Chapter 4

Challenges

 

Meria, Dante, and Cy were walking down the street drinking a favorite beverage of Tatooine residents.  Meria walked in the middle with the boys on either side of her. 
                Meria grinned.  "I'm gonna try it.  When is the next race?"
Dante looked at Cy doubtfully.  "In a couple weeks.  Boonta Eve is the most popular race of the year. " He hesitated. "But I don't think you should do it.  It's very dangerous."
                Meria smirked. "I laugh in the face of danger.  Will you guys help me find a pod?"
                "Sure!" Cy said.  He loved to watch pod races and if he knew the winner, it would make him famous around his friends.
                 "Thanks." Meria put her arm around Dante's shoulders and waved her hand slowly in front of her as if she was reading a headline..  "Imagine it.  Meria Skywalker, second human ever to survive a podrace, much less win!"   She was jumping up and down with exitement.  "Where do we find a pod?"

                "My friend has one that he won in a game of Sabaac.  He'll let us use it." Dante replied and with a grin he motioned them to follow him.
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"Absolutely not!" Namron exclaimed.  The Anadian paced his workshop and his antenna's were twitching.

"Come on, Ron." Dante pleaded.  "This is my friend Meria.  She's a Jedi.  She can do it."

Namron studied Meria and his horns seemed to glow.  Meria could feel him probing her through the Force.  Her first instinct was to shield herself, but she calmed herself and allowed him to inspect her. 

                "I don't know, Dante.  She seems honest enough…but I don't want my pod damaged."

                "Look Namron, Only one human has ever podraced…right?" After he nodded Meria continued. "That was Anakin Skywalker…my grandfather."  The alien gasped and began pacing again.  He walked around his pod and ran his hand along the cool metal. 

"Fine." He said as he finally relented.  "But if anything happens to my baby…you will pay for it."  He emphasized the word 'will'. 

Dante let out a sigh and Cy grinned ear to ear.  Meria's face was glowing with excitement.  "Well, lets get to work."  She grabbed some wax and polisher solutions and began to make the pod shine. 

As she scrubbed the pod clean she caught herself watching Dante.  He was on the other side of the pod, delicately polishing the metal in front of him.  He looked up and grinned at her and she felt herself blush, but she smiled and got back to work.  "Thanks guys." She said as she worked.  "I don't know how I'll be able to make this up to ya'll."

"Aw…it was nothing." Dante said modestly. 

Cy, on the other hand, said "Yea. I knew I could do it.  It'll take a long time to pay us back."

"Cy!" Dante cried.  He turned to Meria, "You don't have to pay us back.  It gives us something to do, in the least."  He grinned at her.  "We've been working for a while.  Let's take a water break."

"Sure." Meria grinned and followed him.

Cy smirked. "I think I'll stay and work for a while."

"Whatever."  Dante grabbed Meria's hand. "Come-on.  I know the best place to get water."  He took her to a hut down the dirt road.  Inside it was dark and cool, unlike most places on Tatooine.  He went into a back room and grabbed two mugs from a hook on the wall.  He walked across the room and filled the glasses from a shallow well.  "Not many people know about this place.  The well is shallow but the water is fresh.  It is the only place to get water besides buying it from moisture farmers."

"Cool!" exclaimed Meria.  She sat beside Dante on the edge of the well and sipped her water.  "I've been wondering.  What is Namron?"

                Dante laughed.  "You live on Coruscant?  Well, I guess not many ever leave the Unknown

Regions so you shouldn't have heard of them.  He is an Anadian.  They live on the planet Anad in the Unknown Regions.  Anad is a planet close to the size of Tatooine. It is a little larger and has one sun and 3 moons. Approximately one half of the planet is jungle. It has a few lakes among a forest of trees and wild life. The other half of the planet is largely country. There are farms that are very large and spaced very far apart. There are villages in various places in the jungle, all camouflaged and among the trees. In the farms there are only occasional towns where farmers get their supplies. There are only 2 cities on the whole planet, one at each pole. These areas are very springy-like and the cities are very much like earth ones today. In the Northern city, Kram, there is an amusement park that is very large. The Southern city, Nahgem, is very much the same except instead of a theme park is has a museum of historical life of a variety of planets, including Anad. This city also has a large scientific lab. Many experiments take place in this top-secret lab and the galaxy's most talented scientists are Anadians.  Actually, I'm not supposed to know about the lab but Namron's Grandfather worked there, so he knew about it.  You can't tell anyone ok?"
                "Ok." She promised.

                 "Anyways," he continued, "The have horns that provide them with a sixth sense type thing.  It has radar and a heat sensor and can pick up sound waves millions of miles away.  They're antennas allow them to have telepathic communication with any other Anadian or some Force-sensitive beings.  They don't have eyelids, so whenever Namron leaves his hut he must wear special goggles created on Anad.  They are a very interesting species."

                "Is he a Jedi?  I felt him probing me."

"I don't think so.  But there is rarely an Anadian who is not Force-sensitive.  But they hardly ever leave their planet, and therefore are not trained."

"Ohhh," she said softly, finally catching on.  "I'm going to have to tell my dad about this when I get home." She changed the subject, "Have you always lived on Tatooine?"

"Yea." He replied. "My dad was killed in a skirmish between his lone ship and pirates on a mission to find a place to move to.  We were thinking about moving to Corellia.  So until we have a way to go check out a place to live, in a more enjoyable environment, we're stuck here."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She consoled.  Then her face lit up, but was unnoticeable because of the dim light.  "Can I meet your mom sometime?"

"Yea.  You can eat dinner with us tonight.  She'll be home by then."

Meria jumped up and hugged him because she was so exited.  She had a plan.  This would definitely pay them back, and she might get to spend more time with her new friends too.  'I hope this works' she thought.