Viktor
They returned to Coruscant to sell the loot they stole from Balthier's father. An old friend of theirs, Stephen, was a merchant in the mid-levels of Coruscant not far from Viktor's Diner. They knew that Stephen would be honest on how much each gem was worth.
As they passed by Viktor's Diner, Balthier handed his coin purse to Marina. "I'll check and see if Viktor knows anything."
Marina nodded and headed towards a taxi.
Balthier walked into Viktor's Diner and sat down at a booth table. "Welcome to Viktor's Diner. What can I get you to drink?", a male droid asked him. "I just want to see Viktor." The droid nodded and headed to the kitchen.
A few minutes passed before Viktor was sitting himself down in the opposite seat. "So what are you doing here Balthier? And without Marina? Last I knew you two were still attached at the hip."
Baltheir rolled his eyes. "You're the expert on rumors. I was wondering if you knew anything about a planet that has a mist surrounding it which allows it to be invisible even to machines."
Viktor scratched his chin in thought. "Well, my grandmother used to tell me stories of her home world. It was more advanced than any in the galaxy today. She'd tell me stories of the towns and the technologies. But then she'd tell me of how their own technology destroyed them. They had become arrogant and had overlooked the poisonous gases that seeped out of one of their machines. It caused everyone to become sick town by town until it had overtook the entire planet. Only one small village escaped the planet. My grandmother was among them."
"And where is your dear old granny now, Viktor?"
Viktor folded his hands together on the table. "Why are you so curious Balthier? Thinking of raiding this planet of a few treasures?"
Balthier got a strange gleam in his eye all of the sudden. "Let's just say I'm trying to get there before someone else does."
There was something about the way Balthier had said 'else' that made Viktor suspicious. He considered silently for a minute on what to tell Balthier before finally deciding on the truth. "She's on Tantooine. About ten miles east of Malapos Spaceport. House 211."
Balthier smiled and stood up from the table. Viktor stood up as well. Balthier shook his hand. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, old friend." Balthier said before leaving. Viktor frowned. Something just wasn't right about that boy all of the sudden.
Balthier returned to the Strahl to wait for Marina. He entered his room and flopped down onto his bed with a sigh. He stared up at the ceiling. "I wish you were here son. These fools have no idea what they are doing."Balthier pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger as he tried his best to erase his father's words from his memory.
--
When Marina returned to the Strahl she found Balthier asleep on his bed. He looked like he needed the rest so Marina gently laid a blanket over his sexy form and went to the cockpit.
"Ffamran." Balthier jolted awake with his mother's voice still in his head. He sat up and used his blanket to wipe the sweat off his face. He realized that Marina must have come back since he clearly did not remember laying down with a blanket. He came into the cockpit and sat down.
"I did a diagnosis check on all of the engines just in case and they are all in good condition. We have full power. All I need are coordinates." Marina informed the half awake captain.
"Set courses for Tantooine. We're headed to the Malapos Spaceport."
Marina nodded and quickly punched in the coordinates for Tantooine's Malapos Spaceport.
Balthier flew the Strahl out of the Aerodrome as he waited for the navicomputer to program the quickest and safest route into the computer. It only took a minute for the navicomputer to finish and they were headed off to Tantooine.