Note From DarthRoden: During the cantina scene, imagine the music from the same scene in "Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV", or if you have the song on tape or cd, play it as you read for the proper ambiance. -D.R.

Part Nine: The Sith Emperor's Instructions/The Cantina Scene

Viceroy Rhonda, with Commander Nadine at her side, entered the command section of the Trade Federation Battleship. On Rhonda's part, it was reluctantly.

Both of them look up at the large window, where Darth Curly stood starring out at the stars, the sound of thick, heavy breathing reaches their ears...then a long cough.

Rhonda put a hand over her mouth in a vain effort to stop the cold germs.

"We have the couch drops you requested, Lord Curly," Commander Nadine said, holding out a small box of pills. The pills were suddenly pulled out of Nadine's hand by the unseen Force and drawn to Darth Curly's own gloved one.

"It's about time," Darth Curly said, taking the small pills for the sore throat he'd contracted.

Suddenly, the communications consoul beeped. Commander Nadine looked at the small screen, and blanched.

"Lord Curly, incoming message...it's the Emperor." She informed him, fear evident in her voice.

"Then by all means, commander, activate the hologram projector," Darth Curly said.

All three of them stood before the projector and bowed as the life-sized image of the Sith Emperor appeared before them.

Viceroy Rhonda looked at the image of the Dark Lord of the Sith, mentally snorting at the tacky black robes all of them seemd to wear. She couldn't even tell if Darth Curly's master was a he, or a she because the hooded robe covered all but the mouth.

"What is thy bidding, my master?" Darth Curly said, almost reverently.

When the Sith Emperor spoke, the temperature in the room seemd to go down several degrees.

"Lord Curly, it would appear that an old friend of yours is looking into things he has no business looking into." The quiet voice of the Dark Lord informed him.

"Gerald Windu?" Darth Curly asked, a small, hungry smile formed at the corners of his mouth.

"Yes, your old Jedi master and the other Jedi are on Geonosis, attempting to locate one of our associates from the Trade Federation.." The Sith Emperor suddenly seemed to fume with anger. "Those Jedi goodie-goodies! How am I supposed to take over the galaxy and run a Galactic Empire, with them sticking their noses in my plans!"

Rhonda and Nadine blinked at that sudden mood swing, yet somehow, Darth Curly seemed totally unmoved by it.

The Emperor relaxed again and said, "You will go to Geonosis at once and deal with that situation."

"Yes, my master," Darth Curly said, then asked, "What of our quarry, Senator Helga and Arnold Skywalker? The transponder signal aboard the Moave Avenger shows them enroute to the Planet Tatooine."

The Emperor seemed to smile beneath the black hood, as if knowing some personal secret. "That is not a problem for the moment...indeed, it may even be beneficial. I assure you, neither of them will be going anywhere else anytimes soom. Ironically, that may even be perfect."

Darth Curly smiled now in understanding, "Ah yes, it could be. Speaking of that situation, I have a report from our contacts there that we are on schedule."

"Excellent, everything is going according to plan," The Emperor said, smiling, "Just as I had forseen."

Then the Emperor turned to Viceroy Rhonda. "Viceroy, have you begun work of the device?"

Rhonda nodded, "Yes, my Emperor. I have assurances that it will be completed within the next 26 hours."

"Good," The Emperor said.

Rhonda and Nadine were both somewhat curious as to what exactly the machine they'd recieved blueprints for did, but neither of them were bold enough to directly question a Dark Lord of the Sith.

"As far as Skywalker and Senator Helga are concerned, order our contacts on Tatooine to be on the lookout for them."

"Understood, my master," Darth Curly said, bowing to his superior. "I live only to serve you."

The Emperor of the Sith smiled from underneath the black hood. "Of course, you do."

The hologram vanished.

Darth Curly turned to Rhonda and Nadine. "Set course for Geneosis, now."

The both bowed and turned to obey.

The Sith Lord turned back to the window, a wicked smile set on his pale face, "So, my old master," he whispered to the stars, "Soon we shall meet again. I can hardly wait."

Darth Curly grinned a malevolent grin.

The Trade Federation battle ship made the jump to light speed.

In the capital city of the Planet Geonosis, Gerald Windu, Stinky Kenobi, and Master Phoebe entered the Jolly Ollie Cantina, a well known fountain of local information...as well as a known criminal haven.

"The Jolly Ollie Cantina," Stinky Kenobi said. "I recon you'll never find a more retched hive of scum and villiany. We must be cautious."

"Agreed," Said Gerald nodding.

They entered the main room, squinting from the bright light that illuminated the doorway, which contrasted to the dimly lit bar room so that the occupants could see the visitors very clearly as they entered. Most of the beings that frequented this place were wanted on certain worlds for piracy and theft...sometimes worse. Several of the occupants did look their way, seeing that they were Jedi Knights, and turned away quickly.

Inside were a large variety of humans and aliens making use of the bar and the tables. The aliens were made up of many diverse species. Some with one eye, others with over a dozen eyes, creatures with scales, creatures with fur, some with green skin, another with blue skin, and one with skin that changed colors like a cameleon to adjust with the light. Some of these had large mouthfulls of sharp teeth, others antenae, some with long snouts, some with large black eyes, some with more that four fingers, some with tentacles, or claws wrapped around drinking and eating utensils of various shapes and sizes. There were even a few animals inside, lizards for the most part...of course, they could also have been relatives of two reptilian beings sitting near the back.

Music from a live alien band playing long, weird-looking pipes and flutes filled the room.

"Maybe we should sit at the table near the back corner," Gerald advised. "We can keep an eye on everyone from over there."

The others nodded, then went over and sat down at a small empty table that wasen't too clean, but better set up than the other empty spots.

A waitress wearing a very tight, revealing outfit walked over to them.

"Okay, so whazit gonna be for youse guys?" She asked gruffly, sounding like someone who was really bored.

"Three choclate milkshakes, we shall take," Master Phoebe said.

"And a bowl of lemon puddin'!" Stinky added. "On accout of I love that stuff."

"Yeah, whatever," the waitress said, writing the order down.

Stinky then looked at her seriously, "Oh yeah, we're also looking for Big Gino. Do you know where we can find him?"

The waitress then looked at them suspiciously. "Maybe, whasit worth?"

"Vital to the stability of the Republic, it may be," Phoebe told her.

"Uh huh," she said, unimpressed. "Look missy that's all good for the beaurecrats, but whats in it for me?"

Gerald smiled at her, putting on the charm. He took her hand affectionately, giving her flirty eyes. "Listen, um...(his eyes look down at her nametag)...Mariea. We're after some pretty dangerous dudes here, and it's important to us to find out and Gino may know. It would be very important to me personally." He leans in close to her, "So what do you say, babe..." then he purrs at her.

Mariea looks at him, seemingly unaffected by his charms, and says, "Yeah, whatever? Listen, your drinks will be ready shortly." She walks off leaving Gerald cold. Stinky and Phoebe giggle at his chagrin.

Gerald sighs, "Now what?"

"I recon we wait," Stinky said.

Phoebe sighs, and says, with uncharacteristic sarcasm, "Good plan."

While they wait on their orders, a local bum known as Chocolate Boy appears from the nearby bar, begging for another fix.

"Hey can any of you guys give me some choclate?" He asked them, his eyes wide and bloodshot from the sugar fixes he'd had and his little amount of rest.

Gerald looks up at him and waves a hand in front of his face, "You don't want any more chocolate..."

A dazed look comes over Chocolate Boy and he repeats, "I don't want any more chocolate..."

Gerald added, "You want to go home and re-think your life."

"I want to go home and re-think my life," the addict repeated, then turned and left.

Mariea returns with their orders and places them down in front of each of them, putting Gerald's down last.She bends down and whispered near his ear, "Listen, I thought about what you said, and you are sort-of cute...in an honest sort-of way...so anyway, Big Gino will be coming in tomorrow night at about midnight, okay sweetie?"

Gerald, now smiling very smugly at his fellow Jedi, takes her hand again and says, "Yeah, thanks babe." Then he kisses her hand softly.

The large, unfriendly fellow behind the bar, no doubt the bartender and Mariea's employer, shouted out, "MARIEA! COME OVER HERE!"

Mariea smiles once more at Gerald, brushing her hand against his shoulder, before she walks off, fussing at the bartender.

Phoebe, smiling slightly at Gerald's amazing ability to charm people, said, "Now, investigate, we can."

To Be Continued...Wonder what they may find out?