Chapter two

Dash awoke to the outside noise of the hustle and bustle of a busy street and the mid-morning light gleaming through the semi-transparent window of his bedroom. It must be late, Dash thought as he scrambled out of bed and looked around the room. A room he didn't recognize, ' Leebo!' Dash hollered, but there was no answer. ' Leebo!' He repeated, but still no answer. Oh well he thought and finished putting his clothes on. I guess he must be out Dash reconciled as he entered the next room, opened the outside door and peered out to see what all the commotion was all about. Dash could see several people going to and fro like it was the busiest street in the galaxy and he was an outsider looking through a one-way glass.

Dash spotted a note on a table near the door that read - Dash, I went to help Shug Ninx move the freighter to the shop. Get some breakfast, I'll be back around one. P.S. I left some credits on the table for you.- and it was signed, Leebo. Dash grabbed the coins on the counter, stuffed them in his pocket and went out the door joining the melee in the street.

The roadway was crowded with several dozen different kinds of vehicles of every model and size. There were several swoops of each type;Air-2 swoops, Mobquet Flare-S swoops and modified two-seater Tagge Co. G-S swoops. There were several large trolleys, speeder bikes, land speeders, hover crafts of all kinds, several hover taxi, a few pod cars, several shuttles, open-air buses and even several man-powered rickshaws.

Dash looked up to the busy sky above him and saw six different lanes of traffic overhead that more than matched the congestion on the ground level street. He could see what seemed like hundreds of twin-pod cloud cars of every color, air speeders, several cargo barges, air taxi by the thousands, air buses and other large and small transports of every different type and color. The sky was literally a collage of different colors and shapes all meshed together with the red-blue and white colored background of the morning hazy-streaked cloud covered sky.

Dash decided a hale a taxi as he stepped to the curb and raised his hand. Instantly, a taxi pulled over and stopped. He climbed inside of the back seat and to his surprise found out that the taxi had a automatic droid driven driver. 'Where to sir.' A voice asked. Dash thought for a second stunned and then remembered and said, ' The Meltdown Café!'

' Please fasten your seat belt sir.' The driver responded. Then in a flash the taxi pulled away from the curb and joined the melee on the crowded street. The speed from which the cab took off caught Dash off guard as he nearly fell sideways in the seat, straightening himself up he announced to the droid, ' Hey! Take it easy. I'm not in a hurry or anything. What you trying to do kill me.?'

' No sir! These vehicles are equipped with non-collision suspension, sir. We can't crash. They are magneto-enhanced and project a field of electrical current that won't allow any contact between vehicles. Much like a deflector shield in a star ship that repels laser blast and cannon fire. Same principle as that, sir'

' Amazing! ' Dash said as the taxi pulled to the curb in front of the Meltdown Café.

' Here you are sir. That will be two credits!' The droid told him.

Dash through a couple credits into a container next to the driver and got out. As he did the cab driver remarked, ' Thank you sir. Ride with Metropolitan Cab Company again on your next trip, Goodbye!'

Dash stepped toward the cafe's entrance and as he reached for the door handle , a metal hand of a droid beat him to it. The disruption startled him for a second until he realized who it was who had approached him from the opposite direction. It was Leebo leaning slightly to his immediate right. ' Hey! Perfect timing. Where you been?' Dash asked.' I sure wish you would say something when you come up to me like that. Your going to give me a heart attack or something one of these days. It scares the shit clean out of me. That's the second or third time you've done that to me this past week. Now cut it out!'

' Oh! Sorry sir. I'll try and be more careful from now on.'

' Didn't you get my note?' Leebo added, looking puzzled. ' Oh, that's right.' Dash recanted. ' How's the ship?' He inquired , as they both entered the café and seated themselves down in a booth near the window. Soon a droid waitress with menus was at the table and a voice beckon them,' May I take your order, sir. Today's special is the Black-eyed pea soup with scrambled eyes, bacon and toast, with a side of Shaak romp roast.'

' That sounds good,' Dash remarked putting down the menu without even opening it, ' I'll take that. How about you, Leebo,' Dash said sportingly, ' Oh yeah! I imagine he'll have a quart of oil and some axle grease. Isn't that right, Leebo?' ' No! Scratch that. He doesn't want anything,' Dash quickly adds before the droid waitress could take him too seriously.

' We just got the freighter moved to the shop and Mr. Ninx is accessing the damage. He should be about done by the time you get over with your breakfast,' Leebo inserted,' And I don't take oil or grease, sir' He added in a serious voice not realizing that Dash was only joking.

A plate of hot food was placed in front of Dash and without conversation he begin digging into the meal like a hungry Shistavanen Wolfman from the planet Uvena Prime. ' Boy! I didn't realize how hungry I really was.' Dash admitted.' What time did you find me last night, anyway?'

' It was a little past four o'clock,' Leebo responded.' It took me two and a half hours to find you in the back of that alley, sir.' the LE-B02D9 droid told his companion.

' Before we get out of here, remind me to find those damn thieves,' Dash pledges,' And that Twi-lek dancer too! I've got some debts to repay. Oh yeah, definitely!'

The meal finishes without any further conversation. Dash and Leebo get up , Dash tosses some credits on the table including a tip and follows Leebo out the door, down the less than quite street and to Shug Ninx' repair shop to check out the progress on the freighter. As they enter the shop, Dash notices the proprietor directing a young Corellian assistant.

Shug Ninx was what was called a half-breed; half human and half alien. His mother was of the Threelin race and his father was Corellian. The only visible signs of his alien parentage are mottled spots around his mouth and chin, and his strange one thumbed-two fingered hands. His face was rugged with a stern expression and a seriousness to his glare that immediately conveys to anyone he comes in contact with that he's not one you would want to cross.

Just then through a door, entered a statuesque and exotic looking woman in a long open skirt that dragged the ground as she walked in a manly like fashion across the room. She went by the name of Salla Zend, the one-time girlfriend of Han Solo. She was an employee of Shug Ninx as a technician in his space barn repair shop. She had a hard personality that hid her softer side and sole piercing orange eyes along with dark colored skin that made her eyes seem to glow in the dark.

' Rendar! Is that your name, sir,' She continues,' That wouldn't be Dash Rendar would it?'

' Ya, that's right, why?' Dash replied,' Do I know you or something?'

' No! You used to know Han Solo, didn't you ' Salla asked.

' Still do.' Dash replied,' I haven't seen him for awhile, but yeah , Solo and I are friends,' Dash pointed out .' Han's and I went to the Academy together a long time ago. We go way back, but that was years ago. I haven't seen Solo in nearly a year now. We don't travel in the same circles so to speak.'

' Han's and I were real close for awhile,' Salla admits, as she peers down toward the floor. ' We even made plans together, but he couldn't commit if you know what I mean, and it ended kind of sudden. You know.' Salla spoke sullenly as she raised her eyes without raising her head to check Dash's reaction.

' I hate to interrupt, but my name is Shug Ninx. Leebo came to me on your behalf and asked if I could repair your freighter,' Shug continued,' Leebo told me that you were on consignment with Jabba the Hutt. '

' I thought I recognized that ole bucket of bolts and when he told me about Jabba, I was sure.' Shug smiled , as Salla, grateful for the timely interruption, went about her business as she continued across the room towards a desk and some file cabinet's against the opposite wall that was a make-shift office and proceeded to ramble through some papers on top of desk searching for a certain one.

' I told Leebo that Jabba has a long standing tab here . He sends all of his repair needs to me, because he knows the quality of my work and that I won't cheat him. To tell you the truth, I've worked on that crate several times before and I practically know every nut and bolt.' Shug bragged.

' I hope you don't mind but I sent a hologram to Jabba and got conformation to go ahead and do the work,' Shug Ninx sheepishly told Dash. ' Funny thing though, it seemed Jabba already knew about the trouble you had and about losing your load, but nothing about how much damage the freighter suffered. In fact, he told me about you losing your spice load. I didn't know anything about it because Leebo never mentioned it, but Jabba sure knew ,' He queried.

' Wouldn't you know it, that slug knows everything that happens, no matter where. He's got eyes and ears everywhere. You can't do anything in this part of the galaxy without him finding out one way or another. That's a fact.'

' I guess I should of checked with you first. I might of let the cat out of the bag and got you in trouble with your boss,' Shug told Dash.' Jabba told me to tell you that he wants you to holograph him sometime today. It's up to you., though. You can do whatever you want, I'm just delivering the message, that's all.'

' Don't worry about it, Jabba was going to find out about the whole mess today anyhow,' Dash consoled him. ' You just saved me the trouble of springing the bad news, that's all.' Dash reassured the dishearten mechanic.

' Tell you what though,' Shug suggested,' To help make it up to you, I'll tell you what I'm going do. I'll kickback fifteen percent of the total bill to you if you promise not to tell Jabba, That'll be two or three thousand credits. Some spending money for you and your droid. Leebo told me about you being robbed last night. Two or three thousand would probably come in pretty handy I imagine, right Dash?'

' Sounds good to me,' Dash agreed,' It looks like we're going be here a couple more days anyway and I'll need some money. You think I can get some on account now and the rest later, I'm flat broke.'

' Yeah, no problem. I'll have Salla make you out a voucher and it's good just about anyplace in the Vertical City. ' Shug paused, and then added,' Oh yeah, can you let your repair droid stay and lend us a hand. It would sure help, especially with some of the heavier work. I heard that this LE-B02D9 model is a very reliable repair unit and that they have extensive databases. I could always use that kind of knowledge, plus an extra set of hands is always useful.'

' Well actually, I like to leave that up to him,' Dash answered,' Leebo's more my co-pilot and companion than my possession. I'll let him answer that question,' He revealed turning to Leebo and asking, said',what'd a think, Leebo?'

' My pleasure, sir,' Leebo stated,' I have nothing else to do and the amenities of this spaceport hold no interest for me. Besides, non-activity make my extremities rust. It's too bad our little pee-two isn't here to help us, Mister Ninx. We have a P2 unit that is very good at repair work, sir, but it's not with us this trip. It's very good at fixing all kinds of things, sir, but it's not here.'

' I use to have one of those units myself. They can do a lot of useful things but sometimes they're just too clumsy. They're only good on certain types of jobs, but your model is much improve at repairing star ships.' Shug told the droid.

' Well, I'll do my best sir!'

' Great! Leebo and us will make out just fine,' Shug assured Dash,' With him, Salla and Warb, my other assistant, I'll have plenty of help getting this monstrosity back in shape.'

' You need me to help you?' Dash inquired.

' No, That's okay. This will be plenty, besides you've got too many things to deal with anyhow. Just take it easy and check out the Corellian Sector's down town area. It's like a vacation wonderland in that part of the city, the buildings are huge and they have just about everything you can imagine. Then there's the Meltdown Café District, one of the busiest districts in the galaxy, but be careful at night,' Shug paused,' Well, I guess I don't have to tell you. You already know about the dangers of being a stranger around here. Just be careful, that's all.' Shug warned.

' I'll check back with you later, Leebo.' Dash called out, ' Oh yeah, where's that holoproj unit set up at, anyway?' He inquired of Shug.

' Doesn't Leebo have holographic projection capabilites? You can send that message to Jabba right away, ' Shug asked.

' He does, or I guess I should say he did, ' Dash corrected, ' But, his unit got damaged and he hasn't been able to send a messages for quit awhile now. Ever since we had that run-in with that Kaleesh in that cantina on Tatooine. So where did you say I could send Jabba a message? '

' It's the Holography, Inc. offices that's inside the Nar Shaddaa Corporation building. You' ll see it. Just look for the signs. It's that pink building downtown in the Corellian Sector, you can't miss it. It sticks out like an eye sore.'

' Okay, Thanks! I'll check back with you later on the your progress, just don't overwork my droid!' Dash said with a smile loud enough so Leebo could overhear. ' Wait a minute! I'll get you that voucher.' Salla motioned to Dash.' It's probably too late now, but you can cash it at the bank tomorrow. It's situated right next to that pink palace Shug mentioned.' She handed Dash the voucher. He glanced at it, folded it and put it in his pocket. ' Thanks! That's twice as much as I thought it would be,' Rendar admitted to Salla.

' Oh! I went ahead and paid you the full amount,' Salla said as she waved her hand at Dash and gave him a lopsided expression. ' It saves me on paper work, and besides, Shug was going to pay you the rest anyway. This way I don't have to write another check.'

' Well alright, that's fine with me. This way I only have to cash one check, so it saves everybody all around. You and me both. Alright, I guess I'll see you guys later. Just don't overwork my droid, okay?'

Dash turned and went out the shop's door and down the long corridor toward the downtown area of the bustling metropolis. He again caught a cab and was shortly dropped off at the curb among the tall buildings of the center of the city, in front of the unsightly pink building Shug had mentioned. He entered the turnstile glass door of the busy building into a huge foyer and proceeded to a glass windowed office that read Holography, Inc. on a clear glass door. Inside seated at a desk was a protocol droid that had a skimpy blonde wig on it's head and makeup on it's face like a woman would have and a female voice that greeted Dash as he entered the room. ' May I help you sir?' She asked.

' Yes. I need to send a message,' Dash responded.

The droid got up and Dash noticed right away she was wearing a shirt as she moved around the table and said ' This way please.' So Dash followed her into a roomed cubical where the holoproj unit set in the middle of the cramped quarters.

' Where and to whom you want this message sent?' She inquired.

' To Jabba the Hutt on Nal Hutta.' Dash said.' How much is this whole thing going cost me anyhow,' He paused. ' Can I reverse the charges?' Dash added with a grin.

' Do you want this in real time or just a message,' the droid asked.

' All depends. If I can reverse the charges, I'll send it in real time. If not than just a message.' Dash smirked.

' In answer to your query, yes you can. In real time, it's twenty credits . Just a message is six credits and if you want a response, it's ten credits total,' She explained. The droid went to the back of the unit made some typing noise from the unit's keyboard and within seconds stated,' The charges have been accepted, sir.' She got up and moved to around the front of the machine and flipped some switches.

'Stand here!',' she pointed to a platform next to the holocomm ,' His image will soon appear, then you can start,' She instructed, 'And when your done just step off the platform and the message will end. Make sure your completely done before you step off because if you have to add something you'll be charged double if I have to restart the unit.'

Dash stepped onto the platform and the droid turned on the unit. ' Wait until you see him now!' She reminded, ' And when you do you can start your conversation,'

Seconds later, Jabba's image appeared in front of Dash.

' About time you holograph me Rendar! I've been waiting impatiently for you to answer. Where's my spice load?

' I've got some bad news for you Jabba, we were attacked and I lost the load.' Dash offered.

Before Dash could continue Jabba shouted,' You lost the load! You were boarded? You were killed? My freighter was destroyed?'

' No Jabba! It wasn't like that. They were shooting at us! We would of been killed! It's not my fault, ask Leebo he'll tell you. I had to jettison the load, they were almost on top of us.' Dash pleaded.

' You jettison my load!' Jabba screamed.

' Now don't get upset Jabba, there was nothing I could do, we were nearly killed. You should see the ship!' Dash pleaded and then offered, ' I'll make it up to you I promise.'

' Yes you will Rendar! Did you report the hijacking to the authorities captain ?'

' Yes I did. That's all taken care of, Jabba. I transmitted a report of the robbery right after it happened just like you told me to do before I left Na Hutta. So the insurance report is all taken care of right now, you don't have to worry.' Dash retorted.

' That's good captain and of course you know,' Jabba paused for a second and then shouted,' You'll pay for the load you lost!' Jabba screamed so loud that his entire grotesque body shook all the way down to his tail that whipped in the air behind him and his jowls quivered for several seconds.

' Now wait a minute, Jabba !' Dash interrupted,' How can I pay for it?'

' With your ship!' Jabba suggested,' I'll sell your ship! It should just about cover my lost.'

' The Outrider! No! You can't do that!' Dash pleaded.' Jabba, please! Can't we make some kind of a deal. Jabba, give me a chance. I'll pay you, but please, don't sell my ship!'

' Okay, Rendar. This is the deal,' Jabba recanted.

' I'll keep your ship until you pay me two million, six hundred and twenty-seven thousand credits,' Jabba offered,' But you only have a month to do it then I sell The Outrider!'

Before Dash could respond, Jabba broke off the communication, as Dash shouted,' Wait! That's not a deal. What kind of deal is that? No wait! Jabba, wait,' but it was too late as Jabba's image slowly disappeared.

' Sorry, sir. But the transmission is over.' The droid interrupted. She moved around the back of the unit and shut down the power,' Will there be anything else, sir?'

' No, I guess not.' Dash grumbled as he stepped off the platform, turned and went out the door.

Dash sullenly proceeded through the corridor, out the turnstile main entrance and down the street with his head hung down talking to himself. ' What am I going to do now?' He asked of himself as he proceeded down the busy street. An hour later content to walk this time hashing out what he was going to do next, Dash looked up and found himself at the entrance of the cantina. ' I could use a drink,' He muttered to himself as he entered the bar.

The cantina was scantly crowded with only a few patrons at the bar ; and quiet , as the dance floor and band stand were empty. Only the noise of conversation and a couple of patrons playing shuffleboard at a long table against the side wall , with the metallic clanging of the pucks striking together, penetrated the smoky room. There was two others setting at a table enthralled in a multievel chess game deep in concentration. Another patron was in the corner playing a holographic electronic fight game as he was jerking and twisting cheering his piece on in battle.

Dash seated himself on a stool and ordered his usual, Rangoon fizzer. When the droid bartender delivered his concoction in front of him, Dash inquired, ' When does the entertainment start?'

' Not tonight, sir. There's no entertainment tonight!'

' Evar Orbus and the band aren't playing tonight!' Dash inquired,' How about tomorrow night?'

' Oh no!' The droid answered,' Tomorrow night is the Bith jizz band of Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes . Evar Orbus won't be back until next month!'

' Oh shit!' Dash complained,' That's just great.'

Just then, the Rodian Greedo, came up and set down right next to Dash and ordered a drink. Greedo then turned to Dash and said, 'What's the matter human your lady not here anymore!'

' What you mean by that, snout face?' Dash snapped back.

' I seen you the other night with Orsaa. Maybe you humans should stick with your own species. Then maybe you wouldn't end up in an alleyway all night.'

' What you mean by that. Where you one of the guys that robbed me, or what?' Dash said as he grabbed Greedo's upper arm.

' No! I just heard the news later, that's all. Let loose of my arm or I'll blast you right here, Rendar!'

Greedo grabbed his drink, got off the stool and went back to the shuffleboard game that he and his friends were busy playing.

Dash finished his drink and when the bartender came back, Dash asked again,' Are you sure Evar Orbus and the band won't be back until next month.'

' Yes I'm sure, sir, is there anything else?' The droid asked.

' No, you wouldn't understand anyway,' Dash admitted. He pushed his empty glass towards the bartender, motioned with his hand that he didn't want another drink, deciding to get back and tell Leebo the bad news as he got back up, tossed a credit on the counter and exited out the door.

On his way still walking a couple blocks talking to himself in a low muttered voice, Dash begin looking at the many displays in the windows of the stores he was walking past until he came upon a haberdashery. In the store window next to several hats and shirts on display he spotted some shiny new gray freighter togs on a mannequin in the back. He looked down at his apparel and sighed as the appearance of his worn clothing just wasn't suited for a freighter captain of his statute. He decided to check out the store's prices and to see if they had some togs in his size.

Inside was a Rodian woman behind the counter folding some handkerchiefs that were at one side of a glass case. As Dash walked up, she raised her head and asked,' May I help you, sir?'

' Yes! I was wanting to check out some of those togs that you have in the window,' Dash remarked pointing toward the display.' You know, those freighter togs. I was wondering if you had any in my size and what those are going for, price wise?'

' Well let me see. We have some over here,' She remarked moving around the counter and toward a table with piles of different colored togs carefully folded in several stacks. These are on sale for four credits and they're the top of the line. We've got to clear a lot of clothing to make way for this year's model.' She continued,' What size are you?'

' About a 38 waist and a 42 inch inseam, I believe!' Dash answered sheepishly.

' Here's some ,' She said picking up some red and black togs.

' Don't you have any in gray and green or something not quit so bright, ' Dash inquired.

' In your size?' She puzzled looking through the several piles in front of them, finding the right colors but not the right size and mumbling,' Right color, but wrong size. Here's the right size,' She offered as she picked up a pair of green and purple togs,' Not quite, ah!' She said as she looked at Dash, who was making a squinting face shaking his head no.

' Oh wait a minute, here it is! Right color and r-i-g-h-t size, the last one. How you like that?' She said relieved after going through just about every set of togs on the table. She smiled and kidded, ' Didn't think we had any did you?'

' I was beginning to wonder!' Dash admitted. ' That's great, mind were starting to wear a little thin. Wait until my buddies see me in these. They'll go ape!'

' That'll be four credits, please,' She remarked after moving back behind the counter to the cash register.

' No tax?' Dash inquire.

' Not in this part of the galaxy, sir,' She told him. ' The price you see is the price they are!'

' I wouldn't have it any other way,' Dash agreed.

Dash went out the door with his new togs in a bag and haled a taxi giving the driver the address of the rooming house where he spent the night previous. Minutes later it seemed Dash arrived at the boarding house exiting the cab and entering a corridor and through a door into his room to try on the new outfit. ' Wait until Leebo sees me in these!' Dash muttered to himself, 'He's going to have a cow.'

He changed quickly and hurried back out the door toward Shug Ninx' shop. By this time, the day's light was disappearing over the edge of the mountain ranges and was leaving a purple, blue and yellow-orange glow over the city. Dash took a second and paused looking at the beautiful colors of the evening's sky and the rainbow glow effect that the light had on the different colored buildings and the numerous vehicles that flowed like a steady stream down the avenues and across the intersections on the six levels . Several night lights were already lit as well as numerous large one hundred foot neon signs on the sides of the buildings along with the lights glowing from the thousands of vehicles. It was another beautiful mesh of a spectrum of many wondrous colors, but somewhat different somehow in the primary main color theme.

The night was almost on them. Dash hadn't realized how much time had past and suddenly felt weary from the lack of sleep he got the night before and the effects of a long night of drinking.

He has always been able to wear through such drinking escapades in the past, but the wear and tear of the long journey from Kessel , the near escape combined with the events at the cantina had been more than usual for the young pilot.

Dash stopped, made an about face and headed back to his room for a couple hours sleep. He'll see Leebo later he thought as he headed for the soft comfort of his bed. As soon as he reached his room, he laid down on the mattress and quickly fell into a deep sleep.