Chapter 4
Tahl was becoming frustrated. No one knew anything about the missing children whatsoever, and on top of that Too-jay was bothering her with entirely unhelpful comments such as; "Why don't we ask him?" "We've already come here" "They weren't much help" "They didn't know anything". Being blind made mingling difficult, but being blind, AND having to cope with Too- jay made it next to impossible. Just as she was getting ready to call it a day, she heard a speeder behind her.
"Someone's coming." Too-jay remarked.
"I can hear that you witless, idiotic heap of metal! Would you just shut down?" Tahl ranted at it.
"If I were to do that, I would not be fulfilling my purpose as your conduct," Too-jay replied in her musical voice. Tahl chose to ignore that comment, and turned to face the newcomer.
"Our visitor has short brown hair, and is 3.04 inches shorter than you." Too-jay informed Tahl. "He is most likely around your companion Obi-wan's age." "Thank you for that useless bit of information." Tahl muttered under her breath. "Hi!" said the boy. "Let me guess. You're a Jedi too." Tahl smiled as she replied, "That's right. But how could you tell?"
"Jedi are just different. I guess that's why they're outlawed. Not that it helps that much. Maybe if the Jedi were allowed, there wouldn't be so much crime." He explained. Her curiosity roused, Tahl inquired,
"Crime? What sort of crime?"
"Oh you know, street fights, burglary, murder, kidnapping. Especially kidnapping lately. Street kids have been being snatched right and left. You know; the people nobody would notice were missing. That's the strange thing. Normally, it's the important people who are kidnapped, and then returned for ransom. But there hasn't been one ransom note. The children have simply vanished. It doesn't make sense." He finished, but didn't move. He just sat there with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"You've been a great help to me,..." Tahl remarked.
"The name's Kivutan, my friends call me Kiv." He said.
"I'm Tahl, and this is Too-jay." She said motioning to the droid at her side. "Thanks Kivutan." "No problem. By the way, what are you doing here?" "Looking for missing children." Tahl said simply, turning to leave. "Come on Too-jay you incompetent heap of metal." And she melted into the crowd, leaving a somewhat bewildered Kiv behind her.
Tahl was becoming frustrated. No one knew anything about the missing children whatsoever, and on top of that Too-jay was bothering her with entirely unhelpful comments such as; "Why don't we ask him?" "We've already come here" "They weren't much help" "They didn't know anything". Being blind made mingling difficult, but being blind, AND having to cope with Too- jay made it next to impossible. Just as she was getting ready to call it a day, she heard a speeder behind her.
"Someone's coming." Too-jay remarked.
"I can hear that you witless, idiotic heap of metal! Would you just shut down?" Tahl ranted at it.
"If I were to do that, I would not be fulfilling my purpose as your conduct," Too-jay replied in her musical voice. Tahl chose to ignore that comment, and turned to face the newcomer.
"Our visitor has short brown hair, and is 3.04 inches shorter than you." Too-jay informed Tahl. "He is most likely around your companion Obi-wan's age." "Thank you for that useless bit of information." Tahl muttered under her breath. "Hi!" said the boy. "Let me guess. You're a Jedi too." Tahl smiled as she replied, "That's right. But how could you tell?"
"Jedi are just different. I guess that's why they're outlawed. Not that it helps that much. Maybe if the Jedi were allowed, there wouldn't be so much crime." He explained. Her curiosity roused, Tahl inquired,
"Crime? What sort of crime?"
"Oh you know, street fights, burglary, murder, kidnapping. Especially kidnapping lately. Street kids have been being snatched right and left. You know; the people nobody would notice were missing. That's the strange thing. Normally, it's the important people who are kidnapped, and then returned for ransom. But there hasn't been one ransom note. The children have simply vanished. It doesn't make sense." He finished, but didn't move. He just sat there with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"You've been a great help to me,..." Tahl remarked.
"The name's Kivutan, my friends call me Kiv." He said.
"I'm Tahl, and this is Too-jay." She said motioning to the droid at her side. "Thanks Kivutan." "No problem. By the way, what are you doing here?" "Looking for missing children." Tahl said simply, turning to leave. "Come on Too-jay you incompetent heap of metal." And she melted into the crowd, leaving a somewhat bewildered Kiv behind her.