Jedi Apprentice – Skywalker's Rescue

Chapter 14

It didn't take Obi-Wan long to find the junkyard. Anakin had pointed it out on their way through town. When he walked inside, he saw there were no other customers. The owner was sitting behind a low counter, snoring loudly.

Obi-Wan walked over and stood in front of the Toydarian for a moment, then said, "Hello there."

The Toydarian startled awake. "Oh, yes, hello. Welcome, welcome."

"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi," he introduced himself, hoping his calm tone would put Watto at ease before he got to the tricky part.

"Watto, at your service," he said, holding out a hand for Obi-Wan to shake. When Obi-Wan made no move, he withdrew it. Watto looked Obi-Wan up and down then sighed, shaking his head in dismay, "Oh no, you're one of them Jedi types, aren't you. Can't fool me. You people have brought me nothing but bad luck!"

So much for easing into the negotiations. Obi-Wan refused to take the bait. "I have something important to discuss with you."

Watto shook his head, 'No, no, no! Whatever you want, you have to go somewhere else. I know your kind. Nothing but trouble. The last Jedi that came in here, he acted all nice and polite, but he was a lying trickster! Made off with my best slave boy."

Obi-Wan fixed him with a hard stare. "You still own a slave named Shmi Skywalker. I'm here to buy her freedom."

"Did you hear me? I'm not interested!" Watto started to come around the counter, raising his voice, "And don't try any of your Jedi mind tricks neither! That won't work on me! Trying to trick me out of my property a second time? No! Get out!"

In Obi-Wan's travels across the galaxy he'd met any number of criminals, outlaws, and downright horrible beings. Once he'd been personally outraged at the injustices he witnessed, but through some painful experiences he'd eventually learned to put his feelings aside, as that was the only way he could accomplish his missions and stay on the Path. So he was a little surprised at the flash of true anger that he felt when he heard Watto refer to Anakin as property. But he quickly suppressed the anger, keeping his face neutral.

"Oh no, I'm afraid you've misunderstood me," Obi-Wan said, "I'm not asking you to sell me her freedom. I'm telling you to do it. You see, I'm not like my friend. I don't waste time making bets or playing games."

As he spoke, he reached out into the Force, focusing his senses past the angry junk dealer. In his mind, he could see every piece of equipment, every rusty component and tool resting on shelves, hanging from hooks, or piled on top of boxes.

Watto let out a humph sound, unimpressed by Obi-Wan's speech. Obi-Wan didn't break eye contact, didn't blink. Slowly, an old shield generator rose off a shelf, hovering in the air. Then a toolbox on another shelf beside Watto rose also. Then more and more pieces around the room started to float, as if they were on a ship and the grav panels had failed.

"You sure have a lot of equipment here. Some of it is quite valuable, isn't it," Obi-Wan said, his tone light and conversational.

"That's not…you can't…be careful with that!" Watto sputtered, eyes wide in horror, spinning around in a panic.

"Oh, this?" Obi-Wan turned to look at the shield generator. It was so heavy that the shelf it had been resting on was bent in the middle, but now it floated in the air. Obi-Wan gestured and it crashed to the ground with a huge clang. The metal panels buckled and fragments went flying in all directions.

"NOOOO!" Watto shrieked.

"Oops," Obi-Wan feigned surprise, "You really shouldn't leave things lying around. Like that one, is that the control system for an astromech droid? That's very delicate. It sure would be a shame if something happened to it…"

"No! No!" Watto yelled, making a mad dive to catch the control box before it hit the floor. His feet slipped in the dust and he fell short. The equipment shattered in front of his face.

"What's this? A compressor coil? This alone costs almost as much as a speeder bike, doesn't it?"

"No! Stop! Please!" Watto shrieked. He got on his knees in front of Obi-Wan, "Please, stop! I'll do whatever you want! Please stop breaking things!"

"I told you what I want. Skywalker's freedom."

"Yes, of course. I'll go get the code to disable her tracker right now."

"Go on then," Obi-Wan said. One by one each piece of equipment hovering around them found its way back to its original location. Each coil of wire settled back onto its hook. Each half broken component sat exactly where it had been before Obi-Wan walked into the shop.

Watto spent a moment blinking in surprise. He got up and dusted himself off. He hurried into a back room and Obi-Wan heard some shuffling and cursing before he reappeared with a bulky datapad and a code cylinder with a peeling label that read Skywalker, S. Watto placed the items on the counter but kept his hand over them.

"Threaten me all you like, Jedi. But if I lose another slave, I'll never be able to repay the Hutt. I'll be as good as dead," Watto appeared to have regained some composure. "I want five thousand credits for her."

Obi-Wan didn't have to fake his surprise at the amount. It was a desperate move. "I'm prepared to give you one thousand."

"That's robbery! Too little!" Watto started to complain.

Obi-Wan cut him off, steel in his voice, "If I'd come here to rob you, I'd have done it already. One thousand. Not a credit more."

Watto glanced around nervously, as if to check that gravity was still functioning. He nodded once. Obi-Wan placed the credits on the counter and Watto eyed them greedily. Watto tapped on the datapad for a moment and inserted the code cylinder. He turned the device so that Obi-Wan could see the screen, tapped DISARM and then PERMANENT DEACTIVATION.

"There. It's done. She's free."

"Thank you for your cooperation," Obi-Wan said. Watto didn't wait for him to finish speaking before he was scooping the credits into his pocket. Obi-Wan turned to leave.

When he was only a step from the exit, he heard Watto snickering, saying in a voice loud enough that it was clear he intended Obi-Wan to hear, "Hah, that lazy human is only worth four hundred, tops."

Obi-Wan didn't break his stride. When the door closed behind him with a clank, the large compressor coil inside the shop wobbled dangerously for a long second, then fell to the floor. Obi-Wan could hear the crash and Watto's cursing from the street.

…..

TBC!