Anguirus111 Note: In ANH:SE, a ship was seen poking up out of the ground in Mos Eisley after having crashed there years and years ago. This chapter explains how that happened.
Tatooine: The passenger liner Dowager Queen was settling into a lazy landing approach after having circled the planet a couple of times before finally entering into the lower atmosphere and was steadily approaching Mos Eisley.
"There she is," said the Captain. "Mos Eisley spaceport, you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy in the galaxy."
"Should we be cautious?" asked the copilot, who was new and fresh out of the academy. The captain laughed.
"No," said the captain with a laugh. "But our passengers will have to be. We just drop them off we don't watch over them."
The copilot laughed nervously as he began pushing some buttons to slow down the ship even more. But as he pressed the intercom button to alert the passengers to their arrival, the collision alarm detector went off.
"What the?" asked the copilot extremely worried.
"We've got two objects inbound, coming in fast!" said the captain hurriedly bringing up the aging HUD on the old craft.
"Evasive maneuvers?" said the copilot grabbing the yoke.
"Too late!" shouted the pilot as two burning objects plowed into their main viewscreen causing the glass to fall into the cockpit and then the two objects ricocheted off into the daytime sky.
"What the hell was that?" demanded the pilot bewildered.
"I don't know, but the controls are shot and we're going down!" shouted the copilot as the ship suddenly plummeted towards the city below them.
"Everybody to the back of the ship!" yelled the captain over the intercom as they ran out of the room and the ship plowed into the ground causing dust and debris to go flying.
Later: Neva Kee's ship came coasting over Tatooine and noticed all the flurry around the crashed Dowager Queen.
"Don't remember that being there," said Zoda confused.
"When was the last time you were here?" asked Neva Kee as the ship descended into one of the many docking bays in the city.
"Eight years ago," said Zoda leaning back in his chair and began chewing on a carrot.
"Oh," said Neva Kee before realization struck him. "Wait, you were supposed to be in house arrest on Coruscant for the past twenty years!"
"Was I?" said Zoda with mock surprise. "Oh my I didn't know that."
Keira laughed as Neva Kee shook his head.
"You son of a Hutt," he said as he finished the landing procedure and the ramp lowered.
"Speaking of Hutts," said Zoda as he began loading lightsabers into the various holsters around his bodysuit. "We need to be prepared for his interference."
"Yeah you're probably right," said Neva Kee as he exited down the ramp and was immediately surrounded by a group of rowdy aliens all with crowbars and various weaponry.
"Hi guys," said Neva waving.
"Hello Mr. Kee," said the devaronian, apparently the leader of the group as he bowed. "We're here as requested."
"And here you go," said Neva Kee giving him a suitcase full of credits. "We'll be back in a little bit."
"Uh, there's just one thing," said the devaronian. "Jabba knows you're here."
"Did you tell him?" Keira accused.
"No they didn't. Jabba knows everything that goes on in and around this planet, if he didn't know that would be the shock," said Neva Kee.
"That's right," said the devaronian upset over her accusations but Neva Kee silently waved him off. "Which bring up my point…"
"If we're captured you don't have to rescue us," said Neva Kee as the group immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "But if you hear rumors of my death you might want to run because this ship is set up to auto-destruct in the event of my passing on."
The group nodded a little fearful as the group exited the docking bay and headed down one of the streets and immediately someone began following them.
"Tail," said Zoda immediately.
"Where?" said Keira getting read to look around.
"Just keep looking forward," said Neva Kee darkly. "Who is it?"
"Avarado," said the Zoda. "That stupid Rodian."
Neva Kee sighed.
"What're you gonna do?" Keira asked. Neva Kee sighed, yanked out his blaster, and fired a stun bolt behind him as a thud was heard. Neva Kee put it away as Keira looked behind her and whistled.
"Not too shabby," she said impressed. The diplomat shrugged as they neared the crashed Dowager Queen where the final passengers were being evacuated to whatever qualified as a hospital on the barren world.
Jabba's Palace: Jabba was sitting on his dais as some slaves fanned him while a slave girl in front danced to the sounds coming from the nearby band. The Hutt was bored out of his mind as all of his business ventures at the moment were self-sustaining and didn't require his direct involvement. Things were so boring he even considered taking up a legitimate business practice just so see what it was like before realizing that that would be even more boring. He just about to make an announcement indicating his intent to leave back to Nal Hutta, despite the fact that he had just been there and come narrowly close to capturing the thorn in his side Zoda when he on Nar Shadaa, before a guard came rushing into the throne room.
"Sir," he said out of breath. "Zoda's presence on Tatooine is confirmed!"
The entire room erupted into panic as everyone rushed to get their things and quickly evacuate the planet as Jabba eyed the guard warily.
"If you're lying I will kill you," the Hutt said simply.
"It is the truth I swear it," said the guard as he produced a holographic disc that activated showing a real time feed of Zoda and his two companions looking at the damaged ship in the middle of Mos Eisley.
"Saddle up," said Jabba to his nearby accompaniment of bounty hunters. "We're going to go collect a bill."
The group left with the rapidly moving Hutt as they boarded his sail barge and it took off over the desert.
Mos Eisley: "This is why you should never drink and fly," said Zoda sipping a drink while looking at the end of the ship that towered high above them.
"Who do you think owns this ship America West?" said Neva Kee disbelieving him. "It must've been something more than that."
Nearby Keira was talking to the captain of the ship.
"They came out of nowhere and smashed into my cockpit and I lost control and we crashed," said the captain.
"What hit you?" Keira asked.
"Two small objects that came straight from above," said the captain holding a cloth to his lightly blood soaked forehead. "I would've thought they were meteors except they didn't explode upon impact but bounced right off into the desert.
Zoda and Neva Kee looked at each with apprehension as they both began stepping back away from Keira, who had begun to guess what the objects were.
"And who is your insurance company?" Keira asked as her blood began to boil.
"Star Lines has a policy with the Bernadelli Insurance Company, worth a quite a sum as I last heard," said the captain as the police began escorting him to a nearby ambulance. Keira growled angrily before spinning around and noticed the two aliens trying to make a break for it.
"You two!" she shouted. "Get back here!"
"Run!" shouted Zoda as both took off down a street with Keira in hot pursuit.
"We've got to split up so where should we meet?" said the diplomat.
"Say Bob O's speeder rental in an hour?" suggested the Jedi looking at his watch while still running down the street. Neva Kee looked at his chronometer and nodded.
"See you there," he said breaking off and running down another street as Keira stopped trying to decide who to chase after.
Dune Sea: The rusty metal sail barge slowly made its way towards Mos Eisley as Jabba sat down below impatient. He suddenly began regretting the fact that he'd had such slow repulsorlift engines installed on the vessel but at the time the intentions had been good, he'd wanted the prisoners he taking to the Sarlacc to be as frightened as possible before finally throwing them in, but now that was turning to curse as the longer it took for him to reach Zoda the greater the chances would be of him leaving.
"I will never owe anybody anything!" thought the Hutt angrily, remembering a vow he had made when he set off into the galaxy ready to become the greatest crime lord of all time. Sighing, something he hadn't done in a long time, the Hutt drummed his fingers waiting anxiously for the chance to bring that sniveling Jedi under his proverbial boot. In the meantime he would just have to be content to wait.
Later, Bob O's Swoop Rental Area: Bob O, clad in his ever present spacesuit, sat in his office fanning himself as the bell rang as his door opened and closed suddenly before it did so immediately again but with no sign of who did it either time. The tired rental salesman sighed and got up and peered over the counter to see Neva Kee and Zoda looking at him anxiously.
"No time to talk, we need to rent a speeder now!" said Neva Kee worriedly.
"Now hold on there son," said Bob O. in his heavy accent. "We need to clear some ground rules first regarding mah speeders and this could take awhile."
Neva Kee jumped up and slammed a credit chit onto the counter with a substantial sum. Bob O. quickly grabbed it and dropped a pair of keys into their hands.
"Have a nice day," he said simply as Zoda and Neva Kee tore out the back door as Keira went flying in the front with her blaster drawn.
"Get back here!" she shouted chasing after them. As she entered into the back she saw Zoda and Neva Kee hurriedly get on their speeders and power them up.
"So long missy, see you around sometime!" said Neva Kee saluting as both bikes roared off into the desert. Keira growled.
"No way you're causing more property damage without me…I mean at all," she said quickly correcting herself and was confused at her strange thought. She ran back into the store and put her credit chit on the counter.
"C'mon I need keys," she said hurriedly.
"No calm down missy," said Bob O. "I need to explain the ground rules to ya."
"You didn't give Zoda and Neva Kee that same speech!" Keira protested.
"They're card carrying members," said Bob O. pointing to a plaque on the wall showing Zoda and Neva Kee amongst other citizens of Tatooine. "That means free and immediate speeder rentals whenever they show up."
"Then why the chit?" asked Kiera pointing to it in his hands.
"They were also behind on their dues," said Bob. Keira growled.
"Can I become a member?" she asked already knowing what the response would be.
"Nope you need a reference from an existing card carrying member," said Bob. "Of whom Zoda and Neva Kee are the only ones still left alive. Now then, let's start with proper brake usage…"
Desert: A roar was heard over the sand dunes as the two swoops raced through the desert.
"Heh, heh, heh," laughed the Jedi. The diplomat shook his head in shame as the two bikes continued racing down the open terrain.
"Looks like it's about two klicks ahead of us," said Neva Kee looking at his portable scanner. "I just hope that side trip didn't damage them in any way."
"They've survived this much damage what's another ship or two along the way?" said Zoda as the raced through a massive bantha herd that immediately began stampeding in all directions.
"Wonder if we'll see any Tuskens," said Neva Kee.
"Whatever," said Zoda. The two bikes then raced past a massive sandcrawler that was slowly rumbling across the desert for parts unknown.
"You in the market for a droid?" asked Neva Kee with a grin.
"I think Depot is more than I can handle," said Zoda remembering his R4 droid he left back at the Temple, no doubt scheming to get rid of him once for all. Finally they reached a large crater in the sand where their two balls had skipped only to land on a rock sticking out of the ground nearby.
"Well there they are," said Neva Kee a bit disappointed that nothing had happened and this was just to be a normal tee off. "Well that was fun."
"I can't believe you made us drive straight into the largest sand trap in the galaxy," said Zoda. "This is going to make things difficult teeing off."
"We're driving to another world not to a spot a few feet away!" said Neva Kee incredulously. "This isn't going to make a difference."
Zoda laughed as Neva Kee groaned.
"Well I don't suppose we have to leave just yet," the Jedi mused after a few moments of silence.
"What did you have in mind?" asked Neva Kee pulling out a pair of fold out chairs from his bike. Zoda pulled back his robe revealing a pair of fishing rods and then pulled out another pair of black rods that he began screwing one into another until he had made two black rods with a device in them that produced a rhythmic thumping noise.
"Alright!" said the diplomat happily. "I was hoping to get some fishing in on this trip!"
He grabbed one of the Thumpers and attached his line to the end of it before running into the desert for a few feet and planting it as Zoda did the same with his only in the opposite direction. Both returned to their rock and sat in their lawn chairs with the balls between them as both grabbed their drinks and remote activated their thumpers as they grabbed some drinks out of a cooler that had been attached to the back of one of the bikes.
"Now the real fun begins," said Neva Kee happily as he laid back in his chair and went to sleep as Zoda did the same.
"Ahem!" said a loud voice. Neva Kee blinked a couple of times and yawned before he stretched and looked at the shadowy figure hovering above him.
"Oh hi Keira how's it going?" said the diplomat with a long yawn as behind him the Jedi did the same.
"How's it going?" Keira said extremely upset. "You just cost my company 100,000 credits with that little stunt of yours!"
"That captain was in the wrong place at the wrong time nothing more," said the diplomat. "We didn't aim for that ship on purpose."
"Unfortunately I don't know that," said Keira sighing as she sat down on the rock next to their chairs.
"So what're you two doing? You haven't teed off yet so what?" she asked confused while looking at the two devices far out in the sand.
"We're fishing," said Neva Kee simply.
"For what?" asked Keira confused looking at the complete lack of water anywhere.
"Sand worms of course," said Zoda simply.
"Sand worms?" said Keira incredulously.
"Yeah, 20 to 30 feet long, largest on record is over 50 you know large worms," said Zoda simply.
"And what pray tell are you planning on using them for?" said Keira instantly beginning to dread that answer.
"Bait," said both the aliens.
"For what?" demanded Keira.
"Fish," said her companions confused as to her questions.
"Where?" asked Keira. She then held out her hands out to indicate the vast desert around them.
"Not here silly," said Zoda as if speaking to a child.
"On Naboo," Neva Kee completed. Keira shook her understand before her eyes went wide-open with realization.
"You swore you wouldn't go to anymore civilized planets!" Keira shouted at them.
"And you didn't tell Bernadelli to shove it so all bets are off," the diplomat shot back. Keira began simmering in rage when suddenly the ground started shaking.
"Quake?" said Keira bewildered.
"Nope we got a live one!" said Neva Kee happily as the two Thumpers began rattling. Both leapt over their chairs with their clubs and blasted their balls off into the stratosphere before returning to their rods.
"This thing is huge!" said Neva Kee reading his portable scanning device. "It's got to be at least thirty five feet long if not more!"
"Which one is it going for?" said Zoda as his hands began trembling on his reel.
"Let's wait and see," said Neva Kee snapping the thing closed.
"You're both crazy!" Keira shouted.
"Then get out of here!" they both shouted. "You've got a bike use it!"
"Not this time!" she shouted over the loud noise of the ground rumbling. Then a huge crack in the ground opened near one of the Thumpers and a large roar was heard. Keira screamed in terror before a massive sandworm came flying out of the ground, taking Zoda's Thumper into its mouth and yanking the Jedi off of his feet as the beast went soaring over their heads.
"My God it's The Legend, well over a hundred feet long!" shouted the diplomat. The massive worm then came down on Neva Kee's Thumper gobbling it up as well as it plunged back into the ground causing the diplomat to go flying off of his feet as well and both went straight down the hole the worm had created still holding onto their lines. Keira immediately ran to her bike and turned it on as she flew into the hole after them. Ahead she saw flashes of electricity as apparently the two had rigged electric shock devices into their rods to subdue anything they caught. But from the looks of the things it was to no avail as the worm continued digging deeper and deeper into the ground as the aliens went bouncing off of the massive walls the thing left behind while holding on for dear life. Soon the diplomat yanked out his blaster with his free hand and began firing at the beast as the Jedi extended his lightsaber and activated the retraction device on his rod as he neared the creature.
"You're going nowhere fatty!" he shouted at the creature. As he summoned up his will with the Force and briefly got the creature to stop moving as both alien crashed onto the creature's tail and grabbed a hold on it as their rods turned into spikes that they plowed into the worm's backside. They worm then burst into a much larger cavern and the two began 'climbing' their way up to the front of the gigantic beast. Keira shook her head at their resiliency and the fact that a diplomat and a Jedi would even be in such a situation. She kicked the bike into overdrive and it surged forward past some debris that began falling down from the ceiling of the new cavern. The two creatures meanwhile were busy fending off the debris coming down on them while still firing and hacking away at the beast. Then a massive explosion went off showering blood and guts all over the right wall as a large chunk of the worm was blasted loose. Keira barely managed to avoid it as the worm began thrashing about in pain before calming down and continuing on its downward course.
"Will you be more careful?" Neva Kee shouted over the comm. device he and Zoda both had plugged into their ears. "Those things don't come cheap you know!"
"Sorry," said Zoda. "It got jostled loose but we've still got one more."
"And make sure you don't loose that otherwise we'll never take this thing down!" said Neva Kee as he fought his way forward.
"Where do you think this stupid thing is going anyway?" asked Zoda.
"Not a clue, but I don't imagine it could be going much farther. For something this large there isn't much food down here," said the diplomat.
"Unless it's eating other worms," suggested Zoda.
"Worms don't eat their own kind," said Neva Kee self-assuredly.
"I'm just saying there's no way that thing could've gotten that big just by eating banthas and dewbacks," said Zoda. "It's not possible."
"What about the Sarlacc?" asked Neva Kee as they neared the mouth of the creature. "It's pretty big for its size and I think that's all it eats."
"Yeah but we have no proof the stupid thing has ever grown," said Zoda as they finally reached the forward lip of the beast. "Alright it's game time!"
Abruptly the worm stopped and both the aliens were unexpectedly flung forward and crashed down amongst a huge pile of bones and vehicles. The two shook themselves loose and stood up and looked at the massive cavern they were in.
"So these are the remains of the hunters," said Zoda picking up an archaic blaster rifle. "I always wondered."
"And there's a couple of worm skeletons looks like I was wrong Z," said Neva Kee. Then the massive worm entered into the gigantic cavern and began slowly circling the far walls around them.
"Get ready," said Neva Kee. "This is going to take some precision timing."
"I hear that," said Zoda as he gripped a regular blue lightsaber in his two hands as both watched the worm continue to circle them. Keira meanwhile was stuck behind the entrance to the massive area as the worm was effectively blocking the entrance so she just sat there on her bike and once more wondered how she got herself into these situations. Inside the worm had finally had enough and charged the two aliens who instantly split up with Neva Kee firing blaster shots at the beast while Zoda flung everything in the room at the creature causing it even more pain.
"Here it comes," said Neva Kee. Zoda nodded and both ran towards each other and crossed paths as both threw a round metal ball into the beast's gullet before both ran for the now unblocked exit. They immediately saw Keira who was looking at them confused. She opened her mouth to say something as both aliens jumped onto the bike.
"No time to talk, just go!" shouted Neva Kee as the worm came right at them. Keira spun the bike around and it roared off with the worm hot on their tail.
"What's going on with that thing? You didn't even kill it?" she said confused.
"Let's just say it's about to have a massive case of indigestion," said Zoda with a slight grin. The bike continued moving as again the worm kept closing in on them finally right before they reached the surface the worm headbutted the back of the bike sending soaring into the daytime sky and promptly crashing on the surface as the worm retreated back into its hole. As the group outside coughed out sand and slowly sat up they noticed a whole enclave of bounty hunters aiming their rifles at them.
"The end to a perfect day," Neva Kee said shaking his head with humility. A large belly laugh was heard as Neva Kee and Zoda both groaned as the bounty hunters parted and allowed Jabba the Hutt to approach them.
"Hello Zoda," said the Hutt. "Looks like I'm finally going to collect what's rightfully mine. You know what today is, don't you?"
Zoda nodded. "The day the trugut is passed."
"And nothing is going to save you this time," said the Hutt darkly. At that moment however a large roar was heard emanating from the pit behind them. The bounty hunters looked worried while Jabba waved them off.
"That's just him using the Force to project his voice!" shouted the Hutt as the ground began shaking leaving the bounty hunters even more nervous.
"Nice try Jedi," said Jabba darkly.
"It's not me," said Zoda simply as the massive sandworm burst free of the sand and stood straight up blocking the sun.
"Run!" shouted Zoda as the three bolted.
"Fire!" shouted Jabba. The bounty hunters opened fire on the worm.
"Not the worm you idiots, the Jedi!" shouted the Hutt. But at that exact moment, two thermal detonators that had been thrown down the worms mouth just moments earlier reached the end of their countdown and exploded. Blood and guts flew everywhere as two massive chunks of the worm were blasted loose and the bounty hunters ran and threw up from being covered in blood and guts as the worm suddenly tipped over straight at them. Jabba crawled for dear life as the worm barely missed him on the way down only to collapse on his sail barge causing it to explode flinging everybody everywhere as a mini sandstorm erupted pelting everybody. As the storm finally subsided Jabba opened his eyes to reveal Zoda, Neva Kee, and Keira on the remaining two swoops.
"See you around Jabba, I expect my payment in cash not credit," said the Jedi with a massive grin as the two swoops roared off into the desert. Jabba roared at the heavens as he picked up a nearby rock and launched it at the worm. The rock hit it and crashed to the ground when shockingly the worm picked itself up and looked at the group below it and roared angrily.
"Run!" shouted Jabba as the group ran in different directions as the worm chased after them.
Dune Sea: "Ah nuts looks like it survived," said Zoda snapping his fingers. "Another time Legend, another time."
"You two are crazy," said Keira driving one of the bikes as Neva Kee sat behind her while Zoda was driving his own. Behind them they could see the worm crawling over the ground as suddenly dozens of 'fishers' raced past them towards The Legend hoping to capture it and forever be cemented in history.
"Looks like your catch is about to taken from you," Keira commented as the bikes roared closer and closer to Mos Eisley.
"I doubt it," said Neva Kee. "The Legend has survived for this long, it won't die that easily. After all, Zoda and I have done more damage to it than just a pair of thermal detonators and it still came back after us."
"What about Jabba? Are things finally going to cool down now that he finally owes you that money?" Keira asked hopeful. Neva Kee and Zoda laughed at that statement.
"If anything it'll increase his resolve," said Neva Kee. Keira groaned.
"Great, so more property damage?" she said.
"You got that right," said Zoda as the two bikes blazed into Mos Eisley. "Guess you'd better tell Berno that."
"Well truth be told I think I've done all I can in convincing you two not to continue your game," admitted Keira.
"Excellent," they both said.
"But I still have to ensure that you guys do not cause insane amounts of property damage wherever you go so I'll have to stick with you for now until either my vacation ends or I'm reassigned for incompetence," said Keira as the two bikes continued onwards to the docking bay.
"There are worse things in life," said Zoda. "At least more than half the galaxy isn't out to get you."
"That's true," said Keira laughing in spite of herself. The two bikes then roared to a halt in front of the docking bay.
"Shouldn't we be returning these to Bob O.?" asked Keira. Both aliens shook their heads.
"He'll come and get them, and the one you left back in the desert," said Neva Kee as they entered into the bay and waved off the Devaronian and his buddies who nodded and left. The group then entered into the ship and Neva Kee powered it up. At that exact moment, dozens of snipers appeared on the roof overlooking the craft and began firing on the ship with everything they had including several rocket launchers as explosions tore up the entire area.
Inside Keira screamed.
"Will you relax?" said Zoda calmly as he began bringing up the coordinates for Naboo on the navicomputer.
"We're under attack!" shouted Keira as the sounds of explosions could be heard around them. She was again sitting at the weapons station and the Threat Display HUD showed a 3-D image of the bay with the figures on top firing at the craft.
"So?" said Zoda annoyed. Keira's was at a loss for words at his passivity.
"Relax," said Neva Kee as he reached over and hit the repulsorlift drive. "Nothing they can throw at us will damage this ship in any way, shields or no shields."
"What kind of ship is this?" demanded Keira as the ship lifted off the ground.
"One in a million," said Neva Kee cryptically as the craft slowly hovered up to the top of the bay as the snipers finally paused in their attacks to see the undamaged ship before them.
"If you would be so kind as to press the button now flashing on your panel then we'll be on our way," said Neva Kee simply. Keira pressed it and a bright flash of light erupted from the craft engulfing all of the snipers who promptly vanished.
"Where did they go?" Keira demanded.
"To a place where you do not pass Go and do not collect 200 dollars," said Zoda with a smirk.
"What?" Keira asked bewildered.
"To jail," Neva Kee explained. "My vehicle has a matter transporter so I sent them to jail."
"Oh," said Keira before she opened her mouth to ask a question.
"Don't ask," said Neva Kee simply. Keira sighed and leaned back in her chair as the vessel tore off into space.
"Next stop Naboo," said Neva Kee simply.
"I have family on Naboo, you'd better not have destroyed their house when we get there," Keira warned.
"No of course not," said Neva Kee with a false sense of optimism before he and Zoda both internally cringed. He then yanked down on the hyperspace lever and the vessel fled into hyperspace.