Name Your Price
"Master Kenobi."
"Viceroy Organa." The 2 men gripped arms and smiled into each others' eyes. Yoda floated up on his platform.
"Master Yoda." Obi-Wan bowed low.
"Good, to see you, it is."
Lesrhett sat in a chair, feet propped unceremoniously on the Viceroy's desk. A small child sat in the bounty hunter's lap toying with a blaster gun.
"For all that is good, what are you thinking?!" shouted Bail. Lifting the Princess up and tossing the blaster at Lesrhett.
"It's been disengaged. Besides, the child showed quite an affinity for handling it." Turning to Master Yoda, "Perhaps, a Padawan to be?" Master Yoda said nothing, but narrowed his eyes slightly. The child's governess came up.
"Truly sir, I am at fault. The child has asked for you all morning. We entered your office before realizing others were present, I turned my back for a moment and well, I wasn't sure what to say when the bounty hunter assured me it was completely safe." She stopped speaking embarrassed, knowing part of her duties were to protect the Princess with her own life if necessary. "When I noticed Master Kenobi I thought...." Her voice drifted off. It was obvious the Viceroy did not like this strange person that had charmed the Princess.
"She looks so much like her mother." Lesrhett said suddenly. The governess was startled and looked nervously to Bail.
"Her mother is dead!" Bail said. " I find it hard to believe you could've known her." His heart beat a bit faster.
"I didn't. I saw the Senator Padme Amidala once though. That's all. Your secret is safe with me."
"I wouldn't know that." Bail responded sarcastically.
"Tired, am I." Yoda suddenly said to the surprise of everyone.
"Master Yoda," said the governess softly, glad to escape the uncomfortable situation, "Please let me walk you to your quarters. It is close to the child's." Master Yoda simply nodded his head.
"Glad, my heart is, to have you back again." Yoda looked at Lesrhett as he spoke, then turned to Obi-Wan.
"I am glad to be back, Master."
Yoda, the governess, and Princess left together through a back entrance.
"So, Lesrhett--name your price. I'm sure you've thought up something you want by now." Bail stated less than friendly.
"Of course. First I imagined a senior position on your staff would be worthy of my accomplishment in saving Master Kenobi." Lesrhett was moving about the room, looking at maps, paintings, statutes that decorated it. Obi- Wan felt half-amused, half-annoyed. It was time to be serious. "Of course, realizing you would never agree to that, I ask only for a R-2 unit."
"What?!" Bail said obviously surprised. He shook his head as if he hadn't heard correctly. Even Obi-Wan was surprised.
Lesrhett turned away from a small figurine to look at the Viceroy. "One R-2 unit. I have great plans for it. Even if it's barely operational. I'll take whatever you can offer, and any parts I might ask for-a place to work on it. Nothing more." The bounty hunter placed a hand to it's chin, "And I ask that you listen to me when the time comes." The Viceroy sniffed. Then turning to Obi-Wan, "Please do not feel that this reflects on you. An R-2 unit is all I need for the moment. If I needed it, I'd ask for a jetfighter."
"I find this quite remarkable considering your past requested payments." Remarked Bail, suspicious of the hunter's motives. "I also must say that if you have some sort of information you speak now and not play games."
Lesrhett's head shook back and forth. "Such a distaste for bounty hunters, even one who has saved you a lot of trouble at a fraction of the price you would've paid others." Then impatiently, "Do I get the R-2 unit or not? I have other things to attend!"
Without answering directly, Bail pressed a button at an intercom system on his desk. "Send up Lieutenant Haythorn." Then to Lesrhett, "He'll see to it that you get what you need."
Lesrhett nodded and strode for the door without looking back or at Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan felt deflated and strained. "Bounty hunter or not, Viceroy, Lesrhett can be trusted. I am sure of it."
Bail looked doubtful, then concerned.
"Obi-Wan, are you well?" he asked hurriedly. "Any information you have can wait till later if you are ill." Obi-Wan smiled at his friend.
"I am well enough. Some food would be good."
Bail slapped him on the back and ignored the bounty hunter standing by the doorway. "Then food you shall have."
Obi-Wan observed the genuine warmth in his friend's eyes and felt uncomfortable about Sim's insistence on keeping her identity secret. But more so, the Jedi was curious as to how Master Yoda had not gleamed the truth of Sim's presence.
"Master Kenobi."
"Viceroy Organa." The 2 men gripped arms and smiled into each others' eyes. Yoda floated up on his platform.
"Master Yoda." Obi-Wan bowed low.
"Good, to see you, it is."
Lesrhett sat in a chair, feet propped unceremoniously on the Viceroy's desk. A small child sat in the bounty hunter's lap toying with a blaster gun.
"For all that is good, what are you thinking?!" shouted Bail. Lifting the Princess up and tossing the blaster at Lesrhett.
"It's been disengaged. Besides, the child showed quite an affinity for handling it." Turning to Master Yoda, "Perhaps, a Padawan to be?" Master Yoda said nothing, but narrowed his eyes slightly. The child's governess came up.
"Truly sir, I am at fault. The child has asked for you all morning. We entered your office before realizing others were present, I turned my back for a moment and well, I wasn't sure what to say when the bounty hunter assured me it was completely safe." She stopped speaking embarrassed, knowing part of her duties were to protect the Princess with her own life if necessary. "When I noticed Master Kenobi I thought...." Her voice drifted off. It was obvious the Viceroy did not like this strange person that had charmed the Princess.
"She looks so much like her mother." Lesrhett said suddenly. The governess was startled and looked nervously to Bail.
"Her mother is dead!" Bail said. " I find it hard to believe you could've known her." His heart beat a bit faster.
"I didn't. I saw the Senator Padme Amidala once though. That's all. Your secret is safe with me."
"I wouldn't know that." Bail responded sarcastically.
"Tired, am I." Yoda suddenly said to the surprise of everyone.
"Master Yoda," said the governess softly, glad to escape the uncomfortable situation, "Please let me walk you to your quarters. It is close to the child's." Master Yoda simply nodded his head.
"Glad, my heart is, to have you back again." Yoda looked at Lesrhett as he spoke, then turned to Obi-Wan.
"I am glad to be back, Master."
Yoda, the governess, and Princess left together through a back entrance.
"So, Lesrhett--name your price. I'm sure you've thought up something you want by now." Bail stated less than friendly.
"Of course. First I imagined a senior position on your staff would be worthy of my accomplishment in saving Master Kenobi." Lesrhett was moving about the room, looking at maps, paintings, statutes that decorated it. Obi- Wan felt half-amused, half-annoyed. It was time to be serious. "Of course, realizing you would never agree to that, I ask only for a R-2 unit."
"What?!" Bail said obviously surprised. He shook his head as if he hadn't heard correctly. Even Obi-Wan was surprised.
Lesrhett turned away from a small figurine to look at the Viceroy. "One R-2 unit. I have great plans for it. Even if it's barely operational. I'll take whatever you can offer, and any parts I might ask for-a place to work on it. Nothing more." The bounty hunter placed a hand to it's chin, "And I ask that you listen to me when the time comes." The Viceroy sniffed. Then turning to Obi-Wan, "Please do not feel that this reflects on you. An R-2 unit is all I need for the moment. If I needed it, I'd ask for a jetfighter."
"I find this quite remarkable considering your past requested payments." Remarked Bail, suspicious of the hunter's motives. "I also must say that if you have some sort of information you speak now and not play games."
Lesrhett's head shook back and forth. "Such a distaste for bounty hunters, even one who has saved you a lot of trouble at a fraction of the price you would've paid others." Then impatiently, "Do I get the R-2 unit or not? I have other things to attend!"
Without answering directly, Bail pressed a button at an intercom system on his desk. "Send up Lieutenant Haythorn." Then to Lesrhett, "He'll see to it that you get what you need."
Lesrhett nodded and strode for the door without looking back or at Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan felt deflated and strained. "Bounty hunter or not, Viceroy, Lesrhett can be trusted. I am sure of it."
Bail looked doubtful, then concerned.
"Obi-Wan, are you well?" he asked hurriedly. "Any information you have can wait till later if you are ill." Obi-Wan smiled at his friend.
"I am well enough. Some food would be good."
Bail slapped him on the back and ignored the bounty hunter standing by the doorway. "Then food you shall have."
Obi-Wan observed the genuine warmth in his friend's eyes and felt uncomfortable about Sim's insistence on keeping her identity secret. But more so, the Jedi was curious as to how Master Yoda had not gleamed the truth of Sim's presence.