprised of a series of gargles and clicking.
* Your weapons are being delivered * Darth Maul said. His hood covered the spikes on his head, which makes him look that much more menacing. * They shall arrive in 0200 hours. *
The Cappie bowed respectively and said, * As soon as the weapons are in my hands, shall I give you the money. *
The zabrak bowed back and grinned. * I wish you luck in your civil war. The Tusken Raiders are a violent tribe, but with our advanced weaponry, you are sure to win. *
The Filoreans cheered when they heard his certainty of their victory. They wanted to be thought of as a higher race than the Tusken Raiders, but their weapons were more primitive than the gaffi sticks and blasters.
* I wish you luck in your own war against the Jedi. We hate them just as much as you do, and we are pleased that the money will help assist you in the war * the Cappie said.
Darth Maul smirked and walked towards his camping grounds, where he would spend the next two hours until the weapons would be delivered. "You have no idea how much this will assist us," he said in Basic, which no Filorean had ever understood since the birth of the first creature.
~*~
Anakin and his mother, Schmi Skywalker, had been allowed to visit the outskirts. They found themselves at Mos Eisley Cantina, where they listened to the Modal Nodes' music, and had a few drinks. Schmi had wished he could find a better place to talk, but he insisted that it was the best of all the places in the area.
"So, tell me son, what have you been doing in Jabba's Palace? I'm sorry to have left you at such a vile place…but your life was at risk," Schmi said.
"I'm a servant to the Hutts. Anything Jabba wants me to do, I do. There's only one other human there, so life gets lonely at times," Anakin said. "What do you mean my life was at risk?"
"I cannot tell you the reason, but I am sure you will understand that my decision was the only one I had. I have been devastated to be unable to watch you grow up, though!" Schmi explained.
Anakin smiled and put his hand on his mother's shoulder. "It was not big deal, growing up in Jabba's was not the most exciting thing to watch. It's pretty much the same thing day in and day out."
"Well, I just hope that you can forgive me. I do think I could find a way to stay and watch you grow from now on, I have a feeling your life is no longer at risk," Schmi said.
Anakin squealed. "If that is true, then of course I can forgive you!" Anakin said. "Come on, Mom, let's get back to Jabba's and see what he can do!"
~*~
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon approached the vast camp of the Tusken Raiders. Obi- Wan cringed at the primitive lifestyle they led, and hoped this mission would not be a failure. Qui-Gon, on the other hand, was hoping that this mission would be a success, and believed that they could somehow change the tribes around to become friendly.
The Tusken Raiders kept scowling behind the two venerable Jedi's backs, and secretly had one thing in common with the Filoreans. They, too, hated Jedi, but they minded their own business, as they frequently hated any species that thought themselves better.
"I don't know, Master, I think we may be fighting a losing cause. They don't even want to listen to what we have to say," Obi-Wan said.
"We must try to at least get some information as to why they are fighting the Filoreans. Not a soul knows how the war started, and we must find out somehow," Qui-Gon said.
Obi-Wan shrugged and tried to stretch his feelings out towards calming the Tusken Raiders and was shocked to find that they blocked his calm sense in the Force from entering.
"Master…" urged Obi-Wan, "I think we should leave and find shelter. Not only do the Tusken Raiders not want to be calmed, but I fear a storm is brewing."
Qui-Gon nodded reluctantly. "We will have to find shelter nearby. Let us go to Mos Eisley, that is a city nearby that will be able to provide us some shelter."
Obi-Wan nodded, and followed Qui-Gon, forever trudging through the endless Dune Sea. Obi-Wan thought the sand would never end, and was relieved to see a city in the distance.
"Do not worry, my young apprentice, we will arrive at a cantina shortly," Qui-Gon said. "You will be able to rest and gain refreshments."
Obi-Wan sighed of relief and tried to trudge just a little bit faster, in hope of reaching the cantina sooner.
~*~
End: Chapter 2