Chapter 2: The Eisley Moisture Farm
Sitting quietly behind a small outcrop of rocks, Barloc Eisley sat on his knees, the barrel of his blaster rifle steadied upon the rock in front of him. Staring down the sight, the man kept a rather large scurrier in his view. Scurriers were small rodent-like creatures indigenous to the planet of Tatooine and while the scurriers found within cities were trash-eating, diseased-ridden creatures, those that lived far from populated areas were considered by most farmers to quite delectable. Barloc considered himself lucky to find such a large number of these scurriers in one place, as capturing one would befit his grand feast. Making several adjustments to the weapon and set the rifle to stun his target, he let his finger gently rest on the trigger, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Squeezing the trigger, he watched as a blue, circular energy botl flew from the barrel of the gun and struck the largest scurrier of the pack, causing it to collapse on the ground, sending the other animals in the pack to wildly away. Barloc smiled in satisfaction as he rose to his feet, resting the elongated barrel of the gun on his right shoulder. As he admired his prize, Barloc watched as a young child ran after the fallen animal.
The five year old child ran in front of his father, scanning the rocky ground in front of him in search for the animal his father had shot. Letting out an excited shout, he turned to his father and pointed in the direction of the animal. The child ran forward and picked up the creature in his small hands and wrapped them around the large scurrier's neck. With a quick twist, the child heard the sickening snap of bone and hoisted the dead animal in the air, a proud smile on his face.
"Father!" the child shouted happily. "I got him, father!"
Barloc chuckled at his son's delight. A warm breeze passed through the air and Barloc closed his eyes as the wind touched his hard, tanned face. When the breeze passed away, Barloc started to walk up the hill behind him, he turned to shout for Fahr to come with him when he caught the young boy sneaking behind a rock outcrop. Puzzled, he watched his son move quietly behind the piece of cover. Looking past the child, he spotted a pack of small scurriers grazing for food in the sand. When on of the animals peered up from the ground, it squeaked as it spotted the sneaking human and ran off, causing the other animals in the group to do the same. Fahr jumped out from behind the rock and shot his small right hand in the air towards the fleeing animals, mimicking the sound of blaster fire as if he was skillfully shooting the creature running away from him.
"That's enough now, Fahr! C'mon in now!" Barloc yelled after his son, motioning with his arm to beckon the child home. With a last look at the scurriers, Fahr gripped the dead animal against his chest and ran after his father up the rocky hill that led to the Eisley Moisture Farm. The Eisley farm was situated in a patch of desert covered lightly by small rocky outcrops that overlooked the distant Dune Sea. When Barloc had purchased the land four years ago, he became the subject of much humor amongst the other moisture farmers. No one understood why an outlander settled so quickly for a useless patch of dirt that couldn't possibly yield as much moisture as the other farms situated in desert plains, but if they knew just who Barloc Eisley was and the skills he possessed, the other farmers would turn green with envy.
Several years after the end of the Jedi Civil War, Barloc had heard about the Republic-funded attempt to develop the desert planet and through word of mouth, grew interested in the financial prospects of a government-funded desert development project. He knew the work would be hard and arduous, but Barloc had never let himself be backed down from a challenge. Bringing with him his two sons, daughter and enough credits to purchase land and build a home, enough credits and skills with him to buy land and build a home, he left his home planet of Corellia in order to secure a bright future for his family in the Outer Rim. Barloc had his wife stay behind to look after the family affairs until he could settle well enough to bring her to her new home. He smiled at the thought of his wife, Mhara Eisley. After four years of nothing but holo feeds, he would finally get to see his wife again in the flesh and present to her with the gift of unimaginable wealth.
When Barloc reached the top of the hill, he spotted his daughter working in front of the large domed stone house, setting items on two sets of small tables surrounded by chairs. Only a few more hours, Barloc thought to himself. Mhara, how I missed you. The farmer made his way to his home, his inner excitement causing making his steps feel light, watching Fahr run ahead of him to his older sister who had long brown hair and wore a light blue dress. The boy dropped the dead animal as he leaped into his sister's arms, hugging her tightly. He dropped to the ground as Barloc walked up behind him, giving the young girl a fatherly smile. The boy picked up the dead scurrier and thrust it towards the girl.
"Look what father caught, Syra!" The little boy said with a voice filled with delight.
"That's enough now, son. Take it inside and go wash up. Oh, and tell Jarad to come out here." As the child scurried into the house, the farmer dropped his rifle and set it against one of the small tables. He reached for a stack of plastoid plates and set them down accordingly in front of each chair, accompanying them with a set of cutlery. Barloc continued to fill with excitement as he set the tables with his daughter, looking forward to the events of the afternoon. Not only will he be able to see his wife after four long years, but he invited his friends from the outlying farms to share in his grand announcement that would secure his family's financial success in Tatooine, something that he had sought ever since he arrived on the dry planet. He sighed to himself as he moved to remove his tunic, his daughter coming up behind him and helping his arms out of the sleeves. He stretched his body as he basked in the warmth of Tatooine's two suns, feeling the dampness of his undershirt. Barloc took a small cup of dark red liquid Syra held in front of him, placing the rim of the cup and inhaled, letting the traces of spice fill his senses before pressing the cup against his mouth and letting the cool liquid slide down his throat.
"Fill every glass with this, Syra," Barloc said as he put his tunic back on and looked out on the desert as he refastened the belt on his waist. What is keeping Jarad?
"But father…we don't have enough," the girl spoke softly.
Barloc caught himself staring out into the desert and peering into the horizon, certain that for the briefest of instances, he saw several figures. At his daughter's voice, he shook himself slightly and smiled at her. "We'll be able to buy much more very soon, Syra."
"What do you mean, father?" the girl asked. "Father, have you…?"
"Soon, Syra. You'll know everything when your mother and our friends get here." He placed the cup down on the table. His sense of calm and excitement broke from the growing agitation of Jarad's absence. Slamming the table with an open palm which caused causing the cups to fall on their sides and roll off the surfaces and Syra to cringe, Barloc bellowed, "Damn it, Jarad! Get out here!" Turning to face the entrance to the homestead, he watched in frustration as a tall boy flew out from the opened door, his blond hair unkempt, his clothes slightly disheveled.
"What took you so long, boy?" Barloc yelled. "When I call you, you'd better get here!"
The older boy looked down at the ground, thumbing his tunic. "I-I'm sorry, pa."
"Never mind that now. Clean yourself up. Dust off those boots. You want to look respectable for your mother, don't you?"
"Yes, sir," the boy said as he sat on a chair and brushed off the dirt from his leather work boots.
"Take the 'speeder, boy. You'll get there faster. Hurry up now!" Barloc shouted as he watched the boy bow obediently to him before running past a small stable that had been home to two dewbacks and an eopie. Barloc shook his head and returned his attention back to Syra. "I'll go get us some water."
He walked away from the area and moved towards one of the moisture vaporators that stood on the opposite side of the farm. Moving a small bucket that sat a few inches away from the machine, he positioned it underneath a small spigot and turned a lever, watching the clear liquid slowly poured into the container. If Tatooine only knew what I discovered! I'll be rich! I'll make a name for my entire family! Barloc let the water slowly fall from the machine and peered up to the horizon. Barloc gave himself a quizzical look at the memory of seeing people in the distance earlier. No one out there. Why should there be? Jawas and Tusken Raiders rarely come this way. What did I see then? He shrugged these questions away as the memory of his way occupied his mind once again. He heard himself whisper, "I'm am going to be rich. Oh, Mhara, I've done this all for you."
Barloc's smile vanished as the sound of blaster fire behind him broke the silence of the farm. Getting up, he spun on his heels to look back at his home and the sight before him filled him with terror. Syra stood against one of the tables, her right hand pressed on the table to keep her steady while her other hand clutched her belly that appeared to have been scorched and a blotch or red forming against the blue fabric of her dress. Syra's head was down, her torso hunched over in pain which prevented her from seeing a red blast of energy strike her neck, causing her to fly backwards and slam her back against the second table. Her body slid down and fell into one of the chairs, her arms hanging lifelessly at her sides. Barloc screamed out her name as he ran back to the homestead, spinning his head in every direction to find the attackers. As he ran, he spotted Jarad pull up in his landspeeder from behind the house. The farmer screamed at the top of his voice as he ran, "Jarad! Get out! Get away!" Just as Jarad turned to look at his father, a blaster bolt hit the boy square in the chest, his body falling against the vehicle's seats. Barloc sprinted towards the bodies of his two children, screaming in agony. Just as he reached the table, Barloc felt a blast of hot energy pierce his right leg, making him collapse on the ground. He spotted his blaster rifle leaning against the table in front of him, and as he scrambled to reach the weapon, he felt a bolt of energy hit the back of his head. In the last moments of Barloc Eisley's life, he saw his farm. He saw his dream for a better life. He saw his successful future. As the farmer's vision began to fade, he saw his once happy children lie dead in the sand. He saw his dream die.
From inside the house, Fahr froze at the sounds of repeated blaster fire outside. After standing silently for several moments, he called out his father's name. When he heard no reply, Fahr hugged himself and slowly made his way outside. The boy's young and innocent mind could not make out the scene that was existed before him. To his right, he saw his older brother's body lying back against the inside of the family's landspeeder. Could he be sleeping? the boy thought, unaware of the large burn that covered Jarad's chest. To Fahr's left, he saw his sister's body sitting in one of the chairs. He slowly walked towards the girl, standing at her side. He called out her name several times and shook as he was denied a reply. Fahr frowned at the black burn on Syra's neck and the red stain on her stomach that ruined her dress. Pressing a small hand against the girl's cheek, he felt no warmth, just ice. Just beyond Syra's dead body, Fahr found the corpse of his father, lying face down in the dirt, the back of his head blackened and charred. The young boy's body trembled and he felt a wetness seep from his eyes and run down his freckled face. As he rubbed the wetness away with his sleeve, he caught himself staring at the three figures standing directly in front of him.
Two of the figures were humans, both tall, rugged and muscular. Both men were wearing nearly identical clothing, long dark overcoat that covered a beige tunic and dark pants. The first man, whose hair was cut short and face buried in whiskers, held a blaster rifle in both hands, while the second man who had no hair calmly replaced his Blastech D-44 gun in the holster that hung on the left side of the belt. The third figure, upon closer inspection, actually turned out to be a droid carrying a scoped blaster rifle. Although the design of the machine was foreign to the little boy, the robot was an HK model assassin droid, it's dark gray metal chassis gleaming in the bright sun. The little boy continued to stare at the three attackers, his body shaking in fear. He jumped when one of the humans spoke.
"What should we do with this one, Vax?"
A fourth figure stepped up from behind the droid and stood in front of the group. Standing half a foot taller than the humans, he looked directly at the child. His black, greasy hair hung at his ears, with short bangs that covered his brow. The man's eyes scared the boy as the irises were yellow and trimmed with red. The evil eyes framed a cruel looking face which featured a pointed nose and thin lips. The man named Vax, who wore all black clothing, folded his arms against his chest, his hands encased in black leather gauntlets. A lightsaber hung on his belt, and the man's pants were made of light fabric and hung loose from his body. A smile formed on Vax's lips.
"Shall I shoot the little meat bag now, Master?" The HK droid said, raising his rifle.
"Now, now. That won't do." Vax said in a slithery voice. He walked up to the child and squatted before him, letting his evil eyes look into the child's. Fahr didn't know what to do or what to make of this man who continued to look at him. Time seemed to drag on, until Vax rose to his feet and walked in circles around the child several times before finally stopping behind the boy. Placing a gloved hand on the child's head, he ruffled his blond hair. "Don't be scared, son. This is business, nothing more." He moved his hand to grip the boy's shoulder in a matter that was almost comforting for Fahr. Vax made note of the boy's ease and smiled. "That's right, boy. Relax. You'll see your family very soon."
Fahr moved his head to look back at the tall man and caught a flash of metal, hearing a snap-hiss sound as a red energy blade shot out from the lightsaber hilt. Fahr's body jerked forward, he would have fallen forward if Vax had not been holding the child by the shoulder. The boy felt his body grow cold as he looked down in front of him and saw the red blade stick out from the center of his chest. Vax pulled the lightsaber free from the boy and watched as Fahr collapsed in a heap on the ground. Vax looked down at the lifeless body for a moment before shutting off his lightsaber and placing it back on his belt. The Sith turned his gaze back to his comrades and held his malevolent smile as the humans in front of him shifted uncomfortably in their places.
---
In the cold vastness of space surrounding the planet Tatooine, a medium sized cargo freighter careened past the stars as it neared the desert planet. It was a large, circular ship made of once bright white steel, but has since dulled with age and wear. At the very front of the ship spanned a long rectangle-shaped window that allowed the captain of the cargo ship to watch as the planet loomed closer and closer in front of him. The ship's captain was a middle aged Twi'lek and had been in the business of trading various goods from one planet to another for several years. The Twi'lek enjoyed his work as it permitted him the opportunity to explore distant planets and find ways to exploit to local flora and fauna for financial gain. Sitting in the large cushioned seat, the alien pressed a hand against his forehead and let trace the length of the tail that sprouted from the top of his head wrapped once around his neck and hung in front of his left shoulder. Flipping a switch on the large console in front of him, he leaned over into an intercom and spoke in broken Basic that the ship would enter Tatooine's atmosphere in several moments, cautioning them of the expected turbulence. Turning the intercom off, he leaned against a seat and watched the flurry of numbers crawl on a small screen. Placing his green fingertips on a keyboard, he typed out identification codes as well as transmitted his ship's manifest. After a few moments of silence, the captain obtained his clearance and directed his ship towards a small spaceport in Mos Espa. Feeding these numbers into the computer, he let the ship glide through the sky on its own as he closed his eyes, allowing himself a short period of respite.
When the white ship made its descent towards the planet surface, it buckled slightly from the force of piercing through the sky, the underbelly of the craft glowing a soft orange from the heat as the ship sped shot through the sky. When the turbulence ceased, the captain awoke and guided his craft towards the Mos Espa Spaceport. Going through the landing checklist in his head, he positioned the ship over a large circular area and let the ship slowly fall to the ground. He listened to the familiar whirring of machinery as the three piece landing gear grew out from the bottom of the ship while a set of thrusters fired intermittently in order to ease the landing. With a sudden shudder, the craft landing on the desert surface and the captain unbuckled the restrains on his seat and shut the engines down. Getting to his feet, he stretched inside the cockpit before opening the slim door behind him that led into the main cabin of the ship. He helped several of his passengers grab their personal cases from the upper storage areas before walking to the left most part of the ship. Pressing a small red button, the ramp directly in front of him moved downwards, letting in a blast of warm air that immediately caused him to sweat. Cursing silently to himself as he rubbed the wetness away with his sleeve, he walked down the platform and walked to the Ithorian port master who looked a little on edge, waving at him as he approached. Carrying a small data pad that displayed what pieces of cargo the captain would be dropping off, the Ithorian called out to a group of humans and droids who were sitting amongst themselves on the far end of the space port. While the humans ran for the cargo bay, two droids carried a long, heavy hose and moved towards the side of the ship, placing the metallic end against a small opening on the ship's hull. Setting two latches, a man on the opposite end of the hose pulled a level and watched as the tube jerked from the fuel passing from it and into the craft.
After the Twi'lek had paid the right number of credits to the port master, he turned and watched as several humans began pulling out a number of plastoid cargo containers. He grew nervous as he saw a cage being moved out from the ship and screamed to the workers to be careful. One of his earlier stops before reaching Tatooine was to pick up an captured Vornskr from a Hutt. He didn't pay too much attention to where it would be going, as the sight of the untamed cat-like beast frightened him dearly. Known for both their viciousness and their ability to resist the Force, these animals were, for reasons the Twi'lek knew not, prized by wealthy landowners as means to intimidate and kill unwanted visitors. How they expected to keep these animals in check was beyond him. The captain had to heavily sedate the creature and, thankfully, the flight went without incident. He couldn't be happier to get the vile, dangerous creature off his boat.
The Twi'lek turned his attention back onto the ramp that led into ship, nodding to the passengers that made their way off the transport ship and exited the spaceport. When the final passenger appeared atop the ramp, the Twi'lek caught himself staring at her only female passenger. She was dressed in a long, flowing dress of deep blue that was lined with some sort of black velvet material. She had dark brown hair that was tied up in a small bun on the back of her head that framed a soft, oval face with skin that was slightly dark. The captain noted the woman's beauty, but also could tell from the fire in her eyes that she was of strong will. Normally he would have tried to put the moves on the women he came across, but he had the feeling that this meeting would end badly for him. Even the way the woman carried herself exuded an aura of power causing the captain to wonder if she was royalty. If she was, the captain mused, why would she come to this dirt rock?
Mhara Eisley made her way onto the desert surface and felt agitated by the sudden increase in temperature. Grabbing a small cloth handkerchief from one of her bags she carried with her, she dabbed away the sweat the appeared on her brow. Sighing, she replaced the cloth into her back and walked away from the ship where she was stopped by a smiling Twi'lek.
"May I take my lady's bags?" The alien said in poor Basic, his voice slurring.
"No thank you, captain." Mhara replied as she looked at him with piercing eyes. "I can manage myself. I thank you for the flight, sir. It was as pleasant as you promised."
"Your praise honors me, miss." He bowed deeply at her, his eyes looking at the desert floor. He held his position long enough that he didn't see the woman walk past him quickly. Looking back up, he was startled to no longer see her in front of him and whipped his head around, watching as the woman walked away from him. Paying more particular attention to her covered backside, he clicked his tongue and whistled as the woman passed through the blast doors that led to the main streets. His aroused mood was shattered as he heard a loud crash behind him. Turning on his heels, his eyes widened as he saw the cage holding the wild animal on its side and the front bars broken. He trembled as the wild beast began stir from its forced slumber, its yellow eyes looking particularly terrifying.
Mhara didn't understand why the blast doors behind her suddenly closed with a loud crash, but from the shouts and blaster fire coming from the other end, she figured it was best not to pry. The woman took a few steps away from the spaceport and looked about excitedly around her. Apart from the thrill of being in an entirely new place, no matter how dirty and dusty it was, Mhara was excited to be finally reunited with her family after four long years. She felt her role back home as an important one, but it didn't make the pain of not being with her family for so long any easier. But the wait is finally over now! Mhara thought happily.
Turning her head quickly in opposite directions, she peered into the crowd in front of her, looking for her oldest son Jarad, who she discovered would be picking her up. She felt slightly disappointed after scanning the crowd for several minutes and not seeing her family. With a short, exasperated sigh, she lifted her bags and walked towards a small bench. Resting her back against the seat, she noticed that the shouts and screams from within the dock had ceased, and people were once again moving in and out. Glancing around once again, she was still unable to find any member of her family. She was certain that she provided Barloc with the correct time and location of her arrival and began to wonder what could be keeping them. Perhaps they are just late, Mhara thought as she took one of her bags and pressed it against her chest, letting her head rest softly upon it.
Time continued to pass and not one member of the Eisley family had arrived. Mhara kept herself busy by watching the local color go about their business. She watched as aliens, droids and men moved in and out of the spaceport, transferring containers onto small land shuttles and drive quickly away. Mhara had focused a large part of her attention on a pair of Rodians as they placed a large number of small containers on a hovering litter that was attached by two large pieces of red rope wrapped around a metal collar that hung on the neck of a dewback, a large, slow moving creature. When the last container was placed on the litter, the first Rodian jumped into the dewback's saddle and smiled as the second Rodian gave her a polite bow before taking a place on the litter as it started moving away in the opposite direction. Mhara looked up into the sky above and watched the white spacecraft she arrived in ascend into the air and fly away. Traffic around the space port had grown quiet to the point where she was the only person there. Waiting for a half an hour, no one had come for her.
Deciding that she had had enough, Mhara got up from the bench and walked over to a small window just next to the spaceport entrance. She spotted the Ithorian dock master who had his back facing her, his head hung low as he looked over a stack of papers. Letting out a polite cough, the alien turned around to face the woman and seemed generally surprised to find her there.
"Can…can I help you, miss?"
"I need to be shuttled to a farm located not too far from here." Mhara asked politely. "I was supposed to be picked up, but my ride cannot be found."
"Oh, of course, miss." The Ithorian looked down at his desk and spoke into a microphone. Seconds later, a landspeeder appeared from the far side of the spaceport and stopped directly in front of the woman. A short, portly human jumped out of the landspeeder and flashed Mhara a yellow smile. Wearing simple work clothes, the man ran up to the woman and gave her a deep bow before reaching for her two bags.
"Hello, ma'am. Please allow me to lead you to your destination?"
Mhara nodded at the man who seemed too eager to please. Placing both bags into a compartment on the side of the small speeder, the pilot took Mhara by the hand and helped to hoist her into the passenger seat. Running around the front of the vehicle, the pilot jumped into the driver's seat and squirmed slightly as he positioned his bulky body into a comfortable position. Gripping a small lever that sat next to his right leg, he pushed the metal stick forward slowly and Mhara felt her body push against the seat gently as the speeder accelerated away from the spaceport and onto the city streets of Mos Espa.
"Where can I take you, ma'am?" the pilot said as he flashed her another smile.
"I want to go to the Eisley farm, please. And quickly." Mhara replied as she turned to look away from the man.
"Eisley farm? Eisley…Eisley…oh, right!" The pilot snapped his fingers. "Barloc's place, right? What a guy. Stand up fellow. Great guy to spend time with in the cantina and play a few rounds of sabacc."
Mhara raised an eyebrow at the man's relation to her husband. "The cantina? Barloc's going to have to explain a few things."
"What's that, miss? You know Barloc?"
"I'm his wife," Mhara replied in a flat voice. She jumped a little at the man's sudden boisterous laugh.
"You're Mhara! Barloc has told me all about you. He cares a great deal for you, Mrs. Barloc. He told me you were a very beautiful woman. I knew he wasn't lyin'!" The pilot let out a second laugh as he increased the throttle of the landspeeder. Mhara watched as the city streak by, letting her eyes follow people crossing the street.
Under the craft's current speed, it didn't take long for the vehicle to pass through the entrance of the city and out into the open desert of Tatooine. Mhara felt somewhat disappointed that the area that surrounded her as far as the eye could see was plain desert. She could spot several rocky mountains in the distance, but the plainness of the planet filled her with a slight feeling of emptiness. She had spent her entire life on the planet of Corellia, a fertile world with oceans and tall city skylines and numerous shipbuilding facilities, where the afternoons were pleasant and cool, not incredibly hot and dry from the two bright suns that hung above her. Needless to say, Mhara found the large contrast between the two worlds quite jarring to her senses.
The speeder continued making its way across the desert, Mhara felt her forehead grow wet once again and wiped the sweat away with the sleeve of her blue dress. Brushing away the strands of hair that had matted against her skin, Mhara looked to her right and spotted a pack of large, lumbering creatures slowly walking long a large sand dune. They were covered entirely with dark, brown fur and had two horns that grew out of both sides of their mouths and curved in a short spiral against the sides of their elongated heads. The pilot next to her followed her gaze and steered the craft in the direction of the animals.
"Those are banthas, miss," the man said as the speeder slowed its speed while driving along the mammoth beasts.
"Banthas?" Mhara asked.
"Yeah. The ones out here are pretty wild but keep to themselves. People 'round these parts use them for transportation or pack animals. People are more content with speeders since you don't have to worry about feeding them!" The pilot laughed and slammed a hand against his thigh. Mhara let out a polite chuckle as she returned her attention to the animals.
"Yeah, you won't see a great many people riding them," the pilot continued. "Tusken Raiders are really the only ones who use 'em."
"What, may I ask are Tusken Raiders?"
The man made a grimace. "A wild bunch, they are. Scavengers. Beastly nomads that live deep in the desert. A vicious bunch. You'll wanna stay far away from them." As if he expected a pack of Tusken Raiders to appear from behind the banthas, the pilot increased the throttle of the landspeeder and sped away. Mhara took one last look at the pack of animals before the disappeared from view.
"How long until we reach Barloc?" Mhara asked as she rested against the cushioned interior.
"It shouldn't be too long, miss. We're going to pass through the south end of Beggar's Canyon for a shortcut. Just a few twist and turns and when we get back out into the open, it'll be a few minutes."
Mhara had started to grow weary of the plain desert landscape and held the prospect of passing through a canyon with relatively high regard. As their journey continued, the woman began to notice more and more rock outcrops and mountains appear around her until they neared the mouth of a tall, rocky canyon. After a few moments, she started to notice more and more rocky outcrops spring up from the ground as the vehicle sped towards Beggar's Canyon, its rock walls climbing high towards the sky. The speeder slowed slightly in order to navigate the more tighter turns within the canyon, and Mhara quickly grew bored with the change of landscape. However, she started to feel an odd tingling fall down her spine and turned to the driver and said, "Do you get the feeling…we are being watched?"
"Looks like we have some Jawas here," the pilot said. "Pay them no mind. They are scavengers, but a lot more friendlier than Tusken Raiders. They sell parts, droids, machinery and other goods to the city." Mhara continued to look ahead but out of the corner of her eye, she saw a short little creature dressed in brown robes run in between two large boulders.
"We are nearing the end of the canyon now, miss, " the man said. "Almost home!" Mhara was once again pressed against the seat as the speeder accelerated out of the canyon and flew back out into the desert. Mhara leaned her head back and closed her eyes as the trip continued, letting the gentle turbulence lull her to sleep. Suddenly, she felt a large rush of wind come from her right and a low hum fill her ears. She slowly turned her head and opened her eyes only to let out a shriek and duck into her seat. The pilot let out a fierce yell as he jerked the steering wheel so hard that the speeder spun in a circle before stopping dead and skidded across the sandy floor. Mhara peered up and watched as the portly man stood up from his seat and shook a fist at a large land craft moved with incredible speed away from them.
"Why don't you watch where you're goin', worthless son of a ronto!" The pilot fell into his seat and crossed his arms as Mhara tried to regain her composure.
"What was that thing?" Mhara asked. "I only made out the front of what looked like a transport ship."
The man let out a exasperated sigh before replying. "Zortha the Hutt's sail barge. That slug thinks he owns the entire desert."
"Who…?"
"He's a lousy slug from the Hutt family," the man said before Mhara could complete her sentence. "They are known on this side of the 'verse as a family of gangsters. He was the one who got Mos Espa off and running years back. I suppose we should thank him." The pilot let out a disgusted laugh.
"What is…this Zortha doing out here?"
"Who knows, ma'am. Probably looking for another place to build a city. He's been getting a heap of credits since Espa took off, probably wants fortune to strike twice. Don't know how he plans to do it, really. Water is pretty scarce in this area. You need water for development and there are a few places that yield more moisture than others. Espa's one. No one knows the others. " He let out a long sigh before turning on switches in front of him. The speeder shook gently as it rose off the ground and started moving forward. "Sorry for the delay, ma'am. We'll be on our way."
The speeder continued its course and within moments, Mhara felt her heart leap as the Eisley farm quickly came into view. She hugged herself tightly and smiled as she whispered, "Home at last. Oh, Barloc, I missed you."The landspeeder slowed down as it reached the front of the homestead, the pilot jumping out of his seat when the vehicle stopped and ran to the passenger side, guiding the woman out safely. Running back to the driver's side of the vehicle, he pulled out the two bags and walked up to Mhara's side. She smiled to him as she walked towards the house. Turning her head to the side, she was surprised to see a number of other landspeeders and dewbacks situated on the far side of the far. Making her way to the large domed house, she spotted a woman appear from behind the settlement. Mhara couldn't be sure, but it seemed like the woman let out a soft whimper as she approached. Behind the woman, a tall man dress in dark clothes walked towards the woman. Mhara turned to the pilot to ask if he might know these people, but held her tongue when the portly man looked just as confused as she. She stopped short of the house and folded her arms underneath her breasts as she spoke to the man.
"Who are you?" she asked in her most strong, level tone of voice, the kind she used when dealing with businessmen back on Corellia who tried to scam her. "What are you doing in my home? Where is Barloc?"
The tall man exchanged a sad look with the woman next to him and approached Mhara, rubbing his hands together. When he reached Mhara, he tried to give her a warm smile, but something seemed to greatly trouble him.
"Who are you?" Mhara asked again, her proud voice seemed to slacken slightly.
"Mrs. Eisley, I presume? You must be. Barloc described yourself to me once. He speaks highly of your beauty."
"Who are you?" Mhara repeated softly.
"Forgive me. I am Jonas. I am a moisture farmer like Barloc. I have a settlement just outside Mos Espa. I was once a friend to Barloc since he arrived here. Myself and other members of the community were invited here today to share your homecoming…."
"Wait, Jonas," Mhara interrupted. "What do you mean by 'was once a friend'? What is going on. Tell me now!"
Jonas sighed and looked back at the woman who was crying into a handkerchief. "It is probably best if I show you, as much as it pains me to do so." Jonas walked up to Mhara's side and took her arm. The woman tried to protest, but found herself easily led by this man. The pilot sat the bags back onto the landspeeder before following the pair, watching as Jonas guided Mhara past the house and towards a large gathering of individuals, both human and alien, huddled around something that had captured their attention. A Twi'lek with bright blue skin looked up from the huddle and noticed the woman walking towards the area and whispered to those around him. One by one, people started to disperse, looking down at the ground, the sounds of women crying filled the air. With the entire group moved out of the way, Mhara froze at the sight before her. Sprawled out on the two large tables in front of her were the bodies of her husband and three children. Mhara felt her knees grow weak and would have fallen if Jonas had not been supporting her. Questions and thoughts flew in and out of her mind, but the look of the lifeless faces on her children began to implant themselves in her brain.
"What…Jonas, what happened…?" Mhara asked, her voice broken, her breathing deep and quick.
"We don't know. We all got here about a half an hour before you arrived. We found all of them…like this."
"Let me go, Jonas," Mhara said as she started for the bodies, feeling the grip of Jonas' hand on her arm tighten.
"No, miss. You really shouldn't…."
Mhara broke her arm free from the tall man's grip with a degree of ferocity that surprised him. She slowly made her way past the crowd and towards her family. Standing over the body of her husband, pressing a hand against his cheek and feeling the iciness of his once warm face. She started to run a hand through his hair, but stopped as she felt the back of his head, the smooth hair charred and blackened. She jerked her hand away and stared at the black stain on her fingers. Hastily scrubbing her hand against her skirt, she walked over to the bodies of Syra and Jarad, feeling queasy at the large blaster burns covering the boy's chest and the girl's stomach and neck. When she finally reached the body of her youngest boy Fahr, she began to weep openly at the sight of the clean hole on the boy's chest. Wrapping her arms around the child, she pulled him to her, letting his head fall lifelessly against her chest and cried for her loved ones.