Part Two:
Home, Cards, and A Droid
Sebastian sat in the copilots seat and watched intently as Reima explained to him what all the knobs and buttons on the consoles did. Kowt had been subdued by the others in his constant attempts to do everything. He was now back in the cabin with the injured Taz asleep.
Sebastian was cautiously piloting the craft now. Reima sat back, ready to help if needed, but the way Sebastian handed the ship, it didn't seem like he'd need it. There was a beeping sound in the cockpit and he looked over at Reima.
"What is it?" he asked her.
Reima sat up and took the controls. "Welcome home, Cor," she said.
Sebastian watched as the planet of Corellia came into view. Sebastian stared in awe. "S'not like you haven't see it before, Cor," Jaylee said as he walked into the cockpit. "Can you set us down, Rei? Should we strap in?"
Reima glared and hit him in the chest. Jaylee laughed and sat in the chair behind the copilot's seat. She got permission to land and put the ship down in a beat up landing bay on the outskirts of the city.
Kowt came up to the cockpit and looked at Reima. "You set us down?" he asked gruffly.
She nodded.
Kowt sighed and checked their position. "Good... Cor, you know your way around Corellia, take Jaylee and go buy some food," Kowt ordered and tossed Sebastian a bag of credits. "And don't lose that."
Sebastian felt sick. Great, he thought. Now they'll find out I know nothing about Corellia. "I... haven't been around here in awhile..."
"It's just like riding a speeder," Kowt said. "You see this place once, you'll never get lost. Just stay out of alley ways and cantinas. Got it?"
Both Sebastian and Jaylee nodded. "Where are *you* going?" Jaylee asked Kowt.
Kowt gave him a look. "I dunno... to find Elsos. Where ever he is."
"Who is this guy?" Reima asked Kowt. "Can we trust him?"
"Honestly, we have no choice," Kowt told her. "The Imperials are on a look out for us. We can't run much longer. And Taz...."
The cockpit was silent for a moment as they all took it in. Sebastian wondered what would happen if he was caught or if the Imperials killed him. Would he be transported home? Or would no one ever know what happened to him? And even if he did go home no one would believe him. Or maybe this was a dream and he'd wake up...
Kowt got ready to leave to find the Elsos guy. Reima and Loum'ra decided to stay with Taz than risk the streets of Corellia. They were brave in the cockpit but the streets were different. Besides, Taz couldn't be left alone. His leg wasn't doing any better, worse if anything, despite the bacta patches they had placed on it.
"Let's head out, Sev," Jaylee shouted from outside the ship.
Sebastian took a deep breath and walked down the ramp and out of the ship. He knew his cover was about to be blown.
***
Jaylee and Sebastian had been walking around for ten minutes and were hopelessly lost. Sebastian was worried but Jaylee was excited and poking around every corner. He was having so much fun looking around that he really didn't notice Sebastian's puzzlement.
"Hey, kid!" someone shouted from inside of the dingy cantinas.
Sebastian and Jaylee turned around. "Y-yeah?" Sebastian asked trying to sound tough. "What d'you want?"
A man in dark clothes a blaster holstered at his waist came to the front of the cantina. "Play a game a' sabaac?" he asked with a nasty grin.
"No, I don't-" Sebastian began but the man leveled his blaster at the him. Sebastian gulped. This was not good.
"Now, will you accompany into the cantina or do I take your money the illegal way? 'Cause I've been looking to have a good game. But if you prefer the other way..."
Sebastian looked helplessly at Jaylee and the two teenagers walked into the cantina with the man. They sat down at a table with a bunch of credits and cards on it. He'd never played sabaac before, only heard of it. Jaylee glanced at Sebastian uncomfortably. Sebastian took that to mean he hadn't faired to well in his previous games.
"Now, who'll play?" the man asked as he rubbed his hands.
Sebastian looked at Jaylee but he shook his head. "I've never won a game, Cor. Not even come close..."
Sebastian sighed and looked over at the man. "Run me through the game and then I'll play."
The man gave an evil smile and nodded. "I'm going to deal out the cards, four for each of us. You try and get 'em to add up to 23 or 46. Anything over that and you lose. We're playing Corellia; Rancor is worth 4, Jedi Knight is worth 10, Jedi Master is -13, Dark Jedi is 11, Sith Lord is 11, Smuggler is 4 and Bounty Hunter is 3. Got it kid?" He pointed to Jaylee. "You've had some experience. You can help him out. Now, let's start. We start at 25 credits."
The cards were shuffled and dealed and the money placed on the table. Sebastian picked up his cards. One, Jedi Knight, Ten, and Seven. He looked over at Jaylee. "Trade that one and that one," he said pointing at the One and Seven.
Sebastian put the two of them down and drew two more cards. Ace (worth 15) and Dark Jedi. Sebastian looked at Jaylee who was all smiles. Sebastian looked at the cards and added them up. They had it! The cards equaled 46!
"You good?" the man asked Sebastian.
"Yeah," he said and showed his cards. "Fourty-six. We win."
"Sorry, kid. But you don't," he replied.
"That's showing them, Erza!" someone at another table shouted.
Erza grinned. "I got Pure Sabaac at 23. You only have Sabaac," he told them.
Jaylee sighed and Sebastian groaned. He would complain about not know that but he figured it best to stay quiet. He was the one with the blaster pointed and cronies all over the place. Erza swept all the credits over to his side of the table. He shuffled and the dealt the cards. "Fifty credits."
Jaylee sighed again and pulled the credits from the money bag.
Sebastian looked at the cards. Five, Nine, Eleven and Three. Sebastian didn't seek Jaylee's help this time. He understood the game now. It was just the Star Wars version of Blackjack. He'd win this time, he was sure of it.
Sebastian traded in his Eleven and drew another card. It was ten. He placed that one back down and pulled a commander (worth 12). Sebastian put that card back too and pulled another. Six! He smiled and looked at a grinning Erza. "I'm ready," Sebastian said.
"As am I," he said and layed down a hand of Sabaac.
"Twenty-three," Sebastian called. "Pure Sabaac."
Erza growled and pushed his money over to Sebastian's side of the table. He pulled out fifty more credits. "We're going another round."
Sebastian felt confident but not as confident as he would have liked. He pushed fifty credits over to the center of the table. The cards were shuffled then dealt. Sebastian looked at his. Idiot, Five, Six, Three. Idiot? Sebastian looked at the card. Erza never mentioned an idiot. He reached to put the Idiot down but Jaylee grabbed his hand and shook his head.
Sebastian put the Five down and drew another card. He pulled a two. Jaylee's face lit up. He pointed at the Six so Sebastian would trade it in. Sebastian drew a one. Jaylee gave Sebastian a small smile but Sebastian himself didn't look happy. Nor did Erza.
"Lay the cards down," he growled. He did himself and revealed he had twenty- nine.
Sebastian layed his hand down. "Idiot's array!" Jaylee shouted. "Hand over the creds!"
Erza growled and pushed over the credits.
The games continued and were always in Sebastian and Jaylee's favor. Erza was losing money fast and was growing more hostile every moment. After eight more games, he announced that there would be one more game. His droid against all their winnings.
Sebastian watched as one of his cronies rolled in a beat up silver and gold colored R2 unit. He remembered there being a droid like it in the movies only that one had blue on it were this one's gold was. Sebastian and Jaylee stood up. "No, we'll go-" but Erza's blaster discouraged them. They quickly sat back down.
Sebastian looked at the cards he had been dealt. Mistress (worth 13), Seven, Two, Rancor. Sebastian didn't know if he should go for Pure Sabaac or Sabaac. He put down the considered putting down the Mistress and gazed at the stack of cards as if they'd tell him what to do.
There was a flash and he saw the card on top of the stack. Sebastian blinked. Had he just seen that card be a Three? Erza picked up the card and growled. "Sithspit," he muttered.
Sebastian put the Mistress down and drew another card. He pulled a Jedi Master. Jaylee groaned. Sebastian quickly discarded it and went to draw another card. The flash happened again and he saw the card be a Four. And for some reason the card beneath it seemed to glow a little.
Erza took the card that he'd seen as a Four and smiled. Sebastian took the next card. Jedi Knight! He stared in disbelief. That was ten points. The ten points they needed to win!
Erza threw his cards on to the table. He had Sabaac. Sebastian nodded to Jaylee and watched as the other boy slowly drew his blaster. He put his hand down to reveal the Pure Sabaac. Erza looked shouted in outrage.
Several men from other tables began to shoot at Sebastian and Jaylee. The two of them ducked under the table to avoid the blaster fire. It stopped for a moment and Erza dragged the two boys out from under the table. "NO ONE BEATS ME!" he growled and knocked Jaylee across the room.
He pulled his arm back to hit Sebastian. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the hit. But it didn't come. Instead he heard Erza howl in pain. Sebastian opened his eyes to see the little R2 unit shocking the man with an extended arm. He would have laughed but blaster fire erupted again.
"Come on droid!" he shouted and ran over to help Jaylee up. The two of them ran from the building with the astromech droid right behind them. The three kept going for several minutes and finally stopped to collapse outside a store.
"You okay, Jay?" Sebastian asked his friend.
"Yeah," Jaylee answered and took a deep breath. "I thought we were goners."
"We woulda been if it wasn't for this R2 right here," Sebastian remarked. "Thanks."
The droid whistled and beeped happily. Sebastian smiled and looked up at the sign above the store they were at. UNIL'S SPACE NEEDS: Rations, Parts, Whatever!
Sebastian looked at Jaylee and said, "Looks like we found the place to get some food."
"If ration bars count as food," he retorted.
The two boys and the R2 unit went into the store. "How kin Ah help ya two, youngens?" an old man asked from behind a counter. "Looking to sell that R2? Give you a fair price for him."
The R2 gave a worried series of beeps.
Sebastian shook his head. "Made enough money at Sabaac. Just looking for some... ration bars," he said.
The old man smileld and pulled a box marked: RATION BARS. "This do for you, boys? Twenty-five credits for the lot of it. Good price. Cheaps on the planet."
Jaylee nodded and handed him the credits. "You sure 'bout nah sellin' that there R2?"
Sebastian nodded. "We're sure." The group made their way out of the store and back to the Rebel Runner.
***
"What's this?" Loum'ra asked when she entered the ship's small rec room. The R2 unit beeped in welcome.
"That's Credit," Sebastian told her. He and Jaylee had decided to name him that in honor of his helping them survive their Sabaac game and win so many credits. It paid a special tribute to the brave droid. "Saved our hides."
"What'd you two do? Start a bar fight?" Reima joked as she came in behind Loum'ra and saw Jaylee's bruised face.
"Played a game of Sabaac and won," he explained.
Reima shook her head. "You go out for food and come back with a droid and more money than you left with."
"And ration bars," Sebastian said. "Don't forget those."
The two girls shook their head and left the room. Jaylee started to play a game like chess with the ship's computer. It was an intresting game, Sebastian thought, but he wasn't going to attempt to figure it out at the moment. He was still relishing in the fact that he'd gotten out of that Sabaac game alive.
Ten minutes later Kowt entered the ship. Everyone went to meet him except Taz who yelled out, "Where we going next!?" from the cabin.
Kowt was smiling. "Elsos told me that the Rebellion is holed up on Yavin Four. Hope you guys are ready to join the Rebel Alliance."
A/N: The information used on Sabaac was taken from a website... unfortunately I lost the address. So... REVIEW! ::smile::
And Tenatious, they'll show! Don't worry! They'll show!
Home, Cards, and A Droid
Sebastian sat in the copilots seat and watched intently as Reima explained to him what all the knobs and buttons on the consoles did. Kowt had been subdued by the others in his constant attempts to do everything. He was now back in the cabin with the injured Taz asleep.
Sebastian was cautiously piloting the craft now. Reima sat back, ready to help if needed, but the way Sebastian handed the ship, it didn't seem like he'd need it. There was a beeping sound in the cockpit and he looked over at Reima.
"What is it?" he asked her.
Reima sat up and took the controls. "Welcome home, Cor," she said.
Sebastian watched as the planet of Corellia came into view. Sebastian stared in awe. "S'not like you haven't see it before, Cor," Jaylee said as he walked into the cockpit. "Can you set us down, Rei? Should we strap in?"
Reima glared and hit him in the chest. Jaylee laughed and sat in the chair behind the copilot's seat. She got permission to land and put the ship down in a beat up landing bay on the outskirts of the city.
Kowt came up to the cockpit and looked at Reima. "You set us down?" he asked gruffly.
She nodded.
Kowt sighed and checked their position. "Good... Cor, you know your way around Corellia, take Jaylee and go buy some food," Kowt ordered and tossed Sebastian a bag of credits. "And don't lose that."
Sebastian felt sick. Great, he thought. Now they'll find out I know nothing about Corellia. "I... haven't been around here in awhile..."
"It's just like riding a speeder," Kowt said. "You see this place once, you'll never get lost. Just stay out of alley ways and cantinas. Got it?"
Both Sebastian and Jaylee nodded. "Where are *you* going?" Jaylee asked Kowt.
Kowt gave him a look. "I dunno... to find Elsos. Where ever he is."
"Who is this guy?" Reima asked Kowt. "Can we trust him?"
"Honestly, we have no choice," Kowt told her. "The Imperials are on a look out for us. We can't run much longer. And Taz...."
The cockpit was silent for a moment as they all took it in. Sebastian wondered what would happen if he was caught or if the Imperials killed him. Would he be transported home? Or would no one ever know what happened to him? And even if he did go home no one would believe him. Or maybe this was a dream and he'd wake up...
Kowt got ready to leave to find the Elsos guy. Reima and Loum'ra decided to stay with Taz than risk the streets of Corellia. They were brave in the cockpit but the streets were different. Besides, Taz couldn't be left alone. His leg wasn't doing any better, worse if anything, despite the bacta patches they had placed on it.
"Let's head out, Sev," Jaylee shouted from outside the ship.
Sebastian took a deep breath and walked down the ramp and out of the ship. He knew his cover was about to be blown.
***
Jaylee and Sebastian had been walking around for ten minutes and were hopelessly lost. Sebastian was worried but Jaylee was excited and poking around every corner. He was having so much fun looking around that he really didn't notice Sebastian's puzzlement.
"Hey, kid!" someone shouted from inside of the dingy cantinas.
Sebastian and Jaylee turned around. "Y-yeah?" Sebastian asked trying to sound tough. "What d'you want?"
A man in dark clothes a blaster holstered at his waist came to the front of the cantina. "Play a game a' sabaac?" he asked with a nasty grin.
"No, I don't-" Sebastian began but the man leveled his blaster at the him. Sebastian gulped. This was not good.
"Now, will you accompany into the cantina or do I take your money the illegal way? 'Cause I've been looking to have a good game. But if you prefer the other way..."
Sebastian looked helplessly at Jaylee and the two teenagers walked into the cantina with the man. They sat down at a table with a bunch of credits and cards on it. He'd never played sabaac before, only heard of it. Jaylee glanced at Sebastian uncomfortably. Sebastian took that to mean he hadn't faired to well in his previous games.
"Now, who'll play?" the man asked as he rubbed his hands.
Sebastian looked at Jaylee but he shook his head. "I've never won a game, Cor. Not even come close..."
Sebastian sighed and looked over at the man. "Run me through the game and then I'll play."
The man gave an evil smile and nodded. "I'm going to deal out the cards, four for each of us. You try and get 'em to add up to 23 or 46. Anything over that and you lose. We're playing Corellia; Rancor is worth 4, Jedi Knight is worth 10, Jedi Master is -13, Dark Jedi is 11, Sith Lord is 11, Smuggler is 4 and Bounty Hunter is 3. Got it kid?" He pointed to Jaylee. "You've had some experience. You can help him out. Now, let's start. We start at 25 credits."
The cards were shuffled and dealed and the money placed on the table. Sebastian picked up his cards. One, Jedi Knight, Ten, and Seven. He looked over at Jaylee. "Trade that one and that one," he said pointing at the One and Seven.
Sebastian put the two of them down and drew two more cards. Ace (worth 15) and Dark Jedi. Sebastian looked at Jaylee who was all smiles. Sebastian looked at the cards and added them up. They had it! The cards equaled 46!
"You good?" the man asked Sebastian.
"Yeah," he said and showed his cards. "Fourty-six. We win."
"Sorry, kid. But you don't," he replied.
"That's showing them, Erza!" someone at another table shouted.
Erza grinned. "I got Pure Sabaac at 23. You only have Sabaac," he told them.
Jaylee sighed and Sebastian groaned. He would complain about not know that but he figured it best to stay quiet. He was the one with the blaster pointed and cronies all over the place. Erza swept all the credits over to his side of the table. He shuffled and the dealt the cards. "Fifty credits."
Jaylee sighed again and pulled the credits from the money bag.
Sebastian looked at the cards. Five, Nine, Eleven and Three. Sebastian didn't seek Jaylee's help this time. He understood the game now. It was just the Star Wars version of Blackjack. He'd win this time, he was sure of it.
Sebastian traded in his Eleven and drew another card. It was ten. He placed that one back down and pulled a commander (worth 12). Sebastian put that card back too and pulled another. Six! He smiled and looked at a grinning Erza. "I'm ready," Sebastian said.
"As am I," he said and layed down a hand of Sabaac.
"Twenty-three," Sebastian called. "Pure Sabaac."
Erza growled and pushed his money over to Sebastian's side of the table. He pulled out fifty more credits. "We're going another round."
Sebastian felt confident but not as confident as he would have liked. He pushed fifty credits over to the center of the table. The cards were shuffled then dealt. Sebastian looked at his. Idiot, Five, Six, Three. Idiot? Sebastian looked at the card. Erza never mentioned an idiot. He reached to put the Idiot down but Jaylee grabbed his hand and shook his head.
Sebastian put the Five down and drew another card. He pulled a two. Jaylee's face lit up. He pointed at the Six so Sebastian would trade it in. Sebastian drew a one. Jaylee gave Sebastian a small smile but Sebastian himself didn't look happy. Nor did Erza.
"Lay the cards down," he growled. He did himself and revealed he had twenty- nine.
Sebastian layed his hand down. "Idiot's array!" Jaylee shouted. "Hand over the creds!"
Erza growled and pushed over the credits.
The games continued and were always in Sebastian and Jaylee's favor. Erza was losing money fast and was growing more hostile every moment. After eight more games, he announced that there would be one more game. His droid against all their winnings.
Sebastian watched as one of his cronies rolled in a beat up silver and gold colored R2 unit. He remembered there being a droid like it in the movies only that one had blue on it were this one's gold was. Sebastian and Jaylee stood up. "No, we'll go-" but Erza's blaster discouraged them. They quickly sat back down.
Sebastian looked at the cards he had been dealt. Mistress (worth 13), Seven, Two, Rancor. Sebastian didn't know if he should go for Pure Sabaac or Sabaac. He put down the considered putting down the Mistress and gazed at the stack of cards as if they'd tell him what to do.
There was a flash and he saw the card on top of the stack. Sebastian blinked. Had he just seen that card be a Three? Erza picked up the card and growled. "Sithspit," he muttered.
Sebastian put the Mistress down and drew another card. He pulled a Jedi Master. Jaylee groaned. Sebastian quickly discarded it and went to draw another card. The flash happened again and he saw the card be a Four. And for some reason the card beneath it seemed to glow a little.
Erza took the card that he'd seen as a Four and smiled. Sebastian took the next card. Jedi Knight! He stared in disbelief. That was ten points. The ten points they needed to win!
Erza threw his cards on to the table. He had Sabaac. Sebastian nodded to Jaylee and watched as the other boy slowly drew his blaster. He put his hand down to reveal the Pure Sabaac. Erza looked shouted in outrage.
Several men from other tables began to shoot at Sebastian and Jaylee. The two of them ducked under the table to avoid the blaster fire. It stopped for a moment and Erza dragged the two boys out from under the table. "NO ONE BEATS ME!" he growled and knocked Jaylee across the room.
He pulled his arm back to hit Sebastian. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the hit. But it didn't come. Instead he heard Erza howl in pain. Sebastian opened his eyes to see the little R2 unit shocking the man with an extended arm. He would have laughed but blaster fire erupted again.
"Come on droid!" he shouted and ran over to help Jaylee up. The two of them ran from the building with the astromech droid right behind them. The three kept going for several minutes and finally stopped to collapse outside a store.
"You okay, Jay?" Sebastian asked his friend.
"Yeah," Jaylee answered and took a deep breath. "I thought we were goners."
"We woulda been if it wasn't for this R2 right here," Sebastian remarked. "Thanks."
The droid whistled and beeped happily. Sebastian smiled and looked up at the sign above the store they were at. UNIL'S SPACE NEEDS: Rations, Parts, Whatever!
Sebastian looked at Jaylee and said, "Looks like we found the place to get some food."
"If ration bars count as food," he retorted.
The two boys and the R2 unit went into the store. "How kin Ah help ya two, youngens?" an old man asked from behind a counter. "Looking to sell that R2? Give you a fair price for him."
The R2 gave a worried series of beeps.
Sebastian shook his head. "Made enough money at Sabaac. Just looking for some... ration bars," he said.
The old man smileld and pulled a box marked: RATION BARS. "This do for you, boys? Twenty-five credits for the lot of it. Good price. Cheaps on the planet."
Jaylee nodded and handed him the credits. "You sure 'bout nah sellin' that there R2?"
Sebastian nodded. "We're sure." The group made their way out of the store and back to the Rebel Runner.
***
"What's this?" Loum'ra asked when she entered the ship's small rec room. The R2 unit beeped in welcome.
"That's Credit," Sebastian told her. He and Jaylee had decided to name him that in honor of his helping them survive their Sabaac game and win so many credits. It paid a special tribute to the brave droid. "Saved our hides."
"What'd you two do? Start a bar fight?" Reima joked as she came in behind Loum'ra and saw Jaylee's bruised face.
"Played a game of Sabaac and won," he explained.
Reima shook her head. "You go out for food and come back with a droid and more money than you left with."
"And ration bars," Sebastian said. "Don't forget those."
The two girls shook their head and left the room. Jaylee started to play a game like chess with the ship's computer. It was an intresting game, Sebastian thought, but he wasn't going to attempt to figure it out at the moment. He was still relishing in the fact that he'd gotten out of that Sabaac game alive.
Ten minutes later Kowt entered the ship. Everyone went to meet him except Taz who yelled out, "Where we going next!?" from the cabin.
Kowt was smiling. "Elsos told me that the Rebellion is holed up on Yavin Four. Hope you guys are ready to join the Rebel Alliance."
A/N: The information used on Sabaac was taken from a website... unfortunately I lost the address. So... REVIEW! ::smile::
And Tenatious, they'll show! Don't worry! They'll show!