Chapter 5

Leia's Choice

"I can't tell you how glad I am to that you came!" Luke said as he sat up. "I thought I was dead for sure."

"Well lucky for you I was here," Mara Jade said. "I don't know much about these sand people but they looked like they were about to spill your brains all over the rocks."

"They might have," Luke said as he turned his eyes onto the bodies. Part of him recoiled at the sight of the dead sand people, but this woman had saved him so he wasn't going to dwell on the violent method she used to do it.

"So what are you doing so far out here that little old me had to save you?" Mara said with a disarming smile.

"This little droid," Luke nodded at Artoo, who still cowered under a small rocky alcove. "I think he's searching for his former master, but I've never seen such devotion in a droid before. He claims to be the property of an Obi-wan Kenobi."

"Obi-wan Kenobi?" Mara said with a touch of shock in her voice.

"I thought he might mean old Ben Kenobi, a legend in these parts."

"That's... That's really interesting," Mara said. "How long have you had these droids?"

"About a day," Luke shrugged. "We bought them off some Jawas. The little one here started acting weird right away. He played a recording of some princess and then tricked me into removing his restraining bolt. Not my smartest move I guess."

"Probably not," Mara said as her hand trailed down to her belt, near her blaster.

"I'm sorry," Luke said, finally remembering the manners Aunt Beru drilled into him. "I haven't introduced myself. I'm Luke Skywalker."

"Skywalker?" Mara's eyes widened again and hr hand left her belt to comb through her hair. "Famous last name."

"It is?" Luke raised a brow. "I always figured it was fairly common."

"The only Skywalker I ever heard of was Anakin Skywalker."

"Well, wait a minute" Luke said, scratching the back of his head. "That was my father's name, but he wasn't famous. My uncle always told me he was a navigator on a spice freighter."

"A spice freighter?" Mara said, almost laughing. "Anakin Skywalker was a Jedi Knight that fought in the Clone Wars!"

"The Clone Wars?" Luke said. "We can't be talking about the same guy."

"I'll admit I have a hard time imagining it," Jade gave him a once over.

Around this time Luke decided to look at her, really look at her. The green eyes and red hair were certainly fetching and they're what had held his attention during their conversation but now he noticed the desert gear, the customized blaster, and the sniper rifle strapped to her back. This was a woman ready for action. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered if telling his life story was the best idea. But he quickly countered that bad logic with the fact that she saved his life only moments before.

"All I know about my father is that he died around the end of the Clone Wars in a shuttle accident, I've never even heard of an Anakin Skywalker that was a Jedi General."

"He was a cunning warrior by all accounts," Mara said. "And one of the best star pilots in the galaxy."

"I'm not too shabby behind the controls of a ship myself," Luke said.

"Well that settles it," Mara said with a wink. "You must be the unknown offspring of a Jedi!"

"I was serious," Luke said. "I mean… nevermind."

"You really think that you could actually be that Anakin Skywalker's son?" Jade said.

"I don't know…" Luke shook his head. "I always believed what my Uncle told me but out of the blue you tell that someone with the exact same name existed and… maybe…"

"Well, General Skywalker did die at the end of the Clone Wars," Mara said.

"Do you know how?"

"No," Mara said. "Though I've visited the Jedi Temple and taken the Imperial Tour there, they say that Skywalker died along with the rest of the Jedi when they rose up against the Senate to seize control the Old Republic. Back in the dark times before the Empire."

"Before the Empire?" Luke muttered, again that doubt about his rescuer resurfaced but his mind had latched onto the idea of his father being a Jedi Knight. "You don't sound certain about that? You think he may have died another way?"

"Well it's just a story I've heard," Mara said. "I've heard tale that Skywalker remained loyal to the Emperor and that, and this is the interesting part, he was killed by one of the Jedi. Obi-wan Kenobi."

"Obi-wan Kenobi?" Luke said.

"Yes, some say he betrayed and murdered Anakin Skywalker."

"But I thought… I thought the Jedi were the good guys."

"Well I'm not surprised, this is the ass end of space, you guys probably think that the Rebellion is-"

A rock fell nearby, causing the canyon walls to echo with the clacking of stone on stone. Mara had her hand on her blaster and she looked around. Luke fumbled around for something that he might fight with but the sand people had destroyed his rifle.

"I think we better get going," Mara said. "I'm good in a fight but I don't want to take on a whole swarm of those sand people."

"Okay," Luke said then looked to Artoo. "Get in the speeder and get it primed to leave, we have to get Threepio."

"Hurry," Mara said. "I feel like we're being watched."

"Watched?" Luke said. "More sand peop-"

A bolt of blaster fire shot down from the rocks above and cut him off, its report echoed on the canyon walls. Both Mara and Luke dove behind the speeder as another shot rang out. The pair sat like that for a second, practically on top of one another before Mara slipped her own blaster from her holster and handed it to Luke. After giving him a nod she pulled the rifle off of her back.

"Please tell me you know how to shoot!"

"Who's shooting at us!?" Luke said.

"Hell if I know!" Mara said as she began disassembling parts of it. "Just lay down some suppressing fire for a second! I'm not going to have time to aim with this thing like this, I need to compact it."

Luke nodded and took a breath. Another shot whizzed past their heads and he spun around and pumped out several blasts in the direction of the blaster fire. Blaster bolts lit up the rock walls, leaving smoking holes but Luke didn't wait to see if he'd made any of his shots, instead he ducked back down, just in time to miss getting hit by returned fire. This time from another blaster altogether.

"Great," he said. "Now they're two of them. Are you almost done?"

"Got it!" Mara said as she removed the stock of the blaster rifle then whirled around and opened fire in a rapid barrage. Luke did so as well, this time managing to get a look at one of their attackers; someone in a helmet and armor. Definitely not sand people.

A shot nearly hit Mara and she ducked down, Luke followed suit but not before firing off one more shot. They looked to each other, both breathing heavily from the pressure and the heat. Mara made to go for another round but multiple shots rained from above. Each time one of them started poking their heads or hands over the shots would come again.

Luke glanced over at Mara who was counting for some reason, then she nodded to herself and rolled over and fired blindly. Her shot apparently had some effect because the blaster fire coming at them stopped. Luke knelt up and aimed his blaster the direction the shots had been coming from.

"I didn't hit him," Mara said then fired at some rocks, Luke saw him a second later too, the helmeted guy was just ducking behind a rock, waiting for another opening to strike. Instantly Luke opened fire too, both he and Mara now pinning down at least one of their attackers.

Then something happened. Luke… felt something. A strange… tingling in the back of his neck. He couldn't say he'd never felt it before, but never this strong. It felt familiar like he was meeting a long lost friend or relative. Even though he kept firing his eyes trailed away to a nearby outcropping of rocks above them. The more he looked the more the idea formed in his mind that there was something… someone looking at him from there.

He was about to turn his attention back to their first target but he caught a ghost of movement in the corner of his eye, right where he had been looking. He saw a blaster rifle being aimed at Mara. Without thinking he whirled about and fired at the outcropping. He heard a shout and the blaster rifle that had been targeting his ally flew from the would-be attacker's hands.

For a moment he paused as he saw the assassin. Brown cloak, with a hood covering the face, sandy colored inner robes. The attacker scrambled to recover his weapon but Luke knew he couldn't let up. He pumped another shot right at him, knowing that this time he would down the target.

Then, almost too fast for him to realize what happened, there was a flash of light and the attacker drew a laser sword. The next instant Luke could only blink as the blaster bolt he intended for his target ricocheted back at him.

He didn't have time to dodge, he didn't have time to duck, he didn't even have time to cry out. The blaster bolt caught him square in the shoulder and sent him sprawling on his back. Mara didn't even spare him a glance. Instead she locked her eyes on the cloaked figure that had struck him down.

In the next instant a crimson lightsaber of her own erupted from Mara's hands and she began knocking the blaster fire back at their attackers. Luke, in spite of the pain, crawled over to the edge of the speeder and dragged himself in. R2 wailed in terror from his spot in the back seat as Luke rolled into the driver's position.

Blaster bolts came close to hitting him as he activated the speeder but Mara batted them away and dove into the speeder. Luke managed one last look back at the cloaked figure before he gunned the engine and the pair zipped out of the canyon and out of harm's way.

"Dammit!" Fett said the instant the speeder shot out of the canyon.

He had tried shooting out the engines from the moment the boy lurched into the damn thing but the karking assassin was better trained than he could possibly have guessed. The Empire had put the highest priority on catching the Princess it seemed. Just his luck, he put himself on the wrong side this time.

Off to the side he heard Leia deactivate the lightsaber and he pulled himself up and walked over to her. He still couldn't believe that she had managed to deflect that blaster shot, especially considering that the kid hadn't been a half bad shot. And this was what bothered him, the jedi robes, the damn lightsaber, all the talk about Obi-wan Kenobi. This wasn't good.

"Alright Princess," he said. "You're going to tell me right now how the hell you blocked that shot, what happened last night at Kenobi's hut and what the hell you did that has the Empire sending a lightsaber trained assassin after you."

"Come on," Leia didn't even bother looking at him as she started making her way down to the canyon floor. "We need to see if there's anything down there we can use to figure out who they were and how to follow them."

"Did you hear me?"

"Of course I did," Leia said. "But I don't see any reason to engage you in that conversation. Not when they got away along with the Astromech droid. It has what I'm after."

"And what is that?"

"Stolen imperial data," she glanced back. "And just to clear things up, I blocked that shot by pure luck, nothing else."

With that the princess put her back to him and inched her way down the canyon until she was standing on the floor below. Fett could do nothing more at this point but grind his teeth follow after her and remind himself how much he was getting paid to do this.

"There are dead sand people all around here," Fett said. "Might be able to find some banthas neaby."

Leia nodded but didn't say anything as at that very moment a new voice joined theirs in the canyon. Fett drew his blaster as soon as he heard it but Leia planted a hand on his weapon and pushed it down.

"H…hello? Is anyone there? Help! I fallen and am damaged! Someone please help me!"

"It's a protocol droid," Leia said then went after the voice.

It didn't take them long to find the golden droid, lying in a heap on the rocky canyon floor. His arm rested only a couple of feet away and he had a large dent in his head but otherwise he didn't look too beat up.

"Threepio," Leia crouched down and helped the droid sit up.

"Oh gracious me! Princess Leia! Whatever are you doing in this dreadful place?"

"It's a long story," she said. "Can you stand?"

"I… I don't know. I took a tumble when Master Luke was attacked by the sand people. Oh no! Master Luke where is he?"

"Who's Master Luke?"

"If I may say Mistress Leia it to is a very long story, but suffice it to say that Master Luke became our new owner after we left your service. We came out here looking for Artoo. Oh no! Artoo! Where's Artoo?"

The droid swiveled his head back and forth trying to find his counterpart and Leia glanced at Fett. Luke was most likely the boy they'd seen but that didn't explain the one they were really interested in.

"Artoo is safe… for now," Leia said. "Threepio I need you to tell me everything you can about this Luke and specifically the red headed companion he had with him."

"Red headed… I'm sorry Mistress but I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. Master Luke and I came out here alone. We were searching for Artoo he kept going on about someone named Obi-wan Kenobi and some mission."

Leia shook her head, she knew that tasking R2 with such an important mission was the right call, she just wished things had turned out better. She looked down the canyon, the way that the assassin and this 'Luke' had gone and her stomach only sank more. They got away with R2, and by the looks of it, an innocent had been caught in the crossfire. It seemed that everything about her mission was doomed. From the Death Star plans to the missing Jedi Master.

It was then that her comlink crackled to life, drawing her from her ruminations. She glanced up to Fett then lifted the device up, letting it activate so they could get a clearer transmission.

"Mistress Leia," Winter's voice came. "Are you there?"

"I'm here Winter," Leia said. "Are you alright?"

"We escaped the Sand People… but Biggs is hurt. We're heading for a hut that we spotted before we were captured."

"I… I'll meet you there," Leia said.

"You know it?"

"I was just there," Leia said. "There's much to discuss."

Leia stood and brushed herself off. She took a deep breath as she tried to decide what course of action to take next. There was no way to catch the assassin now, not on foot anyway. Her eyes fell to the bounty hunter. He stood holding Threepio's arm, almost like a club, his face unreadable behind his new helmet. There was no hope of catching the assassin, not on foot anyway, but maybe they could track her down before she got off planet.

"Give me his arm," Leia said. "I'm going to meet them up at Kenobi's hut, you look around, see if you can't find some way to track down that assassin."

"I don't take orders from you," Fett said.

"But you do from my father's money," Leia said. "And I can promise you more of it if you do as I say."

He just stood still for a moment before finally shrugging and turning his head to survey the canyon. "If it will get you closer to actually wanting to get off this rock… fine. But don't think you can sneak away from me Princess. I've tracked a lot sneakier prey than you."

"You won't have to," Leia said. "Like it or not. I made my choice when we came after Artoo and Threepio. I fear it was the wrong one, and as part of the consequence I'm stuck with you."

"Feeling's mutual."

"I wonder if that hut has air conditioning?" Bigg's muttered as he limped along.

"I'd be more hopeful if I thought it had a med kit," Winter said, grunting just a tiny bit as he leaned on her shoulder.

"You say that now," Biggs managed a smile. "But you've only barely experienced Tatooine afternoons. Air conditioning is practically a gift from above."

"Fine, we'll hope it's both well cooled and has a medkit," Winter said, her eyes trailed to the wound in his shoulder. One of the sand people had managed to score a hit with one of their projectile weapons. At least she wouldn't have to treat him for blaster burns, but if he continued to bleed things would get very bad.

"Looks like… that crazy jedi was right about one thing," Biggs said as they neared the hut. "The sand people won't come near this place."

"We'll have to thank the Force that small blessing at least," Winter said, casting her eyes about, still not quite willing to believe that the sand people simply abandoned their chase. They no doubt were after them for vengeance for bringing the Empire down on them. Superstitions only went so far.

A desert wind kicked up as they approached the hut and Winter took a deep breath through her nose, preparing herself for whatever she might find inside. She knew that Princess Leia had been here previously, assuming they were talking about the same abandoned hut in the middle of a desert planet. Still she wasn't sure what she expected to find, but after the days events, she wasn't prepared to let her guard down for anything.

An empty, dust covered dwelling met her and Biggs. A place that showed no sign of entry save for a flurry of footprints that had been made just recently. Winter guessed by their size that they belonged to the Princess. Quickly, she spotted a nearby seat and guided Biggs over to it.

"Sorry," she said as she sat him down. "Looks like this place is air conditioned free."

"Okay," Biggs nodded. "That's the last straw, just let me die."

Winter narrowed her eyes at him and he blinked at her as if confused as to how he drew her ire.

"When you're more cognizant we're going to have a discussion on appropriate use of humor," she finally said and began tearing off a piece of her sleeve and held it against the wound. Taking Biggs' hand she pressed it against his shoulder then stood up.

"I'm going to look around and see if there aren't any supplies we might use here to help remove the slug," she said. "You sit and try not to think of cheesy one liners or inappropriate jokes."

"I'll do my best," Biggs grunted, "But no promises."

Winter shook her head then set herself onto the task at hand. She first found a large chest that looked like it had been recently opened but try as she might she couldn't get it to budge. Noticing an encryption circuit she almost started slicing it but decided that she didn't have the time nor was someone likely to hide a medkit in a locked chest.

Her continued to forage through the rooms. Quickly finding the main vaporator unit, which despite being covered in dust and deactivated for who knew how long, seemed like it was serviceable. She blew the dust off and activated it, cringing slightly as it groaned to life but then began to hum, albeit far from rhythmically. If they could actually catch some luck they could get some water to clean the wound with.

She made to look for the fresher when she heard Biggs gasp out loud. Fearing something had happened to his injury she rushed back to the main room, immediately seeing what had caused his outburst. Far from his wound, he gasped at the sight of a Jedi Knight standing in the doorway. Surely, just like she, he'd seen old holo's of them and there was no mistaking the brown cloaks and sandy robes. Was this who'd they'd been looking for? With the sunlight shining directly behind the figure, Winter couldn't make out a face.

"General Kenobi?"

"Winter it's me," Leia's familiar voice came as she entered into the room fully.

"Your Highness!" Winter launched forward and embraced her best friend in a fierce hug. Just as quickly though, she pulled away and gave her a once over. "Why in space are you dressed like that?"

"It's a long story," Leia said then looked past Winter to Biggs. "How is your partner?"

"Better now that I see you your Highness," Biggs managed but the paleness in his face and the way he winced with each word spoke otherwise.

"Hello!" a synthetic voice came from the doorway and Winter glanced over Leia's shoulder to see C3P0, carrying his own arm. "Lady Winter how very good it is to see you here!"

"You still have your droids?" Winter said.

"Artoo's been taken," Leia said in an almost defeated tone. "And with him possibly the hope of the Galaxy."

"I say, this is a dreary place," C3P0 said then his photo receptors turned on Biggs. "Oh goodness heavens, are you alright?"

"I've been looking for a medkit," Winter said. "Or something that can be used to help him. There's a locked chest that I can't get into but…"

"I don't recall seeing a medkit in it when I opened it," Leia said. "But I'll have another look."

"You can open it?" Biggs said.

"Long story."

"Why do I get the feeling we're going to be getting that answer a lot?" Winter said as Leia moved to the chest and began working with the security system. Sure as she said, the chest popped right open and the Princess proceeded to dig through it.

"I think I've got the vaporator running," Winter said as she moved over to Biggs to examine his wound again. "We should at least have water to…"

"There's no kit," Leia interrupted, "But there are some bacta patches, they look unused."

"Why would the owner of that chest have put a few spare bacta pouches in there?" Winter said.

"This chest once belonged to Obi-wan Kenobi," Leia said. "In spite of his disappearance he seemed to have remarkable foresight."

"Obi-wan Kenobi?" Threepio said. "Then Artoo was telling the truth? I'm so confused."

"Me too… Disappearance?" Biggs said. "This was actually Kenobi's hut? I don't care if I die while you tell this long story, I have to hear it."

"You're not going to die," Winter said. "but she can tell her tale while we work on you."

And so the Princess recounted to them the story of her escape, of smuggling herself with the stormtroopers and how she and the bounty hunter eluded capture a second time. She told of the assassin that stalked them and how they stumbled onto the hovel in the middle of the night.

Winter wasn't able to ponder too much on the evasive way Leia spoke once got to the part of the hovel. She was focusing on drawing the slug out with the knife she'd picked off the tusken raider guard back when they were prisoners. But there was definitely something she wasn't telling them.

She made a mental note to speak to the Princess about it later when it was just the two of them. In the mean time she needed to clean Biggs wound. She kept periodically glancing at him to make sure he was okay and had to admit she was impressed by his overall composure. She'd just extracted a piece of metal out of his shoulder with a sharpened piece of bone and he'd barely made a noise. Provided he lived through the experience she'd make sure to never let him know.

Leia finished by telling them about confronting Boba Fett about his identity and by then Winter had found another dilemma. The wound was clean and ready for the bacta patches, but bleeding as it was, the bacta would likely only put a stop to the bleeding and provide little healing beyond that.

"We're going to need to build a fire," Biggs said, guessing the problem. "Find some metal so we can cauterize the wound."

Winter nodded grimly but then Leia touched her shoulder to stop her from leaving Biggs side.

"I… I think I can help with that… if it is necessary," she said then pulled back her robe to reveal a lightsaber.

"Is that a…"

"You have steady hands," Leia put the laser sword in Winter's fingers. "If he's ready then get it over with."

For a moment, Winter wasn't ever sure she recognized her lifelong friend. Not only dressed as a Jedi but carrying their weapon? She glanced at the lightsaber and shook her head. Even before the fall of the Jedi they were worth a fortune in the black market, she couldn't even guess its worth now. And here she held one in her hand ready to try and cauterize a wound rather than cut the shoulder off of her friend.

Her eyes shot to Biggs. Associate. Not to cut the shoulder off an associate.

Leia washed off a broken chair leg then ordered Biggs to bite down on it and Winter forced herself to end her contemplation and focus on the task. The blue beam lit up and she took a step back so as to find the right angle. To his credit, Biggs handled it as best he could but even he couldn't stifle a cry of pain as a laser hot enough to cut through virtually anything seared his flesh back together.

The moment the deed was done, Winter deactivated the blade dabbed water on the wound then gently placed the bacta patch over it. Just one would do for now. They could save the others for later. Biggs huffed and puffed at the pain but Winter could actually sigh with some relief. He would survive.

"Do you think the water is clean enough for him to drink?" Leia said.

"It… vap…" Biggs had his eyes locked across the room where the vaporator was located. "…one of the b… best designs… it should be safe."

"Let's get him something to drink then he can rest while we plan our next move," Leia moved over the vaporator, leaving Winter alone with him. She didn't realize until after the princess had returned that Biggs had taken her hand and held it firmly. Knowing he needed support she didn't immediately let go but was relieved when he released the hand hold to grasp the small basin of water the princess gave him.

While Biggs recovered, Winter sat across the room with her friend and told her all about what had transpired with Biggs and herself. None of it seemed to phase the princess except for the part about the crazed Jedi leading the sand people but she was grateful for their escape.

Then came the part hardest to hear. Leia told her about the stolen plans hidden in R2 and how they were now in the hands of a farmhand and an Imperial assassin who had gotten away on a speeder, leaving little chance that they would catch them. After taking a breath, Leia decided to lay on another bombshell.

"We have to be prepared for the eventuality that the Death Star plans will fall back into the hands of the Empire," she said. "And because of that we need to work on finding Obi-wan Kenobi. He's alive somewhere in the galaxy… and his help might be the only thing that saves us at this point."

Winter had to shake her head. "Your highness…. Leia, how can you be sure he's alive? Have you seen this place? Yes it's remarkable that we found it and that there are enough salvageable things to serve us, but it's been abandoned about as long as we've been alive. Wouldn't it be best to try and contact the fleet and come up with a new plan to sabotage that battle station?"

"Kenobi's alive," Leia said. "I… I have it on very good authority that he's… that he's not dead at least. He's our last hope."

"I know a Jedi is a powerful warrior," Winter said. "But is he really going to make that much of a difference against the Empire."

"As much as I don't like Jedi…" a shadowy voice came from the doorway. Winter looked to see an armored helmeted man standing there. She went for her blaster but Leia stopped her and motioned for the man to enter. "… and as much as I don't like Kenobi, your Princess is right, that Jedi was one of the chief generals of the clone wars. If anyone can make your little fleet respectable it's him."

"You must be the bounty hunter Prince Organa hired," Winter said. "You were supposed to contact us when you got her Highness planetside."

"Got wrapped up in other things," he replied as he surveyed the room then looked to the princess. "Found the banthas. They're not fast but they'll get us out of the desert quicker than we will on foot. Especially if we have dead weight like him."

The bounty hunter nodded at Biggs and Winter felt her lips bend into a frown. If he had done what he was told there was a fair chance this all could have been avoided. The Princess would be safe and Biggs wouldn't have been shot. Far from the first time since she learned the news she questioned the Prince of Alderaan's judgment. But as always, duty required she put her feelings to one side.

"So we have transportation," Winter said. "What do we do about finding your missing Jedi?"

"Found this outside," Fett held up a piece of metal. "Think it might be a clue as to what happened to Kenobi."

"A piece of scrap?" Leia said.

"A piece of scrap with lightsaber cuts on it," Fett said. "Looks like it came from a droid."

"A droid?" C3P0, who had been mercifully silent, piped up. "Oh my…"

"Obi-wan was att…" Leia started but trailed off and gave a small cough. "Go on bounty hunter, what can you tell us about it?"

"This is a phrikit-tyderuim weave if my eyes don't deceive me… something like this could stop a lightsaber."

"Yet there's a piece of it lying on the ground," Leia tapped some scorching on the metal. "It's clearly been cut by a laser sword."

"Almost no metal is entirely lightsaber proof, with a strong enough cut, Kenobi could have cleaved some off."

Winter watched as Leia sighed and examined the scrap piece. "I have reason to believe Kenobi was abducted by a droid. This might actually be a vital clue."

"There's some writing on the underside," Fett flipped it over. "Never seen the like of it though."

"Writing?" C3P0 actually stood now. "Oh, might I have a look? After all I am fluent in over six million forms of communication!"

Leia handed the piece over to the droid, who held it with his one arm and examined it. For once, Leia wished she could see what was going on behind those photoreceptors but protocol droids were designed to look passive.

"Well I say, this is very interesting," Threepio said. "Very interesting indeed."

"What?" Winter said.

"Well you see... the actual message is in early basic but the characters, as you can see, are not in aurebesh. They in fact, appear to be ancient sith."

"Sith?" Fett said. "It was written in Sith?"

"It would appear to be," C3P0 said. "If you take a look at the fine curvature of the-"

"Threepio," Leia shook her head. "We'll take your word for it. Just tell us what it says."

"Oh… oh yes of course, it says: Manufactured by Systech Corporation. If found return to owner."

"Systech?" Winter said. "I've never heard of it."

"Maybe your droid's got a loose wire and it means Czerca?" Fett said.

"I beg your pardon sir but it's my arm that's damaged not my internal processor!" the droid said. "And if my databanks are correct the Systech Corporation was a droid and weapons manufacturing corporation that went out of business some four thousand years ago."

"He does have a loose wire," Fett said. "No way that metal was processed four thousand years ago. The only wear and tear it has is from the last twenty years of lying in the sun and dirt here on Tatooine."

"Threepio," Leia said. "Where was the Systech Corporation located before it closed?"

"Nar Shadda, I believe."

Leia nodded and went to the door, gazing out at the dunes and desert. "Well then we have a lead. We'll need to return that droid part. But first things first, we need to try and catch that assassin. As soon as we can load Biggs up onto a bantha we're going after them."

A/N: Thanks to everyone that's reading and taking the time to review! I'll try to keep the pace up!